"Holiness consists firstly in personally relating to the Father in the depths of one's being and only secondly in conduct, in the things we do... The right conduct is the product of the right relationship to the Father. The latter comes first and is central. Abandoning myself completely to the Father is what matters most," John Dalrymple: "Costing Not Less Than Everything".

This basic tenet of discipleship is the theme of today's readings. Jesus, in Matthew's Gospel, affirms this to His disciples: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21). In other words, one has to make a basic choice - for or against God. From this choice everything else flows. The centre of the disciples' life has to be a personal relationship with God in which he can rest secure.

Paul, when attacked by his enemies at Corinth, goes down to their level of boasting of his own accomplishments which are far greater than any of theirs. Whatever he suffered for the sake of the Gospel is nothing they can match. Why? Whatever he did, whatever he was, was because he was the servant of Christ, totally comitted to and preoccuplied with Him. This was what was worthwhile boasting about - his own weakness in the face of God's greatness. Paul's ignoring of the self in giving all his life and work to Christ is the result of a right relationship to God the Father.