Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go 

2 JULY (Mt 8,18-22)

Following a person to accomplish his own mission, to proclaim his Gospel, to be clothed of his own powers, is an absolute novelty and it is only of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament kings were by birth, priests by the descent from Aaron, the prophets chosen by God from time to time. There was no following in the Old Covenant. The prophetic following is recognized, but only in one case.
A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” He replied, “I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. But the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” “Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus,” the Lord said to him. “When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram. Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel, and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you. If anyone escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill him. If he escapes the sword if Jehu, Elisha will kill him. Yet I will leave seven thousand men in Israel – all those who have not knelt to Baal or kissed him.” Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you.” “Go back!” Elijah answered. “Have I done anything to you?” Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant. (1Kings 19,13-21).
Another case is that of Joshua who was in the service of Moses. We know then that he was also his successor in the guide of the people toward the Promised Land.
Moses then went up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel, and they beheld the God of Israel. Under his feet there appeared to be sapphire tilework, as clear as the sky itself. Yet he did not smite these chosen Israelites. After gazing on God, they could still eat and drink. The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and, while you are there, I will give you the stone tablets on which I have written the commandments intended for their instruction.” So Moses set out with Joshua, his aide, and went up to the mountain of God. The elders, however, had been told by him, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are staying with you. If anyone has a complaint, let him refer the matter to them.” After Moses had gone up, a cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled upon Mount Sinai. The cloud covered it for six days, and on the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord was seen as a consuming fire on the mountaintop. But Moses passed into the midst of the cloud as he went up on the mountain; and there he stayed for forty days and forty nights. (Ex 24,9-18).
In the New Testament one is the mission, one is the body, one the grace, one the truth, one the work of salvation and redemption, entrusted by God to Jesus, This is the only Saviour, the only Redeemer, the only mediator between God and humanity. He will carry out this mission until the end of time, associating to himself other men and constituting them his apostles, his disciples, his instruments, his ministers, his ambassadors, his heralds, giving them his power, his grace, his truth, his very life.

When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side. A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Another of (his) disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

There is no autonomy in the mission. Everything must be lived according to the will of the Father, executing instantly his every orders. Jesus knows this and says it to those who want to follow him. Going behind him is not knowing where you go, where you stop, where you can rest, when you are awake and when you can sleep. Always in the order and command of the Heavenly Father. Every need must disappear.
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us true disciples of Jesus.