MONDAY, THIRTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Wis 1: 1-7; Ps 139: 1-10; Lk 17: 1-6
OUR THOUGHTS GUIDE OUR ACTIONS
No good has ever come from wrong, nor has wrong triumphed in any instance. Malicious deeds only bear the test of time to prove God’s power over wicked. Far be it that God’s faithful must ever fall into the trap of sin. It is easy to point at someone just to say how one has earned fame and power through dishonest means, but hard to realize how they lack respect and trust. On the other hand, if we look at the honest man, it is easy to drive home the way society looks at him: with trust and respect. In the reading we hear of how wisdom is lacking in those who give heed to malice, and how foolish are they when bad intent overshadows their minds. They are foolish to realize that God reads the hearts. Their ignorance got them covered only to prosper in this passing life and to forget what lies ahead. Blessed are they who with wisdom, store treasures of good deeds for life eternal.
Our thoughts guide our action. How we think defines who we are. When bad thoughts guide us, we end up seeing the passive side of life. When good thoughts guide us, then we become optimistic, always bright and happy. It also holds true that evil thoughts are contagious. One evil thought: the content of any gossip can harm a person, cut deeper than a sword. The gospel of the day is crystal clear with the fate of those who sow wicked thoughts into other’s minds. To avoid malicious thoughts is a virtue. It is cultivated foremost by respecting each one, as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Secondly by trying to see good even when encountering difficult situations as thorns and thistles on one’s journey. Moreover, as Pope Francis would ask us to bite our tongues when we feel the urge to gossip.
Abstaining from bad intentions is possible only through God’s grace, for which we require humility to accept ourselves as fragile earthen vessels. Pray earnestly, may what is truth and just may make home in us and not sin.
Response: Lead me, Lord, in the way everlasting.
Copyright ©2023 ©Springs of Living Water http://springs.carmelmedia.in