TUESDAY, TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Prv 21:1-6,10-13 Ps 119:1,27,30,34-35,44 Lk 8:19-21
IS GOD PLEASED WITH YOU?
All of us desire to be accepted, appreciated and praised. We wish that others praise us for being wise and faithful. If this is a reality in our ordinary life, even in our spiritual life this is what we hear being said about those who obey God and do his will. God is pleased when people work for justice and do what is right (Prv 21:3). This is the invitation Jesus extends to us so that we become members of divine family.
In the Beatitudes, when Jesus uses the word ‘Blessed’ it is about God being well pleased. There are different ways in Jesus’ teaching we can please God. In all these ways, one needs to go through inconveniences, sacrifices and risk one’s own life. Sharing God’s nature and glory necessarily involves the process of aligning one’s will to God’s will.
Being part of the family of Jesus doesn’t depend on blood relationship with him but on recognising that he comes from God and doing God’s will. Belonging to the new family of Jesus is joining him in the business of incarnating, making real in flesh and blood, God’s deep love and mercy for all his people. We truly belong to Jesus whenever we follow his teaching.
Jesus also promised to come with his heavenly Father and dwell in us when we follow his commandment of love (ref. Jn 14:23). The sacrificial love Jesus is inviting us to be part of, is to trust God’s plan for each of us. The Good News of Salvation is not just hearing the news that is sweet and pleasing to us, but embracing the challenges to die to selfishness and surrender to God’s plan to make us partners with Jesus to make humanity God’s new family. Failure to live according to the God’s word, leads to a warning: “every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish person…” (Mt 7:26-27). So, the only way to be wise and faithful before God is to live the commandment of love.
Response: Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
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