FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD EQUALS ENMITY WITH GOD. (Homily for May 17, 2016. Tuesday of the 7th week in Ordinary Time.)


Bible Study:  James 4, 1 to 10 and Mark 9, 30 to 37.


The words of St. James in our first reading this morning are not only very practical but deeply instructive. Yesterday he made us understand there is a difference between being wise according to the standards of the world and being wise according to the mind of God. Today he says that we should not even try to become popular with the world because whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself and enemy of God.

What does it mean to be a friend of the world? It is competition and blind pursuit of material riches. It is living according to the dictum of “Get rich or die trying.” It is what happens when you are prepared to kill and pull anyone done just because you want to be wealthy or popular. It is basically placing material things over and above spiritual things.

To be a friend of the world is to live for bread alone and forget every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. To be a friend of the world is to bow down to Satan by committing sin in order to gain material things or the glories of the world.

And St. James says, the reason why there is strife, war and fighting in the society is as a result of friendship with the world. Ordinarily, the world has enough to take care of every living person on earth. If the world’s resources were to be evenly distributed, there would be no human being lacking anything. But because of GREED fuelled by individual’s desire to be over and above others as a result of their friendship with the world and enmity with God, while some are eating and wasting in excess, others are languishing in poverty.

We all have a battle to fight and that battle is not against fellow humans but against our very selves. We must fight our own passions, we must fight our greed, we must fight our desire for popularity and fame. These are the things that are the causes of wars in our society.

Even in the Gospel passage, we see Jesus admonishing his disciples not to allow themselves be overtaken by pride as to who is the greatest! These were disciples, the fathers of the church yet they were arguing as to who is the greatest among them. This means that these passions are in-born in every human being and no one is exempted from the struggle against the self.

To conquer pride in us, we must spend time with children and try to learn from them. Jesus had to bring a child to teach them a practical lesson. Anyone who wishes to be great must first be a servant. We cannot get to heaven by putting others through hell. To pass through the eye of the needle, must first bend down. To enter heaven, we must humble ourselves as children.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, I want to be your friend. Help me to free myself from the desire to compete with the world for material things but to realise that my goal is heaven. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.


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