I AM SWEET BUT DANGEROUS. (Homily for August 20, 2016. Saturday of the 20th week in Ordinary Time.)

Bible Study: Ezekiel 43, 1 to 7 and Matthew 23, 1 to 12.


Once upon a time, two brothers got engaged in an argument. One was humility, the other was pride. As usual, Mr. Pride began to boast, “People love me so much because I make them feel good. I have millions of followers all over the world from the high places to the low places. Without me, no one feels okay about himself.” Mr. Humility responded, “of course, people may love you but the truth is that they don’t need you. You cannot claim to be more important than me because without me, the world would be such a difficult place to live in.”

Mr. Pride went on, “You see my brother, if you say they don’t need me, how come they love me so much.” “Yes, they love you but why is that whenever you are with them, they always stumble and crash” said Humility, “You are not a true friend, you fill them with your nice perfume, they begin to look down on people only for them to go down to square one, Mr. Pride you need to be sincere with people, stop making them feel like gods when they are still humans.” Mr. Pride laughed loudly, “Is it my fault that I make people feel good? Is it my fault that I have a nice aroma? Well those who have been with me and tasted the other side of disgrace should be wiser. Isn’t it? But I wonder why they keep coming back for me. Could it be that each time I deal with them, they forgive so easily and come back again? Perhaps they don’t even know when I am with them. I am sweet but dangerous”

.           .           .           .

In every human being, there is an element of pride. We love to feel good about ourselves. We love to justify our actions before God and before our fellow men. Pride begins with comparing ourselves to others and feeling that we are better or more privileged than other people. Once we begin to feel we have what others lack, we try to make people ‘see’ our good sides, we want people to bow to us and worship us, we want people to greet us obsequiously in public and acknowledge our goodness. This is what Jesus Christ condemns in today’s gospel passage.

In truth no human being is capable of doing anything good entirely on his own. We are like the moon reflecting light from the Sun. Whatever good we do is a reflection of light from God himself just like the moon receives light from the sun. Problem starts when the moon begins to feel that he is a generator of light and begins to take glory in itself. This is what happens precisely when we feel that we have ‘arrived’ in terms of holiness. You are what you are today simply by the grace of God. Never look down on others.

Only God deserves praise and worship, never ascribe to a human being the glory that really belongs to God. This is what Jesus meant when he said we should call no one on earth “Father” or “Master.” He is not saying we should become disrespectful to our parents or to those in authority, he simple wants us to know that only God deserves our complete praise and admiration. The vision of Ezekiel in today’s first reading is one that shows the glory of God, he paints images that should remain in our minds when we think of God.

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Bernard, an Abbot and one of the Doctors of the Church. He is called a doctor because his writings have been found worthy of consumption and free from any doctrinal error. As our opening prayer says of him, St. Bernard was a man consumed with zeal for God’s house and a light shining and burning in the church.  

Unlike the Pharisees that Jesus speaks about in today’s Gospel passage, we remember St. Barnard today because he was a man who preached the word of God with his mouth and with his pen and also practiced what he preached. He did not lay up burdens on men’s shoulders without making effort to carry any himself. He was not a man who loved to display goodness before others to be seen or admired by them.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, help me to be a humble light like St. Bernard and not a proud actor like the Pharisees. Amen

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


Fr. Abu

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