Bible
Study: Ephesians 2, 1 to 10 and Luke 12, 13 to 21.
Wealth is
something that we all desire and pray for. I bet you, no one likes life the
hard way, no one likes to live in a manner so as not to know where the next
meal would come from. We love to be assured of having enough both for today and
for tomorrow. Most of the vices we commit regarding riches are purely motivated
by the fear of not having enough for tomorrow. We would rather steal, defame or
kill just to secure more than enough for tomorrow’s needs. But we do not bother
to ask ourselves if we would be alive to witness the tomorrow that we are often
so anxious about.
The
parable of the rich fool which Jesus gave in today’s Gospel passage is not an
isolated case far from reality, it tells our own story. I see myself in the
rich fool whenever my account balance is down and I am finding it difficult to
sleep at night as a result of this. I see myself in the rich fool whenever I
pass by a person gravely in need of little help from me and I turn the other
side.
Jesus
would not be a judge in a case over a man who demanded justice from his brother
over the sharing of their father’s inheritance. Yet, every day, I bring such
complaints to God in my prayer. What Jesus would not do while he was on earth,
I expect him to do now that he is in heaven.
Sometimes,
I only remember to pray when I am in dire need of money and even while praying,
all I am doing is calculating figures, thinking of the people owing me and the
amount of money I have invested in various businesses or the money I am
expecting from different sources. I even loose interest in prayer because my
mind is restless and tensed. I claim to be poor, yet I am just a rich fool.
Being
money conscious is a sign of living according to the flesh. It is a sign of a
refusal to face the reality of death which can happen at any time. As St. Paul
says to us through his letter to the Ephesians, “All of us once lived among
them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses
and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is
rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were
dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” Ephesians
2:3-5.
Today we
celebrate the memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, a classic example of one who
refused to deny Christ in the face of persecution. Even while he was sentenced
to feeding by lions in Rome and some powerful friends tried to “help” him
escape, he resisted saying “I am the wheat of the Lord to be ground by the
teeth of the wild beasts to become the pure bread of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When
we live by the flesh, we are ready to do anything to preserve our earthly life
even if it means to commit a sin. But we are encouraged today to live by the Spirit
instead and be willing to let go of comforts, luxuries and even our very own
life for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Let us
pray:
Lord
Jesus, free me from being money-conscious that I may live according to the Spirit.
Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. Happy new
week.
Fr. Abu
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