Help, Do not Hinder.

Homily for Monday 24th September 2018


_“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’ - when you have it with you.” *(Proverbs 3:27-28)*_

Two years ago, I experienced the toughest moment of my life so far. I had just been transferred and I was in dire need of help. I reached out to anyone I could call or text pleading for assistance. That was when life taught me a bitter lesson I wasn’t prepared to learn: it is only when you are in need that you get to know who your true friends are.

There are many people whom you assume to be your friends right now but when things are tough, some of your “friends” would not even pick up your calls at all, not to mention respond to your messages. I am also guilty of this, we are all guilty of this. I think it is part of our nature as humans to help those we hope to gain from and ignore those who are “useless” to us.

Generosity is very rare, in fact, it is Divine but it is exactly what we are called to by virtue of our Christian identity. Our first reading today says: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due… do not postpone to do good when it is in your power to help.” Let us learn the meaning of the saying: “No one ever became poor by giving.”

At no point is it ever justified to act against our Christian values. NOT EVEN IN SECRET. If you must do anything in secret, make sure it is something good, something noble, something worthy of praise, something admirable because as Jesus makes us understand in today’s Gospel passage, there “nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest.”

Above all, don’t worry about announcing your kindness to others, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Your Father in heaven who sees all that happens in secret will reward you.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, make me a channel of your generosity to my fellow brothers and sisters. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time. Year B. Bible Study: Proverbs 3:27-34, Psalm 15:2-5, and Luke 8:16-18)

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