Tuesday 12th November
2019. Bible Study: Wisdom 2:23-3:9, Psalm 34 and Luke 17:7-10.
_“The
souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch
them. In the eyes of the foolish, they seemed to have died, and their departure
was thought to be an affliction…; but they are at peace.” *(Wisdom 3:1-3)*_
The fear
of death is the greatest of all our fears. Life could be tough at times but no
one really wants to die. Death has often being described as an insult, it shows
no respect for anyone and it levels both the high and low alike.
Every time
we hear about the death of someone we knew very well, the reality of our death
grips us with dread, we realize that death is not so far from us and we begin
to ask questions such as: “How did it happen? What killed him/her?” Underneath
these questions is a strong desire to avoid death at all costs.
Finding a
cure for death has been one of man’s biggest problem. Millions of dollars have
gone into several researches to find a way to stop the process of ageing for
instance but to no avail. If we think of death as a problem, then according to today’s
first reading from the book of Wisdom, the only solution to death is LIVING A
LIFE OF VIRTUE. It says “The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no
torment will ever touch them… they are at peace.”
In other
words, the death of a virtuous person is not an affliction but a blessing. Live
your life in such a manner that at the moment of your death, you will be happy
going back home. Conquer death long before it happens. As St. Paul would say: “O
death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is
sin.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-56). What makes death painful is our sinfulness; our
disconnect with God.
Living a
virtuous always appears unrewarding and painful but as Jesus says to us in today’s
Gospel passage, there is really no need to complain. Jesus teaches us to simply
say: “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” (Luke
17:10) No wonder Jesus wants us to properly count the cost of following him
before we even think of becoming Christians. It is not a merry-go ride. It is
denying oneself, taking up the cross daily.
Let us
pray: Lord Jesus, give me wisdom to live a holy life. Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the
32nd Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Wisdom 2:23-3:9, Psalm 34 and Luke
17:7-10)
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