It is 25th September 2018. The readings are from Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13; and the Gospel from Luke 8:19-21. God examines and rewards the path of the good people while God scrutinizes and condemns the ways of the evil ones. The choices and actions of the evil people are justified and defended by the like-minded people because they too find solace and security in them to hide their own evil doings. The wickedness and evil thrive with the heart that seeks to be proud and chooses to be evil even though other options are open to be good. The first reading teaches us that God goes out of God’s ways towards a person who loves justice, and shows mercy to the poor. Whether we are near the Lord or far from God by the actions we do and choices we have made, God examines the intentions of our hearts. Even if we hold the highest responsibility in the church or in the society, we are still guided and used by God for God’s plan and will. We are assured in the today’s reading that God watches every household that seek the ways contrary to goodness and love. “God watches the house of the wicked; God hurls the wicked to destruction. One who shuts the ear to the cry of the poor will himself or herself also call and not be heard by God.” (Prov.21:13). We belong to God and feel loved by God when we do things that pleases God not ourselves. If we have chosen to be good, we are directed and guided by the Spirit of the Lord while we have decided to live a life full of lies and contradictions, arrogance, and evil calculations then we are surely guided by the Evil spirit. The truth is always remaining simple, straight-forward but the lies are complicated and constructed with the multilayers of fictions and fantasies. The responsorial Psalm intercedes, “Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” (Ps. 118:35). The Gospel proposes the criteria to belong and blessed by God is to follow the Word of God and make it fruitful by the actions we do. Are we letting our family down by not following the counsel and wisdom of the elders? To belong to Jesus, one needs to listen to Him with open and generous heart. “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and act on it.” (Lk.8:21). Practicing the Word of God makes it believable. Just listening to the Word of God daily is not enough for directing our lives. We need to make efforts to offer concrete evidences by living it daily. May the Lord bless each one of us to live the Word of God and be blessed by Him. May you have a good day.