It is 24th September 2018. The readings are from Proverbs 3:27-34; and the Gospel from Luke 8:16-18. We are made handicapped by someone or something in doing or showing goodness. Who is the person or what is it in us that hides the goodness that is due to be shown to the others? Maturity in relationships are attained by unfermented love. Many of us either postpone or refuse kindness to the other especially our neighbours daily. When we have the power to do good, we refuse to do good is sin. Picking fights with the innocent is not going to bring any blessings from the Lord yet one could be proved powerful by the evil tactics, and systemic annihilations of the others. The first reading admonishes everyone us to shun the evil motives that sour the relationship with our neighbour which is closely watched by God. The book of Proverb offers us five teachings to enrich our relationship with our neighbours. They are: refusing no good to anyone; do not postpone doing good what could be done at once; plot no evil; fight no one; and never envy the evil and lawless people. Wilfully and calculative doing evil against another human person angers God. “The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but God blesses the dwelling of the just; When dealing with the arrogant, God is stern, but to the humble God shows kindness.” (Prov.3:34). St. James (4:6) and St. Peter (5:5) highlights the last verse of the passage in their epistles. Doing good to the neighbour attracts the choicest blessings of the Lord. God relies on us for imparting and sharing the goodness that God has placed in us. The responsorial Psalm praises, “The just one will live in the presence of the Lord.” (Ps.14:1). The Gospel reprimands all of us telling that the light we have received from the Lord by the Sacrament of Baptism remains with us only when it lights the other. We cannot hide being good as we cannot bury the evil from the sight of the Lord. God sees everything we do and the motive behind. Whatever we do, let us strive pleasing God not to become popular by our commercialised and business-minded religious practices and celebrations. If we claim that we are the ones who believe Jesus, the Light of humanity, then we must shine as brightly as we ought to be and allowing others to shine. It is Christ is the Light that we need to shine not our own human makings and findings. A serious and strenuous effort is needed to keep it shining. Let us be careful in what we listen. What we listen leads to enlightening our minds or corrupting it. We might lose the light and the power to shine when we are insensitive and hyper-critical in doing good to the others. It is by making others to come closer to God and light, we ourselves come nearer to the light that shines in us. “To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what one seems to have will be taken away.” (Lk.8:18). Let us spread the light of Christ by being just and charitable in all we do and say. May you have a good day. God bless you.