It is 11th July 2018. We celebrate the memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot. The readings are from Hosea 10:1-3,7-8, 12 and the Gospel from Mathew 10:1-7. “For it is the time to go seeking the Lord, until God comes to rain salvation upon you.” (Hos.10:12). As the affluence arrives in one’s life, there is a compromise of spiritual values in our lives. Either we have the power to decide what to worship and when to worship or leave them completely. Most of us prefer human company, friendship, social connections over the spiritual connections, inward introspections and worship in truth, spirit and charity. With our financial frontiers, we begin to build innumerable altars for the god of prosperity and blessings. Going through a bit of inconvenience is a bitter pill and personal sacrifice for the welfare of the common good is debated, discussed and deleted from the vocabulary of one’s life. Seeking for money, popularity, influence, power takes precedence over seeking God and God’s ways. We are not far from the people of Israel whom we reflect in our first readings. God is not a beggar who looks at our pockets rather God is our saviour who loves the humble heart that seeks God without expecting anything. We are all God’s children. We begin to believe not as the children of God once riches, and luxury of life lashes the shores of our lives with the pearls of wealth. We erect a new temple with multiple altars for the deity of prosperity and affluence. We lose the initial referential fear for God and respect for the people around. We buy respect, and religion with our money. We pocket the priests of God with the filthy money and make them to be at the beck and call for our personal benefits and devotion. The responsorial Psalm praises, “Constantly seek the face of the Lord.” (Ps.104:4). The Gospel recounts the call of the twelve disciples by Jesus who chose these men whose hearts were seeking the Lord over the material affluence. Jesus knew them and what they could offer to the Kingdom of God by healing, leading and converting those who have gone away from God. As we seek the Lord for our personal sanctification, so we need to look for the lost, the misguided, the lapsed and the indifferent ones and lead them back to God. When was the last time we helped someone who left the Church, the Community and the family back its roots of love, peace and joy? May we seek the Lord always to be blessed with the showers of blessings and salvation. May you have a good day.