It is 25th February 2017. The readings are from Sir. 17:1-15; and the Gospel from Mark 10:13-16. The first reading encourages us to believe and accept in love, mutual respect and obedience to the Lord as the hallmark of our successful, peaceful and blessing-filled life on earth for all people. No one can live as an island. The evil and selfish idea of living for one’s self, one’s tribe, one’s race, one’s community and subtly sidelining the other communities and families are satanic in nature and eventually destroy the foundations of families and communities. Let us be careful not to inhale such kinds of hatred against the other people no matter where we come from. Having a hatred towards the other in terms of their life-style, culture, food habits, the beliefs are not at all a Christian and not even human. We need to believe that our lives are in the hands of God not in the skillful minds of human beings. God values each one of us just because we are human. We reflect the image and likeness of an ever-loving God. In loving us, God never humiliated us or sidelined because of one reason or the other. Then who is sowing the seeds of hatred in us? None of our actions be hidden from God. We cannot hide any of our actions from God and God rewards us the way we handle and appreciate the presence of the other even with their sins and failures. As God never looked down on because of our sins, we need to relate with the other persons beyond their weaknesses and failures. We are not a bundle of yesterday’s reflection or the tomorrow’s projection but rather we are today’s creation. We are brand new every moment of our lives. Let us start loving one another as we ought to. The responsorial Psalm acclaims, “The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold God in fear.” (Ps. 102:17). The Gospel invites us to embrace the open and unbiased mindset of a child in relating with the other. We cannot belong to God and God’s kingdom unless we love one another and respect one another in a concrete way. Words do not express the love of the heart but the actions do. As children are open, humble, forgiving, forgetful of the painful memories, grudges and bitterness, we need to become unprejudiced and nonjudgmental towards the other. Being humble and to be the least is the condition to belong to the kingdom. “Anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mk.10:15). May you have a good day.