It is 17th February 2017. We celebrate the memorial of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order. The readings are from Genesis 11:1-9; and the Gospel from Mark 8:34-9:1. The first reading illustrates the man’s pride and arrogance trying to reach and to equal with God by building a tower that would reach up to God’s abode. The sin of pride made the people to be estranged from the other people. Trying to be like God is the sin of the people not only of the past even today. The people like to replace God and go the extent of removing even the concept of God. In reality, we can never compete God with our human intelligence and reason. The sin of pride brings division and irreparable confusion among us. The people have fallen one more time again. Having an ambition is not wrong. But if the ambition replaces God and our relationship with God then it is indeed futile and empty. All our ambitious endeavors make us scrupulous, competitive, comparing, and hostile. Our love, unity, peace of mind is either destroyed or disturbed because of the longing to match God. Our true and lasting happiness is in finding God in humility not replacing God in our pride and knowledge. Let not our pursuit of success and achievements, destroy our purpose of our life to be with God not to become like God. The responsorial Psalm praises, “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.” (Ps. 33:12). The Gospel reminds that there is void and emptiness in trying to win this world. Our personal and deep commitment in denying our desire to be great has to be replaced by accept the will of God in embracing the challenges, pain and cross ahead. Jesus is the answer to all our existing problems and questions of our lives. Living every moment of our lives for Christ is not a loss rather it is the gain our souls are longing for. Let us secure a place in Heaven by building the bridges and connections of love with one another. May God bless every endeavor we make in dispensing God’s love. Let the tower of pride and arrogance be replaced with the tower of love and service. May you have a good day.