It is 09th September 2015. We celebrate the memorial of St. Peter Claver, the pastor. The readings are from Col.3:1-11 and the Gospel from Lk.6:20-26. In the first reading, St. Paul tells us that living for Christ must have certain criteria. We all have to raise our spiritual standards in living a new life in Christ. A New life must include Christ, a longing to live in heaven and a consistent mortification of earthly desires such as “fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed and worshiping false god” (Col.3:5). When we fail to live a life worthy of our Christian calling, we make God angry. There must be a difference in our life after knowing and accepting Christ. “Strip off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourself with the new self.” (Col.3:10). The spiritual criterial to live this new life is to avoid “getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language, dirty talk and telling lies with each other.” (Col.3:8,9). There is no place for any type of division in this new life with Christ. “There is only Christ, he is everything and He is in everything.” (Col.3:11). The responsorial Psalm praises, “How good is the Lord to all.” (Ps.144:9). The Gospel presents the benefits of an authentic spiritual living and the burdens of the earthly living. Those who are willing to be poor, hungry and accept suffering are the ones will enjoy the contentment in the kingdom of God. Need for heaven and God has no place when greed for money, fame and indifference grows in our lives. Hunger within and around widens and deepens in the absence of Christ and God in our lives. May God bless you to respond Christ today.