May the Lord give you peace in the Holy Spirit. It is on 26th June 2023. We reflect on Genesis 12:1-9 and Matthew 7:1-5.
Have you decided?
Life is all about decisive moments. We all make decisions every microsecond of our life. Some affect us and some others infect us. A bunch of decisions we make are so effective for the rest of our lives. A bundle of decisions we have made are truly defective. Our decision has to involve us moving from home to family; from ‘Who am I?’ to ‘For whom am I?’; from forming life to forming a conscience; from discerning to discovery; from gratification to gratitude. from lust to love; from fashion to faith; from vision to mission.
How we respond to one another is proof of how we have responded to the call of God.
In the first reading, we reflect on the call of Abram. He was asked to move from his settled life at the age of 75 to the unknown, the unfamiliar and the difficult place. God wanted the father of the Faith, Abraham, to walk with God, know God, love God, and reach the destination God desired for him. Yes indeed, God calls us anyway at the least moment we expect. If we feel that we have not got the call from God to lead, to inspire and to reach and to allow others to reach God, we are just not focused on God fully. Indeed, God wants to have a friendship with us specifically with you and me.
Are we willing to leave our country of origin, tribe, caste, family, friends, relatives, and all that we love and cherish to be our strength and security for God’s love? It requires tremendous trust and nonjudgmental acceptance of God’s plan for us. God promises God’s blessings to those who are willing to trust and walk with God.
“Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.” (Gen.12:1).
Let not our present position, power, and security hold us back in responding to what God has planned for us.
God calls us all to move from self-centred life to God-centred life; from selfishness to moral integrity; and from convenience to covenantal love. God wants to use us to do a greater plan of happiness, peace, and blessing.
Are we willing to move away from our petty wishes and plans and trust God’s plan for our salvation and others?
The responsorial Psalm prays, “Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.” (Ps.32:12).
The Gospel invites us to stop being hyper-critical about others. Clarity and vision for relatedness come by tolerant and resilient acceptance of the other as they are. God has accepted us as we are with all our faults and failures and therefore it is our turn to respond by embracing others without criticizing and branding.
We all tend to bury others alive when we have criticized and condemned others unfairly.
Yes, judging is crucial and critical for our life. Responsible judging involves building welfare not creating warfare and must not be coloured by any selfish, personal, or past experiences. When we struggle to assess our behaviours, attitudes, and moods, where do we get the energy to pass judgment on others? The way we judge others, so the way the world will condemn us. We are called to love not to judge. May you have a good day. May God bless you.