May the Lord kindly bless you with good health and happiness in the Holy Spirit.
It is 11th July 2022. We celebrate the memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot, and founder. We reflect on Isaiah 1:10-17 and Matthew 10:34 – 11:1.
St. Mother Theresa instructs, “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts.”
We become more humane by reducing the distance between being good and doing good. By zero display of hypocrisy, our faith becomes focused, and our thoughts become single-minded and
God wants us to act with integrity, charity and sensibility towards the poor, the widows, and the orphans.
The response of God to the people of Israel regarding their outward celebrations and shows presented in the first reading in a crystal clear way. Somehow, most of us are satisfied with appeasing but applying God’s Word in our lives. God is not satisfied with our lips service. “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” (Is.1:16 & 17).
Jesus demands total loyalty and commitment to God in the Gospel. Placing God before everything means being sensitive to the voices of the marginalised and the voiceless ones in our community. The values of the Gospel never compromise with the sentiments of the selected few in the community.
Are we doing good out of guilt and fear of punishment? Or inspired by the values of the Gospel? May the Lord help us to move forward from appeasement mentality to the spirit of application of the Word of God. May God bless you.