Are We Joyful?

 

11th Week: Ordinary Time, Wednesday

Year One

2 Cor 9:6-11

Meditation

Are We Joyful?

6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work (2 Cor 9:6-8).

Very often we say God loves the cheerful giver. It is true that cheerful people are happy and make the place they live cheerful. Devil wants us to be sad. Those people who are sad make other people as well sad. Sadness leads to many ills in life. Needless to say, but sad peoples are selfish; as a result, they cannot be happy and generous.

Those who are in the service of God or any other vocation, there is no force. It is the goodness and holiness that forces its way to be good. God has put joy into our hearts; so, let us spread that joy around. Lord comes to our aid when we are downcast and sad; let us take his assistance for ourselves and others to be cheerful.  A sad saint is a sorry saint.

Are we Joyful?

Year Two

2 Kings 2:1,6-14

Elijah and Elisha's relationship is very much needed in our context, too. We need friends, companions, guides, directors and spiritual directors. It is a fact in the world today; that each one guides and leads himself/herself. We have Google and AI to guide us. These search engines and machine learning are perfect and excellent but in day-to-day life and especially in spiritual life, one needs spiritual friends, spiritual guides and leaders.

The relationship between Elijah and Elisha is a spiritual friendship and spiritual guidance. Elijah chooses Elisha. He decided to stay with him and go along with Elijah. Elisha develops a healthy attachment to Elijah and requests him to bless him to be his double. This wish of Elisha is granted and, on the way, back Elisha divides the river Jordan like Elijah.

Do you have a healthy Spiritual attachment with someone?

Gospel

Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Mt 6:1)

We tend to be at our best in the presence of others, and more so, amid our dear ones. Cricketers perform at their full potential when their national leaders watch from the stands. But in the spiritual realm, actions outside the public glare carry a higher value. What is done for garnering external success and fame will undoubtedly have its reward, albeit limited, but only that which is done for its own sake will have a lasting reward and impact in life.

We may feel momentarily good about external praise and a sense of achievement, only to be left empty soon after. But to be complete and whole, we should pray, help and fast in secret and await the great reward that the Lord has promised to each of us.

Do I seek rewards for the work I do?

Fr. Putti Anthaiah sdb

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