Be Holy!

 

29th Week Friday in Ordinary Time

Year One

Rom 7:18-25

Meditation

Be Holy!

The human mind is a slave to the law of God, but human flesh is a slave to the law of sin. Human being wishes and longs to do good and be good, but humans do things that they do not want to do because of the nature of sin in their body. Humans are not able to do the good they want to do. They struggle to live and be good in the sight of God and others, but they are not able to be there is constant war between their desire to do good and their desire to choose evil. Often humans choose evil instead of good because of their weakness and frailty. God sends Jesus his only Son to grace this struggle of humans to overcome not by their merits but by the glorious merit of the passion of Jesus Christ. Humans are saved through the shedding of the blood of our Lord Jesus, as sacrifice once for all for all the sins of humanity for eternity.

Are humans aware of their struggle to be holy and good?

Year Two

Eph 4: 1-6

Humility Unites!

St Paul humbles himself to exhort the community of believers to maintain unity in the community. Today we are divided based on any simple reason possible. People are found who can talk and work for unity. One is afraid of speaking and working for unity for such a people have no place in the world. The people who unite are rare and those divides are many.

The rationale employed to unite the people of God was on the basis that we are part of the body of Jesus. We have one God, hope, faith and one baptism. These things convinced people to work for unity. These things are lasting values on which we can build unity in the faith community.

Do we humble ourselves to bring unity?

Lk 12:54-59

Settling with Your Opponent!

 “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?  Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to reach a settlement, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison.  I tell you; you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.” (Lk 12:57-59).

Forgiveness, powerlessness, humility, and simplicity are not lack of capability but an ability of a character. The above are values for the Kingdom of God. The worldly values of name, fame, power and authority as success indicators. The kingdom values are different; they are good for the world and the world to come. One of the values of the kingdom, the gospel tells us today is to set things right with our enemy before we are dragged to the judge and be thrown in the prison. Let us set things right by ourselves, within ourselves, among ourselves, whatever can be settled. Let us keep the power among ourselves rather than giving power over us to the third party. Learn to settle your matters well by yourselves.  

Do I seek to settle matter by myself or within the community itself? 

Fr Putti Anthaiah, sdb