Discerning our life’s mission
Almost 25 years ago, today’s Gospel (Mark 1: 29-39) made an indelible mark on my spiritual life and relationship with Christ.
Almost 25 years ago, today’s Gospel (Mark 1: 29-39) made an indelible mark on my spiritual life and relationship with Christ.
I believe a forgiven sinner, one who has undergone conversion, becomes a zealous follower of Christ. This is primarily because he/she is a “direct” beneficiary of the healing and redemptive mission of Christ. Thus he/she is more inspired and would burst into action.
I often remind people in homilies at wakes or funerals that we die the way we live. We could say the same about the life of Christ—He died the way He lived, totally given to the Father’s will and lovingly obedient unto the Cross, his mission.
How would you react if you suddenly realize that a series of seemingly random or isolated events, happening at long intervals, revealed a pattern you cannot deny? And what if that pattern was telling you something you intuitively understood but would rather deny? What then?
The other day I was talking to a young man, in his early 30s, who is very driven and accomplished. He was a good student, doing very well in his career and aiming for his best in whatever he gets into.
Today’s gospel from Luke 16: 10-13 is part of an entire passage, verses 1 to 13, which is the long form of the prescribed Gospel. The first part is about the sly and shrewd man who did something “bad” and yet was used as a good example by Christ. The opening of the short form of the Gospel says: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones.”
Almost two weeks ago, little Basti asked me over dinner, “How come poor kids do not have families?” The question made me stop and think where the question was coming from. I knew they must have discussed it in class. Then I carefully said, “They have families. Every one of us has a family.”
When I was a young seminarian, I had a “pastoral trauma” when I asked one of the priests in my community if he could possibly bless the new car of a friend who was passing by. In a very curt way, the priest said, “I have so much work in the office. I can’t be blessing cars upon request.”
“I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me. Insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me.” (Galatians 2: 19b-20)
Man’s madness is worse than Christ’s madness. Christ suggests that it’s better to pluck out your eyes that cause you to sin, because it’s better to enter Heaven blind than burn in hell forever with your eyes open.
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