FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2024
FRIDAY OF THE THIRTY SECOND WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT, B. D. (Memorial)
2 John 4-9
Luke 17:26-37
BE NOT DISTRACTED BY THE GLAMOUR AND ACTIVITIES IN OUR WORLD
Living in the world demands a sane and focused mind. First things first. Our faith come first, because our responsibility to God stands out before any other thing.
The gospel of today focuses our attention on the basic requirements for success in life. It talks about being focused in life. Holding high the basic reasons of existence. It must be known and acknowledged that in life, there will be so much distraction. They come sometimes as genuine concerns but they are not. We scramble and pay much attentions to useless things, time consuming, energy sapping and draining our mental, physical and psychological emergies.
The examples of the periods or times of Noah and Lots are good there. And Jesus uses these examples in today gospel to press home his point. That during the time of Noah, the people became so consumed and distracted with the demands of eating, drinking, marrying, feasting and making merry, such that, when the announcement of the coming doom was made, they hearts and minds were blurred, blocked and they could not understand, comprehend and take the right action. Rather, they waved it as mere nonsense and unreasonable.
Again, the times of Lot experienced uncommon distraction and the warnings of the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorah were unheeded because of so much attention to material prosperity and unending pleasure. Even the bearer of the news was reluctant and showed great desire to be enjoying the times.
We must guard against distractions of all kinds in our life. And we must get focused on this journey of life with Christ Jesus. And the only way to be observant, focused and never wavering is presented by John in his second Letter, our first reading today.
John tells us to strive earnestly to keep God’s commandments of love of God and love of neighbour. Loving is a daily demand that takes away from us than give to us. John was interested on our holding up the faith. And he insists that the keeping of the commandments and holding up love is the only way to keep check of doctrinal errors and working against God and warding off teachings that are enimical to good Christian living.
Indeed, distraction of this life are varied and valid. With so much focus on celebration of one kind or another, pleasurable moments, even with problems of government, society and power tussle in our lands, clamour for possessions, power of all kinds, political mainly and all forms of rancour, fights and pursuits that are euphemeral.
Our attention as Christians must be focused on our mission on earth which is living with Jesus Christ, doing his will, listening to him, upholding his ideals, loving God and our neighbours and living for the end product of gaining heaven, and being with God for all eternity.
God our Father, we are strongly enticed and buffeted by the glamour and pleasures in our world. We beg you, save us from the distraction of this life. May our focus be on the essentials that bring goodness to our lives. May our desires for life be to do your will, loving as you loved, keeping your commandments and preparing our eternal abode with you. Grant us this right attitude, and deliver us from all forms of entanglement, slavery to the world and its alurement through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
