SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2024
SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY FIFTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
St Wenceslaus, M., or Ss Lawrence Ruiz & Companions, Mm. (Opt. Mem.)
Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8
Luke 9:43-45
BE NOT DISTRACTED OR SHALLOW IN THINKING AND LIVING
One of the difficulties in the Christian life is keeping focus and holding on to the Faith without wavering. At times, the beauty of the world, the pleasures of life and the joy of possession tends to distract our focus and deafen us to the realities of our existence in Christ. Sometimes too, discouragement comes in from perceived difficulties in upholding the faith and life as Christians with its demands and obligations which runs counter to the desires of the flesh and the world.
Jesus in the Gospel of today, continues to press in the mind of his disciples the reality of his impending agony, suffering and eventual crucifixion. But they were not interested. It does not capture their fancy. It is a pill too hard to swallow. They were more preoccupied with the admirations, and praises that are poured on Jesus for the many good things worked. In fact, in this occasion, these disciples did consciously disassociated themselves from the idea of suffering, or the cross. They distracted themselves from thinking about these.
Their interest was more on the admirations and praises received by Jesus. And they took to staying on these praises and admirations and never gave a thought to the sayings of Jesus on his sufferings and death.
This same disposition and idea runs through our first reading, when as Youths we focus more on our strengths, our likes and our pleasurable moments and try at all cost to jettison, to deny and never give thoughts to old age or even the burdens of life and the obligations of the Youthful age.
The book of the Ecclesiastes warns us against half baked lifestyle, and against distractions of these sort. And proposes that as a Youth, a wholistic lifestyle must be lived taking into cognisance all that matter in life. There is no need to be short circuited in thinking and living. Do not choose what you desire to know and jettison the others. But be open to all God has in stock for us.
So as Youth, whatever you do, be objective, fair, sincere and taking note of all that matter. Have always a wholistic approach and look on life. Keep to the essence and follow the ideal. In practical terms, always know that whatever we do, we must one day render account of all before God. So we must balance up everything in our lives and live honestly. There is no use to isolate or accept some and pretend that others are non existent.
We must not behave like the disciples of Jesus who gave no heed to Jesus sayings on his impending sufferings. And we must never allow distractions to rob us off our genuine knowledge, no matter how unpleasant it may sound or be. The attitude towards the prediction of the sufferings of Christ and precisely their indifference to it will not stop it from happening either. All we learn is that we must be courageous in the face of discomforting situations and hold firm to our faith. We must face our fears with courage and faith and be truthful to ourselves.
Jesus expects us to be magnanimous in heart, generous in action and ever open to divine initiative, no matter what it portends.
God our Father, we meet with situations in life that keep us perplexed and sometimes confused and dejected. Give us the courage of faithful disciples. May nothing disturb, distract or discourage us in life. May we face our fears with resolute desire to overcome, by entrusting all to you, accepting your divine will in all circumstances and winning always the battle of life through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
