WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28, 2024
WEDNESDAY OF THE TWENTY FIRST WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
ST AUGUSTINE, B.D. (MEMORIAL)
2 Thessalonians3 :6-10.16-18
Matthew 23 :27-32
INTEGRAL SPIRITUAL LIFE
In growing up and living the Christian life, there is need to pay attention to two aspects of the human person, the interior disposition and the exterior manifestations. These two must be in accord. In fact, the interior disposition must inform and give expression to the exterior manifestation. When these two are not in agreement or are contrary, the person is living a pretentious life.
In the gospel of today, Jesus accuses the Scribes and the Pharisees of living a disordered life in that their interior disposition is not in accord with their exterior dispositions. While they appear good, righteous, pure and religious exteriorly, their interior disposition is described by the term whitewash tomb, their interior disposition or the heart is described to be like a tomb, full of filth and dead bones. Their entire outlook then becomes suspicious and Jesus denounces them as hypocrites.
Their hypocrisy stems from their desire to appear before men as good, righteous and pure people when in fact they know that wickedness, evil and devilish desires and thoughts grips their hearts and minds.
We must begins to evaluate ourselves against this background. Jesus wants and desires that we must develop and live out both our interior life and exterior manifestations as one and which must be coherent and in accord. Our actions exteriorly must be the shadow or manifestation of our interior disposition. Anytime these two are not in consonant with each other, then we are living a pretentious life.
Saint Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians today, talks about the evil of living in idleness. We were never created by God to live in idleness. And more importantly, God has endowed us with so much to make us work and exert ourselves in creating, inventing and evolving good things. Idle living runs counter to our ideals as Christians. And we must know that no one is born with a golden spoon in the mouth. We must accept to work, with our hands and relive the great endowment God has bestowed on us all. By the labours of our hands we shall eat.
We must stop blaming the government for not employing us. We are made to be resourceful. Even though the enabling environment is not too conducive for great things, we can make do with little things and from the little works, we rise to greatness.
I know a man who sells groundnut and from that he has built many houses, made a living and has refused to abandon this trade since it gives him so much pleasure, sustenance and friendship. There is no minial job that is humiliating. Anything we do as long as it gives us food in the table, and it is not against God’s laws must be done with pleasure and gratitude.
We must learn to keep aside pride, greed over ambitiousness and selfishness to be able to take up any job and do it profitable for the glory of God. There will never be an excuse for idleness.
God our Father, deliver me from all filth and decay of the mind. Cleanse my heart and purify me from all sins. Make my heart pure, my actions acceptable to you. May the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart, the external manifestations of my life be pleasing to you through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno.
