GOSPEL MEDITATION

ENCOURAGE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE

September 25, 2022 ~ 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” Regardless of how the message of faith is received, a total conversion of mind and heart is needed for it to take root and have meaning. It is easy to become complacent and comfortable with all that life can afford us. Life can become “all about me,” preserving my livelihood and protecting my securities. Often, this drive can become so strong that we eagerly strive to protect our self-interests at the expense of others. Other people are necessary only to the extent that they are “useful” to us and profitable.

Merriam-Webster defines entitlement as “the belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges.” In a world that pretends to offer us so many necessities, this is perhaps the greatest contemporary sin. When we feel “entitled” to something, even if it is perceived necessary, our relationships can get skewed. Unless we adopt a global vision of entitlement wherein everyone is entitled to the same things, we risk becoming extremely self-focused and selfish. All we care about is defending our rights and protecting our turf. This impulse can be so strong that we pursue it even at the expense of another. Is this what God intends for his children?

Holding on to this myopic vision, the plight and station of others are off our radar and of no real concern to us. Relying on our own merits and becoming resilient to life’s challenges, we replace the true and real God with the one we created ourselves. Jesus and the prophets before him have consistently reminded us of the dangers of wealth, ignoring the poor and the needy, and becoming too fiercely independent and arrogant. Yet, we conduct our lives as if that message has never been preached. We give our faith a nod and never consider for a moment that we may be wrong in terms of what we see as important. “The things that we love tell us what we are (attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas).” Ponder those words a bit and remember that when we leave this world and go to the next one, what we loved here is what we will look for there. What we sought here may not be there. ©LPi

MEDITACIÓN EVANGÉLICO – ALENTAR ENTENDIMIENTO MÁS PROFUNDO DE LA ESCRITURA (Gospel Meditation)

25 de septiembre de 2022 ~ 26º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Jesús fue muy valiente de echar en cara la hipocresía de algunos fariseos y de gente rica y usurera de su tiempo. Les gustaba aparentar lo que no hacían en cuestión de caridad y justicia con los más pobres. Vivían muy despreocupados, ensimismados en sus cosas triviales, sin importancia. Decían conocer a Dios, pero en realidad no reflexionaban ni vivían su palabra. Cuando asistimos a Misa y escuchamos la Palabra de Dios, o cuando leemos la Biblia en casa o en algún grupo, estamos comprometidos a escuchar e interiorizar lo que se lee en ella, para tener fruto por la gracia del Espíritu Santo y así hacer el bien.

“Si queremos ser hombres y mujeres de Dios, como le pide san Pablo a Timoteo, debemos guardar el mandamiento sin mancha ni reproche hasta la manifestación de nuestro Señor Jesucristo (1 Timoteo 6,14). Y el mandamiento es amar a Dios y amar al prójimo. No podemos separarlos (Papa Francisco). Dicho de otra manera, es el compromiso de cada persona con la otra. De construir en vez de destruir, de cuidar el mundo, de ayudar a la sociedad a construir para el beneficio de todos. Se llama el bien común. La oración colecta de hoy nos invita a orar y confiar en Dios para llevar a cabo lo que Dios nos pide: “Señor, Dios, que manifiestas tu poder de una manera admirable sobre todo cuando perdonas y ejerces tu misericordia, multiplica tu gracia sobre nosotros… Para que seamos fieles cristianos atentos para hacer justicia a los que lo necesiten. ¡Amen! ©LPi