Sunday Readings
“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kind word; always doing the smallest thing and doing it all for love.” –St. Therese of Lisieux
The love of God and neighbor is supreme. Nothing can ever replace or substitute for this duo.
My Dearest Friends in Christ, May peace be with you all and may the love of God reign in your hearts.
The central message of today’s readings is the most fundamental principle of all religions, especially Christianity. God, Himself tells us that we are created to love Him through loving others and to love others in loving God. In other words, we are to love God by living for others. We are being reminded that our worship and religious observances are empty if we don’t demonstrate by our way of life our love for God. This flows from keeping His commandments and showing love for our neighbors demonstrated in charity and good works towards them.
I feel bitter when I see many who make large donations to the church but are completely indifferent to their own. They make large donations in public but cannot offer a piece of bread to a family member in need nor other people. I feel disappointed with those who make donations to support abortion when they don’t support feeding impoverished children all over the world who go to bed hungry. What is our justification for donating to kill a life than to save that life? Many announce their offerings not because they are motivated by the love of God or the genuine needs of others, but for public admiration and accolades or because they are paving a way for their future political ambitions. We can deceive men with our offerings but not God. God searches the hearts of men.
Every religion preaches “love”. The whole message of the Gospel can be summarized as God’s love for us. Love of God is the first and fulfillment of all other commandments of God. “Before all else, dear brothers, love God and the neighbor because these are the commandments which were given to us first” -St. Augustine.
“In the light of the word of Jesus, love is the measure of faith, and faith is the soul of love: we cannot separate the religious life – the life of piety – from that of service to our brothers and sisters– to those flesh-and-blood brothers and sisters.”-Pope Francis
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? (cf. 1 John 4:20) It is not just lying,as John puts it, but a deception of oneself, a hypocritical lifestyle, and wishy-washy religious observance.
Many deceive themselves today thinking that their ostentatious sacrifices and offerings in the church will lead them to heaven. While offerings and sacrifices are salutary, and while I do not condemn them, it is necessary to underscore the very fact that when these are devoid of love of God and neighbor, they are empty religious observances. Many think that the Church is the easiest avenue to gain cheap popularity and that this can be achieved by making huge offerings. I know of one notable political figure who started by providing free education to children. He won the hearts and admiration of many by his philanthropy but little did people know he was laying the foundation for his future political ambitions. That ambition became manifest when he then ran for the gubernatorial position. People voted for him massively and he won. He came into power and became a tyrant who unleashed untold hardship and harm on his people. Where was the love, they presumed he had for them in granting free education to their children? God has no regard for such ostentatious living. “If in our lives we fail to heed others, solely out of a desire to be “devout” and to perform our “religious duties”, then our relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely “proper”, but loveless. Only our readiness to encounter our neighbor and to show them love makes us sensitive to God as well” -Pope Francis.
We can deceive men with our offerings and sacrifices but not God, for He knows the hearts of men. “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there, by a kindly word; always doing the smallest thing and doing it all for love.” – St. Therese of Lisieux.
How do we love God? As said above, we must keep God’s commandments. We must also offer daily prayers of thanksgiving, praises, and petition. We must also read and meditate on His Word in the Bible and prayerfully attend Mass and other liturgical functions. If I am going to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I am going to have to seek God’s Will and make it paramount in my life. This means I am going to place His Will ahead of mine, and so I may have to say no to some things that I might want to do.
Loving our neighbor means that we have to help, support, encourage, forgive, and pray for everyone, without discrimination. If I am going to love my neighbor as I love myself, it will cost me as well! I may have to seek forgiveness when I think I have done no wrong. I may have to sacrifice something I think I need, to meet a brother’s or sister’s needs. I may have to give up time to help someone. I may have to spend time in prayer for people, visit them and make their problems mine.
Serving God with all our being also entails giving God priority in our lives. Often we fill our lives up with the garbage of sin and evil habits leaving no space for God. If you love God, keep His commandments, live righteously. Our lives are empty without God. To love our neighbor above every other thing is to be close to God’s kingdom.
May our hearts be filled with the love of God and genuine love for others.
I keep you and your family always in my prayers. © Clem C. Aladi.
ABOUT HALLOWEEN TODAY
Halloween isn’t just about wearing monstrous costumes of the dead, decorating your house with scary pictures, nice treats, watching horror movies, or eating candy bars. Let us not forget that November first is All Hallows day( All Saints Day). It is a day we celebrate the saints(the church triumphant) and November 2 is the day we pray and remember the holy souls in purgatory(suffering Church). Souls in Hell have no place in our celebration, imagine how sad they are. The word Hallowe’en means “Saints’ evening”.It comes from a Scottish term for All Hallows’ Eve (the evening before All Hallows’ Day). In our celebration this evening, let’s share, not just candies but also pictures of the saints to kids, telling them stories or watching movies of the saints at least one of them. Reminding them and each other, that there is life after here, and that the Saints have gained this eternal life through their love, patience in suffering, and courage in the face of persecutions. We live on borrowed times, our lives aren’t truly ours but God’s. Someday, we shall account for what we did with our lives. The way you live today determines where you shall be hereafter; Heaven or Hell. Happy Halloween.
