WORD ALIVE

In the gospel of today, the people say “Your mother and  brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

Did he have brothers and sisters? According to Jewish language, brothers and sisters also mean cousins. But what the Lord means is those who do the will of God. It was his dramatic way of saying that spiritual affinity is more important than physical or blood relationship.

* * *

Also, the Lord wants that we must not only be hearers and knowers of the Word but, most importantly, doers.

As the great spiritual writer Thomas A. Kempis said, “It is more important to be humble than to know the definition of humility.”

* * *

The important step in becoming a doer of the word is to reflect on it, and see how it applies to us and our lives.

A priest was preaching about the 10 commandments. In booming voice, he said: “Honor your father and mother.” A fired-up politician in the front row, exclaimed, “Amen, Father, Amen.” 

* * *

Finally, the preacher paused and raised his voice, “Thou shall not steal!” The politician retorted: “Oops, oops, Father, hindi ka na nangangaral. Nakikialam ka na sa buhay ko! (Oops, oops, Father, ‘you’re no longer preaching. You are now meddling with my life.’) He was involved in a pork barrel scam!

* * *

“Forgive your enemies — and, mind you, not seven times but seventy times seven times!” Meaning limitless. “How can I forgive a husband who’s unfaithful, a friend who’s betrayed me or an officemate who keeps back-biting me?” In regard to the world wars like those of Israel against Hamas or Ukraine and Russia, there’s no end because there’s no peace and protagonists are not humble enough to work out for a win-win Christian solution.

* * *

God’s will and teachings are, indeed, hard to follow but let’s remember what the Lord said: “If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love.”

Remember, too, “We don’t change the will of God but His will should change us.” 

* * *

Appeal. Some deserving seminarians cannot continue their schooling due to poverty. This can be remedied if we can help.

You may chip in an amount or sponsor a seminarian’s schooling good for one school year. Email: [email protected]. Thank you.