Wednesday,
August 10, 2016
19th Week in Ordinary Time
St. Lawrence
1st Reading: 2 Cor 9:6-10
Gospel: John 12:24-26
Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
“Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world keep it for everlasting life.
“Whoever wants to serve me, let him follow me and wherever I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
An old lady goes to a bank bringing old wristwatches. “What’s with these wristwatches?” the guard asks. The old lady replies: “I’m submitting them to the bank for time deposit.”
The banks’ time deposit service banks on time’s capacity to make money grow. The immediate implication of time’s capacity to make money grow is that none should be penniless in this lifetime since each is given an equal share of twenty four hours a day. If only a person works hard and taps the proper linkages, he can make money with so much time in his hands.
But time can do more than earn money. Spending it for others triples the interest. The first is the joy that no money can buy which we experience when we spend time for the outcast. The second is the treasure we store up for ourselves in heaven in the process of spending time for others (Mt. 6:20). What triples the interest is the meritorious service we render to the Master who prefers that we attend to him in the least (Mt. 25:40).
We consider a businessman wise if he uses time to maximize investment opportunities. Wiser still is a philanthropist who devotes time to help others. Wisest is a disciple who helps the needy because he sees Jesus in them. Seeing Jesus in the poor, he runs to their rescue because Jesus had said, “Where I am there my servant will also be” (Jn. 12:26).
Time spent for the poor is time spent wisely. Few people follow this line of thinking because it is difficult to part with hard-earned money. Worse, it entails a lot of dying to self since the poor we are helping can be very ungrateful. They can even be very demanding. These however cannot exempt us from loving them. Jesus had even told a young man who wanted to be perfect to sell everything he owned and give the money to the poor (Mark 10:21). Our great consolation is that if we serve the poor we serve Jesus who prefers to dwell in the poor. If we serve Jesus the Father will honor us.
Time makes money grow for good. Charity turns our time into gold. Let’s go for the gold! – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM, MMExM, MAPM, REB. Email:dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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