Friday, August 10, 2018
18th Week in Ordinary Time 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. ”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
A lady goes to a bank bringing a lot of old wristwatches. “What’s with all these wristwatches?” the guard asks. The old lady replies: “I’m submitting them to the bank for time deposit.”
The moral of the anecdote is obvious. Time can make money grow. That time is a treasure is after all not far from reality. At the social level, time heals wounds and mends relationships. At the spiritual level, time can bring salvation.
The good news is that we have our fair share of time, having been equally allocated at birth 24 hours per day. We only differ in the length of enjoyment of such allocation. With so much time equally apportioned at birth, endless possibilities are available to us depending on our wise use of it.
A deeper analysis of the last paragraph of today’s Gospel reading gives us some ideas on how to use our gift of time best. Jesus says: “Where I am, there my servant be”. Where is He? Jesus has given us his address: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me”. When we spend time for the least, we spend quality time for God. Is there any better use of the gift of time than spending it for God? After all he is the giver of time. Giving it back to him already with interest through the benefits enjoyed by the poor is not only a question of justice but also a matter of gratitude.
It would have been easier if attending Masses, reciting novenas and praying at our parish oratories were enough. But being with God without being with the least of our neighbors does not constitute best use of time. This serves as one reliable test of the worthiness of the time allocated to our popular devotions. There is a sea of people in every procession organized for the Santo Entiero. But if we zoom in on that sea of people swarming Jesus’ holy image, there is a big chance we catch scenes of people pushing each other and stepping on one another’s toes. Failing to integrate love of neighbor in popular devotions is throwing precious time on Pharisaical practices.
Time spent with our fellowmen is like a time deposit earning double interest because time spent for others is time spent for the Lord. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M
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