Thursday,
January 30, 2014
3rd Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading:
2Sam 7:18-19, 24-29
Gospel: Mark 4:21-25
Jesus said to the crowds, “When the light comes, is it to be put under a tub or a bed? Surely it is put on a lamp stand. Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light. Listen then, if you have ears!”
And he also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given, and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Once upon a time a Dutchman in Amsterdam felt that he needed to confess, so he went to his Priest. “Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. During WWII, I hid a Jewish man in my attic.” “Well, that’s not a sin”, the priest answered. “But I made him pay me 20 dollars for each week he stayed,” the man confessed. The priest replied, “I admit that wasn’t good, but I suppose you did it for a good cause”. “Oh thank you Father; that eases my mind. Father, I have one more question.” “What is it son?” the priest asked. “Do I have to tell him the war is over?” (From the internet).
Here’s the moral: Just as the Dutchman is still hiding a Jew in his attic to give him shelter even as war has long been over, so we might still be keeping pagan attitudes even when the era of paganism has ended. Consider how we practice Christianity with the attitude of pagans. Let’s begin with the two popular sacraments, marriage and baptism.
Our church weddings make us wonder whether we really want the sacrament or we just want its pompous ceremony. If we are really after its sacramental benefits, we should not postpone church wedding until we have saved so much money for a lavish celebration.
Our baptismal rites aren’t done any better. Baptism rites turn our churches into market places. Good that the drunkards among our guests prefer to go ahead to the venue of reception than add to the confusion around our baptismal fonts. If we are really after the spiritual benefits derived from the sacrament, why are we choosing baptism godparents on the basis of money and power rather than on the basis of spiritual maturity?
We may successfully hide these wrong motives from people, but not from God. Soon the whole world will know, for as today’s Gospel reading tells us, “Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light”.- Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.
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