WHO KNOWS? GOD KNOWS!
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

There was a farmer. He lived a happy life spending most of the time taking care of his farm with the aid of his horse. One day he lost his horse. Neighbors came to sympathize with him. “What a shame”, they said. “Who knows? God Knows?” He replied. A week later this horse returned with another horse. The neighbors came to share his joy. “What a blessing”, they said. “Who knows? God knows”, he replied. One day while riding the horse his son fell down from the horse and broke his leg. Again neighbors came to offer their sympathy. “What a shame”, they said. “Who knows? God knows!” he replied. A week late a war broke out in their country. The king ordered all men over 18 years of age to join the military. They spared his son because of his broken leg. Once again neighbors rushed to his house. “What a blessing?” they said. “Who knows? God Knows!” the farmer replied.

ATTITUDE THAT BEATIFIES

Life consists of a series of ups and downs. In order to cope with these fluctuating situations of life with a calm and serene mind, a person needs an authentic vision on life and a right attitude. The readings for this Sunday talk about two mutually opposing attitudes: the right attitude and the wrong attitude. God-bound people have the right attitude of life and the earth- bound people have the wrong vision of life. Without seeing the deceptive nature of material offerings earth bound people make the worldly riches their final goal. They are eventually faced with two problems. First of all, the very thing in which they place their trust cannot help them in times they needed it most. Secondly, as it is confined to this world, it cannot go beyond the time and space aspect of our existence. Naturally it cannot connect the events of life and in turn presents things incomprehensible. On the other hand, life founded on God gives a completely different perspective on life. The beatitudes talks about that. Beatitude is an invitation to empty our heart from material possessiveness and fill it with the Spirit of God. God-bound people withstand any storms of life.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR…!

Jesus started his teaching proclaiming the beatitudes. Jesus’ audience were people with broken hearts and broken hope. They were poor, victims of prejudice and victims of religious oppression. They were real people with heavy burdens. The interesting thing about Jesus was that he found blessings in their seemingly desperate situation. Jesus did not condemn their situations. Instead, he showed them the possibility of using their situations as a means of blessings. He did so by helping them to relate their present day struggle with the cross that bridges to heaven. Jesus showed them how they could transform their poverty and other struggles as a means for achieving eternal happiness. No situation is hopeless for a person who places his trust in God.

BLESSED ARE THE RICH…!

Jesus had no problem with the Rich. In fact he blessed the rich. So, he appreciated the gesture of the one who multiplied his talents and disapproved the behavior of the lazy man. He went to the extent of saying, “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich. But from the one who has not, even what has will be taken away.” Jesus was not against the rich. Jesus wants us to take responsibility of our lives. Jesus criticized only three categories of people: Those who put wealth in place of God; those who were unwilling to share; and those who amassed wealth through illegal means.
If I do not fall in any of these categories, there is justification for my wealth.
In the parable of the rich and Lazarus, he criticized the rich man because of his insensitivity to the need of his neighbor and his unwillingness to share.

The needy and the poor are the Sacraments for the rich. When they approach the poor with their sharing hands they are administering the sacrament of their own salvation. Jesus said to the people who were sensitive to the needs of others “Enter the Kingdom of God, for you gave me food when I was hungry; You welcomed me when I was a stranger; you cared for me when I was sick…..” The rich have a better chance to please God as they have enough resources to serve the poor.

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A priest gave a beautiful sermon. The sermon had three points. The first point was: Get all you can. To this an old rich man said, “Amen”
Next the priest said, “Keep all you can” Again the miser said, “Amen. ”
Then the preacher said, “Give all you can” And the selfish man said, “What a shame to spoil a good sermon”.
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