THE NURSING HANDS OF GOD
EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“Little Jimmy had swallowed a quarter। His mother turned to her husband and screamed for him to call a doctor. He picked up the phone, but instead of calling the doctor, he decided to call his pastor. The wife was upset and said, “We don’t need the pastor, and we need some medical help!” To which the husband replied, “Hey, our pastor can get money out of anyone!”

Every Sunday during the Mass, a basket is passed for offertory collection। What do you put in it? Money! Money is not bad. We need wealth. Money becomes a problem when it takes the place of God and begins to control us. Money cannot give us what God cannot give us and God can give us what money cannot give us.

Jesus tells us “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be given you besides” (Mt। 6; 34). Seeking the Kingdom and His righteousness has three aspects: Trust, Appreciation, and Stewardship.

TRUST IN GOD: The awareness that God has a plan for each one of us and His plan is not for our destruction but for our wellbeing is the basic lesson of spiritual life। When we fail to understand God’s plan for us, it appears as problems. Therefore, every day we need to repeat what God had said through Isaiah,” Can a mother forget her infant? Even should she forget, I will never forget you” (Is 49: 14-15). It is difficult to recognize this truth as we go through different struggles. Once, however, we have the courage to submit our will into God’s hands, right away we will enter into a very amazing world of spirituality. We start to walk with faith, not only by sight. We begin to say with the Psalmist, “Only in God is my soul at rest; with God is my safety and my glory, he is the rock of my strength” (Ps 62).

APPRECIATE OUR BLESSINGS: The immediate result of trusting faith is the new way of seeing things। We start appreciating our blessings. This is the starting point of happiness. Very often, we grieve over on what we do not have. This causes undue anxieties and worries. Anxiety cannot destroy the sorrows of tomorrow but it destroys the happiness of today.

RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP: Once we start appreciating our own lives with its blessings, then we begin to help others to have the same kind of blessings। We share our blessings with others. Our material belongings turn into a spiritual blessing when we use it for the wellbeing of others. “What we give away in charity is our capital in heaven.” Everything, however, begins with our trust in God.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTIONS!
How do I manifest in my life ‘seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness’ is top priority?
How do I see the ‘nursing hands of God’ in the midst of my daily struggles?
What particular incident helped you to realize that God ‘will not abandon you”.

BE A LIGHT
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

This Lady went to the post office to mail a letter to Canada। There was a long line and she was the last in the line. The line was moving slowly. She lost her patience. She cut the line and rushes to the counter and said to the Postmaster, “Do you know who I am? If you know, you would have called me right away and helped me.” The Postmaster took the microphone and made this announcement: “Ladies and Gentleman! There is a woman here. She does not know who she is! Please help her!” Awareness of our identity is the basic thing that we all need to have. As the disciples of Jesus what is our identity?

Jesus describes our identity in the following way: You are the light of the world and the salt of the earth। We become the disciples of Jesus when we radiate the light of Jesus in and through our life.

Enlightening the world is the primary biblical mission। God began the creation by ordering: Let there be light. God chose Israel to be a light to the nations. In the incarnation, Jesus became the light. Jesus gave the same mission to his disciples: “Be a light”.

We become a light to others when we become a source of hope to them। This happens through different ways. First, as Isaiah says, by alleviating the suffering of the people. Secondly, by bringing out what is best in each other. In fact, these are the two important functions of salt. Salt brings out what is best in the ingredients of the food and gives it flavor. Salt heals the wounds.

How much interest do we take to bring forth what is best in each other? If we can correct a little, overlook much and see the good in others, then there is healing, joy and celebration. We become a light of the world and salt of the earth.