Saturday October 31, 2020
All Saint’s Eve
Philippians 1:18-26
Psalm 42:2, 3, 5
Luke 14:1, 7-11
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103120.cfm
Podcast:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2020-10-31
Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
In today’s World every Human Being is doing things in their life to be successful. Success is the recognition of our personality on this Earth. So every Human from his birth till his death tries to be successful to be recognized by others and themselves. We call this as self Esteem . We measure our ability to do things in life by self Esteem. If we are able to do things or successful , our self esteem indicator goes upwards but if we are unsuccessful or not able to do certain task , our self esteem goes down . These parameters drives a Human to be successful and unsuccessful or Be Content in life or disappointed in life. These are Worldly ways of measurement of the quality of our life.
If we measure our life Spiritually or as per the Gospel or Christian Values the Sacrificial love is the recognition of our personality. In any action if we loose ourselves for others and for the Gospel values the self Esteem indicator goes upwards but if we do not sacrifice our life for the gospel and others then our Self indicator goes down.
In the Kingdom of God Psychological Indicator moves backwards or in descending order and not forward or upwards or ascending order. If someone is seeking success or chasing success in their life must reflect upon these reflections and pause for a while and understand the real values of life. We can not be imitators of the World or Worldly successful People but we must imitate Christ and his values the Gospel.
Psychology has been designed as per the behavior of various people and this Psychology can mislead us because it is not designed or researched or clinically proved upon the true followers of Christ. This is the reason any education of the World can come in to an error to measure the true Knowledge and Wisdom of Human in this World. Love and moral values escalate or lifts the esteem in to higher level and we have to call this as high self esteem and not success or ability.
Moreover Human can not be satisfied in anything they achieve in their life because once they reach one goal , they want to reach another goal and thus rat race of chasing the Horizon which is not only a foolishness but Childishness. We must look at the meeting point beyond the Horizon and by doing this we meet the meeting point and cross the Horizon unknowingly in the process of meeting the meeting point.
Jesus is telling us in the Gospel do not seek things through your own ability and success but to take yoke of his Gospel values and learn from him to be successful people on this Earth. The worldly successful people who gathered millions and accumulated houses,money more than their need will be considered least in the Kingdom of God but people who did not bother to accumulate and lived in love, Sacrifice, Charity, Justice will be considered great in the Kingdom of God.
If we recall the Parable of Rich-man and poor beggar Lazarus. When both of them died , the Beggar Lazarus was lifted up by Angels to the Bosom of the Father but the rich man landed in the tormenting Hell. Pandemics, tragedies, Famines in our life is a warning message to repent and turn back from the foolish sense of Success in to love and service.
Prayer : Lord Jesus teach me your ways because your ways lift us up morally and increase our self esteem to loose more for the Kingdom of God . Amen.