Practice Makes us Children of God
Nanggugulat ang Pag-ibig
September 21, 2020
WE ARE FAMILY
September 22, 2020PITIK-BULAG: Practice Makes us Children of God
Relationship counts a lot in our lives. Without having a good relationship with one another, we shall not survive in this challenging world. Our relationship with one another keeps us going and happy, knowing that we are not alone, and someone is walking with us. Thus, it is very important to have a good relationship with our family, friends, others, and God.
Our brief gospel reading today comes right after the Parable of the Sower, where we learned the importance of listening to the Word of God and doing it. Jesus would always insist on the importance of assimilating the Word of God in our daily life. Discipleship (listening) should lead us to apostleship (doing). To preach with our deeds is more convincing than to preach with our words. Actions speak to the hearts, whereas words speak to the minds.
Saint Paul would insist that faith without action is dead:
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2: 14-17).
Jesus in the Parable of the Sower would insist on the importance of planting the Word of God in our hearts and producing good fruits through our action: “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. (Luke 8:15).
Jesus hated sweet talker but a sour doer. He scolded the Pharisees and scribes for their failure to practice what they preached to the people: “So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:3).
We desire to deepen our relationship with Jesus. We wish to belong to His family or His group of disciples. And the only way to reach the heart of Jesus is by LISTENING TO GOD’S WILL and DOING IT.
In our gospel today, His Mother Mary and His brothers came all the way from Nazareth to bring Him back home. His rising popularity and conflict with the religious leaders, they sensed great danger to Jesus’ life. Fear ruled their hearts. And the best way to save Him from danger was to bring Him home. Running away could make their life simple and less complicated. But it may mean running away from the will of God.
Jesus saw the opportunity to orient the crowd of the necessity of fulfilling the will of God as the path to deeper bonding with God.
DEEPER CONNECTIONS WITH JESUS is not based on blood relationships. It is based on pleasing GOD BY LISTENING AND DOING HIS WILL. Our spiritual family is more important than our earthly families. Are we aware of the importance of pleasing God more than pleasing people?
There are four groups present in our gospel today. Where do you think you belong?
1. CROWD. A group of people bonded by space and time. Nothing else, nothing more. They are gathered spontaneously without purpose and reason.
2. FAMILY. A group of people bonded by blood relationships. They are gathered together to preserve the welfare and tradition of their ancestors.
3. EARTHLY COMMUNITY. A group of people bonded by a specific mission for the purpose of preserving and cultivating life.
4. DIVINE FAMILY. A group of disciples bonded by the Word of God and desire to fulfill it.
Belongingness is important to us. We need to feel that we are part of our family, community, and God’s family. Seeking the welfare of everyone is necessary, but pleasing God should be our top priority. Jesus teaches us that our belonging to his Divine Family is not based on blood or earthly friendship but by listening to the Word of God and putting them into practice.
They say practice makes perfect. But I say, practice makes us children of God.
– Fr. Wilfredo M. Samson, SJ
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September 22, 2020 – Tuesday
