Remembering St. Ignatius of Loyola...
Tuesday, 17th week in Ordinary time
July 31, 2018: Jer 14: 17-22; Mt 13: 36-43
I was wondering why the Lord made me today listen to a person who was out of the blue sharing with me the whole lot of his personal vocational journey. I was restless to get back to my room to finish up a few commitments of the day, but the person would not leave me. After a long session of listening to the person, I come to reflect on the Word and It strikes me with such a bolt: Rescue us O Lord for the glory of your name! The person was sharing with me the possibility of how so much of our own personal glory and ego could get mixed up with what we call, 'God's will'.
Killings and Insensitive acts against human dignity fill the dailies of these days. Scandals abound in the Church which I love and treasure. Uncertainties and clueless difficulties keep increasing by the day. Things which we have been upholding for centuries are brought under ruthless questioning at times - and the first reading brought this scenario to my mind with such lucidity. And I questioned, 'why Lord? why this today?'
The Gospel came as a response: because there is evil along with what is truly good; there are intentions and projects initiated by the enemy but everything looks like good. Do not be eager to judge what is good and what is evil - you cannot; you will go wrong! "WAIT" said the Lord. The only thing that you can judge is your own intentions and your own purposes and your own projects and your own thinking! Be sincere - identify the grain and the darnel, but within you! Distinguish the seed from the weed, but within you! What you hold on to, is it from the Lord or is it from the evil one?
Whatever you wish, whatever you say or whatever you do, let it be to give glory to God and to God alone! We have a great example of this in St. Ignatius of Loyola who lived, worked and initiated a movement all for the greater glory of God. Let this wonderful motto be ours too: Ad maiorem Dei gloriam - to the greater glory of God!