Monday, 31st week in Ordinary time
November 5, 2018: Philippians 2: 1-4; Luke 14: 12-14
It is so important that we do good to others, to the faith community and to humanity as a whole. But it is more important to be attentive to why we do what we do! Yes, the motivation behind the good we do, determines whether the act is truly good or just tolerable! This is the call the Word has today: to determinedly move from competition and conceit and discerningly grow towards a comprehension that Christ alone can make possible.
Competition makes all the good that I do, a mere external show and seeking the approval of fellow human beings. It begins to use the others, the needy and the ones to whom I reach out to, and makes them feel like 'objects' of someone else's or some others' goodness and prowess.
Conceit makes one oblivious of the rest of the persons around and what really matters to them. All that matters to me is 'me'! (Recently I heard a quack speak of his 'me' speaking to ' his me' in the other... so full of himself! That is only within parentheses.) I am so full of myself that even the good that I do for the other is a manifestation of myself and not truly a reaching out to the other. How many politicians and so-called philanthropists we have seen who wish to highlight themselves making their service a pretext.
Comprehension...is the understanding, the oneness of mind that leads to looking at the One Lord who unites me and the others and everyone else. There is no distinction here; when the other suffers, I suffer. When I do something good for the other, there is nothing to be proud about it because I am doing what I ought to; after all if I suffer, won't I seek a remedy?
One heart, one mind, one spirit, without competition or conceit...when I do good for someone, I do not count the cost, I do not look for a return, nor do I lament the effort. After all, we are one in the Lord!