Poor in Spirit, depend on God

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 7th week in Ordinary Time

May 22, 2024 - James 4: 13-17; Mark 9: 38-40

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). How do we understand the expression 'poor in spirit'? The Word today has a simple description: they depend on God. Two traits that are enlisted as opposition or rebellion to God are Pride and Jealousy! Pride claims illegitimate credits for things; Jealousy detests anyone being better in comparison to me.

James hits out against pride, which claims that we are in control of our entire life! I know of a person who has written down what he would be doing the next 25 years in succession! One thing is to have a plan, while it is totally another matter to be too sure about taking control of everything!

Jesus speaks of jealousy in subtle manner, without hurting the sentiments of his own apostles. He instructs them about not monopolising the role of being God's instruments! Anyone could be used by God, just as you could be! When you are used by God for God's purposes, rejoice and be glad. When someone else is used by God, give praise to God all the same! This comes from two important qualities we need to develop: stop comparing and place God at the centre, not yourself!

When we work out of these two temptations - of pride and jealousy, we would be well on our way to sanctity... for that is a sign that we depend on God, that we are poor in spirit, and the Reign of God belongs to us! 

The Battle Within

WORD 2day - Tuesday, 7th week in Ordinary Time

May 21, 2024: James 4:1-10; Mark 9:30-37 

We return to the Ordinary time after quite a while, and Word straightaway leads us to a reflection on the need to being faithful to our call on a normal basis, on a daily basis, without needing to have a special occasion to celebrate and manifest it. 

The discussion today is on a fundamental theme of our everyday life: the battle within. Both James and Jesus through the Word today, speak to us of the important battle that keeps waging within us, which determines much of the battles around us. The self seeking, self centered and self focused egoism, twists and twirls all our priorities and thus wrongly motivates our choices.

The worst of the conditions that we find today is the way the society prioritises. What is wrong if one thinks of one's own self fulfillment? The justification in terms of God-given capabilities and bringing them to their perfection is another rationalisation of this ego feeding. The Self or the Ego is being enshrined at the centre of human life as the most sacred thing that has to be preserved, promoted and pleased! Is this not idolatry? Some are so worried about use of images and icons as being idolatrous, while they make of themselves saviours, mouth pieces of God, indispensable dispensers of the god-element, the doorways to god and so on...

The question is clear today: have you compromised on the place given to God in your life? Is God the first priority in your life? Is God, God's plan and God's will the most important criterion in all the choices you make? If it is so, then you are on a winning streak in the battle within... Kudos! March on!