Monday 28th September – Monday of week 26 of the year

Reflection: Luke 9:46-50

FEEL SECURE IN GOD

It is only normal for a 3 or 4 year old kid to feel insecure when a new baby is welcomed into the family, there is this feeling of fear that his parents might transfer all the tender loving care and affection to this new baby. The child gets unnecessarily paranoid and involves himself in a sort of competition with the new born baby, he tends to want the mother’s attenttion at the very moment when she’s attending to the new baby.

The disciples in today’s gospel reading, just like this child also exhibited this paranoia characteristic. They rebuked the man who drove out demons not because he was not doing it in Christ’s name but because ‘he was not in their group’ (Lk  9:49). This is what we also exhibit when our friends or junior colleagues are able to do something that we alone could do in times past. We feel so insecure, with the fear of being forgotten that rather than collaborating with the person, we try to make everyone dislike the fellow.

Dear friends, let us learn to collaborate with other people and work hand-in-hand with them. It is true that as young people we have a tendency to form “cliques”. Yet, we should not form cliques with the mindset that anything that comes from outside your clique is bad. We should be welcoming to other people most especially people who are just developing skills, it doesnt matter if we were once champions. What should matter is that when you are gone there will be someone to do what you did best. Christ is a good example he taught his disciples all he knew. Let us then not act childishly and immature by being ‘unnecessarily paranoid’.

PRAYER: Almighty Father, help me to secure my whole life in you and root out of me every atom of envy and jealousy towards my neighbours, that I may welcome all who come my way. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 466 – What is envy, and how can we fight against it?

Envy is a sadness and annoyance at the sight of another’s wellbeing and the desire to acquire unjustly what others have. Anyone who wishes other people ill commits a serious sin. Envy decreases when we try to rejoice more and more in the accomplishments and gifts of others, when we believe in God’s benevolent providence for ourselves as well, and when we set our hearts on true wealth, which consists of the fact that we already participate in God’s life through the Holy Spirit.

HIDE A TREASURE: As rust consumes iron, so envy consumes the soul that is afflicted by it.-St. Basil the great.

Today’s reading: Zech 8:1-8; Ps 102:16-18.19-21.29.22-23; Lk 9:46-50