First Reading: (Ezekiel 24:15–24)
Responsorial Psalm
The response is: Deuteronomy, chapter 32.
"You forgot God who gave you birth"
Gospel Acclamation:
Gospel Reading: (Matthew 19:16–2
Reflection:
Today, the Gospel brings out two aspects of our Christian lives:
Avoiding evil.
Doing good.
We are meant to avoid evil, but at the same time, we are also meant to do good. They are two sides of the same coin. While we try to avoid evil, we must also try to do good.
Christianity is not only about not doing evil. It is not limited to avoiding evil. What good do you also do?
We could be very meticulous, very excellent, at avoiding evil. There are people who do not steal. They do not tell lies. They do not kill. They do not gossip. They do not fornicate. They do not hurt others because, of course, they mind their own business and respect their boundaries from other people.
They live in the comfort of their houses. They do not go out to meet others. That is all very wonderful.
But after all the avoiding of evil, what is the good that you do?
We should not end at observing the don'ts:
Don't do this.
Don't do that.
There are also the do's:
Do this.
Do that.
It may be easy for a day to pass by without one doing a single good thing, yet one may have avoided all evil.
You did not insult anyone, yet you did not reach out to anyone in need.
It is within this context and background that the question of the rich young man makes sense:
“What good must I do to inherit eternal life?”
He had observed the don'ts from when he was a boy, yet he felt empty. There was a void. He felt he needed something more.
Something was lacking.
Jesus told him:
“Yes, indeed, there is one thing you lack. Go and do something good.”
All along, he had avoided evil, but he needed to do something. He was told to go and give to the poor.
It is not enough to avoid evil.
Yes, you don't steal.
You don't cheat.
You don't embezzle.
But what is the good that you do for others?
Another biblical verse that beautifully captures this is (Isaiah 1:16)
“Wash, make yourselves clean, take your wrongdoings out of my sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good.”
The young man was perfect in avoiding evil, but when it came to doing good, his countenance changed.
We are told that when Jesus told him to go and sell what he had and to do good, to give to the poor, he went away sad.
It was easy to avoid evil, but he found it difficult to do good.
He will not steal.
He will not lie.
But he will not assist the poor.
The challenge, therefore is to ask ourselves:
“What is the good thing that I do?”
It is good to avoid evil, but it doesn't end there.
What is the good that you do?
So, as you move about today, as we begin this new week, let you not end at just avoiding evil.
Like once someone told me:
“I don't go to church because I don't steal. I don't lie. Let the thieves and the liars go to church.”
True.
But what is the good thing you do?
Let us pray for that grace, that we may not end at only avoiding evil, which is one side of the coin, but that we may also learn to do good.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment