6TH
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C
YEAR OF THE YOUTH
FEBRUARY 17, 2019
JESUS, I trust in you!
It is difficult to believe in
Jesus because he opposes the teachings which we grew up believing in. We have
always thought that becoming rich is something to aspire for. All of us want to
be rich and this is manifested by the long lines in lotto outlets when the
prize amounts to millions of pesos. Of course no one wants to go hungry. Isn’t
the food industry one of the largest in the world? We love to eat. We value laughter
and so Show time rates highly because people patronize comedy and
entertainment. And everybody wants to be highly regarded by others. High esteem
goes by a new name: Popularity. And so, if you are rich, filled, laughing, and
popular, then you are envied and most probably, people will come to you and
ask: “How to be you po?”
But Jesus says exactly the
opposite. He says: “Woe to you who are rich. Woe to you who are filled now. Woe
to you who laugh now. Woe to you when all speak well of you. Opposed to this,
the Lord extolls those whom we consider as losers: Blessed are you who are
poor. Blessed are you who are hungry now. Blessed are you who are weeping now.
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude and insult you, and
denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for
joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.”
Listening to Jesus, we might be
tempted to say: “Baliktad na ang mundo!” And we would be right in saying so.
Baliktad na ang mundo not because Jesus opposed what we have always taken for
granted as true but rather it is because the world has gone the opposite
direction of the will of God. Remember that everything was created through
Jesus and for him. Therefore, the teachings of our Lord reveal the real values
according to original intent of God. He tells us that joy does not come from
material wealth, food, entertainment and popularity. Joy comes from God and
from God alone. That is why the Lord said through Jeremiah: “Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord…” The Lord is the only
genuine source of our fulfillment. He is the only source of joy and
blessedness.
“Sometimes you are unsatisfied
with your life, while many in this world are dreaming of living your life…A child
on a farm sees an airplane flying overhead and dreams of flying. But the pilot
on that plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of returning home.
If wealth is the secret to
happiness, then the rich should be dancing in the streets. But only poor kids
do that.
If power ensures security, then
officials should walk unguarded. But those who live simply, sleep soundly.
If beauty and fame bring ideal
relationships, then celebrities should have the best relationships.
Live simply, walk humbly, and
love genuinely…All good will come to you.”
Yes, the world has been lying to
us. The Lord tells the truth.
O Mary conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to thee!
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