My dear brothers and sisters, I hope your Wednesday is already off to a great start and you've been having a great day and that the Lord continues to bless you. In our first reading today at Mass, we hear from Saint Paul's letter to the Colossians, where he reminds them that if we were raised with Christ, we ought to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” And he says to us: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.”
Now, how often do we think of what is above? And when do we do this if not when we pray and when we discipline ourselves with things like fasting? This helps us to extend our vision beyond this world and to the things of God, the things that are pleasing to Him.
My brothers and sisters, as we all know, this body is a beautiful gift from God and it's got a lot of cravings. Saint Thomas calls these cravings the corporeal appetites—things like hunger, sexual drive, the need for recognition, popularity, and the yearnings that are within us. These are the things that make us human, yes, but God has also given us a mind and a spirit and a will in order to govern over these when they lead us down the wrong path, or tempt us to take the wrong path.
As we know, temptation can come from three sources: the world around us, the devil, and even from our very selves—the concupiscence of the flesh, our corporeal appetites. Saint Paul tells us that we need to subject, therefore, our passions to the will of Christ when he says, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God… so put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly—immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.”
The greed that is idolatry—when we are not appreciative of the true gifts of God, when we seek material things as if they're going to fill us in a way that only God can: with joy, with peace, with strength, with purpose, with happiness. I've heard so many stories: “Oh, Father, well, I thought, you know, as soon as I get my licence, then my life would be full. And then I tried skiing, and that too didn't really do it for me. And then I tried relationships with one person and the other, and one girl after the other, and still my heart was restless.”
Which brings us back to Saint Augustine’s: “Our hearts were made for you, O Lord, and they will never rest until they rest in thee.”
And then further down, Saint Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, tells us to stop lying to one another. He says, “Stop lying to one another.” The days of being deceiving and cunning and needing to hide things are over for us who live in the light of Christ. But we need to be disciplined. We need to stay on the right path. We need to consistently live holy and upright lives. But always, prayer has to come first so that the Spirit will come from our Lord, who in today's Gospel is reminding us of what will make us happy: the Beatitudes.
When we're poor in spirit, when we hunger and thirst for what is right, when we weep on account of good causes, of good things—we will be filled. Our Lord is reminding us that to be poor in this world in a number of ways—for example, not seeking the prestigious posting, right? Even us who are in ministry are not to seek those assignments which involve a lot of honour, a lot of money, especially as Franciscans, which in our minds we can be tempted to think of the comfort that these benefits can bring.
Now, God doesn't expect us to live in misery. None of us. Make no mistake. But He desires us to be free. Much more so, He desires us to be poor in the pride that continually attacks our disposition towards humility. And He wishes us to remember that our relationship with Him—with God—is the most precious asset we have, and that is what makes us rich in His eyes. It all boils down to our relationship with Him and how that translates into the love that we extend to others.
May the Lord bless you, my brothers and sisters, as you continue to journey. Be strong knowing that our Lord is with you, and so is our Blessed Mother, your guardian angel, and all the angels and saints who are praying for you and cheering you on.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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