By Fr Antony Christy, SDB –
THE WORD IN LENT – Thursday, Second Week
February 29, 2024 – Jeremiah 17: 15-10; Luke 16: 19-31
Through the desert, God leads us to freedom, but the question is, are we ready to be led? In the days gone by this week, we have reflected on the need for self-examination and verification, the importance of discernment, and yesterday we reflected on the external hurdles and inner hardships. All these reflections, when we undertake them earnestly, will lead to a very important self-discovery: where lies the centre of our life? And that will make a huge difference, how we go about everything, every day.
Just yesterday we encountered in the Gospel, James and John being schooled by Jesus, and not just them, but all the apostles – to set their priorities right. Not to seek power or dominance over the other, but to serve the other. But why? Why should we serve the other? What is that which inspires us to serve others?
It could be to gain something out of it or obtain some benefits. But we know very well, that is so unChristian a motive. It is so materialistic that it cannot be considered godly!
It could be our wish to express ourselves as good and holy. It does appear godly, but let us beware that it is still autocentric, or self-centred. It instrumentalises the other and makes our goodness a means to obtain some end.
The only motive that can lead me to salvation, or true freedom, is that I serve the other because that is what the Lord wants of me! I do not know how being good to the other and doing good to the other, is going to help me or what it is going to cost me, but I decide to be so and do so. Because I trust in the Lord, who has called me and commissioned me to be God’s image here and now. What God wants to do to the other, I am called to do! And I trust that God will lead me through that, to freedom.
This trust has to be the centre, the crux, and the foundation of my life of faith, and only in that can I march towards freedom. The rich man in the parable today is in no way an evil man, but a man without self-examination or verification! He did not realise how materialistic and self-centred he was; we cannot do that! We are given all the possibilities to reflect and discern – let us answer this question to ourselves today: where is the centre of my life? In whom do I trust?
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He holds doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.