Gospel Reflections for August 4 2019
…the power to do something good
The scriptures often warn us against several famous temptations. They are wealth, power, honor, and pleasure. Well, I hope you receive all of them!
These temptations are neither good nor bad of themselves. They become good or bad depending on how we use them. Each of them can provide the possibility of accomplishing something good for the world …or using them for selfish ends.
I wish for you the blessings of wealth. With money you can provide for loved ones and yourself. You can also make good things happen elsewhere too, like help Catholic Charities care for the poor, or help your parish with a new program or help maintain its facilities.
I wish for you the blessings of power. How wonderful if you are in charge of others. Having authority is an awesome opportunity. You have the ability to make good things happen, in a company, in government, or especially as a parent in a family.
I wish you for you the blessings of honor. Having the esteem of others can inspire people to follow your example and do what you do. Pray that your example resembles the life of Our Lord, or any of the saints.
Finally, I wish for you the blessings of pleasure! I hope that you will find joy in the life God has given you, and the natural world in which you have been placed. I hope you can see beauty in nature and enjoy moments of rest and relaxation, or engage in recreation, in the original sense of that term, to re-create yourself anew both apart from your work, and even in your work.
For all these good reasons I hope you will receive wealth, power, honor, and pleasure!
I am sure you will use them well. The Gospel simply warns us to not see them as ends themselves …accruing wealth just to gain wealth or seeking honor just to gain a name. Whatever we have we want to use for some good end, and help build the Kingdom of God.
We have a reminder in the words of the consecration at Mass when Jesus says, “This is my Body and Blood, given for you” Jesus takes His body and blood, His entire self, everything that He is, and offers it to the Father for our lasting happiness. He knows just what to do with what He has …and invites us to do the same.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Fr. Dave.
Awesome reflection. You are a good priest and teacher.
I would like to invite everyone to look up Aleteia.com to read about how one of our very own priests from LA used his gift of dyslexia to reach out to someone in need. Fr. Gregorio Hidalgo who is so joyful and funny is a wonderful person.
This is why I am consecrated to Mary and Divine Mercy so that Mary can help priests use the grace they receive to help those in need.
Thank God that he is good ALL of the time!!!
God Bless
Jane
Thank you for such a hope filled and joyful message!
Thanks so much again Fr Dave,
Alway – Some great reminders how we
Can do better in our daily lives…
I am & always keep trying to
My walk in Christ stronger …at times it is a struggle…but I will pray it’s a part of my life
In connecting with God each morning & night…
Kathy
We get to start again every day, so there is always hope!
Beautifully expressed Father Dave!!! Your loving words express our precious God’s love for us!! To use the gifts of wealth, power, honor and pleasure as gifts to others in living Jesus’ goodness in our world is so beautiful!!! We are soooooooooooooooooooooooooo blessed with our precious Faith!! If we can touch one person at a time, every day forever we can make the world beautiful in Jesus’ love!!! I am trying new avenues to distribute my loving book ” Mary, A Woman In love, The Precious Apparitions of Our Blessed Mother to touch people hearts with our Jesus and our Blessed Mother’s love!! Your beautiful introduction to my book touched my heart with love!!! I have given my book away to many friends and that is one way I am trying to touch the world with our Jesus and Mary’s love!!!! Dick and I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee our precious Fadith and we loveeeeee you for living Jesus’ and Marys’love and beautifully sharing it with others!!!!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
Thank you!
Thank you for your loving wishes for wealth and happiness! I pray that I will use them lovingly. The greatest gift that I have received is faith. I know that one can get by in the world without wealth and even under persecution. But how people can get by without faith I cannot understand. So in addition to the good things of the world, I pray that our faith remaIns.
Well said!
Dear Father Dave,
I’m reminded of a story about a father and son in a German concentration camp during WW II. The boy was about six and the father did everything he could to lighten the child’s burden in order to make his son’s life loving and sweet during their horrendous incarceration … certainly no easy task. We could do no less with all that we have.
Thank you for your wonderful reflection.
God bless.
Sincerely,
Kathleen A.
Yes, this amazing story was made into a movie a few years ago called “Life is Beautiful” which won a number of Oscars including Best Actor for Roberto Begnini. It was everyone’s favorite film that year.
When people grow closer to the Lord. the things of this world become less
important…wealth, honor, power and pleasure, and interest in the next life
become ever more present It is then that we hear Jesus saying
“My kingdom is not of this world”
Thanks for the examples.
Well worth it I hope
You are welcome!
Whichever Aleteia you are , You are loved!!!!
Yes, indeed!