“LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS… SEEK [THE LORD] WITH SINCERITY OF HEART” (Wis 1:1)

⏰Monday of the Thirty-Second Week of Ordinary Time 1 (13 Nov. 2017)

????Wis 1:1-7; Ps 139:1-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10 (R.v.24b); Luke 17:1-6

It is a new working week, and I pray for you that in this week, the favour of God shall follow you wherever you go. This week shall not end in pains for you and your family. As the Lord lives, you shall be blessed, and be a source of blessing to all who encounter you this week through Christ our Lord. Amen.

To win such a blessing from God, the psalmist that you must live in the fear of God (cf. Ps 128:1-6). The book of Wisdom, which we begin reading today, serves to prepare us for that. This book, which is listed as one of the Deuterocanonical books, was written when the thriving Greek culture was trying to distract the spirituality of the Jews. There was the danger of the Jews falling prey to the humanism which the Greek culture emphasised. The writer of the book of Wisdom tried therefore to persuade the people to remain with God and seek his precepts.

As the book was for the Jews, so it is for us today. Our society is rapidly moving towards the eradication of God in our affairs. Most times, most of us no longer bother about what God thinks but about what we feel like doing. Not only do we do that, we also try to lure others into joining us.

The gospel warns us that such attitude of luring others into sin would attract curse for us in place of the desired blessing. The rule is simple. If you remain in the presence of God, you enjoy his blessings. But if you opt for worldly affairs, you will miss out.

We want to enjoy his blessings rather than miss out. Hence we pray with the psalmist, “Lead me, Lord, in the way everlasting” (Ps 139:24), Amen.

Have a blessed working week. Peace be with you.