ICWG Weekly Reflections

We have to be generous without expecting any reward in return. We should give ourselves completely in the apostolate, in almsgiving, in works of mercy, without looking for compensation.

When we look at God with eyes of faith, then we will be able to understand the eternal truths: historical events and events in our lives will take on a new meaning; pain and suffering will become comprehensible; our work will acquire a transcendental significance as an offering made to God.

The texts of today’s liturgy focus our attention on the power of trusting and persevering prayer to reach the mind of God. In the Gospel passage St Luke prefaces the parable with an explanation of Christ’s intent

When we ask for our daily bread we are acknowledging the fact that our entire existence depends on God. The Lord wants us to ask the Father for whatever we need. As a consequence, we are constantly reminding ourselves that we are children who depend entirely on our Father God.

There are men who have no faith, who are sad and hesitant because of the emptiness of their existence, and exposed like weathercocks to ‘changeable’ circumstances. How different that is from our trusting life as Christians, which is cheerful, firm and solid, because we know and are absolutely convinced of our supernatural destiny!

Today’s liturgy warns us that an excessive concern for comfort and the things of this world will inevitably lead to a neglect of God and neighbour. The Gospel records Christ’s parable about a man who fell into this very trap.[5552] Instead of winning Heaven through the use of his wealth, he lost it forever. The story concerns a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently everyday. Meanwhile, at his door there was a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.

The Prophet Amos thunders against the exploitation of the poor by ruthless profiteers in the First Reading of today’s Mass.[5402] These immoral merchants despise the needy and make money off of them. They tamper with the scales and sell defective goods. They raise prices by taking advantage of shortages ... Through their unscrupulous behaviour, they insure their own.

Your prayer, says Saint Augustine, is like a conversation with God. When you read, God speaks to you; when you pray, you speak to him.[5059] God speaks to us in many ways when we read the Gospel: He offers us the example of his life so that we can imitate him in ours;

In Saint Joseph, our Father and Lord, we also have the example of a life of work, an ordinary one like our own; and we can entrust to him today our dedication to our professional tasks.

God loves me. This is the fundamental fact of my existence. Everything else pales in importance.

Our Lord awaits our sincere conversion and more generous correspondence. He wants us to be always vigilant and not fall into lukewarmness. Hope is intimately related with vigilance and depends to a great extent on love.

In the face of this emptiness and inconsistency, all this pointlessness, God is the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!