June 17, 2020 – Wednesday of the 11^th Week in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/061720.cfm)

Jesus warns us about our narcissistic tendencies. We might not be aware of our tendency to draw other people’s attention to us. Indeed, there is a need for us to purify our every motivation and action so that we will live free and become true Christians.

Jesus takes this seriously as he reminded his disciples in today’s Gospel. To follow Christ is not to seek the attention of others, or to seek praise and approval of those people around. A disciple of the Lord does not need to put up a billboard and announce to the people what he/she has done and accomplished.

The Lord is more concerned with our heart so that we don’t have to pretend to be someone else we are not. This happened with those who were called hypocrites in the synagogues that Jesus was talking about. These people pretended to be the best person in their community. They proclaimed and told people how good they were. They did all these to seek recognition from the people. Indeed, they craved for people’s attention and approval because they too were hungry for power and control.

People who constantly seek the attention of others and their recognition ultimately manipulate others so that they will be in control and will become powerful. Yet, it is also a revelation how these people are so insecure of what they have and of what they don’t have.

As people who seek God, we are rather called to be more confident with Him, and with our relationship with God. Our generous actions, good deeds, our prayer and religious practices must flow from that relationship. Deepening one’s relationship with God should be our primary motivation and not in boasting oneself.

This relationship with God should also lead us to recognize God’s generosity and faithfulness in us despite our failures and sins. This will hopefully inspire us to respond with gratitude to God. To become a grateful person certainly makes us a generous person both in our words and actions. This will make us true to ourselves, closer to people around us and to God.

Remember, God sees us. God is very aware of what we do. God is not blind. The Gospel today reminds us of this that God sees us in secret and repays us with His faithfulness. Though God does not do policing but God watches us only with delight. Therefore, as God sees us, we may truly be a delight in God’s eyes through our generous actions and words.

With this, Jesus invites us today to look closely at our behaviors and attitudes, practices and devotions if these are helping us to be closer and to be more like Jesus or if these are moving us away from God and from others.

To remind ourselves about this, let us ask ourselves with these questions, “Who is being honored and served by my good deeds, generous actions and religious devotions? Is it myself or is it God? Do they lead me closer to God and others or do they rather make me more indifferent towards God and others?

In our hope to grow daily in our consciousness of God’s presence in our life in these difficult times, we may always seek the Lord and find strength and confidence in Him. May our actions and words become expressions of our gratitude to God who has never ever left us for God finds delight in us. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR