Readings: Genesis 16:1-12,15-16, Ps. 106:1-5, Matthew 7:21-29
“Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
Our first reading today contains a sad story. God had promised Abram that his descendants would be as many as the stars. Abram believed it, and it was counted to him as righteousness. However, Sarai ran out of patience; she took her Egyptian maid, Hagar, to Abram. Instead of Abram rejecting the offer, he accepted it as God’s way of fulfilling His Promise.
While waiting patiently for God to fulfil His promises, be careful not to fall into temptations as Satan tries to present “juicy” offers as shortcuts to what God has promised. Satan will always use your desires to tempt you. Abram wanted a child desperately, but all this while, he never cheated on Sarai because he knew it was wrong. However, when Sarai herself now presented Hagar (thereby consenting to adultery), Abram assumed this was divine. What stopped Abram from consulting with God before agreeing to go into Hagar?
God will never bless any plan that involves sin. It is better to go through the “narrow” way with all the difficulties and challenges than to disobey your conscience in a bid to achieve your desire. If it is too good to be true, it cannot be true. Good things do not come easily. Trust God and obey His Word. Wait for God. “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
Do not be carried away with sayings such as: “A bird in hand is better than a thousand in the wind.” As long as God is ignored in that plan, the so-called “bird in hand” will become a bone in your throat later. Our people have a parable: “If one rushes to put food into their mouth, they could easily put the food in their nose.” Although it is true that “heaven helps those who help themselves”, if such “help” involves sin, we are no longer helping ourselves but setting ourselves up for regret.
Sarai later regretted her decision because as soon as Hagar became pregnant, she lost respect for Sarai. Hagar forgot she was a maid and wanted to be treated as a wife. You know the saying that when you give someone a foot, they take a mile. Hagar became a thorn in Sarai’s flesh, and they had it so hot that Hagar fled from the house. Hagar would have died in the wilderness if she had not returned to the house following the advice of the angel who told her to be submissive to Sarai.
In our Gospel passage today, Jesus says that when we listen to the word of God but do not put it into practice, we deceive ourselves. Holiness is not limited to attending Church services; it is doing what God says. Do not be a saint in the Church only to become a demon at home. “On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.” (Mathew 7:22-23).
Jesus is not interested in our public profession of faith. He wants us to pattern our lives according to what we profess. As St. John says, anyone who claims to love God in public but hates his brother in his heart (where no one can see) is deceiving himself. There are hearers and there are doers. Let us examine our hearts: “Where do I belong?”
Finally, we remember the priest, St Josémaria Escrivá de Balaguer. Born on January 9, 1902, in Barbastro, Spain, Josemaría was the fifth of six children in a devout Catholic family. He witnessed his family’s financial struggles from an early age. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1925. On 2 October 1928, he founded Opus Dei in Madrid. “Opus Dei” means “Work of God”—a path to holiness through daily work. He taught that ordinary life is a means to sainthood. He emphasised the importance of sanctifying work, family life, and daily duties. He wrote spiritual books, including “The Way”, “Christ Is Passing By”, and “Friends of God”. He died on 26 June 1975 in Rome, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1992 and canonised on 6 October 2002.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, give us the grace to practice what we profess. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Thursday of Week 12 in Ordinary Time. Liturgical Colour: Green. Bible Study: Genesis 16:1-12,15-16, Ps. 106:1-5, Matthew 7:21-29).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu