DAILY HOMILIES #complaint

Let us examine our conscience. Have I become ungrateful? Have my prayers become avenues to complain against God? Do I recognise the fact that I am only a pilgrim on earth? Like the Israelites, we are on a journey to our homeland (the bliss of heaven), and nothing in this world can satisfy us. Regardless of how wealthy you are, without contentment, you are poor. On the other hand, no matter how little you have, as long as you are grateful, you are rich.

Countless blessings come to us when we are kind to strangers. Many have lost golden opportunities in life simply because they refused to help when they encountered people with genuine needs. Our help, however, must not be forced, pretentious, or come from a bitter heart. The story of Mary and Martha has often been explained in terms of the two types of spirituality (the active versus the contemplative). Still, beyond that, Jesus used this occasion to highlight the dangers of distraction and anxiety. Only one thing is needed: Seek first the Kingdom of God!

Rather than engage in useless competitions with one another or expend energy fighting for equality (a fight that will never end), rather than engage in the “pull-him-down” games we play often, there is much peace that comes with realising it is not what we have that counts but how we manage it.