Much will be required of the person entrusted with much
>> Saturday, November 4, 2023
THOUGHTS AND VIEWS
Fr. Roy Cimagala
CHRIST clearly said this. In that gospel parable where he told his disciples to be always prepared for judgment, (cfr. Lk 12,39-48) Christ clearly admonished his disciples to be ready to face the Lord, able to account for all the things that have been entrusted to them. If they are given much, much will also be expected from them.
The lesson Christ wanted to impart to his disciples, and to us, is that whatever blessing, gift or privilege given to us should never lead us to feel entitled. Rather, we should feel that a greater responsibility is actually given to us, for which we have to do some accounting on Judgment Day.
That gospel parable somehow reminds us that we are just stewards, not owners, of the things of this world. Thus, we have to be responsible and accountable for how we use the things of this world. In this regard, we have to see to it that we be as fruitful and generous in the use of the things of this world, not wasteful and prodigal. We need to distinguish between generosity and prodigality.
We have to learn to distinguish between the two since both can look the same and can involve more or less the same amount of money, time, effort, etc. Generosity is, of course, not prodigality, though it is never sparing of the resources that may be needed to pursue a real good.
Prodigality is simply a matter of wastefulness, oftentimes of the thoughtless and selfish kind, as dramatized in that parable of the prodigal son. (cfr. Lk 15,11-32) It is an irresponsible way of using one’s resources, endowments and blessings that are made to respond simply to one’s whims and caprices.
It’s always good that whatever service we do for others, we should be as generous as possible without spoiling them. And whatever attention we give to ourselves, we should try to be as sparing as possible without, of course, harming us or jeopardizing our health, etc.
Pertinent to this point, Christ said: “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Lk 6,38)
In other words, the more we give, the more we actually will receive. Christ promised as much when he said: “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children of fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19,29)
We have to realize then that any privilege, honor or praise given to us is a call for us to be more generous in our self-giving to such an extent that we would not run away from making the supreme sacrifice of giving our life for God and the others, just like what Christ did. Our attitude should be to sharpen even more our desire to serve and not to be served.
We should never feel entitled. Christ himself was the first one to live by this principle. Being God, he emptied himself to become man and to bear all the sins of men by dying on the cross, all for the purpose of saving mankind. (cfr. Phil 2,7)
He reiterated this point when he lamented about the domineering sense of entitlement of some of the leading Jews of his time while praising the poor widow who put all that she had into the temple treasury. (cfr. Mk 12,38-44) --
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
CHRIST clearly said this. In that gospel parable where he told his disciples to be always prepared for judgment, (cfr. Lk 12,39-48) Christ clearly admonished his disciples to be ready to face the Lord, able to account for all the things that have been entrusted to them. If they are given much, much will also be expected from them.
The lesson Christ wanted to impart to his disciples, and to us, is that whatever blessing, gift or privilege given to us should never lead us to feel entitled. Rather, we should feel that a greater responsibility is actually given to us, for which we have to do some accounting on Judgment Day.
That gospel parable somehow reminds us that we are just stewards, not owners, of the things of this world. Thus, we have to be responsible and accountable for how we use the things of this world. In this regard, we have to see to it that we be as fruitful and generous in the use of the things of this world, not wasteful and prodigal. We need to distinguish between generosity and prodigality.
We have to learn to distinguish between the two since both can look the same and can involve more or less the same amount of money, time, effort, etc. Generosity is, of course, not prodigality, though it is never sparing of the resources that may be needed to pursue a real good.
Prodigality is simply a matter of wastefulness, oftentimes of the thoughtless and selfish kind, as dramatized in that parable of the prodigal son. (cfr. Lk 15,11-32) It is an irresponsible way of using one’s resources, endowments and blessings that are made to respond simply to one’s whims and caprices.
It’s always good that whatever service we do for others, we should be as generous as possible without spoiling them. And whatever attention we give to ourselves, we should try to be as sparing as possible without, of course, harming us or jeopardizing our health, etc.
Pertinent to this point, Christ said: “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Lk 6,38)
In other words, the more we give, the more we actually will receive. Christ promised as much when he said: “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children of fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19,29)
We have to realize then that any privilege, honor or praise given to us is a call for us to be more generous in our self-giving to such an extent that we would not run away from making the supreme sacrifice of giving our life for God and the others, just like what Christ did. Our attitude should be to sharpen even more our desire to serve and not to be served.
We should never feel entitled. Christ himself was the first one to live by this principle. Being God, he emptied himself to become man and to bear all the sins of men by dying on the cross, all for the purpose of saving mankind. (cfr. Phil 2,7)
He reiterated this point when he lamented about the domineering sense of entitlement of some of the leading Jews of his time while praising the poor widow who put all that she had into the temple treasury. (cfr. Mk 12,38-44) --
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
THOUGHTS AND VIEWS
Fr.
Roy Cimagala
Missing the forest for the trees
IT’S an idiomatic
expression that means “to not understand or appreciate a larger situation,
problem, etc., because one is considering only a few parts of it.” It’s an
expression that aptly describes what was dramatized in that gospel episode
where Christ was accused by a Pharisee who invited him for dinner of not
observing the protocol of washing hands before the meal. (cfr. Lk 11,37-41)
“Oh, you Pharisees!” Christ said. “Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?”
With those words, Christ was trying to tell his host that he, being the son of God which the Pharisees could not believe, ought to be exempted from that detail of washing since he was trying to show them that he was the maker of both “the inside and the outside” of things.” In other words, the host missed to get the bigger and more important point Christ was showing him due to a tiny detail that blinded him from seeing it.
It’s a danger that we should be most wary about, because it can also happen to us quite often. It’s when we become too legalistic or too formalistic in our interpretation of certain things that we miss the more important part of a situation or issue. We would be missing the true spirit of a law, or get so trapped in the details that we fail to see the whole picture.
We need to be keenly aware of this common danger and do everything to protect ourselves from it and to fight it, since it will always be around, given our human condition here on earth.
The secret again is to be in vital union with Christ, referring everything to him, especially our legal and judicial systems, and the ways we make, interpret and apply our laws.
Christ clarified this point in so many words when he told the Pharisees who questioned him about why his disciples were doing something that was forbidden in the sabbath, that “the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (cfr. Mk 2,23-28)
We have to understand that all our laws should be based on what is known as the natural law that in the end is a participation of the divine eternal law of God, our Creator and the first and ultimate lawgiver.
And that part of natural law that is specific to man is called the natural moral law that would recognize, as its first principle, God as our Creator and source and end of all laws. It is the law that would lead us to be God’s image and likeness, and children of his, sharers of his divine life.
A legal system not clearly based on this fundamental principle about laws would already be a system that is defective ‘ab initio.’ A legal system that is based only on some human consensus would put the spirit of the law in full subservience to the letter of that law.
This kind of legal system is what is referred to as legal positivism. This means that the laws are valid not because they are rooted in moral or natural law, but because they are enacted by some human authority and are accepted by society as such. -- Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
“Oh, you Pharisees!” Christ said. “Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?”
With those words, Christ was trying to tell his host that he, being the son of God which the Pharisees could not believe, ought to be exempted from that detail of washing since he was trying to show them that he was the maker of both “the inside and the outside” of things.” In other words, the host missed to get the bigger and more important point Christ was showing him due to a tiny detail that blinded him from seeing it.
It’s a danger that we should be most wary about, because it can also happen to us quite often. It’s when we become too legalistic or too formalistic in our interpretation of certain things that we miss the more important part of a situation or issue. We would be missing the true spirit of a law, or get so trapped in the details that we fail to see the whole picture.
We need to be keenly aware of this common danger and do everything to protect ourselves from it and to fight it, since it will always be around, given our human condition here on earth.
The secret again is to be in vital union with Christ, referring everything to him, especially our legal and judicial systems, and the ways we make, interpret and apply our laws.
Christ clarified this point in so many words when he told the Pharisees who questioned him about why his disciples were doing something that was forbidden in the sabbath, that “the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (cfr. Mk 2,23-28)
We have to understand that all our laws should be based on what is known as the natural law that in the end is a participation of the divine eternal law of God, our Creator and the first and ultimate lawgiver.
And that part of natural law that is specific to man is called the natural moral law that would recognize, as its first principle, God as our Creator and source and end of all laws. It is the law that would lead us to be God’s image and likeness, and children of his, sharers of his divine life.
A legal system not clearly based on this fundamental principle about laws would already be a system that is defective ‘ab initio.’ A legal system that is based only on some human consensus would put the spirit of the law in full subservience to the letter of that law.
This kind of legal system is what is referred to as legal positivism. This means that the laws are valid not because they are rooted in moral or natural law, but because they are enacted by some human authority and are accepted by society as such. -- Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
THOUGHTS AND VIEWS
Fr.
Roy Cimagala
Charity means all in
INDEED, that’s how
charity is. It’s all in, irrespective of how the objects of our charity are.
They may reciprocate our love for them or not, they may like us or not. On our
part we should just continue to love them if charity truly dwells in our heart.
We are reminded of this truth of our Christian faith in that gospel episode where a scholar of the law asked Christ what he had to do to inherit eternal life. And Christ simply said that he had to love God with everything that he had and to love his neighbor as himself. (cfr. Lk 10,25-37)
And when asked who his neighbor was, that was when Christ told the parable about a man who fell victim to robbers in his journey and was left half dead on the road.
A priest saw him but passed by. A Levite also just passed him by. But a Samaritan, who at the culture of that time had the least relation with the man, was the only one who took pity on the man. It was the Samaritan who proved to be the good neighbor to the victim.
Yes, charity is for everyone. It has a universal coverage. It’s not only for those who are right in something. It’s also for those who are wrong. It’s not only for the winners. It’s also for the losers. Not only for friends, but also for enemies!
But the universal inclusivity of charity does not do away with the exclusivity of truth. It does not do away with the distinction between good and evil, between right and wrong, between truth and falsehood. In fact, it sharpens that distinction. And yet, it still works in all that distinction.
Yes, charity is all-inclusive, though it is expressed, of course, in different ways. As they say, we have to have different strokes for different folks. And that’s simply because at the end of the day, whether we like it or not, we are all creatures and children of God, brothers and sisters to each other.
We have been created by our Creator out of love and for love.
We have to realize that our life here on earth can be described as a journey toward our ultimate home, which is to be with God our Father and Creator in heaven.
It will be charity that would keep us going and that would enable us to leap to the eternal supernatural life with God.
While here on earth, we have to realize that we form one body and that we are actually on the same boat. Despite our differences and conflicts, we have a common origin and a common end. We are bound to care for one another. We are meant to love one another.
Charity is what binds us together despite our unavoidable differences and conflicts. Yes, we form one body, but we are different parts of that body. We play different roles and carry out different functions.
So, we have to develop with God’s grace the true charity that is a living participation of the charity God has for everyone, including those who go against him.
Let’s remember that Christ went to the extent of loving our enemies.
St. Paul describes charity in these words: “Love is patient, is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Cor 13,4-7) -- Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
We are reminded of this truth of our Christian faith in that gospel episode where a scholar of the law asked Christ what he had to do to inherit eternal life. And Christ simply said that he had to love God with everything that he had and to love his neighbor as himself. (cfr. Lk 10,25-37)
And when asked who his neighbor was, that was when Christ told the parable about a man who fell victim to robbers in his journey and was left half dead on the road.
A priest saw him but passed by. A Levite also just passed him by. But a Samaritan, who at the culture of that time had the least relation with the man, was the only one who took pity on the man. It was the Samaritan who proved to be the good neighbor to the victim.
Yes, charity is for everyone. It has a universal coverage. It’s not only for those who are right in something. It’s also for those who are wrong. It’s not only for the winners. It’s also for the losers. Not only for friends, but also for enemies!
But the universal inclusivity of charity does not do away with the exclusivity of truth. It does not do away with the distinction between good and evil, between right and wrong, between truth and falsehood. In fact, it sharpens that distinction. And yet, it still works in all that distinction.
Yes, charity is all-inclusive, though it is expressed, of course, in different ways. As they say, we have to have different strokes for different folks. And that’s simply because at the end of the day, whether we like it or not, we are all creatures and children of God, brothers and sisters to each other.
We have been created by our Creator out of love and for love.
We have to realize that our life here on earth can be described as a journey toward our ultimate home, which is to be with God our Father and Creator in heaven.
It will be charity that would keep us going and that would enable us to leap to the eternal supernatural life with God.
While here on earth, we have to realize that we form one body and that we are actually on the same boat. Despite our differences and conflicts, we have a common origin and a common end. We are bound to care for one another. We are meant to love one another.
Charity is what binds us together despite our unavoidable differences and conflicts. Yes, we form one body, but we are different parts of that body. We play different roles and carry out different functions.
So, we have to develop with God’s grace the true charity that is a living participation of the charity God has for everyone, including those who go against him.
Let’s remember that Christ went to the extent of loving our enemies.
St. Paul describes charity in these words: “Love is patient, is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Cor 13,4-7) -- Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
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