Reflection on Today's Readings, Saturday, 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year II, October 31st, 2020
Texts: Phil. 1:18b-26; Ps. 42:2.3.5; Luke 14:1.7-11
St. Paul was an authentic man: a man who knows what he lives for, the purpose of his life. For him neither life nor death are without meaning. He says, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." He was not afraid to die and he was also not afraid to live.
St. Paul took the proclamation of the gospel as the purpose for which he lives. Hence, he proclaimed the gospel in as much as he lives, no matter the situation; he proclaimed it in and out of season, in prison and out of prison.
St. Paul showed in his life what a meaningful life is. A meaningful life is life with purpose and direction. Many people today are living just to be alive; they live to keep themselves alive. The purpose of their life is to do things that keep them alive. We learn from St. Paul that the main purpose of life is not to sustain life but to live for Christ. Because we live to sustain life, we fear death; we make death a terror when we live to sustain life. When we live to sustain life we could afford to commit sins in as much as it sustains life. The truth is that we cannot sustain life; it is God that sustains life. Life is sustained in losing it for God's glory. Jesus Christ says, "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it" (Luke 17:33). That is irony of life: we lose to gain, we die to live, we humble ourselves to be exalted.
A life live to sustain itself is a life without meaning or purpose. God created us all to know him, love him and serve him in this world and to be happy with him in heaven. This common purpose of our existence could manifest in diverse ways. St. Paul express his own by his devotion to the gospel, St. Theresa expressed her own through works of charity, the doctors of the Church did theirs in writing about the faith. The spiritual fathers of the Church expressed theirs by devoting to life of prayer.
Dear friends, we might have been living a life without purpose for so long, today, we are called to begin living life of purpose. We are to live life devoted to a course for the glory of God. A course we are ready to die for if it glorifies God; a course we will devote our lives to in and out of season; a course we will live for and without which our lives will make no meaning to us. Though such a life demands courage; it requires fortitude. We are to live for Christ; we are to live for God.
Jesus Christ, in today's gospel reading, deals with another irony of life: living humbly to be exalted. He invites us to act humbly. He advises us that acting humbly pays off. He says, "For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Jesus Christ shows that honour is rather given than taking it upon oneself. Humility gives room for honour to be given. A person who takes a high place in an occasion might have judged himself worthy of it and has taken the honour upon himself. When such a person is judged not to deserve such position, he can only be brought down. Self-exaltation gives room for disgrace and shame while humility gives room for exaltation and honour.
Lord Jesus, grant us the courage to live for you, help us to live life of purpose and direction. Amen.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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