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INDIFFERENCE: THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE 26th Sunday The gospel today speaks of two men – one is rich and the other is poor. But the gospel is not about money or riches at all. The Bible does not support the idea that the poor always go to heaven, or that the rich always go to hell. Heaven is God’s offer to all. Jesus’ parable shows the rich man going to hell, not because he was rich. It was because he did not pay attention to the suffering of the man just outside his door. He turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to the one who needed his help. The gospel is about relationships. God is challenging us to form meaningful relationships with one another - to be concerned for one another, to take care of one another, to assist one another specially in moments of need. If there is one sure way to lose the chance of going to heaven, then that is the way of indifference to the feelings, the pain, the burden of our neighbor. Yet, how many people live live...

THE ATTITUDE THAT MAKES YOU RICH 25th Sunday Do you want to become rich? Do you want wealth, prosperity and abundance? Most people today set their eyes on these things. And we are not lacking in books, counselors, preachers and others who want to guide people to achieve their heart’s desires. But why is it that so many people are not yet rich in spite of their desire and striving? Of course there are many factors to consider. But the Lord gives us much needed guidelines for true riches. Jesus reminds us in the midst of our aspirations: make friends for yourself with earthly wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwelling. Becoming rich starts with an attitude. Riches do not last forever. Now they’re here, tomorrow, gone. And riches have a purpose. They are not the purpose of our lives. They are means to be used to attain eternal life. And we must therefore use them well. What are the attitudes of the truly rich...

THE HEALING POWER OF “SORRY” 24th Sunday It is so easy to hurt other people by what we do or say. In the story of the prodigal son, the young man, hurt his father deeply when he demanded his inheritance and left home. He hurt his brother when he showed no concern for the family and thought only of himself. In his insensitivity, he certainly hurt his family. But if it is so easy to hurt others, why is it so difficult to say “sorry”? Many times we are conscious that we caused harm in our environment, and yet we withhold this most important healing word. Some do not say “sorry” because they think what they did was just all right, that nobody was offended. As long as there is no violent reaction, they will not be bothered to apologize. Some do not say “sorry” because they are embarrassed to approach others and admit their faults. If we are not shy in doing injurious actions, why are we shy in repairing the wrong we have done? And there are those who f...

SOME THINGS MUST GO Jim’s entire family was migrating to Australia. But Jim hesitated to join them to the confusion of his clan. In the end, the reason emerged: he couldn’t leave because he was too enamored with his girlfriend and couldn’t imagine a life without her around. In times of calamities, many people refuse to evacuate their homes. Not that they don’t want to be safe. The reason lies in the goods inside the house - the refrigerator, the tv set and the radio component - they couldn’t part with these items that made their lives comfortable. Today we receive a valuable lesson in life. If we are to advance, if we are to move on or move up, we must give up some of the things we hold precious. We cannot bring everything with us. It may be possessions, or it may be people we love, but the fact is, we cannot carry them all as we move along. In considering how to follow God’s will, Jesus himself never gave the assurance that the process would b...