SHOULD GOD TREAT YOU THE WAY YOU TREAT OTHERS?

 *Saint Clare, Virgin* 


Friday of week 18 in Ordinary Time


First Reading. Deuteronomy 4: 32-40

Psalm.  77: 12-13, 14-16 and 2 l(R. 12a)

Gospel. Matthew 16: 24-28


TOPIC FOR REFLECTION


 *SHOULD GOD TREAT ME THE WAY I TREAT OTHERS?* 

My dear, before you read further, ask yourself, can you boldly say, God please treat me the way you treat others?


Some of us are living a life of, "am in charge "


But, Wait,

Should God treat you the way you treat others?

Should God maltreat you the way you maltreat others?

Should God deal with you the way you deal with others?

Should God abandon you the way you abandon your family and friends? 

Should God use you as a rag, the way you use others as a rag?

Should God suffer you the way you suffer others?

Should God suppress and oppress you the way suppress and oppress others?

Should God starve you the way you starve others?

Should God punish you the way you punish others?


My dear, I could go on listing some of our bad attitudes towards our fellow brothers and sisters, just ask yourself,  should God treat me the way I treat others?


In today's Gospel,  Jesus asked a very fundamental question, what will be the gain of anyone, who gains the whole world, and loses his or her soul?


I ask...

Can your wealth save you?

Can your position save you?

Can pleasure save you?

Can your pride save you?

Can material wealth you rely on save you?

Can what you value above God and humanity save you?

Can your bad attitude save you?


Remember, we all came into the world empty with hands folded, and we shall all return hands open. No one will go with anything in his or her hand.


So, value God and humanity above what you have now. No one knows what the future holds. Death can come at any time, are we prepared for it?


This made Moses in today's first reading reminded the Israelites of how God chose their fathers and how He made them hear His voice directly from heaven, how He spoke to them in the burning bush, how He related to them by giving them special attention; saving them from the hands of their enemies, bringing them from slavery into freedom.

The question comes,  sons and daughters of Israel, is this how you repay the Lord, forgetting so soon how God had been with you from the beginning? 


My dear, I ask you, why can't you remember the goodness of God in your life?


So, Moses charged them to obey the statutes of the Lord, and to obey his commandments.


The same charges are given to us this day, we should remember the good deeds of God in our lives and appreciate Him always. 


Today, we celebrate the memorial of St Clare, who abandoned the world to follow Christ, today she is with God in heaven.

She renounce the world, denied herself and gain heaven.


Can't we do the same, what do you think?


 *Peace ✌️ be with you* 


 *Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.* 

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