The Motive Is Love:

Homily:

October 24 WEDNESDAY:

29TH Week In Ordinary Time Year-B

Readings: Eph 3:2-12; Lk 12:39-48

Fear is the most devastating emotion on earth. Very many seem to be either living or working in fear. The mother is afraid for her children, the father for his business, the clerk for his job and the worker for his or her competitor. There is hardly any person who is not afraid that some other person would do him or her, a bad turn. Therefore many of us transfer our fear complex on to our relationship with God. Only the superficial reading of today’s Gospel, especially about the punishment of the unworthy servant, would indeed confirm that fear has to be the motive of Christian living. But the main point of the parable is not to arouse fear but love. It calls for generosity in our loving response to God’s generous love, because “Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required” (Lk 12:48). Underlining the generosity of God’s love for us, St Paul points out how God has revealed to us even “the mystery of Christ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations” (Eph 3:5). Has not God, then, the right to expect from us a loving relationship with him? Hence, our Christian life needs to be saturated with love, not fear. If we suffer long for God, may it be love’s endurance; if we are kind to others, let it be love’s service.