The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Victor Yparraguirri SVD – Taiwan
Monday 29th Week in Ordinary Time
“Charity begins at home” would be a good phrase to summarize the message of this gospel passage. Had this been observed and nurtured, the brothers at the beginning of the passage, would not have gone to Jesus to settle a very domestic and family affair. The brothers would have been looking after each other. Yet, we are not strangers to family feuds and sibling rivalries.
The parable that follows seems to highlight a reason for the sad situation of the brothers. When one leaves out others in his/her life, charity disappears because charity is essentially other-directed. It is in the home that charity is learned, nurtured and finds expression.
If we are close in our family we can draw strength from this closeness. We can learn from it how to relate with others beyond the family. Being charitable then, could we be far from answering the question, “What matters to God?”
