Posted by The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Franlou Bardon SVD (Togo, Africa)
Friday 1st Week of Advent
When I roam around the village, I always hear children shouting: “Mon pere! Mon pere! Mon pere….” (Father! Father! …) My presence may signify a special value to them. But the honest kids aptly remind me of their real motive.“Mon pere, donnez-nous des bonbons.” (Give us candies, Father!) It’s candies they want. While I don’t always grant their request, I cannot totally ignore their incessant cries.
When the Lord heard the cry of two beggars in today’s Gospel, his compassionate heart must have become spontaneously restless until he could grant their humble yet bold request. But the Lord knows that generosity in granting favors must not lead to the person’s dependence on the giver. One has to evaluate his/her motives, longings, and desires in life. When all this is pure, there is no obstacle to the reception of God’s grace. And Jesus wants this purity of motivation to be affirmed again and again.
The Lord invites us today to make faith as the very motive for obtaining what we desire in life. When our quest for liberation from whatever enslaves us is anchored in faith, we will not be misled but will regain life’s meaningful direction.
While we are courageous enough to recognize our needs, we should also explicitly confess our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our faith is both personal and communitarian. We continue to believe that the Lord does not frustrate the person and the community of believers who put their trust in him.
We, alone or with others, should never forget to thank the Lord for obtained favors just as we allow no one to stop us from announcing to the world how blessed we are and how merciful our Lord is.
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