“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Daily Reflections
Saturday, 11th November 2017.
Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of St. Martin of Tours
Rom 16:3-9, 16, 22-27;
Ps 144:2-5, 10-11;
Lk 16: 9-15.
BREAKING OUT OF OUR FALSE SELF
The Advent of social media, while bringing many pros, has brought about a social anxiety called FOMO (Fear of Missing out). Since, smartphones now enable people to remain in contact with their social and professional network continuously. This results in compulsive checking for status updates and messages, for fear of missing an opportunity. This leads them to constantly check on their phones, checking Facebook notifications or continuously chatting even when they are sharing a family meal or attending a birthday party. Sometimes we get fearful of the choices other people make. Did someone buy the new iphone or the ipad? Did my friend dine at the newly exotic restaurant? Did my brother get the latest designer shirt? We feel anxious and uneasy after reading our friends’ Facebook updates and we ask did we miss out on the latest? This unnecessary anxiety which affects 4 out of every ten people, shows us more worried about others, more concerned of what we don’t have and miss out what we really have. Also we are more concerned of what others like or approve, so that we receive affirmation.
Are you more concerned about the opinions of others or the truth of your life in the mind of God?“God knows the heart!” He knows who we are in the depths. So often in life we have misconceptions of who we are, who we are to others and misconceptions that others have about us. Today’s Gospel goes to the heart of this tendency of the Pharisees to create a false image of themselves for others to see and to care little about the inner truth that only God is aware of. On one hand, like the Pharisees, we can strive to present a false persona of ourselves to others while, at the same time, God is fully aware of the truth and is aware of the false image we are trying to portray. On the other hand, we may find that others have a false image of who we are, which can cause us much hurt. When this happens, we can be led into anger towards others and tend to irrationally and excessively defend ourselves. But what is important? What should concern us? The truth is what matters and we should care little about that which God is not concerned. We should care only about that which is in the mind of God and what He thinks about us and our lives. Reflect, today, upon your tendency to worry about what others think about you. Know that God wants you to live an honest life by which you present yourself in the truth. Worry only about living in the truth and what is in the heart of God and leave the rest to Him. In the end, that’s all that matters.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see what is in Your heart and help me to have concern only about how You see me. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.