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Recently I was talking to a friend who told me that he was disappointed with his best friend who had no qualms or conscience when it came to money matters. Often it infringed on basic ethical principles of what is right and wrong such as in cheating others in a business deal for one's own selfish gain. Today's parable on preoccupation with one's riches is about recognizing Jesus as the Lord of Blessings. It is about giving Him full authority in regulating all areas of one's life according to Christian values and principles. The aim of life does not consist of acquiring possessions in this world that we cannot bring with us to the next. True wealth consists of placing our trust and faith in God who alone is the measure of our riches. Secondly, where our heart is, there lies our treasure. We are all called to seek the will of God so that happiness at the end of the day does not consist of what I have but who I am before God. A life of true happiness consists in having peace of mind and a clear conscience and in doing the right thing. The hedonistic philosophy of 'eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die' is a limited vision of life. This is not the Christian vision of life. Faith calls us to trust in God, while foolishness trusts only in the empty promises of worldly riches. Lord, help me to uphold Christian values and principles in my daily life. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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That young married couples may be sustained by the example and assistance of their parents and other families
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The testimony and help that parents and other families must offer to sustain young married couples finds its place in the ambit of post-matrimonial pastoral care. Parents and other families are the most suited to offer this assistance to young spouses because clearly they have lived personally the values which they must transmit. These parents show faithfulness through living in the best possible way the commitments assumed during their marriage. One could ask, but why is it necessary for young couples to be sustained by the testimony of their parents and other families? The answer is, because today there are many negative attitudes which scandalise and discourage young people. Being new to the condition of matrimonial life they need advice, encouragement, moral support, correction and prayer. They cannot be left alone or abandoned in this phase of their lives. Couples need to take advantage of the wealth of the experience and wisdom of their parents. "The pastoral action of the Church must be progressive, also in the sense that it must accompany the family, following it step by step in the various stages of its formation and development," (Familiaris Consortio n65, 69). | |
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