The Gospel clearly points out to us what it means to live as Catholic Christians.
To most of us, a devout Catholic is one who attends church, reads the Word of God, recites rosaries, recites chaplets of Divine Mercy, practises the sacraments of the Catholic Church, practises charity as and when time permits, and who goes for missionary work beyond one’s borders. The Gospel challenges this perception and directs us to the transformative journey that empowers us to be the witnesses of Christ to others.
Let us look at our inner self: How is it doing? Who or what resides there? The answer to these questions reveal the answer to our state of life today. These are a culmination of the choices that we make, the decisions we take, the words that come out from us, and the actions that we undertake.
It is important for us as Catholics to take steps to transform our life as guided by the Gospel and the Church’s teachings based on the Scriptures.
Catholics, young and old, in this modern world are transforming lives by making bold choices of professions that benefit others and not just for the sake of making money. Today, we need more of such people helming important places in government, organisations, education centres, and archdioceses where the decisions taken, impact the lives of the common man. Knowing the teachings of the Church through its documents prepared by the Shepherds of the Church who are guided by the Holy Spirit, provides a great resource for us to embark on our journey of leading a Christ-centred life in the modern world.
We are chosen by our Lord to be an instrument in His kingdom and we should choose to spend our time and use our God-given talents for this purpose.
Let us not be like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, who are living through worldly lenses that benefit only a small portion of people and who dictate the rules to lead a supposedly “successful life”.
