Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, first we heard about the rebuke which St. James placed on those who have been dishonest in their dealings, those who manipulated others and gained profits from the sufferings of others. That was the norm of that time, and in fact, if we realise, it is still very much the norm of today’s society.

How is this so, brothers and sisters in Christ? We just have to look at what men can do in order to get what they need, especially in the matters of money and possessions. Our societies and communities today are increasingly becoming ever more hedonistic, materialistic, and indeed, obsessed with all sorts of worldliness, with all sorts of glory and pleasures that are derived from the possession of those things we often desire in this life.

We often witness how men can even trick other men or women, just so that they could get profit out of their actions, not considering the expense that it is causing those poor fellows. Unbridled capitalism and the desire for ultimate profit has caused mankind to forget about who they really are, about what they are supposed to do for the sake of their brethren. Instead, they have been reduced to mere slaves of these desires that they had.

I am sure that many if not most or all of us can relate to this fact, on how we often think of ourselves first before the needs and the plight of others around us. And that is why we are so easily tempted by the many lies and the sweet temptations that Satan, the evil one, and his fellow fallen angels are offering us and tempting us with. In many occasions, we are simply too gullible and too easy to tempt, to the point that we end up falling into the darkness through sin.

And in the Gospel today, we heard how Jesus spoke to us about casting off our body parts that made us to sin. It may be quite scary for us to hear such a suggestion made by Jesus, but what He meant was not in reality, for us to literally take His words literally and do away with our body parts, although it may indeed help if we do so.

Instead, rather than doing this, what Jesus suggested to us is that, we should strive to remain pure in all things, in our hearts, in our minds, and in all of our actions and dealings. The body itself is often not at fault, since the body acts in the way that the heart, the mind and the soul are wishing it, and corrupt heart and a corrupt mind will inevitably lead to a corrupt being.

Thus, we all have to realise that the way to God is through hard work and through many challenges, as often we may find ourselves pitted against our very own selves, against our desires and wants, against all that our mind or our heart is asking for. If we give in to our desires, then that is what has led us to sin before the Lord our God. This was exactly what has led mankind to act in the way that St. James had deplored in our first reading today.

It is not wrong for us to have our desires and wishes, and it is not wrong indeed to have a desire in life, as long as these desires do not come into conflict with who we are as Christians, who ought to be living a good and worthy Christian lives, obeying the laws and commandments of our Lord. Let us all therefore, commit ourselves to reject the selfish ways of the world, and from now on, ensure that our actions are done in consideration of the needs of others around us.

Let us not be ignorant of the needs of the poor, but instead let us all keep our hearts and minds open to hear and listen to their plea. Let us not manipulate our brethren for the sake of mere profits, but help one another so that each and every one of us may have a decent and comfortable living in this world. May God help us in this endeavour, and may He awaken in us the love which we ought to have for Him. Amen.