Wicked men obey from fear; good men, from love - Daily Bible Reflections January 28,2014

Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas,

Priest and Doctor of the Church

 

BOUGHT BY BLOOD

 

 

“For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” – Mark 3:35

 

Last year, the Philippines held its national elections. If you surveyed the list of candidates, you’d find people from the same family vying for the different posts in their provinces. These are political dynasties — so common in our country because we’re known to have tightly knit families. Blood is thicker than water, that’s why we protect our own. That shouldn’t be a problem if these people have a heart for service and are committed to doing what’s best for their constituents. What’s bad is when these dynasties safeguard their own interests instead of the people’s welfare.

       How different it is in God’s Kingdom. According to today’s readings, Jesus didn’t put much importance on being related by blood but He had a more important consideration to qualify as part of God’s family: obedience to God’s will.

       In short, you and I are part of God’s family — kapamilya, kapatid, kapuso — when we sincerely obey His will for our lives. It’s not always easy to do and the Gospel doesn’t hide the fact that it’s a narrow road (Matthew 7:14).

       Come to think of it, we too are “blood relatives” of Jesus — because He gave His life for us out of love. That alone should be motivation enough to obey Him. Joy Sosoban-Roa (jsosoban@gmail.com)

 

Reflection: Wicked men obey from fear; good men, from love. (St. Augustine)

 

Dearest Jesus, thank You for dying for me. Grant me the grace that I need to obey You every step of the way till we see each other face to face.

 

St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church, pray for us.