Tuesday of the 5th week in the ordinary time
Theme: The supremacy of man
In the 1st reading of today from the Book of Genesis, we see the supremacy of man over all that God created. Thus, man is a steward of creation. In view of this, any tradition that reduces the dignity of the human person is simply contradicting the design of God at creation. It is important that we are conscious of this fact and always stand for the things that promotes human dignity and liberating, not things that will enslave the human person. Sometimes we take selfish positions because of what we stand to gain and at the detriment of other people. We are all encouraged today to guide against such actions because they are not of God and should not be found amongst us as children of God. Our actions and lives should be a testimony of God’s love to his people, because we are his representatives here on earth; simply put, we are ambassadors of Christ.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, in the gospel of today Jesus calls the Pharisees and Scribes Hypocrites because of their emphasis on the tradition of the elders as against the commandments of God. A very important thing from today’s gospel is the fact that the commandments of God are greater than any tradition. If this is the case, then we have to be mindful of the things we hold onto and also expect other people to do the same. As children of God, allow the commandment of God to always guide your actions and life generally. It will never enslave you like some traditions do, but rather liberate you and this is what any good law should do for you.
This consciousness will help us to emphasize the things that truly matters and not what the crowd is saying or doing at a given point in time. As Christians and children of God, our way of life should always mirror Christ and be a standard that will guide others. If we truly want this to happen in our world, then we all have to make conscious effort to be selfless in our practice of our faith. Let us continue to do our best at all times, in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.