The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 1st September 2024

Lord, let us seek the peace, joy and justice in the Holy Spirit 

Rm 14:17 for it is not eating and drinking that make the kingdom of God, but the saving justice, the peace and the joy brought by the Holy Spirit. 

Drinking and eating are not fundamental aspects of Christian life. We should not be concerned about food or drink because God provides for all of our needs. But we have to believe in Him; our faith in the Lord is more essential than our desire for temporal possessions. We must summon the Holy Spirit and seek His guidance in anything we do for the Lord. Only God's Spirit can provide us with joy, serenity, and preserving justice, which are more important than food in our daily lives. We can heed the advise of St Paul, who states in: 1Tm 6: 6-8 Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. We must live with the content of our possessions. During his tour to Arunachal Pradesh, Br Joemon explained how Christians and other indigenous people live there. They live their lives by working in the fields or doing other modest occupations to provide for themselves and their families. They have no desire for a lavish lifestyle. They are exceedingly hospitable and willing to share anything they have, even sacrificing their necessities for their guests or a stranger. A priest told Br Joemon about an incident in which strangers (travellers) arrived at a house one day. The adult members of the household were preparing to go to work in the morning. The strangers requested water from the family members, and when questioned if they ate any food, they stated that they did not. What they have done is give the strangers the food they prepared to take to the field. When the priest heard the narrative from one of the family members of the house, he asked him, 'Then what you ate during the day?, he said nothing' This is the authentic Christian life.