24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Fr. Jess Ty  |  09/15/2024  |  Weekly Reflection

Why is there suffering in the world? Why do we always seem to rebel against God? Why do we want to take the place of God our Creator?

It all started when Adam and Eve mistrusted God and instead listened to the Evil One, the Ancient Serpent, the father of lies. The devil tricked Eve to disobey God, to be like God without God, “to know what is good and what is bad.” It means to know everything like God and even to decide what is good or bad, which is a prerogative of God not of the creature.

When we adopt this way of thinking, this way of life, we act as if we are totally independent from God. We decide on our own what is good or bad, we take the place of God. We disregard our Creator who made us in His own image and likeness; and turn back on him who has “plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

When man become the master and has no regard of God and His Laws and Commandments, we have a recipe for disaster. Pride which leads to arrogance is one of the seven capital sins. And it is because of sin that we have suffering and death. Death came because of the envy of the Devil and is a consequence of sin. The Devil rebelled against God, deciding to rule in hell rather than to serve God who became man, in Jesus.

Out of love for us, God the Father sent his Son, Jesus, to free us from slavery to sin and death, to save us by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and invited us to follow Him and His example. He freed us from sin to make us experience the true freedom of God’s children by loving Him and loving our neighbors. And we are destined for Heaven, to have an intimate communion with God, that is, to participate in the eternal exchange of love in the Holy Trinity. Eternal life begins here on earth by our Baptism and the reception of the Eucharist and other Sacraments that Jesus left in His Church, the Bride of Christ.

May we all imitate Jesus who is meek and humble of heart and have communion with Him now on earth and forever in heaven with the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints.