“Depending less and less on material aspects of life, so that we can grow more and more close to the Lord!”

(Based on Eph 2:1-10 and Lk 12:13-21 – Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time)

Many things in life follow the principle of “Inverse Proportionality”

The Principle of Inverse Proportionality can be explained that when the value of one unit increases, there is a decrease in the value of another unit…

The time taken for a journey is inversely proportional to the speed of travel…
… Higher the speed of travel, lesser is the time taken for the journey

The brightness of light that is seen is inversely proportional to the distance from the source of light
… The more the distance between the source, the lesser will be the brightness of the light that is seen

This principle of Inverse Proportionality can be also applied to spiritual entities…..

The greatness of a person is inversely proportional to one’s level of pride
… The greater the person, lesser is the pride of that person

The sanctity of a person is inversely proportional to the occasions of sins one indulges.
… The more holier the person, the lesser will be the occasion of sins one falls into

This principle is also seen strongly in today’s Gospel Reading…

The closeness of a person to God is inversely proportional to one’s dependence on material things
… The closer the person is to God, the further one will be from material things and pleasures

The distance from the Kingdom is inversely proportional to the amount of worldly riches one possesses
… The closer one is to the worldly riches, the farther one will be from the Kingdom of God

In the Gospel of the day, we see the clear illustration of this fact through the story of the Rich Fool.

Jesus says: “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (Lk 12: 15)

“Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself, but is not rich in what matters to God.” (Lk 12: 21)

What makes this Principle of Inverse Proportionality to work in terms of Richness and the Kingdom?

Worldly possessions takes one’s heart away from possessing God as the Greatest Treasure…
Money and Richness causes one’s mind to not depend on God and on His Providence and Intervention…
Prosperity and Affluence makes one’s soul to stray away from the Hand of God and His Love and Care…

It is a reality and happening in our world today that….

On one side, the money in one’s hand is more…
… but the amount of happiness and peace is less

On one side, the wealth of the world is increasing…
… but the poor in the world are in no way decreasing

On one side, the capacity of buying is much high…
… but the actual acquiring of real satisfaction is too low

Are things all too negative?

Is the situation too grim and bad?
Is there not a way out of this crazy maze?

“For humans it is impossible…but for God, all things are possible!” (Mt 19: 26)

There is a BIG lesson in that verse for our world today…

All too often, human beings…
… have asserted supremacy and power in conquering the world…
… have claimed superiority and dominance over all realms of living…
… have boasted proud statements and haughty actions in claiming to be all powerful…

The power and capacity of human beings, certainly is much, but it is still with a limit.

Today, we are called to understand, accept and acknowledge this limit…
… this constraint!
… this boundary!

When we make an effort to share our riches with others…
… God is able to bolster our spiritual blessings!

When we learn to be detached from our attachments to money…
… God is able to attach Himself to our lives!

When we seek to grow less dependent on our wealth…
… God is able to be the One on whom we can rely totally!

When we try to give up our materialistic thinking…
… God is able to fill our inner desires and longings of the soul!

It may be hard for us to let go of our dependence on material wealth

But God will strengthen us!

Let’s follow the words of Holy Father Pope Francis:
“So often we today can find our faith challenged by the world & in countless ways, we are asked to compromise our faith, to water down the radical demands of the Gospel & to conform to the spirit of this age…
… LET’S PUT CHRIST FIRST!”

Let us totally depend on the Richness of God’s Grace as St Paul reminds us: “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…
… and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
… that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus!” (Eph 2:4-7)

The Principle of Inverse Proportionality is a reality in our spiritual lives…

Let’s depend less and less on the power of money…
… so we can grow more and more close to the Lord!

Let’s give minimal control to the power of richness…
… so that we can give maximum control to the Lord!

Yes…

Less and less of me…
… and More and More of You, O Lord!

Let us today seek the intercession of St Paul of the Cross – the founder of the Congregation of the Passionists – who was known to have the ability to reduce hardened criminals and tough soldiers to tears with his gift of speech.

Let his words inspire us:

“The passion of Jesus is a sea of sorrows, but it is also an ocean of love. Ask the Lord to teach you to fish in this ocean. Dive into its depths. No matter how deep you go, you will never reach the bottom.”
“The Cross is the way to Paradise, but only when it is borne willingly!”
“Let us throw ourselves into the ocean of His goodness, where every failing will be cancelled and anxiety turned into love.”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Riches can prick us with a thousand troubles
in getting them…

… as many cares in preserving them, more anxieties in spending them, and with grief in losing them!”