https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102124.cfm
DISCOVERING THE POWER OF A MAGNIFYING GLASS.
As a kid, I spotted a magnifying glass on the kitchen counter. I noticed how it made small things bigger. Surprisingly, I later discovered that a magnifying glass could cause fire.
The sun’s beam could be intensified to the degree that it could burn whatever it touched. However, it lost its fire when I pulled the magnifying glass from the object toward me.
Our possessions are like a magnifying glass. When we pull our affection and love away from God and others to ourselves, our possessions lose their power to do a greater good.
Consider how God gave us our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths to love Him first. Indeed, we can’t love a variety of persons and create things at once; we can only focus on one thing: God, others, or ourselves.
It can be dangerous to divide our hearts into compartments, some for God, some for others, and some for ourselves. When our love is divided, we love no one but ourselves. We ask, “What’s in it for me.?”
That is precisely what the man in the gospel did when he had too much grain. He put all his goods in one basket, his heart. There wasn’t any room left for anyone else.
However, loving God first makes our hearts so big that there is plenty of room to do good for others. God gives us His big heart, which will always provide for ourselves and others.
Loving God first is like the magnifying glass that gathers all the sun’s rays into one beam. So, all our love for people and things is magnified into a powerful beam that increases our intensity to do good. This gospel came to life here at Blessed Sacrament Church.
We had a backpack drive, and the people of our parish and school came through hugely. Do you know that today, 181 children have a backpack with all the school supplies they need to begin the school year?
We had trays of pencils and pens, scissors, and glue. It was amazing how your love for Jesus in those kids multiplied what no one could do if we kept those supplies to ourselves. Their smiles and thanks said it all. I thank God for everyone who magnifies their gifts through the grace of God.
The Gospel Challenge:
Keep your magnifying glass handy and set God’s goodness ablaze everywhere you go.
Love Your Neighbor!
Fr. Rick Pilger, I.C.
