HOW DO WE LOOK LIKE?

Friday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time

1 Tim 6:2-12/Lk 8:1-3

Money is not the root of all evils. The love of money is! We cannot read in Scripture any teaching from the prophets or from the apostles or from Jesus Himself that says that money is evil. But today we hear St. Paul warning us about love of money. The love of money is the root of all evils.

In Tagalog, we have the derogatory remark “mukhang pera”. Literally it means “looks like money”. One who always thinks of gaining money from almost anything and anyone is called a “mukhang pera”. There is more than a kernel of truth in the deprecating comment because we do become what or who we worship. When we worship money, we eventually look like money. We may not look like a peso or a dollar bill but when people see us the first thing that comes to their minds is money. When they do not see us but remember us, they recall money. They associate money with us because we identify our selves with profit.

Be very careful that we do not identify our selves with profit. Beware of the love of money. Choose: worship the Lord and become like the Lord or worship money and look like money. Remember: we become what and who we worship.

Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna are the three women mentioned in the Gospel today. They provided Jesus and His disciples out of their own resources. They associated themselves with Jesus. Thus, when we remember them it is not money that flashes in our minds but the image of Jesus. We are reminded of Jesus when we remember these women.

When people see us, what or who do they see? When people remember us, who or what do they recall?

When you read this reflection, please remember Jesus not me.