Luke 16: 9-15

During the time of Jesus, the thinking of the people was that if a man is rich, then he is blessed by God. Why? The thinking was that a rich person is happy because he has everything. However, is this truly the case?

We all know that the strongest economies are: USA, China, Japan, Germany, and the UK, but in a recent study, the countries with the happiest citizens are Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, and Switzerland. Further, the Philippines is not even considered rich but we are said to be one of the nicest and happiest people on earth.

What is the true source of Joy in life? Serving God. Three indicators of one who serves God:

1. Forgiveness. We all get hurt in life. Further, when it comes to the people that we love, it is more difficult to forgive. But it has to be done. It so hard to live with anger and a lack of forgiveness in our hearts. “Lord, I was pained and I want to get back, but I will not, as you know what is best.”
   
2. Hope. Life is not perfect. We all commit mistakes, but we have a God who is in control. Whatever and wherever we find ourselves in, we know that God will never abandon us. As the saying goes, “after night comes day.”
   
3. Generosity. “There is no one so poor that he or she cannot give anything.” One thing foreigners admire about the Filipinos is the generosity. We give the best bed in the house and we share food. 

In each Mass, whether rich or poor, we realize that we are just stewards of God’s blessings. We came into this world with nothing and we are leaving this world with nothing. May we use our blessings to help other people, may we use our blessings to make this world a better place to live in, and most importantly, may we use our blessings as our way to eternal life: serving God and not money.