“WALK DAILY WITH JESUS”, 08/11/25, (Saturday, 31st Week in Ordinary Time of Year C. Or BVM).

(REMEMBER TO PRAY IN THIS MONTH OF NOVEMBER FOR YOUR RELATIVES, LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE DIED).

COLLECT: “ALMIGHTY AND MERCIFUL GOD, BY WHOSE GIFT YOUR FAITHFUL OFFER YOU RIGHT AND PRAISEWORTHY SERVICE, GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT WE MAY HASTEN WITHOUT STUMBLING TO RECEIVE THE THINGS YOU HAVE PROMISED. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.

Rom 16:3-9,16,22-27; Ps 144:2-5,10-11 and Lk 16:9-15.

Most religions in the world, if not all, believe that there is only one God. Some of these religions may have intermediaries, sometimes called “Lesser gods” with a “chief God” or “Head God” or Supreme God.

All creative work, power, authority and so on are accorded to God and therefore under normal and proper conditions, God should be treated and served as the Master in our lives. However, some of us have turned some of God’s created things into masters and gods, which we serve and worship.

Worse is the fact that some of us sometimes turn some products of our brains and minds into masters and lords to serve and worship them. Money, which, we have made to serve our needs and the needs of society, has become the opposite: money has become a lord and master for some of us. It has become a very hard and deceptive master and lord for some of us.

Indeed, no one can deny the fact that money is good and useful. Without it, we cannot render goods and services to humanity and society. As a legal tender, it makes financial transactions easy for us. Money is actually important in our lives in the world.

However, money can equally be very dangerous, and depending on the way we handle and use it, it can destroy our lives, it can destroy society, the nation and the whole world. If we treat money as lord and master in our life to the extent that we think that this life is all about money and material possessions, then we have missed the point. If we are not careful, money can easily take the place of God in our lives, and become lord and master in our lives.

Yes, even though money is important in our lives and can help us do a lot of things, we should know that no amount of money can provide perfect or permanent health, happiness or eternal life.

A very quick test to know if I am a slave or servant to money is to ask myself these questions: Do I think and worry about money frequently? Do I give up doing what I should do or would like to do to make more money, even at the expense of other people and the community?

Do I spend a great deal of my time and energy caring for my possessions? Is it hard for me to give money away, maybe to help the needy or the poor who are not my relatives or who do not share in my “whatever” aspirations?

Am I in debt and therefore have become a very worried and disturbed person? If my answers are in the affirmative then I should know that money has become lord and master in my life. Do something about it now.

Let us always appreciate and be grateful for God’s created things and allow them to draw us closer and nearer to God but not as an end that cannot give us fulfilment and permanent satisfaction in life.

Finally, let us know that money belongs to God, not to us even though we have made it, and therefore we should learn to use our resources wisely. We should know that money can be used for good or evil. Therefore, let us use our money for good.

Money, we know, has a lot of power and therefore we should use it carefully and thoroughly. Let us use our money and material possessions in a way that will foster our obedience to and faith in God. Stay blessed.

WE MEDITATE TODAY, SATURDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.

PRAYER: “MAY THE WORKING OF YOUR POWER, O LORD, INCREASE IN US, WE PRAY, SO THAT, RENEWED BY THESE HEAVENLY SACRAMENTS, WE MAY BE PREPARED BY YOUR GIFT FOR RECEIVING WHAT THEY PROMISED. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.

Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.