09-08-24 Ketika Dunia Tak Lagi Menarik: Menemukan Harta yang Sesungguhnya

Friday 18th week in ordinary time "Mt 16:24-28" Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?" Everyone yearns for happiness. People strive to acquire what they think will make them happy. But some get their priorities wrong and set their hearts on false ambitions: getting into this or that university, getting this degree, getting that job, getting this salary or just getting the iPhone X Plus...! Today Jesus wants you to ask yourself: 'What is the most important investment I can make with my life?' Some have more interest in getting into university than getting into Heaven, are more concerned about becoming a lawyer than becoming a saint, and put more effort into getting a life than getting a 'Life', an eternal One. The most important investment you can make is giving everything to God. It's a win-win situation. It's like a roulette wheel that, instead of having 2 colours (red and black) and 37 figures, it has the figure 'red 1' in all the sections. There is no way you can lose. You wouldn't bet only one pound and keep all the rest of your money for later. Would you not rather put everything on 'red 1'? To become a saint you have to invest everything you have, everything you are, as St Thérèse of Lisieux put it, "You cannot be half a saint. You must be a whole saint or no saint at all." Loss and gain: you give everything to God (and therefore you lose it for a while) and then He can give you the prize. St Teresa of Avila said that "those who risk all for God will find that they have both lost all and gained all." On the inside cover of a secondary school Bible it was written: "Dear Jesus, that's it. No more messing around. From now on, I'm all in. Love, Anna." From now on, no more delay - the sooner I give, the sooner I will be given, and then I won't have to regret, as St Augustine did, all the time I have wasted: "Late have I loved You, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new. Late have I loved You!" Mary, my Mother, help me to follow your example and give everything to God.