Keeping the Motives Spiritually Pure

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica Nov 9
First reading                                        Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12
The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’
Psalm                                               Psalm 45:2-3,5-6,8-9
Second reading                               1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17

You are God’s building. By the grace God gave me, I succeeded as an architect and laid the foundations, on which someone else is doing the building. Everyone doing the building must work carefully. For the foundation, nobody can lay any other than the one which has already been laid, that is Jesus Christ.
  Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.

Gospel                                         John 2:13-22

Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.

Reflection

By Gary T.

While having lunch after an event in Pampanga, a community brother and I were having a casual chat with our event guest speaker, Bro. Aaron (not his real name), a prominent leader in our Catholic community. In the course of our conversation, Bro. Aaron inquired what we do for a living. My friend said he’s in multi-level marketing (MLM). And before I could say a word regarding what I do, Bro. Aaron related to us that he and our community founder actually started to know each other because of an MLM business which they both used to join. Though there is nothing wrong with genuine MLM (not the pyramiding), he warned us though not to mix it with our ministry. MLM involves networks of people to succeed. And in the community we create networks of people that we disciple. He warned us not to always mention about our MLMs to every new attendee of our prayer meetings or else the motive or our ministry will be tainted. We need not force any conversation about our businesses or find every opportunity to bring up the topic in the hope of recruiting for the business.

It’s very tempting sometimes. In fact it was one of my struggles, especially that my ministry and my business are of the same nature, that is, teaching people how to achieve total financial peace of mind. In short, personal financial coaching.

Though I am very proud of what my business’ mission does to our fellow Filipinos in terms of achieving financial freedom, I should really find a way to separate my business work from my discipleship work, or else how different will I be from the merchants mentioned in today’s gospel?

In one of our caring group meetings I was enlightened. Instead of me taking advantage of new attendees of our prayer meeting to recruit them into my financial business, why not do it in reverse? Instead of making my ministry as an instrument to grow my business, I can make my business become an instrument to make disciples. I need to work hard to grow my business, and then eventually work harder to disciple the people whom I was able to initially help in my financial mentoring.

I know this is easier said than done and it involves a lot of compartmentalization. But I know through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it can be done.

Though sad to say, several entities keep on knocking on the doors of our community in Pampanga, not really to join the group, but to introduce the same business which I am trying hard not mix with ministry.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, lead us in making the right decisions in life so as to maintain our motives spiritually pure in everything we do, Amen.