Monday, June 15, 2015

1th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 16-06-15

2 Cor  8:1-9 / Matthew 5:43-48

The phrase "Survival of the Fittest" is something we hear quite often in the discussion about evolution and also about staying power in the work place.

By fittest, it means that an organism has those attributes that allow it to get the most out of its environment: gather food, drink, oxygen, rest, sex. The better it is at doing this, the more fit it is.

When those attributes are lacking, then survival will be at stake and life will be endangered.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul made an interesting note about the churches in Macedonia, of how throughout great trials by suffering, their constant cheerfulness and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity.

St. Paul attested that they gave not only as much as they can afford, but far more, and quite spontaneously. It seems that the generosity of the churches in Macedonia amazed him.

St. Paul also made this profound note - that they offered they own selves first to God, and under God, to the other churches.

This would certainly go against the theory of the "survival of the fittest" as the usual tendency is to protect and preserve the self.

And that is why Christianity is so profound and challenging, because Jesus came to show service and sacrifice is.

For those who believe that God let the sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and the rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike, they will follow the call of Jesus to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.

For the Christian, it is not about survival of the fittest. Because to live is to love and serve through sacrifice