The secret of success in life is to be ready when there is an opportunity and to seize it and make the best and the most out of it.
But opportunities do not knock on the door many times a day. It only seems to knock once in a while. But when it does knock, then we must be ready to open it.
In the 1st reading, when the people sinned against God by worshipping a golden calf made by themselves, God wanted to punish them by wiping them off the face of the earth.
God then said that He will make a great nation of Moses.
That was a great opportunity for Moses. After all, he was also worn out by the people's complaints and grumbling.
But instead of seizing that opportunity, Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people and God relented.
Moses proved himself to be greater than that opportunity to be a founder of another nation.
In the gospel, Jesus mentioned about John the Baptist, who also had the opportunity to make a name for himself but he rather testify to the truth.
Whenever an opportunity of advantage presents itself, let us pause and ask ourselves if that would be for self-glory or for God's glory.
We must be humble and be poor in spirit and then we will know that we can't claim anything for ourselves in this life.
The greatest opportunity is to serve God and to do His will and to know that our reward is to be with God in heaven.