20261009 Friday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Gal 3:7-14; Lk 11:15-26): Standing on the Lord’s Side, May We Accomplish Only Love My dear brothers and sisters, as the depth of the season deepens our souls, let us pray that these days help us become "those who seek the Lord’s path." May we savor God’s will with a truer faith, and with a joyful spirit of companionship and cooperation, align our lives ever more closely with that divine will. "That person" is none other than "one who opens their soul in response to God’s word," and "someone for whom God’s word is the center of life." They are "those who illuminate their lives by the word of God," and "those who find their way within God’s word." They are "those who cherish the bonds and relationships entrusted to them through God’s word," and "those who quietly and humbly help God’s word to be fulfilled." Ultimately, they are "those whose hearts are filled and embroidered with God’s word, finding in it their greatest joy—captivated by a word whose very essence is salvation, transformation, and healing—so that God's will eventually becomes their entire life." If we were to list the elements necessary for our survival, we would likely think first of a stable material environment, the rule of law for order, and the basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. Of course, these are essential requirements and practical means for our earthly lives. But even if all of these were fully secured, how desolate it would be if our souls remained utterly empty—wandering in a void because we failed to find true happiness, joy, and resonant value, leaving only hollow echoes to drift away! As the days pass, how burdensome and vanity-ridden that emptiness would feel! In Galatians 3:11-12, we are reminded: "The one who is righteous will live by faith. … But the law does not depend on faith; rather, ‘the one who does these things will live by them.’" As these words suggest, if we find self-satisfaction merely in the act of keeping the law and treat that as the ultimate fulfillment, we may end up living a life that essentially imprisons God within our own narrow framework. That hollow self-consolation—priding oneself with, "What I am doing is God’s work," while failing or refusing to see beyond—only drives us relentlessly. It pushes us to chase endlessly after tasks and achievements, or to grow overly anxious for the recognition of others regarding outward changes. Yet, if our true identity fails to take deep root in God, we will merely circle our own periphery and become hardened in our inner loneliness. In contrast, "spiritual life" is a humble gesture: offering up our quiet, steadfast footsteps day by day, faithfully following the path of God’s will and the touch of His love in everything given to us. The true path of following the Lord, and the sincerity of standing on His side, also set us free from the temptations that rush in when we lose our inner consolation and love. This is why a simple yet firm inner conviction—that it is enough to be faithful to one’s own role and vocation—and a singular criterion of "wanting to discern through the Spirit of love" guide us in the right direction. Blind judgment devoid of love fails to accept the true authority granted in God; hiding a sense of relative inferiority, it puts forward a human excuse of equality with others. One might call it the outward expression‎ of a relativistic desire to be validated, masked behind the so-called fairness of legalistic packaging. Consequently, we become trapped in a selfishness that secretly wishes for everything to revolve around ourselves. On the other hand, a person who maintains a deep sense of respect for God and others holds a loving reverence for God and the grace He bestows. They walk as humble co-workers and never hesitate to lower themselves. In Luke 11:23, the Lord tells us: "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." What matters is not outward, hypocritical compliance. Just as a true friend is one who walks alongside us in faith and love from the depths of the soul. Proof of this depends on whether we can ask ourselves: "Am I positively cooperating with the mission of proclaiming God?" and "Am I nurturing my love for God into a pure intention and purpose, free from any clutter or pretense?" Another standard is: "In my given position—not out of concern for human status or institutional laws, but to allow God's love and healing to blossom—am I humble enough to offer sincere cooperation and respect to those who proclaim God?" And most importantly, as the Lord asked in John 21, "Feed my lambs," the ultimate question is: "Do I truly love?" My dear brothers and sisters, where do we stand, and what path are we looking toward and building? Through this Holy Mass, let us implore the grace to mature into blessed people who stand on the side of the Lord’s love and cultivate the true wisdom of gathering together with Him. Amen.