Tuesday of 13th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

Theme: Ingratitude towards God exposes us to terrible loss.

Reading: Amos 3:1–8; 4:11–12

In today’s first reading, the prophet Amos called out the people of Israel for failing to recognize and appreciate God for everything He has given them. Among the Israelites of Amos’ time, there was a growing tendency to regard the visible signs of God’s blessings (which included the gift of life, good health, a bountiful harvest of the fruits of the earth, relative peace in the city, protection from attacks, and many more) as ordinary natural givens that had nothing to do with divine providence.

In today’s reading, Amos corrected his people by asking a series of questions that all imply a negative answer, reminding them that there is a cause for every effect on earth, that God is the true and original cause of the blessings that had become ordinary in their eyes, and that even nature serves God’s purpose.

When we get used to good things, we tend to take them for granted. This also applies to God’s blessings in our life. One of the consequences of taking God’s blessings for granted is failure to express gratitude to Him for them. Amos reminds us that God is the ultimate cause of all our blessings, that He is the reason for our smiles, and that ungratefulness to Him exposes us to grave loss.

Dear friends, some people say that ingratitude is more grievous than the sin of revenge, because revenge returns evil for evil, while ingratitude returns evil for good. However, gratitude draws the mind closer to the source from which the blessings come and opens the way for more. Let us, therefore, recognize that behind the good things we consider as the common things of the day and blessings of nature, there is a cause that makes them possible, and that the cause is God, our provider. Let us be grateful to Him and to those He uses as channels to bring his blessings to us.

May your heart be grateful to God always.

Fr Isaac Chima.