Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5:6

If worldly people hunger and thirst for anything, it is surely the idols of society: power, possessions and fame. Before He began His public ministry, the Lord was tempted by the devil in the desert to abandon the path of righteousness for these worldly idols of society.

He rejected the temptation of power by declaring His commitment to serve God alone (Matthew 4:10) and He gave witness to this through a life of service, since He came to serve, not to be served.

He resisted the temptation of possessions by insisting that man lives, not on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

He would not be seduced by the spectacle of fame to throw Himself off the temple so that He could be rescued by angels for all to see. He answered: “do not put the lord your God to the test “ (Matthew 4:7).

Like Jesus, we must hunger and thirst for righteousness; we must be on fire for His kingdom. Like Him, we must let our light shine, not for personal aggrandizement, but for the Father’s glory. Are you aware that thirst for righteousness will save you from a life of mediocrity; a shallow life of half-truths, hatred and self-centeredness? Recall the words of St. James: “he who causes a sinner to be converted from the error of his ways, shall save his own soul from death.” (James 5:20)

The worst thing that can happen in a world mired in the idols of power, possessions and fame is for good people to do nothing. In the final analysis, it is good people’s lack of zeal for righteousness that enables evil to succeed.

Just think what you can do if your thirst for righteousness is genuine! Suppose one zealous Christian enables another to be converted; that would be two. Suppose the next year that these two enabled two more to be converted; that would be four. Suppose these four enabled four more to be converted; that would be eight. By the end of thirty years, if you do the math, there would be one billion, seventy-three million, seven hundred and forty-one thousand, eight hundred and twenty four zealous followers of Christ.

What a mind-boggling statistic! The whole mission of Jesus was one of zeal for righteousness: “I am come to cast fire on the earth and how I wish it were ignited” (Luke 12:49). Those who posses this zeal of the Lord are called blessed:
“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

Fr. Hugh Duffy

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