The title for our meditation today is: Time Tests. We say this "time tests" to signify the time that serves to make sure if one's life is pleasing to God or vice versa. There was a family experiencing a crisis in their economy up to the point of the lowest situation that forced the husband, wife and their two children must reflect, evaluate themselves to find a way out. When times of trials or difficulties and suffering come, they lead us to see that time is testing us. These are the examples of lessons that can teach us and call our attention, and we must see this as the moment to change.
Saint Paul sees there is a sign of time that people in Rome and all of us today face, about honor and worship of the body that is inevitable in this world. Worldly life orientation like this will torture the dynamism of people’s mind and soul toward God. So the apostle Paul wanted that he himself must terminate all allurements of his own body, so that his mind and soul would just focus on God.
Worship and enjoyment of the body are commonly done today in the life of today’s society. This common style manifests itself in materialism and the gratification of lust. We can show several examples here. There was a student misused his parents' money for his study, but only for eating, drinking, traveling and having fun with his friends. A housewife spent money of the family not for needs of the house but only for personal pleasure and enjoyment. They represent the various human acts satisfy their bodily needs. Our era of materialism and hedonism today already makes everything so easy for us to acquire any time when we need to fulfill the need of our bodies.
However, we must say the truth that our bodies have been consecrated by divine election to be the sons and daughters of the heavenly Father. God choose to stay in our bodies. Le us not waste our energies and times making our own bodies the desecrated dwelling places to God to dwell. We need to take care and keep purifying our own bodies, because in a healthy and worthy body, there is a soul that is radiant and open to God. Saint Paul asks us not to spoil our bodies with any kind of pleasures of the world. We must maintain responsibly its purity because God choose to live in it.
Let our attention should not be excessive to the body, to the extent that the soul is abandoned. Jesus asks that our souls must be given more attention, because the soul will stand before the final judgment to give the person's life account. When human souls are free from world preoccupations and pleasures, a human person is free and happy to go to God.
Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O God almighty, come and dwell within us always, so that our hearts always experience joy and peace. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...
