*Be different from those in the world*

Jesus is essentially telling us today to be different if we are truly Christians. We should avoid doing things like those of the world. We are not supposed to spouse their way of thinking and doing things. Our celebrations or parties should rather be used as opportunities to show love and demonstrate our charity towards the most vulnerable. There are orphans who have no shelter; people who have virtually no access to health care all over the world; families who nowhere to sleep; no water to drink; no food to eat.

Instead of inviting rich people for parties or making donations or organizing festive birthdays and anniversary of high-ranking personalities, we could collect this money to support orphans, build schools, supply hospitals with medicine. . Doing good to these categories of people is praiseworthy and selfless because they cannot repay us, but he himself will repay us a hundredfold.

We must do this with these poor people because Saint Paul tells us in our first reading that we have benefited immensely from God's mercy. It only follows that we too should be agents of mercy, compassion and divine charity especially towards the most disadvantaged.

Fr Georges R. BIDZOGO sac