THE LAST WILL BE FIRST - 8/16/22 (Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary)

Matthew 19:30

“But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081622.cfm

Blessed Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary!  The message of the world is that we should be the greatest. The message of the culture is that we should be the best in everything we do, and we should be richest as if these are the most important things in this world. But, Jesus Christ clearly teaches us a different message. Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. Sometimes, many people seek and boast about their achievements, accomplishments, riches and awards. We can also be tempted to follow this mindset everytime we see that the worldly lifestyle is promoted. But, these are just obstacles for us to enter the Kingdom of God. Why is this the case? 

When we prioritize the worldly things, we set aside the importance of God in our own lives. It's as if we only do what we plan for ourselves rather than discern God's will. We cannot give our attention to all things. This means that there will be a temptation to neglect God's commandments, teachings and will for us because we become too busy with worldly things. Due to pride, we can even say and credit for ourselves all of the good things that come to us rather than praise and glorify our Lord. Even though some are called as the greatest in the world, they may not see the sins they are committing because they are not looking at what Jesus teaches to us. This is a wake up call from God for us to make Him the top priority in our lives. 

This does not mean that there is no hope for all of us. Although it's impossible to enter heaven if we only trust in our own strength, we can depend on God because He is our Savior. The last will be first as Jesus tells us.  Even if we are not praised because we do not follow the ways of the world, there is nothing to worry about because praises are not the true standard for happiness. As long as we are humble, we are following God's commandments and we are glorifying God in our actions, our treasures are stored in heaven. When we reflect upon our own life, we may see the times that we are always guilty of pride. But, let's remember that God humbles us to make us humble. The message that "Many who are first will be last" should give us hope that by being the last, that is by seeing our own weakness, we can persevere even more in the virtue of humility, and we shall be the first in the eyes of God. 

But, how can a person who is rich persevere in humility? Money and other worldly things can be obstacles in our journey to heaven if we are focused on what we want to do with it based on our own wants. But, our Savior is reminding us that we should use everything we have, including our own money, for His greater glory. St. Stephen of Hungary was a good example of this, as explained in the link below. He was a king, but he used it to promote the Catholic faith. He built many dioceses and monasteries, and he influenced many people to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church. In the same way, we can use our money for God's greater glory by helping the poor. Besides the poor we see on the street, we can support our Church financially, and if God is calling us, we can also help seminarians and/or Catholic ministries. Our act of love should also be accompanied by being faithful to our prayers, like reading the Scripture, every day. For the blessings we receive, it's pleasing to God that we set aside time to give thanks to Him for His goodness. Our God will increase the faith that He has given us for us to be glorified with Him in Heaven. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Life of St. Stephen of Hungary:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-16---saint-stephen-of-hungary/

A Testimony on Rosary:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FFyRwJBExMk

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/