Will We Have Treasure in Heaven?

Yes, through the sanctification of the other and self

Mathew Anthony

35 minutes ago

September 25, 2026

Scholarships we obtain in secular studies launch us into practical careers. Some become owners or decision-makers who pay themselves handsomely but shortchange their workers. We then look for another job for better compensation. This cycle repeats until we choose to retire. Likewise, homemakers attend to chores, a clean house and a well-fed family.

We live an embodied life that one day will cease. On that day, we will either carry scars of a hard life or the look of a Hollywood diva: blemish-free, dewy, flawless, fresh, glowing, satiny, or somewhere in between because we have been so blessed.

Life comes at a cost; man strives all his life to balance the books to stay out of debt.

What about the spiritual world? In the spiritual world, we leave the temporal behind. We cast our burden on Jesus and His promise to those who follow Him.

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Mt 19: 27-30)

In effect, the life of a spiritual person is shorn of possessions except what is on the person. Not even a pair to change into. But a spiritual person is empowered with supernatural gifts to cast out demons and raise the dead, and natural authority to heal the sick. (Mk 6: 7-13)

That is a giant leap to take for someone who has everything except what money cannot buy. Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mt 19: 16,21,22)

Those reading this reflection (and me) have not sold our possessions and given to the poor, so what happens to us? Will we not have treasure in heaven?

We have a different ministry. While the spiritual person concerns himself with prayer, fasting, administering the sacraments to the flock - the faithful - as a priest or religious, or doing charitable work or work of building the human mind and spirit as an educator, the family man too is entrusted with the duties of caring for the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of the flock of his faithful - his family, his neighbours, and the larger community that sustains him and his family. As a family man, he needs to observe certain tenets in his relationship with his wife, and vice versa. The responsibility is on the man.

One of the big issues St. Paul speaks of is sexual immorality that was rampant among the Corinthians. A healthy family life saves a man and the woman from this grave sin. When infidelity and sexual immorality enter a sacramental married life, it manifests in several other deviant behaviours, from lying to the spread of communicable diseases, secrecy, and aberrations in the management of the family savings. The seed of depravity is sown; it is generational.

In a healthy family life, St Paul says, each is a source of spiritual strength to the other.

To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. If a woman has a husband who is not a believer and is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. (1 Cor 7: 12-14)

The hallmark of a healthy family life is peace in the home:

But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. (1 Cor 7: 15)

Will we who have not sold our possessions have ‘treasure in heaven’?

How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. (1 Cor 7: 16-17)

Increasingly, we are having interfaith marriages. Bollywood symbolises it most, with leading actors in interfaith marriages that work for them. Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan are a prime example of a healthy interfaith marriage with three children - no acrimony has been reported by the ravenous media vultures. However, some dispensationalists make an issue of it for their own bigoted reasons.

When such marriages fail, they are attributed to interfaith marriage. To what should failed marriages among Christians be attributed? God? Or individuals’ inability to give of themselves to others. To use suffering as a means of sanctification of the other. Marriages fail for many reasons. On top of the heap is sheer selfishness. Marriages survive because one partner is willing to be a punching bag, using that as a prayer for the other person’s salvation. In that we have treasure in heaven.

- Mathew Anthony

Obedience Quadruples Abundance

 

The route may be tortuous

Mathew Anthony

1 hour ago

September 24, 2026

St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara introduced the “Pallikoodam” movement, providing free education for all at schools attached to every parish church in Kerala. The legacy continues with over 1200 educational institutions imparting knowledge to over 4 Lakh students the world over. In this regard, CMI institutions stand tall in the field of education.

Children from backward sections of the community are encouraged to study along with children from upper-class families. The study of theology receives due prominence in the curriculum. The institution also promotes in-depth study of Sanskrit, Sacred Texts and Religious Traditions. The education received, especially for the underprivileged, has improved the employability of women through Vocational and Technical training. Vocational training is also provided for persons with physical and mental disabilities.

Kerala not only has the highest literacy rate in India - almost 100% - but also scores high on the Human Development Index. The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, which is used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A territory scores a higher level of HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the gross national income GNI (PPP) per capita is higher.

According to Global Data Labs, in 2023, Kerala ranked second to Goa at 0.804, followed by Chandigarh and Puducherry, and, surprisingly, New Delhi at 0.779. The comparable country for Goa is Mauritius, and for Kerala is Bosnia and Herzegovina (where Medjugorje, a popular shrine of Mother Mary, like Velankanni in Tamil Nadu and Lourdes in France, is located).

A close relative of ours, in fact, quite a few, have studied in the “Pallikoodam” and later joined seminaries. Some dropped out midway and have gone on to pursue secular careers, taking with them the discipline learnt in the Seminary, including time for prayer and meditation, and have risen to high ranks in their field of study, employment, and business. Some had the call and became priests and religious and lived a sacramental life ever after.

Who decided for them? In the case of the priests and religious, God, through counselling, direction, and selection by the Rector of the Seminary, after nearly 14 years of study. Years of education that tally with acquiring a doctorate in the secular world after secondary education. The priests are equipped with deep knowledge of philosophy, theology, and the human condition. “He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach, / and to have authority to drive out demons.” (Mk 3:14-15)

Some ordained priests and religious are trained as doctors, nurses, educators, lawyers, and social welfare professionals.

One of my relatives’ careers was shepherded by role models. No, he did not go to a seminary.

His father was a District Medical Officer in Madras (now Chennai), highly respected in the community. As the youngest of siblings, my relative wanted to be one. Did he become one? No. What happened? He did not get into the Medical College his father was teaching at for domicile reasons. He was from Kerala.

He could not join Trivandrum Medical College in Kerala because his admission letter surfaced three months after the admission date had passed, bundled with unopened direct mailers that his father received in abundance from pharmaceutical companies.

And why did he not follow up? Because his heart was set on joining Calicut Medical College. He only checked that list (not Trivandrum Medical College) and did not find his name there, so he gave up on pursuing medical education.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Mt 6:21) Beware the treasure you are seeking, for that may not be where your future lies.

With medical education mothballed, this relative of 22 years was taken up by the salutes a dapper young man received as an IPS Officer from other men in uniform. My relative was invited to the commissioner’s office for lunch. The commissioner was a family friend of the DMO dad. The commissioner advised him to pursue Economics Honours and Political Science, to write the Civil Services exam and join the public commission services as an IAS or IPS Officer.

That’s what he did with a class of 19, 14 of whom cracked the Civil Services exam and went on to become top officials in the government, including one who became the Chief Secretary of Karnataka and another Revenue Secretary.

My relative did not appear for the exam. He was lured by another treasure: foreign currency offered by the Reserve Bank of India for overseas studies. Off he went to the US, the University of Detroit, and completed his MBA, all set to join one of the Big Three Car companies there, including General Motors.

He could not work in the US. His father, the DMO, summoned him back to India. His father was alarmed and appalled by the morality of the US in the 60s and feared losing his son’s soul to such decadence. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mk 8:36)

This is the same son who asked his father to keep the shares of a dividend-paying company for his retirement expenses, covered in an earlier post titled, ‘Teaching Prudence to Children Eyeing an Inheritance’. Money was never this young man’s priority. Obedience to the father was. His daughter today lives out his dream. She is an accomplished doctor, married to a doctor, and her two children are doctors. One man’s lost dream quadrupled through obedience to the father.

- Mathew Anthony

Resist Not; Burden Not; Let God Reign

 

Mathew Anthony

Sep 23, 2026

A girl had silken, flowing hair. It was the delight of her life and cynosure of many eyes, including suitors who lined up for her hand in marriage. She even changed her walk to sway in consonance with her hair.

Then a condition developed. She had to cut her hair short, almost tomboyish. When she walked past the mirror, she said, ‘Hello’, for a flicker of a moment, forgetting it was her, not a stranger.

It took a while to get used to this new person in her life. Over time, she did, and she was grateful for the change. The hours she spent minding her hair were reduced to minutes. She found new suitors. They were as bewitched with her short hair as those who favoured long, silken hair, almost like a trophy, ready to go into battle to win.

She was a busy person. Very talented. Now she found time to do justice to a haphazard effort, half a day consumed managing her tresses.

Years later, a situation arose in her child’s school. She was a mother of many. Busy, to say the least. A new management had taken over the school. Changes were afoot. The school fees fell somewhere between convent schools and international schools.

The new management wanted the teachers to look smart to match the students’ wearing blazers. The teachers were instructed to do the same: Western attire for a smarter look.

Change foments resistance - a human trait. Groups coalesce around agreeing with the change, and those who feel it is being imposed without consent. Tension rises. The management, having decided, wants it implemented.

The teachers, having decided to either resist, comply or sign out, are distracted. Students and parents feel the magnetic pull to get involved.

What is the way out? Resist not, burden not. The condition led to silken, longish hair becoming shortish, tomboyish hair, resulting in more time, more productivity.

All human conditions can be resolved by the renewal of the mind.

Those who don’t renew their minds when faced with the ‘rock and a hard place’ will fall by the wayside. But not just once, but throughout their lifetime. Fossilised by resistance to change.

The only thing certain about life is death and taxes. And the only thing constant about change is change. Jesus was born to bring about change at great price to himself and his mother.

The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Lk 2:33-35)

Change is wrenching.

Peter, a veteran fisherman, knew his marbles. He knew where to fish. Then the ‘Lamb of God’, pointed out by John the Baptist, came along. A curious Andrew and a fellow apostle stalked Jesus to find out where the Lamb stayed. The lamb sensed some sheep behind him.

Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” (John 1:38)

Jesus told the veteran fisherman (who knew where to fish), “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Lk 5:4-8)

What should we deduce from the Bible passage, the Word of God - given to us for the renewal of our mind? Listen, obey, discover what is hidden from us.

God wants you to have the very best. He cannot make you do it. He instructs. It is for us to follow. When Jesus spoke to his disciples, he was direct. To others, he spoke in Parables. He knew his disciples. Remember what was told by Simeon to Mother Mary about Jesus:

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Lk 2:33-35)

“Follow me”. They left their nets, jobs, rumination, whatever engaged them at that moment. They followed him. Elisha resisted just a bit when Elijah called him to ministry. “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” Elisha realised his error. He burned the ploughing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. (1 Kgs 19:19-21).

When a man of God instructs us to obey, don’t resist and burden yourself with unkind, retaliatory thoughts. Accept and surrender to the Good Lord. All will work out for good. God sees our heart and knows we are troubled. When we submit, he takes over. No time is wasted. Peace reigns.

- Mathew Anthony

Teaching Prudence to Children Eyeing an Inheritance

 

Blessings are worth a thousand times more than assets that bleed

Mathew Anthony

Sep 22, 2026

September 22, 2026

Before the dust dries over the father’s casket, the ground above is already churning. Camps are forming to wrench a chunk of the dead father’s assets.

This goes back 2000 years. Jesus was asked this very question.

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Lk 12: 13-15)

Where does this desire for inheriting the father’s property come from? From the father having property, of course. If the father did not have property - typically honest government officials - there is no dispute. There is nothing to quarrel over. Children focus on educating themselves to secure a future and to cover for their parents if they don’t have a pension or assets to live on.

One such son recalled an incident from his mid-teenage years. His father wanted to grant him shares of a dividend-paying company. His father was getting on in age. He felt it best to settle the affairs of his estate with his children, giving to each what he thought was right for them.

The son told his father to keep the dividend-paying shares to meet expenses. The father kept the shares as willed by his son. In his will, the father allocated that asset to his son. The father died, but the son could not inherit the shares. The will was not registered to transfer the shares to his son.

The son did not rue it. He never considered the shares to be his. He was not afflicted by the curse of “the entitlement mindset”. That he must have a share of the property in equal proportion to the other siblings. To this son, he was good with whatever his father chose to give him. He was more interested in the father’s blessing than the monetary value of assets.

Blessings are for a lifetime. They appreciate over time. Money evaporates. Easy come, easy go. One bad transaction and all is lost. Currency should come with health warnings like cigarette packets. Spending becomes addictive. No good comes out of it except transient pleasures. In some cases, chronic diseases and ulcers, as from tobacco, alcohol or overeating. The consumption economy on overdrive.

Both the share-giving father and the declining son showed amazing charity, thinking only of the good of the other - true love by any definition. The son’s attitude was drawn from:

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Lk 12: 13-26)

John D. Rockefeller Sr. grew up poor and started working as a clerk earning $1.50 a week. His mother, Eliza, taught him to tithe 10% from his very first paycheck. He tracked every penny in a small red notebook called “Ledger A”—a habit he maintained even after becoming the world’s first billionaire. To pass this mindset to his children and grandchildren, Rockefeller Sr. and his son, John D. Rockefeller Jr., instituted a strict accounting system:

• The Allowance Rule: Children like Nelson and David Rockefeller received a modest allowance (e.g., 25 to 45 cents a week).

• The “10/10/80” Split: Every child was required to keep a personal daily account book modelled after Ledger A. Out of their allowance, they had to:

1. Give 10% to charity/tithing.

2. Save 10%.

3. Detail every remaining penny spent in their ledger.

• Earning Extra: To get more money, children had to work—raising rabbits, pulling weeds, or catching flies at fixed piecework rates.

Combined with irrevocable dynasty trusts created in the 1930s, this financial framework allowed the Rockefeller family to maintain both their capital and their culture of stewardship across six generations.

Rockefeller did not suffer the fate of “a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ (Lk 12: 16-19)

Who do we want to be? The son who told his father to keep the dividend-paying shares to help his expenses in retirement? Or the rich man who got very rich and built a larger barn? “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Lk 12: 20-21)

- Mathew Anthony

Someone Special Is Coming Your Way

 

You have the choice to accept or reject

Mathew Anthony

Sep 21, 2026

September 21, 2026

My wife misplaced her new glasses a week ago. Ever since, I hear the refrain, “Have you seen my glasses?” broadcast to the whole household. After a few days, I asked, “Do you remember where you would have kept them?” Dumb and dumber! “If I knew where I kept them, I would not be asking”. Lesson in intelligent communication for the future.

This morning, I was an altar boy (aged 67) of sorts. There is no age bar to serve. I was helping the celebrant prepare the altar for the Eucharistic Celebration. In the sacristy of the chapel, the priest pointed to a pair of glasses and ‘Refresh’ eye lubricant, which was kept at the foot of the statue of St. Joseph. Our parish has the unique distinction of being named Our Lady of Sacred Heart Church. Our Lady was also there at the preparation table in the sacristy.

Father too was in a jocular mood. He said, how will this person find her glasses without her glasses? I offered. Have two of them. Precisely, my wife’s strategy. He said, “If both are misplaced?” I said, it will be like the blind leading the blind. We could have continued chit-chatting, but the congregation was getting restless.

There is divinity in waiting. Then we praise God when we find it. Otherwise, we attribute it to luck, not a blessing.

The Good Samaritan in the eponymous Parable (Lk 10:25-37) was waiting. He wanted to serve. Not his own, but one who had disowned him and his community.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” (Jn 4: 9-10)

Today, we live in a highly divisive world, accentuated by social media, capable of uniting ‘hordes’ behind an idea, no matter its genuineness, as long as it strikes a chord, surfaces latent grievances, and gives voice, with the comfort of numbers to fuel a revolution.

Relationships have been annulled; family dinner chats have become contentious. We have taken sides and are unwilling to yield to another. Jesus prophesied that families will be divided over Him:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” (Mt 10:34-36)

The Good Samaritan wanted to serve. God allowed him to bridge the gap between the two nations. We know the Good Samaritan helped one rejected by his own. He had a purpose in life. To literally bind and heal. He comforted his Jewish brother. He promised to return to settle with the innkeeper.

What happened thereafter is left to our imagination. When the Samaritan returned to check on his Jewish brother, did he greet him with open arms? Or was he assaulted by, “How dare you touch me?” You have made me unclean.

The Samaritan would have replied, “No, my brother, I took care of that.

The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ (Lk 10:35). “Wash him up, for I am unclean. My brother should not feel I have desecrated him with my touch.” I want to help. I respect the Jewish faith. I wish my brother would look kindly on me.

Today, notwithstanding the imagined dialogue above, the Good Samaritan is protected by Law. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published rules for the protection of Good Samaritans vide GSR 594 (E) dated 29th September 2020. The law prohibits harassment by police, seeking identification or discrimination on the grounds of religion, nationality, caste or sex. The Good Samaritan (or Jesus) thought through all of the travails of helping an abandoned roadside victim in the Parable.

Imagine an injured Jewish settler helped by a Palestinian whose house was razed to the ground, driven out of his house, and made stateless. In our own country, rabid animosity exists between followers of different faiths.

Only in Kerala, God’s Own Country, grace and harmony prevail among people of different faiths - largely Hindus, Muslims, and Christians- benefiting from centuries of living together, trading for mutual benefit, sharing spaces and resources during calamities and festivals that may need adjustments by other faith members - notwithstanding forces bent on upsetting this balance.

Perhaps the root of this cooperative culture was Kerala rulers’ welcoming attitude to foreigners. They came to trade, not to conquer, unlike the North, invaded by the Mughals. The British seized power, defeating the Mughals, the French and the Dutch.

How much of the Good Samaritan blood is in us? Do we feel threatened by other faiths in our community? Do we take protective actions? Or are we open to them? Would we be Good Samaritans to other community members or be open to being helped by them?

- Mathew Anthony

P.S. My wife disowned the glasses. They weren’t hers. But the incident gave me a start for the reflection - the hardest part of writing. Where to start? How to maintain tempo for 900-odd words to follow? How to end with the start so the narration does not skid into unknown territory and get lost? Like careers that start well but lose focus, meandering into uncharted territory, losing steam, and failing to grow into something purposeful, remunerative and fulfilling.

God Frowns When We Play God

 

We may even invite punishment unknowingly

Mathew Anthony

Sep 20, 2026

September 20, 2026

The unintended effect of reading the Bible, the Word of God, is the self-ascribed immunity from God’s judgment. An ignominy reserved for other people. Less pious and far from good, in fact, outrightly devilish. WE invite judgment: “Judge not that you may not be judged”. (Mt 7:1)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus states, “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son“ (John 5:22). This passage underscores the divine authority bestowed upon Jesus, affirming His role as the ultimate Judge of humanity. Jesus judges; we should not.

Some who judge unfairly take shelter in, “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12: 47,48)

They would argue that if we do not believe, we will not be judged; after all, God did not come to judge the world but to save the world. But we cannot be saved if we have not believed. Why did we not believe? To escape judgment for condemning our neighbour? Why are we so bent on judging when we have been told explicitly not to?

We say we pray for the neighbour because he is such a bad fellow and we want him to be saved, but we will not forgive him for what he did to us: scammed us out of our property, our rights, or our good name by gossiping. Is it that, or is our angst due to envy, misconstruing what was done or not done?

We will not admit it. For we are not sinners. Envy is a sin that brings God’s judgment. Envy is “The sin of wanting what others have — invidere in Latin means to look upon with ill-will, and the evil eye is built into the word’s origin.”

Often jealousy is mistaken for envy. Jealousy, however, is a reference to sexual possessiveness and suspicion, from Old French jalousie “enthusiasm, love, longing; jealousy”.

Our judgment of our neighbour stems from a belief that we know right from wrong. We are wrong about that, as Adam and Eve learnt to their dismay when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden to work by the sweat of their brow and bring forth children in painful labour.

Adam & Eve erred when they ate of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which God explicitly forbade them to do. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Gen 2:16-17)

To die spiritually, but live physically. What torture if the spirit is not with us in our physical form.

We do not know how God decides. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is 55: 8-9)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus describes the judgment of the nations in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. He explains that the Son of Man will separate people as a shepherd separates sheep from goats, based on their actions towards “the least of these” (Mt 25:31-46). This passage highlights compassion and service to others as evidence of genuine faith.

That’s what we are called to do. Not to judge and condemn, no matter what someone has done to us. It helps to believe ‘possession is ownership, ’ i.e., whoever possesses the property owns it, unless the court of law rules otherwise. If you don’t possess it, it’s not meant to be yours. Not that it will never be yours. It can be if God wills it. Certainly not because we will it. So much better to leave it in God’s hands and to His justice. He will render it to you. Don’t let the situation steal your salvation. Better to surrender than become litigious and quarrelsome.

We witness and experience that God’s way of thinking diverges greatly from how man thinks in the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard (Mt 20: 1-16):

According to Jewish tradition, the first hour is six o’clock in the morning and the last hour is six o’clock in the evening, a working day comprising 12 hours. Hence, the workers called at the 11^th hour should have received only 1/12 of a denarius; they got one denarius (one day’s wage), the same as the worker who worked from the first hour for 12 hours.

There are four dimensions to this parable: 1) Historical dimension: Jews, God’s people, were the first set of people who were called to the Master’s vineyard, and the last to come are the Gentiles; 2) Ecclesiastical dimension: both are viewed by God as the same (one denarius each - whether called first or last); 3) Economic dimension: relates to social justice enshrined in two encyclicals - Rerum Novarum encyclical of Pope Leo XIII on capital and labour, and Quadragesima Anno, the encyclical of Pope Pius XI on reconstruction of the social order, subscribing to the concept of universal basic income to feed the family for the day, whether they were deserving or not since it was a matter of life and death for them - and hence one denarius to the one who worked for 12 hours and also to one who worked one hour - so that they can feed their family for the day; 4) Personal dimension: those who have been living life righteously, and those who repent at the end of their life, like the thief on the Cross who was to see paradise with Jesus, are treated the same in God’s eyes or Hezekiah when mortally ill (2 kgs 20).

How do we interpret this parable? Was God being fair? Can organisations run their secular operations in this manner? When we share our inheritance with the children, would we give the ‘wasteful’ prodigal son the same as the elder brother who worked hard and stayed by the father? If we possessed property, would our attitude be any different from those unwilling to part with theirs?

- Mathew Anthony

Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?

 When we are just not there for the other

Mathew Anthony

Sep 19, 2026

September 19, 2026

My 86-year-old mother takes great pride in her role as a co-host for our homestay in Vipin, Kochi. The homestay is on Airbnb.

Guests should be pleased with their rooms; the home-cooked food should appeal to their palates; the services and the utilities should follow the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure); Wi-Fi should work; rooms should be cooled in advance and ready for guests.

But then Murphy’s Law will kick in. The Salvation Army, like the fire station, will have to step in. Always on notice for Mum’s call before the guests get hot and sore under their collar; she has it all working again. Often, they don’t even know that there was a lapse of service.

Mum is itinerant. Even at 86, she moves between her four sons in Pune, Bangalore, and two in Singapore. Mum was camped in Bangalore when her calendar pinged that guests were expected at our homestay.

Mum gets fidgety and anxious if she is not there when guests arrive. She fears Murphy’s Law will prevail and her home army may be found lacking.

Jesus had a decision to make. He took his praetorian guards, John, James, and Peter, to the top of the hill at Gethsemane. He asked them to keep watch as he faced the deepest conflict of his life. To do or not to do. To go on the cross or not. He was disappointed with the guards.

Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Jesus asked the apostles. (Mk 14:37)

Now it fell on me to accompany Mum to Kochi. I was at the Holy Hour in Church. My thoughts were on the cost of the flight and attendant expenses. Like Google, God was ‘crawling’ through my thoughts. When I got back home, I received a call from a client, friend, and mentor. He wanted me to do a full-day workshop in Coimbatore, all expenses paid, with a token offering to cover miscellaneous expenses. He did not ask. He told me. The workshop date fitted me like a Savile Row-stitched suit. It aligned with my Mum and my trip to Kochi.

Like marriage, this itinerary was made in heaven. It is easier to get to Coimbatore from Kochi than from Bangalore. Putting together the workshop at short notice was a stretch, and so was the reality when the guests arrived. This was the first time for me that my visit to our home coincided with a guest arrival. Even if a guest was there, I acted as if I too was a guest and extended courtesies to them as a fellow guest. Mum took care of everything.

When the US-based 72- and 76-year-olds arrived. It was different. I was there to greet them. The first words out of their mouths were, “This place is far from the airport”. The second set of words was, “There are no shops or activities here”. I pointed to the quiet surroundings and the pristine beach and backwaters on either end of the homestay. To satisfy their need for commercial activity, I informed them that Cherai Beach was within walking distance.

I must have sounded like a snake-oil salesman. They kept the bags in the room and said they would be back in half an hour. My Mum and I crossed our fingers. But all was well. They came back, and we had lunch together. And a potentially good review after their stay.

The reviews are Mum’s delight. Here’s one about Mum that reflects the rest of the 18 reviews on Airbnb on our homestay:

“The flat is very cosy and comfortable, with an awesome price-to-quality ratio. It’s perfect for two people if you want quiet, intimate, and relaxed holidays. Nice toilet, great bed, perfect AC, and beautiful landscape from the windows, showcasing the imposing wild Kerala jungle. We have no complaints. Leela, the manager, is a very kind and helpful lady, and she will prepare a fantastic breakfast if you ask her.” - Camilo, 12 years on Airbnb

The workshop too went off well, receiving top grades from the faculty participants.

How does this happen? I attribute it to the Holy Hour that Bishop Fulton Sheen popularised and preached at his retreats to priests who adopted it as their daily practice. Fulton Sheen, with his brilliance and deep spirituality, swept the radio and television waves as a spiritual Catholic leader in a Protestant-dominated America where only 20% of practising Christians are Catholic. He had 30 million views then in the 50s. He had raised over two billion dollars (inflation-adjusted) from his broadcasts and gave it all away to the poor.

Fulton Sheen was heroically virtuous. He preached in the leper colonies. Once he thrust a crucifix in the palm of a leper and was repelled by the leper’s half-eaten fingers. He sensed the hurt in the leper’s eyes. He at once made amends and hugged the leper. That’s being ‘heroically virtuous’. This was revealed and confirmed during the investigation for Sheen’s beatification.

Mum also tries to be heroically virtuous by being a Super Host. The guests respond with great reviews. The Catholic Church recognises those who live a proven life of Christ, caring for the least of the brethren. After a rigorous investigation into their past, the candidates for beatification and canonisation are hailed as Saints of the Catholic Church.

Thank you, Mama. Thank you, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, for showing us how to serve.

- Mathew Anthony

My Lord is My Scheduler

 Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread

Mathew Anthony

Sep 18, 2026

September 18, 2026

Our life can be best described as a patchwork tapestry. The more the patches of different hues, the more colourful our life. Some may be dark, others pale, and some bright. Patchwork. The circle of life. Blessed is the person who has no sorrows.

However, when we read the Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12), we get a true picture of our life the way it is for most of us: We have weak or suffering from ‘dark night of the soul’ moments (poor in spirit); times when we will mourn (unless we are Superman); other times, meekness is the call of the moment, not arrogance; times when conscience is stoked to act righteously, especially when we are persecuted for our faith; and at other times, mercifully; the ultimate is to be pure of heart and to be peacemakers to see God and be a witness to his Kingdom on earth.

The man who was virtually all of this was Father Abraham. God scheduled his exit from Ur. He was seventy-five then. Haran was the destination. His father and the joint family were part of the entourage. A 100-year journey unfolded en route to the promised land in Canaan. (Gen 12:1-7).

Abraham found himself in a sticky situation once in Egypt (10-20). Abraham had to lie about Sarai. To save his life, he told Pharaoh Sarai was his sister. She may well have been - a close cousin. But the lie almost cost Abraham his beautiful wife.

When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had. (Gen 12: 14-20)

Abraham’s life was a tapestry of events. He defeated the king of Sodom, who took Lot captive (14:14); he tithed to Melchizedek (14:18); received a promise of a son from God (15:4); offspring as many as the stars (15:5); Ismael is born of Hagar (15:15); promise of father of many nations (17:4); God’s test to sacrifice Isaac (22); Sarai is dead (23); Abraham seeks a wife for his son Issac, Rebekah from his own clan (24) … later for himself too. Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, buried with his wife Sarah. (Gen 25:7-10).

I have been out of regular paying work since March 2026. I have had a chequered career in professional communication with leading advertising agencies, working on well-known brands in the country. I pivoted to education, designing and managing career-oriented programs in branding, communication, and marketing for an educational services provider. Then to consulting in the same disciplines - marketing and education. Now, at 67, a self-employed professional, having my calendar set by God Almighty. The occasional workshop teaching communication comes by.

Caterpillar - a construction company - portfolio boasts asphalt pavers, backhoe loaders, compactors, forestry machines, material handlers, motor graders, road reclaimers, skid steer loaders, wheel excavators … and many more construction machines that serve a specific purpose and do it well.

God has made each one likewise. We are meant to do very specific work. God has provided the wherewithal and shaped us to be the best in that specific area.

The Holy Spirit works in each person in one way or another for the good of all. One person is given the gift of teaching words of wisdom. Another person is given the gift of teaching what he has learned and knows. One person receives the gift of faith. Another person receives the gifts of healing. One person is given the gift of doing powerful works. Another person is given the gift of speaking God’s Word. Another person is given the gift of telling the difference between the Holy Spirit and false spirits. Another person is given the gift of speaking in special sounds. Another person is given the gift of telling what these special sounds mean. But it is the same Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, who does all these things. He gives to each person as He wants to give. (1 Cor 12:4-11)

I have been fortunate to discover early in life how I like to spend my time: communicating through the written word. The Word, too, was close to my heart. I was a regular churchgoer, but beyond the catechism classes and liturgy and homily in church, I never had a personal Bible to read. Then at a retreat in 1994, the Word possessed me. As a writer, it became my source of wisdom. That helped me teach. I received the gift of faith. I speak God’s Word through these reflections. I can tell the Holy Spirit from a false spirit. I can sense discomfort when a false spirit is speaking to me. With the Holy Spirit, it is calm and confidence to proceed. God schedules my calendar. I follow it to the T.

What are you constructed for? What is God’s purpose for you? Whose voice do you hear to do or not to do; to go or not to go; to invest or divest what you spend your time on; to respond calmly or ferociously (sometimes); to build relationships or be transactional; to give or to keep?

- Mathew Anthony