HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?


HOW do you define SUCCESS? What
Makes you successful IN LIFE?


For many of us in today's world=
It is wealth=it is FAME=it is
The things that make us
PROMINENT in today's world


But in today's FIRST reading=
Isaiah brings forth a
DIFFERENT idea


He says=You are a SUCCESS=if you
“Make JUSTICE your aim” Isaiah 1:17


A novel idea=and a great way
To be SUCCESSFUL


And Isaiah gives three ways
Of BEING JUST:


“Redress the wronged=
HEAR the orphan's plea=and
DEFEND the widow” Isaiah 1:17


Which LEADS us to
Some CONTEMPORARY questions=


WHO is being WRONGED
In our society today?
How can we HELP those
Who have been wronged?=and=
In what way=can I=
Can we=give them a VOICE
In today's world?


The Lord's VOICE is FAIR
The Lord's voice
Is always JUST!


How do you DEFINE SUCCESS?
Let us=let JUSTICE be
Our IDEAL


“I will SING
Of your love and JUSTICE
To you=Lord


I will sing PRAISE” Psalm 101:1


“The righteous CARE
About JUSTICE for the poor


But the wicked
Have no such concern” Proverbs 29:7


“And the Lord said=
'LISTEN to what the
UNJUST JUDGE says=


And will not God
Bring about JUSTICE
For his CHOSEN ONES
Who cry out to him
Day and night?


Will he KEEP putting
Them off?


I tell you
He will see that
They get JUSTICE
And QUICKLY


However=when the SON OF MAN
Comes=will he FIND FAITH
On the earth?'” Luke 18:6-8


And in the gospel
Today=Jesus REDEFINES SUCCESS


Success=he says=is NOT in proper prayers=
Having FANCY titles=or in EXTRAVAGANT Fashion=
But Jesus says=we SUCCEED=when we
Are SERVING OTHERS


How many of us
Want to do that?


So the question is=WHO=
Might we SERVE TODAY?


“SERVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY
As if you were
SERVING the Lord
Not people


Because you KNOW
That the Lord
Will REWARD each one


For whatever GOOD they do=
WHETHER they are slave or free” Ephesians 6:7-8


So how do YOU define SUCCESS?
WILL you step FORWARD and give
Others a VOICE=as Isaiah suggests?


And HOW will you go and SERVE
OTHERS in today's world?


HOWEVER we do it=SUCCESS comes from
GIVING ourselves AWAY=just as JESUS DID


In Jesus' name and in the name of his ALL LOVING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
2-26-18




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.