Put Your House in Order

Gospel Thoughts

*Ordinary Season : 15th Week - Friday*

*Put Your House in Order*

*GOSPEL - Mt 12:1-8*

*FIRST READING - Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8*

*1) Put Your House in Order*

This perticular expression comes in today's First Reading 

The Lord through prophet Isaiah tells these words to Hezekiah *Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not recover.”*

So in this context the expression *Put your house in Order* has a special meaning 

*2) Various understanding of this Expression*

First of all the expression *House* can be refered to our own life 

So it is very important pay attention to our own life 

Putting order within ourselves could be understood in the following way 

*A) Put order in your Mind*

Since Mind is the centre of all out thinking, right knowledge, right understanding, right expression is very much necessary. 

So putting order in our minds plays a very important role 

*B) Put order in your Heart*

Heart is the centre of emotions and feelings. Right oder in our heart is very much necessary to know what is good and what is bad 

We can't act only on our emotions. So oder in our heart is very much necessary

*C) Order in our Personality*

Personality is the one which is seen by the others. How do I appear to others 

How do I present myself to others. 

So order in our personality is very important 

*D) Order in our Activities*

We do lot of work from morning till evening. Life is filled with activities. 

Is there a oder in my activities, that is to say, the truthfulness of my activities. Order is very much necessary 

*3) Oder in the Place where we live*

Apart from the oder within ourself, there should reflect a greater order, in the place where I love 

It may be my House 

It may be my working place

It may be my relaxing place 

How is the Order in these places 

*4) The Way Followed by Hezekiah to Put order in the House*

First of all He listened the Words of the prophet carefully

Secondly He turned his face towards the Wall and prayed to the Lord, in a sincere way 

Thirdly He wept bitterly for the Wrong doing and cried for the mercy of the Lord 

He followed these three steps carefully and the order of the House was restored automatically 

*5) Reward for putting the House in Order*

God heard the prayer of Hezekiah

He was blessed with another 15 years of life Span to live and to serve the Lord 

Thirdly The Lord promised that He will be the Shield, who will protect house of  Israel from Assyria. 

The Lord's reward for bringing the order in the house is great 

*6) Internal Order reflects everywhere*

Once the self is in order, all other things automatically take oder 

Oder within the self is the foundation for all things to put it in order 

When the self is in order all other things take their order 

When house is in disorder all other things lose their order

*7) How is the Order of my Life?*

Finally we need to reflect about this issue very carefully

What is the oder in my house or in my life? 

Which are the areas in which I need to put order in my life?

What can I do to put a better order in my life?*

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim Dsouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*