Luke 14:14 – And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

My dear brothers and sisters, we are all business people here on this earth. Most of our services are a business investment rather than a service. 

Fr. Joseph has seen many people for whom even prayer is a kind of investment. They come and say, “Father, I prayed so much, but nothing happened, there is no healing. I prayed so much, yet God is not doing anything.” 

What does this really mean? 

It means you feel you invested so much, but received nothing in return. In short, you are saying: “I prayed so much, but nothing happened, meaning – I invested a lot, but I did not get anything back.” 

This is called business; this is called transaction. This is investment. Most of our prayers are investments and we expect an instant release of some reward or benefit. 

This is a wrong ideology of God. Prayer is not an investment for earthly returns. Prayer is an investment for eternity.

Not only prayer, but even the good work that you do – do not expect the returns here on earth. 

Returns may come, but that is upto Him. It is not because of your prayer but that is because He has already decided to give it to you. 

All the good actions and charitable works you do will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. In fact, that is what we need.  

What is the point of having a good house and a happy life on earth for ten or twenty years? Don’t you want to have the happiest life for eternity in Heaven?

What is the true reward?

Anything given for eternity is the true reward. Anything given here for a short time is not the true reward. That God has already decided to give you.

Therefore, never do anything expecting something in return. Then it is no longer a service but it becomes an investment. 

Fr. has seen many people give donation and then wait to see where it is being used. They chase it and if something goes wrong somewhere, they come yelling and saying, “That is my money.”

At a Retreat Centre in India, there were only a few rooms. At the same time many people come for Retreat. One day a man came late for a Retreat and he didn’t get a room.

He had not booked the room in advance. He came late and asked at the reception, where you need to register, for a room. He was told that all the rooms were already full. 

That man created a big scene, screaming and shouting when he heard that there was no room available. At the end, the volunteers brought him to Fr. Joseph.

The man said to Fr. “Fr., you do not know I have given so much donation for this place. Now when I have come here for a Retreat, there is no room for me”.

Then Fr. told him, “My dear friend, what was the amount you donated? I will return it, because I cannot create a room immediately.” 

Fr. continued, “The only possibility is to return your donation. I did not know that you were offering an investment for a room. We thought it was a donation and you would not come after it.”

Sometimes we say it is a donation, or a sacrifice or a service, but at the same time we run after it. We put a hook behind it and claim authority over it. This happens everywhere. 

Sometimes even parents do the same thing to their children. If something goes wrong, they say to their children, “You do not know how much I suffered for you. How much I sacrificed for you and now you are treating me like this.”

The same thing happens between husbands and wives. Many a times, we say service, we say sacrifice and donation – but we expect something in return. It means, truly speaking, none of us are doing service. We are all doing business. 

There may be some holy people who really do service and sacrifices. That should be seen in their way of life. 

Because when they do service, they get only evil and negativity in return.  But still without any complain, they go on doing the good work. They are the real people who are doing service.

At the same time if something negative happens and you start complaining and blaming and bring the whole list of sacrifices and services you have done, it means you are not doing any sacrifice. 

You are not doing any sacrifice. You are not doing and service or giving any donations. But instead, you are only investing and keeping a track of your investments. 

It happens even with God. “How many Holy Masses I have celebrated, how many fasts I have done, how many times I have attended a retreat, how many times I have repeated the Word of God, and how many live-streamings I have attended, but nothing is happening, Father.”

That is because you are doing business. It is not really a sacrifice or a service. It is not a connection that we are establishing but a business relationship with God.

In olden days they had the barter system. Barter system means – I give you something and you give me something back in return. For e.g. if you have two sheep, you give one sheep and get a cow in return.

But now it is money instead of the Barter system. You give money and get back something. 

In the same way, now you say 10 Rosaries and expect one blessing; three fastings – a big blessing; one month’s fasting and you will get a big salary. 

This is how we treat God. God says, “Yes, you will be repaid. But not here on Earth. You will be blessed for every good thing. 

There is a repayment. There is no doubt about it. You will be rewarded for your good life. But do not expect it here on Earth. Your repayment will be given to you at the resurrection of the righteous.

God will surely repay you, today or tomorrow. Just wait until you die. Don’t be impatient – just be patient. The moment you enter into the new life, you will see the repayment waiting for you. 

Every good action is, in fact, a real investment – not here, but in heaven. That is why Jesus said “Put your investment in heaven, where nobody will take it away.” 

No bank will collapse there. Here, the banks and investments collapse. Look at the share market falling down.

If we invest here, it will fall down. One small rumour about a war is enough, everything will collapse. But in heaven, nothing will collapse; everything is saved. Keep your treasure in heaven.

God will surely reward you. You don’t need to wait for your husband, your parents, or your children to reward you. 

You worked hard for your children, don’t worry, God will reward you. You worked hard for your husband, you worked hard for your wife, don’t worry, God will reward you. Don’t expect it from them.

Matthew 6:19-20 – ¹⁹Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Because no thieves will go to Heaven. 

Matthew 6:21 – ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

God will do everything for you.

Psalm 27:10 – ¹⁰If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up

Don’t go and fight with your father and mother, and don’t say, ‘I did so much for you. I loved you. I cared for you, but still, you don’t love me.’ You don’t need to worry. ‘God will take me up’

Deuteronomy 20:4 – ⁴for it is the Lord your God who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory.

God gives us everything. Don’t think that your husband gives you, your wife gives you, or your parents give you. When we have this wrong idea, we think these are the people who are supposed to reward us, and therefore we end up fighting with them. 

We say, ‘I loved you so much, but you don’t give me anything. You don’t love me, you don’t support me, you don’t help me, you are not giving me back. I worked hard for you. But you’re not doing anything for me.

We ask these unnecessary questions because we think they are the ones who are supposed to reward us for all the hard work we did for them. 

No. It is God who is fighting for you. It is God who is helping you. It is God who is walking with you. It is God who is going to give you victory.

Just wait for God, not all these people. You are waiting in the wrong places that is why you get disappointed. 

You get angry with your husband, angry with your wife, angry with your children. You feel ‘they are not helping me; nobody is helping me’. 

My dear brothers and sisters, they themselves are waiting in front of you, so why are you going and waiting in front of them? The right person is Jesus. He is the one who is going to give you Victory.

Joshua 10:8: The LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have handed them over to you; not one of them shall stand before you

“Do not worry about all these people, because it is I who is giving to you. Do not be tensed about all these people or those who disturb you. I am the one who gives you everything—I have handed them over to you.”

Do not worry; the victory belongs to God already. The fight, the battle, God does it – you just go and harvest.

Sometimes we work hard for God, thinking that we are doing something for God. But it may not be the right thing. 

That is why St. Paul himself said “all my hard work should not go in vain. All that I worked until now should not be in vain. Therefore, I went and made myself a disciple in front of the Apostles”. St. Paul was not an apostle initially. He joined later.

After preaching for some time, he suddenly felt that maybe all the hard work he had done was in vain, and perhaps what he was preaching was wrong. 

Therefore, he went and made himself a disciple in front of the Apostles. The Apostles said, ‘Don’t worry, what you are doing is right.’ That is when he was convinced.

Sometimes, all that we work hard may be wrong, because we may be working with a wrong idea. 

That is why Fr. asks: “what is the intention behind your prayers? Is it business – to get something in return – or is it to build a relationship with God? 

It is very important for us to know the intention behind it; otherwise, everything is wasted at the end. All the sacrifices – fasting, almsgiving, and all these things – will be wasted, if you have the wrong intention. 

If your intention is to get something in return – like a big bungalow, an expensive car, or to lead a life without sickness or problems – then there is something wrong. That is called barter system.

Galatians 2:2: ²I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain.

(Acknowledged leaders means the Apostles). ‘I went and surrendered myself to them. I laid before them the Gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain.’ 

‘All these years I was running for the Gospel. I did not want this to be wasted. Therefore, I made myself a disciple before the acknowledged leaders – the Apostles. They told me, ‘Go ahead, do not worry; what you are teaching is right.’ 

St. Paul knew that he was not one of the Twelve Apostles. He was outside. So, he wanted to make sure that what he was preaching was right.

He had already begun preaching before learning from the Apostles. Later, he suddenly thought, ‘Maybe what I am doing is wrong.’ 

So, he went and made himself a disciple before the Apostles, and they all acknowledged that what he was preaching was right, and that is when he continued. 

Many people have a wrong idea. They think Christianity was made by St. Paul. No. Christianity is mostly spread by St. Paul, but it is all the teaching of Jesus, which was heard by the Apostles, acknowledged by them, and approved by them. Only then did Paul preach. It was not something new or against the teaching of Jesus.

That is why even St. Paul, initially, when he was a Jewish rabbi, was attacking Christians and even killing them, thinking that he was serving God. 

But one day, he had a God-experience. That is when he realized that all the hard work he had been doing – the murders, the attacks on innocent people, women, and children – he was, in fact, going against God.

He thought he was serving God, but in the end, he came to know he was harming God. That is why Jesus said, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ That day, he was so shocked. That is why he did not want to make the same mistake again.

Until then he was thinking that he was serving God by persecuting Christians, but that day he came to know that in fact he was opposing God. It was so terrible for him to think that he was doing something against the Lord.

It is terrible when one day you realize that all the prayers you were doing were so self-centred, and that you were doing them as a barter system or business, expecting something in return. When you realize what you are doing is wrong, it will be a shocking experience.

That is why I am telling you today, don’t please any human beings, and don’t do anything, expecting something in return.

Your return or repayment will be done in heaven, not on this earth. On this earth, you may have sufferings, struggles, and difficulties – don’t worry. Our God is in control; He will take care of you.

Just accept everything from the hands of God and say, “Lord, from Your hand I need to accept it. You will turn everything into a big blessing. Nothing happens without Your permission or Your knowledge”.

That is why we have to be very careful. Sometimes we are busy building our own family. We are only worried about ourselves, our house, our family, our job, our money, our protection, our healing, etc.

We are not worried about building up God’s family, building up our spirituality, or building up of the Church. By “Church” Fr. is not talking about the structures, but about the Body of Christ. 

We are not worried about the Body of Christ. I have seen many Christians who have migrated to other countries – they are busy spending their time just to earn maximum money.

Day duty, night duty, evening duty – every duty – always working full-time, with no time even for family prayer and no time even for Sunday Mass. 

Anything connected to spirituality is seen as boring. They think it is the business of the religious people, and they simply brush it aside and even speak against it.

Haggai 1:3-4, “³Then the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: ⁴Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”

The Lord is speaking to you and me. Is it a time for you to build up our own houses, mansions and Bungalows, when the house of God is in ruin? 

When the spirituality of the people is falling down. When your people, your own family members are leaving the Church and leaving the faith, are you busy running after money and building up your own Kingdoms in this world?

Is it a time for us to live in our mansions and bungalows and build-up our own material blessings and material pleasures when the church is falling down and when the faith of the people is falling down? 

Is it a time for us, ourselves, to live in our panelled houses, when the youngsters are leaving faith, when people have stopped coming to the churches and while this house lies in ruins? The Lord is asking us.

When the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed and everyone was busy building up their own families, material blessings, worldly pleasures and all were running after the enjoyments of the world, the prophet said to the people, “Is it a time for yourselves to live in your panelled houses when the Jerusalem Temple, the temple of God is in ruins”. It is the time for us to wake up. We need to build up our Church. 

Fr. is not talking about the building of the church building. He is talking about the faith. He is talking about our spirituality and himself and every one of our children and our families.

What about our prayer life? What about our family life and family prayer? What about Holiness? What about the connection with God? What about focusing on eternity? 

We all are focused about daily wages, salaries, bonuses, increments and all the other things. Of course we need it. But that is not the only thing we need. There is something more important than these worldly things.

Lamentation 4:1, “¹How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The sacred stones lie scattered at the head of every street.”

See how this gold has grown dim? How this pure gold has changed? How these changes are happening in the lives of so many people?

Now people are not interested in spirituality; in going to the Church. People are not interested in confession and sacraments. People are not interested in having family prayer, reading Bible and in anything about God.

Everyone wants to go against it. How the gold has grown dim and how the pure gold has changed. The Sacred Stones lie scattered at the head of every street. The Holy things are on the street. The faith in God has just become a mockery.

Lamentation 4:2, “²The precious children of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold. How they are reckoned as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands”

It is time for us to take pain for the Church, pain for our spirituality, pain for our children, pain for their spiritual life. We need to have this pain; the same pain that St Paul had.

He is the one who worked hard to build up the Church. He had the pain. We do not have pain, because we did not work hard for the Church. We only work hard for our family.

Therefore, our pain is always for our family. If we work hard for the building-up of our spirituality, we do not need to worry about our family. Everyone will be safe in the hands of God.

2 Corinthians 11: 28, “²⁸And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches.”

St Paul was under daily pressure, because of his anxiety for all the Churches. He had built up the Corinthian Church, the Church in Romans, the Church in Philippians, Galatian Church and Ephesus. 

He had built up all the churches and he was anxious. He was full of anxiety. He was in confusion and tension. The problems between each other, the politics, the lapsed Christians and all these things were disturbing him and he said “I am always under daily pressure because of anxiety for all the churches”.

The same thing happens with every priest. Every priest is are under daily pressure because of his anxiety for different groups and different families in the parishes. 

As a preacher and director of a retreat centre, Fr. Joseph too is under daily pressure, because of the anxiety about all the ministries, team members, volunteers and all those who come for retreats and those who are connected to these things.

This is because the intention of every priest and everyone who is connected to God is to build up the Church of God and build up the body of Christ.

Therefore, until it is built up, there will be pressure and anxiety. There will be a continuous tension just like St Paul had. Every Christian should have this anxiety.

Do we have this tension? Do you have this anxiety for the churches? We need to have it. If you do not have it, then you are not a part of this Church. 

We are only worried about our children, their job, salary, money and their houses. We are not worried about their spirituality. That means you are not a part of the body of Christ. 

You don’t feel it. You are not living it. If you are really a part of the body of Christ, you will have the same anxiety that St Paul had and just like every other priest and every other member of this body has.

Transcribed by Greta Furtado