Baptism - the most fundamental gift of all

Peter and Paul... You and Me!!!

WORD 2day: Saturday before Pentecost

May 23, 2026: Acts 28: 16-20, 30-31; John 21: 10-25

These days we have been continuously hearing of Paul and Peter, the two great leaders who led the band of apostles in their proclamation of the Gospel and the initial formation of the Church. They announced the Gospel in season and out of season, in the prison or out of it, in political custody or in the public squares, in health and in sickness, among the faithful or among skeptics, among simple peasants or to learned philosophers. Nothing held them back from preaching the Word.

Looking for ideal situations to evangelise, bemoaning the political atmosphere or the social apprehensions, finding excuses for remaining unnoticed Christians and justifying our lack of initiatives towards evangelisation: these are very common these days. Tomorrow we will be celebrating the feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit causing giving birth to the new form of the People of God - the Church.

Imagine if the Church would have really been born, if the Christians of those times were as calculative as some of us are these days. An experience that I had just yesterday, provoked me a bit. A person from South America was enquiring me, how many percentage of Indians are Christians. I said, official statistics says, we are 2.7 percent. And immediately he remarked, ofcourse with a smile and for a joke, (but it provoked me to think): "you guys have to work more"! Apart from the fact of needing to work on the front of proclamation, it reflects the state also of our witnessing life, the daily testimony that is the first proclamation that we have to make to our context!

Let us pray for the Spirit, the Spirit of power, love and self-discipline, the Spirit of courage and wisdom, the Spirit who strengthens apostles and empowers martyrs, that we may be persons filled with the Spirit and become powerful witnesses of the Gospel, in our daily life, wherever we are!

Following the Lord

WORD 2day: Friday after Ascension

May 22, 2026: Acts 25: 13b-21; John 21: 15-19

The total import of following the Lord may not be known to us right at the beginning when we intend to. But the Lord does not spare the moment. He instructs right from the beginning what can, or what is sure to, befall someone who intends to follow Him. Whoever is not ready to take up his daily cross and follow me is not worthy of me, said Jesus categorically (cf. Mt 10:38).

St. Paul was more than certain of everything that awaited him, the sufferings and even death for the sake of the Lord. "I kept back nothing," he could declare because that was the fact - he did not deem anything worth keeping back from God and from God's purposes; he did not find anything more important that doing what the Lord commanded him to do: go and proclaim.

Jesus himself prepares Peter in his post-resurrection encounter. Invariably all Jesus's apostles, except John it is said, died the death of martyrs. They were prepared for it and they even considered it their privilege. It was in fact the finest way of expressing their love for their Master and Lord. Paul was not exception on this count as well.

Today, with the increasing number of anti-Christian skeptics in the world and anti-Reign elements even within our faith, our challenge to be disciples becomes is more and more demanding. However, it remains categorical as ever. There can be no other choice or no compromise absolutely. Following the Lord means following Him in everything, right till the end.

The Mystical union with God

WORD 2day: Thursday after Ascension

May 21, 2026: Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; John 17: 20-26

Just as the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father, we are invited to be one in the Father and the Son, through the Holy Spirit. Jesus' prayer for his disciples, that is, for us to the Father has a beautiful challenge to pose to us. The challenge does not consist in doing anything or accomplishing anything great... but it consists of being, simply being with the Lord, just being one with the Lord!

However, it is not that simple. As both the readings point to, the world at large does not "know" the Lord, nor does it identify with the Lord; in a way it stands aloof from or sometimes even against the Lord. The culture of death that prevails, the insensitive economy that rules, the inhuman politics that dominates, the treacherous power equations that manipulate... are signs of opposition to God and the Gospel. It is in this context that the Lord invites us to bear witness, 'just as in Jerusalem, also in Rome'.

From Jerusalem to Rome, from the religious circles to the political arena, from the academic domain to grass root social praxis, we are called to bear witness to the Lord and to the Lord's good news of love - the love that the Father has for the Son, which is the same love that God has for us! We are called to be One in love, we are united in the love of God. We are in the Lord and the Lord is in us, and we are made one in the Lord - let us celebrate this mystical union in God, that is the quintessence of Christian faith.

The preoccupation for the Flock

WORD 2day: Wednesday after Ascension

May 20, 2026: Acts 20: 28-38; John 17: 11b-19

The readings today present to us the preoccupation that Jesus and St.Paul have for the flock that they leave behind - as St. Paul sets off to Jerusalem and Jesus contemplates returning to his Father! The total dedication that each of them had towards those entrusted to them is known to us and it is best expressed in the phrase that St. Paul uses quoting his Master: it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Keeping the faith, being true to the message of the Lord, persevering in the tradition in which one is brought up, not letting oneself be swayed by newer teachings and fancier presentations, not becoming stumbling blocks to others, not looking for greener pastures, not seeking excitements of the moment or extraordinary show down... these are the preoccupations that are expressed here and proposed to us.

These concerns prompt to us two important qualities that are necessary: Spiritual Sincerity and Constant Discernment. Spiritual Sincerity that goes beyond all external shows and calculated benefits and refers to a person's innermost relationship with his or her Lord, and Discernment that refers to the openness to the Spirit of the Lord and obedience to the Will of God even amidst problems and struggles.

The times today are marked by certain fickle minded hopping from tradition to tradition, seeking consolation or so-called "search" for the truth, or reckless trial-and-error attempts, with the proliferation of innumerable sects and factions. If these movements are spiritually sincere and discerned with rigour, well and good. But if they come from an unfounded mind and a lack of persevering dedication, they are the dangers that Paul and Jesus warn us against.

The real glory of a true disciple

WORD 2day: Tuesday after Ascension

May 19, 2026: Acts 20: 17-27; John 17: 1-11a

"Father the hour has come, give glory to your Son, that your Son may glorify you!" prays Jesus. The glory that he talks of is the baptism of blood, the cup of suffering that Jesus was preparing to take up! Not just himself, but all those who believed him were destined to that cup and to that baptism, says Jesus (Mk 10:39; Mt 20:23).

St. Paul understood this perfectly. Though he knew well, instructed by the Holy Spirit, that suffering and imprisonment awaited wherever he went, he does not hesitate. He was more than prepared for the cup of suffering, for the baptism of blood! Today we hear him say that in terms so clear: I consider life of no importance to me! For him all that mattered was to carry the Good news to the farthest that he could!

For us it sounds good, means great and appears lofty, but does it really become our way of life? Every time a suffering comes my way, the first thought that crosses my mind is, why me! And as if it were alright some other time, why now? The fact is that whatever be the moment we would ask that same question. As soon as a grief or a burden befalls someone, we have to take a giant effort to justify it and negate it and decry that God would prevent, and protect, and deliver and so on and so forth! Why all these fretting? Why are we so slow to submit ourselves to the eternal design of God? Why is it so difficult to surrender to the plan of God, instead of suggesting all types of adjustments to the Lord?

How many times I would have languished that I don't get any consolation from God for belonging to God, for being on God's side and for speaking on behalf of God! Do I really understand in Jesus' terms, the real glory of a true disciple?

As His disciples who conquered the world...

WORD 2day: Monday after Ascension

May 18, 2026: Acts 19:1-8; John 16: 29-33

Take courage, I have conquered the world, declares Jesus! With Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father (cf Eph 1:20), the apostles and the early Church, found a great power in their witness and in their proclamation. The gift of the Holy Spirit was an absolute boost to the faith community and their faith, and its expressions reach a totally different level with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (cf. 2 Tim 1:7) and that is what the Lord fills us with. We are the temple of this Spirit and the Spirit dwells in us. At times we live like sleeping giants, with the Spirit stifled to be dormant within us. The days to follow are days in preparation towards the feast of Pentecost: a reminder of the Spirit that we are all gifted with; a challenge to surrender to the Spirit and become active agents of the Spirit.

Let us thank God that we are not in a position to say, "we have never even heard that there is a holy spirit" ( Acts 19:2). However, let us become aware of the power that the Spirit brings to our life and our faith. With the Spirit, and only with the Spirit, can we be true disciples of the Lord who has conquered the world!

Gone... to be with us

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

May 17, 2026 - Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28: 16-20

It was just after the vigil mass of Ascension, a youngster was overheard speaking to her friends, almost arguing, 'but, why did the disciples just let Jesus go? They should have created a ruckus and made sure Jesus couldn't go. I would have done it, if it were me!' The young assistant parish priest thought it was a good point for him to offer an explanation as to what Ascension of Christ truly means. For many of us too, who think Jesus need not have gone, the explanation could be a crucial fact to remember.

Jesus has gone; but he has not abandoned us, as he himself had promised. Jesus' ascension does not mean Jesus has gone away but Jesus has gone up to be with us more than before. If Jesus had continued to stay on in that incarnate form forever (think of it just an hypothesis), he would have remained in Jerusalem, Judea and the surroundings. But Jesus went up to the Father and thus he has begun to stay with every one worldwide. As Jesus promises in the gospel today: I shall be with you till the end of times. To be with us, Jesus had to go; he went, and that is what we celebrate today - the Ascension.

Going to the Father did not mean for Jesus, distancing himself from us! It was a way of involving himself more into our lives. To be close to all, and not just to a few! Jesus goes, so that he can be everywhere and with everyone and always!

Going to the Father did not mean for Jesus, forgetting his self emptying! Jesus gave up the status of being God and emptied himself. Going back to the father is not merely taking up once again the Godhood but becoming the mediator. We have a mediator par excellence!

Going to the Father did not mean for Jesus, that he is done with the humanity! Jesus continues to challenge humanity to grow up, and follow him to the Father's house. Jesus gives us a roadmap, a precedence, a clear plan of life. Keep growing until you ascend to the Father.

Jesus would not have kept his promise, "Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age," if he were not to ascend to his Father. In fact, in ascension we remember the fact that he is gone to his father, he is gone so that he can be with us always and everywhere. The second reading explains to us that Jesus has ascended to his Father and sits on His right, thus being present to us universally and incessantly.

The event that we celebrate today, has three biddings for us to hearken to, the three things that the readings speak to us:

The first message is: GO! Why are you standing and staring at the sky... he is gone, now it is time for you to go! Jesus ascends to the Father to remind us that we are not permanent here, and our permanent abode is elsewhere. "We are longing for a better country; the heavenly one!" says the letter to the Hebrews (Cf. 11:16). Ascension, is a reminder to go, to keep going, not to get fixed, not to grow complacent, not to get stuck! Again the movement upwards is very significant in this regard.

The second message is: GO and PROCLAIM! The Lord commissions the disciples as they surround Him for the final farewell. It is a parting commission, the last wish - that the believers go and make disciples. Making disciples is first of all through inspiration, through the contagious fire within, through the life style that challenges even the onlooker to get closer in order that he or she may understand what makes all the difference that there is. To proclaim is the parting task entrusted to us!

The third message is: GO, PROCLAIM and FEAR NOT! As we heard the Lord saying a few days ago to St. Paul: 'Go on speaking, and do not be silent... for I am with you (Acts 18:9,10). The Ascension of the Lord fills us with hope, a hope that the Lord is ever with us. This hope rules out any fear of future and judgement. It is only in the absence of fear that love gets deepened. Fear not, hope in me, for I am with you, I will be with you until the end of the ages.

To go is a challenge; to go and proclaim is the command; and to go, proclaim and not to fear is the promise of the companionship of the Lord. The Lord ascends today but we are not abandoned, because the presence of the Lord continues to be. The Lord has gone, but he has gone so that he could be with us, evermore effectively and universally. It is upto you and me, to realise that presence, believe in that presence and draw strength from that presence, to live our daily life worthy of the One who loves to remain with us!

The Name: Jesus, the Christ

WORD 2day: Saturday before Ascension Sunday

May 16, 2026: Acts 18: 23-28; John 16:23-28

Jesus was the name and Christ was a faith experience! Jesus, the Christ is no syntax error! Today we encounter Apollos, another contemporary preacher with Paul. It looks like there were some little misgivings in the Acts of the Apostles between the followers of Paul and followers of Apollos. But Paul makes no notice of such bickerings.

Another great lesson we have is Priscilla and Aquilla instructing Apollos in the right doctrines! The role of the laity in the formation of the apostolic ministers comes out strongly... all of this to make people understand, Jesus was the Christ!

Jesus in the Gospel seems to harp on the same point too: anything you ask the Father in my name, my Father shall give you. He seems to say, because I am the Christ. As Acts so clearly says in another place (4:12) that there is no other name given in all the earth by which one could be saved! It is Jesus, because Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the one anointed and set apart for our salvation! That should not make us haughty as if we have the monopoly over that name, but it should make us humble in questioning our daily lives and priorities. Are we living worthy of that name? It is not an opportunity to judge the "others" but it is gratitude that should fill our hearts for the privilege given.

Let us ask a question to ourselves each one, Is Jesus my Christ? If you very easily said 'yes', ask that question again looking closely at your values and attitudes of daily life: Is Jesus really my Christ?

Divine Assurances

WORD 2day: Friday, 6th week in Easter time

May 15, 2026: Acts 18: 9-18; John 16: 20-23

The Word today has two of the most repeated and most affirmed promises of the Lord: 

Do not be afraid, for I am with you (Acts 18:9,10); and 

Your sorrow will turn into joy (Jn 16:20). 

For both these, the provision given is: go on speaking and endure the griefs. What an assurance and a what a challenge!

Though what is expected of us - that is, to go on speaking and to endure suffering - might seem a bit too demanding, the consequence of it justifies everything! The promised presence of the Lord and the promised joy in the Lord are incomparably filled with assurances that can brighten up our todays and our tomorrows. Look at the metaphor that Jesus offers - the childbirth. Can there be a better one at that? It is a matter of life and death for the mother; but at the climax of it all, when she holds the baby in her hand, it is a whole new life, a whole new world, a whole new reality not only for her, but for all those who are connected to her, for the entire family.

The strengthening presence of the Lord and the awaiting joy in the Lord: we are called to claim these promises in our daily life and more importantly, we are called to be the fulfillment of these promises for those around us who are needy - the real poor, the suffering and the troubled in spirit. Instead of questioning how the Lord is present amidst sorrows, can I strive to be God's strengthening presence to the weak and the suffering? Instead of being critical about a future joy promised, can I be the source of those simple joys for those around me? 

The Ascension of the Lord which we intend to celebrate this weekend carries precisely this message for us: the continued and unceasing presence of the Risen Lord, more often than not, in the form of our presence with the others. Let the Spirit help us today to feel the presence of the Lord with each of us and within each of us, leading us to be the joyful, strengthening presence of the Lord for everyone we encounter today.

The Twelfth Man

THE WORD AND THE SAINT 

May 14, 2026: Feast of St. Matthias, the Apostle

Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; John 15: 9-17

Feast of any apostle is a reminder to each of us that we are called to be an apostle, sent in the name of the Lord. As my Father sent me, so I send you... said the Lord after his resurrection. Though the event of the election of Mathias is overshadowed by the sorrowful and unfortunate end of Judas, the feast has its usual charm of inviting us to an absolute commitment to the Lord.

There is another dimension that Matthias brings into the Apostleship, in a very specific manner! He was not considered an apostle as long as Jesus moved around with them, in his earthly sojourn. But when Jesus was present amidst them as the Risen Christ he was chosen...as the substitute for the one who lost the way, as the twelfth man! That is both an inspiration and a warning - a warning that we could lose our way any time, be whatever the reason; an inspiration that Jesus is as active as he was when he was around physically - I choose you and I commission you, to go out and bear fruit! 

The place of that twelfth man is open to each and every one of us! Jesus seems to inspire us telling - even his band of apostles were not the perfect one; we could play our part, however little, to perfect it, complement it and complete it, in our own way!

Besides, the Word today adds a wonderful note to the reflection on our call, as it seems to underline the one objective in being an apostle, or for that matter in being a disciple: in Jesus' own words, "as my Father loves me, so I love you!" The primary aim is to receive in all its fullness the abundant love of the Father, through Jesus our friend! And it is in receiving that love, our joy is made complete!

Let us rejoice in being loved, and love each other in return!

In Him...

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 6th week in Easter time

May 13, 2026: Acts 17: 15, 22 - 18:1; John 16: 12-15

In Him we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28), is one of the most expressive faith statements of St. Paul. Paul has a very special insight into understanding Jesus' mind. That is why he was able to declare, "It is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me!" (Gal 2:20). Christ lives in me, when I decide to live IN HIM. That decision I can arrive at only in the Spirit.

Jesus in the Gospel today says, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit will get everything from him and make it known to the believer! "Get from him" would mean 'get from the Father', since Father and the Son are one (cf. Jn 10:30). Jesus invites us to a state where, "On that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you" (Jn 14:20). And the way to it is simple: keeping His commandments; that is the secret of living in Him.

When we live in union with the Lord, a union in heart and soul, keeping the Lord's commandments will not be a demanding task but a natural way of life. It is the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of truth who will inspire us to such way of life, a life lived in Him, lived in the Spirit, lived in Christ, lived in the Risen Lord, lived in the very Author of life!

Let us prepare ourselves these days to receive the Spirit, the Spirit of the Risen Lord, the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom, which the Father will send after Christ the Son ascends to the Father's right hand. The crux of Christian perfection is not in anything that we DO, it is rather in living, moving and having our being, IN HIM.

Welcoming the Advocate!

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 6th week in Easter time

May 12, 2026: Acts 16:22-34; John 16: 5-11

Beaten, bruised and bound, they sang the praises of the Lord... will not the glory of the Lord be revealed there? The act of Paul and Silas in the prison was such a powerful witness that the prison guards expected anything anytime. They were capable of it, because of the Spirit that filled them, fueled them and fired them.

It is the Advocate that Jesus promised to his disciples who makes the entire difference and the difference is enormous. We see this in the very first moment when the apostles come out to speak in public. The frightened band of messengers had been turned into fiercely blazing firebrands.

Added to this, Jesus says, when the Spirit comes the Spirit will convict the world. Every heart is given the possibility to know what is true, good and just; every human heart has a longing for someone beyond oneself; every person called by the waters of baptism realises at the core of one's being, the need to be a righteous witness. In spite of these, if the person chooses to fall, decides to choose the evil, sides the evil and despises good, ignores the truth and passively permits the untruth...who is to be blamed? Is not a conviction needed there!

Sin, righteousness and judgement - they decide the quality of one's witnessing life. Receiving the Spirit is not merely receiving some magical power but it is facing the truth, encountering the all-knowing Divine, opening yourself completely before the finger of judgement. 

Are we really prepared to welcome the Advocate who is to come?

On our way to the Reign

WORD 2day: Monday, 6th week in Easter time

May 11, 2026: Acts 16: 11-15; John 15: 26 - 16: 4

Jesus has begun to speak of the Spirit to the apostles, from last week onwards... a sign that there is a different kind of a presence that we have to get prepared for. A different kind of a life style, a new graduated kind of a life and habits and attitudes. The life in the Spirit, is the new existence we need to prepare ourselves for.

"The Spirit of truth" that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel is witnessed to be at work in the first reading event from the Acts of the Apostles - that of the lady and her household, who accept the Lord and get baptised! While on the one hand there are people who are waiting to take the apostles to task and persecute them in all known ways, there are at the same time a multitude who are ready to protect, help and fend for them.

This discrepancy comes to the fore in our day to day experience too, when we find the Spirit at work within us. We will feel an urge to spread the Word, but will be faced with obstacles and hurdles: it is the Spirit of the Lord who leads us to discern the right way that a believing community should take at a particular point of time. Priorities differ, principles of decision making change, the criteria of choices are update, because we are in a graduated phase, and well on our way to the Reign.

The persecutions may abound, yet the final result will be a 'revival'...and that is what we hope for. Let our hearts, homes and our households be filled with the Spirit of truth, that we may set in motion real journey, always mindful of the fact that we are well on our way to the Reign of God.

Friends of Christ

WORD 2day: Friday, 5th week in Easter time

May 08, 2026: Acts 15: 22-31; John 15: 12-17

While the readings on the one hand insist on making the burden easy for the new converts to faith, on the other hand we find lofty demands such as even giving one's life for one's neighbours! The point is clear: it is not about merely making life easy, but it is all about having the right priority!

Yes, our faith is not a matter of do's and don'ts; it is a matter of relationship. Our faith redefines our relationship with God: from mere creatures we are given the identity of God's beloved; as friends of Christ! It is not in circumcision or in any other external signs and costumes that we prove ourselves Christians, but in our intimate relationship with the person of Christ; in our friendship with Christ.

Being friends of Christ, it is natural that, the demands are high. After all, did not Jesus insist that "from the one to whom much is given, much will be demanded"? (Lk 12:48) But the demands are not merely to DO something or to AVOID something else, but the demand is about an entire LIFESTYLE. It is to model our life after that of Christ.

The relationship with Christ, or the friendship with Jesus affects all other relationships of our's too. The friends of our friend, should be our friends too! The love we have for the Lord compels us to be loving persons with every person around us: not just our friends, but even with strangers, people whom we just casually bump into, or even with those who might have offended us. In short, every person is our friend, when we are friends with Christ. Even if we do not lay down our life, are we not expected to lay down at least our ego when it comes to our relationships?

A joy that is complete

WORD 2day: Thursday, 5th week in Easter time 

May 07, 2026: Acts 15: 7-21; John 15: 9-11

The ultimate wish of the Lord is our joy, not a joy as that which the world promises, but a joy that is complete, wholesome, flawless and endless. The joy that the world gives is conditional, limited and time bound. It lasts for a while and leaves a vacuum when it disappears due to some reason.

The joy that is promoted by the world is based on feelings, things and doings! It comes from what we do, what we achieve, what we prove to the world. That explains why it is so flimsy and passing. It disappears as soon as that feeling changes, or when that thing is no more, or when we fail to achieve something that we dreamt of achieving!

The joy that the Lord gives comes from what we are; it comes from the fact that we are loved, that we are accepted unconditionally and that we are united to the One who never changes! It is not the various rules and regulations that we uphold that matter, but love!

Love is all that matters! And in that love that God has for us, we find our true joy, the complete joy!

The Rise of the Next Gen...

THE WORD AND THE SAINT... and the happenings today

May 06, 2026: Acts 15: 1-6; John 15: 1-8

We celebrate Dominic Savio today - the teenage saint... 

He is considered the jewel of Don Bosco's Educative System; the piece of cloth that made an excellent garment for the Lord, through Don Bosco the saintly tailor; the 14 year old boy who loved God above all; the youngster who was matured much beyond his age; the spiritually thirsting young lad, who was extremely pliable at the hands of his mentor; the boy who fixed his gaze on sanctity and refused to take it away from there even for a passing moment; the young soul to which God had revealed the true glory of the sacraments of confession and communion; the adolescent who stuck to his original fervour, inspite of all the moments of discouragement and derision. He stands out as the shining proof of what a rising generation can do!

The first reading presents to us a young Christian community (not in age, but in experience). We have the account of the first ever ecumenical council held - the Council of Jerusalem! It stands as a wonderful Christian model of handling crisis and confusion: getting together in brotherly dialogue and faithful communion. A young community setting a model for the entire history to come. 

Coincidentally, in a State in India (Tamilnadu, the State of my origin), these days there is big history being created, politically - with a brand new party coming to power, totally powered by the Next Gen. There is such a lot of criticism about it, but let us face it: it is a strong statement of the rising generation, the so-called Gen Z! What matters is how they mature their dream, how they stay focused, and how they really be the change that they want to bring about. 

The Next Gen is always full of promise... the society needs to stand by them and see them propose dreams; but on their part the rising gen need to take the fostering generation into confidence too... May God bless the Next Gen... and may they become the blessing for the entire humanity.

Troubles or No Troubles... Fear not!

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 5th week in Easter time

May 05, 2026: Acts 14: 19-28; John 14: 27-31a

"It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God," say Sts. Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:22). Elsewhere in the Acts (see 5:41) we read, "they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name" of Jesus, after having received severe flogging. The apostles startled the world around them with their fearlessness! Nothing could contain them or control them. They were overwhelmed with enthusiasm, for they felt the presence of the Risen Lord with them.

In today's Gospel, after giving his peace, the Lord instructs: 'do not let your hearts be troubled!', for the peace that he gives us is unlike the peace that the world gives. The peace offered by the world is a peace of compromises and conveniences, a peace of inaction and suspicious silence! But the Peace that Christ gives, is the peace of the Reign, the peace that comes from justice and equality, peace that comes from true love and compassion. It is no contract of just war or war against terrorism; but a total cessation of war or corruption or injustice or any inhumanity!

This peace, Jesus has given us as he promised! It is enshrined in the Word. If only we live the Word we shall realise that our life shall be founded on true love for the entire humanity and compassion for the least and the last. How blessed it shall be, if we realised this truth. And once we do so, we are called to witness to it and challenge the world to do the same. Our call is to spread it, take it to every heart that longs, to every corner of the earth.

When we begin doing it, we shall certainly face troubles, floggings, stonings, criticisms, threats and persecutions. The times are near for that and in some cases it is already here... but let us fear not; and let not our hearts be troubled!

To be signs of God's power

WORD 2day: Monday, 5th week in Easter time

May 04, 2026: Acts 14: 5-18; John 14: 21-26

Jesus seems to be winding up his earthly phase with his disciples and he bids them farewell as if to say they have to take his place there after. This whole week we shall listen to this series of sayings from Jesus. He had assured them, that their faith in God and their faith in him, will stand them in good stead... they will do all that he did and even more (cf. Jn 14:12). Today he promises an added facilitator: the Holy Spirit. All these promises were not mere words... they worked.

The People saw in the apostles great prowess... they healed the paralytics and gave life to the dead. The people found it so overwhelming that they thought that the gods had descended on them. If we really believed in the Lord and beheld his risen presence with us truly, people would see great things in and through us. The world needs people of God today; the world longs to see the real majesty of God revealed in ordinary things and we ought to be the instruments in the hands of God.

Especially during moments of trials and darkness, be it global, common or personal, persons  and the humanity in general, needs people of God - not those who "use" the name of God to achieve their ends, not those who manipulate the situation to instill the fear and guilt that would make people run to God, not those who make use of the opportunity to make themselves "on demand" and "popular" - but true people of God, who would make the presence of God felt in all simplicity and silence, sincerity and service. That requires that we surrender ourselves to God and remain totally disposed to God's will.

How prepared am I to dispose myself into the hands of God? Can I allow the Spirit of the Lord to take hold of my self, and reveal through me the merciful, loving and powerful presence of the Lord today, to those around?

The Word, the Joy and the Spirit

WORD 2day: Saturday, 4th week in Easter time

May 2, 2026: Acts 13: 44-52; John 14: 7-14

The event narrated in the first reading can be analogically compared to a concept that most of us are familiar with, working on a Word document in a computer... whatever has been selected can be deselected; what has been done can be undone; whatever has been undone can be redone; whatever has been keyed in can be edited, deleted, copied, pasted... all this is possible until that moment of saving the document! Once the 'save' command is given, there is apparently no way of going back (though with technicalities there are other possibilities). But the analogy ends there, let us not probe too deep into it. The point is: let us not think the good we do, the grace we received, the blessed choices we once make would remain forever! Just yesterday, we heard the Lord telling us: "you are my child; I have begotten you." This would not remain forever true; if it has to, then we have to make a definitive, life long choice of belonging to the Lord. And this has to be seen in our lives. Analogical to saving a document, it is allowing ourselves to be saved by the Lord!

The first reading identifies that jealousy, opposition, contradiction, calumny, derision, persecution and vices of the sort abounded against the believers as they embraced their new found faith in the Lord. But amidst all these, the Word says, the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. That was the reason the Word spread all through the region. The Word spreads with true inner joy, with true interior choice for God and God's purposes. Jesus already spoke of this connection between the Word and joy: I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete (Jn 15:11).

We would be missing the whole point if we do not get more and more in touch with God everyday of our life. Jesus would ask us too the same question: 'Have I been so long with you and you still have not got really in touch with me, my father, my life style, my passions, my values and so on?' Once we get truly in touch with Jesus, and thus with God our Father and Mother, with the Spirit who enlightens us each day, we will emanate a joy that is irresistible. Let us remain united to Christ, who is united to the Father and thus give the world the joy that it longs for.

Work - the likeness of Divinity in humanity

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

May day 2026: Celebrating St. Joseph the Worker

May day, for a Christian holds much more than mere glorification of work. This is because of the very nature of God that sanctifies this essential aspect of human existence. The first reading underlines the fact that the work of creation is an essential image of God and goes on to imply that right from the origins, it has formed a characteristic part of humanity, which holds the likeness and image of God.

St. Joseph pictured as a worker, the working hand and the leader of the Holy Family, is not merely an imagination but a practical possibility and the Church today capitalises on this possibility to draw inspiration from a saint who reminds us of this essential element of our human existence and the way to go about it with serenity and simplicity.

Work is a participation in the Creative initiative of God. Work can never be a slavery; it can never be carried out solely for an external gain or out of external pressure. Work when it is done merely for the material returns, it becomes a commodity and that is where exploitation and alienation begins. 

Every person has the right to work and the duty to do his or her part in the upkeep of our common home, not in damaging it to ruin. How lovely it would be when every person does what he or she can to make this world a better place..that would be paradise, the garden of Eden, the Reign of God here and now.

Today, let us promise to respect the dignity of labour and look at our opportunity to contribute through work as a personal participation in the image and likeness of God and in God's creative mission.

Called to be messengers

WORD 2day: Thursday, 4th week in Easter time

April 30, 2026 - Acts 13:13-25; John 13:16-20

St. Paul makes a long list of messengers running right upto John the Baptist; Jesus in the Gospel, speaks of sending his own apostles as messengers. 

Messengers are people of God, people of the Message, people who carry what the Lord wants God's people to know, persons who share with the world what the Lord wants to. 

The Message, is the core of our faith. It has been so, it is so and it will always be so! They call it the Kerygma! The message was announced through ages through prophets and persons of God (cf. Heb 1:1). 

At a point in history, the Message became the Messenger... that was the crucial phase of history when the Message, the Sender, the Messenger (or the Medium) all came together in one sacred and mysterious union - in the person of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word. Wow! What a wonderful experience, we are speaking of here! 

After this crucial phase of the identification of the Message with the Messenger, in Christ the Message of the loving Father made Messenger,  we see that, what once was done by a select few among the people, has been handed over to the entire people of God and every child of God. This is indeed the call of every Christ-ian. The wonderful experience now becomes a duty given to us. 

We are His messengers and we are called primarily to live the message and in and through that, announce the Message to the World. Now the question is - am I aware of the Message? 

Do I really know the Message? Am I convinced that I am a messenger? Do I love the Message as much and in order that I may live that message?

Set apart...to become!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 4th week in Easter time

April 29, 2026 - Acts 12:24 - 13:5; John 12: 44-50

The Word grew and spread, today’s readings tell us. While the Acts of the Apostles speak of one type of spreading, the Gospel seems to insist on another. As apostles, we cannot keep the Word all to ourselves; we would not be "apostles" if we did. We are obliged to take it to the whole world. We have an urgent calling to bring the Word to the entire world and spread it to those who are ready and eager to hear it! 

The second type that Jesus insists upon is interior spreading. The Word I have received, the Word I bring to others, cannot be something foreign to me. First and foremost, I must ensure the spread of that Word within myself. May I listen to, understand, love, and live this Word within me even before I intend to bring it to others. Letting the Word spread throughout my entire being, transforming me into that Word itself, is the simplest way to spread the Word. 

When I succeed in letting the Word spread within me—in my heart, my mind, my body, and my entire spirit—I will become the living Word, just as Christ was the Word incarnate! In that way, all I would need to do is be there, to simply be. 

Therefore, the calling we have is not only to listen to and proclaim the Word, but to understand that we are set apart, just as Paul and Barnabas were... set apart, to become the Word, to become the message, to become the Gospel.

To be called Christians

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 4th week in Easter time

April 28, 2026: Acts 11:19-26; John 10:22-30

It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians, evidences the first reading today. They needed a name, a different name to refer to the people of the new way of life! They were initially called the people of the Way... it was obvious, because Jesus had declared "I am the way, the truth and the light!" But however it was too abstract. They needed something concrete to refer themselves to. And looking for one, they narrowed down on that with a reference to a person, to someone central to their lives and convictions, the One who inspired this way of life: Christ himself.

It takes time to be called a Christian, to be identified with the name of the Nazarene who made a crucial difference in and through his life. Even today, it is the same: it takes time to be identified a Christian: our lifestyle, our attitudes, our priorities, our relationships and our loving ways should merit the name. There is another subtle but important detail: We have to be called Christians, we cannot be calling ourselves that!

Yes, we have to be called Christians... no use claiming ourselves that name, priding in it or tagging ourselves with it. We have to be called... which means, we have to live. Seeing our lives, seeing our convictions, seeing the difference we make, seeing the ideals we hold on to, seeing the formidable challenges we pose to humanity and the society around, people should be inspired to call us 'Christians'... we should be called Christians.

As Jesus says in the Gospel today, 'the Father and I are one', so should we be able to say: Christ and I are one. What a model we have in St.Paul who declared, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me!" (Gal 2:20). When that happens, we could be called Christians, too!

The real birth of the Church

WORD 2day: Monday, 4th week in Easter time

April 27, 2026 - Acts 11: 1-18; John 10: 11-18

We have been seeing throughout last week, that people listened to the Word, they were touched by it and they joined the disciples... and they became a church. However, the real birth of the Church was only when the so-called Gentiles listened and accepted the Word... until then it was seen just as a rebellion within a group of closed people!

St. Paul would declare in his letter to the Galatians, "there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). It is when the whole people are made heirs to the promise made to Abraham, it is only when every one was made into one fold, under One Shepherd, Christ Jesus - that the real Church was born.

The real spirit of Resurrection is opening up! Yes, it is opening up the closed tomb, opening up the closed minds, opening up the dampened faith, opening up the hopeless spirits, opening up the thoughtless ritualistic minds, opening up the hypocritical prejudiced mindsets, opening up the closed mentalities, opening up the secured borders of kinship to the fellowship of the Reign of God, opening up the world to a whole new Spirit: behold I make something new, a new heaven and a new earth!

The challenge is alive until today, to remain one flock, one fold, one people - which means to stay clear of all discrimination within the Church, to choose not to conform to the standards of the world but to be renewed in the Spirit of the Lord and to put on the mind of Christ, the Risen Christ. Constantly, on a daily basis, we are invited and challenged to renew our faithfulness to the One Shepherd and be transformed more and more into worthy members of the Shepherd's flock.

A "Go" that binds...

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

April 25, 2026: Celebrating Mark, the Evangelist

1 Peter 5:5-14; Mark 16:15-20

We celebrate today, a young saint from the Biblical times - Mark, the evangelist.

Mark comes out as a dedicated young man convinced of his call and enduring in his response. The apostles and disciples were extremely different from each other in their calibre and character. But what bound them together was the 'Go' that they received from the Lord. It was the commission from the Master that kept them going. We see generations of them following each other in responding whole heartedly to the project entrusted.

To Go, meant to go to the unknown lands, to meet unknown people, to get into unknown territories, to get out of one's comfort zones. This is exactly what the Holy Father keeps insisting - a Church that is on its move, a Church what has hearkened to the command of its Head, a Church that is continuously trying to make newer sense of this world and of living life to the full.

Mark becomes the representative of the generation that immediately followed the 12, and Mark leaves indelible trails by his commitment and dedication. He was the first one to record a written account as a Gospel, say the researchers. And he did this mostly from the teachings and sermons of Peter, the elder brother among the apostles.

The call is to the young today: can you dedicate yourself to the commission from the Lord... to Go!

Becoming one with Christ

WORD 2day: Friday, 3rd week in Easter

April 24, 2026 - Acts 9:1-20; John 6: 52-59

When Jesus said he would give his flesh to eat, the people objected calling it impossible. When Paul said he would preach Christ to the end of the world, people again objected calling it unbelievable. That is how the world is... you keep doing all the good you intend to. 

Saul, who became Paul, knew what it meant to become one flesh with Christ. He knew he could not remain the same... he was called to be a new creation. That new creation, was the imitation of Christ. He was convinced that he was called to become, not merely an apostle of Christ, but one with Christ! He knew the passion that filled Christ's heart and understood the mission that occupied his mind. That is how he grows to be one flesh with Christ -  he felt, thought, and acted, like Christ. He was able to even say, it is no longer i, it is Christ who lives in me!

When Jesus offers us his flesh, this is exactly what he intends for us - to transform with world into the Reign of God, we need to be transformed into people of the Reign and this can happen only with our total internal transformation into Christ... becoming one with, or becoming, Christ. 

The invitation is clear: to become like Christ, to live like Christ, to become one flesh with Christ. We are given all the opportunities to progress on this call but the challenge is that we take this task to heart. May the body we eat and the blood we consume make us more and more one with Him.

Drawn by your Daddy!

WORD 2day: Thursday, 3rd week in Easter time

April 23, 2026 - Acts 8: 26-40; John 6: 44-51

The Word taken together today have a wonderful message for us... if we are Christians, it is not by chance; it is by choice... not ours, but the Lord's. You did not choose me, I chose you, says the Lord. The Lord has chosen each of us by name and if only we are aware of it and convinced of it, we shall see an immense difference in the quality of our daily living.

We have come to know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, drawn by God our Father and Mother in heaven! It is the Lord who has willed to draw us to Godself. Our 'yes' at Baptism and a reassertion of it at Confirmation are our response to this initiative of God. The point of discussion is, whether we are faithful to the yes all our life, at every moment of our daily life.

Especially at moments when we see we are surrounded by tests and trials, sickness and death, fear and threats, oppressions and corruption, decadence and exploitation, anxiety and helplessness, boredom and hopelessness... we are called to remember that we are lovingly drawn by the Almighty, that we are being guided by the Lord who has drawn us all in name of God. Do our lives today manifest that difference, making the world understand the power we possess in our call?

But that difference does not come just in an instant. It is a long journey, in itself. The Bread of life and the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant, are the nourishment in this journey. All through the journey the Lord accompanies us and instructs us... and if we really listen, we will soon realise how special we are, and how we are lovingly drawn by our daddy!

Testimonies of true joy!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 3rd week in Easter time

April 22, 2026: Acts 8:1b-8; John 6: 35-40

There was great joy in the city. In spite of having to desert their hometowns and go into diaspora, the community of believers bring joy wherever they go. Earlier we read, that the apostles where flogged for having preached Christ and when they left, they went with joy because they were able to suffer for Christ. How was it possible for them! It was because, they carried the Risen Lord in their hearts.

The resurrection experience filled the apostles, the disciples and all the believers with joy, with a joy that could not be replaced by anything else under the sun. The words "Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ" (Rom 8:35) was a concrete life experience of the early Christians. The source of this experience is the total and loving self giving of the Lord.

Jesus was so filled with his Father that in his total self-giving he rejoiced and brought joy to all around him and to the entire humanity. Imitating their Lord and Saviour, the first Christians were filled with Christ, and in their self-giving to each other and to God, they brought true joy and eternal hope to each other. We are today called to accept the challenge of living our Christian vocation, even in moments of crisis and anxiety in our life experiences, emanating divine joy, in our joyful and loving self-giving.

How joyful is our testimony as Christians, today?

The height of Discipleship

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 3rd week in Easter time

April 21, 2026: Acts 7:51-8:1a; John 6:30-35

We are given the picture of the martyrdom of Stephen... the height of discipleship, giving one's life up for the sake of Truth. The real courage that is exhibited in the passage of today, where Stephen dares to say what he saw and heard, or what he was given to see and hear.

The Gospel presents the same courage manifested by Jesus, challenging the Scribes and the Pharisees and offering himself as the bread of life; infact, Stephen is presented to us as an ideal disciple who did what Jesus did, who lived the way Jesus lived and who died the exact way Jesus died. The cue is the prayer: "Into your hands I commend my spirit". While Jesus makes that prayer to the Father, Stephen makes it to Jesus: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit". This, incidentally, is the first prayer that we see, addressed to Jesus, in history.

The height of discipleship consists in the courage to imitate the master in every little detail...in our life, our prayer, our convictions and our priorities. What is our mental disposition in front of crises in our lives?

A disposition of fright would right away disqualify us from being convinced disciples. A disposition of rash and ruthless denial of reality and insensitive neglect of the consequences of the surrounding crisis, again is a disqualifier for a disciple of Christ. Instead, sensitivity to the truth, faith to see the presence of God even amidst the confusion that could surround, the readiness to state the facts and stand for truth, the compassion to look not only at our need and our boredom but at the needs and anxieties of everyone around us, and finally the trust in entrusting ourselves and the entire world to the Will of God - these would be true signs and the height of our discipleship always.

How close are we in our lifestyle to Jesus, our Lord and Master?

The Face of an Angel

WORD 2day: Monday, 3rd week in Easter time

April 20, 2026: Acts 6:8-15; John 6:22-29

The readings today remind us of our vocation and gift. 

'What are we called to?', that was the question that the people meant when they ask Jesus in the Gospel today, "what can we do to accomplish God's works?" 

"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent": that is our vocation, that is our gift!

Vocation, because it is our life task, to know the Lord, love and accept him as our personal saviour and testify to him unto death. Being a vocation, it is a task at all times, notwithstanding whether they are good or bad. More precisely, specially at trying times, because it is a challenge to remain faithful to the Master!

It is a gift, because in doing it, we become children of God (cf. Jn 1:12). It is a state of grace where we turn into co-heirs to the Reign (cf. Rom 8:17), and we acquire the face of angel - as it is said of St.Stephen in the first reading today.

Our faith and our commitment to faith adorn our face with a light and beauty that makes it look 'angelic'... let us realise our hidden face of an angel; let us preserve and persevere in growing to the full stature of the angels - close to God and ever at God's service!

Waiting on tables and Walking on the waves

WORD 2day - Saturday, 2nd week in Easter time

April 18, 2026 - Acts 6:1-7; John 6:16-21

There are two things that occupy our minds as the Word speaks to us today: one, the bread and the other, the waves.

Waiting on the Table, which was a regular duty among the believers becomes a concern and some are dissatisfied with how it was going on. The Lord inspires them to understand the concern with such clarity that they do not compromise on the basics. The concern is addressed but nothing of what is essential is lost - they set apart a ministry in order that the centrality of the Word is not lost.

Waves that rose against the boat, made the disciples frightened. But the Lord walks up to them on the waters, on the very waves and reassures them to row on. Interestingly, they were disturbed by the waves but they were more terrified to see someone walking on the water towards them. The Lord's words, do not fear - comes as a challenge for them to understand what to fear and what not to fear. They were hardly away from the land, but they needed the Lord to realise it.

Waiting on tables or walking on waves, what is important is that we never lose our clarity and priority. Place the right thing first and every other thing will fall in place. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything will be given unto you!