TO LOVE IS TO LIVE

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday 5 : 2nd April, 2017
Ezek 37:12-14; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45

The signs of life are newness, change, growth, freshness and development. We are called to be People of Life. Being people of life is not that easy today, because we live in a Culture of Death. Death is signified by a state of stand still, a state of no change, a state of decay, a state of giving up, a state of discouragement. The world today is filled with these signs - everyone seems to be giving up very easily. People see corruption and mismanagement, but give up that nothing can be done. People see sinfulness and decadence, but give up saying that is the order of the day... Are these really people of life? Can a Christian take this stand towards life?

The Readings today invite us to be PEOPLE OF LIFE... because we are children of the God of Life. God gives us life and constantly renews us. In the first reading, we are invited to reflect through Prophet Ezekiel, the gift of Life that is given to us by the very author of life, that is God. In faith we have a relationship built between God and us: You shall be my people and I shall be your God...that is the alliance that God has made with us, and is faithful to. You shall be my children and I shall be your father and mother; You shall be my flock and I shall be your shepherd; You shall be my beloved and I shall fill you with my love..says the Lord. Today the Lord promises us amidst all the darkness of the world and the shadow of death, to fill us with God's Spirit and make us live. As those dry bones, gathered together and stood up to life, so can we rise up in this world as people of life, IN FAITH.

We are constantly challenged and threatened by the darkness that surrounds us, as the darkness that surrounded Lazarus in the tomb. Lord it's been four days since he has been laid there, they said. Four days...the Jews believed that from the fourth day after death, the process of decay began. The decayed body comes to life, the situation of total hopelessness is brought to life by the Hope of Resurrection...Jesus declares, I am the Life and Resurrection. In Baptism we are all united to the death of Christ on the Cross, and that gives us the hope of sharing the Resurrection of the Lord. We are called to live as People of life, people who look to the light, people who look up to resurrection, people who are filled with joy and optimism, people who live IN HOPE.

If we are people of life, it has to be seen in our daily life... we cannot live a life that is like anyone else and call ourselves people of life. We cannot grumble and mourn like everyone and call ourselves people of life. We cannot give up and groan like the rest of the world and call ourselves people of life. We cannot just succumb to sinfulness and evil and still call ourselves people of life. St. Paul in the second letter makes it clear to us...we are to live our life in the Spirit, not the life of flesh. Life in the Spirit is filled with light, radiance, joy and above all, Love. The Spirit of the Risen Lord has to fill our life and thus we will be light to the nations, witness of God's love to the people around, testimonies of the Resurrection that is promised to us and signs of the eternal life that we are called to. The foundation is love...to live a life that is filled with love, love for God who loves us abundantly and love for our brothers and sisters, with respect and dignity to each and every child of God. We will stand for, radiate and uphold life as people of life, IN LOVE.

Let us heed the call that the readings give us today: TO LIVE, to be people of life, in faith, in hope and in love. To behold life from God's hands in Faith, to radiate the presence of God in Hope all through life and to become more and more like God in living a life of Love.

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #26

Love: the strength that seems weak!

Saturday, Fourth week in Lent - 1st April, 2017
Jer 11: 18-20; Jn 7: 40-52

A friend of mine once told me, "I hate that person" and I immediately asked her, "why?". She said it as a matter of fact, "I don't like the beard that he sports, that he is tall and well built and that he has that big bike." Are you wondering whether these are reasons enough to hate a person? I too wondered, but she did not. Many have many strange reasons to hate persons. While that level of strangeness can be debated, my question remains this: can I hate someone, being a disciple of Christ? It is one thing to disapprove of what one is or what one does, but to hate a person, to the extent of intending to get rid of that person... that is a serious issue. 

Christian way of living would mean I love everyone, irrespective of who the person is and what he or she has done to me or failed to do to me! The Word today presents to us the cases of Jeremiah and Jesus - both hated for reasons known only unto the haters. They were scheming to kill Jeremiah and he was not even aware of it, until the Lord revealed it to him; he was so innocent. Jesus was hated because he was from Galilee...what a reason!

Jesus or Jeremiah, may seem weak here - but they are truly strong, people who loved the Lord and the Lord's people. Love at times may look like a weakness or timidity, but actually it is a strength, a power, something that is going to triumph ultimately. Will you endure until that moment?

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #25

Love: cannot be killed

Friday, Fourth week in Lent - 31st March, 2017
Wis 2: 1,12-22; Jn 7:1-2,10,25-30

True love annoys people today. Compromises and make ups are appreciated much; they are found to be practical and concretely viable. Speaking of the ideals or absolutes or of genuine relationships seems useless activity and impractical waste of time. After every talk that I have given to persons of various categories, speaking of true love, I have had the same feedback: "it is so wonderful to hear, but..." There is hardly  anyone who would take up that challenge and say, why not live up to it. Everyone is concerned about its probable futility and likely failure to bear any fruit. The easiest excuse they give is, we would be singled out, left alone to chase the wind, found unfit and declared losers.

The Word today presents the same scenario, with the Gospel in a special way placing Jesus into that category. Beyond the titles of strange and unfit, Jesus was considered a man to be eliminated. Jesus seemed to be speaking things that will not help the normal running of human life; he was considered a danger to the human minds of his times. Even today, the world at large would be in favour of that opinion. Jesus still seems an unfit in this world - that is why they are taking him off from their public lives, from governing principles, ethical considerations and social ideals. Because Jesus would differ from every prominent principle today: inhuman development, loveless autonomy, heartless economy, truthless politics and godless religion. 

If we stand by true love, if we take the side of Jesus, we need not be anxious - true love cannot be killed; even if the world manages to, it will rise again on the third day! True love cannot be killed, keep loving!

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #24

Love: refraining from using persons

Thursday, Fourth week in Lent - 30th March, 2017
Exo 32: 7-14; Jn 5: 31-47

The world today is fond of loving things and using persons. When someone wants to gain something or get something done, he or she does not mind using persons and manipulating them towards the desired end... making things achieved greater than the persons sacrificed. There are alternatives for everything, including persons in life - if not this one, the other; if this one does not work, try the other! We find individuals who are ready to switch sides in no time, simply because they have a point to gain - there are no principles, nor values and absolutely no absolutes - everything is relative to one's own whims and fancies.

This is what the Lord suffered in the hands of the people of Israel - they were so quick to abandon the Lord as they felt it is not going to work waiting for Moses endlessly - they found a ready alternative. This was their temperament all through - their memories so short that they were complaining and whining every other moment, in spite of the tremendous wonders they witnessed. This was the same with what Jesus experienced - they were so hard headed and stone hearted that Jesus could not break through. They had their own logic to hold on to and their own point to prove that they refused to see the truth unfolding right in front of their eyes. 

True love would mean not to give in to the temptation of using persons and loving things, but to treat persons with dignity, remain sensitive and relate genuinely!

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #23

Love: a journey from death to life

Wednesday, Fourth week in Lent - 29th March, 2017
Is 49:8-15; Jn 5:17-30

The Word today speaks of a change that is radical, a movement, a journey from death to life - all occasioned by love! God's love reaches out to everything that is dying and leads it to life. Jesus, the Son of God does the same as he promises: anyone who listens to my words, believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life;... he has passed from death to life. 

Look at the world today - is it filled with life or death? There is so much of wealth in circulation but those who have it are anxious about protecting it and those who are deprived are anguishing in need - neither of them are happy! There is so much of technological advancement - more than enhancing life, technology has come to destroy, manipulate and dehumanise life. There is so many possibilities of knowledge - no one really knows what is truth, everything happens underground and there is a constant conspiracy against peace and harmony, happiness and well being. There is a culture of death that surrounds us and threatens us. Are we going to give in?

We need to stand up and face situation. We to rise up to the occasion. We need to prove ourselves to be people of Life...people who can bring back life into this world, because we have the one who can give us life, eternal life, life in all its abundance. Love of Christ urges us to take up that journey from death to life, and take this entire world along. 

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #22

Love is a life-giving stream

Tuesday, Fourth week in Lent - 28th March, 2017
Ezek 47: 1-9,12; Jn 5: 1-3,5-16

In the name of love at times we tend to possess each other; mutually stifling existence. Two imageries that I have always been fascinated about love: one is about a butterfly behind which you frenetically go to hold it in your hands but you fail as it always flies away from you. A while later you sit letting it be by itself, it comes gently and sits on your shoulder. That is true love. Secondly, a fledgling that you wish to hold in your palms, if you hold it too tight the poor creature will be suffocated to death. You hold your palm fully open it will just fly away from you. The key is how balanced your holding is. 

The Word today gives us another imagery, love as a life giving stream: life giving because true love enhances life, renders life wholesome and meaningful; stream because love flows on, it cannot afford to stagnate. It is this flowing that makes it life giving and the life giving quality requires that the stream keeps flowing to reach out to more and more. God's love is true and it is truly a life giving stream! 

How life giving and how flowing is your love? Let your love be genuine and let your love be flowing... neither possessive nor devoid of life. 

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #21

To Love is to Forget

Monday, Fourth week in Lent - 27th March, 2017
Is 65: 17-21; Jn 4: 43-54

We go a lot by our memories; we make judgements on the basis of our past experiences; we decide someone is good or bad basing ourselves on memories! 

To love actually would mean to forget the past, specially the negative past, and live the moment to the full, open to the reality every moment of our life. People are unique each one with his or her individuality and experience. When we start judging others, we become too busy to love them. In judging we make people objects; we begin to use them to prove our point, instead of being open to what they are and what they can become. 

God is ever ready not only to forgive but even to forget. That is the spirit of true love, that forgets the other's shortcomings and starts anew everytime. The new earth and new heaven is a gift from this love that is so forgetful of the past, so unassuming in its acceptance, challenging us to the same. 

TO LOVE IS TO BE LIGHTED

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday 4: 26th March, 2017

1 Sam 16:1, 6,7, 10-13; Eph 5: 8-14; Jn 9:1-41

"We are children of the Light", the readings remind us today and invite us to live in the light! To awake from the slumber of the darkness, to avoid the works of the people of darkness and to acknowledge being anointed to announce the good news to the world - that is the call to be children of the light. We have the light within us, the Light of the world is with us, we are lighted to shine, we are lighted to shine as testimonies to the Light that longs to lead everyone to fullness of life.

We are called to SEE. Blindness is not merely of the physical eye... blindness of the heart to perceive the something that is so apparent is the worst of all blindness. Physical blindness is a handicap, but Spiritual blindness sometimes is a choice, a choice against something obvious! Not to see the goodness of the other, not to see the good the other has done to you, not to see the great things that God has done for us, these are the blindnesses out of which the Lord calls us today. The darkness within us can surround us so much that we may find so comfortable within it. That was the problem of the pharisees and the scribes: they were so cosy in their own world but Jesus disturbed them! He called them to light, he called them to awake. The Word today, calls us to AWAKE and see the Light, shining on us!

We are called to SEE LIKE GOD. As children of God we are called to see like God. The first reading presents to us an incident where the Lord gives us a practical lesson for our life. David, the least of all in the family of Jesse was chosen against all odds to be the ruler of Israel. There are other such occasions too that we find in the Bible: Joseph the sold slave, Gideon the weakling, Esther the orphan girl and so on. The message is clear: to see like God. As the Lord clarifies it (1 Sam 16:7), the Lord sees the heart and not the external appearances; the Lord sees the internal disposition and not the eternal display; the Lord sees the interior openness and not a stubborn self righteousness. To see like God would mean to avoid the works of the people of darkness, who try to close their eyes to any good that someone can do because of a prejudice they have at heart; who look for any lame excuse to judge and vilify others merely because they do not like the other; who look at others as threats and wait to see their ruin. Avoid the works of darkness and put on the armour of Light!

We are called to MAKE OTHERS SEE GOD. We are anointed people of God, chosen children of God. Peter reminds us in his letter, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Pet 1:9). By our baptism we have been anointed and by the sacrament of confirmation we are confirmed in the anointing - that we are to announce to the world the good news of the love of God. That we may see and see like God, we are given the Light of the Lord. The Light shines within us with such splendour that it radiates to the world around us! We are commissioned to be testimonies of the Light that shines in the world. 

If we can say like that blind man in the Gospel - "One thing I know, I was blind and now I can see!" - we are testimonies to the Light that shines within us, the Light that can give meaning to the world. When we really see and see like God, the works of God will be made visible through us and that is what we are called to. Let us thank God for having given us God's light and let us be lighted to be testimonies of the the Light of the world.

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #20

To Love is to Reign

Friday, Third week in Lent - 24th March, 2017
Hos 14: 2-10; Mk 12: 28-34

We are children of the King; the King who reigns in love, the King who is rich in mercy, the King who is ready to lay down his life for his children out of love. 

To reign we need to belong to the King and to belong to the King we need to do what the King wants us to do. The first one is to love the King and the latter is to love the king's children, that is, our brothers and sisters. To love, the King and his people, is to reign! 

Here, to reign is not to dominate but to submit oneself to the others' well being; to reign is not to rule but to serve; to reign is not to have authority over the others but to grow responsible for the others. To reign is to do to the others what God has done to me - love without limit, love without conditions, love without measure. To love is to reign!

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #19

Stubbornness of Heart kills Love

Thursday, Third week in Lent - 23rd March, 2017
Jer 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23

Love has to do entirely with the heart - yes love is the language of the heart and if the heart is found to be stubborn, there is hardly any room for love there in. 

There are people who claim to be in love but very soon after their wedding their married life becomes a tough experience, the reason is exactly this - the stubbornness of heart. Each one is fixed or fixated on those ideas or attitudes of their own, that the heart grows more and more stubborn. This stubborness will not let love grow; it will only make selfishness grow and thwart love at its core. 

Stubbornness of heart can arise due to three reasons: 1. My ego does not allow me to change my mind; 2. I don't want to lose the little and passing benefits that my old way of life gives; and 3. I am determined to go with what is against the truth and righteousness. 

Let us beware, stubbornness of heart kills love!