Bringing Good News - the feet and the fingers!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

November 30, 2024: Remembering St. Andrew, the Apostle
Romans 10: 9-18; Matthew 4: 18-22

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" St.Paul quotes these words from the Scriptures (cf. Is 52:7), to insist upon the blessedness of being an apostle of the Lord, being sent to bear forth the Word to others. A prerequisite is that the person has first received the Word, in order to share it with others.

St. Andrew has played a special role during the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Andrew as a disciple of Christ always had the role of bringing good news to persons... he brought the good news of having found Christ to Peter (Jn 1:41); along with Philip, he brought the Greeks to meet Jesus (Jn 12:22); and he brought that boy who gave the five loaves to feed the five thousand (Jn 6:9). Amidst all the opposition and threat, the apostles bore witness to his name: they were the beautiful feet which brought the good news to the world.

Today, curiously, Apostle Andrew is proposed as the patron of social network... because he used every opportunity to make Christ known to people and to bring people to Christ. Pope Benedict XVI had described Social Network as the modern day pulpit and invited us to proclaim Christ not merely from the housetops but also from the laptops... and here we have a great role model for it in St. Andrew.

Let us today thank God for the numerous fingers that bring good news to the world today... keying in on the smart phones, feeding in from the laptops and desktops, posting messages and videos, instagrams and reels, and so many ways of sharing the Word with others. May every effort of these persons to proclaim the Reign of God through the Social Network, be a blessing to them, as much as it is to the world.

Let us dedicate the Social Network which offers us such a great promise, that it may forever be an instrument in the hands of God, to bring God's will to fulfillment, and not fall into the trap of becoming an instrument of perdition. Let us thank God for every opportunity that comes our way to bring the Word to all whom we meet!

Signs of the times

WORD 2day: Friday, 34th week in Ordinary time

November 28, 2024: Revelation 20: 1-4, 11- 21:2; Luke 21: 29-33

One of the key terms popularised by the Second Vatican Council is "signs of the times" and the Council itself tried its best to be true to the spirit of that term. The Council challenged the faithful and the church as a whole to learn to read the signs of the times and respond to it. It is obviously a never failing criterion: to be attentive to what is happening around and the message we can gather from it, in order to render the way we live our faith in Christ, relevant and meaningful.

There is however a feeling among many that the "signs" from the Lord in the present times, are few and far between. The truth instead is, the signs abound: in our daily lives, through things that happen around us, through persons who live with us, those who live worthy lives, those who suffer for no cause of theirs, those who are oppressed, those who have scores and scores of woes to meet on a daily basis, through the crisis we see in the nature around us, through the humanity that has pushed into a hue and cry that is so artificial and human made with this pandemic... there are signs aplenty.

Our responsibility is two fold: first, to learn to gather these signs, as coming from the Lord! At times we can become careless and callous to these, that we would never read the right message at the right time. A delayed action is no good! Secondly, we have the responsibility to act upon the sign we receive and respond to it, regardless of the risks and the sacrifices that are involved. We are so negligent in this task that we habituate ourselves to becoming blind to the signs that are around. There are those who repeatedly remind us of that - and they become a nuisance in our eyes, if not even villains!

Whether we gather them or not, respond to them or not, they are there! We would do well as true sons and daughters of the Reign, if we are present to them and through them strive to build the Reign here on earth. If not, we ourselves are the losers!

Judgement, our choice?

WORD 2day: Thursday, 34th week in Ordinary time

November 28, 2024: Revelation 18: 1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3, 9; Luke 21: 20-28

Happy are those who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb... the final banquet, the moment of redemption... the end of days, the judgment seat... these are all the pictures that the Word paints before our eyes today. Let us not create for ourselves an idea of some horror fiction or some sort of shake-up narrations. They are, after all, logical ends towards which we are all journeying.

But a much deeper fact to remember is that these need not be always an end time phenomenon, instead it has to be an everyday experience... the judgment is a continuous happening and it is not entirely an act of the Lord; the choices that we make at any given point of time, at any moment of a given day, the choice of our words, thoughts, actions, decisions... those are already judgments that we bring upon ourselves (cf. Jn 3:18).

The reason is this: our choice! Every time we react in a way to something or someone, we make a choice! You may say, "No! but it was just a spontaneous word, or a spontaneous act; not premeditated at all!" But remember, though it is a so-called spontaneous word or act, it has a history; there is a whole lot of experience behind it; there is a whole lot of judgement that goes with it. Why you choose a word, not another; why choose a particular way of reacting and not some other... they depend, even if unconscious or subconscious, on the attitudes or the disposition you have towards that person or that event. That is where our judgments, the judgments that come on us, rest too! That is why Jesus said: judge not, you shall not be judged!

Getting back to the parable... we are all called to the wedding feast, that is to unite with the Lord and enjoy the eternal bliss. But the choices we make on a daily basis, at a particular point of time, is our response and that decides whether we enter the banquet or not. Hence, instead of yarning tales of suspense and horror, let us realise our responsibility in making right choices, conscious choices, charitable choices, holy choices, Christ-like choices, every moment of our daily life: that way ,our judgement would be our choice, indeed!

Perseverance - holding on or letting go?

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 34th week in Ordinary time

November 27, 2024: Revelation 15:1-4; Luke 21: 12-19

Perseverance, in terms of targets and achievements, as the world teaches, is holding on endlessly. The same, when it comes to our relationship with God... it is giving up limitlessly and unconditionally.

Difficulties, problems, temptations, struggles, misunderstandings, loneliness, desperation, distress... in all these, whatever level they reach, if I can give everything up to God and say, 'Lord you see to it,' - that is truly perseverance.

Perseverance, is therefore, to give up totally into the hands of God, regardless of successes or failures, gains or losses, happiness or sadness, prosperity or misery! It is not praising God and exalting God when everything goes fine. And come one trouble, finding every reason to doubt God, speak against God, question God, lament against God and feel discouraged about God. That is a sign of a lack, a lack of perseverance.

The profound experience of faith is all about letting go of everything and walking with our hands in the hands of God. If we can do that - in the midst of difficulties to remain calm and trust in the Lord; in moments of failures to sit by the Lord and recount what is going on within us; in moments of anxiety to tell myself that God is there all the time with me and all that I need to do is surrender - that is indeed what Faith is all about!

Faith is knowing that the Lord is; and deciding to be there with the Lord, come what may!

Curiosity or Courage to Change_

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 33rd week in Ordinary time

November 26, 2024: Revelation 14: 14-19 ; Luke 21: 5-11

When will these things happen?

We are more interested in knowing when certain things will happen and are curious about predictions and premonitions, foretellings and soothsayings, magics and myths - than understanding what is the right thing to be done and making the right moves in life, at the right time.

Curiosity is good, to an extent that it incites my interest to get to know things that I don't know. But it is not absolutely good or helpful, as it is always determined by its motivations. Some are curious about others; some about everything else other that what affects them. Some are curious, these days, to get to know things so that they can publish it first before the rest of the world - how many breaking news are merely results of curiosity with absolutely no respect to persons, their experiences and their feelings! It is not about the breaking news that comes live on the TV, but the breaking news that goes from our mouths to others' ears, those that go from our mobiles to others', those that are sent from our whatsapp pages and facebook pages to the rest of the world, without really feeling anything about what the person or persons involved are going through right then. Forget that dimension... what about what it does to me? Does that curiosity in anyway make me a person bit better than what I was before?

Curiosity is eagerness, craze to know! However, knowing alone is not sufficient. What do I do on the basis of what I know. Knowing God, hearing God's Word everyday, celebrating the sacred mysteries regularly... what do I see happening to me? What kind of growth does take place within me? Am I prepared to take decisions that are important, some times hard, and necessary?

Mistakenly, we postpone the necessary and crucial transformations in life for an 'opportune' time, which sometimes never comes at all or it gets too late by the time they come by. This week's Word insists on the urgency that is involved in personal conversion and community dedication to growth and maturity in faith. Marking the end of the liturgical year, this week leads us to the season of advent - inviting us to a better understanding of the end time spirituality that we are called to live in these times.

The sickles are already at the base of the tree... and the harvest is near! Mindful of the short time that we have, we have a calling to live: to live our lives to the full, here and now.

Being good people or being God's people?

WORD 2day: Monday, 34th week in Ordinary time

November 25, 2024: Revelation 14:1-5; Luke 21: 1-4

Are we called to be good people? Yes, but not just that. The Word today challenges us: it is not enough to be good people, but we are called to be God's people. 

Being good seems a bit of a relative opinion these days. We are good to some, and not so to some others! According to some, I am good and for some others, I am not good. I am good at times when I see an advantage in being so, but when it is not going to favour me in anyway, I give up on that guard. Being good seems so relative.

Enough to have a look at the posters with politicians doling out their "generous" gifts to the unfortunate lot, the numerous NGOs scripting out projects for the eradication of social evils for decades and decades together, the so-called social activists voicing the woes of the downtrodden... everything seems a show! People who do good and who claim to do good, do it with various intentions and it is that which makes all the difference.

It is something to be known as people who do good and it is entire a different thing to be true people of God. Doing good has no end to it and is evaluated in its quantity: in the volume of the good that we do. Being God's people is in one way simpler, and in another way, a lot more demanding.

It is simpler because what matters is not so much what you do and how much you do, as with how much of love you do whatever you do! You need not be giving away tonnes of things to others in charity or announcing everyday one scheme, which means nothing to none. What matters is you have true compassion for the other, in the depth of your heart - even if you would have nothing material to give!

It is more demanding because even a slight intention of selfishness or vain glory can negate the true effect of the good that is done. It is what is in your heart that makes your gift valid or not, in the sight of the Lord - whether it be sacks of gold or a mere two pennies! You can hide what you have in your heart to everyone, but to God?

To be marked as people of God is to belong to God and to put our whole self and all we have at the disposal of the One who gave it all to us. It is important to be people who do good, but it is more important to be people of God.

THE KING OF ALL KINGS

Power, Priesthood and the Reign

November 24, 2024 - The Solemnity of Christ, the King of the Universe

Daniel 7: 13- 14; Revelation 1: 5-8; John 18: 33b-37 

Beginning the last week of the liturgical year, the Word would dedicate this entire week to a contemplation on the end days or the day of reckoning. It is an important aspect of our Creed and an essential tenet that we declare, that we believe that the Risen Lord, seated at the right hand of the Father, who will come again, to judge the living the the dead. And how shall he come this time over? As a king! As an everlasting king, the King of all kings... teaching the world, although so stubborn not to learn, what it means to be a king in God's terms!

Any discourse on a king, especially from the semitic history and tradition, would comprise of three inevitable terms, that the Word today presents to our consideration too. And the Word clarifies the significance of those terms from the perspective of Christ, the King of all kings. 

Power - The first term that comes to our mind is "power"! Power, that defines a king. With that power the kings get things done for themselves; as Jesus would point out elsewhere they would lord it on the others and get things done. That was the case of, not only the enemy kingsof Israel, even the God-appointed kings of the people in the Old testament. As we see, they were served by the others, they even sent the others to fight for them, shed blood for their sakes, while they remained back, all on their rightful choices. 

Christ the King is totally an other type - he declared that he came not to be served, but to serve and give his life for all. He did not demand that the others die for him, but showed in his life , what it would mean doing that. The second reading today underlines this aspect as it reminds us that we have been redeemed by his blood, by the blood of the King who wishes to reconcile us to himself. The authority that stands out here is not merely power but an authoritative life model, that we are called to make our own. 

Priesthood -  The semitic kingship was intrinsically linked to the institution of priesthood that existed. We know kings were considered mediators between God and people... the pharoahs had this concept so strong that some of them went to the extent of equating themselves to God, just as some leaders wish to do today. The Priesthood there served as a point of making themselves special, more privileged and deserving honour. It protected that pride of status and looked with despise on anything that took away that special status in any way. They created themselves as someone above everyone else and protected in the citadels of religious and political power. 

Christ the King breaks that protocol - he wishes to make everyone a priest; in fact, as the second reading tells us today, by the sacrifice of himself, he wanted to make us all priests, granting us the grace of royal priesthood, by the very nature of our baptism. It was not only the Word who emptied Godself of everything, but even Jesus in his earthly sojourn and in his Christ-event, wished to empty himself of everything and make everyone special and privileged before the Lord. That is what we are - Royal Priesthood that shares in the priesthood of that King of all kings.

Reign - Not just the semitic kingship, but any king for that matter, has to have a kingdom, a Reign! Christ the King, in the Gospel, in clear and candid terms explains, that his Reign is a markedly different Reign... a Reign of truth, equality and solidarity. While the kingdoms of this earth are intent on protecting themselves, closing themselves us in security, and defending themselves from all so-called strangers and others, the Reign of Christ, opens itself, opens itself wide and large. We hear a term from Jesus today - "anyone"; in some versions, "all" - anyone who is on the side of truth! The Reign is open to all, open to anyone, provided they are testimonies to truth! That is the King we have, who is the King of the Reign of Truth and Integrity. 

As we celebrate the King of all kings today, lets us take a moment and examine ourselves whether our lives possess the same mind as our King... reaching out to everyone in service and solidarity, creating that Reign that our King came to inaugurate.

Sweet or Bitter, always for the Reign!

WORD 2day: Friday, 33rd week in Ordinary time

November 22, 2024: Revelation 10: 8-11; Luke 19: 45-48

Jesus was attractive; people rallied around him so willingly and readily. He was interesting to listen to; so many pharisees and scribes hung on to his lips. He was famous; the mere name drew not just crowds but even prominent persons like Zachaeus. He had charming ways; even Herod wanted to see him atleast once! All these were true only in as much as they all looked at Jesus from a distance. When Jesus got near... he turned demanding.

The people came to him and he challenged them to live a life of destitution, with no place to even lay their heads. The people listened to him and he called them whitewashed sepulchers, inviting them to true personal conversion. Individuals approached him and he challenged them to total reformation of their personal and public lives. The people led him with such celebration into the city of Jerusalem and he enters the Temple and drives out the vendors and money lenders.

The Lord's promises are sweet, but when we take it to heart they are demanding. If we truly listen to the Word of God, we cannot remain the same forever, we would be challenged to change, to transform, to become more and more like the Lord himself. Yes, the Word may be sweet in the mouth; but for sure it will be bitter in the stomach, but only to churn out the unwanted elements and paving way towards the Reign. 

The Word is a medicine that heals us, nurtures us and prepares us to be people of the Reign!

Courts of Majesty and Justice

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 33rd week in Ordinary time

November 20, 2024 - Revelation 4:1-11; Luke 19:11-28

The Word takes us to two courts today - the court in the vision and the court in the story; the court of majesty and that of justice. The courts refer to a King we are preparing to celebrate coming Sunday. 

The King is the king of majesty who deserves all our praise; we eternally belong to his court and our destiny is to reach that court by our holiness and surrender.

The King is the king of mercy who is generous in granting us favours; giving us all that we need and even more than we need to make our existence meaningful here and now that we may work our way to that court of reward.

The King is the king of Justice who looks at the effort of each of his subjects and rewards them accordingly; expecting from us not a fixed or an exaggerated result but a result proportionate to the gifts the Lord had endowed on us - the court of reckoning.

Choices, Compromises and the coming of Christ

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 33rd week in Ordinary time

November 19, 2024: Revelation 3: 1-6,14-20; Luke 19:1-10

Choices and compromises make a great difference in Christian living; what matters is not so much what we do as what we intend to. Our heart and our intentions matter much more than acts and results. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage for the human heart.

Advantage for those who are sincere with their efforts to remain true and dedicated to the Lord, inspite of their shortfalls. Disadvantage for those who create an aura around themselves as if they are spiritual giants while there rest skeletons inside the closet conveniently covered off, but the Lord knows all and sees all.

Our innermost disposition is what truly decides who we really are! It is from these innermost dispositions that we make our choices. You cannot remain both dead and alive at the same time; hot and cold at the same time; or belonging and not belonging to the Lord at the same time! You have to make a choice and choices are all!

Like Zacchaeus who not only changed from his old ways but was ready to make up for the past mistakes, for his wrong doings and every thing that made others' lives less happy, we are called everyday to make some drastic choices. The choice is ours - to keep to our hidden ways or to open up and let Jesus in! And once he comes, things cannot remain the same! Let our choices be translated into acts of commitment. Acts of grandeur lacking true internal choices cannot bear the true lasting fruits that we long for. 

Choices matter: am I cold or hot, my heart closed or open?