Goodness to strangers... does it sound strange?

WORD 2day: Saturday, 32nd week in Ordinary time

November 16, 2024 - 3 John 5-8; Luke 18: 1-8

The first reading today speaks of Godliness, as being good to strangers. Doesn't that sound strange in today's context? 

People find being good to known persons already a little too tedious. But among the people of God in the Old Testament, taking care of strangers, widows and the orphans was a special commission given to them by God. And that was an experiential learning on the part of the people who were themselves strangers, orphans and sojourners.

Unfortunately the population of the kind that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel - those who do neither fear God nor respect people - is on the rise and with no qualms of conscience. Religious or Irreligious, educated or uneducated, male or female... nothing serves an exception to this condition. The generation is becoming more and more insensitive.

Killing for a pittance, killing for honour, killing for payment, killing for religion, killing for profits, killing for property, killing for convenience, killing even in the name of God... what is humanity going towards? With all these, speaking of being good to strangers - how strange does it sound!

The term stranger or foreigner was indicative of every one in need, people in insecure circumstances. Today we have every category you can ever think of, referring to this definition of the people in need. The exploited, the immigrants, the refugees, the unemployed and the homeless: today we have a responsibility towards this part of humanity. Pope Francis leads us by example in this expression of true Christian love! But including him, all those who think in this manner are considered abnormal, unacceptable and strange... let us better be ready to be considered strange - that's being truly Christian!

Love, and do what you wish!

WORD 2day: Friday, 32nd week in Ordinary time

November 15, 2024 - 2 John 4-9; Luke 17: 26-37

Looking at many dicouraging developments in the world, the political situations across the globe, the turmoils that are created and sustained between nations, the controversies that are cooked up and blown out of proportions, enmity that is cultivated and hatred that is spread, one cannot but think of the proximity of the end of times! 

It is natural that these days, people are constantly looking out for and discussing about such things - the armageddon, the end of the world, the third world war, the second coming etc. At times they query as to what would be the best way to prepare themselves towards these phenomena. The answer is so simple... go on living your Christian life to the full. And the way you live the Christian life to the full: Love!

Love! That is no new teaching. It is the summary of all teachings of Christ. There is almost nothing you can do when the end comes, whenever it comes! There is nothing special that you are expected to do too, that is why the time is not announced earlier.

Live your daily life in love and peace, encounter people, share your joys, reduce misunderstandings, increase genuine relationships, rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, forgive and accept, in short, just LOVE!

Take time to simplify things and do not insist on complicating them in the name of anything like traditions, protocol and customs. Be transparent in your dealings and do not unduly try to please someone for its own sake! Be good, be loving and be truthful; be caring, be selfless and be childlike, in short, just LOVE!

St. Augustine's words are a very pertinent lesson: love, and do what you wish! Because true love is to wish the good of the other! Once you wish the good of the other, all that you need to do is go on, and live... Live and keep loving!

The Reign of Brothers and Sisters

Thursday, 32nd week in Ordinary Time

November 14, 2024: Philemon 7-20; Luke 17: 20-25

The Reign of God is among you, reminds Jesus. This has been a revolutionary teaching of the Lord for ages; it has incited liberation movements and over thrown some inhuman systems. Today the reminder returns - to make present, to feel the presence and to accept the obligation presented to us by the Reign of God in our day to day life.

It is true. The Reign of God is not merely some sort of a regime to be imported into an already existing system; it is a mentality, a way of life, a culture to be nurtured and nourished into full growth from amidst us. Our daily life, our normal relationships, our outlook on others, our convictions towards true humanity - that is truly the Reign of God. More than an expectation, Reign of God is a responsibility.

One of the responsibilities of the Reign is to look at everyone as brothers and sisters and not in terms of subject or as objects. To look at a person, accept the inherent dignity of the person and to give the person the due without grudging, is to promote the Reign. To let go of divisive mentalities and competitive spirits and to look at everyone as a co-pilgrim on this journey called life, is the mentality of the Reign.

The Reign of God is here, I need to begin to feel it; I need to work to make it present; and I need to spread it across in the Spirit and through everything you are involved in.

Taking God for granted!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 32nd week in the Ordinary time

November 13, 2024: Titus 3:1-7; Luke 17:11-19

Speaking on the eve of his 97th birthday, one of our elderly Salesian priests said, "you will not understand the difficulty of living this old... everything, every little thing is difficult. Even putting on a shirt or a pant is such an herculean task. With the missing balance, even using a toilet or washing the face is such a problematic affair!" (He lived on till he was 102). As we think of it, don't we really feel guilty about the numerous times that we take so many things for granted?

We have today a typical event in the Gospel where there are the majority who take things for granted, but that one spiritually sensitive person who returns to the Lord to tell him, that it really made a difference what the Lord had done to him. Thats not a simple quality, nor is it very common! It is a spiritually in itself - of not taking God for granted.

This quality of not taking God for granted has to come from, not taking people around me for granted. That is what the first reading tells me. If the latter does not happen, the former will only be an external show, an hypocrisy. Not even God will be pleased with it, of course!

The challenge is: that we recognise persons, accept persons, appreciate them and affirm their presence, thank God for them, and take care of them. We need to be, not only sheep of the Divine Shepherd, but also the Shepherd's hands and legs, reaching out to the needy and the marginalised. It is easy and pleasant to proclaim that the Lord is my shepherd, but to recognise it truly in concrete terms and submit to the shepherding of the Lord, it is not an easy task. It means, walking with the Shepherd, following the Shepherd and doing what the Shepherd wants! Let us begin by not taking God for granted.

The source of my real worth!

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 32nd week in Ordinary time

November 12, 2024: Titus 2:1-8, 11-14; Luke 17: 7-10

Today there is so much spoken about self mastery, self actualisation and self worth! Where does one's real worth come from? From merely one's age, or from the role one has in the society, or from the great successes that one parades to the world? From what one possesses as wealth and passes on as inheritance? From what others speak of me and what I project myself as to others? If I think about it with care, as a person, my true worth comes from within me; and that is what the Word instructs on today. 

Self worth comes from within, meaning, each of us understands what one is called to, what one's commission is and lives it in his or her daily life, without making a mess out of it. It is one thing not to understand what we are called to, which is already bad enough. But it is altogether another thing that we do not want to know or understand it, just to have our own way. That is a dangerous proposition, very harmful for oneself and for others!

At times we do a little that we do, and go about trumpeting it all around. Worse still sometimes, we do not do anything much but go around building it up as if we have moved mountains. And the worst of all is, doing everything that we do, merely to be noticed and praised and given the social recognition that I am an important person in the vicinity.

Christian life is all about living the essential goodness that we have within us, thanks to the very fact that we are children of God and never expecting to be lauded for what we do, because what we do is what we have to do! Jesus puts it so plainly in today's Gospel: we are merely humble servants; we do just what we ought to (cf. Lk 17:10).

Leading, Leading astray and Leading together

Monday, 32nd week in Ordinary Time

November 11, 2024: Titus 1:1-9; Luke 17:1-6

The Word speaks of three aspects of leadership in a community...

First is leading; leading after the heart of God, being inspired by the Holy Spirit and guided by teachings of the Lord. When a person involves in such a mission, leading one's brothers and sisters in the Spirit, there will be loads of opposition but the person will find oneself so fearless! 

Second is leading astray, where the evil one is active at play. That has been the quality of the evil one, right from the beginning of humanity. Temptor, as the evil one is identified, uses people under influence to draw others to evil and against good. But there might be no signs of evil around, everything might seem so practical, pragmatic and acceptable, but the evil could reside somewhere in the corner, leading us astray.

The third is leading the community together to unity, harmony and loving understanding. One of the most important tool in this regard would be forgiveness. No community or family can be built without daily and unfailing forgiveness. At times we get so caught up with doing right and standing for the right, that we forget that forgiving and marching ahead is much more important, without which we shall be sitting in judgement on each other, never progressing towards the Reign!

Everything seems complicated and so difficult. But when there is faith, that is when there is the assurance that we are walking with the Lord, we shall sail through. This is what a saint like Martin of Tours whom we remember today teaches us: all that we need to do is, pray as the Gospel teaches us today: Lord, increase our faith!

WHAT TYPE OF GIVING...

To gain, to get, or to just give?

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: November 10, 2024
1 Kings 17: 10-16; Hebrews 9: 24-28; Mark 12: 38-44

The widow at the gates of Sidon, the widow in the Temple of Jerusalem and God who gave God's only son as a sacrifice - these are given to us as models of giving, in today's Word. Giving is one act that can be done out of many a kind of motivation. Not all giving are of the same kind or type or degree! Analysing the models presented to us, we are called to reflect on our type of giving... let us reflect on it a little and single out at the depth of our hearts, what type is our giving!

Giving to Gain:

There is a lot of giving that is going on today. There are people or agencies or corporates who give even tons of money, but they are particular about what they stand to gain. They calculate the gain and then proceed to give: it could be a tax exemption, or wielding a power in the society, or a favour in return, or an end to achieve, or a popularity to earn! But apparently it is seen to be an act of generosity, an act of great magnanimity! But the hook is attached to the indirect returns - that's a gain.

However big and enormous this giving is, it would not be truly giving; it is in the final analysis, a getting, a begging, a receiving, a business, a gain! At times when we give, however small it is, from our time or energy or effort, if we are particular about our calculations of gain, our plots of selfishness, then our giving has no value in itself, its value is merely what we have gained.

Giving to Get:

This is the safest form of giving, where one is sure what one gives is not merely thrown in the air but it will return. I do a favour to someone expecting a favour in return; It'd be nice to someone expecting the person to be nice to me in return; I claim to love someone with the expectation that i will be loved in return! This is so direct - giving, inorder to get!

Though it is not about gain or profit or expecting a glorious image of oneself, this is a plain give and take, a barter mentality. There is no giving actually involved in here! It is an investment technique and when the plan fails people cry, shout, curse, claim, fight, sue, and make all noises possible! Forget giving, this is simply investing.

Giving... just to Give:

This is truly divine, truly Christ-ian! I give, because I find fulfillment in giving. I don't stand any chance of getting it back or I don't think anyone else will ever know, but I give, I give whole heartedly, of my time, my effort, my energy, my concern, my resources, because it is in giving that I find the true meaning of my life. During the last week Jesus instructed us, when you invite people to feasts, invite the poor, the maimed, those on the streets...reason, simple: they cannot invite you in return!

God gave God's only Son because God loved the world to that extent; it was an expression of God's love, not an expectation of the same in return! Jesus gave his life, his body and his blood, and what did he expect in return? This is true GIVING... giving after God's heart, giving after Christ's mind.

Some of the phrases often hear from ourselves and from others:

I am doing all this for him or for her or for them, what am I going to get in return?

Oh, I did all these to you, and is this how you respond?

Is it safe to give this, or do this, for this particular person, will it ever come back?

I did this, with so much of effort and money, and they do not care to even thank me in public!

These kinds of statements are candid indicatives of 'giving' that is not after the heart of our beloved Lord and Saviour. Because with the Lord, we are called to give without measure. Freely freely you have received, freely freely give! Here the giving is not to gain, not to get it back; it is just to give, and nothing more!

God, glory, stomach and shame!

WORD 2day: Friday, 31st week in Ordinary time

November 08, 2024 - Philippians 3:17 - 4:1; Luke 16: 1-8

Their stomach is their god and their glory is in their shame - what words St. Paul has against those who live a life that is thoughtless and flimsy, with nothing that offers a depth to their living or nothing that adds to meaning of their lives. This is really an alarming situation that he refers to - and not just of the past; even today it is so? 

Hoarding wealth, seeking comfort, craving for pleasures and living solely for material satisfaction - what can that offer to one's life. Lies lead to more lies, obscurities lead to more obscurities, crimes lead to more crimes and lawlessness leads to absolute inhumanity. Compromises kill. What a shame indeed, to call myself a child of God and thoughtlessly go after these ungodly tendencies!

Being imitators of Christ, means to live with no compromises, to speak nothing but the Words of the Almighty, to think nothing but good, to do only what builds the other and the family of God, to love like God and to relate like children of God. That would be heaven...or the Reign of God on earth. How prepared and eager am I, to do my part!

True loss and Real gain

WORD 2day: Thursday, 31st week in Ordinary time

November 7, 2024: Philippians 3: 3-8a; Luke 15: 1-10

The World today judges everything against categories like gain or loss or profit or returns! Which is the true loss and what would be real gain - the Apostle today clarifies it in no uncertain terms. I consider everything as a loss or as rubbish, when it comes to knowing Christ, or gaining favour with the Lord, growing in relationship with the Lord.

Past glories, handed down traditions, legalistic requirements, ritual uprightness... these will not take me that far, however good and right and just they are. All that is expected of me is to get nearer and nearer, closer and closer, more and more in personal relationship with God. God keeps looking out for us as presented in the parables in the Gospel- the shepherd and the woman! And so evidently the initial lines of the Gospel today communicates it: the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus and the pharisees were complaining! What really matters is not circumcision or not... but the relationship one has with the person of Christ.

Entering into a personal rapport with the Lord means being moulded into the Lord's ways. The question fundamentally is about one's choices and priorities. The Gospel clarifies the choices and priorities of the Lord...for the Lord, God's children matter the most! Whether one has been into sin all one's life (like the sheep that stray), or one considers oneself worth nothing (just a single dime); for the Lord, that one person is worth the whole world, is worth giving up everything, even God's only son!

True loss is the loss of relationship with the Lord and Real gain is gaining a  life in the Lord. Whether we live or die, we do it for Christ.

What it takes to be a Christian!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 31st week in Ordinary time

November 6, 2024: Philippians 2: 12-18; Luke: 14:25-33

If you call yourself a Christian you better be one, says the Word today. You want to construct a tower but you don't want to procure the material; you want to fight the battle but you don't care to gather the soldiers; you want to be called a Christian but you don't want to take in all those things that makes up that name! What a shame!

What does it take then, to be a Christian?

To be a light, when every one around is getting used to the darkness; to carry the cross with love, when every one around you is waiting to shake off even an extra speck of dust that seems to weigh on them; to be holy and blameless, while everyone around is losing the very sense of those terms. That is what it takes to be a Christian!

To be perfect children of God is to resemble God, to receive the shining light that the Lord is and share with the world, to stand up there in the midst of all those who are searching for the truth, worse still, among those who are sworn to destroy and obscure truth, and bear the light that the Lord is! Can we? Are we prepared? Do we dare?

Let our prayer today be: O Lord Jesus Christ, give us the strength, the courage and the light to walk in your footsteps, carrying our crosses and and making a difference in every life we encounter. You are our light and our salvation.