WORD 2day

16th July, 2013

Yesterday we spoke of the situations of injustice in the world and the readings drove us to a reflection on it. Today, the readings issue a warning to us! The Lord is patient and merciful, but at the same time just and righteous. The Lord has a predilection for the poor, the oppressed, those who are sinned against, those who are denied of their rights, those who are constrained to live in conditions that they actually do not deserve to suffer. The warning is this: that we take care to see where we actually belong! We are not called merely to judge who is right and who is wrong and give a verdict on persons. We are called to remain on the side of the right, the truth and justice. It is not that we may be oppressors, but even if indirectly by our inaction and silence we allow the oppression of a person or a people go scot-free, we are on the wrong side, on the side of injustice! As the famous holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel says, "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." Our help is in the name of the Lord, affirms the Responsorial Psalm today. When we are a help to the oppressed, we are acting in the name of the Lord. The Lord raises Lord's judgement, Lord's Hero from where and when, we know not. But surely our help is in the name of the Lord, and let us strive to be always on the side of the Lord. If we fail, the Lord warns us today, "I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom than for you."

WORD 2day

15th July, 2013

Just yesterday after the Sunday Eucharistic Celebration, when I came out of the Church, one of those who had participated in the Celebration, among many others, came over to me and wished me. He introduced himself and said he is from Srilanka! My feelings became a little mixed, frankly speaking, but i did not want that to take the better of me! He asked me whether I am from Calcutta!!! (He would have preferred it that way). And when I said, I am from Tamilnadu, I could see his feelings were mixed too! Though I did not wish to, he began a discussion on the prevailing problem between the Tamils and the Sinhalese in Srilanka and its repercussions in Tamilnadu. He then said, "its unfortunate that these problems are prevailing and it can never be justified on whatever ground that people are denied their fundamental right to live in peace!" and he added, "to what extent the inhuman selfishness of a small group of people can cause an havoc in the world!" One cannot but think of the prevailing situations of inhumanity, cruel hegemony, political manipulation, socio economic oppression and human right violations all over the world, when we read the first reading today! When we find ourselves in front of these suffering brothers and sisters, we cannot close our eyes or switch off our minds. No one can be neutral, in our own way we have to take our stand - that is what Jesus says in the words - "I have come to bring not peace but sword!" Our solidarity, our affirmation of justice and peace, our simple gestures of care and concern for the oppressed brothers and sisters, though it may appear to be like a mere glass of water, will be much rewarded in the Reign of God, because however simple, those gestures show that we stand for truth, liberty, peace and justice - in short - for the Reign of God!