WORD 2day: 1st May, 2014

Work - the likeness of divinity within humanity

Gen 1:26-2:3; Mt 13:54-58.

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 it form part of humanity, which holds the likeness and image God. 

That St. Joseph, the working hand and 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.

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. 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.

WORD 2day: 30th April, 2014

Conformity or Conflict? Conviction or Convenience?

Acts 5:17-26; Jn 3:16-21

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light; whoever lives the truth comes to the light! 

The world contains four categories of people in relation to right things. The first category are those who do the right, the second category are those who assist those who do the right, the third are those who hinder anyone doing the right and the worst are those who are involved in doing the evil! We find all the four categories referred to in the readings today. 

The first call to us is to analyse our choices, our preferences and our priorities and see sincerely to which of these four categories we would belong. The second lesson for us is that while we strive to be people of the light and do the right, we can come across persons of all the four categories. What would our reaction be? Conformity? or Conflict? or Conviction? or Convenience? What would guide our response in situations such as these?

WORD 2day: 29th April, 2014

Life in the Spirit

Acts 4:32-37; Jn 3:7B-15

Unless you are born in the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God...but how do you see that one is born in the Spirit? It is only through the life that is lived. There can be no space between belief and life... we are expected to live what we believe and what we believe has to be translated into our lives. That is the essence of a Christ-like life, the formula for life in the Spirit. 

Life in the Spirit has to be verified on a daily basis. As Jesus said, a tree is known by its fruits; so the signs of our life in the Spirit has to be seen in our day to day choice for love, our capacity for sharing, our willingness to give up for the sake of the Lord, our readiness to think of the other before ourselves and our sense of oneness in the Risen Lord!

Let us examine our daily choices: do they reflect a life in the Spirit? Or are we living a life born from below? Let us be born from above, let us be born of the Spirit!

WORD 2day: 28th April, 2014

Let the earth be shaken up!

Acts 4:23-31; Jn 3:1-8

With Christ having risen from the dead and the disciples having realised its effects, history opens to the next phase! The people of God who were made into Easter people, now get ready to put on another identity as the people of the Spirit... "a Spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline" (2 Tim 1:7). 

It is like asking the believers to grow up and take charge, not to live in the shadow of fear and timidity but to speak up with courage the Good news of the Lord. But that needs a transformation - a real, total, concrete personal transformation leading to a transformation as a believing community. The courage and the conviction of faith of a true believer will shake the earth, describes the readings today. 

Let the earth be shaken up today, because of our convictions. Let the humanity which seems to be on a down-slide regarding values and morals, be shaken up because of our Spirit-filled lives. Let us not be overcome by evil; but let us overcome evil with Good (cf. Rom 12:21).

இரக்கம்...இறைமையின் அடையாளம்

MERCY - the mark of a Christian

27th April, 2014: Second Sunday of Easter

This Sunday is liturgically called the Low Sunday which marks the end of the Easter Octave. "A week later", indicates the Gospel today; it was a week later that Jesus appears to all the eleven, including Thomas and patiently, mercifully and lovingly leads them to true faith. The feast of Divine Mercy was instituted and fixed for this day by the late Pope John Paul II, who will be canonised (declared a saint officially) today! Along with him a pope so much loved for his compassion and mercifulness towards everyone, Pope John XXIII will be raised to the altar too. All of these give us one strong message today: MERCY!

The first reading speaks of how the early community of Christians becomes a mighty witness to the Lord. They were the epitome of the command that Jesus gave, 'be merciful as your heavenly father is merciful'. Mercy becomes their way of life, or rather their renewed way of life. As a mark of being a Christian, mercifulness to each other specially to those in need, becomes the point of attraction for many...and as the reading goes - the Lord added to their number everyday! Mercy, we know, is the high point of Christian identity. But what matters most is how it is lived on a daily basis. It begins with our life at home: with our dear ones, elderly parents, sickly loved ones, troublesome children, rebellious youngsters... how is our relationship? What level of patience and acceptance do we manifest?

The Second reading speaks to us of the source of mercy, God the father of Jesus Christ who in mercy sent the only Son for our salvation! The Mercy of God is given to us as the example and the measure of our "genuineness of faith"! Preaching and believing in high ideals of love and compassion, if we but hate people and divide families, envy others and detest their well being... we are far far away from God, the God of Mercy and compassion.

Jesus' encounter with the disciples after his resurrections manifests a special quality of mercy... it is an encounter that is full of unlimited forgiveness and unconditional love! There is no demand that the disciples have to render an account for having abandoned Jesus at the crucial moment of suffering, for having betrayed him or having denied him! All that Jesus does is, tell them he is with them and invite them to be his witnesses throughout the world. That is the mercy of God embodied, incarnate, which dwelt among us in flesh and blood and dwells among us today in the Spirit. Mercy, hence, has to be lived today in forgiveness and love; there can be no place for grudge and grievance, envy and slander, cheating and stealing, killing and enmity. 

As we celebrate the Divine Mercy of Jesus...let us understand and accept Mercy as our mark of identity as God's own children, the distinctive character of persons who call themselves Christians! Let us be merciful as our heavenly father is merciful.

WORD 2day: 26th April, 2014

SATURDAY of the EASTER OCTAVE

Acts 4:13-21; Mk 16:19-15

"They recognised them as companions of Jesus", says a verse (13) in the first reading today. From the things that happened around them, from the words that the disciples were proclaiming and from the life that they were living, 'they recognised them as companions of Jesus.' 

Mark summarises the week after Easter in the passage that we read today in the Gospel. Again, the crux is to speak of, to announce, to proclaim Christ, whom they have experienced. Mary of Magdala 'went and told his companions'; the two of them 'returned and told'... Finally the Lord gives us the command: Go and Proclaim!

The two fold call that we have today is, firstly, to identify ourselves as companions of Jesus, to know that we are walking everyday with the Lord, that we are not alone on our life's journey and that all that happens in our daily experience has a tremendous impact on ourselves and others; Secondly, the call is to 'proclaim'...to begin with, through our mindsets, attitudes and lifestyle and then explicitly through our words and speech,

But the crux of it all is the statement that the apostles make at the Sanhedrin, "it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard"! Have we seen and heard, that is, experienced Jesus personally? Is it a compelling need for us to speak of Jesus to others? Are we really filled with the zeal to stand for Christ and speak of Christ today?

WORD 2day: 25th April, 2014

FRIDAY of the EASTER OCTAVE

Acts 4:1-12; Luke 21:1-14

In whose name?...that is the crucial question today in the readings. The question lingers on even today, as each of us live our Christian call. The first reading presents the wondrous doing of God, how the rejected stone turns into the corner stone. 

The twofold lesson is: to grow to be cornerstones and to recognise our corner stone!

We are called to imitate the life of the Corner Stone, becoming ourselves corner stones to the Reign that the Lord wishes to establish within us and through us. Just as Jesus lived to do the will of the one who sent him, we are called to discover the unique plan that God has for us and live it to the full. 

Secondly, we need to readily recognise the corner stone of our lives, the Risen Lord Jesus! That feeling, "it is the Lord" and the readiness to jump into the waters of daily life to encounter the Risen Lord standing on the shore, are but just two of the many compelling examples that the apostles and their early communities give us. 

When we live our life "in His name" on a daily basis... we not only recognise the corner stone of our life but also train ourselves to be corner stones that create communities of joy and hope, wherever we are!

WORD 2day: 24th April, 2014

THURSDAY of the EASTER OCTAVE

Acts 3:11-26; Lk 24:35-48

You are witnesses of these things...says the Gospel today. We are witnesses of the great works that the Lord has done in and through us! The readings today give us three steps towards being witnesses. It would do us good to reflect on these steps.

The first reading reports the discourse of the apostles to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem after the cure of the crippled man. This is the first step: to see our history through the eyes of faith. The second step is to be challenged by understanding history from the perspective of faith. The apostles who deserted Jesus, hid themselves away and looked to escape into their past, were challenged by the Risen Lord as we see in the Gospel. And they accepted the challenge and understood everything that happened from the perspective of faith.

The call, thirdly, is to challenge the others towards a commitment of faith! What Peter does today is not to accuse the Jews of anything, but challenging them towards a personal experience of the Risen Christ and only through that we can become real witnesses.

To see, to be challenged and to challenge - that is the road map to true witnesses!

WORD 2day: 23rd April, 2014

WEDNESDAY of the EASTER OCTAVE

Acts 3:1-10; Lk 24: 13-35

To know that Christ is with you, is an incomparable potential. I shall be with you till the end of times, is the promise that Christ gives and keeps! Regardless of whether we realise it or not, acknowledge it or not, recognise it or not, the presence goes with us. 

The two disciples on the way to Emmaus, did not recognise Jesus nor acknowledge his presence. Peter and John, were mindful of the fact they had nothing much to offer on their own. The disciples walk all the way back to Jerusalem and the apostles make extraordinary things happen, the moment they become aware of the presence of the Risen Christ with them. 

When I know and am conscious of the presence of the Lord with me, I become capable of living life with an incredible serenity! The Lord's presence with me is a gift; recognising it on a daily basis, is my responsibility! 

WORD 2day - 22nd April, 2014

TUESDAY of the EASTER OCTAVE

Acts 2: 36-41; Jn 20:11-18

"My father and your father" - what a beautiful expression to hear from Jesus today. The first reading presents repentance and baptism as a way of being accepted as children of the God who raised Jesus from the dead: Jesus' father and our father. Our faith is all about relationship: the relationship of a covenant that has been lived from eternity, between God and God's own.

At times our vision of God can be blurred, when we are too focused on our own whims and fancies and are stuck to our own selfish desires and decisions. Openness to hear what the Lord wants to communicate, is fundamentally the openness to a strong relationship with God, which presumes a cordial, responsible and loving relationship with each other, with one's brothers and sisters in Christ.

WORD 2day: 21st April, 2014

MONDAY of the EASTER OCTAVE

Acts 2:14, 22-33; Mt 28:8-15

Easter people are people filled with hope, a hope that never fails. In spite of the plotting against the resurrection of Christ, Jesus never gives up, until people in their desperate move give up these attempts and believers were showered upon with grace after grace. 

Monday of the Easter Octave, we hear the plan of those who wanted Jesus dead and gone, and now to deter further any spread of the Good news of Christ. The implication is a concrete attachment to the Lord, the Lord of hope. In spite of all those who would plot our downfall or await our failure, let us grow in the love. 

BEING EASTER PEOPLE TODAY

EASTER SUNDAY: 20th APRIL 2014

He is risen and he goes before you to Galilee, announces the angel today! Yes, the Lord is Risen! Alleluia! And he has resumed his life… we have to keep pace with him today! The Risen Lord invites us to be Easter People Today. The world is in need of Easter People; if I am not an easter person there is one hope less. The Resurrection of the Lord invites us to a life of difference, to know the difference, to make a difference and to feel the difference! We cannot conform to the world, the Lord calls us to a transformation of the mind and spirit (cf.Rom12:2) that we may challenge the world. This non-conformity to the world is what marked the Early Christians from the rest of the people… the world recognized they were a different people, they were easter people!

The world today poses promises after promises for a happy life – possessions, comforts, popularity, power, pleasure… all these are presented to us as sure means of happiness in life! But a closer look at the situation today will let us know instantly how unreal these are. They make you slog with a promise of a great future till you suddenly realize that future never comes… you slog, slog and slog only to finally leave everything behind with a heavy heart and a resentment of the lost past. From these unreal promises, the Risen Lord invites us to the Real: to know the difference, the difference between the fleeting promises and the promises that stand forever! Being Easter People Today demands that we know this difference, the difference that the Lord wants to make in our lives. He has risen precisely for that, that he may make a difference! Shifting our focus from the unreal promises of an unreal happiness, the Lord invites us to focus on the Real promises of joy: that my joy may be in you and your joy may be  complete (Jn14:11). It is in living our life in union with the Lord, experience the love of the Lord and sharing it generously with our brothers and sisters, that our joy can be Real, lasting and permanent. Don’t you think as Easter people we have something concrete to offer to the world in this regard?

The world today reports darkness and darkness everywhere – Killings, Terrorism, Crisis, Abuse, Exploitation, Deception, Suicides and such news of desperation fill the dailies and the newstubes today. There is darkness everywhere because people have gone a long way with the unreal images and misleading guideposts. But the Risen Lord fills us with hope that it is no point of no return! There is a hope, if we as Easter People accept our call to move from the darkness to the Light. The same Lord who said, “I am the Light of the world” (Jn 8:12) looks at each of us and says, “You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). Arise! Shine! For your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you, says Prophet Isaiah (Is 60:1). No darkness can overcome the Easter People…we are people of the light and this light we have to let it shine, let the world see, let the world be guided. Often times, the sad fact is that we do not realize who we are and continue to lament on the darkness that surrounds…there is unrest, there is crisis, there is hatred, there is desperation… yes they are there, but what have I done to make a difference! What have I changed within myself, what  have I contributed to my setting, what have I changed around me to make a difference? Without really having done anything to make a difference can I claim myself to be an Easter Person? What meaning would it have to celebrate Easter then?

The world today is rushing into a culture of death, warns us Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Hopeless pessimism, inhuman utilitarianism, exaggerated materialism, limitless consumerism…these are signs of the Reign of the Evil one, of the kingdom of death!  The Risen Lord invites us from this reign of death to the glory of eternal life. An unfailing optimism, love filled relationships, balanced understanding of development and advancement, use of things and love for people…these are the signs of eternity, because they will never end. We are called to be people who feel the presence of these signs within us and witness to these infront of the word today. An Easter person has to be filled with life and has to fill those around him with life. Standing against the culture of death we are called to witness for optimism rather than desperation, to opt for love rather than exploitation, to liberate ourselves from slaveries and challenge the world to a liberated life style. The Risen Lord fills us with this life… a life that is filled with Joy, a life that is lit with Truth and a life that is defined by hope. Let us take it to the rest of the World as the disciples took the risen Lord to the rest of the world.

Being Easter people today demands that we know the difference between the unreal and the Real, that we make a difference and lead the world from darkness to Light, and that we feel the difference that the Risen Lord offers us: the promise, the gift and the hope of Eternal Life.

WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY EASTER...BE FILLED WITH THE HOPE OF THE RISEN LORD!!!

HOLY SATURDAY

GOOD FRIDAY 2014

MAUNDY THURSDAY 2014

SPY WEDNESDAY

HOLY WEEK 2014 - HOLY WEDNESDAY - 16th APRIL

Is 50: 4-9A; Mt 26:14-25

Starting from Monday, we have heard the three songs of the suffering servant from the book of Isaiah... a set of songs that expresses the sufferings that a servant of God or the prophet of God undergoes. It becomes a prefigurement of Christ's suffering. The servant of God, even the Son of God, finds all around  him, those who plot his downfall, those who want him to fail, to be destroyed: how prepared are we to face such people and still go about with dedication and commitment to the Will of God. It is simple when things go on well to remain with the Lord, but when things do not go the way we want them? That is what led to the fall of Judas!

THE SPY WEDNESDAY

"From that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over" ...says the Gospel today. The plot thickens and the tempo builds towards the climax. There are eyes that keep watching out for the right moment to lay hands on Jesus...and the most unfortunate fact is that it is led by one from the inner most circle of Jesus' collaborators!

PREACHING TUESDAY

HOLY WEEK 2014 - HOLY TUESDAY - 15th APRIL

Is 49:1-6; Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

"Though I thought I toiled in vain... yet my reward is with the Lord", this feeling expressed by Isaiah in the first reading fits perfectly the state of Jesus' mind, as he bids a bitter farewell to his disciples today. Arriving at the fag end of his ministry, Jesus knows what is in store and prepares himself for it. Judas' betrayal, Peter's denial...he foresees everything and forewarns them too, but everything in vain. However, he knows that in everything God works for the good of those who love God (cf. Rom 8:28). 

THE PREACHING TUESDAY

CLEANSING MONDAY

HOLY WEEK 2014 - HOLY MONDAY - 14th APRIL

Is 42:1-7; Jn 12:1-11

The flame burns more vigorously as it is about to quench itself, they say. The perfume spreads itself more vivaciously when it is about to vanquish itself. Jesus is about to enter into his last few days, and more and more begin to believe in him and come to him. Even while these happen, the stubborn heart of Judas does not give way, the plotting spirit of the high priest and scribes does not change! All the good that Jesus did, all the signs that marked his mission did not manage to convert that one section of the people, because they had their hearts hardened and their eyes blinded. May we hear today the yearning cry of the Lord to true conversion. May we make up our mind to truly break away from some act or tendency that we habitually fall in.

CLEANSING MONDAY

குருத்து ஞாயிறு 2014

LIVE LIFE GOD SIZE

Palm Sunday 2014: 13th April

Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14-27:66

Jesus enters Jerusalem. Jesus knows well what awaits him there... he had told his disciples that the Son of Man would be handed over to be tried and tortured; he had seen people plotting against him and waiting for a moment to lay hands on him; he had heard the whispers against him that it is better that one man dies for the whole of Israel. In spite of all these, Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem, he enters Jerusalem.

Just as we find a festive atmosphere suddenly in the midst of the lenten sobriety this Sunday, so did Jesus find the joy of those people as he entered Jerusalem. He joins them in their celebration, notwithstanding the anxiety that clung to his soul. When someone suggested that he stop the people from all the frenzy, he disagrees with them and allows the jubilation and joins them in it. As the saying goes, "live life king size", we see Jesus showing the way to live life God size!

Jesus' solemn entry into Jerusalem, is not merely a road show; it is much more. Like the disciples who had the transfiguration experience to sustain themselves, the common believers are given this solemn reception as something that they can fall back upon when things would look to be going wrong. He wants them to understand the celebration and the following confusions, the jubilation and the following tragedies, the triumphant entry and the shameful exit...all of these as part of a grand plan, a salvific plan. All that we need to do is live life from God's hands. Surrender every thing, every little thing that happens - joy or sorrow, challenge or victory, opportunity or obstacle...surrender every thing into the hands of God and find its meaning from there. This is living life from God's hands! This is the first step to live life God size!

Jesus was constantly motivated by the Mission that was entrusted to him by the One who sent him. It was this mission that defined his thoughts, words and actions. When there was a temptation of resting on the glory of the wonders that were happening, or the pressure from the people to make him their king, or the tendency towards attachment to a particular place or people, Jesus had his mind clear. He always said, we have to go to other villages and proclaim the good news! Living Life for God's Mission, was all that mattered for him. That is why a call from Herod for signs or a plea from Pilate for a submission or the threats from the high priests - all of them fell on a deaf ear. Jesus' mind was focused on just one thing: living life for God's Mission.

I came that you may have life; life in all its fullness: this was the self definition of Jesus' mission. The true glory of God is a human being fully alive, and Jesus is the prototype of this. Difficulties, rejections, let downs, oppositions, criticisms and condemnations, nothing really mattered for Jesus. He understood living to the full consists of all these experiences put together. What matters is hope, trust, and courage in the Lord with which to leap into the future which is filled with joy, splendour and peace that God alone can give. Behold, I come to do your will, says the Son and challenges us to do the same: to live our life to the full. Not to give up at the first of problems, not to give in to the least of the tests, but to remain faithful to the will of God, and obey with the same humility as the Son of God who emptied himself to the point of accepting death on the Cross. 

Let us look at the picture that the readings paint today...the man who foresees a terrible time amidst the people gathered around in extraordinary jubilation; the calmness of Jesus and the excitement of the people. This is living the moment to the full, living every thing that comes our way with intensity, this is living life God size! 

Let us live our life from God's hands, live our life for God's mission and live our life to the full and we would live our life God size, after the example of our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

WORD 2day: 12th April, 2014

RETURN TO THE GOD OF LOVE

Ezek 37: 21-28; Jn 11: 45-56

What a contrast we are given to notice today- while God longs to give life and bring the people to new birth, the people plot to kill the Son of God and do away with him. On the mountain of the Lord, there will be no killing and no hatred! How far we are from the Reign of God when we harbour thoughts of hatred, jealousy, rancour and ruin! 

Personal feuds or Political Wars, Communal clashes or cut-throat competitions... they are all against the God of love who dwells amidst us, as God once promised through the covenant made - I will make my dwelling amidst you; you shall be my people and I shall be your God! The plot thickens today as Jesus is marked to be put to death! Jesus knows he is surrounded by enmity and hatred, but avoids taking it in and remains the love that he is, the love that he came from.

It is a direct call for each of us to analyse whether we are worthy to be called the people of the covenant, children of the God who is love, disciples of the one who offered himself as ransom for many. Let us return to the God of love, be children of that love, be people who will emanate only love and thus make the world a better place, a place closer to the Reign of God, the God of love.

WORD 2day: 11th April, 2014

RELEARN NOT TO COUNT COST

Jer 20: 10-13; Jn 10: 31-42                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Dedication to God's mission and distress are at times inseparable, as the world has forces working intently against God and anything pertaining to God. "We must be on the guard against the presence of evil in world," reminds the Holy Father. Explicitly or indirectly, we are bound to face oppositions and criticism when we choose to stand by God and carry God's message to others. If for long we do not find any opposition, it would be high time to review whether we are really doing God's mission, carrying out the design laid out by God. 

Both Jeremiah and Jesus chose to stand by God and they were derided, tortured, were considered liable unto death. But they were unmoved, unperturbed; they counted no cost and were prepared for anything for the sake of the God's will. 

Would we be able to repeat what Jesus says in the Gospel today: the Father is in me and I am in the Father. We would be able to do, if only we relearn not to count the cost when it comes to love for the Lord and commitment to the Lord!

WORD 2day: 10th April, 2014

RELEARN THE SENSE OF ETERNITY

Gen 17:3-9; Jn 8:51-59

It was a shocker, when Jesus said, "Before ever Abraham was, I AM." In this, apart from the statement on the divine participation of Jesus in the One who sent him, there is an important message for each of us and our identity. 

The first reading establishes the foundation for it, as it reminds us of the covenant made with Abraham. We are made sons and daughters of God, in faith. And Jesus assures that, 'if we keep the covenant; if we keep the Word; we will always be sons and daughters of the Lord; we will partake in the eternal life of God.' The Jews were unable to understand that, because they did not have an idea of the eternal life Jesus was speaking of. For us today, it is not anymore as strange as it was for the Jews.

We believe in resurrection and in life everlasting! And what matters within eternity is not who came first and who came next, but what relationship and what intensity of commitment one shows in relating to God our Father and Mother, who loves us into existence and watches over us every moment. For Jesus, that relationship was absolute; that defined everything that mattered to him! And it is to that same absolute sense of relatedness to God, that Jesus calls us his brothers and sisters... it comes with a strong sense of eternity!

WORD 2day: 9th April, 2014

RELEARN INTEGRITY OF LIFE

Dan 3:14-20,91-92,95; Jn 8:31-42

'Truth will set you free', declares Jesus today. And if Jesus were to have been asked to define what he meant by Truth, he would have said, 'Truth is what is'... It's no mere philosophy, it is a Spirituality! 

Truth is what is, and it never changes. No situation, no circumstance, no crisis will ever change it; if they manage to change it, it had never been the Truth. Compromises, justifications, manipulations, adjustments, conveniences and inconveniences... these considerations at times, drive us away from truth and we experience a sort of split life, split between what we profess and what we practice, between what we believe and how we behave, between what we say and what we are! 

The absence of that split is called Integrity. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were persons of Integrity and no one doubted them on that. Neither were they ready to give up their identity. And they found God; it was cool in the furnace. Let us heed the call of the Liturgy today...to heal ourselves of all splits that we may learn to live in integrity of life, an integrity that would set us free. 

WORD 2day: 8th April, 2014

Turn to look to what is above

Num 21:4-9; Jn 8:21-30

To look to what is lifted up or the one who is lifted up, or in short, to be people 'from above', is the crux of the Word today. 

The first reading speaks of the bronze serpent that was made and lifted up and that anyone bitten by the serpent who looked to it, lived. In the Gospel Jesus speaks of himself, that when he is lifted up, the world will really know him. 

Jesus invites us too to be lifted up, in our thinking, in our attitudes, in our priorities and in our perspectives. He challenges us to be 'people from above'...that is, to have the mind of Christ, as St.Paul puts it in his letters (Phil 2:5). To look at God and the relationship I have with God, in the same way as Christ looked at; to look at my brothers and sisters, with compassion, empathy and commitment, as Jesus did; to look at everything that happens to us and around us, from the perspective of the Reign of God as Jesus did: this is what Jesus means when he says, "I belong to what is above" (Jn 8:23). 

Let us turn to look to what is above, thus enabling ourselves to be people from above. Thus we will be worthy to repeat Jesus' words: 'I always do what is pleasing to Him."

WORD 2day: 7th April, 2014

Relearn Christian Empathy

Dan 13; Jn 8: 1-11

"Slow to anger and abounding in love", those are the attributes oft repeated about God. If we have to speak of our tendencies today, we should put it this way: 'Quick to judge and totally merciless!' Regardless of who the person involved is, it has become a culture to pass unjust judgments, circulate untrue gossips and entertain unwanted evaluations... Is it a 'Christ'ian attitude? 

The first reading tells us - even if the whole world around you joins together to tear a person into pieces, you stand aloof and act by the Spirit. The Gospel reminds us - even if it were true that a person has made a mistake, give the person another chance, for God has been endlessly patient with you! Aren't these truly 'Christ'ian attitudes? 

And these are possible only when we empathise with the affected person. Christ empathised with the woman brought to be stoned, he empathised with Zachaeus, with Matthew the tax collector, with the Samaritan woman at the well, with Peter who denied his master... Christian Empathy, does not approve of the wrong doing or the limitation, but loves and respects the person who is involved. That love and respect, inspires the person to 'Go and sin no more.' 

வாழ்வின் மக்களாய்

CALLED TO BE PEOPLE OF LIFE

LENTEN PROJECT 2014 - SUNDAY #5 - 6th APRIL

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 be people of life, in faith, in hope and in love. Turning to the God of life in Faith, Returning to the Life and Resurrection that is Jesus Christ, in Hope and Relearning to live the life in the Spirit in true Love.

WORD 2day: 5th April, 2014

RELEARN THE LOVE FOR TRUTH

Jer 11:18-20; Jn 7: 40-53

"Then each went to his own house" - that is how the Gospel reading ends today! In spite of the witnesses who saw that there was something extraordinary in Jesus, in spite of the good that Jesus accomplished, in spite of the wonderful things that they saw, the pharisees took pride that they did not give into believing Jesus. The meaning of pride is not merely lack of humility, but it is lack of openness to truth! When one is open to Truth, one is ready to face struggles, persecutions and threats to stand by that truth, as Jeremiah tells us in the first reading. When one is stubbornly closed up against anything other than what he or she knows, one is locked up in "one's own house"... the experience of Massah and Meribah where the people tested the Lord because of their stubbornness of heart, is what continued in Jesus' life as they refused to understand who Jesus was. In fact, it continues even today, when we are selective in our perceptions and choosy in our reflections. We take what is convenient for us and neglect what is not. Truth does not matter to us as much as living without trouble. Truth does not matter to us as much as having everyone nod to our thinking and choice. When they don't agree, we tend to neglect them, sideline them, persecute them, hate them, or atleast ignore them! Is this a Christian attitude?

WORD 2day: 4th April, 2014

RETURN TO THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

Wis 2:1A,12-22; Jn 7: 1-2,10,25-30.

The prime question today in the liturgy is "knowing God"... what kind of knowing is truly knowing, when it comes to the knowledge of God? What  matters most is not knowing about God, but knowing God. What is the difference here: one is information and the other is transformation. Knowing philosophical concepts and theological finer points is merely information, but allowing those to affect our lives, forming our values based on those and living a life that is coherent to our beliefs is more than mere knowledge; it is more than knowing about God; it is knowing God! The people in the Gospel today, knew so much about God, but they did not know God when God really lived and moved amidst them. Knowing the biblical verses by heart and quoting them in season and out of season, reflecting on the depths of theological ruminations and reaching the heights of mystical formulations will not guarantee true knowledge of God. Jesus says of God: "I know him because I am from him" and that is the true knowledge of God. Knowing God is to belong to God, to be open to God's promptings, to listen to the Word and to see God's will in it, ever ready to accept, live and stand for God's plan, will and design. To carry out God's will is the direct route to true happiness; it arises from right rapport with God translated into right, respectful, just, genuine and loving relationships.

WORD 2day: 3rd April, 2014

RELEARN LIVING IN TRUTH

Exo 32:7-14; Jn 5:31-47

Testifying to oneself, others testifying, God testifying, the Word testifying... testifying to the Truth is an important element of one's Spirituality. Jesus speaks of all these today in the Gospel. The point he makes is: a hard hearted person will never see the truth, however clearly it might be presented. The people of Israel in the first reading are an ample illustration of this fact. In spite of the wonders that they witnessed in Egypt, at the red sea and in the desert, they had the hardness of heart to go in search of gods made of their own hands! Confusions of our daily life, little troubles of our regular days, temptations amidst our ordinary experiences, struggles to carry out one's duties - these can some times make us forget the Truth that we have always experienced. Deserting one's faith, abandoning one's traditions, going in search of substitutes for the cherished experiences of life and phenomena of these sorts are nothing strange to the world today. How well founded is our faith expreience? In whom have we placed our hope? Let us relearn to live our life, founded on Truth!

WORD 2day: 2nd April, 2014

Turn to God the Father and Mother

Is 49:8-15; Jn 5:17-30

The relationship God has with us and the identity we have of ourselves in relation to God are the two factors that matter the most in forming a holistic world view. That is what defined to Jesus, who and what he was. Jesus' self identity was so strongly formed that he did not mind facing any opposition in order to realise and live that identity to the full. Understanding God as a mother who does not forget the child in her bosom, or as some one who does not forget us even if a mother does, leads us to an attachment that Jesus exhibits in his life... for the Jews it was strange and unthinkable, it was a reason enough to kill Jesus. If we exhibit such an attachment to God and to doing God's will the world around will look at us strange too; they would want to do away with us too - may be by subtler ways, like calling us 'old fashioned' or 'goody goody' or 'impractical'. Will we be courageous enough to say what Jesus says:"I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me!"

WORD 2day: 1st of April

RETURN TO THE SPRINGS OF LIVING WATERS

The Springs of living waters, that fill us with life, health and joy are pictured today in the readings. The waters keep flowing on, it depends on us to approach it and drink from it. Jesus invites us, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me; and let the one who believes in me, drink!" (Jn 7:37-38). We are planted by the stream that flows, that is, we are enlivened by the presence of the Lord who surrounds us each and every moment. True spirituality has to arise from there - based on the personal presence of God with us. Special places like the Church or the Sanctuaries and special moments like those of community liturgy or personal prayer, should be the springs from where the waters flow on into daily life, affecting our daily life, our every day thoughts, words and deeds! If that connection is lost, then we become lifeless vegetation that remains fruitless. Let us return to the Springs of living waters and make our daily life flourish, for the greater glory of God!