WORD 2day: 20th March, 2014

RELEARN RIGHT PRIORITIES

Religious Commitment is not merely about rites, rituals, performances and practices! Christian faith is primarily about priorities. Life and all that it involves is a gift from God, and it makes meaning only as long as it is lived with that perspective clear and strong. At times the values that the times teach us, the priorities that the society promotes, makes us look at riches, comforts, social status, economic security, personal attachments as things that matter most. Taken well, these can bring us to realise, understand and cherish the giftedness involved. But taken amiss, they can confuse our priorities, as it happens with the rich man in today's parable. Jeremiah invites us to live a life as trees planted by the course of a river, to grow and flourish in grace and giftedness; and the way is to Relearn Right Priorities. Let God be the first priority in our life and we will surely be transported to the bosom of Abraham.

The Call to Serve...

Ordinations to Diaconate : 18th March, 2014

Today I had the grace of being part of the ceremony of the ordination of 9 deacons, held at Don Bosco Shrine, Ayanavaram, Chennai. It was a reminder of my call to serve, as the 9 of them were ordained deacons by Rt. Rev. Dr. Sounderraju Periyanayagan DD SDB, in a eucharistic celebration concelebrated by over 80 priests and laity of a packed church. Not to be served but to serve, said the theme that ran through the liturgy which was ably animated by the staff of Don Bosco, Kavarapettai and the hosting parish. My prayer was just this - that these words do not become just a fad or a cliche, but that I begin really to mean them. The self emptying of the Trinity, the example of the saints beginning with our Blessed Mother and the demands of the Salesian Constitution - these are the points of focus that posed a challenge to me, to renew my commitment to the Lord and the call that i have received, not to be served but to serve!

19th March, 2014 : Solemnity of St. Joseph

RETURN TO THE PROMISES

The feast of St. Joseph usually comes during the season of lent. The Church makes an exception to acknowledge the unique role played by the person of Joseph, within the salvation plan! Though an exception in the grade of celebration, as we break off from the violet and the sobriety of the lent and break into golden vestments and a solemnity in the liturgy, we can still stick to the scheme of our lenten project: St. Joseph is a reminder to RETURN to the promises!

Joseph is a personality who resembles more the patriarchs of the Old Testament...like Abraham, or Jacob, or Joseph. He stands for the promises of the Lord that are fulfilled to details, in God's own time. The first reading and the second invite us to reflect on the theme of promise and the Gospel presents to us the life of a person who was certain that the Lord is faithful to the promises he makes. Imitating St. Joseph, when troubles come our way, when we are hard up for solutions in difficult times, when we find ourselves before choices to make for the family, for the well being of those who love us and our beloveds, let us RETURN to the promises of the Lord. Standing on the promises of the Lord, we can live our daily life with serenity, inspite of the uncertainties that surround. May St. Joseph inspire us!