WORD 2day : 18th April, 2016

Standing in God's way?

Monday, 4th week in Easter
Acts 11: 1-18; Jn 10:1-10

I have come that you may have life, life in all its fullness. The Lord has come, the Lord has encountered us, and the Lord has done everything best. Have we received the fullness of life that the Lord brought us? Aren't we still given into frustrations and discouragements,  meaninglessness and immaturities?

In the first reading today we have a clue to understand this. While the Lord was ready and willing and all set to shower the Holy Spirit on everyone,  there were some who were standing on the way! Peter challenges it among them,  who are we to stand in God's way?

We allow a lot of things to stand between us and God... it could be our pride, our ego, our laziness,  our malice or could be anything that resists receiving the grace of fullness of life! If we become aware of what it is that stands on the way,  we can grow to be true sheep of the Divine Shepherd.

COME AND BELONG

4th Sunday in Easter

Acts 13: 14, 43-52; Rev 7: 9, 14-17; Jn 10: 27-30

When I am lifted up, I shall draw everyone to myself said Jesus when he was around. And after his resurrection that is what he did. He drew everyone to him. It was not merely incidental, it was always part of God's magnificent plan. Yes, it is a plan for the whole humanity, beginning with the Jews as St. Paul would often point out! But what happens depends on three considerations: the call, the choice and the condition!

THE CALL is given to every one, there is no Jew or Greek, Christian or not! The first reading today speaks of that shift that took place from the Jews to the entire world, within the salvific plan of God. Paul and Barnabas heed to that call...the call to go to the entire world, the call to be the light to the nations, the call to reach out to the ends of the earth. The call to belong is universal, every one is called to come and belong! Recently speaking to a group of youngsters, I found them struggling to understand how everyone will be saved, if only those who believe in Christ could be saved. I almost had to shove it down their throat to believe that the Father wills the salvation of ALL.And yes, salvation is through Jesus Christ alone! And the Father will see to it, that the whole creation is reconciled in Christ Jesus our Lord. The call to belong is for every one!

THE CHOICE is mine to make! I have to make a choice and when I don't  make a choice to belong to the Lord, ofcourse the Lord misses me, but loses nothing; whereas I lose everything! The apostles tried their best to impress this upon their fellow Jews, but nothing would change them. They would make a choice for their own supremacy and their own comfort and their own life style! What is my choice today? To belong to the Lord or continue in the way I think best?

THE CONDITION that the Lord places is just one: that I listen! I should know my Master and listen to my Master's voice. Isaiah has a very pointed way of saying it, when he says even the donkeys know their stable and the asses their master! At times we are very enthusiastic and we COME...the sad fact is that we fail to BELONG. My own know me, and they follow my voice, says the Lord. When we come,  stay on and belong to the Lord there is so much joy and we are filled with the Spirit. These are the two signs of our total belonging to the Master: being Joyful and being Spirit-filled.