WORD 2day: 9th February, 2017

Learning to rise above

Thursday, 5th week in Ordinary time
Gen 2:18-25; Mk 7: 24-35

Man-woman, rich-poor, we-they... these are dichotomies that seem very natural and no one finds fault about being conscious of these. It takes a lot of maturity to rise above the man-woman duality for instance and say wè are after all one.

Though Jesus was beyond most of these dichotomies:  sinner-saint, sacred-profane, and so on, the Jewish  classical dichotomy of the chosen-gentile seems to have been deep seated in him. But he is ready to rise above it,  as a process of growth.  The famous liberation theologian Gustavo Guttierez would say, Jesus allowed himself to be taught by a woman, a syrophoenecian woman - there lies his greatness. He rises there above all dichotomies.

We too need to become aware of the dichotomies present in our mindsets and learn to rise above them.

WORD 2day: 8th February, 2017

Neither death nor defilement

Wednesday, 5th week in Ordinary time
Gen 2: 4-9,15-17; Mk 7: 14-23

Religious practices and principles abound in our contexts defining what is right and what is wrong; determining what is acceptable and what is inacceptable in the sight of God. The Word today has one such clarification as to what would make a person   inacceptable in the eyes of God from a Christian perspective - it is neither death nor defilement. 

Death is considered the peak of negative experiences by many religious traditions but not the Christian. Death is merely another milestone considering the totality of human experiences. It shouldn't perturb us or preoccupy us.

Defilement laws are seen as important religious factors in a society. What makes one socially acceptable or not, is a crucial religious parlance. But Jesus was categorical in stating  that nothing exists as such in his Father's mind. The Father is all Mercy and compassion!

So, neither death nor defilement can separate me from the Lord, but a deliberate choice does. I cannot live my Christian faith merely on customary practices and accepted mores. I need to make deliberate choices on a daily basis and at every moment of my life... choices that would determine whether I belong to God or no.