TO LOVE IS TO LIVE

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday 5 : 2nd April, 2017
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 LIVE, to be people of life, in faith, in hope and in love. To behold life from God's hands in Faith, to radiate the presence of God in Hope all through life and to become more and more like God in living a life of Love.

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #26

Love: the strength that seems weak!

Saturday, Fourth week in Lent - 1st April, 2017
Jer 11: 18-20; Jn 7: 40-52

A friend of mine once told me, "I hate that person" and I immediately asked her, "why?". She said it as a matter of fact, "I don't like the beard that he sports, that he is tall and well built and that he has that big bike." Are you wondering whether these are reasons enough to hate a person? I too wondered, but she did not. Many have many strange reasons to hate persons. While that level of strangeness can be debated, my question remains this: can I hate someone, being a disciple of Christ? It is one thing to disapprove of what one is or what one does, but to hate a person, to the extent of intending to get rid of that person... that is a serious issue. 

Christian way of living would mean I love everyone, irrespective of who the person is and what he or she has done to me or failed to do to me! The Word today presents to us the cases of Jeremiah and Jesus - both hated for reasons known only unto the haters. They were scheming to kill Jeremiah and he was not even aware of it, until the Lord revealed it to him; he was so innocent. Jesus was hated because he was from Galilee...what a reason!

Jesus or Jeremiah, may seem weak here - but they are truly strong, people who loved the Lord and the Lord's people. Love at times may look like a weakness or timidity, but actually it is a strength, a power, something that is going to triumph ultimately. Will you endure until that moment?