The Meal, the Memorial and the Mandate

THE WORD IN THE HOLY WEEK

Another Passion Week amidst the Pandemic - the Maundy Thursday

April 1, 2021: Exodus 12:1-8,11-14; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26; John 13: 1-15

This Thursday is central to the Paschal Mystery, for varied reasons: firstly, because today we see happening things that are a foreshadow or a foretaste of what is to come - the body and blood to be given on the Cross is already pre-announced, the passage from death to eternal life that is to be accomplished on the resurrection of Christ is already explained in the passover meal, the very essence of Christ's life, death and resurrection is summarised in the call to serve each other; secondly, because it is the beginning of the climax of God's salvation plan, the climax which began in the incarnational event and reaches its peak in the resurrection event. The Thursday gives us three important messages to ruminate on - 

The Meal and the Eucharistic Community. The Lord renders us the Eucharistic Community by giving us a meal to nourish us individually and as a community. The meal, as explained in the book of Exodus, already contains so many Eucharistic elements - the community factor, the salvific factor, the festive factor, and so on! This day makes us Eucharistic Community and that is why so much importance to the Eucharistic Lord - with the meal and the adoration and the vigil.

The Memorial and the Ministers of the Lord. The Lord sets up this gathering of the people of God as a memorial of the covenant, specially the everlasting covenant made in the blood of Christ. And to facilitate memory, he creates his own ministers, so close to his heart and leaves them as living memories of his covenant. This is the challenging call that the Lord has given to every person called to ministerial priesthood...that they remain the living memorials of the presence of the Lord amidst God's people. 

The Mandate and the People of God. The people of God are created in the name of God and the defining identity that is given, is the command of love! Love - it was that made us and it was love that saved us and love is the call that makes us trully people of God. "By this they will know that you are my disciples, by the love that you have for each other." The mandate, from where derives the word Maundy Thursday, is not merely a command to do, but a task that defines our very existence as people of God. 

May this day remind us, that we are everyday called to be people of the mandate, the mandate of love!

Commitment and Priority-Choice for God

THE WORD IN THE HOLY WEEK

Another Passion Week amidst the Pandemic - the Spy Wednesday

March 31, 2021: Isaiah 50: 4-9; Matthew 26:14-25

The disciple's tongue to speak and the disciple's ear to listen - that is what the Lord has given us; but whether we use the faculty or not, depends so much on our choice! What a sad illustration of this we have in the Gospel today. This Wednesday is called the Spy Wednesday, as Judas is seen to agree to betray Jesus to the authorities, for thirty silver pieces, and from that moment began looking for the opportunity to hand him over to Jews!

Did Judas make a mistake? Yes, most probably! But did he have a chance, not to make it? Yes, ofcourse he did! Be it Judas who betrayed Jesus, or Peter who denied him, or the rest of the apostles who abandoned Jesus and ran for their lives, they were all warned, forewarned and prepared for such a treacherous moment... but they chose not to act on what they knew!

That is why we need to know, that knowing alone is not enough. To know what is right and wrong, to know what is sin and what is righteousness, to know what is the apt choice to be made at a given time - these are all faculties that are good, but not enough. Our relationship with God, our commitment in faith, goes beyond merely knowing and understanding, it depends on the choices we make with the convictions we form. 

In fact, the three levels of growth from an ignorant way of life are -the level of knowing and understanding, where there is knowledge and intellectual prowess at play; the level of conviction and principles, where a person appears disciplined and guided by principles but there is still the dichotomy of the theory and practice, the beliefs and life; and thirdly comes the level of commitment and priority-choice, where there is nothing that can make one falter from the way of life that one is called to. 

While Judas was still in the first level, Peter and other apostles had gone to the second level, which depending on the grace and mercy of God could save them. But the call is always to the third level - to be persons committed to God and God's way of life, to be totally formed in the image of God and communicating the same to the world around. Jesus was that and he had to pay the price for it. That is what we are celebrating these days - his knowledge and understanding of his Father, his conviction and principles guided by his Father's will and his commitment and priority-choice for God and God's plan. 

Today, setting aside our judgemental looks at Judas, can we ask ourselves: am I growing in my commitment and priority-choice for God, that nothing else can distract me, tempt me or draw me away from God's plan for me?

The task of an Apostle - day in and day out!

THE WORD IN THE HOLY WEEK

Another Passion Week amidst the Pandemic - the Preaching Tuesday

March 30, 2021: Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33,36-38

'Listen' is the call of the first reading! And reflecting on the life of Christ the exegetes say, today - this tuesday, might have been the last day that Jesus was upto his usual task with his disciples and followers. He knew the Jews were looking for him, waiting to trap him and do something about him! Yesterday we heard them so desperate about the crowd that was going behind this man, from Galilee! But what did Jesus do: he went on with his task as an apostle, day in and day out.

Jesus was the apostle of God, the apostle of the Goodnews that God wanted to share with whole humanity, the apostle of God's mercy, the apostle of love...nothing could stop him from being that! He was there with the crowds speaking to them, still explaining thing about the Reign of God and about how they could all together become the living temple of God! 

The Pandemic experience has thrown a similar challenge to us: last year things were worse! We were stuck in our houses and could not even go out. And we know how the social media and the television ministry came to our aid... helping us unite ourselves in the paschal mysteries of Christ from home! We thank God for these means.

The problem is not there...because what followed has become more problematic. This year things are not still totally alright, but much better than last year, as there is a possibility of moving out, even though with restrictions. But is there a kind of mindset, a spiritual lethargy that is set in: people preferring TV Masses to the Church services, persons looking for better alternatives and interesting choices instead of commitment to the Lord and the faith community they are called to be part of? 

‘I make you light of the nations,’ promised the Lord to his Servant. Jesus became the Light and said, ‘you shall be light of the world,’ making us just like him, apostles of the Father. Are we committed to our relationship with God our Father and Mother, just as Jesus was, come what may! Or are we giving the easiest reasons and simplest excuses to have our easy way out?

Jesus warned Judas; he warned his apostles; but they were all too naive to take it seriously. Jesus was troubled in spirit, says the Gospel today. Let him not be troubled by our spiritual lethargy and tendency of not prioritising what pertains to God.

Let us strive to be at the task of the apostles, day in and day out!

Whipping out not slipping out!

THE WORD IN THE HOLY WEEK

Another Passion Week amidst the Pandemic - the Cleansing Monday

March 29, 2021: Isaiah 42: 1-7; John 12: 1-11

We have entered the second Holy Week, the situation of pandemic that tormented us last year, still lingering around with its taunting tentacles! And in this one year we have lived through moments of varied nature and unprecedented outcomes. We are still languishing under the pain and pressure of the pandemic and this Holy Week...let us take a walk with our Saviour and reflect on what he would have done, if he lived this around us. 

The Monday of the Holy Week, is called the Cleansing Monday - refering to that incident when Jesus entered Jerusalem and visited the temple... he was so annoyed with what was happening that he whipped it out against the situation and its perpetrators! 

Beginning with the Gospel, 'six days before the passover' he is found in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem... in the house of Lazarus and his sisters. From here he would enter Jerusalem, as we celebrated yesterday...gloriously wlcomed by the masses. It points to the beginning of a definitive clash between Jesus and the authorities, leading to the tragic crucifixion that we would soon reflect on. One of the point of contention between Jesus and the Authorities was the temple!

When Jesus entered the temple and whipped out the evils from there, it was at the same time a symbolic action and spiritual statement - symbolic action because he wanted the true temple - the people of God - to be cleansed of its iniquities. It was a spiritual statement because his zeal for his Father's house was burning bright within! When he saw the ungodliness of the people of God, the inhumanities of the so-called religious systems and the injustices of the inhuman society at large, he whipped out, and never slipped out quietly. 

As people of God, the Church today, we are called to whip out against all injustices and inhumanities which amount really to ungodliness in the world; we cannot choose to slip out quietly as if we saw nothing, as if it means nothing to us or as if it does not concern us in anyway - much worse, if we ourselves mete out such an injustice or inhumanity on others, in whichever situation we find ourselves in. May the fiery and prophectic Jesus be in our hearts and minds whenever we fail to stand up against evil and lies. 

In the pandemic situation today, there are varied ways of coping: Be a negationist and reject everything that being said about - how blind it could be, after seeing all the real and concrete sufferings of many. Another approach could be, to be a negativist or pessimist finding fault in everything and reading a conspiracy version into everything that is happening aroung - how sad it could be! Another way is to be a careless freak - to go about as if there is nothing abnormal happening. A final, Christ-worthy, approach would be to adapt a prophetic stance - critiquing anything that is against plain logic and integral goodness. There are so many decisions and policies made, with underground dealings and suspicious agenda. What happens when we know them - are we able to stand up and speak up? What about the poor and the marginalises who are pushed to the anonimity in the process of handling and countering this pandemic? It is not oly the pandemic in itself that troubles us, but the politics that surround it, the exploitation that is involved and the inhumanities that prevail. 

Would Jesus, at these moments, have slipped quietly into his silence and security or would he have whipped out against the anomalies? 

BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES

Palms, Psalms and the Passion

March 27, 2021: The Palm Sunday

Mark 11: 1-10; Isaiah 50: 4-7; Philippians 2: 6-11; Mark 14:1 - 15:47

The first phase of Lent this year is over, and we enter into the Holy Week, the concluding week that reminds us of so many intense happenings within the Christ-event that have defined our faith, our experience with God and our very identity as disciples of the Crucified and Risen Lord. The entry point is the Palm Sunday - literally the entry point, as we commemorate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. There are three things that mark this day and that would mark the developments during the week too: the palms, the psalms and the passion!

The Palms:

The celebration mode! That is what it was when Jesus entered Jerusalem. They celebrated, they sang and danced around him, they raised slogans and cheered for him! They were so enthusiastic about his coming. Blessed is he who comes they shouted! They saw in Jesus, a messiah, a liberator, a leader, a king, someone who is going to change their lives! 

Yes Jesus was all that! He was the messiah promised; he was the liberator, the redeemer; he was the leader, the shepherd come to gather the flock together; he was the king, the king of all kings, come to set up the Reign of God; some one was destined to change their lives, not just their's, but the whole humanity's. Their enthusiasm was real, it was true but was it the right type of enthusiasm needed. The litmus test of an enthusiasm is, how long it endures! 

They would soon scatter and go their way; they would soon get tired of Jesus because he was not living up to their expectations...he was not the messiah of the type that they expected; he was not the liberator of the warring type that they wanted; he was not the king that they wanted to take on the Romans; yes, he was challenging to change their lives, but they were not ready for the type of changes that he was proposing! They wanted it all their way! 

In our lives too..when Jesus enters, we are all enthusiastic. The question is, how long? Soon we lose the initial enthusiasm, the fervour of the new found experience dies within a while to give rise to boredom and seeking of other experiences. The palms that we hold today tell us: I will dry very soon...will your enthusiasm too wither so fast?

The Psalms:

Blessed is the one who comes, they shouted - that was not any slogan; that was scripture! They were singing psalms. This will repeat itself this week very many times - in the pasch festival that they were gathered for they would be singing and reciting psalms; the disciples and Jesus would sings psalms; Jesus would repeat verses and the high priests will quote phrases...this week there will be so much of the psalms and the sacred scriptures quoted and cited. 

They sang songs, they chanted the psalms and recited the prayers... so regularly and so diligently. But was it making any change in their lives? Were they attentive to the Word who was so alive amidst them and calling them to change and new life? Were they really mindful of what God was working out right in front of their eyes: their own salvation, in the blood of the Lamb! They were too busy with their fixed ideas and ritual performances. They cared nothing for what Jesus was calling attention to. 

It is an attitude that we are called to - not merely parading our knowledge or memory skills or the capacity to make a show of our piety. We are called to an attitude of prayer, an attitude of living our daily lives attentive to the voice of the Lord, the Word of the Lord. It sets the tone for the whole holy week - telling us, this week remain with the Word, meditate on the Word, ruminate on all that the Word made flesh went through for your sake. 

It is an attitude that is asked of us, to spend more time with the Word this week - reading, reflecting, listening, encountering, dialoguing, sharing and opening our hearts to the Word and allowing the Word to touch our very beings. All that we did, or atleast tried to do during the Lent, they can be brought into the presence of the Word and made sense of, asking the Word of God to throw light on the meaning and call that we have for our lives.

The Passion:

This Sunday is also called, the Passion Sunday! Not only because the Passion narrative of the Lord is ready during the Mass, but because the passion, death and resurrection as the culminating episode of the Christ-event was beginning this day. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, there was a new episode beginning...it looked all celebration and fun, but it was ultimately going to be a sacrifice, a covenantal sacrifice, that would change everything that ever was and everything that would ever be! 

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the crowd said. Hosanna, they acclaimed. But would soon denounce him and crucify him. Jesus knew it... he knew what is there in store! It was not difficult for him to know it... for all the convictions that he had, for all the teaching about the Reign that he imparted, for all the values that he lived for, for all the critique of the self righteousness and senseless pride that he made... he knew what would be the result! But he did not hesitate.

When he realised that his death was near, he said to those who were around him - I know the hour has come, so what do I do? Should I ask the Father to remove this cup from me? No it is for this I came. Look at that clarity! That was the commitment and dedication that Jesus had for the will of God, towards making present the Reign of God here and now. He was ready for anything. He was prepared for the passion. He was looking square at the face of suffering and death! 

The call is clear, and it is going to repeat itself althrough this week. Are you ready to suffer? How much suffering are you ready to take up? How prepared are you for sacrifices for the sake of the will of God and the Reign of God? We have this whole week to answer that question.

Blessed is he who comes... yes! But are we ready to accept the call that he brings? 

Growing in Christian Faith: An Unfailing commitment to Unity

THE WORD IN LENT - Saturday, 5th week in Lent

March 27, 2021: Ezekiel 37: 21-28; John 11: 45-56

 

The readings today seem to give us a clue to understand the mission of the Son of God. As he himself announces, it is to gather into one all the dispersed children of God, dispersed geographically, spiritually, economically, politically and in every other way. Jesus is identified to be the son of David, promised in all eternity to gather not merely the two nations (Judah and Israel), but all dispersed children of God into one. 

That is the call that Jesus our Master has passed on to every disciple of his. We are called to be agents of unity and harmony, uniting people in love and building a humanity that is joyful. If we are against such unity, even though merely in thought or merely in a few single instances, we can be certain that we are not in line with the mission of the Saviour. He would say, 'if you don't gather with me, you scatter!' (cf. Lk 11:23; Mt 12:30). 

 

It is saddening to see some, even within the Church and within the category of being the shepherds of the flock, spreading division and hatred, sometimes. How hypocritical of those persons to call themselves people of God, much worse, shepherds of the people of God! The Spirit of Christ unites and if I have the Spirit within me, I have to unite! 

 

The only division that can be is the division between the good and the evil…nothing else is a division that comes from the Spirit of the Lord. And if I think of justifying, that is why I wish to divide from those people who are evil, who gave me the right to ‘judge’ a person as evil. Sin is to be shunned, not sinner. Division cannot be justified in the sight of the Lord.

The real question is, how committed am I to true peace, harmony, love, and thus to unity?

Growing in Christian Faith: To be in distress for the Lord

THE WORD IN LENT - Friday, 5th week in Lent

March 26, 2021: Jeremiah 20: 10-13; John 10: 31-42

 

Jeremiah seems a perfect foreshadow of Jesus, but in one case! He was in distress too for the sake of the will of the One who called him; he was cornered for nothing and taken to task for his dedication to the Lord and the task handed to him by the Lord. It is just like today, how those who do good to the society in the name of Jesus are taken to task because they are doing it in that Name! And when such acts of atrocity happen, many of us Christians express sentiments of anger and call on the Lord to teach a lesson to the perpetrators of evil!

 

But differing from Jeremiah, and from us all, Jesus does not wish vengeance, or to see that the Lord would take on those who did not heed the call, those who were persecuting him for wrong reasons, those who refused to see such an obvious point made by Jesus' words and deeds. Jesus wishes that they turn to him, believe in him, in his words and in his works and realise that he is in the Father and the Father is in him.

 

To be in distress for the Lord, is a call in itself. Both Jeremiah and Jesus, give us an example of persons in distress for the Lord: Blessed are those who hunger for justice and peace, for they shall be filled; Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Be happy when they persecute you, revile you, call you by names and denounce you unjustly, because they did the same to your Master – isn’t that the powerful message we get in the Word today? How prepared and ready are we to be in distress for the Lord! 

Let us learn what it means in our day-to-day life, to be in distress for the Lord!

GOD BEGINS...

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

March 25, 2021: The Solemnity of Annunciation of the Lord

Isaiah 7: 10-14, 8:10; Hebrews 10: 4-10; Luke 1: 26-36

 

Some prayer books still carry those subtitles in the prayer of the Angelus: God Begins; Human Cooperation; and Incarnation! That is exactly what we celebrate today – the way God began the climax of our salvation history, the plan that God has had in eternity for the salvation of all God’s children.

 

Our God is not merely a God who responds...Our God begins, God initiates, intervenes at the right time even without an asking. That is why St. John proclaimed, we love God because God first loved us (1 Jn 4:19). The feast of Annunciation is a splendid manifestation of this nature of God, the nature of intervening at the appointed time.

 

We see three people involved in the event that is recalled today, who in unison give humanity a holistic and life-giving message. 

 

The Angel, who stands for Faith - a concrete sign of God's relationship with us. Angels are God's spokespersons, God's messengers and God's extensions which make present God to us. Our Faith is that God continues to live with us, even amidst all the worldliness that we are surrounded by. Angel Gabriel announcing the message to our Blessed Mother was a sign of God’s continual participation in our life and existence, our sufferings and concerns. The call us simple: that we become extensions of God’s presence, announcers of God’s good news to those who suffer.

 

Mary, who stands for Hope - a concrete sign of our relationship with God. Mary shines as a counter witness to the hopeless humanity today. Indifference and Individualism marks the humanity of today. The other matters nothing to me, I either use the other for my benefit or just ignore the other because he or she matters nothing to me! It is against this background that Mary's 'yes' resounds as a revolution that spells hope to the world and to the entire humanity. That there can be commitments taken for the sake of the other, not always for me, mine and my own good.

 

The Child, who stands for Love - a concrete sign that God still loves the World. God has not given up on us and God will never do! A love that is ready to give totally of Itself (Rom 8:32). The Child that is promised is a sign of God's everlasting and unconditional love that gives life and light to the otherwise darkness filled world today.

 

Annunciation invites us to first of all recognise what God is doing for us in history. The further call is to say our ‘yes’ to God’s will that we may become God’s messengers to the world. And the most important of all, that we may become signs and bearers, manifestations and expressions of ’od's concrete love for each other, especially those who are in special and urgent need.

 

May our faith, hope and above all, love make us announcers of good news to the whole world.

Growing in Christian Faith: Decide to be Free

THE WORD IN LENT - Wednesday, 5th week in Lent

March 24, 2021: Daniel 3: 14-20, 24-25, 28; John 8: 31-42

 

Look at three types of people in the first reading today: the officials who reported three youngsters to the King merely because they were against them and against the King being so much for them; then the King himself who acts on the words of the officials and later gets upset with the officials as if they alone were responsible for the injustice done to the three youth; and then the three youth, you did not consider even burning in a furnace worse than turning away from the Lord - who of these was truly free?

Those officials who were caught up in the prison of jealousy and rancour, wishing the destruction of the other, plotting and scheming, losing their peace of mind and tranquillity of life? 

 

Or the King who is so full of himself, that he cannot see the facts, that he goes by hearsay, that he has not guts to take the blame on himself and tries to blame it on the officials?

 

Or the three young men... who were bound in no way...they were free when they were in the Royal court, they were free as they refused to worship the statue of the King, they were free when they were locked up in the furnace and they were free when they were taking a stroll at the heart of the fire. They were free, because they had the truth with them. Truth will set you free.

 

Once you decided to be true to your innermost self, you will see the tranquility, the serenity, the peace that can come over you! Yes, truth will set you free, decide to be truthful, decide to be free!

Renewing Christian Hope: Lift the Lord on high!

THE WORD IN LENT - Tuesday, 5th week in Lent

March 23, 2021: Numbers 21: 4-9; John 8:21-30

 

They thought they were finishing his story off. Little did they know they were giving rise to an all new history. The Lord was lifted and as he had said, he drew all to himself when he was lifted. Today, as always, the blood of some people of God is being spilled for no reason, but it is not a signal to the end of the Reign of the Lord. Let the world beware that the Lord is being lifted up. And when the Lord is lifted up, he will definitely draw people to himself.  

 

All that we need to do is like Jesus himself guarantee that we do not act as we like but according to the will of the One who has called us. As Jesus himself testified it was his doing the will of his Father that gave him the meaning of his life. As the Scripture points through St. Paul it is the obedience to the Father that placed Jesus above every being on earth and gave him the name that is above every name (Phil 2: 8-11). 

When we do the will of the One who has called us, when we dedicate our entire life for the mission that the One has entrusted to us, then let us understand we are lifting the One Lord high! Not all will like it; not all will support it; some will even deliberately work against it...but all the same the Lord will be lifted high! And then the Lord shall draw people to the Reign. 

 

Hence, when there are difficulties around, when there are discouragements felt, when there are deliberate efforts to foil the goodness of the Lord – just look to lift the Lord - in your words, actions and your life! The world shall surely know the True Lord!

True Christian Love: Condemnation or Compassion?

THE WORD IN LENT - Monday, Fifth week in Lent

March 22, 2021: Daniel 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; John 8; 1-11

 

Susanna's story in the first reading and the story of the woman brought to Jesus accused of adultery, are two grand examples of the fact that God takes side with the weak and the vulnerable. They are two crucial dimensions of God’s love – love for the innocent weak and love for the suffering and exploited.

 

At times the so-called just and righteous will wonder what is wrong with God, the way God takes sides with the so-called sinners and the ‘undeserving’! If we were careful not to side ourselves with the self-righteous and self-proclaimed just ones, we would easily understand our call to play God's role in the situations we find ourselves in: the role of taking sides with the weak, the vulnerable, the little ones of the Lord!

 

These are two different perspectives – one, that of the self-righteous and the other, the Truly Righteous God. The difference between the above mentioned two perspectives is simply this: one itches to condemn; the other is moved by compassion. Depending on what stance we take, we would determine which camp we belong to – to the condemnation camp or to the compassion camp!

 

It is compassion that is Godly and we need to grow seriously out of a vindictive spirit, if we want to put on the mind of Christ. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, declares St. Paul (Rom 8:1). It is so, because God is love and True Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things (1 Cor 13:7).

Let us strive to belong always to the Compassion camp!

ON OUR WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE

Embracing suffering and death, towards life

March 21, 2021: 5th Sunday in Lent

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrew 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-23

The talk of the pandemic has filled the air all around us for more than a year now! The talks of cases and deaths, lockdowns and curfews, have only graduated to the next level adding to itself newer terms such as variants and vaccines; there doesnt seem to appear a definitive solution! In such a context, it is highly probable that a person or we as a society, give up hope! There are other equally unfortunate possibilities too - that we drink in the consipiracy theories and spread their negative vibes far and wide, or we grow terrified with the developments and close in, giving rise to depression and delusion! Yet again this year, the Paschal celebrations run the risk of being hampered by the restrictive measures of the governmental organisations... are we in an eschatological era? In this light, the Word this Sunday seems to drive home a very strong and difficult lesson to our Christian hearts and communities. 

First lesson is to learn to embrace suffering.

It is easy, practical, human and highly justified to entreat the Lord with saying - take these sufferings away from us! Jesus poses that pointed question: is that what we need to do? Is it not to suffer that the Son of Man came on earth - a suffering that he embraced in loving obedience to the Lord, says the second reading. The mind of Christ consists in seeing beyond the suffering, the pain and the misery, and noticing the hand of God accompanying us and guiding us. In suffering and pain, we begin to understand the real implication of the concrete choices we make in our daily lives. For instant joys and passing pleasures we choose whatever does not give us a problem or a difficulty or a suffering. Avoidance of suffering has come to be considered almost an absolute goal in life! But is it so? Jesus says, no!

It is in the 'obedience through suffering' that Jesus brought his identity and mission to their fulfilment! He invites us, rather challenges us to the same obedience through suffering. To embrace sufferings of the daily life, and the hardships of a Christian life, is  an essential faith lesson that we have to learn as early as possible in life. The more we learn this lesson, the more livable our life becomes! If not, our life remains marred by questions, complaints and murmurings. As true disciples of the Suffering Servant of God we are called to embrace suffering, on our way!

Second lesson is to dare to embrace death.

Death rather than sin - that is what we are given to remember when we reflect on the people of whom the Lord refers to, in the words of Jeremiah. That motto of the teenage saint, Dominc Savio, reflects the covenantal life style that we are called to live. I treasure the covenant that I have made with my Lord to the extent that I prefer to embrace death, but not break the covenant that unites me to my Lord - is that our attitude? That is true Christian attitude, the real mind of Christ. "The people broke the covenant," complains the Lord, through Jeremiah, reminding us of our mindlessness and at times, even wickedness. But that Lord wishes to forgive our iniquities, remove the trace of our wrong doings, forget our unfaithfulnesses... provided we are ready to change our ways, and die to our sinful tendencies and ungodly priorities. 

Unless the seed dies, it cannot give life...unless we choose to die to our selfishness and sinfulness, we shall never rise to eternal life. That is the journey that we have undertaken, from the time we were entrusted with the light at our baptism and beckoned to bring that light through to that encounter with the Lord; from the time that we were adorned with the garments of salvation at our baptism and required to bring it unsullied to the wedding feast of the Lamb. The effort to keep that light burning, to maintain that garment unsullied, is embracing death, on a daily basis - dying to our craving for pleasure, dying to our tendencies of selfishness, dying to our sense of stubborness! 

The third lesson is to focus on the glory of eternal life. 

The season of Lent is a time of refocusing, a time when we learn to perspectivise our life and get the right outlook to continue our journey. We are on our way to eternal life - a life in the Lord, a life of glory and light, a life that is endless and limitless. Our souls may be troubled at times. Our spirits may grow weak repeatedly. Our hearts may cry out in anguish and pain. Our light may go faint losing focus. But what need we do to: just as those people ask in the Gospel today, we need to say, "we wish to see Jesus"... we wish to focus on Jesus, the source of eternal salvation, the glory of eternal life that is given to us by God our Father and Mother, as the lamb of the eternal covenant, as the seal of the everlasting covenant, as the promise of eternal life!

We are on our way to Eternal life and on this way we have to embrace suffering and death, just as Jesus did, in order that we keep ourselves alive in the Spirit. When we do so, the Lord who is lifted up from the earth, shall draw us to himself, to eternal life! 

Renewing Christian Hope: Readiness to Genuine Dialogue

THE WORD IN LENT - Saturday, 4th week in Lent

March 20, 2021: Jeremiah 11: 18-20; John 7: 40-53

 

Forming opinions about persons or events without actually knowing the whole truth is a judgement, and of course would be a wrong one at that. Incomplete knowledge is dangerous, and not being aware of its incompleteness is doubly dangerous. Half truths are treacherous pits of ruin, for persons, relationships, communities, societies and humanity at large. But the whole world seems to be operating on bits and pieces of manipulated truths today.

We see this phenomenon at work everywhere: the clashes between religious fanatics, the terrifying threats of some fundamentalists, inter-denominational hatred and divisions, interpersonal issues in the families... everywhere this phenomenon is at work. Half-baked opinions and fully blocked minds, do not allow genuine dialogue but lead only to the slaughter of the minority by the senseless majority, or stifling of the weak by the ruthless strong!

 

The Word presents to us the same picture today, with Jesus taking the place of the minority, the weak, the vulnerable, the affected, the sacrificed lamb. It can be that every day we could be sacrificing someone at the altars of our ego and those of our judgments...and in their persons we could be slaughtering the sacrificial Lamb over and over again. 

 

It takes courage to realise and accept the harm my half-baked opinions and fully blocked mind can do, to me and to others! It takes sincerity to work out of such a treacherous style of life and thought. It takes humility to say, I am ready for dialogue, genuine and sincere dialogue! It takes respect for the other to allow the other to be other, to listen to the other and not what I want to hear, to understand the other as the other is and not as I want the other to be. That is genuine dialogue.

 

Let us check our readiness to genuine dialogue. 

ST. JOSEPH, THE SAINT OF THE YEAR

A Saint, Silent, Simple and Sleeping!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST - March 19, 2021

March 19, 2021: Solemnity of St. Joseph

2 Samuel 7: 4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a.

 

Pope Francis has dedicated this year to St. Joseph, the protector of the Church, as it is 150 years since Pope Pius IX proclaimed the saint at the protector of the Church - he was the protector of Jesus the Son of God, the head of the Church...and logically he is infact the protector of the Church, the mystical body of Christ! 

St. Joseph occupied a huge space in the climax of God's salvific plan which was accomplished in Jesus - still he remained a quiet, noiseless and unassuming person! In a noisy world of today which claims recognition for every little thing and clamours for attention, his mode of living his life, carrying out his mission and responding to his call is a lovely lesson. Apart from this, there are three dimensions of this saint that we can notice emerging from the Word today.

Silent Protagonist: He had a very important role to play within the historical events that were unfolding in time, and he played it to perfection. The extraordinary quality that we see in this personality is the silence - how he remained recollected in his depths, to receive the directions from the Lord and execute them to the letter. The pre-figurement of this image is seen in Abraham, presented to us in the second reading - how he spoke very little too! He listened and obeyed! St. Joseph too listened and for that he chose to remain silent!

Simple Person: He was simple as a person... this does not mean he had just an old-fashioned dress and no sandals on feet - that is how 'being simple' is understood these days! Simple is opposed to complicated! He was not complicated in anyway - a yes meant yes and a no meant no. He had decided to reject Mary, he was told to accept and he accepted. He thought of returning to Judea, but was told not to and he went to the district of Galilee. He was a simple man who had no air of ego around him nor any self-interests to hang on! The figure of David is presented to us in the first reading drawing our attention to a way of life that was simple. Though the man had limitations within him, he had no ego absolutely. When he was pointed out, he repented immediately. He was called to be a servant of the Lord and even as a King he remained so! St. Joseph never complicated his role or his person, he remained as simple as he was called.

Sleeping Prophet: Sleeping St. Joseph is a popular devotion by now...a renewed perspective reminded by our Holy Father a few years ago. It is not a mere novelty of thinking but a perspective of faith: the Lord provided for God's beloved even as they sleep (Ps 127:2). It is one lifestyle to spend sleepless nights thinking about something. It is completely a different life style to leave it to the Lord and sleep over it, for the Lord takes care of me even when I am asleep! It is a prophetic sleep when it is out of total surrender to the Lord - Joseph of the Old Testament, the namesake of the saint we celebrate, is a beautiful example of this lifestyle. He surrendered himself totally to the Lord and lived his life like a dream. St. Joseph too was so surrendered to the Lord that even as he slept, he felt protected and directed. 

True Christian Love: The capacity to look into yourself

THE WORD IN LENT - Thursday, 4th week in Lent

March 18, 2021: Exodus 32: 7-14; John 5: 31-47

 

The one who loves more will be hurt more! This is an ordinary experience of life. True love never counts the hurts, nor does it give up, fearing hurt. God's love for us has proved this to us time and again. We see in the first reading today how the people were absolutely insensitive to God's love and went behind their need for a concrete and tangible expression of a passing love. All that they needed was to just take time and look into themselves, to look back into their lives, to look at the way they had come by! Moses had to come down, break those tablets amidst them and call their attention to those very things, and they realised their folly!

 

We may wonder reading this account, how was it possible for them to do it! After all the great experience of wonders and marvels in Egypt and in the desert, how could these people think of making a god for themselves! Let us not be too fast in this. Let us just pause and look at ourselves. How better are we?

 

How swift we are to give up on the Lord and Lord's ways, even after having experienced the Lord so much! We give it up for gods of our own making - our time more important than spending few extra minutes listening to the Word of God, our work more important than giving God the due that we should, our pleasures more important than taking up a few sacrifices for God and for God's plan... aren't these the same as what the people of Israel did?

 

Go into the depth of your hearts and look at the way you have travelled, the way God has loved you all this while, the way you have been nourished by the love of God, you will understand where you are going wrong! Be courageous enough to turn back, re-tread your ways to the Lord. 

To grow in true Christian love, revive your capacity to look into yourself, every now and then!

 

Growing in Christian Faith: A Sense of belonging to God

THE WORD IN LENT - Wednesday, 4th week in Lent

March 17, 2021: Isaiah 49: 8-15; John 5: 17-30

 

My father is working and so I should be working too...these words of Jesus make the fellow Jews angry. They accuse Jesus of equating himself with the Father, with God! Jesus affirms it yet again and tells us too...you too are! You too are just like God, bearing the image and likeness of God, children of God, chosen ones of God - this is not a privilege but a responsibility. It is a task, a challenge to make God present to the world that constantly distances itself from God! But God's love never distances itself, it reaches out. It reaches out to everyone, the whole world, the entire universe!

Does God love all in the same manner? Of course, God is never partial but what would love mean if it is the same with everyone, everywhere! God's love is specific says the Word today. God's love comes to respond to the need of each one proper to the void he or she experiences in life.

A mother's expression of love to a hungry child is feeding it; her reaching out to a frightened child is to caress it reassuringly! God's love is such, declares the Word today: even if that mother were to forsake, God would never forsake us! It takes special effort to respond to each one proper to their need, at times the needs of each person vary, at times even clash one against the other!

God alone knows the trick of reconciling them and making the right thing happen at the right time. After all, is it not true that, all things work together for good to them that love God, to those who are called according to God's purpose (cf Rom 8:28)? 

Let us revive our sense of belonging to God, our child like attachment to God and the world will soon be set right!

Growing in Christian Faith: Getting ready to flow on!

THE WORD IN LENT - Tuesday, 4th week in Lent

March 16, 2021: Ezekiel 47:1-3,9-12; John 5: 1-3a,5-16

 

We have a wonderful imagery today to ponder over: the flowing water that enlivens! Ezekiel speaks of it and John presents it; Ezekiel underlines the presence of the flowing water by the Temple while John points out the very presence of Christ as the life-giving spring! 

For that man who had been waiting for years to get into that life-giving water, the fact that Jesus approached him was like the waters came to him, instead of he going to the waters. But it is not all that comfortable, when the waters really flow! That is why Jesus asks him that question: do you want to be well again? 

We may think it is a dumb question to ask - but it matters! What if the man was comfortable drawing pity from the others? What if the man gained much more than what he could have with his limbs alright? Hence, the need for Jesus to ask him, if he really wanted to be healed! It is our choice to be healed, to be well, to be wholesome!

We may blame people around, the situation around, the events and experiences and remain in self-pity! That will never lead us to wellness, health or wholeness. If we really want to live our life to the full, we need to receive the flowing grace willingly. It might require of us certain changes...which may not be comfortable - the man was asked to pick up his mat and wall. All this while people were carrying him around! Are we prepared for the inconveniences of grace?

The Lord reaches out to us, flows into our lives to enliven us and Jesus invites us to become the waters that enliven people around us, that we reach out to others and flow into their lives, enlivening them!

 

Let us ask ourselves, is our faith matured enough? How ready are we to flow on?

 

Renewing Christian Hope: A Journey from Sadness to Gladness

THE WORD IN LENT - Monday, 4th week in Lent

March 15, 2021: Isaiah 65:17-21; John 4: 43-54

 

Yesterday we celebrated the fourth Sunday in Lent which had the call to Rejoice! Yes, we are sinful, we have fallen and failed, we are unworthy but in spite of that the Lord loves us and that is a great reason to Rejoice. The call continues into the week!

 

From sadness to gladness is the journey the Lord invites us to. It is surprising that many a person finds it a journey either unnecessary or unrealistic. They feel they can remain with sadness and that they are destined to remain with such sadness. They don't wish to embark upon that journey so easily. 

 

Interestingly, a major part of the journey consists in making the decision to turn and walk, as did the royal official in the Gospel account today. How long are we going to stand staring at problems and confusions and misgivings and misunderstandings in life?  

 

At times, there are people who share their problems. From the very sharing of the problems we can sense the fact that they have not even thought of leaving those problems and walking ahead - every suggestion you give meets with multiple reasons why it is not workable; every challenge you pose against the problem is judged as an insensitive approach to the person! If you have to walk out of your problems, first you have to decide to stop, turn and walk away from it!

 

To stop, turn and walk is an act of faith, to surrender our life into the hands of the Lord and to allow the Lord to change our sadness to gladness! The Lord tells us today: just believe and turn and walk towards the peace and serenity that I offer.

 

Are we ready to set off with faith and hope, on that journey: from sadness to gladness!

ON OUR WAY TO BEING GOD'S LOVE

Channels, Admirers or Bearers?

March 14, 2021: 4th Sunday of Lent - Laetare Sunday

2 Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23; Ephesians 2: 4-10; John 3: 14-21

For God so loved the world that God gave God's only Son, that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life (Jn 3:16)... the Word presents in this verse, the crux of the mystery of God's love! St. Paul would elaborate on this when he says, "God who did not spare God's own son, will not withhold anything from us!" (Cf. Rom 8:32). God's love for us has been so undeservedly deep! What is our response? 

The fourth sunday of Lent is called the Laetare Sunday...or Rejoicing Sunday, within the Lent! It is because we are already prompted to think about Resurrection right in the middle of the season of the passion of Christ. Just to remind us, despite all suffering and temptation, what awaits is the crown that the Lord has prepared for us - because God loves us! Not because we deserve it, but because God has decided to love us, right till the end!

God's love for us is so deep, so undeservedly deep! And what response do we give...the Word educates us to it, this Sunday. There are three persons presented to us and may be we can take a lesson from each of them. 

The first person is Cyrus, the King of Persia, who released the people of Israel from their exile in Babylon. Cyrus, was not a believer in Yahweh; neither did he know the Lord or come to accept the Lord. But he was considered by the people of Israel as a messiah who acted on behalf of Lord God and gave them the long-yearned-for freedom. They could come back to their homeland and once again feel loved by God. Cyrus becomes a channel of the love of God... not that he experienced the love of God! Though he might have had the opportunity, we do no judge the person of Cyrus, but he chose to remain a mere channel through whom the love of God came to the people, without even affecting him in any decisive way. 

This is one kind of response we can give to the love of God - that we become passive channels of the love of God. God in God's almightiness, can use any means to communicate God's love. And we can become one such channels - it is a very instrumental understanding of the role we play... nothing of myself is changed but through me others might feel the love of God. But what a loss for me, that I did not drink in, what I was passing on to the others. Some examples that come to our mind in this context are persons who are considered good, loving, lovable, kind and gentle...but suddenly they take an unfortunate decision to end their lives by themselves! Everyone known to them, starts wondering, what was wrong, because so many experienced goodness through these persons, but they themselves end up so desperate. When so many are capable of seeing, experiencing God's love in me, but I myself do not really recognise it or enjoy  it or be transformed by it...I am just being a channel of God's love, because God uses me! But how unfortunate that I don't know what I am missing - God's love so undeservedly deep.

The second person we are given to encounter today in the Word is, Nicodemus, a just Jew! He was someone who admired Jesus, he even loved Jesus, he was eager to listen to Jesus, but the sad thing...he could not decide to follow him! He was too afraid of his circumstances, the respect of his fellow Jews, the fear of losing the status as the teacher of the rabbis...he did not dare even to meet Jesus in the broad day light. That is why he comes today in the cover of the night to meet him and listen to him - oh, how he admired Jesus, but what is the use?

When Jesus the love of God is revealed to us, we could also respond this way: as just admirers; admirers from far, admirers in secret; admirers under cover. We know so much, we understand it all, but we cannot speak about it or witness to it...for fear of so many things. Because we fear being called old fashioned, because we don't want to be called pietistic, because we are afraid of being branded 'religious', because we wish to be modern or post-modern, because we want to keep abreast with the latest fashion of questioning everything and making fun of everything, because we want to identify ourselves with the so-called scientific world...we at times are prepared to forego the immense love that awaits us, the love that comes across to us in varied ways! In spite of knowing well what it is and what it is that we are missing, we choose to miss it, because we consider something else more important! How sad it is again, that we remain mere admirers of the love of God without really getting it into our selves - our body, heart, mind and soul!

The third person we meet today, is the one through whom the Word speaks so powerfully - St. Paul, the Apostle... he uses the very same terms of Jesus: the words, 'God loved us with so much love, that...' - they sound just as Jesus said, 'for God so loved the world, that...' St. Paul understood how much God loves us, how God chose us from before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), how God does not spare anything for our sakes (Rom 8), how God sent God's own son even when we were sinners (Rom 5:8) and how God's love is poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5). He was someone opposed to this love, thinking all the time about the law and the rule and the Jewish supremacy, but when he was touched by that love, he gave in, he gave himself up fully! He admired God's love, became a channel of God's love and he grew gradually towards becoming that love - be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Cor 11:1), he said.

This is the response that we are expected to grow towards: to become God's love ourselves. Just as Jesus was God's love, we are called to become God's love - that is, persons who bear God's love to the others, specially to those who are in need of it most. Being bearers of God's love would presume that we have known that love, tasted it, and are filled with it, that we share it with everyone whom we come into contact with. Bearing God's love to the other is not merely doing something for the other, it is not giving something or making something for the other - it is being God's love to them. Our very beings need to be transformed by God's love. The lenten practices should lead us to that: not merely to some self inflicted pain that bears no fruit for the other, but a continual and gradual transformationof selves, that we become God's love to those around us!

However, with the personal weaknesses and the temptations, with the kind of characters around and the troubling situations, with the concerns we have and the burdens of worldly responsibilities, it becomes tremendously difficult to pursue that call: to be true bearers of God's love! But that should not worry us, as long as we are constantly, in our will and in our efforts, on our way, on this journey towards being God's love to the world and everyone around us! 

True Christian Love: Real faithfulness to God

THE WORD IN LENT: Saturday, 3rd week in Lent

March 13, 2021: Hosea 6: 1-6; Luke 18: 9-14

 

What I want is love, not sacrifice, says the Word. Sacrifices, after all, are for the sake of humbling ourselves in front of the Lord that we may grow closer and closer to the Lord. If the same sacrifice puffs up my ego and takes me to a higher plane, making me think of myself as being better than my brothers and sisters and from there, look down on them, then that sacrifice not only fails to serve its purpose, but takes me away from the Lord.

 

The Lord invites us to understand that our wish and effort to remain faithful to the Lord who has called us, is much better than all sacrifices. Remaining faithful to that call would mean, becoming more and more like God ... loving, compassionate and humble in our spirit; not self-glorifying, self-righteous and self-magnifying!

 

Look at the politicians who claim to “serve” the society and the people... majority of them are from a higher economic class or they reach there as soon as their career picks up. There is really no "service" rendered to people, rather they look at themselves as VIPs, as celebrities, almost as royals! Where does the so-called purpose that was cited for their entry into life disappear soon after?  

 

Easy to point a finger at them, but before doing that, let us take a look at our own life! When we begin to understand that we are people of God - is it for judging the other? Is it for telling the other that he or she is not saved, or is not worthy of being called People of God? The humbler I become the Godlier I shall be; the more I serve the other the more divine I shall be; the more sincere I am in my respect for the other, the more acceptable I become in the eyes of the Lord! 

Pope Francis leads us by example in this and we thank God today, for this great person, as today marks the 8th anniversary of his Papacy! God bless our Pope! Let us keep walking with our beloved Holy Father and let us rekindle constantly in our hearts and in our communities, our desire to be truly faithful to God and God alone!

True Christian Love: Resolve to get nearer to the Reign

THE WORD IN LENT: Friday, 3rd week in Lent

March 12, 2021: Hosea 14: 2-10; Mark 12: 28-34

 

The Word shows us today the easiest way of getting nearer to God and to God's Reign. It is through a life that is Shared, thanks to the pastoral courtesy of the Christian call. 'Return' is the call; but to where?  To the believing community. The Lord awaits us there – in the community of faith, the communion of hearts, the loving union of persons. 

 

Truly getting nearer to the Reign would mean right relationships and mutual respect. Getting nearer to the Reign would mean, getting closer to one another and getting more and more familiar with the One who has called me. Getting nearer to God would mean the ability to notice the Lord close to me, walking beside me, sharing my life on a daily basis…in and through my brothers and sisters in the God given community where I practice my faith.

 

Being nearer to the Reign would mean not experimenting but experiencing. Unlike the Israel who went all around looking for hope and finally with no other options reached the Lord their God, we are invited to look into ourselves and look at the experiences we are through, the subtle ways in which we are led by the Almighty and recognise it all.

 

Being nearer to the Reign would mean not making of the other, one of the options but, the very criterion to decide my course of action; that is, to act keeping the good of the other, the wellbeing of the other, the happiness of the other as the criterion to decide what I would do, in any given situation! Getting nearer to the Reign therefore, would mean to become more God-conscious and Other-conscious than self-conscious!

 

Let us resolve to get ever nearer to the Reign!

True Christian Love: Resolve to reform hardened hearts

THE WORD IN LENT: Thursday, 3rd week in Lent

March 11, 2021: Jeremiah 7: 23-28; Luke 11: 14-23

 

The world today is living a life of indifference, an inhuman and incredible indifference, so cold and selfish. Nothing matters to anyone until it hurts him or her personally. Be it individuals, groups, institutions or even local churches... we are overwhelmed by concerns of security in the face of increasing injustice in the larger society. We have seen this time and again, in so many types of crisis situations – recently in the pandemic that came as a blow to the world, affecting various parts at a time!

 

The Word today invites us to listen to the Lord speaking, speaking through the cries of the innocent victims - the cries of the poor,  the tears of those who have lost their dear ones to violence, crime, political indifference, economic segregation, social stratification, and cultural inhumanity, the miseries of those who have never understood the meaning of 'sufficient', those who are left to live in the brink of death day in and day out!

 

Let's beware of branding the poor as lazy, citing fate for the miseries of some in stark contrast to the filthy affluence of the others, brushing aside the sufferings of those who are victims of injustice saying we have nothing to do with it. When we do all these, we are closing our eyes, shutting our ears and hardening our hearts against God!  These are the qualities of a hardened heart.

 

With hardened hearts we will only be against God, scattering what God wants to gather. With hardened hearts we will only push God into the dark and the dark forces right unto the fore!

 

Let us resolve to reform our hardened hearts and transform them into hearts truly of flesh, blood and Spirit!

Growing in Christian Faith: Rootedness to the Foundation

 THE WORD IN LENT: Wednesday, 3rd week in Lent

March 10, 2021: Deuteronomy 4: 1,5-9; Matthew 5: 17-19

 

The Commandments were nothing but the expressed wish of the Lord who brought the people up to their status of God's people. It was actually the human side of the covenant that God made with us: on God’s part God loves us forever without end, and on our part, we are called to keep the commandments as a sign to say we love God!

 

The Old Testament people felt assured that when they walked in the path of the commandments, they were on the right track. At times this assurance, and the anxiety to hold on to this assurance, made them even highly legalistic. However, their respect for the law of the Lord, their zeal for the commandments and the attachment to the Word of the Lord was always commendable.

Though Jesus stood tooth and nail against legalism, he too respected the commands of the Lord and taught his disciples how to make it humanly possible to abide by those commandments. The expressed wish of the Father, was something sacred and holy to Jesus and he declared that they are never changing, eternal and foundational for our faith. 

 

Our faith, that is, our rapport with the Lord, our faithfulness to God has to be based firmly on something. And Jesus offers the right solution: the Word of the Lord. The Word which contains the expressed wish of the Father, the Word that will never perish, is the Rock foundation on which our faith has to be established! Whoever obeys and teaches these, will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 

Let us uphold our rootedness to our foundations!