Make a difference... for whom?

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 8th week in Ordinary time 

March 1, 2022: 1 Peter 1: 10-16; Mark 10: 28-31

Do not behave the way you liked to before you learnt the truth, says Peter in the letter. He seems to declare that on receiving the Word of God, the first difference that you have to make is to yourself. There should be a difference between you before receiving the Word and you after receiving the Word - that is the central message of the Word today. 

Making a difference remains one of the favourite themes spoken of overall, not only in the sociological or the motivational realms! However, it is almost always centred on the difference that I can make for the society, for the context where I am. Instead the difference that is spoken of here, is on a Spiritual plane, where I am called to make a difference to myself, making my whole life a constant and steady journey toward holiness. 

Holiness consists in the capacity to challenge oneself, towards making a difference within, which will certainly be seen in every aspect of life and experienced by every person around. Such a challenge and faithful adherence to it, will make us ever more disposed to receive the salvation that the Lord offers us, making us slowly a sacrament of salvation to God's own people, because the One who has called us, lives within us. 

Just imagine, a person who is earnest about making a difference within, sincere about changing one's own life on the basis of the daily challenge of the Word that wants to make a difference...will that life not be inspiring to all; beneficial to all; and a blessing to all! Think of someone who claims to be a Christian, and proclaims oneself devout, but does things in obedience to the vile interests of the evil that ruins everything! Which is the real difference that leads to holiness? 

Our holiness, which comes from the Holiest of all that is holy, is something that is there, for the sake of the other.  In giving and giving up, in obedience to the Holy Will of God, I go on towards making a difference, first and foremost for myself within, and thus for everyone around me! 

Entering the Reign: simple but not easy!

WORD 2day: Monday, 8th week in Ordinary time

February 28, 2022: 1 Peter 1: 3-9; Mark 10: 17-27

Peter speaks today about the promises of God which makes our salvation so certain - it is enough that we believe in Jesus the Son of God and place our trust in his mediation, we are certain to be saved! Yes, it is so simple to enter the Reign of God... but not easy! 

That which renders the simple task so difficult, is not so much the nature of the task itself as our attachment to those which are so unnecessary and ephemeral. Yes, the life task we have, that is to enter the Reign that is prepared for us from eternity, is so simple. From our very creation and the grace of baptism we are chosen and appointed for that great promise. But what happens in the course of our life, is what changes the prospects.

Rolling stones gather no moss, they say. That is what we need to be - rolling on, moving on, pressing towards the Reign of God, without losing our focus. But when we lose focus and get stuck with attachments that are unnecessary - like ego, power and possession,  and ephemeral - like the pleasures of the moment, opinions of persons and the honour in the eyes of the others, we are certain to gather moss and slow down in our journey towards the Reign. 

There is the immeasurable love and mercy of God, exemplified by the steady, loving look that Jesus gave the young man, which surrounds us and sustains us. In spite of our weaknesses and our failures, we are loved and the Lord has the arms open wide, to welcome us into the Reign. Yes, as children of God entering the Reign is extremely simple: it is all set, and all that we need to do is keep moving, but let us beware, the necessary choices that we need to make at times are not so easy! 

THE REIGN FRUITS

Speak right; See bright; and Settle for the Light

February 27, 2022: 8th Sunday in Ordinary time

Ecclesiasticus 27: 5-8; 1 Corinthians 15: 54-58; Luke 6: 39-45 

Every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor grapes from brambles, says Jesus today in his parable. A strong imagery to say, we are known by our fruits - by our words, by our actions and by the choices we make. If we are to be recognised as people of God, it cannot be done by our self-proclamation, nor our shouting out loud to all who are around. It has to be done, by manifesting it in our lives, in our practical lives. Without our clamouring establishment of the fact, we could go about quietly living our daily lives, and the people will automatically know the truth. Their might be opposition from some sides, not all admiration; worse still there may be some who would vow to destroy you - for stones are strewn at a tree with fruits! The Word today lists a few fruits that we need to grow, to manifest that we belong to the Reign - these we can call the Reign Fruits in a person. 

The first fruit is to Speak Right: right words at the right time, is a splendid gift from the Spirit. To speak right is, to speak at the right moment, to speak the right words and to speak the right volume. Many of our troubles arise from words spoken at the wrong time... either in fury or in confusion or in excitement. Once spoken, there is no use regretting them. It is a virtue at times to choose not to speak and it could be sin at times not to speak! However, not all of us have the gift of choosing the right word to speak, when we decide to. It comes from a discerned mind and a serene spirit, which are faculties to be trained in prayer and meditaton. Apart from the choice to speak, and the choice of the words, the decision as to how much to speak is crucial too! We need to speak the right volume, nothing more and nothing less. We can learn from our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph who give us a great example in their lives. 

The second fruit is to See bright: to see is not an ordinary gift! It is truly a skill to be developed with the grace of the Spirit to see oneself, to see the other and to see the road to salvation. Seeing oneself and observing the things within me that could be blocking my vision of life, is a gift that we need to pray for. We could so filled with ourselves that we may fail to notice something so obviously wrong with us. As they say, with the right diagnosis three fourth of the treatment is well done. So is it, even in our Spiritual lives. If it is so about ourselves, how true it could be about seeing the other. The danger is, seeing the other is so easy that most of the time we make mistakes. We do not really see what is there, but we end up seeing what we want to see. We have prejudices, biases and prior experiences which hinder us from seeing the facts. When we are able to see ourselves clearly and with the same objectivity, see the other, together we can see the way to salvation, the way to maturity, the way to fullness of life. 

The third fruit considered here, is spirit to settle for nothing less than the Light that comes from the Lord, from the Risen Lord. The call for attention here is to evaluate what we are ready to settle for - merely fulfilment of the basic needs, possession of material good, popularity among those around, power of dominating the other...are these enough to settle for? The Word says, we cannot settle for anything less than the Light itself, the eternal light that is ready to shine upon us...because we are the Reign people, who constantly seek that eternity, in every bit of our experience. Our experiences, small or big, good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, always have an indication towards something we need to learn and grasp in our lives. Above all, they indicate the presence of the Divine and the need for us to constantly strive towards that Divine. When we do that, we are discouraged by nothing, threatened by nothing or lured by nothing. We keep working towards that Light that the Lord has prepared for us and in Lordàs own time the light will shine on us, confirming that we are indeed Reign people. 

These Reign fruits are fruits that will set us aside, as witnesses to the people of these times and of this world - so that, in seeing us, they can give praise to the Lord! 

Christian Responsibility - a sign of the Reign

WORD 2day: Saturday, 7th week in Ordinary time

February 26, 2022: James 5: 13-20; Mark 10: 13-16

Praying for each other, confessing to each other, bringing back your brother or sister to God's ways, caring for the children... these are some Christian responsibilities that are pointed out in the Word today. In fact, Christian faith cannot be practised in isolation! Christian faith has to be lived in a community. 

The responsibility of the faith community towards every faithful  member is to create in them a sense of belonging and a sense of shared living. That is why a Christian community that is divided in itself is a contradiction at its core. No wonder, the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, would repeat... the division in the Church is the greatest scandal to the world. Taking resposibility as a community of faith, for others, specially those who are in need and in in toruble,

The individual faithful has a responsibility towards the community, which is crucial too! He or she, in and through his own life and prayers, has to build the community, has to safeguard the good of the community and realise the motives and objectives of the community, as one people of God. It is the every individual who makes the Christian community possible. Apart from safeguarding the community and its purposes, the Christian has the duty of nurturing the future of the Community. 

How pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together... this is the foundation of the Reign of God, that should be found in a Christian community. Promoting the Reign of God is to promote the togetherness of the community, towards a true spirit of communion and mutual responsibility. It is this task that indentifies a son or a daughter of the Reign, making us in our very nature, children of God.

The Yes-No Conflict

WORD 2day: Friday, 7th week in Ordinary time

February 25, 2022: James 5: 9-12; Mark 10:1-12

We have today a challenging call from James, almost echoing the words of his Master, Jesus Christ - let your yes be yes and your no, no. The yes-no conflict is a day to day experience that we have to grow conscious about. Three situations that can arise from this conflict:

First, we say a yes, where we should have said a No! That is the moment of our failure. Take experiences of habitual sins and spontaneous reactions. If we become conscious of it and accept our weakness, we can certainly grow out of it, with the grace of the Lord. But if we try to justify it, blame it on someone else or on a situation, we run the danger of ruining ourselves and our lives.

Second, the situation where we say a no, while we should have said a Yes! This is a moment of negligence. We could consider the missed opportunities to do good, to stand for truth or uphold justice. If we repent of it, we sould immediate take a stand and declare it clearly to ourselves and to others, thus making the experience of the Reign of God present around us. But if we do not realise it, or if we seek to by pass any critical evaluation of it, we allow sin to prevail, injustice to rule and that is contrary to the Reign.

The worst of our stands is when it is not clear, if we really say yes or no to it. Look at the Ukraine conflict going on - how certain are we about who is right - the Russian Sovereignty or the US and the NATO or the other Powers which are silent? Who is saying what - whose is yes and whose is no, here? If only we say a unanimous YES to love and humanity, what is happening would not happen! Is our Yes always a yes? It is a very crucial question to ponder - to whom and to what is my Yes and how determined is it?

Cut off whatever leads you off...

WORD 2day: Thursday, 7th week in Ordinary time

February 24, 2022: James 5: 1-6; Mark 9: 41-50

James today gives a strong warning against riches! This could be warning agains the rich, but can they be our wish for the rich... that they should go to ruins and to the burning fire? That would in no way be Chrsitian. We can wish no one's ruin, not even of those who do harm to us! If so, what is the message that James is trying to communicate? Simply that riches are no good, if they lead you away from what God has planned for you!

That is exactly what Jesus says too, but a little more radical. Not just your riches and your possessions, even your very own hand or leg, if they lead you away from what God has ordained for you, better cut them off, throw them away, instead of you going to the burning fire and eternal ruin. The point is all about being focussed on what God has willed for us. 

This requires that first, we know what God has ordained for us; secondly, we know what militates against that design of God; and thirdly, we have the courage to cut off all that leads us off from our way towards God. Knowing what God has ordained for me, is the gift of Knowledge and Wisdom from the Spirit. Understanding what takes us off from God's presence, is possible only through the Understanding and Counsel that come from the Spirit. 

Finally, having the courage to cut off whatever leads us astray from God, is impossible without the gifts of Fortitude, Piety and Reverence of the Lord. Totally, it is a constant and repeated spiritual itinerary proposed to us, that we may grow incessantly into what we are created and called to be - children of God, in the very image and likeness of God. 

May we have the knowledge, the wisdom and the courage to make every day, choices proper to the Reign of God. 

Just like a mist!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 7th week in Ordinary time

February 23, 2022: James 4: 13-17;  Mark 9: 38-40

We are just like the mist; here we are now, and then we are gone! It would  be interesting to turn to the episode of the tower of babel in the book of Genesis... these human beings, if only they were eternal and had endless powers, the world would have been a much dangerous and treacherous place! In spite of being limited and conditioned, how much pride and ego rules our day! Pride and Egoism, are two enemies of simplicity of spirit. 

Pride, is considering oneself greater than the rest, with despise and sometimes even a sense of malice. It can lead to an harmful mentality that can range from looking down on the other, to killing the other! Pride is one of the deadliest of the feelings that can deprive humanity of its serenity and joy.

Egoism, is the tendency to look at everything from the point of view of one's own advantage. For those who are filled with it, no one exists who is more important than themselves. Me, mine and my own, these are the only categories that would make any sense to them. With this one makes himself or herself the world, and closes oneself from the other or the others!

Explained in such hard terms, these may seem some grave psychological problems, but the danger is that, they can be found in each and everyone of us - what differs is the levels of it and the way we are aware and responsible about it. The Word invites us today to make a serious examination of consicience in the presence of the Lord, and see how much of pride and egoism, we have permitted within our hearts. 

May the Spirit of the Lord help us to understand the futility of these tendencies, because we are just like a mist, here today and gone tomorrow. 

Shepherd, Example and Rock

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

February 22, 2022: Celebrating the Chair of St. Peter

1 Peter 5:1-4; Matthew 16: 13-19

This is the Chair of St. Peter, above
one of the principle altars
in the Basilica of St. Peter, Vatican.
It is a symbolic reminder
of the Petrine Authority
that has been handed down from age to age,
despite all forces and events
that have vowed to impede it.

Celebrating the Chair of St. Peter is not celebrating the person of Peter, but the authourity given to Peter. This is a fundamental truth of the Catholic Faith, that we are all given with a Shepherd, an example and a Rock on which we are built together as one body of Christ. 

The imageries that are presented today for the authority of St. Peter are very significant, for us today as Catholics. 

First as Shepherd, Peter was called to gather the flock, strengthen their faith and keep them together as one people. Every time there is a rebellion againt the Petrine chair, or the Holy Father, there is a threat to the unity of the Church. Those who cause this division in anyway are responsible and answerable in their conscience to the Head of this one Mystical body. 

Secondly, as an example, as the witness of Christ's suffering and as an elder among elders, Peter's presence was a mediating presence - between the Son of God and the sons and daughters of God. We are all co-heirs in him, but in becoming that we are combining within us, just as Christ did, our human nature and our divine calling. And the Holy Father is given as a sign of that example...a constant reminder for us to keep striving towards our eternal homeland. 

Thirdly, as a Rock, Peter was deliberately asked by Jesus: 'I have prayed that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren' (Lk 22:32). As the Holy Father repeats it often... it is not that he or anyone in that office is a saint already, far from it. And that is exactly what the Church is - a community of weak and sinful persons - but we are all called to be people of a counter culture. The Holy Father becomes the rock, the foundation which enables us to stand firm and strive always to be true witnesses, inspite of all our faults and negligences. 

Today we have a duty to pray for the present Holy Father, as the days go by the forces against this rock, are increasing and growing more vehement. It is certainly not a call to be afraid or frightened, nor is it to spread some curious and dramatic predictions. It is a reminder to unite as a community of people of God, not a simple civil society. The difference lies in prayer! Prayer for our faith, prayers for each other, prayers for the Christian community as a whole and prayers in a special way for the Holy Father, Pope Francis. 

About prayer and wisdom

WORD 2day: Monday, 7th week in Ordinary time

February 21, 2022: James 3:13-18; Mark 9: 14-29

Jesus speaks today of those demons which can be sent out only through prayer and fasting! And it looks like James is naming some of those demons... jealousy and ambition. These are prsented by James as the opposites of wisdom. It is against wisdom that comes from the Spirit to have jealousy and ambition - how true!

Jealousy is a misunderstanding of oneself, in relation to others. It is a constant comparison with the other and a feeling of incompleteness which is imaginary and negative. What can one really do to fill in that incompleteness, which is actually not there! It is a very foolish question, isnt it? That is why it is against wisdom. 

Ambition is a misunderstanding of oneself, in relation to God. God has a plan for me and that which will give me serenity and meaning is a happy surrender to the will of God. When that does not happen and I am all the time worried about proving myself to those around, I kill my serenity and lose my mind. Certainly, that is against wisdom of the Spirit. 

And these evil tendencies from the evil one, miliates against the Spirit within us! That which can save us and lead us to serenity, meaning and inner joy is Prayer to the Spirit and the Wisdom from the Spirit.

LOVE AND BE LOVED!

My identity, my mission and a promise!

February 20, 2022: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary time

Samuel 26: 2, 7-9,11-13, 22-23;  1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6: 27-38

The more we love, the more shall we be loved... loved by the Lord, loved by our fellow beings, and loved by the entire universe around. It is not that the Lord God lays a condition to love us, but the fact is that, we shall be able to experience the unconditional love of God as much as we are ready to love one another. Today we have an interesting set of readings, that impress on us why David was loved by God and by his people,  how God's love promises us a dignity that is incredibly immense and how love alone can set us apart as the people of God. It is not merely a romantic reflection on the value of love, but a concrete explanation of what it entails to really love!

To love is to forgive; it hurts, but it is my identity. At times love is imagined to be some kind of a pleasant feeling and ecstatic experience. But it is not all. Love involves hurts, pains and heart aches. It consists of forgiveness... showing the other cheek, blessing those who curse, and respecting those who vow to destroy you. True love hurts... not the one who is loved, but the one who loves. The one who loves, empties oneself to truly love the other. The best of example is the mystery of Incarnation itself - for God so loved the world that God gave God's only son as a ransom! Can we ask a question, 'why'? Why should God do this? The question does not stand, because it is the very identity of God. God is love. 

We are called to the same mode of living, because that is our identity too! We are created in the image of God; God is love and therefore our image, our identity is love! Anything against it is a distortion of that image. Today when forces speak against and work against the Christian people and the Church, what do we do? We love. Our identity is love. In that love we forgive, we express compassion, we spread love! Be it in the family, or in the society, we need to keep this identity very clear. We are sons and daughters of Love, and therefore, love is our identity.

To love is to give; it drains me, but it is my mission. Love one another as I have loved you, said Jesus and one of the simplest proofs that he gave for one who loves is, Giving. One who loves gives. God loved, God gave - gave everything, absolutely everything. God loves, and God gives! If we love, we need to give, give from what we have and what we are, without measure, without expectation or without any self-benefitting agenda. If I am disciple of Christ, I cannot but give. Giving is a sign of love as a mission. I am sent to give, just as Christ came to give and was sent to give, give of himself, give everything, even his life! So am I, sent to give, because I am sent to love. 

The Martyrs whom we celebrate and venerate... why do we do? Because they died? Because they suffered? Not all who are killed or not all who suffered are proclaimed martyrs...the Church has a wisdom behind to see if they were killed for the faith, if they suffered for their faith. Being killed for faith or suffering for faith means, carrying out the mission of love to the end. I am not sent merely to go and brainwash people and bring them to be baptised! I am sent to love people, to give of myself  in love for the people, to give God's love to people! We can never lose sight of this, because to love is our mission.

To love is to trust; it may look delusive, but it is a promise! When I give and forgive, when I love and do everything for the other, I have a promise that can never fail. That the Lord my God will find me modelled after the image in which I have been created. That I shall attain the fulfilment of my life and life's purpose. David seemed a loser in the eyes of his companions who were with him, for he could have killed Saul and become the king right away! Jesus speaks of allowing ourselves to be robbed, cheated, taken for granted and being treated as the evil ones wish...I may look like a loser, but I am not! I have a promise and I rest on that promise.

When evil forces encamp against us and the wild beastly powers surround us in ambush, strangely we are called to love, to forgive, to give and to do good! It could be governments, or it could be hostile groups, or private individuals or brainwashed mobs... when someone is out there to hurt us and break us, what do we do? It is a pertinent question for a true Christian and a true Christian community any time - we remain firm and continue to love! We continue to serve, we continue to give, we continue to do all the good that we can. Because we are not doing it for the recompense, or for a recognition, or for teaching anyone a lesson. We do it, because we have a promise: that the God who looks on, has a plan for us! 

Nothing should discourage us from loving, because it is our identity to love. Nothing can stop us from loving because it is the very mission that we have been sent with. Nothing needs to motivate us to love, because we have a promise, that when we love, we make ourselves loved. The more we love, the more shall we be loved... loved by the Lord, loved by our fellow beings, and loved by the entire universe around. Let us love, and be loved!

Treating as you please!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 6th week in Ordinary time

February 19, 2022: James 3:1-10; Mark 9: 2-13

Being called 'children of God', is a great gift in itself; what can be greater than being called so by God! Just as we heard the voice of the Lord in the Gospel declaring Jesus as the Son of God, so are we children of God... but we need to be transfigured to be declared so my God. Transfigured in the sense that we become or grow to be more and more acceptable in the eyes of God, on a daily basis,

We need to therefore, constantly check our attitudes, actions, and priorities in life. The way we treat and deal with persons around us would be the primary criterion that would determine whether we are acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. The worst of the maltreatments that we mete out to people is by our words, with the weapon of the tongue!

At times we need to ask ourselves, who gave us the permission to "treat people as it pleases us", especially when it comes to the words we use against the others. First of its kind is abusing people with our words - a violence often times underestimated but can really create havoc. A second type is the cynical criticism, that intends no good for the person but only damaging the esteem of the person. The worst of its kind is, gossip and backbiting, an hypocrisy that characterises the evil that lies within us. Once we train our tongue to speak only what is good, truthful and necessary, we would well be on our way towards being acceptable in the eyes of the Lord.

If at all we wish to be called children of God, we need to resolve on one basic principle: that you will respect every person, without any conditions or discriminations; and never to treat the other as you please!

Let my life speak!

WORD 2day: Friday, 6th week in Ordinary time

February 18, 2022: James 2:14-24,26; Mark 8:34-9:1

What would your answer be, if I were to ask you: what is faith according to you? Is it some kind of a belief in a concept? Is it some kind of a memorised truth and assent to it? 

Thoelogically, faith is a response! It is a response given by a person, from within, to a revelation that God gives to a person! The classical definition is that, faith is a personal response to a Self-revealing God. If it is a response, it has to be seen as a response, it has to be seen in action; it cannot remain in the level of a mental assent or a grasp of a concept. If it remains at that stage, it would be incomplete - this is what James says in very concrete terms - If you have faith, show it in action.

Jesus too reiterates the same fact: if you have faith in me, show the world that you have faith in me. How do I show? In my way of life, in my priorities, in the perspective of my decision making, in the way I look at reality, in the way I relate to persons, in the climate that I create around myself, in the kind of society that I promote, in the kind of humanity I uphold! 

What if I claim that I have faith and I am inactive in my Christian commitment? Worse still, what if I declare that I have faith and I do things that are contrary to truth, justice and love? What if I claim to be a disciple of Christ and I act selfish and unjust, discriminatory and insensitive?

It is better that I don't claim by words that I have faith in Christ; let my actions show, let my life speak!

Thinking God's ways!

WORD 2day: Thursday, 6th week in Ordinary time

February 17, 2022: James 2: 1-9; Mark 8: 27-33

God's people think in God's ways! It is not enough to call myself a child of God, I need to become one! To become a child of God, I need to grow to be like God in every way, which means my words are God's words, my acts are God's acts, and my thinking is God's ways of thinking! 

Thinking God's ways means thinking love... and love is not favouritism. If I, in the name of love, love only my own and discriminate the others, am I thinking God. Today, there are any number of reasons to discriminate, divide and dehumanise people! Racist thinking, though people say is of the past, there are tendencies today so obvious and so deliberate, where people discriminate on the basis of colour and origins. Casteist thinking in the Indian context for example, as evil as, sometimes much more inhuman than racism and other discriminations. The rich-poor divide, which is increasing enormously by the day, is equally inhuman and there seems to be no way out of it. And to add to all these, with the pandemic today, there is a new type of discrimination on the basis of those who have taken the vaccine and those not! How mean of all of us!

Thinking God's ways means, thinking love; love knows no discrimination, love knows no selfishness, love knows no injustice! Love is ready to suffer for the sake of the other, even when it knows very well that the goodness will not be recognised readily. But thinking God's ways means, thinking truth, thinking justice, thinking equality... it is thinking true love!

Obey the Word or obey the world?

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 6th week in Ordinary time

February 16, 2022: James 1:19-27; Mark 8: 22-26

What are we called to: to obey the Word, or to obey the world? The "world" here would mean the popular tendency in the society today, to be counter-witnessed by a disciple of Christ, who is in the world, but not of the world. What kind of a witness does the world need today? That which kindles hope, that which renews faith and that which spreads love.

The world teaches to look at persons as trees, objects walking around from where I wish to get all that I can and all that I need. Consumerism, exploitation and the use-and-throw culture of the world today, looks at persons around as sources from where we can get something for ourselves. It is not that we do not know the facts - the facts of indifference and exploitation, the facts of insensitivity to the other and objectification of persons, the facts of looking at everything and everyone in terms of profit and gain! We know the facts, we see the facts, we hear the facts, but we act and live, as if we have not seen or known anything. Because that is what the world teaches... you be about your business.

The Word teaches us to look at persons as persons, plainly and distinctly, as persons with feelings and problems, as persons with needs and responsibilties, as persons with something to offer to us and also with the need to be sustained by us! Compassion, kindness, forgiveness and love - that is what the Word teaches us to offer to others. We know there is nothing that can make us people of God other than compassion; we know it is kindness and mercy alone that can make us children of God; we know that it is only forgiveness that can promote life; we know that without love I cannot call myself a Christian... but at times nothing of this knowledge makes any difference in our choices!

It is not enough to see, we need to percieve; it is not enough to hear the Word, we need to live it; it is not enough to know, we need to live by the Word. Are we ready?

Are we blind or do we wish to be blind?

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 6th week in Ordinary time

February 15, 2022: James 1: 12-18; Mark 8: 14-21

Why is God testing me so much - have you heard people say this in their difficulties? In fact, this is one of the prominent human questions to the Divine: why me? Why Lord, why have you caused me to suffer? But it would not take long to realise how dumb such a question is, if only we sincerely give a serious thought to it. At times we blame God because we do not see! We are not able to see, but the facts are right before us. 

When an evil befalls, like a war, or a pandemic, or a disaster of many kinds, we ask: why Lord, why this? But if only we pause a while and go into the reasons and causes, would we not be able to see that it has not got to do with God, but with us, with human greed or insensitivity, personal ego or collective indifference, social evil or global exploitation. We do not see, because we are not capable of perceiving it, we are not prepared enough to understand it. 

Worse is the case when we choose not to see, when we prefer not to perceive! There are all the signs of warning about destruction and disaster, but we still choose to go ahead as if there is nothing wrong, because we do not wish to disturb the present system or structure, because we wish to shirk the responsibility from our shoulders, because we resist any inconvenience even if it is for a lasting good in the longer run! And then we find it so easy to blame it on God!

Is it not just that the Lord flings at us all those questions that he does in the Gospel today - do you not understand? do you not see? do you not hear? do you not remember? are you without perception! It is never late, and certain never too early, to take a deep look at the reality of our lives and become aware of the wrong choices and decisions we keep making. Is it so difficult to do? If so, we are either blind or we wish to be blind!

No sign, for those who do not find!

WORD 2day: Monday, 6th week in Ordinary time

February 14, 2022: James 1:1-11; Mark 8: 11-13

Why does this generation ask for a sign... no sign shall be given to this generation! Actually, what Jesus means is - no sign can be given to this generation. Yes, no sign can be given to those who cannot find the signs in what is already happening all around. 

To find the signs of the presence of God and the signs of the lessons of God, one needs the wisdom from the Spirit. And those who need this wisdom, they must ask with faith and no trace of doubt! If only a person is attentive to what is happening around, to what is happening in one's own life, to the effects of the choices one  makes and to the cause of the various effects that one undergoes, he or she shall without fail behold these signs. 

If one is totally taken up with what one is attracted to, totally immersed in the events and experiences that give him the pleasures of the moment, gripped with the likes and dislikes without really attending to the messages from the Lord, the person would be destined to miss the signs. What is the use of giving him or her any number of signs? They would be speckles of sugar sprinkled onto the sea!

The pleasures of life are like the withering grass; the excitements of moments are like the drooping flowers. What looks so splendid at a moment, soon disappears into the think cloud. It is the wisdom of the Lord that makes us understand this all important lesson: what lasts is the law of the Lord, the Word that enlivens us and the Spirit that enlightens. If we cannot find ways of holding on to the teachings of the Lord, founding our lives on the Word of God, and following the promptings of the Spirit of the Lord, we shall profit out of no sign whatsoever!

IN GOD WE TRUST

Trust, in God, do we?

February 13, 2022: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 17: 5-8; 1 Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20; Luke 6: 17, 20-26

In God we trust, is a famous dictum, not just because it is found printed on the much sought after dollar bills of the United States of America, but because it is the motto adopted by the nation since almost seven decades (to be precise, 1956). This phrase is famous, but is it practised? It is popular but is it meant when and where it is used? This is not to criticise the Nation in reference here, but to bring our attention to such a statement that we make so frequently... that we trust in God. Do we? Do we really trust in God, in our practical day to day life? 

One of the first questions to be answered here is, what does 'trusting' mean? Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something! When I say I trust, I know that the person or the thing, is capable of something that is in reference. To trust, therefore is to know. To trust is to use that knowledge to rely on that someone or something. To trust is however not totally foolproof. Because trusting is a leap that one takes from what one knows about someone, to a judgement about what that someone is. The knowledge one has can be deceptive, or purposely created and shared to deceive. Remember the episode of Adam and Eve with the serpent... they trusted the serpent! That is why the whole idea of who is trust-worthy and who is not, arises.  

Here comes the second question, what does it mean, when I say, I trust in God. It means that I know God, I have gotten to know God, I have my convictions about God, I have a relationship with God as a result of knowing God. Can I say, 'O God, in you I trust', without really knowing God? Can I claim to trust in God, without really developing a true relationship in God? Do I really trust in God or do I trust in what I have created for myself as trust-worthy gods? May be riches, may be power or position or dominion over the other, may be the pleasures of life, may be my ego, may be the opinions of the world, may be the false image that I wish to give the world about myself... anyone of these I could create for myself as my trust-worthy deity.  

The question that remains to be answered is, do I really trust in God? Or am I using God for my own purposes - pacifying myself, justifying myself, satisfying myself, fending for myself and reaching my own ends! The world today teaches this generation to look at the what is here and now, to consider the facts and concrete reality as seen, to value statistics and believe in calculated precisions. In the name of science, certain knowledge is created and spread and everyone is directly or indirectly obliged to accept it, submit to it and act on it. What is 'spiritual' is considered unreal, what is 'theological' is considered unscientific, and what is 'transcendental' is considered a waste of time. To add to the predicament, there are those who misinterpret the 'spiritual', manipulate the 'theological' and maneuver the 'transcendental' to suit their own ends. As St. Paul says to the Corinthians in the second reading today, these are the 'most unfortunate of all people' and not only that the most dangerous of all, misleading every one. 

The contrast that repeats itself in the first reading and the Gospel - the blessed and the cursed - consists in trusting truly in God or trusting in the gods that we create for ourselves! 

The worst of the possibilities is that we intentionally create deities for ourselves and for others around and make people trust in them. As the society today creates success, popularity and comfort as deities and propose to people to chase after, for the sake of happiness and meaning in life! It is enough a person is successful and moneyed, whatever he or she says becomes trust-worthy, today. Look at some bigwigs who make statements about corona variants and vaccines, who have nothing but money and might! What a ruin such mentality can lead to!

Another possibility is that we are mistaken in our understanding and conceive God in a manner much limited and wrong. Some so-called preachers who delight in making fancy predictions and frightening propositions, make people fall for this and there are persons who trust in some rites, rituals and rules as those which can really save them from all pain and suffering in life. What a deception it can cause when they really get to know the Truth!

The only possibility that can do us eternal good is to earnestly pray with the psalmist today: happy is the one who trusts in the Lord. In God should we trust... in God, who is Love, Truth and Goodness. Only in love, should we trust, not in hatred and vengeance, not in proving one's point and winning over all others. Only in Truth should we trust, not in half truths and fancy ideas, not in the deceptions of the evil one. Only in Goodness should we trust, not in craftiness and deceit, not in manipulations and exploitation. 

Only in God should we trust, for in God lies our eternal salvation. We are called to resurrection, to eternal life, to that salvation...which cannot be made sense of except in relation to God. May our every day life choices and priorities show to ourselves, that only IN GOD WE TRUST. 

Feeding the Ego!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 5th week in Ordinary time

February 12, 2022: 1 Kings 12: 26-32, 13:33-34; Mark 8: 1-10

We see Jesus feeeding the four thousand people gathered around him, just as he did with the five thousand a little before (Mark 6). He was feeding the people, because they were in need. They did not have anywhere else to go. They had to eat, and Jesus fed them and left that place as soon as he could.

In the first reading too, we find Jeroboam feeding his people - providing them with new gods, new feasts and new rituals and sacrifices, not because they were in need, or not because they had nowhere else to go - but because he did not want them to go elsewhere, and he was in need of assuring himself of his kingship! What was he feeding? The people? No, his own ego!

This is what happens even today - there are those politicians and powerful people who want to feed their own ego. And they create gods: gods of needs, desires and attractions, thus feeding themselves by making the people go after fake absolutes. Much worse, there are religious leaders who create feigned experiences and fabricated explanations, all in the name of feeding the people but in actuality feeding their own egos and their own personal projects, in the name of God!

Jesus seems to give a three-fold criteria in the good we do for others! Are you doing it entirely for the other, or do you have a gain hidden? Are you ready to put yourselves in trouble for the sake of the good of the other, even without they knowing it? Finally, are you ready to move on, after doing good, without waiting to reap the fruits of it, even if it were just a simple gratitude or appreciation? If these criteria fail, I need to seriously raise the question... do I seem to be feeding my own ego?

To the Reign or to ruin!

WORD 2day: Friday, 5th week in Ordinary time

February 11, 2022: 1 Kings 11: 29-32, 12:19; Mark 7: 31-37

We find two encounters presented to us in the Word today - one between Ahijah the prophet and Jeroboam, and the other between Jesus the Son of God and the deaf and dumb man! The encounter with the persons of God - represented here by the prophet Ahijah and Jesus the Son of God - brings the message from God. But what the message is going to be, depends on you and me! 

While the encounter with Jesus made the deaf and dumb, hear and speak, the encounter with Ahijah brings the news of tearing down the kingdom forever! Where does the difference lie...  in the precedent choices! Our choices lead us step by step to the Reign or to Ruin! We at times take our single choices, particular events and isolated experiences for granted. It cannot be so.

Our thoughts lead to action, our actions lead to habits, and our habits lead to attitudes and even to a way of life. Before we even realise, the way of life can put us in a position to inherit the Reign promised or lead us to a ruin unprecedented. What is important is that we heed to the voice of the Lord, that we have our ears open to the Words of the Lord, that we have our hearts open to the inspirations of the Spirit, that we may at the right time, make the right choices to turn towards the Reign and not run towards our ruin!

Opening up vs Losing it all...

WORD 2day: Thursday, 5th week in Ordinary time

February 10, 2022: 1 Kings 11:4-13; Mark 7: 24-30

The episode of the encounter between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman, is a curious passage to reflect upon. It has an interesting interpretation that Jesus needed to be taught by that woman, by the simple but staunch faith of that woman. What was the lesson that Jesus had to learn - despite the fact that he was sent for the lost children of Israel, that he had to also open himself up to other needy, because in the sight of the Lord, there is no partiality. 

Today, living in a world of plurality, intensified by globalisation and migration, we need to learn the art of opening up, to live with an open mind and a broad heart, to have a mentality that is mature and transcendent. You cannot force your principles on others, much less your religion or faith. You need to be open and respectful with those who have a different religious or faith tradition from you, instructs the Gospel.

But is that openness, losing our own ground totally; is it relativising all that we have ever believed to be true; and compromising our faith and conviction? The line is quite subtle and we need to traverse it with care - Solomon failed in it. He could not differentaite between respecting and being open to others who had their own faith-following, and following those traditions himself. He lost sight of the great grace of wisdom that he was given and made imprudent choices.

However the merit of David continues to do him good... for the sake of David he was spared! Our goodness, our faithfulness to God, can save other, bring them to God and keep them in the presence of God. Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to open up our minds and hearts, in love and respect to everyone, without ever losing the grip on the One True Lord. 

What lies within me!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 5th week in Ordinary time

February 09, 2022: 1 Kings 10:1-10; Mark 7:14-23

Solomon was found so attractive, inspirational and edifying, because his inner self was blessed with the Wisdom of God, the Spirit of the Lord. When our whole self becomes a dwelling place of the Spirit, what comes out of us will certainly be edifying and sanctifying. Instead, if we lack the Spirit's Wisdom, but are filled with anger and frustration, enmity and jealousy, we shall bring out thoughts, words, and decisions that are utterly ungodly!

It is very important to check constantly, what we are feeding ourselves with - goodness and peace or filth and violence. When we see certain persons who think, speak, incite and spread evil, we need to implore the Lord for them, for they are so overpowered by evil. We need to take care of our thoughts, our words, our decisions and our actions, as it is indicative of what we are within us. 

Let us take care of what we take in... the negative remarks, the pessimistic outlooks, the destructive criticisms, the compromising attitude, all these could easily push us to ruin, of ourselves and of our communities. Let us fill ourselves with the Spirit, clothe ourselves with Christ and surrender ourselves to God our Father and Mother, so that wherever we are and whatever we do, we will constantly and authentically spread love, goodness, peace and hope. That is truly the identity of the people of God!

The dwellings and the doings worthy of God

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 5th week in Ordinary time

February 8, 2022: 1 Kings 8: 22-23,27-30; Mark 7: 1-13

Solomon was really a man of wisdom! He knew the limitations that he had, the limitations that we all have as human beings, with respect to God! Just because we make a dwelling place for God, it does not mean the Lord is obliged to make his dwelling there! God is everywhere and God is where God wants to be! The dwellings, however beautiful and grand they could be, do not oblige God to be present, but it is the will of God to be present amidst us, that makes them the dwellings of God amidst us. 

In the same way, whatever we do in the name of prayer, sacrifice and offerings to God, does not mean automatically that they are acceptable in the presence of the Lord or that the Lord is obliged to accept them. What really matters is not what we do, but with what kind of a heart we do! What is done is important; but why it is done and the mentality with which it is done is exponentially more important!

Let us ask ourselves, regarding the things we do for God on a daily basis: do we do them out of love or on a routine; do we do them with whole heart or with a mind to get it done with; do we come together to pray because we love to pray with each other or because we have no other go! When we do whatever we do, however small it may be, with the entire heart and soul, our very being becomes a dwelling place of God. And not just ourselves, but everyone around us shall see the presence of God dwelling in us! 

Yes, this is the call today: to become worthy dwellings by doing what is worthy of God. 

The glory that surrounds

WORD 2day: Monday, 5th week in Ordinary time

February 7, 2022: 1 Kings 8: 1-7,9-13; Mark 6: 53-56

The Word today does not say, all those whom he touched were healed; it says, all those who touched him were healed. There is a crucial difference here, a difference that Jesus would very often emphasise on - it is your faith that heals you! 

When it is said that the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's Temple, it is not because it was not there earlier, but the people were prepared and disposed to see the glory of the Lord descending on the place, with their worship and prayers together. It is their faith that made them see that glory descend.

Today too, the glory of the Lord shall descend and we shall see it, if only we are prepared, disposed, and inspired by our faith. Glory, not in the sense of a cloud that covers, or smoke that fogs, but in the persons, events and experiences that we encounter. We shall see the presence and the glory of the Lord, if only we are prepared. 

As St. Paul would say, we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose! If only we are attentive to it, we shall see miracles happening everyday in our lives. It is very true that miracles abound for those who are ready to see them around. The question is how prepared and disposed are we to experience and encounter the miracles, the daily miracles that the Lord sends our way. How ready are we to witness the glory of the Lord that surrounds us all the time!

WE ARE CALLED

in spite of, in view of & in the place of...

February 6, 2022: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary time

Isaiah 6:1-2,3-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5: 1-11

We are called - this is one of the most fundamental self-understanding that every Christian should possess. We are Christians, we are followers of Christ because we are called. There is in the Indian context, a term called 'Ghar Wapsi', refering to bringing back to the 'hindu' fold, those who had gone to other religions in the name of conversion! Is it as simple as this - just changing camps, or changing names? Or there is also another movement, however minor, of people who claim that their ancestors were converted to Christianity and that they have no allegiance to it on their own! What has been their self-understanding all this while? Still more, there are those who go from one denomination of Christian faith to another, looking for excitement and variety! Looking at all these phenomena, the sad fact that emerges is that those who claim to have received the faith, still need to understand that faith is a call!

Faith is a call, a response to a call, a personal response to God who reveals Godself to us, in various ways. Fundamentally, every believer in God is called, is called to a self-understanding, a way of life, and a mission. The Liturgy of the Word this Sunday reminds us of this fact: that we are called. And in this respect there are three messages given to us to reflect upon:

We are called in spite of... in spite of our limitedness, in spite of our weakness, in spite of our unworthiness! This is the common thread that obviously runs through the three readings we listen to. Isaiah exclaims that he is impure and lives among impure people and therefore is not worthy to even hear or pronounce the Word of the Lord; Paul declares that he has been like a person who was unexpectedly born and an enemy of the people of God; Peter falls at the feet of the Lord and begs the Lord to leave him because he is unworthy and sinful. The unworthiness, weakness, and at times even wickedness, is a matter of fact within us - it is in spite of that the Lord has called us!

It is not because we are worthy that the Lord has called us, we are worthy to stand before the Lord because the Lord has called us. Every day of our life when we have an opportunity to do good to someone, when we have a recognition for the identity we bear as followers of Christ, when we are in a position to serve someone because we have the identity of a Christian, we need to remind ourselves that we are called. we are called in spite of our limitedness. Our call, our identity can never be a source of pride or arrogance - judging others, condemning others, looking down on others, and  treating them as people who have to be somehow rescued to life! As Christians we need to grow more and more humble, towards an authentic self-understanding of a people who are called by God, in spite of our unworthiness.

We are called in view of... in view of a mission, in view of a purpose, in view of a task to be accomplished! The three characters we meet today in the Word - Isaiah, Paul and Peter - were called for a particular purpose - to be a messenger of God, to proclaim the Gospel to the peoples, to be fisher of persons! There were called in view of something, they did not know that. They were thinking only of their past, their present and their situation in life; they could not see what lay ahead of them. They were in fact being called for a way of life, for a new way of life, for a completely different way of life! As soon as they realised this, they were able to come over their fixation with the past and the present and they began to look that the new life they were called to life - as a messenger, as a preacher, as an apostle!

It is important to be attentive to what the Lord is calling me to. I cannot consider myself called and continue with the same old life style of the past or the present. As the saying goes, 'you cannot make a difference, if you do not do anything different!' My call, taken seriously, transforms me totally, to a new way of life, to a new perspective of life, to a new understanding of life, into a new person altogether. There is a sense of renewal in my choices, my priorities, my values, my outlook on life and my perception of persons. All these transformations, of course, are for the better, not for worse! Because as Jesus chides the pharisees and the scribes - woe to you who go across land and see to make one single convert, and make them twice as much a child of hell as yourselves! What a powerful accusation Jesus has against a conversion that does not bear its right fruit. We are called in view of a new way of life!

We are called in the place of... in place of God, to speak to the people who need to hear God's word, to announce the good news of God to the people that God loves them and comes to them with salvation, to become fishers of persons who need to come into the net of the Reign of God so that they can experience God more intimately and become truly fulfilled in life. Be it Isaiah, Paul, Peter, or any one called in the history of salvation, they have been called to carry out a mission in the name of God. Could there have been a person better than Isaiah, more commited than Paul, holier than Peter? Certainly, Yes! But all the same God chose these, and God had a specific mission for each of these.

When we are called, we are called to make the Lord present wherever we are. That is our mission. In our words, in the news we wish to announce to each other, in the choices we wish to propose to others, in the kind of outlook of the world we create, in the kind of mindset that we wish to spread, we need to be people who do it in the place of God...that is, those who create what God wishes to create, those who build what God wants to build, those who bring people to that net which gathers persons into the Reign of God. We are called with a mission to be presences of God, that people shall experience God in us, that persons shall be drawn to know God more in and through us, that persons can feel the need of having God close to them in their lives. 

We are called. Inspite of our unworthiness, we are called; in view of presenting to the world a style of life that becomes a witness; a witness that speaks in the place of God, that speaks hope and joy to a world immersed in strife. Let us live our lives ever mindful that we are called!    

The Lord who teaches

WORD 2day: Saturday, 4th week in Ordinary time

February 5, 2022: 1 Kings 3:4-13; Mark 6:30-34

As soon as we hear that the Lord is our shepherd, we think of a God who provides, who protects and who pastures! Today Jesus presents to us a dimension of the Shepherd that many a times we do not see, rather we do not wish to see or recognise. A Shepherd does not only feed or fend for us, but also teaches us! When Jesus saw the people as sheep without a shepherd, he set about teaching them. 

Solomon understood the importance of the Lord who teaches, the Lord who instructs what is right and what is wrong, the Lord who grants the wisdom to discern between good and evil. Following his great example the Word inspires us to pray: Lord teach me your statutes. The Shepherd who teaches, does not merely do things for us, but prepares us to do the right thing at the right time. 

We live in a time of confusion - everything is being justified; even the worst of criminals seems to have a justification for what they are upto, and the righteous and the just ones are taken to task by the forces with hidden agenda. Good seems to be on the losing side, and the evil so triumphant and vociferous; the monetarily affluent and the powerful seem to have every bit of this world under their thumb; do we give up? 

The Word inspires us today to hold on to the Lord who teaches, and the Lord shall prepare us to understand what is good and noble, at any point of time. When we discard everything else as secondary before the Lord and the Lord's wisdom, the Shepherd shall lead us in the path of righteousness and peace and the Lord shall teach us, as God's own people!

Madly in love!

WORD 2day: Friday, 4th week in Ordinary time

February 4, 2022: Ecclesiasticus 47:2-13; Mark 6: 14-29

We are given to meet two extraordinary persons in the Word today - first, David who was treated by God as a 'friend,' and second, John, who was declared that among those who are born of women, there is no one more blessed than him. They were both men of God, one called to rule and the other called to teach; one called to govern and the other to direct and counsel hearts to the Lord.

There is, above all, a comparison that makes these two stand out - they were both considered strange or even mad. David considered the Lord his Master, shepherd and king and therefore when it came to expressing his love for the Lord, he would go to any extent, at times even his wife laughed at him, we  are aware. The Baptist was indeed a strange man and that is how everyone knew and saw him - a skin-clad man who was living on locusts and wild honey.

They were both mad, yes mad in their love for God and what pertained to God. Did they have their shortcomings - yes they did. One was an emotionally driven man and the other was a sociability-challenged man. But when it came to their dedication to God and the mission that God had entrusted to them, they were totally and absolutely committed. Nothing else mattered to them; not their public image, nor their social acceptability, or their personal projects, not even their own lives!

This is the hallmark of a true person of God - being madly in love with God. 

Sent with a mission

WORD 2day: Thursday, 4th week in Ordinary time

February 3, 2022: 1 Kings 2: 1-4, 10-12; Mark 6: 7-13

The Lord is the ruler of all. The Lord rules over the time and history. The Lord has an eternal plan for the well being of everything and everyone. Observing the injunctions of the Lord, following the Lord's ways and keeping the laws, David says, will make a person worthy of the promises of the Lord. It is after all, a simple and straight forward truth - keep to the original plan and the project of life, everything shall go well. 

The problems that we encounter today are all outcomes of the loss of this congruence with the plan of God... look at the climate crisis that we are experiencing, the threat of war and violence, the drastic discrepancy between the rich and the poor...and finally, even the pandemic that has been troubling the whole world for the past two years! Can we not see that there is somewhere something that has been twisted wrong and we are paying for it with these consequences?

That is why the Lord calls and commissions the people of God - to go and teach the world out there, to bear witness to a life in keeping with the plan of God, to give a model to those living in greed and insensitivity of the other. What if we are following the crowd and not really living up to the call given to us, as the people of God? Be it David, or Solomon, they give us a warning in their own life, how one can turn unfaithful to God's purposes, when one's own whims and fancies take the better of what is true and noble.

The challenge to us is that each of us realises that he or she has been sent with a mission on this earth, and not run behind the crowd, doing what they do and dying for what they die. Every day, in every way, I need to remind myself that I am sent with a mission; discerning what the Lord wants of me, here and now!