Peter and Paul... You and Me!!!

WORD 2day: Saturday before Pentecost

June 4, 2022: Acts 28: 16-20, 30-31; John 21: 10-25

These days we have been continuously hearing of Paul and Peter, the two great leaders who led the band of apostles in their proclamation of the Gospel and the initial formation of the Church. They announced the Gospel in season and out of season, in the prison or out of it, in political custody or in the public squares, in health and in sickness, among the faithful or among skeptics, among simple peasants or to learned philosophers. Nothing held them back from preaching the Word.

Looking for ideal situations to evangelise, bemoaning the political atmosphere or the social apprehensions, finding excuses for remaining unnoticed Christians and justifying our lack of initiatives towards evangelisation: these are very common these days. Tomorrow we will be celebrating the feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit causing giving birth to the new form of the People of God - the Church.

Imagine if the Church would have really been born, if the Christians of those times were as calculative as some of us are these days. An experience that I had just yesterday, provoked me a bit. A person from South America was enquiring me, how many percentage of Indians are Christians. I said, official statistics says, we are 2.7 percent. And immediately he remarked, ofcourse with a smile and for a joke, (but it provoked me to think): "you guys have to work more"! Apart from the fact of needing to work on the front of proclamation, it reflects the state also of our witnessing life, the daily testimony that is the first proclamation that we have to make to our context!

Let us pray for the Spirit, the Spirit of power, love and self-discipline, the Spirit of courage and wisdom, the Spirit who strengthens apostles and empowers martyrs, that we may be persons filled with the Spirit and become powerful witnesses of the Gospel, in our daily life, wherever we are! 

Following the Lord

WORD 2day: Friday after Ascension 

June 3, 2022: Acts 25: 13b-21; John 21: 15-19

The total import of following the Lord may not be known to us right at the beginning when we intend to or decide to. But the Lord does not spare the moment. He instructs right from the beginning what can, or what is certain to, befall someone who intends to follow Him. Whoever is not ready to take up his daily cross and follow me is not worthy of me, said Jesus categorically (cf. Mt 10:38). The Lord does not look for disciples through deception or coersion. 

St. Paul was more than certain of everything that awaited him, the sufferings, the persecution and even death for the sake of the Lord. Jesus himself prepares Peter in his post-resurrection encounter with him. Invariably all Jesus's apostles, except James it is said, died the death of martyrs. They were prepared for it and they even considered it their privilege. It was infact the finest way of expressing their love for their Master and Lord.

Today, with the increasing number of anti-Christian skeptics and anti-Reign elements, our challenge to be disciples becomes more and more demanding. However, it remains categorical as ever. We could either choose to remain faithful disciples and face the brunt of it all, or choose to go with the flow of the rest of the society and spare ourselves of all these inconveniences. We know the call that we have received and that would determine what our choice should be. There can be no compromises. 

Following the Lord means following Him in everything, right till the end, right till the cross! It is not a negative choice, to choose to suffer. It is an absolutely positive choice, to live a life that is integral, committed and following the Lord!