The Elders, the grains and the darnels

THE WORD AND THE FEAST 

July 26, 2022: Remembering Sts. Joachim and Anne

Jeremiah 14:17-22; Matthew 13:36-43

The discussion is still on about the darnels among the grains in the field. Jesus speaks as a matter of fact and belittles the question who had sown those darnels. It is immaterial, according to him! The fact is that they were there and the grain stalks had grown even amidst those darnels! The merit has to be given to those and Jesus assures that it will be given.

Reflecting on personalities such as Sts. Joachim and Anne who stand as symbols of the elders who have kept the faith, we are challenged to emulate their lives, their commitment and their dedication to the Lord.

We are called to remain faithful inspite of and amidst the faithless crowd that looks at everything in terms of gains and benefits. Even the elders in the families are considered and valued according to their worth in terms of income and expenditure. People have no time for persons in this world, a world that absolutises productivity.

Can we take a moment today and look at our attitude towards elders? Are we grateful or are we calculative? Are we respectul or are we despising them? It is time to be grains among the abounding darnels.

Jesus' School of Servant-Leadership

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

July 25, 2022: Celebrating St. James, the Apostle.
2 Corinthians 4: 7-15; Matthew 20: 20-28

Feast of any Apostle reminds us of the wonderful words that St. Paul utters today: "we hold this treasure in earthen vessels". Every apostle has his own weakness, nevertheless the gift that they are and that they possess, surpasses everything as God's power and might are revealed in it.

Feast of St. James (with the Gospel that we are given to reflect today) reminds us of this more strongly and adds another specific teaching, a teaching from Jesus' School of Servant- Leadership. In Matthew's and Mark's versions of the Gospel, we find every time that Jesus foretells his passion, he follows it up with the discourse on servant leadership (as we see in Mt 16:24ff; 18:1ff; 20:20ff). James and John, just like the other apostles, took time to realise that the only thing we can inherit from Jesus is his identity as Suffering Servant!

Eventually they wanted to bear the crown that Jesus mentioned and that is what they did. James led the community of Jerusalem... humble and service minded as the Master himself; and his blood shed like the Master's (Acts 12:2). Let us praise the Lord for the apostle St. James and be prepared to witness to the Lord till our last breath!