Honest and Unattractive Marketing

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 8th week in OrdinaryTime

May 30, 2023: Sirach 35: 1-12; Mark 10: 28-31

After a long and eventful period, we resume the ordinary season...with green around the altar. In our ordinariness we have very many lessons to learn and great strides to make in our growth as children of God and disciples of Christ! 

Buy one get two; pay less get more; paisa vasool; bonanza... these are well known marketing techniques followed by the business brands, big or small. At the most the attempt to be sincere would be marked with an asterisk in smallest font size possible and stated "conditions apply" - all of these, attempts to hide what it really costs, in having best of things.

We see today Jesus, who seems to be inviting people promising them hundred fold of what they give up - that seems to be a good marketing technique! But it ends when he adds in the offer: 'persecutions and death' too as inevitable part of the package - plain and clear! The First reading too promises sevenfold of what we offer to the Lord, but insists: 'offer no bribes, these God does not accept! Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion.'

Jesus' style seems all an unattractive type of marketing... but honest. The fruits of discipleship is all made known to us... and along with it, what it truly costs. Will that kind of a propaganda attract many; yes, many among those who honour honesty and dare to pick up the cross! Are we in that number?

Mary, the Mother of the Church

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

Monday after the Pentecost - May 29, 2023
Genesis 3: 9-15, 20; John 19: 25-34

We celebrate a memoria today, instituted just six years ago in the Church's liturgical calendar, to be celebrated on the day following the Pentecost Sunday - the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church! The positioning of the feast is very crucial: the day after the Pentecost, to prolong the celebration of the Pentecost and to remain with the extraordinary event that took place, resulting in the genesis of the Church!

Mary is indisputably the Mother of the Church for the following three reasons:

1. Mary bore Jesus, the head of the Church: As the mother of the head of the Church, she naturally becomes the mother of the body of Christ - the Church. As she gave birth to Jesus and nourished him, so does she nourish each of us in our faith in Christ her son. As she brought up Jesus in wisdom and grace, so does she watch us mature in our faith and hope. As she cared for Jesus and protected him from all worldly perils (be it fleeing to Egypt or going in search of Jesus at Jerusalem), so does she care for us and protect us. THE PATRONESS AND PROTECTRESS OF THE CHURCH.

2. Jesus nominated her as the mother of his followers: While Jesus was about to culminate his divine moment of sacrifice to the Father, on the Cross, he deliberately nominated Mary as the mother of his followers! He looked at John, the beloved disciple who represented every beloved of Christ who would form his Church, and said, Behold your Mother! That was a parting gift, a final gesture of love and care towards his loved ones on earth. As Mary went home with John that day, so does she come home with everyone who accepts this gift from Jesus, she is there to guide us and accompany us. THE GUIDE AND MODEL OF THE CHURCH.

3. Mary was there holding the Apostles together, at the descent of the Spirit: Mary was one of the first members of the Church, right at its origin. Just yesterday we celebrated the birthday of the Church - I wonder how some conveniently forget one important person who was at the centre of it all. How can there be the Church without Mary! She was united, in fact she united the disciples in prayer until the Spirit came! The Holy Spirit was no stranger to Mary. Her faith journey began with the rendezvous with the Spirit. Mary unites us as one of us and as a person filled with the Spirit! A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH AND A SPIRIT-FILLED PERSON.

Note that the three reasons that we just saw, are all from the Word of God, so faithfully cherished by the Tradition of the Church. The Feast that has been instituted recently is not merely an invention of fantasy - but a profound reflection on the Word and its impact on our faith. Let us cherish out Blessed Mother, the Mother of God, Our Mother and the Mother of the Church!