Half truths and complete destructions

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

February 14, 2025: Genesis 3:1-8; Mark 7: 31-37

We see a striking similarity in the claims of both the Satan and the Lord, in the Word today.

- Do what I say and your eyes will be opened, says the serpent.

- Ephatha, Be opened, says the Lord to the deaf ears of the man.

Both take place... but the latter opens to fullness of life, while the former to destruction of life.

Today in our situations of daily life we don't deliberately choose the evil, the lie, the destruction of life... we are deceived by the look-alikes. The evil one taunts us with lies which look like truth, while they are really half truths. The insistence on autonomy of individuals, need for self actualisation, the attraction of successful living - these are presented as ideals to be pursued! They look so good and we may tend to believe this is what the Lord made us for! But unfortunately a major part of humanity is today deceived by these half truths.

Yes, they are half truths, unless they are conceived, interpreted and presented in relation to the other half - love for the other, common good, human solidarity and universal harmony! These are the complements that make the reality of creation, truly what it was conceived to be by the Creator! We would understand that, if only we open our ears to the cries of the poor and the marginalised, the wailing of the crumbling creation, the mourning of the suffering part of the humanity - ephatha...be opened, says the Word to our deafened spiritual ears.

Half truths are more dangerous than the plain lies; they can make one walk one's own way to perdition. It is important that we remain faithful to the truths taught to us, clarify them further and deepen them instead of being carried away by the fancy teachings and fantastic claims of the half truths! 

Being One in the Lord!

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

February 13, 2025: Genesis 2: 18-25; Mark 7: 24-30

Man-woman, we-they, rich-poor, high-low... these categories of daily consideration of people, things and events is something to be consciously transcended. Jesus himself receives a bit of a lesson from that Syro-phoenician woman in the Gospel today and Jesus was not ashamed to acknowledge it: woman your faith is great!

At times people are apprehensive about interreligious dialogue or multi religious initiatives of unity and harmony. They prefer to look at the other as different, separate or even contrary. If we truly mean what we say and what we pray: I believe in One God - then I need to become more and more proactive and look at the reality as One Humanity!

Divisions and discrimination are types of possesions, demonic and devilish; they have affected human persons right from the beginning and try to control them all along. It makes us sick and broken. The Lord alone can chase this spirit away and grant us the wholeness that we are in need - because the Lord is One, and if we are in the Lord we shall be One too, never divided or discriminating!