Obedience - a sign of the pilgrims of hope!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

March 25, 2025: The Solemnity of Annunciation

Isaiah 7: 10-14, 8:10; Hebrews 10: 4-10; Luke 1: 26-38

Obedience can take various degrees to it: the first is, doing what is said. Doing what is said is not entirely easy, unless a person is so dull headed that he or she has no idea or nothing to do on one's own. Obeying commands, keeping the rules, fulfilling the requirements - these fall under this category and they are virtues in themselves without doubt.

The second degree in obedience, is that of doing what is intended. This goes a bit beyond the first, in as much as the person who wishes to obey, is interested in knowing what is intended by what is asked of the person. It is not merely obeying rules but understanding the intention behind the rules; it is not merely fulfilling the requirements, but knowing what the purpose is behind the requirement; it is not merely carrying out what is said, but being interested in doing what is not said. This is more meritorious than the first and basic degree of obedience and here the free will, personal choice and integral participation are the highlights.

What Jesus teaches us, and what we celebrate today in our Blessed Mother is a much higher the degree of obedience. It is not merely doing what is said or what is intended, but living one's life according to what is wished, willed and planned by someone who wishes your good - this is where the aspect of hope plays a vital role. This is the most matured type of obedience, the obedience in the Spirit: a will and choice to submit to the will of the One who has created and called and commissioned me with this life, because my hope inspires me and hope never deludes. 

At times here, one may not even know what is expected of him or her, most of the times one may not know what would be the real outcome of it, but in spite of all these, the person makes an absolute choice and says: 'Here I am; I come to do your will; be it done unto me according to your Word'. That requires an assistance and strengthening from the Spirit of courage, hope and childlike trust.

The Solemnity today affirms that this obedience leads to salvation, salvation which means fullness of life, fullness of joy and fullness of meaning experienced in the ordinariness of the day, filled with hope. Responding to our call to be pilgrims of hope today, the challenge presented to us is, to dare to submit in totality to God's will, that is true obedience of the pilgrims of hope!

A Return to hope... towards humility and truth

THE WORD IN LENT - Monday, Third week in Lent

March 24, 2025 - 2 Kings 5: 1-15; Luke 4: 24-30

Hope is a gift and it is gratuitous; we would be at faluth to think it is our right or our prerogative. However, it is our prerogative, in as much as we are children of the Lord of hope. But the moment we become haughty about it, we may lose the essence of being so. Truth never ceases to exist, whether it is recognised or not. The more open we are to perceive it, the more we get closer to it; the more we are egoistic, the more likely it is that we miss it and that does not mean it did not exist. 

In Naman who is presented to us in the first reading today, we see someone who was about to miss out on a life time opportunity of healing, just because he was haughty and pride blinded his sight. However, there was the servant maid who was able to put sense into him - blessed is the Lord who hides things from the most erudite of people but reveals the truth to the little ones. And fortunately, although only after an ulterior beseeching, he chose to be humble and he discovered the truth, finding hope in life. 

Jesus cites the same Naman to the people of his times, and warns them of their pride and obstinacy. Not all were ready to take that in, they wanted instead to get rid of the one who brings it to their notice. In fact, they thought they did away with the problem when they crucified Jesus finally. Least did they realise that Truth cannot be buried, it never ceases to exist. We would do well, Jesus beseeches us, to take note of the promises of the Lord and our unworthiness of beholding it. The more we become aware of the unworthiness, the more the Lord deigns that we behold the Truth. Hence, the journey of return to hope, is the path towards humility and truth.