Belong to the Reign

THE WORD IN ADVENT 

First Thursday in Advent - December 04, 2025

Isaiah 26: 1-6; Matthew 7: 21, 24-27

The Rock is the imagery that connects the first reading and the Gospel today, inviting us to reflect on the Reign in two respects - as the strong city built and awaiting us to enter; and as the  source of meaning and purpose of our life in its essence. 

Let us begin with that question: who can enter the Reign of God? Reign of God is the figured as the city of God - that imagery can recall to our mind the classic literature of St. Augustine where he contrasts the two cities, and invites us to belong to that city that belongs to God. It is a call for a choice - the same as what Ezekiel gives us today or Jesus in the Gospel. Reign of God is a choice we make, not a place we build. 

Secondly there is the rock, the ground, the source of sustenance, the solid foundation on which I am invited to build my life. The process is tough, challenging and discouraging - because we can see so many short-cuts and success stories right in front of our eyes! But pretty well do we know that those are just mirages, appearing so attractive and pleasing to the perception, hiding a direct portal to perdition behind them. 

The Reign is the life built on the Eternal Rock, that is our Lord. It is a life style, a culture, a shared experience built on the values and priorities of the Gospel - that of love, peace and communion. It is there that the Reign is built, as the City of God... on a rock solid ground of turth, justice and integrity. Choosing it we would step into a life of challenges and hardships, however we are called to choose, to choose to belong to the Reign!

On behalf of the Reign

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

December 3, 2025 - Celebrating St. Francis Xavier

Ezekiel 3: 17-21; 1 Corinthians 9: 16-19, 22-23; Mark 16: 15-20. 

We celebrate St. Francis Xavier the partron of the Missions today! Every year this commemoration comes within the season of Advent, and for those in Asia, especially in India, it is recommended as a feast... because the great missionary has a strong, important and pertinent message to give us today.  

The Message is about the mission of every Christian, as Ezekiel reminds us today - that we are called to proclaim not as a privilege nor as a profession, but as our personal identity, arising from the very definition of being persons of God. The Gospel reminds us that it is to be carried to every nook and corner of the earth, in simple terms, every where we are, without exceptions. But there are problems and difficulties, dangers and challenges - yes, that is part of the message. 

The Mission of proclamation has a very special affiliation to Advent - because the latter is a season of awaiting a very important "proclamation" carried out as a mission. The proclamation of the vicinity of God to humanity, which becomes the mission of the Son of God, who incarnates to carry out this mission. He carried out this mission, as we read in Ezekiel, in spite of even laying down his own life for humanity. Hence, advent itself is a reminder of this Mission.

Francis Xavier's passion for his mission, the fire that he felt burning within him for the mission is easily comparable to the passion of St. Paul or any other apostle for that matter - inviting us to recognise and take seriously our mission of the Reign. Our life of faith, invariable of who we are and what we are involved in, is in itself a mission, a mission on behalf of the Reign!