Monday, 17th week in Ordinary Time
Exodus 32:15-24,30-34; Mt 13: 31-35
For the sake of Moses the Lord spares Israel inspite of their offence. Aaron was not able to withstand the pressure from the people to make for them a god. Moses and Joshua rescue the situation with the steadfastness they possessed.
Now the question is, where do I find myself: one of those who lack the patience to wait on the Lord and decide to create their own gods - gods of our egos, of our money, of our affections and so on? Or do I find myself in the place of Aaron giving into pressure from the majority. ..and not holding on to what is right and just. Or do I form that steadfast minority, the small mustard seed, the tiny portion of the yeast, the minority who remain faithful to the Lord come what may!
Moses and Joshua were capable of a faithfulness that the entire people were unable of. The reason is, they had seen and experienced and witnessed to how good the Lord was. If we need to stand strong in times of trial we need to build up a strong relationship with the Lord in our regular days and convince ourselves of how good God is. If only we realise the crown that awaits our steadfastness (cf. Jam 2:12)
The Springs of living waters, that fill us with life, health and joy are pictured today in the readings. The waters keep flowing on, it depends on us to approach it and drink from it. Jesus invites us, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me; and let the one who believes in me, drink!" (Jn 7:37-38). We are planted by the stream that flows, that is, we are enlivened by the presence of the Lord who surrounds us each and every moment. True spirituality has to arise from there - based on the personal presence of God with us. Special places like the Church or the Sanctuaries and special moments like those of community liturgy or personal prayer, should be the springs from where the waters flow on into daily life, affecting our daily life, our every day thoughts, words and deeds! If that connection is lost, then we become lifeless vegetation that remains fruitless. Let us return to the Springs of living waters and make our daily life flourish, for the greater glory of God!
As for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord, declares Joshua before the people. He leads them
by example! Just like Jesus who made it clear to the people that following him
was not always a pleasure trip – ‘the foxes have their holes and the birds have
their nest, but the son of man has no place to lay down’ – Joshua too makes it
clear that choosing to serve God and giving a word on that, is a challenging
task! But for children to depend on someone, without too much of thought to
their own ego or pride, is a natural capacity. That is what prompted Jesus to
say, ‘Unless you become like children you will not enter the Reign.’ And today
in the gospel too, Jesus presents the children as the paradigm of the Reign of
God. Innocence of the children is from the absence of pride and their docility
is from the absence of ego. If we have to remain with the Lord and forever be
God’s, the prime enemies we have to do away from within us are – our pride and
ego!
The gratuitous love of
God and the conditional love of humans – that is the contrast the Word brings
to the fore today. Taking the reins from Moses, the young Joshua consolidates
his people reminding them of the great history of faith and wonders that they
have behind them, the great things that God had accomplished for them though
they deserved none of them! The love that God lavishes on us, and the measure
in which God does it, we do not deserve it at all. It is a gratuitous gift from
God and God has never counted the cost, even to the extent of sending the only Son of God as a ransom on our behalf (cf. John 3:16). That love is the model
set before us, by Jesus. When Jesus changed the commandment of Leviticus
(19:18) from ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ to ‘love one another as I have
loved you’ (Jn 13:34), Jesus made a deliberate choice to propose God’s love as
the model. Accepting one another, forgiving one another, being good to one
another, wishing the good of the other with all one's heart – in all these we are called to measure
up to none less than God, who is Love itself!
Fr. Klement Vaclav’s visit has once again cleared the dust over the discussion on missionary spirit in our province. Being a missionary, needless to repeat, is a Vocation by itself. I recall the visit of Fr. Vaclav a couple of years back – when a few of us asked if we can opt to work in a foreign land for a few years on agreement, he drew a clear cut distinction between being a missionary and working in a foreign province! Yes, the crux is the movement from being a missionary to becoming a missionary! Unless I am a missionary, I cannot become a missionary. It was in this regard that Teresa of Child Jesus was made the patroness of the missions. Though she might not have become a missionary, she was a missionary at heart, a missionary in Spirit. What spirit of a person is indicative of his or her missionary vocation, is the question I begin this reflection with.
1.The Spirit of Abraham – To leave behind!
When God asked him to leave behind his people and walk into the wilderness he did it! He was a missionary, going towards that land and life that God promised him. (Gen 12)
2.The Spirit of Moses – To own God’s people!
When God called the suffering lot “my people” and sent Moses to liberate them, he had to consider them all not just “His people” but his own people. (Exo 5) Though they were all from various tribes and clans, they were all ‘his people.’
3.The Spirit of Joshua – To dare in the steps of the Leader!
When Moses died, Joshua the youngster felt a big burden on his shoulder. But the promise that the Lord gave, “I will be with you as I was with Moses” enlivened him (Jos 1) and in that strength he dared in the footsteps of his Master!
4.The Spirit of Esther – To risk for the sake of one’s people!
The meteoric rise of Esther was destined. She knew little what it meant. But when it was made clear to her by her uncle Mordecai(Est 4:14), she risked her life and stood by her people. She liberated them from a treacherous plot, risking her own life.
5.The Spirit of Jeremiah – To feel the fire of God’s Word burn within!
Jeremiah suffered the worst among the prophets. No wonder he is taken to be the matchless OT parallel of the suffering Messiah. Even when he realized his sufferings were unwarranted (Jer 20:7ff), he took them upon himself, because otherwise he felt he could not… His word was in his heart like a fire, and he was weary holding it in.
6.The Spirit of Paul – To live to proclaim!
“Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel!” proclaimed St. Paul. (1Cor 9:16) When it came to knowing Christ and proclaiming him, for Paul nothing really mattered – his life, his dignity, his intelligence, his wisdom everything amounted to nothing.
7.The Spirit of Mary – To realize one’s blessedness!
The Blessed Virgin Mary, when she was called to be part of God’s salvific mission, understood little of what it entailed. But she was certain of two things – one, of her lowliness and second, of her blessedness. When she exclaimed ‘from now on all ages will call me blessed!’ (Lk 1:48) she in no unclear terms realized her identity and that empowered her never to lose that identity as ‘the blessed one of God.’
It is high time I realize, I need not go somewhere to be a missionary. But if I am a missionary at heart, in spirit, I will find an urge to go somewhere to proclaim, to witness to live my life, for the sake of the Kingdom!
