Witness: Deeper, brighter and freer!

WORD 2day: Thursday, 10th week in Ordinary time

June 10, 2021: 2 Corinthians 3:15 - 4:1,3-6; Matthew 5: 20-26

'Preach not by words, preach by virtues' - St. Anthony would often say. Just as St. Francis who would repeat, 'preach always, when needed use words'. Witness is the first form of proclamation that the Church recommends to every baptised person. A life of witness, is a life marked by the Spirit of the Lord - this is the crux of the Word today.

We cannot be mere common people, we have to become committed people. We cannot be just any people, we have to be inspiring people. We cannot be just acceptable people, we have to be challenging people. We cannot be satisfied with just a mediocre life of non-disturbance and mind-myself mentality, we have to be people who disturb the world and be the conscience wherever we are.

This means that our life has to be lived in a personal and common space that is much deeper - going to the roots of what rules and regulations mean, not just obeying them for what they are or rejecting them for the sake of it. 

It means that our words and more so our actions, should shine brighter in a world that is filled with so much fear, fear to have personal opinions, fear to have personal choices, fear to live a convinced life, fear to stand up for truth, fear to stand by those who are true.

It means that our mind, heart and our spirit is more free, looking at the right and the good, as something to be lovingly chosen and integrally held on to. Laws, rules and principles would not be then something that bind us or limit us, but would free us more and more, for truth and integrity.

All these are possible only with the Spirit who can deepen our perspective, brighten our convictions and free our spirits! The Lord is Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!

Salt, Light and an Yes

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 10th week in Ordinary 

June 8, 2021: 2 Corinthians 1: 18-22; Matthew 5: 13-16

There is a close relationship between being salt, being light and saying an Yes to the Lord! The Word today highlights it for us in a symbolic way.

To say Yes to the Lord means to be like the salt... totally dissolving oneself in the yes that is said, choosing to remain insignificant and hidden but making a difference in the entire reality! The Yes that is said, does not exclude any part of one's life, however insignificant. It is therefore a warning against any compromise... compromises which curiously disturb us in the beginning, but as days go by we get accustomed to it, and it becomes almost 'normal'...the call is to be mindful of one's Yes!

To say Yes to the Lord means to be like the light... remaining wherever one is called to be, and from there to burn bright and spread light, not counting the cost like melting oneself down or burning oneself up for the sake of the Yes that has been given to the Lord. It is about our proactive lifestyle that makes those around us, turn and take a look, stand and wonder, and even dare to come to us and ask us a question like: how are you able to do this! The call is to be enthused by one's Yes!

The first reading today places it plain and clear in front of us and adds that, it is only through the Lord that we are empowered to say an Yes to our call...it is not merely our capacity, our prowess and our goodness! It is Jesus, who was a personification of this Yes in his own life, who affirms us and makes us capable of it. Jesus was never an yes and a no! He was always yes! And that is what he wants us to be - to entrust ourselves totally into the hands of God and be an yes always! 

Responding to that call, requires an enormous faith and relentless hope, filling us with a matchless love for God and God's ways. We will do well to pray for this grace every single day!

To Shine in the Lord

WORD 2day: Monday, 3rd week in Easter time

April 19, 2021: Acts 6:8-15; John 6: 22-29

His face shone like an angel. But they decided to kill him all the same! They saw the great works and words that Jesus had but they ran after him only for the food they could get. At times we kill the things that pertain to God not only by being against them but by even not being attentive to the true spirit of it. Unwittingly we kill Jesus, in our words, deeds and attitudes without even being conscious of it - however, the effect is equally bad.

In fact. it is easier to ward off dangers from the quarters that are known to be contrary to us. But the more dangerous ones are those that seem to take a neutral stand within us and amidst us... they can be real spirit dampeners and blind leaders. Called sometimes as 'sleeper cells' these days, there are elements that do not fit into our way of thinking, that come into our lives and slowly change our very way of thinking, being and acting. This is the kind of leaven that Jesus warned us against. 

That kind of a phenomenon can be seen, not only in the society but also within each of us. That is what we need to be careful about - because it is the work of the evil one. It is said, that the tempter, the devil, does not use things that are abhorrent to tempt us, but things that are pleasing, things that seem acceptable, things that seem "natural" and "not harmful", to begin with. Looking for Jesus, to be fed by him, or to see the great magical things that happen around him, was not anything bad. But Jesus observed right through them, there was something that was happening... on indeed something that was not happening. The people were attracted to him, but were not really ready to change themselves, taking up their personal conversion seriously.

The Jews and Chiefpriests, saw all that the people saw; nothing changed them. In spite of seeing the face shining they were not ready to change their minds or not ready to go deeper and find out what makes it shine! However, we are called to shine, to shine in the Lord. Be illumined by the Lord, be transluscent, to allow the light of the Lord to pass through us and make us shine out - in our thoughts, words and deeds - witnessing through out personal transformation and fundamental surrender to the Lord and the Lord's ways. That is the call that we all have: to shine in the Lord!

LIVE LIFE CHRIST-LIKE - 2

For others, for the marginalised and for God!

February 14, 2021: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Leviticus 13: 1-2, 44-46; 1 Corinthians 10:31- 11:1; Mark 1: 40-45

Certainly you have heard of this anecdote shared about a lay missionary, a doctor by profession who passed through a village once. He stayed with the people, treated them for their sicknesses, dealt with them with compassion and after a while he moved on to the next village. The wonderful memories of that doctor never left the minds of that village. After a couple of decades a missionary preacher came to the same village. He began talking to the people in the village squares and market places. All that he asked them was: "Do you know Jesus?" Many said, 'No' and moved away. One old man stopped and asked him: "alright, tell me what kind of a man is that Jesus you are enquiring about!" The missionary was indeed waiting for that question. He began: Oh, he is kind, he is loving, he is compassionate, he is caring, he deals with the sick with such love...he was intending to go on, but that old man stopped him. "Now, if that is the man you are talking about, we know him! He passed by our village some 20 years back!"

We are called to reflect on living our life Christ like, for a second consecutive week! The message is same as last week: to live like Christ. And the readings today highlight three attributes to a life that could be Christ-like, taking the cues from Christ's life.

Christ lived for Others: Today the atmosphere would be filled with red vibes, as many frenetically celebrate the valentines day! How many messages about love - defining what it is, describing how great it is, demonstrating how much one is immersed in it. Love does not need so many commentaries. It can just be understood in that simple classical definition: love is wishing the good of the other. Placing the other before myself, genuinely interested in the other's well being...that is love. 

Christ was love personified. He lived his life for others, entirely. He had no comforts, no protection, nothing that was his own. He was candid in telling those who wished to follow him, that it meant to own nothing, not even a place to rest one's head, if they were to follow him. Living totally for others, for the people of God, is the essence of a life that is Christ-like! Are we prepared? Or are we, even in the so-called service to the others, seeking our own name and fame, and glory and gain?

Christ lived for the Marginalised: Pope Francis has a concrete, unavoidable point to make, when he repeats : Go to the periphery! He invites us to live life Christ-like. Today's first reading tells us where the persons with leprosy lived: ostracised, in the peripheries, in the obscurity of humanity. If they were able to come to Jesus, it actually means Jesus went to those peripheries, those margins of the society. Jesus was often found in zone which were not meant to be traversed by a Jew like him, a teacher like him and a man with such following like him. 

Jesus reached out to those in need, those in agony, those in the periphery. It is easy to love people who deserve our love; it is easy to love people who will love us in return; but it is Christian to love everyone, even those from whom we will receive nothing, not even the recognition of our love in return. Are we prepared? Or are we in the name of love, looking for our own pleasure and satisfaction, warm feeling and sense of being accepted and affirmed? Is our love truly reaching out, to those who really need it?

Christ lived for God: When a reporter commented to Mother Teresa, looking at the dirtiest tasks that she was involved in, like washing the wounds and wiping the puss: 'Mother, even if they gave me a million dollars I would not be able to do this!', the Saint of Kolkata seemed to have responded: 'Even for a couple of those million dollars, I would not do this. I do this for the Christ whom I see in these faces'. Whether you eat or drink, do everything for the glory of God, invites St. Paul. 

Christ did all that he did, said all that he said, was all that he was, because it was God's will for him. "My food is to do the will of the One who has sent me!' he declared. He lived it till the end - not my will but yours be done, O Father. That is the lesson for us too - to live our lives for God, in keeping with God's will, constantly striving to know what is God's will for us and dedicating ourselves to it, despite the inconveniences and discomforts - because we are convinced that we are called to live for God. Are we prepared? Or are we looking to make our life as comfortable as possible, giving into compromises of all sorts?

Living life Christ-like, is challenging indeed. But if we strive with all our heart, sincerely and humbly, we too will be able to tell the world as did St. Paul: Be imitators of me as I am of Christ! (1 Cor 11:1). Will I ever grow to that level?

LIVE LIFE CHRIST-LIKE

The 3P Recipe: Proclaim, Practice and be Prepared!

February 7, 2021: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Job 7:1-4,6,7; 1 Corinthians 9: 16-19, 22,23; Mark 1: 29-39

Remember those words of Mahatma Gandhi - "I like your Christ; but I don’t like you Christians. Because you Christians are so unlike your Christ." That great man had the clue to what it meant to be Christians - it is to be Christ-like!

To Live Life Christ-like... that is the call that the Word gives us this Sunday. To live for the Gospel, to live for the Reign, to live for the People of God and to love everyone with all your heart and soul: that is the life task given to you and me, and to everyone called in the name of Christ.

PROCLAIM:

Proclaim to the world that God is love! Live that love and spread it around, a true and genuine love that does not possess but a love that brings the whole world together. A love that reaches out, heals, frees, unites, enhances, enriches and rends every one whole. We hear a lot of voices today, that claim to be "christian" but speak of things other than love: they speak of condemnation, they speak of vengeance, they speak of violence, they speak of closing in, they speak of rejection of people, they speak of convenience rather than conviction, they speak of killing, they speak of establishing supremacies... are they truly Christian?

Proclaim, yes! But proclaim what? ...proclaim love, proclaim peace, proclaim wholeness - only that is Christ-like! When you proclaim that, you will have trouble. Because there are forces that stand for a heartless egoism, selfish development, inhuman exploitation and unbridled avarice! Now you will become the odd one out, when you speak of love and live for it. But still you will do it: because that is what you are called for - to live life Christ-like!

PRACTICE:

There is no great virtue in proclaiming alone! Today there are hundreds who are into it. Specially in those covid-stricken days, youtube channels and online sessions have proliferated. There are hundreds who are craving to proclaim, of course each with his or her own agenda! But which of these is truly Christ-like? To find that, one has to answer three questions -

First of all, to which band do I belong? Am I truly an apostle of love? Only I can answer the question regarding the deepest motivations of my soul. I may be ‘Christian’ by name, I may even appear to be so - but whether I am or not in reality, only I know, apart from the Lord who knows everything!

Secondly, if I proclaim the message of the Reign, the Gospel of love, does my style of life coincide with the proclamation. In simple words, do I walk the talk? Is there that moral integrity within me because of which I can command the evil forces with authority and they will go silenced before me! The authority that Jesus had before the demons and all other forces that challenged the wholeness of life, came from the fact that there was absolutely no discrepancy between what he proclaimed and what he practised. Can I command the same respect or authority?

Thirdly, if I identify myself with Christ and Christ's message, what do I do on a daily basis to justify my identity, stay relevant to my self-claim and be counted in that number? Will my lifestyle speak before my words ever leave my tongue? Will the values I stand for, make me stand before the Lord or cringe at His sight? Have I felt the burden of the Reign within my heart, an urgency that unsettles my heart, a passion that sets me afire?

PREPARE:

If I really take these questions seriously, and their responses, I will certainly be identified a Christian – but today that is not a great boon! The world despises what seems religious or spiritual. The world finds it offensive to hold on to your identity as a person of faith and a person of a spiritual lifestyle. There are the so-called ‘seculars’ who feel, it is infantile to speak of God or Church or practices of piety or virtues or ethics or values or standards of righteousness in life. There are those who think it is old fashioned to insist on heaven, hell, purgatory, last judgement, and the call to live a saintly life! What is my response? What would I say? Am I prepared?

May be today, the call that the Word gives us: to live life Christ-like, comes as a challenge. Are we living a life that is congruent to the message we are called to proclaim? Are we prepared to face the consequences of a choice of that kind – to live life Christ-like!

Are we truly Christian?

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

February 4, 2021: St. John de Britto: The Red Sand Martyr

Hebrews 12: 18-19,21-24; Mark 6: 7-13

John de Britto, a Jesuit Missionary, who formed part of the famous Madurai Mission, arrived in India in 1673 and was imprisoned in 1684 and deported back to Lisbon, Portugal in 1687. However he came back to India in 1690 and was killed in 1693!

An information to those not from India or South India: the place where John de Britto (Arulanandar) was killed, situated in the diocese of Sivagangai, is called Oriyur! The sand in the particular field where he was allegedly killed, has a texture totally red, so strange to the terrain around! It is considered a miraculous phenomenon and is seen and experienced even today!

A challenge to those from India, especially South India: The feast of John de Britto does not only bring to our mind the wonderful gift that we have received from the Lord through missionaries such as these, it also brings to mind the bitter memories of things that have taken place in the region in the past decade. There is no need to narrate them here or delve deep into them, as the local faithful know it well: the challenge that is very clear - A Church that is divided on the lines of caste, cannot be truly CHRISTIAN. Any number of reasons can never justify dividing a church on those grounds or having internal fights on the basis of caste or clan! 

The Word instructs us on similar lines. When the Lord tell his disciples and apostles, not to take anything with them, he means it. Not to take the baggages of  the background, the race, the colour, the caste, the clan, the tribe, the status, the symbols...nothing to be taken! All that matters is the Reign...which as the letter to the Hebrews explains, "is nothing known to the senses." Every Christian is called and challenged to uphold this grandiose mystery of the Reign...but the question is : Are we truly Christian?

Called to Praise the Lord

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 33rd week in Ordinary time

November 18, 2020: Revelation 4: 1-11; Luke 19: 11-28

John impresses upon us how important and essential it is for us, as creatures of the Creator Almighty, to give praise to our Lord and King. Praising God - can never be done enough and it is always in want, in contrast to the boundless glory that the Lord possesses! The Word today distinguishes among three types of people who give praise to the Lord:

The first are the Psuedo Praisers: who praise the Lord with their tongues but are far away in spirit from the Lord. They are those who deceive themselves putting up a mere show of their allegiance to God, while in fact are all the while doing their own will. Wantonly, they make of themselves people unfit for the Reign.

The second are the Pointless Praisers: who think praising the Lord alone is enough to inherit the Reign. Their praising is pointless, in fact the Lord himself had declared: 'not all those who call me Lord Lord, will enter the Reign of God' (cf. Mt 7:21). They keep praising as a part time occupation, doing things diametrically opposed in the rest of their lives! Does it work so? At times due to spiritual laziness and other times due to undue attachments to the unhelpful attitudes, they hardly drag themselves towards the Reign. Ultimately, they fall short of entering the Reign. 

The third are the Profound Praisers: who do not consider praising the Lord as a duty in itself. Their very words, actions and life gives praise to the Lord. Their witness leads, not only themselves, but even those around them to praise the Lord to the heights. They live their life to the full, and seeing their lives, people are inspired to give praises to their King and Lord. They do have their share of weaknesses and faults, but they are quick to rise and get back in line with the Will of God. These are the People of the Reign, true and profound in their praise.

Obviously...apart from God, there is only one who can truly say to which of these categories I belong: Myself!

SEEK! AND YOU SHALL BE FOUND!

Awake, Await and Alert

November 8, 2020: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary time

Wisdom 6: 12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Matthew 25: 1-13

Seek and you shall be found! No there is no mistake here...neither grammatical nor biblical. Seek and you shall find, said Jesus once. Here the Word this Sunday tells us... seek, and you shall be found! Just dwell a while on those words, and you shall understand, how true they are! The first reading has a lovely explanation to it.

Wisdom comes; it is not earned. Knowledge can be gathered, not wisdom. Information can be collected, not wisdom. Wisdom, is what you do with the knowledge you have and the information you collect. Wisdom, is the next step, the step that follows knowing. I know the earth is being destroyed by greed - that is knowledge; but what do I do about it? I know the humanity is being demolished at its core - that is knowledge; but what do I do about it? I know I am giving less and less space for God in my life - that is knowledge; but what do I do about it? Wisdom, is what is born out of knowledge, after knowledge, beyond knowledge. Wisdom is an insight, wisdom is a gift... wisdom comes! But do you think it would come, without you wishing for it, longing for it, looking for it and seeking it? 

Wisdom is God's gift - it is the presence of the Spirit of the Lord, it is the revelation of God, it is the Word of the Lord...that comes, illumines and lets us understand what we know and what we do not know! Wisdom is that capacity to live our daily life, with the knowledge we have, however limited it be, living every moment with meaning and purpose! Oh, what a gift that is... to live with meaning and purpose! That is what the Lord offers us today as a gift... to seek that Wisdom which will help us live our life with meaning and purpose. St. Paul in the second reading and Jesus' parable in the Gospel give us clue, as to what it means to live with meaning and purpose... whether we are alive, or dead, we stay with the Lord forever, says St. Paul.

Wisdom of life is to know, what really matters in life. The wealth? The positions we hold? The power we have over others? The secrets we keep from others? The so-called status and name that we earn among others? If only we think a bit harder, we know these finally do not matter. But that is knowledge; what do I do about it? Yes, we are back with that question. That is what we need to ask ourselves...what do I do about it? I need to seek to be with the Lord, to stay with the Lord, never leave the side of the Lord, even as I engage in my daily duties and chores. That is wisdom - that ability to combine the necessities of daily life and the things that finally matter. Jesus had it so clearly in his mind and he imparted the same to us - to live your daily life, but never to lose sight of the the ultimate things that matter - the Lord and our life with the Lord. Therefore we need to seek... seek that wisdom!

Wisdom has to be sought, if it has to come! Wisdom comes, to those who seek! That is why we said... seek, and you shall be found. Seek wisdom, wisdom will find you. Seek the Lord, the Lord will find you! We cannot find the Lord. We cannot arrive at the Lord! The Lord will find us ...but we need to seek. Just like the Bridegroom would arrive, but the maids had to be ready! They cannot go find the bridegroom, the bridegroom will find them...but they have to seek, to be found.

What does it mean to seek wisdom... to seek the Lord! It means, as Jesus instructs us today, with three key words: awake, await, alert. 

AWAKE. That is the first disposition asked of us. Be awake... if those so called foolish maids were awake, they could have at least thought of their oil shortage a little earlier, not at the nick of time. That is what we need to be - awake, awake to our life, awake to our surroundings, awake to our attitudes, awake to our priorities, awake to our life style, awake to our value systems, awake to our daily choices...if we sleep over them, we will catch ourselves unawares when the crisis comes. Remember when this pandemic began far away from our place, how we took it so much for fun and laughed at it. And even when it came, how we were lighting lamps to it and clapping hands to shoo it - the heights of slumber, and we are paying for it. 

Being awake is not being agitated! At times we think, being awake is to get agitated, tensed and worked up with every simple thing around. No...being awake is not being agitated...instead it is being aware, being aware of what is happening, what is developing, what is brewing...so that when time comes I am prepared to face it.

AWAIT. That is the second disposition required of us. To await... to wait on the Lord. We do not have explanations for everything the very moment they happen. We do not understand them. We are at a loss... how many people lost their dear ones these days, just from nowhere! How many families have gone through the economic struggles and psychological break downs! Why? Why, is the question that comes upper most in our minds. But a better question, a more faith-filled question, a more hope-filled question would be - What? What does the Lord want to communicate? What does the Lord want to do? What is this event communicating to me? That 'what', will come... it will come from the only place that can provide me an adequate response on that - from the Lord. I need to await.

Awaiting is not being asleep! I wait... in the meanwhile...I go to sleep! That was the mistake the maids made...being asleep. Being asleep is losing time, not acting on something that I can, postponing something that I could do it now, letting go of a golden moment and rushing at the peak hour! Awaiting is not inaction, awaiting is being prepared for the right moment of encounter...but for that I have to be awake too!

ALERT. That is the third disposition demanded of us. Being alert...is to observer everything. The so-called foolish maids, could have been alert to see that the wise maid had an extra vial with them, then they would have been alerted. Or the so-called wise maids, could have alerted the other five, to better get something to back themselves up! They cared nothing... just for that they should have been left out of the palace (alright! that is a different discourse for another time). But being alert is to know the signs of the times, to understand what is happening, to connect the dots and be prudent - it is not only about things out there. It is about me too! Yes, looking into myself, knowing what is happening deep within me, understanding the signs of my mind, my spirit, my heart...that I may be alert to the changes and to the situation I am driving myself into...so when it comes, I know, I am prepared, I am awake and I am waiting!

Being alert is not being anxious! In the name of being alert, if I get anxious, I ruin every day of my life. There have been some these days who have closed themselves up in their personal rooms, not getting out even to meet those who are there, even their family members - out of fear of infection. They might have saved themselves from the virus, but have given themselves up to depression and stress! Anxiety, can kill us alive. Being alert is being actively and wisely involved in every thing around me, with a keep observation and prudent precaution, that I may live the moment, without ruining the future.

Awake, Await, and Alert...are the key words we are given today by the Word for our spiritual lives... to seek the Lord, to seek the light of the Lord, to seek with thirst and longing... and we shall be found! The Lord shall come and dwell with us!

The Spirit of Courage and Hope

WORD 2day: Friday, 28th week in Ordinary time

October 16, 2020: Ephesians 1: 11-14; Luke 12: 1-7.

The Word today brings out a crucial theme for these days - the Spirit of power and love and self-discipline (cf. 2 Tim 1:7), with which we are sealed, which brings freedom to those who belong to God. Where does this Spirit of courage and hope come from? From a life that is lived founded well on Christ like convictions and absolute commitment. Jesus brings that out in radical terms in the Gospel. 

Do not fear, do not be afraid... Jesus repeatedly assures us not to be guided by fear. When we are guided by solid convictions and not convenient compromises, when we are taken up with absolute commitment to the life's tasks entrusted to us, we will be truthful to God who has created us, chosen us in Christ and commissioned us to be the people of God. That truth will indeed set us free (cf. Jn 8:32). When we live by truth, we will not fear anyone or anything. 

Looking at the crisis of the pandemic around, the rise of fundamentalist forces all over, the irrational hegemony of the moneyed forces in the world, the voiceless struggles of the poor and oppressed, the merciless rampage of the corporates on the economically weaker sections - all these are disheartening issues and predicaments. But a true disciple of Christ, a genuine Christ-ian, a true son or daughter filled with the Spirit, will stand firm in courage and hope! 

We have great and shining witnesses in thousands of martyrs that we have in history, and those that are suffering heroically even today, for the cause of truth and justice! Even if we do not have an opportunity to give our witness in that manner, let us at least stand by these who are doing it - then we shall have a share in that testimony! 

For that we need to be enabled by the Spirit of Courage, that is poured into our hearts, that which we hold on to as the mark of our belonging to God. We will do well to pray for it. 

A FAITH FITTING FOR TODAY

Festive, Focused and Firm

October 11, 2020: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 25: 6-10a; Philippians 4: 12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14

Faith is the way we live our daily life in relation to God. It would be a dry and futile understanding to look at faith as a set of doctrines or principles to be known, learnt, memorised and repeated on occasions. Faith instead has to affect every day life and every moment of it. Faith, in theological terms, is explained as one's personal response to the self revealing God. But to make it simple we can just understand it as the way we live every moment of our life, within the perspective offered to us by God who created us and has called us to a specific vocation in life. 

Today, the readings invite us to a clear understanding of what this faith is all about, specially in our daily living. The faith that the Lord invites us to, is a specific way of life, a mode of organising our life worthy of our call to be children of God! Here are three adjectives that the Word offers us to understand and identify a Fitting Faith for today: 

Faith is Festive: a life of faith is a call to celebrate. God has set up a feast and invites us to come and celebrate it! God has created us a wonderful world, filled it with persons to love and so many things to cherish, and has let us enjoy it all in freedom and cooperation. But what do we do? We choose to see the negative things that are around, we choose to take them in and be filled with them, we choose to have, hold on to, and spread negative feelings; we choose to hate, envy and ruin each other's life; in short, we refuse to celebrate! We have umpteen reasons to say no to celebrate life!

We refuse to attend the feast, that the Lord has prepared for us, so adamant and obstinate are we! If only we live our life in relation to God, that is, with the perspective of God, we will find out how much we can celebrate. It is a pity that there are people who readily find reasons to lament and whine about, but find it so difficult to find even one reason to rejoice and celebrate! You change whatever you wish, they will remain with the same state of mine! God forbid that you and I fall into that category! When St. Paul says, he knows to live in want and in plenty, he is not boasting of his capacity to endure; it is more about that mindset which looks at everything from the perspective of God - because, whether lack or plenty, I know I can remain calm and I know I have things still to celebrate about. 

Faith is Focused: a life of faith is a call to fix our eyes on God. Doubts, confusions, fears, suspicions, pressures, stress, problems, struggles, misunderstandings, competitions, disappointments, distractions, temptations, tears, treason... these are experiences that come our way sometime or the other... and in these days they seem to be galore. What would our point of reference be: luck, skills, human efficiency, proving oneself? 

'Behold our God to whom we looked to save us', presents Isaiah. God will provide everything declares St. Paul. Our focus has to be on Christ. Look to Him and be radiant says the Psalm (34:5). At times individuals, and humanity in general thinks we can manage everything on our own. We think we are in control of everything...a phenomenon like the pandemic we are facing now, throws all those vain certainties into thin air! Look at how the otherwise overconfident world of science is fumbling all the way since this pandemic showed its ugly head amidst us! It serves us to understand a bitter lesson, we have lost our focus somewhere down the line! Let us regain that focus, let us refocus our lives and our choices, that we may do good to ourselves and to every one else, and to the whole humanity.

Faith is Firm: a life of faith is a call never to compromise. Today, the culture is such that there is a big confusion whether there is anything that is unacceptable. Every thing seems permissible and every thing seems 'alright', if not 'normal'! There is a justification for everything. It is growing to be a culture of 'what-ifs' and 'why-nots'...but faith provides us with a firm foundation, firm criteria to make our choices. "My friend, how is it that you got in without the wedding garments?"..."My friend how is it that you expect to be with me without making a choice for me?"..."My friend, how is it that you had chosen something, but have been living  totally another life?"...we have to be prepared to face these questions, if at all we compromise! 

Our faith is an 'Yes' that we say to the Lord, which would involve a number of small yes'es and no's... and any compromise in it will make us unfit for the Feast of the Reign. Just imagine on a daily basis, how many compromises we make... in our thoughts, in our words, in our choices, in our dealings with others, in our actions towards the society, in the stands we take towards the common good and wellbeing of all. It may not be, though unfortunately sometimes it is, great big scandals...but even small decisions, little gestures, minor choices...these determine that type of personality we shape ourselves up to be. If our true and inner image is God's image and likeness, it has to be seen in every little detail of our lives...and today, it is becoming much more a need as the world lack testimonies to true faith. 

On a daily basis...let us evaluate our life and our choices...are they truly festive? fully focused? and really firm on the way to God? Only that would prove a fitting faith for today!

The need to be 'trained'

WORD 2day: Friday, 23rd week in Ordinary time

September 11, 2020: I Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b -27; Luke 6: 39-42.

The readings today insist on the need to be trained in being an apostle. 

We are all apostles; each of us, by virtue of our baptism. That call is not merely a privilege, it is an obligation too, a duty and a demand placed on me. Considering it merely a matter of boast leads to some unfortunate developments within the faith community, situations such as infighting, ego clashes, jealousy, unchristian 'politricks'...and other demonic tendencies. The Gospel calls those with these tendencies: blind leading the blind and both into the pit! 

Instead, taking the call seriously leads one to a fuller realisation of the gift that it is and of the demands it places. One of the important demands is to be trained! Both St.Paul and Jesus, today speak of this training. This apprenticeship of life and life style is a task, not merely of the intellect or the skill-set... it is a matter of holistic shaping. 

It would consist of fundamentally three things: first, humble acceptance of the call to be an apostle. This would mean a balance between a boastful claim of the status of an apostle and a unwarranted debasing of oneself based on the human frailties that are common to all. 

The second need is, attentive listening to the Word that comes to us. This would mean keeping one's eyes and ears open to observe every bit of what the Lord wants to communicate through events, persons and extraordinary signs. Once we lose them, we cannot be truly messengers of the Lord, that is apostles. 

The third is, a diligent practice of the Word that is heard, seen and experienced. Hearing and not acting is lying, St. James would say. And Jesus would compare that to building your home on a loose sand - your fall from glory will be too soon, and too grave.

Falling short of these three steps in our training, would make us either arrogant bigwigs or pretentious bullies but never trained disciples and apostles. Hence the need to be trained is precisely for this singular purpose: to gradually grow into the image of the Master, who has called us! 

The Lord be with you!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 21st week in Ordinary time

August 26, 2020: 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-10, 16-18; Matthew 23: 27-32

The loftiest wish one can make for another is, that the Lord be with him or her! But a Christian hears it almost all the time that he or she is out there to pray, specially in union  with the other brothers and sisters. Is that no our day to day experience? Today St. Paul makes the same wish and prays that we may be blessed with peace. 

True peace and serenity will come only with the presence of the Lord and that is the meaning of the wish, 'Lord be with you!' The Hebrew and the Arabic tradition captures it excellently well with their wish - Shalom (in Hebrew) and Salaam (in the Arabic versions). This is a wish for happiness, peace, serenity and fulfillment all in one, coming from the presence of the Lord experienced and lived on a daily basis and at every moment of one's life.

But this wish is at one and the same time, a blessing and a challenge. A blessing because it is in that moment of blessing that the Lord decides to intervene definitively in favour of the salvation of the entire humankind. With the Lord by my side I can face any stormy sea. With the Lord on my side, I can stand firm against anything that works against peace or well being of humanity. 

The wish is a challenge because, the Lord being with us all the time, is a bit inconvenient. We would prefer rather to be by ourselves at times, in secret and privacy. We would rather not think of the all-knowing and ever present God at some moments of our daily lives. The Lord would be aware of everything we say or do, because the Lord is close at hand. Would I feel comfortable if the Lord knows all that I am involved in? Or would there be areas, where I would rather be by myself, without God? That is a challenge! If only we examine all those things that break peace and spoil serenity - we would see they belong to this category, where we wish to be away from the Lord. And Jesus challenges us saying we try to get rid of all that reminds of God...signs, reminders, experiences and even, persons some times.

It is good to reflect today, how much do we mean it when we wish each other, the Lord be with you...and also with you! 

KEY PERSONS UNTO THE REIGN

The Role, Wisdom and Personal Knowledge of God

August 23, 2020: 21st Sunday in Ordinary time
Isaiah 22: 19-23; Romans 11: 33-36; Matthew 16: 13-20

Look around the world today - what do we see? Crises, confusion, uncertainty, conspiracies, controversies, cries of agony, protest and grief, unrest and dissatisfaction. Even amidst all these, there are nations threatening each other to prove who is superior to whom; there are Corporates clashing with each other to claim the topmost slot in the economic world, not hesitating to exploit even the health crisis that is around; there are factions and groups in the name of religion, language, ethnicity and race playing havoc, making of humanity a worthless value to uphold; there are those in the garb of god-men fending their own nests and exploiting every one else for it; there are politicians who pose to be liberators of the masses while they are hand in glove with every agency that goes diametrically opposed to the common good... What is all these manipulation about? What are they trying to prove to themselves and to the world? They want to identify themselves as the key persons, or key groups, wherever they are! Aware of this background let us listen to what the Word has to tell us today.

One image that dominates today's liturgy of the word is the image of the Key...every person, every entity, every nation, every society, every corporate wants to be a key entity in its field. That is what we see in the entire list of examples we just enumerated. But, in truth, becoming conscious of one's mission and situating it within God's plan is the real secret behind being key persons in the eyes of the Lord. Every prophet, we see in the Old Testament, is enamoured by the love of the Lord and surrenders totally to the Spirit shining as a key person within the believing community. We do observe in persons within some of our Christian communities that we are part of, or youth groups that we belong to, or an association or sodality we take part in... a similar urge to be key persons! For example, the tasks of being part of the Parish Pastoral Council, the cooperators to the animating nucleus of the Parish at the zonal or the division levels, are some key roles that people aspire for today (of course the lockdown has locked down even all these possibilities!). We are indeed called to be key persons, yes! But not unto our own glory as we see all around but unto the Reign that the Lord wants us to build here on earth. 

To be a key person is to realise your GOD GIVEN ROLE: 

Being key persons unto the kingdom would mean, we understand our key role from the perspective of God. At times politics enters the religious ambit and faith communities, and shatters every bit of truth that can exist. Lack of focus and confusion of meanings are the outcomes of such an influx and personal integrity is left at stake. The Lord reminds us in the first reading that it is the Lord who robes one with, or strips one of authority. 

We have heard the phrase, God writes straight through crooked lines, all that we need to be is those straight strokes, for God to straighten those crooked scribblings of human selfishness and greed. If I am not available there will always be someone within God's eternal plan, but I, on my part, will totally miss the purpose of my life! And I need to be very attentive to the inbuilt purpose that my Creator has for me!

To be a key person is to be GUIDED BY WISDOM:

Wisdom is not merely knowing; it is knowing that one knows and knowing what is to be known at a particular point of time. It is, more than a capacity, a grace! A key person unto the Kingdom should be equipped with wisdom much more than anything. To make the right decisions at the right time and to make the right changes at the right time towards an authentic growth towards being true people of the Reign! The key persons would be those who are guided by Wisdom.

At times right discernment is hindered by the overshadowing selfish thinking, overpowering greed for dominance and overflooding desire for momentary pleasure. Key persons cannot be led by these...they need to pause every now and then, take stock of their internal motivations and innermost purposes and remain always on the side of Wisdom, which comes from the Spirit of the Lord.

To be a key person is to have PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD:

The Gospel today gives us the ultimate criterion to be key persons unto the kingdom: it is to know God, on a personal basis. To have encountered God, experienced God, tasted God, felt the concrete presence of God is one of the fundamental criteria to play any key role in a community of faith, a community of people of God. Mere borrowed experiences and brainwashed theories cannot make one an authentic key player within the community of the Reign. 

Knowing Christ is knowing God. The person of Jesus Christ, his life and teachings, his values and priorities, his choices and decisions, are the parameters for any person of God, anyone who wants to belong to the Reign, anyone who wishes to really be a child of God, making God present wherever he or she is. That is what Jesus did - made present God and God's Reign as he moved around among the people. Key persons are those who know Christ, understand Christ and put on the mind of Christ.

Each of us can turn to be a key person unto the Reign, if and only if we realise the God given role that we have, be guided by Wisdom and yearn for a personal knowledge of God in our lives. The more key persons there are, the more efficacious the Reign can be on earth, here and now. 

What mark do I bear?

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 19th week in Ordinary time

August 12, 2020: Ezekiel 9: 1-7, 10, 18-22; Matthew 18: 15-20

the Arabic character 'nun' as the starting letter of nazarani a derogatory term
used by the ISIS and other anti Christian forces, to refer to the Christians,
as follower of Christ (who was called the Nazarene)

Do you remember to have seen this symbol? Some years back this was so familiar all over the media... during the time when the Christians in Iraq were targeted and persecuted. They were being butchered for the mere reason that they were Christians...and how were they identified and indicated to each other by those who were targeting them? This symbol or sign was drawn or spray painted on the doors of the houses of Christians, to tell the plunderers and soldiers that those houses are accessible at will. The Christians were made to live in constant fear and anxiety. Similar things happened even during the Nazi targeting of the Jews and other historical contexts.

In the first reading today we see in the vision of Ezekiel, the angels were given a symbol on the forehead of people, by which they are spared! That is a manifestation of mercy by God! Jesus too gives a mark by which we will be known as people of God...the mark of loving forgiveness. "By this they will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another" (Jn 13:35). 

In the Gospel today, Jesus explains what this 'having love for one another' is. It is to forgive, to care for each other and above all to pray together, with one heart and mind. This is the mark that Jesus expects of us, as our identity, as a sign that saves us! It is not those who call him 'Lord Lord' who would be saved but those who do the will of the Father (Mt 7:21), Jesus would say. The sign that can save us is our life of daily forgiveness and undying love.

"If they arrested you today for being a Christian, will they find enough evidence for that when they prosecute you?" - that is a very strong question indeed for us to reflect today! What the marks that I bear in my daily life to tell my self and the world, that I am a disciple of Christ?

Just a bit of faith...

WORD 2day: Saturday, 18th week in Ordinary time

August 8, 2020: Habakkuk 1:12 - 2:4; Matthew 17:14-20

Righteous shall live by their faith! It is a famous verse, oft repeated, almost a bumper sticker material. But what is the meaning of it... does it mean, that all those who say they have faith are righteous? or that those who live are all righteous, those who escape tragedies are all righteous, while others are not? What do we really mean when we repeat that verse over and over again? It will be clear only when we understand what we mean by those two words: faith and righteousness!

Righteousness...in simple words it is living the right life...doing the right thing! But, is that all? What is the right thing in the eyes of the Lord? How do we know it? It is simply whatever is the most loving thing to do at a point of time, that is right in the eyes of the Lord (love understood in the proper sense of the term, not some emotional feeling). So doing the right thing in the eyes of the Lord...not for the returns, not for the privileges but for its own sake. Being right for the sake of being right, that is being right in the eyes of the Lord.

Faith... if we have it we have everything; if we have everything but faith, there is  a lack that nothing else can complete. Because faith is our link, our network, our umbilical chord with God, our father and mother. If we lose it, we are lost! This is why Jesus expresses his displeasure in such plain terms to his disciples, when he found them lacking in this 'touch' with the Lord.

Now lets come back to those words...the righteous shall live by their faith! Prophet Habakkuk speaks of the great promises of the Lord and recommends the anxious awaiting hearts to faith and says, in faith the righteous ones shall see every word of the Lord come true! The delay that is involved in the designs of the Lord coming to pass, is a painful crisis to every expectant heart. We would be listed among the ranks of the righteous if we hold on in faith and have the patience of seeing the power of God shine through and until then, go about doing good, living a life that is right in the eyes of the Lord.

A bit of faith will make us strong, enduring, persevering, resilient, patient, persistent, serene, unassailable... yes, just a bit of faith! That is all it takes.

The call to burn till we are consumed...

THE WORD AND THE FEAST 

August 6, 2020: The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord 

Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14;  (2 Peter 1: 16-19); Matthew 17: 1-9

"A lamp shining in a dark place until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts" - a wonderful comparison that St. Peter presents to us, though the second reading is only optional for this day's liturgy (being a week day). That phrase would apply to our faith, our life of witness, our trust, our commitment to the Reign of God and every bit of our faith and its expression here and now, all leading us towards that eternal glory that awaits us as children of God(Jn 1:12), co-heirs with Christ(Rom 8:17), people meant for the future glory (Rom 8:18). 

Our Christian life is rich and its richness will be lost if we lose the sense of mystery in understanding it. Mystery is not merely something that is unknown and incomprehensible, but it is something that is beyond all our rational calculations and empirical conditions; yet it is not totally alien from our experience; it is part of our lived experience, an experience we live on a daily basis, an experience that sustains our faith and offers meaning to our life.

The feast of Transfiguration is a symbol, a prefigurement and a surety of the glory that rests within us, as children of God. However, we are warned not to lose our grip on our daily living, on our concrete initiatives towards ushering in the Reign of God in the pretext of dreaming about a future that is glorious and splendid. 

In practical terms, to be people transfigured is to live our lives with our eyes fixed on heaven and our feet planted firm on ground, to never lose the hope that the Lord offers in Himself and to never rest from our efforts to build the Reign of God here on earth. 

Taking up that imagery of the lamp shining in the dark, today's feast is a call to burn until we are totally consumed, totally consumed for the sake of the mission that the Lord entrusts to us, totally consumed living our daily life to the full, totally consumed empowering every person to live their life to their full... totally consumed in the glory that we have treasured within us - the image and likeness of God and totally consumed in the glory we have promised to us - the Reign of God and God's glorious people.

Jesus' School of Servant Leadership

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

July 25, 2020: Remembering St. James, the Major
2 Corinthians 4: 7-15; Matthew 20: 20-28

Feast of any Apostle reminds us of the wonderful words that St. Paul utters today: "we hold this treasure in earthen vessels". Every apostle has his own weakness, nevertheless the gift that they are and that they possess, surpasses everything as God's power and might is revealed in it.

Feast of St. James (with the Gospel that we are given to reflect today) reminds us of this more strongly and adds another specific teaching, a teaching from Jesus' School of Servant Leadership. In Matthew's and Mark's versions of the Gospel, we find every time that Jesus foretells about his passion, he follows it up with the discourse on servant leadership (as we see in Mt 16:24ff; 18:1ff; 20:20ff). 

The world today asks without fail, in doing anything, "what is there FOR ME in it?" The tendency to look for a gain in everything, doing only those that will bring something in return for me, doing everything in a manner that things will turn in my favour, or doing things with a mind to manipulate them in order that I gain the most given any situation - these are some competences that are advocated by the society today and everyone is expected to grow in this expertise. Jesus' school of leadership, has a totally different mindset to offer. 

James and John took some time to realise that the only thing they could inherit from Jesus was his identity as Suffering Servant! That is what Jesus repeatedly taught them - you serve and in serving you become a person of God! Once James and John understood it, they understood what it meant to be a true apostle of Christ.

Eventually they wanted to drink the cup that Jesus mentioned and that is what they did. James led the community of Jerusalem... humble and service minded as the Master himself; and his blood shed like the Master's (Acts 12:2). Let us praise the Lord for the apostle St. James and be prepared to witness to the Lord till our last breath, in our humble service!

To inspire awe about God!

WORD 2day: Thursday, 13th week in Ordinary time

July 2, 2020: Amos 7: 10-17; Matthew 9: 1-8

Persons of God inspire an awe about God, despite the unfavourable circumstances that surround them. Look at the two personalities presented to us today: Amos and Jesus. Amos, opposed by Amaziah, the local priest and threatened by Jeroboam, the king in Israel, is warned not to prophesy! What does he do...he speaks, what the Lord wanted him to! Jesus, surrounded by the self-righteous indignant religious fanatics, is scrutinised for every word that he spoke and every move he took! What does he do...he speaks, what his Father wanted him to! And the result: the people were in awe!

First of all, they inspire awe - they leave people wondering and lost in admiration: not that the circumstances around them is all conducive for that, not merely by their competence of speech or performance of a show, but by their lives and their courage to stand for truth. That fills the people with a feeling of awe!

Secondly, the feeling of awe is not all about them! They do not claim it for themselves. Amos clarifies that he is no prophet and belongs to no prophetic band, but he is a simple shepherd and a tree-dresser, but picked up by God and sent on duty by God. Jesus clarifies too that he has the authority because he was the Son of Man, the One sent by God, that his authority came from the Father who sent him! They inspired awe, but not about themselves!

Thirdly and most importantly, they inspired awe about God! Be it Amos or any other prophet or Jesus, all that they did, inspired awe about God. It was not a self-proclamation, a self-coronation, a self-nomination as the messiah of the masses. It was all about God, the glory and mercy of God... that is why seeing their acts and listening to their words, "people praised God" for giving such power to men! 

If we need to be truly sons and daughters of our Eternal Father and Mothers, brothers, sisters and disciples of Jesus our Master, men and women filled with the Spirit, in short, if we have to be truly 'persons of God', every word we speak, every move we take and every choice we make has to inspire awe in the people, about God and God's glory! Do they?

Seeking God and shunning evil

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 13th week in Ordinary time

July 1, 2020: Amos 5: 14-15, 21-24; Matthew 8: 28-34

Seek Good and Shun Evil... it is such a simple and straight forward directive from Amos today! It is a universal dictum, but is it as simple as it sounds? Do we really and absolutely seek good and good alone; God and God above all? More importantly, do we shun evil, and shun it absolutely? 

The world today holds out a culture that seems to be a subtle mixture of both... some good are seen to be 'too impractical' and we are advised not to seek them. Some evil are so subtly deemed 'acceptable' and made so hard to be shunned right away. The majority advocates evil, but in a clandestine form, in a very sweet coated form. It is a meager and meek minority that stands for an absolute good - unfortunately they are despised and even eliminated by the rest of the world!

Sometimes it appears a better prospect to live with certain forms of evil and remain acceptable and comfortable in our living zones, than to choose good or 'the right' and be isolated. When we seek good, when we seek the Lord, we have to by all means do away with certain things in our lives. But we conveniently keep the Lord away at those points, so that our comfort zones are not affected, like the people in the Gospel today who came and begged Jesus to leave their locality. They did not mind living with the evil spirits, but they were upset that they lost a herd of swine! They wondered how much more they will have to lose if Jesus stayed on with them!

If we really want Jesus to stay on with us, we will have to do away with a lot of things! Are we really prepared? Or would we choose to tell the Lord to leave us in peace? Seeking God and shunning evil... is it a natural quality to me?

READY TO WELCOME GOD?

Welcoming... God, God's Message & God's Messenger

June 28, 2020: 13th Sunday in Ordinary time

2 Kings 4: 8-11, 13-16; Romans 6: 3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42

'Welcome Holy Spirit' - you are familiar with that famous hymn, aren't you? Can you go back and think of what you felt the first time you heard those lines - Welcome Holy Spirit... a little amused at least, at those lyrics? Perhaps, it was inspired by Benny Hinn's book Good Morning Holy Spirit (or was it the otherwise?)... anyway, the words do tickled a smile in people's hearts those days. Though now we have gotten used to that hymn, the words are still very homely, down to earth and totally informal. In fact welcoming God, is a beautiful attitude, though God is always there and all the time everywhere! So what would welcoming God, really mean?

Welcoming God would mean an entire life style, a totally unique priority list, an entirely unworldly mindset if we can use that phrase! That is what Jesus says. Just imagine this conversation between two real people, who had both lost their fathers just a few weeks earlier... one said, for him it was an obligation to stay home, losing a few prospects of his future and career, just to ensure his mother felt safe and secure. The other said, he just couldn't do that, as a matter of fact. He was a Priest, belonging to a Congregation, who had a whole parish community to take care of... he shared how with his call and commitment as a Religious, he could not prioritise the care of his mother. However, he luckily had his siblings to leave that to. In fact, when it comes to giving priority to God and God's call, nothing can claim precedence. This is the message that the Lord wants to communicate. 

Welcoming God would mean prioritising God over everything and all. How many Christian families today stand shattered and challenged because of the kind of priorities that the members in the family held on to: Egocentric spouses, money centered siblings, career centered parents, pleasure oriented kids, materialistic mentalities and Godless lives! Sometimes an experience such as what we are facing today, a lockdown or a quarantine, a sickness or a setback, makes us realise how weird our priorities have been! But should we wait for such situations? Are we looking to blame it on something, without really taking stock of our real priorities in life? Welcoming God would mean, rearranging our priorities and looking at God's place in our daily life, yes... our daily life - not the occasion show we put up, may be weekly or seasonally.

Welcoming God's Message is one of the daily dispositions of welcoming God. It would be hypocritical to SAY that I need God and LIVE as if I don't. I may do things that show others that I need God. I may speak to others about me and my life, giving them an idea that I value God. But if that is not translated into my daily life and my regular choices, I am failing to live a life that is integral. What matters most is not what I feel like or what I keep saying, but what I really live on a daily basis. 

Welcoming or Accepting God's message truly means changing my life according to that message; it is dying to sin and being alive for God in Christ, says St. Paul today. Dying to sin, means saying no to those which would do away with God. God cannot be where there is hatred; God cannot be where there is injustice and exploitation; God cannot be where there is lie and evil; God cannot be were there envy and treachery; because God is love and love is against all these! Welcoming God's message would mean saying no to all these, and choosing God above all, above my pride, my anger, my hurts, my tendency to settle scores, my wish to see the doom of the other! Yes, it means choosing love, when I say I am ready to welcome God and God's message.   

Welcoming God's Messengers, is a disposition of openness and humility - being open to God and God's marvellous and mysterious ways of revealing Godself to me - through persons, events and signs. A new person we come across, a poor person we see suffering, a hapless person we exploited...all these are messengers of God! And being humble is to receive God's message from anyone, even those from whom we least expect it! The Shunammite woman we come across in the first reading had a special eye for this observation! She spotted the Messenger of God in Elisha and the consequence of it, we know so gladly. 

Welcoming God's messengers would truly mean being open minded, being authentic in our relations with all, being forthright in our dealings with anyone, being truthful and honest about our feelings and attitudes, being ready to form them all according to the mind of Christ: did not St. Paul instruct us to put on the mind of Christ - let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5). It is easier to think of God's messengers as people who are set apart, people who are in ministries, people who are so-called 'chosen'...but not just those! God's messengers are all those who bring God's message on a daily basis - parents for children, children for parents, bosses for employees, employees for bosses, the poor on the streets, the neighbour in living quarters, the stranger in a bus, anyone who challenges us about our priorities, our mind in Christ and our way of life. Are we ready to notice, accept and welcome them?

If we really give a serious thought to our Christian living today, it could really be a mighty big challenge. A remarkable thinker of the past century, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in his book The Cost of Discipleship, "being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will." Is this not what we are repeatedly reminded by our Holy Father today? 

Let us pay heed to the precious question from the Word today: Are you ready to Welcome God, to welcome God's message and to welcome God's messengers... in whatever form and whichever way? What would my response be?