MERCY IN THE MILLENNIAL WORLD

The need to overcome the world !?!

April 11, 2021: 2nd Sunday in Easter Time 

The Sunday of the Divine Mercy

Acts 4: 32-35; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20: 19-31

Celebrated as the Divine Mercy Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter time or the Low Sunday of the Easter Octave, reminds us of the importance of the image of Christ as the Mercy of God. This is probably the reason why the Saintly Holy Father, Pope John Paul II chose this day, when he wanted to institute a feast for the Divine Mercy revealed to the world through Sr. Faustina. This revelation that came about in the twentieth century, is as important as the revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus made through Sr. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century. The message however is the same - God's boundless and merciful love. This image of Christ as the Mercy of God, should be second to none other than the image of the Risen Lord, for a Christian - that is in short what the Church wishes us to understand. 

Pope Francis, in these 8 years of his pontificate has reiterated again and again about the primacy of the Mercy of God - he has insisted that the identity of every Christian, the identity of the Christian Community, the purpose of the mission of the Church, and the goal of every evangelising activity should invariably be the Mercy of God. When he announced the year of Mercy and called every son and daughter of the Church to be merciful as the Father, what he intended to achieve was the same: to make of us people of mercy. Being people of mercy is our call, there is no doubt about it. But the question arises whether it is really possible, when we look around and consider seriously, the kind of world we live in!

"I have overcome the world," says Jesus, and continues, "if you accept me as the Saviour, you have overcome the world too!" That is the crux of the second reading and that leaves us with a serious question: is there a need to overcome the world? There was a time in philosophy and theology, people spoke of two diametrically opposed realities - good and evil, righteousness and sin, pure and profane, and in the same logic, spiritual and worldly...as if to say, what pertained to the Spirit did not pertain to the world and what pertained to the world was to be shunned and overthrown. In that logic, overcoming the world made sense! But have we not grown in our thinking? Have we not become more balanced and holistic in our thinking...should we still be thinking of shunning the world, as if world is opposed to what is Spiritual and what pertains to God? Yes, we have grown. It is not a dichotomy that we promote when we speak of overcoming the world - what we refer to here is more about the tendencies and modes of thinking, than the world or the earth or the creation. It is a mindset. Today's mindset can be referred to as a millennial mindset.

Millennial mindset, is that of development, progress, advancement and going forward. It cares only to fix goals and targets such as project 2020 (they have been talking about this for the past 3 decades and afterall 2020 just passed us by without any noise, all under the pandemic pressure!), or Goals 2030, or fancy names such as MDGs, SDGs, and what not! It is all about arriving somewhere...and for that we are ready to sacrifice anything, anyone and any value. Population seems to be rising, so do what you want it has to be brought under control - kill, abort, conspire, control, exploit, manipulate! Economic prosperity has to be achieved, so throw all liabilities out - even if they are persons - old, invalid, children, poor, weak, the so-called 'uncultured'. Science offers us progress and that has to be pursued, so experiment with whatever you wish - be it lives, living beings, the earth, the unborn lives, the uncared-for lives, the voiceless masses. This is the Millennial world that we are living in. Now think! What is mercy in this world?

The Risen Lord and the community that arose around him gives us, in the first reading and the Gospel today, three manifestations of true mercy in this millennial world - we would do good to pay heed.

The first manifestation of Mercy today  is Unity of Heart and Soul. It is not about the pacts signed and deals contracted at the international level smiling before the cameras and each one goes back and does what one wants. It is unity of heart and soul, the simplicity that is found in the Almighty, the same simplicity that the Almighty placed within us when we were created...that oneness...which was then broken into pieces by sinfulness and wickedness of the evil one. Oneness of heart and soul...feeling for the other, caring for the other, fending for the other, as for onself...that is oneness of heart and soul. This is mercy today in this millennial world. How many really care for every one, specially the suffering ones? We are more worried about what Bill Gates says, and what the millionnaire space tourists claim...where is the value of the individual persons here on earth? Fundamental rights are breached and persons are taken for granted. The moneyed and the powerful are having their way and making their wish become law for everyone else! Will the hearts and souls of goodwill unite?

The second manifestation of Mercy today is No one in want. Will we ever achieve this state? How many Governments and Non Governmental Organistion, Religious Orders and Social Service Organisations, National Bureaus and International Agencies have objectives like 'removal of poverty'... it should make us laugh out loud, to see this on paper! Mercy is merely a word, until even one in my vicinity is in want. Whom do we blame - the person himself or herself? the system? the policies? ...blame what you want, or blame all that you can, but the fact is, we are far from mercy. As people of God, in whichever way we can, we need to work in concrete towards this aim: no one in want, wherever we are. Let us not wait for multinational agencies and govermental bodies to intervene and change the situation, let us begin with DOING what is at hand, and making it a possible state of life: no one in want. Today, how many persons and communities, how many families, stand in need, affected by crises of varied kinds...the pandemic, the economic, the emotional and so on! What is our concrete response?

The third manifestation of Mercy today is Peace and Forgiveness. Jesus was not understood by his disciples. He was ditched by them and handed over to the enemies. He was killed by their treachery and insolent attitude. He rose, as he had already instructed them..and they did  not seem to believe. He came among them, they did not recognise and did not believe even when explained. One of them even asked for some childish signs and proofs. After all these what did Jesus offer them? Forgiveness and Peace! That is mercy, the unbounded love of God, the merciful embrace of the Father manifested in Jesus, the Christ. Peace, that comes from forgiveness, that is the fundamental offer of the Mercy of God. Today, how many stand in need of peace! How many wounded hearts need the gift of forgiveness and capacity to forgive! Are we in our own way, instruments of peace and forgiveness wherever we are, or are we creating more barriers and more blocks to unity of hearts and souls? Are we part of the problem or are we part of the solution?

Celebrating the Divine Mercy today - we need to resolve to be manifestation of mercy in this millennial world... overcoming its insensitivities, partialities, selfcentredness and inhumanities. Yes, we need to overcome the world, a mindset of this sort! And we can overcome, with the Merciful Lord on our side. Peace be with you, because I am with you says the Risen Lord to us today. Let us receive the Lord, and take the Lord to everyone in need of Mercy and Love.

A 3G ON THE WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

GRATITUDE, GUILT AND GIVING - 3 sensibilities provoked!

November 15, 2020: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

4th World Day of the Poor

Proverbs 31: 10-13,19-20,30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25: 14-30

Today is the fourth commemoration of the World Day of the Poor, instituted at the request of Pope Francis at the end of the Year of Mercy in 2017, calling us to keep alive the sensibilities that were provoked during reflections of that entire year! Here this Sunday's Word brings home to us the same sensibilities... and we shall dwell on them in 3Gs.

Gratitude - because what I have is given by God!

The parable that Jesus narrates speaks of each one having what was given them by the King and what they do with that is what the story is all about. Whatever I have, I have it because it is given by God. You may protest - no, I earned it, I merited it...could be. But the opportunity, the contacts, the success...do all have it? If I had it, I was more fortunate than so many. Without giving into a boisterous 'theology of prosperity', I need to admit that if I am blessed with comforts, with conveniences that many do not have today, I have to be grateful. 

When I complain, I cannot be grateful. We know of that famous saying - I complained of not having shoes until that day when I found one not having his legs! Gratitude is one important sensibility that we are called to possess - Gratitude is a sign that I acknowledge what I have received and I realise the value of what I have received. The last man was not grateful, he was afraid, lazy and crooked and that is why what he received did not fructify.

Guilt - because what I have is not only mine!

Some may not like this word used here, certainly! It is not even to alliterate with the G's that this term is chosen here as the second sensibility but with a lot of consciousness. Pope Francis when he invites the world to observe this day as World Day of the Poor - do you think he is saying, now all of us rich get together and pool in some money to give to the poor? No! He is raising a big question - why are they poor? 

At times, when we travel around, when we encounter poor people with nothing to eat or nothing to wear or nowhere to stay... do not we feel guilty of the well pressed clothes that we wear, of the well presented recipes that we enjoy, the well planned travels that we make, at times the well guarded houses that we live in. Are we going to leave all these and go to the streets - no, it may not happen! But that little feeling of uneasiness within us, that needs to be there. That uneasiness drove Francis of Assisi to sanctity; that uneasiness dragged Mother Teresa out of the confines of her convent to the peripheries of the world. It would not benefit us, if we wish to soften the word to 'being sensitive' or to 'being aware'...no, it is being guilty! Let us not get into poetic polemics like. 'everyone is poor is some way' and so on. It should pain each of us, to see people poor; it should pain each of us to see persons suffer. The world today has to feel that guilt of having pushed its children to poverty and misery. When that third servant failed to be fruitful, the worst fact was not that he was not fruitful, but he was not even guilty about it. That was the most miserable fact. The king just could not digest that!

Giving - because that is why I have!

If I have anything, it is a clear sign that I am called to give! That is what a Christian life should be - Christian life and hoarding wealth for its own sake cannot go together! Oh, what a statement that is to make! But that is the fact. One cannot say, God has blessed me and therefore I am going to be happy! Yes I am happy with the blessing - but I am given to give! The beautiful philosophy of Stewardship that God has been insisting on right from creation, has widely been forgotten, negated and dumped down the drains. How can I not give when I know someone needs it and I have it. To add to that, I have it more than I need! 

In a country like India, for an instance, or wherever in the world, we can see the rich getting richer and the poor becoming poorer - can things remain the same? The worst of the scenario, the social organisations and governmental bodies which are to fend of every citizen, are worried serving the purposes of the Corporates and the moneyed! How long are we going to be happy collecting something from somewhere and giving it elsewhere? Giving has to be a duty! Giving has to be our essence! Giving has to be our being! I should give naturally, spontaneously and without a second thought, if I want to be seen as a child of God, because God gives, give abundantly.

"Stretch forth your hand to the poor (Sir 6:7)," invites the Holy Father this day! The ugliness of poverty and misery that has always been around us today, has gathered more flesh to torment humanity with the pandemic that is causing havoc world wide. The call is to look out for the most affected, the worst hit, the totally lost, the utterly broken, those who feel they have nobody, those who are struggling to even live their next minute in life... to those we need to stretch forth our hand, our heart, our minds and our love. 

Listen to these words of Pope Francis: 

“Stretch forth your hand to the poor” challenges the attitude of those who prefer to keep their hands in their pockets and to remain unmoved by situations of poverty in which they are often complicit. Indifference and cynicism are their daily food. What a difference from the generous hands we have described! If they stretch out their hands, it is to touch computer keys to transfer sums of money from one part of the world to another, ensuring the wealth of an elite few and the dire poverty of millions and the ruin of entire nations. Some hands are outstretched to accumulate money by the sale of weapons that others, including those of children, use to sow death and poverty. Other hands are outstretched to deal doses of death in dark alleys in order to grow rich and live in luxury and excess, or to quietly pass a bribe for the sake of quick and corrupt gain. Others still, parading a sham respectability, lay down laws which they themselves do not observe. Amid all these scenarios, “the excluded are still waiting. To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or to sustain enthusiasm for that selfish ideal, a globalization of indifference has developed. Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own” (Evangelii Gaudium, 54). We cannot be happy until these hands that sow death are transformed into instruments of justice and peace for the whole world.

Gratitude, Guilt and Giving... these three sensibilities can truly keep us alive and attentive to the suffering brothers and sisters around us, and all over the world. Those sensibilities, if they are authentic will certainly transform themselves from mere words and individual actions to a collective mentality and a global culture...that is true evangelisation, making God felt everywhere, making God present everywhere, and making God's Reign present here and now!

WORD 2day : 19th July, 2016

Mercy and Faithfulness

Tuesday,  16th week in Ordinary Time
Mic 7: 14-15,18-20; Mt 12: 46-50ay

The most concrete expression of God's faithfulness is God's mercy which is so boundless and plentiful. Our concrete way of  living out mercy is being faithful to the biddings of the Lord.

Being faithful to the biddings of the Lord would consist of being attentive to everything around me, being truly concerned about everyone around me and being open to the promptings of the Spirit within me.

Mercy is not about doing some charitable acts here and there and now and then. But it is becoming like God, growing in our godliness and being signs of God's faithfulness to those who are in need of it.

Mercilent Digest

As we enter into the Holy Week from today...we come to the end of the Mercilent Reflections. Here is the digest for the entire season:

Mercilent Thoughts
1. Be Merciful
2. Be Pro life
3. Be Integral
4. Be Shining
5. Be Godly
6. Be God's
7. Be Open
8. Be Prayer
9. Be Good
10. Be Christ
11. Be Rock
12. Be Exalted
13. Be Different
14. Be Wise
15. Be Careful
16. Be Joyful
17. Be Pliable
18. Be Grateful
19. Be Blessed
20. Be Judicious
21. Be Loving
22. Be Spiritual
23. Be Yielding
24. Be Life-giving
25. Be Diligent
26. Be Testimonies
27. Be Prepared
28. Be Illumined
29. Be Drawn
30. Be Free
31. Be Eternal
32. Be Dependent
33. Be Fulfillment

HOLY WEEK 2016 - The Palm Sunday

THE TASK: ENTER

20th March 2016

The task given to us by the Lord is to ENTER... as he enters the city of Jerusalem! 

Jesus entered the city knowing well that it is going to lead him to trouble. When we decide to take it upon ourselves to be like the Lord, there will be problems from all side. There will be those who wait to kill us; there will those who long to see our downfall; there will be those who criticise us; there will be those who stand by and watch us suffer; there will be those who take pleasure in remaining unconcerned about the cause we stand for! But I am called to enter into that life that the Lord calls me to live, for God and for God's mission.

Jesus entered the city, with joy and enthusiasm of the people. A sad Christian is a sorry Christian. The task that we take upon ourselves to build the Reign of God may be demanding but that cannot take away the joy and enthusiasm from within us. I have to be the cause of joy and enthusiasm for the people, I cannot be an hindrance to their joy and happiness; much more I cannot be the cause of the grief of the people! I am called to take up the tough task of standing up for the Lord, but with a joyful heart and a glad spirit.

Jesus entered the city, to complete that task that was entrusted to him. He had his task clear cut, and he was aware of it. He had told that to his disciples time and again: that he would go to Jerusalem and suffer and be handed over to those who will kill him. Though he prayed that the bitter chalice should pass away, finally he submits himself to God and that is how he becomes our way to the Father. In his obedience Jesus paves a way to our salvation. How far am I prepared to go all the way in obedience to the One who has called me!

The challenge is to enter the life that the Lord wants us to. It may cost our comfort zone, our close acquaintances and even our life. But that is not going to be for too long. I have to go a long way...but the Lord God is with me, and his Word shall protect me. Hosanna in the Highest!

MERCILENT 2016 - 11th March

BE ENDURING: let nothing disturb you!

Friday, 4th week in Lent

Wis 2:1,12-22; Jn 7: 1-2,10,25-30

Enduring all odds is a necessary quality for a servant of God. If only a person wants to remain faithful to what the Lord has called him or her for, the person has to grow tough from within. One cannot allow something to affect him or her so easily, if the person wants to go all the way with one's vocation. 

Endurance means the capacity to dedicate oneself for a cause and to stand by that cause come what may. Here we are speaking of the Lord's chosen ones and their capacity for total dedication. There are two types of situations that can make one lose one's endurance: the opposition of the Godless and the indifference of the thoughtless.

The Godless interpret everything that you do in their own sense and malign your name and whatever you are upto. The first reading says, their malice makes them blind to anything that is godly. The thoughtless are the so called 'religiously diligent' people but who are lost in their own world, who wish that everyone fits into their framework of understanding. Jesus is struggling against these in the Gospel today. 

We may be faced with the Godless who oppose us, malign us, persecute us...are we going to give up being messengers of the Lord? We may be surrounded by the self righteous lot who find fault merely because we do not fit into their frameworks...are we going to lose heart? If we are broken because of these experiences, that is a fragrant offering we can give the Lord but we need to endure! The worst of everything is if we ourselves fall into one of the two categories - the godless or the thoughtless. Let us be careful.

The Mercilent Attitude for today: Let nothing disturb us and let us never be weary of doing good (2 Thes 3:13)

MERCILENT 2016 - 10th March

BE TESTIMONIES: endure, hold on and see the wonders

Thursday, 4th week in Lent

Exo 32: 7-14; Jn 5: 31-47

The Gospel today is very dense passage where Jesus speaks if his testimonies to himself and to God who has sent him. In the extensive discourse what he wants to highlight is that we know, we understand, we come to believe but these do not stand firm for long. A bit of a trouble, or a small delay in favours, or an untoward incident that breaks our plans, or an unexpected turn of events that gets us into crisis, takes us away from God. We see people going away from God, denying God, or creating their own God when things do not go the way that they wanted. 

The call is to be testimonies to the Lord and to what the Lord wants to accomplish in and through us. The recent killings at Yemen is a great testimony, because of their endurance. A couple of decades back the same Yemen had a similar attack and these sisters were asked to  leave and they refused to do so, saying the dying and the destitutes there needed them and decided to hang on, the priests who spiritually cater to them. held on too. Today their death gives us pain but remains a great testimony! The Holy Father called them, 'the martyrs of our day'. 

How enduring are we in our commitment to the Lord? How prepared are we to hold on, in the face of struggles? How persevering are we to wait for the wonders that the Lord has in store for us!

The Mercilent Attitude for today: Believe in the Lord and check how much your thoughts and words bear testimony to the Lord!

MERCILENT DIGEST II

Here is an update of Mercilent Thoughts so far:
1. Be Merciful
2. Be Pro life
3. Be Integral
4. Be Shining
5. Be Godly
6. Be God's
7. Be Open
8. Be Prayer
9. Be Good
10. Be Christ
11. Be Rock
12. Be Exalted
13. Be Different
14. Be Wise
15. Be Careful
16. Be Joyful
17. Be Pliable
18. Be Grateful
19. Be Blessed
20. Be Judicious
21. Be Loving
22. Be Spiritual
23. Be Yielding
24. Be Life-giving
25. Be Diligent

RENEWAL TIMES

MERCILENT 2016 - 4th Sunday in Lent - 6th March

Josh 5: 9-12; 2 Cor 5: 17-21; Lk 15: 1-3, 11-32

I remember it was during our Novitiate year, we were suggested to follow a spirituality of identifying ourselves with one of the plants or trees that stood in our campus and observe its growth and reflect on our own growth in relation to it. Looking out of the window from our study hall, there was a  tree which was almost dead, its bark dry and dark. But I had chosen that tree, because I was drawn by the small little shoot that jetted out right on top, tender and green! I was so happy to see how life can come out of such tough situations! The very next day I saw someone had cut the tree and the tree lay down flat on the ground! I was so grieved and feared what sign the Lord is giving! When I spoke to my Spiritual Director, he said not to lose hope and to look out for another plant or tree. But I had made up my mind never again to try this exercise on myself anymore. After a fortnight or more one fine morning as I sat in the study hall and just casually looked out, my eyes widened as I saw the dry bark of the tree on the ground, but a new leaf that had just sprung up from that so-called dead bark! Oh what a message of Hope that was: the Renewal Times!

Behold I make everything new, the Lord promises! The Lord is continually making things new. Our task is to Trust in the Lord! To trust in the Lord even amidst great tragic news as that of the killings that we heard of in Yemen yesterday!

The First reading speaks of the trust that the wandering people of Israel had and how that Trust did not fail. They eat the produce of the land they were promised! The Manna stopped that was not sad...because there was something better given to them.

The Manna stopped yes, but they were to Taste a different bread, the bread of the Mercy of the Lord. They tasted and they gave praises to the Lord: Taste and See that the Lord is good.That was something new and far more greater than what they had tasted till then.

The Tasting of the Lord is a tough call, because it requires that we Tread the path of the Lord, that we think like God does - the call to be Merciful like the Father! Only when we show mercy, can we taste mercy!

The elder son in the parable narrated in the Word today,is no different from the younger son. The younger son was physically away, but the elder son was spiritually so far away from the Father: he had been calculating, expecting, comparing, grumbling and grudging all work! How sad, that he was so near the Father yet so far. If only we wish to taste the goodness of the Lord, we need to Trust in the Lord and Tread in the Lord's path.

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #10

Some Special Proposals for the Year

 # HOLY DOOR OF MERCY

I am the door and only through me can one go to the Father, promised the Lord. I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart,  I will enter his courts with praise! 

The Holy Father invites us to enter the holy door of mercy, through which we can experience the love of God who consoles,  pardons, and instils hope. 

It is not a magical act that we enter the door and the mercies of the Lord get sprayed all over us! The Holy Father bases himself on a solid theological background as he announces this traditional invitation in these post modern times. There is a threefold condition that enables one to receive the mercy of the Lord efficaciously. 

First condition is Faith, that is a filial trust in the Father and a fraternal relationship with the Son, united in the Spirit. 

The second condition is Preparation, preparing oneself through the sacrament of Reconciliation and a well received communion. 

The third condition is the union with the intention of the Universal faith community,  the Church.

With these three conditions when a faithful makes a conscious spiritual exercise of entering the specially consecrated door, the person receives an indulgence, that is the grace of salvific forgiveness for oneself and for the souls in the purgatory.

It is indeed an uplifting experience to engage in such a pilgrimage to enter this door and find the solace that God has in store for us. 

Extraordinary Year of Mercy #9

Some Special Proposals for the Year

# 24 HOURS FOR THE LORD

The Holy Father has a set of special proposals to make this year of mercy, a true celebration of God's immense mercy and love. One of those concrete proposals is to dedicate an entire 24 hours for the Lord...which is done from March 4th (incidentally today) to March 5th. In Rome, the Holy Father himself will initiate the hour at their local time 17 hours to end in his presence tomorrow at the same 17 hours.

Dubbed as 'the vigil to dry tears', this 24 hours are presented to us by the Holy Father in these words:

          The initiative of “24 Hours for the Lord,” to be celebrated on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Fourth Week of Lent, should be implemented in every diocese. So many people, including young people, are returning to the Sacrament of Reconciliation; through this experience they are rediscovering a path back to the Lord, living a moment of intense prayer and finding meaning in their lives. Let us place the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the centre once more in such a way that it will enable people to touch the grandeur of God’s mercy with their own hands. For every penitent, it will be a source of true interior peace. (in Misericordiae Vultus)

So, we can underline the following three as salient features of this proposal

1. Spending Time with the Lord: Just being there with the Lord and to tell the Lord I am here just to be with you - that is in itself a beautiful moment to feel the consoling presence of the Lord with us.

2. Sacrament of Reconciliation: The whole event is centered around the sacrament of Reconciliaion, a privileged moment to experience the tender loving mercy of God. 

3. Solidarity with the Universal Church: This is not left to individual churches to see the feasibility of arranging it but it is mandatory that every diocese in the world celebrates these 24 hours for the Lord on these very two days. It is a sign and experience of praying as One people of God invoking the mercy of the Lord on the entire humanity!

In front of the Eucharistic Lord let us drink in the Mercy of the Father and experience it concretely at the Confessional today!

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #8

# THE GOOD SHEPHERD 

One of the most apparent imageries that one can connect to, looking at the logo is that of the Good Shepherd. We are so used to seeing the shepherd's image with a sheep on his shoulders. Here we have a human person, allegedly Adam representing each of us. Adam,  yes,  but the Adam who had fallen out of favour with the Lord on account of his choice and the resultant shame.

Jesus the Good Shepherd comes in search of such sheep. ...the sheep who are lost, lost in their sin and shame, lost in their self pity and guilt. The Lord comes with his arms outstretched, open wide to take us back into his embrace, just like the Father did to the prodigal son in the parable that Jesus narrated.

The Lord's mercy is so bountiful and there is absolutely no doubt about it. Nothing is greater than the love that God has for us,  not even all the treacherous sins put together! The Lord in his mercy is willing and waiting to carry us to salvation and to new life,  but are we willing to be carried? Or are we  stubborn and totally lost in our sinfulness and self pity?

The call I have through this element is that I allow myself to be carried by my Shepherd who will lead me to divine pastures.

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #7

# THE WOUNDS

Yet another element that stands out in the logo is the wounds of crucifixion that we see on the limbs of Christ. Why are the wounds there...are they used merely to identify that it is Christ? The halo and the cross on the head of that image would have done if it were so. The wounds have a slightly deeper significance, than merely to say it is Christ; they signify that it is the Risen Christ that we see there!

The Risen Lord used the wounds in his hands and feet and the side, to assure the disciples that it was he! Come touch my wounds and put your hand into my side, he invited Thomas. The message is the presence of the Risen Lord. We are not here looking at the historical Jesus who lived and moved those three years doing miracles, manifesting signs and doing enormous good to so many. No, we are thinking of the Lord who has promised us to be with us all the time, till the end of times. We are looking at the Lord who is there with us in every experience of ours, in doubts and difficulties, in trials and temptations, in sins and sufferings, he is there beside us, compassionately involved in our lives, infact equally living it himself. That is why we are on his shoulders, he is seeing us through all our situations. 

The call that we have is to feel, experience and trust in the continual presence of the Risen Lord, the promise of the never failing mercies of the Father.

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #6

# THE GAZE

One of the intriguing elements of the logo is the gaze of the two persons depicted... two pairs of eyes but one shared between two. There have been even some anti-catholic elements which have attributed some diabolic interpretations to this. They are only to be pitied, for having missed the depth of the meaning offered here.

We are aiming at being merciful like the father. Being Merciful like the Father, is possible only when we understand the Father fully - how do we understand someone whom we have not seen? John explains it in the prologue to his Gospel (Jn 1:18): "No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known." It is Jesus, the Face of the Mercy of God who has made God known to us. It is Jesus who showed us, what it means to be merciful like the Father. It is Jesus who reveals to us, how the Merciful God sees and invites us to SEE AS GOD SEES! 

God sees every one as God's sons and daughters, however unworthy we might be. To see as God sees would mean that I see everyone as my brother and my sister, without judging them to be deserving or not of my love and acceptance. It means to be loving, forgiving, forbearing, patient and kind as God is. I am challenged to see as God would see, to think as God would think, to love as God would love, to do good as God would do, to be merciful as God is.

The Call here is to share the eye of Christ, to share the vision of Christ, to share the mind of Christ: To see as God sees!

MERCILENT 2016 - 1st March

BE GRATEFUL : a grateful heart is a holy heart

Tuesday, 3rd week in Lent

Dan 3: 25, 34-43; Mtt 18: 21-35

One fundamental quality of people who are evil, who plot the ruin of others or who do not love others enough, is ingratitude. Showing mercy to others will be an automatic outcome, if a person is mindful of all the good that he or she has received. St. Paul would ask a very poignant question: 'what do you have that you have not received?" (1 Cor 4:7) If we have received so much good and we acknowledge that we have received them all, will we not be considerate that we have to reciprocate the same to others around me: that is the connection between being grateful and being good.

The parable that Jesus narrates today is a such a beautiful depiction of how we behave at times: receiving in such abundance but so calculative while giving! The man was forgiven an amount that was equal to 15 years wages while he refused to forgive one day's wages someone owed! What a contrast Jesus presents here... Be mindful of how good the Lord is to you and your goodness will be augmented. In the first reading we see a cry for help to the Lord but even in that dire situation we do not see or feel any desperation on the part of the one who is making the invocation. There is only trust that stands out. That is a heart that was so mindful of the good that the Lord had done till then. 

A truly grateful person will grow easily to be holy. Gratitude is, never to take anything for granted: once a person acknowledges every small good that the Lord does to oneself, the person will grow conscious of how indebted one  is. That is the beginning of the commitment to repay the goodness of the Lord: can we really do it? The starting point of holiness has to be this: because God is so good, I have to be good; because God is so forgiving, I have to forgive; because God is so holy, I have to be holy!

Mercilent Attitude for today: Thank God, thank God every moment of the day, for we can never thank God enough.

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #5

# THE CONCENTRIC OVALS

The next element that stands out in the Logo is the concentric ovals that we find...do you notice that it is not merely one regular oval but a set of ovals one differentiated from the other with differing shades. 

The concentric ovals are symbolic of the dynamic nature of our relationship with Christ, because in that relationship Christ carries us, transports us...there is a movement that is seen in the progression of the concentric shapes. 

As we said, the one who is carried is symbolic of humanity, that is representing each of us. The One who carries is Christ,who carries us out of sin towards salvation; out of death towards new life! That is what the mercy of God does to us, taking us from sin to salvation, from death to new life. 

The Call: The progression of the shapes also has another pertinent invitation, to go deeper into our life, our identity and our call. 'Put out into the deep', calls Jesus and that is the message, that we do not remain complacent with a shallow level of living our life, instead go deeper and deeper into the gift and task that our life is! In short, our life is a journey, a constant movement, a call to grow towards a state of holistic and salvific relationship with the Merciful Lord.

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #4

# THE COLOURS

The colours that have been used in the logo of the year of mercy, have a specific message to communicate. Let's begun with having a good look at the logo. And note the colours that stand out.

Red: signifies the blood of Christ. The Blood of Christ is a sign and symbol of God's mercy. For God so loved the world that God sent God's only Son to give us life. Christ gave his life for us as the most intense expression of God's mercy.

White: signifies the light of Christ. The light that takes us to the Father,  the light that makes it clear to us who we are, the light that defines where and how we need to be journeying - that is the light we are looking at.

Blue: signifies the earth and so the humanity,  that is "we"...we are called to be sons and daughters of God sporting the very image and likeness of the One who has willed us into existence.

Gold: signifies the call that we have received as humanity. If you closely glimpse at the golden hue it is on the person who lies on the shoulder. If Christ is the one who is carrying, the one who is carried is Adam. The first Adam brought in sin through his disobedience,  Christ the second Adam brings in salvation through obedience. We are called and challenged.

The Call from this element of the logo, is to understand the face of the mercy of God-Jesus Christ, listen to Him and surrender ourselves to His projects.

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #3

# THE SHAPE

Looking at the Logo for the Year of Mercy, one could wonder, why that shape of say, an almond... the oval? Why not a more perfect shape like a circle that would have symbolised the complete and unending love of God. But the oval, has more to say than what apparently appears. 

The shape of an oval is said to be a highly familiar shape used in the traditional iconography of the early church. It came to mean something very deep and fundamental within the faith expression of the early christian artists. The clue is in how this Oval is formed? It is formed when two circles intersect and find a common space...that is, it is formed in the union of two circles. That was why it came to symbolise for the early christians, the union of the two natures of Christ - the human and the divine.

Amidst the controversies that existed in the Early Christian Theology, whether Christ was more man or more son of God, this symbol came to express the right understanding of Christ as the perfect union of humanity and divinity. Today the logo for the year of Mercy picks up on that one composite nature of the Son of God, which is the epitome of the expressions of the Mercy of God - Jesus Christ is the face of the Mercy of God.

The Call that this element of the Logo gives us, is to understand the divinity that the Lord has placed within our beings and live to be deeply human and deeply holy at the same time.

MERCILENT 2016 - 27th February

BE JOYFUL: You are loved without measure!

Saturday, 2nd week in Lent
Mic 7: 14-15, 18-20; Lk 15: 1-3,11-32

Just yesterday, I heard that touching song that speaks of God's grace as, 'Oh Outrageous Grace!'...yes, an outrageous grace. An immeasurable love, an abundant grace, limitless mercy...that is God. What should I fear when the Lord loves me with such an immeasurable love. The Lord looks at me as a shepherd madly in love with his sheep, willing to lay down his life for his sheep, however undeserving I may be.

The Call is twofold here: one, however immeasurable God's love is, I need to make myself deserving of that great love of God. If not, I run the risk of depriving myself of that outrageous love, that immeasurable mercy by distancing myself from the Father like that younger son.

The second call is to accept my brother (or sister) who fails! If I do not look kindly on the limitations of my brothers and sisters and show mercy to them, accepting them with forgiveness and forbearance, I would be standing out of the house of my Father, again depriving myself of the mercy and love I can receive without measure!

I need to be filled with joy that the Lord loves me, then nothing will disturb me! I would be ready to experience the mercy of the Father and share the same with the other. When I lack that joy, I would turn so negative that I will deprive myself of all mercy!

The Mercilent Attitude for today: Rejoice, the Lord loves you!

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy #2

#2 The Motto

What we shall be doing in the coming days is first to understand the logo offered for our minds this year. The first element that stands out from the logo is the motto: Lk 6:36.

MERCIFUL AS THE FATHER: Mercy is the identity,  a call and a challenge to an authentic disciple of Christ.

Mercy is that dimension of love that highlights unconditionality of a person's love and the need to offer and ask for forgiveness. That is the identity of a true Christian. For from this they will know you are my disciples- from the love that you have for one another.

At times we begin with great spirits but we stop very soon owing to difficulty in finding models! The call is to grow up towards being like the Father. The Father is the ideal, the image towards which we grow.

That is obviously a challenge too! It is a life long task to grow to be like the Father. Be perfect as the heavenly father is perfect (Mt 5:48)... that's the Mattean version of the motto.

'Keep Growing'...that is in other words what the motto says. We can never stop growing. The heavenly Father is the one who calls, is the model and the destiny towards which we grow.