WORD 2day: 30th May, 2014

The Divine Assurances

Acts 18: 9-18; Jn 16: 20-23

Today's readings have two of the most repeated and most affirmed promises of the Lord: Do not be afraid, for I am with you (Acts 18:9,10) and Your sorrow will turn into joy (Jn 16:20). For both these, the provision given is: go on speaking and endure the griefs. Though what is expected of us: that is to go on speaking and to endure suffering, might seem a bit too demanding, the consequence of it justifies everything! The promised presence of the Lord and the promised joy in the Lord are incomparably filled with assurances that can brighten up our todays and our tomorrows.

We are called to claim these promises in our daily life and more importantly, we are called be the fulfilment of these promises for those around us who are needy, the real poor, the suffering and the troubled in spirit. The ascension of the Lord which we intend to celebrate this weekend carries precisely this message for us: the continued and unceasing presence of the Risen Lord, more often than not, in the form of our presence with the others. 

Let the Spirit help us today to feel the presence of the Lord with each of us and lead us to be the presence of the Lord for everyone we encounter today.

WORD 2day: 29th May, 2014

To leave... it is a missionary challenge!

Acts 18: 1-8; Jn 16: 16-20

Paul leaves; he leaves Athens for Corinth, he leaves the Jews for the Gentiles. Jesus leaves; he leaves his earthly life and his friend disciples and prepares to go to his Father and our Father! They were able to leave because their eyes were fixed on the mission that was entrusted to them: nothing that came in between, neither success nor failure, neither helps nor hindrances, neither pains nor pleasures - nothing could keep them back.

Another point the readings today point to: whenever they left something, something greater awaited. Christ left his worldly stint, to remain with the Father and thus with us for ever, to the end of ages. And Paul leaves place after place, and everywhere there are more and more people being touched by the Lord and won over for the Lord.

Leaving behind is not an easy task. The most challenging of all 'leaving behind' is to leave behind one's own desires and dreams, personal plans and projects, one's loves and longings! At times, if we have to witness to the Lord and the Gospel that the Lord wants us to announce, there is no other choice but to leave... it is indeed a missionary challenge!

WORD 2day: 28th May, 2014

In Him...

Acts 17: 15, 22 - 18:1; Jn 16: 12-15

In Him we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28), is one of the most expressive faith statements of St. Paul. Paul has a very special insight into understanding Jesus' mind. Jesus  in the Gospel today says, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit will get everything from him and make it known to the believer! "Get from him" would mean 'get from the Father', since Father and the Son are one (cf. Jn 10:30). Jesus invites us to a state where, "On that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you" (Jn 14:20). And the way to it, is simple: keeping His commandments.

When we live in union with the Lord, a union in heart and soul, keeping the Lord's commandments will not be a demanding task but a natural way of life. It is the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of truth who will inspire us to such way of life. Let us prepare ourselves these days to receive the Spirit, the Spirit of the Risen Lord, the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom. The crux of Christian perfection is not in anything that we do, it is in living, moving and having our being, IN HIM.

WORD 2day: 27th May, 2014

The Advocate to come...

Acts 16:22-34; Jn 16: 5-11

Beaten, bruised and bound, they sang the praises of the Lord! Will not the glory of the Lord be revealed there? The act of Paul and Silas in the prison was such a powerful witness that the prison guards expected anything anytime. They were capable of it, because of the Spirit that filled them, fueled them and fired them.

It is the Advocate that Jesus promised to his disciples who makes the entire difference and the difference is enormous. We see this in the very first moment when the apostles come out to speak in public. The frightened band of messengers had been turned into fiercely blazing firebrands. 

Added to this, Jesus says, when He comes He will convict the world. Every heart is given the possibility to know what is true, good and just; every human heart has a longing for someone beyond oneself; every person called by the waters of baptism realises at the core of one's being, the need to be a righteous witness. Sin, righteousness and judgement - they decide the quality of one's witnessing life. Are we prepared to receive the Advocate who is to come?

WORD 2day: 26th May, 2014

On our way to the Reign

Acts 16: 11-15; Jn 15: 26 - 16: 4

"The Spirit of truth" that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel is witnessed to be at work in the first reading event from the Acts of the Apostles - that of the lady and her household, who accept the Lord and get baptised! While on the one hand there are people who are waiting to take the apostles to task and persecute them in all known ways, there are at the same time a multitude who are ready to protect, help and fend for them.

This discrepancy comes to the fore in our day to day experience too, when we find the Spirit at work within us. We will feel an urge to spread the Word, but will be faced with obstacles and hurdles: it is the Spirit of the Lord who leads us to discern the rightway that a believing community should take at a particular point of time. Though the persecutions may abound, the final result will be a 'revival'...and that is what we hope for.

Let our hearts, homes and our households be filled with the Spirit of truth, that we may set in motion real journey towards the Reign of God. 

WORD 2day: 23rd May, 2014

Friends of Christ

Acts 15: 22-31; Jn 15: 12-17

While the readings on the one hand insist on making the burden easy for the new converts to faith, on the other hand we find lofty demands such as even giving one's life for one's neighbours! The point is clear... Our faith is not a matter of do's and don'ts; it is a matter of relationship. Our faith redefines our relationship with God: from mere creatures we are given the identity of God's beloved; friends of Christ! 

Being friends of Christ, it is natural that the demands are high. After all, did not Jesus insist that, "from the one to whom much is given, much will be demanded" (Lk 12:48)? But the demands are not merely to do something and to avoid something else, but the demand is about an entire lifestyle. It is to model our life after that of Christ. 

The relationship with Christ, or the friendship with Jesus affects all other relationships of our's. The friends of our friend, should be our friends too! The love we have for the Lord compels us to be loving persons with every person around us: not just our friends, but even with strangers, people whom we just casually bump into, or even with those who might have offended us. Even if we do not lay down our life, are we not expected to lay down at least our ego when it comes to our relationships?

WORD 2day: 22nd May, 2014

Get your basics right!

Acts 15: 7-21; Jn 15: 9-11

The apostles, in the first reading, so clearly mirror the mind of Jesus who said, "my yoke is easy, my burden is light" (Mt 11:30). They decide that anything more than what is really necessary is an unwanted burden. Jesus dared to summarise the whole of the law into just one dense, profound and challenging word: LOVE. 

The commandments served but one purpose: Remaining in the love of the Lord.  That was the only concern that Jesus had. Jews or Gentiles, circumscised or uncircumsised, it did not matter to Jesus and the apostles learnt it clearly. St. Paul would say categorically in 1 Cor 7:19 - "circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing; Keeping God's command is what counts." 

This is the mindset with which Jesus says: "the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments" (Mat 22:40) - the Love of God and the love of the neighbour. What other summary can we give for a Christian life, other than this? Let us beware of complicating issues: our faith is simple, easy and light, if we get our basics right: L O V E.

WORD 2day: 21st May, 2014

The First Ecumenical Council of the Church

Acts 15: 1-6; Jn 15: 1-8

Just last year we celebrated the 50th year of the opening of the Vatican Council II, an ecumenical council that has revolutionised the Church of late. Today we have the account of the first ever ecumenical council held: the Council of Jerusalem! It stands as a wonderful Christian model of handling crisis and confusion: getting together in brotherly dialogue and faithful communion. 

The Community of faith gives us a splendid possibility of remaining united as branches to the one Vine, Jesus. Today, when crisis and confusion arise, how many human methodologies we follow to handle them: writing anonymous letters, spreading calumny about others, raising unchristian slogans and following uncharitable actions. Is it truly a 'Christ'ian way of approaching  problem? What are we aiming at? Establishing our ego? Gaining our political mileage? Division among us is the worst scandal we can give to the World. 

Let us be united with the one Vine, nourish ourselves from that vine, be filled with the sap from that vine and give fruits worthy of that vine. Or else, we will have to be pruned and charred!

WORD 2day: 20th May, 2014

Troubles?...but let not our hearts be troubled!

Acts 14: 19-28; Jn 14: 27-31a

"It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God," say Sts. Paul and Barnaba (Acts 14:22). Elsewhere in the Acts (see 5:41) we read, "they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name" of Jesus, after having received severe flogging. 

In the Gospel today, after giving his peace, the Lord instructs: 'do not let your hearts be troubled!', for the peace that he gives us is not the peace that the world gives: a peace of compromises and conveniences, a peace of inaction and suspicious silence! But the Peace that Christ gives us is the peace of the Reign, the peace that comes from Justice and Equality, peace that comes from true love and compassion. It is no contract of just war or war against terrorism; but a total cessation of war or corruption or injustice or any inhumanity! Jesus has given it to us as he promised! It is enshrined in the Word. True love for entire humanity and compassion for the least and the last.

Our call is to spread it, take it to every heart that longs, to every corner of the earth. In doing it, we will face troubles, floggings, stonings, criticisms, threats and presecutions. The times are coming for that and let not our hearts be troubled!

WORD 2day: 19th May, 2014

To be signs of God's power!

Acts 14: 5-18; Jn 14: 21-26

Jesus seems to be winding up his earthly phase with his disciples and he bids them farewell as if to say they have to take his place there after. This whole week we will listen to this series of sayings from Jesus. He had assured them, that their faith in God and their faith in him, will stand them in good stead...they will do all that he did and even more! (cf. Jn 14:12) Today he promises an added facilitator: the Holy Spirit. All these promises were not mere words... they worked.

The People saw in the apostles great prowess... they healed the paralytics and gave life to the dead. The people found it so overwhelming that they thought that the gods had descended on them. If we really believed in the Lord and beheld his risen presence with us truly, people would see great things in and through us. The world needs people of God today; the world longs to see the real majesty of God revealed in ordinary things and we ought to be the instruments in the hands of God.

Can we dispose ourselves into the hands of God? Can we allow the Spirit of the Lord to take hold of us and reveal through us the merciful, loving and powerful presence of the Lord today?