WORD 2day : 22nd September, 2015

Built into a People of God

Tuesday,  25th week in Ordinary Time
Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20; Lk 8: 19-21

The Word today speaks to us of the need to be built up into a People who together form the real dwelling of God. In listening to the word we are sanctified and by living it out we are raised to be holy sanctuaries of the Divine. In our oneness of heart we are transformed into a Temple where the Lord powerfully resides,  manifesting God's true glory to the world. The people of Israel faced not merely moments of subjection and trial but also moments of freedom and deliverance, such as we see in the first reading today. We are built by God's own hand and we need to grow into God's own people!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

21st September, 2015: Remembering St. Matthew. 

Eph 4: 1-7, 11-13; Mt 9 :9-13

There are a few clear messages that the calling of Matthew can offer us:

God hates sin not the sinners.

When it comes to God's call there are no Jews and no gentiles;  there are no favourites. We become favourites depending on the prompt response we give to that call.

God dares enter my private home and dine with me no matter who the others are, whom I have invited. But do I dare to let God come over!

YOU REALLY WANNA BE GOOD?

20th September 2015: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 2: 12,17-20; Jas 3:16 - 4:3; Mk 9: 30-37

In one of the recent conversations, someone remarked to me: 'why should I be good when everyone else seems to be discouraging me from that? And not just that, they take advantage of me. And I am forced to give up on being good!' How true and real it is! Everyone of us wants to be good, but on a second thought we wonder whether we really want to be good, given all the consequences of it.

The Word today brings out this theme in such a picturesque manner. 

If I want to be good, I will be mostly alone! Or atleast the majority will be against me, opposing me and trying to get me renounce that wish. The first reading presents that so vividly. Even if not so directly, we will surely sense people talking behind our backs, pulling down our spirits, assassinating our character, calling names and fixing us into pigeon holes. How are we going to react to them? Are we going to go around convincing each of them that we are good and we want to be good? Are we going to be bogged down by all the pressure that they create around us? For us here in Tamilnadu, we have a great example these days in the person of Sagayam IAS, a civil service official who has been shunted to over 29 posts in 21 years, all because he has vowed to be honest and sincere. He seems to be fighting a lone battle. Are you ready for it? 

If I want to be good, I will have to suffer and who knows, even be killed! Think of persons like Bl. Oscar Romero. Or think of the scores of whistle blowers in India who have been erased from the face of the earth in the recent times. Being good is not all that easy. You need to resolve to be good, inspite of the eventual rejection and every such risk. Jesus was clear about what is going to happen to him; he instructed the apostles about it time and again though they did not really understand what he meant. They were busy playing the game of the majority, seeking the prime places and the limelights. Jesus today takes his time off, makes sure no one interrupts, in order that he can drive home this lesson deep into the hearts of his beloved brothers. That is what the Word wants to do to us: drive home the lesson into our hearts...we have no reward here below if we want to be good, but still we have to be good! Now comes the question...but why? Why have we to be good? Because...

If I want to be good, I am godly! If I am a child of God, as Jesus tells me to be, I have to be good. God is good, all the time: we know it so well! If God is good, I who am God's child, I have to be good too! I have to be good even though there are no rewards for it. Apostle James says, if I am of God, then I will be good, pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits (cf. Jas 3:17). People may not appreciate it, but I have to be good because I am a child of God. People may take advantage of me and take me for a ride, but I still have to be good because I belong to God. I don't need a reason; or rather I don't have a reason to be good, other than the fact that it is my true nature to be good, for I am created in the image and likeness of God and it is godly to be good!

Ask this question to yourself: Do I really want to be good? If so, am I prepared for all its consequences?

WORD 2day : 19th September, 2015

To see and perceive; to hear and understand

Saturday, 24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 6:13-16; Lk 8:4-15

Jesus draws an important difference between seeing and perceiving, and between hearing and understanding. And he offers us an explanation that is so practical and down to earth. We can refuse to see;  or hardly manage to see; or see but do not really perceive;  or see, perceive and behold!

Just a couple of days back a person remarked to me, 'these days I get to hear so many pentecostal preachers and invariably everyone one of them is speaking of the second coming of Christ. Don't they gave anything else to speak of?' It set me wondering how important a theme it is but how flimsily understood. Today Paul speaks of it to Timothy too. For all that we may believe, Christ is not going to "come", as if he is not here! He said I am with you always. Christ, who is already here with us,  will be revealed in God's own time. Till then it is our duty and our call to see and perceive Christ in every person suffering and every person in need; to hear and understand Christ speaking in every cry for justice and every groan in pain. Then we will behold the Lord when the Lord is fully revealed!

WORD 2day : 18th September, 2015

A Follower of Christ

Friday,  24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 6: 2-12; Lk 8: 1-3

The Word today establishes that to be a follower of Christ,  it does not matter whether you are a man or a woman,  a jew or a gentile, of noble birth or from a sinful past, all that matters is from the moment you decide to be Christ's follower, to show that in your normal conduct and your everyday choices. Christ should make such a difference in your life that you look at everything in a way different from that of the rest of the world. As Paul insists with the Romans,  'do not conform to the standards of this world' (cf Rom 12:2). Be different if at all you wish to make a difference.

WORD 2day : 17th September, 2015

More loved;  more powered

Thursday,  24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 4: 12-16; Lk 7: 36-50

It is not that she loved more and so she was forgiven more,  but she was forgiven more and so she loved more and more.   It was not because Timothy was more powerful that he was entrusted with the people of God,  but because he was entrusted with the people of God he was made power filled. Leaders and inspirers are powered more and loved more because they love God and live for God  (or for others). Let us grow up to be more and more conscious of how much we are loved and empowered... that we may be more loved and more powered.

WORD 2day : 16th September, 2015

Being Childlike versus being childish

Wednesday, 24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 3: 14-16; Lk 7: 31-35

Unless you become like these children you will not enter the Reign of God,  said Jesus. It is the same Jesus today in the Gospel compares the generation to the children playing and derides them for it. How do we make sense of this? Simply by understanding the difference that exists between being childlike and being childish. The former is having the disposition of a child,  totally dependent on God and loving towards others. The latter would be behaving immature, with oneself at the centre of everything,  one's own ideas,  demands and wishes. St. Paul instructing Timothy's church invites them towards this maturity,  to grow into God's family.

At times in our prayers and lifestyle we can remain stunted as children,  expecting that our wishes be fulfilled and our demands be met by everyone else. It is not being loved but loving, it is not being understood but understanding,  it is not being forgiven but forgiving that makes one a true disciple of Christ.

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

Suffering with a purpose: Blessed Mother of Sorrows

15th September,  2015

1 Tim 3: 1-13; Lk 2: 33-35

Suffering is neither a curse nor a gift. We know the pain it can cause and the gloom it can create. But can we imagine a life without it? That it is present in every life,  does not make suffering in itself a cause for celebration. That would make up for a sadistic temperament. How then does Suffering become salvific?

Suffering, with a purpose, makes it meaningful and suffering with a divine purpose makes it salvific. Today we celebrate our Blessed Mother immersed in suffering... she didn't know for what she was suffering! She wondered about it and kept pondering in her heart. All that she knew was that there was a divine purpose to that suffering. She believed it and she surrendered herself to that divine purpose. And there suffering turned salvific.

Let us evaluate every suffering that we undergo and see if there could be a divine purpose in it. That has to be revealed, as it was revealed gradually and slowly to our blessed mother. We need to keep everything in our heart and ponder; become aware of our experiences and see God's hands in them and gradually realise the Divine purpose in our suffering. And then we will see,  that suffering will turn salvific!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

The Cross Talk: Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

14th September, 2015

Num 21: 4-9; Phil 2: 6-11; Jn 3:13-17

Celebrating the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, our focus is on that symbol of God's love for humanity, the Tree of our Salvation. Exalting the Cross today, we are called to hearken to the voice of the Cross. If the Cross would speak to us, we would hear these three words:

1. Look Up: Look up to the Cross and be saved. It is in and through the Cross that we have been saved. Cross is not a symbol of suffering nor a sign of curse. By choosing the Cross as his weapon and throne, Christ who has conquered the world has won God's salvation for us. In all our difficulties we are called to look up and draw hope from this Cross.

2. Be Lifted Up: When we look up, we are given the light. Those who look up to Him shall never be ashamed, promises the Word. We are invited to be lifted up by the Lord...just like the Saviour who was lifted up! The love of the Lord will lift us up, inspite of the burdens we bear and the clutches that tend to pull us down. Let us surrender, so that we can be lifted up; let us humble ourselves before the Lord that we could be lifted up by the Lord.

3. Lift Up: Once lifted up, the Son of Man would draw everyone to Himself. And once we are lifted up by the Son, we should in turn lift everyone else up to the Lord. Our life has been punctuated with so many blessings and marvels from the Lord and today, we look up, we gaze at the One who is lifted up, and be lifted up ourselves. Our life in Lord should lift up the rest of the humankind with us to the Lord that everyone may look up to Him and be saved.

The ACT of FAITH

13th September, 2015: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 50: 5-9A; Jas 2: 14-18; Mk 8: 27-35

Faith has to be lived, it has to be manifested, be seen and shown; if it does not, it can be interpreted as dead and good for nothing. The ACT is one perspective that the Word offers today, to live and manifest a living Faith.

Faith has to be manifested through Actions of love

Faith that is devoid of love is not Christian and that love when not shown in action is not real. Love is not treating people according your whims and fancies, it is approaching every person with a respect and reverence that he or she is an image of the living God.True love translates itself into commitment, a commitment for the well being of the other.

Faith has to be witnessed to in Choices for life

The world and its culture today is prone to death. Difficulties are highlighted, despair is amplified, destruction is perpetrated and death is felt in the air. It is nauseating for a true believer, because we are persons who have chosen life, life in all its abundance. We can never choose to be gloomy and sad, pessimistic and given up! We choose God, we choose life!

Faith should be based on the Thoughts of God

Human thinking and worldly calculations will never make us persons of faith. it is only God's perspective of all that is and all that happens, that can fill us with faith. Jesus had only the thoughts of God and he rebukes Peter for being contrary to that. Sufferings, Crosses, Sacrifices are nothing new when we take up to the mind of God. Within the perspective of God everything has its place and meaning. It is that realisation, that makes our faith come alive.