THE WORD IN ADVENT - 1st WEDNESDAY

The Advent Task: Hope in God

2nd December, 2015

Is 25: 6-10; Mt 15: 29-37

What a day to think of this message: from 5 in the morning I have been getting calls and following updates of floods in our part of the State. People are stranded, held up,  locked in, left without anything to eat... at these moments despair can get the better of us. The whole heated discussion of the rising level of intolerance in India and the debates and demonstrations for and against it is yet another despair inducing scenario. The increasing conditions of inhumanity and violence in the world and the lack of transparent and righteous coalitions against evil, is an alarming state of affairs! But I was pleasantly surprised to receive a message from someone explaining all private initiatives to help the flood affected...the message from a non-Christian but ended with a quote: 'if God is for us who can be against us'!

That is hope and Christian living and thinking is all about hope. Waiting for the Lord is all about hope. Hoping in the Lord is not a leap in the dark, it's seeing the light that comes through or being determined to pick up the first streak of light that pierces through. Hope makes us authentically Christians... fear strips us of it!

THE WORD IN ADVENT - 1st TUESDAY

The Advent Task: Knowing God

First Tuesday in Advent: 1st December, 2015

IS 11: 1-10; Lk 10: 21-24

The task outlined today towards preparing for the Kingdom is knowing God. When we know God for real, our attitudes will be different. There will be no harm done to another in the presence of the Lord. Just because someone is different from me, I find a reason to hate that person or keep that person away from me - that is the tendency of the world today. It is a clear sign of people having moved far from the real knowledge of God. We have become too sophisticated to perceive the Lord, who is revealed precisely in simplicity. Let us grow to be children and we will get to know God!  

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

The feet of those who bring Good News

30th November, 2015: Remembering St. Andrew
Rom 10: 9-18; Mt 4: 18-22

St. Andrew has played a special role during the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Andrew as a disciple of Christ always had the role of bringing good news to persons... he brought the good news of having found Christ to Peter (Jn 1:41); along with Philip, he brought the Greeks to meet Jesus (Jn 12:22); and he brought that boy who gave the five loaves to feed the five thousand (Jn 6:9). Amidst all the opposition and threat, the apostles bore witness to his name: they were the beautiful feet which brought the good news to the world. 

Today Andrew is proposed as the patron of social network...because he used every opportunity to make Christ known to people and to bring people to Christ. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI described social network as the modern day pulpit and invited us to proclaim Christ not merely from the housetops but also from the laptops...and here we have a great role model for it. May we dedicate today every effort of ours to proclaim the Kingdom through the social network. May we dedicate the social network which offers us such a great promise, that it may forever be an instrument in the hands of God, to bring God's will to fulfillment. 

THE WORD IN ADVENT - 1ST SUNDAY

STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF THE LORD

29th November, 2015
Jer 33:14-16; 1 Thess 3:12 - 4:2; Lk 21: 25-28, 34-36

A fresh new liturgical year at hand! Let us begin to celebrate it. The first day of this liturgical year reminder from the Word is: we are standing on the promises of the Lord. Advent is a season of waiting, waiting on the Lord for the fulfillment of promises. Just as the people of God waited for the centuries, we are called to wait for the Lord. The world however is growing increasingly impatient. 

I am reminded of a documentary I viewed sometime back... of an 8 year old boy in Armenia, who was at school when a treacherous earth quake occurred. To the absolute dismay of the father of this boy who rushed to the school premises immediately,the school was nothing but rubbles, piles and piles of stones in a heap. But the father chose a spot and started removing the stones bit by bit...in spite of all the discouragements offered and despair thrown at him, he went on constantly doing it for the next 38 hours! After 38 hours of rummaging, suddenly he heard this voice from the rubble: 'see,didnt I tell you my father will surely not abandon us' and he was stunned to see his son with 12 others trapped under the debris.

The challenge is to remain with HOPE...that we are standing on the promises of the Lord, the Lord our integrity.

1. PROMISES

Promises give meaning to life, they add an element that is not yet but already. A promise to a child will get that child do anything. A promise to a youngster will motivate that youngster into action. A promise to an employee will draw the utmost from the situation. A promise to the polity will gain parties votes. Promise is something that inspires action. We begin with a promise, a promise of a whole year of the Lord's accompaniment. The first reading invites us  to a hope that the Lord is serious about fulfilling the Lord's promises.

2. STANDING

Stand with confidence before the Son of Man, says the Gospel today. We are standing - that takes three dispositions: One, that we are alert. We do not allow people to deceive us, or we do not permit the situation around us to have the better of us. We remain awake and perceive everything that is going on, picking up every sign that the Lord gives towards action. The second disposition, that we are ready and on the move because our liberation is at hand reminds the Gospel again. It is time that we see not only the history but the Lord of history in action, that we perceive the hand of God in things that are happening around us. Thirdly, that we are firm, strong and standing erect! That we are not overcome by fear or trepidation. We are standing, sure of our steps because we have a promise from the Lord and we need not be shaken.

3. THE LORD

The Lord our Integrity...it is the Lord who gives us these promises and we are sure that they will be fulfilled because we are referring to the Lord our integrity: Yehova Tsidkenu, the Righteous one. We have a sure foundation because it is the Lord who promises, the Lord who is Integrity, the Lord who is Righteousness. The Lord is faithful forever.

We are standing on the promises of the Lord; we have nothing to fear however dark and dreary the situation may seem. The Lord our integrity is constantly watching over us and waiting to fulfill all God's promises! 

WORD 2day : 28th November, 2015

Stay awake; Stay strong

Saturday, ,last week in Ordinary Time
Dan 7: 5-27; Lk 21: 34-36

The last day is here...it gives the feeling of an end of a journey, but ofcourse it is not just the end! It is a new beginning too, with tomorrow. The beginning came and the end has  come.... if we do not stay awake we will not gather the fruits of what is going by. Staying awake is crucial.

What follows is again not all that flowery.  It is a waiting,  a waiting that is tedious,  a waiting that can be trying,  a waiting that is a bit painful. St Paul compared it to the pangs of child birth. Yes,  only those who stay strong will endure till the end. Staying strong is crucial too.

The liturgical year ends today with an all new phase of challenge to begin: stay awake;  stay strong!

WORD 2day: 27th November, 2015

Never to pass away!

Friday, last week in Ordinary Time
Dan 7: 2-14; Lk 21: 29-33

A pain reliever statement suggested by many in today's world is, 'this too will pass'. But the recurring theme of today is a reference to something that is here, never to pass away... the Lord's Word,  the Lord's Reign,  the Lord's sovereignty.

Things may appear to be going totally out of sway, or nothing may seem to be under anything that is spiritual. ..but never lose heart,  God is incharge; God is in control. However bad the readings of the times is, your saviour knows you and to his Reign there is no end. Be firm in faith...let your faith too never pass away.

WORD 2day : 26th November, 2015

With heads held high

Thursday, last week in Ordinary Time
Dan 6: 12-28; Lk 21: 20-28

Within the circle of our friends, if some one said the words'look upon high', it would draw a roaring laughter instantaneously! It is because of a veteran trainer whom we know who would give a famous thought-for-the-day. He would have his ages old notes in his hands and look into it and read the thought for us. There was a funny moment always when he would say 'look upon high' and immediately look down into his notes for the next part. The readings today reminded me of those days from our student life.

Living with heads held high,  is a deep imagery offered to us today. Some names like Oscar Romero, Mother Teresa, Sr. Rani Maria or Mrs Gladys Staines...are well known to us not for the great power they wielded or prominent posts they held, but for the endurance they had! The threats and violence and opposition that surrounded them never managed to swallow them in. Because they lived with their heads held high. Daniel in the first reading today and Jesus himself are offered as Biblical models for living with heads held high...never losing sight of that source, from where our help comes. Amidst all the struggles of our daily life, let's live with our heads held high!

WORD 2day : 25th November, 2015

The Writing on the Wall

Wednesday, last week in Ordinary Time
Dan 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28; Lk 21: 12-19

The conversation at table last night turned slowly towards what is happening in the crisis stricken areas of terrorism and the so called anti terroristic terrorism. It has come to pass that there is no other way to counter violence except by violence. The writing on the wall is very clear: we are heading towards an event of mass destruction! Everything seems to indicate the fact that we have already reached a point of no return. That feeds the imagination of many quacks and gullibles who give vent to their talents these days. We see predictions and warnings and to-do prescriptions galore!

Jesus makes a silent point: Keep Calm and Go on being Children of God. Terror Around?  Violence at your doorstep? Fire above your head? Endure it,  can you? Pray for that strength, that strength to endure and you will have your reward.

WORD 2day : 24th November, 2015

Destroyed by their choice

Tuesday, last week in Ordinary Time
Dan 2: 31-45; Lk 21: 5-11

Both in the book of Daniel and from the Gospel we see a prediction of destruction. The destruction and its prediction need not be seen as something totally unexpected. Already from the very constitution of the so called kingdoms that Daniel speaks of and from the types of people spoken of by Jesus, we see that destruction is inevitable and imminent - because of the choices they had made.

Jesus makes it clear in the Gospel today that there is no point in running after predictions and signs, or after fortune tellers and soothsayers... at times even the so called evangelists and preachers behave like these cheap sensation creators. What we are called to is to examine if there are choices that we make that lead us to destruction and ruin, instead of uniting us with the Lord who alone is the author of life.

WORD 2day : 23rd November, 2015

Chosen for the choice

Monday, Last week in Ordinary Time
Dan 1:1-6,8-20; Lk 21: 1-4

So many were lining up dropping a bit of their possessions into the temple treasury, but Jesus picked on a poor despicable widow to compliment. Inspite of the state of slavery and meekness,  Daniel was picked up for the glory of God to be revealed. Why were they chosen?  What makes these special?  Their choice!

The widow chose to give away even the little placing her trust that God will fend for her. Daniel gave up the sumptuous food and drink to remain faithful to the Lord, for he was convinced every blessing came from the Lord.

The choice they make sets them apart. Entering the last week of the liturgical year, we would see this thread running through the coming days to remind us of our own priorities and choices.