THE WORD AND THE SAINT

Celebrating St. Mark the Evangelist

Monday, 25th April, 2016

1 Pet 5: 5-14; Mk 16: 15-20

Did Mark ever see Jesus? That's possible. But only as a young lad. They say,  it is probable that Mark is referring to himself in the young man who left behind his garment and ran when Jesus was being taken prisoner (Mk 14:51,52). However he had been one of the prominent among the second generation apostles. He was taught by Peter, accompanied Paul and Barnabas and he wrote the Gospel! 

Today Mark offers us three lessons to keep in mind. 

1. Let us be enthusiastic about the proclamation of the Good news by facilitating or helping or supporting or encouraging those who are involved in this task. We see John Mark and his mother Mary were regularly hosting the group of Christians who gathered to pray. 

2. Let us be diligent in our dedication and simple in our disposition that we are wanted by others to accompany them. Peter took Mark with him, Paul asks John Mark to be brought along, Barnabas decided to take Mark along on an important journey... Mark was a promising servant of the Lord. 

3. Let us write the Gospel today. We are called to be Gospel writers just as Mark was called to be. The fifth Gospel that we are called to write is our life itself and who knows, that could be the only Gospel read by some people! 

May Mark inspire us today to be enthusiastic Evangelisers.

WORD 2day : 23rd April, 2016

Traces of Eternal Life

These days we are listening to the Word from St. John. For St. John,  Eternal Life is the concrete difference the Christ makes in our lives. John uses the term"eternal life" 18 times in his Gospel. What is eternal  life... is it a life at the end of this life? That's how our human mind calculates. But eternal life is life that is timeless, that is a gift that God has already placed within us. We need to grow more and more aware of it.

There are traces of the eternal within us and there are steps to become aware of it: recognising the gift that life is, is the first step, where the Giver has a big role to play!
The second step is to live life the way the Lord wants me: as we reflected just recently that the Father's commandments is eternal life. This consists of living my life to the full. The third step is to be ready to give that life up for the sake of the One who gave that life to me. That is the highest union with life itself: the fullness of eternal life where we realise the Life within us,  the Lord within us and say like Jesus, I and the Father are one!

WORD 2day : 22nd April, 2016

The WAY of life

Friday,  4th week in Easter
Acts 13: 26-33; Jn 14: 1-6

Troubled hearts and confused minds are not so rare to find these days. The degrees may vary but every person of the times seems to be troubled with something or the other. Why are your hearts troubled and why do you go confused, asks the Lord!

I remember once in our Scripture class the professor said "the Word has the answer for everything". And a student retorted, "why then are there confusions and misunderstandings? " The Professor without hesitating replied, "that's because we don't have the right questions!"

When things seem to be going wrong, when apparently there are issues that confuse, let's ask the right questions! Who am I? What am I upto?  Where is my ultimate destiny? What is the grand perspective within which my life is unfolding?

There is answer to all these in the Word today: our Way,  the Way, is ready with an answer for everything in our life, let not our hearts be troubled.

WORD 2day: 21st April, 2016

Memories that are Salvific

Thursday, 4th week in Easter
Acts 13: 13-25;Jn 13: 16-20

The Word today insists upon our memories! This was one great problem with the people of Israel - they never remembered enough all that the Lord did to them. The walk through the red sea was soon forgotten, they complained about no food; the fall of manna was soon forgotten, they detested the monotony of food; the quails were soon taken for granted, they complained about no water; the water from the rock was soon forgotten they wanted a god amidst them...that is why the Lord brings in the right corrective for them: the Covenant! The codified memory of the way the Lord loved them! Jesus wants to leave a memory too...he gives a way to keep his memory alive: in serving each other! 

The antonym to this memory we refer to here, is not forgetfulness but taking for granted! We get so used to things that happen around us, that we do not see anything "extraordinary" in them. Beginning with basic things like waking up to the day, and being able to breathe in and breathe out, and going upto the greatest wonder of seeing the simple bread change into the body of Christ, how many things we take for granted on a daily basis! A holy mind is a child's mind: everything should seem new and wonderful. This is one reason I chose to wish a person yesterday (on his birthday), 'have a wonder-filled year ahead'! Let us have a wonder-filled day ahead!

WORD 2day : 20th April, 2016

The Word and the spread

Wednesday,  4th week in Easter
Acts 12:24 - 13:5 ; Jn 12: 44-50

The Word spread far and wide present the readings today. While the Acts speaks of a type of spread, the Gospel seems to insist on another.

As apostles we cannot keep the Word to ourselves; we would not be'apostles' if we do so. We are obliged to take it far and wide. We have an impelling call to carry the Word and spread it across to those who are ready,  willing and longing to hear it!

The second type which Jesus insists upon is the spread within. The Word that I have received, the Word that I am carrying to others cannot be something alien to me. First and foremost, I have to ensure the spread of that word within me. That I hear, understand, love and live this word within me even before I intend to take it to others.

Allowing the Word to spread all over my being, transforming me into that word itself,  is the easiest way to spread the Word. All that I would need to do is,  just go and be!

WORD 2day : 19th April, 2016

They were called Christians

Tuesday,  4th week in Easter
Acts 11: 29-36; Jn 10: 22-30

In Antioch they were called Christians,  the Word says. They did not call themselves Christians,  they were called Christians by the rest of the population. Our life has to gain that name for us. There was Paul or Saul with them and Barnabas,  but they were called "Christians"!

You don't believe me because you are not my sheep declares the Lord. To be his sheep, to listen to his voice and be guided by his ways, that is the way to be called Christians.

Remember the world should call you a Christian!

WORD 2day : 18th April, 2016

Standing in God's way?

Monday, 4th week in Easter
Acts 11: 1-18; Jn 10:1-10

I have come that you may have life, life in all its fullness. The Lord has come, the Lord has encountered us, and the Lord has done everything best. Have we received the fullness of life that the Lord brought us? Aren't we still given into frustrations and discouragements,  meaninglessness and immaturities?

In the first reading today we have a clue to understand this. While the Lord was ready and willing and all set to shower the Holy Spirit on everyone,  there were some who were standing on the way! Peter challenges it among them,  who are we to stand in God's way?

We allow a lot of things to stand between us and God... it could be our pride, our ego, our laziness,  our malice or could be anything that resists receiving the grace of fullness of life! If we become aware of what it is that stands on the way,  we can grow to be true sheep of the Divine Shepherd.

COME AND BELONG

4th Sunday in Easter

Acts 13: 14, 43-52; Rev 7: 9, 14-17; Jn 10: 27-30

When I am lifted up, I shall draw everyone to myself said Jesus when he was around. And after his resurrection that is what he did. He drew everyone to him. It was not merely incidental, it was always part of God's magnificent plan. Yes, it is a plan for the whole humanity, beginning with the Jews as St. Paul would often point out! But what happens depends on three considerations: the call, the choice and the condition!

THE CALL is given to every one, there is no Jew or Greek, Christian or not! The first reading today speaks of that shift that took place from the Jews to the entire world, within the salvific plan of God. Paul and Barnabas heed to that call...the call to go to the entire world, the call to be the light to the nations, the call to reach out to the ends of the earth. The call to belong is universal, every one is called to come and belong! Recently speaking to a group of youngsters, I found them struggling to understand how everyone will be saved, if only those who believe in Christ could be saved. I almost had to shove it down their throat to believe that the Father wills the salvation of ALL.And yes, salvation is through Jesus Christ alone! And the Father will see to it, that the whole creation is reconciled in Christ Jesus our Lord. The call to belong is for every one!

THE CHOICE is mine to make! I have to make a choice and when I don't  make a choice to belong to the Lord, ofcourse the Lord misses me, but loses nothing; whereas I lose everything! The apostles tried their best to impress this upon their fellow Jews, but nothing would change them. They would make a choice for their own supremacy and their own comfort and their own life style! What is my choice today? To belong to the Lord or continue in the way I think best?

THE CONDITION that the Lord places is just one: that I listen! I should know my Master and listen to my Master's voice. Isaiah has a very pointed way of saying it, when he says even the donkeys know their stable and the asses their master! At times we are very enthusiastic and we COME...the sad fact is that we fail to BELONG. My own know me, and they follow my voice, says the Lord. When we come,  stay on and belong to the Lord there is so much joy and we are filled with the Spirit. These are the two signs of our total belonging to the Master: being Joyful and being Spirit-filled. 

WORD 2day : 16th April, 2016

The Word,  the Spirit and the Eternal Life

Saturday,  3rd week in Easter
Acts 9:31-42; Jn 6: 60-69

The Disciples were graduating! From listening to proclaiming, from believing to witnessing,  from doing what the Lord said to doing what the Lord did!

It first began with their acknowledgement of the Word. Peter's statement today: where would we go Lord,  you have the words of eternal life is the starting point of their graduation. It brings out their willingness to stick their neck out for Christ.
The second level of graduation comes from the Spirit promised by the Lord. With the Spirit they felt the power of Jesus present within them. They cured the sick, raised the dead and stood before anyone without fear or trembling. They were different from what they used to be!

Finally there was something that made them completely unbeatable : the perspective of Eternal life. This is what Jesus their master wanted them to have! They learnt that no one could take their eternal life away from them. They were convinced that the joy that the Spirit gives and the peace that the Risen Lord gives, no one could snatch away from them. That was a life changing perspective!

With the Word, in the Spirit and with the perspective of eternal life,  we too can overcome the world as our Lord and saviour has done for us.

WORD 2day : 15th April, 2016

Drawing life from Life

Friday,  3rd week in Easter
Acts 9: 1-20; Jn 6 : 52-59

As I draw life from the Father, you draw life from me offers the Lord today! The life giving Lord takes the initiative to encounter us and offer us the precious gift of life and the wondrous gift of eternal life. The question that remains is: are we ready to behold that encounter? Saul was!

Saul, though he was in a totally contrary mindset, was ready to encounter the Risen Lord and respond promptly and absolutely. He listened to the Lord and gathered the Lord's call and went ahead to love it in his life. He was fundamentally a person who lived his life to the full and that is why when the Lord offered him the true life, he grabbed it with all his heart.

Paul is such a great model of Christian living that he was able to challenge his fellow Christians: be imitators of me as I am of Christ (1 Cor 11:1). That is what Jesus too expects from us - that we draw life from him as he does from his Father!