WORD 2day : 10th May, 2016

What would you do?

Tuesday after Ascension Sunday 

Acts 20:17-27; John 17:1-11

Right from the second year of my priesthood, I have been spending my paschs with youngsters. On the Holy Saturday, we have a meditation on death and the central theme would be: if this were your last day here on earth, would you be able to say like Jesus,  "it's accomplished"?

I remember this old zen story said of the Master to whom the disciples asked, 'Master if you were to know that this is your final moment what would you do? ' The Master without taking his eyes off his tea cup,  said,  'I would continue drinking tea'!

Both Paul and Jesus are seen bidding farewell to their loved ones in the Word today. There is a sense of satisfaction and a feeling of having accomplished the task entrusted to them!  To live my everyday life conscious of the fact that I am commissioned,  that I dont have all the time that is available,  and that I have to play my part right... that will give me a sense of vocation and a feeling of satisfaction. Think of it: what would you do to arrive at this?

WORD 2day :9th May, 3016

Knowing the Spirit

Monday after Ascension Sunday

Acts 19: 1-8; Jn 16: 29-33

I have conquered the world, says the Lord and why are we still going desperate about managing it? Because we are not yet convinced that the Lord has conquered the world. The Divine Counselor is right within us and why are we still looking all over for directions and suggestions?  Because we do not have sufficient knowledge of the Spirit. 

Today is already the 3rd day of the Novena in preparation for the feast of Pentecost.  The invitation is that we become more aware of the indwelling presence of the Lord in our lives. The Lord rests with us and the Lord is acting on or behalf. Why not we make room to behold it in our day to day experience? 

The Spirit of the Lord is all around us and once we behold the presence and be filled with that presence, we would be able to understand that our Lord and Saviour has conqured the world! Knowing the Spirit is the task given to us today, getting to know the Spirit that we may not react as the people did to Paul: we do not know that there is something called the Holy Spirit. At times our fears and thoughtlessness can exhibit such responses unconsciously.

UP WITH THE LORD

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord: 8^th May 2016

Acts 1: 1-11; Eph 1: 17-23; Lk 24: 46-53

The Lord ascends today to his Father and our Father! It is not an abandoning, as he himself very rightly had already assured us. It is an invitation! The invitation is to Go Up with the Lord. And this invitation to go up is given in 7 steps... let's call it 7-UP!

As the Lord goes up, let us reflect on the 7-UP

In the first reading we are presented with the THE EVENT: 
Christ ascends to the right hand of the Father!

                Christ, GAVE UP the divinity and became like one of us (Phil 2)

                He GOES UP today, by his obedience and fulfillment of the Divine Will (Heb 10:7) 

                He will SHOW UP leading everything to its fulfillment (Heb 10:36)

The second reading highlights THE EFFECT: 
Because of the Son who was raised by God to God's right hand, you and I are made worthy to accede to the presence of God!

                We are RAISED UP by the fact that Christ became like us (2Cor 8:9)

                We are DRESSED UP by the virtue of our baptism, (Col 2:12)and

                We are BUILT UP into the family of God (1 Cor 10:17).

The Gospel from Luke reminds us of what Jesus passed on to us, THE EDICT: 
You are and you shall be my Witnesses on the Earth!

                We are challenged to STAND UP for the Lord in the World today!!!

WORD 2day: 7th May, 2016

The Name: Jesus, the Christ

Saturday before Ascension Sunday

Acts 18: 23-28; Jn 16:23-28

Jesus was the name and Christ was a faith experience! Jesus, the Christ is no syntax error! Today we encounter Apollos, another contemporary preacher with Paul. It looks like there were some little misgivings in the Acts of the Apostles between the followers of Paul and followers of Apollos. But Paul makes no notice of such bickerings. Another great lesson we have is Priscilla and Aquilla instructing Apollos in the right doctrines! The role of the laity in the formation of the apostolic ministers comes out strongly...all of this to make people understand, Jesus was the Christ!

Jesus in the Gospel seems to harp on the same point too: anything you ask the Father in my name, my Father shall give you. He seems to say, because I am the Christ. As Acts so clearly says in another place (4:12) that there is no other name given in all the earth by which one could be saved! It is Jesus, because Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the one anointed and set apart for our salvation! That should not make us haughty as if we have the monopoly over that name, but it should make us humble in questioning our daily lives and priorities. Are we living worthy of that name? It is not an opportunity to judge the "others" but it is gratitude that should fill our hearts for the privilege given. 

Ask a question, Is Jesus my Christ? 

If you very easily said 'yes', ask that question again looking closely at your values and attitudes of daily life: Is Jesus really my Christ?

WORD 2day: 6th May, 2016

The Birth Pang Spirituality

Friday before Ascension Sunday

Acts 18: 9-1; Jn 16: 20-23

Going through the Word today, a few thoughts came flooding my mind: the mind blowing facts people say about the level of labour pain which many mothers akin to a near-death experience, the recent painful experience of one of my friends losing his prematurely born baby after all the herculean efforts proved failure, the sorry state of the numerous childless couples...everything is related to the imagery that the Lord is sharing today!

Along with these thoughts, two other occasions of the day added a peculiar perspective to my reflection: the Feast of Dominic Savio, the young saint; and the First Day of the Novena to the Feast of Pentecost! 

Linking all these three lines of thought, I saw my mind converge on one reflection: the Birth Pang Spirituality. 

What does it consist of:

1.Expecting a transformation in Life, a spectacular and paradigmatic transformation

2.Knowing well that the expected transformation is not going to come so easily or automatically; it has to be, to a great extent, my effort ofcourse with the external (Divine) assistance.

3.Accepting wholeheartedly the enormous pain that would be involved and knowing well any effort to cut down the pain will not result in the total transformation.

4.Awaiting restlessly the signs of the beginning of the transformation, in spite of realising the pain that is involved. 

5.Going through with heroism the entire painful phase of processing that transformation.

6. Rejoicing in the outcome and being a cause for others to rejoice too!

The restlessness of Dominic Savio to grow into a saint and the eagerness of the early Church to receive the Holy Spirit...don't these fall into this category of spirituality?

WORD 2day: 5th May, 2016

Your Sorrow will turn into joy

Thursday, 6th week in Eastertide

 Acts 18: 1-18; Jn 16: 16-20

Your Sorrow will turn into joy, the Lord promises! At times it seems a lofty promise and many look at it suspiciously. That is not because the Lord is wrong today, but our understanding of true joy is not right at times!

Ever heard of the anecdote about this monk who went into contemplation and came out "enlightened"? Since everyone considered him "enlightened", a man approached him with a question...what difference do you find between the world as it was when you went into contemplation a decade ago and that of today? He said, "when I went in the land was down and the sky was up there, there was summer and winter, and there was day and night." "And Now?", the questioner asked with curiosity rising! "Now the land is down and the sky is up there, there is summer and there is winter and there is night and there is day!"

Are you wondering that the story is incomplete if I end it there? No! The fact is, even if things remain the same, the way enlightened persons see them is completely different from the way others see it! Your sorrow will turn to joy, not only because everything around you will turn upside down, but because you will find yourself different, your priorities different, your concerns different. That will make all the difference! When they rejected Paul outright, he couldn't care less! He was just the same and walked off cool, because for him that rejection mattered nothing!

For him sorrows had turned into joy, everything was joyful for in everything he sought the Lord!

WORD 2day: 4th May, 2016

The Spiritual Capacity to accept Truths...

Wednesday, 6th week in Eastertide
Acts 17:15, 22 - 18:1; Jn 16: 12-15

There are ways in which a person responds to a data that is beyond one's perception or beyond ordinary explanations. The first way is to outrightly reject it and the second is to ridicule it just because one cannot understand it. These two  display an arrogance that is not even humane, leave alone spiritual. One could begin to enquire about it and make a scientific effort to understand it, that would be human. The Greeks in Areopagus laugh at Paul and some consider him 'confused'!

A Spiritual disposition in approaching new experience would enable a person to perceive the truth in what is said, understand its true meaning and find relevance for one's life. This mind will not reject something merely because it seems new or it has not been so till then. The one who empowers a person towards such a disposition is the Spirit of truth says Jesus in the Gospel today. 

Openness, respect and a sense of wonder are prerequisites for one to have real Spiritual Experiences!

THE WORD AND THE SAINTS

Celebrating Apostles Philip and James

3rd May, 2016

1 Cor 15:1-8; John 14:6-14

The Word today calls our attention to the mention of the names of the Apostles whom we celebrate today: James and Philip. The James we speak of here is not James the son of Zebedee , the one who was among the closest three namely, Peter, James and John! But this is James the son of Alphaeus, who is referred to for the sake of differentiating, as James the lesser! Though that term is odd, it brings out the fact that he was among the less prominent bunch of the Apostles but however he was one of the 12 pillars and Jesus appeared to him! Philip is seen in the Gospel today inducing Jesus to make some intense pronouncements about himself and the Father! Philip is also seen in two other places - at the scene of multiplication of the bread and the later when some Greeks wish to see Jesus.

The Feast can communicate three realities that can help our faith communities today. 

1: That differences are natural when a group of persons are involved. The differences are not only inevitable but they are beautiful to paint a holistic picture.

2: That differences do not mean division, or comparison or envy. That Philip and James and some others were not so prominent, never caused a rift among the apostles. They were able to live united in the Lord.

3. Each one has a specific call within the entire design of God and when one fails to play his role, however little and insignificant it could be, there is a lack in the whole!

The message is clear: avoid comparisons; avoid envy; realise the one call and remain united in the Lord!

WORD 2day: 2nd May, 2016

The Mutual Delight: The Lord and His People

Monday, 6th week in Eastertide

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

The Christian faith had already taken root in that short time and it is beginning to take wings as we see! Spreading far and wide, the faith in Christ was not merely an intellectual assent to some truths the apostles were sharing, but it was a dedication of their concrete lives. We have two different examples of that in the Word today.

The first is that of Lydia, who finds her new found faith impelling her to sustain the proclaimers of the Word. She would take no refusal, about she hosting the apostles in her home, says the first reading. She was delighted in the Lord! The second is the Apostles, who were moving from one place to another without any lag or slackening. Because they were so delighted in the new apostolate entrusted to them. Looking at these sorts of His children, the Lord was taking delight in his people says the responsorial psalm today!

This is what Christian faith is all about: the delight that the Lord has in each of us and the delight we manifest in having the Lord as our God! That Mutual Delight, of the Lord and the Lord's people turns into a tremendous testimony to the World. Some in the world are disturbed, there are others who are questioning. There will surely be a great number who be delighted to join the band. Let us be delighted in the Lord and let us delight the Lord with our daily lives!

A 3D APPROACH TO TRUE PEACE

6th Sunday in Eastertide: 1st May 2016

Acts 15: 1-2, 22-29; Rev 21: 10-14,22-23; Jn 14: 23-29

Peace I give you; My peace I give to you! The Community of the Risen Lord is called to be a Community of Peace and Peacemakers. The Word today outlines to us the approaches to establish true peace among the people of God. It is a 3D approach, a three dimensional approach.

D1-First Dimension: Self - Deep Seated Faith

Faith is the spiritual tranquiliser at any moment of crisis or trouble. Faith is the assurance of the presence of God with me, which makes me courageous enough to accept the situation I find myself in. The Community of believers were going through a time of crisis, as two factions among themselves began to take exceptions to each other. However, the situation was brough under control, but the way the decision was made is remarkable as we read it even today. "It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves..." That is the key to their peace, their deep seated faith that God was right amidst them all through the crisis. When crisis come our way, one of the first things we negate is the presence and empathy of God. But peace comes with a deep seated faith that never ever doubts the empathetic presence of God with me!

D2-Second Dimension: God - Divine Familiarity

The Christ-ian understanding of God is not a God who is up above the sky looking down on God's children and judging them. But it is a God who dwells with them, within them and among them. This is what Jesus promises today: If you love me, you will keep my word and my Father will love you and we shall come to him and make our home with him.When God makes our home with us, we would have no lack of peace. The true peace comes from the fact that the Lord lives with us. The first readings speaks of the Holy Spirit living with us, the Second reading speaks of the Father and Son making their resplendent presence amidst us and in the Gospel Jesus speaks of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit coming to make a family with us! That is peace, a sense of total assurance that I am surrounded by the Lord!

D3-Third Dimension: Others - Dialogue and Discernment

The First reading once again brings to the fore the need and the importance of Dialogue and Discernment. Peace and Understanding reigned in the Early Christian Community because of the presence of Dialogue and Discernment. Dialogue and Discernment are two phases of a single process. Dialogue is the phase where the two parties involved have their views and opinions presented to each other. Discernment is the phase where they both come to a common ground, look over and beyond their point of view and come to a consensus towards a common decision. The One who inspires this common view is the Holy Spirit who is the source of all discernment, the third party who mediates the dialogue. When this third party is not involved in our dialogues they end up without proper discernment and lead only to two stubborn sides. Dialogue and Discernment presupposes three dispositions: one, that I am convinced of my stand; two, that I respect the other; and three, that I believe that the Spirit is at work.

When a community has these three dimensions clear, the Lord's peace reigns. Such a community glows to be truly Christian!