WORD 2day: 17th June, 2016

Treasures and Pressures

Friday, 11th week in Ordinary Time

2 Kgs 11: 1-4,9-18,20; Mt 6: 19-23

We hear of people all stressed and pressurised today - but for what? Wealth, earning, spending, adding to comforts, having things that they wish to have, hoarding bank balances and shares...all for what? To die early and leave behind everything? I heard recently someone sharing this wit, or rather wisdom: at the funeral of a wealthy woman, there were two of her close friends whispering to each other. "How much really has she left behind?" The other replied, "everything!" That is life.

Athalia worked her way up only to be put to the sword in an unceremonious manner! We offer our life, our relationships, our simple joys and peaceful mind as a sacrifice at that the altar of wealth and position, only to realise we have lost everything in the craze of hoarding wealth.The world today has to take note of this, for it is already too, too late!

WORD 2day:16th June, 2016

True Greatness in Utter Simplicity

Thursday, 11th week in Ordinary Time

Sir 48: 1-14; Mt 6: 7-15

Elijah is singled out in the book of Sirach, among the 27 great persons of God praised for their life and accomplishments. Elijah wins that place in his simplicity, in the simplicity with which he trusted in the Lord, the simplicity with which he carried out every single command or wish  of the Lord, that simplicity with which he endured his hardships, knowing certainly that the Lord is in control of everything. That was his true greatness.

This is the very same simplicity that Jesus lived and taught us...the Our Father is an epitome of simplicity prescribed to us not only as a prayer, but as a way of life, as a Spirituality that comes very close to the mind of Christ. How simple are our prayers? How simple is our faithful trust in the Lord? How simple is our relationship with God on a daily basis...that would be our way to true greatness!

WORD 2day: 15th June, 2016

Asking for the Spirit - a double share!

Wednesday, 11th week in Ordinary Time

2 Kgs 2: 1,6-14; Mt 6: 1-6,16-18

Elisha asks for a double share of the Spirit that Elijah had...Elijah does not say it is impossible. He only says it is difficult. But lays down a condition. The rest is history.

We can ask Jesus a double share of Spirit. He is ready to give us... again a condition is in play. If you want a double share of the blessing...you have to make a double share of your effort. Doing good is one part; being spiritual is one part; being holy is one part; being virtuous is one part. Never expecting anything in return for these is the second part! Am I ready?

WORD 2day: 14th June, 2016

Loving those who don't deserve

Tuesday, 11th week in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 21: 17-29; Mt 5: 43-48

We all have a list of people who do not deserve our kindliness, our compassion, our understanding or our love. We come to that conclusion after a series of experiences with them and ordinarily speaking that conclusion would seem to everyone as just and understandable. The Lord says, convert that list into your priority list, start loving those in that list - start loving those who do not deserve to be loved according to your judgment. Are you crying: Oh that is not possible? The Lord says, then you are no different from those who are far away from the Lord. If you are to be known as children of God, start loving those so-called undeserving persons, with genuine love in your heart!

You have examples: look at the first reading today. The Lord loves Ahab...however cruel and ruthless he had been...the Lord forgives and loves. He might have been undeserving but the Lord loves! Why go so far: each of us, let us consider our own life - are we really deserving to receive all the love that God showers on us?

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

Extra Miles Yes; but No Compromise

Celebrating St. Anthony - 13th June, 2016

1 Kgs 21: 1-16; Mt 5: 38-42

Ahab seems a strange man! One would  get confused whether is a virtuous man or a villainous man when they see his profile as it appears in the book of Kings. He never seems to be doing evil, but remains still the cause and the source of a series of evil acts. He seems to have some kind of a fear of God but it finally amounts to a pseudo reverence to God, as he approves of the evil done by others and draws heavily from those.

We have another man to think about today, infact to celebrate! St. Anthony of Padua, a man who was ready to go any extra mile...he was ready make all sacrifices for the sake of the Word, but never ready even for a slightest compromise. There is an interesting episode of St. Anthony here in Chennai, India.

The statue of Anthony at George Town, Broadway, sports a beard unusual of the typical image of St. Anthony. So there goes around a legend that it was not Anthony at all, and that it was some other saint (probably St. Cajetan) that is placed there and people have mistakenly identified it as St. Anthony and that now there is no possibility of reverting things and so on. The episode I referred to is about a discussion we had at table with a veteran who has been in this Shrine for a while: He just asked a question - the  so-called statue has child Jesus in its arms - has anyone seen the image of Cajetan with child Jesus? - has anyone seen any saint other than Joseph and Anthony, who have child Jesus in their hand, ofcourse not to mention our blessed mother?

That set me thinking...St. Anthony has a singular grace of holding the Child Jesus in his arms...that was because he was worthy of it, a man of no compromise but full of compassion and passion for God and passion for God's people!

FORGIVEN - faith and faithfulness!

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 12th June, 2016

2 Sam 12: 7b-10,13; Gal 2: 16, 19-21; Lk 7:36 - 8:3

We are FORGIVEN...
the first reading says...we are forgiven because God is faithful!
the second reading says...we claim that forgiveness through our faith in Christ Jesus!
the Gospel says...we are forgiven so that we can imitate the faithfulness of God and follow God's call.

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

A Good Man of the Spirit: Celebrating St. Barnabas

11th June, 2016: Acts 11: 21b-26, 13:1-3; Mt 10: 7-13

Barnabas exudes some excellent traits that are essential for a Christian Apostle or a Christian leader today:

1. A Good Person: To be called 'good' in the Word of God, is a great matter of fact. Only a few in fact are given that attribute...we could count them on our fingers ...like Moses, David and so on. Barnabas joins that list!

2. A Person of the Spirit: He was filled with the Spirit and that was again another great trait of an Apostle. Barnabas, along with Paul, though he was not with Christ was accepted into the ranks of the Apostles because of the passion he had for Christ and the Good News!

3. A Person of Faith: A person who had an intimate and solid relationship with God and made it his priority in life. Antioch witnessed his attachment to the person of Christ; no wonder people who followed Christ were called for the first time 'Christ-ians', there at Antioch.

4. A Person all for God: Barnabas brought Saul into the band of Apostles and when Paul became more popular and more vociferous, that did not disturb Barnabas. There is a clear sign of an ego under perfect control. That is so essential for a Christian Leader today.

5. An Obedient Servant: Barnabas 'stayed' and 'was sent'...He just followed orders, orders from the Lord, through the needs of the times! When he had to stay, he stayed! When he was asked to go, he went! For him what mattered was, what the Lord wanted.

WORD 2day: 10th June, 2016

Silence: the voice of a sound soul

Friday, 10th week in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 19: 9a,11-16; Mt 5: 27-32

The Lord speaks not so much in a loud thunder or in a raging fire, but in the silent whisper in the depth of one's heart, where one knows for oneself whether he or she is right or wrong, virtuous or not, authentic or not! That is the moment of truth when one encounters the Lord in the sound of sheer silence. I can proclaim something and live something totally different, I might preach something and believe in something totally opposite, I might profess something but internally be absolutely without any conviction...my heart is my judge, my soul is my mirror, my Lord is the only one who scrutinises me in silence, in silence which is the voice of a sound soul!

WORD 2day: 9th June, 2016

While you are still on the way!

Thursday, 10th week in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 18: 41-46; Mt 5: 20-26

The connecting thread between the first reading and the Gospel today is what one can do while he or she is still on the way! While you still have the time and the opportunity, better reform your life, warns the Word today. At times we keep postponing our decision to turn good, and finally find there is no time or possibility, or that things have gone too far or we have already started facing the consequences of the erstwhile mistakes!

Why waste time while you know it is not going to help in the long run? Unnecessary cravings, unrealistic dreams, uncharitable priorities, ungodly presumptions, unfriendly attitudes, unholy practices...everything has to end! The Lord wants us to make a choice, clear and concrete, for the sake of the Reign. Seek ye first the Reign of God... hasten to choose the Reign, lest you fail to belong to the Reign. Decide and Stand up for the Reign, while you are still on the way!

WORD 2day: 8th June, 2016

Holding on to the Lord

Wednesday, 10th week in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 18: 20-39; Mt 5: 17-19

Faith is holding on, it is holding on to the Lord against all odds. Hence perseverance is the capacity to hold on for a longer time. Today we witness some spectacular events in Elijah's lifetime, because he alone held on to God! One person's faith saves and revives the faith of the entire people... when we hold on to God, we hold our fellow persons up.

Holding on to God is not an easy thing anyway. Just because it is challenging the Lord does not make it easy...it is tough all the same. It is not merely to call out, 'Lord! Lord!" but it is to keep the Word of the Lord, to live by the commands of the Lord. When we do that we hold on, if not we fall. 

How prepared am I to hold on to the Lord?