THE WORD AND THE FEAST

The Raising and the Lowering

Glorifying the Cross: 14th September, 2016

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

The readings today are filled with the terms regarding raising and lowering - being raised by God, being raised by people, self-lowering...everything points to the element of making God the priority and making God's will the absolute criterion. God has a design and that design is the original and the absolute good that is in creation. When we tamper with it, there is a mighty big ruin that we cause. 

We know it is important for the cocoon to break itself open and the creature to squeeze itself out - only then will there be a creature so beautiful and subtle to fly around. We know it is important for the seed to bury itself in the ground, get suffocated under mud and force itself out of the ground to yield multi-fold. 

At times in spite of all the love that we have for God and despite all the goodness we possess, we find it so difficult to accept pain - pains of different kinds - psychological, physical or spiritual. The moment we are able to subject ourselves to pain with serenity, the moment we are ready to go through a bit of the darkness of the unknown, the moment we are prepared to grope a bit in the shady parts of our life...all these with complete trust that the Lord is certainly around, I begin to rise! When I rise, people will look at me and give glory to the Lord, the Lord of the Cross!

WORD 2day: 13th September, 2016

Can you say, Do not Cry?

Tuesday, 24th week in Ordinary Time

1 Cor 12: 12-14, 27-31; Lk 7: 11-17

There is a talk all around these couple of days about the ongoing rioting in Karnataka (a state in the South of India)...there are any number of messages being circulated among the Tamils spreading hate against the kannadikas and the same among kannadikas against the Tamils! Don't we see that these messages spread are only adding fuel to the fire? How many are really intent at this time to spread messages of hope, unity, assurance and good will? How many refuse to succumb to the evil that is spread by the political miscreants and stay clear of this mob mentality? Those are truly people of God, able to see the oneness of humanity beyond all differences and disparities! Like Jesus, do we have the eye to see the sufferings of all people beyond the fact that they are different from us? Are we able to say to ANYONE (without allusions to affiliations) suffering, 'do not cry'?

WORD 2day: 12th September, 2016

The Communion and the Coming of Jesus

Monday,  24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Cor 11: 17-26,33; Lk 7: 1-10

The Word presents to us the two inseparable dimensions of the Eucharistic celebration.  The coming of Jesus Christ the Word made flesh and the communion of the Body of Christ the people of God.

It's a real challenge today to make our Eucharistic Celebration truly a moment of communion of hearts rather than merely a ritual of ceremonies. That needs a bit of homework prior to the celebration itself.  The Communion has to be built in the daily life and celebrated at the Eucharist.  If it had not been built all already what do we celebrate at all?

The coming of Christ making the words of the Lord come true and Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a great boon given to our burdensome life!  The Lord is with us and that makes our life extremely beautiful come what may. We may not be worthy but the Lord designs to visit it's.  How blessed we are!

WORD 2day: 7th September, 2016

Never lose the Focus

Wednesday, 23rd week in Ordinary Time

1 Cor 7: 25-31: Lk 6: 20-26

The first christian community in fact expected that they would see Jesus around in his second coming already in their time... they were preparing for it intensely. The moment they began to realise it was getting delayed, they began to grow lax in their life of virtues! It is in this context that Paul writes to them...about celibacy, purity and single minded dedication to the Lord. His call was: never lose focus, for everything will come to pass in no time!

The second coming may be at an appointed time which the Lord alone knows and we wait for it, with patience and focus. But, if we believe that the second coming is a moment of judgement, that moment is here and now... for our choices every moment determine the judgement that is going to be! Every time I choose something or avoid something, I am bringing upon me a judgement by myself. That is what Jesus tells us in the Gospel: I make myself blessed or unfortunate! I need to be informed, alert and categorical about my choices - they determine what I will be judged to be. The crux is that I never lose the focus, even as I am involved in hectic activity!

WORD 2day: 6th September, 2016

Life lived on the Shore

Tuesday, 23rd week in Ordinary Time

1 Cor 6: 1-11; Lk 6: 12-19

We have seen people playing on the sea shore, or we ourselves would have done it. There is so much of fun with the ever active waves and the quick moving sand. But that is not what the sea is all about, it may just be a tiny fraction of the reality called the ocean. At times looking at the way life is lived today, it gives us a feeling of the activity on the shore, merely the shore. Is life truly lived in its depth? So much of uneasiness and boredom, jealousy and envy, fights and frictions, greed and competition, hatred and indifference...what does it all indicate? A life lived on the shore, not in its depth.

One of the chief elements of a life lived in its depth would be discernment - taking time to understand what is the right thing to be done at the right time. If only a person takes a few moments every day, or before every important decision, a few moments to go into oneself, understand the situation around, empathise with the persons involved, take stock of the true issues that are at stake and then decide on the best of the options available, that would make a huge difference for oneself and for every one around. How many people we see today, apparently ruining their own life, living in total unhappiness and misery, all because they are satisfied living their life merely on the shore!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

LOVE , don't Judge!

Celebrating Saint Mother Teresa of Kolkata

1 Cor 1: 5-8; Lk 6: 6-11

The Word today speaks to us of the ills in Christian living...at times we consider sins like adultery and fornication serious faults, and rightly so. But we consider habits like gossiping, judging others and criticising as less grave and so go on with it as if they do not matter. That is truly not Christian...Christ would say looking with lust is equally evil as adultery; speaking ill of the other is equally brutal as assaulting the other physically; character assasination is as criminal as killing a person! It is not exactly in what we do that the seriousness of the matter consist, but in what we are aiming to do through out actions or words or disposition. 

Mother Teresa understood this perfectly and that is why she always believed and taught: if you are busy judging people, you would have no time to love them. Love, is both the fundamental and the supreme disposition of a true Christian. Love is patient and kind; it endures all things! Let us Love, not judge! Let us be filled with compassion for the suffering and the weak, as did Mother Teresa to be called truly a Christian and ultimately a saint!

FREEDOM of the Children of God

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

4th September, 2016 - Canonisation of Mother Teresa

Wis 9: 13-18; Phlm 1:9-10,12-17; Lk 14:25-33

There is a story told of a man who went on a long long journey in search of an old sage in the forest who allegedly had the most precious diamond in the entire world. It was an overwhelming moment when the man met the sage and asked him if he really had the diamond. Because, the sage said as a matter of fact, "Yes. I have it". The man with much trepidation regarding the price he would have to pay, asked the sage, "can you give it to me?" The next moment, he could not believe his eyes, the sage held it out to him and said, 'here, take it.' The man took the diamond and hurried back anxious the sage should not suddenly change his mind. That night as he lay down to sleep, his eyes would not close and his mind would not stop wondering. The moment he saw some light he got up and went straight back to the sage and said, 'here take this diamond back, but give me that heart that allowed you to part with it so easily'. 

If we are really convinced of our identity as Children of God we would realise we are given with a freedom that makes us so different from what the world preaches. We think freedom is the ability to do whatever we think... that is not what freedom is all about. Freedom is the capacity to do the right thing without any external force. When we have this capacity, we would be totally different from the so-called majority in the society today. Because this freedom amounts to a different kind of reasoning, a different kind of relating and a different mindset of renouncing.

Freedom of the Children of God is seen first and foremost in a different kind of Reasoning that one possesses. Taking up the cross willingly, forgiving without any compensations for it, looking at everything from the perspective of God...these are different kind of reasoning that we are called to possess. The first reading speaks to us of an important fact that we may not understand everything in life and we need not be worried about it. Leave it to God and things will be clear to you in the due course of time.

Freedom of the Children of God is manifested in the kind of Relationships we treasure. While everywhere, gain and profit, benefits and advancements rule the roost, we are thinking of giving up, forgiving, accepting and welcoming someone without any conditions. St. Paul instructs Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ and even tacitly asking Philemon to free Onesimus from his slave-ship. A redefinition of relationships is a natural outflow of the freedom of the Children of God. I cannot but be reminded here of the numerous cases of inequality and discrimination among and within the Christian communities... a clear sign that we have not yet truly experienced the freedom of the children of God.

Freedom of the Children of God is best seen in the Renunciation that seems so natural and far from being a deprivation. I have come across people who renounce a few simple things and are so mindful of that fact - reminding themselves of it so often, making sure others know that they have renounced (whatever it is), making up for the renunciation in and through other means (sometimes going to another extreme). Jesus presents renunciation not as an extraordinary means of following God, but as an inevitable means of being disciples. Renouncing something is something, renouncing the so-called merits of the renunciation is true renunciation! 

Mother Teresa whom we receive today from the hands of the Church as a wonderful and exemplary Child of God, was an epitome of this Freedom! Just apply what we discussed so far: she reasoned differently (seeking the so-called useless and worthless of the society), she related differently (she had only one thing in her mind - the Reign of God) and she renounced radically! A great example of the Freedom of a Child of God.

Freedom of the Children of God permits us to live a life that is free, full and highly inspiring. May we grow in this great gift we have received: the freedom of the children of God. 

WORD 2day: 3rd September, 2016

Nothing greater than the Person!

Saturday, 22nd week in Ordinary Time

1 Cor 4: 6-15; Lk 6: 1-5

God has an extremely soft corner for God's children! God has been too good, compassionate and forgiving, loving and accepting, never counting the cost when it comes to loving God's children...even to the extent of sending God's only Son to die for our sakes! The question is, what matters to us, the prodigal children of God : our ego? our wealth? our social status? our popularity? our comfort? our image in front of others? our rules and our systems? our selfish interests? For how many of these reasons we are ready to sacrifice the persons around us - our own parents, life partners, siblings, kith and kin!

The Lord reminds us today: there is nothing more precious than persons around us. Our judgments of others, however right or wrong they are, cannot take away the value that is inherent in every child of God!

WORD 2day: 2nd September, 2016

Mind your Business!

Friday, 22nd week in Ordinary Time

1 Cor 4: 1-5; Lk 5:33-39

At times we mind everybody else's business, forgetting the all important business that we have, our life! The Word today instructs us to mind just our business. How hard can one try to satisfy everyone around? Is it worth the effort at all? How many lives are made so boring and barren merely out of living up to the expectations of the world around! The secret of a truly fruitful and meaningful life is: knowing your business and going about it.

Knowing who we are - as St. Paul shares in his letter today, what is expected of a steward is that each one is found worthy of the one whose stewards we are! Knowing who we are and striving to be faithful to it, is the Christian meaning to our life. Christ did just that. He knew he was the Son of God and he lived his life to the full worthy of the identity that he inherited from the Lord. We are called to be his stewards, and we are called to live worthy of it, notwithstanding the praises or critiques, the affirmations and the discouragements that might come our way. If we try to patch up with unfitting elements merely because those around us are looking for it, if we mix up unblending elements just because the world around enjoys it... we may lose the true sense of our calling. The best thing amidst all the mixed voices around is to know and mind our business!

WORD 2day: 1st September, 2016

Everything belongs to God

Thursday, 22nd week in Ordinary Time
1 Cor 3: 18-23; Lk 5: 1-11

During the Eucharistic Celebration, post the Lord's prayer, there is a section where the priest prays 'save us from all distress'. In the old version of the missal, the words used to be,  'free us from all anxiety'. Some of my priest friends for sounding novel,  adapted and practical would change it as, free us from all needless anxiety... and I would pick an argument with them-  for a Christian every anxiety is needless!  Every anxiety is needless because everything belongs to God. 

No anxiety,  whether about eating or drinking,  life or death, success or fear,  nothing,  absolutely nothing is warranted if I truly believe in my Lord.  The Lord is in control... all that I need to do is my duties to the best of my abilities and leave the rest to God.  Call it Nishkama Karma, or detachment,  or Kantian categorical imperatives... be it what it may, the point is God  is in charge and I need not worry or be anxious.  It is a difficult mindset but the most liberating one.