LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #1

Lent - a school of Christian Love

Ash Wednesday - 1st March, 2017

We begin the Lent for this year. Let us take a look around. There is hate in the air. A few days ago, there was a video going viral on the social network of two men in islamist garb breaking the statue of our blessed mother. Recently the news agencies reported the use of anti-blasphemy law in Denmark after 46 years, against a man who burnt the Holy Koran. The recent unveiling of the statue of adhiyogi a few days earlier in Coimbatore has been embroiled in religious, socio political and ecological controversies for too long, inspite of the overwhelming support from the power centers. The anti-migrant stance of some major nations has created a sort of unrest in the minds of many. In fact there is hate in the air - for more than a few reasons. The socio-political and religio-cultural turmoil that the world is witnessing today makes life so fear ridden and devoid of meaning! 

What does the Lord expect from us at this juncture, as we begin a brand new season of prayer, reflection and renewal? It is a call to return to the Lord, to return as children, to return as persons filled with love, not ego! Rend your hearts not your clothes, the Lord says - feel sad for having filled this world with lovelessness. Refill the world with love! I believe that is the task given to us this lent - to refill the world with love. That is why beginning today we will reflect from this perspective making this the season of LOVE-LENT 2017.

Lent can be a school of Christian love - a season when the love of the Lord is made more and more manifest  than a season where we concentrate on taking upon ourselves more and more pain that makes no difference. 

Let this lent teach us to love, to love until it hurts. 

Let this lent teach us to love, ready to lay down our lives for the well being of the other.

Let this lent teach us to love, without counting the cost or expecting returns.

Let this lent teach us to love, ready to suffer for the common good and stand up for truth.

Let this lent teach us to love, putting the other before our personal likes and dislikes.

Lent can be an exceptional school of Christian love - Love shall be the Master, love shall be the methodology and love shall be the subject! Let us begin this journey of learning to love so that we can skillfully carryout the task of refilling this world with love.

WORD 2day: 28th February, 2017

Rewards of the Just Judge

Tuesday, 8th week in Ordinary Time

Sir 35:2-15; Mk 10: 28-31

That the Lord is just, is not always a convenient thing for us. At times even the best of things that we do, may not really be deigned as good owing to the intention that is behind its doing. We may act kind to someone, expecting something in return. We may try to please someone because we wish to obtain a favour from the person. We may close an eye to a fault of someone merely because we like the person and make a mountain out of molehill just because we may not like the person. All these are not factors that are known to an apparent eye; but the Lord knows them all. The Lord knows us through and through. Considering that the Lord is judge, the rewards may not be always what we like or enjoy, but the rewards will always be a means of enhancing the goodness in a child. 

In simple words, what we do is important; but why we do what we do and what we want to achieve through what we do, they matter a lot. I am not what I do, but I am what I think as I do whatever I do. 

WORD 2day: 27th February, 2017

Come, Come back, Come home

Monday, 8 week in ordinary time
Sir 17: 20-28; Mk 10:17-27

The messages have begun to invite us back home. Soon there will be lent and this message will be all the more stronger. The invitation points out to the fact that all of us need a home that is permanent; that we belong to a home that is permanent where we are ourselves and not waiting to be invited. Let's heed the invitation of the master and turn back home as early as possible.

The Reign is our home and let us  beware not to distance ourselves from it too long.  The love for our home should pull us back from wherever we find ourselves. Come, Come back,  Come home invites the Lord - with the right perspectives and right actions.

WORRY - the most unchristian attitude of all

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 26th February, 2017

Is 49:14-15; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Mt 6: 24-34

Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere. I was struck by this saying which I came across somewhere. Worrying is the most unchristian attitude of all, because a Christian has grown out of an experience of a God who is a mother, a God who is the master and a God who is a motivator! 

In the Old Roman Catholic Missal, after the Lord's prayer the prayer of deliverance would go thus: Deliver us Lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Some fellow priests, in the name of adapting it and making it more personalised, would change it slightly to say, "keep us free from sin and protect us from all needless anxiety"! I would take very serious exception to it and argue against it saying - the words 'all anxiety' should not be changed because for a true Christian, every anxiety is needless and there are no justified anxieties! If I were a Christian I should be anxiety-free! However, that version is changed today in the Missal. But the message the Word has to give us today is that: Worry is the most unchristian attitude of all.

I need to experience God as a Mother, a mother who would never forget her suckling child. A mother would never forget her child, much less a child at her breast! Even after a decades of its existence, the child would still be a child for the mother and the mother would never feel detached from it. That is how the Lord looks after me, reveals the Word. A Mother who loves her child as much or even more that herself - that is what the Lord is to me! If I knew it, if I believed it, if I were convinced of it, would I have anxieties threatening me?  I have someone who is so concerned about me and that someone is so powerful!

I need to experience God as my Master, my Master who has planned everything for me! Even before I was born, the Master thought of a plan for me, a family for me, a place for me...what a great master I have! The sad fact is that I often forget this master and go behind other masters serving them...masters like those who offer me attractive lifestyles devoid of values, those who assure me a cosy life but filled with unrighteous things, those who seem to be taking me very high in life but leave me abruptly to crash down to nothing at a crucial moment! I need to find my master, who is incharge of everything! I remember an episode told in the life of Don Bosco and his successor Don Rua. When Don Bosco thought of starting a new house in a new place, he thought of sending his confidant Don Rua there. And when Don Rua really set off, Don Bosco asked him what he had in his hand as resource. Don Rua infact had very little in his hand given by the Economer. Surprisingly Don Bosco took away a major part of that resource and leaving Don Rua with a bare minimum, he said, 'Go just with this, is not the Divine Providence even there?' God as a provider was a great experience of the people of God. If only we believe in Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who provides), we would experience miracles in our daily life.

I need to experience God as a motivator. When troubles come, the Lord does not solve them for me, the Lord motivates me to solve it myself. At times we may blame God that God is not doing things for us, while we may be constantly missing out on the numerous ways, means and helps that the Lord keeps sending for us to tackle those issues. It is like that little John who was standing at the threshold of a forest which he had to cross to reach home. He felt stranded because it had gotten dark too early and little John was frightened. He was about to cry, when an old man happened to pass by. When he knew what the problem was, he gave John the lantern he had in his hand and told him to go his way, for the old man's house was just round the corner. After a while when the old man peeped out of his house, he found the boy still standing there with the lantern, but this time really crying! The Old man came up and asked the boy what the problem was - the boy said- I wanted to go, but i can see the light reaching only upto a small distance, after that it seems to be still dark, what will I do when I reach there?  The boy may look stupid for us, but at times we act so. We worry so much about things that have not yet reached us, missing out on the myriad of opportunities that are at hand. What the boy needs to do is take those simple steps and find the light accompanying him. That is what the Lord does - the Lord motivates us to take those hopeful steps and keeps following us, accompanying us, leading us. If only we experience that, we would be truly anxiety free because the Lord is always with me!

My Mother, Master and Motivator - the Lord is there! What need I fear when the Lord is near! 

WORD 2day: 25th February, 2017

Power to the Children

Saturday, 7th week in ordinary time
Sir 17:1-13; Mk 10:13-16

The first reading brings out the majesty of being a human person. That glory and splendour arises from the fact that we have been given the very image and likeness of God. At times we create complexes within  us or among us that we are fair or dark, or tall or short, or beautiful or handsome or ugly... all these do not matter at all because fundamentally we are made in the image of God. There can be no preferential treatment or despise on the basis of gender or colour or the social roots... that would be an utter foolishness! Because the fundamental stuff,  the kernel is the same - the image of God.

The children do  not have any trouble in understanding it. That is  why the Lord declares today the power of the kingdom of God is given to the Children. Without becoming a child (of God)  I cannot inherit it - that's the Father's style!

WORD 2day: 24th February, 2017

Faithful Relationships - the crux of Christianity

Friday, 7th week in Ordinary Time

Sir 6:5-17; Mk 10:1-12

It is not rules, regulations and rituals that are at the center of Christian life and  practice, but persons, community and relationships. Genuine and sincere relationships at all levels is the true sign of Christian life. The Word today invites us to reflect on two long standing relationships in any person's life: Friendship and Marriage!

In both these what is expected of a person is faithfulness, to be sincere, genuine, authentic and integral. A faithful friend is a sure shelter and beyond price; whoever has found one has found a rare treasure! Instead of beginning to search you friendlist for the one who is such to you, begin thinking to whom are you such a treasure! It is high time today, specially for the younger generation, to leave the portals of the virtual friendship and enter into true, life changing, long standing, meaning giving relationships.

WORD 2day: 23rd February, 2017

Respect the justice of the Lord

Thursday,  7th week in Ordinary Time
Sir 5:1-10; Mk 9: 41-50

The WORD today is quite hard and as soon as we hear it we feel like saying, this is an old teaching, too rigorous and too bleak in hope. But as the wisdom of Sirach warns us, it can turn into an excuse for not changing oneself.

The Lord knows the ďeepest of our thoughts and the most secret of our intentions. It is not possible to fake allegiance to the Lord as people do to each other.

The Lord is not only all knowing and compassionate, the Lord is also just and righteous. We would be at fault to think that we can appease the Lord with some legalities... nothing short of a true intention and a sincere dedication in our efforts to become good in the eyes of the Lord, can make us acceptable! Let us not only count on the mercies of the Lord but also respect the justice of the Lord.

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

Praying for the Pope

The feast of Chair of St. Peter-  22nd February 2017
1 Pet 5: 1-4; Mt 16: 13-19

One of the Catholic traditions long taught and practiced is the practice of praying for the Holy Father.  Jesus assigned a very special role to Peter: to strengthen his brother apostles in faith and to feed His flock.

The call to pray for the pope is not praying for Pope Francis or  for any other person but it is praying for the office of the chief of the apostles... recalling how so many resent accepting it.

Today, the world wants to grow more and more detached from whatever belongs to God. The figure of the Holy Father and his role keep the Catholic Church one despite differences and united despite the variety!

Let us pray for the Holy Father in a special manner today!

WORD 2day: 21st February, 2017

To grow up to be a true child

Tuesday, 7th week in Ordinary Time

Sir 2:1-11; Mk 9: 30-37

'Grow Up!' people say, when they are upset with some people's attitudes found wanting, when people behave 'childish' and immature,as it is said. But,grow up to what? The Word today invites us, to grow up to be children. Cling on, trust, hold on, wait on the Lord...in short to be true children, true children of God. Who can wait on the mercies of the elders but a child,for when we consider ourselves grown up we crave to be independent. Who can cling on to someone else and keep trusting in their goodness, hoping that they will be led in the right path, but a child! Who but a child can look up to others and understand that he or she is the least of all who are around and helpless of the lot?

Jesus invites us - grow up to be a child... let go of your ego, learn to depend on the goodness of the Lord, allow God to take hold of your hands and you will find the true peace, the peace of a child.

WORD 2day: 20th February, 2017

Faith and Wisdom - Gifts from God

Monday, 7th week in Ordinary Time

Eccl 1:1-10; Mk 9: 14-29

Knowledge can be obtained by effort and hardwork but wisdom comes from the Lord. We may read, listen, think and increase our knowledge, but putting various pieces of knowledge together to arrive at a decision is wisdom and that cannot be acquired by purely hardwork or merely human effort. It is a gift from the Lord, because Wisdom as the first reading tells us today, belongs to God and whom God deigns to grant it, and the measure God wills to grant it. 

Belief is born from what we learn and what we understand, while Faith is not merely our lonesome job. It is our personal response to a self revealing God. If so,it is the Lord who grants us this faith as a gift and helps us grow and mature in it too. 'Lord I believe, help my unbelief"...we come across that profound prayer today. It would do a great good to us to make this prayer a regular and daily prayer, everyday in the morning asking the Lord to help our unbelief and make us truly the Lord's faithful sons and daughters!