RevivaLent 2018 - #38

Revive your readiness to be in distress for the Lord

Friday, 5th week in Lent: 23rd March, 2018

Jer 20: 10-13; Jn 10: 31-42

Jeremiah seems a perfect foreshadow of Jesus, but in one case! He was in distress too for the sake of the will of the One who called him; he was cornered for nothing and taken to task for his dedication to the Lord and the task handed to him by the Lord. It is just like today, how those who do good to the society in the name of Jesus are taken to task because they are doing it in that Name! And when such acts of atrocity happen, many of us Christians express sentiments of anger and call on the Lord to teach a lesson to the perpetrators of evil!

But differing from Jeremiah, and from us all, Jesus does not wish to see the vengeance that the Lord would take on those who did not heed the call, those who were persecuting him for wrong reasons, those who refused to see such an obvious point made by Jesus' words and deeds. Jesus wishes that they turn to him, believe in him, in his words and in his works and realise that he is in the Father and the Father is in him. 

Both Jeremiah and Jesus, give us an example of persons in distress for the Lord: Blessed are those who hunger for justice and peace, for they shall be filled; Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for their's is the kingdom of God. How prepared and ready are we to be in distress for the Lord! 

Let us revive our readiness to be in distress for the Lord!

மார்ச் 22: உடன்படிக்கையின் மக்கள் யார்?

தேர்ந்துகொள்ளப்பட்ட மக்கள் என்பதன் உண்மை பொருள் என்ன? 

வார்த்தைக்கு வார்த்தை தாங்கள் தேர்ந்துகொள்ளப்பட்ட மக்கள், உடன்படிக்கையின் மக்கள், என்பதை கூறிக்கொண்டாலும் உண்மையிலேயே அதன் பொருள் என்ன என்று அறியாமலேயே இருந்தார்கள் அவர்கள். செல்வமும், செழிப்பும், சந்ததியும் பெறுவது மட்டும் தான் தேர்ந்துகொள்ளப்பட்ட மக்கள் என்பதற்கு அடையாளம் என்று நினைத்தார்கள். பாலும் தேனும் பொழியும் பூமியும் கடல் மணலையும் விண்மீனையும் போன்ற சந்ததியும் இறைவனின் ஆசீர்வாதங்கள் தான்... எனினும் அவரது உடன்படிக்கையின் மக்களாய் வாழ்வது என்பது  இவை மட்டுமல்ல என்று அவர்களுக்கு புரிய வைக்க கிறிஸ்துவுக்கு அவரது வாழ்நாள் போதவே இல்லை! 

இறைவனோடு நமக்குள்ள உடன்படிக்கை நம்மை அவரைப்போன்றே மாற்றுகின்றது, மாற்றவேண்டும் என்பதே கிறிஸ்துவின் படிப்பினை. இறைவனை போன்றே நாமும் ஆவிக்குரியவர்கள், அழிவில்லாதவர்கள், நிலைவாழ்வுக்கு உரியவர்கள் என்பதை நாம் உணர வேண்டும். நமது மண்ணக வாழ்வு என்பது நமது வாழ்வில் மிக மிக சிறியதொரு பங்கு தான்... நாமோ முடிவில்லா வாழ்வுக்காக படைக்கப்பட்டவர்கள். இதை நாம் அறிவது எப்போது?

இந்த மாபெரும் உண்மையை மறந்துவிட்டு இவ்வுலக கவலைகளை, இவ்வுலகை சார்ந்த நாட்டங்களை  முன்னிறுத்தி, செபத்திலும் சரி, நமது சிந்தனைகளிலும் சரி எப்போதும் அவற்றையே மையப்படுத்தும் போக்கு மாறவேண்டாமா? செல்வமும் செழிப்பும் பணமும் பதவியும் வெற்றியும் வெளித்தோற்றமும் தான் நமது வாழ்வு என்றால், அது தான் இறைவனிடம் நமது செபம் என்றால் நமது நம்பிக்கை எத்தனை சாரமற்றதாய் உள்ளது என்பது வருந்தத்தக்கது. 

இறைவனை பற்றிக்கொள்,

உனக்கு எல்லா வசதியும் வாய்ப்பும் வந்து சேரும் என்று கூறுபவர்கள் இன்று அதிகம் ... ஆனால் நாம் சொல்ல வேண்டியது என்ன? இறைவனை பற்றிக்கொள் - இந்த உலகம் உன்னை வெறுக்கும், எதிர்க்கும், தூற்றும்... ஆனால் அவற்றை எல்லாம் தாண்டி ஆழமான அர்த்தம் உன் வாழ்வில் பிறக்கும் - இதுவல்லவா நாம் சொல்ல வேண்டியது... இதை தான் கிறிஸ்து இன்று கூறுகிறார்... கேட்க போகிறாயா அல்லது கல்லெறிய போகிறாயா?

RevivaLent 2018 - #37

Revive your will to understand the Covenant

Thursday, 5th week in Lent: 22nd, March 2018

Gen 17:3-9;Jn 8: 51-59

Though they claimed to be people of the covenant, they did not grasp the real meaning of the covenant that the Lord had made with them. They considered it to be only a material blessing, giving them prosperity and posterity. Jesus tries to drive home to their minds the holistic difference that the Lord makes in our lives, in and through the covenant. 

The covenant actually makes us like God - eternal and all spiritual. Whoever keeps my word will never see death, declares Jesus. In Jesus we have a much deeper reality to observe and accept: that God wants to share with the God's very nature -the nature of eternity, the aspect of timelessness, the quality that our earthly life is just a part of the entire existence we possess, in the mind of God earlier and in union with God later. 

If we accept this perspective, we would understand the folly of an exaggerated insistence and dependence on material prosperity. The entire prosperity theology that came up in

the West post middle ages, seems to be dominating the Christian minds: You choose God and you will be given all wealth and happiness. No, at times, we have to declare: you choose God, you choose all the difficulties, opposition and derision of the world today. But there is a meaning beyond all this, that none in the world or nothing in the universe can ever give you.

Are we ready to understand the true meaning of the covenant we have with God or are we picking up stones against it?

மார்ச் 21: உண்மை - விடுதலையின் வித்து!

விடுதலை வேண்டுமா... உண்மையை உணர்ந்திடு! 

இன்றைய இறைவார்த்தை மூன்று வகையான நபர்களை நம் கண்முன்னே நிறுத்துகிறது. ஒன்று, தங்களுக்கு பிடிக்கவில்லை, தங்களிடமிருந்து வேறுபட்டவர்களாக இருந்தார்கள், தாங்கள் நினைத்ததை செய்யவில்லை என்ற காரணத்திற்காகவே அந்த மூன்று இளைஞர்களை அரசரிடம் சிக்கவைக்க துடித்த அரசவை உறுப்பினர்கள். மற்றும், அவர்கள் சொன்ன காரணத்திற்காக இம்மூவரையும் எரியும் தீச்சூளையில் இட்டுவிட்டு பின் அவர் மேல் எந்த தவறும் இல்லாததுபோல் காட்டிக்கொள்ளும் அரசன். மூன்றாவதாக எரிச்சூளையில் சாகவும் தயாராய் இருந்த மூன்று இளைஞர்கள். இவர்களில் யார் உண்மையில் விடுதலை பெற்றவர்களாக வாழ்ந்தார்கள் என்று நினைக்கிறீர்கள்? 

பொறாமை என்னும் வலையினுள் சிக்கி, பொய்யிலும் அடுத்தவரை அழிக்க வேண்டும் என்ற பகைமை உணர்விலும் கருகிக்கொண்டிருந்த அந்த கல்தேயர்களா?

இம்மூன்று இளைஞர்களோடு தனக்கிருந்த நல்ல அனுபவங்களையெல்லாம் மறந்துவிட்டு, தான் என்ற அகந்தையாலும், அடுத்தவரின் சூழ்ச்சியை காணயியலாததாலும், உண்மையை உண்மையிலேயே உணராததாலும், அவர்களை எரியும் தீச்சூளையில் போடத்துணிந்துவிட்டு மற்றவரை குற்றம் சொல்ல எண்ணிய அந்த மன்னரா?

அல்லது எதை பற்றியும் கவலையின்றி, தங்கள் உயிரை பற்றி கூட கவலையின்றி, இறைவனுக்கு மட்டுமே பணிவிடை செய்வோம் என்று எண்ணி வெளியிலும் சரி எரியும் தீச்சூளையினுள்ளும் சரி ஒரே மனநிலையோடு இருந்த அந்த இளைஞர்களா?

இவ்விளைஞர்களே ஆழமான விடுதலையுணர்வு பெற்றிருந்தனர் ஏனெனில் அவர்கள் உண்மையை உணர்ந்திருந்தனர். உண்மை அவர்களை விடுதலையாக்கியது. உடலையும் உயிரையும் கொடுத்த இறைவனைக் காட்டிலும் யாருக்கு பயந்து உயிரை காப்பாற்றிக்கொள்ள போகிறோம் என்பதை தெளிவாக புரிந்துகொண்டனர். இறைவன் மட்டுமே நிலையானவர், இறைவனே நிலையான உண்மை, உண்மையிருக்கும் இடத்திலே இறைவன் உறைகிறார் என்பதை நாம் உணர்ந்துவிட்டால் விடுதலையுணர்வு நம்மில் நிலைகொண்டுவிடும்.

உண்மையற்ற தன்மையால் கண்டவர் காலிலும் விழ தயாராய் இருக்கும் மனிதர்கள் மத்தியில், உண்மையை சற்றும் அறியாது மூடர்களாய் சுயநலம் போற்றும் மனிதர்கள் மத்தியில், யாருக்கு துணைபோகின்றோம் என்றே தெரியாமல் மதிகெட்டு வாழும் பலர் இருக்கும் காலச்சூழலில் .... உண்மையை உணர்ந்தவர்களாக, உண்மைக்கு மட்டுமே தலைவணங்குபவர்களாய் விடுதலையுணர்வோடு வாழ இறைவன் நம்மை அழைக்கின்றார்... தயாரா?

RevivaLent 2018 - #36

Revive your decision to be free

Wednesday, 5th week in Lent: 21st March, 2018

Dan 3: 14-20, 24-25, 28; Jn 8: 31-42

Look at three types of people in the first reading today: the officials who reported three youngsters to the King merely because they were against them and against the King being so much for them; then the King himself who acts on the words of the officials and later gets upset with the officials as if they alone were responsible for the injustice done to the three youth; and then the three youth, you did not consider even burning in a furnace worse than turning away from the Lord - who of these was truly free?

Those officials who were caught up in the prison of jealousy and rancour, wishing the destruction of the other, plotting and scheming, losing their peace of mind and tranquility of life? 

Or the King who is so full of himself, that he cannot see the facts, that he goes by hearsay, that he does not consider all the good experiences he had with those youngsters but decides to burn them alive, merely because the treacherous plotters said so! And worse, he has not guts to take the blame on himself and tries to blame it on the officials and throws them into the furnace - what merit has he to be kept out of the furnace?

Or the three young men... who were bound in no way...they were free when they were in the Royal court, they were free as they refused to worship the statue of the King, they

were free when they were locked up in the furnace and they were free when they were taking a stroll at the heart of the fire. They were free, because they had the truth with them. Truth will set you free... you wish to be free, decide to be truthful. 

Today we see people who are bound to do things like falling at people's feet, doing whatever other's command, worried about their life and their future, merely because they do not hold on to the Truth! Once you decided to be true to your innermost self, you will see the tranquility, the serenity, the peace that can come over you! Yes, truth will set you free, decide to be truthful, decide to be free!

RevivaLent 2018 - #35

Revive your decision to lift the Lord high!

Tuesday, 5th week in Lent: 20th March, 2018

Num 21: 4-9; Jn 8:21-30

They thought they were finishing his story off. Little did they know they were giving rise to an all new history. The Lord was lifted and as he had said,  he drew all to himself when he was lifted. Today,  as always the blood of some people of God is being spilled for no reason,  but it is not a signal to the end of the Reign of the Lord. Let the world beware that the Lord is being lifted up. And when the Lord is lifted up,  he will definitely draw people to himself.  

All that we need to do is like Jesus himself guarantee that we do not act as we like but according to the will of the One who has called us. As Jesus himself testified it was his doing the will of his Father that gave him the meaning of his life. As the Scripture points through St. Paul it is the obedience to the Father that placed Jesus above every being on earth and gave him the name that is above every name ( Phil 2: 8-11). 

When we do the will of the One who has called us, when we dedicate our entire life for the mission that the One has entrusted to us, then let us understand we are lifting the One Lord high! Not all will like it; not all will support it; some will even deliberately work against it...but all the same the Lord will be lifted high! And then the Lord shall draw people to the Reign. 


Hence, when there are difficulties around, when there are discouragements felt, when there are deliberate efforts to foil the goodness of the Lord - revive your decision to lift the Lord - in your words, actions and your life! The world shall surely know the True Lord!

மார்ச் 20: அவரை உயர்த்திட ...

நம் வாழ்வால் அவர் பெயரை உயர்ந்திடுவோம்!

அன்று கிறிஸ்துவை அழித்திட நினைத்தவர்கள் உண்மையிலேயே அவரை உயர்த்திக்கொண்டிருந்தார்கள் -மனுமகன் உயர்த்தப்பட்டபின் அனைவரையும் தம்மிடம் ஈர்த்துக்கொள்வார் என்னும் அவரது கூற்றின் படியே, அந்த சிலுவைச்சாவு அன்று ஒரு முடிவாக அமையவில்லை, தொடக்கமாக, புது அனுபவத்தின் தொடக்கமாக, புது சமுதாயத்தின் தொடக்கமாக, காலம் காலமாக இறைவன் அறிவித்துவந்த மீட்பின் தொடக்கமாக அமைந்தது என்பது நாம் அறிந்தது, நாம் நம்புவது. இது எப்படி சாத்தியமானது: கிறிஸ்துவே அதை இன்று விளக்குகிறார். நானாக எதையும் செய்வதில்லை, என்னை அனுப்பினவர் நான் என்ன செய்ய வேண்டுமென விரும்புகிறாரோ அதையே நான் செய்கிறேன். இதுவே நம் மீட்பின் ஊற்று. இன்றும் இதுவே நம் மீட்பின் பிறப்பிடம்.

நாம் நமது விருப்பு வெறுப்புகளை சற்றே ஒதுக்கிவைத்து இறைவனின் விருப்பத்தை, அவரது சித்தத்தை செய்ய முழுமுனைப்போடு இறங்கும்போது நாம் அவரையே உயர்த்துகிறோம் என்று உணர்ந்துகொள்வோம். இன்று இறைவனின் பணியை எளியோருக்கு செய்யும் போது ஏற்படும் இடர்களை நாம் அறிவோம். இந்த சூழல்களுக்கு அதை உருவாக்கும் மூடர்களுக்கோ நாம் அஞ்ச தேவை இல்லை... இறைவனின் சித்தத்தை தொடர்ந்து செய்வோம்! நம் விருப்பத்தை அல்ல, நம் திட்டங்களை அல்ல. இறைவனின் சித்தத்தை, இறைவனின் திட்டத்தை தொடர்ந்து செய்வோம். அன்று சிலுவையை முடிவாக நினைத்தவர்கள் போலவே, இறைவன் உயர்த்தப்படுவதை இவ்வுலகம் காணும், அதற்கு நாம் கருவியாய் இருப்பின் இறைவனுக்கு நன்றி கூறுவோம்! 

எப்பெயருக்கும் மேலான பெயரை இறைவன் நமக்கு வழங்கியுள்ளார். கிறிஸ்து என்னும் அந்த பெயரிலும் அந்த வாழ்விலும், அந்த படிப்பினைகளிலும் தான் நமது உண்மையான உயர்வு உண்டு என்று உறுதியாய் நம்புவோம், அவர் சொல் கேட்போம், அவர் வழி செல்வோம், அவர் வாழ்வை வாழ்வோம், அவரையே உயர்ந்திடுவோம்!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

St. Joseph - As the Word projects him!

Solemnity of St. Joseph: Silent, Simple and Sleeping!

2 Sam 7: 4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a.

St. Joseph occupies a huge space in the climax of God's salvific plan which was accomplished in Jesus - still he remains a quiet, noiseless and unassuming person! In a noisy world of today which claims recognition for every little thing and clamours for attention, his mode of living his life, carrying out his mission and responding to his call is a lovely lesson. Apart from this, there are three dimensions of this saint that we can notice emerging from the Word today.

Silent Protagonist:

He had a very important role to play within the historical events that were unfolding  in time, and he played it to perfection. The extraordinary quality that we see in this personality is the silence - how he remained recollected in his depths, to receive the directions from the Lord and execute them to the letter. The prefigurement of this image is seen in Abraham, presented to us in the second reading - how he spoke very little too! He listened and obeyed! St. Joseph too listened and for that he chose to remain silent!



Simple Person:

He was simple as a person... this does not mean he had just an old fashioned dress and no sandals on feet - that is how 'being simple' is understood these days! Simple is opposed to complicated! He was not complicated in anyway - an yes meant yes and a no meant no. He thought of rejecting Mary, he was told to accept and he accepted. He thought of returning to Judea, but was told not to and he went to the district of Galilee. He was a simple man who had no air of ego around him nor any self-interests to hang on! The figure of David is presented to us in the first reading drawing our attention to a way of life that was simple. Though the man had limitations within him, he had no ego absolutely. When he was pointed out, he immediately repented. He was called to be a servant of the Lord and even as a King he remained so! St. Joseph never complicated his role or his person, he remained as simple as he was called.

Sleeping Prophet: 

Sleeping St. Joseph is a popular devotion by now...a renewed perspective reminded by our Holy Father. It is not a mere novelty of thinking but a perspective of faith: the Lord provided for God's beloved even as they sleep (Ps 127:2). It is one lifestyle to spend sleepless nights thinking about something. It is completely a different life style to leave it to the Lord and sleep over it, for the Lord takes care of me even if I am asleep! It is a choice. It is a prophetic sleep when it is out of total surrender to the Lord - Joseph of the Old Testament, the namesake of the saint we celebrate, is a beautiful example of this lifestyle. He surrendered himself totally to the Lord and lived his life like a dream. St. Joseph too was so surrendered to the Lord that even as he slept, he felt protected and directed. 

FRANCIS' FIVE - #5

FIVE YEARS OF POPE FRANCIS 

March 13, 2013 - the day Pope Francis took on the divine mandate of leading the People of God. It has been five years and there are FIVE strong orientations that this wonderful person of God has given the Church and the world. 

5. YOUTH - the lifeline of the Church 

Youth are the point of attraction for the Holy Father. He refuses to believe the theory of the world today: that youth feel the Church is irrelevant; and he says he cannot believe it because a million young voices keep shouting to him something different - that they need God, that the need real faith experiences, that they need relevant spirituality, that they need to make a difference in their world! 

Pope Francis has become a friend of the young! He speaks their language, he likes what they like and he admires what they enjoy and he believes in their capacity to build an all new world, a transformed Church and a passion filled humanity! Not just himself, he has challenged the rest of the Church to change their mentality, shirk their prejudices and listen to the young. 

The present preparation towards the Synod of the Young - he prefers to call it not 'Synod for or about the Young' but 'Synod OF the young'. He has invited the youth to speak out their minds; say things without fear and challenge the Church towards transformation. The extensive survey that has been done among the young, the various meetings that he has had with groups of them, and the Presynodal Meeting that he is planning to have with over 300 youth from various parts of the world on 19th March, 2018 are just a few highlights of the importance that he gives to the youth and their participation in the Church. 

The Papal Stations of the Cross, which is celebrated every Palm Sunday at the Colosseum, this is year is being written by the youth! A simple message that the Holy Father is giving them in this - that he wants their voice be heard by the Church! That does not mean he does not challenge them: he says, enough of burying yourself in the fake identities of your social network, stand and speak up. He has time and again instructed them : do not be afraid to love, do not be afraid to commit yourself, do not be afraid to serve! The Church is in need of courageous youngsters. 

Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment - is a project that he has given the young, calling their attention to their life of faith and their call to live their life to the full and play their role to the utmost. He incites them to create a chaos where they are, so that something new and fresh, alive and attractive can be born. He invites the youth, as he writes to the Canadian Youth: "flood the places where you live with the joy and enthusiasm typical of your youthful age, to irrigate the world and history with the joy that comes from the Gospel, from having met a person: Jesus, who has enthralled you and has drawn you to be with Him."

Certainly the Holy Father does not consider this merely his special charism to relate to the Young, but wants the entire Church to trust in the Youth, to respect them and listen to them and confide in them the responsibility of leading the Church on in this new millennium. 

Do you wish to see Jesus?

Jesus: Yes you surely can!

5th Sunday in Lent: 18th March, 2018
Jer 31:31-34; Heb 5: 7-9; Jn 12: 20-23

The Word today has an open invitation: Do you really wish to see Jesus? 

Wishing to see Jesus is a fitting exercise during the Lent; Jesus responds to the request and in the meanwhile teaches us an important lesson in knowing God and growing in that knowledge. 

You Can!
It is possible at times that we say that we cannot know God, imagining God to be far away from us and from our human understanding. Jesus breaks that myth about God and brings God close to us, as close as God becoming human and living amidst us. In Jesus, God establishes what Jeremiah exclaims: that everyone will know God. Each and every one of us can know God and know God personally and intimately. Jesus makes the whole journey so easy and instead of challenging us to rise up to his level, he comes down to our status and assures us that we can have a relationship that is so concrete and real, with God.

Yes, You Can!
Jesus promises us another favour: that He will draw us to Himself! I am reminded of an anecdote that I have heard when I was a boy, about that little girl who got lost on a trek into the forest.  It started to grow dark and the little girl was frightened, she hid herself behind a bush and remained there a bit scared. The father began to go in search his little one, worried and anxious. At a point, he reached the bush where the girl was hiding and as he peeped in to check that bush out,  the girl shouted with a great relief: "Daddy! I found you!" At times we think we are in search of God, or that we find God and understand God. The fact is the other way around. God is in search of us constantly. It is God who draws us to Godself. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father (Jn 6:44) Jesus had declared and he assures us today that he will himself draw us to where he is (Jn 12:32). He wants us to be where he is; Jesus wants us to share his world, his priorities, his mission and his vision of God. 

Yes, You Surely Can!
Jesus wants us to be like him, who learnt obedience from what he suffered. Lent is a time when we dwell on Jesus' suffering, not to emotionally sympathise with the suffering servant, but to understand the meaning of obedience in life, to prepare ourselves to be like Jesus, always open to the will of God and ready to surrender ourselves into God's hands. The more we surrender into the hands of God, the more serene we can become even at the face of all the trials that our life holds out to us! The less we surrender, the more anxious we become! This is why, the Lord suggests to us that we learn of him who is meek and humble of heart and thus find rest to our souls (cf. Mt 11:29). 

Let the rest of the season of lent be an exercise of this spiritual discipline to surrender ourselves into the all powerful hand of God and find rest to our worried, anxious and restless souls. And the right point to start is where we find those gentlemen from Greece, enquiring: 'Sir, we would like to see Jesus'!