Growing Up to be Children

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

September 30, 2019: Remembering St. Jerome
Zechariah 8: 1-8; Luke 9: 46-51

"They shall be my people and I will be their God" - the crux of the faith that has been handed down to us through centuries, is this covenant that God made with our ancestors in faith. God has remained faithful ever since. St. Paul reminds us in his letter to Timothy, even "if we are faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny himself" (2Tim 2:13). 

Being God's people means being God's children - and that is being focused totally on God, taking directions from God, and always remaining open and docile to God's promptings, as do the children who are fascinated by their parents. This is where the Word of God comes into play - the Word that came down to reveal the fullness of God to us, is the Word that continues to come down to us, continuously even today, to make us aware and attached to the will of God here and now. But if we do not know the Word who once came down, we will not know the Word that continues to come down even today! 

St. Jerome said that in simple terms: not knowing the scriptures is knowing Christ. Not to know the Word made flesh in time and history, is not to know the Word that comes to us here and now, because the Word is a living Word, a living person, a presence that surrounds us today, here, now, in the very context where we need to make our choices, for or against something.

To be children of God, we need to grow up! It is not growing up from being children, but growing up to be children. Children who are mindful and focused totally on God and what God wants from us, that we do not give into our divisions, partisan feelings, ego trips and self-fulfillments but always remain faithful and attached to God and God alone. Growing up to be children, though it may sound a paradox, let us grow up to be children, only then can we inherit the Reign!

INDIFFERENCE - THE MOST UNCHRISTIAN ATTITUDE OF ALL

Look, think and fight!

29th September, 2019 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Amos 6: 1,4-7; 1 Timothy 6: 11-16; Luke 16: 19-31

Indifference, the worst of all vices and the most dangerous of all attitudes; it is one thing that the Lord cannot bear! Woe to those who are indifferent, warns prophet Amos. And that is precisely what Jesus presents in his parable too. It is something that God just cannot stand - God will 'spit you' out of God's presence, if you are lukewarm, reveals the Lord himself(Rev 3:16). 

Consider the example of that courageous teen, Greta Thunberg who is standing up to the cause against the exploitation of our common home, the universe (see the resonance of Laudato Si of Pope Francis here)! It is highly disheartening to see, even some Christians maligning her and calling her names! There are those who do that because this pointing-out-the-truth is so difficult for their agenda. But there are others who call her leftist and socialists' puppet - the question is: SO WHAT? "Let Truth come from any side"; learn to look at the truth in its face! One need not hail the girl as the saviour of the world or go behind her into the streets, but can one not see the truth that she is trying to highlight? Whom are we faking, not willing to face the truth? This is indifference to truth: one of the deadly qualities we can find in today's world!  

If you have a living faith, then fight the good fight of the faith, challenges St. Paul through his letter to Timothy today. 'Blessed' are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness(Mt 5:6), not those who remain in their safe havens caring nothing for anyone around. St. Paul recalls to our minds today, how Jesus bore witness to his faith and to the truth right upto his cross! "For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth," declared Jesus with a courage that disturbed Pilate.(Jn 18:37). When it came to bearing witness to truth and righteousness, or feeling compassionate for those who were helpless, or reaching out to the sinners and the outcast, or speaking out for the rights of those who were oppressed - of their right to be healed as sons and daughters of God, of their right to dignity and of their closeness to the Reign of God - Jesus never hesitated; and his true disciples would never hesitate too!

Today we are living in a world that has innumerable justifications for being indifferent towards others - one's duty and family, corrupt system and government, anti-people policies and laws, legitimisation of insensitive craze for development and technology, rapid growth and advancement - the list can go on endlessly. And it is effortlessly easy to cast the blame on some else and hide behind the mask of myself being part of the 'affected' and the 'left behind'. In simple terms, the Word challenges me today to place myself in the shoes of the rich man and look at the world around me! Have I done whatever I could in my context, for justice, righteousness, dignity of all and true freedom of the children of God. If I say, 'what can I really do?' - beware, that could be the visible trace of Indifference within!

Indifference is the most unchristian quality one can have. The readings today outline the three levels in which INDIFFERENCE grows.

FIrst Level: Indifference as a fruit of Blindness - the inability to see the suffering around, the incapacity to sense the heavy burdens that persons around me carry, the failure to feel the unseen tears of those crying out for help... these are unchristian to the core. LOOK says the Lord, perceive the suffering in the eyes of your brother and sister... even if you cannot do much, atleast be there for them!

Second Level: Indifference as a sign of Selfishness - even after seeing the suffering and the pain, if I fail to be moved, if I refuse stand by someone because I could get into problem, or because I could lose my opportunity to go ahead in life, or because I could earn enemies in the bargain, I am unworthy of being called the disciple of the Lord who died for me! THINK of the others, and not solely of yourself, says the Lord. Can I think of anything other than Me, Myself and Mine? I am my brother's keeper!

Third Level: Indifference as a form of Malice - it is a sin! "Silence encourages the tormentor; never the tormented!" says Elie Wiesel an Holocaust survivor, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He continues,"the opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference." How perfectly Jesus would agree to these words! For, this is what Jesus meant by that parable! You just cant be silent spectators, you just can't stand by the sidewalks and see things happen, not even sit in the stands and cheer! No... FIGHT the good fight of the faith!

For the sake of the Truth, for the sake of righteousness, for the sake of justice, for the sake of the exploited, for the sake of the voiceless, for the sake of God's will on earth, for the sake of the Reign of God here and now - can I today resolve to do my little part? Do i dare to denounce my Indifference?

The Lord shall be our glory!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 25th week in Ordinary time

September 28, 2019: Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15; Luke 9: 43-45

Praising the Lord at the marvels that happen and thanking the Lord when everything goes the way we think - they are not too difficult though even that needs a heart that is grateful and eyes that are attentive. To be mindful of the struggles even at moments of rejoicing, being convinced that it is in those struggles that the real meaning lies, not in these momentary successes we could be taken up with - that is true Focus! This is what Jesus teaches us today.

If to be Christ's disciples is to 'put on Christ's mind', the real mind of Christ is revealed in his state of being absolutely focused on doing what God wants! Jesus was clear about his mission. Though the disciples were excited after the event of transfiguration and the healing of the possessed, Jesus gently but firmly brings them back not to get lost along with the noisy crowd and lose track of where they are bound to, towards that moment of Truth - when Jesus would prove that nothing else matters to Him when it is the question of doing the will of the One who sent Him. 

When the Lord promises in the first reading, "I am coming to dwell among you and I shall be your glory", it is not a promise of absence of struggles and testing situations; but an assurance of presence, the presence of a person who knows what we are going through, who has gone through what we are going through and who holds our hand all through, whatever be the situation we are going through! That is a promise beyond anything we need! 

Not the prosperity of wealth, not the fulfillment of your wishful dreams, not the success that your prove before the world, not the projects you get through establishing your name, not any of these, says the Lord, but I shall be your glory! If only we fix our eyes and focus our minds on the Lord and what the Lord wants of us, the Lord shall be our glory!

Rebuild my house - don't give up!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT 

September 27, 2019: Remembering St. Vincent de Paul

Haggai 1:15 - 2:9; Luke 9: 18-22

The Lord who commissioned us yesterday,'rebuild my house', today assures us that we are not alone on the job! "Work, for I am with you... My Spirit abides among you, fear not!" says the Lord today. 

Each of us has a mission entrusted to us - how big it is or how simple it is, are totally irrelevant questions because, big or small, it is important! In our own way, as we accomplish the life mission that we are given with, we are building the house of the Lord, rebuilding the temple of the Lord, establishing the Reign of God. We need to realise it - that is precisely the call today. 

When we sincerely realise that and accept it to our hearts, we would dare go to any extent in accomplishing it. We see that no amount of struggles or sufferings could keep Jesus away from looking into what was in store for him, with serenity and faith. He rests assured that his God would vindicate him, defend him and deliver him, as the psalmist prays in the responsorial today. 

The readings and the saint we remember today, St. Vincent de Paul, remind us that we have no reason to lose hope, no excuse to give up, even if every thing around us seem to be grim and gloomy. Let us be at our task, let us keep doing our bit to 'rebuild the house', rejuvenate humanity, and put God into a world that tends so easily towards being godless!

Rebuild my House

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

September 26, 2019: Remembering Pope St. Paul VI
Haggai 1:1-8; Luke 9: 7-9

"Rebuild my house" - the famous call that set St. Francis of Assisi in motion. We hear the same words today, not just from the Word today but also from the world today. Like Francis of Assisi who misunderstood that call and set about initially building the ruined chapel, it is possible that we limit this "my house" in the Word of God to the Church. Pope Francis has time and again warned us of it in these half a decade of his papacy. 

We remember today another saintly pontiff, Pope St. Paul VI, who was instrumental in taking forward the 'Renewal' set ablaze by his predecessor Pope St. John XXIII...in and through the Vatican Council II. Though Vatican II could be seen as a call to renewal of the Church, it is more a call to renewal of the Church in the world, in a world that was so rapidly changing and transforming itself. Pope Paul VI has played a giant's role in shaping the Church to be what it is today, of course aided by the Council, but above all imbued with the Spirit!

When the Lord laments, "my house is in ruins" God refers to the entire humanity - is it not for God to dwell in humanity that the mystery of Incarnation and the story of salvation was realised? Killings in the name of God, killings for money or power, manipulation of the poor and the powerless by the moneyed and the muscled, silencing of the just and righteous, destruction caused by greed and avarice - humanity, the house of God, is in ruins! 

"Rebuild my house," commissions the Lord. Am I serious about doing my bit?

Please Note:
After having posted the reflection, I realised that from the Vatican, on Feb 6, 2019 there was a directive to henceforth celebrate the feast of this great Holy Father on May 29th (His Ordination Day) instead of September 26 (his birthday). I regret for the wrong commemoration, but not for the reflection... May be the Spirit of the Lord wanted it so, in these days when there are so many so easily speaking against the Papacy! 

Be filled and fill the world... WITH GOD

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 25th week in Ordinary time

September 25, 2019: Ezra 9: 5-9; Luke 9: 1-6

Often have we heard the saying, 'God chooses not the worthy; but makes worthy the chosen'. It's true, not only regarding particular individuals, but regarding all, even the entire humanity. 

To be believers in God, to be baptised into God's household, to be called 'Christians', is no achievement of ours. It is because the one who created us, has called us! 'It is not you who chose me, but I chose you' declared Jesus. When this truth really dawns on us, apart from an overwhelming gratitude, we would be filled with docility and humility without measure. 

This is exactly what we see in the readings today: a candid realisation of being chosen inspite of our unworthiness; and a clear instruction from the Lord as to how to manifest our docility. 

Ezra, in and through his prayer, makes it so clear how unworthy the so-called 'people of God' were of that status! Not merely before having been chosen, but even later, even as they were being raised up in front of the eyes of their neighbours and enemies. Jesus, reminds his apostles what it really means to be an apostle - to 'be' an apostle first, before 'doing' anything! Most of the commands that Jesus gave them was to do with themselves, and not exactly what their task was or what the target was! 

If we truly realised how merciful and kind God has been in choosing us, we would fully comprehend the meaning of the teachings Jesus gives today. The teaching given in all detail, can be simply stated in one phrase: Be filled with God and fill the world with God!

Being the Household of God

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 25th week in Ordinary time

September 24, 2019: Ezra 6: 7-8,12,14-20; Luke 8: 19-21 

'House', 'Mother', 'brothers and sisters' ... today's readings present to us terms that seem to draw a highly familiar note to our faith. It is important to look at our faith and its expression in terms of living in the presence of God, living as brothers and sisters of the Lord and as brothers and sisters in the Lord, instead of duties, obligations and rituals to be faithfully carried out. 

It is all a question of priority and clarity of the essentials. At times we get lost in the minute details and let go of a gross reality - may be this is what Christ spoke of when he said of the Pharisees and Scribes: you strain the gnats, but swallow the camels! It is not for laughing at them, but for us to question ourselves whether we are being blind to larger deformities in our Christian faith, than the rubrics, rituals and rites that we fight about. 

The basic premise of our faith has to be a loving relationship with God which makes us related to each other, and makes us persons dwelling under the same roof - every place we encounter each other becomes a 'house of God' to encounter God in the other, alive and active, warm and vibrant. Understood thus, can faith ever divide us? In spite of our faith, if we consider some 'apart' from us, 'lower' or 'higher' than us or not belonging to us, what kind of followers of Christ are we? And worse, if it leads to harming the other, will it still be worthy of the name 'faith'?

By our call and our baptism we are called to live as a household of God, a household that invites, welcomes, receives and embraces everyone as brothers and sisters! What is important is not merely being in the household of God, but being the household of God.

Holiness - beyond your history or geography!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

September 23, 2019: Remembering Padre Pio
Ezra 1:1-6; Luke 8:16-18

Today we come across an event which seemed messianic for the people of Israel, in fact it is said that they began to look at King Cyrus as the promised messiah, as he gave them the long desired liberty and came forward to build their ruined temple. The message the Word has today is loud and clear - your history and geography has nothing much to decide when it comes to what kind of a person you would want to be. Neither can we write a person off because he or she does not belong to the category we expect that person to be, nor can we escape our divine call citing our background and where we belong! When the Lord calls you, the Lord calls you with all your history and geography!

Being the light of the nations was a collective call given to the people through the prophets; it was also the Christian identity according to Christ - the same Jesus who proclaimed, "I am the Light of the World" (Jn 9:5), commissions us, "you are the light of the world" (Mt 5:14) and "let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Mt 5:16). Holiness, the light to this world, is not about what some people have to achieve, but what every child of God has to be.

St. Pius of Pietrelcina or fondly and popularly known as PADRE PIO, whom we remember today is a prodigy in holiness belonging to our times - a shining light today bringing so many people to glorify the Lord. It is said, he would get upset with those who made their confession to him, but without true sense of conversion in their heart. He knew that holiness, though it is called to shine as a light, lies in that secret of the heart known only to God and the person. Let us be filled with the Light, and let our light shine and reach out - to brighten the lives of people in gloom and warm the hearts of persons who have grown cold!

WWW: WEALTH, WELLBEING & THE WORLD

The Web of Life in today's World

September 22, 2019: 25th Sunday in Ordinary time
Amos 8: 4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16: 1-13

We have needs, wants and desires... they are but human. One has to be attentive about the difference between these three- how many times we confuse among these! Our wants and desires fill our minds so much that we make of them much too big than what they out to be - we are happy only when we get some desires come true, we are fulfilled only when we get some things that we want... yes we turn these ordinary wants and desires into needs. Just imagine today, the number of things that we have made necessities of life: are they really needs? or just wants and desires? Be what they may be, the fact is that, only when they are fulfilled we are happy and grateful; when they are not, we keep beseeching the Lord, sometimes requesting, sometimes begging, sometimes obstinately pressurising, sometimes fighting, sometimes complaining and what not! Prosperity, from the time of the theology of the promised land, has always been looked at as a blessing from the Lord. Even today how many preachers take up this as a way of alluring people - whether to God or to themselves - we are not here to judge! The focus here is on that so-called prosperity... in simple terms, Wealth.

Wealth makes our life easy and our living pleasurable. By the very fact that it is a blessing, it is obvious that it is 'given' and it is to be given. Wealth is a means provided for one not only to live his or her life, but also extend his hand to the needy, the unfortunate, the underprivileged, the have-nots, so that their life becomes blessed through one's instrumentality. Wealth, is a blessing, and more over a means, to be a blessing to the others! Prophet Amos minces no words in the first reading today. Swindling the other, manipulating the other and hurting the other for one's own well-being, is not Christian attitude; and it is no well-being at all.

Well-being is not merely one's individual pleasure and possession! Even if one possesses everything, if there is not harmony in his or her surroundings one cannot cherish those possessions. How many individuals who possess enormous riches but lack an internal serenity bear witness to this fact. How many nations today which seem rich and affluent but lack peace and security attest to this fact. Authentic Well-being is harmony in every sense, within oneself, around oneself and with the entire universe! It is the 'quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in everyway', that St. Paul speaks of in the second reading. Selfishness and Greed can never lead us to this well-being. Concern and Compassion, a collective thinking of 'all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth' - only such an outgoing spirit can grant the world, a real Well-being.

The world and the life we live today is an opportunity given to us, reminds Jesus in the Gospel with his intriguing parable of the prudent steward! Intriguing it is, because it seems to advocate slyness and fraud. But that is not the point. The focus lies on another perspective, and it is: however limited and burdensome, the present life we live is all that we have, here and now, to make our journey toward our 'eternal abode' pleasant and meaningful. It is said, how we live our life here will define and determine how we will exist hereafter. 

We have the gift and the Giver: of these, what matters to us is the crucial question. It cannot be that both gift and the giver are important - one cannot serve two masters, warns Jesus. Once we give the first place to the Giver, the Eternal giver, the Loving giver, the Wonderful giver, everything else falls in place. Wealth becomes a means, Well-being becomes harmonious living and the World becomes an opportunity for us to create a paradise here and now, as we live our life in peace and harmony with our brothers and sisters!

Oneness, difference and peace!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Remembering St. Matthew, the Apostle. 

UNITED NATIONS' WORLD DAY OF PEACE

Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13; Matthew 9:9-13

One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God the Father and Mother of us all: the basis of the Community that God wants to create of us all. Just contrast this with some madness that is going on today, especially if you are in India... one nation, one language, one public distribution system, all measuring up to one culture and one religion! Are these both the same? 

Certainly and fortunately, No. The former is a celebration of differences in living hospitality while the latter is an attempt to do away with it in an arrogant naivety. Now returning to the Word and reflecting on the reality of the Church, the One people of God... 

Do not ever be scandalised if I dare say, Church is not the be-all and end-all of Christian faith. The Church is only an intermediate arrangement for us to walk the path towards that Unity that Christ has invited us to - the eternal Peace that he promises - a peace not like the one that the world offers, a peace that comes from one heart and one mind, one spirit and one humanity - the peace and unity of the Reign of God! 

The Apostles form the pillars to this, as they were the one's who lived close to the principle originator of this Reign. If only we have the readiness and the docility that Matthew had, 'to rise and follow' when God calls, into the vicissitudes of life, fixing our gaze on the Lord who leads, we will all be like the apostles, torchbearers of the Reign of God. 

Peace be with you!