Speaking in Action

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

June 13, 2020: Celebrating St. Anthony of Padua
I Kings 19: 19-21; Matthew 5: 33-37

Do not swear at all; just act! Do not just promise; be righteous and noble! Do not just speak; but live! If at all you speak, let your actions speak before your words, your promises and your propaganda.

Elisha speaks in action, just like Elijah did while he figuratively communicated that he passes on the mandate given to him, to Elisha. Elisha responds in concrete by burning the plow and slaughtering the bulls... that was a response in action, commitment made visible, readiness made absolute. The episode reminds us of the famous phrase, "burning the boats", choosing a point of no return for the sake of the Lord.

The Saint of today is no less an example for the same. St. Antony has a fame that makes him a favourite among most of the people of God. Leaving out the signs and wonders and miracles reported in and through his intercession, one thing that stands out in this person of God, is his complete dedication to God. He lived his entire life, for God, for God's Word and for God's Reign. A saint who not only spoke, but continues to speak in action!

Each of us is invited specifically at our own moment in history to live a call that is specific to each of us. Realising this call and responding to it with a sense of absolute commitment is the message that the readings present to us: not to reflect and come up with some sound and sweet interpretation; but to look for a way of living our faith concretely on a daily basis. Let every word be worthy of being accompanied by an admirable action; let every action of ours be inspired by the Word that has called us and commissions us. 

Let us listen to the Word, and speak the Word, above all, in action.

The Lord in the Gentle Breeze

WORD 2day: Friday, 10th week in Ordinary time

June 12, 2020: I Kings 19: 9a, 11-16; Matthew 5: 27- 32

The storm went thundering, the fire went blazing, but the Lord wasn't there! The Lord of surprises manifests himself in the gentle breeze and gives us the most powerful of all messages: "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10). We will find the Lord if only we earnestly seek. We will see the face of God, if only we seek it with all our heart. In our daily life and routine, can we truly declare, 'it is your face O Lord that I seek'!

Knowing God, experiencing God and manifesting God is not a matter of accomplishment, but a sense of simple acknowledgement. Knowing God is a grace, for we cannot know God unless God reveals Godself. It is in acknowledgement of that self revelation of God that we are blessed. Experiencing God is possible only if we are open to our daily happenings and the message they have for us. We would miss a treasure, if we fail to meditate on those daily events, even if they are just ordinary simple things! 

Apart from these, that is knowing God and experiencing God, there is something that we have to take upon ourselves, choose to deliberately do, accept the responsibility for: that is, to manifest God. To manifest God, to reveal God, to make people know God, to enable the world experience God - this is a task given to us and when we do it, we are being instruments in the hands of God. That is what we are called to, each in our own way. In our words, our actions, our choices and the way we relate to people we are called to be those who manifest God: will those who seek God, find God in us?

If that has to happen, our daily life has to be a life of simple commitment to the Lord in all its sense. The tasks we undertake, the relationships we enter into, the commitments we accept on ourselves, the daily duties we perform, the normal cares on our shoulders and our minds: these are all ways to our sanctity, provided they are done with a purity of intention that befits the Lord who has called us to all these. This is the meaning of the gentle breeze, the ordinariness of life, the simple routine of the daily existence. 

The Lord in the gentle breeze invites us to personal integrity, simplicity of commitment and purity of intention, on a daily basis, in simple things, in ordinariness of daily life. 

Being Apostles of Encouragement

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

June 11, 2020: Celebrating St. Barnabas, the Apostle of Encouragement

Acts 11: 2b-126, 13: 1-3; Matthew 5: 20-26

The spirit of the Reign is a spirit of encouragement and empowerment, it is not merely cynicism and critique. Barnabas stood for this spirit of the Reign, and that was the reason the apostles named him so - the term Barnabas, meaning 'son of encouragement' (cf. Acts 4:36). Today as we celebrate this Apostle, some one who was not among the 12 nevertheless proved himself equal even to Paul, in his passion for the Reign of God. 

Some characteristics that stand out in Barnabas are his relentless passion for proclamation, his courage to brave all odds, his capacity for being sincere even to the extent of having confrontations with his close friend, Paul (Acts 15). 

The Reign-lessons this great apostle gives us today can be three:

1. Build up persons, that is the way to build up the Reign of God.
Bringing Saul to the Christian community (Acts 9), going errand to solve the confusion within the churches (Acts 11), ready to play the second fiddle for the sake of the common mission... these were the marked traits of this apostle that built up persons around him.

2. Be faithful to the Lord, with a firm heart, that is the way to belong to the Reign.
Be it when they praised him as Zeus, or when things did not go well with the other apostles, or even when he had to part ways with Paul his close collaborator, Barnabas remained firm in what he believed to be right and God's will. That was his way of belonging to the Reign.

3. Rejoice in the matters of the Lord, that is the way to invite people to the Reign.
Barnabas, along with Paul  and later by himself, did go through tough times for the sake of the mission entrusted to him. But nothing stopped him, not even imprisonments and lashes and threats of killing deterred him from rejoicing in the Lord, for the opportunity to suffer for the Word.

Let us take these lessons to heart today, specially in moments of crisis and uncertainty, anxiety and anguish. Let us be encouraged, and be encouragements to the others today. Let us give hope to those around and remain firm in the Lord rejoicing in the encouragement that the Spirit brings us. May the apostle of encouragement, St. Barnabas intercede for us. 

Holding on to the Lord

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 10th week in Ordinary time

June 10, 2020: 1 Kings 18: 20-39; Matthew 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, longer than your normal patience can really hold. Amidst crises of various kinds, and specially amidst some injustice that you experience for no cause of your's, the capacity to hold on, is tested more intensely.

Today we witness some spectacular events in Elijah's lifetime. This could both be a positive lesson and a negative one at that. Positive, when we think of the greatness that God reveals right in front of the eyes of everyone. Negative, when we think of the fact that people who look for these kinds of sensational happenings to prove God, or find reasons and justifications amidst sufferings like saying 'God is angry' and 'God is displeased' and all the human absurdities attributed to God! 

However, there is one formidable message that we can derive from Elijah's experience: one person's faith could save and revive the faith of an entire people... when we hold on to God, we hold our fellow persons up. So it is with us, even in our families for instance. When a person sees many in the family or all else in the family going away from God, the person's faith could prove instrumental in bring the rest of them back to God! How many today, stand testimonies to this phenomenon!

Holding on to God is not an easy thing anyway. Just because it is challenging the Lord does not go easy on that demand... he is unwaveringly stern on that call - to remain firm! It is of course, not merely calling out, 'Lord! Lord!", which means to hold on to God. But it is to keep the Word of the Lord, to live by the commands of the Lord, come what may. When we do that we hold on; if not, we fall. 

How prepared am I to hold on to the Lord?

That your jars may never run dry!

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 10th week in Ordinary time

June 9, 2020: I Kings 17: 7-16; Matthew 5: 13-16

Be salt, be light, says the Lord, that your jar may never run dry! As salt uses up its saltiness never for itself, but adds taste wherever it is present; as light shines never for itself but burns in order that all those who around may see where they are - so is a disciple of Christ, called to live for others without counting the cost. And when you do so, come what may, you will be taken care of. It could be a raven which brings food, or a widow who feeds you, or any strange thing can happen, all in favour of you, because you are a chosen one of the Mighty Lord! 

Being salt, you are required to lose yourself and dissolve your identity in the whole lot.  A disciple or an apostle of the Lord, loses oneself in doing what the Lord wants. At times the person will not even know why, but would do something risking many a thing, even one's own life - because God wants it so. That is being lost in the Lord, being lost in the whole, being lost in the entirety doing your little bit, certain that in your own way you have contributed to the holistic goodness.

Being light, you are required to burn yourself for the others to see. It is nothing but an imitation of the Son of God who gave up his divinity (Phil 2) and shone to be the light of the world (Jn 8:12). Burning does not only mean shining, it also means being consumed. What is burning is being consumed, and at a point of time, you will find nothing that remains - all for the sake of others! For some, that others could be the family, for some it could be the parish or the faith community, for some it could be the society at large... all for the sake of making things bright for the whole world.

Being salt, being light, is a life that is lived for others. A life that is lived for others, will never run itself out. The widow of Zarephath is challenged to think of the other before herself. She made up her mind do it and she witnessed an astounding miracle; and she herself becomes a miraculous witness referred to even by Christ himself (cf. Lk 4:26). 

If we accept the same challenge in our day to day life, to place others before us, others' need before our's, others' concerns before our's, then we will witness the same miracle. Let us accept the challenge to be salt and light, that is to be Christlike, that our jars may never run dry!

God is in charge!

WORD 2day: Monday, 10th week in Ordinary time

June 8, 2020: I Kings 17:1-6; Matthew 5: 1-12

We have today the all famous 'Beatitudes' from the Gospel according to Mathew. Jesus explains to us a set of blessedness, a definition that goes contrary to the definitions of the so called 'ordinary world'. It seems as if St. Paul took the cue from here to write those beautiful wisdom: "Do not be conformed to the world, but... discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12:2).

The Blessedness that Jesus presents is not something that demands that I do a lot of things and that I prove myself to be a great success in unbelievable feats! It just consists in surrendering to the Lord and realising that in everything, and in spite of everything, 'God is incharge!' 

The situation today all around the world, though seems more tolerated than a few weeks ago, seems all intriguing and challenging. Not just gotten over with a crisis so bad, we already see riots on the streets, war cries on the horizon and unnecessary feuds on the cards... situations such as these that try our patience, persons who get on to our nerves, moments that challenge our will to belong to and trust in God and temptations that avow to take us away from God...they are bound to be there... may be this day, may be this week we begin, or any day in my daily life: but what is going to be my attitude? 

Let us have a look at the attitude of Elijah in the first reading: he surrenders, and surrenders totally! That is the model, that is the example, that is the attitude of the beatitude, that is the mentality that realises, accepts and believes that in everything, 'God is incharge!' When I do that, my needs will be miraculously met: even a raven could do the bidding of the Lord, don't we see?

CELEBRATING THE GOD OF COMMUNION

An accompanying, relating and a self-giving God

June 7, 2020: Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

Exodus 34: 4b -6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13; John 3: 16-18

The feast of the Holy Trinity is an invitation to a life of communion, communion between persons, communion within the family, within the local church, in the universal Church and above all, an invitation to the ultimate and perfect communion with God! Communion defines what it means to be a Christian: and that is because we believe in a God of Communion!

Entering into the theology of the Holy Trinity will take us too far; but the verse from St. Paul in the second reading today (1 Cor 13:13), summarises it all. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Already in the early Church the understanding of God whom they believed in, the idea of the God whom Jesus introduced them to, the concept of the God who has been with them all this while, was clear and concrete. 

What we believe in, affects what we live. If not, we either do not really believe or we do not live our own life. If we really believe in the Holy Trinity as we should, we should be promoters of communion in our interpersonal relationships, in our family, in our faith communities and in the locality wherever we live, ultimately challenging the whole world to this communion of humanity. The divisive forces cannot really take the upper hand if each and every individual loves, longs for and promotes passionately this communion that the God we believe in stands for. 

The God of Communion is an Accompanying God. God accompanies not because we deserve that accompaniment, but because God takes responsibility over us, as God's people. Accompaniment is the crux of the covenant that God has made with God's people: you shall be my people and I shall be your God. In the first reading today, when Moses asks God to be with the people, it is exactly this covenant that is invoked. The Old Testament is filled with instances where the people concretely felt the accompaniment of a powerful and all providing God. They also realised what it means to go without being accompanied by God, not because God chose not to accompany but because they chose to move away from God. 

An accompanying God is the basis of the communion between God and humanity, and it is our belief that God has kept this possibility open right from the beginning. Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ - is the highest form of accompaniment that we have witnessed in history. As a continuity of the Old Testament experience, and as a fulfillment of it, the Lord deigned to come among us and walk amidst us, just like us in everything but sin. This is the greatest expression of accompaniment that we have witnessed and have benefited from.

The God of Communion is a Relating God. Communion is unreal, unless it is expressed and experienced through relationship. Relationship is constant communication, mutual dependence and forgiving acceptance. And God relates to us continuously, God communicates constantly, respects our liberty and waits for our response, forgives us unceasingly and accepts us unconditionally, wishing to remain in constant touch with us. Nothing matters more to God, than that the love that God has for us, however unworthy we prove ourselves to be.

A relating God, is the fundamental characteristic that we see in the Christian revelation. A relationship that is founded on God's love, a love that created us, a love that cares for us and a love that caresses us in spite of our imperfections. If we realise, respect and recognise the role of this relationship that God offers, it will necessarily be reflected in our day to day relationships with others: encourage each other; agree with each other; live in peace, exhorts St.Paul. This is in short the Love of God - and anyone who says he loves God and does not love his brother or sister, is a liar, warns St. James (1 Jn 4:20). 

The God of Communion is a Self-giving God. God is not merely almighty, God is all-loving and all-giving too! God gives and forgives, it is said; and we get and forget! For God so loved the world that God gave the only Son, Jesus Christ, that we may have life! For Christ so loved his brothers and sisters that he gave his own life, his body and blood, that we may have life! For the Spirit so loves us that the Spirit dwells in our hearts, in our bodies, in our selves! The God of communion seeks communion with us, and seeks communion among us. 

A Self-giving God gives because in giving God unites, brings together, binds and builds. The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit has to be seen in the gifts received and lived together. Last Sunday, we celebrated the feast of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that unites, the Spirit that gives us charisms to build up the community made up of the sons and daughters of God. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to think and act together, work and achieve together, forgive and accept each other. It is the indwelling Spirit that enables us to love, to manifest and share that love that God has filled us with.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity is the right corrective the world so divided and so threatened by hatred today. Killings, exploitations, discriminations, violence, malice, vengeance, corruption and manipulation are brass tacks manifestations of a lack of communion. Personal Integrity, Christian Fellowship and Universal Brotherhood are the three fundamental forms of communion that we need to work towards these days. Let us begin with our personal selves and reach wherever we reach, so that we can rightfully say that we believe in the God of Communion and that we stand for the Accompanying, Relating and  Self-giving God, the God of Communion, the Loving Father and Mother, the Life-giving Son and the Indwelling Spirit.

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always. Amen. 

About the crown, let the Lord do the worrying!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 9th week in Ordinary time

June 6, 2020: 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Mark 12: 38-44

The time is sure to come when, far from being content with sound teaching, people will be avid for latest novelty and collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes [...] and turn to myths (2 Tim 4: 3,4). What a wisdom from Paul and what a forewarning from the Word. 'Collecting a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes and turning away from the truth' - isn't that happening widespread today? With the social network replacing pulpits and online applications stripping the churches of their importance, the danger is much greater, don't you feel? In fact, there are among Catholics, those from whom we hear today preferences that relativise what we have held always central to our faith all our life!

There is nothing to be alarmed about although this could instantly be a disturbing development, says the Word today. What God deals with is not the long robes and elegant tassels or long prayers and elaborate ceremonies, but the inner self and interior disposition! The two copper coins of the widow certainly was more worth than the sacks and tonnes of gold and silver that the haughty rest were depositing in those treasuries. The sentence finally, Jesus says, would not depend on the volume of their gift but the intention and the interior disposition with which the gift was made! 

Let us not be taken away by human wisdom, corporate techniques and technical prowess. Let our hearts be fixed on that one Truth, one Wisdom and the one Light that illumines our way... that we will continuously and unceasingly be led to the singular love of God and a selfless love of God's people - that all pervading love of God and absolutely binding call to love each other. Let our hearts not long for a crown or a success here and now; but let our gazes be fixed on that finish line, that we may run our races to the full and fight our bouts to the end! About the crown, let God do the worrying!

Scriptures, Spirit and Salvation

WORD 2day: Friday, 9th week in Ordinary time

June 5, 2020: 2 Timothy 3: 10-17; Mark 12: 35-37

Scriptures - from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 3:15). The Scriptures are for inspiration, the scriptures are for wisdom, the scriptures are for life - they are not merely for memorising, nor are they merely for making a living! 

That is where the Spirit comes - to give us the true wisdom that will make us understand the Scriptures in the light of our concrete life. If this is not done, one will not be led to salvation, because salvation does not come from some frozen truth, hidden away in secret somewhere. It comes from a living person, the living Word, the life giving Word, the person of Jesus, the Christ. 

Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ, said St. Jerome. Hence, knowing the Scriptures has to be knowing Christ; knowing the Scriptures does not mean knowing them by memory, or reciting them by-wrote. Knowing the scriptures should put us in touch with the person of Christ. That is true wisdom: knowing the right knowledge, and knowing the effects of knowing it. The Spirit alone can lead us to this knowing: as St. Paul affirms, 'no one, unless in the Spirit, can confess that Jesus is Lord!' 

It is the Spirit who brings us in relationship with the person of Christ and it is in this relationship that one experiences salvation! Salvation is not a destination, it is a journey; salvation is not a triumph, it is a travel; salvation is not an achievement, it is an experience, an experience of a person, the person of Jesus the Christ.

Faithfulness to the Faithfulness

WORD 2day: Thursday, 9th week in Ordinary time

June 4, 2020: 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Mark 12:28b-34

Even if we are unfaithful, the Lord is faithful, because God cannot deny Godself - says St. Paul to Timothy in the letter today! Two things to be noted here: one, the faithfulness of God and the other is the reason for that faithfulness. God is faithfulness personified and there could be no doubt about it. The beauty is the reason that Paul reflects on: that we are God's own selves, we are images and likenesses of God, God's beloveds, so much part of God's very being... that God loves us and has loved us into existence. 

God is faithfulness personified. And our faithfulness to the Lord is a response that we give to the faithfulness of the Lord. No one obliges us to be faithful to God, in fact, no one should. Not even our parents or our elders who have experienced, God and their relationship with God. Their role ends with introducing us to God... then it is our experience with God that has to take us forward. Our faithfulness to God has to be a response to the relationship that we build with God as a person who is close to us, lives with us and shares our being with us. Is our faith, such an experience?

Loving God... we love because, God loved us first. We are faithful because the Lord is faithful to us! Indeed, our love of God and our faithfulness to God, is our readiness and put commitment to relate to God and be faithful to the faithfulness of the Lord! The Lord is always open, eager, and longing for our relationship, though it is we who solely "gain" out of that relationship and love! But depends on our choices and our priorities, how far are we from God and God's Reign.