The Lord enters... are we there?

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

February 2, 2022: The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 2: 22-40

The first reading speaks of the Lord who enters the Temple, in surprise of those who were inexpectant of such a thing. The responsorial psalm, invites us to reflect on the need to prepare ourselves that the Lord may enter in. And in the Gospel we see the Lord entering... to present himself to the One who had sent him!  The three instances have three important lessons to communicate to us.

The first: the Lord enters our lives, whether we behold it or not. The Lord is someone who accompanies us and the Lord enters the history of humankind to make us understand what we are called to. The story continues... not just in the Old Testament or in the person of Jesus Christ, but even today, the Lord keeps entering the Temple of the Lord, that is the Lord keeps entering our lives, provided we are there to let the Lord in. 

The second lesson: we need to constantly prepare ourselves towards the Lord's entry into our lives. The Lord enters and we need to let him enter... he does not force his way through the closed door, nor does he enter those hearts which discard him, however the Lord awaits a favourable and authentic disposition on the part of the Lord's children.

The third: the Lord enters to offer himself - it is not to prove the Lord's sovereignty, nor is it to lord it over us, but the Lord enters to offer himself as a sacrifice of expiation for our salvation. The Lord enters to serve, to love, to save and to give of himself totally and lovingly. 

We are called to see the salvation that the Lord has prepared for us, that is the persons and events that the Lord sends our way, in order that we are prepared to behold the presence of the Lord and the presentation of the Lord, for our good, for our joy and for us to have our life to the full. The presentation becomes complete, when we ourselves are disposed to make present the presence and salvation of the Lord to those to whom we are sent. 

Yes, let us behold... the Lord enters; are we there?

Prayers and their Answers

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 4th week in Ordinary time

Febraury 1, 2022: 2 Samuel 18:9-10,14,24-25,30-19:3; Mark 5: 21-43

Turn your ear and give answer, O Lord, we pray in response to the Word today. Our prayers are answered always - at times it pleases us but at times it does not give us happiness at the moment. What is important to keep in mind is, the Lord hears us and the Lord know what is best for us. 

We have today the lovely twin episode of the woman who suffered from haemorrhage and that of the daughter of Jairus... the highlight is on how they persons here placed their total trust that the Lord will hear their cry - one better than the other. One asking the Lord to come and the other trying to touch the helm of his garments, with such confidence that the Lord will do to them, what they wished, prayed for and longed for. 

There is another important dimension that is added - at times the answer to our prayers may not be all pleasant. David was desperately looking for peace in his kingdom, safety from his enemies and the end of all the rebellion against him. The prayer was indeed answered - his son Absalom was killed! He cried bitterly and mourned, for he loved his son! But the prayer for peace and calm, had to be answered. 

At times we do not know what to pray for and how to pray for. This helps us to understand what St. Paul tells us in Romans 8:26: at times we do not know how to pray as we ought! It is the Spirit of the Lord who teaches us, not only how to pray but also what a true prayer is: a total surrender to the Lord, than prompting to the Lord what is to be done. We need to grow more and more in the prayer of surrender, thus prayers and their answers, all lead to one ideal end - a deep relationship with God. 

A Man of the Reign

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

January 31, 2022: St. John Bosco, Father and Friend of the Young 

Phillipians 4:4-9; Matthew 18: 1-5

We celebrate today a lovable saint of charity and of indefatigable commitment to the salvation of the young - St. John Bosco, or otherwise lovingly called Don Bosco. The Word that is proposed on his feast day so appropriately sums us what he is... a Man for all times, a Man of the Reign! We can identify three characteristics of his, outlined in the Word today.

The first is his insistence on joyous living of life. Rejoice, Rejoice in the Lord, Rejoice in the Lord I repeat, says St. Paul and that is what John Bosco told his boys and his collaborators always. He insisted on a joyful living of one's life, as a sign of the people of the Reign. The Spirituality he inherited from St. Francis de Sales (incidentally, this is the 400th anniversary year of St. Francis de Sales), was based on joy and optimism and that is the Christian humanism that flavoured the thoughts and teachings of Don Bosco.

The second is the primacy and priority for God. Whatever is good, whatever is true, whatever is noble and whatever is acceptable in the eyes of the Lord, choose them! This was a guiding principle for not only Don Bosco, but also given by him to others who followed him. His very motto - give me souls, take away the rest - was a reflection of this choice, the primacy and the priority that he had for God and what is acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. What a foolproof criterion also for us today - whatever is acceptable in the eyes of the Lord - that would be the choice of the Reign.

The third quality highlighted is the simplicity. If you do not become like the children, simple and innocent, you cannot enter the Reign of God, declares Jesus, thus making it so clear that Don Bosco was truly a man of the Reign. He remained a simple boy from a simple village called Becchi, right until he died as a great founder of a movement, a missionary par excellence of the young, a counsellor and confidant to great Nobles, ministers and even to the Holy Father! He remained the same simple priest that he always wanted to be! He was truly a man of the Reign.

PROPHETS OF THE LORD FOR TODAY

Called, Challenged and Comforted in Love

January 30, 2022: 4th Sunday in Ordinary time

Jeremiah  1:4-5,17-19; 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13; Luke 4: 21-30

We live our Christian faith in an increasingly pluralistic world; to be precise, it is not pluralism that is increasing but forces that make that pluralism more and more felt even on a daily basis, are making their presence more felt! One very simple and straightforward example could be what is going on in Tamilnadu, South India for the past one week. An unfortunate suicide of a school student, is used as a pretext to sow hatred in the minds of the public against the Institution she studied in, which happens to be a Catholic Institution run by a congregation of nuns. The Institution is blamed for its forced conversions and that is cited abetting the suicide of the girl. This action cannot be seen as one isolated case of accusation against the Religious Minority institutions but has to be understood within a larger plot by certain anti-secular forces at work in a nation such as India, where pluralism has for time immemorial remained an integral part of the social texture. That said, we need to look at the other side of the scenario too!

We still, in fact more these days, find the so-called Christian preachers and evangelists putting up shows and exhibiting pathetic gimmicks, in the name of proclamation, healings and spiritual awakening... the unnecessary popularity shows, the unchristian greed for money, the inhuman deceptions in the name of God... are these truly becoming of a messenger of God? Ashamed and embarassed by these treacherous manifestations, can we completely blame those fanatics, without taking the onus also on ourselves? It is against this background that the Word speaks to us today, calling each of us to be Prophets of the Lord, today, here and now!

We are Called... I have called you and appointed you my Prophet to the nations, affirms the Lord. Each of us is called, by our very baptism, we are called to be prophets of the Lord, wherever we are. Being prophets of the Lord to the nation means that we take the message of the Lord, that we take the Spirit of the Lord, that we become the presence of God for the world. Being prophets, by the very word 'prophet' can mean three things: pro-phetes...could be, on behalf of the Lord, in front of the Lord, or in favour of the Lord. We are called to make present God, before the people who look for God, and God's comfort. We are called to be persons of God in the eyes of the Lord, not merely putting up an appearance in front of the people. We are called to be in favour of the Lord, that is, we are called to present the true Lord in front of the world that constantly goes away from and turns against God. This is the call of a prophet!

We are Challenged... In fact, it is very clear that the task just mentioned above are not so simple. They are difficult, challenging and highly risky. The Lord never has hidden that detail from us: they will fight against you, says the Lord in the first reading; and Jesus says no prophet shall be accepted in his hometown, by his own people. Hence, when we take up our call to be prophets we agree to take up also the challenges that come along - opposition, derision, struggles, turmoils, plottings, violence and at times even death! We are challenged, and just because we are challenged and we are struggling, the Lord does not lessen our burden. There is no compromise... the struggle is always the same, in fact it intensified as time goes on. What are we to do... get trained for it, get formed for it, get going with it! How far can we?

We are Comforted... the Lord comes with comfort and consolation, affirmation and assurances... I am with you; I was treated the same way; I have gone through all that you might be going through now...so be firm and keep going! Do not be dismayed in their presence, for I am there to deliver you, says the Lord. It is not the acceptance of the people that will confirm that you are a prophet of God - for Jesus was just praised a moment, right at the next moment they tried to throw him down the precipice. The true confirmation of a prophet and the real comfort comes only from the Lord. And that would come only if we live up to the criterion that God has set for us as prophets... Love!

We are called, challenged and comforted in Love. Love is the litmus test of our life as prophets. Love means wishing the good of the other... not wishing my own good or fending for my own happiness. Love is doing everything for the other, love is living my entire life for the other, love is readiness to give of myself totally for the other. There is no place for selfishness or deceit in love; there is no place for greed or ego in love; there is no place absolutely for any trace of unforgiveness or evil in love. It is with these criteria that the Lord calls each and every one of us Christians, to be prophets of the Lord to the world today. 

Can we realise and accept our call to be prophets in Love? Can we look at the challenges posed by the world today in living our call as prophets, and accept them all with love? Can we really feel the comfort of love from the Lord and share the same loving comfort to the suffering masses of the world today? Can our daily life of being Christians, being children of God, become a concrete life of the prophets of the Lord for today!

A pure heart!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 3rd week in Ordinary time

January 29, 2022: 2 Samuel 12:1-7,10-17; Mark 4: 35-41

"A pure heart create for me O God" -we repeat those beautiful and moving words of David, today as responsorial. It is an important grace to ask from God - a pure heart, for blessed are those who are pure in heart, they shall see God. But the question always remains, especially for us weak and frail human beings... can our heart be pure?

That is precisely why we need to pray for that grace! David is a powerful example of a man who was swayed by his weakness and his frailty and at a point of time, he thought he could get away with it, thinking that no one would ever know his secret thoughts and plotting. But the Lord revealed to him that everything is as bright as the day before the eyes of the Lord. 

The goodness of David rests in the fact that when the Lord made him aware of his mistake, he immediately accepted it and surrendered himself to the Lord - that is the purity of heart, that is a grace! That is the grace we seek from the Lord... we may not be as pure and holy as angels, but within our weakness and our frailty we are called to maintain the purity of our hearts. When we do that we shall see God, listen to God, feel God, and be illumined by the presence of God. 

With that pure heart, righteous and humble, we shall be able to face all the turbulence in our hearts, in our lives and in our small worlds. We would be able to look at situations that are frightening and command them to silence. We shall be able to calm the sea and the storm, above all our hearts within us. That peace and calm comes from a pure heart!

Beware! the small is big!

WORD 2day: Friday, 3rd week in Ordinary time

January 28, 2022: 2 Samuel 11:1-4,5-10,13-17; Mark 4: 26-34

Although today is the memory of the great theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, we could carry on with the flow of the Liturgy of the Word these days...as there is a continuity that is intended in the entire week's Word of God...today we are called to pay attention to another aspect of the seed: the smallness, the littleness, the seemingly insignificantness of the size of the seed... but the message is to beware, because even the small is big!

Jesus presents to us the imagery of the small, tiny seed that grows into a great big shrub, becoming home to hundreds of birds. He draws our attention to our small gestures, little words, simple smiles, loving looks that can really grow into the Reign of God. He invites us to pay attention to our daily faithfulness and faithfulness in small things, that can measure up to the mighty big Reign of God, even without our knowledge.

It does not stop there. The first reading adds another nuance, which though Jesus did not say, he would have certainly meant. Just as small acts of goodness and virtue can grow up into the Reign of God, our small acts of vice and negligence of virtue can grow into a mighty big blunder. That is what happens to David... David who was in most of the ways acceptable in the eyes of the Lord, permited little weaknesses and vices within him, to take the better of him. They grew to the extent of making him a treacherous murderer...for which he had to bitter repent at a later stage. On his part, he at least repented...but today not many are ready even for the repentance! Then how will the Reign grow?

Hence the warning today: beware of the seeds of vice and weakness within you! However small and negligible they look, they can grow into an entire ruin of your life! Beware! the small is big!

Investing in the Lord

WORD 2day: Thursday, 3rd week in Ordinary time

January 27, 2022: 2 Samuel 7:18-19,24-29; Mark 4: 21-25

David is denied the privillege of building the Temple for the Lord - given the impetuous character of David, one would expect a ruckus or atleast an infantile rebellion from David. But that is not what happens today in the first reading...David submits to the Lord in all earnestness and humility, with gratitude and acknowledgement of the goodness of the Lord. And not just that, he pledges his faithfulness to the Lord, not for himself but for all his generation, his entire household. That was a great invenstment on the part of David - an eternal investement with boundless dividends. 

Faithfulness to God is not an easy virtue, given the trouble and suffering it can cause at particular moments of life. But it is an investment, not just for oneself but for the entire generation. Believe in the Lord, and you shall be saved, you and your household - is a familiar promise repeated in the Acts of the Apostles. And as St. Paul affirms, the one who sows aplenty shall reap in abundance; those who sow sparingly shall reap only sparingly (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:6). Faithfulness to the Lord is a mightly investment and it shall never fail! 

Any investment is giving away, letting go, a losing of what one has... and so is faithfulness to God. The so-called promises and the attractions of the instantly glamourous world, can take us away from the right perspective of eternity - from that perspective, one who gives away more shall be given more, and only those who have more shall think of investing more! Without minding the hardships, temptations and struggles, let us resolve to invest more and more in the Lord; and in God's own time we shall reap every bit of its dividend. 

The Sower, the seed and the Fruits

THE WORD AND THE SAINTS

January 26, 2022: St. Titus and Timothy

2 Timothy 1:1-8; Mark 4:1-20

What is sown shall certainly bear its fruits, but the fruits depend on the condition created and the care taken. The Lord has sown within us, God's own image and likeness, God's goodnews and all the goodness with which the Lord has created this whole universe! Much depends on how we care for what has been sown and the condition we create together as people of God. 

First lesson is to be convinced of the fact that God has sown within us great treausres - beginning with the image and likeness of God because of which we are made true children of the Almighty, the Spirit of the Lord which the Lord has poured into our hearts which make of us great signs of God's presence and the Message of Jesus Christ, the Kerygma of God which makes us bearers of God's tidings to the entire world.

The second lesson is to care for what has been given within us - that we may grow to be truly children of God, that we may forever bear the presence of God to others in whatever situation we find ourselves in and that we may translate our very lives into a goodnews, that the Lord our God is with us and we belong to the One Lord.

Finally, the lesson is to bear fruit - the fruits of our identity,the fruits of the Spirit, the fruits of the Message of God - that everyone who comes across a Christian finds in the person an inspiration, a guidance, a sign post and a clear direction how to live as human persons in this world. At times, today the life of a Christian or a Christian community not only fails to give this witness, but becomes a counter witness; not drawing people to God but driving people away from the One True God. 

The Sower who has sown the divine seeds within us, awaits our cooperation and our fruits... are we on the path of our growth?

Conversion: the call and the commitment

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

January 25, 2022: The Conversion of St. Paul

Acts 22:3-16; Mark 16:15-18

In celebrating the event of the conversion of St. Paul we celebrate the Christian theology of Conversion. It is not merely about someone abandoning one's previous faith and embracing another faith, a phenomenon which seems to be creating so much of a controversy down the history. It is about discovering, or rediscovering, one's call and commitment, the original call and the fundamental commitment. 

Paul was called...and he knew it well. He did not realise the crux of his call, but he was convinced he was called. We as children of God need to have that conviction that we are called, a fundamental self-identity that sets us apart and keeps us close to God. At times we may mistake, misunderstand or misinterpret the call that we have received...but what is important is the search to remain faithful to God. 

Paul committed himself to God and God's mission, with all his heart and with all his soul. Even when he was a persecutor of the Christians, he was doing it all for God and that authenticity in Paul, brought him to the right path in the same drammatic way that he loved God. His commitment was exceptional and that is why when his whole direction was changed in life, Paul continued with the same zest within him. There was inbuilt within him, a sense of absolute commitment to his call.

Conversion, therefore, is a rediscovery of the original call that we have received from the Lord. The call and the reminder is to remain always alert to discern the purposes of the Lord and be ready always for an absolute commitment to God's ways!

Division, Unity and the Spirit

WORD 2day: Monday, 3rd week in Ordinary time

January 24, 2022: 2 Samuel 5:1-7,10; Mark 3: 22-30

The Word today speaks to us about how a house divided within itself shall become a victim of the evil one and how the house of Israel united themselves under one servant of God - the King David. The Spirit unites...anyone who sins against unity, sins against the Spirit; anyone who sins against the Spirit, denies oneself of a place in the presence of God. 

During the unity octave that we are in, which ends tomorrow, we are inspired to reflect on the Christian call to unite! Becoming One in the Spirit is the fundamental call of the People of God. Those which spread division, instead, are unnecessary ego-play and inhuman surrender to evil. 

There are presons today in the world today who seem to have given themselves to the evil one, having made a pact to further the cause of the evil at the cost of peace and tranquility of the entire humanity. This is an unfortunate development, and it shall not be too long before they ruin themselves and damage so many others around them.

More dangerous are those who are given into ego-play, who even without their own knowing will be furthering the cause of the evil one. At least those who are deliberately evil and pronouncedly on the side of the evil can be identified and warned against. But those who are guided by their own ego, over and above every other good, are persons who will cause much more damage to themselves and to others... we are infact witness to such experiences.