FREEDOM OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD

A different kind of reasoning, relationship and renunciation

23rd Sunday in Ordinary time - September 4, 2022
Wisdom 9: 13-18; Philemon 1:9-10,12-17; Luke 14:25-33

Wisdom and Freedom have a lot to do with each other. Wisdom is a specific gift from the Holy Spirit to the children of God. And freedom is no less a gift, and very specific to the children of God. A true child of God is necessarily a person of freedom and a truly free person is very close to being a Child of God. This is the crux of the Word this Sunday - the meaning of the Freedom of the Children of God.

If we are really convinced of our identity as Children of God we would realise we are given with a freedom that makes us so different from what the world preaches. We think freedom is the ability to do whatever we think... but that is not what freedom is all about. Freedom instead is the capacity to do the right thing, without any external force. When we have this capacity, we would be totally different from the so-called majority in the society today. Because this freedom amounts to a different kind of reasoning, a different kind of relating and a different mindset of renouncing.

Freedom of the Children of God is seen first and foremost in a different kind of Reasoning that one possesses. Taking up the cross willingly, giving and forgiving without any compensations for it, looking at everything from the perspective of God... these make a different kind of reasoning that we are called to possess. The first reading speaks to us of an important fact - that we may not understand everything in life and we need not be worried about it. We need not understand everything. We need not feel obliged to be in control of everything. Let us leave that part to God and things will become clearer to us in the due course of time.

Freedom of the Children of God is manifested in the kind of Relationships we treasure. While everywhere, possession and entitlement, gain and profit, benefits and advancements rule the roost, we are called to think of giving up, forgiving, accepting, welcoming someone without any conditions and so on. St. Paul instructs Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ and even tacitly asking Philemon to free Onesimus from his slave-ship. A redefinition of relationships is a natural outflow of the freedom of the Children of God. We cannot but be reminded here of the numerous cases of inequality and discrimination among and within the Christian communities... a clear sign that we have not yet truly experienced or even understood the freedom of the children of God.

Freedom of the Children of God is best seen in the Renunciation that seems so natural and far from being a deprivation. Have we not come across people who renounce a few simple things in life and are extremely mindful of that fact - reminding themselves of it so often, making sure others know that they have renounced (whatever it is), making up for the renunciation in and through other means (sometimes going to another extreme). Jesus presents renunciation not as an extraordinary means of following God, but as an inevitable means of being disciples. Renouncing something is important; but renouncing the so-called merits of the renunciation is the true renunciation!

Freedom of the Children of God permits us to live a life that is free, full and highly inspiring. It helps us reconfigure our way of thinking and our list of priorities. It helps us redefine our relationships, in terms of maturity and mutuality and not selfishness and exploitation. It helps us renounce not just a few things, but renounce the very merit of renunciation, that we may become truly free in our spirit. May we grow everyday in this great gift we have received from the Spirit of the Lord: the freedom of the children of God.

Blinded by ego and ruined by pride!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 22nd week in Ordinary time

September 3, 2022: 1 Corinthians 4: 6b-15; Luke 6: 1-5

It is better to be ignorant or deprived than to be haughty with pride, warn the readings today. The Pharisees and the Scribes constantly had a problem with Jesus, not because Jesus was wrong, and not even because they did not know what Jesus was upto! They knew what Jesus was hinting at every time he broke a law or a custom. They knew that Jesus had something to communicate and they even knew what he had to tell them! But the problem was, they did not want to listen to him, much less, accept his stand point. Simply because of the pride that ruled their minds and ruined their situation.

What the Pharisees and the Saducees needed was not a new knowledge, they knew it all. The unfortunate situation was that they did not realise what they knew, they did not live up to what they understood, they were not prepared to give up on their pride and glory and that prevented them from beholding the glory of the Lord that was present among them, in Christ Jesus. Just so with us. It is not that we do not know, but we are not ready to admit what we know, because with that we would have to make a lot of changes in our lives; we would have to give up on the comfort zones that we have created for ourselves. And worst of all, it is such a difficult task for us to admit that we need change, because our ego hurts.

Our sense of ego and our urge to prove ourselves can sometimes fill us with a prejudice so strong that we can miss the obvious, something that is present right in front of our eyes!  Not just the pharisees and the scribes in Jesus' time, but even for us, this is a real danger. With our preconceived ideas and over glorified ego, we would be so filled with ourselves, that we would not be able to see, feel with or love our brothers and sisters with us. We could grow so touchy, that no one can tell us what we really need to hear to change our lives. And that is where we run the risk of not beholding the Lord who is right beside us, blinded by our ego and ruined by our pride!

Mind your business!

WORD 2day: Friday, 22nd week in Ordinary time

September 2, 2022: 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5; Luke 5: 33-39

At times we mind everybody else's business, forgetting the all important business that we have, our own life! The Word today instructs us to mind just our business. How hard can one try to satisfy everyone around? Is it worth the effort at all? How many lives are made so boring and barren merely out of living up to the expectations of the world around! The secret of a truly fruitful and meaningful life is: knowing your business, and going about it.

Minding one's business could be interpreted negatively, as not interfering in others' business! There could be another important meaning and that is, to be clear as to what one's given task is and being convinced to go about it, come what may. It consists of knowing that I am here with a purpose and I have a task given to me and being at that task, without attaching too much importance to eventualities - whether they are good or bad, encouraging or displeasing. It consists therefore, first and foremost, in knowing who we are!

As St. Paul says in his letter today, what is expected of us good stewards is that each one is found worthy of the One, whose stewards we are! Knowing who we are and striving to be faithful to that identity, is the Christian meaning to our life. Christ did just that. He knew he was the Son of God and he lived his life to the full, worthy of the identity that he inherited from his Father. 

We are called to be his stewards, and we are called to live worthy of it, notwithstanding the praises or critiques, the affirmations and the discouragements that might come our way. If we try to patch up with unfitting elements merely because those around us are looking for it, if we mix up unblending elements just because the world around enjoys it... we may lose the true sense of our calling. The best thing, amidst all the mixed voices around, is to know and mind our business!

Everything belongs to God

WORD 2day: Thursday, 22nd week in Ordinary Time

September 1, 2022: 1 Corinthians 3: 18-23; Luke 5: 1-11

During the Eucharistic Celebration, post the Lord's prayer, there is a section where the priest prays 'save us from all distress'. In the old version of the missal, the words used to be, 'free us from all anxiety'. Some of my priest friends for sounding novel and practical would change it as, free us from all needless anxiety... and I would pick an argument with them - for a Christian every anxiety is needless! Every anxiety is needless because everything belongs to God.

No anxiety, whether about eating or drinking, life or death, success or fear, nothing, absolutely nothing is warranted if I truly believe in my Lord. If I beleive in the Lord, and if I beleive that the Lord is almighty and that I am loved by my God... it logically follows that the Lord will take care of everything and the Lord is capable of everythin - and where does anxiety come from? It comes from the fact that I think that everything depends on me, on my capacity! The more I depend on my capacity, the more anxious I have to be, because I would not know when I will fail - I am not omnipotent. But the liberating fact is to realise that God is in control, not me!

The Lord is in control... all that I need to do is my duties to the best of my abilities and leave the rest to God. Call it Nishkama Karma, or detachment, or Kantian categorical imperatives... be the title what it may, the point is: God is in charge and I need not worry or be anxious. It is a difficult mindset but the most liberating one. I can save myself of so much of anxiety. if only I grow convinced of the fact that God is in control of everything, because everything belongs to God!

Defining Spiritual Persons

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 22nd week in Ordinary time

August 31, 2022: 1 Corinthians 3: 1-9; Luke 4: 38-44

Paul feels bad about the fact that he is not able to speak to the Corinthians as to Spiritual people, because of jealousy, rivalry and division among them. He presents those predicaments as directly opposed to being spiritual people. The same criteria would apply even today and even to us!

Jesus in the Gospel shines as a role model in being a Spiritual person or in other words, a person of the Spirit. He heals, casts out demons and refuses to gain any popularity mileage out of it. He rebukes the demons even, not to announce his Christ-image, as he wants the people to experience him personally in the depths of their hearts, each one hearing him or following him. He has no urge for popularity or no sense of jealousy or rivalry with the others.

Are jealousy, rivalry, infights and other divisive tendencies totally absent today in our communities? Leave alone the communities; what about my heart, is it totally free of these unspiritual attitudes? If not, I still am an immature believer. I may be outstanding in carrying out my so called spiritual duties and daily pious routines... but my faith still remains infantile. 

St. Paul, in a way, defines who a spiritually mature person is: one who is integral in his or her outlook, unifying in his or her relationships, loving in his or her consideration of the other and God centered in his or her understanding of one's own identity vis-a-vis the faith community. That is a solid sign of spiritual maturity.

Spiritual Persons are persons of the Spirit, and what matters to them is the action of the Spirit within themselves and within their communities! They would know it and they would submit to it wholeheartedly. 

The Mind of Christ

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 22nd week in Ordinary Time

August 30, 2022: 1 Cor 2: 10-16; Lk 4: 31-37

They believed firmly that no human being can ever deserve the love of God. All that one can do is live in fear of the wrath of God and live a righteous life in order to avoid punishment; one has to live in fear and trembling all his or her life, to obtain one's salvation. 

Jesus turns tables as he makes it clear to them that while it is true that no one can deserve the love of God, it is equally true that one need not deserve to be loved! God loves us and that is all that matters. In his own self Jesus demonstrated how God is close to every human person and how God is compassionately in love with God's children. It is not about begging God for love, but it is about claiming that love with authority that comes from the very fact that we are sons and daughters of that loving God.

"Claiming with the right of the children"... can we really do that? Yes, of course, but let us remember that it first requires that I ensure that live as a true son or a daughter of God, knowing my duties and my obligations, my priorities and pertaining choices! It is the Spirit who enables us to have this clear, in our mind and in our lives. 

It is the Spirit of the Lord with us and within us, who makes us realize that we are the sons and daughters of the Lord almighty. Above all these, to know our privilege as children, to understand the value of being God's sons and daughters, the fundamental requirement is that we have the mind of Christ! The Spirit enables us to grow the mind of Christ within us, that we may grow more and more in our identity as sons and daughters of God. 

Matyrdom, the Christ logic

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

August 29, 2022: Remembering the beheading of John the Baptist

Jeremiah 1: 17-19; Mark 6: 17-29

Once, discussing about martyrdom with a group of youngsters, one asked me, 'why should they go upto martyrdom?' In the same tone I replied, 'they don't go up to it, it comes after them!'

Martyrdom is not a given-up mode of life. It is a fruit of living one's life to the full till the end, never losing the core purpose of that life for even a moment. Martyrdom is not an option to choose. It is a consequence of the choices made, absolute choices for truth and righteousness. It is a philosophy in itself, a totally different logic. 

St.Paul would boast about this often saying, there is a different kind of a logic that is at work in us... the logic of Christ. The first person who lived by that logic even before Christ our Lord, was John! Infact, Christ called him the greatest of those born of a woman. The sufferings of this world are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us in the Lord, St. Paul would remind us. 

Be a servant to be the Leader, be the least to be considered the best, be ready for the Cross in order to taste the true love of God... this is the logic we are refering to. Identifying ourselves with Christ is a serious affair, a risky task. We would either be judged "strange"or "challenging". Many went through this ordeal due to this Christ logic... Jesus himself was affected by that. They called him 'possessed' and 'out of his mind', just as they called John, a man of the wilderness! Finally they villainised them and killed them both!  

Applying today the Christ logic... what do we expect of the world? Persecutions and pressures: what would be our response to them? In today's culture of hatred and violence, what would our style be? Do we dare to make Christ logic our own, in our daily, concrete situations? That would be our daily martyrdom.

BLESSED ARE THE HUMBLE

Mark of the People of the Reign

August 28, 2022: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary time

Ecclesiastes 3:19-21,30-31; Hebrew 12: 18-19, 22-24; Luke 14: 1,7-14 

Humility is one lesson we learn so hard. Blessed are those who are humble by nature. The best of our qualities and talents would amount to nothing if only we lack this one single virtue:  Humility! The Word today invites us not only to be humble, but also to be with the humble and to be all for those who are humble, that we may be considered people of the Reign of God. 

Let us begin with an anecdote - a guru of a ashram was old and dying and he announced to his band of disciples: 'I wish to appoint the humblest of you all as the next Guru of the ashram.' The bickering began among the disciples, each one trying to prove he is more humble than the other. There was one among them who stood still and away from all debating. The Guru seemed impressed. He thought to himself, 'that should be the right one to succeed me, perhaps!' and he called him over to himself and asked him: 'what about you? are you not interested in the contest?' The disciple replied, 'Oh Master, you don't get it, how much ever they fight among themselves, they will never find anyone more humble than me!' The Guru was heart broken and he dismantled the whole ashram before he died! Spiritual Masters say, the moment you think you are humble, you cease to be so! How true it is!

Be Humble - that is the first message today. Being Humble is not putting up an appearance. It is not doing something to prove to others that I am humble. It is going about my duty with such sincerity and integrity that I may not be even noticed for the good that I do - but that does not disturb me at all.  

At times there are people who make a big show of the so-called good that they do, and sometimes a show even of their own simplicity! Just think of those famous posters of our politicians posing with a broom in their hands claiming to be simple and committed to cleanliness of the nation. Or similar ones where they pose with some poor people, in their huts and gullies. They would have spent a fortune on those hoardings and advertisements! Let us remember - we have nothing to prove to anyone, not even to our own selves. All that I need to do is, be truthful, be real, be authentic. Humility is acceptance of truth. 

Be with the Humble - identify people who are truly humble. Jesus had the special eye for the humble ones. Be it Mathew, or Zacchaeus, or Nathaniel, or the Centurion, or the Pharisee who asked him about the commandment of love... Jesus recognised the humble and sided with them. In another episode like today's Gospel, when Jesus was at dinner at Simon the Pharisee's, he was able to see through the sinfulness of the woman and identify her humble repentance. She was gifted with his empathy. Jesus sided always with the humble, not with the haughty. 

If we are truly people of God, besides being humble ourselves, we would look out for the humble and stand by them. Just become aware of your tendency... among a group of new people whom you meet, who is it that you feel drawn to: the most brandishing among them or the quiet insecure of the band? Or when you deal with persons who depend on you, whom do you promote: the so-called talented and gifted or the rare ones who never get to reach the limelight? There is a statement about myself, in whom I choose to be with. 

Be all for the Humble - being the voice of the voiceless, the stronghold for the weak. When we stand by the humble we stand with the Lord, because the Lord always stands by the humble. This is the third message that the Word offers us today. Be for the humble of heart, stand by them, empathise with them, support them and spread the spirit so that the Reign of God may be felt amidst us, here and now. 

Today, we see reports of so many humble persons being taken for granted, exploited and drained of even the little that they have. We have truthful and integral individuals taken to task, punished and crushed by the demonic culture of corruption and greed. Those who fight for justice and truth are labelled rebels by the authority and derided as jobless by the public. What is our response as people of the Reign?

The Word this Sunday invites us to understand that the humble are blessed in the sight of the Lord. Those who are humble, those who are with the humble and those who are all for the humble, find favour in the light of the Reign of God - they are truly the people of the Reign.

The Power of Tears

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

August 27, 2022: Remembering Saint Monica

1 Corinthians 1: 26-31; Luke 7: 11-17

St. Monica, this saintly Mother has always been a point of great admiration in Christian hagiography. What a great example we have in her, as a mother and as a child of God! 

There are three lessons that this saintly mother can teach us:

1. The grace of tears: 

Pope Francis encourages people to pray for the 'grace of tears' when pleading to God to help others, when recognising their own sinfulness, when contemplating the greatness of Christ's love and when experiencing God's mercy. Monica had the grace of tears and she prayed with tears every time she prayed for her husband and her son.

2. The power of tears: 

When the widow of Nain cried, the Lord could not resist his compassion for her. He was moved to the point of a miracle. Just so, Monica saved her son, by the sheer power of her tears. What if we realise, that our tears can save, atleast ourselves!

3. The witness of tears: 

Tears become a witness, witness to the love of God. The genuine tears of a loved one speaks volumes about the immeasurable love that God has for a person. Tears are not signs of weakness, they are signs of inner strength to remain with a person who is suffering or struggling!

Let us pray for the gift of tears, as Pope Francis recommends!

Wisdom and Foolishness

WORD 2day: Friday, 21st week in Ordinary time

August 26, 2022: 1 Corinthians 1: 17-25; Matthew 25: 1-13

The world today has its own definition of wisdom and foolishness, success and failure, acceptable and inacceptable, desirable and undesirable, etc. Everything is calculated, to put it simply, in terms of benefits and gains in comparison to the effort and investment. Convenience and comfort seem unfailing criteria of choice. What is comfortable and convenient, what does not disturb my daily routine and normal life style... that is to be considered acceptable and the others have to be avoided as unnecessary! This is what the world teaches, but can these be Christian parameters?

The Christian paradigm, as Paul says is the Cross and the hope that it projects. However hard we may try, no other paradigm can make sense of this. The sacrifices we make and the selfless goodwill we have towards others are true Christian parameters of righteousness. When we try to be good, when we intend to do good to others, when we decide to be righteous, we are bound to face problems, pressures and sometimes even persecutions! 

Being good and doing good without expecting anything in return or without looking for its credits, is the cross we are called to embrace on a daily basis if we wish to really belong to the Bridegroom! The Cross is not just a sign or a symbol... it is a life style, the lifestyle that a disciple of Christ has to adopt. It is this grammar of Cross alone that can differentiate truly between wisdom and foolishness!