With hearts set on fire...

WORD 2day: Thursday, 29th week in Ordinary time

October 26, 2023: Romans 6: 19-23; Luke 12: 49-53

With hearts set on fire... that is the way to live an authentic Christian life, declares the Gospel today. 

Fire can symbolically mean light that dispels darkness; one can choose either to live in the light or slumber in the shade - "the work of each will become visible,...because it will be revealed with fire"(1Cor 3:13) says the Word. 

Fire can symbolise the purifying fire which tests the genuineness of our faith, faith which is more precious than gold(1 Pet 1:7). It is all about choices! The choices we make, define the persons that we are. 

Every moment of our life, in our words, in our acts, in our thoughts, in our priorities, in every little decision that we make, we are making choices, we are continually defining who we are, to ourselves first of all and then to the world. Its a choice fundamentally - for death or for life! When we choose things that are ungodly we choose death. When we choose righteousness, the way of the Light, the fire of the Lord, we choose eternal life in Jesus Christ. 

The question here is, are our hearts on fire?

Integrity: being slaves to righteousness

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 29th week in Ordinary time

October 25, 2023: Romans 6: 12-18 -18; Luke 12: 39-48

Jesus continues his instruction as to how we need to be prepared for that hour of reckoning at any point of time in our life. Infact, Jesus is ridiculing all the funny discussions and calculations about when that hour will come - some self proclaimed eschatalogical quacks make much ado of the end and its timings and miss the entire point that Jesus is driving home here. No matter when and where, you know what to do and why to do it. Take care how you do it - not seeking human attention but going by merely God's approval. 

There is a discussion in the world today: who is more corrupt and who is less corrupt. This is the kind fallacy that Jesus is questioning. You are either corrupt or not corrupt! Where does this more and less corrupt come from? When we speak so much against people of corrupt nature, it could be politicians or leaders or officials or persons in authority, we may be stating facts but are we justified to speak so? Aren't we corrupt too in our own way? Even doing something good for the sake of being praised is a form of corruption. 

This is what we call Integrity where I don't need an external recognition; I have developed an internal system of convictions and criteria that makes me almost a "slave" to Righteousness... doing nothing but good, speaking nothing but good, thinking nothing but good, no matter how unlikely the returns are, or what the consequences would be. I am good and righteous and there is no need of a because!

Being awake! Being passionate!

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 29th week in Ordinary time

October 24, 2023 - Romans 5: 12,15,17-21; Luke 12:36-38

Be Awake! says the Lord today. St. Paul reminds us, that death has come from sin; sin had come through disobedience and disobedience does not, for sure, come all of a sudden. It comes, either from a conscious rebellion or a habitual disregard. However, conscious rebellion is not as dangerous as a habitual disregard. 

A feeling of monotony, getting used to things done on a regular basis, fixed and routine schedules of prayer and customary acts of piety, usual persons and daily duties - these are the sources of habitual disregard. It is a kind of a slumber, a slumber with which we carry out our tasks and duties... be they spiritual or otherwise. 

The Lord invites us today, to be alert, to be awake, to be diligent even in the most ordinary of the daily tasks that we carry out - so that when the Master comes we are prepared to receive, whatever time it is. Keep alert, warns St. Peter, the devil your adversary is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). 

Just a curious thought to add: the easiest way to keep awake is to refuse to sleep! To refuse to sleep is to keep busy, keep at something constantly. What keeps you busy is what you are passionate about. And so, being passionate is being awake!

Faith versus Foolishness

WORD 2day: Monday, 29th week in Ordinary time

October 23, 2023: Romans 4: 20-25; Luke 12: 13-21

Ultimately it is my faith that is going to make a difference, says the first reading. And the Gospel corroborates the fact saying, 'if i don't realise that, I am getting more and more foolish!' 

Death is a normal and logical certainty and in the face of it, what would anything other than my relationship with God matter to me. The source and destiny of my existence is God and God alone can make any difference to my being in the final analysis - whether in this world or in the existence to come. 

Many of us, not only fail to recognise this fact but we deliberately refuse to admit its validity. Pride and Selfishness make one see nothing but himself or herself. Lack of profound understanding of things that happen around, makes one think he or she is capable of anything in this world, until that bubble is burst in a tragic moment! 

A bit of realism and humility will bring every one to this thinking but the sad fact is that it takes a whole lifetime for some of us to come to that realisation. If we have arrived at it already, it is a reason to thank God, for having inspired us early. Let us strive grow in that realisation, becoming more and more founded on our faith, and less and less foolish in our life!

Faith that speaks and acts!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 28th Week in Ordinary time

October 21, 2023: Romans 4:13,16-18; Luke 12: 8-12

Jesus assures us, true faith speaks for itself. We need not hunt for ways and means of explaining and defending our faith; it is mostly self evident and self explanatory. We don't need mighty big formulae to hold on to a faith... all we need is the realisation of the constant and unceasing presence of the Lord with us and within us.

When I am convinced of this presence I can hope against hope as Abraham did. Such a faith speaks on my behalf, clarifies things for me and others, and acts in my favour in the ultimate analysis. Internally it strengthens me and outwardly it makes me a role model. It cannot be otherwise - that I put up an appearance of being a role model, while there is still aspects to be strengthened within me. 

There is a beautiful insight, that hope none of us miss, in the Word today, the readings taken together. While Paul speaks of God as one who raises the dead to life and calls to life those which do not as yet exist, Jesus speaks of that one sin that cannot be forgiven, the sin against the Holy Spirit. They both are referring to the same, while the former cites a positive explanation, the latter provides a note of clarification. That is where the insight lies:

The sin against the Holy Spirit is the lack of hope, which is a concrete expression of lack of faith leading to a life that ultimately lacks true love! Let nothing perturb you, if you are really a person of faith!

Let our lives be filled with a faith that speaks and acts!

The gift of faith and what we do with it

WORD 2day: Friday, 28th Week in Ordinary time

October 20, 2023: Romans 4: 1-8; Luke 12: 1-7

Faith is a gift, a gratuitous gift from God! My part is to grow in it. The more I grow in it, the more I realise how undeserving I am of it.

Abraham was granted this gift and he grew tremendously worthy of it. Paul was granted this gift and he fought a brave fight to become worthy of it. Jesus accuses those who throw those pearls of faith to the swines of their ego and self centered thinking. If I have received this gift of faith, should I not be grateful for it and mindful enough to keep growing in it. Can I be boasting about it and mindlessly acting contrary to it? 

Jesus warns us about something that would not look apparently like an aberration of faith, but in fact leads us gradually away from what true faith is all about - 'the yeast' of the Pharisees, that Jesus mentions in the Gospel today. At times people think they are treasuring that faith, but actually trashing their faith by becoming self righteous and so judgmental about others. They grow so intolerable towards others that they think they possess the whole truth and no one can dare differ from them. 

Taking my faith to be a reason for my pride, judging everyone else who does not partake of it; calling names at people who have a faith different from mine merely because of the difference and treating them with despite; making faith a means to make my living instead of making it my life and journeying genuinely towards my eternal life...these are somethings that I need to be on the guard about! 

Faith is a gift given to me and I need to grow in it every day, every moment.

Refrain from Bloodshed

WORD 2day: Thursday, 28th week in Ordinary time

October 19, 2023: Romans 3: 21-30; Luke 11: 47-54

We are justified by faith apart from the works of law - this was, is and will ever be a point of contention. In the Old Testament times it was a contention between the 'conservative' and the 'progressive' rabbinic schools; in Jesus' times between him and the Jewish religious heads; in the times of the early Christians it was a contention between those who followed the Pauline theology and those who believed the theology of James; today it continues between the Catholics and the non Catholics! 

Needless to say, our point of reference is Jesus: 'Don't put your trust in your capacity to achieve things and to gain control or dominance, in violence or in silencing people through your vilifying judgements,' warns Jesus. All these are blood shedding... not only literally killing people by the sword. Your words and your judgments can kill people long before they actually die. You will be demanded to account for this! 

What Jesus taught against was, empty ritualism, legalistic spirituality and hypocritical religiosity, that allows one to compromise between inhuman behaviour and an unbelievably pious image, the coexistence between unjust thought process and a sweet religious conversation, the unholy alliance between dirty politics and pompous spirituality. Ignatius of Antioch, whom we celebrated a couple of days ago would say, "it is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but to actually be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name." 

Let my faith and my works go together, only then can I truly refrain from bloodshed

Absolute Choice for God

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

October 18, 2023: Celebrating St. Luke, the Evangelist
2 Timothy 4: 10-17; Luke 10: 1-9

Luke alone is with me...writes Paul.

One salient feature that is often pointed out about St.Luke's gospel is the contrasting images that he uses in his narration... the beatitudes and the woes, Martha and Mary, the prodigal and his brother, the rich man and Lazarus, the good thief and the bad thief... these are typical to Luke-s narration! 

Today's Gospel too highlights one: a person of peace and a person who is not of peace; those who respond to the Lord and those who do not. It follows the same logic of the contrast... where does the contrast lie and what message does it give us today?

The message is obvious: Luke challenges his readers with absolute choices - for or against the Lord; with or away from the Lord! A value that he seems to have dominated his own life - he chose to remain with Paul in his difficult ministry! The radical choices that a disciple has to make according to Jesus in the Gospel today, were very clear for Luke and he made those choices his own! 

The feast of St.Luke invites us to make an absolute choice for God: on a daily basis, at work and at home, on the streets or in a public transport; in company or alone - we are what we choose to be! Let us fearlessly choose to belong to the Lord, always!

No excuses! Towards Integrity!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

October 17, 2023: Remembering St. Ignatius of Antioch 

Romans 1: 16-25; Luke 11: 37-41

The terminology used by Paul today sounds very practical, warning us that there are no excuses one can give for not recognising the hand of God in and through the immensity of the reality around. And added to that when it comes to me and God, I don't need to have proofs and justifications and evidences that I believe in God or not. Because God knows the innermost thoughts of mine and I need not be bothered about my presentations and formulations. This is the fundamental element of what we call 'integrity.'

Integrity is having the least discrepancy between my inner self and my external behaviour, between my convictions and what I engage myself in on a daily basis, between what really matters for me and what I present myself as to others! It is avoiding hypocrisy, staying clear of putting up appearances, or having hidden agenda. Jesus uses simple terms for that in the Gospel - inside and outside! Let both be clean he says... I can have no excuses when it comes to my inner self, for I stand convicted before God who knows the innermost thoughts.

The saints like the one whom we remember today, St. Ignatius of Antioch, were people who were incomparable in their integrity. They were ready to give of their whole self to God - not just part time and not just a stage show or a dramatic performance. When I do all that I do, with true consciousness and sincere acceptance of why I do it, I am on the first step towards integrity. I need to constantly purify myself towards that integrity that will reveal God's image within me. 

In spite of the beasts of this world, the attractions and the pressures that surround me, help me Lord to grow in my personal integrity!

The call and the reminder

WORD 2day: Monday, 28th Week in Ordinary time

October 16, 2023 - Romans 1: 1-7; Luke 11: 29-32

The first reading today speaks to us about our call to belong to Christ, our call to be holy, our obedience of faith. At times we forget this fundamental call and live our daily life in the way we like, giving into our whims and fancies. We lose track of our fundamental call and go after things that matter nothing to our salvation, some of them even detrimental to our salvation. 

We become so callous to our failures and disorientation that we do not even realise we are going farther and farther away from our destined goal: our sanctification. This does not mean that we cannot fail or that we cannot have imperfections in life, but that we cannot justify them or become indifferent to them. 

We can never justify our act, our choices or our priorities when they go against the call that we have from God. We are given reminders after reminders, through persons, situations, events and interventions. The models given to us today: the people of Nineveh and Queen of Sheba, are people who were so attentive to these signs and reminders that they instantly picked up the message that God was giving them. They took the utmost effort to respond to their specific call. That is the reminder given to me today: how much have I grown in responding to the call that the Lord has given me personally? The call to belong to Christ, the call to be holy, the call to my personal sanctification!