Called, Loved and Trusted!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

May 3, 2024 - Celebrating the Apostles Philip and James

1 Corinthians 15: 1-8; John 14: 6-14

Today we celebrate the Apostles Philip and James - the Word today reminds them of these great personalities, and these two can give us an inspiration to live by today. 

First let us consider James - we can outline three details ascertained in the Gospels and other New Testament writings: that James was the son of Zebedee along with John, that James was called and referred to as the brother of Jesus, and that James was one among the close three apostles of Jesus who had the grace of witnessing to many things that the other apostles did not. Hence he was a privileged apostle. However he was notorious too: did he aspire for a seat on the right or left of Jesus when he would return in glory; did he not want to call fire down from heaven to destroy the people who did not accept Jesus?

The other apostle, Philip - he too has some specific merits attached to him: that he was the one who brought Nathanael to Jesus thus occasioning one the most profound discourses of Jesus, that he was the one who was approached by the Greeks and later he would bring in the Ethiopian minister into the Christian fold, that as the Gospel narrates today, he asked to see the Father and thus made Jesus reveal another profound truth - if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. He seemed to have been an enterprising apostle, although Jesus finds him very often wanting in fuller understand of the mysteries revealed - be it in the episode we hear in the Gospel today or in that of the multiplication of the loaves and so on. 

What are these aposltes inspiring us to: first, that we are specially called and each of us is in some way a privileged disciple of Christ; secondly, we do have our share of incompleteness and lack, but that can never take away anything from the love that the Master has for us; and thirdly, our responsibility is to do all we can to remain totally faithful to our call, like Philip whom we come across in the Acts of the apostles as a tireless messenger of the Word and James who laid down his life as first of the apostles to give his life for the Word. 

We are called, we are loved, and we are trusted by the Lord as God's messengers. 

One People of God - the love effect

WORD 2day: Thursday, Fifth week in the Eastertide

May 2, 2024 - Acts 15: 7-21; John 15: 9-11

"God arranged to enlist a people for God's name out of the pagans"... and the apostles had identified the right priority when they decided "not to make things more difficult for people who turn to God." That is the wisdom that the Spirit gave them to choose that one criteria - the wellbeing, the utltimate wellbeing of the other - that which makes us One people of God.

Wishing the well being of the other, wishing the good of the other, that is, to love is the way traced for us to truly become people called and chosen by God.  To choose love and to remain in that love the way to our joy, complete and God given joy. But where do we learn this from? From the Lord himself. 

This is what makes us people of God and makes us one people of God. Only those who love can be called the people of God, for those who love are born of God says the Word. Unless we love we do not have yet what it takes to be identified as people of God. It cannot be feigned, it is a way of life - a way of life that is against selfishness, ego, competitions that prioritise oneself. Only love can save us from all these and unite us as one. 

It is obviously love that makes us one people of God. Anything else that brings us together, it could be circumstances, challenges, fear of opposition, calculations of gain and loss, scheming in order to arrive at a hidden agenda...these may bring us together but they will never make us "one" and much less "one people of God". Love alone can, because love is the sap that flows into us from the vine, making us live branches united into one. 

Work - likening to God!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

May 01, 2024: Celebrating St. Joseph, the Worker
Genesis 1:26 - 2:3; Matthew 13: 54-58

The Word on this memoria, highlights two decisive moves of God... one, making the human person liken to Godself (first reading); and the other, making the Son of God liken to the human person (Gospel) - both defined by the work of one's hands. 

Firstly, we are called to be like God, in what we do, in our works... that is, to be Co-creators with God in what we are able to positively contribute to our existential environment. And in being human beings, we are identified very often with what we 'do'... and that is justified to a certain extent. After all, Jesus never resented being called the 'son of the carpenter.' 

In Jesus, we see that God became like us; never hesistated in becoming like us! But the point here is, a tender warning from God: 'mind what you do' and 'be mindful of what you do'! This is an invitation to look at whatever we do, by way of occupation or by way of a choice of interest, as a participation in the continual process of Divine Creation of the Universe. That is a question as to how constructive, how creative, how generative our work is!

With that thought about what we do and how we do it, the occasion today warrants an additional thought... a thought about those who labour! All those who labour, need our appreciation and affirmation today. But especially those whose labour goes unnoticed, unrecognised, unrewarded, under-rewarded, taken for granted, manipulated and exploited... they deserve our attention, they demand our solidarity and we owe our commitment to their cause. 

The more the world pays attention to the outcome and not the persons behind that result, the more the world celebrates the goods and comforts created and not the persons who are behind those entities, the more the world loses itself in consuming things and objectifying persons and their skills, we are promoting injustice and sinking in sin. 

St. Joseph the breadwinner of the Holy Family, the carpenter of Nazareth teaches us the dignity and importance of every little contribution we make towards making this world a better place. The more we join hands with God and collaborate in God's design, we make this world a place where the Son of God can make himself present, and thus make the Reign of God present. 

One People of God - the Peace effect

WORD 2day - Tuesday, Fifth week in the Eastertide

April 30, 2024 - Acts 14: 19-28; John 14: 27-31

I am the vine and you are the branches - that is the wish that the Risen Lord has with respect to us. It is in being united in the Lord that we become one people, one people of God. This note that the Word gave us last Sunday, continues through this week, reminding us of the varied effects this "remaining" one with the Lord can create within us. Yesterday we spoke of the Spirit effect, and today we reflect on the Peace effect. 

When we are united with and united in the Lord, we experience what is called the peace effect, a peace that the Lord gives. The Lord himself clarifies it is not like the peace that the world gives - that peace which is precarious, fragile, to be handled with utmost care. Instead, the Lord declares: I give you peace, my peace I give you! What would the difference be, that is the point of today's reflection.

Peace that lasts - because it is not constructed on a delicate and bogus structure that looks fancy but lacks any internal substance, feared to collapse anytime, caused by just a word or even a gesture. Instead it is a peace that is built of hardships and sufferings, sweats of blood and interior determination. Everything may pass, this peace shall not!

Peace that spreads - because it is not a flimsily publicised and soon reproached set of principles and contracts. Instead it is built on a covenant, a fidelity that is infallible, the faithfulness of God that follows us forever. It is that steadfastness that guarantees this peace and it inspires people. If the early Christian community which was so much persecuted gained numbers, it was because of this quality of spreading!

Peace that prepares - because it is not just a feel-good experience or a make-shift arrangement for the moment. Instead it prepares us for a greater gift, a much profound mystery - that of the Reign. The peace that the Lord gives is a preparation for, a foretaste of the Reign, because it is founded on righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

Peace be with you!

One People of God - the Spirit Effect

WORD 2day: Monday, Fifth week in the Eastertide

April 29, 2024: Acts 14: 5-18; John 14: 21--26

The Word this Sunday introduced us to a specific theme to be reflected upon this entire week - that we are called to be One People of God, one people united to the Lord, just as the branches are united to the one vine. Branches which thus remain with the vine, bear much fruit and the Word shall speak to us this week about these fruits. The first fruit that we are called to reflect upon today, is the Spirit of the Lord, the Advocate that the Father sends. 

Remain in me, invites our Lord and Saviour and thus remaining in the Lord we shall be blessed with, equipped with, empowered with the Spirit, the Divine Advocate who shall teach us all the truth that we need to know. We know things, we learn things, we discover things in life - but what is important and crucial is to understand how to put to use what we know - saying the right word, taking the right decision, and making the right choice at the right time;  that is a special gift of the Spirit. That is what the Risen Lord promises to the people formed out of the experience of Resurrection, the easter people.

We possess knowledge and capacity, we grow in them... but it is only the Spirit who inspires us to give the due place to the One who gives these as a gift to us. How many we do see around, who possess knowledge and capacity, but end up far away from God, totally fallen in their ways! The reason is that they do not allow the Spirit of the Lord to work in them. Today we see Paul and Barnabas in the first reading, who were deified as gods Zeus and Hermes because of the marvels! They could have conveniently basked in that glory and made a career out of it, as many a person we see in today's context do. But what did they do - they knew what to choose! They make people understand to whom all glory has to be given - not to them, but to that One Almighty God! 

The Spirit effect was there in them; they knew who really mattered and what Truth really is! One People of God, are One in the Spirit and they never clamour for the centre, the focus and the limelight. They give praise to God and offer everything to God, making everything refer to One God, as One People. 

ONE PEOPLE OF GOD

 

People of One Flock - the Rapport!

WORD 2day - Saturday, Fourth week in the Eastertide

April 27, 2024 - Acts 13: 44-52; John 14: 7-14

I am in the Father and the Father is in me - a powerful statement indeed by Jesus. Earlier in the same Gospel of St. John Jesus would have proclaimed: the Father and I are one! This is what set Jesus apart from the great prophets and the rabbi that they had; and made him so difficult for the Jews to understand. They were until then, unaware of a rapport so close with the Father. The utmost they could imagine was that of Moses: the Lord spoke to him face to face, as with a friend! Jesus takes that a step ahead and they were scandalised. 

There is nothing to be scandalised... Acts of the Apostles today presents to us another instance where the so-called traditional "chosen people" were scandalised - when God chose to reveal Godself to the so-called pagans! We must turn to the pagans, Paul and Barnabas proclaim boldly, because the Goodnews cannot be contained. It has to be announced, it has to be spread, it has to be shared, it has to be received, it has to be communicated... making everyone people of the One Flock, people who have heard the Goodnews and accepted it. 

God is love, God is relationship... God reaches out. That is why there has been revelation constantly. Through the ages God spoke to us through prophets and the leaders, and in the final times, God has spoken through God's only Son... the Word of God, Godself made human person, who lived among us and died for us, saving us for eternal life, making us people of the One Flock. We would therefore naturally be people who relate, who would reach out, who would go out to meet the other and bring everyone into that relationship of love and acceptance. Because, we have been made people, we have been made one people, we have been made people of the one flock, by that relationship, by that rapport that God has willed to share with us. 

People of One Flock - acknowledging the Absolute

WORD 2day - Friday, Fourth week in the Eastertide

April 26, 2024 - Acts 13: 26-33; John 14: 1-6

Reflecting on being constituted as people of the One Flock by the One Saviour and Shepherd, the Word today tells us we can be worthy of that identity only in as much as we acknowledge the absoluteness of the One who has called us, chosen us and has made us into His own - today I have become your father, you are my beloved children.

We may have a myriad of dreams and multitude of projects, there is nothing wrong in it. In fact, that is the way we celebrate life, the greatest of gifts given to us. But beyond all the plans and projects, dreams and ambitions, there should be an unassailable conviction that the Lord alone is the absolute. It is the Lord who moves us, animates us and guides us. Without the Lord, we are nothing; it is in the Lord that we live, move and have our being. Can we really belong to God, if we do not ackowledge this fact?

The human pride and our bloated ego do not permit this acknowledgement - they smudge our clarity of thought and make our vision distorted, making us unduly reliant on our own capacity and blindly addict to our personal glory. This not only mars our relationship with God the true Absolute, but also with our brothers and sisters, pitching them unnecessarily against us and our self-image.

If we have to really become the One flock that we are, we need to accept that Jesus is our way, the truth and the life - that God is the Absolute, revealed to us in Christ our One Shepherd. It is not about giving God what is due to God, for we are nobody to give God anything for that matter. Everything belongs to God and no one gives or adds anything to God. It is about knowing and being convinced about whom we follow and whose flock we belong to. We are people of the One flock, because God has chosen us: you are my children, my people!

Did Mark ever see Jesus?

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

April 25, 2024: Celebrating St. Mark the Evangelist

1 Peter 5: 5-14; Mark 16: 15-20

Did Mark ever see Jesus? That's possible. But most probably, only as a young lad. They say, it is probable that Mark is referring to himself in "the young man" who left behind his garment and ran when Jesus was being taken prisoner (Mk 14:51,52). These are only probabilities. 

The documented information of him that we have is that he had been one of the prominent among the second generation apostles. He was taught by Peter, he accompanied Paul and Barnabas and he wrote the Gospel - these are facts we have!

Today celebrating the feast of this great apostle Mark, we are given with three lessons to reflect on.

1. Let us be enthusiastic about the proclamation of the Good news by facilitating or helping or supporting or encouraging those who are involved in this task. We see in the Acts of the Apostles that John Mark and his mother Mary, were regularly hosting groups of Christians who gathered to pray... they were promoters of faith.

2. Let us be diligent in our dedication and simple in our disposition when we are required by others, to accompany them. Peter took Mark with him, Paul asks John Mark to be brought along, Barnabas decided to take Mark along on an important journey... Mark was a promising servant of the Lord... a person who was unassumingly ready to accompany.

3. Let us write the Gospel today. We are called to be Gospel writers just as Mark was called to be. The fifth Gospel that we are called to write is our life itself and as it if often remarked: who knows, that could be the only Gospel read by some people! We are called not only to be proclaimers, but also to be the proclamation!

May young St. Mark inspire us today to be enthusiastic Evangelisers wherever we are.

People of One Flock - listening to the Word

WORD 2day: Thursday, Fourth week in the Eastertide

April 24, 2024 - Acts 12:24- 13:5; John 12: 44-50

The word itself that I have spoken will be the judge on the last day, declares Jesus in the Gospel today underlining the importance of the Word in the making of the people of his flock. He insists on that even figuratively in the parable he gave us about the flock: my own know my voice and they follow me! Hearing the Word, listening to It and making It the light to the path of one's life - is a way of life proposed for the flock of the One Lord. 

What does listening to the Word mean, concretely? The Word clarifies that to us in the Word today. The first reading reports to us about the call from the Word - to set apart Paul and Barnabas. The Word said the apostles did. That is true listening. Jesus teaches us that in the Gospel: he says, what my Fathers says, I do; so you are called to do what I say. It is thus we become the One flock after the heart of the Shepherd. 

There are two elements to note here: that God's call continuously keeps appealing to us and that we are called to act accordingly or respond to it appropriately. First is an element of faith and the second is an element of mission. They go together - believing and doing, believing and living, believing and following! That is the sign of the flock of the Lord - to listen and to believe; to believe and to follow; to follow and to live.