PREACHING TUESDAY

HOLY WEEK 2014 - HOLY TUESDAY - 15th APRIL

Is 49:1-6; Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

"Though I thought I toiled in vain... yet my reward is with the Lord", this feeling expressed by Isaiah in the first reading fits perfectly the state of Jesus' mind, as he bids a bitter farewell to his disciples today. Arriving at the fag end of his ministry, Jesus knows what is in store and prepares himself for it. Judas' betrayal, Peter's denial...he foresees everything and forewarns them too, but everything in vain. However, he knows that in everything God works for the good of those who love God (cf. Rom 8:28). 

THE PREACHING TUESDAY

CLEANSING MONDAY

HOLY WEEK 2014 - HOLY MONDAY - 14th APRIL

Is 42:1-7; Jn 12:1-11

The flame burns more vigorously as it is about to quench itself, they say. The perfume spreads itself more vivaciously when it is about to vanquish itself. Jesus is about to enter into his last few days, and more and more begin to believe in him and come to him. Even while these happen, the stubborn heart of Judas does not give way, the plotting spirit of the high priest and scribes does not change! All the good that Jesus did, all the signs that marked his mission did not manage to convert that one section of the people, because they had their hearts hardened and their eyes blinded. May we hear today the yearning cry of the Lord to true conversion. May we make up our mind to truly break away from some act or tendency that we habitually fall in.

CLEANSING MONDAY

குருத்து ஞாயிறு 2014

LIVE LIFE GOD SIZE

Palm Sunday 2014: 13th April

Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14-27:66

Jesus enters Jerusalem. Jesus knows well what awaits him there... he had told his disciples that the Son of Man would be handed over to be tried and tortured; he had seen people plotting against him and waiting for a moment to lay hands on him; he had heard the whispers against him that it is better that one man dies for the whole of Israel. In spite of all these, Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem, he enters Jerusalem.

Just as we find a festive atmosphere suddenly in the midst of the lenten sobriety this Sunday, so did Jesus find the joy of those people as he entered Jerusalem. He joins them in their celebration, notwithstanding the anxiety that clung to his soul. When someone suggested that he stop the people from all the frenzy, he disagrees with them and allows the jubilation and joins them in it. As the saying goes, "live life king size", we see Jesus showing the way to live life God size!

Jesus' solemn entry into Jerusalem, is not merely a road show; it is much more. Like the disciples who had the transfiguration experience to sustain themselves, the common believers are given this solemn reception as something that they can fall back upon when things would look to be going wrong. He wants them to understand the celebration and the following confusions, the jubilation and the following tragedies, the triumphant entry and the shameful exit...all of these as part of a grand plan, a salvific plan. All that we need to do is live life from God's hands. Surrender every thing, every little thing that happens - joy or sorrow, challenge or victory, opportunity or obstacle...surrender every thing into the hands of God and find its meaning from there. This is living life from God's hands! This is the first step to live life God size!

Jesus was constantly motivated by the Mission that was entrusted to him by the One who sent him. It was this mission that defined his thoughts, words and actions. When there was a temptation of resting on the glory of the wonders that were happening, or the pressure from the people to make him their king, or the tendency towards attachment to a particular place or people, Jesus had his mind clear. He always said, we have to go to other villages and proclaim the good news! Living Life for God's Mission, was all that mattered for him. That is why a call from Herod for signs or a plea from Pilate for a submission or the threats from the high priests - all of them fell on a deaf ear. Jesus' mind was focused on just one thing: living life for God's Mission.

I came that you may have life; life in all its fullness: this was the self definition of Jesus' mission. The true glory of God is a human being fully alive, and Jesus is the prototype of this. Difficulties, rejections, let downs, oppositions, criticisms and condemnations, nothing really mattered for Jesus. He understood living to the full consists of all these experiences put together. What matters is hope, trust, and courage in the Lord with which to leap into the future which is filled with joy, splendour and peace that God alone can give. Behold, I come to do your will, says the Son and challenges us to do the same: to live our life to the full. Not to give up at the first of problems, not to give in to the least of the tests, but to remain faithful to the will of God, and obey with the same humility as the Son of God who emptied himself to the point of accepting death on the Cross. 

Let us look at the picture that the readings paint today...the man who foresees a terrible time amidst the people gathered around in extraordinary jubilation; the calmness of Jesus and the excitement of the people. This is living the moment to the full, living every thing that comes our way with intensity, this is living life God size! 

Let us live our life from God's hands, live our life for God's mission and live our life to the full and we would live our life God size, after the example of our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

WORD 2day: 12th April, 2014

RETURN TO THE GOD OF LOVE

Ezek 37: 21-28; Jn 11: 45-56

What a contrast we are given to notice today- while God longs to give life and bring the people to new birth, the people plot to kill the Son of God and do away with him. On the mountain of the Lord, there will be no killing and no hatred! How far we are from the Reign of God when we harbour thoughts of hatred, jealousy, rancour and ruin! 

Personal feuds or Political Wars, Communal clashes or cut-throat competitions... they are all against the God of love who dwells amidst us, as God once promised through the covenant made - I will make my dwelling amidst you; you shall be my people and I shall be your God! The plot thickens today as Jesus is marked to be put to death! Jesus knows he is surrounded by enmity and hatred, but avoids taking it in and remains the love that he is, the love that he came from.

It is a direct call for each of us to analyse whether we are worthy to be called the people of the covenant, children of the God who is love, disciples of the one who offered himself as ransom for many. Let us return to the God of love, be children of that love, be people who will emanate only love and thus make the world a better place, a place closer to the Reign of God, the God of love.

WORD 2day: 11th April, 2014

RELEARN NOT TO COUNT COST

Jer 20: 10-13; Jn 10: 31-42                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Dedication to God's mission and distress are at times inseparable, as the world has forces working intently against God and anything pertaining to God. "We must be on the guard against the presence of evil in world," reminds the Holy Father. Explicitly or indirectly, we are bound to face oppositions and criticism when we choose to stand by God and carry God's message to others. If for long we do not find any opposition, it would be high time to review whether we are really doing God's mission, carrying out the design laid out by God. 

Both Jeremiah and Jesus chose to stand by God and they were derided, tortured, were considered liable unto death. But they were unmoved, unperturbed; they counted no cost and were prepared for anything for the sake of the God's will. 

Would we be able to repeat what Jesus says in the Gospel today: the Father is in me and I am in the Father. We would be able to do, if only we relearn not to count the cost when it comes to love for the Lord and commitment to the Lord!

WORD 2day: 10th April, 2014

RELEARN THE SENSE OF ETERNITY

Gen 17:3-9; Jn 8:51-59

It was a shocker, when Jesus said, "Before ever Abraham was, I AM." In this, apart from the statement on the divine participation of Jesus in the One who sent him, there is an important message for each of us and our identity. 

The first reading establishes the foundation for it, as it reminds us of the covenant made with Abraham. We are made sons and daughters of God, in faith. And Jesus assures that, 'if we keep the covenant; if we keep the Word; we will always be sons and daughters of the Lord; we will partake in the eternal life of God.' The Jews were unable to understand that, because they did not have an idea of the eternal life Jesus was speaking of. For us today, it is not anymore as strange as it was for the Jews.

We believe in resurrection and in life everlasting! And what matters within eternity is not who came first and who came next, but what relationship and what intensity of commitment one shows in relating to God our Father and Mother, who loves us into existence and watches over us every moment. For Jesus, that relationship was absolute; that defined everything that mattered to him! And it is to that same absolute sense of relatedness to God, that Jesus calls us his brothers and sisters... it comes with a strong sense of eternity!

WORD 2day: 9th April, 2014

RELEARN INTEGRITY OF LIFE

Dan 3:14-20,91-92,95; Jn 8:31-42

'Truth will set you free', declares Jesus today. And if Jesus were to have been asked to define what he meant by Truth, he would have said, 'Truth is what is'... It's no mere philosophy, it is a Spirituality! 

Truth is what is, and it never changes. No situation, no circumstance, no crisis will ever change it; if they manage to change it, it had never been the Truth. Compromises, justifications, manipulations, adjustments, conveniences and inconveniences... these considerations at times, drive us away from truth and we experience a sort of split life, split between what we profess and what we practice, between what we believe and how we behave, between what we say and what we are! 

The absence of that split is called Integrity. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were persons of Integrity and no one doubted them on that. Neither were they ready to give up their identity. And they found God; it was cool in the furnace. Let us heed the call of the Liturgy today...to heal ourselves of all splits that we may learn to live in integrity of life, an integrity that would set us free. 

WORD 2day: 8th April, 2014

Turn to look to what is above

Num 21:4-9; Jn 8:21-30

To look to what is lifted up or the one who is lifted up, or in short, to be people 'from above', is the crux of the Word today. 

The first reading speaks of the bronze serpent that was made and lifted up and that anyone bitten by the serpent who looked to it, lived. In the Gospel Jesus speaks of himself, that when he is lifted up, the world will really know him. 

Jesus invites us too to be lifted up, in our thinking, in our attitudes, in our priorities and in our perspectives. He challenges us to be 'people from above'...that is, to have the mind of Christ, as St.Paul puts it in his letters (Phil 2:5). To look at God and the relationship I have with God, in the same way as Christ looked at; to look at my brothers and sisters, with compassion, empathy and commitment, as Jesus did; to look at everything that happens to us and around us, from the perspective of the Reign of God as Jesus did: this is what Jesus means when he says, "I belong to what is above" (Jn 8:23). 

Let us turn to look to what is above, thus enabling ourselves to be people from above. Thus we will be worthy to repeat Jesus' words: 'I always do what is pleasing to Him."

WORD 2day: 7th April, 2014

Relearn Christian Empathy

Dan 13; Jn 8: 1-11

"Slow to anger and abounding in love", those are the attributes oft repeated about God. If we have to speak of our tendencies today, we should put it this way: 'Quick to judge and totally merciless!' Regardless of who the person involved is, it has become a culture to pass unjust judgments, circulate untrue gossips and entertain unwanted evaluations... Is it a 'Christ'ian attitude? 

The first reading tells us - even if the whole world around you joins together to tear a person into pieces, you stand aloof and act by the Spirit. The Gospel reminds us - even if it were true that a person has made a mistake, give the person another chance, for God has been endlessly patient with you! Aren't these truly 'Christ'ian attitudes? 

And these are possible only when we empathise with the affected person. Christ empathised with the woman brought to be stoned, he empathised with Zachaeus, with Matthew the tax collector, with the Samaritan woman at the well, with Peter who denied his master... Christian Empathy, does not approve of the wrong doing or the limitation, but loves and respects the person who is involved. That love and respect, inspires the person to 'Go and sin no more.'