WORD 2day: 4th June, 2014

The Preoccupation for the Flock

Acts 20: 28-38; Jn 17: 11b-19

The readings today present to us the preoccupation that Jesus and St.Paul have for the flock that they leave behind, as St. Paul sets off to Jerusalem and Jesus contemplates returning to his Father! The total dedication that each of the two had towards those entrusted to them is known to us and it is best expressed in the phrase that St. Paul uses quoting his Master: it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Keeping the faith, being true to the message of the Lord, persevering in the tradition in which one is brought up, not letting oneself be swayed by newer teachings and fancier presentations...these are the preoccupations that are expressed here and proposed to us. These concerns prompt to us two important qualities that are necessary: Spiritual Sincerity and Constant Discernment. 

The times today are marked by a certain fickle minded hopping from tradition to tradition in the name of "search" for the truth and reckless trial-and-error attempts of innumerable sects and factions. If they are spiritually sincere and discerned with rigour, well and good. But if they come from an unfounded mind and a lack of persevering dedication, they are the dangers that Paul and Jesus warn us against.

WORD 2day: 3rd June, 2014

The real glory of a true disciple

Acts 20: 17-27; Jn 17: 1-11a

"Father the hour has come, give glory to your Son, that your Son may glorify you!" prays Jesus. The glory that he talks of is the baptism of blood, the cup of suffering that Jesus was preparing to take up! Not just himself, but all those who believed him were destined to that cup and to that baptism says Jesus (Mk 10:39; Mt 20:23). 

St. Paul understood this perfectly. Though he knew well, instructed by the Holy Spirit, that suffering and imprisonment awaited wherever he went, he does not hesitate. He was more than prepared for the cup of suffering, for the baptism of blood! Today we hear him say that in terms so clear: I consider life of no importance to me! For him all that mattered was to carry the Good news to the farthest that he could! The martyrs remembered today, Charles Lwanga and his companions, are of the same pack.

How many times I would have languished that I don't get any consolation from God for belonging to God, for being on God's side and for speaking on behalf of God! Do I really understand in Jesus' terms, the real glory of a true disciple?

WORD 2day: 2nd June, 2014

Disciples of the Lord who has conquered the world

Acts 19:1-8; Jn 16: 29-33

Take courage, I have conquered the world, declares Jesus! With Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father (cf Eph 1:20), the apostles and the early Church, found a great power in their witness and in their proclamation. The gift of the Holy Spirit was an absolute boost to the faith community and their faith, and its expressions reach a totally different level with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (cf. 2 Tim 1:7) and that is what the Lord fills us with. We are the temple of this Spirit and the Spirit dwells in us. At times we live like sleeping giants, with the Spirit stifled to be dormant within us. The days to follow are days in preparation towards the feast of Pentecost: a reminder of the Spirit that we are all gifted with; a challenge to surrender to the Spirit and become active agents of the Spirit.

Let us thank God that we are not in a position to say, "we have never even heard that there is a holy spirit" ( Acts 19:2). However, let us become aware of the power that the Spirit brings to our life and our faith. With the Spirit, and only with the Spirit, can we be true disciples of the Lord who has conquered the world!

Gone to be with us!

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord: 1st June, 2014

Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20

Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age - Jesus could not have kept this promise if he were not to ascend to his Father. Infact, in ascension we remember the fact that he is gone to his father, he is gone so that he can be with us always and everywhere. The second reading explains to us that Jesus has ascended to his Father and sits on His right, thus being present to us universally and incessantly.

Three things that the readings say to us today can suffice to make a fruitful reflection on today's Word. 

The first message is: GO! Why are you standing and staring at the sky... he is gone, now it is time for you to go! Jesus ascends to the Father to remind us that we are not permanent here, and our permanent abode is elsewhere. "We are longing for a better country; the heavenly one!" says the letter to the Hebrews (Cf. 11:16). Ascension, is a reminder to go, to keep going, not to get fixed, not to grow complacent, not to get stuck! Again the movement upwards is very significant in this regard. 

The second message is: GO and PROCLAIM! The Lord commissions the disciples as they surround Him for the final farewell. It is a parting commission, the last wish - that the believers go and make disciples. Making disciples is first of all through inspiration, through the contagious fire within, through the life style that challenges even the onlooker to get closer in order that he or she may understand what makes all the difference that there is. To proclaim is the parting task entrusted to us!

The third message is: GO, PROCLAIM and FEAR NOT! As we heard the Lord saying a few days ago to St. Paul: 'Go on speaking, and do not be silent... for I am with you (Acts 18:9,10). The Ascension of the Lord fills us with hope, a hope that the Lord is ever with us. This hope rules out any fear of future and judgement. It is only in the absence of fear that love gets deepened. Fear not, hope in me, for I am with you, I will be with you until the end of the ages.

To go is a challenge, to go and proclaim is the command and to go, proclaim and not to fear is the companionship of the Lord. The Lord ascends today but we are not abandoned, because the presence of the Lord continues to be. The Lord has gone, but he has gone so that he could be with us, evermore effectively and universally. It is upto you and me, to realise that presence, believe in that presence and draw strength from that presence, to live our daily life worthy of the One who loves to remain with us!

WORD 2day: 31st May, 2014

The Feast of Visitation: Redefining 'Chosen-ness'

Zep 3: 14-18 (or) Rom 12: 9-16; Lk 1: 39-56

Mary visits Elizabeth... a Biblical event that may apparently look simple, but remains a redefining moment in the history of Christian faith. The fact that they were the 'chosen people' was very dear to the Jews, and it continues to be! The Old Testament bears examples to this, as could be cited in one of today's alternative first readings from Zepahniah. They were filled with a blessed joy, a holy pride and a splendid self-image, because of their chosen-ness. 

Mary, the chosen Mother of God, topples this order and redefines 'chosen-ness'; she rushes to be of service to Elizabeth and sings of the Glory of God and her unworthiness! To be chosen is to be of service; to be of service to others is a sign of being chosen! The blessed joy is complemented with a compassionate sensitivity to the other; the holy pride is replaced with a humble gratitude to God; the resplendent self-image is challenged by a realisation of the wonders that the Lord has done for one's self and through oneself.

The mind of Christ is already seen initiated in the mind of Mary at the scene of visitation: a mind of servant leadership, sensitive companionship and selfless stewardship.

WORD 2day: 30th May, 2014

The Divine Assurances

Acts 18: 9-18; Jn 16: 20-23

Today's readings have two of the most repeated and most affirmed promises of the Lord: Do not be afraid, for I am with you (Acts 18:9,10) and Your sorrow will turn into joy (Jn 16:20). For both these, the provision given is: go on speaking and endure the griefs. Though what is expected of us: that is to go on speaking and to endure suffering, might seem a bit too demanding, the consequence of it justifies everything! The promised presence of the Lord and the promised joy in the Lord are incomparably filled with assurances that can brighten up our todays and our tomorrows.

We are called to claim these promises in our daily life and more importantly, we are called be the fulfilment of these promises for those around us who are needy, the real poor, the suffering and the troubled in spirit. The ascension of the Lord which we intend to celebrate this weekend carries precisely this message for us: the continued and unceasing presence of the Risen Lord, more often than not, in the form of our presence with the others. 

Let the Spirit help us today to feel the presence of the Lord with each of us and lead us to be the presence of the Lord for everyone we encounter today.

WORD 2day: 29th May, 2014

To leave... it is a missionary challenge!

Acts 18: 1-8; Jn 16: 16-20

Paul leaves; he leaves Athens for Corinth, he leaves the Jews for the Gentiles. Jesus leaves; he leaves his earthly life and his friend disciples and prepares to go to his Father and our Father! They were able to leave because their eyes were fixed on the mission that was entrusted to them: nothing that came in between, neither success nor failure, neither helps nor hindrances, neither pains nor pleasures - nothing could keep them back.

Another point the readings today point to: whenever they left something, something greater awaited. Christ left his worldly stint, to remain with the Father and thus with us for ever, to the end of ages. And Paul leaves place after place, and everywhere there are more and more people being touched by the Lord and won over for the Lord.

Leaving behind is not an easy task. The most challenging of all 'leaving behind' is to leave behind one's own desires and dreams, personal plans and projects, one's loves and longings! At times, if we have to witness to the Lord and the Gospel that the Lord wants us to announce, there is no other choice but to leave... it is indeed a missionary challenge!

WORD 2day: 28th May, 2014

In Him...

Acts 17: 15, 22 - 18:1; Jn 16: 12-15

In Him we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28), is one of the most expressive faith statements of St. Paul. Paul has a very special insight into understanding Jesus' mind. Jesus  in the Gospel today says, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit will get everything from him and make it known to the believer! "Get from him" would mean 'get from the Father', since Father and the Son are one (cf. Jn 10:30). Jesus invites us to a state where, "On that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you" (Jn 14:20). And the way to it, is simple: keeping His commandments.

When we live in union with the Lord, a union in heart and soul, keeping the Lord's commandments will not be a demanding task but a natural way of life. It is the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of truth who will inspire us to such way of life. Let us prepare ourselves these days to receive the Spirit, the Spirit of the Risen Lord, the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom. The crux of Christian perfection is not in anything that we do, it is in living, moving and having our being, IN HIM.

WORD 2day: 27th May, 2014

The Advocate to come...

Acts 16:22-34; Jn 16: 5-11

Beaten, bruised and bound, they sang the praises of the Lord! Will not the glory of the Lord be revealed there? The act of Paul and Silas in the prison was such a powerful witness that the prison guards expected anything anytime. They were capable of it, because of the Spirit that filled them, fueled them and fired them.

It is the Advocate that Jesus promised to his disciples who makes the entire difference and the difference is enormous. We see this in the very first moment when the apostles come out to speak in public. The frightened band of messengers had been turned into fiercely blazing firebrands. 

Added to this, Jesus says, when He comes He will convict the world. Every heart is given the possibility to know what is true, good and just; every human heart has a longing for someone beyond oneself; every person called by the waters of baptism realises at the core of one's being, the need to be a righteous witness. Sin, righteousness and judgement - they decide the quality of one's witnessing life. Are we prepared to receive the Advocate who is to come?

WORD 2day: 26th May, 2014

On our way to the Reign

Acts 16: 11-15; Jn 15: 26 - 16: 4

"The Spirit of truth" that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel is witnessed to be at work in the first reading event from the Acts of the Apostles - that of the lady and her household, who accept the Lord and get baptised! While on the one hand there are people who are waiting to take the apostles to task and persecute them in all known ways, there are at the same time a multitude who are ready to protect, help and fend for them.

This discrepancy comes to the fore in our day to day experience too, when we find the Spirit at work within us. We will feel an urge to spread the Word, but will be faced with obstacles and hurdles: it is the Spirit of the Lord who leads us to discern the rightway that a believing community should take at a particular point of time. Though the persecutions may abound, the final result will be a 'revival'...and that is what we hope for.

Let our hearts, homes and our households be filled with the Spirit of truth, that we may set in motion real journey towards the Reign of God.