LIVE LIFE CHRIST-LIKE : II

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 15th February, 2015

Levi 13: 1-2, 44-46; 1 Cor 10:31- 11:1;Mk 1: 40-45

There was a lay missionary, a doctor by profession who passed through a village once. He stayed with the people, treated them for their sicknesses, dealt with them with compassion and after a while he moved on to the next village. The wonderful memories of that doctor never left the minds of that village. After a couple of decades a missionary preacher came to the same village. He began talking to the people in the village squares and market places. All that he asked them was: Do you know Jesus? Many said, 'No' and moved away. One old man stopped and asked him: "alright, tell me what kind of a man is that Jesus you are enquiring about!" The missionary was indeed waiting for that question. He began: Oh, he is kind, he is loving, he is compassionate, he is caring, he deals with the sick with such love...he was intending to go on, but that old man stopped him. "Now, if that is the man you are talking about, we know him! He passed by our village some 20 years back!" 

We are called to reflect on living our life Christ like, for a second consecutive week! The message is same as last week: to live like Christ. And the readings today highlight three attributes to Christ's life.

- Christ lived for Others: Just yesterday the atmosphere was filled with red vibes, as many frenetically celebrated the valentines day! How many messages about love- defining what it is, describing how great it is, demonstrating how much one is immersed in it. Love does not need so many commentaries. It can just be understood in that simple classical definition: Love is wishing the good of the other. Placing the other before myself, genuinely interested in the other's well being...that is love. Christ was love personified. He lived his life for others, entirely.

- Christ lived for the Marginalised: Pope Francis has a concrete, unavoidable point to make, when he repeats : Go to the periphery! He invites us to live life Christ-like. Today's first reading tells us where the persons with leprosy lived: ostracised, in the peripheries, in the obscurity of humanity. If they were able to come to Jesus, it actually means Jesus went to those peripheries, those margins of the society. Jesus reached out to those in need, those in agony, those in the periphery. It is easy to love people who deserve our love; it is easy to love people who will love us in return; but it is Christian to love everyone, even those from whom we will receive nothing, not even the recognition of our love in return.

- Christ lived for God: When a reporter commented to Mother Teresa, looking at the dirtiest tasks that she was involved in, like washing the wounds and wiping the puss: 'Mother, even if they gave me a million dollars I would not be able to do this!', the Blessed of Kolkata seemed to have said: 'Even for a couple of those million dollars, I would not do this. I do this for the Christ whom I see in these faces'. Whether you eat or drink, do everything for the glory of God, invites St. Paul. Christ did all that he did, said all that he said, was all that he was, because it was God's will for him. That is the lesson for us too.

Living our life Christ like is challenging indeed. But if we strive with all our heart, sincerely and humbly, we too will be able to tell the world as did St. Paul: Be imitators of me as I am of Christ! (1 Cor 11:1). Will I ever grow to that level?

THE WORD AND THE EVENT

Love is Compassion
Gen 3: 9-24; Mk 8: 1-10

Sts. Cyril and Methodius are pitifully overshadowed today by the celebration of the Valentines Day! However the day and coincidentally, the readings give us an insight into true love.

The first reading tells us what true love is not! The serpent seemed all concerned about the first couple. ..it actually was not! Eve seemed to be eager to give Adam every thing good she had... she actually was not. She was only adding an accomplice to her act of curiosity. Adam seemed all 'obedient' to Eve. .. he actually was not. He was only intent on passing the blame and washing his hands off. That in no way is Love.

The Gospel presents to us the Love in action. The Lord felt compassion for the people. Without their asking he came forward to feed them. He was willing to put at stake all (7 loaves) that they had. This was only symbolic of the real Salvific Love we see in the Lord: God loved us first;  God came forward to save us;  God did not keep anything back,  not even God's only Son!  That is Love.

Let the Lord alone be our model in love;  a love that gives to the full without reserve or with nothing to receive!

WORD 2day : 13th February, 2015

Beware of half truths
Gen 3:1-8; Mk 7: 31-37

We see a striking similarity in the claims of both the Satan and the Lord, in the the Word today. Do what I say and your eyes will be opened,  says the serpent. Ephatha, Be opened, says the Lord to the deaf ears of the man. Both take place...but one opens to fullness of life and the other to destruction of life.

Today in our situations of daily life we don't  deliberately choose the evil,  the lie,  the destruction of life... we are deceived by the look-alikes. The evil one taunts us with lies which look like truth,  while they are really half truths. Half truths are more dangerous than the plain lies; they can make one walk one's own way to perdition. It is important that we remain faithful to the truths taught to us,  clarify them further and deepen them instead of being carried away by the fancy teachings and fantastic claims.

WORD 2day : 12th February, 2015

One God;  One Humanity
Gen 2: 18-25; Mk 7: 24-30

Man - woman, we-they,  rich-poor, high-low... these categories of daily consideration of people,  things and  events is something to be transcended. Jesus himself receives a lesson from that syro phoenecian woman.

At times people are apprehensive about inter religious dialogue or multi religious initiatives. They prefer to look at the other as different,  separate or even contrary. If we truly mean what we say and what we pray: I believe in One God - then I need to become more and more proactive and look at the reality as One Humanity!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

Our Lady of Lourdes- the fullness of grace
Gen 2:4b-9, 15-17; Mk 7: 14-23

Can Jesus be more plain? However the point he is making is not about what is to be eaten and what not...but what is the right disposition that justifies a person;  his or her choices,  habits and behaviour. What matters most,  Jesus declares, is the internal disposition of a person, and not the external appearance.

Celebrating Our Lady of Lourdes today, we are inspired to thank God for the great gift of her person and the fullness of grace that she possessed. In her maternal love she communicates that grace to the entire humanity. Today not just we,  but even the world at large remembers as the world day of health. Our prayer today is that we journey intently towards that fullness that God challenges us to.

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

St. Scholastica - a spirituality true to Christ

Gen 1:20 - 2:4a; Mk 7: 1-13

The Word today invites us to understand the true Christian spirituality. Spirituality itself is a sense of being connected to everything and everybody...and further still, Christ's, Christ-like and Christian Spirituality is a sense of feeling an obligation to love people, fend for their good, be interested in their well being and spend oneself for the happiness and well being of the other. It cannot be merely a dry or rigid performance rituals and lifeless obedience to rules and commandments. 

Christ's spirituality consists predominantly of love: which is to go out of one's way to make the other happy; it is to wish the good of the other always in spite of the troubles and inconveniences for oneself. Just imagine if today anyone, even those who claim to love each other, would fit into this definition of love. If you would you are well on your way in mastering Christ's spirituality.

St. Scholastica was some one who loved the Lord intensely, that was shown in her love for her brother - a genuine and holistic love. She took him as her guide and St. Benedict loved her too and walked her to sanctity with such warmth and affection. What a beautiful example of siblings we have here - saintly siblings!

WORD 2day: 9th February, 2015

As many as touched were healed

Gen 1: 1-19; Mk 6: 53-56

It did not matter whether they touched the Lord or the Lord touched them, they were healed. Both ways it is an act of faith: to touch the Lord and to allow the Lord to touch us! 'Speak Lord, but a word and my soul shall be healed,' we pray! A word, a touch, a glimpse or a gaze, a whisper...that is all that it takes for us to receive the fullness, from the hands of the Lord who has made us and continues to guard and protect us.

All that we need to know is to understand that we are handiworks of the Master Creator and live our lives according to the mind of the One who has loved us into existence with a well defined purpose and an eternal plan. How prepared are we to allow the Lord to touch us? How eager are we to touch the Lord with all sincerity of heart? Because, when the Lord touches, nothing remains the same; they change, they transform, they are recreated!

Send forth you Spirit, O Lord and the World shall be recreated!

LIVE LIFE CHRIST-LIKE

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 8th February, 2015

Job 7:1-4,6,7; 1 Cor 9: 16-19, 22,23; Mk 1: 29-39

To Live Life Christ-like...that is the call that the Word gives us today. To live for the Gospel, to live for the Reign, to live for the People of God and to love everyone with your heart and soul: that is the life task given to you and me, to everyone called in the name of Christ.

Proclaim to the world that God is love! Live that love and spread it around, a true and genuine love that does not possess but a love that brings the whole world together. A love that reaches out, heals, frees, unites, enhances, enriches and rends every one whole.

When you proclaim that, you will have trouble. Because there are forces that stand for a heartless egoism, a selfish development, an inhuman exploitation and an unbridled avarice! Now you will become the odd one out, when you speak of love and live for it. But still you will do it: because that is what you are called for.

The need is to answer three questions-

First of all to which band do I belong: Am I truly an apostle of love? Only I can answer the question regarding the deepest motivations of my soul.

Secondly: If I proclaim the message of the Reign, the Gospel of love, does my style of life, coincide with the proclamation. In simple words, do I walk the talk? Is there that moral integrity within me because of which I can command the evil forces with authority and they will go silenced before me! The authority that Jesus had before the demons and all other forces that challenged the wholeness of life.

Thirdly: If I identify myself with Christ and Christ's message, what do I do on a daily basis to justify my identity, stay relevant to my self-claim and be counted in that number? Will my lifestyle speak before my words ever leave my tongue? Will the values I stand for, make me stand before the Lord or cringe at His sight? Have I felt the burden of the Reign within my heart, an urgency that unsettles my heart, a passion that sets me afire?

May be today, these questions will orient us to respond to the call that the Word gives us!

WORD 2day : 7th February, 2015

Doing the Will of God: doing good to others!
Heb 13:15-17, 20-21; Mk 6: 30-34

The Gospel presents a picture of frenetic activity today. The disciples are all intent on doing good, as their master himself who went around doing good. At times we can be at a loss deciding what is God's will at a point of time.  The readings today seem to suggest one simple criterion: do good to others;  do good to as many as possible;  do good to all!

God is the shepherd who knows our needs and cares for them,  but God does it through God's sons and daughters who become shepherds in turn.  We are called to be the sheep of God's flock but at the same time to grow to be shepherds to each other,  doing as much good as we could to each other. That would be the easiest way of experiencing the continued presence of God.

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

Gonsalo Garcia - yet another Indian!
Heb 13: 1-8; Mk 6: 14-29

In the recent weeks we have been remembering saints,  blesseds and martyrs connected to India. Bl. Devasagayam,  St. Joseph Vaz, John de Britto and today it is Gonsalo Garcia. Though world wide it is commemorated as Paul Miki and companions,  for us in India it would be just and right to focus on Gonsalo Garcia, who formed part of that group of missionaries who gave their life for the Kingdom.

Some interesting facts about St. Gonsalo: he was born of a portughese father and an Indian mother. He left India when he was 15. He was among the 26 missionaries killed in Nagasaki, Japan.

As the first reading points to us,  we have a great lesson of zeal and passion for the Word from the life of Gonsalo Garcia. He was intent on going as a missionary and that is what he did. He knew he risked his life but he did not mind dying for his Master. He was crucified along with the others and it is said they brought his head to his birth place vasai.