WORD 2day : 19th September, 2015

To see and perceive; to hear and understand

Saturday, 24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 6:13-16; Lk 8:4-15

Jesus draws an important difference between seeing and perceiving, and between hearing and understanding. And he offers us an explanation that is so practical and down to earth. We can refuse to see;  or hardly manage to see; or see but do not really perceive;  or see, perceive and behold!

Just a couple of days back a person remarked to me, 'these days I get to hear so many pentecostal preachers and invariably everyone one of them is speaking of the second coming of Christ. Don't they gave anything else to speak of?' It set me wondering how important a theme it is but how flimsily understood. Today Paul speaks of it to Timothy too. For all that we may believe, Christ is not going to "come", as if he is not here! He said I am with you always. Christ, who is already here with us,  will be revealed in God's own time. Till then it is our duty and our call to see and perceive Christ in every person suffering and every person in need; to hear and understand Christ speaking in every cry for justice and every groan in pain. Then we will behold the Lord when the Lord is fully revealed!

WORD 2day : 18th September, 2015

A Follower of Christ

Friday,  24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 6: 2-12; Lk 8: 1-3

The Word today establishes that to be a follower of Christ,  it does not matter whether you are a man or a woman,  a jew or a gentile, of noble birth or from a sinful past, all that matters is from the moment you decide to be Christ's follower, to show that in your normal conduct and your everyday choices. Christ should make such a difference in your life that you look at everything in a way different from that of the rest of the world. As Paul insists with the Romans,  'do not conform to the standards of this world' (cf Rom 12:2). Be different if at all you wish to make a difference.

WORD 2day : 17th September, 2015

More loved;  more powered

Thursday,  24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 4: 12-16; Lk 7: 36-50

It is not that she loved more and so she was forgiven more,  but she was forgiven more and so she loved more and more.   It was not because Timothy was more powerful that he was entrusted with the people of God,  but because he was entrusted with the people of God he was made power filled. Leaders and inspirers are powered more and loved more because they love God and live for God  (or for others). Let us grow up to be more and more conscious of how much we are loved and empowered... that we may be more loved and more powered.

WORD 2day : 16th September, 2015

Being Childlike versus being childish

Wednesday, 24th week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 3: 14-16; Lk 7: 31-35

Unless you become like these children you will not enter the Reign of God,  said Jesus. It is the same Jesus today in the Gospel compares the generation to the children playing and derides them for it. How do we make sense of this? Simply by understanding the difference that exists between being childlike and being childish. The former is having the disposition of a child,  totally dependent on God and loving towards others. The latter would be behaving immature, with oneself at the centre of everything,  one's own ideas,  demands and wishes. St. Paul instructing Timothy's church invites them towards this maturity,  to grow into God's family.

At times in our prayers and lifestyle we can remain stunted as children,  expecting that our wishes be fulfilled and our demands be met by everyone else. It is not being loved but loving, it is not being understood but understanding,  it is not being forgiven but forgiving that makes one a true disciple of Christ.

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

Suffering with a purpose: Blessed Mother of Sorrows

15th September,  2015

1 Tim 3: 1-13; Lk 2: 33-35

Suffering is neither a curse nor a gift. We know the pain it can cause and the gloom it can create. But can we imagine a life without it? That it is present in every life,  does not make suffering in itself a cause for celebration. That would make up for a sadistic temperament. How then does Suffering become salvific?

Suffering, with a purpose, makes it meaningful and suffering with a divine purpose makes it salvific. Today we celebrate our Blessed Mother immersed in suffering... she didn't know for what she was suffering! She wondered about it and kept pondering in her heart. All that she knew was that there was a divine purpose to that suffering. She believed it and she surrendered herself to that divine purpose. And there suffering turned salvific.

Let us evaluate every suffering that we undergo and see if there could be a divine purpose in it. That has to be revealed, as it was revealed gradually and slowly to our blessed mother. We need to keep everything in our heart and ponder; become aware of our experiences and see God's hands in them and gradually realise the Divine purpose in our suffering. And then we will see,  that suffering will turn salvific!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

The Cross Talk: Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

14th September, 2015

Num 21: 4-9; Phil 2: 6-11; Jn 3:13-17

Celebrating the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, our focus is on that symbol of God's love for humanity, the Tree of our Salvation. Exalting the Cross today, we are called to hearken to the voice of the Cross. If the Cross would speak to us, we would hear these three words:

1. Look Up: Look up to the Cross and be saved. It is in and through the Cross that we have been saved. Cross is not a symbol of suffering nor a sign of curse. By choosing the Cross as his weapon and throne, Christ who has conquered the world has won God's salvation for us. In all our difficulties we are called to look up and draw hope from this Cross.

2. Be Lifted Up: When we look up, we are given the light. Those who look up to Him shall never be ashamed, promises the Word. We are invited to be lifted up by the Lord...just like the Saviour who was lifted up! The love of the Lord will lift us up, inspite of the burdens we bear and the clutches that tend to pull us down. Let us surrender, so that we can be lifted up; let us humble ourselves before the Lord that we could be lifted up by the Lord.

3. Lift Up: Once lifted up, the Son of Man would draw everyone to Himself. And once we are lifted up by the Son, we should in turn lift everyone else up to the Lord. Our life has been punctuated with so many blessings and marvels from the Lord and today, we look up, we gaze at the One who is lifted up, and be lifted up ourselves. Our life in Lord should lift up the rest of the humankind with us to the Lord that everyone may look up to Him and be saved.

The ACT of FAITH

13th September, 2015: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 50: 5-9A; Jas 2: 14-18; Mk 8: 27-35

Faith has to be lived, it has to be manifested, be seen and shown; if it does not, it can be interpreted as dead and good for nothing. The ACT is one perspective that the Word offers today, to live and manifest a living Faith.

Faith has to be manifested through Actions of love

Faith that is devoid of love is not Christian and that love when not shown in action is not real. Love is not treating people according your whims and fancies, it is approaching every person with a respect and reverence that he or she is an image of the living God.True love translates itself into commitment, a commitment for the well being of the other.

Faith has to be witnessed to in Choices for life

The world and its culture today is prone to death. Difficulties are highlighted, despair is amplified, destruction is perpetrated and death is felt in the air. It is nauseating for a true believer, because we are persons who have chosen life, life in all its abundance. We can never choose to be gloomy and sad, pessimistic and given up! We choose God, we choose life!

Faith should be based on the Thoughts of God

Human thinking and worldly calculations will never make us persons of faith. it is only God's perspective of all that is and all that happens, that can fill us with faith. Jesus had only the thoughts of God and he rebukes Peter for being contrary to that. Sufferings, Crosses, Sacrifices are nothing new when we take up to the mind of God. Within the perspective of God everything has its place and meaning. It is that realisation, that makes our faith come alive. 

WORD 2day : 12th September, 2015

Evidence of the inexhaustible patience

Saturday, 23rd week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 1: 15-17; Lk 6: 43-49

Paul calls himself the evidence of God's inexhaustible patience. Aren't we all such evidences... taking into consideration the endless opportunities we are offered to bear the right fruits at the right season.

Just a couple of days ago, some one asked me why is it that people are so bad and they don't allow me to be as good as I wish to be! I believe today's Word answers that question... I am responsible for the fruits that are expected of me... there will surely be scores of others who will disturb,  distract, discourage and disorient me but I cannot lose the direction that I am given with. I cannot blame it on others or the situation when I fail to bear the fruits that I should. However we have a God who is inexhaustible in patience. It is beautiful to remember here those wise words of the saint of the gutters... God expects from us not success but faithfulness. Let us resolve to be good,  to bear only good fruits,  to never give up on the call we have received. May the inexhaustible patience of God fill us with  necessary endurance to make this journey possible.

WORD 2day : 11th September, 2015

The Real Me
Friday,  23rd week in Ordinary Time
1 Tim 1: 1-2, 12-14; Lk 6: 39-42

Humility is an essential part of holiness. Holiness never leads one to pride and anything that makes one proud is a bit short of true holiness. While realising the areas in which one has to grow and taking steps towards that growth is an important part of maturing in one's life,  mutual corrections are very Christian ways of growing up. Humility is not an artificial debasement of oneself in any way. It is knowing my real self accepting it and being at home with it; at home with knowing my imperfections and continuously working on it. St Paul was mindful of his real self all the time. He never thought of hiding his dark past and was never bloating over the glorious state of his present relationship with Christ. In fact his relationship with Christ made him more aware of his real self. In Christ I get to know my real me,  not just my past but also my call;  not merely the splinters and planks in my eyes but even the blessings and splendour given unto me. That is the real me!

WORD 2day: 10th September, 2015

Put on love; put on Christ
Thursday,  23rd week in Ordinary Time
Col 3: 12-17;  Lk 6: 27-38

If we do not say that the words are from the letter to the Colossians,  one can easily misjudge those as some paraphrasing of a part from the Gospel and as words of Christ himself. Paul had so intensely taken in the spirit of Christ that his insistence of putting on Christ comes from his person much stronger than from his words. Love is presented as the crux of Christ's message. When Paul said elsewhere too,  to put on Christ he practically meant put on love. Love, understood not as childish sentiment of attachment and dependence, but a Christlike selfgiving. Love is the sweetest of all teachings of Christ and it is the most difficult of all too, for it comes inbuilt with forgiveness;  forbearance, kindness,  gentleness,  Integrity and sacrifice. Isn't that difficult enough?  The fact however is,  if we believe being a Christian is to put on Christ, it can never happen except by putting on love!