THE WORD AND THE FEAST

A JOURNEY OF CONVERSION

The Conversion of St. Paul: 25th January, 2016

Acts 22: 3-16; Mk 16: 15-18

Some thoughts from the Word on this feast:

1. Conversion is a life Journey: We need this grace of conversion, which the Lord inspires within us.

2. Conversion begins with a Bolt: We seem to be going in great pace with our life, when suddenly strikes a bolt. We call that a misfortune, a shock or a setback. But we need to be conscious of the fact that these experiences are messages, invitations for a transformation we need to effect within us.

3. Conversion definitely involves falling to the ground: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground, it will not bear fruit. When Saul fell from his horse to the ground, he rose as Paul, enquiring 'who are you Lord'! And from then his life changed...for no longer did he live, Christ lived in him.

4. Conversion is fundamentally a new vision: Nothing of Saul changed...he was the same determined, stubborn, hardliner. But his vision had changed and that changed everything else. When he got back his sight, he did not only see anew, but his vision was totally new! He now saw everything from the point of view of Christ. That is the conversion expected of us: to see everything as Christ does.

BEING GOD'S PEOPLE

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: 24th January, 2016

Neh 8:2-6,8-10; 1Cor 12: 12-30; Lk 1:1-4, 4:14-21

Jesus came and lived here on earth amidst us to remind us about our call to be God's people and to show us how to do it! 

There are three tasks outlined in the readings today:

1. Beginning with the Word

Building up the people of God has to be done on the foundation of the Word of God. We see Nehemiah doing it in the first reading and Jesus himself teaching in the synagogue for the first time. In our families or in our communities, we need to found ourselves on the Word. 

2. Building up the Word

The Word was made flesh, the flesh was given to us and we were made One Body in Christ. The Word invites us to build up our communities of faith, in communion and sharing, thus building up the Word into a formidable challenge to the ways of the world. This task is to build up our believing community, the Body of Christ, the Body of the Word.

3. Becoming the Word

The word you have heard is fulfilled today in your hearing, declared Jesus. He was the Word personified...and we are today called to model our lives after him, to become the Word, to grow into the Word, living Word, images of Christ for the world today. Can our daily lives be fulfillments of the Word, here and now?

WORD 2day : 23rd January, 2016

Sanctity and Insanity

2nd Saturday in Ordinary Time
2 Sam 1:1-4,11-12,17,19,23-27; Mk 3: 20-21

There is quite a list of saints who were considered out of their minds... Paul, Francis of assisi, Bro. Juniper, Symeon of Emessa, Don Bosco... they were considered so because they were fools, fools for Christ as Paul calls himself (cf.1Cor 4:10).

Why were they considered so? What made them'out of their mind'? Infact they were not out of their mind but they went out of their way for others sake and the world calls it madness. Isn't it a folly or madness on the part of God to have done all that God did for humanity inspite of their infidelity and weaknesses? Jesus was a chip of that block and we are called to follow his footsteps... growing to be more and more mad: getting out of ourselves and loving people genuinely.

Sanctity and Insanity seem to have more than little that relate them... give it a thought.

WORD 2day : 22nd January, 2016

Beware of the people with you

2nd Friday in Ordinary Time
1 Sam 24: 3-21; Mk 3: 13-19

Saul had his men with him,  David had his own men with him and Jesus gets his own men ready today! Each of us has a group of people who surround us. A backup group that suggests,  supports and sustains us in the life journey. But it is important that we beware of the group! It can make or mar us... depending on the level of importance given to them. The group with Saul assisted him in his pursuit of irrational vengeance. The group with David instigated murder of the reigning king. Though Jesus picked and chose the group with him, there was a traitor right amidst them.

Fill your atmosphere with God fearing persons and your life will be doubly blessed. Allow God above all to guide you, not those who wish their own gains and glory. Beware of those around you who create an opinion within you. Seeking guidance and support is great, but beware from whom!

WORD 2day : 21st January, 2016

Demons don't dare compare!

2nd Thursday in Ordinary Time
1 Samuel 18:6-9,19:1-7; Mk 3: 7-12

As Jesus chases the demons away from the persons possessed with them, the demons acknowledge the Son of God and give him the rightful place. Not even the demons dared compare themselves with the Son of God. They knew, any comparison would only make them more frustrated than they were. Saul failed to learn this lesson and that spelt his doom. He compared himself  with David and forgot the good that he himself was able to do with the help of God. Comparison is a poison and it will surely kill you someday.

WORD 2day : 20th January, 2016

Not spear or javelin, mere pebble will do.

2nd Wednesday in Ordinary Time
1 Sam 17:32-33,37,40-51;  Mk 3:1-6

A mere pebble was enough for the young David to bring down the mighty Goliath. The whole sanhedrin and the entire ruling class plotted against Jesus but no one could do anything till the appointed time, though Jesus had no spear or javelin to defend himself. No one can stop us from the good we do if that good is ordained according to the holy will of God. If it were for my own gain or glory I cannot blame God if it brings strife and suffering alone. A small reason is enough to topple the entire edifice so carefully raised. When I have my selfish mileage to make and manipulate persons and situations placing my trust in my might then I should realise I am far far away from the Lord.

WORD 2day : 19th January, 2016

The Blue-eyed of God
1 Samuel 16:1-13; Mk 2: 23-28

David is chosen over and above the rest of his brothers... all of them stronger and fitter. David proved so worthy of the choice. He loved God so much that God saw in him someone lovable. David could do anything because he knew he had won the special favour of God. Jesus seems to refer to that fact,  the fact that David was a blue-eyed boy of God and that we too can grow to be blue-eyed of God,  if we love God with all our heart, trust God with all our soul and surrender to God all our life.

WORD 2day : 18th January, 2016

Compromise Kills

2nd Monday in Ordinary Time
1 Sam 15:16-23; Mk 2: 18-22

Saul defends himself, 'did I not do what the Lord wanted me to? ' Yes, he did. But not the way the Lord wanted. He tried compromising with what the people wanted along with what God wanted. Jesus warns compromising kills... don't compromise with the old ways and the new, with what God wants and what the world wants! What one builds through small tough steps towards perfection can be pulled down in one simple compromise. Compromise Kills!

WHEN OUR LIVES RUN DRY

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: 17th January, 2016

Is 62:1-5;1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11

Today the Word establishes the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. After the Baptism where Jesus is seen in public this is the incident that can be interpreted as the beginning of his life and work among people. The Word also defines what the purpose of the ministry is. It is to replenish the rapport between  God and God's people.

The imagery that holds the common thread between the readings today is that of marriage. Often the relationship between God and God's people is spoken of in terms of the faithfulness between the bride and the groom, as in the first reading from Isaiah. God wishes an intimate relationship with God's children but at times our lives run dry. It's also a pastoral concern that after all the weeks of Advent and Christmastide the ordinary season might seem too ordinary and eventless. As the wine ran short our lives too will run dry at moments.

We may have the jar and we may have them filled but it is Jesus who makes it wine! We may have all it takes to make this life meaningful and fruitful but be wondering why it isn't really working out... Jesus renders it fruitful; the Spirit makes our abilities true gifts.

When our lives run dry... let's take our jars filled to Jesus and he will turn them into wine;  let's surrender to the Spirit and the Spirit will make us God's children again.

WORD 2day: 16th January, 2016

The choice and the call
1 Sam 9 : 1-4, 17-19, 10 : 1; Mk 2 : 13-17

Saul and Matthew... two shining exemplifications of God's choice and call. God chooses God's messengers in ways known only to God,  Saul went in search of the assess and he returned as King of Israel. God has a unique set of criteria to select the messengers, a tax collector was not exempt from Jesus' choice of disciples. The qualifications to be God's messengers is rather strange- Saul was handsome and strong,  his successor David was a small and simple boy! The message is simply one: don't be carried away with what you have nor be buried because of your inabilities. God's ways are wonderful; the right way to experience it is surrender!