WORD 2day: 29th April, 2017

Waiting on tables and Walking on the waves

Saturday, 2nd week in Easter

Acts 6:1-7; Jn 6:16-21

There are two things that occupy our minds as the Word speaks to us today: one, the bread and the other, the waves. 

Waiting on the Table, which was a regular duty among the believers becomes a concern and some are dissatisfied with how it was going on. The Lord inspires them to understand the concern with such clarity that they do not compromise on the basics. The concern is addressed but nothing of what is essential is lost - they set apart a ministry in order that the centrality of the Word is not lost. 

Waves that rose against the boat, made the disciples frightened. But the Lord walks up to them on the waters, on the very waves and reassures them to row on. Interestingly, they were disturbed by the waves but they were more terrified to see someone walking on the water towards them. The Lord's words, do not fear - comes as a challenge for them to understand what to fear and what not to fear. They were hardly away from the land, but they needed the Lord to realise it.

Waiting on tables or walking on waves, what is important is that we never lose our clarity and priority. Place the right thing first and every other thing will fall in place. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything will be given unto you! 

WORD 2day: 28th April, 2017

Gamaliel and the Miracle of Multiplication

Friday, 2nd week in Easter

Acts 5:34-42; Jn 6:1-15

Gamaliel proved a true God-fearing man and his words become a miracle. The Notice the beautiful connection made in the Liturgy of the Word today: there is a multiplication of the loaves reported in the Gospel but we see that unfolding in reality in the Acts, in the form of the Multiplication of the Christians. From a mere handful, the people of the Way begin to grow in leaps and bounds. 

The miracle happened because of the following three reasons:

- the Apostles and the band kept God and God's Word above everything else, even above their own lives.

- the Apostles and the people considered it God's mission and not their own enterprise; they gave the entire credit to God.

- the Apostles had no other hidden agenda, for instance their own glory, making a living, or creating a following for themselves. They surrendered themselves totally to the Lord and they were multiplied!

WORD 2day: 27th April, 2016

Obedience - the first quality of God's servants

Thursday, 2nd week in Easter
Acts 5:27-33; jn 3: 31-36

Today we have a great lesson from the Word. The first and the most important virtue of Easter people is Obedience. The lesson can be understood in three phrases.

1. Obedience makes Jesus the beloved Son of God. As St Paul would say, it  is because of his obedience that the Father raised him as the highest and have him a name above every name.

2. Obedience made the apostles mighty.  By nature the apostles were not bold. But when they began to obey God they became uncontrollable. Today we hear them say, Obedience to God is much more important than anything else.

3. Obedience makes us free. When we obey we need not worry. Obeying reduces the burden off our shoulder. Because God cares instead of we being worried about something.

If we have to prove close to God one fundamental necessity is to obey. Are we ready?

WORD 2day: 26th April, 2017

Idiots for the Lord

Wednesday, 2nd week after Easter

Acts 5:17-26; Jn 3:16-21

We are fools for Christ's sake, says Paul (1 Cor 4;10). Until we see the sort of things that happen in the first reading today, we do not understand the meaning of that statement of Paul.  Peter and John are arrested, tortured but they refuse to be intimidated. They are found in no time in the synagogue proclaiming exactly him whom they were forbidden to speak of.

I was reminded of the meaning of the word,  "idiot"... comes close to what  Paul  wishes.   Idiot is that person who is so occupied with just one thing that everything else goes into oblivion. The Apostles and the disciples were all idiots... idiots for  Christ's sake.

There are other sets of idiots who are pitiable. They are idiots, who turn so due to their choices... it could be power,  position, possession or any other reason. They are pitiable because they miss the best that they can ever have: the Risen Lord.

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

A 'Go' that binds

25th April, 2017
Celebrating Mark the Evangelist

1 Pet 5:5-14; Mk 16:15-20

Mark comes out as a dedicated young man convinced of his call and enduring in his response. The apostles and disciples were extremely different from each other in their calibre and character. But what bound them together was the 'Go' that they received from the Lord. It was the commission from the Master that kept them  going. We see generations of them following each other in responding whole heartedly to the project entrusted. Mark becomes the representative of the generation that immediately followed the 12 and Mark leaves indelible trails by his commitment and dedication. The call is to the young today: can you dedicate yourself to the commission from the Lord... to Go!

WORD 2day: 24th April, 2017

The Spirit Rocks

Monday, 2nd week after Easter
Acts 4: 23-31; Jn 3:1-8

The Spirit rocks and the Early Christian Community experienced it in concrete. The Spirit rocks, rocks in two ways: one, it rocks the complacency of an individual's or community's heart; second, it rocks the entire thing around that every one experiences something that he or she has been dreaming about. 

There have been people in history who were rocked by the Spirit in their heart...right from Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and the prophets, right upto John the Baptist and Nicodemus today, they were rocked in the spirit and they began searching for the eternal truth. 

When the Spirit raised people, it rocked the entire world and history. Things were changed as they were never before. Today the Spirit awaits to rock the world through you and me. Being instruments in the hands of the Lord is to rock the world in the Lord's name - the Spirit will do it if only we are ready to yield! Are we ready to rock... let us let the Spirit within us rock!

MERCY: The Mark of a Christian

23rd April, 2017: Divine Mercy Sunday

Acts 2:42-47; 1 Pet 1:3-9; Jn 20: 19-31

This Sunday is liturgically called the Low Sunday which marks the end of the Easter Octave. "A week later" or "eight days later", indicates the Gospel today; it was a week later that Jesus appears to all the eleven, including Thomas and patiently, mercifully and lovingly leads them to true faith. The feast of Divine Mercy was instituted and fixed for this day by the  Pope Saint John Paul II, who was very much attached to this devotion, inspired by the Polish nun St. Faustina and her visions.  A very strong message of today is MERCY!

The first reading speaks of how the early community of Christians becomes a mighty witness to the Lord. They were the epitome of the command that Jesus gave, 'be merciful as your heavenly father is merciful'. Mercy becomes their way of life, or rather their renewed way of life. As a mark of being a Christian, mercifulness to each other specially to those in need, becomes the point of attraction for many...and as the reading goes - the Lord added to their number everyday! Mercy, we know, is the high point of Christian identity. But what matters most is how it is lived on a daily basis. It begins with our life at home: with our dear ones, elderly parents, sickly loved ones, troublesome children, rebellious youngsters... how is our relationship? What level of patience and acceptance do we manifest?

The Second reading speaks to us of the source of mercy, God the father of Jesus Christ who in mercy sent the only Son for our salvation! The Mercy of God is given to us as the example and the measure of our "genuineness of faith"! Preaching and believing in high ideals of love and compassion, if we but hate people and divide families, envy others and detest their well being... we are far far away from God, the God of Mercy and compassion.

Jesus' encounter with the disciples after his resurrection manifests a special quality of mercy... it is an encounter that is full of unlimited forgiveness and unconditional love! There is no demand that the disciples have to render an account for having abandoned Jesus at the crucial moment of suffering, for having betrayed him or having denied him! All that Jesus does is, tell them he is with them and invite them to be his witnesses throughout the world. That is the mercy of God embodied, incarnate, which dwelt among us in flesh and blood and dwells among us today in the Spirit. Mercy, hence, has to be lived today in forgiveness and love; there can be no place for grudge and grievance, envy and slander, cheating and stealing, killing and enmity. 

As we celebrate the Divine Mercy of Jesus...let us understand and accept Mercy as our mark of identity as God's own children, the distinctive character of persons who call themselves Christians! Let us be merciful as our heavenly father is merciful.

WORD 2day: Easter Saturday 2017

The Culture of Easter is Courage 

22nd April: Acts 4:13-21; Mk 16: 9-15

The culture of Easter is courage -it was born of the courage that Jesus showed in obeying God the Father without reserve and Jesus passes on the same courage to his disciples too. One of the clear proofs of Easter is the Courage that we see in the disciples, who were till then frightened and lost, timid and trembling but suddenly became so vociferous and invincible, outspoken and uncontrollable. What made that difference? The Empty Tomb is only an indication to what could have happened but the Courage of the disciples is the concrete proof of something extraordinary which had taken place. 

I am fond of making this contrast arising from the scene where Peter (along with John) speaks up to the rulers and elders vis-a-vis the scene on that maundy thursday night at the courtyard where he fumbled and fell so low in front of a mere servant maid! He who said in fear, I dont know the Jesus you are talking about, says today, I cannot stop proclaiming Jesus just because you command me to. Where did this extraordinary courage come from - that was in response to the command of the Risen Lord: go out to the whole world and proclaim good news to all creation. A new culture had been born, a culture of total fidelity and unlimited courage. 

The invitation for us today, is to feel this courage redoubling amidst crisis situations and tempting moments. Can we feel the unfailing presence of the Risen Lord with us, that we may live upto this culture of courage!

WORD 2day: Easter Friday 2017

The Sound of Easter is Positive 

21st April: Acts 4:1-12; Jn 21:1-14

The very sound of Easter is positivity. There are voices that discourage, there are noises that confuse, there are stories that mislead. As Easter people we are called to remain positive, productive and affirmative. We are challenged to be life giving. That is what Peter and John do: they announce Christ, because they were convinced that it is in that name that humanity has life. There is no other name given here on earth, through which a person could be saved. The only name that can give life is Jesus! And so they proclaimed that name, filling the earth with life, energy, wholeness and meaning. There were those who could not bear it or hear it or understand it. 

Even the disciples did not hear that initially - they heard voices that disturbed them, they were frightened; they heard noises that confused them, they were discouraged; they heard stories that misled them, they were returning to their old lives. But Jesus intercepted them, giving them back their meaning, direction and purpose - they heard his voice, they heard the call, they heard the sound of easter - the positive call to go on! Amidst discouraging experiences and disturbing factors in life, we are called to go on without giving up, because the very sound of Easter is positive!

WORD 2day: Easter Thursday 2017

The Fragrance of Easter is Hope

20th April: Acts 3: 11-26; Lk 24: 35-48

The part that remains even after the thing is removed from vicinity is the fragrance! And the fragrance that is left behind by Easter is that of Hope! The people throng all around Peter and John, because they have seen something terrific. The were excited at the prospects of seeing more things as such. They were enjoying and cherishing that moment. Just imagine the excitement that would have been when the disciples  witnessed Jesus stand amidst them, that Jesus whom they thought was killed. Jesus, makes them understand that these events have always been there, foretold and awaited. Now that they are fulfilled, you get the fragrance of it, and it is hope!

Our life has to be filled with this fragrance, if not we have not yet experience true easter. Out minds, our households, our relationships, our workplaces and wherever we are, we need to sense the fragrance of hope - which says, the Lord will triumph, love will triumph, the will of God alone will triumph! Do you smell hope wherever you are? Do people smell hope, where you are?