It's the Master who sends...

Saturday, 14th week in Ordinary time

July 14th, 2018: Is 6: 1-8; Mt 10: 24-33

It is the Lord who sends; it is the Master who calls; it is the Teacher who commissions! It is not because I am worthy to be sent, or qualified to be called or skilled to be commissioned... but it is because it is the Lord who calls! As St. Paul says it in such simple terms: "those whom he called, he justified" (cf. Rom 8:29). However unworthy I am, when the Lord has appointed me for a mission, he makes sure that mission goes on through me. 

On my part the challenge is to be mindful of the fact that it is the Lord who has sent me and commissioned me; to be convinced that the Lord takes care of everything around me, provided I live my life faithful to the call. A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand, but nothing will come near me, for I have made God my refuge, prays the Psalmist (in Ps 91:7).

It is the Lord who has called me and it is Lord who has commissioned me, I am accountable to the Lord and only to the Lord. In this world and to those around me, I have nothing to prove! All that I need to do, is stand in awe at the majesty of the Lord, believe in the Lord's sovereignty and submit myself in total faith into the hands of God, saying "Here am I Lord, send me!" When the Lord does send me, I will see the glory of God revealed in marvelous ways!

God with us!

Friday, 14th week in Ordinary time 

July 13, 2018: Hos 14: 2-10; Mt 10: 16-23

"Straight are the paths of the Lord" (Hos 14:10), declares prophet Hosea today. Straight, and therefore tough. Straight and therefore no compromises. Straight and therefore no confusions! 

Everyone knows the ways of the Lord; everyone knows what is acceptable to the Lord and what is not; it is made known by the Lord to every human person in their innermost self.

The words of Jesus in the Gospel are quite frightening as we find Jesus trying to warn us against being good, against choosing the ways of the Lord and being God's disciples or apostles of the Word. He does not promise any prospects, instead persecution. He does not announce any offers, instead oppression. He says it very clearly that we will have to suffer for his sake, for the sake of the Word and for the sake of the Reign of God.

But there is one thing that he assures: the consolation of the Lord, the consoling and affirming presence of the Lord with us. Because what we have chosen is the way of the Lord, we are sure to find the Lord present with us all the way. The way might be filled with pitfalls and climbs and hurdles and thorns and thistles... but we are sure amidst all these, the Lord walks with us, speaks on our behalf and acts in and through us. What a mighty consolation we have: God with us!

God's Instruments of Love

Thursday, 14th week in Ordinary time

July 12, 2018: Hos 11: 1-4, 8,9; Mt 10: 7-15

The readings today present to us yet another intimate dimension of God's love: the love of a loving parent, the love of a father or that of a mother. The very same compassion that Yahweh had towards the people of Israel, Jesus exhibits towards all. The longing of the Lord to hold us close to Godself, the yearning to be close to God's children and assist them in every bit of their difficulties, the readiness to understand their uneasiness and provide them with solutions of true and eternal joy and give them an experience of wholeness... the heart of God goes out to God's people in compassion and love.

There is an added dimension in the Gospel, when Jesus tells his disciples whom he wishes to send among the people ahead of him... to go to heal, to listen to, to empathise with and to be there for the people, specially those who are suffering. Jesus seems to say, God wants to endlessly show God's love to the people and you are the instruments through which God will accomplish that desire! It is here that the wonderful prayer of Francis of Assisi becomes so meaningful and precious: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace! To sow love, mercy, forgiveness...that is the mission of a person of God.

Let us realise today that we have a specific mission wherever we are: let us not look for love, let us give it; let us not look for understanding, let us live it; let us not look for mercy, let us be merciful. Let us be God's instruments of love.

Faithfulness - a matter of everyday living

Wednesday, 14th week in Ordinary time

July 11, 2018: Hos 10: 1-3, 7-8, 12; Mt 10: 1-7

Faithfulness to God and a contrary tendency, this is the theme that runs entirely through the book of Prophet Hosea. He insists on the need to remain faithful to God, or in case of a fall, to renew our faithfulness and cuddle up back to God's love. The worst thing that can happen in a relationship is not an accidental breach of faith, instead a deliberate choice of treason, and an obstinate repetition of the same.

The Gospel reminds us of our special calling, the call to belong to the Lord and to follow him; a call by name! The reminder is made specific as the Lord instructs the apostles to go into the lost flock of Israel and not outside. The point is for us to understand that we as people of God, chosen children of God, we are the first one's who need to be converted. As the teachings of the Church insists upon with such clarity, the evangeliser has to be first evangelised; one who proclaims the Word has to first challenge oneself against the background of the Word!

Our faithfulness is not only a matter of life and death, it is primarily a matter of simple, ordinary, day to day decisions and choices. It has to be exhibited in our day to day priorities and be lived on an everyday basis. Faithfulness is better understood as a matter of everyday living, rather than an overall project of life.

The Right Belief

Tuesday, 14th week in Ordinary Time 

July 10, 2018: Hos 8 :4-7,11-13; Mt 9: 32-37

We widely practice religion but rarely do we truly believe! Practices of piety, fulfillment of the so-called ritual requirements, attendance at the Church - these would merely be religion if they do not arise from a belief, that is right and real.

Placing our trust on things, relying  entirely on what we do or perform, thinking in  terms of appeasements and votive sacrifices are modes of religion practiced and do not lead to  the right belief. They are more need fulfillments and life coping than a true, empowering and life enhancing relationship. The latter is specifically what faith is all about.

Faith alone can lead to Right Beliefs: there is a difference between a belief and faith. Faith is an encounter, a relationship out of which a conviction is born and the conviction translated into concepts is belief. The difficulty of our times is the fact that this process is reversed: people are introduced, sometimes forced into belief and then faith is expected to be born and to mature! Can this really happen?

Our belief is in a person not in a power; it is not about some legalistic fulfilment of requirements or subservient submission to a power but about a loving relationship with a person. It is in this relationship, in other words called faith, that belief is born; and that belief would certainly be the Right belief.

Take a moment during the day  today to evaluate how right your belief is!

What has betrothal got to do with faith?

Monday, 14th week in Ordinary Time

July 9, 2018: Hos 2: 16, 17-18, 21-22; Mt 9: 18-26

I will betroth you to myself, says the Lord in the Word today. It set me thinking on the various elements of a relationship of betrothal! 

And the more intriguing part came by when in the Gospel Jesus speaks to us of an unconditional and unwavering faith! Now the question became more complicated in my mind - what has betrothal got to do with faith!

Betrothal is commonly a traditional, conservative concept of giving a couple-to-be some confident space to move in. It is an organised and formal mode of courtship. It is an enamouring phase of a marriage - where there should be utmost confidence, a lively striving to impress each other and an absolute vying with each other to shower love! 

Faith is all about that - a feeling of having been enamoured by God that I feel so confident in the Lord, I strive to please the Lord whatever it takes, I accept anything from the Lord whatever it is and never even for a moment doubt if the Lord is all for me!

Does my faith measure up to such a personal attachment to the Lord?

THE CALL AND THE CONTRADICTIONS

JULY 8, 2018: 14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Ezek 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12: 7-10; Mk 6: 1-6

Here are some contradictions that you could ponder on, this Sunday... 

based on the Readings we have: 

1. You are sent by God to a particular space and time: till the end of your time you will not realise it to the full and not as long as you are in the space where you live!

2. You are sent to a people, the people with whomever you find yourself in reality, but they will never look at it that way and you will long to be sent elsewhere all your life!

3. You are called to be a prophet - though it means living a life of a prophet, it is decided only in the way you die. It is, literally or symbolically, a call to die for a cause!

4. You are sent to a people who would not easily accept you; if they accept you easily, may be, they are not the ones to whom you are specifically sent!

5. You are sent - that does not mean you are special... just look around and you would see scores of persons much better than you, however that does not excuse you from following your call.

6. You are sent - therefore it doesn't matter if you don't love the task that you are entrusted with, it is your duty not your hobby; do it with your full heart and energy!

7. You are sent - that does not make you are strong, it makes you weak and vulnerable! But it is in that weakness and vulnerability that you would make the One who sent, better known to the rest!

8. You are a prophet to the people which means you would be rejected by them, at least by the dominant and the majority - if you are easily accepted, you are no prophet!

9. Popularity and Prophecy do not go together - mind you, if you seem too popular in a place, you are conforming to their ideals, and not to the one who sent you. So don't strive to make yourself acceptable!

10. The One who sent you, sent you to the rebels, not to the patriots! Hence if you are comfortable with those who are inside the flock, you are mistaken - you haven't started to live your call yet!

Rebuilding the Ruins

Saturday, 13th week in Ordinary Time

July 7, 2018: Amos 9: 11-15; Mt 9: 14-17

I have heard many a builder say, it takes double the effort to rebuild something that is already built vis-a-vis building something fresh. It is true. Rebuilding or restoring is a work of an expert. My mind forces me to share here the comment any onlookers pass when they see the Colosseum for the first time, with the way it looks. It is history that the famous stadium was destroyed in a fire and then in eventual invasions. Over a couple of centuries ago, they proposed to rebuild it, restore its ruined parts...but what they have done has ruined further the elegance and the majesty of the structure - it is so amateurish! Rebuilding or Restoring is an expert's job.

The Lord when he promises to rebuild Jerusalem, restore the Lord's people, proves Godself to be an expert. Not all can manage. It takes completely a different aptitude to build up people. It is easy to find fault, criticise and break people but to build them up, more so to rebuild them from their ruins, it takes God, and God alone to do it. 

Those who rebuild are Godly; those who rebuild have the touch of the Master's hand; those who rebuild have a quality that is so close to the quality of the Creator. Let us be renewed in the Lord to see the good in others, those traits that will build them up and build the community of faith.

Jesus is trying to rebuild, in the Gospel, rebuild the consciousness of people about God's presence with them and the beauty that it beholds. Let us beseech the Lord for the gift to build up ourselves into fitting temples of God and the grace to rebuild others in whatever way we can!

Searching for the Word

Friday, 13th week in Ordinary Time

Amos 8: 4-6, 9-12; Mt 9: 9-13

Searching for the Word, that is the quality presented today as a distinguishing trait of a person of God. A person who is far from God, will conveniently keep away from the Word of God because it would disturb his or her peace. But when that happens his or her life drifts away from truth, from its origin, from its very meaning. That is what Amos warns the people of God about. Whereas, when a person is close to God, he or she longs for God and earnestly seeks for the will of God, and will find that life giving Word right at their doorstep. 

The Lord declares today, only the sick need the doctor. Let us be aware that only those who accept their sickness will seek the doctor and only those who want a way out of their sickness will do the needful to grow wholesome. The Word has to nourish us and only if we feel the need of it, we would seek for it. Not that we do not need, we do not feel the need, we feel we can substitute it with so many other things in life - which  invariably ends in a failure!

The Word of the Lord contains life, life in its fullness... let us make it a sincere habit to search for the Word, be nourished by it, and long for it!

IN or OUT - it's your choice!

Thursday, 13th week in Ordinary Time

July 5, 2018: Amos 7: 10-17; Mt 9: 1-8

The Word today presents to us varied pictures of people going in and out : in to captivity, out of slavery to sin, in to their own doom, out of disease and handicaps... but the choice was always theirs.  

It is the same with us today: we can choose to remain in our weakness and godlessness, satisfied with little we have. The Lord has so much in store which we miss entirely because of our stubbornness. 

I am reminded of that picture that is quite popular... a little girl with her tiny doll refusing to give it to Jesus kneeling before her. She is totally unaware of the jumbo size teddy doll that Jesus is holding behind his back, all for her! 

What is my choice: holding on to the little I know or allowing the Lord to lead me by hand, teach me everyday and enrich me with his wholeness?