ENTERING THE NARROW DOOR

It is a demanding task!

August 25, 2019: 21st Sunday in Ordinary time

Isaiah 66: 18-21; Hebrews 12: 5-7,11-13; Luke 13: 22-30

The experience of standing in a queue, the tedium of entering the metal detector at places with extra vigilance or waiting for the token number at the bank… these are no rarities in our ordinary life. Jesus draws a simple example, one similar to these, our experiences.

The door to the Reign of God is narrow, not many take that door, though everyone is invited to enter the Reign. There are many other doors, which seem more comfortable, more spacious and more adorned and people prefer them, knowing least that they do not lead to the Reign of God, the greatest treasure in store for us!

Entering the narrow door is a task quite demanding – the readings today point to three traits that are needed to be able to enter the Reign through the narrow door. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel, many try to enter but they cannot.

To able to enter the door, one should be strong! Strive – says the Lord – Strive to enter – To strive means to struggle, to make all the efforts possible, to try real hard. One needs to be strong in mind, heart and soul to strive to enter the narrow door into the Reign. It is Spiritual strength we are dealing with here. Be Strong, but avoid Spiritual Obesity, warns the Lord. If you are obese, you cannot enter the narrow door – it’s obvious! 

Spiritual Obesity – Pride and Elitist mentality – which gives into self righteousness and judgmental attitude can never get us into the Reign of God. I am baptized, I am a born-again, I am a consecrated religious, I am a Sacred minister – nothing can get you in! From the east and the west, the north and the south everyone will enter and sit at the table in the Reign says the Lord. Mind you, there are no reservations here in. A bit of disciplining, as the second reading suggests, can get us in shape.

To be able to enter the door, one should be in communion! The way is long, we reflected on that last week. Communion with each other and Communion with those who have managed to enter the door before us, can really make the task easy and enjoyable. Our forerunners are our example, our model and can even be our helpers – but finally, the one who has to enter is me! It is you! That is why we are warned today – Be in Communion but avoid Spiritual Infantilism. At times we make our faith so infantile that we think everything depends on the candles we light, the formulae we repeat, the food we give up and the coins we drop. These are means to strengthen our relationship with God – but they are not everything. 

What matters most is our personal life of commitment and integrity. You cannot enter the narrow door in groups… one by one you have to do it. That means you cannot ride on the goodness of the other, either the living or those gone before you!

To be able to enter the door, one should be patient! The wait is long, for the door is narrow! Waiting on the Lord is a spiritual talent. To wait patiently, amidst failures and pressures, amidst temptations and struggles, amidst dark nights and heavy burdens, it is the only way one can be prepared and prompt when one’s time comes! There is a warning here too: Be Patient but avoid Spiritual Lethargy. In the name of patience I cannot procrastinate my commitment and postpone my conversion to a later moment. ‘Repent and Believe, for the Reign of God is near’ says the Lord. 

Being patient is not being busy with something else till my turn comes… but persevering, enduring and constantly working on myself that when my turn comes, I am in shape, prepared enough and fit to enter the narrow door that leads me to the behold the eternal glory of the Lord Almighty!

I am the door, if anyone enters through me, he or she will be saved (Jn 10:9) declared the Lord elsewhere! Jesus is the door, the narrow door, the demanding door – He is compassionate, yes; but at the same time uncompromising. The choice is ours to choose the narrow door, make ourselves strong, united and patient, to endure our everyday life and make straight the path for our feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed (heb 12:13). The door is narrow but there is enough space to enter, if we are in ready and willing.

All, but not all…

One by one is the call…

Let us enter the Narrow Door, one and all.

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

August 24, 2019: Remembering St. Bartholomew, the Apostle.

Revelations 21: 9-14; John 1: 45-51

Known in the Gospel of St.John with the name Nathanael, Bartholomew received from the Lord a great compliment. A man in whom there is no guile, says the Lord. Though he did not believe what Phillip said and originally did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus recognises the goodness in him. 

The readings today have three lessons to teach: 

One, the readiness of Jesus to appreciate the goodness in a person even when the person did not believe in him. How many times friends turn the worst enemies when they begin to disagree with each other! 

Second lesson is from Bartholomew, who accepts the call to 'come and see' and goes, sees, believes and remains with the Lord. 

The third lesson is from the feast itself - a remembrance of the Apostles is a special invitation to each of us to recognise the call we have received to to go into the world and proclaim God's Reign. 

Bartholomew took the Gospel right upto Armenia and Arabia. There exists a legend that Bartholomew reached even India's western borders! Each of us is reminded today of our call to bear the goodnews to the ends of the world, to establish the Reign of God - beginning with the closest of our contexts - that is, right wherever we are!

How do I become God's child?

WORD 2day: Friday, 20th week in Ordinary time

August 23, 2019: Ruth 1: 1-3, 6-14, 16-22; Matthew 22:34-40

Approaching today's readings with the question, 'how does one become a son or daughter of God' - there is an example and a theory! The example is that of Ruth and the theory is presented to us by Jesus himself in the Gospel. 

Ruth, a moabite, who lost her hebrew husband, still becomes a part of God's salvation plan and becomes one of the few women referred to in the long history of the Israelites. How does it happen? The answer is, true and selfless LOVE. And that is the connecting link between the readings today.

Love is the only way one can become a child of God, as John puts it so simply in his letter - 'Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God' (1 Jn 4:7). John learnt it from his master and beloved friend, Jesus who dared to synthesise the whole of the law and the prophets (that is, the whole of Hebrew Scripture) into two directives, which actually amounted to just one command: LOVE. 

Now we are back with the question we began with: how do I become a child of God. Neither some ritual, nor some practices of piety, not even some grand acts of heroism can achieve that status. There is only one way, taught by the Only Son of God and that is the way of love. Let us love one another and become God's children.

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

August 22, 2019: Celebrating the Queenship of Mary 

Isaiah 9: 1-7; Luke 1: 26-38

On this day, which is exactly a week after Assumption of Mary into the presence of God, a tradition in the Church celebrates the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Though it is just a memoria, it is worth celebrating and reflecting!  

In what does Mary's Queenship consist? 

We are not dealing here with a contestable fact that would irk the Non-Catholic friends, as if we are claiming an undeserved and an over-exaggerated place for Mary within our religious convictions. It is obvious that we have misgivings with the non-Catholics, but certainly they cannot miss this point, if only they reason it out logically.

The choice of the readings today beautifully expresses the Church's stand on this: The glory of the Lord that is revealed in incarnation is the point of focus, according to the first reading from Isaiah, while the Gospel presents the role of Mary in that glorious event - a humble role of a servant who tells God, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to your word!" 

Her Queenship does not consist in pomp or splendour, but in filial submission and total dedication to the plan of God. She remains the same even now, forever - a humble handmaid who carries out the plan of God. If only our non-Catholic friends believe in the life eternal that is promised to us, where will they place that lovely person who was an instrument in the hands of the Divine, in executing the magnificent salvation plan? Obvious, as close as possible to the Divine, above every other being on earth, because she proved so worthy of it.

Leaving aside making sense to the non-Catholic friends, those within the fold need to understand this fact: Mary is Queen, in her simplicity, in her humility, in her docility, in her total submission to the Lord. Let us never lose sight of this in our over enthusiastic celebration of this loving Blessed Mother of ours! Let us take her as our model, an inspiration, a challenge to make ourselves simple, humble, docile and totally dedicated to God's will. 

There is no surprise Mary was crowned the Queen, because Jesus had said: One who humbles oneself, will be exalted!

The standards of the Undiscerning mind

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 20th week in Ordinary time

August 21, 2019: Judges 9: 6-15; Matthew 20: 1-16

Just yesterday we reflected on God's choices; today we get to reflect on the human choices. If God's choices were strange for noble reasons; the human choices are strange too, but for all wrong reasons - lack of judgement, result of manipulation, jealousy and maliciousness! 

The first reading is a picturesque presentation of this situation, by way of a parable narrated by Jotham - how we end up at times happily choosing the bramble as our shelter and hope! We create standards for ourselves, which are no standards at all in the sight of God and in the perspective of eternal life, and then we wish to live up to it, even at the cost of lives - Oh, what a colossal loss of life and meaning! All because we lack that one great gift of discernment.

Discernment - it is a very important grace that we need in our daily living - to make the right choices! Haste and Imbalanced judgements make up for the mistakes we land in. But the moment we realise that, we are called to return to the Lord, and be God's people. We need not think of what hour and what stage it is; it's never too late with God's love, as long as the will to return is nothing but genuine. 

 All that God wants is that we choose to say 'yes', when he calls! The choice is truly ours.

The standards of the Almighty

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 20th week in Ordinary time 

August 20, 2019: Judges 6: 11-24; Matthew 19: 23-30

The Lord's choices are curious, infact, strange! There is a series of them we can cite from both Old Testament and the New. Today's first reading presents to us one such personality - Gideon, a fear-stricken young man who defines himself as the least of all in Israel - is chosen by God and called, "Mighty Warrior". The numerous others like Jacob the less-stronger, David the puniest of the sons, Solomon the son of the coveted wife and over to the New Testament the uneducated  fishermen and  despised sinners as disciples and apostles -  the list is endless. 

The whole of Salvation History is accomplished in and through these so-called odd choices. One thing is very clear: "it is impossible for humans; but for God everything is possible." While the world and we ourselves look for something, God looks at something else and expects something totally different from us! 

Infact, that which God sees and expects is the most appropriate and when that coincides with what I see and expect from myself - the miracle happens: the first becomes the last and the last becomes the first! What I need to know and follow is what St. Paul counsel the Romans in his letter (12:2): Do not conform to the standards of the world! Be renewed in Christ and you shall fit the standards of the Almighty. 

A God who never gives up on me!

WORD 2day: Monday, 20th week in Ordinary time

August 19, 2019: Judges 2: 11-19; Matthew 19:16-22

While we were in the period of initial formation as aspirants to priesthood, there used to be periodic assessment of behaviour and it used to be communicated to us in person by a one in charge of our discipline in the formation house. I remember a phrase that was often used - 'you have a lot of good will; but good will alone is not good enough!' It seems funny to look back and take note of that remark, but looking at our life and the way we live, very often that statement applies well to most of us. 

Like the young man in the Gospel today, who had so much of good will to inherit the Reign of God, found out from Jesus that, that was not going to be good enough! The Lord has great hopes on us, but we fail repeatedly to live up to that. 

The first reading presents to us a pattern of failures of Israel, not just an act of sin but a habit of sin, a regular falling short of their call. But the Lord never gave up on them; God offers them opportunities after opportunities to return to their glorious calling - to be God's chosen people! 

Pope Francis repeats this message very often: God never gives up on us, God is never tired of us, God is never tired of forgiving us. Yes! One of the tools of deception that the evil one uses on us is that of self pity - trying to say, I am so bad that I would never be worthy of God - and thus keep us away from God, far from returning to the source of love, goodness and meaning in life.

God has great hopes on us and invites us to "Go... give up all that tends to replace God... and return and follow the Lord!" Are we ready? 

RACE - AN ANALOGY FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

Urgency, Perseverance and Focus

August 18, 2019: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 38: 4-6, 8-10; Hebrew 12: 1-4: Luke 12: 49-53

"Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us"(Heb 12:1), invites the Liturgy today! Race - is a common analogy that is used to refer to something that requires a relentless effort and an enormous endurance. Today, the Liturgy of the Word invites us to look at our Christian living in the light of this analogy. 

Christian life is a Race; Living the Christian faith is like running a race...which has its starting point and the finish line in the person of Jesus Christ - "the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith"(Heb 12:2). Given the situation of the Greek Culture that was just spreading its philosophical wings over that part of the globe where Christianity was emerging out of Judaism, it was easy for the people to understand the analogy of Race applied to the life of faith. The analogy seems quite prevalent that we see apart from the letter to the Hebrews that we read today; also St. Paul uses it with facility, in his letters to the Philippians (Phil 3:14) and to Timothy(2 Tim 4:7,8). Extending the analogy a little more, we shall try to understand our Christian life today. 

Christian Life is a Race, a race of Hurdles! Obstructions all along the way, does not in anyway hinder the progress of the athlete, the athlete has to jump over those and run towards the goal that is set before one's eyes. If at every hurdle the person contemplates a back off or grumbles over its presence, the race is lost and ruined. Jesus today warns us of such hurdles and Jeremiah is presented to us in the midst of such overpowering obstructions. But Christian life has to go on! Jeremiah, when he was finally lifted up from the dungeon, he went back to proclaim the Word of the Lord! Up and across each hurdle, our life of faith, moves on!

Christian Life is a Race, a Relay Race! We are not running alone, we are in a team. Some one has run the race before us and they have passed the baton on to us. It is our responsibility today to run and we will not be running it forever. We will have to finish our course and pass the baton to the next! Faith has to be lived, and passed on. In the encyclical, Lumen Fidei, chapter three Pope Francis states that those who believe are never alone, faith is always shared and it tends to be spread; it has to be handed on! The second reading presents this beautifully recalling to our attention that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses(Heb 12:1).

Christian Life is a Race, a Marathon! It is not just a sprint, that I strive for a short time and I clinch a victory; it is a marathon, it is long and it is taxing. Speed is not enough, it demands also stamina! Endurance and Perseverance are inevitable subjects of attention when it comes to our Christian life. In Jesus' footsteps, St. Paul too instructs us, in his letter to the Thessalonians - never to be tired of doing what is right(2 Thes 3:13) and in the letter to Timothy - to endure every suffering and carry on our life (2 Tim 4:5). At times it can be boring, tedious or exasperating, but our character rests in staying on the track!

Be it what it may, the analogy of the Race requires of us three important mindsets!

The first is a sense of URGENCY. The Gospel presents this with the image of FIRE. Just as an athlete needs the fire within to run, a Christian needs the fire within to glow in his or her life. The fire that Jesus came to set, and badly wants ablaze. Jeremiah had it ablaze within his heart (Jer 20:9), the apostles, the martyrs, the first Christian community - all of them had it so ablaze within them, that it consumed them and spread wild to the world. Do we have it in us?

The second is the strength of PERSEVERANCE. The Second reading presents it with the image of the BLOOD. In every race, there are those who are ready to beat us, to over power us - in our Christian life too there are elements that are on the prowl to beat us, to over power us - the element of sin, the element of godlessness, the element of materiality! A Christian needs to fight these elements constantly, struggle against them relentlessly, right up even to the point of bloodshed. 

The third is the sense of FOCUS. The first reading presents it with the image of the MIRE. With those around want us to fail, with the tiredness that catches on, with the target that lies quite away in a distance... there are chances for the athlete to lose heart. The training is to focus on the finish line! The darkness of the dungeon or the Mire that was all around, did not in anyway take away the focus of Jeremiah! He had his eyes focused from where came his help! The second reading has those phrases - "looking to Jesus"(12:2) and "Consider Him(Jesus)"(12:3), underlining the need for us to Focus on Him, who is our beginning and our end, our alpha and the omega, our pioneer and perfecter. 

With a sense of Urgency in our will to live our faith to the full, with the strength to persevere all trials and with our focus always on Christ - let us run this race set before us. We are not alone, we have the example and the help of those who have gone before us - the saints and martyrs. We have our brothers and sisters around us, united in the One Lord, to support us and sustain us. With the example and the help of the Crucified Lord who sits at the right of the throne of God, as the Risen Lord, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

Choose to be little!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 19th week in Ordinary time

August 17, 2019: Josh 24: 14-29; Mt 19:13-15

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, declares Joshua before the people. He leads them by example! Just like Jesus who made it clear to the people that following him was not always a pleasure trip – ‘the foxes have their holes and the birds have their nest, but the son of man has no place to lay down’ – Joshua too makes it clear that choosing to serve God and giving a word on that, is a challenging task! 

To choose God, to choose God as the absolute, to choose God above all - these would mean today choosing to be little! Choosing to be little is choosing to be laughed at, choosing to be jeered at, choosing to be labelled 'conservative' or 'irrelevant'. I feel this much more in a context in which I find myself - the European West. This culture which was once upon a time so dominated by the God-talk, is today turning, if it has not already totally turned, Godless. 

It is not our task to be sitting in judgement on the people around, but to take into account our personal daily life, our personal choices and priorities, and the elements of our daily life that truly matter to us. There we will have a clue - do we want to be accepted by the world and found relevant to the times or do we want to choose to be little, to be that little flock that surrounds the Lord, like children who feel secure in the embrace of a mother? What would our choice be?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

A love that gives

WORD 2day: Friday, 19th week in Ordinary time

August 16, 2019: Joshua 24: 1-13; Matthew 19: 3-12 

The gratuitous love of God and the conditional love of humans – that is the contrast that the Word brings to the fore today. Taking the reins from Moses, the young Joshua consolidates his people reminding them of the great history of faith and wonders that they have behind them, the great things that God had accomplished for them though they deserved none of them! 

The love that God lavishes on us, and the measure in which God does it, we do not deserve it at all. It is a gratuitous gift from God and God has never counted the cost, even to the extent of sending the only Son of God as a ransom on our behalf (cf. John 3:16). That love is the model set before us, by Jesus. 

When Jesus changed the commandment of Leviticus (19:18) from ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ to ‘love one another as I have loved you’ (Jn 13:34), Jesus made a deliberate choice to propose God’s love as the model. Accepting one another, forgiving one another, being good to one another, wishing the good of the other with all one's heart – in all these we are called to measure up to none less than God, who is Love itself!

At times in problematic marriages, what we observe is exactly a lack of this. They say we were totally in love, until one day when we decided to break up! What is so painful to realise is that it was no love at all in the first place. They were trying to please each other or get pleased by each other - how long can that go? 

Any relationship which has to last for life should not be based on expectations and fulfillments, but be modelled on the love of God - a love that expects nothing, but gives everything!