Good - All the time!

WORD 2day: Monday, 23rd week in Ordinary Time

September 9, 2019: Colossians 1:24 - 2:3; Luke 6: 6-11

Jesus' life and teaching hold out to us a challenge that consists of a simple,  uncomplicated criterion but highly demanding. The criterion is: Be good. 

You may have to suffer,  take on yourself burdens and brickbats,  be misunderstood and be rash judged... what are you going to do? Lose your nerves and let loose your temperament? Throw your ideals into the air and fall in line with the so-called wicked world? No. The answer is simple: Be good. 

At any given point if you are left with a question... what to do,  or what next,  or what has got to be my reaction, what should be my response right then... it is simple: Be good.

Never lose your goodness for anything or anyone's sake. What would be your merit, if you were to be good when it is convenient for you? What have you truly achieved if you are good to those who have been good to you? Irrespective of these antecedents, the call you have is to be good!

Certainly we have heard, even sung the famous number of Don Moen -God is good, all the time! It is not enough to believe that God is good all the time; it is important that I be good all the time and never grow weary of doing good (cf 2 Thes 3: 13).

Let the call resound throughout this day: Be good! All the time!

FREEDOM OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD

A different Reasoning, Relationship and Renunciation!

23rd Sunday in Ordinary time - September 8, 2019

Wisdom 9: 13-18; Philemon 1:9-10,12-17; Luke 14:25-33

There is a story told of a man who went on a long journey in search of an old sage in the forest who allegedly had the most precious diamond in the entire world. It was an overwhelming moment when the man met the sage and asked him if he really had the diamond. Because, the sage said as a matter of fact, "Yes. I have it". The man with much trepidation regarding the price he would have to pay, asked the sage, "can you give it to me?" The next moment, he could not believe his eyes, the sage held it out to him and said, 'here, take it.' The man took the diamond and hurried back anxious the sage should not suddenly change his mind. That night as he lay down to sleep, his eyes would not close and his mind would not stop wondering. The moment he saw some light he got up and went straight back to the sage and said, 'here take this diamond back, but give me that heart that allowed you to part with it so easily'. 

If we are really convinced of our identity as Children of God we would realise we are given with a freedom that makes us so different from what the world believes. At times we think freedom is the ability to do whatever we wish... that is not what freedom is all about. Freedom is the capacity to do the right thing without any external force. When we have this capacity, we would be totally different from the so-called majority in the society today. Because this freedom amounts to a different kind of reasoning, a different kind of relating and a different mindset of renouncing.

Freedom of the Children of God is seen first and foremost in a kind of Reasoning that one possesses, qualitatively different from the others. Taking up the cross willingly, forgiving without any compensations for it, looking at everything from the perspective of God... these make up a different kind of reasoning that we are called to possess. The first reading speaks to us of an important fact - that we may not understand everything in life and we need not be worried about it. Leave it to God and things will be clear to you in the due course of time.

Freedom of the Children of God is manifested in the kind of Relationships we treasure. While everywhere, gain and profit, benefits and advancements rule the roost, we are thinking of giving up, forgiving, accepting and welcoming someone without any conditions. St. Paul instructs Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ and even tacitly asking Philemon to free Onesimus from his slave-ship. A redefinition of relationships is a natural outflow of the freedom of the Children of God. We cannot but be reminded here of the numerous cases of inequality and discrimination among and within the Christian communities... a clear sign that we have not yet truly experienced the freedom of the children of God.

Freedom of the Children of God is best seen in the Renunciation that seems so natural and far from being a deprivation. I have come across people who renounce a few simple things and are so mindful of that fact - reminding themselves of it so often, making sure others know that they have renounced (whatever it is), making up for the renunciation in and through other means (sometimes going to another extreme). Jesus presents renunciation not as an extraordinary means of following God, but as an inevitable means of being disciples, of loving God above all else. Renouncing something is something, but not really enough. What matters is renouncing the so-called merits of the renunciation - that is true renunciation! 

Although today is Sunday and the nativity of our Blessed Mother is overshadowed by the Lord's day, let us not miss the chance of celebrating in and through her the great example that God provides every child of God! If we apply what we reflected so far to our Blessed Mother, we would be astonished to observe what a great inspiration she is with regard to this Freedom... she reasoned totally different from the world, entrusting herself in total surrender to the Lord not requiring an explanation for everything that was happening in her life; she treasured true relationships in the Lord, going out to meet Elizabeth, remaining always beside her Son in his mission, sticking on to the disciples till the promise was fulfilled; she renounced her will, her comfort and her total self, when she said that yes and all that remains uppermost in her mind was that the world does what the Lord wished: do whatever he tells you!  A great example of the Freedom of a Child of God.

Freedom of the Children of God permits us to live a life that is free, full and highly inspiring. May our Blessed Mother inspire, teach and guide us to grow in this great gift that we have received: the freedom of the children of God. 

Allowing God to work

WORD 2day: Saturday, 22nd week in Ordinary time

September 7, 2019: Colossians 1: 21-23; Luke 6: 1-5

Transforming a person is not difficult for God. The apostle reminds the Colossians in today's first reading, how they have been transformed by God, from foreigners and enemies to pure, holy and blameless people of God. Yes, transforming a person is by no means difficult for God, provided there is a will on the part of the person to be transformed. The flesh could be weak, but what is needed is the spirit that is willing as Jesus would instruct his disciples. 

Jesus found it so hard to make the pharisees and the scribes understand the Good News that he brought with him. Not because they were unintelligent nor because they were not able to see what Jesus was trying to tell them, but they were unwilling to see, they were refusing to change, they had decided not to transform themselves.  

We have today the sacraments and various other helps to pull ourselves up, make ourselves over and transform ourselves constantly in spite of our weaknesses, but we fail. Not because we cannot, but only because we do not want to, we do not will to. When we allow God to work in our lives, continuously pulling ourselves up and resuming our journey with the Lord, the Lord will surely transform us. 

That is the beautiful word we have in the responsorial, let us say it with faith: 'I have God for my help'. Only then will it mean that we have allowed God to work in and through us.

To Reconcile everything

WORD 2day: Friday, 22nd week in Ordinary time

September 6, 2019: Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 5: 33-38

Paul states the ultimate destiny of all creation - to be reconciled in Christ. Humans, animals and all creatures alike ultimately have to be reconciled into one in Christ. That is the essential movement of all reality and any thing that militates against this is from the evil one.

Anything that divides,  separates or stratifies cannot be trusted to be from God. Even if it is a spiritual practice or a theological concept that takes one away from the movement of reconciling everything in the Ultimate, embodied in Christ, it has to be suspected. Be it traditionalism or novelties, be it supernaturalism or practicalities, be it customs or innovations,  the movement should always be towards that one destiny: ultimate reconciliation in Transcendent Being. If that is left out of focus,  even the best of our efforts will either be selfish or ungodly!

Division and discrimination do not belong to God, established Jesus without doubt. Paul stood by it, though he had to fight for it with the Jews and even within the early church. He captures the mind of Christ - that everyone should be gathered to God, in the Reign. All the we do, everything that is said and argued upon, every choice proposed and decision made should be towards this singular goal - to reconcile everything.

How reconciling are my thoughts,  words and deeds?  Is Christ, the Omega Point, always my focus, in all that I say or do?

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

The Capacity for God-vision

September 5, 2019:  Celebrating Mother Teresa of Kolkata

Colossians 1:9-14; Luke 5: 1-11

Jesus demonstrates to the first disciples an extraordinary capacity of perceiving reality. We can call this God-vision... the capacity to see beyond the apparent. Mother Teresa, an incomparable contemporary Saint, had that capacity too: that enabled her to hear that cry, "I Thirst", amidst all the hustle and bustle of a railway platform! She met God in the railway station, not at the Cathedral!

The capacity of God-vision is the ability to perceive even what is not yet. This is accounted for in two levels in the Gospel today. Jesus seeing the catch of fish where it wasn't apparently and Jesus seeing the possibly of Peter and others with him becoming fishers of men. Jesus promises them that he will develop in them the same capacity: the capacity for God-vision. And he did.

"I am just a pencil in the hands of God", said Mother Teresa, allowing God to design a marvelous portrait of Godself in the works that she began! When we cooperate with this God-vision, God brings out of us the best that we never even imagined. And eventually as persons of God, God will give us the capacity to look at the best in a person even at a point where it is not apparently visible. 

St Paul had become an expert fisher of humans and we see him manifest that quality of God-vision, he perceives in the people of Colossia a people who are called for great things and not merely new converts.

To be true disciples and apostles of the Lord,  we need to surrender to the God-vision and grow in our capacity for God-vision. 

All out for the Word

WORD 2day: Wednesday,  22nd week in Ordinary time 

September 4, 2019: Colossians 1:1-8; Luke 4: 38-44

Paul,  Epaphras,  Jesus...all seem to be on the move. With a sense of urgency and a feeling of detachment they seem to move on from one place to another with the task of proclamation filling their minds. The question today is about our sense of apostleship. Are we filled with this urgency and are we convinced about this task given to us?

Proclamation is not the work of a few, it belongs to each and every one who is baptised. It is not an added feather to our hats but an essential mark of a Christian. Of course there is no one way of proclamation. Preaching or Speaking about it, is just one way;  example,  witness,  convictions,  values,  compassion and limitless love are all ways of sharing that Word with the world. The latter ways speak much louder than the mere words, we know that for sure!

Epaphras taught, Paul spoke and wrote, Jesus healed, spoke, taught, prayed, led, and kept pushing hard... all towards proclaiming the Reign of God which had to be established! It is God's work indeed to Reign...but it cannot be done unless we work for it. The first thing that we have to do is submit ourselves totally to its cause (that is what we see in these apostles, including Jesus, the apostle of the Father). 

And today, thinking so much about these tireless apostles and the Lord Jesus himself, let me ask myself 2 questions: am I convinced of my call to proclaim?  And what is my specific way of proclamation?

The Source of Authority

WORD 2day: Tuesday,  22nd week in Ordinary Time 

September 3, 2019: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6, 9-11; Luke 4: 31-37

Jesus spoke with authority,  felt the people. In fact the Scribes and pharisees too spoke to them from pedestals and pulpits. They found a qualitative difference in what was said by Jesus and the way he said it. They saw persons cast out demons but never the way Jesus did it. There was something peculiar about Jesus and the people noted it. 

Jesus' authority came from within,  from his self realisation of who he was in the core of his being. The source of his authority was not some where out in the wilderness or in some far away reality. It was from God whom Jesus felt right within him, present so faithfully and powerfully, the Abba! That is the difference between power and authority! The latter comes from within... you become the author of your own words, ideas, acts and example.

People dominate, oppress, plot and scheme things in order to gain prominence, it is so prevalent around us today. We are no different, mind you. In our relationships too - be it familial or institutional or interpersonal - we tend constantly to establish our identity and supremacy over the other or the others. When that ascendancy is naturally not there, what we do becomes arrogance. When that ascendancy comes naturally from within, it becomes assertion!

In the first reading St.  Paul reminds us of the fact that we too, possess the same authority that Jesus had because the source of all authorities, resides within us. 'Alive or dead,  we should always be united in Christ' says Paul. And our authority would come naturally from this union at the core of our beings. That's the true source of real authority.

Are you a practical atheist?

WORD 2day: Monday, 22nd week in Ordinary time

September 2, 2019: 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Luke 4: 16-30

One of our philosophy professors would often refer to what he called 'practical atheism'. We know what atheism means: it is saying there is no God. It is much safer and clearer than practical atheism which actually is a stand of subtle self deception.

Practical Atheism is the way of life where a person lives his or her life as if God did not exist,  though theoretically the person claims to believe in a god. For all practical purposes there seems to be no difference between the life of an atheist and this person who claims to believe in God. At times we can live our life with values and priorities that are so ungodly,  with mere external practices that seem religious.

Much worse implication of Practical Atheism is this: if we consider an atheist as a person who lives against God and against everything that God stands for - love, universal brotherhood and sisterhood, justice, righteousness and peace - then a practical atheist would be one who in practice is actually working against these values, although he or she may be in the garb of a believer!

Now just imagine things that are going on around us in the world today... people who claim they believe in God but do things exactly against what God would stand for, are they not practical atheists? Wait a little... it is easy to answer that question... but let us reformulate that question a  bit: by any chance, am I a practical atheist? 

Let me not answer that question immediately... let my thinking , my attitudes and my life style answer it. The readings today invite us to examine our deep seated convictions and judge for ourselves how much our beliefs truly transform our lives.

BLESSED ARE THE HUMBLE

Mark of the People of the Reign

September 1, 2019: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary time
Ecclesiastes 3:19-21,30-31; Hebrew 12: 18-19, 22-24; Luke 14: 1,7-14

Humility is one lesson we learn so hard. Blessed are those who are humble by nature. The best of our qualities and talents would amount to nothing when we lack this one single virtue: Humility! The Word today invites us not only to be humble, but also to be with the humble and to be all for those who are humble, that we may be people of the Reign of God. 

The Guru of the ashram was old and dying and he announced to his band of disciples: 'I wish to appoint the humblest of you all as the next Guru.' The bickering began among the disciples, each one trying to prove he is more humble than the other. There was one among them who stood still and away from all debating. The Guru seemed impressed. He thought to himself, 'that should be the right one to succeed me, perhaps!' and he called him over to himself and asked him: 'what about you? are you not interested in the contest?' The disciple replied, 'Oh you don't get it, how much ever they fight among themselves, they will never find anyone more humble than me!' The Guru was heart broken and he dismantled the whole ashram before he died! Spiritual Masters say, the moment you think you are humble, you cease to be so! How true it is!

Be Humble - that is the first message today. Being Humble is not putting up an appearance. It is not doing something to prove to others that I am humble. It is going about my duty with such sincerity and integrity that I may not be even noticed for the good that I do - but that does not disturb me at all.  

At times there are people who make a big show of the so-called good that they do, and sometimes even of their own simplicity! Do you remember the posters of our politicians posing with a broom in their hands claiming to be simple and committed to cleanliness of the nation. Or similar ones where they pose with some poor people in their huts and gullies. They would have spent a fortune on those hoardings and advertisements! Let us remember - we have nothing to prove to anyone, not even to our own selves. All that I need to do is, be truthful, be real, be authentic. Humility is acceptance of truth. 

Be with the Humble - identify people who are truly humble. Jesus had the special eye for the humble ones. Be it Mathew, or Zacchaeus, or Nathaniel, or the Centurion, or the Pharisee who asked him about the commandment of love... Jesus recognised the humble and sided with them. In another episode like today's, when Jesus was at dinner at Simon the Pharisee's, he was able to see through the sinfulness of the woman and identify her humble repentance. She was gifted with his empathy. Jesus sided always with the humble, not with the haughty. 

If we are truly people of God, besides being humble ourselves, we would look out for the humble and stand by them. Just become aware of your tendency... among a group of new people whom you meet, who is it that you feel drawn to: the most brandishing among them or the quiet insecure of the band? Or when you deal with persons who depend on you, whom do you promote: the so-called talented and gifted or the rare ones who never get to reach the limelight? There is a statement about myself, in whom I choose to be with. 

Be all for the Humble - being the voice of the voiceless, the stronghold for the weak. When we stand by the humble we stand with the Lord, because the Lord always stands by the humble. This is the third message that the Word offers us today. Be for the humble of heart, stand by them, empathise with them, support them and spread the spirit so that the Reign of God may be felt amidst us, here and now. 

Today, we see reports of so many humble persons being taken for granted, exploited and drained of even the little that they have. We have truthful and integral individuals taken to task, punished and crushed by the demonic culture of corruption and greed. Those who fight for justice and truth are labelled rebels by the authority and derided as jobless by the public. What is our response as people of the Reign?

The Word today invites us to understand that the humble are blessed in the sight of the Lord. Those who are humble, those who are with the humble and those who are all for the humble, find favour in the light of the Reign of God - they are truly the people of the Reign.

Sanctity: Doing my part!

WORD 2day: Saturday, 21st week in Ordinary time

August 31, 2019: 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-11; Matthew 25: 14-30

‘To aspire to live quietly, to mind your affairs and to work with your own hands’, is the practical tip for peaceful living that St. Paul gives his spiritual children at Thessalonica. It seems that gossip and judgments about others has been a problem for centuries on.

Uncharitable curiosity about others’ lives, passing judgments and spreading prejudices about others, looking out for an opportunity to blame my negligences and failures on someone else, villainising someone merely because I do not agree with him or her – these are fast becoming “normal” in a society that is influenced by a maddening media craze!

Yesterday, the Word invited us to reflect on personal sanctification. However, holiness does not consist of my private life alone, it involves my social relations, my willingness towards contributing my mite to the social order and my commitment towards making this world a better place to live! 

A mentality like, I care nothing until it concretely hurts me, coupled with the inhuman tendency to seek self-centered goals at any cost, is doing all the damage possible to the world today. It looks like we are acrimoniously endangering humanity and accelerating its end at a demonic speed.

It is no reason or moment to lose heart. However little, let us do our part, so that the Lord may rejoice in us, and address us, “Good and faithful servants!”