She joins us... on our way!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

October  7, 2019: Celebrating our Blessed Mother of the Holy Rosary

Acts 1:12-14; Luke 1: 26-38

The Apostles joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus... that is exactly what happens even today, when we pray the Holy Rosary... we are joined by our Blessed Mother, the Blessed among women, full of Grace!

The feast of Our Blessed Mother of the Holy Rosary, was initially known as the feast of Our Lady of Victory, in thanksgiving for the victory in a battle at Muret (in England) in the year 1213. After a winding history of changes and developments, it was in the year 1913 that Pope Pius X fixed the feast on October 7th and invited the Church to celebrate it as the feast of the Holy Rosary. 

Every time we pray the Rosary, we repeat the words from the Word of God...the Gospel today reminds us of this fact! "Full of Grace", the Angel addressed Mary, and that is what she was! And that is what she is, to each of us today - a channel of grace! As the apostles found in her a source of strength and direction to remain united, until the Spirit anointed them, we are called too, to unite ourselves in prayer with her.

In various accounts of Our Blessed Mother's apparitions with a rosary in hand, we are given to listen to the fact that as those who receive the apparitions prayed, Mary was seen rolling the beads of the rosary. I would wonder in the beginning what it meant : what is she saying... also, hailing herself, calling herself blessed? But in deeper recollection, I humbly understood the message is very different here: Mary prays with us! Mary joins us in prayer! She is not just a model and an intercessor for us, she also accompanies us in all moments of our life - be it dark or bright.

Let us thank God for this lovely form of contemplating God's salvific design, the Rosary. And let us seek our Blessed Mother's company and guidance in order that we may walk the way traced by her Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.

GROWING IN FAITH

Lord, Increase our Faith!

27th Sunday in Ordinary time: October 6, 2019

Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 2: 6-8,13-14; Luke 17: 5-10

It is a familiar story said of the old lady who heard the gospel passage of today and challenged the young parish priest of its practicality! And they agreed she would pray for the tree outside her window to move a bit away after a novena. Nine prayerful days passed and on the 9th day asked the parish priest, 'so what about the tree?' The lady said with a wry smile, 'I knew from day one, nothing would happen! The tree stands right there.'

The Word of God this Sunday, invites us to grow in faith! "Increase our faith", pray the disciples. We would do good to make it our prayer too, asking the Lord to increase our faith. But what is faith? "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" explains the epistle to the Hebrews(Heb 11:1). Where does this assurance and this conviction come from? From a relationship, a rapport on which our whole life is based and thus even things not seen and things hoped for, do not ever seem an impossibility. That is why our tradition defines faith as our personal response to a self-revealing God. Lumen Fidei the encyclical that came out in the year of faith, explains faith as our response to the Word which engages us personally (n.8).

At times we look at faith as a set of truths to be accepted and believed in - whether we understand or not, whether we are convinced or not, whether we have a possibility to prove it to others or experience it for ourselves...at times in the name of religion we are ready to judge those who seek to question these, even if it were to understand them better! But have we shown that readiness in deepening our own relationship with God, our experience of the Divine who accompanies us every moment of our lives. Yes, faith being a relationship, is matter of daily experience and not just of extraordinary moments. It is easier for us, to look within ourselves and identify when this faith runs short, than to see it when it is there! 

Today's readings give us three indications of the lack of faith... in order to educate us towards growing in faith.

One of the familiar indications of lack of faith is Pessimism. The world today is flooded with pessimism - words like crisis, conflict, melt-down, inflation, decadence, terrorism, fundamentalism, authoritarianism, fascism are most commonly heard terms these days. The first reading too presents a situation similar to today's -Violence, destruction, troubles, strife, contention -but it ends with that assurance: 'the righteous shall live by faith!' (Hab 2:4). Growing in faith is to fight against any pessimism creeping into our thoughts, our spirit and our outlook.

The second indication that the readings point to, is Panic. 'God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline' (2 Tim 1:7). Where there is faith there will be power, if faith is a love relationship with God, there can be no fear, 'for there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear' (1 Jn 4:18). When I begin to fear a situation or a person or a consequence, it is an indication that my faith needs nurturing.

The third indication is the reason for both the preceding ones. It is Pride. The perfect contrast to faith is human pride! If faith is surrender, pride inspires resistance. If faith is to relate, pride creates rebellion. If faith aids perseverance, pride instigates me to quit. Both pessimism and panic are in a way fruits of pride within. Humility is a fruit of faith; it is a realisation of who oneself is - a humble servant of God, with all the capabilities and limitations, working one's way towards building up the Reign of God here and now. It is Lumen Fidei again which beautifully states, 'Faith is God's gift, which calls for humility and courage to trust and to entrust' (n.14).

Pessimism, Panic and Pride - are contrary to faith! Pessimism creates despair, panic destroys peace and pride makes me inhuman. May my prayer, 'Increase my faith' be accompanied by my personal efforts to trust, love and surrender myself unconditionally to the One who loves me so unconditionally!

Lord, increase our faith! Amen.

To see, to hear and to return.

WORD 2day: Saturday, 26th week in Ordinary time

October 5, 2019: Baruch 4:5-12,27-29; Luke 10: 17-24

'For just as you proposed to go astray from God, return with tenfold zeal to seek him' (Baruch 4:28), instructs the first reading today. The key to understand the so-called discrepancy between the Old Testament thinking and the New Testament theology lies here. 

While we can be surprised at a 'punishing' and a 'revengeful' God that the people of the Old Testament thought of, we understand from the verses like the above that we are responsible for all the calamities that we bring on ourselves, by our priorities and choices, not only individually but also collectively - it is unfortunate that some who are innocent too face the brunt due to the rest! But there is another element that is reiterated in that very statement - returning to God! That is what Mercy is all about, the Lord awaiting to embrace us when we return to God.

There is yet another return that is spoken of in the Word today - the return of the sent, the disciples who were sent. The Lord rejoices in their feats as God-sent people. However, what is underlined is the truth that the glory rests not so much in the great things done, as in the fact that they were sent by the Lord, and they responded to that commission. They were blessed!

Yes, it is a call for us to realise too, that 'blessed are those eyes that see what we see, and the ears that hear what we hear'... if only we can take the cue from things that happen around us, we will readily return to the Lord, with tenfold zeal! The requirement is that we see, and that we hear - and true faith alone makes it possible!

EXTRAORDINARY MISSIONARY MONTH - 4 OCTOBER 2019

COURTESY: Don Bosco Network - South Asia - Mission Office, Delhi

EXTRAORDINARY MISSIONARY MONTH - 3 OCTOBER 2019

COURTESY: Don Bosco Network - South Asia - Mission Office, Delhi

EXTRAORDINARY MISSIONARY MONTH - 2 OCTOBER 2019

COURTESY: Don Bosco Network - South Asia - Mission Office, Delhi

EXTRAORDINARY MISSIONARY MONTH - 1 OCTOBER 2019

COURTESY: Don Bosco Network - South Asia - Mission Office, Delhi

Becoming truly Christ-ian

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

October 4, 2019: Celebrating St. Francis of Assisi

Galatians 6: 14-18; Matthew 11: 28-30

St. Francis has been identified as the person who imitated Christ the closest! His greatness lay in his simplicity, his humility and his love for poverty! That is why when the present Holy Father chose to follow his model, the whole world could not resist taking notice of him...that was nearly 6 years ago! Today, when he continues to the depths of living the values that Francis imbibed from Christ - there is so much criticism, misgivings, name-callings and even threats of schism from some sides!

Where does this challenge come from? Where does the simplicity and humility, singleness of focus come from? Is it a mere showmanship? If so... it just cannot last long! For St. Francis, it came from his realisation of the fact that he was sent; that he was called, called with a specific mission, at a specific time and in his specific context! 

We hear St. Paul speaking of his call and his times: I bear the marks of Christ on my body. Some bible scholars even wonder if St. Paul was given the gift of the stigmata, because of these words from him. But about St. Francis, it is historical that he had them - it was certainly not as much an honour or privilege, as pain and suffering! But that was the call... they bore it for the love of Christ and Christ's mission with which they were sent.

Today, as we thank God for this great Saint from Assisi, let us pray specially for the Holy Father, and for the entire Church which is so battered by all sorts of forces at present. The Word has a promise for us: if we realise the fact that we are specially called and sent by the Lord, we will naturally realise how humble and underserving we are! From that humility and meekness, will surge a sanctity that can make us become living Christs today - that is, becoming truly Christ-ians!

The Joy of the Sent

WORD 2day: Thursday, 26th week in Ordinary time

October 3, 2019: Nehemiah 8:1-12; Luke 10: 1-12

The joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh 8:10), exclaims the first reading today. No doubt, prosperity and progress are a blessing from the Lord. They are great sources of happiness and joy. But they are not the fundamental sources of true happiness and true joy, and certainly not the only sources! 

Today there is almost a racket created and promoted by some self-appointed god-men, who seem to be marketing God and the goodies from God... 'you donate, you shall be blessed', 'you come to this fellowship and all your troubles shall be over', 'you join this church and you shall become prosperous and debt-free'... Prosperity Gospel, in short runs the danger of commodifying God, making God a means towards well being. What is God - some kind of an ATM or a vending machine?

That which gives true and complete joy is the Word of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the teachings of the Lord - the holy Will of God. "I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete" (Jn 15:11) said the Lord. 

Jesus' words today make it plain to the world, and particularly to us - what we might imagine to be important - comforts and career, ego and impressions, status and social image - may not be important at all in the final analysis. That which can really give us joy is, to know what the Lord wants from us and live according to that! Because it is the Lord who created us, has called us and sent us.

Let us remember - we are SENT into the world!

The Guardian Angels and We children

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

October 2, 2019: Thanking God for the Guardian Angels

Exodus 23: 20-23; Matthew 18: 1-5,10

One of the earliest things we are taught as children is about the presence and the guidance of the Guardian Angels - whom we celebrate today! Somehow, personally, every time that I have heard of the guardian angels since childhood, I have felt a kind of childlike sentiment within me! 

However, that sentiment is not childish but childlike! Because, without a childlike simplicity, a constant presence of someone may look like an interference, an intrusion, a policing! The world teaches us this attitude, insisting on 'personal freedom', 'individual privacy', 'information security' - everything taken in a highly analogical sense today!

Instead, to look at the other as a pleasant company on the journey, a person to share one's journey with, a person to rely on, someone to have recourse to in need - these involve humility that is so natural to a child, the child would never even be aware that he or she is humble, it is so natural. 

When we truly sport a disposition as that of a child, we shall find ourselves longing for that presence of the Lord, we will hang on every word from the Lord and remain faithful to the Lord in obedience - as the Lord instructs in the first reading today! 

Unless we become like children we cannot enter the Reign of God... Recall the reflection shared two days ago, which re-echoes today's: though it may sound a paradox, let us grow up to be children, only then can we inherit the Reign.