LOVE SERVES IN EVERY WAY

Holy Week 2020 - MAUNDY THURSDAY

April 9: Exodus 12:1-8,11-14; 1 Corinthian 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15

Love is basically a willingness to submit oneself to a way of life that wishes the good of the other. Knowing the needs of the other, without having heard from him or her is a sign of love. Committing myself for the good of the other, without ever thinking of what I would gain, is an attitude of love. Being ready to lay down one's life for the good of the other is the ultimate act of love. There can be no love better that one being ready to lay down one's life for the other and it all begins in being at the service of, the other and the good of the other. The world has grown so callous to 'the other', all that matters to one is oneself and one's own - where is love here? and where would service be here at all!

Maundy Thursday is the day on which the Lord gave us the famous mandate, the mandate of love: love one another as I have loved you; love in action - wash each other's feet; love to be identified as belonging to Christ. The day is filled with so many things to thank the Lord for. 

First of all, the Eucharist instituted today is a loving service in action, by the Son of God who gives himself up for our good. Love serves by making itself the food for the other, by destroying oneself that the other may live!

Priesthood that is initiated today is a service, a ministry of bringing the Lord to the people. It is an offering of love that persons chosen and called make for the Lord, to the Lord's people, for the Lord's mission towards the Reign of God. 

Then comes the commandment of love - the spoken words of Jesus, that would be lived out in his action of serving the disciples, washing their feet and waiting on them at the table! A love in concrete action.

In every one of these, that which stands out is love. Love is our identity, love is our mission and love is our meaning. Love is seen in service, true and selfless service.

LOVE HURTS, NEVER RETORTS

Holy Week 2020 - THE SPY WEDNESDAY 

April 8: Isaiah 50: 4-9A; Matthew 26:14-25

Starting Monday, we have been hearing the three songs of the suffering servant from the book of Isaiah... a set of songs that expresses the sufferings that a servant of God or the prophet of God undergoes. It becomes a prefigurement of Christ's suffering. A servant of God, even the Son of God, finds all around  him, those who plot his downfall, those who want him to fail, to be destroyed: how prepared are we to face such people and still go about with dedication and commitment to the Will of God. 

Do you think it will be possible to go on loving even at these moments? It is simple to remain with the Lord and say 'I love', when things go on well; but when things do not go the way we want them? That is what led to the fall of Judas! But look at Jesus... it hurt him to have loved these people - the one who betrayed, the one who denied and those who abandoned him... but he never ceased loving them, much less react. Yes, true love hurts! But it goes on and on. 

"From that time on, he looked for an opportunity to hand him over" ...says the Gospel today. The plot thickens and the tempo builds towards the climax. There are eyes that keep watching out for the right moment to lay hands on Jesus...and the most unfortunate fact is that it is led by one from the innermost circle of Jesus' collaborators! Yes, love hurts, but the one who truly loves, never retorts!

It is a divine quality to love, even when that love is not reciprocated, much more when it is repaid with indifference or hurt! But if we believe we take after the Lord, that we are created in God's image, that we are brothers and sisters of Christ, then as Mother Teresa would often say, we have to love until it hurts. 

LOVE NEVER GIVES UP ON GOD

Holy Week 2020 - PREACHING TUESDAY

April 7: Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33, 36-38

"Though I thought I toiled in vain... yet my reward is with the Lord", this feeling expressed by Isaiah in the first reading fits perfectly the state of Jesus' mind, as he bids a bitter farewell to his disciples today. Arriving at the fag end of his ministry, Jesus knows what is in store and prepares himself for it. Judas' betrayal, Peter's denial...he foresees everything and forewarns them too, but everything in vain. However, he knows that in everything God works for the good of those who love God (cf. Rom 8:28). 

Just after the cleansing of the Temple and the controversy created by it, Jesus is found preaching at the Temple, for the last time. The Jews, the high priests and the scribes, have always challenged Jesus regarding the authority with which he is doing all that he does! Jesus does not care to prove his authority, not because he could not but because it was so obvious. His words were accompanied with signs, his teachings were authenticated with his living and no one needed any proof for Jesus' authority. The problem was that they were not ready see the obvious truth. But Jesus' love does not let him lose heart...he goes on. That is true love - it never gives up. 

These days, experiencing a totally strange holy week, a holy week in quarantine, there could be anxieties, helplessness, doubts and fears in the minds of all...but let us remember, Love never gives up. God has never given up on us and we shall never give up on God, if we truly love God. Let us learn to see and believe the presence of God amidst whatever the situation be.

Believing involves repentance! Believing comes from a conviction, from an experience. Repent and believe - that was the invitation with which the Lent began! 

How far have we progressed in it? 

LOVE CONSUMES ONESELF

Holy Week 2020 - CLEANSING MONDAY 

April 6: Isaiah 42:1-7; John 12:1-11

The flame burns more vigorously as it is about to quench itself, they say. The perfume spreads itself more vivaciously when it is about to vanquish itself. The love for his father and the passion for his mission, burns ever brighter as Jesus nears the cross. Jesus is about to enter into his last few days, and more and more begin to believe in him and come to him. Even while these happen, the stubborn heart of Judas does not give way, the plotting spirit of the high priest and scribes does not change! 

This day within the Holy week is called the Cleansing Monday, as we see Jesus after entering Jerusalem, paying a visit to the Temple and cleansing it! Don't make my Father's house a den of robbers, he cries. As the scripture says, the zeal for his house consumes him, the love for his father consumes him, the love for his mission consumes him. 

All the good that Jesus did, all the signs that marked his mission did not manage to convert that one section of the people, because they had their hearts hardened and their eyes blinded. May we hear today the yearning cry of the Lord to true conversion. May we make up our mind to truly break away from some act or tendency that we habitually fall in. As Jesus cleanses that temple, the invitation to us is clear: our body is the temple of the Lord, is it maintained as the Lord's dwelling place or has it turned into a robber's den. Isn't it time for us to take note of it and cleanse it for all its impurities. Our love for the Father, for the Lord and for being the dwelling of the Spirit, should consume our selves! 

True love consumes oneself, true wish for the well being of the other shall lead a person to consume oneself. That is what is happening with the Lord - and are we ready continuously cleanse our love for each other, for the whole humanity, for God, so true as we are prepared even to be consumed ourselves!

LOVE CELEBRATES LIFE

Palm Sunday 2020 - April 5

Love, Live and live to the full 

Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66

Jesus enters Jerusalem. Jesus knows well what awaits him there... he had told his disciples that the Son of Man would be handed over to be tried and tortured; he had seen people plotting against him and waiting for a moment to lay hands on him; he had heard the whispers against him that it is better that one man dies for the whole of Israel. In spite of all these, Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem, he enters Jerusalem.

We are traversing an odd moment in history, not just odd, but hard too! The other day a Governor in the United States of America, speaking to the press said, 'many pose a question, when will be back to normal? Let me tell you, after these experiences, we can never be back to normal; we would only be back to a 'new normal'.' That is more or less the intensity of the experience we are living through these days. And the season of lent this year has been for a great extent intensely tinted with this sadness and anxiety. Not merely amidst the usual lenten sobriety, but amidst this unusual calamitous scene all around us, this Sunday we are invited to a festivity; to a joyous reception of the Lord into our dwellings! Exactly so did Jesus find, the joy of those people as he entered Jerusalem. His face was fixed on a Jerusalem that was waiting with condemnation and the Calvary that was holding out the Cross to him! But still, Jesus joins the rejoicing people in their celebration, notwithstanding the anxiety that clung to his soul. When someone suggested that he stop the people from all the frenzy, he disagreed with them and allowed the jubilation and joined them in it. True Love celebrates Life, come what may!

Jesus' solemn entry into Jerusalem, is not merely a road show; it is much more. Like the disciples who had the transfiguration experience to sustain themselves, the common believers are given this solemn reception as something that they can fall back on when things would look to be going wrong. He wants them to understand the celebration and the following confusions, the jubilation and the following tragedies, the triumphant entry and the shameful exit...all of these as part of a grand plan, the salvific plan. How is it possible?

It becomes possible for when realise that life is from God's hands and when we learn to live life from God's hands. That is what the world as a whole has lost, forgotten for a while. The world and humanity has taken every thing into their own hands - life and death, nature and space, living and non living creatures... everything has been usurped into the selfish hands of the world and the materialistic humanity! And here is the call to surrender every thing, every little thing that happens - joy or sorrow, challenge or victory, opportunity or obstacle... surrender every thing into the hands of God and find its meaning from there. This is living life from God's hands! When we do this there will be no dearth for celebration in life, come what may.

Jesus was constantly motivated by the Mission that was entrusted to him by the One who sent him. It was this mission that defined his thoughts, words and actions. When there was a temptation of resting on the glory of the wonders that were happening, or the pressure from the people to make him their king, or the tendency towards attachment to a particular place or people, Jesus had his mind clear. He always said, we have to go to other villages and proclaim the good news! Getting lost in the glories of victories or getting absorbed into the failures of human frailty - neither of this happens with a true apostle of the Lord! How does this happen?

It happens when we know what it means to live life for God's Mission - that was all that mattered to Jesus. That is why a call from Herod for signs or a plea from Pilate for a submission or the threats from the high priests - all of them fell on a deaf ear. He could call Herod a 'fox' and he could snub Pilate saying he was after all a puppet in the hands of the people and in God's hands.  Jesus' mind was focused on just one thing: living life for God's Mission. Nothing that seemed a threat could deter him on his mission!

The self definition of Jesus in relation to his mission was so categorical: I came that you may have life, life in all its fullness. The true glory of God is a human being fully alive, and Jesus is the prototype of this. Difficulties, rejections, let downs, oppositions, criticisms and condemnations, nothing really mattered for Jesus. The only concern that was uppermost in his mind was his call to live his life to the full - nobody, nothing, no situation could stop him from that. He was not moved by praises, nor bogged down by criticism, neither was he overwhelmed by a need to prove himself to the world. How could he be so calm and serene?

It was so because Jesus was convinced that living life to the full consisted of all these experiences put together. Amidst the challenges, anxieties and sufferings, what matters is hope, trust, and courage in the Lord with which to leap into the future, filled with joy, splendour and peace that God alone can give. Behold, I come to do your will, says the Son and challenges us to do the same: to live our life to the full. Not to give up at the first of problems; not to give in to the least of the tests; but to remain faithful to the will of God, and obey with the same humility as the Son of God who emptied himself to the point of accepting death on the Cross. 

Let us look at the picture that the readings paint today...the man who foresees a terrible time amidst the people gathered around in extraordinary jubilation; the calmness of Jesus and the excitement of the people. This is living the moment to the full, living every thing that comes our way with intensity, this is celebrating life come what may! Jesus was capable of this, because he loved his Father and he was so convinced that God loved him absolutely! That is the secret - amidst all our uncertainties and anxieties, we need to ask ourselves: do we love God with all our heart; and how confident are we on the love that God has for us?

The sign that we truly love the Lord and are absolutely certain of the love of the Lord, would be that we live our life from God's hands, live our life for God's mission and live our life to the full, after the example of our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes!

To be people of the God of love

THE WORD IN LENT - 5th week, Saturday

April 4, 2020: Ezekiel 37: 21-28; John 11: 45-56
Point for Dialogue #31: Our selfish nature and our spiritual self

What a contrast we are given to notice today- while God longs to give life and bring the people to new birth, the people plot to kill the Son of God and do away with him. On the mountain of the Lord, there will be no killing and no hatred! How far we are from the Reign of God when we harbour thoughts of hatred, jealousy, rancour and ruin! 

The obvious call is to initiate a dialogue within us, between our negative tendencies wishing the ruin of the other, vengeance and vindication and the spiritual tendencies of wishing the good and the wellbeing of the other, forgiveness and compassion; between our selfish nature and our spiritual self.

Personal feuds or Political Wars, Communal clashes or cut-throat competitions... they are all against the God of love who dwells amidst us, as God once promised through the covenant made - I will make my dwelling amidst you; you shall be my people and I shall be your God! How many conspiracy theories are making their rounds these days, even about this health crisis that the world is suffering through - the saddest part of it is, most of them seem frighteningly believable and logical!

In the Gospel, we see that the plot thickens today as Jesus is marked to be put to death! Jesus knows he is surrounded by enmity and hatred, but avoids taking it in and remains the love that he is, the love that he came from. How blessed and Christ-like we shall be to decide and choose not to be influenced by the negativity that is purposefully spread by the evil one!

It is a direct call for each of us to analyse whether we are worthy to be called the people of the covenant, children of the God who is love, disciples of the one who offered himself as ransom for many. Let us return to the God of love, be children of that love, be people who will emanate only love and thus make the world a better place, a place closer to the Reign of God, the God of love.

Counting no cost

THE WORD IN LENT - 5th week, Friday

April 3, 2020: Jeremiah 20: 10-13; John 10: 31-42                                                             

Point for Dialogue #30: the crowd of evil and the grace of good.                                                                                                                                                      

Dedication to God's mission and distress are at times inseparable, as the world has forces working intently against God and anything pertaining to God. Apart from that some so-called natural calamities and crisis (I prefer to say so-called natural, because in the final analysis it is we humans who would have created it, in a dominoes effect), that crop up, like the one we are through right now, and challenge that dedication and affinity to God. 

"We must be on the guard against the presence of evil in the world," reminds the Holy Father. Explicitly or indirectly, we are bound to face oppositions, criticism, discouragement and disparaging attacks, when we choose to stand by God and carry God's message to others. If for long we do not find any opposition, it would be high time to review whether we are really doing God's mission, carrying out the design as laid out by God. 

Both Jeremiah and Jesus chose to stand by God and they were derided, tortured, were considered liable unto death. But they were unmoved, unperturbed; they counted no cost and were prepared for anything for the sake of God's will. In my anguish I called to you and you answered me O Lord, they prayed! But what was the answer - death! It did not matter for them, as long as it came within the plan of God and this, the very death, became a saving grace! 

Hence the call today is to  initiate a dialogue within us, between the tendency to fear the crowd, be bogged down by them and follow them to perdition and the courage to stand by good, listen to God, and count no cost.  

Would we be able to repeat what Jesus says in the Gospel today: the Father is in me and I am in the Father. We would be able to do, if only we are ready not to count the cost when it comes to love for the Lord and commitment to the Lord!

The sense of Eternity

THE WORD IN LENT - 5th week, Thursday

April 2, 2020: Genesis 17:3-9; John 8:51-59
Point of Dialogue #29: The passing existence and the lasting eternity

It would have been a shocker, when Jesus said, "Before ever Abraham was, I AM." In this, apart from the statement on the divine participation of Jesus in the One who sent him, there is an important message for each of us and our identity. Specially when we are so absorbed in our fear and anxiety of the situation around, the spreading disease and the threatening death!

The first reading establishes the foundation for this message, as it reminds us of the covenant made with Abraham. We are made sons and daughters of God, in faith. And Jesus assures that, 'if we keep the covenant; if we keep the Word; we will always be sons and daughters of the Lord; we will partake in the eternal life of God.' The Jews were unable to understand that part of it, because they did not have an idea of the eternal life that Jesus was speaking of. 

For us today, it should not be anymore as strange as it was for the Jews. Because Jesus has proved it for us in his own life, death and resurrection - that paschal mystery invites a dialogue between our momentary anxieties and the never failing hope, the passing existence and our lasting eternity.

We believe in resurrection and in life everlasting! And what matters within eternity is not who came first and who came next, but what relationship and what intensity of commitment one shows in relating to God our Father and Mother, who loves us into existence and watches over us every moment. Come what may, discomfort or disease or even death...what matters is that eternal, timeless, unchanging, absolute relatedness to God. 

For Jesus, that relatedness was absolute; that defined everything that mattered to him! And it is to that same absolute sense of relatedness to God, that Jesus calls us his brothers and sisters... it comes with a strong sense of eternity!

In Integrity... He shall walk with you!

THE WORD IN LENT - 5th week, Wednesday

April 1, 2020: Daniel 3: 14-20,91-92,95; John 8: 31-42
Point for Dialogue #28: Private priorities and Public manifestations

'Truth will set you free', declares Jesus today. And if Jesus were to have been asked to define what he meant by Truth, he would have said, 'Truth is what is'... It's no mere philosophy, it is a Spirituality! Remain with that statement a little longer and reflect on it...

Truth is what is, and it never changes. No situation, no circumstance, no crisis will ever change it; if they manage to change it, it had never been the Truth. Compromises, justifications, manipulations, adjustments, conveniences and inconveniences... these considerations at times, drive us away from truth and we experience a sort of split life, split between what we profess and what we practice, between what we believe and how we behave, between what we say and what we are! 

Hence the Word today underlines an essential dialogue that has to take place between the image of myself that I wish to give others and the real me that I nurture within me; a dialogue between my unseen private priorities and my public functional manifestations.

The absence of that split is called Integrity. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were persons of Integrity and no one doubted them on that. Neither were they ready to give up their identity. And they found God walking beside; it was cool in the furnace. In the midst of the crisis we are living through these days, if only we wish to sense the Lord walking beside us, we need to grow in our personal integrity - giving up on the gap between what we say and what we do, what we believe and how we behave. 

Let us heed the call of the Liturgy today...to heal ourselves of all splits that we may learn to live in integrity of life, an integrity that would set us free. In integrity, the Lord shall walk beside us, all our life. 

To be people "from above"

THE WORD IN LENT - 5th week, Tuesday

March 31, 2020: Numbers 21:4-9; John 8:21-30
Point for Dialogue #27: Standards of the world and Standards of Christ

To look to what is lifted up or the one who is lifted up, or in short, to be people 'from above', is the crux of the Word today. 

The first reading speaks of the bronze serpent that was made and lifted up and that anyone bitten by the serpent who looked to it, lived. In the Gospel Jesus speaks of himself, that when he is lifted up, the world will really know him. The readings invite us to take seriously a dialogue between the standards of the world and the standards of Christ, between what is from around and what is from above, in our daily life. 

Jesus invites us too to be lifted up, in our thinking, in our attitudes, in our priorities and in our perspectives. He challenges us to be 'people from above'...that is, to have the mind of Christ, as St.Paul puts it in his letters (Phil 2:5). Do not conform to this world, but in Spirit become an acceptable living sacrifice, St. Paul would instruct elsewhere (Rom 12:2). This is what it means to be people from above!

To look at God and the relationship I have with God, in the same way as Christ looked at; to look at my brothers and sisters, with compassion, empathy and commitment, as Jesus did; to look at everything that happens to us and around us, from the perspective of the Reign of God as Jesus did: this is what Jesus means when he says, "I belong to what is above" (Jn 8:23). And we need to belong to it too, to what is from above.

Let us not give into small talks, gossips, prejudices, judgments, selfishness, rancour, greed or anything of that sort. Let us turn to look to what is above, thus enabling ourselves to be people from above. Thus we will be worthy to repeat Jesus' words: 'I always do what is pleasing to Him."