The Easter People: one people in One Father

EASTER OCTAVE 2022

Tuesday, April 19: Acts 2: 36-41; John 20:11-18

"My father and your father" - what a beautiful expression to hear from Jesus today. The first reading presents repentance and baptism as a way of being accepted as children of the God who raised Jesus from the dead: Jesus' father and our father. Our faith is all about relationship: the relationship of a covenant that has been lived from eternity, between God and God's own.

At times our vision of God can be blurred, when we are too focused on our own whims and fancies and are stuck to our own selfish desires and decisions. Openness to hear what the Lord wants to communicate, is fundamentally the openness to a strong relationship with God, which presumes a cordial, responsible and loving relationship with each other, with one's brothers and sisters in Christ.

And in the Father, through Christ we are made into one people, brothers and sisters in the one Father who has made us, loved us, redeemed us and continues to sustain us. We remain the people of God, only as long as we remain one people, brothers and sisters, united in Christ and related to the Father. 

The Easter sign is this capacity to see beyond all differences and find our oneness in the Lord who is Risen and the Father who sent him. 

The Easter People: people of hope!

EASTER OCTAVE 2022

Monday, April 18 : Acts 2:14, 22-33; Mathew 28:8-15

Easter people are people filled with hope, a hope that never fails. They are people of hope, precisely because there are so many things around them, that are against them. They are people of hope, not because it is easy for them to be so, or it is convenient to hold on to hope that to face reality. No. They are people of hope because they knew there is no way to really have their way, unless there is something, or someone, totally beyond them comes in to intervene! 

They had already suffered so much but the plotting and scheming was still going on. In spite of the plotting against the resurrection of Christ, Jesus never gave up, until the plotters in their desperation give up these attempts. And the believers were showered upon with grace after grace.

Monday of the Easter Octave, we hear the plan of those who wanted Jesus dead and gone, and now to deter any further spread of the Good news of Christ. The implication for the believers was exactly the opposite of what the plotters wished... it was a concrete attachment to the Lord, the Lord of hope. 

The message given to us is strong and clear: in spite of all those who would plot our downfall or await our failure, we are called to grow in love, the love that can offer hope to the world. That is how we can grow into true people of hope - giving hope to a world that is so wounded and tired, of hatred and greed, jealous and pride. Only when we grow to be people of hope, can we claim to be the Easter People. 

HE IS RISEN

I will live; we shall live, because HE LIVES

EASTER SUNDAY - April 17, 2022

He is Risen! Alleluia. He is alive; He lives and therefore we shall live!

"If Christ were not raised from the dead, our faith would be in vain" declares St. Paul (1 Cor 15:14). It is an expression of our faith, a faith that is alive and active, a faith that is vibrant and vivifying.The Risen Lord gives us three important messages to celebrate today. And we will do well to keep these in our minds this day and all through our life. 

Easter is all about LIFE. Life belongs to God. God has given us life and has a specific plan for us in our life. We live our life, keeping in mind the purpose that the Lord has specified for it. When Jesus lived his life in perfect sync with the One who sent him, death became part of his life! It was not the end of his life. God raised him up from the dead! It is thus that the Lord directs our life and its purposes and brings them all to a glorious end.

Life is not just days and days of breathing and doing things here on earth - it is a call and it comes with a purpose. It is in in finding that purpose, that particular purpose, that plan and design that God has for each of us, that our life becomes meaningful. It consists in searching, in remaining alert and in beholding every experience in our daily life, from the beloved hands of God, just as Jesus did. I do not do anything on my own, it is what the Father has commissioned me and that is why, it is the Father who had the last say on his life. When this purpose is focused upon and we are able to intently look for it, our life becomes meaningful on a daily basis!

Easter is all about NEW LIFE. It is said that the greatest of all proofs for the Resurrection of Christ, is the radical transformation that was  found in the lives of the apostles. They were so transformed that they were looking like new persons, they had within them, a NEW LIFE.It is this new life that we are offered in this day, as Christ rises to new life as the Saviour of Humankind.

This is one reason, that the feast of Easter is connected very much to the young! Youth are future, the strength; they are those who keep the Church moving forward, the ones in whom the Church places her hope - says Pope Francis. The Youth have the responsibility, the duty and the obligation of bringing new life to the daily life of the Church! They need to do that the community of faith needs to empower them to do that! New life as individuals and new life as a commuity of faith, this is the Easter call. The other call that comes alive to each of us is to keep our life renewed every day in the love of God, becoming born anew everyday in the Lord.

Easter is all about LIFE TO THE FULL. I came that you may have life and have it in abundance! Life that Jesus brought us is a life to the full. In his rising he offers that life to each and everyone who claims it for oneself from the hands of the Risen Lord who stands blowing on us and greeting us: Shalom! Peace be with you! Easter challenges us towards this fullness of life, because everyday that we have is a gratuitous gift from God and our responsiblity is to live it to the full, identifying and doing away with all that can take this life away from us. 

This call to live, to live anew every day, and to live to the full every moment of our life. That is being Easter People. Yes, we are Easter People and Alleluia is our song! 

THE SILENT SATURDAY

THE HOLY SATURDAY 2022

April 16

Total silence... those 36 hours from the death on the Cross to the moment of resurrection, it was one long and heavy silence. No one knew what was happening... but within everyone tremendous things were taking place. Think of our Blessed Mother who held her dead son on her lap and now looking at her empty hands that held that treasured son of hers. Think of Peter who, inspite of all the warning, failed so miserably, denying his Lord and Master repeatedly before those Jewish men and women. Think of all the disciples, except John, who fled for their lives and gathered back in fear and trembling. Think of the women who followed Jesus who were all this while following all that happened to Jesus, so helplessly, hoping that at some time or the other something spectacular will happen and their Rabbi would be back in action - but now nothing of him except his dead body in the tomb remains. Let us not even think of Judas who chose a despicable end for himself, unwarranted keeping in mind the opportunities given to him. And those priests and scribes who were instrumental in getting rid of the rebellious Jesus, sighing relief that they had one trouble less now. Herod and Pilate, thinking still about this strange man, who seemed to be so fearless and so determined about something that they could not understand at all. And the people who followed him everywhere, some of whom cried 'hosanna', some others who shouted 'crucify him', and still others who were just following the crowd not knowing what exactly is happening. In all these minds there was a silence, but a silence so heavy, so heavy with thoughts, questions, doubts, disappointments and wonder. The Church wishes us to get into that silence and observe ourselves - what is that question or what is that thought that fills my silence?

THE CLIMAX FRIDAY

THE GOOD FRIDAY 2022

Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12; Hebrews 4: 14-16,5:7-9; John 18:1 - 19:42

Climax - the Good Friday is the climax of so many experiences: the climax of the ultimate episode of revelation that God had initiated in the life and person of Jesus the Christ; the climax of the love of God expressed thus far in numerous ways and now in the highest manner possible; the climax of the self emptying that the Word went through in order to make humanity understand the real nature of God that is love, the climax of Calvary that remains the pinnacle of all sacrifices offered thus far in the entire history of life on earth. 

Today we look at the Cross with intent and with gratitude. Infact the Cross, for every Christian, is a gift, a sign and a reminder - a gift that we do not deserve in anyway but all the same given to us in the abundance of God's love and mercy; a sign of God's sacrificial love, a love that came down to live amidst us, a love that was ready to give us everything, absolutely everything; a reminder that we have been saved by a love that pardons, a love that accepts without conditions, a love that thinks only of giving and counts no cost - that which is expected of us is that we grow in the image of that love! 

Before a tree it was that humanity lost sight of its true image, that of the loving God; and it is before this tree today that we are challenged to regain that image, grow in it and become ourselves images of that love - a love that gives and forgives. 

The world today is so particular about getting, about receiving and not rarely about grabbing! Kneeling before the Cross today we are called to look at the real sense of our life - not to look to grab, but to give; not to crave for pleasures but to suffer for others' well-being; not to get attached to things and comforts but to be ready even to be nailed and crucified for the sake of God's will to be accomplished. May the Cross be our light, our way and our salvation!

THE FAREWELL THURSDAY

MAUNDY THURSDAY 2022

April 14: Exodus 12: 1-8,11-14; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26; John 13: 1-15

Farewell moment with Jesus... not just with the apostles, but with humanity. The Christ-event within Incarnation and Salvation is the watershed to understand God's eternal love for us humankind. The earthly sojourn of the incarnate Word is about to end, and it cannot end without a solemn celebration of the moment. Thus Jesus thought of a lovely farewell.

A farewell consists of three important sentiments: to relive the memory of the experiences together,  to create a memorable sign with which the experiences could be perpetrated and a contract of gratitude that would define the further course of action. We find these three so well portrayed in the events today: between Jesus and his disciples; between Jesus and us.

Memory of the past, the memory of the  glorious presence of the Lord with the people, the memory of the powerful God who made them walk through dry land in the midst of the sea, the memory of the mighty God who defeated the armies, the chariots and the horse riders... this is what the people celebrated at Pasch and Jesus wishes to redefine that memory. He wants us, whenever we think of him, of the Christ event that took place in the history of salvation, of the earthly life of the Incarnate Word, to think of the way he served us, the way he emptied himself, the way he bent down to wash out feet - that we may remember the Lord who serves, the Lord who self-empties, the Lord who gave up everything for our good!

Sign forever, that Jesus gave his discples, and to us, is his own body and blood... the sign of the eternal covenant of love. Do this in memory of me, he has said and we do it. But the question is do we do it in memory of him, or in fulfilment of some requirements? Do we do it with real memory of the love of God or as something that is to be done with a ritual rigour and performative perfection? Do we merely do it , or do we make efforts to live that mystery so great and so sweet - containing within it all the sweetness in the world and the goodness of all eternity. Eucharist is the fountain and the fullness of the meaning of our Christian life, and do we really celebrate it in its fullness?

Mandate of gratitude, that Jesus left for his followers, and for us if we count ourselves in - is to serve one another, and not expect to be served or honoured or exalted! We need to choose from our hearts to serve, knowing well not all whom we serve might deserve all that we do! Jesus knew it... he knew who would betray, who would deny and who would desert him... but all the same he knelt down in service, he promised his body and blood and he instituted them his band of apostles: you call me Master and Lord, and so am I. In as much as we do what he did, that is, in as much as we serve our brothers and sisters, beginning from our own family and our own community, in as much as we give of ourselves without counting the cost or without calculating who deserves and who deserves not, we shall be the disciples of this great Master of ours! 

Jesus has celebrated a beautiful farewell with us - making it meaningful, remains our responsibility! How prepared are we to take to heart the mandate that Jesus has given us? Can we really tell Jesus today: Master, here we are to take forward the mission that you had and the mandate that you have given us!

THE BETRAYAL WEDNESDAY

HOLY WEEK 2022

Wednesday, April 13: Isaiah 50:4-9; Matthew 26: 14-25

And from that moment, he looked for an opportunity to betray him... betrayal does not mean merely the act of betrayal but the very thought of betrayal, the very choice of betrayal, the very consideration of the possibility of betrayal. 

In our relationship with God too, it is not merely the moment of sin that breaks our relationship with God, but the very prospect of considering the choice of that sinful thought, or word, or act or decision. When we promised the Lord that we shall renounce sin, we promised to reject satan, all the works and the empty promises of the satan! Even the innermost thought or a tendency within that takes me towards sin, is already an experience of betrayal!

Sin is not merely an act, but a mindset, an attitude that leads to choices, a tendency that creates a leaning within me! What I need to be concerned about is not the occasional failures or a momentary fall, however bad it could be. Instead, I need to fear even a small deviance, even if it can be considered negligible at the moment, because in the long run it would lead me to a point of no return!

Betrayal can be checked any time in our life; all that we need to do is be attentive to the signs from the Lord, obedient to the Word of the Lord and docile to the promptings of the Spirit - we would save ourselves, because if the Lord is at my side to help, who will dare codemn me!

THE WARNING TUESDAY

HOLY WEEK 2022

Tuesday, April 12: Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13: 21-33,36-38

Listen, pay attention... insists the Word today! That was what Jesus did too, to his disciples as they sat at the table. He warned them - we see that in the Gospel today. He did not do it, in an indirect or hidden way, he did it direct and clear: one of you will betray me! He said that and gave the dipped piece of bread to Judas, saying 'what you are going to do, do quickly.'  He could not have been more clearer than this. 

Peter, who was disturbed by that declaration, wanted so much to find out who it was that would betray the Lord. And Jesus seems to have told him, it is not important to find out who it is, but it is important to make sure, it is not you! Peter seems to be too sure of himself - and Jesus warns him too, a warning more direct than the prior one - you will disown me! 

Be it Judas, or Peter, they failed to listen; they failed to learn; they failed to understand what the Lord was telling them, so clear, loud and direct. Judas, out of his hardheadness and Peter out of his over-confidence. 

The warning is also for us, in our spiritual life. In persons who speak to us, in events that disturb our minds, in decisions that cause turbulence, in choices that thrust us into doubts, in certain happenings that push us into crisis... the Lord speaks, the Lord warns! Happy are those who are attentive to the warning and change their ways. 

It is easy to fall and lie down there, complaining against the circumstances, grumbling against the others, lamenting the lost opportunities and dreaming of suppositions and hypotheses, if only we had not made those choices! What is challenging and demanding is to listen to the Lord, pay heed to the Word, submit to the Spirit and walk diligently and consciously in our daily life, towards truth, love and integrity. 

THE WELCOME MONDAY

HOLY WEEK 2022 

Monday, April 11: Isaiah 42: 1-7; John 12:1-11

Six days before the passover, that is how the Gospel begins today! If yesterday was the Palm Sunday, today is the Welcome Monday... Jesus who entered triumphantly yesterday into Jerusalem, is being welcomed into their presence today. Jesus is extended hospitality today, by the family of Lazarus. The event today and Jesus in the circumstances, give us a strong message and a sign of things to come. 

The message is from the event itself - Jesus entered and he is being welcomed. Jesus entered - as we reflected yesterday, Jesus has entered fully aware of what can happen to him there in the city. In fact, it is a conscious choice that he had made. While there is a question to reflect here, how prepared are we to enter into a lifestyle that is of total obedience to God, there is another message here! When Jesus entered, they welcomed him. When the Lord enters our lives, how ready are we to welcome him! Welcoming the Lord is not a simple thing - it would cause a lot of trouble, a lot of confusion, a number of challenges in our lives. Are we prepared to welcome the Lord, inspite of the storm that it can create?

There is a sign here that Jesus draws our attention to - that the anointment with the perfume that was done by Mary was an indication of the imminent death that awaits him. Yet, he is serene, confident and unperturbed. That is the sign, specially the cause of that serenity, the source of that confidence, the reason for being so composed: because God loved him, God had chosen him and God had appointed him the sign of the covenant! The peace came from within, from the core within him were God resided, where God's love was glowing so strong. 

The journey is on... and we are called to go forward with peace, serenity and endurance! The Lord comes to us, and if we welcome the Lord whole heartedly, we shall find that deep peace which no one else can give!

THE JOURNEY IS ON...

Crowd, Crisis and the Cross

The Palm Sunday - April 10, 2022

Luke 19: 28-40; Isaiah 50: 4-7; Philippians 2: 6-11; Luke 22:14 - 23:56

The theme of 'Journey' is a prominent one in Christian Spirituality - enough to think of the Old Testament journeys...of Abraham, of Jacob, of Moses, of Joseph, of the hebrews across  the desert, of the exiled people, or think of the New Testament too... of Mary and Joseph, of Jesus walking from village to village, the disciples sent two by two...and various others! Our Christian spirituality is one long journey in itself... which contains within so many intermediate journeys... journeys that are to be made daily, journeys that are to be made according to seasons, journeys that pertain to each individual, journeys that involve the entire people of God and so on! We have today a very peculiar journey that Jesus makes, within the long journey of his life as an ever loving Son of the Father Almighty, as a faithful apostle of the Loving God, as a Lamb that goes to the slaughter house with joy to offer itself for the sake of love. 

As Jesus enters Jerusalem today, he is aware of all the dynamics that surrounds him, the destiny that awaits him, the things that he will have to encounter in the following days! How many times he would have made this journey to Jerusalem in his life - with his mother and father, with his relatives and friends, with his disciples, with lazarus and family... but this time it is not the same! He is conscious of it. In many ways it is not the same. There are three things that make this journey so peculiar for him, and not only for him, also for us to reflect on; three things that stand out in the whole event of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem that we commemorate today: the crowd, the crisis and the cross. 

The Crowd was totally hysterical... Jesus knew that crowd, he was in no way lost in the crowd, nor was he lost with the crowd. He knew that this cheer and excitement of the crowd, will soon turn into a call for his killing - after all they were just a mob. But in no way did Jesus disrespect or despise them. He genuinely accepted their celebration and enjoyed their warm reception. He loved them all and he loved the way they showed their regard for him. He loved them like a shepherd, because he knew if it were not for him, they would be like a sheep without shepherd. The lesson for us: when we do what we ought to and when we do it well, let us enjoy all the adulation of the crowd around, the appreciation of the world for accomplishments, the regard of the society for a job well done! But as Jesus, let us beware that the same crowd which celebrates will soon condemn...and we need to take the critique and denunciation, just as much as we enjoy the appreciation and adulation. And the second lesson is that we do not get lost in the crowd, be one in the crowd, get into the mentality of the crowd - so thoughtless and so blind, so mindless and so flimsy, so forgetful about the good and so aroused by the excitement of the evil. 

The Crisis that lay before Christ was gross and clear. For him the crisis was not whether to suffer or not, it was not whether to believe this crowd or not, it was not even whether to confront the priests and the scribes or not. The crisis was whether to remain or go on! With the kind of welcome that Jesus received, he could have decided to remain with that popularity and praise. But Jesus knew, the journey was on and he decides to choose obedience! That choice brought him humiliation, suffering, and finally even death! He knew it would, but he decided to go on! He used the crisis to show his obedience to the Father; he saw in the crisis, an opportunity to live his life to the full - it was in dying that he lived to the full, and gave us the fullness of life. The lesson for us: when a moment of crisis comes, when sufferings and humiliation come our way, we cannot get stuck or get lost, the journey is on, and we need to go on. And when we choose to go on with the Lord, the crises can lead to a profound experience that can change my life, bring a new sense of fulfilment to it.

The Cross is what mattered for Christ - it lay before his eyes and shed light upon all his life, upon all that he did and all that he was. The Cross is the only explanation we can find for so many things that we go through on daily basis. Be it in personal lives or in the society or the world - to the myriad of sufferings that oppress humanity, war and disease, death and destruction, poverty and corruption... the Cross has to shine through all these situations to illumine our sense of meaning in life. We need to learn from Christ to keep our eyes fixed on the Cross and journey on, because it is in the Cross that the love of God invites us to see everything from the point of view of God and of our Saviour. 

The journey is on. Jesus has begun the last lap, let us journey on with him this week. Let the lenten journey we began culminate with this journey to calvary, the journey to the Cross, that we may find there, the infinite love of God and the abundance of new life that Christ wishes to offer. The journey is on, with determination and hope, let us walk with Christ to the pinacle of new life.