Never lose the Focus

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 23rd week in Ordinary time

September 7, 2022: 1 Corinthians 7: 25-31: Luke 6: 20-26

The first christian community in fact expected that they would see Jesus around in his second coming already in their time... they were preparing for it intensely. The moment they began to realise it was getting delayed, they began to grow lax in their life of virtues! It is in this context that Paul writes to them...about celibacy, purity and single minded dedication to the Lord. His call was: never lose focus, for everything will come to pass in no time!

The second coming may be at an appointed time which the Lord alone knows and we wait for it, with patience and focus. But, if we believe that the second coming is a moment of judgement, that moment is here and now... for our choices every moment determine the judgement that is going to be! Every time I choose something or avoid something, I am bringing upon me a judgement by myself. That is what Jesus tells us in the Gospel: I make myself blessed or unfortunate! I need to be informed, alert and categorical about my choices - they determine what I will be judged to be. The crux is that I never lose the focus, even as I am involved in my hectic activity of my everyday!

Conforming to whom?

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 23rd week in Ordinary time

September 6, 2022: 1 Corinthians 6: 1-11; Luke 6: 12-19

Do not be conformed to the standards of this world, but be renewed in spirit and create a counter culture, reminds St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (cf. 12:2). In today's first reading he chides the Corinthians for their behaviour which was no different from that of the others. He does not denounce them for the disputes they have, but loses his patience with them because they are not able to handle that dispute among themselves. 

It was a clear sign of the absence of something that was essential to their identity, according to St. Paul: mutual esteem inspired by love. Instead what dominates here is mutual competition provoked by ego. It is a reality, obviously, even today in our faith communities where there is an un-Christian understanding of authority and inhuman practice of domination!

Aren't there churches today that are closed down because of factions? Haven't there been clashes between different groups within the same community of faith? Aren't there leaders disrespected or rejected or maltreated just because of some differences, however flimsy and fiery those differences may be. The call is clear... as a son or daughter of God in Christ's footsteps, to whom do I want to conform... to the world or to my Lord?

Love! Do not Judge!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

September 5, 2022: Celebrating Mother Teresa of Kolkata

1 Corinthians 1: 5-8; Luke 6: 6-11

The Word today speaks to us of the ills in Christian living... at times we consider sins like adultery, fornication and killing as serious faults, and rightly so. But the harm is when we consider habits like gossiping, judging others and criticising as less grave and so go on with it as if they do not matter much. That cannot be truly Christian... According to Jesus, looking with lust is equally evil as adultery; speaking ill of the other is equally brutal as assaulting the other physically; character assasination is as criminal as killing a person! It is not exactly in what we do that the seriousness of the matter consists, but in what we are aiming or intending to do through our actions or words or dispositions. The intention is what matters most!

The saint we remember today, Mother Teresa of Kolkata, understood this perfectly and that is why she always believed and taught: if you are busy judging people, you would have no time to love them. She lived that in her life! Even with those who were around her, maligning her name and wishing her evil or destruction, she was loving and kind, generous and sacrificing. She never grudged doing good for the very ones who were hating her and spreading malicious opinions about her. She was totally "Christ-ian" in this regard - animated by nothing else but love. 

Love, is both the fundamental and the supreme disposition of a true Christian. Love is patient and kind; it endures all things! At times when we have difficulties and tribulations due to the regretable disposition of the other, let us love, not judge! Let us be filled with compassion for the suffering and the weak, as did Mother Teresa, to be called truly Christ-ians and ultimately saints or persons of the true God!

FREEDOM OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD

A different kind of reasoning, relationship and renunciation

23rd Sunday in Ordinary time - September 4, 2022
Wisdom 9: 13-18; Philemon 1:9-10,12-17; Luke 14:25-33

Wisdom and Freedom have a lot to do with each other. Wisdom is a specific gift from the Holy Spirit to the children of God. And freedom is no less a gift, and very specific to the children of God. A true child of God is necessarily a person of freedom and a truly free person is very close to being a Child of God. This is the crux of the Word this Sunday - the meaning of the Freedom of the Children of God.

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 preaches. We think freedom is the ability to do whatever we think... but that is not what freedom is all about. Freedom instead 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 different kind of Reasoning that one possesses. Taking up the cross willingly, giving and forgiving without any compensations for it, looking at everything from the perspective of God... these make 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. We need not understand everything. We need not feel obliged to be in control of everything. Let us leave that part to God and things will become clearer to us in the due course of time.

Freedom of the Children of God is manifested in the kind of Relationships we treasure. While everywhere, possession and entitlement, gain and profit, benefits and advancements rule the roost, we are called to think of giving up, forgiving, accepting, welcoming someone without any conditions and so on. 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 or even understood 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. Have we not come across people who renounce a few simple things in life and are extremely 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. Renouncing something is important; but renouncing the so-called merits of the renunciation is the true renunciation!

Freedom of the Children of God permits us to live a life that is free, full and highly inspiring. It helps us reconfigure our way of thinking and our list of priorities. It helps us redefine our relationships, in terms of maturity and mutuality and not selfishness and exploitation. It helps us renounce not just a few things, but renounce the very merit of renunciation, that we may become truly free in our spirit. May we grow everyday in this great gift we have received from the Spirit of the Lord: the freedom of the children of God.

Blinded by ego and ruined by pride!

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

September 3, 2022: 1 Corinthians 4: 6b-15; Luke 6: 1-5

It is better to be ignorant or deprived than to be haughty with pride, warn the readings today. The Pharisees and the Scribes constantly had a problem with Jesus, not because Jesus was wrong, and not even because they did not know what Jesus was upto! They knew what Jesus was hinting at every time he broke a law or a custom. They knew that Jesus had something to communicate and they even knew what he had to tell them! But the problem was, they did not want to listen to him, much less, accept his stand point. Simply because of the pride that ruled their minds and ruined their situation.

What the Pharisees and the Saducees needed was not a new knowledge, they knew it all. The unfortunate situation was that they did not realise what they knew, they did not live up to what they understood, they were not prepared to give up on their pride and glory and that prevented them from beholding the glory of the Lord that was present among them, in Christ Jesus. Just so with us. It is not that we do not know, but we are not ready to admit what we know, because with that we would have to make a lot of changes in our lives; we would have to give up on the comfort zones that we have created for ourselves. And worst of all, it is such a difficult task for us to admit that we need change, because our ego hurts.

Our sense of ego and our urge to prove ourselves can sometimes fill us with a prejudice so strong that we can miss the obvious, something that is present right in front of our eyes!  Not just the pharisees and the scribes in Jesus' time, but even for us, this is a real danger. With our preconceived ideas and over glorified ego, we would be so filled with ourselves, that we would not be able to see, feel with or love our brothers and sisters with us. We could grow so touchy, that no one can tell us what we really need to hear to change our lives. And that is where we run the risk of not beholding the Lord who is right beside us, blinded by our ego and ruined by our pride!

Mind your business!

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

September 2, 2022: 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5; Luke 5: 33-39

At times we mind everybody else's business, forgetting the all important business that we have, our own life! The Word today instructs us to mind just our business. How hard can one try to satisfy everyone around? Is it worth the effort at all? How many lives are made so boring and barren merely out of living up to the expectations of the world around! The secret of a truly fruitful and meaningful life is: knowing your business, and going about it.

Minding one's business could be interpreted negatively, as not interfering in others' business! There could be another important meaning and that is, to be clear as to what one's given task is and being convinced to go about it, come what may. It consists of knowing that I am here with a purpose and I have a task given to me and being at that task, without attaching too much importance to eventualities - whether they are good or bad, encouraging or displeasing. It consists therefore, first and foremost, in knowing who we are!

As St. Paul says in his letter today, what is expected of us good stewards is that each one is found worthy of the One, whose stewards we are! Knowing who we are and striving to be faithful to that identity, is the Christian meaning to our life. Christ did just that. He knew he was the Son of God and he lived his life to the full, worthy of the identity that he inherited from his Father. 

We are called to be his stewards, and we are called to live worthy of it, notwithstanding the praises or critiques, the affirmations and the discouragements that might come our way. If we try to patch up with unfitting elements merely because those around us are looking for it, if we mix up unblending elements just because the world around enjoys it... we may lose the true sense of our calling. The best thing, amidst all the mixed voices around, is to know and mind our business!

Everything belongs to God

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

September 1, 2022: 1 Corinthians 3: 18-23; Luke 5: 1-11

During the Eucharistic Celebration, post the Lord's prayer, there is a section where the priest prays 'save us from all distress'. In the old version of the missal, the words used to be, 'free us from all anxiety'. Some of my priest friends for sounding novel and practical would change it as, free us from all needless anxiety... and I would pick an argument with them - for a Christian every anxiety is needless! Every anxiety is needless because everything belongs to God.

No anxiety, whether about eating or drinking, life or death, success or fear, nothing, absolutely nothing is warranted if I truly believe in my Lord. If I beleive in the Lord, and if I beleive that the Lord is almighty and that I am loved by my God... it logically follows that the Lord will take care of everything and the Lord is capable of everythin - and where does anxiety come from? It comes from the fact that I think that everything depends on me, on my capacity! The more I depend on my capacity, the more anxious I have to be, because I would not know when I will fail - I am not omnipotent. But the liberating fact is to realise that God is in control, not me!

The Lord is in control... all that I need to do is my duties to the best of my abilities and leave the rest to God. Call it Nishkama Karma, or detachment, or Kantian categorical imperatives... be the title what it may, the point is: God is in charge and I need not worry or be anxious. It is a difficult mindset but the most liberating one. I can save myself of so much of anxiety. if only I grow convinced of the fact that God is in control of everything, because everything belongs to God!

Defining Spiritual Persons

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

August 31, 2022: 1 Corinthians 3: 1-9; Luke 4: 38-44

Paul feels bad about the fact that he is not able to speak to the Corinthians as to Spiritual people, because of jealousy, rivalry and division among them. He presents those predicaments as directly opposed to being spiritual people. The same criteria would apply even today and even to us!

Jesus in the Gospel shines as a role model in being a Spiritual person or in other words, a person of the Spirit. He heals, casts out demons and refuses to gain any popularity mileage out of it. He rebukes the demons even, not to announce his Christ-image, as he wants the people to experience him personally in the depths of their hearts, each one hearing him or following him. He has no urge for popularity or no sense of jealousy or rivalry with the others.

Are jealousy, rivalry, infights and other divisive tendencies totally absent today in our communities? Leave alone the communities; what about my heart, is it totally free of these unspiritual attitudes? If not, I still am an immature believer. I may be outstanding in carrying out my so called spiritual duties and daily pious routines... but my faith still remains infantile. 

St. Paul, in a way, defines who a spiritually mature person is: one who is integral in his or her outlook, unifying in his or her relationships, loving in his or her consideration of the other and God centered in his or her understanding of one's own identity vis-a-vis the faith community. That is a solid sign of spiritual maturity.

Spiritual Persons are persons of the Spirit, and what matters to them is the action of the Spirit within themselves and within their communities! They would know it and they would submit to it wholeheartedly. 

The Mind of Christ

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

August 30, 2022: 1 Cor 2: 10-16; Lk 4: 31-37

They believed firmly that no human being can ever deserve the love of God. All that one can do is live in fear of the wrath of God and live a righteous life in order to avoid punishment; one has to live in fear and trembling all his or her life, to obtain one's salvation. 

Jesus turns tables as he makes it clear to them that while it is true that no one can deserve the love of God, it is equally true that one need not deserve to be loved! God loves us and that is all that matters. In his own self Jesus demonstrated how God is close to every human person and how God is compassionately in love with God's children. It is not about begging God for love, but it is about claiming that love with authority that comes from the very fact that we are sons and daughters of that loving God.

"Claiming with the right of the children"... can we really do that? Yes, of course, but let us remember that it first requires that I ensure that live as a true son or a daughter of God, knowing my duties and my obligations, my priorities and pertaining choices! It is the Spirit who enables us to have this clear, in our mind and in our lives. 

It is the Spirit of the Lord with us and within us, who makes us realize that we are the sons and daughters of the Lord almighty. Above all these, to know our privilege as children, to understand the value of being God's sons and daughters, the fundamental requirement is that we have the mind of Christ! The Spirit enables us to grow the mind of Christ within us, that we may grow more and more in our identity as sons and daughters of God. 

Matyrdom, the Christ logic

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

August 29, 2022: Remembering the beheading of John the Baptist

Jeremiah 1: 17-19; Mark 6: 17-29

Once, discussing about martyrdom with a group of youngsters, one asked me, 'why should they go upto martyrdom?' In the same tone I replied, 'they don't go up to it, it comes after them!'

Martyrdom is not a given-up mode of life. It is a fruit of living one's life to the full till the end, never losing the core purpose of that life for even a moment. Martyrdom is not an option to choose. It is a consequence of the choices made, absolute choices for truth and righteousness. It is a philosophy in itself, a totally different logic. 

St.Paul would boast about this often saying, there is a different kind of a logic that is at work in us... the logic of Christ. The first person who lived by that logic even before Christ our Lord, was John! Infact, Christ called him the greatest of those born of a woman. The sufferings of this world are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us in the Lord, St. Paul would remind us. 

Be a servant to be the Leader, be the least to be considered the best, be ready for the Cross in order to taste the true love of God... this is the logic we are refering to. Identifying ourselves with Christ is a serious affair, a risky task. We would either be judged "strange"or "challenging". Many went through this ordeal due to this Christ logic... Jesus himself was affected by that. They called him 'possessed' and 'out of his mind', just as they called John, a man of the wilderness! Finally they villainised them and killed them both!  

Applying today the Christ logic... what do we expect of the world? Persecutions and pressures: what would be our response to them? In today's culture of hatred and violence, what would our style be? Do we dare to make Christ logic our own, in our daily, concrete situations? That would be our daily martyrdom.