Life and Death for an Apostle

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

July 25, 2023 - Celebrating St. James, the Apostle

2 Corinthians 4:7-15; Matthew 20: 20-28

We believe; so we speak! That was the watchword of the band of apostles, as St. Paul notes in the first reading today (2 Cor 4:13). Though there was a time when even the apostles did not understand what Jesus was upto... they looked at Jesus like any other leader, carrying forward his career! But in time, Jesus made them understand that they are called to follow, a leader who was 'crazy' in the terms of the world, a man who was full of contradictions. Whoever among you would be the great must be a servant, and who would be the first must be a slave. 

James and John today become the occasion for Jesus to reinstate his philosophy of life, indeed a tough one. St. Paul, though he came late into the fold, understood that philosophy perfectly and he expressed it lucidly when he said, we carry within our bodies the death of Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be manifested in us. He says, death was at work in the lives of Apostles, so that life can be experienced by those to whom they carried the message. 

When we would think it is important to abandon death and seek life, the apostles seemingly seek death, to give life! And they invite the others to believe and once they believe, the believers too seek to carry within themselves the death of Jesus, so that the world may receive life in Christ. That is the chain of apostleship that is passed on to us... to be apostles is to carry the death of Jesus within us, that we may ultimately manifest the eternal life in Jesus to the world. 

James, the first of the apostles to be put to death (Acts 12:2) bears a resounding witness to this way of life; a life of contradiction; the life of apostleship, a life that is all about giving one's entire life, that the others may have life in all its fullness.

Being Still and Knowing the Lord

WORD 2day - Monday, 16th week in Ordiary time

July 24, 2023: Exodus 14: 5-18; Matthew 12: 38-42

The people ask for a sign and on this count people have never changed or grown for the better in history. Asking for a sign or clamoring after magics, being obsessed with persons who claim to have the ability to perform extraordinary signs, predictions and healings... these are prevalent even today. The answer from the Lord is very simple and straightforward.

All that you need to do is, be still. The tendency to run after signs and frenetically looking for miracles should cease if we really keep growing in our faith maturity. Tear shedding statues and blood oozing artefacts cannot be the kindling factors of our faith; if only we could be still and see the works of God in our lives, if only we could be still and observe the way the Lord accompanies us on a daily basis, in the ordinariness of our daily life, we would be filled with messages and revelations enough to fill our thoughts and increase our faith.

What do you think is the most important factor in life - knowing in advance what is going to happen, or knowing how to respond to a situation when it actually comes; trying to look for miracles here or there or learning to recongnise and acknowledge the miracle that is to be discovered in the daily events of our lives? 

All I need to do today, and everyday, is Be Still... and know that the Lord is with me.

The First Missionary of the Risen Lord

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

July 22, 2023: The Feast of Mary of Magdala
Song of Songs 3: 1-4; John 20:1-2,11-18

To we celebrate the feast of Mary Magdalene, the first Missionary of the Risen Lord! 

At times those who wish to show themselves as being faithful and pious have recourse to practices like spending time and energy to appease God, pilgrimage, fasting or other forms of self denial. The feast of Magdalene reminds us of the fact that the love of God is totally gratuitous and greatly challenging. 

The Lord teaches Mary Magdalene, that faith is not merely clinging on to him, but going ahead of him, announcing the Lord's presence to the world, bringing the great news of hope to all around and waiting for the command from the Lord for further action. A mere sentimental attachment to the Lord is an easy alternative while an integral living, a courageous announcement and a personal transformation, makes oneself the message to be shared with all! 

This is true faith: a personal transformation that leads to a convinced proclamation, through a compelling witness. Let us not look to cling to Jesus; let us take Jesus to others by becoming ourselves so filled with Jesus, just as Mary Magdalene was. Mary Magdalene is so special in the history of Faith - when we read the Gospel of St. John, chapter 20, we see, that the apostles Peter and John came to the tomb, they saw, they felt that something great is happening and went back to where they stayed. But Mary Magdalene, stood there, by the tomb; she remained still; she would not leave; her perseverance was great; her endurance was tremendous; her capacity to be still was praiseworthy and the Lord rewards her 'being still'. 

The Risen Lord appears to her as the first one among the disciples to see the Risen Lord and the one to carry the great message to the rest of them... the first missionary of the Risen Lord!

Relationship as True Worship

WORD 2day - Friday, 15th week in Ordinary time

July 21, 2023: Exodus 11:10-12:14; Matthew 12: 1-8

The Liturgy of the Word today traces for us an eventful journey of the understanding of God and the self-understanding of the people in relation to their God! We see the historical transition from an understanding of sacrifice as a demand and requirement, to a liberating understanding of God. This is brought in by Jesus who presented a God who says, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice". 

The point is not that the Old Testament's understanding was faulty, neither is it to say that Jesus negates all the understanding of the Old Testament! As Jesus himself explained, he came not to abolish the law, he came to bring it to its fulfillment. That fulfillment is achieved when we understand, not just the letter but, the spirit of the law and try to live it to its details. 

The sacrifices, the sanctifications, the consecrations that were prescribed were all for one reason: to bring the people closer to the Lord! To make the people understand how good the Lord has been... in order that they may lift the cup of salvation, a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Lord, as the Psalm invites us today. 

Having moved a long way from the understanding of the people of the Old Testament, the challenge is much greater for us today - to prioritise our relationship with God, in all that we carry out in the name of our spirituality, in the name of practices of piety. It is not merely a fulfillment of a duty or a necessity, for God needs nothing from us; but a thanksgiving to the ever-present Lord, a grateful beholding of the loving presence of God with us.

Coming and Going...

WORD 2day - Thursday, 15th week in Ordinary time

July 20, 2023: Exodus 3: 13-20; Matthew 11: 28-30 

The Word that dominates the first reading today is 'Go'... Yahweh sends Moses to the Pharaoh. The term that stands out in the short but sweet Gospel of today is, 'Come'... the Lord invites the burdened to rest. Come and Go... may look like two opposite words but the reason given for both the movements is the same: because I am with you, says the Lord.

Coming and going... refer to the docility of the chosen, the willingness and readiness with which a messenger of the Lord vows to act. Going anywhere mattered nothing to the prophets of old or for the apostles in the New Testament... they just went, where the Lord sent them to. Added to that, it did not sound a "sending" according to them; it meant an invitation, "come", "come, be mine!", "come, be me where I send you!". That remains the same even today, even with us.

Every day and in ways mysterious or means ordinary, the Lord keeps sending us these instructions: come, go, speak, share, remain, endure and so on... are we prepared to listen and eager to act upon it? When we do it, there is bound to be a myriad of struggles and endless strife... but the Lord will give us the strength, make the yoke easy and the burden light. Easy and light, because the Lord is with us!

Thank thee Lord our God!

WORD 2day - Wednesday, 15th week in Ordinary time

July 19, 2023: Exodus 3: 1-6,9-12; Matthew 11: 25-27 

God reveals Godself to Moses, and thus to the people of Israel, and thus to the whole world - the very first revelation of the God who intervenes in history is a revelation of a God who stands by the suffering, the poor, the oppressed! While the dominant, the oppressive and the powerful lot float on their cloud of pride and arrogance, creating petty gods of themselves and idols of their power and penny, the Lord rests with the weak, the suffering, the little ones who put their trust in the Lord. 

The interim picture of the situation may look favourable to the powerful and the dominant, but at the denouement it wont certainly be so! The last shall be first, the least shall be the greatest, the humble shall be exalted, the persecuted shall be consoled - these repeated paradoxes taught by Jesus are not asking one to wish misfortune for oneself or to negate the fullness of life that Jesus himself brought. 

It is to remind us that the fullness of life is not in the power, possession and prosperity that we hold so dear - it is in right priorities! It is understanding one's origins, one's duties, one's giftedness, one's call, one's mission, one's relatedness to the other, one's responsibility for those around oneself and to the humanity as a whole. 

When I understand all this and live my everyday life in all earnestness, it would be a reason to thank and praise God, as Jesus does today - "I thank thee, Lord of heaven and earth!"

Warned - to be on the right side!

WORD 2day - Tuesday, 15th week in Ordinary time

July 18, 2023: Exodus 2: 1-15; Matthew 11: 20-24

Yesterday we spoke of the situations of injustice in the world and the readings drove us to a reflection on it. Today, the readings issue a warning to us! The Lord is patient and merciful, but at the same time just and righteous. 

The Lord has a predilection for the poor, the oppressed, those who are sinned against, those who are denied of their rights, those who are constrained to live in conditions that they actually do not deserve to suffer. The warning is this: that we take care to see where we actually belong! We are not called merely to judge who is right and who is wrong and give a verdict on persons. We are called to remain on the side of the right, the truth and justice. It is not that we may be oppressors, but even if indirectly by our inaction and silence we allow the oppression of a person or a people go scot-free, we are on the wrong side, on the side of injustice! 

As the famous holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel says, "We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." Our help is in the name of the Lord, affirms the Responsorial Psalm today. When we are a help to the oppressed, we are acting in the name of the Lord. The Lord raises Lord's judgement, Lord's Hero from where and when, we know not. But surely our help is in the name of the Lord, and let us strive to be always on the side of the Lord. If we fail, the Lord warns us today, "I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom than for you."

Standing for the Reign of God

WORD 2day - Monday, 15th week in Ordinary time

July 17, 2023: Exodus 1: 8-14,22; Matthew 10:34 - 11:1

One statement that we often hear in the context of varied problems in the society today, be it the ongoing ukraine issue, or the burning manipur issue or issues similar to those, is the following: "its unfortunate that these problems are prevailing and it can never be justified on whatever ground that people are denied their fundamental right to live in peace, specially the extent to which the inhuman selfishness of a small group of people can cause havoc in the world!" One cannot but think of the prevailing situations of inhumanity, cruel hegemony, political manipulation, socio economic oppression and human right violations all over the world, when we read the first reading today! 

When we find ourselves in front of these suffering brothers and sisters, we cannot close our eyes or switch off our minds. No one can be neutral, in our own way, we have to take our stand - that is what Jesus says in the words - "I have come to bring not peace but sword!" Swords are never sweet... neither for the other nor for the self - because swords come back too! That is the challenge. When we wish to set fire, we need to be prepared to face that fire ourselves. We need to keep our house clean and our attitudes well grounded. 

Our solidarity, our affirmation of justice and peace, our simple gestures of care and concern for the oppressed brothers and sisters, though it may appear to be like a mere glass of water, will be much rewarded in the Reign of God, because however simple, those gestures show that we stand for truth, liberty, peace and justice - in short - for the Reign of God!

THE WORD-HEART ENCOUNTER

Show off, Show in and Show down?

July 16, 2023: 15th Sunday in Ordinary time

Isaiah 55: 10-11; Romans 8: 18-23; Matthew 13: 1-23

The Word as seed and our hearts as the ground - this is an imagery very close to the heart of Christ and it was picked up by the apostles rightly - be it James, or Paul, or Peter, in their apostolic letters. The Word-heart encounters are crucial to determine the quality of our faith - if faith is rightly understood as right living and not only right believing. Of what use is right believing if it does not lead to right living? Is it not like having a full bottle of water in hand, and dying out of thirst?

Isaiah declares the absolute potency of the Word - there is no doubt about it, it yields fruits. The variance of this fact is due to the openness or otherwise of the one whom the Word encounters. Certainly, a logical statutory warning has to be indicated when it comes to interpreting the parable that Jesus narrates today. The warning is to see that the seed has to do with the ground, while the Word has to do with persons, persons with choices, personal freedom and will, desires and dislikes, weaknesses and strengths. Hence the primary responsibility here rests with the person who is in a position to receive the encountering Word, or not. 

Secondly, everything of what is said to happen in a Word-heart encounter happens in the core of silence and interiority - no one can monitor its progress except the person himself or herself and the Word! But there is an expectation, an expectation such as a child birth - as the whole creation that yearns in pangs of child birth, every persons whole hearted positive response to the Word is salvific, not only to the person but to an extent, to the entire creation, the whole humanity! That is why every time a person's sanctity is recognised universally, it adds to the salvific experience of the whole human community. 

Returning to the conditions of encounter between the heart and the Word, we can understand the three unfavourable conditions that Jesus points out in the present human tendencies:

The first is Show Off or Exhibitionist syndrome - all that we wish to make of the encounter is only a make believe show, a manifestation of self where true or false, a putting up of an appearance. It goes well today with the media crazy world - where people are ready anytime to strike a good pose for a selfie or a instagram post, and return to their real, wrecked selves the moment later. There are always available more than one facades for the sake of the display requirements in the culture today. The reaction to the Word or the related experiences too - be it emotional, so-called spiritual, transformational or anything - remains only at the level of displays. Enough to imagine the hundreds of evangelical and charismatic conventions that ends up as any other show biz! What salvific value can it have, other than a psychological assuage?

The second is a Show In or a Receptionist Syndrome - we wish the encounter has its limits, the limits of the drawing rooms of our  lives. Imagine receiving a guest at home, what do we do, we show them in, we make them feel at home in the drawing room, seated warm and cosy with a drink and a snack - beyond that we do not invite them, nor does a decent guest venture beyond that. At times we treat the Word too that way - we allow the Word to encounter our hearts, but just for the moment and once we have had an initial 'good' feeling, we get back to our 'normal' lives. Most of us remain at this stage, we are very enthusiastic about the encounter - the Sunday Masses, the daily Masses, the Bible reading, the Spiritual TV time etc. - at the end of it all, we return without much ado to our so-called daily routine and the encounter with the Word has its parallel existence without crossing roads with the rest of the life. 

The third is a Show down or a Victim Syndrome - we are enthusiastic about the encounter, we allow the Word to enter our lives, but we have our lives already filled with so much cares and worries, so much threats and temptations, so many wants and desires, that the Word is choked, there is no place to enter, there is no space to breathe, there is no scope to settle down. The Word has to very quickly bow out, because we are persons, persons with our own freedom and dignity, will and discernment, that the Word respects and can only wait for us to understand the folly we are into. The worst of it is, after all this, we picture ourselves a victims. The thistles and weeds were permitted, if not planted and nurtured, by us at varied moments of our lives. Whom can we balme for it? We have a show down with the Word... arguing the pros and cons and finally the Word has to leave - not because it cannot bear fruit, but because we do not want it to.

If the encounter with the Word has to be fruitful, first of all we need to treat these experiences as an Encounter - an encounter and not merely some momentary meets or hit-and-runs. An encounter where we spend time, we dialogue and we allow the other to make a difference in our own world. Word wishes to encounter us, and not just swish past us. Every day is an opportunity for us to encounter the Word, how prepared are we to set up that encounter and get a make over of our own selves? 

The Commission, the Challenge and the Assurance

WORD 2day - Saturday, 14th week in Ordinary time

July 15, 2023: Genesis 49:29-33,50:15-26; Matthew 10:24-33

The Lord calls us, commissions us and that involves a Challenge and an Assurance! 

The challenge is to belong to God, come what may. It is not an easy task considering the prevailing atmosphere today. I know of so many youngsters who are so inspiring by the absolute choice that they have made for God and the will of God. People who have had great ambitions and plans, but have just thrown them into the air for the sake of a vision that God inspired. Persons who have had prospects so promising, but have ignored those just because they felt they have been called for a specific mission, a mission in the footsteps of the Master-saviour. Daring individuals who have made choices for which they are being derided, called names and have suffered worst experiences of want and willful deprivation. A challenge! 

When this challenge is taken up, one could find oneself on a tossing sea or a troubled sky, but nothing would disturb the person for he or she has found a ground so firm, a base so strong, a root so deep - the Lord who calls, commissions and walks one through. At the end of all the tribulations, pervades a serenity, a sense of accomplishment, the same sense with which Jesus gasped on the cross, "It is accomplished." That is the tone in which Jacob aka Israel speaks today of his end and what should come after. 

The Lord does not leave us merely with the challenge, he attaches an assurance! The assurance of God's caring presence with us! Pope Francis in the encyclical Lumen Fidei calls this 'the accompanying presence of God' (LF 57). An assurance that arises from the fact that God loves us, that God values us, that God cares for us, and above all, that God counts on us!