THE LENTEN JOURNEY 2024

THE WORD IN LENT - Ash Wednesday

February 14: Through the desert, to Freedom... God leads us.

Joel 2: 12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20 - 6:2; Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

We begin the holiest of all seasons within the liturgical year: the season of Lent. This year the Holy Father invites us to reflect on loving reminder - that through the desert God leads us to freedom.  

Broken hearts, fasting stomachs, weeping eyes, mourning spirits, trembling hands and bending knees - these are not signs of fright nor attempts to appease; these are responses to a recognition of the mercy and compassion of God, the tender love and affection that the Lord extends to you and me despite the dull and drear that have set in, between God and us. It could be either because of our irreflective activism or spiritual lethargy! The reason be what it could, the fact is God has never failed to listen to us at the favourable time, on the day of our salvation! 

Indeed, this is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation. Let us begin this journey, the journey of reflecting on the journey of our life! Yes, Lent is not a journey that starts and ends in itself. It is a journey, a special phase of journey that is given to us every year, to reflect on the spiritual journey of our life, where through the desert, God leads us to freedom. 

The deserts are spiritual patches of the journey, special moments of grace however difficult  and trying they are. Lent comes to make us understand how important these deserts are, that we may really journey through them with the spirit that the Lord wishes us to have. That we may understand that deserts are not places where we feel deserted, but they are places where we desert everything that binds us, to lift our eyes to the Lord, to refocus our minds on the original call, to resume our ontological journey towards that communion with the Lord, the true and total freedom. And another important element not to be forgotten, it is God who leads us! God leads us by hand, even in the midst of the desert, specially in the moments of the desert. 

Let us wish each other a profound and peaceful journey, a journey through the desert, where God leads us to freedom, the freedom of the beloved children of God. 

Do we really understand?

WORD 2day: Tuesday, Sixth week in Ordinary time

February 13, 2024 - James 1:12-18; Mark 8: 14-21

How agitated Jesus gets today with his disciples! But why? Jesus expects them to rise above the ordinary or the normal. As Jesus warns us repeatedly: if our perfection does not surpass those that of the scribes and the pharisees, that is if we do not rise above the 'usual' way the world looks at reality, we will not be considered fit for the Reign of God! 

The so-called normal attitudes of the world, the value systems propagated as "normal" by the world, the life style of the so called successful that stands counter to what the Gospel teaches... these are the temptations that we have today! Of course, they do not come from God, reiterates St. James. Our desires, temptations, sin and resultant death: this is the cycle that Jesus wants us to understand, resist, surpass, and triumph over. 

None of us can ever say after an act of unrighteousness, that we were not aware at all, of its nature! Let us not deceive ourselves! We know what we are surrounded by, we know what we go through on a daily basis and we know what is appreciable and what is not worthy of our call to be children of God. Inspite of all the graces that we have received and the gratuitous gifts that we have received from the Lord, if we still insist on giving up on our call to commitment and righteous living, we will soon hear that question addressed to us by Jesus: do you still not understand?

The Lord our Rock!

WORD 2day: Monday, 6th week in Ordinary time

February 12, 2024: James 1: 1-11; Mark 8: 11-13

During his life and ministry, Jesus was convinced that he had nothing to prove! He was what he was - the Son of God, the Word Incarnate. He spoke what he believed and lived what he spoke. That gave him an authority that the Pharisees and the Scribes could never understand. It came from his holistic self-understanding, an understanding in terms of the One who had sent him: "For I and the Father are one", he declared (Jn 10:30).

Many a time we identify ourselves with the riches we have, the social status we enjoy, the titles and the offices we hold, the adulation from others and the image that others have of us. These are like the drooping flowers and the fading beauty, reminds St. James in his letter. What will all the titles and possessions, achievements and accomplishments become when at that one moment we are no more!

Our identity rests in one thing that never changes: the truth that we are sons and daughters of One God, that we are created in the image and the likeness of that loving God who has loved us into existence. When we get this fact imprinted in our hearts... no trial or no doubt, no suffering or no shock will ever affect our perseverance (James 1:4).

It takes a lot of inner strength to found ourselves on the unsurpassed foundation, the unshakable ground, the one unchanging source of meaning we have... let our life be founded on that insurmountable refuge, the Lord, our Rock!

Divided lives?!?

WORD 2day: Saturday, Fifth week in Ordinary time

February 10, 2024 - 1 Kings 12: 26-32, 13: 33-34; Mark 8: 1-10

For the people of Israel there was no difference between their political life and their religious life. For them everything was just one; an integral mode of living as people of God; forever the people of the Covenant: 'I shall be your God and you shall be my people'. But at a certain point, as we read in the first reading today, the misery befalls them - Politics and Religion part their ways. 

Further, something that happens makes things worse: using religion for political ends or politics for religious reasons. It becomes almost an unjust alliance and remains so even to this day - how many instances we can cite from the events of the day all around the world. 

That is about the society around us, but let us remember, it can happen in our personal lives too: the division between our religious life and our civil life, and worse still if we use one for the manipulation of the other. 

Jesus is totally against this division and considers it always an hypocrisy. One cannot call oneself a shepherd and still remain untouched by the miseries of the people. One cannot call oneself a 'Christ-ian' and live a life that is totally insensitive towards others. One cannot call oneself a child of God and look down on his brother or sister, or much worse ill-treat, exploit or oppress them. If one does that, he or she is giving into idolatry, claiming to belong to Christ but divided within oneself, externally professing Christ but totally against Christ at the level of the inner self. 

Do you think we can still be God's children, Christ's disciples, if we lived such divided lives?

Pride, Rebellion and Obedience!

WORD 2day: Friday, Fifth week in Ordinary time

February 9, 2024 - 1 Kings 11:4-13; Mark 7:24-30

The Word today speaks of two kingdoms... one that was ending and the other which was rising. Prophet Ahijah instructs Jeroboam about the role that he has to play in the fall of David's kingdom. And in the Gospel we see the people who rejoice at the coming of the Kingdom of God, the signs of the Reign being that "the deaf hear and the mute speak." That phrase was symbolic and indicative for the people of the Intertestamental times (the time of waiting between the Old Testament and the coming of Christ). For them it meant, the coming of the Reign of God amidst the people of Israel. 

The message is obvious - it is an invitation to turn away from a tendency of human pride and rebellion and place the absolute dominion always in the hands of God. Right from the beginning (explained by the stories of Adam and Eve, the tower of Babel and so on), the ruin of humankind has been due to human pride; the entry point of sin into humanity has been rebellion.

It is in that rebellion and pride that we make gods of ourselves and gods for ourselves - making gods of our own ego, of our successes, of our plans and projects, of our prospects and the social ladders, of our attachments and cravings. At times, only when drastic things happen we realise our folly! Then it shall be too late and there would be time only to cry over the lost opportunities.

The Lord reminds us today: I am the Lord you God, hear my voice... let us make it our habit to hear the Lord's voice and live by it everyday and in every way.

Saints who surprise God!

WORD 2day: Thursday, Fifth week in Ordinary time

February 8, 2024 - 1 Kings 11:4-13; Mark 7: 24-30

The most dangerous character of sin is, it takes over little by little that, all too soon we find it to be too late! 

Solomon who was a sign of God's glory in the early days of his kingship, soon finds himself in a point of no return, because he had given away his heart little by little to ways that took him away from God! 

In simple words sin can be understood as a rebellion against God... a lack of surrender into God's hands. The remedy is: a childlike surrender into the hands of God; following God unreservedly as did David (1Kgs 11:6); a faith that becomes a humble surrender to God's Will, like the Syrophoenician woman that we see in the Gospel. 

The Syrophoenician woman becomes the prototype of the saints who surprised God... who surprised God by their total surrender... like St.Paul, or the early martyrs, or the later saints like John Maria Vianney, or Maxmillian Kolbe, or great models like Blessed Oscar Romero, Blessed Sr. Rani Maria... the list goes on, and the challenge is that we add our names to that.  

Let our surrender to the Lord be so total, that in God's pleasant surprise miracles abound. Can we surprise God by our surrender?... that will be a wonderful sign of growing in holiness.

About out interior life!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, Fifth week in Ordinary time 

February 7, 2024 - 1 Kings 10: 1-10; Mark 7: 14-23

"That they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" - that is the grammar of life that Jesus has always taught us.  

Today in the first reading we see Solomon exemplifying this claim to honour. We read that the Queen of Sheba, looking at the wisdom and splendour of Solomon, said "Blessed be the Lord your God!"(v.9). What actually matters is not what is seen merely on the outward appearance, for we cannot put up a show all our life. 

Let us just imagine, if we have to create an image of ourselves just for the sake of the others and live up to it all our life - how tiresome and fatiguing it can be! At some point or the other, to someone or the other, the truth will be manifest and that will be the ruin of everything. 

Instead, Jesus invites us to an authentic living that is built from within, from those which comes out from within - our thoughts, our attitudes, our priorities, our judgements and opinions about others and about issues, the feelings and impulses we give into, the kind of persons we identify ourselves with, the sort of people for whom our hearts are moved, the readiness with which we go out of ourselves in true love and selfless compassion. 

Let us pay attention to our interiority. The core of our self defines who we are, and at that level of our being, we cannot deceive ourselves! Let our hearts enshrine the presence of the Lord and let that presence illumine every bit of our life... specially our interior life. 

External expressions vs Internal dispositions

WORD 2day: Tuesday, Fifth week in Ordinary time

February 6, 2024 - 1 Kings 8: 22-23, 27-30; Mark 7: 1-13

The Word continues to speak to us still in keeping with the theme of yesterday. The first reading presents to us Solomon who brings to light the relationship that lies between the absolute importance of the temple and the folly of limiting God's presence to the temple. These are two crucial elements to understand about a devotion, which are indicative of a certain maturity, which renders one's faith worthy of being called an adult faith.

Jesus too talks of the same, but from a different context. He contrasts between an External Expression and an Internal Disposition: they are not exclusive choices to be made but they point to a mature balance to be achieved, because both are needed! But what makes the difference is the priority given to one over the other and the motive with which such a priority or choice is made.

What the Word today wants to impress on us is this: that external expressions without deep internal dispositions will turn into mere ritualism and legalism; that is what Jesus was opposed to and today that is what would militate against being a true disciple of Christ. 

On the other hand, a mere internal disposition without right external expression will lead to a cold individualism which is totally 'unchristian'! It makes me either narcissitic or too diffident to be what I am, in public. 

Let our internal disposition be challenged and transformed on a daily basis towards a continuous maturity that leads to a meaningful living of our faith.

Making God present!

WORD 2day: Monday, Fifth week in Ordinary time

February 5, 2024 - 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13; Mark 6: 53-56

The Ark comes to the Temple and Jesus comes to the people: there lies a beautiful link here in. Obviously, it lies in the fact that the people of God are the true temples of God! Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? , asks St. Paul (1 Cor 3:16). Specially the needy and the poor, the sick and the suffering, the lonely and the unloved... they are the temples where God resides and where the world can and should in all earnestness encounter God, face to face.

Jesus does not depise in any way the importance of the Temple when he said: a day will come when you will worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth (Cf. Jn 4: 23,24). He invites us to look at a new perspective. Building churches and beautifying them are important, but it is much more important to build the Church, that is, the people of God. Celebrating the feasts and solemnities is important, but it is much more important to celebrate persons and ensure humanity, happiness and wholeness to every person.

What would we have gained if we spent tons of money on a well organised festivity, if we had not touched even one person who needed to be, or made happy even one grieving heart, or given joy to even one drooping spirit? Wherever Jesus went, people went and God's presence was felt; wherever the apostles went, people went and God's presence was felt (compare with Acts 5:12-15); wherever we Christ-ians go, God's presence should be felt... is it really felt?

Compassion - the quality of a person of God

WORD 2day: Saturday, Fourth week in Ordinary time

February 3, 2024 - 1 Kings 3: 4-13; Mark 6: 30-34

"An understanding heart to guide God's people", is what Solomon asks of the Lord... and that is what he was given! We see Jesus, who understood the tiredness of his apostles and counselled them to relax. We see Jesus looking at the people and understanding their need, their thirst, their yearning for life... he was filled with compassion!

Compassion, which comes from com-pati (latin), to have the same feeling as someone, is basically an understanding of the other! When someone next to me is undergoing a crisis, when someone in my vicinity is going through a suffering, when persons in front of my eyes are experiencing a situation that stifles their lives... can I really feel with them, can I really suffer with them? That would be compassion! That is the sensibility that Jesus exhibits, that is the sensibility that Christ requires of us, if we have to call ourselves Christians!

A compassionate person alone can be a person of God. When I feel depressed, when I feel oppressed, when I feel spent, when I feel exploited, when I feel angry, when I feel disappointed, only a person with compassion can feel exactly what I feel. The person becomes a person of God, when the person feels what I feel and take me to where God wants me to move on. Yes, compassion is crying with those who cry and laughing with those who laugh, but it is not drowning with those who drown and decaying with those who decay! Compassion has to be a Godly presence of suggesting the right thing at the right time!

Compassion is the quality closest to sanctity! To be Christ-ians, we cannot but be compassionate; like Solomon, let us ask the Lord, and the Lord will grant us a heart that is wise and understanding, loving and compassionate.