Thursday, December 31, 2009

CELEBRATE DIVERSITIES
EPIPHANY

Once President G. Ford was asked to name three persons he considered as the greatest of the century. The first name he mentioned was the name of Gandhi. He had chosen Gandhi’s name because he was a great unifier. He sacrificed his life to bring people together.

The message that the world would like to hear today is the message of dialogue, understanding and unity. Unity is possible if we reach out to the outsiders. The world is divided into two: Insiders and outsiders. This division is based on territory, language, color, culture, religion and so forth. The outsiders are most of the time viewed as potential threat to the insiders. As a result, we are either offensive or defensive in our approach to the outsiders.

The feast of the epiphany invites us to think in a new way. The word epiphany simply means manifestation. In our religious context, it is the manifestation of God to the world. In the birth of Jesus God manifested His intention to the world. By choosing a human body for the incarnation, God joined the human family; God incorporated us into His family. The prophet Simeon took the child Jesus in his hands and said: This day I have seen salvation. This child is a light to the gentiles. Jesus came to remove the Old Testament concept of dividing people as ‘God’s people and No people’. What Jesus did consistently all through his life was to remove the barriers that separate one person from the other.

The feast of the Epiphany, traditionally understood as the visit of the three Maggie to the Child Jesus, symbolically reveals the above said truth. According to one tradition, these three Kings represented three different categories of people: the White, the Black and the Brown. The presence of Jesus brought them together. In the presence of Jesus, they discovered their true image. The question is: Who am I? Am I a divider or Unifier?

To achieve unity we have to go through a radical transformation in our thinking. This may include a number of progressive steps.

LOOK OUT
The Three Wise Men “looked out”. We do not possess the full Truth. The entire universe together constitutes the full reality. Hence, to see this reality, we need to “look out”. All things in this world are symbols that point to the truth. These wise men were kings, they were self sufficient in many ways but they had the humility to explore different possibilities. They “looked out” and they saw the “star”, the symbol of a greater reality. A person who thinks that he knows everything, holds his values as absolute and he does not need help from outsiders, will not see the star of possibilities. The problem with Herod was that he was not willing to look beyond himself.

STEP OUT
The Three Wise Men stepped out of their palaces. It is not enough to simply see the reality. We need to have the courage to step out from our own little ‘palaces of security and world of illusion’ to see the truth and embrace it. The three wise men took the risk. They stepped out of the palace and made the dangerous trip. Very often we travel the wrong path, our values and beliefs are not authentic. But we are not ready to change because we don’t want to take the risk. Success belongs to the Brave.

REACH OUT
After a long, tiresome adventurous and risky journey, the three Kings arrived at the place where Jesus was. They reached out to Jesus out and embraced him. Definitely, they were not sure about the Divine origin of Jesus. The environment did not prove anything either. However, thanks to their willingness to step out of themselves, these three wise men finally reached Jesus, the truth, the way and the Life.

FIND OUT
The meeting with Jesus opened up a new horizon for them. They surrendered what they thought absolute. They found out a New Way and returned home on this way. Herod on the other hand, thought he was everything and had seen everything. He thought of himself as the center of reality. He stepped in to his own world. He was afraid of facing the realities. He looked in, stepped in, and stuck in.

In order to include outsiders into our fold, we need to follow the same steps. A person who lives outside of our geographical territory is no less than us. Diversity is a reality. Every culture expresses certain aspects of Truth. It is not in suppressing diversity but celebrating differences that we make the universe beautiful and bring glory to God. We belong to God and we belong to one another.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR

We begin our New Year 2010 by celebrating the feast of Mary, the Mother of God. I can’t imagine a better way to begin the New Year. The greatness of Mary was that she brought up Jesus as the Son of God, she accompanied him all the way up to Calvary, and she held together the frightened disciples and prepared them for the day of Pentecost. Mary would do the same to anyone who entrusted his/her life to her care.

On this first day of the New Year, I would like to invite your attention to two key words from the gospel reading. The first word is HASTE. “The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem…” The word haste appears at different places in the Bible. For example, after the annunciation Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah….” What does it mean? What is its significance? When they received their mission, they did not delay or hesitate or show reluctance. They acted upon it immediately. We are being created with a mission. God has a mission to accomplish with our help. Life becomes challenging, purposeful and joyful when we find our specific mission. According to Gandhi, two things are important for a meaningful existence: hope and Commitment. We need something to hope for and we need something to commit to. We find these when we find our mission. What is my goal this year?

The second phrase is REFLECTION. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Mary reflected on everything in the light of the scripture. That gave meaning and insights to her daily life events. Life without reflection is deemed to be a failure. Reflective or contemplative life serves two purposes. First of all, it is a tool for evaluation. Secondly, it brings forth deeper meaning and implication of a particular event. People who are carried away by emotional impulses will complicate even simple things.

A person who is emotionally charged cannot make rational and, much less, practical decisions, because emotions blind our thinking. Emotional Quotient (EQ) is as important as an Intelligent Quotient (IQ). Take time before speaking or acting. Between the Stimulus and the Response (S < >R) there is a time gap. This time gap is redemptive. Make good use of it. A match stick has a head on it, but no brains. Hence when there is friction, it burns. We not only have heads but brains too. One must make use of both.

Let us begin the New Year 2010 with a clear vision and clarity of purpose. Instead of doing things nonstop, let us take times to enjoy, relate and appreciate what we are doing.

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Monday, December 21, 2009


MERRY CHRISTMAS
DECEMBER 25

A few years ago, a young man came to me and said: Father I would like to become a Christian. Naturally I was glad to hear it. However I asked him: Why do you want to become a Christian? He said: I am a seeker. I studied different religions and only in the Bible and in Jesus did I find a God who came to save sinners like me. He is right! As many of you know, many religions believe in the incarnation of God in one form or another. For example, we read in the Hindu Scripture: When there is a moral degradation, God will come down and destroy the sinners and save the Good people. Here comes the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Jesus came, not to destroy anyone but to save all. So when Jesus was born, the Angel appeared to the Shepherds and said: I have good news for you: A savoir is born…He will save you from sin.

Today we come together to celebrate this good news: In Jesus we are a new creation and in him we have life and hope. Jesus gives us salvation in two ways, namely, by offering forgiveness and showing a new way of life.

OFFERING FORGIVENESS

Jesus saves us by offering forgiveness. Many people are captives of the past missteps and mistakes. Many feel that they are unworthy to come closer to God. Many feel that there is no hope. I invite your attention to two Gospel stories: the stories of Zacchaus and the prodigal son. Zacchaus was afraid to come close to Jesus. Knowing his heart Jesus went up to him and said: Zacchaus, come, I am going to stay in your house today. In the story of Prodigal son, even without asking anything of his past reckless life, his father, embraced him. Jesus wants to share this Good News with us: “Do not be afraid! Come to me… I will give you rest…”

OFFERING A NEW WAY

Jesus gives us salvation by offering a New Way. The Old Testament Principal, a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye won’t work any more. They were tested and failed. So after washing the feet of his disciples Jesus said: I am giving you a new way, a way of service, humility and sharing.

At the birth of Jesus the Angels sang: Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth. When we accept the way of Jesus, there will be peace on Earth and Glory in heaven. Because as Paul said: Everyone in Jesus is a New Creation. Let this Christmas be a time to begin a new way of living. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and every blessing of this season.

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HOLY FAMILY
DECEMBER 27

Today, (December 27), we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. This feast gives us an opportunity to reflect on what makes a family holy. A holy family is the foundation of everything good and beautiful. So on this Feast day, let us ask this question: What makes a family holy? How can we make our family Holy?

To answer this question we don’t need to go anywhere, just look at the life of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. For example consider the life of Joseph. I cannot imagine any Husband who went through struggles and pain more than what Joseph had to go through. He found his wife pregnant even before he had any relations with her. He experienced humiliation because he could not find a place for her wife to give birth to her son. He had to flee to Egypt at midnight. But he did all this faithfully. In all these things, what he did consistently was that he obeyed God. He knew precisely whom to obey. He subordinated every thing to the will and purpose of God. That made him holy and his family holy. We see the same attitude in Mary and Jesus too. When Jesus was lost in the temple, Mary asked him, “Why did you do this to us?” Jesus replied, “Didn’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business?” For Jesus, Joseph and Mary, the Father’s business was the number one priority. That made them Holy.

Like many other families, their family was not perfect from a worldly standard. They were poor; they had struggles; there was confusion; there were doubts. But none of these broke their family bond, because they had one purpose in common: To do the will of God. They had one lens to look through: the lens of God. So Joseph did not think of abortion when he found Mary with child. He did not think of separation, accusing her of infidelity. They did not make excuses from doing their responsibility to God. They followed the Tradition and Conventions.

Friends, the family is the foundation of a society. It is the home where we find love and warmth. It is the farm where we saw the seed of a new generation. It is the domestic Church where we meet God first in the love of parents. If the families are broken, our world becomes homeless. To attack the culture of the family is enough to destroy the world. Knowing this reality, there are forces working tirelessly to destabilize families and family values.

TWO THINGS THAT DESTROY FAMILIES

1. PRESENTING RELIGION AS A PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
The devil is not tempting us anymore with traditional weapons and materials. They upgraded and modernized its tactics. They trap us today in a very sophisticated way. First of all, they make our lives busy with too many attractive activities and programs. They present these things as vitally important and unavoidable. They convincingly present religion as a private enterprise and make us believe that God and religion can wait. They push God away from the center of our life and make it one among many (secularism). When God is pushed away from the center of my life, then I become the center of my life. My primary concern becomes the glorification of my self and not of God (individualism). How do we measure glory, greatness and success today? It is in terms of wealth and things that we possess/ have. As a result, the driving force of our life becomes the craving for wealth and everything associated with that (materialism). The truth is that we are never happy with what we have. Material things seldom give us fulfillment. They get outdated and out fashioned easily. Nothing seems permanent and stable. Evidently, we look for novelty. We try for the latest in the market (consumerism). The basic principle of consumerism is ‘be different and go for the latest brand’. Eventually consumerism, the ‘use and throw culture’ creep into human relationship and families. People give up relationships for silly reasons and go for new ones. Experimentation in human relationship breaks families and spread chaos in the society which is the ultimate goal of Devil. Devil is successfully using the tactics of taking God away from the family by keeping us and our children busy.

2. Redefining the divine institution of Marriage
Marriage is and marriage can be only between a man and a woman. This is natural law. Even the animal kingdom follows this natural precept.
There are concerted attempts from certain corners to destroy this sacred reality of marriage. If their intention is to procure the same economic right and privileges of the married couple to them, they could do it very well through other means.

Friends, we cannot let our family values disintegrate on our watch. It is time to wake up. As we celebrate the Feast of The Family, let us be aware of it and take bold steps to form our families after the image of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

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Forget Father
About And
Me FAMILY Mother
I
I
Love Love
You You
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

JOYFUL PRESENCE
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT


“What should we do to welcome Jesus, the Messiah? What should we do?” Excited by the preaching of John the Baptist, people from different walks of life came to him and said. This was the last Sunday’s gospel reading. On this fourth and final Sunday of Advent, the Church raises another important question: What can happen to a person who comes under the influence of God? What are the fruits of spiritual living? The life of Mary is the perfect answer to this question. Hence, the Gospel story on this Sunday, focuses on the life of Mary. Mary made a fundamental option for God when she said ‘yes’ to the Angel. The result was the complete taking over of Mary by the Holy Spirit. She became all together a different person. God’s presence in Mary’s life found expression in four different ways. Anyone who surrenders one’s life to the will of God will manifest the same fruits.

1. HUMBLE PRESENCE

Mary became the Mother of God, a position no one can wish for even in dreams! Even though she was aware of the greatness of her call, she never claimed her worthiness for it. On the other hand, this made her all the more humble. She said: “The All Mighty one has done great things for me. He has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness.” She credited everything to the greatness of God. Humility is the mark of a genuine spirituality because Jesus, the incarnated Spirit, humbled himself, took the place of a servant and even washed the feet of his disciples. Humility is not denial of one’s dignity but accepting one’s worth in relationship with God. It is walking with God. It is truthfulness. Humility means transparency. It is unmasked presence.

2. OTHER-CENTERED PRESENCE

There are three kinds of visions: I am for myself; others for myself and I am for others. A person who lives in Christ belongs to the third category because Jesus was totally a man for others. A God-oriented person has no problem in finding greatness outside of himself/herself. The first thing that came to the mind of Mary after she received the Spirit of God were the needs of Elizabeth. She was looking for help. Mary did not wait for her to call. Mary did not consider her position as a hindrance for doing something good. She did not keep her blessings for herself. Seeing Elizabeth’s needs, she stepped out of herself in haste and reached out to Elizabeth. We see the same attitude in all holy people. “If a man does not have something worth dying for he is not fit to live. A person’s highest life does not consist in self expression but in self sacrifice.” (Martin Lither King)

3. JOYFUL PRESENCE

Spirit filled people are joyful people. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit. Mary’s presence became a happy presence. Her arrival not only made Elizabeth happy but the child in her womb leaped with joy. According to St. Therese of Avila, a sad saint is a sorry saint. One thing we all do during this season is exchange gifts. Gifts are symbols of our inner joy. They communicate one’s care and support for the other. They ritualize our appreciation for one another. The best gift, however, is our own presence. Jesus’ presence was a comforting presence. People found rest in his presence. Does my presence brings joy or gloom to others?

4. TRANSFORMING PRESENCE

The visit of Mary not only brought joy to the family of Elizabeth but the presence of the Holy Spirit as well. It was an enriching presence. At the greetings of Mary, Elizabeth experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Mesmerized by the overwhelming outpouring of the Spirit, she said: “How does this happen to me that the mother of My Lord should come to me?” In Mary’s presence, Elizabeth saw God’s work in action. People who came to Jesus returned to their homes taking a new path. How does my presence make others better people?

CHALLENGES…!

In a few days we celebrate Christmas. If we approach Christmas just as a memorial of a historical event, this Christmas too will pass without touching our lives. This must be a personal celebration, a celebration of Christ’s birth in our lives. Jesus has already come into our lives at the time of our Baptism. Therefore, it is a time to awaken the presence of Christ in our lives. It is a time to begin once again living the life of Jesus in our lives by becoming humble, other-centered and joyful people. We must become another Mary. No one is great…no one is less….everybody is equal before the eyes of God. God can use any one of us to continue his saving presence as He used Judah, a tiny nation, to host his Son at his coming. We read in the second reading: “You, Bethlehem-Ephrata, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be a ruler in Israel.” On this final Sunday of Advent, let us say with Mary and Jesus: Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. I have come to do your will.”

Friday, December 11, 2009

REJOICE IN THE LORD
Third Sunday of Advent

The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means Joy. The Mass for the Third Sunday begins with this Antiphon: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice! The Lord is near (Phil 4:4-5). Zephaniah (3:14-18) and Paul (Phil 4:4-7) repeat the same theme in the first and second readings respectively. For instance, Zephaniah says: “Shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem! Sing joyfully, O Israel. Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.” Isaiah also explains the reason for Joy. He says, “The Lord has removed the judgment against you.” In other words, God is willing to reconcile with us. God – man separation is the root cause for all troubles. Their coming together is the source of Joy.

Zephaniah’s prophesy became a reality with the Incarnation of Jesus. In Jesus God reconciled the world with himself. As John says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…. God did not send His Son to the world to condemn it but to save it.” (John 4:16-17). Jesus became the meeting point of God and Human. As in Jesus God reconciled with the world so in Jesus we can be reconciled with God. God –Man coming together is the real source of Joy.

We all desire for happiness. The motivating forces behind all of our actions are our pursuits for joy. People were desperately looking for happiness during the time of John the Baptist. When he announced the coming of Jesus, (Lk 3:10-18) naturally, people got excited. They asked John: What must we do to welcome him? What must we do to experience Joy? John’s instant answer was: “Repent and produce the fruits of repentance.” Repentance is an active process. It is straightening our priorities, regretting the past wrong doings, repairing the damages done and starting a new behavior. The starting point is making our priorities right. It is rearranging life on the foundation of God. Any kind of arrangement and rearrangement of things without God as the center produces disorder and chaos. When God becomes the center, then other things follow. The story of Zacchaus is the best example of this truth. When Jesus entered his home, Zacchaus started thinking of his responsibilities to others. When Jesus came into his life he started listening to his conscience.

The three categories of people (the tax collectors, the soldiers and the regular folks) who approached John for a change in their lives brought out three major sins that people often do:- the sin of exploitation, the sin of revenge and the sin of hording. John the Baptist’s suggestions to them reflect the life of a person who lives in Jesus. They are in fact the qualities of Jesus.

1. Share
John said to the crowds, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none….” A person who is unwilling to share his belongings with the needy cannot welcome Jesus who shared everything with humanity. God is sharing. According to Mother Therese, whatever we possess more than what we need belong to the poor. As long as they remain with us we are disturbed. Remember the story of Zacchaus. He experienced peace and joy when he started sharing his wealth with the poor.

2. Care
He told the tax Collectors, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Taking advantage of others is a mortal sin. Once, a waiter at a restaurant said: “Father they don’t give me a tip. I can’t complain because I have no proper documents. If I complain they will report my case to the police”. How do we treat others, especially those who come under our authority? Do we exploit others’ helplessness? Jesus was always there at the rescue of the less privileged and the outcast. Like the Good Samaritan how many times did you stop on the way to help a ‘Victim’?

3. Be Fair
He told the soldiers, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone.” Using one’s authority or position to destroy others or taking revenge on them is a grave sin. It is against Christianity. How do we use our authority to protect and promote innocent lives? They must not use their privileged position to take revenge. Jesus even went to the extend defending his adversaries saying,” God forgive them…They don’t know what they are doing!”

4. Be Aware
Finding one’s place in the order of things is important for joy. Everybody has a place in God’s order. John the Baptist was well aware of his place in the economy of salvation. Impressed by his life and preaching people came to anoint him as the Messiah. He could have easily stolen the lime light. He could have denounced Jesus. However John went to the background and said, “ I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming…” Problems begin when one oversteps his boundaries and desperately tries to capture the spotlight. For example, problems arise when a secretary begin to act like his/her boss. Problems begin when one begins to interfere with others business and intrudes into others lives. Whether it is in our family or work place or the monasteries we always see someone doing crazy things for attention and popularities. They not only destroy their happiness but ruin the peace of others also.

Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A person who lives in the Spirit is a happy person. Therefore, as we come closer to the celebration of Christmas, let us ask this question: What must I do to welcome Jesus in my life and find joy that lasts?
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
DECEMBER 6, 2009

The Word of God came to John in the Desert (Luke 3:1-6). If there had been cable network 2000 years ago, then definitely this would have been Breaking News. This happened when Tiberius was the Ruler of Rome and Annas and Caiphas were the high priests of Jerusalem. The irony, however, was that God bypassed the political and religious centers and went all the way to John in the desert. To introduce Jesus the King to the world God had chosen a simple man living in the desert. What does it means?

God centered world order

The purpose of the Incarnation is the transformation of the world. Political and religious powers that operate from a philosophy of domination and power cannot bring out qualitative changes in the world. Transformation happens only on the foundation of God, the source of all goodness. Change takes place only through individuals who are open to God. Hence the word of God went to John who was in the desert. The desert is a free land, totally untouched by worldly pollutions. A desert is also devoid of attraction or distraction of any sort. Therefore, the desert is the place where one can listen to God and discern his plan and start new. Jesus started his ministry from the desert, with the power of God. The new world order that God envisages must begin from the desert, from God. God must be the starting point, the center and the final destination.

Ordinary people:-God’s Messengers

The Word of God came upon John. He was poor in Spirit. The word of God does not go to the arrogant and the mighty, but it apparently seems to go to the unremarkably ordinary citizens. Like Mary said: “He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.” (Lk 1:51-52) The implications are these:
1. God does not depend on our power or strength to accomplish His mission. For example, Abraham was chosen when he was in his nineties. The leadership role of Israel was given to Moses who had a speech impediment. God works through ordinary people who are poor in spirit.
2. If God chose ordinary persons of the world to deliver the message of salvation, then God can come to you and me as well. And this is really the good- news. Jesus is coming to us regardless of our social standing.

Conversion of heart: the basic demand

John was blessed because he was poor in spirit. He was in the desert. He was totally at the disposal of God. As we are preparing for Christmas, John is requesting the same kind of disposition from us. He says, “Repent.” Repentance means conversion of hearts (metanoia). It is straitening our winding roads and smoothening our rough ways. There are two things that one needs to consider.
1. What are some of my ‘exits’ on my journey of faith that are unethical and ungodly?
2. Am I putting obstacles on the path of others making their journey difficult?

We all have blind spots. Conversion is finding the blind spots in our lives and dispelling them by the light of Jesus. Jesus is waiting to come and fill our emptiness. As long as there is emptiness in our lives, we cannot live our lives in its fullness. We must discover our emptiness and then approach him with an open mind. He will fill our life with his richness.

Conversion is not merely regretting the past but moving forward with commitment. It is growing in love, discerning what is of value, producing fruits of righteousness and standing blameless before God (Ph 1:9-11). How do I show signs of conversion in my life during this Advent?

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
November 29

We grow in spiritual life by celebrating and participating in the paschal mystery of Jesus. The paschal mystery includes the incarnation, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Every time we come together to celebrate the Eucharist, we celebrate these events. We also celebrate the mystery of our salvation throughout the year by assigning each event a season. Thus we have the season of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passion, Resurrection and Ordinary time. We call this the liturgical year.

Today we begin Advent, the first season of the liturgical year. The word Advent means coming, coming of Jesus as a saving event. In fact, the Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent begins with a warning. Jesus says:
“Be vigilant so that that day will not come upon you as a surprise.” Evidently, this is in reference to the Second Coming of Jesus. One may wonder why we talk about the Final Day on the very first day of the year. It is not by accident. It is important that we must be aware of our destination before we begin our journey. Jesus came into history not to keep us here on earth but to prepare us to stand before the Lord holy and undefiled and lead us to eternal life. Thus incarnation is complete with the Second Coming of Jesus where He presents us to the Father.

Whether Advent is all about Jesus’ first coming in the history or His second coming at the end of time what is important for us is his coming in our life. During this Advent, therefore, our challenge is how do we make the coming of Jesus a reality in our life. Definitely there are numerous ways. I would like to mention three of them.

1. Keep the Focus on the Reason for Celebration

There is this story. One day a few ladies came to a restaurant. They were in a very happy- go- lucky mood. Out of curiosity the manager asked them. “Why are you here, today? What is special?” “Oh. Today is the birthday of my only child. We are here to celebrate it,” one of the ladies said. “Where is the child? I would like to greet him,” he said. “We did not bring him. He is at home.” she said. “Do you think he would have allowed us to enjoy this food if we brought him with us? He would be a real disturbance,” she added. A birthday celebration with out the birthday baby being present! The focus of the celebration was shifted from the center to the periphery. Advent is a holiday season for many. Naturally people are busy with buying and sending gifts, organizing parties and so forth. All these are important. They are part of the celebration and life is meant to be a celebration. But, the Gospel reading on this very first day of Advent begins with a warning; Jesus says, “Be vigilant and Stay awake.” If we are not vigilant, there is a danger of missing the REASON for our celebration. The reason for this season is Jesus: the Birth of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus. If we are not attentive to the coming of Jesus, his coming becomes a non -starter in our lives.

2. Open to change

The good news of Jesus’ First coming was that He chose a human body as his dwelling place. By assuming a human form He restored human dignity. The human body became the temple of God. The incarnation of Jesus must take place in every human person. The Divine must penetrate into every cell of our lives. Therefore, it is not enough to focus on his coming alone, but we need to prepare our lives to welcome him. We need to allow him to enter into our lives and transform us. Our challenge during Advent is like clay in the hands of a potter. We need to place ourselves in the hands of God and allow him to shape and reshape our image until he forms a pot of his liking. St. Erenaus said this: As long as the clay is wet, moist and supple, the shaping is painless; but on the other hand, if the clay is hardened and reactive, it can break under the influence of the Potter. In Adam, the clay became brittle and hardened, so the shaping became painful and even impossible. What kind of clay are you? We can make the clay of our life moist and supple by doing a number of things: By reading the bible every day during these 25 days; attending Mass on weekdays; preparing for a good confession; attending the bible studies and so forth. Therefore, one needs to ask: What is it that I need to stop doing and what is that I need to start doing during this Advent?

3. Meet Jesus in the ‘Neighbor’

The incarnation of Jesus made every human person another meeting place of God. The uniqueness of Christianity is that we can relate to God only through our neighbors. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite tried to reach the temple by avoiding the victim on the road. Not they, but the Samaritan who stopped on the way to meet the victim caught the attention of God. Where do I find Jesus? Remember, Jesus was born in a manger, not in a palace or any other place of luxury. Jesus is there where people are struggling to celebrate their life with human dignity…Jesus is there where there is a person in need. During this season, let us try to be generous to people who are in need. Thus let us make this Holiday season a Holy season

Sunday, November 22, 2009

THE SEASON OF ADVENT

Advent is a ‘Liturgical Season’ that began in the ninth century. The word advent is derived from the Latin root: adventus which simply means ‘coming’. In the context of our religion it means the coming of Jesus as a saving event. Obviously, this is good news as it gives new hope. People naturally prepare themselves and joyfully wait for this event. So, summarily, advent is a time of Hope, Joy and preparation.

The early Christian communities celebrated the incarnation of Jesus differently with different names such as: Advent, Epiphany and Nativity. All these three names denote the same reality: the redemptive revelation of God.

The incarnation of Jesus was celebrated at different dates. In some places it was celebrated on January 6. Christmas was also celebrated in the months March or May in certain other places. The celebration of Christmas on the 25 of December started in the fourth century. There were two prominent reasons for this change.
1. The ‘Solar Festival of the Romans’ was celebrated on December 25th. In order to counter the Roman Pagan religion, the church decided to celebrate the Birth Day of Jesus, the real Sun that enlightens the world, on December 25th.
2. December 25th is the longest night of the year. The longest night symbolically indicates the dominance of darkness over the world. Evidently, the world is in need of a sun that can overthrow the rule of darkness. Jesus is the light (sun).The celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 25th is right, fitting and proper.

The Historical development of Advent

A. In the eastern Churches and in France, in lieu of the Nativity of Jesus, people celebrated the Baptism of Jesus. According to their theology, it was at the time of His baptism that the Divinity of Jesus was fully revealed. The Baptism of Jesus was the only recorded incident where the entire Trinity was present. On the other hand, in the Western Churches, the visit of the three Wise Men was celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany. Again in the Eastern Churches, the epiphany was a Baptismal Feast. It was the time for the renewal of Baptismal vows. Hence they observed this period of preparation as if it were Lent. Modeled after the 40-day lent, they observed 40 Lenten Type days before the Baptismal Feast. They started this on November 11, on the feast day of St. Martin. This was known as St. Martin Lent. Actually this practice started in the diocese of Tours (380) and then in 581 the Council of Macon reduced these days into four weeks and introduced in France. In short, Advent was an ascetic period in the East.

B. The Epiphany was not a baptismal feast in the Western Churches. It was the visitation of the three Wise Men. The focus was on the Birth of Jesus. Naturally advent was not a Lenten period but a period of Liturgical Celebration.

C. The Roman Liturgy was introduced in the Gallican Church in the 9th Century. Because of this new Liturgy, their understanding of Advent went through a Change. Advent became a mixture of Lenten and Liturgical celebrations. In the Gallican Church, Advent was also a period of preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus. This Gallican understanding of Advent influenced the Roman view of Advent. Hence from the 10 the century onwards, Advent added a new nuance, the expectation of the second coming of Jesus.

D. There was a second reason for this new development in the understanding of Advent. The redemptive work that Jesus inaugurated would complete only with the final judgment and with the inauguration of the eschatological era. Thus Advent acquired a wider meaning: the expectation of the Final Judgment, his coming in Majesty.

E. In the 20th century with the advancement of theology, Advent acquired a third dimension: the coming of Jesus in Mystery. Jesus has come in history. He w9ill come in Majesty. But he has never left the church. He is present in the church through the sacraments and many other ways.

The Spirit of Advent

The Spirit of advent is expressed well in the parable of the bridesmaids who are anxiously awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom. There is profound joy at the Bridegroom’s expected coming. And yet a warning of the need for preparation echoes through the parable. Advent is therefore not simply a time of celebrating a historical event, it is not a just period of hope but a time for deepening our awareness of the presence of Christ in us and in his Church. Between His first and second coming, Jesus is still coming in grace. It is ca time of awareness and awakening. The prayer of Advent is:
Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
And ransom captive Israel!

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Christmas Trees

Use of Christmas tree came from a Germanic Tribe. They were tree worshipers. The main reason for worshiping All Green Tree was their growth was upwards. When they accepted Christianity, they retained their reverence for the trees but with a new meaning. As per their thinking the incarnation of Jesus gave human being a God orientation and thus an upward movement. The Christmas Trees symbolizes this new movement in Jesus.

The Advent Wreath

The advent wreath is a circular evergreen wreath with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, his eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.

Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The light of the candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others( Is 42:6) The progression in the lightning of the candles symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. Finally the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas.

The first candle is traditionally the candle of Hope or expectation. The remaining three candles are organized around characters or themes as a way to unfold the story and direct attention to the celebrations and worship in the season. The sequence for the remaining three Sundays might be Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angel. Or peace, joy and love. Or John the Baptist, the Magi, Mary. Or the Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment. The third Candle for the third Sunday is traditionally Pink or Rose, and symbolizes Joy at the advent of the Christ. The Center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Day. The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.

The colors of Advent

Historically, the primary color of advent is purple, the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. The purple is also the color used during lent and holy week. It points out an important connection between His birth and death. However, many churches use blue to distinguish between the seasons of Advent from Lent. Royal Blue is sometimes used as a symbol of royalty. Some churches use bright blue to symbolize the night sky, the anticipation of the impending announcement of the King’s coming, or symbolize the waters of Genesis 1, the beginning of a new creation.

The Christmas Crib

The Christmas Crib dates back to St. Francis of Assisi. It was in 1293 that the fist Crèche was celebrated in the woods of Greccio near Assisi, on Christmas Eve. Francis called upon John (Messier Giovanni Velitta), a holy man of that city, about two weeks before Christmas and said to him, I want to enact the memory of the Infant who was born at Bethlehem and how he was bedded in the manger on hay between a donkey and an ox. I want to see all of this with my own eyes.” The man prepared everything that Francis had told him. Greccio became a new Bethlehem. The crowds gathered and rejoiced in the celebration. Solemn Mass was sung. After the Mass, Francis went to the crib and stretched out his arms as though the holy Child was there. The Babe appeared and empty manger was filled with the radiance of the new born King.

St. Francis’ idea of bringing Bethlehem into one’s own town spread quickly all over the Christian world, and soon there were Christmas cribs in churches and homes. The Moravian Germans brought this custom to the United States.
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

YOUR KINGDOM COME…!
November 22

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. Jesus is King. He is the King of Kings. In 1925, during the Jubilee year, Pope Pius XI instituted this Solemn Feast of Christ the King. Though this is relatively a new feast, the Church always honored the Kingship of Jesus. The Three Kings from the East paid homage to Jesus at his birth. People tried to make him King on Palm Sunday. “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of Jews.” This was the title Pilate inscribed on the top of His cross. The thief begged Jesus: “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” The disciples had no doubt about his Kingship. James and John said’ “Give us a place on your right and left when you establish your Kingdom.”

Jesus himself claimed his Kingship when he said to Pilate, “I am King.” In fact Jesus began his ministry announcing the coming of the Kingdom. He said: “The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent.” On this Feast Day, therefore, it is important to consider two things: What is the Kingdom God and how is Jesus the King?

The Kingdom of God is not a place or a territory or an organization. It is a situation or a disposition where one is simply accepting the reign of God in one’s life. Those who accept God’s supremacy in their lives come under His Kingdom. Jesus completely surrendered to the will of God even to the point of his death. Kingdom of God became a reality in his life. Jesus himself asserted it when he said: “Those who see me, see my Father. I am the way, the Truth and the Life.” God confirmed this truth about Jesus at his Baptism and Transfiguration. At the transfiguration of Jesus, God said,”This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased, listen to him.” The disciples had no doubt about this so Peter said, “Between heaven and earth no name is given for our salvation other than the name of Jesus.” Jesus is the King.

Dimensions of Jesus’ Kingdom

Jesus began his teaching about the Kingdom with the following statement. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” He ended his teaching with similar words: “Enter the Kingdom of God because you fed me when I was hungry……” This set the tone of his Kingdom. It is a new method of functioning, and a new paradigm for thinking. Jesus, the King, is different from all other kings in 6 different ways.
· In his Kingdom accepting God as our Father and doing His will is the ultimate goal and purpose of human existence. God is the ultimate reference point.
· Jesus accommodated differences. The composition of his core group of disciples itself is clear evidence for this. He envisioned a Global Family, so He broke down the “man made walls” that separate us. He integrated differences and made them something to be celebrated as well. On the other hand, the problem we face today is intolerance. An ethnocentric attitude, making my culture as the criteria for evaluating others and the world, only widen the split and creates conflict which is very much a part of our world today.
· In His Kingdom, the role of the leader is to defend and promote the life of the people. In his kingdom the model of leadership is that of a shepherd. Unlike the other kings and leaders, Jesus, the Leader, laid down his life for his people.
· Jesus emphasized the centrality of the human person. He placed the human person, neither the economy nor the religious rituals as the center and the object of development. He preferred human culture to consumer culture that values human dignity and equality. In his kingdom we are the care takers of our brothers and sisters.
· In his Kingdom, the power and strength come from love and service. The role of the King is to serve the people. By serving the poor, Jesus became poor. By serving the poor, our leaders are becoming Billionaires.
· And finally, His Kingdom aims at communion through dialogue and reconciliation.

Kingdom on Earth

A lot of people argue that Jesus’ Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom or an otherworldly Kingdom. People who hold these views consider religion as a private matter and keep silent in the face of growing secularism. They do not voice when they see God, worship or anything related to the Kingdom of God is removed from the public place. We already started seeing the consequences of this! For Jesus, God’s Kingdom is not a private thing. It is not something to practice in secret places. Remember his words: “If any one denies me in public, I will deny him in front of God, my Father.” The Kingdom of God is a new way of thinking, feeling and acting. It is something that we need to live here on earth. So he taught us to pray:’ Your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

To establish a society envisioned by Jesus, requires a structural transformation and a personal conversion. A structural change may not be within our personal reach. We may not experience any drastic change from our world leaders. But we can initiate a personal conversion in our own lives. We all are Kings in our own little world. We can bring changes there. If we can do whatever possible in our way to establish the Kingdom, we are declaring Jesus as our King. On this Feast Day of Christ the King, let us proclaim “Jesus is our King and if God does not watch over the city, in vain watchmen keep the vigil.”

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

WAKE UP CALL
33 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME


Here is a quiz for you. You are sleeping. You are dreaming. A big Tiger is chasing you. You try to run away and you see a lion coming in front of you. You turn sideways, but every side you turn to, you find a ferocious animal coming after you. How can you escape? The answer is: Wake Up. (Fr. Munachi Ezeogue cssp)

Wake up! Be Vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man (Gospel Acclamation). This is the message of the 33rd Sunday in the Ordinary Time. (Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14,8; Mark 13:24-32) This is a timely message as we are coming to the close of the Liturgical year B. Next Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. On the penultimate Sunday of the year B, therefore, all the readings focus on the End of Time with a wakeup call.

It is an undisputed fact that the world will come to an end and the Son of man will appear in the sky to pronounce the final judgment. This can be scary but not for all. The wise and those who lead the many to justice will find their place in the Book of salvation. The Gospel therefore warns us to be alert so that that day may not come upon us as a surprise.

Wake up Call

Dig the well before you are thirsty.” There is a lot of sense in this proverb. How do we stay awake? How do we make every day as a preparation for the final day? The Scripture proposes three means to make our life ready for God’s favorable judgment.

Read the signs of the time. We are living in a privileged time. With the advancement of science and technology, we can foresee movements in the universe; predict future events and take necessary precautions to face them. A lot of things are happening every day. Some are good, others are not. Every incident, no matter how significant it may look like, has something to communicate. Every happening in and around us has a message. They are God talks. A wise person is someone who is attentive to the signs of the time and responds to it constructively.

Live in the Present. A lot of people are either living in the past or the future. We don’t have any control over our past but can have a lot of control over our future since our present shapes our future. We don’t need a lot of wisdom to see how a high School drop out can become a collage professor. If I know that one day I have to stand before the Lord and give account of my life, then I need to take every day seriously. C.S Lewis said, “If you give me ten minutes to chop down a tree, I will spend my first two minutes sharpening my ax.” We may not have enough time when we feel like we are ready to perform something. Procrastination is a big problem for many. ‘Don’t worry, there is time and take it easy’. Satan successfully uses this phrase today. Focus on what is in front of us today, appreciate it and make the best out of it.

Pray Constantly. To pray constantly means a couple of things. First of all it is all about discernment. Discern to prioritize things according to its values. Secondly, it is all about seeking God’s help to accomplish it.

A person who responds to the wake up call of God shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament and shall be like the stars forever.

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A painter went to paint and the only place to park his car was at a “No Parking” Sign. He put a sign on his car that read, “Painter working inside.” When he came out, another sign was on the car. It said, “Sorry, policeman working outside.”
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Thursday, November 5, 2009

FAKE TO REAL
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Hahti Ke dhand dikkane ka Kuch, Khane ka kuch”. This is a popular saying in India. It means that an elephant has two sets of teeth:-one for eating and the other for show. Evidently this saying is about hypocrisy. There are people who have two faces. They are not the same on stage as behind the stage. We see hypocrisy in every field. Religion is not an exception. The gospel reading for the 33rd Sunday in the Ordinary Time is an invitation to an authentic life. Jesus does this by condemning the hypocrisy of Pharisees and Scribes and also by praising the genuineness and authenticity of a poor widow’s offering (Mk 12:38-44).

FAKE TO REAL

Jesus praised the offering a poor widow. Her offering was real. It was offering was genuine and authentic because of the following reasons:-
1. IT WAS AN ACT OF REALISM. This woman was a widow. Imagine the plight of a widow in a society where only men were counted. Naturally she had no status at all. To add injury to the insult, she was poor too. In other words, there was no reason to believe that her offering would get attention or receive some social favor. She was an insignificant part of the crowd. She did not have any need to impress anyone.
2. IT WAS AN ACT OF SACRIFICE. She did not posses much in her possession. She had to make a big sacrifice from her part to make that offering. The only motivation behind her offering was her choicest love for God. Her love for God made her needs less important. The sacrifice behind her offering made the offering all the more attractive. Two years ago, I had to go to the hospital for a medical procedure. A gentleman offered to take me to the hospital. He said that he was off on that day. Later I found out that he took a day off to help me. I was so touched by the sincerity of his love. My appreciation towards his gesture of charity goes beyond description. A love that does not know pain is not real love.
3. IT WAS AN ACT OF TRUST. Her offering was total. There was no calculation or gambling on her part. It was a wholehearted act. It resulted out of her trust in the providence and goodness of the Lord.

On the other hand, the spiritual practices of the Pharisees and scribes were mere gambling. Like a chameleon they changed color from situation to situation. They did things that would inflate themselves. They made certain that their names would be displayed in prominent places before they made pledges. They made sure that the spot light would fall on them always. There was giving only when there was publicity. There was neither a spirit of sacrifice nor a sense of trust. They satisfied with the minimum but exaggerated a lot. As Jesus said, “They go around in long robes and accept greetings in the market places, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of owner at banquets.” Jesus rejected them because of their hypocrisy. Jesus’ criticism was so severe that He even said: “If your righteousness does not surpass to that of the Pharisees and scribes you do not enter the kingdom of God” (Mt 5:20).

BOUNCE BACK

Our acts of commitment never go unnoticed. We will be given in the same measure with which we share our blessings. Whatever we give away in charity will come back to us in one form or the other. On a winter evening Peter saw an elderly lady on the street. She had a flat tire. She did not have a spare tire to replace it. Not knowing what to do and where to turn, she tried to get the attention of other travelers. Peter stopped his car, got her flat tire fixed and helped her to continue her journey. She was very appreciative of his help. She offered him some money. Peter gracefully refused it but told her: “If you see someone in need, do not hesitate to help.” Late in the evening, she went to a restaurant for dinner. Before leaving the restaurant, she placed an envelope for the waitress under the napkin. As soon as the waitress reached home she gave the envelope to her husband and said: “Don’t worry how to pay your medical bill tomorrow. God is taking care of us.” He could not control his tears when he opened the envelope. There were a few hundred dollar bills and a note along with the money: “If you see someone in need do not hesitate to help. I learned this lesson from a stranger today. I want to communicate this message to every one.” God will provide the generous giver. The story of the widow who offered hospitality to Elijah also has the same message (1Kings 17:10-16). As Elijah says, “God never make empty the jar of flour and dry the jug of oil of a generous giver.”

NOT QUANTITY BUT QUALITY

God is full in Himself. His existence does not depend on us. Our offerings are not to enrich God but to help us grow in holiness. Therefore if anyone tries to please God by offering much he will become a laughing stock. On the other hand if we offer whatever we have, even if it is ‘five pieces of bread or a jar of water,’ He will transform them in a way that will help us. God is neither interested in calculated half hearted offerings, or leftovers.

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We are living in a world that measures greatness in terms of performance. The inevitable result of such an attitude is: 1.Many people get knocked out from the stage of competition. 2. Some will not compete in fear of possible failure. 3. Good work of ordinary people remains invisible 4. People who are incompetent resort to negative tactics to capture attention.

Jesus wanted to change this world view on greatness. He did so by focusing the spot light on a poor widow. When people from different walks life were competing to get attention by throwing money into the collection box, a poor widow came quietly and offered a couple of coins. She never thought that someone was watching her. To her surprise, Jesus noticed it. Jesus found greatness in her offering as her offering was an act of love. God hails actions performed out of love and hates that which comes from ego.

Human behavior has three components. They are knowledge, action and feeling. It is feeling that binds knowledge and action together. For example: Consider a scenario where you are visiting your employer who is admitted in the hospital after an accident.
The knowledge factor: My employer is in the hospital. I need to visit him and offer my prayers. Normally people do that.
Behavior factor: The actual visit at the hospital.
Feeling factor: Fear or Love that motivates the action.

It is the feeling that translates the knowledge into action and that is really matters. One may visit him to make an impression on him or from the fear of what the employer may think about him if he fails to visit him. In this situation the feeling that connects the knowledge and behavior is fear, or ego satisfaction. On the other hand one person may make a visit to show his real empathy and concern. Only this person really touches his heart. In the gospel story (story of the widow), the motivating factor was her pure love and trust. It in turn made an impact on Jesus.

God is not interested in our generosity towards him. He is interested in our total commitment. Even if our commitment does not look big before the public, if it is full, it never fails to capture the attention of God. There is nothing small in the eyes of God, if it is coming from the heart.
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Thursday, October 29, 2009

ALL SAINTS DAY

Today, November 1st is All Saints Day. This day, we honor the life of every Christian who walked the path of Jesus. Some of them were canonized; others were not. Some of them were popular; others were not. Some of them were simple people but lived their lives with a passion for Christ. We celebrate the memories of all of them today.

Who were these people? Who are these Saints? These are the ones who lived the Beatitudes. This is the reason why we are invited to reflect on the Beatitudes (Mt 5ff)on this All Saints Day. Beatitudes are not a substitute for the 10 commandments. They are the spirit behind the 10 commandments. They are in fact the reflection of Jesus’ own life.

Beatitude means blessedness or happiness. The desire for happiness is natural to every living being. No one can survive without it. Finding the true source of happiness and discovering the right means to obtain it make one’s life genuine, holy and real. The beatitudes offer both. In fact all the eight beatitudes have two parts: Promise of a blessing and the condition to obtain that particular blessing. For example, in the first beatitude, the promise is the Kingdom of God and the condition to attain the Kingdom of God is poverty of spirit. Saints are those who discovered the true source of happiness. They realized that true happiness is finding God. They also discovered the restlessness of heart without God. (Augustine).

Many of us know the source of happiness. The dilemma is that often we get confused with the multiple choices. Saints are those who discovered the true path to happiness. The second part of the beatitudes spell out the means to obtain these blessings. Have a look at the first beatitude. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” To come under the reign of God, one has to empty one’s self. One has to make space for God, casting out all other rulers from one’s heart. This is the first commandment. Remember Jesus’ instruction to the rich young man, “If you want to enter the Kingdom of God, sell the property and share it with the poor.” (Mk 10:21). Abraham had to give up everything and threw his life in the promise of God (Genesis 12:4). When Jesus emptied His Self God raised him up (Philippians 2:8-9). Liberation from the bondage material ambitions is the foundation for holiness.

Holiness is not limited to any particular group or individual. Anyone who is open to God’s call is holy. For this matter any baptized Christian is a saint. Since baptism make us part of the Body of Christ and members of God’s Family, no one is outside of holiness. St. Paul understood this truth and addressed every Christian Saint (1Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 2:19). The same reason inspired the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to emphasis on the Universal Call to Holiness. This was a remarkable change from the traditional view on holiness. For centuries people understood holy life as something reserved for a chosen race! The fact that most of the canonized saints were either from priestly and religious class or from royal and elite class reinforced this belief. Consequently ordinary people were even scared of dreaming to become a saint. Vatican Council corrected this view on holy life and restored the biblical understanding of holiness.

Living a holy life or beatitudes does not require extraordinary talents or gifts. Remarkable and spectacular works have nothing to do with holiness. Good works may not always reflect holy life. Holy life, however, always bears good works. It is not success but faithfulness that matters for God. Martin De Porres was a humble servant in the monastery. John Viany struggled to complete his seminary studies. Little Therese never ministered outside the convent. Sr. Alphonsa was sick all the days of her life. They were ordinary people from ordinary parents. All of them became great saints. We don’t need great talents to feed the hungry or to visit the sick or to clothe the naked or to welcome a stranger. We need only a heart of Christ. We all have the basic ingredients to make a great saint out of us.

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As every Saint had a past, every sinner has a future.
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ALL SOULS DAY

We know the story of St. Augustine. He struggled a lot in his life to find happiness. He tried several things in his search for joy. Finally he found happiness in the presence of the Lord. After his conversion experience, he made this beautiful statement. “O Lord, you made me for yourself. Until I find my rest in you, my heart remains restless.” Every saint has the same message for the world. As we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the goal and purpose of our life is to know God, to love God and to live in the presence of God, seeing his face, eternally.

Who will see the face of God? Jesus himself answered this question. In Mathew chapter 5 verse 8 Jesus says: “Blessed are the clean of Heart, for they will see God.” The beatific vision of God belongs to the clean of heart. In other words we need continuous transformation until we are totally conformed to Christ. People who reached this stage are saints and they enter the Kingdom of God immediately after their death. According to the Fathers of the Church they become part of the Glorified Church.

Those who do not experience that transformation, need further purification before they are to be admitted to heaven. They go through a stage called purgatory. To purgate means cleansing from the effects of sin. The Fathers of the church call them the suffering church. On All Souls’ Day we remember all the departed who need further assistance.

According to Scripture, a person in purgatory cannot do anything for himself or herself, we, the living, can. That is why we need to pray for them. Some times people say: “I have been praying for a particular person for a long time. How long do I need to continue? The answer is: Our prayers never go in vein. If that particular person already reached heaven, then our prayers goes to someone else who needs our prayer. We are a corporate entity. We are the Body of Christ.

Our challenge! Do not conform to the values of the world, even though at times they may have glittering appearances. But they are deceptive. They are empty promises. Our call is to choose between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of darkness…the Kingdom of life and the Kingdom of Death. It is hard. Hence, Fathers of the church called the Earthly church a Militant Church. It is possible to have a successful fight because God has given us grace at baptism; God has given us guidelines to follow in the form of Commandments and beatitudes. The saints had proved it. And finally we are not alone in this fight; Jesus is with us.

Friday, October 23, 2009

WILL TO BE HEALED
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October २५

A few days ago I met a man on the street. He was drunk and was totally confused. He said, “Sir, Can you please help me to get home? I am lost?” The experience of being lost is a common phenomenon. The gospel reading for the 30th Sunday presents a situation where Bartimaeus, a blind man, is desperately looking for a way out. He was living in the street of Jericho. When he heard about Jesus passing that way, he cried out, “Jesus, I lost sight, help me to see.” (Mark 10: 46-52). The question is: What made him blind and what kind of blindness did have?

City of Fall
He lost sight and direction because he was living in the wrong place and he was on the wrong path. He was living in Jericho. Jericho was a symbol of fall. Remember the story of the victim in the parable of the Good Samaritan. He fell into the hands of robbers while he was leaving Jerusalem to go to Jericho. Jerusalem is the city of God whereas Jericho was the city of evil. He was leaving the city of God. There is no clarity, no safety and no peace outside of God. We find Zacchaeus also in Jericho. He was struggling to find peace. Bartimaeus, the hero of our present story, was also living in the streets of Jericho. He was in the wrong place and on the wrong path. The result was total disorientation. He lost the way. He was in total darkness. People who live out side of God are in the wrong place. Where there is no God there is darkness, confusion and conflict.

Son of Honor
Every miracle of Jesus has historical and symbolic significance. Bartimaeus might be physically blind, but the focus is on his spiritual blindness. A number of things will substantiate this point. First of all, physical blindness was attributed to sin by traditional Jews. It was considered to be a punishment from God. Secondly, this was the only place in the Synoptic Gospels where the name of a person who was healed was mentioned. In this story, he mentioned Bartimaeus’ name twice. The word Bartimaeus has a double meaning. In Aramaic it means son of defilement and in Greek it means son of honor. Mark uses the name Bartimaeus in both senses, first in Aramaic and then in Greek. It means he was living in shame but had the potential to live in honor. Thirdly, Jesus said to him, “Your faith has saved you”, instead of saying, “You are healed.” Finally, Mark says, “He followed Jesus on the way,” a clear indication that he had been living on the wrong path.

Will to be Healed
The great thing about Bartimaeus was that he did not waste the moment of grace. He did not let the opportunity fade away. As soon as he came to his senses and realized the need for vision, he rushed to Jesus. He was not influenced by the crowd. Nothing stopped him from pursuing the desire of his heart. He responded with urgency. He ended up in the world of Jesus. The gospel says: “He followed Jesus on the way. He discovered the way of Jesus and took a new direction in his life.” The result of conversion is a new way.

Work of Grace
We all experience moments of conversions. We all witness strong feelings towards God. These are works of grace. The irony is that these moments of conversions rarely occur and even if they happen, they may not last either. Jesus visited Jericho several times. Even though Bartimaeus was living in Jericho, only once did he feel Jesus’ presence. If we delay in responding to the call of grace, we may lose the urgency of the call. Do not despise or ignore the inner call for conversion. They are moments of grace. We need a will to be healed.

Helpful Hints
In order to respond to the work of grace, Bartimaeus did a number of right things they are helpful hints on our journey of Faith. First of all, he accepted the truth about his life. He had the humility to acknowledge his blindness. Secondly, he was not ashamed of bringing his weakness before Jesus. Thirdly, he did not pay attention to the thinking of the mob. Fourthly, he was persistent in his appeal to Jesus. Finally, he showed his sincerity by living the new way.

The important questions we need to ask are these: What is the Jericho of my life? Is there any obstacle in achieving my goal? How seriously am I trying to make my way right?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Mission Sunday


-October 18-

Today is Mission Sunday. We often talk about being on a mission. What is a mission? How can we become missionaries? A mission is simply sharing our faith experience. If we have a strong experience, we cannot help but share it. I remember an incident that happened some time ago. One of my friends developed blood cancer. He visited many doctors but none could help him. My friend was terribly disappointed. “There is a Pilgrimage Center in Goa. Make a pilgrimage there and offer some prayers then you will be healed,” someone told him. He made the pilgrimage and to his great surprise he was miraculously healed. He was very excited by this, to say the least. Since then, whenever he meets a cancer patient he tells them: “Go to Goa…! You will be healed.”

This is what mission means. It is sharing our Christ experience with one another. If we have a strong experience we cannot help but share it. Saint Paul says: “The love of God urges us.” Pope John Paul II said: “Faith is complete when it is shared.” This is what we see in the lives of the Apostles and the Disciples. When they experienced the power of the Risen Lord, they started to share it. When they were stopped from preaching, Peter and John said to the Sanhedrin, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). We are the fruits of their sharing.

Our Church is missionary by nature. The dimension of sending was explicitly implied in Jesus’ calling. He called them to ‘be with Him and to be sent’. Different times in his ministry Jesus reminded his disciples of this Task. When he appeared to his disciples after the resurrection Jesus said: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.. I am with you always, until the end of the age.”(Mt. 28:19-20) Minutes before His Ascension Jesus repeated the same: “You will receive the power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the Earth”( Acts. 1:8).

Now it is our turn to continue this mission. How do we carry out this mission? How do we proclaim the God News of Jesus? We can become missionaries in three ways:
1. By becoming pray-ers. Our model for this is Little Theresa of the Child Jesus. She never saw the world that was outside of the four walls of her convent. But, by her prayers alone, she became the Patroness of Missionaries.
2. By witnessing. Jesus says: By your love show the world that you are my disciples. So living our faith in our day to day life is the most powerful way of Evangelization. People may not read the bible but they do read our lives. Actually mission begins with the evangelization of the Evangelizer.
3. By sharing. Jesus himself is our model. He emptied Himself to fill our emptiness. He became poor to make us rich. By sharing our being and our possessions with the underprivileged we can become living Gospels.

I would like to conclude this reflection with this little story. Once when Jesus and his Disciples were traveling they saw a handicapped person on their way. Seeing this person’s misery, Peter asked Jesus: “If God is such a loving Father, why did He create him without hands. Doesn’t He have any solutions for this person’s problem?” Jesus replied: “Yes! He created you with two hands.”

Friday, October 9, 2009

Less Luggage, More Comfort

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Once, a European visited a Monk at his residence. It was a small hut. The visitor was surprised when he saw his room without any furniture. Out of curiosity he asked the Monk, “Where do you keep all your furniture?” The Monk smiled and said, “Where is yours?” The European replied, “Are you kidding? I am a traveler…I carry only what is necessary for my travel.” “I am a traveler too,” the Monk answered.

Whether we accept it or not, the truth about the life is that we are on a journey. As St. Paul rightly put it, “We do not have a permanent city here on earth. We are on a pilgrimage.” The gospel story emphasizes this point today. The rich young man said, “What should I do to inherit Eternal life? Or how should I prepare for the final journey?” He was aware of the eternal nature of life.

Last month I traveled to India. Two things were in my considerations while I was packing the luggage: Take things that are allowed to carry in a plane and take whatever is necessary to make my stay pleasant when I reach the destination. This is true with our life journey too. We need to make discernment. We need to sort out things according to priority. We need to push and pull things. Jesus explained this using the picture of ‘a Camel and Needle’s Eye’. Evidently a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle. The eye of the needle in this context represents the narrow gate on the outer wall of Jerusalem. This gate is too narrow that a camel can barely pass through. If the camel is carrying a load, even if it bent down, it cannot pass through. The camel has to be unloaded.

The rich man wanted to enter the eternal life. As the camel needed to be unloaded, he was required to be unloaded too. Jesus instructed to him to fix two things to make his travel possible. They were: sell the property and share it with the poor. His attachment to wealth and his lack of care for poor were the obstacles on his way.

Every person is different. Different people have different kinds of attachments. What are the things I need to unload to enter the Eternal Life?

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Saturday, October 3, 2009

Choose Life, Your Mother Did

Respect for life -October 4

A gentle man said: “I am a good Catholic. I follow 7 out of 10 commandments.”… 10 commandments are not 10 recommendations; they are 10 requirements to become part of God’s family. Hence, even if we follow 9 commandments and violate one, we fall short of glory.

This Sunday, October 4, is Respect for Life Sunday. We are invited to reflect on the value of life and our obligation to defend and promote life. Respect for life is the FIFTH Commandment. It says, “Thou shall not kill.” This commandment presumes three principles. They are:-
· Life belongs to God
· Right to life is a fundamental right
· We are the care takers of human life.

From this perspective the fifth commandment goes beyond its literal meaning. It is a call to Pro-life. Very often we restrict pro life to the anti-abortion movement. It is more than that. Pro-life means:
· Defend and protect the unborn child
· Create healthy atmosphere for children to grow and mature
· Reach out to the poor who are denied of basic human conditions for a dignified life
· Work for justice and equality for all
· Take care of the elders and homebound
· Avoid hatred, war and violence
· Cultivate moral and human values
· Safeguard the good name of others

Respect for life means all these. It is defending and celebrating life from womb to tomb; conception to natural death. No one can be a Christian without opting for life because Jesus came to the world to bring life in it abundance. Tagore, the great Indian Poet and Nobel Prize winner said: “Every time a new born child is born into the world, God says two things: I love humanity. I trust humanity.” When we accept and appreciate life, therefore, we are responding to God’s love and proving that we are trustworthy.

How do we promote life? There are number of ways. The first and foremost thing in this regard is upholding the sacred institution of marriage. Appropriate sex education, moral and religious formation and disciplined and purpose oriented life are other ways to enhance the appreciation for life.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Religion of the Heart

22nd Sunday in ordinary Time
(Dt. 4:1-8; Ps 15: 2-5; James 1: 17-27; Mk 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23)

Jesus said, “I have come not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.” Very seldom do we see Jesus obeying the Jewish laws. The Bible reported many incidents where he broke the sacred law of the Sabbath. In fact, this was one of the accusations against Jesus.

We cannot imagine a situation devoid of laws। Lawlessness creates chaos. Obedience to the law is the foundation of discipline and discipline is the mother of life. Law creates order and order produces life. The purpose of any law is order and life. A law that does not serve this purpose is not binding anybody. Let me give an example. On our highways and in our cities we have traffic regulations. Traffic rules are for our safety. They are made to help avoid accidents and help save lives. At a red traffic light, we must stop the car. Ignorance of this rule will invite accidents and the loss of life. So we observe traffic rules to save lives. But an ambulance can continue to go ahead even if the signal is red. Why? For, the ambulance may be carrying a patient who is seriously ill. A delay may cause this persons’ death. The ambulance breaks the law to save a life.

The criterion of law is, therefore, whether it protects and or promotes life। Jesus violated the law to heal the sick, to feed the hungry and to save a life. He came so that we may have life. He is life and his activities are life giving.It is not the letter of the law but the spirit of the law that is binding.

On the basis of this discussion we can talk about two kinds of Religion: Religion of the Heart and Religion of the Rituals. Pharisees and Scribes belong to the religion of the rituals. They are happy if the rituals are performed correctly. As they were obsessed with rituals, they missed the core of religion that is relationship. The purpose of religion is to facilitate relationship. Jesus focused on this aspect of religion: Conversion of the heart and the resultant growth in fellowship. So Jesus said’ “What comes out of man make him defiled or undefiled.”

Religion must help us to grow from ritual to relationship. Jesus therefore summarized all the religious laws into a single law: Law of Love. There is only one law for Jesus- ‘Do what is more loving in a given situation.’

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I will be on vacation during the month of September. Reflections will continue in the month of October.
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Choose Life

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18, Psalm 34: 3-21, Ephesians 5:21-32, John 6:60-69)

When Jesus finished his teachings about the Bread of Life, his disciples came to him and said, “Many returned to their former way of life, saying, ‘this teaching is hard; who can accept it?” However, Jesus’ reply was simple. He said to them, “Do you also want to leave?” By making this seemingly harsh statement, Jesus was inviting them to make a radical decision in life – a decision for or against life.

Life is a series of decisions। There are only two choices:-Life or Death. The first man (Adam) was confronted with this challenge. He was asked to make a fundamental decision – a decision, either for life by denying the fruit of the tree or for death by eating it. He failed the test and paid the price. At the very outset of his public ministry, Jesus, too, was asked to make a similar decision – to eat the bread of the earth or to eat the bread of the Father. Jesus came out victorious in this test. He said, “Doing the will of my Father in heaven is my food.” God the Father approved his decision and introduced him to the world as his beloved Son. Before sending the disciples out for their mission, Jesus gave the same test to them: “To eat the flesh and to drink the blood of the Son of Man.” They, also, passed the test. Peter, representing all, said to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Now, it is our turn…! Jesus is inviting us to make a fundamental choice. Life is a constant struggle to make the correct choices, because in every person two principles are at work – the life principle and the death principle. (S.Freud). It is easy to opt for death (the pleasure principle) as it is less demanding and immediate in terms of results. The pleasure principle is behind the fast development of the instant or consumer culture. Instant culture is tolerable as long as it does not enter into human relationship. When it becomes a style of human relationship, the result will be ‘adultery, divorce and abortion’. Option for life is difficult, though it is messianic. It is difficult as it demands sacrifices. But the result of delayed satisfaction (Sacrifice) is eternal happiness and peace.

Like Joshua addressed his people, Jesus also tells us today, “Decide today whom you will serve?” Can we answer with Peter, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the holy one of God.”

Friday, August 14, 2009

The Eucharist, The Basic Sacrament

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A few days ago I visited a Bible Study Group. They were discussing about the Catholic Faith. During our conversation I asked them: “Can you please summarize the Catholic Faith into a single word?” There was a long pause. A gentleman finally broke the silence. “The Eucharist,” he said. I thought that was a great answer. The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of our Faith. Everything else is centered around it.

THE EUCHARIST, THE BASIC SACRAMENT
The importance of the Eucharist in Christian Spirituality is an undisputable fact. First of all, the Eucharist is not just one among the seven sacraments. For example, while the Eucharist offers Jesus himself, other sacraments confer his grace. Through the Eucharist, we share in the life of God and become part of the body of Christ. Secondly, in the Eucharist we have a complete encounter of the Risen Lord. All other forms of Jesus encounters are real but partial. The Eucharist is the real presence of Jesus. A story is told about Emperor Napoleon. This incident happened during a Sunday Eucharistic Celebration. The priest while saying the words of consecration, all of a sudden went into an ecstasy and cried out with wonder and awe:
“I can see Jesus in the Host. Come on everybody and see Jesus in the Bread.” Everybody but the little Napoleon rushed to the altar to see Jesus in the Eucharist. After the mass, Napoleon’s parents asked him, “What is wrong with you? Why didn’t you run to the altar to see Jesus in the Eucharist?” Napoleon replied, “I feel sorry for you. Only today you see Jesus in the Eucharist? I see his presence every time I come to Mass.” Thirdly, the Eucharist is our food for the Journey (viaticum). Life is not a destination in itself. It is a journey. Life continues after death. Manna provides nourishment only for our earthly pilgrimage. We need bread that keeps our life alive until we reach eternity. Jesus offers that bread in the Eucharist. Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John: 6). Fourthly, the Eucharist is the ultimate sacrament that takes away the sin of the world. During the Last supper Jesus said, “This is my blood, the blood of the New Covenant which will be shed for all for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mt: 26:28). Finally, the Eucharist offers us an action plan for Christian Life. When Jesus said ‘Do this in memory of me” he was inviting his disciples to begin a new life style; a life of sharing their blessings and bearing others burdens.

A PROPER APPROACH TO THE SACRAMENT
The Eucharist being so precious and beyond human imagination in its significance in our lives, it is vitally important to approach this sacrament with right respect and disposition. To make our participation in the Eucharist meaningful and experiential I would like to suggest three things.

1 REVERENCE
Jesus was angry when he saw people making the Temple less reverential. He said, “Stop turning my Father’s house a market place.” (John 2:16). Often people show me pictures of their visit with Pope. They dressed like queens and Kings and are at the best of their behavior. Going to a town Hall meeting and going to the Church (temple of God) is different. How respectfully we enter the Temple of God? Proper attitude brings proper disposition.

2 PREPARATION
The amount of preparation one takes shows the importance of the event that one is going to attend or the importance of the person whom one is going to meet. To make the Eucharistic celebration memorable, two kinds of preparations, namely, remote preparation and immediate preparation are necessary.
1. Remote preparation. The key to remote preparation is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Remember the words of Jesus: “If your brother has something against you, reconcile with him before you offer your gifts at the altar…” (Mt: 23). St. Paul repeated the same in a more aggressive way. According to Paul sharing of the ‘cup and bread’ with a blemish heart will invite curse not blessing.
2. Immediate preparation. Before we start any game or sports, we spend a few minutes for warm up. Today as we are busy and are distracted by too many things, it is not easy to switch over from one activity to another like a machine. We need time to dispose ourselves for the next item in the agenda. This is true with regard to the liturgical celebration too. Once a lady said: “ I am there at the Church at least five minutes before the Mass begins. I open the mislet and go through the readings of the Mass.” Another person said:
“When I enter the Church, I mark the sign of the cross on my forehead and reflect about my baptismal call.” We need to develop a way to create the right disposition.

3. PARTICIPATION
The entire Eucharistic Celebration is one single action. If we miss one part then, we miss the whole. For instance, through the penitential rite we prepare ourselves to listen to the word, listening to the Word prepare us to make the commitment (offering), offering enables us to receive Jesus in our hearts and this in turn transforms us and commissions us to serve the lord. Active and conscious participation in the full celebration is not an obligation, it is a right and a privilege.