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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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.”

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.

Bread of Life

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The central theme of the readings for our liturgy these days is ‘The Bread of Life.” The first reading (1Kings 19:4-8) narrates an interesting tale from the life of Elijah. He was on a forty year journey towards mount Horeb. On the way, however, he lost hope, spirit and energy. Totally frustrated and exhausted from the burden of life, he slept under a tree praying for his death. An Angel appeared from heaven with food and drink. He ate the food, received power and continued his journey.

Two things are significant here. First of all, forty years of journey in this particular context symbolizes a person’s span of life. In those days there were no medical facilities as we have today to extent and expand their life span. Even though some may claim today that they can live the full span of their life with the support of science, the truth is the opposite. Without God’s help we are just dust. Secondly, even though Elijah could continue his journey with the bread from an Angel, he still could not reach the destination, the Mountain of God. The bread was still made of material things. This ‘food and drink’, however, foreshadow the Eucharist.

It is important to notice two things here. First of all, our life does not end with death. Secondly, because our earthly life is a destination in itself we need bread that sustains our life after death. In the Gospel reading, Jesus introduces himself as this bread. Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6: 41-51)

Bread of Life has two levels of meaning in the Bible. First, bread of life is the Word of God. The Hebrew Bible used the word food for Torah, the Law. (Ps 119) Jesus also used the word bread, with the same meaning when he said, “My food is to do the will of the One who sent me and to carry out his work.” (John 4.34) With his incarnation, the Torah (the food) became Flesh in the person of Jesus, so that every word that came out of his mouth became bread for Salvation. The way of Jesus became the True path (food) for eternal life.

Secondly, not only his words but with His sacrifice on the cross, his body and blood, the acceptable offering of God, became our bread of life. Today we find this bread in the Eucharist. In the breaking and sharing of bread we receive enlightenment, nourishment and hope as experienced by the Emmaus Disciples.

The breaking of the Word and the breaking of the Bread, together constitute the Bread of Life. The word of God enlightens us to see the things above and the Eucharist grafts us to God like a branch of a tree attached to the main trunk. The immediate effect of this relatedness with Jesus is the New Way of life as mentioned in the Second Reading. Live in love as Christ loved us. (Ephesians 4:30-5:2).