Thursday, September 30, 2010

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LIBERATING SERVICE
27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 3

Recently I have read about an incident from the life of Bala Gangadara Tilak. He was one of the freedom fighters of India. He started his career as a schoolteacher. During the Independence Struggle, he entered the political ring. Slowly he became the right hand man of M.Gandhi. Once, in an Interview, he was asked, “Sir, If India gets her Independence, what position would you prefer in the Indian Administration? Do you want to become the President or the Prime Minister? His answer was a eye-opener to many. He said, “If India gets Independence, I would quit politics and go back to my village and continue my service as a school teacher…!” He continued, “I became a politician for my country, for my people but not for me. Once I have accomplished my mission, I should not remain in politics. I should move to other places where my service is most needed. ..”

Unconditional service is the highest expression of faith. Every religion shares this same view. For example, ‘Nishkama Karma’ (performing one’s duty detaching from its reward) is an important concept of Hindu Religious Philosophy. According to Hindu scripture, a disciple must “Do his duty and leaves the fruits to God”. Jesus teaches the same lesson when he said, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do’” (Lk 17:5-10). This is a difficult concept to grab as the desire for recognition and acknowledgment is very much rooted in human nature. Nonetheless, it is achievable for a person of faith. For, faith helps a person to rise above his human nature with its desires. Faith works in the following three ways.

1…A person of faith sees the gifted nature of everything॥God is not indebted to us but we are to Him। We are not owners but caretakers. Therefore, whatever we do, even in the form of service is only an expression of our gratitude for what we are and what we have today. Our ‘great works’ never exceed the goodness of the Lord. For this reason, our ability to respond to God’s graciousness in itself is our reward.

2…Faith in God instantly connects us with one another in a household relationship. We become the stewards of God’s family. We serve one another in our family not out of compulsion but out of love.

3… A person of Faith sees the deceptive nature of worldly things. Our Gospel readings for the last three weeks were about people who tried to build heaven with the material things. (Ref: Prodigal Son, Dishonest Steward, Richman and Lazarus). Wealth failed them in achieving their goals. People who look for reward unfortunately compromise with little. Blessings surround a person who serves out of love.

People who operate from the milieu of faith are capable of changing the world. Others, reward being their prime goal, do more harms than good. They compete and pull down anyone who seems do better than himself or herself. Real service is total giving, as Jesus did. Real service is liberating. A man can do a great deal in this world if he does not mind who takes the credit. (P.Parker) Often our service is possessive. We do not respect the freedom and the ability of the receiver. We make the object of our service our life project. The act of the Good Samaritan is the perfect model of service. Once his role was over, he allowed the man to go on his own way.
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A pig was lamenting his lack of popularity. He complained to the cow that people were always talking about the cow’s gentleness and kindness. The pig admitted that the cow gave milk and cream, but maintained that pigs gave more. “We the pigs give bacon and ham and bristles and people even pickle our feet. I don’t see why you cows are esteemed so much more”, the pig complained. The cow thought awhile and said gently, “May be it’s because we give while we are still living.”
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Thursday, September 23, 2010

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES!
26 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SEPTEMBER 26

There is a sin that many of us commit on a daily basis but are not aware of it. Our lack of sensitivity to the needs of others falls into this category. The attitude of indifference to others or the lack of attentiveness to the world around us often makes the issues facing others invisible to us. Our failure in responding to this can lead us to sin of omission. The parable of the Rich man and Lazarus talks about this truth of our life.

The sin of the rich man in this parable (Lk 16:19-31) is not that he violated the Ten Commandments but his insensitivity to the needs of Lazarus. The rich man’s world was too narrow that he could not see anyone but himself. He was in a position to help Lazarus, however, he chose not to. Probably he did not see anything wrong in missing the opportunity to serve. Legally he did not do anything wrong. However, he was morally wrong. He did not share his blessing to lift his brother up. Jesus criticized him not for what he did but for what he did not do. He committed sin of omission.

For many faithful Catholics, sin of commission is their main concern. They take all efforts not to break any of the Ten Commandments and the Precepts of the Church. They feel great about that. The sad part of their faith is that they do not see the core of Christian faith. It is all about helping the helpless and giving them hope by sharing our blessings. It is not what sin you avoided but what good you did will be the criterion that Jesus is going to use on the Day of Judgment.

We are all rich, rich in different ways! We are all in a position to support one another.

Who is Lazarus in your life? Who is looking up to you for a hand of support?

There are ‘Lazaruses’ out there seeking for your immediate support. Probably they themselves are responsible for their crises. They may not be always seeking for financial aid. Their needs may vary. The question is can you do something for them out of humanitarian concern. Can you raise Lazarus from the dead? Your timely intervention can make a difference in their lives.

There are ‘Lazaruses’ out there because of your own faults. You might have created ‘Lazaurses’ through your selfish ways of functioning. When you invade into somebody’s rightful space or manipulate others for your own advantage, you are adding to the number of ‘Lazaruses’. This is the time to open your eyes, see the wounds around and heal them.

The way to heaven passes thorough our neighbors house. There is no detour. The person who sits next to you is your sacrament of salvation.
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Mother Theresa has this story to share: One day she visited a Hindu family with rice because they had nothing to eat for some time। As soon as she gave the rice to the family, the mother of the family divided it into two and then she went out. When the woman came back, Mother Theresa asked her: “Where did you go and what did you do?” “They are hungry too” the woman replied. “Who are they?” Mother Theresa asked. “A Muslim family next door”, she said. When this woman knew they were hungry, she felt their hunger and therefore she had the courage to share with them.
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

RESPONSIBLE LIVING
25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SEPTEMBER 19, 2010

Recently I was in India for my vacation. One of my neighbors invited me for a dinner. They prepared delicious dishes. I enjoyed it. The following day, however, he came to me requesting a favor. Was the dinner a bribe? This is election season in America. Big corporations are donating generously to the candidates. Each penny they donate is a kind of bait. People are very smart. They know how to use their resources for a better deal. Jesus uses a similar story to substantiate this point. Jesus praised the shrewdness of the steward, not his behavior (Luke 16:1-13). This particular steward offered a huge concession to his subordinates. He caught two fish with a single bait. He assured a place in their hearts as a compassionate boss. He also improved the image of his boss as he worked as his agent even though his employer has nothing to do with it. This steward put his boss in a predicament.

We are smart and shrewd. Jesus challenges us to use our wisdom and intelligent for things that matters eternally. We have resources at our disposals and people who need our help are at our sight. Possessions and material resources are not bad in itself. They can be a great blessing and a source of eternal life for people who spend it wisely. Amos (Amos 8:4-7)in the first reading talks about the potentials of wealth in shaping one’s life. Wealth is a blessing if used for the good of the poor. Zacchaeus found salvation in the sharing of his wealth. God condemned the rich man because of his insensitivity to the poor Lazarus. The poor are the sacrament of the rich.

Jesus invites us to live wisely. These are the marks of a wise man:

GRATITUDE:
“We must be a people of gratitude because all that we are and all that we have belongs to God and they are gifted to us” (Mother Theresa). How do I live a life of gratitude? “Using our blessings and talents for the purposes intended by God is the best expression of gratitude.” (St. .Augustine)

ACCOUNTABILITY: Wise Men take care of God given treasures and talents responsibly and honestly. In fact, God expects that. The parable of the Talents (Mt 25: 14-30) beautifully expresses this notion. The compassionate and forgiving God became impatient when he discovered that one of his servants buried and wasted his talents. His frustration was so intense that he took away the talent from the irresponsible steward and gave it to the other two who handled them diligently.

COMMUNITY CONCERN The Wise Men invest their blessings for the wellbeing of the community. “God give us gifts and talents with a mission. Every blessing is a responsibility. Every blessing has a corresponding need to address” (John Paul II). If you read the story of Abraham, this idea becomes clearer. God called Abraham and said, “I will bless you so that you may bring blessings to the nations.”(Gn12:2-3). When God blessed Abraham, He placed a task along with that. Since every blessing is a responsibility, if we fail to use it (talents), then we are defeating the purposes of God. Every blessing comes with a mission. Naturally, towards the end of our life, we need to give an account of how we fulfilled that mission. We need to prove our credibility and accountability by living our blessings the way God wanted. Ultimately, we are going to be our own judges by the way we lived our life (Mt 25:31-46).

The question is how do I use my gifts, namely, time, talents and treasure with all its forms, to build up the body of Christ in my area? What role am I playing in my parish? This is an important question, because as Cardinal Roger says, “Ministry in the church is not an option but an obligation and a privilege. This obligation is coming directly from our baptismal call.” Many people make excuses saying, “I don’t have any talents…I am Shy…and so forth.” Prophet Jeremiah raised the same excuse. He said, “Ah, Lord God, I know not how to speak; I am too young.” God replied, “Don’t be afraid. I am with you.” If God is with us what is not possible? If you ask people who are in ministry, I am sure; they will share the same view.

Let me conclude this reflection quoting from Pope Pius the X. “What you are is God’s gift to you, and what you become is your gift to God.” Let us show God our gratitude, accountability and community concern in action, by being responsible and accountable stewards.

Friday, September 10, 2010

SPIRITUAL PRESENCE
24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
September 12, 2010

What makes us untouchable to God is not our sinfulness but the pretensions with which we hide our sins. The truth is that we all fall short of the glory of God; we all are sinners. The self-righteous Pharisees denied this truth. In order to show them how everyone is in need of God’s mercy, Jesus told them three parables: parable of the lost sheep, lost coin and the lost son. These parables sum up the entire Christian message. They are:-

• All are in need of God’s mercy
• God is eager to seek and find the lost ones
• God’s love is personal and unconditional
• God receives repentant sinners with joy
• God’s joy consist in our conversion

Everybody needs conversion. The parable of the prodigal son amply explains this fact. There is no question about the sinfulness of the younger son. He separated himself from his father, physically and spiritually. It was a complete departure. The elder son thought that he was perfectly holy as he was staying with his father. He was physically present. His problem was that he was not spiritually present. Even though he was physically near to his father, he failed to develop the heart and mind of his Father. Physical presence does not necessarily bring spiritual proximity. He was also in need of conversion.

Physical proximity is not enough. Spiritual proximity is the key. As long as our hearts are away from God, we are in need of conversion.