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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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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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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.

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.

THE TRINITY SUNDAY

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. We, Christians, believe in One God. We also believe that this one God has three persons- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is, however, a difficult notion to understand. As we do today, people in the past had difficulties in understanding the mystery of the Trinity. People always ask: “How is it possible to have three persons in One God? Or how does One God become three persons?” Our traditional answer is that it is a mystery. Of course, it is a mystery but a reality as well.

The notion of Trinity was developed based on human experience and divine revelation. In the past people experienced God as Creator, someone who is beyond human reach. In the period of the New Testament, people had a different experience with the same God, namely, God as Emmanuel, as someone with them. Today we experience God as Spirit, someone who is within us. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are different forms or expressions of the One God. They are different levels of God’s Existence and they are different expressions of God’s Love. At least one place in the Bible the whole trinity made an appearance. This was at the time of Jesus’ Baptism.

What helps us today is not the ontological discussion of the nature of the Trinity, but the message of the Trinity, which is love, and Relationship. The notion of relationship is important for two reasons.

IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIP

Relationship: the basic sacrament
God is a communion of three persons. God is a relationship. Therefore, relationship is the medium through which God operates so He formed the community of Israel. Jesus himself made it amply clear when he said’ “When two or three are gathered together in my name I will be in their midst.” Consequently, to have a God experience we must be part of the community. Thomas missed seeing Jesus when he made his appearance after the resurrection because he was not in the community. The importance of community is evident from the working style of Jesus. The very first act Jesus did after his baptism was to form a group of disciples. The last thing Jesus did before the crucifixion was the institution of the Eucharist, the perfect symbol of fellowship. The first thing Jesus did after his resurrection was to gather the scattered disciples. Similarly, when Jesus sent them on a mission he sent them in twos.

Relationship: the basic environment for growth
The story of ‘The Cave Girls’ is very popular among the psychologists. I believe that this incident happened in the 1960’s. These two girls, seven and nine years old respectively, were found in a cave with wolves. The wolves were taking care of these girls. These girls themselves behaved like wolves. They walked on all fours and talked by making sounds just as wolves do. It took several years to rehabilitate them and to teach them to act like human beings.

Only a human environment can develop human personalities. All of us are social beings. We are born from a community into a community. Our identity, our existence, our growth and development, everything takes place in communities. My name is Sebastian because you call me by that name. If you would call me Subash, I would become Subash.

The nature and quality of a community determine the nature of a person. A healthy community is prone to beget a healthy person. A wounded community most likely creates reactionaries. Therefore, we have a tremendous responsibility to form our community as a loving entity.

DIFFERENT ROLES IN A COMMUNITY

There are four kinds of people in any given community. They are leaders, contributors, critics and sleepers. Leaders and contributors are the strength of a community where as critics and sleepers are its liabilities. Not everyone may be in a position to provide leadership. However, everybody can be a contributor. When we use our talents, treasures and time for the good of the community we are playing the role of a contributor. No matter how insignificant one may be, still he/she has something to offer for the wellbeing of the community. Unfair criticism not only kills the spirit of a community but also it creates reactors. Sleepers are inactive and indifferent people. They are the majority. Their lack of interest in the common cause indirectly supports the rise of all kinds of dangerous tendencies in the society.

PENTECOST SUNDAY

We can divide the history of salvation three periods: the period of God the Father, the period of God the Son Jesus and the period of God the Holy Spirit. The Era of the Holy Spirit began at Pentecost. This was also the beginning of the Church too. On the day of Pentecost, as the result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, two extraordinary things took place.

A NEW LIFE FOR THE DISCIPLES

Even though the disciples witnessed resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the impact of Jesus’ death was so traumatic that they never totally recovered from that shock. The disciples were living in fear and doubt. The presence of the Holy Spirit however brought about a sea change in their lives. They resurrected themselves from the shackles of fear and started preaching about Jesus. They received a new life, vigor and spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the prime principle of life. The first book of the Bible (Genesis) opens with this interesting statement: the spirit of God was hovering over the water. In the second chapter of the same book, we have the creation account of Adam and Eve. The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. The New Testament also depicts a parallel story. After the resurrection, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the holy spirit.” In this act of Jesus, they experienced a new beginning. In short, all through the Bible, the Holy Spirit is pictured as the breath of God or as the life giving principle. We share in the life of God through the reception of the Holy Spirit. Sin separates us from God whereas the Spirit reconnects us to God. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us, fills us with Grace and makes us fully alive for God.

A NEW LAW OF LIFE

People who gathered in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost were people from different languages, cultures and colors. The presence of the Spirit transformed them and enabled them to see the common bond. They saw their own image in each other and understood each other’s language. The Holy Spirit filled their hearts with a new language- a language of love. Love is the third eye. Anyone who looks through the third eye will see the image of God in every human being regardless of his or her differences whatsoever.

Unity in diversity and accommodation of differences; these are fundamental to Christian belief. The core of Jesus’ priestly prayer was for unity. This is why Church is catholic.
Pentecost clearly reveals the universality of the Church. The Law was given only to Moses where as the Holy Spirit was given to all. Pentecost abolished the division between the people of God and no people.

LIFE EMANATING FROM PRAYER

Before ascending into heaven, Jesus instructed his disciples to stay in the city praying for the Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit happened while they were in prayer. Prayer creates the environment for discernment.

ASCENSION OF THE LORD

ASCENSION AS COMMISSIONING
Angels extended Jesus a warm welcome to Heaven. Naturally, they bombarded him with questions. “Have you done something to take care of your Church on earth?” Angel Gabriel raised the first question. “Yes! I have trained a group of disciples”, Jesus replied. “If they fail then what will you do? Do you have a plan B?” they enquired. “No! I trust them!” Jesus said.

This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, His glorious entry into heaven. The Ascension is not only about Jesus but also about each one of us. The ascension of Jesus signifies the completion of Jesus’ mission on earth and the beginning of Disciples’ mission. The two sets of instructions that Jesus and the Angel gave to the disciples undoubtedly underline this point. For example, the Angel said to the disciples, “Why are you standing here looking at the sky?” Jesus said to them, “You will receive the power from the Holy Spirit and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth (Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11). If we put together these two statements, one thing becomes clear, namely, the Ascension is a commissioning. It is an invitation to take up the mission of Jesus. According to Luke, Jesus finished his earthly journey in Jerusalem and the disciples have to continue the journey of Jesus from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

THE CHALLENGES OF THE ASCENSION!
First, our mission is to establish the Kingdom of God. As Jesus rightly corrected his disciples, establishing the Kingdom consists primarily in ‘witnessing Jesus’ than building up a social institution. Kingdom of God is neither a territory nor an organization but it is the reign of God in human hearts. The key to evangelization is manifesting God’s reign in each one of us. Once a Bishop said, “One of the means we adapt to evangelize non –Christians is to encourage catholic families to come and stay with the non Christians for a period of time.” The principle is that action speaks louder than words. “Preach all the time but use words whenever it is necessary” (Francis of Assisi). Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.

Secondly, this witnessing must begin from Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem has biblical significance. All the major salvific events took place in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the city of God. It is the meeting place of God. Mount Zion symbolizes God. Witnessing begins from Jerusalem. This means that any act of evangelization must have its source and inspiration in the Word of Jesus. It must be rooted in Christ experience.

Finally, the obligation for evangelization never ceases to exist. Jesus not only fulfilled his mission by offering his life as a ransom for many but also prepared his disciples to take over it. We also have these twofold challenges: Encounter the risen Lord in our lives and share it with our fellow beings, and prepare those who are in our care to continue this mission. Definitely, the starting point of this missionary mandate is our family itself. The Ascension is a call to come out from the secret service to public service.

THE ASCENSION IS A FEAST OF HOPE AND COMFORT
The Ascension is also a feast of hope and comfort. First, it, confirms Jesus’ promise of eternity. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. I am going to prepare a place for you. I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” (John 14: 2-4). Jesus has won this divine heritage for us. This provides us not only great comfort and consolation in facing the uncertainties of our earthly existence, but also encourages us to shape and reshape our earthly pilgrimage in view of our eternal dwelling place. It reassures and reaffirms our faith in the eternal Holiday (heaven).

Secondly, the entrance of Jesus’ humanity into God’s heavenly domain remains a clear proof of God’s complete acceptance of humanity. Through the incarnation, God entered into the human dimension and by Ascension humanity entered into the divine domain. Ascension completed the mission of incarnation.

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Very often people get confused with the feasts of the Assumption and the Ascension. They are not one but two distinct realities. The Assumption is the reception of Mary into heaven. This was an act of God. On the other hand, the Ascension is Jesus’ entry into heaven by his own power. Mary was assumed into heaven by the power of God while Jesus was ascended into heaven by his own power.