RIGHT VISION AND CORRECT PATH
(18th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
There was a King. One day he gave his golden cane to his minister and said, “Travel all over my country, find the poorest of the poor and give him this golden cane as a support.” He started traveling from place to place, searching for the poorest man; however, he could not find any one who was really poor. Finally he gave up his mission and returned to the palace. By that time, the king had already developed a serious illness and was almost at the brink of his own death. Seeing the minister the King said, “My days are numbered…. I may die in a day or two…. I am afraid to die because I have earned nothing to carry with me when I pass from this life to the next.” The minister could not control his demeanor. He said to his King, “At last, I have found the poorest man in this country. You are that person I was searching for. You knew that you would die one day. Yet, you did not reserve anything for that day. You are the poorest man.”
Two things are important in our life: a clear vision of our destination and the right path to reach there.
St. Paul, in the Second reading (Ephesians 4:17,20-24), talks about the goal of life. He says, “Put on the New Self.” This new self, created in God’s Way, according to Paul is Jesus himself. The whole purpose of life is, therefore, to grow into the fullness of Jesus, who is life and resurrection. We put on the New Self at the time of our baptism. The growth towards Jesus is to be continued until we fully conform to the glorified Christ as revealed in the Transfiguration Event. Therefore, our Challenge is to continue our Journey of life focusing on the things above until we reach our final destination.
It does not mean that we must detach totally from the world. Daily bread is important. Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread. In fact, Jesus condemned the Idle Person as recorded in the parable of the Talents. As good stewards, we are responsible and accountable for our growth and as well as the growth of the world. By our labor we are called to enrich the world.” Problems arise when we make ‘manna’ the ultimate goal of our life. The story of manna underscores this point. God said, “Gather only your daily portion.” In other words God told them not to be distracted by “What they eat and drink”. God will provide the faithful with what they need. As we read in the first reading (Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15), God sent manna and birds when He saw people were struggling in the desert for food. For God, there is no place as a desert and nothing is in short supply.
Jesus repeated the same message when People came to him looking for Bread. Jesus said, “Work for Food that endures for eternal life.”(John 6:1-15). This is important as we are wired to God. Because we are destined to God, compromising with anything less than God will never fulfill our ‘Thirst and Hunger’ for happiness. Jesus identifies himself with this food that satisfies eternal thirst and hunger. He said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Jesus said the same in numerous ways. “I am the life and resurrection” and “I am the way, the truth and the life” are a few among those.
Finding Jesus in one’s life is our destination. Peter found Christ in his life. He said: “Master, where shall I go? You have the words of life.” Paul echoed the same feeling when he said: “For me life is Christ.” After a long search for truth, the Samaritan Women confessed, “I have found the Messiah.” Where do we find Jesus today? It is in the breaking of the bread, in the Eucharist…
The readings for the 18th Sunday invite us to continue our Journey fixing our eyes on the goal that is life in Jesus and working for the things that ensure our passage to everlasting life.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
(17th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Problems are part of life. How we approach problems is what matters. The Gospel reading for the 17th Sunday (John 6:1-15) presents a problem. The problem is this. There was a huge crowd in a deserted place. They were hungry. There was no way to get enough food to feed them. Jesus, however, said to his disciple to give them something to eat. A challenging situation! Two disciples approached this situation differently. The way they responded to it tells us a lot about ourselves too.
(17th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Problems are part of life. How we approach problems is what matters. The Gospel reading for the 17th Sunday (John 6:1-15) presents a problem. The problem is this. There was a huge crowd in a deserted place. They were hungry. There was no way to get enough food to feed them. Jesus, however, said to his disciple to give them something to eat. A challenging situation! Two disciples approached this situation differently. The way they responded to it tells us a lot about ourselves too.
PART OF THE PROBLEM!
One of the disciples, Philip panicked. He thought Jesus was crazy. He said: “How do we get enough food for 5ooo people in the Desert? Let them go.” A totally negative, uninterested and disappointed response! He did not want to get involve. He even made it bigger by his attitude. He became part of the problem.
PART OF THE SOLUTION!
Andrew, another disciple, had a different approach. Even though he found the problem challenging, he did two important things. First, he looked around to find a way out. His effort yielded a result. He found a boy with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. Secondly he led the boy to Jesus. A miracle happened. He became part of the solution.
There is a big contrast between these two approaches. Philip tried to solve the problem by himself. It is not possible to solve everything by oneself. We need to resort to the help of others. Ours is not an isolated existence but a shared one. No one can solve all the problems alone. We need others. It is equally important to turn to God. Nothing is in short supply with God. In his hands everything multiplies. Andrew realized this.
A HELPING HAND!
It is not enough to turn to others and God to solve all the problems, we need to do our part too। The boy played a crucial role in solving the problem. He was willing to share. The result of sharing was a miracle.
Our surplus is not ours. It belongs to the needy. God has provided the world with more than what is needed. He has shared everything with us. He even shared His Son. He needs our cooperation. In a certain sense, He has only whatever we offer back to Him.
What may happen if we are unwilling to share? I shall never forget this little incident. In the monastery, I was in charge of the orchard. All kinds of fruit trees were growing there. The main attraction of that particular season was a mango tree. It had only two branches. Both branches produced more fruits than each branch could support. Children started to come by and eventually they started to pluck the mangos. Because of this, we had to hire a watchman to keep the children away and protect the mangos. One morning when I came to the orchard, I could not believe my eyes. Both branches were broken and were lying on the ground. The mangos were also scattered on the ground. Apparently, the weight of the mangos was too much for the branches to support.
God is so generous. He comes to us every day with so many blessings. If we do not share them, these very blessings will become the cause of our destruction. The rich man, in the story about Lazarus in the Bible, was punished not because of his wealth, but because of his unwillingness to share. Alone we are helpless but together we are strong. Togetherness must start with me. We are called to be part of the solution.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
TIME FOR ONESELF
(16th Sunday in Ordinary Time-B)
A few days ago we celebrated the feast of St. Benedict, the Father of Western Monasticism. He is known for his spirituality of moderation. According to Benedict a genuine spiritual life consists of three elements: Time for prayer, time for rest and time for work. In spite of our hectic activities, the importance of time for rest cannot be ignored. Jesus understood this point more than anybody else. The gospel reading for this Sunday underlines this point. When the disciples returned after their mission trip, Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Matthew 6:30). Before assigning them another mission Jesus invited them to rest.
Time for oneself (rest) is important for various reasons. It helps to discover who we are, to evaluate our previous actions and to get recharged for future plans. A story is told about William James, the founder of Behavior Therapy. One day a lady called him at his office for an afternoon appointment for the following day. William said, “I sorry, I already have an appointment at that time tomorrow. Please visit with me another time.” The following day, she happened to pass through his residence in the afternoon. To her surprise, she saw William James lying in the garden enjoying the breeze. She was very upset. She approached him and said: “You are a liar. You denied me an appointment saying that you are overbooked.” William said: “I did not lie to you. I have an appointment. My appointment is with myself. The time I spend for myself rejuvenates me to help others more effectively.”
Meeting with oneself is important. This becomes more productive if we discover ourselves in the presence of Jesus. In the second reading (Ephesians 2:13-18) Paul says, “Our peace is real when we come closer to Jesus because as we read in the Psalm, “When He is at my side I fear no evil.” (PS 23). Jesus invited his disciples to rest with Him. “Come to me, all you labor and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28)
Jesus invited his disciples for a rest because He was attentive to their needs. Often we are aware of our needs and privileges. How often are we sensitive to the needs of others? Like a good shepherd Jesus had a personal knowledge of his sheep. He was a person-oriented leader. A task-oriented person is not concerned about the need of his subjects, only his own personal benefits. For him the task is important not the person. For Jesus, the wellbeing of the messenger was as important as the message. How do I treat people who are entrusted to my care?
Overemphasis on oneself, however, can lead us into selfishness. Here Jesus himself is the model. Even though Jesus withdrew to a deserted place with his disciples, when He saw the crowd coming towards him, his heart was moved with pity for them. He forgot about himself and made himself available to them. Jesus had the right priority and the right priority gave him the right balance.
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(16th Sunday in Ordinary Time-B)
A few days ago we celebrated the feast of St. Benedict, the Father of Western Monasticism. He is known for his spirituality of moderation. According to Benedict a genuine spiritual life consists of three elements: Time for prayer, time for rest and time for work. In spite of our hectic activities, the importance of time for rest cannot be ignored. Jesus understood this point more than anybody else. The gospel reading for this Sunday underlines this point. When the disciples returned after their mission trip, Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Matthew 6:30). Before assigning them another mission Jesus invited them to rest.
Time for oneself (rest) is important for various reasons. It helps to discover who we are, to evaluate our previous actions and to get recharged for future plans. A story is told about William James, the founder of Behavior Therapy. One day a lady called him at his office for an afternoon appointment for the following day. William said, “I sorry, I already have an appointment at that time tomorrow. Please visit with me another time.” The following day, she happened to pass through his residence in the afternoon. To her surprise, she saw William James lying in the garden enjoying the breeze. She was very upset. She approached him and said: “You are a liar. You denied me an appointment saying that you are overbooked.” William said: “I did not lie to you. I have an appointment. My appointment is with myself. The time I spend for myself rejuvenates me to help others more effectively.”
Meeting with oneself is important. This becomes more productive if we discover ourselves in the presence of Jesus. In the second reading (Ephesians 2:13-18) Paul says, “Our peace is real when we come closer to Jesus because as we read in the Psalm, “When He is at my side I fear no evil.” (PS 23). Jesus invited his disciples to rest with Him. “Come to me, all you labor and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28)
Jesus invited his disciples for a rest because He was attentive to their needs. Often we are aware of our needs and privileges. How often are we sensitive to the needs of others? Like a good shepherd Jesus had a personal knowledge of his sheep. He was a person-oriented leader. A task-oriented person is not concerned about the need of his subjects, only his own personal benefits. For him the task is important not the person. For Jesus, the wellbeing of the messenger was as important as the message. How do I treat people who are entrusted to my care?
Overemphasis on oneself, however, can lead us into selfishness. Here Jesus himself is the model. Even though Jesus withdrew to a deserted place with his disciples, when He saw the crowd coming towards him, his heart was moved with pity for them. He forgot about himself and made himself available to them. Jesus had the right priority and the right priority gave him the right balance.
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Thursday, July 9, 2009
DREAMING TOGETHER
(Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time-B)
The gospel reading for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time talks about Jesus sending his disciples on a mission. Mission is an inseparable part of discipleship. As John Paul II put it rightly, faith remains incomplete if it is not shared. The notion of mission runs throughout Scripture. For example, Abraham had a mission to fulfill. His mission was to bring blessings to the nations (Genesis 12: 2-3). Like any other prophets, Amos also had a mission to fulfill. The first reading deals with the mission of Amos (Amos 7:12-15). The Gospel talks about the dynamics of evangelization (Mark 7:6-13).
Even though, the central theme of the reading is Mission, what struck me, however, is the way Jesus sent his disciples on the mission. Mark says’ “Jesus summoned the twelve and began to send them out two by two.” Jesus sent them in twos. No one was sent alone. People may interpret it differently. The testimonies of two people bring authenticity to the message. This could be a possible reason for dispatching them in twos. The journey that the disciples were on was through a rough route. The need for companionship or mutual support could be another reason for this particular gesture of Jesus. A deeper reflection on this topic, however, brings forth a few more insights into the discussion.
Evangelization is Team Work, not a One Man Show…!
I remember a discussion that I had with a Seminary Rector some years ago, he said: “The number one criterion I use in evaluating a candidate for priesthood is whether he has the ability to get along with other Seminarians; whether he can work together.” I thought it was an interesting norm for evaluation. This is true precisely because of the nature of the message and the message is communion and fellowship.’ It is a message of dreaming together. A seminarian who could not work with his fellow seminarian is unfit to become a priest as he is called to represent Christ, the great reconciler and mediator. This is equally applicable to any messenger of Christ. A disciple is not called to walk alone but work together for the glory of God.
Evangelization is more than preaching, it is living the Gospel…!
The world does not need any more preachers. It is desperately looking for doers. Jesus wanted his disciples to show the world what does it means to be Christian in concrete terms. Jesus expected from his disciples more than preaching but living the Gospel. When Jesus sent them in groups, probably this was what he had in mind. Jesus emphasized this point right from the beginning of his ministry. 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 together the scattered disciples. Working together is the concrete expression of living the Christian message that is a message of love. I know a Bishop in North India who has a novel method of evangelization. He invites Christian families from South India to come and live with non-Christians for a couple a years. The Bishop believes that the non-Christian families will get inspired by the life style of Christian families. Like Francis of Assisi said’ “Preach the Gospel all the time but use word only when it is necessary.””
The Challenges of working together…!
Working together is not easy in a situation where people want to put their thumb impression on everything they do. The question of who gets the credit can interfere with ministry. People who prefer a ‘One Man Show’ preach not Jesus but self. They attract people to themselves not to God. Hence, Jesus instructed them to focus on him alone and not depend on anything else on their journey. He also told them not to waste time trying to impress upon others. “If any one does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there…”. Our goal must be to remain holy and without blemish before God (Ephesians 1: 3).
If you look at any group, you may find four categories of people. Four different kinds of roles displayed in any given group. There are leaders, contributors, spectators and critics. Everybody may not possess the ability for leadership. People who are good at certain areas may not be effective in a different field. Problems arise when people compete for positions/ power. They do this as they count success as the norm for greatness. The truth is that it is not success but faithfulness that matters in the Kingdom of God. There is, however, a role that anybody can play, the role of a contributor. Everybody can be a contributor. It does not require much. For example, supporting a good idea is an example of contribution. The other two roles are destructive. While spectators (sleepers) weaken the strength of a community, critics often destroy it.
The important question one needs to ask is: Am I a team player and how do I contribute to build up the Body of Christ? For a body to function normally, every member of the body has to play its role. How does my life reflect my mission/ role?
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Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. (Henry Ford)
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(Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time-B)
The gospel reading for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time talks about Jesus sending his disciples on a mission. Mission is an inseparable part of discipleship. As John Paul II put it rightly, faith remains incomplete if it is not shared. The notion of mission runs throughout Scripture. For example, Abraham had a mission to fulfill. His mission was to bring blessings to the nations (Genesis 12: 2-3). Like any other prophets, Amos also had a mission to fulfill. The first reading deals with the mission of Amos (Amos 7:12-15). The Gospel talks about the dynamics of evangelization (Mark 7:6-13).
Even though, the central theme of the reading is Mission, what struck me, however, is the way Jesus sent his disciples on the mission. Mark says’ “Jesus summoned the twelve and began to send them out two by two.” Jesus sent them in twos. No one was sent alone. People may interpret it differently. The testimonies of two people bring authenticity to the message. This could be a possible reason for dispatching them in twos. The journey that the disciples were on was through a rough route. The need for companionship or mutual support could be another reason for this particular gesture of Jesus. A deeper reflection on this topic, however, brings forth a few more insights into the discussion.
Evangelization is Team Work, not a One Man Show…!
I remember a discussion that I had with a Seminary Rector some years ago, he said: “The number one criterion I use in evaluating a candidate for priesthood is whether he has the ability to get along with other Seminarians; whether he can work together.” I thought it was an interesting norm for evaluation. This is true precisely because of the nature of the message and the message is communion and fellowship.’ It is a message of dreaming together. A seminarian who could not work with his fellow seminarian is unfit to become a priest as he is called to represent Christ, the great reconciler and mediator. This is equally applicable to any messenger of Christ. A disciple is not called to walk alone but work together for the glory of God.
Evangelization is more than preaching, it is living the Gospel…!
The world does not need any more preachers. It is desperately looking for doers. Jesus wanted his disciples to show the world what does it means to be Christian in concrete terms. Jesus expected from his disciples more than preaching but living the Gospel. When Jesus sent them in groups, probably this was what he had in mind. Jesus emphasized this point right from the beginning of his ministry. 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 together the scattered disciples. Working together is the concrete expression of living the Christian message that is a message of love. I know a Bishop in North India who has a novel method of evangelization. He invites Christian families from South India to come and live with non-Christians for a couple a years. The Bishop believes that the non-Christian families will get inspired by the life style of Christian families. Like Francis of Assisi said’ “Preach the Gospel all the time but use word only when it is necessary.””
The Challenges of working together…!
Working together is not easy in a situation where people want to put their thumb impression on everything they do. The question of who gets the credit can interfere with ministry. People who prefer a ‘One Man Show’ preach not Jesus but self. They attract people to themselves not to God. Hence, Jesus instructed them to focus on him alone and not depend on anything else on their journey. He also told them not to waste time trying to impress upon others. “If any one does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there…”. Our goal must be to remain holy and without blemish before God (Ephesians 1: 3).
If you look at any group, you may find four categories of people. Four different kinds of roles displayed in any given group. There are leaders, contributors, spectators and critics. Everybody may not possess the ability for leadership. People who are good at certain areas may not be effective in a different field. Problems arise when people compete for positions/ power. They do this as they count success as the norm for greatness. The truth is that it is not success but faithfulness that matters in the Kingdom of God. There is, however, a role that anybody can play, the role of a contributor. Everybody can be a contributor. It does not require much. For example, supporting a good idea is an example of contribution. The other two roles are destructive. While spectators (sleepers) weaken the strength of a community, critics often destroy it.
The important question one needs to ask is: Am I a team player and how do I contribute to build up the Body of Christ? For a body to function normally, every member of the body has to play its role. How does my life reflect my mission/ role?
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Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. (Henry Ford)
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Crises Management
(Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time---B)
Rejection and unfair criticisms are not uncommon. The Scripture readings for the fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time deal with this social sin. During his commissioning Ezekiel was warned that his message would be rejected by people. The gospel reading also describes a situation where Jesus faces opposition, rejection and humiliation from his own people. Like Jesus and Ezekiel, we too may have stories of rejection to share.
It is impossible to eliminate oppositions and prejudices as long as people differ in ideologies and perceptions. Therefore the challenge is how to approach people who always oppose us and put trouble on our way? How do we handle them without losing our peace? The Gospel reading this Sunday has an answer to this question. When Jesus was outrageously criticized and humiliated by racial comments, instead of being carried away by their attitude and observations, instead of getting frustrated and impatient by their inhuman behavior, Jesus approached that crisis situation in a very gentle and professional way. Jesus did 4 things:
1. Jesus put things in its proper context/ situation: Before reacting to their criticism, Jesus analyzed the psychology and the nature of the people. Jesus discovered that they did the same to other prophets too. So this was nothing new. Jesus realized that being this was the nature of the people; he could not expect anything better from them. The same way, when people criticize us or pass negative comments about us, wait a minute and ask: who are these people? What is their background? Are they mature? If they are mature people, listen to what they are saying otherwise ignore them.
2. Jesus waited with patience for a favorable time: When Jesus realized that they were stubborn and prejudiced, he did not try to convert them by argument or by force. Jesus gave them time to reflect. Argument will not do any good. Give them time to realize their folly.
3. Jesus did not take it as personal. Jesus did not take their criticism as personal. Criticism can be self destructive if we allow them to touch our ego. In that case, we become self defensive and over reactive. In this context St. Paul’s experience is educative. He said’ “When I am weak, then I am strong. Power is made perfect in weakness. God’s grace is enough for me.” Our moments of failure can be turning points in our lives that eventually lead us to greatness
4. Refocuses his attention: Jesus did not change his teaching because of their rejection of his teaching rather he changed the audience. Jesus moved to another place where they were willing to listen. When we are faced with rejection and humiliation, instead of wasting our energy justifying our position, go to the people who understand and appreciate us.
If we can apply this methodology of Jesus in our crisis situation, that will give us hope and peace।
(Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time---B)
Rejection and unfair criticisms are not uncommon. The Scripture readings for the fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time deal with this social sin. During his commissioning Ezekiel was warned that his message would be rejected by people. The gospel reading also describes a situation where Jesus faces opposition, rejection and humiliation from his own people. Like Jesus and Ezekiel, we too may have stories of rejection to share.
It is impossible to eliminate oppositions and prejudices as long as people differ in ideologies and perceptions. Therefore the challenge is how to approach people who always oppose us and put trouble on our way? How do we handle them without losing our peace? The Gospel reading this Sunday has an answer to this question. When Jesus was outrageously criticized and humiliated by racial comments, instead of being carried away by their attitude and observations, instead of getting frustrated and impatient by their inhuman behavior, Jesus approached that crisis situation in a very gentle and professional way. Jesus did 4 things:
1. Jesus put things in its proper context/ situation: Before reacting to their criticism, Jesus analyzed the psychology and the nature of the people. Jesus discovered that they did the same to other prophets too. So this was nothing new. Jesus realized that being this was the nature of the people; he could not expect anything better from them. The same way, when people criticize us or pass negative comments about us, wait a minute and ask: who are these people? What is their background? Are they mature? If they are mature people, listen to what they are saying otherwise ignore them.
2. Jesus waited with patience for a favorable time: When Jesus realized that they were stubborn and prejudiced, he did not try to convert them by argument or by force. Jesus gave them time to reflect. Argument will not do any good. Give them time to realize their folly.
3. Jesus did not take it as personal. Jesus did not take their criticism as personal. Criticism can be self destructive if we allow them to touch our ego. In that case, we become self defensive and over reactive. In this context St. Paul’s experience is educative. He said’ “When I am weak, then I am strong. Power is made perfect in weakness. God’s grace is enough for me.” Our moments of failure can be turning points in our lives that eventually lead us to greatness
4. Refocuses his attention: Jesus did not change his teaching because of their rejection of his teaching rather he changed the audience. Jesus moved to another place where they were willing to listen. When we are faced with rejection and humiliation, instead of wasting our energy justifying our position, go to the people who understand and appreciate us.
If we can apply this methodology of Jesus in our crisis situation, that will give us hope and peace।
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One minute wisdom
A little black boy was watching the balloon man at the country fair. He was trying to get the attention of a crowd of young customers. The balloon man allowed a red balloon to break loose and soar high up in the air. Then he released a blue balloon, then a white one and a yellow one. They all went soaring up into the sky until they disappeared. The little black boy stood looking at the black balloon for a long time, then asked, “Sir, if you send the black one up would it go as high as the others?” The balloon man gave the kid an understanding smile. He snapped the string that held the black balloon in place and, as it soared upwards, said, “ It is not the color, son. It is what’s inside that makes it rise.” (Anthony De Mello)
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One minute wisdom
A little black boy was watching the balloon man at the country fair. He was trying to get the attention of a crowd of young customers. The balloon man allowed a red balloon to break loose and soar high up in the air. Then he released a blue balloon, then a white one and a yellow one. They all went soaring up into the sky until they disappeared. The little black boy stood looking at the black balloon for a long time, then asked, “Sir, if you send the black one up would it go as high as the others?” The balloon man gave the kid an understanding smile. He snapped the string that held the black balloon in place and, as it soared upwards, said, “ It is not the color, son. It is what’s inside that makes it rise.” (Anthony De Mello)
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Challenges of Faith
(13th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
The gospel reading for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time presents two healing stories for our prayerful consideration: The healing of a woman afflicted with hemorrhages and the raising of the synagogue official’s daughter (Mark 5:21-43). These stories are important as they give us insightful tips for our spiritual life. I would like to mention a few of them.
1. Equal availability of God’s love…!
The Woman and Jairus, the main characters of the stories respectively, represent two groups of people: the marginalized and the centralized. The woman in the story personified the ‘voiceless, nameless and faceless’ people of the society. For example, she has no name, no title and no address. She is simply nobody. She is one among the crowd. On the other hand, Jairus has a name, title and address. He represents the elite and the privileged. Differences in their social standings, however, did not make any impact on the approach of Jesus. He was equally present to both. God is the God of all. Everybody is equally precious before His eyes. He has our names carved in the palm of his hands. He does not leave the lost one on the way thinking that “I have the 99 with me.” (Lk 15: 4-7). As St. Paul says: Jesus became poor to make every one rich before God (2Cor 8:7-15).
2. Faith, Precondition for God’s Grace…!
Jesus asked everyone who came seeking his help: “Do you believe that I can do this for you?” It is faith that does the magic. The faith of the woman was unparalleled. She said: If I touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” What a tremendous example of trusting faith. Like Abraham she believed with full confidence that ‘God will provide’. A genuine faith has the following two characteristics.
A). Expectant Faith: It is praying with the conviction that you have already received what you are praying for. This little story may help to illustrate this point. A whole area was very badly affected by a drought. People started praying for rain. The parish priest arranged a prayer service for this petition. The date was picked and was announced in the church. People from all over the region rushed to the church to pray. But after the Holy Mass, the parish priest, to everyone’s surprise, announced that the prayer service for rain has been canceled. “Why?” all the people shouted. “Nobody brought an umbrella”, the priest replied.
B) Action Oriented Faith: A genuine faith is always accompanying some action. For instance, the woman in the gospel story touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak. The synagogue official fell at the feet of Jesus. Zacchaeus climbed the tree. These were external expressions of their faith.
3. Crowd, a constant obstacle
When Jesus said, “This Child is not dead but sleep”, the crowd ridiculed him. “Why trouble the Teacher, she is dead.” Even Jairus’ own people responded in a similar fashion. Very often crowd is an obstacle to come closer to Jesus. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to avoid the crowd. The four men who brought a paralyzed man to Jesus had to break open the roof to bring him closer to Jesus (Mk 2: 3-4). Jesus removed the doubting crowd before he healed the child. Mark says, “He put them all out.” (Mk 5:40). How do I overcome the pressures of a crowd? A disciple is someone who steps out of the crowd and declare Jesus publicly.
(13th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
The gospel reading for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time presents two healing stories for our prayerful consideration: The healing of a woman afflicted with hemorrhages and the raising of the synagogue official’s daughter (Mark 5:21-43). These stories are important as they give us insightful tips for our spiritual life. I would like to mention a few of them.
1. Equal availability of God’s love…!
The Woman and Jairus, the main characters of the stories respectively, represent two groups of people: the marginalized and the centralized. The woman in the story personified the ‘voiceless, nameless and faceless’ people of the society. For example, she has no name, no title and no address. She is simply nobody. She is one among the crowd. On the other hand, Jairus has a name, title and address. He represents the elite and the privileged. Differences in their social standings, however, did not make any impact on the approach of Jesus. He was equally present to both. God is the God of all. Everybody is equally precious before His eyes. He has our names carved in the palm of his hands. He does not leave the lost one on the way thinking that “I have the 99 with me.” (Lk 15: 4-7). As St. Paul says: Jesus became poor to make every one rich before God (2Cor 8:7-15).
2. Faith, Precondition for God’s Grace…!
Jesus asked everyone who came seeking his help: “Do you believe that I can do this for you?” It is faith that does the magic. The faith of the woman was unparalleled. She said: If I touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” What a tremendous example of trusting faith. Like Abraham she believed with full confidence that ‘God will provide’. A genuine faith has the following two characteristics.
A). Expectant Faith: It is praying with the conviction that you have already received what you are praying for. This little story may help to illustrate this point. A whole area was very badly affected by a drought. People started praying for rain. The parish priest arranged a prayer service for this petition. The date was picked and was announced in the church. People from all over the region rushed to the church to pray. But after the Holy Mass, the parish priest, to everyone’s surprise, announced that the prayer service for rain has been canceled. “Why?” all the people shouted. “Nobody brought an umbrella”, the priest replied.
B) Action Oriented Faith: A genuine faith is always accompanying some action. For instance, the woman in the gospel story touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak. The synagogue official fell at the feet of Jesus. Zacchaeus climbed the tree. These were external expressions of their faith.
3. Crowd, a constant obstacle
When Jesus said, “This Child is not dead but sleep”, the crowd ridiculed him. “Why trouble the Teacher, she is dead.” Even Jairus’ own people responded in a similar fashion. Very often crowd is an obstacle to come closer to Jesus. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to avoid the crowd. The four men who brought a paralyzed man to Jesus had to break open the roof to bring him closer to Jesus (Mk 2: 3-4). Jesus removed the doubting crowd before he healed the child. Mark says, “He put them all out.” (Mk 5:40). How do I overcome the pressures of a crowd? A disciple is someone who steps out of the crowd and declare Jesus publicly.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
LOOK UP
12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
The gospel reading for the 12th Sunday of the ordinary time (Jesus stilling the storm) reminds me of a story that I heard when I was in the fourth grade. Once, a teacher took his students on a trip to the ocean shoreline. They took a ride in a sailboat. Suddenly they ran into a tempest which really rocked the boat. The sail itself was snapped into two and part of it fell into the boat. The boat lost its control and direction. The roaring waves began to spill over into the boat. “We are in danger. If any one of you has the courage, climb up the mast and then tie the remainder of the sail to the mast. That way we are able to regain control of the boat,” the Captain said.
One of the boys climbed up and tied the sail to the mast. Then he tried to climb down. He couldn’t because while he was climbing down he looked into the boat and into the sea. He saw that the boat was filling with water. The waves were crashing into the boat and rocking it. He was scared and started crying out in panic. “Don’t look down. Look up and climb down,” the Captain instructed him. The boy did as the captain ordered. The sky looked calm and quiet now. So the boy no longer felt scared and nervous. He felt confident, so he continued to climb down while looking up. The captain then told the students, “The world is an ocean and our lives are like small boats in it. When problems and difficulties arise and rock our little lives don’t get panic but look up, look up to heaven. God is there to comfort and console us.”
Look up. Turn to God. Come into his presence. You will be safe. This is the message of the Gospel reading too (Mk: 35-41). Remember the Gospel story. The violent storm rocked their boat. The disciples were in panic. In fear and tremble, they cried out and awakened Jesus. Everything cooled down. They experienced stillness and calmness. Three things are important to notice.
1. They did everything right. It is true that they were panic and fearful. Their frustration, however, turned into a prayer. Frustrations and hopelessness, anxieties and worries, pain and struggles, all these are part of life. What is important is how we respond to that. The story of Job is a great example of growing through struggles.
2. Who was really sleeping, Jesus or Disciples? The faith of the disciples was asleep. Even though Jesus was with them, they experienced his absence. This is possible in our life too. The busy-ness of our life can take away our focus from God. They re-turned to Jesus, everything once again returned to the normal. Focus on Jesus. Only then you will be safe. When you focus on yourself, all kinds of problems will pop up. Doing the latter is like looking at things that are too close when we are traveling in a car at a fast speed. When you look at objects that are close up, they will appear to be moving away from you. But if you look at distant things, they will move along with you. Those who are rooted in Jesus are never uprooted.
3. Peaceful storm. Jesus and the disciples were facing the same storm. They, however, responded differently. While the storm shattered their peace, Jesus, slept peacefully. Jesus did so because He was always in the presence of God, his Father.
Awaken to God’s presence and awake his presence in you. You will be safe and no storm will touch you. Those who put their trust in the Lord are like mount Zion, that cannot be shaken, that stands for ever. As mountains surround Jerusalem, the Lord surrounds his people both now and forever (Ps 125:1-2).
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