To hear the Audio Reflections of Friday, August 17, 2018 click HERE
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Thursday, 16 August 2018
Friday, August 17, 2018 - Do you usually take the “easy way” or the “right way”?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 16:1-15,60,63; Mt 19:3-12
The context of today’s reading is immediately after Jesus has
finished instructing his disciples (19:1-2) in the “Community Discourse” (18:1-35). The text is found also in Mark 10:1-12, but Matthew has made some
changes to suit his purpose. In Matthew, Jesus begins his response to the
Pharisees question about the legality of divorce by going back to Genesis 1:27
and 2:24 (in Mark the quotations from Genesis come later). In Matthew, the
Pharisees respond to Jesus’ quotation by citing Deut. 24:1, which allowed
divorce, and this prompts Jesus to move to the situational application.
The
union of husband and wife is the creation of God and must be regarded as such
(in Mark, they respond in this manner after a question from Jesus about what
Moses commanded them). Matthew omits 10:12 of Mark, which reflects the Gentile
provision for a woman’s initiating a divorce, since this is not applicable from
his Jewish perspective. Matthew adds an exception clause; “except for
unchastity” as he did earlier in 5:32, and in doing so makes the teaching of
Jesus, a situational application rather than a legalistic code.
19:10-12 is exclusive to Matthew, and in them Jesus responds to
the comment of the disciples that it is better not to marry. Those “who are
made eunuchs by men” seems to refer to the pagan practice of literal castration
as a religious practice, and this is rejected by Jesus. Those “who have made
themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom” seems to refer to those who
choose to remain celibate in order to concentrate more fully on the kingdom,
rather than get weighed down by family cares.
No matter what state of life one chooses, one must remain
faithful to one’s commitment in that state of life. The grass seems greener on
the other side, but only till we go to the other side.
Friday, August 17, 2018 - Ezekiel 16:1-15,60,63; Mt 19:3-12
Friday, August 17, 2018 - Ezekiel 16:1-15,60,63; Mt 19:3-12
Wednesday, 15 August 2018
Audio Reflections of Thursday, August 16, 2018
To hear the Audio Reflections of Thursday, August 16, 2018 click HERE
Thursday, August 16, 2018 - What would be your position if God kept a grudge against you for every sin you committed? Will you give up all your un-forgiveness today?
The text of today is the conclusion to Matthew’s “Community
Discourse” (18:1-35). It begins with a question from Peter about the number of
times one is expected to forgive. While Peter proposes seven times, Jesus’
response far exceeds that proposal. The number seventy-seven can be
understood in this way or even as four hundred ninety (seventy times seven).
The point is not so much about numbers but about forgiveness from the heart. If
one has to count the number of times one is forgiving, it means that one is not
really forgiving at all.
The story that follows in 18:23-35 about the king
who forgave his servant a debt of ten thousand talents (a talent was more than
fifteen years wages of a labourer) and that same servant who would not forgive
another servant who owed him a mere hundred denarii (a denarius was the usual
day’s wage for a labourer). The point that the parable makes is that the one who was forgiven has not accepted the forgiveness. If he had, he would have been able to forgive in turn.
We expect to be forgiven by other when we do them harm after we
have said sorry, and sometimes if they do not forgive us, we get upset with
them even more. We need to apply the same yardstick to ourselves when others
ask for forgiveness from us.
Thursday, August 16, 2018 - Ezekiel 12:1-12; Mt 18:21 – 19:1
Thursday, August 16, 2018 - Ezekiel 12:1-12; Mt 18:21 – 19:1
Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 - The Assumption of our Blessed Mother and India's Independence Day
To read the texts click on the texts: Rev 11:19; 12:1-6,10; 1 Cor 15:20-26; Lk 1:39-56
Today we celebrate two
significant and related events. These are The Assumption of our Blessed Mother
and Independence Day in India. Both are celebrated on the same date: August 15.
The reason why these events
are related is because they are both about Freedom. Independence is celebrated
as freedom from foreign rule and domination to self rule and governance and the
Assumption may be seen as a freedom from this limited and incomplete life to
the bliss of eternal and perpetual life.
The verses which make up the
Gospel text of today are commonly known as “The Magnificat” or Mary’s hymn of
praise. It seems to have been modeled on the prayer of Samuel’s mother, Hannah,
in 1 Sam 2:1-10 and contains many Old Testament concepts and phrases. It
communicates a picture of Mary as someone quite steeped in scripture. It
reveals God primarily as a God of the poor. God is the one who will vindicate
the poor by removing the rich and mighty from their positions and raising the
lowly.
The hymn may be seen to be
divided into four parts. The first part consists of praise to God for what he
has done in and for Mary; the second part speaks of God’s power, holiness and
mercy; the third part shows God acting as a Sovereign in reversing social
conditions in favor of the poor and downtrodden; and the fourth and final part
recalls God’s mercy and promises to Israel.
The hymn speaks of the
effects of the Lord’s coming for all of God’s people. It begins on a note of
salvation as Mary acknowledges her dependence on God. It was the grace of God
that sustained and brought her to the position in which she finds herself. She
has not achieved anything on her own, it is all a gift of God and thus, Mary
acknowledges her humble state, referring to herself as God’s servant. She is to
be called “blessed’ because God, in his mercy and goodness, had raised her to
this level.
God has shown this mercy and
goodness to the poor by showing the strength of his arm, by scattering the
proud, and deposing the powerful. The poor, on the other hand, have been
raised, and the hungry have been filled. God remembers not only those of old
but also the present generation. He is a God not only of the past, but also a
God of the present, the now.
The stress
on God as a God primarily of the poor stands out in Mary’s hymn of praise. In a
world where the rich seem to be getting richer and the poor, poorer, one
wonders whether the Magnificat is a hymn that can make sense to the poor, to
those of low degree. Yet, it is important to remember that God’s ways are not
our ways and so, the poor must, in confidence, sing this song as their song.
The confidence with which Mary sings this song runs through the entire hymn.
She uses past tense to denote God’s future actions, thus expressing that God
will indeed accomplish his will, and the poor will be vindicated. What is
important for the poor to realize is that they, like Mary, need to continue to
open themselves to all that God wants to do in them. They need to continue to
acknowledge their dependence on God by doing all that is required of them and
then, leaving the rest in his capable and strong hands.
Even as we do celebrate
these events, we need to ask ourselves serious questions both as Indians and
Christians. Can we be really free when in Assam a woman is raped and
dehumanized in full public view? Can we be really free when officials stand by
and watch and even participate in these dastardly acts? Can we be free when
female foeticide is so high in our country and where in many places the girl
child is seen as a liability and burden rather than a blessing? Can we be
really free when we are so intent on destroying our natural resources for
selfish ends and then have to wonder whether we will have enough rain to see us
through the year? Can we call ourselves Christians when we will not do anything
about these atrocities and continue with our lives as if it does not concern
us?
Are we really free? Are we
truly Christian?
Let the celebrations of
Independence Day and the Assumption of our Blessed Mother be wake-up calls for
us to rouse ourselves from our slumber and do something tangible to right the
wrongs.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 - The Assumption of Mary
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 - The Assumption -Rev 11:19; 12:1-6,10; 1 Cor 15:20-26; Lk 1:39-56
Monday, 13 August 2018
Audio Reflections of Tuesday, August 14, 2018
To hear the Audio Reflections of Tuesday, August 14, 2018 click HERE
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 - Has your behaviour resulted in anyone being scandalised? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 2:8 – 3:4; Mt 18:1-5,10,12-14
The text of today is taken from what is termed by some as
Matthew’s “Community Discourse” (18:1-35). It is the fourth of the long
discourses in Matthew. Some see the discourse as divided clearly into two parts
(18:1-14 and 18:15-35), with various indications, which point to such a
division. Some of these indications are as follows: Both sections end with a
parable (18:12-13 and 18:23-34), after the parable is a concluding statement
of Jesus, which begins with the word “So” (18:14.35), there is also in the
sayings, a reference to the heavenly Father and the saying is about the subject
of the preceding section (“little ones” and “brother/sister”).
The discourse begins with a question about the disciples
regarding greatness. Unlike in Mark 9:33, there is no dispute among the
disciples about who is the greatest. In his response, Jesus makes clear that
being in the kingdom or coming into it, is not a matter of one’s talents or
qualities, but “becoming like a child”. In first-century Judaism, children
were often regarded as inferior and were treated as property rather than as
persons. The point Jesus makes here is that one must acknowledge dependence on
the Father. The reception of a child is an indication that one has accepted the
values of the kingdom and one is no longer concerned about being greatest.
Since God does not give up on anyone, Christians must also be prepared to
accept those who may have strayed. Not only must they be valued, but they must
also be sought out like God himself seeks them. The focus in Matthew’s parable
is on the sheep that has gone astray. This means that the straying members of
the community ought to be the focus also of the community.
While to be a Christian one has to make an individual
commitment, one cannot forget that Christianity is also and even primarily a
communitarian religion. This means that each is responsible for the other. I am
indeed my brother or sister’s keeper.
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