Since freedom is a gift, it cannot be earned or acquired through one’s antecedents. It is made visible in the actions that one performs.
Tuesday, 31 March 2020
There is no fear in Love, but Perfect love casts out fear
Where does fear come from? It cannot come from outside
of a person. If it did then everyone would have been afraid of the same
stimulus. This is surely not true. Fear comes from my way of perceiving or
looking. I perceive or see wrongly because of which I think wrongly and so FEEL
wrongly. Fear is an illusion. It is not real. The only reality is LOVE. There
is no fear in love, but perfect love, casts out fear.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - Daily Mass
Jesus’ coming into the world was not primarily to die but to save. Yet, if this salvation could only be achieved through his death on a cross, then so be it. Even as he is crucified, the very ones who crucify him realize that what they have done is nailed love incarnate to the cross. This love accepts, forgives and continues to love even from the cross.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 - What is the falsehood that is binding you? Will you let go of it and allow the truth to set you free?
The verses which form the
text for today contain what may be seen as the fundamental lines of debate and
disagreement between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. In these verses the
succeeding verse builds up on the preceding one and thus intensifies the
debate. The sayings are addressed to the Jews who “believed in him”. Though
these do, their faith seems inadequate as is seen in their response to Jesus to
come to the truth.
The truth that Jesus refers to here is not an abstract
principle but the presence of God in Jesus. The recognition of this truth
results in a person’s being set free. The words “will make you free’ result in
upsetting the listeners who protest that since they are Abraham’s descendants
they are naturally free. However, they do not realize that in rejecting Jesus
they are also rejecting Abraham and so are not really his descendants and
consequently not free.
Since freedom is a gift, it cannot be earned or acquired
through one’s antecedents. It is made visible in the actions that one performs.
If one performs sinful actions, then one is a slave and so not free. Though the
Jews claim to be descendants of Abraham, their actions do not correspond to
their claim. They are guilty of the sinful action of trying to kill Jesus.
Freedom is possible only through the Son who alone can make free because he is
the Truth. In order to receive this freedom one must be able to recognize the
truth of who Jesus is. This they cannot do.
Monday, 30 March 2020
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - Homily for today
Jesus’ coming into the world was not primarily to die but to save. Yet, if this salvation could only be achieved through his death on a cross, then so be it. Even as he is crucified, the very ones who crucify him realize that what they have done is nailed love incarnate to the cross. This love accepts, forgives and continues to love even from the cross.
Monday, March 30, 2020 - Daily Mass - YouTube
The God revealed in Jesus is a God who does not condemn, a God who accepts each of us as we are and a God who even when we find it difficult to forgive ourselves, keeps forgiving and accepting us.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - Are you able to experience like Jesus joy even in the midst of your pain?
To read the texts click on the texts: Num21:4-9; Jn 8:21-30
The words which begin
today’s text continue the theme of Jesus’ departure begun in 8:14. Here, it is
his death, resurrection and ascension which will be the focus. Though God has
revealed himself in Jesus, the Jewish leaders have refused to recognize him.
This is the sin in which they will die. When Jesus speaks of his departure, he
is misunderstood. The Jewish leaders think of suicide, but Jesus speaks of
laying down his life of his own accord for the salvation of all. The reason why
they misunderstand is because they and Jesus stand on opposite sides. They are
from below and of this world, Jesus is from above and not of this world. If
they want to change their position, they can only do so by recognizing in
Jesus, God. The leaders are not able to do this and show that they have
completely misunderstood Jesus in the question they ask. Jesus affirms that he
has told them from the beginning who he is. He is the one sent by God and it is
God who affirms and confirms him.
When they “lift up” Jesus on
the Cross (which can also be translated as “exalt” and so mean resurrection and
ascension) then they will recognize him. This statement of being “lifted up” or
“exalted’ is the second of the three such statements in the Gospel of John. The
first appears in 3:14 and the third in 12:32-34. In these two cases because of
the use of the passive voice, the suggestion is that God will do the exalting.
It is only here that the responsibility for the “lifting up” is thrust on the
people. Thus, even as they crucify him, they will also exalt him and in this
act recognize him as the one who is. Even when on the cross Jesus will not be
alone because the Father will be with him.
Jesus’ words touch the hearts
of many who hear him and they come to believe.
Jesus’ coming into the world
was not primarily to die but to save. Yet, if this salvation could only be
achieved through his death on a cross, then so be it. Jesus was willing for it
if this was to be the only way. He was also aware that because of his faith,
trust and confidence in the Father that his crucifixion or being lifted up on
the cross would also be his resurrection and ascension, his being exalted. Even
as he is crucified, the very ones who crucify him realize that what they have
done is nailed love incarnate to the cross. This love accepts, forgives and
continues to love even from the cross.
Sunday, 29 March 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020 - Homily for today - YouTube
The God revealed in Jesus is a God who does not condemn, a God who accepts each of us as we are and a God who even when we find it difficult to forgive ourselves, keeps forgiving and accepting us.
Sunday, March 29, 2020 - Daily Mass - YouTube
Tradition, jealousy or legalism, blinded the religious leaders and prevented them from seeing the obvious. What blinds us to the truths that we should be seeing? Regardless of what it is, Jesus offers to remove blindness and show us the light.
Monday, March 30, 2020 - Do you “feel” forgiven by God? If No, why not?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; Jn 8:1-11
Most scholars today are of
the opinion that this text did nor originally belong to the Gospel of John and
was added later. Numerous reasons are put forward to support this view. One is
that the term “scribes” used here is the only time in the Gospel that it is
used. John does not use “scribes” anywhere else in his Gospel. Another reason
is that while in the rest of the Gospel of John the debates with the Jewish leaders
are long, here it is brief. This fits in better with the controversy stories of
the Synoptic Gospels. Also the Mount of Olives
is mentioned only here in the Gospel of John, though in the Synoptic Gospels it
is frequently mentioned. Jesus is addressed as “teacher” only here in John. Be
that as it may, the text is now part of John’s Gospel and we have to interpret
it within the Gospel.
This event takes place in
the Temple 20:10 ;
Deut 22:22 ), the scribes
and Pharisees accuse the woman alone and do not provide the necessary witnesses
who had “caught” the woman in the very act of committing adultery. The
intention of the scribes seems clear: it is to trap Jesus. Initially, Jesus
does not want to engage the question and so bends down and writes with his
finger on the ground. The point here is not what Jesus was writing but the
distancing gesture that he performs. Since the scribes persist in the question,
Jesus straightens up and addresses the scribes directly. The statement that he
makes takes them beyond the question that they ask to a self examination and
introspection. Once he has raised the issue, Jesus bends down again and writes
with his finger. This time, the intention of writing is to show that he has
said all that he has to say and wants them to decide what they have to do. They
do not answer in words, but through their action of leaving the place. That all
of them leave beginning with the elders is an indication that no one is without
sin. When Jesus straightens up the second time he addresses the woman who is
alone with him since all others have gone away. The woman who is addressed
directly for the first time confirms that no one is left to condemn her. Jesus
responds by not condemning her, but also challenging her to receive the new
life that forgiveness brings.
The attitude of Jesus to
people, whether those who engaged in condemnation or the condemned seems to be
the focus of the story. The questions of Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees and
the woman allows them equal opportunity to part with old ways after having
received forgiveness. Jesus condemns no one, not even those who condemn.
However, while the woman accepts the gift of new life, the scribes and
Pharisees show their non-acceptance through their actions of going away. It is
thus a story of grace and mercy freely given by God in Jesus which when
received results in a radical transformation of a person and the challenge of a
new life.
While it is true that this
story may be seen as a moral lesson informing us that we are not to judge
rashly or point fingers at others since when we do, there will be three fingers
pointing back at us, it is also a story that goes beyond this moral lesson to
the core of the revelation that God makes in Jesus. The God revealed in Jesus
is a God who does not condemn, a God who accepts each of us as we are and a God
who even when we find it difficult to forgive ourselves, keeps forgiving and
accepting us.
Saturday, 28 March 2020
Sunday, March 29, 2020 - Homily for today - YouTube
We
can make some choices about how we get to Easter. We can choose not to focus on the things of
the world that distract us and drain our life from us. We can choose to resist loving or accepting
some more than others because they are different or think differently. We can deny those things that satisfy a sense
of artificial power based on material things. We can choose to nurture a sense
that we are individually more important than who we are together, as a family.
Saturday, March 28, 20202 - Holy Mass - Eucharistic Celebration
Jesus will always remain bigger than anything that we can ever imagine. Our most intimate encounters with him must make us realize this. He cannot be captured by the concepts, words or images that we use and while these help us to get to know his better, they will always be inadequate. Yet, this does not mean that we cannot know him as intimately as we want to. He reveals himself to each of us according to the level of openness we possess.
Sunday, March 29, 2020 - Hope for the hopeless, Life for the lifeless
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek37:12-14; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45
Why
do we keep visiting the old and infirm and those in hospitals when we have no
miracle drug to take away their pain? Why do we commit ourselves to the
political process when there is so much cynicism and a malaise of despair in
politics today? Why does the Church through her priests, religious and laity
continue to reach out to those in need despite the tremendous opposition by
vested interests and the attempts at destruction of those works by those who
cannot bear to see the poor get their due and rights? The prime reason is
because we continue to believe that God is still in charge, that he is still in
control and that with his help and hope in him we will overcome.
“The
smell of death is everywhere. The pictures you see on TV do not tell the whole
story. You only see the devastation in those pictures. But when you are here,
you not only see the devastation, but you smell it, no matter where you go or
what you do.” Those who visited the tsunami disaster areas described the scene
in this way time after time. The very smell of death permeated the air. This
could also be a description of what Ezekiel may have felt when the Lord
challenged him to see that he would open the graves of the dead of Israel and
restore them to life again. Yet, the Lord did indeed act in accord with his
word and life was restored. Death which is the absence of the breath of God’s
spirit was transformed to life by the life giving spirit of God. Ezekiel
realized that there was no limit to God’s power to save and that everything was
possible for God. He continued to hope and communicated this hope to all of
Israel. Even in exile in Babylon, Israel must not give in to despair, but hope.
The Psalmist expresses this hope in the Lord. He is so confident of the mercy
of God and his power to redeem that even from the depths of despair he knows
that the Lord will hear his cry for help.
Martha,
the sister of Lazarus, despite her verbal acceptance of Jesus as the
Resurrection and the Life, did not expect that her brother would be raised and
brought back to life again. This is why when Jesus asks for the stone to be
removed from the tomb, her focus is the smell of death. The reason for Jesus’
great distress was not because of the insincerity of the mourners, nor because
the people did not believe that he was the source of life and stood among them,
not even because he was forced to perform a miracle in public with the crowd
present, but in all probability because of what sin and death had done to
humanity. They had succeeded in robbing humanity of hope. The tears that Jesus
sheds, while being an acknowledgement of what sin and death are capable of
doing, are not tears of despair. Physical death is indeed difficult to accept,
but it surely is not the end. Thus, we are not asked not to weep, but only not
to give in to despair, not to lose hope.
However
tempting it might be, however human, however understandable, hopeless despair
is not a Christian way of living. However painful our current circumstances,
and however agonizing our honest questions—about job loss, wayward children,
financial disaster, chronic sickness, destruction of works and institutions
that have been painstakingly built, false allegations made by vested
interests—ultimately things will get worse, for nothing can compare to the
horrible specter of death that awaits us all. But Christian faith believes that
God in Christ will conquer and transform even that ultimate enemy death.
Paul’s
letter to the Romans talks about the same Spirit of God that gives life. He explains that the same Spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead lives in us and is responsible for giving us life.
As
we near the end of Lent, we are being reminded that God’s Spirit is the source
of our life as a community. We are not
only being prepared for Christ’s resurrection but our own.
We
can make some choices about how we get to Easter. We can choose not to focus on the things of
the world that distract us and drain our life from us. We can choose to resist loving or accepting
some more than others because they are different or think differently. We can deny those things that satisfy a sense
of artificial power based on material things. We can choose to nurture a sense
that we are individually more important than who we are together, as a family.
Or
we can be restored by allowing the Spirit of God to give us life. We can choose to live as Jesus lived. We can live our call to be a community of
faith focused on the strength of our unity.
We can give ourselves over to be restored by letting those things that
separate us from God and each other die and be resurrected in Spirit to life as
faithful believers. The choice rests with us.
Friday, 27 March 2020
Saturday, March 28, 2020 - Homily for today - YouTube
Jesus will always remain bigger than anything that we can ever imagine. Our most intimate encounters with him must make us realize this. He cannot be captured by the concepts, words or images that we use and while these help us to get to know his better, they will always be inadequate. Yet, this does not mean that we cannot know him as intimately as we want to. He reveals himself to each of us according to the level of openness we possess.
Friday, March 27, 2020 - Eucharistic Celebration - YouTube
God continues to come to us in various disguises and forms. He comes in persons, events and situations. If we decide in advance how he must come, then there is the danger that we too might continue to miss him and not be aware of his presence. The way to be able to find him in all things and all things in him is to be open and receptive and let God be God. It is to open our eyes, ears and every fiber of our being to the revelation that he will make and to be prepared for that revelation in the most unexpected persons, places and events.
Saturday, March 28, 2020 - Will you understand that God will reveal himself to you in ways you never even considered? Will you find him in everything that happens today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer11:18-20; Jn 7:40-52
The invitation of Jesus to
the thirsty to come and drink from the living water that he will give leads to
the discussion among the people which begins the text for today. While those
who come on hearing this invitation regard Jesus as “the” prophet, others
explicitly call him the Messiah. Still others question whether Jesus could
really be the Messiah because of the popular belief that the Messiah would come
from Bethlehem. Yet it was also true that some believed that the origins of the
Messiah would be a mystery and no one would know where he would come from.
These contrary views lead to a difference of opinion and though some want to
arrest Jesus they do not lay hands on him.
When the police return to
inform their masters that they could not arrest Jesus because they had never
heard anyone speak like him, they are accused of having also been deceived by
Jesus and taken in by his sophistry.
Nicodemus who is also one of
the Jewish authorities speaks on behalf of Jesus and reminds his companions of
the law and a hearing that was required before judgement. His question is
ironic and seems intended to bring out that his companions knowledge of the law
is a matter of doubt. They respond to Nicodemus in the same way in which they
respond to the temple police. They deride him and assert their seemingly
superior knowledge of scripture. Though they are emphatic that no prophet is to
arise from Galilee, this knowledge is faulty, because the scriptures do speak
of the Galilean origins of the prophet Jonah. John intends to convey through
this assertion on the part of the Pharisees that they had misunderstood both
the origins of the Messiah and who he is. Traditional messianic categories are
inadequate because they rely on prior assumptions and expectations rather than
judging Jesus on the basis of what he reveals about himself: that he is the one
sent from God.
Jesus will always remain
bigger than anything that we can ever imagine. Our most intimate encounters
with him must make us realize this. He cannot be captured by the concepts,
words or images that we use and while these help us to get to know his better,
they will always be inadequate. Yet, this does not mean that we cannot know him
as intimately as we want to. He reveals himself to each of us according to the
level of openness we possess.
Thursday, 26 March 2020
Friday, March 27, 2020 - Homily for today - YouTube Reflections
God continues to come to us in various disguises and forms. He comes in persons, events and situations. If we decide in advance how he must come, then there is the danger that we too might continue to miss him and not be aware of his presence. The way to be able to find him in all things and all things in him is to be open and receptive and let God be God.
Thursday, March 26, 2020 - Eucharist Celebration - YouTube
It
is not easy to believe in Jesus, because such a belief calls for a radical
change in one’s life’s orientation. Belief in Jesus will mean a movement from
selfishness to selfless, domination to service and fear to love and not many
are inclined to make this change. Most of us are content to live our lives
insulated from others and preferring to live as islands rather than as
community. We pretend not to know who we are and what our calling is. It seems
easier this way. However, as the Gospel text makes clear there is no middle
ground and if one is not willing to live the kind of life that Jesus invites us
to as his disciples, then one is a non-believer.
Friday, March 27, 2020 - Will you open your eyes, ears and heart and SEE that God is present in our world even today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Wis 2:1, 12-22; Jn 7:1-2,10, 25-30
The feast of the tabernacles
was originally a harvest festival and was linked to the journey of Israel in
the desert after the exodus when they stayed in tents or booths. It was a seven
day festival that brought great joy and during this festival people lived in
booths to remember their sojourn and God’s graciousness to them. The liturgical
rites performed during this festival, included water libation and torch-lit
processions. These form the background for the discourse of Jesus during this festival.
The crowds are surprised to
see Jesus teaching in public despite the death threats and so wonder if he
could indeed be the Messiah. They also wonder if the authorities know that
Jesus is the Messiah but are denying it for some reason. Soon, “reasonableness”
gives way to insight and intuition when the crowds go back to their
stereotypes. They “know” where Jesus comes from and since no one will know
where the Messiah comes from, Jesus cannot be the Messiah. The fact is that the
crowds know only one aspect of Jesus’ antecedents. Jesus informs them that they
are not aware that his real origin is in God. One will only be able to
recognize and know Jesus when one realizes that he comes from God and has been
sent by him. This upsets the listeners and though they try to arrest him, they
cannot do so, because the ordained hour set by God has not yet come.
The crucial question here is
whether or not one perceives Jesus as having been sent by God. The answer to
this question determines whether one is on the right track or engaged in only
superficial reflection. One reason why the authorities’ could not recognize
Jesus as having been sent by God was because they had made up their minds
already. They refused to let God work in the way he wanted. They decided how God
must work and how the Messiah would come. They “knew”. This “knowledge” led to
their being closed to the revelation that God made, so that even after he came,
they continued to look for another.
God continues to come to us
in various disguises and forms. He comes in persons, events and situations. If
we decide in advance how he must come, then there is the danger that we too
might continue to miss him and not be aware of his presence. The way to be able
to find him in all things and all things in him is to be open and receptive and
let God be God. It is to open our eyes, ears and every fiber of our being to
the revelation that he will make and to be prepared for that revelation in the
most unexpected persons, places and events.
Wednesday, 25 March 2020
Thursday, March 26, 2020 - Homily for today - YouTube
It
is not easy to believe in Jesus, because such a belief calls for a radical
change in one’s life’s orientation. Belief in Jesus will mean a movement from
selfishness to selfless, domination to service and fear to love and not many
are inclined to make this change. Most of us are content to live our lives
insulated from others and preferring to live as islands rather than as
community. We pretend not to know who we are and what our calling is. It seems
easier this way. However, as the Gospel text makes clear there is no middle
ground and if one is not willing to live the kind of life that Jesus invites us
to as his disciples, then one is a non-believer.
March 25, 2020 - Eucharistic Celebration - The Annunciation of the Lord to our Blessed Mother
When we think of or reflect on Mary, the one word that comes to mind to describe her whole life is the word, AMEN, a word which may be translated, “so be it”, “your will be done”, “do whatever you want to do in my life”.
Thursday, March 26, 2020 - Do you believe in Jesus? How will you show that you are a “believer”?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 31:7-14; Jn 5:31-47
The text of today contains
the second part of the discourse of Jesus in response to the outrage of the
Jewish leaders because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. It can be seen to be
divided into two parts. The first part speaks about the witnesses John and the
Father who testify to Jesus’ claims and the second part about the rejection of
Jesus and the unbelief of the leaders.
The witness that Jesus
offers is not his own since no one can legitimately or validly bear witness on
his own behalf. The first witness Jesus mentions here is John the Baptist who
in the Gospel of John is portrayed more as a witness rather than as a precursor
or Baptist as he is in the Synoptic Gospels. In witnessing to the truth John
witnessed to Jesus since Jesus is the truth. However, John was a mere lamp and
not the light so though his testimony is true there is another witness far
greater than John and that is the works that Jesus has accomplished after being
sent by the Father. “Works’ here seems to refer not just to the miracles that
Jesus worked but to the whole of his ministry. These works are the works of the
Father and so bear witness to him and to the relationship that Jesus shares
with him as Son. Since Jesus as Son does what God as father commands him to do,
Jesus completes the Father’s own works. The third witness is the Father
himself. God himself cannot be seen, yet, he has been made visible in Jesus and
the Jewish leaders have refused to believe the God made so visible.
The scriptures also testify
on behalf of Jesus and though the leaders search and study the scriptures
because they seek life, they refuse to believe what they learn there, namely
that Jesus is the one who gives life and life in abundance. This is because
they are unable to distinguish truth from falsehood. It is not Jesus but Moses
himself who will accuse them of unbelief. This is because Moses also testified
to Jesus and despite his testimony, they have refused to believe. If one
believes what Moses wrote, one has to believe in Jesus, there is no middle
ground here.
It is not easy to believe in
Jesus, because such a belief calls for a radical change in one’s life’s
orientation. Belief in Jesus will mean a movement from selfishness to selfless,
domination to service and fear to love and not many are inclined to make this
change. Most of us are content to live our lives insulated from others and
preferring to live as islands rather than as community. We pretend not to know
who we are and what our calling is. It seems easier this way. However, as the
Gospel text makes clear there is no middle ground and if one is not willing to
live the kind of life that Jesus invites us to as his disciples, then one is a
non-believer.
Tuesday, 24 March 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - Eucharistic celebration - YouTube
The miracle of the healing of the paralytic calls each of us to give up the blindness of our heart and the lameness of our mind and the paralysis of our spirit and to focus on the positive of God’s unconditional healing and love made visible in Jesus.
Do I set limits on God’s magnanimity and generosity in forgiving me? Have I forgiven myself?
How do I show that I have really been forgiven?
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - The Annunciation of the Lord - Will you like Mary say "Let it be done to me" and let the Lord do in you.
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa7:10-14;8:10; Heb 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-38
The
Annunciation of the Lord is the beginning of Jesus in his human nature. Through
his mother and her courageous YES, Jesus became a human being. The point of the
Annunciation is to stress that Jesus did not come down from heaven as an
“avatar” but rather that in every sense of the word; he was totally and
completely human. Another related point is that God “needs” the co-operation of
human beings to complete the plans God has for the world. One of the most
beautiful examples of co-operating with God is that of Mary and her
unconditional Amen.
The
text chosen for the feast is that of the Annunciation as narrated by Luke. It
relates the scene immediately after the announcement of the birth of John the
Baptist and contains the announcement of the birth of Jesus. There are many
similarities in the annunciations to Mary and to Zechariah. The angel Gabriel
is the one who makes both announcements. Both Zechariah and Mary are called by
name and exhorted not to be afraid. Both ask a question of the angel, and it is
the angel who tells them what name each child is to be given. It is the angel who predicts what each child
will turn out to be. However, even as there are similarities, there are
differences in the narratives. While the announcement to Zechariah comes in the
Temple and as a result of his fervent prayer, the announcement to Mary comes
(apparently) when she is in her home and it is unanticipated. While Zechariah
and his wife Elizabeth are advanced in age, Mary has not yet stayed with her
husband, and so is a virgin. The birth of John to parents who are past the age
of child bearing is a miracle, but even greater is the miracle of the birth of
Jesus, who would be born through the Holy Spirit, and to a virgin. Even as John
the Baptist goes with the spirit and power of Elijah, Jesus will be called “Son
of God”. Luke clearly wants to show John as great, but only the forerunner of
the Messiah, Jesus, who is greater.
Here,
too, like in the case of the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist, God
intervenes in human history. Mary though
betrothed or engaged to Joseph, who was of David’s family, had not yet lived
with him. This she would do only after marriage, which would be one year after
the betrothal. The angel greets Mary as the recipient of God’s grace. She has
opened herself to the promptings of God’s Spirit. While Zechariah was gripped
with fear at the very appearance of the angel, in the case of Mary, it is the
angel’s greeting that perplexed her. The angel reassures Mary and makes the
announcement, not only of Jesus’ birth, but of who he will be and all that he
will accomplish.
In
response to this announcement Mary, like Zechariah, asks a question. While both
questions seem similar, it is clear that Zechariah’s question expressed doubt
and asked for a sign, as is evident in the angel’s words before Zechariah is
struck dumb. Mary’s question, on the other hand, is a question asked in faith.
Mary did not question the truth of the revelation like Zechariah did. She asked
only for enlightenment on how God would accomplish this wonderful deed. This
will be accomplished in Mary through the work of God’s spirit. This is why the
child will be called holy. Luke probably also intends to convey here that it is
not merit on Mary’s part that obtained for her what she received, but God’s
generous gift in the Spirit.
The
evidence that what the angel has announced will indeed take place is the
pregnancy of Elizabeth, for nothing is impossible for God. Mary responds, not
merely with a Yes, but by asking that the Lord work in her to accomplish all
that he wants. The annunciation would not have been complete without Mary’s
trusting, obedient response.
Today,
many assume that those whom God favours will enjoy the things we equate with a
good life: social standing, wealth, and good health. Yet Mary, God’s favoured
one, was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed
as a criminal. Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the
essence of God’s blessing. The story is so familiar that we let its familiarity
mask its scandal. Mary had been chosen, “favoured,” to have an important part
in God’s plan to bring salvation to God’s people, but it is unthinkable that
God would have forced Mary to have the child against her will. Mary is an
important example, therefore, of one who is obedient to God even at great risk
to self.
When
we think of or reflect on Mary, the one word that comes to mind to describe her
whole life is the word, AMEN, a word which may be translated, “so be it”, “your
will be done”, “do whatever you want to do in my life”. This was, indeed,
Mary’s constant response to every situation in her life, especially when she
could not understand why things were happening the way they were. The text of
today is, then, a call and challenge to each one of us that we, too, like Mary,
might be able to say YES to everything that God wants to do in our lives. It is
a challenge to be open and receptive to the Spirit of God, so that we, too,
might be able to give birth to the Saviour in our hearts.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - The Annunciation - Homily
The Annunciation of the Lord to our Blessed Mother challenges us to be as opne as Mary was. If we ask for her intercession, she will obtain for us this grace. Then we too like her will bring forth Jesus by our words and our actions
Monday, 23 March 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - Homily for the day - YouTube
The miracle thus calls each of us to give up the blindness of our heart and the lameness of our mind and the paralysis of our spirit and to focus on the positive of God’s unconditional healing and love made visible in Jesus.
Monday, March 23, 2020 - Eucharistic Celebration - YouTube
Sickness and brokenness are very much visible in our world today and most are in need of some form of healing or another. If we open our hearts to the healing that God keeps providing, we will indeed be healed.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - In which areas do I need a new Vision, a new way of looking at Persons/Things/Events? Am I able to see others point of view in different situations? Do I feel threatened by differing points of view?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek47:1-9, 12; Jn 5:1-3, 5-16
The miracle of the healing
of the paralytic is exclusive to the Gospel of John. The story is set in
Jerusalem and the miracle occurs during one of the Jewish festivals though John
does not specify which one. Later in the narrative we are told that the day of
the festival was also the Sabbath and this adds to the significance of both the
festival and the Sabbath and thus the miracle and the controversy that follows.
Festivals in John are used as a platform for a deep revelation of the person of
Jesus and this festival is no exception.
John gives a detailed
description of the place where the miracle was performed as if encouraging the
reader to place him/herself in that place. Three kinds of invalids are mentioned:
the blind, the lame and the paralyzed. These are at the pool waiting for the
stirring of the water. Popular belief was that an angel was responsible for the
stirring of the water and thus for the inexplicable bubbling at the surface. Of
these one is singled out. He is a man who has been ill for thirty-eight years,
which symbolizes that his illness is almost permanent. At this point the text
does not tell us what his illness is. Jesus picks out this man and again we are
not given a reason. Did he come across to Jesus as the one most in need? Was he
the only one who did not have someone to help him? We are only told that Jesus
“knew that he had been there a long time”. Jesus initiates the miracle by
approaching the man. Yet, he does not force his healing on the man as is
evident in the question that he asks him; “Do you want to be made well?” The
man does not answer the question but begins his litany of complaints. He has
already set limits to what he believes can be done for him. He does not expect
the impossible. Jesus responds to the man’s complaints with three imperatives:
“stand up, take your mat and walk”. That Jesus’ words are effective and
transformative is evident in the fact that the man was made well. He obeys
Jesus’ commands to the letter: “He took up his mat and walked”.
Immediately after the
miracle, there is an objection on the part of “the Jews” (which here refers to
the Jewish authorities who oppose Jesus and not the Jewish people in general)
because the man was carrying his mat on the Sabbath and this constituted work
which was not allowed on the Sabbath. The man responds that he is simply
obeying what Jesus asked him to do. The Jewish leaders prefer to focus not on
the fact that he had been made well, but on the one who told him to violate the
Sabbath. The man cannot respond to the question of the Jewish leaders about who
Jesus is, since he does not know Jesus.
At this point Jesus reenters
the story and finds the man in the temple confirming that he has been made well
and speaks to him about sin. He invites the man to move from the mere physical
healing to spiritual healing. The man on encountering Jesus again, announces to
the Jews that it was Jesus who made him well. While some see these words of the
man as pointing Jesus out to the Jewish leaders, others interpret them as an
announcement of the man about who Jesus is. Again the leaders refuse to focus
on the positive action of the man being made well and focus instead on the
violation of the Sabbath. This is why they decide to persecute him.
Two issues are brought out
in this story. The first is that of illness. While we may be able to see with
the eyes of our head, it is possible that we too like many of those who were at
the pool may be psychologically or spiritually blind. We may not be able to see
another person’s point of view and imagine sometimes that ours is the only
correct viewpoint. We may also be blind to the sufferings of the numerous
people around us and close ourselves in on our own small worlds. We may have
the facility and use of both of our legs, but may have given in to lethargy or
laziness. We may have lost the desire and drive to do what we have to do. We
may be able to use all our limbs and move about freely, but may have given in
to fear. We may also be carrying resentments, bitterness, anger, jealousy and
even rage in our hearts because of which we are paralyzed and not able to move
freely.
The second issue which the
story brings out is that of law versus love. Like the Jewish leaders we are
also guilty sometimes of focusing too much on the law and not enough on love.
Like they were not able to focus on the man’s wholeness but only on the
violation of the Sabbath, so we are sometimes prone to focus on the negatives
rather than on the positive. We prefer often to give a negative interpretation
to a person’s actions and words rather than a positive one.
The miracle thus calls each
of us to give up the blindness of our heart and the lameness of our mind and
the paralysis of our spirit and to focus on the positive of God’s unconditional
healing and love made visible in Jesus.
Do I have prejudices about
certain individuals/groups, which do not allow me to encounter them wholly and
completely?
Am I able to take clear
stands about issues? Or am I accused of sitting on the fence, being neither hot
nor cold?
Am I afraid to make changes
because of the fear of change?
What are the hurts, resentments, bitterness that I am carrying in my
heart and mind?
Do I set limits on God’s magnanimity and generosity in forgiving me? Have I forgiven myself?
How do I show that I have really been forgiven?
Sunday, 22 March 2020
Monday, March 23, 2020 - Homily for the day - YouTube
Faith cannot be based on external signs alone and remain at that level. If it is and does, then one will look at Jesus as a mere miracle worker. The focus here would be only on the actions of Jesus and not on his person from which his actions flow. If one is able to go beyond the action to the person of Jesus, then one will also be able to see who God is: God with us, for us and in us.
Sunday, March 22, 2020 - Eucharistic celebration - YouTube
Tradition,
jealousy or legalism, blinded the religious leaders and prevented them from
seeing the obvious. What blinds us to the truths that we should be seeing?
Regardless of what it is, Jesus offers to remove blindness and show us the
light.
Monday, March 23, 2020 - Do you believe in God only when things go the way you plan or do you continue to believe in all circumstances? Is your God only a miracle worker or is he a God with you and for you?
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa65:17-21; Jn 4:43-54
The healing of the royal
official’s son (4:46-54) which is part of our text today begins after the
dialogue with the Samaritan woman (4:1-42). The first two verses of today’s
text (4:43-45) serve as an interlude between the two stories. John uses the
saying of the prophet having no honour in his own country, to show why Jesus
came to Galilee. In John, Judea is Jesus’ own country and since he was not
accepted there, he had to go to others including the Samaritans. Like the
Samaritans, the Galileans welcome him.
The first verse of the
miracle story that follows is an introduction narrating the case. The son of a
royal official is ill in Capernaum. The mention of Cana and a summary of the
first miracle of turning water into wine anticipate another miracle. The
healing in this miracle, however, is done at a distance. The official makes a
request for Jesus to come down and heal his son who is at the point of death.
The immediate response of Jesus is directed not to the official alone but to
all. That Jesus did heal the official’s son is an indication that his words are
not meant merely as a rebuke, but go deeper. Though the people will base their
faith in him merely on signs and wonders, Jesus invites them to realize that
these are not what will motivate him to act. He will act only in accordance
with the will of God. Human expectation cannot determine his action. Even after
hearing this seeming rebuke, the official is not deterred. He perseveres in his
request. With a word and from a distance, Jesus performs the healing. The
official’s faith is Jesus is seen in his obedience to the command to “Go”. He
does go on his way.
The attestation of the
miracle is provided by the servants of the official who meet him when he is
still on his way to his home. The official on further enquiry realizes that
Jesus is the one who has performed the healing and is led to faith. The man now
believes in Jesus, not only in Jesus’ word.
At the end of the miracle
John remarks that this was then second sign that Jesus worked after coming to
Galilee. In his Gospel, John always refers to the miracles of Jesus as signs.
Sickness and brokenness are
very much visible in our world today and most are in need of some form of
healing or another. At times doctors are not able to diagnose an illness and at
other times when they are and perform a complicated operation, ask the patient
and family members to pray and have faith. There is only so much that they can
do, the rest is in God’s hands. The official in the story had probably gone to
Jesus as a last resort (his son was not merely ill but at the point of death)
after having explored and exhausted all other avenues. He is single minded in
his purpose and will let nothing deter him. He believes and perseveres. His
faith gains for him not only his son’s life but also the gift of faith in
Jesus.
This means that faith cannot
be based on external signs alone and remain at that level. If it is and does,
then one will look at Jesus as a mere miracle worker. The focus here would be
only on the actions of Jesus and not on his person from which his actions flow.
If one is able to go beyond the action to the person of Jesus, then one will
also be able to see who God is: God with us, for us and in us.
Saturday, 21 March 2020
Sunday, March 22, 2020 - YouTube Homily
We have been “enlightened” through baptism and are commissioned to confess and witness to our faith. Imitating the journey of the man who finally recognized Jesus, we should progress to an inner enlightenment, so that we can confess the crucified one as the Son of Man, who, when lifted up, will draw all things to himself.
Eucharistic celebration - Saturday, March 21, 2020 - YouTube
The
nature of grace is paradoxical: It can be received only by those who have
learned empathy for others. In that regard, grace partakes of the nature of
mercy and forgiveness. Only the merciful can receive mercy, and only those who
forgive will be forgiven. The self-righteous person had enough religion to be
virtuous, but not enough to be humble.
Sunday, March 22, 2020 - Loss of Vision - "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye."
To read the texts click on the texts:1Sam 16:1, 6-7,10-11,13; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41
Some
time ago, a young man came to see me to pour out his heart. He admitted he was
a workaholic, because of which he was increasingly distancing himself from his
wife and two children. His marriage was on the verge of breaking up, since he
could not find time to spend with his family. He was caught in a vicious
circle. He worked hard in order to provide for his family and the harder he
worked and the more time he spent in the office, the further was he moving away
from his family.
As
he poured his heart out, I simply listened. His job had become his obsession.
He wanted to give his wife and children things he had never had as a child and
this effort to gain all things for his family became an enemy of the persons he
loved most. He finally looked up at me and exclaimed, “I’ve lost sight of
everything that matters most!”
The
fox says something similar to the Prince in The Little Prince by Antoine de
Saint-Exupery: “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only
with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the
eye.” The young man realized that he had lost his vision, the heart vision. He
had not lost his external sight or vision, but the inner vision, the heart
vision, which enables one to see clearly. He left my room with a promise to set
his priorities right and thanked me for listening.
The
loss of vision, which the young man experienced, is similar to the one
experienced by both Samuel in the first reading of today and Pharisees in the
Gospel text. In the case of Samuel, the reason for the loss vision is due to
mistaken perception and judging by outward appearances alone. However, God
makes it clear to him that he judges not by the external but looks at the
heart. In the case of the Pharisees, the loss of vision was caused by their set
opinions and understanding. They wanted to follow the law as thoroughly as they
could, but did not realize that they had mixed it up with their interpretation
and preconceived ideas and thus had shut the door to any kind of revelation
that God was constantly making in Jesus through his Spirit.
They
were so sure of everything – that God did not work on the Sabbath, that Moses
was God’s only spokesperson, that anyone born blind and anyone who broke the
Sabbath had to be a sinner, that God did
not work through sinners, that God did not work on sinners and that furthermore
no one could teach them anything. In this context, it must be noted that John
makes abundantly clear in this text that physical illness is not the effect of
sin. Rather sin here is connected with spiritual blindness and anyone who
rejects the true light who is Jesus is guilty of sin and so is spiritually
blind. This is an even more dangerous blindness than the physical one.
The
man born physically blind comes to both physical sight and spiritual sight in
his being able to see and recognize Jesus as the one who is sent. Through
opposition and persecution the blind man moves from a confession of “the man
Jesus,” to “prophet,” to “one from God” and finally to a confession of Jesus as
the Son of Man and the Lord.
The
second reading of today reminds the Ephesians and us, that like the man in the
Gospel who represents all of us, we were also blind and stumbling in darkness,
but now we live in the light of Christ and his Good News, and that light is
seen in the way we behave. In the way we relate with other people in “complete
goodness and right living and truth”. Our lives are to have a transparency
where there is no darkness, no hidden behavior which we would be ashamed to
reveal to others.
So
we must think about our darkness, our blindness. Of course, acknowledging our
own spiritual blindness can be embarrassing, painful, and threatening. To
confess our own groping darkness and howling demons within, our frustrations,
fears, and failures, unnerves us. Such a confession may be unsettling. We may
be also anxious of what others might say, think or do.
Tradition,
jealousy or legalism, blinded the religious leaders and prevented them from
seeing the obvious. What blinds us to the truths that we should be seeing?
Regardless of what it is, Jesus offers to remove blindness and show us the
light.
We
have been “enlightened” through baptism and are commissioned to confess and
witness to our faith. Imitating the journey of the man who finally recognized
Jesus, we should progress to an inner enlightenment, so that we can confess the
crucified one as the Son of Man, who, when lifted up, will draw all things to
himself.
Friday, 20 March 2020
Homily for Saturday, March 21, 2020 - YouTube Reflections
Only the merciful can receive mercy, and only those who forgive will be forgiven. The Pharisee had enough religion to be virtuous, but not enough to be humble. As a result, his religion drove him away from the tax collector rather than toward him.
Friday, March 20, 2020 - Eucharistic Celebration - YouTube
Love
of God cannot really be separated from love of neighbour. The two go together.
Our love for God is made manifest and tangible only when we reach out in love
to someone else. While Paul gives a
beautiful description of what love is and what it is not in 1 Corinthians 13,
my own definition of love is that in love there is no “I”.
Saturday, March 21, 2020 - Does the content of your prayer include despising or condemning others? Has pride prevented you from encountering God? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Hosea 5:15 – 6:6; Lk 18:9-14
The parable that forms the
text today is knows as the Parable of the Pharisee and tax Collector but is not
so much about these persons as it is about the disposition for prayer in any
person. It is exclusive to Luke. The parable is addressed not to the Pharisees,
but to those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded
others with contempt”. This could be a description of any self righteous
person.
The two men who went up to
the temple to pray are introduced as a Pharisee and a tax collector. Pharisee
means “separated one” and the Pharisee in the parable takes this prayer
position. He stands apart or by himself. Though he begins his prayer with
thanksgiving, it is soon clear that it is not genuine thanks, but self
centered. He is aware of the presence of the tax collector in the temple and
regards him with contempt even as he prays. The Pharisee makes clear that he
follows the law perfectly and obeys even the injunctions to fast and give
tithes. He asks nothing of God probably because he thinks he is self
sufficient.
By contrast the tax
collector will not dare to come near but stands “far off”. This indicates his
position before God. He does not consider himself worthy. While the commonly
accepted posture of prayer was with hands folded and looking up to God, this
tax collector stands with his head bowed and “would not even look up to
heaven”. Instead he beats his breast in acknowledgement of the fact that he is
unworthy and a sinner. His prayer is God centered. He cedes all power to God.
He has nothing to boast about.
The comment at the end of
the parable makes clear its intent. The Pharisee returned to his home without
having been made righteous, but the tax collector was accepted before God.
Those who trust in their own
righteousness will regard others with contempt, and those who regard others
with contempt cannot then bring themselves to rely on God’s grace. Therefore,
persons who exalt themselves over others and boast of their virtue before God
will discover that they have cut themselves off from both, and persons who are
aware of their need for grace and forgiveness will not be able to despise other
people.
The nature of grace
is paradoxical: It can be received only by those who have learned empathy for
others. In that regard, grace partakes of the nature of mercy and forgiveness.
Only the merciful can receive mercy, and only those who forgive will be
forgiven. The Pharisee had enough religion to be virtuous, but not enough to be
humble. As a result, his religion drove him away from the tax collector rather
than toward him.
Thursday, 19 March 2020
Friday, March 20, 2020 - YouTube Reflections
Love
of God cannot really be separated from love of neighbour. The two go together.
Our love for God is made manifest and tangible only when we reach out in love
to someone else. While Paul gives a
beautiful description of what love is and what it is not in 1 Corinthians 13,
my own definition of love is that in love there is no “I”.
Net Retreat 2015 - Talk I
The human is much more than his/her work. This is made evident when we are told that after God's work of creation, even God rested. God's rest was NOT BECAUSE God was tired, but because God wanted to distance himself from his work. God's work (creatind and sustaining) is only a very small part of who God is. In the same way our work is only a small part of who we are. To realise this we have to distance ourselves. At this time when we are FORCED to reatreat let us use this time to come to terms with what life really is.
Friday, March 20, 2020 - Will your love for God show in your love for at least one person today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Hosea14:2-10; Mk 12:28-34
In Matthew 22:35, the lawyer asks the question about the great
commandment in order to test Jesus; in Mark he is not hostile and does not
intend to test Jesus. As a matter of fact Mark mentions at the beginning of the
incident that the lawyer thought that Jesus had answered the Sadducees well and
at the end of that response, he commends Jesus for his answer. Jesus responds
to the lawyer’s question in the words of the “Shema”, which speaks of love of
God (Deut 6:5-6), but adds also the love of neighbour (Lev 19:18 ). The scribe’s response to this is to
acknowledge Jesus’ answer as correct and to add that following these
commandments is greater than sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jesus concludes
the dialogue by stating that because the scribe has recognized what his priorities
are, he is not far from the kingdom
of God
Love of God cannot really be separated from love of neighbour. The two
go together. Our love for God is made manifest and tangible only when we reach
out in love to someone else. While Paul
gives a beautiful description of what love is and what it is not in 1
Corinthians 13, my own definition of love is that in love there is no “I”.
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