To read the texts click on the texts: Job 19:21-27; Lk 10:1-12
Luke’s is the
only Gospel in which we find the sending of the seventy-two. Matthew and Mark
have the sending of the Twelve, as does Luke. This then is regarded as a
doublet of the sending of the Twelve in Lk. 9,1-6. The fact that seventy-two
and not just twelve are sent indicates growth and movement. The kingdom of God
is preached not just by Jesus or the Twelve, but also by many more. In some
manuscripts, the number is recorded as seventy. This is probably due to the
list of nations in Genesis 10, where while the Hebrew text lists seventy
nations, the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) list
seventy-two. This will mean that the commissioning of the seventy-two
foreshadows the mission of the church to all nations. In this sending, they are
sent in pairs (not in the earlier sending of the Twelve in Lk. 9,1-6), and
ahead of Jesus, in order to prepare the way before him. In this sense, they are
called to be pre-cursors, forerunners like John the Baptist. The instructions
begin with a prayer to be made to God, because it is his mission that they will
be engaged in. At the outset they are warned that they will need to be on their
guard at all times. The strategy proposed is detachment from things, persons
and events. This detachment will help to proclaim the kingdom more
efficaciously. Three interconnected aspects of the mission are stressed. The
missionaries are to eat what is set before them in order to show the same table
fellowship that Jesus showed, they are to cure the sick and to proclaim the
kingdom in order to show that the kingdom is not only spiritual but also very
practical and touches every aspect of human life. They are to do and also to
say.
It is sometimes mistakenly thought that only religious men and women are called to be missionaries. Some also think that only those who work in the villages are to be termed missionaries. However, the sending of the seventy-two corrects this misunderstanding. Every Christian is sent on a mission and called to engage in mission, simply because mission is to be done where one is. The threefold mission task in these verses is a further confirmation of the fact that mission includes every aspect of life and so is not the responsibility of only a few, but every disciple of Jesus.
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 66:10-14; 1 Cor 13:4-13; Mt 18:1-4
St.
Therese of the Child Jesus is one of my most favourite saints. I admire and am
inspired by her for a number of reasons, but one of the most important reasons
for this is her response to life. She had more challenges than most of us will
ever have, yet her response was always positive no matter what the challenge
she faced. In this regard she teaches us how we too must be able to see the
hand of God in everything that happens to us.
She
was born in 1873 and died very young at the age of 24 (1897). At the age of 14,
she had an experience that transformed her life. She decided to give her whole
life to God and entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux. Though she was often
sick and often plagued with doubts, she remained faithful and received the
ability to find God in all things and all things in God. Her focus was not on
doing great things but on doing all that she did with unconditional love. She
would do even the most ordinary tasks with extraordinary love.
The
Gospel text for the feast is taken from
what is termed by 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. 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.
This
was the attitude of St. Therese to life and she lived as a child of God all through
her life. She inspires and invites us to the same.
To read the texts click on the texts: Job 9:1-12,14-16; Lk 9:57-62
While part of this text is found also in Matthew, the latter part (9,60b-62) is exclusive to Luke. It concerns the would-be followers of Jesus, and Jesus’ warnings about what discipleship will entail.
To the first
would-be follower who promises to follow Jesus wherever he goes, Jesus responds
by stating clearly that unlike even the foxes that at least have holes, he does
not have anywhere he can call his own. If the would-be follower is ready for
this insecurity, he may follow.
The second
person is called to follow by Jesus, but responds by asking for permission to
bury his father. This was a duty that was binding on all devout Jews. Jesus’
response is harsh and demands that the disciple be primarily concerned about
the kingdom.
The third
would-be follower puts conditions to his following namely that he wants to say
farewell to his family. However, here too the response of Jesus is clear.
Looking back while ploughing leads to a crooked furrow.
While it is not necessary to give up the state of life one has chosen in order to follow Jesus, what is to be understood is that following will necessarily mean changing one’s style of life. It will mean a move from selfishness to selflessness, from acquiring material possessions to sharing them with others and from anything negative to everything that is positive.
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan 7:9-10,13-14; Rev12:7-12; Jn 1:47-51
The
three Archangels Michael (Who is as God? or Who is like God?), Gabriel
(Strength of God) and Raphael (God heals) are the only angels named in Sacred
Scripture. However, ancient apocryphal literature mentions others beside these
three, but the names are spurious.
Archangel
Michael is invoked for protection against evil and regarded as a Champion of
God’s people. Gabriel is mentioned four times in the Bible. Of these the most
significant are in the New Testament when he makes the announcement of the birth
of john the Baptist and Jesus to Zechariah and Mary respectively. Raphael is
mentioned in the Book of Tobit and is the one who heals Tobias’ blindness.
Raphael is not mentioned in the New Testament, but is invoked for healing and
acts of mercy.
The
choice of the Gospel reading from John is because of the mention of angels in
the last verse of the text. Though having an opinion about where the Messiah
would come from, Nathanael remains open to another revelation. Though
skeptical, he is willing to be convinced. Jesus addresses Nathanael as an
“Israelite” which signifies his faithfulness to the law and is used here in a
positive sense. He is without guile because though he has questions and even
doubts, he is open and receptive and willing to learn. Jesus’ intimate
knowledge of Nathanael and the revelation that he makes to him leads to a
transformation in Nathanael and he comes to faith. He responds to Jesus with a
confession and though he begins with Rabbi, he moves on to recognizing Jesus as
Son of God and King of Israel.
However,
Jesus responds by pointing out to Nathanael that this is only the beginning of
the revelation that Jesus makes. If he continues to remain open he will
experience even greater things. By means of a double “Amen”, Jesus points out to
Nathanael and to others there that he will be the bridge between heaven and
earth. Through the phrase “you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (Jn 1:51) which combines images
from the descent of the Son of Man as narrated by Daniel (7:13) and the ladder
of Jacob’s dream in Genesis (28:12), Jesus states that Jacob’s ladder is
replaced by the Son of Man. He will be that place and person in whom the
earthly and divine encounter each other. He as Son of man will make God known.
The Son of Man becomes the place where the earthly and the heavenly, divine and
human, temporal and eternal meet.
When
looked at from this angle, the feast of the Archangels seeming to be saying to
us that our God is not merely in the heavens. Our God is not merely a God who
has created the world and left it to its own design. Rather our God is a God
who is intimately connected to the world and present to and in it. Our God is a
God who is concerned about our world and ever willing to lend a hand whenever
any one of us requires it.
To read the the texts click on the texts: Job 1:6-22; Lk 9:46-50
his scene
shows the disciples debating among themselves as to which of them was the
greatest. The fact that this episode occurs immediately after Jesus has
predicted his passion, death and resurrection for the second time, shows that
the disciples have not understood the meaning of Jesus’ predictions. In his
response to their argument, Jesus puts a child by his side as an example of
what it means to be the greatest. The one who like a child acknowledges total
dependence on God, the one who does not have any visible means of support, is
the one who is greatest.
The second
scene in this section is the last one before Jesus turns towards Jerusalem, and
also shows the disciples of Jesus in a poor light. This is the only scene in
which the apostle John appears alone in the Synoptic Gospels. Here he acts as
the spokesman for the group. The reason why they try to stop the unnamed
exorcist is because he does not belong to the “inner circle”. The irony is that
they as disciples were not able earlier to cast out a demon (9,40), and now
someone who is not even part of their group is able to do so. Jesus’ response
calls for openness and tolerance. Jesus also seems to say that one’s actions
will determine who belongs and does not belong to the kingdom.
Even two
thousand years after Jesus, we do not seem to have understood the meaning of
what it takes to belong to the kingdom. We keep associating greatness with
possessing things or having authority to dominate. Authority for anyone who
belongs to the kingdom can only be translated as service.
Though the
Gospels do seem to indicate that Jesus came primarily for the Jews, his was an
inclusive approach. He excluded no one. All who were open to receive his
radical message were welcome to be part of his community. We need to be
constantly aware of this especially when we make such clear distinctions
between those of other faiths and ourselves. They are also called in their own
way.
To read the texts click on the texts: Ez.18:25-28; Phil.2:1-11; Mt 21:28-32
A priest friend was telling me how during the time of a calamity in his town because of which many people lost their belongings, he made an appeal during his Sunday homily for people to come and help him reach out to those who were affected. When he asked people to raise their hands to indicate if they would come, about 70% of the 500 people present raised their hands. He fixed the following Saturday as the day on which they would go out to help. When the day came, five people turned up. They said, but did not do. They had words but no action.
There
is an intimate connection between all three readings of today. In the reading
from Ezekiel, the prophet calls the people to realize that it is not God’s ways
that are unfair but their own. He asks the people to grow up and accept
responsibility for their actions and not lay the blame on God’s door. It is not
God who punishes or condemns, but punishment is the consequence or result of a
person’s wrong doing. The ones who persist in their evil ways condemn
themselves. Ezekiel’s portrayal is of a generous and forgiving God who wants
everyone to come back to him. Anyone who turns back to God will be accepted and
forgiven.
This
theme of acceptance and forgiveness is affirmed by Matthew in the Gospel text.
At the end of the parable of the two sons he says that those who turn to God
after renouncing their former evil ways will indeed be saved. This turning to
God has be a turning that is shown in action and not mere words.
It
is important to understand the immediate context. It is placed in the Gospel
almost immediately after Jesus has entered the temple in Jerusalem and
“cleansed” it. This action leads the chief priests and elders of the people to
question Jesus’ authority. It is in this context that the parable is told and
the audience continues to be the chief priests and the elders. It brings out
powerfully the fact that these who just questioned Jesus’ authority are themselves
rejecting the kingdom.
The
first son initially refuses his father’s request. It was culturally
unacceptable, so afterwards he does go and do what his father asks. Thus his
initial refusal is followed by eventual obedience. The second son not only
agrees to go but also reinforces this agreement by addressing his father as
“Lord”. However, he does not go and his initial agreement is followed by
eventual disobedience. Though the answer to Jesus’ question as to which son did
the will of the father is obvious and the Jewish leaders answer correctly. What
shocks and offends them is the application that Jesus makes. They are compared
with the son who was ready with words and even words of respect, but with what
remained mere empty words. Though God spoke to them through the Law and
numerous prophets, they had merely heard and not obeyed. The tax collectors and
prostitutes on the other hand, who are likened to the first son, are the ones
who are entering the kingdom and receiving salvation because they dared to do
so, even though they may have initially refused to listen.
The
second reading from Philippians provides the Christological foundation of such
conversion. Jesus himself is the model of the truly obedient son, who says yes
to his Father in the most radical and action oriented way. His actions match
his words. There is no dichotomy. In this he goes one better than the first son
in not only doing but also saying. The initial verses of the hymn explode with
verbs of action. Jesus did not grasp at equality with God; he emptied himself;
he took on the form of a slave; he came in human likeness; he was obedient to
the point of enduring the ignominy of death in one of the most shameful of
ways: on a cross. This is the attitude that true followers of Jesus are
challenged to adopt. In the second half of the hymn, the verbs then shift. God
becomes now the actor or doer exalting Jesus and giving him a name above every
name. Doing the will of the Father, for Jesus, was more than simply a matter of
words; it is always a matter of deeds. Appropriate and relevant action,
accompanying the words, is the way of a true disciple of Jesus.
The
repentance that today’s texts call for is a radical change of heart, mind and
vision that is seen in denying self and reaching out to everyone in need. It is
true that there will be times when, like the first son, we may say an initial
“I will not”, but when we dare to look at the example of Christ that continues
to shine brightly before us, we are challenged to imitate him and have that
same mind and heart. We are called to realize, like him, that if we dare to
open ourselves to obedience, even though it might not seen at first glance as
the best option, we too like him will conquer death and be that example which
the world so badly needs today.
To read the texts click on the texts: Eccl 11:9-12:8; Lk 9:43-45
he second
Passion prediction in the Gospel, which is our text for today, follows
immediately after Jesus’ mighty work in exorcising the demon in the previous
scene. It is only in Luke that Jesus announces his passion and death while “all
were marvelling at everything he did.” Only Luke adds the phrase, “Let these
words sink into your ears;” in order to bring out the gravity of the
pronouncement. He abbreviates the Passion prediction of Mark, so that his
passion prediction simply has “the Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands
of men.” Through this shortening, Luke focuses on Jesus’ “being handed over” or
“delivered”, and omits any reference to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Like in
Mark, here too the disciples’ are not able to understand. However, Luke gives a
reason for this, namely “it was concealed from them”, though he does not say by
whom.
It is not easy
for us to give up control. Moat of us like to be in control of every situation
so that we do not need to depend on someone else. These verses are calling us
to understand that this is not always possible or even necessary. There may be
times when we need to give up control and especially to God acting through
humans if we are to be faithful to his will.
To read the texts click on the texts: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Lk 9:18-22
Though Luke
depends on Mark for this scene of Peter’s confession, he has made some
significant changes in order to bring out his meaning of the text. The first is
that unlike Mark, Luke does not give the geographical location (Caesarea
Philippi), but gives instead the context of the prayer of Jesus. Through this
change, Luke makes the confession a spiritual experience. Luke also changes
Marks, “one of the prophets” to “one of the old prophets has risen.” Though the
difference does not appear to be great, it is for Luke. In the Gospel of Luke,
before Jesus everything is old. Jesus makes all things new. Luke has also
eliminated Peter’s refusal to accept Jesus as the suffering Messiah and the
rebuke of Peter by Jesus. Luke avoids narrating Marcan texts that show Peter
and even the disciples in a bad light.
The second
question to the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” shows on the one
hand that the answers given of the crowd’s understanding of Jesus are
inadequate, and on the other that Jesus wants to know their understanding of
him. In all the Synoptic Gospels it is Peter who answers, but here too Luke
adds to Mark’s, “You are the Christ”, the words “of God”. The Greek word
“Christos” means in English “the anointed” and this conveys the meaning of
royalty. However, by his addition, Luke also brings in the prophetical
dimension of Jesus’ person and mission. This prophetical dimension is
explicated in the verses, which follow the confession of Peter, in which Jesus
explains the kind of Christ/Messiah/Anointed One that he will be. The reason
for the rebuke or “stern order” not to tell anyone is because Jesus wanted to
avoid any misunderstanding of the term which could be understood only in the
glorious sense. Jesus as “the Christ of God” will come in glory, but only after
he has gone to the cross, died, been buried and then raised.
Who Jesus is cannot be captured by a title and we must not attempt to do so or imagine that this is possible. Any title we may use for Jesus will always be inadequate and this leads us to the realisation that while we may encounter him in different situations, he will always be bigger than anything we can ever imagine.
To read the texts click on the texts: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11; Lk 9:7-9
his text (9:7-9)
forms the meat of the sandwich formed by the sending out of the Twelve (9:1-6) and
their return (9:10-17). In a sandwich construction, an event is begun,
interrupted by another event and the first event is continued and completed. In
this instance, the disciples are sent on mission (9:1-6), the return is
interrupted by the question of Herod (9:7-9) and the event of the sending out
of the disciples is continued and completed by their return (9:10-17). In such
a construction, the first and the third events throw light on the event in the
middle or the meat of the sandwich. The first and third events narrate the
sending and successful return, and it is in this light that the question of
Herod, “Who is this?” which is the second event or in the centre, must be read.
Herod’s desire to see Jesus foreshadows coming events. When Herod did meet
Jesus, his desire to see Jesus was fulfilled, but he wanted only to see Jesus
perform a sign. He never really grasped the answer to his own question. Though
John the Baptist has been beheaded and Jesus will also be killed, yet the
violence of the wicked will be no match for God’s grace. The success of the
disciples’ in mission is only a shadow of the success that Jesus will
experience in mission.
The intention behind wanting to meet Jesus is extremely important. If one’s approach is curiosity that will be the level at which one will see him. If one’s approach is faith, then one will encounter him as he is.
To read the texts click on the texts: Pro 30:5-9; Lk 9:1-6
his passage may be seen as the culmination of the entire section Lk. 7,1 – 8,56. In this section, we were shown the nature of Jesus’ Kingdom mission. The Twelve now share in that same mission. These verses may be termed as the Mission Discourse according to Luke. Though Luke has taken much material from the Mission Discourse of Mark (see Mk. 6,6b-13), he has also made changes, which bring out his meaning of mission more clearly. Before Jesus instructs his disciples on how they must go about their mission, he gives them not only authority as in Mark, but power and authority. This power and authority is given not only over the unclean spirits as in Mark, but over all demons and to cure diseases. Only in Luke are they also sent to “preach the Kingdom of God”. This indicates that for Luke, mission is inclusive and includes both doing as well as saying, both action as well as word.
Besides power
and authority, Jesus also gives the disciples a strategy for mission. This may
be summed up as detachment from things (take nothing for your journey), persons
(stay there and from there depart) and from events (and wherever they do not
receive you, when you leave shake off the dust from your feet). Dependence
ought to be only on the Providence of God. The rejection shown Jesus is also in
store for those sent by Jesus. The last verse in today’s text, underscores the
disciples’ obedience to the commands of Jesus by reiterating the principal
features of mission: preaching the good news and healing the sick. That mission
is universal is made clear in the last word, “everywhere”.
As
missionaries today, we are called to continue to the Mission inaugurated by
Jesus and put into motion by his first disciples. It is a mission, which
includes every aspect of life and involves all persons. This means that we are
called not to be part-time missionaries or disciples, but on mission always and
everywhere.
To read the texts click on the texts:Prov 21:1-6.10-13; Lk 8:19-21
Though this text, which concerns the mother and brothers of Jesus, is found also in Mark 3,21-22 and 3,31-35 and Matthew 12,46-50, Luke narrates it quite differently from both. In Mark 3,33 and Matthew 12,48 Jesus asks who his mother and brothers are. In Luke, however, Jesus does not ask this question, but says simply when told that his mother and brothers desire to see him, that his mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Luke thus gives a positive thrust to the scene unlike Mark and Matthew. It might be said that while in Mark and Matthew Jesus seems to reject his physical family and choose instead the crowd (so Mark) or his disciples (so Matthew), in Luke he does not do so. This means that though family relations with Jesus are not based on physical relations but on the word of God, his physical family does indeed hear the word of God and acts on it.
We might possess the name Christian because of our baptism, but this does not necessarily mean that we belong to the family of Jesus. In order to belong what is also necessary is putting into action what Jesus has taught.
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 4:1-7,11-13; Mt 9:9-13
Most
scholars hold today that the Gospel of Matthew was written after Mark.
Matthew’s Gospel was the one that was used most often in the early Church and
so it has been placed before Mark in the Bible.
It
is known as the Ecclesial Gospel or the Gospel of the Church. One reason for
this is that Matthew’s thesis seems to be that since Israel for whom Jesus came
rejected Jesus as Messiah, the Church has become now the new and true Israel.
Also Matthew is the only one of the four Evangelists who uses the word “Ekklesia”
translated “Church” in his Gospel (16:18;18:17). There is however, throughout
the Gospel the tension between Particularism on the one hand and Universalism
on the other. The Jesus of the Gospel of Matthew is sent “only to the lost
sheep of Israel” (15:24; see also 10:6) and the same Jesus can tell Israel “the
kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the
fruits of it” (21:43).
Matthew’s
Gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus, which goes back to Abraham. Joseph
is not called the father of Jesus but the husband of Mary (1:16) since Matthew
is clear that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. The birth of Jesus
is then narrated, followed by the visit of the wise men to Bethlehem and
Herod’s plan to kill Jesus. This leads the family to go to Egypt where they
remain till Herod’s death and then return to Nazareth. The birth, flight into
Egypt and return to Nazareth all fulfil scripture. Matthew then goes on to
narrate the Baptism of Jesus by John and Jesus’ temptations and his overcoming
them. Jesus then begins his public ministry in Galilee after calling the first
four disciples. Unlike Mark, which is a story, Matthew intersperses his
narrative with long discourses. The first of these is the Sermon on the Mount
(5:1-7,29). There are four other discourses in the Gospel. These are The
Mission Discourse (10:1-11:1), The parable Discourse (13:1-53), The Community
Discourse (18:1-19:1) and the Eschatological Discourse (24:1-26:1). Each of
these discourses ends in a similar manner with the words, “and when Jesus had
finished (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). This is also Matthew’s way of
focussing on the teaching of Jesus and giving it as much if not more importance
that the deeds of Jesus. Like in Mark, Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly, but
soon encounters opposition, which grows and leads to his arrest, passion and
death. The Gospel ends with accounts of the resurrection appearances of Jesus
to his disciples and what is known as the Great Commission, in which the disciples
are commanded to go to all nations and make disciples of them and assured of
the presence of the ever present Lord to whom all authority in heaven and earth
has been given (28:16-20).
The
text chosen for the feast contains the call of Matthew, and Jesus’ fellowship
with tax collectors and sinners. It is only in the Gospel of Matthew that the
tax collector is called Matthew. In Mark and Luke he is called Levi. However,
in the lists of the Twelve in both Mark and Luke, the disciple is named Matthew
and Levi does not appear. It is unlikely that Matthew and Levi refer to the
same person. It was rare for Jews to have two different Jewish names. The
reason for the author choosing the name Matthew remains unknown. However, in
the text what strikes one is that whereas most people who passed by the tax
office would see a corrupt official; Jesus was able to see a potential
disciple. It was Jesus’ way of looking that led to the transformation and the
response of Matthew to the call. In his response to the objection of the
Pharisees, Jesus responds with a common proverb about the sick needing a
doctor, and also quotes from Hoses 6:6, which here is interpreted to mean that
the mercy of God in Jesus is extended to all humanity and takes precedence over
everything else. All else must be understood in this light.
There
are times when we judge people too easily and many of these times our judgement
of them is negative. This is also how we often look at the whole of creation
and because we put labels on things, people and all else in creation, we may
miss out on the uniqueness that each possesses.
To read the texts click on the texts: Is 55:6-9;Phil 1:20-24,27; Mt 20:1-16
The
parable of the labourers in the vineyard, who are paid the same wages for
unequal work, is exclusive to the Gospel of Matthew. Many are of the opinion
that the original parable ended at 20:13 or 20:14a, and what follows from
20:14b–16 or 20:14-16 are Matthean additions. The parable narrates how the
landowner himself goes to the market to hire labourers at different hours and
even at the eleventh hour. While the first group of workers is told explicitly
that they will be paid the day’s wage which was one denarius, while the others
are told that they would be paid whatever is right. When the time for payment
arrives the focus is on the groups hired first and last, with the last being
paid before all the other. They are paid one denarius, which is the day’s wage.
The last are also paid what the landowner agreed with them. Since the parable
does not speak about the amount work done by each group or say that those who
were hired at the eleventh hour did as much work as those who were hired in the
morning, it leaves the reader stunned. This ending upsets and challenges
conventional values. The point that Jesus seems to make in the parable is that
the tax collectors and sinners will be given the same status as those who have
obeyed the law.
The
additions by Matthew stress the jealousy and envy of those who were hired in
the morning. The objection is not to what they have received but about the fact
that the others have received as much as they, which they regard as unfair. The
difference is that they have received what is theirs through their hard work
and effort; the others have received what they have because of the landowner’s
generosity.
If
one can identify with the group who complains, then it is time that one checks
one’s motivation whenever one does good, because if one does not, one will
continue to get frustrated at what one sees happening around one. Is the work
that you do reward in itself? Or do you expect another reward?
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken over the world. Though we are all in the same storm, we are in DIFFERENT Boats. Some are in cruise ships, others in catamarans, still others in Dinghy's and others in small rafts and of these some are even without a paddle. How do we all respond to this pandemic.
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Cor 15:35-37,42-49; Lk 8:4-15
The text of
today combines both the Parable of the Sower (8:5-8) and the allegory (8:11-15)
{in an allegory, every element in the story is given a meaning. So, the seed is
regarded as the word of God, those along the path are the ones who hear, and
then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they
may not believe an be saved, and so on}. Though it is true that the Sower
disappears from the scene after he is first mentioned, and the seed takes
centre stage, the parable is really one of contrast between the beginning and
the middle, and the end. Thus, the Sower (whom the end will affect) is still an
important figure in the parable. Since many have confused the allegory with the
Parable, the meaning of the parable may have been missed. In this reflection we
will focus on the Parable.
The farmer would sow along “the path”, because according to research done on the agricultural practices in Palestine at the time of Jesus, the practice was to sow seeds first and then plough it into the ground. Sowing on “rocky ground” is not surprising because the underlying limestone, thinly covered with soil, barely showed above the surface until the ploughshare jarred against it. Sowing among “thorns” is also understandable, because this too will be ploughed up. Though the ploughing of the three kinds of soil above will be done, it will result in a loss, because in none of them will the seed grow. It will seem that seventy-five percent of the effort is lost. While most of the parable focuses on “sowing”, in the last verse it is already “harvest time”. The abnormal, exaggerated tripling, of the harvest’s yield (thirty, sixty, a hundredfold) symbolises the overflowing of divine fullness., surpassing all human measure and expectations (A tenfold harvest counted as a good harvest and a yield of seven and a half as an average one).To human eyes much of the labour seems futile and fruitless, resulting in repeated failure, but Jesus is full of joyful confidence; he knows that God has made a beginning, bringing with it o harvest of reward beyond all asking or conceiving. In spite of every failure and opposition, from hopeless beginnings, God brings forth the triumphant end, which he has promised.
1. How
do I react when most of my effort seems to be in vain? Do I throw up my hands
in despair? Do I give up? Do I get despondent? Or do I carry on despite all
odds? Do I continue to persevere? Do I keep on keeping on?
2. How
attached am I to the result of my action? Can I plunge into the din of battle
and leave my heart at the feet of the Lord?
3. Write
down your response to this statement of St. Ignatius – “WHEN YOU WORK, WORK AS
IF EVERYTHING DEPENDS ONLY ON YOU YOY. WHEN YOU PRAY, PRAY AS IF EVERYTHING
DEPENDS ONLY ON GOD.”
4. Do
you sometimes act as the “General Manager of the Universe”? Will you resign
from that position today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 15:12-20; Lk 8:1-3
This is a text that is exclusive to the Gospel of Luke and is about the women who ministered to Jesus during his ministry. It begins by presenting Jesus as an itinerant preacher going through the cities and villages in order to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.
Luke often
mentions a corresponding female or group whenever he mentions a male. He does
this first in the example of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and then in the examples
of Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna. Here too, after Luke has mentioned the
Twelve, he mentions women. Mary Magdalene is identified at the one from whom
seven demons had gone out and Joanna as the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza and
these two appear also in 24,10 in the episode of the empty tomb. Susanna the
third woman named here does not appear elsewhere in the Gospel. These and other
women provided for Jesus out of their resources.
The striking
point about this text is the fact that the disciples were women. At a time when
a woman was looked down upon and her place in society was pre-determined, it is
quite amazing to note that these became followers of Jesus and even provided
for him. This is an indication of the openness that Jesus possessed and of his
freedom from all kinds of constraints.
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 7:36-50
This is a
fairly well known story from the Gospel of Luke. However, it is important to
note that though the woman is termed as a “sinner”, she is not named. The
dinner given by the Pharisee would have been much more public than a dinner in
a private home today, so the presence of uninvited persons would not have been
unusual. The guests would have been reclining on pillows, supported by their
left arms and would be eating with their right hands, with their feet away from
the mat on which the food would have been spread before them. Thus the woman
could easily approach Jesus’ feet. The fact that she brought a jar of ointment
shows that she had planned to anoint Jesus – a sign of her love. Though the
woman’s act expresses love and gratitude, it also violated social conventions.
Touching or caressing a man’s feet could have sexual overtones, as did letting
down her hair, so a woman never let down her hair in public. Moreover the woman
was known to be a sinner. Assuming that she was unclean, she would have made
Jesus unclean by touching him. In the Pharisee’s eyes the woman’s act
represents a challenge both to his honour and to Jesus’. In response, Jesus
poses a riddle for Simon to solve, based on patron-client relationships. If a
patron had two debtors, one who owed him much and the other who owed him little
and he cancelled the debts of both, who would love him more? After Simon
answers that it would be the one who had the greater debt cancelled, Jesus
exposes the contrast between Simon’s lack of hospitality and the woman’s
selfless adoration of Jesus. The main point of the story is Jesus’
pronouncement in 7,47. Did the woman love because her sins were forgiven or was
she forgiven because she loved much? The woman’s loving act is evidence that
she has been forgiven. She recognised her need for forgiveness and therefore
received it totally, whereas the Pharisee did not recognise his need and
therefore received less.
This story seems to make two points that we can reflect on. The first is our judgement of others without knowing all the facts. Some of us are sometimes quick to judge from external appearances, only to realise later that we misjudged. The second point is the acceptance of our need for God’s mercy and love. Like the Pharisee, there may be some of us who do not consider ourselves as grave sinners and consequently we may not be open to God’s unconditional love and grace.
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 12:31 – 13:13; Lk 7:31-35
he point of these sayings of Jesus is to bring out the failure of the crowd to respond to the invitation of John and Jesus. Though John and Jesus are different from each other and went about their ministries differently, the people accepted neither. John lived a very austere life and indulged in no excesses at all, but he was not accepted. Rather he was labelled as a wild man. Jesus on the hand lived quite openly and freely due to this was labelled as a glutton and drunkard.
Many of us are so concerned about what people say about us that we sometimes live our lives based on their opinions. The text of today teaches us that you cannot please everybody every time. There are some who will neither join in the dance nor in the mourning, but sit on the fence and criticise. It is best to leave these alone and do what one believes one ought to do.
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Cor 12:12-14,27-31; Lk 7:11-17
he miracle of the raising the widow’s son at Nain is a miracle that is found only in the Gospel of Luke. If the centurion’s servant healed in 7,1-10 was ill and at the point of death, the son of the widow in this story is already dead. There are many similarities between this story and that of Elijah’s raising the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17,10.17-24. Luke emphasises that the son was the widow’s “only son” (7,12). Luke also states that when Jesus saw the widow, he had compassion for her.. Jesus raises the boy quite simply with an authoritative command. The crowd responds by regarding Jesus as a prophet and by affirming that God has been favourable to his people through the deed that Jesus had just done.
The scripture offers many instances where men and women of faith ask for help, and are granted it, even though under normal experiences they might have gone on for the rest of their lives with sin or weakness or sickness or oppression. Does prayer change anything? Again and again the scripture teaches that it does indeed. God can and does intervene in the normal running of his universe. We see just such an instance in this passage. The young man is dead -- his life cut short by sickness perhaps, but death is a "normal" experience in our fallen world. Then Jesus sees a mother's tears, realizes that this widow -- there is no husband and other children mourning beside her -- has lost her only son, and Jesus moved with compassion, and intervenes. God doesn't intervene every time we are hurting or have problems, just as loving parents do not or cannot intervene to soften everything for their children. Sometimes we are angry with God for not giving us the answer to prayer that we desire. Sometimes we blame him for not intervening when our loved ones are sick or die. But it is not because God lacks compassion, for Jesus shows us the Father, and Jesus is full of compassion. We are left with the fact that Jesus indicates that the Father will do things as a result of our prayers, because of his compassion, that he will not otherwise do. Prayer can appeal to the heart of God to bring about change.
To read the texts click on the texts: Num 21:4-9; Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17
The Exaltation of the
Cross is one of the twelve great feasts in the yearly Church cycle. Because the
cross is at the heart and centre of all that we as Christians believe, the
Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the triumph of the cross
of Christ over the power of sin and death. And so this feast provides us with
another opportunity to reflect on the central mystery of our faith: that the
one who was lifted up on the cross in crucifixion has triumphed over the power
of sin and death because God highly exalted him.
This feast commemorates
two historical events: first, the finding of what was considered the Cross of
Christ in the year 326 by the mother of Constantine the Great, St Helen, and
second its recovery from Persia in 628.
A story is told of
Emperor Heraclius who in the year 628 after making peace with the Persians
carried what was considered the Cross on which Jesus hung back to Jerusalem on
his shoulders. He was clothed with costly garments and with ornaments of
precious stones. But at the entrance to Mt. Calvary a strange incident
occurred. Try as hard as he would, he could not go forward. Zacharias, the
Bishop of Jerusalem, then said to the astonished monarch: "Consider, O
Emperor, that with these triumphal ornaments you are far from resembling Jesus
carrying His Cross." The Emperor then put on a penitential garb and
continued the journey and carried the Cross into the Church of Holy Wisdom
where it was triumphantly exalted. It was then resolved that the Fest of the
Triumph or Exaltation of the Cross be celebrated by the Church in all parts of
the world.
The Cross -- because of
what it represents -- is the most potent and universal symbol of the Christian
faith. It is a constant reminder -- and witness -- of Christ's ultimate
triumph, His victory over sin and death through His suffering and dying on the
Cross. The cross, once a tool of death, has become a means to life, an
instrument of our salvation; it gives strength to resist temptation, it gives
hope to seek new life and it dispels fear and darkness.
As Christians, we exalt
the Cross of Christ as the instrument of our salvation. Adoration of the Cross
is, thus, adoration of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became Man, who
suffered and died on the Cross for our redemption from sin and death. The cross
represents the One Sacrifice by which Jesus, obedient even unto death,
accomplished our salvation. The cross is a symbolic summary of the Passion,
Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of Christ.
In the first reading of
today we read of how Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in order to heal and
bring wholeness to a broken people. This was God’s way of showing the people
that He was primarily a God who wanted to save and redeem and not condemn and
destroy. The Church and especially the evangelist John interpreted this lifting
of the bronze serpent by Moses as a foreshadowing of the salvation through
Jesus when He was lifted up on the Cross. The Triumph of the Cross is the
Triumph of Jesus Christ whose love for us and obedience to his Father climaxed
with his death on the cross. The deeper meaning of the Cross is presented in
The Christological hymn in today's second reading from the Letter of Paul to
the Philippians. Jesus emptied himself completely, not just becoming a human being
but accepting the worst public death of the society he lived in to demonstrate
the extent of the love of God for us. He died making a willing statement of
love, filling the world with the love he had for his Father and his Father had
for him. We are saved from the horrors of evil, from meaningless lives due to
the love of the Lord. Because Jesus died on a cross for us we are able to
proclaim to the world: Jesus is Lord. His love made this possible. When we
venerate and adore the cross we are saying: Jesus is Lord of our lives.
To the world this act of
surrender on the cross was an act of utter humiliation and subjugation and the
height of folly. To the world this death on the cross was a wasted life. To the
world this death on the cross was a sign of utter defeat. But what the world
calls wisdom, God calls foolishness, and what the world calls strength God call
weakness. Therefore God highly exalted the crucified one by raising him from
the dead. God gave Jesus his own name so that every creature on earth must now
call Jesus “Lord.” What human beings did, God contradicted. And so in the
weakness and foolishness of the cross we see the wisdom and power of God:
Christ crucified. In him and his cross, surrender becomes power, waste becomes
gain and death and defeat become victory and new life.
The cross is at the
centre of our lives every time we face sickness and death. The cross is at the
centre of our lives in frailty and old age. The cross is at the centre of our
lives every time we feel utterly alone and abandoned. The Cross is at the
centre of our lives every time we are tempted to give in and give up. It is at
the centre of our lives every time we are tempted to throw our hands up in
despair. It keeps reminding us that only when we embrace the cross in the midst
of suffering and abandonment can we understand the power of the resurrection.
Only when we have the courage to keep on keeping on can we like Christ become
victorious and conquer. Only when we embrace the cross is it possible for God
to raise us up and give us new life.
To read the texts click on the texts:Sir27:30-28:7; Rom 14:7-9; Mt18:21-35
The
readings of today which are from centuries ago are still as relevant today as
they were then. Most doctors today are agreed that harbouring resentment,
unforgiveness and similar negative feelings are largely responsible for the
ailments we suffer today.
Ben
Sirach offers practical wisdom in the first reading of today when he exhorts
his listeners to forgive and not hold anger in their hearts. The reason for
this is that if one holds the negative, there is no room for the forgiving love
of God to enter into one’s heart. When one harbours wrath and anger, one closes
heart to receive the forgiveness and acceptance that God keeps giving.
A
similar point is made in the conclusion of Matthew’s Community Discourse which
is the Gospel text for today. It begins with a question from Peter about the
number of times one is expected to forgive. The sevenfold forgiveness that
Peter suggests is by no means trivial. Seven is the traditional number of
perfection. That Peter suggests forgiving seven times does not mean, therefore,
that he wants to grant his brother or sister only a limited forgiveness.
Instead, the sense of Peter’s question is: “Is perfect forgiveness expected of
me?” Jesus could simply have answered yes, but his answer calls for even more
perfection. The most perfect, boundlessly infinite, countlessly repeated
forgiveness is demanded of Peter. The answer that Matthew attributes to Jesus
cannot be surpassed. In the church Jesus’ rule of radical forgiveness is in
effect. The point therefore 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.
For
Matthew also it is clear that God’s forgiveness can be lost through human
unkindness so that one’s earlier guilt returns. 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) insists that if
one has not genuinely received God’s forgiveness, one cannot forgive others.
The servant, who was forgiven his huge debt, had not interiorised the forgiveness
he received. He did not let the grace of forgiveness seep into his heart and
consequently was not able to appreciate it. This lack of appreciation of grace,
lead to his own unforgiving action toward a fellow servant. The response of the
king is immediate. He asks for no explanation, but simply labels the forgiven
one as evil and treats him as he treated his fellow slave. The parable ends
with the hearers being challenged to reflect on how God will deal with each one
and of the consequences of unforgiveness.
The
model of forgiveness whom Paul asks us to look to is Jesus. It is he who first
showed us the true meaning of forgiveness and also taught us how to forgive in
his ministry and especially when on the cross. It is this Jesus for whom we
live and die and who remains, the only inspiration that we will ever need.
We
expect to be forgiven by others when we do them harm and after we have said
sorry. Sometimes, if they do not forgive us, we get upset with them. We need to
apply the same yardstick to ourselves when others ask for forgiveness from us.
The readings of today are explicit that if we have to truly receive the
unconditional forgiveness of God then we have first to open our hearts wide to
receive this forgiveness. This openness will result in our being able to
forgive others who we think have hurt us.
I
am fond of saying, “Forgive, it is good for your health”.
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 10:14-22; Lk 6:43-49
In the last part of the Sermon on The
Plain, the Lucan Jesus uses the metaphor of a tree and its fruit, and through
it exhorts the listeners not merely “to say”, but rather “to do”. The
nature of a tree is known by the fruit it produces, and each tree produces a
different kind of fruit. If a person’s heart is good, then what he/she produces
will also be good, whereas if a person’s heart is evil, then the deeds of that
person will also be evil.
Luke concludes his sermon with an
exhortation to do what the Lord says rather then merely to call him Lord. There
is no point in merely saying “I believe” if we are not going to show that
belief in action.
