Saturday, 31 October 2026
Sunday, November 1, 2026 - All Saints Day - The Saints could, we also can.
To read the texts click on the texts: Rev 7:2-4,9-14; 1 Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12
“I
want to be in that number when the Saints go marching in”. These words from the
popular spiritual song “When the Saints Go Marching In” can be regarded as one
of the two important reasons why we celebrate the feast of All Saints.
In
the eighth century, Pope Gregory III consecrated a new chapel in the Basilica
of St. Peter to all saints on November 1, and he fixed the anniversary of this
dedication as the date of the feast. In the ninth century, Pope Gregory IV
extended the celebration of All Saints for the entire Church and since then,
the Church celebrates the feast of all Saints on this date.
While
the celebration of this solemnity may be seen on the one hand as a remembrance
or memorial of the numerous courageous men and women who lived lives of
selfless love, it may also be seen as an event which makes each of us aware
that we, too, as those who have gone before, are capable of living such lives.
It is a celebration of possibilities, potential and promise. They could, we
also can.
This
possibility and potential is brought out vividly in the first reading from the
Book of Revelation. While on the one hand there are the chosen one hundred and
forty four thousand made up of twelve thousand each from the twelve tribes of
Israel, there is also the great multitude from every nation and tribe and
language. This great multitude is a demonstration that the possibility of being
included is a very real one and that everyone who desires it can receive it.
While it is true that the choice is made by God, we as humans can desire it by
being willing to be washed in the blood of the lamb. This means the willingness
to undergo persecution, trials and tribulations and resisting the pressure to
conform to values of the “world” which include selfishness and self
centeredness.
This
willingness not to conform is precisely the reason why, in the Gospel text of
today, Jesus can declare as “blessed”, those who in the eyes of the world might
seem as those who are cursed. This declaration is a confident assertion of the
reality that is now and here. The beatitudes are not a “wish list” nor a
projection of the future state of what is to come. They are not conditions for
discipleship or preliminary requirements for an initiate. Rather, they describe
those who belong to the community of the Lord. They describe the Saints.
The
nine pronouncements, or declarations, are thus not statements about general
human virtues. Rather, they pronounce blessing on authentic disciples in the
Christian community. All the beatitudes apply to one group of people. They do
not describe nine different kinds of good people who get to go to heaven, but
are nine declarations about the blessedness, contrary to all appearances, of
the eschatological community living in anticipation of God’s reign.
“Poor
in spirit” definitely includes being economically poor, but goes further than
literal poverty. It refers also to an absence of arrogance and the presence of
dependence. It refers to an absence of ego and a presence of awareness that
one’s true identity is found only in God.
The
“mourning” of disciples is not because of the loss of something personal or
because of the death of a loved one. It is a mourning that is outward in that
the mourning is because things are the way they are. The mourning is because
God’s will is not being done and represents also a desire to do it. It is
mourning because of what is not and also because of what can be.
Meekness in the third beatitude represents not
a passive attitude of endurance or as is sometimes understood: gullibility.
Rather it is an active disposition that will refuse to use violent means. This
refusal does not represent inability, weakness or impotence. It represents
instead a deliberate choice of one’s way of proceeding.
This
is also what is meant by the desire or hunger for righteousness or justice. It
is the courage to do God’s will here and now with the confidence and optimism
that the kingdom is indeed now and here.
The
disciples are pure in heart or have a single-minded devotion to God and will
not be swayed by things that are temporary and passing. They will not be
divided or serve two masters. They will serve the Lord and the Lord alone.
This
single-minded service of the Lord will also enable them to work for peace and
reconciliation. They will bring together people of different experiences,
races, religions, and languages not through any kind of coercion or force, but
through the example of consecrated and selfless lives. All this they will do
with a deep sense of joy, because they know that this is really the only way to
live fully and completely the life that God in his graciousness has bestowed.
It
is the same God who calls them his children and to whom he is Father. The
disciples know that this is indeed what they are because they live lives that
are in keeping with their call.
The
elder who invited John to identify those robed in white continues to invite us
not only to identify them today, but also to have the confidence that, if we
dare to live as Jesus has lived and shown us and as the Saints who have gone
before us have lived, then we too can be counted in that number.
Friday, 30 October 2026
Saturday, October 31, 2026 - Do you agree with this statement, “Humility is a funny thing, once you think you’ve got it, you’ve lost it”? Why?
To read the texts click on the texts: Phil 1:18-26; Lk 14:1,7-11
Since
the text of today includes 14:1, which spoke of a Sabbath setting, this text
must be seen in that light. The text is set in the context of a meal, and
contains instructions on behaviour to guests who were invited. Meals were
important social ceremonies, and very little was left to chance.
In
his instructions, Jesus advocates what may be termed as practical humility,
with words from Proverbs 25:6-7. It must be noticed that when the host asks the
guest to move down from the place of honour, no term of address, respect or
affection is used, whereas when the host invites the guest to move up, the
guest is addressed as “friend”. The future tense that is used in 14,11 (“will
be humbled”, “will be exalted”) points beyond the immediate situation to the
reversal of values that is characteristic of the economy of God’s kingdom.
When
one realises that God accepts one unconditionally, the result is practical
humility.
Thursday, 29 October 2026
Friday, October 30, 2026 - Do you “try to be good” or do you “do the right thing”?
To read the texts click on the texts: Phil 1:1-11; Lk 14:1-6
The
scene described in the Gospel text is the third scene describing a healing on
the Sabbath (see 6,6-11; 13,10-17). However, in this scene the setting is a
meal rather than in the synagogue. The issue, however, is the same namely
whether a person’s needs takes precedence over rules and regulations.
The
man in the story suffers from dropsy or edema, which is the abnormal
accumulation of fluids in the body. It is a symptom of serious physical
problems. Unlike in the previous Sabbath healings, here there is no dialogue
with the man (as there was with the woman in 13,12) or questioning by the
Pharisees (as there was in 6,8; 13,14). Instead Jesus poses the question of
whether one is allowed to heal on the Sabbath. The healing is narrated simply,
and hence the focus is removed from it and placed on the second question of
Jesus, which is connected with the first. Since there is the mention of
“son/child” who has fallen into well, the point seems to be the urgency of the
situation and not as in the case of the question asked in 13,15 where the
argument is from the lesser to the greater. The silence of Jesus’ opponents to
both questions concedes to him the victory. The point has been made; human need
even if not urgent takes precedence over rules and regulations.
Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Thursday, October 29, 2026 - When things get difficult in life, do you like Jesus continue to persevere or do you cave in?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 6:10-20; Lk 13:31-35
The
text of today begins with the Pharisees informing Jesus of Herod’s plan to kill
him. In his response to this information Jesus makes clear that he will not die
out of season just as another victim of Herod, but that he will finish the work
that has been given to him by God. In his reference to Herod as “that fox’,
Jesus indicates that Herod is sly and cunning and seeks only destruction. His
demonstration of the fact that the kingdom is present is found in his acts of
making people whole. The reference to three days may refer to the death of
Jesus in Jerusalem when he completes the work given to him.
The
second part of this pericope (13,34-35) has a parallel in Matthew (Mt 23,37-39)
and contains Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem. He wanted to gather Jerusalem as a
hen gathers her brood. In other words he wanted to offer her his love and
protection, but she refused and rejected him. Since this is the case, they are
responsible for their own fate, which for those who reject God is destruction.
To
be faithful to what we begin and see its completion even in the face of adversity
requires perseverance and courage. It also requires openness to the grace of
God.
Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 - Saints Simon and Jude - Will you respond to the call of the Lord as Simon and Jude did?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph2:19-22; Lk 6:12-19
Jude
is one of the twelve Apostles in the list of Luke (and also Acts of the
Apostles). Some think that since Jude is not mentioned by Matthew and Mark but
Thaddeus is, that Jude and Thaddeus are the same person. Besides mention in the
list of the Twelve, he is not well known.
Simon
is mentioned in all four lists of the apostles. In two of them he is called
"the Zealot." The title probably indicates that he belonged to a
Jewish sect that represented an extreme of Jewish nationalism. For them, the
messianic promise of the Old Testament meant that the Jews were to be a free
and independent nation. God alone was their king, and any payment of taxes to
the Romans—the very domination of the Romans—was a blasphemy against God.
Nothing in the scriptures speaks of his activities as a Zealot.
The
Gospel text chosen for the feast of these Saints is The naming of the twelve
apostles. By placing the appointment of the Twelve immediately after the
controversies with the Pharisees—and the dramatic distinction between old and
new that these controversies exposed—Luke presents the appointment of the
Twelve as the constitution of a new nucleus for the people of God, perhaps in
deliberate succession to the twelve tribes of Israel. The conflicts between
Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees have already shown that they represent the
old and that, therefore, they are no more fit for leadership in the kingdom
than old wineskins are fit for new wine. The events at this juncture of the
Gospel foreshadow the opposition that will lead to Jesus’ death and the witness
of the apostles in Acts.
Luke
again signals the introduction of a new scene by means of “Now it came to pass”
and a temporal phrase: “Now during those days.” The significance of the coming
scene is indicated both by its setting on a mountain and the report that Jesus
spent the night in prayer. The only other time Jesus goes up on a mountain to
pray in Luke is the occasion of the transfiguration (9:28), just prior to the
start of his journey to Jerusalem. Prayer is a regular feature of Luke’s
account of the ministry of Jesus and the growth of the church, and references
to prayer often occur in connection with significant turning points in this
history (Luke 3:21, the coming of the Spirit upon Jesus; 9:18, Peter’s
confession that Jesus is the Messiah; 9:28, the transfiguration; 11:1, the
Lord’s prayer; and 22:40-46, Gethsemane). It is not surprising, therefore, that
Luke adds a reference to prayer at this point.
In
one verse, Luke refers to “the disciples,” “the Twelve,” and “apostles,” but
the terms are not synonymous and do not refer to the same groups. In Luke’s
account, in contrast to Mark and Matthew, the Twelve are distinct from the
larger group of disciples: “He called his disciples and chose twelve of them.”
In the next scene Jesus is still surrounded by “a great crowd of his disciples”
(6:17). Luke states that Jesus named the twelve “apostles,” thereby
characterizing their role as witnesses. The references to apostles in the early
church in Acts and in the rest of the New Testament make it clear that many who
were not among the Twelve were still called apostles.
The
points being made by this text of the naming of the Twelve in Luke may be
summarized as under:
God
calls those whom God wants. The individual’s merit or talent is not a necessary
condition for the call. God graces those who are called and equips them for
Mission. The initiative is always with God, but the response is from the human.
Like
God called Israel and then Jesus called the Twelve to continue the Mission that
was given to Israel to be that Contrast Community, so God continues to call
even today. Consequently, blessing and mission are vital aspects of God’s
purpose for the community of faith, whether it be Israel or the church.
Particularly
in Luke, the call to follow Jesus is a call to imitate him, and in Acts we see
the disciples continuing to do what Jesus began during his ministry. Jesus
blessed the poor and the outcast; he ate with the excluded and defended them
against the religious authorities. Jesus showed compassion on the weak, the
sick, and the small, and in these matters the disciples had a particularly hard
time in following Jesus’ example. Nevertheless, if discipleship and Lordship
are directly related, then the Gospel’s portrayal of Jesus is vital for the
church. We can follow Jesus in the Lukan sense only when we see clearly who he
is. Ultimately, of course, the Gospel challenges each reader to respond to the
call to discipleship and join the Twelve as followers of Jesus.
Monday, 26 October 2026
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 - Have you sometimes been tempted to give in to despair when you look at the injustice, corruption and negatives around you? Will these parables help give you hope?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 5:21-33; Lk 13:18-21
In
the two parables that make up the text of today, we once again find the mention
of a man and a woman. While in the first parable of the mustard seed, it is a
“man” who sows, in the second parable of the yeast; it is a “woman” who mixes
it. The parable of the mustard seed is found also in Mark and Matthew, whereas
the parable of the yeast is in Matthew but not in Mark.
The
Lukan version of the parable of the mustard seed is the shortest of the three.
It lacks the description of the mustard seed as the smallest of all seeds (Mt
13:31; Mk 4:31) or the mature plant as “the greatest of all shrubs” (Mt 13:32;
Mk 4:32). The point that Luke seems to be making by omitting these details is
that rather than compare the kingdom to a mighty cedar, he describes it is
terms of an insignificant seed. The emphasis is not on future glory, but on the
present sign of its presence, even though it cannot be seen as clearly as some
would like to. In Luke, it is a parable of the beginnings of the kingdom and
not on its final manifestation. The people expected a spectacular,
extra-ordinary cedar, but Jesus preferred to bring the kingdom as
insignificantly as a mustard seed.
The
point of the parable of the yeast in Luke is not the same as the point being
made in the parable of the mustard seed. In this parable it is a clearly a case
of small beginnings contrasted with great endings. While the quantity of yeast
is not specified, the use of the word “hid’, indicates that it is an extremely
small quantity. In contrast the three measures of flour that are leavened are
the equivalent of fifty pounds of flour, enough to make bread for about 0ne
hundred fifty people. The kingdom like the yeast will eventually leaven the
whole of humanity.
While
the parable of the mustard seed dramatises the presence of the kingdom in its
insignificant beginnings, the parable of the yeast reminds us that even small
beginnings are powerful and eventually change the character of the whole.
When
we realise that with the motley crew that Jesus chose he could achieve so much
in the world, then we realise that his words in the parable are indeed true.
The kingdom does have insignificant beginnings, but even this insignificant or
small beginning has resulted and will continue to result in great endings.
Sunday, 25 October 2026
Monday, October 26, 2026 - Has your obsession with rules and regulations sometime blinded you from love?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph4:32- 5:8; Lk 13:10-17
In
Luke, scenes involving a man are often balanced with scenes involving a woman.
The healing of a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years which is our
text for today is paralleled with the healing of a man with dropsy (Lk 14,1-6).
Like this healing that one too occurs on the Sabbath, and in both there is a
controversy with a leader of the synagogue. In both miracles there is a
pronouncement as well as a healing, and in both Jesus invites his opponents to
reason what they should do for a fellow human being from what they would do for
an ox. This is the last time in Luke that Jesus enters a synagogue, though he
will continue to teach even in later chapters. In this incident, the main point
that is made is that concern over the suffering of fellow human beings takes
precedence over obligations related to keeping the Sabbath. Love takes
precedence over rules and regulations. The number eighteen (the number of years
for which the woman was sick) does not seem to have any special significance
except that it is a long period of time and is probably to link this scene with
the previous one in which eighteen persons perished when the tower of Siloam
fell (Lk 13, 4). Jesus heals the woman by both a pronouncement and a laying on
of hands. The latter may also be taken to indicate the conferral of a blessing
on the woman. The leader of the synagogue does not address Jesus directly, but
speaks to the crowd and expresses his indignation that a healing took place on
the Sabbath. His focus is not on the wholeness of the woman but on the breaking
of the law. Jesus too, in his response addresses the crowd and challenges his
opponents to reason from the lesser to the greater. Since a bound animal would
surely be unbound even if the day were a Sabbath, a human person who had been
bound would most definitely be unbound. The result of Jesus’ pronouncement is
that all his opponents were put to shame. It seems that while the woman was
only physically crippled, the leader of the synagogue was spiritually crippled.
It
is possible that because of our myopic vision we might sometimes lose sight of
the larger picture. While it is good to have our own point of view, we must
also keep in mind that ours is one point of view and there will be others, and
therefore ours will not necessarily be the correct one.
Saturday, 24 October 2026
Sunday, October 25, 2026 - Love of God means love of neighbour and love of neighbour means love of God. The two are inseparable
To read the texts click on the texts: Ex22:20-26; 1 Thess 1:5-10; Mt 22:34-40
There
is an immortal poem written by Englishman, Leigh Hunt about a man called Abou
Ben Adhem. Abou Ben Adhem woke from his sleep one night and saw in his room an
angel writing in a book of gold the names of those who love God. “And is mine
one?” inquired Abou. “Nay, not so,” replied the angel. “I pray thee, then,”
said Abou, “Write me as one who loves his fellow men and women.” The following
night the angel came again and displayed the names of those who love God. Abou
Ben Adhem’s name was on top of the list.
This
poem makes the point that true love of God and true love of our fellow human
beings are like two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist apart from the
other.
That
is what we find in today’s gospel in which Jesus is asked about the greatest
commandment in the law. Though he is asked for the greatest commandment only,
in his response Jesus gives what at first glance seem like two but which are in
reality one. True love of God and true love of neighbour is practically one and
the same thing.
Jesus
is here reacting against a one-dimensional understanding of love. For Jesus,
true love must express itself in the vertical and horizontal dimensions. The
vertical dimension refers to the love which a person has for God and the
horizontal dimension to that love for God which must be expressed in love for
the other. He even goes so far as to say this is the summation of the law and
prophets, namely the summation of all that has ever been said by anyone. Thus,
the first entails the second, the second presupposes and depends on the first.
In neither case, however, is love construed as an emotion.
Love
for one’s neighbour means acting toward others with their good, their
well-being, their fulfillment, as the primary motivation and goal of our deeds.
Such love is constant and takes no regard of the perceived merit or worth of
the other person.
Love
of God, on the other hand, is to be understood as a matter of reverence,
commitment, and obedience. It is at once an acknowledgement of God’s identity
as Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer and a reflection of that reality in the
ordering of our lives. With this orientation toward God and others, the law and
the prophets have reached their ultimate goal.
The
first reading from Exodus provides some help in understanding why these
commands are interrelated. Whenever someone is wronged, hurt or forgotten, God
hears their cry. Whenever one fails to regard the needs of the neighbour, he or
she has broken trust with the God of compassion. After all, the Exodus text
reminds the hearers of their own position as strangers and foreigners. The same
God who took compassion on them when they were in exile now looks to see his
own spirit of compassion living on in them. The God of love first and foremost
draws all people into a loving relationship with himself.
God’s
love is also evident in Paul’s earliest record of his ministry. In his first
letter to the Thessalonians, Paul acknowledges that it takes courage to declare
the Gospel in the face of opposition. This Gospel is about Jesus the tangible
expression of God’s unconditional love. His sole intention in coming to earth
was to save people from their sins by manifesting to them the reality of the
unconditional love of God. This love experienced by them was a love that became
visible in their actions towards their neighbours. The reason for the
opposition is because people prefer to lead selfish and self centered lives
rather than have the courage to live other centered lives like Jesus. Those
with advantage tend to regard the existing order as appropriate.
We
live in a world that is quickly being destroyed by consumerism and greed. It is
a world in which to “have more” is more important than to “be more” and even if
this having more is at the cost of giving less and sometimes nothing to others.
It is a world in which we turn our heads as the rainforests burn and glaciers
melt only because we want to live in bigger houses and drive bigger cars that
consume more oil and gas than can be produced. It is a world that answers the
“wants” of a few by destroying more and more of God’s creation. It is a world
in which those with enough and more clothes for themselves dare to take away
their neighbour’s only cloak and leave him or her naked.
Thus,
being loving and compassionate involves more than mere kindness. It is the
passion to develop strategies and structures to lift up those who are down. If
our political and economic systems allow the marginalized to fall between
society’s cracks, then we who have been loved into action by a compassionate
God are encouraged to challenge the existing order or to find ways to alter
their predicament. To fail to do this is to lose God in the chaos of society.
Only
when we show this love for neighbour in so tangible a manner that we can
profess to love God.
Friday, 23 October 2026
Saturday, October 24, 2026 - If you were given only one more day to live, what are the things that you would do? What is preventing you from doing these today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 4:7-16; Lk 13:1-9
The
warnings and admonitions regarding the coming judgement that began in 12:1,
reach their conclusion here with a call to repentance. Jesus uses two sayings
to make the same point. The first is about the calamity that occurred when
Pilate slaughtered a group of Galileans and when the tower of Siloam fell and
killed eighteen people. Though no other historical reports narrate these
incidents, there may be some historical background to the first one, Josephus
the Jewish historian does narrate many incidents, which confirm that Pilate
shed much blood. In the incidents that Jesus narrates, however, he makes clear
that what is required on the part of the human person is not the focus on sin
and its consequences but on repentance, which means the acquisition of a new
mind, a new heart and a new vision.
Near
Eastern wisdom literature contains stories of unfruitful trees and the story of
the barren fig tree is similar to the stories found there. While in the story
as told by the Lucan Jesus there is mercy, it is still a warning of the urgency
of repentance.
Each
new day brings with it new hope and a new opportunity to right the wrongs that
we may have done, to say the kind word that we ought to have said and to do the
good that we ought to have done.
Thursday, 22 October 2026
Friday, October 23, 2026 - Where in the scale of “attention to detail” does your devotion to the teachings of the Lord rank?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph4:1-6; Lk 12:54-59
The
warnings about the coming judgement continue in the Gospel reading of today.
The text contains two clusters of sayings addressed to the crowds. They are
charged with hypocrisy in the first of the two clusters for not being as
observant of the signs of the coming judgement as they are of the weather. If
they pay attention to the slightest sign of change in the weather, then they
must also pay attention to the present time, which is the time of Jesus and his
works and words.
In
the second they are warned to make every effort to settle accounts so that they
may be blameless when they are brought to court.
While
we must keep in touch with what is happening around us so that our responses to
different situations can be adequate, it is also important to keep in touch
with what is happening in us. This means that while we need to take good care
of our physical and material well being, we must not do it at the cost of our
spiritual well being.
Compromise
is often better than confrontation. When it is not a matter of one’s principles
or when one is not called to do something against one’s conscience then it is
better to compromise when some conflict arises. This approach saves energy,
time and money.
Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Thursday, October 22, 2026 - Will you do good today even in the face of opposition? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 3:14-21; Lk 12:49-53
The
verses of today contain three pronouncements regarding the nature of Jesus’
mission. The first is that he has come to cast fire on the earth. Fire is used
as an image of God’s judgement, but ironically when it comes on the disciples
at Pentecost (Acts, 2,3), it is the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit.
Nevertheless, the crisis of judgement is never far away.
The
second is about his own baptism, which may be an allusion to his death or to
the conflict and distress in which he would be immersed. This governs his whole
life. Until he completes his mission, he will not be satisfied.
The
third is about the division that his mission will cause. Although the kingdom
of God is characterised by reconciliation and peace, the announcement of that
kingdom is always divisive because it requires decision and commitment. Though
this announcement will indeed cause stress and division, Jesus will not shy
away from it because it is the Mission given to him by his Father. Anyone who
commits him/herself to Jesus must also then be prepared for the opposition that
they will face.
The
reason why the announcement of the kingdom brings division is because it calls
for a radical change of heart and mind. It overturns our value system and calls
us to a life that is challenging and if lived fully also challenges others. It
calls for decision and commitment at every moment.
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 - Are you good because of fear of punishment or hope of reward, or are you good because it is good to be good?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 3:2-12; Lk 12:39-48
The
text of today is the one immediately after Jesus has begun to exhort his
disciples’ to watchfulness (12, 35-38). Based on instructions given in earlier
contexts, however, readiness here means trust in God as a heavenly Father,
putting away all hypocrisy, handling one’s material possessions faithfully,
obeying the ethic of the kingdom, and making life a matter of constant prayer.
Peter’s question regarding whether this “parable” was for the disciples alone
or for everyone, does not receive a direct answer from Jesus. However, in his
response to the question, Jesus responds with another “parable”, which is about
the faithful and unfaithful servant/slave. While there will be a reward for the
faithful servant, there will be punishment for the unfaithful servant. God will
seek much from those to whom he has given much, because everything has been
given in trust.
Each
of us has a specific role to play in the world, which is confirmed by the fact
that we are unique and that there is not one else exactly like us anywhere.
Since this is the case, we have to be faithful to that to which we are called.
If we do not do what we have to do, no one else will do it and it will remain
undone. Besides this it will also mean that we have been negligent in our duty
and not appreciated enough the uniqueness of our creation.
Monday, 19 October 2026
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 - Do you live one moment of one day at a time or are you living only in the future?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 2:12-22; Lk 12:35-38
The
sayings in these verses are a call to watchfulness and readiness. The call to
be dressed for action would mean literally to draw up the longer outer garment
and tuck it into the sash around one’s waist so as to be prepared for strenuous
activity. If the servants/disciples are so ready, they will be able to be
prompt in responding to the master’s knock, and will be blessed. This blessing
will take the form of a reversal of roles. The master will become
servant/slave. The time of the coming of the master is not known and he may
come at any time, but if the servant/disciple is always ready, he/she will be
blessed.
It
is not difficult for us as Christians to relate to this reversal of roles,
simply because our God in Jesus has already become slave. It is now left to us
as servants to be ready at all times.
Sunday, 18 October 2026
Monday, October 19, 2026 - Do you possess things, or do things possess you? If God were to call you to himself at this moment would you be ready to go?
To read the text click on the text: Eph 2:1-10; Lk 12:13-21
The
text begins with someone in the crowd asking Jesus to serve as judge in the
division of an inheritance. While Jesus will not accept this role, he points
the man and the crowd to a different understanding of the meaning of wealth and
life. This different understanding is explicated through a parable, which is
found exclusively in Luke. It is about a rich man who had more than he required
and soon became possessed by his riches. This possession leads him to focus on
making provision to store his great wealth so that he can use it exclusively
for himself in future. It is self-centeredness at its worst. The only ones in
the parable are the rich man and his wealth. In the midst of all his planning
and calculations, God speaks to him addressing him as “fool”. There is a sharp
contrast between the rich man’s planning for “many years” and the “this very
night” of God. It is clear that first of all when God calls, he will have to go
and second that when he goes he can take nothing of what he has stored with
him. There is the very real danger of forgetting God if one allows oneself to
be possessed by one’s riches.
The
manner in which some of us accumulate things seems to indicate on the one hand
that we think we are going to live forever and on the other hand that even if
we have to die that we can take all of which we have accumulated. The parable
of today calls us to realise first that we can be called at any time and hence
must live in such a manner that we will have no regrets no matter when that
might be and second that whenever we are called we can take nothing of what we
have gathered together but will have to leave it all behind. Thus, while
planning for the future may be necessary, obsession with the future is uncalled
for.
Saturday, 17 October 2026
Sunday, October 18, 2026 - God and Caesar
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa45:1, 4-6; 1 Thes 1:1-5b; Mt 22:15-21
There
are times when we wish that certain incidents narrated by the evangelists, in
which Jesus speaks, would have been omitted. The Gospel text of today is one
such incident. This is because, if taken out of context, the saying of Jesus to
the Pharisees and Herodians “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are
Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”, can be used to justify the
clear division that some are wont to make between the sacred and the secular
and to divide these into two autonomous realms. Others may interpret the saying
as a call to unswerving loyalty and obedience to “secular” authority.
The
first reading, however, makes clear that loyalty and obedience are always to
the Lord though it may seem, at first glance, that it is a human being who is
responsible for the salvation of people. Thus, though it was through the
Persian king Cyrus that the Jews in Babylon were given their freedom, he was
but an instrument in the hands of the Lord. It was God who guided him to disarm
other kings and to open the gates of freedom by “grasping his hand”. The whole
world must be made to see that it was the Lord and the Lord alone who brought
liberation.
This
is why, in his response to the Pharisees, Jesus goes beyond the question asked
by the Pharisees and adds that what is God’s must be given to God. This does
not mean a separation of religion and politics, but rather that the kingdom of
God embraces every aspect of human life. Ultimate loyalty is always to God and
the kingdom rather than to narrow and parochial political interests.
The
question of the Pharisees is not a general question. That they intended to trap
him through his answer is clear when one realizes that the tax referred to was
the “census”. This was the Roman head-tax which had been instituted when Judea
became a Roman Province. Payment of the tax was a burning issue and the tax
could be paid only in Roman coinage. A “Yes” answer on the part of Jesus would
alienate the nationalists who were against paying the tax. A “No” answer would
probably lead to the arrest of Jesus by the Romans. Ironically the Pharisees,
who considered the image and inscription on the coin idolatrous, have a coin
and that too in the sacred precincts of the Temple. In principle, that
Pharisees resented and rejected the payment of the tax but would not go so far
as to physically oppose it. Though Jesus’ answer is an indirect “Yes” .he makes
clear by the addition “and to God the things that are God’s” that God always
has first place. While material things may be given to the Caesars of this
world, the human person belongs only to God. If one rendered to the state its
restricted due, all the more was one to render to God his unrestricted due,
namely, the totality of one’s being and substance, one’s whole existence, was to
be rendered to God. Loyalty to Caesar must always be set in the larger context
and thus be relativized by the full submission of the self to God. The bottom
line for the disciple of Jesus is to “render to God the things that are God’s”
Since the human person bears the image of God he/she cannot be given to Caesar,
but only to God.
The
Psalmist reiterates this theme in his invitation to all peoples to give glory
and honour only to God, since he alone is God. He is the one who made the
heavens and is king of all peoples. The Lord alone must be worshipped and no
one else. The worship offered to the Lord is one offered in holiness. His
governance is a governance of equity.
When
we are aware that we are made in God’s image and that everyone we encounter is
made in God’s image we may feel less inclined to separate ourselves from each
other. Yet it is equally important that we retain our identity as children of
God whether we are functioning as members of our household, our workplace, our
neighbourhood, or our city or nation.
As
committed Christians we are also obliged to look into the faces of our
neighbours and see God, especially when we are tempted to see those neighbours
as aliens. The Holy Spirit can work with us and through us when we do not
separate ourselves from that image, as he did in the life of Paul and the
Christians of Thessalonica. We then render to God our very selves in obedience
and service, which will in time touch all we have and own.
Friday, 16 October 2026
Saturday, October 17, 2026 - Will you depend on God today? How will you show this dependence?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 1:15-23; Lk 12:8-12
The
sin against the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks about in the Gospel reading of
today does not refer to a particular sin or action. It is not an impulsive,
momentary rejection of Jesus, such as Peter’s denial of Jesus in the courtyard,
but a persistent, obdurate rejection of God’s saving grace through the work of
the Holy Spirit. It is, in other words dependence only on self and not on God.
Today
the sin against the Holy Spirit is to no longer believe that the Holy Spirit
can transform me. It is to give up before one can begin. It is to give in to
despair and to lose hope. It is not to make a resolution for fear of breaking
that resolution. It is not to trust, not to hope and not to believe.
Thursday, 15 October 2026
Friday, October 16, 2026 - Are you still afraid of a God who is only Love? What will you do about your fear today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 1:11-14; Lk 12:1-7
The
text of today begins immediately after Jesus has spoken the woes against the
Pharisees and scribes. Though there is a large crowd, which has gathered, Jesus
speaks first to his disciples cautioning them against the yeast of the
Pharisees.
The
yeast of the Pharisees is identified as hypocrisy only in the Gospel of Luke.
To be a hypocrite (Greek hupokrisis) originally meant to wear a mask or to play
a role. The point that is being made is that at the judgment, everyone’s true
character will be revealed. There will be no masks, and everyone will be seen
as he or she is. Even the sparrow which is so insignificant when compared to
human beings is looked after by God therefore, there is no need to be afraid,
because a God who is and will always remain, Father, will judge us.
Though
Jesus constantly revealed God as unconditional love, many of us still relate to
him from fear. This is the reason why we wear masks before him and consequently
before others. We are afraid to be ourselves. If we begin to realise that our
God is a God who primarily wants to save, we can improve our relationship with
him and with others.
Wednesday, 14 October 2026
Thursday, October 15 2026 - Have you through your words or actions been a stumbling block in the way of others? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 1:1-10; Lk 11:47-54
The
text contains the second (11,47 – 51) and third (11,52) woe to the lawyers. The
second woe deals with the attitude of the lawyers to the prophets whom their
ancestors killed and the lawyers approve of that killing by building monuments
to the same prophets. In this way they are accomplices to the murders.
The
final woe condemns the lawyers because though they possessed knowledge, they
did not use it as it was meant to be used, nor did they allow others to use it.
They acted as stumbling blocks in others way.
The
woes that Jesus pronounces do not go down too well with the Pharisees, who
began to ask many questions in order to catch Jesus on the wrong foot.
We
too can become stumbling blocks in other’s way to God by the things that we say
and the things that we do. When we point out the negatives in others and in the
process forget all the positive qualities they possess we cause them to
stumble.
Tuesday, 13 October 2026
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 - How often have your external actions been a cause of scandal for others? What will you do about them today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gal 5:18-25; Lk 11:42-46
The
first of the four woes of the Gospel reading of today, continues the contrast
between the inner and outer, but also adds the contrast between the important
and insignificant. Jesus criticizes piety that observes external obedience
while neglecting justice and the love of God. In the second woe, Jesus
emphasizes that true piety does not seek praise from others, and in the third
Jesus returns to the contrast between the inner and outer. Since the inner
corruption of the Pharisees is not visible, others are defiled by their
influence. (Contact with a corpse rendered a person unclean (Lev. 21,1-4.11;
Num. 19,11-22). Graves had to be marked, therefore, so that persons would not
unwittingly defile themselves by contact with them). The Pharisees are like
graves that cannot be seen/are hidden and consequently result in corrupting
others.
The
fourth woe (11,46) is the first of the three addressed to lawyers. Here the woe
is in response to the lawyer’s allegation that in condemning the Pharisees,
Jesus is condemning them as well. Jesus responds by pronouncing a woe on them
for imposing legal restrictions on people but doing nothing to help them. The
law, which was meant to be a pointer and help, has been made into a burden and
an end in itself.
There
is the danger that when we read these woes, we might think that they apply to
Pharisees only. However, they could just as easily apply to anyone today who
like the Pharisees focuses on what is not essential and, in the process,
forgets what is really important. When a person makes physical attendance at
the sacraments more important than spiritual or internal attendance, he/she is
also as guilty. When anyone focuses too much on sin and not enough on love,
that person is also as guilty.
Monday, 12 October 2026
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - Will your external actions show that your inner self is pure? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gal 5:1-6; Lk 11:37-41
he
section beginning in Lk 11,37 and ending in 11,54 is set in the context of a
meal. The text of today begins with the notice that a Pharisee invited Jesus
for a meal. Jesus sits/reclines at table without washing his hands, and this
amazes his host. The Pharisees observed strict rules regarding ritual
cleanliness, and generally ate only with those who also maintained ritual
purity. By not washing, Jesus scandalizes his host. This amazement allows Jesus
to give all those present a lesson on internal and external cleanness.
Jesus’
response to his host who is surprised because Jesus did not first wash, is that
God is not concerned with the observance of rituals of purity, but with the
purity of the heart. A person’s actions should reflect his or her inner purity.
The
best way to remove greed and wickedness from one’s heart is to be generous with
what one has. The practice of constant giving, leads one to develop an attitude
of detachment.
Sunday, 11 October 2026
Monday, October 12, 2026 - What sign are you seeking from the Lord? Will you believe in His love even without this sign?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gal 4:22-24,26-27,31 – 5:1; Lk 11:29-32
Jesus’
debate with the crowd following the exorcism of the demon that made a man mute
continues. The response of Jesus is not to give in to the demand of some for a
sign. While a similar saying is also found in Matthew (12,38-42) which
indicates that both Matthew and Luke have taken it from the “Q” source {Mark
also has the episode of the demand for a sign and Jesus’ response (Mk 8,11-12),
but it is much shorter and does not have the details found in both Matthew and
Luke}. However, Luke has so formulated the response of Jesus, that it forms an
inclusion. It begins and ends with Jonah. Through this, Luke has associated
Jonah’s preaching with Solomon’s wisdom. Since Luke makes this association, for
him the sign of Jonah was not Jonah’s being in the belly of the whale for three
days and three nights (Mt 12,40), but the call to repentance that Jonah
preached. As the people of Nineveh repented after the call by Jonah, so Jesus
calls the crowd to repentance after his proclamation. He refuses to give the
crowds any other sign, because any demand for a sign means that they have not
understood what Jesus is about, and what his mission is. Jesus also knows that
for those who believe, no sign is necessary, whereas for those who do not, no
sign is sufficient.
The
call to repentance is a call to look at everything in a new light. The old is
past, the new has come with the coming of Jesus. If one persists in the old way
of looking which is a way of finding God only in miraculous and spectacular
events, one will miss him. Now he can be found in all things and all things can
be found in him.
Saturday, 10 October 2026
Sunday, October 11, 2026 - Are you wearing the wedding garment?
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 25:6-10; Phil 4:12-14.19-20; Mt 22:1-14
The
last four verses of today’s Gospel have caused much consternation when heard or
read and this is possible one reason why the Church allows these verses to be
omitted.
It
seems however, that they are part of the original parable even if seen as an
expansion and Matthew’s own composition, but if read bring out the whole
meaning of the parable. While at first glance it seems quite unreasonable to
expect someone who has been invited from the streets to have a wedding garment,
it must also be noted that all others who have also been invited from the
streets except this one are wearing theirs. This is an indication that the
others accepted the invitation and after doing so did something about it. On
the other hand, the one who did not have the wedding garment was there in body
but not in spirit. He was at the feast but was not partaking of it. He was
present yet absent. He sought the benefits of the feast without the required
response to the invitation. Thus he can make no response or claim ignorance
when he is questioned by the king. He knows what the appropriate garb is in
order to remain; and he knows well that he is not wearing it. The notion of
election here works together with, rather than against, the reality of human
responsibility.
This
is why it is made quite clear that there is no coercion or force on the part of
the king, but the issuance of an invitation. Those invited are free to respond
in any way they want, but must be prepared to face the consequences of this
response. Some of the original invitees make light of the invitation and
pretend as if they have not heard it. They ignore the messengers and go off to
do their own thing. These are engaged not in sin but in events of life which
have taken hold of them to such an extent that they cannot even understand the
privilege that they are receiving in being invited. Still others behave
irrationally by attacking and killing the messengers who bring the invitation
Since
the invitation is spurned by the original invitees, the king is forced to send new
invites to those who will accept them. These are the ones who are considered
the scum of society, who are found on the streets or byroads. While these fill
the banquet hall and accept the invitation willingly, it is also necessary for
them to show in action this acceptance which they have made in freedom. This
they do by wearing the required wedding garments which in this context can be
interpreted as being present in both body and mind at the wedding feast.
Matthew’s Gospel interprets this as doing deeds of righteousness. The
consequence of not having a wedding garment or not showing in action that one
has accepted the invitation is banishment from the feast. This is not the
punishment given by the king but one which the invited guest has brought on him
or herself.
An
invitation to a feast is also issued in the first reading from Isaiah. Those who will heed the call are invited to
the mountain of the Lord, Zion. Here is the choicest of food and drink which is
served in abundance. It is an invitation to feast and rejoice and an assurance
that all tears will be wiped away and the people who come will be accepted. All
reproach will be removed and God will reveal himself as a God who saves. This
salvation will be shown in the most tangible of ways in that death itself will
be destroyed.
Paul
in the second reading of today tells of how because he has accepted the
invitation in both words and deeds, he is completely sated. He does not hunger
or thirst for anything but has been fulfilled in every single aspect of his
life. The promise of Isaiah finds its meaning in the manner in which Paul lives
his life. He lacks nothing. He has everything. In every single situation of
life he is content.
The
challenge of the readings to each of us who are also called is to also be lived
out as those who are chosen. This is not a once for all response, but a
constant one since the invitation is constant. In order to be regarded as
chosen, the ones called must manifest through their lives in deeds of love and
service that the invitation to participate in the feast has been accepted.
Thus
while the good news is of an open invitation to everyone who is willing to
listen leaving no one out, the fact remains that the response has to be shown
through the actions of ones life. Not all who are invited are receptive to the
invitation of the Lord and thus not all will bring forth the deeds of
righteousness expected of the invitees. Those invited are expected to wear the
wedding garment.
Saturday, October 10, 2026 - How would you define “God’s Word” today? Do you put this “Word” into practice in your life? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gal 3:22-29; Lk 11:27-28
The
words, “While he was saying this” connect what follows to what has gone on
before. Jesus has just challenged his listeners to fill their lives with the
kingdom of God, and now a woman in the crowd blesses the mother of Jesus,
because of the beauty she sees in Jesus. While Jesus does not deny that his
mother is indeed blessed, he uses this opportunity to extend the blessing to
anyone who like his mother will hear the Word of God and put it into practice
in their lives.
If
the woman in the crowd was able to bless the womb that bore Jesus, it was
because she could see and experience the goodness in Jesus. This goodness was
manifested not only in what he said but in what he did and was therefore
visible in his person. If we like Jesus hear the word of God and act on it,
then others will pronounce the same blessing on us.
Thursday, 8 October 2026
Friday, October 9, 2026 - Which is the demon that has possessed you and does not leave you free? Will you attempt to get rid of that demon today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gal 3:7-14; Lk 11:15-26
The
onlookers respond to the exorcism of a demon that made a man mute, in different
ways. While there are some who are amazed, others attribute Jesus’ power to
cast out demons to Beelzebul. This is an indication that no one doubted Jesus’
power to exorcise and heal. They attributed it to different sources. In his
response to this charge, Jesus says that since exorcisms represented a direct
assault on Satan’ power and kingdom, it is clear that he cannot be on Satan’s
side. Also, if Jesus’ exorcisms were performed by the power of Satan, the same
would have to be said of other exorcists belonging to their community. Instead
Jesus’ works indicate that the kingdom of God has indeed arrived. Through his
exorcisms, Satan’s power is broken. In the simile of the strong man and his
castle, Jesus explicates that he is the stronger one who overpowers Satan who
had guarded his kingdom well till this time. Finally Jesus invites his
listeners to take a stand for him. The saying here is strong. If one does not
positively opt for Jesus, one has opted against him. The time now is for
decision and choice.
Once
he has answered his critics (11,17-23), Jesus moves on to exhort his listeners
to fill their lives with the kingdom of God, because it is possible that
despite the exorcism, if a person persists in his old ways, he will be
possessed once again and this will be ever worse than before.
While
there is no doubt that Jesus did exorcise people who were possessed by demons,
we must avoid getting caught up with exorcisms ourselves. Rather, today there
are many subtle forms of “possession” which are more dangerous than “external
possession”. Some of these are consumerism, selfishness, ignorance and a better
than thou attitude. We need to ask the Lord to exorcise these demons from our
lives.
Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Thursday, October 8, 2026 - Do you give up easily when your prayers are not answered? Will you be shameless today? Will you persist today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gal 3:1-5; Lk 11:5-13
Luke
11,5-8 is exclusive to Luke and deals with the assurance that God will answer
prayer. This point is implicitly made through the parable in these verses. It
is a parable from common experience. If the Greek word anaideia is translated
as “shameless” (which is it literal meaning), then the parable is stating that
it would be unthinkable in the setting of a Galilean village that a neighbour
would not get up to give his friend what he wants even if it meant disturbing
the entire family at midnight to oblige his friend. The reason why he would do
this is to avoid being shamed. However, it can also mean that the one who makes
the petition is shameless for going to the friend’s house at midnight to beg
for bread.
If
the translation of the word anaidea is “persistence” or “boldness”, then the
point is that it is the persistence of the one who asks for bread, which will
get him what he wants. The friend who gives the bread will be tired out by the
persistence of the one who is asking.
In
11,9-13, we have a three-fold admonition, “Ask, search and knock” (11,9-10),
followed by two rhetorical questions (11,11-12) both of which elicit the answer
“No, there is no one”.
The
final verse of this section 11,13 contrasts evil human beings with the heavenly
Father. If humans evil as they are will still give their children only what is
good, then the heavenly Father will do more than that. He will give the
greatest of gifts, the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
To
be without shame is also to be without ego. The one who is shameless is also
one who can persevere since he/she has nothing to lose. Perseverance is indeed
the key to open the door to God’s heart.
Tuesday, 6 October 2026
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 - Our Lady of the Rosary
To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 1:12-14; Lk 1:26-38
The
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was formerly known as the Feast of Our Lady of
Victory. Legend has it that Our Lady appeared to St. Dominic in 1208, and gave
him the Rosary to be used as a tool against all kinds of challenges.
Our
Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, is a title
of the Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to the Rosary. The Feast of Our Lady of
the Rosary is October 7. It was formerly known as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory.
The development of the Rosary as a form owes much to the followers of St.
Dominic. On October 13, 1917, Our Lady of Fatima told the children, “I am the
Lady of the Rosary”.
The
text chosen for the feast relates a 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 all 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.
Monday, 5 October 2026
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - Will you like Martha, presume to tell Jesus what he ought to do, or will you like Mary listen to what he would like you to do?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gal 1:13-24; Lk 10:38-42
This
text, which speaks of the encounter of Martha and Mary with Jesus, takes the
form of a pronouncement story (a story in which a saying of Jesus stands out
and is the focus of the story). While the Gospel of Luke explicitly mentions
women disciples of Jesus, here Mary is even sitting at the feet of Jesus and
listening to his teaching, something unthinkable at the time of Jesus. By
sitting at his feet, Mary is acting like a male, and in doing so neglects her
duty of helping to prepare the meal. This action of Mary also results in
bringing shame upon her house. Though justified Martha’s protest is put
negatively by her. It is clear that her focus is not the Lord, but herself. She
is concerned not with her service of the Lord, but the trouble that it is causing
her because she is left alone to serve. The response of Jesus to Martha is the
main point of the story and the pronouncement. The repetition of her name is a
mild rebuke. Her “cares” have prevented her from unhindered devotion and
attention to the Lord. Mary has chosen the one thing necessary and that is the
Lord. Martha presumes to tell Jesus what he should do; Mary lets Jesus tell her
what to do.
There
are times when we do things not because we are convinced that they have to be
done but because we want the approval of others or we want others to know how
hard we are working. These are selfish acts and do not bring grace. The act
that does bring grace is when we do what has to be done simply because it has
to be done and expect nothing in return.
MEETING FRANCIS AGAIN, THROUGH CARLO CARRETTO
Around fifty years ago, during a period of searching for my own path forward, my sister Svetlana gave me a copy of Carlo Carretto’s Letters from the Desert. At that time, my reading list fluctuated between George Orwell, Somerset Maugham, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux, alongside books on law and finance. Yet, it was Carretto’s words that gripped me; I returned to that book more than twenty times, finding myself renewed and deeply moved with every reading.
This initial encounter sparked a lifelong devotion. I collected
every book Carretto ever wrote and closely followed his community's footprint
in India. Last year, that fifty-year journey came full circle. While visiting
Assisi with Svetlana and her family, we transitioned from a meditative time
with St. Francis to visit Carretto’s own final resting place in Spello, nestled
in the Umbrian landscape. It was a deeply moving pilgrimage to the grave of a
man who lived as a devoted follower of Francis, passing into eternity on the
saint's feast day: October 4, 1988.
Why bring you to this intersection of my personal journey
and these two spiritual giants?
As we celebrate the 800th anniversary of the enduring wonder
named Francis of Assisi, I want to invite readers in India to engage with him
in a contemporary mould. To do that, no one serves as a better bridge than the
mystic Carlo Carretto. In his fictionalized autobiography I, Francis,
Carretto boldly adopts the first-person voice of the saint, instantly
dismantling the romanticized caricature of a man who merely talks to birds. He
presents Francis not as a medieval curiosity, but as a disruptive, living
prophet whose radical embrace of the Gospel serves as a direct indictment of
modern greed, urban consumerism, and spiritual complacency.
I offer you these reflections and excerpts from this
profound work, hoping it will prompt you to read the book itself and better
relish the true spirit of Saint Francis.
The Interior Desert: Radical Poverty and Naked Faith
In the book, Carretto’s Francis insists that poverty was
never a mere lifestyle choice or an exercise in philanthropy. As the saint
reflects, "Poverty did not consist in helping the poor, it consisted in
being poor." It was a necessary stripping away of the human ego to
encounter God in absolute vulnerability. Carretto writes through the voice of
Francis: "Poverty is not just a lack of things; it is a lack of self. It
is the vacuum into which God can pour His love."
External lack is merely the beginning, for "true
poverty went to the bottom of things, and touched the spirit." This
perspective resonates deeply with the spiritual heritage of India, beautifully
mirroring the ancient concept of aparigraha (non-possession) and the
ascetic path of the sannyasi. Francis notes that "putting a little
money aside, keeping a larder, buying a house" would have meant a
devastating "lack of trust in my Lord." True spiritual wealth begins
when physical ownership ends, shifting the soul from the "eros of easy
things" to the profound "agape of heroes of the spirit."
Crucially, this path is not a platform for social activism
or systemic restructuring. Francis clarifies that his "choice to be poor,
then, was not a social or political choice, but a mystical one." He did
not set out to organize a political pressure group or engage in standard class
struggle. He recognized that while revolutions fight for the working classes,
"nothing changed, because these people did not change hearts." For
him, the Gospel was a call to look beyond temporal structures: "It is not
enough to change laws. You have to change hearts."
For a reader navigating the hyper-materialistic, upwardly
mobile realities of modern mega-cities like Mumbai or Bengaluru, Carretto’s
Francis offers a sharp wake-up call to look past "a life of easy
pleasure." He models a journey that transcends all human constructs,
civilizations, and conventions, reminding us that true liberation is found not
in what we accumulate, but in what we have the courage to discard.
The Armor of Peace: Non-Violence and Unarmed Love
Just as Francis’s radical poverty was a mystical surrender
rather than a political statement, his response to a violent world bypassed the
conventional logic of warfare and strategic defense. For a modern reader
grappling with global strife or systemic conflict, Carretto’s Francis offers a
timeless pattern of deep, active non-violence. He did not wage war for justice,
even when the suffering of the poor seemed to demand it. Instead, he introduced
a method of combating injustice that relied on entirely different weapons:
humility, presence, and unarmed love.
By stepping out onto the open road without a script or a
shield, Francis showed that the only way to break the cycle of human violence
is to absorb it rather than reflect it back. In a world defined by division,
his life remains a radical blueprint for peace built from the inside out.
Rebuilding from Within: A Quiet Meditation on a Broken,
Beloved Church
For Carretto, this deep interior stripping this radical
detachment from worldly constructs was never meant to drive the believer away
from the community. It was designed to anchor them deeply within it, even when
that community is terribly flawed. The absolute vulnerability born in the
desert of poverty becomes the precise tool needed to face the institutional
Church.
“Repair it.” When the Lord spoke these words to Francis from
the crucifix at San Damiano, Francis first looked at the crumbling stone walls
around him. It takes time for human hearts to understand the vastness of God’s
designs. Francis soon realized the call wasn't just to rebuild a small, quiet
refuge in the woods, but to steady a great Church stretching across the earth
"the one founded by Jesus himself who at Saint Damian had spoken to me,
telling me straight out, 'Repair it.'"
For more than two thousand years, the gates of hell have
targeted the Church, yet they have not prevailed. Yet, anyone who deeply loves
the Church today knows the heavy grief of looking at its wounds, power
dynamics, and the heavy burden of "shameless wealth" and
"involvement with power politics." And yet, like Francis, we are
called to stay, to love, and to labor with an enduring, quiet hope.
Writing with the hindsight of eight centuries, Carretto’s
Francis does not ignore the historical corruption or wealth of the
ecclesiastical hierarchy. He addresses the reality of having "seen no
poverty in the halls of the Vatican." Yet, instead of advocating for a
schism or walking away in bitter anger, Francis models an agonizing, fierce
loyalty. He recognizes a profound debt, asking us directly: "Who would
have handed down to us, across twenty centuries, the teachings of our dear Lord
Jesus? Who would have encouraged us in the truth, reassured us in the path we
had undertaken?"
This is the great mystery we live with: the Church is
simultaneously holy and broken, divine and deeply human "at once
indefectible by divine promise, and capable of scandalizing... by its riches
and its might." When confronted with the flaws of our spiritual home, it
is incredibly easy to become bitter, sour, and judgmental, quick to point the
accusing finger at the festering sores of others.
But Francis heard a softer voice whisper in his spirit:
"Judge not... I have come not to judge but to save." He realized that
if he wanted to have any right to speak, he must have compassion. If we wish to
heal the Church today, we must begin where Francis began: not with criticism,
but with compassion. We reform the body of Christ by allowing Him to reform us,
becoming simple instruments of grace from the very inside of the home He built
for us.
It is here, in this tension, that we find the most poignant
prayer of the modern pilgrim, reflecting Carretto's own deep theological
struggles as a monk addressing the Church directly:
"How much I must criticize you, my church, and yet how
much I love you! You have caused me more suffering than anyone else, and yet I
owe you more than anyone else. I should like to see you destroyed, and yet I
need your presence. You have given me much scandal and yet you alone have made
me understand holiness. ... In a word, I cannot live outside of you, because
outside of you I would no longer have my Christ."
Dr.
Fr. Conrad Pesso s.j.
Director Xavier Institute of Communications
Chairman
Xavier Institute of Management and Research
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