Believe without signs

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 Mt. 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.

What sign are you seeking from the Lord? Will you believe in His love even without this sign?

Gratitude is an attitude

The Parable of the Gospel text of today has often been called “The Parable of the Ten Lepers”. Most interpretations of the Parable focus on the ingratitude of the nine and on the gratitude of the Samaritan. Thus, the main point seems to be that one must be grateful to God for the mercies we receive. Although this is certainly true, there is more.

If Jesus had wanted to focus on ingratitude alone, there would have been no need to single out “this foreigner”. Therefore, Jesus was pointing out more than mere gratitude or ingratitude. He was asking his hearers to look beyond. The mention of the words “this foreigner”, which in the context must be contrasted with the words “the chosen ones”, seeks to make a stronger point. It is that the proper response to God’s saving mercy is not a presumption that it is deserved. The proper response is untainted gratitude and pure praise of God. The Jews of Jesus’ time looked on the Samaritans with distain. The Samaritans were considered as outcasts and as not belonging to the “chosen people”. Many Jews considered blessings from God as their right. They believed that merely being Jews entitled them to receive all privileges. However, God’s mercy, compassion, and grace cannot be merited, earned, or deserved. They are given freely. The only response that one can have in the face of this unconditional gifting on the part of God is acceptance with an open heart and gratitude.

This is possible only when one realizes one’s state. In the first reading of today, Naaman realized when he was healed that his healing was a result of the grace of the God of Israel. He did not know this God. He worshipped other gods and yet, when his healing took place, he was able to boldly acknowledge that he had been graced. This is why his response was first, to praise God and then, to offer to his intermediary, Elisha, a gift like the gift of the Samaritan in the Gospel text of today. He, too, first praised God, the origin and source of his healing and then, prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him as the one who brought that gift of grace and healing.

As long as one keeps thinking in terms of what one merits, one will not be able to appreciate the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is what Paul asks Timothy to do in the second reading of today. The Gospel and the Good News is that salvation has already been obtained by Jesus and all we have to do now is be grateful for the gift and the privilege that we have received. No matter how much we consider ourselves “chosen”, we will never be worthy.

Alas! We keep thinking like the nine healed lepers in terms or merit. We forget grace. We keep thinking of privilege. We forget responsibility. We keep thinking of advantage. We forget duty. We keep thinking selfishly. We forget gratitude. Jesus, however, was able to see and think about the need of the lepers. He acted to meet their needs. Naaman was able to see his healing as a sign of God’s mercy. The Samaritan leper was able to see that he was healed and returned to praise God and fall on his face before Jesus. He knew about grace and responsibility and gratitude. He knew that what he had been given was an undeserved gift unlike the other nine who probably thought that they deserved more than they got. This is likely why the Samaritan returned and other nine, the Jews, did not.

To encounter this gracious God was something that Naaman and the Samaritan leper never thought possible. This is why they responded with such wonder and enthusiasm. For the other nine, God was “familiar”, and so they did not think it necessary to return to give thanks.

Unfortunately, this also happens with the God we believe in as Christians. Our life is filled with a multitude of unmerited blessings – health, food, family, and friends, our faith, even our very lives. God’s providence and goodness, in the form of these ever present gifts, leads to familiarity and expectation. We think we have earned them because we have been good. We think we deserve them because we have fulfilled obligations. It seems natural to us that God responds to our prayer. So we often forget to say a sincere "Thank you", or to offer the homage of our hearts in worship, praise, and adoration. The result is that we take God for granted.

The secret to perceiving the Giver and his gift anew is to awaken our sense of wonder, to reflect upon what God has done, and is doing, in our lives. God has done all that was required to be done, in Jesus. We respond, not by demanding what we wrongly imagine is our right but, by recognizing and acknowledging that all that we receive is given to us from unconditional love and mercy.

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 him. 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. How would you define “God’s Word” today? Do you put this “Word” into practice in your life? How?

Am I possessed by things or do I possess them?

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 states that he is the stronger one who overpowers Satan, the strong one 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.

Which is the demon that has possessed you and does not leave you free?
Will you attempt to get rid of that demon today?

Our Lady of the Rosary

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was feast instituted by Pope Pius V in 1571 in honour of the Blessed Mother Mary and to spread devotion to the Rosary. The Gospel reading is about the call of Mary by the Angel Gabriel (El is strong of the strength of El) to be the Mother of Jesus. Mary says a resounding YES. This is her strength and it can also be ours.

When things do not go the way you want them to go today, will you like Mary also say "YES"?

Happy feast to all of you.

Dependence on God

By petitioning God for the most basic of our needs like “bread”, the prayer that is commonly called "The Our Father" is basically a prayer of dependence. It is an acknowledgement of the fact that we cannot manage even this simple task on our own, and we need God’s goodness to provide it to us. Just as we need bread we also need God’s forgiveness, because if God were to keep a grudge against us for every time we sinned, we would be lost. In this context it must be noted that nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus tell us that we must be “sorry” for our sins if we want forgiveness. Rather if we want to be forgiven, we must forgive. Our forgiveness of others opens our hearts to receive the forgiveness that God constantly gives. The prayer is not merely a prayer therefore, but an attitude, a way of life.

Will you depend on yourself today or will you show your dependence on God? How?

CWG

The CWG has got off to a great start. More power to the people!! We will need to keep on keeping on...

Fr. Errol Fernandes SJ

Martha or Mary?

The Martha's of the world presume to tell the Lord what to do whereas the Mary's of the world listen to what the Lord would have them do.

Which are you?

Province Days from November 3-5, 2010

The Jesuits of Mumbai will meet at St. Mary's Villa, Khandala from November 3 to 5 2010 to discuss issues regarding how we are responding to the needs of our times. We need prayers and support. I am sure I can count on all of you who will read this.

It will be a great moment for our Province and will in many ways affect the way we respond to the needs of our people.

CWG and Ayodhya

I am delighted that the Common Wealth Games are under way. The Press has not been as responsible as it had to have been with so much of sensationalism and negative reporting. However, it is good that now things seem in place and the country can host this event.

It is also good that some sort of compromise formula has been worked out regarding Ayodhya and all parties concerned have taken the decision in a mature manner. This is the way to unity and growth. We need to learn to be united even in our diversity.