Saturday, 9 June 2018
Friday, 8 June 2018
Saturday, June 9, 2018 - The Immaculate Heart of Mary - Will you respond like Mary did?
To read the texts click on the texts: Isaiah 61:9-11; Lk 2:41-51
The
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is celebrated on the Saturday
following the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to show the close connection
between Mary and her beloved Son.
This means that every year the feast is
celebrate on the Saturday before the third Sunday following the fest of
Pentecost.
The
Immaculate heart of Mary is a symbol used to represent the interior and
exterior life of Mary. It is used to represent her joys and sorrows, her trials
and strength, her love for her God shown through her determined yes and her
love for all humanity shown in and through the love for her Son.
The Gospel
text chosen for the feast is popularly known as “The Finding in the Temple” and
is taken to mean the finding of Jesus. However, a close look will indicate that
Jesus was never lost. He always knew where he was and where he was supposed to
be. It was Mary and Joseph who were lost without their son.
This text
is found only in the Gospel of Luke and gives us an insight into the childhood
of Jesus. It also indicates the awareness of Jesus even at this young age of
who he was and his relationship with the Father. Even as it does this it also
brings out powerfully the relentless search of Mary for her son. He was the
centre of her life and she would not rest until she found him. What we are
searching for reveals a great deal about who we are.
The
Immaculate heart of Mary reminds us of the response of Mary to the privilege
that she received to be God’s mother. Her response went beyond a mere “yes” or
even co-operation and collaboration with God. Her response let God do in and
through her. This may be termed as a passive activity or an active passivity on
the part of Mary. She became the instrument through which God was able to
reveal his son to the world.
If we like
Mary dare to respond like she did, we too can become instruments in the hands
of God and reveal Jesus to the world.
Saturday, June 9, 2018 - The Immaculate Heart of Mary - Isaiah 61:9-11; Lk 2:41-51
Saturday, June 9, 2018 - The Immaculate Heart of Mary - Isaiah 61:9-11; Lk 2:41-51
Thursday, 7 June 2018
Friday, June 8, 2018 - The Sacred Heart of Jesus - Make my heart like unto thine O Lord.
To read the texts click on the texts: Hos 11:1,3-4,6-9; Eph 3:8-12,14-19; Jn 19:31-37
Ever since the seventeenth century
when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was granted visions of the Sacred Heart and
asked to spread this devotion, the Jesuits represented by her confessor St.
Claude de la Colombière, played a fundamental role in spreading this devotion. Colombière,
spoke with Margaret Mary a number of times and after much prayer, discernment
and reflection became convinced of the validity of her visions.
In recent times, one of the most loved and
admired Generals of the Society of Jesus Fr.
Pedro Arrupe was instrumental in reviving this devotion and placing
Jesuits once again at the forefront of spreading this devotion. This devotion according to Arrupe was “the
centre of the Ignatian experience”. It is an “extraordinarily effective means
as much for gaining personal perfection as for apostolic success”. Arrupe was aware of the fact that the devotion
had to be spread using newer symbols and made every attempt to do so.
According to one of the visions
made to Margaret Mary, Jesus made twelve promises to those who would have
devotion to the Sacred Heart. Of these one is of special significance. It reads
“Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy”. This
promise is totally in keeping with the message of Jesus on every page of the
New Testament.
Jesus, the revelation of
the Father’s love, was consistent and constant in his message of the
unconditional love of God. His inaugural proclamation as he began his ministry
in Galilee was that the kingdom had indeed come, that God’s love and mercy and
forgiveness was being given freely to anyone who was willing to open their
hearts to such love.
His table fellowship with “tax collectors and sinners”
(who were regarded as outcasts and so not to be associated with) was tangible
proof of this promise. Jesus even went as far as to say “I have come to call
not the righteous but sinners’ (Mk 2:17). The parables like those of the Lost
Sheep, lost coin and ‘Prodigal Father’ (Lk 15:1-32) are further confirmation of
this promise. As a matter of fact a clear connection is made between the
murmurings of the ‘scribes and Pharisees’, “This fellow welcomes sinners and
eats with them” (Lk 15:2) and Jesus’ telling the parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk
15:3-7). Thus, while “sinners shall find an infinite ocean of mercy” in the
Sacred Heart, it is not a new teaching, it is an important reminder to us of how
gracious God is, in the heart of Jesus.
What then does the Feast of the
Sacred Heart mean for us today? First the heart is a symbol of the whole person
and so the Sacred Heart of Jesus represents the whole Christ who is and will
always be unconditional and eternal love. This love of Christ is given freely,
without reservation and measure to all who open themselves to receive it.
Second, the feast reminds us of the constant care and concern that God has even
now for each one of us and the whole Universe. By celebrating the feast we make
present the self sacrifice of Jesus for all humankind. Our God is a God ‘with
us and for us’. God is Emmanuel.
Third, the feast of the Sacred Heart reminds
us of the intimate connection between the Sacrament of the Eucharist and
devotion to the Sacred Heart. The Eucharist was that pivotal event in the life
of Jesus when he showed how much he loved the whole world. Just as the bread
was broken so would his body be and just as the wine was shared so would his
blood be spilled. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist we receive the real, whole
and risen Christ, so in the devotion that we profess to the Sacred Heart we
relive this encounter.
The feast is thus not only a
privilege and grace, but also carries with it a responsibility.
First, the love
that we receive from the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not a private possession, but
one that must be shared with all. Just as the Father makes no distinction and
makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good (Mt 5:45), so must we in our
sharing of the love of Christ.
Second, the concern that God has for us and our
Universe must be a concern which we must show to our world. The wanton
destruction of nature, excessive and abusive use of scarce resources like
water, indiscriminate cutting of trees for selfish gain, unlawful and criminal
killing of wild animals are signs that we are working against God’s concern. If
God cares for us so much, must we not care for our world?
Third, the intimate
connection of the Sacred Heart and Eucharist reminds us that just as Christ is
so easily available to us, we must also be to each other. The Eucharist and the
feast of the Sacred Heart ought not to be private and passive devotions, but
celebrations that make us ready to reach out in service and availability to
anyone who needs us.
Friday, June 8, 2018 - The Sacred Heart of Jesus - May my heart like unto thine O Lord.
To read the texts click on the texts: Hos 11:1,3-4,6-9; Eph 3:8-12,14-19; Jn 19:31-37
The feast of the Sacred Heart is a movable feast,
but is always celebrated on the third Friday after Pentecost. Ever since the
seventeenth century when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was granted visions of the
Sacred Heart and asked to spread this devotion, the Jesuits represented by her
confessor St. Claude de la Colombière, played a fundamental role in spreading
this devotion. Colombière, spoke with Margaret Mary a number of times and after
much prayer, discernment and reflection became convinced of the validity of her
visions.
In recent
times, one of the most loved and admired Generals of the Society of Jesus Fr. Pedro
Arrupe was instrumental in reviving this devotion and placing Jesuits once
again at the forefront of spreading this devotion. This devotion according to Arrupe was “the
centre of the Ignatian experience”. It is an “extraordinarily effective means
as much for gaining personal perfection as for apostolic success”.
The feast of the Sacred Heart is to be celebrated
as a privilege and grace. However, it is also a responsibility.
First, the love
that we receive from the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not a private possession, but
one that must be shared with all. Just as the Father makes no distinction and
makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good (Mt 5:45), so must we in our
sharing of the love of Christ.
Second, the concern that God has for us and our
Universe must be a concern which we must show to our world. The wanton
destruction of nature, excessive and abusive use of scarce resources like
water, indiscriminate cutting of trees for selfish gain, unlawful and criminal
killing of wild animals are signs that we are working against God’s concern. If
God cares for us so much, must we not care for our world?
Third, the intimate
connection of the Sacred Heart and Eucharist reminds us that just as Christ is
so easily available to us, we must also be to each other. The Eucharist and the
feast of the Sacred Heart ought not to be private and passive devotions, but
celebrations that make us ready to reach out in service and availability to
anyone who needs us.
Wednesday, 6 June 2018
Audio Reflections of Thursday, June 7, 2018
To hear the Audio Reflections of Thursday, June 7, 2018 click HERE
Thursday, June 7, 2018 - Will your love for God show in your love for at least one person today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Mk 12:28-34
While in Matthew 22:35, the lawyer asks Jesus the question about
the great commandment in order to test Jesus; in Mark he is not hostile. As a
matter of fact Mark mentions at the beginning of the incident that he thought
that Jesus had answered the Sadducees well and at the end he commends Jesus for
his answer.
Jesus responds to the lawyer's question in the words of the “Shema”, which speaks of love of
God (Deut 6:5-6), but adds also the love of neighbour (Lev 19:18). The scribe’s
response to this is to acknowledge Jesus’ answer as correct and to add that
following these commandments is greater than sacrifices and burnt offerings.
Jesus concludes the dialogue by stating that because the scribe has recognised
what his priorities are, he is not far from the kingdom of God.
Love of God cannot really be separated from love of neighbour.
The two go together. Our love for God is made manifest and tangible only when
we reach out in love to someone else. While Paul gives a beautiful
description of what love is and what it is not in 1 Corinthians 13:1-9; my own
definition of love is that in love there is no “I”.
Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Mk 12:28-34
Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Mk 12:28-34
Tuesday, 5 June 2018
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 - To believe in the resurrection means to live each day as if were your last. Do you live in this way?
To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Timothy 1:1-3,6-12; Mk 12:18-27
Though belief in the resurrection had developed around two
centuries prior to the birth of Jesus, there were many Jews who did not accept
it. The Sadducees, especially, were known to regard belief in the resurrection
as not justified by the scriptures or mentioned in them (Acts 23:8).
In
their question to Jesus to point out the absurdity of the resurrection, they
use the custom of Levirate marriage mentioned in Deuteronomy 25:5 which states
that the wife of a dead brother shall not be married outside the family to a
stranger, but by her husband’s brother (Genesis 38:8). Their question is that
if there were seven brothers and all seven had the same woman as wife, whose
wife would she be in the resurrection.
In his response Jesus first corrects
their misunderstanding about what the resurrection means and implies. In the
resurrection there will no longer be human institutions like marriage and so
the question of being given in and taken in marriage does not arise. Humans in
the resurrected life will no longer be constrained by the limits or
relationships of their earthly bodies. He then uses scripture to establish that the resurrection is indeed mentioned in the scripture in God’s revelation
to Moses in as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 3:6-16). If these
are mentioned though they are dead, then God must be the God of the living,
since they live in him. God is not God of the dead but the living.
Too much of concern with the after life or heaven and hell may
lead to our not living fully this life on earth. Our heaven at this moment is
here on earth and we must strive towards making it as enjoyable as possible not
only for ourselves but also for those around us.
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