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Friday, 22 February 2013
Finders' keepers
How often has the expectation of some “reward” been your motivation for “doing good”? Will you “do good” without any expectation of reward today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Deut 26:16-19; Mt 5:43-48
In the last of
the six antitheses, Matthew focuses on the love command. . While there is no
command to hate the enemy in the Old Testament, yet, there are statements that
God hates all evildoers and statements that imply that others do or should do
the same. Jesus, makes explicit here the command to love enemies. This is the
behaviour expected of a true disciple of Jesus. They cannot merely love those
who love them, since one does not require to be a disciple to do this.
Everyone, even the vilest of people can do this. The conduct of the disciples
of Jesus must reveal who they are really are, namely “sons and daughters of
God”.
The
command to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” does not mean to be
without faults, but means to be undivided in love as God is undivided in love.
The
love we have for others is more often than not a conditional love. We indulge
in barter exchange and term it love. We are willing to do something for someone
and expect that they do the same or something else in return. It is a matter of
“give”, but also a matter of “take”. When Jesus asks us to be like the heavenly
Father, he is calling us to unconditional love.
Thursday, 21 February 2013
LENTEN NET RETREAT
The Net Retreat will commence on Sunday, March 24, 2013, which this year is Passion Sunday and begins Holy Week and will conclude on Saturday, April 6, 2013.
Anyone who wishes to participate will have to do so in one of the following ways:
Anyone who wishes to participate will have to do so in one of the following ways:
- Fill up an application form which is available at the Parish Office of St. Peter's Church, Bandra.
- Send me an E mail requesting to be registered. (The E mail must contain details like name and surname, residential address)
The charge for the retreat is Rs. 100 (Rupees One hundred). However, if for some reason there is someone who cannot afford this amount, they can still make the Retreat free of charge.
How will the input be given?
Those who register for the Retreat will receive in their Inbox everyday, a link to a talk on youtube, an audio file and a word document. All three formats will contain matter for prayer. The material sent everyday will be sufficient for AT LEAST one hour of prayer every day. One can pray whenever one wants and in the privacy of one's home/office/any other place.
Questions/Clarifications on the Input may be sent to me at my E mail address and I will answer all mails that are sent.
This is sufficient for now. More as we come closer to the Retreat.
Write to me if you need more information. May God be with you all in the grace filled season of Lent.
How many times did you get angry yesterday? Will you attempt to make it one less time today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek: 18, 21-28; Mt 5:20-26
The
righteousness of the disciples of Jesus must exceed that of the Scribes and
Pharisees whose standard of religious piety and practice was high. These of
course did what they did only to be seen by people and to show off their piety.
The disciples are called not merely to avoid being hypocritical.
In the six
antitheses (5:21-48) that follow, Matthew shows what it means in practice for
the righteousness of the disciples to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Each of the six begins with what was said of old and what Jesus is now saying.
In these verses (5:21-26) Matthew narrates first of the six, which is about the
Torah’s prohibition of murder (Exodus 20:13; Deut 5:18). The supplementary
“whoever murders shall be liable to judgement” is not found verbatim anywhere
in the Old Testament, and seems to have been added by Matthew to introduce the
word “judgement” which he uses in the next verse. After stating the law and
adding a supplementary, the Matthean Jesus then radicalises the law and calls
for an interiorization of it (5:22). The call seems to be to submit one’s thoughts
about other people, as well as the words they give rise to, to God’s
penetrating judgement. It is a call to realize that God wills not only that
human beings not kill each other but also that there be no hostility between
human beings. The next verses (5:23-26) are an application of what Jesus says.
Reconciliation is even more important than offering worship and sacrifice. The
disciples are called to work for reconciliation in the light of the
eschatological judgement toward which they are journeying.
If we come to
worship God and there are feelings of anger, revenge or hatred in our hearts,
then our worship remains incomplete. It is only an external worship and not
true worship. God does not need our adoration, but if want to adore him it must
also come from within.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
How will you live out the Golden Rule today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Est. 4:1, 3-5, 12-14; Mt 7:7-12
The
text of today consists of three imperatives: Ask, Seek and Knock. These
imperatives are based on three unconditional promises: you will receive, you
will find and it will be opened. While the point made here is of perseverance
in prayer and not giving up it is not the focal point. The reason for this
perseverance is God’s goodness and gratuitousness. Thus, it is not human
asking, seeking and knocking that is the focal point, but God, who remains the
actor. The reason why humans must ask, seek and knock is in order to
acknowledge their dependence on God. Ultimately it is always God who is in
control. That this is the point that Matthew makes is clear in the explanation
that follows. If human fathers who are weak, frail and selfish themselves would
never give their children anything that would be to their detriment, how much
more will God give what is good to those who acknowledge their dependence on
him by asking?
The
last verse of today is what is known as “The Golden Rule’ and serves as the
conclusion not just to this section but to the whole Sermon. The addition here
of the clause “for this is the law and prophets” results in this verse forming
an inclusion with the similar clause in 5:17 which began the theme of the
Sermon. Also by adding the words “In everything” before the rule, Matthew makes
it all inclusive. There are numerous parallels to the Golden rule but most of
them are stated in the negative form. Here it is positive; “do to others as you
have them do to you”. This is initiatory and not retaliatory or reciprocal. It
means in other words that the disciple is the one who takes the initiative in
doing always the most loving thing to others.
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
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