The Holy Family

INVEST IN FAMILY

1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52

Readings for the Feast of the Holy Family

A little boy asks his father: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?” The father is surprised: “Look, son, not even your mum asks that question!” The son keeps insisting. The father is tired and so replies: “Five hundred rupees.” “Daddy, could you lend me two hundred?” Dad is livid: “So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Now, go to sleep and don’t bug me anymore!” 

Later, the father feels guilty; his son may have needed to buy something. He goes to his son’s room. “Are you asleep, son?” “No, Daddy. Why?” Dad gives him two hundred bucks: “Here’s the money you asked for earlier.” “Thanks, Daddy!” replies the boy. Then he reaches under his pillow, pulls out some crumbled notes, joyfully gives them to Dad: “Now I have enough! Daddy, here’s five hundred rupees; please give me an hour of your time tomorrow!”

This is only a story, but it drives home a crucial point: a huge threat facing families today is we don’t spend enough time together. We are busy working or watching our screens; we have little time for each other. Today’s Feast challenges us to invest in our family life.

The holy family spent time doing religious things together.

Luke writes: “Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover…” The distance between Nazareth and Jerusalem was over 100 kilometres. Travelling was on foot; the journey was dangerous. Despite hardships, Mary and Joseph fulfilled their religious commitments together. 

The holy family came together at mealtime. 

We read: “In the evening they looked for him among their relations and acquaintances.” The pilgrims travelled in groups… men in one group and women in another, and children with either group. But Joseph and Mary were particular they came together for the meal. 

The holy family gave priority to family.

“He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them.” This is a bit of a puzzle! The twelve-year old Jesus knew that his mission was to be about his Father’s business. Yet he returned to Nazareth with his parents to spend the next eighteen years there. For every one year of his public life, Jesus spent ten years in family; that is the importance he gave to family and time with them.

The Holy Family is an example and a challenge to us to value and invest in our families before all else, even when our job is as important as saving the world.

How will I spend time with my family: will I pray together, eat together, and value our life together?

The Nativity of the Lord

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Readings for the Mass at Night

Isaiah 9:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14

Readings for the Nativity of the Lord: Mass at Night

Readings for the Mass During the Day

Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18

Readings for the Nativity of the Lord: Mass During the Day

A family was making its Christmas crib; everybody was contributing, putting in the statues and the hay. Five-year-old Scott suddenly ran into his room, brought a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and placed it overlooking Mary and Joseph. It looked so menacing in that manger.

The dad was tempted to tell Scott: “Look, that dinosaur lived millions of years before Jesus was born. He wasn’t around during Christ’s time. And it didn’t look good in the manger.” He added: “I caught myself because I realized that, in essence, he had caught a truth of Christmas. For Christmas came to help us face the dinosaurs in life… those menacing terrors that seem to be so strong, so powerful. Christmas came to defeat them.”

We have so many fears in life! We fear life, we fear death, and everything in between. We fear rejection. We fear an uncertain future. There is fear caused by epidemics and disasters; by a changing economics and a warming planet. We have and face so many dinosaurs!

The antidote to our fears is found in the coming of Christ into the world. Recall that the first words of Adam are “I was afraid.” But the first words that herald the birth of Jesus (the second Adam) are “Do not be afraid.”

There are four times when Gabriel says “Do not be afraid” in the Christmas Story: to Zechariah because his prayer for a son was answered; to Mary because she was the favoured one who would bear God’s Son; to Joseph to take Mary as his wife because what was conceived in her was from the Spirit and would save his people; to the shepherds because he brought good news of great joy. In each case, Gabriel had to tell the recipients of his message not to be afraid.

We still have our fears. And to us, too, the message is: Do not be afraid because our God has provided the remedy for our fears: he has come; he has pitched his tent among us and has given us power to become children of God. He is the light that shines in the darkness to overcome it. 

And so: Do not be afraid! Happy Christmas!

IV Sunday of Advent

THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS

Micah 5:1-4a; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45

Readings for the IV Sunday of Advent

The news this week. Israel airstrikes in Gaza and Yemen. Uproar in Parliament and over social media over the Ambedkar row. Trump threatens India with reciprocal tariffs.

To deal with issues, humans have recourse to strong means:  power, authority, money.

How does God deal with issues? 

God’s standards and ways are different from ours. To save our world and us, he becomes human and joins us in our weakness. He is the God of small things.

In the first reading, Micah announces God’s intention to raise a king who would bring peace to God’s people. This ideal king would come not from the capital Jerusalem but from Bethlehem, a little obscure town. Bethlehem is small and obscure God will work through its littleness to raise a mighty shepherd king.

Little Bethlehem had within it a still littler life: a humble virgin who would give birth to the saviour of the world. The gospel tells us that Mary – humbly and despite inconvenience to herself – goes to serve her elderly cousin. 

Our God is not a powerful king, but a fragile infant born in a lowly manger. Our God brings salvation not through power, authority, and money, but with humility, obedience and service, and by his death on a cross (see the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews). 

Our God is the God of small things; he comes among us in small ways.

Do I believe in the God of small things? How do I deal with the issues and problems of life: Do I use power and authority, or do I choose God’s little ways? Do I strive for influence and money, or do I allow God to work through my littleness and defects? 

III Sunday of Advent

GET MOVING – GET PREPARED – REJOICE

Zephaniah 3:14-18; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18

Readings for the III Sunday of Advent

On 17 October 1989, San Francisco experienced a major earthquake. In one place, there stood a group of people watching fire-fighters try to put out a blazing fire. A cop came up to the crowd and yelled out to them: “What are you doing just standing there? Getting going! Go home and fill your bathtubs with water. Be prepared to live without city services for 72 hours. Your time is running out. Get going and get prepared.”

Roll back the clock two thousand years to the region around the river Jordan. We have a similar scene! Instead of a dishevelled cop, there is a dishevelled John the Baptist. The situation is the same: there was no geological earthquake but a political and moral one in Israel. The message and the urgency are the same. “Get going and get prepared!”

Today’s gospel continues from last Sunday; the people ask John: “What should we do?” John’s response may be summed up thus: 

- be loving by sharing your resources

- be just/ honest

- be content with what you have

When we are LJC (loving-just-content), we will be ready for the coming of LJC (our Lord Jesus Christ)! 

John announces the Lord’s coming as a coming of judgement. But it’s a judgement we can meet joyfully if we have loved and have faithfully done our daily work.

We find this theme of “joy in unlikely situations” in the other readings. In fact, this is a distinctive feature of Advent joy! Zephaniah announces the coming of the Lord as a day of doom and yet invites Israel to “shout for joy”! Paul calls the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord always”; he writes to them from prison, uncertain about his future.

How can one be joyful in situations in which it seems impossible to be joyful? Joy comes – as Zephaniah prophecies – because “the Lord is in our midst”. Joy comes – as Paul writes – because “the Lord is near”. It comes not by us not by circumstances but because our future is secured by God and in God. Our task is to get moving and prepare ourselves for the Lord’s coming.

Let me ask: “What must I do?”

With whom will I share myself and my resources this Advent? Are there areas in my life in which I need to be just and honest? Will I be content with what the Lord has given me?

II Sunday of Advent

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6

Readings for the II Sunday of Advent

A man caused a stir among Christmas shoppers in a mall. He sat near the beautifully decorated Christmas tree and talked to people. He asked them why they spent so much money on Christmas, and why they stressed themselves out over this tinselled holiday. To some he said: “The best gifts we can give are kindness and compassion.” To yet others: “Why don’t you forgive or reconcile with family or friends?” 

Many nodded in agreement. Some quit shopping and went home to be with their families. Others bought an extra toy or some clothes for charity. 

Word reached the store managers. They had security escort him from the premises. He wasn’t really hurting anyone, but he had to go; he was ruining everyone’s Christmas. 

Were John the Baptist to appear today, he probably would ruin everyone’s Christmas. He would remind us of the same things and tell us that the coming of God among us means more than cleaning and decorating, shopping and cooking. It means preparing the way for the Saviour.

In the first reading, Baruch offers a song of hope to the Babylonian exiles that God would one day lead them home. Like the foreman of a road crew, God orders that mountains be levelled and valleys filled for the building of a royal road on which “Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.”

Luke takes up the same image to interpret the message of John the Baptist. John offers hope that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

The salvation promised by Baruch and John is God’s work. Ours is to repair the road for God’s coming. Our task is to repent: to recognise and admit that I’m going the wrong way and then change direction. Repentance is awareness-admission plus action.

What are the areas in my life that need “repair”? What are the obstacles that must be removed? There are 

- mountains that need to come down: racism, communalism, sexism.

- valleys to be filled: despair, loneliness, grief, pain.

- crooked places to be made straight: abuse, immorality, violence.

- rough places to be made smooth: oppression, injustice.

There is work to do! Let’s bring on the bulldozers and road graders… and get to work on our hearts!

I Sunday of Advent

WAIT... WITH REALISTIC HOPE

Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12–4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Readings for the I Sunday of Advent

In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Viktor Frankl narrates how he survived Auschwitz. He writes that one of the worst sufferings at Auschwitz was waiting: waiting for an uncertain release or for the war to end or for death. This waiting caused some prisoners to give up; the same waiting did not cause others like Frankl to succumb. They had a realistic goal; they had a “why”. They looked at the present realistically and to the future with hope.

 

Look at the present realistically and to the future with hope! This is the message of the readings today.

- Jeremiah is preaching at a time of national and personal distress: Jerusalem is under siege, and he is in prison. He recognizes that the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile are imminent. But Jeremiah foresees that a shoot will bud from the old stalk of David; this shoot will bring about peace with justice and there will be a total recovery of national and religious stability. The present is bleak; Jeremiah looks at it squarely and looks to the future with hope.

- Jesus predicts the total collapse of Jerusalem, which has been the symbol of God’s eternal fidelity. But he encourages his disciples to stand firm, because he is the shoot of David who will re-establish order and recovery of identity. Jesus paints a grim view of the future not to paralyse his listeners with fear but to call them to faith, prayer, and hopeful waiting; he invites them to be attentive to their disorders.

- St Paul urges the Thessalonians to grow in love for another and to grow in holiness during this period of waiting.

 

How will I spend this season of Advent: Will I lament the present or will I look at it realistically and to the future with hope? What are the disorders I need to remove from my life? How will I grow in love and holiness?

May this Advent be a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus, a time of hope-filled and realistic waiting-action.

Jesus Christ the Universal King

AN “ORDINARY” KING

Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33b-37

Readings for the Solemnity of Christ the King

Arthur was the first-born son of King Pendragon of England. Since they lived in troubled times, Merlin, the wise magician, advised that the baby Arthur should be raised in a secret place without anyone knowing his identity. Merlin sent Arthur to be raised in the countryside. Arthur grew up as an “ordinary” lad; he lived among his people unspoiled and unsullied by the grandeur of royalty. That experience stood him in good stead—when he became king, he was kind and loving; he embodied loyalty, strength, boldness, and faithfulness.

Arthur is, perhaps, a legendary figure! But his story is like the story of our Universal King: Jesus. 

Jesus was born to a humble carpenter and a lowly maiden in obscure Nazareth; he grew up as an ordinary lad and did ordinary things. For much of his life, few knew his true identity.

Jesus grew up to be king unlike any other. In his conversation with Pilate, he states: “My kingdom does not belong to this world.” His kingdom is unlike the kingdoms of this world. 

- His kingdom was not for the nobility; it was for all people, especially the poor, the lost, the marginalized. His kingdom has no boundaries and goes beyond nationality; it is an everlasting kingdom (see the first reading from Daniel);

- His kingship was not of power and domination; it was the way of powerless and freedom.

- He had no palace; he was born in a manger, had no place to lay his head during his public ministry, and he was buried in a borrowed tomb. 

- His crown was made of thorns; his throne was the cross.

- His authority is that of humble and loving service. He did not have servants waiting on him; he put on a towel and became a slave to his apostles. 

- It is a kingship in which the king does not expect people to die for him; rather he goes to his death for them (see the second reading from the Book of Revelation).

We are subjects of this “ordinary” king who is extraordinary. To be subject to him is to experience love and acceptance, liberation and peace. Will I be his true subject? If so, how will I imitate this ordinary and servant king?

 

XXXIII Sunday of the Year

STAY IN THE RACE

Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32

Readings for the XXXIII Sunday of the Year

For the movie Ben Hur, director William Wyler decided that, for the race at the end, Charlton Heston should drive the chariot himself rather than use a stunt double. Heston agreed and started chariot-driving lessons. After days of practice, Heston told Wyler: “I think I can drive the chariot all right. But I’m not sure I can win the race.” Wyler said: “Charlton, you just stay in the race, and I’ll make sure you win.” 

 

We can feel with Heston; given the situation of our lives and world, even staying in the race is tough! To us, God says: “You just stay in the race, and I’ll make sure you win.” This is the message of hope and consolation in the Sunday readings. 

But where is the message of hope? The first reading from the Book of Daniel and the Gospel from Mark predict disaster! The first reading talks of “a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time.” The Gospel text is often interpreted as announcing the end of the world. 

 

These are “apocalyptic” writings: symbolic/ graphic descriptions that must not be understood literally. 

Further, after the catalogue of disaster comes the good news of hope: the Book of Daniel talks about a chosen group which will overcome the disaster and lead many to justice; in the gospel, Jesus speaks about his coming in glory when he will “gather his elect” from all over. Both readings see beyond suffering-persecution-distress to a future of peace. Jesus’ disciples are to respond with faith and hope. God has not lost control of history but will bring things to a triumphant end. 

What is the basis for our hope? The Letter to the Hebrews tell us the basis for our hope is the one sacrifice that Christ offered for the forgiveness of sins. This is what we celebrate at every Eucharist. 

The Lord invites you and me to remain steadfast through the turmoil in our lives. We ask ourselves: 

Will I stay in the race trusting that the Lord will stay with me and see me through? Will I look beyond the tribulation and respond with faith and hope?

XXXII Sunday of the Year

SHE GAVE ALL SHE HAD

1 Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

Readings for the XXXII Sunday of the Year

In the late 70s, a young man walked into church one evening with his first salary: a thousand rupees. After communion, the celebrant announced a collection for the new parish school. When the ushers reached the man, he put his salary envelope into the collection!

Sharing about the incident, he said: “I didn’t know from where my next meal would come but I put my entire salary into the collection. I was reckless! Today I make several times that amount. But I’m sure I won’t repeat that action.” He added: “When we possess much, we find it difficult to give it all.”

The reverse is certainly true in today’s readings!

The widow of Zarephath gave everything she had, her son’s and her own last meal, to a foreigner whose God she did not even worship. And this God provided for her!

The widow in the temple offered two of the smallest coins in circulation. In the arithmetic of the kingdom, the widow’s mite is worth more than all the other contributions. While the others gave from their surplus, she gave all that she had. God must have provided for her.

Last Sunday we concentrated on the “Great Commandment”. The ultimate love towards God is found in these two widows. Right through this section in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus has shown the emptiness of the Pharisees’ religion; he now presents this widow as an example of someone who gives all she has to God. Further, the poor widow typifies what Jesus has done and will do – give everything, give himself as an offering to God. Jesus hopes that his disciples will take their cue not from the scribes’ ostentation but from the widow’s piety and generosity. 

If these poor widows could give everything to God, if a young man could give his whole salary for God’s work, what about me: What am I going to put into the “temple treasury” this week? Will I be recklessly generous and trust in divine providence?

True generosity is measured not by what I give, but by what I have left over after I give!

XXXI Sunday of the Year

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28b-34

Readings for the XXXI Sunday of the Year

In a cartoon strip, Frank and Ernest are standing in front of rows of shelves of books. The sign on top of one of the shelves reads: “Law Library.” Franks tells Ernest: “It’s frightening when you think that we started out with just Ten Commandments.” 

It is frightening! The Jews started out with Ten Commandments and ended up with 613; there are 1752 canons in our Canon Law! 

There were two tendencies in Judaism: one expanded the law into many regulations; the other gathered the law into one summary sentence. Further, there were two schools of thought: one believed there were lighter and weightier matters of the law, and one could prioritize; the other held that all principles – even the smallest – were equally important and binding. Hence, the question the scribe asked in the gospel passage was a living issue in Jewish circles. 

Jesus’ response gathers up the scripture of Israel in one statement. He quotes the creed of Judaism, the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:2-6, first reading): “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” Alongside this creed, Jesus places another passage (Leviticus 19:18): “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” For Jesus, it is a combination of these texts that makes the summary and the essence of the law; religion is loving God and loving people. 

The scribe, pleased with Jesus’ reply, makes a pertinent point: such love is better than all ritual sacrifices. But it is always easier to let ritual take the place of love; it is easier to let worship become a matter of the church building instead of a matter of one’s whole life.

 

Jesus loved God and people totally. 

How am I going to imitate Jesus in the week ahead? How shall I love my God with my whole being? How shall I love my neighbour as myself?

PS: G.K. Chesterton said that the great lesson of Beauty and the Beast is that a person must be loved before he/she is loveable. Unless we feel loved, we cannot love. Just as abused children grow up to become abusers, loved children grow up to become loving adults. God loves and accepts us “just as we are”. Therefore, we can love and accept ourselves and in so doing, love and accept others.

XXX Sunday of the Year

LORD, I WANT TO SEE

Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52

Readings for the XXX Sunday of the Year

In Pastor Steven Albertin’s office, hung a modern picture, a maze of colours and shapes. He knew this picture contained some profound artistic message but was unable to figure it out. 

One day, Adam, a kindergartener, came to his office, saw the picture, and asked: “Do you see what I see?” The pastor asked: “Do you see something in that picture? I don’t.” “Pastor, can’t you see Jesus hanging on the cross?”

The pastor stared at the picture, tried to find the image of the crucified Jesus hidden in the maze, but couldn’t. Slowly Adam moved his finger along the picture: “There, Pastor, is Jesus’ face, his arms outstretched on the cross.” The image began to appear. There hidden behind the colours and the shapes was the image of the crucified Jesus. 

Adam helped a “blind” pastor to see the suffering messiah.

Like Pastor Albertin, many of us fail to see Jesus in the maze of colours and shapes in our lives, in the suffering in our lives and around us. We need help to see him and to make sense of suffering.

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus helps blind Bartimaeus see! 

This healing appears at the end of the section on discipleship in mark’s gospel, in which the theme is suffering. Jesus thrice predicts his passion and death; each time his disciples fail to understand the meaning of suffering in his mission. They are blind. For instance, in the verses preceding this text, Jesus makes the third prediction, and James and John ask to sit beside him in his glory.

Mark uses the healing of Bartimaeus as a device to open the eyes of the disciples to the meaning of suffering. Mark contrasts the disciples with the blind beggar. Jesus puts the same question to Bartimaeus that he put to James and John: “What do you want me to do for you?” James and John wanted to advance themselves; Bartimaeus asks only to see.

Before the encounter with Jesus, Bartimaeus is blind, sitting, on the side of the way. After his encounter, he sees, gets up, and follows Jesus on the way to Jerusalem. Bartimaeus has understood the meaning of suffering in the life of Jesus and of a disciple. He is the paradigm of the ideal disciple.

Like Pastor Albertin in the story, like the disciples of Jesus, we fail to see Jesus as the suffering Messiah, we fail to understand that suffering is an essential part of discipleship. Like Bartimaeus, we sit by the side of the road of life and struggle to make sense of suffering. 

May we, like Bartimaeus, recognize Jesus passing by the way, and call out to him to heal us. May we cast off our cloaks, our false securities and follow Jesus on the way… because it is the only way to life.

XXIX Sunday of the Year

TRUE GREATNESS

Isaiah 53:10-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45

Readings for the XXIX Sunday of the Year

When India became independent, the Defence Minister offered to make General Nathu Singh Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. He declined since General K.M. Cariappa was senior and more eligible for the post. The Minister offered the position to General Rajendrasinhji Jadeja; he declined for the same reason. On 15 January 1949, General Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

Generals Singh and Jadeja knew that what matters is not where you sit, but where and how you serve. That is what Jesus teaches his disciples in the gospel… again!

James and John ask Jesus for places of honour in his kingdom. The episode continues the theme of discipleship in the Marcan gospel. Jesus has consistently challenged his disciples with the core values of the kingdom: they are to become like children, like servants; to give up all attachments; to be willing to take up their cross and follow – all this in the context of the passion predictions. After the third prediction, James and John ask for special status!

The other ten are indignant, perhaps, because the brothers beat them to the bargaining spot. Jesus instructs them again that the exercise of power in his kingdom is radically different from the exercise of power in earthly realms; that greatness is through humble service. Their model is Jesus himself. John in his gospel conveys the same message through Jesus’ servile act of washing the feet of his disciples.

The first reading, which is the fourth servant song, gives us another aspect of servant leadership: suffering. 

In the kingdom of God, true greatness comes through service and suffering.

Do I understand Jesus’ teaching on discipleship or do I clamour for position and power? Am I willing to be serve and to be “the slave of all”?

XXVIII Sunday of the Year

QUENCHING THE THIRST FOR “MORE”

Wisdom 7:7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30

Readings for the XXVIII Sunday of the Year

In The Success Syndrome, Steven Berglas writes that individuals who “suffer” from success crave more. He cites the case of Dennis Levine, who was convicted of insider trading in the 1980s. Levine said when his income was $100,000, he hungered for $200,000; when he was making $1 million, he hungered for $3 million. Berglas comments: “People, who find that $200,000 did not make them happy, strangely never ask themselves why they thought $300,000 would make them happy… but keep craving for more.” 

None of us are big-league cravers, but all of us are constantly seeking more. This desire for “more” is at the heart of today’s liturgy.

The young man in the gospel comes to Jesus seeking something more. He has kept the commandments and led a righteous life. Deep down he knows something is missing. How can he fill this void? Jesus’ solution: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor…; then come follow me.” 

But the man fails in his quest for “more” on three counts: 

First, he had many possessions. He is “rich” not because he is wealthy but because he is dependent on himself and his resources. 

Second, he lived selfishly. He was rich but was unwilling to share his resources.

Third, he fails to understand the incomparable grace of following Jesus. He is unlike Solomon, who (in the first reading) discovers that Wisdom is superior to all else in his life.

Like Dennis Levine and the young man, we constantly want more. 

How do I quench this desire for more: with people/ things/ gadgets and gizmos/ habits? What are my “possessions”? 

Today’s liturgy reminds us that our cravings can be satisfied only by God. Berglas’ prescription for a cure for the success syndrome: “What’s missing in these people is deep commitment/ religious activity that goes far beyond just writing a cheque to a charity.” What’s missing, in a word, is God!

Blaise Pascal puts this beautifully: “There is a vacuum in the heart of every man [and woman]; a God-shaped vacuum which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus”!

May I allow God to fill the vacuum in my heart; may I quench my thirst for more with him and his love.

XXVII Sunday of the Year

STAY COMMITTED

Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16 or 10:2-12

Readings for the XXVII Sunday of the Year

The elderly couple in the check-out line were talking about their upcoming golden wedding anniversary. The young cashier piped in: “I can’t imagine being married to same man for 50 years!” The wife replied: “Well, honey, until you can… don’t get married!”

This little exchange conveys what marriage is: two people—not only imagining—but also deciding and pledging to stay in a relationship forever. Marriage is a commitment. So are religious life and the priesthood!

This is the core of today’s first reading and gospel.

In response to the Pharisees’ question about the legality of divorce, Jesus argues that Moses’ permission for husbands to divorce (cf. Deuteronomy 24:1-4) was “because of the hardness of your hearts.” 

He, then, turns to the biblical ideal of marriage, as God intended it “from the beginning of creation”. In God’s plan (cf. first reading), marriage is not about male superiority/rights, but a communion of love between complementary partners who become one flesh. This oneness is not only a union of bodies, but also a union of minds, hearts, and wills.

This love reflects God’s love; it is a commitment with a beginning and no end. 

Love-commitment is difficult because it means loving the other as she/he is; it does not redesign a person. Pope Francis alluded to problems in marriage when he said: “Families have difficulties… will quarrel. Sometimes plates fly. And children bring headaches. I don’t want to speak about mothers-in-law… but difficulties are overcome by love.”

There are four p’s to overcome this mega “p”: be prayerful; be positive; be polite; be playful.

What will I do to stay committed?

On a lighter note, someone asked Henry Ford on his fiftieth wedding anniversary for his rule for marital bliss and longevity: “Just the same as in the automobile business: stick to one model.”

XXVI Sunday of the Year

STIFLE NOT THE SPIRIT

Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Readings for the XXVI Sunday of the Year

Some years ago, during Cricket Australia’s tour of India, Matthew Hayden was to return home after the test series. But he performed brilliantly in the tests and the selectors added him to the ODI squad. Some argued that he shouldn’t have been included because he wasn’t in the original squad. That didn’t matter for Cricket Australia; what mattered was Hayden was a good player in good form. They didn’t stifle Hayden, and it paid off.

This episode gives a sound principle to build the “God Squad”. It shouldn’t matter whether one was part of the original team or not; all that matters: is God’s Spirit in him/her?

The liturgy invites to recognize that God’s Spirit works in all people of good will and to co-operate with it.

In the First Reading, Joshua asks Moses to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying because they were not part of the “in-group”. In the Gospel, Jesus’ disciples stop a man driving out demons in his name because he was not one of them. Moses’ and Jesus’ responses are instructive! They taught their followers to recognize God’s work inside and outside the immediate community; kingdom work is not reserved to a few chosen ones; it is for all people of good will. To refuse to recognize that people of other faiths are doing the work of God or to stop them is to deny the working of the Spirit in these people.

 

The world is saturated with the Spirit of God. 

Can I open my eyes to the good that others do, recognize God’s spirit working in them, and co-operate with them? 

May I cooperate with (and not stifle) the Spirit and believe that there is place for every person of goodwill in “God’s Squad”!

XXV Sunday of the Year

WELCOME LITTLENESS

Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; James 3:16—4:3; Mark 9:30-37

Readings for the XXV Sunday of the Year

An oft-repeated anecdote to start! A fisherman was carrying his catch of crabs in an open basket. A passer-by remarked: “Aren’t you afraid the crabs will crawl out?” The fisherman replied: “No! Do you know anything about the behaviour of crabs? Watch!” As a crab crawled towards the top of the basket, the others pulled the climber down. This kept happening! The crabs would not allow the others to climb towards the top.

It’s not just crabs that pull one another down. We do the same because of jealousy and selfish ambition. 

Today’s readings address these two foibles that destroy people.

In the second reading, St James writes: “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.” He lists the reason for war and conflict: unsatisfied craving.

The first reading from the Book of Wisdom is an inside-view of how selfish minds work and illustrates the extremes to which jealousy and selfish ambition can lead a person when confronted by a “righteous man”. 

It’s the same in the gospel. The religious leaders are jealous of Jesus, the righteous man; his virtue is an examination of conscience for them! He predicts that they will hand him over to torturers. 

Jealousy and selfish ambition destroy people and community. Jesus smells these foibles enter his fledgling church! He has just instructed his disciples on his passion, but suffering does not fit into their perspective of the kingdom. They are busy discussing their great positions in the kingdom. 

Jesus nips this one in the bud. He puts a child in their midst and challenges the twelve to welcome him/her. When they can welcome “littleness,” they welcome him.

In effect, Jesus compares himself to the child who cannot resort to power tactics when threatened. On the road to Jerusalem, in the face of suffering and death, he can only turn to his Father in trust; this makes him vulnerable.

When we are righteous and live upright lives, we can be sure that people will pull us down. The challenge before us: 

Will I give in to jealousy and selfish ambition? Will I resort to power tactics or will I welcome the vulnerability of a child?

How will I welcome and accept the child part of my personality, and become less power-conscious and success-oriented?

XXIV Sunday of the Year

WHO IS CHRIST? WHO IS A DISCIPLE?

Isaiah 50:5-9a; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35

Readings for the XXIV Sunday of the Year

Before joining an organization, prospective members need to know the organization’s identity-mission and their job profile.

Likewise, to belong to the “organization” of Jesus, disciples need to know Jesus’ identity and mission, and the profile of a disciple. 

Today’s readings set out in clear, unambiguous terms the answers to these questions.

The Gospel is the mid-point of Mark’s Gospel. 

The first part of the Gospel revealed Jesus as the Messiah who mediates God’s power by teaching and healing with authority. It reaches its climax with Peter’s faith declaration: “You are the Christ.” 

The second part will reveal the kind of a Messiah Jesus is and will be: one who must suffer, be rejected, and be killed. Must! There is a necessity about his suffering and death. Jesus is not a glorious king or a military leader; he is the suffering servant. The revelation of his identity culminates on Calvary when the centurion looks at Jesus on the cross and says: “This was the Son of God.” The crucified Jesus is the Son of God.

The first reading forms a backdrop for the Gospel. It highlights the resoluteness of Yahweh’s servant in facing the suffering that comes his way as a prophet.

But suffering has no place in Peter’s idea of messiahship. He rebukes Jesus, who tells him to take his place as a disciple – behind the Master! The disciple must take up the cross, lose his/her small-fearful-insecure self, and follow Jesus. Being a disciple necessarily involves suffering.

Messiahship and discipleship are not only about suffering. Jesus is convinced that he will be raised from the dead. He promises his disciples that if they die to themselves, they will find life in communion with God.

We are not prospective disciples; we already belong to Jesus. We need to be clear about his identity-mission and our profile. 

Who is Jesus for me: is he merely a wonderworker/ healer? 

How do I see discipleship: as a taking up of my cross and following Jesus along the Via Dolorosa? Am I willing to accept pain and suffering and the grief of life?

XXIII Sunday of the Year

FACETIME OR “FACE-TO-FACE” TIME?

Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37

Readings for the XXIII Sunday of the Year

The great paradox of our time is that we live in an age of social communication, but we rarely communicate; we have hundreds of social-network friends but few real-life friends; we FaceTime with people, but seldom spend “face-to-face” time with them. We encounter/ create barriers to communication.

Jesus faced similar communication barriers in his ministry. 

Throughout his ministry, Jesus has been pleading with people to listen to his word. They do not! The disciples cannot understand his teaching, the crowds want wonders, his own people do not accept him, the religious leaders see him as a threat. Mark presents group after group with its spiritual blocks.

Then, Mark presents a man “who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech.” He wants to but cannot communicate. Jesus takes him aside away from the crowd and spends time with him; he communicates with him through touch, a language he could understand. Jesus gives him back his ability to communicate – he can hear, he proclaims Jesus.

There is a parallel between the deaf-mute and Jesus’ disciples. The man could neither hear nor speak; he needed healing. The disciples could not understand Jesus’ message and therefore could not proclaim it; they, too, needed healing.

We need to be healed of our spiritual deafness and muteness. 

Will I allow the Lord to take me aside to touch me? Will I move away from the crowd (of people and gadgets) to spend time with my loved ones and communicate in a language they understand?

May the Lord touch us and restore our ability to communicate. May we disconnect from the virtual world – at least sometimes – to connect with people and reality around us.

 

XXII Sunday of the Year

CLEAN HANDS VS A CLEAN HEART

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Readings for the XXII Sunday of the Year

Jesus and Jim were walking around in heaven. They saw Jim’s parish where the Eucharist was being celebrated. Something puzzled him: he could see the priest move his lips, the lectors read, the choir sing, and the organist thump the keyboard. But he couldn’t hear a sound. Was there something wrong with the amplification system or with his ears? Jesus explained: “We have a rule that if they don’t do things on earth with their hearts, we don’t hear them here at all!”

We “do” many “religious practices”; often our hearts are not in them! Today’s readings remind us that religion is not about externals and about fulfilling obligations; it is living God’s word from and with our hearts.

In the first reading, Moses urges the people to be faithful to God’s laws, which expressed their relationship with God. Over the years, the elders added numerous regulations to govern every action and every situation of life. The focus moved from love to the exact external fulfilment of the law; from relationship to ritual.

It is one of these numerous “traditions” that the disciples did not follow: they ate their meal without the ritual washing of their hands. The dialogue between the Pharisees and Jesus highlights a crucial difference between two mind-sets. For the Pharisees, religion was a performance, a meticulous carrying out of external regulations without concern for attitudes. For Jesus, religion was a matter of the heart; about love of God and care of neighbour. 

This is also the thrust of the second reading: true religion is listening to and acting on God’s word and caring for the weak and oppressed.

Like the Jewish elders, we can make religion a ritual while our hearts are far from God and neighbour. The attitudes that motivate our actions, the way we associate with our neighbour – this is the heart of religion.

Today’s readings invite us to undergo the “heart test” to reveal who and what I am before God and before neighbour. To what do I give importance: clean hands or clean hearts; ritual or relationship? Is my heart in all that I say and do? If not, I need to bring on the heart sanitizer!

XXI Sunday of the Year

STAY COMMITTED

Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:60-69

Readings for the XXI Sunday of the Year

A few weeks before the 1924 Paris Olympics, a member of the USA canoe team, Bill Havens, faced the toughest decision of his life: his wife was expecting their first child about the time of the event; should Bill go to the Olympics or be with his wife? His wife urged Bill to go but he decided to be with her. 

The US won the gold medal. Ironically, the child was born much after the due date; Bill could have competed and returned in time for the birth. But he had no regrets. He had made a commitment to be with his wife always; he was faithful to that commitment.

Bill Havens’ story is a powerful illustration of commitment to our choices.

The first reading describes the covenant renewal before the Israelites entered the promised land. Joshua gathers the people, declares his choice to serve God, and asks them to make their choice. The people make their choice: “We will also serve the Lord.”

In the second reading, Paul urges husbands and wives to be faithful to their marriage commitment. This fidelity is based on Christ’s fidelity and love for his church. 

In the gospel, Jesus offers his apostles the choice to be with him or to join the ranks of the deserters. He had been popular as the wonder worker, the healer, the feeder of the multitude! Then he started talking tough. Many disciples were confused about his teaching about the bread of life, then found it intolerable/unacceptable, and finally chose to leave him. 

Jesus gives the Twelve a choice: to remain with him or to leave. Peter tells Jesus that they cannot turn to anyone else. They have made their choice and remain committed to it.

The liturgy challenges us to stay committed to our choice for God… every day. 

Do I remain faithful to God in times of difficulty or do I “no longer go with him”? Am I faithful to my commitments? In what aspects do I need to deepen my commitment to God and my family?

A sequel to the Bill Havens’ story! 

Twenty-eight years later, Bill received a cablegram from his son, Frank, from Helsinki, the venue of the 1952 Olympics: “Dad, I won. I’m bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for me to be born.” Frank Havens won the gold in canoe-racing, a medal his father had dreamed of winning but never did because he lived his commitment.

There is a sequel to our commitment stories too! May we stay committed!

XX Sunday of the Year

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE!

Proverbs 9:1-6; Ephesians 5:15-20; 6:51-58

Readings for the XX Sunday of the Year

In 1982, Johnson & Johnson learned that bottles of Tylenol sold in Chicago had been laced with cyanide and had left seven dead. CEO James Burke chose to pull every bottle of Tylenol off the shelves nationally and design a tamper-proof bottle. He did not have to do it; he could have pulled only the bottles in Chicago. That move cost J&J $100 million but won them scores of loyal customers.

Our choices affect our destiny!

The first reading portrays wisdom as a woman who sends her servants to invite people to her banquet. Subsequent verses describe Dame Folly who invites passers-by to her meal of stolen bread and water of deceit. Banqueting at the feast of Lady Wisdom brings life and new perception; eating at the table of Dame Folly brings death.

In the second reading, St Paul gives the Ephesians three “be-attitudes”: be wise, be sober, and be thankful. 

On Justice Sunday, these are “be-attitudes” we must choose: be wise to understand that the cause of injustice and oppression is our selfish quest to grab more for ourselves; be sober in using the goods of the world so that there is an equitable distribution of the world’s resources; be thankful for God’s blessings. 

In the gospel, Jesus contrasts the manna in the desert with the bread that he gives: the manna not eaten within the day had to be thrown away; it was no longer good. After Jesus fed the five thousand, the disciples gathered twelve baskets of fragments; Jesus gives (and is) bread which lasts. He is the new manna that lasts forever and gives us everlasting life. “Whoever eats this bread (a choice!) will live forever.”

What are the choices I make: Am I wise, sober and thankful? Am I satisfied with the junk food with “empty calories” the world offers or do I feast on Jesus the living bread?

May you and I make the right choices; they affect our destiny!

XIX Sunday of the Year

BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY

1 Kings 19:4-8; Ephesians 4:30—5:2; John 6:41-51

Readings for the XIX Sunday of the Year

A senior citizen went to a restaurant for lunch and always had soup. One day the manager asked him how he liked his meal. He replied: “Good but you could give me more bread. Two slices aren’t enough.” 

The next day the manager told the waitress to give the man four slices, then eight. Still not enough! The manager told the waitress to give him a whole loaf. But the senior citizen wanted more! 

The manager wanted to satisfy this customer. The next day, he ordered a huge loaf of bread from the bakery, cut the loaf in half, and served it with the soup. The senior citizen came for lunch and devoured the soup and the huge loaf. The manager—hoping he had finally satisfied the man—asked: “How was your meal today, Sir?” He replied: “It was good, but I see you’re back to serving only two slices of bread!”

Bread was important for this senior citizen… like it was for Elijah and the people of Israel.

In the first reading, Elijah—fleeing from Queen Jezebel—came to a broom tree, sat under it exhausted, and asked God to take his life. God had more in store for him and fed him with bread. Strengthened by that bread, Elijah walked forty days and nights (symbolizing a life span) to Horeb. God gave him bread for his journey. 

In the gospel, the people—concerned only about material bread—follow Jesus even after he has satiated their physical hunger. He tells them there are other hungers which he alone can satiate. He is the bread of life that sustains them on their journey of earthly life and to eternal life.

Bread is vital for us. God knows the journey that each of us travels. He knows that, like Elijah, we often must flee from forces that seek to destroy us: addictions and sicknesses, materialism, the pressures and pretensions of a godless society. He knows that often that, like Elijah, we want to say: “This is enough.” God sustains us and nourishes us with bread for our journeys.

In moments of “exhaustion” when I say “this is enough”, will I allow God to touch me and strengthen me? Will I eat the bread of life and journey to my Horeb?

XVIII Sunday of the Year

CRAVING SOMETHING MORE…

Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15; Ephesians 4:17, 20-24; John 6:24-35

Readings for the XVIII Sunday of the Year

The book “Acres of Diamonds” narrates the tale of Ali Hafed. Hafed, a wealthy Persian, owned a large farm with orchards, fields, and gardens. He had a lovely family and was a contented man.

Contented till an old priest told Hafed that if he had a diamond the size of his thumb, he could own a dozen farms. Hafed asked: “Where can I find these diamonds?” The priest said: “Search for a river that runs over white sands between high mountains. In those sands, you will find diamonds.”

Hafed went to bed discontented. Craving diamonds, he sold his land, and travelled the world… till he became so broken and defeated that he committed suicide. 

Sometime later, the man who purchased Hafed’s farm led his camel to the garden brook. As the camel drank, the man noticed a flash of light from the white sands of the brook. He dived into the brook and pulled out a glistening stone. He had discovered the diamond mines of Golconda.

Had Hafed remained at home and searched his own land, he would have had “acres of diamonds” instead of wretchedness and death in a strange land. 

Whether fact or fiction, Hafed is a symbol of everyone who is discontent with what one has, who constantly seeks “something more”, a search which invariably/ inevitably leads to disappointment and frustration.

Hafed is a symbol of the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land. In Egypt, they longed for freedom. In the desert, they yearned for food and water. When Yahweh provided them manna, quails, and water, they craved novelty. Israel’s story is a story of craving and dissatisfaction.

Hafed is a symbol of the crowds – in today’s Gospel – who “came… looking for Jesus” searching for bread to fill their hunger. Jesus led them gradually to the truth that their search would find fulfilment in him. Like their ancestors, they remained dissatisfied with what he offered them, and sought something more.

Is Hafed a symbol of me? Am I content where I am and with whatever I have? Does my hunger for contentment and meaning find fulfilment in Jesus the Bread of Life or do I search for “diamonds” everywhere when the greatest treasure is with me? 

May I realise and discover the “acres of diamonds” I have all around me.