20th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

20th SUNDAY, 17 AUGUST 2025: JER 38. 4-6, 8-10; HEB 12. 1-4; LUKE 12. 49-53 Thrust: Fire that divides! Indicative: In a world that is often lukewarm and indifferent with regard to God and good, we need to be persons ablaze with fire 1. In today’s gospel, Jesus states shockingly: I came to bring division and not peace”. This really disturbs and upsets anyone and everyone because we believe that he is the prince of peace. 2. We pray to him for peace amidst all our troubles and disturbances. But, he openly states that he came not to bring peace but to disturb it. 3. Further, in a world that is torn by dissensions and divisions, we always pray for unity. But strangely Jesus declares that he has come to bring division. 4. This requires then to understand what exactly Jesus means by this division caused and the peace disturbed. 5. Clearly, the division that is caused by Jesus is not the negative, unhealthy and harmful division that is caused by narrow-mindedness, prejudices, and self-vested interests, in the name of factors like race, nation, religion, language, culture, caste, rite, et cetera. Such a division is a manifestation of a shrunken and narrowed world. 6. Also, the peace that is disturbed by Jesus’ coming is only the false peace that is built on comfort, convenience, compromise, indifference, lack of involvement, concern, and non-committal attitude. 7. It is thus a peace that shelters itself in self-demarcations and self-confinements. It does not allow anyone to enter into one’s self-made territories. 8. These divisions and disturbances are created because of the fire that Jesus has spread. What is this fire? It is the fire of passion, conviction, authenticity, vigour, and commitment. 9. Therefore, one who is passionate for God, convinced, authentic, vigorous, and committed will surely experience division and disturbance. 10. The reason is quite clear. It is because of the “contrast”. Such persons are on “fire”, that is, burning for God and His values are in contrast to the rest of the people of the world. 11. Their passion is in contrast to the tepidity of many others. Their conviction is in contrast to the compromise of many others. Their authenticity is in contrast to the duplicity of many others. Their vigour is in contrast to the passivity of many others. And their commitment is in contrast to the mediocrity and non-committal attitude of many others. 12. There is certainly difference and division between the true and false, between commitment and convenience, responsibility and escapism, between conviction and compromise, between firmness and instability, between sensitivity and indifference, between fervor and lethargy, between passion and mediocrity, between fidelity and defection, between honesty and deception, between authenticity and duplicity, between surrender and self-indulgence, between love and hatred, between altruism and egoism, between patience and aggression, between sentiment and resentment, between forgiveness and retaliation, between generosity and greed, between benevolence and malice, between magnanimity and jealousy, between sharing and grabbing. 13. Therefore such contrast automatically leads to resentment, opposition, division, aggression, and persecution. But then what should be our approach and response? 14. The word of God always provides some basic answers. Be focused, be surrendered, and be enduring. Jeremiah in the first reading and Jesus himself in the second reading stand before us as the models for this focus, surrender, and endurance. Imperative: The fire of many followers of Christ is either dwindling or almost extinguishing. We need to re-ignite it and make it again burning brightly and steadily

18 SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

18th SUNDAY, 03 AUGUST 2025: QOHELETH 1. 2, 2. 22-23; COL 3. 1-5, 9-11; LUKE 12. 13-21 Thrust: Vanity of vanities! Indicative: Intelligence, knowledge, competence, wealth, position, and fame are no guarantees of wisdom. They can often lead one to vanity and shallowness 1. In the gospel, Jesus narrates a parable of a rich fool. The parable of the rich fool is not just one story among many, narrated by Jesus. But it is a live story because there are many such fools today, and none of us is exempt from such foolishness to some degree or other. 2. It is not a soft lesson but a serious warning! It is not only the fate of the rich man in the parable but the fate of each present fool. Jesus is evident and stern: "It is the fate of those who are rich in the sight of the world, but not in the sight of God". 3. Just imagine the miserable fate of the rich fool: He toiled so hard but could not enjoy the fruits of his labor; he made fantastic plans but did not have the future to implement them; he had abundance for generations but had no life to enjoy it; he had the intelligence to acquire for the passing world but failed to procure for the eternal life; he thought all for himself to possess and enjoy but had to leave to others to own and enjoy. 4. How similar is the life and fate of many in our times! So many are slaves to money and pleasure. So many spend their whole time and energies with the least concern for family and good human relationships. So many scorn the right values for the sake of profit and self-interest. So many defraud and cheat to amass wealth and to maintain shallow and false status and dignity. So many are much bothered about the temporary and temporal, but neglect the spiritual and eternal. Are these not traces of folly? 5. How to eliminate such signs of folly? Grow wise. First and foremost, realise that the worth and beauty of life do not consist in greedy accumulation or material abundance, or economic affluence. Rather, life is beautiful and meaningful in the richness of heart, in the abundance of goodness, in the growth in virtues, in the orientation toward heaven and eternity. Not goods but good, not greed but the need for good, should be the motto of life. 6. St Paul reminds us clearly, "The Kingdom of God does not mean food and drink but peace and righteousness" (Rom 14. 17). Jesus too challenges us squarely: "What does it profit a person to gain the whole world but lose the soul" (Mt 16. 26), for, nothing can be equal to the well-being and saving of the soul. 7. Now, how to grow wise? The answer, too, is given in the parable: "Become rich in God's sight". Become acceptable and pleasing to God. It is better to obey and surrender to God rather than succumb to evil. The answer is quite straightforward in the Wisdom spirituality: "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 1. 7). So the more one has a loving reverence towards God, the more one becomes wise. The more devotion increases, the more wisdom increases. The more spirituality, the less temporality. 8. Therefore, the crucial reason for the misery of today's society is very clear: on one hand, the increase of greed and materialism; and the decrease of God and altruism, on the other hand. Let us not evade the issue or find temporary solutions or shallow remedies in worldliness. The only solution, remedy, and antidote is God and good! Imperative: Those who set their hearts on higher things will also live higher lives. To be practical and to be concerned about the present life does not mean to be earth-bound and to be guided by lesser motives

15 SUNDAY/ GOOD SAMARITAN SUNDAY

15TH SUNDAY, 13 JULY 2025: DEUT 30. 10-14; COL 1. 15-20; LUKE 10. 25-37: GOOD SAMARITAN Thrust: Faith without charity! Indicative: True faith can never be separated from concrete charity. To be truly faithful is to be concretely charitable. A faith without charity is dubious and spurious. 1. In today’s gospel, we have the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable dwells on the crucial question, “Who is my neighbour?” This is very crucial and relevant especially in our own times and in our society. There is a very narrow notion of a neighbour. The neighbourhood is demarcated by the boundaries and affinities like country, race, lineage, caste, region, language, culture, religion, rite, and occupation. Or, it is controlled by the concerns like profit, gratification, convenience, etc. 2. Accordingly we find different kinds of neighbours: those who are totally indifferent and unconcerned toward others, being totally self-interested and self-serving. There are those who harm others for their gain. There are those who help others but with ulterior motives, expecting a return or good impression. There are those who are selectively and conveniently good, only to some or only in some matters or situations. And there are also some who are selflessly other-oriented. What kind of neighbours are we? 3. Today we are reminded and challenged to rise beyond our narrow demarcations. A neighbour is anyone in need, who is in difficulty. The neighbourhood is a matter of assistance and service to attend to the need. It is not a choice but a duty. It is not an option but an obligation. It is not a favour but a mandate. It is not a possibility but a priority. 4. Always and everywhere, one should seek to be a good neighbour to the other. We should not look for good neighbours who can help us and fulfil our needs. Rather, we should strive to be good neighbours to others in need. Fraternity is our identity, sensitivity is our quality and charity is our priority – this in simple is the essence of being a good neighbour. 5. The fault of the priest and the Levite in the gospel is that they failed in their primary identity of being brothers and sisters. They failed in the quality of being sensitive to the victim’s needs. They failed in giving priority to charity. They might even be a good priest and a good Levite. They might be doing well in their duty and profession. They might have their own reasons to avoid helping the victim and to go away in haste. But nothing of these can justify their failure in fraternity, sensitivity, and charity. On the other hand, the Good Samaritan had no botheration about his convenience or gain or schedule or work or time or money. 6. Real charity demands not to “pass by on the other side” like the priest and the Levite, but to “see aside and turn around our attention by the roadside”, to “stop and create space” from one’s busy schedule, to “take the trouble and be humble to get down” from one’s riding on self and self-interests, to “take courage to go out of one’s way”, to “take time to move” to those in need, to “care the wounds of others”, to “accompany them in a process of healing and recovery of strength”. 7. There is also a spiritual side to this story of Good Samaritan, along with the fraternal side. God is the Supreme Good Samaritan because He always keeps close to us in our needs and suffering. He is sensitive and benevolent to us always and everywhere, even without any merit or return on our part. He cares for our wounds inflicted by sin and the troubles of life. He cleans us, heals us and makes us sane again, with his own blood. 8. This is the same mission of Christ of “reconciling all things and everyone to Himself through Christ” as the second reading affirms. So, whenever we become good Samaritans to others, we are only sharing in the very identity and mission of God. In the words of the first reading, it is to “turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”. It is to “have the word very near you… in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it”. Imperative: How many of us are Good Samaritans, genuinely and selflessly? How much are we aware of the boundless compassion of God, the supreme Good Samaritan? How much are we grateful and appreciative of numerous Good Samaritans?

14th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR 25

14TH SUNDAY, 06 JULY 2025: ISAIAH 66. 10-14c; GALATIANS 6. 14-18; LUKE 10. 1-12, 17-20 Thrust: Rejoice! But where do you find your joy? Indicative: As the disciples of Christ, we have no reason to be excessively frightened or worried, even though many adversities may constantly surround us and try to worry us. We have every reason to rejoice 1. All three readings of the day recurrently invite us to “rejoice and be glad”. This tone of joy is striking in the first reading from Isaiah: “Rejoice…”, “Be glad…”, “Rejoice… all you who mourn…”, “Your heart shall rejoice”. In the second reading from Galatians, Paul tells us what to “boast” about. In the gospel, too, Jesus tells his disciples, “Rejoice…”. 2. But this sounds strange and unreal. Especially in our times that abound in evil and wickedness in various forms of cruelty, selfishness, atrocities and perversions, the beauty and joy of human life are constantly threatened and reduced. There seems to be every reason to lament and grieve. 3. All the more, to live as disciples of Christ is very challenging. It is because the world, which is their mission field, is like a battlefield. It is a world that is not responsive and cooperative. 4. Not only this, but it is also directly resistant and destructive. In Jesus’ own words, “Behold, I am sending you out as lambs amid wolves”. Jesus also foresees their rejection as he says, “Whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you…” 5. Another sad thing is the lack of committed labourers to work in this difficult field and reap a rich harvest. “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few”. Consequently, the workload also becomes heavy, and the fruits of the work may not be impressive and abundant. 6. Thus, all these factors are valid reasons to be frightened and discouraged. But, despite all such saddening situations, there is every reason to rejoice and be glad. The sole reason is “God is with us”. As He did with Israel, God Himself will intervene and take our side. He will condone our sin and forgive us. He will bless and prosper us. 7. He will change sadness into gladness, discomfort into comfort, distress into peace, scarcity into abundance, and perishing into flourishing. Hear the great assuring and comforting words of God through Isaiah: “You may nurse and be satisfied…”; “You may drink deeply with delight from (her) glorious abundance”; “You shall be carried upon…”; “Your bones shall flourish like the grass”, and “the hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants”. 8. More forceful and direct and deeply personal is the elevating promise of God as He declares: “Behold, I will extend peace (to her) like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream”; “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted…”. 9. Further, in the light of the gospel, we should rejoice because the Lord does not send us empty-handed on his mission. Rather, he empowers us with his power. He says, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you”. 10. Thus, the sole reason to rejoice is God, His mission and His power. This alone is the highest rationale, and no other lesser motive or interest should dominate or substitute for this. That is why St Paul clearly states, “Far be it from me to ‘boast’ except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”; “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision”. 11. Jesus, too, is crystal clear concerning this highest motive for our joy as he corrects his disciples. The disciples had a successful mission and came back fully excited and overjoyed. They report to their Master: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name”. This looks reasonable and natural. 12. But, this motive is not the highest and perfect. There is certainly something imperfect and worldly. It is finding joy in the spirit of “dominating, subjugating”, though it is the evil spirits. It is joy in self-importance, self-recognition, good impressions, and self-glory. This is for sure not the purpose and objective of the mission. 13. The real end of the mission is God’s glory. It is God’s glorification through our sanctification and salvation. In other words, it is making ourselves worthy in God’s sight, making “our names written in heaven”. Jesus takes them to this higher realm, higher motive, as he says, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”. 14. And for experiencing this real and higher joy, in the light of the readings, we can delineate two important conditions: detachment-renunciation and entrustment to God-becoming a new creation. This Detachment is indicated in Jesus’ mission-imperative: “Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road”. A disciple of Christ does not and should not depend on these worldly securities. 15. St Paul conveys a similar message of renunciation when he says, “I boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”. With this spirit of detachment and renunciation, the disciple would entrust himself to the Lord’s power and light and depend on the Lord. He would throw away the old nature and become a “new creation”. Imperative: The mission that we need to carry on is enormous; the world, which is the object of this mission, is pernicious. But as long as we confide in the Lord’s accompaniment, enlightenment and empowerment, we have no reason to be frightened or saddened

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY 25

28 JUNE 2025: IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, ISAIAH 61. 9-11; LUKE 2. 41-51 Focus: The immaculate heart of Mary is not merely a matter of purity of heart or purity of life, the integrity of the person. It is to be clear-sighted and to be passionately and lovingly committed Generally, the following day after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate heart of Mary. How beautiful it is that on Friday we celebrate the sacred heart of the Son and on the following day the immaculate heart of the Mother! It is not coincidental or merely sequential, but very meaningful and significant. What is sacred reflects itself in what is immaculate. What is immaculate contains and embodies what is sacred. The sacred Son reflects the immaculate mother, and the immaculate mother embodies the sacred Son. Holiness and Immaculateness are integrated and inseparable. To be holy is to be pure. The more we conduct ourselves unstained and uncontaminated with an immaculate heart, the more we grow in holiness. The more we are holy, the more we grow pure and maliceless. To be holy and not to be immaculate is a contradiction. In fact, sacredness and Immaculateness are not something accidental or additional to us. It is essential and integral to our very identity as God's redeemed children. "To be holy and blameless" is God's purpose for us, and destined us for such bliss (cf. Eph 1. 4). Our sanctification is God's will (1 Thes 4. 3)). So to grow sacred and immaculate should be our priority and perennial pursuit. Certainly, it is God's gratuitous grace and not our merit. But this does not take away our role, our responsibility, our cooperation, and our effort. We should work hard to merit what we are graced with. This is what Mary did: if her immaculate conception shows predominantly the singular grace and privilege, accorded to her by God, her immaculate heart shows preeminently her humble cooperation with that grace. She constantly preserved her heart and life from sin, and fostered sanctity, thanks to God's grace. Mary's immaculate heart is not only a pointer to her personal holiness and purity but much more, also, a strong inspiration and pathway to be pure and immaculate ourselves. In our times, where hearts are getting so much polluted by sin and malice, where to have heart comes to be taken as fragility and vulnerability, where hearts crooked, hard, and indifferent seem to be the order of the day, where hearts get entangled into much aberration and deviation in the name of modernity, the immaculate heart of Mary is a consolation and remedy! Direction: The celebration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a pointer that true purity leads to joy and serenity because there is nothing that disturbs or distracts. Purity of heart is the propriety of life

23-28 June 25 Mass Reflection

23 - 28 JUNE 2025, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS 23 JUNE 2025: GEN 12. 1-9; MATTHEW 7. 1-5 Focus: A life that pleases God will be blessed by Him so that the person himself becomes a blessing and a source of blessings for others We are living in a world where humility and sincerity, fairness and goodness toward others are becoming rarities. That is why, when some people show these qualities, it becomes big news as if it is something out of the way. Instead, arrogance and duplicity, injustice and wickedness are aggressively prevalent. In other words, it is truly a culture of evil and curse. It is in such a context, the Word of God shows us a surer way to foster a culture of blessing. In the first reading from Genesis, God blesses Abram and makes him a blessing himself and a source of blessing for others. God is pleased with his humility and sincerity, his piety and obedience to God’s ways, and his sense of fairness and kindness toward others. In the gospel, Jesus addresses one big block against such a culture of blessing. It is the malaise of self-righteousness. This is accompanied by rash and uncharitable judgment of others. Jesus confronts the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees and scribes. This attitude refuses to do any self-check. It rates themselves better than others. Consequently it judges and condemns them. It is blind to the weakness of oneself or diminishes their faults. But on the other hand, it magnifies and exaggerates the wrongs of others. It is clearly applying double standards. St Francis de Sales has something wise said about this. He says, many are eager to accuse others even for the slightest mistake, while they excuse themselves even for the greatest blunder. People clamour for justice in the neighbour’s house while they plead for mercy in their own house. So, it is better to place oneself in the place of the other and see and feel from their perspective. Jesus too insists that it is better to "see the log in one's own eye instead of making noise about the speck in another's eye". Direction: In a virulent atmosphere of judgment and condemnation, of which criticism and slander are the offshoots, we must cultivate a humble spirit of self-examination and self-realization 24 JUNE 2025: ISIAH 49. 1-6; ACTS 13. 22-26; LUKE 1. 57-66: SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST Focus: Our life is not a haphazard or fortuitous existence without a goal and direction but it is a gratuitous and gracious gift of God Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. His is the only birth we celebrate besides the birthdays of the Lord and the Mother. That alone shows the singular importance that is accorded to him. The words of prophets Jeremiah 1. 4-10 and Isaiah 49. 1-6 are true and applicable to his birth and mission. He has been eternally destined by God to be his precursor, who prepares the way for the Messiah, who preaches repentance and converts many to the way of the Lord. He was called and named by the Lord from the mother’s womb. He was made like a sharp sword and like a polished arrow. He was the chosen servant of God, made as a light to the nations, in whom God is glorified. The second reading from Acts 13. 22-26 also indicates that John is a man after God’s own heart who will do all his will like David. God Himself would be his shield and guide. He would hide him in the shadow of His hand, and in His quiver. Hence no fear! The birth of John the Baptist recalls and reminds us of our own Christian vocation and mission, which can be summarized in three essential aspects: destiny, consecration and empowerment. We are destined for eternity, destined to be heirs of heaven. In the pursuit of this destiny, we are consecrated to be His own, to be the disciples of Christ on his mission. In carrying out this mission and living out of the life of grace, we are empowered with His own power that emboldens us and illumines us amidst all fears and evil forces. John the Baptist lived and accomplished his destiny, consecration and empowerment by his undistracted focus, humble surrender and unflinching loyalty Direction: Life will be joyful and fulfilling to the extent we are profoundly aware and live our project of destiny, consecration and empowerment in focus, surrender and commitment 25 JUNE 2025: GEN 15. 1-12, 17-18; MATTHEW 7. 15-20 Focus: Those who trust in God even in seemingly impossible situations and live righteously will please God and be blessed by God beyond measures Falsity is always detestable in the sight of God, because He knows the humans through and through. Those who are false may disguise themselves in the garbs of holiness. They may be able to fool and deceive others. But they cannot fool God. God will certainly take them to task. This is how Jesus warns in the gospel about the false people in the holy garb of prophets. These are inwardly violent wolves but outwardly meek sheep. They are bad trees that appear to bear good fruits. But they bear only bad fruits. And they are judged by their bad fruits. Accordingly, just like the bad trees they will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, what is important is that we are sincere and authentic with no false disguises. We must grow and live like good trees that bear good fruits. We must prove ourselves by the quality of our fruits. Then surely God will bless us and reward us abundantly. This is what we see in the case of Abram in Genesis. Abram is totally obedient to God. With utter faith, he totally believes in God’s promises and assurances, even though they seem humanly impossible. If not for his faith, how would he believe God’s promise of making him the father of a multitude of descendants, when he is already advanced in age and without an heir? Abram is truly a good tree that bears the abundant fruits of faith and righteousness. That is why he is rewarded with an heir, numerous descendants and spacious land. We find thus a contrast between Abram, a pagan and the false prophets, of the race of believers. Though pagan, Abram won God’s favour because of his faith in God and righteousness of life. On the contrary, the Pharisees and the scribes proved themselves to be false prophets, incurred God’s judgment because of their falsity and lack of fruits. Direction: In our life, ultimately what matters is not mere exterior allegiance like race or nation, but the interior spirit of faith that authenticates itself in good fruits 26 JUNE 2025: GEN 16. 1-12, 15-16; MATTHEW 7. 21-29 Thrust: Shallow promises do not suffice! Indicative: Mere words or shallow activities will not please God and bring His blessings. What really matters is to cease to do evil and be faithful to God The word of God once again makes it clear that evil is abominable and displeasing to God. What He expects from us is to avoid evil, and to remain faithful to Him. If one fails in this, he will meet the consequences, ending up in destruction. Many may acclaim “Lord, Lord”. But that will not suffice. If they fail to do God’s will, they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Some others may also do apparently many religious activities and spiritual gifts like prophecy, exorcism, and miracles. But that too will not suffice. They need to avoid their wickedness and be faithful to God in an integral life. Otherwise, they will meet the fate of rejection by the Lord who would declare, “I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of wickedness”. Ultimately what matters the most is to live a life, founded and built on rock. It means to live a life that remains solid and firm in faith, beaten by winds and floods but unshaken. It means to live a life that is docile and submissive to listen and be tuned to His voice and promptings. It means to live a life that is constantly built on His teachings and values. It means to live a life that strives to do His mission of spreading His kingdom and bearing abundant fruits of good actions. But on the contrary, if one builds his house on a foundation of sand, their fall will be sure and great. It is to entangle oneself in worldly dissipations, being carried away by worthless interests and pursuits. These are the ones who are content with mere empty words and shallow activities. Their hearts cling to evil and their lives continue dichotomous. Imperative: It is wisdom that makes the vital difference between the two types of foundations. People of wisdom build their life on rock while those foolish, on sand. What are we – wise or foolish? What foundation is ours – rock or sand? 27 JUNE 2025: SACRED HEART OF JESUS, EZEK 34. 11-16; ROM 5. 5b -11; LUKE 15. 3-7 Thrust: Love that never ceases but seizes hearts! Indicative: In a culture where advanced culture equals to lack of heartiness and sensitivity, the festivity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a challenge to foster a culture of heart This feast of the most sacred heart of Jesus reveals and confirms to us that our God is a God of heart. That is, a God who values us so much, who loves us without end, always radiating upon us the rays of His care, a God whose heart burns with the flame, the fire of passion. It never gets cold, it never becomes lukewarm, but always passionate, always zealous. Even if we are weak and fragile, even if we fall often, even if we make so many mistakes, even if we fail in our fidelity and sincerity, even if we lack in our responsibilities and duties, even if we do not deeply believe, live and witness how we must like the believers, like the children of God and disciples of Christ, even if we often wound that beloved heart of Jesus - still despite all our weaknesses, faults, unfaithfulness, and unworthiness, God loves us. Jesus never fails to love us. This fact of the love of God, so faithful and persevering, is today a matter of great comfort and encouragement. Especially in our times, in our society, where and when, unfortunately, the ambience and the culture of love, of loving, of warmth of heart, of tenderness, of sensitivity, is diminishing, but instead an air, a culture of hatred, rancor, indifference, violence, evil is increasing, this celebration of the heart, of love is a confirmation, a call, a challenge, and a guide for a way of living of love. Today the Lord comforts us that he always pours his love over us. Never doubt, even if sometimes we are surmounted by difficulties, upset by afflictions, beset by unfavorable situations, God loves us. Trust in God. Trust in his love. Feel the warmth of his heart. Experience the passion, the fire of his love. Be open and docile to the marvel of his love. Not only this but also we are called to nurture and foster a deep love for him. Love God. Let us be gripped with a passionate feeling, a powerful bonding with the Lord. Many times we feel a lot of interest, enthusiasm, anxiety, and concern for many things. But how much intensity and depth for the Lord are there? How do we cooperate with God's commitment as He promises: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove your heart of stone and put back a heart of flesh "(Ezek 36. 26). That is, a heart that is warm, tender, sensitive, and caring, a heart that is open, which understands, accepts, forgives, and helps. Then let us grow such a heart towards God and towards others. Let us open our hearts to God and to our sisters and brothers. Let us widen our hearts. Let us guard them, heal, enrich, and transform our hearts so that our hearts also become like the sacred heart of Jesus. Imperative: Let us grow such a heart towards God and towards others. Let us open our hearts to God and to our sisters and brothers. Let us widen our hearts. Let us guard them, heal, enrich, and transform our hearts so that our hearts also become like the sacred heart of Jesus 28 JUNE 2025: IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, ISAIAH 61. 9-11; LUKE 2. 41-51 Focus: The immaculate heart of Mary is not merely a matter of purity of heart or purity of life, the integrity of the person. It is to be clear-sighted and to be passionately and lovingly committed Generally, the following day after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate heart of Mary. How beautiful it is that on Friday we celebrate the sacred heart of the Son and on the following day the immaculate heart of the Mother! It is not coincidental or merely sequential, but very meaningful and significant. What is sacred reflects itself in what is immaculate. What is immaculate contains and embodies what is sacred. The sacred Son reflects the immaculate mother, and the immaculate mother embodies the sacred Son. Holiness and Immaculateness are integrated and inseparable. To be holy is to be pure. The more we conduct ourselves unstained and uncontaminated with an immaculate heart, the more we grow in holiness. The more we are holy, the more we grow pure and maliceless. To be holy and not to be immaculate is a contradiction. In fact, sacredness and Immaculateness are not something accidental or additional to us. It is essential and integral to our very identity as God's redeemed children. "To be holy and blameless" is God's purpose for us, and destined us for such bliss (cf. Eph 1. 4). Our sanctification is God's will (1 Thes 4. 3)). So to grow sacred and immaculate should be our priority and perennial pursuit. Certainly, it is God's gratuitous grace and not our merit. But this does not take away our role, our responsibility, our cooperation, and our effort. We should work hard to merit what we are graced with. This is what Mary did: if her immaculate conception shows predominantly the singular grace and privilege, accorded to her by God, her immaculate heart shows preeminently her humble cooperation with that grace. She constantly preserved her heart and life from sin, and fostered sanctity, thanks to God's grace. Mary's immaculate heart is not only a pointer to her personal holiness and purity but much more, also, a strong inspiration and pathway to be pure and immaculate ourselves. In our times, where hearts are getting so much polluted by sin and malice, where to have heart comes to be taken as fragility and vulnerability, where hearts crooked, hard, and indifferent seem to be the order of the day, where hearts get entangled into much aberration and deviation in the name of modernity, the immaculate heart of Mary is a consolation and remedy! Direction: The celebration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a pointer that true purity leads to joy and serenity because there is nothing that disturbs or distracts. Purity of heart is the propriety of life

CORPUS CHRISTI 2025

BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST, 22 JUNE 2025 Thrust: Life, possible because united! Indicative: The FEAST of Corpus Christi that we celebrate today is truly a feast of life and oneness. It is a call to live in communion and commitment 1. This Sunday we celebrate the FESTIVITY of the Body and Blood of Christ. One may ask why to speak in this separatist language. Why can't we speak more holistically and personally as "the person" of Christ? 2. Here the point is not language or technicality. We are not speaking of two separate items, body and blood. 3. Rather, it is in specific reference to the sacramentality of the person of Christ. The reference is to the sacrament of the holy Eucharist. It is the Sacramental mode of the Eucharistic presence of the Lord. 4. It signifies the eternal nourishment by the Eucharistic Lord. It points to the marvellous transformation of bread as his own body and the wine as his own blood to feed us and nourish us. 5. Thus Body and blood of Christ are not merely physical or biological components. They are the essence of Christ and his sacramental presence and wholeness. 6. Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life; whoever eats of my flesh and drinks my blood, will not die, but will live forever” (Jn 6. 35-58). It will be simplistic and even foolish to mistake it literally and mock it as cannibalism, as some do. 7. Such a protest is not worth our reflection now. Here very clearly the whole concern of Jesus is “Life”, the kind of life that he offers to us, the quality of life that we must live. 8. Our God is God of life, a living and life-giving God. We are His children. We are destined for eternal life. We are meant to live our life fully (Jn 10. 10: “I came to give life and life in its full measures”) and joyfully (Jn 15. 11: “so that my joy be in you and that be complete”). 9. Therefore, we are people of a culture of life. We need to live this life of God, the divine and the spiritual life, and not merely the earthly, the material and the worldly life. We are called to live more than the "natural" existence. It is a call to live the "supernatural" life, the life of grace. 10. So, any attempts and actions against such a culture of life are counter- productive and counter- witnessing. Sadly, in our times a culture of death is virulent in its diabolic forms of aggression, violence, hatred, retaliation and destruction. 11. In our present times, a culture of death is viral. The beauty, value and the power of life are reduced and despised. Consequently many live without the inner vitality, without the dynamism and the direction of life. 12. Life in the case of a good number appears to be empty, weak and aimless. It is in such a context, the feast of the most holy body and blood of Christ, the feast of the Holy Eucharist, is a timely and perennial recall and recharge. 13. This devilish culture is a blatant contradiction to the very nature of life, our existence as human beings, our identity as God’s children and our destiny as heirs of eternal life. 14. Apart from these explicit forms of death, there are also other passive aggressive forms of death in the form of excessive fear and tension, depression and emptiness. These forms take away the beauty and charm, the worth and value of life. They make life a dry, barren, burdensome and joyless enterprise. 15. It is in this context, Jesus assures us of the abundance and beauty of life. He also shows us how to obtain it and live it so. “Live interiorly, with the inner power; Live vibrantly and rightly, by the guidance and strength of this inner power; Live high and above with a sense of orientation for the eternity”. 16. This is what Jesus means in Jn 6. 56-58, disclosing the three fundamental signs and effects of the Holy Eucharist: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever”. 17. Therefore, an intimate mutual interior dwelling, vigorous process of living and focused orientation to eternity – this is what the whole life is about. In other words, interiority (of divine presence), dynamism and vigor (of the way of life), and the focus and direction (towards eternity) are the hallmarks of a culture of life, the new life that Jesus offers us. 18. Seen in this wider perspective of life, we must constantly deepen and enhance our reverence and devotion to the holy Eucharist. We must desire to receive it regularly and frequently. We must avoid the danger to reduce the Holy Eucharist only to a pious practice, a thing to be venerated and worshipped. 19. The holy Eucharist is much more than that. It is the person of Christ himself. It is the fount of life. It is the link of bonding. It is the source of communion. It is the interior power. It is the energy of living. It is the direction to an eternal destiny. 20. How sad it is that venerating and receiving the holy Eucharist, we do not experience the presence of Jesus, his abiding in us! Why do we not feel the bond of communion with him and with others in our believing community? 21. Why do we live so shallow lives, without depth and interiority? Why do we often feel weak and under-nourished, in spite of this greatest nourishment? Why do we often let ourselves misguided and controlled by other forces of evil and the world? Why are we often without any higher goals, without a sense of purpose and destiny? Imperative: The Body and Blood of Christ should remind us that we are all one Body of Christ and we all have the same blood of God's own Spirit flowing in each of us. Sharing the same body, we cannot rupture it. Sharing the same blood, we cannot shed blood of others.