03 – 07 NOVEMBER 2020, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
03 NOVEMBER 2020: PHILIPPIANS 2. 5-11; LUKE: 14. 15-24
Focus: The grace of God is ever available but we shall be deprived of it if we take it for granted and do not respond
God is always merciful and generous. He never ceases to offer His grace in abundance. The greatest act of His grace and love is seen in offering His own Son as the ransom for our salvation. The very coming of Jesus as a human, his life, ministry and death are the most authentic expressions and testimonies of self-emptying, humility and surrender, all for our sake. He always wants to nurture us and treat us royally with a banquet. He goes on inviting us to be in His presence and relish its richness in various ways through frequent opportunities. But as it is the typical tendency, often selfless benevolence and generosity are not duly valued and appreciated for their worth. We are so engrossed in our worldly affairs and secondary preoccupations that we fail to respond positively and cooperate actively to God's grace. We have plenty of excuses for why we cannot go to His presence and sit with Him. So foolishly we misjudge our priorities and neglect God's voice and closeness. We do not realize how precious is the treasure we are forfeiting. The time will come when we will be rejected and stand dejected. Therefore, what is needed now is to put on the same attitude of Jesus, to hearken to His invitation and to cooperate with God’s grace.
Direction: In fact, it is not God who excludes us from the reign of His presence and blessings but we ourselves deliberately keep ourselves out
04 NOVEMBER 2020: PHILIPPIANS 2. 12-18; LUKE 14. 25-33, Memory of St Charles Borromeo
Focus: Detachment is the essential condition for discipleship; One who does not grow in this attitude of detachment, will be a failed disciple
God’s call for us is very clear and straight. In the light of the first reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, God calls us to be a light like stars among a crooked and perverse generation. This is possible by constantly trying to do what pleases Him, by holding to the word of life. In other words, we seek always to do everything with docility without grumbling. We strive for our salvation with reverence and dedication. We seek ever to be God’s children without reproach, with no fault or blame.
In the light of the gospel, in relation to Jesus, this means to be a true disciple of Christ. And Discipleship is a free gift from God, in the sense that He extends His call irrespectively with no discriminations. However, one who adheres to His call, must also fit himself for the new venture.
Topmost priority to Jesus, unconditional love for him, unflinching zeal and commitment to His mission are the indispensable traits of a true disciple. But these are possible only when one is prepared to be totally detached from one' s self and from one's family. In fact, these two are the greatest areas which a person holds so dear and precious and is deeply attached. The issue is not the good or bad of family attachments but an unreserved and unrestricted love and attachment to Jesus. Excess love for family and self will be real hindrances to the "freedom" and "unconditionality" of loyalty, demanded by discipleship. St Charles Borromeo was such a disciple who offered himself unconditionally to follow the Lord. Truly he shone like a glowing star amidst a crooked and perverse generation, with his light of wisdom and guidance.
Direction: Discipleship is not a fun, not a part-time enterprise but a serious lifelong commitment which needs to estimate the cost and be duly prepared
05 NOVEMBER 2020: PHILIPPIANS 3. 3-8A; LUKE 15. 1-10
Focus: Being lost is not something condemnable as long as there is readiness to set on search and to return
Loss is a common experience of everyone at some time or another, in some way or the other. Predominantly, people are more concerned and worried about the losses concerning the matters of the world. It may be the loss of the material things, or the loss of some social standing and position. But in his letter to the Philippians, Paul speaks of another loss that is much more vital. That is the loss of Jesus. Once he has discovered Jesus, the greatest treasure and gain, all else would become nothing and waste. He was ready to lose everything for the sake of gaining Jesus.
In the gospel too, Jesus speaks of loss. He mentions one lost sheep among the hundred and one lost coin among the ten. It is very comforting and encouraging to know that God does not want any one of us to be lost, to go away from him and from the fold. As humans we are, at times, one may lose one’s belonging and closeness to the Lord. But the Lord does not leave us to our fate. He does not judge us or condemn us, saying that it is our own fault. He leaves even the ninety- nine and goes in search of the strayed one. One may question about the wisdom and logicality of leaving the ninety-nine for the sake of one. But here the matter is the exuberant concern and focus on the lost one that needs God more than others.
One of the greatest differences between God's mind-set and the human is the sense of judgment and condemnation. God who has the power and authority and the capacity to judge and condemn, is patient, merciful and exuberant in forgiving and receiving back. But man who is not competent and prone to falter, is eager to judge and despise others. Jesus makes it very clear that God is not at all interested in exercising his power to condemn the lost ones but is concerned to search and to regain them, so as to stand them among the "gained". No one needs to be dissipated about "losing the way" and getting stranded at times. What is important is one has the humility and surrender to allow oneself to be found by the Lord and to be restored to the right fold and path.
Direction: When God Himself wants to absolve, forgive and reinstate the repentant ones, who are we to continue to label, despise and estrange them?
06 NOVEMBER 2020: PHILIPPIANS 3. 17- 4.1; LUKE 16. 1-8
Focus: A life without vision will go without direction and will land up in eventual destruction
In the gospel the dishonest steward is praised. One shall not mistake it as a licence for dishonesty and deception. By no means! In fact, his dishonesty wins him his master's displeasure and dismissal. Therefore, no one can justify or promote dishonesty and fraud. What is commended is his foresightedness to prepare himself fittingly for his future. His future looks very bleak and at loss without enough means and resources. Therefore, he makes wise moves to ensure a tensionless and comfortable future. He prepares himself fittingly to meet his future. He is not upset about the problem that arose in the present. Immediately, he applies himself to orient himself for a worthy future. We know that an eternal future awaits us and how fittingly we prepare ourselves? How do we equip ourselves to meet our destiny? Does our way of life qualify us and keep us worthy in God's sight? As St Paul in his letter to the Philippians is anguished in tears, how sad it is that many live as enemies of God. Their belly, that is, their earthly pleasures are their god. They pride themselves in what actually are matters of shame. They are overanxious and engrossed only in earthly things. They forget the truth that our citizenship is heaven and we are destined for eternal transfiguration and glory. Therefore, what is expected is that we are focused on our eternal destiny and be steadfast in the Lord so as to stand before him worthily, and merit an eternal reward.
Direction: Knowing fully well that one day we must pass to a future for eternity, how foolishly we will face it unprepared and unworthy?
07 NOVEMBER 2020: PHILIPPIANS 4. 10-19; LUKE 16. 9-15
Focus: Life can be meaningful and joyful when one learns to maintain a state of equanimity and contentment. This teaches him to be balanced amidst all situations irrespectively, whether little or much, hunger or fill
A spineless lust for money is on a rampage. The issue is not so much whether to have money or not. Certainly money is needed for any good work or for any reasonable decent living. Money in itself is not evil. It is how you get it, and use it, and what you do with it. It is what Jesus means in the gospel, when he says, Use filthy money to make friends so as to enter into eternal home. So, the whole problem is, when having, acquiring money becomes an obsession. This is when one becomes greedy, gets so much attached to money, enslaved to acquire it by any means. Thereby, one becomes dishonest and unaccountable. The matter is not whether something is big or small. It is a matter of honesty in all matters, both little and great. It is a matter of accountability. It is a matter of trustworthiness. It is a matter of contentment. This means that one remains balanced in situations of both want and abundance. All this depends on how one loves God, how he sets God as the highest priority over and above the world and the money. One should not be worldly clever, thinking that he knows how to put together both God and money. In this process, money and not God, becomes the actual god and master, and one begins to seek and serve money. We live in a world which bothers only about money and struggles to acquire it by hook or crook. It employs any unfair means to gain it. The ethical question, whether one is right or wrong, has no relevance. All that is important is whether one profits or not. In such a context, we must seriously examine how honest and accountable we are. Whether we are transparent and honest?
Whether we are responsible and benevolent?
Direction: Honesty and trustworthiness are not small matters but they consist in small matters. In turn, they are built on a heart that loves and serves God. It is better to be righteous in God’s sight rather than highly popular in the world’s estimation
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