16 – 21 NOVEMBER 2020, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
16 NOVEMBER 2020, REVELATION 1. 1-4, 2. 1-5; LUKE 18. 35-43
Arrow: Have you lost your first love?
Focus: Awareness and admission of blindness is the primary step in the recovery of sight
In the gospel, Jesus restores sight to a blind man. In this miracle, what is striking is the depth and persistence of his desire to receive sight. He is already aware of Jesus' power and mercy. He waits for the right occasion and jumps upon the first opportunity. He does not feel annoyed or discouraged by the people's scolding and preventing him. He does not give up his desire. He realizes his need and also dependence on Jesus. He shouts out for Jesus' mercy. He encounters Jesus and explicates his desire and need. Accordingly, Jesus rewards his faith by granting sight to him. Jesus is always ready and willing to heal us. But for this healing, in the first place, what Jesus wants from us is to realize our own blindness, and to deeply desire to be cured of it. This is what he implies in his question to the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?”. This is not a question of ignorance of the need of the blind man. Surely, Jesus knows very well what the blind man needs. What can a blind man ask for, if not the sight? But, what Jesus wants from us, is that we sincerely realize what we lack and deeply feel what we need.
All of us are blind, because often we fail to see clearly what we essentially lack and need. Wrongly, many see only shallow lacks and needs, and not the deep and essential. This real blindness is explained in the first reading from Revelation. It is the “loss of the first love”. It is being blind to the first love with God. It is the loss of the original fidelity and passion. It is the lack of enthusiasm of faith.
Direction: One cannot be restored sight so long as one pretends not to be blind. Many think that they are clear-sighted and far-sighted, and that is why they continue to be blindfolded and stumbling.
17 NOVEMBER 2020, REVELATION 3. 1-6, 14-22; LUKE 19. 1-10
Arrow: Am I neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm?
Focus: All that matters for God is not the status or position, but a humble and honest heart. Every sincere and committed effort on behalf of God will win His abundant grace
The story of Zacchaeus is a great source of consolation and encouragement for all. For God's grace accepts and graces us in spite of our unworthiness and failures. Zacchaeus being a tax collector was labelled as a sinner and was despised. Yet Jesus was not conditioned by these human considerations, calculations or labels. He is not prejudiced. He is not resentful or judgmental. He does not condemn him but readily offers his mercy and salvation. From his part, Zacchaeus does his homework. He nurtures a profound desire and motivation to see Jesus. He is not discouraged by the obstacles of his shortness and crowd; he takes the trouble to surpass these blocks by placing himself on high climbing a sycamore tree. He encounters Jesus. He responds to Jesus' invitation to be his guest and celebrates his presence with a banquet. He undergoes a deep conversion. He testifies his conversion by a concrete and abundantly generous act of renouncing and sharing: half of his property to the poor, and fourfold repayment to all those defrauded. Thus, he truly deserves the blessing and salvation of God. Jesus pronounces the heart-soothing words: “Today, salvation has come to this house. He too is a son of Abraham”. It is not just a blessing and a compliment. It is the greatest gift that one can expect: He is given a new dignity. He is raised from the low level of being a sinner to the noble status of being a son of Abraham, i.e. one of the chosen people. He is blessed with salvation, being saved from the curse of sin. What is our journey? Do we desire and set out to encounter Jesus, to be touched and transformed by him? How concrete and authentic is our conversion? Very truly, the biggest block in this journey is our tepidity and lukewarmness. God does vehemently detest it as we hear in Revelation: “You are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. So I will spit you out of my mouth”.
Direction: When one discovers Jesus, the greatest treasure, one will not still be possessed by the possessions. One will not continue unconverted and untransformed
18 NOVEMBER 2020, REVELATION 4. 1-11; LUKE 19. 11-28
Arrow: Gifts and talents – laid waste or put to use?
Focus: What is important is not how much we receive but how much we give in return. God does not see how much we have but He sees what we do with what we have
The parable of talents is not a question of the difference of talents given. It is a difference but not discrimination. One need not make an issue out of it justifying disparities and inequalities. The fact is we are born different. Here, it may help us to think of two levels of talents: the secondary and the primary. The secondary level comprises various skills and competencies, like singing, dancing, art, drawing, intelligence, eloquence, socializing, organizing, etc. And there may be variance in regard to this secondary level of talents. Thus, there is also a possibility for comparisons. But one should not be too caught up with this secondary level. Because, that will lead to unhealthy competitions, feelings of disparity and discrimination. Subsequently, it can also lead to jealousies and arrogance. Rather, it is wise to focus on the primary level of talents, and no one is deprived of the primary level of talents. These are more fundamental and essential. They are namely the gift to love, to give, to be virtuous, to be benevolent to others. Here, there is no question of discrimination. No one is given less than needed to become a fine human person with humane qualities. What is important is how each one searches out all the possibilities to put in the best and to develop himself, without negative and jealous comparison and competition. Each one is accountable for what he has received and how he made the best use of his gifts. There is no use of receiving more but giving back little.
Direction: The real matter is not how many talents we have or how talented we are but how receptive and productive we are, how responsible and fruitful we are
19 NOVEMBER 2020, REVELATION 5. 1-10; LUKE 19. 41-44
Arrow: If only you know the ways of God?
Focus: No amount of external glory or worldly accomplishments can substitute for openness to God and His grace
Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. No doubt that the city and temple of Jerusalem are icons of glory and pride for their people. But this glory and greatness cannot save them, they fail to be receptive and cooperative to God’s grace. All the exterior splendour, pomp and name cannot condone and make good for their lack of receptivity and cooperation. God in His mercy has come to visit His people and save them through His only Son Jesus. In the words of Revelation, he is the lion of Judah, who alone is worthy to open the book of life, read it, break open its seals and thus throw open the treasures of salvation. He shows them the ways of peace and urges them to walk these ways. He immolates himself for their sake. He bails himself out as ransom in order to purchase them back. But they do not recognize God's visitation. They become obstinate and refuse to adhere to Jesus. This deeply anguishes the loving heart of Jesus that cries out bitter tears.
God continues to weep over us and the whole humanity. His heart languishes looking at how man prides himself in the external displays and glories. He is deeply pained how man seeks vain pleasures. He is agonized at how man willingly renders himself into the hands of the enemies. True to Jesus’ words in the gospel passage, the “enemies surround him with barricades, shut him in and press on him on every side. And they will dash him and his children to the ground. They will not leave stone upon stone within his manmade kingdom”. How truly today’s man is bound in manifold ways!
Direction: It is better to weep over making Jesus weep for us, instead of priding ourselves in vain and shallow glories
20 NOVEMBER 2020, REVELATION 10. 8-11; LUKE 19. 45-48
Arrow: Honey in the mouth and bitter in the stomach?
Focus: Sense of the sacred and fear of God alone will lead to order and harmony in life
Jesus does a sort of temple cleansing. He appears rather violent and drives out all the marketing and shopping in the temple area. The driving motive behind this just anger is his passion for the sanctity of God’s holy house. How could the most Holy One of God compromise on desecrating what is consecrated? The same can be the situation in the present times. One of the major tragedies of today's society is temples which are consecrated are getting desecrated. This happens in both the senses and aspects of the temple. First, temples refer to the churches, the holy places of worship. Second, the temple refers to the human person himself. We read in 1 Corinthians 3. 16: "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?". Churches are houses of prayer, the unique place of God's personal presence. But sadly no seldom they are turned into centres and domains of secondary and shallow interests and transactions like the "den of robbers". They become auditoriums for organizational activities. They become stages for displays, platforms for socialization, and launching grounds for self-deliveries. The spiritual ambience which is crucial to a church is often missing. Further, day by day the human person is increasingly getting desecrated and polluted by many deviated and aberrant, destructive and harmful thoughts, words and actions. We need a thorough cleansing.
Direction: We need to recapture our sense and culture of communion with God in humble devotion and surrender. We need to regain our lost innocence and purity of heart and human person
21 NOVEMBER 2020, REVELATION 11. 4-12; LUKE 20. 27-40, Memorial of Presentation of Mary
Arrow: Alive forever to God?
Focus: This earthly life is not an end by itself but resurrection and eternal life is our destiny. Therefore, let this life now be a worthy passage to the life then
Jesus declares: “God is the God of living and not of the dead, for to Him everyone is alive”. Thereby, two fundamental truths are affirmed. God is God of eternity, and we too are destined for the same eternity. Our God is a living God; He is God of life and He shares this same life, His own life with us. If this is so, then we will live with Him in eternity. This earthly human life is only temporary duration, a transit in preparation for that life without end. Therefore, death is not a permanent closure or cessation of life but is only a door that opens upon resurrection and risen life in heaven. But this destiny after death commits us to life before death to live it with a spirit of focus and direction, detachment and soaring high. Our life on earth should be such a way qualitative that it qualifies us for life in heaven. Unfortunately, many lose sight of this fundamental nature of nurturing and orientation to life in eternity. Consequently, they tend to live a culture of death. They tend to be heavily conditioned and stuck with only the temporary and transient. They fail to value and appreciate life. They fail to realize that life is precious and sacred, because it is a share of God’s own life. That is why, often it is so much abused and destroyed. Further, loss of the sense of eternity also makes people lose their sense of purpose and direction. They become excessively earth-bound. They do not raise themselves to what is above, what is high and lofty. It is ironic that people who claim to be foresighted and far-sighted fail to see the horizons of eternity.
Mary, our Mother was a person who lived totally this culture of life and eternity. Today we commemorate her presentation in the temple. The tradition holds that already at three, her parents offered her to God in the temple. This shows how Mary nurtured God’s life and oriented herself to eternity, from childhood onwards.
Direction: Certainly all of us are alive to God because He is evea
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