14 – 19 DECEMBER 2020, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
14 DECEMBER 2020, NUMBERS 24. 2-7, 15-17a; MATTEW 21. 23-27
Focus: Divine wisdom always prevails over human crookedness, even though men in their wickedness search for ways and means to demean and discard the divine power
The evil mindedness of the Jewish leaders and elders is quite evident. They are not concerned about the depth and the power of Jesus' message and works. They are not happy about the immense good he is doing through His mission of comfort, healing and conversion. They find him as a thorn in the flesh. They are afraid of losing their hold over the people. They are displeased at being exposed of their hypocrisy. Hence their whole and constant intention is to put him into trouble, to trap him, to catch him on the wrong foot. But Jesus will not be shaken. No human or diabolic force can surpass or defeat his wisdom, integrity and fervour.
Two aspects can be reflected upon: One, what is our attitude and response toward the spiritual and good?? Are we also not like the Jewish authorities when we do not understand God’s power? Do we distrust and question God’s intervention and providence? Do we also resent and resist spiritual authority, and why? Is it because of prejudice or threat to my own petty self-seeking authority? When some are sincerely doing good, do we appreciate, encourage and support them? Or, out of jealousy, do we try to put them down, and try to misinterpret and criticise?
Secondly, when we too are often surmounted and tormented by so many evil forces, what is our reaction and way out? Do we turn to God's wisdom and power? Or do we depend too much on our own capacities and resources? Or do we easily lose heart, or react violently, and give up?
Perhaps, all that is needed is to be like Balaam, the seer in the first reading from the book of Numbers: to have the Spirit of God come upon us, to hear the words of God, to have the knowledge from the Most High, to see the vision of the Almighty with eyes unveiled.
Direction: Divine wisdom is far better than human argumentation and confrontation. Let us not put ourselves against God’s authority or spiritual authority. It is better to humble ourselves and surrender
15 DECEMBER 2020, ZEP 3. 1-2, 9-13; MATTHEW 21. 28-32
Focus: The quality of our faith and Christian living does not consist in mere words and promises, even fantastic; What is the use of a bundle of sweet sounding "yes"s, when the concrete life is a series of "no"s, negation of what we believe?
We live in a world of empty words and false promises. There is a constant tendency to impress, and please others with good-sounding affirmations and assurances. But it is only deception in disguise, because all words, not leading to concrete actions, are only inauthentic and hypocritical. What is the use of repeating hundreds of times, “I love you”, but not understanding, not helping the other, and is doing harm to the other? What is the use of promising that I will remove your difficulties, but doing nothing for that? What is the use of proclaiming that I follow God’s ways and values, but living a life of false values and compromises?
Jesus drives home this message very powerfully through his simple story of the two sons in the gospel. The first son who says ‘no’ at first to the father’s command; but then he repents and goes to work; quite evidently, he stands for the gentiles: they repent as God offers His salvation, and turn to a new way of life through faith in Jesus. These are exactly like those, described in the first reading from Zephaniah: the pagan nations, who call on the name of the Lord, and serve him with zeal; a poor and meek people who seek refuge in God. But the second son, who says ‘yes’ but does not do, stands for the Jews: they were the first ones, to whom God offered salvation through His only Son, Jesus; but by rejecting to believe in him, they turn unfaithful. Their fault is exactly what the prophet Zephaniah describes in the first reading. They were rebellious, did not pay attention to God’s call for repentance, did not accept the correction, did not trust in the Lord, did not approach their God.
Perhaps, a little sincere reflection may make it clear to us that we are very much similar to the second son in the gospel. God has been abundantly gracious to us, blessing us with the greatest gift of faith in Jesus, and enriching us with every spiritual blessing. What is expected from our part is a life of authenticity and loyalty. This needs a deep and consistent conversion. How often do we deceive God with mere words and promises which are so tall and loud? How often do we say one thing and do exactly the opposite?!
Direction: How often do we deliberately forfeit God’s grace, being presumptuous and self-complacent? It is a time to check and control
16 DECEMBER 2020, ISAIAH 45. 6c-8, 18, 21c-25; LUKE 7. 18b-23
Focus: The more we fail to know and discover God in our lives, the more there will be confusion and loss of meaning and commitment
Many think that the issue of God is a mere matter of religion or spirituality or tradition. Consequently, God becomes more a matter of concept, and religion and spirituality become matters of practice of some devotional activities. But, God must become a living reality, a concrete personal experience and relationship. In other words, we must discover the real identity of God in our lives. This is the call that is so forceful in both the readings from Isaiah and Luke. He created everything, he is the Saviour, a God of justice. Yes, He is one who is inseparably connected to us, and involved in our lives. He is the one who is the author of all life and good. He is deeply interested in our lives, attentive and caring toward our struggles. In the gospel, to those who seek to know the identity of Jesus, Jesus reveals it. He draws their attention to what he is doing in compassion and commitment for the good of all. He healed many people of their sicknesses and diseases. He freed them from evil spirit. He gave sight to the blind. Thus, the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor are given the good news. These are the authentic signs and testimonies of God’s identity.
Today, what then is our duty? Jesus tells those seekers of his identity, to go back and tell what they have seen and heard. We too need to open our eyes to see and hear what God is doing in our lives. we need to be a little more open and receptive. We need to become a little more attentive and sensitive. We need to become a little more positive and appreciative. We need to become a little more grateful and responsive.
Direction: We are constantly called to realise the identity of God in our lives, in deep relationship and loyalty. The more we grow in his knowledge and experience, the more we discover and live our own identity.
17 DECEMBER 2020, GEN 49. 2, 8-10; MATT 1. 1-17
Focus: God's ways are always authentic and concrete. He always enters into human history and our own personal history to make our lives authentic and worth-living
We have the genealogy of Jesus in the gospel. Its interest or purpose is not mere history or chronology which is of more human realm. Its purpose is of the divine realm, with a salvific orientation. Jesus is truly born of human descent. His incarnation is true and real. It is not mere story or fiction or totally an exclusive matter of faith. Rather, his birth is a verifiable and tangible historical reality. He truly inserts himself into our human history. He belongs to our human line of life. This is something crucial: God becomes part of our human history and shares our own life- predicaments. This human face and humaneness of God is very important. Especially in our own times, where the connectivity with God is more and more declining, where the personal touch with God is reducing, we need to recapture this lost link. Today, in the world of communication, we speak of links. We ask for links to get connected to a particular programme and watch it. How many are really serious about the link for God? How many eagerly search for entering into the site of God? If only one understands the immense significance and value of God entering into our human history, oh! What an unfathomable mystery of love! God becomes part of our human family. He is one of our family. He has a profound and lasting bonding with us. But history is not a mere matter of a bygone past. His birth is not one event which took place once upon a time. His birth among us, is a most authentic testimony that he has inserted himself into our life-story. Accordingly, the genealogy of Jesus for us must not be merely a historical concern, so as to prove his historicity. Rather, it is to confirm the beautiful immersion of God into our human reality. God became part of our history, so that we can live beyond history, with a life that merits one eternity.
Direction: To make us like him, God became like us. To elevate our personal and human history, God got inserted into our story.
18 DECEMBER 2020, JER 23. 5-8; MATT 1. 18-25
Focus: Even though God is all-powerful, yet He never ignores or despises human cooperation and contribution. God's plans always invite for a wholehearted human collaboration
The beauty of the style of functioning of God is, He always respects and involves the humans in his plan of salvation. Even though he has total power and control over everything, still he does not despise or ignore the human scope and contribution. Thus, we see how God interacts with the two pillars of his incarnate human family. Through his angel, he discloses his redemptive plan to Joseph and Mary, takes them into confidence, gains their consent, and thus sets out to implement his plan. Mary and Joseph unconditionally submitted and committed themselves to following and fulfilling his sacred designs. Thus, today we have the figure of Joseph who plays a key role in God’s plan of incarnation, precisely to be the spouse of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. Joseph proves himself worthy of this unique grace, conferred on him, by “being just”. What is this “justice”? The understanding of his being just is so vital for our present times because it can be corrective, preventive and guiding. Joseph’s being just shows very clearly how shallow and defective is our modern concept of justice. We see a dry justice, drained of charity. We see self-interests disguised in the garb of justice. We see aggression, hostility, and violence in the name of justice. This is not the right and just way of being just. This is a false way of pursuing justice which does so much injustice to true justice. On the contrary, the justice of Joseph is seen in being totally transparent and surrendered to God, and also in being understanding, respectful and magnanimous toward Mary. Thus, we must understand and deeply believe that God values human persons. He always gives them a profound sense of respect and treats them with the same spirit. He assigns them a very significant role and function in His eternal plans and designs. He seeks their cooperation and assistance in carrying out these plans. God never undervalues the dignity and the scope of human participation and contribution. It is not because He cannot do without us, but only because He loves us and wants to show it concretely. True love always values the loved ones, safeguards their dignity, elevates it and puts it in play.
Direction: Blessed are they who accept God's ways and surrender themselves to them. We need not always search to excel and to do the best. It is enough that we cooperate with God’s best in our little
19 DECEMBER 2020, JUDG 13. 2-7, 24-25a; LUKE 1. 5-25
Focus: God is always clear and definite about what he plans and how he executes things for our salvation. It is we who often lack both clarity and then loyalty.
The story of Samson in the Israel history and the story of John the Baptist in Jesus' time are oriented to their respective liberation and salvation. They both are destined and uniquely consecrated to God's ways of liberation. Both grow in the fear of God and courage and strength to accomplish his will. Both bring liberation, the secular and the spiritual respectively. The same is the purpose of the present disciples of the Lord - liberation and reintegration. It is time to check whether we are liberating or enslaving people, whether we are re-integrating them or dividing them. How this liberation comes, depends totally on how much we are consecrated, like Samson and John the Baptist. This means that we are unceasingly conscious of the value and sacredness of our vocation. We must realise that we are set apart from the rest of the world. If we claim to be set apart, but still we are a part of the world, it is a contradiction. If we believe that we are differentiated from others, but do not live lives, different and contrary to the former life, it is a dichotomy. If we proclaim ourselves to be consecrated, but do not allow God to own us, to take total control of God, it is a fake faith. My consecration invites me to be loyal and committed, and thus bear witness to God.
Direction: However big and renowned one may be, all will count as nothing, if it is apart from God's grace
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