15 – 20 FEBRUARY 2021, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
15 FEBRUARY 2021: GEN 4. 1-15, 25; MARK 8. 11-13
Focus: External signs such as miracles and grand interventions may help faith but cannot generate faith or prove God's power.
As humans we are, many times our faith depends on seeing and experiencing concretely God's action and intervention. Accordingly, we wish that our intercessions for various needs are granted immediately. In other words, miracles, favours become the proof for the efficacy of our prayer, and also for the attention and care of God. In a way, we are unconsciously putting God to test, to prove His goodness and power by granting what we plead for. This is in fact the same mentality of people of Jesus' own time, who demanded signs from heaven. How foolish and unbelieving they were! There were already many miracles, so much preaching the gospel of God's love and mercy, comfort and consolation. And more than all these, Jesus himself is the biggest sign. Therefore, what is needed is not to test God but trust; not asking God to prove His power but to prove our fidelity to Him by our perseverance.
If we sincerely examine, many of us are no different from those Pharisees who demanded signs from heaven. It is not because they wanted to believe and confirm their belief, but rather they wanted to justify and disguise their unbelief. Are there not enough and more signs in our own times? Why do we want signs at all? What are actually signs meant for? Do we realize that primarily signs are meant to direct our focus and attention in the right direction? They are meant to comfort and strengthen us in the wrong times, and ignite us with renewed courage and commitment. They are not to substitute but only to complement our responsibility. Many times, signs are demanded to shirk away our responsibility. Like Cain in the first reading from Genesis, why to do wrong and then have the countenance fall? If we do well, surely God will accept and bless us. We will not need special signs. The greatest sign of God’s presence is charity, that is, to be a “keeper, a custodian of the other” as a brother and sister. Jealousy, violence and destruction are counter signs.
Direction: If in every prayer, we only ask God to fulfil our desires and grant us favours, then why at all to pray specially for God's will to be done?
16 FEBRUARY 2021: GEN 6. 5-8; 7. 1-5, 10; MARK 8. 14-21
Focus: Negative influences assail us any time and all the time, and we need to be cautious about them.
This is our human predicament, that is, being constantly exposed to evil. All the more, in our own times, evil seems to be on rampage. Exactly as in the time of Noah, we see that the wickedness of man is great on earth and all the thoughts seem to be thoroughly evil-oriented. In Jesus’ time too, there were the negative examples and the false influence of the Pharisees and scribes that shake true faith and misguide others. This is exactly the leaven of Pharisees and that of Herod. We will never lack these wrong-footed influences, the deviations and distortions. Many are under the false influences. Consequently, as Jesus reproaches in the gospel, hearts are hardened. Having eyes, many do not see, and having ears, they do not hear. They easily forget the immense good that happens in their life. The disciples had already seen the miraculous power of Jesus when he fed the multitude with few loaves and fish. Yet, they were much worried about lacking enough bread. In these aspects, they too fall into the same category of faithless Pharisees and Jews.
What then is the remedy? We should constantly lean on Jesus and remember his miracles which are powerful manifestations of his love for us. In the face of wrong influences and pressures against faith, we must cultivate the spirit of turning to God in surrender and perseverance. Like Noah in Genesis, we must keep ourselves uncontaminated and righteous even amidst an evil and misguided generation, with false leaders like the Pharisees and Herod.
Direction: What we must try is not so much avoiding all the negative influences, which is not at all possible. But rather, to resist them, and to persevere till the end, resting on Jesus
17 FEBRUARY 2021: JOEL 2. 12-18; 2 COR 5. 20 – 6.2; MAT 6. 1-6, 16-18: ASH WEDNESDAY
Focus: Lent is a God-gifted time to be bent on God, to repent for the evil and to be intent on good.
1. We step into the holy season of Lent. Let us entrust our whole journey of Lent to the loving guidance of the Lord, that this time may be truly a duration of renewal.
2. This is Ash Wednesday! What does this day of ashes signify? What do the ashes denote? In the practical sense, ashes indicate total annihilation and nothingness. Hence the expression: "gone / reduced to ashes".
3. In the ordinary common religious sense, ashes denote sacrifice, renunciation and detachment. Hence the expression: "I have nothing but ashes".
4. In the biblical spiritual sense, ashes denote repentance and penance. We find in the Bible, applying ashes to atone, to repent and to do penance.
5. The day of the ashes, with the call, from dust you are come, and unto dust, you shall return", or "repent and believe in the gospel", reminds us the temporariness and transience of our earthly existence, and also our origin from God and our destiny to Him. Life is a temporary transit, we are due to God, we are his due, destined to reach him and be with him.
6. Therefore, in this temporary and impermanent sojourn, toward our eternal destination, how to conduct our life? With the spirit and lessons of the ashes positively. That is, in surrender to God, with a sense of nothingness; in attachment to God, with a sense of detachment; and in renewal and transformation, with a sense of repentance and penance.
7. In the light of the gospel, to conduct and travel this journey, 3 acts are proposed as effective means: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. However, the insistence is not so much on the activity itself, i.e. prayer, fasting and almsgiving, but rather on their purpose and end
They are namely, love and intimacy with God; self-discipline and self-restraint; and concern and charity.
8. Therefore, in love, let us grow close and surrendered to God; in renunciation, let us grow more disciplined and charitable; in renewal, let us grow more and more transformed!
Direction: Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are not merely religious practices, but are true means and testimonies of religious spirit and living.
18 FEBRUARY 2021, DEUT 30. 15-20; LUKE 9. 22-25
Focus: To live a worthy life is to live in the spirit of wisdom; true wisdom consists in essential choice between two sets of values.
The essence of a right and happy living is growing in wisdom. This wisdom shows us clearly how foolish it is to bother so much to gain the whole world but lose one's own precious soul, that is, lose the spiritual wealth and depth and the authentic happiness. Wisdom also realizes that it is more worthwhile and beneficial to choose God, life, blessing and holistic prosperity, in contrast to the world, death, curse and doom. Then wisdom consistently pursues the path of these right choices. This is the way of wise choices that is laid down in concrete details in Deuteronomy: Love God, listen to Him, be loyal to Him, follow His commandments and walk His way. In the words of Jesus in the gospel, it is: deny self, take up the cross, and follow him. “Denying the self” is not self-rejection, but self-injection. This implies on one hand, ejecting out all that is false self, ego-swelling, self-interests, and on the other hand, injecting into the self, the positive attitudes and pursuit of self-emptying and self-giving. “Take up the cross” does not mean to go about as burdened and crushed people under the weight of the cross of suffering. Rather, it means to accept our daily crosses of unfavourable and unpleasant situations, to bear patiently, lovingly and trustingly the loads of difficulties and challenges. And “follow Jesus” means to walk constantly in his footsteps, to imitate his life and mission in the practice of virtues and values. In the words of Deuteronomy from the first reading, all these conditions of discipleship would mean: to obey the voice and commandments of God, by loving Him, by cleaving to Him, by walking in His ways, by keeping His commandments, statutes and ordinances. But all this struggle and fidelity is not a futile project. It is highly rewarding: God will bless abundantly.
Direction: There is no use of claiming and boasting about one's intelligence unless one makes the right choices and follows them.
19 FEBRUARY 2021, ISAIAH 58. 1-9; MATTHEW 9. 14-15
Focus: All our religious practices gain their full meaning and merit when they are blended with good works.
Insistently, the Word of God makes it clear to us that our spiritual life and actual life should go together. They are not two separate and dissociated domains. Religious disciplines like Fasting become more pleasing to God and meritorious when they take us more close to God and to others. The purpose and end of all our spiritual observances is twofold: one is, to enjoy the presence and closeness of Jesus, "the bridegroom"; the other is, to overflow the spirit of the religious practice into the practice of concrete duties of fraternity and acts of charity. Isaiah details some of these: act justly, set free the oppressed, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, etc.
Therefore, there is no use of doing all religious practices without changing the concrete life. Why to fast without giving up self-pleasure? Why to fast, if we do not abstain from oppressing others? Why to fast, if we do not refrain from quarrelling and fighting? Why to fast, if one does not turn away from his wickedness? Why to fast, if one does not grow humble? The point is not only concerning the particular practice of fasting. This applies to all our religious observances. God wants that all our religious practices lead us to a good living. They become means as well as expressions of a life of righteousness before God and toward others. Thus, when piety and fraternity, when devotion and justice, when religiosity and integrity blend together, they will find God closer and pleased.
Direction: It is a mistake that some think the Word of God is downplaying and even substituting the practice of fasting with practice of charitable acts. No. They are not substitutions but restitutions of the true spirit, extensions, completion and perfection of the same.
20 FEBRUARY 2021, ISAIAH 58. 9B-14; LUKE 5. 27-32
Focus: " Follow me!" - this call of the Lord never ceases. He calls us at any time, in any situation, especially when we are immersed into our ordinary works!
Often we may pay heed to the voice and call of the Lord, when we are free or in prayer and reflection. But the Lord's call continues to resound also in our busy moments, in those times when we are caught up with our preoccupations or duties. We need to reset and re-tune our ears to listen to Him. We need to repent and be healed, because it is for this he came, to call us to repentance and to transform us with his healing touch. In the light of the first reading, His call to follow him implies that we turn away from evil ways, we do not seek self-interests, abstain from oppression and malice, cling on to him and abound in charity. Once we are loyal, then it is a totally different life: light will shine and spread in darkness, he will guide us, renew our strength with never-drying and ever-gushing springs of energy and vitality. The call and life of Levi (Matthew) is a vivid testimony of the Lord's working. It is very interesting that the Lord speaks of our sickness or sinfulness as a pre-condition or requirement for his call and mercy. He declares: It is not the healthy but the sick who need a doctor; I came to call the sinners and not the righteous. What does it tell us? First of all, we need not feel upset or lost because of our human fragility. It is not a matter of despising by the Lord. Rather, it becomes a kind of qualification to be graced by the Lord! Not that we feel happy in being sinners and so continue like that; rather, it only means that we need not despair and be depressed. This also makes us humble to accept our own sinful condition, and thus throw away all our false layers and disguises to appear righteous. Further, it instils in us a new hope to rise up to repent and to become a follower of the Lord. What we were before being called is not the matter. But, what we become after being called is the real and the only matter.
Direction: Our God is a God who resists and detests all labels and prejudices. He defends and dignifies Matthew. Can we too follow his footsteps, rising above all disparities and discriminations?
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