08 – 13 MARCH 2021, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
08 MARCH 2021, 2KGS 5. 1-15 AB; LUKE 4. 24-30
Focus: God's grace has no boundaries or barriers. Miracles always happen, if only one has faith
What an interesting contrast between Naaman, a leper in the first reading and Jesus' own people in the gospel! The pagan believes in the power of God through Elisha. He was an important man ranking as an army commander. He was also a man of great valour. But he had the humility to listen to his maid servant. He follows her advice to approach the Israel prophet Elisha for his healing from leprosy. Later, once again, he showed the same humility to follow Elisha’s instruction to dip seven times in Jordan, though it appeared silly and nonsensical. His humility and faith bring him cure from his leprosy. In fact, it is not the Jordan water that cures him, but rather his faith in the words of the prophet.
But, on the other hand, God's own chosen people, the Jews do not believe in Jesus. Though Son of God, he became one of them. They had a long history and tradition of God’s mighty interventions and wonders. But, they refuse to listen to his message, to believe in him and to change their life. They reject him, even to the extent of attempting to kill him.
Thereby once again it is made very clear that faith is not merely a matter of tradition or inheritance. It calls for a personal choice and decision, and it involves a personal experience. Naaman believes even though what the prophet tells him to do looks baseless. His openness and trust is rewarded. In contrast, sadly Jesus' own people take him for granted due to their familiarity. Their perspective is so shallow and superficial that their faith cannot go deeper and beyond the externals like place, lineage etc. of Jesus. In consequence, they lose the gift of grace and salvation through Jesus. They deprive themselves of the immense treasure at their own hand.
Direction: God may work miracles to reward and perfect faith. But true faith cannot base itself on miracles. It needs a fundamental choice, openness, orientation and cooperation.
09 MARCH 2021, DAN 3. 2, 11-20; MATTHEW 18. 21-35
Focus: God readily forgives even a multitude of sins, if only one repents with a contrite heart and humble spirit. He keeps no account or count of our wrongs, because his mercies are uncountable
God is abundant in His mercy and prompt in His forgiveness. He does not see the magnitude of sin but the depth of repentance. He forgives us, not because we are worthy of it, but only because we need it. There is no measure for his forgiveness because His mercy is immeasurable. This is what Jesus implies when he tells Peter to “forgive the other not only seven times, but seventy times seven”. The matter is not the number or the frequency of forgiveness, that is, how many times or how often to forgive. Rather, the point is the immensity of it, that is, how willingly, promptly and unreservedly to forgive. God’s forgiveness is unconditioned and incalculable. This is what Azariah (Abednego) makes clear in his prayer in the book of Daniel. He pleads for God’s mercy to forgive His people’s sins, not on the basis of their merit, but only on the basis of His mercy and the fidelity of their forefathers. All that they have is a contrite heart and a humble spirit to seek His forgiveness. But once forgiven, we must try to become worthy of it. How? By seeking earnestly to follow His ways. Concretely, it demands to show the same spirit of forgiveness towards others. Further it also should be like God's forgiveness, which is abundant and uncalculating. It is not fair and also highly detestable before God, if we refuse to forgive others while we receive immensely God's forgiveness. To forgive is not an option at our convenience, but it is a bounden duty. As we give, we must give, lest our fate too will be the same as the servant in the gospel who is forgiven much but refuses to forgo a little.
Direction: Repentance in humility is the compulsory prerequisite for receiving God's forgiveness. And forgiving others in charity becomes the compulsory sign and testimony of the effect of that grace
10 MARCH 2021, DEUT 4. 1-9; MATTHEW 5. 17-19
Focus: True Freedom is not lawlessness. In fact, true freedom lies in lawful obedience, i.e. adherence to the spirit of the law
Many have a wrong concept and exercise of freedom, and accordingly they think that to be free means to be free from any and all the laws. They mistake that law is necessarily negative, and subversive, depriving a person of what is his due and rightful. But this is not correct. Laws are meant to regulate, channel, guide and orient the persons in the right path. For this they apply a certain extent of restraint and restriction, a certain control and limit. The purpose is certainly positive, that is to avoid and guard against all the possible deviations and distortions. Therefore, we must go beyond the mere letter of the law, to the spirit of it, the purpose and the end of it. In this sense, every good law intends a responsible and constructive freedom. The greatest law is love for God and love for the other. This is manifested in a profound devotion to God and dedication to the other’s good. Thus, a good law aims at an integrated growth of the person. It is this what Jesus calls the perfection of the law, the perfect law. To be free does not mean to do away with the laws and rules, but to follow them in the right spirit. In the name of being flexible, one cannot be over-indulgent. True freedom is not to be undisciplined, or irresponsible or licentious. This is what Moses teaches the people in Deuteronomy that fidelity to follow God’s statutes and ordinances is a sign of their fidelity to God. They are means of growing in righteousness. Following God’s commandments shows that they are wise and understanding people of God, amidst a lawless immorality. This enlightenment is very much needed for the present society, which wrongly equates freedom with a rule-free indiscipline.
Direction: There is an unnecessary and even harmful thinking of freedom as lawlessness. But to be truly free is to be law-abiding. The need is not to throw away all rules and regulations, but to inculcate a positive and joyful adherence to them.
11 MARCH 2021, JER 7. 23-28; LUKE 11. 14-23
Focus: It is not that God is not active or His grace is not working. God is ever in action and miracles continue to abound. It is only our inability to see Him at work
God’s grace never ceases. He ceaselessly invites the people to come to Him promptly, to relate with Him closely, to listen to Him attentively, to obey His precepts and directives faithfully. However, the purpose is not to subjugate them in servile obedience. God has no self-interest. It is all for the wellbeing and progress of the people. But unfortunately, often He meets with stubbornness in which people refuse to listen, understand and walk God’s ways. They become stiff-necked and stiffly resist God’s call to repent and mend their ways. This is the experience of God all through the history of salvation, be it Yahweh in the Old Testament or Jesus in the New Testament. Thus, God laments with anguish through the prophet Jeremiah over their fault: They do not obey the voice of the Lord, they do not incline their ear, they do not accept discipline, they walk their own ways, and with stubborn and evil hearts, they go backward but not forward. In the gospel too, Jesus meets with the same mentality. Jesus drives out a demon from a dumb man and restores his speech. But instead of recognizing the power of God in Jesus, some people attribute the healing to the power of demons. They accuse him that he is taking the help of the Evil one. How absurd it is that evil power is defeated by evil power! They demand for further signs from heaven. When one is not prepared to see the truth, then which signs or proofs can convince them? This is exactly what God remarks toward the end of the first reading: truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. They are so hard-hearted and closed. Consequently, they fail to see the “finger of God at work” and the coming of the kingdom of God in Jesus.
Direction: Stubbornness, defiance, and disobedience blind one to truth and divine action; they lead one to a spirit of division – divided within oneself, divided against God and divided against others. They are sure to fall a prey to the evil
12 MARCH 2021, HOS 14. 1-9; MARK 12. 28-34
Focus: God's purpose is not punishing us for our wrongdoings however big and frequent they are. Rather He wants our renovation and restoration through repentance and reparation
God constantly invites us to return from our path of iniquity to a consistent practice of fidelity. Once we turn away from evil and return to God, surely He will restore us to a renewed dignity and prosperity. A life of such return is steered by the sole and supreme norm of love: love for God and love for the other. It is a love for God that is total and holistic. It includes all our faculties and energies and capacities. It is a love that is total and entire, “with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength”. There are no fractions or portions, no conditions or concessions. Further, it is a love for others which is like a pure love for the self. All other rules and directives are submerged into this twofold love.
The merit of this love-teaching of Jesus is that they are not just put together in one packing, but they are presented as one unified whole. It is a single love that is two-pronged. Thereby it is very clear that both are inseparable: one cannot pretend to practise one and fail in the other. A heart that loves God wholly would also make space for the other. Similarly, one who loves others cannot but be founded on God and be directed to Him. Now, the fundamental norm for loving God is totality, and no half-measures. And the norm for loving the other is the measure of self-love, because Jesus exhorts: love your neighbour AS yourself. Here, we need to remember that this self-love is not a self-centred or self-directed love. It is a healthy love for the self. In so far our true self is created in the image and likeness of God, we need to love that real self and strive to rediscover and recapture it. Therefore, this self-love must not be equated with selfish love or self-gratification. It is a pure and productive love. Even in the basic sense also, to love others as one’s own self can mean not to do evil or harm to others, not to lower the due esteem and respect. This twofold love surpasses everything else, even the merely spiritual activities.
Direction: Love for God and love for others are not mutually exclusive. They are intertwined with each other so much so that each becomes expression and testimony of the other
13 MARCH 2021, HOS 5. 15- 6. 1-6; LUKE 18. 9-14
Focus: Humility to repent and steadfastness to be loyal will always win God's favour; Instead, a self-motivated and self-gratifying spirituality is not pleasing to God
God desires love and not mere sacrifices; He is more pleased with growth in His knowledge rather than multitude of empty offerings. He wants a devotion that is steadfast and not unstable. He wants a love that is profound and not shallow. He wants a love that is totally God-oriented and self-oriented. He wants a love that seeks to glorify God and not to gratify the self. This is what God declares in crystal clear terms in the first reading from prophet Hosea. He is unhappy that people are so opportunist as to seek Him in their time of trouble. They turn to Him so as to take advantage of His indulgent benevolence. They are not steady, because their love is like a morning cloud and like the fast vanishing dew. This becomes clear all through the Salvation history.
The Pharisee' s prayer in the gospel is not pleasing to God and not accepted by Him, because it is full of self, self- righteousness, self- complacency and self- glory. There is no humble admission of his own unworthiness. There is no sense of gratitude to God, dependence on Him, and closeness with Him. There is no submission to God. There is no fraternal feeling toward the other in respect and benevolence.
Instead, the tax collector's prayer is readily accepted by God, because it springs from a contrite heart and humble spirit. He deeply acknowledges his sinfulness and freely surrenders to God.
The Pharisee informs God about how great he is. But the tax collector is aware of how great God is, and how small and unworthy he is. By physical position, the Pharisee stands so close to the altar, but actually he is far away from God’s mercy. Instead, the publican stands so far off the altar, but really, he is so close to God by heart.
Direction: We go to God and we pray, not to inform or give Him new knowledge about our greatness or judge others how bad they are. No prayer is heard when it lacks charity, and is prejudiced despising others
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