27 SEPTEMBER – 02 OCTOBER 2021: HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
27 SEPTEMBER 2021: ZECH 8. 1-8ß LUKE 9. 46-50
Focus: Greatness in the sight of God is totally different from greatness in the sight of the world. God looks at the goodness and largeness of heart and life, while world looks at the bigness of status and quantity of things
1. There arose an argument among the disciples of Jesus as to who is the greatest. Greatness is an issue and temptation that affects and infects everybody. The disciples too were no exception. They too had their human weaknesses and liabilities. In the first place, this clearly shows that just because we are followers of Christ, we are not exempted from the assaults of the evil one. There are no guarantees that we will not be tempted or will not fall. Therefore, we must always be humble and alert, and avoid to be complacent and arrogant. Our status or power is no foolproof or resistant against the evil one.
2. Greatness does not consist in overriding others to climb to the highest or overbeating them to be first in the race. It is to be the last and the least in terms of human recognition and honor. At times social obligations may obligate us to accept honor and applause. Here the point is that we do not unduly seek such worldly paddings. We should always cultivate a lowly disposition even amidst an elevated position.
3. A great position does not make one great. Rather, it is the greatness of his heart and dedication that adds greatness to his position. Note it is the heart and conduct that make a position great, and not the other way. An external greatness without this inner greatness is shallow and a sham.
4. Further, true greatness also implies receptivity toward all, irrespective of their age or importance. In Jesus’ words, this is to receive a child in the Lord’s name. It means to be receptive and respectful toward all, making no difference or discrimination. A child is normally taken lightly, regarded as insignificant.
5. Most fundamentally, in the light of the first reading from Zechariah, true greatness consists in totally belonging to God. It is to trust wholeheartedly that God would save His people from all. It is to confide in Him even amidst all slavery and misery. It is to become “His people”, in faithfulness and righteousness. It is to do things in favor of him.
Direction: In a world where there is a steep competition for greatness crushing over others, the followers of Christ are invited to make space for others to work together for the common good of humanity. Let us remember the words of Jesus: “Do not forbid him (he who casts out demons but
does not follow with us); for he that is not against you is for you”
(REFLECTION ON LUKE 9. 46-50 FROM 2020)
This was the greatness, of which Jesus teaches in today’s gospel. In Jesus’ words, this is the true greatness which is not based on worldly factors like money, power, position, fame, competence, etc. This is the greatness which humbles itself to be “the least among all”, which does not make a show or display one’s
importance, which does not argue about being the greatest. This is the greatness which acknowledges the greatness of others, which learns to treat everyone with due respect. This is irrespective of one’s age or state. This is what Jesus implies when he says, “Whoever receives a child in my name, receives me”, because normally no one thinks specially of respecting a child, and a child is taken rather lightly.
Direction: True greatness does not trumpet or impose one’s greatness on others. It consists in duly recognizing others’ greatness and helping them to become great
28 SEPTEMBER 2021: ZECH 8. 20-23; LUKE 9. 51-56
Focus: When our focus is clear and set upon the goal, nothing can stop us on the way. It will be a forward march
1. In the gospel we find Jesus is turned, directed toward Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the destined place of his last phase. It is where his ill fate of suffering and death awaits him. But it is not merely a place of his final destiny on earth. It in fact symbolizes his whole sense of focus, direction and determination. He was always conscious of his mission and he would never shirk from it.
2. He was also conscious of the challenge and the struggle of this mission. He never lost sight of the truth that this involves a lot of misunderstanding, rejection, persecution and finally an ignominious death. An impending ill fate would be certainly frightening. But he never allowed himself to be frightened.
3. The rejection by the Samaritans would naturally bring ego hurt. Perhaps this was the case with Jesus' disciples. Their ego was hurt: such a popular master, such a holy teacher was rejected. They feel sad and angry at people's unbelief. They feel they should be punished. Therefore, they wish to bid fire from heaven and consume them.
4. Apparently, it is zeal for their master, to safeguard his honor. It is also a corrective and just measure, to make the people more conscious and responsible. Their punishment would be a lesson to all others about destruction as an effect of rejection.
5. But they did not realize that suffering and death are inevitable for salvation. It is part of God's plans and purposes. Therefore, any attempt that thwarts such a journey of destiny would be indeed against God's mission itself. Jesus would never allow it. That is why, Jesus rebukes his disciples.
6. What God wants is not the destruction of the sinners but the destruction of their sin. He wants their repentance and conversion. In the light of the first reading, God wants His people to recognize that He is their God and is with them, just as the other nations acclaim it.
Direction: God always offers His message of salvation and also the needed grace to receive and follow it. But sin rejects it.
29 SEPTEMBER 2021: ARCHANGELS: DAN 7. 9-10, 13-14; JOHN 1. 47-51
Focus: Our God is a caring God and in His benevolent and attentive reign, He enters and intervenes in our lives and comes to our aid
1. 29 September we celebrate the feast of the three archangels, namely Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. In our simple modern terminology, each of them heads a particular department or an area of responsibility. Michael is the army chief, and so takes care of the fight against evil. Gabriel is the communication chief and so takes care of the information and annunciations wing. And Raphael is medical chief and so takes care of the health and healing.
2. But all these are not independent and isolated ministries. The overall owner and the director is God
Himself, under whose wise and efficient rule, all the three work. They are not competitors with God but collaborators. They are not substitutes but agents and instruments of God’s work. In this way, these three symbolize three essential components of God’s own functioning. God battles against evil, He communicates with us and He heals us. These three also show us the nature of God’s functioning. Our God is not a monopoliser. He involves others, and here in this case, His angels to carry out His own will and reign.
3. The three archangels also indicate to us the sole purpose of God’s working. It is a benevolent mission oriented toward the whole humanity. God works relentlessly for our good. He knows our human struggle against the evil, as fragile beings. So, He assists and sustains us through Michael. He knows our confusion, unclarity and incomprehension with regard to God’s will and ways. So, He communicates, clarifying and enlightening through Gabriel. He knows our sicknesses, our insanities. So, He extends His healing touch through Raphael.
4. The feast of the three archangels must deepen in us an active sense of gratitude and appreciation toward God’s marvellous care for us. Further, it must make us committed collaborators in the plan of God’s salvation. In the light of today’s feast, it would imply that we must constantly combat the evil, be receptive to the communication of God and be docile to the healing touch of God.
Direction: The expression in the gospel that “angels of God are ascending and descending upon the Son of man” can mean that the angels are constantly on the work of God, mediating between heaven and earth. This can be a firm assurance of God’s deep concern for us
(REFLECTION ON ARCHANGELS FROM 2020)
Focus: God is ever-caring and ever-providing. He is ever alert and prompt in His attention and care toward us
The feast of the three archangels is a clear confirmation of God’s own unfailing concern and providential care toward us. God’s benevolence is not something sporadic that is shown in occasional miracles and isolated favours. His love and compassion are consistent and incessant. Accordingly, the veneration of the archangels is not so much the veneration of 3 individual heavenly beings. Rather it is the veneration of 3 aspects of God’s own benevolence toward us: St Michael stands for the spirit and power of God against the evil, St Raphael, the healing power of God and St Gabriel, the collaborative communication of God’s plans for the human wellbeing. Thus, in St Michael, we see that God is always in battle with evil. This indicates that we too must never side with the evil, but resist and fight against it. The whole struggle of our life must be “against” evil and “for” good and God. Whenever we fight against evil, it would mean that we are on the side of God. Every effort against evil is divine and a collaboration with God. Then, in St Raphael, we see that God is on a relentless mission of healing. He knows that we are constantly wounded and bruised. He knows that we need healing. So, He offers us healing through the archangel Raphael. We are also reminded that we who receive healing, must also extend the same healing to others, who are always under the infective effect of sin and evil. Then, in St Gabriel, we see that God is ever in communion and communication with us. He helps us to receive, understand and follow His messages.
Further, the three archangels also remind us of the “participatory” and “delegating” functioning of God: Even though God is all-powerful and all-efficient, yet He does not absolutize or monopolize power. Rather He makes others partners and participants with Him. This can be a corrective directive for all of us, especially against our frequent tendencies for domination and monopoly over others.
Direction: The three C’s of archangels, namely Combatting, Curing and Communicating are symbols of the big C that is the Care of God.
30 SEPTEMBER 2021: NEH 8. 1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12; LUKE 10. 1-12
Focus: We are on a mission and that is the very same mission of the Lord. In carrying out this mission, he is always with us to sustain us and guide us
1. In the first place, we need to remember that we all received a mission. Therefore, life is duty-bound and must be mission-directed. If so, a life which is not dutiful and missionary, a life which is careless and negligent to duties in life, a life which is not driven by a sense of mission but is purposeless and directionless, is a failure in its very nature and meaning.
2. Our life is a mission with a destiny. The Lord himself appoints us and sends us on duty. This missionary duty is to establish the kingdom of God. This is like cultivating a field and reaping the harvest. That is why, Jesus uses the metaphor of harvest as he says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few”. We are the labourers who have to toil in the field. This would constantly keep us as committed and assiduous labourers.
3. This mission is not any one’s self-creation or private agenda. It is the mission of the Lord himself. Our mission is nothing but a sharing in his very mission, a continuation of the same. This is to spread God’s kingdom by bearing abundant fruits of the harvest. This will guard us against our privatizing or monopolizing the God-given mission.
4. This mission is challenging and tough because we will be like lambs among wolves. The world is like the free zone of lot of wolves, always ready to pounce and harm. There are many evil forces and false values that tempt us and torment us. No doubt we need to face a lot of opposition and persecution. Jesus never assured a smooth mission without adversities. He never promised his disciples all success always. In fact, he already warns them of the possible resistance and rejection and prepares them to accept such unsuccessful situations without getting upset. It is enough that they do their duty with utmost dedication and perseverance.
5. But there is nothing to worry because the Lord himself is with us. He accompanies and sustains us unceasingly. His own power will equip us to preach and to heal. The words of Nehemiah in the first reading from Nehemiah are truly the guiding and strengthening lines in their lives: “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength”.
6. Consequently, there is no need at all to depend on the worldly securities like “purse, bag or sandals”. It is not that we do not make use of the available resources that can help us in our mission. It only means that we should not give excessive importance to the material resources or securities, as if the whole mission depends only on them. We should not be overdependent on them. Our primary resourcefulness and equipment is God’s own Spirit.
Direction: As disciples of Christ, we share his life and mission as well. Therefore, we are constantly urged to live as authentic disciples and work as effective apostles, equipped with his own power
(REFLECTION ON LUKE 10. 1-12 FROM 2020)
Today we are reminded that not only the missionaries by the title of their vocation are missionaries, but all of us without exception. Each one called by the Lord to follow His ways is a missionary irrespective of the walk of life. The modes of carrying out this mission may vary depending on whether one is a clergy, religious or layperson, and depending on the different ministries. But the basic and common factor is: every disciple shares the same mission of the Lord. It is to bring everyone closer to the kingdom of God and to bring God’s kingdom closer to everyone. The mission is to grow in the vicinity and intimacy, in loyalty and commitment to God’s reign. This is a strenuous task, like “lambs among wolves”. It involves risk and challenge and even failure and no worldly securities and supports like a purse, bag, etc. count. But nothing to worry. Everything is in God’s purview and He will sustain and steer everything to its destined end. The evil may threaten to devour the good like wolves devour the lambs. But we, the lambs follow the Lamb of God and have nothing to lose.
Direction: The more we surrender ourselves to Jesus, the more we will experience and exercise true freedom. Accordingly, our preaching becomes convincing when our life is convinced and committed
30 SEPTEMBER 2020: MSFS FOUNDER’S DAY, SERVANT OF GOD, PETER MERMIER
Focus: Every celebration is a sacred occasion for a renewed loyalty to the Lord
Today the MSFS (Missionaries of St Francis de Sales) celebrate their Founder’s Day. At the outset itself, let us get it clear that the purpose is not merely admiration but imitation, not merely veneration but emulation. Let us have a quick look at a few of his statements which reveal to us his person and life. These quotations must teach us, touch us, inspire us, stir us, affect us, challenge us and change us.
1) “I want missions” – this resolve is rooted in deep conviction and passion. It should make us question our own deficient and wrong motivations, shallow and fluctuating compromises and disorientations and declining dedication. This should charge us to be more motivated, determined, re-oriented and re-dedicated in our missionary zeal.
2) “The heart of education is the education of the heart” – this calls us to check up on the very quality of us as educated persons, and not merely the ministry of education. For real education is a commitment to values, to a holistic growth, it is a cultivation of virtues, it is the promotion and formation of character. Education is a more sacred duty of liberation and transformation of human persons.
3) “You do a thing well when you do it according to God’s will” – the norm or the criterion or the test of performance and excellence of a work does not depend on one’s talent or capacity or competence but on one’s surrender to God’s will.
Direction: Quotations of great people are not only to quote and preach eloquently but to inspire us and transform us.
01 OCTOBER 2021: ISA 66. 10-14; 1 COR 13. 4-13; MATTHEW 18. 1-4, ST THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS
Focus: If only we understand what is real greatness and the real secret to obtain it, we will experience great joy and fulfilment of life
1. We celebrate the feast of St Therese of child Jesus on every 01 October. She is truly great in the kingdom of heaven, because she truly turned and became like little child; because she humbled herself like a child. This is what Jesus taught: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? ... whoever humbles himself like the child”; “Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.
2. Becoming childlike becomes the essential condition both for the entry as well as greatness in the kingdom of heaven. In the light of the three readings and also childlike character, we can focus on four main characteristics of the childlike Teresa: her passionate love for Jesus, her humility, her surrender and measureless benevolence toward others.
3. Little Teresa had a big heart for Jesus. She loved him with all her heart with passion. For her, all that mattered was Jesus and to love him in everything and every time. Whatever she did in her community, however small and ordinary it be, was an act of love for Jesus. She poured all her tenderness and affection on Jesus. Like a little child, she would kiss him, embrace him and caress him. She was ever on fire for Jesus. It is this passion that blossoms her in holiness and devotion.
4. Her humility was remarkable. She always considered herself insignificant and unworthy. She always humbled herself before God and others. There were never traces of pride or arrogance.
5. An outstanding mark of Teresa’s childlikeness was her total surrender to Jesus. She would consider herself as a little toy in the hands of child Jesus; he is totally free to play with the toy as he likes; she submitted her entire life with all its activities to the will and holy pleasure of God. The misunderstandings, the insults, the criticisms and blames, the jealousies – all that she faced in the community was offered to Jesus as acts of love.
6. Her holiness was testified in her concrete life of benevolence to others. What a gentleness, patience, magnanimity, forgiveness and generosity she showered upon others! She was truly a missionary of prayer and charity!
Direction: Therese of child Jesus is the patron of missions though she never worked in missions. She is doctor of the church though she never mastered degrees. This is a clear testimony that mission and knowledge are matters of love and wisdom of God
(REFLECTION ON THE FEAST OF TERESA OF THE CHILD JESUS FROM 2020)
Focus: The greatness of life is not in the greatness of position but in the greatness of disposition and littleness of heart
Saint Therese of Child Jesus is popularly known as “the Little Flower”. A little flower, fragrant and beautiful, can beautify the whole garland. She is known for her “little way” which is the “way of love” and “way of little virtues”. She did not do extraordinary things but embedded all her way with simple acts of sacrifice, patience, cheerfulness, humility, and forgiveness. Her surrender to Jesus was so childlike and total that she joyfully disposed herself like a little toy in the hands of child Jesus and let him totally free to do with her whatever he likes. Her death at a young age of 24 testifies to the fact that sanctity and sainthood are not so much matters of age or longevity of life but rather matters of spiritual maturity and depth of life. It is this love for the Lord and benevolence toward others that raised her to be the patroness of missions, even though she never worked in any mission outside the convent.
Direction: Great saints are not necessarily great by their birth or ability. They are great by their practice of virtues in a great way with a great heart, filled with love for God and benevolence toward others
02 SEPTEMBER 2021: EX 23. 20-23; MATTHEW 18, 1-5, 10, GUARDIAN ANGELS
Focus: God always watches over us, guards us against all the evil attacks. The guardian angels are concrete testimonies of God's abiding care for us. He will never abandon us unguarded
1. 02 October we celebrate the memory of the guardian angels. It is believed that God has assigned a guardian angel each to the care of each of us. This shows the personal attention and care that God nurtures for everyone. We are not just numbers for God. We are not one among many, but each one counts for God and in His providential care. Jesus says, "in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father in heaven". This clearly indicates that the guardian angels are in intimate communion and service of God. Thus they can effectively work on behalf of us.
2. The guardian angels' primary duty is to guard us. This implies that they are ever watchful over us to protect us from the snares and assaults of the evil one. They take care that we are not lost. They assist us and supply the necessary strength to us to combat the evil. This is what we hear in the first reading from Exodus 23. 20-23: Behold, I send an angel before you, to guard you on the way". "The angel will go before you and bring you in to the enemies, so that God will blot them out". Besides, "he will also bring you to the place which I have prepared". Thus, the guardian angel also accompanies us on our way of the Lord. He guards that we are not easily distracted and deviated from the right path. He will also lead us to our eternal destination. He directs and orients us to reach that destination, to "enter the kingdom of heaven", by helping us to "become like little children".
3. Therefore, from our part, we are exhorted to "give heed to him and hearken to his voice, not to rebel against him". In fact, our obedience and adherence is not so much to this or that particular guardian angel, but to God who guards us through them. It is God Himself who is acting through them. That is why,8on I 8 God affirms, "for my name is in him".
Direction: The fact that we are guarded personally by a guardian angel should make us deeply grateful to God for His meticulous concern for us amidst our human fragilities and precarity. We should also become more responsible by being more receptive and cooperative, to be guarded and guided
(REFLECTION ON GUARDIAN ANGELS FROM 2020)
Focus: God in His love, guards over us and guards us against forces of evil. When the Lord is our refuge and shield, can any evil or harm knock us down or sweep us away?
“The angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” – these words of Jesus clearly attest the intimate communion of the angels with God. Today, we commemorate the guardian angels. The guardian angels are the channels and heavenly agents of God’s own guarding over us. They concretely manifest to us that God watches over us always and everywhere. They are our never-leaving companions who travel with us along this journey of life. Each one of us is assigned with one guardian angel and this shows how personally God takes care of us. Through the instrumentality of the guardian angels, God continues to be our guardian and guard. As a guardian, He takes charge of us, cares and sustains us and holds full responsibility for our progress in maturity. As a guard, He protects us and guards us against all opposing and harmful forces of evil and guides us on even and holy paths.
In the light of the gospel, they concretely assist us in “becoming like little children because only thus we can enter the kingdom of heaven”. And specifically, they help us to become “humble like a little child”, and to “receive even a tiny, insignificant child in the Lord’s name”, thereby meaning to treat everyone with respect, regardless of the age or capacity.
Today, we also remember with reverence, admiration, and gratitude the great Mahatma Gandhi on his birthday. He deserves our homage because he too was like guardian angel for the mother India, who was languishing like a little child under the British bondage. His selfless sacrifices and unswerving dedication brought freedom to the enslaved India. Let us not only admire him but also imitate him and in turn become ourselves the guardians and custodians of our dear mother India
Direction: Blessed are we to be personally cared for and guided by God! We are safe, secure and serene under His guarding and guiding mantle
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