25 – 30 OCTOBER 2021, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
25 OCTOBER 2021: ROM 8. 12-17; LUKE 13. 10-17
Focus: True freedom is not really the possibility to have one’s own way of likes and pleasures. The true freedom is to be released from slavery to sin
1. Freedom is a priced gift in human life. Nothing can match it. Slavery is always resented and resisted. The reason is it reduces human dignity and respectability. It restricts and restrains one’s scope to pursue what one likes and prefers. Slavery and bondage make the person bound and burdened. Therefore, there is always the struggle to extricate oneself from all the forces and pressures that try to subdue a person’s free spirits.
2. The desire to be free is for sure natural and needed. But the problem with many is a wrong understanding of freedom and false ways and means to gain it. For many, freedom is just the license to do whatever one prefers and likes. Accordingly, freedom is equated with unbridled seeking comfort, pleasure, and gratification. In concrete, it will amount to indiscipline, irresponsibility, disorder, self-gain, and self-pleasure. Thus, in the name of freedom, there is so much disrespect, defiance, and rebellion, so much violence and destruction. But this is all false freedom.
3. It is in this context, God’s word, and Jesus clarifies to us what is true freedom. True freedom is liberation from sin and evil. In Paul’s words in Romans 8. 12-17, it is freedom from slavery to the flesh; it is to put to death the deeds of the body. It is to live according to the Spirit. It is to be the children and heirs of God. It is to be led by the Spirit of God.
4. This is what Jesus indicates in the healing of a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Both the cause and effect of this infirmity are explicitly mentioned. The cause is Satan. This becomes clear in Jesus’ healing words: “Ought not this woman whom Satan bound for 18 years be loosed from this bond?” The effect is: she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.
5. This is very true. Sin sickens us. It bends us to be curved and crooked. It takes away the true freedom to enjoy the health and the joy of life. We need to be freed from our longstanding sicknesses, mainly the moral and the spiritual. We need to become straight and upright in our walking.
Direction: Sin and evil are the greatest infirmities. They make us bent and stumble. We need healing. Jesus is ever willing. Are we ready to receive his healing touch?
(REFLECTION ON LUKE 13. 10-17 FROM 2020)
Focus: The world is truly under the infirmity and the attack of sin and evil, and it needs healing and liberation, and for this, it must turn to God
In the gospel, Jesus heals a woman crippled for 18 years. We are clearly told about what is her infirmity and also the reason for it. She was bent and could not straighten up at all. This is because of an evil spirit. The scene is quite simple but touching. This shows very vividly the personal attention and care of Jesus: he sees the handicapped woman, calls her to him, pronounces words of healing, lays his hands upon her, and heals her. It is very clear that it is Jesus who takes the initiative. He anticipates her need. He does not feel restricted by the Sabbath prohibition. Another notable point is, in healing her, Jesus does not say, I heal you or be healed. Rather, he says, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity”. He also says to his opponents that ‘Satan had bound her, and she should be freed from her bonds. Thereby, very clearly infirmity or sickness is presented as bondage under evil and true healing is a freedom and liberation from that boundness. The concrete effect of this bondage is to remain bent and not be able to straighten up. Yes, one who is under the influence and the power of evil, is not able to walk steadily in the path of God and good. Instead, to be a healed and freed person implies imitating Christ, to follow his way of love. It calls us to be good, understanding, and forgiving.
Direction: We are children of light and therefore we must put aside the works of darkness and learn to walk straight and steady, as most beloved children of God, children of light and imitators of Christ
26 OCTOBER 2021: ROM 8. 18-25; LUKE 13. 18-21
Focus: Often people misjudge the quality and value by the size and the quantity. But they are not always the right criteria. It is on the basis of the quality of the potential to grow and become beneficial
1. In the gospel Luke 13. 18-21, Jesus gives two similitudes for the Kingdom. They are namely a mustard seed and leaven. Two special characteristics mark them. One is their smallness and the other, their propensity to grow and have a larger effect. The mustard seed is small in its size. But it grows into a big tree and shelters birds. Leaven is also little in its quantity. But when mixed with, it leavens the whole flour.
2. Similarly, the kingdom of God may initially look small and insignificant. It may not make big impressions. But it gradually grows and spreads its branches in all its directions, inviting, including, and involving all irrespectively. It offers shelter and comfort to many. It has a steady and pervasive influence like a small portion of leaven.
3. Thereby, what implications are placed before us? First, do not go by mere appearances, by the size or quantity or status. Do not judge the quality and value of things or persons by their roots and beginnings. Beginnings may be humble but they can grow big. Let us not always be stuck by what appears at the moment but let us also open our eyes wide, look beyond, and envision the hidden potency and propensity.
4. In specific reference to the kingdom, let us not wait only for big factors or opportunities to spread the kingdom of God. Let us begin small. Let us live and promote the kingdom in small little things. Let us not be impatient to expect results quickly and big. What is important is how much we are progressively and steadily growing, how much we become more and more beneficial to many. Like the little yeast, let us also try to exert positive influence in whichever situations we are. As children of God and followers of Christ, we must constructively influence others’ life.
5. In the light of the first reading of Romans 8. 18-25, this implies a couple of guidelines. One is, to live in undying hope and eager wait for our eternal destiny. The second is, to bear everything with patience with a deep conviction and faith that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. The third is, to constantly cooperate with God’s Spirit who wants to set us free from our bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Direction: God wants us to spread His kingdom and for sure He does not expect sudden and spectacular miracles from us. All He wants is that we do our little part with a positive and beneficial heart
(REFLECTION ON LUKE 13. 18-21 FROM 2020)
Focus: It is quality that gives meaning and worth to any quantity, whether big or small. Therefore, what is more important in life is the quality of life and not the quantity of things
As God’s children, our primary duty is to seek and spread God’s kingdom. It is a demanding task. But we need not worry much about the vastness or the challenges that beset it. It is enough that we do our part, however little it is. It can be like a tiny mustard seed or a little yeast. The mustard seed is small, but it grows into a tree to shelter many birds. The little yeast leavens much flour. In the same way, our small efforts, blessed by God, become big and great to shelter and help many and to change much. Our actions may seem insignificant and unnoticed. But the effect of them can be very fruit-bearing, tested, and durable in time. It is God who gives growth and fruition and we are only to cooperate. This is in fact how we belong to God and spread it.
Direction: The Kingdom of God is not a matter of pomp and show. It is a gradual invisible pervasive influence. It is not a location but a situation of love and faithful relationships, beginning with the family
27 OCTOBER 2021: ROM 8. 26-30; LUKE 13. 22-30
Focus: There are no absolute guarantees that assure us entering into the kingdom of God. There are no firsts and lasts. It is not a matter of the length of the tradition or allegiance to the religion. It is the depth of devotion and adherence to the Lord
1. Who will be saved? How many will be saved? How to enter the kingdom of God? These are always interesting and intriguing questions. To a query by someone, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”, Jesus addresses these issues. First of all, entering the kingdom of God is not a matter of merely participating in some common religious activities like common meals or common talks. It is a matter of an entire life. It is a consistent walking toward the heavenly Jerusalem. It calls us to enter by the narrow door.
2. What does entering by the narrow door signify? It means not to be men of iniquity. It means that we are not satisfied merely with some common programs. It is to be more and more conformed to the image of Christ. It is to love God in tune with our call and purpose. It is to allow God to justify and glorify ourselves by a life that is just and renders glory to God.
3. Certainly, walking by the narrow door is difficult. By ourselves we are weak. We do not know even how to pray. That is why God Himself comes to our support. For in everything God works for good with those who love Him. The Spirit will help us in our weakness. The Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. He intercedes according to the will of God.
4. Therefore, we can enter the kingdom of God only when enter by the narrow door. This prompts us to really struggle to fit ourselves to push through the narrow door. God does not want us to go through easy and compromising ways, broad and devouring doors. We also need the humility to realize that it is not the merit of our activities or organizational capacities. It is to walk through the narrow door and constantly knock at the door of the Lord to enter inside.
Direction: Are we also among those who begin to stand outside and knock at the door of the master? How can I close my heart to God’s voice and command and go on pleading, “Lord oven to us!”.
28 OCTOBER 2021: EPH 2. 19-22; LUKE 6. 12-16, STS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES
Focus: Our vocation always carries with it a profound sense of sacredness because it is the Lord’s choice. It is always his gratuitous grace that we must constantly strive to live up
1. Today we celebrate the feast of two of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, namely Saints Simon and Jude. Simon was a zealot, an anti-Roman nationalist group member. Jude was a cousin of the Lord and author of the epistle of Jude. They preached in Mesopotamia and Persia. They were chosen from among many disciples and named apostles.
2. This is the first thing to note. We are chosen by the Lord. This implies that it is God’s initiative, his free gift. It is not like the other professions where one qualifies himself by fulfilling the requirements. But our vocation is not due to our qualification or competence. It is not because we deserve it. Rather he qualifies us by choosing us lovingly.
3. He calls us by name. This implies that our vocation is something deeply personal. Each one is related personally to the Lord. Every called person is intimately united with the Lord by an authentic life and is fervently committed to him by an effective mission.
4. Unity is our identity mark as disciples at his feet and apostles on our feet. Being his disciples in prayer and being apostles on his mission must always go together. That was what Jesus did: In communion with the Father and in commitment to His will. Our constant striving is to be joined to the Lord as the cornerstone and grow into a holy temple in the Lord and a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
5. However, this spiritual communion is not enough. Fraternal communion is also a must. We are no longer strangers and sojourners, not only toward God but also toward one another. We are fellow citizens and members of one and the same household of God, one holy temple of God, and one dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Direction: Our life and mission can become more credible and effective if there is more spiritual communion and fraternal communion, constantly reminding ourselves that we are his disciples in intimacy and his apostles in vibrancy.
(REFLECTION ON THE FEAST FROM 2020)
Focus: Loving the Lord leads to living with him and that leads to living for him, to the extent of dying for him
We celebrate the feast of Saints Simon and Jude, two among the twelve apostles of the Lord. Simon was a zealot, a member of the nationalist party of zealots who were resistant to Roman rule. Jude was a cousin of the Lord, the son of Joseph’s brother, Cleophas. Jude authored an epistle. Jude is also the patron of the desperate causes, the saint of last resort. Whatever be these details, what is important for us to note is, they were chosen by the Lord to be his disciples. They lived with him. They experienced his love, power, and wisdom in intimacy with him. They drew their light, direction, and strength from him. And they set out as apostles to share what they themselves had experienced in Mesopotamia and Persia. Today as we venerate them for their life and mission, we are called to reflect on our own vocation and mission. Backgrounds do not matter. What we were before being called, is not important. But what we become, how we live, what we do, is most important. So, like these apostles, we too are called to be his disciples, to live constantly in his proximity, in humility to learn, in intimacy to love, and in guidance to walk. We are also called to be his apostles on his mission, to take him and his message to the world through word and action. Can we learn something from these saints?
Direction: The value of our vocation does not depend on our past backgrounds or present status or achievements. But it mainly consists in being close to the Lord and working for him on his mission
29 OCTOBER 2021: ROM 9. 1-5; LUKE 14. 1-6
Focus: Rules and traditions are good and needed because they regulate the common life and put order into it. However, no law can go against doing good to those in need
1. Every society and religion have their own rules and traditions. All these are meant to contribute to order and wellbeing, both collective and personal. Very often the problem is that of extremes. Some fall to rigidity and legalism, sticking to the mere letter of the law and neglecting the good of the persons. Some others fall to over-flexibility and compromise, leading to indulgence and lawlessness. Both are not healthy and not recommendable. There has to be a balance.
2. The ultimate purpose and objective of every rule and tradition must be the good of the society and its members. In fact, the supreme law is the larger and the higher good. No law should be subversive and destructive. A law is good when it is constructive and beneficial. This was the problem that Jesus had to confront: a rigid legalism that led to insensitivity toward the good of the human person.
3. Jesus wanted to put things in the right perspective. Hence his apparent violation of the Sabbath law by healing on a Sabbath day a man who had dropsy. For him, doing good is the most important and nothing should stop it. Doing good has no particular seasons and occasions. Charity is beyond seasons and times. It must be always and everywhere.
4. In fact, it is not the question of following or not following the law. The more vital issue is whether we are doing good or not. Besides, it is not merely physical healing. It is more a liberation, a saving, a restoration of what is lost. That is why Jesus says, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?”
5. In the face of such a hardness of heart, the feelings of Jesus were the same as of Paul in the first reading in his letter to the Romans 9. 1-5: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart”.
Direction: Mere observance of the law is no good. Adherence to the good of others is the real observance of the law. Altruism is the supreme principle and norm of all religion and life
(REFLECTION ON LUKE 14. 1-6 FROM 2020)
Focus: Very often, our kindness is conditioned by moods and seasons. It is also often according to convenience or profit. But blessed are they we are relentless and selfless!
Often, Jesus gets into problems with the Pharisees and scribes, the big people in his society. The main issue is his violation of the Sabbath rule as in today’s gospel. They cannot digest the fact that he heals on Sabbath day, which is strictly a day of rest, abstaining from any work. The purpose of Jesus is not to poke and provoke them or irritate and annoy them. Neither he has contempt and disregard toward the laws. His intention is also not to popularize himself as a rebel, as some would do. They would project themselves as ‘saviors of the time’ and simply oppose and challenge anything of the authority or the system. Jesus certainly respects the laws and the traditions. But for him, always what matters the most is true piety and deep benevolence. Love for God and kindness to others are the supreme laws of life. Everything in life should be directed to these ends and foster the same. No reason is good and valid enough to prevent one from doing good. A law that fails to do good is not worth following. In fact, every healing is not merely an act of physical good and health. It is a liberation from one’s bondage. It is the restoration of one’s lost dignity. It is ushering in a new life. That is why Jesus has absolutely no qualms or inhibition about healing a man of dropsy on a Sabbath day.
Direction: Many times, many make lame excuses for not being good and doing good. They go on explaining and justifying why they are not able. But mostly, what is lacking is a good heart and concern for others
30 OCTOBER 2021: ROM 11. 1-2, 11-12, 25-29; LUKE 14. 1, 7-11
Focus: Everyone seeks to be honorable and honored. But real honor does not come from places of honor. Rather real honor comes from character. Thus, one who is with an honorable character is always humble
1. “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he humbles himself will be exalted”, this is one of the outstanding and popular teachings of Jesus. He brings our attention to humility. Humility is not just one of the many virtues. It is the link for all the virtues. It is the bottom line, the base, the foundation on which all the other virtues are built. Without humility, all the other virtues lose their charm and credibility.
2. Jesus, being a guest of honor at a leading pharisee’s house, watches them seeking places of honor. He seizes upon the opportunity to offer a lesson on humility. Many think that high positions, ranks, and honors do not go together with humility. The more you are highly placed, the more you have to maintain high. You need to carry and present yourself high.
3. But Jesus makes it clear that the more one is high in power and position, the more he must be humble. In fact, a person does not become honorable by his honorable place or position, but by his honorable character. Powers and positions are external and they do not replace a person’s internal character. They can be concrete means of expressing a good character.
4. In fact, true honor comes not from the position to the person. Rather it must go from the person’s honorability to the position. In that sense, it is the person that gives honor to the chair and not so much the chair that gives honor to the person. External honors must complement the inner honor of the person and not substitute or cover-up for what is lacking internally.
5. True humility can come only from a genuine awareness and repentance over one’s fragility and unworthiness. It also has an overwhelming acceptance of God’s holiness. This double awareness is corroborated by the ready recognition of others’ goodness and greatness. When this threefold humility is present, then surely a person becomes pleasing in God’s sight and God exalts him.
Direction: It is high time that the church learns to stop the malicious musical chair for power and position, seeking a false dignity and honor in them. They should realize that real honor comes from a sound character and not from honors
(REFLECTION ON LUKE 14. 1, 7-11 FROM 2020)
Focus: Being good is mandatory and Doing good is obligatory. So it must be always with a genuine spirit of humility and responsibility, and not to make a show
Jesus never misses a chance to put things in the right perspective. Today, he goes as a guest of a leading Pharisee. He notices how people seek places of honor. He uses this occasion to teach about humility. He declares one of the outstanding teachings, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”. Humility adds value and splendor to the whole character and greatness of a person. All the capacities and talents of a person can fall short if they lack humility. Humility does not mean that one debases himself, or resigns himself only to poor grades. Humility does not mean that one despises one’s worth. It also does not mean that one goes around professing and proclaiming about his weaknesses. This is all a defective and deficient humility. True humility is essentially truthfulness, being true to oneself. It recognizes the overwhelming greatness and holiness of God, and before him our own fundamental unworthiness. It also recognizes the due dignity and respectability of others irrespectively. More importantly, humility deeply knows that real worth does not depend on external powers, positions, and honors. The true worth of a person consists in one’s pure heart, sound character, humble surrender to God, and committed benevolence. This is the same humility that adorned and guided Paul. He always sought to exalt Christ through his person and ministry. He always strove for the progress and happiness of others.
Direction: It is not the places and chairs of power and honor that make one great, but the sincerity of heart, integrity of life, and magnanimity of relationships
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