03 – 08 JANUARY 2022: HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
03 JANUARY 2022: 1 JOHN 3.22 – 4. 6; MATTHEW 4. 12-17, 23-25
Focus: To believe God is not merely a matter of beliefs and doctrines but is a matter of living in God, loving him, and loving others as a concrete sign of it
1. “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand”. This is how Jesus began his public ministry. Truly the kingdom was brought near through his incarnation. His birth is a concrete manifestation that the kingdom of God is once again made open to us. God himself takes the initiative to re-insert and restore us into the kingdom that was closed and became far on account of sin.
2. Jesus manifests this presence of the kingdom through his teaching, preaching, and healing ministry. Every physical healing symbolizes the need for inner healing. And this inner or holistic healing is nothing but repentance and change of life. It is a constant invitation to belong to his kingdom, to experience the wholeness and joy of it, and also to spread it around.
3. In terms of light, this is to come out of the shades of darkness into the sphere of light. And in terms of faith, it is to believe in him, to abide in him, and to love others. In terms of the Spirit, it is to confide in the humanity of Jesus and in his ever-abiding presence with us. In terms of truth, it is to testify to the Spirit of truth, to stand against every spirit of error, to be a contrast to the false prophets and antichrists.
4. Thus, this is how we show that we belong to the kingdom, by showing that we are from God and not from the world. We know God, and we listen to him. We keep his commandments and do what pleases him. We abide in him and he abides in us. We love one another.
Direction: In a world that is becoming more and more a domain of the antichrist, the evil one, we are called to turn it into a kingdom of God where love and truth reign.
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: The real test of fidelity is to follow the commandment of God, and the real commandment is to believe him and follow what he commands, and that concretely in loving others
We are just after the Epiphany, the celebration of God’s revelation or manifestation. The visit of the three magi symbolically reveals God's salvation and glory are open to all, cutting across the boundaries. Jesus begins this mission of manifestation in word and deed, in preaching and healing. He preaches announcing the coming of the Kingdom and inviting to repent. "Repent and believe in the gospel, for the kingdom of God is near". This was the first proclamation of Jesus. This nearness of the kingdom is seen in Jesus' ministry of preaching and healing. Jesus ceaselessly preaches the good news of love and comfort of God and tirelessly heals the sick of various sorts. Thus he confirms this nearness of the Kingdom and the sign of conversion in his healing ministry. From our part, we need to constantly manifest our belonging to God and His kingdom, through our listening, our contrast to the world, our repenting, our believing and our getting healed. To receive and experience such vicinity of God's kingdom through God's Word and action, one must repent and believe. True repentance is when one deeply feels anguished at his sinfulness and turns away from it. True believing is to turn to God, to trust Him, and be loyal to Him. This calls us to belong to God, to live as people of God and not of the world; to resist and reject the spirit of the antichrist; to abide in him; to live and foster the truth; to keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
Direction: Repentance is the fundamental requirement of a true follower of Christ. This is manifested and authenticated in a twofold mission: to listen to God's word and to transmit the same; to be healed by the Lord and to heal others through devotion and benevolence
04 JANUARY 2022: 1 JOHN 4. 7-10; MARK 6. 34-44
Focus: The world of today has become so dry and desolate because it lacks the tenderness and warmth of compassion. The human hearts are to be re-irrigated by the streams of compassion
1. God is love. This love is manifested not merely in words but in action. This action is done in sending his only Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Thus Jesus is the embodiment and concrete reflection of God’s own love. This love in action or active love manifests itself in compassion. This is compassion at our plight. We are truly like sheep without a shepherd. We are directionless and helpless. Just like sheep without a shepherd, we are constantly exposed to all dangerous attacks. The wild animals of evil forces always threaten and frighten us. We are surrounded by all possible risks.
2. Further, like sheep without a shepherd, we find ourselves thrown into situations of lack of care, lack of nourishment, and lack of guidance. There is every possibility to go astray and to get stranded. There is every possibility to go unnourished and hungry and thus to become weak and without energy.
3. But our loving and compassionate God does not leave us to our fate. He comes to our rescue. He feeds us even when it is a desolate situation, even when the hour is late. He fed a five thousand even in a desolate place and when the hour was late. He feeds us even with the least resources, just as he fed a five thousand even with five loaves and two fish. Similarly, even when our problems are numerous like the five thousand, but our resources and capacities are few like the 5 loaves and 2 fish, yet he will bless and multiply our little.
4. Not only will he satisfy us with what is sufficient, but he will also give us even reserve. There were 12 baskets full of leftovers. His grace is never insufficient. He always supplies us more than what is needed.
Direction: No situation of our life will be so desolate and forsaken for God. No hour will be too late for him to act. He can abound our scarcities. He can remove our hunger and fill us with satisfaction.
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: It is only Jesus that can give the real, deep and lasting satisfaction because only his presence and action quench the deeper hunger and thirst, the thirst for fullness and fulfillment.
Jesus feeds the five thousand. It is not a mere charity action, done often by many a politician or a rich man or an activist as a duty or for publicity. It is an act moved out of genuine compassion and care. He cares for the hungry, he is attentive to their needs and difficulty. It is not merely a material satisfaction but is symbolic of deep spiritual satisfaction. Only Jesus can satiate our deeper yearnings and needs. Only he can quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger. One who comes to him, one who spends time with him and for him, one who listens to him, one who gives priority to Jesus more than all other concerns, will never go hungry and dissatisfied. They will be filled to the full.
Further, this miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish is also a happy blend of the human situation of little, deficiency and dissatisfaction, and the divine intervention of might, sufficiency, and satisfaction. A miracle is nothing but an encounter between the divine abundance and human littleness, and miracles continue to happen.
When Grace and human effort combine together, situations will change and miracles will happen. Five loaves and two fish - very little to feed five thousand; but in God's hands, touched and blessed by God, the little gets transformed and multiplied.
Scarcity turns into abundance, deficiency into sufficiency, dissatisfaction into satisfaction, anxiety into serenity, and problem into celebration. This is truly the touch of the divine and grace.
In God's sight, nothing is little or insignificant. Everything counts. He wants to work with our little, and work on what is available. True faith does not exclude our human effort, i.e. not doing our part. It is well said, there is no use in leaving a candle to a blowing breeze and praying to God to protect it from being blown off.
Further, a note on "collecting what is leftover": Yes, nothing of Grace is wasted. It is a check against "wasting" our God-given resources or energies or talents or gifts when they are abundant. Abundance can easily lead one to complacency and extravagance, arrogance, and unaccountability. Everything is accountable. Basketfuls cannot neglect scraps!
Direction: Loving is not merely a matter of heart, and knowing is not merely a matter of mind. But both lead to the concrete action of benevolence.
05 JANUARY 2022: 1 JOHN 4. 11-18; MARK 6. 45-52
Focus: Loving God is tested and testified by our loving others. Love for others is a natural outflow of love for God since the love of God essentially carries this other-dimension of love for others
1. “Take heart; it is I; Do not be afraid” These are the words of Jesus to his disciples in the boat struggling against strong winds. They were frightened by the winds. They were also frightened by the blurred and mistaken vision of Jesus as a ghost. Fear blinds our vision. Fear reduces our confidence levels. Fear also reduces the intensity of intimacy and the depth of the relationship.
2. Thus, the presence of fear indicates that love is not perfect. Where there is deep and perfect love, there is no fear. Therefore, the more we are free from fear, the more we are being perfected in love. That is why, St John in his first letter in the first reading states quite rightly: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear”.
3. Fear often implies a sense of guilt over wrongdoing and a possible punishment. Thus, fear also disturbs a person and reduces his peace and serenity. A person under fear is not at peace because his wrong haunts him and looms over the consequent punishment.
4. All this shows inadequacy and imperfection in love. Where there is a deep love and intimate relationship, there is confidence; there is clarity; there is openness; there is freedom. The practice of religion in the case of many is imperfect because their relationship with God is more conditioned and guided by fear-principle. One does some things or avoids some other things out of fear of either losing the favors or incurring God’s displeasure and punishment.
Direction: Our faith and devotion, our goodness and charity must be propelled by love for God and love for others, and not by fear; fear is a negative principle and one cannot operate positively on something negative. I do the right things not because I am afraid of God’s punishment but because I am in love with him
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: Problems never leave us, suffering never disappears completely, but there is no need of crushing our hope in God
Fear often blinds our vision not to recognize the presence of the Lord. How rightly John in his epistle remarks that there is no fear in love because perfect love drives out fear! Surely in our life often like the disciples in the gospel, we too are tossed about by strong storms and fear grips us. We feel that we are sinking and perishing. What is more worrisome is that the Lord seems away and even his presence is mistaken to be that of a ghost. The sight gets blurred as fear grips and faith wavers. It is because our love for the Lord is not perfect. It is so weak and fragile, easy to be shaken and be wavering. What to do and how to counter such a situation? The solution is not to avoid all the storms and disturbances, because that is never possible since life will never be fully free from all the troubles. Rather what is better is to deepen and perfect our love for the Lord, so that it dispels all our fear. If we love him deeply, we will trust unshakably that the Lord will never abandon us. He would not allow us to sink. He will surely come to our rescue.
Therefore, enhance the sense of focus on the Lord. Love God and abide in intimacy with Him. Often, like disciples, one loses focus on the Lord, frightened and discouraged by life- difficulties. The Lord never leaves us but comes to our rescue. He constantly assures us, "Do not be afraid. I am with you!". Hear constantly the assuring voice of the Lord, "Fear not, I am with you!"
Direction: Life is never free from storms and there is every possibility to be frightened. But never worry. The Lord is ever with us to come to us and to subside our fears and storms
06 JANUARY 2022: 1 JOHN 419 – 5.4; LUKE 4. 14-22a
Focus: To be born of God, that is to be the children of God is to love God; and to love God is to keep his commandments, and to keep his commandments is to love the other as his brother
1. In a world where evil is increasing and the reign of Satan is spreading, we are called to live and bear witness as the children of God. If we are really children of God, then we must overcome the evil of the world. This is, in other words, to be a person of faith. We remain as children of God if we love him and obey his commandments.
2. Now, his greatest commandment is to love others as brothers and sisters. If we are really children of God, then we must also realize and recognize others as children of the same Father. Being the children of the Father but not loving the other children of the Father is a contradiction and a falsity.
3. This is what St John strongly attests: If anyone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother who sees cannot love God whom he does not see. Therefore, whoever loves God must also love his brother.
4. Ultimately, the fundamental and simplest duty of every child of God is to love God in faith and to obey his commandment of fraternal love for the other in charity. If one loves God, he is endowed with the gift of faith. He will be anointed and guided by the Holy Spirit. This in turn will lead him to a concrete mission of loving and serving others.
5. This is the mission that we witness in Jesus. The mission manifesto declared by Jesus makes this very clear. Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit and he brings good news to the poor, liberty to the captives and the oppressed, sight to the blind, and the year of the Lord’s favor to all.
Direction: Every vocation brings with it a mission as well. Every privilege carries with it a duty. By our call, we are the children of God, loved so much by him and anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is lived out and borne out in the mission of altruistic service
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: Love is the only and greatest reason for all devotion and charity and love alone is the remedy for all the maladies in the society
Jesus declares his mission manifesto in the gospel. He makes clear the essential purpose and the tenets of his mission. He never loses sight of this focus and the direction of this mission. The components of this mission are very clear. The recipients or the target group of this mission are the poor, the captives, the oppressed, and the blind. The poor receive good news, the captives receive liberty, the oppressed gain freedom, and the blind receive sight. Thus truly it is time acceptable to the Lord. All this mission is accomplished by the power of the Spirit, by being anointed by him. And this in turn is founded on Love. Obedience to the will of the Father for the salvation of humanity, and dedication to that mission of salvation in charity become the motivating and driving forces.
Now, two aspects of the message for us: one, we are the recipients; if so, how much in poor spirit do we receive the good news? How much do we allow ourselves to be liberated from our captivity? How much we are freed from the oppression of sin? How much do we receive the sight from the Lord? The second aspect is, as givers and promoters: how much good news do we give to the poor? How much do we release the captives and the oppressed? How much do we give sight to the blind?
Direction: True mission is in fact a mission of love. It comprises love for God in communion and love for the other in compassion and moves on the power of the Spirit
07 JANUARY 2022: 1 JOHN 5. 5-13; LUKE 5. 12-16
Focus: True faith is holistic in the sense that it believes in God and also lives the life according to God; it comes to God and also overcomes the world
1. Our faith constantly invites us to believe in Jesus the Son of God. He possesses eternal life and also gives us the same. The duty of our faith is to bear testimony to this truth of eternal life. That is, that God gives us eternal life in his Son. This eternal life is not only the life after death. It is already anticipated and foretasted. Such a graced life on earth is whole and wholesome.
2. Such a healthy and perfect life is sickened and imperfected both by sickness and sin. Therefore all of us need healing. Healing is not merely individual acts of regaining health. True healing is regaining the lost wholesomeness and perfection.
3. The healing of a leper in the gospel can be very symbolic and educative to all of us. The leper’s falling on his face before Jesus is an expression of utter humility and surrender. His one simple request, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean” contains so richly s a few fundamentals. His address, ‘Lord’ shows his total reverence. His conditional clause, ‘if you will’ recognizes and respects God’s freedom and wisdom and leaves God free. His other clause, ‘you can make me clean’ shows the leper’s unshaken trust in Jesus’ power and compassion.
4. On his part, the prompt care and abounding compassion of Jesus is testified in his response, ‘I will; be clean. It becomes very clear that God always wants us to be cleansed and clean. Jesus’ concern is seen in his gestures of stretching out his hand and touching the leprous. It was not only a physical act of healing but much more holistic. Jesus restores him the lost dignity as a person of honor and as a re-integrated social and religious member. That is why Jesus asks him, ‘Go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing.
Direction: Every true healing realizes one’s fragility and inadequacy; then, it has recourse to the Lord; then regains the lost dignity and honorability. This it re-integrates one into the world of God and into the society
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: One who believes in God, will overcome the world, will bear testimony to God, and will obtain eternal life
Being sick is understandable. This can happen in anyone's life. But what is deplorable is that one has no desire to come out of it. God's grace is always abundant and available to heal us. But its effect is concrete only when there is a proper disposition, reception, and cooperation from the human side. Jesus heals a leper in the gospel. Appreciable is the leper’s humility. This humility realizes his sick situation. It realizes his need for healing. It nurtures a deep desire for healing. This confides in Jesus' power to heal and also respects Jesus' freedom and kindness to heal. Thus the leper readily gets healed and happily gets reintegrated into his family and into society. There is no wonder that Jesus appreciates such a humble and transparent disposition, willingly heals the leper and restores him with his lost dignity. The leper stands as an example and inspiration for all of us.
How sad it is that many are leprous psychologically, morally, and spiritually! Many are infected and have not been diagnosed. They have neither the interest nor the effort to get rid of it. Consequently, they do not approach the Lord for his healing touch.
Direction: In life, as humans we are, at times, we may suffer from the sickness of sin and evil. But what is more important is that in humility and faith, we get healed by the Lord and live a renewed life.
08 JANUARY 2022: 1 JOHN 5. 14-21; JOHN 3. 22-30
Focus: If we belong to God, then the evil one cannot touch us, cannot suppress us under the yoke of his power, and force us to commit sin. We will be attacked but remain protected
1. Those who are of God, those who belong to him, will not remain under the influence of the evil one. They will not succumb to his pressures. They will not commit sin. They keep God at the center of their life. They will cling to him as their Lord and eternal life. Especially, they will keep themselves from all idols.
2. In our own times, these idols are not necessarily the false gods but are any false values and ways of living. Things such as money, power, position, sex, comfort, and popularity are today’s modern idols. Our vices such as jealousy, pride, greed are the false guides and the power-steering behind these modern idols. Many are falling into this type of subtle and deceptive idolatry.
3. The disciples of John the Baptist were also pressured by this undercurrent idolatry. They were moved by jealousy at Jesus’ increasing popularity. They were afraid that Jesus would eclipse their master. They forget that it is Jesus who must be at the center and none else. They do not realize that all others only point to him.
4. In this context, John the Baptist corrects their thinking and perspective. He clarifies to them that he is only the friend of the bridegroom and not the bridegroom himself. He is only the precursor and not the Messiah. Jesus must increase and he must decrease. So, we must rejoice that he comes to the central focus and not to get jealous and complain and resent.
5. The humility and magnanimity of John the Baptist are praiseworthy. Even though he himself was riding on popularity, yet he is ready to vanish into the background once Jesus enters upon the scene.
Direction: How arrogant and jealous many a disciple of Jesus can be today! They cannot tolerate the growth and rise of others. They even steal the show from the Lord himself, trying to idolize themselves as objects of veneration
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: Those who are born of God, who are of God, will not commit sin. Further what they ask of God according to His holy will, will receive it
The disciples of John the Baptist act in a typical human way: they feel jealous and threatened at the rising popularity of Jesus; they feel worried that their own master may lose his following. They turn to their master. John the Baptist corrects their thinking and clarifies once again about himself and Jesus. In all humility, he is prepared to recede to the background as Jesus steps onto the center stage. In all magnanimity, he reiterates his subsidiary role as the friend of the bridegroom and not the bridegroom. Jesus is the real bridegroom, and his duty as his friend is to rejoice in his presence and make sure that the focus is directed on him. John the Baptist is an imitable example for us to emulate. He is not carried away by jealousy at the rising popularity of Jesus. He is not agitated and driven by ego-projection or ego-promotion. He is so authentic to be deeply conscious of his true identity as the precursor of the awaited Messiah who prepares the way for him. He is so humble to allow himself to decrease and promote Jesus to increase.
How often many present disciples can be bubbling and churning with jealousy! They feel so disturbed at the rising of others. The whole reason is the excessive tendency of self-seeking which falls short in humility and magnanimity.
Direction: We are only the servants and disciples and never the lords and the masters. Let us not dethrone God Himself to steal the show!
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