21 - 26 FEBRUARY 2022: HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
21 FEBRUARY 2022: JAMES 3. 13-18; MARK 9. 14-29
Focus: Wisdom is not merely a matter of intelligence, knowledge, and capacity. Rather it is a matter of a clean heart and a virtuous living.
1. In the first reading, James makes it very clear that what the world thinks wisdom is not really wisdom. The world mistakes wisdom with mere intellectual capacity. But true wisdom is never unclean, unspiritual, and devious living. True wisdom is never dissociated from a sane and virtuous living.
2. In true wisdom, there is no jealousy or selfish ambition, and no disorder or any vile practice. True wisdom comes from above. It is pure, sincere, gentle, reasonable, impartial, merciful, and benevolent in good fruits.
3. In the gospel, Jesus shows that such wisdom comes only from a clean spirit. This needs healing from the unclean spirit. Accordingly, Jesus heals a deaf and mute boy with an unclean spirit. The details of this unclean spirit are indicative of a lack of true wisdom. He who harbors jealousy and selfish ambition lacks wisdom. He becomes mute and deaf to the promptings of the Spirit. He becomes unsteady. He is thrown down. He falls into frequent convulsions, foaming at the mouth, and grinding the teeth. He becomes rigid. All these are but signs of evil.
4. Then, what are the conditions to drive away the evil spirit? The most essential is prayer and faith in the power of Jesus. The disciples could not do the healing because of the lack of the spirit of prayer. The boy’s father could obtain his son’s healing because of faith.
5. What is faith? Faith is turning to Jesus in humility and prayer. What is prayer? Prayer is turning to Jesus in humility and faith. The boy’s father trusted in Jesus in his need with deep humility, saying, “I believe; help my unbelief”. On the other hand, the disciples fell inadequate in this spirit of humility and faith.
6. Here we do not debate the disciples’ faith in Jesus. We do not also contend that they wanted to sideline Jesus. We may not attribute any wrong intention to their attempt to heal. Perhaps, they sincerely intended not to “disturb” their master. They might have thought that they can “manage” the thing by themselves. They might have also sought some self-recognition. However, all these factors are not so important for us.
7. What is important to note is that the disciples did not turn to Jesus. They did not direct the boy’s father to their master. They did not approach him for his intervention. They lacked the humility to refer the matter to their Lord. They fail to be aware that their power comes from the Lord. This is the failure in prayer!
Direction: True wisdom leads us to seek to nurture a clean heart, a devout spirit that fears God, to get healed by the Lord, and to live a life of true spirituality and integrity.
22 FEBRUARY 2022: 1 PETER 5. 1-4; MATTHEW 16. 13-19, FEAST of the Chair of St Peter
Focus: In a world that constantly plays a musical “chair’, fighting for power and authority by hook or crook, the holy Catholic Church must recapture the true spirit of Christian power and authority
1. Today we feast on the Chair of St Peter. This implies the authority of the papacy over the Universal Catholic Church. We accept the pope’s authority by the principle of succession to St Peter. Thereby, in the first place, on this feast day, we must remind ourselves that we all belong to one church and we all owe our allegiance and subscribe our loyalty to the one church. Thus, it is a call for unity, adherence, and obedience
2. Therefore, any division and discrimination, any dissension and disparity, any rivalry and conflicts is nothing but a counter-witness to the very nature of the church. In this context, the church on various levels, be it the divergent countries, rites, dioceses, or the religious congregations must do a humble self-critique about their spirit of unity and equity and fraternity
3. This feast is not a celebration of authority but of responsibility because Peter’s authority is not his own. It came from the Lord. He was invested with power by the Lord. Thus, the papal authority or the hierarchical authority is not a self-acquisition. It is due to God. Besides, it is not an authority for subjugation or domination.
4. Thus, St Peter in his first letter in the first reading exhorts us: “Tend the flock that is entrusted to you, not forcefully or indifferently or selfishly, but willingly, eagerly and authentically”. All authority is but a sacred responsibility for animation, coordination, and rejuvenation of Christian life
5. The purpose of all power and authority is the following of the Lord. It is never self-directed but God-centered, God-directed, and other-oriented. The exercise of all authority is meant to bring the people closer to God, to give them the taste of faith, to groom them in love.
6. This in fact is the very crux of the Great Commission, the parting mandate of the Lord: Go and make disciples of all the nations … teach them to obey everything that I commanded you (cf. Matthew 28. 19-20). It is also to “love the Lord passionately and follow him in feeding and tending the flock” (cf. John 21. 15-19)
7. But this duty of the authorities to guide and lead others also essentially implies that they themselves are guided and led by the Lord. Those who demand others to obey them must also obey the Lord. Those who make others follow the Lord must themselves follow him. They need to “walk the talk”!
Direction: The church can really suffer when the spirit of authority degenerates into power-mongering and self-seeking. The purpose of authority is lost when division and manipulation become the rule of authority
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: The Church is not a mere human association or a structure and system of power. And authority is not a medium of self-projection or instrument of dominance
Today we celebrate the feast of the Chair of Peter. In the first place, this feast reminds us that the Church is one and must be a symbol of unity. A church that is divided, saddled with dissensions and rivalry, is a contradiction to its very nature. Such a divided church is deep displeasure to God and a blatant counter-witness to the world. This celebration is also a strong recall to check upon our ideas of church and power and authority. Subsequently, it is also a summon to recapture the lost clarity and spirit. The church is not just an organization of structures, doctrines, and traditions. It is a living and dynamic reality. It is deeply personal. It is the living body of the person of Christ. It is the community of believers. Strictly speaking, the Church is “she”. Yes, she is the bride of Christ, the sole bridegroom. She is the sacrament of salvation. She is the living testimony of God’s own love and mission.
Surely there is a hierarchy of authority. Some in the line of St Peter are placed "over" others. But it is not to rule or lord over them, it is not to subjugate them by constraint and coercion. The real authority is a matter of shepherding and witnessing by one's life- example. How rightly Peter reminds us in his first letter: Tend the flock that is entrusted to you, not forcefully or indifferently or selfishly, but willingly, eagerly and authentically.
Authority is a gift from God, and so it is very sacred. This demands a constant spirit of reverence, humility, and responsibility towards the power one wields and the authority one exercises. God has vested the authorities with power, not for manipulation or self-assertion and self-promotion. It will be a sacrilege if someone abuses it. It is so sad that today, a good number seem to lose sight of this sacredness of power and authority. More and more, it is tainted with worldly standards and interests. The image of shepherd-servant leadership that cares, guides, and serves, seems to be a mirage!
Direction: If only the message of today on authority is a little louder to some of those in authority, if only they are a little more attentive to follow it, how blessed will be faith and the church!
23 FEBRUARY 2022: JAMES 4. 13-17; MARK 9. 38-40
Focus: Life is not a story of unhealthy competition but healthy cooperation and collaboration. All the more the work for God and good is a matter of working together and supporting one another
1. When John sees someone casting out demons, he objects to it before Jesus because he does not belong to their group. We need not blame him for jealousy. It can be a simple zeal for his master. But his reaction is quite indicative of our own attitudes of jealousy and ‘privatization’. Often in the life of many, jealousy plays havoc. They cannot tolerate any others doing good and great.
2. This is because they monopolize and privatize everything. They think all the good belongs to them; only they have a right; only they must possess everything or at least the major portion. The same tendency affects the spiritual ambit as well. They feel that God’s grace must be only for them.
3. This in turn springs from the attitude of self-centrism. ‘I’ becomes the norm and measure of everything. This is similar to what St James reproves as arrogance. It is arrogance that tries to program one’s life pushing God outside the territory of one’s life. It is arrogance that depends too much on one’s own will and plans to ignore God’s will and plans. It is arrogance that forgets the transience and uncertainty of earthly life. It is arrogance that boasts of one’s greatness and success.
4. Thus, this chain of egoism, monopoly, arrogance, and jealousy leads to a lot of resentment, resistance, slander, and explicit harm against others. Therefore, we should persistently guard and fight against these evil pressures. We must bear in mind that grace and good works are no one’s privileges or prerogatives. We have no right to resist any good in the name of allegiance. Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, is sinning. Also whoever resists the right thing, is sinning
Direction: All our competence, talents and abilities are God’s gifts. And all these are meant for God and good. God’s work is always a collaborative project that invites all to be involved and accomplish collectively. No one has a right to block anyone doing good!
24 FEBRUARY 2022: JAMES 5. 1-6; MARK 9. 41-50
Focus: Living a scandalous life and giving a bad example will certainly invite God’s wrath and judgment. For it is not only self-ruin but also ruining others through misguidance
1. Jesus comes heavily on scandals and bad examples. Those who cause scandals and influence and lead others to sin deserve to be killed. He bluntly declares: Whoever causes others to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
2. In this context, St James in the first reading gives us one dominant cause of scandal and that is lust for riches. Men in their riches become unwise and arrogant, indifferent to God and unconcerned and unjust toward others, and deceptive and corrupt. God will condemn them.
3. Therefore, whoever gives scandals to others, whoever lives a deviated life, whoever misguides others to wrong ways, whoever deceives and manipulates others with cunningness and falsity, whoever creates, justifies, and promotes evil, instead of avoiding it, is liable to God’s displeasure and death
4. But alas how many are least bothered about setting a bad example to others! How many politicians, famous and influential people, religious leaders, parents, elders continue to give bad example to others? That indifference to God, that lack of prayer, those quarrels, that anger, that needless anxiety, that irresponsibility, that negligence in faith matters, that deception, that greed, that selfishness, that failure to guide, to counsel, to correct, to inspire, that lack of tenderness, understanding, and kindness, whether in the families or in the parish or in the neighborhood or in the places of work – all these, are they not scandals which we give to our dear ones, to our neighbors or colleagues?
5. One great antidote to this disease is awareness of the gravity of sin. Sin is not fun. It is something serious. Its consequences are grave. Losing our limbs is preferable to committing sin. It is better to go to heaven handicapped rather than going to hell with all the limbs.
6. Another remedy is to help and support those who belong to and work for Christ. Jesus says, “Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward”.
7. Further, another way to counter the pull toward scandals is to be more responsible for our role of being salt. Just as salt preserves things from decay and deterioration and adds flavor, so also with our saltiness of a good example, we can salten life.
Direction: Time and again we are surrounded and shocked by scandals and bad examples. In such a context, on one hand, we need to increase our immunity to resist their negative influence; on the other hand, we need to enhance our strength for positive influence and a good example
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: Bad example is detestable in the sight of God and is liable to God’s judgment
1. One major defect of today’s society is the increase of bad examples and scandals. More and more people get accustomed and tuned to wrong and evil. The pity all the more is, they are least bothered. Many give more importance to their self-gain and pleasure rather than setting a good example. Many do not feel any social and moral obligation to walk a good life and help others to walk the same.
2. This bad example is mainly failing - to trust in the Lord, to seek Him with sincerity of heart, and to love and live uprightness. It is the perversity of thinking. It is cultivating a deceitful soul. It is a body enslaved to sin.
3. The attitude of many who set a bad example is: ‘This is my life and I want it to be happy and undisturbed’. Why should I bother about giving a good example to others? It is their freedom and choice. Let them not be easily influenced by bad example.’
4. There is certainly some truth in their argument. But they cannot simply evade their culpability. In fact, the gravity of their wrong is so great that it invites severe punishment. The Lord pronounces ‘woe’ on them and attests: it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea.
25 FEBRUARY 2022: JAMES 5. 9-12; MARK 10. 1-12
Focus: In any relationship, selfishness is very damaging. It leads to closed-mindedness and stubbornness. These shut the doors to understanding and kindness
1. Today, especially the walls of married and family life are shaking and crumbling. Excessive ego and cheating are two reasons for this. People are carried away by self-pride in the name of self-dignity. Self-interests are promoted in the name of self-making. Deceiving and manipulating are justified as tools for success and happiness.
2. This is really the corrosion of the dignity and sanctity of married life. This is visibly reflected in the increasing number of divorces. It is sad that sometimes divorces are sought even for silly reasons. Jesus today addresses this issue. He makes it very clear that marriage union is divine and sacred and so indissoluble. Any breach of this bond is never His will.
3. In this context, humility, and fidelity can be the two greatest pillars on which the edifice of married life can be rebuilt. The efforts of both the partners should be to safeguard the bond rather than being hasty to break it at the slightest pretext.
4. A healthy family life requires more humility to acknowledge and admit one’s own weaknesses and failures instead of defending and justifying them. It calls for reducing our sense of false ego, which is inflated and blown up. It also calls for making more space for the weaknesses of the other and accepting him or her.
5. Further, it needs more fidelity. As long as there is no trust and trustworthiness in each other, as long as there is no openness and transparency to each other, as long as there is no honesty and truthfulness, but instead there is hiding, lying, and cheating, then surely that family life will collapse. The counsel of St James in the first reading can be relevant here. He urges us to be steadfast with patience in suffering like Job.
Direction: There can be sometimes some valid reasons for divorce and separation. However, we cannot glorify it or legitimize it. The fact remains that family life today requires more steadfastness and fidelity
26 FEBRUARY 2022: JAMES 5. 13-20; MARK 10. 13-16
Focus: Openness to God’s grace is crucial for the working of it. God can work freely and abundantly when there is humble receptivity and cooperation
1. In today’s gospel, the whole scene pivots around children. Jesus rebukes his disciples who hinder children from being brought to him to be touched and blessed. He wants children to come to him, be close to him, be touched and blessed by him. He also makes it crystal clear that only to such belongs the kingdom of God.
2. We can reflect now on what it means to be children and to be childlike. Before that, some simple questions can be asked. Today how many parents take their children closer to Jesus, to the church, to the sacraments, to the spiritual animation? How many parents initiate, motivate, guide, and foster their children in matters of faith and morals? How many of them instill and ignite in their children love for God and enthusiasm for spirituality?
3. In the name of giving the children freedom, and respecting their personal responsibility, are the elders not failing in their responsibility? Are we ourselves not hindering them from Jesus? What a loss it is that our children miss the nearness, the touch, and the blessing of Jesus!
4. We may also reflect on the attitude of the children of today. How many children have this longing to go to Jesus, to receive his touch and blessing? How many prefer to spend long hours watching TV, playing video games, or with their friends? How many children become so irregular to the church, especially to the Holy Eucharist and the holy confession?
5. We can further reflect on being childlike. Essentially it means a heart that bubbles with tender affection, a guileless heart that harbors nothing negative, with humility to realize their smallness, deep trust to depend totally on God, and wholehearted surrender to Him.
6. In the light of the first reading from the letter of St James, all this means a “praying” heart that surrenders all to God, be it suffering, sickness, or weakness. Such a praying heart is also benevolent toward others, in praying for them, healing them, and bringing them back to God.
Direction: Care should be taken that our prayers do not become self-oriented. We need to realize the efficacy of the prayer of intercession for others. Thus our prayers must become more altruistic and benevolent
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