Ascension of the Lord (2022)

 

ASCENSION OF THE LORD

29 MAY  2022

Indicative: We celebrate today Jesus’ ascension to heaven.  Ascension is not just the end of Jesus’ earthly presence. It is not just getting back his glory in heaven. The purpose is not to demonstrate to the disciples about his greatness. It is also not to prove to all that he is glorious. Rather ascension is the point of completion and fulfillment of Jesus’ mission on earth as a human person.

1. Ascension marks the end of the post- resurrection preparation of the disciples for their life and mission. It is a special time to prepare to live and do without Jesus' physical presence. Yes, the duration between his resurrection and ascension is not a period of suspension. Rather it is a time of intense preparation of the disciples. 

2. The risen Lord appears to them, continues to teach them, illumine them, guide them, strengthen, and confirm them in their faith and mission. It was a preparation to meet the future in his physical absence. How the future will be without Jesus? How they have to live and do their mission? These are crucial and disturbing questions.

3. Here we highlight three essential aspects of ascension. They are namely, confirmation, assurance and assignment. Primarily ascension is a confirmation. Ascension confirms our faith that our Lord is Lord of heaven. He is seated at the right hand of the Father He is able to sympathize with us. He  intercedes for us, and sustains us from heaven.

4. It Confirms that heaven is the original abode of Jesus. It gives the Confirmation that Jesus is in eternal communion with the Father and the Spirit.  Confirmation that Jesus resumes his original abode, his original glory, his original identity, his original communion. He is not gaining anything new, anything that is not his. He is regaining what is his own.

5. In fact ascension is truly restoration. Jesus attests: “As I came from the Father and have come into the world, so I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (Jn 16. 28). God the Father restores to Jesus his original glory. Jesus accomplishes Father’s will and the mission entrusted to him. The Father is pleased with his fidelity, and so as sign of this holy pleasure and as an evidence of this victory over evil, God raises Jesus, and that is resurrection.

6. Thus resurrection is the authentic testimony that Jesus’ incarnation, life, passion and death are not futile, but are purposive and infinitely efficacious and meritorious. Thereafter ascension is a complete confirmation of this victory and glory. Jesus goes back to where he comes from. A vital chapter of his redemptive mission is over.

7. Then ascension is Assurance: assurance that we will not be left alone as he goes away from the earth. Assurance that he will never abandon us but will accompany us through the Holy Spirit. Assurance that our help will not be less with Jesus’ going away, but in fact will be much more. In heaven and from heaven, he is totally powerful, and he is not restricted and constrained by any human limitations and vicissitudes.

8. Therefore we should rejoice that Jesus ascended to heaven, rather than lament that he has left us, going away from earth. This is what Jesus makes clear to the disciples also: “it is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you” (Jn 16. 7).  So an assurance that Jesus’ presence, guidance and power will never cease. The Holy Spirit will continue the same presence, guidance and power of Jesus. 

9. It is also an Assurance that our destiny and destination is also heaven, as Jesus assures the disciples in his farewell discourse, “you shall be with me where I am” (Jn 14. 3). Assurance that they and we will share the same glory, as Jesus prays in his farewell prayer: “Father, since you have given them to me, I want them to be with me where I am and see the Glory you gave me” (Jn 17. 24). 

10. Further, there is also a summon, an assignment: It is a call to trust in a new kind of presence and power of God, and to live the spiritual presence and power, beyond the physical. We should go beyond our too much clinging to what is physical, direct, external and visible. We must learn to walk in a higher spiritual realm. 

11. Thereby Ascension carries along an assignment to commit ourselves to attain the same destiny of ascension, i.e. residing in the same Glory. It is a commitment to a daily ascension. This consists in an incessant restoration, regaining our original identity and dignity. Obtaining the heavenly glory is not acquiring something new which is not there. It is not a novel creation or a grand invention or acquisition. Rather it is a discovery, a recapturing, a regain of what is already there. 

Imperative: Ascension is a commitment to become what we already are: to daily “ascend” to our real higher self, our true identity of being God’s own images, the children of God, disciples and friends of Christ, abodes of the Holy Spirit and the heirs of heaven.

6th week of Easter tide

23 MAY 2022: ACTS 16. 11-15; JOHN 15.26 - 16.4

Indicative: Openness matters a lot concerning both faith and relationships. Openness leads to receptivity and receptivity leads to interaction and action

1. We see in the Acts of the Apostles that the Lord opened the heart of a certain Lydia to pay attention to what was said by Paul. This openness leads to receive the prompting of the Holy Spirit. She listens to the Word. She experiences inner stirring. She turns to the true God. She gets baptised along with her household. She becomes faithful to the Lord. She also hosts Paul and co. Her house becomes a house of prayer and a spring board of mission.

2. In the gospel too, Jesus speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit. He sends the Spirit from the Father. The Spirit will be the Spirit of truth. He will bear witness to Jesus, the Truth. Consequently they will also bear witness to him.

3. They will be faithful to this mission only because they keep themselves open to the grace of God. This openness makes them humble and docile to be taught and guided by God.

4. On the contrary, there will be enemies that oppose and persecute the disciples.They am so not know the Father and the Son. They are not open  to the divine knowledge by the Spirit. They fail to recognise the Truth. Instead, they are under falsity. They wrongly think that all their opposition to truth is a service to God Himself. 

Imperative: Lack of openness to truth leads to lack of receptivity and further to false conviction and loyalty. Do we too suffer from false convictions and convictions?

6th Sunday of Easter

6th EASTER SUNDAY: 22 May 2022, Acts 15. 1-2, 22-29; Rev 21. 10-14, 22-23; John 14. 23- 29

Indicative: Turn to God in times of trouble and fear. Trust in Him wholeheartedly. And He will grant you peace

1. We live in a world where day after day We experience troubles and fears. There is no peace. Instead there is a lot of anxiety. Many suffer from anxiety  syndrome and the life of many is marked by tension.

2. It is in such a context, the words of Jesus cool and soothe us. "Let not your hearts be troubled; let them not be afraid". Today, the first invitation for us is not to be troubled and afraid. This does not mean that we will not have any troubles and fears. 

3. Our faith in God is no seal or guarantee against difficulties and suffering. The Lord does not wave off automatically and magically all the troubles. Rather, he assures us that we will remain in peace even amidst all the negativities. 

4. Peace is the antidote in our troubles and trials. Jesus says, "My peace i give to you, and not the kind of peace that the world gives". Now  what is this different peace of the Lord? Where is the difference?

5. First of all, the peace of the world is temporary and passing. It is short- lived. But the peace of the Lord is stable and lasting. It may not give instant happiness and satisfaction. It may leave at times a bitter taste in the mouth. But the Lord's peace is steady and consistent. It is not easily shaken or wavering.

6. The peace of the Lord is deep and interior. Unlike the worldly peace, the Lord's peace is not easily conditioned by external factors, like food, things, money, power, position, reputation, recognition, profitability. Even without these, one can be peaceful. It is deep-seated and interiorly built.

7. The peace of the Lord is not absence of afflictions and adversities. Often the world equates peace with problemless external condition. But the fact is, just as the external conditions change,  so also the peace condition changes according to the variable factors. In contrast, the Lord's peace is an inner power,  a mental stamina that subsists even amidst all upsetting factors.

8. The peace of the Lord is ever calm, composed, and serene. It is never violent or aggressive. Unlike the world's peace, it does not create and indulge in peaceless situations to establish peace. The peace of the world is like the peace on the battle field after killing numberless enemies. It is the joy of profit having deceived many. It is the joy of winning over others having put down many. It is the joy of feeling big having belittled many.

8. The peace of Lord is God-centred and other- oriented. The more one seeks to surrender oneself to God, the more one will be in peace. The more one is faithful to God, the more one will enjoy peace.

Further, the Lord's peace is ever altruistic. Those who experience the peace of Lord will always commit themselves to the good of others. Lack of charity is lack of peace. This is what we see in the first reading. The apostles in wisdom gave importance to the essentials of faith, fidelity to God and moral integrity. They were clear not to lay unnecessary burdens on their fellow believers.

Imperative: What is the kind of peace that we search and strive for? Is it the peace of the Lord that is deep and positive and constructive?  Or is it the peace of the world that is self- centred and shallow?

4 th Sunday of Easter

 IV EASTER SUNDAY (GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY), 08 MAY 2022, ACTS 13. 14, 43-52; Rev 7. 9, 14-17; JOHN 10. 27-30

Indicative: God is our good shepherd. We are all His sheep. We belong to Him and we are fed and led by Him.

1. Today we celebrate the Good Shepherd Sunday.  We are reminded of our identity and duty. Our identity is being sheep to the supreme shepherd. Our duty is to walk like good sheep and to shepherd over other sheep.

2. First of all, we must always remember that God is our greatest good shepherd. He is not one among many. He is not one of the many alternatives. He is one and unique. He is the best and the highest.

He is incomparable and irreplaceable.

3. Therefore, our first and primary loyalty is to the Lord, who alone is our chief shepherd. We need to seriously question whether we are faithful to the one true shepherd or the many false shepherds.

How easily many forsake the true shepherd and run behind the false shepherds! How thoughtlessly many sheep are carried away by the false directions, attractions, pulls and pressures of the false shepherds!

4. Good sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and they follow him. But How often we give deaf ear to the direction and leading by the Good Shepherd? How often we resent and resist and reject to follow him? How quickly we allow ourselves to be easily trascinated and misguided by the false shepherds?

5. We are not sure whether there is a deep belonging and bonding between the Good Shepherd and the sheep. How many sheep are shallow and superfical in their intimacy with the Good Shepherd? Allegiance to the fold of the good shepherd is no guarantee of our closeness and faithfulness to him.

6. Another very important note is we should be able to distinguish between our core identity and role identity.

Our core identity is being sheep to the supreme shepherd. And our role identity is shepherding others. This may look rather superfluous. But this is crucial. We may do the duty of shepherding others. This means that we protect others, nourish and guide others. This is the role of a faithful shepherd. But just because we shepherd other sheep, we will not become shepherds.

7. Now some may be annoyed about this unnecessary distinction. But I believe this is very important. This can keep us always humble as sheep. Otherwise there are many who act arrogantly as shepherds. This can also remind us strongly about our duty to shepherd others. Otherwise there are many who completely forget about their mission towards others and become self- centred.

Imperative: There are no two categories like shepherds and sheep. There is only one shepherd, the Lord, and all of us are sheep. Let us be true and faithful sheep. Let us hear and follow the one and the only one Good Shepherd. Let us not allow ourselves to be snatched away by the evil and perish

(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021

25 APRIL 2021:  ACTS 4. 8-12; 1JOHN 3. 1-2; 10. 11-18)

Focus: We live in a world which often looks confused and deviated. This is exactly the situation of a shepherdless sheep

1. Today is the 4th Easter Sunday, and this is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The focus of the Word of God is, God is the Good Shepherd. This image is very powerful and significant. This implies an essential and intimate bonding. It is a covenant,  a commitment. Like a true shepherd, he protects us, is attentive and sensitive to us, deeply caring and concerned toward us. We matter a lot for him. Our safety, growth and happiness is his abiding concern. His shepherding is not a mere duty as a hirling. It is a passion. He owns us up. That is why, for our sake, for our safety and wellbeing, he goes to any extent, even to the point of dying for us.

2. This is what Jesus did for us: he protects us from every attack of the evil. He safeguards and guards us against every snare of the enemy. He directs and guides us in the right path. He leads us to the safe zones. He preserves and sustains us in clear and steady ways.

He cares, nourishes and strengthens us in nurturing grounds. And, in order to  extricate us from the iron hold of the evil, he immolates his own self. In order to cleanse us from the bruises and blows of sin, he sheds his own blood.

3. Now, on this celebration of the Good Shepherd Sunday, our first duty is to understand and accept the Lord as our supreme shepherd. He is the first and the best. No other shall claim our allegiance to them. We shall not owe our loyalty and commitment to anyone else. We shall not be wooed or misguided by any false shepherd. We shall not run behind any false shepherding.

4. Therefore, on this day, first of all, we shall deepen our trust in our unique shepherd. Confide in him. Not enough. It is not enough to know and affirm what he is, or what he does. But much more important is, what we are, and what we are to him, what we do to  him. In other words, he is always a good shepherd to us. But how much are we good sheep?

5. Now, our whole identity and  the essence of our discipleship is our identity as the sheep that belong to the one supreme shepherd who is the Lord himself. The purpose and the quality of our vocation as the sheep consist in our bonding with the shepherd and experiencing the effect and the fruit of this bonding.

6. This bonding between the shepherd and the sheep is characterised by the spirit and ambience of belonging and intimacy. He is OUR shepherd and we are HIS sheep. Such an owning and closeness do not pertain to others who can be manipulators and destroyers of the sheep.

7. In the light of this image of shepherd and sheep, it is for us to check sincerely and see how much we nurture and grow, foster and testify this bonding with the shepherd. How deep is our belonging and closeness with him? How eager, attentive and prompt is our listening to him? How ready and willing we are to be guided and led by him? How loyal and committed we are to follow him and walk in his footsteps? 

8. It is also a clear indication to all those who are acclaimed as shepherds of the sheep of the faithful. There may not be something invalid in it since they are sharers and collaborators with the chief shepherd. But it should be very clear that there are no co-shepherds. There is only one shepherd and that is the Lord.

9. All are only sheep. The so-called shepherds are only caretakers and stewards, at the most, "herdmen". The title of 'shepherd' or 'pastor' is nothing dignitary or status symbol or vesting with a secular power or authority. This is in no way diluting the sacredness or the merit of these stewards. 

10. Certainly they are unique in being specially chosen and anointed by the Spirit and appointed as priests, ministers and leaders. But it is not a position wielding powers and rights. It is a sanctified and sanctifying obligation. It indicates more the sacred duty and ministry of shepherding, that is, loving, caring, guiding, serving the sheep and thus leading to the chief shepherd and enabling them to receive and enjoy life in full measures.

Direction: One receives and enjoys the abundance of life and promotes the culture of life, only to the extent one is in a binding bonding with the Lord, the chief shepherd.