22 - 27 AUGUST 2022, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
22 AUGUST 2022: 2 THES 1. 1-5, 11b-12; MATTHEW 23. 13-22, QUEENSHIP OF MARY
Thrust: Woe to the hypocrites!
Indicative: Hypocrisy has become a trademark today in every sphere of life. What is sadder is that it is considered by many as an ability
1. In the gospels, time and again Pharisees and scribes are presented as the brand ambassadors of hypocrisy. Consequently, they come under heavy rebuke by Jesus. Their hypocrisy lies in their incongruent way of life. Their appearance and words look religious but their intentions and motives are contaminated. They preach one thing but practice the opposite.
2. They are blind and unworthy guides. They are blessed with great knowledge and leadership. They must use them as the key to open wide the doors of the kingdom and lead the people inside. Instead, they shut the doors and hinder the people. They twist the teachings to their advantage. Their greatest sin is on both fronts. That is, they themselves do not enter the kingdom and they do not allow others also to enter.
3. Contrary to these hypocritical and inauthentic leaders, we have the Thessalonians in the first reading. Their faith was growing abundantly. Their mutual love was increasing. They demonstrated true faith and steadfastness, enduring all the persecutions and afflictions. Thus, they strove to live worthy of the kingdom of God.
4. This is their merit: they led a life of faith. And by such faithful life, they also led others to faith. They tried to enter the kingdom and also inspired others to enter the same. They conducted themselves to be worthy of the righteous judgment of God, unlike the Pharisees and scribes.
5. The queenship of Mary that we celebrate today is a beautiful example of leading personally a life of faith and leading others as well to live such a faithful life. As queen, she watches over us benevolently, constantly leading us by hand. Her queenship also assures us that we too share the same glory if we follow the same way of life.
Imperative: Where do we stand: Like the loyal Thessalonians or the hypocritical Pharisees and scribes? Do we walk the Lord’s way and lead others too? Or do we also tend to be blind and unworthy guides?
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 23 AUGUST)
Focus: Hypocrisy is not a capacity but a weakness; it is not a virtue but a disease
1. We have a series of rebukes of Jesus against the Pharisees and Scribes. Why? For their hypocrisy. We can trace out some of the components of this hypocrisy: as leaders and teachers, they are supposed to be guides for the people. They would show them the way to the kingdom and guide them on the same. Instead, with their empty knowledge and incongruent and dishonest life, they shut the kingdom. They themselves do not enter, nor allow others to enter. They even become a hindrance.
2. Then there is their shallow practice of religion: they convert someone to religion, but do not nurture and sustain them in the real converted life; instead, make him worse than before. They forget the essential truth that evangelization is not a matter of adding to the number of believers. It is adding to the quality of life. Conversion is not a matter of a change of religion but a change of person.
3. Further, their hypocrisy is seen in their falsity in twisting the practice of swearing to their advantage. Swearing by the gift on the altar and by gold in the temple would become more binding than the altar, the temple, God, and heaven. But in fact, it is the altar, temple, God, and heaven that give value to the gift and gold.
4. In contrast to this pharisaic hypocrisy, we have authenticity and integrity of life in the apostles and believers of the early church. They were indeed men known for their “work of faith, a labor of love and steadfastness in hope”. They proved themselves to be “men of word of God and faith”. They “turned to God to serve Him who alone is living and true”.
5. There is no use of volumes of reflection on the hypocrisy of those Pharisees and scribes. It is better to see the very same branches of hypocrisy well-spread in the present followers as well, especially the leaders and authorities. Serious questions can be disturbing: whether we are opening wide the doors of the kingdom or shutting them? Whether we are guiding the people to God or misguiding them away from God? Whether we diminish the sacredness of the holy altar, the temple, God, and heaven for monetary gains? Whether we have reduced the practice of religion to quantity and numbers?
Direction: It is better to be simple followers than to be acclaimed guides who are but foolish and blind.
23 AUGUST 2022: 2 THES 2. 1-3a, 14-17; MATTHEW 23. 23-26
Thrust: Distorting the priorities!
Indicative: True piety is not merely performing a bundle of religious activities. Without neglecting them, it should also lead a person to a life of integrity
1. Jesus continues to reproach the Pharisees and scribes for the same reason of hypocrisy. Today, he specifies and spotlights some other ingredients of hypocrisy. Primarily, it is the distortion of the scale of priorities.
2. They distort the order of priorities: they insist on the secondary rules like tithe, the tenth of everything, but neglect the essentials like justice, mercy, and faith. They donate a little but devour hugely. They disguise their misdeeds under the cover of blessing.
3. They mask their interior impurity by their exterior ablutions. They are satisfied with the external purification but are not bothered about the interior uncleanness with greed and self-indulgence. They should clean both the exterior and interior. The exterior purity should be a sign and a manifestation of the interior purity but not a substitution or cover-up for it.
4. Unlike the Thessalonians in the first reading, they do not really stand firm and hold to the traditions that they were taught. Instead, they are self-conceited and also deceive others. In our times too, there are many who deceive themselves and deceive others as well by a false or defective way of following the religion.
5. There are many modern Pharisees and scribes who make a total mess of the ladder of priorities in life. They reduce the primary to secondary and elevate the secondary or worthless as primary. They are too conscious and meticulous about silly matters but totally neglect the essential values.
6. They appear to be generous givers by giving a little but swallow lakhs and crores. It is like the great moneyed people who cheat in all the ways to acquire profit but put huge amounts into the donation boxes. It is like the thieves or murderers or the villains who pray regularly as if their wrongdoing goes successfully.
7. St Rose of Lima stands out as a laudable example of such purity, austerity, and charity.
Imperative: In a world that gives excessive importance to the mere externals, neglecting the purity of intention and heart, we need to be integrated people.
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: The integrity of a person is harmony between the interior disposition and thought, and the exterior behavior and action
1. The tirade of Jesus continues against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes. Before dwelling on their hypocrisy, we shall divert our attention to the person of Jesus himself. What makes him denounce it? Two reasons can be: one is his own integrity and honesty. The other is, that he is completely free from self-interest or ulterior motive.
2. These make him intolerant of hypocrisy. He cannot be at home and at ease with any lack of integrity. He feels disturbed and anguished. It is this integrity that makes him truthful and courageous. He not only feels bad and sad about hypocrisy but also speaks and acts against it. He is not afraid to displease them or become unpopular. For he has no other motive than upholding the truth and pleasing God.
3. Today, many are quite aware of the dominance of hypocrisy. It is their own and also of others. But many are not honest and humble to accept it. Instead, they try to hide it or cover it up. And many are also not ready and bold enough to denounce it prevailing in the persons or communities or system itself. They are afraid. The reasons can be many: they have their own loads of loopholes that can be tools for a counter-attack. Or, they are afraid of consequences that can be testing or penalizing. Or, they are afraid of losing some favors.
4. With this integrity and selfless motive, Jesus defies all their traces of hypocrisy. One obvious ingredient is a dichotomy between the exterior and the interior. They appear externally beautiful but are interiorly so ugly and unclean. Externally they are so righteous, but internally they are full of iniquity and falsity.
Direction: No doubt there is much evil and hypocrisy. This is certainly worth denouncing, and worth combating. But such criticism must proceed only from the integrity of life and selfless motive
24 AUGUST 2022: REV 21. 9b-14; JOHN 1. 45-51, ST BARTHOLOMEW
Thrust: No guile and no malice!
Indicative: The greatest compliment that one can receive is, “Behold, here is one in whom there is no deceit or guile or malice”
1. We celebrate today the feast of St Bartholomew, one of the Twelve apostles. He is the Nathanael in the gospel. He is humble and eager to know personally who Jesus is. That is why he follows Philip to meet Jesus.
2. Again we can appreciate his openness and receptivity to discover and accept Jesus. He does not stick to his first opinion about Jesus and his birthplace, in which he raises the question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
3. At the encounter with Jesus, he readily and promptly confesses his faith, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” He realizes the divine light and power in Jesus. He realizes that the knowledge of Jesus about his being without malice and about his fidelity as a Jew, would not come from mere human intelligence.
4. In the act of knowing about himself, he comes to know Jesus. This is the beauty of the dialectic of self-discovery and God-discovery. In knowing himself, he knows Jesus. The more we know ourselves, the more we will know God. Similarly, the more we know God, the more we will know ourselves.
5. Jesus could see him clearly because he was without any spots of guile or malice or deceit. There was no obstacle for the sight and light of God to penetrate into his heart. He was plain-hearted. There was no hypocrisy or obstinacy like the Pharisees and scribes.
6. Consequently, he receives one of the greatest compliments from Jesus himself: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
Imperative: To come to Jesus, see him and recognise him as the Lord requires a heart that is guileless, maliceless, and deceitless. It is the same requirement that makes us realise our own identity as well
(REFLECTION 2)
Focus: In a world that is increasingly beauty-conscious, we need to rediscover that real beauty is not something external but is deeply interior, of heart and character
1. “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!’ This compliment of Jesus is one of the best compliments a person can receive and that too from Jesus himself. And that person is St Bartholomew who is the Nathanael in the gospel. We celebrate his feast today. The expression “an Israelite indeed” can be understood in two ways: one, he is a genuine Israelite among the people of Israel; thus it refers to an individual Israelite who is guileless; the other sense indicates the very nature and identity of an Israelite; that is, an Israelite is not only one who belongs to the people of Israel, but one who is essentially a guileless person.
2. Thereby, a true Israelite is without guile. Certain expressions in the first reading from Revelation 21. 9-14 are very suggestive of this trait. They are ‘glory of God’, ‘radiance like a rarest jewel’, ‘clear as crystal’. Therefore, one who is guileless will shine with the glory of God, be radiant and clear.
3. How many today can receive the same compliment from Jesus? Behold a true person among the Christians in whom there is no guile! Behold a true Christian because there is no guile! The world of today is overridden by guile and malice. Pretensions and deception are the order of the day. The hearts of many are highly contaminated and corrupt.
4. To be guileless is to be free from anything malicious or negative. Positively, it is to be pure of heart. This is one of the greatest Beatitudes of the Lord: “Blessed are pure of heart! They shall see God”. This clearly implies that purity of heart enables one to see God. It is the eye that gives the clarity of sight.
5. From this, we understand the reason why many today are not able to see God, His presence, His love, His care, His power, His light, and His will. And those who fail to see God also fail to see others as they are in the bond of fraternity as of one family.
Direction: Celebration of the feast of the saint is not only a call to venerate and appreciate him for his life and virtue, but also a challenge to imitate and emulate him in what distinguishes him. That is his guilelessness!
(REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020)
Focus: Every holy and pure soul is like a bride; beauty and glow are her raiments. One has to constantly guard against all that stains this purity
We celebrate today the feast of St Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles. Traditionally he is identified with Nathanael in the gospel. Jesus confers on him perhaps the greatest compliment, “behold a man with no guile”, no falsity, no malice, no hypocrisy, no duplicity. This is exactly the splendor with which the heavenly Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb gleams, as we see in the first reading. This is the inner beauty of the soul, which lightens and brightens the whole life and person. It is the purity of heart and authenticity of character that has no dark areas, no hiding shades.
These words are a great inspiration and also a challenge for modern society, which is steeped in so much guile and falsity. Life is often like a stage where different actors play different roles and characters. What appears to be, is not what really is, and what is to be. Masks, pretensions, and deceit reign high. The world of today desperately needs more honesty and purity of heart. It is high time that people remove their masks and reveal more and more their original identity of the shining image and likeness of God. It is the right time that our disfigured hearts are purified and beautified with more purity and guilelessness. Remember that guile makes all life vile and bound.
Direction: Beauty! Is a catchword that captures everyone. But the real beauty of a person comes from the beauty of the heart and that comes from the purity of heart. That comes only from intimacy with the Lord
25 AUGUST 2022: 1 COR 1. 1-9; MATTHEW 24. 42-51
Thrust: Be ready!
Indicative: Human life is very precarious. It always surprises us with sudden twists of events and upset of expectations. Therefore, we need to be conscious, cautious, and judicious
1. “Be faithful and wise servants!” This is the call of Jesus. This implies in the first place our identity, role, and duty of being servants. We are not masters or bosses. We have only one Master, the Lord Jesus, and we all are his servants. Therefore the meaning and worth of life consist in being faithful to this our identity and duty.
2. How to be faithful and wise servants? Both the first reading from 1 Corinthians and the gospel present us with some basic features of such servants. Stay awake: We need to be awake and alert so that we are not caught unawares. We need to guard against all the onslaughts of the evil intruder. We need to be always prepared and ready to receive the master at any time.
3. A wise servant will not be lethargic, neglecting his responsibility for the household. He will not be foolish to procrastinate his duties. He will not waste his time or freedom or the authority over the household in worthless and unbecoming pleasure-seeking and abuse of the blessings.
4. He will strive ever not to lack in any gift, and to be enriched in Christ in all speech and knowledge. He will always be conscious of his being sanctified in Christ Jesus. He will pursue his vocation which is to be saints together with all his fellow brethren. Accordingly, he will conduct himself guiltless before God.
5. Further, one notable quality of a faithful servant is his responsible benevolence toward his fellow servants. A servant is rated good not only on the basis of his obedience toward the master but also on the basis of his benevolence toward others. He is a failed servant who fails in his kind treatment toward others.
Imperative: A Sense of stewardship and Benevolence toward others is the determining criterion for a wise and faithful servant. We must remember that benevolence is not a favour done at one’s will but is an essential responsibility
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 26 AUGUST)
Focus: This life is a transit. The kingdom of heaven is our destination. A spirit of a responsible servant is our travel requirement. We are called to be watchful and faithful
1. There is so much uncertainty and unpredictability in our human life. For sure, we do not know what is in store regarding many things. And we also do not have control over many things. Therefore, what is expected is a sense of alertness and watchfulness, preparedness, and readiness to face the reality. This is all the more true about death and judgment and our eternal destiny.
2. Many times, many are caught unaware and unprepared regarding these ultimate realities. It is really sad that many who are so calculative, meticulous, well-equipped, and super-prepared concerning worldly affairs and pursuits are found to be so reckless and unready concerning what is above and beyond the world.
3. It is in this context that Jesus presents before us the image of a faithful and wise servant. Thereby, he urges us to be watchful, responsible, ready, and prepared for receiving the master, serving him, and also taking care of his household, possessions, and fellow servants.
Direction: In the present times, talk and writing about servantship and service abound. But the reality does not correspond much to this. Unless the church is purged of its ugly heads of double-face, arrogance, and self-glory, the dignity of a servant role cannot be resurged.
(REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020, 27 AUGUST)
Focus: The constant awareness of what we are by our call, that is, a people of dignity and spiritual richness, should also make us more responsible to be irreprehensible in God’s sight
Exhorting and encouraging are the words of St Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians. What is needed is to remain firm to the end, to keep ourselves holy and irreproachable before the Lord at the judgment. Concretely, what does this imply? Or how to present oneself worthy before God? Jesus gives us some guidelines: first of all, put on the attitude of a servant, who is ever at the service of the master. Remain awake, alert, prompt, and prepared for the call and coming of the master at any moment. Continue to live life in faithfulness, dutifulness, and kindness toward others.
Stay awake in a spirit of vigilance and prayer, do not slip into an easy-going attitude, guard against every tendency to procrastinate and to delay, against an inclination to be careless and take things for granted, and do not be plagued by indifference and a slumberous and tepid faith and charity, do not fall prey to the snares of the evil, but be cautious, judicious and assiduous. Live a life of accountability, in a spirit of duty and fraternity.
Direction: Callousness and carelessness are signs of unawareness of the dignity and value of our vocation as children of God and heirs of eternity. Let us put aside our indifference and infuse a little more attention and keenness into our life
26 AUGUST 2022: 1 COR 1. 17-25; MATTHEW 25. 1-13
Thrust: No enough oil!
Indicative: Life is like a lamp. It has to be burning always. There will be times when its fire may be dwindling due to a lack of sufficient oil. But we need to be ready with the supply of extra oil
1. Wisdom is one dominant theme of today’s word of God. In the first reading from I Corinthians, Paul reminds us emphatically that the Cross is the wisdom and power of God, though, in the sight of the world, it is foolishness and weakness.
2. This is the contrasting logic and calculus of God: the wisdom and power of the world are foolishness and weakness for God, but the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of the world and the weakness of God is stronger than the human power.
3. Cross which is a sign of folly and powerlessness for the world becomes the life-saving and life-giving means. It is no more a stumbling block as for the Jews but a conductor and facilitator toward salvation. It is no more a folly as for the Gentiles but the power against the evil and Satan.
4. This same wisdom is illustrated through a very practical parable in the gospel, the parable of ten virgins. All the ten go for a wedding on invitation. All of them carry lamps. But five of them are wise to carry extra oil with them, while the other five are foolish not carrying any extra oil.
5. The bridegroom’s arrival gets delayed. The foolish virgins’ lamps get extinguished because of lack of oil. But the lamps of the wise virgins can burn because of the procured extra oil. The foolish miss the bridegroom as they go out to buy the oil and thus they miss the celebration as well. But the wise virgins celebrate together.
6. Thereby, we are taught that we need to go by the wisdom and logic of God and not of the world. We need not only the lamp of allegiance to a religion or the minimum oil of faith and some religious practices. We need much more of the surplus oil of fervour and enthusiasm. We should never become tepid and lethargic. We should never allow our lamps to go off. We should keep burning.
Imperative: Beautiful lamps will not suffice to keep the fire burning. We need the fire of passion to follow the wisdom and power of God in contrast to the worldly pressures and standards
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 27 AUGUST)
Focus: Vigilance and diligence are fundamental to a true follower of Christ. It is not enough that we set out on the journey of following. We need to be ever alert and focused on the master
1. The parable of ten virgins is another familiar parable. Five of the virgins are wise and the other five are foolish. Obviously, the apparent and direct theme is to watch and to be ready. But we shall take a slight shift from this theme, though watchfulness and readiness will be the prevailing theme in the eventual analysis.
2. What distinguishes between the five wise and the five foolish is wisdom. Both the groups took lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. But the wise took additional oil with them, while the foolish did not. The foolish were overly certain about the arrival of the bridegroom. They could not foresee any delay. Accordingly, they had oil just enough till the expected arrival. They were not prepared for the delayed time of waiting. Their oil was consumed. They had no more oil left. They had lamps but not the oil to keep them burning. They had the desire to meet the bridegroom. They had their lamps with them. They set out also to meet him. But nothing of these would make their lamps lit. Their lamps were extinguished. They miss the bridegroom as they went out to buy oil.
3. On the other hand, the wise were realistic and foresighted. Accordingly, they would expect a delay and be prepared to meet that situation. They carried extra oil with them. They could keep their lamps burning despite the delay. They could go in with the bridegroom to the marriage feast.
4. It would be silly to argue here about the lack of charity of the five wise virgins who refused to share their oil with the other five. The point here is not charity or sharing. The point is a failure in wisdom. Many may have lamps of faith. But that is not enough. They may also have oil which is enough for a while. This is the oil of fervor and enthusiasm. This shows that their burning is time-bound and short-lived. These are those who are satisfied with the minimums. They are satisfied with the observance of minimum obligations of some religious activities and traditions. The fire of their faith burns for some time. Then, gradually as time passes, it dwindles and extinguishes.
5. What is needed then is a constant carrying and steady supply of oil. A true follower may have the desire to encounter the Lord and celebrate the feast with him. He may also set out with the lamp of faith. He may also have a little oil of enthusiasm for a while. But that will not suffice. The lamp of faith must be constantly supplied with the oil of fervor and vigor. His faith must be ever burning. There can never be any tepidity or lethargy or carelessness.
Direction: How sad it is to find the door shut and not opened, after all the preparation, eager longing, and setting out to encounter the Lord! A little more foresightedness and fervor will help us in this encounter and celebration
(REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020, 28 AUGUST)
The parable of the ten virgins, five wise and five others foolish is not a matter of worldly intelligence. It is a matter of wisdom of God, to be prepared in full measures with not only the lamps but also oil; to wait on the Lord always and at every moment; to be alert to His voice and coming; to walk in his company, and to celebrate the feast of grace with him. The foolishness of the unwise virgins is: that they were too sure of the timing of the Lord’s arrival; they could not see beyond their expectation and failed to anticipate the possibility of a delay. Consequently, they fail to procure extra oil for the extended time of waiting.
We need to be wise to be ever prompt and ready to meet the Lord. What counts most is not our expectations or calculations or likes, but what pleases God. A lamp of faith and a minimum oil of casual practice will not suffice. We need extra oil of fervor, holiness, and purity. In our Christian living, there is no room for tepidity and impurity.
Direction: The experience of God is such an unfathomable treasure and when one discovers it, one cannot but be passionate and restless for it and will be on fire to share the same with others
27 AUGUST 2022: 1 COR 1. 26-31; MATTHEW 25. 14-30, ST MONICA
Thrust: Talents to use!
Indicative: Life is a big blessing with many talents. We need to constantly discover and make use of them. Laying them buried, and disused will invite God’s judgment
1. In the gospel, Jesus presents us with another rich parable, namely the parable of talents. First, let us not focus on the secondary issues. We shall not argue about the difference in the distribution of talents. The three servants in the gospel are not given the talents equally. Rather, they are given differently, 5, 2, and 1 respectively.
2. But that is no issue. The difference is not discrimination or disparity. Differences are a fact of life. Differences in themselves are not always wrong. What comes out of them and what we make of them is the main matter. They need not be causes of discrimination or fear or resentment or suspicion or jealousy or arrogance. The difference can be a matter of distinction, diversity, and richness. Equality is not uniformity.
3. As a principle, everyone must constantly try to discover and foster one’s talents. For this, one must always search for opportunities and make use of them. We need to always remember that we need to become more productive, beneficial, and effective. And this needs a spirit of hard work and a benevolent and responsible heart. Burying our talents is blameworthy and punishable.
4. There is often an unhealthy and even harmful competition with regard to the number and kind of talents. This is because every talent carries some aspect of competence and recognisability. But we should avoid both jealousy, on one hand, and pride on the other hand.
5. Talents should never be used as springboards for excessive recognition, cheap popularity, and self-glory. They should ever be put to the best use for the maximum benefit of others and effectivity of the mission.
6. Finally, we should bear in mind that talents are not absolutes in life. We should not attach too much importance to them. In the present times, there is an exaggerated tendency to make too much of talents. Thus, often the quality, efficiency, and success of a person are measured in terms of talents.
Imperative: Talents should not become substitutes for the character and goodness of persons. Rather they should complement the person’s better conduct and helping nature.
