19 - 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS
19 SEPTEMBER 2022: LUKE 8. 16-18
Thrust: Piety in fraternity!
Indicative: Faith is the light that must shine and spread light to see and work
In the gospel, Jesus uses the metaphor of a lamp. A lamp is meant to spread light. For this, it must not be covered under something. Our Christian life and following Jesus is like the lamp. Faith is that light that keeps this lamp burning. Our faith is not to be a mere matter of tradition or for name’s sake.
Our life of faith must be radiant and vibrant. We cannot be lamps without light. And we cannot claim to be people with light that is not seen. If there is light, it must be manifested in its spread of radiance and brightness.
To live a faith-lighted life that is radiant is to live a life of integrity and witness. Concretely, it is to live a life of benevolence. Some of the details are given in the first reading. It is to be sincerely prompt to be kind-hearted to do all the help possible to others.
It means not to be evasive and escaping from the fraternal obligation, saying simply, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”. It is to be positive-minded and trustworthy toward others, not planning evil against them. It is to avoid all unnecessary contentions against others.
It also means to detest and shun the ways of the violent, devious, and scornful. It would mean being firm not to be attracted or influenced or carried away by their ways which may be temporarily prosperous. Further, it is to be humble, upright, and righteous, guarding against all arrogance and wickedness.
In this kind of benevolence and uprightness before God, there are no half-measures. it calls for wholeheartedness and a spirit of abundance. That is why Jesus says, “To the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away”.
Imperative: In the life of a true follower of Christ, there is no room for darkness or counter-witness, or mediocrity. Every disciple is called to be a lighted witness, integral and fully charged
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 20 SEPTEMBER)
Focus: Faith is the light with which God has dispelled our darkness and illumined our path. So, we can be true to our faith if only we try to lead enlightened and guided lives
1. Jesus says in the gospel, “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light”. Our life is the lamp and faith is that light that lights up our life. So if we are really people of faith, our life must be lighted and enlightened. This means that we cannot linger on with our shades of the darkness of evil. We cannot continue to love darkness and do works of darkness (cf. Jn 3. 17 ff.). We must love light, walk in the light and do the works of light.
2. Light also implies truthfulness. Claiming to believe the Lord who is the Truth, we cannot be in friendship with falsity. Jesus clearly tells us that “only truth will set us free”. He also reminds us that Satan is the father of lies and falsity. Therefore, whenever we are false in our attitudes, values, and conduct, we are against truth and the Lord himself.
3. Light implies vision and clarity. Light spreads brightness and enables us to see clearly. One who does not see stumbles and falls. Lack of sight and clarity pushes one into confusion, failure to discern, and every possibility to be misguided.
4. Light implies integrity and witness of life. There is nothing hidden or secretive. There are no double-dealings or masks. Life is plain. If one is trying to hide something, it only means that there are some dark areas. Duplicity can work for some time in the sight of the world. But to God’s sight, everything is visible and manifest.
5. When life becomes witnessing, then the inner light radiates in the outside life of good conduct and actions. And this is what Jesus means when he says to “put the lamp on a stand”.
Direction: “To the one who has will more be given”. Yes, one who has more generosity and the spirit of giving and doing the maximum without reserve more will be given by God
(REFLECTION 3)
Focus: Faith and goodness are treasures to be shared and enhanced
Faith is like a lamp that must be lit and must spread its light, so that those who see it, may be able to see everything clearly and walk steadily. It is not a private possession that one keeps to oneself. Rather it is to be seen and shown. However, it does not mean that one makes a display or show of it. What is really meant is that faith has to become a living and concrete reality in action and life. Living faith is productive, in the sense that it produces an abundant harvest of good actions that comprises both devotion and fraternal concern.
Thus, on one hand, true faith guards against a “privatized religion”, where in the case of a good number, God and religion have become a “private affair”. On the other hand, true faith also guards against a showy and hypocritical spirituality that bothers mainly on creating impressions or scoring good marks in the sight of others.
Direction: Faith and charity, if not practiced consistently, will lose their charm and effect
20 SEPTEMBER 2022: PROVERBS 21. 1-6, 10-13; LUKE 8. 19-21
Thrust: The only way to belong to Jesus!
Indicative: Belonging to Jesus is not a matter of lineage or membership but ultimately is a matter of living according to his word and God’s will
Demarcation and fragmentation is the norm of the day. People get divided and antagonised on the basis of factors like caste, religion, region, language, culture, rite, etc. That is why discrimination and nepotism become the rule of the day. Allegiance is claimed as a right on account of adherence to the abovementioned factors. But all these are in fact secondary and contingent factors.
This same mentality is reflected in the religious domain as well. Many feel and claim that they are really religious and devout and faithful people because they have the religious allegiance or hold some titles or perform some activities or discharge some duties or command some animation and organization.
It is in such a context Jesus makes it clear that relationship with him is not a matter of lineage or membership but is rather a matter of fidelity. It is to belong to a higher realm, an expanded spiritual family. The sole criterion for this new family and new enterprise is to “hear God and do His will”.
Jesus’ question, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers and sisters?” is not demeaning them but it is in fact elevating their true dignity drawing our attention to the essentials. These essentials are nothing but simple details of virtue and goodness toward others.
The first reading from Proverbs outlines some of these. First of all, it means nurturing a heart that is humble, wise, and surrendered. It is to make one’s heart like a “stream of water in the hand of the Lord so that He turns it wherever He wills”. In wisdom, he keeps himself docile to the Lord to be “instructed so that he gains knowledge”.
The one who hears God’s word and does His will knows fully well that “the Lord weighs the heart”. Accordingly, he avoids all haughty eyes and a proud heart, which are the lamp of the wicked. Unlike the soul of the wicked, the man of God never desires evil and is always merciful toward his neighbour, always opening his ears to the cry of the poor.
It is by diligence that he tries to prosper in life and become abundant and does not get treasures by a lying tongue. Thus, he becomes acceptable to the Lord not only by mere sacrifices and religious practices but much more by doing righteousness and justice.
Direction: Divisions and failures in fraternity and kindness are an abomination to the Lord because they are outright lashes to our oneness as a spiritual family in one consecration and mission
21 SEPTEMBER 2022: EPH 4. 1-7, 11-13; MATTHEW 9. 9-13, ST MATTHEW, THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
Thrust: Called and graced!
Indicative: To be called is no one’s merit but after being called how one makes oneself deserving is more meritorious
God’s grace is no one’s private prerogative but is open to all who respond. And once responded in docility and surrender, life changes into a new dignity. As we celebrate the feast of St Matthew, one of the Twelve, his call is an indicator and pathway for all of us in our own journey of discipleship.
God’s call and grace are gratuitous and not conditioned by our merit or demerit. No one can claim that he deserves God’s grace. It is a free gift and God chooses anyone and equips them with His own power.
God does not necessarily call the bright but He brightens those called; He does not necessarily call the strong, but strengthens those called; does not necessarily call the able but enables those called; does not necessarily call the noble, but ennobles those called; does not necessarily call the perfect, but perfects those called; does not necessarily call the holy, but sanctifies those called; does not necessarily call the powerful, but empowers those called; does not necessarily call the great, but makes great those called.
He stands by those called, accompanies them always, purifies them from their old self and old ways, dignifies them with a new status, and sanctifies them with His own Spirit. He entrusts them with His own mission which is to liberate and integrate the dehumanised humanity. He sustains all their efforts with His light and strength and brings their life to fulfillment.
In the words of the first reading, this purpose of the call or the mission entrusted is “to build up the body of Christ, to attain the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.
However, all this is not God’s work alone. His call requires our response. His giving requires our receptivity. His action requires our cooperation.
God’s call always demands prompt listening, obedience to His summon, detachment from worldly gains, and a total commitment to Christ. And the greatest testimony of the quality of discipleship is an authentic life witness.
In the light of the first reading, this would imply, walking in a manner worthy of our calling, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing one another in love, and eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Direction: We can be happy disciples if God never regrets having called us to follow Him. The greatest fulfillment and accomplishment of our consecrated life is that God is happy with us
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 03 JULY 2021)
Focus: God calls anybody and everybody irrespectively, and the purpose is not so much the individual benefit but the higher and larger good
In the gospel, we have the narration of the call of Matthew. We can pick up some simple pointers.
First, Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector usually looked down on as a sinner by society. Thus, God calls anyone. There is no differentiation or discrimination on the part of God. He does not go by human labels or estimates as righteous or sinner, friend or foe, important or insignificant, rich or poor, etc. Why should we put restrictions and conditions on God’s grace when He Himself offers it to all? How can we be so selfish as to greedily own all of God’s grace? Why do we feel so jealous when someone is blessed by God? All the more, how can we judge that someone does not deserve God’s mercy because he is bad, as if we are so good and only we are good?
Second, Jesus called Matthew while he was sitting at his tax office. This may denote that God calls us at any time. His call may come to us, not only when we are immersed in prayer, but also when engaged in our daily routine, and in our duties. So let us not wait to catch the voice and message of Jesus not only in the quiet moments of prayer but all through our day, in everything we do.
Third, Jesus called him, “Follow me”, and Matthew rose and followed him. This is very interesting. No conversation is reported. No discussion follows. No preparations are done. It is as if Matthew is just waiting for Jesus to call him and then immediately follows him. No details are given. The point is very clear: the promptness of Matthew’s response. Jesus’ call demands an immediate and unhesitating response. There are no calculations, no discussions, no sorting out the issues, no conditions, no assurances. No pre-plans or future ambitions. God’s call is without conditions, both on the part of God and on the part of the recipient.
Fourth, God calls not the righteous but the sinners. This is interesting because it makes being a sinner itself a qualification to be a follower of Christ. This does not however mean that only sinners become followers, or all the followers are sinners, or the good people will not be called.
The point is, that our call is not on the basis of human merit. Even holiness is not a qualification! What one is before the call is not the matter, but what one becomes after the call, is the real matter. One who is called by the Lord will not complacently cling to sin but will strive to become righteous.
A sinner becomes an apostle! A despised person becomes venerated! A tax collector becomes a gatherer of souls and a witness to the Lord! One who was sitting at the tax office sits at a table with the Lord!
Direction: Our call is a life to celebrate. Life becomes a celebration when the Lord is with us, and the Lord will be with us when we respond to his daily call, “Follow me”, and take him to our house, so as to serve him and then follow him in his footsteps
(REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 21 SEPTEMBER)
Focus: Oh, how beautiful and precious is the gift of vocation! If only we are a little more conscious and contemplate on it more often, we will appreciate it, and we will also strive to live it well
21 September marks the feast of St Matthew, one of the Twelve Apostles, and one of the four evangelists. We had already elaborately meditated on a couple of occasions on his call and mission. However, we shall try to encapsulate the pivotal theme.
The call of Matthew once again evidences God’s initiative and gratuitous offer in every call. It is Jesus who calls. It is he who chooses. One may say, I have consulted, I have prayed, and discerned. I have opted for this life, et cetera. Apparently, it looks like it is the personal choice of the concerned person. But, essentially, it is God’s Spirit that moves, inspires, and helps to discern. No one can choose to follow God’s call unless God wills to choose!
Thus, we must always be deeply conscious that our call is not due to our merit but due to His mercy. In calling us, he is not led by any human considerations or calculations or labels or prejudices. Jesus was least bothered about Matthew’s label as a sinner due to his tax collection. This is a great reason for assurance and confidence for us. Our sinful past, our humble backgrounds, and our incapacities need not bog us down or discourage us. God looks at us as we are. He accepts us with all our limitations. In fact, he sees not so much what we are but what we can become.
Let us also venerate and admire Matthew for his response to this offer. It was a prompt and generous acceptance of Jesus’ invitation, “Come, follow me!” Certainly, it needed real courage to give up the security and abundance of his job and follow Jesus who had no such stable stay or security. There was no hesitation. He was quick and prompt. God’s call always carries a sense and tone of urgency. There is no time to waste or delay. At once we need to set ourselves to follow him and serve him.
Therefore, all that is needed is: to be alert to listen to his daily call to follow him, willing and prompt to renounce everything and follow him. The real worth of this call is when we constantly strive to live worthy of our call and thus merit it. This is what the first reading from the letter to the Ephesians 4. 1-7, 11-13 exhorts us: “to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”.
Direction: What we were (sinners) before the call, is not the matter. But what we become after the call is the matter.
22 SEPTEMBER 2022: ECCLESIASTES 1. 2-11; LUKE 9. 7-9
Thrust: Vanity of vanities!
Indicative: Man in his intelligence discovers much knowledge and acquires and accomplishes many things. But alas he lacks the wisdom to discern the nature of life
Vanity of vanities and all is vanity. Thus affirms the author at the very beginning of the book, Ecclesiastes. What profound and realistic teaching about the truth of life! It is very true that many vainly and uselessly toil and toil especially for material prosperity and worldly upcoming.
But little do they realise that nothing of these gives a lasting and deeper satisfaction and contentment. All things are full of weariness. “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing”.
This is not advocating pessimism or negativism at life realities. It is not looking at life or others cynically. It is also not a failure to appreciate the good and positive things in life. Thus it is also meant not to kill the spirit of hard work, enthusiasm, and the drive to do and accomplish something.
Why then such a reminder about the vanity of life realities and activities? The main thrust is to be deeply aware of the perishable and transient nature of our worldly pursuits and activities. All these have inherent shallowness and superficiality, precarity, and uncertainty.
Therefore they should not become hindrances or substitutes in our striving for depth, spiritual and imperishable realities. We should not become too much engrossed and entangled in these worldly affairs and lose sight of the essentials.
Some of such vanities are unbridled and deviated pursuits for money, possessions, power, popularity, immoral pleasures, and gratifications. We have a typical example of such vanity in Herod the tetrarch in the gospel.
When he heard about Jesus, about his authenticity, unparalleled spiritual authority, and power of working miracles, he was perplexed. He felt threatened. He saw in Jesus a potential threat to his very throne. Also, he was filled with jealousy at the rising popularity of Jesus. He was also frightened at the corrective teaching of Jesus, whether the same story would repeat like John the Baptist who rebuked him. This was all a negative fear about the Lord. If only he had the positive fear of the Lord, he would have become wise and could see the Lord and life itself with clarity.
Imperative: When vanity grips us, our vision is lost. We will not be able to see life's realities clearly and properly. We will be under the shades of illusion and falsity. We need the wisdom to see and discern
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 23 SEPTEMBER)
Focus: Many people do not wish to adhere to God’s will and plans because they are not convenient to the comfort and pleasure of their life. That is why they keep God at a safe distance so as not to be disturbed or pricked
All our efforts without God’s benevolence will indeed amount to nothing. It is exactly like the disciples at fishing without the Lord: they had toiled the whole night but caught nothing. How rightly the psalmist also attests in Ps 127: if the Lord does not build the house, in vain the laborers' labor; if the Lord does not keep vigil, in vain the guards keep vigil. Similarly, all the best of pursuits and enterprises will be futile when not assisted and guided by God’s hand. Even the best of things will not bring satisfaction and fulfillment when they are under the gracious purview of God.
Therefore, what is needed is openness and docility to see and accept God’s will at work. When one lacks this disposition, then there is fear and perplexity at God’s presence. Herod in the gospel is a typical example of this lack of docility. At the presence and power of Jesus, he was perplexed and disturbed. Jesus was a threat to him and not a welcome for conversion.
Direction: The mere desire to see Jesus is not enough. We should see why? Even Herod wanted to see Jesus, but not out of faith
(REFLECTION FROM 2020, 24 SEPTEMBER)
Focus: Hearing and knowing about God is no guarantee of a faithful following. Sad it is that people of the world often live in falsities, false guarantees, securities, and vanities, mistaking the unreal to be real, and running after them aimlessly
Truth and truthful life are always challenging and displeasing especially to the false and evil-minded. It is noteworthy to see the evil Herod anxious to see Jesus. But his anxiety was a total contrast to the anxiety which Joseph and Mary experienced whether at the time of flight to Egypt or at the missing of Jesus at 12 years (cf. Lk 2. 48). Their anxiety was drawn from a profound love for Jesus and a clear awareness of the incomparable value of him.
On the contrary, Herod’s anxiety sprang from great fear of Jesus and a superficial desire to see his miraculous power. There was also uncertainty and failure to recognize and accept the real identity of Jesus and submit to him.
The example of Herod indicates many who may hear and know much about Jesus, who may also desire strongly to see him. But it is not because of their love for him or submission to him as the Lord, but mostly out of fear or for some self-serving interest. Many want Jesus to be close to them, but the question is why?
Direction: Doing the works of the Lord does not necessarily prove one to be a man of God unless one is focused on the Lord for whom he works; Fidelity to God and vanity in living cannot go together
23 SEPTEMBER 2022: ECCLESIASTES 3. 1-11; LUKE 9. 18-22, PADRE PIO
Thrust: Time matters!
Indicative: This life is the God-given time to know him, love him and serve him. When people do not realise the value and the purpose of the given time, they will fail in living it meaningfully
In the gospel, Jesus asks his disciples two questions: “Who do people say I am?” and “Who do you say I am?” Both these questions at the first look are matters of self-knowledge. He wanted to know what others think of him. Some also think of these two as Jesus’ way for his self-revelation to his disciples. He wanted them to know who he is. He wanted to reveal himself to them.
We need not rule out these two aspects of self-knowledge to himself and self-revelation to others. But we shall not stop there. There are more fundamentals to know and experience and live and promote. A personal experience of God is the most essential in life.
Jesus was not satisfied with knowing what the people say of him. He would also not be satisfied that his disciples know only what the people say of him. It is good to know what others think or say or experience of the Lord. But ultimately, what matters the most is what does each disciple personally think, say and do of Jesus.
That is why Jesus poses the personal question to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” We can know about Jesus in very many ways. They are important and we need them. But nothing of these can substitute or undervalue the unique importance of a personal knowledge and experience of the Lord.
Knowledge and experience must go together. Only then, person changes and life changes. Often, in the case of many, there is enormous knowledge about the Lord. We see many teachers, preachers, professors, writers, scholars and Bible readers and learners who learn and know so much about the Lord. But the whole point is, whether this search for and pursuit of knowledge help for a profound personal experience of the Lord.
Knowledge without experience becomes shallow and unproductive. It will not touch, affect and change the person. There are many who know so much about God but are least impressed and inspired by it to live according to God’s will.
A knowledge soaked in experience would place our life in right perspective. Such an experiential knowledge would make us realise we need to understand the very nature of life. “Propriety and appropriateness of time” is an essential property of life. As the first reading from Ecclesiastes teaches us, “there is a time for everything”.
This will teach us to be realistic and accept life as a mix of divergent happenings and experiences. In life, everything is timed, everything has its own time-slot, has its importance in the one chart of timeliness. This realism will also make us more patient and balanced amidst both the positive and negative, the favourable and the unfavourable.
This applies also to the ‘timing’ of his suffering and death of Jesus. The disciples did not understand that every opposition and suffering as well as praise and glory in Jesus’ life had its own specific time.
The disciples failed to understand this sequence of time that suffering precedes glory. They wanted to bypass the way of the cross and arrive directly at the point of resurrection. They wanted to anticipate the glorious glory before completing the battle itself.
Saint Padre Pio whom we commemorate today knew the Lord, experienced him, lived his life as a time of grace amidst all the different times and gave the same knowledge and experience to others
Imperative: Blessed are we to know the Lord, experience him and bear witness to him through the different times in life! We will do well to ensure our knowledge becomes experience and change
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2020, 25 SEPTEMBER)
Focus: Knowledge and familiarity with Jesus would be deficient if they do not lead to a profound personal experience and conviction
In the time of Jesus, certainly, at least some had good knowledge about Jesus, about his greatness, his great teachings, and powers. But they remained only at their knowledge level, and could not go to the experience and relationship level. That is why, they could not see in him the Son of God, the Savior.
The situation today is much similar. Today there is a tremendous increase in the knowledge about God and the Word of God. There is so much eloquence and expertise with regard to spiritual matters. But all these should help one to grow in personal experience and intimate relationship with Jesus.
Unfortunately, there is a tendency and danger that the knowledge and preaching substitute the experience and intimacy. All our knowledge should confirm and foster us in a steady communion with the Lord and in an authentic transformation of life.
Otherwise, our knowledge and efficacy of the spiritual gifts become shallow and points of self-pride and self-glory. This is what we see in the case of some who have an abundance of spiritual knowledge and efficacy, but their life is a contradiction.
In fact, knowledge and experience are not opposites but complements. A true experience and relationship with the Lord enrich us with the right knowledge which is nothing but wisdom. Wisdom enables us to discern what is right at what time and to accept life as a well-planned design of God.
As the wisdom of Ecclesiastes reminds us, everything in life has its own time, its own moment, and purpose. It is not a hidden fatalism or predetermination but a realistic and wise sense of timeliness. It is a call to see life integrally and holistically. It is to become more mature and balanced.
If only people can grow a little more in this rule, rigor, and rhythm of life, there will not be extremes of reactions, either positive or negative, there will not be undue fluctuations of moods and temperaments, there will not be irrational depression or aggression. People can grow more patient, sober, and sane.
Direction: Ultimately what is most important is not mere spiritual knowledge but experience, not mere competence but benevolence, not mere intelligence but forbearance, not mere information but transformation
(REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 24 SEPTEMBER)
Focus: When we personally experience the Lord, then it will express itself in words and concrete actions. Expressions without experience will be only shallow
Today we live in a world of a sea of words. Politicians and other leaders make a lot of promises and speak big and bundles of words. Art of communication assumes so much importance in all the fields, be it in education or business or religion or culture. Certainly, words matter a lot. But the problem is often these words are not seen in actions. That is why we find empty promises, shallow words without the depth of heart, best theories without minimum practice.
The same problem creeps into the practice of spirituality as well. There can be heaps of prayers without really living their spirit. There can be clusters of religious activities without fraternal service. There can be bundles of knowledge without corresponding acts of charity. This is where the practice of religion and spirituality becomes shallow. All this is because of the lack of a deeply personal experience of God.
The two questions of Jesus in the gospel indicate this tension between expression and experience. The first question is: Who do people say I am? The second question is: Who do you say I am? What others say, what we learn and know from other sources helps us to a certain extent. But that is one level. We need to rise to the next level of a profound experience of intimacy with the Lord. What we gather from others’ experience, however genuine and deep it be, will always remain others’.
The various sources of knowledge should only be supplements and complements and not substitutes for our personal experience and relationship with Jesus. All our loud proclamations, eloquent preaching should spring from genuine and profound communion with God.
Often our prayers and conventions run the danger of being superficial and mechanical because of the lack of this personal touch. The “art” of communication substitutes the “heart” of communication. The “fire” of proclamation substitutes the “flames” of good conduct.
The declaration of Peter that Jesus is the Christ comes from his openness to God’s revelation. It is also rooted in his personal experience with Jesus. That is why it is authentic and profound. What is this personal experience? What are its ingredients?
6. Some of them are indicated in Haggai 1. 15 – 2.9. It is to trust totally in God’s promises, in the power of His love, in His abiding presence. It is to take courage and place our hope in God’s providential designs even in hopeless situations. See what God promises: “Take courage, for I am with you… My Spirit abides in you; fear not; I will shake everything and I will fill this house with splendor… The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former… I will give prosperity”
Direction: “Who do you say I am?” is a personal question of the Lord directed to each one of us in the depths of our hearts. It is not a matter of saying who he is but saying who he is to me personally. It is expressing my deep experience
24 SEPTEMBER 2022: ECCLESIASTES 11.9 -12.8: LUKE 9. 43b-45
Thrust: All is vain and pain!
Indicative: Desire for enjoyment of life may be a natural human tendency. But one has to check against vanities and check upon the direction and the quality of life
Once again the Ecclesiastes continues the theme of vanity. Vanity is a fundamental truth and fact in human life. There is a lot of purposelessness, directionlessness, meaninglessness and emptiness. Many things that people desperately crave, seek and acquire give only temporary pleasure and satisfaction.
This holds true especially with youth and the pursuits in the youth. But all these give no lasting satisfaction. That is why the text says, “Youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
It is again this vanity that clouded the disciples of Jesus not to understand suffering as part of God’s redemptive plan. Many marveled at the great miracles and teachings of Jesus. They were caught up only within their earthly, human perspectives. So, when Jesus predicted about his passion and death, it made no sense to them.
Therefore, today Jesus says the same statement to us as he said to his disciples: “Let these words sink into your ears. The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men”. We are called to get rid of the layers of vanity and see the truth of our salvation.
The way of Jesus is the way of the cross, and a true follower never evades it. Certainly our destiny is eternal glory and joy. But this does not mean that suffering and sadness are ruled out from our life. Especially following Jesus will necessarily involve cross and struggle.
One cannot reach the destiny of glory, unless one walks the way of the Lord, and one cannot walk the way of the Lord, unless one walks the way of the cross. Running away from the cross in life, resenting and resisting it would amount to a failure and infidelity to our very call and identity.
Cross of suffering is not a matter of shame or impotence, but is a sign of authenticity, fidelity and strength of discipleship. Greatness does not consist in avoiding any sort of difficulty but in facing and standing firm amid challenge and struggle for the sake of God and good.
Imperative: God himself, though sinless and perfect, did not evade the cross, but embraced it and transformed it into a means of salvation. Can we too turn our crosses into channels of grace and growth?
(REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 25 SEPTEMBER)
Focus: In the life of a Christian, the end and the destiny is always glory. But the process is always struggle and suffering. One cannot aspire for glory without going through the path of misery
1. In life, there is always a balancing act between the positive and the negative, between happy things and sad things, between good and bad things. And invariably any good cause, any godly thing will certainly involve a lot of struggle and adversity. This is not the twist of fate or ignominy of human existence. Rather it is the cost of destiny, the price of glory.
2. This would mean that there is no glory without preceding misery. There is no joy without bouts of sadness. There is no success without the breaches of failure. There is no victory without the lingering fear of defeat. It is not that the glory is at the end of a long road in waiting after a phase of struggles. It would rather mean that it is all an integral process. One cannot aspire for glory without going through the crucible of suffering.
3. The Bible time and again testifies to the fact that the history of salvation is replete with numerous experiences and instances of misery and damnation as well in the form of slavery, exile, persecution, desolation, destruction, et cetera. Though a chosen race and specially covenanted, though destined for glory, yet they were not exempt from shattering experiences of chastisement.
4. This is the same theme of the interplay between salvation and affliction, glory and suffering that Jesus underlies in his passion prediction. Certainly, he did great things at which people marvel. Certainly, he is the Son of God vested with power. Certainly, he destines us for the glory that is his. However, suffering is also perfectly within the process. But at the same time, that suffering and misery is not end and we need not be frightened or upset about it.
Direction: The real spiritual maturity is to learn to strike a balance between the goal of glory and the means and process of struggle and suffering. The process should not discourage us and the end should not make us utopian
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