FOURTH WEEK OF LENT 23

20 - 25 MARCH 2023, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS 20 MARCH 2023 (ST JOSEPH): 2 SAM 7. 4-5a, 12-14a, 16; ROM 4. 13, 16-18, 22; MATTHEW 1. 16, 18-21 Pivot: Faithful Steward! Indicative: God values human persons. He assigns them a very significant role and function in His eternal plans and designs. He seeks their cooperation and assistance in carrying out these plans 1. We rejoice today as we solemnise our great father St Joseph. Before we meditate on his figure, in the first place, we are drawn to realise God’s own nature. How magnanimous and benevolent He is! God never undervalues the dignity and the scope of human participation and contribution. It is not because He cannot do without us. It is only because He loves us and wants to show it concretely. True love always values loved ones, safeguards their dignity, elevates it, and puts it into play 3 2. Thus, we see how God interacts with the two pillars of his incarnate human family. Through his angel, He discloses his redemptive plan to Joseph and Mary, takes them into confidence, gains their consent, and thus sets out to implement his plan. Mary and Joseph understood God’s will and so unconditionally submitted and committed themselves to follow and fulfill his sacred designs 3. We have the figure of Joseph who plays a key role in God’s plan of incarnation. It is precisely to be the spouse of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. Today’s gospel focuses on the person of Joseph. It narrates the famous dream of Joseph. In fact, it is the “Annunciation” to Joseph. 4. There is only one attribute that is applied to him. That is, being “just”. The gospel episode demonstrates how he was just. He was just because he acted magnanimously toward Mary. Even though he knew nothing of the divine intervention for Mary’s pregnancy, he did not want to publicly denounce Mary. He was so concerned for Mary’s self-dignity that he decides to divorce her quietly 5. True justice always carries charity. He had perfectly the right of a husband to avenge his honour by exposing her in the public. But for him, the right of Mary to public honour was more than his own legal honour 6. The second aspect of how he was just is seen in his total docility and surrender to God’s will. Even though he was already totally decided to divorce Mary quietly, still as soon as he knew it was God’s plan, he instantly submitted to it. There were no hurt feelings, no arguing, no challenging, no contesting God’s plans, no lamenting, and no annoyance about why God did not first reveal His plan to him before he underwent so much mental struggle. It was God’s plan and he just needs to submit to it. That was all that6 mattered to him 7. Those who claim today to be just and project themselves as justice-fighters must take some lessons from St Joseph. True justice never does harm to others and it is very submissive to God’s will Imperative: St Joseph teaches us that our call is to be humble and faithful stewards who are conscious and responsible about their God-given tasks and carry them out with commitment (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2022, 19 MARCH) Focus: What is frightening in our present society is a steep injustice in various spheres. And what is all the more saddening is all this injustice goes on in the disguise of justice 1. Today we celebrate the solemnity of St Joseph. Just in December 2021, we had concluded the year of St Joseph. Certainly, a lot of reflections were offered about St Joseph. He received more attention and appreciation. Some might have grown in their devotion to St Joseph too. But the question always remains how many are touched, affected and changed by his life? 2. Concretely, two terms or adjectives are alternatively used to describe the character of St Joseph. He was a “just” man or a “righteous” man. In the light of the Bible, to be just and righteous means to be a morally integral person; to be a person of character and values; to be correct and upright in his dealings with others; not to act wrongly toward anyone 3. In other words, it means to be blameless and clean before God and also right and benevolent toward others. In biblical terms, it is one who is turned away from evil and one who is ever loyal to God’s statutes and commandments. A just and righteous person is one who obeys the voice of the Lord, walks in His ways, and is intensely merciful and generous toward others 4. Joseph was exactly that. He was always docile to the voice of the Lord. That is why as soon as he realised God’s plan in Mary’s virginal conception, he promptly obeyed God’s will and gave up his decision. And even when Mary’s infidelity was so evident in human sight and thus she deserved to be denounced, he respected Mary and safeguarded her honour. He was more concerned for her right to a woman’s dignity and not a husband’s prestige 5. How often our justice is so unjust because it bothers only about individual rights and self-interests? How often our righteousness is unrighteous because it is nothing but self-righteousness? How often we may appear to be moral and just in the sight of the world but not really interiorly clean and pure in the sight of God? Direction: St Joseph the just and righteous man must be a challenge for all of us who clamour for justice and claim to be just. Often it is a sham and shallow because it is without the essence of charity and benevolence (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 19 MARCH) Focus: A true believer sees with his optic of faith that in his life, things do not happen by chance but by choice of God in accord with His eternal plans 1. St Joseph! What a great, simple, humble, noble, and faithful saint he is! Spouse of Blessed Virgin Mary, Foster father of the Saviour, Head of the Holy Family, patron of the universal churc 2. Some main features of St Joseph: 1) Purity of heart (lily) 2) Intimacy with Jesus (child Jesus on the bosom) 3) Longing and searching for the Lord (Jesus, lost and found in the Jerusalem temple)ò 4) Protecting and guarding Jesus (fleeing to Egypt to escape from Herod's cruelty) 5) Responsible, diligent, and dedicated toward his work and care for the family (carpenter) 6) Docile and recollective (silent worker; no single word spoken by him; doing everything silently without any show or seeking recognition) 3. In the light of the OT: Joseph is a just man. Who is a just man? One who fears God, one who turns away from evil, one who is blameless, and one who is upright 4. In the light of the gospel, and in contrast to the world's mentality: Joseph is characterised by a single quality as a "just" man. In a world where being just and standing for justice are very often understood and presented in a very shallow way, Joseph stands as a model, example, inspiration, and challenge for true and perfect justice 6. Justice is not a mere concern and fight for rights, of one's own or of an interested group. It is not crushing or suppressing others' rights. To be really just also means to be conscious of duties as well, to be conscious of the rights of others 7. Joseph was just because he did not think of his rights as a husband (to denounce Mary publicly for her divine conception) but thought of Mary's right (as a woman of dignity and honour not to be subject to public shame) 8. Joseph was just because he did not think of what is right for him but for Mary. He did not stick to his own opinion, idea, reason, and judgment. Rather he gives room for what can be the thinking and situation of Mary 9. He was just because he did not cling to his own plan and decision to denounce Mary but surrendered to God's will and accepted Mary back as his spouse. Blessed are we to venerate him with devotion! But still blessed shall we be if we imitate him as well with dedication! Direction: True justice is not a mere clamour for individual rights or a group's, leading to conflict and suppression of some others. Justice is dry when is devoid of charity 21 MARCH 2023: EZEK 47. 1-9, 12; JOHN 5. 1-16 Pivot: Water that heals! Indicative: The waters of God’s grace are ever-flowing. They enliven, refresh, nourish and fructify life 1. Today’s word of God in both readings focuses on water. In the first reading, it is the water around the Temple, and in the gospel, it is the pool of Bethesda. Both are the sources and causes of life, freshness, growth and fruitfulness in abundance. This water nourishes and heals, and thus leads to health and strength 2. What is notable is that it is not any water. This water has power and this power comes from its association with the divine – the temple, and the stirring by an angel respectively. This indicates that ordinary and natural things are sanctified and empowered by the divine touch. It is not magical or purely human but divine 3. Any healing and miracle is not automatic. It needs a fundamental disposition of faith. It is not the water of the pool as such but the divine power behind it that heals. Often, consciously or unconsciously, we attach too much importance to the symbols and make them automatic means and transmitters of power and healing. It is where the holy objects are made to be “power-transmitting talismans”. Thus our holy ritual celebrations which are symbolic can become mechanical 4. Perhaps, this can be a strong indicator in Jesus’ healing of the ill man in the gospel. All our various ways and means of seeking divine favours shall not become substitutes for the personal encounter with Jesus. All our holy symbols and activities should be complements and indicators of a deeper experience of him 5. Do you want to be well?” looks apparently foolish because the desire for healing is quite natural and self-evident and so why ask again? But this can be a call to express the ill man’s explicit desire for healing which is essential for any healing. It evokes a response. With this fundamental disposition, Jesus heals him directly. It is no more the water but the personal intervention of Jesus 6. The ill-man answers, “There is no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am on my way, someone else gets down before me”. It is unfair, I believe, to interpret this as a defence about his prolonged stay, or protest and blame others. It is simply an elaborate and implicit answer of the man that he does really want but could not get healed due to situations 7. Jesus’ words of healing, “Rise, take up your mat and walk!” indicates what is real healing. Healing is to rise from sin, take up our lost strength, and walk steadily in grace. Jesus’ words of admonition after healing, “Do not sin anymore!” need not presume that he was sinning and his illness was because of sin. This can be indicative of a new, renewed life, healed from sin Imperative: Every sin makes us sick, lying on our beds of tepidity and inaction, and forfeits the beauty and vigour of life. It is high time that we rise up and walk (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2022, 29 MARCH) Focus: When we allow God’s grace to encounter us and flow upon us, we will not remain sick or invalid. We will be healed and start walking with vigour 1. In both the readings, from Ezekiel and John’s gospel, we have the mention of water. In the former, it is a temple river and in the gospel, it is a pool. What is common is that the water is resurging and healing. Where the river flows, everything lives, remains fresh, grows, and bears fruits. And the pool heals every invalid that gets into it 2. This water symbolises God’s grace. It is always flowing and available. But, many do not get to it because they are invalid. This invalidity is no more physical but spiritual. It is by sin. That is why, Jesus tells the healed invalid, “Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you” 3. We need not infer that he was invalid because he sinned. It is a possibility. But what is more important here to note is Sin makes us invalid. It makes us immobile and tepid toward God’s grace. Sin sickens and invalidates us 4. We need to seek healing by throwing ourselves into the waters of grace. The length of 38 years of invalidity is shocking. The man had been there by the side of the healing pool for 38 years and still could not get a healing 5. This length of duration shows the insensitivity of the people who did not help him into the pool. The invalid man lost in this heavy competition for healing. On the other hand, we must also appreciate his persistence and undying hope. He never gives up hope and never stops trying 6. The question of Jesus, “Do you want to be healed?” looks silly because who does not want to be healed? Here the point is we need to personally desire to be healed. We need to feel the need to be healed. We must desire to get up from our beds and start walking. We need to shake off our lethargy to glue to our beds of negligence, indifference, and sloth Direction: Am I too long accustomed to sin that I do not want to move from my bed of comfort zone and convenience? Do I realise that I am invalid in so many ways, failing in my fervour for God and others? (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 16 MARCH) Focus: When the streams of God's grace flow over us, life will be enlivened, refreshed, and renewed 1. In the first reading from the prophet Ezekiel, there is a vivid and beautiful description of the river that flows from the temple. This symbolises the streams of God's grace and the gracious effects of it. Wherever the river flows, there is life, freshness, growth, healing, nourishment, fruitfulness, and abundance. Thus, when God's grace flows upon a person, life becomes revived, refreshed, strengthened, and abundantly fruitful 2. This is what happens in the gospel in the case of the person immobilised for 38 long years. On one hand, the length of his illness shows the height of human indifference. What a sad story of insensitivity and selfish competition: Within 38 years, nobody gave any priority to getting him healed. None helped him to get into the healing pool. Everyone was bothered about his own health and wellbeing 3. On the other hand, we also see the steadfastness and perseverance of the sick man. He never gives up his desire or hope. He never stops trying to get into the pool to get healed. He does not get despaired or dissipated 4. In such a context, Jesus enters into his life. He understands his situation. Even without being asked for his intervention, Jesus takes initiative and heals him. The same will happen in our lives as well. Jesus is1 ever waiting to heal us. He knows that we need healing. But he wants us to know that we need healing. He wants us to desire it and seek it 5. It is very interesting that after healing the invalid, Jesus orders him not to sin anymore. Does Jesus imply that his invalidity is because of his sin? The point here is not that all those who are sick must have committed some sin. Rather, all those who sin will certainly be sick in some or other way 6. Sin itself is sickness. It will immobilise us and make us invalid. Sin takes away our movement, our activeness, and our enthusiasm for God and good. It will make us “lie down on the bed” for years and years. We need to “get up from our bed and walk ahead”. This is the real healing Direction: All others may disappoint us and fail us, but God never fails us and it is enough that we trust him 22 MARCH 2023: ISAIAH 49. 8-15; JOHN 5. 17-30 Pivot: Never forsaken! Indicative: Often life seems to be a time of discomfort and desolation. In such moments, God comforts us that He loves us immeasurably 1. One great sense that pulls down our spirits is the sense of not being loved but being abandoned. This sense of lack of love and remembrance can be very depressing and devastating. Nothing else can compensate for the love 2. God knows this human predicament. That is why He gives us the greatest assurance of His love for us. We have in today’s first reading from Isaiah one of the few most profound love-statements: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you” 3. How consoling and soothing words are these words! God loves us unceasingly. He never forgets us nor forsakes us. His love is unsurpassable; it surpasses even the superlative love of a mother. God leads and guides on levelled paths. He feeds His people in the nourishing pastures and beside the springs of water. He is ever at work for the sake of His loved ones 4. In fact, Jesus came to show this most visibly and concretely. It is not only that the Father loves him and he loves the Father. He is the reflection of the Father Himself because he is the Son of the Father. He is one with Him, in identity, in love and mission 5. But unfortunately, the Jews in their stubbornness are not open to seeing his identity. So his communion with the Father. Hence his attestation of oneness with the Father is misunderstood as blasphemy. Hence they begin to persecute and plot to kill him Imperative: This is the right and appropriate time – a time of favour when God will answer us, and a time of salvation when He will help us (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2022, 30 MARCH) Focus: The first duty of any true love is the recognition of the love of the other. If we really love God, then our first duty is to be deeply aware of His love for us 1. Often we hear so much about love. But at the same time, there is a great lack of love. Love is misunderstood, falsified, and abused. That is why we find so much egoism, animosity and aggression even in the name of love. This only shows that love is not rightly understood and exercised 2. In such a context, today’s word of God gives us the best sample of true love. God’s love is the best and truest love. God Himself is the greatest lover. In Him, we find true love, its features, its functions, and its effects 3. In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, God compares Himself to a mother and us to His nursing children 4. Just as a mother can never forget her nursing child, God too can never forget us. His love surpasses even this: even if a mother may forget, He will never forget you 5 His love never ceases and so He never ceases to work for us. This is the very mission of God, to constantly manifest His love in manifold ways. He gives His own life to us; liberates us from our imprisonments; brings us to light from our darkness; quenches our hunger and thirst; guides and leads us in the right paths; comforts the afflicted 6. God wants to show and shower this abundant love upon us directly and concretely. For this, He has sent His only Son, Jesus Christ. Thereby, Jesus is the embodiment of the Father’s love and its living vehicle and channel. Through Jesus, God powerfully testifies His caring and guiding love 7.All that Jesus is and does is rooted in His inseparable communion with the Father. And his mission becomes unfailing obedience and loyalty to do the Father’s will. As the Father loves the Son, He empowers the Son with His own life, light, and power to give life, to guide and empower and to judge and reward eternal life. Similarly, as the Son loves the Father, he is united with Him and does ever His will Direction: True love is passionate, selfless, and committed. It is testified in concrete actions. God shows His love in a ceaseless outpour of His grace and works of benevolence. How do we show our love for God? (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 17 MARCH) Focus: Who can measure the love of God? What can one compare it with? He never forsakes us. He never ceases working for our good, growth, and happiness. Blessed are those who realise and experience this! 1. The greatest beauty and the most beautiful greatness of our God is He is ceaselessly at work. It is the work of love. It is a relentless mission and project of transforming our lives into something beautiful and great. What does this imply? 2. It means, God will nourish us, and we shall not hunger or thirst. He will lead us and we shall not be harmed or misguided. He will comfort us and we shall not remain afflicted. He will lift our spirits and we shall not lie desolate. 3. It is a love that is incomparable and immeasurable. It is like a mother’s love for her nursing child. A mother never forgets her nursing child. But even if such a thing happens, even if a mother forgets her nursing child, even if her love fails, God’s love for us never fails. He never forgets us or abandons us 4. Jesus’ coming to us and living with us is the greatest sign of this love and work of God for us. Jesus tries hard to make the people understand this. He wants to draw their attention to God who loves them and works for them ceaselessly. He never rests, because His love never rests or halts 5. Throughout his whole life and mission, and through his preaching and healing, what Jesus wants to reveal and show to the people is just this: God loves us and works for us. It is beyond times and seasons, beyond any conditions or restrictions 6. It is in this spirit and with this mind, Jesus speaks of his communion and oneness with God, his likeness to Him, and his power and judgment. But instead, people understand the wrong side. They misunderstand as competition with God all of Jesus’ doing God’s will. 7. They misunderstand as claiming equality with God all the closeness, likeness, and oneness of Jesus. They misunderstand as blasphemy all his deepest God-consciousness of seeing everything in reference to God. They misunderstand as disrespecting and violating Sabbath his timeless love-work like God’s. Hence blaming and persecuting Jesus. Direction: If only one lifts his eyes and realizes the unstoppable and untiring love of God and His working for us, we will be eternally grateful and passionately committed to doing God’s work! 23 MARCH 2023: EX 32. 7-14; JOHN 5. 31-47 Pivot: Testimony trustworthy! Indicative: God constantly testifies to us of His abiding love and mercy. If only we are open, we can see and experience 1. There are so many testimonies that bear witness to Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah. They attest that he is one with the Father and does the works of the Father. They are namely John the Baptist, Jesus’ own works, the Father Himself, the Scriptures and Moses 2. But the Jews fail to recognise and accept Jesus’ identity. They refuse to believe in him despite all the testimonies. The reasons are plenty. Their ancestors too were no different. They became depraved 3. They were ungrateful. They turned aside from the way pointed out by God. They became stiff-necked. They would not heed God’s cautions and admonitions. They would not mind His counsel and guidance. They turn disloyal, falling to false gods. They substitute the worship of true God with the idol-worship 4. Similarly, the unbelieving Jews of Jesus’ time too were totally closed and stubborn in their hardness of heart. They had no love of God in them. They sought human praise and not from God. They sought their own glory and not God’s 5. It is really sad that the Jews who claim to revere, believe and follow Moses do not follow him in reality. If only they believe him, then they should remember how magnanimously he pleaded on their behalf for God’s mercy, lest His wrath would kindle against them and destroy them Imperative: There are numerous witnesses that constantly testify to us God’s unfailing love and mercy and benevolence for us, and His unceasing mighty interventions in our life. Let us not be obstinate. Let us see and live (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2022, 31 MARCH) Focus: Authenticity comes from reliable evidence and testimony. But even authenticity will be rejected when there is obstinacy and rigidity of the heart 1. The confrontation between Jesus and the Jews continues. The Jews vehemently oppose him, refuse to believe in him, and reject him. Jesus persistently tries to convince them. He draws their attention to various solid witnesses that authenticate him. One is John the Baptist, who was like a burning and shining lamp that bore witness to Jesus, the true light 2. Another witness is Jesus’ own works which are always altruistic and oriented to the good of others. There is absolutely no trace of evil or harm in his works. They all proceed from the Father and conform to His holy will 3. The third witness is God the Father Himself. The Father consistently bears witness to His only Son about His total communion and intimacy with the Son; about the Son being sent by Him and doing always His holy will; about empowering His Son to guide and judge; about Himself being so pleased with His Son; about glorifying His Son; and about owning, guarding, guiding and strengthening the disciples as well 4. The fourth witness is the Scriptures. They contain eternal life and bear witness about Jesus, the Messiah. But despite such valid and authentic witnesses, the Jews do not believe in Jesus and do not accept him 5. The reasons are given very clearly in both readings. According to the first reading from Exodus, one main reason for unbelief is the stiff-necked mentality of the people. Because of this adamancy, they corrupt themselves; turn aside quickly out of the Lord’s way; desecrate themselves by worshipping a golden calf 6. In the light of the gospel, one reason for failing in a faith response is the lack of love of God within them; another reason is seeking their own human glory from the humans and not seeking the glory of God. Direction: Failing in our faith in God is self-responsibility and so it will bring also self-judgment and condemnation. We need not blame God for punishing us; it is we ourselves who do the auto-condemnation (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 17 MARCH) Focus: How true it is that we vex God often with our stiff-neckedness! But thanks to the same God who is so flexible to relent and be benevolent yet again! 1. Really it is a sad thing that no seldom many people test God's patience and benevolence with a spirit of obstinacy and closedness toward God. How painfully God laments over the people of Israel 2. For, so easily they forget the marvels that God has worked in their lives. They forget the mighty liberation. They become ungrateful and attribute all the credit to a mere idol. They turned aside from the way of the true God. They corrupt themselves. They are truly stiff-necked 3. But, Moses is deeply concerned for them. He makes an enormous effort to tone down God's wrath. He tries to evoke sympathy in their favour. It is not playing down their wrongdoings and infidelity but elevating God's fidelity 4. In simple, he attests that God's fidelity is not conditioned or reversed by people's infidelity. He is stable and steadfast. What a nobility and power of intercession! 5. The same stubbornness of the Jews confronts and torments Jesus. He takes the role of Moses: on one hand, he constantly speaks the truth; he urges the people to accept and follow it. He challenges their lack of transparency 6. On the other hand, he bears testimony to God's love and fidelity. He calls them earnestly to believe him by calling different sources as his testimonies. These are Moses and his teachings, the sacred Scripture, John the Baptist, the Father Himself, and Jesus' own works 7. These are authentic witnesses to his divine identity and divine mission. But, sadly no witness can convince them. Because they are so closed and blind and hard. We are invited and summoned to believe and change. Direction: God goes on speaking to us, enlightening and calling us to know God and to get closer to Him. Let us believe Him and live with and for Him 24 MARCH 2023: WIS 2. 1a, 12-22; JOHN 7. 1-2, 10, 25-30 Pivot: Just one, obnoxious! Indicative: The Jews of Jesus’ time rejected Jesus and constantly persecuted him and tried to kill him because they really did not “know” his divine identity 1. It is really strange that already from John chapter 5th itself, the Jews decide and plan to kill Jesus. He just began his first sign in chapter 2 with the wedding at Cana. Thereby already he began to manifest his divine power. But immediately we have the cleansing of the temple whereby he begins to get into a confrontation 2. This clearly indicates that Jesus was not inhibited or intimidated by human forces or pressures. He did not want to waste his time in a skill-gathering, well-equipping preparation. With no delay, he plunges deep into his mission 3. He knew very well that the Jews were trying to kill him. But that does not deter him from teaching openly at the Jewish feast of the Tabernacles. He does not budge from declaring that he is sent by the Father and he came from Him 4. He is not afraid to expose their shallow knowledge of him. He openly affirms that they neither know him nor the Father. What they know is only his earthly origin, like Where? When? How? 5. Jesus really fits into the figure of the Just one in the first reading, against whom the wicked plot because he was a “thorn in the flesh” for them. He was different from others and not like others 6. He would cause so much discomfort and annoyance for them. He is a hardship for them. But who is this just one? What does he do? We gather various elements in the first reading. A just man is obnoxious to the wicked. He sets himself against their doings. He judges them debased, and holds their ways as impure. Thereby, he keeps himself aloof from their company. He reproaches them for their transgressions of the law and violations of their training 7. He conducts himself as a child of God and possesses knowledge of God. He stands firm amid their numerous tests. 8. On the other hand, the enemies of Jesus quite rightly resemble the enemies of the true prophet. They are wicked. They plan to put him to the test, whether God will come to his rescue and whether he would persevere when he is tested. They try his patience with revilement and torture. They plot to condemn him to a shameless death. But they err in their thinking. They are blinded by their wickedness. They fail to know God’s counsels and discern the holy souls’ reward Imperative: On which side are we – the Just or the Wicked? Are we like the just man, remaining faithful to God in faith and perseverance? Or do we behave like the wicked with no depth and fidelity? (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2022, 01 APRIL) Focus: There is always so much opposition to good and persecution of good people. The reason is quite simple: in their lack of wisdom, they are led astray; in their wickedness, they are blinded 1. The hostile spirit between Jesus and the Jews keeps mounting. They seek to kill him. Once again Jesus in the gospel and Wisdom in the first reading clarify to us the real reasons for this mounting antagonism. In Jesus’ own words, it is because they know neither the Father nor His Son. They do not know the Father, the true God who sent His only Son; neither do they know the Son who came only from the Father and not of his own accord 2. Instead, the Jews were caught up only with the superficial and secondary details like his human birth, the place and conditions of his birth, and his human parents. Now the words of the first reading apply exactly to the case of Jesus. They are hostile to Jesus because they are ungodly 3. All the ingredients of this ungodliness are perfectly found in the case of the Jews toward Jesus. They reason out unsoundly. They think he is inconvenient to them as he opposes their actions. He reproaches them for their sins, their base, and their unclean ways. He becomes a reproof of their thoughts. The very sight of him becomes a burden to them 4. Further, his ways are strange and his life is unlike that of others. He professes to have knowledge of God and boasts that God is his father and he calls himself a child of the Lord. He claims that God will protect the righteous, and recompense the holy and blameless with the prize of happiness and life 5. Therefore, they want to test and see whether his words are true. They want to subject him to insult and torture to the extent of a shameful death. Their reasoning is simple: if he is truly righteous and God’s son, he will be protected and delivered from the hands of his adversaries; he will remain gentle and forbearing Direction: Many may think like the ungodly in the word of God that is to test and see the authenticity of the goodness and holiness of good and God-fearing people. But do they realize that they are making themselves liable to God’s judgment? Who are we to put others to the test? 25 MARCH 2023: ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD: ISAIAH 7. 10-14; 8.10; HEBREWS 10. 4-10; LUKE 1. 26-38 Pivot: Salvation Announced! Indicative: Annunciation is the threshold of the unrepeatable miracle of Incarnation. Miracles happen when there is a combination of God’s grace and action and human reception and cooperation 1. God sends His angel to Mary. He “announces” His plan of incarnation for salvation. He seeks and awaits her approval. This is precisely the nobility and magnanimity of God: Even though He can do very well without us, He wants to involve us and wants us to be His collaborators and sharers. It is only because He loves us. True love values others, and respects each person’s dignity and honour 2. How much noble and magnanimous we are, being His children? How much do we see all others as persons of dignity and respectability? How much do we treat others with respect? How often and how easily do we despise others, showing false greatness and sticking to our own ideas, opinions, and prejudices? 3. Then from the part of Mary, what humility, docility, and surrender to God’s grace and plan! What humility! She does not get puffed up that God Himself is standing at His door for her approval. She does not forget her finitude as a creature before God’s infinity. In all humility, she is aware that the offer of her divine maternity is not her merit or greatness but God’s love and care 4. What docility! She does not contest or argue or reject or doubt God’s plan. Even her question, “how it is possible to bear a son without rapport with her spouse” is a quite normal and legitimate question expected from a simple teenage girl, brought up in faith and morals. Perhaps bearing children outside the marital bond may not be a big issue for many in our modern society. But for her society and tradition, certainly, it was a matter of immorality and infidelity. But in her docility, she risked being labelled immoral and unfaithful. For her, what mattered the most was God’s plan and salvation of all, and not her human thinking and reputation 5. Then what surrender!: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Be it done unto me according to your word!” Often we are so accustomed to these words of Mary that we take for granted and take light the immensity of Mary’s act of acceptance. It needed the guts of the spirit to utter such words of total surrender 6. What surrender! She has no discussion, no conditions, and no suggestions. She does not clarify how God would safeguard her reputation, or how God would let others know about her virginity and innocence despite conception. She does not request God at least to convince her spouse. She is not much worried about the myriads of uncertainties and risks that await her. Her only concern was to do God’s will and an unconditional ‘Yes’ to God’s will 7. Now it is not enough to admire Mary for her humility, docility, and surrender. What about our humility, docility, and surrender? A little talent, a little capacity, a little money, a little position - and how easily do we become arrogant? Even with regard to spiritual gifts, how easily do we succumb to the feeling that I am better than others, I am greater than others? 8. How docile we are? Even though many times God proposes, inspires, advises, and admonishes many things, how much we can be obstinate and fixated, clinging to our own ideas and calculations? Do we give more importance to our human intelligence, reasoning, and decisions, rather than God’s wisdom and promptings? Do we know better than God? Can we do better than God? 9. How often do we lack the spirit of surrender? We try to convince God that it is not right and possible to do His will. We have a hundred and one reasons to explain and justify why we cannot surrender to God’s ways. We fail to surrender only because I and self-interests become the centre of our whole thinking and not God’s will and the good of others. 10. We may allow ourselves to be carried away by what is false, what is ignominious, what is unjust, what is impure, what is inaffable, what is dishonourable, and what is vice and harmful. Instead, as St Paul in his Philippians exhorts us, our focus and striving must be on what is true, noble, just, pure, affable, honourable, virtuous, and beneficial. We must put into practice what we have learned, received, heard, and seen. Imperative: Today let us pray that we may become more and more humble, docile, and surrendered like Mary because only thus, we can receive the Savior and experience his saving touch. (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2022, 25 MARCH) Focus: The Feast of Annunciation is truly the enunciation of salvation. It is not only the one-time event of the angel announcing to Mary the good news of incarnation but God Himself announcing to the whole of humanity His incarnate love 1. The feast of Annunciation is in fact the dawn of salvation. It is a concrete instance of God’s Encounter with the human. It is a vivid act of God’s intervention in human life. But this encounter and intervention are totally unique and distinct from all the rest of the encounters and interventions 2. For the first time, God encounters the whole of humanity and intervenes in the entirety of human history. They are no more limited only to a particular nation, or to a chosen people. They are meant for all. The whole of humanity is taken into this story and history 3. Further, these encounters and interventions are not confined only to a specific time period. As instances and events, they may be history-bound. But their effect and fruit is salvation and this is beyond time and space. It is eternal. It is the kingdom of eternity 4. Still further, the encounter and intervention that are marked by the event of annunciation are direct and personal. The fact and act of announcing may be indirect as it involves the angel. But at that very moment, the Son of God directly and personally encounters and intervenes in human life. He inserts and immerses himself into their life through the virginal conception in Mary’s womb 5. It is no more an encounter and intervention through this or that event or person. It is God Himself totally becoming one with the humans. He mingles Himself not only in some happenings but into her own blood, her own flesh, her own humanity. He is no more a God who acts “from heaven” only but also directly “from the earth”. Earth becomes his “home address” on missions and sojourns 6. Thus, annunciation is crucial as the inception of incarnation. The event of the annunciation rightly marks the significance of Mary in our salvation. Her positive response to God’s plan, her obedience, surrender, and total cooperation to the mission of salvation are exemplary. Her all-time “fiat’, the Yes of all times, announcing, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to your word” is a turning point. Direction: Annunciation is a two-fold history-making event. It is God announcing His plan of salvation to humanity. And it is Mary on our behalf announcing our cooperation with His plan. Both these give a complete picture of a real salvation (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2022, 20 DECEMBER) Thrust: Fear not, for God is with us! Indicative: God has wonderful plans for us. At times and often times, how he executes them may not be clear and even confounding. But no worry! 1. The other day, through His angel, God encountered Zechariah and revealed His plan for the birth of John the Baptist in the womb of the barren Elizabeth. Today, God through His angel encounters the virgin Mary and reveals His plan for the birth of Jesus, the Saviour in her virginal womb 2. But if we analyse a little, the immediate consequences of such a happening, that is the birth of a child, are contrasting. In the case of Elizabeth, it is in fact, a great grace, a matter to rejoice about. Her barrenness would be eliminated. But in the case of Mary, it is a matter of disgrace. Her dignity and integrity would come under suspicion. 3. Here comes the great depth of Mary’s faith. Once she knows that it is all God’s plan, there is no more question. No argument, no reluctance, no hesitation. No seeking concession. No request for making things clear to her husband and family. No worries at all about the future consequences of a suspect pregnancy 4. Her faith comprises profound humility, wholehearted docility, and an unreserved surrender. She declares emphatically, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word” 5. A little note on the Salutation of the Angel to Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you”. Mary is worthy of the salutation by God Himself. She is full of grace. In a world where sometimes it is difficult to have even a fraction of grace, Mary stands as the fullness of grace. She is full of grace because the Lord is with her Imperative: Like Mary, we are also called, not to be afraid when things go wrong or remain unclear. Being free is possible only when we find favour with God