10th week days mass reflection 23

12 - 17 JUNE 2023, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS 12 JUNE 2023: 2 COR 1. 1-7; MATTHEW 5. 1-12   Pivot: God who encourages! Indicative: It is true that in our life we have situations that discourage us. But today we are encouraged by the fact that our God is always a God of encouragement   1.      In our present times, disappointment and discouragement are quite rampant. No one is exempt from this, whether poor or rich, clever or uneducated, high status or low. Many lose a sense of meaning and happiness in life because of discouragement. 2.      What can be the causes and reasons for this sense of discouragement? Discouragement is due to the experience of failure, especially failure in getting what is expected or due. Thus this failure is often connected to material or intellectual inadequacy or social standing concerning power and position. 3.      But as people of faith and depth, the root cause for all discouragement is a lack of deep faith in God. This may look simply spiritualizing. But this is the fact. When we are not strong in faith, we will be easily discouraged. 4.      This is very clear in the convinced words of St Paul: Our God is a God of encouragement who always encourages us, especially in every affliction. 5.      The beatitudes in the gospel are the most concrete and authentic means and expressions of encouragement. All these mandates or norms are demanding and certainly, lead to situations of affliction in the world because the world has a different set of norms and means. 6.      But those who follow the beatitudes obtain God’s greatest encouragement in the form of blessedness and eternal life itself. They are not just self-confined individual gains. They become integrally altruistic. 7.      The encouragement of God that encourages those who follow his beatitudes overflows to others to encourage them in their afflictions.   Imperative: The world of today that suffers under the yoke of discouragement needs the relieving and healing touch of Christ. And we are to be those channels through the beatitudes   (Reflection 2 from 2021, 07 June)   Focus: We are destined for blessedness and the only way to obtain such bliss is to follow the way of the Lord. A life of happiness is a way of godliness and goodness   1.      In today's gospel, we have the famous Sermon on the Mount of Jesus with the solemn Beatitudes. They are beatitudes because their end is bliss and happiness. They are the confirmed means to attain such bliss. 2.      They are not merely some religious teaching or spiritual doctrine but they are fundamental human principles to follow. They are not only some guidelines to apply or some useful ways of doing, but much more essential modes of being. 3.      They are in fact a total contrast to the standards and ways of the world. They are considered as "devalues", "inabilities" and "inadequacies" in the sight of the world. So, certainly, they are a "difficult lot" to follow. Those who follow them will certainly face suffering and affliction, as St Paul reminds us in the first reading from 2 Corinthians. 4.      But they alone are the royal and noble means to be happy and blessed: be poor - humble of spirit, be sensitive to others' pain, be patient during suffering, be gentle, be meek, be merciful, be guileless and pure of heart, be peace-loving and peace-promoting, be hungry and thirsty for good and righteousness, be loyal, persevering and committed to God. 5.      Follow this mode of being and surely you will experience a bliss that is profound, authentic and lasting. This is what Paul attests: our God is a God of comfort, and He will surely comfort us in our affliction. And being comforted by God, we need to comfort those who are in any affliction.   Direction: True happiness is not the absence of suffering. It does not come from mere avoidance and escape from affliction. Rather, true happiness comes from standing and suffering for God and good, through the path of beatitudes   13 JUNE 2023: 2 COR 1. 18-22; MATTHEW 5. 13-16   Pivot: Faith is a “Yes” always! Indicative: God is not a wavering, unclear and indecisive God. He is clear, firm and faithful. Christ is the greatest sign of God’s Yes   1.      Human life oscillates between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ depending on the nature and demands of situations. There is no permanent ‘yes’ in the normal sense. ‘No’ may indicate various factors. It may be a result of assessment and a decision not to do a thing. 2.      But in a deeper spiritual sense, “no” indicates an inability, unwillingness, failure, or an act of unfaithfulness. When I say ‘no’ to God, it means I am not able to obey His commandments, I am not willing to follow His will, I fail to be right and righteous before Him, and thus I turn unfaithful to Him. 3.      This happens often in our spiritual life. Often we are caught between “Yes” and “No’. We waver. We are so unsteady in our decisions in favour of God. Since “Yes” to God demands a lot, we easily tend to say “No” to Him. 4.      But the life and mission of Christ have always been an unfailing “yes” to God. God’s will always finds in him a prompt, willing, radical and positive response and fulfilment. Faith is nothing but a wholehearted “Yes” to God. This is manifested in a life of purpose and fidelity to one’s own identity. 5.      In the words of Jesus, it is to be salt and light. Jesus does not say, Be like salt and the light. He demands to “be” salt and light. So it means to live according to what we are by our essence and identity. 6.      It is a ‘yes’ to the very purpose of our life. It is to add taste to life, like salt, and brighten life, like light. St Antony of Padua, a very popular saint, whose memory we celebrate today was a symbol of this “yes” to God. In his life, there was never a “no” to God’s will and ways. That ‘yes’ to God also showed itself in “yes” to others through charity.   Imperative: The ultimate purpose of our life is to glorify God. This is possible only through a witnessing life of abundant good works   (Reflection 2 from 2021, 08 June)   Focus: Our life is fulfilling when it is lived with a sense of purpose. And this purpose is lived and achieved when we realize and live our true identity   1.      Our life fulfils its purposiveness when we are constantly conscious of our true identity. This consists in being benevolent children of God. Jesus explains this, in terms of two simple metaphors of salt and light. 2.      They are not only useful examples and comparisons to imitate. They are in fact marks of our very identity. That is why, Jesus does not say, “You are like salt or light”. But he says, “You are salt and light”. They show us not only what we must do, but also what we are and how we must be. 3.      The two simple metaphors of salt and light are embodiments and testifiers of this benevolence and altruism. Both are never self-centred but other-oriented. They are self-giving for the benefit of others: one gives taste and the other gives light. 4.      But today there is so much bitterness and darkness in human life. This is because of so much selfishness and wickedness. Now, how to increase our being tasty and lighted? St Paul gives us the way in the first reading: 5.      It is by being faithful and bearing testimony to Jesus Christ, the greatest Yes to God. This means that he was ever positive, affirmative and faithful to God. There is never a No, a negation on his part. Therefore, fidelity and testimony to him mean that we also become a constant Yes to God. 6.       Now, to the extent this benevolent identity is lived and exercised, to that extent God Himself is glorified, because He is the source of super-benevolence. The fruit of this Yes and identity through benevolence is the abundance of God's grace.   Direction: The more we strive faithfully to live our identity, the more God is glorified and the more He will glorify us, in the abundance of taste and brightness   (Reflection 3 from 2022, 07 June) Indicative: The more we realise and live our true identity, the more our life will be authentic and our mission will be effective. The crisis in vocation and mission is basically a crisis in identity 1.      Today we hear about “identity crisis” in many circles of life. Things go wrong, relationships go wrong because people are either not conscious of who they are or not faithful to who they are. This is what is a failure or crisis in identity. Often in our materialistic, activist, and pragmatic world, identity is equated with status or function. Accordingly, people identify themselves with their post and position or action and function. 2.      But I am not merely what I do. My activity does not completely determine my identity. This is like answering the question, “Who/What are you?” with “I am a teacher or doctor et cetera”. It is not that our doing is not important. In fact, being and doing are not contradictory but complementary. The main point is, that our “being” must be more important than our mere “doing”. All our doing must authenticate a genuine being. All our activities and functions must flow from an authentic identity. 3.      Otherwise, there is always the danger that people wrongly seek their identity in their roles, functions, offices, positions, talents, or affinity-groups. It is in this context that Jesus reminds us of our identity through two simple metaphors, salt, and light. He says, “You ‘are’ the salt of the earth”; “You ‘are’ the light of the world”. 4.      In both salt and light, we can identify two aspects: their identity and their effectivity. There is saltiness in salt and it is useful in giving taste. There is radiance in the light and it is useful in lighting and brightening. Salt and light are no good when they lose their identity and are not available for use.   Imperative: To speak figuratively, our identity is to be “jars of God’s blessings” in abundance, which will not run dry or empty. Do we try to be so? Good works from good identity are the best glory to God   14 JUNE 2023: 2 COR 3. 4-11; MATTHEW 5. 17-19   Pivot: Qualified by God! Indicative: Our destiny is to live in the kingdom of heaven in eternity. Our greatest qualification is following God’s commandments   1.      There are different goals in different spheres of life. We do not discuss here the good or bad quality of those goals. Whatever their nature, every goal prescribes certain rules, conditions and procedures to follow. In other words, certain qualifications are required for achieving the desired goals. 2.      For us believers, the greatest goal is to be members of the kingdom of heaven. In human terms, our striving must be to top the list, to be the “greatest” in the kingdom. It is not only to be in the kingdom later in eternity but already here and now while we live on earth. 3.      The qualification for a great ranking in the kingdom is to follow the commandments faithfully. But this is not a legalistic, formal observance of laws and traditions. It is much more than that. They are not mere letters inscribed in writing, but spirit, carved on the tablets of hearts. 4.      It is a matter of relationship. It is fidelity to God. It is obedience to God’s will. It is the “ministry of the Spirit”. It is the “ministry of righteousness”. It is to be faithful ministers of a new covenant. 5.      And what is essential to note is: our qualification is not our acquisition or our merit or credit. Our qualification comes from God. It is God who has qualified us.   Imperative: The greatness of freedom is not ignoring or discarding the commandments. It is to fulfil them with a spirit of fidelity to God     (Reflection 2 from 2021, 09 June)   Focus: True humility realizes that all our competence is from God. Therefore, no one can claim to be competent through human codes or traditions, but only in the Spirit   1.      Greatness is what everyone aspires and strives for. To desire and seek to be great in itself is not wrong. But, how one wants to be great, and what means are employed to acquire that greatness – this is the real issue. 2.      Many seek greatness by recourse to worldly things such as money, power, position etc. But, Jesus in the gospel teaches us what real greatness is and how to attain it. To be great is to be rated great not in the sight of the world but in the sight of God. 3.      The way to such greatness is to follow the commandments of God and also to teach and guide others to follow the same. Thus, following the commandments alone is the criterion that decides whether we are great or not. 4.      To follow the law does not mean to be legalistic and rigid. It is to understand and assimilate the spirit of the law. It is to be faithful to the spirit of the law. It is to act according to the Spirit. It is to seek all our competence from God. It is to be His competent ministers of a new covenant. 5.      When one goes beyond the mere letter of the law and performs actions according to the spirit of the law, it is not breaching the law but perfecting and fulfilling it. This is what Jesus always did: he was only perfecting and accomplishing the law, which apparently was violating the law. 6.      Seen from the perspective of fidelity to God's love and adherence to God's will, all the Laws and directives will no more be burdensome restrictions or curtailing retrenchments. Rather, they become facilitators toward perfection.   Direction: Freedom of the Spirit is not equivalent to lawlessness or callousness or indulgence but is the perfect following of God's precepts.   (Reflection 3 from 2022, 08 June) Indicative: Ultimately true faith is not merely a matter of having and knowing great laws and traditions. It is not just belonging to religion but being religious and obeying God’s will 1.      Very many times, faith is identified with allegiance to a religious group and adherence to a code of laws and religious observances. In this process, many are easily caught up with the mere externals and carried away by shallow passions, prejudices, and hateful actions toward others. 2.       That is why in the name of the very God who is always kind and never harmful, many religious followers become fanatical and destructive. This is a contradiction! 3.       It is here that Jesus makes it clear what true faith and religious adherence are. It is not blind allegiance or stubborn subscription to the laws and tradition. It is not ill-directed fanatical zeal. It is not a Puritan or policing attitude toward others. It is also not an arrogant self-projection as the “saviours” of God himself. 4.       True faith is faithfulness. But mind! Faithfulness is not merely to some rules and regulations, distorted to suit human convenience. It is faithfulness to God, a God who is never violent or condemnatory or revengeful toward anyone. It is faithfulness to the true spirit of religion, the kingdom of God. 5.       Jesus cautions that “whoever relaxes/twists even one of the least of the commandments and misleads others also will be the least in the kingdom of heaven”.   Imperative: Many do not realise that the hatred and violence that they instigate and propagate in the name of safeguarding and honouring God is in fact dishonouring God and defeating His sacred designs. No religion is religious if it is harmful to others!   15 JUNE 2023: 2 COR 3. 15 – 4. 1, 3-6; MATTHEW 5. 20-26   Pivot: Let light shine in our hearts! Indicative: God is God of righteousness. In order to belong to His righteous kingdom, we need to pass from and surpass the ordinary and minimum   1.      God’s holiness is so glorious and radiant that it blinds our gaze. So often a veil is laid over our hearts. There is always a distance, a certain unease and a lack of freedom. 2.      But when we are open to the Spirit of the Lord, when we are close to God, there is freedom and there is no more a veil on the face. There is no more hiding or evading the radiance of God’s light. This spiritual freedom enables us to stand unveiled and authentic in God’s sight. 3.      Our precise ministry is to let the light shine out of darkness, let God shine in our hearts, and see the light of the gospel of the glory of God and bring it to light. In other words, we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord. 4.      This implies a radical and transformed way of life of righteousness. It does not content itself with the bare minimum. It surpasses the normal. Thus an unveiled, free and surpassing righteousness is not satisfied with avoiding physical killing. Much more, it is concerned with avoiding every kind of angry, disrespecting and insulting word. 5.      Surpassing righteousness is not satisfied only with peace offering with a sense of sin. Rather, it is more concerned about making peace and reconciliation, along with the offering. 6.      This reminds us that our spirituality cannot be separated from our fraternity. Every failure in fraternal responsibility with stand for God’s judgment. This cautions us that we cannot light our failures in fraternal duties and charity.   Imperative: Let us remove all our veils of hypocrisy and double face. Let us stand before God with unveiled hearts and see the light of his knowledge and glory     (Reflection 2 from 2021, 10 June)   Focus: To be committed means to be deeply convinced of what is right and to put in the best and the maximum   1.      "Unless your virtue surpasses that of the Pharisees and scribes, you shall not enter the kingdom of God", so clearly announces Jesus. The virtue of the Pharisees and scribes was skin-deep, very shallow and peripheral. 2.      It was not going beyond the written rules and traditions. It was not penetrating into the depth of heart and sincerity of devotion. They were satisfied with mere meticulous observance of the precepts. They were not bothered about the living of their purpose. Their main botheration was to follow the letter and not the spirit. 3.      Accordingly, they may not kill physically but kill psychologically with mental harassment, character assassination, angry outbursts, and offensive and insulting words. They may offer great sacrifices to God but with hearts filled with grudges and retaliatory spirit. Such devotion and life are not pleasing to God. 4.      Instead, a true follower of Christ is expected to look for the maximum, going beyond the minimum. They are called to nurture constantly a respectful and non-judgmental attitude, a spirit of gentleness and patience, and an approach of peace and reconciliation. 5.      This is possible only when we keep our faces “unveiled”. This implies that we turn to the Lord. He alone removes our veil that blinds us not to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. We do not lose heart but are being changed into his likeness.   Direction: In a culture of bare minimums and dry obligations, the followers of Christ are summoned to do the maximums, and to be passionately committed. It is to see and walk with unveiled faces, radiating the light of Christ   (Reflection 3 from 2022, 09 June)   Indicative: The test of fidelity is not a show of strength of faith. In other words, fidelity does not consist in the number of religious rules or miracles but in humble surrender and obedience to God’s will 1.      Anyone who is a little religious-minded will surely aspire to enter the kingdom of heaven. And today Jesus clarifies once again how to enter there. It is not by a show and display of the greatness of faith through some activities or practices. It is only through a humble surrender and obedience to God’s will and ways. 2.       God is not pleased with an attitude of pomp and great bearing. What pleases Him is only a humble attitude that goes beyond the mere letter of the law to the spirit of it. It goes deep beyond the skin-deep. It goes to the essential beyond the superficial. It goes to the centre beyond the peripheral. It goes to the maximum beyond the bare minimum. 3.       That is why Jesus states, “Unless your virtue and righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and scribes, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. He also explains in simple contrasts. One may avoid physical murder but psychological killing through anger, insult, and hurt is much more grievous. One may offer great gifts but they will be futile when there is no self-offering, no heart of peace and reconciliation.   Imperative: It is not enough to follow the external rules and rubrics. The rituals and offerings that we do must bring about an interior change and renewal. To be truly religious is to be deeply righteous   16 JUNE 2023: DEUT 7. 6-11; 1 JOHN 4. 7-16; MATTHEW 11. 25-30, SOLEMNITY, SACRED HEART OF JESUS   Pivot: Love that never ceases but seizes hearts! Indicative: In a culture where advanced culture equals to lack of heartiness and sensitivity, the festivity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a challenge to foster a culture of heart   1.      This feast of the most sacred heart of Jesus reveals and confirms to us that our God is a God of heart. That is, a God who values us so much, who loves us without end, always radiating upon us the rays of His care, a God whose heart burns with the flame, the fire of passion. It never gets cold, it never becomes lukewarm, but always passionate, always zealous. 2.       Even if we are weak and fragile, even if we fall often, even if we make so many mistakes, even if we fail in our fidelity and sincerity, even if we lack in our responsibilities and duties, even if we do not deeply believe, live and witness how we must like the believers, like the children of God and disciples of Christ, even if we often wound that beloved heart of Jesus - still despite all our weaknesses, faults, unfaithfulness, and unworthiness, God loves us. Jesus never fails to love us. 3.       This fact of the love of God, so faithful and persevering, is today a matter of great comfort and encouragement. Especially in our times, in our society, where and when, unfortunately, the ambience and the culture of love, of loving, of the warmth of heart, of tenderness, of sensitivity, is diminishing, but instead an air, a culture of hatred, rancour, indifference, violence, evil is increasing, this celebration of the heart, of love is a confirmation, a call, a challenge, and a guide for a way of living of love. 4.       Today the Lord comforts us that he always pours his love over us. Never doubt, even if sometimes we are surmounted by difficulties, upset by afflictions, beset by unfavourable situations, God loves us. Trust in God. Trust in his love. Feel the warmth of his heart. Experience the passion, the fire of his love. Be open and docile to the marvel of his love. 5.       Not only this but also we are called to nurture and foster a deep love for him. Love God. Let us be gripped with a passionate feeling, a powerful bonding with the Lord. Many times we feel a lot of interest, enthusiasm, anxiety, and concern for many things. 6.       But how much intensity and depth for the Lord are there? How do we cooperate with God's commitment as He promises: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove your heart of stone and put back a heart of flesh "(Ezek 36. 26). That is a heart that is warm, tender, sensitive, and caring, a heart that is open, which understands, accepts, forgives, and helps. Imperative: Let us grow such a heart towards God and others. Let us open our hearts to God and our sisters and brothers. Let us widen our hearts. Let us guard them, heal, enrich, and transform our hearts so that our hearts also become like the sacred heart of Jesus   17 JUNE 2023: 2 COR 5. 14-21; LUKE 2. 41-51, IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY Pivot: To be holy is to be immaculate! Indicative: The immaculate heart of Mary is not only a matter of purity of heart or purity of life, the integrity of the person. It is to be clear-sighted and to be passionately and lovingly committed 1.      The second Saturday after Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the immaculate heart of Mary. How beautiful it is that on Friday we celebrate the sacred heart of the Son and on the following day the immaculate heart of the Mother! It is not coincidental or merely sequential, but very meaningful and significative. 2.      What is sacred reflects itself in what is immaculate. What is immaculate contains and embodies what is sacred. The sacred Son reflects the immaculate mother, and the immaculate mother embodies the sacred Son. Holiness and Immaculateness are integrated and inseparable. 3.      To be holy is to be pure. The more we conduct ourselves unstained and uncontaminated with an immaculate heart, the more we grow in holiness. The more we are holy, the more we grow pure and maliceless. To be holy and not to be immaculate is a contradiction. 4.      In fact, sacredness and Immaculateness are not something accidental or additional to us. It is essential and integral to our very identity as God's redeemed children. "To be holy and blameless" is God's purpose for us, and destined us for such bliss (cf. Eph 1. 4). Our sanctification is God's will (1 Thes 4. 3)). So to grow sacred and immaculate should be our priority and perennial pursuit. 5.      Certainly, it is God's gratuitous grace and not our merit. But this does not take away our role, our responsibility, our cooperation and our effort. We should work hard to merit what we are graced with. 6.      This is what Mary did: if her immaculate conception shows predominantly the singular grace and privilege, accorded to her by God, her immaculate heart shows preeminently her humble cooperation with that grace. She constantly preserved her heart and life from sin, and fostered sanctity, thanks to God's grace. 7.      Mary's immaculate heart is not only a pointer to her personal holiness and purity but much more, also a strong inspiration and pathway to be pure and immaculate ourselves. 8.      In our times, where hearts are getting so much polluted by sin and malice, where to have a heart comes to be taken as fragility and vulnerability, where hearts crooked, hard and indifferent seem to be the order of the day, where hearts get entangled into many aberrations and deviation in the name of modernity, the immaculate heart of Mary is a consolation and remedy!   Imperative: The celebration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a pointer that true purity leads to joy and serenity because there is nothing that disturbs or distracts. The purity of heart is the propriety of life