28 th week days mass reflection of the year 23

16 - 21 OCTOBER 2023, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS 16 OCTOBER 2023: ROM 1. 1-7; LUKE 11. 29-32 Focus: Evil generation! Indicative: We are called by God with a singular mission of “bringing about the obedience of faith for the sake of Christ among all the nations” 1.      St Paul at the very beginning of his letter to the Romans clarifies certain essentials like his vocation, his identity, his mission, the ingredients and the aim of this mission, et cetera. It is Christ who grants the grace of vocation. It is a consecration, being set apart for a specific purpose. 2.      It is a call to belong to Christ and to be a servant of him. This is the vocation and identity. And this is for a mission, and that is to be an apostle, to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations. 3.       Accordingly, Paul is ever conscious of this call. He underwent a sincere and sacred experiment and experience of repentance and conversion. He is always open and docile to the dictates of his master. He is fully sensitive to sense every sign of God’s grace. He believes and experiences Christ as the supreme channel of grace and also as the greatest sign from God. 4.       But, in contrast, in the gospel, we find that Jesus’ own people reject him. The reason is, they lost the awareness of the sacredness of their call. They lost the sense of their identity as the chosen people of God. They lost sight of the dignity and duty of their mission, which is to be agents of faith among all the nations. They lost the spirit of repentance and conversion. 5.       In fact, all his miracles and healings were powerful signs of God’s power and caring intervention into their lives. All his preaching and teachings were effective signs of the assurance of God’s love and mercy. 6.       And he himself is the greatest and most authentic sign of God’s love and power. Yet, still, they demand signs. They refuse to believe in him. They do not accept him. They do not repent and convert themselves. Instead, they resist, they confront, they criticize and persecute him.   Imperative: Are we any different from the unbelieving Jews who do not trust Jesus but test him? They do not accept in openness but refuse in stubbornness. They do not surrender to God in humility but demand in arrogance. Are we also the “evil generation”? (Reflection 2) Focus: True knowledge should lead us to transparency and acceptance and not arrogance and rejection. False knowledge leads to false freedom, which is only a disguise of slavery to sin 1.      The people in Jesus’ time did not accept Jesus’ message because they did not recognize his true identity as the Son of God and Messiah. It is because they were arrogant and closed because of their presumptuous knowledge and familiarity concerning Jesus. 2.      They demanded to prove himself through miracles. They failed to understand that faith is essentially a matter of trust and experience and not a matter of proof. Miracles are only signs that indicate and authenticate the presence and power of God. 3.      They are meant to supplement one’s openness to believe and not to generate or guarantee faith. These people of Jesus’ time stand condemnable by the people of Nineveh who repented and were converted at Jonah’s wake-up call, and also by the queen of Sheba who travelled so far to witness Solomon’s wisdom. How foolish are these people not to respond to Jesus positively, who is greater than Jonah and Solomon? 4.      Jesus sternly addresses them as an evil generation.  They rightly deserve this harsh comment, because they do not repent and turn to the gift of faith in Jesus. Rather, they prefer to cling to the old slavery of heartless legalism and sin. Direction: A faith that depends only on signs and favours will very easily get disillusioned and fall into crisis. True faith never indulges in a deviating and destructive freedom 17 OCTOBER 2023: ROM 1. 16-25; LUKE 11. 37-41 Focus: Interiorly clean? Indicative: Openness to truth leads to acceptance in faith and that leads to life in righteousness and this leads to salvation 1.      In human life, there is always the tension between the exterior and the interior, the exterior purity, and the interior purity. In religious circles, this struggle often leads to conflict and dichotomy, which eventually leads to mutual exclusion. 2.       In simple details, it means that the external rituals and spiritual activities fail to foster inner purity. They are meant to cleanse a person’s heart and life. They are meant to make a person pure. 3.       But the sad thing is, very often the religious rituals and devotional practices fail to touch and change the interior. They remain only at the surface level. This was the real failure of the Pharisees and scribes. They cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but the inside is full of extortion and wickedness. The external ablutions are meant to indicate and induce interior purification. Just as the cup and dish are cleansed, so also our minds must be cleansed. 4.       All this contradiction and failure is due to the lack of deep faith. A deep faith implies an openness to truth, the truth of God and oneself. It is to realize God’s inalienable role in our life and a total belonging to him. 5.       It is to realize the futility and senselessness of our thinking and pursuits without due space for God. It is not to fall prey to lust and impurities. It is not to deify merely earthly and worldly and dethrone God. True faith includes righteousness. And faith without righteousness forfeits salvation.   Imperative: Knowing the truth and being truthful; Accepting in faith and remaining faithful, understanding the right, and becoming righteous are true signs of integrity. True integrity is a harmony of the exterior and interior purity (Reflection 2) Focus: Religious activities are not mere matters of practice, observance, and tradition but are to be means and expressions of an authentic heart and devotion 1.      As persons of faith, we certainly manifest our faith in performing some spiritual actions, devotions, laws, and precepts. It is a tangible way of expressing and living our spirit of faith. However, they cannot become cover-ups or substitutes for the lack of interior authenticity and purity or for the lack of a life of integrity. 2.      This is what happened in the case of many Jews of the time of Jesus and Paul. They were so strict about observing the law. But they did not realize that they were actually bound by it. Instead of growing in the freedom to love and serve, they became enslaved by what they themselves created. They were meticulous about circumcision of the flesh, but were they aware of circumcising their heart, cutting it off from the attachment to sin? 3.      Sadly, in the present times too, very often the exterior religious activities or obligations do not proceed from a genuine interior disposition. They also do not lead to a way of actions and life that are compatible with the spirit and purpose of these religious practices. 4.      Cleaning outside, whether of hands or cups and of the dish, as a religious precept is good, but what about cleaning inside? Almsgiving is good but what about cultivating a heart of sensitivity and charity? 5.      It is not so much a matter of conflict between the interior and the exterior. It is not a matter of disputing which is greater. It is more of a duty to live a life of harmony and integrity. It is to nurture a pure heart and manifest a good living in honesty and loyalty. Direction: A life of integrity that integrates a pure interior and a devout exterior is praiseworthy in God’s sight; they are not rivals or competitors but friends and mutual supporters 18 OCTOBER 2023: 2 TIM 4. 10-17b; LUKE 10. 1-9, ST LUKE, THE EVANGELIST Focus: Holistic Witness! Indicative: The Christian life is a constant call to bear witness in word and deed 1.      Today we celebrate the feast of St Luke. As we know, he is one of the four evangelists who authored Luke’s gospel and Acts of the Apostles. He was a companion to Paul on some missionary journey. He receives his knowledge of Jesus and imbibes his spirit from Paul. His gospel is not a mere story of Jesus about what he said and did. Rather it is a journey into the very person of Jesus and oriented to the destiny of heaven. 2.       Through numerous parables, Jesus is presented as the Lord of compassion, mercy, and forgiveness. His gospel is known to be a gospel of the poor, of the Holy Spirit, of mercy and joy. These are not merely some dominant themes for knowledge but are indicators of God’s own nature. In them, we see what God is to us, how He is benevolently turned toward us, and how He intervenes in our lives. Thus, they are also directions for a profound experience. 3.       Further, they are also invitations and inspirations to dispose ourselves to God’s action. Thus, from our part, we are called “to be poor”, “to be open to and led by the Holy Spirit”, to repent and be converted to receive His mercy and forgiveness and to experience God’s own joy. 4.       This is how these themes become very strong and convincing. Another overwhelming theme is that God is the physician and the healer to cure wounded hearts. It is not this or that miracle of healing from different ailments. It is the fundamental healing from the infection of sin. It is a rediscovery and recapturing of the lost grace. 5.       St Luke experienced this abundance of grace and he bore witness to it through his mission and writing. His feast should be a summon for us to be witnesses to the Lord in word and deed.   Imperative: God’s love which is merciful and forgiving, heals us and fills us with the Holy Spirit and the end result is a joyful witness   (Reflection 2) Thrust: Called and responded! Indicative: To be faithful to our vocation is to live ever for the Lord and do his mission with selfless commitment   1.      18 October is the feast of Saint Luke, one of the four evangelists. He was a physician by profession. He accompanied Paul on some part of his missionary journey. His gospel is known for the touch of mercy and the joy of healing. The most treasured parables of forgiveness like the lost sheep and the prodigal son are found in Luke. 2.       The gospel text draws our attention to the sense of mission that filled and animated Luke himself. Some of the fundamentals of the mission can be picked up. First of all, the mission is the work of the Lord and not a private affair. It is he who appoints us and sends us. 3.       To work on his mission is to become worthy, hardworking, and faithful labourers in his harvest. It is an enormous task because the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. It is to be lambs among wolves. This implies that we should be prepared to confront the wickedness of the world but remain gentle and uncontaminated. 4.       It is to nurture a spirit of detachment, not clinging to material guarantees. For, our greatest equipment is God’s own power and spiritual abundance. It is to be focused on the Lord’s mission, and not get distracted or waste time in greetings and useless talking. There is no time to waste over trivials. 5.       Further, our mission is to be ambassadors of peace. It is to give healing to the sick and usher in God’s kingdom   Imperative: Mission is not only doing some activity. It is not even to be fully equated with ministry. It comprises the holistic life of a witness   19 OCTOBER 2023: ROM 3. 21-30; LUKE 11. 47-54 Focus: A perilous virus! Indicative: God is just and righteous. But this does not mean that He judges and condemns us heartlessly according to our sinfulness. His justice contains mercy!  1.      Jesus is never at home with hypocrisy. In today’s gospel, he exposes two other layers of hypocrisy, in direct reference to the scribes and lawyers. One is the “diversion technique”. The other is the “deviation technique”. The diversion technique simply means that they try to cover up a serious wrong with some pleasing external act. Concretely, it refers to their building beautiful tombs of those prophets whom their ancestors killed. 2.       It is not because they really honour those prophets or feel sorry for such murderous acts. It is also not because they want to do reparation for past sins. It is nothing but a diversion technique: they just want to divert the attention of the people from the gravity of the sin by the apparent honour. 3.       Their intentions and motives are clearly hypocritical. If they really honour the prophets, then why did they allow the killing of John the Baptist? If they honour the prophets, then why do they not accept and believe Jesus? 4.       The second trace of their hypocrisy is the deviation technique. Instead of using their knowledge to guide the people, they use it to twist the principles and misguide them. It is like closing the doors of the kingdom. They take away the key and thereby neither they enter nor they allow others to enter. 5.       But all this honest critique of Jesus leads to a totally opposite reaction and consequence. It should create in them a spirit of self-critique and self-discovery and repentance and thus conversion. Instead, they would become more stubborn in their self-righteousness, and hostile and malicious to provoke him and catch him at some wrong.   Imperative: Hypocrisy is a clever disguise for self-righteousness. Unless one tears off the garb of self-righteousness, and surrenders to God’s merciful righteousness in humility, one cannot receive God’s grace. (Reflection 2) Focus: Doing wrong is already bad. But hiding it, justifying it or glorifying it is worse. Doing bad is enough bad, but not tolerating anyone doing good, and not allowing them to do good, is the worst 1.      Jesus’ hard rebuke of hypocrisy continues. He exposes two more aspects of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes. One is, “religiosizing” or “spiritualising” the killing of the prophets of the past by building monuments in their honour. 2.      Thereby they cleverly mitigate the gravity of the wrong. Another aspect of hypocrisy is: they become blocks and hindrances to the people entering the kingdom, instead of becoming guides and animators. 3.      Their knowledge should be like the key that opens up the door of the kingdom to the people. Instead, they use this key of knowledge to close the door and misguide the people. They themselves do not enter and even prevent others from entering. 4.       But very sadly, this rupturing of God’s eternal design continues even now. People in the name of religion can shamelessly become unholy and blameworthy. Even inhuman and selfish acts and behaviour can be spiritualised as a matter of religiosity. Knowledge and competence are often used, not as keys to open up a new society of love and peace, but as keys to shut the doors. Direction: Not walking the right way is serious enough. But misleading others in the wrong way is abominable. Blocking those who try to walk the right way, and persecuting them, is detestable 20 OCTOBER 2023: ROM 4. 1-8; LUKE 12. 1-7 Focus: Grace is gratuitous! Indicative: We must always bear in mind that grace and salvation are always gratuitous gifts of God. We can never claim them on the basis of our merit or performance. Faith and surrender is the only fitting attitude! 1.      Salvation is our destiny and grace is the way to attain it. And faith is the condition to obtain it. True faith reminds us that ultimately grace and salvation are God’s generous gifts that we do not merit or deserve. 2.       Therefore, it is not the works that make us righteous or bring us salvation. Abraham was counted righteous before God not so much for his works but for his faith. In fact, his righteous life, highlighted by his prompt readiness to sacrifice even his only son Isaac, is nothing but an authentic expression, a natural outflow, and a testimony of his profound faith. 3.       The Pharisees and scribes lost sight of this gratuitous nature of grace and salvation. They were so self-righteous as to think presumptuously that they merit and acquire grace and salvation due to their observance of the law and good works. They failed to understand that works without faith and surrender are shallow and superfluous. It is like flesh without life. 4.       This led them easily into legalism and hypocrisy. That is why, there was a sharp chasm between their intention and action, their heart and deed, their interior and exterior. This dichotomy is so contagious like “leaven”. The Lord warns us of this leaven of hypocrisy, so as not to be infected and vitiated by it. 5.       He indicates to us that hypocrisy may work for some time before men but not before God: ‘Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, it is better to live accountable toward God, rather than admirable before the world. 6.       That is why, Jesus exhorts us, not to fear the world that can only harm us externally or physically. Rather, fear God who has total control over our lives, and even our destiny of eternity. Besides, why fear when He takes deep personal care of each one of us? He who cares even little sparrows, He for whom even the hairs of our head are all numbered, will He not care us?   Imperative: Following the Lord is a strenuous task that will beset us with numerous trials and fearful experiences. But nothing to fear, because the Lord has total control over everything. He will steer the course of action and especially the end is with Him. (Reflection 2) Thrust: Destined for inheritance! Indicative: We are called and chosen for an eternal inheritance. Therefore, we must live worthy of our call, in trust and authenticity, shunning all hypocrisy and fear 1.      We are predestined according to God’s purpose. And this destiny is the inheritance of eternal life. This inheritance is obtained in Christ through the gospel of salvation by the promised Holy Spirit. Therefore we need to live a life that will make us worthy of this immeasurable inheritance. 2.       This prescribes a certain way of life with certain components. First, shun hypocrisy. This is compared to the leaven of the Pharisees. A little leaven can leaven the whole flour. In the same way, if we are not cautious, the leaven of hypocrisy that surrounds us can easily wrongly influence and change us adversely and negatively. 3.       The second norm: Fear God rather than the world. Many times many are afraid mostly for worldly reasons, concerning guarantees and securities. They are more worried about losing some benefit or facing suffering and even death. But Jesus exhorts us, “Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.” 4.       Rather fear Him who has the authority both to kill the mortal bodies as well as to cast them into hell. The point here is not the frightening and ruthless power of God to terminate our life and throw us into hell. It is rather the unsurpassable and benevolent reign of God over us. It refers more to our bonding and binding obligation of adherence to Him. 5.       Third norm: Let this fear be not something negative but a positive fear that springs from reverence and love. When there is love, there is a fear of offending that person; it is a fear of not doing anything that is contrary and displeasing to that person. It is a fear that comes from deep confidence in God’s magnanimous care for us. This becomes clear from Jesus’ words, “even the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”   Imperative: In a world that constantly besets us with many negative influences, there is every possibility and danger to be led astray. So let us remain firm and well-guided with fear of God and His strength 21 OCTOBER 2023: ROM 4. 13, 16-18; LUKE 12. 8-12 Focus: Disowning and disowned! Indicative: Those who see only with the eyes of the world cannot see beyond and cannot live beyond. But those who wear the optic of faith, will rise beyond the merely earthly and strive for the above 1.      Faith is essentially a matter of fidelity. Still, this fidelity is not only to some beliefs and truths. Much more, it is fidelity to the person of Christ. It is a personal love, loyalty, and commitment to his life and mission. 2.       Therefore, this faith makes us live a life of righteousness. Such a life constantly pushes us into situations of adversity and persecution. It is in such situations we need to profess our adherence to the Lord, and acknowledge him before all. 3.       This then calls us to be men of courage and hope: the courage to face the present ordeals with the hope for future glory, even hoping against hope. Our judgment and destiny depend on our extent of fidelity. If we acknowledge him now, we will be acknowledged for heaven then. 4.       But if we deny him now for fear or convenience, then we will be rejected. It is not that God is conditioned by our response. Rather, it implies that our life and our destiny depend on our freedom: it is we who are deciding and shaping our destiny here and now. 5.       In freedom, we are called to be fully open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We must cooperate with His plans and designs. We must allow Him to direct us. We must confide in his enlightenment and guidance. 6.       We must stand solid with the courage with which he emboldens us. It is in this sense that we must understand the words of Jesus in today’s gospel referring to the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ words that the Holy Spirit will teach us what we ought to speak in the face of opposition are understandable. 7.       But his words that “everyone who speaks against the Son of man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven” seem to be rather unclear and misleading. 8.       Does it mean that we can dishonour and reject Jesus but should not do so toward the Holy Spirit? Does it mean the sins against Jesus are lighter and are forgiven, while the sins against the Holy Spirit are serious and not forgivable? Is it making a difference between the Second and Third Persons of the Holy Trinity? 9.       I believe that such a doctrinal concern is not required now. Perhaps, what Jesus intends is: one may deny him as a human person and deny his powers in a human way. But one shall not deny the spiritual power and action of God, symbolized by the Holy Spirit. 10.   One shall not deny God’s power in the blind eagerness to deny human power. In their hostility toward Jesus, let those people not reject the very power of God working through him. Therefore, they should seriously discern whether they are opposing God Himself in opposing him.   Imperative: At times, due to our human weaknesses like jealousy, prejudice, and arrogance, we put ourselves directly against God. Let us not fail to accept and appreciate His spiritual power, His interventions, and His ways of assisting us (Reflection 2) Thrust: A faith that acknowledges! Indicative: A life of faith implies and summons us to be committed to what and to whom we believe 1.      We are living in a world where people tend to be non-committal. Even if they make a commitment, they do not want a long-term or life-long commitment. The mentality is “as long as it works,” as long as something is convenient and suited to my likes and needs. This affects all areas of life, whether it is marital, social, political, or economic. 2.       The same uncommitted mentality affects the religious or spiritual sphere as well. This is indicated by Jesus’ words in the gospel. He speaks of acknowledging him or denying him; bearing witness to him or evading any stand and risk. 3.       Jesus’ words make it clear that religion is not merely a matter of subscribing to some doctrines and traditions. Rather it is essentially a matter of living a way of life, a commitment to follow Jesus. It is a personal relationship and binding. However, it is not merely a private matter of loyalty to an individual Jesus. 4.       Rather, it is a commitment to the divine itself. In other words, committing to Jesus would imply committing to the presence and power of God itself. It is accepting and committing to the spiritual realm in human life. In this sense, true faith is a call to live a life that is not earth-bound and limited to the material and worldly. Rather, it is to live a Spirit-oriented life. 5.       This would imply in the light of the first reading to live according to the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. It is to have the eyes of our hearts enlightened, to know and inherit the riches of His glorious inheritance, to experience the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ. 6.       Understood in this way, denying and non-committing to the spiritual power of God will amount to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit itself. It is not a matter of denying the name of God but denying the very spiritual power and action of God in our lives.   Imperative: Many mistake religious adherence only as being bound to certain names of God or rituals. They forget that it is essentially a commitment to live in the spiritual realm, under the influence of the Holy Spirit