33RD WEEK DAYS MASS REFLECTION 23

20 - 25 NOVEMBER 2023, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS   20 NOVEMBER 2023: 1 MACC 1. 10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63; LUKE 18. 35-43 Focus: Lord, let me see! Indicative: True faith is the interior sight that enables one to see what is true, good and pleasing in God’s sight. Any abandonment of faith is nothing but blindness 1.      In the gospel, Jesus heals a blind man. His persistence is a striking fact. When he begins to cry out to Jesus to heal him, the people around rebuke him to be silent. But he cries out all the more. This has a semblance in the first reading from the first Maccabees. 2. Israel was surrounded by the Gentiles and misled by some lawless men. Many from Israel abandoned the holy covenant and sold themselves to do evil. However, many others in Israel stood firm. They chose to die and did die rather than to be defiled or to profane the holy covenant. 3.      This is an inspiration and challenge to all the followers of Christ and all the believers of God. When there are so many opposing forces, when there are many negative and misleading influences, still can they remain clear and firm? Even when their life is at stake because of their choice for God and justice, can they remain stable and loyal? 4.      Especially in our own times, when false values are profitable and rewarding, when compromises bring forth lucrative results and dividends, do we resist and persist? Is it not true that today too there are many who abandon God and sell themselves to do evil, like those in Israel? 5.      This is truly the blindness of heart and soul. Disloyalty is that blindness where one fails to see fidelity to God and the right values as the greatest priority in life. Like the blind man who says to Jesus, “Lord, let me receive my sight”, let us also plead with him to give us the sight. Imperative: How many of us are really loyal and persevering to choose to die rather than to be defiled by false trends and values and to profane the holy covenant of God? (Reflection 2) Focus: When we are weighed down by the burden of difficulties, let us not lose heart. Let us turn to Jesus. Let us trust in His compassion. Let us cry out to him. And we will surely experience his relieving intervention.   1.      Today the Word of God invites us to focus on blindness, especially in the light of the healing of a blind man in the gospel. The scene is dramatic. There is a blind beggar. He cries out to Jesus to have mercy on him. 2.       The annoyed and irritated people chide him and try to quieten him. But he continues to shout aloud. Jesus calls for him and asks him, “What do you want me to do for you?”. He replies, “Master, let me receive my sight”. Jesus says, “Go your way; your faith has made you well”. Immediately he received his sight. 3.        Some simple details are notable. The blind man is a beggar. He is reduced to beggary. This shows the loss of human dignity and also his condition of dependence on others’ mercy. Thus, blindness is not merely a matter of physical deformity. 4.       It is more pervasive affecting the whole person. And the blind man is aware of his need. He needs sight, not only the physical. He needs the ability to see his own lost dignity, the lost beauty of life, and the lost joy of relationships. 5.       He is clear about what he wants. Jesus too wants us to be clear about what we really want. That is why, Jesus asks him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And he rightly replies, “I want to see”. Sight is his priority and nothing else because he knows that by regaining sight, he will regain all that has been lost. 6.       That is why he starts crying out loud. He would persist despite people’s rebuke. He would catch the attention of the master. He was determined to stop the master’s mercy on the roadside. And when Jesus called for him, he was already sure of the Lord’s healing. 7.       At this point, we can note that this physical blindness is more symbolic. It indicates wider and more pervasive blindness. What Jesus heals is not merely physical blindness. His healing is a restoration of holistic sight. Sin causes different layers of blindness. Sin makes us blind toward God, toward others, toward our own self, toward life, toward society, and the whole creation. 8.       The question of Jesus is very valid: “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man knew what he lacked and what he needed. Do we know what we want? Do we realize what we lack? Do we realize that we are blind in very many ways and that we fail to see very many things? 9.       How often we are blind toward God, failing to see His love, His will, and His holy plans? How often we are blind toward others, failing to see them as our brothers and sisters, as our fellow travellers, who have their own good and also struggles? How often we are blind toward our own self, failing to see ourselves as we are, with our merits and demerits as well? 10.   How much do we fail to see our true image in the likeness of God, and also the false sheathes that are covering heavily this deeper image? How much do we fail to see life as a blend of the pleasant and the unpleasant, good and bad? 11.   How often do we fail to see the true nature of life as transient on earth and destined toward eternity? How much do we fail to see our duty toward society and its role in our lives? How often do we fail to see our moral obligations as social persons? And how much do we also fail to see the whole creation as a handiwork of God and thus nurture a sense of stewarding and care toward it instead of manipulating and destroying it?   Direction: All of us are blind in different ways. We must realise and accept it in sincerity. We must in faith run to the Lord for sight. But once healed, we must walk the Lord’s way and not our own way    21 NOVEMBER 2023: 2 MACC 6. 18-31; LUKE 19. 1-10   Focus: Faith is faithfulness! Indicative: Faith is not merely believing some doctrines and following certain laws and traditions. Faith is essentially a matter of faithfulness come what may 1.      In today’s word of God, we have two great examples of faith. In the first reading from 2 Maccabees, we have the example of Eleazar, a renowned scribe. He was forced and allured to violate his God-given law by eating the forbidden meat. But no fear of death or no persuasion to pretend to eat in order to escape would swerve him from his conviction and perseverance. 2.      He preferred to embrace death rather than save his life. He preferred to die a noble death rather than live a disgraceful life. He preferred death and then eternal life rather than a little extended life but then an eternal damnation. He stood steadfast in his fidelity to God. Thus, in his death, he set an example of nobility and courage. 3.      In the gospel, in the person of Zacchaeus, we have another example of faith. Of course, this is a faith, different from Eleazar's. While Eleazar remained rooted and clung to his long-inherited faith, Zacchaeus received new faith. He made a total about-turn. He turned to Jesus with a passionate heart, and he tuned his whole life to the person and following of Jesus. 4.      He truly made a journey of faith. This is seen in his transition from a deep desire to encounter Jesus to a total conversion and transformation of life. From the extortion of a tax collector, there is a big leap of distributing half of his property to the poor and fourfold repay to those defrauded. Thereby, he is counted as a son of Abraham from being labelled as an ostracized sinner. He is blessed with salvation, being liberated from the curse of sin. 5.      The memorial of the Presentation of Mary of today is a timely reminder for us of this blessing and salvation. It is said that already at the age of three, the child Mary was offered to God in the temple. And from that moment till the end and now as well, the life of Mary is one unceasing act of blessing and salvation.   Imperative: We are constantly reminded about how we should traverse the journey of faith. We need to constantly transit from imperfect faith to perfect faith. We must safeguard and preserve the gift and treasure of faith in faithfulness (Reflection 2) Focus: All that matters to God is not status or position, but a humble and honest heart. Every sincere and committed effort on behalf of God will win His abundant grace   1.      The story of Zacchaeus is a great source of consolation and encouragement for all. For God's grace accepts and graces us despite our unworthiness and failures. Zacchaeus, being a tax collector was labelled as a sinner and was despised. 2.      Yet Jesus was not conditioned by these human considerations, calculations, or labels. He is not prejudiced. He is not resentful or judgmental. He does not condemn him but readily offers his mercy and salvation. 3.      For his part, Zacchaeus does his homework. He nurtures a profound desire and motivation to see Jesus. He is not discouraged by the obstacles of his shortness and crowd; he takes the trouble to surpass these blocks by placing himself on high climbing a sycamore tree. He encounters Jesus. He responds to Jesus' invitation to be his guest and celebrates his presence with a banquet. 4.      He undergoes a deep conversion. He testifies his conversion by a concrete and abundantly generous act of renouncing and sharing: half of his property with the poor, and fourfold repay to all those defrauded. 5.      Thus, he truly deserves the blessing and salvation of God. Jesus pronounces the heart-soothing words: “Today, salvation has come to this house. He too is a son of Abraham”. It is not just a blessing and a compliment. 6.      It is the greatest gift that one can expect: He is given a new dignity. He is raised from the low level of being a sinner to the noble status of being a son of Abraham, that is, one of the chosen people. He is blessed with salvation, being saved from the curse of sin. 7.      What is our journey? Do we desire and set out to encounter Jesus, to be touched and transformed by him? How concrete and authentic is our conversion? Very truly, the biggest block in this journey is our tepidity and lukewarmness.   Direction: When one discovers Jesus, the greatest treasure, one will not still be possessed by the possessions. One will not continue unconverted and untransformed   22 NOVEMBER 2023: 2 MACC 7. 1, 20-31; LUKE 19. 11-28   Focus: Laid waste or put to use? Indicative: We are gifted and talented in abundant ways. But the greatness does not depend on the numerosity of the talents. Rather it depends on the abundance of their use and beneficialness. 1.      The parable of talents in today’s gospel is a familiar one to many. A nobleman gives his ten servants one pound each to trade with them. On his return from his trip afar, the servants are summoned to his presence. All gave back to him added pounds as a result of trading, except one. 2.      He lays it in a napkin and gives it back to his master. He did no trading. He laid it to waste. He has no regrets for not putting the pound to use. All the more, he blames his master for being a severe and greedy man and so he is faithfully returning the one pound. 3.      Obviously, he incurs the wrath of his master on both counts. One, because he failed to be productive; the other, he falsely accuses his master so as to cover up his failure. How often, are we also not like that last servant? 4.      God has gifted us with an abundance of gifts. These can be in the form of some external talents and skills like intelligence and knowledge, eloquence, singing, dancing, et cetera. These also can be in the form of more basic gifts like the ability to love, to give, to forgive, in sum, the whole inner power of virtues. 5.      God certainly expects results and fruits. How many gifts and talents is not the matter. Rather how and how much do we make use of God-given gifts or talents for the sake of God and good is what matters. We need to bear in mind that concerning external and technical talents, there can be variations. 6.      But we need not bother too much about this fact of difference. It is a matter of difference and divergence. It should not be a matter of discrimination. We must be more concerned about the more profound, basic and abiding qualities and gifts like love and virtue. 7.      This is where we have the glowing example of a mother and her seven sons in the first reading from the 2 Maccabees. She perseveres in her faith not only personally but also motivates and encourages her sons to remain loyal to their God even in the face of death. Their faith is the greatest gift and talent. And we are called to preserve and foster this gift always. 8.       St Cecilia whom we commemorate today lived a holy and committed life with a passionate love for the Lord to the extent of martyrdom. Thus she could merit the heavenly crown. Imperative: Let us not blame God for our lack of responsibility and accountability. Let us become more assiduous and productive. Let us always be faithful stewards and servants (Reflection 2) Thrust: Rich but wasted! Indicative: In life suffering and misery are not always because of the lack or scarcity of resources or abilities but because of the lack of goodwill and personal application   1.      In the gospel, we have the famous parable of talents. Usually, it is interpreted as encouraging and challenging us to discover and develop our talents. This is a valid direction of reflection. But we can expand it a little more. We can apply it to the whole life in its entirety. 2.       The gospel mentions “a nobleman who goes to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.” This can very well indicate Jesus himself. He is sent by the Father from heaven to the far country of the earth to establish his kingdom and then return. 3.       As the nobleman in the parable is hated by his citizens, so too Jesus was hated by his own people, the Pharisees, and scribes. Just as the people sent a delegation after him, saying, “We do not want this man to reign over us,” so too Jesus’ people constantly reject him, resisting his reign over them. 4.       Now, just as the nobleman entrusted one mina each to ten of his servants before he left, so too Jesus is entrusting the riches of his blessings, the treasure of his grace. In difference to Matthew 25. 14-30 where the master gives 5, 2, and 1 talents to three of his servants, here in Luke, ten servants are given equally, one each mina. 5.       The point is clear: all of us are given God’s spiritual riches. There is no exemption, exclusion or discrimination concerning God’s grace. We are blessed with varied talents. We are expected to put them to use and to be responsible and diligent. We must be productive and bring out abundant fruits. 6.       On his return, the Lord would see a reckoning. The first two prospered one mina into 10 and 5 respectively. They are appreciated and rewarded richly with 10 and 5 respectively. Their fidelity in small things brings a rich reward. But the last one hid it unused in a handkerchief and gave it back to the master.   Imperative: The more we have zeal and productivity, the more we will be blessed. One who has, more he will be given   23 NOVEMBER 2023: 1 MACC 2. 15-29; LUKE 19. 41-44   Focus: Love that languishes! Indicative: What is very consoling and heartening is that our God is a God of heart. He feels for us and with us. He is so sensitive that he even weeps over us, for our plight and flight with evil 1.      Jesus weeps over Jerusalem because he knows her impending destruction. The city and the temple were symbols of glory and honour. But these external causes of greatness would not save them from their fateful misery. 2.      Jesus also states the reason for this destructive end. It is because they did not recognize the time of God’s visitation to them. In the context of the history of salvation, “God visits His people” would mean that he enters into their lives, encounters them and also intervenes in their testing times and transforms their condition. 3.      Truly God visited his people in and through his own Son, Jesus. He offered them his love, guided them with his light and strengthened them with his power. But sadly, the people did not accept him and cooperate with him. 4.      They rejected his message and the effect of his saving acts. Consequently, they invited upon themselves destruction. In fact, it is a self-destruction. They cannot blame anyone else for their pitiable ruin except their own selves. 5.      In contrast, in the first reading from 1 Maccabees, we have a glorious model of loyalty in the person of Mattathias, a great leader in the city of Modein. He was allured to be numbered among the friends of the king and to be honoured with silver and gold and many gifts, if only they deserted the God of their fathers and obey the king’s orders for apostasy. 6.      But undaunted was the courage and faith of Mattathias. He declares boldly, “Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, yet I and my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathers. Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left hand”. 7.      He burned with zeal, defied the king’s order, killed a man who came to offer sacrifice, killed the king’s officer, and left all that they had in the city and fled to the hills, with his sons and many other loyal Israel. 8.      His example urges us for a renewed zeal for God, God’s house and God’s holy statutes. We must remain faithful to the laws and ordinances inherited through our long and hallowed traditions. Even though we are threatened and intimidated by dire consequences, we must not swerve in our loyalty. Imperative: In a world and religion of mediocrity and lukewarmness especially in matters of faith and charity, true followers of Christ must revive and rekindle the losing fire of burning zeal for God and conviction (Reflection 2) Arrow: If only you know the ways of God? Focus: No amount of external glory or worldly accomplishments can substitute for openness to God and His grace   1.      Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. No doubt that the city and temple of Jerusalem are icons of glory and pride for their people. But this glory and greatness cannot save them, they fail to be receptive and cooperative to God’s grace. 2.      All the exterior splendour, pomp and name cannot condone and make good for their lack of receptivity and cooperation. God in His mercy has come to visit His people and save them through His only Son Jesus. 3.      He shows them the ways of peace and urges them to walk these ways. He immolates himself for their sake. He bails himself out as ransom in order to purchase them back. But they do not recognize God's visitation. They become obstinate and refuse to adhere to Jesus. This deeply anguishes the loving heart of Jesus who cries out bitter tears. 4.      God continues to weep over us and the whole of humanity. His heart languishes looking at how man prides himself in the external displays and glories. He is deeply pained by how man seeks vain pleasures. 5.      He is agonized at how man willingly renders himself in the hands of the enemies. True to Jesus’ words in the gospel passage, the “enemies surround him with barricades, shut him in and press on him on every side. And they will dash him and his children to the ground. They will not leave a stone upon a stone within his manmade kingdom”. How truly today’s man is bound in manifold ways!   Direction: It is better to weep over making Jesus weep for us, instead of priding ourselves in vain and shallow glories   24 NOVEMBER 2023: 1 MACC 4. 36-37, 52-59; LUKE 19. 45-48 Focus: Zeal for the sacred! Indicative: One of the greatest tragedies of today’s society is the loss of the sense of the sacred. A spirit and culture of profanity has invaded all the spheres of life 1.      In the first reading from the 1 Maccabees, we have a vivid and touching description of the rededication of the Jerusalem temple by Judas, his brothers and many other faithful Israel. They cleanse the temple, build a new altar, offer sacrifices, fall on their faces and worship and bless heaven, gratefully recollect His mighty and merciful interventions, and sing on harps, lutes and cymbals. They restore the gates and chambers for the priests. They decorate the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields. They also decided on its annual memorial. 2.      It was indeed a memorable celebration of rededication. It was not only a rededication of the temple but at the same time a rededication of the people as well. They renew their fidelity to God. They recapture the lost spirit and lost covenantal relationship with God. They put an end to all their profanity and perversity and vow to be straight and upright in the ways of God. 3.      In the gospel too, we have a similar act of reconsecration of the temple by Jesus. Jesus cleanses the temple that has become a business place, a “den of robbers”. The holy temple was truly desecrated and it needed a reconsecration. Jesus needed the guts and he had them. He knew that it would aggravate animosity against him as the authorities sought to destroy him as an immediate reaction. But nothing would deter his zeal for God and His holy abode. 4.      Jesus was filled with a holy fire of just anger because the sacredness was not only ignored and abandoned but also replaced by profanity. The House of Prayer was turned into a den of robbers! These two incidents of reconsecration must strongly challenge us about our own frequent tendencies and acts of desecration of our temples. 5.      Desecration of the temple takes place in two ways. It is a direct desecration whenever we do not sustain an ambience of the holy in our churches. Whenever we fail to experience and foster an atmosphere of holiness, there is desecration. Besides, whenever we use our churches for profane purposes, turning them into marketing or advertising or organizing halls, there is desecration. 6.      But there is also another serious desecration. Whenever people enter the holy temple with desecrated hearts and lives, there is also a grievous desecration. When the temple is peopled with people, so much polluted by sin and evil, it is a pervasive desecration. Imperative: It is not enough that we decorate and venerate our churches and celebrate various spiritual activities in them. We must make sure that they transmit an aura of holiness and cleanse us. We need a reconsecration both of our temples and believers! (Reflection 2) Focus: Sense of the sacred and fear of God alone will lead to order and harmony in life   1.      Jesus does a sort of temple cleansing. He appears rather violent and drives out all the marketing and shopping in the temple area. The driving motive behind this just anger is his passion for the sanctity of God’s holy house. How could the most Holy One of God compromise on desecrating what is consecrated? 2.      The same can be the situation in the present times. One of the major tragedies of today's society is temples that are consecrated are getting desecrated. This happens in both the senses and aspects of the temple. 3.      First, the temple refers to the churches, the holy places of worship. Second, the temple refers to the human person himself. We read in 1 Corinthians 3. 16: "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?". 4.      Churches are houses of prayer, the unique place of God's personal presence. But sadly, not seldom they are turned into centres and domains of secondary and shallow interests and transactions like the "den of robbers". 5.      They become auditoriums for organizational activities. They become stages for displays, platforms for socialization, and launching grounds for self-deliveries. The spiritual ambience which is crucial to a church is often missing. 6.      Further, day by the human person is increasingly getting desecrated and polluted by many deviated and aberrant, destructive, and harmful thoughts, words, and actions. We need a thorough cleansing.   Direction: We need to recapture our sense and culture of communion with God in humble devotion and surrender. We need to regain our lost innocence and purity of heart and the human person   25 NOVEMBER 2023: 1 MACC 6. 1-13; LUKE 20. 27-40   Focus: Life beyond death! Indicative: We are given this life so that we can live it well. This earthly life is only a temporary duration and we should never lose sight of what lies after 1.      We often experience and witness a dominant culture of death. A lot of fear, violence and destruction surrounds us. Respect for life and human dignity, values and relationships is fast declining. 2.      The idea of God as well as the approach to Him are shallow and defective. God is seen as a God of stop-gaps, one who is sought in times of need and use. Further, there is a heavy tendency to “privatize” God also, confining Him to the boundaries of religion or class. 3.      All these are nothing but tendencies of making God dead. Perhaps this is the re-rising of the negative philosophy of Nietzsche, “God is dead”. When people do not live and promote the life that is given by God, they deaden God. 4.      When God does not live within and amidst the humans, they deaden Him. When His kingdom of love, justice and peace do not reign among the humans, they make Him dead. 5.      It is in this context, that the declaration of Jesus that “God is not God of the dead, but of the living; because all live to Him” makes tremendous sense. Death is not our end or destiny. Life and that too, eternal life is our end and destiny. Physical death is only a closure to the earthly life. But it is an opening upon a new life, an everlasting life. 6.      This life in eternity is a life above and beyond the earthly life. This means that we are raised to a higher level where we do not operate merely on the basis of earthly ties or human attachments. We will also not be carried away by earthly pursuits or interests. We become fully spiritual and heavenly. In the words of Jesus, we “are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection”. 7.      Therefore, to attain that life of eternity, we need to recommit ourselves to making God live in us and among us. We must be alive to God. We must foster a culture of life that reflects God, for all life belongs to Him. God must re-enter and live more intimately in human hearts, lives, societies and nations. 8.      For this, one essential condition is the realization and repentance over our sinfulness, like Antiochus in the first reading from 1 Maccabees. He reflects, realizes and repents over his wickedness against Israel and against God Himself. Imperative: The reality of death must constantly remind us that we must look beyond death. Our faith makes us focused on eternity; our hope must make us directed to heaven; and our charity must make us committed to earth (Reflection 2)   Focus: This earthly life is not an end by itself but resurrection and eternal life is our destiny. Therefore, let this life now be a worthy passage to the life then   1.      Jesus declares: “God is the God of living and not of the dead, for to Him everyone is alive”. Thereby, two fundamental truths are affirmed. God is God of eternity, and we too are destined for the same eternity. Our God is a living God; He is the God of life and He shares this same life, His own life with us. 2.      If this is so, then we will live with Him in eternity. This earthly human life is only temporary duration, a transit in preparation for that life without end. Therefore, death is not a permanent closure or cessation of life but is only a door that opens upon resurrection and risen life in heaven. 3.      But this destiny after death commits us to life before death to live it with a spirit of focus and direction, detachment and soaring high. Our life on earth should be in such a way qualitative that it qualifies us for life in heaven. 4.      Unfortunately, many lose sight of this fundamental nature of nurturing and orientation to life in eternity. Consequently, they tend to live a culture of death. They tend to be heavily conditioned and stuck with only the temporary and transient. They fail to value and appreciate life. They fail to realise that life is precious and sacred because it is a share of God’s own life. 5.      That is why often it is so much abused and destroyed. Further, the loss of the sense of eternity also makes people lose their sense of purpose and direction. They become excessively earth-bound. They do not raise themselves to what is above, what is high and lofty. Ironically, people who claim to be foresighted and far-sighted fail to see the horizons of eternity.   Direction: Let us not secularise too much heaven and eternal life. Let us not restrict the unbounded mercy and reign of God