First week days of Lent 24

19 - 24 FEBRUARY 2024, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS 19 FEBRUARY 2024: LEVITICUS 19. 1-2, 11-18; MATTHEW 25. 31-46 Focus: Charity is the only criterion! Indicative: Love for the other and charity to them is the ultimate criterion that decides the fate of the last judgment. Those who fail in the principle of charity will be liable to judgment and punishment 1.      Very often, segregation is made between the spiritual domain and the actual. Accordingly, we see a lot of dichotomy between one’s devotion and one’s action. Often we find people to be very spiritual but not integral, very prayerful but not charitable. 2.       It is in this context today’s liturgy of the word affirms once again the inseparable harmony between holiness and goodness, between faith in God and charity to others. 3.       In the first reading, God commands His people to be holy as He is holy. But, immediately all the later directives concern duties toward the neighbour. This implies that being good and just to others is the real expression of being holy and faithful to God. 4.       In the gospel too, in the context and light of the last judgment, Jesus drives home that charity is the supreme principle and love in action is the ultimate criterion for the last judgment. The central focus of the last judgment is the bond of fraternity and the duty of charity. Charity to others especially in need becomes the concrete expression and testimony of the love of God in action. 5.       Charity is a binding obligation on every disciple of Christ. It is the ultimate criterion that pivots the whole direction of divine justice. In the last judgment what is striking is that the acts of charity which express the love of neighbour are tantamount to the love of God itself. 6.       In doing all those benevolent acts of love, one is loving God Himself (v. 40: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “; v. 45: “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me’”). 7.       This love of neighbour is further so noble that it does all the good without any ulterior motive, so selfless even to the extent of not being aware of doing it for God; they are devoid of even this holy motive of doing everything to please God. 8.       However, we need to bear in mind one important factor.  It would be unfair to attest that God judges on the basis of actions, and so devotion and prayer are not primary matters. Even though the spiritual aspect is not explicitly mentioned, it is profoundly present. A true charity, a life of good actions is possible only when there is a deep spiritual foundation. 9.       One who is prayerful cannot but be charitable. One who is genuinely and joyfully charitable and committed to good, cannot but be solidly rooted in God and prayer because it is there that he derives his motivation and strength. One cannot do good unless inspired and prompted by the Holy Spirit.   Imperative: Devotion without charity will be without flesh. That is why, the great Saint Francis de Sales exclaimed: “Charity is the perfection of devotion”, that is, the apex and culmination of devotion is the ecstasy of charity. (Reflection 2) Pivot: Love is the sum! Indicative: Love is the greatest commandment. It is twofold: for God and others. It is the same love that manifests itself in two aspects 1.      The whole focus of the word of God is on love, with its emphasis on love for others. Fraternal love is both the expression and also the evidence and testimony of love for God. Accordingly, it also becomes the crucial criterion for the last judgment. 2.      All the questions of the judgment concern fraternal duties, like feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned 3.      In fact, all these fraternal concerns are not just nice acts of kindness. They are also not merely moral matters of doing good or not doing. They are essential and fundamental human obligations. They are non-negotiable principles of justice. In this sense, they are not favours that we do according to our liking or convenience. They are inescapably binding 4.      The commandments of God in the first reading also carry this fundamentally binding character. Unfortunately many look at them from a mere religious or legal or moral perspective, that is as matters of religion or laws or ethics 5.      We do not deny their religious, legal or ethical nature. But they are not just that. They pertain to the whole life. They affect the whole person, inter-relationships, and society. They are profound issues of integrity, sensitivity, and justice 6.      They are the “religion in action”, God in humanity, and holiness in goodness. That is why, Jesus says, “Whatever you do to the needy brethren, you do it for me”. This kind of integral understanding of religion is very exigent in our times. 7.      We find in our times a distorted and narrow perspective of religion. It is limited to mere rituals or some religious activities with total disrespect and damage to the basic principles of humanity and justice. Imperative: What kind of religion it is when it fails in the spirit of unity, fraternity, and charity? A religion that is inhuman and destructive in the name of God and religion is only demoniac. It is high time that our devotion is re-clothed with humanness 20 FEBRUARY 2024: ISAIAH 55. 10-11; MATTHEW 6. 7-15 Focus: Sole and Soul Prayer! Indicative: Prayer is not just a matter of reciting some prayers or making some supplications. Prayer is a matter of realizing, relating, and reforming 1.      We have in today’s gospel the sublime prayer ‘Our Father’. It is unique because it is the only prayer that is formulated, taught, and ordered by Jesus to pray. However, the prayer ‘Our Father’ is not just a single, individual prayer. 2.       It is not so much what to pray. It is not so much about what are the contents or formulations. Rather, what matters is how to pray, and with what spirit to pray. Thus, the prayer ‘Our Father’ is not a prayer but a way of praying. 3.       ‘Our Father’ is the model or summary-prayer. It denotes the essence of the spirit of praying. Some of the essential ingredients of this spirit of praying are the sense of family and belonging; the sense of reverence; the sense of surrender; the sense of mission; the sense of contentment; the sense of forgiveness, and the sense of resistance and steadfastness amidst trials and temptations. 4.       “Sense of family and belonging”: In calling God ‘Our Father’, we affirm and remind ourselves that we all belong to one family of God as His children and brothers and sisters. Therefore, a good prayer must always carry this note and tone of filial and fraternal bonding. 5.       “Sense of reverence”: “Holy be your name!” implies that we not only honour and revere God but also live a life that keeps up His holy name. We keep Him holy by living holy and worthy lives. “Sense of surrender”: “Your will be done!” Our prayer is that we do not cling to or do our will but God’s will. His will becomes our norm and doing His will becomes our only concern and priority. 6.       “Sense of mission”: We wish and pray that God reigns everywhere and always. We pray that His kingdom of love, justice, and peace is established. Further, we also commit ourselves to promoting this kingdom. “Sense of content”: “Give us our daily bread” denotes that we become satisfied with what is minimum. We shall not be ridden by greed and accumulation. 7.       “Sense of forgiveness”: This is a crucial attitude and approach for genuine prayer. A prayer that has no forgiving heart is not acceptable to God. A heart that prays but harbours a grudge, resentment, and negativity cannot win God’s grace. To the extent we forgive others. to that extent, we will obtain God’s forgiveness. 8.       “Sense of steadfastness”: Surrounded and tormented by trials and tribulation. In the face of them, we must remain stable, do not lament, and become efficacious; lest we succumb easily to any little stroke of the evil.   Imperative: The quality of prayer does not depend upon the quantity of words but the quality of faith. It consists of filiality, fraternity, and fraternity  (Reflection 2) Focus: True prayer is not merely reciting a number of words but being with God and seeking His holy will. Praying is not reciting but relating, not submitting petitions, but submitting one’s own self   1.      Jesus once again teaches us what and how to pray through the prayer 'Our Father', a sublime prayer. Certainly, it is unique because it is taught by Jesus himself. But perhaps, our focus and emphasis should be on its spirit, thrust, and direction, rather than its formulations and contents. 2.      The power of prayer comes from God who makes them efficacious and not so much from the words themselves. Therefore, the spirit with which the heart prays is more important than the pomposity of the words. 3.      The purpose is not to impress God but to relate deeply with Him. Certainly, God is not impressed by the quantity of words, but by the quality of heart. Thus, words that come from a shallow heart become empty and superfluous. Prayer is not a tool of information or application to God about our needs, but an ambience of a personal relationship with Him and with others. 4.      There are some essential ingredients. True prayer should be done with a deep sense of a spiritual family where God is the Father of all and all are sisters and brothers. True prayer should be always intent on seeking His holy will and committing oneself to God's reign. 5.      It should be imbued with and animated by a spirit of utter dependence on God's providence. It should be embalmed with a pleasant spirit of contentment. True prayer should breathe from a resolute heart that resents and resists evil with God's strength. 6.      And the spirit of forgiveness becomes vital for a true prayer because God never accepts a prayer with an unforgiving heart. In the light of the first reading from Isaiah, a true prayer should be open to the productive power of God’s Word which is like rain. It should make a person productive and effective because ultimately productivity is the real effect and sign of true prayer.   Direction: A genuine prayer is like a rain pour that enlivens and revitalizes all life. It springs from the heart and unites it with God who gives the effect. Thus no true prayer is insipid and unproductive.   21 FEBRUARY 2024: JONAH 3. 1-10; LUKE 11. 29-32 Focus: Evil generation! Indicative: One big tragedy of today’s society is the lack of openness and receptivity to the good and the positive. Still, further, there is unreflected haste to embrace fully the evil and the negative 1.      In today’s gospel, Jesus is very strong in his rebuke of the people of his time. He says, “This generation is an evil generation”. He also makes the reason explicit. It is because they seek signs to believe in God’s power working through Jesus. 2.       In fact, there may not be anything wrong with seeking signs. And many times, we too seek signs. But the problem is not the lack of them. They are always there but people are not ready to recognize and accept them. And even if they see them, they are not ready to follow what they signify. 3.       Besides, the problem was also the purpose and the intention with which they wanted the signs. It is not to confirm their faith, or to be assured and strengthened. Rather, it was a pretext, an excuse not to believe Jesus. It was an “evasive” mechanism. 4.       There were plenty of signs all through their history. God performed numberless signs in the form of mighty works and wonders during their slavery, exile, and sojourns. Again and again, numerous encounters and events confirmed to them God’s protection, care, guidance, and empowerment. The reference to the prophet Jonah and his mission is itself a sign of repentance and God’s mercy. 5.       Not only in their past history but in their present time itself, in the person and mission of Jesus himself, there were many signs through his preaching, teaching, and healing. His life and mission are themselves ample signs and testimonies of God’s love, mercy, and compassion. They were meant to arouse repentance in the people and lead them to conversion.   Imperative: The world of today is no different from that generation. This generation too adamantly refuses to see and follow signs (Reflection 2) Focus: One great perversity of this generation is not recognizing either the presence or the purpose of the signs   1.      Jesus is justly agonized over the obstinacy of the people of his time. Why? They closed their hearts to perceive and understand the signs from God. These were meant to make them see God's presence and repent. 2.      The teaching and the miracles of Jesus were already powerful signs. In fact, the very person of Jesus was the greatest sign. His call for repentance surpasses that of Jonah, and his wisdom is above that of Solomon. 3.      But unlike them, Jesus was rejected. The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah and converted their ways. The Wisdom of Solomon was greatly acknowledged and admired even by the queen of the South from distance. 4.      But the people of Jesus’ time did not respond to Jesus’ invitation for conversion. They did not accept his divine wisdom and power. Truly this is evil, and it is an evil generation because they refused to see the signs and their message. They fail to experience their power and effect. 5.       The same reproach constantly looms large over our generation also. It is an evil generation to the extent it fails to understand, and accept the plenty of signs. The same fate will befall us when we too ignore the message of these different signs and refuse to cooperate and change. 6.      Jesus incessantly invites us to grow wise and to repent. In wisdom, we need to choose God and good, and in repentance, we must turn away from evil and turn to God. Failing in this will surely make us liable to judgment and condemnation. 7.      But it is never too late. We can always hope and confide in God's condescending mercy, as seen towards the Ninevites. God's pleasure is not in destroying the sinners. He detests sin but not sinners.   Direction: God is not hasty or impatient or intent to punish or destroy us. In His magnanimity, He continues to invite us for repentance. He will relent from His just judgment if only we repent.   22 FEBRUARY 2024: 1 PETER 5. 1-4; MATTHEW 16. 13-19, FEAST of the Chair of St Peter Focus: Chair that is fair! Indicative: In a world that constantly plays a musical “chair’, fighting for power and authority by hook or crook, the holy Catholic Church must recapture the true spirit of Christian power and authority 1.      Today we feast on the Chair of St Peter. This implies the authority of the papacy over the Universal Catholic Church. We accept the pope’s authority by the principle of succession to St Peter. 2.       Thereby, in the first place, on this feast day, we must remind ourselves that we all belong to one church and we all owe our allegiance and subscribe our loyalty to the one church. Thus, it is a call for unity, adherence, and obedience 3.       Therefore, any division and discrimination, any dissension and disparity, any rivalry and conflicts is nothing but a counter-witness to the very nature of the church. In this context, the church on various levels, be it the divergent countries, rites, dioceses, or religious congregations must do a humble self-critique about their spirit of unity, equity and fraternity 4.       This feast is not a celebration of authority but of responsibility because Peter’s authority is not his own. It came from the Lord. He was invested with power by the Lord. Thus, the papal authority or the hierarchical authority is not a self-acquisition. It is due to God. Besides, it is not an authority for subjugation or domination. 5.       Thus, St Peter in his first letter in the first reading exhorts us: “Tend the flock that is entrusted to you, not forcefully or indifferently or selfishly, but willingly, eagerly and authentically”. All authority is but a sacred responsibility for the animation, coordination, and rejuvenation of Christian life 6.       The purpose of all power and authority is the following of the Lord. It is never self-directed but God-centered, God-directed, and other-oriented. The exercise of all authority is meant to bring the people closer to God, to give them the taste of faith, and to groom them in love. 7.       This in fact is the very crux of the Great Commission, the parting mandate of the Lord: Go and make disciples of all the nations … teach them to obey everything that I commanded you (cf. Matthew 28. 19-20). It is also to “love the Lord passionately and follow him in feeding and tending the flock” (cf. John 21. 15-19) 8.       But this duty of the authorities to guide and lead others also essentially implies that they themselves are guided and led by the Lord. Those who demand others to obey them must also obey the Lord. Those who make others follow the Lord must themselves follow him. They need to “walk the talk”!   Imperative: The church can really suffer when the spirit of authority degenerates into power-mongering and self-seeking. The purpose of authority is lost when division and manipulation become the rule of authority   (Reflection 2)   Focus: The Church is not a mere human association or a structure and system of power. And authority is not a medium of self-projection or an instrument of dominance   1.      Today we celebrate the feast of the Chair of Peter. In the first place, this feast reminds us that the Church is one and must be a symbol of unity. A church that is divided, saddled with dissensions and rivalry, is a contradiction to its very nature. 2.      Such a divided church is a deep displeasure to God and a blatant counter-witness to the world. This celebration is also a strong recall to check upon our ideas of church and power and authority. Subsequently, it is also a summon to recapture the lost clarity and spirit. 3.      The church is not just an organization of structures, doctrines, and traditions. It is a living and dynamic reality. It is deeply personal. It is the living body of the person of Christ. It is the community of believers. 4.      Strictly speaking, the Church is “she”. Yes, she is the bride of Christ, the sole bridegroom. She is the sacrament of salvation. She is the living testimony of God’s own love and mission. 5.      Surely there is a hierarchy of authority. Some in the line of St Peter are placed "over" others. But it is not to rule or lord over them, it is not to subjugate them by constraint and coercion. Real authority is a matter of shepherding and witnessing by one's life-example. 6.      How rightly Peter reminds us in his first letter: Tend the flock that is entrusted to you, not forcefully or indifferently or selfishly, but willingly, eagerly and authentically! 7.      Authority is a gift from God, and so it is very sacred. This demands a constant spirit of reverence, humility, and responsibility towards the power one wields and the authority one exercises. God has vested the authorities with power, not for manipulation or self-assertion and self-promotion. 8.      It will be a sacrilege if someone abuses it. It is so sad that today, a good number seem to lose sight of this sacredness of power and authority. More and more, it is tainted with worldly standards and interests. 9.      The image of shepherd-servant leadership that cares, guides, and serves, seems to be a mirage!   Direction: If only the message of today on authority is a little louder to some of those in authority, if only they are a little more attentive to follow it, how blessed will be faith and the church!   23 FEBRUARY 2024: EZEKIEL 18. 21-28; MATTHEW 5. 20-26 Focus: Surpassing ways! Indicative: In a world that always contents itself with the minimums, the disciples of Christ must go farther to the maximum. Minimums will not reach us to the kingdom 1.      As followers of Christ, certainly we desire to enter heaven. Jesus gives us the way to make it. It is to make our righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees and scribes. Now their righteousness consisted of the observance of laws and traditions. It was righteousness confined to legalism, that is, to follow the letter of the law. 2.       Instead, we must go beyond, the letter to the spirit of the law. The letter gets caught with the details of the law. But the spirit goes behind and beneath, beyond and above, to the purpose and the aim of it. Their righteousness lacked the right intention and the depth of following the law. It was heartless and shallow. 3.       True following of the law blends together both the right intention and action, both the heart and life, both devotion and dedication, and both faith and charity. In other words, it is going from the minimum to the maximum. 4.       The minimum is to be bothered only about how to keep the law. But the maximum is concerned about how to live by the law. The minimum thinks only of avoiding the negative, what is prohibited. But the maximum seeks to fulfil the positive, what is required, praiseworthy and beneficial. 5.       In the light of the gospel, the minimum is to avoid murder but the maximum is to avoid even the subtle forms of murder, like anger, humiliation, and offence. The minimum is to avoid or ignore the enemies or keep away from them, those who are not good to us. But the maximum is to take the initiative to get reconciled to them. 6.       In the light of the first reading from Ezekiel, the true righteousness is to repent over the evil, turn to good and persevere in the good. Anyone who does not continue faithful to the good but turns away from it will incur God’s judgment. 7.       Even if one has been righteous for long and then turns away from good and turns toward evil, he is liable to God’s punishment. The point here is not a mathematical comparison of how much good or evil. Or how long? Or which is more and longer? The whole issue is whether one turns away from evil and turns to good and remains steadfast in the good.   Imperative: We must constantly rise above practising devotions to experiencing devotion, and rise above observing laws to living their spirit. What is important is not following a religion but following the Lord (Reflection 2) Focus: Repentance to turn away from evil and perseverance in the good we have turned to, are both essential for a life pleasing to God   1.      The judgment of God in the first reading from Ezekiel seems rather disconcerting, unreasonable, and unkind. In simple, a wicked man's past sins will not be counted, if he repents; a good man's past good acts will not be counted, if he turns to evil. 2.      We may not have much problem accepting the first case, because God is merciful. But, the second case is difficult to accept because it looks as if God is harsh in throwing away all the past good. Here let us not argue about it. 3.      Here what is emphasized is: repent and turn to God, and persevere in the good. It is not a matter of how many good actions one does or how long one is good. Rather, consistently we must be loyal to God. Our journey should be progressive and not regressive, that is, from evil to good and not from good to evil. 4.      This should be from the minimum to the maximum. This is very clear in the gospel: It is no more just doing what the letter of the law demands, but following its spirit. We strive to be righteous holistically and not only legalistically, in contrast to the old way (Mt 5. 20). 5.      Following the letter is the minimum, but following the spirit, is the maximum. To avoid physical killing is the minimum, and to avoid even oral and psychological killing by anger and insult is the maximum. To make an offering to God to please Him or reconcile with Him is the minimum, but to offer to God with a heart that is reconciled with the other, is the maximum. 6.      As long as one is satisfied with doing what is ordinary or what is normally expected, there is no greatness. But one should go beyond, one should surpass the ordinary scale. One should constantly raise the heights of one’s virtue and quality of life. And this is the real persistence and stability in the path of righteousness, which God calls for in the first reading.   Direction: In a society that always seeks minimum trouble and maximum profit, less effort, and more effect, we are called to be persons with maximum commitment, irrespective of self-interest.   24 FEBRUARY 2024: DEUTERONOMY 26. 16-19; MATTHEW 5. 43-48   Focus: Go beyond! Indicative: True religion is true faith. True faith is nothing but living a life according to the statutes and commandments of God 1.      True faith always aims at perfection. Perfect faith constantly strives to walk the path of perfection. Our God is a perfect God and we need to model our lives by nothing less than Him. That is why Jesus commands us, “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”. 2.       Mark! This is not an appeal but an imperative, not an option but an obligation. If we are the children of God, if we are the followers of Christ, then we must try to imitate Him and resemble Him in His perfection. How to do this? 3.       First, Be obedient and adherent to His statutes, rules, and commandments. Walk in God’s ways. Obey His voice. And this we must do with all our heart and all our soul. 4.       Second, Be holy before the Lord our God, just as He is holy. 5.       Third, Be Equitable to all. God shows no discrimination to anyone. He avails His grace justly to all. Whether people are receptive and cooperative or not is another thing. Irrespectively, He lets His sun shine on all, be it good or evil; lets His rain fall on all, be it just or unjust. 6.       Fourth, Be magnanimous: Love not only our friends and kinsmen but even our enemies. Pray for those who persecute us. It is a call to cut across our self-created barricades like friends - foes, kin - aliens.   Imperative: Amidst all the pulls and pressures of imperfections, we are called to tread the path of perfection. It consists of obedience, love, and magnanimity (Reflection 2) Focus: The beauty, the value, and the perfection of life consist of love and equity. This is possible when it is modelled on God   1.      True religion is not a matter of mere commandments and doctrines, but a way of life in a loving relationship with God. God enters into a covenant with us, whereby He becomes our God and we become His people. 2.      This is what is fundamental to all faith and spirituality: We belong to God and there is a total mutual owning - He owns us and we own Him. We are unequivocally called to be like our God because we are His own possession. 3.      In Deuteronomy, God through Moses urges us: "You shall be a people holy to the Lord your God”. In this sense, commandments, precepts, and observances become not restrictions but expressions of love and fidelity. 4.      This bonding and fidelity entail us to constantly orient and model our life on Him so that we become more like Him. Jesus exhorts us: Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. We have a model nothing less than the Father Himself. 5.      Concretely it means to manifest a love that is undiscriminating. True love is like God's love which has no confines or boundaries. It is not conditioned by human calculations or niceties or biases. It goes beyond the narrow boundaries of my people, relatives, friends, or 'useful’ people, and extends even to enemies. 6.      This implies a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, in contrast to revenge and retaliation; a spirit of magnanimity in giving and doing the maximum, more than the expected and required. It also calls us to manifest a sense of equity and fairness towards all, making no distinction or discrimination between friend or foe, good or bad. 7.      Thus, to become perfect means to constantly model our life on God's mindset, His mercy and compassion, His going beyond the minimums and dry obligations, and His perfection, and this is the culmination of true devotion and charity. Rightly the sweet saint St Francis de Sales affirms: "Charity is the perfection of devotion".   Direction: Let us not domesticate holiness only to some pious gestures and acts. But let us give it a free rein and true face in the concrete spirit of fraternity and acts of charity.