18 SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

18th SUNDAY, 03 AUGUST 2025: QOHELETH 1. 2, 2. 22-23; COL 3. 1-5, 9-11; LUKE 12. 13-21 Thrust: Vanity of vanities! Indicative: Intelligence, knowledge, competence, wealth, position, and fame are no guarantees of wisdom. They can often lead one to vanity and shallowness 1. In the gospel, Jesus narrates a parable of a rich fool. The parable of the rich fool is not just one story among many, narrated by Jesus. But it is a live story because there are many such fools today, and none of us is exempt from such foolishness to some degree or other. 2. It is not a soft lesson but a serious warning! It is not only the fate of the rich man in the parable but the fate of each present fool. Jesus is evident and stern: "It is the fate of those who are rich in the sight of the world, but not in the sight of God". 3. Just imagine the miserable fate of the rich fool: He toiled so hard but could not enjoy the fruits of his labor; he made fantastic plans but did not have the future to implement them; he had abundance for generations but had no life to enjoy it; he had the intelligence to acquire for the passing world but failed to procure for the eternal life; he thought all for himself to possess and enjoy but had to leave to others to own and enjoy. 4. How similar is the life and fate of many in our times! So many are slaves to money and pleasure. So many spend their whole time and energies with the least concern for family and good human relationships. So many scorn the right values for the sake of profit and self-interest. So many defraud and cheat to amass wealth and to maintain shallow and false status and dignity. So many are much bothered about the temporary and temporal, but neglect the spiritual and eternal. Are these not traces of folly? 5. How to eliminate such signs of folly? Grow wise. First and foremost, realise that the worth and beauty of life do not consist in greedy accumulation or material abundance, or economic affluence. Rather, life is beautiful and meaningful in the richness of heart, in the abundance of goodness, in the growth in virtues, in the orientation toward heaven and eternity. Not goods but good, not greed but the need for good, should be the motto of life. 6. St Paul reminds us clearly, "The Kingdom of God does not mean food and drink but peace and righteousness" (Rom 14. 17). Jesus too challenges us squarely: "What does it profit a person to gain the whole world but lose the soul" (Mt 16. 26), for, nothing can be equal to the well-being and saving of the soul. 7. Now, how to grow wise? The answer, too, is given in the parable: "Become rich in God's sight". Become acceptable and pleasing to God. It is better to obey and surrender to God rather than succumb to evil. The answer is quite straightforward in the Wisdom spirituality: "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 1. 7). So the more one has a loving reverence towards God, the more one becomes wise. The more devotion increases, the more wisdom increases. The more spirituality, the less temporality. 8. Therefore, the crucial reason for the misery of today's society is very clear: on one hand, the increase of greed and materialism; and the decrease of God and altruism, on the other hand. Let us not evade the issue or find temporary solutions or shallow remedies in worldliness. The only solution, remedy, and antidote is God and good! Imperative: Those who set their hearts on higher things will also live higher lives. To be practical and to be concerned about the present life does not mean to be earth-bound and to be guided by lesser motives

15 SUNDAY/ GOOD SAMARITAN SUNDAY

15TH SUNDAY, 13 JULY 2025: DEUT 30. 10-14; COL 1. 15-20; LUKE 10. 25-37: GOOD SAMARITAN Thrust: Faith without charity! Indicative: True faith can never be separated from concrete charity. To be truly faithful is to be concretely charitable. A faith without charity is dubious and spurious. 1. In today’s gospel, we have the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable dwells on the crucial question, “Who is my neighbour?” This is very crucial and relevant especially in our own times and in our society. There is a very narrow notion of a neighbour. The neighbourhood is demarcated by the boundaries and affinities like country, race, lineage, caste, region, language, culture, religion, rite, and occupation. Or, it is controlled by the concerns like profit, gratification, convenience, etc. 2. Accordingly we find different kinds of neighbours: those who are totally indifferent and unconcerned toward others, being totally self-interested and self-serving. There are those who harm others for their gain. There are those who help others but with ulterior motives, expecting a return or good impression. There are those who are selectively and conveniently good, only to some or only in some matters or situations. And there are also some who are selflessly other-oriented. What kind of neighbours are we? 3. Today we are reminded and challenged to rise beyond our narrow demarcations. A neighbour is anyone in need, who is in difficulty. The neighbourhood is a matter of assistance and service to attend to the need. It is not a choice but a duty. It is not an option but an obligation. It is not a favour but a mandate. It is not a possibility but a priority. 4. Always and everywhere, one should seek to be a good neighbour to the other. We should not look for good neighbours who can help us and fulfil our needs. Rather, we should strive to be good neighbours to others in need. Fraternity is our identity, sensitivity is our quality and charity is our priority – this in simple is the essence of being a good neighbour. 5. The fault of the priest and the Levite in the gospel is that they failed in their primary identity of being brothers and sisters. They failed in the quality of being sensitive to the victim’s needs. They failed in giving priority to charity. They might even be a good priest and a good Levite. They might be doing well in their duty and profession. They might have their own reasons to avoid helping the victim and to go away in haste. But nothing of these can justify their failure in fraternity, sensitivity, and charity. On the other hand, the Good Samaritan had no botheration about his convenience or gain or schedule or work or time or money. 6. Real charity demands not to “pass by on the other side” like the priest and the Levite, but to “see aside and turn around our attention by the roadside”, to “stop and create space” from one’s busy schedule, to “take the trouble and be humble to get down” from one’s riding on self and self-interests, to “take courage to go out of one’s way”, to “take time to move” to those in need, to “care the wounds of others”, to “accompany them in a process of healing and recovery of strength”. 7. There is also a spiritual side to this story of Good Samaritan, along with the fraternal side. God is the Supreme Good Samaritan because He always keeps close to us in our needs and suffering. He is sensitive and benevolent to us always and everywhere, even without any merit or return on our part. He cares for our wounds inflicted by sin and the troubles of life. He cleans us, heals us and makes us sane again, with his own blood. 8. This is the same mission of Christ of “reconciling all things and everyone to Himself through Christ” as the second reading affirms. So, whenever we become good Samaritans to others, we are only sharing in the very identity and mission of God. In the words of the first reading, it is to “turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”. It is to “have the word very near you… in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it”. Imperative: How many of us are Good Samaritans, genuinely and selflessly? How much are we aware of the boundless compassion of God, the supreme Good Samaritan? How much are we grateful and appreciative of numerous Good Samaritans?

14th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR 25

14TH SUNDAY, 06 JULY 2025: ISAIAH 66. 10-14c; GALATIANS 6. 14-18; LUKE 10. 1-12, 17-20 Thrust: Rejoice! But where do you find your joy? Indicative: As the disciples of Christ, we have no reason to be excessively frightened or worried, even though many adversities may constantly surround us and try to worry us. We have every reason to rejoice 1. All three readings of the day recurrently invite us to “rejoice and be glad”. This tone of joy is striking in the first reading from Isaiah: “Rejoice…”, “Be glad…”, “Rejoice… all you who mourn…”, “Your heart shall rejoice”. In the second reading from Galatians, Paul tells us what to “boast” about. In the gospel, too, Jesus tells his disciples, “Rejoice…”. 2. But this sounds strange and unreal. Especially in our times that abound in evil and wickedness in various forms of cruelty, selfishness, atrocities and perversions, the beauty and joy of human life are constantly threatened and reduced. There seems to be every reason to lament and grieve. 3. All the more, to live as disciples of Christ is very challenging. It is because the world, which is their mission field, is like a battlefield. It is a world that is not responsive and cooperative. 4. Not only this, but it is also directly resistant and destructive. In Jesus’ own words, “Behold, I am sending you out as lambs amid wolves”. Jesus also foresees their rejection as he says, “Whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you…” 5. Another sad thing is the lack of committed labourers to work in this difficult field and reap a rich harvest. “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few”. Consequently, the workload also becomes heavy, and the fruits of the work may not be impressive and abundant. 6. Thus, all these factors are valid reasons to be frightened and discouraged. But, despite all such saddening situations, there is every reason to rejoice and be glad. The sole reason is “God is with us”. As He did with Israel, God Himself will intervene and take our side. He will condone our sin and forgive us. He will bless and prosper us. 7. He will change sadness into gladness, discomfort into comfort, distress into peace, scarcity into abundance, and perishing into flourishing. Hear the great assuring and comforting words of God through Isaiah: “You may nurse and be satisfied…”; “You may drink deeply with delight from (her) glorious abundance”; “You shall be carried upon…”; “Your bones shall flourish like the grass”, and “the hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants”. 8. More forceful and direct and deeply personal is the elevating promise of God as He declares: “Behold, I will extend peace (to her) like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream”; “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted…”. 9. Further, in the light of the gospel, we should rejoice because the Lord does not send us empty-handed on his mission. Rather, he empowers us with his power. He says, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you”. 10. Thus, the sole reason to rejoice is God, His mission and His power. This alone is the highest rationale, and no other lesser motive or interest should dominate or substitute for this. That is why St Paul clearly states, “Far be it from me to ‘boast’ except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”; “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision”. 11. Jesus, too, is crystal clear concerning this highest motive for our joy as he corrects his disciples. The disciples had a successful mission and came back fully excited and overjoyed. They report to their Master: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name”. This looks reasonable and natural. 12. But, this motive is not the highest and perfect. There is certainly something imperfect and worldly. It is finding joy in the spirit of “dominating, subjugating”, though it is the evil spirits. It is joy in self-importance, self-recognition, good impressions, and self-glory. This is for sure not the purpose and objective of the mission. 13. The real end of the mission is God’s glory. It is God’s glorification through our sanctification and salvation. In other words, it is making ourselves worthy in God’s sight, making “our names written in heaven”. Jesus takes them to this higher realm, higher motive, as he says, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”. 14. And for experiencing this real and higher joy, in the light of the readings, we can delineate two important conditions: detachment-renunciation and entrustment to God-becoming a new creation. This Detachment is indicated in Jesus’ mission-imperative: “Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road”. A disciple of Christ does not and should not depend on these worldly securities. 15. St Paul conveys a similar message of renunciation when he says, “I boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”. With this spirit of detachment and renunciation, the disciple would entrust himself to the Lord’s power and light and depend on the Lord. He would throw away the old nature and become a “new creation”. Imperative: The mission that we need to carry on is enormous; the world, which is the object of this mission, is pernicious. But as long as we confide in the Lord’s accompaniment, enlightenment and empowerment, we have no reason to be frightened or saddened