Second week of Advent season 22

05 – 10 DECEMBER 2022, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS 05 DECEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 35. 1-10; LUKE 5. 17-26 Thrust: Come to the Lord! Indicative: The coming of the Lord is transformative. It heals and renews everything. He will bring forth an abundance of joy and new vigour 1. As we move toward the holy Christmas, these days of Advent instill into us immense hope and comfort. Especially the first reading from Isaiah is full of promises for a glorious future with the advent of Messiah. We need not fear or feel weak because our Saviour comes to save and recompense us. 2. We shall see the glory and power of our God. These glory and power are not self-confined or self-seeking. They transform what is lowly and glorify what is miserable. They ignite new hope and joy in everything. The eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf shall be opened. The lame shall leap like a deer and the mute sing for joy. 3. It is not merely physical healing. It is an integrated wholeness. The way of life shall change. It will be the “Way of holiness”, where people live clean, do not go astray, and are ransomed and redeemed. Further, it is not only limited to humans. It transforms the whole creation. For streams shall flow in the desert, wilderness, and barren ground, turning them into springs and pools. 4. Therefore, a healing and transforming touch leading to wholeness and holiness shall be the abiding sign and effect of the Messiah. Jesus embodies this. He infuses comfort and new hope into the dispirited hearts. He heals many sick. But his healing is not just physical. It is holistic. It transforms the whole person and life. 5. It restores the lost dignity and adds new joy. Sorrow and sighing flee away in his presence. This is concretely illustrated in the healing story of a paralysed man. He heals him with powered words, “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home”. But he does not stop there. He pronounces, “Man, your sins are forgiven you”. 6. This sounds blasphemous to the Pharisees and scribes. But Jesus wants to make clear to them two things: that he has the power to forgive sin; and that real healing is the release from sin. In fact, sin is the greatest sickness. It is from sin we must rise and walk in the way of the Lord. Imperative: Let the comforting words of Isaiah vibrate in our hearts: Be strong and fear not. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. For your God is coming (REFLECTION FROM 2021, 06 DECEMBER) Focus: In a life that is tormented by so much infirmity and deformity, of various kinds, we all need healing; we need a new lease on life. That is possible only with God 1. Jesus heals a paralytic in the gospel. But in healing, he utters not only words of physical healing, but also words of forgiveness. He says, “Your sins are forgiven”. That invites a lot of criticism from his opponents and they blame him for blasphemy. Thereby, Jesus makes it very clear that what is more important is inner healing, spiritual healing, the healing from sin. 2. Sin paralyses us and so we need to be reactivated and rejuvenated from our passivity and tepidity. Jesus says, “Rise and walk; go home”. We need to rise from our spiritual paralysis. We need to walk actively in the path of the Lord. We need to go home – to be reconciled and reunited with the Father and also to be in affable and benevolent relationships with our brethren. 3. Thus, the healing that Jesus brings is not merely a physical act. It affects the whole life and person. It brings a new life. It restores the lost dignity, energy, and joy. This is exactly the messianic gift –holistic healing and renewed joy. Jesus in this way becomes the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy in the first reading from Isaiah: “The eyes of the blind are opened, the ears of the deaf are unstopped, the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy”. 4. Truly, Jesus, the Messiah “strengthens the weak hands, makes firm the feeble knees. Sorrow and sighing flee away, and joy and gladness shall flow”. The dry land and wilderness shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom. They shall turn into springs and streams of water, and produce. Yes, Jesus makes a total difference in our lives, if only he is allowed to enter into our life, take control of it and direct it. With him in control, things will not be the same. Direction: Let us constantly listen to the assuring words of God, “Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance against evil, with recompense. He will come and save you” (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020, 07 DECEMBER) Focus: The Lord constantly comes into our lives to save us. He transforms our situations of sickness into health, aridity into springs, weakness into strength, and sadness into joy 1. The tone of comfort and renewal is very strong in all these days of holy Advent. Especially, the first readings from the prophets resound this spirit of assurance. God is coming to save us. He is entering into our lives. He sees our life, saddled with fear and dryness. There is sickness, weakness, deprivation, tiredness, and hopelessness. The charm and the joy of life are missing. 2. Consequently, the quotient of faith is deeply shaken and reduced. It is in such times the Lord is inviting us to rekindle our faith. This is the faith, seen in the friends of a paralytic and appreciated by Jesus in the gospel. Jesus is in a house in his teaching and healing ministry. There is a paralytic, carried by his friends. They find it not possible to approach Jesus due to the crowd. So they make a way through the roof and lower him straight in front of Jesus. 3. Jesus praises their faith and heals him. But what is strange here is, he declares, “Your sins are forgiven”.This is very objectionable because only God has the power to forgive sins. Does Jesus equate himself with God? This is blatant blasphemy, and it is a very good weapon for his opponents to accuse him and persecute him. 4. By this healing and forgiving, Jesus brings home a couple of significant truths: first, his communion with the Father and his divine authority to forgive sins. Second, spiritual health, and healing from sin is much more important than merely physical health, and Jesus is really concerned about it. Third, every sin certainly causes suffering, though every suffering is not necessarily because of sin. Therefore, we must approach the Lord with faith, so that we truly experience health and joy. Direction: Let you not lose your heart at the sight of the power of sin, and its pervasive evil effects. Have faith in him, present yourself to his merciful presence, and get healed. It is worth making space in the roof of our hearts and reaching directly in front of him! 06 DECEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 40. 1-11; MATTHEW 18. 12-14 Thrust: Comfort, comfort! Indicative: The mercy and forgiveness of God are unimaginable and incomparable. He never condemns us mercilessly. He waits for our return endlessly 1. The world of today is more and more steeped in negativity and unforgiveness. This leads to retaliation and violence. Sadly, this human spirit of hostility, condemnation, and destruction is projected on God also. Consequently, people can easily condemn and destroy others, all in the name of God as if they obtained a licence from God. 2. This is clearly a distorted image of God and a falsified way of religion. In such a context, the word of God presents a refreshing and empowering image of God. Our God is not a God who condemns and punishes. He is not a God who forsakes the strayed to their fate. He never takes delight in the destruction of even the greatest sinner. 3. He pardons the iniquities of the strayed. He is the true shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep. He finds it and rejoins it to his fold. He is totally faithful to his Father’s will that wills no one to perish. He will tend the sheep tenderly and intimately. 4. Jesus is the perfect embodiment and fulfillment of this image of God. He came to seek and restore the lost. He came to give personally the taste of the abundant tenderness and mercy of God. He appeals to us to return in repentance. He assures us that God is patiently waiting to re-embrace us. He wants to forgive us, heal us and renew our lost dignity and joy. For he is the shepherd who carries us in his bosom and gently leads. 5. In response to such a merciful God, what must be our duty? First, confide deeply in this abiding mercy and tenderness of God. Develop a personal intimacy with him. Change the perspective from fear and dry duty to love and joyful loyalty. Realise the transience of human life and the earthly things: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower”. Imperative: The greatest call for each one of us is, “Prepare the way of the Lord” in the wilderness of the world. Make straight what is crooked, and level what is uneven. Live a changed life! (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 07 DECEMBER) Focus: The operating principles of God are totally in contrast to those of the world. Judgment and condemnation, hardness, and unforgiveness are the ways of the world. But tenderness, forgiveness, and restoration are God’s ways and marks 1. Jesus presents himself as the good shepherd. But this shepherd is a totally different class. He does not abandon the strayed sheep to its fate, he does not condemn it for its fault. He abandons the nine-nine sheep, exposing them to risk from the wild animals. He goes in search of the lost sheep. When he finds it, he rejoices and carries it back. 2. The point here is not the logic or wisdom of leaving the nine-nine. The focus is on God’s forgiving and condescending mercy. There is no rejection or condemnation on the part of God. It is never the will of God that anyone should be lost or perish. 3. The vivid picture of God as a shepherd in the first reading from Isaiah comes very much alive and tangible in Jesus. “He feeds his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young”. Truly he comforts his people. He pardons the iniquities of his people. He announces good tidings to them those who are afraid and afflicted. 4. It is this image of God that we need to transmit to a world that is sick with aggression and retaliation on one hand and fear and depression on the other hand. The world needs a healing God, a caring and self-giving God. The world desperately needs good tidings, the gospel of comfort and confidence. 5. Therefore, we as people of God should be the heralds and the emissaries of God. We need to prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness, and make straight paths in the desert. Lift up the valleys, and lower the hills and mountains. Level the unleveled and smoothen the rough places. Direction: Convince the world which is accustomed to shallow promises that the word of our God will stand forever. The grass withers and the flower fades but God’s assurance abides 07 DECEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 40. 25-31; MATTHEW 11. 28-30, ST AMBROSE Thrust: Strong in the Lord’s strength! Indicative: Stress and strain are common to all. No one is exempted from them. But when we surrender them to God, we will find them bearable and find a new vigour to move ahead 1. No doubt that the world is under heavy loads, in the form of worry and misery. Many feel pressed under the burden and labour of life. Many feel restless and exhausted. It is in this context, Jesus invites, “Come to me, all who labour and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. These words are really comforting and reinforcing. 2. Normally we see many who do not feel concerned at all. They evade listening to others. They do not have even a word of assurance or comfort. They do nothing to alleviate their pain. In such an indifferent culture, the concern and magnanimity of God toward us is something highly praiseworthy and imitable. 3. Jesus says, “Come to me, and I will give you rest”. From this, two fundamental things are clear: one is, rest is very important in life and it is very much lacking as well. Second is, it is only in coming to Jesus, one will experience the rest. Rest is not only relaxation or pause from work. Real rest is to be free from needless worry and tension and enjoy the serenity of life. 4. Words of Jesus make it clear that rest is not equal to laziness or evasion of duty. Rest is more a matter of attitude and approach. It is to be balanced and composed even amidst all the burdens. It is to nurture and carry a calm and serene frame of mind. In the thought of St Francis de Sales, rest is holy equanimity. Real rest is a spiritual strength. Hence Jesus’ words, “You will find rest for your souls”. 5. In that sense, to be restful means not to feel exhausted but be ever renewed in strength. It is because strength and energy come from the Lord. That is why we hear in the first reading from Isaiah: “He gives power to the faint and strength to those without might”. “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall run but not be weary. They shall walk but not faint”. 6. To experience such rest, what has to be done? Take the yoke of the Lord and carry it with gentleness and humility. Yoke is anything and everything, big or small that lays a holy burden upon us. To carry the yoke means to carry God’s commandments. They are not crushing burdens but liberating experiences. Imperative: The yoke of dutifulness and faithfulness is always put upon us. But it is not a burden that makes our life burdensome. It is a positive transformer that makes our burdens of life light and easy (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2022, 14 JULY) Thrust: Take the yoke and find the rest! Indicative: The world is under pressure. It is hard-pressed. It needs some remedy that relieves it from this pressing burden. God alone is that solace point! 1. “Come unto me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. This is the warm invitation of Jesus to everyone, especially who feel life is burdensome and laborious. The life of many is robbed of rest. This is not so much physical rest and relaxation. It is mental and spiritual. 2. Rest is a state of mind where all our worries and tensions, especially those not necessary and not worthwhile recede. Rest is a mental serenity and calm. It may not be a complete cessation of all worries and burdens. Rather it is a state of mental equilibrium, an inner equanimity. 3. It is this that many today lack. They have many relaxations but are not calm. They have many deviations, diversions, and distractions but not really a re-charging and refilling. Truly, in line with the words in the first reading, many are “like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth”. 4. There is no wonder then that the welcoming words of Jesus to go to him in our times of burden are very soothing and uplifting. But how do we obtain this rest? It is by taking his yoke upon us and learning gentleness and humility from him. Yoke can simply mean anything, any burden, any task, any risk for the sake of the Lord. 5. This yoke of the Lord is smoothened and sweetened by gentleness and humility. But the world considers these sweeteners as signs of weakness and timidity, lack of self-dignity, and self-affirmation. This thinking is wrong. They are actually signs of strength and firmness. Only a strong and steady person can be gentle and humble. They ease one’s inner burdens and make him light-hearted. Imperative: To a world that is so rude, harsh, and hard, gentleness will be like a yoke hard to bear. And to a world that rides on pride and arrogance, humility is really a burden to carry. But it is only by carrying this noble yoke and burden, that we can experience true relief and comfort (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020, 16 JULY) Focus: In a life of stress and strain, the best and lasting relaxation is found not in passing gratifications and shallow pleasures but only with the Lord and in learning from him and becoming like him 1. The world of today more than ever seems to be devoured by the monsters of stress and worry. Tiredness and exhaustion have become the trademark of modern man, without any exception. It is not necessarily the physical but rather the mental. Everyone seems to be under some weight and often feels life to be burdensome. The fact is everyone is busy and busy all the time, but many times many really do not know what they are busy with and why they are busy. 2. It is in such a context and moments, the words of Jesus, “Come unto me all those who are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest” are very consoling and elevating. But what is interesting is: he is promising rest, not in inaction, not in idling, not in discarding all work and duty. It is a positive struggle, a productive pain. 3. Rather, we will feel light and relaxed, by taking up his yoke, his burden. It is his gentleness and humility, which are certainly burdens in the sight of the world. To the extent we learn and grow to be gentle and humble, we will be light-hearted and spirited, despite all the exhausting burdens that beset us. Direction: Let us refrain from exhausting ourselves in unworthy pursuits. Let us rein our frenetic lives and steal some serene moments at the Lord’s feet. Let us experience life as light and pleasant by learning to be gentle and humble. 08 DECEMBER 2022: GEN 3. 9-15, 20; EPHES 1. 3-6. 11-12; LUKE 1. 26-38, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Thrust: Stainless and spotless! Indicative: God in His benevolence kept Mary immaculate. It is quite valid because she was to be the abode of His incarnate Son and so it would be a worthy and sinless abode 1. On 08th December every year, we celebrate the immaculate conception of our sweetest Mother Mary and as her beloved children, we rejoice. It is a key dogma that we hold fast to. Thereby we believe that Mary was conceived immaculately and she remained sinless till the end of her life. 2. The immaculate conception of Mary is not a momentary happening, a one-time event limited only to that moment. It refers not only to the moment of conception in her mother’s womb. Rather it extends and embraces her whole life, from womb to tomb. Mary’s whole life was an unceasing act of immaculate conception. 3. She was already conceived immaculately in the eternal plan of God, and that continued at her birth and till her death. Mary’s immaculate conception points to God’s eternal plan of salvation. Things do not happen by chance. Everything has a place and purpose in God’s eternal will and designs. He destined Mary to be the Mother of His incarnate Son. 4. Mary’s immaculate conception blends God’s gift and human acceptance, God’s offer and human cooperation, privilege and responsibility, grace and duty. No doubt that it was God’s unique choice and gift. However, she was not a passive receiver or indifferent spectator to the divine show. 5. For her part, she actively cooperated with God’s gift. She offered no resistance to the fulfillment of God’s plan in and through her. She surrendered her whole life in unreserved commitment. What she received gratuitously, she strove to merit by her humility and fidelity. 6. Her immaculate conception was the starting point of an enormous duty. It was great to be conceived immaculately without the stain of sin. But that was no guarantee or shield against the attacks of sin. It did not exempt her from the perils of evil. She had to wage the battle for life. She had to work hard every moment to preserve and foster the grace of her immaculate conception. 7. Her immaculate conception points to Mary’s purity of heart. She was immaculate, pure, and guileless. No malice or evil could find a place in her. Like a lotus amid dirty water, she kept herself immaculate amid all the dirty and stained world. 8. She could be immaculate because her intentions and heart were totally free from any stain of egoism and self-seeking interests. She allowed no selfish motive to stain her heart or divert her focus. Her whole attention and orientation were doing God’s holy will. Her whole concern and striving was to cooperate with God’s plans and fulfilling the sacred role entrusted to her. Imperative: Mary’s immaculate conception points to the secret of her life. In surrender to God, with purity of heart, be committed to cooperating with God’s plan and accomplishing it (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021) Focus: The sinless God incarnates himself through a stainless virgin so as to redeem the sinful humanity 1. Today we celebrate the great festivity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a dogma of faith that she was preserved from the stain of sin from the moment of her conception itself. God preserved her as immaculate as she was to be the mother of the incarnate Son of God. It is God’s unique grace and it is quite valid that the sinless Son abides in and lives with and is groomed by the sinless mother. 2. Immaculate Conception is both a gift and a task. It is a gift because it is a singular privilege bestowed on Mary on account of His Son. It is not something due to Mary by right. Rather, it is a gratuitous gift. However, it is also a task. That which she has received from God must be preserved intact lifelong. She always lived a life that is worthy of her honour. 3. If the reception of the grace of Immaculate Conception was a gift, preservation of it was a task. This is exactly like her divine Son. By his divine nature, he was sinless. But by his human nature as incarnate God, he had to ceaselessly struggle to remain sinless. Similarly, Mary too though gifted with this immaculateness, still was tasked with upholding it. 4. Mary’s Immaculate Conception is a clear indicator of the secret of Mary’s purity and holiness. She remained pure and immaculate because of her intense and inseparable intimacy and union with her divine Son. Thus, the picture is very clear: when one is holy, one will be pure and immaculate. But one can be holy only when one is profoundly united with the Lord. 5. We can also say in other words. Mary was immaculate because she was always the abode of Jesus. Till his birth, she bore him in her womb. After his birth, she bore his spirit into her life. Thus, she was a bearer of Jesus always. Therefore, those who bear Jesus will surely be immaculate. 6. Mary being pure, immaculate, and holy will be a sure guide, companion, and support for us in our journey too of immaculateness. In the words of the second reading, this is our very destiny: To be holy and blameless before him. Direction: God wants us to be holy and blameless. In other words, He wants us to be pure and immaculate without the stain of sin. This is possible only in deep intimacy and communion with God. A heart that is an abode of God will surely be immaculate! (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020) Focus: To be immaculate is to consecrate oneself to God and to concentrate whole life on God 1. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was officially defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854. It refers, not to the immaculate conception of Jesus in Mary's womb, but refers to the "immaculate conception of Mary" in her mother's womb. 2. The Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race was preserved free from any stain of original sin, and was in the state of sanctifying grace. Therefore, the angel Gabriel said: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28) Even if all are thrown into the situation of sin, and all are exposed to sin, she has been preserved by God from its stain. 3. She is without sin, by the grace of Christ in a special way, by anticipation. A simple metaphor can clarify the point of her "rescue". All are saved by Christ from the deep pit of sin, having fallen into it; while Mary was saved by Christ from the same pit, but was prevented from falling into it. 4. Therefore, the Immaculate Conception of Mary provides us with some lessons: Even though Mary was preserved from sin, she still had to struggle constantly to preserve and bear witness to it. Immaculateness was a free gift, but she had to constantly strive to deserve it. 5. Therefore, the Immaculate Conception of Mary also calls us for constancy and consistency in our struggle against sin, in preserving ourselves from the stain of sin, and in the state of purity of grace. It is not for a moment, or some days, but for life, from the womb to the grave. 6. The Immaculate Conception of Mary reminds us and guides us in our destiny. It is God's will and plans that we live and stand before him as holy and blameless. God conceived us immaculately in his eternal destiny. The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a powerful sign that God is serious about His saving plan and has already begun it in Mary. 7. The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a powerful call of the hour, against impurity. It is a call for a struggle of life full of the grace of purity, against the overwhelming assaults of sin. Especially in our times when innocence or immaculateness are considered ignorance or madness or incompetence, where distortions and cunningness are exalted as the "craft of the day", and the norm of life, we are called children of the Immaculate Mother, to fight to keep us not polluted by sin and to preserve ourselves pure and immaculate. 8. The way of surrender is the way of being immaculate. Mary shows us the way to be holy and blameless with her way of surrender. Mary in her total abandonment to God, from the initial act of response to the end, throughout her life, fully lives the grace of the Immaculate Conception. 9. Mary in her immaculate conception is also a comforting assurance for us, who will be our guard and guide, companion, and collaborator in the same search for holiness and salvation. Of course, the power of sin and the forces of evil will never be dormant. But Mary instills in us trust and courage, hope, a resolution, comfort, and support that with her and in abandonment to God, we will never lose the battle. 10. The Immaculate Conception is a call for an integral holistic life: We do not love sin; We do not conceive sin; We do not accept sin; Let us not be deceived by sin; Let us not be enchanted by sin 11. Living without sin is possible only when we live with the Son. Being immaculate is only possible when we live in intimacy with God, cooperate with his plans, rejuvenate his life in us, lovingly associate with the Mother, and imitate the Son. Direction: Beauty of life consists only in purity of heart and propriety of action 09 DECEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 48. 17-19; MATTHEW 11. 16-19 Thrust: Dancing to one’s tunes! Indicative: Many suffer from prejudices and biases. This leads to stubbornness. Consequently, they fail to see and accept others as they are 1. The openness deficit is one serious deficit that leads to many other evils. Many are not open to see, accept, appreciate, and support the good in others. They also do not see, respect, and accept the validity of others’ opinions and ideas. They are clouded by various prejudices and cannot behold reality. Their ego, pride, and self-righteousness close their heart and vision. 2. Hence, they become intolerant, pessimistic, and negative toward others. They not only fail to see the good but even misinterpret it as bad. They twist the truth and present it according to their wrong perception and perspectives. 3. This is exactly what Jesus rebukes in the gospel. Jesus comes down heavily on the people of his time. They are like the above-mentioned. They are like children who demand others to dance or mourn according to their tunes. They expect all others to move as they want. They want all others to see as they see. 4. They are stuck with their own judgments and assessments. That is why they blame John the Baptist’s austerity as demon-possession, and Jesus’ solidarity and flexibility as looseness. They are perpetual fault-finders and nothing and no one can satisfy them. The reason is quite simple: they capsule all others in their own self-demarcated misconceptions. 5. However, their prejudiced judgments and reactions do not change the truth. For “wisdom is justified by her deeds”. The criticism against John the Baptist and Jesus does not take away the truth of their authenticity. The problem is not theirs but that of the wrong perception. 6. Therefore, the remedy for this “perspective-defect” is attention to listening to God’s commandments and striving to follow them. We should get rid of our erroneous perspectives. We should put on the mindset of God, adhering to his teachings and ways. Then the reward will be great. Peace and righteousness, posterity and longevity of life will be abundant. Imperative: If only we throw away the worthless baggage of our prejudices and misconceptions, and self-demarcated judgments; if only we are a little more open and accommodative to see, understand and appreciate the value of others, better wisdom and right judgment will prevail (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 10 DECEMBER) Focus: Those who are self-centered and narrow-minded cannot understand and respect others. because the whole world is what they think and what is convenient for them 1. Accepting and respecting others, working and accomplishing together with others demands a minimum openness and flexibility, humility, and fraternity toward others. Very often such spirit is lacking. Consequently, we find a lot of prejudice, stubbornness, and negativity. This fails to recognize others’ worth and respect their freedom. 2. This kind of person expects all others to “dance according to their tunes”. They want the whole world to revolve around their ideas. They demand that all others must walk by their dictates. This is typical of the people of Jesus’ time. In Jesus’ own words, they are like the “children who say to others, “We piped to you, and you did not dance, we wailed, and you did not mourn”. 3. They were so stubborn and negative-minded and so neither the austerity of John the Baptist nor the flexibility of Jesus would satisfy them. They labelled John the Baptist as a possessed man and Jesus as a self-indulgent man. These people do not see the heart or the intention or the goodness or the situation of others. They just want others to think, feel and do what they like. 4. This is the same problem that God has faced in the Old Testament as well. See how God sighs with a pained tone of lament: “O that you had hearkened to my commandments!” It is the same anguish with which Jesus laments and weeps over Jerusalem in Matthew 23. 37-39 or Luke 13. 34-35: “How often have I ‘desired’ to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”. This is the same agony of heart with which he weeps over Jerusalem in Luke 19. 441-44: “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes… you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God”. Direction: Why does grace fail to bring about any effect and fruit in us? Why does the required change and transformation not take place? It is not the failure or incapacity of God’s grace. It is our failure to be sensitive, receptive, and cooperative (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020, 11 DECEMBER) Focus: Prejudice is like a veil that always clouds the vision, mars the way, and deviates one from the right track. The one who is prejudiced can never see or hear or speak or do rightly 1. Negative attitudes, prejudice, and obstinacy plague the world of today. Many nurture and carry so much negativity within. Their thought, desire, the intention is all negatively coloured. Consequently, they have the wrong way of looking, judging, and acting toward others. 2. They fail to understand others, and value and appreciate them for their worth. They suffer from the traps of their own attitude and perspective and they do not see the other side of reality, especially the positive side of others. They make absolute their own ideas and opinions and stubbornly stick to them. 3. These are so pessimistic and negative-minded that nothing can really satisfy them or win their approval and favour. These are exactly like the children mentioned in the gospel today. They sit in the marketplace, and are perpetual fault-finders and dissatisfied. No flute can gladden them, and no funeral song would arouse mourning solidarity in them. Even if others do the best and the right, they have no appreciation or sensitivity. 4. They always have something to find fault with and accuse. John the Baptist was so austere and he was labeled as a possessed man. Jesus was so free and mingling, and he was blamed to be an indulgent and loose man. It is not the fault of John or Jesus. The problem lies with them. It is their attitude and approach that is corrupt. 5. It is these people about whom God rightfully and painfully laments, “Had you paid attention to my commandments”, attention to the best that God teaches them, attention to the right way they must go. If done so, then surely streams of blessings would have flown. Direction: Often there is an excessive eagerness to change reality. It is nothing wrong, when it is wrong and when it is possible. But much more than that, one should try to change one’s own attitude and perspective, which are really corroding 10 DECEMBER 2022: SIRACH 48. 1-4, 9-11b; MATTHEW 17. 10-13 Thrust: Men on fire! Indicative: Those who love God and are loyal to Him, will be on fire. They live for God and do His will passionately and resolutely come what may 1. Prophet Elijah was an outstanding figure in the Old Testament. He performed wondrous deeds. He enjoys a glorious name and reverence in Israel. But apart from these factors, what makes him commendable is his passion for God and his focus on his mission. He would contest with the followers of false gods and defeat them. And he would turn back the wavering and strayed people to Yahweh, the true God. 2. Thus, his mission was precisely one of restoration. That is, restoring the lost relationship within the community, and with God. In the New Testament, John the Baptist would resemble Elijah, in his passion for God, and fierce defence of God’s ways. Nothing and no one would intimidate him or deter his commitment to his mission. 3. John the Baptist tried with conviction and courage to correct the wrong and restore the original sanctity and fidelity. But sadly, the people could not stomach his truthfulness. Their hypocrisy and shallow spirituality would not appreciate and support his authenticity and depth of spirituality. 4. That is why they did to him whatever they pleased and did away with him. The fate of Jesus too was no different. His integrity of living and zeal for God would challenge and expose the shallowness of their religion and spirituality. Therefore, they would also do away with Jesus as they do with John the Baptist. Imperative: A genuine seeker of truth would not hide his false layers. He would never suppress truth and adherents of truth. He would not succumb to the pressure of falsity. For what matters the most for him is fidelity to the Lord (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 11 DECEMBER) Focus: God never ceases to come to us or act in our lives. But very often many do not recognise this. And so they complain or conclude that God is no more active or caring 1. Today’s readings highlight the figure of Elijah. Undoubtedly he was an outstanding prophet. Glorious was his mission and wondrous were his deeds. He stood for God against false gods. He did the work of God amidst all challenges. He was zealous amidst all mediocrity. His fire was burning the hearts. He was calmer of the wrath of God. He was a restorer of the estranged and strayed. He was the benefactor of God’s abundant blessings to the humble. 2. John the Baptist very much resembles Elijah. In fact, he is the Elijah of the New Testament. Like Elijah, he is fiery with his urge for repentance and conversion. Like Elijah, he is on the mission of restoring all things. But, sadly people did not accept his message. They also did away with him. 3. Similar would be the fate of Jesus as well. He came to restore the lost dignity and the lost relationship with God and with one another. But people did not recognise his divine identity. They were not pleased with his teaching and also his way of life. They felt challenged and questioned. He was a question mark to their hypocrisy and shallow authority. He posed a threat to their compromising and dichotomous life. 4. Therefore, they would reject him, persecute and kill him. What is our response and responsibility in the face of their fate and destiny? It is not only knowing about their mission and the eventual fate meted out to them. It is not only to feel sad about their sad end. It is not only to feel angry and condemn them. 5. Our duty will be to think about our own selves. How often do we too fail to know and recognize Jesus and also various other prophets? How often do we take for granted God working in and through them? How often do we neglect and even reject God’s invitation for repentance and transformation? Direction: Be restored! This can be one recurrent message of the holy Advent. Yes, it is the right time to restore our broken grace, broken virtue, a broken relationship with God, and our broken loyalty to Him.

SECOND SUNDAY OF THE ADVENT 22

2nd SUNDAY ADVENT: ISAIAH 11. 1-10; ROMANS 15. 4-9; MATTHEW 3. 1-12 Thrust: Repent and relent! Indicative: The Lord is coming. So how to meet him? How to stand worthy in his presence? How to ensure a happy encounter? How to obtain the blissful effects of this interaction? 1. Once again our focus is drawn to our destiny. This Destiny is the “kingdom of God”. In the words of the prophet Isaiah in the first reading, this kingdom of God is equivalent to the Messianic times. The kingdom of God is there where and when the Messiah comes and reigns. 2. It is the time of the Spirit. Many aspects of this Spirit are enumerated. It is the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. It will be also a time of peace and harmony where the wolf and the lamb, calf and the lion shall dwell together. There shall be no spirit of hurt or destruction. 3. The whole purpose of our life is in reference to this destiny. The whole life must be oriented to reach that destiny. Advent is the holy season that deeply reminds us that this kingdom of God is at hand. The times are coming. The king is arriving. His coming is imminent. This calls for urgency to be prepared for that coming. There is no time to waste or procrastinate. We cannot afford to be indifferent or negligent. 4. Life fulfills its purpose to the extent our preparation makes us fit and worthy. Thereby, we not only stand near the kingdom but also enter into it and experience the benefits of its reign. Now, what kind of preparation is this? What are some of the ingredients of this preparation that suits us to the kingdom? 5. First of all, it is not any other preparation. It is “preparing the way of the Lord.” We are called to prepare the Lord’s way and not any other way. And here we can wonder that many prepare so many other ways except the way of the Lord. So a first simple question to ask oneself is: Is my way of thinking, looking, judging, speaking, doing, and behaving preparing the way of the Lord? 6. Therefore, this preparation implies making “his paths straight.” Many things in our life are not straight. Many things are bent and twisted. Many things are crooked and insincere. There is so much compromise and double-dealing. Many things are unstable and inconsistent. We need to straighten them. We need to put the wrong things in their place. 7. This preparation summons us not to be “presumptuous.” This presumption is especially about our religious allegiance as the guarantee for our salvation. Just because we belong to a hallowed tradition, we cannot presume to merit God’s grace. That is why John the Baptist in his preaching cautions, “Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’, for I tell you, God is able to raise up children for Abraham even from these stones”. 8. Preparation implies that we must be aware of the imminence of God’s judgment. “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 9. We must also know and be cautious that His judgment is impartial and just. There is no possibility to manipulate as we may do on earth. For “He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear; with righteousness, he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; but with the breath of his mouth, he shall kill the wicked”. “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire”. 10. But all this preparation requires Repentance. Repentance is the starting point and the driving force. The various components of the preparation are the process. The end and the goal is bearing fruits. These fruits are good actions that are in tune with the ways of the Messiah and the features of the messianic times. 11. Accordingly, with repentance, we set ourselves in the process of preparation. We strive to put on the mind of the Messiah, that is his Spirit. Thus, we shall continue to grow in the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and fear of the Lord. Like the Messiah, “Righteousness shall be the belt of our waist, and faithfulness the belt of our loins”. Imperative: The holy Advent invites us to become the “voices crying in the wilderness”, like John the Baptist. In a wilderness-like world, we need to become witnesses that live and proclaim repentance that leads to a prepared life and bearing fruits of the messianic reign (REFLECTION 2) Focus: The greatness of a person is not in the greatness of the status or position but in the greatness of the depth of his humility and the radicality of his commitment 1. Today, in the light of the figure of John the Baptist, we are called once again to get rid of all our shallow criteria of greatness. As the gospel pivots around his image, he stands before us as a model and challenge. Let us highlight some of his traits. 2. Austerity and authenticity, humility and nobility, clarity and conviction, loyalty and stability, passion and dedication – it is these that characterise his person, life, and mission. His austere life in a spirit of asceticism, detachment, and simplicity poses question marks to the present lifestyle that is steeped in excess comfort, extravagance, enslaving attachment, and vain externalities. His authenticity and integrity of life is a disturbing caution against the modern culture of hypocrisy, dishonesty, and masking. 3. Humility of heart and nobility of character mark John the Baptist. He does not seek cheap popularity and self-glory. Even while riding on fame, he directs the whole attention and ascribes the whole greatness to Jesus. He minimises himself in reference to Jesus. All this is a clear contradiction to the present mad race for self-glory and shallow prestige. His statement “I am not worthy to untie even the straps of his sandals; he must increase and I must decrease” must be an axe that hits hard against our false humility and self-seeking, even marring the image of Jesus himself, placing oneself at the centre and pushing Jesus into the corners. 4. He was profoundly clear and convinced of the indispensable and irreplaceable identity and role of the Lord, and his own role and function as a precursor that prepares the way for the Lord. He was clear and convinced of his preaching and baptism of water, calling for repentance and conversion, and the mission of Jesus in the baptism by the Holy Spirit, lived in a life of faith and transformation. It is this clarity and conviction that makes him quite frank and candid, courageous and risking, without mincing words and without diluting the force of God’s call by compromising on the demands of the gospel. 5. What a sharp contrast to the numerous tendencies to be “smart and worldly wise” not to condemn the compromises and false values, but to play down the power of the gospel, and to tone down the exigency of the right values! Fears to lose popularity, lose support, lose favours, lose access to money, power and position disgracefully make many to be indifferent and noncommittal. 6. The loyalty and steadfastness of John the Baptist even in the face of risk, opposition, persecution, and eventual death, can be a death blow to the frequent defections from loyalty, falling to a life of wavering faith and shallow deviations. The passion of the Baptist for the Lord to love him deeply and to be totally surrendered to him, laughs in the face of our superficial relationship with the lord without depth and content, without “feeling and sentiment”, without “belonging and bonding”. His unswerving dedication to the mission of the Lord is a serious counter-pointer and accuser-advocate against commitment which is tepid, mediocre, and lacking teeth and vigour. Direction: Blessed are they who strive to become John the Baptist, and not Jesus himself! Blessed are they who clear and prepare the way of the Lord, and not who blur and block the way!

First week of Advent season 22

28 NOVEMBER – 03 DECEMBER 2022: HOLY MASS REFLECTION 28 NOVEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 4. 2-6; MATTHEW 8. 5-11 Thrust: Faith heals! Indicative: True faith is nothing but a humble surrender. On one hand, it acknowledges the limitations of oneself and on the other hand, it recognises the unsurpassed greatness of God 1. The faith of the centurion in the gospel is so emblematic. That is why it receives high appreciation from Jesus. Jesus marvelled at his faith and acclaims his faith in public, saying, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” 2. Now, what is the speciality of his faith that stands higher than the faith of even the chosen people of Israel? First of all, it comes from a deep trust in Jesus’ power. This trust is so deep that he believes that even from distance with a mere word, Jesus can heal his paralysed servant at home. 3. His faith is praiseworthy because it is humble. He readily admits that the power of Jesus is far beyond his own authority. It is indeed a dignified humility because it does not arise from low self-esteem or inferiority complex or self-despisal. He is fully aware that by virtue of his office as a centurion, he too possesses the authority to command and extract obedience from his servants. 4. But his authority is limited because it is confined only to the secular domain. In contrast, Jesus’ authority is divine and spiritual. It has no confines. It has power and control even over non-human forces like sickness. It can heal even beyond space, from distance, just with a word. 5. This double awareness of the contrasting authorities of him and Jesus leads him to a profound utterance of humility. He confesses, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only the word and my servant will be healed.” 6. That is why this faith-confession became exemplary as a humble confession before the reception of the holy Eucharist. The hyperbolic and exclusive praise of Jesus, stating, “with no one in Israel have I found such a faith,” is quite provocative as well. There is a provocation and challenge to the faith of Israel that faith is not their prerogative. Imperative: Faith is a matter of interior obedience and not merely exterior allegiance to a religion. It is a matter of surrender and not an inherited claim for favours (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 29 NOVEMBER) Focus: Faith is no one’s privilege or prerogative. Faith is a matter of attitude and approach. What I think of my God and how I approach Him in trust and humility is the matter 1. Jesus praises a centurion in the gospel for his faith, saying, “With no one in Israel have I found such faith”. Thereby, the first point clear is faith is not a matter of hereditary credit, not a matter of long-standing tradition. Certainly, the people of Israel were the chosen people by God. But that is no compulsivity or guarantee for receiving God’s grace. God may give His grace gratuitously but its reception depends on one’s receptivity and proper disposition. 2. Faith is that humble receptivity and conducive disposition. The centurion, even though a non-Israel had such faith and humility. If not for his faith in Jesus’ power as well as benevolence, he would not approach Jesus for healing his paralysed servant! If not for his faith, he would not tell Jesus not to trouble himself to come physically but is enough that he says a word of healing even over distance! If not for his utter humility, he would not humble himself before Jesus. He was fully conscious that he himself is a man in authority but his authority is inferior to Jesus’ authority. He professes so touchingly, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter my roof”. 3. It is the light of faith that makes him see and accept clearly the surpassing greatness of Jesus’ authority, its superior quality. His authority over his servants is human, legal, and earthly. It is something secular. But Jesus’ authority is spiritual. It comes from above, it is divine. Thereby, Jesus has authority even over sicknesses and evil powers, and with the power of his mere command even at distance, he would heal the paralysis. Direction: Let us not only appreciate the faith and humility of the centurion. Let us also emulate his example. Let us realize that we receive God’s favors not because we deserve them but only because God loves us and knows that we need them 29 NOVEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 11. 1-10; LUKE 10. 21-24 Thrust: God rejoices! Indicative: The messianic times are coming. They will abound in wisdom and joy, peace and harmony. Truly they are times so assuring and comforting 1. Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit and thanks the Father. This is significant because it includes and involves all three persons of the Holy Trinity. This shows once again the perfect oneness of the Trinity. Joy and thankfulness are there where Trinity is. They are the greatest signs of the presence and power of the Trinity. Therefore, whenever joy and thankfulness are missing, it is a clear sign that God is missing. 2. The reason for rejoicing and thanking is also clear. It is because God hides the heavenly mysteries from the intelligent and reveals them to the little children. These intelligent are worldly-wise people. These are experts concerning worldly knowledge and mundane matters. 3. But they are not familiar with nor are they interested in the divine matters. Especially they do not know the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son and that between the Son and his chosen ones. 4. Instead, the little ones are those who are humble and submissive. They are open, docile, and receptive to God’s promptings and works. That is why God reveals the spiritual depths to them. They open their inner eyes to see the hand of God. They open their inner ears to hear the voice of God. Thus they are truly blessed. 5. In fact, bliss and joy is the greatest gift of the Messiah. When he comes, he ushers in and establishes the messianic times. Those times are times of the Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. 6. The messianic times are times of justice, righteousness, and equity. He shall not judge by appearances or peripherals or hearsay. He renders justice to the poor and the meek. But he metes out punishment to the wicked. 7. Further, the messianic times are times of peace and harmony. There will be no hatred or enmity, no aggression or violence, whereby wolf and lamb, calf and lion will dwell together. They will not hurt or destroy each other. Imperative: God’s presence is truly there where the signs of the messianic times are in full play. And the most authentic sign is the knowledge of the Lord that fills the whole earth just like the waters cover the sea 30 NOVEMBER 2022: ROMANS 10. 9-18; MATTHEW 4. 18-22, ST ANDREW Thrust: Called to follow! Indicative: God calls us anywhere or at any time. Especially He may call us in our own ordinary situations, amidst our normal duties. What is important is that we hear and receive his call 1. 30 November marks the feast of St Andrew, the brother of St Peter, and one of the Twelve Apostles. He was called directly by the Lord to follow him. He left everything and lived with Jesus. After Pentecost, he became a missionary and was martyred in Greece on a cross. This was especially known as “St Andrew’s cross” because it was in the form of an “X”. 2. One first thing to note is that Jesus calls him while he was on his usual duty of fishing. There was no specially created situation. There was no special ambience of prayer or silence. From this, we can understand that God’s call can come to us anywhere and at any time. 3. We need not wait for special or specific moments. Especially his voice may call out to us while we are engaged in our normal duties. This calls us then to be attentive and alert so that we can see him and hear his voice and respond to him. We may miss him if we wait only for special occasions. 4. His call is a call for something higher. It is no more fishing of fish but fishing of souls. His dignity is raised. He is elevated to a new way of life. A profit-oriented profession turns into a selfless vocation. Working for livelihood changes into working for the life in eternity. Family concerns give way to the concerns of the larger family of God, the kingdom of God. 5. His response to Jesus’ call to follow him is very prompt and radical as well. There was no delay or hesitation. There was no process of discernment. Jesus just calls him, “Follow me,” and immediately he follows him. 6. What is further worth-noting is the spirit of renunciation and detachment. He leaves the nets, the family, the house, and all that is dear and precious. He does not carry them with him. He decisively parts with all that is old and is willing to plunge into a new way of life. There is nothing that he clings to or is attached to. 7. The gospel of John (John 1. 35-42) depicts a different story of his call. He was a former disciple of John of the Baptist. As John the Baptist points to Jesus passing by, “Look, here is the Lamb of God,” he immediately begins to follow him. Jesus turns to him and asks him, “What are you looking for?” 8. Andrew responds with another question, “Where do you stay?” Jesus invites him, “Come and see.” He goes, sees, and stays with him that night. It was not just a casual stay as a guest. Something profound and dramatic happens. He experiences Jesus personally as the Messiah. That is why he brings his brother Peter to Jesus, telling him, “We have found the Messiah.” 9. Here too, though the external details vary, the essentials are similar. His call begins with an initial search for Jesus’place (‘where’). But it turns into a life-changing experience of the person (‘Messiah’). His allegiance changes. He already shares the effect of his following Jesus by leading Peter too to the same Lord. Imperative: God always calls us for a higher purpose. That is the same as the Apostles’. It is to become fishers of souls. For this, we need to decisively part with the old ways and attachments and securities. We need to launch upon a new and radical way of life in following Jesus (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021) Focus: Whom God calls, how and when, and where He calls may be different. But why He calls is very clear. It is to follow Him and win souls for God 1. Today we feast St Andrew, one of the Twelve Apostles. He was a fisherman and the brother of Simon Peter. Jesus calls him while he was fishing, saying, “Follow me, I will make you fishers of souls”. There is both the purpose and the end effect of his call. The purpose is to follow the Lord intimately in his footsteps. He would live with the Lord, share the same space, table, and mission, and spend time together. He would listen to his master, learn from him and grow through his teaching and guidance. 2. Then, there is also the consequence of this purpose. It is fishing souls for God. It is bringing people closer to God. It is making people be touched and transformed by God. It is doing the work of God Himself who is the supreme fisherman of human souls, the greatest attracter and inducer of humans to merge with the divine. It is because they share the same life that He gifts to them. Sin has alienated them from God’s paradise of eternal communion. Sin has thrown them into an immense sea where they feel totally entrapped and immersed; where they find no way out. 3. It is in such a sinful situation of lack of relation and direction toward God and others, the Lord chooses Andrew to reset the lost bond and restore the lost grace. Thus, following the Lord and fishing the souls is not merely becoming disciples and doing some evangelisation. It is an intimate and radical sharing in God’s own eternal duty and commitment. 4. Andrew along with the others called, promptly responds to this divine plan. Perhaps for sure, he might have not understood the full implications of that call. But what is appreciable is his promptness to accept the call. Thereupon he renounces all that belongs to him and clings to Jesus. It was not for a few days or a few years. It was a life-long following and mission. 5. This life-long apostleship is sealed by a personal relationship. And this relationship is marked by depth, constancy, intimacy, loyalty, and commitment. All these are soaked into a passionate love for the master, which goes to the extent of dying for him. Direction: Every celebration of a saint and all the more that of an Apostle like Andrew must remind us that ultimately our call is a relationship with God that is deep and intimate and a commitment to His mission that is committed and self-offering. (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020) Focus: Vocation is not just a state of life or a profession but is a sacred way of life of God and is consecration to Him and concentration on good 1. Today, we celebrate the feast of St Andrew, one of the Twelve apostles. His call is also a roadmap for every disciple, for his own personal journey of discipleship. As a true disciple, Andrew “listens” to the invitation of Jesus to follow him. There is no second thought, no hesitation, no calculations, no weighing pros, and cons. 2. His response is instant and prompt. “At once”, he “gives up” everything. This is indicated by his ‘leaving the nets’, which were the means of his livelihood, a source of life security. And then he “follows” Jesus. We are not sure whether he really understood the meaning and the implications of Jesus’ call. 3. Perhaps, he might have not even given a thought to the deeper significance of “becoming fishers of people”, or “fish for people”. What he understood might be that his life is going to be different from its old way and style. Jesus calls him and he follows him – this is all that mattered to him. 4. Today his feast and his call is a timely call and caution for all of us. For we are truly living in times that are losing the sense of vocation. It is just reduced to worldly terms like any other secular affair. And we see the sad consequences of this " stripping" of its essential content of the holy. 5. For a Christian, be it the call to the priesthood or religious life, or lay life, it is always sacred. It is God who calls. The same Lord who called Andrew and others to be with him, to follow him, and to bear witness to Him, continues to call each one of us. His call invites us constantly amidst our ordinary and usual preoccupations and engrossing activities and to "step out" of them, just as he called Andrew and his companions. 6. It is not a loss but a huge gain, a grand "elevation" of life, to a matchless dignity of "being fishermen of souls" from the mere being fishermen of fish. From our part, what is expected is to "detach ourselves from everything and to follow him", like Andrew. Unless one is ready to renounce and follow the Lord, the value of vocation cannot be lived out. Direction: The charm, value, and joy of vocation is being lost because the sense of the sacred, detachment and commitment is being lost 01 DECEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 26. 1-6; MATTHEW7. 21, 24-27 Thrust: Build on the rock! Indicative: Heaven is our eternal house and city. Only those who build on God their houses of earthly life can enter that heavenly dwelling 1. In today’s word of God, we have two metaphors, two key actions, and two sets of contrasts. The two images are the kingdom or the city and the other is a house. The two actions are “entering” and “building.” The two contrasting sets are the foundation of rock and the foundation of sand, and wisdom and foolishness. 2. Heaven is that kingdom or city. It is our destiny and we are to enter it. But who can enter it? Only the righteous that keep the faith; only they whose mind is stayed on God; only they who trust in God; only they who do the will of the Father. 3. Therefore, it is not enough to say “Lord, Lord.” But it is more important to do God’s will. It is not enough to recite bundles of prayers or make loud acclamations or shout excited slogans. Rather all these should complement doing God’s will, and not substitute it. 4. Our life is like a house. And two kinds of foundations are available before us. One is the foundation of rock, and the other is, that of sand. God, trust in him, and doing his will is the first kind of rock. 5. World, trust in it, and following the wrong ways of the world are the second type of foundation. Both houses face the same happenings and difficulties, namely rain, floods, and winds. But their fate is different: the house on the rock stands firm and unfallen; the house on the sand collapses. 6. However, all these factors are interconnected. Those who wisely build their house on a rocky foundation will enter the kingdom. But those who foolishly build their house on a sandy foundation will be denied entry. Imperative: Be wise. Trust in God. Build your life on the rock of faith. Do not be content with mere words but be a doer of God’s will. Then you will surely enter God’s kingdom (REFLECTION 2) Focus: Faith is not an occasional matter of pleading with God in times of need, but constantly leading a life of wisdom 1. Faith is often reduced to intellectual assent or emotional satisfaction or material fulfilment. Thus it is sporadic, in the sense of being time-bound, depending on the needs and difficulties. But true faith is far beyond. It is constant and consistent. 2. It is a daily matter of living "wisely" discerning between the two foundations of rock and sand, and being clear and firm to build the house of life on the foundation of rock. To build the house on a sandy foundation is to steer and lead our life in conformity to the gains and pleasures of the world, with a total neglect of sound values and falling to compromises. 3. This is truly those who are limited only to mere statements and acclamations of "Lord, Lord" but do "not do what God wants". Instead the wise build their house of life on the rock foundation of God and godliness. 4. It is they as in Isaiah, who are "firm in their purpose and put their trust in God", and as in the gospel who "do God's will". For sure, God protects and defends their house, and will "give perfect peace". Direction: An intelligence and knowledge that build life on loose foundations, are vain and shallow and will certainly lead to frustration and ruin. (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, 02 DECEMBER) Focus: Worldly things and interests alone do not make life happy and fulfilled. It is only trust in God and living a God-centred life that gives meaning and beauty to life 1. The present world seems to be more of a “wordy” world. This means that it indulges more in words and engages less in actions. It tries to allure or deceive with great words but does little to follow those words. Words often do not translate themselves into actions. People know and say many words but they do not practice them. Talk is big but living is little. 2. Thus often there is so much contradiction between words and the corresponding actions. This is very evident in the case of politicians. They make tall promises but bother little to implement them. Consequently, a lot of deceptivity and dichotomy rules life. It is this gap between words and actions that Jesus points to in today’s gospel. He states clearly: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”. 3. Those who ensure that words become deeds, those who live what they believe, and those who practice what they profess are really wise. They are like that wise man who builds his house on the rock. Whatever be the adverse situations like rain, floods, and winds, nothing can make it fall, because it is founded on a rock. But those who live dichotomous lives where great words do not correspond to good actions are like that foolish man who builds his house on sand. Any unfavorable experience would easily cause his fall. 4. Therefore, be wise. Trust in God. Trust in Him as the one who “sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Trust in Him forever for He is an everlasting rock. Trust Him who would keep them in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on Him”. Be wise not to give excessive importance to the earthly and worldly, but rather give priority to God and spiritual concerns and the demands of kindness. Direction: Let us become wise to foster an integral life that makes a harmonious blend of good words and good actions. Let us not be mere hearers of the word of God but doers of it as well 02 DECEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 29. 17-24; MATTHEW 9. 27-31 Thrust: The blind see! Indicative: Many suffer from interior blindness. They are not able to see the way. Therefore, either they do not walk the way or they stumble if they walk 1. Jesus was the awaited Messiah. The messianic times foretold in Isaiah would be fulfilled in him. His coming will usher in a restoration of fruitfulness and faithfulness. “In that day, the deaf shall hear… and the blind shall see.” “The meek shall obtain fresh joy and the poor shall exult.” There will be no more shame or distress. It will be a time of renewed sanctification. However, on the other hand, it will also be a time of divine justice. The ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who do evil shall be cut off. 2. Jesus and his mission fulfill all these messianic gifts and predictions. The healing of two blind men in the gospel is a concrete testimony to this. But what is noteworthy is that this divine gift of healing necessitates a response, cooperation from the human part. 3. This response is seen in the faith of the two blind men. Faith is the condition for God’s action. However, this does not mean that faith conditions or restricts God’s action. It only indicates that faith is required for the reception and experience of the effect of God’s grace. 4. Jesus elicits this “profession of faith” from them. Thereby he indicates to them that healing and God’s grace are not to be taken for granted. They shall not expect healing to take place automatically. Every intervention of God’s grace requires a proper disposition. 5. Hence Jesus’ question, “Do you believe that I can do this?” and they confess, “Yes, we do believe.” Thereupon, Jesus touches their eyes. Here we see the personal touch and concern of Jesus. 6. Further, we also see here the humility and the magnanimity of Jesus. He shifts the whole credit to their faith, as Jesus says, “According to your faith may it happen to you.” For sure, Jesus is not like many of us who do little but want to steal the whole show because we are too greedy for self-glory. In contrast, Jesus warns them, “See that no one knows about it.” Imperative: The same mission of giving sight to the blind is entrusted to each one of us. There is so much darkness of sin that blinds many. We must heal their blindness and open their eyes. But for this, first of all, we should be clear-sighted (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 03 DECEMBER) Focus: The real joy of a follower of Christ is when he does what pleases his master. And the master is well pleased when his disciple does good to others and thus brings them to the good path of the true God 1. Prophet Isaiah in the first reading foretells the days of the Messiah: In that day the deaf shall hear, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain the fresh joy of the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult. Those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction. 2. These prophecies come true in Jesus in the gospel. The deaf hear, the blind see, the strayed are brought back and the ignorant are enlightened. Truly the humble experience the joy of the Lord. He is the Messiah and he fulfills what was foretold of him. 3. There is a concrete instance of the healing of two blind men in the gospel. With faith, they come to Jesus. Jesus makes them confirm their faith once again. He asks them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” As they say, “Yes, Lord”, he touches their eyes and restores sight. 4. We see the real nature of their healing in what follows after. It is not merely a physical sight but spiritual sight. They see God’s hand in Jesus and they begin to spread about him even though Jesus strictly warned them not to speak of it. 5. How many are really able to see the Lord, his love, and his power? How many realize their blindness? How many approach the Lord for healing? How many allow him to touch and heal them? Especially when things go wrong, when difficulties and sufferings surround us, can we really affirm our faith and say, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are able to do this”? 6. St Francis Xavier whom we venerate today is in a way similar to the blind men after receiving their sight. He received a new light, a new sight of faith, a new vision of life, being enlightened by St Ignatius of Loyola. And once lighted up, he began to spread the same light with tireless vigor in many missions in Asia, especially in India. And at the end, at the vital age of just 46, he was martyred in his battle against darkness. That is why he is honored as the patron of missions in India. Direction: The real greatness of faith is not only receiving healing from the Lord but living and spreading the effect of that healing. This consists in bearing witness to the light of Christ amidst all situations of darkness (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020, 04 DECEMBER) Focus: When we allow God to enter into our life and intervene in the course of our situations, the face and tone of life will not be the same 1. As the Word of God speaks, situations of deafness and blindness, disgrace and shame constantly surround our life and abound as well. There are moments and conditions where we ourselves indifferently remain deaf and blind, when we throw ourselves into situations of disgrace and shame. 2. There are also times when we are forced not to hear, not to see, and not to be honorable and gracious. Certainly, both kinds of situations are not desirable. In such times, how comforting it is to be assured that there is someone by our side in our times of struggle and sorrow! We must remember that we have a God who never neglects us. 3. He thinks of us even before we think of ourselves. He understands our needs and struggles even before we realize them and cry for help. He will brighten our dark shades. He will knock away our disgrace and shame. He will strike hard against all the injustice and deceit. He will remove the cloud of sorrow, wipe away our tears, and change our lives into springs of joy and happiness. He will heal all the blind and the deaf. He will stand by the side of the poor and the simple. He will fill the saddened hearts with renewed joy. 4. All that is needed is to trust Him. We need to open our eyes and see the love and might of God working in our lives. We need to get rid of our blindness. Yes, we need healing. We need to realize that we need healing. We need to affirm our trust in God's healing of us. God is ever ready to render us healed. 5. We need to run behind Him persistently, crying out to Him to help us. Not that He is unaware or indifferent. If it is our need, we must feel it and seek him to attend to it. We must approach him in trust and submit to his touch. And once healed, we must also bear witness to him. Direction: As long as we are blind to God, we are blind to our own selves failing to see our person and life which are certainly in need of healing. Regain the sight and then we will see the marvels of God and life 03 DECEMBER 2022: ISAIAH 30. 19-21, 23-26; MATTHEW 9.35 – 10.1, 5a, 6-8 Thrust: Passion with no bounds! Indicative: The mission of Jesus is without bounds and boundaries. And it requires a real passion without bounds and boundaries 1. Today we celebrate solemnly the feast of St Francis Xavier, the patron of India. The word of God in both readings fits him. The first reading is replete with exuberant hope whereby things will totally turn out to be joyful from the pit of misery. 2. Certain expressions make it clear: “The produce of the ground will be rich and plenteous.” “Livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys will eat seasoned fodder.” “On every mountain and hill, there will be brooks running with water.” “The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold.” “The Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds.” 3. It is for such a mission of actualising such comforting and renewing times that St Francis Xavier was chosen and sent. He was called to work as a ‘great labourer’ in the plentiful harvest. In his life and preaching, he always showed the people, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 4. Like the Twelve, Francis too was empowered to heal those sick by sin, raise the dead from their spiritual-moral death, cleanse lepers from their impurities and defilements, and cast out demons, those evil forces that surround and fight against us. 5. Like his Master, he too had compassion for the people who were like sheep without a shepherd. They were truly harassed by sin and they feel helpless. Therefore, he would work tirelessly to remove their burden of sin and despair. Imperative: St Francis Xavier remained faithful to the end. Thus he even embraced martyrdom joyfully. He ceaselessly laboured for his master selflessly, never expecting any reward. Can we imitate him? (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 04 DECEMBER) Focus: Every man of God and every disciple of Christ is called to work for God’s kingdom which is a harvest of abundant compassion and good fruits 1. One unparalleled feature that marks the whole life and mission of Jesus was his compassion. It was his compassion that permeated and steered all his teaching, preaching, and healing. It was compassion that drove him to be one with the sick and the needy, the despised and depressed. In fact, his very incarnation is nothing but the greatest testimony of this unbounded compassion. 2. In our modern world, this is one most lacking thing. Selfishness and indifference are overriding concerns. Besides, often compassion is not understood in its full sense. Mostly it is limited only to some passionate feeling of pity or sympathy. But in Jesus, we see the real soul and the drive of compassion. 3. He is deeply sensitive to the struggles and needs of others. We are told: he had compassion for the crowd, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Yes, he feels deep within for them. He becomes one with them and suffers together in empathy and total solidarity. This is the real com-passion that is, suffering together. 4. However, that does not stop there. His compassion is also alleviating. He removes the pain of the other and grants relief and comfort and new vigor. Thus, he teaches, preaches, and heals. He is the perfect replica and fulfillment of the words of the prophet Isaiah about God’s compassion in the first reading. 5. As he comes and intervenes, “You shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. He will bind up the hurt of his people; he will heal the wounds inflicted by his blow. You shall be guided rightly; there will be abundance”. 6. This mission of compassion is not just limited to him alone. It does not finish and stop with him. It continues. And we, his disciples are the ones called to continue the same mission of compassion. That is why he says to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out the laborers into his harvest”. They promote the same mission of preaching and healing and bringing back the lost sheep. Further, in carrying out this mission, they are not left to themselves to struggle. They are empowered by their own power. Direction: The disciples of Jesus who labour for the harvest of God’s kingdom are not paid workers. They work freely and generously because it is their duty and response out of gratitude. For “they received without paying; therefore they give without pay”

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2022

I SUNDAY ADVENT, 27 NOV 2022: ISAIAH 2. 1-5; ROMANS 13. 11-14a; MATTHEW 24. 37-44 Thrust: He comes! Indicative: Advent indicates that the Lord comes to us so that we go to him, go with him, go for him so that one day we can go to be with him forever 1. We begin again this year the holy season of Advent. At the outset itself, let us remind ourselves once again of what is advent. What is its purpose? How should we do it? For many, it is a commemoration of a bygone event, and nothing more than that. For some, it is one of the few most important feasts of the Christians. It is a feast of decorating the churches and houses with stars, cribs, Christmas trees, and singing carols. Of course, get-togethers, celebrations, and shopping go without saying. But it is not just these. We must go beyond them. 2. Advent indicates the coming of the Incarnate Lord, our Saviour in history. Subsequently, we wait for him who is coming. So, essentially advent is a time of waiting. It raises and answers two fundamental questions. What do we wait for? Who do we wait for? 3. We wait for redemption and salvation. And we wait for the Redeemer and Saviour. Why should we wait for them? It is because we need them. We need them if we want to be re-graced, and regain our lost grace. Sin robs us of grace. Sin throws us into a situation of misery. Sin knocks off our dignity and freedom. 4. Sin makes us bound in fetters of bondage. So we need to be released. Sin soils us and so we need to be cleaned. Sin breaks us and so we need to be mended. Sin shakes us and so we need to be made firm. Sin weakens us and so we need to be strengthened. Sin confuses us and so we need to gain clarity. Sin misguides us and so we need to be rightly guided. 5. It is only the grace of salvation and redemption through the Saviour and Redeemer that reinstates us in the state of grace. Therefore, we need to wait for such a glorious change in our life, such a gracing. God does this not simply by some miracles as in the past, however mighty they may be. But God does this restoration by the very incarnation of His own Son himself. 6. Such waiting certainly implies and demands a fitting preparation. What kind of preparation would this be? All three readings make this amply clear. Let us pick up some highlights. “Know the time, the hour to wake from sleep”. “Stay awake” to receive the Saviour who may come at any time unexpectedly. 7. “Cast off the works of darkness”. “Put on the armour of light”. “Walk properly as in the daytime”. “Walk in the light of the Lord”. “Walk in his paths”. “Live in peace and harmony.” It is a way of living where there is no enmity or violence or destruction, when “swords would be turned into ploughshares, spears into pruning-hooks,” and when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor learn war any more.” 8. Further, “get rid of all drunkenness, sensuality and sexual immorality, quarelling, and jealousy.” And “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, it is to “Re-live” the mystery of the Incarnation. That is, Christ should be born again in us. His birth must become a “living” reality. It should not be merely a celebration of the past. Rather our waiting and celebration must be a thing of the present, built on the past and looking and moving toward the future. Imperative: Let us check and see whether our advents have become insipid, heavily leaning toward the past. It shall not be merely the commemoration of a past event. Rather, let us celebrate our Lord’s coming, his love, and our salvation (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 28 NOVEMBER) Focus: We step again into the holy season of Advent. Let us remind ourselves of the very purpose of advent, its significance, and live and fulfill its purpose 1. It is once again the season of advent. What immediately comes to our mind is the holy Christmas. For many, advent is nothing more than some days that come before the birthday of the Lord. It is the duration for preparing the cribs, installing the stars, singing around the carols, practicing the Christmas choir, decorating and illuminating the churches, planning some programs and organizing some get-togethers, inviting or visiting friends and relatives, for doing some special shopping for special festive dresses or articles, et cetera. 2. We do not intend to undervalue the importance of all the above-listed. Our only concern is that the holy advent is reduced only to these items. Certainly, advent is a time of preparation preceding the holy Christmas. All these preparations form part of this preparation. But it is a preparation much more than these. It is a preparation for a deeper and higher realm. It is a time of preparation of hearts, of families, of lives both collectively and personally. It is a time of preparing to go to meet the Lord who is coming. It is preparing a fitting birthplace for the one who will be born among us. It is preparing enough of and clean space for him to enter. It is preparing the whole earth itself to receive the Lord who will encounter us. 3. In the first place, advent is a commemoration and celebration of a past bygone event. As such, it must serve as a special occasion to draw inspiration for our imitation. It must make us recall the event of the incarnation of the loving God amidst our sinful condition. It must inspire us to be deeply impressed by the selfless love of God that empties itself of the heavenly glory and embraces our human misery and struggle. It must make us imitate the same spirit of the incarnate Savior. It must make us live up to the very purpose of his birth, that is, to allow him to be with us and to transform us. 4. Thus, our preparation and celebration will be meaningful, only they blend together all the three dimensions of time, that is, the past, present, and future. We remember gratefully and joyfully the past, so that we can meaningfully and committedly live the present, and thereby become worthy of the eternal presence of God. Our celebration will be very inadequate if it is limited only to recalling the past, if it does not affect and change our present, and does not charge and orient us toward the future. 5. In this sense, advent is a threefold appropriate present preparation. Firstly, for the celebration of the past events; second, for the celebration of the present joy of the present birth of the Lord because he is with us; thirdly, for orientation for the future joy of the eternal communion with God. We celebrate his past birth, his present life within and amidst us, and our eternity with him. Our advent preparation must look behind, look and walk onward and forward, and look and rise upward. That is why, Jesus says, “when these (adverse) things happen, “raise your heads and look up because your redemption is near.” 6. It is in this sense of future orientation the gospel speaks of the end times in the future. Future and end need not be exclusively in time sense, as something that lies in the far distance at the end of completion of all time and space. It is not a fixed, definite time. Rather it is the appointed time. It is the time of judgment. Thereby, advent becomes really significant when it is not only backward-looking but forward-looking and marching. 7. We commemorate and celebrate the past because it affects our present and leads us to the future. Advent should prepare us fittingly for a worthy immediate celebration, for a worthy ongoing living, and for a worthy eternity. Jesus points to three areas of this fitting preparation: dissipation, drunkenness, and cares of the world. All these three hinder our fitting preparation and making a productive blend of the past, present, and future. 8. Dissipation makes us tied down to the regrets and negative impacts of the past. Drunkenness creates an illusory world, and dissociates us from the present reality and responsibility to it. It can be understood more as a pleasure and comfort-seeking life, and not just something to do with drinking alone. Cares and preoccupations of the world do not allow us to rise higher, to the lofty future. All these three fail in the productive use of the past, commitment to the present, and orientation to the future. Direction: Advent is not just a time of pre-Christmas external preparations. It is a commemoration of the past, contribution to the present, and further construction for the future (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020, 29 NOVEMBER) Focus: We are called by a worthy God to live a worthy life. Let us then neither belittle ourselves nor God who wants to elevate us. 1. Once again, we step into the holy season of Advent. It is the time for the advent of the Saviour amidst us. It is the advent of the incarnate Son of God as one of us. It is a time of the coming of God's own grace in flesh and blood, in the person of Jesus Christ. Down through the centuries, God has spoken and acted through many prophets and leaders. But this is the appointed time when God speaks, interacts, and acts with humans through His own Son. 2. Advent is not merely a series of days that precede the birth of Jesus, the Saviour. It is first of all a recalling and reassuring of the ceaseless love and mercy of God for the erring and sinning humanity. It is a reawakening of our hope that the Saviour is born among us. It is a reinstilling of our trust that God comes to live with us and will never abandon us. It is a reinstalling of the broken bond and covenant between God and us. It is the season of the greatest comfort that "God is ever benevolent and merciful to us". 3. Our sin, our evil, our wrongdoings, our weaknesses, and imperfections - nothing of these can mar or deter the love of God that never fails us. The holy Advent encourages us that ultimately it is God who takes control of the whole course of our life and no forces, however powerful and dominant they are, can really overpower it. 4. The holy Advent immerses us in the unfathomable depths of God's saving love. It encourages and revives us with new hope to continue to confide in him even when we are beset with adverse situations. It urges us to "wait on him" who comes to visit us and change our life. This would concretely mean that we do not get "engrossed and entangled" with needless affairs and excessive worldly activities, as in the times of Noah. 5. To the one who comes to us in love, mercy, and solidarity, we must go in eagerness, readiness, and preparation. The one who comes to us to be with us, should not find us in indifference, tepidity, and unpreparedness. We must "Wake up from our sleep" of sin and mediocrity. We must solidify our steps, so that we do not stumble and falter in darkness, but walk steadily in the light. 6. How then do we prepare ourselves to meet him who is coming? There can be different attitudes and responses toward his coming: He is coming - so what? Let Him come! This is an attitude of indifference, carelessness, and lethargy He is coming - oh my God! An attitude of fear and unhappiness He is coming - why should he come? An attitude of unwelcome, stubbornness, resistance, and rejection He is coming - very good! Please come. An attitude of welcome, openness, receptivity, prompt acceptance, and personal experience What is our response? What is our preparation? Direction: Let us wait for the Lord attentively and lovingly, so that he will not find and catch us unawares. Let us be fully awake and focused on him and not lose sight of him.

CHRIST THE KING FEAST 22

CHRIST THE KING, 34TH SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2022: 2 SAMUEL 5. 1-3; COLOSSIANS 1. 12-20; LUKE 23. 35-43 Thrust: Hail the true King! Indicative: Christ is king in the truest sense because he reigns over his subjects, takes care of them and constantly works to spread his reign beyond the territories and boundaries 1. We celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. This 34th Sunday marks the end of the ordinary liturgical year. He is a king with a difference, made and makes a difference and summons his followers too to make a difference. He is a king by contrast. he stands apart from all the rest of the kings. 2. He is king by his very nature. His kingship or kingdom is not something inherited or acquired. It is not something extraneous to him, added from outside. It is his own. He is the Son of God, seated in the kingdom of heaven, beside the Father. 3. He is the king of all, a universal king. There are no boundaries or restrictions. His kingdom is not confined to some specified territory. His subjects are not defined by any particular area or religion or language or culture. People of the whole universe belong to him. There are no divisions or discrimination. There are no exclusions. 4. He is a spiritual king. His kingship is not earthly or worldly. He does not fight wars with the other kings to conquer their kingdoms. He does not sit on an earthly throne and rule over his people, demarcated by a certain territory. He rules in the spiritual realm. He reigns over hearts. 5. He is a peaceful king. In his reign, there is peace and harmony. There is no violence or bloodshed. He does not use violent means to dominate and subjugate others. Death and destruction are totally out of his kingship. 6. He is a humble king. There is no pomp, no display of self-glory and no craving or striving for it. There are no traces of pride and arrogance in him. Though all glory belongs to him and he is above all, he does not suppress them or overpower them. He humbled himself to become an ordinary human being like us. Though Son of God and possessed all the divine power of working miracles and wonders, he never paraded his greatness and sought to impress others. 7. He is a gentle and meek king. There is no particle of rudeness or harshness. He would treat even his deadliest enemies with the utmost gentleness, and respect. He would certainly rebuke, admonish and correct regarding truth and authenticity. But he would never despise or degrade anyone. 8. He is a virtuous king. Unlike many other kings and rulers, he does not carry the baggage of weaknesses or defects. He is not subject to any vices or addictions. There is no malice or guile in him. There is no negative that he tries to hide within. 9. He is an authentic king. There is no iota of duplicity or hypocrisy in him. He does not say one thing and do the opposite. He practises what he preaches. He lives what he believes. He follows what he expects from others. He is what he appears outside whereby there is no contradiction between his interior and exterior. There is no falsity or pretension in them. 10. He is a sacrificing king. He empties himself for the sake of filling others. He impoverishes himself so as to enrich others. He lowers himself so as to raise others to dignity. Cross is the biggest testimony of his sacrifice and self-effacement. He even dies so as to revive and renew with new and eternal life. 11. He is a healing king. This is one key ingredient of his mission. He came to heal the sick, to restore them to health. This is holistic health, and not limited only to the physical aspect. Real health is when the person is able to live with human dignity and experience the beauty and joy of life. 12. He is a merciful and forgiving king. He never condemns others, even the greatest sinner. He never refuses to offer forgiveness to others, even when done the greatest harm. Forgiveness for him is not a favour given at one’s convenience; rather it is an obligation. He does not keep an account of our sinfulness. All that he wants is that we repent and are converted. 13. He is a passionate king. There is no room for tepidity or lukewarmness in him. Indifference and mediocrity would be frightened to go near him. Zeal for God and His mission is like an ever-burning fire. 14. He is a shepherding king. He takes meticulous care of his subjects. He leads them to pastures, fresh and green. He feeds them, nourishes and strengthens them. He never neglects them. He never subjects them to starvation and malnutrition. 15. He is a valiant and persevering king. He waged a relentless battle against evil. He was assaulted violently all through his life. Even on the cross also, he was tempted to go against God’s plan and go his own way. He was criticised and persecuted for his goodness and integrity. But he would never relent. 16. He is a saving king. This is the fundamental purpose for which he incarnated himself. He came to remit our sins by the shedding of his blood on the cross. Thus he redeemed us. 17. He is a leader-king. He leads us by example. He not only knows the way, not only shows the way but also walks the way, walks us in the same way and leads us to destiny. Imperative: Let us learn to give up our petty self-made kingdoms. Let us stop being arrogant and puffed-up kings. Let us learn to follow the one king. Let us strive to spread his kingdom of love and truth (REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, 21 NOVEMBER) Focus: Christ is the king of the universe. But it is not in terms of power and subjugation. Rather it is in terms of love and animation 1. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King with great joy and honour. This Sunday marks the last Sunday of the ordinary liturgical year as we will step into the holy season of Advent next Sunday. This placement at the end of the ordinary year can indicate something significant: our whole life with all its ordinariness culminates in the kingship of Christ. We find our end and fulfillment under the reign of Christ. Our entire life must be geared and oriented toward Christ the Lord. 2. The concepts of king, kingship, and kingdom are not strange to us. History has seen a great many kings and kingdoms, both benevolent and malevolent, both just and unjust, righteous and wicked, promotive and destructive. But when we say and celebrate Christ as King, there is an enormous difference. 3. One obvious and explicit difference is he is a king with no demarcated territory of the kingdom. There are no boundaries. There are no disparities or inequalities. It is a boundless, boundaryless kingdom. It is a way of life. It is open to all and embraces all. There is equity and justice. There is no hierarchy of higher or lower, no scope for subjugation and suppression. There is no division or discrimination. There is no partiality or favouritism. 4. There is no aggression or violence. There is no death and destruction. There is no falsity or deception. There is no manipulation and corruption. There is no ruthless seeking power and popularity. Rightly, he is a king of hearts. He is the king of souls. He is the king of communities and families. He is a spiritual king. 5. Thus his kingdom is not a location or domain. It is a reign and ambience of love, justice, mercy, joy, and peace. It is a reign of truth and authenticity, loyalty and commitment. It is where one readily makes himself “the first to become the last and the servant”. It is the divine reign where one “serves and not craves to be served”. It is where one loves selflessly even to the extent of “dying for the other”. It is where one seeks relentlessly the will of God. It is where one can affirm courageously, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let everything happen according to your holy word and will”. 6. In sum, Christ is king when and where he reigns with his virtues and values. Where there is love and not hatred, peace and not violence, reconciliation and not retaliation, forgiveness and not grudge, altruism and not egoism, truth and not duplicity, humility and not arrogance, unity and parity and not division and discrimination, magnanimity and not malice, generosity and not jealousy, purity and not pollution – there and then is Christ the king, his kingship and kingdom. 7. Today, many followers of this unparalleled and unique king sadly “profane” and “secularize” their king because they themselves are such, stung by high profanity and mundanity. They forget that they are citizens of a spiritual kingdom and not a temporal one. They forget that it is a spiritual reign and not a material domain or gain. They forget the very fact that they are only members and subjects and not the king or master themselves. They ignore the very pillars of this kingdom and build petty kingdoms with worldly pillars and ingredients. Direction: Time is ripe now to demolish all the false kingdoms based on money, manipulation, deception, corrupt power and lording authority, discrimination, aggression, malice, and destruction. Let our prayer be sincere: “Let your Kingdom come!” (REFLECTION 3 FROM 2020, 22 NOVEMBER) 1. Still the Celebration of a King, in our times where king, kingship, and kingdom are rather outdated or at least not a common phenomenon! This brings us to a first reflection that Jesus Christ is a King for all ages, beyond times and spaces. Times and places, cultures, and customs may change. But He remains a King forever. 2. What kind of king, kingship, and kingdom? Quite in contrast to the rest, that of the world. A king with a difference, a King who makes a difference, a King who wants difference from his subjects. 3. He is a king who is not violent or aggressive. Not self-seeking or self-serving. Not self-promoting or self-gloried. Not dominating or subjugating. Not oppressing or intimidating. Not greedy or avaricious. Not hypocritical and deceptive. Not manipulative or corrupt. Not divisive or discriminative. Not biased or partial. 4. His is a kingship that believes and promotes healthy and progressive relationships and genuine friendship, that which puts no one in any hardship. A kingship that is not a rod of power, not a tool of lording over, but a way of fervour for Good, and a channel to guard and care for. His kingship is not one of enslaving coercion but of willing and joyful submission. 5. His Kingdom is a kingdom that is not a domain of pomp and glory, but a reign of fraternal communion and service. A kingdom whose boundaries are magnanimity without boundaries. His kingdom is not one of serfdom of members treated as objects; but a kingdom of dignified and responsible freedom, where everyone is treated as subjects with respect and honour. 6. His royalty is not one of status or position, privilege or prestige. His royalty is that of loyalty to the core. His dignity is that of character. His nobility is not that of birth or cadre, but that of heart and dealing. 7. He is a King who reigns in the hearts and reigns over them. That is why recurrently Jesus affirms, The Kingdom of God is near you, the Kingdom is amidst you, the Kingdom is within you. It is the reign of grace, with passion for God and compassion for others. It is where love reigns, where peace and harmony are the most delicious fruits, where equality and justice are priced norms, where prosperity and growth are the plans of action, and where happiness and fulfilment of each one are the highest goals to nurture and achieve. 8. What a difference now between this eternal King, and his followers, especially his representatives who profess to carry his kingship? Christ the King is a challenge against all the tendencies to be "Chota" kings and mini lords, against all self-glory and manipulation, against all power-wielding and deifying. His Kingdom is a rebuke against all unchristian forces of building up petty kingdoms, and narrowly demarcated territories, based on contingent and needless factors like caste, region, language, culture, rite, etc. How can one pray daily, “may your Kingdom come”, but live and do all that makes the Kingdom go? How can we profess to work for his Kingdom, to nurture, foster, and expand it, while we tend to suffocate its growth, and narrow down its confines and embrace? 9. Let us always bear in mind that no one is above the King, the Master, and the Lord, who is one and sole. One may be great, high-positioned, efficient, popular, or powerful, but always remains only a disciple, a follower, or a servant. There are no more kings and masters, no more saviours and lords. No other teaching can be higher or more important than the teaching of the Master. The Kingdom of God is spacious, unbound, and unconfined, and no single human institution or religious structure can domesticate the Kingdom which is the Reign of the Spirit. Even the Church is only an Agent at the service of the Kingdom, the Reign of God, and it cannot make itself it's equivalent or substitute. The Church even as the Mystical Body and Bride of Christ must always remain docile and adherent to her Lord. 10. The King of heart and love, the Ruler of truth and integrity is inviting us, to give Him our hearts to reign within, and to give our lives to reign over, so that his Kingdom of faith and