Weighed Down

Today’s Gospel Text:  "But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; 35 for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. 36 But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:34-36

Reflection: What is the human heart made of that it not only sustains life by carrying blood to various parts of the body but is also the seat of emotions?

It can flutter, or get terrified gripped with fear, or miss a heartbeat, or can get heavy, or be filled with lust and love, or even jump with joy, etc.

Jesus too, when he invites us to be cautious, adds some of the possibilities the human heart is capable of, viz., of that of being weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and cares of this world.

When the stomach is empty the mind doesn't always think, when the hands are loaded you cannot do another job like wise when the heart is weighed down the mind cannot arrive at right decisions. 

Hence like a good teacher Jesus cautions us to desist and to be always prepared by avoiding those things which can kill our discerning abilities and prevent us to receive the free gift of Salvation offered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Such a thing can happen if our hearts are weighed down. 

What are these cares of the world that Jesus cautions us about and which can weigh our hearts down? 

It could be anything that we spend our precious time on; either in an addictive way or pleasurable way.

Hence whether it is our addictions on social networking sites and internet surfing, the games and enjoyments that we spend time on, the preoccupation with eating and drinking, looking out for more friends and partners, pornography, drugs, excessive preoccupation with health, wealth, possessions and relationships, excess love of self and gratifications, entertaining ourselves to deal with our boredom, worldly news and gossips, etc., are instances of cares of the world. 

The heart addicted to these cares, never wants to give up even though it weighs it down, destroying our reasoning’s to seek the right values. Above all, it prevents us to perceive  the great meaning in the sacrifice of Jesus and the good news of salvation which he freely offers to all those who are willing to accept it.

Prayer:  Lord give me the help of your Holy Spirit to discern and surrender those elements of sin that weighs my heart down so as to prevent your life and grace to rule my life.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Miracle of Bread

Today’s Gospel Text:  And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

22 Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  Matt 14:18-22

Reflection:  “Bring them here to me.”

Surely, he could have asked  his disciples or asked the boy to straight away to distribute them, the five loaves and two fishes, so that a miracle would take place at their hands, through his intervention.

Hence the above instruction was no ordinary instruction given by Jesus, the loaves and the fishes had to be brought to Jesus so that he could bless them; He then broke the bread and gave it to his disciples to be given to the crowd.

He knows what is to be given to the crowds and what is to be communicated through this miracle for all generations to come.

What is more important in this miracle; is it the bread that was multiplied or the bread that was blessed? Was it not the bread that was blessed more important than the miracle the blessings brought about?

What if there was no multiplication of the bread and if Jesus would have said; look here all of you at this bread and experience the miracle of your stomach being filled with the bread? He could have done even that.

So that we may know the value of the blessings that Jesus said over the bread, that Jesus first instructs that the bread and fish be brought to him and then says the blessings and has the bread distributed to the crowd.

Therefore a miracle is only a pointer to a greater truth, meant for those who do not believe, and for those who believe it is an invitation to enter into a deeper mystery.  Thus at times miracles are required not out of necessity but out of a want which flows from our inability to easily believe in the great miracle which God can work sanctifying us and leading us to eternal life.

Every Eucharistic miracle doesn’t necessarily result in us being able to see with visible eyes the great miracle of the presence of body and blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But the previous miracles and the many miracles we experience in our lives through faith in Jesus should be pointers for us to believe in the Eucharistic presence.

Adoring this presence and receiving him with reverence then leads us into a different kind of miracle which sanctifies us through and through, so as to make us stand before the Lord of all ages on that day of Salvation.

Prayer: Lord, help me believe in your holy presence at every Eucharistic banquet I partake of.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Worldly Hope

Today’s Gospel Text:  "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. 23 Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

25 "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:20-28

Reflection: In 72 AD, the Roman occupiers of Palestine had one last go at the Jews for their rebellion and uprising, that they destroyed Jerusalem completely, leaving not a stone upon a stone and taking many into captivity.

Many Biblical scholars base their dating of the gospels on the basis of the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus concerning Jerusalem.

Their logic behind this kind of dating is that the event must have taken place before the writing and hence their conclusions about the dating of the gospels.

We leave such speculative derivation to the scholars, who base themselves on pure human reasoning’s and thus reduce the gospels to pure human works.

What then will they say of prophecies which are yet to be fulfilled prophecies of the end times and the call for conversion?

We are in a world which constantly fills us with a hope of a better future. We are constantly prodded on to overthrow the oppressors, to seek after justice, to fight corruption.

New elections in every country brings in a lot of hope with a new leadership or the same leadership with a spark of new ideas and hopes.

There are the many exhortations of building a better world through less corruption, more justice, respect for religious fervor with emphasis on universalism, saving the earth for a better future, etc.

In the heart of every human being is constantly sown the hope of achievements that comes through strivings.

In the midst of these hopes based on the human striving and achievements, Jesus reminds us of a bleak turmoil awaiting the dwellers of the earth, of which the many signs we see in our times. 

The many scientific answers based on cogent arguments blinds us to see the hand of God in every situation. 

Unfortunately, the followers of the Christ proclaim the same language of hope like the false prophets of yore. 

Prayer: Lord, as I work as your instrument in this passing world, help in not to put my trust in a worldly hope which is passing.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

His Name

Today’s Gospel Text:  But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13 This will be a time for you to bear testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; 17 you will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives. Luke 21:12-19

Reflection: The mention of persecution and the type and reason for persecution is something that is unique of Christ as a religious founder, who doesn’t leave his disciples in the dark about it.

He brings out the sure truth of persecution in the language of that time and the reason for such persecution, viz., the name of Jesus Christ or the name Christian.

History has proved it and never in the history of humanity has any followers of any religion faced persecution and even annihilation in the measure in which Christians have faced for their faith all because they carry the name of Jesus and yet it has grown.

Many a times it is not for the wrong they have done, but for the faith which they hold in Jesus Christ.

When one thinks in terms of numbers then it dwarfs the whole Jewish holocaust at the hands of the fascists. 

Even today it is one of the most persecuted group, even in those parts of the world which has been predominantly Christian, on account of the rapid securitization and relativistic morality, each defining a morality that suits them.

Yet in the midst of these persecutions the faith has grown better in many places in the world: “the more you kill the more we are. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” – Tertullian, a second century Church father

Is it really the name of Christ that brings about persecution, yes primarily, it has been the cause for persecution, but there are other factors which make people with loose morality claustrophobic by the very presence of a practicing Christian: his practicing presence speaks to the conscience of the unrighteous.

We need to ask ourselves; Do I proclaim Christ and is my presence a source of discomfort to the indulgently immoral ones in society? Does it make the heretic and the apostates uncomfortable? Does it make the unbelievers refer to their conscience? 

Prayer:  Help me know the cost of following you and do so wholeheartedly, never forgetting to witness to your glorious name O Lord!

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Adorn

Today’s Gospel Text:  And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 "As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." 7 And they asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?" 8 And he said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once." Luke 21:5-9

Reflection: Memories often takes us to the good or bad past, either we carry a pleasant feeling about the past or a hurt feeling, some of which we often wish to forget and push it away from our memory.

In the gospel text of today, the present situation itself is a memorable moment of admiration for the adornment with noble stones and the offering concerning the temple.  

How magnificent and marvelous must have been the temple of God to behold and marvel at, indeed a precious place to be.

I wonder how these people may have taken the shocker which Jesus gives them about this very temple;  "As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."

It was a caution to the people that their religion for which they would be zealous about would be under attack and destruction was in waiting.

But as for us who have become God’s holy temple, a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, the temple at Jerusalem no longer hold significance.

Only thing that is required of us is to see that we do not adorn ourselves with worldly wealth of gold, precious stones and rich branded clothing's but rather with virtues and fruit of the Holy Spirit which are purified in the crucible of fire; the ordinary daily suffering which comes our way while seeking to lead a dedicated Christian life. 

In this year dedicated to faith, we need not lag behind since scripture exhorts us: “… to show entire and true fidelity, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” Titus 2:10

Let us identify how we could do this concretely with a plan of action, either by avoiding those things that adorns us with mere externals or by acting on a plan of putting up those virtues and doctrine of faith which will equip us to offer a pleasing sacrifice to God in and through this bodily temple of ours.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to organize myself that I may plan my life in a way in which I will seek to be adorned by your will. 

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Give

Today’s Gospel Text:  He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. 3 And he said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had." Luke 21:1-4

Reflection: Israel had a law on tithing and they picked up the noble art of giving something or the other for God’s work.

If they failed in any way then they had the prophets to warn them of their robbery when it came to giving God: 

“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How are we robbing thee?' In your tithes and offerings.  You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you.  Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”   Mal 3:8-10

Yet when it comes to giving we come up with many excuses, justifying and assuaging our consciences to act contrary to what God wants of us. We will store and spend on all sorts of pleasures but we would not want to participate in the pleasure of giving for God’s work; the pleasure of participating in the great sacrifice of Christ.

We in the Christian setting seem to have lost the sense of tithing and very few whom I know tithe for God’s work and the spread of the Kingdom; the protestant’s do it well.  

Tithe is not preached in the Christian setting because, Scripture expects more than mere contribution by way of money, but our whole selves offered to God. (cfr. Rom. 12: 1)

Yet in giving even a tenth portion of what we grossly earn is robbed of God who has given us the ability to make wealth. (Dt. 8:18)

Render to God what belongs to him and what belongs to him is more than a tenth, our whole selves. (cfr. Mk. 2:17; Lk. 20:25)

St. Paul gives us a criterion for giving:  “Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.”  1 Cor 9:13-14

Be a Dedicated Disciple and give, always remembering that nothing escapes his attention, even a widow’s mite and what is more he expects even the poor to give and thus express their faith and love for him.   

Prayer:  Lord I pray that I may have the grace not to delay in giving of myself and at least a tenth of all that you have given me, for your service.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Sacrifice of Truth

Today’s Gospel Text: Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world." 37 Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." 38 Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" John 18:33-38

Reflection:  There is time for everything, even a time for asking questions.

Was it the right time for Pilate to ask a question to Jesus? Can you hold a man at gun point or hold a dagger to his neck and ask him to speak the truth?

Can you have the truth in such a situation?

With God, whose love is sacrificial, all things are possible! He will sacrifice his life for the sake of the truth: Jesus knew that he will be killed for the sake of the truth, the knife was pointed at him, yet he spoke what needs to be spoken.

What he spoke was necessary for us and for all ages, for our Salvation, so that we may enter into life by accepting this truth in our life, without which we cannot find Salvation; we cannot be saved.

That confession of Jesus, before Pilate was needed and was necessary for the world to believe that Jesus indeed is God and King of the whole universe and is the one who reigns for all eternity.

Such was his love and dedication towards humanity that in spite of foreseeing at Gethsemane the rejection of the many  down history, yet he accomplished with great pain and sacrifice the means of our our salvation through.this confession of his before Pilate. 

How hardened humanity can be that it still offers its own agenda as a perfect solution for humanity and being deceived themselves they now go about deceiving others, offering humans the panacea of wholeness therapy, godless or occult spiritualities, false ideologies, corrupted theology, etc.

Many are so enmeshed in the daily routines of life that they hardly have time to think about their eternity or to seek the truth that saves.

There are also the many that would rather prefer to walk the beaten path set forth before them by their parents and elders rather than seek what God in his goodness has revealed in his Son Jesus; as savior of the world.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for revealing to me the Salvation which you offer us freely by your great sacrifice. Help me to value this sacrifice and not let my faith in you go in vain. May I be the servant of the New Evangelization as your instrument. 

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Jesus Christ is King of the Universe: Happy Feast to you all at DD!

Resurrection

Today’s Gospel Text:  There came to him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; 30 and the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."

34 And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; 35 but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him." 39 And some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well." 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question. Luke 20:27-40

Reflection: How can those who believe in God think of life without often reflecting on the resurrection?

The very foundation of our faith is based on the resurrection; Christ Jesus our founder has gone ahead of us by dying, then rising from the dead on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

We could think of people coming back to life within the first 5 to 7 minutes of their death or even a little more but to rise from the dead on the third day is a profound miracle and a powerful message for us to reflect on.

Christ’ resurrection is a fact of history, recorded in the annals of history (Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 3, 3 ) and proved by the empty tomb, whose stone was found moved on the morning of the resurrection and is found mentioned in all the four gospel and the other writings of the New Testament. 

It was preached by the Apostles as eyewitnesses to his appearances, even under grave threat to their lives and subsequently had to face it for their testimony along with other witnesses of that time.

When one believes in the resurrection, they would also accept the fact of life eternal and what Jesus has to reveal to us about this life: “God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." Rev 21:3-4

Thus Jesus in the gospel text reveals to us an important aspect of the resurrection; “those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (vss. 35-36)

Now concerning the fruit of resurrection, this is what St. Paul has to teach us: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him," 1 Cor 2:9

Prayer: Lord, let my actions never betray my belief in the sure resurrection of the just which you have accomplished for us by your death and Resurrection.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Cleanse your Temple

Today’s Gospel Text:  And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers."

47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him; 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words. Luke 19:45-48

Reflection: His ways are brash and this is nothing but arrogance, what sort of witnessing is this. Who will change or get converted or accept the message of Jesus at such rudeness?

There were merely selling things in the temple and he dares to insult them and seems to call them robbers.

Were those who were selling that bad that they should be referred to as robbers?

Indeed they were robbers, when they robbed that place, the temple, which belonged to God and no good son will tolerate an insult to his father, especially when one robs the glory and honor that the Father enjoys in his rightful place.

The temple was God’s dwelling place and for all ages it shall continue to be so and Jesus by cleansing the temple teaches us about the importance and relevance of the place and how he has to overwork and even make himself look like a bad example in order to retrieve its glory for his Father.

Every individual who accepts Jesus as their Lord and master, invites this same militant Jesus into their hearts and mind, who goes about the task of cleansing with violence driving out those evil spirits and demons who dwell within us like robbers.

In the process he may appear as bad and uncaring of our needs but unless he does it we cannot participate in the wonderful, peaceable life of God. 

He cannot do so unless we fully cooperate with him and his grace and he is able to work in us only in that measure in which we are able to surrender those areas of our lives which requires the cleansing.

Each time we sit in prayer, we acknowledge we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6: 19-20) and that God dwells in us and that he needs to be allowed to drive away the robbers and thieves who comes only to steal, kill and destroy us through bondages of sin and evil (Jn. 10:10a)          

Prayer:  Lord, how great is your mercy towards us that if we put our confidence in you, you set about the task of cleansing us speedily according to the measure of our faith and surrender to you.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us