Saving Presence

Today’s Gospel Text:  And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, "Save, Lord; we are perishing." 26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" Matt 8:23-27

Reflection: What was happening there in the boat? Can be a question that can still be asked in our time as: What is happening?

What a confusion it must have been there:

Jesus was in the midst of his own dedicated disciples and the boat was dangerously swamped by the waves.

In the midst of all these things Jesus is fast asleep while on the other hand the dedicated disciples must have been petrified with what was taking place.

They could have knelt down and prayed to the heavens and called on the Lord God almighty; for did they not learn it from Jesus the necessity of prayer and trust in God.

But they knew that the Lord  was already in their midst and it is only he, the savior, who could save them.

And if he the savior could save them then what was wrong in their prayer to him: "Save, Lord; we are perishing." (vs. 25b)

Then, why were they rebuked by the Lord for such a prayer to him who alone could save them from the lurking danger?

The problem was not so much in the correctness of the prayer but the faith behind the prayer.

The panic shown by the disciples was a clear indicator and it did not communicate faith in the Lord.

When Jesus is in our midst, and that is what he has assured us, then why are we afraid and panic and trust not his saving action.  Do we have to look at the waves and waver or do we have to look at the Lord and be silent?

In such situations God may appear sleeping but he is still in charge of his beloved and is in every way concerned about their survival, even unto eternity and much more than we are about ourselves.

Prayer: O God of my salvation, I believe in your saving power, help me never to lose trust in.

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

Living the Resurrection

Today’s Gospel Text:  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; 5 and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Mag'dalene and Jo-an'na and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. Luke 24:1-11

Reflection: The resurrection the greatest event ever and believing in the resurrection of Jesus can have a great impact on one’s life.

This is not a call to believe for the sake of believing. That would be like taking a sick man with no appetite to a banquet for a meal.  

Hence, it is a belief that is based on two facts: one that appeals to the intellect and can be reasonably explained and the other is the experiential one wherein Jesus constantly reveals himself to those who earnestly seek him, not just to prove himself to them but rather by believing  in him they may have salvation.

If our beliefs are not based on these two pillars then it is still lame and can make us fall apart easily at the first obstacle of doubt we encounter.

This belief has to be constantly renewed in the presence of the living God, by having him with us in his resurrected form, daily and every moment. 

This is not an unreasonable argument but a living reality which begins from the assurance of his word; “... lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matt 28:20

How often we as Christians only hold to the comfortable element of trusting in ourselves and in our intellect in order to believe in God rather than allow God to prove his love for us and which he most willing does, if only we allow him to do so.

Such a living faith leads to an on going relationship with God and to have that faith and relationship with God we need to spend time in his presence in prayer. Prayer helps in developing this relationship with Jesus and thus also with one another.

Prayer:  Lord, fill my heart with your love so that I may love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength forever and ever.

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

Jesus too Prayed

Today’s Gospel Text:  And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them.

32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together about the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, 37 and they found him and said to him, "Every one is searching for you." 38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. Mark 1:29-39

Reflection: The demands of ministry and the work thereof and the great temptation flowing from ones zeal to labor and work in God’s vineyard often could lead a person wounded, weak and bruised.

This situation could be exacerbated with the many attacks from the evil one through human gossip, slander, maligning and sometimes even physical attack; the ones in authority often trying to subjugate a person. 

The devil is only filled with hurt and rage when one is in direct conflict with his work of deception and defrauding humans of the salvation which Jesus came to reveal.  

He works to deceive people with a humane concern, in the process even talking about love and reaching out, and proclaims a gospel often camouflaged with worldly values of liberation for the oppressed and marginalized or the other extreme of a prosperity gospel.

In the present world with the abundance of knowledge and the greed to accumulate it, closely assisted by ones self centered development through the many programmes and spirituality's available, one is often lost in the maze and similar can be the fate of the man in the ministry.

Jesus our model shows us the way out of it: “And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.” (vs. 35)

If the Lord himself, in human form, needed to pray how much more we who are mere humans sold to sin and evil.

This is also a clear indication that our outreach to humanity cannot be accomplished by pure good works or magnificent philanthropy only but by a life of prayer which first seeks the transformation of the self in his presence and Jesus teaches us whom to pray to and how. 

God’s presence and purely his holy presence is what cleanses us and purifies our hearts of everything that is not of his and we need to first enter this presence with thanksgiving for allowing us to enter it to the blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ.

Prayer:  Lord, teach us to enter into your holy presence with faith and compete confidence and thus be your instrument of salvation to the world.

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

Sabbath Rest

Today’s Gospel Text:  Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." 13 And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." 15 Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" 17 As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. Luke 13:10-17

Reflection: A Sabbath rest is always an opportunity for God to work; for while we rest he works best.

Thus we find Jesus busy on a Sabbath doing the most laborious and best work that anyone can undertake, viz. the ministry of teaching in the Synagogue. 

This ministry of teaching leads him to do the next best work one can undertake viz., that of witnessing by our deeds to the mighty power of God who alone is able to save us.

Hence, one who understands the significance of a Sabbath will not violate the Sabbath or underestimate its importance but will instead value its importance and keep it.

To be recipient of the grace of Sabbath depends on the way we understand the significance of the Sabbath rest and how we keep it.

If we spend that day in the presence of God, by fulfilling our Christian obligation and duties, then we are entering into that perfect rest which ministers to our spirits and heals us with each encounter of the Lord of the Sabbath; Jesus Christ.

If only the ruler of the Synagogue knew who Jesus was and his ministry and work. 

Even in our times the many sacred and lay ministers who minister diligently and faithfully do the work of Christ and minister rest and peace to the people who are need it.

Everyone born in this world requires this rest whose closest camouflaging cousin the bodily sleep which too heals and gives rest. But the one that the Lord gives and ministers to us far outweighs the one accrued through a bodily sleep.

This insight should encourage each one of us to seek to enter into this rest of God by having programs of prayer; personal, family or communitarian.

Prayer:  Lord I pray that I may have the courage and strength to enter into your rest.

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

Seek His Will

Today’s Gospel Text: In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles; 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; 18 and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all. Luke 6:12-19

Reflection: When one wants to start a big business venture, then one of the most challenging task is to employ and assign the right kind of personnel’s for the many tasks at hand.

One would organize oneself in the mind, list down the many tasks to be undertaken, who should be taking up the supervisory task and accordingly would go about employing the kind of people one would want to.

Many would even go about their business by consulting an expert, which could be their own family members or some experts or friends.

In the Gospel of text we find that Jesus sets about his Father’s business by spending the night in prayer and then goes about picking up the twelve who would be his Apostles.

If we are God’s work and employed in his service, then we cannot rule out the action of Jesus and not imitate him in all that we do.

If we exist in order to serve God and to seek his glory in all things then the least we can do is to consult him  and seek his wisdom in prayer, just as Jesus did.

Further, Jesus sought to do the will of the Father; “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me.” John 10:37

This habit of consulting God  cannot become an overnight habit, which would come about naturally with us. It is a practice that has to be part of our daily routine, either before the Eucharistic Lord or at his feet in daily prayer.

Prayer: Lord, may I seek you and your wisdom in all that I do.

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

Waiting to Labor

Today’s Gospel Text: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. 5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 12 saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' 16 So the last will be first, and the first last." Matt 20:1-16

Reflection: One of the powerful and joyful message that this parable communicates is this; the householder does not just hire laborers to satisfy his personal need.

The householder goes each hour to search for the idle laborer who is looking out for a job, making himself available for hire and the householder hires these very laborers in his vineyard.

The important criterion is availability towards hire by being available in the market place.

As for the householder, his criterion seems compassion and love for the laborer who looks out for a hirer for his daily bread. The householder has abundance to give but he can’t give it to all, though available to all.

He can only give those who are willing to be hired. At the same time at the end of the day, the quality of the work, or the quantity does not matter to him, but the sincerity to be hired and willingness to labor is important to the householder.

The householder is the image of a God who cares and comes in search for individuals who are willing to labor in his vineyard by waiting at the market place. 

Since the abundance of the householder exists, whatever the laborer receives is a free gift, irrespective of his labor. 

Christ Jesus, has earned the abundance of the wealth to be bestowed on his beloved laborers who are willing to labor in order to receive a reward, which is purely gratis.

As for us it is enough to know and cling to the generosity of God to offer us from his abundance a share in his kingdom and not to envy or be jealousy about other laborers.

Finally, the laborer who waits at the market place is the one who waits in the market place of the mind in prayer, willing to be hired by his master. The Lord will come and will not disappoint such a one.

Prayer: Lord, as I seek you each day in prayer, I shall not loose hope now, because you will come to me to comfort and hire me as your servant and laborer.

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