Teacher

Today’s Gospel Text: He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:1-6

Reflection: Indeed one of the greatest services one can ever render humanity is to teach and Jesus never missed an opportunity to teach in the synagogues. 

Does it mean that all should jump into the fray, of being a teacher? Before taking it as a profession one should first search one’s heart for honesty or sincerity and dedication, always keeping before one’s eye the eternal judgment assured for leading astray God’s creatures. 

The worst judgment would befall those who are teachers in God’s household and over, whom Christ considers, them as his little ones: “..but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matt 18:6,(Mk. 9:42/ Lk. 17:2)

Therefore James in his letter (Chp. 3:1) has this to say, concerning the ministry of teaching: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness.”

If you think that the plague of false teachers, even officially sanctioned ones, are a new infestation in the church, then you are wrong. There were false teachers even during the time of the apostles: “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies.” 2 Pt. 2:1; I Tim. 1: 6-7

The only difference is that in the time of the Apostles and even much latter, those who took the place of the apostles were quick to discern the false doctrine and condemn them immediately. In many instances there were pitched battles of debates which ultimately saw the church triumphant over the forces of evil.

In our dark days they are quite a few who have taken the place of the Apostles and yet promote, teach and practice heresy in their openness to modernistic-pseudo-scientific reasoning’s.

Prayer: Oh, how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thy commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.  I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation. Ps 119:97-99

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

Do you Fast?

Today’s Gospel Text:  Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; if it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved." Matt 9:14-17

Reflection:  Can someone approach a family and tell the children: “Why do we and your parents work to earn and you do not work nor labor in order to earn?”

I am sure no one would do that with small children, you cannot really tell that to a small child.

What happens to a grown up child of 18 or more and if they are not working? Can one approach and make a similar statement and ask them why they are not working in order to earn a living?

Wait a minute, who are we to do that if the parents have no objection to their children not working. 

Jesus in the Gospel communicates a similar attitude, not to burden God's children with the demands of the law, but allow the disciple the freedom, whether to fast or not.

He, by talking about a bridegroom communicates a very important message on fasting and penance, which though based on freedom of choice, could be an invitation to participate more vigorously then the law could demand of anyone.

Christian history has enough proof of the rigor with which the saints, not just the canonized ones but the non-canonized ones too, fasted for the sake of Christ.

How is that possible? It is possible if our relationship with Christ is like that of the Bride with the bridegroom.  As long as the bridegroom is there the bride is happy but the moment the Bridegroom is taken away, it is as if all happiness is robbed from the bride and she is willing to make any sacrifice, if within her means to return to her Bridegroom.  It is the deep longing for the bridegroom that does the miracle!

For the dedicated disciples, being with Jesus was a moment to grow in love and attachment to Jesus the bridegroom, but when Jesus the bridegroom would be taken away, suddenly and more so violently from them, they will definitely miss those great moments spent with the Lord and will fast and pray in order to grow in that closeness which was with them before and without which they cannot be noble instruments of God.

Similarly, the indwelling Holy Spirit and our constant encounter with him creates in our hearts the eager longing of that of a bride for the bridegroom and we are with a little effort from our side, able to seek that union with him through fasting, penance and prayer.

Prayer:  Lord, may we never lose sight of your calling and seek you with all our heart, soul strength and mind, even if this means fasting to seek your face.

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

Saved by Jesus

Today’s Gospel Text:  As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. 10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Matt 9:9-13

Reflection: Once, when in a particular parish, I was on my regular visit, and I was asked by both my guides not to venture into a particular house.  

This made me all the more curious but I never really had the answer as I inquired with them for a reason. They only pleaded with me all the more and firmly that I should not visit such a house. This made me suspicious and I insisted that we need to visit this place, more so since they had Catholic roots.

When we entered the house, it seemed like a house waiting for the salvation and light of God to enter their home. The family welcomed us with great openness and was happy that we had come and they promised that they would be regular to church and mend their ways. Soon even the grown up children were baptized too.

There were two young girls in that house who went into hiding and finally when I did stand before them they just couldn’t even openly look in my direction. It seemed the comfort of darkness couldn’t behold the light of grace.

But the end result was a marvelous change; a great spiritual blessing and even to this day the great witnessing of the family to the faith of Christ and his power, whether in the church, or in their neighborhood, it even continues in their work place.

 Today, it is as if these have entered the kingdom of God rather than those who are in it and yet not in it. 

Tax collectors, sinners and prostitute encounter and witness more powerfully to the righteousness that comes from Jesus than those who are rich with a self-righteousness acknowledged by men.

Rule out no one, Christ Jesus came especially for the sinners; not that sinners will be saved by virtue of their sinfulness but by virtue of their repentance and trust in the Lord who is able to save anyone who comes to him in humble acknowledgment.

Prayer: “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to thy holy name and glory in thy praise.” Ps 106:47

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

Faith and Trust

Today’s Gospel Text: And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? 6 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" - he then said to the paralytic - "Rise, take up your bed and go home." 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Matt 9:1-8

Reflection: The world and the Church too has a lot to thank for men and women of faith. These are the people who act as saviours of the world. 

Not because they are saviors themselves, but they act as Saviours in so far as they through their unshakable and undaunted faith persevere in the world and in the church often marred by godlessness and even persecutions.  Thus they through their faith constantly invite God’s mercy on the wicked, who many a time dominate the world around them. 

The Gospel text proves such a notion of faith, when the men get a paralytic to Jesus and seeing their faith Jesus heals the paralytic, even a world paralyzed by the evil of men.   

Such is the power of faith of a Christian in the living God; that God either withholds his hand of destruction (Gen. 18: 22-33) or sustains a sinful world.

A Christian grows in faith through a dedicated life of prayer and reflection on God’s word, allowing him to minster to their hearts through this means, so that one is convinced through this daily encounter that God is real.

The Catholic Church in baptizing its infants, through the faith of the parents and the minister, along with the belief in the efficacy of the Sacrament speaks a powerful message to us on the power of faith.  Unfortunately, what we have on paper as Catholics, based on sound doctrine, is rarely a reality in daily living.

Prayer: “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from this time forth and for evermore.” Ps 125:1-2

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

Possessed

Today’s Gospel Text: And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" 30 Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." 32 And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. Matt 8:28-34

Reflection: So called modern scholars, compelled to interpret everything in scripture rationally, say that these situation of demonic influences could be considered psychiatric problems and treated accordingly. 

Keeping with the diagnosis, according will be the treatment of the disease with psychotropic drugs, sedatives and hypnotics.   Sometimes the patient is given a shock treatment, with sustainable electric charges.  Many a times the condition of the person is no better than a zombie.

On the other extreme and in the past and now rarely in some village situation, the person could be beaten up and ill treated. In some cultures, they could be worshipped as a manifestation of some divinity or used for soothsaying.   

Coming to demonic influences, not all cases manifest the same way as revealed in the Gospel text of today.  A person may seem absolutely normal and may show no external signs of such manifestation.  Occasionally, the person could be referred to medical practitioners for treatment for either or all of these conditions; stomach ache, headache, weakness, giddiness, psychiatric conditions, undiagnosed  pain or disease, etc.

Yet there could be some who may never manifest and yet could have sold one’s soul over to the Devil in various degrees and ways. These manifest extreme pride, hatred and anger, rarely, occasionally or often. 

Sometimes, our addictions to certain vices, compulsive disorders, or odd habits are a result of such demonic influences, either as oppressions, possessions or manifestations. Some could flow down through generations.   

Treatment to achieve palliative relief could include either psychotherapy, counselling, psychotropic drugs, meditative practices or other so called spiritual techniques.  These have their limitations and some are forbidden to us Christians. In some religious groups demonic manifestation could be an acceptable norm and hence has an acceptable religious sanction.  

The Catholic Church offers us the divine grace and deliverance through the sacraments and sacramental’s, against these powers of evil, but unfortunately, the minster who dispenses it, renders it ineffectual in severe case by his lack of belief.  

Those who approach these sacraments in faith and make use of the sacramental's have much to gain from, especially in milder forms of attack.

Prayer:  “Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God…… Deliverance belongs to the Lord; thy blessing be upon thy people! Ps 3:7a-8

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

Know God

Today’s Gospel Text:  Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." John 20:24-29

Reflection: It’s a normal human psyche either to believe blindly, or to discerningly doubt or never to believe. 

You tell people that you have seen a tiger and some may actually believe you even if you have not seen one.  Make up a few interesting stories and they will have no doubts that you indeed are one of those brave one’s. 

For a few, there could be reasons to be skeptical about it and may pooh-pooh the whole story as something that is made up.

What if the narrator is really telling the truth and has had an encounter with a tiger? Then what? Unless he has some concrete evidences to prove his point, the listener could forfeit the benefit of learning from a beautiful incident, from a firsthand narrator.  Thanks to our limitations, wherein we cannot be present at the scene of the incident in retrospect nor easily comprehend or easily verify the truth of the incident.

Anyway, knowing about the tiger, or seeing a film personality or the president or prince are not important elements of life.  They will not affect our life.  Someone else’s encounter with these personalities and they benefitting from it may make an interesting story which could lead us into a dream world. Some could then be waiting for their prince charming!

But there is an encounter which can be a reality and which is necessary for us and for the world to believe and that encounter is that of the apostles and specifically that of Thomas the apostle.  It is an encounter that can really transform our whole life unto eternity.

It is an encounter which anyone can have and all can benefit from it.  This encounter may not be of the same kind as that of Thomas but it could vary from people to people.

In this encounter, you have to give up on your reasoning’s or rather, more appropriately, acknowledge the limitations of your reasoning’s  and give God a chance, that one chance to prove himself to you. He will do it, because Jesus is God with us.

Prayer:  Lord, help me know the limitations of my mortal mind and seek you and your wisdom in all things.  Speak to my heart and reveal to me my limitations, that I may know for sure that you exist and reign over all the earth.   St. Thomas, Apostle; Pray for us.

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

Cost of Following

Today’s Gospel Text:  Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." 21 Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." Matt 8:18-22

Reflection: We have our priorities and we think we are right. We have our plans and we work towards  our immediate gain or gratification.  

Likewise in the gospel of today each of those who wanted to follow Jesus had their own priorities and plans but God had other plans for them, expressed through rejection of their prayers.

Therefore, one sure plan of God, in all his rejections or unanswered prayers is a call to trust and a deeper purification of our motives. 

The Scribe, who wanted to follow Jesus, seems to have been attracted by the crowd, and the quick overnight popularity may have been his prime motive in wanting to follow Jesus. The crowd around Jesus was a very attractive reason to popularize one’s writing. How often we would like to play to the galleries.  It’s the hard reality of following Jesus is what discourages him.  It is like putting one’s hand to the plough without counting the cost of following Jesus.

The second one too had his priorities wrong, you cannot hold on to mortal relationships in order to follow Christ. You can never be happy, because your attachment to a loving relationship holds you in a bondage that is detrimental to live and communicate the gospel of life or to be his instrument.

Following Jesus is an insecure proposition. The normal human tendency is to be comfortable and secure in the midst of crowd support, positions of power and exercising authority, possessing great wealth and the security of a close friend.  But to a disciple, the master is more demanding, because a man in the service of life cannot serve the dead at the same time.

Prayer:  “Answer me, O Lord, for thy steadfast love is good; according to thy abundant mercy, turn to me. Hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in distress, make haste to answer me.” Ps 69:16-17

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