Enter In

Today’s Gospel Text:  Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. John 20:1-2. 11-18

Reflection:  When it comes to observing certain happenings in life, we definitely want a closer look at things. 

Our modern gadgets have made things even easier for the inquisitive mind to reach the depth of the story.

But human depth, even if aided by external innovative gadgets, is no depth. It continues to remain superficial and never leads us to the complete truth but may lead us to a level where the majority opinion matters and which remains to be the ultimate truth for us.

Such is the shallowness of human insights into things, because we are able to see only from a single dimension like the seven blind men of Hindustan.

Is it that we can’t permeate the depth of the other dimensions, especially concerning the spiritual reality?

No, we can, Jesus the ultimate truth promises us, through our faith in him, that he will give us the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth. (Jn. 16:13) 

Hence Christ Jesus is the beginning from where we need to start and he will lead us to the essential truth of life; truths that will lead us to eternal life and in this life we will definitely be in peace and manifest joy.

For that to happen we should be willing to trust Jesus and take that leap, as if entering the abyss of darkness that surrounds the truth and seems to cover it.

At the tomb we have a similar situation: when the beloved apostle was at the tomb, he could see things from the outside and could have chosen to remain where he is but he still enters into the depth and finds himself believing.

During every praying moment, whether with the word of God or with him with us, we need to watch like the dedicated beloved disciple who at first watched from the outside and then enters and takes the plunge; the Lord with us to assist us we will find ourselves believing.

Prayer: In the way of thy testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on thy precepts, and fix my eyes on thy ways. I will delight in thy statutes; I will not forget thy word. Ps 119:14-16

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

Service of Prayer

Today’s Gospel Text:  Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; 42 one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

Reflection:  The discussion on service and prayer, i.e. sitting at the Lord’s feet, has not only been an issue for debate but has also been an issue for reflection and understanding the truth behind the Lord’s demand.

We by nature are inclined to serve rather than pray.  In other words praying doesn’t come easily.

Even if we talk about a balancing of the two acts, yet it is towards service that we are inclined to rather than pray.

In other words even if we were men and women of prayer, yet we would prefer to spend more time in service rather than prayer- alas for the balance we talk about vis-à-vis prayer!

But this discussion or debate between prayer and service can be a misnomer, if we do not understand the  nature and essence of prayer and why Jesus insists that it is better portion that Mary had opted for.

Prayer and service are not in dialectical opposition to each other, they are one and the same thing; they are both services we are called to render in life, separated for the sake of discussion and understanding the depth thereof. 

As a service, prayer is a far greater service than any other service that we as humans can think about or shall we assert that it is the only service that is required of humans.

Therefore Jesus had to rebuke Martha and if his words were paraphrased then it would appear thus: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one SERVICE is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her."

We too, like Martha, could be doing many a service to many a people and may be even lauded by others and by those in authority, even by those who take the place of Jesus but it can never substitute prayer. 

Prayer is a service which serves both God and man. Or put more succinctly; through prayer we participate in God's work of renewing creation, including humans. 

We thus are making a choice to be instruments of God; an instrument in which God has to do his work of purification and bring about a transformation first. Then only can we become his instruments. 

If not then we in our service begin to take God's rightful place and like Martha we put ourselves in his place and are thus anxious and troubled about many things. 

Only God has the right to be anxious and troubled about the many things because he alone can bring about the right change in our society and his gospel is a powerful instrument to bring about that change. 

Prayer:  Lord, I pray that I may do all things in union with thee and after having been transformed by your word through prayer.

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

Destroy

Today’s Gospel Text:  But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how to destroy him. 15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all, 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will any one hear his voice in the streets; 20 he will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick, till he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name will the Gentiles hope." Matt 12:14-21

Reflection: I suppose that there is a difference between killing a person and destroying a person.  The Pharisees did not so much seek to kill but as to destroy Jesus (vs. 14) ( Gk.:.Apollumi = to destroy, annihilate, waste)    

One could kill a person and leave it at that; a mere killing causes death and the person is no more in pain or turmoil.  It is an action that is clear and one track, on target with intent to kill.

The reputation, the name, the lineage, may still remain intact.

But destroying could be a much more serious business and involves much more.

It could involve all sorts of torture with intent to annihilate all that a person is and has.

This could begin with the destruction of the reputation of the person and all that the person holds on to and may have now and may hold in the future, which also includes his lineage (that is, if Jesus were to be married) and may even involve cutting the person off from his roots.  

Hence it could be a process set in place to trouble, torture, persecute, despoil until it may finally leads to physical death or mental derangement, which is worse than mere physical death. 

As far as the law is concerned, there are many aspects of the process of destroying a person which can be beyond the reach of law.

The law may rarely look at the other forms of torture because, many a times, it is difficult to prove such crimes and in the process of being just could be more unjust.

In the gospel, we have the Pharisees taking counsel for the most heinous plot, which we see, could be much more serious than murder.

Such actions on the part of humans were not an isolated event but exists even in our days.

In such situations it would be unfortunate if Christian practice the same crime as the Pharisees, even after having seen such an injustice practiced on the very redeemer of theirs.

Prayer: Lord, be my help so that I may not be an instrument in any way that would bring about the total destruction of anyone.

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

Thy Law

Today’s Gospel Text:  At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath." 3 He said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law how on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath." Matt 12:1-8

Reflection:  Whom did the fields belong to? If the owners had no objection to the disciples eating then why did the Pharisees have any objection?

                                         

Did the fields belong to the Pharisees that they had to raise such objections to Jesus’ disciples eating the heads of the grain?

Were they the custodians of the law that they had to tell Jesus what to do and what not?

From their attitude towards the law we arrive at the role of the law and its significance in society, so that we may not be like the Pharisees in our modern times.

The law broadly does two things:

1) It is supposed to teach us what is right and

2) It can presumably right a situation. 

But the law is supposed to have come into existence because men have failed to know what is right and wrong or at least their actions seems to show their ignorance thereof.

On the other hand we could still have people who may break the law without knowing it and their actions may in no way absolve them from the consequence there of.  Hence ignorance here is no bliss here!

Thus we can also conclude that the stringent law is meant to be a deterrent for people. 

In it we are supposed to learn first the elements of right and wrong and if not, it is presumed that at least  through the punishment it renders those who don’t follow it, people may learn from it and follow the law.

The problem arises when people looking at the effect of the law and its application, look at it only from a negative angle and fail to see the beauty  of the law of God and our good in its existence. 

Worse still, those who interpret it can render it worse, when they fail to  realize the reason why a certain law is in existence.

Sometimes, governments and people could call forth a legislation, especially when they see a rare crime and this can give one the impression that it is the only way for mankind to live in peace and harmony but it makes  things even worse. 

Jesus clearly points it out to us that the few laws which God has given us is meant for our own good and that they are worth pondering and reflecting on. 

Prayer:  I am small and despised, yet I do not forget thy precepts. Thy righteousness is righteous forever, and thy law is true. Trouble and anguish have come upon me, but thy commandments are my delight. Ps 119:141-143

                                                                                                                    

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

Heart Divine

Today’s Gospel Text: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt 11:28-30

Reflection: The Catholic zeal to venerate Mary the mother of Jesus has often in way rendered Jesus in a poor light at our ordinary day to day level. 

Any deviation on Mary often makes issues so sensitive that it is at times even difficult to even discuss Mary in any way, in proper perspective.

It is like the situation of the few Jews who sometimes found it difficult to accept anything that limited Abraham.

As children, we were told by our parents that we pray to the blessed Mother because Jesus gets angry with our sins and so we have to go through Mary.

I would say that this is a issue of the kingdom of God dynamics; the one who has looked at the low esteem of his servant (Luke 1:48a) has exalted her and given her a status a position that is even above him, when he chose to be born under her power and rule. 

“For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” Luke 1:48b

But this honor to the Blessed Mary, the Mother of God and our mother through our savior, should in no way take away what is due to God and to Jesus.

In fact the honor due to Mary only exalts God who can come to such humble level of submission to us mere humans, especially if we show him the perfect obedience as Mary once rendered at the time of the Annunciation. 

We see the salvific action of Jesus as only an extension of this meek and humble step which he first took in his incarnation through Mary; this meek and humble action of Jesus involves a submission, in perfect service, to men and women of all ages in order to lead them closer to God.

Because he, the Lord, is gentle and lowly in heart, he continues to attract people of all ages and of all times and so too his holy servants do the same, beginning with Mary.

Prayer:  Lord, let me know the depth of the love that abides in your heart for me and for all creation for whose sake you even suffered and died.

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

I Thank Thee

Today’s Gospel Text: At that time Jesus declared, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; 26 yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. 27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matt 11:25-27

Reflection:  The power of mere word; ‘thank you’ and the beauty thereof, who can describe it?

What can thanks offer in the light of the material goods we offer to people as a symbol of gratitude or what material goods can we compare 'thanks' with? 

Or, let us look at the value a mere ‘thank you’ could hold for people in general, especially in cultures where very few people express it.  

Some cultures may be fortunate to make use of this word very often for every service that is rendered, even when there is no obligation on them to express it.

Sometimes it’s so unfortunate to see the attitude of people, towards a person in paid service, not to be thankful for the good service offered. 

The attitude is generally this; “it is his duty to do so and I am paying for the service”

In other words and in these situations money is the animating factor; I am paying for the services and so why should I show gratitude.

The humaneness and humanity is pushed to a second level or may be even much lower and money, which accompanies pride, is what gains precedence.  We can even safely say that this can only be the attitude of a people whose god is their money.

But the people whose God is the Lord God, and who know from his teachings how to love, will show gratitude and respect the right and dignity of the human person.

Thus they will even show gratitude towards any services rendered to them, even if they have paid for it.

This should be a reminder, that not everyone who serves, serves for the sake of money but serves also for survival or serves because of job satisfaction or some may serve in order to genuinely render a noble service towards a human cause and money may just be a secondary or irrelevant issue with them.

But the beginning of a good heart that is genuinely grateful is the one that always seeks to render thanks and even praise to his maker, by first seeking and recognizing the one true God, the giver of all things that is good for us and for our salvation. 

Christ Jesus served us by giving himself totally to serve us, even unto death, so that we may be saved from eternal doom. 

Prayer:  Lord, may I never fail to thank thee for revealing to me the hidden mystery in Christ Jesus and all that you still provide for our good through his saving action.

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

Cursed Life

Today’s Gospel Text: Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Chora'zin! woe to you, Beth-sa'ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Caper'na-um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you." Matt 11:20-24

Reflection:  Were the woe’s that he was proclaiming, against those cities, were really a one sided act of cursing by God or was it much more than that? 

Why did Jesus have to show his indignation again these cities?

This mystery is no mystery, if one understands the mission of Jesus, his purpose of coming to us as the incarnate Son of God.

He indeed came to save us and not curse us to doom and he has already assured us: “For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10

Then where is the problem?

The problem was with the people who did not accept him or his saving message; the gospel of salvation.

Nor did they repent of their ways of listening to their deceptive, self-centered, sinful self, instead of listening to the truth of the gospel.

It is like a heart that can still know the truth but by sheer habit, due to many years of hardening fails to respond to the truth. 

May be right now we need to pause and ask ourselves prayerfully; “whether I have been sincere and if Jesus were to reveal himself as the truth how will I respond? Will I be sincere enough to say yes to his calling?

Indeed, even the sincere ones go through a tremendous turmoil in order to respond to the constant voice of God but nevertheless we need to take that first step and promise to continue to say yes to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Then our lives, irrespective whether Jesus curses us or not, will never be accursed and there is no need for Christ to state a woe on us. 

Prayer:  Lord, may I respond to every prompting of your Holy Spirit at work in me both to will and to work for your good pleasure. (cfr. Phil. 2:13)

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