Will of God

Today’s Gospel Text:  "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' 24 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; 25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; 27 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. Matt 7:21-29

Reflection: Wish it was that easy to know and do the will of the Father.

How easy it really is to know the will of the Father that we can live as good Christians? People often struggle to know it. 

You ask a man on the street and you will have some attempts made to answer it; either they will talk about doing good or loving one another and loving their neighbor, or talk about kindness, etc.

Does these kind of activities fit in with God’s will or is God’s will something more than these things?

These activities may fit in with God’s will but they are not primarily his will.

If we miss out on the primary aspect of God’s will then we could miss out on all the other aspect of God’s will and may even go astray, some even earnestly out of goodwill.

The primary aspect of doing God’s will is to do the work of God and this is brought out by John’s gospel as thus, when the people asked him; “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" John 6:28

And Jesus’ reply was:"This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." John 6:29

This above explicit will of God is not just a Johanine revelation but is well brought out by the synoptic too and it is well attested with the voice of the Father saying: “ "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" Luke 9:35 (also Mt. 17:5; Mk. 9: 7)

From the above text it is evident that once the primary aspect of God’s will is accepted then we are moving on the secondary path of truth, otherwise  we are moving on the path falsity.

From this primary truth we need to move on to the secondary and so on, with the divine grace and gifts to assist us, whether these gifts be the church or the sacraments or the sacramental’s they are there for our salvation. 

Prayer:  Lord, I believe that you send Jesus your son as our savior and redeemer so that we may listen to his word and live by it, even unto eternity.

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

Good Works

Today’s Gospel Text: "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matt 5:13-16

Reflection: One of the most difficult things to do is to be a witness to the great light Jesus Christ.

But what is worse is that people make what is difficult, impossible.

Indeed we have been called to be the light of the world and salt of the earth.  The quality if these agents are not just that of getting mixed well in the things that they get mixed in but they pervade well the things that they are in and bring about a great change without changing their original quality.

They are almost freely available and humbly permeate without changing the external quality of things but instead make those things better by their action.

The moment one hears the above exhortation of Jesus then everybody wants to jump on the bandwagon of being the light of the world and salt of the earth.

This is not a message for every listener but a message spoken specifically to the dedicated disciples of Christ.

There are indeed to be the salt and light by first drawing from the great light and salt, Jesus Christ.

What then are the good works that men may see in them and give glory to God.

Primarily, the good work would be that which flows from our union with the God and proclaiming that in ones deed lest men give glory to stones or individuals for the good that they do.

Jesus worked in union with the Father and not apart from his Father and the good works he performed included the mighty signs and wonder he did, through this union, which invited people to give glory to God.

They heard his divine wisdom and they saw the signs which a mere human can’t perform and yet can be performed by those who follow him with trust and confidence.

Thus we look at deeds or good works not from a narrow point of view, as meaning only the good character of a person, but includes everything a person does in union with God the Father, through Jesus Christ our savior.

Thus deeds or good works include; the effective words that flow from our mouth on account of his divine inspiration, the mighty signs and wonders, our trust and confidence in God, especially when faced with trying moments and finally it may include our good character seen in our humility and gentleness.

Prayer:  Lord, I thank you for revealing to me that it is not in merely accepting your proclamation that I become the Light of the world or the salt of the earth but by my union with you through faith and trust.

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

In my Name

Today’s Gospel Text: Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. 24 Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 "I have said this to you in figures; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father." John 16: 23b -28

Reflection: The name of Jesus is special and unique! It is a all powerful, mighty and glorious name! 

We have the freedom and also the power to ask in his name.

This name means empowerment to all who are willing to be empowered in his name: “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”  John 1:12

There are two reasons why we would use an influential name; 

• Either because we have an explicit permission  to do 
• or because we want to misuse the knowledge we have of a powerful and influential name, which can get work done.

Many of us could be doing the later with the name of Jesus and hence the Lord had to warn those who would abuse his name:    

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matt 7:21

The permission to use the name of Jesus in order to receive from the Father was given to his chosen and dedicated disciples and not to anyone else. They were allowed to use the name of Jesus because they  knew Christ and more so were known by Christ and he it is that gives them the authority to use his name.

Christ Jesus gives them the permission on the basis of his knowledge of them and only in the light of which he also gives them the approval to use his name.

We, as so called disciples, can’t freely use his name to receive from the Father unless and until we know Christ just as the dedicated disciples did, and more so are known by Christ and have his permission to do so.

Just being a mere Christian by name is not enough. What is required is to be a dedicated disciple walking in the power of Christ and the gospel otherwise it could mean the abuse of the name of Jesus.

Prayer: I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever. Ps 45:17

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

You are not to be Called

Today’s Gospel Text:  Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. 4 They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. 11 He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; 12 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matt 23:1-12

Reflection: “O, please stop calling people father and Rabbi and by other endearing titles, I am sure Jesus never wanted it that way.”  This could be the rant of the many who read this text of the gospel in a literal way. 

Jesus also seems very clear about it by qualifying his injunction with a statement which suggests the primacy of God as Father, master and teacher.

Could Jesus have really meant what is apparently understood of the passage at a preliminary glance?

A close look at the passage, especially at the emphasis it lays, conveys a message otherwise.

If we were to apply this message to Jesus, then it would fail him too and we would then be compelled to not address him as Lord and master, as the apostles continued to do so.

If the concept of brotherhood and learning things only from God was primary, then there would have been no hierarchy in the early church, with the apostles as head of the lot and Simon Peter leading them all.

Then one need not look upon one's parents as elders but as mere brothers and sisters.

In fact St. Paul himself lays claim to the title of fatherhood and in the process reveals something very interesting to us:    

“For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” 1 Cor 4:15

Thus we also learn that the early Christians did just have the Holy Spirit as guide but also had mature humans to guide them in their walk as Christians and it is well acknowledged by St. Paul without passing a judgment about them.

But in all this there is definitely an important message for each one of us who have these titles or seek it; for it is a grave message which cannot be taken lightly:

Those who exercise authority should exercise it in a way wherein they recognize the ultimate authority of God as our true teacher and they are not to teach people according to their whims and fancies or according to what they feel as right and correct but rather as stewards of the holy mysteries.

Prayer:  Lord, may all those who hold offices in the church may realize their stewardship and thus serve your people with responsibility and with a sense of dedication.

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

Humbly Least

Today’s Gospel Text: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; 10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.                  Matt 18:1-5, 10 

Reflection: From this gospel text we realize that there is a difference between the poor and the really poor in the Christian sense of the term.

There are those who are poor in the material sense and who have nothing and yet have everything and wouldn’t care a less when it comes to serving his neighbor or reaching out to him when in need, even though this could be a rare thing about them.

Whereas there are those who may have all the riches of the world at their disposal and they could have opted for that path of self sufficiency and yet may have chosen to be nothing.

These are the ones who have turned and become like little children, who do not have self-centered goals and ambitions in life and hence would not do evil in order to achieve their own goals or visions in life.

These children would rather prefer to be cared for by their heavenly Father and look to him for sustenance and protection.

Their food would be to do the will of their Father who is in heaven (Jn. 4:34)  and since the Father cares for all his children, they in seeking to do the will of the Father reach out to the world, even in the isolated world in which they may opt to live in.

These are the least in the Christian community who men may want to despise most willingly as ones without talent; for what is talent without a relationship with God. 

Here we do not speak about the greatness of St. Peter or St. Paul but rather about the greatness of the lesser known saints, who were without fame or positions in their lifetime.

Here we are speaking about Mary too who although was the mother of our Savior and God and yet lived a humble simple and lesser known life.

The Lord indeed has looked upon the low esteem of his servant and surely henceforth all generation shall call her blessed. (cfr. Lk. 1:48)

Prayer: Lord, you who cast away the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly, grant that I may serve you with a humble spirit and a contrite heart. (cfr. Lk. 1:52)

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

Be my Brother

Today’s Gospel Text: Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him for the crowd. 20 And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." 21 But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." Luke 8:19-21

Reflection:  Was it an outright denial by Jesus of his mother and brothers? It seems so or it could mean that both is true.

Or else we could term Christ Jesus as a liar? Indeed these were his mother and brothers (according to most Asian tradition, a cousin is always looked upon as a brother and sister, this issue has already been discussed elsewhere, in a previous reflection before on this blog) at least in the physical sense.

Hence, it cannot be that Jesus by asserting the new criteria has denied his mother and brothers, but has only set in place his priority, in which he is proclaiming the new relationship which is born out of the word of God.

This hearing of the word of God is not just the reading of it by any human element and we listen, rather it is the listening to a living God who constantly speaks, and may speak to our hearts more powerfully through his written word, either in our personal reading or when read by others.

God speaking to our hearts generates faith and trust in him, the foundation of all relationship. There can be no relationship without faith and trust in a living person, with constant interactions with him.In other words; no relationship can exist without communication,

Jesus by his sacrificial death has broken the barrier of communication with the one true living God.

It is this interaction with the God, who speaks to us, that we can be assured in our hearts that he the God is our Father. He is not just my Father but also the Father of all those who have received this word.

Mary, we know for sure received this word of the Father, in absolute trust and confidence and hence is the prime model of this relationship which we all are called to imitate.

Her attitude of pondering, which means being open to listening to his voice, is an hall mark of her dedicated discipleship, which I am sure was passed on to Jesus’ cousins too.

Prayer:  Lord, if I have failed to live up to your expectation of not being constantly attuned to your voice, then forgive me and strengthen me to listen.

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