Background Check

Today’s Gospel Text:   Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 13 The Pharisees then said to him, "You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true." 14 Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me. 17 In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; 18 I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me." 19 They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also." 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. John 8:12-20

Reflection: How many of us as individuals know Jesus? And how many in this world know Jesus? How many are there who seek their wisdom from all sorts of sources and not from Jesus? 

Do we know from where he is come and where he is gone and where he is right now?

Knowing the whereabouts and antecedents of Jesus are extremely important. It is more important than any philosophical or worldly knowledge.  

Most corporate houses and the media too may do a background check of a candidate standing for an election or applying for a job. It is important to know the background of a bride and a bridegroom if one wants to be safe and secure in the long term relationship of marriage.

Human nature even otherwise will not take a decision on the spur of the moment, especially in those matters which effect their life in a major way.  In the trivial, insignificant aspects of life one may not really be discerning much.

Hence in the marketing of products branding works, because every brand carries with it a value based on a solid historical background of trust.

If such is the human nature that it so easily and in everyday life trusts the many available things of life, then why can’t they believe in the most sincere, honest, eternal words of Christ Jesus?

He has a background and it can be checked. The cross of Christ and his subsequent resurrection is the ultimate and real background of Jesus proved by history and actualized by faith in the life of all who have given God a chance to prove himself.  

The many martyrdom's, through their witness to the truth of the gospel, by the countless men and women of all ages and the martyrdom of the living who live the gospel literally with meaning, speaks volumes to the many who care to search for the truth of Christ.

This privilege is not meant for the petty who only seek to look at the miniature sized scar of the followers of Christ. These have their motives clear; seeking to magnify them for the world to see. 

Nor is it meant for the Judases among the followers of Christ who continue to betray Christ through their complicity in the crime of the modern day scribes and Pharisees.

Prayer: O God save the sheep of your flock, who seek to diligently listen to your voice each day of their lives.

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

Shepherd’s Voice

Today’s Gospel Text: And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesare'a Philip'pi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" 28 And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Eli'jah; and others one of the prophets." 29 And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." 30 And he charged them to tell no one about him. 31 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men." 34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. Mark 8:27-35

Reflection: Leaders have a great responsibility towards their people and hence not all should choose to be leaders; for God will require of them an answer for what they have done.

They have a responsibility of caring for those under them and deal with them at least justly, if not in charity while dealing with disputes and other matters.

Those in leadership, as shepherds, have a still greater responsibility, feeding the flocks with pure bread and not contaminated personal opinions and doctrines of men.

They are constantly called to discern the ways of God, asking themselves constantly the question that Jesus asked Peter, the leader of his band of dedicated disciples; "Who do men say that I am?"

For in answering this question one realizes that if Jesus is indeed the Christ, then he is the one who is to be listened to and proclaimed and not what one feels as right or what some so called experts feel as right.

On the other hand we find the true meaning of leadership in God’s sight: Jesus who has put forth this question to his dedicated disciples and now expecting an answer, is quite satisfied with the answer and looks at the answer as one coming from all the disciples, even though it was only Peter who spoke.

In other words, Peter’s statement is considered by Jesus as coming from the mouth of the disciples; for immediately after Peter’s statement the scripture reveals that “he charged them to tell no one about him.” (vs. 30) (them, and not just Peter who alone had made the confession)

In other words, If Peter has spoken about the doctrine of Christ means the disciples have spoken!

On the other hand when Peter begins to remonstrate Jesus in not going to Jerusalem, then he is rebuked by the Lord severely; him and him alone as speaking the voice of Satan.

In other words, If Peter has spoken falsely means Satan has spoken!

Prayer: Lord, we pray for our Shepherds, that they may always seek to discern your voice and speak that which comes from you.

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

See Jesus

Scripture/Bible:  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:7-14

Reflection:  What other options do the subjects have if they have not seen the head of state or the king? Rather a more relevant question would be this: Why would the subject want to see the King?

Yes, it would be absolutely foolish to see the King for the sake of seeing the king. To merely see, is a plain knowledge, which doesn’t benefit much but only leaves room for boasting; “I have seen so and so.”

If you have seen the king then in what way has it helped you?  In what way is it going to help me and the others around? What way will it profit me or those around if you see all the head of states of all the nations and yet remain a pauper?

Isn't is better to meet the representative of the king and get the benefit of your work done then to meet a king and merely see him and be puffed up and empty in every sense of the term.

Instead, our God is a practical God. If you meet my Son Jesus then you have met me; work surely done 100%.  Jn. 14:10, (also cfr. Jn. 4:34; 6:29; 9:4) 

But remember this very clearly; do not seek God for the sake of merely seeing God and ultimately only to get puffed up and remain empty. Many saw him and many learn about him through scripture study and theology and are still mockingly empty.

There are also a category of people who have this attitude to see him in their prayer effort apart from his grace; they do well to seek him through human efforts and the innumerable techniques available in the market place and are in all assumed humility viciously puffed up.  Seeking  Jesus with such techniques they boast that they can now understand religion better than before,Jesus better than before and many among them are now set to go even beyond concepts and descriptions of religion into their realm of bliss; which is perdition.

Come meet Jesus and seek him not so much in order to see him but rather that you may be saved; for to be saved is the work of God and Jesus is the one who is the savior who gave his life for us.

Prayer: Lord, I am a sinful being in need of your mercy and redemption.

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