Take my Yoke

Today’s Gospel Text: And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:15-18

Reflection: Something’s in life has no substitute.

You can have fake sugar or artificial sugar or you can adopt other types of sweeteners but you cannot say let’s use salt instead as a substitute for the sweetness of sugar just because it is widely used and it is equally popular.

Even a fake sugar or sweetener would do but not saltiness or a bitter or a souring agent instead.

Likewise, there is no substitute to the mission of PREACHING which Christ has entrusted to his disciple.

But someone may say, the church requires new pedagogical styles and witnesses more than preachers.  They must be fools of the first order, pseudo biblical scholars and theologians, merely holding offices in the church and not knowing its responsibility.

If one truly understands the significance of the preaching ministry and how it is brought about and above all who it is that has commanded us to do so then one would not make such foolish, irresponsible statements.

Let me explain through a parable: A rich man invited his guests for the banquet at an appointed time.  The table was laid with the best spread that men could dream of and everything was ready, yet people were waiting even though the appointed time had passed by.

The food on the table witnessed to one fact; the table was set. And no one dared to touch the food or eat of it. Would the rich man have protested if anyone would have helped himself? No, not at all!

Then after a little delay the rich man with great apology chided the guest for not helping themselves from the table.  The table is set for you” he said; “why are you not helping yourself, whom are you waiting for, please go and help yourself” and the guest rushed forth to the table to help themselves. 

Such is the need and power of preaching: even though the food witnessed to the guest to come and eat but it was only the speech of the rich man that made the difference.  

Preach not because Christ says or some authority says but preach because it is the mandate of Christ Jesus your LORD and you have taken the mandate of Christ on you: “For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” 1 Cor 9:16

Prayer:  Lord help me to obediently take on me the task you have entrusted to us by your mandate.  

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

You are no Dogs

Today’s Gospel Text: And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 And he answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. Matt 15:21-28

Reflection:  This passage of scripture should make us Christians reflect about our own faith and how we avail of the many graces available to us as Christians or as Catholics.

Seeing the many conversions of the neo-Christians and their strong faith and testimonies. it can make us wonder whether it is a similar situation of the Canaanite woman, who receives from the Lord on account of her special faith.

It is as if the Lord is pleading with us Christians; I have come for you, the lost sheep of the house of God. To you belong the special graces, offered through the sacraments of the Church, through its institutions and the various processes.

As in here in the gospel, it is the outsiders who recognize this Jesus and pay him a greater obeisance and receive from him the many graces and healings.

When the Lord says: "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs,” He is telling us his chosen ones, who are full of ingratitude, that he considers us, as his own. We are his children from among the people of the world (cfr.! Pt. 2: 9-11).

He is also telling us that these special graces of healing, peace and joy belongs to us first and we need not equate ourselves with anybody but rather carry on generously to reach out to others with the Gospel.

It is the best gift that we can give others and the Lord has chosen to give it to others through us, as his instruments. 

Hence, witnessing to this power means to witness to what we keep experiencing, as beloved children in our daily life, through his intervention in us. This intervention can only happen if we allow the Lord to work in us or if we allow ourselves to be dependent on him.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for making us your own, help me to never forget this great action of yours achieved through the shedding of your most precious blood on the cross.Make me your instrument.

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

Witness (testify)

Scripture/Bible:  If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true; 32 there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen; 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. 39 You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from men. 42 But I know that you have not the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" John 5:31-47

Reflection:  Pulpit pounding preachers will teach their congregation that they are called to be witnesses of Christ by virtue of their call and baptism.  So be witness of Christ lest you come under judgment.  

Often, the term witness is explained as testifying to Christ in one’s life either in speech or actions; telling someone about or winning them to the Lord.  On the other hand there are some who lay a great emphasis on witnessing by deeds and even go to the extent of asserting that it is the only way to witness.  Some organize formation programmes in church circles to train people to be witnesses and other have practical sessions of reaching out with the Gospel messages.

In every sense of the term, the word witness in its original Greek and even in common language means to testify to what one has seen and experienced. It is next that they testify to the same, if possible, in one’s lifestyle and living. 

If one has witnessed a murder, then one who stands witness testifies it before the judiciary and such a witness will even carry the burden, visible in his lifestyle, fear, hurt, shock, depressed or pain, reaching out to the victim and in future to those in similar need. 

If this is what witnessing is all about, then how many of us really qualify to be a ‘witness of Christ’ and say; we have seen him, heard him and experienced him.  (cfr. 1Jn. 1:1-2)

But only Jesus gives each one the possibility, even through the church, of being a witness to him by giving us the Holy Spirit who is never restricted by time and place in order to make Jesus and his saving action  really present to us (The Catholic Eucharist is one such act of the Holy Spirit). Our sole human witnessing (testimony) is never pleasing to Jesus; or rather we can never in reality be a witness of Christ even though we may think we are doing a good job about it, apart from him.

This very reason he asks his disciples to wait in Jerusalem to be clothed with power from on high so that they can be witnesses. Acts 1:8

How then one can be witnesses of Jesus? It is by allowing God’s Holy Spirit to reign in our hearts, and waiting on him daily in prayer, waiting on him when reading his word and waiting on him when dealing with daily life situations, waiting on him so as to reach out to others;  are some of the best means to be a witness of Jesus. 

This waiting is a dying process beginning with prayer and ultimately perfected in martyrdom.  This very reason the Apostles and disciples bore perfect witness to Christ by their lives offered in Holy martyrdom. 

Prayer:  Teach me Lord to wait on you with the help of your Holy Spirit, so that my love for humanity may be perfected by thy grace.  

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

How do we Witness?

Scripture: You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. John 5:33-36

Reflection:  We all need to be witnesses of Christ; for John the Baptist was a witness, the Apostles were witnesses, the countless disciples of Christ were witnesses, the innumerable saints and martyrs witnessed to Jesus Christ; the truth. In all these some may rightly hold but erroneously understand and preach that we need to be witnesses by deed rather than words.

For you cannot separate the two elements; preaching and witnessing go together.

We see better in what Jesus preaches in today’s Gospel. Jesus proclaims that his works/deeds are more important than the human testimony or witness. He is not seeking human testimony. The greater evidence for him is his deeds/works, which includes preaching.

Prayer:  Lord, in keeping with your demands of witnessing, we need you and your help to do so.

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