Never Alone

Today’s Gospel Text:  His disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure! 30 Now we know that you know all things, and need none to question you; by this we believe that you came from God." 31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32 The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:29-33

Reflection: Loneliness is a great sickness they say. It can be killing and begins to haunt the ones who are facing it.

Yet there are many who prefer to be left alone, it is normally for a while because as the effects of loneliness begins to haunt then one wants to come out of it.

We may sometimes dream of being alone and quiet, especially when we are disturbed and hurt.

One of the greatest fact of life is that we could be in the midst of our family, friends and loved ones and yet be lonely.

What happens to a person who goes through so much of battering in life that he or she now can’t trust anyone and prefers to be in isolation? Is it not a situation of depression and pain?

Such a battering may not always be from people but can also be from the self which speaks the many voices of condemnation to the fragile mind and conscience.

Such are the types who are then suicidal, with the evil one assaulting the mind and conscience to give up.  

Some may in such situations adopt a spirituality of death, available in the plenty in the market places, because of their strong will to fight back. 

The market place is filled with such New Age spiritualities and practices to overcome stress of loneliness too. 

Yet in the midst of these challenges there are some who may deliberately adopt a way of life of moving away from the world, cutting oneself completely as in a cloistered or monastery.

Those who do so know that they are not alone in their loneliness and have learned to live in the company of the select or even in the company of God, as revealed in Christ Jesus.

Jesus in himself faced plenty of situation of loneliness, even in the midst of his select disciples; because no one really understood what he had to tell them and more so in his moments of rejection, betrayal and pain.

In such a moment he speaks the secret meant for all his followers: “The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.” (vs. 32)

Prayer:  Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth? Ps 113:5-6

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

The Human Judgment

Today’s Gospel Text: and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, "He is beside himself." Mark 3:20-21

Reflection: When were you last accused of abnormal behavior for your faithfulness to Christ?

“He is beside himself” they said; – in other words he is emotionally disturbed or gone out of his mind.

There was a serious doubt about Jesus. What did he do that people expressed such a doubt about him. 

Worst still was the reaction of his family (perhaps his cousin brothers or could it be the children of Joseph his foster father through his late first wife) and how those among the crowd could come to such judgment and slander about him?

To what extent people not go through to slander and gossip; the power of gossip to kill and destroy!

I can imagine what would happen if God’s hand were not there in the situation to rescue his servant against such a serious allegation.  It was the worst form of allegation, worst than putting him in a prison or killing him or merely beating.

Then people would at least believe in his message either when he is alive or after death but to allege that a person is out of his head is to create a situation of doubt; destroying the very reason that Jesus came to accomplish by way of Faith and trust in him.

And how could such slander spread so widely? If one person or two person believes is understandable but a whole group of people and whole nations and the whole world (I mean the majority) believes in the lie is a perplexing fact.  Yet this is the truth of us humans and both secular and Biblical history proves it and even this would be a false statement if I do not assert that this keeps repeating, even in our times in daily life.

I am saddened at the nature of man and not lost hope in the saving action of God, who saved Jesus from such a peril so that the work of salvation may be accomplished in all its perfection through him.and in the lives of those who believe in him against all odds. 

Prayer:  "Deliver us, O God of our salvation, and gather and save us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise. 1 Chron 16:35

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

Right Judgment

Today’s Gospel Text:  And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places 39 and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living." Mark 12:38-44

Reflection: Why would they do it? Why do the Scribes or people in general, especially those in authority behave in such a manner?

They are spiritual and they have God as the center of their outlook and in all that they do? Is it not enough that they are spiritual or do you doubt now their spirituality because Jesus has exposed them.

Yes, indeed by all standards they are spiritual creatures but Jesus has a word of caution concerning these. He invites us not to pass a judgment but to observe and analyze them and then to make our judgments whether to follow them or to be beware of them.

Thus it is not a judgment of condemnation that we are to make, which privilege and authority belongs only to Jesus but rather a judgment of observation and analysis wherein we are careful and discerning in all our ways; a judgment in which we depend on God and seek his wisdom. 

"Beware of the scribes” (vs 38b) 

Let not our observation of such peoples make us envy and appreciate their wicked ways or to be gullibly carried away by them.

Nor should it lead us to imitate them and their prosperity among the people, which includes the many honors they receive from people and their adulations.

The passage is an assurance that God is the observer of all that is not visible to the human eye and is able to bring things to the light, if not now then at least at the judgment.  

Prayer: Lord, purify the motives of my heart that I may be true to you and your word and thus find cleansing in your holy presence.

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

The Inner Thoughts

Today’s Gospel Text: They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him. 33 And they came to Caper'na-um; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" 34 But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." 36 And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." Mark 9:30-37

Reflection: If only our thoughts were set open to the public gaze, we would either live in embarrassing shame or go to the other extreme of rebellious justification.  

In the gospel text we have the disciples discussing who was the greatest, when Jesus is giving them a serious talk about his impending death at the hands of men.Such is our sinful nature:

We could be at a funeral and our thoughts could be on apportioning of the property and wealth of the deceased or on self gratification.

We could be next to a sick person and yet more concerned when to feed ourselves rather than wait in that emergency situation.

We could be at a beach or a picnic and yet could be else where in voyeuristic zones. 

We could be on chat at a distance or on a phone and yet in the bedroom. 

Is it the music that is attractive or the singer or is it the story line of the movie that draws us to it or the actors that attract subliminally?.   

Alas the sinful human nature, that is so caught up in itself. Sometimes when these thoughts do get manifest either because of our lack of self control or on account of our sense of morality or because our body language betrays us then we do get into all sorts of justifications.

 

I may shock you further with this statement; Woe to those humans who lead the sincere followers  of Christ to such rebelliousness through condemnation, finger pointing and judgment. Would it not be better on their part, like a good Christian, to instead seek to help them out of their situation.

Jesus, though he knew what they were discussing, did hold on to an attitude of judgment and condemnation but rather, in all patience continued to teach them what is right and good, so as to empower them as future servants of the kingdom. 

He knew that they will soon give up on such self-centered ways and instead be instruments of his grace and mercy to others.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to look at the personal flaws and failings of others but to rather be an instrument of help and strength to them.

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

We the Enemy

Today’s Gospel Text: "But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. 31 And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37 "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back." Luke 6:27-38

Reflection:  In the first place, who wants an enemy? And yet we could have enemies either because we have opened our mouth in truth or correction or because we have been misunderstood.

But wait a minute if we are already beginning to feel righteous about it already. What do you say about situations when we have passed a judgment on others in the name of truth and correction? Then, have we not acted like enemies to others?

What could be still worse; we not being able to see our faults and yet further rubbing salt into the wounds of people whom we have already condemned or hurt. 

Then you also have a situation, wherein you have listened to the grumbling and complaints of one person and then formed your judgment and condemned the other without listening to the facts of the situation.

Continuing in the same process, we could make enemies of people by passing on all sorts of slander and gossip against a particular person, without having an iota of insight into the facts of the case. This our action may at times may even be performed in all sincerity of heart, compassion and love, with extra concern and zeal.

In all this the greatest reality we see is when we reject the goodnews of Christ and walk not according to its demand nor seek it with all our heart, strength and might then we are living enemies of one another too, beside being an enemy of God.

The ignoble passion of Christ's suffering is for us an example of this stupidity and foolish behavior pattern in human beings: He, the most perfect among all humanity, in any age, faced all these wrongs without bending to the lie that they would want to impose on  him.

His example should be an inspiration for his followers how not to repeat the drama of crucifixion and impose it on a frail sinful but yet innocent humans, beginning with the child of the womb.  

Even in our day such type of innocents are still sacrificed at the altar of sacrifice, when Christ the perfect, unblemished sacrificial lamb has already been slain and continually offered at every altar in the Catholic Church. 

Christ’s message of forgiveness is still valid, but let us not become the enemy we tend to become towards others, when we continue adamantly to do wrong and seek not to correct ourselves in the light of Christian truth.

Prayer: Lord, may I not offer any other sacrifice save the sacrifice of Calvary and through it my sinful self transformed by being dead to sin and alive to Christ.

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