“Being willing to respond to the invitation and following the norms of Love, to be among the chosen ones!”

(Based on Ezek 36:23-28 and Mt 22:1-14 – Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A story goes of a King in the olden days and of his “clown” or “jester”

This jester would sometimes say very foolish things whereas sometimes he would make some wise utterances.

One day, it so happened, that this jester said something so foolish that the King handed him a staff and mocked at him saying, “Take this, and keep it… till you find a bigger fool than yourself!”

Years later, the kind fell ill and was on his deathbed.

His favourite courtiers were summoned to him; his family and other friends were also around him.

The King, sick and pale, addressed them saying, “I am about to leave.

I am going on a very long journey and will never be returning to this place.
In deep sorrow, I wish all of you ‘goodbye'”

At that moment, the Jester stepped forward and said to the King, “Your Majesty, May I, please, ask a question?”

“When you journeyed abroad – visiting your people, or paying diplomatic visits to other Kingdoms, you have always made sure there is a great deal of preparation that is ensured.

May I kindly ask, what preparations has your Majesty made for this long journey that he is about to take?”

With tears and remorse and self-realization, the King replied, “Alas! I have made no preparation!”

‘Then,’ said the jester, here is this staff for you. For now I have found a bigger fool than myself.’

Is the state of the King – being unprepared for the journey towards heaven – finding resonance with our own lack of preparations, with respect to eternal life?

The Gospel of the Day presents the parable of the Wedding Feast with a mighty warning to “stay prepared” in our endeavors to be part of the Banquet of Eternal Joy in Heaven.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast, broadly speaking, presents two dangerous attitudes that can overpower a Christian:
1) The arrogant attitude of rejecting God’s omnipotence
2) The lethargic attitude of taking for granted God’s graciousness

In the first part of the parable, we come across the group of people, who turn down the offer of the King for the Wedding Banquet (Mt 22: 5-6)

They made several excuses…
… some ignored the invitation and went away
… one to his farm
… another to his business
… the rest manhandled the King’s servants

On display was their highly casual and lethargic attitude towards the King.

They were least bothered regarding the royal nature of the invitation
They cared little for the feelings and the sentiments of the King who had called them with much expectations

In the second part of the Gospel, we come across the guest, who failed to wear to the appropriate wedding garment (Mt 22:11-12)

It was a sheer lack of failure to follow the customs of the land and was a betrayal of the host’s generosity…
… It was customary for the hosts to provide the suitable wedding apparel
… The “speechless” silence of the man, showed his inability to produce any valid reason for this act of disobedience and non-compliance

On display was his highly diminishing and disrespectful attitude towards the King.

He was overly adamant in keeping up the wedding protocols of his times
He was exceedingly proud to acknowledge the generosity of the King and chose to purposely insult the King

These two extremes, then, are fearful plagues that a Christian needs to be wary of…

A devastating tendency to be arrogantly proud towards the Mercies and Favours of God
A dissipated tendency to be lethargic towards the Graces and Blessings of God

Do I put down the power of God…
… by failing to give any response to His constant calls and inspirations to lead a more holy life?
… by busying myself in my worldly activities and failing to give any heed to the works of the Kingdom?
… by engaging constantly only for self-centered glory and side-line anything that promotes the Glory of God?

Do I make a mockery of the Grace of God…
… by professing to be a Christian and yet failing to wear the garments of doing God’s Will and in living His Gospel Virtues?
… by wanting to be proudly seen as a follower of Christ and yet unwilling to follow His teachings and commandments in daily life?
… by enjoying all the comforts that comes alone with being a ‘Christian’ but shamelessly failing to perform the duties associated with it?

The foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet is seen in the Holy Eucharistic Celebration.

The seriousness in our preparation for the Holy Mass is a clear indicator of our seriousness in preparation for the Heavenly Banquet.

Do I approach the wonderful foretaste of Heaven – the Holy Eucharist – with greater devotion and preparation…
… or do I adopt an attitude of arrogant denial of its Holiness or an attitude of lethargy and “taking for granted”?

The Lord adopts a tone of seriousness and strictness, when it comes to our question of preparation for Eternal Life.

There is only one life here on earth – and it deserves to be lived in its utmost fullness by responding to God’s Graces.

May we respond to this demanding call of the Lord – and make ourselves worthy of Life Eternal, to the best of our possibilities and capabilities.

“Many are invited and a few are chosen” (Mt 22:14)

Are we willing to respond to the invitation and follow the norms of Love, to be among the chosen ones?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being ready to let go of ourselves and get transformed to be a Volcano of Generosity!”

(Based on Ezek 34:1-11 and Mt 20:1-16 – Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

One of the most powerful, spectacular and amazing natural wonder of the world is a Volcano!

The image of a Volcano brings to our mind a massive mountain, erupting fumes of smoke and lava.

A volcano represents mighty force.
A volcano stands for…
… immense heat
… great strength

The Gospel of the Day lets out a life-challenging message, delivered with much power and force…
… like a volcano!

We have the familiar parable of the Landowner and the workers from Mt 20:1-16 for our Gospel Passage today.

This landowner is quite unique and amazing in his approach.

He hired labourers for his vineyard first in the early hours of the day…
Then periodically throughout the day…
Finally, he hired some at the fag end of the day – to work only one hour.

The labourers in those days, like often in our society too…
… had no secure work and no consistent income.

They were given hired on a day to day basis.
Those hired late, were not sure of what wages they would be paid…
They had to, therefore, solely depend on the kindness of the one who had hired them!

The landowner in the Gospel, pays the labourers, not as per their work…
… but as per his kindness!

He pays the labourers, not just based on their hard efforts…
… but based on His big-heartedness!

The Landowner is like a ‘Volcano’ – mighty and immense and great…
… in his generosity!

He is a Volcano of Generosity!

Like a volcano, he is mighty…
… in standing up to his principles in being firm to render benevolence.
Like a volcano, he is immense…
… in lavishing unexpected favours and rendering surprising packages
Like a volcano, he is great…
… in being fair in his dealings and yet going beyond justice to the needy.

This landowner is Jesus!

He is the Volcano of generosity.

Jesus has given us life and many essentials and comforts of life…
… in His generosity.
Jesus has strengthened us with His transformative words in the Bible…
… in His generosity.
Jesus has provided us with grace and mercy when we have been lost in sin…
… in His generosity.
Jesus has blessed us with His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist to nourish us…
… in His generosity.
Jesus has showered us with love and affection when we have been broken and shattered…
… in His generosity.

All this He has done when we least deserved it.

Like the late-employed workers we did not deserve this great bounty.

Perhaps, some of us might identify ourselves with the workers who were employed at the start of the day…
… and we feel ourselves been cheated and treated unfairly.

We feel that since we have been more faithful and committed, we ought to deserve more!

But the words of the Lord, need to sink deep into our hearts, “My friend, I am not cheating you…
… Am I not free to do as I wish, with my own money?” (Mt 20: 13, 15)

Let’s accept it:
We have been treated justly…
… we have been given our just wages
… we have been paid rightly.

But we lose our temper, because we compare ourselves with others and feel, “I deserved more!”

We cry foul, because we judge other people and their efforts and say, “That fellow was not so much worthy!”
We shout unfair, because we look over on the other side of the fence and exclaim, “I did better than that one!”
We go blind to the fact that we have been treated justly, and instead crib that others have been prized with greater generosity.

This is the Volcano of Generosity – Jesus.

His generosity goes beyond our wildest imaginations.
His generosity crosses all human boundaries of expectations.
His generosity traverses way ahead of what we can think or conceive!

And this Volcano of Generosity invites us to be similar in our attitude and life…

Be a volcano of generosity…
… with encouragement, for those who fail in life, despite trying hard!
… with love, for those who lose heart and struggle with problems of life!
… with patience, for those who get irritated and annoyed with situations!
… with kindness, for those who constantly find faults and are pessimistic!
… with hope, for those who find no meaning in life and remain depressed!

The Volcano is one of the most powerful, spectacular and amazing wonder in the world.

If we can shape our lives, into a Volcano of Generosity…
… we too can be a powerful, spectacular and amazing witness to the Lord in this world!

Are we ready to let go of ourselves…
… and get transformed to be a Volcano of Generosity?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Giving heed to the exhortation of the Lord to ‘give up’ things that do not count and instead to ‘take up’ the greater priorities of our Christian life!

(Based on Ezek 28:1-10 and Mt 19:23-30 – Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near the modern Naples, in the region of Campania in Italy.

This city was greatly devastated – destroyed and buried – by nearly 13- 20 feet of ash and pumice, in the volcanic eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The dreadful eruption killed the inhabitants of the city and buried it under tons of ash.

During the excavation, plaster was made use to fill in the voids in the ash layers that once held dead bodies.

This made way for one to see the exact position that the person was in, when he or she died.

Several years later, as the construction workers were laying a foundation for a building outside the city of Pompeii, they found something very strange…

They found a corpse of woman, who probably had been fleeing from the eruption, but had got caught in the shower of hot ashes!
The weird part was that the woman’s hands clutched jewels, which were preserved in a very good condition!

The jewels were all hers…
… but death had rendered them useless for her!

That perhaps, is the bottom-line of life, isn’t it?

Treasures of this world are just not a wise investment…
… they can neither be taken with us at the end of life
… nor can they be enjoyed for but a few years on the earth

These are the sentiments and the teachings that are transmitted by the Lord in today’s Gospel.

Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19: 23)

The Gospel goes on to say that, “when the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished…” (Mt 19: 25)

It is fairly understandable, that just like the disciples, we too find ourselves in a state of amazement, wonder or even shock, at the words of the Lord concerning richness.

Could Jesus “really” mean that the rich won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
Was Jesus meaning that all wealth is categorically bad and therefore to be dumped off?

One of the prevailing dominant notions with respect to riches, in the Old Testament was that, they were considered to be a sign of God’ special favour.

There are several references for the same…

In Gen 24: 35: “Abraham’s servant tells Laban, ‘The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy.’
In Job 42:12: “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.”
In Prov 10: 22: ” It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.”

But the Old Testament also very clearly points out that these material blessings ought to be undoubtedly accompanied by a concern and care for the poor…

In Ps 132: 15: “God will bless Zion with abundant provisions and satisfy her poor with food”
In Ps 37: 11: “The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace”

Thus the teachings of the Scriptures point to a greater responsibility that is placed on the rich.

This responsibility finds it onus on discovering God as the greatest treasure and richness of one’s life.

The Prophet Habakkuk gives beautiful expression to this clarion call:
“… Though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food…
… yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.” (Hab 3: 17-18a)

This then is the spirit of “richness” that Jesus, the culmination of the Laws and the Prophets calls forth for.

“Richness” that rests not on material wealth…
… but on God, the Source of all wealth and prosperity

“Wealth” that doesn’t pride on external glory…
… but on the Lord, the giver and provider of every richness and gift

Our lives sometimes gets so pre-occupied and anxious with….
… garnering of material wealth
… planning on amassing greater resources
… harvesting mighty fields of glory and richness
… that God gets pushed out of life and the Source and Sustainer of all goodness finds no place in our hearts and minds!

But Jesus makes us to realize the need to discover, maintain and hold on to the Lord as the Supreme Treasure of our life…
… and consider all other riches and wealth as flowing from His Mercy
… with a duty towards sharing it with the needy and the disadvantaged!

Prophet Ezekiel reminds us of the miserable end of the prince of Tyre who savagely took false pride in his riches and position, considering himself even “to be a god” (Cf. Ezek 28:2)

“… by your great wisdom in trade, you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth; therefore thus says the Lord God:

‘Because you consider yourself as wise as a god, therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, the most terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor…” (Ezek 28:5-7)

Instead of clinging on to worldly wealth…
… let us cling on the Lord, who alone can help us to find the true meaning of our lives!

Instead of holding on to material glory…
… let us hold on to the Kingdom of Heaven, where alone can we find the perfect peace and happiness!

As goes a beautiful quote: “A person is no fool to give up what he cannot keep…
… in order to gain what he cannot lose.”

Let us realize: Treasures of this world are just not a wise investment…
… they can neither be taken with us at the end of life
… neither can they be enjoyed for but a few years on the earth!

Instead, may we give heed to the exhortation of the Lord to “give up” things that do not count and instead to “take up” the greater priorities of our Christian life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“With confidence, giving heed to the words of the Lord assuring us: ‘Trust the desert!'”

(Based on Ezek 24:15-23 and Mt 19:16-22 – Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A river wanted to flow to the sea, through a vast desert.

But seeing the vast dry sand, it got afraid.

Fearful thoughts crept into its mind:
“The desert may gulp up all my water…
… the hot breath of the sun will surely dry me up…
… and I will be reduced to a mere stinking swamp!”

Then it heard a mysterious voice, “Trust the Desert”

But the river retorted, “But then, will I ever be the same?

Will I not lose my identity?”

The voice once again thundered, “There is no way to remain the same!”

So the river, with trust in the desert, began to flow through it.

The simmering heat of the sun turned her into vapour.

The wind carried her over, as clouds, over the hot expanse of the desert.
She was formed into rain!
And out of the clouds, came down a newer, fresher and much more splendid river, on the other side of the desert.

The river was delighted and exclaimed, “Now, I am truly my real self!”

Immense trust and making the radical decision to pass through the desert, helped the river to experience newness in life…
… and to enjoy the delight of a transformed and renewed life!

Is life calling us to have a deeper trust and cross through deserts, in order to experience freshness in life?

Or are we afraid to take that risk of losing many of the ‘things’ we hold precious to ourselves?

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus exhorting us to trust in Him, and to cross the deserts of life, “letting go of riches, in order to experience true joy in Him and eternal life with Him!

The incident of the person asking Jesus, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Mt 19:16) finds resonance with many of our inner desires and longings.

We too have a lot of questions, like the man who asked, “What must I do to have eternal life…”

How can I really have peace of mind and happiness at home and in my life…?
How is it that I may be able to experience joy in life, despite the many poundings and grindings that life renders me…?
How is it that I can be assured of the treasures of heaven and the bliss of life eternity…?

The man who enquired Jesus presented Him with a list of many activities and deeds that he engaged himself, towards this purpose.

“All of these (following the commandments) I have observed,” (Mt 19:20a) said the man to Jesus

We too have something similar to say…

I keep on working hard, putting in constant efforts in my daily duties and the various responsibilities entrusted to me…
I toil very much in meeting life’s ends and gathering together my resources in making sure that things go on well in life…

But like that man, we too get lost with this one basic question, “What do I still lack?” (Mt 19:20b)

What do I still lack…
… that my life fails to be soaked in happiness and my heart misses the train of joy and peace?
… that my relationships fail to have the required fervour of love and affection?
… that my spiritual life fails to have the flavour of passion, zeal and enthusiasm?

This is where the Lord will tell us, “to let go of things that keep us attached”

Jesus says, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell, what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then follow Me” (Mt 19:21)

The man was attached to his possessions, even though he performed many acts of God’s commandments.

He found it hard to leave his riches, and his following of the laws of God made little impact on him, to make renunciations.
Therefore, the Lord diagnosed his problem as his inability to “let go” of his attachments.

“Unnecessary accessories” of life can be a burden in our smooth travelling on the path of eternity!

Are we also faced with the same diagnosis?

Do I find it hard to “let go”…
… of my selfish lifestyle and my own personal comforts… even though I seek to render service or engage in different works?
… of my egoistic tendencies and self-centred inclinations… in my relationships and in interacting with the people in my life?
… of my individual agenda and self-interested plans… and fail to base my life as per the Plan of God and walk according to His Will in my life?

As Christians, we are called to perfection (Mt 5:48)

This ‘challenge to perfection’ demands that we have to pass through the “deserts”…
… deserts of renunciation
… deserts of seeking only God’s Will
… deserts of altering our personal choices and prioritizing the values of the Lord

This will help us to experience newness in life and to enjoy the delight of a transformed and renewed life!

Let us heed to the call of the Lord today…
… to make such radical choices and decisions in life…
… so that we can truly experience the joy of heaven in our day-to-day lives and one day, be blessed, with the fullness of life eternal!

When faced with the deserts of life…
… let us, with confidence, give heed to the words of the Lord assuring us: “Trust the desert”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Seeking the Grace of God, to remain ever-faithful to our Blessed Lord – the God of all peoples!”

(Based on Isa 56:1, 6-7, Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 and Mt 15:21-28 – Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A)

Years back, in the late 19th century, engineers were asked to give their opinions on a possible railroad through the Andes Mountains

(Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world; it passes through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina)

They concluded that the job would be an impossible one.

However, as a last resort, an engineer from Poland named Ernest Malinowski was called in.

Malinowski’s reputation as an engineer was famous, but he was in the aging sixtieth year of his life at that time.
[The authorities feared to impose such a rigorous task on the old man.
Malinowski, however, assured the representatives that the job could be done.

The railway began to worm its way across the Andes from Peru with sixty-two tunnels and thirty bridges along its way.

One tunnel ran up to 4,000 feet in length, 15,000 feet above the level of the sea.
On two occasions, revolutions in some of the countries through which the railroad passed, held up construction.
Once Malinowski had to even flee to Peru and remain in exile for a time
But nothing could prevent the old man in completing the engineering feat.

By 1880, work was completed on what, till recent times (2006), was the highest railroad in the world.

Malinowski had many barriers towards the achievement of this grand feat…
… The problems arising out of old age
… The challenging mountainous terrains
… The impossibility expressed by many other engineers

However, nothing of it could deter his determination in achieving what he wanted!

Life rewards abundantly, those who are willing to challenge the barriers and be persistent in overcoming them!

The Gospel of the Day presents the beautiful story of a mother who dared to “break through” the mountainous terrains…
… of religious prejudices, social ignominy and personal misery to bridge blessings from God for her precious daughter.

Jesus had withdrawn to the district of Tyre and Sidon (Mt 15:21)

In the Old Testament times, this region was associated with the Canaanites and particularly with the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon.

The region was to a great extent, religiously distinct from Israel and was associated with pagan worship
There was therefore a long-standing religious and historical tension between Israel and the people of this region.

It was in this place that Jesus meets one of them – a woman, whose daughter had been “severely possessed by a demon” (Mt 15:22b)

The presence of “that” woman, however, made the disciples of Jesus, to complain to their Master, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us” (Mt 15: 23b)

At this juncture, we hear two cries…

One – the cry of the woman
The other – the cry of the disciples

The woman cried out of helplessness and out of deep misery – wanting the “unclean” demon to be cast away from her daughter

The disciples cried out in irritation and annoyance – wanting the “unclean” woman to be cast away from their presence

It’s interesting to note the wordplay in Greek, in the words of the disciples and those of the woman…

The disciples uttered, “APOLYSON – send her away”
The woman cried, “KYRIE ELEISON – have mercy, Lord”

These two contrasting choruses were ringing in the air – “Apolyson – Kyrie Eleison… Apolyson – Kyrie Eleison”

One seeking to dismiss her!
The other persevering in seeking the Lord’s Mercy!

The Master then stepped in to say, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel… It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” (Mt 15: 24, 26)

Perhaps the addressing of Jesus as a “dog” would have come as no surprise to the Canaanite woman.

It was a reminder of the sharp distinction that existed, historically, between the Blessed Israelites and the Cursed Canaanites.

The Jews “were” considered as the “children” within God’s covenant, while the Canaanites (Gentiles) “were” often described in Jewish usage as “dogs,” expressing their position outside the covenant community.

And in every house, the children get fed first… not the dogs!

But the figurative tone set forth by Jesus, found its amazing reply in the words of the Canaanite woman, “Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters” (Mt 15: 27)

Here was a glorious acknowledgement by the woman… “Yes, I am a Gentile, and considered to be a dog – outside of the covenant privileges of Israel.

I do acknowledge that the Israelites have a special place in God’s plan of salvation
But I trust that God’s Grace and Mercy can overflow beyond every boundary!
I do not claim the privileged ‘bread’ that is reserved to the mighty….
… but I just wish for the ‘crumbs’ of Your grace, that will suffice in healing my ailing daughter!”

That was an amazing reply of persistent faith!

The mountainous terrains had been broken!

No religious prejudices, no social ignominy or no personal misery could prevent the bold faith of the woman to bridge the blessings of God’s healing!

Yes, life rewards abundantly, those who are willing to challenge the barriers and be persistent in overcoming them!

With immense pride, the Lord proclaimed, “O Woman, great is your faith” (Mt 15: 28)

Do we also seek to possess such kind of a tremendous faith and unperturbed persistence?

Sometimes we hear – like the cries of the disciples – discouraging voices and refraining chants…
Sometimes we have to encounter the agonizingly painful and silent response of the Lord…
Sometimes we have to bear humiliating challenges to our prayers and even disturbing answers from the Divine..

Yet, like this wonderful mother, who was determined to break down every “mountain” of barrier, for the sake of a miracle for her daughter…
… do we remain courageous, firm and bold in our faith and trust in the Lord?

St Francis de Sales says, “when you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them; try to bend them with gentleness and time.”

Prophet Isaiah reminds us that we are called to become a people faith never builds walls…
… because God’s House is to be a house for all peoples (cf. Isa 56:7)

St Paul teaches us that “God’s call and His gifts are irrevocable, and His Mercy can reach even those who seem farthest from Him!” (cf. Rom 11:29-32)

Let us seek the Grace of God, to remain ever-faithful to our Blessed Lord – the God of all peoples…
… with firmness in our faith
… perseverance in our piety
… and courage in our convictions!

God Bless! Live Jesus!