Thursday 21 December 2023
Friday 17 November 2023
Monday 6 November 2023
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 131:1, 2, 3
Gospel, Matthew 23:1-12
Reading 2, First Thessalonians 2:7-9, 13
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Truly, that is how Jesus wants us to call one another for, as the Gospel puts it, we have one teacher and a master, and we all are brothers and sisters. Let me, therefore, greet you once more, “My dear sisters and brothers!”
While the 1st reading of today suggests that the chiefs at the time of the prophet Malachi were accountable for leading people astray because of their scandalous deeds, the Gospel test of the day declares that the religious leaders at the time of Jesus were found to lead people away from God rather than to God. The ‘Moses’ seat’ in the gospel, therefore, is a metaphorical expression that Jesus uses to indicate the teaching and administrative authority of the synagogue leadership held by Scribes and Pharisees who were known for their religious knowledge and outward piety. Against this background, Jesus addresses his disciples and the crowds revealing a tripartite flaw in their leadership: (a) they preach but do not practice; (b) they burden others but do not lift a finger to help them carry it; and (c) they act but for wrong reasons – status, honor, pride, and to impress others.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in his Spiritual Exercises, explains the Matthaean Jesus in his meditation on the Two Standards: The Standard of the Devil (or of the world) and the Standard of Christ (or of the Cross). While those who serve under the banner of the Devil are lured into a vicious cycle of riches, honors, and hubris, leading to all vices and eventual demise, those serving under the banner of Christ are motivated by poverty (both spiritual and material), underappreciation (and opprobrium), and humility—the door to all virtues.
Put together, today’s readings serve as a timeless warning especially to those in positions of authority and leadership. Whether within the Church which is currently on its synodal journey or in the wider world which is increasingly plagued with wars of all sorts, the invitation is to embrace a different kind of leadership, a true greatness measured by the depth of one’s humility and the sincerity of one’s service to others. The humility spoken here is not about thinking less of oneself. Rather it is about thinking of oneself less so that one has more room to become aware of the needs of others. The service, on the other hand, is the way to live our lives as an acknowledgment of the ultimate authority and worth of life that comes from our one and only teacher and the master – Almighty God. Therefore, the greatest among us, as Jesus says, must be everybody’s servant. Therefore, let us ask ourselves,
To what extent do I consider my life-work and that of others as the greatest honor and privilege received from God?
What incongruences do I find today between my life-work and the Standards of Christ?
What resolutions do I take today to live my life-work in such a way that I say what I believe and do what I say?
May we strive hard to exemplify servant leadership in all we say and do in our life-work as a living testament to Christ’s transformative teaching!
Saturday 4 November 2023
Sri Lankan Cricket – An Observer Perspective
Sri Lankan Cricket – An Observer Perspective
The ICC One-Day-International Men’s Cricket World Cup is still underway, and the wounded Sri Lankan Lions just had yet another battering defeat not second to the one they had recently suffered in the Asia Cup finals against the subcontinent’s champs. Undoubtedly, the team Sri Lanka has its movements to celebrate in the biggest stage of the game. Among them, being victorious over the defending ODI World Cup champs of England is a mighty team moment to relish. Similarly, even though the chase against South Africa was a lost war, the manner in which the battle was fought is something to take note of as it gives enough room to realize what the Lions are capable of doing when they wake up from their slumber. Similarly, it is also good to bear in mind the fact that the Sri Lankan Team defeated their Dutch competitors who, in turn, went on to beat the rainbow-flagged South Africa later in the tournament. One should not also forget the personal excellence showcased by individual players in all three departments of the game - batting, bowling, and fielding. Put together, these instances help ascertain the belief that, if cricket is an unpredictable sport, the Blue Lions are the true patrons of the game, and their unpredictability seems to be second to none.
It may be true that unlike Sri Lanka’s 1996 WC Cricket Team led by Arjuna Ranatunga, the Team Sri Lanka 2023 led initially by Dasun Shanka and later by Kusal Mendis was not the favorite for the current edition of the competition. Also, while the Lankan squad is quite young in their international cricketing experience, the alleged injuries have further crippled the camp right from the time of the WC team nominations. As a result, the team missed some of the key performers in the party who happened to be the IPL stars and, therefore, would have been so useful in the Indian pitches. Nevertheless, it would be unjust to say that no Sri Lankan fan believed that the Lions could win the cup. For example, given the unpredictable nature of the sport and of the team, I for one, believed that the Blue Lions could perhaps do the unthinkable and create a young revolution.
It is, therefore, with that affinity that I wish to engage in this reflection in-and-on action of the national cricket team’s performance in the ICC WC 2023 as seen through the sport’s live television broadcasts and streaming. It is so done with the faith that as a young team, such reflections would benefit the team (players as well as those responsible for making decisions on their behalf) to make the national cricket better in the future. Additionally, it is hoped that through such reflections these privileged national players and their mentors would take to heart that the presence of their team supporters, no matter where they are in the world, is not something that they could take for granted as in Sri Lankan politics today. Rather, it is something that they should not only always be conscious about as they rally around the ‘One Nation-One Team’ banner but also inevitably give respect to through their actual display of performance, decision-making, and overall conduct both individually and collectively as a team.
Constant Player Changes V/S Team Building
To begin with, there had not been any other team in the 13th edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket WC 2023 that had its players changed so often than the team Sri Lanka. While there might have been legitimate reasons to do so, such changes did not seem to have created a better climate within the team/management or stronger coordination/partnerships in the game. Be it the batting department or the balling division, while such quick changes do not appear to have given rise to better fixes, my fear is whether or not they have contributed toward further loss of confidence in players yielding to subsequent instability in the team.
One Team V/S Many Outlooks
In the same vein of thought, it was often a good sight to see how teams share their moments of the game together as one unit (management, players, officials) be it in their dressing room or in the duck, tensed and nail-biting when things go tough and relaxed and smiling when things are under their control. When it comes to Sri Lankan camp, however, while its freshmen, and youngsters together with the yellow-jacketed substitutes often had the duck out occupied at the boundary line, their dressing room hardly had any close conversations or team spirit displayed. I remember seeing South African and New Zealand captains, upon being made substitutes, seated at the duck out with the rest of the teammates sharing their joys and pains. While I failed to see such a sight in the Sri Lankan camp, all that my mind could grasp through the camera footage shown was that it appears to be an individualized team rather than a team with different individuals. Do we maintain a certain gradation or differentiation of treatment in Sri Lankan Cricket?
Team Captaincy V/S Personal Best
Be it Angelo Mathews, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Dasun Shanaka, or Kusal Mendis, the role of captaincy in the Sri Lankan team has been thoroughly shaken in the recent past. Undoubtedly, the role is beset with a unique set of challenges as compared to their personal best. For example, one such challenge would be that captains often have to face interviews before media, cameras, TV shows, spectators, etc., and speak in English, which they might not be proficient in. This linguistic barrier by no means a small stress to the leadership and his confidence in the self that permeates to all aspects of the game. As a result, balancing the demands of leadership with personal excellence can be a daunting task, especially when the team is going through a transitional phase or struggling to find its rhythm as in the case of Sri Lanka. Take for example Kusal Mendis. Until the day he was appointed as the captain of the team for the rest of the WC 2023, he was ranked the highest scorer of the game for this edition. Unfortunately, from the day he was called to shoulder the new responsibility, his personal best suffered, and he has never made a ton of scores ever since then. If the demand for a particular role is way too far beyond one’s personal best, should the management burden the players with such decisions in the first place? At the same time, cannot the players say ‘no’ to such offers if they are able to assess that such opportunities are nevertheless stumbling blocks to realizing their personal best and giving their best to the team and to the country? What is more important, contributing one’s best for the betterment of the team or performing a duty at the expense of one’s personal best?
Playing Cricket V/S Representing the Country
The journey from playing cricket to representing the country is a remarkable transformation that highlights the unique and demanding nature of international cricket. While the pursuit of professional cricket at the international level is a prestigious honor, the realization that, in so doing, one becomes a representative of one’s country, culture, and identity comes with added pressure, expectations, and responsibilities, as national pride is at stake. As a result, the transition from playing cricket wearing the national colors to representing the true national identity is a significant one requiring not only skills and talents to excel in the game but also a deep sense of commitment and loyalty to the nation.
Taken in that light, we have had players speaking to the public media and the press, not always in English, but in their own mother tongue and with translators. It has always happened in the past and it happens to date in the 2023 edition of the WC as well. For example, we have seen the veteran and the Hall of Famer Muttiah Muralitharan in his early stages of cricket speaking with the help of translators. But he ended his career not only with unbreakable records in his personal best in the game but also as a fluent English speaker. Today, we hear Russell Arnold in his clear English in the commentary box. We see how Kumara Sangakkara is appreciated for his fabulous dictions. They too have received these praises not at the expense of their personal best in the game. It goes to say that while the players' talents for the game should not be determined or curtailed on the basis of their extra skills such as the use of language, one should always ask if it makes a player or a team small if one chooses to speak in the language that is unique to one’s motherland? On the other hand, if we could sing the national anthem in front of the world in its original language and with full passion and emotions, I believe, speaking a language that one is capable of is more noble and patriotic than trying to match up to popular demands and making oneself a laughingstock in social media, live telecast, and before the multitudes of learned spectators. I believe it is often by speaking either a foreign language accurately or one’s native tongue passionately, that the ‘One Team- One Nation’ band could make not only the presence of their worldwide supporters appreciated and respected but also their patriotism witnessed and upheld.
Injuries V/S Preserving Energy
While the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 is played in India where the climate and pitch conditions are no different from that of Sri Lanka, it was surprising to see that Asian teams were the ones that seem to have suffered more player injuries and replacements than non-tropical participant countries in the context. Among them, Sri Lanka ranks at the top. While it is true that we have found a few promising and talented bowling battalion who has been making a statement in the WC 2023, at times as one bawling unit and at other times as individual players, even when the team failed in one aspect or the other in the game, I believe, giving a serious thought to reducing the length of the run-up that the seamers make is something that merits for several reasons. By shortening their run-up, bowlers can conserve their energy more effectively, especially in challenging conditions, and this conservation of energy allows bowlers to consistently maintain their line and length throughout their spell which is a crucial aspect of successful bowling. Likewise, a shorter run-up can reduce the strain on a bowler’s body minimizing the risk of overuse and overexertion injuries which is crucial for preventing injuries and sustaining performance.
Moreover, a shorter run-up can enhance a bowler's concentration and rhythm, enabling them to focus on their delivery technique and variations. This could also reduce the time given to the opposition batters to settle at the crease, making it more challenging for them to adapt to the bowler's strategies and pace and, thereby, putting pressure on the opposition. This aspect, I believe, is something that we need to learn from team India whose seamers have a fairly short run-up but very high success rate to batter the Sri Lankan lions not just once in the Asia Cup, but repeatedly in the biggest stage of the game in WC 2023.
Losing Battered V/S Losing Gracefully
In the context of Sri Lankan cricket today, discerning between ‘losing battered’ and ‘losing gracefully’ seems to be extremely difficult. While all teams experience losses and it is a part and parcel of any sport, the manner in which those defeats are invited and handled can have a profound impact on the team's reputation and morale. By ‘losing battered’, therefore, I refer to suffering defeats in a manner that is demoralizing and marked by poor sportsmanship, controversies, and internal strife. This not only damages the team's standing but also erodes the spirit of the game. On the other hand, ‘losing gracefully’ signifies not only losing with dignity but also determining to learn with humility and commit to improvement. It further indicates the need to play smart cricket and always fight a good battle with a positive mindset to foster resilience and unity within the team. For example, battered and wounded so badly after the Asia Cup finals 2023 against India, and having the pitch forecast so favorable to the batters in the first go, what would have been the choice that the Sri Lankan captain would have made upon winning the toss against the same opponent in WC 2023? Did he make a choice between fielding first and batting first or between losing battered and losing gracefully?
Even if we keep losing in the future, I believe, in the context of Sri Lankan cricket, the choice to ‘lose gracefully’ can help rebuild the team's reputation, refine its outlook toward the national and international supporters, enhance its performance, and reinforce the values of sportsmanship that the One Team-One Nation has long been associated with in the past.
Tuesday 15 August 2023
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Mother (15th August, 2023)
On the 1st of November, 1950, the Catholic Church, together with then pope Venerable Pius XII, took a significant leap in its catholic doctrines, and with that, the entire humanity was elevated or raised to a level that no created being had ever achieved before.
And that is what we celebrate today.
Today, we celebrate the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the feast of Mary taken into heaven with her entire body and soul following the end of her life on earth.
This is our feast. This is the pride of humanity. It is because, this human woman, who lived a flesh and blood life like any one of us on earth, was given that highest honor which is second to nobody but Christ, the son of God, the new Adam, who was taken up to heaven with his entire body and soul after his death and resurrection.
We go to celebrate with Mary because, humanity, which has been created after the image and likeness of God, yet fallen due to its own pride, was forgiven and restored back to its original state through this human woman, this new Eve, whose name was Mary, a Canaanite woman, who was raised up like any other girl-child in Judea, who went about attending to the daily chores perhaps with her bear feet, who fetched water like any other woman at a common well, who was faithful to her promise or ‘yes’ to the Lord come what may, and as a result who was so chosen by God to mother and nurture his own son, the savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.
On this feast day, as we hail Mama Mary for living a life so dignified, so exemplary, so chosen, so wanted, and so honored as a creature by the creator, we got to as a few questions:
What is it that God saw in her so much that he was so bent on choosing her in his economy or plan of salvation?
Despite all the qualities and attributes, names, praises, and honor that we could ever give to Mary our Mother, if we fail to realize that one thing that God was so attracted in her, I think we are going to miss the point here.
It is nothing but her lowliness. And she sings it well in the Magnificat as follows:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant….
He has mercy for those who fear him in every generation…
He has scattered the proud in their conceit, he has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly….
When it comes to Mary, while she gives all glory, pride, honor, and greatness to God, her greatness was found in her humility…her humble faithfulness to the Lord…
You see my dear sisters and brothers, while it is pride that was the reason for the fall of, not only humanity but also the angels as it is believed in the tradition of Christianity, it is lowliness/humility which is the point of salvation…
This applies to us today as well…In my personal life, in my life with the family, in my marital vows, how humble and how faithful I am to God, to myself, to one another…Or has my pride taken over that I am given in to conceit, lies, deceit, false image and likeness, and putting up an altered self or ego before me and before others, finally leading into sin, pain, disharmony, and destruction with myself, with one another, and with the entire creation?
If God is to choose one of us today, how humble and how lowly would he find me today that he would not be able to pass me by without choosing me just as he chose Mama Mary?
Tuesday 25 July 2023
Feast of St. James the Apostle (25th July 2023)
For the Youtube video please click here
For the times we have been less effective in our baptism of glory with you, Lord, have mercy...
For the times we have been less effective in our baptism of pain and blood in day-to-day life, Christ, have mercy…
For the times we have been less effective in our baptism of humble service with and for others, Lord, have mercy…
My dear sisters and brothers,
Today, we celebrate the feast of St. James, also known as James the Greater, who was among the inner circle of Jesus' disciples, along with his brother John and Simon Peter.
James and his brother John, the evangelist, had a similar calling like Peter in the Sea of Galilee while they were mending their fishing nets with their father.
At the beginning of his journey with Jesus, James and his brother John were known as the "Sons of Thunder," reflecting their impulsive and fiery natures or temperaments. But through their companionship with Jesus, they learned to channel their energy into love and service.
It is in this inner journey of transformation, we read the Gospel text of today, where his mother comes to Jesus asking a favor to be granted to them: "Allow my two sons to sit at your right and at your left".
Jesus realizing the gravity of this request, poses a question back to these two brothers, almost as a way of testing their fidelity. "Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?"
My dear sisters and brothers, James and his brother John not only replied ‘Yes, Lord, we can’ verbally… But they exemplified it and concretized their ‘Yes Lord’ in their very actions and in their very being as well...
They were two of the three privileged disciples who accompanied Jesus at his transfiguration on the mountain of Tabor, at his agony in the garden of Gethsemane, and at his miracles such as raising Jairus’ daughter to life… In other words, they were with Jesus, they were accompanying Jesus, and they were witnessing to Jesus, in his baptism of glory, in his baptism of blood, and in his baptism of humble and tireless service….
Not only that, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, St. James kept up to these three baptisms that he received so fervently from Jesus in him that he went around the world preaching the Good News fearlessly like St. Paul. Consequently, as the Acts of the Apostles reminds us and the first reading of today elaborates, he did drink the cup of agony and blood that Jesus drank by apparently being the first apostle to be martyred.
As we celebrate the feast of St. James, it reminds us that no matter what our shortcomings or flaws are, but when we open our hearts to Christ, He can mold us into instruments of His grace.
In that transformative love of Christ, in that example of St. James, let us ask ourselves, as those who are baptized in Christ to be followers of him, how tempered or effective or transformed am I in my baptism of glory in life, in my baptism of pain and suffering in life, and in my baptism of love and humble service for one another in life?
Sunday 23 July 2023
L’homélie du 16ème Dimanche du Temps Ordinaire
Aujourd'hui, réfléchissons ensemble à trois paraboles partagées par notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ : la Parabole de l'ivraie et du blé, la Parabole du grain de moutarde et la Parabole du levain. Ces paraboles impliquent des messages profonds qui peuvent nous guider dans notre chemin de foi et nous aider à comprendre le royaume de Dieu.
Dans la Parabole de l'ivraie et du blé, Jésus nous parle d'un fermier qui a semé de bonnes graines dans son champ. Mais pendant la nuit, un ennemi est venu semer des graines d'ivraie parmi le blé. Les bonnes et les mauvaises plantes grandissent ensemble. L'ayant vu, les serviteurs du fermier lui demandent s'ils doivent arracher les mauvaises herbes. Avec sagesse, le fermier répond : "Non, car en arrachant l'ivraie, vous risquez d'écarter le blé avec elle. Laissez les deux pousser ensemble jusqu'à la moisson."
Cette parabole nous enseigne la patience et le discernement (synonyme : bon sens). Dans nos vies, nous avons souvent des situations où le bien et le mal coexistent, à la fois en nous-mêmes et dans le monde qui nous entoure. Nous sommes tentés d'enlever immédiatement tout ce qui est mauvais, mais Jésus nous encourage à faire preuve de patience et de sagesse. Il nous dit que le jugement ne nous appartient pas ; il appartient à Dieu. Nous devons plutôt élever le bien et permettre sa croissance en nous. Ainsi, nous devenons des instruments de l'amour et de la compassion de Dieu dans un monde brisé.
Passons ensuite à la Parabole du grain de moutarde. Jésus compare le royaume de Dieu à une toute petite graine de moutarde qui devient un grand arbre, qui offre un abri aux oiseaux du ciel. Cette parabole parle de la puissance de la foi et de la nature transformative du royaume de Dieu.
La graine de moutarde est si petite qu’elle nous parait sans importance, mais elle peut devenir magnifique. De même, notre foi peut commencer petite, comme une graine, mais quand elle est nourrie par la prière, la Parole de Dieu et les sacrements, elle peut devenir une source de force et d'espoir pour nous-mêmes et pour les autres. Le royaume de Dieu, bien que souvent invisible, a le pouvoir d'apporter des changements profonds et positifs dans nos vies et dans le monde qui nous entoure.
Enfin, penchons-nous sur la Parabole du levain. Jésus nous dit que le royaume des cieux est comme du levain qu'une femme a mélangé à une quantité de farine pour la fermenter et faire lever la pâte. Voici la leçon de cette parabole : le royaume de Dieu peut se cacher en nous, et nous transformer.
Le levain est invisible dans la pâte mais il la fait lever, et elle devient quelque chose de totalement différent, du pain. De même, le royaume de Dieu est souvent invisible en nous mais il peut changer nos cœurs et nos vies, avec l'image du Christ pour modèle. C'est avec de petits actes d'amour, de bonté et de compassion que nous devenons les agents du royaume de Dieu dans nos familles, nos communautés et dans le monde.
Ensemble, ces paraboles nous rappellent la beauté et le mystère du royaume de Dieu. Elles nous enseignent la patience et la sagesse, elles nourissent notre foi, et elles permettent le Saint Esprit d’agir en nous et à travers nous. Prions pour la grâce d'être fidèles et ouverts à l'œuvre de Dieu dans nos vies. Cherchons à grandir au milieu des mauvaises herbes comme le blé; cherchons à nous enraciner dans la foi et porter du fruit comme le grain de moutarde ; et comme le levain, cherchons à laisser le royaume de Dieu pénétrer notre âme.
Que le Seigneur nous bénisse de sagesse et de force : cherchons à vivre le message de ces paraboles et d'être des disciples fidèles du Christ.