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.
Tuesday 18 July 2023
Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
For the time we have failed to recognize your mighty works around us, Christ, have mercy...
In so doing, for the times we have failed to respond to you in repentance, Lord, have mercy...
My dear sisters and brothers,
Perhaps we all have read the historical novel, "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, first published in 1859. Set in both London and Paris before and during the French Revolution, the novel tells us the story of various characters whose lives are intertwined during this tumultuous period in history by delving into themes of sacrifice, resurrection, and the struggle for justice and redemption.
Likewise, in today's gospel text, our lord has 'A tale', "A tale of two cities". And he makes explicit reference to 6 cities apparently divided into two distinct groups…
On the one hand, there are three of them, namely Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum which were blessed to have had the experience of the presence of the Son of God among them. These ancient cities have witnessed the mighty deeds of Christ, they had witnessed His miracles, and His compassion, and heard His teachings that offered hope, healing, and salvation.
On the other hand, there are the other three cities, namely Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom which were notorious for their wickedness and which have not had the experience of the mighty power of the Son of Man through his miracles, teaching, preaching, and healing…
However, even though one group has had the experience of the mighty works of Christ and the other group was devoid of it, these two camps become one in one aspect…that is, in terms of their unresponsiveness and unrepentance...And for our lord, it was worse for the first camp, because despite these divine manifestations, those cities remained unresponsive and unrepentant.
And that wasn't so tolerated by our Lord… And he was compelled to pronounce his woes against these cities…
The message for us today is just as relevant as it was for those ancient cities. Jesus' words challenge us to examine our own hearts and attitudes toward Him. It is because these two types of cities are in us and are still operative in and around us… These two groups of cities are still at war within and outside of us…
Are we truly responsive to His working power in and around us? Are we open to repentance and transformation, or are we complacent and indifferent to His teachings?
Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" begins with the famous opening line, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"
Having had the experience of Christ in his living Word, having experienced his mighty deeds in and around us in our lives, therefore, let us ask ourselves, what would be the city that I want to belong more from today?
And in responding to that belonging, how would I begin my tale of two cities in and around me? Will I begin by saying, "It was the worst of times?” or will I begin by saying “It was the best of times"?
Saturday 15 July 2023
15th Sunday in Oridinary Time (16th July 2023)
Though we have eyes, for the times we have failed to see you, Lord have mercy...
Though we could hear, for the times we have failed to listen to you, Christ, have mercy...
In so doing, for the times we have failed to bear much fruit in you, Lord have mercy...
My dear sisters and brothers,
If there was a day that I would prefer skipping the homily during the Mass, today would have been one of those days – for two reasons:
First, it is because, in the gospel text we have just heard, Jesus not only speaks of a parable, the famous Parable of the Sower, but he also explains it to his disciples in black and white. In other words, Jesus himself gives a homily on the parable that he has just spoken of.
So, if I am going to talk about something about the parable or Jesus’ own explanation of the parable, I am afraid that what I am going to do is nothing but explain what is already explained by Jesus, and I am not even sure that I would do a better job than Jesus.
Secondly, coming from an agrarian culture, and being born and raised in an agricultural environment, I do not think it is difficult for you to understand the crux of the readings today…
If we summarize all the readings of this Sunday, we might want to remember these few words: parable, sower, seeds, and different types of ground on which the seeds are fallen; and I am sure none of these words are foreign to us.
Nevertheless, I should say something. What should I say then?
Now, it is interesting to notice that the parable takes an abrupt twist from its beginning to the middle, and from the middle to its end.
In the beginning, it is the sower who takes precedence, as the parable begins by saying “A sower went out to sow…”
However, even though the parable is titled “The Parable of the Sower”, and even though it begins with the word “sower”, the word “sower” appears only twice in the entire discourse: once right at the very start of the parable and then at the beginning of Jesus’ explanation of it..
And that’s it.. Since then, the word ‘sower’ does not appear at all… Instead, what takes center stage is the word ‘seed’… And the word ‘seed’ or any reference to it is mentioned 8 times in the entire discourse.
For example, “Some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up; Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once because there was no depth of earth; Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them; Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Then, as much as the seeds are given importance in the parable, equal or even more emphasis is given to the ground on which they are fallen. It is because the seeds and the grounds are intrinsically connected, and Jesus speaks of this fundamental connection in one phrase as follows: “Anyone who has eyes should see and anyone who has ears should listen”.
Put together, my dear sister and brothers, there are at least 4 types of soil in which the seed falls, it is LOST in three types (rocky, thorny, and shallow ground) and bears fruit in only one type (fertile). This indicates that while three-quarters of the effort are lost, only a quarter is the gain.
However, the focus of the parable is not on the loss but on the gain that is yielded by that one-quarter. The parable is pointing out the fact that this is how life often is. Three-quarters of our efforts are often wasted and it is possible that when this happens we may give in to despair. However, we are called to focus not on the majority of loss, but on that one-quarter of our effort which indeed brings fruit.
In other words, if we take the Sower to be Jesus Christ; Seeds to be his word; and the fields on which seeds are fallen to be ourselves (or our hearts), any ground which is receptive of the word of God, fertile, processing and yielding, will bear much fruit.
If we think deeply, isn’t this dynamic relationship that has ever existed in the economy/history of God’s salvation, that is among the sower (God the Father), the seeds (the son/the word of God), and the grounds (ourselves)? Doesn’t it hold true for our faith journey even to this day as well?
To give a gist, it was God who created us and everything around us, just by his word. But, on the way, we have not been so receptive of his word, we didn’t see him well, we didn’t hear him well, and so we have not been so fertile, we have not been so reflective of the ways we could be better effective and, thus, we have been yielding differing fruits.
Then, just as the sower disappears from the parable scene right after the beginning, when the time came, God, the sower, scattered his precious seed, the Word, the Word became flesh, Jesus Christ in the fields of our hearts.. But, again, we have been receptive of neither him nor his word: we didn’t see him well, we didn’t hear him well, we scorched him, we suffocate him, we made him suffer and die, and in so doing we have not been so fertile, we have not been so reflective of the ways we could be better effective and, thus, we have been yielding differing fruits.
And then, he left us with his Word, the living word of God, and the paraclete, the Holy Spirit… Since then, just as the seed and the ground take precedence in the parable, it is with us too even today, the word of God is scattered in our hearts even at this very moment in history, giving importance to God’s words and our hearts…
So what matters today, is how we bear fruit in our own soil through the help of the Holy Spirit…
Do I usually focus more on the reaping than on the sowing? Do I focus more on the result than on the action? How do I react when most of my effort seems to be in vain? Do I throw up my hands in despair? Do I get despondent? Or do I carry on with perseverance? What are my efforts today to make my ground more receptive, fertile, processing, and yielding?
Monday 10 July 2023
Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time (11th July 2023)
For the Youtube video please click here
My dear sisters and Brothers,
The gospel text of today is taken from the Gospel of Matthew, and chapters 8 and 9 of the Gospel of Matthew are known as Matthew’s ‘miracle cycle’.
Our text for today includes the final miracle in Matthew’s Miracle Cycle, which is Jesus’ healing of the deaf-mute.
One of the things that is interesting to observe in all of these miracles, including that which we contemplate today, is the response that Jesus receives as a result of his performing miracles.
At least they are two-fold. On the one hand, the crowd seeing the miracle are amazed, speak of their amazement, attribute the power of Jesus to God, and come to believe in him.
But on the other, the Scribes and Pharisees’, are slow to believe, amazed do not want to show it, attribute Jesus’ power to the power of Beelzebul, the prince of death, and try to find faults in him so that he could be judged and condemned.
You see, the same action of Jesus, the very same stimulus, evokes two different responses in the receiver.
Now who is right? Who is wrong?
Who am I to judge? Perhaps both parties are right. And Both parties are equally wrong. It is because, they responded to this stimulus with the information they had known, the knowledge they have acquired, the belief they had, the background they were coming from, etc.
But what is more interesting here is the response of Jesus. He is not elated by the praises that he reviews from the crowd not he is feeling dependent on the criticism he receives from the scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus receives both praises and criticisms with equanimity, or in other words, as St. Ignatius would say, with indifference. Without being attached to any, neither feeling over the moon by the criticisms and taking glory to himself for the performance he has just had nor feeling drained off or put down by the negativity around him.
Rather, Jesus’ response was very clear. Knowing well who is he, with his mind fixed on his mission, and the will of the one who sent him, Matthew puts it beautifully as follows:
This summary statement of Jesus’ response in words and deeds, is very similar to the summary statement in Mat. 4,23 before the Sermon on the Mount. By repeating the summary statement here after the Miracle Cycle, Matthew shows that Jesus is Messiah not only in words (as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount) but also in deeds (as explicated in the Miracle Cycle).
Having been called to follow the same Master, today, as it was in Jesus’ time, the harvest is plenty. And we are his laborers. In our own way of laboring for God and his vineyard, let us ask ourselves, how do I respond to praises and criticism that are part and parcel of my life as a laborer?
What is my attitude toward praises and criticisms in life? How do I look at them? How do I take them? How do I let them affect my life? How do I look at the glass of water of praises and criticisms, as half filled or half empty?
What is it that motivates me and keeps me moving forward in saying and doing what say and do? Is it criticism or praise or the passion to do the will of God like Jesus?
Saturday 1 July 2023
13th Sunday in the Ordinary Time (2nd June 2023)
For the times we have failed to renounce material things, places, and people for the sake of your mission, Lord, have mercy...
Having renounced, for the times we have grumbled while doing your mission, Christ, have mercy...
For the times we have failed to realize the difference between possessing things and giving them up for your mission, Christ, have mercy...
My dear sisters and brothers,
There was a story of a disciple who wanted to renounce the world so much but found it difficult to do so because his family loved him too much to let him go.
So, upon confessing this to his spiritual master, his spiritual guru comes up with what is known as a yogic secret.
That is, he teaches his disciple to stimulate ‘the state of death’. And when one is in the state of death as in the case of coma, he or she appears dead outwardly…
So, the disciple does as he was trained and the entire household turns into a funeral with cries and wailing in the family.
The guru then showed up and tells the weeping family that he had the power to bring the man back to life if someone could be found to die in his place.
And there, to the astonishment of the one who is apparently dead, every member of the family from the eldest to the youngest starts giving reasons to say why it was necessary to save his or her life.
And finally, it is his wife who sums up the sentiments of all saying, “Master, there’s really no need for anyone to take his place. We’ll manage without him”.
*************
The gospel text of today is taken from chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew which is also known as the Mission Discourse.
In these 42 verses of chapter 10 of Saint Matthew, we find that Jesus chooses his disciples, names them one by one, and then he sends them on a mission.
While this mission that Jesus gives them is both spiritual and practical (contemplative and apostolic), the instruction that Jesus gives them when missioning them gives us an idea of the means through which Jesus wants the disciples to fulfill his mission. And it could be said in a word as ‘renunciation’.
And accordingly, the disciples are called to be detached in three ways: Firstly, it is the detachment from material things, as Jesus says do not take any bag, or money, or a staff, or extra pair of sandals. Secondly, it is the detachment from places as Jesus’ instructions enable them not to choose where to go and where not to do. The disciples are supposed to go to places they liked as well as they did not like; where they were accepted as well as where they were rejected. Finally, it is the detachment from persons, and Jesus says, as we find it in the Gospel text of today, whoever loves his father or mother or son or daughter (spouse or anybody else) more than Jesus himself does not fit to be his disciple.
This means that discipleship is a difficult one because one has to choose between family and mission, or between one’s liking and mission, or between one’s loyalty to self or anyone or anything and loyalty to Jesus.
In other words, while it is true that we need to be fed, we need to be clothed, and we need to rest and relax, what Jesus wants us is to acknowledge that it is not primary. Instead, what is primary for a disciple is fidelity and legion to the Lord and to live in the province of God.
It is in this renunciation that a disciple receives his/her authority. This authority that a disciple, that the one who is sent receives is the same authority of the sender himself, the authority of Jesus himself who send them. And that is why Jesus says that anyone who welcomes you welcomes me and anyone who rejects you rejects the one who sent me; that is why Jesus says, whatever you bind on earth is considered bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth is considered loosed in heaven.
As Christians, as followers of Christ, as disciples of Jesus, we must keep in mind that the only Christ that people can see and touch today is the Christ that we make known to the world through our own words and actions as disciples and followers of Christ.
In other words, by the way I live, by the way I work, by the way I work, walk, talk, and carry my being, people should be able to ask “Who are you that you say and do these things, and that you do them in this way?”
While this is not an easy task, being a part of Jesus’ mission as Christians and followers of Christ provides us with an enormous privilege and tremendous responsibility.
As Elisha whom we find in the first reading today, such responsibility and such privilege demands that we be generous and magnanimous in our response to Christ, in our total giving as well as giving up for Christ, by withholding nothing and expecting absolutely nothing in return.
What is your degree of discipleship today? What is that thing, place, or person that withholds you from responding totally to the mission of Christ?
What do you do about it today? How renounced can you be to receive the authority of Christ himself?
How carefully and responsibly do you practice your authority in life, work, your relationship with one another (your source, children, parents, in-laws, with neighbors), and with nature today, so that whatever you bind on earth is considered bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth is considered loosed in heaven?
Thursday 29 June 2023
Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul (29th June 2023)
In the Sp. Ex. #104 he writes: Grace to be obtained is to know Christ intimately, so that I may love him ardently, and follow him very closely.
So my actual response (bodily/physical) response to Christ is preceded by my emotional (heart) response which is originated by my personal knowledge (head) of the person of Christ…
Today, as we celebrate the feast of the Saints Peter and Paul, we have two stalwarts before us who have had a very personal knowledge of the person of Christ and as a result, had loved him so ardently and followed him very closely all throughout their lives in all they were and did……
Speaking of Peter, he knew the person of Christ all throughout his life as a disciple…. It is right enough, in the Gospel text of today, Jesus inquires his disciples about their knowledge of him by asking the question, “But, you, who do you say that I am?” In answering Jesus’ question, it was Peter who, in his great proclamation, reveals the identity of Christ, of course through the power of the Holy Spirit, as the Messiah…
It is this knowledge of Christ that made Peter love Jesus fanatically, almost forgetting himself and forgetting what he says and does. We see Peter making a statement not to leave Jesus at his trials, but ends up running away and denying him three times after his arrestation….We see Peter jumping out of the boat upon seeing the risen Lord walking on the water toward him, and then starts doubting and consequently starts drowning in the water… We see Peter fearless to enter the tomb of the risen Christ but was fearfully inside the Upper Room with other disciples until he sees the risen Christ…
It is this Peter that Jesus called, the rock, to whom he gave the keys of the Church, to whom he said, "Take care of my sheep…."
After the resurrection of Christ, we see Peter fearless, proclaiming Christ to the Jews...As a consequence, he receives a death more or less similar to that of Jesus…It is he who is known as the Apostle of the Jews….
Then we have Paul…. When he was still known as Soul, he encountered Christ after his resurrection…He was persecuting and killing those who were known as the People of the Way, the followers of Christ…
It is said that Paul persecuted and Killed Christians not because he didn’t believe in Christ… Rather, it was because he didn’t believe in the historical Christ who was born in a stable of a human woman, lived among us, and was crucified… In his understanding of Christ, he expected a Christ who would come in glory, in clouds, and in honor, and save mankind without being touched by any human limitation, pain, struggle, trial, and death, almost as a magical Messiah… That’s why he could not accept those who believed in the Christ crucified. So he was persecuting those whom he thought were false followers…
It is this Soul, upon knowing the person of Christ, the love and the light of the risen Lord, and after his conversion, started proclaiming the very historical Christ to the far ends of the world…And Consequently, received a death not less painful than that of Peter's... And it is he who is known as the Apostle of the Gentles…
You, see…when we look at these two characters and God’s plan or the economy of salvation in the history of mankind, one thing becomes very clear…. God chose, as St. Paul himself says, what the world considers foolish to shame the wise... God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong...And it is on them God founded the edifice of the church...
A church made up of weak human beings yet trying to be perfect; A church trying to be more inclusive of those who believe as well as those who do not by accepting the unity even in diversity and diversity in unity; A church challenged by the age and time, yet trying to be faithful to the person of Christ who not only lived and died with us, but also who was the first to be resurrected from the dead.
As we celebrate the feast of these great saints, let’s ask ourselves, how much do we know Christ?
After the examples of these two great stalwarts, St. Peter and Paul, who is Christ to me today, so that I may love him ardently and follow him very closely?
If St. Peter, as weak and faulty as he was, could have done so much, how much more should I be doing for Christ today?
If St. Paul, as irrational and cruel as he was, could have done so much, how much more should I be doing for Christ today?
Tuesday 27 June 2023
Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time (27th June 2023)
For the times we have taken the broadway instead of the narrow path that you want us to take,
Lord, Have mercy...
Having taken the narrow path, for the times we have grumbled on the way,
Christ, have mercy...
For the times we have failed to understand the difference between what it means to take the broadway and what it means to take the narrow path,
Lord, have mercy...
My dear sisters and brothers,
In his famous poem, “The Road Less Traveled” written in 1915, Robert Frost has this beautiful yet thought-provoking ending:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference
Before Robert Frost, it was Jesus who invited us to take the road less traveled by…
In the gospel text of today, Jesus invites us to enter through the narrow road by saying that those who choose to enter through this are fewer and few…
So, the narrow road is indeed the road less traveled….
This is as opposed to those who enter through the broad way.
As the song ‘Highway to Hell’ rightly puts it, it is the broad way
Where there are no stop signs,
where there are no speed limits
Where there is nobody to slow you down
Where there is no restriction as such…
And it s a one-way ride, asking for nothing, reasoning nothing, and caring for nothing…
It is the road to destruction and death…
On the other hand, the narrow road that Jesus invites us to take today is the road
Where there are stop signs.
Where there are speed limits and speed breakers…
Where you are watched and reminded about your speed limits…
Where there are U-turns when need be…
Where there are Yield signs to respect
Where there is the right of way to be respected for fellow passengers…
Wherein one considers and respects the other’s journey as important as one’s own…
As Jesus reminds us today, the narrow road is the road where we treat others as we want them to treat us…
It is the road wherein we do not profane what is considered holy…
It is the road wherein we appreciate, treasure, and grow in our pearls - our strengths, our gifts, and our God-given talents, as well as those of others…
It is a narrow road because it is the road of self-annihilation…
It is the road of self-sacrificing…
It is the road where others’ concerns, difficulties, and challenges become so real to us that we care for them and encourage them to walk with us together…
It is the road we accept and respects the differences in and around us…
How narrow is the road that you have chosen to travel at this moment in your life?
How determined are you today to continue traveling on the road less traveled?