2nd Sunday of Lent. Let She be heard!

 

Let "(S)He" be heard!

Abraham was about to kill his son Isaac on the altar!  There was a voice from heaven and he caught hold of a lamp and killed it in his place.  A long history of change in human culture is told in these couple of lines.  From the cult of human sacrifice humanity gradually cultured itself and replaced it with animal sacrifice, which is also cruel!  Read Hosea 6/6, I desire compassion and mercy (steadfast love) not burnt offerings.  They are abomination to me, they stink!  Jesus quoted these verses (Mt. 12/7) when he was confronted about Sabbath (Ritual and rubrics verses healing the sick.)

A lot of people in west are turning to be Vegans. (pure vegetarians, many don't even drink milk as it is a kind of exploitation of animals)  Surprisingly the highest percentage who turn to veganism are in Israel. 

Vallalaar a great sage of our age, sang, "vaadiya pairai kandapothellaam vaadinen"  (I withered when I see the plants withering).  Thiruvalluvar was a great exponent against killing any kind.  In fact we have no right to do this!

In a simple language it is; Be compassionate!

But the very moment you become conditional in your act of compassion, you will no more be compassionate!  The most corrupt politicians who have exploited the society are very nice to their kith and kin!  Therefore compassion must not be dictated, decided or demanded by the other but it must flow from yourself!

I will be very kind to my pet dog, but will sling stones at the street dogs is conditional.  I will be very kind to my caste people and treat all the others as my potential enemy is again conditional.  I love my linguistic group and ethnicity is fine but treat all others as second class or third class citizens; then it is not love.  If your love is conditional, limited, partial; remember, you have a long way to go!

God is compassionate!  he showers rain on the good and the bad!  Shines light on the upright and the evil ones too!  (Mt. 5/43-48)  He is gifted to shower and shine!   If you want to close your eyes and remain in darkness, it is your choice, the sun will continue to shine!

Don't worry about the response of the other!  "Will he respect my offer of peace?  Will he change?  Will she accept me?".  If you expect change in the other, you will never enjoy life.  Let me be Good, let me be compassionate, Let me be charitable, Let me love!  That is all you can do, you have to do!  Changing the other is not your task.

"You are my beloved son!" an inner and clear voice probably thrilled Jesus!

The creation, this universe, the earth; is filled with this voice, from the very beginning!, "You are my beloved."  Tune yourself to hear it! hear it, clearly!  Because the world is also filled with many other voices and noises!

"You are my beloved" is not another noise that you will hear with your two ears.  You can hear it even if you are physically dumb!  This is an inner voice which is so vivid, obvious and thrilling.  You can feel, you can sense, you can conclude; from so many incidents in your life, from so many interventions in your life; that you are a beloved one!

That voice belongs to the unconditional one, without any expectation, without any demand what so ever!  Jesus heard it! 

But, you are free to imagine and entertain your mind; that it came from beyond the clouds and it was in Hebrew or Greek or Malayalam or Aramaic or German and so on.  Biblical scholars can even arrive from a lengthy theological dissection and exhortation on the exact decibel of that voice!, I just don't care on that!  Similarly the voice from the sky to Abraham! 

To me, this voice is not a sound but an action!  Actions of love and compassion!

Recall your life; When you are in big difficulty, down on earth, at the nadir point, all of a sudden something happens or someone comes to your rescue  incidentally or coincidently; and very often you attributed that to God's intervention of care and love!

Similarly, when you help someone in life, he or she will thank you profoundly but throughout their life they will say, "God had sent him". "God helped me"!

So, Remember, You are carrying God!  You are His voice!  You are His expression!

Therefore, it is not only important that you hear the voice (Receiver), but you are His voice as well! (Broadcaster! Giver)

Let (S)He be heard!

First Sunday of Lent. Ego to Gracefulness

 

Ego to Gracefulness!

Some of my friends stop taking alcohol during lent.  They resume with vigour from Easter!!  And they feel good that they had abstained from alcohol for 40 days.   Some don't take meat!  Some abstain from sexual intimacy!  Some do regular prayers!  Some do fast!

If 40 days of abstinence or reflection on life helps for the rest of the year or life, it is much more appreciable!

The ultimate aim of these practices are not self purification.  Rather self purification is a path we take to be other oriented.

Abstinence from meat!, Has it made you more compassionate to the lives around?  Abstinence from sexual intimacy!, Has it made you more loving and caring your spouse or children?  Did you feed someone who is hungry and starving from your fasting?  Have you become more compassionate through your prayers?

For example, you saved money abstaining from alcohol and spend it again on yourself at a later stage or in a different way on yourself, I say, you better drink than do this drama!

Spend that money, on your needy children or wife or on persons in need!  That makes some sense! And if you feel good, please continue your cheerful lentern practice!  From "cheers" to cheerfulness!

But this is different!

Jesus went into wilderness for 40 days!  And he was tempted!  He won the temptation and returned to Galilee to spread the Good News! (Mk 1/12-15)  At the initial stages of his ministry Jesus probably went through many struggles, challenges, oppositions, feeling of fed up and many disappointments!   "Is it worth continuing?" might have been his strongest challenge.

When you get time you may read the novel, River of Blood in English or Kuruthipunal in Tamil by Mr. Indira  Paarthasarathy.  It depicts the life of persons who work for the liberation of people.  Among all the pains, the rejection by the very people they work for is the most hurting pain!

Those who seriously and sincerely work for the liberation of people must know this!

When you enter liberative work  with enthusiasm alone, soon you will realize you are caught many times on the wrong foot.  That is the time your expectations meet with the raw reality.  Because of this, many will run away!  A few, will step back to launch afresh!!  Jesus did exactly that!  "Action - Reflection - Action"

Penance is far different from this.  Every religion suggests to practice certain types of penance.  Most of them are for self purification.  Incurring bodily pain to purify the spirit. Body Vs the Spirit type of understanding!   Christian penance is not self care but communitarian care.  Most often we think, self purification will lead to social purification!  The more number of individuals who do purification efforts the more are saved!  Christian way of thinking is different, get involved in social transformation and you will realize your self is gradually getting purified!

For example, instead of you going hungry by fasting and feeling so proud and boosted about it, Go and  Feed the hungry.   From Ahangaram to Anugrham!  From self ego you travel to become a carrier of divine grace to others.

Therefore, Care both your body and spirit!  Don't pamper or starve them!!  Don't allow one to dominate the other!  Let both be comfortable with each other! 

Mend your ways!  Instead of sparing more time for your personal needs, including spiritual and religious activities; spend time with the lonely, the rejected, the people in the slums and villages, in the old age home, with the sick and the elderly and the orphans!  May be on the way to them or with them you could say a comforting prayer!  even if it is a short one!!

Try this out during the lent! and if you had enjoyed it, extend the lent!

Lent is a cheerful period! Don't miss it and don't mix it with sorrow! 

 

Ash Wednesday. Be warm! Not, lukewarm!!

 

Be warm!  Not, lukewarm!!

We more and more feel at ease with so many things because we have developed them into a habit!

I was celebrating a death anniversary mass in a village.  As we sat down to hear the first reading, the priest sitting next to me, very casually took out his mobile phone and started looking into probably, WhatsApp or something similar.

On a dining table, In group meetings, during conversations, while visiting the friends and families, while walking, while driving  I have seen people so casually take out their mobile phones to "get Lost".  Scratching the mobiles have become almost an inbuilt habit of so many people; not conscious, unperturbed and addicted!

"Come back to me with your whole heart", God invites! (Joel 2/12-18)

If you are visiting or receiving someone, give 100% attention to that person!

If you are involved in a service or commitment, do it whole heartedly!

When you are riding a bike or a vehicle, pay full attention to driving!

If you are in a mass or a meeting or a programme, be there in full presence!

When you eat, enjoy the food!  While eating food don't fly into the future and sink into the past!

When you love someone, love him or her totally!

When you pray, be with God! your inner self!

Many sages and masters of meditation say exactly this, Be in the present!  A lot of people keep looking for hours where they had kept their pen, purse or simple belongings.  When they place a thing, they are in a different world.  That was a simple example. Similarly in life, we deal with people, emotions and life itself!

Don't be lost in the past or future!  Either you become sad or tensed! But be in the present!  That itself will being much joy to you!

Lent to me is not going to be a sad period of time! when I become more self cantered by doing penance, fasting, more and more prayers and feeling very good about it!  It will be a period of self giving!  I will be cheerful and try to bring more happiness into the lives of people around me!

If forgiving someone brings joy, I will do!  If asking forgiveness brings joy, I will do! If feeding someone, If accepting someone's limitation, if giving someone my time, If listening to someone; brings joy, let me do!

Christianity is a communitarian spirituality not an individual spiritual well being or doing gimmicks to placate God.  He is far more matured than we imagine or try to create!

Have a cheerful lantern season!

 

 

6th Sunday of the year. Cause, Healing!!

 

Cause, Healing!!

Chapter 14 of Leviticus elaborately explains what are the rituals to be adhered, when someone gets healed of Leprosy.  Therefore, leprosy could be healed even at the time of Moses!  The 2nd book of Kings narrates that Mr. Naaman, an army commander was healed of leprosy by dipping himself in river Jordon at the command of prophet Elisha.  Therefore much later, that is at the time of Jesus, leprosy was healed was not totally unusual!

"Go to the priest and do the rituals or offerings as Moses commanded!" Jesus had instructed the man who was healed of leprosy!  Because that give the man a social acceptance from the past social seclusion.  But he instead went around telling people about Jesus and probably his healing powers. (Mk 1/40-45)

In the last 10 years or so, my community works with HIV infected persons.  We are not a medical team but social workers.  We have learned so many medical truths which we were not aware of when we began this ministry.  Thanks to Mr. Piet a great friend of our community who taught and challenged many of our (false) beliefs about HIV and opened our eyes.

A few years before we began this ministry, we met with the first death of a person with HIV who lived just opposite to our home.  But there was no on one around to take care of the funeral.  It was a big shock to us!   One of our sisters, Sr.Lilly boldly handled the situation. The social taboo against HIV infected people was unimaginable.  Their own families reject them and you can imagine about the rest of the villagers.  They don't give them job, they ill-treat not only them but their children as well.

Due to these ill-treatment, many don't reveal that they are infected and they won't go for any medical care or advice.  This "covering up" further worsens the situation!

We chose this ministry precisely to work intensively to create compassion and acceptance in the society.   Our centre became a kind of home for these people, where; when they comein; we talk, touch. listen and care!  Many used to cry when we first touched them or embraced them!

It is not only these HIV infected people, but the world needs compassion, touch, willingness to listen, and talk to!

Recently, Dr. Simon Hercules in Chennai died of Covid 19.  He was denied burial in the "Christian" cemetery!  The ambulance that carried his mortal remains was vandalized.  It was cruelty at its peak!  Trichy (The little Rome they call it) and many other places have cemeteries that don't allow other caste people to be buried even if you are solemnly baptized in the Catholic (means universal) church!

There is a wide range of untouchability!

Sin, Deviation, Application of rules, Judgement and Punishment!  There is a mini court functioning in us when we deal with people.  

Don't count the past mistakes to judge anyone!  Don't look at the externals to judge a person!  Don't turn your head against someone because you see his or her mistakes or problems or caste or religion or the colour of the skin!  Some people can slay a person with a contempt look or a sharp word!

Therefore, You can cause sickness!  Which means, You can also cause healing!

Jesus was causing healing!

 An act of Compassion, A gesture of Acceptance, A word of support, A look of mercy, A hand shake with  love, An embrace with forgiveness can heal so many hearts in this world!  

Be it HIV or leprosy or Covid or migraine or depression or rejection or suppression; remember, one genuine act of yours can be the turning point toward a total healing in someone's world!

Yes, You just do it! It heals!!

5th Sunday Try doing miracles

 

Try doing miracles! (Mk 1: 29-39)

Try to perform small miracles within your reach!  Soon you will realise you are getting used to extraordinary acts, in the eyes of others!

The power of Jesus to perform miracles to heal the sick or chase out demons, believe me; are not extraordinary powers given to him and him alone!

It is given to everyone!  But he has blossomed in it!  You and me may remain at the stage of a bud for a long time!  Try to open up! not artificially or forcefully. But let it be gradual and natural!!

Open the windows of your "room"! Allow fresh air and light in!  You may realize how congested it is!  It is like a museum, hoarding up things and you keep dumping more and more into it!  Things, emotions, money, grudges, archaic reports of hurts, prejudices  and what not!  You have turned a spacious and beautiful room into a dark room to collect old and useless things!  Throw them away!  Give it away!  When you try to do this, your mind will fool you with thoughts of attachment, reasons to cling on to!  Then, allow the heart to handle the conflict!; not your mind.

Miracles are not magic!  Magic involves tricks and training!  Miracles involve cultivation of heart and articulation through action!

There is a natural tendency to be selfish or being self cantered!  Therefore, begin to give!  Your belongings, your time, your education, your talent, your forgiveness, your need to say sorry or whatever you think that you have to!

Give to those in need!  Not just to your friends and relatives and the "useful" people!   The poor,  the sick, the lonely, the imprisoned, the farmers, those struggling for peace and justice, victims of your acts!  But, know that they may not come back to you!  Good acts don't revolve around the giver but they flow! they don't return the way it went!  That is what Jesus too learned, when he casually asked, "where are the other nine?"

Realize what you give was given to you!  Remove the blocks and increase the flow!  Don't get stagnant!  Stagnation stinks!  Spend some time for reflection, meditation, silence or you may also call it prayer; to reduce the chances of plunging back into self centeredness, which will throw you back into square one!

Jesus was a miracle!  You too are a miracle!  Do dusting and a bit of cleaning to make miracles seen!  Otherwise, we only see the enveloping dust and dirt; self boasting!

From cocoon to butterfly is a miracle!  From an egg to a chick is a miracle!  From a narrow identity to a larger identity is a miracle!   Giving up an addiction is a miracle!  Sharing a bit from what you had been hoarding is a miracle!  From a busy routine world to spending a time with the needy, sick and suffering is a miracle!  So, begin doing a bit of miracles, start with small ones!

What you consider, the huge miracles of Jesus are the extension of smaller miracles that you and I are capable of performing!

The lame walk is a miracle!  Someone works hard and invents a polypropylene light weight caliper (Reduced from 4 kg to 300 grams) for the lame is a miracle!  You bought a wheel chair for the lame is also a miracle!

Start getting acclimatized to performing miracles!   The world will be healed and freed; from "sickness" and "satan"!