If you had to choose one verse from the New Testament that summed up its entire message, you might plump for John 3:16: ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ But no less fundamental is a sentence from today’s second reading: ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself’ (2 Cor 5:19).
Paul’s sentence has a powerful immediacy. Remember that Paul lived from an event that had radically changed and regrounded his existence, namely, his encounter with Christ, on the road to Damascus. Psychoanalysts may call it a hallucination, the explosion into visible and audible form of something he had deeply repressed. In any case the voice beating on his inner or outer ear asked a shattering question: ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ (Acts 9:4; 22:7; 26:4). There are interesting differences of detail between the three narrations of this event in Acts, but the same shattering question resonates in all three of them. He had pushed Christ away, in a massive rejection, seeing him only as a source of trouble and danger. But now Christ takes the upper hand, and to such a degree that he says: ‘It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me’ (Gal 2:20).
But who or what is this Christ? What account does Paul give of him? The man from Nazareth, who died a few years earlier, and who was rumoured to have risen from the dead? Yes, but the Christ of Paul is a more immediate and powerful presence, a light that illumines the whole mind, a fire that inflames the whole heart. And it is an infinitely gracious presence, taking away the burden of sin and replacing it with his own impeccable righteousness, as the dawning sun chases the shades of night. The words of the prophet Malachi describe this wondrous encounter: ‘Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings’ (Mal 4:2). Standing in that light and bathed in that warmth, Saul, now Paul, is at peace, and is truly himself, for the first time. His tears of joy flow freely, as he is led along by Ananias, unable to see with his eyes, but seeing vast landscapes of grace and salvation expand in his mind and conscience.
What is the meaning of all this? As more and more new insights dawn on his mind, he finds that he cannot avoid using two great and mysterious words: ‘God’ and ‘world.’ This great and glorious Christ must come from above, from heaven, from God, or must be an agent and instrument of God. For what purpose? For forgiveness and healing, for pouring out this grace that fills and thrills the heart, for elevation and sanctification of every corner of one’s existence. Yes, God is in Christ, God is at work in Christ, for creative and redemptive purposes, for a New Creation; ‘If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation’ (2 Cor 5:17). How describe this gracious divine action? Paul finds the word ‘reconciliation.’ The great mysterious God, Creator, has extended his friendship to miserable Saul, in Christ:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me. (Charles Wesley)
But Paul realizes that his own individual soul is far too little to hold these immense blessings. The superabundant gift it intended not only for him but for others. It is nothing less than that ‘salvation,’ so often promised to Israel, which reaches ‘to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). And Paul becomes an Apostle, to carry the message to all the peoples he can reach, the message that they are reconciled with God, re-created, empowered to live heavenly lives.
Heaven knows how much we need reconciliation, among ourselves as much as with our Creator. ‘He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire’ (Ps 46:9). A false promise, say some; all we should expect from Christ is an inner peace. But when God sets about reconciling the world with himself, there is no limit to what miracles of reconciliation can come about.
‘Let Christ dwell in your hearts through faith’ (Eph 3:17) and you will be empowered to let refugees dwell in your homes through love. ‘Be reconciled to God’ (2 Cor 5:20; cf. Rom 5:10), and your enemies will be reconciled to you. The whole world will appear in a new light, sustained by a loving father, so that ‘from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view’ (2 Cor 2:20). Everyone is in Christ, everyone is another Christ, albeit often crucified by the sins of others or their own. Whisper the good news in their ears: ‘Why this senseless violence against yourself and others? Be reconciled to God and he will gently take away the bitter sting that lodges in your heart. The world was not meant to be a rathole where people tear each other apart in cruel deeds, mocking words, mean thoughts. Nor was it meant to be an arena where each is in rivalry with all, seeking to impose themselves and the devil take the hindmost. God’s reconciliation is as near and as natural as the warmth of the sun and the freshness of the air, reclaiming for itself our polluted world. Time to take our bearings, and to steer our ship homeward. A loving father awaits us, with Christ as his most patient ambassador.’
Correction, please. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a misnomer. It should read The Parable of the Prodigal Father! Prodigal in giving, forgiving… prodigal in welcoming, celebrating… prodigal in loving the son who was dead…
Key message:
After the wilderness, comes the Promised land.
The takeaway from the first reading:
In last week’s first reading, we read about the wilderness training that God gives when we go towards the promised land. The promised land for each of us will be different, according to the plan of God. It may be like getting married, getting a good job, becoming parents, getting cured, having peace in the family, or so on.
In today’s first reading, our Almighty Father explicitly mentions that He will roll away the shame or disgrace of our suffering.
When does our Father mention that He will roll away the disgrace or shame of the Israelites?
After He completed their training in the wilderness and all the Israelites were circumcised.
In our life today, whether we are aware or not, we are guided and trained by the Holy Spirit always.
Again it is said that ‘when all the Israelite men were circumcised’.
What does ‘circumcision’ mean for us?
It is the Blood of our loving Lord Jesus Christ washing away all our sins.
After our Lord Jesus Christ shed the last drop of blood on the cross as our penance, He pleaded for us, “Father forgive them”.
It is this Blood of our Jesus Christ on the cross that can give us full redemption from our sins.
How to plead for forgiveness of our sins?
Psalm 51:17 says “a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise”.
With a broken and contrite heart, the good thief on the cross cried out to our Lord Jesus for forgiveness. Our Lord Jesus immediately forgave all his sins. The good thief did not even have to repeat his request for forgiveness of his sins.
Our Lord Jesus is longing for our humble and contrite heart!!
The takeaway from the second reading:
Our Lord Jesus paid for the sins of all of us by dying on the cross. The first person who got the ticket to Heaven by the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was the good thief. Our Lord Jesus Christ has scheduled this event on purpose so that we can also believe in Him, ask forgiveness and get reconciled to Him, just like the good thief.
Now the entire world should be reconciled just like the good thief. For this purpose, our God is pleading us to be His ambassadors to the children of the world. When we show true love to the people around us, they will recognize the Jesus living in our hearts. Let us love others without any expectation.
God has made everything new in Christ Jesus. We know we are all made new. But are we still the same? Except for the hope that once we repent and die we will reach God our Father in Heaven?
Are we not seeing any other change in our regular life?
All we need to do for a changed life is clearly written in the “Holy Bible”.
The next step is to read and understand what we need to do.
Now even when understanding what we need to do, sometimes we are not able to do it. The Apostle Paul also had the same issue just like us, as said in Romans 7:21 – 25:
“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
Then the same Apostle Paul also says in 2 Timothy 4:7-8:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.”
We see the transition of the Apostle Paul from saying “What a wretched man I am” to “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness”.
How can we also move from the state of wretchedness to the state of righteousness?
We need to have a consistent passion for becoming new creatures. Suppose if we have greed within us, then first we should go through the Bible and find out the blessings that will be bestowed when we give to others freely.
Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” When we see the sweet smile on the person who receives our gift, we will automatically start giving more.
Let us keep our thoughts fixed on the treasures in Heaven!!
The takeaway from the Gospel reading:
Our Lord Jesus gives us lots of lessons in the story of the Prodigal Son. It is not only the story about the repentant son and the forgiving father, but it also about the son who does not need repentance. Like the first son, we may be self-righteous, but when sinners are forgiven and blessed, we complain. We are jealous of them when God rewards them.
Let us think about this -> Before the younger son, asked for his father’s property, when he was still living a wayward life, the elder son would have prayed for his younger brother to become good and live a fruitful life. His prayers were answered and the younger son has come with a repentant heart. But when the father asked the elder son to enjoy the celebration for his younger son, this upsets him. He starts comparing and becomes jealous and looks at it as an unjust thing.
Many times we are not able to understand the blessings of others and start a hatred feeling towards them. We should also think that they are also children of our Father and we should want them to be blessed.
Then like how our heavenly Father throws a celebration for a repentant child, He will also throw a celebration for us, for coming out of the feeling of hatred.
Tips to do the takeaways:
1. God removes our shame when we go from the wilderness to the Promised Land:
When we are in the wilderness, our family, friends or relatives would have looked down on us. They may feel that we are not in the good books of God, we are sinners who cannot be forgiven, we do not have a future and so on.
In front of the eyes of the same people, God will elevate us. The same people who looked down upon us will look up to us when we reach the Promised Land.
2. Blessings in the Wilderness and Blessings in the Promised Land:
In the first reading when the children of Israel ate the produce of the Promised Land, the outpouring of Manna ceased. There will be a separate blessing to take care of us when we are in the wilderness. We may not have blessings of different varieties of fruits and food as in the promised land but surely our Lord will pour out a substantial amount of “Manna” to sustain us in the wilderness.
Why were the Israelites who originally left Egypt not able to enter the Promised Land?
Because they were not able to relish the blessings in the wilderness – Manna, water from the rock, quail – non-vegetarian food, clothes that did not tear, chappals that never got worn out, God as a big beam of light during the night and as a cloud during the day, a prophet (Moses) who can chat with God as a friend directly.
Instead of thanking for all these unimaginable blessings, and hoping to enjoy their future in the Promised Land, they wanted the slavery life in Egypt and complained about the blessings in the wilderness.
Let us enjoy our Blessings in the Wilderness. They will stop once we reach our Promised Land, since they will not be required for our sustenance there .
3. Sometimes to bring us to the narrow path, God will have us go through the pigsty. So it is always better to repent as early as possible.
4. When the elder son refused to come to the celebration, the father still continued with the celebration. He never stopped it. So when God is calling us to celebrate, let us celebrate. Let us not find fault with our God’s doing, like why others are so much blessed, when they are not as good as me, and miss the celebration. God always likes us to celebrate!!
Why did God allow His only Son to suffer on the cross? Because He wants us to be reconciled to Him and lead a glorious enjoyable life with Him. Let us grab this opportunity and lead a happy glorious life with the Holy Spirit!!
Readings: 27 March – 4th Sunday of Lent
If you had to choose one verse from the New Testament that summed up its entire message, you might plump for John 3:16: ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ But no less fundamental is a sentence from today’s second reading: ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself’ (2 Cor 5:19).
Paul’s sentence has a powerful immediacy. Remember that Paul lived from an event that had radically changed and regrounded his existence, namely, his encounter with Christ, on the road to Damascus. Psychoanalysts may call it a hallucination, the explosion into visible and audible form of something he had deeply repressed. In any case the voice beating on his inner or outer ear asked a shattering question: ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ (Acts 9:4; 22:7; 26:4). There are interesting differences of detail between the three narrations of this event in Acts, but the same shattering question resonates in all three of them. He had pushed Christ away, in a massive rejection, seeing him only as a source of trouble and danger. But now Christ takes the upper hand, and to such a degree that he says: ‘It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me’ (Gal 2:20).
But who or what is this Christ? What account does Paul give of him? The man from Nazareth, who died a few years earlier, and who was rumoured to have risen from the dead? Yes, but the Christ of Paul is a more immediate and powerful presence, a light that illumines the whole mind, a fire that inflames the whole heart. And it is an infinitely gracious presence, taking away the burden of sin and replacing it with his own impeccable righteousness, as the dawning sun chases the shades of night. The words of the prophet Malachi describe this wondrous encounter: ‘Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings’ (Mal 4:2). Standing in that light and bathed in that warmth, Saul, now Paul, is at peace, and is truly himself, for the first time. His tears of joy flow freely, as he is led along by Ananias, unable to see with his eyes, but seeing vast landscapes of grace and salvation expand in his mind and conscience.
What is the meaning of all this? As more and more new insights dawn on his mind, he finds that he cannot avoid using two great and mysterious words: ‘God’ and ‘world.’ This great and glorious Christ must come from above, from heaven, from God, or must be an agent and instrument of God. For what purpose? For forgiveness and healing, for pouring out this grace that fills and thrills the heart, for elevation and sanctification of every corner of one’s existence. Yes, God is in Christ, God is at work in Christ, for creative and redemptive purposes, for a New Creation; ‘If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation’ (2 Cor 5:17). How describe this gracious divine action? Paul finds the word ‘reconciliation.’ The great mysterious God, Creator, has extended his friendship to miserable Saul, in Christ:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me. (Charles Wesley)
But Paul realizes that his own individual soul is far too little to hold these immense blessings. The superabundant gift it intended not only for him but for others. It is nothing less than that ‘salvation,’ so often promised to Israel, which reaches ‘to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). And Paul becomes an Apostle, to carry the message to all the peoples he can reach, the message that they are reconciled with God, re-created, empowered to live heavenly lives.
Heaven knows how much we need reconciliation, among ourselves as much as with our Creator. ‘He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire’ (Ps 46:9). A false promise, say some; all we should expect from Christ is an inner peace. But when God sets about reconciling the world with himself, there is no limit to what miracles of reconciliation can come about.
‘Let Christ dwell in your hearts through faith’ (Eph 3:17) and you will be empowered to let refugees dwell in your homes through love. ‘Be reconciled to God’ (2 Cor 5:20; cf. Rom 5:10), and your enemies will be reconciled to you. The whole world will appear in a new light, sustained by a loving father, so that ‘from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view’ (2 Cor 2:20). Everyone is in Christ, everyone is another Christ, albeit often crucified by the sins of others or their own. Whisper the good news in their ears: ‘Why this senseless violence against yourself and others? Be reconciled to God and he will gently take away the bitter sting that lodges in your heart. The world was not meant to be a rathole where people tear each other apart in cruel deeds, mocking words, mean thoughts. Nor was it meant to be an arena where each is in rivalry with all, seeking to impose themselves and the devil take the hindmost. God’s reconciliation is as near and as natural as the warmth of the sun and the freshness of the air, reclaiming for itself our polluted world. Time to take our bearings, and to steer our ship homeward. A loving father awaits us, with Christ as his most patient ambassador.’
Readings: 27 March – 4th Sunday of the Year…
Correction, please. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a misnomer. It should read The Parable of the Prodigal Father! Prodigal in giving, forgiving… prodigal in welcoming, celebrating… prodigal in loving the son who was dead…
Readings: 27 March – 4th Sunday of the Year…
Key message:
After the wilderness, comes the Promised land.
The takeaway from the first reading:
In last week’s first reading, we read about the wilderness training that God gives when we go towards the promised land. The promised land for each of us will be different, according to the plan of God. It may be like getting married, getting a good job, becoming parents, getting cured, having peace in the family, or so on.
In today’s first reading, our Almighty Father explicitly mentions that He will roll away the shame or disgrace of our suffering.
When does our Father mention that He will roll away the disgrace or shame of the Israelites?
After He completed their training in the wilderness and all the Israelites were circumcised.
In our life today, whether we are aware or not, we are guided and trained by the Holy Spirit always.
Again it is said that ‘when all the Israelite men were circumcised’.
What does ‘circumcision’ mean for us?
It is the Blood of our loving Lord Jesus Christ washing away all our sins.
After our Lord Jesus Christ shed the last drop of blood on the cross as our penance, He pleaded for us, “Father forgive them”.
It is this Blood of our Jesus Christ on the cross that can give us full redemption from our sins.
How to plead for forgiveness of our sins?
Psalm 51:17 says “a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise”.
With a broken and contrite heart, the good thief on the cross cried out to our Lord Jesus for forgiveness. Our Lord Jesus immediately forgave all his sins. The good thief did not even have to repeat his request for forgiveness of his sins.
Our Lord Jesus is longing for our humble and contrite heart!!
The takeaway from the second reading:
Our Lord Jesus paid for the sins of all of us by dying on the cross. The first person who got the ticket to Heaven by the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was the good thief. Our Lord Jesus Christ has scheduled this event on purpose so that we can also believe in Him, ask forgiveness and get reconciled to Him, just like the good thief.
Now the entire world should be reconciled just like the good thief. For this purpose, our God is pleading us to be His ambassadors to the children of the world. When we show true love to the people around us, they will recognize the Jesus living in our hearts. Let us love others without any expectation.
God has made everything new in Christ Jesus. We know we are all made new. But are we still the same? Except for the hope that once we repent and die we will reach God our Father in Heaven?
Are we not seeing any other change in our regular life?
All we need to do for a changed life is clearly written in the “Holy Bible”.
The next step is to read and understand what we need to do.
Now even when understanding what we need to do, sometimes we are not able to do it. The Apostle Paul also had the same issue just like us, as said in Romans 7:21 – 25:
“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
Then the same Apostle Paul also says in 2 Timothy 4:7-8:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.”
We see the transition of the Apostle Paul from saying “What a wretched man I am” to “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness”.
How can we also move from the state of wretchedness to the state of righteousness?
We need to have a consistent passion for becoming new creatures. Suppose if we have greed within us, then first we should go through the Bible and find out the blessings that will be bestowed when we give to others freely.
Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” When we see the sweet smile on the person who receives our gift, we will automatically start giving more.
Let us keep our thoughts fixed on the treasures in Heaven!!
The takeaway from the Gospel reading:
Our Lord Jesus gives us lots of lessons in the story of the Prodigal Son. It is not only the story about the repentant son and the forgiving father, but it also about the son who does not need repentance. Like the first son, we may be self-righteous, but when sinners are forgiven and blessed, we complain. We are jealous of them when God rewards them.
Let us think about this -> Before the younger son, asked for his father’s property, when he was still living a wayward life, the elder son would have prayed for his younger brother to become good and live a fruitful life. His prayers were answered and the younger son has come with a repentant heart. But when the father asked the elder son to enjoy the celebration for his younger son, this upsets him. He starts comparing and becomes jealous and looks at it as an unjust thing.
Many times we are not able to understand the blessings of others and start a hatred feeling towards them. We should also think that they are also children of our Father and we should want them to be blessed.
Then like how our heavenly Father throws a celebration for a repentant child, He will also throw a celebration for us, for coming out of the feeling of hatred.
Tips to do the takeaways:
1. God removes our shame when we go from the wilderness to the Promised Land:
When we are in the wilderness, our family, friends or relatives would have looked down on us. They may feel that we are not in the good books of God, we are sinners who cannot be forgiven, we do not have a future and so on.
In front of the eyes of the same people, God will elevate us. The same people who looked down upon us will look up to us when we reach the Promised Land.
2. Blessings in the Wilderness and Blessings in the Promised Land:
In the first reading when the children of Israel ate the produce of the Promised Land, the outpouring of Manna ceased. There will be a separate blessing to take care of us when we are in the wilderness. We may not have blessings of different varieties of fruits and food as in the promised land but surely our Lord will pour out a substantial amount of “Manna” to sustain us in the wilderness.
Why were the Israelites who originally left Egypt not able to enter the Promised Land?
Because they were not able to relish the blessings in the wilderness – Manna, water from the rock, quail – non-vegetarian food, clothes that did not tear, chappals that never got worn out, God as a big beam of light during the night and as a cloud during the day, a prophet (Moses) who can chat with God as a friend directly.
Instead of thanking for all these unimaginable blessings, and hoping to enjoy their future in the Promised Land, they wanted the slavery life in Egypt and complained about the blessings in the wilderness.
Let us enjoy our Blessings in the Wilderness. They will stop once we reach our Promised Land, since they will not be required for our sustenance there .
3. Sometimes to bring us to the narrow path, God will have us go through the pigsty. So it is always better to repent as early as possible.
4. When the elder son refused to come to the celebration, the father still continued with the celebration. He never stopped it. So when God is calling us to celebrate, let us celebrate. Let us not find fault with our God’s doing, like why others are so much blessed, when they are not as good as me, and miss the celebration. God always likes us to celebrate!!
Why did God allow His only Son to suffer on the cross? Because He wants us to be reconciled to Him and lead a glorious enjoyable life with Him. Let us grab this opportunity and lead a happy glorious life with the Holy Spirit!!