SEASON OF LENT (C) Ash Wednesday

 LENTEN SEASON (C)

Ash Wednesday [Mt 6:1-6.16-18]

02.03.2022

Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting with a Difference

Readings: (1) Joel 2:12-18 (2) 2 Cor 5:20-6:2

1.  Theme in brief

Right motive and attitudes for Lenten observances

2.  Focus Statement

Our Lenten observances should be done for right motives that give glory to God, and not for self-glory or for attracting people’s attention and getting a merit certificate from God.

3.  Explanation of the text

In today’s gospel Jesus speaks about three religious practices found in all religions, namely, almsgiving, prayer and fasting.  He approves these practices, but with a difference. He criticizes the manner in which they are practiced by pious Jews (mainly the Pharisees) of his time and points out their wrong motives. He attaches three prescriptions to be followed by his disciples while practicing these deeds of piety: (1) the type of behaviour they should avoid; (2) the proper motive or attitude they should observe; and (3) the type of reward they should look for.

In today’s gospel, he emphasizes three times the need to avoid hypocrisy and showiness while practicing each of these pious deeds (6:2,5,16). [A hypocrite is an actor in life’s drama, who pretends to be what he/she is not in real life.] Instead of practicing these deeds like actors in a pious drama, these deeds should be done to give glory to God and not to be seen and praised by others (6:1-2); that is, not for self-glory or to earn public reputation. They are only means to achieve an end – an expression of our inner attitudes and motives. They are not to be practiced to attract people’s attention (6:1,3,6,17) or to get a merit certificate from God. Jesus’ instruction to shut the door of one’s room and pray privately or secretly (6:6) does not mean we should not pray in common or publicly. What it means is that prayer should not be done with other ulterior motives than for glorifying God and entering into a deeper communion with him. Here Jesus points out how self-centeredness can be the motive for even the best of religious practices. If they are done for personal glory rather than for God’s, they lose their real meaning or purpose.

While speaking about the reward for such practices, Jesus contrasts between the shortsighted earthly reward and the everlasting heavenly reward. The former is earned through recognition, admiration and reputation among the public and the latter is an eternal reward of heavenly bliss given by the Father. In human society, the one who gives alms earns the reputation of being generous, the one who prays regularly in public places of being a devout person and the one who fasts rigorously of being an ascetic. In contrast, the Father who sees everything in secret, looks into people’s hearts, and rewards them by judging the inner motives behind these deeds (6:4,618). Since those who make a public display of these deeds already receive their reward here on earth in terms of a high reputation, honour and name, there is no further scope for any other reward in the age to come.

4.  Application to life  

Today we enter into a 40-day period of inner purification called the holy Season of Lent. For many Catholics, Lent means just giving up meat on Fridays and attending the Way of the Cross on that day. They also very well understand that Lent is a period of penance for their sins by focusing on Christ’s passion. Though this is true and noble, the primary purposes of Lent are less emphasized and less understood by many Catholics: (1) It is a time of preparation for Easter or the Lord’s Passover. Just as the Lord Jesus passed (crossed) over from death to eternal life at his resurrection, this is a period set apart for us to pass over from all sinful, selfish, ungodly and worldly ways to new (holy) life on Easter day by following the path of charity, ardent prayer and penance, as outlined by Jesus in today’s gospel. (2) It is a time for renewal of our baptismal grace and commitment. At baptism (which was our first Easter) we crossed over from sin to a new or holy life, or in St. Paul’s metaphor ‘died’ with Christ and ‘rose’ with him. But we have soiled our baptismal purity by our sins and by not “believing in the gospel,” as per the words used by the priest while imposing ash on the head (Mk 1:15). Not “believing in the gospel” means not living or following the way of life laid down for us in the gospel of Christ. So Lent is a period set apart for us to turn away from sins and come back to the Lord and to his gospel. In St. Paul’s metaphor it is a time to ‘die’ to our sinful/ selfish ways and ‘rise’ to a new/ holy life as we complete fourty days of penance on Easter day.

How? In today’s gospel text Jesus lays down three Lenten observances as aids to renew our baptismal commitment, namely, almsgiving, prayer and fasting. He gives a new meaning to these traditional practices, which is different from what many pious people of his time as well as in our own times understand. These practices are to be external expressions of genuine repentance and conversion. They are means to reach the goal of renewing our baptismal call. This renewal needs to be done by coming close to God and a determination to give up evil practices and sins. We have to examine our inner motives and dispositions and ask ourselves if these observances will lead us to a renewal of our baptismal call – the aim of Lent – and make us committed disciples.

The first Lenten observance of almsgiving must be broadly understood to include all charitable deeds and sharing of our goods with the needy as well as solidarity with those whom we have excluded from our schemes. It is an expression of our gratitude to what God has given us out of his bounty and our responsibility to share something of that with the have-nots. The second one, namely prayer should proceed from our genuine love of God, and lead to a deeper communion with him flowing into more committed service to our neighbours. The third one, namely fasting includes all acts of penance and abstinence. Lenten abstinence from meat, alcohol, smoking, etc., is to be practiced for spiritual benefits and not purely for health reasons like lowering one’s cholesterol or preventing cancer. Nor penance should be done for its own sake, or just for experiencing a good deal of pain by giving up something dear to us without using it as a means to change of hearts. Fasting and acts of penance need to be signs of our genuine repentance - a turning away from evil and turning back to God. When done with pure motive, they can lead us to an inner disposition for repentance and sorrows for our sins. They are aids for “dying to sin and rising with new life” when we shall celebrate EASTER.

Let us enumerate some of the spiritual motives for fasting and abstinence:

(1) It is a means to humble ourselves before God and is an expression of mourning for our sins and wrongdoing. It is meant to make us realize the harm inflicted on ourselves and others by our own sins and to seek the path of conversion. (2) It is an aid to prayer. It is up to us to use it for reflecting on our hunger for God as we feel physical hunger. (3) It reminds us to feel the pain and agony of so many people in the world who go hungry due to their poverty, and the suffering of those who are seriously ill or are victims of natural calamities, or experience injustice, etc. (4) It reminds us of the need to do our bit for the alleviation of suffering and misery in the world, by spending a bit of our money/ time/ energy/ expertise for this cause. (5) It is a form of self-discipline and self-control we want to practice by giving up a pleasurable thing. When we freely choose to impose discipline on ourselves for a greater cause or a higher good without any external force, we shall look as if we are going for a feast when we actually are fasting. This could be one of the applications of Jesus’ saying: “When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face” (6:17). (6) It teaches us to manage without things we are so used to, such as food, drink and modern comforts. Before motor vehicles, electricity and mobile phones came into existence people knew how to manage their affairs. Now, can we manage without electricity or mobile phone for an hour without making a fuss or becoming restless? One of the penances in Lent could be to switch off or not to take the mobile phone to the church/ chapel, or during the common meal (at least at supper).

Apart from abstinence from meat/ smoking/ drinking we can do more creative types of fasting and penance during this Lent: (1) walking to the railway station or bus stand if it is within a km instead of going by our vehicle or hiring a vehicle for the noble cause of protecting our environment from further degradation; (2) saving energy and water by limiting their usage or resisting their unnecessary wastage; (3) resisting the desire to get glued to the mobile phone all the time and using it for fun-calls and needless talk like, “What did you cook for dinner”; (5) donating money for charitable/ worthy causes secretly without any desire for display of one’s name on the notice board/ on marble stone or mention of it in church announcements. We need to reflect and see whether we would have donated any money for that good cause if our names were not mentioned or displayed anywhere. Since Jesus asks us to purify our motives and check whether they are genuine, why not give it a try and move from common practice of the world.

The best penance we can do in Lent is to practice in a visible manner the traditional works of mercy. They are divided into two categories: (1) The Corporal Works of Mercy : to feed the hungry; to give drink to the thirsty; to clothe the naked; to shelter the homeless; to visit the sick; to visit the prisoners; to bury the dead. This traditional list of corporal works of mercy is not exhaustive and not to be taken only in its literal sense. We can practice these works of mercy in other ways – by not wasting food; sending a portion of our food (not leftover food) to an orphanage; making drinking water available to passers-by or distributing it during a public function; sharing our space with others ( e.g. with workers for taking a break in between their work, or for students for their studies/ coaching class); donating blood to the sick; visiting a home for the aged with small gifts; visiting the sick in homes or in hospitals; giving material help to the family of prisoners (especially when breadwinners are imprisoned); visiting the bereaved families and local cemetery to pray for the repose of those who are buried there.

 (2) The Spiritual Works of Mercy : to instruct the ignorant; to counsel the doubtful; to admonish sinners; to bear wrongs patiently; to forgive offences willingly; to comfort the afflicted; to pray for the living and the dead. We can practice these works of mercy in other ways – by sharing our faith-convictions with those who have doubts of faith; accompanying a relative or neighbour who is undergoing mental or physical pain to a retreat/ healing/ prayer/ counseling centre; refraining  from gossiping about others in their absence; explaining the truth of our faith to somebody as we understand it; inviting neighbours to attend a group Mass; volunteering to teach catechism in the parish; admonishing somebody who has gone astray from Christian path and showing the way to turn back to God; forgiving or asking pardon from somebody with whom we have stopped talking for a long time or doing a charitable deed for that person or his family; praying to be patient with those who are unbearable; praying for the persons against whom we have grudges; etc.

In this Lent we could try to choose and practice any one of the corporal works of mercy and/or spiritual works of mercy.

 

5.  Response to God's Word

Do we do Lenten observances with above-mentioned motives? Or do we do them only to follow a custom or gain merit here and hereafter? Do we use them as means to improve our Christian commitment? Are we self-centred even in our religious practices? Are we going to follow the path of giving and sharing, praying more, sacrificing and renouncing with the motive of self-renewal and better Christian commitment throughout this Lenten Season? Which of the above-mentioned creative ways of fasting we would like to observe?

6.  A prayer

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness; in your compassion blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. A pure heart create for me, O God; put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence; nor deprive me of your Holy Spirit. Do not despise my broken and contrite heart and restore to me the joy of your salvation. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)

 Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) [Lk 6:39-45]

About Blind Leaders, and Recognition of a Tree

27.02.2022

Readings: (1) Sir 27:4-7 (2) 1 Cor 15:54-58

 1.    Theme in brief

Qualifications of a true disciple

2.    Focus Statement

To be the true followers of Christ, we should possess a personal integrity, be positive in our judgments of others and have purity of intentions.

3.    Explanation of the text

Today’s Gospel contains three separate sayings of Jesus about what it means to be his true follower. It requires a personal integrity, positive judgments of others and inner motives of our actions. Jesus says that when his disciples assume leadership roles they cannot lead and guide others unless they themselves are highly motivated by his teachings and principles. Otherwise it will be like one blind person guiding another blind person (6:39-40). If a disciple is misleading anybody, it is a sign that he/she does not have the qualification of the Teacher, or is not qualified to guide others (6:40).

Next, Jesus points out at a human tendency inherent in all people to exaggerate the evil in others and overlook the evil in themselves. He compares this tendency to notice a “speck” or dust in one’s neighbour’s eyes while there is a “log” in one’s own eye (6:41-42). Before asking one’s neighbour to remove the speck from his eyes, his disciples should first remove the bigger log from their own eyes. Then only they would be able to see clearly the smallest speck in others’ eyes. That is to say, before reforming others, his disciples are called to reform themselves first. Jesus calls those who try to reform others while they themselves lack personal integrity “hypocrites” (6:42), because they are blinded by their own sins and are interested only in exposing another’s weakness.

Thirdly, by citing the example of a good tree that bears good fruits and a bad tree bearing only bad fruits, Jesus gives the message that his disciples’ behaviour and deeds should be a reflection of their faith and convictions (6:43-45). Their action should reveal the goodness or malice in their hearts; that is, their actions should reveal their personal integrity of character.

4.    Application to life

Today, Jesus challenges all those who are called for exercising Christian leadership roles among us (parents, teachers, leaders, guides, counsellors, administrators, religious and spiritual heads etc.) to examine whether we ourselves are motivated and influenced by his principles before guiding and teaching others. If we ourselves have not experienced his way of life and not convinced of it, showing his way to others will be like one blind person showing the way to another. Both will “fall into a pit” (6:39) – the one who shows the way, into the pit of losing personal integrity and the one who follows into the pit of losing character (due to the misleading of his guide).

One of the reasons why nowadays children, students, parishioners, members of religious communities and villagers do not obey or respect the authority of parents, teachers, pastors, religious heads (leaders) and village leaders, respectively, is the discrepancy noticed between their preaching (teaching) and actions. Children, students and all those who are under their care can notice this easily. Thus, these leaders become blind guides. To avoid falling into the pit, they need to cultivate the habit of self-criticism or introspection. Whenever parents, teachers and preachers try to correct children, students and members of their congregation, they are challenged to live at least something of the values they teach and preach. Otherwise, many may laugh at them in their minds and dismiss their ‘pious’ talk or advise.

Jesus uses rather a strong word “hypocrite” (6:42) for those who are interested only in finding faults in others or correcting them while ignoring their own faults or refusing to accept them. It is good to examine ourselves and see whether the strict moral code and conduct, which we demand from others, is practised by ourselves. Do we have a tendency to be hypercritical of those who take care of us and guide us, or those who are under our care, while we ourselves are imperfect in one way or the other? Why do we look at only the darker and negative side? Don’t we have anything positive to say about them?

In the modern world we are more and more led to distrust somebody’s words, especially those of our leaders. Those who lack personal integrity are distrusted and disrespected more and more. Actually, those who lack personal integrity lose the right to correct and point a finger at the faults of others. Those who lack integrity of character are known to exhibit duplicity, superficiality and shallowness in their behaviour and dealings. Jesus teaches us that this type of duplicity is not at all a characteristic mark of his disciples. Here we have a stern warning from the Lord against allowing a judgmental and negative attitude towards other to take root in us. Quite often we self-righteously correct or criticize others without introspecting into ourselves, or without honest self-evaluation. It is said, when St. Philip Neri observed the misconduct of an alcoholic, he exclaimed: “There goes Philip but for the grace of God.” Jesus teaches that the only motive for correcting others should be love or intending their good, and not exposing their weakness.

Today, Jesus invites those of us who try to reform others to examine themselves first and see whether there is any “log” deeply embedded into our hearts and minds. In the past, did we ever criticize the behaviour of others and strongly condemned them, and then later realised we too had some of the same weaknesses and defects ourselves? If yes, it was a signal for us to take out the “log” from our own eyes. Jesus reminds us that we need to correct our own faults before criticizing and trying to correct others. He asks us to be deeply aware of our own limitations and frailties before guiding and correcting others. Those of us who preach or teach against stealing, should ask: do I steal? Those who preach and teach about honesty should ask: am I honest in my words and deeds? Those who speak against corruption, should ask: do I give or take bribes? Those who us who preach and teach about disobedience of children and students should ask: do I obey God’s and civil laws? ...........

Just as we come to know whether any tree is good or bad from its fruits, so also we come to know from a disciple’s behaviour and actions whether a his/her intentions are good or evil. Hence, one of the smallest parables of a good and a bad tree invites us to examine our inner motives and intentions of the heart. Our internal dispositions are revealed in our external behaviour actions. When we hear a person speaking all types of filthy, vulgar, hateful and violent language, we naturally conclude that there must be something wrong with the person inside. Sirach says that “a person’s speech discloses the cultivation of his mind” (Sir 27:6). If we are motivated by genuine love, our thoughts, speech and lives show it; show good fruits of selfless love. If we are motivated by hatred, jealousy, greed, lust and other purely selfish desires, the fruits will be fights, divisions, disharmony, abuse of power and position for our own selfish ends. Hence, today’s gospel challenges us to regularly purify our innermost intentions.

5.   Response to God's Word

Do we ourselves practice first what we believe and preach or teach? What is that “log” in my own eyes that I am least bothered to take out before guiding and correcting others? Do I notice that log or just refuse to notice? What is my actual motive behind any criticism and correction of others? Is it motivated by pure love, or a hidden desire to expose their weaknesses and teach them a lesson?

6.   A prayer

Lord Jesus, I want to be your true follower. Lead and guide me along the path of personal integrity, so that my intentions may be pure and judgements be positive. Amen.

 

 

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)

 Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) [Lk 6:27-38]

Love of Enemies

20.02.2022

Readings: (1) 1 Sam 26:2.7-9.12-13.22-23 (2) 1 Cor 15:45-49

 

1.    Theme in brief

Overcoming evil with good

2.    Focus Statement

Just as our Heavenly Father is merciful even to his enemies, as his children we too are called to be merciful to those who hate, curse, abuse, strike us and take away our goods.

3.    Explanation of the text

According to Jesus, real love is so boundless and universal that it excludes no one, not even our enemies. In today’s gospel, he specifies those who are our ‘enemies.’ Here the word ‘enemies’ does not mean only those who have done immense harm to us, but also those whom we do not love as we should or those whom we love less. According to the text, our enemies are all those who hate us, curse us, abuse us, strike us on our cheek and take away what belongs to us (6:27-29).

In the given text Jesus explains how we should love our enemies or what does loving one’s enemies consist in. He says that we should love them by doing good to them, blessing them, praying for them, offering the other cheek to them and sharing our goods even with those who try to grab them (6:27-30). Showing the other cheek to those who slap us on one cheek (6:29) does not mean that we should allow or invite our enemies to attack us. That goes against the principle of our right to protect our life. Actually, when we show the other cheek, the opponent can slap us only with the back side of his right palm or with the left hand. Both of these things mean an insult. Hence, what Jesus seems to say is that we should refrain from any revenge, that is, returning an insult for an insult or a slap for a slap from our enemies; instead win over them by doing good to them. Then he lays down the golden rule for his followers: treating or behaving with others, including their enemies, just as they would want them to treat or behave with them (6:31).

The given gospel text also answers the question why we should love our enemies. Jesus answers this question by saying that there is no credit or merit for his disciples in loving only those who love them, in doing good to those who do good to them, and sharing one’s goods with only to those who share equal quantity of goods (6:32-34). There is no greatness or speciality in this type of behaviour because sinners also do the same without hearing any gospel (6:32-34). This type of attitude or behaviour should flow from the call of disciples to be God’s children. Since they are God’s children, their behaviour towards their enemies should reflect God’s own treatment of them (6:35). Heavenly Father is merciful towards even to the ungrateful and the wicked (6:35). His children are called to imitate his merciful love by showing mercy towards this type of people without expecting anything in return (6:35-36).

4.   Application to life

To know who are our ‘enemies’ we do not necessarily have to think of our national or religious enemies living at a distance from us, or those who have grabbed our land and property. According to today’s gospel, they can be found within our homes, neighbourhood and field of activities. They include those who hate, curse and abuse us, those who strike us, take away our goods. Loving such people means doing good to them, blessing them, praying for them, offering the other cheek to them when they strike us and sharing our goods even with those who try to grab them. In other words, Jesus asks us to do good to those who criticize us, those who are aggressive to us by their way of thinking, talking, behaving and treatment; and those who spread rumours and vicious slander against us. Praying for this type of people is a sign of our love and forgiveness. Can we pray for our enemies if we are nursing vengeance and hatred towards them? If we earnestly pray for them, it indicates that we have forgiven them at heart. Our prayer for our enemies may or may not convert them. However, it will bring about a change of attitude in ourselves and eliminate our thirst for their blood.

Thus Jesus asks us to imitate God’s own merciful love and generous forgiveness towards the wicked by responding to hatred, curse, abuse and insult with the same merciful love, and by refraining from all sorts of revenge and retaliation towards such people. Offering the other cheek does not mean allowing our enemies to attack us. It means not to return a slap for a slap, an insult for an insult or a hurt for a hurt, but doing good to those who do such evil. Since our heavenly Father is merciful towards the wicked, sinners and the ungrateful, as his children, we too have to are called to imitate his mercy. If we do not exhibit anything of the Father’s nature, how can we claim to be his children?

In today’s gospel, Jesus not only means that we should avoid any sort of revenge and retaliation, such as returning a slap for a slap against those who hate, curse and abuse us, but much beyond that. He wants that we should actively and positively do good to them. In other words, he urges us to make our love pro-active and not re-active. Re-active love means we return love for love, help for help, kindness for kindness, and do it only for those who are good to us, love us, help us and are kind to us. Jesus wants his followers to take their love beyond ‘re-active’ boundaries Pro-active love involves doing good to people who do not do any good to us, harm us, threaten us and are after our blood, or from whom we do not expect any good in return. Thus, loving our enemies does not necessarily mean becoming affectionate or friendly with them, but doing good to them and refraining from retaliation or revenge.

St. Paul rightly projects the mind of Jesus when he tells the early Christians, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21). The motive behind this is to win over our haters, abusers and insulters with benevolence and mercy after God’s own heart. St. Paul further says that this kind of extraordinary mercy towards our enemies “will heap burning coals on their heads” (Rom 12:20), leading to a purification of their evil intentions.

Jesus’ instruction on non-resistance of the wicked should be understood to mean avoidance of violent resistance towards them that breeds further violence. That does not include the passive resistance or non-violent or non-cooperative resistance which we sometimes need to offer to unjust oppressors and perpetrators of injustice or violators of human rights as exemplified by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King (Jr.). When we are wronged by those who hate and strike us, our first reaction is to teach them a lesson. Jesus tells us not to return violence for violence. Instead of planning revenge and retaliation in our minds, he wants that we plan how to do good and pray for such people.

Forgiveness is not a feeling, but a decision of the mind or an act of the will. It is not like “falling in” love as we speak of some sweethearts, but a choice we make with a conscious effort. It is choosing to love rather than choosing to keep hatred and revenge in mind. When we are deeply hurt, in prayer we need to act out forgiveness first in our minds by a kind of self-talk: “Come what may; I shall forgive so and so from my heart”.  Don’t we find it easy to love the whole world but forgive the persons with whom we live and work everyday? It requires a struggle and a decision of the mind to do so. Normally, we place conditions like ‘if’ and ‘but’ before we forgive those who have hurt us deeply. We are afraid of the risk of getting hurt again by the same persons. These considerations hold back our forgiveness and prompt us to nurse resentment and revenge. Jesus invites us to cultivate mercy towards those who have hurt us by trying to understand the issue from that person’s point of view. Do we?

Forgiveness liberates us from bitterness and hatred, and brings peace of mind. By unforgiving attitude, we condemn ourselves to carry a heavy burden, sometimes for years and years; sometimes for the rest of our life. it frees the one who offers and the one who receives pardon from this bondage. Those who are bitter and cannot forgive are sick: they need love, attention and care and have to be free for our own good.

In Jesus’ time people prayed against their enemies so that God may punish them. Against such a mentality, he asks his disciples to pray for the reform of enemies. Even if our prayer may not necessarily reform or change our enemies, it will change our plan of retaliation against them. The best way to overcome bitterness against those who have offended us is to constantly pray for them. We cannot pray for our offenders while keeping hatred and revenge in our hearts. By our constant prayer, they get converted in our hearts first – though we do not know whether they will be really converted! We should leave it to God. This is another way of overcoming evil with good and hatred with love, as taught by Jesus.

Jesus gives the reason for this type of behaviour. He says that this type of attitude or behaviour should flow from our call to be God’s own children. Forgiveness is an act of compassion towards our offenders. We are called to keep our own dignity as God’s children and imitate the nature of the Father who is compassionate towards all his enemies. He says that there is no credit or greatness and speciality in re-active love because sinners or non-believers also know how to return good for good by nature. As God’s children it is our vocation to imitate his merciful love by doing deeds of mercy to our opponents and wrongdoers without expecting anything in return.

The world thinks that forgiveness offered to our bitterest enemies is a sign of weakness. But in reality it is a sign of strength. A few years ago, in India we were touched by the example of Sr. Rani Maria’s younger sister who visited the prison to tie a ‘rakhi’ on the hand of her elder sister’s murderer. [‘Rakhi’ is a band of string tied around the hand by a sister to her brother on a feast day (also called ‘RAKHI’) as a sign of sisterly love.] This benevolent gesture that treated a murderer as a brother melted his heart in such a way that he began to weep bitterly. Later on it led to his conversion from a murderer to a follower of Christ. It was a moving scene to see him seated in the front row at the beatification ceremony of Blessed Rani Maria at Indore, India. If Rani Maria’s sister could forgive such a cruel murderer who had stabbed her sister all over her body 54 times for her social service among the deprived ones, why can’t we forgive smaller faults of those with whom we live and work every day?

5.   Response to God's Word

Do we love those who hate us, curse us, abuse us, strike us on our cheek and take away what belongs to us by doing good to them, blessing them, praying for them, and by refraining from taking revenge against them? Do we exhibit the compassionate nature of God by showing mercy towards such people? What decisive steps do we take to do good to those who do evil? Do we try to overcome evil by doing good, or continue to remain in our soul-sickness caused by nursing grudges and revenge against our offenders?

6.   A prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your love so that I can do good to all those who hate me, curse me, abuse me, strike me and take away what belongs to me. Today I pray for them and bless all of them in your holy name. Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)

   Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) [Lk 6:17.20-26]

Blessings and Woes (The Lukan Beatitudes)

13.02.2022

Readings: (1) Jer 17:5-8 (2) 1 Cor 12:12.16-20

 

1.  Theme in brief

The road to attain internal and eternal happiness (blessedness)

2.  Focus Statement

Human search for blessedness or inner joy can never be satisfied only with riches, full stomachs, pleasures and high status.

3.  Explanation of the text

In today’s gospel we have Luke’s version of Beatitudes which are different from Matthew’s. Contrary to Matthew, they are not given on a mountain but in the plains, and are directly addressed to the disciple with the words: “Blessed are you…” Though the word “blessed” is commonly translated as “happy,” it transcends the normal connotation of happiness; that is, being delighted, or being in a good mood, cheerfulness, and having a pleasurable feeling. It is a state in which one finds oneself being really fortunate because of the inner joy and peace that comes from being righteous or upright in God’s sight.

The given text speaks about four contrasts of blessings and woes – poverty vs. riches; hunger vs. full stomachs; weeping vs. laughing; and defamation vs. admiration. According to Jesus the road to blessedness or inner joy is to acquire an attitude of detachment from worldly possessions, instead of attachment to them (6:20); an attitude of total dependence on God instead of on oneself or on one’s possessions. In other words, Jesus says: What a joy to put our trust in God, and what a pity it is to depend on our riches and worldly pleasures The poor mentioned here are economically poor. They are blessed not because of their poverty – as if Jesus wants to glorify poverty – but because of their natural inclination to trust in God, as they have nothing else on which they can trust. The rich have a great temptation to trust fully and totally in material possessions and their own capabilities.

The first beatitude does not mean to say that all the poor of the world are blessed. Since it is directly addressed to the disciples of Jesus, we need to understand that as disciples they are called to imbibe the spirit of detachment from possessions, dependence on God and trust in him. They are called to share their goods with the have-nots instead of accumulating them. The Kingdom of God is already theirs now itself (6:29) because these traits surely promote God’s Kingdom and lead towards its establishment here on earth.

The same is true of those who fill their stomachs fully with sumptuous food and laugh now as they enjoy pleasures of life. The disciples are called to joyfully share their goods with the needy and undergo the pain of sacrifices and renunciation. When they see the Kingdom growing, they will be filled with joy (6:21).

Jesus says, if we do not make compromises with the worldly standards, people may hate, exclude, revile and defame us but we shall be happy internally now and eternally later on in heaven because our reward is going to be really great (6:23-24).

Jesus does not say that all those who are hated will receive a reward, but only those who are hated “on account of the Son of Man” (6:22), that is, for his sake and for the sake of his Gospel.  This is what happened to prophets (6:22, 26) and will happen to his disciples. People hated the prophets because they stood up and spoke for God; called people to repentance which they did not want.

The woes are not curses but a way of exclaiming. Put in a plain language, what Jesus says could be: “What a joy to put our trust in God, and what a pity it is to depend on our riches and worldly pleasures.”

4. Application to life

Beatitudes are the right attitudes one must have in order to be the disciples of Christ. In today’s gospel, Jesus calls for an exemplary Christian discipleship or conduct lived according to the norms of his beatitudes, and promises rewards for such a conduct.

The blessedness mentioned in this text is about serenity, inner peace and joy that is independent of what happens to us externally – a joy which cannot be taken away by sorrow, loss, pain and even death. Whereas worldly joy can come and go with fortune and success, this joy cannot be lost with the change of fortune or failure of our plans. That is why this blessedness can be experienced even under intense persecution. The attitudinal change required by these beatitudes has to take place first of all in our relationship with God which in turn will influence our relationship with fellow human beings.

Jesus says that true and inner joy does not lie in abundance of wealth, pleasures, name and fame, but in living or putting into practice the values of God’s Kingdom. He challenges us to see and judge for ourselves whether the road to inner peace and contentment (blessedness) consists in world’s way or his way. Sadly enough, today, we have so many short-cut methods or ways contrary to these norms to attain momentary happiness and temporary relief such as habitual or addictive use of drugs, alcohol, sex, T.V., cell phones, internet, etc. Sooner or later we come to the realization that lasting and internal happiness cannot be attained by these. When we trust only in wealth, compromise with worldly standards, we can never experience internal joy and fulfilment.  If we are not really happy, we have to ask ourselves why we are not. Do our principles and methods to attain happiness coincide with Christ’s? They are inner dispositions of disciples that should influence their outward behaviour.

Our inner thirst for happiness and contentment can never be satisfied with riches, sumptuous food, comforts and pleasure. From world’s point of view the poor, the hungry and the suffering can never be called happy. Jesus does not mean to glorify poverty and hunger. What he wants to say is that the poor are better disposed to inner joy because of their total dependence on God and trust in him.  The rich are in constant danger of trusting and depending on their wealth and possessions. Since the poor are powerless and helpless, they are more disposed to trust and depend only on God. What leads to unhappiness is our trust in money, riches and in our own capabilities. This makes us believe that we can manage our lives on our own and there is no need of depending on God. The Kingdom of God becomes ours when we acknowledge before God and human beings that we are weak and sinful persons, and put ourselves under the loving rule or governance of God (that is, his Kingdom). The Lord has already said through prophet Jeremiah (17:7) that those who trust in him are blessed.

Today, Jesus challenges us, his disciples, to judge for ourselves whether the road to inner joy consists in relying totally on our riches, lavish food and laughing at the misfortune of the poor and the hungry, or in allowing God to rule over us and fill us with such love that we acquire a keen sense of mourning for the illness of the world. Are we ready and willing to face hatred, revile, defamation and exclusion from the company of the powerful when we follow Christ’s values?

5. Response to God's Word

Do I satisfy my search for real happiness only with riches, food and drink, pleasures of the world and high status? Am willing to face hated, exclusion, revile and defame when I do not make compromised with the world’s standards and uphold God’s? Do I totally depend on myself and on my riches, power and abilities, instead of God?

6. A prayer

Lord, give me the joy of working for your Kingdom, even when it involves humility, poverty, deprivation, humiliation and revile. Amen.