Fourth Sunday of Easter (A)

Fourth Sunday of Easter (A) [Jn 10:1-10]

30.04.2023

Jesus the Good Shepherd

Readings: (1) Acts 2:14.36-41 (2) 1 Pet 2:20-25

1. Theme in brief:

The characteristics of the Good Shepherd and his faithful sheep

2. Focus Statement:

The Risen Lord who is our Good Shepherd knows us intimately, leads us on the right path and gives us life in abundance; but in order to remain as his faithful sheep we must listen to his voice, and not that of strangers.

3. Explanation of the text

In this passage Jesus contrasts his role as the Good Shepherd with the misleading role of Pharisees and other false or wicked leaders of Israel (both religious and political). Though the words used for them, namely thieves and bandits sound offensive and a sweeping generalization (10:1, 8), they should be understood in the context of the prevailing incidents of stealing the sheep at night from the sheepfold by robbers in Palestine. This figure of speech refers to irresponsible and selfish leaders who are interested in feeding themselves than their flock – as if stealing from them what is their right. In the previous chapter, we see how the Pharisees stole human dignity from the man born blind (after he got healed) by excommunicating him from the synagogue due to their refusal to promote human welfare (9:34-35).

By custom, the sheep in Palestine were sometimes kept at night in a sheepfold which was simply an enclosure of a high wall without any roof. The shepherd used to sleep at the only entrance or gate. Naturally, the ‘thieves and bandits’ who came to steal the sheep at night could not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climb in by another way (10:1). This perhaps refers to the false way of the misguiding leaders (mainly Pharisees) in contrast to Jesus’ way of truth.

This passage has its background in the OT, in which the leaders of Israel, especially the kings are called shepherds. Prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel pronounce God’s condemnation of the wicked rulers of Israel who are called false shepherds (Jer 23:1-2; Ez 34:1-10) and proclaim his promise to appoint faithful shepherds to tend his flock after his own heart (Jer 3:15), since God himself is the shepherd par excellence. In this passage, Jesus is claiming such a role for himself to tell us that God himself has come to shepherd his people through his ministry. Jesus’ self-sacrifice for his sheep stands out in stark contrast to the selfish and harassing religious leaders.

The shepherding role of Jesus has the following characteristics: (1) calling the sheep by name which implies his intimate relationship with his followers (10:3); (2) leading them out and going ahead of them which implies his work of guiding and showing them the right way (10:3, 4); (3) giving them freedom to come in and go out through him so that they can be saved; and (4) leading them to green pasture (10:9). Here again, there is a reference to the Shepherd Psalm according to which the Lord makes his sheep "lie down in green pastures," leads them "beside still waters," and prepares a table for them (Ps 23:2, 5). In John’s gospel this refers to the Risen Lord’s role of nourishing the faithful with the Word and the Bread of Life (cf. chapter 6).

The characteristics of the faithful sheep are: (1) listening to, recognizing and knowing the voice of the shepherd (10:3, 4-5); and (2) following the shepherd and not the strangers because of their unfamiliar voice (10:5, 8). The sheep can discern between the Shepherd’s voice and the stranger’s.

Jesus uses another metaphor by calling himself as the gate for the sheep (10:7, 9). Here he applies the custom of a shepherd sleeping in the entrance of the sheepfold to his own role of saving the sheep by protecting them from the raiding enemies (false teachers). At the end Jesus contrasts his role to give protection, freedom and pasture to his sheep with the stealing, killing and destroying role of the thief. The mission for which he comes into the world is to give his ‘sheep’ (that is, those who believe in him) a share in God’s own divine life, not in a little measure but in abundance (10:10).

4.   Application to life                     

Today’s gospel text, given in the context of Easter Season, invites us in the first place to experience the shepherding role of the Risen Lord. He is constantly with us, leading, guiding and showing us the right way. He leads us by showing us the path of service, sacrifice, unconditional forgiveness, acceptance of sufferings, etc. He opens the gate of freedom or salvation from sins for us and nourishes us with the green pastures of his Word and the Bread of Life. The custom of naming the sheep or cattle and calling them by their names – followed by shepherds/ herdsmen/ cattle-grazers in many cultures even today – implies that the Risen Lord’s relationship with us is so intimate that he knows each one of us by name. By calling himself as the gate for the sheep, he tells us that he constantly saves us by protecting us from the false teachers, misleading guides and bad companions.

In the midst of so many life-negating factors in today’s world that steal, kill and destroy life, Jesus comes to share God’s own divine life with us in abundance. Abundance of life means the abounding and overflowing quality of life and grace which Jesus came to give (Rom 5:20). It connotes the qualitative change that faith can bring in the life of a disciple. Better quality of life does not mean better food (such as fast food and instant coffee), better facilities, latest gadgets, plenty of fun and power.  It does not mean abundance of possessions, funds and motor vehicles either. Nowadays we are saving a lot of time due to electronic gadgets but are less available for others than before; hence, the quality of our life is dwindling.

Abundance of life also means the abundance of God’s qualities or God’s thoughts such as patience, peace, compassion, self-sacrificing love, etc.  Quite often we neither experience emptiness of life, nor the abundance of it. We are in between. Imagine the quality of love, service, care, compassion, attention, time and energies we should or could have given or spent for the needy, but did not. If this is the case, are we not guilt of a wasted life?  As believers, is life for us a mere existence or a life full of zeal and enthusiasm for God’s values and way of thinking? A person without enthusiasm and zest for life merely exists, does not really live.

Jesus warns us that there are many ‘thieves and bandits’ who “steal, kill and destroy” life (10:10) in our life’s journey. Human life is precious but fragile; full of promises but constantly threatened by anti-life forces, such as sorrow, suffering, massive poverty, hunger, disease and death. In modern times, human life is constantly threatened by wars and riots (religious, ethnic, political), abortion, euthanasia, international terrorism, religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, racism, threat of nuclear wars, horrible accidents, environmental destruction or degradation, etc. First of all, these can be considered as the ‘thieves and bandits’ that “steal, kill and destroy” life. Hence, "abundance of life" promised by Jesus the Good Shepherd directly contradicts the fragility and vulnerability of life or the scarcity of life, since it is everywhere plagued by countless misdeeds and acts of cruelty by humans. Sad enough, many people experience the emptiness of life rather than its abundance. In the midst of these life-stealing and life-destroying forces, we are called to uphold the supreme value and preciousness of human life and instil hope in the minds of people even in hopeless situations. We are called to be life-givers after Christ’s own heart by our compassion, care, concern, developmental work, eradication of evils, value education, etc.  

Secondly, there are persons and forces in our world that ‘steal the sheep,’ that is, steal our life. In today’s context, they could be irresponsible and selfish leaders who are interested in feeding themselves than their flock. There are some misleading leaders (both in civil society and the Church) who steal what belongs to the sheep. There are forces in the world that steal human dignity and rights and try to prevent welfare of the downtrodden. There are forces (such as biased and untruthful mass media) and bad companions who steal character, truth and moral values from us, especially from the youth and the children. Who will become a shepherd to protect these powerless sheep? Those of us who are called to be parents, religious and civil society’s leaders, council and committee members, have to examine ourselves and see whether we are shepherds after God’s own heart, or false shepherds/ leaders/ guides about whom prophet Ezekiel laments thus: they do not do anything to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back the strayed, seek after the lost, or to prevent their flock from getting scattered and becoming a prey to ‘wild animals’ such as bad companions, criminals and corrupt forces (Ez 34:4-6).

Traditionally, in the Church, the shepherd image of the Bible is applied to the shepherding role of Church leaders, such as bishops and priests. But in a broader sense, the shepherd-sheep metaphor can be applied to all those who are in a position of leadership in families, society and the Church, such as parents in the family, teachers in educational institutions, the members of religious institutes (especially their Superiors), and the lay leaders are like shepherds to their people.  In this sense we can say that a good shepherd is a father in the family who spends time with his children to guide and direct them; a mother who nurses, cares and supports a sick/ disobedient/ mischievous child; a teacher who teaches not only secular sciences but also human, moral and spiritual values to students; a student who goes out to visit his/her classmate who is absent in the class for many days due to illness; a friend who protects his/her friend from danger, wrong path and evil habits; a lay leader in the parish who goes out to visit those who don’t come for meetings or those who are sick and troubled… As shepherds we are called to promote the life-giving mission (10:10) of our Good Shepherd by nursing, caring, nurturing, respecting, saving, protecting and defending life, especially of the defenceless and the voiceless. In a world where sometimes human life is so devalued, today’s gospel-message motivates us to proclaim the preciousness and dignity of life, and uphold its true value.

Final question is: What type of ‘sheep’ are we – faithful or unfaithful? The qualities of faithful sheep mentioned in today’s gospel are – listening to and recognizing the voice of the shepherd by becoming familiar with that voice, and following him rather than the strangers. In John’s gospel, Mary Magdalene is depicted as a faithful sheep (disciple) who recognizes the voice of the Shepherd ((Risen Lord) immediately, as she hears him calling her by her proper name, “Mary” (20:16).The sheep can discern between the Shepherd’s voice and the stranger’s. There are so many other voices and ‘false shepherds’ (misguiding or misleading masters and leaders/ bad companions) calling us. They are the strangers whose voices are ‘familiar’ to us in our social life, but are contrary to our Good Shepherd’s. Of course, those voices become more familiar and attractive if we are not bothering to familiarize ourselves with the voice of our Good Shepherd by prayer and reflection on God’s Word. Following him means refusing to be easily swayed by the false shepherds of the world.

5.    Response to God's Word

Do we feel that we are constantly under the protection of Jesus our Good Shepherd who saves us from the clutches of false teachers, misleading guides and bad companions? Do we ask for that protection and follow the guidance of our Good Shepherd?? Are we guilty of living a wasted life by not trying to improve its quality? As believers, is life for us a mere existence, or full of zeal and enthusiasm for God’s values and way of thinking? What type of shepherds are we: good or bad, true or false? Do we steal life or promote it; lead or mislead; guide or misguide others? What kind of ‘sheep’ are we – faithful or unfaithful? Whose voice do we listen to and obey? Are we easily swayed by the false shepherds of the world?

6.  A Prayer

Risen Lord, our Good Shepherd, thank you for reminding us that we have to be familiar with your voice and recognize it amidst so many contrary voices of the world. We are sorry for the times we allowed ourselves to be swayed by false and evil shepherds due to our failure to get familiar with your voice through prayer and refection on your Word. Protect us from all false, misguiding and misleading shepherds. We decide today to remain as your faithful sheep by promoting your vision and life-giving mission. In the midst of so many life-negating factors in today’s world that steal, kill and destroy life,  give us the courage and strength to uphold the true value and preciousness of life, especially of the poor and the lowly. Amen.

Third Sunday of Easter (A)

 Third Sunday of Easter (A) [Lk 24:13-35]

16.04.2023

From Sadness to Joy on the Road to Emmaus

Readings: (1) Act 2:14.22-33 (2) 1 Pet 1:17-21

1.  Theme in brief:

Recognizing the Risen Lord in life’s journey

2.  Focus Statement:

When we are sad and disappointed, the Risen Lord walks with us in our life’s journey; we need to open our eyes of faith to recognize him, especially as he speaks to us through the Scripture and comes to meet us in the Eucharist.

3.  Explanation of the text

Today’s gospel narrates the story of two sad and disappointed disciples of Jesus – Cleopas and his companion – who are on a journey. They are going away from Jerusalem – a place of shattered hopes, expectations and dreams, to a village called Emmaus – a place where they plan to settle down to their former way of life before they met Jesus (24:13). As they walk, they talk and discuss with each other about the “things that have taken place (in Jerusalem) in these days” (24:14-15, 17-18). These “things” refer to the public and shameful crucifixion of Jesus whom they considered a mighty prophet and in whom they had placed their hope of Israel’s redemption (24:19, 21).  This event has shaken their world; and with the burial of Jesus, all their hopes also are buried.

Suddenly the Risen Lord appears and accompanies them in the midst of their sadness (24:17) and shattered dreams as if he too were a traveller like them; “but their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (24:16) – which refers to their spiritual blindness. They need to go through a process of gradual opening of eyes of faith to recognise the Risen Lord in their midst as well as the necessity that the Messiah should undergo this suffering in order to enter into his glory (24:26). Before going through this faith-journey, Cleopas thinks that his fellow traveller (Jesus) is the only stranger who has not heard about the heartbreaking event in Jerusalem – the shocking crucifixion of a mighty prophet.  His was not a natural death or a secret murder. It was a public execution ordered by the political authority on flimsy charges levelled against him by religious hierarchy of the Jews.

Jesus gives totally a different explanation and meaning to the shocking event of his crucifixion. Cleopas and his companion focus only on the single shattering event, but Jesus puts it in the context of God’s whole plan of our salvation. It is rather strange to note that those who are “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared” in the Scriptures (24:25) are not the enemies of Jesus, but his own disciples! Jesus scolds them for not understanding the fact that suffering of the Messiah was planned by God as testified by Moses, all the prophets and all the Scriptures (24:27). He invites them to a deeper faith to understand that suffering was necessary not only for the Messiah to enter into his glory, but for his disciples also.

As sunset draws nearer, still unsure of the identity of this stranger, the two disciples request him to “stay” with them as it is evening – a reference to the vocation of a faithful disciple of Christ to abide or remain with him. Jesus’ interpretation of the Scriptures on the way makes their hearts burning within themselves (24:32), and prepares them for the opening of their eyes of faith to recognize the Risen Lord (24:31) at the ‘Breaking of the Bread’ – a technical term in the early Church for the Eucharist (24:30). This experience turns their sadness and disappointment into a great joy. As they rush back to Jerusalem with burning hearts forgetting all the sadness of the moment (24:32-33). Their encounter with the Risen Lord motivates them to change their plan to go to Emmaus and to return to Jerusalem for a joyful proclamation that “the Lord has risen indeed” (24:34).

4.  Application to life                     

The Risen Lord walks with us in all situations of our life’s journey, especially when we are sad, disappointed and all our hopes are dashed. For a believer, life is also a faith-journey or a pilgrimage of faith. This moving story of travellers to Emmaus tells us that we are always walking with a friend and a fellow traveller like us in our faith-journey. He is no other than the Risen Lord. He walks with us in the midst of our shattered hopes, expectations and dreams: a sudden death of loved ones, betrayal of friends, breakage of relationships, a bad habit that gives us and others a lot of pain, an insoluble problem, a bitter disappointment, frustration, confusion, despair, sadness, depression, etc. Don’t we say now and then: “I feel disappointed with… I did not expect this …. If only he/she could behave …. I never dreamt such a thing would happen….” Sometimes our wonderful dreams are shattered – dreams for our marriage when we married first, for our children when we gave them the best of education, for those whom we did so much and for our own future are shattered by shocking and unexpected events. Everything seems to be dark, and we feel helpless and hopeless. In these moments we simply forget the promises of the Lord. He has promised that he would be with us always even in the storms and trials of life, that he walks with us in our life’s journey, and would take us one day where he is. We need eyes of faith to recognize the presence of the Lord and believe that he is with us in such situations. We have to invite the Lord again and again to stay with us and support us when the evening hour of our life descends on us. 

We notice a major change that took place in Cleopas and his companion.  Their sadness turned into joy; their hopelessness turned into hope; and their plan to run away from Jerusalem to settle down to their former way of life turned into their decision to go back to Jerusalem after recognizing the Risen Lord in the breaking of the Word (Scriptures) on the way and breaking of the Bread during the meal. They become people whose hearts are burning. It is no wonder that many of us get disheartened by lost hopes and broken dreams. Is this not our story too? We too are tempted to “go back” to our own Emmaus, that is, our former ways – of selfishness/ sinfulness/ doubts of faith/ superficial faith – when our hopes and dreams are shattered or when our plans are not materialized or when we are disappointed and frustrated.

Like Cleopas and his companion, may be we are saddened by some shocking incidents that have taken place recently in our family, circle of relatives, neighbourhood and workplace. May be we are shocked by certain scandals in the Church, especially those involving her leaders. Do these events lead to a slackening of our faith and dilution of our zeal to proclaim the gospel? Can we look back at many of our painful memories such as a serious illness, a sudden death in the family, an accident or a public insult, a scandal in our family or Church and say with the heart of faith that this experience is necessary for us? Is it not necessary that we undergo this pain and agony now and then in order to share in Christ’s suffering and learn the lessons which God wants to teach us? We need a tremendous faith to understand God’s plan in all that happens in our lives, and in the history of the world and the Church.

I still remember the shock of life I received when one of the alcoholics got into a mental delirium (disorientation) and came to kill me with a kitchen knife during one of the de-addiction camps that I had organized. Thank God; he was controlled and subdued by other participants of the camp. Now I understand in faith that this shock was necessary for me to understand the extent of pain and threat faced quite often by so many women (wives) due to domestic violence perpetrated by their alcoholic husbands. We have to look back to any painful event of our lives with the eyes of faith and find meaning into it in the light of the Scriptures. Falling short of this faith, we easily get settled into despair and forget about our faith-commitment as Cleopas and his companions had thought of. Jesus rebukes us, as he did to them, for our foolish failure to look at all events of life in the light of faith, and slowness to believe that Risen Christ is always with us even when we do not recognize him.

As he did on the road to Emmaus, today too he walks with us along the journey of life. Though he is our companion in our journey, quite often we fail to recognize him. The Eucharist is a special moment of grace for us when we put aside our other concerns of life and open our eyes of faith to recognize his mysterious presence.  We take him as a companion on our journey. He invites us to be converted from being "slow of heart to believe" (24:25) to having our hearts that burn within us (24:32) as he opens to us the treasures of the Scriptures. A faithful reading and meditation on the Scripture can make our hearts burning within us. When the ‘evening’ of our lives approaches and forces of darkness and despair overtake us, we need to always cry to our companion (Risen Lord) in life’s journey: “Stay with me Lord and never abandon me.”

Every Sunday the Risen Lord strengthens our broken spirit and re-energizes our faith by opening to us the treasures of the Scripture and feeding us with the Eucharist. In every Holy Mass, first we recognize the voice of the Lord in the ‘breaking of the Word’ (= Scripture readings) and respond to it in faith and obedience. This prepares us to meet the living Lord in the ‘breaking of the Bread’ (= the Eucharist). From the time Luke wrote this Emmaus story till today, we come together every Sunday around the table of the Word and the Eucharist; listen to the story of God’s wonderful deeds in the Scriptures; reflect over its implication for today’s life; recognize the Risen Lord as he speaks in his Word and meet him under the signs of bread and wine; renew our Christian commitment; and go back to the world to share our new experience. This double spiritual nourishment makes our hearts burn with love for God and our neighbour. Thus we become witnesses to the resurrection on our life-journey.

5.  Response to God's Word

What are our present disappointments and broken hopes or expectations? What are the recent events in our lives that shock or sadden us? Do we have eyes of faith to recognize the presence of the Risen Lord in disappointments and when our hopes are shattered? Do we feel that he is with us and supports us in hopeless and sad moments of life? Does our Sunday Service help us to regain or revive our faith in the midst of our humdrum life? Do we attend church on Sundays to strengthen our broken spirit and re-energize our faith, or just to fulfil a routine or custom? If shallowness of our faith is the main obstacle that prevents us from recognizing the presence of the Risen Lord, what can we do to deepen it?

6.  A prayer

Stay with us Lord in all situations of our life’s journey. We invite you to remain with us as our constant companion, especially when the ‘evening’ of our lives approaches and forces of darkness, disappointment and despair overtake us. We cry out to you in our life’s journey and say: “Stay with us Lord and never abandon us.” We do believe that you are present in the midst of our shattered hopes and broken dreams. When we are saddened by some shocking and painful events, give us a deep faith to understand that they are necessary for deepening our faith. Strengthen our broken spirit and re-energizes our faith by your Word and the Eucharist. Strengthened by this spiritual nourishment, may our hearts burn with love for you and our neighbour. Amen.

  

Second Sunday of Easter (A)

Second Sunday of Easter (A) [Jn 20:19-31]

16.04.2023

The Risen Lord Appears to the Disciples

Readings: (1) Acts 2:42-47 (2)1 Pet 1:3-9

1.  Theme in brief:

Liberation from fears and doubts and mission-empowerment

2.  Focus Statement:

Faith in the power of the Lord’s resurrection can liberate us from our fears due to which we are shut in, and make us worthy to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit with whose strength we can carry forward his mission of peace and reconciliation.

3.    Explanation of the text

The sudden appearance of the Risen Lord in the midst of disciples on the evening of “the first day of the week” in spite of locked doors (“for fear of the Jews,” 20:19) and barriers of walls, shows that now he has transcended all the barriers and blocks established by humans due to their fears (real or imaginary, prejudices, narrow-mindedness and selfishness.

 

Further, this appearance has a double significance:

(1) He is now having a spiritual or resurrected body endowed with all the divine glory; hence he can pass through the walls and locked doors (20:19); he is not bound by space and time any more. (2) He is in close solidarity with humanity, offering them something they long for; that is, peace and joy (20:19-21). The scars of wounds on his hands and his side confirm that he is the same Jesus who was crucified (20:20). The joy of the disciples when they see him is only a fulfilment of the promise he made at the Last Supper: “I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you” (16:22).

According to today’s gospel, as the Risen Lord appears to his disciples, he imparts four precious gifts to them:

(1) Peace, with his twice repeated words: “Peace be with you” (20:19, 21). In biblical language peace involves all-round well-being, harmony and building up of human relationships (20:19, 21). In the OT, peace is closely associated with the blessing of God and salvation to be brought by the Messiah. This peace restores them to inner security and fearlessness.

(2) Holy Spirit, with the words: “Receive the Holy Spirit” and with the gesture of breathing on them (20:22). Since breath symbolizes life, it is clear that the Holy Spirit is the Risen Lord’s own breath or life. Just as God had breathed into the nostrils of the first man (Adam) the breath of life, and he had become a living being (Gen 2:7), so also Jesus breathes on his disciples in a similar fashion. By giving them the Holy Spirit he makes them a new creation or imparts new life into them leading to the birth of a new community, the Church. Breathing on them may also refer to prophet Ezekiel’s prophecy to the dry bones (37:1-14). The apostles are now like dry bones – lifeless and full of fear. Like the prophet, Jesus causes his breath or life (= Holy Spirit) enter into the dry bones and they begin to live (Ez 37:9, 14). The Holy Spirit regenerates or rejuvenates them in such a way that they emerge from their hideouts to become courageous witnesses of the Lord.  

(3) Mission mandate, with the words: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (20:21). He sends them into the world to continue the mission for which his Father had sent him. This mission should be understood in terms of John’s main themes – to share God’s (divine) life, light and truth with others; to dispel darkness of sin and death and to lay down their life in humble and sacrificial service for others.  

(4) Power to forgive or retain the sins of any (20:23). He gives them a share in his power to forgive sins so that they may proclaim the forgiving love of God and carry forward his own earthly ministry of reconciliation.

Though we come to know from the synoptic gospels also that many of Jesus’ disciples had doubted about his resurrection (cf. Mt 28:17), here in John’s gospel Thomas is singled out as a representative of all of us, who sometimes doubt in God’s work and demand physical proofs or spectacular miracles (20:25). The Risen Lord makes use of this episode of the doubting Thomas to point out the necessity of putting our faith in him without seeking for miracles or firsthand experience. He declares people who arrive at such faith based on the testimony of the firsthand witnesses as equally “blessed” (20:29).

4.  Application to life                     

The Risen Lord’s sudden appearance in the midst of disciples even when the doors were locked for fear of “the Jews” (that is, Jewish authorities), symbolizes his power: (1) to cross the limits of space and time; (2) to liberate us from our fears due to which we are shut in; and (3) to reassure us in our doubts of faith. By passing through the walls and locked doors of the house where the disciples had met, the Risen Lord makes it clear that now he is present in any situation and place if only we can ‘see’ his presence with the eyes of faith. He has transcended all the barriers and blocks established by human nature or culture such as distinctions of nationality, race, ethnicity, caste, class, kinship, group, party and religion. He can unlock the doors or break the walls erected by our prejudices, narrow-mindedness and selfishness.

In our social conversation normally we speak in these terms: “we" men and “they” women; “we" Christians and “they” non-Christians; “we" nationals and “they” foreigners; “we" locals and “they” outsiders; “we” tribals and “they” non-tribals; “we" lay people and “they” clergy/religious; etc. There is nothing wrong in these expressions as log as they are mere terms of reference. But we need to examine whether they go beyond normalcy and border on racism, casteism, tribalism, groupism, ethnic conflicts, prejudices or hatred or labeling of “those people there”, etc.

Worse still, if segregation/ discrimination/ ill-treatment based on these factors is practiced within Christian community which is composed of various ethnicities, races, castes, cultures and languages, we narrow down the Risen Christ’s presence to a limited place, group, culture or situation. This is equal to not believing that Christ is really risen from the dead. Let our attitude be like this: the Risen Lord is not “here alone” (that is in my kinship circles, ethnic community, caste, tribe or group alone) but equally present in all peoples, cultures and situations. If we really believe that Christ is risen from the dead, we cannot keep him confined to only our group/ tribe/ caste/ race or restrict him to one situation only. Secondly, if we believe so we begin to ‘see’ the presence of the Risen Lord not only in pleasant and joyful situations but also in sorrowful and painful ones. When sorrow comes, where is he? Can we say: “He is here in our sorrows because he is risen from the dead.”

Today’s gospel text highlights two important aspects of any believer’s life, namely, fears and doubts of faith. First, the text says that the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jewish authorities (20:19). Like the apostles, we are often tempted to lock our ‘doors’ out of so many fears in us – both real and imaginary. Just imagine the conscious and subconscious fears haunting the minds of many of us – fear of failure in an examination, of losing in a game or match, of being robbed, of being attacked by an enemy, of remaining unemployed, of losing a job, of being killed in a bomb blast or accident, of ridicule/ criticism/ negative remarks by others, of darkness, of public speaking, of dreadful sicknesses like cancer and heart attack, of being left alone in old age, of losing one’s dignity and reputation, of breakage of relationships, of our children getting into deviant or criminal behaviour, of natural or man-made calamities (like accidents, floods, earthquakes, cyclones), of untimely or unprepared death, etc. There are also fears of what others may think of us or say to us, especially when we try to behave a little different from the general trends in our society. Then of course, there is a fear of the unknown future.

When these fears (whether real or imaginary) take control of us and rule over our minds, they keep us chained and locked within the narrow space of our own souls. Instead of the Lord directing our lives, these fears become an independent force driving us where we may not like to go. The imaginary or unrealistic (baseless) fears are our worst masters who control or drive us to wrong directions such as depression, disappointment, meaninglessness, emptiness, etc. Robin Sharma rightly says: "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when an adult is afraid of the light.” Quite often we are afraid of saying and doing what is right. The light of the Risen Lord can free us from the chains of fears (especially, imaginary or baseless ones), if we really believe in the power of his resurrection. If the Risen Lord is with us and for us, who or what can be against us (Rom 8:31-39)?

Armed with this firm faith, we need to admit our powerlessness to change the things we cannot, and surrender our lives into the hands of the living Lord. Our outer security may come from walled compounds, grill-gates, locks, bodyguards, bullet-proof vests, protective parents and companions; but our inner security comes from the power of the Risen Lord and his gift of peace – inner harmony. With his power we can overcome fear of hardship, distress, danger, persecution, peril and death. Let us place the bundle of fears before the Risen Lord and ask him to liberate us from all imaginary fears and give us the grace to face real fears with courage.

Secondly, after fears, come our doubts, epitomized by ‘doubting’ Thomas’ case in today’s gospel. They too are a part of every believer’s life. Like the apostles, we doubt whether all our efforts will be fruitful; whether our plans will succeed; whether there is a God who allows the just to suffer; and why does he allow it? We think, if God could prove his almighty powers through spectacular miracles and visions, all people of the earth could easily believe in him. Today’s gospel tells us that seeing extraordinary signs and miracles is not a guarantee of faith. When Thomas demanded such a proof from Jesus by showing the marks of nails in his hands and allow him to touch his wounds, Jesus gave him a chance to do so with another appearance (20:26-27). Today’s gospel does not tell us whether Thomas really touched Jesus’ wounds. Without arriving at a deeper level of faith, even if he had touched, he could have said that it was a ghost or just a hallucination. Unlike the apostles, our faith usually doesn’t come from direct encounter with the Risen Lord, but from the testimony of others. The action of the Risen Lord on our life is so mysterious that it cannot be seen. When unexpected, surprising and extraordinary things or events happen in our life, some believe in God’s mighty intervention and others do not. Faith in the Risen Lord leads us to a total surrender or submission to his plans and designs by acclaiming: “You alone are the Lord of my life; you alone are my Higher Power. I bow down to you in total submission” (cf.20:28).

At baptism, the Lord had already breathed his Spirit into us and made us a new creation. In spite of that we become like dry bones lacking zeal in Christian commitment. In this Easter Season we must open our hearts to the Risen Lord and beg him to breathe his Spirit into us and renew/re-create us. With the empowerment of his Spirit, the Lord continues to send us even today with his mission – to share his peace where it is broken, to reconcile where there is disharmony, to breathe a fresh life where there is no life or where people sit in the shadow of death, to dispel the darkness of sin and to lay down their life in humble service for others. He opens the doors of forgiveness for us, so that we too can become agents of reconciliation. Let us ask ourselves whether in our families, neighbourhood and communities we are known as peacemakers or peace-breakers. Sometimes for the sake of peace and harmony we have to humble ourselves and accept our mistakes and renounce our views. Do we do it? If we do so, the winds of new life and joy, harmony and reconciliation – the breath of the Spirit of the Risen Lord - will blow over our families and communities. 

5.  Response to God's Word

What are our present real or imaginary fears? For the sake of peace and harmony, do we humble ourselves to accept our mistakes and bad behaviour? Are we known as peacemakers or peace-breakers? Does our faith in the Risen Lord enable us to recognize his universal presence in people outside our ethnic group and accept the truth from any person of good will? If we nurse strong prejudices and misconceptions about others’ religion, race, caste, ethnic background, past mistakes and bad record, what does it show? Do our occasional doubts of faith finally lead us to a faith-surrender to accept Jesus as our Lord and God? What makes us look like dry bones, lacking vitality?

6.  A prayer

Jesus, my Lord and my God, I offer you all my real and imaginary fears and doubts of faith. Be my driving force when I am plagued with fear of the unknown. When you, the Risen Lord, are with me and for me, who or what can be against me? I believe that in all my fears, doubts and perils I am more than a conqueror through you who loves me. Breathe into me the fresh breath of the Holy Spirit and re-create me. Here am I; send me with the empowerment of your Spirit to continue your mission of building up peace, harmony and reconciliation. Amen.

EASTER SUNDAY (A)

 Easter Sunday (A) [Jn 20:1-9]

09.04.2023

The Discovery of the Empty Tomb and Faith in the Resurrection

Readings: (1) Acts 10:34.37-43 (2) Col 3:1-4

1.  Theme in brief:

Looking for the Risen Lord with an intensity of love and faith

2.  Focus Statement:

Each one of us can become the beloved disciple of the Risen Lord by the intensity of our love for him, which enables us to run faster for him than before, and recognize his powerful presence promptly in all situations.

3.    Explanation of the text

According to today’s gospel when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus early on the first day of the week, she found the stone of the tomb removed (20:1). Mary Magdalene’s discovery of the empty tomb and her observation of removal of the stone symbolize Jesus’ victory over the power of death and darkness (evil or satanic forces). She sets out to visit Jesus’ tomb “while it was still dark” (20:1). This symbolizes as the disciple who is in darkness, the one who lacks faith in the resurrection, going in search of the One who is the Light of the world. According to John a disciple is the one who constantly looks for or is in search of the Master. This is clear from the fact that Jesus asked the first two disciples (Andrew and his companion) who followed him because of the testimony of John the Baptist, “What are you looking for?” (1:38). Now Jesus asks the same question after his resurrection when he appears Mar Magdalene: “Woman…whom are you looking for” (20:15)? Here Mary Magdalene is depicted as a woman disciple who is constantly in search of the Master even after death. Obviously, she goes to the tomb of Jesus not to anoint his body (as Mk and Lk say), but in search of the one whom she loved most. Her loving devotion will be rewarded later on with the gift of a special appearance (20:14-15).

We need to carefully notice in today’s gospel text the characteristics of “the other disciple” or “the one whom Jesus loves” (20:2-4). He is never named. Many think he is the fourth evangelist (John) himself. Commentators call him the Beloved Disciple of the Lord. When he and Simon Peter hear the word from Mary Magdalene about the empty tomb, they run towards it. But the Beloved Disciple manages to outrun Peter in the race (20:4).  His exemplary love for Jesus motivates him to run faster for Jesus and his cause. As soon as he reaches the tomb, he peeps into it and sees the linen cloths lying on the ground without the body. He waits for Peter and allows him to go into the tomb first. When Peter sees the same thing what the other disciple saw, there is no immediate response or reaction from him. But when the Beloved Disciple goes in, he sees and believes promptly that Jesus has risen from the dead (20:9). Both of them see the same thing in the tomb (the linen wrappings lying there), but the Beloved Disciple sees the same thing with the eyes of faith and believes first ((20:8). The intensity of his love towards Jesus stimulates faith instantly.

The fourth evangelist here may be contrasting Peter’s denial (unfaithfulness) during Jesus’ passion to the faithfulness of the Beloved Disciple who stood by the cross till the last moment and was able to believe in the resurrection. By staying close to Jesus in his suffering he proves to be really the Beloved Disciple. Though many of us presume that this disciple is John himself, nowhere he is clearly identified. This Beloved Disciple seems to symbolize all the disciples of Jesus who are invited to become his beloved. He is presented as a model for all believers so that they can be first to love, first to recognize the Risen Lord in faith (“believe”) and first to remain faithful to him. He is also a model of arriving at faith in the resurrection without looking for physical proofs or spectacular miracles. Thus he is contrasted with Thomas who later doubted about the truth of resurrection and demanded dramatic proofs. In that place also the Risen Lord will re-emphasize the necessity of faith without seeking for miracles and visions, and declare people who arrive at such faith as “blessed” (20:29).

4.  Application to life                      

From today’s gospel text we come to know how three disciples of Jesus (Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciple) respond to the reality of the resurrection in three different ways. Mary Magdalene is presented as a faithful disciple who is constantly looking for (seeking after) the Master even after his death. She must have been shattered by the shameful death of her Master on the cross and must have felt emptiness within herself at such a loss. Not only that she experiences physical separation from Jesus who has touched her life so much, but also spiritual darkness – because she has not yet come to faith in the resurrection by which she can ‘see’ the presence of the Risen Lord in every dark moment of life. That is why she is presented as a disciple who is at a great loss and in utter darkness going in search of the Light of the Risen Lord. The discovery of the empty tomb symbolizes her own loss and emptiness first at the death of her Master which is now doubled at the loss of his body from the tomb. Like her, whenever we experience emptiness or meaninglessness of life we resemble that empty tomb. We expect God to take away our emptiness miraculously without any effort such as faithful and constant search for the Lord in faith after her example. When that does not happen we lose patience and dilute our faith in the Lord.

If our love and devotion for the Lord is as intense as Mary Magdalene, we get the strength to search for him even in dark moments of our life. Surely, he will reward our love and faith by assuring his mysterious presence even during “the dark night of our souls”. If we firmly believe that Jesus has risen indeed, we can see the presence of the One who is living everywhere and in every situation with the eyes of faith, even when we are walking in the valley of tears. The moment we allow evil forces (or forces of death) take control of us, we are cut off from our life’s source (God) and become a rudderless ship. Let us invoke the power of the Risen Lord in total faith so that he can remove this ‘stone’ (obstacle to faith) and give the strength to win a decisive victory over the forces of death. The celebration of the feast of Resurrection urges us to invoke the power of the Risen Lord over these forces so that we can win a victory of faith.

Secondly, we have Simon Peter who is presented as a disciple who is slower in believing than the Beloved Disciple. His relationship with the Master has undergone ups and downs. He is very much shattered for another reason – his failure as a leader. His cowardice has led him to deny his Master. But he does not stop running for the Lord along with the Beloved Disciple until he reaches the height of faithfulness. Is this not our story too? In spite of our occasional failures and unfaithfulness we are called to be another Peter; called not to lose hope and not to stop running for the Lord’s mission. We hope that one day we shall overcome like Peter…

Thirdly, we have an unnamed disciple called the Beloved Disciple. It looks as if Simon Peter and this disciple were engaged in a running competition on Easter morning. Of course, both of them were running for Jesus. But the Beloved Disciple was running faster than Peter. The reason is not that he was younger and could run faster. This running race symbolizes a disciple’s intense love for the Master and personal attachment to his cause, or it could symbolize a disciple’s eagerness to look for the Master in every situation of life. It is clear that Peter was not ‘running fast’ for Jesus from his past failure. Though we too are running, we do not run with full vigour and passion. Sometimes we do not know actually whom are we running for.  Where is the cause and finishing line? Each one of us is called to become a beloved disciple of the Lord by loving him with such intensity day after day that we can run faster for him than before with passion and devotion. Today, those of us who have gathered to celebrate the New Life of Jesus are invited to resolve to be more enthusiastic, zealous and committed to his cause.

Like the Beloved Disciple, if we love Jesus the most, we can recognize his glorious and powerful presence promptly with the eyes of faith in all situations, places and persons. Our dedicated love will lead us to recognize his love at work everywhere; in our family, community and society. Sometimes we do not know actually whom are we running for. While we do any dedicated service in family, society, workplace and the Church, if some opposition and criticism makes us give up our good work, then it is understood that we are not doing it for the Lord or out of love for him. It looks as if we are doing everything to please others and to get praise and honour for ourselves.

We normally believe and trust those people whom we love more. Similarly, if we love Jesus more than anything else, we shall trust him more and recognize his hidden presence even in unpleasant and bitter experiences. We trust that his presence is hidden in them because we love him. Loving him implies both intimacy with him through prayer, Word of God and sacraments, and also loving his values by practice. If there is love in our hearts, we do not require dramatic proofs or heavenly visions. We become blessed because we believe without seeing the Lord physically. We normally do not see the love of those who love us. However, we see the signs of love in their special concern for us. Through these signs we recognize their love only if we have a heart to see. 

5.  Response to God's Word

Do we firmly believe that life can emerge from empty tomb, and light can shine out of darkness? Can we see the signs of the Risen Lord’s presence in our lives? Does our intense love for Him stimulate us to love those whom he loves, namely, the needy and the lost sheep? Do we look for the Risen Lord in all situations, especially in dark moments of our life? Does it lead us to a greater faith-commitment? Do we also recognize the signs of his love expressed through the sacraments, especially thee Eucharist? Does it stimulate greater faith in us? Today the Church invites us to be the beloved disciples of the Risen Lord by a deeper love-relationship and faith-commitment. What is our response?

6.  A prayer

Risen Lord, grant that like Mary Magdalene, our love and devotion for you lead us to search for you even in dark moments of our life. Reward our love and faith by assuring your mysterious presence even when we walk through the dark tunnel and meaninglessness of our life. Iincrease our faith that we may recognize your powerful presence promptly with the eyes of faith in all situations, places and persons. May we become your beloved disciples by loving you with such intensity day after day that we can look for you and work for you with more enthusiasm and commitment than before. Grant that this intensity of love may lead us to recognize your love at work in our family, community and society. Amen.