Feeding is Divine!

After listening to the conversation between Jesus and Peter who were primarily close friends, I was tempted to verify how intimately men talk and move about in our society. We all know that women are from Venus, thus they are more emotional and verbal compared to ‘most men’, there are equal traits in Mars too. One such thing is called the American Man Hug. It has 4 steps: 1 Begin with a traditional firm handshake, 2. Keeping your hand clasped with your buddy, wrap the left arm around the shoulder of your friend, 3. Slap your friend’s back twice. The back slap is the key. Somehow hitting your friend makes the hug more manly. 4. Release embrace. The IPL in India could bring a shock to many international players as the Indian cricketers freely show how emotional they could become in front of 50,000 fans on the ground.

It is interesting to listen to stories of the past where the husbands met their wives for the 1^st time and how they got close to each other. It is also interesting to listen to stories of how one becomes a friend to someone. "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one." - C.S. Lewis. There were love at 1^st sight or murder at 1^st sight; there were murder at last sight or love at last sight. Some of the stories I heard from friends in our HFS written by those friends are so interesting even now to read them all!

There were many studies on the personality of Peter so far. One thing that is very central to our readings today is the life of Peter before and after Resurrection. During Advent we focus on Jesus’ coming thus prepare the way. During Lent we focus on the repentance. What do we exactly do during Easter Season? The best lesson is found in the person of Peter. As there are many changes in the resurrected body of Jesus, so also there are many changes in the lives of the Apostles and Peter being the team leader. Their whole attitude to life, their speech and action show a tremendous energy as if their bodies were resurrected. God didn’t just raise Jesus from the dead; God also raised the dead hopes, dead faiths and dead spiritualties of the friends of Jesus.

The commission of Jesus to Peter is to ‘feed the sheep’. The resources that have been given to Peter were rooted in his answer. This is a human promise and God decides to depend on our human promises. God is making the same mistake that he cautioned us about ‘Don’t put your trust in mortals’. There is a deeper level of commitment and service to people, family, our dear and near ones only when there is honesty in our love for God. The Church in all 2000 or more years taught the same lesson: God is love and love God and neighbor. The tending of sheep is so central to any Church leadership. Parents not only take oaths during the wedding: at the birth or baptism of their children they vow to be there for them in their high and lows, guiding them setting them examples.

Every Christian should be aware that all feeding in family or society is the result of our love for God. This feeding is free, unconditional, unlimited. Children need to see the generosity of parents! Parents pride themselves when their child shares things with others. We don’t want to see a selfish child, selfish society or a selfish church! We take part in the Resurrection of Jesus by feeding the sheep since that’s what God does. Remember the option is given to the 1^st question. If your answer is ‘yes’, there is no option this time; it is a command!

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Parangi Malai - Hippy Mountain!

Catholic Church has never been poor! Financially speaking we continue to have rich resources especially USA. This country and people have given so much for the growth of the church, expansion of mission, education, books, clothes etc. to find solidarity with the Universal church. There have been many abuses from individuals and also groups. People from affluent countries readily give without asking too many questions. One such case was this individual who claimed he is the bishop of India and looted a lot of money from rich countries. People don’t deal with minute details of the ministry or people since they are concerned with the giving aspect of it! When I was the bursar for the Indian MSC establishment, I have been always taught to ‘respect the intension of the donor’.

There are a few historical references to Thomas being involved in missionary activities in Persia and India. India is diverse and every state is like a separate country so often not connected; if connected it is by English language or a moderate Hindi especially in the Northern part. Thomas came to India, as the tradition claims when there was no concept of India as a unified country as we see now. He was sent to a small section of high caste Hindus and was chased out by the local kings. The tradition says he was killed at Mylapore and the place is still called St. Thomas Mount. Funnily enough St. Thomas Mount is translated even today as ‘Hippy Mountain’. Was he a hippy? There have been some attempts recently by the Catholic Church who have the Archdiocese and the Cathedral named after Santhome to change the Hippy Mount to St. Thomas Mount.

The point to remember here is the mind-set of the people: When Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas too his own time in confessing ‘My Lord and my God’ and when Thomas was killed the Christians later took their own time to confess the same ‘My Lord and my God.’ This Thomas took with him his inquisitive mind, clear thinking, logical perception and a mathematical analysis of a situation. From experience we learn he was a man of clarity. He not only took the blame for all of us that our doubt is cleared once and for all; he took that quality with him wherever he was. He preached the gospel to the nations with this clarity so all could understand with clarity.

Mary showed the same kind of clarity, Zachariah, Moses, Abraham, almost all the persecuted prophets, almost all the founders of religious orders, almost all the church leaders simply because we represent a larger community. Our clarity should necessarily bring order and peace, harmony and justice to a larger community. A divorced person should never corrupt the mind of young people talking ill about the Sacrament of Matrimony! An ex-priest on the ills of priesthood! Your individual experiences might differ but that is not the world order! Advertisements and other media portray our values and principles as outdated, morality as archaic, marriage as the choice of cowards, priesthood as escape from the Real world! We don’t have to follow sick people and get sick – ‘an eye for an eye make the world go blind.’

This man ran away from Mount Calvary and he became blind to the Lord and God in Jesus. It is the compassion of God that gave him another chance. Thomas empowered by the Holy Spirit would never lose the second chance. He would hold fast to that chance all his life. He would fill the void of his faith and raise a St. Thomas Mount. It is not a hippy mountain, and ours is not a hippy church!

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Easter: a time to look back at the empty cross and the empty tomb!

We’ve just been to a funeral and cried bitterly. My last bitter cry was at the funeral of my granny. I was her favorite grandchild, not that I am the only child to my parents! Part of the reason was my eyes and appearance that I inherited from my Grandfather. I have often seen people cry in funerals. I still can remember how my dad cried. We normally don’t spend too much time crying over the loss, rather we spend a lot of time in cherishing the moments we lived with him/her. The blood-filled cross and the occupied tomb though initially brought fear among the friends; they gave them hope that resurrection is imminent.

Many of you would have watched the movie ‘Avatar’ by now! The central theme of the life in planet Pandora brings out many of the Eastern concepts originating from – in my opinion – Hinduism and Buddhism mainly. The centrality of the Tree and its roots inter-twined with rest of creation is so natural without which the community is found in chaos and utter confusion. Trees are so central to any civilization. Jews put them right in their 1^st chapter. Man was put along with trees to learn the basics. Buddha’s enlightenment was under a tree. Every Hindu traditional house is decorated with Basil plant and other trees as to their convenience and keeping to their religious beliefs.

Cross is one such tree like the one in Avatar: a tree that intimately draws everyone to itself thus a unifying force to connect us together. We feel a spiritual sensation when we gaze at the cross that it pulls us towards God and neighbor. Jesus’ resurrected body is rooted on the sinful body with pain and suffering. In other words, Jesus’ resurrection is rooted on the Cross.

If patience is Cross; happy marriage is resurrection. If forgiveness is Cross; intimacy and happy friendship is resurrection. If studying is Cross; passing, earning money is resurrection. Rules and regulations are cross, secured life, happy homes are resurrection. Commitments, faithfulness, love are all often seen as crosses. We want God to bless our family, give us everything, take care of us, but we don’t want to practice any religion. We want Easter, but we don’t want Good Friday. Maximize pleasure, minimize pain is always been our motive in life. Couch potatoes with multi-tasking are the growing trend today. Multi-screen viewing is following rapidly.

Jesus wants his disciples not to just experience the joy of Easter, rather the responsibility and accountability with which he carried the Cross. He wants all the run-away disciples to assemble for a just cause; more people to carry his cross, wipe his face; more to be at his side and beneath the Cross. Jesus’ own funeral was empty with loneliness and defeat; thus in His resurrection He brings people together.

The first tree that was planted in the middle of Garden Eden opened their eyes – the tree of life and death. Here the second tree is planted in the middle of Church opens our hearts – the tree of Death and Resurrection. Every time we are prepared to ‘die’ for our values, principles, religious sentiments, love, faith and hope, we are actually given the hope of Resurrection. Resurrection is a reward for those who chose this tree – a great life of love and service. Is this love free? Does this Resurrection come with no price tag? Think again!

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