Humility is a forgotten virtue!

Once I was travelling in Europe and I asked my friend “what is so special about your country?” and he said in reply, “Food”. It is hard to come up with anything worthwhile apart from infra-structures, the haves and have not’s when talking about countries. We all are proud of our country. The road-system in USA is the best that I have seen anywhere in the world! The educational policy is the most expensive compared to any other country. But who are we? What do others think of us? How do we project ourselves to us and others? “Americans who travel abroad for the 1st time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages” (Dave Barry) or is it true that “When good Americans die they go to Paris” (Oscar Wilde).

Humility is the forgotten virtue in most societies in our modern world. In the 1st reading today, we heard about Wisdom drawing all the simple people. The simple always enjoy the fruits of wisdom. The meat and wine are not the ordinary meal of the people, they symbolize a feast. Tagore, the poet who wrote the Indian national anthem, once said, ‘We come nearest to the great when we are in great humility’.

Many of us think that intelligence is wisdom or intelligence is the by-product of wisdom. Though intelligence gives us the ability to share what we know in different formats, Wisdom is the holistic ability to grasp knowledge that is valuable to our lives. This is what the Upanishads call Vidya. Vidya is the knowledge of the Brahman. In other words, those who possess wisdom speak the language of God. Avidya the ignorance takes us away from the light and we are termed ignorant. We just have the intellectual capacity to read and write.

The past three Sundays have brought in the concept of bread and Jesus being our flesh. In John’s Gospel this theme is very central to the teachings of Jesus. In the Prologue of John, we hear that the Word was made flesh. What would we say when asked, ‘why?’ Why was the Word made flesh? The Word was made flesh so that we may have life and that life in fullness. God spoke through his Son Jesus (Heb 1:1). Think of a world where the Word still remains Word. Think of the Wisdom that never called us to come and dine! Think of a God who never came in search of us!

The Greek word ‘to eat’ here has a real urgency and munching connotation. It is urgent that we eat this flesh in order to live. It is not a casual breakfast that we eat after mass or funnel cake after a meal! Have you ever experienced real hunger or real thirst? Have you seen anyone who eats when hungry or drinks when thirsty? Why? It is the issue of life and death. My body needs it. In the same way our life needs this food.

The Word became flesh. It is not right now to say ‘let us make this flesh words, words, words. That’s what we do when we are so filled with pride and arrogance. Word becoming flesh is the humility of God in action. Take this, eat and drink – God’s humility in action that is remembered day after day. If the all powerful El Shaddai, the God of the universe could come to our heart in a thin, round unleavened wafer, why do we blind others of our pride and arrogance and pretend to be someone we are not? Christians who eat that flesh necessarily live out that humility by clearly witnessing the primacy of God in our lives. Humility is a solid foundation to all our virtues (Confucius). Let us pray that we witness God’s humility in all our words and actions. Amen.

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God is for us!

There is an old Hindu story told of a monk who was set out to journey a long distance. He had a small bag with him to carry basic things. When the evening fell, the monk decided to rest in an inn on the way. A thief also stayed in the same inn. The thief noticed the monk had a bag with him and in that bag there is a big diamond. He tried to steal the diamond that night. The monk realized the intention of the thief and called him near and readily gave the diamond to the thief. The thief took the diamond and ran off. After a few days, the thief realized that he made a mistake. He searched for the monk and asked him one more thing: “Dear monk! I don’t want this diamond anymore, but please give me your generous heart.”

Most often we don’t ask questions like: What is the purpose of my life? We all want to live. This want is most often selfish in many ways. A survey tells us that nearly 68% men work more than 40 hours a week. 62% work on weekends. The demands are such that we have to struggle to get both our ends meet. I can’t attend mass because I don’t get what I want here. If God can offer 30 or 40 dollars a mass I will readily come for the mass. The book A Nation of Wimps states that “Using the classic benchmarks of adulthood – leaving home, finishing school, getting a job, getting married, and having children – it has been found that 65% of males had reached adulthood by the age of 30 in 1960. By contrast, in 2000, only 31% had. Most self-help books teach us to live for ‘myself’ and ‘my success.’ Christians are not formed that way. If happiness if our goal, where do we find it?

Will you be happier if you make more money? Researches show that people in rich countries are not happier than those in poorer ones. No significant difference can be found between the happiness of the millionaires on the Forbes list with the Maasai herdsmen in East Africa. “The Annual poll by the University of CA and the American Council on Education found that entering freshmen rated becoming “very well off financially” first on a list of 19 goals, ahead of choices such as helping others, raising a family or becoming proficient in an academic pursuit” (Alison Grant for SunHerald.com)

Since every family is different it is good to ask what kind of family do we really want to be? What do we want to be remembered by? It is not enough for Christians to know you by your name. The people who murmured against Jesus did not know anything about Jesus except his parents’ name. Jesus opens his heart and reveals them who he really is. That is possible only in intimacy and love. Every bishop and priest takes on the responsibility with a mission statement. My ordination card carried my mission statement as “Through Him, with Him and in Him” all my days. Since we are all made for a mission to love, every family should sit together and spend some time on its own mission statement.

The celebration of the Eucharist witnesses the opening of the Tabernacle. Every consecration clearly states Jesus telling us “Take and eat; take and drink”. In the same way the Christians participate in opening our own tabernacles – our hearts to God and others. Every encounter with God necessarily makes us generous with love and compassion. If Christ can give his body and blood to the whole world, we can give our love at least to a few.

Someone said, God writes a lot of comedy… the trouble is, he is stuck with many bad actors who don’t know how to play funny. Our tabernacles are locked for a very long time. The locks are rusted and we have lost the keys to open them. The purpose of our existence is to live God and love God and others. We are created for a single purpose – to love. Every intake of the bread of life nourishes the love within us.

For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. (Col 1:16) Let us pray that we find our life’s worth in Him and continue to live for God since God lives for us. Amen.

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Filling and fulfilling

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983. His fan asked: 'Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease'? To this Arthur Ashe replied: 'The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'. And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?'

The parish register tell us that we have about 3600 families: even an average of 3 would take us to 10000. A website gives us a calculation that 52% of the people of Nazareth are Catholics. In truth we can say it is 20%. If we exclude the people who cannot come to the church for health reasons, and with 4 masses each Sunday we should at least have 2500 people in church. The chosen are 250. All hunger is not the same: there is hunger from relief from boredom, hunger for affection, hunger for a way to relieve anger or sadness, a hunger for a way to deal with loneliness or stress or a hunger for stimulation. How many reach semis and finals in experiencing God’s love – a bunch of men in black (church guys) and a few others?

If ‘Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread’ (D T Niles), why are there no beggars found here? If Holy Eucharist is the mode of communication, what do we actually communicate to God? Gimme-gimme attitude of us filled and still filling our stomachs. Visits to Holy shrines and pilgrimages are made most often to get something. God help my dog! God help my cat! – these are comparatively more in requests than – Lord! Teach me how to love.

What is filling us? Most often we are like the husband in the movie Fireproof – Dad! Don’t give me lessons on God. A man is given a 40 days lesson to get back his wife. The parasites – the addictions in other things blinds us to see love. God does not need 40 days. Try an act of kindness, a little love shown in listening to our son, daughter or parents or grandparents, a smile that comes from the heart – you are back on. God is a God of small things.

Our bishop in his mission statement includes ‘mission in holiness’. That necessarily brings in our participation. If we are part of Christ’s body, our face should be in the body and blood of Jesus. It is not enough to say Jesus is the bread of life – Our Christian commitment is the ability to proclaim that we are that bread. Our aim is not just filling the stomach; it is fulfilling God’s love. We are what we eat! We become what we eat.

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” (Mother Teresa). Children need to be fed. No parent would say ‘God has given me kids to feed, feed and feed’. As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. Children are given too many choices and one of them is God. God is not a choice. God values us. We undervalue God. Here, all kneeling counts, all words are heard and every heart is embraced. I am bread for others just as Jesus is bread for us all.
Amen.
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Shepherds without sheep?

A local priest and pastor stood by the side of the road. Doing their good deed for the day, they were holding up a sign that said, “The End is near! Turn yourself around now before it’s too late!” They planned to hold up the sign as a warning to each passing car.

“Leave us alone you religious nuts!” yelled the first driver who sped by. From around the curve they heard a big splash. “Do you think,” said one clergy to the other, “we should just hold up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?” (Rib Tickler)

We have been reflecting lately on various Christian roles such as Prophet and Missionary. Today the readings talk authoritatively on being a shepherd. There is a tendency in today’s church to copy the ideas of companies, and pastors try to become CEOs. There was a cartoon in New Yorker recently that portrayed a man standing before a flock of sheep. He is dressed in a cap, windbreaker, slacks and shoes ill suited for the task, and carries a briefcase. He says, “Your shepherd Louie has retired. I m Mr. Smathers. I will be your grazing-resource coordinator and flock welfare and security manager.”

Karl Rahner: Holy priest is neither a mere religious functionary nor an overly zealous fanatic. He is not bitter in spite of the true bitterness of human existence. He does not try to escape into neurotic extravagancies. He is able to persevere patiently with God and to accept from Him his vocation to follow Christ as a priest without demanding the same thing from everyone else. He knows how to give things up, pure and simple, without tarnishing his relationship to the world.

People leave the church, priests leave priesthood but Church goes on. Challenges of priesthood are numerous as the society becomes more materialistic and spirituality becomes a business that could be bargained with a 100 dollar bill. Most often people leave on account of not getting much out of an individual (a priest!) or confused ideologies that conflicts with what we believe to be right. It is like getting a divorce! What guarantee could you give that you will live happily with the second spouse! Second divorce rates are 75% or more.

Priesthood needs to constantly look for the deserts – day offs, simply because it re-creates a person to serve better and to relate better.

Compassion is the one of the best ways through which priesthood is realized. Every parent shares the responsibility of priesthood and compassion is an integral part in playing that role. If you can’t shepherd your own child or children who would shepherd them? They will be like sheep without shepherd. Parents are not CEOs of families. There is a heart element so primary to parenting. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Take the age of your children – say 20. How about tuning yourself 20 times better in loving, accepting and understanding. And children – how about tuning 20 times more careful next time with your words and behavior.

It is our baptismal call that we take part with Jesus in his roles as Priest, King and Prophet. Parenting symbolizes God’s love for the people. When was the last time I wanted to understand my Son or Daughter? When was the last time I wanted to understand my Dad or Mom? Is it right to say sheep without shepherds or Shepherds without sheep?

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Are you still packing?

As a young seminarian I was asked to go the airport in Bangalore to pick up a Missionary from Australia. Since he was coming in to help in our formation program I thought it is good to take someone with me to the airport as there would be bags to carry. To my surprise that Missionary came out with a tiny little bag carrying his habit and a few personal things. It is a great challenge today that Missionaries need more than 1 hour to pack their things to get to their next assignments.

Since the missionary activity of the church is shared by all it is necessary to reflect about the things that rule our lives. Rosary and adoration and other pious practices in the church are still eye-openers to most youth today. ‘The practices that our ancestors practiced 1000 years ago’ and looking at grandma praying the rosary the youth go all the way in asking ‘what are you doing?’. There are many husbands who love their apple computer more than their wives and children. There are wives spend more time on food channel than watching their children browsing the net for jackpots.

Food, clothing, money are all indispensible to every human being. They are preceded by the authority given to us by God to be missionaries of God’s love. Food, clothing and money can be used in our mission to bring people to God and to one another – most of our missionary activities to the poor countries were based on these sources. Expecting that our missionary activities are going to be a success is also a pitfall where most missionaries fall and get frustrated. We have to remember that almost all the prophets (who were primarily missionaries) had a bad ending!

It is so easy to believe the false assumptions and complex confusions of Da Vinci Code, The Secret or The Prayer of Jabez and other works of Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan and Karen Armstrong rather than believing in simple truths such as: God trusts us and gives us the authority for this noble task of sharing God’s love with one another. Jesus had a humble beginning, cruel start, tough job, terrible suffering and the worst kind of death – he did not look for his resources from his divine power. Most often we see people divinizing the earthly resources and worshipping them. We need more emphasis on following Jesus rather than worshipping Jesus.

If God wants you to be a missionary what would you take with you? Your computer! Your iPod! Your iPhone? How often we think of taking our family values and have a positive thinking that God is for us, who can be against us? Where would you go? A place of your interest? What would you preach or live? We are given the authority to live fully human and fully alive. Now! Think that everyone of you is being sent today by God with authority to your families. Let us renew our commitments in God as missionaries of His love.

Are you still packing?

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Prophets are challenged!

It is amazing to see how enormous the influence of prophets in Semitic religions is namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Our faith is based on the inspiration from Torah, Bible or Koran. We learn all that God is through the Scriptures and all that knowledge have come from a Prophet at some period in History. Even though other important religions boast of themselves as not founded by any prophets, the Scriptures were written by those inspired men who in Semitic language are called ‘The Prophets’. In our Catholic Tradition, apart from the Historical books and wisdom literature the rest of the OT were written by a definite prophet or the literatures attributed to their names.

A prophet is given the gift of prophecy by God. This gift includes the power and authority of God. Many a times the prophets are associated with the governing office of the Church but in truth it is not so. Almost all the prophets got into trouble for preaching and living God’s word. Though Jesus says the he was not accepted in Nazareth, in truth he was killed in JRS which is not his birth place. The reason for their suffering is being a ‘thorn in the flesh’ to the people and authorities. This compulsion comes from their conviction that the people should be given an opportunity to see the face and heart of God.

We see different people here: normal and abnormal, family and single, divorced, widowed and people who are in grave sin and normal people with normal life. All have our own psychological needs. People who approach this part of the Liturgy (The Liturgy of the Word) with only 40% of us can name more than 4 of the 10 commandments; only 50% of us know the Gospel writers; 12% believe Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife and 75% of us believe that the Bible teaches that ‘God helps those who help themselves’, when in fact Ben Franklin said this. (Bill McKibben) and similar intellectual challenges, Prophets are challenged!

Liturgy of the Word is just one area of ministry in the life of a prophet. Prophets are stage performers making you laugh or entertained with how much they know, rather they are commissioned by God to break your stony hearts and give you a heart of flesh. A performer makes the people happy; an intellectual makes them think; actors keep the people entertained, teachers make the students to practice but prophets reconcile us with God by fearlessly proclaiming their sins and calls us to a life with God through the prophet’s own exemplary life.

Being a Prophet is our primary call as chosen people of God. How do we witness a prophet? How do we see a prophet in today’s conditions? Are we guided by the Spirit to witness the prophet and see the need to acknowledge prophets in our living surroundings? If we acknowledge a prophet, do we pay full attention to his message by taking his message to our hearts?

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Get up now!

We see different kinds of deaths: natural deaths, suicides, death by killing, accidents and also voluntary deaths. More and more we are convinced that we are punished, deserted, rejected and abandoned by God. Death shakes the sense of meaning in life. Why do I still live? – my mother is dead or my father is dead, or my child is dead.

In anger and depression we feel, “God’s voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects. Nobody wanted God in a box, just in a book. Especially an expensive one bound in leather with gilt edges or was that guilt edges?” (Shack P 66).

We are convinced that life is our right, something that belongs to us and something we are entitled for. Every relationship that we make on earth has been known to God first. God has written forward page or a preface or an acknowledgement even before we start writing our books of relationships. Parents pride themselves of being there for their children from the beginning – God was there for eternity before you ever saw your children. We all owe our existence to God.

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live (Norman Cousins). If a child of twelve could make a great impact on the hearts of Jairus, his family and Jesus’ inner circle of friends, it is nothing but glorifying God. If our deaths have the power to glorify God, how much more our lives have power to do so! Greatest love shown on a dead body is not so much of a detached drops of tears, official handshakes or expensive black fashion show on the funeral, rather an honest gratitude to God for the life of the deceased and a silent meditation on how the deceased taught you the lesson of life.

It is never too late. Every parent should leave back a lesson to their children especially our modern world needs funerals filled with faith and love. Before someone fools you and others, thinking that they can fool God in the name of Eulogy, have a go with your own eulogy. What have I lived for so far? Let your closest friend or spouse write your eulogy while you are alive – then you know what is expected of you!

All those who just saw the dead body of the little girl were sent out or thrown out of the room, but the people who saw and believed that Jesus has something to do with the life of the girl were invited to the room. Let that be a point of reference for all those who come for funeral and all those getting ready for the funeral. “Talitha Koum” is an invitation to a life with Christ. Get up now!

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The Sleep of God!

In May 2008, a 98 year old Polish lady Irena Sendler died. She worked as plumber during WW II for the Nazis. The history tells us that she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 children before she got caught by the Nazis that they broke both her legs and her arms and beat her severely.

Every time we choose safety, we reinforce fear (Cheri Huber). We always tend to believe that God is absent in the violent squall and waves breaking over out boat. We read in the Creation story that God rested on the 7th day. God was not tired; it was not a rest of inactivity – the 7th day was made holy by God so that we respect and appreciate God’s creation and creative power. Every attempt to respect and safeguard creation we participate God’s creative power and we become co-creators with God.

In the same way, Jesus’ sleep was of prime importance like the 7th day rest. The violent squall and waves and other disturbances didn’t actually spoil his sleep, rather the phobia - the unwanted fear that disturbed Jesus from his sleep. There are different kinds of fear that haunt us in our lives: the fear of death, fear of pain, the fear of punishment.

Infants up to 2 years undergo the fear of falling, loud noises, and strangers.
Toddlers up to 3 years undergo loud noises, flushing the toilets, dogs and other animals.
Preschoolers up to 5 years undergo fear of monsters, imaginary creatures, getting lost, the dark, insects, thunder and lightning, injury, shots.
Early school age children up to 10 years, undergo fear of burglars, divorce, tornadoes, hurricanes, injury, being bullied, losing a parent.

As adults we have outgrown at least most of them. Now we are adults. We need to fight against or outgrow the great fears of our culture: fear of faithlessness, godlessness, mythical world of media, fashions of living together, modern hippy culture of disrespecting parents, elders and our Patriotic sprits.

God gave us the potentials and powers to take care of us and the creation. Why do we still trouble him in his ‘sleep’? That sleep is the Opened Heart of Christ. The more we feel let down or rejected by God, the more his heart comes powerfully on us. In our faithlessness, we project our own sleepy faiths on to the Heart of God.
Is Jesus sleeping or my faith is sleeping?
If Jesus’ sleep is disturbed by these fears – let him be disturbed

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8th Grade Graduation

Think of the very first day at Holy Family School – the anxiety, the dream, the surprises and ambitions. This day is certainly different in some sense but the same in other sense. It is the same because your next venture is still clouded with anxiety, dreams, surprises and ambitions. It is different because your anxieties have been changed into a sense of achievement, and your dreams are made reality and your surprises and ambitions are accompanied by the wealth of gratitude to God and people at school.

President Obama spoke to the graduates in Notre Dame, “Your class has come of age at a moment of great consequence for our nation that require that we remake our world to renew its promise; that we align our deepest values and commitments to the demands of a new age. It is a privilege and a responsibility afforded to few generations - and a task that you are now called to fulfill.”

“That’s it young lady, your grounded! No TV! No Computer! No IPod! No Mobile Phone!” But Mom, I can’t live without those things.” When you get home from school what do you do? In the last 20 years technology has come very far and has become even more popular to the youth today. Approximately 90% of youth use computers, and 59% of them are online. With the world at their finger tips, the youth of today rely on technology too much.

An average teacher wants to see you get through your exams; a good teacher wants to see you being successful in life; a very good teacher wants to see you what you do with the education that you got from them; and a great teacher want to see you when others see you a source of education – a place where people can learn the lessons to not just success but true happiness. George Santayana said, “A child educated only at school is an uneducated child.” You can get all the A’s and still flunk life.

You walk out of Holy Family with a rich background of the synthesis of all those significant people in your life at this stage. Your parents, your teachers and friends shaped you and molded you to who you are today for a bigger stage. Every step you take from now on will have imprints on all the hard works and sacrifices of all those significant people in your life. I hope you still remember the four areas of challenges that we talked about on Saturday – those dark areas could be tackled only by the light of enlightenment that you received from these significant people in your life.

Like the moon that depends on the light from the Sun, we all need the light from God to be the same light for others. So as Robert Frost would say, you have miles to go and promises to keep. Don’t let pride rule you, your good looks deceive you, your tiny brains fool you, rather let God put you on top. It is God who wants you to be the light and salt. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere. Amen.

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Father, Son and Spirit are relational terms!

Hinduism claims many deities, ranging from 1,000 to 33 million gods... but all of them are just manifestations or symbols of the only God Brahman. Brahma is like the Father, the creator, the cosmic mind. Brahma has only one temple dedicated to him in India. Vishnu is like the Son, Jesus Christ, the preserver, the cosmic lord... with 9 reincarnations (Kalki is yet to come), Shiva is like the Holy Spirit, destroyer of the bad things to renew the universe, the transcendent Godhead. Together they are called Sat-Chit-Ananda: In them are found the fullness of truth, wisdom and happiness.

Explaining the Trinity is often forwarded by ‘It is a mystery’ and followed by the story of the boy at the seaside with his bucket. Many even advised children not to pray to the Trinity, since Trinity is an idea of a concept.

The word ‘Trinity’ is not found in the Creed which we profess week by week. But it is altogether Trinitarian in structure. Christian faith is Trinitarian faith. Christian life is Trinitarian life. And Christian spirituality is Trinitarian spirituality (Michael Downey).

We use a language to express ourselves. If that is insufficient we express ourselves otherwise through body language, gesture, our clothing and the rings we wear. We speak through the glance of an eye that comforts or condemns, through dance, ritual, celebration, touch, and kiss and sometimes we speak in action too. Throughout our lives, we are expressing. God expresses most directly in Jesus the Christ
The Father speaks a Word, and his name is Jesus Christ, the Son since God by nature is expressive with his love and life. Jesus is the communication of God. But speaking is not possible without a breath. Indeed, speaking and breathing are inherently related. In Word and Spirit, God is speaking and breathing the divine life in the world. This is the way God loves us and gives us everything thus drawing us closer to the circle of love.

God is not turned in; nor is God the Supreme Being in self-imposed, self-selecting, blissful isolation. God’s very life is expressive, ecstatic, and fecund. ‘Father’, ‘Son’ and ‘Spirit’ are names that designate relationships rather than who God is in God’s fullness. All the three names emerge in relation to one another and to us. Calling God ‘Father’ is a way of naming our relationship to God, a way of responding to the gift of Love expressed in the Word who is the Son of the Father, breathing life and love in the Spirit.

Trinity teaches us the lesson loving relationship in unity and peace. It calls for action on issues of social justice since the equality is the mainstream of the relationship.

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