7th Ordinary Sunday (Cycle C)

1Sam 26:2,7-9,12-13,22-23            1Cor 15:45-49            Lk 6:27-38

Once upon a time in an Eastern city there was a riot. The people were hungry and blamed the Caliph. When he rode through the streets of the city some of the citizens mobbed him; and one man more desperate than the rest, caught him by the beard but was saved by the guard. Later, order was restored, food distributed, and the discontent subsided; but a shopkeeper named Hassan sought to curry favour with the Caliph by telling him of the name of the man who had pulled him by the beard. The man’s name was Khasim. The Caliph sent for him. Khasim arrived at the palace trembling with fear. He threw himself at the Caliph’s feet, begging for mercy. But the Caliph said: Get up Khasim. I did not send for you to punish you, but to warn you that Hassan is a bad neighbour; for he it was who told me that you were my chief assailant in the riot. Go in peace, and never trust a tale-bearer!

We can trust the enemies but not the betrayers or tale-bearers. Therefore, Benjamin Franklin said: An open foe may prove a curse, but a pretended friend is worse. In today’s gospel, Jesus advices us to love our enemies, which is a unique teaching of Christ. Some say that Jesus is asking too much. Jesus throws before us a teaching which is so challenging and not that easy to follow. His teaching stands opposed to the usual human behaviours. He tells us to offer ourselves again to those who offend us, to allow ourselves to be taken advantage by those who strongly hurt us and still not to judge them.

As adviced by Jesus in today’s gospel, to love the enemies and not to judge others are not two different teachings which follows one after another, but one and the same teaching which is closely interconnected. St Mother Teresa used to say: If you judge people, you will have no time to love them. One of the main reasons we quickly hate our enemies is because we judge them wrongly without giving sufficient time to understand them and their background or situation. Therefore, persons turn out to be enemies for us in our mindset and in our thinking pattern. Jesus’ strong belief is that when a chance is given to them by way of an expression of love, change could happen in their hearts towards a positive understanding of us.

What does Jesus mean when He commands us to love our enemies, and to do good to them? It does not mean that we have to throw our arms around our enemy when we meet him or her. It does not mean that we may not use legal means to get back what has been unjustly taken from us. Rather, it means that much of what we consider the work of an enemy is imagination, or that a little thoughtlessness is blown up into a big insult. Further, even when we are positively sure of an evil intention we must forgive. An example to it, we see in today’s first reading: Even after being aware of the evil intention of Saul, David did not kill his enemy Saul even when he had an opportunity for that. That was the great heart of David to untouch the Lord’s anointed. David still valued the anointment in his enemy Saul who was with evil intention.

There is a general conception among many that human beings are hard hearted and stubborn, that they lack softness in accepting those who have offended them. But God did not create a stony heart which is unflexible. There are many stories which echo the union of two hearts which have been ripped apart due to hurt feelings. One such best story is found in the old testament, which is about the beautiful reunion of Esau with his younger brother Jacob.

Esau was the first born of Issac. He had the right for the first blessing from his father Issac. According to the Israelites tradition, it was his birth right as the first born. But taking advantage of his father’s physical blindness, cunningly, his younger brother Jacob stole the first blessing which was the due of Esau. Because of which, Jacob had to earn the vengeance of his elder brother Esau and therefore, he escaped from his sight to a far away place. After many years, it happened that Jacob had a wonderful chance to meet his elder brother Esau face to face at Peniel. Though Jacob was afraid to meet his brother, Esau on seeing his brother Jacob, ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they both wept (cf. Gen 33:4). During that lovable encounter, Jacob said to Esau: truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God since you have received me with such favour (Gen 33:10). This is the fruit of turning our adversaries into allies. Turning foes into friends will manifest the face of God in one’s own face index.

Jesus asks a very pertinent question in the gospel: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? … If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? (Lk 6:32,33). Anything that is repaid or done in return is of no credit to us. To act extraordinary is only by giving and receive nothing. Loving an enemy is of such a stand but difficult. Love can increase only when hatred decreases.

Here are a few ways we can follow the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

- Pray for the person you think has offended you.

- Ask God to forgive that person like Jesus prayed to the heavenly Father to forgive His persecutors on the cross: Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Lk 23:34).

- Ask God to help you forgive.

- Ask God to help you find some way to prove that you have forgiven that person.

- Think of some way of communicating with your so-called enemy – a smile, a greeting, a note, a phone call, even some big or little act of kindness.

These are a few little possible suggestions we can attempt to do. But more than these, Jesus instruction invites us to go for a more radical and extraordinary way of loving our enemy. Here is an incident from history to motivate us.

During the Revolutionary War in America during the 18^th century, Peter Miller was the pastor of a little Baptist Church in Pennysylvania. Near the church lived a man who constantly criticized and abused Miller and his congregation. At a particular moment, this critic was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death by General George Washington. As soon as the sentence was pronounced Peter Miller set out on foot to appeal to General George Washington for his enemy’s life. When Washington replied that he could not grant his appeal for his friend, Miller exclaimed: My friend! Why, he is the worst enemy I have. “What, you have walked sixty miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in a different light. Pardon is granted” declared Washington. Pardon in hand, Miller hurried to the place of execution, fifteen miles away. He arrived just as the traitor was being led to the scaffold. Noticing Miller, the condemned man shouted: There is old Peter Miller. He came to get his revenge by seeing me hanged. Miller stepped forward and gave him his pardon, signed by Washington. As Jesus desired, there are many Peter Millers in the human history. Now the question to you is: Are you one of them?

5th Ordinary Sunday (Cycle C)

Is 6:1-2,3-8              1Cor 15:1-11              Lk 5:1-11

On 6 January 2001, at the beginning of the new millennium, St John Paul II, issued the apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, in which, at the very beginning of the apostolic letter, he recalls the words of Jesus Christ which we heard in today’s gospel passage: put out into the deep (Lk 5:4). St John Paul II says that these words of Jesus invite us to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence. The simple reflection elaborated here is: the fishermen remembered their past catch of fish with gratitude, and enthusiastically followed the words of Jesus and casted their nets at that moment, and they got a good catch of fish which was an outcome of their futuristic confidence amidst their prior frustration of no catch the whole previous night. A similar attitude and disposition are needed in our lives.

The encounter of Jesus and that incidental experience made a deep impact in Peter, where he realized his unworthiness in being near Jesus. Therefore, he said: Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man! (Lk 5:8). This link from today’s gospel text synchronizes with the other two readings of today. Prophet Isaiah and St Paul, too expressed their unworthiness. All the three were able to see their own past and were realizing their unworthiness in being the servants of the Lord. They were also confident to follow the Lord to work for the kingdom of God. This is the beauty of God’s ways: He calls the unworthy and makes them worthy.

As highlighted by St John Paul II in his apostolic letter, the strong instructive words of Jesus: put out into the deep (Lk 5:4) should reverberate in our mind. These words invite us to travel deeper within, for a deeper search. It is a call towards an inward journey, to find the beauty of God’s image and likeness that dwells within us. Like the good amount of fish that stayed beneath the sea waters, our real beauty rests deep within us. We should make efforts to dive into our inner selves beyond the outer shell of our unworthiness to get hold of the good wonder that is within.

Jesus, by profession was not a fisherman. But Peter and his companions were experienced fishermen. Still they were unable to make their livelihood inspite of their whole effort throughout the previous night. The inclusion of Jesus in their company made all the difference which they have never experienced before. It was a new experience for them in their profession of fishing because the gospel text tells us: they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink (Lk 5:6-7).

When we try to search for something precious trusting in our human efforts alone without the divine support, the effort may lead to futility. But with divine support, the precious is reacheable in great amount. This applies to our search for our own beautiful selves which is covered under our outer shell of impurity and unworthiness. Peter consciously felt the greatness of Jesus. He did not see him as a wonder worker or a miracle performer. Rather, he saw the divinity in Jesus Christ which made him to utter: I am a sinful man! (Lk 5:8). During the Holy Eucharist, we are before the divine sanctuary of the Lord which should drive us to realize our unworthiness and should instigate us to move towards holiness like Peter.

Again, the words: put out into the deep (Lk 5:4) of our Lord Jesus Christ is an invitation not only just to realize our unworthiness within, but also an invitation to find our real call and purpose of life. In the popular spiritual book, The Purpose Driven Life, the author Rick Warren writes: You are not an accident. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it… Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents were good, bad, or indifferent. God knew that those two individuals possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the custom “you” he had in mind. They had the DNA God wanted to make you. While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegimate children. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they not unplanned by God. God’s puspose took into account human error, and even sin.

Emphatically, Rick Warren writes in the very first chapter of that book: The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfilment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.

This applies in the case of Peter. The real miracle in the gospel text is not the good catch of fish, rather Peter’s catch of his own purpose to follow the Lord. Therefore, he left everything and followed the Lord. Most often the time we set apart for our personal prayers, recollections and retreats remain to be superficial and does not transform into a real soul-searching exercise. In Peter’s case, so far, what remained to be a superficial search, turned out to be a deeper search. He was able to go deep within himself to find his call. To our astonishment, as an eventuality, he was the first supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church, that is, the first shepherd to lead the sheeps. He became the rock upon whom, our Lord built His Church.

We too are called by the Lord to put out into the deep to catch our purpose of life. Only Jesus was aware where the good amount of fishes stayed. Therefore, he was able to instruct them where to throw the fishing nets. Similarly, the search for our purpose of life cannot begin with ourselves. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That is because we typically begin at the wrong starting point, that is, ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.

For example, we would not be able to understand the purpose of a newly manufactured gadget or would not know how to operate it. It is simply because we are not the creator or the inventor of that gadget or product. Only the manufacturer who made it could tell us its purpose and the way to use it. Similarly, our purpose of life too, rests with God, because He is our creator and He only can reveal the purpose of creating us. Peter was able to find his purpose of life through the divine master Jesus Christ and he fulfilled it. Encouraged by the divine words of Jesus, let us not stop our search of life just being satisfied with what we are now, rather, move further towards a purpose that is deep.

Baptism of the Lord (Cycle C)

Is 40:1-5, 9-11          Tit 2:11-14; 3:4-7          Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

Amidst many heresies advocated against the magisterium of the Catholic Church, Arianism is the most harmful heresy advocated by Arius in the fourth century. Arius falsely preached that Jesus was not the true Son of God. The emperor Theodosius promoted this false teaching. It was the same time emperor Theodosius made his sixteen-year-old son, Arcadius, an equal partner with himself on the throne. Many were invited to celebrate this event. Among them was a famous old bishop, Amphilocus, who spoke some words of congratulation and then prepared to leave. Looking at this gesture, the emperor became furious and shouted: Do you take no notice of my son? Don’t you know I have made him partner with myself?” Fearlessly, the bishop replied: Do you resent my apparent neglect of your son, because I do not give him equal honours with yourself? What must the eternal God think of you, who have permitted His co-equal and co-eternal Son to be degraded below His dignity as Son of God?

Many people today, even some so-called Christians, deny or question the divinity of Christ. This is what we believe and profess about Jesus Christ in the Nicene Creed: I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. From today’s gospel too, we heard that the voice from above which is from the heavenly Father affirmed: You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased (Lk 3:22). In a world where Jesus Christ is highlighted as just a historical man only, we Christians have the mandate of proclaiming His divinity to everyone. This is the invitation to us through today’s feast of the baptism of the Lord.

Today, we are beginning the ordinary time in the liturgical year which initiates us to reflect on the life and public ministry of Jesus. The baptism event sets the beginning scene of the public ministry of Jesus Christ. As per the gospel records, three incidents are marked as incidents of manifestation or revelation by the biblical scholars. They are:
1. The visit of the three kings, which we celebrated last Sunday,
2. The baptism of the Lord, which we celebrate today,
3. The miraculous transformation of water into wine at Cana, which was the first sign manifesting Christ glory.

The visit of the magi marks the proclamation that, as promised, a saviour has been given, not only to the Israelites but to all the people in order to be salvified. And the feast of the baptism of the Lord marks the beginning of its actualization by way of Jesus openly starting his public ministry by proclaiming the gospel. Calculating the time duration, it is clear that the baptism of Jesus Christ had taken place thirty years after the visit of the three kings. The event of baptism makes Jesus to move from one phase of his life to another phase of his life. Already we hear from the Lukan account that Jesus was well-versed in the scriptures in his young age and he had the capacity to begin the public ministry being the Son of God. We read that while his mother Mary was in search of him in the Jerusalem temple, Jesus said to her: Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house? (Lk 2:49). This shows that Jesus was in one mindset of accomplishing the mission that was entrusted to him even in that young age.

Then, why these thirty long years in order to begin the public ministry? This simply tells us that a long hidden and unseen preparation is needed to be powerfully exposed. Though short, the three years of public ministry had a long-lasting effect, an effect that lasts even today because of those unexposed long years. It still creates a rippling impact in many human hearts. For this to happen, those thirty years were essential. Diamond stays inside the earth for many years to acquire its value as a diamond. The single drop of water stays inside the shell under the sea for longer period to be transformed into a pearl of high value. Jesus too was never hurrying, but patient enough to wait for the favourable time.

Jesus always took time to manifest himself. We hear that during the wedding at Cana, Jesus said to his mother: My hour has not yet come (Jn 2:4). Therefore, Jesus Christ was humble enough to stay confined and prepare himself to launch the God given project of salvation at a favourable time. In this sequence of patient awaiting, His total submission to God’s mission interwoven with obedience brought a great affirmation from the heavenly Father during his baptism: You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.

This affirmation from the heavenly father, invites us to reflect on the obedient sonship of Jesus Christ, which is a challenge to us. Jesus was an obedient Son to the heavenly Father, and therefore He was well pleased with him. A good child is one who is obedient to the parents. The parent too would be appreciative of that. But these days we face many disobedient activities. Because of our self-defendant nature and unreasonable questioning attitude, the virtue of obedience and its practice is slowly vanishing.

The scripture teaches us that obedience is better than sacrifice. 1Sam 15:22 says: Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice. And again, Jer 7:22-23 says: For in the day that I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to them or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you”.

The major mistake of the chosen race, Israelites was, they were interested in appeasing the anger of God through sacrifices but contrarily increasing His anger by failing to obey His commandments. It was an irony and paradox in their life. But still God was merciful to them. The pleasing obedience of Jesus Christ to the heavenly Father stands out as a sharp contrast in the background of the displeasing gestures of the Israelites. Therefore, the words of the heavenly Father during the baptism of the Lord is a reward endowed upon Jesus Christ for his unquestioning submission to God.

During each of our baptism, we all became the sons and daughter of the heavenly Father. And also, during the same sacrament, we all have accepted the mandate of obeying the commandments of the Lord. Today, let us be reminded of our baptismal commitment. The feast of the baptism of the Lord is a day of reminder for all of us. The question before us is: Are we all well-pleasing sons and daughters of the heavenly Father like Jesus Christ? Let this day, provide us the grace to rejuvenate ourselves to recall our baptismal commission and to set right our ways accordingly. May the Holy Spirit whom we have received during our baptism guide us in this path!