Waar ben ik mee bezig? Met mezelf of met rijk zijn bij God?

Inleiding:Wij zijn hier samen in de aanwezigheid van God. Wij zijn hier om Jezus christus te ontvangen in ons hart. De lezingen van de liturgie van vandaag nodigen ons uit om over de zinvolheid van ons leven na te denken. De vraag van de liturgie vandaag is: waar zijn we mee bezig?

In de eerste lezing klinken de woorden: “Alles is leegte in de wereld”. En in het evangelie spreekt de zelfzuchtige rijke man als een dwaas. De lezingen gaan niet over armoede tegenover rijkdom, maar over hoe wij omgaan met ons leven en ook ons geld en goed. Vragen we nu Gods ontferming voor de keren waarbij wij niet aan anderen dachten en voor de keren waarbij wij hebzuchtig waren.

 

Overweging:

Toen ik nog in India was reisde ik vaak met de bus. Er kwam altijd een ongeveer zestigjarige man de bus in om te bedelen. Op het eerste gezicht zou je niet zeggen dat hij een bedelaar was, want hij was goed gekleed en hij sprak deftig.  Hij was ook geen echte bedelaar! Hij was een gepensioneerde hoogleraar en hij was in feite geld aan het verzamelen. Niet voor zijn eigen behoefte want hij kreeg voldoende als pensioen om voor zichzelf te zorgen. Hij haalde geld op om een school voor arme kinderen te onderhouden, die hij begonnen was. Zijn onzelfzuchtige daad sprak me aan. Ik vroeg me af: Waar is hij mee bezig? Hij had van rustige dagen kunnen genieten, hij had zich kunnen ontspannen en met allerlei andere dingen zijn tijd kunnen doorbrengen.  Hij had ook plannen kunnen maken om meer geld te verdienen en eventueel een nieuwe zaak kunnen beginnen om rijk te worden. Maar nu was hij iets wezenlijks en zinvols aan het doen. Toen ik hem ernaar vroeg waarom hij zo leefde, zei hij dat dat voor hem echt geluk, tevredenheid en vreugde met zich meebracht. Hij was heel duidelijk over het visioen van zijn leven: Niet langer draaide dat om “ik, mij en mijn” en ook niet om geld en bezittingen, maar wat telde was hoe hij met zijn leven omging! Hij verzamelde de schatten niet voor zichzelf maar voor de armen. Deze man is misschien niet rijk in de ogen van de wereld, maar zeker wel bij God!

 

Dit verhaal maakt duidelijk dat het ware geluk niet in bezittingen of geldzaken ligt. Iemand die elke dag zijn buik vol kan eten, kan toch  van binnen een grote leegte voelen, want een mens leeft van meer dan brood alleen. Iemand die in een prachtig huis woont, kan toch een grote leegte in zijn of haar leven ervaren, en kan heel arm aan liefde en genegenheid zijn. Wij horen diezelfde boodschap ook in de lezingen van vandaag.  De lezingen van vandaag roepen ons op om na te denken over wat werkelijk belangrijk en zinvol in ons leven is. In onze materialistische wereld spelen geld en goed een belangrijke rol. Wij ontkennen het belang er niet van. Wij kunnen niet zonder geld… tot op een zekere hoogte. Maar wij zien ook in ons dagelijks leven veel mensen die ongelukkig zijn ook als ze wel heel veel geld hebben. Er zijn ruzies, conflicten en ook worden mensen onderdrukt en uitgebuit, en zelfs vermoord om geld en bezittingen. Geld heb je nodig, maar hebzucht maakt dat een mens zijn of haar verstand begint te verliezen.

 

“Alles is leegte,” horen we in de eerste lezing van vandaag.  De schrijver ervan klinkt vrij somber en negatief.  Wat bedoelt hij daarmee? Het leven heeft meer te maken met hoe wij met God, met anderen en onszelf omgaan, dan dat het gaat om geld en bezittingen! In dit verband vertelt Jezus een keihard verhaal over een rijke man die een enorm grote oogst heeft. Die man ziet geen andere, geen betere uitweg dan zijn kleine schuren af te breken en dan veel grotere te bouwen, want de bestaande schuren zijn te klein om de grote oogst te kunnen bergen. En daarna – zo neemt hij zich voor – gaat hij alleen maar van zijn rijkdom en van zijn leven genieten. ‘Dwaas’, zegt Jezus, ‘nog deze nacht zal je sterven.’ En Hij zegt verder: ‘Dat is het lot van iemand die schatten verzamelt voor zichzelf, maar niet rijk is bij God.’

 

Waarmee is de rijke man in het evangelie bezig? Hij is bezig met zichzelf! Deze rijke man heeft alleen maar een relatie met zichzelf. Hij  kan niet denken aan delen. Hij spreekt niet eens van vrouw en kinderen, van broers en zussen, van familie en vrienden. Nee, hij kan alleen aan zichzelf denken Dat is helder in het evangelie, want hij heeft het zes keer over “ik”, niet één keer over anderen, niet één keer over God.  Hij heeft niets, geen geliefde aan zijn zijde, geen God om hem heen..  

 

Geluk ligt niet in overvloed. Geluk ligt in liefde en vrede met jezelf en met anderen. Geluk ligt in samen genieten, samen voelen, samen zijn vóór anderen en mét anderen.  Het evangelie gaat niet alleen over het delen van geld en rijkdom, maar ook over onze tijd, energie en talenten. Over tijd nemen om anderen te bezoeken, over iemand helpen die ons nodig heeft, over een glimlach geven aan een vreemde mens en een paar goede woorden zeggen om iemand te steunen. Dát zijn de dingen die ons bij God  rijk maken. Waar ben ik mee bezig? Met mezelf of met rijk zijn bij God?

Solemnity of St. Joseph

St. Joseph, the Silent Character in the Mystery of Incarnation

Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a

The event of Annunciation is always associated with Mary, the feast of which is celebrated on 25 March every year.  What we heard in the Gospel just now is also the event of Annunciation, the recipient of the Good News this time being St. Joseph.  Our life as Christians, more so as religious, draws so much inspiration from the exemplary and inspiring St. Joseph.

I am just back from preaching a 8-day long Retreat to the Little Sisters of the Poor, whose houses celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph with the great Solemnity. St. Joseph, being the Provider for them, whose ministry is dependent on the generosity of the people, never leaves them in want but provides them with abundant. I heard a number of testimonies, how St. Joseph provided for them. However, you and I know that St. Joseph is not just a provider of ‘material food’, we stand in need of but also of ‘spiritual food’ with his ‘faith-filled’ life.

The Gospel writer before narrating the details of the Annunciation event, describes the character of St. Joseph. Who is St. Joseph? Joseph is the husband of Mary. Joseph is a righteous man. Joseph does not want to put Mary to Shame. Joseph wants to divorce Mary quietly. What a positive description of St. Joseph here! I think, there could not have been a better human foster Father for Jesus that St. Joseph and no wonder why God’s favourable sight descended on St. Joseph.

Dwelling a little on these positive characteristics of St. Joseph, let us see what makes him so great a saint and a fitting person to be the Foster Father of Jesus on this earth. Joseph is a righteous man. Not just in words! The Gospel author explains the ‘righteous character’ of Joseph. Completely unaware of God’s divine intervention in the life of Mary, Joseph concludes that there is something that has happened in the life of Mary that he does not know. So, what does he do? He does not call the public and cry aloud about Mary bearing a child. He does not call her names and tarnish her character.  He takes care to see that he brings no shame on Mary. He wants to move out quietly.  Is he not a gem of a character full of purity?

What could have been our reaction in the event of finding ourselves in a similar situation as that of St. Joseph? Are we quick to pass judgement on the character of the other? Are we hasty with our accusations?  Are we swift in creating rumours and spread the same? Are we careless in calling names and ruining the image of the other?  Do we take delight in putting someone else to shame? Do we show any restraint when it comes to ‘ill-talk’ about the other? Look at St. Joseph, one who could have done all of these, takes a path less travelled – a path of righteousness.

The angel of the lord announces to St. Joseph the Good News of Jesus’ birth through Mary our Mother as willed by God. What is St. Joseph actually doing? He is sleeping. It is in a dream that St. Joseph hears from the angel. Having become a worried person about what is happening to his marriage with Mary, he sleeps taking his worries to the Lord in Prayer. The situation of Mary with a child does not make sense to St. Joseph, he however does not become dejected but takes refuge in the Lord. It is because, his heart and mind were directed to the Lord, he was able to dream a dream that gives Joseph a sense of what is happening.

The first words that Joseph hears from the angel of the Lord is “Do not be afraid”.  Right words at the right time. How consoling and reassuring these words would have been to Joseph who was undergoing something he could not comprehend. The angel of the Lord went on the further to explain everything about Mary and about what Joseph needed to do.

What does Joseph teach us? All of us could have been in a similar situation of Joseph not able to make sense of what is happening in our life. In such circumstances it is easy to give up, it is easy to become frustrated and give into the pressures. St. Joseph remained calm. What calmed his troubled mind and heart was his trust in the Lord that He has the control of his life. He silently prays asking God to lead him and guide him. How soon do we give into dejection in the face of disarray, confusion and uncertainty? How trusting we are in God especially when thing do not go our way? How much do we believe that God is in control of our lives? Do we sharpen the ears of our heart to listen to God speaking? How courageous we are to allow God to lead us? Do we dare to realize the God’s dream for us which is to be his sons and daughters who will never let Him down?

Having heard the angel of the Lord, it is said in the Gospel, Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. What a man of faithfulness! Once he knew this is what God wants of him, Joseph does not question, does not find short cut, does not complain but simply and faithfully carries the words of God in his life. It is fulfilling God’s will, God’s plan and God’s wish, Joseph finds the meaning of life and happiness in life. He does not bother what the world will say of him, what his peers will speak about him, he does not bother what his future is but surrenders completely before God’s will.

In the scale of one to ten, what is the rate of our faithfulness to God in every aspect of our life? Let us take time to answer: In the scale of one to ten, what is the rate of our faithfulness to God in every aspect of our life? None can refute the fact that Joseph scores 10 out of 10! What about me? There are so many things that the Lord has commanded me – have I carried them all out in my life. Where does my happiness lie? Where do I find the meaning of life – in God or where else?

It is interesting that St. Joseph comes across in the scripture as a man of no words – quiet and silent! Even in this passage of Annunciation, there is hardly any word that Joseph speaks in contrast to Mary who in fact converses with the Angel and Jesus our Lord. St. Joseph is simply a man of silence. Yes. Words do not define Joseph but his actions, what he did and how faithfully he lived his life. Joseph chose to be silent but chose to live an action-packed life. What matters the most in life is the action – what we do with our life, how we listen to God’s word and how we fulfil God’s plan in our life.

The righteousness of Joseph, the silence of St. Joseph, the dreaming of St. Joseph, the courage of St. Joseph and the faithfulness of St. Joseph are what we need for our life, against which, we need to judge our life as Christians! St. Joseph did what he had to – faithfully without a compromise -to let God’s plan fulfilled. Can I do what I have to, Can you do what you have to – to let God’s plan prevail in our lives? It is in allowing God to work His Plan through our life, we become faith-filled and find the Joy and Happiness of being human in the first place and certainly as Christians.

The Virtue of “Minority” – A Life Lesson for Franciscans

The great centenaries of Rule and Greccio and Stigmata in this year 2024 invite every Franciscan to embrace the most important lessons these events teach which is the practice of the virtue of Minority in our thinking, attitudes, perspectives and most of all in our life actions. It is important to note that these centenaries are not mere celebrations but Francis’ experiences that call for a conversion of mind and heart as Franciscans.

The God of St. Francis is one who is poor, humble and simple who made himself a ‘minor’, ‘little’ and ‘small’ to save the world. As against the Middle ages’ approach towards God, St. Francis’ approach was drastically different. He encountered and experienced God as poor and so his life turned out to be one that exemplified poverty, simplicity, humility and minority.

As Christ incarnated Himself in the concrete social situation in Palestine, born as a son of carpenter, St. Francis and his brothers, in the early days of conversion, incarnated their lives in the concrete social situation of Assisi.

The Nobles and Merchants were fighting with each other to be recognized as the most powerful and honourable group. However, they soon reached an accord and the fighting ceased. However, the ones who were left out of this accord was the poor who belongs to the merchants class. They were the little ones of the society: the poor, the destitute, the sick, the lepters and the beggers. These were illtreated and were accorded no restpect. These were called ‘minimis” – the least in the society. St. Francis and his brothers choses to be like these ‘little ones’ and the ‘least ones’.

Francis and his companions undertook a new project – Gospel Path (1209; 1221; 1223)  in the medieval church of the 13th century.  Keeping these reference points in mind – the Servant Jesus, poor and humble, and the ‘minimi’ of society, they began to give form to their own way of life, distinct and distinguishable from that of the established society around them in Assisi. Francis and his companions took for themselves the name “Fratri Minori”, rendered today in English as ‘Lesser Brothers’, a name which had for them both evangelical (Gospel) and social connotations. Minority” in the times of Francis and Clare referred to a socio-economic status. Although born into wealth, each of these great saints made a conscious decision to become one of the minors (the lesser ones).

Many of the early brothers came either from the ‘maiori’ (nobility) or the rich ‘minori’ (merchant families), and for them the choice to live as and with the ‘minimi’ meant a Downward Mobility. Francis refers to this in his Testament with the words “I left the world” — it was a process of opting out of one social identity and taking on another, a process of re-identification that he refers to. Many of us who join the religious life are not opting out of any social identity.  We are often, at that point in time, just making a “vocational” choice within the church organization, while keeping our social identity or aspiring to climb to a higher one.  To develop a Franciscan identity, we have to grow out of this mindset, or run the risk of getting deeper into it. 

In our life situations, we consider ourselves belonging one social group or the other, one caste or the other, one region or the others. Our relationships are sometimes based on such divisive factors. It is unfortunate that while Franciscans are called to be “lesser ones” ourselves, “Minores” ourselves and “littles ones” ourselves and then as fruit of being such, we are called to search out the “lesser ones” in our midst and live our lives in solidarity with them., the Franciscans are divided in the lines of caste, region, rite, etc. This is a great scandal and betrayal of our identity as Franciscans.

As Minors, we are not to be superiors to one another but in the spirit of minority we are called to wash the feet of one another. Our life as Franciscans is a striving after the virtues of minority, humility and poverty of Jesus Christ our Lord. The Life of Poverty, that we so faithfully commit ourselves to, influences the fundamental choices in our religious way of life especially with regard to – how we use the economic resources of the province, community and individuals- something that the budget is all about.

Most of the problems in the community arise due to EGO- the attitude of I, Me and Mine destroys the life in the community. While, we Franciscans are supposed to experts in Community life, we are divided and fighting among ourselves for fame, popularity, recongintion, power, money and so on. This is betrayal of our identity. The greatest force that can counter the EGO is the attitude of minority as lived out by St. Francis.

As Franciscans we are not to seek or accept any privileges for ourselves or for our communities except that of minority. In our community living as Franciscans, we are called to be minors, lesser and the servant of one another. We know the story of how Francis rejected his costly clothes of a wealthy-minori familyand put on the dress of a common labourer. His early followers (some of them wealthy minori and even nobility) would do the same. We often hear it said that Franciscans can take up any work that is honest. Francis and the early brothers did not think so. They did take up work that was honest, but within certain boundaries– for that was consistent with living up to their identity as ‘minori’:   

We are not told much about their choice of food, except for the injunction that they may eat of any food that people give them. After all, beggars are not choosers.  However, since the brothers were strictly forbidden to receive coins or money, much of the food stuff they ate would have come from what was given for their work as wages in kind or what they got as alms while begging. This would have been what the common ‘minori’ ate. We should also be cautious how money can become a deciding factor in how we choose our ministries.  We should also be cautious how money can become a point of dispute in our communities.  We need to use the money in a way that befits the poor.

The Justice exercised in the religious community demands that we give our surplus to the poor and charity demands we share with them from our needs.  Our almsgiving should not simply be a salve to our conscience while leaving things essentially the same. What is surplus already belongs to the poor and it is simply returning to the poor what is theirs.  So, when we speak of Alms – it is not just from surplus wealth but from need. The source of our ‘Franciscan happiness” is when we are considered of little value, when we are looked down upon and when we are seen as poor and beggars by the wayside. The Followers of Francis go for alms, when needed and let them not be ashamed.

St. Francis, a man without affectation, was deeply imbued with the evangelical value of simplicity for the life of the fraternity; he looked upon it as a fruit of poverty of spirit and rectitude of heart. He defines it as the virtue which “being content with its God, considers everything else as of little value.”  That “holy simplicity, daughter of grace, sister of wisdom and mother of justice,” he wants to see in every brother/Sister. A good Franciscan should imitate the perfect faith and love of poverty of brother Bernard; the simplicity and purity of Brother Leo, the courtesy of Brother Angelo the gracious look, natural good sense, noble and devout eloquence of Brother Masseo. the highest perfection of Brother Giles; the virtuous and constant prayer of Brother Ruffino, the patience of Brother Juniper; the bodily and spiritual courage of Brother John of Lauds; the charity of Brother Roger and the caution of Brother Lucidus.

A simple country man asks Francis: “Tell me,” He said, “are you Brother Francis of Assisi?” And when Francis assured him that he was, the man said, “Well, then, try to be as good as everyone thinks you are, because many people have great faith in you. So, I urge you, never let there be anything in you different from what they expect of you.” People have great expectations about us… As Franciscans – An idea about who a Franciscan is… They expect us to be truly a Sister/Brother MINOR-POOR-SIMPLE-JOYFUL

Summary

The centenaries of Rule, Greccio, and Stigmata in 2024 call every Franciscan to embrace the lessons of Minority in thinking, attitudes, perspectives, and actions. St. Francis saw God as poor and humble, embodying these virtues in his life. He and his followers, the Lesser Brothers, chose to identify with the least in society, the “minimi.” This choice represented downward mobility, a conscious decision to embrace minority.

However, today’s Franciscans struggle with divisions along caste, region, and other lines, betraying their identity. The call to live as Minors means washing each other’s feet and rejecting privileges, fame, and power. The Franciscan identity requires embracing poverty and humility, avoiding the destructive force of EGO. The concept of Minority extends to community living, emphasizing mutual service and rejection of privileges.

The choice of ministries and the use of money should align with the Franciscan identity as minores. Almsgiving should go beyond surplus wealth, considering the needs of the poor. Franciscan happiness lies in being considered of little value and embracing the role of poor beggars. Simplicity is a vital virtue, reflecting contentment with God and considering everything else as of little value.

St. Francis envisioned Franciscans as Sister/Brother MINOR-POOR-SIMPLE-JOYFUL, and people have great expectations about living up to these virtues. The challenge for Franciscans today is to bridge the gap between expectations and reality, embodying the spirit of Minority, embracing simplicity, and radiating joy.

CHRISTMAS – 800th Anniversary of Greccio Crib (1223 – 2023)

Why do we celebrate Christmas in the manner we do? With such solemnity, abundant decorations, and extensive festivities?

It’s not just us, Christians, who put up the stars, Christmas trees, cribs, and lights; simply look around and see the shopping malls doing the same! The bustling streets in the cities do the same! For them, Christmas has become another commercial season to expand their business scope. So, they have a reason for what they do! What is our reason?

800 years ago, on this very night, St. Francis celebrated Christmas in a place called Greccio in a unique and creative manner. St. Francis wanted somehow to see with his own eyes the Child’s infant hardships, how He lay in a manger on the hay helplessly, with the ox and donkey standing by in a vulnerable state. So, St. Francis got the place ready, with a live ox and donkey standing there. The manger was prepared. The hay was laid everywhere. Thus began the tradition of Crib in the history of the Church.

St. Francis turned that Christmas into a ‘real, tangible and profound experience of the child of Bethlehem. He turned Greccio into a new Bethlehem.  I am in want of the same today, this very night. I am sure that you are also in want of the same today: A Lived Experience of the Child of Bethlehem and that our churches, homes and our hearts become as they were a new Bethlehem.

The experience of St. Francis of Assisi was such, that while he preached, he named Christ Jesus as the child of Bethlehem. When he uttered the word “Bethlehem”, it sounded like a bleating of the sheep and when he named “the Child of Bethlehem” or Jesus, he would, lick his lips, relishing with happy enjoyment and swallowing the sweetness of that word. That is a wondrous experience!

St. Francis saw Jesus before his eyes, he felt him in His nerves, he heard his infant cries in his ears, he experienced his presence in his heart, he smelt the newborn Jesus, he tasted him on his tongue…. This is what we call – a real, tangible, and profound experience. It is this you and I stand in want of in this Christmas so that wherever we are, it becomes another Bethlehem!

Amidst the joy and exultation of Christmas, which should belong to an occasion such as this, let us not lose sight of the poor, simple, and humble Child of Bethlehem. We should allow this Child of Bethlehem, born for us, to touch us, speak to us and to teach us.

This Child is a wonder Counsellor – Seeing him in this crib as a child of Bethlehem, Let us be counseled by him to live a life of simplicity burning our ego to dust, not complicating it with our selfish interests.

This Child is a God-Hero – Seeing him in this Crib as a Child of Bethlehem, Let us be inspired by His Heroism of Humility, eliminating our pride to naught thus accepting one another as they are and not showing power or authority.

This Child is a Father- Forever – Seeing Him in this Crib as a Child of Bethlehem let us honor Him by being His Faithful child and not seeking selfishly doing only what we want but seeking do His will in our lives.

This Child is Prince of Peace – seeing Him in this Crib as a child of Bethlehem, let us ensure that we are peacemakers ending at least in our hearts any division, hatred, and ill-will and promoting peace and harmony in relationships

This Child as the Gospel says is the Word Made Flesh. Let us go to the Scipture where Jesus is born every time we open the pages the bible and live by those words found there. Then, and only then, can we say that our churches, homes, and hearts have become a new Bethlehem.

The Gospel proclaims:  “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. For St. Francis, this light wasn’t just a figure of speech; it was a tangible reality. He saw this light in the eyes of the Child of Bethlehem. We, too, are invited to see that great light in the Child of Bethlehem. If, at this moment, we are surrounded by any darkness in our lives, let us surrender it Christ born here and receive his light, so that He will show us the way amidst the darkness.

This is an occasion we celebrate, rightly so! This day, Christmas day, fills us with happiness and joy. But this joy and happiness do not belong on this day. They should be experienced and spread every day. Let us ensure that despite what we go through in our life, here we are to celebrate the joy of Christmas. Hence, let us do it every day, with the hope in the Lord Jesus who is born us, let us find happiness and joy in our every day of life and ensure that Christ who is born today in our hearts continues to be alive all through our lives.

Without my life being affected and changed for the better by the Birth of Jesus, I take the freedom to say, that it is no different from the Christmas celebrated in shopping malls and bustling streets. The real, tangible and profound experience of Child Jesus in Christmas, just as it was for St. Francis, truly deserves to be called Christmas! Let Christ and Experiencing Him be our reason to celebrate Christmas too!

Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi – 800 years ago

The Franciscans, having commemorated the 800th Anniversary of the Approval of the Rule and Christmas at Greccio in 2023, will now proceed to celebrate the 800th Anniversary of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi in 2024.  

Stigmata refers to the spiritual phenomenon where a person bears wounds that resemble those of Jesus Christ on the Cross. These wounds typically manifest on the body: the hands, feet, and side, mirroring the wounds of Christ crucified on the Cross. St. Francis of Assisi is believed to have been the first in the history of the Church to have received the stigmata.

St. Francis received the stigmata on 17 September 1224 while he was praying on Mount La Verna.  It was during one of his five Lents (Fasting and Prayer) that began after the Feast of Assumption (15 August) and concluded on the Feast of Saint Michael (29 September) that a Seraph (angel) appeared crucified before Francis in a vision. As he contemplated enthralled by the vision, wounds similar to those of Christ’s crucifixion appeared on Francis’ hands, feet, and side.

St. Bonaventure in describing this event writes, “Because of this new and astounding miracle unheard of in times past, Francis came down from the mountain a new man adorned with the sacred stigmata, bearing in his body the image of the Crucified not made by a craftsman in wood or stone, but fashioned in his members by the hand of the living God.”

Not just St. Francis of Assisi who has been recognized as a stigmatist in the Church. There are others too.  Besides others, St. Mariam Thresia (1876–1975), born in Punthrikkurissi, Kerala, India, and St. Padre Pio (1887–1968), born in Pietrelcina, Italy, who lived in the 20^th Century, are believed to have experienced the stigmata. St. Mariam Thresia, a nun and the founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family, reported experiencing the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion. St. Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, bore the stigmata for several decades, and it became one of the most well-known aspects of his life.

This spiritual and mystical phenomenon is always put under scrutiny to check its authenticity and credibility. The Church follows a critical and rigorous medical and theological examination of such instances before authenticating the Stigmata. Despite such a stringent verification process, looking at the mystical lives that the stigmatists lived attaining a loving union with the Divine in their lifetime through an ardent life of prayer and contemplation, one cannot but accept that they could receive this exclusive spiritual gift called Stigmata.

In light of the 800^th anniversary of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi in 2024, it may be a good idea to know/revisit his life, spirituality, and teachings to see, why God should have granted him this spiritual gift called Stigmata – A good spiritual deed for the new year!

Feast of the Annunciation

Today is the beginning of our salvation,

And the revelation of the eternal mystery!

The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin

As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.

Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:

“Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!”

On march 25^th, 9 months before Christmas every year the annunciation to Mary is remembered as a solemnity or special feast day. This was the fulfilment of God’s promise foretold in the Scriptures centuries ago through the prophet Isaiah – “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

It is on this day that Jesus became incarnate (flesh) in the womb of the virgin Mary after she consented the annunciation is also known as the incarnation and little Christmas. If Christmas is the greatest story ever told, then the Annunciation is the opening chapter of that story. Christmas is the day on which we celebrate the birth of the Savior in the human flesh, but the Annunciation is the day when we remember that He was first conceived as a human of the Holy Spirit.

The Annunciation and thus the Incarnation was planned by God Himself as a means of the salvation for mankind. It was His initiative. God could have become man in any number of creative ways. He could have incarnated Himself just as Adam was, by being formed from the clay. Or He could have directly come down to us from heaven. But He chose, however, to become man like we all become man. In the same way that He would exit the world through the door of death, as we all have to do, before His Resurrection and Ascension, He also entered the world through the door of human birth.

The Annunciation celebrates the coming of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce to her the special mission God had chosen for her in being the mother of His only son.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to proclaim that she is to be the Mother of God. So often when we think about consenting to God’s will, we think of it as something we know we should do but aren’t that excited about. We think of the Garden of Gethsemane, maybe, where Jesus says “Thy will be done” experiencing great anguish in fear of what is about to occur. The story of the Annunciation reveals another side of embracing God’s will. Was Mary scared? Absolutely! The angel had to give her some relief: “Do not be afraid.” Mary’s fear turns to faith, and then to humility as she recognizes that God will do great things through her. Mary’s faith responded to the gift of grace at the Annunciation. Mary’s fiat was decisive for the accomplishment of the divine plan of salvation.

Mary’s fiat was uttered in faith, as she entrusted herself completely to God and devoted herself totally as the handmaid of the Lord to God. The decisive moment of Mary’s obedience was the Annunciation; the words of Elizabeth “Blessed she who believed” refer to that moment. Mary gave herself to God completely with full submission of intellect and will and demonstrated the obedience of faith at the Annunciation. She responded with all her human and feminine. This response of faith includes perfect cooperation with the grace of God and perfect openness to the action of the Holy Spirit.

Mary freely accepted the vocation offered to her though she knew it would result in ridicule, shame and ostracization for her and her family. God elected to become man, and He desired to do this with the willing agreement of her whom He chose as His mother. In other words, Mother Mary was not a passive instrument, but rather an active participant with a free and positive part to play in God’s plan for our salvation. She was and still remains the great example for us. The Mother of God, it is not just because God chose her but also because she herself chose to follow His will. She who was a mere human was given the privilege of being chosen by God to bear His Son. Again, we remember the words of the Archangel who revealed that the mother of God was ‘highly favored’ and ‘blessed among all women’. It is because of this favor she has as the Mother of God that we always ask her to intercede for us ‘now and at the hour of our deaths’.

As we continue in this Lenten season, let us recognize where God is calling each of us. Let us follow the path of Mary, asking God to turn our fear into faith believing that our efforts contribute to the dream God has for the world. We can do great things through him when we say ‘yes’ to his plan for us. Let us pray Good and gracious God, just as the angel Gabriel reminded Mary she was God’s highly favoured one, may we always see ourselves and one another as highly favoured, and called to bring the good news of God’s love to birth in our world.

Humility is the “golden rule”. “Advancing”, for Christians, means “lowering themselves”. It is precisely on the humble path, chosen by God, that love and charity proceed.

The whole history of faith, is made of humility and “speaks of humility to us all”. This likewise applies to the historical event of Jesus’ Birth. It seems that God wanted every event “to be concealed, that it not be made public”, that it be, as it were, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit”. This is why, everything happens on the road of humility. God, humble, lowers himself: he comes among us and lowers himself — and he continues to humble himself even to the Cross.

“Mary”, at the Annunciation, humbles herself: she does not properly understand, but she is free: she grasps only the essential, and says ‘yes’. She is humble: ‘May God’s will be done’. She entrusts her soul to God’s will”. “Joseph, her betrothed, also lowers himself and takes this great responsibility upon his shoulders”. Joseph “also says ‘yes’ to the angel when in his dream the angel tells him of this truth. “lowering ourselves”.

Mary may have perceived through faith at the Annunciation that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. Nevertheless, she abandoned herself to the meaning which was given to the words of the Annunciation by God through the angel, and not to the messianic expectations of the culture in which she lived. Because she accepted the announcement of the Angel in faith, Mary became the mother of the Lord and the mystery of the Incarnation was accomplished in her.

The Feast of the Annunciation also bids us to remember and emulate the obedience of the mother of god during the Lent season. Just as she said “Be it unto me according to your word”, we the faithful are called to submit ourselves to God and His Holy Church even at times when it may result in us being side-lined or ostracized for being true to the faith.

Both humility and obedience are things that we are constantly working on in our own lives, especially during the season of Great Lent! The Feast of Annunciation is another way for us to be reminded of what God can do when both are exercised perfectly. Let us accordingly prepare ourselves and our family members to celebrate this great feast!

Blessed Mother Mary

Each of us here has a special love for the Blessed Mother. We have grown up in our Christian faith and religious vocation with the inspiration, support, and accompaniment from the Blessed Mother. The Prayer inspired by the life of the Blessed Mother, namely, the Rosary, has always been, a powerful weapon in the face of whatever difficulties that we may face. Holding Rosary, is like, holding the loving hands of our Blessed Mother and walking in total confidence that she will hold us tight when we stumble, protect us when danger lurks around us and lead us on the right path to the right place.

A little six-year-old Protestant boy had often heard his Catholic companion reciting the prayer ‘Hail Mary.’ He liked it so much that he copied it, memorized it and would recite it every day. ‘Look, Mummy, what a beautiful prayer,’ he said to his mother one day. ‘Never again say it,’ answered the mother.’ it is a superstitious prayer of Catholics who adore idols and think of Mary as a goddess. After all, she is a woman like any other. Take this Bible and read it. It contains everything that we are bound to do and have to do.’

From that day on the little boy discontinued his daily ‘Hail Mary’ and gave himself more time to reading the Bible instead. One day, while reading the Gospel, he came across the passage about the Annunciation of the Angel to Our Lady. Full of joy, the little boy ran to his mother and said: ‘Mummy, I have found the ‘Hail Mary’ in the Bible which says: ‘Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women. ‘ Why do you call it a superstitious prayer?’

On another occasion, he found the beautiful Salutation of St. Elizabeth to The Virgin Mary and the wonderful canticle. MAGNIFICAT in which Mary foretold that ‘the generations would call her blessed.’ He said no more about it to his mother but started to recite the ‘Hail Mary’ every day as before. He felt pleasure in addressing those charming words to the Mother of Jesus, our Savior.

When he was fourteen, he one day heard a discussion on Our Lady among the members of his family. Everyone said that Mary was a common woman like any other woman. The boy, after listening to their wrong reasoning, could not bear it any longer, and full of indignation, he interrupted them, saying: ‘Mary is not like any other children of Adam, stained with sin. No! The Angel called her FULL OF GRACE AND BLESSED AMONGST WOMEN. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ and consequently Mother of God. There is no higher dignity to which a creature can be raised.

God’s will               

When Mary said, “I am the servant of the Lord, let his will be done in me,” she made a lifelong, permanent, promise to God. Thereafter, her life was totally obedient to God’s call.

From the beginning Mary never faltered in being the Christ Bearer and model for the Church:

She evangelized with Jesus in Galilee. She witnessed the Passion and death of her son. She stood at the foot of the cross and accepted her role as the mother of all Christians. She was present with the Church gathered after the Ascension.

Mary’s super virtue is her total obedience to God’s will.

The Annunciation points to the coming of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce to her the special mission God had chosen for her in being the mother of His only son.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to proclaim that she is to be the Mother of God.  Mary was scared.  The angel had to give her some relief: “Do not be afraid.” Mary’s fear turns to faith, and then to humility as she recognizes that God will do great things through her. Mary’s fiat, the Great Yes, was decisive for the accomplishment of the divine plan of salvation.

Mary’s fiat was uttered in faith, as she entrusted herself completely to God and devoted herself totally as the handmaid of the Lord to God. Mary gave herself to God completely with full submission of intellect and will and demonstrated the obedience of faith at the Annunciation. She responded with all her human and feminine. This response of faith includes perfect cooperation with the grace of God and perfect openness to the action of the Holy Spirit.

We know the pain that the Blessed Mother had to undergo in order to fulfil God’s purpose in her life as God’s Mother and instrument of God’s salvation. Even, Joseph is not initially aware of God’s plan and so like any other, he wants to divorce her. Even though Joseph wants to do it quietly, we cannot imagine in our human minds what would have gone through in the heart of our Blessed Mother.

For a moment, she would have thought of the consequences, if Joseph did divorce her. The society would have laughed at her, mongered rumours about her character and her life would have been destroyed. This is what and much more than this, our Blessed Mother was getting into when she said, “Let it be done to me, according to your will.”. However, Mary did not give up and would never have given up! Such was her determination and courage! In that beautiful, youthful and serene face of Blessed Mother lie within the firm resolve, resolute will and courageous purpose to do God’s will.

Like Mary, we don’t need to have all the answers to say, “I am the Lord’s servant.” In fact, faith is all about stepping out in obedience even when we don’t.

Humility

“Mary”, at the Annunciation, humbles herself: she does not properly understand, but she is free: she grasps only the essential, and says ‘yes’. She is humble: ‘May God’s will be done’. She entrusts her soul to God’s will”. “Joseph, her betrothed, also lowers himself and takes this great responsibility upon his shoulders”. Joseph “also says ‘yes’ to the angel when in his dream the angel tells him of this truth. “lowering ourselves”.

The event of the Annunciation also bids us to remember and emulate the obedience of the mother of god during the Lent season. Just as she said “Be it unto me according to your word”, we the faithful are called to submit ourselves to God and His Holy Church even at times when it may result in us being side-lined or ostracized for being true to the faith.

The life that we got into when we said “yes” during our first profession and solemn profession was, if not the same, but similar to that of Mary our mother. Mary bore Jesus in flesh in her womb. We have said yes to bear Jesus in spirit and give life to Jesus in and through our words and deeds. In fulfilling this yes, we have our own share of difficulties and sufferings arising within us and outside of us. Our own weaknesses of selfishness comfort-seeking attitudes and compromising tendencies can impede us from bringing Jesus alive in our life.

We should not therefore domesticate the life of our Blessed Mother into a beautiful statue and adorn the same with flowers but look at the determined life she lived and learn from her life the ideals and values of Christian life especially the virtue of submission to God’s will and humility and adorn our life with them.

Leading others to Jesus                                           

We all know the wedding story from the second chapter of John. There was a wedding … the wine ran out, and Jesus miraculously turned jars of water into excellent wine. In the story, the host first went to Mary, but she deferred to Jesus, saying, “Do whatever he tells you.” In those simple words Mary verified her role as the one who leads others to Jesus—do whatever he tells you. Obey my Son, she says, he is the divine Son of God, our Savior. She said, he is the one and only intercessor between God and Man. He is my Savior and your Savior.

Mary’s great legacy lies in calling the world to faith in Jesus. From generation to generation she evangelizes saying, do whatever Jesus tells you. That is why Pope Paul VI called Mary the Star of Evangelization.

The power of Rosary

Rosary is the presence of God! Rosary brings God close to us! As we pray the Rosary, we utter the words, Angel Gabriel pronounced to Mary our Mother and what Elizabeth Spoke of Mary our Mother! These are sourced in Bible. So, these words that make up the Prayer, “Hail Mary” originate from God Himself! Rosary therefore brings God in our midst. It is an act of Faith and act of getting closer to God when a Rosary is carried with joy, when a Rosary is worn around the neck with reverence and when Rosary is prayed sincerely.

Rosary as a form a prayer began with St. Dominic in the 13th Century. Blessed Mary visited St Dominic in a dream and urged him to pray the Rosary. In 16th Century, when the Feast of Holy Rosary was instituted to remember the Victory in a war gained through praying Rosary. In the 19th Century, the entire month of October was dedicated to Our Lady of Rosary. In the 20th Century, Mary our Mother appearing in Fathima urged all the faithful to pray the Rosary.

With these historical happenings, we see Rosary as a God’s intervention in the life of the world, in the life of the church, in the life of the priests and in the life of every Christian. God spoke to the world through Our Lady of Rosary – Mary our Mother.

God continues to intervene in the lives of the faithful who pray the Rosary! Mother Mary was a privileged person who nursed Jesus our Lord in her womb, who carried Jesus our Lord on her shoulders, who took care of Jesus our Lord as he grew up. No one on this earth has enjoyed the closeness to Jesus as Mary our Mother did! Therefore, the veneration that we offer to Mary ourother, is very much what she deserves.

Rosary is a weapon – weapon against Sin and denouncement of God! When Mary appeared in Fathima, she urged the children to proclaim three important messages to the world: to turn away from Sin, to pray daily and consecration of the troubled world to the immaculate heart of Mary. As we partake in this celebration held in honour of Mary our Mother, we are given the same three messages.

Mary our Mother who is seated along with the angels and saints in the presence of God, invites us, her beloved children to give up sin and embrace holiness. As we ask her in every ‘Hail Mary’ “Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death”, Mary prays for us. Listening to her Message, can we give up the Sin in our lives? Our carrying of Rosary, wearing of Rosary around the neck and as rings are not fashion statements, but a powerful weapon that keeps the sin at bay, provided we carry and wear the Rosary in total faith and reverence. Rosary is the Presence of God and no sin can near neither God nor Rosary.

Mother Mary asked the children to pray daily. It is an inspiring sight always to see people young and old sitting at the grotto and rolling the beads of the Rosary and praying the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be. In praying Rosary, brothers and sisters, we ask God to intervene in our lives, we ask Mary to intercede for us. In times of joy, Mary our Mother rejoices with us in Joyful Mysteries. In times of sorrow and sadness, Mary our Mother grieves with us in sorrowful Mysteries, In times of thanking God, Mary our Mother glorifies God with us in Glories Mysteries. In times when we need God’s guidance, Mary our Mother prays with us for His light in the Mysteries of light. Rosary is a prayer for all times and seasons. Rosary is a prayer weapon which we can use to fight any situation!

The third message of Mary our Mother in Fathima was the call to consecrate the troubled part of the world to the immaculate heart of Mary. The then Russia was under a regime that took away the freedom of the faithful to practise their faith openly. With the religious restrictions and other limitations imposed on the people, people were oppressed. The entire world was invited to seek the intercession of Mary our Mother through the Rosary for God’s intervention. The fall of Communism in that region is a witness to the power of Rosary – Rosary as a weapon. Mary our Mother invites us to consecrate ourselves to her immaculate heart, our families, our workplaces, our parishes and the world at large.

We need to use the weapon of Rosary now more than ever. We see the Churches becoming constantly under attack for its stand on various issues. We see how certain events in the church and among the clergy both abroad and India have caused a certain erosion of credibility. We see how the institutions like family and marriage are brought in the realm of individual freedom without regard for faith and belief. So, we need the weapon of Rosary to fight against all the evils in the world, to preserve the holiness of the church and to remain faithful Christians.

Brothers and Sisters, I realize as I stand at the foot of Mary our Mother, how much I need he Daily Rosary in my life and I am sure, you feel the same. If I fail to pray, I believe, I am losing out on the most precious gift of God. I dare not lose it!

Romans 8:28-30; Luke 1, 26 – 38

Mother Mary – Grace in Poverty

I remember reading about the Hymn of Mother Mary – popularly called Magnificat – My soul glorifies the Lord. Commenting on this hymn, a Biblical Scholar, a protestant Biblical Scholar says, there is loveliness in that hymn of Mary but in that loveliness there is dynamite. What he says of the hymn of Mary is very much applicable to her life. There is loveliness in the life of Mary our Mother but in that loveliness, there is also dynamite. The dynamite is that Mary our Mother was grace-filled in her poverty! Mary is a dynamite – a powerful figure in the Salvation History – who made herself poor for becoming the mother of God. In this way, embracing poverty, she becomes the blessed of all, full of grace!

Each of us here has a special love for the Blessed Mother. We have grown up in our Christian faith and religious vocation with the inspiration, support and accompaniment from the Blessed Mother. The Prayer inspired from the life of the Blessed Mother, namely, Rosary, has always been, a powerful weapon in the face of whatever the difficulties that we may face.

Holding Rosary, is like, holding the loving hands of our Blessed Mother and walking in total confidence that she will hold us tight when we stumble, protect us when danger lurks around us and lead us on the right path to the right place! This indeed is the role of every spiritual mother. You know, we are supposed to be spiritual mother to one another. If a mother loves her son born of the flesh, how much more should we love our brothers and sisters who are born of the spirit.

At the Annunciation, we see how May our Mother is a woman of Grace not only because how the Angel Gabriel greeted – Full of grace but also how Mary responded to the Annunciation. The Message of God came to her shrouded in mystery. Mary did not understand! Mary was initially afraid – But Mary simply asks a question – a graceful question- how can it be? When Angel Gabriel explains about the work of God in the life of Mary, Mary surrenders – “behold, the handmaid of the Lord, Be it done to me according to your will.” Now, Mary could have taken this message any way she wanted, she gracefully accepts God’s will.

In accepting God’s Will, Mary embraces Poverty voluntarily. Here the poverty is not material poverty but a different kind. She sacrifices her personal desires, ambitions, her hopes for her husband, her own family. She becomes poor of all her selfishness but becomes rich in God’s grace – she becomes the Mother of God.

Do we not have a lesson or two to learn from the life of Mary our Mother – When we are full of selfishness – I, me and Mine, we may become rich in one way but we will certainly suffer from the lack of God’s grace. When we are able to reach out to the other in need by doing some help or other even if it means, a little money, time or energy, we become enriched with God’s grace. Mary becomes poor in this way to embrace God’s will. God’s will for us is that we all become his sons and daughters meaning that we are all brothers and sisters. So, let us do good for one another. Mary did good for the entire world, can we not do some good for one or two.

We see the Material Poverty of Mary in Bethlehem. No place, No comforts, No facilities at all! But, Mary bore every inconvenience with grace. In the poverty that she experienced, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Mary struggled; Joseph struggled but they brought forth Jesus. Through Jesus, they brought grace to the world. When in dejection and difficulty, we need to be people who do not lose the grace. Let us face the difficulties and inconveniences in grace, bring Jesus in our midst.

We see what Mary our Mother did in wedding at Cana. She was a woman of Grace.

We see what Mary our Mother did when Jesus carried the Cross. She was a woman of Grace.

We see what Mary at the Tomb of Jesus, she was a woman of grace.

We see What Mary did With the apostles, She was a woman of grace

Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen, Mary, Mother of God, ever Virgin.

You were chosen by the Most High Father in heaven, consecrated by Him, with His most Holy Beloved Son and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

On you descended and still remains all the fullness of grace and every good.

Hail, His Palace.

Hail His Tabernacle

Hail His Robe.

Hail His Handmaid.

Hail, His Mother.

So praised our Holy Father Francis, God’s Mother and Our Mother, Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Francis possessed within him an inexpressible love and devotion for the Blessed Mother. This is the reason why the church of our Lady of Angels is very close to the heart of St. Francis. This is the reason why he placed the Blessed Mother as the queen of the Order of Friars Minor and this is the reason why St. Francis “sang special Praises to the Blessed Mother, poured out prayers to her, offered her his affections, so many and so great that the tongue of man cannot recount them”

Walking in the footprints of Francis and emulating his spirituality, it is only fitting that we too possess a deep love and devotion to the Blessed Mother. As we remember Mother Mary Today, we embrace the life of Our blessed Mother as an example for Christian life.

Life is the Greatest Gift and We are Accountable to God

Book of Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31. I Thessalonians 5:1-6.  Matthew 25:14-30

Life is the greatest gift that God has given to all of us.  Nothing can surpass the value of this precious gift called life.  The life belongs to God. So, this life is part of God’s. God has entrusted part of what is His to us and that is what we call as Life.  

We read in Psalm 139: 13: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;”

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”

John 10:10 – I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

So, the questions at hand are these: What are we doing with this life, and how are we truly embracing and experiencing the essence of life? How are we actively “living” this invaluable gift of life?

The Gospel speaks of the Master entrusting his possessions to the servants. Master stands for God. The ‘talent’ in the Gospel in the numbers five, two, and one refers to ‘this very life’ that God has given us, that is how I wish to see the Gospel passage and reflect with you today.

The master’s appreciation for the servants with the Five talents who made five more, and with the two talents who made two more, “well done, my good and faithful servant,” implies that life has to be lived well. Master also says, “Come share your master’s joy.” Finding this Joy and Sharing the Master’s Joy is the very purpose of this life. Living well is Finding that Joy!

How do we live our lives well? How do we live our lives in such a manner that we share the Master’s joy? Does this -living well- mean a good life with a room full of friends, partying, traveling the world around without any worry, and days packed with so many activities?

Living life well or living life with joy is a process we go through every day and a direction that helps us make the right choices. Living a good life means living it with accountability, responsibility, and answerability. It is not living it in any way we like! It is making our lives useful for God, useful for someone, and useful for ourselves. The servants except for one proved themselves useful to their Master!

We need to consider our individual situations to live our lives well. Let us not see the numbers of five, two, and one as representations of better or worse life situations. The difference in number signifies our own unique personal situations, distinctive family contexts, and individual lives. Let’s acknowledge and embrace the idea that each person’s life is simply different from one another. None of our life situations are identical. Each one of us holds unique perspectives on life, approaches to life’s challenges, and distinct ways of steering this life forward. Each of our lives is different!

Regardless of how different one’s life situation is, we are all accountable to the one who has bestowed life upon us. Irrespective of what our life situation is, we are all responsible to the Life Giver-God and answerable to the one who has entrusted part of His with us.

The servants did not argue with the Master, why five to him, why two to me, why one to me? Neither did they argue with one another looking down on one another. They accepted the situation without any comparison and judgment of who was better or worse, but they set out focussing on what is essential to make the most of what they received. The radical self-acceptance of who we are with all our strengths and weaknesses is important beginning to start to live life well.

The servants with five and two talents show us what accountability, answerability, and responsibility to the Master are. On the contrary, the servant with one talent shows the opposite – a clear lack of accountability and responsibility towards the Master’s trust. Once again, to highlight the number of talents, what matters here is not how much one has but what one does with what one has – in other words, what we do with this life is what is very important.

The servants worked on what they had and doubled their talents – this involves knowing well what the master of the talents wants from them, setting a goal to achieve, working hard to achieve that goal, and finding joy in doing the right thing.  These servants made most of what they had. The master, in turn, entrusted with them, more!

Do we know what God wants from us – from this very life -the meaning and purpose of this very life? Do we have a goal to achieve that we know well that would please God? How hard do we work to achieve that Goal despite the difficulties and discouragements that come our way? Do we make the most of our life?

With almost 8 billion people on this planet, there are probably just as many opinions about what the good life entails.

Following the faithful servants of the Gospel, let us make the most of our lives; let us make our lives useful. I, for one, believe making the most of life is not possible by living life for oneself alone but making the most of life involves living life for others. The servants did it for God! Can we live our lives for God?

Living life for God means that we carry out God’s will in our lives, we follow the Christian Values in our lives, and we reach out to others. Doing God’s will becomes a possibility when we consciously shape our relationship with God through a sincere life of prayer, not as an obligation but as an activity of the heart.

To put it simply, anything that we do in life that brings a sense of joy to ourselves and others, I believe that to be doing God’s will. It is saying a good word of appreciation and encouragement to your spouse, children, and a colleague. It is a practice of patience, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, availability for the other, and so on. It is fostering an atmosphere of love, joy, and positivity in the family and workplace. It is living life with no regrets. This, in a few words, is what I think God’s will for our life is. This for me is living life well. In this way we double our life like the servants doubled their talents, meaning, we gain so much good from our life and we give so much good to the others who are part of our life. 

Instead, what do we do with this life sometimes? We go about living this life without any room for God, for the Christian practice of love and ignoring others as if I alone exist. Even when we know well that we hurt ourselves and others, we are bent upon doing that very thing.

We somehow get used to living alone, while being very well a part of the family, not doing anything to bring joy to the family but the contrary – anger, indifference, hurt, sadness, and negativity. This is what the servant with one talent did. He buried the talent. He brought disappointment to the Master failing to do what he was meant to do. So, we live our life in a way as if it has already been buried in the ground, with no life to live, to share, and to flourish. This is not what God wants from us. Why should we make our lives and of others painful/miserable/difficult, where there is so much joy to be found in life?

Live life Well, Live it with Meaning, Live it with Joy, Live it Well. God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give God and ourselves the gift of living well.

Why are you here?

Introductory Talk- Recollection Talk

Ad quid venisti? These were the words written on the blackboard that stood before our classroom in the Novitiate. We arrived a week before we entered into Novitiate, all of us had looked at the board and saw these words but we did not care to find out why those words were written on the blackboard and what they meant.

A week passed by, and we completed our retreat. We celebrated our entry into Novitiate solemnly. However, the blackboard stood there still right in front of our classroom with the words, Ad quid venisti?

The first day of the novitiate having vested ourselves with this habit, we entered the classroom with so much eagerness to listen to what our Novice Master had to say. As he entered the classroom, he asked that the blackboard that stood outside be brought inside.

As one of the novices, prompt he thought he was, he took the duster to quickly erase the words lying on the blackboard for more than a week. The Novice Master stopped him and asked every novice to read these words.  As all completed the reading, the most obvious question, the Novice Master posed was, “What do these words mean?” As none of us were able to answer, he pulled us up with strong words for lacking intellectual curiosity and eagerness to learn.

I am sure some of you know the meaning and context of the usage of these words – Ad quid venisti? It means, “Why have you come here?” “Why are you here?” “What is the purpose why you are here?”

Our Novice Master asked each one of us, on the first day of the Novitiate, “Ad quid venisti – Why are you here?”  He then went on for a week challenging us to answer this question. Why did we join the friars? Why did we receive this habit? Why do we want to continue this way of life? 

Confronting these questions then was not easy! Why? Confronting these questions now is not easy either! These questions are timeless. We should be challenging ourselves with this question “Why are you here?’’ all the time!

That you have been a priest for several years now, that you have been a religious for several years, that you are in a temporary profession now, that you are going to renew your vows, now, I ask you this question standing in the presence of God, receiving the courage from Him, “Fathers and Brother, why are you here? Why do you want to continue this way of life? why do you want to renew your vows?”

If you know the “why” you will find the “how”.  So, the question is “Ad quid Venisti? Why are you here?” Nietzsche says, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”

From your actual lived experience as a CMI Priest these many years and a CMI Brother in Formation, have you found the “Why” you are a CMI?

It sounds very simplistic to say that I am here because God has called me. This will be an inadequate way of discerning why I am here. The question is why has God called me? Why me, Lord?

I was much inspired by the Retreat Preacher who preached our Province Retreat this year. In his opening and the subsequent talks, he repeatedly reminded us, that we are the SIGN of GOD. In our attempt to answer the question – why are we here? – I would like to propose for your consideration this answer: Fathers and Brothers, you are here to be the Sign of God. Nothing else matters! 

2 Corinthians 5:20: We’re Christ’s representatives.

Exodus 7:1: So, the LORD said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh

Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus…

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

By our very Call to be Religious, by our reception of the Sacrament of Ordination – we are meant to be the Sign of God. To be the sign of God means we remind the people of their God. I am sure, you have had an experience, not one but many, that when you stand with your cassock on, there is someone or the other who comes to you seeking your blessing or prayer. Why, because you remind the people of their God.

As you stand here at the Altar and offer the Eucharist, People see you not as so and so standing there, they see you – they see their God – as a priest offering the Eucharist, you are in persona Christi! This is what being a Sign of God means. The Vowed life with Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, you stand as a sign of God – you remind the people of their God.

Are you the SIGN OF GOD? Do you represent God in your words and deeds? In how you go about living your life with one another in the community and outside – do you shine as a sign of God? In how you live your life of obedience, poverty, and chastity, do you stand as a sign of God?

To be the Sign of God – Do you know your God? An experiential knowledge that is not just sustained but is growing every day!

To be the Sign of God – Do you relate with your God? A dynamic relationship that is not stuck in an infantile stage but has matured and is maturing as you age.

To be the Sign of God means that the distance between you and your God is not much! You are nearer to your God. This is what you need to examine today – what is the distance between you and your God?

Your fundamental job as religious and CMIs is to represent God. You may hold various professions and responsibilities, but the most fundamental profession is to be the Sign of God, everything else is only secondary to it or every responsibility is a way of being the sign of God in this world.

Just to use a secular term – Job Satisfaction – I wish to ask you – in this job of being the Sign of God, what is your job satisfaction? The meaning of job satisfaction here is the level of contentment you feel with your religious life. It means that you wake up every day with renewed vigor and energy to live the day to the full. It means you are doing your best, you are fulfilling the expectations your job has on you, you are an achiever. It means you know you are vulnerable, but you give yourself another chance to be better every day. Job satisfaction implies a high degree of motivation that leads you forward in your life.

Imagine, you take up responsibility as a Principal of a School which is in ruins, and nothing has been going well for so long. You do everything possible to make that school work and ensure that the school becomes one of the best in the vicinity. You do it because you are good at your job and the job satisfaction you draw from it is immense.

Now come to this fundamental job you have, which is, to represent God. How good are you at this job? What is the level of your job satisfaction in this job of representing God? On a scale one to 10, how do you rate your job satisfaction of representing God?

Once Francis of Assisi was moving through the woods. One farmer saw this poor man Francis but could not recognize him. So, the farmer went and asked Francis, “Are you Francis from the town Assisi?” Francis said, “Yes, I am. I am Francis from Assisi.” The farmer replied, “ Well then, Francis, be as good as people think you are.” The farmer continued, “Let there be nothing different in you from what people think you are.”  These words addressed to St. Francis, are addressed to each one of us. People think that we are holy, we are prayerful, we sacrifice so much, we are dependent on God for everything. People think that we are the Sign of God.

Fathers and Brothers, let there be nothing different in you than that you are the Sign of God.

This Mission of being the Sign of God or Representing God is dependent upon the quality of your Religious life.

A life of prayer is what makes you the Sign of God: Prayer life is not just about the ritual fulfillment of the liturgical celebrations of praying the office of the hours, Eucharist, Rosary, Lectio Divina, and other devotional practices. It is your ‘personal involvement and active participation’ in the moments of prayer that matters the most.

Consecrated life, more than ever today, is called to become a fire that ignites other fires and “lights up the heart” (Benedict XVI). It is called to fervor, the intensity of prayer, evangelical radicalness, and service in mission proper to the missionary and the disciple.

Right now, you are here for a spiritual exercise, examine your state of mind, participation, and involvement – can you call it a spiritual exercise? Or does your ‘kind’ of participation only affirm your ‘obligatory fulfillment’ with no room for personal involvement?

The quality of Prayer life as present in seminaries and convents calls for a greater renewal but unfortunately, it remains the least of concern. I am sorry, that I am generalizing this issue. If this is not so, among you, you are certainly better placed, and your life of prayer certainly makes you the sign of God. Yes, I am talking in general!

Imagine, a seminary, where those who reside there wake up every morning at. 5.15 and come to chapel at 5.40 and pray the Lauds with half-sleepiness lacking attention and then spend another 20 to 30 minutes in Meditation with frequent dossing-off and go to partake in the Eucharist without any prior preparation and devoid of personal involvement. Such a life goes on and on every day! What then is the quality of Prayer life? This is just about what happens in the morning. There are other moments of prayer during the day.

The much-needed “Spiritual Renewal” is possible not through just one act of retreat, recollection of recital of formula but through daily ongoing conversion through a sincere prayer life. This way, we become the sign of God, or else, we condemn ourselves to signs that betray God.

An important aspect of prayer life is how mature we are in our prayer life. We cannot be satisfied with what we do daily ritually. Yes they are important. They are non-negotiable. The Lauds and Vespers are the hinges on which our religious life lie. That we have come a long way in our religious and priestly life, the question is also about how long we have come in our prayer life.

Wouldn’t be it infantile that we do the same thing now that we did in Aspirancy, Novitiate? Has our prayer life matured, our conversation with the Lord matured, our meditation matured, our rosary matured, our devotional practices matured or are they all the same always.

In essence, they do not change. They remain of the same value no matter how we grow physically, psychologically, and socially. But our approach towards them should change, our attitude towards them should change and how we make use of them should change for our spiritual growth and how we spend time using all of those should change.

Prayer life is the priority of all priorities. The Importance of prayer life in a religious life cannot substituted with anything else. St. Francis wrote this to St. Anthony of Padua who sought permission to theology to the brothers: “I am pleased that you teach sacred theology to the brothers, provided that…you do not extinguish the spirit of prayer and devotion during study of this kind.”

Crisis in Religious life is not just about lack of vocation. It is about the crisis of prayer in religious life, that is the crisis we should be addressing. It is about the religious failing to be a sign of God in this world. It is about the religious failing to remind the people of their God.

Moses went up the mountain to meet the Lord. Moses on the mountain has a conversation with God. Moses spends time with God. (Ex 19:3). The people of God were waiting for Moses to return. Moses returns to the people full of God’s Words. Moses then leads the people to meet God (Ex. 19:17).

You are here, called by the Lord, on the mountaintop, to converse with God. These days of prayer and reflection are set apart for you to converse with God. Moses carried the Word of God as he went down from the mountain, after this recollection or days of prayer, what do you wish to carry from here – having spoken to the Lord? Ask yourself, What do you want to do today, what do you want to do these days?

The time Moses spent on the mountaintop was not a daily ritual he fulfilled without any personal involvement. Neither was it an obligation, he fulfilled to be legally and morally right before the others. On the other hand, it was a time of an encounter, a heartfelt encounter, and an active and dynamic experience.

If this is what it is for Moses, what is it for you?

Are you here because it is a monthly ritual, an obligation?

Are you here because you want to be here, you desire an experience with God, or you wish to converse with God?

Be honest with yourself and decide for yourself if you wish to begin this spiritual exploration today.

For some of you, it is a monthly recollection and for others is a time of preparation for the renewal of Vows. Both, the time of recollection and renewal call for beginning a new – in the words of St. Francis, “For until now, we have done nothing, let us begin anew’.

Recollection and Renewal of Vows provide us with the opportunity to begin again our commitment to the Lord. Are you ready to begin again? If so, show it in your actions, especially in how you wish to spend these days of prayer.