Show us Lord, your Love and Grant us Salvation

1st Sunday in Advent: November 27, 2022

Readings: Isaiah 2:1–5; Psalm 122:1–9; Romans 13:11–14; Matthew 24:37–44

To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/j1CGZ_fzqFQ

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and we begin a new liturgical year. Just like nature has its own seasons so too our liturgy incorporates various liturgical seasons to suit our spiritual and inner needs. This dynamic is very essential to take us away from the daily routines, and daily humdrum of life. Changes, differences, and plurality give us new life indeed. Unum et pluribus, "unity in plurality" is an often-heard phrase in our multicultural and diverse society and the Church. 

1. Called to be awakened people

Advent is a season that puts us right into that experience of the Christmas scene; the scene of a little baby in the manger, mother Mary and Joseph caring for this God’s Son in a special but uncosy way. The angels singing holy, holy, holy, and alleluia; shepherds in the countryside grazing their sheep coming down to see this baby are all part of this awesome Season. The Season of Advent, in others words adventus in Latin means coming, arrival, is, indeed, a time of preparation. 

Jesus the King, Leading by Example

 Solemnity of Christ the King, : November 20, 2022

Readings: 2 Samuel 5:1–3; Psalm 122:1–5; Colossians 1:12–20; Luke 23:35–43

A traditional depiction of Christ the King (Credit: Wiki commons.)
To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/DP85QuvMcjA

We celebrate on this Sunday the Solemnity of Christ the King. This great feast of the Church brings to the culmination of the whole liturgical year. With this celebration, in fact, we end the liturgical year which we started with Advent a year ago. We have spent a whole year by dwelling on the mystery of the person of Jesus Christ in our lives, Church and society at large. Because Jesus is a God of history. He became one among us and then left behind a great legacy to imitate him in every way of our lives. Therefore, Jesus is regarded as the King of the Universe. The liturgical readings for this feast of Christ the King emphasize how this person of Jesus is truly our King and King of the Universe.

1. Minding our words when someone suffers

One of the disputable questions Pontius Pilate asked Jesus was "Are you the King?" The soldiers who listened to Pilate questioning Jesus and the subsequent answer of Jesus made them curious about his kingship. In the most vulnerable situation, the soldiers begin to taunt Jesus by ridiculing with the same question asked by Pilate, "are you the king?" "He saved others, let him save himself," and "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Perhaps the uncompassionate and unmerciful humiliating questions of soldiers does not deter Jesus to be mindful and focused on what he was trying to communicate even to the criminals hanging next to him. Through his excruciating suffering, Jesus teaches us that a King or leader is the one who suffers with his people. Moreover, Jesus leads others by example and especially to all those who occupy positions of power and responsibility.  

Perseverance Secures Redemption

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: November 23, 2022

Readings: Malachi 3:19–20; Psalm 98:5–9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–12; Luke 21:5–19

[Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem by Francesco Hayez (1791-1882)]
To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/b7VHF5Ea2L0 

Often we are worried not about the present but about the future. Even though we are unsure about our future, we put too much emphasis on it than on the present. When things do not go according to our plans and projects, we begin to doubt not only on our abilities but also God with whom we might have placed our petition for the success of our plan. The liturgical readings on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time give us a very fascinating but also grim ideas about the future to those who follow our Lord as his authentic disciples. 

1. God’s plans have a future 

“Coming things” as they are called in Christian theology are often absurd, cruel and crazy.  These "end-of-time things" are of such nature, they bring even shiver in our spines because of the world that we live in. We might call this world egoistic, selfish, wicked, and evil. However, the world is also good, kind, generous, and gentle. Moreover, the absurdity of wickedness is taking too much of our energy and the good that we try to accomplish. 

The Lord is Faithiful

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: November 06, 2022

Readings: 2 Maccabees 7:1–2, 9–14; Psalm 17:1, 5–6, 8, 15; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5; Luke 20:27–38

A byzantine icon of Jesus
To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/miUCcvYmCNg

The month of November is very special to us as we commemorate the life and death of every baptized Christian. Eternity and temporality of our lives are celebrated very beautifully in this month. We recall that life has an end on this earth with eyes on the future, a future where God alone suffices. Hence, our earthly life is also precious. The merits of fruitful and holy life will find God in eternity. Even though it might look our earthly life tough and messy because of its chaos and confusion, sin and wickedness, yet there are people, our own ancestors who have lived their life to the full. We call them saints and blessed. They have set a standard or benchmark for our lives too. In this context the liturgical readings on this 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, remind us that our earthly life is as precious as the heavenly life. In fact, we cannot cross into heaven unless we live our lives here on earth fully and faithfully. 

1. Life after an earthly journey is certain

The question about life after death is age-old. This existential question has been asked since the beginning of human history. What happens to our mortal bodies once it stops breathing? Only the human person has the capacity to think creatively, speak languages, imagine art, and get connected with people in unknown geographical locations. If such a thinking person dies where does he or she go? Is the life end at the death of the person? These and many more such questions are part of our daily struggle to live our lives with focus. Often a sense of nothingness, and meaninglessness comes into our minds. Such questions were asked to Jesus. Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection had many questions about life after death, especially the relationship between the husband and wife.