Driving out Demons of our Lives and of this World

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 11 June 2021

Readings: Amos 7:12-15; Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:7-13 

(Picture courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian)

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This week has been quite intense for us Jesuits as we lost one of our own in very sad settings. That is Fr Stan Swamy, SJ (1937-2021), a Jesuit for 64 years, a priest for 51 years in police custody (custodial death) in Mumbai, the financial capital of India. None of us would like to die in police custody at such a ripe age of 84 years after working for a cause which certainly a work inspired by the Spirit of God. In India, anything can happen. Fr Stan Swamy did not die in a concentration camp of the Nazies or in the gulag of the Soviet Union. Fr Stan died in the so-called free democratic India under a failed judicial system. Because Fr Stan was hounded like a demon by the legislative, executive and judiciary of India which unfortunately are drinking from the same cup of majoritarianism, manipulation and being blinded by the truth.

1. Following means getting involved

The gospel reading of today should be read from this perspective and keeping in mind what is going on in our country.  Jesus sends his 12 disciples on a mission of preaching, teaching and healing (Mark 6:7-13). The disciples were given a particular and specific task. A task hitherto Jesus himself was doing; a kind of mission experiment to his close followers. Their tasks brought good results: "So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them." (Mark 6:12-13). 

Divinely Strong though Humanly Weak

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 4 June 2021

Readings: Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalm 123:1-2, 2, 3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6

(Picture courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian)

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1. Seeing the ordinary in an extraordinary way

Often when we are too much engrossed with the ordinariness of everyday life, we fail to see extraordinariness in such things. One of the beautiful particularities that we can notice in the lives of saints and mystics is that they saw or did ordinary things in an extraordinary way. Jesus and other prophets belong to this category. Unfortunately, they are not recognized in their lifetime for being who they were and what they did. 

God is more Powerful than the Virus or Death

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 27 June 2021 

Readings: Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24; Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

Raising Jairus’s Daughter

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1. Breathing a new life in a world of fear

There are two phrases in today's Gospel Mark 5:21-24, 35-43 which sound like as if Jesus is addressing to each one of us. As we still grapple with the reality of uncertainty of tomorrow in the present context of Covid Pandemic, the words of Jesus must ripple in our ears again and again:  Firstly, “do not be afraid; just have faith.” and secondly, “Get up!” – “Talitha kum!” The first one is addressed to the synagogue official and the second one to the little girl of twelve years old who had breathed her last. If the first one rekindles new hope in the life of a synagogue official then the second one breathes new life into what must have seemed like a hopeless situation - the death of a little child. Both the words and the action especially taking the hand of the child and infusing in her life in themselves are truly motivating factors in our today's context. In fact, the evangelist Mark is recounting an event that led the disciples to understand Jesus’ authority and power over even the final enemy, death.

Be not be Afraid - God is with us

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 20th June 2021

Readings: Job 38:1, 8-11; Psalm 107:23-26, 28-31; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41

(Photo courtesy: Jan Brueghel the Elder, Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee - 1596) 

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1. Bold faith drives away fear

“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” (Mark 4: 40). These words of Jesus addressed to his disciples on the rocking boat in the Sea of Galilee must encourage us in this time of great turmoil. It is not always the statements or assertions that strengthen us but the right questions when we are afraid and frightful. The straightforward questions from authoritative figures reassure us to fall back on the right path. 

Even in Little Things being at Home with God

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time:13 June 2021

Readings: Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34

(Picture courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian)

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1. Living in a liturgically rich month

In the liturgical calendar, the month of June is a significant one. In this month we celebrate a number of feasts either connected with the person of Jesus Christ - Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary, or the saints of our Church, like Boniface, Anthony of Padua Aloysius Gonzaga, John Fisher, Thomas More, the birth of John the Baptist, Irenaeus, Peter, Paul, etc. These holy men who gave their lives totally to the service of faith and their fellow neighbour tell us a most essential thing, that they were in their earthly life were "at home with the Lord" (2 Cor 5:8). 

Corpus Christi - God's Abundance Made Visible in us

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi: 06 June 2021

Readings: Exodus 24:3-8; Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18; Hebrews 9:11-15; Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

(Veneration of Corpus Christi by the Angels)

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    Along with a relentless news cycle and the various stresses and worries that find their way into each day, the Corona pandemic is ravaging our lives, families and communities. In the midst of this, we celebrate the solemnity of Corpus Christi, a feast which so tangible and dear to us because of its symbolic and personal meaning. Hence, the feast comes as a soothing balm to us.  We can relate to this feast as closely as possible because of our utmost devotion and reverence to the body and blood of Christ which we venerate and receive at every Eucharist. The Feast of Corpus Christi – and every Mass – celebrates Christ’s gift of the Eucharist, which the Catechism calls “the source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324). The pandemic has meant that some of us have been long separated from the sacrament, which may make the meaning of today’s feast feel somewhat distant. 

1. Creation and Incarnation as God's loving acts

In our liturgies and other church practices, we often use a phrase referred to God’s unconditional love for humanity that is ‘He gave Himself to us’. God as our creator not only allowed us to be what we are but he gave himself freely to us. If creation marks the beginning of God’s first visible sign of his love, then God’s incarnation through the person of Jesus marks another witness of God’s presence amongst us. Today we celebrate in a specific manner both these two acts of God: creation and incarnation. 

Holy Trinity - God in His Fullness

 Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: 30 May 2021

Readings: Deuteronomy 4:32–34, 39–40; Psalm 33:4–6, 9, 18–20, 22; Romans 8:14–17; Matthew 28:16–20

(Picture courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian,  Icon of the Holy Trinity by Andrei Rublev) 

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1. The powerful experience of the Holy Trinity in every day of our lives

We know things around us through our senses. The sense experience makes us understand the reality around us. In other words, we interpret things as we experience them through our senses. Each one might understand things differently based on one's earlier experiences. As we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we need to have clarity in place of confusion, faith in place of doubt to understand this complex reality of the Trinitarian God, which we hold so dear to us. The Holy Trinity Sunday is a reminder that God is but with Three. Our Christian faith says that God is a reality of our lives. Therefore the Church today celebrates this amazing feast which consists of a deep theological dimension to our faith and ecclesial life.  

Holy Spirit, the Breath of God Vivifier of All Things

Pentecost Sunday: 23 May 2021

Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23 

(Picture courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian)

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One of the post-resurrection promises of Jesus was to send the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, and it is fulfilled today.  The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us a fascinating description of the coming down of the Holy Spirit on the fear-stricken disciples of Jesus. The Pentecost scene described here is a vivid and colourful one – tongues of fire, a powerful wind. When the disciples were together the Holy Spirit came upon them and fills them with a heart of Christ. In other words, Jesus appears to them again and the oneness is exemplified. The Father reunites Jesus with his followers in a new way through the Holy Spirit, so that they may continue to live the life of Jesus through their actions and words. The Holy Spirit appeared to them as tongues of fire. It made its way through a loud noise like a strong driving wind.   Then they began to speak in tongues, which means they began to speak in different languages.  This was a moment we generally call the establishment of the Church. 

1. Holy Spirit is the foundational experience of the first Chruch 

Pentecost was a foundational and defining moment in the life of the early Church. The Church would become an instrument of salvation, which will speak about the resurrection of the Lord. The Gospel reading tells us that Jesus breathed on the disciples the Holy Spirit. It has some similarities with the first book of the Bible, Genesis, where God breathed on the first man and gave him life; just as Adam’s life came from God, so now the disciples’ new spiritual life comes from Jesus.  

Corona... be NOT my Last Sting!

(Picture courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian)

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The politics around the second wave of the Corona pandemic is intriguing. Along with the nasty news that we hear every day of the effects and destruction of Covid -19, in all of the print and digital media, personally, we are angry not only with the coronavirus itself but also with the government and those who exercise authority upon us.  Yes, both the central and state governments have been stupid and imbecile and we are ruled by an emperor who walks in his own shadow! In the words of Mahua Moitra, he is an emperor who is wearing transparent clothing, while others see him naked and still he doesn’t notice it. We did study about such a personality in our primary school day textbooks. Strangely, now we have the reality of that emperor in the person of our country's PM.

Along with the blame game, however, we should not fall short of our own intelligence and precautions as the current variant coronavirus is deadlier. The mutant variant of this Indian virus seems to be so powerful that it influences our whole organism, and nothing seems to be stopping it including our robust immunity. Everything is put to test with this killer virus in addition to immunity. In this context, could we look deeper into the reality of this virus and save ourselves at least for this moment and allow our death to come at a later stage of our life when it is the right time to go?

1. Let's focus on ourselves and increase the sense of awareness.

Perhaps there is a sense of recklessness in the way we behave in our digital world. With the mobiles and constant messaging on apps of various social media, we have left for ourselves very little time to think about. With the constant hanging of news and views, there is a dramatic shift in our attention. In any spiritual practice, focusing our attention is very important to know what is happening to oneself. Either it is for prayer, or participating in sacraments, Holy Mass or puja, attention and focus are a must. This principle applies even to learning or study. Without concentrating on a particular thing we cannot grasp it fully, extensively and intimately. The parable of the weeds among the wheat in the Bible is apt here: "But while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat" (Matt13:25). The enemy attacks when you are vulnerable. Rule 14 of St. Ignatius’ Discernment of Spirits states that the enemy lays seize at the weakest side.