As rational human beings, we look for something that is beyond us. Our capacity to imagine helps us to transcend physical and spatial constraints. That is why we can think about heaven, eternity, hell and such other things. Even though none of the human beings had the possibility to see these things and record their memories as real, yet we believe because of our reasoning as well as spiritual yearning towards God.
1. Every call presupposes challenges
The liturgical readings of this Sunday encourage us to look at the heavenly realities in a little closer way. The question of a young man to Jesus "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mk 10:17) is a result of the very notion that there is something beyond the earthly life. Interestingly, everyone recognizes this fact including the rich young man that only a good man or woman will enter eternity and will see God face to face.
We live in a web of social relationships. What the life of a person is if he or she does not have any relationship with others? Human life without contact with others is impossible on earth. So long as we are born out of the love of our parents, we cannot run away from the relationships. The feasts of St Vincent de Paul, Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, St Jerome and St Therese of the Child Jesus whose feasts we celebrated this week tell us that each one of them cherished a loving relationship with God. The constant presence and companionship they experienced is a sign for us that God continues to love us. This is what the liturgical readings of today are trying to tell us.
1. Companionship of the other is the companionship of the Lord
The early chapters of the book of Genesis are full of God's mercy and compassion. The creation narratives of the book of Genesis are filled with the warmth and affection of God. God sees the life Adam, now a single person boring and uninteresting and puts him into the company of a woman, Eve in order to enrich each other's life. Understanding this fact itself is a mystical experience. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). God knows the needs of his people, of his creation. In order to make that creation happy and joyful, God does not leave humanity all alone instead God accompanies it. The companionship of God is open and all-embracing. God saw the need of Adam. In the company of Eve Adam felt at home. In other words, God's very creative act in itself says that God wanted to share His companionship with humanity in a very unique way.
The world is suffering and humanity is struggling. Often the wars are not fought on the battlefields but in one's heart and in one's consciousness. The more one goes into conquering that does not belong to him or her, the more jealousy or envy begins to enter into one's heart. The disease of fragmentation causes humanity to be fragmented more and more. All of us are in some way or the other part of this illness. We live in disunity within ourselves because of our ills, failures and inadequacies. Envy and jealousy seem to be deep-rooted in us in spite of our ever readiness to enter into a spiritual realm of prayer, liturgy, meditation and even contemplation. The Bible is full of stories of envy and jealousy. For example, Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers, David and Saul and so on. The list is endless. World literature narrates to us major tragedies caused due to jealousy and envy.
1. Jealousy is not the answer for our climbing!
The liturgical readings for this Sunday point exactly to this fragmentation which the world suffers from. In other words, humanity is struggling with. In the book of Numbers (11:25–29) we read a young man's soul was disturbed when he saw the two stray men, one named Eldad and the other Medad began prophesying but did not belong to the camp of Moses. In the Old Testament, there were many prophets at a time. Sometimes, in groups people prophesized. The answer of Moses is startling. Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, said, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses answered him, "Are you jealous for my sake?" (Nm 11:25-29). Jealousy seems to have ripped apart the camp of Moses. But Moses looks at the will of God and says: "Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!" (Nm 11:25-29). Moses is so generous and gentle towards others. He wants the Spirit of the Lord to come down upon everyone. Thus they may prophesy. Others too have a place in Lord's vineyard. If Moses had listened to his people he would have denied the rightful place of Eldad and Medad as God's creation. In fact, they were saved from jealousy of Joshua.
Liturgically this week has been a very rich one. We celebrated the feasts of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and then Our Lady of Sorrows and not to mention the feasts of the saints like John Chrysostom, Pope Cornelius, Bishop Cyprian, Bishop Robert Bellarmine and Hildegard of Bingen. Many religious congregations both male and female bear the name of Holy Cross or Our Lady. The utter devotion to the Holy Cross says it us all. Without the Cross, there is no salvation, and without Our Lady, we don't see the way to that salvation. Because in Mary, God becomes human.
In a world of too many ideologies, gurus and philosophies, it is quite difficult to find the right one that suits us. This arduous task can be fulfilled only when we have experienced something eternal and lasting in that ideology or philosophy or guru. Even though choosing the right thing that satisfies our interest, way of being and going about is a challenge yet we can follow a path that has fullness, holiness and eternity. However, it is a lifetime’s task to come to understand these truths about our identities, and to live them out daily and to the end. The liturgical readings of this Sunday invite us to respond to God’s saving grace that we can renounce the limitations of our old self, our former identity, and be transformed into a new creation.
1. Recognition confirms the ground reality
In today's Gospel, Mark 8:27-35 Jesus is posing a very important but personal question to his disciples: “'But you', Jesus asked ‘who do you say I am?'” (Mark 8:35). The answers are varied. Even though only the response of Peter is recorded here, one thing is certain in the life of the disciples. They all have one voice regarding Peter's confession. They acknowledge who Jesus is. Almost as a spokesperson of the group of disciples, Peter makes Jesus happy with the right answer.
The liturgical readings for this Sunday are aptly summarized in the responsorial psalm that we read today: "The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord" (Psalm 15:2–5). Moses, St James the Apostle and Jesus call each one of us to understand the purpose of our life that is "to live in the presence of the Lord." A person will not be able to live in the presence of the Lord if he or she is not ready to live according to the precepts or commandments of the Lord. We live in a world by following certain values and norms, morals and ethics, precepts and etiquettes. Being rational, intelligent, social and spiritual beings we follow a certain discipline and a pattern of lifestyle. This is what makes us different from the animal world. We shall reflect on these aspects in the following.
1. Hearing the Word of God
Quoting Prophet Isaiah, Jesus says: "This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Mark 7:6, Isaiah 29:13). While being at the service of people, Jesus found evil in the hearts and minds of those who benefited from his healing, preaching and teaching ministry. People lost themselves especially the Pharisees and scribes in the externals, outward rituals, and those things which matter very little to live in the presence of God. They turned the law inside out, making it a matter of simply performing certain external actions. By being oneself overwhelmed or engrossed with the ritual and external practices, the people could neither hear the Word of God nor act on it. They are lost in the things and ways of this world.
Often when things become difficult, the easiest remedy that we look for to get out of the situation is quitting. We quit a particular relationship or situation because of its heaviness or lack of true knowledge of it. It is easy to quit but difficult to endure. The liturgical readings of this Sunday invite us not to flee from God's love and embrace. We live with choices and chances. Many of them come and go. Choosing the right things at the right time is very essential to make a progress in our spiritual life.
1. Quitting is not a solution to reach heaven
"It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life" (John 6:63). These words of Jesus come after his disciples found it hard to digest. Jesus challenged but also put forward very important aspects of his life, which could bring them salvation and make them children of God. Somehow or the other, many found in Jesus a lot of goodness and mercy but also courage and faith. However, all those things slowly dry up including their initial enthusiasm. Steadily a number of people following him very closely abandon him. From their fleeing, they also abandon the truth for which Jesus came to testify.
On this Sunday, August 15, we celebrate the beautiful feast of the Assumption. On this feast, we praise God who has taken the sinless Virgin Mary, body and soul, into His glory. From Christianity's earliest days the Christian community has celebrated the day on which Mary, the Mother of God entered heaven. Even though the death or Dormition of Mary is not recorded in the Christian canonical scriptures, yet since the 4th century, this feast is celebrated. The term Dormition expresses the belief that the Virgin died without suffering, in a state of spiritual peace. However, this belief does not rest on any scriptural basis but is affirmed by the Eastern Christian Holy Tradition. The Eastern Christians celebrate this event as "Dormition of the Mother of God", "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the Theotokos ("Mother of God"), and her being taken up into heaven (bodily assumption). Mary who said "yes" at her Annunciation, now with her glory into heaven her mission is being accomplished.
The question of identity is a very important component of our life. Identity is determined by one's words and actions. Perhaps people may have their own perceptions while determining someone's identity. Often we get carried away by what others say. Unfortunately, we lose our self-confidence when others put forward their bad perceptions about us. When someone criticizes and identifies us with something negative, we lose confidence in us. All the more we develop a sense of low self-esteem as well. If someone suffers from these kinds of maladies then one should look at Jesus and get inspiration from him. The murmurings of people should not be a reason to fail us.
