Ascending to the Father in Heaven

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord: May 29, 2022

Readings: Acts 1:1–11; Psalm 47:2–3, 6–7, 8–9; Ephesians 1:17–23; Luke 24:46–53

(Ascension of Jesus into Heaven by Lash Larue, 2022)

To listen to my audio-video reflection on YouTube, please click on the link: https://youtu.be/SbGcb_uRrFA

When you live in a faraway foreign country leaving behind your parents and making a visit once in two or three years, and saying goodbye to them before you take a flight is always difficult. It is difficult to part from those who are of your flesh and blood. Often the thought of, will I see my parents or my dear ones again dominates the back of your mind. We are so interconnected with our relationships, that saying goodbye or bidding farewell always brings tears to our eyes. On this Ascension Sunday, the liturgical readings give us a mixed scene of joy and sadness in which Jesus bid farewell and was taken up into heaven. His final words to his disciples demonstrate that it was not easy. The story of Jesus did not end with the empty tomb, or with Jesus’ appearances to the Apostles over the course of forty days. Jesus continues to live in and around us from his seat in heaven.

1. We are witnesses of the Lord

We celebrate the Ascension Sunday, after 40 days of Easter. This feast celebrates how the resurrected Lord went back to his Father. Even though the Gospels of St Mark and St John do not speak about the ascension of our Lord, St Matthew and St Luke give us a beautiful description of how the Risen Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven. In fact, St Luke begins the Acts of the Apostles with an awesome description of Jesus ascending into the heavens. In fact, this is the end of Jesus' life on earth and his departure from this earth once and for all. We see the contradictions in which the narration about Jesus' final moments on this earth are given. The truth behind this ascension is an assurance that the truth revealed by Jesus will be proclaimed to the ends of this earth.

All the Ends of the Earth Fear the Lord

 Sixth Sunday of Easter: May 22, 2022

 Readings: Acts 15:1–2, 22–29; Psalm 67:2–3, 5–6, 8; Revelation 21:10–14, 22–23; John 14:23–29

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Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890), an Anglican priest, a convert to Catholicism now a saint, published an article in 1859 titled "On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine." He argued that in the life of the Church consulting the faithful in matters of faith is an important factor in Church life. In fact, he pointed out a kind of synodality, that we are talking about today, where doctrine and tradition are testified by the living faith of the people. The liturgical readings of this Sunday invite us to enter deeper into the mystery of Easter because we are all participants in building the Church of God here on earth. So, everyone is invited to contribute one's mite to forming a church built on faith, hope and love. 

1. Synodality as a way forward in the Early Christian Communities

The first reading of today (Acts 15:1–2, 22–29) from the Acts of the Apostles is a testimony to the presence of the Spirit in the Church. The Church which is built on the foundations of the Apostles and their experience of the Risen Lord witnessed tremendous growth in its early years. As the Church made its presence felt among different nations, cultures, traditions and people, questions and doubts, dissensions and debates arose about whether what they were doing was right or not, especially with the question of those non-Jews embracing Christianity who had to obey all the complex ritual and purity laws of the Jews and their circumcision. In order to find the right solution, the community of Christians along with Paul and Barnabas decide to consult the apostles who were in Jerusalem. 

Love as Answer to Hatred

 Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 15, 2022

Readings: Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145:8-13; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-35

(Jesus and his disciples)
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A dominant feeling of Easter is a sense of belonging to the person of Jesus. In fact, along with a sense of excitement which is pervading during the Easter Season, there is an encouragement to cling on to the person of Jesus. Moreover, there is no other person in the world who has caught the imagination of people so deeply and drawn to himself after his death so powerfully than the person of Jesus. It is all because of Easter. Therefore as we read the Word of God on this Sunday, we are invited once again to make a commitment to the person of Jesus with love. 

1. God chooses the right people at the right time

The first reading (Acts 14:21-27) drawn from the Acts of Apostles gives us a detailed journey of Sts Paul and Barnabas. They are on a life-transforming journey. Through them, God is “making all things new” around them. Every person who comes in contact with them are touched and transformed and converted to the faith of these disciples. Both Paul and Barnabas go through a lot of hardships but through prayer and fasting are able to see the growth of the Church and appoint elders who would take care of those little communities to remain in the steadfast love of the Lord. 

Leading to Springs of Life-Giving Water

Fourth Sunday of Easter: Good Shepherd Sunday - May 08, 2022

Readings: Acts 13:14, 43–52; Psalm 100:1–3, 5; Revelation 7:9, 14–17; John 10:27–30

(Jesus the Good Shepherd)
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These days, we are flooded with the news of the bloody war in Ukraine unleashed by its neighbour Russia, the national economic crisis in our neighbouring country, Sri Lanka and unending communal hatred being spread by the loyalists and fanatics of the BJP supporters and its government/s in India. It would be interesting to ask if Paul and Barnabas were around what would have been their reaction as they go on their preaching trail? Which city they would have chosen as a base for their mission of saving work? The Acts of the Apostles says 'Iconium' was the city that they preferred. It was the safest. Paul and Barnabas even though they preached in Antioch in Pisidia had trouble from the community and so had to leave for Iconium. The passage reads: "The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit" in that city of peace and tranquillity (Acts 13:52). 

1. God's strength in spite of failures 

A lot of political game is going on here in Greek lands. We see first both Paul and Barnabas speaking with new converts to Judaism but now followers of Paul's faith and Paul tells them to remain faithful to their call of God. Then Paul and Barnabus turn to old Jews, and say to them these words, “It was necessary that the Word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46).  Paul is demanding absolute obedience from them. In spite of many failures that Paul encounters a great multitude of people joins his way. 

Being Open to the Spirit of the Lord

 Third Sunday of Easter - Cycle C:  May 01, 2022

Readings: Acts 5:27–32, 40–41; Psalm 30:2, 4–6, 11–13; Revelation 5:11–14; John 21:1–19

(Resurrected Jesus with the charcoal fire frying fish for his disciples)
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One of the descriptions of the human person in the Bible is ‘spirit’. We are spirit in the world.  The prominent Catholic theologian, Fr Karl Rahner, SJ wrote a book entitled Geist in Welt, "Spirit in the World." St. Paul often writes in his letters that we are such, and we have to listen to the spirit of God. We are able to make sense of the spirit because of Jesus Christ. The Bible also speaks about the Holy Spirit, one of the persons of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit rests on Jesus at his baptism, and at the end of Jesus’ life, the Spirit enables him to drink the cup of suffering. And the spirit of the Lord unites the disciples of Jesus. Today, we have a description of the Risen Jesus who brings his fishing disciples to a breakfast table, in fact, he prepares breakfast for them and then appoints Peter as the head of the group to lead and proclaim what he had done as a preacher, teacher and healer. It is fascinating to hear the way Peter is called to lead the group in that rather dramatic conversation which takes place between Jesus and Peter.

1. Risen Jesus: A symbol of unity

The Risen Lord not only unites his disciples but also brings them together in order that they may work on a particular task that is assigned to them. The Risen Lord cooks for those he loves, gives nourishment, and encouragement and continues to call in the face of weakness and failings. They listen to the promptings of the spirit and get to work as quickly as possible. Therefore listening to the spirit is very essential in our Christian life. 

Transforming Experience of Easter

 Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday): April 24, 2022

Readings: Acts 5:12–16; Psalm 118:2–4, 13–15, 22–24; Revelation 1:9–13, 17–19; John 20:19–31

(Risen Jesus with Thomas and other disciples)

Recently, Mundgod, one of our mission stations in Karnataka marked 40 years of its existence (1982-2022). It is the first mission of the Jesuits in the Northern part of Karnataka. 60% of the land in this poorest taluka of Karnataka is covered with forest and inhabited by tribes like Siddies, Gowlies, Gollas, Lambanies, Vaddars and many more. Today, the Mundgod mission runs a parish with three substations of which two are of Siddi. We also have educational institutions from primary to 12th including a CBSE school. A very strong social work centre works in more than 45 villages of the same taluka. All this bears witness to the Resurrected Jesus. Because without the Easter experience, our pioneers would not have ventured into such poor and remote places and preached Christ in words and deeds.

1. Easter experience transforms everything 

The Gospel readings for this Second Sunday of Easter which is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday bring to our attention the incredible presence of resurrected Jesus amidst the disciples and the first Christians. It is a very exciting period for the nascent community of Christians who drew so much strength from the Easter experience. Through Resurrected Jesus, they experience warmth and friendship, and each one feels counted in the community. In a similar way, Jesus too offers each one of us his personal touch and friendship. As the English author C.S. Lewis puts so beautifully: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” As Christians, we must see everything from the prism of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Resurrection: An Emphatic Manifestation of Easter

Easter Sunday: Cycle C - April 17, 2022

Readings: Acts 10:34, 37–43; Psalm 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23; Colossians 3:1–4; John 20:1–9

Readings: for the Easter Vigil, please click here

(Resurrection morn, 1895 by Herbert Gustav Schmalz (1856-1935)
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The Easter proclamation that Jesus is Risen indeed brings to a close the Sacred Triduum of the Holy Week. As we enter into the new dawn of Christ's presence among us as the Risen Lord, we are invited to be Easter people. The particular grace that the resurrected Lord gives us is his peace and joy. As people of Easter, we too are invited to share the same joy and peace of our Lord with our brothers and sisters, with our family and community members. Therefore, it is essential for us to see the importance and nature of this resurrection as we understand it today based on the scriptures and history. 

1. Resurrection: A manifestation of the fullness of life

Resurrection is the fullness and manifestation of the Life that resonates within life and within death. The only way for the Christian to make this assertion is to look at the crucified Jesus - who now lives. As people of the Risen Lord, we continue to look at the Cross, because the Cross gives not only fuller meaning to the resurrection of our Lord but also to our lives. The life of Jesus on this earth does not end on the cross but continues through his resurrection. Thus Christ becomes all in all. If there is any ambiguity on the death of our Lord on the Cross, the event of resurrection clears all that is doubtful and unclear and even the image of an impassible God (which means God does not experience pain or is untouched by the suffering).

Passion of Christ, Passion of the World

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion: April 15, 2022 

Readings:  Isaiah 52:13-53:12 | Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9 | John 18:1-19:42

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Leonardo Boff, a Franciscan priest from Brazil wrote a book titled "Passion of Christ, Passion of the World" in 1977 interpreting the facts and their meaning for yesterday and today of the person of Jesus Christ found in the Bible. The book basically speaks about the death of Jesus and its meaning in today's context. On this Good Friday, we indeed not only commemorate the event of the death of our Lord but also try to make sense of it especially to see how the violent death of our Lord changed the world and continues to change even today. Fr Boff says, "Christ died so that we might know that not everything is permitted." Perhaps no other person's death is commemorated in such a passionate way as the death of Jesus in the world today. This means truly, we are not only overwhelmed by the death of our Lord with penance and mourning but also try to gather meaning and sense in our life. Because after all, Jesus is our definite Saviour.

1. The Cross of Jesus spoke loudly and speaks louder today

The death of Jesus on the cross closes one chapter of his life on this earth as a preacher, teacher, healer and liberator. However, his death on the cross leaves us a lot of answered and unanswerable questions in our minds. The Cross of the Lord spoke loudly when Jesus died in an agonizing state. The whole cosmos was filled with turmoil with signs of an earthquake and getting dark at three o'clock in the afternoon. The "curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and rocks were split; the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:51-54).  

Last Supper of Our Lord: A Continuous Ministry of Service and Love

Maundy Thursday: Commemoration of Lord's Last Supper: April 14, 2022

Readings: Exodus 12:1-8,11-14 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 | John 13:1-15

(Depiction of the Last Supper by Artist Lydia Susan Abraham courtesy: internet)
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The Sacred or Holy Triduum as we call the three important days of the Holy Week are the revered days in the entire liturgical year. We begin the Holy Triduum with the Maundy or Holy Thursday, where we commemorate the Lord's Last Supper with his disciples. Good Friday commemorates the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Holy Saturday having spent the day with the mother of our Saviour in her mourning at the death of her beloved son, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. 

1. Holy Eucharist: The centre of our lives

Holy Thursday, which we celebrate is indeed a life-transforming event in our faith lives. It is because on this day, our Lord instituted the Eucharist and by doing so instituted the priesthood. Moreover, on this eventful day, our Lord washed the feet of his disciples and called us to a model of service. Whether it is for a family person or for a religious consecrated person, Eucharist is everything to one's life. When Fr Pedro Arrupe (1907-1991), the former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, who survived the Hiroshima bombing in 1945 and spent the last ten years of his life in the infirmary because of a stroke that paralyzed him completely asked, "who is Jesus for you?" he replied, "for me, Jesus is everything" and when further asked, "what is Eucharist for you?" he immediately replied, "for me, Eucharist is the centre of my life."