Telling the laity what a priest should do!

 The paradox of this evening's Mass on the occasion of Maundy Thursday was the sermon!  The Priest spent 90% of the time speaking about how a priest should be! What should be a priest's attitude? How should a priest carry out his pastoral ministry? What a priest should do and not do? ... on and on he went! 

And whom was he preaching to? Over 2000 lay people, mostly families with small children.  If at all he were to have preached his one hour sermon turning around facing the four priests who were on the altar, it would have made some sense.  No!! He gave us, non-priests, a full dose on how a priest should be!  

That's called brains! It is akin to berating those present in the Church about those absent! And still we religious want people to attend Church services and pay attention! 

Job satisfaction and fulfilment

 Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with one of our former staff.  Although he had resigned, he was still on board for selected but scattered tasks that we asked him to come on board.  So far so good. 

The discussion began about our present work condition and I thought he was keen to know how things work within the organisation.  However, sooner than later he stopped me and said, I came to basically share with you my difficulties!  I didn't see that coming.  Nonetheless I listened to him and very soon realised he was looking for some challenging role and responsibility.  He wasn't asking. He wasn't demanding. He was placing himself before me and asking me to challenge him with a task.  He wanted that thrill of being felt useful and capable.  He wished to pour out his energies into something that others had failed at or feared handling or proved incapable of completing.  

Later in the night I discussed what I had in mind for this particular individual with the others in my organisation core team.  They were more than excited about how perfect a fit it was: the man, given his capacity and experience, and the task/role I proposed. 

I guess it is not always about money or fame.  At times and more than we like to think of it, a job is not merely a monetary source - it is a vital source of meaning and fulfilment in one's life.  And I hope and pray that more and more of us priests and religious see our life and service as meaningful and fulfilling rather than anything else. 

Vocation and service

 A poster created by the INB vocation promotion team. Quite apt on the occasion of Maundy Thursday.

Mandate to ...?

Feast of the foot-washing!  I'm sure Fr Maliekal would be first in line to rename the day for this title!  And he has his very valid and contextual reasons for doing so.  

The Maundy Thursday mandate can be interpreted in multiple ways.  Service, being one of the them. But it is not service merely because the other is in need that I reach out, rather I reach out because I love the other.  In the case of the former, the situation of the other prompts me to action, not my own conviction. The context of the other changes for good and in all probability the person falls off my radar.  Whereas in the latter, I love the other no matter what his or her condition is.  

Moreover, when service is an outcome of love, I do not have to have great wealth or assets to do service ("Give us a project or funds and only then we can do something!").  Love propels me to be creative in reaching out.  

Interchange Jesus and Daniel

 A couple of weeks ago there was this reading where we hear of the trial of Susanna and the smart judicial move of Daniel, the young prophet.  The same day Gospel narrated of the incident where Jesus defends the woman caught in adultery.  

Attributed to François-Guillaume Méneageot circa 1779

All through the Mass that day and for a couple of days I couldn't get a particular weird imagery that flashed across my mind: what if the two, Jesus and Daniel, were to be interchanged! Would the incidents unfold the same way as we read them in the Bible?  In other words, would Jesus have forgiven the two corrupt officials, rather than them being sentenced to death.  Would Daniel have scripted the woman to now throw stones at the men gathered to put her to death, or atleast the one(s) who forced her into prostitution or adultery?  

Perhaps this has been plaguing my mind, since I too am faced with a similar situation wherein I need to take a stand.  However, I have in a way made up my mind... after much tussle and inner turmoil.  

More than the final outcome of the incidents with the interchanged characters, I seek to understand the process or the rationale or the principles that would guide each of them to come to whatever conclusions they would arrive at. 

Betrayal

 The most intense battles are those with the closest. In Jesus' case too it was the same.  The very people whom he chose to assist, are the ones who rebelled the worst.  Even among the ones he himself choose to be his inner circle, deserted him when the time was the most challenging. 

Betrayal therefore takes different forms: the emotional betrayal of Peter when he denies him; the selfish monetary betrayal of Judas who 'sells' Jesus for thirty pieces of silver; the silent betrayal of the other apostles who stood by dumb or 'disappeared' without the slightest of protest; the mass betrayal of the population who followed Jesus and witnessed his personality and intent at close quarters for a considerable time... 

History often repeats itself. Good to observe what Jesus did!