The marketplace: when good is bad

The gospel of the day witnesses Jesus driving out all those doing business in the temple and claiming the temple to be the presence of His Father (Jn 2: 13-25).

Honestly if Jesus were to take a moment to consider, he would not have been angry on those poor businessmen in the temple.  After all they were earning a livelihood, perhaps some more than what they should earn but still their livelihood.  Surely people coming from afar would not come with animals and birds for the sacrifice. Where on earth are they going to hunt and search for them. And unless they were sacrificed, how would they ever worship Yahweh.  Their whole visit to the temple would be futile.  So these businessmen selling doves and animals and offering exchange currency were just aiding the worship of believers.  They were doing good.  They meant no harm.  Not all of them would have been fleecing the devotees - at least no more than what happens everywhere! 

In our lives too this can happen: where worship in its existing form can actually prevent us from savouring God's presence.  What was initially meant to bring us close to God, and is still good, but actually leading us only to a perceived sense of sanctity and holiness rather than an experience of God.  We can very well "feel" holy while being far from being actually holy. 

Lent is a good time for us to review not just all our vices but our good actions and habits too and see how they help us in our journey towards God.  Most often, it is our good actions that prevent us from experiencing God rather than our vices.  

Reading, reflecting and writing

Since Monday I was at the PIME study house at Trimulgherry, Secunderabad for a three day animation programme for their 19 students.  It was a good refresher time for me.  While at their study house, I got to meet their three formators.  One meal time, one of them was sharing something what youngsters in Brazil were asking him long ago.  "Why are there only four gospels?  Why didn't the other eight write too?  It is so boring to read the same stuff over and over again!"

Well, on the one hand, some youngsters were aware of the 'other' gospels and were keen to study them for a different version of Jesus and His times.  They were keen to know all possible dimensions of this person named Jesus.

Some wanted to know why the others were so dumb or dull so as to not leave behind such a rich legacy which they were fortunate to be part of.  (of course, they forget that some of them were illiterate and certainly not writers!).

Gets me thinking, how many of us spend time thinking, reflecting and ruminating and then what?  Nothing for others to even read or 'chew' in their free time?  At least does it improve one's own quality of life, so that even if one does not literally write something, at least one's own life becomes an open book for others to read and be inspired by.  

To get oneself to the desk to write something, one ought to have something to write about. At least this is how I forced myself to write: in order to read and continually reflect!

Doing good

How does one go about with a smiling face and jolly happy-go-lucky style when one knows too well that what is going on around is a total farce and no one wishes to see it so? ...leave alone challenge it?

So I thought of what He did in His times. He knew what people were upto. He also probably knew that He'd end up dead sooner than later. And how did He respond? "He went about doing good!" Did he stop speaking out against those who thought they knew it all, but had it all wrong? Did he make compromises? No, He didn't. Did he stop being who He was? No, He didn't.

So I said to myself as I left the Chapel this morning, "let me do good... good for God, for the community, for myself!" Perhaps in that order!

Of pearls and the process...

Last Sunday there was the Gospel about the man in search of pearls and the end of his quest.  It speaks of one who in search of fine pearls comes across one of great value, returns home, sells all he has, and purchases that one pearl of great value.  All fine.  I understand we are to understand that the one pearl is the Kingdom of God or God Himself.  That possessing Him we are truly happy and contended.

However, I'm beginning to feel that there is a slight twist to this whole episode in real life, especially in our modern times.  The actual Gospel sequence is:
knowledge of pearls,
search for fine pearls,
discovery of one,
return to the pearls already possessed,
sale of them all,
purchase of the one great pearl.
Consequence: Bliss

But in most of our lives the sequence could be:
improper or haphazard knowledge of pearls
random picking up of anything that shines!
and mesmerized with what I have.
Consequence: Illusionary bliss

Even among those who heed the Gospel call, there could be some who follow this procedure:
sell everything (just because Jesus said!... not because I've discovered the Kingdom)
start searching
slowly spend the fortune in hand
(for I really have no patience to find the real pearl or worse still, I underestimate the price of the real pearl... worst of all: I haven't found the pearl at all!)

I see the Lord before me ALWAYS...

Am back to blogging after a two-week hiatus at home for my annual holidays.  Not that I did not have access to the net but I just didn't want to post anything.

Of course, much water has flowed under the bridge since Easter Sunday, the day I reached home - both here at Kondadaba and of course, in the Province too.  This is the time for the transfer lists to be out and all are waiting!

For now, let me begin by what struck me as a good point for reflection from yesterday's Mass readings. It is from the Acts of the Apostles (2: 25 ff) wherein a text from the Old Testament is repeated. I found it particularly appealing as a guiding principle for the coming new academic year:

I saw the Lord before me always for with Him at my right hand nothing can shake me.
...
You have made known the way of life to me, You will fill me with gladness through your presence. 

What struck me most, besides the fact that the Lord is always with me, is that He is at my right!!  The main person there is not the Lord. He gladly puts me at the centre, and assures me of Him being at my right... my strength and my courage. 

Joseph, truly and fully human

Joseph, the husband of Mary, gives a triple proof for his humanity in today's short Gospel passage. His sensitivity and humanity is shown when he decides to gently divorce Mary without putting her to shame in public.  He reaffirms this human sensitivity when he pays heed to the divine messenger... thus being open to divinity.  He seals his humanity and sensitivity when he actually takes in Mary to be his lawfully wedded wife even after knowing that the child in her womb is not his.

Who else can be more eligible to the title 'saint' than one who was fully and truly human, like Joseph?

Biography to Autobiography

The morning's Gospel passage from Luke 5, of Peter falling at the feet of Jesus after witnessing to the great catch of fish, is a good example of how Jesus re-scripts lives of individuals.  Fr Maliekal in his sermon, this morning used the phrase, 'Biography to Autobiography'. So far Peter is sure and confident of his skill as a fisherman. Now here comes Jesus, a carpenter, with practically no knowledge or skill about fishing, to predict something of which Peter has absolutely no clue.  And then what?  Jesus is right in his prediction of the location of fish.  That's the moment of re-scripting!  Peter lived his life in a routine manner is now challenged to take a sharp turn, that too in a direction which he must have never ever dreamt in his life.  But the best is yet to come...

Jesus then permits him to re-script his own life.  He invites him to join him catch men. Now that's something that Jesus offers time and again.  Biography to autobiography... This constant rewriting of one's own life journey is what Jesus offers to all who are with Him. 

The rich young man

Yesterday we organised a day-long retreat for the Catholic youth of our neighbourhood.  Though the number of participants who turned up was very low, the intensity of the input sessions was good.  I had invited Fr Raj Kumar from Vizag and he indeed offered much for reflection and introspection.

He began his talk by citing the rich young man of the gospel who approaches Jesus seeking the means to eternal life.  Fr Raj Kumar questioned what sort of youngster was this?  No normal youngster ever seeks eternal life - certainly not in the prime time of his life.  It is normally when sick, injured or retired that one turns one's mind and heart towards such matters. Why then was this young man so eager about eternal life right in the best years of his life?

Such a high level of spirituality and motivation for things of the afterlife?  Whatever it be, the young man truly deserves greater study. 

Building Bridges

Bridge-builders, including Jesus, usually start building a bridege from one side.  You can't build a bridge from the middle as even an engineer will tell you.  You must choose a starting point. What the Gospel is saying, pure and simple, is that wherever you're going to start building  your bride, you better start from the side of powerlessness, not power.  Because if you start on the side of power you'll stay there forever. You really won't build any bridges.  

[An extract from Jesus' Plan for a New World, p. 68].

That's quite a revelatory and challenging thought for ministers of today.  Very true given the fact that there are no neutral positions when it comes to discipleship and commitment. 

Parish or a Prison?

In Jesus' time there were no parishes, just private homes (and of course, the synagogues). And these homes defined the social order of the day geographically (as is prevalent even today in most parts of the world). Jesus to convey his message had no boundaries and so any home with the possibility of sowing the seeds of the Kingdom was fine with him.  But this did not go well with those in authority and perhaps everyone. He went in and out of houses, for various reasons, houses belonging to the apostles (simple fisher folk), the tax collectors ('traitors'), Pharisees (religious leaders), friends (Lazarus), Chief Priests ...

However, once the Church was established and the Parish structure stabilised, Jesus has been held captive! Neither is he permitted to visit 'other' houses (and I certainly do not mean other parishes, but any house where his presence could make a difference) nor do we move out ourselves.  This could very well be applied to every Christian institution.  The very structure we built to widen our reach has become our prison.  

Need working space and liberties?

Whenever we embark on a new initiative we always make sure that it will not die an instant death.  We would ensure that there are sufficient resources, facilities, personnel and whatever it takes to makes sure that we do not fail.  Add to that the fact that we would like to do things our way.  We expect the superiors to be kind to us (since we are on a pioneering mission), understand us and have an extra soft corner for us.

Contrast this with the working style of Jesus:

Our notion of freedom as options and movement is a pleasant luxury, but not what Jesus is seeking when he goes into the desert, when he seems to limit himself in terms of family, marriage and a place to “lay his head”, when he even accepts the limitations of a short ministry among uneducated people at a low period of religion in a country occupied by a foreign oppressor! That is not much freedom by our definition, but more than enough for him to say “the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17: 21). 

[Richard Rohr Jesus' Plan for a New World: The Sermon on the Mount (Mumbai: St Pauls, 2009) 28.]

Where was Lazarus?

While completing my set of reflections for the coming year for the Claretian Tear Off calendar, I was caught badly by this question I asked myself: Where was Lazarus when Jesus was crucified?  No Gospel or any other tradition makes any reference to Lazarus post his meal with Jesus (after Jesus raises him up).  What exactly did Lazarus do during the whole passion of Jesus?  Did he at all appear on the scene or hide himself, for the gospel of John (12: 11) clearly states that the Jews were after his blood too?

I really would like to know what happened to the character or more precisely what and where was he during the crucial moments of Jesus?  

The Good Rich Young Man

Reflecting about the rich young man whom Jesus invited to sell everything he had and to follow Him, I realised that his wealth had not prevented him from being a good believer.  In fact, he did make good use of his wealth and was thereby certainly eligible to be a good disciple.  However, contrary to some who feel that in rejecting the call of Jesus he did a mistake, I believe, he continued being good.  Only that the same wealth made it impossible for him to be a radical disciple.

This is exactly what our upcoming Chapter invites us to be: radical witnesses of the Gospel and not merely good disciples.  Again, a personal clause... to be a radical disciple one first ought to know and be a disciple! 

Miracles and faith

What come first, miracle or faith? Last Sunday's Gospel tells something interesting, and contrary to popular belief.  Most often people await a sign, a miracle to happen to begin to believe.  Jesus in the Gospel puts it the other way round.  He makes belief a prerequisite for miracle.  Believe, inorder to see the wonders of God.

Makes a lot of sense. For if one does not believe, nothing is ever a miracle.  And for one who believes, every blade of grass and every drop of water is a miracle! 

Being Shepherds and sheep

Fr Dominic Savio, in his sermon this morning, speaking on the gospel passage of the Good Shepherd, listed the qualities of a shepherd.  Prior to that he was clear in stating that each one of us is a shepherd in his or her own right.  Elaborating the characteristics of  a shepherd, he said that a shepherd ought to love his/her sheep, keep an eye on the sheep and if necessary risk his/her own life for the sheep.

So far so good. What I did not really find myself agreeing to was what he concluded with: the sheep, he said, has only one duty - to listen to the voice of its master.  Well, not that I have a problem with that quality.  It is only that the whole responsibility of the sheep is on the shepherd!  That for me is unnecessarily adding to  God's already hectic schedule.  We too ought to take an equal - if not, more - responsibility for ourselves rather than merely dump everything on God.  

Kingdom of God - from the left of the cross

The last oral reference Jesus makes to the 'Kingdom of God' is while on the cross. Surprisingly, it is not Jesus who initiates the discussion. This time round, it is the thief crucified along with Him.  As one preacher today informed, perhaps this thief was a good man and had been following Jesus around. There is no other way one can explain his 'instant conversion' on the cross.  Furthermore, his request to Jesus to remember him, is certainly a proof that he knew what Jesus spoke all along during His ministry.  

Nishkamakarma and a sense of gratitude

Commenting on the Gospel of the day, Fr Wilson spoke of nishkamakarma, a concept found in the epic Mahabharata and of great importance in the Philosophy of karma. However, I was not very convinced by his connecting nishkamakarma and expecting a sense of gratitude, just on the face of it.... or rather equating them on the same level. Nishkamakarma truly means not expecting the fruit of the work but focussing on the work itself. The understanding is that results will automatically follow. One needs to be detached from the fruits and concentrate on the task at hand. (something akin to Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative, though not necessarily the same). That said, 'expecting' gratitude is another theme altogether. I certainly do not work to be praised or thanked! But on the part of the one who receives or benefits, it is courtesy or sensitivity to acknowledge the benefit, even if it means just saying 'thanks'. Gratitude is from the part of the receiver not the doer.

Applying this understanding further, I realise that our very Eucharistic celebration would be rendered meaningless, if we say that God did what He was 'supposed' to do, it was His 'duty'. He certainly does not need our thanksgiving (this is true). But we who are the beneficiaries, ought to express our gratitude for all His graces. The doer (God) can practice nishkamakarma but gratitude is from the part of the receiver (us, Human Beings), not the doer. Similarly, being in a formation setting, we ought to teach our wards to grow in a sense of gratitude. Certainly that does not mean that we work merely for that gratitude alone! (If the latter were the case, genuine formators would be an extinct species by now!)

Preparing for the 'Kingdom'

I almost finalised the theme and the main storyline of the Seminary day programme. I have drawn inspiration from Fr Maria Arokiam's Gospel at a tangent to formulate the ideas of the presentation. I need to get the flesh on it and hope to get some assistance from the Brothers tomorrow. It is basically to quell the idea that heaven or the Kingdom is up there or beyond us. The play describes that the Kingdom, far from being a place or position, is a state of life lived according to values. I drive home my point using three anecdotes from the life of Jesus based on the Gospels. Rather than merely repeat what is already in the Bible I'm presenting a picture that precedes or follows the instance recorded in the Bible. So to say, I'm contextualising the incident. The three instances are the interaction with the Syro-Phoenician woman (one of my favourite Gospel narratives), the meeting and conversation with the rich young man and the multiplication of bread and fish. I only hope the Brothers latch on to the idea and we get moving as soon as possible. We barely have two weeks to get our act together. The best part of this: it's written keeping the Brothers in mind and not the guests!

Speaking in parables

To help the Brothers see through things and decide the most appropriate course of action or line of thought, I often leave them with open choices, of course with a few indicators as to which is better. However, most often what happens is that the indicators become the most important things and the Brothers follow just as 'said'. Perhaps if Jesus were to have proposed values to his disciples and others in straight terms, we would have had a long list of do's and dont's. But Jesus, by enveloping the message in a context and a meaning, asks us to interpret the spirit of his ideas, parables or teachings. So that we do not become a mere bunch of doers but sensitive interpreters of what is best basing on the guidelines proposed in the Gospels.

Seasoning love with firmness

We have reached the fag end of the academic year and I know very well that quite a few of the Brothers have a lot of grudge against me for being 'cruel' and 'strict' with them. However, none can accuse me of being partial or having favoured some above the rest. So in that sense, most of them feel I have been quite hard on them. And indeed I have been!

This evening as I spent the adoration thanking the Lord for all that He has done for me, I asked him how did He manage the vast majority of people whom He encountered during his life time here on earth? Especially those who detested the very sight of him? I 'know' that He loved them too. But surely He did not expect to change everyone with his 'love' knowing too well that He would not be around for eternity, waiting for love to change the hearts of people. He just had three years of public life ... and yet He loved!

Perhaps His primary force was love but expressed in different forms: a stern look at Peter in Gethsamene, a smile to a mob victim, silent presence with a sinner, the crack of a whip in the 'market' temple, an extended hand to a paralytic, a gentle touch to the leper... So I ask myself, have I really loved the Brothers or have I only been a task master, exacting from them their best just for the sake of it, duty for duty sake?