Jesus ordered the spirit, “Be quiet, and come out of the man!” (Mk 1:25)

Jesus ordered the spirit, “Be quiet, and come out of the man!” (Mk 1:25) 

Today’s Passages: Mk 1:21-28; Heb 2:5-12

Meditation: On the solemnity of the epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ, it was revealed that he was the Son of God. The message continued through the feast of baptism of our Lord Jesus. Today what we heard through the meditation verse was one of its expressions with concrete example; the evil spirit in the man was driven out. This miracle is a clear manifestation of his divine power and at the same time it unfolds the purpose of his incarnation.

In the book of Genesis we read, “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” (Gen 1:27, 28) How blessed in the beginning the man was! However, we know that how the man lost the blessings of the Lord as he listened to and made obedience to Satan.

The man, who was with God, was cheated by the perpetual liar Satan and was made slave to him. The loving God, but once again took initiative to bring him back to the heavenly paradise; in the contemporary term it may be called ghar vapasi. The second reading complements to this thought saying, “He purifies people from their sins, and both he and those who are made pure all have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.” (Heb 2:11) This shows the way through which man is created anew and become child of God and thereby brother of Christ.

    

Therefore, the foremost mission of Jesus’ incarnation certainly was to make free man from the clutches of sin and Satan and bring him salvation. Jesus’ disciples were also given the power to cast out demons and heal people. However, it is not enough that we are freed from the clutches of sins for everlasting renewed life we have to live in and for Jesus. Otherwise it will turn into worse than before.

The word of Lord gives a beautiful example as to it: “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can’t find one, it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house.’ So it goes back and finds the house clean and tidy. Then it goes out and brings seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in a worse state than he was at the beginning.” (Lk 11:24-26)

        

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Through the miracle of driving out evil spirit from the man, you have shown us that we have to lead a life of union with God. We have to walk in the light and keep away from the activities of darkness. Lord, give us your Holy Spirit in its abundance and sanctify us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!  

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Tuesday!

Jesus said, “The right time has come and the kingdom of God is near! Turn away from your sins and believe the Good News.” (Mk 1:15)

Jesus said, “The right time has come and the kingdom of God is near! Turn away from your sins and believe the Good News.” (Mk 1:15) 

Today’s Passages: Mk 1:14-20; Heb 1:1-6

Meditation: Today’s meditation verse once again invites us to reflect upon “the good news” and “the right time.” Recently as we meditated on this theme it was noted that all news are not “good news” for all people and we saw examples from the lives of the magi as well as from King Herod. However, once again we try to get into the message for “the favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent; they are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness.” (Lam 3:22, 23)

Since Jesus says, “The right time has come and the kingdom of God is near!” it must be by all means true. Is that hearing of Jesus’ proclamation then enough for our salvation? Certainly no! That is why Jesus himself puts forward the condition; “Turn away from your sins and believe the Good News!” Here needs of course a faithful response from our part. Unless and until we abandon our sins we cannot come to believe in Jesus. St. John says, “We know that no one begotten by God sins; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the evil one cannot touch him.” (1 Jn 5:18)

Why do we believe then in the Good News? For mere turning away from sins doesn’t guarantee our eternal life. This only temporarily makes one free from the bondage of Satan/sins. In order to have eternal life one has to believe in the Good News. John the evangelist shares with us the purpose his writing the gospel, “These are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and through this belief you may have life in his name.” (Jn 20:31)

If this second step is not there, then, what we heard in the second reading is not relevant to you and me; “After achieving forgiveness for the sins of mankind, he sat down in heaven at the right-hand side of God, the supreme power.” (Heb 1:3) How did he achieve his goal of redemption? It is through his sacrificial death on the cross. If you believe in this “Good News,” then this is “the right time” to live for him and die for him.

St. Paul says, “He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for him who died and was raised to life for their sake.” (2 Cor 5:15) If you are ready, from now on, to live in him, with him, and for him, then, this is the day the Lord has made for you and your salvation. Surely, Jesus will whisper in our ears today, “Salvation has come to this house today.” (Lk 19:9)           

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Teach me, O Lord, that the right time is the time I find you in my life as my only savior and redeemer. Let us learn from the lives of the thief on the cross at your right-hand side and Zacchaeus the meaning of real repentance and conversion. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!  

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Monday!

“He must become more important while I become less important.” (Jn 3:30)

“He must become more important while I become less important.” (Jn 3:30) 

Today’s Passages: Jn 3:22-30; 1Jn 5:14-21

Meditation: What does today’s meditation verse speak to us? The context is John the Baptist’s conversation with his disciples. They are concerned with the growing number of people who go after Jesus than their master John the Baptist. However, John, a self realized man, is not anxious about it for he knows well who Jesus is. He reminds them also that he had already told them that he himself was not the Messiah, but precursor of Jesus, the Messiah. Moreover, he hints that he is happy to hear such news.

Now let us turn to what John tells us today, “He must become more important while I become less important.” (Jn 3:30) How does it take place? Is it on the subjective level or objective level? Can we make Jesus the Messiah greater through our efforts; words, deeds, or thoughts? Objectively, of course we cannot! It is the same with our praise and glory which do not make any change as to his glory; nothing more, nothing less.

However, subjectively, there is a big yes! Here I am finding more space to my God than to myself in my life. Whenever I praise, give thanks to, and adore God, I am dethroning myself and enthroning God. Then he becomes in my heart and life greater than anyone else and anything else. Now no more am I concerned with my pleasures, conveniences, and projects, rather concerned with his plan for me. John is now thinking of the fulfillment of God’s will in and through him; i.e., preparing the way for the Messiah and is happy with that.

In order to get into it, in the second reading John says, “My children keep yourselves safe from false gods.” (1Jn 5:21) If the false gods are dwelling in you, you cannot have space for Jesus, the Messiah. False need not be gentile gods: it can be anything or anyone you serve more than God; you love more than God; you trust more than; and you follow more than God and so on. That is the meaning of the cost Jesus’ discipleship too.

Jesus today reminds you and me, “Whoever comes to me cannot be my disciple unless he loves me more than he loves his father and his mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and his sisters, and himself as well.” (Lk 14:26) This is otherwise elsewhere given in the bible, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Dt 6:5)

         

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. I understand, O God, in my daily you are not often given prominent place: we have enough time for everything except for you; enough space for everything except for you; enough friends except you. Even then I feel that I am your disciple. Have mercy on my shallowness and emptiness. O Holy Spirit, come upon us and enlighten our minds and thoughts. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!  

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Saturday!

“When he saw Jesus, he threw himself down and begged him, ‘Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean!’” (Lk 5:12)

“When he saw Jesus, he threw himself down and begged him, ‘Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean!’” (Lk 5:12) 

Today’s Passages: Lk 5:12-16; 1Jn 5:5-13

Meditation: It is quite interesting to reflect upon this verse of today’s meditation. A man with a dreaded skin disease or leper is crying out for help from Jesus. From the Jewish background of those days we know that these lepers were to keep themselves aloof from the public. Then, how did he know about Jesus? Certainly, it must be through hearing; a hearing from afar. It needs a lot of attention and devotion indeed!

St. Paul says, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.” (Rom 10:17) We have before us pretty number of stories of saints like St. Augustine, St. Ignatius of Loyola who listened to the word of God and were renewed. The leper also might have heard about Jesus quite number of times and therefore, decided one day to try Jesus. Finally, it culminated in his healing and salvation

Therefore, whatever small things we do as to proclaim Jesus has got far reaching results; this may be a sharing of a bible quotation or a small passage from the bible, making use of the word of the Lord in small community prayers, a sharing of reflection on bible verses etc. The people who hear and read these may turn to the Lord like this leper. You may not know its results immediately, but it happens literally. It is timely to remember the example of the Samaritan woman too.

 The second reading testifies yet another way of proclamation; i.e., through writing. The author says, “I am writing this to you so that you may know that you have eternal life – you that believe in the Son of God.” (1Jn 5:13) Let ‘Jesus be known to everyone’ be our motto; through our words and deeds. We are only co-workers in the ministry of evangelization.

St. Paul is very clear as he says, “There is no difference between the man who sows and the man who waters; God will reward each one according to the work he has done. For we are partners working together for God, and you are God’s field.” (1 Cor 3:8, 9) It is not the medium of proclamation, but the content or the kerygma that matters.

           

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. We believe that the bible is your loving message to us. So, in order to make this message known to the nations, we surrender ourselves before you. Make us an instrument of your living Word where people are unheard of your divine message of life and light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!  

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Friday!

“This passage of the scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.” (Lk 4:21)

“This passage of the scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.” (Lk 4:21) 

Today’s Passages: Lk 4:14-22a; 1Jn 4:19-5:4

Meditation: The bible is the word of the living God. We believe and express it through the confession before and after each reading of the scripture. It is also considered as the letters or messages from the living God. Some opines that it is the manifestation of the will of God for each one of us. Once you believe that this is the will of God for you, then, you have to listen to it and abide by it. It is truly said that the bible is the only book whose author is present when one reads it.

Adrian Rogers puts before us five steps of bible study: pray over the text, ponder over it, preserve it, practice it, and proclaim it. Once you do it regularly, then, slowly you will get the messages from God; you become one with the will of the father. You begin to set your mind according to the will of the father. The result is that God’s will is done through you and me. By constantly listening to as well as speaking to the father, Jesus himself sets before us a model to be emulated.

Consequently, he announces, “This passage of the scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.” (Lk 4:21) When we go through the word of God, we should ask ourselves as to what message God wants to communicate to me today through this passage. In the Joy of the Gospel Pope Francis exhorts the homilist, “Whoever wants to preach must be the first to let the word of God move him deeply and become incarnate in his daily life. In this way preaching will consist in that activity, so intense and fruitful, which is communicating to others what one has contemplated.” (GE 150)

It is to this understanding we are rightly led by the second reading. John says, “If someone says he loves God, but hates his brother, he is a liar. For, he cannot love God, whom he has not seen, if he does not love his brother, whom he has seen.” (1Jn 4:20) This is actually the meditation over Jesus’ commandment, “The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love his brother also.” (1Jn 4:21) Do I ever realize, as I read the scripture, that this is God’s will for me? Is the bible reading for me a conversation between God and myself?

                    

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. We believe that the bible is your loving message to us. So, in order to make our life according to your word, we have to listen to it, treasure it in our hearts and proclaim it. Give us your Spirit in its abundance and guide us each moment of our life so that we may do your will and become your faithful children. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen! 

Greetings: God is with you! Have a blissful Thursday!