Be Surprised!

            “The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of David, the son of Abraham” ( Mt.1:1)

 This Gospel of today invites us to live with a sense of history.  The ancestry of Jesus is traced back to Abraham. The promise made to Abraham had to wait long years before it was fulfilled.  God  may delay but he will not forget his promises.  But then we cannot blame him for the delay. It is either because we are obstructing his plans or we are not fully cooperating with him. We can be sure God will fulfill his promises, ”Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.”( Lk.21:33) 

 In the long list of names that we read in the ancestry of Jesus we come across  all sorts of characters. Some have cooperated with God to fulfill his  promises while others have delayed and opposed his plans.  Our role is essential for God to carry out his promises. We are a link connecting the past to the future.

 God fulfills his promises just when things seem worst. When Jesus was born the Jews were under the yoke of the Romans. The house of David was almost in obscurity.  He came at a time when no one expected him. He was born in a place least expected. The three kings searched for him in the palaces in Jerusalem but he was in a stable in Bethlehem. God fulfills his promises when things seem most improbable, and through people least expected.

 He chose a humble woman from Nazareth to be his mother. His birth was announced to the Shepherds, and they were the first to come and meet him. Nathaniel could not find anything coming from Nazareth and it is there Jesus chose to live. He chose fishermen to be his disciples. He died on a cross between two thieves. God comes in ways and in places least expected.

 For several centuries prophets foretold and prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah. A faithful genealogy  was faithfully maintained. A long line of priests got ready to receive him when he comes.  A big   temple was build at Jerusalem for a crib. People of Israel wanted to make sure he was given a fitting reception when he came. But finally when he did come into the world they missed him ! “There was no place for them at the inn.” ( Lk.2.7).

 Be ready for surprises at Christmas. We can easily lay him down in an artificial  manger with twinkling lights and paper cut stars and kneel and sing, ‘Come let us adore him”. Be prepared to be surprised. He may not be there! We can organize a grand Christmas party with cakes and champagnes and neglect the sacrament of reconciliation and the Eucharist. Let us not take Christ out of Christmas. No Christmas without Christ. He is most likely to come at Christmas as he came the first time. Discover him in those who are poor and suffering from the cold.  Are you ready for such a Christmas? Be ready for surprises!  

-Fr T.V.George sdb

 

 

 

 

            

                

                                                   Many Parables but One Message.

                                                              A Reflection on the Parables of Jesus

In most of the parables of Jesus there is a sharp, focused and disturbing

 message that comes across clearly.

In most of the parables we see two groups of people. There is the first group

for whom everything seems to go well. They are the close friends of the 

master, they work hard the whole day in the vineyard, they don’t wander 

from home, they are close to the altar and pray with uplifted hands, they say

 ‘yes’ to father’s request. What is impressive about this first group is their

virtues. They are hardworking, dedicated, chaste, sacrificing, obedient, 

they say ’yes’ to father’s request, they fast, they pray, they work hard, 

they are punctual. They are not thieves nor are they adulterers. Everything 

seems to go well with them. They are held in high esteem by society.

These could very well be considered candidates for canonization!

There is a second group in most of the parables for whom everything

 seems to go wrong. They live in the lanes and by lanes, they are 

lazy and report for work at the eleventh hour, they wander far 

from home wasting their father’s property, they come close to the 

church-door but don’t enter in. What is evident about this second 

group is their sins: They are disobedient, they rebel, they wander, 

they are lazy,  they are thieves, rogues and adulterers. Their friends,

their families, the society know their sins and treat them with disdain.

What is shocking is the conclusion of these parables. The good ones 

turn out to be the grumblers, unhappy, resentful, jealous, angry, 

refusing to go  inside the house while the rebellious, lazy, sinful, 

disobedient ones are celebrating at home.

The rebel son who wandered far from home is celebrating inside the house, 

while the hardworking obedient elder son is in the servant’s quarters refusing

 to go in. The lazy ones who reported at the eleventh hour for work are 

going home whistling and singing while the hard working ones who worked

 the whole day under the sun, are bitter and angry at the generosity of the

 master. Those from the lanes and by lanes are in the banqueting hall

celebrating, while the close friends of the master who were invited, 

are busy with fields, bulls and wives and have no time for the master. 

The rebellious ’no’ son repent and do the father’s will, while the ‘yes’ son

 refuse to do what the father wants. The sinner near the door of the temple

 goes home sanctified while the Pharisee  in the sanctuary goes home satisfied.

What message has these parables for us who are good Christians, 

Religious or Priests? To which group do we belong? Do we consider 

ourselves hardworking, poor, chaste, obedient, staying close to the altar, 

presbytery bound, close friends of the master?  Or do we find ourselves lazy, 

disobedient, gone far from home, living in the lanes and by lanes,

 sinful and in need of forgiveness? 

These parables offer a message of hope and forgiveness to those who have 

wandered far. At the same time it is a warning and a challenge to those who 

consider themselves ‘good’ and ‘holy’. It is better to be a sinner who repents

 than a ‘saint’ who counts his virtues and condemns others failures. It is

  better to live in the lanes and by-lanes and accept the invitation and attend the

wedding banquet rather than to be friends of the master and take his invitation 

for granted and be busy with buying, accounting, building and finding fault. 

It is better to say ‘no’ and repent and do the father’s will rather than

 be the ‘yes’ sons and daughters and never do what the father wants. It is

better to wander and come back home and celebrate with the father than 

to be at home and never known the love of the father.

                                                                            Fr T V George sdb                                      

                                                     ‘They did not understand’ Lk.2.51

The first words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is a question, a question he asks his parents Mary and Joseph, “Why did you search for me?” Having received no answer he asks another question, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Lk. 2:49. The parents are surprised and perhaps even a bit annoyed at his question. Luke concludes the incident with a passing comment, “they did not understand what he meant. His mother treasured all these things in her heart” Lk.2.51.

To understand the greatness of Mary and Joseph we must meditate on this passing remark of Luke. In Mary’s heart there was a big store of things she did not understand. She did not understand fully all  the words of angel Gabriel at the annunciation. She did not fully grasp why the promised child had to be born in a stable. She did not understand why she had to flee with the child to Egypt soon after his birth. She did not understand fully the words of Simeon, “a sword shall pierce your own soul.”  She did not understand the first ‘why’ of Jesus to her at the temple of Jerusalem. She did not understand when later  at Cana  Jesus said, “Woman, what concern is that to us and to you?”  Mary did not understand when during Jesus’ public life he asked, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Mt. 12.48.  Mary did not fully understand why her son had to die a shameful death on  Calvary.

There is a school of thought which says that Mary perfectly understood from the beginning all that was going to happen to Jesus. There is another school of thought which says together with St Luke that ‘they did not understand’ all that Jesus said and did. 

Faith is to believe in things that we don’t see. At Cana we are told the disciples believed in Jesus after the  miracle, but Mary believed in Jesus before the miracle. By telling Jesus, “They have no wine”, Mary was not just passing an information but asking for a miracle. How did she know Jesus could work a miracle for he had not worked a miracle until now, for St John says,  “this was the first of his signs.” Jn. 2.11

Faith is to believe without signs. Faith is to believe that God is larger than our mind. Faith is to give a place in our hearts for things we don’t understand.  There are things which  the heart knows that the mind don’t understand. Faith is to make a big store in our hearts for things we don’t understand. Mary teaches us the truth that we can hold on to God’s promises even when we don’t understand.

Elizabeth was the first to recognize the true greatness of Mary when she said, “Blessed are you who believed.” Lk.1.45. Thirty years later Jesus would reaffirm what Elizabeth had said, “Blessed are those who hear the word and keep it”. Again Jesus would praise her faith when he said, “Whoever does the will of my Father is my brother and sister and mother.” The ability to believe, the ability to hear the word, is the greatest gift that Mary received. In the estimate  of both Elizabeth and Jesus, two persons who knew Mary better than anyone else, spoke of her greatness as her ability to hear the word and keep it. There is a proverb which says, “What you are speaks so loud, I cannot hear what you say!”. The life of Mary speaks so loud there was no need for her to say many words. The only sermons she has preached has just five words, “Do whatever he tells you”. These  words to the servants at Cana is the shortest of sermons, the best of sermons. What she preached is what she has lived from her Annunciation to her Assumption.   

Mary walked the pilgrimage of faith. Just as Abraham walked up the mountain of Moriah with Isaac by his side and the wood for sacrifice on Issac’s shoulders and yet he had the ability to believe that God is faithful to his promises. In the same way Mary would walk up another  mountain  with her Son by her side and the wood for  sacrifice on his shoulders and like Abraham,  Mary too believed that God will bring about a fulfillment of his promises.  By their extraordinary ability to believe against all odds and counter signs,  Abraham  became the Father of Faith and Mary, the Mother of Faith.

The true greatness of  Mary is her faith. Her life was like ours. She faced the same sort of oppressive, hopeless, insoluble situations in which we often find ourselves placed. Life seems so full of contradictions and false promises. The bright happy world we were promised, is full of hunger and sickness,  violence and war,  pollution and corruption, false guarantees and sufferings. Confronted with this dichotomy and falsehood we cannot let go the only hope we have – our faith.

Like Abraham we need to walk where there isn’t any path. Like Peter we need to dare and step on the water and walk on the raging waves. Like Mary of Nazareth we need to see where there isn’t any light and hold on to the promise of a new dawn.

-        Fr T.V.George sdb  

 

 

The Holy Rosary

‘Our entire faith in our hand’

The Holy Rosary is one of the most enduring devotional practices in the Catholic Church. Simple in structure yet profound in its spiritual depth, the Rosary leads the faithful to contemplate the mysteries of Christ’s life through the loving gaze of His Blessed Mother.

The History of the Rosary

Many associate the origins of the Rosary  with St. Dominic in the 13th century. Tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic in 1214 and gave him the Rosary as a weapon against heresy. The Dominicans certainly played a major role in popularizing the Rosary. The practice of using beads to count prayers is very ancient and is not limited only to Catholics.. Early Christian monks would recite the 150 Psalms, and illiterate laypersons began to substitute 150 ‘Our Fathers,’ in place of the psalms and often counted on a string of beads. In the 15th century, a Carthusian monk named Dominic of Prussia helped develop the ‘Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary’ by meditating on the life of Jesus while reciting the Hail Mary. Eventually, the structure of the Rosary took shape: 15 Mysteries divided into three groups—Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious. In 2002, Pope John Paul II enriched the Rosary by adding the Luminous Mysteries, highlighting key events in Jesus’ public ministry.

Spirituality of the Rosary.

Paul VI in his Apostolic Exhortation, ‘Marialis Cultus’(MC) speaks of the Rosary as “the compendium of the entire Gospel”.  The recitation of the Rosary if done in a relaxed and reflective manner takes the nature of a contemplative prayer, a meditation on the Life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of Mary, the one who was closest to the Lord. To pray the Rosary means to contemplate with Mary the Lord who was made flesh, crucified and raised for our salvation. “The Rosary is thus a Gospel prayer” (MC 44).

Pope John Paul II is often called the ‘Pope of the Rosary’. In his Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002) he calls the Rosary is a ‘ Christ-centered and contemplative prayer’. Each decade invites the faithful to meditate on a particular mystery from the life of Jesus and Mary, enabling the repetition of vocal prayers to become a backdrop for quiet reflection. He called the Rosary a prayer “destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness”. He strongly encouraged families to pray the Rosary together saying, “The family that prays together stays together.’

Pope Francis  recommends frequent praying the Rosary as part of our daily life, especially during the months of May and October, “The Rosary is the prayer that always accompanies my life; it is also the prayer of the simple and of the saints... it is the prayer of my heart.” Pope Francis emphasizes the Rosary as a spiritual weapon against evil and discouragement and encourages families and communities to rediscover this devotion as a source of strength, unity, and hope.

Rosary is a Prayer of the Church

The Rosary fosters our faith. “The great power of the Rosary is that it makes a prayer of the Creed”. The Rosary enables us to speak and hold “our entire faith in our hand.” ( Cardinal Newman).

 

The Rosary is a humble and a persistent prayer. Jesus praises and acknowledges those who press on with their petitions until they are heard. Christ praised the faith of the Canaanite woman who persisted with her request (Mt 15: 21-28). Jesus acknowledged the persistence of the widow in the Parable of the Unjust Judge ( Lk 18: 1-8). When repetition is a sign of deep distress, together with an unbounded confidence, it becomes an authentic prayer. When Rosary is prayed with persistence and confidence, one will not be disappointed.

Rosary highlights the maternal role of Mary in redemption. We talk to Mary as we talk to our mother. It opens our hearts to imitate Mary in her humility and openness to the Word of God, which are fundamental attitudes to receive the Kingdom of God. Through this prayer we get close to Jesus and through him to the Father.

Popes and saints have consistently encouraged the Rosary as a tool for spiritual growth and evangelization. In times of crisis Church turns to the Rosary. The Christian victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, attributed to the intercession of Our Lady through the Rosary, led Pope Pius V to establish the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. Families, parishes, religious communities, and lay groups have found in the Rosary a shared language of prayer and a means of spiritual unity.

Rosary and Liturgy

Though Rosary is not part of the public liturgy of the Church, the Rosary complements the liturgical life of the Church. “Liturgical celebrations and the pious practice of the Rosary must neither be set in opposition to one another nor considered as being identical” (MC 48). The more a prayer preserves its own true nature the more fruitful it becomes. When the pre-eminent value of the Liturgy is affirmed, it will be not be difficult to appreciate the fact that Rosary is a practice of piety which easily harmonizes with the liturgy. Like liturgy, Rosary is a community prayer, it draws its inspiration from the Gospels, and is oriented towards the mysteries of Christ. Liturgy presents anew the great mysteries of our redemption. The Rosary by means of contemplation, recalls the same mysteries and stimulates the will to draw from them the norms of living.   Meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, can be excellent preparation for the celebration of the same mysteries in liturgical action. The Rosary prepares the heart to participate more fully in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. By contemplating the mysteries of Christ's life, the faithful are better disposed to understand and live the mysteries they celebrate at the altar.

The Prayer  ‘Hail Mary’

The beginning words of the Prayer Hail Mary are the words of Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary announcing a new dawn for humanity. The name ‘Mary’ calls to mind the sister of Moses and Aron, ‘Miriam’,  who led the singing and thanksgiving after the Crossing of the Red Sea ( Ex 15.20). ‘Full of Grace’, expresses God’s permanent favour to Mary. She is greeted as the beloved of God, personification of the People chosen and loved by God. ‘The Lord is with you’, reminds one the words God spoke to Moses, “I will be with you” ( Ex 3.12), when Moses was fearful of the task entrusted to him. When Gideon received his mission of saving the Israelites, the Angel tells him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior” ( Judg 6.12). The task entrusted to Mary for the salvation of the world is beyond human power, but with God’s presence with her she is able.

‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb”.  This blessing  spoken by Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, is modeled on the blessing addressed to Judith by the people whom she had saved from Holofernes, “Blessed are you, daughter by the Most High God, above all women on earth, and blessed be the Lord God” (Jdt 13.18).  Mary is the new Judith chosen by God to give birth to the one who is to bring Salvation to the world. 

The second part of the prayer, “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners”, this  prayer of supplication, was added in the 15^th century.  Mary is ‘Holy’. She is full of grace, preserved from all stain of sin. She is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the tabernacle of the Most High.  The Council of Ephesus in the year 431 officially proclaimed Mary as the ‘ Mother of God’. It expresses Church’s belief in the reality of the Incarnation, the Son of God born of the Virgin Mary. Mary is ‘theotokos’ because the Word was made flesh in her and through her. The words, ‘Pray for us’ expresses the fact that Mary in union with Christ intercedes for us. The communion of Saints finds its supreme fulfillment in the maternal love of Mary, who prays  and cares for the brothers and sisters of her son. The word ‘sinners’ reminds us of the prayer of the tax collector, “Be merciful to me a sinner”(Lk 18.13).

The concluding words of this prayer, “Now and at the hour of our death”, were added only in the 19th century. Amid the daily preoccupations of life, we keep an eye of faith on our eventual destination.  As pilgrims of hope we are moving to our Father’s house. Mary who was  at the foot of the Cross  when Jesus died is our refuge and hope.

“The litany- like succession of  Hail Mary’s becomes,  in itself an unceasing praise to Christ, who is the ultimate object  both of the Angel’s announcement and the greeting of the Mother of John the Baptist: ‘Blessed is the fruit of your womb’. The Jesus that each Hail Mary recalls is the same Jesus whom the succession of mysteries propose to us – now as the Son of God, now as the son of the Virgin  - at his birth in a stable at Bethlehem, at his presentation by his Mother in the Temple, as a youth full of zeal for his Father’s affairs, as the Redeemer  in agony in the garden, scourged and crowned with thorns, carrying the Cross and dying on Calvary, risen from the dead and ascended to the glory of the Father to send forth the gift of the Spirit” ( MC 46).                                                                  

Conclusion

The Holy Rosary is far more than a string of beads or a recitation of prayers. It is a spiritual journey, a school of discipleship, and a weapon of peace and grace. Through its mysteries, we enter into the life of Christ with Mary as our guide. In a world often distracted and hurried, the Rosary offers a rhythm of peace. In times of conflict and uncertainty, it gives comfort and clarity. In the life of the Church and the heart of every Christian, the Rosary continues to be a path to holiness, a wellspring of grace, and a sign of Mary’s maternal presence. To echo the words of St. Padre Pio: “Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today.”

-        Fr T.V. George sdb 

                            

                                                      The Stations of the Cross

“We worship you O Christ and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.”

 The Cross was not a misfortune that came to Jesus at the end of his life. He was born on to a Cross, the Cross was always before him and  the Cross was the theme of his teachings.

The CRIB : “He came to his own and his own received him not” Jn1:11. He was born in a Crib and died on a Cross. He had the company of sheep when he was born and two thieves on either side when he died. Born in a stable, surrounded by animals, visited by the poor shepherds, his birth is the theme of the Cross. The Stable, the Fleeing into Egypt, the Martyrdom of the Innocents, Simeon’s Prophecy of the sword, are all themes of the Cross.  

 

CANA: “My hour has not yet come” Jn.2:4. Cana stands at the beginning of the road to Calvary.  At the request  of his mother, Jesus begins ‘the hour’. The fullness of ‘the hour’ will be on Calvary. His mother is present by his side at Cana as well as on Calvary. She ‘did not understand’   his words neither at the temple in Jerusalem nor at the wedding feast at Cana.  Jerusalem, Jordan, Cana  are the  Stations of the Cross. 

 

The SALT : “You are the salt of the earth” Mt 5.13. Jesus proclaims on the mountain of the Beatitudes at the beginning of his ministry.  Salt has to go into the boiling water and lose its colour and shape, then only it can bring taste. Jesus is the Salt that has been thrown into the cauldron of suffering and pain that he might bring taste,  joy and life to those who receive him. Salt is clearly the theme of the Cross. The Beatitudes are the victory anthem of those on the way of the Cross.

 

The LIGHT : “You are the light of the world” Mt 5.14. Jesus proclaims on the mountain of Beatitudes. A light, the moment it is lit, begins to die.  For fear of death a  candle, is not meant to be kept locked up safely, but it is lit and placed on a lamp-stand for all to see. A light gives and gives, until it is no more. “It is in dying that we are born to eternal life”. Jesus is the Light that gives itself and dies so that others can see.  Jesus’ gaze is on Calvary as he preaches the Beatitudes and gives lessons on Salt and Light.

 

The GRAIN of WHEAT :  “ Unless a grain of  wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains a single grain” Jn.12:24. A grain must go under the mud and lose  its colour and shape and die, then only it brings new life.  By dying it gives new life. Jesus is the Grain of Wheat that was buried, so that it may bring new life. He  is the Seed that was rejected and thrown out. Every seed though small and shapeless, is energy, dynamism, power and life, waiting to be set free and die so that it can  bring  new life.  Death is the way to freedom and growth.   By his death, life has come into the world.  The Cross is the path to freedom and life. The grain of wheat and the Cross have much in common.

 

The BREAD : “I am the Bread of  Life” Jn.6:35. Bread has to be crushed and eaten to make it a source of life.  The wheat  has to be ground and powdered and baked to make it into bread. Jesus is the Bread that was crushed on the Cross so that we can have life. Every time he took  bread,  blessed it,  broke it  and gave it,  it was a prelude to his final giving  on the Cross. The Last Supper was an anticipation of Calvary. He is the Bread taken, blessed, broken and given.

 

 The VINE  : “ I am the True Vine”.  Jn. 15:1 . Vine that bears fruit is pruned by the Father so that it can bear more fruit. The knife that prunes the vine is held by the Father. He will not prune more than one can endure. His grace is sufficient for you. Pruning is painful but that is the only way to be more fruitful. Jesus learnt obedience through suffering. “Not my will, but thy will be done.”  The pruning of the vine is a lesson on the Cross.

 

The GOOD SHEPHERD : “I am the Good Shepherd” Jn.10:11. A shepherd leads his flock to green pastures. He calls each one by name. He knows his sheep and the sheep hear his voice. He lays down his life for his sheep.  He searches for the lost one ’until he finds’. The Father ‘runs’ until his hands are on the shoulders of his lost son.  If he searches we cannot be lost.  There is no distance too far that he cannot cover.  He died that we may have  life. “There is no greater love, than lay down one’s life for his friends”. The Shepherd  and the Cross have the same message.

 

The WAY, the TRUTH, and LIFE : “ I am the  Way, and the Truth and the Life” Jn.14:6. There is only one way, the way of the Cross. All the way to heaven is heaven for Jesus is the Way and his way is the way of the Cross. There is only one Truth. Jesus carrying the Cross and dying in agony and pain is the Truth. Pilate thought he had the truth since he had the power and splendour and crown. But Jesus clad in rags, crowned with thorns and carrying his Cross is the truth. All those who walk his way will find the truth and will have life.   

 

The TOWEL : “ He got up from the table, took off his outer robe and tied a towel around himself and began to wash the disciples feet” Jn.13:4-5. The symbol of authority for Jesus is a towel and not a kingly throne or a golden ring. When the disciples were quarrelling for a place on his right and left, he had strongly warned them, “It shall not be so among you”.   But they were slow to learn the lesson. So now he gives a powerful symbolic lesson on what authority means. Master has a towel around his waist and he washes their feet. Today it is the towel around his waist, tomorrow it will be the Cross on his shoulder and a crown of thorns on his head. We are so slow to learn the lesson of the towel is the lesson of the Cross.  

 

The CUP : “ Father if you are willing, remove  this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done”.  Lk.22:42 . Jesus was born on to a Cross. He preached the theme of the Cross. He walked the way of the Cross. But now that ‘the hour’ is close, he shivers and shudders. He faces ‘the dark night of the soul’. He doubts whether his death is truly what his Father wants of him. He prays for another way if possible.  But he leaves the final say to his Father. He trusts that his father will not prune more than he can endure.

 

The CROSS : “It is accomplished…and bowing his head he gave up the spirit” Jn. 19:30. Calvary is reached. Truth is nailed to a Cross. The bread is crushed.  His journey is over. ‘The hour’ has come.  God’s plan is accomplished.  The world is redeemed. He was born for this hour and he walked and taught this hour.  Now stretched on the Cross, as he suffers and dies he can say, ”It is accomplished”. 

 

  “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those who are called… Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom,  and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength”. I Cor. 1:25

 

-        Fr T.V. George sdb

 

 

                                                        Jesus – the Pilgrim of Hope

In this Jubilee Year of hope, I like to reflect on Jesus as the pilgrim of hope. Jesus came as a pilgrim to this world, and he not only gave hope to many but also was able to find hope in the least expected places and situations. In our pilgrimage of life we visit many places, meet many people, experience many events. Some of these events which are painful we try to avoid, some of the places we regret visiting, some of the people we have met are not to our liking and we consider meeting them as unfortunate. But often the very people and place we avoid, the events that bring pain, hold immense possibilities for growth, for hope, for new life. This is a lesson we can learn from Jesus the pilgrim who found hope in most unexpected places.

As a Child he journeyed to Egypt carried by his father and mother. Egypt is known for oppression and slavery yet this land offered shelter and safety to Jesus Mary and Joseph. Place of slavery became a  place of hope.

When Jesus was twelve years old, he  journeyed to Jerusalem with his parents  and he was lost in the temple. In the midst of loss and pain at Jerusalem, Jesus recognizes his identity, as the son of a Father, “ Don’t you know I must be in my Father’s house”. Loss become opportunity to discover one’s identity.

Jesus journeyed to Cana for a marriage feast. He was hesitant to grant his mother’s request and begin  the hour, but his obedience at Cana, his journey to Calvary began.  Cana led to Calvary. Though hesitant at first, Cana became  the launching pad for his public ministry.

The place of slavery becomes a place of hope and shelter as at Egypt, the occasion when one is lost, becomes an opportunity to realise one’s identity as at Jerusalem, one’s reluctance becomes occasion to launch on a new path as at Cana. The place we think are enslaving us, the events that are painful and the loss we suffer, our hesitancy and reluctance, hide opportunities for hope, for growth, and for new life.

His public Ministry, his took him to places like Samaria, Tabor,  Gennesaret, Tyre, Jericho, Bethany, and many more places.  His journey to Samaria brings hope to the Samaritan woman and set her free from her prejudice and  caste and ostracization.  He journeys to Jericho to bring sight to Bartimeus, and a new purpose to Zachheus. His trip to Mount Tabor results in recognizing himself as the beloved of the Father. At Tyre he casts out a demon from the daughter of a Syrophenician woman.  His journey to  Bethany brings new life to Lazarus and hope to Martha and Mary. Whereever Jesus  goes he brings new hope, new life. Jesus is the Pilgrim of hope.

Our journey of life takes us to many places. We meet many people.  In this Jubilee year, as a Pilgrim of hope we need to count the places we have visited and the people we have set free. Every village we go to, every sick we visit, every pain, every division, caste, and  inequality we come across, should be an opportunity  for us to bring hope.  Like Jesus we are invited to be Pilgrims of hope.

The final part of his pilgrimage took Jesus to Calvary.  Calvary, the place of pain, cross, injustice, condemnation and judgement, Jesus turns it  into a place love, forgiveness, new life and hope even for his enemies. Journey to Calvary is for Jesus, a journey to freedom and new life. Cross, suffering death are  means to resurrection, hope, and new life. The very journey we try to avoid, the pain we hesitate to accept, the suffering we complain against, contains opportunity for grace, for freedom and salvation as it was for Jesus.   

On the first day  after his resurrection towards evening Jesus  makes another long Pilgrimage , a pilgrimage in the company of two more, from Jerusalem to Emmaus . This pilgrimage of Jesus can teach us a lesson or two, on how to be pilgrims of hope to those who had lost all hope.  

Cleophas and his friend are on a journey. They are going from Jerusalem to Emmaus,  from the place of God,  from the call they received, back to their old familiar ways. They had come to Jerusalem with high hopes, to follow someone they thought will bring them success.  Now all their hopes are dashed. The one in whom they pinned their hope is dead and even his body seems to be stolen. “They stood still”, St Luke tells us. They have no more energy and enthusiasm. Their steps are slow. In their words , “we had hoped”, we can feel the ache of their hearts. On their “sad” faces we can read their pain and sorrow. They blame their priests and their  the leaders for what has happened. Why did they hand him over to death? Why was one “great in words and deeds” silenced?  Why did his own friends betray him? Why did God allow such a thing to happen to a ‘Prophet’? Where is justice? Where is God? They have many questions and few answers. The time is evening. They are walking  towards a sun set. It is getting dark, there is very little light ahead.

It is not difficult to see ourselves and those with whom we travel in the place of Cleophas and his friend. We had made an option for him and come with great hopes to follow him. But now perhaps our hope is gone, there is tiredness in our steps, there is no more enthusiasm. We are perhaps caught up in a cycle of blame and accusation, blaming our fellow brothers and sisters, authorities and  bishops.  Our journey is perhaps one of pessimism, negativity, complaints, grumbling, judging, and blaming.  We see pride, politics, and bias in the decisions of authorities. We doubt the system, we question everyone. Some of us may be reaching the evening of life, walking away from the community and even from God. It is not difficult to discover ourselves in these two disciples of Emmaus.

It is in this situation of hopelessness that Jesus joins us. He volunteers to join us in our painful moments just as he took initiative to come to Jericho and look up and notice Zachheus  and invited himself to be his guest. We may be cautious of this stranger. He notices that we are upset, angry,  agitated and  he wants to know why we are looking so sad “What are the things you are talking about?”, he wants to know. Not that he does not know, but he wants us to give expression to our doubts and accusations. The two rather upset with the probing of the stranger asks, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know all the things that has happened?” The traveller seems to be living in a strange world, in a dreamy world. The two think the traveller does not know anything. They think, they know well all that has happened. The fact is, the traveller knows everything and they know something of what has happened but nothing of why it has happened.  Often we take pride in our knowledge even when our assumptions and interpretations of what has happened is far from the truth.

The traveller asks “What things?” The traveller wants to know what are the “all things” the two are talking about. He wants them to give expression to all their doubts, their accusations, their blaming, and their interpretations of events. They tell him in detail all that took place. How this Jesus  of Nazareth was a holy man, a prophet,  going around doing good. They had hoped he would be the Messiah, but how the Priests and leaders put him to death.  The facts they share are correct.  But their interpretations are wrong. They cannot understand how an innocent person can suffer, how good man can be put to death, how a buried body can be stolen, how can God allow such things?

The traveller allows them to talk, as long as they want, whatever they want. He listens and listens. He does not interrupt. He does not cut short their story. He does not give quick solutions, or ready made answers. It is their story, their pain, their experience. Long miles he walks with them listening. Sometimes they walk in silence. He understands their painful silence. He does not claim knowledge of the things they are talking about. He does not reveal that they are speaking about him. He does not reveal his identity, he leaves to them to discover his identity. Telling those with whom we walk, those whom we form,  that we are a Ph D, we are trained in Psychology, we had many years in Rome, or years of experience as a Rector or Counsellor, these claims will not convince them of our identity. They have to discover who we are in the love, concern, and patient hearing that we give them. To heal, one must be prepared to walk miles empathetically and silently. If we don’t understand their silence, we  will never understand their words.

Finally when they finish their story, their story of pain and accusations, death and blaming, the traveller   breaks his  silence,  not to pity them or to give them a long sermon,  but to share  his own story. His story is also something similar to the story the two  experienced. His  story is also one of pain and sorrow, of misunderstanding and betrayal.  But there is a fundamental  difference, between him and them. He does not accuse, condemn, or blame. He does not hold Caiphas, Pilate, the Priests responsible for what has happened. He sees what has happened as ‘something necessary’, something planned by God. He sees the hand of God in his biography of pain and sorrow. He even quoted Moses and Prophets,  to show what has happened is already foretold long ago. Everything has happened as planned by God.  

The two are sceptical about the explanation they hear. They have heard a lot or preachers give sermons. Though they were attentive still they don’t understand fully. How can God allow suffering? How can pain and suffering be something  ‘necessary’? How can innocent be crucified?  They cannot understand. They still doubt authenticity and sincerity of the preacher.  

The traveller has no more explanations to offer. He has only one more convincing argument to offer. This time not in words but in action. So when he was at table he took  bread,  he blessed it,  he broke  it, and gave it to them.  In that blessing and breaking and giving, they discover his identity. He was a at first a strange traveller, then an  understanding companion,  then an empathetic listener, then a preacher,  and now  he offers himself as a victim, willing to be broken and given.

We can be trained counsellors, experienced formators, qualified psychologists, efficient preachers, quote all the books of Scripture, walk long miles, but at the end of day, people recognize us in our ability to break ourselves for them. Our identity is discovered not in our titles and long degrees before and after our name but by our living and dying and giving ourselves for them. The Traveller did not preach his identity. They had to discover it.

The resurrected Jesus is often depicted with his raised hands as his identity. Just as athletes proudly display their trophy and raise it high for all to see, so too  Jesus raises his hands to show everyone the price of his victory - the wounds on hands – that is his trophy, that is his identity.

Where are the wounds you we have suffered for your people? What are the trophies  you display? Is it big buildings, magnificent churches, books you have written, the grade you got for your school, the  decrees after your name, the converts you have made in your mission? What is that you proudly display?  Like Thomas, like the two disciples of Emmaus, people will not believe your sincerity in these vain displays, but they will believe in the care and concern you show them, the pain and death you  endure for them. They look at the wounds on your hands and feet!   

As Priests every time we take the bread, and bless it, and break it and give it, let us remember we are the bread. We are the bread taken - taken from the villages and cities. Someone has seen us, noticed us , wanted us and taken us. We are bread blessed  - we are consecrated and ordained, his hand of blessing is on us. We are taken and blessed to be broken. To be given as food  we have to be broken.  Just like a candle which  is not meant to be locked and kept in a locker but to be lit. Unless it is lit it cannot give light. The moment it is lit, it begins to die.  Just like the salt, unless it is thrown into hot water and lose its colour and shape, it cannot bring taste. The wheat  has to be powdered and baked  and crushed between teeth, so that it can be a source of life.  it cannot give life. We are taken and blessed to broken, so that we too can given to bring life and hope to people to whom we are sent. Broken so that we can be Pilgrims of hope. Let people recognize us in our willingness to break ourselves for them.

Conclusion

We are the disciples of Emmaus walking our pilgrimage of faith. We are walking with Jesus the pilgrim.  We are going from Jerusalem to Emmaus, from the place of God, often walking the opposite way,  facing a sunset,  facing darkness. Jesus joins us in such moments.  Tell him all that has happened in your life. Share with him your full story, in detail, let him know your interpretations too , of what has happened to you, the people you blame for your situation. Listen to his story, listen to him quote from the Scripture and explain how he found his suffering and pain was ‘something necessary’.  He invites you too to discover the necessity of things that has happened in your life. In the bread that he  breaks,   in the  Eucharist, we have an undisputable sign of his love for you. He breaks himself ,  for you as he did at Calvary. He shows us his  wounds on his hands. Let us also be the Eucharist, the bread broken for our people.

Let us make  our  crosses into trophies of grace, our wounds our pride, our Calvaries into our place of salvation. Let our Egypts be places of safety and shelter, our  Jerusalems,  places where we discover our identity, our Cana’s into launching pads for our ministry. Let our  trips to Tyre, Samaria, Bethany, Tabor, Jericho be opportunities to bring hope and new life to our the Marthas and  Marys, to Samaritansand sinners, to Zacheus and  Bartimeus, and Mathews , we meet in our journey. Let our  Emmaus be a  place where we encounter the Lord and the place where we can be broken and given to bring  new life and hope.                                    - Fr T.V. George sdb

 

 

                     “Do you not care?”   Lk 10.40

Hospitality is a human virtue. Martha excelled in it. She welcomes Jesus to her house and prepares a meal. Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and listens to him. Martha and Mary combined together offers the best welcome to Jesus.

While Christ is speaking Mary is not sleeping. Women know the art of communication through silence, facial expression, and occasional glance.  Where there is love, there is no need for too many words. Mary is a woman of few words, easily attached to people, and capable of building deep relationships.

Instead, Martha is busy and distracted. Though Jesus has no formal degree in Psychology, he is an expert in analyzing human behavior and very sensitive to people. From the noise of pots and pans in the kitchen, Jesus knows that Martha is distracted and he can guess correctly the reason for her distraction. Jesus too is distracted, not so much with Mary but more with Martha. He knows she is upset and annoyed.

Martha is quite the opposite character of Mary. If she has something to say she says it there and then, no matter to whom she is speaking. She does not carry it ‘in her heart’ and burden herself with it. She waited for Mary to come and help her. When she could no longer tolerate it, she comes to Jesus and gives vent to her complaint, “Lord don’t you care?” Martha is direct. There is no holding back. Such words would never go to a first-time guest. Martha is familiar with Christ therefore she takes the freedom to give expression to her feelings.

For many of us, the normal behaviour is to suppress these feelings for the moment and blurt them out a week or two later when we have a confrontation with our sister or brother.  Martha is a woman of the moment. Martha took the question to the person concerned and avoided a future confrontation with her sister. 

Martha's question, “Don’t you care?”, is a question for an answer. So many of us in similar situation rather than ask a question, make a definitive statement and say, ‘You don’t care!’. One is a question for an answer, the other is a definitive verdict with no place for doubt. Martha teaches us that what should be put as a question should never be put as a condemnation.

“Don’t you care?”. The question is put not only to Christ but also to Mary. It is a question we often put to those who seem to be not productive and progressive like us, those who are not doing, not busy like us. They seem to us as wasting their time, sitting and day-dreaming. ‘Non-workaholics’ seem to us as non-productive members of the society. We want everyone to be busy like us, doing many things, building bigger barns, and getting measurable visible results.  The busy ones look down on the silent ones and wonder why can’t they be like them! “Tell her to help me.”

But Christ is not going to ask Mary to join Martha. The volume of work, the grade we get, the size of the buildings we built, and the number of converts we make, is not the criteria for who is doing better. 

 If Martha could only pause and look into the eyes of Jesus after her question!  It is for Martha that he came to Bethany. It is for Martha that he waited so long. It is for Martha that he is on his way to Jerusalem. He knew every one of her movements in the kitchen. He knows her hurt feelings and why she is feeling that way. All those who feel burdened, victimized or overworked like Martha take your complaints to the right source and pause for a reply from him.

“My sister has left me to do everything.” Cooking was not a burden for Martha. Her burden was her sister having a good time. If she had not been around, her work would have been so light and pleasant. Things have not changed since the time of Martha. Our problems are not so much the volume of work, but rather our brothers and sisters having an easy time! 

“Martha, Martha you are worried and distracted about many things, there is need of only one thing.” Jesus was waiting all this while for Martha to tell her how unfounded her suspicions  are.  Jesus knows the art of correcting people. He does not do it anonymously, cynically, or indirectly. He too, like Martha, is direct and particular. Calling the person twice by name suggests familiarity, love, and concern. What is to be told to Martha, he tells to Martha and not to Mary, as we do, so often.

Hospitality, love for neighbour, is a sacred commandment. Martha kept this commandment faithfully.  Still, there was something lacking. The better part was chosen by Mary – “to be with him”. Mark tells us that the apostles were called ‘to be with him and to be sent out’ (Mk3.13). While apostolate, mission, and activities are important, the primacy is, “to be with him”. Consecration and mission are two aspects of the same call.  

 Martha is like most of us, fully human - acting, feeling, saying, behaving as we do so often. She is a good housekeeper. She welcomes guests to her house, but she does not have too much time for them.  She is warm and hospitable. She knows her position and duties in her house. She is practical and gets things done. She is also a woman with her share of jealousy and envy. She feels responsible for her sister and is distracted and disturbed seeing her having a good time.  What is best in Martha is her warmth, hospitality, activism, direct talk, sincerity, talking it out there and then, taking the problem to the source where she can find an answer.

  It is difficult for ‘Marthas’ to understand how ‘Marys’ have the ‘better part’. It is difficult to explain with quotes and arguments.  Only experience and not explanation can teach one the joy of ‘ being with him’.  Mary has discovered the answer to Martha’s question, “Do you not care?”  

  -    Fr T.V.Georgesdb