The ‘I’ sickness

( Lk 12 : 13 -21)

 With the increase in wealth often the ‘I’ and the ‘my’ sicknesses also increase. We become more selfish and self-centered. The rich man of the parable uses the word ‘I’  five times and ‘my’ four times in just two verses.  “What shall I do?”, “I am short of room”, “I  shall pull down my barns.”, “ I shall store my wealth.”, “ I will say to my soul”.

“Be on your guard against avarice” Jesus warns us.  Jesus is a master storyteller. In this parable, he warns us about the dangers of wealth, of increase in good luck,  of winning a lottery. With the increase in wealth, there is every danger that we will begin to see only ourselves.  The rich man is so full of himself. He has no doubt to whom the wealth belongs. It is “my crop” ” my barns”, ‘my wealth’, ”my grain”.

The good crop certainly was due to his industry. He was smart enough to invest and double his fortune. But he forgets he was not the only stakeholder. He contributed much, but more than his contribution, the sunshine, the rain, and the soil contributed to having a good crop. He has not paid for the rain and the sunshine.  Even the soil cannot be considered strictly his. These are free gifts given to him. All he did after the sowing was to sleep. Certainly, he had nothing to do with the growth. He has taken for granted the rain and sunshine. The credit for the good crop goes far more to the giver of rain, sunshine, and the soil.  He should have looked up and thanked the giver of these gifts than look at himself. He is rich but he is a fool. He does not know where to look and to whom to give credit. 

 Life is made better when “I” sickness decreases and we look up to God and to others around. When “I” is replaced with “ we”   illness becomes wellness.

“ This very night, life will be taken.” Death comes to him as a surprise.  There is nothing to be surprised. The more the possessions, the more will be one’s worries and anxiety. Where to gather the crops? How high to build the walls? Where to hide the profits?   Will thieves break in and steal?  With the increase in wealth, one makes more and bigger projects.  Always anxious, worried for more. It affects their health. Heart-attack may be the result. The more one has the greater the difficulty in giving. I remember someone with much resource thought it very generous of him to pay rupees thousand five hundred a month as salary to some part-time teachers! The agony of parting with one’s wealth!  The more we have the more we hold on to our possessions. We will prefer to die than to distribute like the monkey who holds on tightly to the coconut  in the cage and refuses to let it go and live.

“ Store up treasure where no one can steal,” Jesus says.   The true wealth of a person is the life one has – a full life, a happy life, a fulfilled life.  What makes a person rich are the qualities of mind and heart. The treasures of mind and heart, of good attitudes and kindly gestures, will follow you wherever you go. No one can steal these from you. The more you give, the more you get. It is hidden in your heart and not in your pockets and so no one can steal them. You have to give it away.  Our true wealth is the kindness, the gentleness, the love, the smile we can offer.   Be generous.  Be gentle. Be cheerful. Be human. Be kind. These are your treasures, the more others steal these from you, the richer you become. “ Give and there will be gifts for you”,  says Jesus.

Jesus calls this man a fool. There are many fools among us, dressed in purple gowns and neckties and eating richly. Actually, we need only one-fourth of what we eat, to live on. The rest of the three fourth, the doctors need to live on!  They are fools because they do not know their priorities. They are fools because they look at themselves rather than look up when wealth increases. They are fools because they do not know that hearts and not storerooms hold true wealth.  

Jesus in the Gospel of Luke chapter fourteen speaks of a man who laid foundations for a building and could not complete it. Many began to make fun of him. The rich fool who built the barns is perhaps the same fool who started to build and could not complete them.  

There are many who are being made fun of today because they have laid foundations and they cannot complete the work they have started.  They have invested everything into their project- their wealth, their time, their liberty, their love, and themselves. They have given up everything for the sake of God’s kingdom. But the project has not taken off. There is very little growth in holiness.  No wonder why people laugh at the one who laid the foundation and could not complete the building. The work they have started has not gone beyond the foundations even when they are celebrating their Golden Jubilees!

Huge barns are being built even today mostly by people who suffer from ‘I’ sickness. Some of the symptoms of this sickness are: they try to dominate over others, they show little respect for authorities, superiors are only those who think like them,  little respect for traditions and values, and even constitutional principles are easily violated. They cover up their malaise with beautiful, noble labels and convince everyone that they are doing, what they do, for the cause of formation, education, higher education, evangelization etc…

What does it profit if you gain the whole world and destroy oneself and the community?   We build on shifting sands! The magna-cum-laude or the ‘A’ grade certificate, one may obtain from doctors who have not examined us closely or lived with us, may not be the true diagnosis.     

We cannot sacrifice century-old  traditions and values for the whims of one or two sick persons.  The wisdom of one or two is not greater than the rest put together and added to it years of painfulyl and carefully built-up traditions.

Take care. ‘I’ and ‘my’ sicknesses can be deadly for the one who is infected and for the community.  If not treated early it can become a  pandemic. 

-        Fr T.V.Georgesdb

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Don’t you 

      care?’

Hospitality is a human virtue. Martha excelled in it. She welcomes Jesus and prepares a meal. Mary instead sits at the feet of Jesus and listens to him.

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 had no formal degree in Psychology, he was 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 could guess correctly the reasons 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 with whom she is speaking. She does not carry it ‘in her heart’ and burdens 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.  

The normal behavior for many of us is to suppress our 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. 

Her question, “Don’t you care”, is a question for an answer. So many of us in similar situations 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 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 progressing like us. Those who are not doing, not busy like us, seem to us as wasting their time, sitting and daydreaming.  ‘Non-workaholics’ seem to us as non-productive members of 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 criterion 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 they are 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 the food was not a burden for Martha. Her burden was her sister having a good time. If she had not been around all her activities 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 worry and troubled about many things… only one is needed.” Jesus was waiting for all this while to meet Martha and tell her how unfounded her suspicions and troubles 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.

To the young man who asked, “What must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus’ answer was “Keep the commandments”. Wanting to do something more the young man asked, “ I have kept all these, what is still lacking?” Jesus answered him, “ Go… sell… give…then come follow me”.

 Hospitality is a sacred commandment. Martha kept the commandments 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 activity are important, the primacy is, “to be with him”.

 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 in the company of a guest. 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 Mary has the ‘better part’. It is difficult to explain with quotes and arguments.  Only experience and not explanations can teach one the joy of ‘ being with him’.  Mary has found the answer to Martha’s question, “Do you not care?”

               -    Fr T.V.George sdb

        

                                        

more

“How much more”

 We are quite familiar with the chain of supermarkets named MORE. I suppose the owners chose this name to tell the customers that they can get more than their money’s worth from these stores.

Jesus’ store of goods is also named ‘MORE’.  Here also we  can get more than what we pay for. We can get even without paying for it.  All the essential items in his store are free.  Just come in with our baskets and collect as much as we need. There is enough for the needs of all.

 But there are a few rules. We cannot waste, horde or pollute.  We cannot snatch what belongs to another. The market at times runs short because there are few who try to satisfy their greed rather than their need. They horde,  waste,  pollute, takes what belongs to another. These actions are against the rule.

For luxury and cosmetic goods, one has to pay.  Some of these luxury goods are neither helpful nor essential, instead, some of them are harmful. We are given a choice  We can opt to go to the faraway country to live among the pigs and consider that as happiness or prefer the father’s house. The owner  respects our choice. He is not responsible for our choice. The labels are clear on what is good and what is harmful. Good and  essential items are free. Luxury goods are available but may be harmful. We have the  choice.  

The air we breathe,  the water we drink, the sunshine, all these essential items are given free. We can have as much as we need. But we cannot store to satisfy our greed or pollute or destroy. That is against the rule.

When the prodigal son returned, he was hoping, he would be received back as a  hired worker. He hoped to find accommodation in the  servant’s quarters and  eat their  food.  But the Father gives him a ring and a robe and sandals and restores him as a son and kills the fattened calf and callsfor a celebration. Father gives far ‘MORE’ than the son ever hoped for.  

The last comers in the parable of the vineyard hoped to get perhaps one-fourth of the wages but they were pleasantly surprised when they got a full day’s wage and went home singing. “ How much MORE the father gives…”

In the parable of the Banquet, those who were invited at the last moment from the lanes and by lanes hoped for the left-overs and a place at the servants' quarters but they were surprised to be given wedding garments and seated in the wedding hall and served the best items as much as they wanted.   “ How much MORE the father gives… “

Peter asked Jesus the question, “We have left everything and followed you, what will we have?”.  In reply , Jesus  promises a hundred percent in this life and everlasting life in the next. What more can we ask for ?

Peter gave his boat to Christ to sit and preach from and in return, he got a boat full of fish. A fisherman could not have asked for more.

The Samaritan woman gave Christ a bucket  of water  and in return she gets a perennial spring.  What more could she be given in a parched waterless place.  “ How much MORE the father gives…”

At Cana the servants filled the jars with water and in place of water they get fresh new old wine ,“up to the brim”.  

The boy gave two fish and five barley loaves  to Jesus and in return he gets twelve baskets full after five thousand had been fed. “ How much MORE the father gives… “

“ Give there will be gifts for you” Jesus says, “ shaken together  pressed down, running over, will be poured into you lap “

“Ask and it will be given…Search and you will find…knock and the door will be opened…”

“ What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, HOW MUCH MORE, will the heavenly Father give to those who ask him!”   Lk.11.13