There is a saying: "To be needed means to be loved".
It is true too.
Modern social science and psychology will teach us:
the greatest emotion in the life of human is the feeling of "to be needed".
It is applicable from children to the grand parents.
If not what is the real cause of the so called Hyper-Active kids? Or
what is the worry of the old parents in the Old age Homes?
It is all the lack of care - "to be needed" feeling.
Because, this feeling "to be needed" means to be accepted, to be loved, to be cared and more...
We can see more instances for this in our daily life:
Through exchanging some gifts or by communications (let it be phone calls, letters or emails, etc.) we are expressing the same feeling.
By caring and visiting some sick people or by engaging in social activities for the common good and rights the same thing is happening.
This feeling expresses that one is very precious and worthy to others, to the society...
Let us not underestimate this "need" in terms of our economical and business world; there it is mainly used in terms of consume.
This is more selfish and objective and lacks often the personal feelings...
The Palm sunday is related with this feeling very closely.
Because the Gospel we hear in Mk 11, 1-10 includes a small sentence:
"The Lord needs it".
This is regarding the colt Jesus used to enter in to Jerusalem.
We know Asses are used to carry heavy loads and to travel long distances. Israel's geographical structure will surely support using such an animal:
But never ever in the Gospel Jesus uses such a help for his journey.
He was powerful enough to travel through the land of Palestine.
If Jesus could travel through the deserts and hilly places he could also travel the distance between Bethany to Bethfage and to Jerusalem easily.
That means the use of the Colt has some meaning...
Jesus is entering not on a horse like normal Kings; but he is riding a colt. Still it is Royal. This colt is "that has never been ridden" means it is untamed and the use of it can be dangerous for Jesus. But we see Jesus masters this animal.
The message is clear: Jesus is entering Jerusalem, not to show his power, but he is there to spread the message of Peace and communion. Even the nature and wild animals grasp his message of peace. (Only some cunning humans are exceptional beings).
Jesus is of course fulfilling the messianic prophecy (Sach 9,9) by the selection of the colt. But there is another great message hidden in this action.
It is his selection for the weak.
His preference for the weak and poor is seen through out his life.
Not only selection of the colt, but it is visible in the call of apostles.
Even the women and children who followed him were cared and appreciated by Jesus: Yes, all of them represented the weak in Israel at that time.
He selected the humans, the weak ones who always tending to sins and failures....
Through this consideration a very clear message is given to us.
He tells he wants us: he needs us. We are special to God, even in our weakness and failures. He repeats this..."See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" (Is 49, 16).
In this holy week Jesus is asserting this care and concern towards us.
For our sake he undergoes the judgement and punishments and cross.
Let us be thankful to his love and care for us.
Let us also be there for the weak and needy in our world.
It is the best way to show our gratefulness to his care.
May the loving and caring God, Bless us all. Amen!
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Fr Thomas Kalathil
Jesus is becoming popular ... he is known and famous.
We see this in today's Gospel, that the Greeks who came to Jerusalem, are in search of him, with the request to Apostle Philip - "Sir, we would like to see Jesus."
Jesus is really great, as we see some signs in the Gospel:
At first, the searching Greeks; they are come to worship in Jerusalem.
"Greeks" are also connoting for the world of science and philosophy.
It also represents foreign people who live outside of Judea.
These people have certainly heard a lot about Jesus- about his new and exceptional and outstanding teachings and works.
Now they have a desire to see Jesus;
that means this Jesus has something in him special than Jerusalem and the temple and worship there; his words and the knowledge fascinates the human wisdom and brain; his messages surpass the boundaries of places, languages, or Races.
Second sign to his greatness is: Jesus understands the times:
"The hour has come," says Jesus.
Jesus feels his time right, not because the people honor him.
He is above that.
Jesus has a keen sense of what will come next.
It is not the honor that comes at first, but the passion and cross.
Then, for Jesus, fame means to live in danger.
With the visit of the Greeks, the Jews were more jealous on him;
the hierarchy is anxious about Jesus, because he is famous and popular than they. Therefore, "hour" means "end" of Jesus....
Glorification to Jesus is closely associated with death and resurrection.
The honor and glory is then complete.
Yes,
Jesus makes no false picture of his mission or on his life or about honor and fame. He looks at it very really.
But Jesus prays for glorification: we do hear so in the Gospel.
Can one really pray like it, especially Jesus?
I think everyone can pray, but it is the Father in heaven, who glorifies.
Here the prayer of Jesus is immediately confirmed by the heavenly voice of God. Then God is certain that Jesus deserves this glory.
Jesus takes this Divine Word more important than any popularity of the world- as it came through the Greeks and others.
There is also a lesson to those who are looking for easy and fast honor and popularity. Jesus says such an honor may not last long. Then it is not deserved. It needs sacrifice and pain. Such easy popularity goes faster than one think.
Dear ones in Christ,
let us use this time, as the Greeks sought for Jesus.
Let us honor God the Father and the Son and the Spirit.
Let not our hearts remain on only earthly honors but let it go for deeper and higher divine glory and find him.
May God bless us all. Amen!
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil
Religion or faith in God is an important foundation for a moral society.
Then it gives some kind of security and sets some limits in society. It teaches how to live with my human beings or what God wants from me and so on.
The reading from the second Chronicles is not a new story that we hear. Then unfaithfulness to Yahweh was always there in the history of Israel. And it remains as wonder even the people of Israel were the chosen people of God. But the tragic side what we hear the unfaithfulness of the priests - the special chosen the special people of Israel! And it narrates the nature of the Humanity.
But we come across with the nature of God.
The Holy Bible often pictures the God-human relationship according to "loyalty" and "love." We have several instances in the Scripture where God compares the relationship to that of a married couple or to a close friendship.
We know both of them - partnership or friendship- obviously need the loyalty and love. And from the reading, we understand that it is lacking here by the Israelites now and then.
These people of God forget sometimes the loyalty and love of God towards them. They were once slaves in Egypt and now they are slaves to their selfish feelings. Unfortunately, this leads them to their own destruction.
The destruction of the temple is powerful a sign.
It means the entire "background" is destroyed.
They are no longer the children or chosen of God;
but slaves to others.
Amongst this bad news there is still a hope. That is the message of this "Laetare" Sunday. He says "Rejoice Jerusalem"...
In the Psalm 89: 31-33 we read this same:
"If his children forsake my law
and do not walk according to my ordinances,
if they violate my statutes
and do not keep my commandments,
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
and their iniquity with scourges;
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
or be false to my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant,
or alter the word that went forth from my lips."
Yes, God's loyalty to his people is unmovable and irresistible!
Is not it a wonderful promise to us?
Jesus tried the same promise alive in his life and his teachings.
He is the representative of God, who always pardon and forgive us,
Looking for our hearts ...
In the Gospel (Jn 3, 17), we hear about the love and faithfulness of God -
For God sent his only Son into the world -. Not to condemn but to save us
The reason for this unconditional forgiveness is the love of God to the world (Jn 3, 16). Yes, he loves the "world". And contrary to some thoughts, he is not against the world. Only some of its attitudes and philosophies are unfitting to him.
But that does not change his personality and his faithfulness to us!
So great is our God!
Yes, we have the reason to "Rejoice"...
Lent is the time
exactly to return to this loyalty and love of God;
to give him our love and loyalty back.
For God shows his indestructible faith in the world - to us.
It remains true and the same, even if we humans are not always so.
This is the message of Hope. This is the Good news; the "Evangelium".
The Goal of God is to raise us from slavery to freedom of the children of God! Let us make use of this time of grace properly.
Then it is not late! Let us hope in him. Let us find out the joy of the rejoice of God.
God bless us all! Amen.
Fr Thomas Kalathil
Each and every rule has some specific goal. If this goal is not achieved then we call it by Corruption or deviation.
From the readings of this Sunday, we understand that God has a clear goal regarding our life.
The Gospel of John presents an unusual Jesus, who is angry, using some kind of "force".
Jesus knew that there will be much great "business" in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. For the pilgrims who had to travel a long way, it was easier to get their offerings and to exchange their coins in Jerusalem.
Jesus is not against these facilities.
His anger is against the basic attitude - that God's house was degraded in to a market place; that religion and business move so close together that the one is hardly distinguishable from the other.
Temple is for Jesus a place much more than of rituals or an astonishing work.
It has some goal and purpose;
God should be experienced in this temple.
Worship is the main act that must happen there.
Unfortunately, the businesses grow there and it prevents people from this essential goal.
Jesus feels some danger here.
Therefore he cries, "Stop making my Father's house a marketplace"...
In the first reading we hear a lot of prohibitions.
"You shall not carve Idols"...
"You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain..."
"No work may be done on the Sabbath" ...
and then comes a series of "do-nots" ...
These Ten Commandments shape the human rights and our constitutions.
Even the Constitution of the United Nations is based on these Ten Commandments.
These are ten "words" accompanying the whole human race;
They open up the sphere of living together.
Still, many people think that religion is a place of prohibition, demands and impositions which chains the human freedom.
Especially now in the Lenten season we experience some more Taboo...
All these "no" can turn to be, encouraging,
if one develops a suiting picture of loving God;
if one can develop a human approach to his fellow men;
when one can enjoy the nature and all living things.
Yes, that's the goal of these commandments.
They can guide us to life and peace that is provided by God.
These commands always remind us about our goal and our vocation.
Jesus raises his voice again and again if we forget this goal.
His word - the Gospel - is the "whip" ...
If we are away from the target, then we are no longer in the temple of God
but in a marketplace. And then it is time to clean up all that distract us from the goal - from the real worship.
Lenten Season is just the time that reminds us of our goal,
which calls us to peace with God and man.
It gives us strength to return to our original call and commitments.
Let us pray for it. God bless us all. Amen!
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil
What kind of Image of God do we have?
God, a merciful father, all Powerful Ruler, a Fulfiller of all kinds of wishes or miracle worker: Yes, these are some of our association on God.
And it is certainly not that easy- especially after hearing the readings of this Sunday, to create a clear picture of God.
In the first reading, we see Abraham and his son Isaac.
God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham had placed great hope in (t)his late-born Child, who was finally the gift of God. As a father the demand of God to Abraham was shocking. However, Abraham follows God's words: after the toil and much internal struggle of Abraham, God feels the real faith and obedience of Abraham and the will of God is changed.
He calls it as a test in which Abraham remains victorious.
Here God appears at first as an impossible Lord, who seeks for the sacrifice of the only son of Abraham. But at the end of the story, God remains as a demanding, yet a merciful Father.
The Gospel gives a different image of God.
It begins with a nice story - the transfiguration of Jesus.
The great prophets - Moses and Elijah appear and talk to Jesus,
which makes the scene even more beautiful.
Apostle Peter was perplexed - he does not know what to say at all.
He wanted to build three tents, so that they can be there for long time;
so that this beautiful experience may never be lost.
Yeah, actually who really wants to lose something like this?
Neither Apostle Peter nor we...
But, only one has the courage to do it; Jesus.
He thinks one should not remain on the top of beautiful experiences and stick on to them for ever. Further more their way and the goal should be in mind.
The goal of Jesus mission is heaven. His way is through "Jerusalem" and it also awaits him another "hill" in "Golgotha."
Like Abraham, Jesus was tested.
Abraham was going through a tough test - to sacrifice his son,
Jesus, however, had to leave a nice and safe place of experiences and security.
Behind this renunciation of Jesus, we may find the hidden a father - the will of God - Jesus followed.
The will of God is to sacrifice his own only son - Jesus.
This is not to assert the will of God - his Power and greatness - but a larger and more meaningful sacrifice for the humanity is planned in the suffering of Jesus.
Abraham gains sympathy through being tested.
God the Father, however, does seek our sympathy, for it is His will to do so.
But this should help us to improve our understanding and faith and image of our saving and sacrificing God.
Then, God the Father loved us so much; he suffered for us that cannot be expressed in words. Perhaps the same as Jesus suffered on the cross...
Now, my dear friends,
let us ask ourselves,
what kind of Image of God do we have?
Lent is the time to seek and find a true and attaching image of God in my personal life.
Our fasting, our special renunciations, our special prayers during these days should really be a help in this search.
May God bless us all in this search for a real image of God in following him.
Amen!
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil
