Suffering is inevitable in life. Each religion has to deal with this as a fact. The maximal intensity of suffering is death. In the face of suffering man is powerless and he tries to find meaning to it. In Christianity, the attitude towards suffering is quite basic and definitive.  It is the suffering of Christ that gives meaning to our sufferings. Christ has come as the redeemer and the conqueror of suffering and of death. He does not limit his healing mission to the physical sufferings alone but seeks to heal the whole person. The inner healing of the person and the forgiveness of sins is the mission of Jesus. God intervenes in human situation to alleviate suffering, yet he permits suffering to take place.  Sufferings often motivate people to seek God, and as they draw closer to Him they can understand Him better.  In the first reading we have Job, that legendary model of long-suffering patience, is speaking of the tiresomeness of life.  He complains of the hardships he had to experience in life in the face of sudden disasters. He gives expression to the pain and sorrow he is facing. He is unable to see the happiness that lies in store for him. In the second reading Paul speaks of the obligation imposed on him to preach the Word of God, making himself the slave of the Gospel.  Yet he does this task willingly and freely without looking for any reward. The Gospel gives the vivid picture of healing ministry of Jesus and his popularity as everyone was searching for him. But he chooses to go to other places to continue his ministry of preaching and healing. In the midst of his heavy work of teaching and healing he spends his time in prayer.

In the first reading Job feeling abandoned by friends and by God when confronted with sufferings, offers the dark reflection on the world.  The story of Job expresses a typical human problem that bad things happen to good people and the question whether people can serve God selflessly, without hope of any reward.  In all his suffering, Job did not know what we know, that he was being tested by God to see if he would remain faithful in his service to God. He did not know Satan was challenging God regarding his loyalty. He did not know that in the end, God would reward his faithful loyalty, blessing him with more than he had in the beginning. Job and his friends did have an extended dialogue on sufferings. One said that Job had sinned. Another said that Job should repent. The last said that Job’s guilt deserved punishment. Even his wife questioned his integrity, telling him to curse God so he could die. But, remaining faithful in the service of the Lord, Job said that he has received good things from the hand of God and why not receive bad things from him.  At this point of his journey there appears to be no end to Job’s misery. The nights seem to drag on and on since he is unable to sleep because of all his pain. For him his days seem to move more swiftly than a shuttle across the threads on a loom.  Soon the frail fabric that is his life will come to an end.

In the Second Reading Paul expresses his fidelity in the service of the Lord. To emphasize this fact he tells them how he has given up rights and privileges which he certainly could claim, in order to give himself fully and entirely to the spreading of the gospel among them and to be free from any personal interest and gains.  Thinking spiritually, he considers himself as a slave indebted to Jesus, never being able to repay for the gift of salvation that was promised to him by the grace of God. The fact that he had been chosen by Jesus to proclaim the Gospel was not a reason to boast. It was an obligation as a born again Christian to preach the Word of God in answer to his calling to walk his living faith in Christ.  His loyalty to Christ who had personally called him motivated him to preach the Gospel so that he could share in the eternal reward that awaits all those who remain as faithful servants of the Lord. Paul viewed his work for the Lord as he being entrusted with a commission, to be the faithful ambassador of Jesus. Therefore his first and utmost preoccupation is to deliver the message at all cost in complete obedience and service to his master.  He does his work freely and willingly, without any charge.  He says that in order to win many over to Christ, he made himself a slave to all. He set aside many of the freedoms that he previously enjoyed in order to make himself acceptable to all.  He becomes all things to all in order to save at least some.

When Mark in his Gospel describes the typical day in the life of Jesus, he explains the first of his missionary activity in Galilee.  Jesus taught as one with authority, preached convincingly the Word of God in the Synagogue of Capernaum and by a single command drove the unclean spirit out of a man.  Later the same day after sundown, he worked many more miracles of healing, beginning with Peter’s mother-in-law and drove out many other demons. They brought many persons who were sick and he healed their illness.  Early next morning he left Peter’s house and went to a lonely place to pray.  Here Peter and his companions found him in prayer and told him that all people were waiting to see him in Capernaum.  But Jesus told them that his plan was not to restrict himself to one place but to travel to other towns and villages of Galilee to bring them the good news of the Messianic Kingdom. Surely on this first day of his public ministry among the people of Capernaum, people realized that this man from Nazareth who had come to proclaim God’s word among them was no ordinary preacher, no ordinary rabbi, and no ordinary man. They saw his extra ordinary way of proclaiming the Word and were astonished and amazed at his power and authority.  He teaching and life was totally different from their own teachers.

In the gospel of today Jesus shows himself as a divine friend, who is at work curing the sick people. He is using his human and spiritual energies to bring healing and wholeness into their lives.  His was a totally different approach: he was there to serve, to give, to share. He was not a person who looked for power, influence, success, wealth.  He truly was a Man for Others, quiet and generous. That attitude of his was life-giving, that gave his work meaning and value.  Although the disciples Simon, Andrew, James and John had not known Jesus long, they had already begun telling him their troubles.  The first thing they tell him about the sickness in Peter’s own house. Mark tells us that Jesus moved from the synagogue where he performed the exorcism, to the house of Simon Peter and Andrew where he does the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law who was suffering from fever. The event is described with a minimum of words.  When Jesus is informed about it, he goes into the house, takes the woman by her hand and raises her up and the fever is gone.  The word translated as “helped her up”, is the same word often used for the resurrection of Jesus.  There is something more than a simple cure from fever in this person’s case. The woman’s immediate response to being raised up is that she waited on them or served them their meals.  Mark uses the same words after the Temptation Narrative where after the Satan left, the angels waited on him.  This implies a form of service or ministry. The woman has been set free of her illness to minister to and with Jesus.

Mark follows the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law with what is called a summary statement.  These statements are inserted into the Gospel at strategic places where Mark wants to make a transition in thought or action.  Generally these statements have Jesus healing many people of all kinds of diseases, casting out demons and attracting large crowds of people.  He undertook this action not to enhance his attractiveness to people but he did the healing because he was interested in people who needed help. People who heard about his healing approached him with their ailments.  Observing fully the law of Sabbath, they came to him after sunset, when the Sabbath was over bringing those sick and those possessed by demons and Jesus healed them all. Through his healing miracles Jesus seeks to give dignity to the human person for in general sickness is considered weakness.  However this includes a sad note too. People did not come to him out of love but just to be healed. Here is an added reference to Jesus not allowing the demons to speak because they knew him.  This is referred to as the messianic secret.  Jesus does not want his real identity known until after his death and resurrection. Otherwise he might be misunderstood as another healer and a powerful miracle worker and miss the real purpose of his mission.

At the same time Mark shows us that his mission was incomplete without his personal contact with his Father.  Early Sunday morning Jesus went off to a deserted place to pray. He goes there, not to escape from the pressures of life, but to be refreshed for further service.  The Evangelists tell us about the prayer of Jesus at important moment of his life or at times of stress over the true nature of his ministry.   All this time Jesus sought communion with God through his prayer. He goes alone to a quiet place withdrawing completely from activities and looking for quiet time with God. Indeed this was the moment of success for him when all admired his power. His disciples came to inform him that all were looking for him indicating his popularity and the desire of people to retain him there with them so that he could minister to their needs. Jesus must have shocked them when he expressed his desire to move elsewhere to other towns and villages.  For him it was a moment of stress and decision.  They had only seen him as a miracle worker and now he shows the real purpose of his coming.  This is just the beginning of a misunderstanding between Jesus and his followers over the true nature of his mission and the meaning of the discipleship.  His mission to establish the kingdom of God was not understood by them.  His communion with his Father would have allowed him to search out the meaning of his mission.  Once he found it in his prayer he tells his disciples that they have to go elsewhere and he will have to preach there too.  It would have been a difficult decision when he experienced the popularity. Yet the love of God and obedience to him was more important.

The Gospel seems to hint that the disciples are basking in the reflected glory of Jesus’ popularity and disappointed that Jesus went off just when things seemed to be going so well. But Jesus showed no interest in being the center of attraction, of being popular, of being ‘successful’. He simply wanted to be in places where the real needs of people existed. He had given what he could give in one place and he will now move on to other places to serve others in the same way. In his response to the disciples Jesus did not directly condemn their worldly outlook but indicated that his mission indeed has a new purpose, an entirely different objective. He had not come to earth to bring earthly prosperity to any town or country but to bring spiritual salvation and blessing on all people. That very morning having spent his time with his Father he began to carry out his mission and for the remaining two years or more he went from town to town proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  Therefore Mark concludes by saying that Jesus went to their synagogues in every village and this would have taken long time to accomplish.  His going from one synagogue to another acted not merely as a social worker with a great heart, or as a reformer fighting for a particular cause.  He saw the mystery of human suffering much more profoundly.  Suffering deep in human existence, and an essential part of human nature, needs a healing. Jesus realized the need of people and worked to bring that healing and ultimately to the full reconciliation with the divine.  He did not ignore pain but went out of his way to remove it and show the working of God with human persons.

Today’s Readings tell us that we have different examples of how one can think spiritually as against worldly thinking. They echo how the weak human nature often overcomes the spiritual nature that perceives the greater mysteries of God. We have come to the realization that in order to remain faithful in the service of the Lord, we must embrace a spiritual mind so that we can understand the things of God. We have learned that no matter how hard life be at times, by the power of the Holy Spirit and a spiritual approach we can overcome any obstacles in life.  We can by the grace of God the Father in the Name of Jesus face any suffering and pain.  As we receive freely from God many blessings, we must give freely to others our self, not expecting any worldly reward. What Jesus presents us today is a life filled with meaning:  A life where there is time for prayer, reflection and coming closer to God; where there is time for sharing with others in word and action; where there is time for building and healing and reconciling. Jesus needed prayer to find the will of his Father and he shows us way to pray in order to discover the will of God in our lives and discover the path he has chosen for us.  Prayer is essential for everyone and helps us to overcome the darkness of life. There is absolutely no one who cannot learn to live like this. During this week let us reflect on the typical day in the life of Jesus: a teacher, a preacher, a healer and a man of prayer. As the followers of Jesus let us all aim to be like him in our life and in our proclamation of his kingdom.

This real story is said of the German concentration camp during the Second World War.  In the camp were a group of rabbis and learned Jews along with persons who had been in high standing prior to their arrest.  They had to work for six and half days every week but on Sunday afternoons they were left in relative peace. One such afternoon some of the learned Jews in their despair decided to put God on trial. The rabbis acted as judges and witnesses came forward for defense and for the prosecution.  The case for the prosecution was overwhelming. They had only to look around them: they were being wiped out as a race; many of their families had already died in the gas chambers.  They were unable to look for their dear ones. How could a good God allow this to happen? The judges, despite a stout defense had no difficulty in reaching the verdict.  God was guilty as charged, guilty of abandoning his chosen people. Silence fell upon the court. Then an elderly Jew got to his feet and said: “Nevertheless, let us not forget…it is time for our Evening Prayers.”

Fr Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome

Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the feast of Purification of our Lady in the Temple at Jerusalem. Their offering was later to find complete and perfect fulfillment in the mystery of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord. The liturgy of the day opens with the blessing of the candles and the procession to the altar to meet Christ and to recognize him “in the breaking of the bread” until he comes again in glory. This feast proclaims Christ as the Light of the World. The event we are celebrating today takes us back to what Mary and Joseph did when, 40 days after the birth of Jesus when they presented their child to God as their firstborn son, complying with the Law of Moses. At the presentation in the Temple, Mary, the faithful Virgin who took part with him in the eternal plan of salvation, was with him as she was on Calvary.  The traditional liturgy for the day is called Candlemas, because of its ancient rite of blessing of the candles to be used in the church for the next year — a practice dating from the middle of the fifth century. On this day the Church celebrates the Day of Consecrated Life in this setting of light, faith and hope. All those who have offered their life to Christ for ever for the coming of the Kingdom of God are invited to renew their “yes” to the special vocation they have received. The entire Ecclesial Community, however, also rediscovers the riches of the prophetic witness of consecrated life in the variety of its charisms and apostolic commitments.

The presentation of Jesus in the temple served two purposes; the first is the redemption of the first-born and the second is the purification of Mary. The first-born belonged to the Lord according to the Book of Exodus 13:1-2 but Numbers 18:15-16 tells us the first-born could be redeemed or bought back by paying five shekels. The purification of the mother in Jewish Law was purification from ritual uncleanness after childbirth. Of course Our Lady did not need this purification because she was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus but went through this purification process to fulfill the Law. The purification was normally performed in the local synagogue but Mary and Joseph decided it should take place in the Temple. If the family could afford they would offer a one year old lamb, but if not they would offer two young pigeons. Joseph offered two young pigeons indicating the poverty experienced by the family and their inability to make a greater offering. Yet they show their total submission to Law and obey the norms prescribed by the Old Testament. It was the moment the baby Jesus who visited the Temple for the first time offered himself to the Father to fulfill the call of obedience. Mary offers herself to God as an act of thanksgiving for the choice God made of her as the mother of His only Son and thus fulfills her “yes” of the Annunciation.

In today’s First Reading we have the God’s word to prophet Malachi, who said that he was sending his messenger to prepare his way. God promised Malachi that the Leader whom the people were seeking would suddenly come to his Temple. So Malachi makes his prophecy that the Lord will enter his temple, there will be a renewed priesthood, and there will be a pure sacrifice offered worldwide pleasing to God.  The Prophet then goes on to say that when the Lord enters the Temple he will purify everything sacred and refine the Levites so that they will offer a pure sacrifice to the Lord and then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord. In other words the presence of the person of Lord who will be shining forth like a bright light and burning fire to purify like the goldsmith or the silver refinery would do. This purification will take place until they present offerings to the Lord in a spirit of justice and righteousness.  The Prophet remembers the glory of the past when the offerings made by the people of Israel were perfect before God and Yahweh accepted them with love. Similarly the offerings made by the Lord who is purified in the Temple will be like the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Today’s Second Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews teaches us that Jesus had to become like His brothers and sisters in every respect. To bring us to glory, Jesus was made our source of perfect salvation through sufferings.  As we suffer in life, he suffered for our sake. Jesus was rejected by most of his own people. And he was even accused of being possessed by evil spirit. All of this he wholeheartedly endured for us.  The Letter tells us that the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus was not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters, saying, “Here am I, and the children whom God has given me.”  As our Saviour Jesus emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the evil one. Through this tremendous act of love, He freed all of us who were held in slavery by the fear of death.  When Jesus came into this world, he did not come to save the angels. He came to save the spiritual children of Abraham, all of us who believe in Him.  For the sins of the people, Jesus made the perfect sacrifice of atonement to God, the self-sacrifice of every spark of life that was within Himself. As a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God who has been tested by what he has suffered, he is now able to help us who are being tested.

In the Gospel of today we have the persons of the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and Jesus going to Jerusalem where they have to ritually redeem Jesus who was  the first born in the family and where Mary herself will  have to be ritually purified. The Gospel tells us of the prophesy and blessing of Simeon the Prophet. Today these three persons are given to us an example for all Christian families to look towards this earthly trinity as an example, inspiration and encouragement. We find all the three aspects in today’s Gospel. Whenever a Jewish couple became parents of a firstborn son, two ritual acts were required. First, they had to redeem the firstborn son or buy him back from the Lord because it was rightly to the Lord he belonged.  The second ritual was the purification of the mother, which was aimed at making her ritually clean. Luke does not give us how these rituals were performed in the Temple. He shows their humble unquestionable obedience to the Mosaic Law, a law to which they were not really bound, is an example and encouragement to all. Mary because of the virginal conception and the birth of Jesus the Son of God did not need the legal purification.  Jesus himself being the divine person did not have to be redeemed or purchased from God.  His whole life on earth was going to be uninterrupted service of God. Joseph as Father and Head of the Family silently accompanies Mary and the child to Jerusalem. They perform the rights that were asked of them.

Luke in the gospel intends to show us that Mary and Joseph was a typical pious Jewish couple, who went to the Temple in obedience to do all that was required and expected of them by the Law.  The fact that they were poor can be deduced from the detail that their sacrificial offering was the lowest required: a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.  The common offering would be a lamb but exceptions were made for those who could not afford it.  The Gospel tells us of the silent offering of the three persons of themselves to God, was a perfect offering.  After this they returned to Nazareth to live a life of obscurity and poverty for the next thirty years. They were probably often short of necessities of life, the earnings of Joseph as a village carpenter may not have been high.  They willingly accepted the simple ordinary life in a remote village, living in harmony, observing the laws prescribed, visiting the Temple and Synagogue and living an exemplary life. They indeed accepted God’s will and having understood partially at least the salvific role of Jesus, they were ready to accept the suffering and pain that came along the way. They are for us a true example of what a family life should be here on earth.

Today’s gospel speaks of two other persons Simeon and Anna, who are characterized as being lifelong righteous and devout Jews, who encounter Jesus, Mary and Joseph during their ritual visit in the Temple.  Their purpose is simply to point out who Jesus really is and his destiny is going to be the salvation of Israel.  There is dark and painful side of the Prophesy in that Simeon indicates that Jesus will run into many obstacles and Mary herself will have to suffer on his account. Simeon spoke guided by the Holy Spirit and this in reality was God’s greater plan.  The old woman Anna, too, on seeing the child, breaks into praising God. And she spoke of him to all who looked forward to the liberation of Jerusalem. She gives her silent witness to the world’s longing for salvation through him. We look at the response of Mary and Joseph towards this sudden encounter. They were totally amazed by what these two prophets had to say.  They are portrayed as being unaware that their son was anything other than ordinary first born son. Perhaps this was the time for Mary to ponder once more the Annunciation scene where the angel had told her that he would be king. Certainly it was time for Joseph and Mary to understand more fully their responsibility before God to protect the child and they return to Nazareth unfazed by all this.  The Gospel tells us that in Nazareth Jesus grew into adulthood and grew in wisdom, while God’s favor was with him.

Mary, Joseph and Jesus model for us the life of the Holy Family. Joseph exhibited great trust in God and demonstrated intense devotion and love in caring for Mary and Jesus. Scripture does not quote a single word of Joseph, and yet his actions speak volumes of a strong man devoted to God and family. Mary, too, showed tremendous faith in God and trusted in God’s love for her. As wife, she helped Joseph in his quest for holiness. As mother, she cared for Jesus with great love and tenderness. Both Mary and Joseph created the environment which allowed Jesus to grow in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. Jesus, for his part, was obedient to Mary and Joseph and obviously loved them both very much.  Out of great love for his Father and for us, he was obedient to all that God asked of him, including death on a cross. This type of sacrificial love for the other defines a significant attribute of a holy family– a love that allows all in the family to flourish in their quest for holiness.

While today’s readings echo both, the Presentation of the Lord to the Temple and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, in its wisdom, the Catholic Church deemed it more praiseworthy to place emphasis on the Feast of the Lord Jesus.  The Gospel presents us with the offering of Mary and Joseph of Jesus to God and Mary offering herself for the salvation of humanity.  The challenge for us is to adopt the spirit of Simeon and Anna – to not be afraid of what lies ahead because we have a God who surely hears our prayers and comes to our assistance in ways beyond our imagining.  We should all pray to have this wonderful trust that inspires the dying Simeon to say, “Now, Master, your servant can go in peace for I have seen the salvation our people – the salvation that you promised us.” Again, more importantly we turn our attention to Mary, who carries our Lord, still an infant, into the Temple.  It won’t be the first time that we will see Mary and Jesus in the Temple – we will see them again when Jesus is about twelve and Mary and Joseph go to find Him in the Temple, arguing with the Jewish elders.  Finally, we will see the Temple of our Lord’s body being broken at Calvary, this time just yards outside of Jerusalem – Mary, this time – at the foot of the Cross.  And so, let us briefly examine these three scenes:  First, the infant Jesus in the Temple for the Presentation.  In this second scene, the infant Jesus is now a child – full of zeal for His Father’s house that He is about His Father’s business.  Finally, the third scene – this time, the Temple is the body of Jesus being broken on the Cross. These are some the mysteries of our Faith. Let us find great comfort and great confidence in knowing that the very mother, who willed to present Jesus to the Father, now stands ready, to present us in the same way.  May the hope that is grounded in our faith inspire us to continue to trust that peace in the world and in our land can be ours if we consent, like Mary, to greater obedience to the will of the Father.

Gopal Mukherjee was a young little boy fond of reading books and learning new things in life. He was extremely quiet by nature but was always prayerful since his young days.  One day when he busy reading a book and enjoying it his mother called him out and said, Gopal, I want you go out and meet the man there. The young boy in curiosity went out and there what he saw surprised him.  There was a sanyasi, a mendicant who was doing acrobatic tricks and somersaults to amuse the village kids. Gopal went and stood close to him as his mother asked him.  The man asked the young boy, son what you want to do.  Gopal replied, sir, I want to play.  The man said, look, do you want to play with God. The boy kept quiet. The man continued, look, everyone takes God seriously and no one wants to play with him. Will you play with God? Goal says in his later writings that this word changed his life that he could play with God.

Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome

God’s word comes to us in various ways.  The Bible tells us that this word is very powerful and effective in our life and will bear fruit in plenty. This word clings to the human person, penetrates deeply into our hearts giving us new insights and applies it thoroughly to our lives.  God expects us to be conscious of the working of this word in our lives and respond to it.  His word is a healing word. It purifies the person and takes away all the blemishes. It is a prophetic word which leads the person towards the values of God as against the values of the world. It is a reconciling word which keeps away all divisions and brings unity in the community. In the first reading of today we have Moses the prophet giving his farewell address to the people of Israel.  He tells them they will always have God’s word to guide them as they enter into the Promised Land. God will give them a prophet like himself to take care of them.  In the second reading Paul gives advice to both married and the unmarried.  He wants them to be free of all their anxieties and offer their single hearted service to God.  In the Gospel we have the typical day in the life of Jesus. He was a preacher, teacher, healer and a man of prayer. Today’s passage demonstrates the power and authority of Jesus as he expels an unclean spirit from a man and heals him. People look at him with admiration for he spoke with authority and power.

In the First Reading Moses assures the people that God will not abandon them and after his death would continue to speak to them through prophets. They ought to listen to these representatives of God just as they listened to Moses.  If they chose to ignore the prophets they would place their lives in danger as they would be liable to punishment from God. On the other hand if the Prophet misleads the people by proposing the word of God as mere human fabrication, then he will die. Moses was addressing the people of Israel encamped at the bank of the Jordan River, with the Promised Land in view.  Here Moses wanted to impress upon the people the absolute importance of remaining loyal to God once they cross the river Jordan and enter the land of their ancestors. If they remained faithful to the covenant they would enjoy many advantages in their homeland. Hardships would come if they broke the terms of the covenant.  They had to realize that they needed God in the Promised Land as they needed him in the wilderness. Moses told them that God was present with them at Mount Horeb.  People truly understood their unworthiness to be close to God as the mountain exhibited the divine fire. They had heard the word of God through Moses since they were afraid to hear that voice directly.  Even now people would love to hear that voice but it would come to them through the mortal persons namely the Prophets. The function of a prophet was to be mediator between God and man and God promised to raise a prophet just like Moses which is fulfilled in Jesus.

In the Second Reading of today Paul tells the believers to lead the life that the Lord has assigned them, to which God has personally called them. Being inspired by the Holy Spirit and trusting in him, Paul tells the believers that God wants them to be free from all anxieties. The virgin, the unmarried man and woman, are called to be anxious about the affairs of the Lord, on how to please the Lord so they may be holy in body and spirit. Those who were married experience anxieties regarding the affairs of the world, how to please their spouses, their interest being divided between God and the world.  To live free of anxieties, those who are married must be reasonable, not placing any restraint upon them. They have to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord. At the same time, being caught up in the affairs of the world, they had a commitment towards their spouses and their families. They must not neglect this calling, for the Spirit of God dwells within everybody. Showing love towards others in obedience to the Commandments, a Christian can enjoy a living faith in Christ that is different from the religious life but still very pleasing in the eyes of God.  When God promised to raise a prophet for the people, this promise was not just for those who are virgins but also for those who are married. This proof is found in the Sacrament of Marriage that is Sacred in the eyes of God.

In the Gospel Mark speaks in detail the first reported day in the public life of Jesus.  It was a Sabbath Day when Jesus began his ministry with his fellow townsmen in the synagogue. The setting of today’s Gospel episode was the synagogue in Capernaum. The synagogue was not necessarily a building.  It was a gathering of the faithful for the purpose of studying the Scriptures and the synagogue service was basically prayer service. It was not uncommon for these meeting to take place in a home.  At the time of Jesus people went to the Temple to offer sacrifice and to pray particularly during the time of festivals.  But they went to the synagogue to pray mainly on Sabbath day and to learn their Sacred Texts. In today’s Gospel, we heard that Jesus entered the synagogue and taught in Capernaum. Those who heard him were astounded at his teachings because he taught with authority and not like the scribes who normally taught in that place. Here, the authority of Jesus is compared to a rabbi who had the power to impose a decision with a binding authority as against a scribe who could not do so because he was only a teacher of a lower rank. However, the Jews recognized the Scribes as authoritative teachers of the Law and custom. The authority of Jesus is seen throughout the New Testament where he overthrows the rule of Satan, the Prince of this world, by establishing the invisible Kingdom of God on earth.

In the gospel Mark presents Jesus to us as a preacher, teacher, a miracle worker and a man of prayer. He gives it to us as if it was his normal daily routine of his public life.  There was also the astounded reaction of the ordinary people. He taught them scriptures, preached on them, healed a demoniac, healed Simon Peter’s mother in law, and healed all those who came to him with their ailments.  He was a teacher who taught the word of God through his person and life. A Teacher is one who imparts scholarly knowledge to others through his personal life and experience.  The very life of Jesus was his teaching. Throughout his life, Jesus never ceased for a single instant from his teaching responsibility to his People whom God had chosen for himself. The entire life of Jesus had been a life of teaching: not only were his words were an expression of his teaching, but also, and most of all, his entire person was in himself, was a teaching.  He not only imparted truth in his teaching, but he also gave the help needed to understand and accept it. A good but merely human teacher works from outside, and hopes his message will enter into the mind of his listener. Christ’s word, on the other hand, can enter the person and reach their minds and hearts.  With their assent, it can clear all obstacles and permit them to fully accept the truth of his word.

Jesus taught people the love of God from his heart as he was close to his father. He taught with absolute conviction and authority in his message because he was aware that his message was in accordance with the mind of God. In the life of St Francis of Assisi it is said that he called one day a brother and said let us go to teach the good news in the town. Both of them set out and just walked round the town without uttering a word of preaching. Instead they greeted all on the way, had a kind words for the onlookers.  When the brother asked Francis when they would stop to preach, he replied that their entire walk they had was his teaching to people.  Jesus is presented to us today as a preacher. He preached the word of God and he did it delicately.  He preached about God and his saving work among the people chosen by him.  He would have explained the presence of God among them and his own role as God’s chosen one.  There was something attractive in his teaching and they longed to listen to him.

It is within this context that Jesus performed his first miracle as given in the gospel of Mark and this miracle was one of exorcism.  The passage tells us that there was in the audience a man possessed by an unclean spirit. This unclean spirit quickly recognized Jesus as having the power to expel demons and attempted to fend him off by showing that he knew exactly who Jesus was, the Holy One of God.  He even questioned him why he had come to destroy the power of the evil in the world and he should have nothing to do with them.  Certainly, the unclean spirit was not professing any faith in Jesus but was attempting to suppress the power of Jesus by recognizing him as the exorcist. This first miracle performed by Jesus is an exorcism which is affirmed by the word that is used here to say “rebuke”, the word also means “to exorcise.” This miracle of an exorcism is a sign that evil is destroyed in the Divine Presence of Jesus.  The evil spirit that possessed the man recognized Jesus as the Messiah, who is anointed with God’s Spirit and who possessed power over evil spirits. The evil spirit called the name of Jesus twice, first as Jesus of Nazareth and then as the Holy One of God. While Jesus had been trying to hide his true identity as the Messiah from the crowd and not from his true followers, the demons that recognized his true identity, manifested it to all.

In this miracle Jesus showed the upper hand without any struggle and did the healing of the possessed person.  He commanded the unclean spirit to be silent and to come out of the man.  This convincing exercise of power only adds further amazement to the people.  Once that happened, those who were present were filled with awe and wonder.  Their reaction was one of fear and astonishment. They said to one another that it was a new teaching where a person could use his power and authority.  He had command even the unclean spirits, and they obeyed him.  The people had never seen such great power, nor ever heard of it since the days of Moses. Later, during his public life when the soldiers go to arrest him and come back empty, they told the authorities that no one spoke like him and they could not arrest him. The authority of Jesus went beyond performing miracles in the visible world. He had the authority over the invisible world as much as over the visible one. It was no wonder that the people considered Jesus to be the promised prophet. But the authorities were concerned that he worked the miracle on a Sabbath day.  However, for the people he became a man of wonder and his fame spread all over Galilee.  Mark tells us that demons came to know about him and were silenced. The people saw his miracle and had their admiration of Jesus.

On this Sabbath day Jesus was probably invited by the local rabbi to address the people who had come to pray in the Synagogue. In the synagogue, anyone could be invited to come forward and preach. Perhaps Jesus already had a name as a speaker. In any case, as soon as he opened his mouth the people felt immediately that here was someone who was different.  Unlike the Scribes and the Pharisees he did not quote others to prove his words.  He laid down the law in his teaching based on his own authority.  The teachings of Jesus were manifested in his actions.  Through these actions Mark aims to reveal the identity of Jesus. He rebuked the evil spirit sharply just as he did at the calming of the stormy sea and now in the Synagogue the demon came out of the person with a loud cry.  Jesus demanded silence from the demon and this way Mark deepens the mystery about Jesus which will be gradually revealed.  Mark explains that the onlookers were amazed not because of the miraculous healing but because of his teaching.  He is presented in the Gospel as one who speaks for God, a true prophet. In every miracle that he worked Jesus avoided publicity. He did it for the sake of God and not to get any honour. When they wanted to make him a king he ran away. He told people not to search for honour but to be servants of all. His miracles and healings were a service of a unique type.  He came, above all, to make people free, so that in their freedom, they could generate all the productive and growth energies within them and be alive with the life of God. He freed them from all the ‘evil spirits’ of fear, compulsions, narrow self-centeredness, anger, resentment, hostility and violence which prevent people from truly enjoying the experience of being alive.

Summarizing today’s Scripture Readings, in Jesus, we have seen the fulfilment of God’s promise to send a prophet like Moses. Through St. Paul who was inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us that God wants us to be free of anxieties in our calling, especially those who are married. Through Jesus, we have heard of his authority that reaches far beyond miraculous manifestations in this world. We are all amazed at God’s love for us and he invites us to respond to his generous love. His preaching is a personal testimony of his intimate relationship with God his Father. In his teaching Jesus was able to discover the positive value that the law seeks to protect whereas the scribes busied themselves with words and their minute applications of the law.  For instance Jesus teaches that the Sabbath is a day we keep away from our work in order to serve God and do God’s work. Further, his teachings were always intended to bring about a positive change in the hearts of people. For this reason Jesus performed healing miracles together with his teaching, to show that his primary concern is to change the human person physically and spiritually. As we reflect this week upon this spiritual knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, let us remember the calling that each one of us has received as children of God through the Sacrament of Baptism. Let us answer that calling by living our vocations without anxieties, placing our faith, hope and trust in Jesus who has all authority as the only begotten Son of God. So, let us all pray today that Jesus, with his growth-inducing authority will be a real source of liberation for us. May he free us from all those spirits which make us deaf, dumb, blind and lame in life and paralyzed by fear.

During the Korean War in the 1950’s, people were hiding in a church and it was bombed over a few days.  There was a beautiful statue of Jesus in the church which needed much protection and the American soldiers started to dig around the pedestal to have it taken away to a safer place.  Suddenly a shell hit the area and all went under cover.  Once the smoke was cleared they were all shocked to see the ruins.  The statue was broken to pieces and bits were all spread over.  The soldiers helped the priest to gather all pieces and reconstruct the statue with the special glue they could find.  They did rebuild the statue except for the hands.  They could not find them. Someone in the group offered to make a mould and prepare new hands.  The priest told them to leave it alone. The statue would present their mission. Hence statue stood in front of the church without hands but below the statue were the words in gold letters: “I have no hands. Lend me yours.”

Fr Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome

From the earliest of times God has called human persons to be with him for he is the creator who has made every human person in his own image and likeness and desires to have constant contact with him. He invites all human persons to a personal relationship with him and when they do wrong and go astray; he invites them to a spirit of repentance to make them live a life worthy of him.  Repentance means to turn around, and go in the opposite direction, change ones way of thinking, change their values, change the mind and heart, change their desires, and more importantly change the direction of life.  It means that there is a total conversion and a total transformation in the person.  However there comes a time in the life of every child of God to respond to his invitation to follow Him closely and participate in His mission. This might require a change in their present career into a service dedicated for God.  There are several paths one can choose to follow Jesus, be it in the teaching, medical, legal profession or retailing business, there is one basic decision to make: whether to pursue it solely as a means of livelihood and personal enhancement or to use it as a means of service to God and humanity. In the Gospel of today Jesus invites all to repent and to listen to the Good News that he is going to give. He calls the disciples to continue his mission of repentance and the proclamation of the Kingdom. In the first reading we have Prophet Jonah who is asked by God to go and preach to the people of Nineveh.  Even though Jonah runs away from God in the beginning, he is brought back to preach. People listen to his word and repent from their sin. God listens to their prayer and forgives them. In the second reading Paul asked the Corinthians to remember that life is short and the world as we know it is passing away. He preaches total detachment and to live without being engrossed into it. 

In today’s First Reading from the Book of Jonah, we heard how Jonah responded to God’s calling. Jonah was called by God and told to get up and to go to Nineveh, that great city, where he was to proclaim the message of the Lord. The Book of Jonah itself is a sermon in the form of a story. The theme of the sermon is that God is the Lord of all nations and not of Jews only, and the Jews who have the knowledge of God must spread it among the gentile nations. The Jews who had returned from exile had refused this task and therefore God sends Jonah to the Gentiles to preach to make him an example. When Jonah had refused God punishes him and brings him back once again for his mission. In obedience to the Lord God, Jonah sets out and goes to Nineveh. He proclaims the Divine Word of God, advising the people of Nineveh that unless they repent of their sins, they and their city would be destroyed in forty days. Fearing the wrath of God, the people realize the gravity of their sins against God and repent. Immediately, they proclaim a fast, and everyone, from the greatest to the least important pray to God for forgiveness.  They recognize the Word of God and turn away from their evil ways. Consequently, God changed his mind about the calamity that he was about to send to Nineveh. Through Jonah, the servant of the Lord, the people were once more united in the righteous ways of the Lord God.

Paul in today’s Second Reading tells the Corinthians to live in total freedom and detachment. Nothing we have, whether things or personal attachments, are permanent and can disappear at a moment’s notice. Whether life is very good or very bad: nothing lasts except the fundamental values of truth and love, of freedom and justice.  He was preparing his community to be ready for the Lord who is going to come to judge the humankind.  Therefore he tells those with families remain detached with their minds set on the Lord. He tells those who have wives to act as if they have none, those who mourn as though they were not mourning, those who rejoice as if they were not rejoicing, those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world, as though they had no dealings with it. The reason is that the present form of this world would be passing away. Those who are married, because of the responsibilities that come with the married life and involvement in the world, can become an obstacle to their precious spiritual growth and communion with the Lord.  The celibate person through their intended perfect consecration to God in body and spirit, they have the opportunity to immediately taste the life of glory that all Christians anticipate.  He does not tell them to shun away from all gifts God has given.  Rather it is the abuse of the God given gifts that can make us unfit for the kingdom. Our life has to be always in readiness for God.

The setting of today’s gospel is immediately after Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, when he received the commission from his Father and was filled with the Spirit of God.  This Spirit will lead him from now on to the desert, to the public ministry, and finally to his suffering and his cross.  The Gospel tells us that John the Baptist had been recently arrested, literally meaning handed over into the hands of the enemies.  John came as the precursor and had completed his work of preparing the path of Jesus.  He was arrested because he had challenged the authorities regarding their immoral behavior. After the imprisonment of John, Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee and proclaimed his mission. He commenced his task by announcing the Good News, the Gospel, filled with hope. He began with the declaration that this was indeed the time of fulfillment which means it was the period of human history when God’s promises become a reality. Jesus summed up this message very simply in two lines: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near, and Repent and believe in the Good News.  It was the Good News of truth, of hope, of peace, of Divine promise, of immortality and of salvation. This good news would embrace all of humanity on earth, would enable them to share the eternal happiness with him.  Hence Jesus told his audience in Galilee that the time has now come, it was opportune moment, and they are invited to take part into this new life. This expected time was the arrival of the Messiah, the Saviour King for whom they had been waiting.

Jesus announced the Kingdom of God and told them that the Kingdom was close at hand.  The kingdom of God was the central theme of Jesus’ mission. It was the core of his gospel message. Kingdom is God’s rule in the heart of every person.  This Kingdom existed at the foundation of the world and it will be fulfilled at the end of times. This kingdom which Jesus is re-establishing is not a place but rather consists of relationships. Those belonging to the kingdom are those who accept the life vision that Jesus gave to us and whose lives are based on that vision of life. It does not matter who they are or where they are and it exists here and now. The Kingdom extends far wider than the Church, which is called to be the sign pointing to the Kingdom’s presence among us. In announcing the good news, Jesus gave two explicit things each person must do to in order to receive the kingdom of God: repent and believe. When we submit to Christ’s rule in our lives and believe the gospel message Jesus gives the grace and power to live a new way of life as citizens of his kingdom. He gives grace to renounce the kingdom of darkness to receive the new light.  That is why repentance is the first step. Repentance means to change, to transform our way of thinking, our attitude, disposition, and life choices so that Christ can be the Lord and Master of our heart.  If we are only sorry for the consequences of our sins, we will very likely keep repeating the sin that is mastering us. True repentance requires a contrite heart and sorrow for sin and a firm resolution to avoid it in the future.

In his first public announcement Jesus told the people how they have to prepare to enter the Kingdom. They have to turn away from their sins, believe in Jesus and listen to the Good News. In his message Jesus wanted people to reform which is a positive concept. It is not just abstaining from sin but a total change of heart towards God, an attempt to live a good life. He was calling them to turn from the formalism in religion to a more sincere worship while placing their emphasis on justice, mercy and fidelity to the covenant. This attitude continues in their forgiveness of others, including those who had wronged them.  In this proclamation there contained a sense of urgency.  The Kingdom indeed was close at hand and they had to search for it immediately. If they lost it now it could be lost forever.  There was the precious value that was contained in it and therefore there must be greater effort to discover it.  It consisted of believing in the Good News and Jesus is the Good News. To believe is to take Jesus at his word and to recognize that God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to free us from bondage to sin and harmful desires. God made the supreme sacrifice of his Son on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with himself. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him.

The second part of today’s Gospel shows the first responses to this call. Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, the son of Zebedee and his brother John to be his followers.  They were fishermen who were called by Jesus as he told them: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” At once as Mark says, Peter and Andrew left their nets and all their earthly possessions and means of livelihood to follow Jesus. The other two brothers, James and John also left their father Zebedee who was with his hired men, to follow Jesus.  Luke in his narrative tells us this following of Jesus was after a miraculous catch of fish. Their response was sudden, total and complete with no hesitation.  Jesus called them to be with him and they simply said yes to him and went with him. Their future was uncertain but theirs was indeed a complete act of trust and a total surrender of themselves to Jesus. Actually, they may not have had any idea where they were going and for what purpose. This was the extent of their great trust in this man who came out of nowhere into their lives and challenged them to leave behind their security and follow him. They would, in fact, go through many unexpected experiences, some of them joyful, some of them full of pain. They would indeed become part of his mission, continuing a great movement begun by Jesus to bring people to a new way of living in truth, love, freedom and justice. But they never regretted that day they walked away from their security and never looked back. They found experiences that transcended all their dreams. By answering their calling, they became faithful servants of the Lord, their names going down in history so we may remember and model after their example, their living faith in Christ.

When Jesus preached the gospel message he called a small group of people to become his disciples and he gave them a mission – “to catch people for the kingdom of God”.  The type of disciples he chose was surprising. In the choice of the first apostles we see a characteristic feature of Jesus’ work:  he chose very ordinary people.  They were ordinary simple fishermen.  They were non-professionals, had no wealth or status in society. They were chosen from among the common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these individuals, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his direction and power. When the Lord calls someone to serve him there is no question to say what special thing they offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people and makes use of them for his kingdom. We believe that God works marvels through simple, ordinary persons.  Jesus speaks the same message to us today: we will “catch people” for the kingdom of God if we allow his light to shine through us. God wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live, speak, and witness the joy of the gospel. Therefore Paul says, but thanks be to God, who in Christ Jesus always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads, the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

The preaching of Jesus must have been very powerful and his charismatic nature so attractive that people were ready to accept his invitation to follow him. The invitation of Jesus continues even now in our today’s world.  Each one of us has been called by Jesus as he tells us: “I have called you by name, you are mine…you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.”  Today we are called us to his mission to preach repentance and live out a particular lifestyle like him.  We are called to see Christ in each person we encounter and we are called to become people of peace.  Thus the readings of today present a call for us to transform ourselves according to the mind of Jesus.  He invites us constantly to work for his kingdom and respond to him whole heartedly to be at his service. God selects ordinary persons as he did with Jonah to fulfill his mission or as he called Peter and his companions.  The word of God tells us that in whichever state we live in we must be ready to experience his kingdom in our hearts. Let this Eucharist of today be for us a guiding lamp to discover the place of the Kingdom in our life.

Many years ago there was a woman who lived in a small village in France.  Trained as a nurse she devoted her life caring for the sick and the needy. After many years of kind and dedicated service to the people of the village, the woman died. She had no family of her own and so the people planned a beautiful funeral for her. It was fitting tribute to the woman who had served them so much. However the problem came about the place of burial for the person.  Since she was a Protestant she could not be buried in the Catholic Cemetery and there was no Protestant Cemetery in the village.  The Parish Priest being served by her did want to bury her there but the law was very strict. So she had to be buried outside fence of the cemetery. On the day of the burial the whole village accompanied the casket to the cemetery and was buried just outside the fence.  But at night a group of villagers armed with shovels, sneaked into the cemetery. They quietly moved the fence so as to bring her grave into the burial ground, as the priest happily watched from his window. 

Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome

God’s call is personal and he invites every individual to build a close relationship with him.  His call is unique as he calls individuals as well as nations to be united with him. The Bible constantly narrates the instances of God calling people and demanding a response from him.  We have the examples of Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and several other persons who were called by God and they responded to him by sacrificing everything to obey his invitation. In the New Testament we have the call of Mary at the Annunciation, the call of Peter and his companions at the lake, call of Matthew the Tax Collector, call of Paul and several others. In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus telling his disciples: “You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.”  God calls us today to participate in his mission and he expects us to respond to his call.  In the first reading we have God calling young Samuel as he was sleeping in the Temple.  Once Samuel recognizes God’s call he responds to him saying: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”  Once he is ready to listen, God gives him the message and the mission.  In the second reading Paul reminds us that our bodies are holy as we are the members of Christ’s Body and the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  Our bodies are meant to glorify God and not meant for immorality. In the Gospel we have John identifying the Messiah in Jesus and telling his disciples that he is the Lamb of God. He also encourages them to be the followers of Jesus.  These disciples in their turn invite others to come to be with Jesus on his mission.

The call from God to holiness is constant in our lives and it requires a response from us. The Bible tells us of God’s call in the life of every person, manifesting his majesty, power and mystery.  He presents every individual with the gift of life at the creation and calls each person by name.  Calling by name signifies that God personally cares for him.  He then gives new life with the Sacrament of Baptism where a person is dead to the world and reborn in Christ. God calls each individual on a specific mission to continue his work on earth, as a missionary, religious, priest, a teacher or any other work he has chosen.  In the book of Deuteronomy Moses tells the people of Israel: “You are a holy people to the Lord your God.  The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his possession out of all the people that are present on the face of the earth.”  God’s call constitutes a permanent relationship expressed in the Old Testament in the form of the Covenant. God promises the people that if they truly obey his commands then he will be their God and they will be his people.  In the New Testament we have the examples of the particular call given to the Apostles who were personally called to share his work of the Kingdom. Later he calls Paul while he was on his way to Damascus to be the Apostle of the Gentiles.  Down the centuries we have the examples of thousands of people whom God has called to share his life. God’s call continues even today and he gives the commission to proclaim his kingdom to all.

In today’s First Reading we heard God calling young Samuel. This was at the very early stage of Prophet’s long career.  The family of Eli belonging to the priestly family of Levi was placed in charge of the shrine.  Meantime, Samuel’s mother Hannah had dedicated him to the Lord in gratitude for the gift of his birth.  Young Samuel’s devotion to God is apparent as he sleeps in the presence of the ark.  Here he experienced the call of God. Samuel was called three times that night and each time he ran to his Mater Eli and reported to him without realizing that it was God who was calling him. Eli was spiritually enlightened to realize that it was the call of God to Samuel and instructed him to announce that he was ready to listen to God’s word.  When he was called again Samuel responded to God and offered his humble service to him saying, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”  Samuel answered his calling from God and listened to him attentively. As he grew up, the Lord was with him and Samuel was devoted to the Lord.  This indicates that as Samuel learned the Words of God, either directly listening to God or from divine inspirations and also from the teachings of Eli.  Samuel valued those words of God and memorized the laws of God together with his commandments. He made a genuine effort to implement them in his life through his thoughts, words and actions. He answered God’s call by persevering in His living faith to the best of his ability and listened to all that God had to tell him.

In today’s Second Reading Paul tells the Corinthians community that our bodies are meant to serve the Lord. They are not meant to be used for worldly desires and pleasures that do not glorify God. This is because we are members of Christ’s Body and therefore our bodies are made holy.  We belong to Christ and God the Father will raise our bodies just as he raised Jesus from the dead since our bodies are members of the mystical Body of Christ.  Paul tells the Corinthians that we cannot say that our bodies are not touched by sin.  He instructs them that there are sins both outside the body and against the body. If we are disrespectful towards someone, that is a sin outside the body. If we are selfish, refusing to share the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us, that is also a sin outside the body. All our unchristian words and actions that do not shine in the love of Christ are sins outside the body. A sin against the body is when we lower our desires to satisfy our unhealthy carnal relationships, contrary to the sacredness of the Church. Because we have become Temples of the Holy Spirit, we do not own our bodies. Although we have a free will, we no longer have a right to choose what is unholy. Since the Holy Spirit dwells in our body, it belongs to God and therefore must be respected. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we have waived that right, alleging our obedience to the spiritual law of God. We have been purchased by the price of Christ’s blood and must use our bodies to glorify God.

Our Gospel of today places before us the delicate way of God’s calling. This is revealed to us by the actions of the two disciples of John the Baptist who followed Jesus. Here John the Baptist who takes the initiative to tell them about the Lamb of God and directs them to Jesus. The Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John have different views regarding the way in which Jesus received his first disciples. In the Synoptic Gospels Jesus simply invites four fishermen to follow him and promises to make them fishers of Men.  They respond to his call, leave everything including their family and follow him. In John on the other hand the first disciples of Jesus were originally the disciples of John the Baptist.  On the suggestion of John they leave him and become the followers of Jesus.  Some historians of early Christianity think that John rather accurately reflects what really happened.  The fourth Evangelist here makes it clear that the disciples of John should become the disciples of Jesus as John himself prepared the way towards the real leader.  He told them about Jesus the Lamb of God. This title of the Lamb of God is intended to recall the rich background of the Paschal lamb as well as the suffering servant as pointed out by Prophet Isaiah.  In other words, Jesus is the savior and therefore he must be followed.

John was aware that his role as a leader was only temporary and that he had to yield the leadership to Jesus.  Perhaps with much hesitation or out of curiosity the two disciples of John followed Jesus.  The first question Jesus asked those followed him was, what they were looking for and what they wanted.  This was the key question of all discipleship, ancient and modern.  The disciples in the story responded saying that they wanted to know where exactly Jesus was staying.  He in turn issued the invitation to come and see and the Gospel tells us that they accepted his invitation to go with him and spent the day with him.  In every person’s life, the discipleship is about faith, risk and discovery.  It is the faith in the one who calls the other, makes the response possible. On the part of the listener it is the decision to respond even if there is uncertainty or darkness ahead of them. Ultimately it is the discovery of the richness of the person who invites makes vocation complete.  In the gospel Jesus did not give them any lengthy description about becoming a disciple. Discipleship comes from experience and no theory or explanation can capture its reality.  We are told that the disciples not only followed Jesus but they remained with him the entire day.

We do not know what happened and where exactly they stayed when they went with Jesus.  The term “remain” is used in John to convey a relationship, commitment and intimacy.  It describes what is at the heart of authentic discipleship. To know him in the Gospel is to seek, find and respond to his loving presence in the fabric of one’s daily lives. However their spending time with Jesus had lasting effect on them. One of the two, Andrew who became a committed follower of Jesus went immediately in great excitement to his brother Simon, and told him that they had found the Messiah. He brought Simon to Jesus who gave him a new name, Cephas, which is translated as Peter and the word means “rock.”  Simon Peter became a follower, an apostle and the leader of the new community. A change of name among the chosen people meant a change of position or function.  It is important to note that Peter, in spite of his future important role, was not called directly by Jesus but through his brother. And that happens again and again. Everyone, including the greatest saints, were called by another, often lesser, person and brought to Christ. In the life of Jesuit Saint Peter Claver who became the apostle of the slaves of South America, it was the simple saintly brother Alphonsus Rodrigues who gave him the inspiration. Each one of us has been led to Jesus by other people and we too have the task of leading others to him.

Jesus came to the earth to proclaim the Kingdom of God and for this mission he elicits human help. He calls people personally to be with him to continue his work on earth and fulfill the Kingdom.  He chose every human way possible to make his church more acceptable to our human understanding and more acceptable to our finite human nature.  We know from faith that Jesus the Son of God could deal directly with every human person directly.  He could teach the infallible truth, forgive sins, build up new relationships and pour out his graces.  Then there will be no need of a church with its teaching authority and doctrine, or the sacraments and not even Eucharist.  But in his divine wisdom he elicits human help and support to complete his mission of establishing the kingdom of God.  In his mission Jesus chose the lowly, simple ordinary persons.  The first twelve disciples he chose were ordinary persons from Galilee, some of them fishermen, some tax collectors, some freedom fighters and others whose background is not known. Certainly they were not men of education and social standing in their community.  He trained them and made them persons to carry out his work and to be his witnesses on earth.  This is the same way Jesus has continued his mission over the past two thousand years building a new community and kingdom with ordinary simple persons.

God’s call is a gift and this call is given to each and every person demands a response and readiness to work for him. He has called people to be missionaries, preachers, teachers, ordinary office workers, builders of families, social workers, medical practitioners, nurses, persons who could be his instruments of reconciliation, to work as priests and religious. In the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah responding to the call of God says how he was called by God and he felt cheated at times and did not want to talk any more, for as a prophet he had suffered a lot from his adversaries.  But he confessed that there was a compulsion from within him that did not allow him to keep quiet but talk on behalf of God and proclaim his justice. This again was the call that forced Mother Theresa to go and work in the slums and care for the poorest of the poor or of Father Damien to go and work among the lepers or to Francis Xavier to leave his motherland and go to distant lands like India, Japan to set the world on fire. Jesus places this responsibility on each one of us to continue his work on earth in a large or a small way depending on the talents he has placed on us. 

God wants each and every one of us to experience the Kingdom of God through the Person of Christ. He is concerned of the new hearts and human spirits he has created within us, desiring that our freedom of choice will cooperate with His Divine Will and we will be assured our redemption. As we contemplate on his word and respond to his call we ask the grace from the Lord not to hesitate to respond to him but give him our life and strength to complete his divine task. As he asked the first disciples what they were looking for, so also Jesus is asking us today what we are searching.  If we are looking for him, the way, the truth and the life, then we must fix your eyes on Jesus. We must answer our calling by living our lives in harmony with the nature of our new human spirit that coexists within us with the indwelling Divine Presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Indian sage Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, in his wisdom teaching narrates a beautiful story of vocation in a person’s life.  The story is about a young man who wanted to leave the world to become a sanyasi or a mendicant. His sister was getting worried about him and she told her husband that she was worried about her brother who had been planning to leave the world for the past three months. He had been sacrificing daily some food items, some of his comforts at home and giving up his rich and delicate clothes and so on.  He husband looked at her and smiled and told her, “My dear, you need not be worried about your brother. The people who plan in this way to leave the world in this way by sacrificing little by little will not leave at all. You can rest assured that he will be with you for a long time to come.”  The wife was surprised at her husband’s words and asked him, how one leaves the world to devote himself or herself to God.  The husband looked at her and said to her: “My dear if you truly want to know how a person leaves the world and becomes sanyasi, I will tell you.”  He then got up; tore his flowing garments and wore a loin cloth; took a begging bowl in his hand and a walking stick. After this he bowed to his wife and said, from now on you and every woman to me is like a mother. He left the house never to return.

Fr. Eugene Lobo S. J. Rome

The feast of the Baptism of our Lord presents us with the Third Epiphany or the manifestation of our Lord, the first being the Nativity of our Lord and the second, the feast of the Magi. The Baptism of Jesus was the moment when he passed from the relative obscurity of village life in Nazareth onto the public stage of his mission of proclaiming the God’s Kingdom.  We are brought to the banks of the River Jordan somewhere north of Jerusalem where John the Baptist had begun his ministry. John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness and was baptizing all those who would respond to his message of repentance. The purpose of his ministry of preaching and Baptism was to direct people toward Jesus who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.  The Scriptures tell us that Jesus came from Galilee to River Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist.  Jesus subjects himself to this simple act of repentance and is baptized by his own cousin.  Baptism is meant as an acknowledgement of sin and Jesus was totally sinless.  He had no need of repentance or forgiveness.  Yet this was the beginning of his mission as was planned by his Father.  The Baptism of Christ as recorded in all the four Gospels indicates the Trinitarian Revelation and the commencement of the public ministry of Jesus.   When Jesus came out of water after his Baptism the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove.  There is also the voice of the Father that comes from the cloud, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

The first reading of today from Prophet Isaiah summons the exiles to return to Jerusalem and go back to the life in God they had before the exile to Babylon. It is full of symbolic language which invites all those who are thirsty to come to the waters that supply the spiritual refreshment and renewal we all need. All are to come for wine and honey, symbols of abundance. No money is needed because all these things are beyond all price. They are price-less.  The prophet asks why they have to spend their money for that which is not bread and their labour for that which does not satisfy them. The prophet may have referred to their worship of idols found in the pagan religion. Instead, they are called to eat what is good and delight themselves in rich food namely, the spiritual blessings from God in Scripture. The Prophet now calls the people to seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near.  He admonishes the wicked to forsake their ways and return to the Lord because the God is filled with forgiveness and love. Towards the end of the passage Isaiah says that our human thoughts and ways are not God’s ways. The prophet asks people to set their minds on the flesh are death, but to set their minds on the Spirit is life and peace. The passage ends by saying that the Word of God is powerful and shall not return to God empty. Just as the rain and snow do not return to the skies without having watered and nourished the earth, so God’s Word will not return without fulfilling its purpose. God’s plans and God’s designs cannot be frustrated.

If we use Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 for the first reading we have the word of God regarding the promised Messiah who is God’s chosen Servant in Whom the Divine Soul would delight.  God speaks with joy about this servant, announcing that he is filled with God’s Spirit.  This servant goes about the mission in a way that distinguishes him from prophets who went about proclaiming the word of God in public places.  The servant proclaims the word of God more by example than by words.  He proceeds with kindness and mercy, nurturing those who retain the potential for new life.  His ways are gentle and his aim is to transform the nations of the world, reaching even distant coastlands.  God assures the servant the ultimate victory. Filled with the Spirit of God, the servant will bring forth justice to all the nations, not just to God’s chosen people, to restore the nations of the world to a right relationship with God.  He will give them new sight, free them from whatever holds them bound, and bring out into the light those who live in darkness of sin and ignorance. A dimly burning wick He would not quench and there is always hope when the grace of God is at work. In the end, the promised Messiah would faithfully bring forth justice, not a worldly justice but a spiritual one.

In the Second Reading of today from the First Letter of John, we are told that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah, have been born of God. Those who love God the Father, they also love Jesus, the Son of God. We show that we belong to God’s family when we believe in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. Through our love for God and our obedience to His commandments, we show our love towards others who are also children of God.  To shine in the love of God, we must obey His commandments. His commandments are not so difficult to obey because when we are born of God through the Sacrament of Baptism, we receive the grace of the Heavenly Father and the power of the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Name of Jesus so we may overcome the worldly desires and pleasures. Our victory over the world is our living faith in Christ. Our living faith is manifested by our spiritual works that are signs of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Faith is a pure gift from God and a living faith is a sign of our relationship with God.  Jesus came into the world by water and Blood, meaning through his Baptism and through his death on the cross.  He did not come by water alone but by the water and the Blood. In this way Jesus overcame the world and he now enables us to live as the children of God.

The opening words of today’s Gospel tell us that John the Baptist was proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It is important not to misunderstand the meaning of these words. It would be quite wrong to think that people simply had to come for baptism in the river for all their sins to be wiped out. That would be little more than superstition. The baptism itself was a symbolic act which had to be accompanied by an inner change. The word for ‘repentance’ here is metanoia in Greek, meaning a change of heart. It implies a radical change in the way we look at the meaning and purpose of life and how we live that life ourselves. It calls for much more than is connoted by ‘repentance’ which we normally understand as ‘being sorry’ for something we have done.  Metanoia is much more than just feeling sorry. It calls for a total reorganization of one’s attitudes so that such errant or hurting behavior would simply disappear from one’s life. At the same time the ‘forgiveness of sins’ is more than just God just wiping out the guilt and the threat of punishment that our sins might involve. In a sense, our sins can never be wiped out. The damage they do often lasts for a very long time and cannot be undone. If I have pained someone badly, the hurt feelings remain and there are damages even when we feel sorry about it. Hurtful words spoken cannot be called back. If we have destroyed a person’s reputation, the damage remains forever. Obviously, ‘repentance’ and ‘forgiveness’ in this sense bring people and God together and bring people and people together. That is what John was preaching and it is a message which Jesus, too, will preach during his public life.

It is very important in the gospel tradition to make clear that John the Baptist is in no way equal to Jesus.  In the writing of Mark, John does not know who the Messiah is but he does know and states emphatically that it is not himself. In the Gospel narrative we heard the account of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. John’s Baptism was a Jewish ritual cleansing with water and instilling repentance for sin. This in fact was part of the preparation process for the advent of Messiah. The Messiah however will baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit.  Mark does not give an explanation of this nor does he show it being fulfilled. Basically, the whole mystery of Christ in the world can be summed up in this term: “baptism”, which in Greek means “immersion”. The Son of God, who from eternity shares the fullness of life with the Father and the Holy Spirit, was “immersed” in our reality as sinners to make us share in his own life:  he was incarnate, he was born like us, he grew up like us and, on reaching adulthood, manifested his mission which began precisely with the “baptism of conversion” administered by John the Baptist. The first public act of Jesus, as given by the Evangelist, was to go down into the Jordan, mingling among repentant sinners, in order to receive this baptism.  The entire mystery shows that the Messiah will bring a new creation animated by the power of God. 

Mark clearly shows with the Baptism of Jesus that he is the Messiah, the one for whom John served as a precursor. As John speaks, he tells the crowds that someone far more important is coming than John himself. This person is far more powerful and will do far greater things. He is so great that John is not worthy even to untie his sandals. This person too will proclaim a baptism but it will not be like his baptism with water but with water and the Spirit. When Jesus arrived at the River Jordan, John was naturally reluctant to baptize him, and indicates that it ought to be the other way around.  But because this was the Father’s will, Jesus insisted that he be baptized.  Once he was baptized, there was the transformation that took place. Jesus became aware of his mission, the call of the Messiah. It was manifested to him by the spirit.  By being baptized by John, Jesus becomes fully identified with Israel and the people of God. With the descent of the Spirit in the form of a dove, the divine identity of Jesus is made manifest. In a real sense, Jesus is here anointed with the Holy Spirit for his divine mission and his ministry. The presence of his Father revealed it to him. From now on the Spirit will lead him to the desert, to public life and finally to his cross. Baptism was the starting point of his new mission given by his Father.  What is happening here is that Jesus, as he stands there in the River Jordan, is being ‘commissioned’ by his Father for the work he is just about to begin.  He is here getting the total endorsement of his Father for that work.

The final confirmation of the divine identity of Jesus comes from a mysterious voice which can only be understood as the voice of God the Father.  The Evangelist today recalls that when Jesus came out of the waters at River Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove, while the Father’s voice from Heaven proclaimed that Jesus is God’s beloved Son and that God is well pleased with him.  Mark wants this affirmation to recall in the mind of the reader those very important Suffering Servant Songs of Isaiah. These will provide the context within which Jesus will fulfill his Messianic calling as God’s beloved Son. A voice from the heavens confirmed the scene. There are only three recorded times in the New Testament when the voice of the Heavenly Father has been heard by the world. This was the first time; then at Transfiguration and finally at the end of his Ministry when Jesus asks his father to glorify God’s name.  The second part of the message tells us that God is pleased with Jesus.  The Heavenly Father has placed on his beloved servant the Spirit which is necessary for the redemptive work.  The Father is the one who has chosen him and has sent him on the mission and the obligation of every individual is to listen to him and follow his dictates.

The dove mentioned by Mark is a symbol of many things.  In the Jewish Scriptures it symbolizes peace and love. In the wisdom literature it is the symbol of gentleness. In today’s context of Baptism the dove is pre-eminently a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity who was present at the creation of the universe.  This is the same Spirit of whom Isaiah had prophesied when he said the spirit would rest upon him. The implication is that Jesus specially endowed with the Holy Spirit is the creator of the new people of God.  From that very moment, therefore, Jesus was revealed as the One who came to baptize humanity in the Holy Spirit and St John tells us that he came to give men and women life in abundance, eternal life. This gift of God brings every human person back to the divine life and heals him entirely, in body and in spirit, restoring him to the original plan for which he was created. The purpose of Christ’s existence was precisely to give humanity God’s life and his Spirit of love so that every person might be able to draw from this inexhaustible source of salvation. This is why St Paul wrote to the Romans that we were baptized into the death of Christ in order to have his same life as the Risen One. That is the reason why Christian parents bring their children to baptism, knowing that life which they have communicated calls for fullness, a salvation that God alone can give.

In order to understand today’s feast and what took place at the River Jordan, we have to go far beyond seeing Jesus’ baptism as a matter of dealing with sinfulness.  Baptism is not, as is true of all the sacraments, an isolated ritual.  It takes place in the context of our whole life and the life of the community.  Whether we are baptized as children or as adults, what primarily is happening is that we become incorporated embodied, into the Christian community.  We become not passively, but actively member of the Body of Christ.  It can never be something imposed on us against our will.  That is why, for adults, there is now a long process of initiation leading up to Baptism and celebrated in the presence of the whole parish community and at the Easter Vigil.  As today’s readings tell us, the Sacrament of Baptism is insufficient to save us. We must live our faith in Christ by obeying the commandments of God. This is achieved by shining in our love towards others as lights in the world. This is why we are told by St. James that our Faith without works is dead. It is insufficient to have faith in Christ to be saved. To be saved, we must practice what we believe in, the teachings of Jesus Christ. Like Jesus we too have the manifestation and the mission and we have to make the choice for God. As we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us thank Jesus for having showed us the way to salvation that is obtained through His Blood. Let us always remember to call upon the indwelling Spirit who is our spiritual strength to overcome the desires and pleasures of this world.

A little chines girl about eight years old was a close observer of the Missionary priest of their village church. She used to watch him at his prayers in the church, listened closely to his teaching and preaching, and watched him as he went about visiting the sick or consoling those in sorrow and pain.  She stopped with him and cheered people as he greeted them in the street. He always had a kind word, a smile, a little advice for the young and sometimes a sweet for the children.  One day the girl went to the neighboring village.  They were having catechism that day and the Sister was telling them of the man who was always kind, who helped the sick, cheered up those discouraged and sad, and who always went about doing well.  Noticing the strange girl the Sister asked her if she knew who this Person was. The girl quickly replied: “He is the Missionary Father from our Village.”

Pope Benedict XVI in his homily at the Sistine Chapel during the ceremony of Baptism he performed said that the words that the Evangelist Mark recounts at the beginning of his Gospel: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” introduce us into the heart of today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord with which the Christmas Season ends. Jesus by immersion in the waters of the Jordan united himself with us. Baptism is, so to speak, the bridge he built between himself and us, the road on which he makes himself accessible to us. Ever since the Only-Begotten Son of the Father had himself baptized, the heavens are truly open and continue to open, and we may entrust every new life that begins into the hands of the One who is more powerful than the dark powers of evil. St Mark recounts that it was just when John the Baptist was preaching on the banks of the River Jordan, proclaiming the urgent need for conversion in view of the now imminent coming of the Messiah, that Jesus, who was among the crowds, presented himself to be baptized. John’s Baptism is indisputably a Baptism of penance, very different from the sacrament that Jesus was to institute. At that moment, however, the Redeemer’s mission is already glimpsed because, when he comes out of the water, a voice comes from Heaven and the Holy Spirit descends upon him; the heavenly Father proclaims him as his beloved Son and publicly attests to his universal saving mission, which will be fully accomplished with his death on the Cross and his Resurrection. It is the Father’s beloved Son, in whom he was pleased, who regains for us the dignity and joy of calling ourselves truly “children” of God. The pontiff called everyone to renew the promises of our Baptism and give thanks to the Lord for his constant assistance.

Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome

The feast of the Epiphany is the celebration of the Lord’s manifestation to all peoples, represented by the Magi, who came from the East to adore the King of the Jews. The word ‘epiphany’ comes from Greek, meaning, a ‘showing’ or ‘manifestation’. Originally the word Epiphany referred to the visit of a king to the people of his provinces. Matthew who recounts the event, tells us how the Magi arrived in Jerusalem following a star, seen at its rising and interpreted as a sign of the birth of a new king.  Originally this feast celebrated on the 6^th of January, contained four great manifestations of Jesus, namely, the Nativity of our Lord, the coming of the Magi or the three kings, the Baptism of our Lord and the wedding at Cana. Today we celebrate only the feast of the coming of the Magi in search of the newly born king and God revealing himself to the universe to a group essentially non-Jewish.  The magi were strangers, foreigners, total outsiders who came to pay royal homage to this little child. In the first reading of today a prophet encourages the people to stand up and welcome a new day. All the darkness will be replaced with light and Israel will become a light to the nations.  They will see all the good things God has in store for them.  In the second reading Paul refers to the great mystery of God revealed to him, namely that God desires to save both Jews and Gentiles in Christ. Gentiles join the Jews in experiencing God’s promise of salvation. The Gospel of today tells us about the wise men from the East who followed a star in search of the new born king of the Jews.  When they find him, they worship him and pay him homage by offering him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

In today’s First Reading Prophet Isaiah consoling the people in exile speaks of the restoration of New Jerusalem. In the New Jerusalem, the glory of God would be seen, not only upon the Jewish nation, but also upon the Gentiles. The prophet invites Jerusalem to rise to its feet and witness all the wonderful things God has in store for it. The darkness and thick clouds of human pride and ignorance are replaced with light. The prophet speaks of the splendor and radiance that envelopes Jerusalem. The glory of God shines over it. Just as the lips of Prophet Isaiah were once purified by the Holy Fire, so too sins of the nation were purified by the fire of divine judgment.  With so much impurity removed, the nation now reflects the light of faith. It becomes the light to the nations, guiding them along the right path to God.  The prophet says that as Jerusalem looks on, she sees her children returning home along the way the Lord prepared for them, from their exile to the Promised Land. Those that return are given the assurance that future generations will enjoy all the benefits God has in store for the nation. In thanksgiving for the priceless lessons of faith offered by Jerusalem, the nations will bring wealth by land and sea. This truth is made very obvious in the last verse of the passage that they shall bring gold for the Temple and frankincense for the sacrifice and all shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.

In the Second Reading Paul tells the Ephesian community of the commission of God’s grace that was given to them and prior to the glorious Resurrection of Jesus, the salvation of the Gentiles had remained a mystery. Now, by the grace of the Heavenly Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, the mystery had been revealed to the holy apostles and prophets. Paul, who realized that he has received a special grace from God, was commissioned to make this mystery known to the world.  He tells them that God’s revelation is universal and sees himself as the steward of God’s grace. Through this revelation the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same Body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.  The mystery he received by revelation he is to hand on to others.  This mystery was hidden from earlier generations and was not made known to humanity. Paul indicates two parts of the mystery. First of all the mystery is God’s plan of salvation in Christ. Secondly it includes both Jews and gentiles in God’s plan.  All are called to be members of the body of Christ and all enjoy the promises God made to Israel. He tells the Ephesians that they should always be grateful to the Jewish people of those days. Thanks to them, we the sinful creatures rejoice because the gracious mercy of the Lord God was bestowed upon us. Now, through our faith in Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of Baptism by water and Spirit, we are admitted into the Body of Christ as spiritual members of the growing Kingdom of God on earth.

The Gospel Reading of today gives us the story of the three wise men that followed the star in the sky that led them to the Child Jesus. To the Magi, the light of the star was a symbol of hope, of joy and of peace. To them, the star was but a small reflection of the fullness of the Light of the world that awaited them at the end of their journey.  Matthew in the Gospel narrates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea and the arrival of the Magi during the reign of King Herod. The Magi are the central personages in today’s feast of Epiphany.  They were pagans who did not know anything about the true God of the Jews.  Yet that God revealed to them of the birth of the king he had promised to the Jews. Because Matthew mentioned that the magi observed the star rising in the East and followed the star, support the tradition that the Magi had the knowledge of astrology. Another factor to consider is that they came from the East. This implies that they came from Mesopotamia, the home of astrology in the Hellenistic world. The record of the magi confirms that Jesus was the promised King and Messiah. They came to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, a totally new place, expecting of course the whole city and the country rejoicing at the birth of the prince.  Instead they find suspicion and hatred in the reigning king, the hatred which would in a few days turn to murder.  When King Herod heard that a King was to be born among the Jewish people, he panicked and called together all the chief priests and scribes. He panicked because he was afraid to lose his throne.

The Magi found the religious leaders full of knowledge of the past history but totally indifferent as regards the present and the future. The leaders were aware that the Messiah, the King would be born in Bethlehem.  They also were aware that the Magi were very sure of the truth revealed to them.  Otherwise they would not have travelled a long distance in search of the newly born king. In spite of that the thought of going to Bethlehem with the Magi never entered their minds.  These were the same leaders who later rejected Jesus as the Messiah and saw to his crucifixion. What they looked for from their Messiah was political power, earthly freedom and prosperity. Now King Herod, after consulting the chief priests and scribes, learned that it has been prophesied that the King would be born in Bethlehem, the land of Judea, the birth place of King David.  He told the wise men to continue their journey and when they had found the Child Jesus, to report back to him so that he too could go and pay homage to the King. Again the star led the Wise Men, not only to the town, but also to the house where Jesus dwelled. When the guiding star stopped over the house, the Magi were overwhelmed with joy. They entered the house and found the Child Jesus with Mary His mother and Joseph and worshipped the King.  They offered him gifts worthy of a king, namely, gold, frankincense and myrrh, as prophesied in the Old Testament. 

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that wise men from the East followed the direction of the star and came to visit the Babe of Bethlehem.  In the Greek text they are called magoi which is usually rendered in English as “Magi”. Magi were a group or caste of scholars who were associated with the interpretation of dreams, Zoroastrianism, astrology and magic. We are not told what their names were or how many of them there were or their place of origin. Tradition settled on three, presumably because there were three kinds of gifts. And they were also given names, probably from the seventh century, Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior. The name Caspar means treasurer, Melchior meaning splendor, Balthazar meaning God protect the king. On finding him, without hesitation or doubt they pay their homage and present him three symbolic gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Three gifts are explicitly identified in Matthew, which are found only in Yemen. Many different theories of the meaning and symbolism of the gifts have been brought forward. While gold is fairly obviously explained, frankincense, and particularly myrrh, is much more obscure. All three gifts are ordinary offerings given to a king. Myrrh being commonly used as anointing oil particularly at death, frankincense as a perfume, and gold as a valuable precious item. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense or incense as a symbol of priesthood, and myrrh, the embalming oil as a symbol of death. .  He will be rejected by the very people he came to save.  Ironically, he will be accepted by the outsiders, the gentiles, the marginalised and the insignificant.  The star is rather to be seen as a symbol: a light representing Jesus as the Light of the whole world. 

The story of the wise men from the East has been a favourite part of Matthew’s infancy narratives. The presentation of the details of the birth of Jesus in a way indicates the future events that will take place in his life.  Jesus the Messiah will be rejected by Israel and accepted by the gentiles. Herod, the Chief Priests and the Scribes and all of Jerusalem represent those Jews who reject the messianic king. The Magi on the other hand represent the Gentiles who recognise his divine presence and accept him. Strictly speaking, these wise men were gentiles and they had no reason to travel the distance in search of a Jewish Messiah.  Yet the divine revelation makes them undertake the difficult journey in search for the new born king. Matthew is not attempting to show us what really happened historically and factually at the birth of Jesus.  He is far more concerned with unfolding of the messianic message to believers and unbelievers alike. Thus the meaning is very clear that God, in the person of Jesus, is reaching out to the whole world.  On the other hand, Herod, the chief priests and others are depicted as being uninformed and confused by the wise men’s desire to see the new born king of the Jews.  Herod was already the king of the Jews and neither he nor his people were looking for another king. Similar to the ancient story following the birth of Moses, Herod wants to find this child and eliminate him, even though he disguises his plan as a desire to pay his homage.

The Epiphany is the celebration of the universal destination of our Christian message. This story highlights two important truths. First of all, it reveals the royal messiahship of Jesus and secondly, of God’s revelation to the Gentiles.   Considering ourselves as their followers we too are called to adore Jesus just as the Magi had done.  This also tells us that every Christian is the Church, and each one of us has the mission to proclaim the Word. The Magi heard the word through the star that appeared to them and came in search of the King. The feast tells us that God continues to reveal himself through different stars and invites us to discover the presence of the Jesus the King living among us. We have to put forth our efforts to find him. Most of us are born into a Christian family; it is difficult for us to appreciate how great a grace faith is, and easy to take it so much for granted that we fail to exercise it. Our encounter with the Child will fortify us to readily accept the inconveniences and sufferings with joy, to protect what we have found, in order to proclaim the message of the child. From the Magi, who were making the journey for the first time, we learn how faith perseveres, even when the star is hidden. They did not lose hope. When the star appeared again, they continued their search and like them we too will come into contact with Jesus.

The Feast of Epiphany is a reflection that Jesus is the Light of the world. Through his birth we see the arrival of the Light into the world. The three wise men saw the brilliant star in the sky, understood the meaning and followed it. Through the Magi, we see the light of hope, of joy and of peace to come. All in all, today’s feast is telling us that for God there are no foreigners, no outsiders. From his point of view, all are equally his beloved children. We all, whatever external physical or cultural differences there may be between us, belong to one single family which has one Father, God. It means that every one of us is a brother and sister to everyone else. There is no room for discrimination of any kind based on nationality, race, religion, class or occupation. There cannot be a single exception to this position. The facts of today’s story may be vague but the message is loud and clear. The story tells us that there is no partiality in God and we all of us are his chosen people. Let us try to understand more deeply God’s closeness to us which is also a reason for us to be close to each other. The story the Magi is story of the ways in which God reveals himself and even more about the different responses which his revelation receives. The Magi followed the star and they encountered God.  It tells us that we too have to search for our God and cannot rest till we find him.

A certain woman given much to piety had a dream.  She was told that Jesus himself would come to her and she must prepare herself and wait for him.  She got up very early, cleaned the house, kept things ready for the guest including a meal and waited for the Lord.  As she was standing there with expectation a beggar woman came asking for food. The woman was annoyed and chased her out saying I am waiting for an important guest and come another day and I will help you.  Then her neighbor came and asked for urgent help in some chores and she refused saying she was busy. Then a school boy came to her asking for some help as he was not able to get the necessary books and she refused.  The day went on. Several people turned up at the gate and she found no Jesus coming. Sadly she went to sleep that night and in her dream the Lord came again and she began to complain to him telling how he had let her down. Jesus told her I came to you several times and you refused to recognize me. I was the beggar woman who was hungry, I was the neighbor who needed the help, and I was the school boy who needed support. Whatever you do to the little of my brothers you do it to me.

Fr Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome

Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

The life of Jesus begins with Mary. Therefore, it is appropriate that we begin the New Year with a Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. This celebration echoes that the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the Mother of God, is also our Heavenly Mother. Since Mary is the Mother of God she is the mother of joy, joy to the world. Mary became Mother of the Church through her total adherence to God´s will in her life. So the traditional greeting on this first day of the New Year is one of joy: Happy New Year.  We pray that the Lord Jesus will fill our lives during the coming year with an abundance of blessings that will enrich our spiritual lives so that we may continue to be his shining lights in the world. Mary is a mother to all of us and her motherhood extends to all of us when Jesus on the cross offered the disciple to Mary, he offered the whole humanity to her.   It´s significant that the most venerated human person by the Church is a mother. Mothers participate with God in an exceptional way to raise up new life. A mother welcomes and carries in herself another human being, enabling it to grow inside her, giving it room, respecting it in its otherness. Today is a good day to remember our own mothers, living and deceased, and to implore the Blessed Virgin´s intercession for them. In the first reading we have God’s people commencing their journey home and to live a new life.  God blesses them and promises to be with them, giving them peace and security. In the second reading Paul reminds us that God’s Son has become one of us through Mary.  Through him we have become the children of God.   In the Gospel the Shepherds communicate to all the good news surrounding the birth of Jesus revealed to them by the angels. It is Mary who treasures them all in her heart.  The Gospel also tells us that the Child was given the name that was chosen by God himself.

Today the church affirms the doctrine that Mary is the Mother of God.  This Catholic Dogma finds its origin from the passage found in the Gospel of Luke. After the archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Upon her arrival, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit expressed her joy at the arrival of the Mother of God. In 431 A.D, the Council of Ephesus affirmed that Mary was truly the Mother of God because “according to the flesh” she gave birth to Jesus, who was truly God from the first moment of His conception. Twenty years later the Council of Chalcedon affirmed that the Motherhood of Mary was a truthful dogma and an official doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church. Her Motherhood began when the eternal God entered human history. The second Divine person of the Trinity, the Word, took on a human nature in the womb of Mary. Secondly, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. The scriptures tell us that on the eighth day Jesus was circumcised and was given the name as told by the angel. Thirdly, the church celebrates this day as the world day of peace and invites us specially to pray for peace in the world.  This is also for us the New Year day as we look with hope into a future year of grace while we thank God for the many blessings received in the past year. On this first day of the New Year we ask for grace to know Jesus more intimately, love him more ardently and follow him more closely so that this may be a truly Happy New Year.

In the First Reading from the Book of Numbers we heard of the Lord’s blessing upon the Israelites. The Lord God was preparing the people of Israel for the journey toward the Promised Land. God had given them every advantage to make the journey to Canaan without any mishap.  Occupying the central place throughout their journey was the Ark of the Covenant.  Now Israel belonged to God through the covenant on Sinai.  They were given the privilege of pronouncing the name of God over the people which takes the form of a blessing. This blessing, in the form of a prayer, was frequently used by the priests when they blessed the people. The Lord spoke to Moses and asked him to speak to Aaron and his sons, giving them these words of Blessing: ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.’  Their special bond with God was evident in the words of the blessing. God’s benevolence was a light shining on them like the sun to nourish them and guide their way.  God’s peace would protect them from all harm. He will be with them always and will bless them. Included in these benefits were divine protection, countless gifts and lasting peace.  He will be faithful to them through his covenant made at Sinai.

In today’s Second Reading Paul says that God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as children.  The woman who bore Jesus is Mary. Since he is the son of God, she is rightly called Mother of God. Paul tells the Galatians that Jesus coming under the natural law has transformed us making us the children of God. Therefore as Christians we are no longer slaves and servants but heirs as children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus. As Paul says, with Jesus the Son, we now can freely address God the Father as “Abba”, a term that implies deep intimacy and affection. The Spirit of God’s Son has entered into our hearts and this Spirit enables us to be close to God and enjoy the freedom of the children of God.  At the same time we become brothers and sisters of Jesus and thus become members of God’s family in Jesus our brother. In today’s feast we remember that it is Mary who played a crucial role in the bridging of the gap between God and humankind. Therefore a Paul advice that we must love one another, because love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love. Mary who is the beacon of love has transformed us into a family of love.

In today’s Gospel Luke describes the simple scene in the stable at Bethlehem. The setting is of a peasant family with a new born child that has found hospitality and shelter in a facility shared with farm animals. We see a man, a woman who has just given birth, and baby Jesus lying in the manger. Truly primitive surroundings and yet this little child is the Son of God and that young woman is the Mother of God. This is the great mystery of the Incarnation. Their first visitors are the shepherds, a group of poor and despised and marginalized people, persons of low economic status, the discard of the community. We are not sure whether those shepherds really understood the message given by the angels that a savior is born.  But they obey the voice and go in search of the child born to bring peace to the world.  We often portray Mary as Queen of Heaven, dressed resplendently in beautiful clothes with crowns, jewels and stars. But this Gospel scene is the one that is most striking, filled with total simplicity. They find in the little family the ordinary simple people. Once they encounter the child Jesus they come close and worship him. Luke tells us that Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. She had indeed a great deal to ponder about, give a careful thought to the message of the shepherds. There was much that now and in later years she would have to reflect on with regard to this Child of hers. For Mary the meaning of this event will only unfold over time.  This is not a matter of the intellect but of the heart and pondering is a fitting process.  The message is too big and the event is too powerful and it needs to be treasured and pondered.  In a way this is Mary’s greatest gift and sets the stage for why in the gospel tradition she is understood as the prominent model for Christian discipleship.

The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. They also told everyone around of what they had seen: the shepherds were the very first heralds of the Good News, the Gospel message. They were the first missionaries who proclaim the word of God. A strange choice is made by God with the ordinary persons, regarded as outcasts and not surely social companions. They had the joy of contacting their Lord, knowing Jesus, and by its very nature, had to be shared and communicated with others.  The shepherds may not have understood a great deal of this mystery. Certainly they could not understand Mary as the Mother of Jesus is also the Mother of that Person who is God, one with Father and Holy Spirit. Clearly we too are not expected to be able to understand or explain this any further. The nature of God is quite beyond us. The shepherds accepted this in their simplicity and faith. We need the simple and trusting faith of the shepherds.  Luke tells us that all who heard what the shepherds had to say were amazed because nothing about the message made sense.  They were providing with something unheard of. But they gave a message of something new and wonderful making people wonder about their words. The extraordinary has occurred in and through the ordinary.

Luke tells us that Mary ponders, considers and gives careful thought to the message of the shepherds.  The implication is that Mary does not know what the message of the shepherd means at the moment.  But later as the divine things unfold, the things will be clear to her. The clarity will result from the pondering and considering the mystery over a long period of time.  In a way this is Mary’s greatest gift and sets the stage for why in the gospel tradition she is understood as the preeminent model for Christian discipleship. No sooner has this extraordinary event taken place than things move quickly to the ordinary.  The shepherds return to their fields and the family has the newborn child circumcised and names him just as every other pious Jewish family would do, a name chosen by God.  Nevertheless nothing will ever be same again.  Mary is well aware of this.  At this point she does not know the full meaning of this event.  For her it is a time for pondering and not for drawing quick conclusions. This ritual would mark Jesus clearly as a child of Abraham. The whole early life of Jesus and, even much in his later life, takes place within the ambience of the Jewish Law.

The Nativity scene attracts humble shepherds, a reminder that the rich and mighty hold no special favor in God´s eyes when it comes to the spiritual realm. Likewise we can´t forget the humble and needy among us. The Christmas season reminds us that Our Lord lives in the humblest of places even today: in the poor, in the forgotten, in the abandoned. A complete Christian life includes besides our beliefs, the works of charity.  The Gospel speaks of the earthy reality of Jesus and his mother. The shepherds in great excitement after hearing the message of the angel and the sudden outbreak of the first “Gloria” being sung want to discover the new part of history. Perhaps what they discovered must have seemed an anti-climax: an ordinary baby being born in a manger and we are told that they were amazed.  No words of Mary or Joseph are recorded although they must have shared something with their visitors.  In all of this time Mary must have been trying to understand what was really going on. One imagines at this stage that if she had been greeted as “Mother of God” she would have been both alarmed and surprised, even shocked. So the Gospel says that during all this time Mary treasured all these words and experiences and perhaps a hint that Mary had shared these reflections later with the writer of the gospel.

In recent years, the first day of the New Year, has been designated World Day of Peace. It is very appropriate because today’s gospel story presents us with a total invitation to a world of peace. In fact, it was in response to the angels’ song, “Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth”, that the shepherds had gone in search of the author of peace. On this day, the Pope asks all of us to pray for peace and to work for peace. The message for this year tells us that in building a world of peace and justice, the Catholic Church must listen to the ideas and hopes of young people and offer them educational opportunities that will strengthen their ability to work for the common good. As part of the church’s efforts, Pope Benedict XVI has chosen “Educating young people in justice and peace” to be the theme for this year’s World Peace Day.  In his message the Pope wants to highlight an urgent need in the world today: to listen to and enhance the important role of new generations in the realization of the common good, and in the affirmation of a just and peaceful social order where fundamental human rights can be fully expressed and realized. The duty to prepare future generations also includes a government obligation to ensure that young people have appropriate opportunities for personal growth, particularly through education and employment. The Church welcomes young people and sees them as the sign of an ever promising springtime, and holds out Jesus to them as the model of love that “makes all things new.”  The Pontiff invites the young persons to labor for justice and peace in a complex and globalized world, so preparing them for the future and this will require a real alliance among all those responsible for educating and forming the world’s future leaders.

Today, we are starting a new day and a new year with inner knowledge and understanding of the greatness of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God.  We greet each other with the same blessing as in the first reading of today: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace. May the peace of the Lord remain within us, our families and communities and bring us the joy and happiness in the year to come. The divine name appears in the Blessing, giving them life and warmth. The graciousness of God may remain with each one of us throughout the New Year.

According to legend, a young man while roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher. After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.  Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: “Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?”  The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving-kindness and nothing could be sweeter.”  I think we understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of love from young children. Whether it’s a ceramic tray or a macaroni bracelet, the natural and proper response is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea within the gift.

Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome

On the last Sunday of the year, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.  On this day we offer our own families and all the members of our community on the altar for God’s blessing from the Holy Family. The feast of the Holy Family reminds us that as the basic unit of the universal Church, each family is called to holiness. The Holy Family is the name given to the family unit of Jesus: The Divine Son of God Jesus, his mother Mary, and his foster-father Joseph. We know very little about the life of the Holy Family through the Canonical Scriptures. They speak of the early years of the Holy Family, including the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt, the finding of Jesus in the temple and their life at Nazareth. By celebrating the Sunday following Christmas as the Feast of the Holy Family, the Church encourages us to look to the Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph for inspiration, example and encouragement.  They were a model family in which both parents worked hard, helped each other, understood and accepted each other, and took good care of their Child so that he might grow up not only in human knowledge but also as a Child of God. The Entrance Antiphon sums up the theme of today´s liturgy and its intimate connection with the Christmas mystery we continue to celebrate: “The shepherds hastened to Bethlehem, where they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” What they found, in essence, was the family in which Jesus came into this world and in which he would be cared for and grow.

Every human family is in God´s plan. From the time of creation God did not want man to be alone but he created the human race as a family.   He intended that the Son of God, who is like us “in all things but sin” was born into a human family. This  communion of persons on earth is a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit, is the human institution that best reflects the life of the Holy Trinity.   The Son of God had emptied himself to assume the condition of a powerless and totally dependent infant to be like us in every way. He came into the world which is his own creation but his own people ignored him.   Even then God does not take recourse to any miraculous power to care for his son but makes use of the natural provision, family to look after him. The family constitutes in fact the privileged and protective environment into which God wills all of his children to be born and to grow. His plan for his only-begotten Son was no different. The Feast of the Holy Family is dedicated to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, commemorating their life together in Nazareth and calling us to focus on Catholic family life.  Today, in celebrating the Holy Family, we ask God’s blessings on our own families. 

The Church places great importance on Christian Family and has the Holy Family as our model. But the devotion to the Holy Family is a recent development and one that naturally grew out of a love for Jesus and his family. The cult of the Holy Family grew in popularity in the 17th century, and several religious congregations have been founded under this title. The Holy Family also became portrayed in popular art of the period. Pope Leo XIII promoted the feast as a way to counter the breakdown of the family unit, mainly as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution. Towards the end of the nineteenth century and at the beginning of twentieth, the existing situation prompted the popes, especially the far-sighted Leo XIII, to promote the observance of this feast with the hope that it might instill into Christian families something of the faithful love and the devoted attachment that characterize the family of Nazareth. The primary purpose of the Church in instituting and promoting this feast is to present the Holy Family as the model and exemplar of all Christian families. In 1921 the Congregation of Rites under Pope Benedict XV inserted the Feast of the Holy Family into the Latin Rite general calendar.  The feast indicates that God desires all to flourish in families in which love of God and love of the other guides every action and thought.

The First Reading of today taken from the book of Genesis tells us that the Word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision. We are told that Abraham and Sarah were childless and advanced in age. They were concerned that whatever they possessed, it would be handed down to a slave as their heirs. But, God told Abraham that this was not so. If he was to look up in the sky at all the stars, God promised that his descendants would be as many as those shining lights. Abraham believed the Word of God that was fulfilled and his faith made him righteous in the eyes of the Lord. Through the faith of Abraham began the progressive growth of God’s chosen people and God’s choice was limited to the Jewish Nation. By obeying God in our living faith, Abraham was assured of God’s ongoing blessings. Abraham and Sarah had their child because they believed and obeyed. As Abraham believed in faith and set out for a place where he was to receive his inheritance, not knowing where he was going.  Like him we are also called to walk in blind faith, not knowing where God’s Divine Providence will lead us.

In the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, we hear of the example of Abraham and the importance and the power of faith in a family.  Here we are reminded of the call of God in the forming of the family. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us throughout this chapter how God called many Old Testament figures to put their trust in him and his promises. Here Abraham is singled out as the most obedient of all God’s servants.  The passage tells us of Sarah who by faith, though barren, received power to conceive, even when she was too old, because she considered God, who had made the promise, to be faithful. It tells us that Abraham had his faith tested when God asked him to sacrifice his only son Isaac, on the mountain chosen by God. Abraham obeys without any hesitation and is ready to offer his only son.  He is rewarded plentifully for his trust in God. The key to his inner sacrificing life was faith. Because he believed in the Word of God, he went to a foreign land and there a son was born to him.  Now God promises him a larger family as numerous as the stars in the sky.

In the Gospel of today we have Joseph, Mary and Jesus going to Jerusalem where they will ritually redeem Mary’s firstborn son and where she will be ritually purified. We hear the prophesy and blessing of Simeon the Prophet on the Holy Family. Today the Holy family is given to us an example for all Christian families to look towards this earthly trinity as an example, inspiration and encouragement. We find all the three aspects in today’s Gospel. Whenever a Jewish couple became parents of a firstborn son, two ritual acts were required. First, they had to redeem the firstborn son or buy him back from the Lord because it was rightly to the Lord he belonged.  The second ritual was the purification of the mother, which  was aimed at making her ritually clean. Luke does not give us how these rituals were performed in the Temple. He shows their humble unquestionable obedience to the Mosaic Law, a law to which they were not really bound, is an example and encouragement to all. Mary because of the virginal conception and the birth of Jesus the Son of God, did not need the legal purification.  Jesus himself being the divine person did not have to be redeemed or purchased from God.  His whole life on earth was going to be uninterrupted service of God. Joseph as Father and Head of the Family silently accompanies Mary and the child to Jerusalem.

Luke in the gospel intends to show us that Mary and Joseph were a typical pious Jewish couple, who went about their business doing all that was required and expected of good observant Jews.  The fact that they were poor can be deduced from the detail that their sacrificial offering was the lowest required: a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.  The ordinary offering would be a lamb but exceptions were made for those who could not afford it.  The Gospel tells us of the silent offering of the three persons of themselves to God, as a family.  After this they returned to Nazareth to live a life of obscurity and poverty for the next thirty years. They were probably often short of necessities of life, the earnings of Joseph as a village carpenter may not have been high.  They willingly accepted the simple ordinary life in a remote village, living in harmony, observing the laws prescribed, visiting the Temple and Synagogue and living an exemplary life. They indeed accepted God’s will and having understood partially at least the salvific role of Jesus, they were ready to accept the suffering and pain that came along the way. They are for us a true example of what a family life should be here on earth.

Today’s gospel speaks of two other persons Simeon and Anna, who are characterized as being lifelong righteous and devout Jews, who encounter Jesus, Mary and Joseph during their ritual visit in the Temple.  Their purpose is simply to point out who Jesus really is and his destiny is going to be the salvation of Israel.  There is dark and painful side of the Prophesy in that Simeon indicates that Jesus will run into many obstacles and Mary herself will have to suffer on his account. Simeon spoke guided by the Holy Spirit and this in reality was God’s greater plan.  The old woman Anna, too, on seeing the child, breaks into praising God. And she spoke of him to all who looked forward to the liberation of Jerusalem. She gives her silent witness to the world’s longing for salvation through him. We look at the response of the Holy Family here towards this sudden encounter. They are totally amazed by what these two prophets had to say.  They are portrayed as being unaware that their son was anything other than ordinary first born son. Perhaps this was the time for Mary to ponder once more the Annunciation scene where the angel had told her that he would be king. Certainly it was time for Joseph and Mary to understand more fully their responsibility before God to protect the child and they return to Nazareth unfazed by all this.  The Gospel tells us that in Nazareth Jesus grew into adulthood and grew in wisdom, while God’s favor was with him.

Mary, Joseph and Jesus model for us the life of the Holy Family. Joseph exhibited great trust in God and demonstrated intense devotion and love in caring for Mary and Jesus. Scripture does not quote a single word of Joseph, and yet his actions speak volumes of a strong man devoted to God and family. Mary, too, showed tremendous faith in God and trusted in God’s love for her. As wife, she helped Joseph in his quest for holiness. As mother, she cared for Jesus with great love and tenderness. Both Mary and Joseph created the environment which allowed Jesus to grow in wisdom and age and favour before God and man. Jesus, for his part, was obedient to Mary and Joseph and obviously loved them both very much.  Out of great love for his Father and for us, he was obedient to all that God asked of him, including death on a cross. This type of sacrificial love for the other defines a significant attribute of a holy family– a love that allows all in the family to flourish in their quest for holiness.

The Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. This Feast aims to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. Our family life becomes sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. This is called the “domestic church” or the “church in miniature.” St. John Chrysostom urged all Christians to make each home a “family church,” and in doing so, we sanctify the family unit. We do this by making Christ the center of family and individual life. This is possible by living together in harmony, supporting each other and living our faith to the full through spiritual and religious practices. The Holy Family feast is a good time to remember the family unit and pray for our human and spiritual families. We also may take this feast to reflect on the value and sanctity of the family unit, and to evaluate our own family life.  We also consider our role to promote the value of the family in the world and to imitate the Holy Family that is Jesus, Mary, and Joseph particularly in our own cultures, neighborhoods, and communities.

Pope Benedict XVI during his pilgrimage to the Holy land invited all to contemplate always the silence and love of the Holy Family, the model of all Christian family life. In the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, we come to appreciate even more fully the sacredness of the family, which in God’s plan is based on the lifelong fidelity of a man and a woman consecrated by the marriage covenant and accepting of God’s gift of new life. Here too, we think of Saint Joseph, the just man whom God wished to place over his household. From Joseph’s strong and fatherly example Jesus learned the virtues of a manly piety, fidelity to one’s word, integrity and hard work. In the carpenter of Nazareth he saw how authority placed at the service of love is infinitely more fruitful than the power which seeks to dominate. Finally, we turn to the child Jesus, who in the home of Mary and Joseph grew in wisdom and understanding, until the day he began his public ministry. We pray for our families that we may be filled with love of the Holy Family.  We see around us today the breakdown of families and the uncertainty and the anxiety of many. We pray to the Holy Family to inspire into our hearts the mutual love necessary to build a harmonious family.

A little kid narrates the story of burnt biscuits: When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed. Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite. When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said: “Honey, I love burned biscuits.” Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s real tired. And besides – a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone.”  Life is full of imperfect things…..and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each other’s faults – and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that’s my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God.

Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome

Readings: Isaiah 9:1-6 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14

Christmas is a celebration of joy, hope, peace and light.  Originally, the Romans celebrated a feast on this day, called the festival of the unconquered Sun. The readings resonate with the theme of light and the baby in the manger is the Light of the World. Light surrounds the shepherds as the angels sing their praises of God: “Glory to God in the highest and, on earth, peace to all who are favored by God.”  It is a feast of joy as we celebrate the greatest moment in history and announce that the savior is born, good news is given and newness is proclaimed. The whole atmosphere is also suffused with joy, the joy of the angels and of the shepherds as they hasten to Bethlehem to find the new-born child. Joy is a theme which goes right through Luke’s gospel. It is one of the characteristics of the true Christian.  On this day we greet each other, exchange cards, gifts and sweets.  We share with each other this happy moment that even enemies speak to one another and those who are fighting the war will call it a day of truce.  They cannot fight on a Christmas day for sure. They will continue the next day. It is a joy of love when God showed his love for us by sending his own beloved son who will continue to live with us forever.  This is the ultimate expression of God’s love as he gives his own son to us.  It is the day when the earth is transformed as God is close to us. Hope is given to the world that exists in a hopeless situation and is looking for liberation.  The savior has entered the world; the creator has become a creature, to give the world a new dignity.  God has emptied himself to fill us with the newness of life.  It is a day of peace to the world that is struggling with conflicts and disturbance. This message of peace was proclaimed by the angels at birth of Jesus as they announce the good news to the shepherds. Jesus the God of peace will give his peace to us and this peace will remain forever. The birth of Jesus has transformed the whole world.

Christmas is God’s special and personal gift to humankind. On this day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, born in utter poverty and destitution in the eyes of the world but in obedience to God to establish his kingdom on earth. Today the Christmas message is proclaimed to the entire world and the church recaptures it in three stages. First there is the anxious expectancy expressed by Prophet Isaiah that those who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The king will come and bring peace and justice to the world.  The people have been given new hope and joy. Second is the actual coming of Jesus in time, expressed in the simplest narratives of a journey, the helplessness of Mary and Joseph, the birth of a child, and the angels singing and the lowly shepherds being chosen as the first recipients of the good news.  Third is the theological reflection that the child expected has come and in him the Grace of God is revealed and the salvation has been made possible for all. It comes to us through the saving work of Christ.  Yet we wait in hope that the Lord will come again. God chooses to become part of the humanity because he loves us and he wants to share himself with us. He does not want merely to exist alongside us but wants to be a part of everything that we are.  On this day God became one of us, to love each one of us intimately, passionately and without any limit.  This is the meaning of Christmas for us where God becomes one with humankind.

The first reading from Prophet Isaiah speaks of the great light that will scatter all darkness.  He reminds the people of the many blessings the promised Messiah brought to humanity. A child born to the royal house will usher in an age of peace.  Weapons of war will be smashed to pieces and military garments will be thrown into the fire. Prophet Isaiah was aware about the vulnerability and oppression of the kingdom due to the misguided policies of former kings. The prophet’s words paint an image of darkness, gloom, heavy burdens trampling boots and cloaks soaked with blood. But God has a plan for restoration.  The time has come for people to walk with the light of faith. The reading tells us that the faithless leadership of Judah’s kings left the people vulnerable to the enemies. The prophet is confident that God will not leave them alone. The Light is on the way and the people will rejoice and their land will yield a rich harvest. The country will be free from the ravages of war. The light of faith will have its origin from the royal line of David. Here Isaiah sees the birth of a royal child who will lead the way for the people. This child will sit on David’s throne and the new age has dawned. The new king will carry titles that could never have been given to the former kings of Israel.  He will govern by right judgment and by justice. His titles, wonder counselor, God-hero, Father-forever, Prince of Peace, show that he brings the reign of God into the world.

In the second reading Paul writing to Titus says that the grace of God the Father has appeared in a visible form in Jesus. God’s freely given love, God’s grace, is a power that has entered the lives of Christians and enables them to live a Christ like life. It trains them to reject whatever would lead them away from God and practice virtue.  We are able to reject evil and live for God.  We have become people who belong to him eager to do what is good. This first took place at the birth of Jesus. It became more manifest when he gave himself on the cross for our salvation. It continues to manifest itself in the church in its eagerness to do well.  The grace given in Jesus for us engenders hope with the conviction that God is willing to save us. At the same time the church looks forward to the appearance of final glory seen in Jesus at the end times.  Then grace will turn into glory as Jesus saves us from sin.  Paul says that God’s goodness and kindness in creating us had more than our span on this earth in view for us. He gave us gifts capable of knowing and understanding him and capable of enjoying a share in his own divine happiness.  Christ came to save humankind from evil and make all the people eager to do what is good.  By living such a life we are able to await confidently the coming of Christ in glory.

The Gospel of Luke gives us the narrative about the birth of Jesus placing him at the center of the secular Roman history.  Caesar Augustus had called for a census and he expected each adult male to report and register in his home country. Hence Joseph had to go to Bethlehem along with Mary to his native country.  There Jesus was born in a manger or a cave because there was no room for them in the inn. The creator of the universe could not find a place for his own son on earth.  Today’s Gospel very carefully sets the tone both for the personal lifestyle of Jesus and of the purpose for which he has come. Let us not fall into the temptation of grand romantic surroundings. The town of Bethlehem was filled with people who had come to the place to register themselves for the population census that was ordered by the Emperor.  The purpose of the census was mainly to collect more taxes for his treasury.  Due to this Mary and Joseph could not find a decent place to stay. They had recourse to an empty stable, a dirty and smelly place. The child is put in a feeding box as the only available cot.  There was no place for the creator of the universe in this little world.  Yet the Gospel tells us that there was the joy of the angels and the enthusiasm of the shepherds as they hasten to Bethlehem to find the new-born child.  Joy is a theme which goes right through Luke’s gospel. It is one of the characteristics of the true Christian.

The first to be invited to visit him are the shepherds: their status was much like the nomads found in nearly every society or any other marginalized group. They were regarded by most “decent” people as outsiders, not fit to be part of society.  This, in fact, is Luke’s way of setting the stage for Jesus’ future life. Luke likes to emphasize that Jesus came especially for the poor and the needy, for the weak and marginalized. Later he will be accused of eating and drinking with sinners and disreputable outcasts and will finally die discredited as a criminal and among criminals. Some people can understand Jesus being on the side of the poor, those rejected by the society, the tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners. But, as someone has pointed out, Jesus loved the poor not because they were good but because they were poor. Today he reminds us that material poverty is not the only kind that exists in the world today. There is also moral poverty, emotional poverty, social poverty, physical poverty, where people are sidelined.

Christmas presents us a situation much different from other divine situations.  It is an event that brought about total change and transformation, yet it remained a hard reality to the humanity. It is a day when we realize that the whole world has changed with the birth of this divine person.  It is a day of happiness and sharing, of love and forgiveness, joy and acceptance. Jesus has come to our humanity to infuse transformation in every segment of life. Today God tells us that we have to change and respond to the one who has become man.  For Mary and Joseph it was a hard reality.  They had leave their home and go to a strange, totally unknown place.  They had to put up with all difficulties and struggles while moving along with the crowds.  Even God does not change anything to help his own son.  When the child, who is the divine person is born there is no celebration of any sort. There is only simple and meditative silence.  Their visitors are the shepherds, simple ordinary persons. We have beautiful statues carved and them carrying the sheep on their shoulders. But they were actually the outcasts of the society, the hired ones as Jesus says, with little concern for the sheep.  They were specially chosen by God to be his messengers. It shows the freedom of God and he chooses the ones he loves for his mission. Later it was the foreigners, pagans who came to visit and offer him the gifts fit for the king and a priest. Then there were the angels the messengers of God who bring the message of peace and direct the shepherds to the manger where the baby is kept wrapped in swaddling clothes. They all respond to the coming of the Lord into the world.

When Jesus first came into the world about two thousand years ago, his arrival was in fulfillment of the promises of God. Scriptures tell us that from the fall of the first parents God promised to send us a redeemer. The people of God waited eagerly for him. Sometimes they showed their fidelity to God and at other times they failed.  In spite of this God sends his son to the world. The birth of Jesus is a reminder that God has not forgotten us. It is a reminder of how much God loves us. It is a reminder that God has reached down to us so we in turn may reach up to Him with praises and glory in thanksgiving for our salvation. Indeed, we have not been forsaken by God.  By his birth in this world of darkness and confusion, the God who became man shows us his will to accept the entire humanity to himself and to raise it up and integrate it into God’s loving plan. As Christmas Prefaces remind us, in the wonder of today Jesus has brought to the eyes of faith a new and radiant vision of God’s glory.  In Jesus we see our God made visible and so we are caught up in the love of the God we cannot see.  Today in Christ a new light has dawned upon the world.  God has become one with human race and the human race has become one again with God.

Today in the darkness of this night Jesus born as a child shines out as a wonderful light beckoning all of us to realize our full potential. He was born in the manger as wrapped in swaddling clothes as there was no room for them in the inn. He came to give hope to those living in difficult situations. He came to help those who have no one to help, guide and support.  He was present to transform the world. As we wish each other the joys of Christmas let us remind ourselves that we have a task to fulfill, to find a room to those who have no shelter and are helpless before God.  We are aware that Christmas is the birthday of Jesus and we share it too since we are reborn as the children of God through Jesus on this day. St John tells us that all those who received him and believed in his name, he gave the power to be the children of God.  This is the news of great joy and he is the great light that has appeared in the world.  This child that is born in the world, a son is given to us in order to make us children of God. He will uphold justice and righteousness forever. This light has come in the lives of people for the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.  Hence the Angels could joyfully announce to all “Glory to God in the highest and peace to those of good will.”

The message of Christmas is very clear to us.  Jesus who had no room saw that we all would secure room in his birth. Now the poor, lame, blind, lepers and all will find a room in the babe of Bethlehem. The presence of Jesus gave room for everyone. This is because she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger because there was no room for them in the inn; but Jesus found room for us all by emptying himself.  A little girl asked the family’s dinner guest, “Do you like dolls?”  The guest said that he indeed loves dolls.  Then the girl asked him whether he wanted to see her collection of dolls.  He said it would be wonderful and is willing to come with her.  The little girl led him to her room and brought out her beautiful collection of dolls.  Seeing this variety of collection the guest asked her which doll was her favorite. She hesitated for a while and from the collection picked out a well-worn, tattered doll.  It was missing a button eye, obviously it was sewn in many places several times, and its dress was faded and frayed.  She hugged the doll to her chest and said: “This is Annie, and I love her more than anyone else.”  The guest was surprised at that seeing her choose the ugliest one from among the collection of such beautiful dolls. He asked her why she loved this doll so much.  He was surprised with her touching reply: “Well, if I don’t love her, no one would.”

Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome