JOURNEY THROUGH LENT (2)

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well……….

Take a moment. Bless your day. Let your day Bless you……Take another moment. Bless your world. Let your world bless you……

Prayerfully, reflectively read the following……Dwell on the thoughts that speak to you in this moment……

We are now coming to the close of the season of Lent. Last week we meditated on some of the most significant insights from the Scripture readings of the past five Sundays. We met Jesus in different situations during our journey through lent. We heard his word and saw the way he interacted with the world around him.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and we will remember Jesus entering Jerusalem to face rejection and eventual death. He moved, with courage, into hostile territory. He entered a city which killed its prophets and did not know how to receive the things that are for its own good, a city that did not know how to receive blessings and gifts and grace…………..

They greeted him as they would greet a pilgrim: “Blessed is he who enters in the name of the Lord” (Ps. 118:26). And they shouted “Hosanna!”. “Hosanna” means “Save now”. It was a cry for help, which a people in distress addressed to their king or their god. “Save us, we beseech thee, O Lord” (Ps.118:25).

Hosanna in the highest means, let even the angels in the highest of heavens cry unto God, “save now”. It is essentially an oppressed people’s cry to their savior and king for deliverance. These hosannas of Palm Sunday will become the cries of “crucify him, crucify him!”

We will remember Jesus being betrayed, tried, judged, condemned and crucified. We will remember him dying on a cross. We will remember Jesus giving himself totally in life and in death.

We will remember the cross, sign of shame and punishment, becoming the symbol of sacrifice, healing, unconditional love, total giving, redemption and salvation.

We will remember and relive the passion, the cross and the death of Jesus. Reflect on how you share in the passion and cross of Jesus.

Pray for courage and wisdom to face difficult situations.

Remember those who have heavy burden to carry.

Remember the innocent, especially children and the helpless who have to suffer without support. Pray for those who have to live in hostile situations.

What do you need to do to move into and face difficult situations?

Palm Sunday is also called “Passion Sunday”. We often think of the passion of Jesus as the suffering of Jesus. But, the real passion of Jesus was the “will of His Father”, to fulfill the mission for which he came. He came for us, for our redemption. So, His passion was us…His passion was you and me, our redemption.

What does the “passion” of Jesus mean to you? How do you share in that Passion? And do you have a passion? What are you passionate about? Is there anything you are passionate about? Is your passion integrated with the passion of Jesus?

Our Lenten journey will bring us to Easter – to new life, to new beginnings, to new presence. We will celebrate our call to be an Easter People, a People of the Resurrection, a people transformed by the death and resurrection of Jesus, a people who must continue to journey in faith, in hope and in love……….We must move on and meet Jesus, alive, where we are, now, at this point in our history………

The journey that we began in ashes on Ash Wednesday brings us to the fire of Easter. Unlike the fire of terror, we encounter a purifying, life-creating fire that gives light to a dark and despairing world. It is the fire that lights the Paschal candle which proclaims: “the light of Christ”. It is the fire that brings us into the light of Christ and lights up our own path……….

In the letter to the Ephesians, we read about Paul (Ephesians: 5:8-14) challenging the Ephesians to live as children of light because they are light in the Lord. Those who were in darkness once have come into the light of Christ. Paul says, light produces truth, benevolence and righteousness. Children of light must cultivate generosity of spirit, work for justice for all and live in peace and harmony.

Reflect on what it means for you to be children of light, to be light for others…Each of us must become a witness to the mystery of God’s presence in the world: God’s Light, Justice, Truth, Life, Love…..

Let us make this week a truly HOLY WEEK – a week of Holiness – of Truth, of Justice, of Peace and of Integrity.

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

JOURNEY THROUGH FIVE WEEKS OF LENT

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well……….

Take a moment. Bless your day. Let your day Bless you……Take another moment. Bless your world. Let your world bless you……

Prayerfully, reflectively read the following……Dwell on the thoughts that speak to you in this moment……

We are now in the middle of the season of Lent. So we take a break from our meditations on “Being Baptize into Christ” and dwell on some of the most significant insights from the Scripture readings of the past five Sundays. We began the season hearing a call from the Prophet Joel: “Come Home….wherever you may have been, whatever you may have been doing, come home!”

Take a few quiet moments….Listen to the Lord calling you. “Come home!”

We met Jesus in different situations during our journey through lent. We heard his word and saw the way he interacted with the world around him.

On the first Sunday of lent, we met Jesus (Luke 4:1-13) being tempted in the wilderness, rising above the temptations to a new power and strength and coming to call people to repentance and new life in the Kingdom of God. We met Jesus making a deliberate choice of method to fulfill his mission and rejecting methods contrary to God’s Will. Jesus went to the wilderness to be alone. God had spoken to him. He was given a Mission. He had to discern his plan before He began the mission. He had to be alone with God.

Certain things must be worked out alone with God. Certain times, a person must stop doing and start thinking and praying. Each person must give himself/herself a chance to be alone with God. Being alone with God, Prayerful discernment, Reflective Living, Solitude, etc. are all values that we must cherish and cultivate.

In the first temptation, we saw Jesus refusing to use his power for personal need satisfaction – for personal comfort, benefit or pleasure.

In the second temptation, we saw Jesus refusing to compromise/negotiate with evil forces – with lesser goals, values, morals, etc. Jesus chose to surrender to the will of his Father.

In the third temptation, we saw Jesus refusing to “show-off” or display his power. Jesus chose the way of trusting, confident Love.

Have you been giving yourself a chance to be alone with God?

Reflect on testing times (temptations) in your own personal life and how you have been dealing with them. Do you recognize the testing times as opportunities to prove your worth?

Prayerfully remember those who are going through very difficult, testing, trying times.

On the second Sunday of lent, we met Jesus (Luke 9:28-36) and heard the voice of God declaring Jesus as the “beloved Son” and calling all disciples to listen to him. In the presence of Jesus, transfigured in glory, Peter, James and John felt secure, happy, at home. They felt they had reached the end of their journey and they were not ready to move on – they just wanted to stay in their experience of comfort, joy, security and glory.

Remember and rejoice in experiences of joy, success, greatness, wonder, glory, happiness and all of life’s peak experiences and be grateful!

The disciples had found a temporary serenity and security. But the journey of Jesus was not complete and the disciple’s journey was not complete either. They had to leave this experience, come down the mountain and accept life with all its joys and sorrows, even accept the cross and eventual death. They had to continue their journey into the unknown, uncertain and insecure future. They had to walk in mystery! The journey of Jesus would take him to the cross and then to unending glory. His disciples must follow and travel a similar path. On their way, Jesus would serve as their map, their route, their guide and eventually their way – and the way, the journey and the end of the journey become one.

Be prepared to accept the inconveniences, suffering, pain, cross – all of life’s struggles. Be strong and stand strong in faith during difficult times. Take time – be patient – discern your trials. Make decisions grounded in your faith. Prayerfully discern God’s plan for you.

On the third Sunday of Lent, we heard Jesus talking about (Luke 13:1-9) two tragic events which his listeners were familiar with. The first was malicious and the second was an unforeseen accident. Neither was the result of the sin of the victims. Jesus used this as an example to illustrate the fact that there is no direct connection between sin and suffering.

Jesus used these events also to show that death comes sudden, unexpected and without warning and without giving the victims an opportunity to prepare for their death. Anyone could meet with sudden death like those victims of the tragedies mentioned.

Be prepared, be ready, repent, reform and change your ways! Be docile and learn to align your ways to God’s ways, your will to God’s will.

On the fourth Sunday of lent, we read one of the most familiar stories of the Gospel, the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32). This is a story of running away from home, turning around in repentance, and being embraced by forgiving love. We met a father who let his son make his own choices and regretfully let him go his way and welcomed him back, without conditions, on his return. We met a son who rejected the love of the family and chose to abandon everything that the family represented for him, encountering personal failures and eventually turning around in repentance and seeking forgiveness and healing. We met another son who failed to understand the heart of his father and refused to forgive and accept his repentant brother.

This is a very moving and inspiring and challenging story. This story is a “Gospel” in itself. It is the Gospel, the good news of God’s forgiving, healing, steadfast, unconditional and all embracing love.

Learn to recognize your own failures and sinfulness and return home to God!

Learn to forgive your brother from the heart!

Learn to trust in the unconditional, forgiving, all-embracing love of God in Jesus.

On the fifth Sunday of lent, tomorrow, we will read one of the most challenging and inspiring stories of the Gospel (John 8:1-11), the Story of the woman caught in adultery, calling us to conversion and transformation of our life. Caught in sin, paraded before the crowd, accused by the law abiding people, shamed before the public, embarrassed beyond compare……..in the midst of such humiliation and powerlessness came a stranger who refused to condemn…….the spotlight was turned on the accusers…….accusers had to walk away! This story moves us with the message of forgiveness and the power of Grace to bring forth new life. The stranger brought the gift of Grace….forgiveness….freedom. In the stranger, the woman who was alone and desperate found the Messiah. Jesus showed compassion for the one who was alone, ashamed, embarrassed and afraid. And the woman was confronted with the challenge of living a sinless, Grace-filled life.

Jesus came bringing forgiveness and healing and new life. He came to tell us not to live in our past failures, mistakes and sins. He came to call us to live a new life, a life of Grace and truth and walk in forgiving love. Life may have become a mess and we may very well have messed it up. In Jesus, there is always new meaning, new opportunities, and another chance at life.

Jesus affirmed a “trust” in human nature. To the woman of “loose morals”, Jesus said, “go and sin no more”. His message was not a lecture about what a miserable sinner she was, but a simple and profound challenge to begin new and make a difference.

No sin is an embarrassment to Jesus. Bring all your embarrassing moments, actions, events and situations in your life to Jesus. He will transform them into Grace-filled moments and opportunities for transformation of your life.

Pray for courage and wisdom to face difficult situations. Pray for those who have to live in hostile and shame-filled situation.

May your Lenten days of prayer, penance and almsgiving help you to be reborn in spirit, empower you to love without limits, teach you to pray constantly, help you seek the wisdom of God, enable you to live in compassion and help you celebrate the joy of Easter. May God bless you and your family and keep you safe in His Love.

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

ON BEING BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST (4)

Romans 6:3-4

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Breathe in all that is of God and from God…all that is true, honest, pure, admirable, noble, decent, virtuous, worthy of praise, good, loving, kind – all that deserves respect..

Breathe out all that is not of God and from God……..

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in quietness, stillness and serenity.

Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence – Solitude…to just being here and now, without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate your time and all that come with this moment….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well……….

We continue our meditation on being anointed priest, prophet and king, at our baptism. Our baptism brings us into solidarity with Christ and with him into solidarity with all people of God as brothers and sisters.

To be anointed is to be set apart, consecrated…..to be set apart for sacred use in prayer, in sacrifice, in worship, in the service of God….to be separated from other common things used for common purposes.

Take a moment now and consecrate your time and all that come with this moment….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Our last meditation was on being anointed prophet. We now take time to meditate on being anointed king, at our baptism as Jesus was……..

You are anointed king, with a royal mission…..to live noble lives, to build a just and peaceful world, to bring harmony, to participate in the governance of the universe. How awesome and challenging!!!!

We are God’s people, a “Kingdom People”, a “Royal people” and we have a royal culture and heritage”. We must be faithful to our royal character.

God is our King who, by his wisdom, established the cosmic order (Psalms 93, 96-99) and continues to governs it by his rule. To be human is to be created in the royal image of God (Genesis 1:26-28; Ps 8).

The concerns for peace and justice are in fact primary obligations of kingship (Ps 72). The kings, queens, counselors, and sages were blessed to be instruments of life, peace, harmony, justice and the total well-being, not only for Israel but for the world. All people are drawn into kingship
to be at the service of life, justice, harmony, peace, shalom – the total well-being of humanity.

Kingship finds its fulfillment in Jesus. He is the son of David who preaches and ushers in the Kingdom of God. His Lordship will ultimately be acknowledged by all (Phil 2:9-11). He is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24); in Him, all things are created in the heavens and on the earth (Col 1:15-20). And He shows us what it means to be image of God (Col 1:15).

To be human is to be blessed by grace as image of God, to image God. We are made capable, empowered, put in charge, and trusted by God to be stewards of creation, to participate in the governance of the universe. We are called to live life creatively and not be afraid of risks.

To be human means also that we must be humble, down-to-earth and remember our dependence on God and one another. When things go well, it is easy to forget our dependence on God and one another (see Deut 8:6; Prov. 30:9; Hos. 13:6) and take credit ourselves.

We can look at ourselves as worthless worms; We can also look at ourselves as kings and gods ……Neither extreme can accept just being human with its dignity and humility.

Jesus announced the kingdom of God. His mission was to have God reign in the hearts of all and to have peace and justice in the world. Jesus exercised his royal office by serving. I have come to serve and not be served, He said. Royal mission is a mission of service with honor, humility and dignity and invincible love.

The heart of the king was centered on the will of the one who anointed him king and on the total well-being of those he is anointed to serve. The heart of Jesus was centered on the will of his father. We are anointed king at our baptism…we are anointed to share in the royal mission of Jesus.

• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means to keep seeking the will of the Father, the will of the king.

   

• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means living noble lives and being faithful to your royal character.

   

• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means participation in the building of the kingdom.
• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means healing brokenness.

• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means creating a safe environment where all people can live without fear and suspicion.

• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means working for creating a just society and a world where justice prevails.

• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means Peacemaking and peace keeping.

• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means bringing harmony into chaos.

• To share in the Royal mission of Jesus means caring for the children, the orphans, the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable.

Jesus began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country. When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard. They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty. Again, he sent another servant and still another and many others and finally the son. They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.” (Mark 12:1-12)

In the kingdom of God……..

• We are trusted stewards…..Be faithful! Be worthy of trust!

• We are trusted to cultivate, to nurture, to tenderly care…encourage and facilitate growth!

• God is Gracious – so we are gifted with all we need. The vineyard had everything for its fruitfulness, including the winepress…. Be generous with the gifts!

• God is Patient, compassionate in calling us again and again….Be patient! Be sensitive! Be compassionate! Be gentle! Be tender! Be forgiving! Be a blessing!

• Abuse brings disaster….Be attentive! Be cautious! Be respectful! Never abuse!

May God help you live out more fully your anointing to share in the royal mission of Christ. May God empower you with His Holy Spirit to fearlessly and courageously work for justice and peace! May He enable you to never make peace with oppression, injustice, violence or war! May you strive to fulfill your anointing to bring good news, to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favor!!!

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

WE NEED LENT

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Breathe in all that is of God and from God…all that is true, honest, pure, admirable, noble, decent, virtuous, worthy of praise, good, loving, kind – all that deserves respect..

Breathe out all that is not of God and from God……..

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in quietness, stillness and serenity.

Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence – Solitude…to just being here and now, without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate your time and all that come with this moment….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well……….

We need Lent……

• to review and renew our life as disciples of Christ commissioned by our baptism, as Christ was commissioned by His, to be instruments of God’s love in our day and in our time and in our community.
  

• to be in greater communion with God. Just as friends need to spend time together, need to talk together and need to grow closer to one another, we need increased opportunities for prayer, for dialogue with God, which Lent offers.
  

• to become more focused, more disciplined, more attentive to what matters in life – what sustains and what is worth living for. So, Lent involves more focus, more discipline, more attention.
  

• to focus on the essentials – faith in our God of Compassion, mercy, forgiveness, healing and grace; hope in our God who is faithful in completing what He has begun and love that is generous, gracious and benevolent.
  

• to put our priorities in order. Lent offers opportunities for making sacrifices, doing penance, cleansing and emptying our cluttered lives.
  

   

• to let go off those things that hold you back and hold you down and make you unfree.

   

• to face your sinfulness, struggle if you have to and transform your lives.

   

• to become less self-seeking and more self-giving.
  

• to move our attention from our own needs to see more vividly the needs of others.
  

• to see beyond our own needs and to reach out to others in need.
  

• to open our eyes to see other’s struggles, to open our ears to hear other’s cries that call out for a response……to open our hearts to the cry of the poor and oppressed and the suffering and the marginalized.
  

• to pause, to meditate, to reflect, to contemplate the mystery of God’s love, to spend time with the Lord. The “busyness” of our life far too often robs us of time for prayer and reflection.
  

   

• to create silence and listen to your heart, listen to others, listen to God
  

   

• to live more fully Christ’s commission, “take up your cross and follow me”.
  

• to live more fully Christ’s commission, “the one who loses his life finds it and the one who holds on to his life loses it.”
  

• to live more fully Christ’s commission, “You are the light of the world…you are the salt of the earth”.
  

The Church invites us to make this season a time of intense prayer, doing penance and giving alms. The disciplines of Prayer, Penance and Almsgiving are pathways of Lenten Spirituality. They are wonderful and life-giving disciplines, which bring us closer to God and to God’s people. Prayer strengthens our connection to God. Penance builds our character and helps us get rid of unhealthy habits which weaken our ability to love God, others and ourselves. Almsgiving helps to care for others – to reach out to the less fortunate, the unfortunate , the disadvantaged, the poor, the marginalized and suffering people in our community.

May your Lenten days of prayer, penance and almsgiving help you to be reborn in spirit, empower you to love without limits, teach you to pray constantly, help you seek the wisdom of God, enable you to live in compassion and help you celebrate the joy of Easter. May God bless you and your family and keep you safe in His Love.

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs