The Eternal Message of Christmas: Love Beyond Borders, From the Sanatana God

 

Warmest Christmas greetings and heartfelt wishes to you all on this holy eve. Today marks a Thursday steeped in reflections from years of pastoral experience and social service, but as we stand on the threshold of Christmas, let's pivot to the timeless joy of this season. Everyone knows Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Yet views differ on why He came to earth. Some say God's Son descended from heaven solely to free humanity from sin, ensuring our ticket to paradise. That's not wrong, but it often stops there—self focused salvation, with little thought for others. On the flip side, many cite Jesus' command: "Love one another." They love, yes, but confine it to their own kind. Did Jesus preach such bounded love? Absolutely not. He challenged the status quo: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Mt 5:43-44). Every faith echoes calls to destroy the wicked and protect the righteous. Jesus, however, left a message of forgiveness. He urged transforming evil through love and mercy—not vengeance. He didn't just speak it; He lived it. Nailed to the cross by His tormentors, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Thus, Jesus loves not only believers but non-believers and even enemies. He calls us to mirror that boundless love. This is religion's true essence: not a weapon of division, but a bridge to unity. Whatever faith we follow, let's transcend its boundaries, loving all and fostering peace, love, and harmony in society. In our divided nation today, this unity is our greatest need. I trust you'll agree. Once more: Merry Christmas filled with love and joy, plus warm New Year wishes ahead. Now, let's delve into Christmas' eternal message.

The Prophetic Light in a Chaotic World

Our world teeters in unrest—violence, hatred, and self-righteous clashes everywhere. People spill blood to prove whose faith or ideology reigns supreme. In this spiritual decay and moral darkness, we turn to Isaiah's prophecy from 2,700 years ago: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). "Everlasting God" (Sanatan Creator), according to Pastor Emmanuel Singh, isn't mere title—it's God's core identity, transcending time. We often limit "Sanatan" to cultures or rituals, but it means eternal, without beginning or end. The Bible attributes this solely to God: - Psalm 90:2: "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." - Revelation 1:8: "I am the Alpha and the Omega... who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." - Revelation 22:13: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Sanatan isn't a human invention with a founding date—it's God Himself, the "Great I AM" above past, present, and future. On Christmas, we worship this Eternal God Almighty. And Micah 5:2 foretold: "But you, Bethlehem... out of you will come... one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" (echoing John 1:1, Ephesians 1:4).

The Infinite Becomes Finite: Incarnation's Marvel Christmas' greatest wonder?

The Mighty God, Everlasting Father, became a vulnerable Son. Imagine: the Creator of stars humbles Himself into a virgin's womb, cradled in Bethlehem's manger amid animals. This isn't ordinary—it's the eternal Word made flesh. John 1:1,14 captures it: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." Why did the Infinite enter time's limits? Why did the Creator take created form? One word: *love*. God didn't dispatch rules from afar. He descended to rescue sin-stained humanity personally.

Bridging the Divide Through Presence

Love demands closeness, not distant commands. Laws might enforce obedience through fear, but only presence melts hardened hearts. Sin built an impassable gulf between God and us—no book or decree could span it. So God became the bridge: Immanuel, "God with us." He didn't rule from a throne; He served in our dust.

The Immortal Tastes Death

God is spirit, immortal, without blood. Yet Scripture demands blood for sin's atonement. No human could pay humanity's debt; no pure spirit could die. Solution? The Eternal took flesh—to die in our place. Bethlehem's manger led to Calvary's cross, where His blood f lowed for us. Immortal became mortal, paving our path to eternity.

A Sympathetic Sanatan Saviour

Distant gods hear cries as reports; this God shares our pain. He hungered, thirsted, wept, endured rejection. When you suffer loss or injustice, know your God isn't a cold judge— He's a compassionate friend who walked weakness to victory (Hebrews 4:15).

 Visible Revelation of the Invisible

We crave tangible refuge from abstract voids. The unseen God became visible in Jesus: "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son... has made him known" (John 1:18). Jesus embracing sinners shows God's mercy; touching lepers reveals His touchable holiness.

Humility's Revolution: From Manger to Service

In our power-hungry world of religious one-upmanship, Bethlehem flips the script. The "King of kings" (Revelation 19:16) claimed no palace. He came to serve, not be served: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). At the Last Supper, God incarnate wrapped a towel around His waist and washed feet: "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet" (John 13:14). True eternity teaches no hatred, only humble service. If God stooped so low, why do we strut in pride?

Our Eternal Identity: Chosen Before Creation

Christians aren't a 2,000-year startup. Our roots predate time in God's plan: Ephesians 1:4-5: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world... In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ." 2 Timothy 1:9: "[He] saved us... not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." We're no accident—part of the Eternal Father's timeless design. Our identity transcends race, nation, or creed; it's rooted in Christ's everlasting love.

Surrender at the Eternal Father's Feet

Christmas isn't just lights and cake—it's homecoming to the Sanatan God the Creator. The Wonderful Counselor untangles life's knots; the Prince of Peace calms our chaos. Gaze at that manger child. Forget pride and divisions. Dedicate your life anew to the God who was, is, and is to come—our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Eternal Father, You are the Beginning and the End. You took human form to banish our sin's darkness. Fill our hearts with Your humility this Christmas. Empower us to carry Your timeless love into this violent world. Amen.

What does Christmas' call to universal love mean for you this year? Share in the comments—let's build unity together.

FROM DOUBT TO DEEP FAITH

The Touch that Transformed

Imagine that intimate, unforgettable scene in John’s Gospel (20:24–29):
The Risen Christ stands before His disciples, but Thomas was not there the first time. When the others tell him, he boldly says, “Unless I see… unless I touch… I will not believe.”

A week later, Jesus returns. He does not rebuke Thomas. Instead, with mercy and tenderness, He invites: “Put your finger here… stretch out your hand and touch…” And Thomas, overwhelmed by this grace, utters one of the greatest declarations of faith in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God!”

This touch transformed his heart. It was not merely the physical contact, but the encounter with the living Christ—wounded, risen, real—that changed doubt into devotion, fear into faith, and a disciple into a missionary.

For us too, this image speaks. This one moment—this touch—is not just the image of one man’s conversion. It is the image of our human journey. Like Thomas, many of us need to see, touch, ask, think, and question. Jesus does not reject that. He gently leads Thomas from questioning to belief, from fear to faith, from doubt to mission. We are not scolded for our questions. Like Thomas, we are invited to seek, to touch, to believe. This scene is our story—a journey from distance to intimacy, from hesitation to conviction.

Faith That Sees Beyond

The life of St. Thomas, as seen in the Gospels, reveals a deeply human apostle—courageous in action, sincere in questioning, and committed to seeking truth. Among the apostles, he stands out for his bold willingness to die with Jesus saying, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (Jn 11:16), his honest openness in moments of uncertainty. It was St Thomas who had the simplicity and honesty to ask Jesus, "Master, we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?", and the Lord had responded "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life"(Jn 14:5).

Thomas insisted on personal encounter before belief in the Resurrection, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in His Hands and put my finger into His side, I will not believe" (Jn 20:25). Far from being merely a "doubter," Thomas reflects the spiritual journey of many—those who struggle, question, and long for authentic experience. His story consoles those with spiritual anxieties and inspires all to approach God with simplicity and conviction. Once his doubts were dispelled, he became a missionary of great zeal, travelling far to bear witness to Christ, ultimately laying down his life in martyrdom. In him, we find a model of faith that is tested, thoughtful, and transformative—a beacon for all who seek true commitment and certainty in following the Lord.

St. Thomas did not stay where it was comfortable. Thomas’ journey is the journey of India’s faith. He did not remain in comfort or stay back in Jerusalem. He dared to travel to faraway lands with courage, conviction and committment. He left Jerusalem, travelled far, and arrived on the shores of India—possibly in Kerala around AD 52. He brought the light of the Gospel to our soil, to our people. His message was not just about religion. It was about relationship—a faith that integrates truth, love, and life. He preached, healed, taught, baptized, and built up communities of faith—especially among Brahmins and others who were open to dialogue. Tradition tells us he was martyred in Mylapore, Chennai.

His was not a faith of easy slogans—it was a tested and thoughtful faith. His journey to India shows that authentic faith is never passive—it acts, it moves, it crosses borders—geographical, cultural, and spiritual.

Therefore, Thomas’ doubt was not weakness. It was the doorway to a deeper truth. His honest questions led him to the ultimate answer—Jesus Christ. And this shows us something powerful: Faith is not blind. It is a decision to trust what we have seen, what others have shown, and what the Spirit has revealed.

Besides, Faith is not private. It is shared. It builds community. It is like the body of Christ—the Church—a family, a house of unity where each member lives in faith and love, contributing to one another’s growth.

Thomas teaches us that faith has three dimensions:

• Seeing – recognizing Christ in the wounds of our people, in the poor, the broken, the marginalized.
• Judging – reflecting critically, asking questions, engaging with reason and tradition.

• Acting – courageously living out the Gospel in our own time, as witnesses of truth and love.  So did many missionary priests and nuns who followed in his steps 

 In today's India—a land rich in spirituality, pluralism, and paradox—Thomas' apostolate calls us to be Christians who are deeply rooted and widely open. Faith is not an escape from reality, but an engagement with it.

As Pope John Paul II reminded us: “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” Thomas used both: he doubted, he questioned, and then he witnessed—even to the point of death.

His contribution to India is not merely historical but spiritual:

• He planted a Church that survived centuries.
• He modeled a faith that dialogues with culture.
• He exemplified a Church that respects differences and embraces truth.

In a time when religion is sometimes used to divide, Thomas calls us to a faith that unites—across castes, creeds, and communities. His journey mirrors the Indian spirit of seeking truth through openness, just like our sages, saints, and seekers—Gandhi, Nehru, Kesab Chandra Sen, Brahmabandhav Upadhaya, and many others—all who believed in truth through dialogue.

 “My Lord and My God” – A Cry of Wonder and Conviction

Thomas’ confession is not just doctrinal—it is emotional, existential, and intimate. He does not say, “You are the Lord” but “My Lord and My God!” It’s a cry from the heart—a cry of surrender, a cry of wonder. A sigh of awe. He saw, he touched, and then he believed. That is faith—not just accepting ideas, but encountering a Person—Jesus.

It is also a faith born from experience—not second-hand, not imposed. And that makes his profession even more powerful. Thomas needed to touch. And Christ allowed it. Why? Because faith does not mean ignoring our questions. It means being brave enough to bring them to Jesus. We may come with questions. We may come with wounds. But we are invited to touch the living Body of Christ—in the poor, in the broken, in the Church.

In India today, as young people face conflicting ideologies, as minorities face marginalization, as consumerism replaces contemplation, Thomas reminds us to seek authenticity—to say with conviction: “I believe, not because it is easy, but because I have encountered Christ in life.”

St. Thomas’ faith grew stronger through his doubts. So too, our own struggles can lead us to greater trust. This feast reminds us that faith is freedom—freedom to be, to believe, and to belong. Not blind belief, but a faith that is open, searching, and alive—in dialogue with others, like Gandhi or Nehru sought through interfaith understanding.

Let this be our cry too—in the midst of suffering, confusion, or joy:

“My Lord and My God!” A whisper of awe, a shout of faith, a sigh of wonder. Not blind obedience, but a faith that sees, thinks, and acts.

Concrete Applications in Our Indian Context:

 

1. Interfaith Dialogue: Like Thomas who came into a land of multiple beliefs, we are called to respect others while bearing witness to Christ’s love. Let us promote dialogue, not division—listening and learning from one another.
2. Faith and Reason: Encourage our youth to not fear questions. Use platforms like YCS/YSM (“See, Judge, Act”) to build critical, committed Christians—open-minded, but firm in faith.
3. Community Building: In a society fractured by caste and class, let us build the Church as a “spiritual sanctuary”—a home for all. Let each parish, each small Christian community, become a place where Christ is touched through love, service, and solidarity.
4. Faith as Public Witness: Faith is not private. Like Thomas, our witness must reach the streets, schools, and struggles of the people. In political, educational, and social spheres, let Christians be known not for fear, but for fearless love.

Conclusion:

Let us remember the the fearless and courageous young military man who refused to be a bartender because he was meant to serve the country, and stood firm in his convictions. He was misunderstood.  So too, St. Thomas was misunderstood—but Christ honoured his integrity and gave him a mission.

Let us be such Christians: not ashamed to ask, not afraid to act, and not hesitant to believe. Let us be inspired by Thomas, whose journey from fear to faith, from Jerusalem to India, gave birth to a Church that still lives in our hearts and lands today.

Help us echo your words each day—not with lips alone but with lives transformed by grace:

“My Lord and My God!”

  

From Division to Discipleship: The Spirit’s Call in a Troubled World

The World We See and the Hope We Hold

The glorious nearly 100 days of Easter season is over—a sacred time that reminds us of the most transformative truth in human history: Christ has conquered sin and death. Yet, in the present ordinary time, when we look at the world around us, we are struck not by triumph but by turmoil. News headlines speak of division, hatred, and conflict. We see it globally and nationally, but also in our own communities, in our families, and, heartbreakingly, even within the Church.

But there is hope.

This recent Pentecost feast, proclaims a world made new through the Spiritus Sanctus—the holy breath of love between the Father and the Son– the love that exists between the two. This Spirit doesn’t just inspire; it sanctifies, unifies, and sends us out. It is the same Spirit that empowered the apostles in the Upper Room and sent them into the world to proclaim the Good News.

The same Spirit that Sends Us Forth

The Church was never meant to remain cloistered. From the very beginning, it has been propelled outward with a divine urgency. The Holy Spirit is not passive; it moves with “centrifugal energy,” drawing us out of comfort and into mission.

Jesus’ ministry was the meeting of heaven and earth. His life and Resurrection shattered the illusion that darkness has the final word. His wounds remind us of our sin; his peace assures us of our salvation. And through Pentecost, we are filled with the very Spirit that raised him from the dead.

As disciples, we are summoned—not by our own plans but by God’s. True evangelization doesn’t stem from strategy, but from surrender; from Spirit-led inspiration and not from motivated human suggestion. The question is no longer “Will I go?” but rather, “Where is the Spirit sending me?” What does the Spirit prompt me to do next?

Evangelizing a Wounded Culture

We believe that to evangelize a culture, you must first love it. Cardinal George wisely noted, “You can’t evangelize a culture you don’t love.” This mission—to propose the true, the good, and the beautiful in a spirit of unity—is what drives the present-day media outreach, both old and new.

In a world deeply fractured, this love, born of the Spirit, is the only force strong enough to reconcile. And reconciliation, as the Latin root reminds us, is about intimacy—being brought “face to face” with the other. That is the power of Christ: to restore, to heal, and to reconcile humanity with God and one another.

Your Role in the Mission

As we have reflected on the Solemnity of Pentecost and today the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, we are reminded that the Spirit and the Blessed Mother are not relics of history—they are agents of the present. Just as they once brought Christ into the world, they now seek to bring Christ to birth in our hearts, our homes, and our culture.

All are invited to this Spirit-led mission. Our reciprocal support helps the Church (People of God) continue proclaiming Christ across platforms and continents, reaching those who might never step inside a church. We have received the Holy Spirit. We are encouraged to share the ‘Spirit force’ generously so that more hearts may be kindled with the fire of divine love.

Go Forth, United in the Spirit

Jesus offers us both a reminder and a mission: “Peace be with you.” This is not a peace the world can manufacture. It is a divine peace—Shalom—that flows from the heart of God. The world may be broken, but the Church is alive. And the Spirit is still moving.

Let us go forth, not with fear but with fire. Let us follow Christ, deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and bring God’s peace to every corner of the earth.

Together, let’s “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19) and “renew the face of the earth”– our common home.

ASCENT TO A LASTING LIFE

 

Leaving the Mountaintop and Entering the Mission

As the Church celebrated the solemn feast of the Ascension yesterday, we were once again invited into a profound mystery—one that is often misunderstood, romanticized, or glossed over. The image of the disciples standing on the Mount of Olives, eyes lifted to the sky as Jesus ascends into the heavens, is captivating. Their posture is one of awe and confusion—a combination of wonder at what they are witnessing and an aching sense of farewell. The sight of the glorified Christ rising to the Father must have left them spellbound. And yet, almost immediately, two heavenly figures interrupt their gaze with a startling directive: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?” The message is clear: do not remain here. Go. Move. Act.

This command is at the heart of the Church’s mission. Evangelization is not a spectator sport. It requires “boots on the ground,” feet planted in the messy soil of human experience. The Ascension is not the end of Jesus’ story—it is the continuation of it through us. It is the moment when the Church is given her marching orders: to go back into the world, proclaim the Gospel, and participate in God’s ongoing work of redemption.

Theological Clarity amid Confusion

There is, admittedly, a good deal of confusion surrounding the Ascension. Too often it is treated as Jesus “disappearing” into the sky, as if Heaven were a place located somewhere up above the clouds. Ignorance acts as bliss. Let us be clear and be grounded.

But to understand the Ascension theologically, we must first remember who Jesus is. The Trinitarian God ­– Father, Son, Spirit, existed from eternity. The Son took human nature and was both fully divine and fully man. The eternal Son, consubstantial with the Father and the Spirit, entered our world through the Incarnation—taking on human nature in the womb of Mary. Of course, the Spirit did not contribute what a human father normally does. This has nothing to do with biology. His bodily Resurrection and subsequent Ascension are not a return to a purely “spiritual” existence, but rather the elevation of human nature itself into divine glory. The human Jesus is a new creation, and in the Ascension, that new creation is welcomed into the very heart of the Trinity.

This is no mere metaphor. It is the core of Christian hope: that our humanity has been taken up into God. And so the Ascension is not a withdrawal of God from the world, but rather a transformation of how God is now present. Jesus no longer walks beside us in the flesh, but through the Spirit, he lives within us. We are not simply ‘outsiders’ begging God for help—we are friends, sons, and daughters. The life of the Trinity has been opened to us. We pray from within God’s own life.

The Spirit and the Mission

The Ascension sets the stage for Pentecost. Jesus departs bodily so that he may send the Spirit—God’s love poured out upon creation in a radically new way. The Spirit-water, as St. Cyril of Jerusalem terms, which takes the form of that which it enters in, while remaining always uniform in essence,  hovers once again over the ‘waters’ of chaos, not to create the world as in Genesis, but to renew it from within. We All – living and non-living- are one with the divine. This outpouring of divine life is not generic; it is personal, historical, and mission-oriented.

We are part of a Church born from this Spirit. Evangelization is not just a program or strategy—it is participation in this divine movement. In the Gospel, Jesus prays for our unity with him and for us to be immersed in God’s love. As Jesus prayed, “that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26), we realize that we are immersed in this love, drawn into the very relationship that defines God: Father, Son, and Spirit. To evangelize, then, is not just to speak about God, but to radiate God, to be so united to Christ that we carry his presence into the world.

Duc in Altum: Go Out into the Deep

The mystery of the ascension is a continuation of this evolving new creation. In light of this, the call to Duc in altum—“Go out into the deep”—resonates even more. Evangelization requires boldness. It demands creativity. In a world increasingly disillusioned with religion, increasingly secularized and skeptical, the Church is called not to retreat but to go further, to cast her nets deeper. As we continue to live and celebrate this creative process, we have an exclusive new gift of the Spirit of God, hovering over the entire creation freely choosing to support the future of the universe with all its mankind with compassion and generosity of human collaborators. The increasing secularized culture and the world’s seismic drift away from faith and religion calls us to do more. This means embracing new forms of communication—creative narratives, films, digital platforms—to proclaim the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Gospel. But more importantly, it means making a gift of ourselves. The Ascension reminds us that Jesus gave his all, holding nothing back. Will we do the same? Will we support this mission with our prayers, our resources, and our very lives?

From Ego-Drama to Theo-Drama

There is a deeper cultural shift we must contend with. Bishop Barron rightly distinguishes between the ego-drama and the Theo-drama. The ego-drama is our own story, one in which we are the star, the director, the producer. This is the dominant narrative of our age: be who you want to be, create your own truth, follow your desires. But the Ascension invites us into the Theo-drama—the great story authored by God, the drama of salvation history in which each of us has a unique and irreplaceable role.

Mary exemplifies this beautifully. When she received her divine mission from Gabriel, she did not hesitate. She rose “in haste” to visit Elizabeth—not just out of politeness, but because she had found her role in the divine story. She needed to share the joy. She was propelled forward by grace. Like Mary, we too must rise “with haste” and step into our mission—to carry Christ to others, especially in the socio-political and cultural arenas of our time.

Living the Mystery

The mystery of the Ascension is not an escape from the world but a call into it. Jesus ascends not to abandon us but to empower us. He departs so that we can become his body, his ‘limbs’ (St. Theresa of Avila) animated by his Spirit, continuing his mission on earth.

In a time of uncertainty and increasing secular disaffection, we are tempted to look longingly into the skies, hoping for divine intervention. But the angels’ message remains: “Why do you stand here looking up?” We must go. We must return to the city, to the streets, to our families, our schools, our media, and our governments. That is where the Theo-drama unfolds.

The Ascension is not about absence but an ascent to a higher living. It’s about presence—transformed, universal, and empowering. Christ is not gone. He is closer than ever. The question is: are we ready to move with him from within? Like Mary, can we too be in haste to take up our roles in the great story of salvation?

 

THROUGH JESUS, GOD DRAWS ALL THINGS BACK TO HIMSELF

 

The Chief priests and the Pharisees unite in a plot to kill Jesus, not because he broke the Sabbath law by healing the sick, but for blasphemy in claiming himself to be the Son of God and for raising Lazarus from the dead. They found a worth issue to accuse him of, using the tactic of scapegoating:  a hierarchical group of a society, in a conflict situation, decides to blame an individual allegedly responsible for the social, political and religious instability.

That these religious figures like Caiaphas preserve their socio-religious positions and influences, the group decides that “one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” This scapegoating strategy is followed even today by political and religious leaders.  But God stands for the Truth. He stands for the ‘scapegoated’ victims. God does not want divisions and violence, instead, He wants a society based on love, justice, peace, forgiveness, compassion and unity. Through Jesus, God wants to draw all People of all nations on earth, to Himself — as one body in the One Lord of all.

The Pharisees and the socio-political leaders were socially, psychologically and ideologically insecure. They felt unsafe, apprehending a people’s uprising against them and the Roman Occupants. There was a sense of future uncertainty about their continuity, control and dominance over the Jewish society. We know well that all conscience acknowledges the truth, the good and what is just. They knew what they ought to have done. Their socio-religious instability and insecurity pressed on them to put Jesus to death and be done with.  From the heaven, His home, Jesus who descended to the earth for the sake of humankind, was killed by his own kith and kin. He who  became a man for us all, –  lived, taught, served and healed – was betrayed, denied, scourged, crowned with thorns, mocked, spitted upon, whips blowed, weighed down by the heavy Cross, hands bound, stretched and nailed to a wood, crucified, side pierced with a sword, died and was buried.

A somber Good Friday recalls the crucifixion and death of Jesus on Calvary, inviting Christians to accompany Jesus in his suffering on the cross.  No Mass is celebrated on this day. Tabernacles are empty of the Eucharist all over the world. The faithful and all people of good will (People of God), are drawn to the cross, following in the footsteps of Jesus on to Calvary. But, why? Precisely because it perfects human nature through his Passion. As a fully human person, Jesus identified himself with sinful humanity and did not want to die. No human being wants to die just for the sake of it.  Rather, Jesus accepted it, as his Father’s will– to take upon himself the sins of the world. He chose obedience to death out of a filial love –  an obedience learnt through human nature.

 

Christ’s Passion on the cross, led him in the midst of human frailties that destroyed him; but made it clear that “by his stripes we were indeed healed.” Entering into “godforsakenness” his  sacrificial death brought “the divine light to the darkest place”, writes Bishop Barron. His willing obedience in sacrificing his self, Jesus “reestablished the right relationship between divinity and humanity.” All this happened for establishing the Kingdom of God, inhabited by a united people of good will. The Son Jesus who called God his Father accomplished so, in full agreement with the Father. As the image of the Father, he executes his Father’s project: bestowing new life to all. Humanity had pinned their hopes on Him.  In facts, he fulfils that hope, raising humanity up, by falling down and dying. The dormant life-principle inside the ‘seed’ grows by being mixed with the earth, water, heat, air and light, that together crack open the seed, to bring much fruit.  This dying self leads to regeneration – a new life. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” because this grain of wheat dies to produce much fruit, by bringing all people where God is. And Jesus said, “it was for this purpose that I came to this hour”. The enemies “of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” (cf. Jn12:20-30). In the Gethsemane Garden Jesus prayed for the strength to fulfil this project of the Father. On the Cross with courage he conquered death, to give new life to humanity and to all beings on earth – bringing all things to completion.

God’s work was undoubtedly all finished at the beginning of the world. It was in perfect unison, but humanity failed Him  through disobedience. God fixed ‘another day’ for people to listen to him (obey) and reach Him.  The covenant of creation, once broken through idolatry and earthly preoccupations, was renewed and sealed within human hearts with a desire to seek intimacy with God, and be with Him forever. The New Covenant, therefore, was established through Jesus’ death on the Cross, extending to all peoples. Jesus draws everyone to Himself by service of love, indicating how all peoples in all times will be able to see him and encounter him. His death on the Cross will bring forth fruitfulness for all peoples. Through his Resurrection, the dead grain of wheat will become the bread of life for the entire world (cf. Benedict XVI, Wednesday Audience, June 14, 2006). God will lift him up and draw all peoples to himself through his Son and in the Spirit, and all nations will experience Jesus through this sacrificial love. From the Cross Jesus draws all to experience God’s love.

Jesus is more than a spiritual teacher. Bishop Barron says: “Something else is at stake in him and our relation to him.” As the Son of God, Jesus is divine. Jesus declares: “The Father is in me and I am in the Father.” So are we. According to Charles Williams, the basic foundation of Christianity is “coinherence,” – mutual indwelling of all plants, animals, planets, human beings, angels, and saints. According to Bishop Barron, the oneness of all sons, brothers, daughters, sisters, mothers, fathers, associates, Church members, is established through the Trinitarian relationship – God, the ultimate reality marked by the capacity for unity by a mutual act of love.  Therefore, we all are related and inter-linked. Jesus’ death and resurrection invites us to enter fully into their plural divine-coinherence, whose linking love is the Holy Spirit.

The inner blindness (Jn 9:39) often keeps human race from this union. The Jewish hierarchy presumed that “the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” We know well that earthly nationhood and nationalism are on the rise today. But the desire for an “everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:6) has been there in human history – to be God’s and with God as His descendants. But the rulers and religious leaders have failed to keep this covenant. Kingdoms were divided, people forced into exile, Jerusalem fallen (Ez 33:21), temple pillaged, and kings deposed. Yet, God will gather the scattered children from among the nations and bring them back to the promised land. God will make them one nation. Jesus, the new David, through his ruling from the Cross, will bring peace on earth. God will dwell on earth. He will be our God and we will be his people. There will be one kingdom, one nation, one God, united by an everlasting love.

 

The new commandment of love, given by Jesus at the Last Supper, was executed on the Cross. The high priest Caiaphas fail to realize the truth; he thinks by eliminating Jesus, the problem of destabilizing the society caused by Jesus, will be solved, and consequently, it will preserve the status quo. But, we know, Jesus’ death will gather the dispersed children of God: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (Jn 12:32). Jesus’ death becomes the key to the Kingdom of God on earth.

 

According to Sarah Coleman, the Cross is a symbol of death and life, hate and love, violence and peace, accusation and forgiveness, sin and purity, brokenness and wholeness, as well as of gathering to all people to one community of brothers and sisters. Through it, affirms Bishop Barron, “everything is gained, destruction and restoration, death and victory. The cross, once the cruelest form of execution, is now a symbol of abundant life.”

 

Christ died for people out of a choice made in love. God manifested his love through human Jesus to reveal his divinity. Bishop Barron says that the cross was a brutal instrument, through which “the fallen powers of the world are subverted; sin, death and the devil are vanquished.” The crucifixion is “the portal to the resurrection” – to a new life, a new humanity, a new earth.

 

As St. Paul says, we are called to share “in his sufferings and become like him in his death.” We read, “Though he was of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in his appearance found as a man, he humbled himself by being obedient to death on the cross.” (Phil 2: 6-8). Through this humble act of will, God fulfilled the plan of uniting the whole humanity in Christ. As we gaze at Christ hanging on the cross, let all pain and anguish, struggles and achievements be seen with God’s lens, that goes way beyond the perspectives of this earthly life.

God is ever alive and active in creation, wherein  no created thing can escape from His grace. God in flesh has uncovered all secrets and has raised up all who have slept in sin. Jesus who died in the flesh, God has freed Him and all those in bondage, and has enlightened those in darkness. All beings, created in His image, are welcomed to live with Him, in Him and through Him, forming only one person, one Body. God has “refashioned our warped nature in His image”, to restore to us the life with Him, for the Kingdom of heaven has been prepared for us all from all eternity (cf. Office of reading, Ancient homily on Holy Saturday).

 

 

HUMAN PASSION TO DENY OR TO DEVOTE! A REFLECTION

 

 

I am inspired to pen these words by Bishop Barron’s recent Sermon (Palm Sunday), on his YouTube channel. So, I thought of sharing some of his thoughts and my personal reflections with the readers on my blog.

 

Like Solomon, Jesus mounts a donkey and rides into the city of Jerusalem. The crowd cheer him, ‘Hosanna, Son of David, King of Israel,’ the heir to David’s kingdom. But, when Jesus enters Jerusalem unlike Solomon, Jesus will be crowned with thorns and reign from the Cross, while being abandoned by most of His closed associates. 

According to a 20th century theologian the Gospels are basically Passion narratives with long introductions, says Bishop Barron in a recent homily. Therefore, the Passion narrative is the whole of the Gospel. On a bit different note, away from Jesus’ passion, putting ourselves in the scene, Bishop Barron suggests that we could focus on a series of people around Him, see their different reactions to the Passion events. Can we identify with any of these persons as they react to Jesus’ awaited death? The passion opens up  with the scene where Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ feet with the alabaster jar of perfumed oil, preparing for his predicted death and burial. She breaks open the jar of expensive perfume.  She pours it on Jesus' head. It scandalizes people around.  Judas explodes, “That's very expensive. Couldn't that nard be sold and the money given to the poor?” What a waste of an entire jar of perfume ! Yes, we could question it, “weigh it in the balance ethically”. Jesus, while dismissing his critique, praises her saying, “What she has done will be remembered for all time” and tell her to keep the rest of the oil for his burial. Mary is the first one to react to Jesus nearing his death. His death represents God's extravagant gift to us, that God went all the way down into our dysfunction. She responds with an extravagant gesture, she breaks open that jar of perfume, as though she's breaking open her whole heart.

According to Bishop Barron, the ‘odor of this woman’s perfume waft’, over the whole of the Passion narrative. This extra generous gesture suggests Jesus’ absolutely radical giving away of self – “nothing calculating, careful, or conservative”. Out of the heart’s abundance it flows,– “religion resists the strictures set for it by a fussily moralizing reason.” There are critiques who complain about the Church’s extravagance! Jesus gives himself away totally and lavishly, ‘pouring out’ his whole life for the world. Is our response to Christ a bit constrained, calculative and too careful? Are we ready to break open our hearts, pour ourselves out for the world?

In the course of the passion narratives, the disciples failed and abandoned Jesus. They fled from the soldiers when Jesus was apprehended. Will we too flee from Jesus? Or as Jesus’ disciples are we ready to take up our crosses, knowing that we too will be vindicated? How can I embrace suffering and sacrifice for Christ’s sake and for the needy ? How am I called to take up my cross today? Peter only follows at a distance. At the climactic moment of Jesus passion, while going through an inner struggle, he sweats blood at the Gethsemane. Peter, James and John – the intimate disciples – fall asleep. The disciples fell asleep several times; they could not keep awake. They dozed off into spiritual slumber. They did not accompany Jesus as he prayed. They did something disrespectful to their Guru. They showed their lack of spiritual attention, while a deep spiritual moment was taking place. They seemed to say: “we don't care” – quite indifferent to Jesus’ agony. It symbolizes contemporary secularism in the midst of God’s creative activity constantly happening around – God's love being poured out through the sacraments,  preaching of the Word of God and through social upliftment through acts of mercy.

We too who are intimate friends of Jesus,  often fall asleep into indifference. As Church members, what are we doing as the Lord is acting in the world? Snoozing away? Recall Prophet Eli  and Samuel ‘inside’ the temple, sleeping away! As Religious, we withdraw, we deliberately decide to fall asleep within the Church’s hierarchy, as the world’s evil and cruelty crucify Christ in the innocent people.

Again, we have a young man, running away ‘naked’ into the ‘night’ with the rest of the disciples from the Gethsemane, leaving his ‘tunic’ behind. This unexpected peculiar detail speaks of leaving our baptismal white garment that symbolizes our devotion to Christ. Like the Apostles we too have put on Christ. But at the moment of truth, when Christian faith demands our courageous witness, when things are “getting dangerous and dicey” because we are Christians, are we counting the cost? “Do we stand our ground or do we run off into the night leaving behind our baptismal identity?” Do we, like that young man, abandon our baptismal identity, run away from the struggle?

What's our attitude at those moments of truth?

The high priest, after hearing various witnesses, puts Jesus on trial at the Sanhedrin, and he asks, "Are you the son of God?” Jesus shockingly cites from  Daniel, chapter seven, saying that he sees the ancient days when one like the son of man coming on the clouds, someone who shares in the authority of God – a messianic prediction.  He affirms, "Yes, I am” – not mere a teacher, or a political leader, or just the Messiah in the conventional sense, but God from God, light from light, true God from true God. Jesus is not a distant historical figure, or a literary device, or an inspiring spiritual teacher that many modern men hold him to be, says Bishop Barron.  But he is God – the central claim of the Church. To fall short of this central faith identity, is effectively to be against Him. How often in our spiritual lives we make vow not to betray Jesus, yet like the apostles we too  deny Jesus’ true identity.

 Then we have the  “scapegoating mob” breaking out. The crowds who saw Jesus’ miracles and heard his words, abandoned Jesus. They asked for a murderous brigand to be released instead of Jesus. While  warming by the fire at the courtyard of the high priest's house, someone identifies Peter to be with Jesus. He retorts back thrice, “I don't even know Him." He denies knowing Jesus. He lies, “I do not know that man”. How often we as fellow sinners  who have pledged our complete loyalty to Him, deny as Peter the first pope did, when things get a little ‘dicey and difficult’!

Next, the Roman soldiers –if the Shroud of Turin is right – put a capped crown of thorns (not ringlet) placed upon the whole top of His head,  put the reed in His hand like a mock scepter. They put on him a purple cloth, laughing over his kingship. They beat Him and spit upon Him. Is not a lot of that going on today? There is so much of the mockery of Jesus and  of religion, through politics and religious fanaticism! And that is a kind of secularism – falling asleep, and indifferences. Have we mocked Jesus like these Roman soldiers with words, by saying/writing disrespectful things, or with our lives, or in associating with the crowd who jeered at Him?

Jesus cries out from the Cross “My God, my God, why have you abandoned (forsaken) me?” When Jesus breathed his last, women too were at a distance from the Cross. None of the remaining eleven apostles approached Pilate to ask for the body. Only Joseph of Arimathea had the courage to do so. Out of the various figures in the Passion narrative, who do we identify with?

Lastly, according to the scholars, the messianic secret is revealed at the foot of the cross after Jesus died.  Till then Jesus always told his closed followers or those whom he healed,  not to tell anyone about his Messianic identity. He quieted them down, muzzled them off. In fact, people were puzzled then, as we are now. Why would Jesus be so reticent? But as Jesus bowed in death, he no longer could silence anyone, reasons Bishop Barron. In fact, the Roman Centurion publicly reveals the Messianic secrecy, "Truly, this man was the son of God." Only the Gentile Centurian confessed publicly his faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

In short, these are signs of the vindication of Jesus: “Abandoned by his disciples, betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, accused of blasphemy by the priests, rejected in favor of a murderer by the crowd, mocked by the Sanhedrin and by Roman troops and all who came to the cross, surrounded by darkness, and seemingly forsaken by his God, in this one dramatic moment Jesus is fully vindicated. God has answered Jesus’ cry by replacing the Temple as the locus of worship and by offering in its place His own Son who will be confessed by Gentile and Jew alike” (Raymond Brown, Christ in the Gospels…, 163). 

To conclude, Bishop Barron says, the Roman centurion who put Him to death, is the proto evangelist, confirming Jesus’ as the Son of God in place of the Roman Emperor, Caesar, who was the “Huios tou Theou”(son of the God) by tradition. Can we too say those same words? And say loud and clear, with that same confidence?

  

HAVE REASONS FOR A FAITH THAT HEALS THE WORLD

 

A Christian should “give reason to anyone who asks to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pt 3:15), but we are often not given practical guidance on how to prepare. S/he should combine historical wisdom, practical skills, strategies, spiritual insights and practical principles inspired by Jesus, to explain to another the faith with charity and clarity; be ready to dialogue, evangelize and respond to questions about the Catholic faith in any given opportunity.

The book, The Everlasting Man, a compelling defense of Christianity, (apologetics) by G.K. Chesterton changed the young atheist C.S. Lewis, on the path toward Christianity. In fact, he was convinced that Jesus compels his disciples to make a choice: either you are with Jesus, or against him. There is no third way. This historical, mythological, philosophical, and theological story written in an obscure literary style, on humanity and religion looks quite paradoxical and disorienting, writes Ron Rolheiser. Yet, it is a classical literary genius, apt even today. It can become life story of a Christian of 21^st Century, applicable to modern life. To understand this paradox is already a step close to becoming a true Christian. 

 Jesus’ life principle was one of healing humanity and the world at large, bringing in the original order set by God, which a part of the humankind has disfigured and desecrated. This is a spiritual adventure for all of us, who are destined to heal. Like the cripple who, being healed by the apostles, began “jumping and praising God” (Acts 3:1–9). This is the hope produced by a spirituality of healing. That’s why Jesus came. In Jesus the healer, divinity and humanity meet, wherein his whole body, mind and spirit become a “conduit of God’s energy”, meant to set right a world gone wrong.  Jesus manifests the healing love of God, whose ultimate intention is establishing His totally healed Kingdom. We all can be ‘conduits’ of God’s healing energy.

God reaches out to the sinner (destroyer of the Kingdom), the sufferer, the marginalized. Jesus, following the Father’s will, seeks out the sinners with love and humility. He just wants to know if we want to be well again; if we really want to heal others. But there is always opposition to this healing process in the world. Often the healing work is condemned. There is the resistance to God’s creative work, to deny that it is not needed. The leaders of the world are confounded with diverse decisions. Many lawmakers of the state ignore ethics, natural laws, morality and conscience. Why do the governances want their way? Why don’t they seek together the common good? It is because God’s ways threaten their stay in power. They expose their strategies of oppression and exclusion to boost their egos.

Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection will continue to heal the world and restore its humanity to sanity, free those under bondage of sin, enlighten those still in darkness, and heal the ‘sick’ and hungry humanity. God will not stop the healing mission, because his love is unchangeable. God will comfort his people and show mercy to them for He is gracious, faithful, holy, just, and near to those who call upon him.

“To set right a disjointed universe, God broke open his own heart in love” writes Bishop Barron. God worked through many prophets, to gather the scattered children of the dysfunctional world into a divine life. Humanity is God’s centre of love. God’s power breaks open to include both the happy and the hopeless. The human quest for God is reversed, as God himself as the ‘hound of heaven’ goes out in search of the ‘sick’ for a wholistic healing. The essence of Christianity is, therefore, a self-emptying divine love, wherein we partake in the essential healing mission of the Trinitarian God.

In the actual world, on the contrary, we see a “scapegoat mechanism” (René Girard) worked out by the powerful of the world, who have the insatiable human need for scapegoats, in order to justify their misdeeds. According to Bishop Barron, God’s power acts in opposition to that energy of scapegoating:  God directs the energy of scapegoating violence back on the self-powered leaders, exposing the dangerous consequences of scapegoating over the unstable order of the society.

God sets a new order: a transformed world, through the divine and creative healing touch, perfecting the human nature, conformed to the original natural plan. This new order – Kingdom of God– is breaking out in the world; divided people are coming back together, and God is going to reign. Human race must live now as members of this new kingdom. People themselves will engage the enemies of the world, to deal directly with those powers opposed to God’s creative mission, confronting the “political oppressors, religious charlatans, and self-absorbed Pharisees.” And the Universal Truth will set the enslaved people free, and heal them from the worldy ‘diseases’ and its many extended symptoms. The ill-motivated people will be called to come out of their stubborn self. God wants the good, and only good of humanity. We all ought to be healed of all our ego. We all ought to opt for ‘Theo-drama’ and not ego-drama, following God’s will in our life. Consequently, we shall worship God in spirit and truth in a healed world. Ultimately, a healed humanity will realize that no devotion (worship) is more pleasing to God than that which is directed to the poor needy (St. Leo the Great). A healing faith helped by reason, like a hidden force, can bring about transformation in the world, beyond what our eyes perceive, because “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).

 

 

 

RELIGIONS AND SPIRITUAL REALITIES

 

In spiritual life we seem to seek truth as if it is available in the proximate near-experience of the Ultimate Truth. In the realm of spirituality, like all other realities, it is not so. According to Sumit Paul, Einstein’s theory of relativity applied to spiritual realities, finds that every faith, religious code, doctrine, dogmas, belief system, ideology is subjective ‘truth’ (so called!) (timesofindia.com/speaking-tree, 14.4.2024). In the present situation, the majoritarian’s absolute faith-claim to be the only truth, is false and bigotry.  Nothing that is earthly is perfect. A religious faith system cannot be called the ultimate truth. When each religion asserts itself to be  the only ‘true’ belief system and every ideology claims to be the only perfect way of life, the post-modern principle seems to hold good: there exists only subjective truths and relative realities. My belief in my faith ideologies is my subjective interpretation of the reality. It is my ‘truth’ which can be non-truth in other’s interpretation of the same reality. If we cannot accept this relative reality of our understanding, we cannot empathise with other’s ‘truth’ as well. Absolute truth in this physical world is an enigma. As our knowledge and understanding is limited, all that we live through, think through and feel through, is out of a subjective experience or partial interpretation of the same reality. Therefore, when we recognize and accept the principle of relativity of truth, we will stop claiming absolute or superior ideological and religious ‘truths’ over others.

Consequently, there is no Universal Truth within human existence. No single theory, idea, ism, doctrine, or belief is acceptable to every individual. The foundations of a claimed and established truth can never be universal, as one or the other will doubt it’s veracity. We only interpret reality which we do not know in its totality. This unknown or partially known reality is the only truth. The subjective interpretations are all individual’s or a groups’ perceptions, which come only in fractions, and not in its entirety. We see realities from our possible and perceived ‘angles’, and they are only partially true.

No man-made Religions (faith-system) are universally true. Yet, we all within our  partial truth-experience, claim them to be the best and the absolute.  It is quite natural to do so, because we all suffer from spiritual worldliness and religious pride, claiming that which is mine is the best.   We can never be certain about the  objective  truth, except that we believe  it to be so. This  belief is in some systems, codes, creed, rituals and norms. Therefore, we can only acknowledge and claim that these systems and codes are true. If this is so, human limitations in knowing the Truth should make us humble. We need to look at our faith experience and belief, as a part of the reality, and not the only reality. We cannot insist on our view of reality and forcefully load it on others. The fact is, truth as a continuous process, it evolves and expands.

Let us consider the concept of divine revelation in religions. The interpretation of these revelations found in the Sacred Scriptures, believed to  contain revelations from the Almighty, significantly vary  according to diverse religious traditions. These texts are considered absolute truth by the believers. However, different biblical scholars and theologians interpret the Scripture contents differently based on different criteria and methods. Some passages are understood as metaphorical while others, as a direct command from God. The interpretations of passages on morality, salvation, and prophecy (exegesis, hermeneutics) contained in the believed-to-be divinely inspired Bible, diverge across denominations, e.g. creation story in Genesis—whether literal or allegorical. Again, within the Religion, the countless sects/denominations emphasize in varied measures the different aspects of the texts. These variations arise due to socio-cultural context, personal experiences, and individual perspectives. Each believer’s understanding of divine truth is shaped by their upbringing, traditions, education, and spiritual journey which is ever evolving with time and space. Thus, while the core texts remain constant, the subjective prism through which they are viewed, leads to diverse interpretations. In short, the concept of universal Truth in the light of varied interpretations of revelations, exemplifies how religious truths are inherently subjective. What resonates as profound and absolute for one person may differ significantly for another, highlighting the relativity of spiritual understanding that constantly evolves and expands.

Similarly, we recognize and acknowledge Jesus’ uniqueness in so far as it evolves and expands in its understanding of the Truth in our present situation.  His pre-eminence flows from his uniqueness, in as much as his words, actions  and the experiences of his disciples/followers evolve with the present interpretation of his actual life, words and works. Yet, the extent of understanding of such interpretations is only partial. Christians believe, Jesus is the Wisdom, he is the Message. But they are understood and interpreted in our partial human ways. Christianity may deny to be a system of ideas, even though there are gradually developed doctrines, system, norms, codes and creed. It is also claimed that Christianity is not a moral code of conduct for human behaviour; that it is not an "ism,” (monotheism). To say, on the contrary that Christianity is a person, – that no idea can substitute for the person of Christ– is contradictory and erroneous, because it is a man-made religion with a developed system of belief, relied upon some doctrines codes, creed, customs and rituals.  The person of Jesus, believed to be ever living and active in the Church today, itself is an idea out of our memory, – a belief in the notional idea of Jesus, as a person. In reality, he is a distant figure of History who lived and died, but made alive through the Christian belief, that through a divine power he is living and active in the Church and in the world. This is only a fraction, a partial belief of an individual or a community of the Absolute Truth, called God, Allah, Parameswara, the Almighty, Mother, or ‘Father’ as addressed by Jesus.

FATHER’S LOVE ABOVE THAT OF SONS’ AND DAUGHTERS’

 

The book of  Exodus (20:1-2) states, “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them [….] You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.” Through Moses, this is clearly communicated to the people of Israel, but they almost immediately break the First Commandment of the Sinai covenant and worship the golden calf (Ex 32:1-35). After this deviation, the ten laws are drastically multiplied into 613 with do’s and don’ts, as a “yoke of discipline” against idolatry and aids to true worship. But they are used as suppressive measures by the highly clerical society.

Later, prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others predict that these laws will be written in the human heart (Jer 31:31-33; Ezk 11:19), acting in full freedom as sons and daughters of the Father. The New Law of love is internalized by means of imbibing socio-moral virtues for a total union with God as His children. It depicts the prodigal portrait of God, who is love itself (cf. Mk 12:28–34). And we are destined to  access this divine love. Following the law of “spiritual physics” this love-gift possessed only in the measure it is given away, says Bishop Barron. If you cling to it, it disappears. In John Paul II’s term   “the law of the gift” is the ‘defining dynamic’ of the Father that all sons and daughters will have to follow.

 The Israelite’s Shema of loving God with all heart, mind, body and strength, invites us to examine our conscience. What bothers me from the ultimate concern of my life as a child of the Father?  How do I woe total allegiance to a God that I cannot see? The solution is here: the Shema is fulfilled, – as Jesus adds the second to the first – only through loving my neighbour as I love myself. In Mark 12:28-34, Jesus reminds the Scribe, “The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Deut 6:4-5). The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18).  Those who do not love their brothers and sisters whom they see, cannot love God whom they do not see (1Jn 4:20). The power and wisdom of the new law lies in not making the unseen Father’s house (family, Church) a marketplace, through over-ritualistic functions. Instead, “Whoever loves God must also love his brothers and sisters”(1Jn 4:21). Doing so “is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” According to Bishop Barron the logic is simple: God who is love, loves everything and everyone. Therefore, if I want to love God, I  need to love what and whom God loves.

 Today, there is the urgent need to reject false ‘gods’ we have created for ourselves, and love the true God the Father whose children we are. Like Jesus, we are called to do the Father’s will on earth. Love of God and neighbor is the ultimate law of unified love because this God of love is the only true God of the whole universe. Love needs to be responded with love. The ineffective sacrifices of the past are to be replaced by  the ‘sacrificial fire of love on the Cross’ for the love of neighbour.  Jesus’ sacrificial love becomes the source and model for the Christian love of neighbour (Mary Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 248). Here is then the challenge to continue loving for  the Kingdom’s sake.

 The salvation history is premised on a humanity being part of God’s family as sons and daughters, extended to all the nations and its citizens. The human-made Religions with its mores, codes and creed are to direct us to live unitedly in God’s family, through love of the Father and love of our brothers and sisters – a guide to a spiritual path of relationship. The gift of God’s love on humanity through Jesus was made flesh (Jn 1:17). The corrupt religions of hatred and violence are to be replaced by true love of neighbor in spirit and truth. It is a call to cleanse the evil and unjust practices.

 The awesome power and wisdom of God is manifested  through the crucified Jesus who died out of concrete love for humanity, fulfilling his Father’s will. Similarly, we are called to share in the divine communion as sons and daughters. The goodness of God is manifested through us, when we love each other as brothers and sisters. When we listen to the Father and heed to his voice (will) in our life, we commune with God by being in communion with each other. As prophets we translate “faith into the everyday life of a community before God” (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, 4).

 In Lent, we are asked to  join Jesus, follow his standard of loving our enemies (brothers and sisters), while witnessing to his mercy and salvation by turning our  hardened hearts into hearts of flesh that can truly love. With resistance to the hypocritical legalism and  the corrupted institutional religions that Jesus fought against,  we too are called to transform them — Church, doctrines, priesthood, sacrifice, liturgy— into a  loving relationship between the Father, and sons and daughters, – ever building up the family of God. Beyond abstraction, institutional norms and mere ‘change of mind’, we are to change our hearts of ‘doing’ (concrete actions) through a spiritual power and our availability towards our brothers and sisters.

As God is ever faithful to his sons and daughters, we are to called to be His faithful sons and daughters, rebuilding God’s family of love.  As the Father is full of mercy, so too we are to  be ‘vessels of mercy’ in the world today. If we know we have offended our brothers/sisters, we open our hearts and encounter and reconcile with them in humility,  imitating God's mercy without counting the cost. A heart that is open to the needy around, shows true love in action. We have to rise from our prayerful knees and go out to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, comfort the sick and visit the prisoner, for we find the Father in them who are in need. Therefore, love of neighbour  is the concrete expression of our love of God who is truth, goodness, love and beauty. This love is worship, more important than prayers and sacrifice.