Humility pays dividends
LENT 2020 – Day 20
Readings: Kings 5, 1-15; Ps 41, 2, 3; 42, 3, 4; Lk 4, 24-30
Naaman, that valiant army commander of Syria, suffered from leprosy. When they told him that prophet Elisha of Samaria could cure him, he rushed there, only to be upset that the prophet wasn’t very deferential. However, after he put his ego behind him and followed instructions, he was cured, and quickly proclaimed: “There is no God in all the earth but in Israel.”
Jesus is the Master Physician of the body and the soul; he cures our physical ailments and frees us from sin. But alas, we take no notice of the treasures we possess. Hence, Jesus said: “No prophet is acceptable in his own country.” We lack the humility to accept our faults when confronted with unpalatable truths. ‘Outsiders’ like Naaman strike gold, while we in our indifference or disbelief fall prey to false prophets.
Let's hasten to the altar of God like a deer to the running streams. Let's seek Him with humility and he will make us whole. Only the soul that thirsts for God stands protected.
Water of Eternal Life
Lent 2020 – Day 19
Third Sunday
Readings: Ex 17, 3-7; Ps 94, 1-2, 6-9; Rom 5, 1-2, 5-8; Jn 4, 5-42
Water is a refreshing drink, a heartening theme. Life depends on water even while its potential to destroy evokes fear.
Moses’ people thirsting for water almost stoned him to death. So as he led them to the Promised Land, the light of the faith alone was a lamp to his feet. He secured them manna yet, very despicably, they yearned for the onions they'd eaten during their slavery in Egypt.
Murmurings of discontent are not uncommon even in our day and age. We are so absorbed in our daily routine that we disregard the sweet whispers of Nature; we are so blinded by the city lights that the stars twinkling in the night sky fail to move us. Worse still, we become slaves to the world, forgetting our divine Creator and His wonders.
Jesus comes into the world to guide us back to the Father. He knows that the world can never satisfy man’s deepest longings, for man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Hence, He says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me”; and “…whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.”
The water that Jesus gives becomes in us “a spring of water welling up to eternal life”. That’s a promise. Like the woman of Samaria, let’s make known the good news of this refreshing water of eternal life to everyone so that they too may glorify our Father in heaven.
Forgive, and you'll find love!
Lent 2020 – Day 16
Readings: Mic 7, 14-15, 18-20; Ps 102, 1-4, 9-12; Lk 15, 1-3, 11-32
There are those who hold the Lord in awe and others who disregard Him; there are those who loathe His name and, happily, many who love and adore Him. Negative attitudes stem from ignorance and/or malice, for the simple truth is that the Lord is at once just and merciful.
God forgives our guilt, heals our ills, and redeems our life from the grave. Mind you, these words make sense not in times of the corona virus alone; the Lord crowns us with compassion and love at all times.... We can’t thank Him enough!
Sometimes children think of parents as oppressive, but who can fail to see the reality of parental love in the parable of the Prodigal Son? Both son and father were "prodigal" – the former wasteful, the latter extravagant in love. And the father’s cry, “This your brother was dead and is alive,” only goes to show his concern for his son’s physical and spiritual health.
Let’s rid ourselves of misconceived notions, repent and forgive, and we shall find authentic love. Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6: 2).
#forgive #repent #love #coronavirus #prodigal #negativeattitudes #compassion
Steer clear of toxic emotions
Lent 2020 – Day 15
Readings: Gen 37, 3-4, 12-13a. 17b-28; Ps 104, 16-21; Mt 21, 33-43, 45-46
Bitterness, envy, jealousy, anger and hatred are toxic: even more so when they envelop the family, where only charity should reign. Alas, the betrayal of Joseph by his siblings is rampant today, for petty honours or material gains.
Joseph prefigures Jesus, who was killed by the very people who He had come to save. Many were aware of His divinity, nonetheless conspired against Him; others stood by and watched, and a few piously shed tears. In the parable of the vineyard, Our Lord hints at the fate that awaits Him.
Today, there are coteries with no qualms about denying God and currying favour with the world. They share space with cliques that cause untold suffering to whoever observes the Lord’s commandments. When they make perverse suggestions or give immoral advice to the unsuspecting they are guilty of spiritual murder. All of which amounts to stabbing the Lord a thousand times every day.
Let’s get out of such circles and decidedly be with and for the Lord our God; it’s a choice we will never regret.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Lent 2020 – Day 14
Readings: Jer 17, 5-10; Ps 1, 1-2, 3, 4, 6; Lk 16, 19-31
Jeremiah fearlessly denounced even kings and priests; seeing through the fallen nature of man, he declared that nothing short of a conversion could save him. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,” he said.
The Gospel draws our attention to a rich man who trusted in himself and in the good things of life; he failed to turn to the Lord with a grateful heart and to his own neighbour with concern. When he died, he was tormented in hell while the poor man was in God’s bosom.
Let’s be dutiful people, praying at all times. Let’s be kind and generous, trusting in the Lord our God: we owe Him every moment of our being. And let our conversion begin today; tomorrow may be too late.
It's not lonely at the top, we have the Lord by our side
Lent 2020 – Day 13
Readings: Jer 18, 18-20; Ps 30, 5-6, 14, 15-16; Jn 6, 63; Mt 20, 17-28
'It’s lonely at the top' is perhaps what Jeremiah felt at first when spurned by his people. Our parents and our God feel the same when we recklessly reject their plans and even rebel if things don’t turn out to our liking. Although we're free to propose, we must let God dispose: this technique is not only a stress-buster but also a herald of great blessings.
When Calvary was just round the corner, Jesus kept spoke to his disciples about wielding responsibility with care and concern for the people. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant… even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve,” said He.
Don’t leaders get involved in petty squabbles and at times people envy their power? Whether leaders or followers, let’s realise that all have a cross to bear; life shouldn’t be only about self but also about helping the other.
God-given tasks do entail responsibility but when we trust in the Lord, saying “Your words, Lord, are spirit and life,” we find ourselves smiling and never feel lonely at the top.
We have to serve God and neighbour
Day 12
Readings: Is 1, 10, 16-20; Ps 48, 8-9, 16-17, 21.23; Mt 23, 1-12
Isaiah recommends that we make a clean breast of our wrongdoings and pray for God’s pardon. Further on the proactive side, we need to take in the Word of God in all humility and practise even simple acts of kindness.
Jesus has a special word for leaders of all times, of the kind that don’t practise what they preach.... They are like the Pharisees and Scribes of yore, self-serving and even exploitative; in their vanity hanker after titles and draw the people to themselves rather than joyfully showing them the way to the heavenly Father.
That’s the context in which Jesus said that God alone is our Master, Teacher or Father…. Yet again, Jesus uses hyperbolic language to drive home a point: that the leaders should be service-oriented, for “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus humbled himself taking the form of a servant and we are called to do likewise: serve God by serving our neighbour.
Repentance is key
Day 11
Readings: Dan 9, 4b-10; Ps 78, 8-9, 11-13; Lk 6, 36-38
Daniel makes a fervent plea for repentance: ours is a God who is steadfast in love and keeps His covenant. We are in the depths of distress; it is only fair to request the Lord to not hold the guilt of our fathers against us. Indeed, if God were to be only just and not merciful, who would survive?
For our part, we must resolve to turn a new leaf and go ahead, like prodigal sons, saying, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.’
Jesus, who has taught us to say, ‘Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us,’ also reminds us to be merciful and to not judge rashly; to condemn not, if we wish to not be condemned; to give generously, for the measure in which we give we shall receive.... But to get here, repentance is of the essence.
Taming our Tongues this Lent
30 Days to Taming your Tongue, by Deborah Smith Pegues.
Authentic Books, Secunderabad.
Indian edition reprint, 2015.
ISBN 978-817362-731-6. 141 pp, Price not indicated.
A book I chanced upon months ago is going to be part of my spiritual reading this Lent. It dwells on a very important aspect of fasting, or what the author calls a “tongue fast”. Deborah Smith Pegues’30 Days to Taming your Tongue is thus most appropriate for the remaining thirty-odd days of Lent.
You are bound to be tongue-tied when you run through the contents page: thirty chapters featuring thirty types of tongue you wouldn’t think existed. Here they go:
- the lying tongue
- the flattering tongue
- the manipulating tongue
- the hasty tongue
- the divisive tongue
- the argumentative tongue
- the boasting tongue
- the self-deprecating tongue
- the slandering tongue
- the gossiping tongue
- the meddling tongue
- the betraying tongue
- the belittling tongue
- the cynical tongue
- the know-it-all tongue
- the harsh tongue
- the tactless tongue
- the intimidating tongue
- the rude tongue
- the judgmental tongue
- the self-absorbed tongue
- the cursing tongue
- the complaining tongue
- the retaliating tongue
- the accusing tongue
- the discouraging tongue
- the doubting tongue
- the loquacious tongue
- the indiscreet tongue
- the silent tongue
Did you ever imagine a tongue could be so versatile? The list reads like progeny of one and the same tongue: notice they have the same “surname”!
Besides the theme, another feature that makes this book suitable for the season is that it is Scripture-based. In the prologue, the author quotes James 3:8: “No man can tame the tongue.” She states our hope is in “the Spirit of God”, to whom we must entrust the unruly member to be subjected on a daily basis.
How do we begin the process? The first step is to admit that we could be guilty of many of the negative uses of the tongue listed above; the truth will make us free. A Biblical quote at the head of each chapter is very reassuring. Then there are short stories, anecdotes, soul-searching questions and Scripture-based personal testimonies that combine to make each chapter a tongue- and life-changing experience. A positive affirmation or resolution at the end of each chapter rounds it off beautifully.
I am hopeful that a thirty-day crash course, or fast course, if you like, will give us a wholesome tongue, such that we will speak what is pleasing to God. The author, who is an experienced certified public accountant, Bible teacher, speaker, certified behavioural consultant specialising in understanding personality temperaments, writer and housewife of over twenty-five years’ standing, assures us that we will not be turned into “a Passive Patsy or a Timid Tom who avoids expressing personal boundaries, desires, or displeasure with a situation.” She recognises that most interpersonal problems will not be resolved without being confronted; however, there is a time and a way to say everything.
It may well take one less than a month to reading this valuable book; but I would love to go slow, meditating on each chapter. In the epilogue, the author recommends homing in “on areas where your mouth is particularly challenged.” One may have to spend several days or weeks on a lying tongue, for instance, and on a cursing tongue none at all.
To assess our daily progress there is a “tongue evaluation checklist” in Appendix A. Considering it more effective to focus on implementing positive behaviour than trying to avoid the negative, Appendix B offers over thirty “alternative uses of the tongue” that will bring glory to God and improve our interactions and relationships. Appendix C has passages comprising an “arsenal of tongue scriptures” that will fortify us and revolutionise our conversation.
The author very wisely remarks, “Teachers often teach that which they need to learn themselves.” And I say with the author, “I am no different.” Like her who wrote the book primarily for herself, I write this not as a review but primarily as a notice concerning a book that could help us to transform our tongues into a “wellspring of life.”
Are we spiritually awake?
Lent 2020 - Day 12
Readings: Gen 12, 1-4; Ps 32, 4-5, 18-19, 20-22; Mt 1-9
Had Abram not responded to Yahweh’s call, there would be no Jewish people. He responded to God’s instruction to leave the country: it was a saga of hardships, a saga that bore fruit.
St Paul similarly exhorts us to undertake life’s pilgrim journey, relying on the power of God and testifying to Him. We are privileged to have been called.
In the Gospel, Jesus receives an endorsement in those glorious words from God the Father, the real import of which becomes clear only after the Resurrection.
What is our response to God’s call? Our everyday situations are seed of great things to come. Once in a while we may be privileged to witness a ‘transfiguration’; even then we may show a lacklustre response. So absorbed are we in our chores that we fail to get the larger picture.
Everything will change for the better the moment we are convinced that Jesus is the Son of the true God. We can be considered spiritually awake if we can we sing, “Our soul is waiting for the Lord”.