30. III TUE of Cross

Mk. 9: 42-48: Jesus encourages us to get rid of ourselves of those things that encumber spiritual growth. The difficult but fulfilled venture we call discipleship is exemplified in the saints. If we are to know real life, real happiness and real peace the blocking elements must go. This may sound bleak and stern, but in reality it is only facing the facts of life. 

29. III MON of Cross

Mk. 8: 31-38: Peter’s reaction to Jesus’ suffering and death seems to be the satanic opposition to God’s will. Peter represents the natural reaction of all people to suffering and failure. Jesus’ instruction stresses the role of service. Jesus goes on telling the disciples that the one who follows him also likewise suffer so that God can raise him up. 

28. III SUN of Cross

Mt. 15: 21-28: The Canaanite woman is ‘low caste’ in two ways. By birth she belongs to another religion. Being a woman she is oppressed under men. But she has the humility to accept what she is and thereby Jesus acknowledges her faith though she belongs to a different religion. So Jesus teaches us to appreciate the goodness in others whether they belong to different caste, religion or status. 

27. II SAT of Cross

Lk 8: 16-21: The tendency of some people is to hide things from themselves and people and however difficult may be from God. But they are an unhappy lot. The truth is that the happiest people are those who have nothing to hide. There must not be any hidden agenda or secret in the relationship with God. So when his mother and brothers wanted to see Jesus privately, Jesus says that those who hear the word of God and do it are those who make themselves their brother and mother! 

26. II FRI of Cross

Mt. 15: 1-9: The tradition of the elders is not the law. Jesus respected and followed the law ie the ‘Thora’ but Jesus often spoke against some of its interpretation of the law by the Rubies. The disciples disobeyed an unimportant interpreted law but Jesus accused the Jews that they disobey the very important Law of Moses. 

25. II THU of Cross

Mt. 11: 11-19: God can send his messengers but man refused to recognize them. This he state by observing John the Baptist who according to Jesus is the herald and fore runner whom they have waited to see but were rejected by the Jews. We are aloes advised to stop judging people and churches by our own prejudices and perversities. 

24. II WED of Cross

Mt. 21: 18-22: The fig tree symbolizes the people of Israel and grew with plenty of leaves. They were nurtured and cared by God. The fig tree in the passage was there tempting the passerby…. God’s care could be seen but no fruit found. The Israelite were proud of their origin like that of the fig tree but they were not doing acts of fruition as wanted by God. So Jesus by cursing the tree was using a prophetic method to the give the message to the disciples that likewise this fig tree…. Be cursed if not fruit were seen.

23. II TUE of Cross

Mt. 10:26-33: Jesus tells his disciples that their message and experiences of God must be widely published. The Christian knowledge of God was not to be a secret or private experience. It is the Galilean ministry of Jesus brought to life everyday all over the world. 

22. II MON of Cross

Jn. 8: 39-47: Jews are boasting of their descent from Abraham who proved himself to be a true believer of God, even though they are not imitating him in this belief.  Jesus, whose origin is from beyond human history, will enable us to enter into the world beyond, if only we believe in him by living according to his teaching. 

21. II SUN of Cross

Mt. 17: 14-21: Powerful and deep trust in God is never without public effect. The complete trust the epileptic’s father to cry out ‘Kyrie Eleison’ made Jesus to call for deep hearted faith. The faith that can move mountains is not an intellectual ascent but deep, secure and abiding Trust in God.

20. I SAT of Cross

Lk. 15: 1-7: Jews regarded the tax collectors as sinners and thereby ‘untouchables’. Jesus does not write off them as outcasts but wants them to be saved. The God proclaimed by Jesus is not the ‘just judge’ of the pharasees who rewards and punishes strictly according to our action, but the loving father (Lk. 15: 11-31) who forgives us even before we have sinned. We do not need to earn God’s forgiveness but need to turn to god and accept it. 

19. I FRI of Cross

Lk 4: 31-37: The narrative brings out the power of Jesus’ word which is supported by the effectiveness of his actions. Through his preaching, exorcisms and healing, Jesus makes God’s kingdom real among the people. In this gospel passage a man possessed by an evil spirit shouts and acknowledge the power of Jesus. 

18. I THU of Cross

Mt. 25: 31-40: When we learn the generosity which without calculation helps men in the simplest things, we too will know the joy of helping Jesus Christ himself. There never was a parable which so opened the way to glory to the simplest people. 

17. I WED of Cross

Mt. 24: 29-36: These two possibilities of the second coming of Jesus contradict each other. The first speaks that we can know the signs of the second coming of Jesus just like we know the coming of summer by looking at the figs and its sprouting of new leaves. The second possibility is that no one knows – not even the angels, the son of God but it is known only by God the Father. A total submission by us is needed before the son of God comes. 

16. I TUE of Cross

Mt. 23: 29-36: The history of Jews was history of murder from Abel to Zacharias. It is a history of rejection and often the slaughter of the men of God. It makes us think when the history judges us, will its verdict be that we were the blockers or the helpers of God! It is a question that every individual, nation must ask themselves.

15. I MON of Cross

Mt. 5: 43-48: The antitheses of the Sermon on the Mount reach their climax in the last one dealing with the scope of our love. “You must be perfect”(v.48) which means  that God loves his people with a mind of universality and single-mindedness. God loves all of us and each one of us totally. 

14. I SUN of Cross

Mt. 4: 12-17: Jesus stats his public ministry by leaving Nazareth his place of upbringing to Capernaum and settling there. The kingdom of heaven announced by Jesus is not a place but rather the action through which God shows himself as king and one needs a conversion ‘turning to God’. Conversion is change of heart and the resulting change in life style with attitude and behavior attuned to our experience of God’s love. 

13. I SAT of ECM

Mt 13: 44-51: If we really understand the worth of the kingdom, we shall do this with great joy because we are aware that what we are getting (the treasure, the pearl) is what our deepest self really wants and is worth far more than anything we can give up for it. The parable of the net tells us about the scandals existing in the church and one should not tolerate them passively. The separation is needed and is permanent for the kingdom and will become definitive on that very day because love is the law of the kingdom of heaven. 

12. I FRI of ECM

Lk 12: 54-59: People knew to read the signs of nature. So the signs which are seen around Jesus are enough for the sincere ones to understand that now is the time announced by the prophets to be converted and Israel must acknowledge it savior. The urgency of conversion for Jesus must be done before it is too late with reconciliation between brothers and sisters because we are in our way to God’s judgment so that we can take advantage of the right situation we are then, if we are in the above said positions. 

11. I THU of ECM

Lk. 17: 20-37: The final coming of the kingdom of heaven is something men can never calculate or make research upon. Jesus says that in one sense the kingdom has already come. It is at work in people who have received the Good News of Jesus. False prophets will bring confusion in the minds of some people. The end of the world comes suddenly for which the believers are told to prepare and wait. 

10. I WED of ECM

Lk 12: 41-48: One must be alert towards the time of meeting of our Lord Jesus. To explain this point Jesus gives the example of faithful and unfaithful or wise and unwise steward. The unwise one makes two mistakes in his attitude. He says to himself “I will do what I like while my master is away”. Thus he forgets the day of reckoning. Then he says “I have plenty of time to put things right before the master comes”. Thus he digs his own pit by postponing everything for tomorrow. Sin is doubly sinful to the man who knew better and failure is doubly blame worthy in the man who had every chance to do well.  

9. I TUE of ECM

Lk. 9: 23-27: If Peter’s profession of Jesus is the truth but not the whole truth. To grasp the full meaning of Jesus’ definition of his identity, it is to have vast consequences for the lives of his disciples. We cannot take Christ without the cross; it will lead one to delusion. Nor can we take the cross without Christ, this leads to despair. 

8. I MON of ECM-Nativity of Our Lady

Mt. 1: 1-16: While giving the genealogy of Joseph, the last verse shifts to focus on Mother Mary and the birth of Jesus. The shift to focus on Mary is with a purpose to show that she is chosen by God Himself to be the mother of God. Thus royalty of kingship gained, the tragedy of freedom lost, the glory of liberty restored. It is the mercy of God that is the story of mankind and of each individual man.

7. I SUN of Elijah-Cross-Moses

Lk. 18: 35-43: The cure of the blind man speaks not only of restoration of the physical sight but the gradual emergence of spiritual sight among the disciples. While the disciples saw what is happening in the outside world and so told the blind man to keep quiet, the blind man has an inner focused need to be rectified i.e. to regain sight. So he shouts for Jesus!

6. VI SAT of Kaitha

Lk 21: 5-6; 20-24: Jesus speaks about the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. Jews were very much attached to Jerusalem and the temple. They spoke highly about the temple and they spoke often about it. By prophesying the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem which the Jews holds very dear to their heart, Jesus tried to make them understand that they must hold dear what cannot be destroyed i.e. the word of God. 

5. VI FRI of Kaitha

Jn 15: 18-25: If love is the essential nature of the disciple of Christ, hatred is of the world and it’s ruler the Satan. When a person begins to live a more responsible and committed life, he or she meets with opposition and hatred from others. This is the beginning of persecution of the Christians or Christ’s followers who is committed to Christ and his word. Jesus makes his disciples of this incoming persecution and must be prepared to suffer like that he suffered in this Gospel passage. 

4. VI THU of Kaitha

Mt 12: 46-50: Passage through the red sea inaugurated the beginning of the people of God. Our baptism is also the beginning of a process of our maturing in the Lord. The truly significant bonds that join people are not biological but spiritual: the shared experiences of school, seminary, political campaigns, joy, sorrow and deliverance. Jesus tells us that those who listen to and keep his word are his brothers and sisters in a new family that knit together by the Holy Spirit. We all have experienced deliverance through baptism.

3.VI WED of Kaitha

Mt. 24: 37-44 The second coming of Christ is predicted. Only God knows the hour and event in detail. We are not to speculate these things but to wait and watch. These things take place suddenly when the rest of the world go easy in life and lead the life normally. And in such time we are asked to believe in God and those issues of life and death, which are in his hands. It will be time of separation and judgment.

2. VI TUE of Kaitha

Mt. 9: 18-26: Experiences of the divine makes the places holy. Jesus heals in the streets and in the synagogue leader’s house. Jesus makes these places holy by his presence and power. So our past experiences of the divine power or presence and memories connected with it can breathe new vitality into a tired faith. 

1.VII MON of Kaitha

Lk 6: 43-45: A man cannot be judged in any other way than by his deeds. Teaching and preaching are both ‘truth through personality’. Fine words will never take the place of fine deeds. The modern secular movements can never be defeated by mere words, writing and so on than proving that Christianity produce better man and woman.