31. Lk. 13: 6-9

       Lk. 13: 6-9: The fig-tree was specially favoured but uselessness invited disaster. It takes everything from the soil but never gives anything. It is sin. But was forgiven by giving the tree a second chance may be the final chance. The fate is decided by itself – its fruitfulness, production, development or change of heart. 

30. Mt. 2: 1-12

Mt. 2: 1-12: The visit of the magi who belong to a different religion known to the Jews, who rejects Jesus by their indifference and hostility displayed by Herod, indicates the Jesus is coming to a new community which is the true Israel. This hostility and indifference towards Jesus and to the new community of Christians remained throughout the life of Jesus and later on can be understood from the martyrdom of St. Stephen. The star indicates that Jesus is the expected Messiah, the true ‘King of the Jews.

29. Jn. 13: 31b-35

1    Jn. 13: 31b-35: The glory of Jesus has come. That glory is the cross. In Jesus God has been glorified and in Jesus God glorifies Himself and God will glorify Jesus. Jesus loved his disciples selflessly, sacrificially, understandingly and forgivingly. All enduring love must be built on forgiveness.

28. Mt. 2: 13-18

1    Mt. 2: 13-18: As children killed at the time of the birth of Moses, St. Mathew portrays that Jesus is the new Moses who came to save people. In the wholly undeserved death, the children stand for the many innocent victims perishing all over the world through malnutrition or violence by an evil system run by people like Herod, who blindly pursue profit and power.

27. Mt. 2: 1-12

1    Mt. 2: 1-12: The visit of the magi who belong to a different religion known to the Jews, who rejects Jesus by their indifference and hostility displayed by Herod, indicates the Jesus is coming to a new community which is the true Israel. This hostility and indifference towards Jesus and to the new community of Christians remained throughout the life of Jesus and later on can be understood from the martyrdom of St. Stephen. The star indicates that Jesus is the expected Messiah, the true ‘King of the Jews. 

26. Mt. 10: 16-22

1    Mt. 10: 16-22: The passage gives us the experience of the generation of Christians after Christ’s earthly life. The Christians were hunted by the state, rejected by the religious establishment and ridiculed by their families. A great leadership was demanded to unite them all as of today when the church faces religious pluralism, affluence and secular hegemony. We have to struggle to keep ourselves at spiritual peace. 

25. Lk . 2: 1-20

Lk . 2: 1-20: Jesus’ birth against the background of Ceaser Augustus and the world-wide census Luke brings out the significance of Jesus birth for the whole world. In Jesus we find the real peace and salvation. Jesus as the first born brings his significance as the one to be consecrated to God. Shepherds recognizing Jesus in the manger, represent for the new community of God.

24. Mt. 5: 17-20

Mt. 5: 17-20: Jesus come to complete the law as a grown plant draws out the power resident in the seed. ‘Law’ and ‘Spirit’ do not represent conflicting testament or religions-those are two way of approaching God. With law spiritual life is legal and salvation juridical. But spirit locates salvation to our personal link with Jesus and others. Though both don’t save but are only vehicles for the concrete expressions of a supernatural, sanctifying relationship with Jesus. 

23. Jn. 1: 43-51

1    Jn. 1: 43-51: The calling of the first disciple Jesus is inviting Nathaniel and all of us to a higher vision: to see him as the new Bethel, the house of God, the person in whom there is the plenitude of divine presence. If we steadily grow in our life of faith, we will reach the climax of experiencing Jesus as he is.

22. Jn. 1: 6-13

1    Jn. 1: 6-13: Jesus is the light shining in the world which is plunged into darkness of evil. This darkness of evil power, tries its best to exterminate Jesus. Jesus the light seals his victory over the darkness with his resurrection. John the Baptist prepares the world to receive the light, the Christ. 

21. Jn. 1: 1-5

1    Jn. 1: 1-5: John is referring to Jesus as the eternal word, who created the world and now enters into the world as part of creation. So the eternal word of God is becoming creation. Therefore Jesus’ coming is a new creation and new beginning. Jesus Christ is the word becoming flesh.

20. Mt. 1: 18-24

1    Mt. 1: 18-24: Mary  is conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jews believed that the Holy Spirit brings God’s truth to men. The Holy Spirit also enables men to recognize that truth when they see it. The same Holy Spirit was active in the work of creation and is active in re-creation. This passage high lights all the above beliefs of the Jews.

19. Jn 3: 31-36

1    Jn 3: 31-36: If anyone wants to be saved from divine rejection and be able to see God’s face of merciful love, he or she must believe in Jesus and live according to his teachings. The one who lives likewise will find inner peace and tranquility in his or her heart.

18. Jn. 14: 1-6

1    Jn. 14: 1-6: If we have true faith in God the Father and in Jesus Christ we will be liberated from all our sufferings. The ‘rooms’ show the intimate communion, sharing the very life of God, reaches it’s culmination in the life with God after our death. It starts with the present life in which Jesus is the Way, the truth and the life.

17. Lk. 1: 67-79

1    Lk. 1: 67-79: In this canticle of Zachariah, we find his belief that his son would be the one who prepares the way. We also find how a Christian would have to be. A Christian is the one where life would be a preparation that leads him to Christ. He knows God through Christ. Estrangement from God is turned to friendship in Christ. This life will be a way of peace for Christian. 

16. Lk 16: 10-13

Lk 16: 10-13: Each of us has a god we serve. The question centers upon which will attract our attention or devotion. Jesus reminds us that the spiritual bonds of human friendship are more important than the simple accumulation of things. We should use our time and opportunities to widen our friendships. This is more so with God. The more we spend time and energy in our life with God, the more we enhance our relationship with God. 

15. Mt. 3: 1-6

1    Mt. 3: 1-6: People recognized John as a prophet after long years of absence of such prophets in Israel. He was a light to light up evil thing, a voice to summon men to righteousness, a signpost to point men to God. 

14. Lk 6: 43-45

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. 

13. Lk 1: 57-66

1    Lk 1: 57-66: John the Baptist is named. The name john indicates ‘God’s gift’ or God is gracious. They put that name as ordered by God and the same name is the parent’s gratitude to God. Every child is a bundle of possibilities. It is upon the parents and teachers as to how these possibilities will or will not be realized. Every child is a gift and for which to thank God and is one of the life’s supreme responsibilities.

12. Lk. 11: 33-36

1    Lk. 11: 33-36: Luke refers to the light of Christian mission as a beacon for new converts. He exhorts the Christians to keep their inner eye fixed steadfastly on Jesus so that his light may be refracted through them.

11. Lk 1: 46-56

1  Lk 1: 46-56: The magnificat has been a great hymn of the church. Mary sings of a moral revolution Christianity is the death of pride when a man set his life beside of Christ. It demolishes the castle of pride. It puts an end to the world’s labels and prestige. The social grades are not there in Christianity. Mary thus sings of social justice in which no man dares to have too much while others have too little. Every man gets only to give away. 

10. Lk 1: 39-45

Lk 1: 39-45: Mary is being greeted by Elizabeth. She is being granted the blessedness of being the Mother of God. To be chosen by God is often means a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. God chooses a man in order to use him or her for a task that will take all the head, heart and hands can bring to it. Both the task and joy involved make one chosen by God, ‘blessed’ as acknowledged by Elizabeth. 

9. Lk. 1: 34-38

1  Lk. 1: 34-38: By accepting God’s plan to become the mother of God, Mary expresses her faith and her surrender to God. In her we find the Christian attitude of faith, hope and charity. God achieves at this moment of transforming humankind to His image. 

8. Lk. 1: 46-55

1Lk. 1: 46-55: The magnificat of Mary speaks of a threefold revolutions both within us and in the world. ‘He scatters the proud in the plans of their hearts’, ‘he casts down the mighty and exalts the humble’ and ‘he has filled those who are hungry and those who are rich he has sent away empty’. It all started with the Immaculate Conception. 

7. Jn 14: 11-14

1 Jn 14: 11-14: Jesus announces that the disciples would be doing everything Jesus has done for the people and that they, will be doing even greater things. In fact the disciple did so in the early days of the church and later with the new techniques. Jesus again announces that God the Father will grant everything they ask in the name of Jesus.

6. Lk 1: 26-38

 Lk 1: 26-38: Mary was in two extreme situations to accept God’s will or to embrace material well being. By embracing the will of God, she for saw many trouble, risk involved. By accepting God’s will she gives the message to every Christian that one should always accept God’s will above all other petty wishes, fancies in life. It is way to freedom and truth – a way to the supreme power of God. 

5. Lk 9: 57-62

1 Lk 9: 57-62: A disciple is a full timer. We should love Jesus more than we do our poverty (v.58) and we should follow him without delay (v.60). The intensity of our discipleship is measured as well by the extent to which we let our faith seep out into the world of politics, work and human relations. The depth of our commitment to Jesus is endowed by whether we let our discipleship show in the way we vote, spend, recreate and deal with others. The life of the Holy Spirit in us is not a closed circuit. We are called to be mature channels for the entry of God’s love and spirit into our world.

4. Mt. 13: 12-17

1Mt. 13: 12-17: The purpose of teaching in parables is explained by Jesus. Parables are earthly stories to convey the message of the eternal truths. The listener is advised to make a judgment freeing oneself from personal defenses. The listener being heard the parables from outside, see his/her situation from within. All may not go through these processes because for them parables are only mere stories. 

3. Mk 6: 7-13

     Mk 6: 7-13: To begin with, a disciple of Christ must be under utter simplicity, complete trust, and the generosity which always gives not demanding tone. It is also the hallmark of anyone who follows Jesus. St. Francis Xavier also is an example who preached Jesus in India.

2. Jn. 8: 26-30

1Jn. 8: 26-30: The world is at its fault. It never recognizes Jesus Christ as the son of God. Obedience to his perfect wisdom and acceptance of him as the savior and Lord can cure the individual as well as the world. All know this and haunts their mind. The cure lies before us. It is our responsibility to accept Jesus or reject him. 

1. Lk. 1: 18-20

1Lk. 1: 18-20: Zachariah accepted his personal tragedy, so vehemently to his heart that he blocked all his faculties to believe God’s message.  Though he wanted it dearly, it came suddenly, strongly beyond his comprehension that he was not able to break open from the cocoon of his personal tragedy.