Abide in Him

Christ is the sacrament of God and also of creation. 'Abide' calls for deeper communion with God, creation, and humanity. 'Abiding' cannot be exclusive to Christianity as a religion. Maintaining religion, Christianity has done away with Christ. We are eager to worship, but have no much attempt to 'abide in him.' Worship and devotion are never a romantic attachment or a 'intoxicated religious' world. Christ never ask for it. The life that he asked of the disciples is of becoming like him. 'Making home in him' cannot be possible by recitation of 'Jesus' or repetition of Word of God. It can be true only by seeking the kingdom of God and its justice. That is the only 'way' to be one in the vine, producing fruits, and glorifying the Father. 

Shepherd's Care

There are many relaxation techniques for body and mind. 'Peace' that Christ offered was not a stress-free time. Christ brought us to an experience of shepherd's embrace, of care, of consolation, healing, and strengthening. It is not a perpetual tranquility or smooth going. It is a hope of new life, rising, passing over, and walking. Jesus said that he will be with us always. 

Jesus spoke of himself as the good shepherd who would lead us to green pastures. Our weaknesses, brokenness, sorrows are filled with the care of the shepherd. We may be fed and be satisfied. He takes us to the streams of water, that we may be filled. All these speaks of the goodness of God which often takes the metaphor of a banquet. It is from Christ that we are filled and fed. 

We enter into him in communion with his self, and in communion with one another. There, as the shepherd, we too become door for one another to the green pastures. We become  home to one another that all experience the comfort of the shepherd's care. 

What I give is my flesh

Eating the flesh of Christ is not an easy thing. A routine reception of 'communion' does not ensure consuming Christ, the Word made flesh. Only by entering into communion with God and one another we can be 'satisfied' of eating Him. The flesh he gives us to eat is also a sacrament of human reality in its existential, biological and cosmological dimensions. Thus, the flesh given us to eat ("the bread I give to you is my flesh") has the taste of wounded humanity, its struggles and burdens, sweat, blood and tears. All narratives on suffering are beyond interpretations. His flesh interprets it for us. If the sacramental reception has no connection to the living reality of human flesh, our 'communion' has no relation with Christ.

'Attending' of mass, and receiving of communion as a receiving of  'food of great blessing,' and a 'bread of miraculous power' often keep the reality of communion aside. More than a communion that we enter into, it becomes an instrument of benefit from God. Approached as a sacrament of living presence of Christ, we can never be away from our responsible commitment to the injured flesh of humanity and nature.

Everything exists in him and for him. He holds all things in being. Our flesh, like the Word, is incarnated into communion. Thus his Word is our food, and his flesh is our food.

The third day

The third day is not a miraculous day after two days, it is the moment hope takes us a bit more to the fullness of life and peace. 

Victim

God did not punish Christ on the Cross. It is we who punish the innocent victims seen in the punished Christ on the Cross. So, on one hand, in the crucified we see the mercy and love poured for us, and on the other hand we see the justice to be ensured for the millions of victims who suffer. Both are invitation to embrace the cross, one to accept God's love, and second to extend life through a sense of justice.

"There will be poor always," "someone has to do these things," "at least they have an income" ... are the 'holy sacrifice' language justifying the victimhood. Saviour's redeeming cross should not be a justifying language for injustice. Enter into the victimhood suffered near and far, there there is the life giving Tree; not when cross becomes a devotional object.

Victim suffers a burdening, burning and pulsating pain. To speak to the wearied, what we need is peace that fills us with life. That consoles our 'fire' of anger and direct us into healing and grace. Victims are reminded, not about their woundedness, though important, they are led to peace and love. We think of the abundance of life, not about a destructive end. In time, we enter into fullness of life, consoled, strengthened, and healed.

from the streams of life

Was Jesus fully aware in detail what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem? I like to see as he was not. There were uncertainties and darkness. "Father, this cup ..." was a cry for strength to walk into the darkness. Like him, we too drink from the stream of life, to step into the dark with trust in the Father. It terrifies, but as we walk, the stream gives freshness to life. Led by hope we walk until light begins to spread.

Uncertainties and complexities we face are often termed as evil, even are personified. Listening to these realities are difficult, but brings light to the darkness we are burdened with. Easy readymade answers may offer satisfaction for us. They are not truth, they are stories.

What must shine in us in the darkness is the virtues by which we grow into Christ. But these virtues we desire can be grown only when we know that we are one body in Christ. The pain and suffering is seen in compassion, shared in charity, acted upon in justice. God loves us in Christ, we grow to Christ to be in communion with the Father, "Into your hands, I commend my spirit."

Stone her to death

‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’  If I don't, I will be counted among those who have sinned. Today we would surely stone, because it is fully right, and the law has to be fulfilled. 'In the name of mercy we cannot compromise justice,' goes the reason. Mercy has its nature, when it sincerely attempts to re-member the other into ones own self, into the body of Christ, and to God. How can the sinful, the condemned, the waste of the world be membered into my own very self? That is the challenge of mercy.  

Susanna was innocent. But the truth of the powerful was the truth accepted by the religious and holy community. Truth cries out in the victims of injustice, and courage seeks for that truth which is revealed only when justice prevails. 

Spirituality takes us face to face with hardness, mourning, brokenness, rising up, freedom of our lives. Many bear the burden of condemnation. How can we do the re-membering of those lives into our body without mercy? Often we rightfully condemn and seek destruction. Mercy seeks life, as truth opens the unknown web of sinfulness where the 'concerned sinner' thrown into. 

Lifeless ruler Christ

"Christ lives, Christ rules, and Christ commands" is a strange Christ with no light of the Gospel. He is not sent by God to give us life and love.

Christ brings us peace, which is life-giving. 'Ruler Christ' demands submission which is not life-giving. Christ is the truth, and opens our heart to truth, that we may have freedom of the children of God. 'True truth' always has a face of compassion and charity. Compassion makes truth courageous, fruitful, and charity makes truth into a life-giving reality. 'Commanding Christ' creates truth and asks to make that the truth.

Grain of Wheat

A deceived sense of fulfilling the covenant actually makes our heart a heart of stone. No ritual, or strict following of religious law guarantees the faithfulness in the covenant. Yet, our confidence is in ways of ritualistic, devotional performances. Some are very attractive offering power, benefits, prosperity, 'deliverance' and the like. Devoid of God, they make our hearts empty of life and love.

"I will 'plant' my law," is also significant. It may have its own time to grow. We cannot program the growth of God's kingdom in ourselves and in a community. Grace grows through our struggles and pains. If we are sincere before God, grace finds its channels in us even across graceless conditions, in our sinful fate.

The law of God is not any written code or commandments. 'I am yours, and You are mine,' is the covenant. The self-emptying death was the ultimate sign of God's love for us. It is from this sacrificial love, the law of God is planted in our hearts. Like a grain of wheat, that love which is planted in our heart begin to grow once it is offered in self-emptying moments of our life. 

Sprouting pain of constant origination

A sprouting pain is a graceful part of growth in every life. Sacrifice, life, joy, hope ... are deeply connected to this sprouting pain. The value of a sacrifice is not in the suffering involved, but the life it produces. No suffering has a salvific value from its suffering as though God is pleased with suffering 'for His sake.' The salvific value is in the hope and joy a person lives despite of suffering because of the trust he/she has placed in God.
The hope is not something about a life after death. Death is not the foundation to meditate on our hope. Life is the foundation. Hope gives us the life to live for the next moment, and next day. That hope gives us the sense of being originated every moment. Still we are being born. Every moment is a sprouting moment, a moment of our origin.

Dwelling place of God

'Full of grace' is what can be said of the dwelling place of God. Ever-flowing grace, and life is the beauty of that dwelling. We are covered, flowed over, consoled, and recreated in the abundance of waters. Our lives are getting more and more centered around worship places. But, do those worship places represent ever-flowing grace? When a worship place become a boundary, how can it contain God? We need symbols and life-styles that represent a temple-less God; God being present everywhere. 

Darkness, life, light

Nicodemus was an honoured man. He didn't have anything to hide. Yet he came in darkness to meet Christ. 'Darkness' deserves our special attention, for it is very significant. In the beginning there was darkness . God said; "let there be light." There was order, the cosmos. Creation was sign of God's goodness, beauty and love. The same light radiates in us and on us.

In the words of prophet Isiah we have a wonderful expression, "the people who sat in darkness saw a great light." It was a time of invasion, insecurity, captivity, and bondage. They were in darkness devoid of god's glory. They also interpreted it to be the outcome of their own sin, another expression of darkness.

St Paul uses 'death' to expression the lightless-ness of our life, a life that has not known Christ. Being in Christ we have life or grace. St John imagines the same as an error if we don't know Christ, since he is the truth. When we know Christ, the truth, we have light.

What is that light and life?
The light and life that we receive is the gospel. The gospel is that 'God so loved the world, and sent his only son. Anyone who believes in him may have eternal life. Those who sit in darkness see a great light as Christ is being lifted up on the cross. Even in the most unjust death, he poured out love for all humanity. It is that love that we need to see on the cross. Jesus does not ask for pity on his suffering and bleeding image and take pains and burdens for ourselves. The light that radiates over those who sit in darkness of chaos, captivity, bondage, sinfulness or error is the experience of the love of God. Only the love that comes from God can clear our chaos, heal our pains, fill our areas of lifelessness with grace, nurture our life with virtues. As he is being lifted up, the light of God's unfathomable love spread over our hearts, our societies. Then, as John wrote, we come to light, and all know that we do the things of God.

In chaos, God makes his voice resound, and transform our life into a life of beauty, goodness, and love. In the unique life of each one of us these chaos and beaty are also significantly unique. It is there the Son of man being lifted up that the light may shine on many more around us.

The focal point here is that God makes the light shine over us to console us and to lead us forward. God gives life. Often we prefer to believe a theology of condemnation, and we call it humility, repentance, and act of conscience. Our focus is on God's wrath, curses and punishment. That is against the light of Christ. As St John stated, "though light came to the world, they preferred darkness." "They are condemned already," not by God, but by their own refusal to receive light and life.

Godless godliness

How did a people whose lives were filled with godly things missed God terribly?

When godly things - beliefs, traditions, rituals, customs etc turn self oriented and intolerant, they harden our hearts. Bypassing their directive function, they glorify themselves. They stand for power, and religion. They offer benefits, create a world of religion which is 'only true, and only holy.' Holiness is sought and experienced in closed chamber. All outside this chamber is condemned to be sinners.

Without personalizing the goodness and justice of God, we cannot love God. The 'fear of the lord' is seen not in god-full life, but in a heart and mind of humility, gratitude, and generosity. That is why love of god is inseparable from love of neighbours.

Christ - the fulfilment of the law

The revelation of God was indeed the law that God gave us to follow. I am slow to believe that the innumerous laws were part of revelation. Is Christ the end that a Christian, or the Church itself aims to complete or become? We have systems, laws, rituals and traditions which have a function of directing. They are not the end, they are not the things that we want to preserve and secure. In what we desire, pray, act, and do, Christ is the end, the Omega. Christ alone fulfils the law, because Christ is the end/purpose of the law. 

No one, also the church, cannot attain this end as long as Christ is made a crowned deity.

True Worship-forgiveness

True worship can happen only when individuals and societies are ready to come face to face with their own truth. Only truth can give us true humility, and truth alone gives us the needed courage for true contrition. If, thus we have received, forgiveness is that courage one can offer to the other for coming in face to face with truth. The focus is not on the offence. but on justice that build mutually.

When truth evades, trust is given to the temple, sacrifices, the king, priests, the prophets, and princes. Devoid of truth, they become instruments of injustice. These prideful greatness themselves became causes of shame. These must be radiant with the truth of the society and of the offeror, and the truth of God.

A humble, true, contrite, forgiving heart worships truly. Other worships insults God though they verbally and ritually praise God.

Ransom unknown to God

Ransom theology has done great harm to Christianity throughout centuries. It does not represent what Jesus taught, did, and what he told about God. It is fascinating for preachers of sin-punishment logic for it can exploit a well cultivated guilt-conscience. 

Where is space of theology of grace, creation, and life? Space for creation is there in the liturgy of Easter. But scarcely the liturgy touches on creation, or the abundance of life. The life and light of easter glory is preached and heard as a continuation of suffering that is seen as ransom as though the father's justice demanded human blood for evoking his mercy. 

Ransom theology in one way or the other justifies suffering and even violence. Suffering and evil must be condemned as suffering and violence themselves. Son of God suffered and died, many innocents suffered and died. Many suffer and die as victims of war, hunger and humiliation. They are indeed victims of injustice. It must be called injustice.

Ransom theology models a saviour who paid the ransom, and yet still  promote  a spirituality of penance and reparations; again a GOD who demands suffering that mercy may be evoked in him. Why there is no penances and reparations for the injustices that we see around? Why don't we take up actions that ensure justice and see true penance in them? Self-inflicted suffering and being hungry just to appease God only serves an empty GOD who is a lie. 

Temple and the law

Laws (even religious) have the capacity only to demand a social order. A relationship with the divine can not be realized by any law. What we need is a sincere heart. A temple must be a symbol of a sincere heart where true worship can happen. Otherwise temples will promote worship that suits GODs created in the framework of the power of laws. Does our worship-places represent a sincere heart?

Christ the Law

We may extend or narrow our friendships, intensify enmity or compromise with evil, all by manipulating law that we have access to. Being lawless, we can be very much ‘righteous’ to ourselves and before ourselves. The sacred laws codified were with a hope to be holy as God is holy. The holiness of God cannot be real if there is no justice, even if we have ‘holy’ structures, incense and ‘holy’ songs and praises everywhere.

Paul finds Christ as the new law. We cannot manipulate, or be hypocritical and follow Christ the law. Christ is not rules and regulations. Christ is the way we walk and the end we accomplish. Though frail, sincerity is the only requirement to follow Christ the law.

Often, we hear this gift to be led by Christ the law as individual obligation. It is ‘you’ (in singular) who is to follow Christ, keep his ‘commandments,’ and be holy. It is ‘we’ or ‘you’ (in plural) that follow Christ, or follow Christ the law, and be holy as God is holy, and being perfect as our heavenly Father. Has any one got a merit, it is shared for the good of all. Has anyone flawed? It is a concern for all, not as a worry or shame, but as a need of the body to make one another complete.

In these little ones

Purpose of the laws is to train one to see the face of God in the other. So the law, more than any of the rules and regulations, take us into the most vulnerable conditions. It is there we see the face of God, and serve God. No ritual or custom can substitute it. 

In order to train ourselves in this, it is also important to identify temptations that disfigure a Christian vision. 'In these little ones you did it to me' goes through a temptation of screening these little ones through our celebrated prejudices of race, religion, language and morals.

Wilderness

God, man, the tempter, the angels, all in the wilderness. Did Mark have Adam in mind as he sees them together? However, the wilderness shapes one's life amidst our struggle among the angels, the beasts, and the evil one. It is the good news that stands as mirror to see what shape we have received. So the true repentance is our alikeness to the Good News.

Every temptation is a hindrance to the shaping done by the Good News. They don't appear evil. They offer something good, and even as something divinely true. But they don't carry the blessedness of the Gospel. God's word becomes an instrument of magic, God's care is assumed to play a hero. Every temptation is a distortion of God's blessedness to a deity's strength, and is a bowing down before the devil. 

Tax Collector

A tax collector (in the New Testament times) was the most hated person in the society. He had to hear the filthiest words charged to him. He was not necessarily a cruel exploiter of people. He collected taxes for Rome. The Roman system ruled with power and illtreated all under them.

 
Mathew may have been hated by all. For Jesus, he was not a man to be hated. Jesus' gaze entered the prison that Mathew was thrown into. His love lifted the yoke that Mathew carried. He was led to liberation, and his days were turned holy. The despised found a home in the house of Mathew to find healing of compassion.

The tax booth was more open to Christ than the temple quarters. The custodians of God killed the anointed one.

gospel impossible

 There are preachers and evangelists who have become more believable than Jesus Christ. Their kingdom-values exploit the emotional sensitivities of the 'believers,' and true faith is given. Gospel is inclusive, liberative and peaceful. These, they say, cannot be the pleasing to God. Given the context, these preachers are more correct than Jesus. But, they make the gospel impossible.

Constitutions of Vatican II in Synodal Formation

I am grateful for this opportunity to share a brief note on the Synodal formation. It is not theological in nature, but a simple presentation. Fifty-six plus twenty major superiors of congregations serving in the archdiocese of Goa come from different parts of India. This very fact, offers a context for seeing clearly the human condition today in concreteness “with its problems, its wounds, its challenges, and its potential.” It is a time of global crises, in environment, pastoral leadership, political systems. We are also in an age of war. These socio-cultural, ecclesiastical, and pastoral conditions may be considered into the synodal formation keeping in mind the constitutions of the Second Vatican council, Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World). Here as we think of ways for synodal formation, the new problems and challenges must be at the background of reading anew the teaching of Scripture and tradition. As part of a synodal formation we need a process of reading and reflecting on these constitutions in a synodal way.

The council called for a return to the roots. The foundation is Christ. The renewal process must take us to Christ. It is time to evaluate the ways that led us to fix our attention on some traditions. There the church does not become a universal sacrament of salvation, instead it reduces itself to representing certain historical time and culture. Synodal formation is to enable the members of the church to find Christ afresh among us.

Liturgy expresses Christ. Liturgy, whether it is a sacrament, a blessing, offices, or a domestic liturgical celebration is an experience of Christ. The participation of everyone ensures awareness, engagement, enrichment in the closeness to Christ. A synodal formation calls for meaningfully planning for all these types of liturgies. A true synodal formation can avoid divisions in the name of uniformity and rigidity in matters of liturgy. As liturgy is catechetical, it seeks ways for meaningfully sharing, participating, involving, enacting of the faith. The participation involves involvement of people, not just experts, in the meaning making and life-giving process in liturgy.

New trends in religion, - beliefs, structures, attitudes - happening globally do enter the church here also. When they come in the name of tradition, true faith and holiness we are even ready to condemn the council and Pope Francis himself. There are also many exciting and attractive forms of spirituality and religion entering the church. Many of us are agents of these trends knowingly or unknowingly.  

Synodal formation aims to foster a renewed consciousness that church is the people of God. All the members together make up the body of Christ. It is a living body, not an operating system. The synod formation must necessarily work towards resolving the strangeness created by the church functioning as an organisation. The deciding group and obeying group distinction is never a synodal way. We must come out of the full satisfaction of participation in an opportunity to light a lamp, offer bouquet, clicking photos together. Participation involves planning and decision making. Are some less powerful and less holy? The universal call to holiness is often presented by many vibrant preachers as an obligation. Every walk of life finds and contributes to the holiness of the church, because of the holiness of Christ. Why then is still the holiness of priesthood and religious life still on the top of the pyramid and others are worldly. Why we have nothing to speak when media with wrong ideologies publish these hypes using the life stories of our members?

The teaching on the Word of God reminds us that we are not people of the book but we are people who encounter and live the Word of God. When the Bible is made a magical text and all kinds of misinterpretations take place, a synodal formation involves pastoral and dogmatic attention into the ways of reading the Bible. The Words of eternal life is a participation in an event. Popular practices have made it a devotion of words and texts. There are practices of bibliomancy and bibliolatrous. Only a proper ecclesiastical sensitivity to what is happening in and outside the church lead us into a formative time all rereading, understanding, and living the word of God with our lives.

 Who are to participate in the synodal formation? Who needs it? Synodal formation is a formation that has to happen within the whole church. It requires a spiritual and pastoral conversion towards receptive listening to all voices and an honest reading of the signs of the times.  Its an ecclesiastical formation.  At the foundational level it necessarily involves redefining of authority and power. The Christian meaning and purpose of authority and power. We cannot see the kingdom of God coming in reality by maintaining imperial structures. We need to reflect together how can we make possible a process of listening to all the members of the church, in order to listen to the voice of God. Can the authorities allow a synodal process in our systems? Is synodal formation for ourselves also? Unfortunately, it is in this time when we speak and discuss many things about the synodal nature of the church, we find that there is no synodality in many processes. The attitudes behind those unfortunate incidents must speak to us what image of the church we like to project to ourselves and our world.

Synod seminars and discussions are beautiful. But our encounter with truth is far away. We must acknowledge that many sensitive and unchristian elements are preferred and maintained.  Sincere attention is lacking in areas that would burn our fingers. Synodal formation cannot happen if we cannot come face to face with truth. There still exists divisions based on cast, and regional politics. How can we plan a synodal formation that really involves the sociocultural, ecclesiastical, pastoral conflicts seriously? Synodal formation has the potential to form ourselves in basic values concerning human person and dignity, equality, solidarity with the least in order to form a just political stand. We also need synodal formation in training ourselves in the values of the kingdom of God in order to see our faith, liturgy, and the very vision of the church itself. A hurried synodal process ended up in some question answer sessions without having the big picture. Instead, people got negative narratives from videos that it is a destructive process in the church.  The conservative blend is going to make a havoc and rift within our churches. They do have good reception in our communities. If synod formation has to attend to the growth of faith, how sincerely are we going to correct the prevailing superstitions and false believes? There is no synodality when we get no response as we point out these elements to people concerned. Synodal sensitivity is in want when authorities find very nice with a media coverage of a person who left a million worth job and joined a congregation where there are five other ‘ordinary’ vocations also made vows together. We cannot find a synodal functioning when no response come from higher CRI authorities when due issues are conveyed. The Grievance Redressal Cell is not accessible to our members. Even now, if a superior is present to listen to phone calls or checks letters of the formees our speaking of synod is far from reality. Synod becomes a mockery when even now, the ‘claimed rape-victimhood’ of a religious sister and the uncertainty of her companions need to challenge our synodal listening (The rape accused is no more an accused, instead is acknowledged as a servant of God). There is no synodal process when sisters have to have adorations with tears because they don’t get proper salary in our institutes and are transferred unreasonably.

Synodal formation involves all of us, what we and our people believe in reality, what we imagine of a church, how we attend to the complexities of life and try to understand. Are we still the providers and decision makers? It’s a time to start afresh from Christ who showed an authority that is life-giving not ruling.

:- Reflection presented at XVII annual major superiors meeting 19th January 2024

"Teacher, where do you stay?"

Masters of religion does not necessarily teach faith and a life in God. They often create an atmosphere to make religion a passion. They, unfortunately, find their resources from channels and publications that hold scepters of intolerance. Some of them also pick up anti-narratives of the teachings of the church, and make themselves only true and traditional Christians.

To 'visit' where one's master 'stays,' may help us to understand whether the master hears from God or not. The signs of a master who is alike Christ are like freedom joy, peace, goodness, grace, love. Intolerance is the sign of a master who teaches only 'religion' which is empty of God. "We will teach you who are 'ordinary' and worldly people," is their language. They promise to pray for us since they hold an elite holiness. They offer salvation for us by leading us to a world of fear, punishment, curses, demons and devils.

As a disciple, when our life and faith makes home with God, we know closely the dwelling place of a true master. Its a growth from Simon, which means 'hearing or listening,' to a faith strong as rock, Cephas. On this rock the church is renewed and rebuilt as light to the nations, and as life for the world. Only in such a journey we will understand the true meaning of Christ being the lamb of God.
For one who has made home with God, the lamb is the outpouring of life. Masters of religion favourably chose to emphasize the atonement had to be and has to be made. God seeking retribution is within the boundaries of conditions of his own love. These masters have not made home at the bosom of the Father. They close the doors against faith and the abundance of life.

Christ the teacher knew the heart of God, he wants to come and make home in us. So he speaks of the life in abundance. He teaches us to trust in that life irrespective of growth or crisis, joys or sorrows. Through the consolation that we receive through his anointing we know the 'Christ' in him.

Eternal life and its other worldly oddness

Eternal life is not a life in some other world. God has formed us from the earth, and yet we were not ready to accept its limitations. Conquering and despising were the ways humans adapted to face these limitations justifying that God has commanded to conquer and God has called us to depart from the world. Every moment can be eternal if we fructify the beauty that is within us, even in the midst of pain and crisis.