WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS …..

When we hear today’s Gospel most of us would thing, at least the beginning of the Gospel where it says, ‘sell your possessions and give alms’, (Luke 12:33) is not for us who are poor who consider ourselves underprivileged, but it’s only for the rich, who have more. Is it? But in my reflection it’s for all of us. To everyone. Word of God is not partial, not one sided, when it speaks, it speaks for all. I feel that most of the times we consider the Words of God which is favorable to us, the rest we think it’s for others.

In the beginning of the Gospel we read that, 1. Sell your possessions and give alms, 2. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, and 3. Where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Don’t you feel that first two verses are seems a bit contradictory? We have purse to have our possessions, or money; when we sell and give it up, they why we need purse? Here it says that you make purses that do not wear out, it did not say keep the purse with you for yourselves. We make the purse that do not wear out and keep it in heaven to store our treasures of blessings that we will receive through giving up all in charity by selling them up. All, everyone should sell out and give to others. What does it mean? A simple thing. HELP. Make your possession to be avail to those who are in most need of them. Possession means not only our properties, but also our time and talents.  “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Those who can give from their abundance of wealth let them give from that, those who can give the time to be with or to listen to others let them do so, or those who can extend their talents and knowledge let them do so. Let everyone give according to what one has. Why should we give? To make ourselves purse that will not worn out to gather and treasure the abundant blessings of God. For St. Paul continues to say the effect of giving cheerfully is that, ‘God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.’ (2 Corinthians 9:8) This is what follows next in today’s Gospel, when we give our possessions (of this world) which will be destroyed by moths or stolen by thief, ‘an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.’ (Luke 12:33) will be in store for us.

The third point of our discussion says that ‘where your treasure is, there your hearts will be also.’ (Luke 12:34) Where do our hearts go usually? When the parents happen to go far away their children and house, they say that their thought would be always there with them, on the children and on the possession. The same could be applied to close friends. Mean to say that always thinking of that person. Why? Because we consider them as our valuable treasure, or treasured possession. Most of the time our hearts are roaming around on this earth as we have all our possessions only here on earth. That’s the reason Jesus today inviting us to have some possession in heaven by giving up what we have here on earth which will be practically useless for us after our death.

God says in 2 Chronicles 7:16 that his eyes and heart will be always there. Where? Among us. ‘I will live in them and walk among them’ (2 Corinthians 6:16; Cref. Leviticus 26:12 & Revelation 21:3) Why should his eyes and heart should be here and why should he live among men? That’s because we are his treasured possession. “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” (Deuteronomy 7:6) Only we are his treasured possession among all things on this earth. As God’s heart and thoughts are here, our hearts and thoughts should be there on God.

Another point of my reflection was, ‘From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.’ (Luke 12:48) This is a reminder for us all those who want to acquire much, possess more on this earth. It’s obvious that when we store up our treasure in heaven, we no need to give account, because it is already a given account, much will not be required of us or we need not to pay tax for our heavenly possession. But for whatever we desire and possess much on this earth we have to give account of them all, it is a requirement and it will be demanded.

Who is a beggar? One who begs? Nope, beggar is the one who don’t have anything. Since he does not have anything he begs. And no one will go and ask him to give account for anything or ask him to pay any tax. Who is a King? One who has everything? Nope, king is the one to whom everything is given. Nothing belong to him as such, everything is given. He has to give account for everything he do as the protector of the people. Much is given to him so much will be demanded of him. If you just remove all that is given to him, he is just one with the beggar. We never think of this, is it not? We just risk our time, talents and health to possess more, acquire more, and have more and more. We don’t think that none of these is ours and none of these will give us real happiness.  Our real treasure is God which will never be taken away from us.

Once there was a king on his birthday he made an announcement that all the people in his kingdom can come to the Treasury of the palace and take whatever and how much ever they want. As much as they can carry. So, the people were waiting eagerly for the birthday of the king. When the day came from dawn to dusk people were flocking with all their members in their family who could carry something. They all were restless in making their choice in the treasury of the king, what to take what to leave. When the king was coming around the treasury watching people, some are very busy in accumulating things and valuables to carry home, others, a very few come and fell at him feet and thanked him, some kiss his hand as sign of gratitude. But the king noticed that there was one little girl standing alone and watching everyone without touching anything. The king went to her and asked, ‘hey little girl. Why are you standing here? You like any of the treasure in my kingdom?’ The little girl in reply answered, ‘Yes my King, I do would like to take some treasure for me home.’ ‘Then go and take it, it’s all getting over’, the king replied. The asked him, ‘My king, is the promise you made is true? Whatever I touch will be mine?’ ‘Oh yea, I am king, I don’t withdraw my promise for whatever cause’, was the proud answer of the King. Then the little girl pausing for awhile when the king was puzzled in wonder, she touched the King. She said that she did not want anything else except him. And according to the promise the King became her treasured possession and all that belongs him too.

Now where is our hearts and where will it be? Let us store our treasures in heaven in purses that will not worn out, so that our heart will be there. Let us live together in one mind and heart intend upon God.

Help us Lord Jesus, to give away what we have to others with joyful hearts so that we will have you as our treasured possession because you live among us especially among the poor and the broken hearted. May we recognize you and care for you by caring our neighbors so that we may have treasure in heaven. Amen. 

HIDE AND SEEK

In our childhood days we might have played Hide and Seek.  It is also called as Thief and Police game. As adults we continue the same with the Lord. Thinking that He doesn't know it. IT - the sin we want to conceal from HIM and even from our own selves. 

This game started with Adam and Eve came down to generations with Zacchaeus, and still continues. Why do we play this? Because 

1. We lack in the true knowledge of God our Lord, (Psalm 139, Hosea 4:6, Isaiah 5:13, Jeremiah 5:4). We think of our Lord as a strict military officer waiting to punish(Psalms 89:33). 

2. We lack in our Faith (John 8:45-46). But the core or the root is 

3. We Lack in our LOVE for HIM. (Jeremiah 16:11)

We are not able to believe that HE is Merciful more merciful than we can imagine and think. We do not want to admit our sins for fear of shame. Our pride is too big to accept any correction and we cannot and do not want to lose our respect, our image created by our outward appearances. Therefore we play this game with The Lord, with ourselves and with others.

To admit one's mistake or sins we need to have a greater courage to trample on the world's' opinions, to pull oneself out from all the hide outs which he finds comfortable and convenient. A courage not to look back or go back to the past, to put an end to all that leads to that sin. This courage has a determination to look only to the Lord and not to the world.  It calls for greater love and trust and self-denial.  

This is what took place in the life of St. Mary Magdalene (Luke 7) and Zacchaeus (Luke 9).  In the life of St. Augustine and St. Francis of Assisi. They had a courage to admit their sins because they knew and believed in His merciful love. They had the courage to overlook the opinion of the world and let go off all their hide outs. They had the determination to follow HIM alone and never to turn back.

Am I playing a Hide and seek with the Lord?

Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to help us to be brave enough to admit our sins humble enough to ask for forgiveness good enough to believe in His Mercy and strong enough to endure till the end.  Amen.

(by Sagayam Therese)

NEED FOR SPEED: FAST AND FURIOUS Vs FAITH AND PATIENCE

See that you have your belts done up and your lamps lit. (Lk. 12:35)
Be like people waiting for their Master to Return... (Lk. 12:36)
Blessed those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. (Lk. 12:37)
You too must stand ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Lk. 12:40)

I could not or rather say did not make an effort to write articles in the year 2015 and I don't want that to happen to this year, so I thought of sharing some of my reflection which I had during the Canonical Retreat in the Year 2015, October 20.  It was a different experience in that Retreat the Retreat Preacher gave different Bible passages for us to read and reflect alone and will share with him, so apart from the reflection what I shared with him I would like to share this with you all.

Today everyone thinks there is a NEED FOR SPEED, everything should be instant. Speed Post, Courier, Quick Service, Xoom instant Money Transfer, Fast Food, Non Stop Bus Services, Point to Point Express, Bullet Train, these are few among many things that we love the most. All these and more coming into existence because people have no time... No time for What? No time to wait.  we are all in the track of Fast and Furious. Fast because we in a hurry, Furious when things get slow and when it comes to a stand still, we are just out of our mind.  We don't like traffic signals, and speed breaks, all we like is to travel on the super high ways always. As we are in a hurry in the morning we just enter into a shower room and xoom... instant shower instead of a single shower 5 or 6 shower opens at a time. (Wasting water? Oh never mind, things to be done nothing to worry as long as my desire is fulfilled). Electric tooth brush to clean the teeth. (Lazy to brush the teeth even? Oh no it's not lazy, it's technology.) Everything is done instantly and when it comes to the matter of food, ah it's fast food. (All those stuffed, canned ready made food with lots of preservatives and chemicals? Fast food, slow Digestion). And to go School, College, Office, to go fast and reach soon, we all buy the car, a family needs 3, 4 cars or 5, 6 cars. Oh I hate this traffic. What else to do when everyone want to go fast and have a car??? Fuel consumption, pollution? who bothers. Those who go by walk or cycle reach the place sooner than those who have a fast race car. We know but still we own. We have no time to walk even to the next few house??? We know the results, but still we do it.

The lotteries and reality shows feed the hunger of instant rich mentality of the people. This even paves ways for the crimes like, cheating, stealing, killing and all other kinds of dishonest ways. And thus people become selfish, self centered, dominant, no value for humanness, kindness, caring and sharing. In short no time for LOVE, to LOVE.  And this becomes another reason to bribe. We pay to get things done fast, making a false nothing that we can buy anything or do anything with money. And where to get money? hmm... instant money making with any kinds of means. Money and material gains becomes the center of life. As a result we are all Fast and Furious to make Money.

This fast and furious mentality has so much sunk deeply into us that with the same mentality we approach God also. Prayer becomes the pressure. We pressurize God to do certain things for us. We sometimes even command God to do it, and do it fast. We even ready to pay for it if he does it fast in the name of pledge right? like lighting a candle or putting some cash in the love offering, etc. If nothing happens we are frustrated with God and avoid him altogether. If we don't get a quick answer from God, as we like in our own time, we lose our faith and patience and don't go to church or pray or as already told we just forget him in our life.  We don't think how much restlessness, stress and fear it brings when we look for instant solution.  In real life we don't think that, that which comes fast will go fast. 'Sudden riches will decrease,' 'Wealth gained quickly will dwindle away,' (Proverbs 13:11)  Do not wear yourself out trying to be rich, do not dwell on it. (Proverbs 23:4) What you gather little by little with much hard work will stay forever and you will always have contentment and peace of mind. Everything has its own time. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) God's time is the best time.  Nothing in the world comes instantly. Instant solution brings increased problems. One goes and another comes, right? 

Our God is the God who waits patiently like the prodigal father. with hope he waits. (Luke 15:11-32)  Many think that God delays, but he is patience. The Lord does not delay in fulfilling his promise, though some speak of delay; rather he gives you time because he does not want anyone to perish, but that all may come to conversion. (2Peter 3:9) He waits in patience for everyone to come back, to be saved. God can do all things: anything, anytime, anywhere; but he took time in history to accomplish our salvation.  Starting from creation, through the freedom of the people of Israel, and to fulfill the promise of the Savior, in everything God took time. 

Waiting in patience with faith and hope is not a waste of time as many of us think.  In my experience it's a time of preparation, training, learning, strengthening, recharging, rejuvenating, refreshing, reviving, regenerating. God could have created the whole world in one day or in a single word. Why should God prepare Moses and send to Egypt to perform ten miracles? Or he could have brought the people of Israel from Egypt to the land of Canaan just in three days walk instead of taking a long 40 years round the desert? Jesus could have brought salvation just instantly - why should he wait for 30 years to grow and 3 years to preach, suffer and die??? It really took a lot of time right? Why? If we have to reflect on that, we will surely understand why everything happens in our life, not instantly, but little by little in it's proper time according to the will of God.

The former after sowing the seed waits patiently for it's growth, when the plant grows naturally with naturally manure, it is strong and nutritious and delicious.  Instead the hybrid, and genetically modified plants are less nutritious with more side effects and deceases.  That which comes fast, goes fast or may be faster. Why we are all in the Fast Track? Fear, Greed, Selfishness, Pride. 

This Fast and Furious attitude has reduced, silenced or erased our dependency on God and his plan. We think our reason can achieve anything; we believe that science can give answer for everything; we imagine that humanity can overpower divinity.  But we are falling, we are falling like the Tower of Babel, we are falling back into the original sin: Self Reliance, Independent and egoistic - self centered.  We fail to learn and realize that we can do nothing without Him. (John 15:5)

The LORD is good to those who wait for him,to the soul that seeks him.It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentation 3:25-26)

Those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:31)