Sunday 9 October
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel - Luke 17:11-19 “…threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him…. Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you”. Gratitude is an expression of your faith. The way the Samaritan leper expresses his gratitude is very touching. “Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him”. Turning back, praising God at the top of his voice, and throwing himself at the feet of Jesus. Three actions: turning back, with gratitude you turn back to Jesus, you change, you convert; praising God at the top of his voice, with gratitude you give your best, all what you can, all what you have; throwing himself at the feet, with gratitude you surrender your complete self at His feet. Then, it’s important to notice what Jesus rewards him. “Stand up and go on your way”. Jesus is giving him back his freedom as son of God. Stand up like a son and go on your way with your freedom. Gratitude gives you back your dignity as sons and daughter of God. Meanwhile, the other cured lepers are going on their way to show to the priests, the Samaritan leper goes on his way with his freedom as a son of God. The former tied around the law and the later freed by grace. So, the question here is: Are you grateful enough to be gain your freedom as son or daughter of God?
Saturday 8 October
Saturday of week 27 in Ordinary Time Gospel - Luke 11:27-28 How can somebody be happier than the womb that bore Jesus? But it is Jesus who is saying, “Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it”. So, there is no way to doubt it. The woman who was speaking to Jesus, was mentioning to the happiness of carrying Jesus and serving Jesus intimately. But what Jesus refers is a greater happiness, which comes from identification of oneself with Him. When you hear the word of God and keep it, the Word incarnates in you, and you become united with Him. “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn 14:23). Mother Mary had this happiness too par excellence. So, this happiness which Jesus proposes is more than the happiness we receive from serving Him. We can serve Jesus without keeping the word of God. The challenge which the words of Jesus put is this: Are we content enough with the happiness we receive from serving Him or are we going for greater happiness which comes from the listening the word of God and keeping it?
Friday 7 October
Our Lady of the Rosary Friday of week 27 in Ordinary Time Gospel - Luke 1:26-38 Rosary is not a repetition of a prayer. It is complete celebration of the mystery of salvation enacted in the history of humanity. It is a journey together with Mother Mary through the events of the Salvific history. We stand along with Mother Mary and live together with her the events in the life of Jesus Christ with the same faith and with same heart living the sentiments of joy, sorrow, hope and grace. Unity in the faith and in the heart with Mother Mary. This possibility is the gift of Rosary. Not only this, then we move while reciting the Rosary, to identify around us the same events which Jesus assimilated into Him in incarnation. The events of joy, events of sadness, events of hope and events of grace and participate in those events together with Mother Mary in thanking Jesus, in interceding to Him, in praising Him and in glorifying Him.
Thursday 6 October
Saint Bruno, Priest Thursday of week 27 in Ordinary Time Gospel - Luke 11:5-13 “…how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” This is the promise of Jesus. So, the first thought which comes to my mind is, “are you searching for Holy Spirit?”, “are we knocking for Holy Spirit?”, “are we asking for Holy Spirit?”. If we are not searching, knocking, or asking for Holy Spirit, what are we searching, knocking, or asking for? Then, the promise of Jesus is something very fundamental. It’s the supreme gift. The Holy Spirit. Because it is the Gift which pushes our search from the finite realities to the infinite realities. Because it is the Gift which shifts our knocking at from some fleeting doors to the doors of eternity. Because it is the Gift which drives our asking for a perishable delight to the eternal life.