2017 April

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These reflections are brought to you by the seminarians at

Holy Cross Seminary, Pune, India.

Please send your comments and suggestions to:

cscseminary@gmail.com
2017 April 1
Readings: Jer 11: 18 20; Jn 7: 40 53

In todays Gospel, we see Jesus having a dialogue with Pharisees. And a

large crowd of people were listening to their discussion. Some people
believed that Jesus was a prophet and some others believed that he was
Christ. Because at that time there were some disputes about coming of
the Messiah and that the messiah would come from Bethlehem. This
was their belief; but they did not believe in Jesus who was present in
front of them and did not accept his teaching repent and believe
because the kingdom of God is near. So, they were trying to find fault
with Jesus so that they could punish him and take revenge on him.
Perhaps, it is human tendency to not accept the others as they are.
Indeed, when I look around I see that we too have the same standards
of Pharisees, because every day we hear in the news about killing of
people or killing the character of persons by publicizing lies about them.

So this gospel reading is inviting us to listen to the voice in our hearts

and minds. This is a call for us to monitor or control our thoughts and
judgments. We must realize how quickly and instinctively we jump to
judge another person. Someone said: when you judge the other use
your heart and when you judge yourself use your head, because
judging the other is easy but difficult to follow. So this is an opportunity
for us to change our minds and our hearts to love the other without
judging.

Bharath csc

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2017 April 2
Readings: Ezek 37: 12 14, Rom: 8: 8-11, Jn 11: 1 45

In the vision of the valley of dry bones prophet Ezekiel

communicates Gods message of moving from lifelessness,
hopelessness and death to life, hope and resurrection. We take
care of plants and animals but we cant give life to them, only
God is the author of life. Resurrection is clearly portrayed in the
vision of the valley of dry bones and alludes to the resurrection
of the New Testament. St. Paul contrasts between flesh and spirit
in the second reading. Our bodies are not sinful but we can
become sinful by following what is base and unchristian. Just
opposite to flesh is Spirit and the spirit of God gives life to our
mortal bodies. St. John in the gospel presents the story of raising
Lazarus to life. Disciples, Martha, Mary and people are unable to
fully perceive what Jesus is talking about. Till now people knew
of Jesus as a healer and a miracle worker but did not even think
and believe that Jesus could raise Lazarus. Jesus himself tells
Martha, I am the resurrection and the life.

Balaraj K. csc

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2017 April 3
Readings: Dan 13:41c-62; John 8:1-11

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. When we
point a finger to others we point three fingers to ourselves. The
Mosaic Law was still very prevalent during the time of Jesus.
Jesus being a master contextualized the law in a very practical
way. Whatever great their sins may be Jesus does not reject any
sinner. Jesus looks at the adulteress as sinner of today, but a saint
of tomorrow. Jesus is realistic in his actions; he knows that
human beings are controlled by sins. This perspective of Jesus
sets the adulteress free. The accusers to Susana and the elders
who brought the adulterous woman to Jesus still exist in our
Societies. Many women are victims like Susana and the
adulterous woman. Many innocent people are being killed in the
name of insurgency / terrorism especially in North East India.
Who cares what happens to whom unless our own turn comes.
The point to reflect is could we be the voice of the voiceless?
Could we do something good in our society? Today let us pray
that Gods Holy Spirit may inspire us to save the innocents victims
like young David and Jesus.

Prasanta Basumatary csc

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2017 April 4
Readings: Num 21: 4-9; Jn 8: 21-30

Coming out of oneself is the way for closer relationship with God.
From the beginning of the creation it is the Lord who takes the
first step to come closer to his beloved people. We see in the first
reading the people of Israel protesting Moses and asking why he
brought them out of Egypt to the desert. They failed to
understand the reason behind Gods action of bringing them to a
lonely place. Israelites were occupied with many things when
they were in Egypt and now God brings them out so that they
may feel one with him. But they have carried along with them
their worries and forgot the real reason for their present
situation. Jesus in the gospel tries to present to the people the
works of his Father but the people remain mystified. They were
trying to analyze the situation with their knowledge of the world
but God wanted them to be out of world and out of oneself to
know him, to love him and to be with him. It is the Lord who takes
the first step; we have to just walk in it keeping the words of the
scripture in mind be still and know that He is the Lord.

Philosan S. csc

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2017 April 5
Readings: Dan 3:14-20, 24-25, 28; Jn 8:31-42

The readings of the day present the theme: Trusting in God. God has a
reason for allowing things to happen. We may not understand his
wisdom but we simply have to trust his will.

Todays first reading from the book of Daniel tells us how King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had built a golden statue and commanded
all his subjects to bow down in adoration before it as a test of loyalty.
Many Jews did so fearing persecution and death. Nevertheless, three
young Jewish men who were favorites of the king and employed by the
king in the royal court refused to worship the statue because of their
profound trust in one God the Yahweh. Hence, they were thrown into a
fiery furnace. Yahweh, their God, protected them as they were ready to
sacrifice their lives for him. It was their loyal allegiance to God and
obedience to his will that saved them.

In todays gospel, Jesus tells the unbelieving Jews that it is solely faith
and obedience to his teachings that would make them his disciples. He
explains to them that true freedom is freedom from sin, submitting
their heart and will to God. The Jews argued that they were never slaves
to foreigners although they were under Babylonian, Persian, Greek and
Roman rules. Jesus plainly tells them that they were slaves of sin and
devil because they not only refused to accept him as the Son of God and
obey his words but also they were conspiring to kill him. Many times,
when our lives are shattered and hearts are broken we tend to turn
away from God. The message for us is: Can we trust in the Lord at all
times and circumstances of our life?

Chinnaiah Saripudi csc

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2017 April 6
Readings: Gen 17:3-9; Jn 8:51-59

The claim of Jesus that whoever keeps his word will not taste
death forever shocks his audience. In the Book of Zechariah 1:5
we find: Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do
they live forever? Heb 11:13 says: "These all died in faith, not
having received what was promised, but having seen it and
greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were
strangers and exiles on the earth." The patriarchs and the
prophets kept the word of God and they died, then who is Jesus
to claim that whoever keeps his word will never taste death?
Jesus is the Son of God and he and the Father are one. He knows
the Father and is obedient to his word.

For us, to know Jesus is to know the Father and to keep the word
of God is to accept him. If we know and accept Jesus, our death
has lost its finality and we have entered into a relationship with
God who is eternal. The physical death that we experience here
on earth is an introduction to the nearer presence of God.

Bilingshar Syiemlieh csc

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2017 April 7
Readings: Jer 20: 10-13; Jn 10: 31- 42

Being good is difficult and finding good people in the world where
we live is all the more difficult. Ego and jealous constantly
suppress the love that we have for each other. This eventually
leads us to wait and see our neighbours stumble or suffer instead
of moving oneself to go out to help the person who is in need and
thereby building up relationship by making use of the available
opportunities. In the gospel reading we see, after having done so
many good works, Jesus was still rejected by his own community.
They could not accept Jesus as son of God. It may be because they
are jealous of him and his good works. Like Jesus, often, we too
are rejected by our own fellow companions and at times our own
sinful nature separates us from the world and leads us to
isolation. To those of us who live in such a situation, Jeremiah
gives hope through the first reading saying, the Lord is always
with us like a warrior to protect us from all our enemies and from
all our sinful nature. Therefore, let us not give away ourselves to
the evil ones but rejoice in the saving power of God, for he has
delivered the people who were suffering and punished all those
who cause suffering to others.

John Kennedy A csc

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2017 April 8
Readings: Ez 37: 21- 28; Jn 11: 45- 46

Is my heart a dwelling place of God? This is the question that the

readings of today place before us to reflect. Gods presence is always
with us but we fail to see it in our lives due to our pride and ego. St.
John in todays Gospel reminds us that Pharisees and chief priests failed
to see the truth and the good works done by Jesus. They ignored Jesus
in order to save the name that they have established for themselves in
the society. The worst part of it is, they are even ready to end the life of
Jesus in order to keep up their name, power and position in the society.
I think their thirst for power and positions lead them away from the
presence God.

In the first reading we see the Gods longing for the people of Israel.
God wants Israel to shine among the nations and he assures his dwelling
presence to his people. He wants his people to live in peace and be a
community of unity.

The message for us today is to look deep into our hearts and see
whether our hearts are a dwelling place of God. Daily we need to
recognize the presence of God in our hearts and for that we need to
follow Jesus, our true shepherd with full confidence. When we turn our
attention to worldly ways like the Pharisees and chief priests then we
miss our chance to be the messengers of Gods peace and love in our
life journey.

Rajashekhar Gundiga csc

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2017 April 9
Readings: ()

This Palm Sunday is not only the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus and
the narration of his passion and death, but this is a story of each one of
us, the journey of our lives as a Christians. No one knows who next Judas
is or who will betray him next. For everybody who is asking Is it I seem
to be no different from the others from outside. Yes, it is so easy to hide
our innermost intentions and appear to be pious. However, God knows
our hearts. Deep down each one of us know that we are weak.
Therefore, we need to be honest with ourselves and recognize that we
have a little traitor inside. Thus, we must convert to God and renew our
love for him every day. Judas was not always bad otherwise Jesus would
not have accepted him, he received the vocation of an apostle and
could have been a great one but he stopped working on his relationship
with Jesus. We too when we encounter failures and experience
disappointments in our lives, we walk away from our relationship with
the Lord. Though we do not leave Christianity but we cool off. We need
to ask ourselves, do I truly love him? For quite often we betrayed
Jesus by our sins. Yes, it may not be as blatant and as grave as Judas,
but we betray him when we keep silence when our Church is under
attack and we remain cool without saying anything. Today the gospel
invites each one of us to stand to bear witness to our faith as the people
of Jerusalem standing in witnessing Jesus as their savior by shouting
Hosanna to the Lord.

Marbilus Kharakor csc

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2017 April 10
Readings: Is 42: 1-7, Jn 12: 1-11
Rick Warren quotes Psalm 139:16 in his book Purpose Driven Life:
every day of my life was recorded in the book, every moment was laid
out before a single day had passed. This means that nothing that
happens in our life is insignificant. God uses all of it to mold us for our
ministry to others and shape us for our service to him.

In the Gospel, we read about the anointing of Jesus at Bethany. The

anointing at Bethany is the prophetic action by Mary symbolizing the
death and burial of Jesus. Mary loves Jesus whole heartedly with a self-
effacing love. It is a love full of gratitude towards Jesus who had
accepted her as a disciple. That love transformed her, and gave her the
ability to recognize Jesus as Saviour and God. So, she expressed her
great love towards him by anointing his feet. She did not even think of
how much money she spent for the oil that she used to anoint the feet
of the Lord. But Judas uttered his words of selfishness when he saw
Mary applying the oil on the feet of the Lord. Marys attitude is to give
herself fully to the Lord. And Jesus points out the symbolic meaning of
this action as indication of his death and burial. There are people like
Judas who will criticize even an act of devotion to God with the pretense
of concern for the poor. Only those who have the true devotion to God
and Christ will be genuine and respectful towards the poor.

A point to draw into our life from the example of Mary is to ask how
much time we spend before the Lord. How radical we are when we
decide to follow him? If we are able to give ourselves fully for the Lord
then we must extend our helping hands and give fully to our fellow
human beings. The readings of today invite us to reflect upon our own
attitude and the way we live our life. How open are we to accept the
real truth of the one who brought true justice and what is our attitude
towards him? In what way can I serve others passionately?

Lawrence Wanniang csc

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2017 April 11
Readings: Is 49: 1-6; Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
The gospel of today presents before us the two characters, Judas and
Peter, who would betray and deny Jesus Christ the savior. Judas betrays
Jesus and reveals him to the soldiers and later on Peter denies Jesus,
saying that he does not even know him. Are they both same? Yes. They
both are apostles. Is there a difference between the betrayal of Judas
and denial of Peter? Yes. Judas betrayal was calculated and well
planned. When he fell for the pleasures of the world and money, he
planned to betray the savior of the world. Thus it becomes a sinful act
from one of the most trusted apostles of Jesus. While Peter out of his
weakness denies Jesus swearing that he does not even know him. Jesus
knew peter very well. He was a man of heart. He intends to do what he
did on that day. Knowing Peter, in and through his weakness and his
loyalty, Jesus says to him, You are the rock; and I will build my Church
upon it (Mt 16: 18).
God alone is perfect. Every human being is weak. However God never
abandons the weak. He loves all. We have bundles of imperfections,
which we often try to deny, defend, excuse, justify and hide. These acts
make it difficult for Jesus to act in our life as he wants. Then we could
end up in a situation like that of Judas.
Gods ways are above our ways and his thoughts are above our thoughts
(Is 55:9). He says, My Grace is sufficient for you; for power is made
perfect in weakness. As we are in the holy week let us thank the Lord
for our weaknesses and let us surrender them all to the cross of Jesus
on which he hung himself for our sake, so that he would turn all our
weakness into our strengths through which we would glorify the holy
name of Jesus.

Siju Pappachan csc

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2017 April 12
Readings: Is 50:4-9a; Mt 26:14-25

In todays first reading, prophet Isaiah makes it clear that

suffering is part of life and whoever puts his/her trust in the Lord,
will endure all suffering with joy by the grace of God.

In the gospel reading, we see the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, one

of the twelve of apostles. The question arises why did Judas
betray Jesus, his beloved master. There can be many reasons for
his betrayal such as: he loved money more than anything else or
he was possessed by Satan or he wanted to fulfill the scripture or
he was impatient with Jesus delay in inaugurating the kingdom
or he must have lost faith in Jesus.

Whatever may be the motive of Judas in betraying Jesus, he

betrayed an innocent blood. He was unfair in betraying his loving
master. Whether Judas went to hell or not, we do not know, but
it becomes our responsibility to avoid the spirit of Judas in us. So
let us ask the grace of God to send his Holy Spirit upon us to guide
our every step and protect us from all that is evil.

Santhosh Fernandes csc

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2017 April 13
Readings: Ex 12: 1-8,11-14; 1Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13-1-15

Today is the Holy Thursday and it is also called Maundy Thursday. On

this day we remember three main celebrations: our Lord Jesus Last
Supper, Institution of the Holy Eucharist and Institution of the
Priesthood.

The first reading speaks about the feast of Passover which symbolizes
Gods passing over the people of Israel when all Egyptian firstborn sons
were killed, and it recalls Gods protection of the chosen people of
Israel. It was symbolized through the sacrificial lamb that was sacrificed
and with its blood the people of Israel were saved. The second reading
speaks about the institution of the Eucharist. And the Gospel reading
invites us to give our life out of love for others. Jesus, the teacher and
master, shows his love through the act of washing his disciples feet. By
this act, he overthrew inequality between them and this act symbolizes
a humble service, a voluntary self-humiliation and self-emptying love
for the disciples. Through this act, Jesus also urges us, his disciples, to
do as I have done for you (Jn 13: 15). As we are the followers of Christ
we need to give our life out of love for others through humble service.
Thus our celebrations will have its meaning in our life only when we act
according the values of Christ through humble service to the people of
God.

James Peter csc

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2017 April 14
Readings: Is 52:13-53:12; Heb 10:16-25; Jn 18:1-19:42
Today is the Good Friday and we remember the passion, suffering, and
death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wwhat is good about today, which we
call today as Good Friday? On this day, Jesus suffered and died on the
cross as a criminal. But is the death of an innocent person who loved
the poor, unloved, and destitute a good news?

We need to reflect the purpose of Jesus life from the light of

resurrection that we celebrate at the Easter. We read in the Gospel of
St. John For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn
3:16). This love is expressed in the life of Jesus. St. Pauls letter to
Romans 5:8 says, God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While
we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We do not have to earn his
love; we simply accept it. How can we understand the love of Jesus?
The disciples who were with Jesus could not understand Jesus purpose
of being crucified. Everyone who was closely associated with Jesus fled
from him. Mother Mary gives the answer we read in Luke 2:19: she
pondered all these in her heart. To understand Christs mystery of Love
we just need to experience in our heart.

The cross becomes the symbol of Christs loves for us. It signifies the
Love of God. Jesus shows through his life that Abba experience (the
Love of the Father) to be shared with everyone and more especially with
those who are less privileged. Every sign of cross that we make needs
to remind us about Love of Christ for us, and Christs invitation to give
oneself to the other. Let the idea of Love in our minds dwell in our
hearts so that we may be able to share with one another in our day-to-
day life.

Joyson John Barboza csc

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2017 April 15
Readings: Rom 6: 3-10; Mt 28:1-10 (Vigil Mass)

Tonight we celebrate the mystery of Christ, the very basis of our

Christian faith. Our whole faith depends upon the event of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. This feast is a hope for our salvation.
This feast removes all the darkness and fills our lives with Gods
grace and light. As I was reflecting on this reading I remembered
an incident where a young boy was transformed by the love of
God on this feast day. He was a notorious and restless boy, and
people hated him because of his behavior. Due to all this he had
no interest to participate in any of the Church activities. One day
his parish priest casually asked him if he would act out as risen
Jesus on the Easter night vigil. The young boy was hesitant to
reply, but he said yes and acted on the Easter night. The amount
of joy and happiness he felt was seen in his face. That day
onwards he was very active in the parish activities.

Similarly in todays gospel reading we see how the fear of the

disciples and of the woman who runs to find that the stone had
been rolled away turns into joy. Today we need to reflect and ask
ourselves if the stone from my life is ready to roll to experience
our risen Lord.

Boneventure Lobo csc

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2017 April 16
Readings: Acts 10: 34, 37-43; Col 3: 1-4; Jn 20: 1-9
Easter has come, the new life has sprung up and the death has
been victoriously overcome. No more sorrow, no more darkness,
no more slave to death. We have the Lord and Savior who has
defeated death and given us new life.

The readings of the day invite us to be renewed in faith and hope.

The empty tomb is the witness and sign of Jesus resurrection.
What does this empty tomb imply in our life today? Jesus said,
Whoever wants to be my disciples must deny himself and take
up the cross daily and follow me (Lk 9:23). Anyone who wants
to follow Christ must accept the daily situations as a gift from God
and an opportunity to learn from life. Jesus goes further
explaining that our crosses are short-lived but we have life in
heaven as fruit of our suffering which is eternal. We also see that
the two disciples went to the tomb and they saw and believed.
In the first reading Apostle Peter, who witnessed the risen Lord,
proclaims the crucified Christ that whoever believes in him will
receive forgiveness of sins. And in the second reading St. Paul
tells that Christ has risen in glory and we will also share in his
glory at the end of our life.

Therefore, we are invited to see the risen Jesus in our daily life
situations. As St. John Paul II said, We are all Easter people and
alleluia is our song. Let us be renewed in faith and hope and be
filled with the blessings of the risen Lord.

S. Lawrence csc

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2017 April 17
Readings: Act 2:14, 22-32 & Mt 28:8-15

Byron the British poet eloquently said, Truth is stranger than fiction.
In todays gospel, the women saw something that they cant even in
their dreams. They have witnessed something that couldnt be written
even in the fiction of their time. They have witnessed the Truth the
Risen Jesus. There are three lessons that we can learn from todays
gospel.

1. The risen Jesus offered Peace to the women as soon as he appeared

to them. In our families, communities and work place does our
presence bring peace to the people?
2. As soon as the Lord Jesus had risen, he went to Galilee the gentile
place, to continue the ministry he had begun years ago and
directed his disciples to come there to meet him. In our century, as
his disciples, do we reach out to the outcastes, oppressed and poor
and meet our Lord Jesus who is with them?
3. Though the Jewish authorities bribed the soldiers to spread a lie,
the Truth the Risen Jesus prevailed. When we come face to face
with truth that is stranger than fiction, how do we deal with it? Are
we going to be like the Jewish authorities who bribed people to
hide the truth? Or are we going to be like those women who
joyfully bore witness to the truth?

Richard Arun Roy csc

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2017 April 18
Readings: Acts 2:36-41; Jn 20:11-18

In the readings of today we see the zealous apostolate of the

apostles to proclaim Jesus to the people of God. They are ready
to witness him in every way. In a particular way in the gospel
reading we see Mary of Magdala, weeping and waiting eagerly to
see resurrected Jesus. Here we could see her desire to see Jesus
and to experience him.

Through todays readings we are invited to experience Jesus in

our everyday life and proclaim him to the world like the apostles
who tirelessly carried him to the people in the world. We need to
increase our faith in the person of resurrected Jesus and
recognize him in everyone we live with. We are called to witness
him to the broken and divided world of today. He has called us to
be his messengers of love, peace and joy in order to bring back
the unity in the world of today.

Let us therefore, look into the reality of our communion with him
and motivate ourselves, our communities, our society and world
at large to make things better in any little way we can.

Raphael Hasdak csc

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2017 April 19
Readings: Acts 3:1-10; Lk 24:13-35

Today the church enters the second week of the Easter. The liturgy of
the day invite us to revive our hope in the Lord. The first reading is about
the restoration of health of the desperately crippled man. The
significance of the reading is in the gaze of the man who was asked to
look at Sts. Peter and John. Let us remind ourselves about the famous
phrase, Seeing is believing. In other words, the man was asked to
hope in the Lord for his grace and mercy. In the Gospel, we see the
narration of Emmaus walk where the risen Lord manifests his glory and
living presence. The two men were immersed in expressing their
desperation and disappointments over Jesus death while failing to look
at Jesus and hope for him to be alive again. But after the breaking of
bread, they could revitalize their perception and recognize him. The
breaking of bread symbolizes the divine presence of Jesus.

What do we do when we are faced with situations of despair and

disappointment? Do we really look at Jesus and look for him with hope?
The disciples of Jesus scattered and lost hope after the death of their
Lord, master, teacher, and friend. Yet their hearts were longing for him
and as a result of their inner search, the risen Lord renewed their faith
and hope. Therefore, we shall really, intentionally and humbly look at
Jesus with hope to conquer every obstacle and temptation.

Antony Jayaraj csc

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2017 April 20
Readings: Acts 3: 11-26; Lk 24: 35-48

Today the readings inspire us to see the presence of Christ in and

around us, in our day-to-day life and in complete trust. A
Christian is one who fulfills the promise of God in the daily living
of Jesus values. Each of us has a purpose to live out the values of
Christ in our life. Today we are invited to look into our own
relationships with God and with others, and how our daily life is
shaped by this fulfilled promises of God in our life. Are these
relationships strengthened by trust in the presence of Risen
Christ?

Jesus is explicitly present in living a peaceful life. When Jesus met

his disciples he greeted them Peace. The peace that Jesus gives is
not the absence of trouble or conflict but rather the confidence
that he is there with us always in the lifes journey. Following
Jesus is a journey from suffering to glory.

Dining with someone is a symbol of fellowship and communion.

Today we need to trace the presence of Jesus in our friendship
with our fellow brothers and sisters. Our life needs to be the
witness of Christs presence and we need to have the openness
to see and experience the presence of Jesus through our
sojourners of life.

Roshan Minin DSouza csc

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2017 April 21
Readings: Acts 4: 1-12; Jn 21: 1-14

The disciples of Jesus in todays gospel are different. They are

seven of them in a boat. They fish all night and catch nothing. This
seemed to happen often, because it was the same situation when
they were first called by Jesus to be fishers of men. That time
Jesus came to them and told them to go out again. After his
instruction they did, and caught a great haul. There is some
striking difference between the stories. The earlier time was
when they first met Jesus; they were so many fish that the nets
began to break. They asked the help of others. Soon, Peter ran to
Jesus and confessed he was a sinner. But Jesus made him a fisher
of men. This time when Jesus told them to try another catch, he
asked them to let the net down on the side, apparently just the
opposite of what they were used to doing. This time the net was
full of fish again. What are we to learn from this? Jesus once told
a parable about the kingdom of heaven being like a net that was
dragged through the sea and caught all kinds of fish. Jesus made
his disciples fishers of men. Jesus sent Peter, James, John, and
the others to far away unknown world to preach the gospel of
the resurrection of Jesus. Today we are called to proclaim his
good news through our words and deeds.

Jesu Manickam csc

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2017 April 22
Readings: Acts 4:13-21; Mk 16: 9- 15

St. Mark summarizes all the post resurrection apparitions of

Jesus starting with Mary Magdalene. She was privileged to
see the risen Lord first, perhaps because she loved him
much. Love for the Lord seems to be the most important
single element which gives us the privilege to meet him.
Therefore, we must keep in mind that as believers we need
to deepen our personal experience, intimacy and
relationship with the Lord through our day-to-day
encounters. Our encounter with the Lord is never a single
event, but the beginning of a chain of all the actions that
follow. Mary Magdalene was asked to announce the good
news of resurrection to the disciples of Jesus; two disciples
narrated their experience on the road to Emmaus; the
disciples had to go into the world and proclaim the good
news to all creation. Likewise, we too are called to do the
same and be witnesses of the risen Lord.
Jowelson csc

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2017 April 23
Readings: Acts 2:42-47; 1Pet 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31

Death and resurrection of Jesus is the core foundation for

Christian faith without which Christianity cannot defend its
doctrines. The historic questions that are many times asked in the
theological classes is who is the eye witness for resurrection of
Jesus? to which Christianity cannot answer on the basis of
reason. But it answers from the point of faith by pointing out the
fearful apostles who locked themselves up in the room after the
death of their master. Story of their life did not end there but
they resurrected from that dark room and rest of the story we
know from history. How is this possible? They were men from
the periphery of the society, no standards, no grades, and no
credits to their names but Jesus chooses them to his mission
because they were vulnerable in their nature. St. Thomas in the
gospel is one such example of their vulnerability and skepticism
to believe that their master has won against the evil of this world.
When the things go wrong and when we close ourselves in that
dark room with fear and trembling in our day-to-day life we must
become aware of that we are no longer following a dead person
rather a resurrected Jesus who gave life to us all.

Wilfred csc

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2017 April 24
Readings: Acts 4: 23-3; Jn 3:1-8

Birth is the beginning of life in the world. We cherish and

celebrate the birth which is given to us without anything in
return. Todays readings also speak of the birth in the Spirit. Here,
to be born means to be made anew in the Spirit. The presence of
the Spirit will lead us to the Kingdom of God from the current way
of living. The gospel speaks one must be born of water and spirit
(3:5) to attain the Kingdom of God. The use of water plays a vital
role in the Church to be cleansed in the Spirit through the
sacrament of baptism.

Nicodemus, the Jewish leader, comes to Jesus and praises him for
the marvelous works done with the presence of God. Then Jesus
tells, no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born
from above. Nicodemus did not understand the expression and
related it to the body. But it is related to the soul. Our soul must
be born again in the Spirit, it should undergo changes. As a baby
born undergoes a change to new life, new happiness, new desires
and new sorrows even our soul must undergo changes to find
new life in the Spirit.

Let us reflect on the occasions where we have failed to

understand the meaning of these words. As we are in the Easter
season, let us also pray to be born of the Spirit to attain the
Kingdom of God

Vimal Wilbert csc

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2017 April 25
Readings: Pet 5:5b-14; Mk 16: 15-20

Humility is the greatest virtue, which human beings can

have. St. Peter says here if we want to go to God, we need
to be humble. Becoming humble is not so easy. There are
many difficulties that come on our way. But we should not
lose hope in God, because God loves the one who is humble
enough to continue the ministry of Jesus. Gospel reading
tells us that Jesus sent his disciple to go and preach the good
news to the people. If the disciples of Jesus are not humble
enough they cannot do what Jesus is asking them to do.
When disciples went to the villages, they were humble
enough to do what Jesus had told them to do, and Jesus was
working with them. In our life too it happens, if we obey the
words of Jesus and do good to one another then whatever
we do Jesus will be with us, and we can realize the presence
of Jesus around us, and we need to be humble enough
realize what Jesus is doing for us.
Vijith Mathias csc

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2017 April 26
Readings: Acts 5:17-26; Jn 3:16-21

Today the Gospel reading gives us the summary of the God

News that is God so loved the world that he gave his only
son, that whoever believes in him may not be lost but may
have eternal life. Before Jesus no one dared to say God
Loves for Jews it is something new and incredible message.
There is a saying best way to find Love is to find God and
we have to find God in others, in nature and in us. To love
is to give, and God expressed his love by giving his only Son.
Now it is our turn to love him by giving ourselves to him and
to our neighbors.

Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, quotes 1Jn

4:20 in Article 34: if we do not love the brothers whom we
see then we cannot love the Lord whom we have not seen.
So its an invitation to all of us to love one another not only
in our words but in our deeds too.
Pretham Joy Menezes csc

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2017 April 27
Readings: Acts 5:27-33; Jn 3:31:36

Obedience to God comes before obedience to men. Every good work

that God begins will come to an end in God alone. In the first reading
we see the Apostles being brought before the Sanhedrin and
questioned about their faith to which they answered very strongly that
it was the work of the Holy Spirit. A person filled with the Spirit will
always have the truth of God in life. In the Gospel Jesus talks about the
same Spirit as he says, he whom God has sent speaks Gods words, for
God gives him the Spirit without reserve.

The readings emphasize on Gods Spirit. In the season of Easter Christ

reminds us through the readings that we need to become Spirit-filled
and Spirit-centered in our thoughts and actions. Every moment we take
up works, take decisions or move on with our daily tasks, we need to
keep in mind that it is Christs Spirit that we are carrying in our works.
If we are sure of the Spirit in our work then we need not fear any
Sanhedrin, authorities or evil of the world for it would be the lifegiving
Spirit who leads us to the path of eternity.

Apostles obeyed Gods voice, proclaimed his values, fulfilled his will,
experienced his love, recognized his truth and enjoyed the life eternal.
As the followers of Christ, whose voice do we hear or obey, what values
do we uphold? Are we in the path of destruction or eternal life? Let us
make a choice towards eternity.

Arockia Raj csc

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2017 April 28
Readings: Act 5:34-42; Jn 6:1-15

I would like to reflect on two important points from the Gospel

reading: 1. A test both to Philip and Jesus 2. Let us not use
peoples generosity for our selfishness.

1. Test both to Philip and Jesus: Jesus knew what he was going
to do but still ask the opinion to Philip in order to test the one
who is the local boy of that place. He remains still in his ideas
though he walked along with Jesus and witnessed his miracles.
At the end of the passage Jesus too was put to the test by God
through people by temptation to become a king, but Jesus
remained firm in his decision. We too face tests in our ministry
place and in our life. Jesus is calling us to act according to the will
of God. It is possible only through deep awareness of our self and
trust and faith in God.

2. Let us not use peoples generosity for our selfishness: At the

end of the passage people force him to become a king who can
satisfy their needs. It is not surprising that the same people who
glorified him asked Pilate to crucify him on Good Friday. We too
are in same boat, when someone does good things to us we
praise him/her in order to get the benefit and when he/she is in
trouble we close our eyes. Todays reading invites us to follow
Jesus and not to use him for our selfishness..

Arone Frederick Vas csc

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2017 April 29
Readings: Act 6: 1-7; Jn 6:16-21
In the book of Psalms 34:4, Psalmist cries out to the Lord saying, I
sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my
fears. It is said that Fear not is the most repeated command in
the Bible: 365 times. Fear is something that breaks the relationship.
It is dangerous venom for the spiritual growth of ones life. This is a
very reason that Jesus stresses more on this aspect. According to
Psychology fear can destroy the human relationship and life. In the
Gospel of today, the disciples of Jesus too are facing the fear of being
separated or we can call it as fear of abandonment by their Master.
They were just giving up their confidence on Jesuss promise. They
feel that they have been separated from their Master. But, Jesus
never wanted to leave them and thus they could never go astray.
And he affirmed his ongoing presence saying to them It is me, dont
be afraid. Word of God tells, Fear of God is the beginning of
wisdom. There is a vast difference between the spiritual fear and
the fear that comes out of our behaviors and feelings. Fear of God is
the outcome of our true love for God. It will always help us to be
holy and lead to a loving relationship with him. But, fear of
separation from God will put us in the darkness. We are called to be
the Easter people. To be a disciple of Jesus you and I need to have
fear of God not fear of separation. Jesus is always with us but the
sad reality of our life is that it is we who take a step backward from
his love and presence. Word of God tells in James 4:8, Come near
to God and he will come near to you. Let us not go away from his
presence by having unwanted and useless anxiety, rather hold him
closer to our hearts by love.

James Peter csc

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2017 April 30
Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33, 1Pet 1: 17- 2, Lk 24: 13- 35

In the gospel reading we have the passage of Emmaus Walk. This

text is part of the Lukan travel narrative. The two men mentioned in
the gospel reflect all of us. They considered Jesus as great prophet,
Lord and the one who was going to set them free. But the things that
happened did not fulfill their Messianic expectation; they were
disappointed and walked in frustration without any hope to
Emmaus. In their disappointment and frustration their eyes were
closed. Though the Lord was accompanying them in their journey
they couldnt recognize him. So, Jesus takes the first step to enquire
about what happened to them. They with their utmost memory and
wisdom narrated everything to him. After having heard their
testimony about him Jesus said, you foolish men, so slow to
believe, was it not necessary that Christ should suffer before
entering into His glory? Jesus explained to them about his mission
through Scripture and broke the bread with them and their eyes
opened. Once they acknowledged him their hearts burned with
missionary zeal. Their journey continued so, the salvation journey
continues. We are also like those apostles at times disappointed
with the things not happening as we think; we lose faith, hope and
basic trust in God. However when we participate in the Eucharistic
meal of love, Jesus will open our mind and heart and we can see him
and continue his mission. The salvation journey continues with us to
burn the hearts of others with Gods love.

Robinson csc

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