Introduction:
“There is a world of difference between paying R 5 to
a beggar and treating him equally.”
A warm welcome to you all for the Bible service. Let
us together reflect on the days gospel, in the context of Justice Sunday.
In the prophetical literature Justice is seen in the
light of covenantal relationship. Covenant is an intimate relationship between
God and Human that invites to care, to be compassionate and to relate deeply to
fellow humans.
In prophets justice is love and concern for the poor
and the underprivileged classes. Injustice and oppression is not only evil but
Sin. In the absence of Justice – Society suffers and the absence of righteousness leads to the
death of the society.
Prophet Micah invites us to – Act justly, Love
tenderly and walk humbly before God.
Reading: Jn Jn 6,53-54, 56-57
Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you unless
you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink from his blood; you have no life
in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life and I will
raise them up on the last day. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood –
abide in me and I in them. Just as the living father sent me, and I live
because of him, so whoever eats of me will live because of me.
Reflections
You and I are created in the image and likeness of
God. The gospel, brings to mind the scene of a Banquet. When we arrange a
banquet, we normally invite those who share our life. The reading invites us to
Jesus or to share the life of the divine. This intern is an invitation to share
our lives with others.
Document Justice in the world calls us to be the
voice of the voiceless.
We have often spoken for or about Justice, shouted
slogans at times. Do these acts, sometimes have a hidden motif of our own
popularity or to show off our own selves. If Yes then we are operating from a
very superficial realm.
If my work to promote justice - emerges out of my deep connectedness to the
Lord – then it’s flowing from a deeper realm.
This is not out of a compulsion but as prophet Jeremiah says – it flows
from the inner law, put within me. I believe people like Mother Teresa, Oscar
Romero, A.T. Thomas operated from this realm, to risk their lives for humanity.
Before
we work for societal justice, we need to imbibe 3 C’s.
1. Courage: courage to be myself, in a world of peer
pressure and superficiality. One cannot stand by the other, if one cannot stand
by himself.
Choice: My
vocation is an everyday choice. At times when the outside world draws me and I
struggle for meaning in religious life, it takes real strength to say YES to
the Lord.
Vocation, in some sense is like an electric bulb.
It’s meant to give light. Choice is with the bulb, where it wants to be. It can
place itself within a small room, giving light to a small family or it can
place itself in a street, where hundreds of poor and destitute benefit.
Commitment: A deeper commitment to a God, who in the
fullness of time gathers all things in him and wishes to see humanity as one
Family.
Finally, as we go, let us leave this planet a bit
better than the time we arrived.
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