A Jesuit Adventure

On the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A we have readings that ask us to analyze  our relationship with God and challenge us to be a transformative element in society. In the first reading taken from the prophet Isaiah, we witness the response of Yahweh to the very important question of following ascetical practices like fasting. In captivity, the Jews had instituted four fasts to mourn the destruction of Jerusalem. When the exile had come to an end, and the construction of the temple had begun, the question in the minds of the Jews was - should they still keep the fasts that had been instituted in Babylon as memorials of destruction? Isaiah points out the hypocrisy of the people of Israel. Though they appeared to be just, faithful and righteous, they were only putting up a mask. They had forsaken obedience to God’s laws. They were willing to entrust their rituals and prayers to God, but not make any changes to the social and economic spheres of their lives. The Israel...

  On the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A we have readings that challenge us to question the role of God in our life and our response to God as Christians. The first reading is taken from the 7 th -century minor prophet Zephaniah. Zephaniah writes before the exile to Babylon has taken place. During this time in Judah, there was a sense of indifference to God. They were content with their wealth and property which they had earned through violence and fraud. They felt secure with the foreign alliances that they had made. Therefore, Zephaniah warns about the imminent punishment- exile. He exhorts the people to seek Yahweh—to seek righteousness—to seek humility. Those who seek Yahweh, righteousness, and humility, could save themselves from judgement. When Yahweh exercises judgment the ones who will be saved will be the Anawim, the poor suffering people who trust in the Lord despite oppression. The Anawim know the limitations of their personal resources and take refuge in the ...