A Jesuit Adventure

  My dear friends today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King and this also marks the last Sunday in ordinary time Year A. The first reading today taken from the prophet Ezekiel is addressed to the Israelites who were living in exile in Babylon. The reading is directed at the “shepherds” which is a common metaphor for kings, or political leaders. These “shepherds” have failed in their responsibilities. Instead of feeding their sheep, they have been fattening themselves. They have neglected the sick, the injured, the lost. Their rule has not been kind but harsh. The “scattered” sheep is a clear reference to the exile. Scattered sheep are evidence of a poor shepherd. Because the leaders whom the Lord appointed as shepherds over the people of Israel have done such a bad job, God himself shall take up the role of shepherd. The Hebrew word בָּקַר  (baqar) indicates a careful, deliberate search. The Lord, the Good Shepherd, has not forsaken those who are scattered in ...

  My dear friends today we celebrate the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time year A and in the Archdiocese of Bombay to raise consciousness of the evil of domestic violence and to pledge support for those victimized by abuse, this Sunday is celebrated as Violence-free Family Sunday. The 1st reading is taken from the book of Proverbs which is a collection of proverbial sayings. The extract is a part of the advice that is given by the unknown King Lemuel’s mother to her son, telling him what he should look for in a wife. And she does set forth very high standards for the wife of a king. The passage gives us a description of a capable wife or as some other translations would have it a woman of strength or a virtuous woman. The woman of Proverbs surely is a role model that other women can look up to.  The wife in Proverbs 31 is not confined only to the kitchen. While she takes care of her husband and household chores, she is quite active outside the home as well. She is a successful ...

  My dear friends today we celebrate the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time year A. The first reading today is taken from the Book of Wisdom.  This Book is so called, because it deals with the excellence of Wisdom, the means to obtain it, and the happy fruits it produces. Unfortunately, wisdom in today’s world is quite out of fashion. Undoubtedly, we have a lot more information at our fingertips than we ever had. We are technologically more superior than we have ever been however, are we wiser today than we were in the past? Not quite sure of that. In an age of artificial intelligence, we are getting more accustomed to quick-fix remedies than long-term solutions. The reading, therefore, reminds us: that the pursuit of wisdom is not only noble, but very necessary. The text personifies wisdom and gives us its description. Wisdom can be found by those who search for her. She makes herself known to those who desire knowledge of her. Searching for wisdom does not make one weary inst...