“Growing in our love for the Word and living the Word, in all our daily activities of life, with St Luke, the great Evangelist!”

(Based on the Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist)

A poor woman had lost her husband and was going through a great deal of agony and distress.

One day, her neighbour brought her a small, worn-out pamphlet.

She gave it to the sorrowful woman and told her: “I found this lying on the street. Somebody must have dropped it.
I read it.

There is a wonderful story of a Man Who helps those who are unhappy.

I thought of you. It might do you help!”

The sorrowful woman took it.

She not only read it…
… but also had her life transformed by it!

The pamphlet was a copy of the Gospel according to St Luke!

This Gospel with its powerful themes of consolation and comfort had brought peace and relief to the woman in sorrow.

Today, on this Feast day of the Evangelist St Luke, let us meditate on this beautiful gift which he has penned – the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St Luke.

St Jerome was of the opinion that, “among all the evangelists, St Luke was the most skilled writer of Greek.”

It is to St Luke that we owe some of the finest Gospel portraits…

The nostalgic infancy narratives of Jesus
… The Annunciation of Jesus (1: 26-38)
… The Birth of John the Baptist (1: 57-66)
… The visit of the shepherds at the Birth of Jesus (2: 15-20)
… The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (2: 22-38)
… The Loss of Jesus in the Temple (2: 41-52)

The distinguished and daring ministries of Jesus
… The Programmatic Speech in Nazareth, His hometown (4: 16-30)
… The raising of widow’s son at Nain (7: 11-17)
… The story of Martha and Mary of Bethany (10: 38-42)
… The Samaritan Leper (17: 11-19)
… The transformation of Zacchaeus (19: 1-10)
… The conversion of the good thief (23: 39-43)
… The encounter with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus (24: 13-35)

The illustrious and much-loved parables
… The Good Samaritan (10: 29-37)
… The Prodigal Son (15: 11-32)
… Rich Man and Lazarus (16: 19-31)
… The Persevering Widow (18: 1-8)
… The Publican and the Tax Collector (18: 9-14)

The marvellous brush of the painters & physician St Luke has some unique thrusts as well…
… which are also great reminders to us, in our spiritual lifestyle.

1. A Gospel of Inclusivity
   St Luke’s Gospel has distinctive stories and incidents on how Jesus accepted and recognized the dignity of those, who were otherwise, left out in the society…
   … the Samaritans
   … the tax-collectors
   … the public sinners
   … the women

Am I a person who is willing to accept those who are rejected, abandoned and pushed-out of the society?

Do I exhibit “exclusivist” mentality by sticking on to only “my” culture, language, race, class etc and fail to celebrate differences?

2. A Gospel of Prayer
   St Luke’s Gospel presents greatly the aspect of the prayer, by presenting many instances…
   … of Jesus praying
   … of Jesus exhorting on prayer
   … of many Temple scenes

Am I a person who enjoys the taste of prayer?

Do I fail to have a regular and consistent time to spend with the Lord and discover and implement the Father’s Will in my life?

3. A Gospel of the Poor
   St Luke displays his special love for the poor…
   … through his many parables on the poor
   … and the denouncement of riches…

And thus exalts them as the “favoured ones of God” and restoring their dignity and honour

Do I make radical choices to grow in my “poverty” i.e. my total dependence on the Providence of God?

Do I share my gifts, my talents and my riches, with those in need and find joy in this sharing?

4. A Gospel of the meal
   St Luke’s Gospel has an interesting presentation of Jesus as most of the time being “at meal or on the way to a meal”

There are about 19 references to food, with around 13 of them being exclusive to this Gospel.
The meal is a reference to the communitarian dimension in spirituality!

Am I a person who cherishes the presence of the other and be willing to celebrate life?

Do I also become aware that the Lord constantly calls us to share in His Meal – the Holy Eucharist and make my life, in turn, a Eucharist to the other?

The Gospel of Luke has also many other features and names…
… which we can pick up for our personal reflection:
The Gospel of the Holy Spirit…
The Gospel of the Blessed Mother Mary…
The Gospel of Joy…
The Gospel of Women…
The Gospel of Universality…
The Gospel of Repentance…
The Gospel showing True Richness… etc…

St Luke has left us a masterpiece with His account of the Life of Jesus!

Some of the most pictorial, most classical, most loved, most remembered and most cherished incidents and parables are from this Gospel…

The Gospel of St Luke, along with many more themes is a wonderful reminder of the Love and Mercy of God…
… calling us to live in joy and service.

May this Feast Day of this Great Evangelist…
… help us to grow in our love for the Word, by reading and reflecting daily
… and living the Word, in all our daily activities of life!

Happy Feast of St Luke, the Evangelist!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

— Fr Jijo Jose Manjackal MSFS
Rome, Italy
Email: reflectioncapsules@gmail.com

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – _The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

The production and the sale of arms affect the common good of nations and of the international community.
Hence public authorities have the right and duty to regulate them.
The short-term pursuit of private or collective interests cannot legitimate undertakings…

… that promote violence and conflict among nations and compromise the international juridical order. (CCC # 2316)

“Ensuring that we set our internal life right, so that our externals display the truth!”

(Based on Rom 4:1-8 and Lk 12:1-7 – Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

A group of people visiting a magnificent church, came across a large clock next to the bell tower.

What attracted the visitors, more than the clock, was the caption written beneath the large clock!

It seems that the clock was habitually too fast or too slow.

And so, a good old-sacristan realising that it was beyond repair, decided to write a caption on the placard.

The caption read: “Neither believe nor blame what my hands show!
The trouble lies deeper!

Therefore, even in life, ensure that you set your interior right, so that your externals display the truth!”

The hands of the clock displayed wrong timings…
… because the interior parts had some trouble!

So often are our external actions such in life!

We seem to be putting on a show outside…
… but the truth of the action can be known, only if the interior intention is true!
We seem to be good at displaying a clean image…
… but the sincerity of our deeds will be known, if we truly ensure purity from within!

We are into a reflection of this aspect of Hypocrisy yet again with Jesus’ insists on this evil tendency with a greater force & urgency.

Hypocrisy is a vice which is much hated by Jesus.

It is a vice which Jesus constantly asks to weed out.

Hypocrisy is duplicity.
Hypocrisy is pretence.

It is trying to be someone, that one is not.
It is masking one’s real identity to show one to be someone else.

The word “hypocrisy” is a composite word in the Greek.

It comes from the joining of two words:

“Hupo” is the Greek word for ‘under.’
… “Krino” means ‘to judge’ or ‘to decide.’

The noun “hypokrisis” meant ‘acting’ or ‘playing a role.’

This word was mainly used in Greek theatres and plays to describe those “actors who would speak their parts, behind a mask!”

Hypocrites in real life, extend this “acting” to their everyday life…

People who try to impress others, in order to hide their real lives!
People who behave to be too good before others, but a sham within!

Do I have any of such aspects of “hypocritical… acting” in my life?

Our Lord calls this vice of hypocrisy as a Yeast…

Jesus speaks to His disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy” (Lk 12: 1b)

Why Yeast?
Yeast or Leaven is something that is used in baking.

Yeast has the great property of Influence…

A little amount of yeast is enough to raise the dough or to leaven the batter.
It has a great characteristic of exercising a great amount of influence, though little in quantity!

Hypocrisy is such…
… though a little amount, it is highly influential, like the yeast!

Hypocritical people are able…
… to boast much about themselves and exert harmful controls!
… to make other people highly pessimistic and negative!
… to drain out the spirit and the enthusiasm in others!

Yeast starts slow, but grows very quickly…

It has the great characteristic of exercising its great influence in a timid manner, but rises very fast and swiftly.

Hypocrisy is such…
… though it starts slow, it spreads its influence speedily, like the yeast…

How does Hypocrisy usually originate?

Usually from a Fear…

Fear of people makes one to adopt a totally different disposition and character.
Fear of situations makes one to adjust with a duplicate personality and behaviour.
Fear of one’s weaknesses makes one to alter the style of life and tamper with one’s nature.

That’s why the Lord, in today’s Gospel would strongly exhort, “Fear Not!”

When we banish the fear of many factors, we are able to be our real self.
When we cast away the fear of our material worries, we are able to live our true identity.

God is our Loving Father
… He wants us to grow in Holiness and Sanctity.

But He also knows that our double standards in life and our pretence in many areas of our life…
… is a block to His Grace in us.

We all wear masks, and the time sometimes comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin.

The Lord today invites us to peel away our mask of hypocrisy by casting away our fears…
… by throwing ourselves into the care of our Loving God, our Beloved Father in Heaven!

Let us “ensure that we set our interior right…
… so that our externals display the truth!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

The arms race does not ensure peace.
Far from eliminating the causes of war, it risks aggravating them.
Spending enormous sums to produce ever new types of weapons impedes efforts to aid needy populations…
… it thwarts the development of peoples.

Over-armament multiplies reasons for conflict and increases the danger of escalation. (CCC # 2315)

“Clothing ourselves in genuineness and truthfulness, by appreciating and realizing the value of people in our lives!”

(Based on Rom 3:21-30 and Lk 11:47-54 – Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

“In this world today while we’re living, some folks, say the worst of us they can

But when we are dead and in our caskets, they always slip some lilies in your hand…

Won’t you give me my flowers while I’m living, and let me enjoy them while I can?

Please don’t wait, till I’m ready to be buried, and then slip some lilies in my hand…
In this world is where we need the flowers…
… a kind word to help us get along

If you can’t give me flowers while I’m living, then please don’t throw ’em when I’m gone…

Won’t you give me my flowers…?”

— Lyrics from the Song “Give me flowers while I’m living”

The words of this song is a living experience to many people in this world, including perhaps some of us.

We have many people in our life.

Many of them receive a lot of favours from us…
… but they fail to thank us.

We however, sometimes, do hear them backbiting us or spreading false rumours about us!

Many of them are helped in many ways…
… but they fail to acknowledge those favours.

We however, sometimes, do hear them talking ill of us or spoiling our name!

Many of them are rendered assistance in many ways…
… but they fall short of being grateful to us

We however, sometimes, do hear them being negatively critical about us and defaming us.

But at the grave, perhaps, all those people would talk highly about us.

After our death, perhaps, all those people might acclaim how wonderful a person he/she was!

We often become a people who…
… fail to appreciate when a person is alive, but shower praises after his/her death!
… fail to give a simple flower when alive, but spread garlands and bouquets after his/her death!
… fail to say a good word when alive, but brag and boast highly, after his/her death!

Consciously or unconsciously, we cultivate a habit or a tendency to remain ungrateful and unkind to people when alive…
… but falsely praise and glorify, when they are dead or are no longer with us!

An attitude of ungratefulness while living, but false appreciation after death!
A tendency of indifference while living…but vain glorification after death!

Jesus, in the Gospel of the Day speaks of a similar attitude and tendency among the Pharisees.

In His continued attacks on the hypocrisy and duplicity of the Pharisees…
… Jesus condemns them for building memorials of the Prophets who were killed and murdered by their ancestors.

The Prophets of the old, lived as the true men of God and constantly called the people to a life of repentance and being faithful to God Yawheh.

But these prophets were very often persecuted, attacked and even killed.

The Prophets, who were the voice of God, while living, had their voices silenced and drowned by the wicked people…

But after their death, they used to be quoted and cited in many scholarly and erudite circles.

An attitude of ungratefulness while living…
… but false appreciation after death!

The Prophets, who called the people to live as per their true conscience, had their lives terminated and ended by the wicked people…

But after their death, they had fine memorials and beautiful tombs built in their name

A tendency of indifference while living…
… but vain glorification after death!

The Prophets, who became the champion of justice and truth, had their efforts ceased and their labours aborted by the wicked people…

But after their death, they had many oratories and exquisite lectures in their name.

An approach of passivity while living…
… but fake interest after death!

Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their deception, as they too become sharers of the blood of the True Prophets and the Men of God!

Jesus’ attacks on this Pharisaic attitude is a strong reminder and warning to each one of us too…
… to realize the worth and value of people, while they are alive, and not just heap up empty words of praise, after their death!
… to realize the importance of recognizing the true spirit and teachings of people around us, and not become too late in realizing their significance!

Life is too short to miss appreciating people for their genuine efforts and contributions.

A fresh flower given when alive is far worth and appreciable…
… than a bouquet given at the grave!

Appreciate people when they are around!
Enthuse people when situations are favourable!
Encourage people when time and space permit!

Let us shake of the tendency of duplicity and dishonesty; instead, clothe ourselves in genuineness and truthfulness…
… by really appreciating and realizing the value and worth of people in our lives!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

The accumulation of arms strikes many as a paradoxically suitable way of deterring potential adversaries from war.
They see it as the most effective means of ensuring peace among nations.

This method of deterrence gives rise to strong moral reservations. (CCC # 2315)

“Making the Lord to fill the slam-book of our lives, with his choicest words of love and affection!”

(Based on Rom 2:1-11 and Lk 11:42-46 – Wednesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Heard of a slam-book?

A slam book is a notebook which is popular among the school and college students.

This slam-book is also known as a friendship book or a profile book.

It is a book to know the friend better and to also pen some of the thoughts and feelings about a friend.

The book consists of a number of questions which gives various details and information.
Some of the questions include, “What is your favourite food?”, “Which places have you visited”, “Who are your favourite friends?” etc.

Another question, quite common, in most slam-books is, “Which attitude or quality do you hate the most?”

If Jesus were to be handed a slam-book, and posed the question:
“Which attitude or quality do you hate the most (about human beings)?”
… probably, the answer that we would have received would be: Hypocrisy!

Hypocrisy in human beings is perhaps the most hated attitudes of Jesus.

Today’s Gospel has the condemnation of the hated-vice of Hypocrisy of the Pharisees: “Woe to you, Pharisees…” (Lk 11: 42, 43 46)

Religion ought to be a bridge that helps the people to have an easier access to God.

But the Pharisees fractured this bridge with an inconsistent insistence on rules of traditions!

The people had to pay a tithe – a share of one’s produces or earnings, usually one tenth. (Lk 11: 42)

This tithe was extracted on all objects and things including the tiny and the minutest ones like mint, rue (a garden herb used for medicinal and cooking purposes) and every garden herb.
But there was no insistence or any obligation placed on the Love of God!

Fulfilling certain practices and customs with the finest details and the minutest perfection was insisted…
… but they completely overlooked the most basic aspect of Loving God!

The offering was much more important than the One to whom it was offered!

Strange indeed, isn’t it?

The Pharisees loved the good places of seating in the synagogue and being greeted in the marketplaces.

They loved to been seen in places of prominence and to be publicly acknowledged and appreciated. (Lk 11: 43)
But there was no insistence or obligation placed on giving the rightful place to God!

They enjoyed places of honour and relishing the public acclaim of the common people…
… but completely overlooked humbling oneself and giving the glory and honour to God!

The seat and the acclaim was much more important than the One to whom it all was fully due!

Strange indeed, isn’t it?

The Pharisees are compared to an unseen grave over which people walk unknowingly. (Lk 11: 44).

It was a ritual impurity for the Jews to touch the graves, and Jesus compares the lives of the Pharisees as a source of causing impurity and defilement to the people who came in contact with them.
There was an insistence and an obligation on fulfilling their various inhuman customs.

Unjust weightage was given to external fulfilling of the Law, at the cost of the inner dimensions.

The law was much more important than the One gave the Law!

Strange indeed, isn’t it?

The Scholars of the Law imposed many commands on the people and burdened their lives but failed to show any compassion to help them by their lives. (Lk 11: 46)

But there was no insistence or any obligation placed on the Compassion and Mercy of God!
The practise of the commands was much more important than the One who commanded utmost honour!

Strange indeed, isn’t it?

These various dimensions of the Pharisaic attitude is very much possible to creep into our own lives.

We could be people…
… for whom the offering is much more important than the One to whom it is offered!
… for whom the places of honour seat and the acclaim is much more important than the One to whom it all is fully due!
… for whom the law is much more important than the One gives the Law!
… for whom the practise of the commands is much more important than the One who commands utmost respect and honour!

Let us seek to root out any of these Pharisaic tendencies from our lives!

The Lord loves to fill the slam-book of our lives.

May He not be made to write his most-hated virtue of Hypocrisy in this book…
… instead be proud to fill the slam-book of our lives, with his choicest words of love and affection!

May we seek to make the prayer of St Teresa of Avila, whose feast we celebrate today, our own…
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours!

Yours are the eyes through which to look out, Christ’s compassion to the world
Yours are the feet with which He is to go about, doing goodYours are the hands with which He is to bless men now!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation.”

A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportunity to those who possess modern scientific weapons especially atomic, biological, or chemical weapons – to commit such crimes. (CCC # 2314)

“Being ready to wipe away stains of hypocrisy and corruption from the windows of our lives!”

(Based on Rom 1:16-25 and Lk 11:37-41 – Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

A young couple moved into a new neighbourhood.

The next morning while they were having their breakfast, the woman saw her neighbour hanging some clothes to dry.

“That laundry is not very clean,” she said.
“She doesn’t know how to wash correctly.
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.”

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbour hung clothes to dry, the young woman repeated her observations about the dirty laundry.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line…
… and said to her husband: “Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?”

The husband said:
“I got up early this morning…
… and cleaned our windows!”

All the while, the woman had been making critical and disparaging remarks…
… while her own windows had “the stains of hypocrisy and corruption!”

So often, we too are extra vigilant and watchful when it comes to judging others…
… while we allow excuses and justifications to all our misdeeds and wrongdoings

“Are we ready to wipe away the stains of hypocrisy and corruption from the windows of our lives?”

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful lesson to have the courage to challenge the ways of insincerity and corruption…
… and to live in genuineness.

A Pharisee invited Jesus to have a meal in his house.

We are unsure of the motives or the reason for this Pharisee to invite Jesus for the table sharing.

Maybe he just wanted to grow in his friendship with Jesus…
Maybe he wanted to check how this great preacher would conduct himself in his house…
Maybe he wanted to show off to his friends of having invited a great Rabbi to his house…
Maybe he wanted to harm the ministry of Jesus and trap Him in doing some aberrations…

In any case, the Pharisee certainly expected Jesus to follow the rules and customs of the traditional Jewish meal.

But he notices that Jesus has failed to wash his hands before dinner.

This washing of the hands was a ritual purification process.

The insistence on this act was not for the sake of hygiene, but for ritual purity!

This omission of the sacred tradition came as a big shocker for the host Pharisee.

He would have thought about Jesus: “This Rabbi is doing it all wrong!

Why can’t He follow our age-old customs?
He is insulting me before my other guests!
How dare He behaves so, in my own house!?”

But this is where Jesus, in His unique style of courage & conviction comes into confrontation with the attitude of the Pharisee…

The Pharisee was surely His host…
… yet Jesus dares ‘to have the courage to challenge the ways of insincerity and corruption…’

Standing up for convictions and principles was a value that Jesus always upheld.

Being bold to always promote and defend goodness was a virtue that Jesus always supported.

Jesus lashes out with a righteous anger, “So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves, you are full of greed and evil. Fools…!” (Lk 11: 39)

The Pharisee got offended because Jesus failed to wash his hands before meal.

But Jesus got offended because they failed to have a true cleansing of their hearts.

The Pharisee got upset because Jesus failed to uphold the sacred tradition.

But Jesus got upset because they failed to uphold the values of inner purity and holiness.

The Pharisee felt insulted because Jesus failed to honour their customs and practices.

But Jesus felt insulted because the table-meal failed to reflect true love and sharing.

Jesus was not afraid to encounter the Pharisee in his wrong thinking.

And today He encounters us and challenges us to ‘live in genuineness’

Maybe we are bold in being relaxed in some of our comfort and pleasure zones..

But Jesus exhorts us to renew our lives, with a life of holiness and purity.

Maybe we are quite okay with aspiring for many gadgets and objects of passing joys and desires

But Jesus urges us to focus on the real necessities of a good life.

Maybe we are satisfied to beautify our external life, even if it means being greedy and selfish

But Jesus spurs us to repent, by living a self-sacrificing and a self-controlling life.

The ‘fang of Pharisaism’ is deep rooted in many of our personal lives, our family lives and in our community lives…

Having focus only on external factors, but neglecting the inner dimensions
Giving importance to only outer shows, but totally forgetting the internal aspects
Being obsessed with doing many things, but totally ignoring the necessity of being holy

The Lord today reminds us that often we are extra vigilant and watchful when it comes to judging others…
… while we allow excuses and justifications to all our misdeeds and wrongdoings

“Are we ready to wipe away the stains of hypocrisy and corruption from the windows of our lives?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

— Fr Jijo Jose Manjackal MSFS
Rome, Italy
Email: reflectioncapsules@gmail.com

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

Non-combatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners must be respected and treated humanely.
Actions deliberately contrary to the law of nations and to its universal principles are crimes, as are the orders that command such actions.
Blind obedience does not suffice to excuse those who carry them out.
Thus the extermination of a people, nation, or ethnic minority must be condemned as a mortal sin.

One is morally bound to resist orders that command genocide. (CCC # 2313)