5th Sunday of the Great Lent 22nd March 09

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Reading: From the Gospel according to St.Luke13:10-17


Dear and Respected Brethren,

In today’s reading we come across the healing granted to a crippled woman, who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. We might have heard so many sermons appreciating the woman, who came to the Synagogue where Lord Jesus was teaching in spite of her physical discomforts. It is true and no one could deny such facts. She not only came to the Synagogue but also she took a seat which could be easily noticed by our Lord. If the woman had done so purposely, it is to be appreciated. When our Lord called her, she went to Him without any denial. She was crippled not because of her sins, but because of the bad spirit. She had not lost her hope, though she was bowed for long eighteen years. She reached our Lord’s presence in perfect faith, hope and prayer. That is why she could reach our Lord’s presence without delay or fail, and to receive the blessing of healing. Many of us are also spiritually bowed for years together. But we do not realize our weakness, as we are not physically affected in our situations what we must do to obtain healing of our infirmities.
1) We must turn to our Lord and Savior
We all will have to turn to our Lord God, who could touch us gently and loose us from our infirmities. We must utilize the Lenten Season for our repentance and approach to our Savior. He is willing to forgive our sins and to make us free from our infirmities. The question is about our willingness only. If we listen carefully, we could hear His gentle voice, calling us by our very pet names and asking, ‘are you willing to turn back, my beloved child’.
Let us make decisions to make us free from the bondage of Satan. Why we should carry his burdens over our back and be bowed spiritually. Let us long to be straight by His mercy and worship Him as His own beloved children.
2) Realize the soft and tender touch of our Savior.
When the bowed woman was touched by our Lord, she realized the impact. She was so conscious that the hand touched her shoulders belonged to our Lord God. We all have been touched softly by our Savior. But many a times we did not recognize Him or his soft touch. We could not see him touching us as our eyes were filled with scales as that of the fishes. (Remember scales fell down from the eyes of St. Paul, when he realized our Lord Jesus and his eyes were opened) We also have stored so much tears, (without allowing them to flow out) being senseless while watching or hearing touching scenes or reports. Our people especially the aged ones used to shed tears during the Holy Eucharist service. They had the feeling of repentance. Why no one is shedding tears these days? The reason for this is not the absence of tears, but we are quite reluctant to shed tears. Do we feel shame to shed tears in public? In Lenten prayers, tears have been praised as the most precious things in God’s presence. The prayer says, “One who is fasting is in heaven.” If you and I are in heaven, why we she should get shamed to shed tears in the church or in public?
3) We should not be hypocrites.
With or without our knowledge, we often fall victim to be hypocrites as the Pharisees and Scribes of our Lord’s time. We all might argue for the systematic continuity of our worships or traditions. We must try to have a mind of Christ. We often follow to have a Jewish mind to criticize the available set ups or so. Let us try to inherit Christ’s mind in us. We all must develop a Christian way of approach in our daily lives. As the scientific way of thinking examines things in the light of solid proofs, we must examine things which are to be faced by us in the vision of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We must think about the attitude of our Lord Christ, if it would have been faced by Lord Christ. We must try to imitate our Lord Christ in our daily lives.
When the hypocrisy of the ruler of the Synagogue was revealed by our Lord, all hypocrites got ashamed. They got back from their arguments and justifications. We should not have such a pathetic condition in our lives. Let us pray for such a blessing and a blessing to glorify God Almighty every now and then.
May God bless us all
Jose Kurian Puliyeril.