26Th MAY.TUESDAY WEEK 8 ORDINARY TIME

Saint Philip Neri, Priest ( Memorial)

Fillipo Neri( 1515-1595) was an Italian priest noted for founding a society of secular clergy called the congragation of the oratory or Oratorians

1st Reading: Sirach 35:1-12 ( He recomends  temple sacrifices and generosity to the poor; condemns extortion.)

2nd Reading: Mark 10:28-31( Repaid a hundred times over for anything we have given up for Jesus'sake.)

Reflection on the readings

The prophets called out passionately for social justice and kindness towards the poor. To quote the words of Prophet  Isaiah who reduced the entire law to hearing the orphans plea and defending the widows ( Isa1:16). During that time the orphans and widows were defenseless people. In the same manner Sirach expresses the same concern for the poor explaining that works of charity are equivalent  to offering of fine flour on the altar. According to him, to refrain from evil and to avoid injustice is the best kind of sacrifice.

Jesus Christ in his earthly public ministry he identified himself with the poor, he was close to them and spoke up in their defense. We are told from the scriptures that  the village of Bethany was prominent because this city marked the spot where lepers came closest to Jerusalem, to overlook the holy city from the mount of olives. In one sense to reach out and touch the leper it rendered a person unclean, not even fit to share in temple ritual. It is under this background Sirach is rising his voice to people never to forget the poor, even in the midst ritual with its pomp and circumstances.

From the Gospel reading we are told that Peter and the rest of the disciples left every thing to follow Jesus. On our part it is the same appeal to leave whatever is contrary to God's will and follow Jesus. Jesus is giving the response to the disciples and to us to day that once we decide to leave everything for the sake of the Kingdom we will receive more than we will give. In this context Jesus is telling us that once we decide to open our heart and minds towards others we become transformed from our old self to knew self. When we leave behind the old self it means that we embrace a new experience, we embrace a new life family apart from our biological family we are used. Leaving every to follow Jesus it also means that we are no longer restricting ourselves into cultural, tribalism, nationalism and ideological beliefs. Following Jesus we acquire the rubber stamp and belong into the family of believers. To be with Jesus it means to experience the richness of the Church, the experience of unity in diversity ( to live with other christian believers of different historical, cultural and family background). The challenging question Jesus will still pose to each one of us is that when we decided to follow him do we totally abandon all that seem to be obstacles in following him? including our cultural, political and ideological affiliation? Thus following Jesus demands a total commitment on our side.