Breaking the Word – Page 2531 – Rev. Dr. Victor Antonyraj SDB

02.02.10 PRESENTATION OF THE LORD

Posted under Reflections on February 1st, 2010 by

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” (Lk 2,22-23)

God created the world.

All creation belongs to God.

Every new creation also belongs to God.

And whatever comes out of the created world also belongs to God.

Since they belong to God, man cannot have any claim over them.

Every fruit from the trees,
every grain from the fields,

every sheep even

every child that is born belongs to God.

And hence man has no claim over them.

Man has to offer them or bring them to God.

It is this conviction that made the people of Israel to offer the first fruits to God. They offer the first fruits and say to God ” I have toiled and brought forth these fruits. They all belong to You.

But I offer some of them to you so that I may have the rest for my use”

Thus the tradition of offering the first fruits come to be practiced.

The first child that opens the womb also belong to God and hence it has to be offered to God.

A practice which becomes a tradition later enters into legal system. In this legal system there is also the possibility of offering a substitute offering. This is the practice that we in todays reading.

What is important is the prophecy of Simeon: “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” This again gives the role of Jesus in his ministry. He has to reveal God to the non-Israelites and bring the glory of God to the people of Israel. A beautiful mission.

So can we say that all creation belong to God and all have the same mission: to reveal God and the glory of God.

01.02.10 MAN FROM THE TOMBS

Posted under Reflections on January 31st, 2010 by

As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. (Mk 5,15)

This is an interesting story. The description of the man before meeting Jesus and after encountering Jesus gives the message of the story.

Before meeting Jesus:

A man from the tombs (he is as good as a dead man)
Had an unclean spirit (evil possessed)
No one could restrain him (non – social)
He was always crying out (no one could listen)
and bruising himself with stones (hurting himself)

In short he was inhuman and his behaviour was non-human. He was dead, unsocial, non-communicative and (destructive)

This description (legion) meets Jesus, Son of the Most High God.

After encountering Jesus:

He is clothed (cultured – humanly)
sitting there (relaxed)
in his right mind (having the ability to communicate)

He has become human.

So, meeting Jesus makes an inhuman into human. Jesus’ ministry is to make humans.

What about the destruction of the pigs? Pigs were unclean for the Jews and so for Jesus. Destruction of unclean is in no way a loss. It was only a gain. That is, evil is destroyed.

Here in this story evil is destroyed (which is not a loss) to gain a human person.

Jesus upholds and works for the humanity.