“MATTHEW GOT UP AND FOLLOWED HIM” (Matthew 9:9)

Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C.

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St Matthew is mentioned in the gospels as one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.

St. Matthew is mentioned in the gospels as one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus. The twelve Apostles were chosen by Jesus by name to be with Him and to be sent out to preach the gospel. St. Matthew therefore belongs to the band of the closest associates of Jesus and became the primary teachers of the gospel message.

The biographical details that we know of St. Matthew are minimal and fragmentary. He was born in Galilee as the son of Alphaeus. During the Roman occupation of Palestine, Matthew was a government official with the charge of collecting taxes from the Jews for Herod Antipas - the tetrarch of Galilee. His tax office was located in Capernaum. As a tax collector, he was despised by his own Jewish community and was considered an outcast.

The Gospels tell us that after his call, Matthew invited Jesus home for a feast. His apostolic activity was first restricted to the Christian communities of Palestine. His gospel is designed to convince the Jews that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah - in whom all the promises of the messianic kingdom are fulfilled. It is believed that after his apostolate in Palestine, he went over to Ethiopia and even perhaps to Parthia and Persia during the time of the persecution by Herod Agrippa in 42 AD.

“It Depends Not On Human Will Or Exertion, But On God Who Shows Mercy” (Romans 9:16)

St. Matthew, in his life and message, proclaims that salvation of man is because of the Mercy of God. He should have been surprised that Jesus invited him, who was regarded by his own tribe as a public sinner, into the group of the chosen Apostles. He was a tax collector and as was usual of that profession, he was dishonest and driven by greed until he was chosen as a disciple of Jesus. The gospel tells us that Jesus met him in Capernaum in his tax booth on the main highway. He must have been collecting customs duty on the imported goods brought by farmers, merchants and caravans. According to the Roman Empire's system of tax collection, a tax collector paid a huge amount as tax revenue to the government and then would go about extorting unreasonably high taxes from the citizens and travellers to ensure for himself a good commission. They were protected by the Roman soldiers in their business. Precisely because of this system, the tax collectors were notoriously corrupt and because their decisions were enforced by Roman soldiers, no one could fight them. Matthew was well aware that he did not deserve to be close to a godly person like Jesus. However as soon as he was called by Jesus to follow Him, he responded immediately. We learn three lessons about following Jesus.

The Good News of the Gospel is that it offers God's Grace not depending on human merit. God does not exclude anyone from His friendship. In fact, the Pharisees and the scribes were shocked that Matthew was included by Jesus. In response to this Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous but sinners."(Matthew 2:17)  Matthew himself was deeply aware of his unworthiness to be a disciple of Jesus. However, he was more impressed by the fact of his special call to be in such a close association with Jesus. Hence he was not ashamed of his sinful past - rather his past made him grateful for what the Master had done for him. It is noteworthy that while Matthew avows that he was a publican, the other evangelists do not mention this derogatory word about him. This could have been because of the reverence and the honour they felt to their brother evangelist. In fact, the word publican was so derogatory that it is always used in the gospels in reference to the despised sinner. In the gospels, several times the two words come together "publicans and sinners" (Matthew 9:10, Luke 15:1) as well as "publicans and prostitutes" (Matthew 21:31).

However St. Matthew does not shy away to use this term about himself because of the decision he had made to quit his past life and follow Jesus. He responds instantly to the Call of Jesus. The gospels tell us, "He rose and followed Him" (Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:28). It was an instant readiness to respond to the Call of Jesus - leaving his tax accounts incomplete without the fear of his masters. This ready obedience to the Call of Jesus meant abandoning everything especially what guaranteed him a source of sure income. He did not weigh the consequences of his obedience or calculate the possibilities of a certain future. Moreover his response was a celebration for him because we are told that he made a great feast in honour of Jesus in his house. It was during this feast that, when the Pharisees and the scribes murmured about Jesus associating himself with publicans and sinners, Jesus proclaimed the mystery of God's heart, "I desire mercy not sacrifice." (Matthew 9:13)

The call and response of St. Matthew reveals the central focus of our salvation. Our life in God depends on God's Mercy and not on our merit. When God chooses us and we respond generously to His Call, even our painful and sinful past experiences will bathe in the Glory of the Mercy of the Lord. We will then look back into the past not with shame and regret but with an ineffable joy for having been forgiven by the Compassion of the Lord.

“Not By Works But By His Call” (Romans 9:12)

St. John Chrysostom commenting on the Call of the Apostles explains to us that though these Apostles have a glorious name and rule in the salvation history, their past was sinful or socially insignificant. While St. Matthew was a tax collector and there was nothing more despicable than that;  Peter, Andrew, James and John were called when they were fishing which was considered a socially low profession in those days. However the glory of their ministry comes from their call and their willingness to respond wholeheartedly.

I know a businessman who is very committed to the Lord. He is known for the charismatic gifts that the Holy Spirit has bestowed on him. People approach him in the moments of their distress to be comforted and to be guided. He has a way of telling them openly of his own past that was anything but inspiring. He had an unholy affair and his prayer life was to the minimum. His friends had led him to drinking and gambling habits. He was not honest in his business either. That was when he met with a heavy loss in his business. In desperation he came for the retreat as he did not know where else to go. Even his wife and son had deserted him. His spiritual crisis led him to the retreat centre. He was deeply moved by the experience of the Mercy of God. He came to a painful realization that he had taken God for granted. His routine religious observances were out of a custom rather than acts of faith. He realized how far he was from God. It also occurred to him that his failure in business was a blessing which brought him to the Lord. In that failure he felt the call of God to turn to Him and to make Him the priority of his life. His return to the Lord was complete and wholehearted! He spent a few months in the retreat centre and with the help of the Fathers, he got his family back. He spent his time in prayer and got a call from God to the ministry of counselling. He got attached to the retreat centre and began his service of counselling for the retreatants. Something striking about him was that he would tell his own conversion story openly without any shame. When I spoke to him about this, his comment was that all that he was, was God's work in him. He was an example of what God could achieve with a human life. He would not take credit for his ministry. He is grateful to God for all that He does in and through him.

“To Be Moulded As He Pleases” (Sirach 33:13)

Here indeed we touch the inner core of Christian life and ministry. When we want to be what we want to be, we make a mess of our life. When we surrender our life in the Hands of God, God is able to mould us according to His Will. That is when God is able to achieve through our lives what He wants of us. It is only then that we become relevant to and accept our role in the Divine history of Salvation.

Once Matthew offered himself in the Hands of Jesus, there was no turning back and he made sure that he did not want to go back to his old ways by the grand celebration of his conversion in the banquet he held in his place. It was the bidding of a farewell to his old friends and a declaration of his new life. It was at this feast that he learnt the lesson of God's Mercy. From then on his concern was to make Jesus known. As a tax collector, he would have been fluent in Aramaic - the language of the people, and in Greek - the language of the market place. He wrote his gospel for the sake of his own people by demonstrating to them that Jesus was the Messiah awaited by the Jewish nation. His gospel was the answer to the question posed by the disciples of St John the Baptist, "Are you He who is to come or shall we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3)  Of the four evangelists it was Matthew who proclaimed to the Jews that in Jesus, their hope of salvation was realized! Even today, it is the Gospel of Matthew that reveals to us that our aspirations for a meaningful life are fulfiled in Jesus Christ.

“Those Whom He Called He Justified And He Also Glorified” (Romans 8:30)

St. Matthew teaches us two lessons. Our present life is not to be determined by our past. Whatever might have gone wrong in our past, we shall not languish in guilt and shame. What is needed is to wait to hear the invitation of the Lord, "Come and follow me". Our God is not a god of the past but the Lord of the future. Every saint has a past and every sinner a future. The more we delay to answer the Call of Jesus, the more wasted our lives will become. Following Jesus will bring in glory to our life. We shall always be ready to rise up and never be satisfied with the status quo. Great will be our future when we are ready to follow Him.

Once Matthew followed Jesus, he was listening to the words of the Lord. That is what is meant in being a disciple. Jesus said as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock." (Matthew 7:24)  Matthew not only listened but wanted the whole world to hear the words of the Master and follow the way of The Lord that leads to life. It was for this purpose that he wrote the gospel. The concern of Matthew was that no distraction of the world should deter a disciple of Jesus from following the Way of the Lord. "The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock." (Matthew 7:25)  What Matthew has achieved with his discipleship was to make sure that those who followed Jesus will build their lives solidly on the Word of God. A man who would have wasted his life by collecting customs has made his life meaningful in the kingdom of God by gathering souls for God!

Let Us Pray

Help me, Lord to wait on You, inviting the Holy Spirit – that God’s Own Power will enlighten and come into my heart:

-That I may be able to understand God’s Will.

-That I may be able to accept God’s mission for my life.

-That I may be able to hear God’s Call in my heart and in my life.

Open my heart, O God, for Your Own Spirit to come upon me.

Amen

“FOR FREEDOM CHRIST SET US FREE” (Galatians 5:1)

Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C.

The one message that Christianity has always proclaimed is the unconditional and infinite Love of God for humankind. More than every other love the world has known what the Bible projects is the tender personal care that God has for every one of His sons and daughters. He turns everything to our good so that there is no room for any fear or anxiety in our hearts. However we do face problems and impossible situations at every juncture of our life. Often we get depressed and at other times irritated with God's apparent silence at the sight of human misery. There are people who even end up giving up on God - questioning the very meaning of life. "Why me?" is a painful cry from the heart of many who are not able to cope up with the challenges of life. In the midst of our trials and struggles the Lord as Emmanuel (God with us) stands inviting us, "Come to me you who are tired and burdened, I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)  Genuine religion will lead us to the open arms of the Lord waiting to comfort us. However if we miss the Face of the Lord, we can easily be deceived by wrong answers that misinterpretations of the Bible and tradition of the Church lead to. 

“The Lord Has Forsaken Me” (Isaiah 49:14)

An elderly woman came to me to pour out her woes. Life seemed impossible. All she could see were problems. Everyone in the family was suffering. Her husband who had stopped drinking some years ago had taken to the bottle again. Her son was well qualified but was not getting a job appointment. Her daughter was not getting a proper alliance for marriage. This lady herself had a problem of insomnia - the inability to sleep at night.

She had attended a retreat a couple of months earlier and the counselor in that place identified her situation as the consequence of an ancestral curse. This so-called messenger of God declared that a curse had fallen upon the family which was why everything was going haywire. He prescribed a set of daily pious exercises including a certain number of rosaries and novenas to deliver them from this curse. The lady had to do much reparation for the family to be delivered from the ancestor’s curse. When she received this direction, she was at first relieved but when they returned from the retreat she felt more desperate. She had been told that if she failed to fulfill her daily prayer obligations she had to do the double of it the next day. That was the only way she was told that the curse coming down from the ancestors could be averted. She tried honestly to fulfill these obligations but because of the family responsibilities, she would invariably fail. On the one hand she could feel the curse of the ancestors pressing upon the entire family and on the other hand the failure to fulfill the pious obligations crushed her. In such despair she approached me.

I explained to this lady that as a baptized Christian, all the ancestral curses are washed away in the waters of the Sacrament of Baptism. I quoted to her the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I further explained to her that the Sacrament of Baptism is God's own hands reached out to us to save us through the ministry of the Church. If this ministry cannot save us from ancestral curses, any amount of pious exercises will not be able to effect that salvation.

“I Will Never Forget You” (Isaiah 49:15)

I took time with her to make her understand that the problem of each member of the family is to be understood in isolation and to be solved. Her husband would have to open his heart to the Lord once again to experience the Power of the Holy Spirit to defeat the evil power of alcoholism. Her son had to prepare himself more intelligently to face the interviews and with the help of God, he would get an opening. Her daughter was not able to find her future spouse because the right person God had destined for her was yet to come her way and would do so at the appointed time. The whole family has to learn to wait upon God as Jesus instructed the Apostles. The Apostles asked the Risen Lord whether that was the time when He would usher in God's Kingdom. The Lord responded saying that they had to wait until "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." (Acts 1:8)  I prayed for her and helped her to prepare for the Promise of the Holy Spirit and His consolation. She indeed received the great peace of the Holy Spirit. She was able to sleep well. She also got the courage to intercede for her husband and children with Mother Mary on her side. Prayer was no longer a burden but a support and confidence.

Earlier she became distressed because of the wrong ideas and reasons placed in her mind by the counselor. It looks unfortunate that certain preachers and counselors are taking recourse to the easy answer of ancestral curse to solve the burning problems of life. Instead of turning to God for a solution, they are directed away from God to the desperate myth of curse of the ancestors. Instead of giving people the confidence of God’s Saving Love and the Hope of heavenly intervention, they are led to the helpless situation of blaming their ancestors for their misery.

“For A Brief Moment I Abandoned You” (Isaiah 54:7)

The Old Testament indeed speaks about ancestral curses coming upon man. "For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:5-6)  We find a few other places in the Old Testament where there is a similar mention of generational curses (Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9). It is noteworthy that in all these passages, the generational curses are called down only for the specific sin of idolatry. A Jewish interpretation of this passage specifically uses the term ungodly fathers and rebellious children. This refers to the realistic situation where a father has a sinful way of living and the children imbibe his sinful attitudes. In other words,the children make a choice to repeat the sins of their fathers. This is a warning to the parents not to live in sin setting a wrong example for their children. Moreover, in the next verse God promises "I will bestow mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Therefore the teaching to the children is to turn to God in repentance and not repeat the sins of their ancestors.

In the prophecies of Ezekiel and Jeremiah there is a clear assertion that the children will not have to pay for the sins of their parents. "You ask why is not the son charged with the guilt of his father?" Because the son has done what is right and just, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. Only the one who sins shall die. The son shall not be charged with the guilt of his father, nor shall the father be charged with the guilt of his son. The virtuous man's virtue shall be his own, as the wicked man's wickedness will be his own." (Ezekial 18:19-20)  This is the clear denial of any generational curse coming upon a human.

No one is permitted to blame his ancestors for his own misery. One has to take responsibility for one's own life. The prophet in fact begins the entire case with a more powerful question, "Thus the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children’s teeth are set on edge’? I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel. For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die." (Ezekial 18:4)

“My Love Shall Never Leave You” (Isaiah 54:10)

Prophet Jeremiah speaking of the same proverb says that it is not to be even uttered again in the house of Israel. "In those days they shall no longer say, ‘the fathers ate unripe grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’, but through his own fault only shall anyone die; the teeth of him who eats the unripe grapes shall be set on edge." (Jeremiah 31:29-30)   It is pertinent that the prophet speaks about this new liberation in the context of the new covenant that God was to establish, "The days are coming, says The Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah." (Jeremiah 31:31)  In this new covenant, God promises total forgiveness of our sinfulness, "For I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more" (v. 34). This was indeed a prophecy of what the Saviour would do for humankind. At the Last Supper, Jesus took the chalice of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you." (Luke 22:20)  It is in the Paschal Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ that we find total liberation from all our sins and the curses coming down from ancestors as well as our own personal inequities.

In Jesus Christ, all the promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled. The Old Testament looks forward to the person and teachings of Jesus for its completion. Hence Jesus corrects and completes the Old Testament teachings. Jesus said, "Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17)

Hence the usual formula that precedes the teachings of Jesus, "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors... But I say to you." (Matthew 5:21-22)  The Old Testament teachings on anger, hatred, adultery, divorce, oaths, retaliation etc. are given a new interpretation by Jesus (Matthew 5:21-48). To this list St. John adds the teaching of the ancestral curse. While relating the healing of the man born blind, St. John describes the disciples asking Jesus whether the blindness was because of his sins or the sins of his parents. Jesus rejecting this popular notion among the Jews answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him." (John 9:3)  Here is a clear teaching of Jesus rejecting all talk of generational curses promising that God is ready to intervene in every form of human misery. Jesus went about healing every sickness, forgiving all forms of sin, saving broken families and thus preparing for the culmination of the work of salvation in His Death and Resurrection. Jesus took the powers of sin and death upon Himself and paid the price of it all in His Blood. This act of salvation was the ultimate manifestation of Divine Love. "No one takes it (my life) from me but I lay it down on my own." (John 10:18)

“If You Repent, I Will Restore You” (Jeremiah 15:19)

The salvific effects of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus flow down to us when we are baptized in Jesus Christ. In His first sermon, after having received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, St. Peter proclaimed, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)  This was the joyous proclamation of the early Church. St. Paul writing to the Romans explains the effects of the Sacrament of Baptism. In this Sacrament of Initiation, we are united with the Lord Jesus. The original Greek word used is “symphitos”. By this St. Paul means that as the foetus is united with the mother, so is the baptized person united with Jesus Christ to the effect that all the former’s sins and curses flow into Jesus and grace flows back into him. It is in this context that St. Paul affirms how Christ exempts us from the curse by taking it on Himself. "Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse of us." (Galatians 3:13)  St. Paul categorically asserts, "Hence now there is no curse for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)  The word used is 'en christo' which really means incorporated into Christ Jesus. This explains what happens at the moment of Baptism. As a branch is cut off from the main stem and grafted to a new stem, so are we disentangled from our human ancestral line and connected to the new stem that Christ Jesus is. This is the regeneration that happens at the moment of Baptism. Jesus Himself explained this when He said, "I am the vine and you are the branches," (John 15:5) inviting us to abide in Him and promising us that He will keep us united with Him. It is in this new life received in baptism that we have the promise that "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone and the new is come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The Church explains further this teaching of the Holy Bible in its sacramental theology. The Catechism of the Catholic Church officially teaches us, "By baptism all sins are forgiven, original sins and personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God" (CCC 1263). The teaching makes it clear that what happens at baptism is altogether a new beginning in Christ Jesus making the baptised a "new creature" (1265), without any roots that reach back to any evil in his biological ancestry. Eventually if he commits any personal sin, the grace of the Sacrament of Confession washes it away. When we understand correctly the biblical teaching as elaborated by the Catholic Theology, we will come to the Truth of what Jesus said, "If the Son sets you free you are free indeed." (John 8:36)   It is this freedom that makes life with Christ a celebration.

“I Will Be Their God, And They Shall Be My People” (Jeremiah 31:33)

The remedy to the sins and curses, whether personal or ancestral, is the baptismal regeneration - the grace of the Sacrament of Confession and a life of grace united with Jesus Christ. Those who look to special exorcisms and generational healing rites run the risk of getting entangled with the New Age influences. The New Age theories show ways of escaping personal responsibilities for our own choices and decisions. They urge people to look elsewhere than in themselves for the source of their problems. The Church has always insisted that we are responsible for our choices and actions before God. Through an honest soul searching when we find out that we have gone astray from the Lord Jesus, we come back to Him in repentance which culminates in the Sacramental Confession and conversion. This is the way of ushering in the Kingdom of God in our personal lives and in our community relationships. The first sermon of Jesus was - "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)  

Retreats and counseling should help everyone to understand oneself and to turn to God in repentance. In the Sacrament of Confession, a renewal of the grace of Sacrament of baptism is effected. All that God seeks is our freedom to live life in all its fullness. For the days of trial, He is there giving grace. To even mention that suffering is the working of a curse is to negate the truth of Christianity which is founded on a God who is love and on Christ crucified to set us free from death and every shadow of evil. Let us remember the sure promise of His Love and Presence with us and turn to God with confidence in our every trial.

  

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus You came down to the world as our Saviour. You set us free from the sins and curses that are the plight on this earth. You instituted the Church to continue Your ministry of liberation in this world. Thank You, O Lord, for Your Infinite Mercy that flows into us in the moments of our misery. Let us turn to You and live - finding all the answers in You. Let us never be disheartened by our struggles, rather find our hope in You.

Amen.

"PUT ON THE ARMOUR OF LIGHT" (Romans 13:12)

Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C.

The Youth retreats at the Divine Retreat Centre are always celebrations of the vitality of the Church. Young people flock to the retreat not always knowing what God has in store for them. Invited by friends, urged by the parents, inspired by youth animators, they step in. Once they are challenged by the Word of God, they make a daring and honest soul searching and bravely commit their lives to God. God's Love revealed through the Word and the Sacraments fascinate them - giving a new direction and zeal for life.

The 34th National Youth Retreat that took place during the last week of May was a season of life-giving revelation and renewal both for the 1000 youth participants and for their parents who took part in the couples’ retreat that was held simultaneously on campus.

The theme of the retreat was St Paul’s exhortation to "Put On The Armour Of Light"(Romans 13:12).  The retreat ended with the participants lighting their candles from the fire of the Easter candle and taking an oath together that they would live henceforth for and with Christ. The theme of light dominated the teachings and services at the retreat. The Light of Christ seemed to illuminate their lives giving every participant a clear vision of the failures in the past and the path they need to take for their future.

“Awake O Sleeper, Arise From the Dead... Christ Will Give You Light” (Ephesians 5:14)

It is interesting to note that this particular scripture that we chose for the Youth retreat had played a significant role in the conversion of another young man – a conversion that would greatly impact the world of his time and Christian faith for generations. As a young man, St. Augustine was no saint at all - Indulging in every vice, arrogant in his successes, irreverent to faith and in truth living a very ungodly life, Augustine was the despair of his saintly mother. However just as darkness cannot hold out against light, his impiety had to submit to the enduring zeal and prayerfulness of his mother. He began accepting Christian truths also with the influence of the saintly Bishop Ambrose. The fact was that for long, the acceptance was merely intellectual and never became a personal decision or commitment to give up his old sinful ways that he was enslaved to.

While earlier he justified his sins, now he realized he was in the wrong but would continue to pray “Lord change me... but not today.” Procrastination was the other powerful weapon of satan. At one point it is said that Augustine heard a voice saying “Take and read.” He took up the Bible and opened it to this Letter of St Paul and the words shone out, “It is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:11-12)  A long struggle ended as this scripture verse gave birth to a saint. He made the decision to live in the armour of light and the radiance of his saintliness was tremendous.

St. Paul in his incisive treatment of the journey of man from slavery of sin to freedom in the enlightening truth of Christ again writes, "Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them... everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light." (Ephesians 5:11-14)  This scripture verse was proved in the course of the retreat for these young people in a very powerful way. The Light of Christ enabled them to discriminate the good from the bad, the honourable from the unworthy in their lives. Even the inner motives of their decisions and actions which they were not even aware of earlier became clear before their eyes. In the moments of honest confession and counselling, they could understand themselves and accept the personal call to a higher living with generous and brave decisions. At the end of these sessions, they came out very happy with the revelation that God had not given up on them but they had something to count on - the Light of Christ in their hearts to guide them for the future. They regretted the ungodly decisions made, repented over the wrong steps taken as they realized that it was a meaningless darkness that they were groping through in the past without the Llight of Christ shining on them.

“Everything Exposed By Light Becomes Visible” (Ephesians 5:13)

When St. Paul speaks about exposing everything in the light, he had a certain image in mind of the marketplace of his time. The shops in the marketplace were covered enclosures without windows. Anyone going to buy a commodity like a piece of cloth or a work of art would take it out to the street and hold it against the sun so that the light would reveal its true quality and any flaws it could have. In fact in light, not only does an object reveal its true calibre, it also begins to reflect light. This is the principle that explains colours of objects. An object is identified as red, for instance, for in light, the substance emits a red shade of light.

The outstanding feature about the youth at this retreat was the daring with which they placed their life before the Light of Christ - accepting that what they had thought was the truth was indeed a wrong leading. They made their commitment to expose every decision and action and motive to the Light of Christ and live according to what their Lord would want of them. As stark as the difference between night and day was the new stance for life and holiness that the youth personally took up. It was indeed a moment of victorious celebration in the Kingdom of God!

Christine was a medical college student. She had grown up in the wholesome atmosphere of a village with life revolving around the family and the parish in the devout practice of the Catholic faith. When she joined medical college, she was confronted with a situation she was least equipped for. Some of her classmates did not have any religion at all. A few were voluble about their atheistic ideas. There were a few Christian students who were under the influence of a Pentecostal pastor who was a rather persuasive preacher. Christine found it difficult to go to the Catholic Church. For one thing that it was not near her college and also since the services which were in the local language, which she was not familiar with, were at timings when she had to be present at college. Her friends invited her to a Pentecostal prayer meeting. Though initially apprehensive, because of their persistence, she began participating in this. She was disturbed by the negative preaching that focused on discrediting the Catholic teachings and painted all the other religions in very dark colours. However the fellowship gathering and the fervent prayers attracted her. In a personal meeting with the Pentecostal pastor, she was asked to reject the Catholic faith if she wanted to be saved. Her friends also urged her to heed the pastor's direction. Christine was very disturbed and felt lost. There was no one she could talk to, no one who could tell her the truth. For the vacation, she returned home but still plagued by the many confusing claims of the Pentecostal preacher that were in total conflict with the devout practices that her family was dedicated to. Her cousins who had all planned to come for the youth retreat invited her to join in - which she did in great anticipation. Here she offered to God all her confusions and disturbances asking for a clear revelation of His true Will. The Word of God says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)  Again it is the testimony of a seeker assuring us, “For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)  While speaking about the spirituality of the Catholic Church, a preacher quoted the declaration of Jesus to Peter, "I tell you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)  In the light of this Word, it became very clear that the Church of Jesus Christ was founded on the rock of Simon Peter and this Church is to be led by the successors of Simon Peter. Before her eyes, was exposed the evil agenda of the Pentecostal pastor to control and redirect the faith of the people towards himself. She understood she was misled by the foolish zeal of her companions and she made a firm commitment to be rooted in the Church.

In a world where media bombards the youth from every direction with ideologies disguised as truth, the action of the Spirit through the Proclamation of the Word at the retreat was revolutionary. “For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)  The retreat itself was a war cry urging everyone to be ready for a battle which is always imminent. There is a perennial fight going on between light and darkness.

“I Have Fought The Good Fight…  I Have Kept The Faith” (2 Timothy 4:7)

St. Paul likens our spiritual existence to a warfare. There are evil powers within us and around us. Detailing for us the cross-section of a human heart, he writes that there are powers of darkness within, which forbids a man to do what he wants to. Though he wants to do the good and delights in the good that he wants to do, he finds that he is incapable of fulfilling his intentions. "I take delight in the law of God in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members." (Romans 7:22-23)  These powers of evil are so strong that they are able to enslave a human person compelling him to actions against his own will. 

St. Paul also explains how such powers of evil get entry into human heart. "Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." (Ephesians 4:26-27)  By anger in our hearts, we are giving entry to the evil power of hatred. Getting angry could be a temperamental impulse but after getting angry and hurting someone, we have two choices. We can get reconciled with that person and soothe his feelings. Anger vanishes and the relationship is restored to warmth and good will. However if one remains stubborn to cling on to their anger, one would justify his arguments and nourish these in his heart. That is when it becomes a power of anger and hatred.

Our imagination prefers to characterize evil as an ugly figure that lurks in darkness or mythical locations and by evil spells. But the Lord Himself tells us that evil stems from the human heart (Mark 7:20-23). As the powers of evil dwell and dominate our hearts, St. Paul tells us we are being led by the flesh.  "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:17,19-21)

James was an engineering student who was taking medication for depression. When he came for this retreat, he shared with me of how he was deeply distressed because of a deep-rooted addiction to pornography. He was introduced to it by his schoolmates. Every time he went for the Holy Mass or participated in the family prayer, he felt convicted and terribly guilty. He began to resent prayer because he felt condemned. On one occasion his uncle caught him red-handed and admonished him severely - threatening him of God’s curse. He felt like dirt now even at home. This made him all the more upset but he was more powerfully sucked into this unholy habit. This guilt and sense of shame led him to continuous tension and depression. He had to resort to medical help. I pointed out to him that the distress in his mind was but caused by a spiritual warfare within him between the forces of light and darkness. I invited him to make a total commitment to Jesus and surrender his body and all the capabilities and expressions of his body to Jesus Christ. Sexuality is a blessing God has given to man to enable the expression of love in the holy bond of marriage. God works through this to mould individuals into parents, participating in God’s creative work, bringing children into the world.

James wept but this time not out of pain but out of the relief that God had not abandoned him but was going to be there to help him come through what was a nightmare phase of sin and slavery. I could see in those tears the love and grateful joy of the prodigal son in the arms of his father. I led him to make an irrevocable commitment of his life to Jesus. He continued praying during the Inner Healing prayer service. The next day when he met me, he shared that he felt an overwhelming joy in his heart during the Adoration service. This joy was a result of the anointing of the Holy Spirit that set him free completely.

“Where Sin Abounded, Grace Abounded Much More” (Romans 5:20)

While explaining how pervasive sin can be, scripture describes that “through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all.” (Romans 5:12)  As sin tormented individuals, it has a stranglehold on society at large. We are surrounded by sin at every level that it is so possible for a person to completely be desensitized to the atrocities of sin around.

In their journey towards light, the young people became aware of not only the powers of evil dominating them in their own hearts but in the society as a whole. St. Paul speaks about this conflict, "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:12-13)  Rebellion against God that welled up in the first parents has overflowed pervading every generation and becoming an evil power vitiating human relationships and social structures. Many of the young people I met shared how helpless they felt before the oppression of these evil forces in society. John, a young government servant, shared with me the tension of his mind. He grew up in a pious Catholic family and was himself actively engaged in the youth movement of the diocese. When he got this job, he took it up with the determination to be a witness at his workplace. Inspite of this, he was not prepared for the onslaught of evil. He was shocked when at the end of the first month, an unaccounted amount was paid to him by his immediate boss. When he tried to clarify with the boss as to its source, he laughed aloud and proudly boasted that everybody in the department got a share of all the money that passed under the table. Politely but decisively John returned that money to the boss telling him that he did not want to take home money that came from an unjust system. The boss advised him at first gently to flow with the current. When John refused to budge from his stand, the boss spoke in an intimidating tone warning him of the consequences of such a rejection. Everyone in the department would isolate him as a traitor and turn against him. This would definitely lead him to trouble. The boss advised him to rethink his stand. That night when he came home, he realized he was not ready for such confrontation. He also began to reason out that he needed all that money for the admission of his younger brother in the college. Consequently, he became part of the unjust system. Even when he saw his co-workers arrogant and heartlessly unjust to the helpless who came for any service to this department, he turned a blind eye. It hurt him often but he justified it by the argument that no one could fight such a rotten structure. At the retreat, he was confronted by the Light of Jesus Christ and he allowed the secret corners of his heart to be enlightened by the zeal for truth and righteousness. He felt a new confidence that through prayer he would be able to stand against the current. He confided in me that whatever loss he must incur, he was ready for the battle for now he was sure that all he wanted was the Lord on his side.

The Word of God finds fulfillment - "Everything which is illuminated becomes light" (Ephesians 5:14)  As these young witnesses march out into the world, there is a radiance on their faces. A radiance that comes when one has a vision of the Face of God. Truly “the light shines in the darkness and darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) A contingent of strong young people have set out into the world rooted in convictions of the life-giving truth that in Jesus is Life and in Him is the Light.

Let Us Pray

Heavenly Father we thank You for the spiritual transformation You have brought about in Your children whom You drew into Your Presence. They have accepted Your Son Jesus Christ as the Light of their life. They have examined their lives in the Light of Your Son and they are now prepared to reflect that light around them. Hold them close to Your Heart that their light may glow in the world - bringing a new hope for humankind.

Amen.