41st Day of Lent: April 14, 2014: Love of God and love for the poor

41^st Day of Lent:April 14, 2014:Love of God

 and love for the poor

Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, or popularly known as  "Bishop of Bling," was suspended by Vatican for his lavish spending of $43 million on his mansion and living a luxurious life.

         He sued a German newspaper for saying that he travelled first class to              India to help the poor children. He claimed he travelled only business              class. Bishop of Atlanta, Wilton Gregory, was under fire recently for his            new residence with a price tag of $2.3 million.

He gave it up after much outcry from the laity of the diocese. 

In the Gospel we see that Mary ‘gets it’. She pours the expensive and anoints Jesus’ feet for burial. 

Mary knows Jesus is worth it all. For her love of Jesus is far more precious than anything else in life. This is the same woman who sat at Jesus’ feet and gave her complete and undivided attention to him.

Here Jesus in challenging Judas makes a clear statement quoting from Deuteronomy 15: 11 “ There will always be poor in the land. I command you therefore, always be open-handed with anyone in the country who is in need or is poor”. 

Maybe the bishops ‘don’t get it’ and keep justifying a ‘need’ for it all. The love of God impels and compels us to pour out our lives in service to God and to any one God truly had a heart for i.e. the poor, the sick, the excluded, the women, the lepers of the society. Love of God and neighbor are the two sides of the same coin. 

If we don’t get it all then we don’t really have love of God in our hearts. Love of God then is reduced to a carrier, a job, not a vision, not a passion to die for. 

The fragrance of our charity must fill the whole church. The first day of the holy week challenges us to claim our true  identity that Isaiah speaks about, “ behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights”. 

The true servant in whom God delights is someone who ‘gets’ it, ‘love of God has been poured out in to his/her heart’ and therefore ready to pour out his/her life in love for the poor of the world. Pope Francis gets it, do we get it?

God Bless you always!

Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Fr. Cyriac Chandy Mattathilanickal, MS

Wishing you and yours A Holy Lent!

Rev. Fr. Tom Puthusseril, M.S.

Shrine Director

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