CSI Life March 2019 03 Called a Glutton
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March 2019 | Epiphany Season Volume XVII | Issue 03 | Rs.150 Per Annum Lent: Return Repent Renew Women DARE Inaugurates its Retail Outlet in Kanyakumari Workshop on Psycho-Social Intervention and a Focus on Future Career 02 The Cross: God’s Vision for a Fuller Life EDITOR’S DESK “For the message about the cross is intently on the Cross and the Crucied that may re-create the creational foolishness to those who are perishing, One and to understand the meaning, harmony. It is not a simple call to right but to us who are being saved it is the signicance and relevance of the Cross in relationship with nice, good people and power of God. 1 Corinthians … but we our daily life. the environment; the Cross calls us to proclaim Christ crucied.” (1 Cor. Cross is the vision of life in all its fulness build bridges of reconciliation and enter 1:18,23) into right relationships with the world Paul informs us that some consider the that is revolts against, rejects and denies The Cross is the ultimate and unique message of the Cross as foolishness, all relations. The Cross is a challenge to symbol of our faith. We are the people weakness, shame and a scandalous, build bridges with those who turn faces under the shadow of the Cross. We stumbling block, but for those who away, those who hate to the core and are the ones chosen to tread the path of believe in Jesus, the Cross is God's conspire to exclude, eliminate and the Cross. Taking up the Cross and wisdom, God's power and strength. It is destroy, those who spit and mock, those following the crucied is discipleship. the revelation of God's glory and who renounce, damn and reprove. The But the Cross has become, or rather we continues to be the hope of salvation. Cross is a call and challenge to re- have converted the cross into an Therefore, as we proclaim the Christ interpret, re-invent, re-live life-afrming ornament. The meaning and signicance crucied, we are invited to be part of a relationships amid violent death forces of the Cross are getting diluted in our new vision for life. teaching and life. At times we think and that threaten to destroy and kill. The Cross teaches us the innate and interpret that the pain, suffering and the The Cross challenges us to be faithful intrinsic value of relationships. The problems we face are, in fact, the Cross. and diligent in all the responsibilities Cross questions and critiques our Maybe true, sometimes. However, we entrusted to us: “Woman, here is your relations with God, with all God's people need to note that the problems we face, son.” “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26- and with God's world. Jesus' words from the pain and suffering that we often 27). The Cross does not allow us to run the Cross, “Father, forgive them; for they invite upon ourselves because of our away from our responsibilities, it is not a do not know what they are doing” (Luke own wrong doing, is not the Cross. path of escapism. The burden of family 23:34), “Truly I tell you, today you will be Instead we encounter the Cross when responsibility weighed heavily upon with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) call us we walk the Lord's way, the path of him. People always teased him that he to re-think, re-dene and re-claim our education, empowerment, resistance, was a hermit with no sense of family relationships. The Cross expresses an reconciliation, healing, justice and peace. responsibility. They even ridiculed him unquenchable thrust toward bridging, The Cross is the goal of our life. As we are saying that he had lost his mind. And re-molding and building relationships. given grace to once again enter the when he joined the tax collectors and It calls us to enter into deeper, Lenten season, we are invited to look those they considered sinners, he was meaningful and strong relationships CSI Life March 2019 03 called a glutton. Allegations and steadfastly towards the goal, he had to sorrow and doubt, question: Has God accusations were heaped on him; he was face the Cross. Whoever lives out the forsaken us? If God were there, how branded and became a victim of faith commitment and covenantal could this happen? Even Jesus cried on proling. Yet, the Cross is a call to take obligations without a compromise and the cross, “My God, My God why have the accusations and allegations head-on moves with single-minded dedication you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). On the instead of nding an escape route and will have to face the Cross. It was not Cross, God forsakenness was a real running away. The Cross calls us to take easy; there were people who mocked at experience for Jesus. When the dark family relationships and responsibilities him, accused him, and deserted him and clouds of terrible abandonment cover seriously, and to discharge our duties ed. There were also people who wept and encircle, the Cross is considered towards family with faithful diligence. for him. Yet there were people who foolish and scandalous by many. But Many a time varied problems and stood in silence and unmoved as exactly at that point, the Cross becomes difculties, pain and sufferings become spectators. Moving towards the goal the altar of God's vision, the sacred an excuse to shrug off or to get away of life amid all these people and moment of the revelation of God's from and to neglect our responsibilities. circumstances is difcult; yet amid such wisdom, power and strength. We need The Cross is a call to be faithfully defeating circumstances, the Cross calls to listen intently to the prayers of Jesus committed and diligently covenanted to us to understand, interpret, express, and on the Cross - Father, my God, my God - our family responsibilities even amid full life's goal. all proclaim the surety of the real life's bitter challenges that threaten to During times when the institution of presence of God. God is with us each and sap our energy and hope. marriage is being challenged; when every moment. Especially when we pass The Cross educates and empowers us to relationships in multi-cultural and through the valley of darkness, pain, understand life's goal. “It is nished multi-religious neighbourhoods and sorrow, suffering and distress, God (John 19:30). Father, I commend my communities suffer as faith related walks with us very closely, as a faithful Spirit into your hands” (Lk. 23:46). Jesus sentiments polarise, exploiting lack of companion. Sometimes we are so expresses his eagerness to reach his life's genuine trust and commitment; when overwhelmed that though we know the goal. “Guard the good treasure the relationships to the environ becomes ideal, we cannot reach it, though we entrusted to you, with the help of the crucial for the very survival of the planet; know the right, we cannot do it, though Holy Spirit living in us” (2 Tim 1:14). when emerging cultural values tempt we do recognise our duty, we cannot Jesus moved to full and complete the people to become individualistic and perform it, though we know the truth, mission entrusted to him. The Cross did conveniently forget the responsibility we cannot reach it, though we know the not deter him from bringing to fullness towards the common good and path, we cannot walk through it, though the redemption of the whole world. He commitment for sharing and celebrating help is at hand we cannot recognise it, had to go through a terrible struggle to life together, the Cross beckons us for a though God accompanies us, we cannot the extent of praying with all earnestness critical re-think of values and goals. see and comprehend. and asking “My Father if it is possible, let In teaching and empowering people to In the narrative of Abraham preparing to this cup pass from me. Yet not what I live out intrinsically-woven relationships, sacrice his son Isaac, in obedience to the want, but what you want”. And he had in educating and equipping people to word of the Lord, a perplexed father is the humble submission in sincerely discharge responsibilities diligently with confronted by the question, “Father! The bringing his struggle before his Father. committed faithfulness and in enabling re and the wood are here, but where is The spirit indeed is willing, but the esh and inspiring people to walk steadfastly the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Genesis is weak. If this cannot pass, unless I drink towards the goal of life, the Cross gives a 22:7). When Abraham built an altar and it, your will be done (Matt 26:39-42). new vision of life in all its fullness. laid the wood in order, he bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of The Cross is a call to move towards life's Cross is the vision of God the wood. When he was ready to give his goal with single-minded determination The Cross is often a sign of forsakenness, son in sacrice, he experienced Jehovah and fullest commitment and dedication. abandonment, wretchedness, exclusion Jireh - the Lord will provide. When he It is a call to take each step steadily and elimination. Often, we, in our gave, he did see and nd. He not only towards the goal. Because Jesus walked hopelessness, amid suffering, pain, CSI Life 04 March 2019 understood the secret of being provided people go!” as well as his agony: “Where sometimes healing processes demand or for, but that those who hold on to life, will my people go?” require cutting open or an operation to will lose it, those who lose it will nd it.