The Final analysis of Our Hope

I recall once asking my friend as we were on a boat ride towards Elephenta Caves. I looked at him in the face and told him: what If Moses or just one of the prophets, like Elijah is not true. The whole of the Bible will fall like a pack of Cards. For Jesus meets Moses on the mount during the Transfiguration. If Moses is not true, Jesus could not meet it and yet the Apostles record he did. So the Apostles lie. If the Apostles lie, the Bible loses its credibility as divinely inspired. Every other thing falls apart. 2000 years of Christendom starts crumbling down.

My friend replied that if the Bible was not true, he does not know what to believe in. His life might as well be summarized as a chain of endless days with no meaning at all. He wouldn’t have any hope of any good he did. A similar experience engulfed me recently when I was at Mass in Church

Whenever I come forward for communion in Holy Mass, I contemplate on the Cross or face of Jesus. The other day it dawned on me: what if Jesus’ death on the cross failed to dispose me towards love? What if it failed to bring out pain and sadness of his death and the glory of his victory? What if one day it all stops happening and I become indifferent to the whole event of the Passion and Death that divided time and changed the course of History?
I will have no hope left then.

On Fasting

Yesterday, we were speaking on fasts. Fast is to abstain from all or some kind of foods or go hungry to deny oneself. The rationale behind a fast is as important as the fast itself. If the fasting, from denying oneself turns into say, gaining oneself such as gaining for oneself a toned body or losing weight before the wedding or a ramp walk, then the same fast becomes a diet.


We have talked about the ontology of a fast. Now let us get on to rationale of a fast. I am a catholic and suffering is a fundamental element of Christianity. Jesus suffered for each one of us in the world and his suffering, redeemed. Anytime there is redemption, there is an element of suffering involved. Whether you redeem your brother who is unable to pay off his dues or you apologize on behalf of your mischievous son. There is always ‘denying’ in redemption. But look what Christ’s redemption did? It brought salvation to mankind. So we are asked to be like Christ and participate in this redemption by ourselves redeeming others and being the instrument of God in the lives of others. This will entail lot of suffering, don’t you think?

Fasting is based on the same lines of denying. While suffering in general, is hidden in the role a Mother plays for his son late into midnight checking on his temperature, fasting is a direct love. In the mother’s case, love is explicit and suffering is implicit. In fasting, the choice of suffering is may be explicit but is motivated by love. Christians fast to share the pain of the cross as Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus to carry the cross. Christians fast to tell Jesus, “Lord, you died for my sin, surely lord, I can give up my desire for coffee today for you”

Every form of Love requires an expression. The Romeo does it by climbing a perilous hilltop or idly waiting at the bus stop for an hour. There is suffering involved here too. But he is not concentrating on suffering but on love. Love motivates him to do it. What he is trying to say by buying an expensive diamond that cost him two months’ salary and his own bike is: I love you. The faithful do it by a fast. What they are trying to tell God is that, “Look, I love you, I am denying my desire for you. I have to die to my desire and I want to show you, I can go this far for you simply because love motivates me to do that,”

Heaven: It's all worth it

Dave and Mikhail are walking out of their classrooms. They have just finished their Calculus exam. Dave looks at Mikhail with a grin. Mikhail asks: What’s the matter? I didn’t know calculus was so easy? Dave responds: I did write my paper well. It doesn’t reflect my grasp over calculus. It’s just that I watched a good movie yesterday while I should have been studying. All morning I was wondering if I would regret watching that movie. But my paper went really well. I could savor stealing an hour or two to watch the movie. I feel its all worth it.

And Mikhail says:

When you indulge in something and are afraid wondering if the indulgence will be too high a price to pay. Tomorrow when things go your way, you realize that it’s all worth it. Heaven will be something like that. You don’t understand the pain. You don’t understand how your suffering has value. You don’t understand why you fall face first in spite of trying so hard. Why do you feel dry instead of praying so hard? Why does the world seem not to transform in spite of pouring all the optimism. Why does the world still feel material and shallow even when you try to feel supernatural as if everything counts: all your effort. But one truth will come, heaven will not pass but will prevail and it will all be accomplished. Everything you did- the leaf you picked up, the people you succored, the neighbor you lent a hand to. The kid you helped with mathematics. The lunch you skipped. The expensive racket you let go to buy your brother a shirt. It will all have accomplished their ends. Heaven will make every sacrifice, a jewel in the crown. Heaven will make every moment of trial, a triumph. Heaven will make every moment of effort, an eulogy.