Faith

This text forms part of the fourth of the five discourses in the Gospel of Matthew and is called the community discourse. Matthew is penning down the ethical behaviour for his community and for all Christians.

Sadly, we read scripture for the lines that appeal to our mind set and wilfully read the text out of context. This text has often been seen as some sort of a handbook for resolving matters rather that what it was meant to be; concern for others.

In its context, this text is sandwiched between the parable of the lost sheep and the mandate to forgive seventy times seven. If you’r surrounded by the message of love it’s improbable that the core of your learning turns out to be rotten. This text is cushioned with love. If the shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep in search of the one lost would he bring him back only to put him on trial?

The point of this text in dealing with a sinful brother is not to haul him over the coals but to restore a wounded relationship. Matthew is asking his community to settle matters of dispute by tapping into the resources of the community and not finding solace in some external judicial kangaroo court. However, the disputes taken to the community are not meant to be trivial matters but those grave in nature and that gravity was highlighted by the word ‘sinful’.

A community of believers is not insulated from disagreements. The words of Jesus seem to indicate a hypothetical situation highlighted by the word IF repeated five times in the text. But this hypothetical situation is more than just a hypothesis for we know that sparks fly when people live in community. The lord, mindful of such possible conflicts, wanted them to be addressed, for conflicts that are not addressed only fester.

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Art/ Heritage

 

 September 5, 1949

It was past 11 am. Having dodged a couple of tongas and the Indo-Italian kaali-peelis our bus speeds through one of the longest roads of old Bombay. The Parel Road connects Kalbadevi to Kalachowki. This is a forever-crowded zone in the ever-growing city. The landscape is dominated by the soaring chimneys of textile mills and the long chawl-verandahs of its migrant workers. This is the ‘Manchester of the East’!

The rickety bus finally lurches to a screeching halt. Gesturing towards us, the conductor announces aloud – ‘Chuna Depot’. We hurry across the aisle as the conductor reaches for the bell. Having thanked the bus-personnel we now alight onto the rugged footpath. A dainty kirana with wooden pillars and metal roofing greets our sight.

Amidst the clutter of pipes, paints, and limestone jars is seated an old khaki-clad man. He peers curiously at us – attempting to read our expressions. Then with a subtle smile and a heavy Indian accent he questions – ‘Seminary?’ Responding to our vigorous nods, the man indicates to the entrance next-door. Graciously lifting his hand, he then resigns back to his daily chore.

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Faith

Chapter 5:17 introduced the Pharisees as if they just stumbled upon Jesus (they were sitting nearby). He is healing a paralytic but boldly forgiving his sins. More than the miracle, it was this statement that got the ears of the Pharisees, all puckered up. To compound matters, Jesus then calls a tax collector to be a disciple and much to the horror of the Pharisees now dines with them. At first the Pharisees merely questioned the actions of this rabbi but then begin to ‘complain’ to his disciples. Finally, they take their ire and irritation to the door step of Jesus in order to chastise him for being a bad example to his disciples.

So, who appointed the Pharisees as the guardians of the Jewish law? The Pharisees can best be described as men who began with good intentions and then who lost the plot and that’s what happens to ‘good people’ when they forget the plot. Ironically, the Pharisees began as liberals and were a reformist movement. Greek influence or Hellenization had become the order of the day and had threatened the Jewish way of life and so to preserve and promote their way of life, the ‘separated ones’ emerged.

Unlike the Sadducees or the priestly class, this group simply wanted to be faithful yet liberal. While their counterparts held on strictly to the Torah or the written law, the Pharisees warmly embraced the oral traditions linked to the law like the Mishna and finally the Talmud. The Mishna and the Talmud could loosely be described as interpretations on interpretations, leaving the Pharisees in a dilemma; which interpretation is correct? In such a scenario it seemed better to hold on to every interpretation rigidly rather than mistaking break one which might have been the correct one. And so, they became slaves to the law.

St Luke has several narrations linked to the Sabbath. The text of today tells us of one such sabbath incident. Interestingly, Jesus was followed by not only his disciples but now a bunch of Pharisees who having had the knives drawn out were not ready to let their well-preserved teaching be trifled around by this itinerant preacher called Jesus. It became obvious that at this stage they could start an argument in an empty room for they were following him to find fault with him. We know that eleven verses down the line they were “filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (6:11)

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Art/ Heritage

 We are in thirteenth century Florence – the birthplace of the ‘Renaissance’ meaning ‘rebirth’. It refers to a period in European art history, from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century, characterized by a rediscovery of Classical Medieval art and philosophy. But who were the forebearers of this realistic rendition? Art historians would answer in unison – Cimabue and Giotto. 

In today’s painting we shall consider the first pioneer and study his work of art. Cimabue, also known as Cenni di Pepo, was born in Florence in c 1240. Although majorly influenced by the Byzantine style of art, Cimabue chose to be flexible, shading flat figures so as to naturally endow them with life. Cimabue was also the teacher of Giotto, the first great proto-Renaissance painter.

The art of Cimabue is best exemplified in today’s painting. Titled ‘Santa Trinita Maestà’, the picture originally stood on the high altar of the Church of Santa Trinita in Florence. The date and the patron of the composition is disputed. Executed in tempera on wood, the painting is currently displayed in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence.

Let’s now take a closer look at the canvas. We are greeted by a glistening gold panel indicating that this scene transcends space and time. It is heavenly and glorious. Before us lies a larger-than-life enthroned Virgin and Child surrounded by angels. An adaptation of the traditional Byzantine icons, this popular theme was called a Maestà, meaning, ‘Majesty’.

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Art/ Heritage


‘The loveliest Masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a Mother’ – St Therese of Lisieux

You will agree that mothers are mysterious creatures. They are perhaps the most difficult to understand and almost impossible to define. The essence of their existence is so unique that even after several months of birth an infant fails to consider its Mother a separate entity. During pregnancy, they share the same body, blood, nourishment, and even breathe the same air! A new-born enters a whole new world in absolute dependence on its mother.

By nature, the identity of a mother is relational. Mothers can hardly be studied if not for the relationship they share with their children. That is where their focus lies and that is exactly where they would want the world to focus on too. A mother always goes beyond herself to identify with her child and share, rather, sacrifice her life primarily for them.

If nature has endowed Mothers with selfless-beauty that cannot be grasped, how much more beautiful and extraordinary would Mary, the Mother of God be? How much more would she live her life in union with that of her Child? And how profoundly would she point beyond herself to the greater reality of Christ? Could Mother Mary ever refuse to lead us to Jesus, her loving Son?

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