Freely you received and Freely you give

Everything Is a Gift – So Live as a Giver; 14th Week in Ordinary Time – Thursday

Genesis 44:18 21. Matthew 10:7, 15

The Word of God teaches us a powerful truth: Life is not something to be earned or owned. It is a gift. And gifts are meant to be shared.

In the Gospel, Jesus sends out the twelve apostles. But before sending them, He gives them authority to heal the sick, cast out demons, and proclaim the Kingdom.

Then, He gives them a simple instruction: “Freely you have received; freely give.” 

Jesus reminds His apostles that their mission is not theirs—it’s a gift. The power to heal, the authority to preach, the joy of the Gospel—all are gifts.

And what is the right way to handle a gift? Not to hold it tightly, but to share it generously.

In the 1st Reading, Joseph had every reason to be bitter, now as the governor of Egypt—he could take revenge by his power. He was sold by his own brothers, taken to a foreign land, falsely accused, imprisoned, and forgotten. And yet, when he meets his brothers again, he says, “I am Joseph… the one you sold. But do not be distressed, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.”

This is the beauty of faith-filled vision. Joseph does not see himself as a victim. He sees God’s hand even in his suffering. 

He does not say, “I was sold.” He says, “I was sent. That one word makes all the difference.

You have to look at your pain through the eyes of faith, we begin to see purpose. Joseph sees his position not as a reward, but as a gift from God. And because he sees it as a gift, he gives—he forgives, provides food, and embraces his brothers with love. “Come here”

Wherever you go, go with your heart:

• Victim mindset people; play always the victim role, surrounded by negative energies, which will hinder personal growth. 

• The one who sees everything as a gift from God’s will: find joy even in little, forgive without bitterness, and serve without pride.

If you see your time as a gift, you will share it joyfully.

If you see your talents as a gift, you will use them to bless others.

If you see your ministry as a gift, you will serve without expecting reward.

Let us ask ourselves: Do I see my life as a gift? Do I give freely from what I’ve received? Do I believe that even my struggles can be part of God’s plan?  Let us live with the eyes of Joseph and the heart of Christ. Because everything we have is a gift… let us give it away with love.

The New comfort

A New Comfort

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick do.”

Vocation of Matthew

Giving comfort or consolation is a basic emotional need of human beings. 

I share here my experience of giving communion to the blind woman at San Roque every Sunday. She wants to be touched and give the blessing prayer. Then only she gets satisfied. One day it was raining. She became upset.  

People need comfort because it helps them cope with the daily routine of pain, stress, and sadness. 

In today’s Gospel, Matthew received comfort from Jesus who was passing by the custom's office. His work involved collecting customs duties from travelers, traders, and farmers, often taxing goods entering the land. To secure this position, he would have paid an advance to the Roman authorities and then collected taxes in excess to recover his payment and earn a profit. It was a despised profession.

Despite having a job, income, and Roman connections, Matthew seems inwardly empty. The people’s hatred, the burden of dishonesty, and the weariness of his soul left him comfortless. But when Jesus calls him, he responds immediately, as if he had been waiting for this very day. He rises and follows. And not only that—he throws a banquet to celebrate the call. He receives a new comfort in Jesus.

In the first reading, Isaac lost his mother, and Abraham purchases land to bury her—the first portion of the Promised Land that becomes his. Isaac grows up quickly. Abraham, now aged, commissions his servant to find a wife for Isaac from his own kin. The servant succeeds and brings Rebekah. Isaac receives her into his mother’s tent and marries her. The text simply says, “Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

How many sons of Abraham? Not only Isaac, also Ismael, but he was born not to Sarah, but Hagar. But Sarah’s death really disturbed isaac. because he was the only son. 

A deeper reading suggests that Isaac likely carried trauma after witnessing his father prepare to sacrifice him. His bond with his mother, Sarah, may have deepened after that event. Hence, her death left him inconsolable—especially in his own home, where loneliness cuts deepest. He finds that lost comfort in Rebekah.

Isaac, consoled in the midst of personal loss. Matthew, consoled in the midst of social shame. Whether through people or directly through God, true comfort always has a divine touch.

So, what sorrow or discouragement in your life today seems unbearable or unhealed?

The Lord Himself is coming toward you as your new comfort.

Our part is simple:

Be like Isaac—go out into the field and wait.

Be like Matthew—be present at your duty, and invite Jesus at your party. 

When comfort is given, share it with others.

Jesus, in turn, defines His mission: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

And then He makes this powerful statement: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

What does that mean?

Sacrifice is rooted in the past—we offer atonement for sins already committed. Mercy, however, is rooted in the present. The Good Samaritan didn’t ask how the man ended up on the road. He simply saw his present suffering and responded with compassion.

When we meet people, do we view them through the eyes of their past? Or do we look at them through the mercy of the present? To comfort someone, to see them as God sees them, is the beginning of true healing

Thomas, the Apostle

Today, with joy, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle, known as the Apostle of India. (In India, all the dioceses celebrate the solemnity. You are familiar with India, the cradle of diverse cultures, languages, and ancient religions. We, Catholics, have only a history of 2,000 years. But the Rig Veda and the Sanskrit language date back before 5,000 years.  

It is actually a profound thought to consider that, through Thomas, our ancestors reached out their hands to touch the wounds of Christ, placing their fingers in His hands and their hands into His side. Saint Thomas is the living link between Jesus Christ and our Indian soil.

After Jesus’ death, the Apostles respond in three ways: Some remain behind locked doors, fearing the Jews, afraid of being punished themselves. Some return to Galilee, to their native places and former occupations, especially fishing. But Thomas chooses a third path: walking among the people, living as one with them.

3 lessons from Thomas' life:

(a) Asking Questions Is Good: In both John’s Gospel and the Gospel of Thomas, Thomas dares to ask what others might silently wonder. In apocryphal writings like the Gospel of Thomas, which is not part of the canonical Bible but offers intriguing insights, Thomas is called Didymus Judas Thomas. The name Didymus means "twin," and scholars have explored its possible etymological origins. Questioning is part of deepening our faith. It is not a lack of belief, but a hunger for truth. 

Again, after the Last Supper, during Jesus’ farewell discourse, it is Thomas who asks, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5). The disciples tell Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.” Thomas, however, responds without even naming Jesus—simply “unless I see the mark of the nails…” But the moment Jesus appears and says, “See My hands,” Thomas surrenders.

b) Personal Faith:  Who is the great teacher? AI or human teachers? People say we do not need any more teachers. AI can teach everything, but it does not teach by experience, emotional and contextual references. Thomas wants to experience personal faith in Christ. Without waiting, he confesses: “My Lord and my God!” This is the most personal and profound confession of faith in the Gospels.

Thomas’ journey teaches us that faith must be personal. We cannot live off others’ spiritual experiences—not even those of our founders and parents. We should cultivate our own personal experience of a relationship with Christ. Like Thomas, we must encounter Christ ourselves. And that encounter, while not always sensible or visible, is no less real.

(c) Be  God's pilgrim: Francis Xavier, who came to India, Goa, in the 15th century, narrates about the incredible challenges in the evangelization; the persecution of the emperors, inability to communicate, and even the pandemics. Thomas went to India before 15 centuries. You imagine the challenges of evangelization in India. 

According to tradition, Thomas was killed by the emperor of Mylapore; he was killed by a spear/sword to his chest, the proper place where he touched the Lord. He carried the same wounds of the Lord.