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July 18, 2018

Wednesday of the 15^th Week in Ordinary Time

 Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12 ;

Psalm 103:1-4, 6-7;

Gospel MT 11:25-27

At that time Jesus exclaimed: 
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Revealed to Infants

In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses himself to God and says, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth”.  The reason for thanking God the father is that He has hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants”. The hiding referred to the “wise and intelligent” concerns the Scribes and the Pharisees completely closed up and hostile to the coming of the Kingdom.

Now what is the content of the revelation? Which are “these things” that are hidden from the wise and revealed to the babes? The content of this revelation or hiding is who Jesus is.  It is by knowing Jesus that we come to know the Father.  Thus finding Jesus is the summit and end of all our spiritualties and spiritual pursuit.   Jesus came to reveal Father to the World, and interestingly it is the Father who reveals to us who Jesus is.  And Jesus tells us that one who sees Jesus sees the Father.

Once a professor came to a hermit and pleaded, “Guruji, please teach me the paths of spiritual life”.  The hermit did not utter a word, but took a glass full of water and started to pour more water into it.  Since the cup was full, the water was overflowing, but the hermit did not stop pouring water. The professor said, “ Guruji, why do you waste the water, the cup is already full.  Then Guruji stopped and said, “I cannot teach you, you are already a filled cup.  Empty yourself and come back, only then I can teach you”.

Like the professor, we are all filled cups, and not empty enough to receive God’s revelation. The revelation of God in Jesus comes to the “infants”, who do not depend on their expertise but who depend on God.  Revelation comes to us as a free gift and not the result of our learning.

Fr. Cyril Kuttiyanikkal CMI