This Sunday ,coming immediately after Christmas, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. The reading from the Gospel of Matthew that we heard just now places before us in a very few words all the troubles, challenges and hardships the young family faced at the outset.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus did not enjoy a comfortable environment at the beginning of their family life. They had to endure tremendous hardships just to be alive.
After all the marvelous happenings after the birth of Jesus-- the visit of the Magi, the greeting of the shepherds, the appearance of the angels to the shepherds-- things have not yet settled down for them for a happy family life. All of a sudden, Joseph was asked to leave Bethlehem for Egypt. We can only imagine the ordeal and hardships of the young family on their flight to Egypt. Leaving for a foreign country with no preparations, with no friends and with no money would definitely be very hazardous in those days. They had to make the decision right there and leave for Egypt. It is beyond our imagination even to guess how they did find help for the flight and the means for their livelihood in a strange land with no knowledge of the language of the country. Then, after a few years, they were asked to return to Palestine. They had to make the trip back again with no preparations.
What we find in them, hence, is the perfect submission to the will of God. No questions were asked and no doubts were raised. With faith in God and with love for one another, they knew they could overcome all kinds of obstacles in their lives.
What we find in Joseph and Mary is their perfect submission to the will of God, steadfastness or constancy in their faith, unconditional love and whole-hearted cooperation. We know that a family becomes successful spiritually and emotionally when these elements become the fabric of their lives.
A family is rich not because of the wealth it has nor because of the beautiful house in which it lives but because of the wealth in the hearts of its members—faith in God and love for each other.
If we are unwilling to yield or to compromise and if our selfishness or arrogance dominates our attitudes, the family ties break down. It is to the Word of God and to our faith that we have to return when we have problems in our families.
We find all around us marriages breaking down and ending in divorces. More than a million children grow up in broken families every year in our country. There are concerted and very fierce attempts on the part of many to destroy the very meaning of marriage.
Family is our greatest treasure and we have to preserve and nurture it through our love and sacrifice. As the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church of the Second Vatican Council states, “the family is the domestic church” and it is there the elements of Christian faith have to be learned and practiced. Parents, according to the Document, are “ the first heralds of faith with regard to their children.”
We often ignore to emphasize how important is faith in our life. We rarely speak about the role of faith in our lives and live according to the faith. Family discords and differences between the parents, violent arguments and domestic abuse all create an atmosphere that destroys the warmth and love that should exist in a Christian family.
This is the appropriate time for each one of us to ask ourselves how we can make a difference in our family life and make it better and richer How are the members of my family relating to one another How are the members of my family relating to one another and how strong is the place of the faith in our families?
May the Lord give us the grace to make our families the seedbeds of love and peace.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Advent 4th S.,Dec.20,09
Advent,4th S.Dec.20,09
(Mt.1:18-25)
On this fourth Sunday of Advent , the Gospel presents the birth of Jesus and the circumstances surrounding the birth. On the last three Sundays, the Gospel passages presented before us Zechariah, Bl. Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, great persons chosen by God for their special roles in the history of our salvation. Today, we meet another personage of no less importance. The account of the birth of Jesus that we heard just now centers mostly around St. Joseph and the decisive actions he took at a critical time in the life of Bl. Virgin Mary and Jesus. From the few words in this account of the nativity from the Gospel, we get an inkling into the integrity , steadfastness and deep faith of Joseph.
We can only imagine the thoughts and feelings that crossed the mind of St.Joseph when he found that Mary was pregnant before they were married. All his expectations and dreams of a new life with Mary disappeared all of a sudden.. He , definitely, trusted Mary and accepted her account of the stupendous miracle involved in the pregnancy. But how could Joseph accept Mary as his wife when she became pregnant before marriage. The traditional society in which Joseph lived would never allow him to receive her. She would be punished according to the Mosaic Law. He knew his public rejection of Mary would result in her death.
The Gospel uses a word to describe the integrity and the greatness of Joseph’s personality: he was a just man. The Greek word that is used to describe him is dikaios= innocent, just, equitable, impartial. He was not going to be to be in any way swayed just by the literal weight of the law. As a man of God, he knew that something great was happening in his life. There was no reason to distrust Mary whom he knew so well. He was open to God in his heart and soul.
It was when he was passing through such turbulent storms in his heart that he received the message of God not to be afraid and to receive Mary as his wife. He was addressed as the descendant of David and then the angel gave him the authority to name the child, Jesus.
Joseph thus became the protector of Jesus and the lawful husband of Mary. He was willing to face all the challenges and hardships involved in his role as the father of Jesus.
The life of Joseph is a strong reminder to each one of us to reflect on our life as the protector of our faith. We often fail in our life as Christians when our faith is challenged or questioned. We fail in our duty to nurture the faith of our children. When they stop practicing their faith, we don’t take effort to give them the right understanding of the faith nor do we give them good examples. How just are we in our dealings with our neighbors? Our arrogance, contemptuous attitudes and disparaging remarks make us unworthy of the custodians of the precious faith given to us.
We have to be the new Josephs in the places where we work or move. We are the new custodians of Jesus--- of our faith, of everything that pertains to the faith. We should not run away from those who attack or disparage our faith. The words that gave courage to Joseph “Do not be afraid” are ours to claim. We can be the people who can effect changes in our family and society through our courageous actions. As Mother Teresa has put it: “What I do, you cannot do, but what you do I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”
Let us make a deep introspection and see where we have failed in the practice of our faith, and in what way we can change our attitudes and perceptions in order to become better examples to our families as well as to our neighbors..
(Mt.1:18-25)
On this fourth Sunday of Advent , the Gospel presents the birth of Jesus and the circumstances surrounding the birth. On the last three Sundays, the Gospel passages presented before us Zechariah, Bl. Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, great persons chosen by God for their special roles in the history of our salvation. Today, we meet another personage of no less importance. The account of the birth of Jesus that we heard just now centers mostly around St. Joseph and the decisive actions he took at a critical time in the life of Bl. Virgin Mary and Jesus. From the few words in this account of the nativity from the Gospel, we get an inkling into the integrity , steadfastness and deep faith of Joseph.
We can only imagine the thoughts and feelings that crossed the mind of St.Joseph when he found that Mary was pregnant before they were married. All his expectations and dreams of a new life with Mary disappeared all of a sudden.. He , definitely, trusted Mary and accepted her account of the stupendous miracle involved in the pregnancy. But how could Joseph accept Mary as his wife when she became pregnant before marriage. The traditional society in which Joseph lived would never allow him to receive her. She would be punished according to the Mosaic Law. He knew his public rejection of Mary would result in her death.
The Gospel uses a word to describe the integrity and the greatness of Joseph’s personality: he was a just man. The Greek word that is used to describe him is dikaios= innocent, just, equitable, impartial. He was not going to be to be in any way swayed just by the literal weight of the law. As a man of God, he knew that something great was happening in his life. There was no reason to distrust Mary whom he knew so well. He was open to God in his heart and soul.
It was when he was passing through such turbulent storms in his heart that he received the message of God not to be afraid and to receive Mary as his wife. He was addressed as the descendant of David and then the angel gave him the authority to name the child, Jesus.
Joseph thus became the protector of Jesus and the lawful husband of Mary. He was willing to face all the challenges and hardships involved in his role as the father of Jesus.
The life of Joseph is a strong reminder to each one of us to reflect on our life as the protector of our faith. We often fail in our life as Christians when our faith is challenged or questioned. We fail in our duty to nurture the faith of our children. When they stop practicing their faith, we don’t take effort to give them the right understanding of the faith nor do we give them good examples. How just are we in our dealings with our neighbors? Our arrogance, contemptuous attitudes and disparaging remarks make us unworthy of the custodians of the precious faith given to us.
We have to be the new Josephs in the places where we work or move. We are the new custodians of Jesus--- of our faith, of everything that pertains to the faith. We should not run away from those who attack or disparage our faith. The words that gave courage to Joseph “Do not be afraid” are ours to claim. We can be the people who can effect changes in our family and society through our courageous actions. As Mother Teresa has put it: “What I do, you cannot do, but what you do I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”
Let us make a deep introspection and see where we have failed in the practice of our faith, and in what way we can change our attitudes and perceptions in order to become better examples to our families as well as to our neighbors..
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Pallikoodas 2nd S,Nov.8,09
Pallikoodasa 2nd S.,Nov.8,09
(Mt.12:1-14)
The reading that we heard just now from St. Matthew’s Gospel presents the escalating controversy between Our Lord and the Pharisees. The Pharisees are out in the open to trap Jesus in his ministry and to accuse him falsely of violations of the rules about the observance of the Sabbath. The pharisaic tradition has established 39 categories of actions as forbidden on the Sabbath. Harvesting is one of these.
So in their eyes, what the disciples did by picking the ears of the grain when they felt hungry is an action forbidden on the Sabbath. They use this incident to accuse Jesus of encouraging his disciples to violate the laws of the Sabbath. Jesus blunts the power of their arguments by showing how their own ancestors did the opposite of what they were saying.
Jesus confronts them with four arguments to show the hollowness of their accusations. First one was the example of David who ate the Show Bread or the Bread of the Presence which only priests were allowed to eat. Second, priests themselves make a lot of actions in order to prepare themselves for the observance of the Sabbath. Third, from their own prophets’ statements, Jesus shows how acts of mercy are more important than Temple sacrifices. The last and the most important of all is that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. They become speechless before these arguments
Jesus uses the occasion to show them the meaning of the religious traditions and rituals. The whole purpose of religious observances is to help people to come closer to God. Rituals and traditions become meaningless if they distract people from coming closer to God.
Again, to highlight the importance of mercy, Jesus heals the man on the Sabbath. Even healing a man is considered a violation. There are no words to describe the hypocrisy and shallowness of these leaders of the community. Who could ever give such a sudden healing? They should have fallen on their knees and adored God in gratitude when they saw the healing. Instead, they begin to plot how to kill Jesus. Inhumanity has reached its bottom through their actions.
These words and actions of Jesus are a powerful reminder to each one of us to look at the way we lead our lives. For many of us, a life of faith means a life of rituals and traditions. It does not change a bit our selfishness and arrogance, our lack of compassion and unforgiving attitudes. It is when we stoop down to serve our neighbors and the poor that we make our faith alive.
Innumerable are the occasions when we have ignored opportunities where we should have shown mercy and compassion, love and forgiveness. Today is the day for us to make a deep transformation in our lives and allow our faith to change the way of our life. As Mother Teresa has said, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”
(Mt.12:1-14)
The reading that we heard just now from St. Matthew’s Gospel presents the escalating controversy between Our Lord and the Pharisees. The Pharisees are out in the open to trap Jesus in his ministry and to accuse him falsely of violations of the rules about the observance of the Sabbath. The pharisaic tradition has established 39 categories of actions as forbidden on the Sabbath. Harvesting is one of these.
So in their eyes, what the disciples did by picking the ears of the grain when they felt hungry is an action forbidden on the Sabbath. They use this incident to accuse Jesus of encouraging his disciples to violate the laws of the Sabbath. Jesus blunts the power of their arguments by showing how their own ancestors did the opposite of what they were saying.
Jesus confronts them with four arguments to show the hollowness of their accusations. First one was the example of David who ate the Show Bread or the Bread of the Presence which only priests were allowed to eat. Second, priests themselves make a lot of actions in order to prepare themselves for the observance of the Sabbath. Third, from their own prophets’ statements, Jesus shows how acts of mercy are more important than Temple sacrifices. The last and the most important of all is that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. They become speechless before these arguments
Jesus uses the occasion to show them the meaning of the religious traditions and rituals. The whole purpose of religious observances is to help people to come closer to God. Rituals and traditions become meaningless if they distract people from coming closer to God.
Again, to highlight the importance of mercy, Jesus heals the man on the Sabbath. Even healing a man is considered a violation. There are no words to describe the hypocrisy and shallowness of these leaders of the community. Who could ever give such a sudden healing? They should have fallen on their knees and adored God in gratitude when they saw the healing. Instead, they begin to plot how to kill Jesus. Inhumanity has reached its bottom through their actions.
These words and actions of Jesus are a powerful reminder to each one of us to look at the way we lead our lives. For many of us, a life of faith means a life of rituals and traditions. It does not change a bit our selfishness and arrogance, our lack of compassion and unforgiving attitudes. It is when we stoop down to serve our neighbors and the poor that we make our faith alive.
Innumerable are the occasions when we have ignored opportunities where we should have shown mercy and compassion, love and forgiveness. Today is the day for us to make a deep transformation in our lives and allow our faith to change the way of our life. As Mother Teresa has said, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Elia-Sleeva 6th,S,09
Elia-Moosa,6th S.,09
(Mt.20:1-16)
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is giving his listeners a new perspective on God’s kingdom and salvation. Until the teaching of Jesus, the Kingdom of God was seen as a birthright of Israel and was exclusively confined to the Israelites. Salvation was seen not only as belonging to a particular race but also as something to be attained by one’s own effort by observing the rituals of tradition. Through the parable of the laborers of the vineyard, Jesus is correcting the perception of the Israelites on Salvation.
The parable of the laborers highlights the current notions prevalent in Israel on salvation and God’s kingdom. The earlier laborers hired for work in the vineyard represent the Chosen people of Israel. They are given the privilege of the call to be part of the kingdom of God. But Jesus points out to them that they are not the only people called to Kingdom .The gentiles are also entitled to the grace of God and hence, the call goes out to them also to join the kingdom of heaven.
What Jesus tries to make his listeners understand is that God’s offer of salvation is not limited to one particular race or nation. It is open to all. It is also not confined to those who are righteous but also to sinners. No one is excluded from the call of God. It is a free gift. Salvation is not attained by human effort but given as a pure gift of God.
The early laborers complain that they have worked all day and get the same wage as the laborers who come in the evening. Jesus makes it clear that in the kingdom of God, human considerations like these have no place. There, one experiences the peace and joy that God gives. The more one is aligned with God, the more one experiences the abundance and generosity of God, love. Envy, competition, jealousy, superiority or inferiority has no place in a world that is permeated with love, peace and joy. These are the benefits that God gives to one who comes to Him. These experiences are similar to the love the children experience when they are with their parents. The older and the younger children experience the same kind of love. The oldest is happy because he gets a longer time to experience it and the enjoyment of the love is not considered as a burden.
So too , when one becomes part of the kingdom of heaven, one does not feel burdened by earthly values of being the first or the last. Those considerations disappear in the vast ocean of love and happiness that one enjoys in heaven. The fist and the last are on the same footing.
How consoling it is to know that at any time in one’s life one can come back to the Lord and experience the joy of salvation. Even in the evening of one’s life, at death bed, one can experience the grace of God.
The parable of the laborers in the vineyard, hence, is a call to all to come to him and to experience the joy of salvation.
Notes:
The parable highlights God’s generosity. This is not about rewards but about salvation .The Jews divided the whole day into eight parts, four night parts(called “watches”) and four day parts(called” hours”).
(Mt.20:1-16)
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is giving his listeners a new perspective on God’s kingdom and salvation. Until the teaching of Jesus, the Kingdom of God was seen as a birthright of Israel and was exclusively confined to the Israelites. Salvation was seen not only as belonging to a particular race but also as something to be attained by one’s own effort by observing the rituals of tradition. Through the parable of the laborers of the vineyard, Jesus is correcting the perception of the Israelites on Salvation.
The parable of the laborers highlights the current notions prevalent in Israel on salvation and God’s kingdom. The earlier laborers hired for work in the vineyard represent the Chosen people of Israel. They are given the privilege of the call to be part of the kingdom of God. But Jesus points out to them that they are not the only people called to Kingdom .The gentiles are also entitled to the grace of God and hence, the call goes out to them also to join the kingdom of heaven.
What Jesus tries to make his listeners understand is that God’s offer of salvation is not limited to one particular race or nation. It is open to all. It is also not confined to those who are righteous but also to sinners. No one is excluded from the call of God. It is a free gift. Salvation is not attained by human effort but given as a pure gift of God.
The early laborers complain that they have worked all day and get the same wage as the laborers who come in the evening. Jesus makes it clear that in the kingdom of God, human considerations like these have no place. There, one experiences the peace and joy that God gives. The more one is aligned with God, the more one experiences the abundance and generosity of God, love. Envy, competition, jealousy, superiority or inferiority has no place in a world that is permeated with love, peace and joy. These are the benefits that God gives to one who comes to Him. These experiences are similar to the love the children experience when they are with their parents. The older and the younger children experience the same kind of love. The oldest is happy because he gets a longer time to experience it and the enjoyment of the love is not considered as a burden.
So too , when one becomes part of the kingdom of heaven, one does not feel burdened by earthly values of being the first or the last. Those considerations disappear in the vast ocean of love and happiness that one enjoys in heaven. The fist and the last are on the same footing.
How consoling it is to know that at any time in one’s life one can come back to the Lord and experience the joy of salvation. Even in the evening of one’s life, at death bed, one can experience the grace of God.
The parable of the laborers in the vineyard, hence, is a call to all to come to him and to experience the joy of salvation.
Notes:
The parable highlights God’s generosity. This is not about rewards but about salvation .The Jews divided the whole day into eight parts, four night parts(called “watches”) and four day parts(called” hours”).
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Elia-Sleeva,5thS.,09
Elia-Sleeva,5thS.,09
• Today’s Gospel presents before us a very interesting dialogue on faith and prayer between Jesus and the Canaanite Woman.
• She is called a Canaanite woman because she comes from Sidon which is named after the first-born son of Canaan (Gen.10.13).Jesus is in the gentile territory of Tyre and Sidon and hence the woman gets a chance to ask Him for mercy and compassion.
• Through several denials and questionings, Jesus tests the woman’s faith and each denial makes her more forceful in her request. She gives out a heart-wrenching cry: “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me.” Any one’s heart would melt at the pain and sadness expressed through her request.
• Jesus, ironically, does not grant her request right away. He keeps her waiting and she continues with much more forceful pleadings. She is not offended by the words of denial as she was sure she was standing before the Son of God. Deep beneath her persistent request is her strong faith in the power of the Lord. She has already acknowledged him as the Messiah, by calling Him the Son of David. The delay in the granting of the request gives her a greater opportunity to affirm her faith more powerfully. Finally Jesus accedes to her request, praising her great faith: “Woman, You have great faith.”
• This event opens our eyes to the nature of faith and prayer. The persistency and constancy in her prayer exemplify for each one of us the characteristics that are needed in a prayer. Perseverance, humility and trust are required in our prayer- life. Like the Canaanite woman, we can approach the Lord at any time in our life, on any occasion; the only thing that is required of us is that our hearts should be open to the will of God and that we should trust Him completely and totally.
• The Canaanite woman represents every one of us in need of God’s grace and mercy .Whatever may be our situation, when we approach Him in true humility and total dependence, He will grant our requests. His mercy is without limits. Just as He has reached out to the gentile woman, he will reach out to us, irrespective of the conditions in which we find ourselves. Obstacles, hardships and sicknesses should not deter us from approaching him. Like the woman we should be persistent in our requests to Him.
• According to St. John Chrysostom, the Canaanite woman represents every repentant sinner. Her plea resembles the plea of all of us who are sinful, frail and weak. As the Lord has healed the woman’s daughter, He would definitely heal us and remove all hardships from our lives. Today’s Gospel thus offers us tremendous comfort and hope, letting us know that the Lord will never abandon us when we approach Him in total faith and humility.
• Notes:
• Tyre and Sidon—gentile cities in Phoenicia(modern Lebanon)
• Dog: a term the Jews applied to the gentiles. Jesus is not degrading the woman but is reflecting the Jew’s attitude to the gentiles. She does not contest the use of the term: instead, agrees to be considered a gentile –a dog—as long as she could receive God’s blessings.
• Today’s Gospel presents before us a very interesting dialogue on faith and prayer between Jesus and the Canaanite Woman.
• She is called a Canaanite woman because she comes from Sidon which is named after the first-born son of Canaan (Gen.10.13).Jesus is in the gentile territory of Tyre and Sidon and hence the woman gets a chance to ask Him for mercy and compassion.
• Through several denials and questionings, Jesus tests the woman’s faith and each denial makes her more forceful in her request. She gives out a heart-wrenching cry: “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me.” Any one’s heart would melt at the pain and sadness expressed through her request.
• Jesus, ironically, does not grant her request right away. He keeps her waiting and she continues with much more forceful pleadings. She is not offended by the words of denial as she was sure she was standing before the Son of God. Deep beneath her persistent request is her strong faith in the power of the Lord. She has already acknowledged him as the Messiah, by calling Him the Son of David. The delay in the granting of the request gives her a greater opportunity to affirm her faith more powerfully. Finally Jesus accedes to her request, praising her great faith: “Woman, You have great faith.”
• This event opens our eyes to the nature of faith and prayer. The persistency and constancy in her prayer exemplify for each one of us the characteristics that are needed in a prayer. Perseverance, humility and trust are required in our prayer- life. Like the Canaanite woman, we can approach the Lord at any time in our life, on any occasion; the only thing that is required of us is that our hearts should be open to the will of God and that we should trust Him completely and totally.
• The Canaanite woman represents every one of us in need of God’s grace and mercy .Whatever may be our situation, when we approach Him in true humility and total dependence, He will grant our requests. His mercy is without limits. Just as He has reached out to the gentile woman, he will reach out to us, irrespective of the conditions in which we find ourselves. Obstacles, hardships and sicknesses should not deter us from approaching him. Like the woman we should be persistent in our requests to Him.
• According to St. John Chrysostom, the Canaanite woman represents every repentant sinner. Her plea resembles the plea of all of us who are sinful, frail and weak. As the Lord has healed the woman’s daughter, He would definitely heal us and remove all hardships from our lives. Today’s Gospel thus offers us tremendous comfort and hope, letting us know that the Lord will never abandon us when we approach Him in total faith and humility.
• Notes:
• Tyre and Sidon—gentile cities in Phoenicia(modern Lebanon)
• Dog: a term the Jews applied to the gentiles. Jesus is not degrading the woman but is reflecting the Jew’s attitude to the gentiles. She does not contest the use of the term: instead, agrees to be considered a gentile –a dog—as long as she could receive God’s blessings.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Presbyterium,Sept.21-25,09
The Presbyterium was well attended. The Retreat was preached by Fr.George Vadekekara V.C. The preaching was well received by the participants. Had to intervene when topics of the Safe Environment and the Regional Conferences were discussed.
One of the masses was celebrated at the Cathedral.
We returned to the house after lunch.
The stay at the Techni Towers was also OK.
One of the masses was celebrated at the Cathedral.
We returned to the house after lunch.
The stay at the Techni Towers was also OK.
Elia -Sleeva,4th Su.,09
Elia-Sleeva,4th Sunday,09
Mt.17:14-27
· In the reading from today’s Gospel, we find Jesus healing a possessed boy and instructing Peter to pay the temple tax. Even though as the Son of God, he is not obliged to pay the tax, he does not want to make a show of the occasion. He asks Peter to pay the tax, but, of course, through an action, that reminds Peter that he is beside one who is not just a human person, but the Son of God.
· Jesus uses the occasion of the healing to speak about the meaning and nature of faith.
· The father of the boy approaches Jesus and, kneeling down, requests him to heal his son from his sickness. The urgency of his request is very well evident from his posture and also from the words he uses to make the request. He even mentions how it was impossible for the disciples to heal his son. The boy often falls into fire and water, the father reports. We can very well imagine the agony and despair expressed in the request of the father. But, there is also hope in him. He knows that Jesus would accept his request and would do the healing for him. The very posture of his kneeling indicates his absolute trust in the power of Jesus. He is certain that Jesus would drive out the demon and restore his son to perfect health.
· Jesus shows his mercy and compassion for the father and the son as soon as the request is made. H restores the son to his health. We too can feel the joy and the excitement the father and the son feel in the presence of Jesus: Total healing. Perfect peace of mind. No more evil forces have the power to take away the joy of life from their hearts. Their faith is total and so is their healing.
· Jesus uses the occasion to teach them about the meaning and the power of faith: “If you had the faith the size of a mustard seed, you would be able to say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move. Nothing would be impossible for you.”
· Faith is not just an intellectual acceptance of God but is a total surrender to His will. Faith involves absolute trust in the Providence of God. We believe in the innermost being of our hearts that God will save us, that He will not abandon us and that His mercy and kindness will be always with us.
· Even when humanly it is impossible for us to find a way out, we believe in the depths of our hearts that God will hold us in the palm of His hands.
· This is the example that Abraham has shown us. When he was asked to sacrifice his son, he had no doubts about the sacrifice. He was absolutely sure that God who gave him the son would never do anything to make him lose his son. His faith in God enables him to find in his temporary loss eternal gain.
· Mary has also shown this faith. “Your will be done.” She had no hesitation in taking upon herself the great and awesome task entrusted to her.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Good Shepherd,Jn.10:11-18,Lent 6th S.
The story of the mother going to NY to visit her son. The son did not open the door.For, she was not pretty in her looks. After her death, he goes to her apartment.Finds a letter addressed to him. There she tells him that she looked ugly because she gave her eye to him when he lost his in an accident when he was young.
Love involves sacrifice. The greater the sacrifice, if love is deep and intense.
Jesus uses the parable of the good shepehrd to convey to his listeners how deep is his love for them. He would sacrifice his life for them like a good shepherd.
The image of a good shepherd is very familiar to them. Psalm 23 and prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel have dwelt on this image several times.
Good leadership, love, intimacy are all signified in the image of the shepehrd.
Can we refelct these qualities in our dealings with others?Are we good shepehrds to people who depend on us? Do we exploit them or we willing to sacrifice our time and talents for them?
What is Jesus asking us today?
Follow him without any fear. Imitate him in our delaings with others.
Love involves sacrifice. The greater the sacrifice, if love is deep and intense.
Jesus uses the parable of the good shepehrd to convey to his listeners how deep is his love for them. He would sacrifice his life for them like a good shepherd.
The image of a good shepherd is very familiar to them. Psalm 23 and prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel have dwelt on this image several times.
Good leadership, love, intimacy are all signified in the image of the shepehrd.
Can we refelct these qualities in our dealings with others?Are we good shepehrds to people who depend on us? Do we exploit them or we willing to sacrifice our time and talents for them?
What is Jesus asking us today?
Follow him without any fear. Imitate him in our delaings with others.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Lent,5thSun.March 22,09
` (Jn.8:12-20)
(Mass for the children)
Do you Know the names of the two saints whose feasts we celebrated last week?
St.Joseph and St.Patrick .
Shamrock. A plant with three leaves on each stem. St.Patrick used this to explain Trinity. National sign of Ireland.
St.Joseph and St.Patrick were saints endowed with great faith.They saw everything in the light of their faith in God.
Faith was the light to see the world and the events in their lives.
In today's Gospel , we find Jesus being surrounded by the Pharisees in the Temple, questioned and chllallenged. They build up a strong opposition to him.
Jesus tells them without any fear that He is the Light of the world., that everything in the world becomes meaningful only through him.
We see everything because of the rays of the Sun.So too , events in our lives become meaningful through our faith in Him.
When difficulties come, when we are confronted with challenges and failures, we get the courage to face them because of our faith in Him.
Jesus tells them that God the Father is with Him. His miracles show that God is with Him. So too He is telling us that He is with us.We have to go forward without any fear in our hearts.
The young man’s testimony about the loss of his sister in Bombay…
They went to the church near the station and cried out their heart in pain asking the Lord to bring to them their young sister .When they came out of the church, they saw their young sister walking towards them in the company of an elderly man.
Jesus will never abandon us.Be strong and persistent in your faith in Him. He is our Light.
All of us are sinners. Jesus is the light who frees us from the darkness of sins.
If Jesus is the light for us, there shall never be an occasion in our lives when we need to despair.His hands will support us.His hands will stretch out to us when we fall and stumble.
What a joy it is to feel that Our Lord is our anchor and hope, our fortress and our support, that no power of darkness does have any sway over us.
This is the time to feel strengthened and empowered by our fiath. Never be afraid of the comments of people. Stand firm and strong.
(Mass for the children)
Do you Know the names of the two saints whose feasts we celebrated last week?
St.Joseph and St.Patrick .
Shamrock. A plant with three leaves on each stem. St.Patrick used this to explain Trinity. National sign of Ireland.
St.Joseph and St.Patrick were saints endowed with great faith.They saw everything in the light of their faith in God.
Faith was the light to see the world and the events in their lives.
In today's Gospel , we find Jesus being surrounded by the Pharisees in the Temple, questioned and chllallenged. They build up a strong opposition to him.
Jesus tells them without any fear that He is the Light of the world., that everything in the world becomes meaningful only through him.
We see everything because of the rays of the Sun.So too , events in our lives become meaningful through our faith in Him.
When difficulties come, when we are confronted with challenges and failures, we get the courage to face them because of our faith in Him.
Jesus tells them that God the Father is with Him. His miracles show that God is with Him. So too He is telling us that He is with us.We have to go forward without any fear in our hearts.
The young man’s testimony about the loss of his sister in Bombay…
They went to the church near the station and cried out their heart in pain asking the Lord to bring to them their young sister .When they came out of the church, they saw their young sister walking towards them in the company of an elderly man.
Jesus will never abandon us.Be strong and persistent in your faith in Him. He is our Light.
All of us are sinners. Jesus is the light who frees us from the darkness of sins.
If Jesus is the light for us, there shall never be an occasion in our lives when we need to despair.His hands will support us.His hands will stretch out to us when we fall and stumble.
What a joy it is to feel that Our Lord is our anchor and hope, our fortress and our support, that no power of darkness does have any sway over us.
This is the time to feel strengthened and empowered by our fiath. Never be afraid of the comments of people. Stand firm and strong.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Lent,March15,09
(For Children’s mass, Chicago,09)
What is economic meltdown? The financial disaster being experienced now—There is a moral breakdown in our values and faith. Lent is a time for restoration , for a new moral stimulus package to be infused into our lives.
Here is what a 7th grader from San Diego, California(Veronica Wilson ) wrote(Faith and Family,March, 09):
“Spreading the Gospel is spreading the faith. Talk to people of other religions or of no religions. Tell them about your traditions, about what we do at church every Sunday. Never be embarrassed about your faith.You might get teased or made fun of, but Jesus will always be within you and that will make you confident. Try to see the best in people. There is a best in everyone, because Jesus is within everyone.(The words of the Holy Father to the Youth on the World Youth Day in Sydney,08: “The Lord wishes you young people to stir up the wind and fire of a new Pentecost in the world.”)
Today’s Gospel---Jesus compares the deafness and the neglect of the people of Israel to His mission to the actions of the tenants of a vineyard. Through a powerful and telling parable , Jesus shows them how stone-deaf are his listeners. The tenants killed the servants sent to them to collect the owner’s share of the produce but the tenants killed the servants as well his son. The owner took a drastic action of expelling and punishing all of them. The same is going to happen to all of them because of their rejection of Jesus.
Now we are the chosen people. But we too reject Jesus in our lives through many of our actions.
---Through our dealings in the community, at home and work place--- Occasions when we should give forgiveness, show compassion and reach out But we don’t. Christian faith grows through the sacrifices of our selfishness. Devotions and practices help us to have that new life. Without undergoing spiritual regeneration, we are just empty shells, hollow men.
We too get warnings in our life. The prophets do not come ..but intimations come. Through the words of the priests, colleagues, spouses, children, we come to know some of our actions are not good, that we are not acting as Christians.
As St.Paul points out, we are the children of God, the adopted children of God.Live like the children of God.
This Lent—for a new life. Call some one that you have not called.Speak warmly to a person that you have not called or criticized often.This is not weakness but strength from the presence of Jesus in our lives.
What is economic meltdown? The financial disaster being experienced now—There is a moral breakdown in our values and faith. Lent is a time for restoration , for a new moral stimulus package to be infused into our lives.
Here is what a 7th grader from San Diego, California(Veronica Wilson ) wrote(Faith and Family,March, 09):
“Spreading the Gospel is spreading the faith. Talk to people of other religions or of no religions. Tell them about your traditions, about what we do at church every Sunday. Never be embarrassed about your faith.You might get teased or made fun of, but Jesus will always be within you and that will make you confident. Try to see the best in people. There is a best in everyone, because Jesus is within everyone.(The words of the Holy Father to the Youth on the World Youth Day in Sydney,08: “The Lord wishes you young people to stir up the wind and fire of a new Pentecost in the world.”)
Today’s Gospel---Jesus compares the deafness and the neglect of the people of Israel to His mission to the actions of the tenants of a vineyard. Through a powerful and telling parable , Jesus shows them how stone-deaf are his listeners. The tenants killed the servants sent to them to collect the owner’s share of the produce but the tenants killed the servants as well his son. The owner took a drastic action of expelling and punishing all of them. The same is going to happen to all of them because of their rejection of Jesus.
Now we are the chosen people. But we too reject Jesus in our lives through many of our actions.
---Through our dealings in the community, at home and work place--- Occasions when we should give forgiveness, show compassion and reach out But we don’t. Christian faith grows through the sacrifices of our selfishness. Devotions and practices help us to have that new life. Without undergoing spiritual regeneration, we are just empty shells, hollow men.
We too get warnings in our life. The prophets do not come ..but intimations come. Through the words of the priests, colleagues, spouses, children, we come to know some of our actions are not good, that we are not acting as Christians.
As St.Paul points out, we are the children of God, the adopted children of God.Live like the children of God.
This Lent—for a new life. Call some one that you have not called.Speak warmly to a person that you have not called or criticized often.This is not weakness but strength from the presence of Jesus in our lives.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Reflections on Lent.
Forty days of Lent:
40 days in the desert;40 days for the great flood;40 years in the desert before entering the Promised land;40 days ,Moses,Elijah and Jesus fasted.
Lent means spring.
An invitation to turn from our own selves from sin and to come together in community.
Self-Denial is the way we express our repentance.
We pray , we fast and we give alms
Pope: "Fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live.To intensify the custom of private and communal fasts---reading the Word of God,praying and engaging in almsgiving."
The Pope wants to give to the poor what is set aside through our fasting.
Time to empty ourselves to be filled by God.
Fasting from smoking and drinking;fasting from violent and sexual pictures;fasting from condemning and dismissing others.
Lent is a time to feast on other good things..
Fast from discontent,anger,bitterness,self-concern,discouragement,laziness,suspicion and guilt.
Feast on gratitude,patience,forgiveness,compassion for others,hope commitment ,truth, and the mercy of God.
Lent,hence , is a time of fasting and feasting.
40 days in the desert;40 days for the great flood;40 years in the desert before entering the Promised land;40 days ,Moses,Elijah and Jesus fasted.
Lent means spring.
An invitation to turn from our own selves from sin and to come together in community.
Self-Denial is the way we express our repentance.
We pray , we fast and we give alms
Pope: "Fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live.To intensify the custom of private and communal fasts---reading the Word of God,praying and engaging in almsgiving."
The Pope wants to give to the poor what is set aside through our fasting.
Time to empty ourselves to be filled by God.
Fasting from smoking and drinking;fasting from violent and sexual pictures;fasting from condemning and dismissing others.
Lent is a time to feast on other good things..
Fast from discontent,anger,bitterness,self-concern,discouragement,laziness,suspicion and guilt.
Feast on gratitude,patience,forgiveness,compassion for others,hope commitment ,truth, and the mercy of God.
Lent,hence , is a time of fasting and feasting.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Lent
Today, we celebrate the Frist Sunday of Lent.The reading from the Gospel takes us to the time Jesus spent in the Desert.
Forty days of fasting were forty days of intense growth in prayer, attachment to God, of strengthening of His love of his Father and of deeepning the awaress of the nature of his mission.Jesus knwew that the ways of the world were not going to be His ways.
No role as a wonder worker, or as a ruler or as a person craving for popular appeal.It is going to be the way of love, of pure love, of laying down life.
In our own lives, thetemptaion will come very strongly to follow the ways of the world--to do popular things, to use all means to get rich, never to be forgivng or to be merciful.We may be urged to ignore the needs of the poor and the suffering.
Grand mansions and roles of authority will be attracting us.We will be told by our friends that suffering is a punishment and there is no value in being with the Lord.Religious life, according to the thinking of the world, is a sham.
Today on this day of Lent , let us resolve to avoid the ways of the world and follow the Lord on his path of love and compassion.
Forty days of fasting were forty days of intense growth in prayer, attachment to God, of strengthening of His love of his Father and of deeepning the awaress of the nature of his mission.Jesus knwew that the ways of the world were not going to be His ways.
No role as a wonder worker, or as a ruler or as a person craving for popular appeal.It is going to be the way of love, of pure love, of laying down life.
In our own lives, thetemptaion will come very strongly to follow the ways of the world--to do popular things, to use all means to get rich, never to be forgivng or to be merciful.We may be urged to ignore the needs of the poor and the suffering.
Grand mansions and roles of authority will be attracting us.We will be told by our friends that suffering is a punishment and there is no value in being with the Lord.Religious life, according to the thinking of the world, is a sham.
Today on this day of Lent , let us resolve to avoid the ways of the world and follow the Lord on his path of love and compassion.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Denha
This blog will carry points of sermons for each coming sunday according to the Syro-Malabar Liturgical Calendar.
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