HOLY FAMILY Gen 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Heb 11:8,11-12,17-19; Lk 2:22-40

                                                                     HOLY FAMILY

Gen 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Heb 11:8,11-12,17-19; Lk 2:22-40

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family. The Gospel describes the presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple and shows Joseph and Mary as devout Jews, following the prescriptions of the Law of Moses. According to the Book of Leviticus, a woman after giving birth to a son, was considered to be ritually unclean for 40 days and giving birth to a daughter considered to be unclean for 80 days. In order to be restored to ritual purity, a Jewish woman needed to perform the appropriate rites of purification.

Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, in accordance with the Mosaic Law. And as the angel Gabriel gave the name, he was called Jesus. Mother Mary performed the appropriate purification rites and made her offering at the Temple on the 40^th day after Jesus’ birth. Luke presents Joseph and Mary as being poor could only offer from what they had.  Another Jewish rite referenced in this Gospel is the dedication of the firstborn son to God. In remembrance of the feast of Passover, when the firstborn children of the Israelites in Egypt were saved from death, the Law of Moses prescribed that all firstborn males of Israel should be consecrated to the Lord. In this tradition, Mary and Joseph presented the infant Jesus in the Jerusalem temple.

In the temple, Mary and Joseph encountered two devout Jews, Simeon and Anna, who recognized the infant Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s hope for redemption. In Simeon’s words we find a prediction of Mary’s witnessing of Jesus’ death on the cross. The Canticle of Simeon, also called by its Latin name, Nunc Dimitis, is prayed at night prayer, or compline, during the Liturgy of the Hours.

The second reading deals with the interrelationships of the family. Paul tells the Colossians and us to deal with each other out of kindness, to be patient with each other, to forgive each other continually. If we strive to live this way, then as a family we can pray together not just in Church, but in every aspect of our lives. “Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord.” Paul goes on to mention the roles of a family in his epoch. At that time the equality of women was not recognized. In the Roman empire women were seen as property that needed to be protected by their fathers or their husbands. The respect given to a woman was different from that given to a man. That's why we have the phrase, wives be submissive to your husbands. The heart of this reading is that husbands and wives must respect each other.

The first reading from Sirach says that children need to respect their parents. At first it refers to young children as it notes that mothers and fathers have their authority from God. Then it refers to older children when it says that children should take care of their parents when they age. Little children learn respect for their parents from the respect they see their parents giving each other and the respect their parents have for their grandparents. I have always believed that the way you treat your parents will be the way your children will treat you. If your relations with your parents are motivated by respect and love, and are evident in your kindness to them, your children will have learned this aspect of Christianity and will treat you the same way as your years mount. Children need to remember that the parents are co-creator of God. And God blesses us through our parents.

Tod

CHRISTMAS Christian, Remember Your Dignity Is 52:7-10; Hb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-5, 9-14 From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, Pope

 

CHRISTMAS

Christian, Remember Your Dignity

Is 52:7-10; Hb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-5, 9-14

From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, Pope

Dearly beloved, today our Saviour is born. Let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness. No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life.

  

In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind. And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of good will as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvelous work of God’s goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?

  

Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in his great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh. Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom.

  

Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.

 

Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of good will

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU.

The Tabernacle to the Logos (ὁ λόγος) 2 Sam 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16 Rom 16:25-27 Lk 1:26-38 – (B) 4

 

 The Tabernacle to the Logos (ὁ λόγος)

2 Sam 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16 Rom 16:25-27 Lk 1:26-38 – (B)  4

On t

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, the liturgy shifts our attention from John the Baptist to Mary, the mother of Jesus. We read the story of the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary about the birth of Jesus. The angel Gabriel’s announcement was the immediate beginning of the building of the holiest tabernacle for Jesus’ birth. The King David said, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent” (2 Sam 7:3). And the compassionate God said, “I will appoint a place for my people Israel and they may live…. and never be disturbed” (7:10). This is the promise of God for all the human family, the new Israel. The appointed place or holiest tabernacle was the womb of mother Mary. He appointed and prepared her womb “in the fullness of time” (Gal 4:4). This is his sure sign for the new Israel. And St. Paul reflects and strengthens our faith who says, “…so that all the Gentiles also might come to the obedience to the only one God …through Jesus Christ forever (Rom 16:27).

Mary was the holy place or living tabernacle for God to become man like us. Mary was given a choice. The mourning creation awaited for her answer to give birth to the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2). She could have refused to allow God’s plan to work through her. She could have agreed grudgingly to the plan, like Zechariah, father of John the Baptist in the Temple. Or Mary could have rejected God’s plan simply. Rightly St Bernard wrote, “The prince of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God, we came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life”. And Mother Mary was open to the Word of God. She allowed the Logos the Word to enter her and transform her from a simple maiden to the mother of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

All the creatures are subjects to their creator. The creator has the authority over his subjects but still he desired for the permission for him to work in Mary. An ambassador represents the king. When an ambassador represents bringing the king’s message, he brings the own words of the king. When Mary was greeted, “Hail Mary full of grace”, it was not the words of the angel but it was the greetings of God of the armies himself. He sought the permitting words of Mary, “Thy will be done” to bring forth his salvific plan in and through her.    

Today, the Word of God whispers into our ears and calls upon us to bring this divine presence within us to others. We do this by standing up for our faith. We do this by searching out for those who need his strength. So many people are hurt at Christmas time. People who have lost loved ones need special attention. People who are wandering need special care. People who are sick and elderly and wondering if this will be their last Christmas, need the assurance that God’s love will usher them an eternal Christmas. In the exemplary response of our mother Mary to God, can our hearts become the living tabernacles for Jesus? And can our bodies become the living temples for the Holy Spirit to lead his new Israel to God?

 

Called to be heralds of God's Presence (Jn 1:6-8,19-28)

Called to be Heralds of God's Presence

Is 61:1-2a,10-11; 1 Thes 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8,19-28

Jesus quoted the passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. The passage begins: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God”. 

We cry out to God for help when we suffer a crisis or a traumatic event. In the same way, many people all over the world are in continual crisis calling out to God. such as people who are oppressed, people who try to bring their children up in neighborhoods where crime and drugs rule, people who are physically or mentally challenged, people who suffer pain afflicted upon them by an unfaithful spouse, a dishonest business partner or a wayward adult child, people who are hungry for food that cannot be found or who need medicine for their children that they cannot afford. How many times do these people cry out to God? 

John the Baptist was sent to give testimony. The word testimony in the original Greek is marturios, martyr. He was the first Apostle and Martyr. He was the first one sent to proclaim the presence of the Christ. He was the first one to give testimony to the Truth of Christ. He paid with his life for his testimony to Truth. We are called to be like John the Baptist giving witness to the presence of Christ. The world deeply needs our witness to Christ. For many people Christmas has become a pagan celebration. Materialism is their god. They refer to Christmas as the gifting season or fat season with foods. They reject Christ and contort Christmas into a celebration of materialism. But they need the Messiah, where can they find him? The world that has rejected Jesus Christ needs witnesses to his presence. The world needs new John the Baptists to point to Jesus. 

We are called to be these witnesses. We are called to stand up before friends, families, working companions, or maybe just that idle acquaintance and say, “For me, the Life of Christ is more important than anything the world can offer.” If this reality is present in the core of our being, the Holy Spirit within us will convince others of the truth of our witness. We are the new heralds of the Kingdom. We are sent by God. We are the new apostles. We are the new witnesses. We are the new martyrs. We are the new John the Baptists. We have a responsibility to the world around us to reflect the presence of Christ. Like that of organizations such as Catholic Relief Services or charities throughout the world, proclaim the presence of God in the charitable works with a far greater efficacy then preaching only with words. So many people are hurting. So many people are searching for some sort of meaning to the madness of life. They need us to be heralds of God's presence. 

The third Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete, a Latin word which means “rejoice,” is taken from the entrance antiphon for Sunday’s Mass. This theme is echoed in today’s second reading from the first Letter to the Thessalonians. It is a reminder that Advent is a season of joy because our salvation is already at hand. We are called upon to assume the role of John the Baptist, proclaiming a new way of life, a new kingdom.

Repentance Implies Change of Mind and Life (Mark 1:1-8)

Repentance Implies Change of Mind and Life

2nd Advent Sunday (B)

Is 40:1-5,9-11; 2 Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8

A certain captain of a ship at sea discovered that by some mistake the steersman was steering the ship directly towards the rocks. How the danger needs to be avoided? By scrubbing the decks or setting the men to the pumps? No! these things are good enough in their own time. But if the ship was to be saved, one thing must be done – the course or the direction of the ship must be changed. Rightly, the captain uttered a few quick words, and the ship turned and fastened away from the danger. In the same way, John the Baptist’s preaching is a call to humankind to turn from the dangerous rocks of sin and to make a way only towards haven. Repentance results in change of action. Just as the whole ship turns in obedience to the captain, so the change of mind produces a change of life. 

John the Baptist was last of the OT prophets and first preacher in the NT. He practiced a life of self-denial. He denounced luxury, soft clothing, sumptuous fare, and he was a living example of the austerity. And how many preachers have been prompted to imitate him! Saints like Martin and Dominic, Anselm and Borromeo have themselves worn the same externals of severity, as the surest way of recommending the self-denial. And though such asceticism is deprecated in the nineteenth century, history bears abundant witness to its power in the past. It was from a hard life in the desert that saints like Gregory Nazianzen and Basil, and Pachomius came forth to preach with such success.  The kings burdened with imperial cares, were eager to seek counsel and direction from a lonely and austere monks and prophets.

Repentance, and self- denial helps us to have a change of mind. Such life leads us to God. It attests the beginning of a new life. John the Baptist is presented to us as a model during Advent. We, too, are called upon to prepare a way for the Lord. Like John the Baptist, we are messengers in service to the one who is greater than we are. 

We are invited to prepare the path for Christ in out hearts. All the valleys of the unspiritual habits and bad values and all the mountains of the prides and spiritual prides should be levelled. The ground in our heart should be levelled well and made it holy for the Messiah to be born in our hearts and he should be able to travel from us to others that they could cherish his Divine presence. The change of mind in repentance will help us deny ourselves and pleases him to be born in us.

Holy Mother Mary

Holy Mother Mary

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is easy to confuse with the feast of Annunciation. That is the conception of Jesus in the womb of Mather Mary through the overshadowing of the Spirit of God. Still more today’s gospel reading makes this  more difficult. The gospel reading is about God’s Annunciation to Mother Mary.

But today’s feast is not about the conception of Jesus. It is about the conception of Mary within the womb of her mother, St. Anne. So why does the Holy Mother Church presents the gospel reading of the Annunciation to Mary the Mother of Jesus? It is because of the first words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, “Hail, full of Grace.” Mary was full of Grace even before she consented to the Word becoming flesh within her. But why was she full of Grace, and how did this happen? These are the questions that the Holy Mother Church answers through the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

For our salvation, God decided to send his only begotten son, in the fullness of time, to be born as One of Us (Gal 4:4). The logos (Word) became flesh (Jn 1:14). The mankind had lost the intimate relationship with God in the garden of Eden. How could the Holy of Holies enter the womb of a person that was not holy? A person would have to be holy from the first moment of her conception. God can do all things. He made Mary holy at the moment of her conception within Anne. And she remained chaste after giving birth to Jesus for – “the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall remain shut” (Ezk. 44:3).

Theologians would call this prevenient grace, grace that anticipated the redemption of man by Jesus. When Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary made a new life, Mary’s life was made holy by God. That is the Immaculate Conception. That is why the angel said to Mary, “Hail, Full of Grace.” Mary was fully human. She was not a goddess. But she was human. She was someone who was made holy by the extraordinary grace of God. She had the ability to choose God’s way or to reject God’s way. When she said to the angel, “Be it done to me according to your will,” she was acting on the Grace she had received at her conception. This is what we celebrate today.

Many of us wear the miraculous medal. This was the image seen in a vision by St. Catherine LaBoure on Nov 27, 1830. Around the image of Mary are the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Because of her holiness, Mary has a special place among our spiritual brothers and sisters in heaven. She is the best of us. We do not worship Mary. We celebrate her place in heaven as we ask her to intercede for us. And so we say the Hail Mary and we pray, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” We are asking Mary to intercede for us with God at all times but particularly at the point of our death. We need to trust that she will intercede for us with her Son.

Patience: A Gift To The Powerful (Mark 13: 33-37)

PATIENCE: A GIFT TO THE POWERFUL

First Sunday of Advent (B)

3 December 2023 – Sunday

First Reading: Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 19b; 64: 2-7

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19

Second Reading: First Corinthians 1: 3-9

Alleluia: Psalms 85: 8

Gospel: Mark 13: 33-37

Today we begin the season of Advent. The Advent indicates the beginning of a new liturgical year of the Church. It is a new year of the Church. The Liturgical year of the church is different from that of the January 1st that marks the beginning of the new solar calendar or the Gregorian Calander. As the Gregorian calendar highlights the various events and occasions of every country in it’s own way, so also the church has it’s own liturgical Calander celebrating her various occasions through the Biblical readings. In a liturgical year the readings for Sunday Masses are arranged on a three-year cycle. Each year features a different Gospel—Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Readings from the Gospel of John are interspersed throughout all three years. On the first Sunday of Advent of this year, we begin cycle B of the Lectionary, which focuses our attention on the Gospel of Mark. This week and next week, our readings from Mark’s Gospel present two important Advent themes: the Lord’s return at the end of time and John the Baptist’s preparation for Jesus. 

On the whole, Advent is the season of hope for every Christian. The Scripture readings in this season teach us about the fulfilment of the promises prophesied by the prophets. The Messiah will come to return the whole universe and the humankind to God’s original plan. The thirst of the whole creation longs eagerly for the revelation of the Messiah (Rom 8:19). And that will be quenched by the celebration of his birth and life within our own lives. For this, we await, we watch, we prepare to celebrate. Preparation for the second coming of Christ is more important than celebrating Christmas day. And celebrating Pascha is far more important than the celebration of the Christmas. That’s why St Paul says, If Christ has not raised, your faith is futile” (1 Cor. 15:17).

The Season of Advent reminds us of the three-fold waiting for Jesus’ coming. We know that Jesus has already come in history and we remember that during the week before Christmas our waiting changes to waiting for our celebration of the birth of Jesus. We also wait for his final coming at the end times when he will take all to himself.  We also experience his daily coming into our life through the Eucharist, word of God and also in the various persons and events of life.

Scholars believe that Mark’s Gospel was written around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70. Mark’s audience consisted of Christians who were living in difficult social and political times, times of conflict. They were likely beginning to face persecution as followers of Jesus. In this difficult time, it helped to recall that Jesus had foretold of such difficulties. Early Christian communities took courage from Jesus’ warning to remain alert and watchful, and diligent. They found in his words a way to persevere through suffering and patience. Today’s Gospel reminds us to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man and be alert and watchful in today’s struggles of our mother church and difficulties in our personal lives. We watch for the divine healer to come and lead us into his Love. We watch for the opportunities to unite ourselves closer to his love through prayer and sacrifice. The Gospel reading teaches us to have patience in spiritual tensions and not losing the temperament in the midst of hardships.

A tale is told about the Buddha, Gautama (563-483BC), the Indian prince and spiritual leader.  It is said that one day as usual he went for begging food in a village. At a gate of house, he said, “Mata bikshandehi, Buddham saranam gacchami, Sangham saranam gacchami. The lady of the house because of her irritation in the family, rushed out and shouted at him saying, “what is this new sense early in the morning”. Buddha said to her, “Mom, if you give me a little food and if I do not accept it, to whom does it belong?” Of course, it remains with me”, said the lady. “And if I do not accept your shouting to whom does it belong?” The lady could not respond. The realization was given to her.  Whenever a person tries to irritate us or unload their anger on us in the time of our waiting for Jesus, we can choose to decline the anger. The irritative words go back to the giver. Preparing to be watchful for Christ’s coming in this advent, Jesus asks all of us to be composed and diligent. To be on watch is to be aware each day, through prayer and reflection that the ‘today’ of salvation is here and now.

PERPETUAL KING OF THE UNIVERSE SAVES US

Solemnity Of Christ The King (A)

Ez 34:11-12,15-17 1st Cor 15:20-26,28  Mt 25:31-46

PERPETUAL KING OF THE UNIVERSE SAVES US

The Solemnity of Christ the King was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and is observed on the last Sunday of the liturgical year as it helps us to meditate on Christ the King and on his second coming, at the end of the world. Jesus Christ is  the King of Kings. His Kingdom does not follow the model of kingdoms of the earth. He is a conquering Messiah and his army is spiritual, not physical. He battles to restore life, not to destroy life. He came down from heaven to bring us to heaven. 

The great Anglican scholar C. S. Lewis wrote humorous essay about what would be our experience if we were admitted into heaven. He wrote that there would be a triple surprise, rather a triple shock. First, Lewis wrote, we would be surprised at the people in heaven, i.e., we would be shocked that there would be people who we never expect them to be there. The second surprise would be the shock at realizing that there would not be people we expected to be in heaven. The third surprise would be that we would be there with all our sins!! 

What surprises us in his serous essay mostly is that the people whom we do not expect would participate in God’s kingdom!! Because they are of good will and the Spirit of Christ. They reach out to others in charity, and in doing so, reach out to the very presence of Christ in others. There will be many in heaven whom we would not expect to be there.

The souls of those who did not expect to be in heaven asked Jesus in today's gospel, “But when have we seen you hungry or naked, or ill or imprisoned, Lord?” the Lord responds, “I was present in those who reached out to you for help,” Their exposure to Christ's presence in others afforded them the capacity for receiving his presence in themselves. 

There were two men who found this parable blessedly true. The one was Francis of Asissi - he was wealthy and high-born and high-spirited. But he was not happy. He felt that life was incomplete. One day as he was riding, met a leper, in the ugliness of his disease. Francis dismounted and flung his arms around the wretched sufferer, and in his arms the face of the leper changed to the face of Christ. 

The other was Martin of Tours. He was a Roman soldier and a Christian. On a cold winter day, as he was entering a city, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms. Martin had no money. But the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, and Martin gave what he had. He took off his soldier's coat, worn and frayed as it was. He cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar. That night he had a dream.  He saw in it the heavenly places and all the angels and Jesus in the midst of them. And Jesus was wearing half of a Roman soldier’s cloak. One of the angels said to him, “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?” And Jesus answered softly, “My servant Martin gave it to me.”

Now, at the conclusion to the year we beg Jesu to help us recognize him in our world and to acknowledge his presence by reaching out to him in others. We seek the mercy of his continual grace drawing us out of ourselves and into his presence in the needy of his kingdom. Christ is our King. May we be true members of his Kingdom.

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, “Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall into the river.” The little girl said, “No, Dad. You hold my hand.” “What’s the difference?” asked the puzzled father.  “There’s a big difference,” replied the little girl. “If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go.” Let us ask our king and savior to hold us well to face many hurdles in this new Liturgical year. Let us acknowledge the Kingship of Christ with the voice of Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro of Mexico who voiced strongly at his Martyrdom “Viva Cristo Rey”.

Receive More in Serving (Matthew 25:14-30)

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

November 19, 2023

Prov.31:10-13,19-20,30-31; 1 Thes. 5:1-6; Mt 25: 14-30

Receive More in Serving

A wonderful story is told about Ludwig van Beethoven. The famous composer was well aware that he had few social skills. One day he heard the death of his friend’s son. Beethoven rushed over to his friend’s house, but he just couldn’t find the words to comfort the father of the boy. So, he used the gifts he had been given. Beethoven went to the piano and for a full thirty minutes he played a beautiful elegy. It is believed that he composed it on the spot. He used his talent to console the grieving.

St Paul says all our talents, all our gifts flow from the Holy Spirit. They are all to serve God and people. The Holy Spirit gives the talents or gifts to us according to each one’s capacity to draw the people to God (1 Cor 12). And none of us have the right to take credit for them because they are not given according to our interests and concerns but for the glory and honor of God. We acknowledge this at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest holds up the Body and Blood of Christ and says, “Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours. And we all say, “Amen”. 

Everyone can point out how hard he or she works to develop his or her talents. King David struggled himself in sustaining the gift of purity of thoughts. King Solomon struggled to use the gift of wisdom in keeping up his kingdom united. St Peter failed to withhold the gift of being with the Lord in the time of his struggle. Judas Iscariot completely got failed in the gift of friendship with Jesus. Our talents came from God and must be developed and serve only God. He is the focus, not us. His is the glory, not ours. What are talents or gifts we received? Can we name them? If we enumerate them one by one, surely there will be thousands beginning from our movements in the womb of our mothers until we reach God. Through the gifts of God, we share in His Glory only to the extent that we have allowed Him to be seen in our efforts in outreach. All our gifts and abilities should be seen as just gifts from God. This is a message we need to convey to our children and Teens. 

At times, our tendency is to compare ourselves with others. We don’t do that. Everybody has the talents in one’s own way. St Paul says to use them for the benefit of the community as a whole. The first two servants in today’s Gospel showed how much they had earned and they were not told they could sit back and rest. Rather because of their trustworthiness, even greater responsibilities were given to them. The more one has, the more will be given to him. The third servant who did nothing is punished. He did not do anything at all with it. If he had tried and failed, he would have met compassion and forgiveness. Even the person with one miserable talent has something to offer to others. It is a sober warning that it is not just those who do evil deeds who will lose out but also those who have no positively good works to show. Every person has the responsibility to be active in the Kingdom.

The one who has more will be given more. From the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. It seems rather unfair, like robbing the poor to pay the rich. If we make use of the gifts in service to the Kingdom of Heaven, we will be rewarded and entrusted with even more responsibilities.

'Meet HIM in HIS Unexpected Time' (Matthew 25:1-13)

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Wis 6:12-16; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Mt 25:1-13  

November 12, 2023

'Meet HIM in HIS Unexpected Time'

On seeing certain boys playing foot-Ball, St Don Bosco called out a boy and asked, “what do you do if Jesus comes right now?”, The boy answered, “I will go to confession”. And he called out another boy giving the same question, he said, “I continue to play foot-Ball. What would be the great answer – playing foot-Ball or going to confession? The parable of the wise and foolish virgins presents the custom of a wedding bridegroom going to bring his bride to her new home in Palestine. Each element in the parable reflects a different theme in the life of a Christian with Jesus. On the whole, the parable calls for Being watchful for the Second coming of Christ. His delay challenges our faith.

The second coming of Christ demands for the renewal of our mind and discerns the will of God (Rom 12:1-2). We need to be transformed by renewal of mind. In the language of St Paul the renewed mind is completely different from the attitude of the world. It emphasizes the need of an inner transformation. Jesus’ complaint against the Pharisees was that they behaved one way and lived another way. He called them whiten sepulchers. Zacchaeus and Magdalene turned to Jesus with transformed mind. His coming should find us being watchful and as trust worthy servants for the judgment.

How do we form and nourish the Christian attitude of life?  We live in a materialistic society. To the vast majority of society, success is counted in the amount of possessions a person accumulates. Pleasure, is the goal of life. We have to fight against the forces outside of us and, particularly, forces within us that are drawing us into materialism taking away from the Christian life of values. Meeting Jesus our groom requires renewed purity in the heart and a transformed mind.

We can form and nourish our disposition by continually communicating with Jesus. We need to feel his presence and listen to his voice in the noisy fish market. We need to get attracted to his word and friendship in the distractions of life. Today’s first reading speaks about wisdom. The wise are always ready for the Lord because they are always united to him in the distractions as well as noisy markets. We shall be like the wise virgins being watchful and ready to go with the groom, our Savior. Any delay would bring a great tragedy.

The parable teaches us to be Watchful. Our great duty is to attend to the business of our souls with the utmost diligence and circumspection. It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be obtained at the last minute. It is too late for a student to prepare when the day of the examination comes. The time of our Lord's coming is very uncertain. We know neither the day nor the hour. Therefore, every day and every hour we must be ready. One who continued playing the food-Ball was always ready to receive Jesus by practicing Christian virtues.

A Sermon by St. Charles Borromeo

A sermon by St Charles Borromeo

"An Excellent Teaching for Pastors of the Souls from the Divine Office"

'Practice what you preach'

I admit that we are all weak, but if we want help, the Lord God has given us the means to find it easily. One priest may wish to lead a good, holy life, as he knows he should. He may wish to be chaste and to reflect heavenly virtues in the way he lives. Yet he does not resolve to use suitable means, such as penance, prayer, the avoidance of evil discussions and harmful and dangerous friendships. Another priest complains that as soon as he comes into church to pray the office or to celebrate Mass, a thousand thoughts fill his mind and distract him from God. But what was he doing in the sacristy before he came out for the office or for Mass? How did he prepare? What means did he use to collect his thoughts and to remain recollected?

  Would you like me to teach you how to grow from virtue to virtue and how, if you are already recollected at prayer, you can be even more attentive next time, and so give God more pleasing worship? Listen, and I will tell you. If a tiny spark of God’s love already burns within you, do not expose it to the wind, for it may get blown out. Keep the stove tightly shut so that it will not lose its heat and grow cold. In other words, avoid distractions as well as you can. Stay quiet with God. Do not spend your time in useless chatter.

  If teaching and preaching is your job, then study diligently and apply yourself to whatever is necessary for doing the job well. Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical laughter and a derisive shake of the head.

  Are you in charge of a parish? If so, do not neglect the parish of your own soul, do not give yourself to others so completely that you have nothing left for yourself. You have to be mindful of your people without becoming forgetful of yourself.

  My brothers, you must realise that for us churchmen nothing is more necessary than meditation. We must meditate before, during and after everything we do. The prophet says: I will pray, and then I will understand. When you administer the sacraments, meditate on what you are doing. When you celebrate Mass, reflect on the sacrifice you are offering. When you pray the office, think about the words you are saying and the Lord to whom you are speaking. When you take care of your people, meditate on how the Lord’s blood has washed them clean so that all that you do becomes a work of love.

  This is the way we can easily overcome the countless difficulties we have to face day after day, which, after all, are part of our work: in meditation we find the strength to bring Christ to birth in ourselves and in other men.

Humility - Way to Eternal Life (Matthew 23:1-12)

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

November 05, 2023

Mal 1:14-2:2.8-10; 1 Thes 2:7-9.13; Mt 23:1-12

Humility - Way to Eternal Life

Today’s liturgical readings remind us of the need to hold firm to the message of eternal life by practicing the Christian virtue of humility. Humility guarantees and safeguards our faith. It is a call to lead and teach rightly the message of eternal life. It is a call to live rightly, to be just, and most importantly, to glorify God our creator. The Thessalonians, as soon as they heard the message of Saint Paul, accepted it as God’s message and not something human.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us not to follow the hypocritical way like that of the Pharisees. Phylacteries & tassels are strange vestments to us. The scribes and pharisees wear them at prayer. They are of small leather boxes strapped to their wrists and forehead, called phylacteries. They each contain four important passages of the Hebrew bible. The scribes and pharisees even increased the size of these to draw attention to themselves. But the design of Jesus is not to pay most attention to oneself: “He who loses himself finds himself”, and “The greatest among you shall be the one who serves the rest.” 

Jesus denounces “show-off-religion” which has no life and in fact, is opposed to the message of eternal life. What Jesus is denouncing here is earthly pride which is opposed to eternal life. Jesus in no way permits us to disrespect authorities or to insult those in position by calling them derogatory names instead of giving them the honor that is due to them. Such behavior would equally, run contrary to the messages of eternal life which says: “Honor your father and mother,” (Ex 20, 12); “Obey your leaders and submit to them…(Heb 13, 17); and finally, “Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority ….(1Tim 2, 2). Jesus simply wants us to be true to the message of eternal life. 

The punishment is intended for the proud. Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased. If God gives repentance to the proud, they will be abased or exalted in their own eyes. If they don’t repent, they will be exalted before the world. Nebuchadnezzar, in the height of his pride, was turned to be a fellow-commoner with the beasts. Herod became a feast for the worms. Babylon, that sat as a queen, became the scorn of nations. God made the proud and aspiring priests contemptible and base (Mal. 2:9), and the lying prophet to be the tail, Isa. 9:15. If the proud do not humble themselves, there is a day coming, when they shall rise to everlasting shame and contempt (Dan. 12:2)

The preferment intended is for the humble. He that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Humility is that ornament which is in the sight of God of great price. In this world, the humble may not have the honor of being accepted but in the sight of the holy God, they become wise. They shall be exalted to inherit the throne of glory and be crowned, before angels. Humility is not deference in dealing with others, but is primarily a dependence on the mercy of God for salvation, rather than a dependence on our own self-righteousness to receive eternal life.

Hope in the Resurrection (John 11:17-27)

All Soul's Day & All Saint's Day (A)

Wis 3:1-9; Rom 5:5-11; Mt 5:1-12a; Jn 11:17-27

01-02 November 2023

Hope in the Resurrection

On the Feast of all saints, we honor all the saints. And on the feast of all Souls, we pray for the souls of all those who have died, especially all our near and dear ones. The faith journey of our dear saints gives us courage to persevere still for the ever-lasting life with God, and that they make efficacious prayers for our dearest departed ones. The liturgy of the day presents us with different Biblical readings. And we want to focus on our faith and belief in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus promises us eternal life with the Triune God. The Gospel story of the raising of Lazarus presents us many reflective insights about our faith. 

When Lazarus had fallen ill, his sisters Martha and Mary had sent word to Jesus. On his arrival at Bethany, he found that Lazarus was dead and had been buried for four days. The crying Martha said to Jesus that if he had been there, his brother Lazarus would not have died. Jesus promised that Lazarus would rise from the dead. And Martha affirms her belief that there will be resurrection of the dead in the last days. 

Jesus promises much more - that he himself is the Resurrection and the life for all those who believe in him. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – alpha and omega. This is the profession of faith we continue to make, and it is the promise on which we base our hope for eternal life for ourselves and for all those who have died. This is the faith that the martyrs and saints held strong and offered their lives, shed their blood for Christ. They believed in his death and Resurrection. He has conquered death for all those who believe in him. Whether cremated and the ashes been spread in the sea or buried, our dearest departed people will be risen on the last day to receive judgement. God will raise all of them on that day as he raised the dead with their dry bones to life – that we read in the book of Ezekiel 37: 1-10. “Nothing is impossible for God”.

We believe that we continue to share a relationship with those who have died seeking even ardent intercessory prayers of our dearest saints. When we pray for the souls of the faithful departed, we are praying for those whose souls are journeying through purgatory. They are preparing for eternal life in heaven. They are like a plant in our garden that is fallen on the ground looking for some support of a stick. We believe that our prayers would be like that of a stick giving support to the fallen plant. Our prayers will help them to speed up their journey to eternal life with God in heaven. Martha professed her faith acknowledging that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God. And in the same way “Blessed are YOU merciful: for YOU shall obtain mercy. Blessed are YOU the pure in heart: for YOU shall see God”.

A CHALLENGE OF FORGIVENESS (Matthew 22:34-40)

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Ex 22:20-26; 1 Thes 1:5c-10; Mt 22:34-40

October 29, 2023

A CHALLENGE OF FORGIVENESS

A lawyer asked Jesus which was the greatest among all of the 613 laws in Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus responded to the lawyer's question with two quotations from the Torah, the first five books. The first quotation was "Hear this, O Israel, Shema Israel, God is One. You shall love your God with your whole heart, your whole soul and your whole mind." Dt 6:5. The second comes from the Book of Leviticus, 19:18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

The heart of Christian morality is the desire to love God fully, completely, and to love others as unique reflections of God's love. Jesus is not calling us to be minimalists. He is calling us to love God and neighbor completely. God wants us to love him with our whole mind. He wants us to offer him our whole mind. Are we distressed? Do we despair? Have your children or your parents, relatives or friends hurt you? Give him those thoughts and he will transform them to his way of thinking. We all have negative thoughts regarding other people. Their very existence irritate us. We give our negative thoughts to God, past memory, guilt conscience that’s been stored up. He will turn them into a source of grace. Prayer is amazing. Not only does God listen to our needs. He heals us when our own minds attack us. 

Jesus wants our whole heart. He wants us to love him with every part in our heart. If there is a part of our love that we may have for someone else, then that itself is not real love because God is not in that love. The real love gives. Giving oneself to the satisfaction of the carnal desire is not true love of God. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? (Jer 17:9) “from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, (Mk 7:21) a pure heart is a gift to God. Loving God with our whole heart is really loving our neighbors as ourselves.

God wants our whole soul. God wants all those qualities that distinguish us from animals. He wants our ability to love and to think, but also our ability to imagine, our ability to choose, our ability to express ourselves as individuals, our ability to be who we are, created in his image and likeness. Then we have to give all we have back to God. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

In his encyclical on love, Deus Caritas Est, God is Love, Pope Benedict noted the three words for love used by the ancient Greeks: eros, philia, and agape. Eros refers to physical love without any spiritual qualities. Philia refers to the love of friendship. This is the love people have for each other. Agape refers to love that is the heart of the relationship with God. Agape is the love that wants others to join us in a relationship with God. Christian love should be shared with everyone, even to those who continue to hurt us: “Love your enemies”. 

Let’s say you entered into a business partnership with a friend. As time goes on, the business was not showing the profit it initially showed. Then, after a few years, the government came knocking. Taxes had not been paid because your partner had been embezzling from the business. Not only do loses the business, lose home, car, and so forth. Now the family has to make due in a small apartment. Meanwhile, the former partner has initiated a law suit against. And Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is tough. Well, when we get into a situation like this, we have to strengthen our relationship with God by increasing our prayer life. 

We need to pray that our former partner will turn from evil embrace a relationship with God. This is tough. And Jesus wishes that he changes his life and goes to heaven. God wants our love to win others over for him. That is the meaning of “when someone slaps you on your right cheek, offer him your left cheek.” Being a Christian is tough business. It means following the one who on the cross forgave his executioners, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Love God with your whole heart, our whole soul and your whole mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

‘Give and it shall be given unto you’ (Matthew 22:15-21)

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Is 45:1,4-6; 1 Thes 1:1-5b; Mt 22:15-21 

October 22, 2023

‘Give and it shall be given unto you’

In today’s Gospel Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem continue their tense exchange of questions and challenges. At this point the disciples of the Pharisees, together with the Herodians, try to entrap Jesus by their question about the payment of taxes.  The matter of taxes was a real problem in the actual ministry of Jesus and the early Church too.

This question of tax-paying was not of merely historical interest. Matthew was writing between A.D. 80 and 90. The Temple had been destroyed in A.D. 70. So long as it stood, every Jew had been bound to pay the half-shekel Temple tax. After the destruction of the Temple, the Roman government demanded that tax should be paid to the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus in Rome. It is obvious how bitter a regulation that was for a Jew to stomach. 

But Jesus was wise. He asked to see a denarius, which was stamped with the Emperor’s head. In the ancient days coinage was the sign of kingship. Every king struck his own coinage. Jesus asked whose image was on the coin. The answer was that Caesar’s head was on it. Jesus said, “give it back to Caesar, it is his, and give to God what belongs to him.” With his unique wisdom Jesus never laid down rules and regulations. That is why his teaching is timeless and never goes out of date. He always lays down principles. 

Every Christian has a double citizenship. Christian is a citizen of the country in which he lives. He owes the safety against lawless men which only settled government can give. He owes all public services. To take a simple example, few men are wealthy enough to have a lighting system or a cleansing system or a water system of their own. These are public services. In a welfare state the citizen owes still more to the state--education, medical services, provision for unemployment and old age. This places him under a debt of obligation. The Christian has a duty to the government in return for the privileges that the government brings.

But the Christian is also a citizen of heaven. There are matters of religion and of principle in which the responsibility of the Christian is to God. It may well be that the two citizenships will never clash. But when the Christian is convinced that it is God’s will that something should be done, it must be done. Or if he is convinced that something is against the will of God, he must resist it and take no part in it. A real Christian is at one and the same time a good citizen of his country and a good citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. Peter says, “Fear God. Honor the emperor ( 1 Peter 2:17). Malachi 3: 10 Saya, “Bring one-tenth of your income into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the LORD of Armies. “See if I won't open the windows of heaven for you and flood you with blessings.

Wedding Garment of Righteousness (Matthew 22:1-14)

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Is 25 : 6-10a; Phil 4:12-14,19-20; Mt 22:1-14

October 15, 2023

WEDDING GARMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

After criticizing the religious leaders through the parable of the tenants in last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus proceeds to tell another parable, again directed at the religious leaders. In the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus offers an image of the kingdom of heaven using the symbol of a wedding banquet. In today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah and in today’s psalm, the Lord’s goodness is evident in the symbol of a feast of good food and wine. The image of a wedding feast is a symbol for God’s salvation. 

But it appears that accepting the king’s invitation brings certain obligations. The guest who failed to dress in the appropriate wedding attire is cast out of the feast. We are reminded that while many are invited to the kingdom of heaven, not all are able to meet its requirements. God invites us to his feast, giving us his salvation. Yet he asks us to repent for our sins.

If we go to visit in a friend’s house, we do not go in the clothes we wear in the shipyard or the garden. We know very well that it is not the clothes which matter to the friend. It is not that we want to put on a show. It is simply a matter of respect that we should present ourselves in our friend’s house as neatly as we can. The fact that we prepare ourselves to go there is the way in which we outwardly show our affection and our esteem for our friend. So it is with God’s house. 

This parable has nothing to do with the clothes in which we go to church; it has everything to do with the spirit in which we go to God’s house. It is profoundly true that church-going must never be a fashion parade. But there are garments of the mind and of the heart and of the soul—the garment of expectation, the garment of humble penitence, the garment of faith, the garment of reverence, the garment of righteousness—and these are the garments without which we cannot approach God. 

Very often we go to God’s house with no preparation at all; if every man and woman in our congregations came to church prepared to worship, after a little prayer, a little thought, and a little self-examination, then worship would be worship indeed—the worship in which and through which things happen in men’s souls and in the life of the Church and in the affairs of the world.

Jesus’ message in the parable cautions against exclusive beliefs about the kingdom of heaven. The parable also teaches about humility. Those who assume that they are the invited guests may find that they have refused the invitation, and so others are invited in their place. To accept the invitation is also to accept its obligations. God wants our full conversion in complete acceptance of his mercy.

A Call To Audit The Gifts Received (Matthew 21:33-43)

 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Is 5:1-7: Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21:33-43

October 8, 2023

A CALL TO AUDIT THE GIFTS RECEIVED

Today's Gospel follows directly the last Sunday's Gospel about the two sons. Through the parable of two sons he addressed the wickedness of the elders and chief priests of the temple. Jesus once again speaks to the priests and elders with another parable. He urges them to listen him and believe that he is the only begotten son of God and that he comes from God. In today’s parable we have some questions like, who is the landowner? What is the vineyard? Who are the tenants? Who are the servants to collect the portion of the harvest? Finally, who is the son of the landowner to collect his rent? 

In telling this parable, Jesus is clearly drawing upon Isaiah 5:1-7, which is today's first reading. Jesus doesn't, therefore, have to explain the symbolism of the parable. The vineyard represents faithful or the kingdom of God, the landowner represents God himself, the servants represent the prophets, and the bad tenants represent the religious leaders. Yet Jesus nonetheless explains the meaning of the parable for his audience. The Kingdom of God will be taken away from the unbelieving chief priests and elders because they did not believe in Jesus as the only son of God and Messiah. That’s why it is given to the faithful who sincerely believe in Jesus as the only begotten son of God. 

Clearly this Gospel shows the tension that was mounting between Jesus and his audience like the religious leaders and unbelieving pharisees. Because they thought that no one could claim to be the son of God. that’s why Jesus’ message was dangerous and bringing conflicts and tensions in the temple.

We are born of God and became adopted sons and daughter of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus taught us to call God Abba Father! Do we really believe in this? This Gospel reminds us of the importance of listening to Jesus’ word First. Secondly, We become tenants or custodians of many things in our Baptismal life. We have taken so many gifts from God like that of family, children, office responsibilities. God through his Son Jesus asks all of us to audit and submit the account. We need to be ready. Today he demands for the submission of the account of the gifts we received from him. He demands all of us through the Holy Mother Church and her custodians. Are we ready to audit our transparency in Christian Baptismal life? 

If we are able to do it be thankful to God. If not, let us not mask ourselves. Come closer to him. He will ease our burden and bless us to be more useful and trustworthy tenant or custodian in his vineyard, the kingdom of God.

A Bible Quote on: 'Priests For God'

Priests For God

(Hos 4:7-9)

7. "The more priests there were,

the more they sinned against me;

they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.

8. They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. 

And it will be: Like people, like priests.

9. I will punish both of them for their ways 

and repay them for their deeds"