Little Seeds of the Kingdom: Ezk 17:22–24; 2 Cor 5:6–10; Mk 4:26–34 (B 11)

 

Little Seeds of the Kingdom

Ezk 17:22–24; 2 Cor 5:6–10; Mk 4:26–34 (B 11)

The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia. 

Children keep on asking questions. They ask more probing questions as they grow into adolescence seeking for some light to their doubt in life. They also realize that certain questions cannot be answered in life and have to reconcile with many unanswered questions in practical life as they grow in adulthood. And the searching will continue in the mysteries of life’s journey.

Jesus teaches us about the mystery of kingdom of God through the parable of mustard seed. The tiny mustard seed sown in the soil by the farmer, literally grows to be a tree which attracts numerous birds because they love the little black mustard seed it produces. God's kingdom works in a similar way. The seed grows unseen and causes a transformation from within. Just as a seed has no power to change itself until it is planted in the ground, so we cannot change our lives to be like God until God gives us the power of his Holy Spirit.

The Jewish author of the book of Qoheleth expresses it well, “Just as you do not know how the breath comes into the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.” With the parable of the seed growing secretly Jesus says that the kingdom of God can be growing among us in ways that we do not fully understand.

There is a reassuring, hopeful message here for all of us who may be tempted to discouragement by the slow progress that the ways of God appear to be making in the world. The spreading of God’s reign is ultimately God’s work and that work is always under way, even when we do not see it or understand it. Our various efforts can seem to bear very insignificant results. The parable assures us that the Lord will see to it that the final harvest from those efforts will be abundant.

Sometimes we have to learn to be content with the small seeds that we can sow, trusting them to bear fruit in ways that will surprise us. The kingdom of God is something very humble and modest in its origins. We need to learn to appreciate little things and small gestures. There are little seeds of the kingdom that all of us can sow, a friendly gesture towards someone in trouble, a welcoming smile for someone who is alone, a sign of closeness for someone who is in despair, a little ray of joy for a heart full of distress. God’s reign comes in power through the seemingly insignificant actions of each of one us. 

‘Neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.’

Brethren in His Kinship Gen 3:9–15 2; 2 Cor 4:13—5:1; Mk 3:20–35 (B 10)

Brethren in His Kinship

Gen 3:9–15 2; 2 Cor 4:13—5:1; Mk 3:20–35 (B 10)

In you is the source of life; we drink from the stream of your goodness (DO)

The evangelist Mark brings Jesus’ family into the picture. Jesus loved and respected his mother and relatives. His love was unquestionable for them. His mother and relatives wanted to see Jesus one day. And the evangelist Markan text seems to be presenting Jesus as if ignoring his mother when she and her relatives wanted to see him. There is an essential meaning in this type of presentation. Jesus focuses on the family that is not based on blood relation. He lays down the conditions for his true kinship. His kinship is not solely a matter of flesh and blood but very spiritual. Earthly relationships were admitted and honored by Jesus. God never intend us to be alone rather desire us to be in family. He helps us to develop relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Int this way, through today’s Gospel reading, Jesus sets a lesson and truth about the true kinship in the kingdom of God.

In the kingdom of God, we are all his children. Jesus, in his glory, calls us his brethren. Jesus helps us to do his Father's will. He teaches us to be true followers. His teaching is certainly more than doctrine, precepts, and commandments. It is first and foremost a relationship - a relationship of trust, affection, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, compassion, mercy, helpfulness, encouragement, support, strength, protection that bind us all together in mutual love and unity. Further, his teaching nurtures the union of heart, mind, and spirit within each individual disciple (1 John 4:8,16).

Jesus teaches us the devotion of the heart, expressed in the active service. Obedience proceeds from hearty confidence and sincere love. We are made to act in his righteous kingdom, and it helps us to carry out the Divine commands in life. It is the privilege of the Christian voluntarily to fulfil the Divine will. Mother Mary obeyed the divine will to save the mankind. And Jesus sees her as the best example in cooperating to the divine plan of God. By telling “Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Mk 3:35), Jesus tells us to be like his mother to do the will of God from the heart.

Hence, we believe and say that Jesus did not disrespect his own faithful mother who faithfully heard the Word of God and gave her total obedience to him. Jesus emphasizes that those who believe in him and do the will of God will also become his brother and sister and mother of his family. This is his true kinship. What are we the kinship of God, expected in his kingdom? God is patient and full of love, and he wants us all to come back to Him, repenting from all of our sins. Jesus Himself had truly emptied himself of all glory and embraced all of us with his most perfect and selfless love. We are called to empty all our pessimistic ideas and approaches towards our brethren that makes us uncomfortable. Through His Most Sacred Heart, pierced and wounded for us, we are reminded of every single wound that we ourselves have caused upon the Lord who has loved us all so selflessly and tenderly.

 Let us all then, in the best example of Mother Mary, renew our commitment to the Lord and his word. By recalling his love for us and remembering everything that he has done for us, let us continue to place our trust and give our total obedience to the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Receiving his divine grace let us do our best to augment our respect and dignity to the lives of fellow brethren in the true kinship of Jesus – the kingdom of God, here on earth.

 “This blood, which flowed from its source in the secret recesses of his heart, gave the sacraments of the Church power to confer the life of grace…”

 

 

 

Arise and Eat, else the Journey Will be too Much for You: Ex 24:3-8; Hb 9:11-15; Mk 14:12-16,22-26 (B)

Arise and Eat, else the Journey Will be too Much for You

Ex 24:3-8; Hb 9:11-15; Mk 14:12-16,22-26 (B)

See in this bread the body of Christ which hung upon the cross, and in this cup the blood which flowed from his side (DO) 

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also known as Corpus Christi, meaning “the Body of Christ.” The celebration of the Body of Christ was promoted in the 13^th c. by the pope, Urban IV. It’s background lies in Jesus’ Last Supper on the day of Jewish feast of Passover. It reflects God’s deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt. Secondly, it speaks of sacrificing a young bull to seal the covenant between God and people. As a sign of the people’s acceptance, the people were sprinkled with the blood of the sacrificed bull. As a result, the people were to be intimately involved in the covenant. But, Jesus instituted the new covenant replacing the old covenant intended by the Father. St Paul says that Jesus became the high priest to sacrifice and the perennial sacrificial blood (Hb 10) in the place of animal sacrifice.

At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it with his disciples. Similar words and actions are followed in each Mass by an ordained priest. We believe that by the power of the power of the Holy Spirit the bread is transformed into the body and wine is transformed into the blood of Jesus. This doctrine is called transubstantiation. This Eucharist is a memorial of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We believe that Jesus is truly present in the elements of bread and wine. That’s why we eat his body and drink his blood. When priest says “this is the body of Christ” we answer, “Amen”. This is to reaffirm our acceptance of the New Covenant with God in Christ. This is more than just saying, “I agree.” This Communion is an intimate sharing of the presence of Christ conquering evil on the Cross. This is our deliverance by the very immanent presence of Jesus.

Most often we refer to the Eucharist as “communion”. The communal aspect of the Eucharist is far more than a common meal. It is the union of those who share the Body of Christ into the Kingdom of God. When we receive communion, we are recommitting ourselves to be active members of that wider community that spreads the Kingdom of God to innumerable nationalities through our sacrificial love. We thank God for uniting us to the greater community of salvation. The Greek word eucharisto in English eucharist means “thanksgiving”. We thank God for his deliverance, protection, care. What do we still benefit when we receive the Eucharist? We thank God for the many ways that we experience his love in every aspect of our lives.

The Eucharist is also the mystery of strength. The strength that we need for the greater communal quest of sharing is the very presence of Jesus within us through the Eucharist. We are not alone in this battle. We carry the Lord, our strength. Do we have a difficult decision to make? We ask Jesus within us for guidance after we receive the Eucharist. Do we feel that our lives are falling apart? We ask Jesus to keep us together. Are we searching for a way to bring justice to the people? We give ourselves over to the Lord within us. Are we sick? We ask Jesus within us how we can use our sickness to fulfill our part in the plan of God’s creation like St Teresa D’Avila. Do we feel alone? That’s why God says, “Arise and eat, else the journey will be too much for you” (1Kgs 19:7). Let us realize that we are never alone when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. He is our rock, and our fortress, and our deliverer, in whom we take refuge, our shield, and our stronghold (Ps 18:2). Let us receive him in worthy manner as St Paul demands.

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink from an inexhaustible spring (DO)

THE HOLY TRINITY Dt 4:32-34,39-40; Rom 8:14-17; Mt 28:16-20

 

THE HOLY TRINITY

Dt 4:32-34,39-40; Rom 8:14-17; Mt 28:16-20

“The Father is love, the Son is grace, the Holy Spirit is the one who unites, O blessed Trinity” (DO)

This week we return to the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. This Sunday and next Sunday are designated as solemnities, that call our attention to the central mysteries of faith of the Church. Today, on the first Sunday after Pentecost, the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This feast invites us to consider what we believe about God, who has revealed himself to us in the Trinity, one God in three Persons. Every baptized Christian partakes in the life of the blessed Trinity and shares God’s love.

Jesus revealed the great mystery of the Triune nature of one God in three persons and their inseparable union. Jesus’ mission was to reveal the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - and to unite us with the same God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly says that the ultimate end, the purpose for which God created us, is the entry of God's sons and daughters into the perfect unity of the blessed Trinity. We need to reach union with God after this life.

The Jews understood God as Creator and Father of all that he made (Dt 32:6). They understood the nation of Israel as God’s firstborn son (Ex 4:22). Contrary to that Jesus reveals the Father as his Father and also Father of all beings created in his image and likeness. He reveals himself as the only begotten Son, sent to redeem the fallen world shedding his precious blood. The Spirit, likewise, is inseparably one with the Father and the Son counselling and leading the believers. The Holy Spirit had been with the Father from the beginning of the creation and leading the Son (Jn 14:17,26; 16:13).

Clement of Alexandria, a third century church father, wrote: “What an astonishing mystery! There is one Father of the universe, one Logos (Word) of the universe, and one Holy Spirit. And there is one Church. We can have a personal relationship with the Father and the Son. How can we personally know the Father and his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ? It is the Holy Spirit who reveals the Father and the Son to us. He helps us to understand the mysteries in the scripture. He guides us to proclaim our faith in the resurrection of Jesus until he comes again. He helps us to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God.

Jesus’ departure and ascension into heaven was both an end and a beginning for his disciples. While it was the end of Jesus’ physical presence with his beloved disciples, it marked the beginning of Jesus’ presence with them in a new way. Jesus promised that he would be with them always to the end of time. He assured them of his presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. The same assurance of the “Paraclete” and Helper is for us too. And, in baptism we are called to partake in the life of the Holy Trinity here on earth in faith, and in the eternal life after death. Our mission is to proclaim the love of God our Father who saved us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are called to draw many people to live in union with God.

The Father created us, the Son redeemed us and the Spirit is leading us into the mystery of God

 

! COME HOLY SPIRIT ! Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:3b-7,12-13; Jn 20:19-23 (Easter B)

! COME HOLY SPIRIT ! 

Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:3b-7,12-13; Jn 20:19-23 (Easter B)

God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, crying ‘Abba, Father’, alleluia. 

The Greek word Pentecost means “fiftieth”. Today, on fiftieth day of Jesus’ resurrection we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit. We accomplish the season of Easter. And today is the day of the birth of the church. According to the Old Testament, for the Jews, it was a day of gratitude and a day of thanksgiving for the completion of the harvest.  It occurred seven weeks after the Passover and on this day the first fruits of the wheat crop were offered to God. On this day, Jews celebrated the event where God gave his Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. On this same day, according to the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit came down upon Mother Mary, and the apostles. And thus, it marks the birth of Church. On this fiftieth day after the resurrection of Jesus a great transformation took place in the small group of disciples.

Today’s feast indicates that it is an on-going reality, which still touches our lives every single day. The Holy Spirit is given to all who are baptized into Jesus Christ to enable us to live a new way of life - a life of love, peace, joy, and righteousness (Rom 14:17). The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the love of God (Rom 5:7), and he gives us the strength and courage we need in order to live as faith-filled disciples of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Rom 8:26), and enables us to grow in spiritual freedom - freedom from doubt, fear, and from slavery to our desires of the flesh (2 Cor 3:17; Rom 8:21). The Spirit instructs us in the ways of God, and guides us in living according to God's will. The Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. Isaiah foretold the seven-fold gifts that the Spirit would give: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (Is 11:2). 

We are here because of the Holy Spirit. We are here because of the action of the Holy Spirit at our baptism and confirmation, transforming us into the People of God. We are here because of the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives calling us to serve the Lord. Peter and Paul often spoke about how the Holy Spirit directed them, to go to some place, to do certain things. The Holy Spirit directs us in the same way! We just have to be open to the Holy Spirit.

 After his resurrection Jesus “breathed” on his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit. Just as God breathed life into Adam, so the gift of the Holy Spirit is an impartation of “new life” for his people. With the gift of the Holy Spirit a new creation begins. God recreates us for his glory. Jesus' gift of peace to his disciples was more than an absence of trouble. His peace included the forgiveness of sins and the fullness of everything good. Do we want such power to live a faith-filled life as a disciple of Jesus? St Irenaeus says that like parched ground, which yields no harvest unless it receives moisture, we who were once like a waterless tree could never have lived and borne fruit without this abundant rainfall from above!! Let us ask the Father to fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit (Lk 11:13).

Send forth your spirit and new life will begin; you will renew the face of the earth. Alleluia.

“You Ascended on High” Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mk 16:15-20

 

“You Ascended on High”

Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mk 16:15-20

O sing to the Lord, make music to his name; make a highway for him who rides on the clouds. Alleluia. 

Today, the liturgical readings reflect upon the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord, who ascended into heaven on the fortieth day after Easter. The Ascension of the Lord Jesus implies that all the purposes of his incarnation and advent are accomplished in and through his passion, death and resurrection. Jesus did not leave the earth until he accomplished everything on earth that God entrusted him to do. In his recorded intercessory prayer, addressing his Father, he exclaimed, “I have glorified you on the earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do.”

The highest reward for this accomplished mission was to return to the Father and occupy his thrown which he had before the creation of the universe. He returned to the same glory that he had as John the evangelist proclaims, “In the beginning was the word. And the word was God. And word was with God” (Jn 1:1-3). It is our belief too. Our savior Jesus Christ sits now on the right hand of God as our Intercessor too. The apostle Paul says to the Romans, “It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us (Rom 8:34).” He died for us. He died that he might offer eternal life to us. He lives that he may be our advocate as well as our propitiation with the Father.

As he ascended to the Father, he left his mission to his followers. The church is the community of his followers. She has a preaching task to tell the story of his good news to those who have never heard of it. The church has a healing task to bring health to the body and health to the soul of every creature. The church has a source of power to have the power to lift venomous snakes and drink poisonous liquids and take no harm. Yet, the church is never left alone to do this task. Always Christ works with her and in and through her. The Lord of the church works still in the church through his Spirit.

And the risen Jesus empowers us to carry on his work. Jesus’ last words to his apostles point to his saving mission and to their mission to be witnesses. And it is to give witness to his saving death and his glorious resurrection and to proclaim the good news of salvation to all the world. Our task is to proclaim the Gospel - the good news of salvation to all the nations. God’s love and gift of salvation is not reserved for a few or for one nation alone, but it is for the whole world - all who accept it. The Gospel is the power of God, the power to release people from their burden of guilt, sin, oppression, power to heal, restore, and make us whole. Let us also ascend from earthly things to the heavenly things in our day today spiritual journey.

Each of us has been given a special gift to build up the body of Christ

 

FRIENDS - CALLED TO SERVE: Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17 (Easter B/6)

 

FRIENDS - CALLED TO SERVE

Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17 (Easter B/6)

“In him the complete being of God ... has been made visible to us, alleluia” (DO)

We love our friends. We want the love of our friends. Our friends expect our love. If we do not have friends, we miss something important in our lives. True friendship is really beneficial for our spiritual life. Today, Jesus teaches us that he is the vine and, we his disciples are the branches. We learn that our union with Jesus will lead us to have true friendship with him yielding in fruitful service. Jesus describes the kind of service that his followers are called upon to offer to others. What is the greatest act of love for others? Jesus defines friendship as the willingness to give totally of oneself - even to the point of death. How is such love possible?

The Holy Bible tells us that God is love (1 Jn 4:8). Everything that God does flows from his immense love for us. He loves us so much that he was willing to pay the price of his Son’s precious blood to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death; and adopt us as his beloved sons and daughters in Christ (Rom 8:14-17). He poured his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). It is an enduring love that has power to change and transform us to be like him - merciful, gracious, kind, forgiving, and steadfast in showing love not only for our friends but also for our enemies. That’s why God made us in love for love.

If we open our hearts to him, Jesus gives us a new commandment - a new way of loving and serving one another. It is very difficult to serve for the welfare of others. But, our love for God and our willingness to struggle for others would be a response to the exceeding love that God has given us in Christ. Paul the Apostle states, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35,38-39).

The Lord Jesus loves us whole-heartedly and unconditionally. In the same way, he wants us to love one another unconditionally if we love God. His love fills our hearts and transforms our minds and, frees us to give ourselves in loving service to others. If we open our hearts to his love and obey his command to love our neighbor, then we will bear much fruit in our lives, fruit that will last for eternity. God called Abraham friend (Is 41:8). God called Moses friend (Ex 33:11). Jesus calls us friends rather than his servants. In a good and happy marriage the two spouses will be one another’s best friends. Parents are friends to the children and children friends to the parents. Families in the neighborhoods remain friends to serve if we the branches live in Jesus the vine.

“God has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation” (DO)