Saturday, June 2, 2012


TRINITY SUNDAY


We always begin our prayers invoking the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The reason is that we believe in the Trinitarian dimension of God. God is three persons with one nature. This separates us from other religions.

 Our faith in the Trinity has founded on the Scripture and the Divine Revelation. The Old Testament gives a shadow reference of the Trinity. For example, in the book of Genesis, God says: Let us create human beings in our own image and likeness. The notion of Trinity is completely manifested in the New Testament. For instance, at the time of Jesus’ baptism, all the three persons of the Trinity were present.

 How it is possible to have three persons in one God without dualism is a mystery to understand. Only the Blessed Mary understands this mystery clearly, as she is the beloved daughter of God the Father and the Beloved mother of God the son and the beloved spouse of the God the holy spirit.

 For us what is important is the message of the Trinity. The Holy Trinity tells us about the image or nature of God. God is a relationship. The image or identity of God is love and communion.


God created us in his image and likeness. Therefore, if we want to remain as children of God, we must be in relation with one another.  To love someone means to be with that person and to be for that person….

 Closing fellowship with others means ceasing to live as a child of God.

Thursday, May 17, 2012


ASCENSION IS A CALL TO MISSION



When the parish priest was greeting people after the Easter Celebration, he saw somebody new in the crowd. Gently he approached him and said: “Would you like to join the army of Jesus Christ?” “I am already a member of the army of Christ,” he replied. “ But I never see you here!” the priest replied. “Oh! I am in the secret service!” he answered.



This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, His glorious entry into heaven. The Ascension is not only about Jesus but also about each one of us. The two sets of instructions that were given to the disciples by Jesus and the Angel undoubtedly underline this point. For example: The Angel said to the disciples:  Why are you standing here looking at the sky? Jesus said to them: You will receive the power from the Holy Spirit and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth (Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11). If we put together these two statements, one thing becomes clear, namely, the Ascension is a commissioning. It is an invitation to take up the mission of Jesus. According to Luke, Jesus finished his earthly journey in Jerusalem and the disciples have to continue the journey of Jesus from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.



The Challenges of the Ascension!



First of all, our mission is to establish the Kingdom of God. As Jesus rightly corrected his disciples, establishing the Kingdom consists primarily in ‘witnessing Jesus’ than building up a social institution. Kingdom of God is neither a territory nor an organization but it is the reign of God in human hearts.   The key to evangelization is manifesting God’s reign in each one of us. Once a Bishop said, “One of the means we adapt to evangelize non –Christians is to encourage catholic families to come and stay with the non Christians for a period of time.” The principle is that action speaks louder than words. “Preach all the time but use words whenever it is necessary” (Francis of Assisi). Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.



Secondly, this witnessing must begin from Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem has biblical significance. All the major salvific events took place in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the city of God. It is the meeting place of God. Mount Zion symbolizes God. Witnessing begins from Jerusalem. This means that any act of evangelization must have its source and inspiration in the Word of Jesus. It must be rooted in Christ experience.



And finally, the obligation for evangelization never ceases to exist. Jesus not only fulfilled his mission by offering his life as a ransom for many but also   prepared his disciples to take over it. We also have these twofold challenges: Encounter the risen Lord in our lives and share it with our fellow beings, and prepare those who are in our care to continue this mission. Definitely the starting point of this missionary mandate is our family itself. The Ascension is a call to come out from the secret service to public service. 



There are two ways of spreading light; to be a candle, or the mirror that reflects it. (Edith Wharton)

Friday, April 20, 2012




THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER


Today is the third Sunday of Easter. During this season, our readings focus on two things: the resurrection of Jesus, and its impact on his disciples.

The disciples were great admirers of Jesus. Admiration of a person does not necessarily involve commitment to that person. For instance, we admire Pope Benedict.  However, I do not think that we are going to die for him. The disciples admired Jesus and his teachings but were not willing to die for him. This was their story until the death of Jesus. However, the resurrection brought about a sea change in their life. They were even ready to die for Jesus. They became witnesses of Jesus:- a transformation from admirer to witness.

We are called to be witnesses of Jesus. To witness means to represent. To witness means to make a full commitment. It is more than going to Church on Sundays…It is more than doing some ministries….It is all about conforming to the person of Jesus. It is all about rising to a new life with Jesus.

How do we witness? An important place of witness is one’s own family.  We often forget about this. Witnessing to Jesus must begin by teaching our children and grandchildren about our faith. Our children are very much confused these days. They know very little about our catholic faith even though they are catholic by baptism. Teach them the core of faith, teach them the unique feature of the Catholic Church, and instill in them a love for the Church….Making our home a domestic Church is the core of witnessing. The rest will follow… We are commissioned to witness. Omission of witnessing is a sin.


Friday, April 13, 2012



TRUST, NOT DOUBT

I had a friend. He was a non-believer. He tried to convince me of the nonexistence of God. “If there is a God, show me” , he used to challenge me. Often I ignored him. One day he called me and said: I have a terrible headache. Do you have any medicine for me?” I went to see him. “Where is your pain? Show me. He pointed to his forehead. “I cannot see your headache. You must not have a headache”, I said to him. “Are you crazy? How can I show my pain?” he was angry.

We cannot see everything. We cannot verify everything experimentally. Many people believe only things that they can see or touch. This was the problem with Thomas. He said: I want a proof to believe in the resurrection of Jesus.

The foundation of life is faith and trust. We may not have all the proof all the time. A little child calls a woman mother. The child does not ask for proof.

God trust us. Jesus trusted his disciples. Peter denied him at the crucial moment of his life. Thomas remained doubtful about Jesus’ resurrection. However, Jesus trusted them. As we heard from the gospel reading, Jesus renewed his trust in them and entrusted them with new responsibilities.

We make judgment on people based on a few experiences. We are more than a few of our behaviors.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
(SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER)

The Divine Mercy Sunday. The first Sunday after Easter is celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. In 1930, Jesus appeared to Faustina, A Polish Nun, and revealed to her the nature of God’s love. Jesus said to her: “My love is unlimited and available to all, especially to the poor sinners”. Jesus blessed her with a prayer for mercy. Sr. Faustina started a special devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus and popularized it. Our Late Holy Father Pope John Paul II encouraged this devotion and in 2000 on the day of her canonization, the Pope advised the universal church to celebrate this devotion on the first Sunday after Easter.

Mercy, another name for God. God is merciful and compassionate. The whole Bible is a series of stories that proclaim the unfailing and unconditional love of God towards humanity. The expressions like “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands, I have written your name; your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16) talk volumes about the nature of God’s love. The Evangelist John beautifully summarized the depth and width of God’s love in the following statement: “ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that every one who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” John 3:16).

Divine Mercy! What does it Means? The word mercy is derived from the Latin word misericordia. Miseriacordia is a combination of two words: miseri and cordia. Miseri means suffering and cordia means heart. Misericordia means a heart that is willing to suffer for others. God is merciful means that God has a heart which is willing to suffer for us, willing to do anything for us.

Jesus, Mercy incarnated. “I desire Mercy not sacrifice, I haven’t come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). These words of Jesus beautifully explain how much Jesus possesses the heart and mind of God. Paul says: “God, who is rich in mercy, brought us to life with Christ” (Ephesians 2: 4). Sharing the mercy and love of God was Jesus’ mission. Jesus invited everyone “To find rest in him” (Matthew 12:28-30).

The readings for the second Sunday of Easter further substantiate this point. The Gospel (John 20:19-29) talks about two specific actions of Jesus that reflect his mercy and compassion.

1. When Jesus came to the room where disciples were hiding out of fear and remorse, he said to them: “Peace be with you, receive the Holy Spirit”. Jesus did not bring the past. He did not scold Peter for denying Him on the way to Calvary. Transcending the past, forgetting everything that had happened a couple of days ago, Jesus offered them peace and reconciliation.

By offering them the Holy Spirit, Jesus was absolving them from their failures because God the Holy Spirit is the principle agent of sanctification. This is evident, if you recall the prayer of absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “God, the Father of Mercies, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit upon the church for the forgiveness of sins…”

2. Jesus showed the same mercy towards Thomas too. When Thomas was reluctant to believe in the resurrection, Jesus came to him, showed his wounded hands and satisfied his desire in the way Thomas wanted.

The way of mercy is the way of Grace. God is merciful. It is not enough to receive mercy from God. We need to show mercy to others. This is evident when Jesus said: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7) and “I desire mercy not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:13). The disciples understood this message. After they themselves witnessed the mercy of Jesus, they started a new life style based on the same principle. The second reading (Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35) is the practical application of this new life style. “They took care of each other. There was no one among them who was in need”. Jesus expects us to show mercy to one another. On the day of the final Judgment, the only criterion that Jesus is going to use will be ‘whether we were merciful to one another’ (Matthew 25:40,45). Finally, as the second reading (1 John 5:1-6) states: When we practice mercy in our daily life, we proclaim that we are the children of God.

Thursday, April 5, 2012


EASTER

As we gather this morning to celebrate Easter, I wish you all a very Happy Easter. Friends, Easter is not just another event. It is the center of our Faith. Paul says: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. If we look at the preaching of the first disciples of Jesus, they were all focused on the resurrection of Jesus. The preaching about Jesus’ teachings came much later.

What does Easter stand for? We may be able to look at the message of the Easter from different angles. However, the primary meaning of the Easter is hope. It is an invitation to ‘look beyond’ our expectation…Hope against hope. The paradise is not lost forever.

There is a great story. A father and his teenage son were living in Mexico City. They had had an argument, and the son, Rafael shouted curses at his father and then stormed out of the house and did not return. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. The father searched the city over and finally in desperation he went down to the newspaper and took out an add. It said, "Rafael, if you read this, I want you to know that all is forgiven. I love you and I will be waiting for you at this Sunday at the entrance to the city park. I hope you show up, love dad."

He said that Sunday morning 200 Rafaels showed up at the park, all looking for forgiveness.

There are so many people searching in this world, searching for forgiveness, for hope, for meaning.

The great message of Easter is that if Jesus Christ was powerful enough to move the stone and overcome the grave, then he is powerful enough to move the stones that are blocking my life.

Our tendency is to stay in the grave of our frustrations and disillusionment. Like in the story of Martha and Mary, our tendency is to think that even God is helpless. Remember what Mary said to Jesus: “Lord it is already four days? There will be a stench”. After crucifying Jesus, they left thinking that Jesus would never come back…They were proved wrong.

For God, nothing is too late, nothing is impossible. If he could roll away his stone, he could remove ours too. Therefore, Easter is a feast of Hope.

Secondly, Easter is all about the faithfulness of God. If we take God seriously, then God will take us seriously. Jesus abandoned his life in the hands of God. God did not abandon him. He raised him up and bestowed him the name that is above every name.

Easter also invites us to focus on what is lasting and eternal. Everything that is worldly, tangible and material will pass away. We do not have an eternal home here. We are travelers.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

HOLY WEEK HOMILIES

HOLY THURSDAY

A husband was feeling romantic one day. He tenderly asked his wife, “Do you love me?” The wife, too busy with the household chores, did not mind him. The man insisted, “We have been married for thirty years, and you rarely said you love me.” Again, the wife did not bother to answer him. The man was hurt. “Perhaps, you do not love me anymore because you do not want to say ‘I love you.” The wife stopped, looked at her husband in the face and said: “Every single day for thirty years, I cook your meals, I wash your clothes, I clean the house, I sleep with you, I take care of your children, and all these I do without pay. If this is not love, then what is it?”

The wife was right. She was expressing her love, not by words, but by action, and not only for a day, but every day for many years. On the other hand, the husband wanted to hear words of love. However, love is not an ordinary word; it is an action word. Without action, love remains an empty word.

In the Gospel of St. John, we read: “Jesus loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.” On Holy Thursday, the day before he suffered and died, Jesus showed his followers the depth of his love. He just did not say it – he showed it; he proved it.

First, he gathered them in the Upper Room for supper. It was his last supper with them. He did not only eat with them; he fed them. He gave them food to eat. By experience, we all know that nourishment is the best expression of love. The mother nursing her infant at her breast is the perfect picture of this. But Jesus did not only feed his followers. He himself became the food and drink: Taking the bread, he said to them, “This is my body. Eat it.” And taking the cup filled with wine, he said, “This is the cup of my blood. Drink it.”

The Eucharist is the sacrament of God’s love for us. This love is not meant to remain in the confines of the Upper Room; it is meant to be shared. That is why at the Last Supper, Jesus gave a deeper meaning to the Eucharist when he rose from the table and washed the feet of his apostles – his second act of love that evening. He removed his outer garment and bent down to wash the feet of his disciples. And he instructed them: “If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. As I have done for you, you should also do.” The love we receive in the Eucharist should move and inspire us to render humble service to one another.

On Holy Thursday, Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Priesthood when he instructed his apostles: “Do this in memory of me.” This is his third act of love that evening. It is through the priests, human instruments appointed by God that we receive the abundance of God’s love in the sacraments of the Church, especially the Eucharist. The priesthood and the Eucharist are intimately and essentially united. The Eucharist is continually offered by the ministry of the priesthood; and the priesthood gets its power and inspiration from the Eucharist. The one cannot do without the other.

Holy Thursday is a day of love – the day when Jesus showed us the depth of his love. He instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist where he gives us his own body and blood as our eternal food, and makes present to us in the here and now the eternal and one sacrifice he offered on the cross. And to make sure he continues to be with us as our eternal nourishment, he instituted the sacrament of the Priesthood. Through the ministry of priests, the Eucharist is celebrated until Jesus comes again in his glory. Finally, he washed the feet of the apostles to teach us by example that the love we receive in the Eucharist is meant to be lived in humble and loving service to one another, the essential fruit of the Eucharist and the mark of a true follower of Christ. Let every Eucharistic celebration arouse in us the irresistible desire to love and serve God and His people with the same love and service that Jesus has shown us.

GOOD FRIDAY

One of my friends from a different faith asked me: Why you Catholics keep the image of the Crucified Jesus in your Church. Is he not risen?

On this Good Friday, let us together reflect on the meaning and implication of the Crucifixion and death of Jesus. What does the death of Jesus really means? To have an understanding of the meaning and implication of Jesus sacrifice on the Calvary, we need to pay attention to the two extraordinary events that happened at the time of his death.

According to the Scripture, when Jesus died, the Temple Curtain was torn down into two pieces from top to the bottom. Jerusalem Temple had a curtain. The purpose this curtain veil was to prevent the unclean men from approaching the Holy of Holies. Sin separated us from God…The immediate effect of his death was the removal of that separation….The Holy of holy become accessible to humanity…Havens were opened for us. When Jesus received baptism, heavens were opened for him. From the cross, from the heart of Jesus, when water and blood flowed and bathed the universe, the holy of Holies became accessible to everyone. The heart of God was revealed to the Humanity. The centurion understood this and representing the sinful humanity, he acclaimed, “This is really Son of God”.

Secondly, according to the Scripture, while Jesus was giving up his self, a powerful earthquake shook the earth, graves were opened, and the dead came back to life. By dying our death, Jesus defeated the power of the world and death… So the death of Jesus brought a new hope to the world….Therefore, this is a Good Friday….A Friday that defeated the power of death and the principalities of the world; A Friday that recaptured the lost paradise.

Jesus, however, achieved this, not by the display of power and might. The devil that tempted Jesus in the desert was present at Calvary. He said,” If you are son of God come down from the cross and save yourself and us….But Jesus rejected that path. He achieved it through obedience to the will of God the Father, even though it cost his life…..Jesus said: Father into your hands I place myself.

The death of Jesus on the Cross-clearly tells us…..The only way to Life is conformity to the plan of God even if it demands a huge price….The thief realized that….He won the paradise…We have a choice… The way to life is narrow and the way to destruction is wide.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

PALM SUNDAY

A little girl was walking in the garden. She saw a beautiful flower. While enjoying its fragrance and beauty, she noticed the dirt in which this plant was growing. She felt sad. She said: This plant bearing such a beautiful flower deserves a better place to grow. She pulled up the plant, washed the roots, planted it in a vase, and placed it in the sitting room. One can only imagine the rest of the story.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday. We commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. People welcome Jesus, acclaiming ‘Hosanna’. Hosanna means: save us…! The crowd acknowledged his supremacy and expressed their readiness to accept his leadership. Hosanna Day was a day of glorification for Jesus. However, the final glory (Easter) came on the Sunday after. Jesus had to go through the ‘dirt’ of suffering and pain before reached his glory. Remember the old saying: There is no crown without cross.

Bloom where you are planted. God has planted each one of us in a certain situation and environment. They may not be pretty or pleasant from a worldly perspective. However, they are the raw materials for us to build our future. Running away from our God given situations because of its unpleasantness will not produce results. Stay on the mission and accomplish it even if it demands sacrifices. This is the lesson of the Holy week.

Thursday, March 22, 2012


LOOK AT THE CRUCIFIX
FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Suppose someone visits you today. You will not right away start sharing with that person about your sufferings and struggles. However, the Gospel presents an interesting story. Some Greeks visited Jesus. All of a sudden, Jesus began discussing with them regarding his imminent death on the cross. Why is that?

According to the gospel of John, at the very beginning of his public ministry, the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus with this question: Where are you staying? We want to see you. They were Jews.

During the time of Jesus, the Jewish people had an interesting concept of humanity. They divided the entire humanity into two categories: the ‘people of God’ and ‘no people’ (gentiles). Those who were outside of the Mosaic Law were the ‘no people’.

Jesus, however, did not come to a particular group. For God humanity is one unit. It is one family. Therefore, Jesus waited for the entire humanity to come before he revealed the secret of the Kingdom of God. With the arrival of the Greek who represent the ‘no people’ that ‘hour has come’ for Jesus.. Hence, Jesus started talking about things that matters.

Jesus said: If you want to see me wait until I would lift up on the Cross. In other words, if you want to see me look at Calvary…look at the cross. It is on the cross you realize who I am. It is on the cross you would see my identity. Remember the statement of the soldier who was part of the execution team. Seeing the way Jesus dying on the cross, he cried out: He is truly the Son of God. He got it. The sight of dying Jesus wrote a new law in his heart: the unconditional and ever forgiving love of God.

On the cross, he saw the heart of God…The heart that is full of love and forgiveness. Any understanding of Jesus devoid of his crucifixion is a wrong perceptive of Jesus. For, on the cross Jesus revealed the heart of God to humanity. Therefore, as soon as, Peter confessed that ‘you are the Messiah’, Jesus started talking about his suffering and death.

To see Jesus look at the cross and to follow Jesus walk to the path of Calvary. Jesus explained it in a very fine way saying what happens if a grain of wheat fails to fall on the ground and dies. It will not produce fruits.

Friday, March 16, 2012

REDEMPTION, NOT CONDEMNATION
4 SUNDAY OF LENT

There is a great statement in today’s gospel reading (John 3:14-21). John says: For God did not send his Son to the world to condemn the world, but the world might be saved through him. It is redemption, not condemnation and that is the core of Christian spirituality and theology. Paul underlines this view in his Letter to Ephesians. Paul writes: God who is rich in mercy, because of his great love he had for us, even when we were in dead in our transgression, brought us to life with Christ.

The gospels have numerous stories of Jesus’ redemptive love. Consider the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. The crowd waited for Jesus to pronounce the verdict. According to the Law of Moses, people of such crime deserved capital punishment. However, Jesus rewrote the law. Instead of singling out one person, he challenged each one of them to prove each one’s credibility. In the process, Jesus saved everybody.

This redemptive dimension of Jesus’ mission has a couple of practical applications.

1. The Divine Love of Jesus is available to anyone who comes out of darkness. The gospel reading starts with a reference to Nicodemus. He wanted to follow Jesus. However, he came to him in the dark. Nicodemus was in a bind. He wanted the light of Jesus but at the same time, he wanted the protection of the dark. Half-hearted people never experience the blessings of God. A hundred percent willingness like Zacchaeus is necessary to experience God’s grace. This story is interesting. An angler who was out of fellowship with the Lord was sat the sea with his godless companions when a storm came up and threatened to sink their ship. His friends begged him to pray. However, he demurred, saying: It has been a long time since I have done or even entered a church. At their insistence however, he finally cried out, “O Lord, I have not asked anything of You in 15 years, and if You help us now and bring us safely to land, I promise, I won’t bother You again for another 15!”

2. Redemption, not condemnation must be our basic attitude in life. Our general human tendency is to find fault with others. As somebody said if we can overlook much and correct a little, then we will be able to do more good than otherwise we are able to accomplish.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Two days ago I went to Ventura to attend a funeral mass. The traffic was horrendous. I took a detour. I got lost. I found it difficult to get back to the right direction. All of a sudden, I remember about my GPS. It was somewhere in the car. I used it and thus reached the place without making any more mistakes.

We are travelers. We have a destination to reach. Our focus during the season of lent is on our final destination and the way to reach there. We often mess up our way. Often we get lost. We need a GPS to travel on the right track. Our GPS is the Ten Commandment. Even though there are Ten Commandments, each one of them focuses on the same theme: relationship. The first three talks about our relationship with God, the forth one talks about our responsibility to our parents and final six are on how we treat our brothers and sisters.

The goal and purposes of religion and worship is to foster relationship and communion. Hence, Jesus was angry when he saw religion was misused and manipulated for selfish interests.

Friday, March 2, 2012

LISTEN TO HIM
II SUNDAY OF LENT

A priest visited a patient to administer the last sacrament. He invited the patient to make the profession of faith.
Priest: Do you believe in God?
Patient: He did not respond.
The priest repeated the question several times. Each time he refused to respond.
Finally, the priest asked him the reason for his reluctance to make the profession of faith.
“I do not want to take a risk until I know where I am heading to.” he replied.

Today is the second Sunday of lent. At this time, we need to ask this important question: Where am I heading? Am I on the right path or not?

The gospel reading today is the Transfiguration of Jesus. This event reminds us of the destiny God wishes for every human being - that they share everlasting life with Him in heaven

"Many years ago, when Leonardo da Vinci was painting The Last Supper, he looked for someone to be a model for Jesus. Eventually he found a local choirboy in a church in Rome named Pietro Bandinelli, who not only had lovely features, but also lived a good life. Years passed, but the painting was still not finished because he needed someone to use as a model for Judas Iscariot and he wanted someone whose face was hard and sinful. At last, he saw a beggar on the streets of Rome with such an evil face. He thought twice about asking him; but he did so, and painted his face on his canvas. As he finished, he asked the man his name and he replied, 'I am Pietro Bandinelli, I also sat for you as your model for Christ. The sinful life he had lived had so disfigured the face that had first attracted da Vinci, he now thought it to be the most villainous in the whole of Rome!"

The second question we need to ask is “how do I look today”. We have to look in the mirror of Jesus. In the image of God, we were created. We are the Children of God. There is a possibility that we disfigured our image through our sin. This is the time to transfigure our image by turning to the Gospels.

The way God recommended for us is the way of Jesus. Our general inclination is to approach God with our plan. Peter did it. He said: It is good to be here. We will build three tends. God disapproved his suggestion. Instead, God said,” Listen to Jesus and accept his plan. He is the way”. As Paul said to the Romans: If God is for us, who can be against us? Abraham realized this. Hence, he never doubted about ‘who comes first in his life’.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

The Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Lent is always the same: The Temptation story of Jesus. This is for several reasons. I would like to mention three of them.

Primarily it is to caution us about the reality of temptation. Temptation is real. If Jesus, the Son of God struggled with temptations, then what about us?

Secondly, it is to teach us about the nature of temptations. Most temptations do not have an evil face. Consider the first temptation of Jesus. Jesus was hungry. He had the power to perform miracles. What was wrong in using his power to make bread? It seems fine. However, it was a deceptive suggestion. Jesus understood it. It was a suggestion to distrust God’s providence. It was a suggestion to use his talents for his own satisfaction.

Thirdly, it is to give us the proper tool to fight against temptations. Jesus turned to the Scripture for guidance. The Psalmist describes the Scripture in the following way: “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Ps 119.105)

What are your temptations? Reflect your life in the light of the Gospels. Name it and tame it.

Friday, February 17, 2012

START NEW
7 Sunday in Ordinary Time


One evening Little Tony started crying। “What is wrong with you?” His Mom was curious. “I want a bell”, Tony replied.” It is evening. Go to sleep. I will get it for you tomorrow morning”, she tried to comfort him. Tony was stubborn. He cried even louder. Finally, he fell asleep. He woke early in the morning and started crying again: I need a bell. His mom went to the store and got one for Tony. Ringing the bell, Tony started crying even louder…” What is wrong with you now?” Tony’s mom asked. “I want to ring it yesterday”, Tony replied…! Can he ring it yesterday?


Many people do not know how to live in the present. They still live in the past. Our obsession with the past paralyzes us, arrest our growth and make us unable to move…


When they brought the paralytic to Jesus, Jesus said to him: Your sins are forgiven. He did not say right away ‘rise and walk’. Sin is always related to a past event.


God wants to make our life new. How do we make our life new? There is one condition! We need to let our past go and focus on the future possibilities. Listen to what God says: Remember not the things of the past. I am doing something new. God is willing to bypass our past. Am I willing to let my past go?
FOUR WEEKS LENTEN REFLECTION
Tuesday February 28, March 6, 13, 20
7.15pm in the Church
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Feb 28 : In the desert with Jesus

March 6 : People of the Kingdom


March 13 : The Voice of Calvary

March 20 : Rising again through the Sacramental life

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Presenter: Fr. Sebastian