EXPECT A LITTLE AND GIVE A LOT
Fifth SUNDAY OF EASTER: Jn 13:31-35

It was a winter night. I was returning to my little parish in the northern part of India by my motor bike. On the way, I saw an elderly man who was walking along the road, carrying two heavy bags. He was going to visit his daughter. His train was late and he missed the last bus. He had no choice but to walk. I felt sorry for him. I offered him a lift. On the way, he asked me, “Sir, are you a Christian?” “Why do you ask that question?” I was curious! “Only Christians do this kind of service”, he replied. Love marks the uniqueness of Christian identity. If we, Christians, fail in love, the world has no other place to look for it.

LOVE MARKS CHRISTIAN IDENTITY

Jesus said to his disciples, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” If there is no love, there is no Christianity. If we do not abide in love, we do not know anything about God because God is love. Love is not a quality of God. It is the essence of God. God is love. Jesus underscored this view when he said ‘by your love you will reveal that you are my disciples.’

There are numerous definitions on love. However, the statement ‘God so loved the world that he sent his only Son’ excels all other definitions of love. This statement explains the nature of love. Love is giving. God manifested his love in giving, giving His only Son. Jesus did the same. He gave His life as a ransom for many. We witness this supreme act of love in the celebration of the Eucharist. Giving, and not receiving, characterizes Christian love. The desire for receiving shows one’s deficiency and the eagerness to give tell one’s sufficiency. Problems arise when one’s sole concern becomes receiving. What motivates me in my life? Am I a generous giver?

CRITERIA OF CHRISTIAN LOVE!

How do we know that we really love someone? What are the parameters of love? Christian love has three characteristics:

It is other oriented। The moment you start to think about others and their growth, you have begun to live Christian Love। If your life and activities do not bring happiness and growth to others, yours is not Christian love।

Christian Love is action oriented. Love is not an abstract thing. It should take on a concrete form. For example, we make available our time, talents, and treasures to the person we love. In genuine love, there is always an exchange of words, an exchange of persons and an exchange of gifts. God so loved us by sending His own Son. Jesus loved us by giving His own Body and Blood. We must show our love through concrete actions.

Christian Love is expensive. There is no genuine love without a price or sacrifice. For example, to forgive someone who offended us or to defend somebody whom we do not like…is really a sacrificial act. The amount of sacrifice that goes along with our concrete actions measures the real depth of our Christian Love!!

“Don’t look for flaws as you go through life; It is easy enough to find them. It is wise to be kind, and sometimes blind, and to look for the virtues behind them.”

Call to Friendship
4rth Sunday, Easter

“I know my sheep and they recognize my voice.” This is the best description of Christian Discipleship. Christianity is not about rules and regulations. It is not a set of rituals. Christianity is about our relationship, relationship with Jesus. Everything else is expressions of this relationship. Our challenge is, therefore, to grow in this relationship or friendship. Spiritual fathers recommended four principles towards this goal.

Quality time: Friends who never find time for each other soon or later break up. To grow in personal relationship with Jesus, one needs quality time for prayer.

Shared Meal: Eating together is a sign of unity of hearts. One cannot grow in Jesus without participating in the Eucharistic meal.

Fairness: We may share everything and care for each other but if we are not fair enough to each other, our friendship will begin to decline. The acceptance of failure and the willingness of asking for pardon is the central aspect of friendship. This is true in our spiritual life as well. We do it through the sacrament of reconciliation.

Learn more. People who are serious about their friendships are always eager to know more and more about their companions. We will know more about Jesus by studying the Scripture.

In short, Prayer, Eucharist, Confession and Scripture Study are the four means for developing personal intimacy with Jesus.

The Broken Rock
3rd Sunday of Easter (Jn. 21:119)

A couple of weeks ago Pope Benedict appointed Bishop Jose Gomes as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles. In the gospel reading this morning we have the story of another appointment. Jesus appointed Peter as the head of the whole Church. Jesus did a couple of important things before he entrusted Peter the responsibility of shepherding the Church. They are:

Removed the Doubt and Assured Success

The first condition to be a disciple of Jesus and take responsibility in the Church is an unwavering faith. The death of Jesus shattered the faith of Peter in Jesus. Even though the resurrected Jesus made a couple of appearances before his disciples, they remained confused. Hence, Peter went back to his old job. Therefore, the first challenge of Jesus was to wipe out the shadows of doubt from the mind of Peter and give him confidence and hope in His power. Jesus did it in a miraculous manner. He enabled them to catch fish from the same place where they faced failure after failure. They caught 153 fish, which was a symbolic number.153 was the number of known nations during Jesus’ time. Through this symbolic but real act Jesus was assuring them success in their mission not only in Galilee but thorough out the world. However, they have to work with him and take His instruction.

Made Peter renew his Faith

During the Easter Vigil, we witnessed a number of people receiving the sacrament of Baptism. They made the profession of Catholic Faith before they received the sacrament. Public profession of faith in Jesus is the second condition for discipleship. Jesus asked Peter to do the ‘same’ before he assumed the responsibility of shepherding his sheep. “Peter, do you love me?” Jesus asked him the same question three times. It could be a reminder of his triple denial. It could also be a warning against making emotional decision without considering its consequences. This enquiry, however, has a deeper meaning and implication. The Greek language uses three different words to express three different levels of love: they are eros, phileo and agape. Eros is sensual love, phileo is love that results from admiration and agape is sacrificial love. Jesus was looking for agape love when He asked Peter ‘do you love me.’ Peter, however, responded with phileo love. Jesus continued the same question until Peter responded with agape love. Any commitment to Jesus demands agape love- a love that is willing to die for others even if they do not deserve it.

We are Jesus’ disciples today. It is our turn to continue the mission of Jesus. Like Peter, we also require these two qualities: Unwavering Faith and Agape Love. Jesus is always there to support us. Listen to him: We will catch fish in large number. We are fishers of men.

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.

PURIFICATION AND CLARIFICATION
Fist Sunday of Lent, February 21

Tiger Wood, “I thought I can use whatever I have, to get whatever I want. Today, I realized that this is a wrong philosophy. I messed up my life. I want to return to my religion”.

Lent is a time for purification and clarification

The Temptation Story of Jesus helps us to identify our own temptatations and they also teach us the ways to overcome them। For instance: Jesus was hungry. He was tempted to change stone into food. It is important to eat when we are hungry. However, changing a stone into food is not a normal way of earning our bread. The Word of God helped Jesus to realize it. Means do not justify the goal.

We all experience different kinds of hunger: hunger for food, hunger for pleasure, hunger for job, hunger for fame, hunger for name….They are real. We need to handle them properly. How do we satisfy our hunger? Where do we turn to fulfill them? Similarly, gifts and talents are given to us for the good of the community. Jesus used his ability to create food when he saw the hungry crowd.

Jesus turned to the Scripture for answers……Scripture is our reference point. “It is not how much we achieve but how much we overcome that matters…”

WELCOME TO LENTEN REFLECTION AND PRAYER

St. Denis is offering series of reflections during lent based on the book:
The Tragic and Triumphant Cross

When? February 18, 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25
Where? POTTHOFF HALL
TIME: 7.30pm

PRESENTERS:
Msgr. Jim Loughnane
Fr. Sebastian Vettickal, cmi

ALL ARE WELCOME……….

WHO KNOWS? GOD KNOWS!
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

There was a farmer. He lived a happy life spending most of the time taking care of his farm with the aid of his horse. One day he lost his horse. Neighbors came to sympathize with him. “What a shame”, they said. “Who knows? God Knows?” He replied. A week later this horse returned with another horse. The neighbors came to share his joy. “What a blessing”, they said. “Who knows? God knows”, he replied. One day while riding the horse his son fell down from the horse and broke his leg. Again neighbors came to offer their sympathy. “What a shame”, they said. “Who knows? God knows!” he replied. A week late a war broke out in their country. The king ordered all men over 18 years of age to join the military. They spared his son because of his broken leg. Once again neighbors rushed to his house. “What a blessing?” they said. “Who knows? God Knows!” the farmer replied.

ATTITUDE THAT BEATIFIES

Life consists of a series of ups and downs. In order to cope with these fluctuating situations of life with a calm and serene mind, a person needs an authentic vision on life and a right attitude. The readings for this Sunday talk about two mutually opposing attitudes: the right attitude and the wrong attitude. God-bound people have the right attitude of life and the earth- bound people have the wrong vision of life. Without seeing the deceptive nature of material offerings earth bound people make the worldly riches their final goal. They are eventually faced with two problems. First of all, the very thing in which they place their trust cannot help them in times they needed it most. Secondly, as it is confined to this world, it cannot go beyond the time and space aspect of our existence. Naturally it cannot connect the events of life and in turn presents things incomprehensible. On the other hand, life founded on God gives a completely different perspective on life. The beatitudes talks about that. Beatitude is an invitation to empty our heart from material possessiveness and fill it with the Spirit of God. God-bound people withstand any storms of life.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR…!

Jesus started his teaching proclaiming the beatitudes. Jesus’ audience were people with broken hearts and broken hope. They were poor, victims of prejudice and victims of religious oppression. They were real people with heavy burdens. The interesting thing about Jesus was that he found blessings in their seemingly desperate situation. Jesus did not condemn their situations. Instead, he showed them the possibility of using their situations as a means of blessings. He did so by helping them to relate their present day struggle with the cross that bridges to heaven. Jesus showed them how they could transform their poverty and other struggles as a means for achieving eternal happiness. No situation is hopeless for a person who places his trust in God.

BLESSED ARE THE RICH…!

Jesus had no problem with the Rich. In fact he blessed the rich. So, he appreciated the gesture of the one who multiplied his talents and disapproved the behavior of the lazy man. He went to the extent of saying, “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich. But from the one who has not, even what has will be taken away.” Jesus was not against the rich. Jesus wants us to take responsibility of our lives. Jesus criticized only three categories of people: Those who put wealth in place of God; those who were unwilling to share; and those who amassed wealth through illegal means.
If I do not fall in any of these categories, there is justification for my wealth.
In the parable of the rich and Lazarus, he criticized the rich man because of his insensitivity to the need of his neighbor and his unwillingness to share.

The needy and the poor are the Sacraments for the rich. When they approach the poor with their sharing hands they are administering the sacrament of their own salvation. Jesus said to the people who were sensitive to the needs of others “Enter the Kingdom of God, for you gave me food when I was hungry; You welcomed me when I was a stranger; you cared for me when I was sick…..” The rich have a better chance to please God as they have enough resources to serve the poor.

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A priest gave a beautiful sermon. The sermon had three points. The first point was: Get all you can. To this an old rich man said, “Amen”
Next the priest said, “Keep all you can” Again the miser said, “Amen. ”
Then the preacher said, “Give all you can” And the selfish man said, “What a shame to spoil a good sermon”.
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PLEASE NOTE: I WILL NOT BE POSTING REFLECTIONS DURING LENT. I WILL RESUME MY BLOG AFTER EASTER. THANK YOU!