XII Sunday in OT:2015: Job 38:1, 8-11; II Cor 5:14-17; Mk 4:35-41

XII Sunday in OT:2015: Job 38:1, 8-11; II Cor 5:14-17; Mk 4:35-41

Introduction: The role of God in calming the storms of life both in the history of the Church and in the lives of Christians is the central theme.  Christ is with us even in the midst of all the storms of this life. Therefore, this is a great cause for our life safety. And today is fathers Day.

Anecdote: I have heard a series of complaints that I often hear from some of our fathers. The responsibility of fathers makes them more nervous and complaints. It will be something like this: "You know, I would just like to have a few days without turmoil. Somebody in the family is usually in trouble. This Teen missed her curfew, that child lied to us, my wife is upset over something someone said to her, and somehow, beyond my knowledge, I get blamed for part if not all of it.  There's sickness, someone is always not feeling well and that is scary particularly when it is the children. There are the bills. I am not even going to go there. And then there are the relatives. I can't figure out whose family is crazier, mine or hers, but they are running a tight race. Then there is work which so help me I wouldn't do if they didn't pay me. I turn on the news. What a break that is. I'm not sure if we are going into global warming or global freezing, but somehow it's going to be bad. Between the politicians, the economy, and world events, every day it looks like everything is even worse than the day before. The world is in turmoil.” I am sure that everyone here, not just the dads, have had similar feelings. It's probably like we all wish we were back in kindergarten where we had no concern at all. They laugh most of the day, except when they are crying, and then a quick kiss from Mom and all is right with the world again. But we are not in kindergarten any more. We are in the real world. And the real world has turmoil.

Readings: The readings for this Sunday speak about turmoil. The first is from the Book of Job. This is the conclusion to the main section of Job. In the main section of Job, from the middle of chapter 2 to the beginning of chapter 42, Job questions God. Job had lost his livelihood. He had lost his children. He was in terrible physical pain. Chapter 3 begins, "Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.  But, “Out of the storm,” God reminds Job that He is in control.  Today’s Responsorial Psalm picks up the storm theme and tells us how the Lord saves the sailors caught up in the high waves of a tempest. Paul who "rode the storm" of rejection, from his former friends also experienced storms of violent hostility from the Jews who refused to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. So he explains in the second reading that Jesus died for us to make us a “new creation.”  In order to receive this gift, we have to respond to his love by living for him in all situations of our lives.  In the Gospel, St. Mark assures the first-century believers that nothing can harm the Church as long as the risen Lord is with them. He describes how, by a single commanding word, Jesus stilled a storm on the Sea of Galilee, returned the sea to its natural order and saved his followers from drowning. 

Exegesis: World life and our life in the world is turmoil. We need to make it calm. St. Paul says, if God is with us who can be against us. It is Christ who strengthens us. Therefore keep Jesus in our life’s boat and seek his help in the storms of life.  

Joke:  Being married for 25 years and intending to make their silver anniversary a memorable one, the wife asked her husband to describe her.  He looked at her slowly, and said – You are A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, ….. and I, J, K…..  The wife was puzzled and so she asked – Now what does that mean? So he said – Adorable, Beautiful, Cute, Delightful, Elegant, Foxy, Gorgeous, Hot.   The wife smiled and beamed and said – Oh you are such a sweet darling.  What about I, J, K?

He said – I’m Just Kidding!

Practical Applications:  We need to accommodate Jesus in the boat of our life.  We all experience different types of violent storms in our lives: physical storms, emotional storms, and spiritual storms.  We face storms of sorrow, doubt, anxiety, worry, temptation and passion.  Only Jesus can still these storms.

Introduction: Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Message: In the midst of adversity, we need to trust in the saving presence of God who triumphs over the waters of the sea.  In the midst of distress, let us turn to the Lord with faith, to him whom even the wind and the sea obey.  He died and rose for our sake that we might live and not perish.

Saints and Events in this Week: 21 – Today – Fathers Day; 22 – Twenty Second – Monday – Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop; Saints John Fisher, Bishop and Thomas More, Martyrs; 24 – Twenty Fourth – The Nativity of John the Baptist; 27 – Twenty Seventh – Saturday – Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Doctor of the Church;

XII Sunday in OT:[2012]: Jer 1:4-10; 1Pet 1:8-12; Lk 1:5-17

XII Sunday in OT :2012: Jer 1:4-10; 1Pet 1:8-12; Lk 1:5-17

Introduction: We celebrate the feast of John the Baptist's birth (June 24), in place of the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time today because of his prominent role in the history of salvation as the forerunner of the Messiah.  It was he who prepared Israel to receive their long-awaited Messiah by preaching repentance.

Scripture lessons: Since John was the forerunner of Jesus who prepared Israel for their Messiah, the “Servant” Messianic prophecy of Isaiah is given as the first reading. The passage expresses important aspects of John’s career as a prophet to God’s people and a light to the nations who was named and sanctified from his mother’s womb. The second reading describes the mission of John the Baptist. It tells us how John the Baptist in all humility publicly acknowledged his role as being only the Messiah’s herald. His role was to prepare Israel to receive the Messiah by inviting the people to receive the baptism of repentance. Today’s gospel describes the birth of John the Baptist and his circumcision and naming ceremony on the eighth day. In the presence of friends and relatives, Zechariah miraculously regained his power speech after declaring in writing, “John is his name.” The name John means “God is gracious.” The remaining part of the chapter 1 in St. Luke’s gospel describes records Zechariah’s prophecy of the role his son is to take in the history of salvation.

Exegesis: 1)Two exceptional birthday celebrations: Ordinarily the Church observes the day of a saint's death as his feast, because that day marks his entrance into heaven. To this rule there are two notable exceptions, the birthdays of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St. John the Baptist. All other persons were stained with original sin at birth, and hence, were displeasing to God. But Mary, was, from the moment of her conception, free from original sin (for which reason even her very conception is commemorated by a special feast). John was cleansed of original sin in the womb of his mother. When Mary visited Elizabeth , John recognized the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb and leaped for joy (Luke 1:41). This is the dogmatic justification for today's feast.

2)Parallels and contrast between John and Jesus in St. Luke’s infant narratives: Both births are miraculous. John was born of his aged parents and Jesus from a virgin. The births of both were announced by the angel: John’s in the Holy of Holies in the Temple and Jesus’ in a village house. The mission of John was to be the forerunner of the Messiah and the mission of Jesus was to be the saving Messiah. Luke highlights the greatness of Jesus and the subsidiary position of John as the precursor of the Messiah and the herald of God’s coming kingdom.

Joke:  Here is the story of two rival medieval French monasteries. Each claimed that it possessed the head of St. John the Baptist. The monks of the big monastery used to explain this uncomfortable fact to the critics saying that the big skull they had belonged to St. John as a man whereas the smaller skull kept by the other monastery belonged to St. John as a boy!

Anecdote: Be the finger of John the Baptist: Karl Barth the great 20^th century Calvinist theologian would wake up early in the morning, read the newspaper, and stare at a painting by Grunewald called Crucifixion. Jesus is hanging from the cross, apparently dead, while Mary and others morn. John the Baptist, holding the Scriptures and leaning away from Christ, is pointing to Jesus on the Cross. Before he would teach theology or write in his famous work Church Dogmatics, Karl Barth would meditate on this painting, particularly on John the Baptist. He said that, as a Christian (whether a theologian, pastor, teacher, mother, doctor, storekeeper, etc.), our job is to be the finger (and only the finger), of John the Baptist. The only thing we should do – indeed, the only thing we can do – is simply point to Jesus on the cross. This scene painted by Grunewald is the sum of all history, from Creation in the past to eternity. And we are that finger, and within that finger rest the weight of salvation.

Life messages:  1) We need to pray for our parents and be thankful to them for the gift of life, the training they have given us and the love and affection they have lavished on us.  Let us ask God’s pardon if we are, or were, ungrateful to them, do/did not take proper care of them in their illness or old age or ever inflicted pain on them.

2) We need to remember and pray for our godparents who, by baptism, brought us to the Church to be made children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, heirs of heaven and members of the Church. 

3) We need to have the courage of our Christian convictions as John the Baptist did, and we should become heralds of Christ as John was, by our transparent Christian lives.

Introduction : XII Sunday in Ordinary Time; The nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Message: Called from birth by the Lord, John matured in the Spirit and heralded the advent of the Messiah.

Saints in this week: 27 Wed: Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop, doctor of the church; 28 Thu: Saint Irenaeus, bishop, martyr; 29 Fri: Saints Peter and Paul; 30 Sat: First martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

XI Sunday in OT:2015: Ez 17: 22-24; II Cor 5: 6-10; Mk 4: 26-34

XI Sunday in OT:2015: Ez 17: 22-24; II Cor 5: 6-10; Mk 4: 26-34

Introduction: Today’s readings are about the birth and growth of the reign or rule of the Kingdom of God, in human lives and about the gigantic growth of the Church from very humble beginnings.  The Gospel account has two brief parables, both about tiny things – little seeds. The first is apparently about wheat and the second about mustard seeds, the smallest of all seeds. Both growths are slow and mysterious, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Exegesis: In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the meaning of the reign or kingdom of God by way of two parables. In the first comparison, the reign of God is like seeds that a man plants in the soil. It is not the man, however, but the soil that makes the seeds sprout and grow in a way the man does not understand. In the second comparison, the reign of God is like the smallest of all seeds. Yet, once it has completed its growth, it is so large that birds can build nests in its shade. Mark mentions that Jesus further explained the meaning of parables to his disciples.

A man walked into a store. He found Christ behind the counter. He asked, "What do you sell here?" Christ replied, "You name it." "I want food for all, good health for kids, adequate housing for everyone, and abortion to cease." Gently Jesus answered, "Friend, I do not sell finished products here, only seeds. You must plant them and water them. I will do the rest." When Jesus told this parable of the smallest seed in the world, His disciples were in a disappointment. They had worked so hard and so little had happened. Jesus teaches them that we have to be like farmers. Farmers have to depend upon nature. They have to be patient. Farmers also have to recognize that they really can't do things themselves.

In the comparison of the Kingdom of God to smallest seed we are hearing a warning, a warning that tells us that we ought not to confuse size with importance. Bigger is sometimes not better. Events attracting large crowds are not necessarily good events. Crowds have often been quite wrong. Public opinion polls are not necessarily gauges of what is right or what is wrong as the media seems to suggest. For example, at one time slavery was practiced by a majority of people in our American democracy. They were dreadfully wrong.  In spite of appearances, in spite of what a secularized world wants us to believe, God has not abandoned His world. God is at work in ways we cannot directly see. The way things look is not necessarily the way things are. There is a phrase used throughout the Middle East that we should pay some attention to: “Things are never as they appear.”

Joke:  The 98 year old Grandfather from Ireland was dying. His children and grand-children gathered around his bed trying to make him last journey comfortable. They gave him some warm milk to drink but he refused. Then one of his children took the glass back to the kitchen. Remembering a bottle of Irish whiskey received as a gift the previous Christmas, he opened and poured a generous amount into the warm milk. Back at Grandpa’s bed, he held the glass to his lips. Grandpa drank a little, then a little more and before they knew it, he had drunk the whole glass down to the last drop. "Grandpa," the children asked with earnest, "please give us some wisdom before you die."

He raised himself up in bed and with a pious look on his face said, "Don't sell that cow.

Practical Applications:  1) The Kingdom of God is the growth of God’s rule in human hearts that occurs when man does the will of God and surrenders his life to God. We need to cooperate in the growth of God’s kingdom.  The seed of faith lies dormant within each of us. When we permit the Holy Spirit to nurture it with tender loving care, it grows miraculously into gigantic proportions. The growth is slow in the beginning. But the seed grows by using the power of the Holy Spirit.

2) Since the acceptance God’s rule by human beings is a very slow process, there is the danger of discouragement and hopelessness among preachers, evangelizers and believers. We need not get discouraged.  The conviction that growth of the kingdom of God is the work of the Holy Spirit with our humble co-operation should make us optimistic in continuing our work of witnessing. We should continue sowing tiny seeds in the form of words of love, acts of encouragement, and deeds of charity.

Introduction: Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Message: The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which springs up and becomes the largest of plants, like a tender shoot from the cedar which will bear fruit and become a majestic cedar.  So shall the just one flourish, like a cedar. As we walk by faith and not by sight, may our lives bear fruit in abundance.

Saints and Events in this Week: 19 – Nineteenth – Friday – Saint Romuald, Abbot;

XI Sunday in OT :[2012]: Eze 17:22-24, 2Cori 5:6-10; Mk 4:26-34

XI Sunday in OT : Eze 17:22-24, 2Cori 5:6-10; Mk 4:26-34

Do you know what happened to the tiny seed Rita Rizzo planted? You probably don't recognize the name, Rita Antoinette Rizzo. Rita was born on April 20, 1923. She had a rough childhood which she spent mostly in poverty. When she was a young woman Rita decided to become a nun. At 21 she entered the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, a Franciscan religious order for women. She believed that God was calling her into television ministry. At the time she didn't know anything about television except how to turn one on. But she prayed about it and decided to go ahead with the project, believing that everything would fall into place. With only two hundred dollars and a handful of other sisters, she became the only woman in religious broadcasting to own a network. She went on to found a new house for the order in 1962 in Irondale, Alabama, where the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), is headquartered. In 1996 she initiated the building of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of the Angels monastery in Hanceville, Alabama. Today this sister, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, is seen by millions of people on her prerecorded twice weekly program, "Mother Angelica Live." Her network, EWTN, is available 24 hours a day everywhere in the world. Whoever would have thought that from such a tiny seed would develop such a large shrub? That is the way the kingdom of God works.

Today's readings are about the birth and growth of the reign or rule of God (Kingdom of God), in human lives and about the gigantic growth of the Church from very humble beginnings. Both growths are slow and mysterious, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The first reading, taken from Ezekiel 17:22-24, is a messianic prophecy. The prophet tells us how the Lord God of Israel will allow a descendant of King David to become the Messiah and savior of the world.  In contrast with the parable of tiny the mustard   seed   in   today's   gospel,   Ezekiel   sees   the   Messiah    originating in a royal family (lofty Cedar, David). In the second reading, St. Paul teaches the Corinthian Christians that they are to please God by doing His will (thus advancing the growth of God's kingdom and His rule in their lives), so that they may be amply rewarded in the final judgment. In today's gospel, Jesus compares the growth of the kingdom of God to the germination of a wheat seed and that of a tiny mustard seed. Both have very small beginnings. The wheat seeds, by gradual but steady growth help the farmer to get a bumper crop. In the same way, the life principle in a tiny mustard seed enables it to grow into a large bush. The reign of God in human hearts and the growth of the Church in the world also have small beginnings. But the Source of all life, God the Holy Spirit, gives to both a steady, persistent and gigantic growth. Jesus' use of a mustard plant instead of a great cedar continues the image of humble beginnings for the great power that is to come.  Mark’s community would have recognized the mustard plant as appropriate for Jesus' own earthly ministry.   The Messiah came as an itinerant teacher/rabbi who gathered a few ordinary people to be his disciples. Jesus' incarnational presence was like that of a mustard plant, not an imposing cedar. He was not a Messiah of towering strength with great political, financial and military power.  Yet the  divinely ordained growth of that small beginning resulted in the same kind of exponential growth and presence — inviting all the "birds of the air" to make their nests within its branches.

The Kingdom of God is the growth of God's rule in human hearts that occurs when man does the will of God and surrenders his life to God. The seed of faith lies dormant within each of us. When we permit the Holy Spirit to nurture it, it grows miraculously into gigantic proportions. The growth is slow and microscopic in the beginning. But this seed grows by using the power of the Holy Spirit, given to us through the word of God, the Mass, the sacraments and prayers. As we learn God's will from His words and try to put these words into practice, we participate in the growth of God's kingdom on earth which will be completed in our heavenly life.

We can all plant tiny seeds in the form of words of love and encouragement,   acts of charity,   mercy and forgiveness.  The Holy Spirit will touch the hearts of the recipients of these seeds sown by us and will effect growth of the kingdom in their souls and lives. As the apostle Paul once said of his ministry, "Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only god who gives the growth” (Corinthians 3:7).

One morning Johnny told his mother "Mom, I am not happy in this house, Dad never smiles, I can't make him happy. He seems like a monster to me. The only thing that is important to him are rules and duties. I don't know how you have put up with him all these years? Rita being a loving woman of faith was sad to hear these words from her son. In the evening as Johnny entered the house he heard his parents talking, his mother Rita said "Johnny is very angry with you. He is afraid of you. I am worried about what he might do?” Bobby replied “My sweet darling, I love my son more than you can even imagine. I have tried to provide for him in the best way I know how; I have saved money for his studies; and plan to buy him a car soon, I have been working to find him the best University to attend. You give him love and I give him discipline for life. He needs both to survive and so that our son will be his best. What Johnny could do was weeping of love towards his father. Dear children, mothers – Understand the strain of fathers.

Dear Fathers in Christ, let us remember “Great things are not done on impulse, but by a series of small steps taken over a period of time.  Our lives are made up of little tings-little deeds, little happenings, and so on.  If there is something which we want to do, let us not hesitate and think too much.  Let us make a start, however small.  Let us take one step.  Let us plant one seed. “Happy Fathers Day!”

X Sunday in OT:2015: Ex 24: 3-8, Heb 9: 11-15, Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

X Sunday in OT:2015: Ex 24: 3-8, Heb 9: 11-15, Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

Introduction: Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ popularly known as Corpus Christi. It was introduced in the late 13th century to encourage the faithful to give special honor to the Holy Eucharist. It was extended to the entire Latin Church by Urban IV in 1264 and, became a mandatory feast of the Church in 1312. Officially, the solemnity is celebrated on Thursday after Trinity Sunday. However, where it is not a day of obligation, it is celebrated on the Sunday following Trinity Sunday.

Exegesis: As we celebrate Corpus Christi today, both our first and second reading talks about covenant, sacrifice, and blood. According to the first reading, the old covenant was sealed with the blood of animal sacrifice which Moses sprinkled on the people. On the contrary, the second reading reminds us that the new covenant was sealed with the blood of Christ. This is what makes the functional difference. While the first covenant never guaranteed eternal life, the new does because it was sealed with a costly blood through a perfect sacrifice offered once and for all. In the gospel, Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist. Here he was both the priest and the victim. This is another difference between the new and the old covenant. Christ as the priest offered himself to God for our salvation. In order words, it is important to note here that whenever we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, Christ is fully present both as the priest and as the victim. He accomplishes his priesthood through the actions of the human priest who as Alter Christus (another Christ) and acts “in persona Christi (in the person of Christ).” On the other hand, he accomplishes his role as a victim in the form of bread and wine. All these put together is what we refer to as an “action of grace.”

The concept of “covenants” has been at the core of both Jewish and Christian faiths from very early on in history. Such covenants are usually seen as agreements between God and the covenanted party. The first covenant was made with Adam and Eve which was broken when they ate of the fruit of the tree, and yet there was a promise of God that the serpent would be crushed.  The second covenant was with Noah and its conditions involved blood. God said he would never destroy the world again by flood, and they we’re never to drink the blood of animals or shed human blood. As a sign he sent the rainbow for them to remember the covenant. A third covenant was made with Abram in which God promised land and posterity. The condition of this promise was that they be circumcised – blood again was involved.  Following this was the Mosaic covenant where God promised that the Israelites would be God’s chosen ones with a Promised land as long as they kept God’s laws and the Ten commandments. The sign of this was the Passover which again involved blood. The blood of the Passover lamb was spread on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not visit their homes. Afterwards, as we read today, Moses took the blood from the offerings and splashed the altar, and then splashed it on the people as a sign of the blood covenant they had made with God. The fifth covenant with the Jews was made with King David who promised David that he would become a Father to the Jewish people, but a father who would use the rod on his children to discipline them if necessary – again, some blood involvement. The last of the Old Testament covenants was made to the prophet Jeremiah when God promises that his Law would not just be on stone but would be written on the hearts of his people, and all who believed in their hearts would become the new chosen.

In the New Testament we see this last covenant fulfilled in the life of God’s son, Jesus. That we have become the new chosen who believe in Jesus and who carry Christ’s law in our hearts. As part of this covenant there is also blood as we see in the Gospel today when Jesus says “This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” The sign of this covenant is the Eucharist which we celebrate today.

Joke: A man and a friend are playing golf one day at their local golf course. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer. 

His friend says: “Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You truly are a kind man.” 

The man then replies: “Yeah, well we were married 35 years.”  

Marriage is a covenant. Only those who are faithful to the marriage covenant be eligible to be partakers of the Eucharistic covenant.

Practical Applications: 1) Let us appreciate the “Real Presence” of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, by receiving him with true repentance for our sins, due preparation and reverence.  2) Let us be Christ-bearers and conveyers: By receiving Holy Communion, we become Christ-bearers as Mary was, with the duty of conveying Christ to others at home and in the workplace, through love, mercy, forgiveness and humble and sacrificial service.  3) Let us offer our lives on the altar along with Jesus’ sacrifice, asking pardon for our sins, expressing gratitude for the blessings we have received and presenting our needs and petitions on the altar.

Introduction : X Sunday in Ordinary Time – Corpus Christi

Message: Moses ratifies the covenant by offering a thanksgiving sacrifice and by sprinkling blood over the people. The new covenant, the law’s oblation, is ratified in the blood of Christ, the unblemished offering poured out for us.

Saints and Events in this Week:  9 – Ninth – Tuesday – Saint Ephrem, Deacon, Doctor of the Church; 11 – Eleventh – Thursday – Saint Barnabas, Apostle; 12 – Twelfth – Friday – The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; 13 – Thirteenth – Saturday – The immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest, Doctor of the church

Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ:[2012]

Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

History tells that, in an earlier age before Israel became a nation, men would create a special bond, becoming “blood brothers,” and the bond was ratified by drinking each other’s blood. Later on, substitutes for this “bonding ritual” were created, such as eating a sacrificial meal or sprinkling the blood of a sacrificed animal on the parties to the ritual. In our recent history, we see traces of other substitutes, such as in the frontier days of cowboys and Indians (two men would make an incision on their arms, then clasp them together, becoming “blood brothers”).

In effect, we are talking about creating a “community of life,” whether of individuals or a nation. The Mosaic Covenant was the creation of a new community of life, a bond between the Israelites and the Life-Giver, Yahweh. This bonding ritual was ratified by sprinkling the blood of sacrificed animals on the people. Our ancestors understood this ritual, which was a part of their culture, so it would not have been an unpleasant experience for them.

But Jesus gave us a New Covenant at the Last Supper (Mark 14:22-24). This ritual also created a “community of life” and it was ratified when Jesus sacrificed his own body and shed his own blood for our redemption. Those who believe in the Real Presence recognize and understand by faith that in this new way, Jesus is giving us new life. It looks like bread and wine to our senses, but it is truly the precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in sacramental form.

Especially on Sundays we are invited to renew our bonding ritual, the New Covenant, by receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus and uniting ourselves to him at this sacrificial meal (CCC #1331). By celebrating this Eucharist, we give thanks to God for his works of creation, redemption, and sanctification (CCC #1328). 

Trinity Sunday: IX in OT:2015:Dt4:32-34,39-40;Rom8:14-17;Mt28:16-20

Trinity Sunday: IX in OT:2015:Dt4:32-34,39-40;Rom8:14-17;Mt28:16-20

Introduction: We believe in the Mystery of Trinity because Jesus who is God taught it clearly, the Evangelists recorded it, the Fathers of the Church tried to explain it and the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople defined it as a dogma of Christian Faith.

Exegesis:  Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ final apparition to his apostles just before his Ascension into Heaven. Jesus commissioned them to make disciples of all nations and commanded them to baptize those who came to believe, “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “ Here is the Trinitarian apostolic blessing of St. Paul, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). These words are the same words that the ministers of God use when blessing people and objects or when administering the Sacraments. From this evidence and other Biblical passages that are found in the Holy Bible, it is very clear that there are Three Divine Presences in the Holy Trinity. Yet, there is One God.

Event-1: A couple received by mail two tickets for a first class New York City Broadway show. They did not understand who sent them, but they thankfully went. They returned home and found their home stripped of cash, paintings, and jewels. On their table, they found a note which read, "NOW YOU UNDERSTAND."  It was a mystery. May be we will not understand in the beginning but later. After all, why does God have to tell us everything?. We experience light and also its absence darkness.  We experience heat and its absence cold. We experience the reality of God and we worship.

Event-2: A killing time struck up in a conversation.  "Father, I believe only what I can understand. So, I can't buy your Trinity. Perhaps you can explain it to me." The priest reluctantly put down The news paper. "Do you see the sun out there?" "Yup." "OK, it's 80 million miles away from us right now. The rays coming through the window," said the priest, "are coming from the sun. The delightful heat we are enjoying on our bodies right now come from a combination of the sun and its rays. Do you understand that?" The fellow answered, "Sure, padre." "The Trinity," the priest went on, "is like that. God the Father is that blazing sun. The Son is the rays He sends down to us. Then both combine to send us the Holy Spirit who is the heat. If you understand the workings of the sun, its rays, and heat, why do you have difficulty believing the Trinity?" 

Joke: Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.”

The second boy says, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100.”

The third boy says, “I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon. And it takes eight people to collect all the money!”

Practical Applications: 1) We need to respect ourselves and respect others.  Being ‘temples of the Holy spirit’ we should behave well in his holy presence and lead purer and holier lives.

2) The awareness and conviction of the presence of God within us, gives us the strength to face the manifold problems of life with Christian courage.  

4) We are called to become more like the Triune God through all our relationships.  Praying for others means, making our relation with others uniting with God. When Husband and wife live a Christian married life, they relate their family with God. All our activities and relations should be in the presence of Christ if we are Christians. 

Introduction : Trinity Sunday-IX Week in Ordinary Time

Message: The Lord God is one, there is no other.  We have been chosen as his own, and, through the Spirit, are able to call God Abba.  Through baptism all nations are called to share in the life of the Son and acknowledge the triune God.

Saints and Events in this Week:  1 – First – Monday – Saint Justin, Martyr; 2 – Second – Tuesday – Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs; 3 – Third – Wednesday – Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs; 5 – Fifth – Friday – Saint Boniface, Bishop, Martyr; 6 – Sixth – Saturday – Saint Norbert, Bishop; 

Trinity Sunday:[2012]:Dt 4:32-34,39-40;Rom 8:14-17;Mt 28:16-20

Trinity Sunday:[2012]:Dt4:32-34,39-40;Rom8:14-17;Mt28:16-20

The doctrine of the “Holy Trinity” is very hard to understand. Is there a quick way to learn about this belief? You are not alone, because we are once again in the area of “mystery.” As you can see, these “mysteries” all seem to loom large right after Easter, the greatest mystery of all. It is our faith in that mystery of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that enables us to walk once again in the sheer faith of our spiritual journey. So in rapid fashion after the Easter season, we celebrate the mysteries of Pentecost, the Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ), and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The early Christians had a difficult “doctrinal transition” to make: from believing in the One God, to believing in this same One God as enfleshed in Jesus the Christ. So they developed “Trinitarian language” to preserve both of those truths, as well as a third truth: that the Spirit of Jesus kept the presence of God constantly in our midst. In fact, it is this Spirit of God who dwells within the believer through baptism.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus articulates this truth, when he commands his disciples to baptize and teach “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:16-20). The early Church Fathers enshrined this dogmatic belief in “One God but Three Divine Persons in that One Godhead,” by encasing that belief in a dogmatic Creed. It still remains a “mystery,” and the poverty of our human understanding shows the gap between the Human and the Divine. So the answer to your question is “No, there is no quick way” to absorb this concept, except the way of faith.

What an incredible gift is the theological virtue of faith, the free assent of the believer to the whole truth that God has revealed (CCC #126, 142)! The mystery of the Trinity in itself is inaccessible to the human mind and is the object of faith only because it was revealed by Jesus Christ, the divine Son of the eternal Father. The faith of all Christians rests on the Trinity (CCC #232, 237).

Pentecost Sunday:2015:Acts2:1-11;ICor12:3-7,12-13;Jn20:19-23

Pentecost Sunday:2015:Acts2:1-11;ICor12:3-7,12-13;Jn20:19-23

Introduction:  Today is Pentecost Sunday, the great day of a fulfilled promise. The Greek word "pentecostes" means "fiftieth." After a period of fifty days of the resurrection of Christ, we have come to the definitive end of Easter Season. The Jewish Pentecost originally came to be associated with the giving of the Torah, the Law, to Moses, a post-harvest thanksgiving feast. Later, since the days of apostles and descend of the Holy Ghost, the implications have changed. It is often called ‘White Sunday’ from the practice of giving solemn Baptism on that day in early centuries, the candidates being attired in white baptismal robes." Pentecost is a feast which occupies a very important and prominent position in the Church’s history and liturgical calendar. This is because a great number of scholars have suggested that Pentecost marks the actual beginning of the church and, her missionary endeavors.

Exegesis:    Today’s Gospel relates how the risen Jesus gave his apostles a foretaste of Pentecost on the evening of Easter Sunday by appearing to them and inviting them  to carry on the mission given him by his Heavenly Father.  He then empowered them to do so by breathing upon them and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  On the day of Pentecost, Jesus fulfilled his promise to send the Advocate or Paraclete. The gift of the Spirit would enable them to fulfill Jesus’ commission to preach the Gospel to all nations as well.  Today’s Gospel passage also tells us how Jesus gave to the Apostles the power and authority to forgive sins.  “Receive the Holy Spirit.  For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”  These wonderful words which bind together inseparably the presence of the Holy Spirit and the gift of forgiveness are referred to directly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  But they have a much wider meaning.  Those words indicate the power we are all given of being the agents of forgiveness in the world of today, which is often fiercely judgmental and vengeful.  

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. They are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ but are found in all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive them when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. As the current Catechism of the Catholic Church (para. 1831) notes, "They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them." Infused with His gifts, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as if by instinct, the way Christ Himself would. The seven gifts are 1. Wisdom 2.Understanding 3. Counsel 4. Fortitude 5. Knowledge 6. Piety 7. Fear of the Lord.

Joke:  There is an old joke about a man who asked his pastor whether it was okay to smoke while he prayed. His pastor said, “Absolutely not! When you pray you should be completely devoted to prayer.” So the man went to another priest, but he changed his question, “Would it be okay to pray while I smoke?” “Yes, of course” was the answer.

Practical Applications: 1) Let the Holy Spirit take control of our lives. How do we do that? Pray for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that we may fight against our temptations and control our evil tendencies, evil habits and addictions. 2) Remembering His holy presence will help us to practice love, mercy and forgiveness. And thus we become holy.

Introduction: Pentacost Sunday

Message:  All of us have been baptized into one and the same Spirit; let us live, then, by the Spirit!  That same Spirit, the Advocate, who “renews the face of the earth”, was given as gift to the disciples to strengthen them to go forth in the name of the Lord, and to obtain forgiveness of sins.

Saints and events in this Week:  25 – Twenty fifth – Monday – Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest, Doctor of the Church; Saint Gregory VII, Pope; Saint Mary Magdalene de’Pazzi, virgin; 26 – Twenty Sixth – Tuesday – Saint Philip Neri, Priest; 27 – Twenty Seventh – Wednesday – Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop; 

Pentecost Sunday:2012:[B]:Acts2:1-11;1Cori 12:3-7,12-13;Jn20:19-23

Pentecost Sunday:2012:[B]:Acts2:1-11;1Cori 12:3-7,12-13;Jn20:19-23

"Do you understand this Pentecost event of being “filled with the Holy Spirit”?(Acts 2:1-11).

A friend once told me that life isn't about understanding the mystery of God. It is about experiencing it. Jesus taught us that when he said the Kingdom of God is “within” us (Lk 17). Baptism brings us one of the most awesome gifts that Jesus promised to us and gave to us, the gift of the Holy Spirit (which we celebrate in a special way every Pentecost). It is the Holy Spirit that leads us to truth, by opening our eyes to ourselves, our world, and Jesus. It is intended by God that we experience his presence right now.

Too often we are worrying about the future, or even the past. When we complicate our life with such undue concerns, it makes it almost impossible to live in the present. Many of us have a favorite way to reduce the stressful demands on us. That usually means waiting for “later,” such as going to the beach or mountains to relax. Or maybe you have an occasional hobby such as gardening or visiting museums. All of these are helpful. But we also need ways to relax and experience the presence of God during the immediate demands and stresses of the day.

First of all, we need to focus on God. Do we deliberately look for his fingerprints in all of the things that he has created in nature? Can I see Jesus in my neighbor, and can he see Jesus in me? After all, if we are truly living the Christian life to the fullest, then we should be a mirror image of Jesus. If that mirror-image is not there, what can I do about that? Do I really act like I believe that the Spirit of God dwells within me?

It is vital to remember that on that first Pentecost the believers were all gathered in one place, and as usual were praying; their focus was on the Lord, who had promised them an outpouring of the Holy Spirit (CCC #2623; 1287). This special mystery of God is experienced with the eyes of faith, a gift that enables us to believe in his presence within us. 

VII Sunday of Easter:Ascension:2015:Acts1:1-11,20-26;Eph 4:1-13;Mk16:15-20

VII Sunday of Easter:Ascension:2015:Acts1:1-11,20-26;Eph 4:1-13;Mk16:15-20

Introduction:  Today is one of those days when across the globe, in the Catholic Church, people may not be listening to the same readings.  In many countries, on this day we celebrate the feast of the Ascension of the Lord.  In some other countries, however, this feast might have been already celebrated last Thursday, marking the 40^th day after Easter.  As we heard in the first reading of today, Luke tells us in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:3) that Jesus was seen in his risen form for forty days.  After those forty days, Jesus was no more seen in his risen body.  The feast of today marks this stage of transition in the story of incarnation and resurrection – that Jesus is no more seen in his earthly body.  Luke describes this “withdrawal” of Jesus (Lk 24:51) in terms of being “lifted up” (Acts 1:9).  And Mark describes it in terms of “being taken up into heaven” (Mk 16:19). Hence, “the ascension” of the Lord!  The most important message of today is the parting message of Jesus to his apostles, as we heard in the gospel reading of today, which is also similar in all the synoptic gospels (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-18; Lk 24:46-49).

Exegesis: Matthew, Mark and Acts record Jesus’ last words differently: 1) “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  2) “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).  3) “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mark.16:15).  All are in agreement that (a) Jesus gave his disciples a mission of bearing witness to him by preaching and living the good news.  They are to tell and re-tell the story of Jesus' life, suffering, death and Resurrection.  (b) He assured them of the Divine assistance of his Holy Spirit in the carrying out of this mission.

Jesus ascended to Heaven after giving his final blessing and missionary command to his disciples. The command was to “proclaim the Good News to the whole creation,” “to be his witnesses," and “to make disciples of all nations.” This commissioning of Jesus in the words of Mark, invites us to realize that we are embodied.  We are part of creation.  We experience the love of God in our embodied nature.  Underlying our own experience of salvation, there lies the task of integrating our whole self – body, mind and spirit.

And also, the proclamation of the Good News to all creation, reminds us of what St Paul talks about in his letter to the Romans (8:19-24) that the whole creation is waiting and groaning. There is a movement in creation towards perfection in God. This perfection has been personified in Jesus, because in Jesus of Nazareth God became part of creation. In Jesus, the Creator God becomes part of creation.  In Jesus, we see what we will really be. In Jesus, we see the fulfillment of the purpose of creation.  The proclamation of the Good News, therefore, reminds us and the rest of creation of that journey towards perfection, for which we are waiting in hope (Rom 8:24).  And as the Book of Revelation promises us, we are journeying towards that time – the Kairos – when all will be made new.  This is the work of the Spirit of the Risen Lord – whose feast we will celebrate next Sunday: “Look, I am making the whole of creation new” (Rev 21:5)

Joke: 1) Question: How many Zen buddhists does it take to change a light bulb?   

The answer is “Three” -- one to change it, one to not-change it and one to both change- and not-change it.

2) Zen Master Has A Hotdog.  So the Zen master steps up to the hot dog cart and says: "Make me one with everything."  The hot dog vendor fixes a hot dog and hands it to the Zen master, who pays with a $20 bill.  The hot dog vendor puts the bill in the cash drawer and closes the drawer.  "Where's my change?" asks the Zen master.  The hot dog vendor responds: "Change must come from within."

Practical Applications: 1) We need to be proclaimers and evangelizers: To be a Christian is to be a proclaimer and an evangelizer.  There is a difference between preaching and proclaiming.  We preach with words but we proclaim with our lives.  Let us ask the guidance of the Spirit of God to bear witness to Jesus by our transparent Christian lives.

Introduction: Ascension Sunday

Message: Jesus commissions his disciples to baptize in his name, reminding them that he is always present through his Spirit.  Having ascended to his Father amid cries of gladness, we are to be his witnesses for we have been gifted with his Spirit of wisdom and revelation.  Let us, therefore, live in a manner worthy of the call we have received.

Saints and events in this week:  18 – Eighteenth – Monday – Saint John I, Pope, Martyr; 20 – Twentieth – Wednesday – Saint Bernadine of Siena, Priest; 21 – Twenty First – Thursday – Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest,  and Companions, Martyrs; 22 – Twenty Second – Friday – Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious; 24- Twenty Forth – Pentacost Sunday.

VII Sunday of Easter: 2012: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11-19

VII Sunday of Easter : Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11-19

Holiness and Service: The Salvation Army, compared to other churches, emphasizes the selfless nature of true religion without forgetting the importance of personal holiness. Its founder, General Booth, once said, "Without any boast, without any vanity, I can assure you that when I gave myself to God I did so more to save others than to save myself." That may sound strange to many of us who take it for granted that the primary, if not the only, purpose of being a Christian is to save one's soul. If that is so, then what we read in today's gospel will also sound strange to us. Jesus declares: "For their sake I sanctify myself" (John 17:19). We shall take a closer look at this profound statement.

"For their sake:" The man Jesus was totally committed to the welfare of others. When he stated the purpose of his life he said, “I came that they [i.e. others] may have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus had miraculous powers but he used those powers more to help others than to help himself. When people were hungry in a deserted place he multiplied bread to feed them, but when he was hungry in the desert he would not turn stones into bread to feed himself. Once he was tired and needed some rest. He took off in a boat to a place of retreat but on arriving there he found that the people had arrived before him looking for him. Seeing how these people looked like sheep without a shepherd, he immediately shelved his planned rest and began to minister to them. Concern for others was the hallmark of his life and ministry.

The understanding that the gospel demands that Christians be actively concerned for the material and spiritual well-being of the less fortunate of the world has given rise to what is called the social gospel. People who are involved in efforts to eradicate poverty and disease in their cities and in other parts of the world reflect the spirit of compassion and selfless interest in others that we see in Jesus. The first half of the statement: "For their sake I sanctify myself," underlines the fact that concern for others is at the very heart of the Christian gospel.

"I sanctify myself:" The second part of the statement, on the other hand, underlines the fact that personal sanctification is an essential element in the whole business of being a Christian. It counterbalances the first. Jesus was always there for other people, yet he did not forget to sanctify himself. People who are so involved in helping others that they forget their own inner life with God see only one side of the coin. How can one be doing the work of the Lord and forget the Lord of the work? People who are actively involved in efforts to help other people must also cultivate an interior relationship with the Lord for their personal sanctification lest they get lost in activism. The social gospel, rightly understood, therefore, presumes the personal gospel of intimacy with the Lord.

Now, when we look around us what do we see? We see so many Christians who are so involved with their own personal salvation and holiness that they forget to show practical concern for the less privileged. Such Christians subscribe to the personal gospel while neglecting the social gospel. They are looking only at one side of the coin. We also know people who are involved in efforts for social justice and peace, who consider it a waste of time to pray or go to church. These subscribe to the social gospel and ignored the personal gospel.

Which of the two is better, social gospel or personal gospel? Taken in isolation none of them is better. It is not a question of either-or but of both one and the other. For us, regular church going Christians the danger lies more in focussing too much on our own personal salvation and holiness to the neglect of active concern for others. To us, therefore, these words of Henry van Dyke are addressed:

Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul,
May keep the path, he will not reach his goal;
While he who walks in love may wander far,
But God will bring him where the blessed are.

VI Sunday Easter:2015:Acts10:25-26,34-35,44-48;1Jn4:7-10;Jn 15:9-17

VI Sunday Easter:2015:Acts10:25-26,34-35,44-48;1Jn4:7-10;Jn 15:9-17

Introduction:  Today’s Scripture passages declare the profound truth that those who believe in Christ are to obey his commandment of love – “Love others as I have loved you.” As we celebrate Mother’s Day in the United States let us remember with gratitude that it is generally our mothers who practice the agápe love of Jesus. 

Event: In 1941, the German army began to round up Jewish people in Lithuania. Thousands of Jews were murdered. But one German soldier objected to their murder. He was Sergeant Anton Schmid. Through his assistance, at least 250 Jews were spared their lives. He managed to hide them, find food, and supply them with forged papers. Schmid himself was arrested in early 1942 for saving these lives. He was tried and executed in 1942. It took Germany almost sixty years to honor the memory of this man Schmid. Said Germany's Defense Minister in 2000 in saluting him, "Too many bowed to the threats and temptations of the dictator Hitler, and too few found the strength to resist. But Sergeant Anton Schmid did resist." Name a person who better obeyed the admonition of the Christ in today's Gospel. "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Exegesis: After telling the parable of the vine and branches, Jesus, in today’s Gospel, explains precisely how the disciples are to obey his commandment of love, just as he has obeyed his Heavenly Father’s will by fulfilling His commandments and remaining inseparably bonded with his Father.  Jesus’ unconditional, forgiving, selfless, sacrificial love for us must be the criterion of our love for others.  The highest expression of this love is our willingness to lay down our lives as Jesus did, for people who don’t deserve it. The goal and result of our abiding in love, in God, will be perfect joy. Jesus calls us friends. He tells us that he has chosen us, and that, if we use his name, we can ask the Father for anything. Rethink our relationship with Christ because, evidently, Christ himself prefers to relate with his disciples as friend to friend rather than as master to servant: "I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends" (John 15:15).

True love is a choice that demands sacrifice. People who fall in and out of love have not made a choice that demands sacrifice.  There is always a lot of talk about love when people are getting married. But, sadly, some of them don't see the Lord as the center of their love. So they want weddings with beautiful backgrounds, but not necessarily with the sacrament of marriage. Perhaps some of them do not even want the sacramental blessing in their living together. Perhaps they are not ready for true love. Perhaps they are not ready for a choice that demands sacrifice. Perhaps they really do not want Christ's love in their marriage. That costs too much.

Joke: These are few examples of our love, just to understand the motivations of love.

1) "Dearest Jimmy, No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement.  Please say you’ll take me back.  No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me.  I love you, I love you, I love you!  Yours forever, Maarie...  P.S. And congratulations on willing the 20 million state lottery

2) A young man wrote this to his girlfriend. “Sweetheart, if this world was as hot as the Sahara desert, I would crawl on my knees through the burning sand to come to you.  If the world would be like the Atlantic Ocean, I would swim through shark-infested waters to come to you.  I would fight the fiercest dragon to be by your side.  I will see you on Thursday if it does not rain.”  

Practical Applications: 1) We need to cultivate an abiding and loving friendship with Jesus and to express it in our relationships with others by loving them and showing them trust, faithfulness, equality, forgiveness, joy and sacrifice.

2) Today our mothers may receive Trinitarian Blessings in the church. But in our family life we should let our mothers bless us.  Commandments are summarized or divided into two: Love of God and Love of neighbors. In the second category of loving neighbors, priority is given to “honor your father and mother”. Getting a blessing from them is great expression of blessedness.

Introduction: Sixth Sunday of Easter; Mothers Day

Message: Let us love one another as Christ has loved us by offering himself for our sins.  His love is to be revealed to all the world, as Peter himself taught.

Saints and Events in this Week:  12 – Twelfth – Tuesday – Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs; Saint Pancras, Martyr; 13 – Thirteenth – Wednesday - Our Lady of Fathima; 14 – Forteenth – Thursday – Saint Matthias, Apostle; 15 – Fifteenth – Friday – Saint Isidore; 17 – Seventeenth – Sunday – Ascension of the Lord.

VI Sunday Easter:2012:Acts10:25-26,34-35,44-485;1Jn4:7-10;Jn 15:9-17

VI Sunday Easter:2012:Acts10:25-26,34-35,44-485;1Jn4:7-10;Jn 15:9-17

Servants or Friends:

I once met a man who told me he had declared war on his pastor because he allows people to receive communion in the hand standing rather than on the tongue kneeling. "They are denying the real presence," he argued, "If they knew that they are actually receiving Christ, they would kneel to receive." In reply I asked him a revealing question, "What would you do if Jesus appeared to you?"

"Oh!" he replied, "I would immediately fall on my knees."

"Good," I said, "But there are people who would simply throw themselves on him out of sheer joy and love for him. Would you say that such people are irreverent?" He kept quiet for a moment as he began to see that it was probably less a question of discerning the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and more a question of one's personal relationship and faith approach to Jesus.

Today's gospel gives us two models of personal relationship to Jesus: as a servant (in Greek doulos means "slave") or as a friend. At any given point in our faith journey one of these two models is dominant. Either we see our relationship to Christ mainly in terms of master-servant or in terms of friend-friend. With the exception of mystics, traditional lay spirituality in the church has usually followed the master-servant model. Jesus is seen more as a master to be feared, respected and obeyed than as a friend to love in intimacy and familiarity. Today's gospel challenges us to rethink our relationship with Christ because, evidently, Christ himself prefers to relate with his disciples as friend to friend rather than as master to servant: "I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends" (John 15:15).

Jesus says that he would no longer call his disciples servants. This seems to indicate that he called them servants until then. Our relationship with Christ goes through different stages. First it starts off as a master-servant relationship when we are new to the faith, but then as our relationship with Christ deepens it changes into a less formal friend-friend type of relationship. Why, then, do so many of us stick to the master-servant way of relating to Christ as if it were the only way? Today's gospel is a call for us to move beyond the infant stage, the servant-master relationship, and go over to the adult stage, the friend-friend way of relating to Christ. This will change the way we pray and the way we live. We shall begin to pray better (John 15:7) and to experience more peace and joy in our lives, as people do who are in love.

One objection that is often raised by those who promote the master-servant model of relating to Christ is the concern that we are unworthy. Sure enough, we are not worthy. But Jesus has already taken that into consideration. He reminds us that "You did not choose me but I chose you" (John 15:16). If he has decided to chose us in our unworthiness and to love and accept us as we are, then we should not fix our gaze on ourselves and ask, "Who am I, Lord, that you should love me?" Rather we should fix our gaze on him and ask, "Who are you, Lord, that you love me so?"

How can we tell the difference between the irreverence and disrespect shown by those who have no serious relationship with the Lord and true familiarity which grows out of a loving relationship with Him? The key is keeping the Lord's commandments. Yes, God loves and accepts us as we are, but God loves us too much to leave us as we are. We love babies as they are, yet we want them to grow up. God expects us, similarly, to grow in His love. The Lord's offer to us of friendship and intimacy with him should not be an excuse for callousness and indifference. Just as God showed His love for us in deed by sending his Son to die for us, so is true love for God always shown in deed by the way we keep the twin commandments of love of God and neighbour. By this we can know if we are truly Christ's friends, because, "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (John 15: 14).