V Sunday of Easter [B] (2012) Acts9: 2 6 -31; 1JOHN 3:18-24; Jn 15: 1-8

V Sunday of Easter [B] (2012) Acts9: 2 6 -31; 1JOHN 3:18-24; Jn 15: 1-8

Introduction: Today’s scripture selections emphasize the need for Christians to abide in Christ as a condition for producing fruits of kindness, mercy, charity and holiness.

Scripture lessons:  The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, testifies to the abundance of spiritual fruits yielded by the apostles because of their close bond with the risen Lord.  Many of the Jews, because they were under Roman occupation, had two names- a Roman name and a Jewish name.  Thus Paul also had the name Saul.  Most of the time he is called Paul, but occasionally, as in today’s first reading, he is called Saul.  First reading tells us how the Lord pruned the former Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, a fanatic who had persecuted the Church, to produce a fruit-bearing branch called Paul, the zealous Apostle to the Gentiles, entirely dedicated to the proclamation of the gospel.  Even Paul’s forced return to Tarsus for a brief period is an example of God’s pruning of the vine to bring forth a greater harvest, namely, the mission to the Gentiles. 

In today’s second reading, John, in his first letter to the Church, explains that only if we remain united to Christ by putting our faith in him and drawing our spiritual strength from him, will we be able to obey God’s commandments, especially the commandment of love.  

In the gospel, taken from the Last Supper discourse, Jesus uses his favorite image of the vine and branches to help his disciples understand the closeness of their relationship with him and the necessity of maintaining it.  They are not simply rabbi and disciples.  Their lives are mutually dependent - as close as a vine and its branches.  In fact, in using this image, Jesus is explaining to them and to us what our relationship with him should be like.     

JOKE :# 1: The Usher: An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked politely. "The front row please," she answered. "You really don't want to do that," the usher said. "The pastor is really boring." "Do you happen to know who I am? I'm the pastor's mother," she declared indignantly. "Do you know who I am?" the usher asked. "No." she said. "Good," he answered. 

Exegesis : St. Paul used a similar metaphor when he wrote that we are the body of Christ.  He tells us Christ is head of the body and we are the members.  We are feet, hands, arms, legs etc. through whom Christ lives in the world today.  We are united with Christ and with each other through the Spirit.  Pope Pius XII wrote an encyclical called the Mystical Body of Christ describing this union.  This is not a connection we can examine under a microscope or test for in any other way, other than the test Jesus gave us when he said “by their fruits you will know them.”  The way we live our lives shows whether we live in Christ or not.

Life messages: 1)We need to abide in Christ and let Christ abide in us: The four gospels teach us how to become true disciples of Jesus and how to abide in him as branches abide in the main trunk of the vine drawing their life from it.    Personal and liturgical prayers, frequenting of the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation, daily and meditative reading of the Bible  and selfless, loving acts of kindness and mercy and forgiveness  enable us to abide in Jesus, the true vine, as fruit-bearing branches. 2) We need pruning in our Christian life. Cutting out of our lives everything that is contrary to the spirit of Jesus and renewing our commitment to Christian ideals in our lives every day is the first type of self-imposed pruning expected of us. A second means of pruning is to practice self-control over our evil inclinations, sinful addictions and aberrations. Cordial mingling with people of different cultures, races, religions and orientations in our neighborhood and society enable us to prune our selfish and prejudicial tendencies as we treat others in the society with Christian charity and openness. Jesus prunes, purifies and strengthens us by allowing us to face pain and suffering, contradictions and difficulties with the courage of our Christian convictions.

V Sunday of Easter  :   Message: Saul witnesses the risen Jesus and boldly proclaims his Lordship.  We proclaim our belief in Jesus by our love for one another.  He is the vine and we the branches.  Together let us praise his name in our assembly of worship.

Saints in this week:12th Saturday : Saints Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs; Saint Pancras, martyr.

IV Sunday of Easter:[2015]:Acts 4:7-12;1 John 3:1-2;John 10:11-18

IV Sunday of Easter:[2015]:Acts 4:7-12;1 John 3:1-2;John 10:11-18

Introduction:  In London, a crowd had gathered to hear a famous Shakespearean actor recite some of Shakespeare’s dramas. The crowd was so very entranced and entertained by the actor’s abilities, and they gave him frequent standing ovations. An old preacher in the audience encouraged the actor to recite the 23rd Psalm, using his Shakespearean style. The actor agreed on one condition that the preacher also should do so after he finished.  The actor used much expression and voice inflection and all of his acting abilities, and when he was finished, the crowd gave a resounding standing ovation that lasted for several minutes. Then the old preacher started reciting the same psalm. As he began, his voice was shaky because of his reverence for God’s Word. When the preacher was finished, nobody clapped. They couldn’t. There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere, and all were busy wiping their tears. The Shakespearean actor slowly stood, and he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, there is obviously a difference between this preacher and me. I know the Psalm of the Good Shepherd psalm, but this preacher knows the Shepherd of the Psalm.”

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day that Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God's call and to pray for vocations. What seems to be hard for many people today to understand is the ministerial priesthood of some of the faithful, those who are called to make a lifelong commitment to serve as ordained ministers. This misunderstanding, among other things, is at the root of the vocation crisis in the church. If we understood more clearly the true nature and meaning of ordained ministry then we would be in the position to encourage both ourselves and others to respond to God's call to this way of life. Prayer is the most powerful help to them. 

The life of the shepherd in biblical times was one of personal self-giving and sacrifice. His work was that of watchful care and closeness to the flock. There were two kinds of shepherds: Hired hand and Shepherd owner. Hired shepherd is just doing their job. Shepherd owner protects the sheep, takes care their needs. Sheep listen to the shepherd and follow them.  Shepherds makes voice to follow and walk in front of them and flock follow him. Jesus speaks to us through different means and we follow him.

Joke: NASA was interviewing professionals they were thinking of sending to Mars. The touchy part was that only one guy could go and it would be a one-way trip, the guy not ever returning to Earth.

The interviewer asked the first applicant, an engineer, how much he wanted to be paid for going. "One million dollars," the engineer answered. "And I want to donate it all to my alma mater – Rice University."

The next applicant was a doctor, and the interviewer asked him the same question. "Two millions dollars," the doctor said. "I want to give a million to my family and leave the other million for the advancement of medical research."

The last applicant was a Politician. When asked how much money he wanted, he whispered in the interviewer's ear, "Three million dollars." "Why so much more than the others?" the interviewer asked. The lawyer replied, "You give me three million, I'll give you one million, I'll keep a million, and we'll send the engineer with remaining one million."

Practical Applications: 1) Anyone who is in charge of others is called by God to care for those placed in their charge. Who are they? They are parents and grandparents; they are teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, priests, ministers, and mentors. Are you responsible in any way for the well-being of others? If you are, Jesus is calling you to shepherd them as He shepherds us.

2) Others who play the role the flock have also some responsibilities: to obey them, to listen to them, to give them respect, to take care them, to support them, or at least to pray for them.

Introduction : IV Sunday of Easter: World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Message: Jesus is the “cornerstone rejected by the builders which has become the cornerstone”.  He is the good shepherd who laid down his life for us.  Through his paschal mystery we have become children of God.

Saints and events in this week: 28- twenty eighth – Tuesday – Saint Peter Chanel, Priest, martyr; and Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort, Priest; 29 – Twenty Ninth – Wednesday – Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin, Doctor of the Church; 30 – Thirtieth – Thursday - Saint Pius V, Pope; May 1 – First – First Friday - Saint Joseph, the worker; 2 – Second – Saturday - Saint Athanasius, bishop, doctor of the church;

IV Sunday of Easter:[2012]: Acts 4:7-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

IV Sunday of Easter:[2012]: Acts 4:7-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

Introduction : Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day that Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God's call and to pray for vocations. Christian thinking on vocation has been summarized in one profound saying: "All are priests, some are priests, only one is a priest." The unique priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and humanity has always been acknowledged by Christians. The universal priesthood of all believers, the sharing of all the baptized in the priesthood of Christ, has received special emphasis since Vatican II. What seems to be hard for many people today to understand is the ministerial priesthood of some of the faithful, those who are called to make a lifelong commitment to serve as ordained ministers. This misunderstanding, among other things, is at the root of the vocation crisis in the church. If we understood more clearly the true nature and meaning of ordained ministry then we would be in the position to encourage both ourselves and others to respond to God's call to this way of life.

A society of missionary priests used to advertize themselves with this jingo, "Join us and see the world." This ad promises the would-be missionary a life of world-wide sightseeing but says nothing of the sacrifice that is part and parcel of the daily life of missionaries. An ad like that could easily lead to a misunderstanding of the meaning of ordained ministry for those who read the ad and go on to become priests. Today's gospel, on the other hand, gives us a very different picture of ministry. The gospel talks of shepherds. The Latin word for shepherd is "pastor," which is what we call an ordained minister who is responsible for ministering to a Christian community or parish. To understand the work and life entailed by the priestly vocation we need to go back to Jesus' teaching on the good shepherd.

Shepherd : The life of the shepherd in biblical times was one of personal self-giving and sacrifice. His work was that of watchful care and closeness to the flock. There were two kinds of shepherds. There was the hired hand for whom keeping the sheep was just the available job. He moved from flock to flock depending on the conditions of service and he would not risk his life for them. Seeing wolves or thieves coming, he would flee for dear life and leave the flock at the mercy of the invaders. Jesus said that he is not that kind of shepherd.

Joke : NASA was interviewing professionals they were thinking of sending to Mars. The touchy part was that only one guy could go and it would be a one-way trip, the guy not ever returning to Earth.

The interviewer asked the first applicant, an engineer, how much he wanted to be paid for going. "One million dollars," the engineer answered. "And I want to donate it all to my alma mater – Rice University."

The next applicant was a doctor, and the interviewer asked him the same question. "Two millions dollars," the doctor said. "I want to give a million to my family and leave the other million for the advancement of medical research."

The last applicant was a lawyer. When asked how much money he wanted, he whispered in the interviewer's ear, "Three million dollars." "Why so much more than the others?" the interviewer asked. The lawyer replied, "You give me three million, I'll give you one million, I'll keep a million, and we'll send the engineer."

Then there is the second type: shepherd-owner of the flock who grows up with the flock and stays with the same flock all his life. He knows each and every sheep in the flock individually. He calls each one by name and could tell you the personal story of each one of the sheep, when and where it was born, the problems it has had in life, its personal characteristics, etc. He attends to the individual needs of each and every one of them. He knows which ones are likely to lag behind after a long walk and he would carry them in his arms. He knows which ones were likely to stray from the flock and he would keep an eye on them when they came to dangerous places. He knows which ones are pregnant and need special food. When attacked by wolves or thieves he would risk his life and fight to defend his flock. He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

Conclusion : Jesus is the good shepherd. He laid down his life for the flock, that is, the church. In a general way he invites everyone in the church to share in the work of caring for the flock in our own little ways. We should think about our own eligibility to receive or administer the sacraments.  Feeling of unworthiness and thereby not receiving the Holy Communion is more holiness than receiving Holy Communion with unworthiness.  But he also calls some people from among us to a life-long commitment to the work of shepherding the flock of God. These people are called to share more closely than the rest of the believers in the life and work of Jesus the Good Shepherd. If today you should hear God's voice calling you to this way of life, harden not your hearts. And if you do not hear God calling you to this way of life, then do everything in your power to encourage those who are called to it and who struggle even with faltering steps to follow the footsteps of Jesus the good shepherd.

Introduction

IV Sunday of Easter: World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Message: Jesus is the “cornerstone rejected by the builders which has become the cornerstone”.  He is the good shepherd who laid down his life for us.  Through his paschal mystery we have become children of God.

Saints in this week : 30 Monday : Saint Pius V, Pope

May 1^st Tuesday : Saint Joseph, the worker

2^nd Wednesday : Saint Athanasius, bishop, doctor of the church

3^rd Thursday : Saints Philip and James, Apostles

III Sunday of Easter:[2015]:Acts3:13-15,17-19;IJn 2:1-5;Lk24:35-48

III Sunday of Easter:[2015]:Acts3:13-15,17-19;IJn 2:1-5;Lk24:35-48

Introduction:  Last Sunday’s Gospel account was about the disciples who were locked up in the Upper Room out of fear and Jesus’ appearance among them. Today’s Gospel account is about other disciples dejectedly walking from Jerusalem to a nearby village called Emmaus and Jesus’ appearance among them also.  In today’s account the important point revolves around recognition of Jesus. Here we find this group of disciples at first failing to recognize Jesus and in the end they recognize Him. What happened? Why did they at first think He was a stranger and later come to realize who He really was?

Exegesis: Can you imagine if you really were there in that horrible praetorium shouting “Crucify him, Crucify him” and demanding that Pilate send Jesus to be tortured to death? Certainly, when you heard the report about His resurrection, you would have thought, "If this is true, and Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God, I'm doomed.” Even worse, if you were one of the temple priests fanning the crowd into rage, you would think that there was no chance you would escape the fires of hell. But St. Peter in today's first reading, tells the people who were in that crowd, including those who led them, that if they repented and are converted to Christ, their sins will be wiped away. He reminded them that even though they had demanded Barrabbas over Jesus, "You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you,” God would not give up on them or on anyone. He knew that they didn't fully understand what they were doing. They just had to repent their sins and turn to Christ. This is how great God's mercy is. People who had demanded Jesus' death are forgiven if they repent and accept Christ. At the same time we need to stop focusing on our sinful actions or inactions. We need to focus on God's love and mercy.

He is the one who gives them his peace. He is the one who strengthens their faith and takes away their doubts and guilt. He is the one who opens their minds and explains the Scriptures to them. He is the one who declares them his witnesses. The disciples do not do much in the encounter except open their eyes to see him, their hearts to let in his peace, their minds to receive his instruction. And in the end when he says, "You are witnesses of these things," they would be expected to respond, "Yes, Lord," and then go out and try to be just that.

Joke : An atheist professor was teaching a college class at Alabama and he told the class that he was going to prove that there is no God.  He said, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you 15 minutes!" Ten minutes went by.

He kept taunting God, saying, "Here I am, God. I'm still waiting." He got down to the last couple of minutes and a big 240 pound football player in the class walked up to the professor, hit him full force in the face, and sent him flying from his platform. The professor struggled up, obviously shaken and yelled, "What's the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The football player replied, "GOD WAS BUSY; HE SENT ME!"

Practical Applications:   1) Our witnessing to Christ is simply, as the two disciples on the way to Emmaus did, by telling the story of our personal encounter with Christ to others. It is by this sharing we become true Christians. 2) Matthew 5:9 says “Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God”.

Introduction: Third Sunday of Easter

Message: Peter proclaims the wonders of the Lord:  The suffering Messiah is raised from the dead and has been glorified.  This Jesus is our intercessor, and our offering for sin, our peace.

Saints in this week:  21 – Twenty First – Tuesday – Saint Anselm, Bishop, Doctor of the Church; 23 – Twenty Third – Thursday - Saint George, martyr; Saint Adalbert, bishop, martyr; 24 – Twenty Forth – Friday – Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest, martyr; 25 – Twenty Fifth – Saturday – Saint Mark, Evangelist;

III Sunday of Easter:[2012]: Apr.22; Acts3:13-15,17-19; IJn 2:1-5; Lk24: 35-48

III Sunday of Easter:[2012]: Apr.22; Acts3:13-15,17-19; IJn 2:1-5; Lk24: 35-48  

Introduction : If the point of last Sunday's gospel was on experiencing the risen Lord, the point of today's gospel seems to be on sharing our faith with others. Christ wants his followers to be his witnesses. Witnessing, like a coin, has two sides. One side has to do with seeing an event, having knowledge of something through personal experience and not on hearsay. The other side has to do with being able to give an account of it before others. That we are called to be witnesses of Christ means that we are called first to have a personal experience of Christ and then to share this experience with others. Many Christians, unfortunately, only go halfway as they focus on knowing Christ more and more without a corresponding interest in sharing the knowledge. Yet, faith is like a flame: the more a piece of wood passes the flame to others the more brightly it burns, but if it refuses to pass on the flame, it stands in danger of losing even its own flame.

Event : The grandfather of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber was lame. Once day they asked him to tell a story about his teacher, and he related how his master used to hop and dance while he prayed. The old man rose as he spoke and was so swept away by his story that he himself began to hop and dance to show how his master did it. From that moment he was cured of his lameness. When we tell the story of Christ, we achieve two things. We enable others to experience him and we ourselves experience his power even more. We can see that happening in today's gospel.

Exegesis : Two disciples met the risen Lord on the way to Emmaus. They came back to Jerusalem to share their experience with the apostles. We read that "While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you'" (Luke 24:36). Christ makes himself present in the process of sharing their faith experience with the other unbelieving disciples. Now the eleven apostles and their companions are in turn enabled to experience the risen Lord. And it takes no stretch of the imagination to see that for the two who shared their experience this would be a big strengthening of faith, a big empowerment.

Joke : An atheist professor was teaching a college class at Alabama and he told the class that he was going to prove that there is no God.  He said, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you 15 minutes!" Ten minutes went by.

He kept taunting God, saying, "Here I am, God. I'm still waiting." He got down to the last couple of minutes and a big 240 pound football player in the class walked up to the professor, hit him full force in the face, and sent him flying from his platform. The professor struggled up, obviously shaken and yelled, "What's the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The football player replied, "GOD WAS BUSY; HE SENT ME!"

What does Jesus do to those who experience him? First, he communicates peace to their troubled hearts. Then he tries to convince them that the same Jesus of Nazareth who suffered and died the shameful death on the cross is the very one who is now alive in glory with God. He goes as far as eating broiled fish which, of course, he does not need, in order to make the point. Then he opens their minds to understand the Scriptures and how they point to him. Finally he commissions them to be his witnesses. "You are witnesses of these things"(Luke 24:48). This is what Jesus did when he appeared in the gathering of the disciples that Sunday morning 2000 years ago. And this is what he does when he appears in the Sunday gathering of the faithful here today.

Notice how active Jesus is. He is the one who gives them his peace. He is the one who strengthens their faith and takes away their doubts. He is the one who opens their minds and explains the Scriptures to them. He is the one who declares them his witnesses. The disciples do not do much in the encounter except open their eyes to see him, their hearts to let in his peace, their minds to receive his instruction. And in the end when he says, "You are witnesses of these things," they would be expected to respond, "Yes, Lord," and then go out and try to be just that.

Practical Implications: How do we witness to Christ? Here many wayside preachers get it wrong. It is not by threatening people with eternal hellfire. It is not by arguing with them on controversial theological issues. It is simply, as the two disciples on the way to Emmaus did, by telling the story of our personal encounter with Christ. It is sharing with them why we are Christians. As St Peter tells us, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).

Introduction

Third Sunday of Easter

Message : Peter proclaims the wonders of the Lord:  The suffering Messiah is raised from the dead and has been glorified.  This Jesus is our intercessor, and our offering for sin, our peace.

Saints in this week:

23 rd Monday: Saint George, martyr; Saint Adalbert, bishop, martyr

24 th Tuesday: Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest, martyr

25 th Wednesday: Saint Mark, the Evangelist, cousin of Barnabas; associated with Paul and Peter; gospel is ascribed to him; First bishop of Alexandria; portrayed as a winged lion(cf.Ezekiel); Patron of Egypt, of Venice, and of notaries.

28 th Saturday: Saint Peter Chanel, priest, martyr; Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort, priest

II Sunday-Easter/Divine Mercy:[2015]:Acts 4,32-35;Ps 18;1Jn 5,1-6;Jn20,19-31

II Sunday-Easter/Divine Mercy:[2015]:Acts 4,32-35;Ps 18;1Jn 5,1-6;Jn20,19-31

Introduction: In our Gospel text today we are told the story of the Apostle Thomas who refused to believe that Christ had risen from the dead. His fellow Apostles tried to convince him that Jesus had actually risen from the dead but Thomas replies to them that unless he can put his finger into the holes the nails have made he will not believe.

Exegesis:  Whenever you see a picture of St Thomas he is almost always represented as touching the wound in Christ’s side. But in fact the Gospel does not record this event.  Christ certainly showed him his wounds and invited him to put his finger into them but it seems that (doubting) Thomas never took up the offer. What he did instead was to make an extraordinary profession of faith with the words “My Lord and my God.

Thomas the Apostle could be regarded as the patron saint of doubters. He wants practical proof, he wants to see with his own eyes and touch with his own fingers before he can come to faith in the Risen Lord. Often enough we find ourselves thinking in the same way. We too want proof, we don’t like everything depending on the strength of our own faith when so often we experience doubts about the beliefs of the Church.  Just because something is difficult that does not mean it is bad; on the contrary it is only by doing things that are difficult that we achieve true greatness. Doubts can also occur about some other areas of doctrine. Sometimes these doubts are more like temptations such as the temptation to believe that Christ is not the Son of God; that he has no power or that belief in him is useless. These doubts can be difficult to deal with. They come into our minds at unexpected moments and try to lead us away from Christ and his Church. We should realise that such temptations come from the Evil One and their purpose is to destroy our faith, disrupt our attendance at mass and decrease our devotion to prayer. In such difficult moments it is good to call on the assistance of St Thomas asking him to help strengthen our faith.

Joke:   A defendant was on trial for murder. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense's closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick: "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom."

He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened. Finally the lawyer said, "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation. I therefore put it to you that there is reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty."

The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty. "But how?" inquired the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt, I saw all of you stare at the door."

The jury foreman replied: "Oh, we looked, but your client didn't."

Practical Applications: 1) Mathew 5:7 says, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” God’s mercy can be experienced only if we practice mercy in our life. Therefore show mercy towards others.  2) It is a visual circle that we pray more that strengthens our faith. Our faith again leads to pray more.

Second Sunday in Easter : Divine Mercy Sunday - Introduction

Message : Thomas believed because he saw the risen Jesus.  Although we have never seen him, we believe that Jesus is the Christ, begotten by god.  We give thanks to the Lord that he has formed us into a community of believers, united in the Spirit.

Saints and Events in this Week: 13 – Thirteenth – Monday – Saint Martin I, Pope Martyr;

II Sunday of Easter:[2012]:Acts 4,32-35; Psalm 118; 1 John 5, 1-6; John 20, 19-31

II Sunday of Easter:Divine Mercy:[2012]:Acts 4,32-35; Ps118; 1 Jn 5, 1-6; John 20,19-31

Anecdote 1: There is a true story in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not about a judge in Yugoslavia who had an unfortunate accident.  He was “electrocuted” when he reached up to turn on the light while standing in the bathtub.  His wife found his body sprawled on the bathroom floor.  She called for help--friends and neighbors, police--everyone showed up.  He was pronounced dead and taken to the funeral home.  The local radio picked up the story and broadcast it all over the air.  In the middle of the night, the judge regained consciousness.  When he realized where he was, he rushed over to alert the night watchman, who promptly ran off, terrified.  The first thought of the judge was to phone his wife and reassure her.  But he got no further than, "Hello darling, it’s me," when she screamed and fainted.  He tried calling a couple of the neighbors, but they all thought it was some sort of a sick prank.  He even went so far as to go to the homes of several friends, but they were all sure he was a ghost and slammed the door in his face.  Finally, he was able to call a friend in the next town who hadn't heard of his death.  This friend was able to convince his family and other friends that he really was alive. Today’s gospel tells us that Jesus had to convince the disciples that he wasn’t a ghost.  He had to dispel their doubts and their fears.  He showed them his hands and his feet.  He invited them to touch him and see that he was real.  And he even ate a piece of cooked fish with them--all to prove that he was alive and not a ghost or spirit.  He stood there before them, as real and alive as he had been over the past three years.

Doubting Thomas : Whenever you see a picture of St Thomas he is almost always represented as touching the wound in Christ’s side. But in fact the Gospel does not record this event.  Christ certainly showed him his wounds and invited him to put his finger into them but it seems that (doubting) Thomas never took up the offer. What he did instead was to make an extraordinary profession of faith with the words “My Lord and my God.

Thomas’ doubt in John 14:6, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the  Father except  through me.”   Clarification of Faith leads to realization of the truth. Interestingly, apart from this incident, Thomas is portrayed in the Gospels as being very brave. In St John’s account of the raising of Lazarus when Jesus gets the message of Lazarus’ illness and he decides to go up to Jerusalem we find Thomas saying, ‘Let us go too and die with him.’

These are not the words of a timid and fearful man; a man beset by doubts. And yet when the other Apostles tell him of their meeting in the Upper Room with the Risen Lord, which for some unknown reason he had missed, Thomas flatly refuses to believe them.  What Thomas had missed out on was an encounter with the Risen Christ. And, no matter what the other Apostles said, he refused to believe. He wasn’t open to persuasion or reasoning.  And I think we have to say, ‘Rightly so!’ After all, faith does not come from reasoning or from what anyone else tells us. Faith is a gift of God and it principally comes though an encounter with the Lord.

Exegesis : In Thomas’ case this was the actual presence of the Risen Jesus who showed him the wounds of his crucifixion. In the case of St Paul it was his Damascus experience.  In every case, let me suggest, faith comes through an encounter with the Lord. Mostly these are not physical encounters like that of Thomas, but they are just as real nonetheless.  Each one of us comes to faith by a different route. Things happen to us on life’s journey that helps us to see the hand of God at work in our lives.

As a child we might be brought up by our parents to believe in God and we grow up accustomed to pray each day. In this way prayer becomes a natural and even essential part of our lives.  But this is not merely the saying of prayers. What our parents have initiated us into is a dialogue with the Lord, with a person, with God himself. Each time we pray we are entering into an encounter with God.

At some point or other the young person faces the criticism of others and they question where this is a real dialogue or whether they are just talking to themselves.  We want realizations.  That’s human.  So we take the images and statues to have realizations.  That does not mean that we are idolaters. St Thomas was asking for real experiences.  And God permitted him.

Conclusion : If our prayers are more than merely superficial then they may well come to the realization that this is no empty dialogue but a real and meaningful conversation with the Lord. And through this insight their faith is strengthened and moves to a new and deeper level.  Its impact will be in being mercy towards the other.  On this Divine Mercy Sunday we recall the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas: “Mercy consists in bringing a thing out of non-being into being.”  We see this transpire concretely in the life of the early Church.  The community of believers “was of one heart and mind” and “they had everything in common.”  They were filled with awe; they were witnesses of wondrous signs; they dedicated themselves to the good of the other; they were selfless and generous.  They lived with the faith that” conquers the world.”  That is what the Apostle Thomas is looking for tin the Lord’s open side.  Saint Bernard says, “The secret of Christ’s heart is revealed to us through the clefts of his body”.

Second Sunday in Easter : Divine Mercy Sunday - Introduction

Message : Thomas believed because he saw the risen Jesus.  Although we have never seen him, we believe that Jesus is the Christ, begotten by god.  We give thanks to the Lord that he has formed us into a community of believers, united in the Spirit.

Saints in this Week: 21^st Saturday: Saint Anselm, bishop and doctor

Anselm, 1109; abbot of Bec in Normandy, later(1093) archbishop of Canterbury; twice exiled for defending the rights of the Church; theologian and philosopher: fides quaerens intellectum; authored Prosologion, Cur Deus Homo, and The Procession of the Holy Spirit; known as the “Father of Scholasticism.”

EASTER SUNDAY :[2015]: John 20: 1-9

EASTER SUNDAY :[2015]: John 20: 1-9

Introduction:  The celebration of Resurrection is the first feast that early Christians ever celebrated.  In fact it was such a powerful event that they celebrated it every Sunday.  Yes, even today… Sunday is the day of the Lord, the day of Resurrection.  Belief in the Resurrection is central to Christian life.  It is the event and experience of Easter that confirms our belief in Jesus as the Son of God, as it confirmed the belief of the apostles.  St Paul tells us, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1Cor 15:14).

Symbol: In Egyptian mythology there is a bird called Phoenix.  The Greek poet Hesiod, who lived eight centuries before Jesus was born, wrote about this legendary bird in his poetry. There are Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Egyptian, and Native American counterparts of the Phoenix. (Fêng-Huang, Ho-oo, Firebird, Benu, and Yel respectively). All of these birds are identified with the sun. The sun that goes down in the evening to rise next day in the morning.

When the bird felt its death was near (every 500 to 1,461 years), it would fly off to Phoenicia, build a nest of aromatic wood and set itself on fire.  When the bird was consumed by the flames, a new phoenix sprang forth from the ashes.  Thus, the phoenix symbolizes immortality, resurrection, and life after death.  It sums up the Easter message perfectly.  Jesus gave up His life, and from the grave He was raised to life again on the third day.  New life rises from the ashes of death.  Today we are celebrating Christ's victory over the grave, the gift of eternal life for all who believe in Jesus.  That is why the phoenix bird, one of the earliest symbols of the Risen Christ, also symbolizes our daily rising to new life.  Every day, like the phoenix, we rise from the ashes of sin and guilt and are refreshed and renewed by our living Lord and Savior with His forgiveness and the assurance that He still loves us and will continue to give us the strength we need."  Let our faith in the Risen Lord open our eyes to new visions of life.

Joke:  Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was once asked if he believed in resurrection. “Of course I do,” said Huckabee. “Dead people vote in every election we have in Arkansas. Resurrection is very real to us.”

Practical Applications:  Let us live the lives of Resurrection people: Easter gives us the joyful message that we are a “Resurrection people.”  This means that we are not supposed to lie buried in the tomb of our sins, evil habits, dangerous addictions, despair, discouragement or doubts.  Instead, we are expected to live a joyful and peaceful life, constantly experiencing the living presence of the Risen Lord in all the events of our lives and amid the boredom, suffering, pain and tensions of our day-to-day life.  And each time we try to practice Christian charity, mercy and forgiveness and each time we fight against temptations, let us recall that we share in the Resurrection of Jesus here and now.

Easter Sunday :[2012]: John 20: 1-9

EASTER SUNDAY :[2012]: John 20: 1-9

Introduction:   Significance of Easter: Easter is the greatest and the most important feast in the Church for three reasons. 1) The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian faith.  It is the greatest of the miracles, proving that Jesus is God.  That is why St. Paul writes: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; and your faith is in vain” (I Cor 15: 14). “Jesus is Lord, he is risen” (Rom 10: 9), was the central theme of the kerygma (or 'preaching'), of the apostles because Jesus prophesied it as a sign of his divinity:  “Tear down this temple and in three days I will build it again” (Jn 2: 19). The founder of no other religion has an empty tomb as Jesus has.  2)  Easter is the guarantee of our own resurrection.  Jesus assured Martha at the tomb of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me will live even though he dies” (Jn 11: 25-26). 3) Easter is a feast which gives us hope and encouragement in this world of pain, sorrows and tears.  It reminds us that life is worth living.  It is our belief in the real presence of the risen Jesus that gives meaning to our personal as well as our communal prayer, strength to fight against temptations and freedom from unnecessary worries and fears.  

Joke: 1) Resurrection in election: Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was once asked if he believed in the resurrection. “Of course I do,” said Huckabee. “Dead people vote in every election we have in Arkansas. Resurrection is very real to us.”

Joke: 2) “See what happens.”  One lady wrote in to a question and answer forum. "Dear Sirs, Our preacher said on Easter, that Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed Him back to health. What do you think? Sincerely, Bewildered.  Dear Bewildered, Beat your preacher with a cat-of-nine-tails, nail him to a cross; hang him in the sun for 6 hours; run a spear through his side...put him in an airless tomb for 36 hours and see what happens." Sincerely, Charles.   

Anecdote : The phoenix:  The late Catholic Archbishop of Hartford, John Whealon, who had undergone cancer surgery resulting in a permanent colostomy, wrote these very personal words in one of his last Easter messages: "I am now a member of an association of people who have been wounded by cancer.  That association has as its symbol the phoenix, a bird of Egyptian mythology.  When the bird felt its death was near, every 500 to 1,461 years, it would fly off to Phoenicia, build a nest of aromatic wood and set itself on fire.  When the bird was consumed by the flames, a new phoenix sprang forth from the ashes.  Thus, the phoenix symbolizes immortality, resurrection, and life after death.  It was one of the earliest symbols of the risen Christ.  In the same way, any person who has survived a struggle with cancer is considered phoenix-like, having risen from the ashes of disease and been given a new lease on life.    Suddenly life becomes more precious to that person.  Each hour is lived more fully.  Each friend seems much more real.  The sky seems more blue, the sunshine more beautiful, and the colors more vivid.  Even dull and ordinary things are causes for gratitude to God.”  Archbishop John Whealon could have lived in a gloomy tomb of self-pity, hopeless defeat, and chronic sadness, but his faith in the resurrected Lord opened his eyes to new visions of life.

Joke: 3) Rented for a week end: Joseph of Arimathea was a very wealthy Pharisee, a member of the council, and a secret follower of Jesus. It was Joseph who went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body after the crucifixion. And it was Joseph who supplied the tomb for Jesus’ burial. I wonder if someone pulled him aside and said, "Joseph that was such beautiful, costly, hand-hewn tomb. Why on earth did you give it to someone to be buried in?"  "Why not?" Joseph may have answered.  He only needed it for the weekend."   

Conclusion : It is good news to know that truth is immortal. We can suppress Truth, accuse it of being a lie, condemn it, torture it, kill it, bury it in the grave but on the third day Truth will rise again. Remember this and do not give up on Truth even when everybody seems to give up on it. Do not give up on Truth; do not give up on Justice. Do not give up on doing what is right. True will always be true. Just will always be just. Right will always be right even when the world around us would have it otherwise. We must learn to believe in the sun even when it is not shining, knowing that by and by it will shine again. It is the end of the story that counts. That is why the church asks us today to rejoice and be glad. Even when we are going through very difficult times: through betrayal, unjust discrimination, lies, misrepresentations; even when the enemy seems to be winning the battle in our lives. Today Christ has won. And we know that in Christ we shall overcome. Halleluiah, Praise the Lord!

Good Friday: 2015

Good Friday: 2015

On Good Friday we should ask the question: why should we carry our crosses? First, cross-bearing is a condition for Christian discipleship. Jesus said: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”(Matthew 16:24).  Second, it is by carrying our crosses that we make reparation for our sins and for the sins of others related to us. That is why St. Paul said that he was suffering in his body what is “lacking” in Christ’s suffering. Third, it is by carrying our crosses that we become imitators of Christ in his suffering for us. St. Paul explains it thus: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2: 19-20).

Joke: You might remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff.  When he first came to the United States from Russia he was not prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores.  He says, "On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk--you just add water, and you get milk.  Then I saw powdered orange juice--you just add water, and you get orange juice.  And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, ‘What a country!’" 

Smirnoff is joking, but we make these assumptions about Christian Transformation. We go to church as if we are going to the grocery store: Powdered Christian.  Just add water and disciples are born not made.  Unfortunately, there is no such powder, and disciples of Jesus Christ are not instantly born.  We must understand what it means to be a disciple. Does this mean denying ourselves?  YES.  Does this mean that just saying that you follow Jesus is enough?  NO, it is not. We read in Matthew’s gospel, “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16: 24)

Practical Applications: 1) We should carry our crosses with the right motives: This means that we should not carry our crosses cursing our fate as does the donkey carrying its load. Nor should we protest as do the bulls or horses pulling their carts. Our motive should not be reward by God as the hired workers labor for their wages. We should carry our crosses like a loving wife who nurses her paralyzed husband or sick child, with sacrificial love and dedicated commitment. The carrying of our crosses becomes easier when we compare our light crosses with the heavy crosses of terminally-ill   patients or patients in emergency wards. We need to draw strength and inspiration from Jesus Who walks ahead of us carrying his heavier cross while supporting us in carrying our crosses.

Good Friday - 2012

Good Friday : You might remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff.  When he first came to the United States from Russia he was not prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores.  He says, "On my first shopping trip with my American friend , I saw powdered milk. What is it , I asked. My friend explained, “You just add water, and you get milk.” I was amazed. Then I saw powdered orange juice--you just add water, and you get orange juice!  And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, you add water and get a ready made baby!! “What a country!"  So many Christian denominations claim that they can make powdered Christians. They preach: “Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, surrender your life to him and confess your sins to him. You are saved.“ Once saved, you are always saved.  Just add water and disciples are born not made.  Unfortunately, there is no such powder, and disciples of Jesus Christ are not instantly born.  We must understand what it really means to be a Christian disciple from the mouth of Jesus. He proclaimed in Mathew 16: 24, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16: 24).It means that a truly practicing Christian must be a self denying and cross carrying Christian who obeys the teachings of Jesus. That is why we ask the question on Good Friday: what is the real message of the cross?

Message of the cross: The poet gets the message of the love of God from the cross. The business man views the cross as a ransom, a redemption price. The lawyers and judges prefer to remember the message of the cross as an expression of the justice of God for the wages of man's sin. The converted Jews prefer to compare the cross to the sacrifices of the Old Testament. For the martyrs and saints the cross of Christ gives meaning to our pains and suffering. 

Anecdote:  One day, a man went to visit a church; He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, “I always park there! You took my place!"   The visitor went inside for Sunday school, found an empty seat and sat down A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That’s my seat! You took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday school, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, “That’s where I always sit! You took my place!" The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing. Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?" The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, "I took your place.”

The message of the cross is nothing but this words “I took your place”

Holy Thursday:[B]: 2015

Holy Thursday: 2015

Introduction: On Holy Thursday we celebrate three anniversaries: 1) the anniversary of the first Holy Mass, 2) the anniversary of the institution of ministerial priesthood in order to perpetuate the Holy Mass, convey God’s forgiveness to repentant sinners and preach the Good News of Salvation, 3) the anniversary of Jesus’ promulgation of His new commandment of love: “Love one another as I have loved you” through feet washing.

Today we remember how Jesus transformed the Jewish Passover into the New Testament Passover.  The Jewish Passover was, in fact, a joint celebration of two ancient thanksgiving celebrations.  The descendants of Abel, who were shepherds, used to lead their sheep from the winter pastures to the summer pastures after the sacrificial offering of a lamb to God.  They called this celebration the “Pass over."  On the other hand, the descendants of Cain, who were farmers, held a harvest festival called the Massoth in which they offered unleavened bread to God as an act of thanksgiving.  The Passover feast of the Israelites (Exodus 12:26-37) was a harmonious combination of these two ancient feasts of thanksgiving, commanded by the Lord God to be celebrated yearly by all Israelites to thank God for the miraculous liberation of their ancestors from Egypt and their exodus from slavery to the Promised Land.

Taking the bread and vine Jesus said “This is my body. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me” Jesus know that tomorrow he will die. The disciples are asked to do this in future “in remembrance of Jesus”. This commissioning is what we call institution of priesthood. To do this for ever to remember him, Jesus replaced his physical body and blood with bread and wine, by saying “this is my body, this is my blood.” We, Catholics hold that the bread and wine the priest consecrated is the real body and blood of Jesus. 

Joke:  There were these two boys who lived with their Grandma. They were about to go to bed but before they slept they prayed. The older son started to pray. He prayed about the day he had and about everything he had done. The younger son then started to pray, he prayed much louder than his elder brother, he prayed for bikes and toys, and when he finished the older brother asked him "Why are you praying so loud? God is not deaf" and the younger son responded and said " Yea but Grandma is"

Practical Applications: 1) Our celebration of the Eucharist requires that we wash one another’s feet, i.e., serve one another, and revere Christ's presence in other persons. In practical terms, that means we are to consider their needs to be as important as our own and to serve their needs, without expecting any reward. 2) Visiting the Blessed Sacrament, first Friday devotion like making confession, communion and participating in adoration are to nourish our spiritual life.  3) Let us start our devotion to Blessed Sacrament with participation in today’s adoration.

Eucharist & Feet Washing:[2012]:Exo12:1-8,11-14;1Cori 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15

Eucharist & Feet Washing:[2012]:Exo12:1-8,11-14;1Cori 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15

Life in Palestine in the time of Jesus was hard. The popular means of transport was your feet. People walked long distances on rough, dusty roads to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, for example. Travellers often arrived their destinations with sore and aching feet. As a sign of hospitality, the host would see to it that his guests were given a warm foot bath and massage as a way of relieving their aches and pains. This was usually done by the house servants or slaves.

This service of bathing and soothing the tired feet was also provided by the rest houses or inns found at strategic locations along the major roads and highways. Travellers worn out along the way could go into these rest houses and have food and foot bath. Their energy thus restored they would then be able to continue and complete their long journey. That is how such rest houses along the way got the name "restaurants" -- they restored strength to tired and exhausted travellers on the way. The disciples would have understand Jesus washing their feet in light of this cultural background. And for us it is a pointer to the meaning of the Eucharist we celebrate.

Understood in light of the washing of feet, the Eucharist is a place of restoration for people on the way. The life of a Christian in the world is a pilgrimage, a long, hard journey. Along the way we get tired and worn out and we are tempted to give up and turn back. But Jesus has provided us with the Eucharist as a place where we can go in to bathe our aching feet and to be refreshed in body and soul for the journey that is still ahead. When we give communion to a sick person we call it viaticum which means "provisions for a journey." The Eucharist is always a viaticum: in the Eucharist we derive strength to continue our upward journey toward God.

In the story we find that Peter was uncomfortable with having Jesus wash his feet. Peter, who was somewhat of an activist, would have preferred to see himself doing the washing, washing the feet of Jesus and even of the other disciples. Sometimes it is harder to remain passive and allow someone else to bathe us than it is to bathe someone else, as every toddler can tell you. But having our feet washed and washing the feet of others are two sides of the coin we call the Christian life.

The first and most essential part is to let the Lord wash us. As Jesus said to Peter, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me (John 13:8). First, the Lord washes us clean so that we belong to the Lord. Only then are we qualified and empowered to wash the feet of our sisters and brothers in the Lord. When this truth dawned on Peter, he overcame his reluctance and cried out, "Lord, not my feet only but my hands and my head also!" (v. 9). For this to happen all that the Lord needs from us is simply for us to be there, to present ourselves to him and to let him wash us.

The other side of the coin, which is equally important, is that after our feet have been washed by the Lord, we must go and wash the feet of others. After Jesus had washed his disciples' feet, he said to them:

Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord -- and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you (John 13:12-15).

Jesus establishes a close link between him washing the disciples' feet and the disciples washing the feet of others. If the Eucharist is the place where the Lord washes our feet, daily life is the place where we ought to wash the feet of others. Eucharist leads to life leads to Eucharist. True Eucharist piety must lead to service of others. Jesus who broke the bread of the Eucharist also washed the feet of his disciples. We must follow his example both at the altar of the Eucharist and at the altar of life.