Piravi,2nd S.Presentation,Lk 2:21-35,Jan.2,11

In today’s reading from the Gospel, St. Luke gives an account of the Presentation of Jesus to the Lord at the Temple and the prophetic utterances of Simeon and Anna. According to Leviticus 12:1-8, the birth of a male child disqualifies an Israelite woman from touching any holy object or approaching the Temple for forty days. After that, she must offer sacrifice in Jerusalem.

“Among the Jews, the first born sons belonged to the Lord. Those not of the tribe of Levi had to be redeemed—in the temple, to show that they continued to be God’s property.” (Navarre Bible,P.252)

When a woman had borne a child, she had to come to the Temple after 40 days for purification. She had to bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon for a sin offering. If she could not afford the lamb, she was permitted to bring another pigeon. As Mary and Joseph were poor, they brought two pigeons.
But their presentation of Jesus at the Temple became an occasion for Simeon to prophesy that Jesus would bring salvation to the world and that Mary would experience severe agony on account of the ministry of Jesus. Simeon describes in a few words the mission of Jesus—the light of the gentiles and the glory of Israel.

There is no other Savior for mankind except Jesus. It is in Him the world should find its salvation. Simeon has thus in a few words paraphrased the essential mission of Jesus as the Light of the World.
What does the presentation of Jesus mean for us? Does the Presentation of Jesus offer us any insight into the nature of our lives?
We too were presented to the Lord through our Baptism and Confirmation. We became the children of God and the recipients of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But how are we living our faith?
This New Year offers us an opportunity to change our ways of life and to become new persons. The famous theologian, John Powell once remarked that it was sad that one would go through life without loving and much more sad if one would pass through life without expressing love towards the person one had loved.

Love is at the core of Christian life. Jesus has summarized all his teachings into the commandment of love— love of God and the love of the neighbor. St. Paul shows in his Letter to the Corinthians that the most essential virtue that a Christian should have is love. Without love, all other accomplishments in our life mean nothing. This shows us how important it is for each one of us to be persons of love—persons who would seek the well-being of our neighbors.

Our family life will undergo a sea-change if we can show this love to the members of our own family itself. So too our interactions in our community would also become different if we become capable of desiring the good of our neighbors.
May the Presentation of the Lord be an occasion for us to rededicate ourselves to God and to become the beacons of light to those who are groping in the darkness of a loveless life.This New year offers us ,thus, an opportunity for the renewal of our faith and for a change of our attitudes .

Holy Family,First Sunday of Nativity,Dec.26,10

This Sunday ,coming immediately after Christmas, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. The reading from the Gospel of Matthew that we heard just now places before us in a very few words all the troubles, challenges and hardships the young family faced at the outset.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus did not enjoy a comfortable environment at the beginning of their family life. They had to endure tremendous hardships just to be alive.
After all the marvelous happenings after the birth of Jesus-- the visit of the Magi, the greeting of the shepherds, the appearance of the angels to the shepherds-- things have not yet settled down for them for a happy family life. All of a sudden, Joseph was asked to leave Bethlehem for Egypt. We can only imagine the ordeal and hardships of the young family on their flight to Egypt. Leaving for a foreign country with no preparations, with no friends and with no money would definitely be very hazardous in those days. They had to make the decision right there and leave for Egypt. It is beyond our imagination even to guess how they did find help for the flight and the means for their livelihood in a strange land with no knowledge of the language of the country. Then, after a few years, they were asked to return to Palestine. They had to make the trip back again with no preparations.
What we find in them, hence, is the perfect submission to the will of God. No questions were asked and no doubts were raised. With faith in God and with love for one another, they knew they could overcome all kinds of obstacles in their lives.
What we find in Joseph and Mary is their perfect submission to the will of God, steadfastness or constancy in their faith, unconditional love and whole-hearted cooperation. We know that a family becomes successful spiritually and emotionally when these elements become the fabric of their lives.
A family is rich not because of the wealth it has nor because of the beautiful house in which it lives but because of the wealth in the hearts of its members—faith in God and love for each other.
If we are unwilling to yield or to compromise and if our selfishness or arrogance dominates our attitudes, the family ties break down. It is to the Word of God and to our faith that we have to return when we have problems in our families.

We find all around us marriages breaking down and ending in divorces. More than a million children grow up in broken families every year in our country. There are concerted and very fierce attempts on the part of many to destroy the very meaning of marriage.
Family is our greatest treasure and we have to preserve and nurture it through our love and sacrifice. As the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church of the Second Vatican Council states, “the family is the domestic church” and it is there the elements of Christian faith have to be learned and practiced. Parents, according to the Document, are “ the first heralds of faith with regard to their children.”

We often ignore to emphasize how important is faith in our life. We rarely speak about the role of faith in our lives and live according to the faith. Family discords and differences between the parents, violent arguments and domestic abuse all create an atmosphere that destroys the warmth and love that should exist in a Christian family.
This is the appropriate time for each one of us to ask ourselves how we can make a difference in our family life and make it better and richer How are the members of my family relating to one another How are the members of my family relating to one another and how strong is the place of the faith in our families?
May the Lord give us the grace to make our families the seedbeds of love and peace.

Christmas , Dec.25,10,Lk.2:1-20

On this Christmas Day, the most beautiful day in our Christian life, we remember the immensity and the depth of God’s love for each one of us. As poet Donne says, it is a great event when man is raised to the status of divine glory but it is an incredible blessing when God comes down to the level of a mortal being. That is what we celebrate on Christmas Day--w God becoming man.

There was a millionaire in New York who loved collecting paintings of great artists. He had a son and he took his son with him whenever he went to buy these great masterpieces. He wanted to make his son a lover of great works of art. When the son finished school, he was drafted into the army. One day, the father got the saddest news of his life—the death of his only son. After a few months, a young soldier, a friend of his son, came to visit him with his belongings. Along with that, he gave the father a self-portrait in pencil drawing done by his son. It was not a beautiful drawing. But the father loved it very much and left it on the mantle over the fireplace. When the millionaire died, it was announced that his paintings would be auctioned off. A lot of people came to offer their bids. The first one to be auctioned off was the self-portrait of the son. As nobody showed any interest in getting it, the gardener offered a bid for $100 and the drawing was given to him. When that bid was accepted the auctioneer announced that the auction was closed. Those rich people who came for the auction felt cheated and there were loud protests. Then the auctioneer announced that it was specified in the will that the one who would get the portrait of the son would get all his paintings. The father loved his son so much that he gave up everything to the one who loved his son.

Christmas is the greatest love story of the world. Our Father loved us so much that He sent his only son to the world to save us (Jn.3:16).

It is this love of the Father that we celebrate today. The birth of our Lord signifies the undying love of the Father for each one of us.

Any one can share this moment of joy. There is no one on earth who can in any way say that he cannot identify himself or herself with Jesus born in the manger. No one can be born lower than he was born.

Christmas is the universal feast of mankind. The high and the low, the poor and the rich and the sick and the healthy can find joy and peace in his presence. To all, Jesus conveys the message of love. Nobody is beyond the protection of God’s love.

The helplessness of Jesus as a babe is a powerful source of strength to all of us suffering from insult and discrimination, from neglect and envy, from calumny and hatred. The weakness of Jesus gives us strength in times of our own weakness and helplessness. When we are neglected and ignored and when we are not given due consideration for our sincere work and hard struggles for the good of the family or of institutions, we know we are not alone and that no one can freely trample down upon us. The incarnate Son of God is our strength. As the shepherds went in haste to see the child, so too, in those moments of pain and struggle, we should go in haste to meet Jesus and experience the peace that He gives us.

At the World Youth Day at Cologne, the Holy Father, speaking of the Magi, said that the Magi were guided by the star on their way to Bethlehem, but when they returned, the star was not in heaven but was in their hearts.

Today as we celebrate Christmas, the star of love should be in our hearts. Today is the day for reconciliation and forgiveness. The lights that are shining outside should be shining inside our hearts. We can then say with the angels to all those who meet us: “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.”

Advent,4th S.Dec.19,10

When one glances through the pages of history, some personages appear startlingly upright and courageous. St. Thomas More is one of such illustrious persons who illumine the pages of history. Winston Churchill remarked that he was the defender of all that was finest in the medieval outlook. Samuel Johnson saw him as a person of the greatest virtue that England had ever produced. That shimmer of greatness is seen in the last letter he wrote to his beloved daughter before his execution, telling her that the Lord would hold him up in the stormy seas of torture and pain. Just before his execution, he called himself the King’s good servant but God’s first. We know that it was his faith in the Lord that gave him such strength and helped him to look at the pain the world would give as nothing compared with the glory of eternal salvation. It is our faith in God that gives us courage to face the problems and challenges of daily lives.

Today’s Gospel presents before us in the person of Joseph such a person of great faith, courage and boldness.
On the last three Sundays, the Gospel passages presented before us Zechariah, Blessed Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, great persons chosen by God for their special roles in the history of our salvation. Today, we meet St. Joseph, a person of no less importance. The account of the birth of Jesus that we heard just now centers mostly around St. Joseph and the decisive actions he took at a critical time in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus. From the few words in this account of the nativity from the Gospel, we get an inkling into the integrity, steadfastness and deep faith of Joseph.

We can only imagine the thoughts and feelings that crossed the mind of St. Joseph when he found that Mary was pregnant before they were married. All his expectations and dreams of a new life with Mary disappeared suddenly. How could he accept Mary as his wife when she became pregnant before marriage? The traditional society in which Joseph lived would never allow him to receive her. She would be punished according to the Mosaic Law. He knew that his public rejection of Mary would result in her death. We can never imagine the depth and the poignancy of the mental agony he underwent when he came to know that Mary was pregnant. A young virgin he loved and cherished with such great fondness as a partner in his life until his death would become a laughing stock in the public eye and would meet the contempt of his friends and relatives.
The Gospel uses a word to describe the integrity and the greatness of Joseph’s personality: dikaios= innocent, just, equitable, impartial. He was not going to be to be in any way swayed just by the literal weight of the Law. He was determined to examine all the aspects of the situation. As a man of God, he knew that something great was happening in his life. There was no reason to distrust Mary whom he knew so well. He was open to God in his heart and soul.
It was when he was passing through such turbulent storms in his heart that he received the message of God not to be afraid to receive Mary as his wife. He was addressed as the descendant of David and then the angel gave him the authority to name the child, Jesus.
Joseph thus became the protector of Jesus and the lawful husband of Mary. He was willing to face all the challenges and hardships involved in his role as the father of Jesus.

The life of Joseph is a strong reminder to each one of us to reflect on our life as the protector of our faith. We often fail in our life as Christians when our faith is challenged or questioned. We squirm and wriggle and withdraw into our private world without taking courage to witness to our faith when it is challenged or derided in the public forums.

We fail in our duty to nurture the faith of our children. When they stop practicing their faith, we don’t take effort to give them the right understanding of the faith nor do we give them good examples.

How just are we in our dealings with our neighbors? Our arrogance, contemptuous attitudes and disparaging remarks make us unworthy to become the custodians of the precious faith given to us.

All around us there are forces that deride a Christian way of life. The institution of marriage is being challenged in the media and many marriages end in divorces. Millions of children are growing up in broken families. Priesthood is denigrated and living according to one’s Christian faith is looked down with derision.

We have to be the new Josephs in the places where we work or move. We are the new custodians of Jesus--- of our faith, of everything that pertains to the faith. We should not run away from those who attack or disparage our faith. The words that gave courage to Joseph “Do not be afraid” are ours to claim. We can be the people who can effect changes in our family and society through our courageous actions. As Mother Teresa has put it, “What I do, you cannot do, but what you do I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”

Advent 3rd Sunday,Dec.12,10,Lk.1:57-66

When John XX111 was elected the Pope in 1958,many wondered what he would do as he was very advanced in age. Many thought of his papacy as a stop-gap arrangement and as a waiting time for another talented and young Pope to resume the work after the end of his reign. The question on the lips of many was “What can he do? Or what will become of him?” Such questions and doubts were in the minds of a lot of people of that period. They had no idea of the cataclysmic changes that would take place in the history of the Church because of the bold initiatives he took in calling into session the Vatican Council.

Today’s Gospel sets before us questions of a similar nature that were asked at the beginning of the history of our salvation. But they are not questions of worry or anxiety but of expectations and hopes. For the people of that time began to see miracles happening before their own very eyes. Elizabeth who was never thought of having a child became a mother at a later age in her life. Tradition had it that the son should bear the father’s name and instead the child was given the name, John, meaning God is gracious. Zechariah who became mute and deaf began to speak immediately after the naming of the child. So it is natural for them to expect to see more miracles happening in their lives through the life of John. Hence they spoke to one another about the greater things that were going to be seen in their lives: “What will this child be?”

Yes, greater things would happen. Jesus, the Christ, would appear in their lives and John would become His precursor. He would get the unique privilege of baptizing the Son of God. John would confront corruption and immorality in higher places with boldness and courage. He would have no fear in his heart to condemn the King for his adulterous actions. . His actions would be so charged with the grace of God that he would be praised by Jesus as the greatest of men born on this earth.

Yes, John’s life was different .It was the life a prophet, intent on the reformation of the society. He was totally devoid of any earthly fame or glory. He never sought the company of the rich or the wealthy nor did he seek the comforts of the world. His food was grasshoppers and wild honey. He kept a low profile and a humble way of life. He told his disciples that he must decrease and that Jesus must increase. In the heights of greatness, he was the humblest of human beings.

It is this John who stands at the doorway of Advent asking us to undergo a similar spiritual transformation, avoiding the path of sin and returning to God.

We have to ask ourselves what kind of transformation we have to make in our lives. Will we allow God to transform us, to make us new persons or are we going to be people of hate, and anger, of selfishness and arrogance or of forgiveness and compassion? The choice is ours to make. The paths are before us. It is for us to make the right choice and choose the right path. We have to make the choice of doing good and helping people. St. Paul writes to the Romans: “Never pay back evil with evil…Never try to get revenge…Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.”(Rom.12:14-21).

As Henri Nouwen puts it, we have a lot of road crossings to do in this season of Advent: “If we could cross the road once in a while and pay attention to what is happening on the other side, we might indeed become neighbors.”

May the life of John the Baptist inspire us to become the messengers of the Good News and to make us more loving and forgiving.

Advent 2nd Sunday,Dec.5,10

Today, on this second Sunday of Advent, we are called to reflect on the life, words and the response of the Blessed Virgin Mary for a fuller understanding of the spiritual preparedness for the celebration of Christmas. Is there any life more worthy, is there any response more appropriate than that of the Blessed Virgin Mary to reflect on in this liturgical season? Through her words, “‘Thy will be done”, Mary surrenders herself totally to the will of God and her surrender becomes the prototype of the life of every disciple of Christ.

The words that Mary said in response to the annunciation form the most magnificent responses that man ever gave to God’s initiative: “Thy will be done.” In those few words, we come to experience her unreserved and total surrender to the will of God. This unique response has made her the most beautiful person in the history of mankind. Her life has evoked admiring responses from poets and saints in the course of centuries. Robert Southwell calls her, “the loadstar of all engulfed in worldly waves.” To Wordsworth, “she is tainted nature’s solitary boast.” To the Metaphysical poet, Donne, she is the “fair blessed mother-maid “ who has “immensity cloistered in her dear womb.”

The angel Gabriel who breaks the news of the birth of John the Baptist is the same angel who comes to Mary and announces the great and happy news of the birth of the Savior. The angel addresses Mary with words that never have been used to address a member of the human race: “ Hail Mary, full of Grace. The Lord is with you.” She is unspoiled and untouched by sin.—she is full of the grace of God. To the humble maiden who has not yet been married but only betrothed, the angel announces that she would bear forth the Son of the Almighty.

For a young girl, growing up in a rigid society with its own strict rules of moral conduct and behavior, to grasp the full meaning of those words is totally frightening. The shame, the alienation, the ostracism, the gossip and everything else that would accompany these to tarnish her character before her family as well as before the society were definitely in her mind as she listened to the words of the angel. But there was no trepidation in her voice. There was no hesitancy in giving her consent. She pronounced the words that have within them tremendous implications for the salvation and peace of the human race. “ I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let thy will be done in my life.” Those words, though said in the silence of her house have broken the barriers of centuries and still resound in our ears as the words of the wisest person in the world; “Lord, it is your will that is important. I am here to follow you, to obey you. You have the freedom to work through me. I am your beloved daughter.”

This season of Advent places before us Mary’s response to help us to prepare ourselves spiritually and emotionally for the celebration of Christmas. Every day in our lives, we confront a lot of difficulties and challenges. Sicknesses, financial disasters, loss of name, false accusations, loss of hopes, loss of jobs etc are the grim realities that we confront daily in our lives. How should we respond to these situations? We can either respond to them positively, seeing in our difficulties the hand of God, guiding us or retreat from them, blaming everybody else.

Mary has shown us the path we should choose. If we have faith in the Lord, He will come to our aid, and His loving arms will be around us to offer us protection from dejection and pain. Our surrender to the will of God does not come from our weakness but from the strength of our faith, from our belief that that the loving Lord will never forsake us, however stormy and turbulent our life is.
The following prayer of Karl Rahner which in fact is a reproduction of the prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola is very appropriate for all of us who try to imitate Mary in this season of Advent: “O Lord, our prayer is the sum of all desire and of all prayer: Take and receive , O Lord, my whole freedom, my memory, my understanding and my whole will, all that I have and possess. …All is yours, dispose of it entirely according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace, for that is enough.”

First S. of Advent,Nov.28,10

Advent, 1 St S,Nov.28,10

(Lk.1:5-25)


Today marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Advent. The readings that we heard just now from the Scriptures prepare us for this beautiful period of expectations and waiting. The waiting is for the celebration of Christmas, for the birth of Jesus, for a day stamped in our memory with great feelings of joy and peace, of forgiveness and reconciliation, and of goodness and generosity. The period of Advent offers us an opportunity to reflect on the unbounded love of God , our Father, who has loved us so much as to send His son to die for us and to reclaim for us the right to be called the children of God.

The reading from the Gospel describes the events that make this period of Advent significant and glorious. There is no other better preparation for Christmas than to reflect on the life and teachings of the John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Jesus Christ, our Savior. John the Baptist stands at the door of the season of Advent inviting us to a new life through our repentance. Through his own personal life, through his teachings and penance, he shows a way of life that is open to God though the conversion of our hearts. As the angel Gabriel tells Zechariah, he will bring people back to God.

Zechariah and Elizabeth belonged to the priestly family of Aaron. They were both devout observers of the law. Zechariah was privileged to offer prayers and incense at the evening prayer time in the Temple. It was a great privilege , usually happening once in a life time in the lives of the priests of the time. It was in such a pious and august moment that Zechariah received the announcement that his wife would give birth to a son and that the son should be named John.

The angel, Gabriel, spoke to him about the role John would play in the great story of the human salvation that would later unfold. He would be a forerunner of the Messiah, would bring about conversion in the hearts of people and would be filled with the presence of the Lord.

All these great words of the Angel were more than enough for Zechariah. He prayed for a son in order to become blessed in the eyes of the Lord as well as in those of the people. He got more than what he desired. His son would forever be associated with the life of the Savior. He was filled with fear. His faith faltered. He doubted the possibility of such great things happening in his life. He was made speechless for his doubt. He had to start again, learning the way of humility and coming closer to God. What John would preach later in his life, the path of repentance, has begun in the life of Zechariah right there in the Temple itself.

The qualifications and the role of the John the Baptist would serve as a great reminder for a spiritual reawakening in our personal journey of faith. What is required in this period of Advent as we wait for the Spirit of Christmas to pervade us in this season is to prepare ourselves for a life of conversion , avoiding the paths of sin and selfishness.

This period of Advent, hence, is a time to focus on our values of life and perceptions. The voice that resounded in the hills and valleys of Palestine, calling the people to repentance should be heard in our hearts too. We have to question the values and mindsets that are controlling our lives. Our selfishness and arrogance have often separated us from God as well as our neighbors. We need to go back to the basics. What does it mean to be a Christian? Does it just consist in the external observance of certain rituals and traditions or does it involve a way of life that is steeped in love and forgiveness?

In the heart of many Christian families, there is no peace. Where is the conversion that should happen because of the presence of the Lord in our lives? Do people who see us recognize that we are different because of our faith in the Lord?

We are invited in this season to wear the mantle of the prophet, John the Baptist, and invite our fellow brethren to a new way of life through the changes that are happening in our lives. We have to become more mellow and compassionate .We have to show that our greatness consists not in dominating the lives of others but in serving and helping them to become greater in their lives. John the Baptist has very powerfully indicated that his role is not to sideline Jesus, but to allow Him to grow. If we in our public and private lives allow Jesus to grow and shine in our neighbors and members of the family, the changes that will take place in our lives will be dramatic and significant. .

The Kingship of Christ,,Pallikoodasa,Nov.21,10

The Kingship of Christ,10
Pallikoodasa,4th S.

(Mt.22:41-23-12)

Rev. John Powell narrates in his book “The Christian Vision “a legend about an old Irish King who wanted to adopt a son as he had no children. Two qualifications were stressed for those who would like to be adopted. The person should have a deep love for God and for his neighbor. One young man who heard of this decided to go for an interview with the King. He had no robes or expensive clothes. But he borrowed them from his friends. After weeks of traveling, he reached the entrance to the castle. But there he saw a beggar in tattered clothes asking him for his robes for protection from the cold. He gave his robe to him and took the tattered clothes of the beggar. He was ushered in the presence of the king. But there, to his surprise, he saw the beggar sitting in resplendent clothes as the King.

It is in the poor that we see the Kingship of Jesus Christ. It is when we become humble and poor that we become followers of the real King. The Kingship of Jesus Christ does not rest in power and control but in love and service.
Today we observe the Feast of the Kingship of Christ. The word King nowadays evokes images of imperialism, control, power, extravaganza and luxury. But Kingship is also a symbol of service and compassion. It is in this sense that we should look at the feast of the Kingship of Christ.

This feast was instituted by Pius Xl in 1925 through his encyclical” Quas Primas”. The encyclical was written at a time when dictatorships were emerging and consumerism and materialism began to dominate the minds of people. The Holy Father wanted to remind people where our loyalty should lie and who the Lord of the Universe is.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his listeners not to get caught in ambiguities and dubious arguments but to offer their obedience to the Messiah. Using psalm110:1, He reminds them that the Messiah was pre-existent since David calls him Lord, but also is his son as it was predicted that he would be one of David’s descendants((2 Sam.7:12) If David calls the Messiah, the Lord, then, the Messiah is the Lord of the Universe. Jesus, indirectly, asks his listeners to accept Him as the Messiah and follow His teachings.
Jesus uses the occasion to remind His listeners that there is only one authority and it is God and every one in authority has to be obedient to God for his claim to power. He then tells them that the greatest among them is the one who serves others. He reverses the order of the secular world and makes the lowliest the greatest. He tears down the false masks of the hypocritical religious teachers who do not practice what they preach. The Pharisees believe only in the shows of authority but in practice they are hypocrites, deceiving people by their non-exemplary lives.

Rabbi, father and teacher were titles given to those who taught the Law of Moses. When Jesus asks his disciples not to accept these titles, he is reminding them that his followers should seek to serve and not to be served or honored.
What does the Kingship of Christ mean for us? It means that our first and foremost allegiance is to be offered to Jesus. It is from the perspective of our attachment to Jesus that we should view all other things and events in our lives. Our positions and accomplishments should be occasions of service to others. It is by serving and loving one another that we show our loyalty to Jesus. Otherwise, we would be just hollow persons, with no ring of sincerity in our hearts.

St. Augustine has summarized beautifully well this idea in the following words: “We are leaders and servants: we lead when we serve.” Servant –leadership is the model Jesus presents before every one who is in the position of the leadership. We are called to encourage and develop the talents and the gifts of those who are entrusted to our care. Our positions and privileges should not be used to deprive others of their rights and opportunities.
Jesus is the King of Love. He showed his love by dying for us. The sincerity of love is expressed through the sacrifices we make for the well-being of others. Our world is craving for the love that Jesus has shown in His life. We have to preach the life of Jesus through our lives. It is when we become humble like Jesus that we begin to realize others too are the children of a loving God. As Henri Nouwen, one of our great spiritual writers, puts it: “When we want to be in the center, we easily end up on the margins, but when we are free enough to be wherever we must be, we often find ourselves in the center. Giving away our lives for others is the greatest of all human acts.”
The celebration of the Kingship of Christ has also another purpose. In the coming weeks, we will be preparing ourselves for the birth of Jesus through the season of Advent. It is then that we celebrate the birth of Jesus as a weak and fragile child. The Kingship of Christ reminds us that even in that fragile state, he is the Lord of the Universe.

Cleansing of the Temple,Pallikoodas,3rdS,Nov.14,10

Pallikoodasa 3rd S.Nov.15,09
(Jn.2:13-22)
During his recent visit to Spain in the first week of November,the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVl consecrated a church in Barcelona that was in construction for the last 130 years.Known as the Church of the Holy Family(Sangrada Familia) , it was declared a minor Basilica.Its Architect,Antoni Gaudi, is in the process of beatification.Speaking at the time, the Holy Father observed that the church "stands as a visible sign of the invisible God" and that" it points to the One who is Light".Those words of the Holy Father are true of every temple of worship.
The Jewish Temple for the Jews was their most sacred place where they entered into deep communion with God.It was hence shocking for Jesus to see the Temple desecrated by commercial transactions and noisy trade deals.
In Deut.16,16, the Israelites are asked to make an annual pilgrimage for the Passover to the Temple and offer sacrifices. Those who could afford are asked to sacrifice an ox or a sheep and the poor two turtle doves or pigeons.
The Passover is celebrated on the 14th day of the month of Nisan (the first month of the Jewish year) and is followed by the festival of the unleavened bread.
Jesus comes to the Temple for the Passover celebration. The spectacle of trading, and the scene of shouting and bargaining that go with it provoke in Jesus such a moral outrage that he lashes out at the traders and money changers and drives them away from Temple.
The people who are there ask Him for signs or credentials that he has the authority to drive away traders from the Temple and to speak on behalf of God. Jesus gives them the sign of his divine authority by referring to his resurrection . They cannot catch the meaning of his words and even his disciples get the meaning only after his Resurrection.
We have more than a Temple in our midst. Our churches are the places where Jesus is present really. It is there that we pour out our pain and agony. We are comforted by the loving presence of Jesus in our churches. But how poor we are in our participation in the Eucharistic celebration! We find pretexts to avoid going to the church on Sundays on account of social obligations or of job-related matters.Our social obligations often take precedence over our obligations to the Lord.
The Church is also the living community of the followers of Jesus. We have to respect our fellow brethren and do anything that is possible in our power to lighten their burdens and support them in their times of pain and hardships.In coming to the aid of the poor and the suffering in our midst,we show our love for the Church which is the visible Body of Christ on earth.
Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor.6:19). Hence,our thoughts and words should be in conformity with the presence of Lord in our hearts. We who receive the body and blood of Jesus should lead a life that is full of love and forgiveness. If we allow ourselves to be conquered by our sinful passions, how can we bear witness to the presence of the Spirit of the Lord in our life?
Anger, hatred, contempt, lack of compassion and unforgiving attitudes are the ways in which we diminish the holiness of our lives. The Temple of our life is being made unholy by these vices. We shall take the whip of repentance in our hands and purify ourselves from such unchristian ways of behavior and show the compassion and love of Jesus to others. As Fulton J. Sheen puts it: “We must nourish ourselves with the truths of God and mortify ourselves of those things which are harmful to the soul, and be just as scrupulous in avoiding moral evil as we are avoiding physical evil.”

Posted by George Madathiparampil at 9:38 AM

Pallikoodas 2S,Nov.7,10

Pallikoodasa 2nd S.,Nov.7, 10
(Mt.12:1-14)

When John Paul the First was elected the Pope, there was not much awareness among the public as to who he was. But during the public audience, when he began to receive the people, there was a wide acclaim about the way he interacted with them. One student at a University rushed to his classmates to tell how he was thrilled from toe to head when he saw the Holy Father greeting a young girl in the audience. The Holy Father was all smiles when he leaned forward to greet the young girl. For people accustomed to dour traditions and rituals of the time, the attitude of the Holy Father was a welcome change.

Traditions and rituals have a meaning. When they are practiced without the soul that inspired them, they become cruel and suffocating. In religious life, traditions and rituals are observed in order to become more spiritual and reverential and not to become hard-hearted and insensitive.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds his listeners about the purpose and goals of traditions and how necessary it is to show compassion and mercy in one’s attitudes in the observance of rituals.
The reading that we heard just now from St. Matthew’s Gospel presents the escalating controversy between Our Lord and the Pharisees. The Pharisees are out in the open to trap Jesus in his ministry and to accuse him falsely of violations of the rules about the observance of the Sabbath. The pharisaic tradition has established 39 categories of actions as forbidden on the Sabbath. Harvesting is one of these.
So in their eyes, what the disciples did by picking the ears of the grain when they felt hungry is an action forbidden on the Sabbath. They use this incident to accuse Jesus of encouraging his disciples to violate the laws of the Sabbath. Jesus blunts the power of their arguments by showing how their own ancestors did the opposite of what they were saying.
Jesus confronts them with four arguments to show the hollowness of their accusations. First one was the example of David who ate the Show Bread or the Bread of the Presence which only priests were allowed to eat. Second, priests themselves make a lot of actions in order to prepare themselves for the observance of the Sabbath. Third, from their own prophets’ statements, Jesus shows how acts of mercy are more important than Temple sacrifices. The last and the most important of all is that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. They become speechless before these arguments
Jesus uses the occasion to show them the meaning of the religious traditions and rituals. The whole purpose of religious observances is to help people to come closer to God. Rituals and traditions become meaningless if they distract people from coming closer to God.
The words and actions of Jesus are a powerful reminder to each one of us to look at the way we lead our lives. For many of us, a life of faith means a life of rituals and traditions. It does not change a bit our selfishness and arrogance, our lack of compassion and unforgiving attitudes. It is when we come down to serve our neighbors and the poor that we make our faith alive.
Innumerable are the occasions when we have ignored opportunities where we should have shown mercy and compassion, love and forgiveness.

The Church becomes a cold place if the people do not develop mercy and compassion in their lives.Of all the religions, Christianity is the only one founded on love. If our lives are solely engrossed in our own selfish designs and ambitions, we become the laughing stocks of the world. Let there be a strong decision on our part to reach out to one another and to get reconciled.

Today is the day for us to make a deep transformation in our lives and allow our faith to change the way of our life. As Mother Teresa has said, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”

Peter's Confession,Pallikoodasa1stS,Oct.31,10

1st S,Pallikoodasa,Oct.31,10

(Mt:16:13-19)
When Pope John Paul II visited the U.S. in 1979, huge crowds followed him wherever he went. It was his first visit to the States. Before going to the White House, he said mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral and had lunch with the Bishops and the Cardinals of the U.S. at the rectory. Large crowds were waiting outside the rectory. They were chanting: “John Paul II, we love you.” It was the first time that such a chanting was heard ever in a country and later these words would be reechoed in all the cities and countries he visited. The Holy Father came to the balcony of the rectory and then greeted the crowd by saying, “ John Paul II , he loves you.” There was a thunderous ovation. Why was there so much joy? Why was there such a huge crowd? Was it for the person of John Paul II as an individual or for him as the successor of St. Peter? It was for the successor of St. Peter, undoubtedly. Peter is the foundation on which the Lord built up His Church, his community of believers.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus clearly and unambiguously speaks about the foundation of the Church.

Look at the way Peter responded to the question of Jesus. Jesus wanted to find out from the Apostles what people were thinking about Him and what they were thinking. They, then, gave the different views the people had about Jesus. Then he asked them about their opinion. Without any doubt or vacillation of mind, Peter spoke what came out in his mind that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God.

We cannot imagine the courage and the boldness it took for a Jew to pronounce the name of God. Here, Peter was saying something that no Jew would ever utter in his life that the person standing before him was the Son of the living God. Jesus understood the nature of Peter’s faith. Jesus also knew that Peter was guided by the Spirit of God to proclaim the His Divine nature in such unambiguous terms.

The response of Jesus was also staggering. This illiterate fisherman was made the foundation of the Church and given the power to let loose or lock the flow of grace into human lives.
Peter is the Rock and upon this Rock, Jesus will build His church.
This is an appropriate moment for all of us to reflect on the implications of this statement and understand the true meaning of the Church. We are the flock of Christ, the people of God, the community of believers in Christ who are firmly established on Peter and his successors. This is the uniqueness of the Catholic Church and makes it different from other denominations.

Many a time, people try to water down the importance of this statement and make it appear that all denominations have equal validity. The foundation on the Rock of Peter is the most distinctive characteristic of the true community of believers.

We have to ask ourselves whether we are true members of the community and whether we keep in our hearts and actions this sense of unity. If our words and actions cause divisions and fragmentations within the Church, can we remain his true disciples? Do we respect the authority of Peter and his successors?

These are days when the forces of secularism are vehement in their attacks on the Church. Religious doctrines are watered down and moral laws are ignored. Convenience and selfishness become the norms of life. Anything that is obscene and immoral is accepted and given importance because of a false notion of the freedom of speech. There is a growing drumbeat against holding on to religious values in one’s public life.

It is at a time like this that we have to become more aware of our relations with Jesus and the Church. We cannot ignore the force and power of this secular spirit of the age in which we live.

We have to communicate the true sense of the Church to those who live with us at home and to those who work with us in our working places.
It is also a good time for us to reflect on our commitment to Christ. Jesus is asking each one of us what we think of Him. Do we really believe that He is the Son of God? If we really believe that He is the Son of God, then, all of our ideas and attitudes on life will definitely undergo great changes. Tue followers of Christ can never be selfish, arrogant, boastful and hateful. There should be a great desire to forgive, to reach out and to come to the aid of the poor.
As Mother Teresa has said, alone we can do nothing, but with Jesus, we can do a lot of things. Today, we shall join with all our fellow brethren in faith and walk along the path of holiness, offering the Gospel of love, forgiveness, compassion and of mercy to all around us.

Mission Sunday,Elia9th S,Oct.24,10

Mission Sunday, Elia 9^th S,Oct.24,10

(Mt.28:16-20)

Mother Teresa was once told by a Chinese person that he would not do what she was doing even if he were given a gift of a million dollar. She replied that she would not do the same even for two millions if it were not for the love of Jesus Christ. It was the love for Jesus that made her do such great works of mercy. She often has told people that she was a just pencil in the hand of the Lord to write His letters of love. She felt called to live this life of love because she saw in every poor and haggard person the face of Jesus Christ. It was not through words that she preached the message of love but through her sacrificial life. She carried the sick and the dying in her own hands, nursed them and made them happy and loved. She lived literally what St Francis Assisi has said of his mission: “ Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.”

The above words of St .Francis and the life of Mother Teresa should cross our minds as we prepare ourselves to celebrate today the Mission Sunday.

The Gospel makes it very clear what Jesus wants from each one of us. Without mincing words our using parables or stories, Jesus tells the disciples very plainly what they should be doing after his departure from the world. They are to go and preach this Good News, make every one know that Jesus is the Savior of their lives and baptize them. This is the mission entrusted to every one who is a disciple of Jesus.

Accordingly, the mission of the church is threefold: “Evangelization of all nations and the conversion of entire cultures are to be done. Every area of life must be brought under the Lordship of Christ. Secondly, the administration of sacraments is essential to the Church’s mission .Thirdly, the transmission of all that Christ taught necessitates the assistance of the Holy spirit, who guides the Church to proclaim the Gospel infallibly.”(Ignatius Catholic Study Bible).
The Gospel has to become part of our lives. Our families should become first the centers of Christian love, of forgiveness, of deep and abiding faith in Jesus. It is through our lives that we have to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, what we say just becomes meaningless words and we become the laughing stocks of our neighbors.
Albert Schweitzer was a great missionary in Africa. There was a great reception arranged for him on one of his trips to Chicago. People were at the train station to receive him as he got down from the train. But when he got down, he saw an elderly black lady struggling to get down and to get her suitcase from the compartment. Instead of greeting the people who came to receive him, he walked over to the elderly lady and helped her to get down. He also helped her to take the suitcase from the compartment. Can anyone doubt the sincerity of his faith? He was preaching the Gospel through his noble action. It is though our lives that the Gospel has to be preached first.
The Holy Father in his message for the Mission Sunday observes: “Like the Greek pilgrims of two thousand years ago, the people of our time ask believers not only to speak of Jesus but to make Jesus seen, to make the face of the Redeemer shine out in every corner of the earth.” He wants us to “promote the proclamation of the Gospel in the heart of every person, of every people, culture, race and nationality in every place.”

Evangelization involves first and foremost the transformation of our attitudes. Unless we carry the face of Jesus in our lives, we can never speak of him to others.

Our hearts should be devoid of all ill-feelings, revenge, hatred etc. We should carry this spirit of love and forgiveness to our places of work and living---to our schools and work-places. Let the people who interact with us know that we live by different standards.
Then our witness to the Gospel becomes really genuine and sincere. The commandment that Jesus has given us becomes part of our lives. We have to ask ourselves at the end of every day: “ How did I proclaim Jesus today in my life?”
We also have to help the Church in its mission of evangelization by our personal contribution of time, talent and financial resources.

According to a recent study about the changes in American Catholic life, it has been mentioned that in the Gallup poll done in 1958, 74 of American Catholics attended mass regularly. A recent poll has indicated that only 30-40 % attend mass regularly. This study shows that we are living in a world that is becoming fast receding from faith.

What Matthew Arnold, the poet, wrote in the 19^th C. is true of our times: “The Sea of Faith was once, too, at the full,….But now I only hear its melancholy, long withdrawing roar.”

Our young people live in this world that is fast evaporating of Christian faith. Evangelization and practice of a Christian way of life have to start in our families. It is from the fire of faith from the hearth at home that other hearths in other homes should be lighted.

Mission Sunday is a day not only for dreaming and planning about evangelization in distant lands, but also a time of planning about realizing it right in the heart of our families. The silence of the believers is deadening. Let this day inspire us to bear witness to our faith in our families as well as in our workplaces.

Elia 8th S,Oct.17,10

Elia 8^th S,Oct.17,10

(Lk.8:41-56)

Today’s Gospel presents before us two incidents that reveal the mercy and compassion of the Lord toward those who are suffering and grief-stricken. Two miracles happening back to back are in response to great expression of faith in the divine power of Jesus.

Jairus, in spite of his position as an official of the synagogue, had no qualms in approaching Jesus and asking for His intervention in the cure of his daughter. He fell at the feet of Jesus with the request to save his young daughter from an incurable sickness. We cannot imagine how difficult it might have been for a Jewish official to prostrate before Jesus who was treated with derision by the Pharisees. The official was asking something that was unheard of: to cure his daughter from a sickness that would lead to her death. But Jesus did not show any hesitation. He was ready to accompany him to his house.

On the way to the house he was being surrounded by a huge crowd of people. They were thronging around him. There was a lot of pushing and jostling to come near him. All of a sudden, a woman, suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years, touched the tassel on his cloak for the cure of her disease. Her faith in the power of Jesus was very ardent. She knew that she was standing before the Son of God and that she could be cured by him. Jesus felt the power of her faith. But He wanted to acknowledge her faith and let people know how powerful it was.

The disciples were surprised at the inquiry of Jesus as to who had touched Him. But she came trembling before Him and fell at His feet and confessed what she did. He right away praised her by acknowledging the power of her faith.

St. Jerome has the following to say concerning her faith: “She touches Christ’s garment with faith; she sees Christ with the eyes of faith. If we wish to be healed, we too must touch the hem of Christ’s garment with faith.” Her life of faith shows us the way we have to open ourselves to God. It is not without doubts and vacillations of mind that we have to approach the Lord but with the certainty that the Lord would always come to our help and that we would never be abandoned.” “When we don’t have faith in the power of God, we become self-centered, consumed by our petty interests, and inclined to judge everything through the prism of our limited minds. When that happens, it becomes difficult to see and understand the supernatural dimension”.(Navarre Edition)

Meanwhile, He was informed by Jairus that He should not trouble himself to come over to his house as the daughter had already passed away. Undeterred by the news, Jesus pressed on going to the house, telling him that she was not dead but only asleep. Jesus , then, restored her to life. The happiness and the joy that filled the house were beyond our wildest imaginings. Their only child, the young girl of 12 years old, was back to life again.

Jesus came to the help of two persons who were deeply stricken with suffering. His compassion and mercy knew no bounds. He responded to their requests.

In our own situation in life, when we are caught in the storms and tempests of life, we should not lose our moorings. Like them, we should approach Jesus with deep faith , believing in our hearts that he would change the situation . Miracles would happen in our lives too.

It is faith, deep and unreserved commitment to Jesus, that is required from us. In our world, where religion and faith are considered as signs of weakness, we have to show by our lives that Jesus is alive in our midst.

Our faith should be constant and firm.Like the prophet Habakuk, we have to say to say through our lives:

“For though the fig trees blossom not,

Nor grapes be on the vines,

Though the olive crop fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock be lost from the fold

And the herd be gone from the stalls, Yet in Yahweh will I rejoice, in God my Savior will I exult.”

The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard,Elia,7thS,Oct.10,10

Elia ,7th S,Oct.10,10

(Mt.20:1-16)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives his listeners a new perspective on God’s kingdom and shows them how different are the ways of God from those of men. We live in a world of merits and rewards but the Lord works in a world of grace. We think often that everything that we experience or enjoy is because of our merits but this parable of the landowner reminds us that they are actually gifts from the unbounded generosity of God. Our natural tendency is to grouse and complain against treatments or dealings that appear to be unjust. But such expressions of grouse, complaints and envy have no place in a world that is permeated with generosity and love.

The parable of the landowner would evoke in us first feelings of shock and surprise. How could the landowner be so unjust and uncaring in his approach? How could he pay the same wages to all the laborers equally? There are those who have worked and suffered the heat for the whole length of a day. There are others who worked just an hour. But all are given the same wages. This part of the story would definitely evoke in us protests and anger. We would definitely say to ourselves that it is unjust. We usually put ourselves in the role of the servants who started to work in the morning hours and never put ourselves in the role of those who came at the last hour. Those who put themselves in the role of the servants in the last hour would definitely have different feelings. They would be filled with great love and gratitude at the generosity of the landowner.

The landowner himself makes certain statements at the end of the story which bring out God’s idea on salvation.

God is purely generous and there is no tit for tat in his dealings with human beings. He is always willing to offer everyone the abundance of his love. He is not dealing with us according to our merits. We are all given gifts and talents. We are given the opportunities of service. What is important is that God will never turn us away when we respond to his call.

However wanton and sinful we are, we may receive his call at unexpected moments in our lives. It is ours to respond to that call. It is ours to say, “Lord, I am ready.” Like the laborer at the end of the day who got the same wages, we too would become the recipients of God’s love when we respond to the call.

It is not our sins that are important but our response to God’s love. When we respond to him and return to him, there is no limit to the love that He would lavish upon us.

This is also a parable that tells the Israelites that even though they were the chosen people, salvation was not their birthright by race. It is open to all. The gentile nations who would accept the call will become recipients of God’s love before them, if they were to refuse to heed God’s call to repentance and regeneration.

The parable tells every sinner that there is hope for him at any stage in his life. He can return to God at any moment in his life. There is no need of despair.

“The parable teaches that goodness and mercy of God go far beyond human standards of justice. There is nothing unjust about God and we should never presume to judge him…Our natural attitude should be one of generosity….Rather than judging God, we should accept his gifts and thank him for having chosen to involve us in his plan of salvation .”(Navarre Edition)

“The important thing in this life is not what other people think of us or how hard we work in God’s vineyard. The important thing is what God thinks of us, and the love that motivates our work.”(Fr.Link S.J.)

Jesus makes it clear that human considerations have no place in the kingdom of God. The more one is united with God, the more one experiences the abundance and generosity of God. Envy, competition, jealousy, superiority or inferiority has no place in a world that is permeated with love, peace and joy.

When one becomes part of the kingdom of heaven, one does not feel burdened by earthly values of being the first or the last. These considerations disappear in the vast ocean of love and happiness that one enjoys in heaven.

Jesus through this parable reminds us that we will never be out of his favor. People may misunderstand us or our superiors may not give us due consideration. Others may override us. But God will not forsake us. That is enough for us. It is what we are in the eyes of God and not in the eyes of men that is important.

How consoling it is to know that at any time in one’s life one can come back to the Lord and experience the joy of eternal salvation. Even in the evening of ones’ life, on one’s deathbed, one can experience of joy of conversion as well as of salvation.

“Deeds of merit as we thought them,

He will show us but sin;

Little acts we had forgotten,

He will show us were for Him.”

Cardinal Newman’s prayer is worth mentioning:

“God has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission---I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next….therefore, I will trust Him. He does nothing in vain.”

As parents, teachers and administrators, we are given various tasks to perform in this life. Without looking for favor or special consideration, let us commit ourselves to the tasks entrusted to us. Let us not compare ourselves with others in the discharge of our duties. The only consideration that should motivate us is that we are working in the vineyard of the Lord.

Elia,6thS,Oct.3,10

lia 6^th S,Oct.3,10

(Mt.18:1-9)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about humility as the bedrock of our salvation. He demonstrated the nature and the depth of humility by bringing a child near him and telling his disciples to become like the child in its attitudes and behavior. The disciples were looking for positions of authority and dominance. Instead, Jesus offered them opportunities for service and assistance.

St. Augustine very beautifully summarized the teaching of Jesus in the following words: “If you ask me what is the essential thing in the religion and the discipline of Jesus Christ, I shall reply : first, humility; second, humility, and third, humility.”

Those words of Augustine show how fundamental is the virtue of humility for a disciple of Christ.

Without humbling ourselves like a child in our trust and dependence on God, we will never be able to experience God in our lives. If we are puffed up with our ego and are fully inebriated with the spirit of our talents and accomplishments, we will not be able to experience the joy and peace that come from our dependence on God.

The disciples were bothered with the question of the notion of greatness. They saw Jesus as a great and powerful liberator. They entertained in their hearts some vague notions of becoming prominent citizens in the new society that Jesus would bring into existence. In their fantasies, they thought that they would get the kind of prominence at present being enjoyed by the Pharisees and Scribes in their society. So they approached Jesus with the question to find out who would be the greatest in this new kingdom that Jesus would usher in.

The reply was staggering as well as beyond belief. Only those who are helpless, dependant, trusting and simple like children are the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.

He reversed the whole order of values in the secular society. Those who exercised power over people would not be the greatest, instead, humble persons doing all kinds of menial work and service to people would be the greatest. The greatest would not be found in the majestic halls of palaces and cities but in humble cottages and villages.

Jesus also explained to them the right ideas of leadership. Leadership should be exercised for the betterment of people, to make them more attached to God and to deepen their love and trust in God. No one should lead others to sin.

Jesus reserves his harshest rebuke for those who create scandals and are responsible for leading others to sin. Sin is the greatest act of betrayal against God and would involve the forfeiture of heaven. It would be better for us go without worldly conveniences than to lose heaven.

Jesus points out very vehemently that it would be worth taking any amount of sacrifices to preserve our access to heavenly bliss. Even the sacrifice of our body is worth taking if it would secure our eternal salvation. Our earthly travails and agonies are nothing compared with the loss of eternal life. Hence Jesus reminds us not to be a cause for any one to betray his trust and faith in God. It would be better for us to be punished severely than to make a little one to lose his faith in God. Just like a shepherd who goes in search of the one single sheep that has wandered off from the group and then becomes overjoyed in finding it, so too God would come in search of his lost ones and would become overjoyed at their return.

“ We should never give up on anyone who is lost, nor despair of finding them; we should not abandon them to trials and tribulations, nor fail to help them. Rather, we should try to help them to return to the right path if they wander off, welcome them on their return, and rejoice when all those who live righteous and pious lives are gathered together.”(St .Asterius of Amasea)

Let us try hard to remain faithful to the Lord and avoid paths of sin and estrangement. Jesus is our hope and salvation.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart…See if my steps are going astray, and lead me in your eternal way.”(Ps.139)

The Canaanite Woman,Elia,5th S,Sept.26,10

The Canaanite Woman,Elia,5^th S,Sept.26,10

(Mt.15:21-228)

Today’s Gospel presents before us a woman of extraordinary faith and commitment. The Canaanite woman is an authentic exemplar of the faith that Jesus always speaks about. She is unwavering and persistent. She is committed and absolutely trusting. She entertains no doubts or vacillations in her mind about the divine power of Jesus. It is with this confidence that she approaches Jesus. She is the right model for us in our spiritual journey.

Tyre and Sidon are towns that bordered Galilee and are now in the modern state of Lebanon.

Jesus might have withdrawn into these non-Jewish territories to avoid temporarily the oppressive regime of Herod Antipas who was ruling Galilee at that time.

Sidon was one of the sons of Canaan and hence, it was natural that his descendants who lived in this region were called Canaanites..

It was while Jesus was in this region that he was approached by this Canaanite woman. She was sure that Jesus could do the miracle she was looking for .She was helpless and was inconsolably in anguish because of what was happening in her daughter’s life. Her daughter was tormented by the Satan. No cure existed for the torment. Only divine intervention could cure her daughter. When she heard that Jesus was passing by her town, she rushed towards Him and shouted at the top of her voice to attract His attention. The disciples did not have the sensitivity to feel her pain and wanted to drive her away. But she knew that this was the most opportune moment in her life for the cure .From her standing position on the way side, we see her falling on her knees before Jesus and pestering Him with her request. A mother’s anguish knows no bounds. She was not asking anything for herself but only for her daughter.

In spite of the first apparent refusal of Jesus to come to her aid, she persisted in her request: “Lord , help me.” Jesus again tested the fiber of her faith by telling her that it was not proper on his part to give the benefits of salvation to the non-Jews before offering them to the Jews. Using the same metaphors that Jesus used, she responded that He would not be denying anything that was due to the Jews by saying that the puppies below the table were fed by the crumbs that fell from the table. She asserted that she was not asking for the bread at all. She would be satisfied with the crumbs that would fall from the table.

Jesus was using the occasion to test the power of her faith. This was a lesson to the disciples. The disciples, in spite of their closeness to Jesus, never felt deep in their hearts the divine power and strength of Jesus. She not only got what she wanted but she received some of the choicest words of praise that Jesus ever lavished upon any one. Who would not get thrilled at hearing those words from the Son of God: “O woman, great is your faith. Be it done for you as you desire.”?

What we see here is a great faith- filled request and the response it gets from Jesus. This is the type of faith that should be reflected in our lives. We should never desist from our prayer life nor withdraw from our attachment to the Lord just because we don’t see the results immediately. We have to go one asking Jesus to come to our assistance when we face hardships and challenges in life. We should never be afraid. Like her, confronting all obstacles, and hardships, we should remain closer to Jesus.

The disciples could not drive her away. Nor should the obstacles and hurdles dive us away from Jesus.

The following words of St. John Vianney are very appropriate on this occasion: “We often find that our Lord does not grant us what we ask for immediately; he delays meeting our request so that our desire might increase in ardor, so that we might better appreciate the values of what we ask for .It is not a refusal but a test that prepares us to receive more abundantly what we desire.”

Another important lesson is that no body is outside the mercy and compassion of Jesus. The Canaanite woman is every one of us who is a sinner. Jesus will never abandon us because we are unworthy and sinful. Our persistent cry towards him will definitely bring about forgiveness and mercy and we would be forgiven and liberated from the oppression of sins in our life.

The life and faith of the Canaanite woman reveal to each one of us that the great door of mercy is open for all of us, struggling in this world with the baggage of sins.

Elia 4th S,Sept.19,10

Elia 4^th S,Sept.19,10

(Mt.17:14-27)

In today’s Gospel, we find Jesus curing a boy of epilepsy and using the occasion to teach about the power and nature of faith.

A man approached Jesus and begged him to cure his son of the terrible disease of falling into fire and water. He added further that he would not have troubled Jesus had it been possible for the disciples to cure the boy of his sickness. Jesus knew that his disciples lacked the faith to do the miracle as they had doubts in their minds whether they could do this cure in spite of their closeness to Jesus.

They did not grasp the implications of being the disciples of Jesus. They should have believed that they could bring about this cure because of their closeness to Jesus. As they failed to cure the boy of the disease, Jesus himself cured the boy and then used the occasion to make the disciples aware of the power of their faith. If the tiny mustard seed could sprout into a large bush, so too their faith in Jesus could be mightier and they would be able to do miracles in their lives, however weak and fragile they were. It is not their social place in the human society that is important but their closeness to Jesus is what matters.

Faith involves absolute trust in the providence of God. It involves total commitment to the person of Jesus Christ. As the late Holy Father John Paul has said often, faith is not just a summary of doctrines but the acceptance of person of Jesus Christ in our lives. We find such solid examples of faith in the lives of ancient Patriarchs and prophets like Abraham and Moses. They believed in the power of God and they knew they could do miracles through their attachment to God.

It is Jesus who does miracles through our lives. We know that He will never forsake us and that He will do what we ask of Him. The child has no doubts about his father’s power. The child thinks that his father can do everything for him. The trust is absolute. There is no wavering or doubt in the child’s mind about his father’s power and strength. It is that type of total trust that Jesus wants from his disciples. Often, caught in the daily struggles of life, we lose sight of the presence of the providence of God in our lives. We doubt and vacillate and thus we miss the joy and peace that come from the presence of God in our lives.

What is important is not to lose sight of this faith in Jesus. Whatever may be the challenges, hardships or disasters we face in life, we should know deep down in our hearts that our Lord will never abandon us and He will always walk with us in our pilgrimage on earth.

It is this adamant and constantly persevering trust in the power and providence of God that Jesus demands from us in our lives. However hard and harsh the realities of life we face in our life, we know that Jesus will be waiting with His outstretched arms to receive us in His loving arms at the end of the road.

Thomas Merton has expressed this idea very beautifully in his book “Thoughts in Solitude.”: “If I trust You, everything else will become, for me strength, health and support. Everything will bring me to heaven. If I do not trust You, everything will be my destruction.”

May the words of Jesus that we heard today on the power of faith increase our trust and confidence in the power of His presence in our lives and give us the confidence to face the challenges and difficulties of life with peace and joy in our hearts.

Sermon on the Mount,Elia 3rd S,Sept.12,10

Sermon on the Mount, Elia 3^rd S,Sept.12,10.

(Mt.5:1-11)

Archbishop Sheen in his book “ The Life of Christ” mentions that the moment Jesus gave the sermon on the mount, the shadow of the cross fell on him because the spirit of the Beatitudes was contrary to the spirit of the world. Jesus is giving, in today’s Gospel, a route map to the happiness of life that is contrary to what the world is offering.

The words from the Sermon on the Mount are words of great comfort and joy to all those who live according to the will of God.

The first eight deal with the attitudes the follower of Christ should have towards the world while the ninth deals with those who suffer for their faith in Christ.

When we are buffeted by the hardships of life, when we are afflicted with sickness or diseases, and when we are confronted with failures and disasters in life, we wonder whether we are condemned or punished. We often think in those instances that we are not the ones who are blessed by the grace of God. Poverty, humility, suffering, hungering for justice, establishing peace where there is discord, and being open to holiness are not considered very valuable in the eyes of the world that looks with admiration at those who have power and wealth.

But, Jesus preaches a different set of values for us to follow. It is in suffering, poverty, peace and in reconciliation that God comes to our life.

To all those who pursue a way of life that is in conformity to the spirit of the Gospel, Jesus announces that they are blessed and are favored in the eyes of God.

Today as we listen to the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, let us reorient our vision of life and follow a road map to happiness that consists in submission to the will of God.

What matters is not what we have but how much we are willing to give. When we are humble and poor, we become rich. When we help others and work for peace and justice, we become the children of God. When our hearts avoid the attractions and the lure of the world, our vision becomes God-oriented.

It is in the silence and anonymity of our lives that we reach the heights of happiness. We don’t have to be worried any more whether we are appreciated and admired by the world. We don’t have to pay any attention to the praise and applause from the crowd. The derision of the world does not matter. What is important is whether we are leading our lives in true attachment to our Lord.

The Sermon on the Mount, hence, is a source of great inspiration and power in our lives. It offers us confidence and strength to lead our lives in the right direction. What Jesus reminds us every day is not to pay attention to the glamor and glory that world offers but to pay close heed to His voice in our heart.

Parable of the Sower,Elia 2ndS,Sept.5,10

The Parable of the Sower, Elia 2^nd S,Sept.5,10

( Mt.13:1-9)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about the disposition of the human heart and its response to the word of God through the parable of the sower. This parable is a magnificent explanation of the varied responses of the human heart to the message of God that has come through Jesus Christ.

The response to the message of God from people is similar to the response to the seeds by the earth. If the earth is fertile and receptive to the growth of the seeds, then the yield would be plenty. But if the earth is barren ,rocky or filled with brambles, then the yield would be scanty. Jesus reminds his listeners that their hearts should be receptive and unprejudiced in order that the word of God may do wonders in their hearts.

This is true in our lives too. If our hearts are clouded with anxieties and worries and not dependent on the providence of God, we will never be able to experience the peace and joy that Christ offers us through his words. When we open the Bible, we listen to so many sayings of Jesus offering us comfort and hope. He asks us not to be worried and to look at the birds of the air and lilies of the field in order to experience the power and strength of the providence of God. But we, often, do not listen to the inner meaning of those words. We don’t allow those words to touch the depths of our hearts.

This parable reminds us that not only we should make our hearts ready to receive the word of God, we should also be sowers of God’s word. Our kind words, our generous actions, our compassion and mercy will make people more ready to receive the word of God.

We should never despair of the lack of impact of the message of God. The word of God has its power to penetrate the obduracy of the human heart. It will make its effect in ways unknown to us. What we have to do is to sow them, make the message available to people and live by it.

Just as yesterday’s rain and sunshine have produced the greenery of the earth , so too our good actions and words would produce their effects in the hearts of people in ways unknown to us.

The parable is a challenge to each one of us to make ourselves more receptive to the word of God. We have to allow it to make changes in our lives. We have to listen to it, meditate on it and make ourselves submissive to it. Then the peace and joy Jesus offers us through his words will become ours.

We should never miss opportunities to become the sowers of the word of God. We have to spread the message of Jesus. The words of Jesus should be proclaimed through our words and actions. There will be hearts around us that will be receptive. The harvest would then be plenty. Peace and joy will flourish in the hearts of people.

St. Francis of Assissi speaks of the need of preaching though our very life: “It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”

Mother Teresa to speaks in the same vein: “We shall never know all the good that a smile can do….We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.”

We shall remove from our hearts all those that impede the growth of the word of God like envy, arrogance and lack of forgiveness and create an attitude that is open to the will of God .

Zacchaeus,Elia 1st S,Aug.29,10

Zacchaeus, Elia 1^st S,Aug.29,10

(Lk.19:1-10)

In today’s Gospel, we read about a very moving encounter between Jesus and a notorious tax collector. Zacchaeus was hated by his people because of the work he did and because of the way he did it. Not only that he worked for the Roman colonizers but also collected exorbitant taxes. He was fattening himself at the expense of his countrymen. There was a great feeling of hostility towards him.

It was at such a moment in his life that he heard about Jesus and his journey through his village. There was the grace of God working in his heart. He wanted acutely to see Jesus. He forgot all about the feelings people had about him. He knew this was the moment. He did not want to lose the occasion nor wait for another day. As he was short of stature, he climbed a sycamore tree to get a good view of Jesus.

Seeing Jesus would fill his heart. It is not money that was going to fill his heart any more. This vision of Jesus would be more precious to him than any of the taxes he would collect in his life. He saw Jesus and saw him to his heart’s delight. He heard His words and saw His interactions with His disciples. He felt an indescribable joy flooding his heart. He knew that this moment would change his life. All of a sudden he saw Jesus looking up to him and heard Jesus calling out his name: “Hurry down , Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”

We can never fathom the feelings of joy and excitement that ran through his heart. Jesus was going to stay with a man hated by the people of his time! It seemed to be an unbelievable moment for the disciples and on-lookers. The Prophet, the Son of God, the one who was never thought to be associating with sinners was going to spend a day with a person considered a sinner and an object of contempt and derision by the people of his time. But it was happening before their eyes. The most holy person and the most sinful person were going to spend the day together.

But change had happened in the heart of Zacchaeus the moment his eyes were laid on Jesus. The desire to see Jesus already transformed his heart. His heart began to melt. He was willing to sacrifice everything to see Jesus. He did not mind mixing with the crowd or hearing their derisive whispers provided he would get a moment to spend with Jesus. The meaning of his name was “righteous.” Until the moment he saw Jesus, he was unrighteous. The vision of Jesus changed him drastically. He began to lead a life true to the meaning of his name.

H did not ask for any great favor. He did not ask Jesus to spend even a moment with him. He just wanted to see Jesus. That vision was anything more than he wished in his life. That vision of Jesus was more than the value of all the wealth he accumulated in his life. Things were happening very fast in his life. Money and wealth all lost its sheen and glamour for him. What was more important was to be a follower of Jesus, to be a recipient of his love. He announced forthwith that he would give a fourfold restitution of all the property that he acquired by evil means. He would give half of his property to the poor. The response of Jesus was magnificent and beautiful to this great change happening in the life of this public sinner: “Salvation has come to this house.”

It is the desire to see Jesus and to experience his presence that changed the life of Zacchaeus. Our desire for Jesus would change the nature and direction of our lives. We have to desire for the presence of Jesus in our heart as he did. Everything else in life should become secondary to the presence of Jesus in our heart. What often happens is that we never allow Jesus to transform our lives. Jesus is kept on the periphery of our lives. The moment he takes possession of our heart, transformation would happen in our lives. Our arrogance, selfishness and hardheartedness would disappear once we surrender ourselves to Jesus.

This encounter should also remind us that however unworthy we are, Jesus would not abandon us. We may think that because of our sins we won’t be considered worthy of the love of Jesus. No one is out of the ken of the providence, the compassion and the love of Jesus. We are all under his protection and love. Our unworthiness makes us more worthy of His love and compassion. That is the most consoling thought we get from this encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus: “ The son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”

As Archbishop Sheen has remarked in his book “The Eternal Galilean”: “For only those who walk in darkness can ever see the stars.” Our unworthiness opens our hearts to the flow of divine grace. May the Lord who came to spend a day with Zacchaeus stay always in our hearts and help us to be reflect His love in our dealings with others.

Kaitha,7thS,Aug.22,10

Kaitha,7^th Sunday,Aug.22,10

(Lk.18:1-8)

Thomas Merton, one of the foremost spiritual writers in America wrote: “By reading the Scriptures, I am so renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me. The sky seems to be pure, a cooler blue, the trees a deeper green. The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet.” These words of Thomas Merton actually describe the disposition of every one who is rooted in prayer and whose heart is at peace with himself and God.

Prayer is our life- line to God, the source of our hope and dreams. A life devoted to prayer keeps us sober and sane and enables us to face the challenges of life with great equanimity of mind. We are at every moment of our life aware of the abiding presence of the Lord who loves us and cares about us. We live in a mind-set up that is secure and anxiety-free because we know the Lord will not abandon us. Our cries to him in the loneliness of our hearts and in the darkest moments of our lives will not go unanswered.

It is about prayer that Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel. We often wonder about the methods and contents of prayers. We ask ourselves: “Am I praying properly? What is lacking in my prayer life? Will God be happy with the way we pray? Am I consistent my prayers?” We look for answers in the lives of saints and holy people. We run after preachers for more ideas about prayer or to deepen our prayer life.

Wee, here in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us all that we should know about prayer.

In the first parable, through the attitude of the corrupt judge Jesus lets us know that we should not cease from praying just because we did not get the response immediately .We should be knocking at the doors of heaven unceasingly. The corrupt judge who is not interested in dispensing Justice is forced to respond to the cries of the woman because e of her insistence. If a corrupt, fragile, weak and criminally-lazy can respond to the requests of a poor woman, how much more would the response of God who loves us when we approach him with our cries and requests. God will never abandon us. Whatever may be requests, we should place them before Him and ask Him unceasingly for a solution or for a response. He would respond to us. It is to the heart of a Father that we send our requests.

Through the parable of the Pharisee and the publican Jesus lays bare the attitudes and the dispositions needed for a good relationship with God. When we are before God, we should realize our littleness, our fragility and our nothingness. Before the august majesty of God, before his immeasurable goodness, we are puny, little beings, having no worth of our own. We are what we are by the pure graciousness of God. We should not stand before God in a mood of self-satisfaction. All our good acts are not the tickets to buy rewards from God. Our smugness and our being satisfied with our own selfish acts are self-defeating. We become hypocritical and filled selfishness when we try to narrate the good acts of life to earn the graces OF God. We can never stand anywhere near God .Our good acts and pious devotions should not make us think that we deserve to be praised and rewarded by God .It is our humility and repentance that count before God.

Today as listen to these words of Jesus on prayer, let us offer our hearts to Him in pure gratitude and thank Him for all the blessings we have received in our lives.We shall ask Him to bless us with His continued protection.