Narrow Gate (Lk 13:22-30)

While the world think of broadening the paths, Jesus emphasis on the narrow path as the way to salvation. There is always in front of us these two paths to select. How far we are the disciples of Jesus depends on the path that we select in our lives.

The key words of the narrow path of Jesus would be responsibility and dedication. Responsibility and dedication always call for sacrifice. For example a mother becomes a responsible mother when she sacrifices her comforts for her children and husband. A father becomes a responsible father when he dedicates his life for the family setting aside his comforts.

The perfect example of responsibility and dedication is Jesus himself. To fulfill his responsibility that was entrusted by heavenly Father he sacrificed his life on the cross. Let us be responsible followers of Christ and enter into the kingdom of God.

30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, The parable of Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14)

Introduction

- Jesus Prayer “Jesus, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner”.

- It is a prayer that existed from 5^th century onwards. The writings of the church fathers prove that. They used it for their spiritual growth.

- It is used by the desert fathers for their contemplation.

- It is a simple way of lifting our heart to God.

- It is a response to the preaching of St. Paul to pray continuously.

Content

- There are three important elements of the prayer that is shown in the parable

1. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior

o It is the first part of Jesus prayer “Jesus, Son of God”

o If the most powerful God is with me why should I fear?

o It is a profession of our faith in Lord Jesus.

2. Accepting our limitations with a humble heart

o The second part of Jesus Prayer “Have mercy on me a sinner”.

o The tax collector accepted his sinful status with a humble heart.

o The Pharisee was not ready to be humble but was proud.

o We have nothing to boast in front of God, because we all are sinners.

3. Stop comparison

o The mentality that “I am better” will ruin our spiritual growth.

o Story - An elderly lady was well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. She would stand on her front porch and shout "PRAISE THE LORD!" Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, "There ain't no Lord!" Hard times set in on the elderly lady, and she prayed for GOD to send her some assistance. She stood on her porch and shouted "PRAISE THE LORD. GOD I NEED FOOD! I AM HAVING A HARD TIME. PLEASE LORD, SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!" The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD." The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, "Aha! I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries, God didn't."
The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and said, "PRAISE THE LORD. He not only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them. Praise the Lord!"

o We sometimes compare with others and complain to God, “I am regular to my prayer and still why it happened to me. Those who are not at all praying lives happily”

Conclusion

- Let us pray constantly to the Lord by repeating the Jesus Prayer – when we rest, travel, relax or go to sleep.

- Let us pray with confidence in the Lord Jesus, with humble heart and without any comparison.

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time – World Mission Sunday

Mission Sunday

Introduction

- The story of the reception of Jesus in Heaven - A story was told about the grand welcome ceremony that was held when Jesus ascended into heaven. Immediately after the rite, a worried angel Gabriel approached Jesus to ask this question- “I know that only very few in Palestine are aware of the great work of human salvation you have accomplished through your suffering, death and resurrection. But the whole world should know and appreciate it and become your disciples, acknowledging you as their Lord and Savior. What is your plan of action?” Jesus answered, “I have told all my apostles to tell other people about me and preach my message through their lives. That’s all.” Not satisfied with the answer, the angel continued, “Suppose they don’t do that. What’s your Plan B?” Jesus replied, “I have no other plan; I am counting on them.” (S.D. Gordon)

- If somebody ask Jesus the same question/doubt, Jesus would point to us, say our names and say, they are the ones who are interested with the mission and “I am counting on them”

- The entire Universal Church has been observing the so-called ‘World Mission Sunday’ every 3^rd Sunday of October since it was decreed by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

Content

I. Missio Dei (Mission of God)

o Mission comes from Triune God

o Triune God is the example of perfect love, perfect knowledge and perfect Unity

o The Love of Trinity is not exclusive but inclusive in nature. We are called to participate in that love.

II. Missio Ecclesiae (Mission of the church)

o Church exists for the mission.

o The mission for the Church is like the engine for a car.

o Church participate the Triune mission – to spread the love of God to the world.

o It should be the channel of God’s Love

III. Missio Christiani (Mission of a Christian).

o Every Christian participates in the Love of God through Church.

o Some are specially called to be sent to faraway places, but most of us are called to be a missionary in our own places.

Conclusion

- Therefore our duties are of three;

1. Participate in the love of God that is shown through Jesus Christ – Forgiving love.

2. Share and defend our faith among others.

3. Help the missionary efforts materially and spiritually

Woe to the Pharisees and Scholars of the Law (Lk 11:42-46)

‘Attention to the details’ is a common phrase we use in managing a situation. When we organize something we always see to the minute points so that everything will be fine and perfect. But attention to the details by forgetting the center is dangerous. That was the mistake of Pharisees and Scholars.

Once a party was prepared to celebrate the first birth day of a baby. The parents booked a hall in an expensive hotel and looked all the minute things so that the celebration would be a marvelous one. The moment of cutting the cake arrived and everybody was searching for the baby. Suddenly the parents realized that the baby is still in their home with the servants. Nobody was entrusted to bring the baby to the ceremony. They missed the center of celebration.

Pharisees were observing all the laws and regulations but missed the center that is ‘love of God and neighbor’. They were very strict in observing prayers, Sabbath, the law of tithes etc, but forgot the purpose of all that.

We do lot of piety and spiritual exercises. Let us not forget the center of all our activity that is to increase our faith in God. The true faith should guide us to surrender ourselves fully to the Will of God. Let us not miss the center.

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time – The Cleansing of Ten Lepers (Lk 17:11-19)

The Cleansing of Ten Lepers (Lk 17:11-19)

Introduction

- Story in heaven – There was once a man who died and went straight up to heaven. On his orientation day, he was toured around heaven by St. Peter. He noticed a noisy room fully packed with busy angels frantically doing many different things. St. Peter told him that this is the office where heaven processes prayer intentions that come from the earth. Then he saw another room which was so silent and there were few idle angels doing almost nothing. St. Peter told him that this is the room where heaven receives prayer of gratitude from the earth! As always, prayers of requests significantly outnumber prayers of gratitude!

- We pray every day for our intentions of life but seldom the prayer of thanks giving for the gifts that we have received in our life.

Content

- The incident of cleansing of ten lepers can be divided in to five parts for better understanding.

1. They cried out

o The situation of lepers at the time of Jesus – they had physical suffering from the sickness and psychological suffering from the separateness from their dear and near ones.

o They were alienated from the main society.

o They had the desire to be reunited with their dear and near ones.

2. Jesus heard their cry

o Jesus is compassionate always.

o Jesus interfere in the life of those who cry out to him

o They might have heard of the strength of Jesus Christ and had a deep faith in His saving power.

3. They went according to the instruction of Jesus

o Though they were not yet received the cure, they obeyed Jesus.

o It shows their faith in Jesus’ word.

o They went to Jerusalem to show themselves to the priests to get clearance certificate to reunite in to the main stream of the community.

4. One among them returned

o The return on was Samaritan. The Jewish lepers must be busy with the rituals and customs of the temple.

o The Samaritan gave first preference to thank Jesus though he might have had a strong feeling to meet his dear and near ones.

o He came to Jesus and surrendered himself at His feet.

5. Jesus sent him

o Jesus did not hold him back, instead sent him back.

o It is a ‘sending’, to proclaim what he had experience to his fellow brethren

o It is call to lead a life of thanks giving by sharing the miracles of God with other.

Conclusion

- We also undergo though these steps in our life. We often finish our prayer with the step 3. During helplessness we cry out to Jesus. Jesus hears our prayer and guides us in proper way. But we seldom surrender at His feet in thanks giving.

- Holy Eucharist is a prayer of thanks giving.

- Let us be the people of thanks giving.

True Blessedness (Lk 11:27-28)

October is a month specially dedicated for devotion to Holy Rosary. We pray in every Hail Mary the words from gospel blessed are you among women saluting our Mother. The blessedness of Mary comes from the fact that she is the mother of our Savior. Jesus contributes another blessedness of Mamma Mary since she ‘heard the word of God and observed it’.

According to Jesus we also have a chance to be blessed. The way Mamma Mary showed through her life. Jesus came to the world to fulfill that phrase, to hear and obey God. Through obedience Jesus saved us. Hear and observe God is the sum total of our faith. It is the response to the love of God shown towards us. It has to guide us to a total surrender as Mary prayed ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord….. Let it be done according to thy will’.

Distractions - Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38-42)

Distraction is a common word that we use to show the deviation of attention from the object of concentration. We may have distraction in class rooms, in chapel, in family life, in our relations etc. Today’s gospel tells us about tow of the main distractions in our spiritual life. They are anxiety and worry.

Martha had anxiety and worry about the preparations to welcome Jesus. Since she was the eldest in the family it was her duty to look after the household and manage all the things in their house. According to their custom the eldest female was the one who inherited the house after the death of the parents. Therefore it was natural that Martha was concerned with so many things. But Jesus appreciates Mary for having no worries and tensions but just sitting at the feet of Jesus and listen to the word of God.

Is it possible to live with our worries? It is not. Worries and anxieties make human beings come out with their best especially in crisis and difficult situations. So what did Jesus mean? If our worries and anxieties close our eyes and ears to the word of God then we are on wrong track. As Jesus mentioned in the parable of seed and the sawyer, some seeds fell on the thorny ground and it could not grow properly because of thorns. The thorns are the anxieties and worries of ours that blocks us from the word of God.

Though we have so many worries and anxieties let us spend some time everyday in the presence of the Lord by listening to him. He will show us the way to face the realities of our life more efficiently.

27th Sunday of Ordinary Times – Faith and Attitude of Servant (Lk 17:5-10)

Introduction

- The story of physically handicapped boy. He came to the school on the first day of the school year. As an orientation and to boost the confidence of the children, the teacher told the children to share their strengths and positive qualities that they have with their class mates. One of them told “I am a good singer and I am practicing under a great singer also”. Another told that he is a karate student and practicing under a great karate practioner. Many students told their strengths in different fields. Now it was the chance of the physically handicapped boy who was affected by polio in his earlier years and was walking with the help of walking stick. He said “I am the son of God. My father provides me everything I need. I am so strong with my Father”.

- Faith is the conviction that “I am the son of God and with Him everything is possible”.

Content

- Let us see the stages of faith

1. Knowing “Faith”

o In every human being there is a spiritual hunger that should be quenched. It is because we are also spiritual being.

o We study from our parents the basic lessons of Faith, by observing and imitating them. From them and our elders we knew what faith is.

2. Having “Faith”

o Story from the life history of Isaac Newton - One time an atheist friend of Isaac Newton came over and saw his scale model of the solar system that Newton had. He remarked at how beautiful it was and asked who made it. Newton nonchalantly replied that no one did; it just made itself. The atheist asked again, got the same answer, and started to get angry. Newton replied, “if you cannot believe something as simple as this model cannot make itself, how can you believe the universe made themselves?”

o No faith does not mean that there is a lack of knowledge, rather there is a lack of Grace of God. He/she is closed to the spring of Grace as if a class is put upside down and pouring water.

3. Living “Faith”

o In this stage we stand for the faith and live in Christ. Here nothing is impossible for us since we move in the post powerful God. The miracles and healing happen with the intercession of these people.

o At this stage what should be our mentality? It is clear from the second part of the gospel. It should be like the servant who says I just did what I was ought to do.

o It is similar to Nishkamakarma of Sanskrit – Do your duty without expecting anything in return. We do everything with the expectation of getting something in return. Even people love thinking that they will get other’s love.

Conclusion

- We often struck in the second state. We pray with faith but it does not resemble in our daily lives. The lack of faith is clear from our over worries and tensions in our daily lives.

Let us pray “deliver us Lord from every unnecessary worries and anxieties”, because we are with the Most Powerful God.