Ash Wednesday - Armsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting (Mt 6:1-6, 16-18)

Introduction

- With the Ash Wednesday we being our Lenten season. At this point of the liturgical year, it is good to remember some important things about Lenten season.

o We have 40 days of lent, beginning from today and ends with Holy Thursday – Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

o It is based on the fasting of our Lord Jesus Christ’s fasting for 40 days in desert.

o Usually there will not be any decoration of the alter or the other parts of the chapel with flowers or expensive materials. It reminds us that we should practice simplicity during this season – simplicity in our dressing, make up, food, life style, etc.

o During the masses in the Lenten season, no ‘Gloria’ is said/sung, and the readings are related to the themes of sacrifice, passion, penance etc. It declares that we meditate and participate in the passion and death of our Savior and prepare for the resurrection.

o It is the time to make renewal through confession.

o The formula used for today’s imposition of ashes is ‘turn away from sins and be faithful to the Gospel’ or ‘remember you are dust, and to dust you will return’. It reminds us the call to repent. It is also a reminder that we are pilgrims here on earth and we have to go one day from this world leaving everything behind.

Body – Prayer, Arms giving, and Penance.

- Todays gospel teaches how to live in this Lenten season. The three important things that we have to practice during this season is – prayer, arms giving, and fasting.

- Prayer, arms giving, and fasting were considered to be three pillars of Jewish righteousness. These things were misused very much at the time of Jesus. It became a ‘showy business’, - to please people than God.

- ASH may be explained as the accronim of these three important virtues. A – arms giving, S – sacrifice (fasting), and H – holiness (prayer).

- The mentality behind these three virtues

o Prayer – the one who prays declares that he is fragile and in need of Divine help for his survival. It is the total dependence on God by accepting our limitations.

o Fasting – with our suffering there is no victory. Jesus entered into the joy of resurrection through suffering and death.

o Arms giving – it fosters the mentality that the material things that I have is not mine, but of God’s. I am just a keeper of the material blessings. Therefore it is my duty to distribute among those who are in need as a good steward.

Conclusion

- Let us renew our life through prayer, arms giving, and fasting during this Lenten season, by becoming aware of the real spirit of those things.

- Let us do it with the right intention – no to show to the people but to fulfil the expectation of our heavenly Father. ‘God who see every secret things we do, would reward us’.

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time – (Mk 1:29-39)

Healing Jesus

Introduction

- Today’s gospel may be divided into four parts; Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law, Jesus healed many, he went to pray, he continued his mission.

- After reading today’s gospel reading, the first two parts, a man asked Jesus; “Jesus, you alleviated the sufferings of all those people who came to you. But why are you silent now? All those around me are suffering from different problems and what are you doing for them?” Jesus answered; “I have done a great thing for them. I created you to take care of them”. Again the man said; “Jesus I do not have time and energy to spare for them since I have lot of work to do for myself. I am tired when I am back home. Jesus said; “I too were tired at the end of each day, but look at what I did. Read the gospel passage thoroughly”. The man saw the words that say “rising very early before dawn he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed”. Now he got the answer to his problem, and the way to get the power to work for others.

Content

- ‘Law battery’ is a message that is often shown in the electronic equipments like cell phone and lap tops. It indicates the need to recharge. It is applicable to our lives too. We sometimes feel we lack energy to spend quality time with the partner, children and the dear and near ones.

- The reasons may be – routines, sickness, stress and anxieties, depression, financial worries, over working, bad habits such as smoking, drinking etc.

- The usual tendency of us to re-energize is, to go for a vacation, to go to some tourist places. But even after spending the days in a resort we come back more tired.

- Jesus wishes us to be re-energized every day.

- What should we do to get the energy back? Get connected to Jesus, the source of power. Prayer is the cable that connects us with that power source. Our daily prayer re-energizes us to do the works of His Kingdom in our everyday life.

- Jesus had the habit of praying early morning or late in the evening. That is the time where everything is still and no disturbance. For prayer there should be sufficient calmness and the right ambiance.

Conclusion

- There are different kinds of people in today’s gospel as a model for us;

o ‘Mother-in-law of Simon’ – when she received the blessings she began to serve Jesus and his disciples

o ‘They’ brought them to Jesus (v.32). It the duty of good friends to bring those who are need of healing touch to Jesus that they might experience the Divine.

- Let us be connected to Jesus through our spiritual exercises and serve Him as the mother-in-law of Simon. Let us bring to Him all who are in need of His healing touch.

4th Day of Simbang Gabi – Joseph, the Guardian of the Redeemer

The light of Solidarity

Introduction

- The tragic love story which I witnessed the last year. After one year the girl reflected over the situation and said, “my mother was with me always. Whenever I cried she would embrace me in silence and that gave me consolation and support”.

- The billboard of eternal plans with a photo of a child embracing her father.

- We need somebody to give us consolation and support.

- The one who is always with us who removes our darkness with the divine light is Christ.

Content

- The life of Joseph was in darkness when she heard the news of the pregnancy of Mary. He slept…. but that was not a real sleep. How can he sleep in that difficult situation. He was in solitude of hart in search of an answer. Then he understood the embracing hands of God. He got the answer from the heart of God, “receive Mary” and “name the child Jesus”.

- While embracing we come closer to a person’s heart. Then we listen to what his heart speaks.

- Joseph listened to the heart of God during his time of silence.

- Our God is a God who has chosen to be with us.

o When the Israel was in trouble under Egyptians they felt the solidarity of God with them.

o During the exiles whenever they came back to God and embraced Him, they felt the solidarity of God, by His saving hand.

o God has chosen you and me today.

- While we embrace God we will hear the words of His hart in silence “I am with you”

- That attitude one should have to embrace God and listen to His heart.

o Faith – He is my loving Father.

o Hope – He will solve all my problems and confusions.

o Love – He loves me and His heart beats for me

Conclusion

- God’s solidarity consists in the fact that he enters with us into our sadness and loneliness, misery and agony, problems and troubles, confusions and questions.

- This is the basis of Christian Hope.

- Let us embrace God and listen to His heart with faith, hope and love.

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.

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.

The Transfiguration (Lk 9: 28-36)

Going together for a vacation as a family is an experience that all of us desire for. Once I gave this advice to a father of house, to go for a vacation with the family members. But he told me, “We meet every day in our house and speak. What difference it makes whether we meet in our house or in a tourist place?” For him there is no difference but those who enjoy the vacation in a tourist spot knows the value of it.

Though Jesus and the disciples were praying together Jesus called His closest disciples to a mountain. It was a special moment to understand and experience Jesus the Son of God (as in the tours where the family experiences the warmth of relation more intensively than in their house). After experiencing the Divine the disciples wanted to spend more time on the mountain. But Jesus told them to decent the mountain to the realities of life. For Jesus the realities were – his passion and death.

We need the moments to experience in depth Jesus, the tabor experience. It can be our moments of meditation, personal prayers, a retreat or a pilgrimage. It strengthens us to face the realities of our day to day life.