Wednesday, March 25, 2009

STEPS TO FOLLOW HIS STEP

STEPS TO FOLLOW HIS STEP


Ordinary people like our selves who are conscious of the conditions of employment must surely be excused for questioning the wisdom of the two sets of brothers, Peter and Andrew. James and John, in leaving their nets to follow Christ. The invitation is direct and simple, ’Come, follow me’ with no hint as to where they are going or what is in store for them. Nothing is promised. There is no suggestion of any hesitation or regret on their part at letting go or leaving their boats behind. Only one-thing matters - follow Christ and become fishers of men. This encounter between Jesus and the apostles takes place during the first moment of his ministry and reflects the humble origins of the church. Ordinary people with no special training are called to the extra ordinary task of bringing the knowledge and love of God to the whole world. God chooses the weak of the world to confront the strong and simple to confound to the wise.
The mission of preaching and healing, which Jesus began in Galilee, is now responsibility of the church. The call of apostles is still the model of discipleship and in our generation we have both the privilege and obligation to accept his invitation. As followers of Christ we are called to be servants of God and to struggle to the task of enlarging the church by spreading the good news of the kingdom. This is not possible unless we have begun living the new live we have received at baptism. There is no such person as an instant Christian because coming to faith is a gradual process and a life-long struggle, which each generation must learn anew. It involves all the ups and downs of turning aside from a life of sin and self-centered existence to one of obedience to God’s call. We begin by getting to know Christ who enables us to cut through the darkness of fear and prejudice, which our sins have caused. In order to grow and resolve the tensions within ourselves we need constant light that grows brighter as we become more familiar with the gospel.
Right now we stand at a point opportunity, Christ alone gives life and hope and we should not be sidetracked in the work of our conversion by earthly pursuits. We are the hands of God. Men and women like us in every walk of life who put their spiritual welfare of the community before selfishness in every day things release the power of God upon the world.

Monday, March 16, 2009

WAYS TO ACQUIRE THE POWER OF GOODNESS

WAYS TO ACQUIRE THE POWER OF GOODNESS

On hearing the death of John the Baptist, Jesus was deeply upset and in need of finding a quiet place he could share his grief with the apostles. However, when he stepped ashore there were thousands waiting to reach out and touch him and they were not disappointed. He began teaching and nourishing them in mind and heart and finally towards evening, when they had been without food for a long time, he satisfied their hunger by working the miracle of the loaves and fishes. It was clearly a miraculous event, a marvelous happening and a pointer to the fact that God, who creates the world, provides us with food and takes care of our every need. The crowd returned to their homes satisfied and spiritually refreshed from the time spent in the company of Jesus.
Here we have a picture of the church as it acts in every age. Jesus did not feed the stranded crowd at the edge of the Sea of Galilee all on his own. He accomplished it with the help of his disciples who were reluctant to accept responsibility for the hungry people. Their first reaction was to send the crowd away to fend for themselves, and let somebody else deal with the problem. Challenged by Jesus to use their own resources, they remembered having five loaves and two fishes which they brought to him. The little they had when placed in the hands of Jesus turned out to be more than enough for all. The five loaves and two fishes are symbols of the power of Goodness, which we all possess. In our own eyes it may seem of little account but it is what the Lord has given us and expects us to use in his service. The gift may be our ability to be good neighbors, a caring listener, to a sorrowing widow or a willing member of a parish or an organization. In whatever way we minister to the needs of others, we show forth the compassion of Christ and extend his friendship. Jesus sets before every one the task of communicating his loves through the qualities they posses.
When we gather around to celebrate the Eucharist by our presence we make an offering of self and show that with the rest of the church we accept the challenge of Jesus to do what we can for the good of others. He receives our gifts in the same manner as he accepted the five loaves and two fishes from the disciples and offering them to the Father, gives them eternal value. On their own our efforts may seem small and insignificant but when placed in God’s hands and fitted into his plans, they become part of the great saving mission of the church and gives a deeper meaning to our lives. The Lord not only invites us here to be nourished at his table but also sends us forth to give as we have received, to forgive as we have been forgiven and to love as we have been loved.

THE UNIVERSAL KING

THE UNIVERSAL KING

Today’s words of wisdom reminds us of the end of time by drawing our attention to the last moments of Christ’s earthly life. He was crucified on the cross between two thieves for claming to be a king, yet the only crown he wore was braided with thorns. Over his head was written, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews. Only his mother Mary, and a few friends were faithful to the last. At the moment of his greatest human agony, he welcomed the repentance of the good thief and gave him the personal assurance and guarantee of eternal life. “Today you will be with me in paradise”.
While earthly kings rule from palaces, Christ the king reigns from the cross. His kingdom is not a place, but a people who give their hearts lovingly to him by shaping their lives according to his will. All that is good and elevated in our human nature flows from Calvary where he became the savoir of the world and won for us a life of eternal joy with God. His death on the cross is our signpost to heaven and the road to be followed if we are to make sense of our lives and open up the vision of a new world.
For those of us who have lost sight of the truth that heaven is our last destination, the feast of Christ the king invites us to start living our lives as Jesus taught us to live them. In all we do, we seek to grow more like Christ. He becomes our king only when we give him our allegiance. In practice we often withhold we often withhold that loyalty. How many of us can truthfully say of family life that “Christ is the head of our house, the unforeseen guest at our every meal, and the silent listener to our every conversation”. To recognize Christ as the king our lives may mean a change of heart, like the good thief, and a more honest approach in our way of living. Decisions may have to be made on our part about abandoning the short cuts we have been taking in our daily dealings with others. Selfishness, hatred and injustice must give way to Christ-like attitudes if we are to follow his message.
The kingship of Christ is made real by allowing God to do his work in us and through us. It is a life-long process involving a daily invitation to conversation. He calls us, who are his subjects, to take his side in the struggle of furthering the growth of his kingdom.

BAPTISM; THE CLEANSING WAY OF INCREASING YOUR GRACE 2

BAPTISM; THE CLEANSING WAY OF INCREASING YOUR GRACE 2

Once more we are reminded of the baptism of our Lord, which was the curtain raiser to his earthly ministry. It began his mission of the gathering all the people into the one family of God and leading them back to his father. Jesus went doing good, touching human lives healing people free them darkness of sin and directing them lives worthy of calling. We too have been chosen to continue this saving work, which Christ began, and to be part of this mission in the world we live in. At the moment of our baptism the seed of God’s life was planted within us. That grace-filled day was but the start of our conversion. It takes a lifetime for that see of God’s love to grow, mature and blossom. The only home for a Christian to live in is Christ and we should settle for nothing less. If we are to enter into this new an exciting experience as members of God’s family we must have a clear idea of what kind of family we are meant to be. To follow the way traced out by Christ, who is our brother, demands a loving personal response on our part. Baptism is dedication of self to the call of Jesus who went about doing well.
This is a time to reflect on the extent to which Christ has penetrated our thoughts and influenced our behavior. We are what we do. How many of us can honestly say we leading lives which are worthy of our baptismal calling? The power of God shines were we least expect it and in the most unlikely places. His spirit will be at work and incredibly active in the depth of our person when we open our hearts to those who have lost their dignity poverty or hard times. We preach not by the world but by the way we live and by the effort we exert to make the world a better place by our presence. The practice of charity and humility spotlights what is wrong with selfishness and arrogance. It exposes evil and shamefulness what they are. The example we display in our everyday activities paves the way for Christ mission. God works through ordinary people like us. As the baptism ceremony states, ‘We are to walk always as children of thee light, keeping the flame of faith burning brightly within our hearts’. Being a disciple of Christ demands outstanding service. It costs no less than everything.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

GUIDELINES TO CURB OUR EARTHLY GREED

GUIDELINES TO CURB OUR EARTHLY GREED

A sobering comment on the worthlessness of working unnecessarily for material possessions is the old saying that there are no pockets in a shroud. Every generation learns, often through bitter experience, that life is brief and entrance into heaven cannot be bought with riches. We leave the world the same way we came into it. So what is the point of hoarding when someone else, who may care nothing about us, will inherit and perhaps waste all we have worked to achieve. The rich fool found this out to his cost because death exposed his real poverty. During his life he behaved as if he was going to live forever. He failed to realize that what counts when we die is not wealth but the person we become in the process of living. Greed cut him off from God and other people. It showed the foolishness of thinking that happiness could be attained without taking God and death into reckoning.
In case we are in the process of switching off, because we think that this gospel applies only to the rich, it’s well to remember that Christ preached this gospel to people who were very poor by our standards. This is the story of the person who spends life without reference to God. Christ is really warning us about going it alone and trying to hold our future in our hands-of wasting time, gloating over possessions and setting ourselves down securely in this life’s comforts. This is a caution about greed and the hold which possession exercise over human heart. Greed and meanness are not confined to the wealthy but the most common of human failings and all of us can become victims of them in our struggle to earn our daily bread. The spell disaster for us as and blind us as to where true values lie. The frustrations, disappointments and incomplete joy that the pursuit of material possessions bring are a reminder that happiness does not come from having what we want, but being content with what we have.
We can overcome the temptation of greed by helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves. What is given to others is not lost but is transformed into a treasure for eternity. In the evening of life we will be measured by the good we have done, Rather than wrap money around our hearts, we are urged to give our money to the poor. In the light of what Jesus says, each of us has some hard thinking to do about our attitude towards possessions. God is at the end of the line waiting for us when life is over.

WAYS TO CLEAN OUR DIRTY LINEN WITH HIS GRACE (BAPTISM)

WAYS TO CLEAN OUR DIRTY LINEN WITH HIS GRACE (BAPTISM)

Once more we are reminded of the baptism of our Lord, which was the curtain raiser to his earthly ministry. It began his mission if gathering all people into the one family of God and leading them back to his father. Jesus went about doing good touching human lives, healing people, freeing them from darkness of sin and directing them to lives worthy of their calling. We too have been chosen to continue this saving work, which Christ began, and to be a part of this mission in the world we live in. At the moment of our baptism the good seed of God’s life was planted within us. That grace-filled day was but the start of our conversion. It takes a lifetime for that seed of God’s love to grow, mature and blossom. The only home for a Christian to live in is Christ and we should settle for nothing less. If we are to enter into this new and exciting experience as members of God’s family we must have a clear idea of what kind of family we are meant to be. To follow the way traced out by Christ, who is our brother, demands a loving personal response on our part. Baptism is a dedication of self to the call of Jesus who went about doing well.
This is a time to reflect on the extent to which Christ has penetrated our thoughts and influenced our Behavior. We are what we do. How many of us can honestly say that we are leading lives which are worthy of our baptismal calling? The power of God shines out where we least expect it and in the most unlikely places. His spirit will be at work and incredibly active in the depth of our person when we open our hearts to those who have lost their dignity through poverty of hard times. We preach not by words only but by the way we live and by the effort we exert to make the world a better place by our presence. The practice of charity and humility spotlights what is wrong with selfishness and arrogance. It exposes evil and sinfulness for what they are. The example we display in our everyday activities paves the way for the Christ in others. Today, we pray for a greater insight into our roles in Christ’s mission. God works through ordinary people like us. As the baptism ceremony states, ’We are to walk always as children of the light, keeping the flame of faith burning brightly within our hearts’. Being a disciple of Christ demands outstanding service. It costs no less than everything.

BAPTISM; THE CLEANSING WAY TO INCREASING YOUR GRACE

BAPTISM; THE CLEANSING WAY TO INCREASING YOUR GRACE

It was certainly an unusual occasion for John the Baptist to be preaching repentance to the people on the banks of the river Jordan, and urging them to prepare a way for the Lord, when Jesus approached him and asked to be baptized. Jesus had no need of baptism as he himself sinless and full of the Holy Spirit from the time he was born. By immersing himself in the waters of Jordan he chose purposely to put himself\f in the side of sinners and to assume the burden of our sins. He came to share our way of life and die that we might live. This first act of public ministry was one of humility and it launched his mission of loving service to the despised, the poor and the spiritually crippled. God put the seal of approval the father upon the work, which he was undertaking because as he came out of the water the heavens echoed with the exclamation, ‘You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.’ This was the outward sin that he was appointed the savoir of the world. He was now ready for a ministry, which would generate divine life in others.
The baptism of our lord generally makes us think of our own baptism. Christ’s baptism was not just an isolated event in his life; it was the beginning of a new era in God’s relationship with mankind and has implications for us all as it affects each of us at the deepest and most personal level. At baptism the spirit of God takes possession of us in a very special way, to direct and guide us in the footsteps of Christ. Baptism unites us with Jesus in the most intimate manner, bringing us to the family of God with the right to call God our father.
Even though, we were baptized when we were a few years old, our baptism is not merely an event of the past; it is an ever-present reality, a constant sharing in the divine life of the Risen Christ. It is a daily invitation to come closer to God and to be helpers in the work of saving the world. We are called to be servant of God in our own sphere of living and to make the world a better place. In our everyday life we may not have the ability to do great things but we have the power to do good things. We are told that Jesus went about doing well. What a beautiful way for us to make a public statement about our faith. Through good works each of us, in our own way, completes the mission, which Christ began after his Baptism. It is a day to ask ourselves if we are being true to the direction in which our lives were pointed at our baptism