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.
Monday, March 16, 2009
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.
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.
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.
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