[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 6th Sunday of Easter
19-May-2014 Dear Friend, To say "I love you!" is easy. To really mean: "I love you!" in the words of Dostoevsky, is "as hard as hell." Part of the explanation for it being hard is that if we love, we don't do what we feel like doing but obey the commands and wishes of our beloved. This applies to our relations with other people and with God. We cannot truly love and remain in love unless we are filled with the Spirit of love, which God promises to those who believe. May His Word challenge us and fill us with hope. Have a Spirit-filled weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: Sixth Sunday of Easter 'The Spirit of love, life and hope!' 25-May-2014 Readings: Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3: 15-18; John 14: 15-21; Today's first reading refers to the life of the early Church after the martyrdom of Stephen and the persecution of the Christians by Saul, because of which the believers were scattered and Philip set off to preach the gospel to the Samaritans. Because of the persecution the gospel was preached to the gentiles and the good news reaches the distant lands. Because of Philip's preaching, many cripples were cured and the people received the Holy Spirit. The response of the Jerusalem Church at the good news in Samaria is to praise God that his Spirit is given to all people, even those outside Jerusalem. God's Spirit knows no boundaries. Believing in the Power On the banks of a river lived a hermit. He sustained his life only on cow's milk which was supplied by an eleven-year old girl, living on the other bank of the river. One day her mother said to her, "There are heavy clouds and there is going to be a downpour and the river will be flooded. Tell the hermit that you won't be able to supply milk to him tomorrow." The girl did so. The hermit said to the girl. "Don't worry about the flood. I will teach you a 'mantra' and you will be able to walk on the water. Close your eyes and repeat 'Krishna, Krishna, Krishna' and you can comfortably walk on water." As expected the rain came in torrents and the river was in spate. The girl got ready to take milk to the hermit. The mother refused. But the girl persisted and told her that the hermit had given her a 'mantra' to walk on water. Believing her the mother allowed her to go. The girl went to the river, closed her eyes, repeated 'Krishna, Krishna, Krishna' and walked on the water. The hermit was looking on in wonder. The hermit thought to himself. "How wonderful, I enabled that girl to walk on water. I have the power. Now let me try for myself." Confidently, he stepped on the water and drowned forthwith. The young girl had tremendous faith in the mantra given by the hermit, but not the hermit himself. It is implicit faith that can do wonders in this world. G. Francis Xavier in 'The World's Best Inspiring Stories' In the Gospel Jesus reminds his disciples that he has to leave them to go back to the Father, but he is not abandoning them and leaving them to fend for themselves. "I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you." His presence is assured if we obey his commandments. "If you love me you will keep my commandments." In today's world fidelity is questioned and people wonder whether one can be faithful. We are duped into believing that infidelity produces happiness. We are tempted to disregard our obligations and make either pleasure or power our new idol. But the biblical notion of love is obedience. John links loving Jesus and obeying his commandments with the presence of the Spirit, the Paraclete - the Helper. Jesus promises 'another' Paraclete, because he himself has been the first Paraclete. Now he is going away. He cannot stay 'with' them physically but he assures them of his presence 'in' them. Each time we obey we make God's spirit present in our midst. Doing What the Father Says More than ninety people conducted an all-night search for Dominic DeCarlo, an eight-year-old boy lost on a snowy mountain slope. Dominic, who had been on a skiing trip with his father, apparently, had ridden on a new lift and skied off the run without realizing it. An hour passed, the search party and the boy's family became more concerned for his health and safety. By dawn they had found no trace of the boy. Two helicopter crews joined the search and within fifteen minutes they spotted ski tracks. A ground team followed the tracks, which changed to small footprints. The footprints led to a tree, where they found the boy at last. "He's in super shape!" Sergeant Terry Silbaugh, area search and rescue coordinator announced to the anxious family and press. "In fact, he's in better shape than we are in right now!" Silbaugh explained why the boy did so well despite spending a night in the freezing elements. His father had enough foresight to warn the boy what to do if he became lost, and his son had enough trust to do exactly what the father said. Dominic protected himself from frostbite and
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Ascension Sunday
25-May-2014 Dear Friend, Life is full of moments of transitions, moments when things have to come to an end; moments when we have to begin anew. We get used to the way things are and we don't want to move on. The Christian is called to be on the move, to be in transition, for we are a pilgrim people, journeying in faith. May His word confront us in our complacency and comfort us in our doubts and distress. Have an uplifting, affirming weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Ascension Sunday 'Transitions, beginning anew in His name!' 1-Jun-14 Readings: Acts 1: 1-11; Eph.1: 17-23; Mt. 28: 16-20; Today's first reading from the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles establishes a link between Jesus' going and the coming of the Holy Spirit, and it also establishes the connection between Jesus and the founding of the Church. The disciples were not ready to cope with the transition, they wanted to know more definitely when and how things would take place. Jesus responds by telling them that what is of prime importance is to believe and let the Spirit take possession and guide our every step. Yes, Jesus will not be with them but He will be in them. The same yet different Lech Walesa worked for years as an electrician in the Gdansk shipyards. During those years he and his fellow workers founded the movement which came to be known as 'Solidarity.' Walesa became its leader. This brought them into open conflict with the communist leaders. Eventually the workers won. The communist regime collapsed and democracy returned to Poland. Then on December 9, 1990 something happened which a few years prior would have been unthinkable. Walesa, the shipyard worker, was elected first president of a free and democratic Poland. It was a great honour for Walesa. His fellow workers felt honoured because of their association with him. However there was sadness too. They knew that it would change forever the way they related to him. They knew they were losing him. However they were hoping that he would not forget them and that he would help them from his new and more influential position. The illustration may go some way in helping us to understand what we are celebrating on this great feast of Ascension. Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies' The gospel of Matthew links the end of the ministry of Jesus to the beginning of the new ministry of the Spirit in the Church. Interestingly, while the other evangelists try to describe how the ascension took place, Matthew seems to lead us to the point of the ascension and then is deliberately silent about it. He does not mention the ascension of Jesus into heaven. Rather, Matthew prefers to discuss the mission of the disciples. "I'm not going to be with you; it is up to you now!" The mission given to the apostles and the followers is quite clear. They are told that they will receive His power and will act in His name. The Gospel of the Ascension calls us and challenges us to move beyond the boundaries that are set by our own fear and weakness and sinfulness. The story of Jesus' ascension reminds us that Jesus is beyond us -sitting at the right hand of the Father, yet at the same time the same story reminds us that the Lord was working with the apostles by confirming their word by the signs that accompanied it. He is beyond us yet very much within us! We, who are caught in these 'in-between' times, have to make a start and yet not any start will do. For the disciples had to wait till the Lord had ascended into heaven; they had to wait for the Spirit to descend on them, and be filled with his power. For this to happen they waited in prayer. Their waiting was rewarded by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in whose name they went forth to the ends of the earth. The temptation is to just keep waiting for something to happen that pushes us or to do anything that will keep our mind off the things that worry us. We are empowered in our mission only when we discover that God is with us in our innermost being. Our Ministry begins After the resurrection, Jesus made a few celebrated appearances and then left for good. We call this departure the Ascension, the feast we are celebrating today. Upon Jesus' arrival in heaven, a vast host of angels greeted him and they wanted to know whom he had left behind on earth to finish the work he had begun. Jesus replied, "I have commissioned a group of men and women who love me." "That's all?" the angels asked astonished, "what if this tiny group should fail? Any back up plan?" Jesus replied, "I have no other plans." Just before He ascended into heaven, He commissioned his disciples to make disciples of all nations and teach them to follow His commandment of love. He wants us to pass on his love to others. This is our Mission - to make Jesus continuously present in us and through us. St. Teresa of Avila described our task better in this way: "Christ has no body now but yours. No ha
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Pentecost Sunday
01-Jun-2014 Dear Friend, "Come alive with..!" Advertisements invite us to try their products, which they promise, will revitalize us. Perhaps we have tried them all only to find the promises never materialize. Yet we are forever on the lookout for something that will pep up our drooping spirits, something that will bring fresh energy into our lives. Pentecost holds out a promise given by Jesus that His Spirit will bring us new life. Have a spirit-filled weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: Feast of Pentecost Renewed in mind, body and Spirit 08-Jun-14 Readings: Acts 2: 1-11; Corinthians 12: 3-7; 12-13; John 20: 19-23; The first reading of today describes Pentecost, celebrated fifty days after Easter, the feast of the harvest or first fruits. Luke describes this beginning of the Church with signs and symbols of wind, sound, fire and tongues. All these symbols would not have been strange to the Jews. The Spirit of God blew over the waters at creation and breathed life. God appeared frequently in the Jewish scriptures in the form of fire. The symbol of tongues is understood as communicating a heavenly gift. The Spirit that descends on the apostles instructs, inspires, and strengthens all who receive the Spirit. The greatest gift of the Spirit is the transformation it brings in the lives of the apostles changing them from frail, frightened followers, to becoming bold and fearless witnesses of the resurrection. The Spirit makes us born again Christians. In the Front Once, a mother took a five- year-old son with her to a concert by Ignace Paderewski, the great Polish pianist. The mother and her son got their seats close to the stage. Then the mother met her old friend and got involved talking with her. She failed to notice that her son had slipped away to do some exploring. At the right time the lights dimmed and the spot light came on. Only then did the mother see her five-year-old son on the stage, sitting on the piano bench, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little star." Before she could retrieve her son, Paderewski walked on to the stage. Walking over to the piano, he whispered to the boy, "Don't stop, keep playing." Then, leaning over the boy, Paderewski reached out his left hand and began to fill in the bass. Later, he reached around the other side of the boy and added a running obbligato. Together, the great maestro and the tiny five-year-old mesmerized the audience with their playing. The image of the great maestro and the tiny five-year-old at the piano makes a fitting image of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples. On the first Pentecost the Holy Spirit whispered encouragement to the disciples. The Holy Spirit transformed the feeble efforts of the disciples into something powerful. John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word' The Gospel from John has a brief description of the appearance of the Risen Lord to the disciples and the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is perhaps a reminder that the Resurrection and Pentecost are phases of one and the same mystery. Firstly, we are reminded that the coming of Jesus and His Spirit is solely the initiative of God and not due to our efforts, our goodness, or our prayers. Like Jesus, the Spirit comes to whomsoever he wishes to empower. Like Jesus, the Spirit breaks through any barriers we may put up out of fear. Jesus came to bring peace and reassurance to his frightened disciples: "Peace be to you!" His Spirit comes to fill us with his peace and joy. Today's gospel ends on a note of forgiveness. When Jesus comes into our life, he renews and recreates us and we are assured of his forgiveness. The Holy Spirit comes to confirm the merciful forgiveness of God. Though the Spirit can come of its own free will into our lives, God's spirit does not force its way into our lives. We are called to receive and welcome the Spirit in our lives. Secondly, the reception of the Spirit is tied to forgiveness given and received. In the Holy Spirit we are forgiven and in the power of the Holy Spirit we can forgive anyone who has caused us harm. A Living Message Vincent Van Gogh was not always an artist. In fact, he wanted to be a church pastor and was even sent to the Belgian mining community of Borinage in 1879. He discovered that the miners there endured deplorable working conditions and poverty-level wages. Their families were malnourished and struggled simply to survive. He felt concerned that the small stipend he received from the church allowed him a moderate lifestyle, which, in contrast to the poor, seemed unfair. One cold February evening, while he watched the miners trudging home, he spotted an old man staggering toward him across the fields, wrapped in a burlap sack for warmth. Van Gogh immediately laid his own clothing out on the bed, set aside enough for one change, and determined to give the rest away. He gave the old man a suit of clothes and he gave his
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Trinity Sunday
8-Jun-2014 Dear Friend, In the light of the election of Pope Francis, and his down-to-earth style of being Pope, there seems to be a renewed interest in spirituality and religion. Book publishers have come out with a spate of books on him and daily spirituality, theology, as well as new approaches to God. Can God be known by us? Can we do anything to know God? Today's celebration of Trinity Sunday reminds us that God himself takes the initiative to reveal his inner life to us. May his Word reveal and renew his life in us. Have an enlightened weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Trinity Sunday 'Called to be and live as the Family of God!' 15-Jun-2014 Readings: Exodus 34: 4-6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13; John 3: 16-18; Today's first reading from Exodus speaks of the intimate relationship between Yahweh and Moses as he approaches Yahweh on Mount Sinai. Yahweh had done much for his chosen people: He had led them out of slavery from Egypt, and provided constant signs of his protection for them. In spite of this the people forgot Yahweh and preferred to worship a molten calf. Moses pleaded with God to pardon this 'stiff-necked people' for their sins. God reveals himself to Moses as the forgiving God ever compassionate to his people. The Hebrew Scriptures reveal God as the creator and Father who cares for his people and has adopted them as his own. Our Father-God loves to include us into his family. Welcome in! There is a beautiful Russian icon of the Blessed Trinity painted by a monk named Rublev. It depicts the three Divine Persons sitting at a table. A dish of food lies on the table. But the thing that immediately strikes you is the fact that at the front of the table there is a vacant place. The vacant place is meant to convey openness, hospitality and welcome towards the stranger and outsider. That vacant place is meant for each one of us, and for all the human family. It signifies God's invitation to us to share in the life of the Trinity. God doesn't exclude us. He invites us to come in and sit at his table. He wants to share his life with us. Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies' In the Gospel we have yet another facet of God revealed by Jesus in his encounter with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was impressed by what he saw and heard from Jesus yet he was a cautious disciple, who did not want to be identified as a Jesus-follower and so he comes in the darkness of the night. He wants to follow Jesus but in secrecy. For Nicodemus, as for so many people, religion should be a private affair. Jesus' response to this caution is not more caution but a clear and open declaration of God's attitude to the world. At the very heart of the Gospel is God's declaration of love for all peoples. "God so loved the world that he gave his only son. For God sent his son not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved." God is a God who openly reveals his commitment to His people, even when they have abandoned the covenant and repeatedly gone away from him. It is the nature of God to give and forgive, just as it appears to be the nature of men to get and forget. The feast of the Trinity is truly the celebration of a God who reveals himself as a God who shares his life and wishes to include all into his family, with no terms and conditions. The gospel concludes with Jesus inviting Nicodemus to believe and accept the unconditional love of the Father revealed through His son Jesus Christ. We experience something of the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit when it is communicated in simple ways through the people of grace we meet in our lives. Most of us experience it first in the generosity of our parents' love, one that is so important in the growth of every child of God. If we believe in God's love, our whole life is changed forever, if not, we are forever searching and struggling to merit that love from human beings, seldom finding it. The Irish writer Clare Boylan reflected in a radio interview on the lasting power of her parent's love: "My parents did two things for me: they gave me a sense of my own importance and they let me know that I was loved. I think that a lot of parents don't give to their children a sense of their own importance in case it becomes over-inflated; but we were always told that we were absolutely marvellous and that if anyone said otherwise they were wrong. That gives you tremendous confidence -and it lasts. If your parents have given you these two things -a sense of self and being loved, -you have them all your life. If not, you are forever looking for them. I don't think anything else matters." Interpreting the Theology of the Trinity In his book The Theology of the Trinity, Lawrence Cantwell devotes a chapter to interpreting the Trinity in the light of the universal religious sense of mankind. This sense first makes itself felt in a feeling of awe at finding ourselves in a world we did
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Corpus Christi
15-Jun-2014 Dear Friend, One of the preoccupations of human beings is food. While some wonder where their next meal will come from, others are wondering which foods will tickle their palate. Most people will acknowledge that there is more to life than just eating. There are hungers and needs that food cannot satisfy. Can we recall something that satisfied the deep hunger within? May His Word awaken a hunger within us! Have a nourishing weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: Corpus Christi - Receiving and becoming the Body of Christ 22-Jun-14 Readings: Deut. 8: 2-3, 14-16; 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17; John 6: 51-58; Today's first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy attempts to remind us of something that was fundamental to our very existence: the remembrance of all that God has done for us. Moses wishes to let the ancient traditions speak to the people of Israel, in the hope that remembering the past would help them cope with the present crises. Re-learning from the past can help the Israelites to be on guard against former failures. Remembering what God has done can be a stimulus to renewing our life at the present. Remembering was an important part of Jewish worship. In prayer they remind God and themselves of the promises of God, thus keeping alive their memory and their faith in God. Moses, as he exhorts them to remember God's action is in fact reminding them that they need God. They might satisfy their bodily hungers and needs but only God could satisfy their deepest desires. Two fundamental needs Ethiopia suffered a terrible famine during the years 1984 to 1986. Cardinal Hume of Westminster tells us about an incident that happened when he visited Ethiopia in the middle of the famine. One of the places he visited was a settlement in the hills where the people were waiting for food which was likely to arrive. He was taken there by helicopter. As he got out of the helicopter a small boy, aged about ten, came up to him and took his hand. He was wearing nothing but a loincloth around his waist. The whole time that the cardinal was there the little child would not let go of his hand. As they went around he made two gestures: with one hand he pointed to his mouth, and with the other he took the cardinal's hand and rubbed it on his cheek. Later, the cardinal said, "Here was an orphan boy who was lost and starving. Yet by two simple gestures he indicated two fundamental needs or hungers. With one gesture he showed me his hunger for food, and with the other his hunger for love. I have never forgotten that incident, and to this day I wonder whether that child is alive." Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies' In the Gospel we have the discourse of Jesus on the Bread of Life, which itself follows the feeding of the five thousand and the journey across the lake. All these events form part of the remembrance of the Exodus and the covenant. Memories are a wonderful stimulus for growth in faith. The Eucharist is a memorial sacrifice, which Jesus asked us to celebrate. "Do this in memory of me." In the Eucharist we can remember how God has saved us from some particular catastrophe or blessed us in un-thought-of ways. The Eucharist can also jog our memories into realization of our failures. It is frightening to remember that many of the Nazis who committed atrocities were Christians and also Catholics. Many who participate in wars and brutal acts of terror do so in the name of God. Memories can be dangerous because they force us to take a stand that we otherwise might not do. The Eucharistic is not something that we have to understand and grasp but something that we have to believe and live. How can God be present in a tiny host? Some time ago, a street-corner preacher who knew how to make religious truths come to life, was faced by a hostile crowd. "How," one of them demanded, "is it possible for bread and wine to become the body and blood of Christ?" The preacher looked calmly at the stout questioner for a moment and answered, "You have grown somewhat since you were a child and have more flesh and blood than you had then. Surely, if a human body can change food and drink into flesh and blood, God can do it too." "But how," countered the heckler, "is it possible for Christ to be present in his entirety in a small host?" The preacher glanced up at the sky and down at the street before them and answered, "This city scene and the sky above it is something immense, while your eye is very small. Yet your eye in itself contains the whole picture. When you consider this, it won't seem impossible for Christ to be present in his entirety in a little piece of bread." Once more the heckler attacked. "How, then, is it possible for the same body of Christ to be present in all your churches at the same time?" The preacher's answer: "In a large mirror you see your image reflected but once. When you break the mirror into a thousand pieces, y
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Feast of Saints Peter & Paul
22-Jun-2014 Dear Friend, We are naturally attracted to people who have become larger than life because of their exceptional gifts, leadership or way of doing things. Pope Francis was on the covers of Time magazine as one of the most influential persons of present times. All of us have our heroes and idols and subconsciously, we would like to be like them. This Sunday our attention is directed to two great saints: Peter and Paul. May their lives inspire us! -Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: Feast of Saints Peter and Paul - 'The Proclaimers and Pillars of our faith' 29-Jun-2014 Readings: Acts 12: 1-11; 2: Tim. 4: 6-8, 17-18; Matt. 16: 13-19; Today's first reading from the Acts speaks of Peter's imprisonment by King Herod. He had already killed James the apostle and now he had similar plans to kill Peter and other followers of Christ. Peter in prison was heavily guarded while his disciples earnestly prayed for his deliverance. Their prayer was heard and that very night an angel of the Lord unchained Peter and led him out of the prison. Peter thought he was seeing a vision until he found himself outside the prison-a free man. It was a manifestation in his life of God's saving power, captured by the psalmist refrain: 'The Lord set me free from all my fears.' When united to God and others in faith, we find new strength. United in strength In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. "What makes you think that you can walk right in and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them like this into a single unit they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?" John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word' In the Gospel Jesus asks his disciples: "Who do men say the Son of man is?" The disciples tell him that some say he is John the Baptist while others say he is one of the prophets. Jesus is not really interested nor does he care about public opinion, so he comes right to the point. He asks: "Who do you say that I am?" On behalf of the apostles Peter makes a solemn declaration, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This so-called declaration of faith of Peter is no doubt a central text in the gospels. Here it is presented as the starting point and the foundation of his mission and, through him, the mission of all followers of Jesus. Jesus' response to Peter's confession of faith is to acknowledge Peter and affirm his faith and confirm his mission. "Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jona! You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the powers of death will not prevail against it." Further, Peter is given authority to guide and direct the nascent Church. "I give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Peter and his successors have the mission to stabilize the Church and to maintain it in communion. In changing the name of Simon to Peter (Rock), Jesus indicates his role in the foundation of the Church, he is the element of solidity and cohesion in the Church. Peter is empowered to act on behalf of Christ, and confirm the brethren in the faith. This pillar of the Church, in spite of his earlier weakness, is faithful to his mission and ends his life as a martyr of the faith, following in the footsteps of the Master. On this shaky rock! "And I say to you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church." Some rock. Swamp might be more accurate for this man who walked on water and then sank in doubt, who went to watch in the garden to be a comfort but who fell asleep, who boasted fidelity but wound up with denial, who promised presence and fled leaving the master to die alone. This was a man who clearly did not have the charisma of John the Baptist, the connections of Joseph of Arimethea or the loyalty of Mary Magdalen. Yet he was chosen as a rock on which to build. Why? First was his fundamental humility which led him to exclaim, "Depart from me for I am a sinful man!" And secondly, as a sinner, he is an object lesson for ages to come, which is to say, God will always build on fragile, sinful people -even us. Yes, he chooses to build on weak human foundation for a human drama of grace. Beyond what you think of the papal, claims touted in the famous passage of today's gospel, it carries a deeper spiritual meaning that is quite clear. All of us who fall on our knees exclaiming how unworthy and sinful we are; the truth is, we are all like flawed Peter, the special objects of God's calling and God's desire to build the kingdom on the likes of us. We have only one choice: to humbly receive the keys of the kingdom and open the doors of grace to as many pe
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 14th Sunday of the Year
23-Jun-2014 Dear Friend, Each and everyone of us looks forward to the weekly break and to a longer rest after a long stint of study or work. Holidays and breaks are something we anticipate especially when we are physically and mentally fatigued. However, we sometimes have the experience that we come back more tired rather than rested after a packed holiday! When we take a break do we also take a break from religion? Is God very much part of our break? Can we find rest and relaxation in the Lord? Have a restful relaxing weekend with Jesus! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Fourteenth Sunday - 'Come to the Lord! He will lighten your burden' 6-Jul-2014 Readings: Zech. 9: 9-10; Rom.8: 9, 11-13; Mt. 11: 25-30; This first reading from Zechariah foretells the coming of the messianic king who will put an end to war and establish peace. He is not portrayed as a mighty warrior but as a humble and gentle champion of peace for all peoples. If there is one thing we all desire it is peace; and Israel too desired peace but peace was acquired mostly through war and destruction of the enemy. God's kingdom is a kingdom of peace, not one that is built on suppression and bloodshed, but on inner peace that is a gift of God. Even in our times of unrest and uncertainty God desires to come into our lives to bring us tranquility and peace. This prophecy of Zechariah was fulfilled in Jesus who came not to conquer us but to be for us and with us as the harbinger of peace. Overpowering or Empowering Presence Most great personalities have a dominating and overpowering influence on people they come in contact with. Some prefer to keep their distance from the common folk who admire them. In his biography of George Washington, Richard Brookhiser says: "George Washington is with us every day, on our dollar bills and on our quarters. He looks down on us from Mount Rushmore. In the national capital that bears his name he has the most prominent memorial. More schools, streets and cities bear his name than that of any other American, and historians rank him among the greatest Presidents America has had. However, the omnipresence of Washington does not translate into familiarity. He is in our textbooks and in our wallets, but not in our hearts. The fault is partly Washington's, since he tended to distance himself from the people." -But Jesus let the people, especially the simple ones, come to him! Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies' During the years that Jesus spent at Nazareth, he lived among the ordinary people. Consequently he felt for the ordinary people having lived like them, and he wanted to lighten their burden. People came to him from everywhere to unburden their miseries as he opened himself to them. All of them had their heavy burdens lightened as a result of meeting and speaking to him. He seemed to encourage people to come to him: "Come to me all you who labour and are over-burdened and I will give you rest." He said, "My yoke is easy and my burden light." How could he who took the burdens of so many say that? Because he carried the burdens of others with love. Only love can make a heavy burden light. A yoke brings to mind an image of two animals tied to the yoke. Have we ever thought of Jesus as the other person pulling the yoke? We are never alone. He is on the other side pulling the yoke with us. The problem is we are trying to manage on our own or pulling it alone! If we pull together it will not be so difficult and when we have company it makes it easier. A loving mother never finds her children burdensome. When Jesus addressed the people he chose to speak not to the wise and the clever but to the simple of heart. If we wish to understand Jesus and draw close to him we have to do so in simplicity and humility. He said, "I thank you Father for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children." Those who believe they are learned and intelligent often cause their own problems and shoulder unnecessary burdens. Notes to Myself Once, Hugh Prather, a psychologist was called upon to help at a Psychiatric Clinic. A patient had become violent and had been put in a padded cell. He had broken one of the wooden bars of the window and was pacing the cell, which no one dared enter. Hugh was called to handle the patient. Upon reaching the cell, Hugh peered inside and saw this man glaring at him. Hugh was scared but he had to reach out and help. Calling out through the broken window bars Hugh said: "My friend, I want to come in and help you, but I am scared to come in because of that window bar that you are brandishing!" The man stopped in his tracks surprised and replied: "Why do you think I am holding on to this bar? I am frightened!" Hugh continued to talk about their mutual fear and was soon able to enter the cell and help the man. Because they shared something in common, their fear, their humanness, a bridge had
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Fifteen Sunday of the Year
06-Jul-2014 Dear Friend, Each and everyone of us looks forward to the weekly break and to a longer rest after a long stint of study or work. Holidays and breaks are something we anticipate especially when we are physically and mentally fatigued. However, we sometimes have the experience that we come back more tired rather than rested after a packed holiday! When we take a break do we also take a break from religion? Is God very much part of our break? Can we find rest and relaxation in the Lord? Have a restful relaxing weekend with Jesus! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Fifteenth Sunday - 'Preparing the soil to receive God's word!' 13-Jul-2014 Readings: Isa. 55: 10-11; Rom.8: 18-33; Mt. 13: 1-23; The first reading from the Book of Isaiah reminds us that God cares for the earth by sending rain to make it fruitful. He cares for us by sending His saving word, which is intended to bear fruit in our lives. Isaiah reminds us that God's word is powerful and productive. God said: Let there be light and light was made! His word is as powerful today as it ever was! But the power of His words can be lost if we do not listen, if we do not pay attention to them, if we do not believe, if we do not love! A Chicago novelist, John Powers, wrote a book called 'The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice Cream God.' It's about a boy named Tim Conroy. Tim is in the process of growing up, and it's proving to be a tough job. One day Tim confided to a friend: "I came from a family of practicing Catholics. But do you know something? The more I practice the worse it gets." All of us feel like Tim, at times. Maybe we aren't getting worse, but we aren't improving much either. Think of it this way. By the time we are 25, we have heard God's word read and explained about a thousand times. After all these times, why haven't we improved more than we have? The answer to this question may lie in the parable Jesus tells us in today's gospel. Maybe the problem is not in receiving God's word. The problem is in treasuring it and putting it into practice. Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies' The Gospel reminds us that the Sower sowed seed four times, three of which did not meet with success but the fourth one more than made up, it gave abundant fruit. God does not tire of sowing the seed, and He keeps sowing it in different ways. God does not give up on us! His word comes to us through peoples, situations and events that speak to us in our hearts. The most important word is the word of love!" I have loved you with an everlasting love." Some of us who are parents and teachers have perhaps seen the seeds we have sown bearing fruit in the lives of children committed to our care. In our own lives too we know that some seed was sown by our parents, friends and significant persons that have borne fruit. Let's keep on planting ... and let's hang on.. The seed will bear fruit! Today, words are cheap and often empty. We say so many things that we do not mean. Words have lost their power and so we don't believe people's words. We often doubt and question what we hear. We even doubt and question God's word! Jesus the Incarnate Word spoke with power and authority: "Be thou healed and the blind and the lame were healed!" Jesus said to Lazarus lying in the grave: "Come forth!" And Lazarus came back to life! His word is as powerful today as it ever was! I can have the best possible Radio or Television set but if it is not tuned in all the lovely music and interesting channels are lost or distorted. Am I tuned in on God? Words become more powerful when we know and love the person who utters them. We know the difference between reading a letter of a stranger and reading a letter of a friend, receiving a telephone call from an unknown person and getting a call from a dear friend. Know the Author? Met the Author? A young student picked up a costly book and started reading it. After reading a couple of pages she was bored and flung it on the shelf. Months later her mother saw her avidly reading the book for hours and days. "What happened? How come the book is so interesting now?" she asked. "Mum, I met the author!" her daughter replied. The more we believe in His Word the more we will experience its power. "The word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty." Christo-therapy I am reminded of a priest who wrote a book on what he called "Christo-therapy" In that book he shared his own experience. He had lived an ordinary life and nothing special had happened to him. After some years in the ministry he was feeling depressed and fell sick. This depression carried on for some time and began to worry him. He went from doctor to doctor but to no avail. No remedy would cure him. Someone told him of an old Hindu doctor who lived in the vicinity of his parish, who they claimed was very good. The priest decided to try him and went to his clinic. The doctor examined him and listened to the story of his
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Sixteenth Sunday of the Year
13-Jul-2014 Dear Friend, None of us likes to be pushed around. We like to make our own decisions, even though they may turn out to be the wrong ones. We resent force or pressure being exerted on us. Yet, there are many moments when we feel intimidated, we feel afraid and often act out of fear. We are affected by all sorts of fears that tend to paralyze us. Even in our relationship with God we tend to act out of fear rather than out of love for God. God is always patient and waits for us to change out of love. Have a reassuring weekend! God loves you! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Sixteenth Sunday -'God gives us enough time to change from sin!'20-Jul-2014 Readings: Wis. 12: 13, 16-19; Rom. 8: 26-7; Mt. 13: 24-43; The Book of Wisdom speaks of God's knowledge and power to root out evil people if he so desired. This reading speaks of God's leniency towards the evil ones and how we ought to imitate it. The context provides examples of God's mercy: his forbearance towards the Egyptians and the Canaanites. Even the punishment inflicted by God on the people for their sins was not meant to be an arbitrary display of God's power but rather that the people might give up their evil ways, repent and come back to God. Thus the virtuous man must be kind and non-judgemental towards his fellowmen, imitating the God whose power is tempered by his mercy. This should make all of us hopeful of his mercy in our weakness and failings. Evil is Deceptive Albert Speer was an important member of the Nazi hierarchy during Hitler's reign. He was Hitler's architect, and minister of Armament, Munitions and War Productions. After the defeat of Hitler and Germany, he was tried at Nuremberg for crimes against humanity and subsequently condemned to serve 20 years in prison. Albert Speer was one of the most intelligent, educated and principled persons in Germany. How he was captivated by Hitler's magnetism to accept such bizarre ideologies -the secret policies, the concentration camps, the nonsensical rhetoric of Aryan Supremacy and anti-Semitism, is beyond anyone's comprehension. During his trial at Nuremberg, he took responsibility for the horrors of the Nazi regime, although most of the time, he was not aware of the happenings around. Later in life, he sincerely regretted his association with Hitler. He could still not explain completely why he subscribed to Hitler's evil idiosyncrasies. John Rose in 'John's Sunday Homilies' In today's gospel Jesus speaks the parable of the wheat and the weeds to illustrate how God deals with evil in the world. It is evident that in our world today there is much that is good and much that is bad. In fact we have the experience of seeing a lot of good that we do destroyed by the evil that surrounds it and we feel frustrated and angry. We want to do something about it and we want God to do something about it. We want INSTANT judgement! Like the servants in the Gospel we want to take action, for getting rid of these weeds that are destroying the goodness that is in us and around us. We even ask God to destroy those who are against him, his kingdom and his people. But his response, a surprising: 'Let it be!', is upsetting! God who is all-powerful is patient and forgiving and he tolerates evil and even permits it to exist. Jesus did not get rid of them! He was at home with tax collectors, whores and sinners. We want our church to be clean, to be pure but God has other plans. In uprooting the weeds you may destroy the wheat as well! What is wheat and what are weeds? Who are we to judge? In our own personal lives, in spite of our best intentions we have our weaknesses, our inadequacies, our hang-ups and failures that we are ashamed of. God is patient with us and permits us to live because he does not see the evil in us but the possibility of good that is in us. Unconditional love accepts people as they are without wanting them to change. People say 'Change! Then I will accept you and love you!' Godsays: 'You are loved as you are! No terms. No conditions. No pre requisites'. We are not called to judge, to react, to reform, to improve! We are called to accept, to be patient, to love people as they are! Who is a Saint and who is a sinner? There was this village, which was plagued with sheep thieves and it was about time they were taught a lesson. Two of them were caught and branded on their foreheads with the letters ST standing for sheep thieves, that would be their punishment for life! Unable to bear the shame one of them ended his life, while the other decided to mend his ways. He set about doing all the odd jobs in the village and would help all those who needed help. Years passed and his misdeed was forgotten. As an old man now he was looked upon as someone who could be relied upon to help anyone in need. One day as he was passing by, he heard little children talking about him. One remarked: "I wonder what those
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Seventeenth Sunday of the Year
20- Jul-2014 Dear Friend, Some people are forever waiting for a lucky break. If only they win the bumper lottery; if only they hit the jackpot; if only they inherit a fortune; if only they meet the right person life would be so good, they believe. Our values determine our choices and so we would need to find out what we are looking for in life. Today's readings make us question whether faith is a prime value that influences our choices. Have a discerning weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Seventeenth Sunday - 'Have we found in God a priceless treasure?' 27-Jul-14 Readings:Kings 3: 5, 7-12; Rom. 8: 28-30; Mt. 13: 44-52; In today's first reading from the Book of Kings we are told that Solomon, when he was to be made King of Israel, was asked to make a choice by God. Instead of asking for wealth and material possessions Solomon prayed for the gift of wisdom, not so that he could sit comfortably in his palace and ponder about the truths of the universe, but he asked God for wisdom and an understanding heart, so that he could govern his people wisely. God was so pleased with his choice that he blessed him not only with the gift of wisdom but granted him wealth and treasures as well. In our understanding, a wise person is often equated with one who utters wise sayings. In the Bible wisdom is not theoretical or abstract, it is practical. It has to do with the right, and the wise way to live. Making wise choices In 1849 many people thought they knew what they wanted in life. Gold had been discovered in California. Ranchers and farmers made a frenzied dash on horses and in wagons across the continent in an effort to be among the first to harvest a crop of yellow metal. A wheat farmer in Kansas, not content with the golden grain he harvested year after year, could think of almost nothing other than leaving farm and family in search of fortune. His wife with four small children doubted that the venture could be successful. Reluctantly the farmer stayed home. One night in a dream he saw himself in a room filled with gold. After gleefully running the nuggets through his fingers, he realized he was hungry. When he looked for something to eat, he found only gold. He called for his wife, hoping to be comforted by the warmth of her love, but there was only the coldness of the yellow metal. He longed to look into the sparkling eyes of his children, but the only sparkle he saw was that of the lifeless riches. He woke with a start. In a moment's reflection he realized what his true values were. Through a dream he became a wise man, who knew and accepted his responsibilities. Charles Miller in 'Sunday Preaching' In the Gospel, Jesus describes the Kingdom of God through parables. In the first parable the kingdom of God is compared to a man who finds a treasure hidden in a field and sells everything he has in order to own it. Likewise, the kingdom is compared to a man who is searching for rare pearls and when he finds one he is ready to give up everything he owns to acquire the pearl of rare value. The two parables differ in one circumstance. The treasure is something uncovered quite by accident, whereas the pearl is found after deliberate pursuit and searching. Whichever way it comes to light, one must be ready to sacrifice everything in order to call it one's own. In other words, the kingdom of God is worth everything we have. Those who find it are truly fortunate, even if in the eyes of the world they appear foolish, in the eyes of God they are rich. The kingdom of God means to know that one is a child of God, with a divine dignity and an eternal destiny. It means to know the meaning of life, and how to live it. The chief task of life is not to be successful or even fulfilled. It is knowing how best to live in this world. Those who find the answer to this question have found the pearl of great price. The pearl of great price is not something we find outside ourselves but something within ourselves, which we discover with faith. Our priceless treasure Dale Carnegie came from a poor, but God fearing family. His father was a farmer and his mother was a village school teacher. They never had enough food to eat or clothes to wear. They were always in debt. Once, his father borrowed money from the bank for cultivation. Unfortunately, that year there was a flood and their crops were washed away. They neither had food to eat nor money to repay the bank. The bankers began to harass them. His father began to worry. He worked sixteen hours a day in the field, yet he felt no hunger; he began to lose weight. The doctor told his wife that he had barely six months to live. His mother was concerned. Whenever he went to the farm to feed the horses and milk the cows, and did not come home early, she would go in search of him, fearing him hanging on some tree. One day, when his father was returning from the farm, the bankers met him on the road an
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Eighteenth Sunday of the Year
28-Jul-2014 Dear Friend, When you look at your life and all that you have, do you say to yourself: "I've earned it all! I deserved it and more! I've worked for it!" Or "Everything I have is a gift!" "I received much more than I deserved." Our attitude to life depends on our vision of life, making us frustrated or thankful. Our faith challenges us to be givers, to be as generous with others, as God is towards us. May His Word open our hearts and hands to give! Have a 'thanks-giving' weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Eighteenth Sunday - 'God cares and shares! Do we care to share?' 03-Aug-2014 Readings: Isaiah 55: 1-03; Rom.8: 35, 37-39; Mt. 14: 13-21; In today's reading Isaiah says something that sounds strange to our ears: "Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come! Buy corn without money, and eat, and at no cost, wine and milk. Why spend money on what is not bread, your wages on what fails to satisfy? Is Isaiah kidding? How can anything be free? In a world where everyone is out to make a fast buck, our experience tells us nothing is free, you pay for everything and hope you get your money's worth! Our own experience also tells us that sometimes we get tired of earning, and we always seem to want more. We earn and buy things that do not satisfy. Maybe we are yearning for things that will never satisfy. Loving Generosity Time before time, when the world was young, two brothers shared a field and a mill. Each night they divided evenly the grain they had ground together during the day. Now, as it happened, one of the brothers lived alone; the other had a wife and a large family. One day the single brother thought to himself: "It isn't really fair that we divide the grain equally. I have only myself to care for, but my brother has children to feed." So each night he secretly took some of his grain to his brother's granary to see that he was never without. But the married brother said to himself one day, "It isn't fair that we should divide the grain equally, because I have children to provide for me in my old age, but my brother has no one. What will he do when he is old?" So every night he secretly took some of his grain to his brother's granary. As a result, both of them always found their supply of grain mysteriously replenished each morning. Then one night the brothers meeting each other halfway between their two houses, suddenly realized what had been happening and embraced each other in love. The story is that God witnessed their meeting and proclaimed, "This is a holy place - a place of love - and here it is that my temple shall be built." And so it was. The holy place where God is made known, is where human beings discover each other in love. Wilkie Au in 'By Way of the Heart' The Gospel tells us of the huge crowds that had followed Jesus to a deserted place. They were so hungry for words of Life that they followed Jesus to this deserted place. The disciples are worried because they see the people as a problem on their hands. They are aware only of their lack of resources. They want to get rid of the crowds. "Let them go home, let them feed themselves." They suggest to Jesus, who says to them: "You feed them!" The Israelites were nomads, born travellers who always carried their own resources with them. Each one had more than enough but they wanted to get something from the others. Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish, blesses, breaks and asks them to share them with the others. The miracle that Jesus performs makes them ready to give rather than receive. The little that they have offered Jesus becomes much in His hands and is more than enough to feed the vast multitude. The Gospel episode reminds us that what we have will never be enough to satisfy our own needs, but in sharing what we have with others we receive much more than we give! The multiplication of the loaves and the fish are a reminder of the Eucharist. Jesus is the only one who can satisfy our deepest needs; the bread given freely, the blessing we receive in placing the little that we have into the hands of the Lord, blesses us and multiplies when we share it with others. Some people show their thanks by having, others show their thanks by giving! More blessed to give rather than receive There was the beggar who sat at the temple gate everyday begging for his living. One day he hears that the King is coming to the temple and he is all excited, sure that the king will give him enough alms so he won't have to beg any more. He eagerly awaits the arrival of the king but when the king comes, the king does a strange thing. Instead of giving alms, he begs for alms himself. Perplexed, the beggar puts his hand into his bag and reluctantly puts a few grains of rice into the king's hands. Thanking him, the king departs, much to the disappointment of the beggar. At the end of the day the beggar returns home frustrated. But when he pou
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Nineteenth Sunday of the Year
3-Aug-2014 Dear Friend, Everyone of us has preconceived notions of God. Yes, we do believe in God, but which God do we believe in? Sometimes there is the danger that we create our God in our own image and likeness. We do want God to come into our lives but on our own terms and conditions. We want to encounter Him but want to set up the place and manner of the encounter. If we let God have his way in our lives, we will encounter Him in the most surprising of places. Have a worshipping God-filled weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Nineteenth Sunday - "Why did you doubt? It is I! Do not be afraid" 10-Aug-2014 Readings: Kings 19: 9, 11-13; Rom.9: 1-5; Mt. 14: 22-33; Today's first reading speaks of Elijah's encounter with God. Elijah had destroyed all the false prophets and Queen Jezebel was now plotting to murder him. In fear Elijah fled and hid in a cave. There he apparently expected further extraordinary revelations of God in the strong and heavy wind, then in an earthquake and then in fire, but the Lord was not in any of these powerful phenomena. Elijah did meet God in the gentle wind that blew across the cave. God did not come in the way Elijah expected him, he did not come in an unusual way, but as a God of small things! God always comes and passes by in the daily events of life, but we fail to discern his presence and acknowledge Him. A faith journey He was fifteen years at the time. He and his father were driving past a tiny airport in a small town in Ohio. Suddenly a low-flying plane spun out of control and nose-dived into the runway. The boy yelled, "Dad! Stop the Car!" Minutes later the boy was pulling the pilot out of the plane. It was a twenty-four year old student flyer, who had been practicing take-offs and landings. The young man died in the boy's arms. It was a traumatic thing, for the boy knew the man who had died. When he got home he cried, "Mom, he was my friend! He was only twenty!" He went to his room, closed the door, and in the silence and darkness lay on his bed wondering where God was. The boy had been working part-time in a drug-store, saving every penny and spending his savings on flying lessons. His goal was to get his pilot's licence when he turned sixteen. The boy's parents wondered what effect the tragedy would have on their son. Would he stop taking lessons, or would he continue. They agreed that the decision would have to be his. Going to his room his mother saw an open notebook that her son kept from childhood. Just scanning the page, the mother noticed that in her son's hour of decision he was turning to Jesus for guidance. She was happy for that and asked her son what he had decided. The boy looked at his mother and said, "Mom, I hope you and Dad will understand but with God's help, I must continue to fly!" The boy was like Elijah. He had to shut down the noise, the wind, the earthquake, the fire and turn to the quiet solitude of his room where he heard the still whispering of Jesus. Like Elijah who was tempted to give up prophesying, the lad was tempted to give up his dream. But like Elijah, he didn't. And so on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to walk on the moon. Few people who watched that historical event on television knew that one of the reasons that he was walking on the moon was Jesus. They did not know that it was from Jesus that he drew strength and guidance to make a crucial teenage decision which was now responsible for this historic feat. The spiritual journey is always perilous. Only with Jesus can we make that journey successfully. William Bausch in 'The Word -In and Out of Season' In today's Gospel we are reminded that it was Jesus who sent the disciples on their journey when they encountered the storm. Sometimes while we are busy doing what God wants us to do, doing our duty, doing the right thing, we will encounter disturbances that will threaten us and frighten us. Even when He does come the disciples do not recognise Him! But it does not matter, his reassuring words are "Be Not afraid! It is I!" It is said that in the Bible we have the words 'Be not afraid' three hundred and sixty five times! One for each day of the year! We are frightened people and God comes to remove fear from our lives. The more we believe the less we will fear. Fear and worry are an insult to God. In so many words we are saying: "I am not sure whether You are taking care of me and so I am worried about this and fearful of that!" The Gospel also tells us that Peter boldly asks Jesus to let him come across the water and on Jesus' encouragement Peter walks over the waters! We too can do wonderful and extraordinary things with the power of God. But Peter who was bold at one moment is afraid as he looks at the waves and starts sinking till the Lord reaches out and gives him a helping hand. Jesus comes especially when we are faced with the storms of life! "Be not afraid!" Look Up! I
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Twentieth Sunday of the Year
11-August-2014 Dear Friend, Often, when we make choices of people, we tend to exclude others. Sometimes we even make negative choices, excluding people on the basis of our prejudices. Perhaps we exclude people from our relationships on the basis of their race, creed and colour, or perhaps because of their lack of education, social status or because they are not part of our group. Even in our religious practices we sometimes exclude people who do not believe and worship as we do, and feel that we are right in doing so. Today’s word challenges us to break down our prejudices and exclude none. Have a persevering weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Twentieth Sunday - “Woman, great is your faith. Be it done as you wish!” 17-Aug-14 Readings: Isaiah 56: 1, 6-7; Rom. 11: 13-15, 29-32; Mt. 15: 21-28; In today’s first reading Isaiah is writing to the Jews of his time, who were losing some of their enthusiasm after their return from exile. They were becoming prejudicial towards others. They considered themselves as the privileged ones and all the rest had to be excluded. Isaiah confronted his peoples’ closed attitude and welcomed every one. He called God’s house a house of prayer for all peoples, “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples." Isaiah’s message is very much relevant in our times. Instead of relating as brothers and sisters, strangely, religion itself is used as a basis for separation, and wars are waged in the name of God himself. We cannot exclude anyone from our lives, least of all on the basis of religion. God has no favourites for everyone is a favourite of God. Poem-‘The Cold Within’ – Subtitle: ‘200 years of Prejudice’ Six humans trapped by happenstance, in bleak and bitter cold, each possessed a stick of wood, or so the story is told. Their dying fire in need of logs, the first man held his back, for of the faces round the fire, he noticed one was black. The next man looking across the way saw one not of his church, and couldn’t bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch. The third sat in tattered clothes; he gave his coat a hitch. Why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich? The rich man just sat back and thought of the wealth he had in store, and how to keep what he had earned from the lazy, shiftless poor. The black man’s face bespoke of revenge as the fire passed from his sight; for all he saw in his stick of wood was a chance to spite the white. The last man of this forlorn group did naught, except for gain. Giving only to those who gave was how he played the game. Their logs held tight in death’s still hand were proof of human sin. They did not die from the cold without. They died from the cold within. James Patrick Kenny In the Gospel of today we see Jesus withdrawing to the region of Tyre and Sidon to be away from the public gaze, to spend some quiet time with his disciples. He is sure no Jews will follow him into this territory but he is recognized as soon as he enters the area. A woman is desperate because her daughter is seriously ill and so she takes the chance of coming to this stranger, Jesus, for help. “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” The response of Jesus seems to be rather strange; he did not say a word to her and his disciples even suggested that she should be sent away. When Jesus does speak he rejects her plea. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Even this rebuff does not dissuade the woman. She will not give up. “Lord, please help me.” Again she meets with rejection from Jesus and the words he uses would be enough to take offense. “It is not right to take the food of children and throw it to the dogs.” But the woman, instead of being offended by Jesus’ remark is quick with her repartee: “Please Lord, even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” At this persistence Jesus is greatly touched. Her faith is so strong that indifference, rejection and apparent ridicule will not swerve her from her need to have her daughter cured by Jesus. “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done as you wish.” The woman’s daughter was healed at that very moment. As we reflect on Jesus’ attitude towards this pagan woman’s prayer, if we find his attitude harsh we need to remind ourselves that Jesus was testing the faith of that woman. More importantly, we notice as she draws closer to Jesus, her faith had been growing the more she experienced rejection. She changed from her superstition that perhaps had brought her there, to praying with earnest faith. Our own experience too perhaps is that God is silent and gives us the cold shoulder in response to our prayer. What is our response? Don’t we often give up quite easily? Do we sometimes turn to some other solution to our problem, when God does not answer our prayer quickly? Today we are exhorted to grow in faith especially when we are put to
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Twenty-first Sunday of the Year
18-Aug-2014 Dear Friend, Most people like to give orders rather than take orders from another, to dictate and tell others what to do rather than be dictated to, to be the boss rather than the servant. Whenever people are in a position of authority they like to throw their weight around and let people know who is the boss. But in God's kingdom, authority is given not to dominate and control but to serve and uplift people. We are called to empower people rather than enslave people. Have a grateful weekend thanking God for empowering His Church and us! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Twenty-first Sun. - "You are built on solid foundations! Peter the Rock!" 24-Aug-2014 Readings: Isaiah 22: 19-23; Rom. 11: 33-36; Mt. 16: 13-20; In the first reading from Isaiah we read of one person who is dismissed from office and the keys of authority are passed on to another. Shebna, had violated the presuppositions upon which people give authority: that power will not be abused, that advantage will not be taken of others, that power will not corrupt but be of service. Shebna was removed from his position of controlling access both to the city and to the king. Elaikim, Shebna's successor, is given the sash and robe to show that he is master of the palace, he is given the key to symbolize that he has now the authority and access to the city and the king. Faith is given to us not to have power over others or to make us feel superior to others but that we might serve others and lead them in humility to God. Ready to Serve? Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross was a former professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago. She wrote a best-seller called Death and Dying. The book grew out of interviews with hundreds of people who had been declared clinically dead and then revived. Repeatedly these people report that during their death-experience they underwent a kind of instant replay of their lives. It was like seeing a movie of everything they'd ever done. How did their instant replay affect these people? Did it reveal anything significant? Commenting on this, Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross says: "When you come to this point, you see that there are only two things that are relevant: the service you rendered to others and love. All those things we think are important, like fame, money, prestige, and power, are insignificant." Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Homilies' In today's Gospel Jesus initially queries his disciples about what people think about him. He needs to know if people have understood his mission. "Who do people say that I am?" The answers were highly complementary; but in the final analysis the answers of others did not matter, second-hand faith will not stand the test. "But you, who do you say that I am?" Now in the face of that blunt question they are silent, they do not want to reveal their faith and motivation for following him. Finally Peter broke the silence and blurted out "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Peter's declaration had two parts. First, he acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah. But Peter has a second stupendous declaration to make. He proclaims that Jesus is the Son of the living God. This confession of faith of Peter is immediately followed by Jesus' affirmation that no mere man has revealed this truth to Peter. His faith is a gift from God. Peter has spoken because God has revealed this deep truth to him. In response to Peter's expression of faith, Jesus acknowledges Peter: "You are Peter, the rock, and on this rock I will build my Church." This connection between the truth of Jesus as the Son of God and the Church as founded on rock is not coincidental. Rather it becomes the firm mission of the Church to clarify, to teach, and to live according to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. We believe that Jesus is the Messiah, but we also believe that he is more than that. Jesus is truly the unique Son of God. After Peter's proclamation of faith Jesus affirmed him as the Rock. Though Peter was frail and human, he was given the keys of the Kingdom of heaven. The occupants of the chair of Peter have not always been what we would have hoped for but Jesus has not abandoned them or his Church and continues to guide it in spite of human errors. "But I know who I am!" Every day Tim would go to the nursing home and visit her. Each time she would ask Tim who he was and why he was visiting her. And each time Tim would explain who he was and why he was visiting. He would tell the story of all his children and grandchildren, all the activities and all the news of his family. And while he was feeding her lunch each day, he would gently remind her that he was married for 52 years to the same woman and that woman was her. Then each time she would smile brightly as if told for the first time. That woman was Margaret, and Margaret suffers from Alzheimer's disease; she moves in and out of reality. Tim tends to her each and every
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 6th Sunday of the Year
10-Feb-2015 Dear Friend, Pimples, boils, wrinkles, and rashes are small things, yet the thought of such afflictions can worry us no end. We go by appearances and in today's culture, as the ads say, "Looking good is everything!" Our presentation, our appearance to the outside world is the only way we can reveal ourselves, and yet our external appearance can be a barrier that holds us in as it holds others away. What is it that makes us clean or unclean? Do we need healing? May His Word heal us! Have a healing weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 6th Sunday of the Year "Of course I want you to be cured! Be healed!" 15-Feb-2015 Lev: 13:1-2, 25-46; 1 Corinth. 10:31-11:1; Mark 1:40-45; The first reading from Leviticus describes the terrible plight of the lepers in the Old Testament. The leper was considered unclean and had to proclaim that he was unclean, by his dress, appearance and voice. As long as anyone was suffering from this disease he was ostracized and had to live outside human dwellings. More fearful than the disease were the social effects of being an outcast shunned by society. In Israel, leprosy was considered as the ultimate punishment for sin. Though leprosy is curable today, it is still dreaded and we keep away from lepers. We still have lepers close by - people who, for one reason or another, are defined by their condition and not treated as people -the homeless, the unattractive, many diseased, the armless, the twisted body, people with Aids. Perhaps we need to remind ourselves also that we ourselves are often, in one way or another, inwardly leprous. Handicap no barrierHenri Vicardi was born in 1912 in New York City to immigrant parents. He was born without normal legs. He spent most of his early life in a hospital. He did not receive his artificial legs till he was twenty-seven. But what a life he lived! He has become one of the most respected figures in the fields of rehabilitation and education. He has devoted his life to ensuring that severely disabled individuals might have all the opportunities to achieve their fullest potential as human beings. In 1952 he founded the internationally famed Human Resources Centre in Elberton, Long Island. Henri has been an advisor to every president from Roosevelt to Reagan. Once, an interviewer asked him, "Henri where did you get such a positive attitude towards life?" His answer was a classic. He said, "When the turn came for another crippled boy or girl to be sent to the world, God consulted his Council of Ministers and they suggested that they could be sent to the Vicardi's family."Francis Xavier in 'The World's Best Inspiring Stories' The leper in today's gospel in spite of being forbidden to associate or draw near to people, boldly approached Jesus and voices his simple prayer: "If you wish, you can make me clean." He did not ask for a cure, his was a statement of belief in the all-inclusive power of Jesus, an affirmation of his own dependence on Jesus, an act of faith. He left himself totally open to whatever Jesus wanted to do with him. Jesus was moved by the approach of the leper, out of sympathy for the afflicted. He stretched out his hand and touched him. Jesus broke all conventions and touched and healed the leper. It was a symbolic act which no doubt shocked the onlookers. Most of us are afraid of the sick, the poor and the outcasts of society. We may give them a few coins, in order to get rid of them but we do not wish to touch them or to be touched by them. Yet we often seek a human touch. We feel honoured when someone important shakes our hands or gives us a pat on the back. "Of course I want to!" Jesus said to the leper. "Be cured!" And the leprosy left him and he was cured. He challenged us, his followers, to reach out to those society rejects today: prisoners, drug addicts, travellers, aids victims. It is amazing what people can do for others. People can rekindle hope, bring back the zest of living, inspire plans for the future, restore self-respect. They can even mirror dimly the infinite charity of God. Jesus had this great understanding of, and feeling for people who were suffering. Made whole againIn 1981 Peter Cropper, the British violinist, was invited to Finland to play a special concert. As a personal favour to Peter, the Royal Academy lent him their priceless 258-year-old Stradivarius for use in the concert. This rare instrument takes its name from the Italian violin maker, Antonio Stradivari. It is made of 80 pieces of special wood and covered with 30 coats of special varnish. Its beautiful sound has never been duplicated. When Peter Cropper got to Finland, an incredible nightmare took place. Going on stage, Peter tripped and fell. The violin broke into several pieces. Peter flew back to London in a state of shock. A master craftsman named Charles Beare agreed to try to repair the violin. He worked endless hours on it. Finally he got it back together
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Ash Wednesday
13-Feb-2015 Dear Friend, Once again we begin the season of Lent with this Ash Wednesday celebration. Lent is a time for repentance and renewal yet the Preface of Lent will call it the joyful season of Lent. We should remind ourselves that originally Lent was a time for preparation for Baptism and for Easter. Later on as the practice of adult baptisms died out, it became a time of baptismal renewal as well as a time of repentance and a proximate preparation for Easter. As we begin this new season may we find our joy in coming back to God. Have a ‘prayer-filled’ weekend! –Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. Ash Wednesday “Harden not your hearts! Repent and believe in the Gospel” 18-Feb-2015 Joel 2: 12-18 2 Corinth. 5: 20-6: 2 Matt. 6: 1-6; 16-18 The key ceremony on Ash Wednesday is the imposition of the ashes on our forehead. “Remember thou art dust and to dust thou shall return.” In a sense, this ritual reminds us of our beginning and our end, we are back to basics. It is meant to give us a right perspective of life. We are dust, we are finite, we are human, we are creatures, dependent and capable of mistakes. At times, with all our successes, our possibilities, our capabilities and the power we try to acquire, we are led to believe we can manage on our own, that we don’t need anybody, we don’t need God! Lent puts things in proper perspective. We need God, who does not look down on the dust that we are, our humanness, our weakness, but renew his covenant to human beings, he breathes life into the earth and creates us and recreates us. The first reading from the prophet Joel reminds us that sometimes God invited the people of Israel to come back to Him through the great disasters that befell them. It was after one such disaster that the prophet Joel conveyed to the people the message that God would come to their rescue. The disaster that befell the Israelites at that time was the invasion of locusts that came in large numbers from the desert and devoured everything. The prophet Joel called them to prayer and to penance. He assured them that if they came back to Yahweh, He would provide them with food they needed. He reminded them that everyone should do penance, the priests and the laity, the young and the old, even the children. They needed to ask God’s pardon as a family, as one community and God would forgive them all. The Nail PostA father wanted his son to really understand the importance of making right choices, of obeying and doing what’s right. So if his son made a bad choice or a wrong decision, he’s give him a hammer and a nail to take out into the backyard and pound into a fence post. When the son went through the whole day making good decisions, he’d let the boy go out and take out one of those nails. Until the boy was fifteen, there were always two or three nails in the post, -seemed he’d be nailing new ones as often as he’d pull out others. The youth started to mature and make better decisions and finally one day all the nails were removed from the post. That was when his dad took him back and said, “I want you to notice something about the post.” The son looked at the post for a moment and realized that all the nails that once were driven in and then later removed had left small holes in the post. The holes were the remaining effects of the nails. His dad said, “I want to tell you something about bad choices and decisions. Even though you may be totally forgiven from your bad choices or decisions, and there are no nails visible, there are the remaining effects, the consequences, of those choices or decisions; just like the holes in that fencepost.”Author Unknown The Gospel of today speaks to us of three paths that can lead us back to God: Prayer, Fasting and Alms. Jesus reminds us that these three practices by themselves will not lead us to God unless we perform them with a humble heart. Lent is firstly a time for renewing our prayer life. When we pray, do not pray to be seen or heard by others? Is Jesus against praying in public with the community or prayer group? What Jesus is speaking about is the motive of our prayer practices. Are we putting on a performance? Would we do the same if no one was watching? Our community prayer life needs to be balanced with private and personal prayer. The second practice recommended is fasting and abstinence during lent, but we are reminded that how we do it is more important than what we do. If fasting makes us irritable, if we fast with long faces and put on a gloomy look and make all around us miserable, there is something wrong. The heart of fasting is to do without something that we like and believe we can’t do without, in order to realize that God can supply our every need. What about a weekly fast from our favourite TV serial? The third practice of the devout Jew was almsgiving. Again the admonition is the same: “So when you give alms do n
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 1st Sunday of Lent
17-Feb-2015 Dear Friend, Children hate tests and detest exams. Few people like to be tested and evaluations are not gladly welcomed. Yet we know a person’s worth only when they have undergone tough trials. Athletes show their mettle when they are tested in competition with the best. In the spiritual life we know how strong or weak we are when we are tested by temptations. If we are never tempted or tried we would never know our strengths and weaknesses. Tests are not meant to make us fail but to strengthen us. Have a holy testing time this Lent! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 1st Sunday of Lent “The Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent and believe!” 22-Feb-2015 Gen: 9: 8-15 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:12-15 The first reading from Genesis reminds us that Noah alone was spared during the flood. God made a promise, a covenant that man would not be destroyed by the floodwaters and the sign of his covenant was the rainbow. God is faithful to his promise and each time we see a rainbow, it should remind us of a God who is faithful to His promise. All kinds of situations test us and there are times we may falter and fail, we may be unfaithful to God, but God will not destroy us, He is faithful to his promise, He will save us. Is Jesus Knocking?A paediatrician would plug his stethoscope into his little patient’s ears to let them listen to their own heartbeats. Their eyes would always light up in awe. He was taken aback one day when he placed the disk over little Sylvia’s heart. “Listen” said the doctor. “What do you suppose that is?” Sylvia listened carefully to the tap-tap- tapping in her chest and cried, “Is that Jesus knocking?” During Lent Jesus is knocking at my heart so that I might love like him and allow my heart to be pierced like His. True, rendering, repenting and re-turning must come from my heart. Only then will I understand the reassurance of rainbows and the welcoming warmth of spring –in my heart.Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds’ The Gospel reminded us that the spirit led Jesus to be tempted and he was in the desert amidst wild beasts but at the same time angels were ministering unto him. All through our life we are tempted and that in itself is not a bad thing. It is how we deal with temptations that really matters. We are tempted to compromise on values, to go by the popular majority, to do the easy or more convenient thing rather than what is right and proper. While we may be surrounded by evil forces we are also supported by God’s help. The wild beasts and the angels will always be there in the desert experience. We too have to go through periodic training periods of discipline and testing called Lent. We too have to be ready to do battle with Satan and evil in this world. We consider it criminal if a soldier is sent to war without basic training, or to send a doctor into an operating theatre without adequate schooling and internship. Yet we casually assume that we can fight evil in us and around us without taking Lent seriously. Vision QuestA young man in his mid-twenties works with the youth of his parish. But that was not always his goal or ambition. He had been frittering away his life, he said, living only for the present. A few years ago he accepted an invitation to join a group of people going to the Virginia Mountains to make a "Vision quest." After a couple days of training in survival tactics and the discipline of spiritual exercise, the participants were sent out individually to spend four days by themselves in the mountainous wilderness. The young man shared some of the events of those days with a group of people gathered to reflect on today's Gospel. First, he said, there was the extraordinary quiet and a lack of the usual distractions; no TV, radio, computers, video games, phones, and the devices that have become part of our daily hectic lives. It was, he said, so quiet. He began to hear sounds he might ordinarily have missed: the breeze, songs of distant birds, his footsteps, insects and his own breathing. He also began to hear his inner voice. Questions were being put to him about his life. He found that being in the wilderness was a chance to do some serious thinking for the first time in his adult years. A couple things he saw in nature got him thinking. One day he came across a dead horse rotting in a field and a few moments later he saw a fragile new-born doe. These contrasting sights stirred questions in him about his basic life assumptions. He realized, when he reflected on the sight of the dead horse, that he had been investing his life in passing realities. The doe reminded him how fragile life is, especially young life. He decided during those four days, to turn his life around and dedicate himself to ministering to youth. He would quit his job; accept a lower paying position to be a youth minister in his parish. We asked if he had found
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 2nd Sunday of Lent
23-Feb-2015 Dear Friend, There are times in our lives when God seems to be asking us to make difficult and cruel choices, almost impossible ones! How can God be asking something difficult from us? Why can’t He be reasonable? If only we could have the ecstasy without the agony! Yet we all know that in life there is no escaping from the difficult situations that come our way. Only our faith and our love can transfigure our crosses. May we have a transfiguring weekend! –Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 2nd Sunday of Lent “Those accepting the Cross will be transfigured by it!” 1-Mar-2015Gen: 22: 1-2, 9-13, 15-18 Romans 8: 31-34 Mark 9: 2-10 In the first reading we are told that God put Abraham to the test by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Surely God could not be asking such an unreasonable thing? After all, this son Isaac, was given to him as a promise. How could God go back on his promise? The other question we could ask is: How and why was Abraham so ready to comply? The only answer to these questions is the tremendous faith of Abraham and the passionate love of God, who rejected the practice of human sacrifice. God spared Isaac and instead provided the lamb of sacrifice. Although God spared the only son of Abraham, He did not intervene to spare His own son Jesus Christ. Victim or VictorCharles Rayburn has been a victim of cerebral palsy since his birth. His only means of communication was an electric typewriter which he strikes with a stylus attached to a band around his head. In spite of his palsy, Charles Rayburn has published 37 articles in national magazines. One of his articles appeared in America magazine and dealt with the Stations of the Cross. Charles Rayburn is a living example of today’s reading about Isaac and Jesus. These three figures and the three readings are tied together by a triple theme –the theme of Sonship, Death and Deliverance.Albert Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’ In today’s gospel the account of the transfiguration gives us some insight into the mystery of Jesus, Son of God. The transfiguration is an epiphany story. This is the earliest epiphany story about Jesus, where the veil is lifted and his apostles were given a glimpse of his future glory. The chief significance of this event was for Jesus himself. It was meant to confirm him in the course he had undertaken. But it also benefited the apostles, and it is this that Mark emphasizes. On the mountain Elijah and Moses appeared to them representing the prophets and the law respectively. Thus Jesus is seen as bringing the law and the prophets to fulfillment. We do not know what exactly happened on that mountain but it seems Jesus had an intense experience of the presence of God. He heard those marvelous words: “You are my beloved Son.” On Tabor Jesus felt comforted and affirmed. He knew that the Father was pleased with him and would give him all the strength he would need to face whatever lay ahead. With God on his side he could face anything. At times, life could be dark for us and we too need to hear those reassuring words: “You are my son the beloved, my favour rests on you.” People from time to time do affirm us, but their affirmation is conditional. “You are good but you need to change your behavior”! “You are good but only if you live up to my expectations!” Only God affirms us exactly as he affirmed his son Jesus. With him there are no terms and conditions even if we are sinners and have failed him. We will always remain the well beloved sons and daughters of God. On that mountain the Father affirmed Jesus and that same Father is waiting for us to come to him to be affirmed as his well beloved sons and daughters. Our problem is that as soon as we run into trouble our faith fails us. We think that God has abandoned us. But if we pray we will realize that God has not abandoned us, He is always with us. Like Jesus on Tabor we too can experience being affirmed by God, we too can be transformed by the power of his Spirit, if only we let Him into our lives. “Pigeon Feathers”John Updike wrote a short story called “Pigeon Feathers.” It’s about a young boy, David, who begins to have doubts about his faith. One night in bed David is thinking about his problem. Suddenly he decides upon a bold experiment. He takes his hands from under the covers, lifts them above his head, and asks Jesus to touch them. As David waits breathlessly, he thinks he feels something touch his hands; not sure if they have been touched or not. We can all relate to David in this scene. We too experience times when our faith seems to disappear or go behind a cloud. When this happens, we long desperately for a sign that God is real and that Jesus is the Son of God. Or to put it in another way, we long for a sign of Jesus’ glory, like the one Peter, James and John received in today’s gospel.Mark Link in ‘Sunday Homilies’ You are my beloved!You probably have he
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Third Sunday of Lent
3-Mar-2015 Dear Friend, Whenever peopleare commanded to do something, even if they want to do it, they revolt. Whenparents say to their child: “Do what I tell you!” the reaction often is, “Iwill not!” When youth are forced to observe rules and regulations of theircollege, often they rebel and do just the opposite, just for the heck of it!When laws are enforced in society, there will always be some who challenge thelaw and there is a breakdown of law and order. We want to do our thing! But Godhas given us commandments for our own good. Do we care to observe them, livingaccording to them or do we deliberately go against them? Let’s spend thisweekend pondering on God’s law as a means of loving Him! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 3rdSunday of Lent “Fidelity to the Covenant implies obligations for us.”8-Mar-2015 Exo: 20: 1-17; 1 Cor. 1: 22-25; John 2: 13-25; The first readingfrom Genesis speaks of the Ten Commandments and spells out the implications ofthese commandments. God did not give the commandments for his benefit but forthe sake of the people. When the people observed the commandments they were thegainers, when they disobeyed they themselves were the losers. Someone hascalled the Ten Commandments ten guidelines to happiness; unfortunately somehave interpreted the commandments as restrictions to man’s freedom. The firstcommandment forbids the worship of false gods, yet all of us at some time oranother have created gods to suit us and often these false gods hold sway overour lives. Keeping the law for the sake of the law results in bondage, whileobserving the law out of love for God and respect for neighbour results in truefreedom. The TenCommandments IndicatorOn 3rd February1959 10,000 meters above the Atlantic, Captain Lynch took a last look at theflight panel of the Boeing 707. The co-pilot was studying a map. Captain Lynchdecided to stretch his legs, thinking that the worst was over. Shortly afterleaving Paris they had run into a 120 kph headwind. But by now they had climbedabove the storm. The captain made his way down the aisle. Just then the Captainfelt the right wing tip and he was thrown against the seats on the right handside. At the same moment all the lights in the plane went out. Next he foundhimself lying on the floor. But then he realised it was the ceiling he was on.The Boeing was on its back. He began to make his way back to the cockpit. Hedecided to try to hold the plane at 2,000 meters. The co-pilot had been knockedunconscious. He came to again and he and the captain managed to bring theBoeing to the horizontal. A few more seconds and the plane would have crashed.The whole incident lasted four minutes. What caused it? While the co-pilot wasstudying the map he did not notice the blue light on the indicator panelwarning that the automatic pilot had stopped working. God has given us anindicator panel to guide us through life. That indicator panel is theCommandments. The Commandments are a gift from God to help us enjoy life by notgetting lost along the way.Author Unknown The first part oftoday’s Gospel centres around the temple practices which had gradually becomeoppressive and corrupt. The motive for these practices should have been serviceof God and neighbour but instead the motive was profit. All the procedures werelegal but were against the spirit of the law and done in the name of religion.That is why when Jesus entered the temple he was upset and angry because God’shouse was being desecrated. Jesus’ action was amazing and unprecedentedconsidering that the temple had pride of place and by his action Jesus wastaking on the whole religious institution and challenging their power andauthority. Whereas the first part centres on the temple the second part focuseson Jesus himself as God’s temple. He was referring to his bodily resurrection,but neither the temple authorities nor his own disciples understand the deeperimplications. The last part of the gospel of today speaks of Jesus’ interactionwith the people. Many of them were impressed by his challenging action in thetemple. They did not understand his action but they somehow believed that Godwas with Jesus, but they failed to understand that God was within Jesus, thatJesus himself was God and that true worship was worship within one’s heart. Theheart of all worship would be loving obedience to God and his commandments andtherefore the true temple where one worshiped God was within one’s heart. Righteous AngerA man lived onthe outskirts of a village. About thirty feet from his house, a large lime treegrew. The tree was something of a village landmark. However, it was gettingold. It was clearly only a matter of time before it came crashing down. Everytime there was a storm, the man feared for his house and his life. One day,unable to bear the strain any longer, he cut the tree down. He felt sure thatthe villagers would understand. But he was wrong. ‘Shame on y
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 4th Sunday of Lent
10-Mar-2015 Dear Friend, We are almost halfway in Lent and right in the middle of it the Church celebrates a Sunday of rejoicing! Isn't it strange to rejoice during Lent, when we are called to repentance and when we prepare to re-live the mysteries of Jesus' passion, death and resurrection? Firstly, the call to rejoice is taken from the words of the entrance song of the mass of today "Rejoice Jerusalem" and secondly the ultimate reason for rejoicing is the undeniable fact that God definitely and unconditionally loves us. He alone is our salvation and will see us through whatever is happening today! Have a reassuring weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 4th Sunday of Lent "God loved us so much He gave His only Son to save us" 15-Mar-2015 Chro. 36: 14-16, 19-23; Eph. 2: 4-10; John 3: 14-21; In the first reading of today we are told of the many misfortunes that God allowed to come upon Israel because of their sins, the greatest being the destruction of the temple and their banishment into exile. However Chronicles points out that this was not because God wanted to take revenge on his people. The author points out that during their misfortunes God did not abandon them but rather took care of them and moved persons and events in such a way that they would, after their exile, be able to come back to their land, rebuild their temple and once again prosper as His people. God did not keep a record of their wrongs but was ever ready to forgive. People may give up on us but God never abandons his people. Take what you like bestJoachim and Rebecca were married for ten years but there was no sign of a child to gladden Joachim's heart and perpetuate his name. So he decided to divorce his wife and went to old Rabbi Ben Shamir to make the necessary arrangements. "Joachim son," said the Rabbi, "we had a party to celebrate your marriage, so before we do anything about the divorce we are going to have another party to mark your parting," and unknown to Joachim, he winked knowingly at Rebecca. The party came and acting on the advice of the Rabbi, Rebecca plied her husband with the best vintage wine. As she topped off the cup Joachim spoke to her, "Little wife, take what you like best from this place and take it with you to your father's house." Then he fell asleep. Rebecca put him to bed and then with the connivance of the Rabbi and the sturdy shoulders of some of the guests they brought the bed with Joachim in it to her father's house. When he awoke the following morning and recognized the surroundings he called Rebecca. "Little wife, what am I doing here?" to which she coyly replied: "I only did what you told me to, husband dear. I took what I liked best to my father's house - and that was you!" Joachim took her in his arms and forgot about the divorce. A few weeks later she told him she was pregnant.James A Feeban from 'Story Power' In the gospel we have Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus, who appears three times in the Gospel of John, each time at night. His caution in coming at night implies heavy opposition to Jesus in Jerusalem. This is the only time on record when Nicodemus meets Jesus and they speak. In today's reading, God orders Moses to make a bronze serpent, mount it on a pole, enabling all who looked at it to be cured of the bites of poisonous snakes as they trekked through the desert. Jesus used this story as a parable of himself. He told Nicodemus that for the salvation of the world, he himself would be lifted up. He meant it in a twofold sense: lifted up on the cross and lifted up into the glory of the resurrection. Jesus told Nicodemus and us through him, that if we look at Jesus and believe, we will experience healing pardon and new life. Jesus summed it all up by saying, "God sent his son into the world not to condemn the world but so that through him the world might be saved." This is the sum and substance of the good news that Jesus came to bring us: Salvation is ours in and through Jesus Christ. The only requirement is faith. If we believe then God's power comes alive in us, if we do not believe then we condemn ourselves and God's spirit lies impotent in us. Some people condemn themselves by turning away from the light. A life that makes a differenceSeveral years ago a bomb was detonated outside the huge oak doors of a Greek Catholic church in Jerusalem. The heavy doors were blown inward so that they careened up to the front of the sanctuary and destroyed the chancel area. Windows were blown out, pews were destroyed, and the balcony collapsed. Dr. Ken Bailey, a Presbyterian missionary scholar and friend of the priest of the Greek Church, stopped by to assess the damage. It took little time to determine that the priest was in shock and unable to make necessary decisions. So Dr. Bailey took it upon himself to ask seminary administrators at the school where he taught to close classes, and he invited students to join him in helping the
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 5th Sunday of Lent
17-Mar-2015 Dear Friend, We live in uncertain times and we are never sure of what is going to happen to the world and to ourselves because of the threat of terrorism that never gets wiped out. While most soldiers and their leaders are never certain of whether they would come back triumphant, alive or dead, from the battles they face, Jesus, as he prepared to face his ultimate battle, his passion and death at the hands of his enemies, was certain of His Father's love and the ultimate victory that the Father promised him. We too can be certain that the Father's love will never fail us! Have an affirming weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 5th Sunday of Lent "God's love is eternal. His death renews His covenant!" 22-Mar-2015 Jer. 31: 31-34; Heb. 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-33; Today's passage from Jeremiah provides comfort to the people in the midst of his gloomy predictions. The comforting part was the fact that Yahweh was going to make a New Covenant in the new and final age of salvation. This New Covenant would be God-centred and like the Old it would involve the people of God in the response shown to God's law. But the New Covenant would also be different from the Old in many ways. It would last forever and it would not be written on stone tablets or in books but on men's hearts, as God would intervene directly. Finally all this 'newness' would be made possible because God would create 'a new heart' for his people and give them 'a new spirit.' "Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they shall be my people." How I would love to know you!Once there was a salt doll who lived so far inland that she had never seen the sea. Consumed with a desire to see the sea she set out one day and walked hundreds of miles towards the ocean. At last she arrived and she stood by the seashore enraptured by the wonder of what she saw she cried out, "O Sea, how I would love to know you!" To her surprise and delight the sea responded to her, "To know me you must touch me." So the little salt doll walked towards the sea and as she advanced into the oncoming tide she saw to her horror that her toes began to disappear. Then as her feet began to disappear she cried out, "O Sea, what are you doing to me?" The sea replied, "If you desire to know me fully you must be prepared to give something of yourself." As the doll advanced further into the water her limbs and then her body began to disappear and as she became totally dissolved she cried out, "Now at last, I know the sea!"James a Feeban from 'Story Power' In the Gospel we see Jesus speaking of his forthcoming passion and death not with fear, but with hope and promise. We are told that a small group of Greeks came to John and expressed their desire to meet Jesus. "They wanted to see Jesus". Andrew knew that no one who desired to meet Jesus would be a bother and so they approached him. Jesus begins by stating that "Now the hour has come for the son of Man to be glorified." Earlier at Cana he had said to his mother: "My hour has not yet come." But now he openly stated "that the hour had come for the son of man to be glorified." Jesus' message here is that the way to glory for Jesus and for all of us, is death to self. Jesus challenges a worldly way of living. "Anyone who loves his life will lose it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." Spelling out his form of discipleship he points out that it is not enough to be Jesus' fans, admiring what he has done for us, we become his followers as we try to live like him and for him. Jesus interrupts his trend of thought with the confession of his own fear. It is human to feel fear in the face of great trials and suffering. We all know how we suffer at the thought of what is going to happen to us. Courage is not the denial of fear but rather knowing enough of what is to come and yet doing what you have to do. Once we begin to love we open ourselves to pain as well as to joy. When Jesus says; "Father, glorify your name!" what Jesus is saying is "Father use me as you will!" What God did for Jesus, he will do for everybody. In times of crisis God is glorifying us, and we should be ready to say, "Use me as you will!" For Jesus the hour of being lifted up on the cross was also the hour of being lifted up in glory. All who share in being lifted up on their crosses will also be lifted up in glory in Him. Facing one's fearOne of his biographers tells us that Dr. Martin Luther King knew many low moments. One night, for instance, his house was bombed. This literally plunged him into the deepest pit of despair -he hit rock bottom. In a state of utter exhaustion and desperate dejection he fell down on his knees and figuratively threw himself into the arms of God. This is how he prayed: "Lord I have taken a stand for what I believe is right. But now I'm afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Palm Sunday
24-Mar-2015 Dear Friend, Today is a mixed celebration as it is both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. While we are happy to proclaim Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem we are not too comfortable with the passion and death which he will soon undergo. We have to remind ourselves that the cross and the crown go hand in hand in the life of Jesus and in our own life as well. We also need to remind ourselves that this week's celebration is not only a recalling of a past event but a re-living in faith of the same events. Jesus was present then and the same Jesus is present in a new way today as we relive those mysteries of our faith. May we have a faith-renewing weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. Palm Sunday "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!" 29-Mar-2015 Mark 11: 1-10; Isa. 50: 4-7; Philipians 2: 6-11; Mark 14: 1-15, 47; In the first part of this service we remember Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem acclaimed by all the people. We could dwell on the thoughts of those who were present there. Firstly there are the disciples and the crowds, which were growing in their admiration of Jesus the master. They must have been particularly happy to see their master thus publicly acknowledged by the multitude. Then there are the Jewish leaders who understood what was happening as the crowds proclaimed: "Hosanna to the Son of David." They wanted Jesus to silence the crowd but he didn't. Then there is Jesus himself and his thoughts were very different from those of his disciples and the crowd. He did gratefully accept the praises of the people since they were sincere, but these praises did not make him proud. He still remained humble and that is the reason he comes on a donkey fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. Triumph and TragedyIn 1978 President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin shared the Nobel Peace Prize. The award was given to them for their joint efforts to reduce Mideast hostilities by framing and signing the U.S. mediated Camp David peace accord. The agreement was an unprecedented move on Sadat's part because he was the first major Arab leader to accept Israel's existence as a sovereign state. Only five years earlier, in 1973, he was hailed as a hero for successfully sending Egyptian forces across the Suez Canal to recapture Israeli-occupied territories. But in 1978 Sadat was called a traitor by Arab radicals. President Sadat was assassinated by some Arab extremists in 1981. Ironically, he was killed while viewing a parade to celebrate the anniversary of the 1973 battle that had made him an Arab hero. The life and death of Anwar Sadat suggest some striking similarities to the life and death of Jesus, similarities that stand out on Palm Sunday. For both Sadat and Jesus had loyal followers who acclaimed them, but also enemies who eventually killed them. Both men entered their final scene to sounds of triumph, only to depart from it on a note of tragedy.Albert Cylwicki in 'His Word Resounds' In the first reading the prophet Isaiah, who lived seven hundred years before Christ, wrote about the sufferings of the suffering servant in such detail that one would have thought that he was an eye witness of the passion and death of Jesus Christ himself. The spirit of God prompted him to say and write as he did. In particular, in today's reading, Isaiah will highlight one key aspect of the suffering servant of Yahweh that he would be obedient and uncomplaining in his acceptance of whatever he had to endure. In all that he suffered he would trust in his Father and surrender to His will. As we listen to the narrative of the passion we need to remind ourselves that the gospels were not written at a stretch but gradually. The account of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus were among the very first sections of the Gospels to be put into writing as nothing was dearer to the followers than to recall and relive the very last moments of Jesus and all that he had said and done before he died. On listening to the narrative of the passion, those Christians and millions of others were empowered and fortified to remain faithful to Jesus in times of persecution. We too, as we listen to the narrative of the passion will find the courage and strength to carry our own crosses and follow after him. As we enter into his passion we need to make an act of faith. Jesus died but he still lives on and continues to be in our midst. During Holy Week Jesus comes in a special way not only to listen to us but also to speak to us and to work in us and through us. Times have changed and the settings have changed. There are no apostles and no Jews but we have taken their place. Jesus is undergoing his passion today through the people who suffer, those who are unjustly condemned to death; those who are betrayed by their very own; those who suffer for their stand against aggression, injustices, human rights; those who
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Holy Thursday
31-Mar-2015 Dear Friend, >From ancient times the Church set apart Holy Thursday as the day to consider >what Jesus did and taught during his last meal on earth. Holy Thursday has >been called 'Maundy' Thursday, to remind us of the mandate of the Lord, the >new commandment of the Lord: "Love one another as I have loved you." Today the >church commemorates a triple celebration: the institution of the Eucharist, >the institution of the sacramental priesthood and the New Commandment of love >as seen in Jesus' own example of washing the feet of the disciples. Has the >Eucharist brought any newness into our lives? What is new about the >love-commandment of the Lord? May we have a love-filled Holy Thursday >celebration! -Fr. Jude Reflections for Holy Thursday "If I your Lord have washed your feet! You should do the same!" 2-Apr-2015 Exod.12: 1-8, 11-14; Corinth. 11: 23-26; John 13: 1-15; The Book of Exodus tells us how the Lord ordered the Israelites to keep the Paschal meal. Each family had to kill a lamb and smear the doorposts with the blood of the lamb. The lamb should be roasted and eaten standing to signify their readiness to pass from the land of slavery to the land of promise. It would also signify the passing of the angel of the Lord over the houses of the Israelites marked by the blood of the lamb. To remember this Passover, God ordered the Israelites to keep the Feast of the Passover. The lamb sacrificed was eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs and the father of the family would explain to the children, year after year, what the meal and the feast meant. Our Eucharistic celebration is a commemoration of the same Paschal meal, reminding us that we are called to pass from the land of slavery to sin to the land of freedom; we are called to pass over from wherever we are to where the Lord wants us to be. It calls to mind the fact that God has passed over our sins thanks to the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ through whose death we are given life. Depiction of the EucharistAn old Church in Cologne had a telling illustration of the Bread of life on the door of the church. The door had four panels, each portraying a biblical scene relating to the Eucharist. The first panel had six stone jars, depicting the miracle of Cana; the second showed five loaves and two fishes, referring to the feeding of the five thousand; the third panel portrayed Jesus and the twelve seated at the table in the Upper Room; and the last panel had three figures -Jesus breaking bread with two of his disciples in the Inn at Emmaus. The common interpretation of the first miracle depicted is that the Lord came to the rescue of the young couple who were embarrassed having run out of wine. The artist's message was that just as Jesus had turned the water into wine so one day he would change wine into his blood, thus prefiguring the Eucharist. The second panel shows the feeding of the five thousand. In Capernaum he gave ordinary bread; at the Last Supper he would give the bread of Life. The third panel reveals the institution of the Eucharist. In the Upper Room Jesus does more than change water into wine, he changes wine into his blood. He does more than multiply loaves; he changes bread into his body. In the last panel we see in the meal at Emmaus the first post-resurrection Eucharist. First in the scriptures and then in the breaking of bread they learn to recognize the Lord in their midst and their hearts are warmed at his presence. The four panels thus progressively reveal the true meaning of the Eucharist.Mark Link John, who wrote his gospel more than fifty years after the last supper had taken place, does not narrate the Institution of the Holy Eucharist, since Matthew, Mark and Luke had already done it. But John wanted to remind the Christians of what Jesus had done on the night of the Last Supper. The central point of his teaching that night was his new commandment. To drive home this message he tells us how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples during the Last Supper. No other Gospel narrates this event. John was well aware that the Eucharist was the greatest gift of the Lord to the Church. Yet he preferred to describe a ritual that Jesus performed that night, which would highlight the true meaning of "Do this in memory of me!" The celebration of the Eucharist becomes relevant and meaningful only when we have washed one another's feet. After years of participating in the Eucharist, have we understood what the Lord is asking of us? Unfortunately, we have made the Eucharist a ritual to be observed but with no bearing on our daily lives. We can participate in the Eucharist daily and yet not let it affect our lives in any way. Similarly we can on this day participate in the ritual of the washing of the feet and yet not see the implications of this new commandment. To celebrate the Eucharist we have to live it. To live as a follower of Jesus Christ we
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Good Friday
1-Apr-2015 Dear Friend, Why Good Friday? Why death? Why death forever? It is good and necessary for us to contemplate Jesus on the cross in his agony and death to realize how much God loved us in Jesus. Paradoxically, without the cross life is meaningless, and the world's suffering is meaningless. We need the cross to comprehend the problem of evil and its all-encompassing presence in the world today. We need Jesus on the cross to face our own crosses and to draw strength from Him. May we have an affirming Good Friday! -Fr. Jude Reflections for Good Friday "Being obedient unto death, He became the source of our salvation!" 3-Apr-2015 Isai. 52: 13--53: 12; Heb. 4: 14-16; 5: 7-9; John 18: 1-19: 42; In today's first reading Isaiah paints a startling portrait of the suffering servant of Yahweh. This suffering servant has a dignity about himself and his spirit is intact and unbroken in the midst of all that he suffers. Physically he was abused and reduced to a subhuman condition, yet in the face of all that he suffered there is no bitterness, no anger, no resentment, no complaint. Isaiah is describing not only the suffering servant but in fact he gives us a pen portrait of Jesus himself as he goes to his passion and he also gives us a model of how the Christian is called to respond to suffering. Jesus would embrace the cross and transform it into an expression of love for all human beings. The cross, the object of death can become the object of life for us and for others, if it is embraced with faith, as coming from God's hands. He risked his life, all he got back was…One night a fisherman heard a loud splash. A man on a nearby yacht had been drinking and had fallen overboard. The fisherman leapt into the cold water and rescued the man and revived him with artificial respiration. Then he put the man to bed, and did everything he could to make the man comfortable. Finally, exhausted by the ordeal, the fisherman swam back to his own boat. The next morning the fisherman returned to the yacht to see how the man was doing. "It's none of your business," the man shouted defensively. The fisherman reminded the man that he had risked his life to save him. But instead of thanking him, the man cursed the fisherman and told him that he never wanted to see him around again. Commenting on the episode, the fisherman said: "I rowed away from the yacht with tears in my eyes. But the experience was worth it, because it gave me an understanding of how Jesus felt when he was rejected by those he saved."Mark Link in 'Journey' Today's Gospel presents a mortal conflict between good and evil, a battle between the Prince of Peace and the prince of this world. Good Friday is a day of paradox because an instrument of death becomes the source of life. It is also a day of mystery because the sinless one became as sin; a day revealing mankind at its worst and God at His best. Ultimately on this day love conquers death. Jesus on the cross transforms the curse of the cross into an instrument of blessing and eternal life. In the Gospel we hear an account of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. There are several facets of the passion we could successfully reflect upon: The agony in the garden and the fearless confrontation of Jesus with those who came to arrest him. The triple denial of Peter in the presence of a maid servant. The trial before Caiphas in the Pretorium and then his confrontation with Pilate, and the lingering unanswered question: "What is the truth?" We could meditate on the Way of the Cross and his final moments on the cross. We could ask the questions: Why did the Father permit the Son to suffer? Why does God seem to abandon Jesus? Does God abandon his people, his beloved when they suffer? For that matter is the Father oblivious to the passion of his Son and to all his sons and daughters who even now suffer in the world today? While God does not reveal always his power, he always gives us the assurance of his comforting presence. We want God to be a powerful God, one who does away with all suffering. In Jesus' suffering and dying on the cross, we see as it were, an impotent God, a God who is made vulnerable precisely because he loves us, is ready to suffer with us and for us. Thy Will, Not MineRobert Grant's short story The Sign concerns a young man called Davidson. He wants to be a writer and has just mailed his first novel to a publishing house. Filled with fear about the publisher's decision, he goes outside and paces back and forth in an orchard. It was Holy Week. His thought went back and forth between Christ and himself, like a needle and thread: to Christ in the garden of Gethsemane kneeling in prayer, and to himself in the orchard; to Christ preparing for the supreme agony of hanging by nails, back to himself and his book with Dow Press. He stopped and said."Thy will, not mine." But then 'a bolt of awareness' struck him.
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Easter Sunday
2-Apr-2015 Dear Friend, Easter is truly the Lord’s Day; His day of victory over suffering and death, but is it also our day as well. Every Easter we are reminded that God desires to restore humanity and all of creation to our original blessing. As we celebrate the mystery of his death and resurrection we discover once more that our God is a God of peace, our God is a God of forgiveness, a God of hope and Life. Have a joyous Easter celebration! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref. Easter “He has risen as he said! We rejoice and are glad! Alleluia! Alleluia!” 5-Apr-2015 Acts 10: 34, 37-43; Col. 3: 1-4; John 20: 1-9; The first reading from the Acts, is part of an early sermon of St. Peter on the feast of Pentecost, his very first after the resurrection. He tells us how he is a witness of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Without the resurrection Jesus’ life and ours would be a total failure, with the resurrection every moment of His ministry has new meaning and every moment of our own can take on new significance. Peter in this sermon reminds his listeners that Jesus is Lord of all and that his message is a message of hope and peace. He emphasizes that every believer is called to be a witness of the Lord’s life, death and resurrection. We are called to be witnesses of the resurrection, but the glory of the resurrection is realized in us only when we have accepted the many crosses that come our way leading us to new life. Unfinished Till BrokenA story is told of an Eastern village that, through the centuries, was known for its exquisite pottery. Especially striking were its urns; high as tables, wide as chairs, they were admired around the globe for their strong form and delicate beauty. Legend has it that when each urn was apparently finished, there was one final step. The artist broke it – and then put it back together with gold filigree. An ordinary urn was then transformed into a priceless work of art. What seemed finished wasn't, until it was broken.Steve Goodier The Gospel begins with Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. She knows the stone has to be rolled away, and she also knows that she cannot do it by herself. Maybe she believes that the Lord will provide and he will take care of it all - and he does! “She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.” Maybe Mary’s attitude should be a great encouragement for us all. We can’t remove the boulder that blocks us and prevents us from bursting forth into new life. But the Lord is there and He will do it for us! She saw but she did not believe. The Apostles would not accept the conclusion, so obvious to us, that Jesus must have risen from the dead. Peter and John did not believe but ran to the tomb to check out for themselves and remained baffled in their unbelief. Finally they both went into the tomb, they began to understand the scriptures, they saw and they believed. The Gospel tells us that Mary stood outside the tomb, weeping and looking into the tomb to see, not the risen Jesus but where they had laid his body. She was looking for Jesus in the wrong place, looking for the risen among the dead! She sees Jesus but still does not recognize him. This narrative of the resurrection reminds us that left on our own we look for the Lord in the wrong places, among the dead rather than among the living. But the good news is that the Lord does not give up on us. He will reveal himself to us and call us by name so that like Mary we can say: “I have seen the Lord!” and once we have seen him and experienced the power of the resurrection nothing will ever be the same again. Witness to the ResurrectionIn the darkest days of Stalinist Russia a special League of the Godless was established to stamp out the last vestiges of religion from peoples’ lives. One Easter morning the Commissar of this League addressed a huge rally in Moscow’s Red Square. He ranted along his usual lines that religion was the instrument of the bourgeoisie and the opium of the proletariat. At the end of his harangue he generously offered the mike to anyone who wished to debate with him. Nobody wanted a one-way ticket to Siberia until one old man made his way forward. He surveyed his huge audience, cleared his throat and began to sing: “The Lord has risen.” It was the traditional Orthodox Easter greeting. Moved by the old man’s courage, voices from the square swelled up in reply: “He has truly risen.” Religion in Russia was not dead as long as belief in the resurrection of Christ was not dead in people.Sylvester O’Flynn in ‘The Good News of Mark’s Gospel’ Empty TombEaster celebrations lead us to an empty tomb! The coffin of President Abraham Lincoln has been opened twice since his death. The first time it was opened in 1887, twenty years after his death. Why was it opened? Because of the rumour that the coffin did not contain Lincoln’s body. It was opened and the body in it was proven to be Linco
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 2nd Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy
8-Apr-2015 Dear Friend, We like to believe that faith is an acquisition that we can hold on to once we have it. Yet the reality is that faith is totally a gift that has to be constantly cherished and nurtured or else we lose it. We also like to believe that faith is my personal relationship with God, something dependent on me alone, which is not affected or conditioned by my dealings with my community. Yet we are confronted today with the realization that our faith is very much dependent on and fostered in and through the community. We are in it together! May we have a faith-sharing, faith-affirming Divine Mercy weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref. Divine Mercy "One in mind and heart they testified to the Resurrection" 12-Apr-2015 Acts 4: 32-35; John. 5: 1-6; John 20: 19-31; The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles has an apt description of the ideal Christian community, a community gathered around the risen Lord. There are two characteristics pointed out in this community. Firstly, there was a tremendous unity and secondly, as a result of this unity there was a generous sharing of all that they had, out of concern for others. It is good to remind ourselves today that if we are truly Christians, then our communities should have the same characteristics. Today we are reminded that if we are an Easter people we have to share our lives and in the measure we care, in that measure we grow as a Christian community. Uplifting One AnotherHave you ever watched geese fly in V-formation? While a thing of beauty to watch, the formation is essential to the geese for survival. If you listen, you can hear the beat of their wings whistling through the air in unison. And that is the secret of their strength: the lead goose cuts a swath through the air resistance, which creates a helping uplift for the birds behind it. In turn their flapping makes it easier for the birds behind them, and so on. Each bird takes its turn at being leader. The tired ones fan out to the edges of the V for a breather, and the rested ones surge towards the point of the V to drive the flock onward. If a goose becomes too exhausted or ill and has to drop out of the flock, it is never abandoned. A stronger member of the flock will follow the failing, weak one to its resting place and wait till the bird is well enough to fly again. Together, cooperating as a flock, geese can fly at 71% longer range, with up to 60% less work.Phillip Yancy, in 'Benedict Arnold Seagull' In the Gospel, Easter Peace is very much linked with our readiness to forgive and to receive forgiveness from others. We are all called to be witnesses of His Peace and His forgiveness. The Gospel adds a little detail that Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came and when the others told him that they had seen the Lord he refused to believe. He demanded proof that would satisfy him. "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." We have people who are believers and people who are doubters; people who are ready to accept the word of others as gospel truth and people who question even those in authority. Apparently, the apostles let Thomas be part of the group in spite of his doubts and questions. Equally, it must be said, that in spite of not believing their testimonies, Thomas did not walk out on them, but rather, stayed with the community. His perseverance was rewarded with the second appearance of Jesus to him. Jesus on his part is seen to be patient and tolerant of Thomas and takes the initiative to meet him on his terms and conditions. "Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Doubt no longer but believe." The gospel concludes with those reassuring words for many of us, who have our doubts, who have not seen and are struggling to believe. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Don't be crying! It's Ok! He is alive!"I remember one occasion when I led a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. One of the young men in the group was quite mentally limited, although his grasp of God, of Jesus, and the events of the gospel were uncanny. We arrived at the tomb of the basilica, and we joined the long line, waiting our turn to enter. One lady came out of the tomb, and was obviously deeply touched by the experience of her visit to such a sacred spot. She sat down outside the entrance, took out a tissue, and began wiping her tears. My friend, who was back in the line, spotted what was happening, and responded instantly. He ran straight up to her, put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't be crying, it's ok. He's alive; don't you know that?" The whole thing was so spontaneous and genuine that the woman stood up, and gave him a warm hug. The simple fact was that he could not understand how anybody could be crying at this tomb, of all the to
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 4th Sunday of Easter
20-Apr-2015 Dear Friend, During this Easter season we are given many signs of the presence of the Risen Lord. We see his presence when he appears to the apostles many times after he has risen from the dead. We also see his presence in the community that was formed around the Risen Lord, and the witnessing of the apostles. Today we are given one more characteristic of the Risen Lord, his care for his sheep, and all who wish to belong to his flock. As people of the Resurrection we are assured that He is our Good Shepherd. Do we in turn show a caring attitude towards others? May we have a nurturing weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref. 4th Sunday of Easter "Jesus the Shepherd, Searches, Safeguards and Saves us!" 26-Apr-2015 Acts 4: 8-12; 1John. 3: 1-2; John 10: 12-18; In today's reading we see the power of the Risen Lord, which had transformed Peter, who preaches eloquently and takes on the establishment. Peter was speaking to the elders, the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, a powerful opposition for an uneducated fisherman, yet he and the other apostles displayed courage and greatness as they confront them head on. "If we are being questioned and asked how this man was healed, let it be known, that this man is standing in good health by the name of Jesus of Nazareth." Peter could have taken the credit for the miracle. Peter has learnt his lesson and knows that if he relies on himself he will fall, but his confidence is in the Lord, who never fails. Peter moves from the immediate fact of the healing, to the thing signified, namely the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Good ShepherdsIn San Salvador on March 24, 1980, an assassin killed Archbishop Oscar Romero with a single shot to the heart while he was saying Mass. Only a few minutes before, Archbishop Romero had finished a hope-filled homily in which he urged the people to serve one another. Since Archbishop Romero was demanding human rights for his people under oppression, he knew that his life was in danger. Still he persisted in speaking out against tyranny and for freedom. He once told newspapermen that even if his enemies killed him, he would rise again among his people. Today, good shepherds who lay down their lives mean husbands and wives who can't do enough for each other to demonstrate their commitment to each other; parents who make countless sacrifices for the good of their children; teachers who spend untold hours instructing the weak students; doctors and nurses who work untiringly to show they care for their patients; employers who share profits with their workers; politicians who unselfishly promote the common good of their voters and parishioners who generously support their parish community.Albert Cylwicki in 'His Word Resounds' One of the most beautiful descriptions of God given by Jesus is contained in today's gospel reading where he proclaims: "I am the good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." Jesus was the visible sign of God's constant care for his people. In our present day set-up the image of the shepherd may be alien to us but in Palestine the shepherd was a common figure in the countryside. The shepherd in Palestine led his flock, he did not drive them as shepherds elsewhere did. The shepherd literally lived with his flock, spent most of the day and night with them. Though there were hundreds of sheep belonging to different shepherds, the shepherd knew his own and his own sheep recognized his voice and followed him to the pastures. The good shepherd cared for the sheep to the point of death. He does not just surrender his life for his sheep, but he gives his life willingly, as He said at the last supper. Knowing His sheepOne of the memories I have of the home of my birth was a dog we had, called Roxy. We lived on a fairly quiet road, but as the years went by, the number of cars increased. Irrespective of how many passed by, Roxy was quite indifferent. Then suddenly, the ears were at full stretch, up he sprang, and raced at full speed along the road. There was no sign of anything coming, but we all knew that my mother was on her way, driving back from town, and was probably several hundred yards away. With all the cars, this was the sound that Roxy recognized from a distance. By the time he met the car, my mother had rolled down the window on the passenger side, slowed down slightly and with the car still moving, Roxy sprang right into the front seat and accompanied her on the latter part of the journey. I'm sure most of us have known unique relationships between animals and humans.Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth' A Good ShepherdAfter a particularly brilliant concert, Beethoven was in the centre of congratulating friends and admirers, who praised his piano magic. One unusually enthusiastic woman exclaimed: "Oh, sir, if God had only given me the gift of genius!" "It is not genius, madam," replied Beethoven. "Nor magic. All y
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 5th Sunday of Easter
27-Apr-2015 Dear Friend, Our natural instinct is the spirit of self-preservation. If we live purely natural lives we would only be thinking of ‘I, me and myself’ alone. The culture that we live in tends to celebrate individualism rather than community life. At the same time we yearn to belong and feel part of a community. Easter reminds us that we are called to belong and live together. When we love we are ready to ‘hang out’ for a long time together. We cannot live our faith and journey to God single-handedly. Perhaps we need to learn how to ‘hang out’ with Jesus! May His Word challenge us. Have a bonding weekend! –Fr. Jude Sunday Ref. 5th Sun. of Easter “Called to be united to God, expressed in love for others!” 03-May-2015 Acts 9: 26-31; 1John. 3: 18-24; John 15: 1-8; Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us that Paul after his conversion decided to go to Jerusalem and tried to be united to the Christian community there. But the community had heard of Paul’s reputation as a persecutor of the Christians and being afraid of him refused to associate with him. Finally it was left to Barnabas, who was a kind, forgiving and encouraging person, to bring Paul into the community. He pleads Paul’s case, telling his brethren that Paul has met the Lord and that he is no more the person he once was. Paul knows that value of being united with the mother Church and several times in his life he will journey to Jerusalem. Relationships are a gift and not merely an acquisition, and this is even more so with the Lord. It is God who takes the initiative to be one with us and nothing that we do can merit a relationship with him. Not connected!A missionary in Africa lived in his central mission, which had a small electric plant to supply current for his church and small rectory. Some natives from the outlying mission came to visit the padre. They noticed the electric light hanging from the ceiling of his living room. They watched wide-eyed as he turned on the little switch and the light came on. One of the visitors asked if he could have one of those bulbs. The priest thinking he wanted it as a sort of trinket gave him a burned-out bulb. On his next visit to the outlying mission, the priest stopped at the hut of the man who had asked for the bulb. Imagine the priest’s surprise when he saw the bulb hanging from an ordinary string! He had to explain that one had to have electricity power and a wire to bring the current to the bulb. Without a connection there is no power!Msgr. Arthur Tonne In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus speaking of this same unity and intimacy, which should be part of our relationship with Jesus and with his Church. He illustrates this with a very earthy metaphor. “I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear even more fruit.” Firstly, we are reminded that the Father is the vine grower. He is the source of life for Jesus and his Church and in the measure we are united with Jesus in that measure we live and grow. No branch can selfishly seek its own good, independent of others. Usually such a branch turns out to be a parasite or sucker, which must be effectively trimmed away. Pruning can be painful, for in the life of the Church; it can mean cutting back on activities and programmes, though good in themselves, which the entire vine cannot sustain. The new growth may be healthy yet preventing fruit from forming on the vine. We all need pruning: correction, direction, discipline so that our lives may be fruitful in His service. This pruning is especially necessary for those who have been successful in their actions. Some experts say that for every hundred people that can handle adversity, there is only one who can handle success. Lest we become proud, to bear abundant fruit we need pruning and trimming to be cut down to size. Only the humble can bear fruit in Christ. Jesus’ secret was his contact with God; ours is contact with God through Jesus. This means dependence. We are dependent on God for everything, right up to life itself. The Easter season celebrates the abiding presence of the risen Christ. Many believers are doers, actors, and we like to quickly translate gospel vision into deeds. The gospel challenges us to stop, to ‘abide’ with Jesus, to realize God’s presence. Are we united? I’m the centre!There was this article about a fondly remembered comic strip ‘Archie.’ The article is about a television show that offers an updated version of the comic strip. In the show, Archie and his friends –Veronica, Reggie, and Jughead return as adults to Riverdale. There have been some changes. Archie is no longer a fine wholesome guy. He’s been talked into the yuppie, consumerist mainstream by his fiancée. Veronica has had at least four or five marriages and is now hunting Archie, trying to get him into
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Sixth Sunday of Easter
5-May-2015 Dear Friend, We are nearing the end of the Easter season and preparing for the gift of the Spirit given to us at Pentecost. We are reminded today that our faith is a gift of the Spirit and to be witnesses of the resurrection we have to let the Spirit take full possession of us. Unfortunately we let our prejudices, our reasoning, and even our traditional religious practices come in the way of the Spirit taking possession of us. Our God is a God of surprises and often He does not go by the rules. The sign of the Spirit is always life and love. Have a love-filled weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref. 6th Sun. of Easter "God is love. Whoever does not love does not know God!" 10-May-2015 Acts 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 1John 4: 7-10; John 15: 1-8; In today's passage from the Acts, Peter, moved by the Spirit, enters Cornelius' home. Cornelius, who had heard of the miracle Peter had wrought, fell at the feet of Peter and worshipped him. Peter, wiser after the resurrection, asks him to rise, as he does not deserve this honour. "Stand up; I am only a mortal." As Peter mixes with the household of Cornelius he comes to the realization that God's spirit is present among them even though they are not Jews. Peter himself experienced God's spirit descending on all who were present, even on the pagan family of Cornelius, and they all received the gifts of the Spirit. Today, we are reminded that if we are believers, we have to be open to all and build bridges rather than barriers between ourselves. God's spirit is a spirit of openness, of sharing and of loving and no one should be excluded. "Don't bug me! Hug me!""Don't bug me! Hug me!" says a bumper sticker. One man who believes this strongly went around giving hugs to all sorts of people. Challenged to come to a home for the disabled, he hugged people, who were terminally ill, severely retarded or quadriplegic. Finally he came to the last person, Leonard, who was wearing a big white bib, on which he was drooling. Overcoming his initial reluctance, the man took a deep breath, leaned down and gave Leonard a hug. All of a sudden Leonard began to squeal, "Eeehh! Eeeehh!" Some of the other patients in the room began to clang things together. The man turned to the staff -physicians, nurses and orderlies -for some sort of explanation, only to find every one of them was crying. To his enquiry, "What's going on?" the nurse said, "This is the first time in twenty three years we have ever seen Leonard smile."Harold Buetow in 'God Still Speaks: Listen' In the gospel we are reminded of the outgoing nature of God, because of which he continues to love us and share his spirit with all peoples. If we are to be his disciples we too have to be people who go out of our way to love others. Jesus reminds us; "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love." We could ask: What does remaining in his love imply? Jesus has a simple response to this query. "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love." Somehow when we hear the word 'commandment' we are a bit uneasy. When someone commands us our natural instinct is to rebel. To a "Do this!" our reaction is "I will not!" What Jesus is asking of us is not a slavish obedience to God. God is not interested in keeping us in line. He is not watching to see if we step out of line, he is not a police-man God. God wants what is the best for us and it is in obeying him that we do what is best for us, and what will bring us peace, happiness and love. Commandments then are not a set of difficult rules but an assurance that we are following God's will, moment to moment. We sometimes tend to believe that God is out to make life difficult for us, that he keeps testing us and deliberately does not answer our prayer. To put the record straight he reminds us that He is our friend, and we are not his servants or slaves, but his friends. The essence of Christianity is love's self-forgetfulness and total dedication. We have many modern day heroes, who have followed in His footsteps. Can we make our lives channels of his love? Damien the LeperWhen Damien the Leper arrived in Molokai, he spent the first few weeks sleeping out under the trees, because he was unable to cope with the stench in the hovels of the lepers. He certainly wouldn't dare preach to them about God's love for them because as they saw it, it would be offensive. He opened his heart to the grace of God and, in no time at all, he was washing them, bandaging them, and burying them. He came to love them and through him, they came to believe that God loved them. He smoked a pipe to counteract the stench, but soon he was passing the pipe around for others to have a smoke. He ate food with them from a common bowl, out of which they scooped the food with hands that had no fingers. He caught the disease himself, and was happy to be able to live and to die for them. Greater love than this...Jack McArdle
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Seventh Sunday of Easter - Ascension Sunday
11-May-2015 Dear Friend, There are many of us who don't like endings and beginnings and yet life is full of them. In fact every end is a beginning of something and every beginning implies an end. Someone has said we are 'in-between people' caught up in things that we did not begin or coping with things that have ended. The Ascension comes in between the Resurrection and Pentecost, where His mission on earth is ending and the new mission of the Church is beginning. May its message help us to carry on living! Have an uplifting weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref. 7th Sun. of Easter -Ascension! "He leaves to come in a new way into our lives" 17-May-2015 Acts 11: 1-11; Ephesians 1: 17-23; Mark 16: 15-20; Today's first reading from the Acts describes the beginning of the Church after Jesus had ascended into heaven. It would appear that Jesus had to leave in order that the Church might begin. His going away physically from this world signaled the coming into existence of the Church and His new presence in their midst. Yes, Jesus was leaving the world in a sense, but not really leaving it. He was not abandoning his disciples to their fate; in fact he was concerned about them and knew they would miss his physical presence among them. Before he goes he instructs them and affirms their faith by time and again appearing to them to convince them that he is alive. While being with them he asked them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. Witnessing to Christ Ruddell Norris was a conscientious young man. But he was also a shy young man. He found it hard just to talk to people, much less to discuss religion with them. Then one day he got an idea. Ruddell did a lot of reading, and he was aware of the many pamphlets about the catholic faith. So he decided to set aside a part of his weekly allowance to buy pamphlets. Ruddell placed his pamphlets in places where he thought people would pick them up and read them. For example, he placed them in waiting rooms and in reception areas. One day a young woman who was a friend of his family told his parents how she became a convert and how her husband returned to the Church. "It all started with a pamphlet," she said. "I found it in the hospital waiting room." You can imagine the boy's excitement when he learned of the impact just one of his pamphlets had. Anonymous The gospel from the final chapter of Matthew links the end of the ministry of Jesus to the beginning of the new ministry of the Spirit in the Church. Jesus seems to shift the focus from himself to his disciples. "You will receive power and you will go out proclaiming the good news from here to the ends of the earth, baptizing those who believe, casting out devils, picking up snakes, using your gift of tongues and laying your hands on the sick." Jesus has finished his mission now it is our turn. "Let's discuss how you -yes, you will receive the Spirit. Go, start moving. You, not me. I'm leaving; it is up to you now!" The mission given to the apostles and the followers is quite clear. They are told that they will receive His power and will act in His name. They will have power to forgive one another; they will have power to cast out evil. They will have power to handle snakes with their bare hands, animals that had always been symbols of sin. He told them that they would drink the deadly poison of this corrupt world without harm. He told them that He would send them his Holy Spirit. How many of us Christians are ready for the mission that he gave us as he ascended to heaven? Most of us are caught in between the many happenings of life. The temptation is to sit where we are and to use Jesus as an excuse for sitting comfortably in this rubble and rubbish. In so far as we are concerned, insofar as it depends on us nothing is going to change in this world. Perhaps we are waiting for Him to do something while He is waiting for us to act in the power of His spirit. Jonathan Livingston Seagull At the conclusion of Part One of Richard Bach's book Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, two radiant birds come as Jonathan's brothers to take him higher, to take him home. Jonathan balks, but the birds insist: "But you can Jonathan, for you have learned. One school is finished, the time has come for another to begin." It was a moment of enlightenment for Jonathan. He realized that he "could fly higher and it was time to go home." Taking one last long glance across the sky and land where he had learned so much, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull 'rose with the two star-bright gulls to disappear into a perfect sky. ' -There are striking similarities between this episode in Bach's book and Luke's account of our Lord's Ascension in today's readings. First, the 'school' and the 'learning' mentioned in Jonathan recall how Jesus 'taught' his disciples until the day he was taken up into heaven. Second, the 'time for another school to begin' for Jon
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Twenty-second Sunday of the Year
25-Aug-2014 Dear Friend, Today's reading forces us to reflect on what it means to be a Christian. Sometimes we may feel exactly like the prophet Jeremiah. He complained: "Lord you are making a fool of me!" Yet, he cannot give up being true to himself, true to what he believes: "I have to say what I believe is true, in my home, in my office, with my neighbours and friends." To follow the Lord is never easy, we need to be touched by His love to respond to His calling. Have a discerning and affirming weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Twenty-second Sunday - "If anyone would come after me, let him take his cross!" 31-Aug-2014 Readings: Jer. 20: 7-9; Rom.12: 1-2; Mt. 16: 21-27; In the first reading we hear Jeremiah grumbling and complaining to God about the impossible mission he has been given. "Lord you have seduced me! Daily I am a laughing stock! The word of the Lord has meant for me insult, derision, all day long." Jeremiah was called to be a prophet as a very young man, probably even as a teenager. The people had to be reminded of their evil ways and the need to repent or else they would face destruction. Jeremiah's reward for his message was to be accused of treason. He was tired of being God's prophet, yet he felt strongly the call to be a prophet. "There seems a fire burning in my heart and the effort to restrain it wearies me." In Jeremiah, as in all who are called, there is faith and doubt existing together. Why can't God make life simpler and easier for his faithful ones? Why do injustices prevail? Eugene Orowitz was a skinny, 100-pound sophomore at Collingswood High at Collingswood, N.J. One afternoon the gym coach held classes in the middle of the track field to show the kids how to throw a javelin. After instructions he let the kids try their hand at it. The longest throw was 30 yards. "You want to throw it too, Orowitz?" the coach asked Eugene. The other kids laughed at Eugene. Someone shouted "Careful! You'll stab yourself!" Eugene pictured himself as a young warrior about to battle the enemy; he raised the javelin and threw it over 50 yards till it crashed into the empty bleachers, its tip broken. The coach ignoring his feat, looked at the broken head and said, "What the heck Orowitz, you broke the thing. It's no good to the school any longer." That summer Eugene began throwing the javelin in a vacant lot. By the end of the year he threw the javelin 211 feet, farther than any high schooler in the nation. He was given an athletic scholarship at the University of Southern California and he began dreaming of the Olympics. Then one day he didn't warm up properly, and tore the ligaments of his shoulder. That put an end to javelin throwing, his scholarship, and his dreams. Eugene dropped out of college and took a job in a warehouse. -The tragic story of Eugene Orowitz raises a vexing question. Why does God let misfortune wreck the lives of so many good people? Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies' In today's Gospel Jesus continues his instructions to his followers on the demands of discipleship. Peter had just acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of the living God. Jesus now speaks plainly of what this would entail. He told them that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and there suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. The Messiah that Peter was thinking about was a glorious victorious Messiah, who would come in splendour and power to set Israel free. Jesus foretold of a Messiah who would be a suffering servant, humble and meek, stripped of all power, obedient unto death. Peter just could not accept a suffering Messiah, so he takes Jesus aside and tries to reason with him. The cross is too frightening a prospect, can't there be a compromise, a little watering down to make it acceptable? In response to Peter's response, Jesus reacts strongly to Peter's advice. "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God's way but man's." Peter was making two mistakes. First of all he did not listen to the full destiny of Jesus. The mention of being raised on the third day passed over his head unheard. His second mistake was to dictate what God's will should be, something most of us do all the time. This mistake could have serious consequences and so Jesus puts Peter in his place. Peter, who was earlier called the rock, is now called a stumbling stone, Satan. Jesus attacked Peter violently to teach him this hard and blunt way to seek new directions of thinking and of living. Peter had faith but not yet that faith which gives the unconditional answer: 'I am ready,' to God's demanding word. Following Jesus has to be voluntary and once Jesus is accepted one has to be ready for self-denial, saying 'no' to self and 'yes' to God. Jesus challenged people to live rather than merely exist. One must die to self
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Twenty-third Sunday of the Year
31-Aug-2014 Dear Friend, Most people go through life trying 'to mind their own business'! But as Christians we cannot live for 'I', 'me', and 'myself', but are asked to take responsibility for all our brothers and sisters. This is especially so in matters of justice and morality; we cannot shirk our responsibility. Normally, we accept that we are the cause of our actions and take responsibility for what we do. Can we take responsibility for what others do to us, and still further, for what others do to others as well? To be a community we have to live with and for others! Have a 'reconciling communicative' weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: 23rd Sunday - "Resolve conflicts with open communication and love."07-Sept-14 Readings: Eze. 33: 7-9; Rom. 13: 8-10; Mt. 18: 15-20; The reading refers to a primitive kind of police, the watchman who stood on the Palestinian hills and blew his trumpet to warn of invaders. Prophets like Ezekiel saw themselves as watchmen over the spiritual dangers that threatened God's people. Ezekiel reminds us that if my brother does something wrong to me I have to take responsibility for his/her actions as a believer. If I do not do so I will be held accountable for his behaviour and action. Today, much evil is done because good people prefer to be silent or say "It is none of my business!" As Christians it becomes our business to respond to every situation with faith and love. "What would you do"? Suppose you heard your son's best friend say to your son, "If you need any answer in the math's test, just give me a signal." How would you respond? Jerome Weideman, author of the book Hand of the Hunter, was involved in such a situation as a boy. He said that about 30 years ago he was attending a public school on New York's lower East Side. He had a third-grade arithmetic teacher named Mrs. O'Neill. One day she gave her class a test. When she was grading the papers she noticed that 12 boys had given the same unusual wrong answer to the same question. The next day she asked the 12 boys to remain after the dismissal bell. Then without accusing any of them, she wrote 21 words on the board. They read: "The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out." Then she wrote the name of the man who said them: Thomas Babington Macaulay. Weidman wrote: "I don't know about the other 11 boys. Speaking for only one of the dozen with whom I am on intimate terms, I can say this: it was the most important single lesson of my life." Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies' In today's Gospel Matthew deals with the relationship of members of the Church and highlights one of the most painful responsibilities that we have towards others, namely fraternal correction. Jesus reminds us that if there is any breakdown in our relationship, if we are hurt by our brother we should not wait but be the first to put things right, to have it out, to speak about it in private, in order to build the relationship again. The important thing is to do it with love, delicacy and tact so that the other is not made to feel small in the eyes of the community. Two aspects of Jesus' teaching here are striking: He has standards, and he uses a wise progression. The first step of the progression is to go to the offender and speak directly to the person rather than to anyone else. "If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves." The Gospel also tells us that only if you cannot solve the problem in private do we call others to be part of the reconciliation move, and that too, not to strengthen my argument but that we might be objective and have a third-party opinion on the matter. The point is that we should do everything in our power to reach out and help the other to be aware of the possible cause of misunderstanding, error or pain before we break off relationship with others. Sometimes, even if I am right do I have to prove the other is wrong? The story is told of a lady who was having a pleasant journey travelling by train from New York to Philadelphia as there was only one more passenger besides her. But her joy was short-lived when the man lit a cigar and started smoking. The lady deliberately coughed and made an unpleasant face. Nothing worked. He continued to smoke. Then she blurted out: "You might be a foreigner. Don't you know there is a smoking car up ahead? Smoking is prohibited here." The man quietly put out the cigar and maintained his equanimity. When the conductor came to check the tickets the lady realized with horror that her co-passenger was the famous General Ulysses Grant. She had boarded his private car by mistake. As the lady made a hasty exit, the General did not even look her way so as not to embarrass her. He turned his head and smiled only after the lady was out of sight. Anonymous Long Walk to Freedom In his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelso
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Twenty-fourth Sunday of the Year
08-Sept-2014 Dear Friend, We have to admit that everyone has some cross or another in his or her life. They come from others, ourselves and even from God! No one likes crosses and we try to avoid them. But the cross is part of being human and can become a means of becoming more mature and even divine. The triumph of Jesus crucified assures us that we too can rise up through the crosses accepted with faith and love! In the Cross is our victory! Have an uplifting weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Twenty-fourth Sunday - Triumph of the Cross. "Triumph through the Cross!" 14-Sept-2014 Readings: Num. 21: 4-9; Phil.2: 6-11; Jn. 3: 13-17; The first reading from the Book of Numbers tells us that during their journey in the desert, the Israelites became impatient and grumbled and spoke out against God and Moses. "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, without food and water?" The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people and many died. The people acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to intercede for them. Moses cured them by setting up a bronze serpent. When the people gazed at this serpent they were healed. This bronze serpent becomes a sign of Yahweh's healing presence. Later, in the Gospel of John, the bronze serpent becomes a prototype for Christ's Cross. Gaze at the cross During World War I, a village in the Somme valley was shelled and many civilians were injured. The local church too was badly damaged. Nevertheless, since it was the largest building in the village, it was used as a makeshift hospital to operate the injured. One of the casualties was a young soldier whose leg was badly wounded and had to be operated upon. "We've run out of anaesthesia" warned the surgeon, and so this operation is going to cause you great pain." The soldier pointed to a big crucifix in the church and replied, "Turn my bed towards the Crucified One; when I gaze at his cross I'll be alright." The feast of the Triumph of the Cross bids us to gaze at Jesus' cross and fathom its meaning. Francis Gonsalves in 'Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds' In today's gospel we see Nicodemus, who we know was a disciple of the Lord, who was attracted by Jesus and his teachings, who came to him by night in his eagerness to understand Jesus and to find answers to the questions that perplexed him. It is to him that Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Nicodemus could not have known that these words of Jesus contain the summary of the Pascal Mystery. When Jesus spoke of being lifted up he was thinking of the Cross on Calvary. It was difficult for Nicodemus to understand what Jesus was saying so he referred to the event of the bronze serpent in the desert that was familiar to Nicodemus. The bronze serpent was the symbol of the Crucified one. One is saved by the power of the Cross because one believes in the power of God and His saving love. While the other synoptic gospels show a 'suffering Jesus' during his passion and death, John's Gospel depicts Jesus as the 'glorious Christ' in command of the situation. Jesus challenges Pilate and his cross becomes the throne from which he rules. At the heart of today's feast is the line found in today's gospel which summarizes it all: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Truly, the triumphant cross is nothing but 'Love lifted up' for the Crucified One is Love Incarnate, Love made visible for all! Christus Victor The Swedish Lutheran bishop Gustav Aulen wrote an interesting book entitled Christus Victor, in which he emphasizes the cross as a sign of victory. Indeed, the cross that we reflect upon today is the 'triumphant crucifix' with Christ fully clothed, and crowned, which is different from the Lenten 'suffering crucifix'. However, in both these images, there is first a process of 'laying down' before Jesus 'takes up'. Christians, as well as people of other faiths, have realized the power of Crucified Love. Ace footballer Cristiano Ronaldo signs himself with the cross before any match and my tribal parishioners in rural Gujarat find tremendous power in the cross despite the daily death they endure through poverty and persecutions. It would benefit us immensely to sit silently and gaze at Christ's cross. The cross consoles and challenges. The cross frightens and forgives. The cross breathes hope and brings healing. The cross supports and saves. Do I understand it with faith? Do I bear it with love? Like the wounded soldier, let my whole body and being turn towards the Crucified One. He alone will turn trials into triumphs and deaths into Life. Francis Gonsalves in 'Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds' Cross can be a burden Every cross can be a burden if we don't carry it with love. It is difficult to carry a cross with love for it always goe
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 25th Sunday of the Year
15-Sept-2014 Dear Friend, A refrain constantly heard today is the phrase: "It's not fair!" We live in a culture which believes in a sense of fairness and equal rights: "Equal pay for equal work!" and "Equal opportunities for all!" However, quite often our sense of justice comes to the fore only when our own well-being is concerned, never mind if others’ rights are trampled upon. In addition, the yardstick of justice revolves around oneself rather than the common good. Does generosity to others beyond justice have any place in our vision of fair play? May today's Word challenge our sense of fairness and evoke generosity! Have a grateful weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Twenty-fifth Sunday - "Celebrating God's unearned, unconditional love!" 21-Sept-2014 Readings: Isaiah 55: 6-9; Philip 1: 20-24, 27; Mt. 20: 1-16; The reading from Isaiah starts with an urgent call to come back to the Lord, even though it is a relatively calm time during the exile in Babylon. It seems to be a reminder that it is easy to forget the Lord in times of peace and tranquillity and only call on him in troubled times. Whoever wishes to be a follower of God is continuously called to conversion. Now is the acceptable time, the Lord is rich and forgiving. Secondly, Isaiah reminds the Israelites that God's ways and thoughts do not mirror our own. The message that God's ways are high above our ways retains its relevance for all who are tempted to restrict God's movements and power to our human calculations. Shut Up, and Pedal! There is a poem that likens our relationship with Jesus to two people on a tandem bicycle: At first, I sat in front; Christ the rear. I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there. I could feel his help when the road got steep. Then, one day, Christ changed seats with me. Suddenly everything went topsy-turvy. When I was in control, the ride was predictable -even boring; but when Jesus took over, it got wild! I could hardly hold on. "This is madness," I cried out, But Christ just smiled and said, "Pedal!" And so I learned to shut up and pedal and trust my bike companion. Oh there are still times when I get scared. But Christ just smiles, touches my hand and says, "Pedal!" Jack McArdle in '150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers' Today's Gospel speaks of the generosity of God, whose gifts are not restricted to our merits and whose call can come at the latest hour. The parable of the workers is an instance of how the thoughts of God are so very different from ours; they are on a higher scale than ours. Our earthly minds respect fair play and hard work. We set a just reward for hard work. So does the landowner in this story, he pays the contracted sum, a just wage to all. God rewards our endeavours, but his generosity goes beyond justice and He gives more than what is due. He chooses to give more than what some earned. Though the parable is called the parable of the vineyard workers, the central character is really the landowner. At the beginning of the day labourers are lined up waiting for work, and the landownercontracts them for the usual daily wage. He goes out again at nine, noon, and three in the afternoon and near the end of the work day and hires them. The point that Jesus wishes to make comes at the end when the landowner distributes the wages is what people would consider an unfair wage. Those who had come at the last hour receive a whole day's wage and are delighted, while those who came at the first hour are expecting that they will get more than they had contracted for. Yet they receive the same daily wage. Their anticipated joy turns to grumbling: "It's not fair!" The grumblers complaint is not economic, but "You have made them equal to us." They are angered as they are envious about the good fortune of the latecomers. "The mercy and goodness of God challenge us even though they do not exist at the expense of justice. Categories of worth and value by which humans separate themselves from others are reversed in God's eyes. Not to rejoice in the benefits given to others is to cut ourselves off from those benefits we have received." John R. Donahue, SJ The Last Shall Be First! The final of the 300 meters was in progress and the runners stayed bunched together till the halfwaymark when the eventual winner eased himself into the lead. As he did so another man fell back into the last place after a desperate effort to keep up. As the leader, a local man came into the home straight, the spectators rose to greet him and thunderous applause echoed around the stadium. While this was going on, the other runners had finished the race. The last man had to really struggle to finish. Then, with head bowed, he departed for the dressing rooms. A VIP had been invited to perform the prize-giving ceremony and the first three winners were waiting to take their places on the victory podium. The first sign that something unusual was happening took pl
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Twenty-sixth Sunday of the Year
14-Sep-2014 Dear Friend, Often in life we are given a choice to say 'Yes' or 'No' to people's questions or requests to us. So often people easily say 'Yes' when they mean 'No'! It is easy to give our word, it doesn't cost anything there and then. The cost comes later if and when we honour our word. Do we mean what we say? Are we people of our word, or are we merely yes-men and women? Are we ready to substantiate our word with deeds? Today's readings challenge us to be people of our word. Have a 'faith-action' weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: 26th Sunday "Repent, believe and obey the commandments!" 28-Sep-2014 Readings: Ezekiel 18: 25-28 Philip.2: 1-11 Mt. 21: 28-32 The first reading from the prophet Ezekiel is about personal, individual responsibility for responding to God's call to us. At the time of the prophet Ezekiel, there was a belief that a child was punished for the sins of his parents. Ezekiel didn't agree with this. He stated clearly and unequivocally that each one is responsible for his sins, and will have to answer for them. We can't hide behind the goodness or evil of others. However, if we sin, repentance will win us pardon and forgiveness. If we confess our sins we have nothing to fear but only trust in the mercy of God. Ezekiel thus reminds us of the constant need for conversion, which is not a one-time experience but has to be undergone constantly. Conversion Experience Thomas Merton was orphaned at 16, became a communist at 20, and found Christ at 23. At 24 he became a New York Times reporter. At 26 he put all his possessions in a duffle bag, went to Kentucky and became a Trappist monk. In his best-selling spiritual autobiography, called The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton described the first step in his conversion process. He writes: "The whole thing passed in a flash. I was overwhelmed with a sudden and profound insight into the misery and corruption of my own soul. I was filled with horror at what I saw... And my soul desired escape... from all this with an intensity and urgency unlike anything I had ever known before." Merton goes on to say that for the first time in his life he prayed - really prayed. The story of Thomas Merton illustrates the kind of change of heart Ezekiel refers to in today's first reading. Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies' The Gospel highlights living our faith with the parable of the two sons who are asked to work in the father's vineyard. The first says: "I will not go!", but afterwards thought better and went. The second son says: "Certainly Sir!" But he did not go. "Which one did the father's will?" asks Jesus. Jesus himself replies to the rhetorical question, "The first." And then says to the Pharisees "Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you." What is the point Jesus is trying to make? We have to be people of our word and back up our words with appropriate action. So often we say yes, when we actually mean no. We say we will do something but we already know that we don't intend to do it! Our 'Yes' is a 'maybe', or 'I'll see if I can', or "I'm not sure', or a plain 'No'! A good test is to check our dealings with our brothers and sisters. Can we say 'Yes' and mean it? The second point being made in today's Gospel is that even if we have said 'No' to God, it is never too late to say yes! We are always welcome to the Father's house no matter how late! He always gives us a second chance! While the temple priests and the Pharisees were condemned because they preferred to be seen as people, who observed the letter of the law, those who stood justified were the sinners and prostitutes, who, acknowledged that they had sinned and were ready to repent. When John the Baptist preached repentance, the Pharisees did not feel the need to repent whereas the tax collectors and sinners came forward to listen and be baptised by him. In the final analysis our commitment to God is not measured by lip service and external ritual but by good deeds that prove our repentance. The first son whose word was 'No' but whose action became a 'Yes', is held out to us as the one who did the Father's will. He was late in doing the Father's will but not too late. Brothers Along with Oedipus Rex and Hamlet, Sigmund Freud considered Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov one of the three greatest works in world literature. In Freud's interpretation, the three Karamazov brothers symbolize the nature of man. The eldest Dimitri is a wild wastrel. He represents man dominated by sensuality. The next son Ivan is a teacher, writer and atheist. He represents the intellectual dimension of man. The youngest son Alyosha was a novice in at a monastery. He stands for the spiritual nature of man. The three brothers were abandoned by their father Fyodor after their mother died. They reassemble now to do battle with their father and claim what is rightfully theirs. Their conflicts reflect those of Every man
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 28th Sunday of the Year
26-Sep-2014 Dear Friend, Whenever we don't do thethings we are supposed to do we always have our excuses to justify our actions,to support our point of view, to hold on to whatever we are busy with andresist change. While these excuses may get us out of tight situations they canalso hinder us from growing and becoming the people we are called to be. In ourfaith commitment, while we know that God is infinitely patient, we cannot makeexcuses for our conversion; we have to respond to His call or be left behind.Have a joy-filled weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: 28th Sun. “Youare invited, so you are worthy! Come, celebrate!” 12-Oct-2014Readings: Isaiah 25: 6-10; Phillip. 4: 12-14, 19-20; Mt. 22: 1-14; In the first reading,Isaiah proclaims the goodness of God, who is preparing a banquet for all hispeople on the holy mountain. The banquet symbolizes God's closeness, hisconcern and the celebration of final victory over sin, suffering and death.This feast is not exclusively for the Israelites but for all people. Goddesires to invite all people to his kingdom with no one excluded. The Lordcomes to bring consolation to those who are sorrowing, to bring solace to thosewho are hurting and to give new sight to those blinded by the disasters thatafflict them. The call of the Christian is the call to hope in the Lord, who isconcerned about everything that affects us, and will lead us to new joy andhope that comes from being with the Lord. WipingAway TearsThevenerable servant of God, Canon Cotolengo, when but a boy of five years, wasmeasuring with a cord one room after another. His mother rather confused, askedhim what he was trying to do. “Dear mother,” was the reply, “I want to see howmany beds can be placed in this house; when I grow up I should like to fill thewhole house with sick people.” A tear of emotion glistened in his mother’seyes. In 1832 he founded in Turin the ‘Little Asylum of Divine Providence’. Andtoday it is world famous. It shelters 5000 men and embraces within itsprecincts a church, a number of houses, terraces and courtyards. – God invitesus to get caught up with his desire for humanity and work with him to wipe awaytears from cheeks and to take away people’s shame. Like Canon Cotolengo, thereare some who respond to God’s call with passion and reach out to others torealize God’s vision for the human race.VimaDasan in ‘His Word Lives’ The Gospel parable tellsus that a king desires to celebrate the marriage feast for his son and so hesends out his messengers to summon all the guests. Those invited refuse tocome, thus insulting the king. The king is still patient with the guests andsends a second reminder but again those invited scorn the invitation and theymaltreat and kill the servants, which incenses the king who destroys them.Since the banquet is all set, the king now sends his messengers to inviteanyone whom they can find. And the servants went out into the streets andgathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the banquet hall was filledwith guests. What is the point the Evangelist is trying to make through thisparable? Firstly salvation is centered in Christ; it is always God who takesthe initiative for salvation. We cannot do anything to start the process, faithis always a gift and it is through our faith that we are invited, as it were,to a royal banquet. If a VIP invited us to a very special occasion would wereject the invitation? Would we not think we were privileged ones to beinvited? Yet, when it is Jesus who invites us, we are indifferent to His call,and busy ourselves with other matters which we believe are more important.Secondly, the parable reminds us of the patience of God, who does not give upon us. The servants in the parable stand not only for the prophets but also forthe apostles and special messengers whom God sends into our lives to remind usof his call. God can call us through His word, through prayer, he can call usthrough the preaching, teaching and witnessing. He can call us through theleast expected of people. What is important is to heed his call when it comesand not to make excuses. He sent his only son and even when he was rejected and killed Goddid not abandon His people. God’s response to man’s infidelity and ingratitudeis unconditional love! How can I live withoutmy excuses?A middle-aged woman wentto a distant monastery for her first weekend retreat in many years. When shearrived at the guest house, one of the monks approached her and surprised herwith a brusque question. "Why not?" "That was the first thing hesaid," she relates. "He had never seen me before. I hadn't even saida word. “Why not?” he questioned. I knew he had me. After all he was theretreat master." I brought up excuses: "It was a long trip I'mtired... the kids... the people I work with... not enough time... I guess it'smy temperament." The retreat master took a long sword off the wall andgave it to
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 29th Sunday of the Year
6-Oct-2014 Dear Friend, While we go about our daily lives, we often compartmentalize our lives. We embrace one set of values for our homes, we live by another in our business lives and profess yet another in our religious commitment. There can be moments when these values clash and we have to make choices and preferences. Does God have first place? Do we see ourselves as believers first? Today’s word challenges us to make God first always. Have a discerning weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: 29th Sun “Needed balanced loyalties, But God always come first!” 19-Oct-2014 Readings: Isaiah 45: 1, 4-6; 1 Thes.1: 1- 5; Mt. 22: 15-21; In the first reading there is reference made to Cyrus the pagan king, whom the Lord chose and used to fulfill his plans for his chosen people. "Cyrus is taken by his right hand to subdue nations before him..., to force gateways before him, that their gates be closed no more." God is always supreme king and holds the destiny of the world in his hands though at times it might appear that earthly powers are leading us astray. Earthly rulers, political regimes, Cyrus or Caesar, are called by God to reveal something of His power and plan for the human race. While we respect our leaders and observe their directives, we are ultimately called to follow our God and listen to his voice and discern His plan for us every day of our life. Secular Messiahs Dag Hammarskjold was Secretary-General of the UN. When he died in a plane crash in central Africa in 1961 at the age of 66, the world lost a great servant of peace. He was a rare person for whom public service was not simply a career or means of achieving power, but a religious vocation, a way of being faithful to God. He said: “Indifference to evil is worse than evil itself and in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.” –Gandhi is another example of a deeply religious man who involved himself in politics. He said: “I am in politics because I cannot separate life from belief. Because I believe in God I have to enter politics. Politics is my service to God.” Nelson Mandela is yet another example of how God uses all kinds of people, not necessarily religious, to lead people to God. Mandela tells us how, when he began to get interested in politics, a friend tried to warn him off saying, “Politics brings out the worst in people. It is the source of trouble and corruption, and should be avoided at all costs.” Fortunately, for South Africa and the world, Mandela ignored his advice. Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’ In today’s gospel the Pharisees bring the issue of paying taxes to the Romans for Jesus’ opinion on the matter. “Is it permissible to pay taxes or not?” The overt question is whether it is proper to pay taxes to the government, but there is a hidden agenda that Jesus is well aware of. Whichever way Jesus answered the question would trap him. If he said taxes had to be paid to Rome the people would be against him and if he said the opposite he would be seen as fomenting rebellion against the authorities. Jesus completely side steps the issue by asking for a coin with which the taxes were to be paid. This coin bore the image of Caesar and an inscription proclaiming his authority. Jesus simply says, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” Jesus is not entering into a discussion of the rights of the state and the rights of religion; but on the occasion of the question he proposes a deeper truth. What matters more to Jesus than being under Caesar’s rule and paying taxes, is belonging to God’s kingdom. Jesus is reminding his listeners of a deeper issue, that of being people of God. If they belong to God then they have to give God his due. God has to be the most important priority in their lives. What they owe to God is far more important than what they owe to anyone else. It is easy to remember what we owe to our fellow men but we can forget what we owe to God. The ideal Christian is one who fulfils his duty both to his fellowmen and to God. Only when there is a clash of interests do we have to remind ourselves that God always comes first. Besides God, Christians have a duty towards their fellow men. Christians should not shirk public office but see it as an opportunity to serve their fellowmen. I love my country but there is a higher authority, God! Franz Jaggerstatter was born in Austria and was brought up a Catholic. He was an ordinary, unremarkable young man, however at some stage he suddenly matured. He became very responsible and began to take religion seriously. By this time the Second World War was raging. At thirty-six he was called up to serve Hitler’s army. He refused to join up. “I cannot join because I believe that this war is not a just war. Therefore it would be wrong for me to join up. It would be against my conscience.” He said. “But where’s your
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 30th Sunday of the Year
12-Oct-2014 Dear Friend, If you were to do a web search on the word ‘Love’ you might find at least 54,700,000 sites or more! One would think that everybody knows about love and is talking about love. Love is the subject of umpteen films and the Beatles popularized the song “All you need is love.” What is the love we are talking about? Is it that nice warm sentimental feeling, or is it more than that? Is there one love that is the greatest of all? May God’s Word open our minds and hearts to love! Have a caring weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: 30th Sun “Only one commandment: Love for God and neighbour!” 26-Oct-2014 Readings: Exodus 22: 21-27;1 Thes.1: 5-10; Mt. 22: 34-40; The first reading from the book of Exodus reminded the people of their obligations towards others, especially the widow, the stranger and the orphan. The time of the exile was definitely a very painful and dark part of the history of the people of Israel, during which they experienced what it meant to be weak and dependant on others. Times were better now but they were asked not to forget what they themselves had undergone and be sensitive to the needs of the foreigners among them, the homeless, the helpless and the dependant. Having felt the pain of injustice and oppression themselves, they must never inflict pain on others. The health of a community can be measured by the way it treats such people. “I have broken the commandment of men…” In the time of the desert monks, there was an abbot by the name of Moses who had a great reputation for holiness. Easter was approaching, so the monks met and decided to fast the entire length of Holy Week. Having come to this decision, each monk went off to his cell, to fast and pray. However, about the middle of the week, two wandering monks came to visit the cell of Abbot Moses. Seeing that they were starving, he cooked a little vegetable stew for them. To make them feel at ease he took a little of it himself. Meanwhile the other monks had seen the smoke rising from the abbot’s cell. It could mean only one thing –he had lit a fire to cook some food. In other words, he had broken the solemn fast. They were shocked. And in the eyes of many of them, he fell from his pinnacle of sanctity. In a body they went over to confront him. Seeing judgement in their eyes, he asked, “What crime have I committed that makes you look at me like this?” “You’ve broken the solemn fast,” they answered. “So I have,” he replied. “I have broken the commandment of men, but in sharing my food with these brothers of ours, I have kept the commandment of God, that we should love one another.” On hearing this, the monks grew silent, and went away humbled and wiser. Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’ In the Gospel Jesus is asked the question: “Master, which is the greatest commandment of the law?” Jesus’ answer is plain and simple. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.” He adds: “The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself.” What is absolutely certain is that God has to be the top priority of our life. Our lives make sense only when He has the first place. Yet it is a fact that so often God has second place. When we make important decisions about our life do we take into account what God would say about it? The way we structure our time, our energy, our efforts, our lifestyle, all these are realistic indicators pointing to what has priority in our life. The special focus of the Gospel is the fact that Jesus reminds us that the second law is just as important as the first: “You should love your neighbour as yourself.” If I do not love the neighbour whom I can see how can I say I love God? Love is seen in our attitude and actions towards our neighbour. The challenge is to love others just as much as we love ourselves. We all know how we take care of our own needs and wants. When there are decisions to be made is our main consideration: “What’s in it for me?” or “How will my decision/action or inaction affect others?” The yardstick of our action should always be: “In every situation is this action of mine the most loving thing?” Greater love than this... There was an article written in Time magazine years ago, when an airplane suddenly crashed into the sea. The writer claimed that it was one of America’s worst tragedies because of the large number of lives that were lost. It was also America’s hour of heroism. Immediately on hearing of the crash, several rescue operations were set into motion and the rescue workers, saved many survivors. There were several heroes who distinguished themselves that day by their life-saving action. The first heroes were the rescue workers, and when they were later interviewed on TV, they were asked one question: “Why did you risk your life?” They said that it was
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] All Souls Day
19-Oct-2014 Dear Friend, Today, on All Souls Day, we are reminded that all of us will die; in fact some have already gone ahead of us. It matters not how long we live but how well. Generally we do not like to think or speak of death. Yet death is a reality we all have to face one day or another. To those who do not believe, death makes no sense, to those who do, death is the end of one life and the beginning of a better one! There is only one way we can prepare for immortality that is to love this life and live it well. Have a prayerful weekend remembering those gone ahead of us to our Father’s house! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: 31st Sun. All Souls “May they enjoy bliss in His Kingdom!” 2-Nov-2014Readings: Isaiah 25: 6-9; Romans 5: 5-11; John 11: 17-27; In today’s first reading the prophet Isaiah begins with a feeling of deep depression almost forgetting what happiness could mean. This is man’s reaction in the face of death, or the prospect of isolation, want or chronic ill-health. Is this the end of it all? Then the prophet remembers what God has revealed of his mercy and he speaks words of hope as he describes final salvation and the joy of the chosen ones of God, who replied to the Lord’s invitation, in terms of a banquet. With the reawakening of faith comes the feeling of peace. The souls in purgatory have this peace as they wait in patience for the Lord’s coming and the fulfilment of his promise. What is certain is that He will come and bring his peace and consolation to all who await his coming. I Am God’s Man!During the Second World War I had something to do with a canteen which was run for the troops in the town in which I was working. Early in the way, we had billeted with us in the town a number of polish troops who had escaped from Poland. Among them there was a Polish airman. When he could be persuaded to talk, he would tell the story of a series of hair-raising escapes. He would tell of how somehow he had escaped from Poland, how somehow he tramped his way across Europe, how somehow he had crossed the Channel, how he had been shot down in his aeroplane once and crashed on another occasion. He always concluded the story of his encounter with the same awe-stricken sentence: “I am God’s man!”William Barclay In today’s gospel we see Jesus with his friends Martha and Mary as he goes to meet them on the occasion of receiving the news of the death of Lazarus. The narrative tells us that he did not immediately rush to Bethany on hearing this news, but went almost four days after Lazarus was dead and buried in the tomb. Why did he hesitate and delay? Did he not care for his friends? Could he not do anything for those who were in pain and loss? These are questions that come up in our mind not only about the family of Lazarus, but also each time we are confronted with the death of near and dear ones. When Martha and Mary hear that Jesus had finally arrived, their reactions were different. While Martha went out to meet him, Mary remained sitting inside the house. Martha immediately voices her hope in a plaintive voice: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” At the same time she expresses her faith in Jesus: “But I know even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.” Jesus responds to her faith by reassuring her, “Your brother will rise up again!” “I am the resurrection and the life!” –this statement of Jesus is the centre piece of this gospel on the raising of Lazarus. To believe in Jesus, Messiah and Son of God, is to have in oneself eternal life, which no physical death can overthrow. When we believe in the power of the Lord Jesus the impossible becomes possible, where there is death life is restored. This happened for Jesus after he died on the Cross submissive to the Father’s will, and the same happens to all who accept death as the will of the Father, who let his son die on the cross, and who allows us to suffer pain and even death. We cannot understand why this has to happen but we know that only through death do we reach the fullness of life. Be Not Afraid!I should like to read to you some passages of a letter from a man, Captain Scott of the Antarctic, written in the tent, where it was found long afterwards with his body and those of some other very gallant gentlemen, his comrades. The writing is in pencil, still quite clear, though towards the end some of the words trail away as into the great silence that was waiting for them. It began: “We are pegging out in a very comfortless spot, hoping that this letter may be found and sent to you. I write you a letter of farewell. I want you to think well of me and my end. Goodbye – I am not at all afraid of the end, but sad to miss many a simple pleasure which I had planned for the future in our long marches. We are in a desperate state –frozen feet etc., no fuel, and a long way from food, but it would do your heart good to be in our t
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 32nd Sunday of the Year
26-Oct-2014 Dear Friend, The question could be asked: Who is wise and who is foolish? Is wisdom a matter of age and experience? In that case there should be many wise people among the aged and yet we know that there are few who are truly wise. Does wisdom come from learning and acquiring skills? Perhaps we know many people who have acquired degrees and possess many skills but who are not necessarily wise people. Can we do anything to become wise people? Is not wisdom a gift bestowed by God? Today’s word confronts the foolish and the wise of this world. Have a discerning weekend. -Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: 32nd Sun. 'Seek and await God’s wisdom, to make wise choices always!’ 9-Nov-2014Wis. 6:12-16; 1 Thes. 4: 13-18; Matt. 25: 1-13; The first reading from the Book of Wisdom personifies wisdom, as Lady Wisdom, who is to be found by all who seek her. Through divine wisdom God communicates to mankind the meaning of life and living. What we need most in life is wisdom; when we have found God we become truly wise since He guides our every step. True wisdom in a person is that quality that shows that one is truly in contact with God, and that He is, in a large measure, acting in one’s life. Wisdom can be said to be the inner light, given by God, which, is given only to those who thirst for it, seek it, love it and carefully nurture it when received. The Parable of the CaveThree wise men were encouraged to find what had been called the Cave of wisdom and life. They made careful preparations for what would be a challenging and arduous journey. When they reached the place of the cave, they noted a guard at the entrance. They were not permitted to enter the cave until they had spoken to the guard. He had only one question for them, and he demanded that they answer only after talking it over with one another. He assured them that they would have a guide to lead them through the regions of the cave. His question was a simple one, “How far into the Cave of wisdom and life do you wish to go?” The three travelers took counsel together and returned to the guard. Their response was, “Oh, not very far. We just want to go far enough into the cave so that we can say that we have been there.” The reaction of the guard manifested none of his great disappointment as he summoned someone to lead the three seekers a short distance into the cave, and then watched them set out again after a very short time, set out to make the journey back into their own land.Paula Ripple in ‘Walking with Loneliness’ In today’s Gospel Jesus tells a parable of the seven wise and seven foolish virgins to remind us that we should be awake and prepared for the coming of the Lord, because we do not know at what hour he will come. The virgins stand for people who are waiting for the coming of the Lord. To be wise is to be ready and prepared for any eventuality, for what might happen. Jewish wedding ceremonies were celebrated at night. The girls who formed the procession accompanied the groom to the house of the girl’s father. No time was set. Those who were prepared were welcomed, while the unprepared were left out. Their fault wasn't to sleep but to be unprovided for their part in the torchlight procession. Missing the feast meant losing the kingdom. The virgins typify mankind in search of purpose. Some lack resolution, others are preoccupied with the distractions and trivialities while some stay focused on their ultimate purpose. The kingdom of heaven is like…The kingdom of heaven is like ten young people who wanted to hear a very popular pop group that was due to arrive in town. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. When the tickets went on sale the five wise ones queued up all night and duly secured their tickets. But the five foolish ones did not bother to queue up for them. On the night of the concert they went along nevertheless, thinking that they would be able to buy tickets at the door, or that they would meet someone who would get them in. Alas, when they got there, all the tickets were gone, and they were turned away at the door. They went away with a sad and empty feeling. –Most of us know that feeling. It’s not a pleasant feeling. Still we get over it. Usually, what’s at stake is not that important –a football match, or a concert, or some such thing. Life goes on; we survive and soon forget about it. But in Jesus’ story what is at stake in nothing less than our eternal salvation.Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies’ He wants the best for usA columnist, Scott Bennett, tells the story of a man ‘Michael’, who was facing a series of devastating reversals in his life, leaving him desperate and defenseless. He had no job, his car had been repossessed, his marriage was ending, and his father had just died a month earlier. One night, in a frantic cry for help, Michael lifted up his face to the stars. And
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 33rd Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time
03-Nov-2014 Dear Friend, When we invest in anything or anyone we expect returns. Parents invest in their children and expect them to do well in their studies. Business people take risks with stocks and shares and hope to make a good profit from the same. Generous and benevolent individuals and institutions take calculated risks and invest in people and ventures and expect that their investments will be worth their efforts. Even God invests in us by giving us life and numerous blessings! Have we belied His trust? May his Word jolt us! Have an introspecting weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: 33rd ‘Using every talent we are blessed with for God’s service!’ 16-Nov-2014 Pro. 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31; 1Thes. 5: 1-6; Matt. 25: 14-30; The first reading from the book of Proverbs is part of the Wisdom literature of Israel. It sets forth how we are to live and behave in our daily life. Today’s excerpt from Proverbs idolizes the ideal wife, who is practical and manages the household so well that she is prized above all things by her husband. The reading reminds the Israelites of the great gift and companionship that an ideal wife is. She is diligent about household matters and is held up as a model of how a simple ordinary housewife can use her talents to the full in the service not only of her own family but for others as well. Are we living our lives to the fullest and making something of our lives? What have I made of myself? Once a re-union took place of past pupils and an elderly priest who had come back to be present at the re-union. It was obvious from the way they flocked around him that he enjoyed great respect among them. Without the slightest promptings they began to pour out their stories. One was an architect, another was a university professor, another was a head of a company, another was a highly successful farmer, another was a monsignor in the Church, and another was a principal of a very prestigious school. The old priest listened with pleasure, as there didn't seem to be a single failure or loser among them. Whey they had finished he complimented them on their achievements. Then, looking at them with affection, he said, “And now, tell me what you have made of yourselves?” A long silence followed. They were reluctant to speak of themselves. It seems they were so absorbed in their careers that they had neglected their personal lives. Their energies were so focused on efficiency and success that they didn't have time to grow emotionally, with the result that in terms of relationships many of them were impoverished. Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’ In today’s Gospel Jesus uses a parable of the talents to illustrate how we should live our lives to the fullest if we are to be pleasing to God. In the parable the rich man, before he leaves for a journey gives incredible sums to three servants –the first, ten talents, the second, five talents and the third, one talent, which alone equaled the wages of an ordinary worker for twenty years! Without further instructions the man departs. Hurriedly, the first two servants doubled their gifts, while the one-talent man dug a hole in the ground and hid his. Upon returning the rich man asked his servants what happened to his money. After identical responses about doubling his gift, the first two are called ‘good and faithful servant’ and are placed in charge of even more possessions and welcomed into the joy of the master. While the first two servants were praised the third servant was treated differently. When he was asked what he had done with the talent received he said “I went off and buried your talent in the ground.” The master berates the man as wicked and lazy, and tells him that he should have invested the money with bankers, and then he takes the one talent and gives it to the one who already had ten, and exiles the timid servant to the outer darkness. Why was the timid servant condemned? The tragic flaw of the timid one is that he lived out of fear even when gifted. Every gift of God is also a mandate to bear fruit in God’s vineyard. Some people are so good that they are good-for-nothing! It does not matter how many talents we have but how well we use them. We also need to realize that life and everything we have is a gift from the Lord and we have to be accountable for the gifts received. “Give it your best shot!” Tom Demsey was born without a right hand and with only half a right foot. He went to school and played football. He even played on a junior college team in California. In time he began to place kick for the team. He got so good that eventually he was signed by the New Orleans Saints. On November 8, 1970, the saints were trailing Detroit 17-16 with two seconds to go. They had the ball on the Detroit 45-yard line. New Orleans coach J.D. Roberts tapped Tom on the shoulder and said, “Go out there and give it your best shot!” T
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Feast of Christ the King
10-Nov-2014 Dear Friend, In our present times we do not make much of royalty and we have discarded the trappings and structures of royalty in favour of democracy. Yet we admire people who are loyal and faithful to lawfully constituted authority. Today we are reminded that God is the ultimate authority and He commands our respect and loyalty not because he exercises power over us but because He constantly cares for us. We can show our loyalty to Him by respecting and caring for His people, our brothers and sisters. Have a renewing weekend, rededicating our lives to His Kingdom! –Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: 34th “Loyal and faithful subjects in Christ the King’s service!” 23-Nov-2014Ezek. 34: 11-17; 1 Cor. 15: 20-28; Matt. 25: 31-46; In the first reading, Ezekiel likens God to a shepherd, who tenderly looks after his sheep, He is always watching over them, and protects them especially when they are in danger. The readings of the day remind us both of God’s care and of God’s expectations of us His people, who belong to His flock. This shepherd does not control or force us to follow him yet at the same time if we are on His side then we must be like our shepherd, caring, and loving. We may give up on God but God never abandons us. If only I knew it was you!Nelson Mandela was still a young man when he became leader of the banned African National Congress. At a certain stage of the struggle he was forced to go underground. He used many disguises and in general remained as unkempt as possible, so that he would not be easily recognized. Once he was to attend a meeting in a distant part of Johannesburg. A priest had arranged with friends of his to put him up for the night. However, when Mandela arrived at the house, the elderly woman who answered the doorbell took one look at him and exclaimed, “We don’t want your kind here!” And she shut the door in his face. Later when she found out who it was she had turned away she was horrified and said to him, “If only I knew it was you, I’d have given you the best room in the house.” Mandela did not let incidents like this deter him.Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies’ The Gospel puts before us the other side of the picture. While God is ever caring and watchful over us He wants us to listen to him, to heed his voice and follow his example. In any organization, if we want to belong to it then we have to live according to its practice, precepts and policies. We are told in no uncertain terms that the only criterion by which we will be judged is whether we have loved our brothers and sisters. The yard stick is something tangible: “What you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me!” Have we cared for others, have we shown our love in action. What matters is not doing great things, spectacular deeds that will be noticed by others, but the small things often unnoticed that we do for those in need. We will be judged by what we have done as well as by what we have not done. Sometimes we look at ourselves and say we are pretty good because we have not done anything bad. But have we done the good we could have done? Saying the kind word, lending a helping hand, finding time for others in spite of being busy, cheering up those who are depressed, visiting the friendless, writing or phoning those who are alone, appreciating the many good things that people do for us…. The list of small things can be endless! People ask: “Where can I find God? What should I do to find Him? The answer is simple: He is to be found in the poor, the weak, the needy, the helpless, and in those who take care of these people. The beggar KingThere is an old Irish legend that tells of a king who had no children to succeed him on the throne. So he had his messengers post signs in every town and village of his kingdom inviting qualified young men to apply for an interview with the king. Two qualifications especially were stressed: The person must have a deep love for God and for his neighbour. The young man around whom the legend centres saw one of these signs. He believed he had the necessary qualifications and he felt an inner calling to apply for an interview. But the young man was so poor he did not have decent clothes to wear for the interview. He also had no money to buy provisions for the long journey to the king’s castle. He decided to beg for clothes and the provisions he needed. When everything was ready he set out. After a month’s travel, one day the man caught sight of the king’s castle. At about the same time he also caught sight of a poor old beggar sitting by the side of the road. The beggar held out his hands and pleaded for help. “I’m cold and hungry,” he said in a weak voice. “Could you give me something to eat and something to wear?” The young man was moved by the sight of the beggar. He stripped off his warm outer clothes and exchanged them for the old t
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 1st Sunday of Advent
17-Nov-2014 Dear Friend, We spend a lot of time waiting. Children wait for their father to come home after many months of working in a foreign land, young people wait for their friends to come back from their trips abroad, brothers and sisters wait for their siblings who have been staying away from home, patients wait for a remedy for their terminal sickness, students wait for the results of their exams, the unemployed wait for a new job. …..All wait and their waiting tests the quality of their hope; all they can do is wait. Waiting is part of life and there is no life without it. Advent puts this waiting in sharp focus, do we wait for God? Have a watchful time, alert for the coming, his Advent! –Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: 1st Sun Advent “Is God’s coming matched by our own coming?” 30-Nov-2014Isaiah 63:16-17, 19-64:2-7; 1 Cor. 1: 3-9; Mark 13:33-37; Today’s first reading from Isaiah gives us a glimpse of the difficulty people face when their waiting for God seems to be in vain. The exiled people had returned from their captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem, spurred on by hope, but they see Jerusalem in ruins. In their desperation all they can do is remember what God had actually done for them and hold on to him. When the people remember God as their Redeemer, they bring the past into the present and that sacred memory acts like a light in the midst of darkness. The memory of God’s love, gives them a reason to wait; to hold onto their hope. What the people of Israel remember is that God will live up to his ancient name- the Faithful One, and will come as their rescuer and redeemer. Because they hope they are ready to wait and their waiting is not a passive waiting in vain. Waiting to be RescuedOne December day 16-year-old Gary Schneider and two friends set out on a four-day climb up Mt. Hood. Nine thousand feet up, a blinding storm engulfed the three boys. They tunneled into a snow bank to get out of the driving wind and to wait out the blizzard. Eleven days later the blizzard continued to rage. The boys’ sleeping bags grew wet and lumpy. Their food supply dwindled to a daily ration of two spoonfuls of pancake batter apiece. Their sole comfort was a small Bible one of the boys had packed in his gear. The boys took turns reading it, eight hours a day. The only light was a spooky, reflected light coming from the cave’s tiny opening. There the three boys remained huddled hour after hour, day after day, listening to the word of God against a background of howling wind. Waiting like this was not easy. All the boys could do was pray, hoping the blizzard would blow itself out and help would come. Finally, on the 16th day the weather cleared and the boys crawled out of their snow cave. They were weak from the ordeal and could manage only a few steps at a time. Later that day they caught sight of a rescue party. Their long ordeal of waiting finally ended.Mark Link in ‘Illustrated Sunday Homilies’ The gospel today has a short parable about the householder who has servants to whom he assigns particular tasks before he sets off on a journey. He singles out the doorkeeper with a special warning. “Be on your guard then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming. What I say to you, then, I say to all: Watch!” If we were to focus our gaze on the door keeper alone we would realize that perhaps the greatest danger facing him is not so much that he may fall asleep on the job as that he may grow so accustomed to it that it will become just a job and nothing more. We know that gate-keeping can become boring and routine can set take over in the best of circumstances. We can get used to anything, we can get used to the sacred as well, we can get used to God, and then smugness, skepticism creeps into our lives. We can become Christians by habit and routine and we can keep up the external ritual and routine but we don’t encounter God anymore but only our own emptiness. We know Jesus is constantly coming into our lives. Each of us is the doorkeeper, whom God has put in charge of our own lives as well the lives of our community, our church, our society. Advent calls us to stand ready. We stay alert by living the values of the Redeemer in our own time. We can only welcome Jesus into our life if we are alert and attentive to Him. “The spiritual life is first of all a matter of being awake” said Thomas Merton.A story comes to us from Eastern mysticism:A monk asked, “Abbot, what has God’s wisdom taught you? Did you become divine?”“Not at all!” “Did you become a saint?” “No, as you can clearly see.” “What then, O Abbot?”“I became awake!”James Gilhooley in ‘Pastoral Life’ The Challenge of Waiting“In his book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’, Jewish psychiatrist Viktor Frankl tells the story of how he survived the atrocities of the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Frankl says one of the worst sufferings at Auschwitz was wa
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 2nd Sunday of Advent
24-Nov-2014 Dear Friend, We are used to announcements that inform us that something is going to happen or someone expected is arriving. At railway stations and airports we hear announcements of the arrival of a train or plane that we are awaiting. If there is someone whom we love arriving, that announcement fills us with joy and we get all excited because we will soon see the one we are waiting for. The good news given to us is that God is coming soon. Do we believe it? Do we look forward to his arrival? Are we prepared to welcome Him? Have an expectant, exciting weekend, looking ahead! -Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: 2nd Sun. of Advent "Already and not yet! God has come! but Wait!" 7-Dec-2014Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11 2 Peter 3: 8-14 Mark 1: 1-8 In the first reading the prophet Isaiah assures the people that the period of harsh discipline is over and God will come with forgiveness for his people. "Console my people, console them." says your God. He will lead them back to their homeland and the difficulties along the way will disappear as God himself will journey back with his people. The Israelites are asked to prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Therefore they should not wait for things to happen but should be active and vigorous in preparing for the coming of the Lord. The preparation is not an external preparation but a preparation of the heart and a removal of anything that does not fit in with God's coming. When Jesus EntersA working man was strongly drawn towards a beautiful vase he saw in a stall in the town market. He bought the vase and brought it home. The vase was so beautiful that it made the front room look drab, dull and indeed plain ugly. So he got bright prints and transformed the whole room. He got colourful curtains to match the paint, a brightly patterned carpet, and even stripped down and varnished furniture. Because of the beauty of the vase, the whole room was totally transformed. -When Jesus enters my heart, the areas in need of attention become, oh, so obvious. -Holiness consists in discovering that I am a much bigger sinner than I ever thought I was! The closer I come to God, the more obvious the contrast!Jack McArdle in '150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers' In today's Gospel Mark highlights the example of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the coming of the Lord. His role was to be the messenger announcing the coming of the Messiah. He would be the voice crying out in the wilderness, "Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight." His message was one of repentance, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He invited everyone to change and repent and experience a conversion of heart. John's preaching and personal life witness had a dynamic impact on the people. They came forth in large numbers to be baptized by him and they showed readiness to change their lifestyle and come back to the Lord. What does it mean to prepare a way for the coming of the Lord today? Where do we seek God and where will we find him? Light in the DarknessA man went out for a walk on a cold but bright winter's morning. The sun had just come up and was scattering light into the four corners of the sky. As he walked along he noticed that the moon too was in the sky. But it was so pale compared to the sun that it was barely visible. An hour or so ago it was a bright and beautiful creature and dominated the sky. Now it looked like a beggar, and had been pushed in the background. It was like a candle made redundant by electric lights. But as the man looked at it, it suddenly occurred to him that it was this ragged creature whose faithful light had seen people through the darkness of the night. -The moon reminds us of the Old Testament prophets, and perhaps especially of John the Baptist. The prophets had kept alive the hopes of the people during the long night of expectation, when it seemed that the dawn would never come. It was thanks to them that the flame never went out. John worked hard to bring his own light to the people. For a while he dominated the scene. But he was always conscious that a greater light was coming. When that light appeared in the person of Jesus, John knew that his task was done. He pointed out Jesus and he stepped aside and allowed Jesus to shine.Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies' To find God"Vladimir Ghika was a Romanian prince who became a catholic priest and died a martyr in a Communist concentration camp in 1954. His words are particularly apt today as we begin our own odyssey in a new wilderness: "He who does not seek God everywhere runs the risk of not finding him anywhere." The good news of this advice, as St. Bernard and other mystics remind us, is that "No one can seek you O Lord, who has not already found you." Or as St. Gregory of Nyssa put it: "To find God one must search for him without end." Not only will we come to experience the truth of th
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 3rd Sunday of Advent
30-Nov-2014 Dear Friend, Our common everyday experience tells us that for everything of value there is need of preparation so that it turns out well and beneficial for us. If we are going for an interview we prepare ourselves and rehearse our responses. For exams we prepare well in advance if we want good grades. In sports there are months and months of daily training, exercises, diet and tough routines. If we are to prepare a delicious meal for special guests we don’t leave things to turn out well by chance! Are we prepared for God’s coming? Have an exciting week in joyful anticipation of His coming! –Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: 3rd Sun. Advent “Joyful witnesses of God’s coming in and around us!” 14-Dec-2014Isaiah 61: 1-2, 10-11 Thes. 5: 16-24 John 1: 6-8; 19-28 Today’s readings sound the note of joy. But we could ask what is there to be happy about. After all there are so many things that it depresses us and makes us sad. Yet we are asked to rejoice, to be a Christian we have to have joy in our lives. What can be the source of our joy? Isaiah will point out that we should rejoice in the Lord! Isaiah believes he has been chosen to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to bring liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison, to proclaim a year of favour. This is joyful news that God will do all these things for us. He is coming He will not delay, He is faithful to his promises. He will come! Whatever your situation, He will come! Rejoice, the Spirit can and does change us!A couple enjoyed a happy married life for a year and a half and as usual began to go through hard times. Their family deserted them as theirs was a love marriage. The first child died after three months, and the man’s job was at stake. However, the news of the second child delighted them for some time and they could bear all hardships. Soon, at the time of delivery the doctor declared that the baby was dead in the womb of the mother and that the mother could not conceive any longer. This was a big jolt to the man who was on the periphery of his spiritual life unlike his wife who was firmly rooted and grounded in her commitment to the Lord and the Church. The man went into drinking. His company sent him abroad so that he might improve his behavior but all in vain. He came back home in a worse condition. However, his wife’s prayer-life moved him and he agreed to go for a retreat where he experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in such a might way that he decided to give his life totally to the Lord. Today he is a known retreat preacher along with his wife.Robert D’Souza in ‘Liturgy and Life’ In the Gospel we have John pointing out to the people that he is not the messiah, he is not the prophet, he is not Elijah but the voice of one crying out in the wilderness. He reminds them that there is one person in their midst who is greater than he is, but they do not recognise Him. John is merely a witness, pointing out to the one who is coming so that they might not miss him. He is the light, He is their hope, He is the promised one! If we do not see him, accept him, believe in Him, then the source of our joy is lost. We have missed the one who can bring meaning into our lives! Our sin is the sin of ignorance! We did not know He was in our midst. He came unto his own and his own did not recognise Him. God comes in strange ways! You do not recognize him‘Valesa – a Nightmare’ is a docu-drama which was written in Poland under a pseudonym and then smuggled out of the country. It tells the story of political prisoners like Lech Walesa. Near the end of the play a prisoner priest, who usually offers a solitary Mass, is joined by the rest of the prisoners at considerable risk to celebrate the Eucharist. At this moment, the play reaches a climax with the deafening scream of crows - a Polish symbol for the Communist military regime under General Jaruzelski. The cawing of the crows suddenly gives way to the soft chirping of spring birds and the comforting notes of a piano concerto - a symbol of the optimism of the Polish people that one day their quest for religious and political freedom will be realized. ‘Valesa – a Nightmare’ shows how Christ can come into our lives even in the worst of circumstances. The Lord came to Lech Walesa in a Communist prison through Walesa’s faith and prayers, through his Polish culture and pride, through his fellow political prisoners and through the sacrament of the Eucharist.Albert Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’ Something MoreA vivid illustration of what John was challenging people to do is found in Catherine Marshall’s book Something More. One day her daughter Linda was about to take a shower. Linda had one foot in the shower stall and the other foot on the bathroom rug. As she stood there in this awkward position, it suddenly occurred to her that this was a good picture of her life.
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Reflections for Christmas Day
14-Dec-2014 Dear Friend, Christmas is here and we are called to celebrate. Have we prepared ourselves for His coming? Whether we are ready or not, He is ready and willing to come to us if only we let him into our hearts. He is in our midst; His name is Emmanuel, God with us! May his word open our eyes, May his Spirit open our hearts! Have a holy and happy Christmas! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. Christmas Day: “Rejoice! Unto us a child is given! The Prince of Peace” 25-Dec-2014Isaiah 9: 2-4, 6-7; Titus 2: 11-14; Lk. 2: 1-14; Today’s first reading from Isaiah reminds us that Christmas is a feast of light. No doubt it is we who have caused the darkness in our lives, our sins, our indifference and lack of love towards our brothers and sisters have cast a shadow on our lives. The way God scatters the darkness is by letting ‘a child be born for us, a son given to us.’ God reveals himself not through power but through a small frail weak child. Night time is usually a time of fear and evil, but this night is different. It is a Silent night, a Holy night, a night made divine by the presence of God in our midst. May this night be filled with the light of love given and love received, reflecting in our own lives the love of God, who entered our history with the birth of his son Jesus Christ. Nancy’s Christmas DinnerWe were the only family with children in the restaurant that Christmas day. I sat Erik in a high chair and suddenly Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered coat, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy, his shirt dirty, his hair uncombed. "Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy," the man said to Erik. Erik continued to laugh and answer, "Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo." My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side-step him. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Erik in an act of total trust, laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, gently cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain and said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift." With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not, I felt it was God asking - "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?", when He shared His for All Eternity.Unknown In today’s gospel Luke begins the most sublime story of God’s entry into the world by linking it with a human story. The story begins with the names of the greatest figures of that time, Emperor Augustus and Governor Quirinius, side by side with two very simple people Joseph and Mary setting out for an insignificant town in Palestine, Bethlehem, in obedience to the decree requiring them to register in their hometown. Mary and Joseph make themselves available for God’s coming into the world through their act of obedience though it inconveniences them. So often God’s time is not our time and so we miss his coming. The story of Christ’s birth started with the high and mighty but the children of Israel who are invited to come to the manger are simple shepherds who are summoned from their flocks. The shepherds listen and believe and set out to see for themselves the wonderful event that has taken place. Their faith helps them to believe and journey to the manger. Everyone’s life is a journey of faith. We have to believe and journey in faith to discover him. Today’s message of the birth of Jesus brings about a reversal of the value system of the world. The great people mentioned at the beginning in today’s gospel, Caesar Augustus and Quirinius do
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Feast of the Holy Family
21-Dec-2014 Dear Friend, The young and the not so young want to celebrate family by their presence as well as by their presents. Some realize that they never appreciated family fully until they had left it. Something similar can happen to each of us. We often do not appreciate the best things in life until they are lost to us. We take family and friendships for granted until we no longer have them. At Christmas we remember that God is at home with us! Do we take that for granted? Let’s celebrate God’s presence in our home! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. Holy Family: “Love, respect, share together, to stay together as one family!” 28-Dec-2014Ecclesiasticus 3: 2-6, 12-14 Colossians 3: 12-21 Lk. 2: 22-40 In today’s reading about two hundred years before Christ, the Book of Ecclesiasticus put together wise counsels on how to lead a life pleasing to God, it contains today’s section on the relationship between parents and children. “Honour your father and mother and you will live a long life.” It adds a religious motivation that those who honour their parents atone for their sins. The Book though does not seem to be talking about small children but about the duties of adult children towards their aging parents. In today’s world with people living longer, society is often intolerant and unmindful of the elderly. Our duties and responsibilities towards the old become more complex. Are our family relations based on truth and love? The bitter truth for parentsA mother was shocked to hear her son tell a lie. Taking the youngster aside for a heart to heart talk, she graphically explained what happened to liars. “A tall black man with red fiery eyes and two sharp horns grabs little boys who tell lies and carries them off at night. He takes them to Mars where they have to work in a dark canyon for fifty years! Now” she concluded, “you won’t tell a lie again, will you, dear?” “No, Mum, replied the son, gravely, But…But…..you tell better lies Mum!” – Children learn to tell lies from the elders. With them it does not work to say, ‘Do as I tell and not as I do.’G. Francis Xavier in ‘Inspiring Stories’ In today’s gospel Luke begins the narrative with Mary and Joseph in obedience to the Law of Moses, consecrating their first-born son, Jesus, “to the Lord” with a symbolic offering of two turtle doves , which were given by those too poor to offer a lamb. Perhaps Luke wishes to emphasize that the Messiah does not come with pomp in richness; he is not born of the rich and famous but of simple poor human beings whose greatest riches is their faith. Luke’s main focus is on Simeon and Anna, a just couple who were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Simeon with eyes of faith recognizes in this frail child the long awaited Messiah. Taking the child in his arms, Simeon prays the memorable prayer ‘Nunc Dimittis, Now, Master you may let your servant go in peace.” He predicts that this child will be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel”. He warns Mary that that her son will be a sign that is contradicted and that a sword will pierce her. This is not a reference to Mary at the foot of the Cross, but to the “sword that divides”. Mary’s initial yes is challenged and deepened as her son’s life unfolds. The presence of Anna, the eighty four old prophetess who has lived her whole life in faith concludes the narrative. She gives thanks and “spoke about the child to all who are awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” Once again Luke concludes this narrative focusing on people who are ready to wait in faith for God’s plan to unfold in time. Mary, the young mother and Anna the elderly widow are united in bringing forth God’s word to the waiting world. Faith is a relationship with God which depends not so much on what we do but how we respond to God who takes the initiative, and leads all the way. We need to be open and grateful for God choosing us. “May it be done unto me according to thy word.” AttachmentIn the middle of the night a young boy wakes up in a hospital bed. He feels very frightened and very alone. He is suffering intense pain: Burns cover forty percent of his body. Someone had doused him with alcohol and then had set him on fire. He starts crying out for his mother. The nurse leaves her night-post to comfort him; she holds him, hugs him, whispers to him that the pain will go away sooner than he thinks. However, nothing that the nurse does seems to lessen the boy’s pain. He still cries for his mother. And the nurse is confused and angry: it was his mother who set him on fire. The young boy’s pain at being separated from his mother – even though she had inflicted such cruelty on him – was greater than the pain of his burns. That deep attachment to the mother makes separation from her the worst experience a child can undergo.Denis McBride in ‘Seasons of the Word’ Home a Great TreasureGeorge was in his seventies. He had nev
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] New Year 2015 !
28-Dec-2014 Dear Friend, One of our traditional invocations when we want to wish people well is to say ‘God bless you’. A Blessing implies finding favour with God. On the first day of the New Year it would be good to bless and thank God for the gift of yet another year and ask for his blessings on every day of the New Year. One of the blessings we have received is the gift of Mary Mother of God and our mother. It would be great if we could count the marvels God does for us every day! ‘Have a blessed New Year!’ –Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. New Year: “Beginning the New Year with Mary blessing us all the way!” 1-Jan-2015Numbers 6: 22-27 Galatians 4: 4-7 Luke 2: 16-21 The blessing from today’s first reading is one of the best known sections of the entire Torah, a priestly blessing upon the people. The blessing is threefold, and was used by the Jewish priests to bless the people at the end of the sacrifice in the temple of Jerusalem. The words of the blessing are almost self-explanatory; three times the name of Yahweh is mentioned to remind us that He is the source of all blessing. The blessing firstly recognizes the people’s dependence on God. Secondly, it wishes that God gives the recipients a sign of his pleasure. Thirdly, it wishes ‘Peace’ that precious gift of not only internal tranquility, but prosperity and happiness as well. In summary, what is being said is that we are blessed because we are children of Yahweh, his favoured sons and daughters! Live the day before you die for GodA group of students being a bit puzzled by problems, went to one of their favourite teachers for advice. This teacher had gained their confidence because he seemed to have something the rest lacked. The teacher tried his best to help them, and in concluding said to them “Live the day before you die for God.” “But”objected one of the boys, “how can we do that? We don’t know the day we are going to die.” “Then,” smiled the teacher, “live every day as if it were the day before you die. It’s as simple as that.”Antony Kolencherry in ‘Living the Word’ The Gospel reminds us of the journey of the shepherds to Bethlehem. They had heard the good news of the birth of Jesus, they believed and journeyed to discover the child born to be the Saviour of the world. Each one has to make this journey during one’s life. The journey becomes meaningful if we are ready and willing to move on, to journey solely guided by God’s word and God’s promise. This too is the call of every Christian: to listen, believe, and proclaim what we have heard, seen, and experienced in our lives. There is another journey of faith alluded to in today’s gospel narrative, the faith journey of Mary. The faith journey is not necessarily an external journey, but it could very well be the longest journey of one’s life. To discover the face of God, we need, like Mary, to listen, to treasure all these things and ponder them in our heart. One needs to be a contemplative in action. When Mary said ‘yes’ to God she did not understand, but she journeyed in faith. At the revelations of the shepherds, though the others were active in amazement, Mary was silent and pondered all these things in her heart. Mary was blessed at the Annunciation, blessed at the birth in Bethlehem, blessed by the visit of the shepherds, as she contemplated them in the depth of her heart. Each time we reflect, we pray, we let God be born in us and through us. The last part of the gospel says that on the eighth day Jesus was circumcised and given the name Jesus, which means ‘the one who saves’ the one who earns for us the privilege to call God ‘Father’. Thanks to Jesus, we have the greatest blessing, for He is as close as the mention of his name, and in and through His name alone are we saved. Today as we begin a New Year we also thank God for Mary, who gives us Jesus, who makes known to us the face of God, shining on us, looking kindly and tenderly upon us and brings us His peace. Giving birth to GodChinua Achebe, the well-known Nigerian author, made an interesting remark in his book ‘The Anthills of the Savanna’. He tells us how in both the Bible and his African traditions, women are blamed for all that went wrong in the world. In our biblical tradition it is the familiar story of Eve. In Achebe’s tradition, women were the reason that God, who once lived very near to his human creation left it. God was so near that the women, who were pounding their millet into flour hit God. God warned them against this. They would be careful for some time, but they would start to chat again, forget about the divine presence, and hit God again. Finally God gave up and left. In both cases, Achebe writes, men told these stories. They knew they weren’t true stories and because they felt somewhat guilty about them, they added another story in which they relate that final salvation will come through a woman, different from all other women, who cooperat
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] Feast of Epiphany
28-Dec-2014 Dear Friend, A great part of life is spent in searching, searching for small as well as big things. We search for answers to the many questions we have. We search for things that we believe will make us happy. We search for soul mates and life partners. We search for the right job. We search for friends. Do we search for God? What is guiding our search? Even if we have not found what we are looking for, the search itself is worthwhile, for God will reveal Himself along the way! ‘Have a great time searching for God!’ –Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. Epiphany: “Rejoice for God is revealed to all who search for Him! Seek Him!” 4-Jan-2015Isaiah: 60: 1-6 Ephesians 3: 2-3, 5-6 Mt. 2: 1-12 In today’s first reading the prophet Isaiah reminds the Jews that salvation is for all peoples. It is true that the Messiah would be born of David’s stock. It is true that the light had shone on them and their eyes were opened to see the Lord, but this light would shine in the darkness, for all the people who lived in the darkness. At the sight of the light, all peoples, even those living in the farthest regions of the world, would flock to Jerusalem. Jerusalem represents the Church. We know that the regions of darkness represent all those who live in the darkness of ignorance. We often create our own darkness, when we believe that we can see even when we cannot do so. We cannot come to Christ unless God moves us. It is always God who takes the initiative and faith is an invitation, not an acquisition by our own efforts. The QuestOnce upon a time, in a far off land deep in shadow, there lived two orphans who were very unhappy living in shadowland. One day they decided to leave their homeland and journey beyond the grey mountains until they would come face to face with the light that makes colours. So while the rest of the country was fast asleep in their grey beds, they packed their few belongings in a knapsack and set off on their quest to discover the light and bring it back to shadowland. – Most of the stories we remember from our own childhood are stories of quests where the hero leaves the world of the familiar and sets out for an unknown country in search of something special or someone special. Many of our great religious stories follow the same pattern. Does our faith journey lead us on such a quest?Denis McBride in ‘Seasons of the Word’ In the Gospel we realize that the prophecy of Isaiah started being fulfilled when the star led the wise men to the new born king. The gospel does not tell us which country the wise men came from, how many they were, nor their names. God in his goodness caused a star to appear in the sky, a sign which the wise men understood, as a sign to let them know that the Saviour of the world was born. Though the star guided them, the wise men had to still search for the new born king. They thought that Jerusalem was the obvious place for the king of the Jews to be born, but on reaching there, the star disappeared as though signaling that they were looking in the wrong place. The wise men are like so many of us looking for God led by our own expectations, often leading us to wrong places and disappointments. We have to ask for help as the wise men did, as we cannot manage the faith journey on our own. Only when Herod sent them on the way to Bethlehem the star reappeared and led them to the birthplace of Jesus, ‘and the sight filled them with great joy.’ They had put in their human efforts to seek the Lord and now their eyes are opened with enlightenment. Though they saw just a helpless babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, they recognized him as the Saviour of the world. It is easy to get bogged down with things not being the way we expect them to be. It is only the light of faith that helps us to see what God wants to reveal to us. When the wise men recognized the child, worshipped him and offered him the gifts they had brought for the king. We cannot approach God empty-handed, even the simplest of offerings, is acceptable to God and in return we ourselves are doubly blessed. Like the Magi, when we have this vision of God, we ourselves are changed, we are blessed and we can no more return to the same way of life. The gospel narrative tells us that the wise men, being warned in a dream returned by another way back home. Christmas PresenceI have always been a less than adequate speller. Practice and learning phonics with my children has aided in my improvement, but sometimes I still get it wrong. And, it can be in the most embarrassing ways. Several years ago, I had planned the family Christmas to be celebrated in my home. I had even mailed formal invitations to each family member. They read as follows: “The honor of your present, is requested on December 25th, to a family celebration of Christmas, at five o'clock in the evening.” I didn't catch my mistake, but my entire family did. Being t
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 2nd Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time
12-Jan-2015 Dear Friend, Many of us have questions that trouble us from time to time and we seek answers to them from significant people in our lives. Of course there are superficial questions and others that sometimes are a matter of life and death. Have we brought our questions to the Lord and have we ever tried to listen to Him as he answers us? Or would we rather not ask him for fear of the answer? For that matter, have we listened to what the Lord is saying to us, asking of us? Could our prayer be: ‘Speak Lord, I’m really listening!’ Have an attentive weekend, listening to Him! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 2nd Sunday of the year “Here I am Lord! I’m ready! I come to do your will!” 18-Jan-2015 Sam 3: 3-10, 19 1 Corinthians 6: 13-15, 17-20 John 1: 35-42 The first reading narrates the call of young Samuel while he was serving in the temple. Samuel had no way of recognizing the voice of the Lord, and thought it was Eli the High priest that was calling him. But the call of the Lord is persistent and finally Samuel is alert and has been trained to respond: “Speak Lord your servant is listening.” How different from our modern-day prayer which often says: “Listen Lord, for your servant is speaking!” While prayer is a conversation with God, we need to realize that to enter into prayer we have to listen, and our attitude has to be: “Please speak Lord, I want to listen to you.” We cannot command the Lord to speak, and the initiative of prayer is always with God. We cannot tell God when he has to speak. On the contrary we have to humbly wait on him and be available to him. The response psalm of today confirms the same attitude: “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will!” Someone is always listening...In St. Paul’s Cathedral in London there is a circular gallery where any spoken sound bounces back from the hard smooth stone walls. If you put your ear close to the wall, you can hear what is even whispered on the other side of the wall, many meters away. Many years ago a poor shoemaker whispered to his beloved that he could not marry her because he could not afford to buy any raw material for his work and his business was on the verge of ruin. The poor girl wept as she listened to the sad news. A gentleman on the other side of the gallery more than sixty meters away heard the story and the shoe maker’s whispered prayer, and decided to do something about it. The gentleman followed the shoemaker out of St. Pauls and after finding where he lived, had some leather sent to his shop. Naturally the young man was delighted. He made good use of the gift, and his business prospered and he was able to marry the girl of his heart. It was not until a few years later that he learned the name of his unknown friend. It was Prime Minister William Gladstone of Great Britain.From –‘The Sunday Liturgy’ The gospel continues the theme of the manifestation or epiphany of Jesus, as John the Baptist points out and directs his own disciples to Jesus. “Behold the Lamb of God!” John and Andrew, the disciples with their teacher, John the Baptist, were at the Jordan river, where the people had long ago crossed over into the Promised land. When the disciples heard from John the name of the one passing by –The Lamb of God, they understood enough to follow Jesus. Their decision to leave John and follow Jesus must have been a struggle. They followed Jesus respectfully at a distance behind. Jesus turned and asked what they were looking for. Through history, people have come to Jesus for a variety of reasons. People still come to Jesus for a variety of reasons. Why are we looking for Jesus? What do we want from him? Andrew and John followed Jesus asking where he stayed. They were more than curious, they wanted to know him and were attracted to him. Jesus’ answer was a kind invitation: “Come and see.” The experience of staying with Jesus was so memorable that John even adds the time of the day at which they met Jesus –four in the afternoon. Andrew too was so taken up with the encounter that he could wait to come home and share what he had experienced with his brother Simon. “We have found the Messiah” he said, and took Simon to meet the Lord. Jesus looked hard at Simon and called him by name. “You are Simon son of John; you will be called Cephas-meaning the Rock.” The encounter of Simon changed not only his name but his life. “What’s your profession?”A stranger once asked a teacher, “What’s your profession?” The teacher replied, “Christian,” The stranger continued, “No, that’s not what I mean. What’s your job?” The teacher asserted, once again, “I’m a Christian!” Puzzled, the stranger clarified, “Perhaps I should ask, what you do for a living?” The teacher replied, “Well, I’ve a full-time job as a Christian. But, to support my sick husband and children, I teach in a school.” That teacher had certainly understood the meaning of discipleship summarized by the response psalm (40
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 3rd Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time
19-Jan-2015 Dear Friend, Often in a fit of anger or irritation we say to people, “You’ll never change!” Yet we sometimes notice that people have really changed and are not what they used to be. Is it possible to change? Conversion and repentance is the same as change. We know that we are constantly called to repentance. Since we keep slipping back into our old ways, what can really bring about a conversion? Does God expect us to change as well? Have a transforming weekend! –Fr. Jude Sunday Ref. 3rd Sunday of Year “Repent! Believe in the Gospel! The Kingdom is at hand” 25-Jan-2015 Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31 Mark 1: 14-20 In the first reading we hear of God asking Jonah to go to Nineveh to ask the people to repent. We know Jonah’s story -he was a reluctant prophet, so he went in the opposite direction, wanting to escape the Lord’s command, with disastrous consequences. Finally chastened, he went to the people and preached to them. He threatened them and warned them: “Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.” He did not expect the people to listen to him and believe him, but the people listened and believed and repented! God accepted their repentance and saved them from the disaster. Strangely, Jonah was disappointed that the people were not punished, upset, that they had repented! Turning Evil to GoodA lady once showed Ruskin a costly handkerchief on which had fallen a large blot of ink. “What a shame!” she moaned. “It is absolutely good for nothing now. It is totally spoiled. Ruskin said nothing but asked to borrow the handkerchief for a day. The next day he handed it to her without a word, and the lady delightedly saw that, using the blot as a starting point, the great artist had designed an intriguing pattern on that corner of the handkerchief. Now it was actually worth more than it had ever been before the blot had disfigured it. God can change evil into good!Bruno Hagspiel from –Tonic from the Heart in 1000 Bottles Today’s gospel stresses Jesus’ call to repentance, it is the same call that Jonah preached to the people of his time and yet it is different. While Jonah threatened them of the impending disaster, Jesus on the other hand invites everyone to turn away from sin, to enable them to enter the Kingdom of God. We notice that there are two distinct parts to this invitation: ‘to repent’, that is to break away from sin, which is what the word conversion means, and the second part: ‘to believe in the good news’, namely to accept Jesus and follow him. Both go hand in hand and one without the other does not make sense. If we are to follow Jesus Christ we have to repent and be converted. Conversion means changing one’s direction, retracing one’s steps and if by sin we have moved away from God then we are called to turn around and walk in God’s direction. If we persist in our old ways, then we have not really been converted. For some this conversion is a radical right about-turn, for others it is a gradual moving away from doing our thing to doing God’s will and living fully for him. This conversion is a life-time process and implies a true change of heart. Sometimes we might be complacent with external peripheral changes but our heart is really not converted. The last part of the gospel gives us an example of conversion and believing in the good news in the call of the apostles. Jesus sees Simon and his brother Andrew casting their net in the lake and he says to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And at once they left their nets and followed him.” Just as Jesus saw Simon and Andrew and called them, Jesus sees us and calls us by name to leave behind, the things that we are used to, the things that we feel we cannot live without, the things that we sometimes feel are our life. This is the call to conversion that often is very difficult. “Surely, the Lord is not asking me to change something that is so much a part of my life?” “Lord you are asking for the impossible, ask me anything else, not this!” Yet the Lord does not force us or threaten us with disaster if we do not respond. He is ready to wait for us to change and do what will ultimately be the best for us. Conversion should not be seen as a ‘giving up’ but a ‘giving into his hands.’ We change so that we might follow him. Our conversion is seen in our readiness to act for Him and for His kingdom. They can’t take away my thoughts!A girl had been quite naughty. Because she wouldn’t say she was sorry, her mother had punished her by taking away her toys and sending her to bed. When her father came from work he went upstairs to see her, and said he was sure, if she would only apologize, mother would serve her supper and return her toys. The little girl looked up with a determined look, quite unrepentant and said, “Daddy, they’ve taken away my toys, and they’ve taken away my supper, but they can’t take away my thoughts! She i
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 4th Sunday of the Year
27-Jan-2015 Dear Friend, Though most people do not like to be ordered about or told what to do, yet people listen to persons who speak with authority. Of course, people who flaunt their authority are often challenged, but people who exercise quiet authority are listened to. Sometimes authority comes from experience, for others authority comes from within, for still others it comes from who they are and how they live their lives. The prophets of old and the prophetic voices among us derived their authority from God. Have a discerning weekend recognizing the prophetic presence of God in our midst! -Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: 4th Sunday of the Year 'Speaking and Teaching with Authority!' 1-Feb-2015Deuteronomy 18: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35; Mark 1: 21-28; In the earlier part of Deuteronomy Israel was warned about using all kinds of soothsayers and magical techniques to find out the will of God. The divine will was to be made known only through the prophets. Prophesy was to be Israel's special means of communication with God, Yahweh's special gift to his people. The people asked to be spared the ordeal of hearing the voice of God directly. They asked Moses to intercede with God to let His prophets speak on his behalf. Yahweh granted this request and the prophet became a mediator for the people. In the first reading Moses foretells the coming of a prophet who will speak about God's word to the people. Deuteronomy presents Moses himself as the ideal prophet. The prophet can never speak on his own authority, but speaks on behalf of God. The Jews believed that God would raise up in the last days a prophet like Moses. Commonplace ProphetsAn Amos walks the beaten paths of Tekoa, but he hears a divine voice which no other vine dresser in Tekoa ever caught; a Bunyan tramps about England mending pots and pans, but above the din of this lowly task he catches voices that presently are to reverberate immortally through Pilgrim's Progress; a Lincoln steers his awkward raft down the Mississippi and ties up near a slave-auction block. But out of his rough routine labour a voice sounds which no other raftsman ever heard; a Riis tramps the round of a New York reporter in search of news, and out of the ugly tenements through which his duties carry him catches a challenge from the God of social justice which makes him a veritable prophet; and a lad of Galilee at a common carpenter's bench, shaping the same yokes of wood for the necks of cattle which countless other carpenters have shaped, dreams his way into a vision of the coming kingdom of God, when man shall wear the spiritual yoke which he shall shape for them as easily and as gratefully as these toiling bearers of burdens shall wear the wooden yokes which he is now making. In every case the majesty of the commonplace lies not so much in the task itself as in the spirit which the great soul brings to the task.Frank S. Hickman in 'Quotes and Anecdotes' In the second reading Paul is advocating the unmarried state, namely celibacy as an ideal way of life for those looking for an opportunity for contemplation and the apostolate. Paul's contention is that the person who decides to offer himself to the Lord's service should give his undivided attention to the Lord and not be preoccupied with family matters, and that anything that distracts his attention from the Lord should be shunned by him. Paul believed that the duty of providing for a family clashed with one dedicating oneself fully to the Lord. This teaching of Paul may have also been influenced by his belief in the immediate second coming of Jesus. The time was short and one should not be sidetracked by worldly matters. Paul's teaching still holds good for all who wish to make the kingdom the top most priority of their lives. Freedom to serveDuring the early days of the nineteenth century a wealthy plantation owner was attracted by the heartbreaking sobs of a slave girl who was about to step up to the auction block to be sold. Moved by a momentary impulse of compassion, he bought her at a very high price and then disappeared in the crowd. When the auction was over, the clerk came to the sobbing girl and handed her the bill of sale. To her astonishment, the plantation owner had written 'Free' over the paper that should have delivered her to him as his possession. She stood speechless, as one by one the other slaves were claimed by their owners and dragged away. Suddenly, she threw herself at the feet of the clerk and exclaimed: "Where is the man who bought me? I must find him! He has set me free! I must serve him as long as I live!"Anthony Castle in 'More Quotes and Anecdotes' In the gospel we are told that Jesus in order to get his message across to the people, used the opportunity provided by the synagogue to address the people. Normally any member of the synagogue or an important visitor was given the opportunity to speak to the people. J
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 5th Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time
2-Feb-2015 Dear Friend, It maybe that some of us are reaching a point of no return. Our health is deteriorating and the doctor’s forecast is bleak; our relationships are strained and in danger of snapping at any moment; our job could be gone at a moment’s notice; the money and assets that we have stashed up are no longer secure; the law and order authorities cannot be depended upon; the political leaders who promised a stable government have gone back on their promises. Our world is crumbling around us! What do we do? Give in to depression? Wallow in self-pity? Blame everyone? In this situation is it worthwhile turning to God? Have a hope-filled weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 5th Sunday of the Year “On what is my life founded? My strengths or on God’s?” 8-Feb-2015Job: 7: 1-4, 6-7; 1 Corinth. 9: 16-19, 22-23; Mark 1: 19-39; We are familiar with the story of Job, part of which is contained in the first reading of today. Job’s story was a pitiable one: He was deprived of family, lacked worldly possessions, was racked by physical pain and suffered mental anguish. Job put himself the question: “Why should God allow these misfortunes to come upon me?” Job moans his lot: “Is life worth living?” He compares his life to a slave, whose life is one long drudgery; he feels helpless and hopeless like a workman who has to work for no wages; His life is one long bore, he waits for the end which will not come. Job though steadfast and loyal was impatient. His human friends had failed to explain life and he felt that his divine friend would not come either. Is there any hope for the depressed? Our Christian perspective adds a new dimension. Truly, if death is the end of it all, life does not make sense! The healing in givingHe stood on the steel bridge-fifty feet above the swirling river. He lit his last cigarette –before making his escape. There was no other way out. He had tried everything: orgies of sensuality, travel excitement, drink and drugs. And now the last failure: marriage. No woman could stand him after a few months. He demanded too much and gave nothing. The river was the best place for him. A shabby man passed by, saw him standing in the shadow and said, “Got a dime for a cup of coffee, Mister?” The other smiled in the darkness. A dime! “Sure, I’ve got a dime, buddy. I’ve got more than a dime.” He took out a wallet. “Here take it all.” There was about $100 in the wallet, he took it out and thrust it towards the tramp. “What’s the idea?” asked the tramp. “It’s all right. I won’t need it where I am going.” He glanced down towards the river. The tramp took the bills, and stood holding them uncertainly for a moment. Then he said, “No, you don’t mister. I may be a beggar, but I’m no coward; and I won’t take money from one either. Take your filthy money with you –into the river. He threw the bills over the rails and they fluttered and scattered as they drifted slowly down towards the dark river. “So long, coward.” said the tramp and he walked off. The ‘coward’ gasped. Suddenly, he wanted the tramp to have the money he had thrown away. He wanted to give – and couldn’t! To give! That was it! He never had tried that before. To give –and be happy… He took one last look at the river and turned from it and followed the tramp….Christopher Notes The gospel story begins with Jesus going with his disciples James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. He has barely entered when they confide to him their worries and concerns, petty though they may seem. Simon’s mother-in-law has gone to bed with a fever. Jesus did not hesitate, he went straight away to her bed, took her by the hand and the fever left her and she began to wait on them. Jesus’ present healing involves only a gesture – he grasped her hand and helped her up. That healing action of Jesus was enough to set the town on fire, and by evening everyone who was sick or afflicted in any way was at Simon’s doorstep. Whenever people hear of a healer there are hordes of people who seek the magical touch. What’s wrong in seeking a miracle? If we can get instant relief from our misery why not try the charm, the magical ritual, the holy sanctuary? After all does not God want us to be healed? The Gospel tells us the crowds kept increasing, they wanted more miracles. By morning there were crowds milling around waiting for Jesus but he was nowhere to be found, he disappeared. The apostles could not understand. This was the moment Jesus should have capitalized on his popularity, yet he disappeared and when they found him, he was alone by himself praying. By refusing to be what the people wanted him to be: a magical Saviour, Jesus was making a point, that good health does not necessarily enhance the quality of life, and ill-health does not necessarily detract from it. Rather than carry on with the healing, Jesus insisted on leaving the crowds and h
