Wednesday, March 25, 2009


God so loved the World…

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
There is one major theme running through today’s three readings: God’s incredible love for His people.
In the Gospel, Jesus offers what is probably the most famous verse in the whole Bible—John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.”Of all the verses in the Gospels, it really lives up to the meaning of the word “Gospel” as “Good News.” And verse 17 reads: "For God did not send His Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its Savior."
These two verses, John 3:15 and 17 have been called a summary of the Bible.
Some years ago when the space engineers in the U.S. were designing space suits for the command module pilot and the lunar module pilot, a part of the design of each space suit was an umbilical cord, consisting of a long flexible tubing. The purpose of the umbilical cord was to supply oxygen to the astronauts (Space travelers) when they "walk" in space or pass from one module to another.
This suit receptacle into which the command pilot's cord fit was called J3: 16. The suit receptacle into which the lunar pilot's cord fit was called J 3:17. According to the designer, just as J3: 16 and J3: 17 supply the astronauts with what they need to survive in their journey from one module to another, so John 3:16 and John 3:17 supply us with what we need to survive in our journey from earth to heaven. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
The most astounding feature of the gospel is this: in the face of the world's bombast and its ingratitude, God's response is not to expel it but rather to love it, to love it so utterly as to give himself for it.
When the apostle John writes, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…" we must never think that God is giving his Son in place of giving himself; we must never think that God is giving his Son as a substitute for giving himself. Quite the contrary: just because the Father and the Son are one in nature, substance, being, the Father's giving his only Son is simply the Father's giving himself; always himself, never less than himself.
First letter of Saint John chapter 4:16 says, "God is love". And in this infinite and merciful Love, the Father sent his own Son to save all the men and women who have ever lived on earth, from the creation of the world until the end of time.
But, most of the time we may not realize how much God loves us. Eagles are the most long-lived bird in the world. The eagle is used as a model in the Bible to teach God’s loving care for man. The eagle-couple work together and build a nest at a high altitude, inaccessible to other birds. The eggs are laid on soft and warm bedding. She pulls out soft fur from her own breast to adorn the bed. The baby eaglets enjoy the fine rest in the nice nest. The baby eagles, the eaglets, are so happy and experience the love of their parents until when the eaglets reach a suitable age, the mother, with her wings as a broom sweeps out the soft things from the nest to prepare it hard. The eaglets start hating and cursing the mother for spoiling the comfort.
Later the eaglet is carried out of the nest, resting on her wide wings, into the open air. As they circled higher and higher into flight, little baby was impressed with how strong his mother’s wings were. He held tight to his mother’s back. The higher they got, the tighter he held on. Then suddenly without any notice, Mother Eagle folded her wing and rolled over until they were flying up-side-down. Eaglet lost his grip and was falling thousands of feet toward the ground. He was scared. He kicked his feet, flapped his wings, and yapped his jaw, but nothing he tried would work. He could not fly. The eaglet tries its best to fly and stay in the air. Each foot he falls, he cursed his parents for not loving him. He though his parents do not love him and they are abandoning him. He was thinking why they create him. Why they gave him comfort and now let him die in the air?
Just before he hit the ground, Mother Eagle swooped down and caught him and carried him to safety. Gradually the training succeeds and the eaglets learn to fly and live independently. Deuteronomy 32:11 says: “Like an eagle teaching its young to fly, catching them safely on its spreading wings, the Lord kept Israel from falling.”
God, like the eagle, may stir our nest and remove the comforts. He may drop us so that we may learn to survive. We need not fear as He is always near, ready to support us in every fall. Every time when we feel that God is not caring us and not near us, he may be teaching us how to fly and live independently. God’s love is eternal and it will have no end. {Hebrews 12:6-11}, {Proverbs 3:11,12}, {Job 5:17,18}.
The incredible thing, of course, is that God continues to offer us His love no matter how many times we reject Him. His forgiveness is unconditional and is offered over and over and over. His love for us knows no limits.
St. John reminds us most emphatically of something we always tend to forget: that God is not a judge! On the contrary, God is a Savior. He is essentially a savior, and nothing else. Consequently, when he sends His Son into the world, it is for one purpose, to save us.
Our mission is to be that living sign of John 3:16 so that everyone can see through our lives that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might have life.
All we have to do to receive this love of God is just that accept it, embrace it, and believe it. Let me repeat the prayer of St Patrick. “ Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.”

In the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Fr sunny John o.Carm's Stations of the Cross with Music Part 1


Stations of the Cross Part 2


Stations of the Cross part 3


Stations of the Cross part 4


Stations of the Cross Part 5


Fr Sunny John's Stations of the Cross with music Part 6

Click on the link please for the 15th station

Saturday, March 14, 2009


Jesus Cleans the Temple!
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Like the desert (Lent week 1) and the mountain (week 2), the Temple is a place of special encounter with God. They built first an ark for the Lord in the desert, then finally a temple in Jerusalem to house God’s presence. All the Jews came to worship and offer sacrifice there. It is the, the highest feast of the Jewish calendar. Incidentally, John mentions three distinct Passovers in his Gospel, which leads us to believe that the ministry of Jesus lasted three years. ( 2:13, 6:4, 11:55). Literally, over a million people will come into Jerusalem that week of Passover, and not only come to Jerusalem, but also to this magnificent Temple, originally dedicated for one purpose, to gather God’s people into His presence.
Today we are not going to see the glorious face of Jesus; we are going to see his angry face. The Temple in Jerusalem, built in order to be the dwelling place of God on earth, built to be a place of encountering God in prayer, had become something very different. Jesus is not happy with what he sees precisely because the way the Temple worship has been organized no longer reflects God’s original idea of a worshipping community. What made Jesus so angry was that worship of God had been turned into a business, with people profiting, even being unjust to the poor, in God’s name. Here are some reasons why Jesus is angry namely, (a) the religious leaders had put rituals over morality,
(b) There was price gouging. In that religious culture, the temple tax had to be paid in one of two types of Jewish currencies, along with an exchange fee – an extra burden for the poor. (c)Then there was extortion. When people came to the temple, they needed to sacrifice an animal to God. Rather than carry an animal with them for the many miles’ walk to the temple — which was too much of a burden — the people would buy one at the temple. The poor who had saved their money over the course of the whole year, had to pay these enormous prices. On top of that, the buying and selling had moved into the court of the gentiles, preventing them from worshipping the God of Israel. For them pleasing God had become something you do in the rituals of the Temple and not in your relationship with people. This kind of religiosity makes Jesus angry.
A story is told of a priest who was coming back to his parish house one evening in the dark only to be accosted by a robber who pulled a gun at him and demanded, “Your money or your life!” As the priest reached his hand into his coat pocket the robber saw his Roman collar and said, “So you are a priest? Then you can go.”(Even here, you know priest is excused most of the time.) The priest was rather surprised at this unexpected show of piety and so tried to reciprocate by offering the robber his packet of cigarettes, to which the robber replied, “No, Father, I don’t smoke during Lent.” You can see how this robber is trying to keep the pious observance of not smoking during Lent while forgetting the more fundamental commandment of God, “Thou shall not steal.”
(d)Another reason why Jesus was mad with the Temple priests was their practice of religious particularity over against universality, of exclusiveness over inclusiveness. Some knowledge of the design of the Temple will help us here. The Temple had five sections or courts: (1) holy of holies (2) court of priests (3) court of Israel (4) court of women (5) court of Gentiles. Though these were seen as five concentric circles of sanctity, the design made room for everybody in the house of God. It was a universal house of God “for all the nations” where every man or woman on earth would find a place in which to pray. But the Temple priests forgot that and thought that it was meant for Jews alone. So they decided to turn the court of the Gentiles into a “holy” market place for selling the animals required for sacrifice and for exchanging money. You could bring Roman money as far as the court of the Gentiles but not into the other four courts. The court of Gentiles was no longer regarded as part and parcel of the house of God, it had become a market place, pure and simple. Now it was this court of Gentiles that Jesus cleansed. In so doing, he was making the point that the Gentile section was just as holy as the Jewish sections. God is God of all and not God of a select group. Like the Jews of the time of Jesus, some Christians today still think that God belongs to them alone and not to others as well.
A certain man died and went to heaven and St Peter was showing him round. St Peter pointed to different mansions: “Here are the Jews, here the Buddhists, here the Moslems, etc.” Then they came to a large compound surrounded by a high wall and inside they could hear singing and laughter. “Who are those?” asked the new arrival. And St Peter hushed him, “Hush! They’re the Christians – but they think they’re the only ones here.” Believers like these need a Temple court experience to awaken them to the universal love of God and bring them back to true worship.
Why does the Church give us this reading on the third Sunday of Lent? Because she wants us to reflect on another temple, ourselves, the Lord wants to clean in the same way.
We believe that the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation make each of us a temple of the Holy Spirit, filled with God’s life. Our body and soul become a temple of the Holy Spirit, where God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — really and truly dwell, just like God dwells in this Church and in that tabernacle. This is the temple that Jesus wants to make sure is clean, a real house of prayer, a real place where God is adored.
We can go into the temple of our minds and bodies, by going out into the wilderness of our own personal desert with Jesus. We can make idols out of social status and prestige; out of power trips, resentment and control. my heart or yours could be filled with tables piled high with coins like those of the money-changers. Not literal coins, probably: each man’s or woman’s “coin” can be a bit different. Your “coin” is the measure of ultimate value for you, the value for which you are willing to trade everything else. Your “coin” can be the approval of others, popularity, ambition, financial success, comfort, security, pleasure.
Paul writes to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you (1 Cor 3:16)”, and again, “We are the temple of the living God (2 Cor 6:16)”. We are the sanctuary where Jesus has chosen to reside. As Jesus comes into this temple, will he find it truly oriented to the purpose for which God has created you and me?
There is a phrase attributed to Edmund Burke, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil in the world is for good men to do nothing.’
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Orchid Show


Please double click the link to see a video clip of the NY Orchid Show

Transfiguration of Jesus
My Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
In the story of the “Temptations” last week, we were mindful of the full humanity of Jesus. In the story of the “Transfiguration” today, we are reminded of the full divinity of Jesus.
In today's Gospel, we see that "Jesus took Peter, John and James up to the mountain to pray." Mountains are often referred to in the Scriptures as scenes for close encounters between God and His people. Noah - Mt. Ararat; Abraham - Mt. Moriah; Moses- Mount Sinai. Transfiguration experience on Mt. Tabor. And if you know the Carmelites they are related to Mount Carmel.
If I ask you, “Why do we hear the account of the “Transfiguration” during the beginning of Lent?” As a preface for today's Mass puts it, "he revealed his glory to strengthen them for the scandal of the cross." Well, it is always easier to start a journey when we know clearly, where we are going.
It is the same trio, Peter, John and James, whom Jesus also took with him into the Garden of Gethsemane. Thus, they who beheld his glory on the mountain peak would witness his agony in the Garden.
Before Jesus was to enter Jerusalem for his passion and death, he took Peter, James and John up a mountain. The Father desired to strengthen them and to show them the end of the journey that they were about to start. The end was the resurrection-Jesus risen from the dead and glorified. The Transfiguration was a pre-figuration of the glory of the resurrection. In the midst of struggles, pain and suffering, they remembered what they saw on that mountain and it helped them not to give up, but to keep going. They remembered what they saw on that mountain.
There is a story about some dogs that were chasing a rabbit. The first dog actually saw the rabbit and he was not going to stop chasing that rabbit until he caught it. The other dogs followed the first dog who was chasing the rabbit because of the excitement that the first dog had generated. But none of the other dogs had ever actually seen the rabbit. As the chase continued, the dogs further back got tired and started to slow down and eventually stopped the chase. At the end – only the dog that had actually seen the rabbit was still after the rabbit and eventually caught it. You need to see Jesus if you want to follow Jesus.
It is the Holy Mass that makes the transfigured Jesus present to us, it is the holy Mass that makes the divinity of Jesus and His power present to us because the Mass makes the Humanity and Divinity of Jesus present, His body, blood, soul and divinity.
In the Transfiguration Jesus experienced an unconditional acceptance of His father' love and experience of deep love and hence, He was able to walk down from the “mount of Tabor of transfiguration to Golgotha , the mount of suffering. A person who has not experienced love at its deepest level will never have the strength to walk up to the mountain of Golgotha of hatred, oppression and intimidation.
You may have another question about transfiguration why Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. Moses represents the Law and Elijah the Prophets. Moses went through many tests and trials as a young man before he was chosen by God to lead Israel when the Lord delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Their departure or Exodus through the Red Sea was an act of faith amidst threats and hardships. It was Moses who led them for 40 years through the desert to prepare God’s chosen people for the Promised Land.
Elijah is known as a heroic prophet confronting evil in Israel and calling people back to their purpose and destiny in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He had another journey, walking and fasting for 40 days to Mt. Sinai where he had an intimate experience with God which set the tone for the rest of his prophetic ministry until he was carried away by the fiery chariot.
Like Moses Jesus would lead his people out of slavery to sin and death on a journey to a new and everlasting promised land.
Like Elijah Jesus would heroically face evil and defeat it to lead all
men and women to repentance and new life.
In the Mountain experience, the only instructions to the disciples was to listen to Jesus. “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him”(Matthew 7.5)To Listen to Jesus.
Soren Kirkegaard in 1999 said, “It is a risk to preach, for as I stand up, whether the Church is packed or empty, whether I am always aware of it or not, I have one listener more than can be seen. God, whom I certainly cannot see, but who truly sees me. This listener pays close attention to whether what I am saying is true, whether it is true in me. God looks to see if my life truly expresses what I am saying.” Yes dear brothers and sisters in Christ “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him” during Lent we are asked again and again to Jesus and Him alone.
There was a meeting of the board of directors going on hell. Satan was concerned over the fact that business was not increasing. He wanted to reach as many people as possible and draw them into Hell. One demon jumped up and said:”I will go back to earth and convince the people that there is no Heaven.’
That won’t do,’ said Satan. We’ve tried it before and it doesn’t work.’
“I will convince them that there is no Hell’, offered a second demon.
No- that doesn’t work either’, said Satan.
A wise old veteran in the back of the room rose and said, “If you let me go back to earth, I can fill this place. I’ll just convince them that there is heaven and earth but no Hurray. You can do it tomorrow” They can do it later. All agreed to that suggestion.
Yes, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if you want to make a change in your lives do it now. God has spoken similar words over us: You are my beloved son. You are my much-loved daughter. When did that happen? It took place at the moment of our baptism. When the waters flowed over us, as St. Paul says, we died with Christ and rose with him to a new life. St. Paul reminds us that by our baptism we have become citizens of heaven.
God does not ask about our ability or our inability, but our availability.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.