Saturday, February 28, 2009

Temptations-lent 1
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
As we begin Lent, the first Sunday every year invites us to consider temptation in our own life. The heart of Jesus’ temptations was to misuse the power that he had to serve his own gratification rather than God’s intentions. Jesus in the desert is our model during Lent, inspiring us to die to ourselves so that the Father’s plan can be accomplished. Lent is a time to put our souls before a mirror and see ourselves as we really are. Lent is an invitation to allow our sin and darkness and wounds come to the surface so that we can deal with them and allow them to be healed by the grace of Jesus. It is only when we admit something that we can deal with it. The first stage in overcoming anything is to admit the problem.
Temptations come to every one of us. A temptation is a trick, a deception, a lie. It conceals the truth and presents falsehood to us as the truth. A temptation is therefore sneaky, offering us what appears to be a quick-fix, but is in reality a quick-disaster. A temptation hopes we will not use our brains because if we do use our brains when temptation comes we will quickly notice how stupid following a temptation would be. It is no wonder that temptation succeeds best during those times when our brains are not at full potential e.g. when under the influence of alcohol or drugs or when tired or under stress.
Once a priest asked an old monk; “How are you, Father?” He replied, “There is still a bit of the devil in me!” It sounds funny but it expresses a truth about all of us, “there is still a bit of the devil in us” because we have not yet overcome sin. Jesus spent forty days in the desert overcoming the devil and Lent is a time for us to get rid of whatever bit of the devil remains in us by overcoming sin in our lives.
Temptation will always be a part of our lives. No matter our age or the circumstances of our lives, temptation will be something that we have to deal with until the end of our journey here on earth.
Not every temptation is caused by Satan, so we need to look at the two causes of temptation.
Most temptations are caused by our fallen human nature. As we know original sin has wounded our human nature. We simply do not have complete control over our mind, memory, imagination, will, passions and emotions. We will always struggle with something.
Satan can also cause temptation. The greatest victory of Satan in the contemporary world is the fact that many Christians have bought into the lie that he does not exist. Nevertheless, Satan’s power and influence starts at the beginning of the history of humanity, in the Garden of Eden.
The Gospel reminds us of something many people would rather not face - the reality of the devil. The Gospel accounts do not give any description on how he looks, but they do describe his activity.
Because they are spiritual beings, we normally do not see them, but they are real as ultraviolet rays or microwaves. We know about them not by seeing them, but by their effects, by the things they do. The truth is you and I are no match even for the lowliest demon. It would be comparable to someone like me going against a kick boxer. Even the most poorly trained kick boxer could have me on the floor, flat on my back in a matter of seconds. Just so, even the smallest demon could bring you or me down - if we try to deal with him on our own.
Consider the way a wolf attacks a sheep. You would think the easiest way to bring down a sheep would be to attacks its legs and make it stumble. However, studies say that is not the wolf's normal method. He goes for the neck. And when he sinks his teeth into the neck, the sheep cannot bleat. It cannot make a noise to call for the shepherd. The devil does something similar. He wants to first disable our voice so that we do not call out to the Lord. The devil wants to attack at the throat, to take away your voice - so that you will not call out to the Lord.
Whenever we give in to a temptation, it takes power from us, but when we resist a temptation, we take power from it. The devil wants to take power from us, to make us impotent, but when - with the Lord's grace - we resist him, we gain strength.
Many people become discouraged and nervous when they are tempted. They think that they are sinning when in fact they have only been tempted. Sin is only a sin when there is full consent. To make a sin mortal three things are necessary: a grievous matter, sufficient reflection, and full consent of the will. Temptation is not a sin. Sin is a willed act upon a temptation.
Although it is true that we will always be tempted, we must also do all that we can to avoid temptation. Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ring-tailed monkey. For the men of the Zulu tribe it is quite simple.
The method the Zulus use comes from their knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. He cannot do this because his fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and tug, screech and fight the melon for hours. He cannot get free of the trap unless he gives up the seeds, which he refuses to do. Meanwhile, the Zulus sneak up and seize him.
The mere presence of a temptation is no guarantee that we will sin. We can say no! We can resist temptation. Moreover, God will always help us to say no to our temptations.
"Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost." As long as there is life, there is hope!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.


Ash Wednesday
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Today and Good Friday are official days of fast and the other six Fridays are days of abstinence from meat. The point of the abstinence law is to give a witness to others and your own self. In a spirit of repentance we have always fasted from one of our favorite foods for the entire season of Lent …whatever it is, my dear brothers and sisters, it is a way of showing that we love the Lord more than food and that we love the Lord more than sin.
Why do we do this? It is said very clearly in the tracing of the ashes. Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return. Without God, we are nothing. We are a bunch of chemicals, carbon, water, that are worth about 25 cents if we were split apart and sold for our chemicals. With God however, we are made in the image and likeness of the Triune God and with that, we become priceless treasures. Yes dear brothers and sisters, Lent is a time to remind ourselves that without God we are nothing. It is a time to rend our hearts and tear from them anything that might keep us from God. Everything of this earth is dust and to dust it will return. “Realizing you are a sinner is a great moral achievement!” As the prophet Joel tells us today: “Rend your hearts.” Open them up for the world. That is how we should spend the next 40 days.
In the Scriptures when people left sin behind and turned over to a new life they used ashes to symbolize their repentance. Job said, “I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:6) Daniel “turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” (Dan 9:3) Jesus said, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.” (Matt 11:21; Luke 10:13). Therefore in a spirit of repentance we will take ashes on our foreheads.
I want to invite you this Lent to spend one hour a week in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Here at our Church we have the Adoration on Every Monday during Lent at 7pm.
More than ever before, it seems, we live in an age of ashes. This soot is a reminder of the fires that have lit our world – and the burning fragments left behind from so many wars, and so many ruins. Think of the fires of Hiroshima, of London, of Auschwitz, of Vietnam, of Baghdad, of New York, of Buffalo.
We repent. We reconcile ourselves with God. We pray. We rebuild, turning over shovels of ash, to begin again. We believe in something better to come: redemption, and resurrection. The cities that burned have been rebuilt. A glass tower will one day rise at Ground Zero. Sometimes people ask, “What are you going to give up for Lent?” There is one thing to give up during Lent – sin. Our penance during Lent as well as being a small attempt at reparation for our sins is a symbol of the change of heart we want to achieve. In the Gospel today (Matt 6:1-6, 16-18) Jesus spoke about prayer, fasting and giving alms. Since the early centuries these are three practices the Church has encouraged us to undertake during Lent as a form of penance: praying more, fasting and giving alms to the poor.
I conclude with the opening prayer of our Mass today, “Lord, protect us in our struggle against evil. As we begin the discipline of Lent, make this season holy by our self-denial”. Amen.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Lord Have Mercy


Lord have Mercy... new song by Fr Sunny John and Deirdre Broderick


Saturday, February 21, 2009

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

A friend in need is a friend indeed.
A certain immigrant, new in town, attended a neighborhood church for years without making any new acquaintances. Even before the Mass is over, most of them will leave the church. Those who would gather in small familiar groups with old friends and nobody ever seemed to notice him. So one day he decides to go to church wearing his baseball cap. As soon as he took his lonely seat at the back of the church, the usher comes to him and said, “Brother, we don’t wear caps in church here.” “Thanks,” he replies but does not remove his cap. During communion, he goes up for communion and the Eucharistic Minister pulls him aside and gently says to him, “My brother, wearing of caps is forbidden in our church.” “Thanks,” he replies but does not take off his cap. After the mass, the priest who is shaking hands with parishioners greets him very well for the first time and then courteously adds, “But, my dear brother, wearing of caps in church is not allowed.” “I know,” says the man, “but I have been coming to this church, father, for two years now and no one ever seems to notice me.”
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The point this man was trying to make we could find through our gospel today, namely, that it is not enough for Christians who worship together to call themselves brothers and sisters; they must also show themselves to be friends in deed. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
“When Jesus saw their faith…” – the faith of his friends not that of the paralyzed man – he healed the paralyzed man, soul and body.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
As historically accurate as this story is, the paralytic is also a metaphor for the individual who is paralyzed by sin. The paralytic is that person who has now gotten to the point where they can't even help themselves by God's grace, to seek His forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance and needs the assistance of friends and loved ones to break out of the cycle of sin, despair and pain that keeps him separated from God. The paralytic is also a metaphor for that person who suffers from a serious illness or terminal disease and cannot help himself or herself. They need assistance to receive the Sacrament of the anointing of the Sick and help in old age or in their difficult condition. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
The persons who sometimes go unnoticed but should cast an impression of us are the friends of the paralytic - the ones who bore a hole in Peter's roof. They overcome their fear of being ridiculed and break social convention to help their friend. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
St. Augustine was famous for saying that each of us has the mandate and the vocation by our baptism to go out and seek out the paralytics in our midst who need our help and to abandon love for human respect in order to bring them to the feet of Jesus, especially in the Sacrament of Penance. We have to lower our friends through the roof of fear and ridicule to help those who cannot help themselves. We can do this specially as we are entering the Lenten season by encouraging others to come to the Sacrament of Penance, encouraging them for coming for the Monday adoration and Friday way of the Cross; by helping to catechize those who do not know their Catholic faith by agreeing to read the Bible together.
The fact is that sin exists: St. Augustine says;"it is a word, deed or desire in opposition to the eternal law”.
The paralytic who is at the center of the story never says a word. We know nothing about him except two very important things. Jesus healed the man physically. And Jesus healed him spiritually – he forgave the man’s sins.
God always heals. There is the paralyzed man, unable to get close to Jesus on his own, stuck on his mat and probably feeling helpless and frustrated. And there are his friends, lifting him up and carrying him, breaking through any barriers that get in their way, determined to do all they can to help. They refused to take impossible for an answer. They believed that “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
In order for this event to happen, three things had to come together. First, the friends had to be aware of the man’s situation. Then they had to show up, ready and willing to help. And third, the man had to allow himself to be carried. Otherwise, Jesus would have been left waiting and this miracle never would have taken place.
Mother Teresa once said, “Wherever you go, be a carrier of God’s love.”
If you Remember Robert Fulghum’s “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”? He ends his writings “And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.” That’s today’s lesson: take turns. We all take turns throughout our lifetimes playing out the different parts in this story. When it is our turn to carry others, we are called to step forward and do it. And when it is our turn to be the one who needs carrying, we are called to accept the help that is offered to us, even when that is very hard to do. Sometimes we do the carrying, and sometimes we have to be carried. May God help each one of us to learn to do both with His grace. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
In the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Stand by me Lord


Have you ever complained to God .. ASked him for your future?.,.. worried about your life....stand in a cross road of spiritual life to find the right way... lisen to this



Lyrics by Fr Sunny John O.Carm.

Music by Mrs Deirdre Broderick

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Jesus heals the leper
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
As we all know, many diseases are contagious, and for the people of the ancient world there were few ways for controlling the spread of disease. Epidemics often wiped out whole towns. The most effect means for controlling the spread of disease was isolation and separation. The infected person was banished from the community, and often forced to wear distinctive cloths or to make some kind of noise to warn people to stay away. Of course this was not done out of meanness, but rather to protect society. One of the most frightening, and deadly of diseases that often threatened the ancient world was leprosy. It was so very contagious, and seeing body parts literally being eaten away was just horrifying. And almost any kind of skin disease would have been considered leprosy. The only thing that could be done in most cases was to send the inflicted to live in caves with others with the disease. This meant that the sick not only had to suffer the symptoms of their illness, but they were also cut off from their loved ones.
At one time in St. Francis of Assisi’s life, he had a terrible fear of lepers. Then one day when he was travelling, he heard the warning bell that lepers were required to ring in the Middle Ages. When a leper emerged from a clump of trees, St. Francis saw that he was horribly disfigured. Half of his nose had been eaten away; his hands were stubs without fingers and his lips were oozing white pus. Instead of giving in to his fears, Francis ran forward, embraced the leper and kissed him. Francis' life was never the same after that episode. He had found a new relationship with God, a new sensitivity to others, and a new energy for his ministry.
To the Hebrews leprosy was not only a most dreaded natural disease, it was also popularly seen as divine chastisement. The story of Miriam, sister of Moses, who was struck with leprosy as a result of her misconduct in the book of Numbers chapter 12,as well as that of Job who was afflicted with a leprosy-like skin disease reinforced their view of leprosy as divine punishment for sin.
According to ancient Hebrew belief, physical contact with lepers rendered a person unclean. Against this background the gesture of Jesus who stretches out his hand and physically touches the leper becomes unthinkable.
And, of course, we know that with the cure, this former leper returned to the community from which he had been banished. Truly, then, did this healing have a tri-fold effect: the physical disease was cured; the man was restored to the human community; and he came to faith in Jesus.
Martin was a young soldier in the Roman army. Elegantly dressed, he was mounted on his horse one day when he was accosted by a leper begging for alms. The sight and the stench of rotting flesh was so repulsive to the sensitivities of young Martin that his first instincts were to ride off on his horse. But something inside him made his walk up to the beggar. Since all he had was his military coat, he cut it in two and gave half to the leper while he wrapped himself with the other half. It was a very cold winter day. That night in his dream, he saw Christ clothed in a half coat saying to the angels around his throne, “Martin has clothed me with his garment.” This event was the turning point in the life of him who was to become St Martin of Tours.
My dear brothers and sisters, the gospel invites us to go deeper, leprosy becoming symbolic of any condition that estranges us from others and, hence, from God. Leprosy has always been a clear image of sin. It is contagious, disfiguring, repulsive, cuts us off from the community, and causes death. We can see our bodies but we can’t see our souls. Leprosy we can see; sin remains invisible.
We have a lot to learn from this poor Leper. The leper was taking the risk of coming out in public. The man approached Jesus… his trust was so great his desire to be made whole so strong, that he took a great risk and went right up to Jesus.
His words were not words of lament or “woe is me”. He didn’t ask Jesus why me? Why do I have to suffer this horrible disease, Rather he simply made a profession of faith. He trusted Jesus. He trusted God so much that he even let Jesus decide if it was in his best interest to be healed. The leper was a man of faith, a man who had worked through all of the suffering and isolation he had and still believed.
Even terrible disease of leprosy could not deprive him of his faith of his ability to hope.
He didn’t let his circumstances take away his ability to hope or his ability to believe. As much as he suffered, he still was able to trust in God’s love and God’s mercy for him.
He did not allow self-pity to take away his ability to hope. If that had been the response of the Leper he never would have been healed because he never would have asked.
The challenge for us today, my dear brothers and sisters, is to restore the lepers to the human community. And that will begin with me reaching out to someone probably very near whom I would really rather avoid.
There are still so many people we isolate today… you know they are the ones we pass on the street and avoid making eye contact with, they are the ones whose calls we never take, they are the ones we just are not willing to touch or become involved with. They are the ones whom we always blame that we don’t understand.
Remember what Peyton Conway March said “ There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else.”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009


Jesus the Healer heals us to be whole and holy
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
In the Gospel today we heard of Jesus curing Peter’s mother-in-law in Capernaum, and curing many others who were sick. (Mark 1:29-39) Jesus, who healed so many one evening in Capernaum, is willing to heal you and me in this Mass and every holy sacrifice of the Eucharist. The greatest moment for healing is when you receive Jesus in Holy Communion, when you and Jesus are united , ask him in faith for the healing you need.
As we journey though life there are ups and downs. When we are knocked down, we need a pick-me-up. No matter what way you are knocked down, Jesus is there to pick you up.
It is not only sickness that can knock us down. We can be knocked down emotionally and psychologically. We can be knocked down by the hurts others inflict on us and by what they say or do to us. It is not always true to say that “Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.” Names, words, attitudes also hurt. On those occasions we also need a pick-me-up and on those occasions Jesus is also there to pick us up.
Recall the motto of the Jubilee year 2000, “Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) No matter when you were hurt, remembering that yesterday, today and tomorrow are the same for Jesus, ask him to walk back in time with you to the day when you suffered a particular hurt or received the news of your illness.
Jesus cares about you more than anyone and does not want you to remain wounded and hurt. He wants you well and at peace to enjoy life. No one wish for you like that of Jesus.
The word "healing" in today's usage goes beyond recovering from medical illness; it also covers situations arising from tragedy, misfortune, bereavement, marital breakdowns and so on. Today's readings present Jesus as "Healer" in both the physical and the spiritual sense.
Increasingly, with our complex living styles, the need for spiritual healing is greater than the need for physical healing. We always cry out “no one understands me. Where is my future full of hope?”
Today, as in the time of Christ, the real healing mission is to restore people spiritually; to have them know that in spite of failure, forgiveness, or spiritual healing, is at the heart of the Christian response. To know that a spirit of resignation is also an important aspect of healing; when our prayers are not answered the way we asked and wished for, our attitudes do not turn to rebellion or denial. With Christ our prayer becomes "Not my will, but yours be done". The letting go of prejudices and taboos with regard to those around us is also part of the healing process.
By his presence, Jesus brought wholeness and holiness to those with whom he came in contact.
Job endured great physical distress and pain but listen to how he speaks of his suffering:
My kinsfolk and my close friends have failed me;
The guests in my house have forgotten me;
My servants count me as a stranger…
I have become repulsive to my wife,
Loathsome to the sons of my own mother.
Even young children despise me…
All my intimate friends abhor me,
and those whom I loved have turned against me.(job 19.14-22)
Job suffered greatly in his body but his greatest pain was the rupture in the network of his relationships with family and friends and God.
Indeed, one might say that physical illness begs to be cured while social relationships, impaired by sickness, need to be healed – and the healing of relationships does not depend on the cure of illness.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We may be unable to cure the ills of the world, our nation, the church, our parish or our families: cures may not be ours to dispense.
But healing is at our fingertips, always, if we are willing to reach out, to touch, and to allow others to reach out to touch us, if we are willing to let go the things that hinder and paralyze our relationships, to let go the things that tear at the fabric of our secular and social and parish life.
Late Pope John Paul II the great has noted several times, quoting Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, "the glory of God is the living man"! If Christians are serious about their Christian life, they will pray.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Ordinary time year B

Teaching with Authority
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
In few verses, St. Mark highlights the people's reaction to Jesus. His teaching made a deep impression on them. The people remained amazed at what he had to say because He taught with authority.
When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes and no lunch he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
“Excuse me,” Governor Herter said, “do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?”
“Sorry,” the woman told him. “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.”
“But I’m starved,” the governor said.
“Sorry,” the woman said again. “Only one to a customer.”
Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that
this time he would throw a little weight around.
“Do you know who I am?” he said. “I am the governor of this state.”
“Do you know who I am?” the woman said. “I’m the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister.” (Bits & Pieces, May 28, 1992, pp. 5-6.)
What does it mean to teach with authority? Very simply teaching with authority means that a person lives what he or she says. Teaching with authority means that what we say is reflected in how we live. That there is no difference between our way of acting and our way of believing and living. This is what people recognized in Jesus. Jesus was a person of integrity. It is hard to be an original teacher, with authority, if you live around the people you teach! Jesus did!
Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the great literary figures of nineteenth century America. He wrote, "Only so much do I know as I have lived. Instantly we know whose words are loaded with life. I learn immediately from any speaker how much he has lived. One person speaks from within, or from experience as a possessor of the fact; another person speaks from without, as a spectator, or as acquainted with the facts on the evidence of a third person. It is no use to preach to me from without. I can do that myself." You will notice from the Gospel, it wasn’t the casting out of the evil spirits that astonished the people it was Jesus’ teaching. Not his actions but his words.
In today's gospel Jesus was confronted with a very troubled person crying out "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? In effect this man was saying to him. I have no hope, I have no good in me. I am not worthy of your care and interest. No one understands me. I am crippled and can do nothing more. What was Jesus' reaction? No, you are good, you are important. There are certain things in your life that are preventing you from being the person that I created you to be. I want to free you. I want to make you reach your full potential. Be cured. Be healed. Frequently, my dear brothers and sisters, the choices we make produce the evil we lament. St. Paul touches on this contradiction in his letter to the Romans 7:19 "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want I do".
The great Christian writer C.S. Lewis observed that we could make two errors when it comes to demons: giving them too little attention, and giving them too much. Denying the existence of demons is not wise. It’s like pretending terrorists don’t exist. But giving them too much attention is also a bad idea, because it can distract from much more serious problems.
Jesus confronts a fair number of demons in his ministry. But he confronts far more sinners with hardened hearts. The refrain for today’s Psalm is, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” That is by far the bigger challenge Jesus faces. Few of us ever need to worry about demonic possession. All of us need to worry about hard hearts. Compared to the hard hearts, the demons are easy for Jesus. In today’s gospel, Jesus commands the demon, and the demon instantly obeys. Jesus commands, and the demon flees. To the demon, Jesus says, “Quiet! Come out of him!” and the demon obeys. To us, Jesus says, “Repent your sins! Feed the poor! Forgive your neighbor!”, and we say, “Yes, right, absolutely, I will definitely get around to that soon. When my schedule opens up in a few weeks. When things quiet down after the holidays...”
No Exorcist in the time of Jesus exorcised a demon using five words delivered in the space of about 10 seconds; yet, this is exactly what Jesus does. No incense, no chanting, no elaborate dances or gestures, no bleedings, no use of external objects thought to contain exorcising power. Instead, five words delivered with infinite authority. His authority to teach is personal as well as his power to exorcise. It does not rely upon externals. For me, this is the PUNCH of the gospel. It is a forceful display of the absolute power of Jesus. To understand this authority, we must not only listen, we must also look.
Authority isn’t always recognized. For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, and surely, he would not be wrong. Anyone, of course, could have taken two objects, one heavy and one light, and dropped them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one did until nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle’s death. In 1589 Galileo summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then he went to the top and pushed off a ten- pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same instant. The power of 2,000 years of belief was so strong, however, that the professors denied their eyesight. They continued to say Aristotle was right. (Bits & Pieces, January 9, 1992, pp. 22-23.)Yes dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Those who were crazy called Jesus the Holy One; those who were sane put him to death.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Repent and Believe in the Good News.

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
You may know the story called Dumb Kid.
A young boy enters a barbershop and the barber whispers to his customer:-'This is the dumbest kid in town.... watch while I prove it to you.'
The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks;
'Which do you want, son?'
The boy takes the quarters and leaves.'What did I tell you?' said the barber. 'That kid never learns!'Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store.
'Hey, son! May I ask you a question... why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?'
The boy licked his ice cream cone and replied 'Because the day I take the dollar, the game's over!'
In the minds of some, Jesus’ mission of proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and calling people to repentance might have been better entrusted to educated professionals. Their training in preaching, teaching and catechesis would seem to have prepared them for communicating the importance of conversion. But Jesus called the fishermen and they responded, and in that dynamic of call and response, they began to be what Jesus intended: fishers who would draw into the saving net of God’s grace to all who agreed to repent and believe.
The two sets of brothers responded incredibly by immediately leaving everything: nets, boats, and family. Walking away from everything that defined their lives, they followed Jesus. And that made all the difference.
According to Mark's Gospel, Jesus begins his public ministry soon after John the Baptist is arrested. He preaches a sermon which is powerful and prophetic, and has only 19 words: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the good news."
Mark explains that Jesus has a basic keynote speech with four specific messages: "The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel."
The New Testament, as you know was written in Greek, and it has two words for time, chronos, meaning "chronological time," and kairos, meaning, "the urgent, present moment, the time beyond time, the time of fulfillment, the end time, the time of God." Christ always speaks of the kairos moment. "The Kairos is here," he announces. We are no longer living in chronos time but kairos time, the time of God.
Then, he says, "The kingdom of God is at hand." Throughout the Gospels, Jesus talks about the kingdom of God. For Jesus, the kingdom of God means God is at the center of life, which means we are filled with God's love, that we walk in the light and love of God, which means we love everyone, we serve everyone, forgive everyone, live in perfect nonviolence and peace with everyone.
Then, Jesus starts saying exactly what John the Baptist commanded, "Repent." Repentance comes from the Greek word "Metanoia," which means, "turn around, stop what you are doing and go in the other direction, change the direction of your life." Jonah called the people of Ninevah to repent and they did. Jesus calls us to repent, to stop rejecting God, to stop hurting one another, to stop supporting the Gospel of empire, to stop supporting the war making culture and to welcome God's kingdom of love. Repentance does not mean entering upon a guilt trip about your past, or your present. It means changing your life--your mind, your spirit, your attitudes, your behavior, your relationships, your plans--long range and short term. It means coming to a new understanding of life's purpose and direction and acting differently from now on.
Conversion is not instantaneous. It is a process; a process in which God’s grace changes one. Conversion is the heart of the Christian experience. Conversion is best described in the New Testament in the Letters of St. Paul, and with good reason - no one experienced a more dramatic conversion than St. Paul on the road to Damascus! And today we celebrate the conversion of St Paul. { St. Paul used the word metanoia for repentance in four Epistles. In Romans 2:4 ; in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10;in 2 Corinthians 12:21;In 2 Timothy 2:25 . Metanoia is also noted three times in the Letter to the Hebrews.} Repentance for St. Paul means one has faith in God through Christ Jesus, which leads one to obedience.
Finally, Jesus says, "Believe in the Gospel." We are supposed to believe what Jesus says in the Gospels.
Then Jesus calls the fishermen, saying, "Come after me and I will make you fishers of men and women." They drop everything, leave their work, and follow him. We, too, have been called by Jesus. The greatest act of self-renunciation that he asks for is the sacrifice of one’s own intellect and will. St. Thomas Aquinas says: “nothing is dearer to man than the freedom of his own will, for this is what makes him master over others; …so by surrendering the freedom of his own will, by which he is master of himself, he renounces himself.”
The fishermen of Galilee teach us something very important about discipleship: following requires abandoning.
Have we abandoned whatever keeps us from following Jesus, my dear brothers and sisters? Every day is a new opportunity to embrace our discipleship courageously and to respond generously to Jesus’ life-defining call: “Come, follow me.” How we respond will make all the difference.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Martin Luther King, Jr

We celebrate today the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr It was early December 1955. Rosa Parks had just been arrested for not giving up her seat on the city bus. As a result of her arrest, a bus boycott had been called by the local NAACP and young Martin was asked to lead the effort.
In 1957 , he was elected president of the newly formed Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the vanguard of the nonviolent struggle for justice in the South. He was spit upon, ridiculed, jailed, fire-bombed, yet he kept on moving -- across the South, then on to Washington for his famous "I Have a Dream" in August of 1963, and then to Oslo, Norway, where he was hailed by the world as the Nobel Peace Prize recipient for 1964, somewhat as Jesus was hailed as he entered Jerusalem riding a donkey on that last fateful journey. The closer he got to Washington, the more dangerous he became to those in power. Dr. King left that moment of glory in Oslo and responded to God’s call to become an even bolder prophet for justice and peace. His vision and struggle was expanded to include all victims of poverty and violence. It was his "Poor People’s Campaign" headed toward Washington and his condemnation of the war in Vietnam that probably led to the fatal bullets on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. Dr. King didn’t know his commitment to justice and peace would make him a "lamb of God" like Jesus, but he embraced the call from Jesus to live his faith as fully as he could, each day, no matter where it would lead.I end with these leveling words of Dr. King as we thank God for him…
If you want to be important, wonderful.
If you want to be recognized, wonderful.
If you want to be great, wonderful.
But recognize that He who is greatest among you
shall be your servant.
That’s a new definition of greatness.
This morning the thing that I like about this is,
by giving that definition of greatness,
that means that everybody can be great,
because everybody can serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to serve.
You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve.
You don't have to know Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" to serve.
You don't have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace,
a soul generated by love,
and you can be that servant." MLK Jr.
Behold the Lamb of God

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?”
A Washington Post reporter wanted to see what would happen if they hired a world famous violinist to play during rush hour on a Washington subway platform. Would anybody notice? Would anybody stop and listen? Would they toss any money into his violin case?To take part in this experiment, they enlisted Joshua Bell – by many accounts, one of the greatest violinists of his generation. He’s recorded a number of best-selling albums, plays around the world and routinely collects thousands of dollars for one performance. He’s young – just 39 – and recognizable. Bell thought the idea sounded like fun, so he agreed to do it.
So one morning, he put on jeans and sweatshirt and went down into the DC subway during rush hour. He unpacked one of his most prized possessions -- a Stradivarius violin, worth an estimated three million dollars. He opened the case to collect some money, and started playing. He played Bach. He played Schubert’s “Ave Maria.” He played a series of classical pieces by Manuel Ponce and Jules Massenet. Once in a while, someone would hurry past and throw some pennies in his case. At one point, a little boy paused, enthralled, but his mother pulled him away. No one stopped to listen to the most beautiful music in the world being played by one of the most gifted musicians in the world on a three million dollar violin.
Nobody noticed. They were too busy running to work.
For his 45 minutes, Joshua Bell collected $32 dollars in change.
When the Washington Post published the article about all this, the reporter quoted the poet W.H. Davies:
“What is this life if, full of care ,We have no time to stand and stare?”
In today’s gospel, we encounter John the Baptist at a moment when he does have time to stand and stare. He sees Jesus walking toward him and says, very simply, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” He recognizes Jesus for who He is.
If we saw Christ approaching us…would we realize who He was? Or would we – like the thousands of people who passed by Joshua Bell during rush hour – just keep going, blind and deaf to what was before us? Which are more important: words or actions? We say, “Actions speak louder than words.” But sometimes, something must be said, and so silence is wrong. There is Jesus walking by. He isn’t speaking, he’s just walking. Who is he? Is he important? He doesn’t appear special, he doesn’t look significant. But then John the Baptist speaks: “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” And the two disciples with John hear this, and they begin to follow Jesus.
John’s words are so effective that his disciples leave him to follow someone else. Without those words, Jesus would have walked by and John’s disciples would not have followed.
One of those disciples was Andrew. After spending some time with Jesus, what is the first thing he does? He goes and finds his brother, Peter, and tells him, “We have found the Messiah.” And because of Andrew’s words, Peter acts. Peter leaves everything behind and follows Christ. Nothing in Peter’s life is the same because of his brother’s words, “We have found the Messiah!” Nothing in human history is the same because of how Peter acts on those words.
We are called upon to do the same: to point Christ out to people, as John and Andrew did.
We who already follow Christ must proclaim to others, “We have found the Messiah!” There is a mighty challenge here for all of us. If we are honest, the only time many of us speak Christ’s name outside of a church is when we stub a toe, get cut off in traffic, or watch our favorite team make a bad play. As Christians, we bear Christ’s name, but we barely use his name.
I think Jesus comes in a similar way today, as a humble lamb, and because Jesus comes in so many ways today as a humble lamb we might miss his coming unless some John the Baptist pointed out and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’ Vatican II acted as a John the Baptist telling us that Jesus comes to us in four ways when we gather here for our Sunday Mass:
Jesus comes in the word of God in the readings, in the Eucharist, in the congregation and in the priest (Sacrosanctum Concilium 7).
When the readings are being proclaimed, God is speaking to you. If a line from the text strikes you we normally understand this as God speaking to you.
In Holy Communion Jesus comes to you in the fullness of his body, blood, soul and divinity.
Jesus is present in the congregation because where two or three are gathered in his name he is present in their midst.
And Jesus is present in the priest who offers Jesus to the Father just as Jesus offered himself to the Father on the cross.
Jesus comes to us in four ways when we gather here for our Sunday Mass: in the word of God, in the Eucharist, in the congregation and in the priest.

Yes dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, You are never too old to begin fulfilling God’s dream for you.
What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?The advice priest Eli gives the boy Samuel is the best advice anyone who has care of, or cares about, can ever give: when God speaks, answer with total readiness. "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening".

Baptism of the Lord
Yes dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
You may be wondering now Why did Jesus wait so long to begin His preaching. Why didn’t he begin his preaching in his twenties, rather than wait until he was thirty?
Let me tell you a story: Sharon had been married to Rob for seven years. They had two beautiful children. But Sharon’s mother began to sense that her daughter was starting to go through a hard time in her marriage.
One day she called Sharon and said, “If I pay for a baby sitter, will you go shopping with me tomorrow?’ Sharon jumped at the invitation.
While eating lunch together the next day, after shopping, Sharon’s Mother leaned over and said to her:
“I had a reason for asking you out today. I have something important to tell you. It’s something my mother told me and asked me to tell my daughter when the right time came. My mother called it; “three guidelines to a happy marriage.”
The first guideline is this: Never keep score in marriage. Don’t ever say to your spouse, “I have been doing more than my share. It’s not fair.” The day you begin to keep score is the day your marriage begins to die.
The second guideline is this: Never be too busy for your children. Don’t ever say to them, “Can’t you see I’m busy? Come back later.” The day you become too busy for your children is the day your communication with them begins to die.
The third guideline is this: Never miss a day praying for your family. Don’t ever let 24 hours go by without talking to God about your family. The day you stop conversing with God about your family is the day you deprive them of the greatest gift a mother can give.
Isn’t it a nice story my dear brothers and sisters, as the Mother finished, Sharon took her mother’s hand. Her eyes filled up with tears as she said: “Mom, that’s the most beautiful advice you could give me. But why did you wait seven years to tell me? Why didn’t you tell me the day Rob and I got Married? It would have helped me so much-so very much!’
Sharon’s mother said: “Honey, I wanted to tell you the day you got married. I wanted to tell you with all my heart. But I knew it wasn’t the right time. I knew you weren’t ready then. I had to wait for the right time- when you would understand what I was talking about.”
This is my answer to that question we asked in the beginning. Jesus was waiting for John the Baptist to call the people to repentance. People were not ready for what Jesus had to say. Until they were conscious of their sins and conscious of their need for God, they would not understand Jesus’ message.
Yes, dear brothers and sisters, this is true for us too; Jesus can’t begin to act in our lives and transform them until-like the people of Israel- we are ready to let Him do it. We need to recognize and admit that we cannot do it alone in life and we need Jesus in our Life. Only when we have reached this point of realization can Jesus begin to act in our lives to transform us into what God made us to be.
We don’t think enough about our baptism, this most important event in our lives. If we reflected more on who we are since baptism how different we would be, how differently we would live. Every sacrament has a lasting effect, our baptism was not just a magic formula recited over us by the priest to wash off original sin and give us a chance of getting to heaven. Baptism is like Ordination and marriage, it is something to be lived every day. When we were baptized, it is as if the Father said over us as he said over Jesus, “This is my beloved son, this is my beloved daughter.”
The Sacrament of Baptism emphasizes this new relationship with our Father. After baptism at the font four signs in the sacrament, symbolize for us this new relationship with God. If you listen to the prayers accompanying these four symbols, they tell us about our new relationship with God.
Firstly, the child is anointed with the oil of chrism. This is the holy oil used by the bishop to anoint us on the forehead during Confirmation and to anoint the hands of a priest during his Ordination. Part of the prayer for the anointing during baptism is, “As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life.”
Secondly, the white garment is put on the child. Part of the prayer accompanying putting on the white garment is, “…you have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity”.
Thirdly, a lighted candle is given to the parents, a symbol of receiving the light of Christ. Part of the prayer accompanying this is, “This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ.”
Fourthly, the ears and mouth of the child are blessed because they will hear the Word of God and the child will profess his/her faith.
Being baptized as children would make no sense and have no meaning if as we grew up we didn’t put our baptism into effect, if we didn’t live like people who have been baptized into the Catholic Church.
Baptism has two fundamental meanings. The first meaning is pretty much known by the majority of those who seek baptism. We have always been taught that through baptism we become part of the church and the nature of our church is that it is open to everybody.
The second meaning of baptism is that when we are baptized Jesus through the Holy Spirit comes to live in us and with us. From that moment we are also destined for eternity. Every morning when you open your eyes give yourself time to hear Jesus saying to you the very words that Jesus himself heard when He was baptized. “Mary, John, Andrew, Judy Sunny you are my beloved son, You are my beloved daughter. My favour, my care, my attention, my presence, everything that I have rests with you today.
12th anniversary of my Priestly ordination

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, Today is a special day in my life.12 years ago on 5th of January 1997 Bishop told me When you baptize, you will bring men and women into the people of God. In the sacrament of penance, you will forgive sins in the name of Christ and the Church. With holy oil you will relieve and console the sick. You will celebrate the liturgy, and offer thanks and praise to God throughout the day, praying not only for the people of God but for the whole world. Remember that you are chosen from among God's people and appointed to act for them in relation to God. Do your part in the work Christ the Priest with genuine joy and love, and attend to the concerns of Christ before your own.
Every Anniversaries is a Time to Remember, a Time to Look Ahead
I am never quite sure “when did I decide to be a priest because there was never an instant revelation or a profound moment of decisive insight but I know it is from my childhood onwards I was preparing to follow Christ. No matter what is our vocation in life, as disciples, we begin every morning to answer that call and live it as best we can for another day.
Through the years, the Lord sustained me," He lifted me up when I faltered. To Him be glory! "Looking back to the past, twelve years ago, I cannot but remember with great affection and gratitude so many people that contributed to my life in a meaningful way. I realized that each position I was assigned taught me something. Each person I met on my road helped me to grow and every moment of my life was a providence of God. To my parents I owe much, not only for the life they gave me, but also for the faith and the willingness to serve. God asked them for a big sacrifice when they gave their youngest son to the priesthood.
I also remember today with appreciation, the priests, sisters and teachers who shaped my life and vocation in the many institutions where I have studied and also in the Order of Carmelites. Thank you all for what you are to me .
Every follower of Christ has need of a faith that has overcome the world. It is not only priests and preachers who meet with resistance, and rejection and possibly even hostility. All of us can expect some kind of distress as we live according to the teachings of our Lord. None can predict just what form it might take.
What can separate us from the love of Christ? Distress, pressure, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger or the sword?… But in all these things we overcome because of the one who loves us (Romans 8: 35- 37).
When we set out on life's journey, we don't know where it will take us. Every time I celebrate the Holy Mysteries, I am fully aware that it is God’s Grace that granted me this privilege. And I pray that God will allow me to die as a holy Priest.
January 5th is the feast of St. John Nepomucene Neumann. St. John Neumann was the fourth bishop of Philadelphia, and held that position from 1852 to 1860. He was the first male canonized saint from the United States. John was born March 28, 1811 in what is now the Czech Republic. On January 8, 1860, he died of a stroke while walking down the street. In 1977 he was canonized by Pope Paul VI and his incorrupt body is displayed in a glass altar in the lower church of St Peter the Apostle.
Epiphany
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
This Feast, Epiphany, usually celebrated on January 6th, commemorates the manifestation of the glory of Christ that was shown upon the Gentiles in the person of the Magi, as well as His Baptism and the first miracle at Cana. Today's First Reading from the Book of Isaiah [Is. 60:1-6] states, "They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord." [Is. 60:1-6] As the Gospel of Matthew affirms, "wise men (magi) from the East came to Jerusalem" [Mt. 2:1] and offered baby Jesus "gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." [Mt. 2:11] “the kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute” {Psalm 72:10}. In 735, St. Bede the Venerable recorded that the three Magi were named Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. He also wrote that they were of different ages and races. It became a tradition that they were from the three known continents of that time, and were of the three stages of a man’s life. Gaspar, depicted in old age, is King of Tarsus and is considered European; Melchior is mature or middle-aged, and is the Ruler of Arabia and Nubia in Asia; Balthasar is a young man, and is the “Moorish” (African) Prince of Seba, a message that Christ came for all the world, all races and nations. Psalm 72:11 prophesied that “All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.”
The Magi bring their gifts to the Christ, who is Himself the greatest gift ever given to the world. Have you ever wondered why the three magi offered gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus? Surely, they could have offered something more valuable such as diamonds, platinum and gold. Now that has value! Obviously, it was not the goal of the three magi to offer baby Jesus valuable items. Their goal was to offer symbolic items. Gaspar presents a chest of gold, a proper tribute to bring a newborn King. The magi did not perceive Jesus as their equal but rather as their King. Melchior holds a thurible (or censer) of frankincense, the smoke of which rises like the prayers and praise of the faithful. This substance, made from the gum of a shrub found in Arabia and India, was used in some cultures to give worship to gods and deified emperors. Here it gives worship to the divinity of Jesus. The magi perceived Jesus to be a priest, one who is an advocate between God and man. Balthasar presents the Child, Who is destined to die as a Sacrifice for the sins of mankind, the most somber of the three gifts: myrrh, used for embalming the dead. While the magi perceived that Jesus was their King and a priest, they also perceived that He would die for the salvation of humankind.
The key to the story of today’s gospel is the scene of Herod, with the scribes and the chief priests, When the travelers asked, “Where is he who is born king of the Jews? Herod was frightened.
Normally Herod was not a man to be easily frightened. History reveals to us that Herod the Great, a satellite king of Judea, reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. He was an efficient ruler and had rebuilt the temple so that it was enlarged and magnificent. So what frightened him?
The wise men are looking for one who is born King of the Jews. Herod was not born King of the Jews! He had been made King by the Roman Emperor. Here is an echo of the story of Solomon. He built the first temple. He was born King of the Jews. His father was David, son of Jesse.
In the genealogy, which opens the story of Jesus, Matthew stresses that Jesus is the son of David, of the line of Jesse, born in Bethlehem, the city of David. The expectations of the Jewish people, so intense in the time of Jesus, were to be fulfilled. That is why Herod was frightened.
Baby Jesus experienced both acceptance from the wise men and rejection from Herod. The wise men and Herod had two opposing attitudes, searching for God and being closed to God.
The wise men and Herod had different attitudes to Jesus, but also they had different attitudes to life. The wise men were generous, Herod was selfish wanting to hold on to his throne. The magi gave gifts to Jesus; Herod killed all boys under two years of age. The magi who sacrificed to put into life were happy, Herod who took all he could from life was unhappy.
The wise men’s journey of a thousand miles or more westwards from Persia which could have taken three months is really a symbol of the inward journey they made in their hearts, a journey from paganism to belief in Jesus as the Savior of the world. They didn’t travel to Bethlehem in limousines on nicely paved roads; they came riding on camels, on rough, treacherous roads with danger around every corner. And when they finally arrived at the house where the Holy Family was, they gave Jesus 3 precious gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. They came to give, not to receive. Indeed not just the wise men but all of us are on a journey to get closer to Jesus our Savior.
The magi gave: they gave their time, they gave their energy, they gave their resources, they gave the most precious gifts they had—and they found the happiness that selfish Herod did not. They can be an example to us today. In addition to the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they gave Jesus some gifts we can give him today: their hope, their time, and their worship. When everyone else saw a night sky, this small band of men saw the light.
When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, it seems they no longer had the guidance of the star; otherwise they would not have had to ask Herod for advice. Sometimes we too feel as if we are in the dark, like the magi. Sometimes what or whom we relied on is not there any more. Sometimes we see only darkness around us. But we know that Jesus is there, and that eternal life awaits us even if sometimes in this world there is no star for us.
Yes dear brothers and sisters, as we move into this New Year the gospel tells us, travel as the Wise Men did, go another way.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St John the Evangelist
John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of James the Greater. In the Gospels the two brothers are often called after their father "the sons of Zebedee" and received from Christ the honourable title of Boanerges, i.e. "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17). Originally they were fishermen and fished with their father in the Lake of Genesareth. According to the usual and entirely probable explanation they became, however, for a time disciples of John the Baptist, and were called by Christ from the circle of John's followers, together with Peter and Andrew, to become His disciples (John 1:35-42). The first disciples returned with their new Master from the Jordan to Galilee and apparently both John and the others remained for some time with Jesus (cf. John ii, 12, 22; iv, 2, 8, 27 sqq.). Yet after the second return from Judea, John and his companions went back again to their trade of fishing until he and they were called by Christ to definitive discipleship (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20).
From James being thus placed first, the conclusion is drawn that John was the younger of the two brothers. In any case John had a prominent position in the Apostolic body. Peter, James, and he were the only witnesses of the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:37), of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), and of the Agony in Gethsemani (Matthew 26:37). Only he and Peter were sent into the city to make the preparation for the Last Supper (Luke 22:8). At the Supper itself his place was next to Christ on Whose breast he leaned (John 13:23, 25). According to the general interpretation John was also that "other disciple" who with Peter followed Christ after the arrest into the palace of the high-priest (John 18:15). John alone remained near his beloved Master at the foot of the Cross on Calvary with the Mother of Jesus and the pious women, and took the desolate Mother into his care as the last legacy of Christ (John 19:25-27). After the Resurrection John with Peter was the first of the disciples to hasten to the grave and he was the first to believe that Christ had truly risen (John 20:2-10). When later Christ appeared at the Lake of Genesareth John was also the first of the seven disciples present who recognized his Master standing on the shore (John 21:7). The Fourth Evangelist has shown us most clearly how close the relationship was in which he always stood to his Lord and Master by the title with which he is accustomed to indicate himself without giving his name: "the disciple whom Jesus loved". After Christ's Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, John took, together with Peter, a prominent part in the founding and guidance of the Church. We see him in the company of Peter at the healing of the lame man in the Temple (Acts 3:1 sqq.). With Peter he is also thrown into prison (Acts 4:3). Again, we find him with the prince of the Apostles visiting the newly converted in Samaria (Acts 8:14).
Christian art usually represents St John with an eagle, symbolizing the heights to which he rises in the first chapter of his Gospel. The chalice as symbolic of St John, which, according to some authorities, was not adopted until the thirteenth century, is sometimes interpreted with reference to the Last Supper, again as connected with the legend according to which St. John was handed a cup of poisoned wine, from which, at his blessing, the poison rose in the shape of a serpent. Perhaps the most natural explanation is to be found in the words of Christ to John and James "My chalice indeed you shall drink" (Matthew 20:23). In his old age, when unable to do more, he was carried into the assembly of the Church at Ephesus, and his sole exhortation was, "Little children, love one another."
The date of his death cannot be fixed with anything like precision, but it is certain that he lived to a very advanced age. The only one to live into old age; and not martyred for his faith. John the Evangelist is associated with Ephesus, where he is said to have lived and been buried.

New Year 2009
Happy New Year 2009 my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
The oldest holiday, or holy day, we know in the history of the human race is New Year’s. the ancient Romans celebrated New Year’s by exchanging coins which had the face of the god Janus on them. Janus is where we get the word “January.” The one special thing about the god Janus is he is two-faced. He has a face looking to the past and a face looking to the future. That is why the god Janus became the symbol of New Year’s where, just as we are today, we look at the past and give thanks for that. We look to the future and gather our hopes for that.
This is indeed a time to look back at the year that has just ended and to look forward to the New Year ahead of us.
Yesterday at midnight, the whole place of Times Squire went crazy. The confetti, the balloons, the blizzard of paper, the hundreds of thousands of screaming people on the road – shivering and celebrating and having the time of their lives. There is nothing quite like it. it is almost a ghost town with all the mess.
However, today Times Square is a very different place. The crews had worked through the night and everything is normal. Almost as if, nothing had happened Yesterday night. That is how we try to see our life at New Year’s – almost as if nothing had happened before. We are starting over. let’s begin again.
There is a song by Natasha Bedingfield that captures that kind of spirit. The song is called “Unwritten.” In part, it says:
“Drench yourself in words unspoken.Live your life with arms wide open.Today is where your book beginsThe rest is still unwritten.”
Today is where our book begins. The rest is still unwritten. But this January first, I would challenge you to make a different kind of resolution. Resolve to learn something from the woman we honor today. Resolve to welcome every blank page, every new start, with trust that God will see you through it – and then reflect on it in your heart. Just like Mary did. Today we celebrate Mary the Mother of God – Mary the mother of our salvation. Mary, the one who gave birth to a new beginning. The gospel today presents Mary to us as a model of that new life in Christ that all of us wish for ourselves in the new year.
We read that the shepherds, when they went to adore the Child Jesus in the manger, told all that the angels had said to them. "But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). Again after the boy Jesus was found in the Temple, we are told that "His mother treasured all these things in her heart" (Luke 2:51). Mary was a woman who valued the word of God, who treasured it and made time to meditate and ponder it. It is true that the holiness of Mary is attributed to the grace of God, but this should not make us forget that she needed to make an effort in order to cooperate with the grace of God. She pondered the word of God in order to discern what God was saying to her at every stage in her life as the handmaid of God.
There are two parts in today’s second reading, taken from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians; the first part dwells on the incarnation, the mystery of the Son of God becoming human (Galatians 4:4-5). The second part dwells on sanctification, that mystery whereby God sends the Spirit of His Son into our hearts to make us God’s own children (verses 6-7).
Paul sees the entire order of nature, from creation up to the coming of Christ, as a preparation. In the fullness of time, when the preparation was complete, then the real thing happened. God sent His Son.
In the incarnation, God gives humanity another chance. We can, therefore, say that God sent His Son to become human like us so that we could become God’s children like he is.
In Second part, God’s first attempt to make us His children through creation failed. God would not want the new creation to be a failure also. To ensure that this does not happen, God sends “the Spirit of His Son” into our hearts to teach us and empower us to be and feel and live as God’s children. This indwelling Spirit helps us to know God as our loving Father and address God with familiarity “Abba! Daddy!” (Galatians 4:6-7). This Spirit helps us to know ourselves as God’s beloved children, not as fearful slaves who have to do God’s will under fear of punishment.
As the new year begins, let us see this year as another chance given to us to get it right, to grow in familiarity with God our loving Father, and to grow in our awareness of ourselves as God’s beloved children, all of us, beloved children of the same loving Father.
Yes dear brothers and sisters, Resolve to count every day – and to make every day count. Because “Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.” – As you heard from the book of Numbers 6:22-27"May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you; May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace". Then, the New Year 2009 will truly be a Happy New Year.
Happy New Year 2009

Christmas 2008


Christmas 2008
Merry Christmas, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
On this great feast of Christmas, together with Fr Sean, Fr Raymond and Fr Jacob, I offer my wholehearted greetings and Christmas best wishes to you .
"In the silence of the night a voice rings out." In the silence of the night a voice echoed across the fields near Bethlehem, linking the glory of God in heaven with the peace of men on earth. Today for you a Savior is Born..”
Tonight we all are overwhelmed and dumbfounded in the face of the divine love which took on human flesh and entered into the human spirit.
A student asked a Christian professor how Confucius and Buddah would differ from Christ. He responded with a parable.
A woman fell into a deep hole. Try as she might, she could not climb out. Confucius looked in. He told her, "Poor woman, if you had paid attention to me, you would not have fallen in there in the first place." Then he went away.
Buddah approached. He too spotted the woman. He said to himself, "If she can just manage to get out of that hole, I can give her genuine aid." He continued his journey.
Along came Jesus. He spotted the woman. He was moved with pity. He jumped into the hole immediately to assist her out. Yes dear brothers and sisters ‘Today for you and me a Savior is Born..”
Today the angels are bringing us the good news of great joy for all the people, for to us is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. This good news of great joy is for all the people of God. However, how do I personally enter into this "great joy" of Christmas? Is it enough that we hang up a banner ‘Joy to the World? Christmas rings out "joy to the world," yes, but how do I make this joy my own? This is an important question.
If you remember what I said earlier using the Word JOY. Look at the word JOY. You see that it is made up of three letters: first J, then O, and lastly Y. J stands for Jesus, O for Others, and Y for You. Joy therefore is: Jesus, Others, before You. To know joy in our lives we need to place Jesus first in everything. Secondly, we need to try to please others before trying to please yourself. That is the recipe for joy. That is how we can convert the Christmas "joy to the world" into a personal "joy in my life”. Yes, today we are all filled with the Christmas joy which comes from the faith that God has been born into the world.
As we look on baby Jesus we think of the mystery of God’s love for us. Why did God who is almighty and all-powerful become small and powerless as a baby? Quite simply, out of love for us. God became human so that we might become more like God.
There is a legend of an African boy called Emmanuel, who was always asking questions. One day he asked the question, “What language does God speak?” No one could answer him. He travelled all over his country to find the answer but did not get a satisfactory answer. Eventually he set out for distant lands to find the answer. For a long time he had no success. At last he came one night to a village called Bethlehem and as there was no room in the local inn, he went outside the village in search of a shelter for the night. He came to a cave and found that too was occupied by a couple and a child. He was about to turn away when the young mother spoke, ‘Welcome Emmanuel, we’ve been waiting for you.” The boy was amazed that the woman knew his name. He was even more amazed when she went on to say, “For a long time you have been searching the world over to find out what language God speaks. Well, now your journey is over. Tonight you can see with your own eyes what language God speaks. He speaks the language of love, that is expressed in sharing, understanding, mercy and total acceptance.” A tiny fish can seek its own food, but a human child depends totally on his mother. God – who created the oceans, the mountains and the night stars - freely chose to become so weak. Today for you a Savior is Born..”
The late Archbishop Fulton J Sheen explained it in terms of the mysterious love of God. We did not deserve a Savior like Christ. There was nothing we could do to compel or merit his intervention. Archbishop Sheen drew a parallel with us and our pets. Is there any one of us who loves his dog enough to be willing to become a dog to save it? God became a man so that by grace we can share in something of his divinity.
Our Lord was placed into a manger, a feedbox for animals. Our altar is also a manger, but it is a place not for the food of animals but for us. Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus also wants to make a manger of our hearts. He seeks a home in our souls. He came down from his heaven so that he might abide with us always.
My dear brothers and sisters, Christmas is an invitation for each one of us to be for our world what Jesus was for His world; a beam of light in the midst of darkness, a ray of hope in the midst of despair.
If Jesus is to be born into today’s world, it must be through us. We must be the bean of light in the midst of darkness. We must be the ray of hope in the midst of despair.
May this Christmas that we are celebrating, increase the birth and presence of God in your souls who prays to the infant Jesus: "Raise your little hand, O Holy Child, and bless our beloved homeland."
Merry Christmas.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Monday, February 02, 2009


Canticle Of Zacharias

The candles of hope, love, and joy continue to shine and are finally joined by the candle of peace. With its lighting the flame shines brightly inviting the Price of Peace to rule our hearts and minds.
Clearly, Zechariah sees the love of God embodied in the coming Savior of the world. He tells his son "In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace." All that the Father hopes for us is echoed there, his love, his compassion, his care for those who are lost, it is all there and in it we hear the parent's prayer for their children.
For Zechariah, the birth of his son, - despite his advanced age, her wife’s barrenness, and the return of his speech, is divine signs of the dawn of salvation (v.78). This “salvation” (v.71) means (a) the forgiveness and mercy from God for all the sins of the people of Abraham.
God’s grace of salvation or, as graphically pictured in v.73b as God’s rescuing of his people from the hand of enemies, is not be conditioned by any human attitude or comportment. For God, this salvation, has become an “oath” (v.73). He has made a pledge long ago, and he will oblige himself, in spite of and despite human failures. This “oath” (v.73), He will truly fulfill for his people. This is so because God promised, and he will never break his promise. This is because God is faithful, and despite human’s repeated unfaithfulness, God remains to be faithful. This is God’s love beyond condition. There is no human condition that will prevent God from redeeming his chosen people. This was part of the oath he made to Abraham, the father of faith. The challenge then is how to truly commemorate this greatest gift of God. With the birth of his son, we commemorate the advent of our being true sons and daughters of God. Virtually and really, with the birth of Jesus, we were made worthy “to serve him in holiness and righteousness.” This is our life long task: To preserve ourselves and persevere in holiness and in righteousness of God so that we become worthy sons and daughters, slaves and servants of a loving Father.
The Naming Of John the Baptist

In the Middle East, they pick names based on different criteria than we do. For them, the way the name sounded was not that important. It was also not that important if the name was popular or unpopular. Generally, they picked names in one of two ways.
First, they most often named firstborn sons after the father, and other sons after some other relative. Similarly, girls were often named after the mother or grandmother. But sometimes, they chose different names for their children, and in these cases the names were chosen for what they mean. You see, names are like all words, they have definitions. And the people of the Middle East often looked upon the meaning of the name of a child as a prediction or prophecy for what kind of person that child would grow up to be.
Now Zacharias would have been a good name. It was his father's name, and it means "the one whom Yahweh remembers." That's a good name to have. But just at the priest was praying this prayer, Elizabeth jumps in, she interrupts, and says, "No! Wait! He is not be named Zacharias.
"His name is John." John, by the way , is a good name too. It means, "God has been gracious." And God was gracious, to Zacharias and Elizabeth, and to all who encountered John later in life. God himself gave John that name and it was revealed to his father Zachary in a vision (Luke 1:13). That this name was given to the child already before his birth shows that God has a purpose and plan for the child. The words of Isaiah apply equally to John: “The lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me. … he formed me in the womb to be his servant (Isaiah 49:1, 5).
You know, most of the time, almost all of the time, gossip is bad. But there are a few instances where gossip is good. We could call it "good news gossip" or "Gospel Gossip."

This good kind of gossip is when God does something amazing for us, or in our church, or for somebody else, and we just want to spread it all over town. It is so amazing that we want to call everybody in the phonebook, and say, "Wow! Did you hear what God did for Zacharias?"

Or, "You'll never believe what happened! We prayed for Harry and Sally at the prayer meeting and Bible study on Wednesday night, and not one week later, our prayer was answered! Isn't that incredible?" I hope you can do that at work and in your neighborhood. Godly gossip. Gospel gossip. Just letting your mouth speak from the overflow in your life of what exciting things God is doing.
Magnificat
What is truly remarkable is the fact that she is fully conscious of that fact, acknowledges it, and praises God for that incomparable and unique privilege that consists in being the mother of the Savior of all ages to come.
The first object for which she lifts her voice in praise is for salvation. In verse 47, she declares her dependence upon God in Heaven for salvation. She is simply praising the Lord for the salvation she possesses.
Mary is telling Elizabeth that she is a nobody, but she has experienced the grace of God first hand. Mary knows that she does not deserve wonderful favor of the Lord that has been extended to her. Yet, the Lord did it anyway. Think of the change He made in your life, 2 Cor. 5:17. Think of the blessings you have enjoyed. Think of the benefits that are yours as a child of God. Think of the glory that awaits out there in the future. We have been blessed abundantly! Like Mary, we all have reason to praise the Name of the Lord!
Only those who are willing to humble themselves before the Lord can expect anything from the Lord. Salvation comes to the humble - Matt. 18:3. Before we can expect anything from the Lord, we must be willing to humble ourselves in His sight. When we do, we can experience His grace in a very real way.
Many are like the "church crowd" down in Laodicea, Rev. 3:14-22. They thought they had everything they needed, but failed to see that they were the neediest people of all. With all they possessed, they still lacked everything. Because to have the entire world and not have Jesus is to be eternally doomed to the fires of Hell. Yet, to have Him and nothing more is to have the greatest treasure that Heaven can afford. If you have all the goods of this world in your hand and do not have the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, you are destitute and headed to Hell - Mark 8:36-37.
Mary praises the Lord for remembering to do what He has promised to do. She exalts His Name because He did not forget her people. The Lord still keeps His promises. He will never allow anything He has promised to do go undone, Rom. 4:21! That is why He can be trusted in every situation in life. Whether it be for salvation, 2 Tim. 1:12, or for daily provision, Phil. 4:19. God will do what He has said He will do. Therefore, learn to trust Him and learn to praise Him for His goodness, even if the answer has not yet been seen! If there is one thing we can be sure of this morning/evening, it is that we can depend on the Lord, He will never let one of His promises fall to the ground - 2 Pet. 3:9.

O Mary ma...


My second song in St John the Martyr- O Mary ma...


double click on the link please.

4th sunday Advent Year B


Amen to God’s Will
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
During Advent, we have been thinking of Mary bearing Jesus in her womb. Now on this last Sunday of Advent we think more particularly about Mary.
In order for us to appreciate better God’s choice of Mary and her fiat to God’s call, it is helpful for us to have a general picture of Jesus’ time. Women at Jesus’ time were regarded as pieces of property to be owned and disposed of by men as the men deemed fit. In courts of law, the testimony of a woman was not admissible. Every morning, a Jewish man would thank God that, among other things, he was not a woman!
We believe that the conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary took place at the moment she said “Yes” to God. That is why the feast of the Annunciation is placed on March 25, nine months before Christmas. She said ‘Yes’ to the angel Gabriel to become the mother of Jesus. Think of the consequences it could have had for her.
How old was Mary at the time? We don’t really know, but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating. The minimum age for marriage under Jewish law is 13 for boys, 12 for girls. The official betrothal could take place a year prior to the full-fledged marriage. The Talmud recommends that a man marry by the age of 18. Therefore, it would not have been unusual for Mary to have been betrothed to Joseph by the age of 15.
She was betrothed to Joseph. That meant they were legally bound to each other although they did not live together. In Israel a woman who was unfaithful during betrothal was stoned to death (Deut 22:20-21). Mary responded to God’s Call saying: “Be it done unto me according to your word.” Her response was faith. She believed. We have always regarded Mary as a model believer, an example of faith. But when we consider that the possibility that being stoned to death awaited Mary for saying yes to the angel, we see how strong her faith really was. She was willing even to risk death for the sake of obeying God. Apart from that, we can easily imagine all the many nasty things that were said about Mary, all the nasty looks that she had to endure, and all the hushed whisperings that she knew were about her. She was indeed a woman of great faith.
Nazareth is a village whose population was perhaps 200 to 400 people, all of whom were most likely Jewish, in terms of size, the largest Nazareth could have been was a little less than 30 acres with human beings inhabiting perhaps only 10 of those acres. Lots of space separated the houses—which were very small—to provide for each family’s livestock pens and small garden.
Reflecting on these conditions, it is quite likely that everyone knew everyone else and everyone else’s private affairs and personal business as well. Therefore, it is not easy for Mother Mary to cover her pregnancy. Personal strengths as well as personal weaknesses and failures were likely known by all. As a result, it would be difficult for any Nazarene to be pretentious.
“Amen.” One word in Aramaic, the language of Palestine, says it all, “Amen.” It means, “So be it”, “be it done unto me according to your word.” Mary literally said, “Amen”, and then she conceived Jesus in her womb. St. Augustine says Mary believed by faith and conceived by faith, i.e. conceived Jesus in her mind through faith before conceiving him in her womb. Every time we say “Amen” to God, we conceive Jesus in faith as Mary did. Then when we act on Jesus’ words, we bring Jesus in to the world as Mary did.
Mary knew that from the human point of view she may not even be able to bring her pregnancy to its full term but she had faith to believe that what is impossible for us is possible for God. And so, with that faith she said yes. She surrendered into the hands of God, and it really was surrendering because she did not know what the consequences would be. But she had faith to believe that no matter what difficulties would follow God would provide a way out and a remedy. Mary’s final words to the angel are a model for each of us, “I am the Lord’s servant, let what you have said be done to me.” And because Mary surrendered to God, Jesus came.
Mary was humble, that was why she was able to make the greatest act of faith in history. We could pick up four fundamental attitudes of Mary for her to say Amen to God’s call to be the Mother of Jesus. She has unlimited trust in whatever God wills. She does not demand that first she must ´understand´; she accepts that God´s ways, even in their human ramifications, necessarily surpass us. She has no preconceived personal plans that are non-negotiable and to which God´s plan must be adjusted. To know and do His will is the hinge on which her life turns.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, We are the glass through which the light of Christ is to shine. Whether it is blacked-out, smudged or crystal clear depends on our response to Christ’s invitation to be His disciples. So, in these final days of preparation to celebrate Christmas, may others see our deeper vision of Christ reflected in the manner in which we celebrate our Christmas.
Mary shows us how to be a follower of Jesus, making a loving surrender into the hands of God who loves us. The angel left Mary. She was on her own now, or so it seemed. In fact she was not really on her own, God was with her and in her. It is like that for us too sometimes. God calls us, we answer and then we feel on our own. But we are not really alone because God is with us.
Let us pray now asking for help to continue responding to God’s call even when we think we’re on our own but we are not in fact on our own, he is with us.....
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.


Luke 1:26-38 Angel Gabriel
What do we know about Gabriel? The name Gabriel means “strong one of God” (the -el at the beginning or end of many Hebrew names refers to God). He appears in Scripture twice in Daniel, and twice in Luke. We know that he has the appearance of a man, but causes fear when he appears. We know that he spends almost all of his time standing in the presence of God.But if there's one thing we've learned about angels as we've traveled through the Bible, it's that the important thing is not the man, but the mission and the message. In fact, the word "angel" means "messenger". What is Gabriel's mission? What is Gabriel's message? In the Old Testament the angel Gabriel was twice sent to Daniel, first to give him a message from God and, then, to help him understand the message (Daniel 8:16, 9:21). This is his second of two appearances in the New Testament, the first being to Zachariah announcing the birth of John the Baptist. When Zacharias was at the altar of incense in the Holy of Holies,(Luke 1:5-25) Gabriel appeared and told him that in their old age, he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son, who would go as a forerunner to the Messiah.So far, we've seen that Gabriel's mission and his message is always Messianic. And now, as we look at our portion of Scripture this morning, we see Gabriel's mission climaxing by announcing the Messiah Himself - conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In Isaiah 7, the Lord spoke to Ahaz, king of Judah, saying:Isa. 7:14 "...The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.Sure, the Messiah must be born from a virgin. Now the name Jesus is quite interesting. It was the most common name of the day, much like the name "John" is today. It was the Greek version of the Hebrew name "Joshua". Yehoshua - meaning "Yahweh is salvation". When Joseph

was thinking about divorcing Mary, an angel appeared to him in a dream, saying:Matt. 1:20-21 "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.What is not obvious in the English is the statement that it is God Himself in Mary's womb. The angel said, "You shall call His name 'Yahweh is salvation', because it is He who will save His people." That baby inside of Mary is Yahweh Himself! God said in Isaiah that the virgin will call His name Immanuel, "God with us." Truly, Jesus Christ was, and is, God with us.


Unanswered prayer
We All face a common problem – Prayers that seem to go unanswered.
If you are too busy to pray, then you are simply too busy!
Prayerlessness is one reason prayer is not answered. God cannot and will not answer a prayer that is not prayed!
Today’s Gospel that relates the story of Zacharias and Elisabeth, and the birth of John the Baptist, reveals a few reasons why prayer goes unanswered.
v. 6 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DENIED
There are times when God will say “No” to the prayers we pray.
1 John 5:14-15 address another reason why our prayers are not answered. Prayer is not about getting our will done in Heaven, but about God getting His will done on earth!
v. 13 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DELAYED
There are times when God says “wait” when we pray.
Zacharias and Elisabeth had been praying and praying and praying for years. When they were young they prayed for a son. As they grew older they continued to pray for a child. When the angel appeared and confirmed the answer, Zacharias had even ceased to believe that his prayer could or would be answered. Sometimes we think our prayers have gone unanswered. In reality, they have been heard and they have already been answered. It just isn’t God’s time to reveal the answer.
V. 15-17 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DIFFERENT
Sometimes God says “watch”. Sometimes He will take our prayers and make them better!
If He withholds something from us or changes it to something different, it is because what we asked for wasn’t good for us. God always gives us His best when we leave the choices to Him! God provides for our best.
When prayer seems unanswered, be sure that your heart is right with God, Psa. 66:18; and be sure that you are asking according to His will. Advent invites us to enter the silence of Zechariah and to wait and see the Words of God come to their fulfillment at the proper time.