Fr. Sunny John O.Carm.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Autobiography of Sam a bird part1

Autobiography of Sam a bird Part 2

Autobiography of Sam, a bird A Narrative story by Fr. Sunny John O.Carm. April 5, 2011 Hello everyone. We never met. My name is Sam and I am a bird. I am very jealous, proud and angry. I do not have any close friends, as I do not want any complications in my life. Why should I burden myself and love someone other than myself? I am not ready to accept that I am a braggart. I want others to treat me as a saintly bird. When we go hunting for food, I am the selfish one who always left my co-hunters behind as I was rushing to get all the choice food for myself. After I finish eating, I then start complaining about the food. I am never satisfied in my life and not at all concerned about anyone else. I do hope you are getting to know me a bit better! That used to be me, the greedy and unkind Sam. Yes, I was very greedy once and not at all worried about anything or anyone in this world. I was only concerned about myself. Why shouldn’t I be? I was healthy, handsome and good-looking. I never thought that what I was doing was bad. One day I decided to take a long trip to the beachside to get some fresh seafood, which I had not had in months. I had a long flight to the beach and I flew around to see what was going on. It was not a familiar place and I did not have any friends that went with me. I was alone and for the first time in my life, I felt lonely. I noticed that everyone except me was happy and they were talking to each other and were very concerned about others. There were children who were playing, couples who were enjoying their vacation and people fishing. Some were with their children enjoying the beauty of the creation. I could not enjoy anything that is going around me, because I was only concerned about myself and the fresh seafood I was about to enjoy. I went around and found food and after eating it all, I was very full. I went to enjoy the sunset and the full moon. But I realized that something was missing, I could not figure out what I was lacking. Why am I not happy like everyone else? The other birds were happy as they flew together and helped each other find food. I was starting to feel the loneliness in my life. I noticed some birds were taking a rest and I went to talk to them. However, they did not want to talk to me and I asked them if I could join them or stay with them. They were very furious and chased me away. They did not want to talk to a stranger. I was feeling down for the first time in my life and felt there was something missing and I am not as good as I think I am. I tried to make friends with the people who were fishing nearby, but even though I was very close to them, they did not even notice me walking around. I was sad and went to a corner of the beach where there was no one around. At last, I found a beauty. She looked very beautiful with a long pink mouth and colorful. Her name was Grace. She came over to ask me whether I needed any help. She realized that I am not from the area and that I was visiting. She seemed to be a very happy "person" and I was so happy to see her near me. I asked her why she was so happy and that I was not. She told me that if I wanted to be happy, I needed to forget thinking about myself and love others as I loved myself. I did not get it. But she told me about her Master and the Lord Jesus Christ in whom she has great faith. She added that Jesus is the one who protects her and provides everything and she is not worried about anything in her life. I listened to what she was telling me and I was very interested in her words because she was the only one who gave me some attention. Grace started to talk about her family. She has two "children" to take care of and was actually gathering food for them. I realized the food she shared with me was the food she collected for her "children". I was pleased that someone was caring for others, as I could not imagine myself doing that. I never helped anyone in my life; I had no friends or family to love or to feel being loved. I fed myself, saved for my future, and never thought of others. She wanted to learn more about me. I was very frank with her and told her that I never helped any one in my life and never felt any need to do so. I had no friends or any help from anyone to realize that what I was doing was wrong. No one seems to help me. Everyone was criticizing me and no one was ready to help me. She started to cry when I was telling my story. She told a story that she heard from her friends, about a sannyasi in India who was a very religious priest. The sannyasi, a wise Hindu person, had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, “The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone!” “What stone?” asked the sannyasi. “Last night the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream,” said the villager, “and told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk I should find a sannyasi who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever.” The sannyasi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. “He probably meant this stone,” he said, as he handed the stone to the villager. “I found it a on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it,” The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond; probably the largest diamond in the whole world, for it was as large as a person’s head. He took the diamond and walked away. All night he tossed in bed, unable to sleep. Next day, at the crack of dawn, he woke the sannyasi and said, “Give me the wealth that makes it possible for you to give this diamond away so easily.” Grace told me that it is not your possessions and what you have that make you happy. It is always what you give away that makes you happy. As long as you are greedy, you can never be happy in your life. If you try to live for others and love them more than you love yourself, then you will realize what real love, joy and happiness are. The soothing sound of the waves was teaching me wisdom, was really washing off the hardness of my life, and was making me a kind bird. She told me what the French novelist Marcel Proust (1871-1922) wrote: “We do not receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness, which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world.” I realized no one else can make you happy but you, no one can take your joy away but only you can do that. I started to see others, their beauty and their kindness. For the first time, I started to look at others not as my enemy but as my own. That was a real awakening. I started to see who I was and why I was not happy. I thanked God for the realization. I never thanked God or even accepted his existence. I realized that God exists to control nature in its own order. How will it be if everybody is going to do it in their own way? God has His own harmony for everything according to what He sets for them. For the first time in my life and from the depth of my heart, I praised God for giving me life. I went to my friend to learn more about God. My heart was thirsting and hungry to know more about Him. I never cared for anyone like that and I never wanted to know about anyone in my life. I was so restless and I wanted to know more. I asked her to teach me about the Lord and she said that she did not know too much but she learns about Him from the church. She said God is all about love. She knew that people who trust in the Lord are always happy. I asked her to tell me more so that I will believe in Him, as I want to be content with myself. Let me be free of all my negativeness. She told me that one day she was searching for food near a catholic church and the church windows were open. She could see and hear all what is going on in the church and went to the window to hear more clearly. She saw the priest coming to the pulpit with a rusty, bent, old birdcage, and set it by the pulpit. Everyone was surprised to see him with a cage. Eyebrows were raised and the priest began to speak…"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this birdcage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the boy and asked. ”What you got there, son?” “Just some old birds,” came the reply. ”What are you going to do with them?” I asked. ”Take them home and have fun with them,” he answered. ”I’m going to tease ‘em and pull out their feathers to make them fight. I’m going to have a real good time.” But you will get tired of those birds eventually. " What will you do?” “Oh, I got some cats,” said the little boy. ”They like birds. The priest was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those birds, son?” “Huh??!!! Why, you want the birds , mister. They are just plain old-field birds. They do not sing. They aren’t even pretty!” “How much?” the priest asked again. The boy sized up the priest as if he was crazy and said, “$10” The priest reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy’s hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The priest picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty birdcage on the pulpit, and then the priest began to tell this story. One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just I set a trap with bait and caught a whole lot of people because they could not resist. Got ‘em all! ”What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked. Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun! I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink, smoke and curse. I’m gonna teach them how to kill each other. I’m really gonna have fun!” "And what will you do when you get done with them?” Jesus asked. "Oh, I’ll kill them,” "How much? Jesus asked. They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don’t want those people!” Jesus asked again. How much? Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your blood, tears and your life.” Jesus said, “DONE”! Then He paid the price. Then the priest picked up the cage and walked away from the pulpit. Grace stopped telling the story and I saw tears coming from her eyes. I was very touched when she told me the story. It was enough. I got it… I was not able to hear anything more. I was broken. Tears came from my eyes; they were tears of joy and peace. I felt like I am totally a new person. I bend my knee and prayed for the first time as St. Padre Pio prayed ; Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You. Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength that I may not fall so often. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will. Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and to be in Your company always. Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You. Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love. Amen. Thank you my friends for listening to my story. Jesus who saved us will bless you with his love and mercy. I am Sam.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

St Thomas Provincial Chapter 2011

Friday, January 28, 2011

Snow In Central Park, New York

Fr Sunny John O.Carm. performing a small magic in Trinidad on his Birthday

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Fr Sunny John O.Carm's birthday celebration in Trinidad and Tobago on Ma...

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Ordination anniversary

My priestly Ordination and Feast of John Neumann
In June of 1836 on the day of his first Mass, Father John Neumann (1811-1860) whose feast we celebrate today, uttered a prayer that consisted of only five words: “Dearest God, Give me holiness.” He had only recently arrived in the United States. He had studied for the priesthood in his native Bohemia, but there were so many priests in his homeland that the bishop decided there would be no more ordinations for an extended period. So at the age of twenty-five John Neumann set out for America and was there ordained to the priesthood by the Bishop of New York. The next day, he prayed those five words: “Dearest God, Give me holiness.” As he celebrated the Eucharist at the very beginning of his priestly service, he prayed for holiness. My dear brothers and sisters, today is the anniversary of my own ordination. I was ordained in January 5th 1997. Please pray that I will be dying as a holy priest.
Vocation of the prophet Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."And God’s further words to Jeremiah were also verified in John Neumann: "To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you...says the Lord."
The words of Saint Paul, the great missionary Apostle, apply so well to Saint John Neumann: “I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the Gospel, so that I too may have a share in it” (1 Cor 9:19; 22-23).
In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little girl, Mary, who needed a blood transfusion. Her little brother, Johnny, had suffered from the same disease that she had and had recovered two years earlier. Since her best chance of recovery was a transfusion from someone who had recovered from the disease, her little brother was identified as the ideal donor. "Would you give your blood to Mary?" the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, "Sure, for my sister." Soon the two kids were wheeled into the hospital room. Neither of them spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny's smile faded. Johnny watched his blood flow through the tube. When the ordeal was over, Johnny's shaky voice broke the silence. "Doctor, when do I die?"
It was only then that the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he agreed to donate his blood. He thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. When he agreed to give the blood, Johnny had agreed to die so that his sister would live. Fortunately, Johnny did not have to die to save his sister.
No matter what type of good work a priest does the highpoint of the priest’s ministry is celebrating the Eucharist. It is the most important moment of the day for the priest.
Prayer and the Eucharist is the most important time of every day in the life of a priest and religious.
I always look for my joy in knowing that I am doing what is best for the kingdom of God. Whether 10% or 99% of people appreciate what I do is not the decisive factor in whether I am happy or unhappy. Because I am human it is a consideration but it is not the decisive factor. Last Christmas day one woman who was a lapse catholic came to me and said “father I was against catholic life but because of you I am coming back.” that was my best Christmas gift this year.
I remember the words of my patron saint, St. Vincent de Paul “To rely on our talents is a cause of great loss. When someone places confidence in his own prudence, knowledge, and intelligence, God, To make him know and see his insufficiency, withdraws from him His help and leaves him to work by himself. This is often why our undertakings miserably fail.’ “Dearest God, Give me holiness.” Amen.