Jn.1:43-50,Nathanael

In this passage we come to meet  two interesting people:Philip and Nathanael. Philip who  was asked by Jesus to follow him finds Nathanael and asks him to come and meet Jesus.
Philip is from the town of Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.Philip has already become a missionary for Jesus, trying to rope in Nathanael for the new ministry.
Nathanael is not like other disciples.Others just accepted the invitation and  readily joined Jesus.Nathanael, on the other hand, in spite of being very open about his relationsip with God, has got his own misgivings. He is convinced that Nazareth is not in a position to produce any great prophet and hence  asks whether any good can come from Nazareth. It is then that he gets a chance to meet Jesus. As Jesus mentions that he is a true Israelite in whose heart , there is no guile, Nathanael becomes more confused and  asks Jesus pointblank how  he knows him.Jesus then mentions that he saw him while he was under the fig tree even before Philip had invited him.Maybe it was at this time when he was resting under the fig tree that he migh have been thinking about the Savior and felt a  strong desire in is heart to be with the Savior if he were to come.When  he heard that  Jesus had read those thoughts he  was convinced that this was Christ.
Jesus tells him  that he would see  greater things in his life, more miraculous and mind-boggling--- that Christ would be revealed as the Son of God.
Lord, my God, help me to see you in all your splendor.Help me to to beleive in you .Increase my attachent to you.
Nahanael literally means the gift of God.Nathanael is presumed to be  Bartholomew of the first three Gospels.Only John mentions Nathanael while the other evangelists mention only Bartholomew.
We observe the following  interesting points n this episode:                                                                                                      
Nathanael owed his introduction to Jesus to a friend.Have you introduced others to Him?
Nathanel was prepared to listen to conversations about Christ.Have you found him, and are you telling others the story?
Nathanael acepted the sure test of truth and the sure cure of prejudice."Come and see, "Taste and See."
Nathanael's  hopes were realized in an unexpted way.Often joy and rest come to us from the least expected quarters                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Scriptural Reflections:Jn.1:35-42

In this passage, we find two of the disciples of John, Andrew and another disciple(it is said that this is John the Evangelist himself), deciding to follow Jesus after hearing from John that he is the Lamb of God.Jesus asked them what they wanted.They asked in turn where Jesus was staying. Jesus immediately invited them to stay with him by replying: "Come and see."
Those words of Jesus should always resound in our hearts.He will never abandon us; he is always asking us to come and see  where he is.Our whole  desire should be  to stay with him.We have to be constantly asking him , "Lord where are you staying?"Our inner conditions of failures or our unworthiness do not matter.What matters is our desire to be with him.It is that desire that transforms our lives.Our desire to stay with him gives us the grace to transform our lives.
Many a time , we are dissatisfied and unhappy.Nothing does make us happy.We are looking for something more beautiful  or some thing more comforting.Those desires can only make us more hungry for such feelings and will never satisfy our hearts.Only Jesus alone  can satisfy us.So Stay with Jesus,  and feel happy in His presence.
Lord, help me to stay with you and help me to feel the joy of your presence.Lord, be with me.Be my source of joy.

Scriptural Reflections,Jn.1:29-34

In this passage, the Evangelist further describes the testimony of John the Baptist on the role of Jesus. He calls him the Lamb of God to highlight the new role of Jesus. Just like the lamb of the Exodus, Jesus would bring freedom to mankind from the bondage of sin.John further explains that Jesus is not just a man like him but is one who existed before him even though he came after him.God himself has  revealed the  identity of Jesus. He affirms that Jesus is the Son God.
By believing  in Jesus, we come to experience the freedom that Jesus offers us.There is no one among us who is without sin. All of us are imperfect.What gives us peace is the fact Jesus will forgive our sins and give us the freedom from the bondage of sin.He offers us the opportunity to to experience this freedom.So with joy and peace, we can lead our lives.Our imperfections and sins do not matter. What  is important is our desire to abandon our sins and to love him deeply.

Scriptural Reflections-3,Jn.1:19-28

In this passage,the Evangelist speaks about the mission and identity of John the Baptist.John gathered a lot of disciples and was baptizing those who came to him ,repenting.The baptism that he gave them was a sign of their repentance and regeneration. But when the people saw Jesus preaching and baptizing, many had suspicions and questions about the role of John the Baptist.They wondered who would he be.Was he the Christ or one of the prophets? They approached him and asked him point blank whether he was the Christ.This gave an opportunity for John to reveal himself and explain what he was doing.He was only a forerunner, a shadow and not the reality. Reality is one who comes after him--Jesus.Jesus is the Son of God.His baptism is different.It floods the soul with the Holy Spirit.The baptism that Jesus gives makes one the child of God.
Here we see the profound humility of John the Baptist and his sense of realism.No vague justifications or explanations.He was truthful and honest.
In our own lives, we may experience moments of hesitation or confusion with regard to our roles or professions.We may try to evade giving the correct answers.Why should we be afraid? We shall be honest.We have Jesus with us.We are just shadows.But as long He is with us, our shadow is much more real than those who appear to be real.
Today , we shall ask the Lord to give us a profound sense of humility to walk in the shadow of truth who is Jesus our Lord.

Scriptural Reflections-2,Jn.1:9-18

John further explains the mission of Jesus. He is the Light who enlightens every one.But, many failed to receive him or his gift and preferred to be in the world of darkness.He lifts the burden of sin but many prefer to be in the world of those burdens.Those who receive Him are made the children of God and their birth is not earthly but spiritual, from God.
John goes on to explain the incarnation of Jesus.In a few words, he explains what it means.The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among men and people saw the glory of the only begotten son of the Father.
John the Baptist  bears witness  to Jesus by saying that Jesus is greater than him.Through Jesus more grace began to be recieved.Moses gave only the grace of law, to live according to the demands of God.Through Jesus, more grace was given--- the grace to become the children of God.
The Evangelsit goes on adding much more to make us realize the inescapable fact of the divinity of Jesus by underlining the fact that Jesus  alone saw the glory of God and that  he explained the nature of God to men.
What John accomplishes through these words is the affirmaton of the divinity of Jesus and how we are blessed through our faith in Him.Though our faith in Jesus , we have bcome the children of God.By knowing Jesus, we come to know God. By accepting Jesus, we partake of the glory of God.
Our faith is not  just a peripheral facet of our  life; it touches  our whole life. Our faith  is more powerful than our weaknesses and sins.We often  beome defeatist and diffident  in our lives because of our sins and failures.The  evangelsit tells us not to feel defeated but to regain confidence through our faith in Jesus.He is the source of our strength and confidence.
Let us Pray:
Lord, Jesus, be with me.Help me to overcome my failures.You are the source of my strength. As long as you are with me, why should I feel diffident?

Scriptural Reflections,Jn.1-8.

As we open the Gospel of John, we come face to face with some of the great passages of majesty and glory in the whole of the Bible.Reminding us of the whole corpus of the Bible,John uses those great words of immense aura when he starts the Gospel with the beginning words of the Bible:"In the beginning". This beginning is not an earthly beginning as we see in other Gospels; this is eternal and indescribable.
The first few verses make us understand the divinity of Jesus and his identity with God.Using the word Logos which in Greek would mean intelligence as well as thoughts,words and ideas of human beings,John shows us how Jesus is one with God, is God himself, is his own self.
He starts with the descent of God to earth, unlike the ascent of the Lord to heaven as is seen in other Gospels.Compared with Jesus, John the Baptist was only a shadow , an earthy intimation.He was not the Light.Jesus is the Light and Life of humanity.Jesus is the one who  dispels the darkness of sin.Those who are steeped in darkness, in sin, can overcome its power through their acceptance of the Light that is Jesus.Jesus overcomes the power of sin and those who accept Jesus will have within themselves the strength and confidence to overcome the power of sinfulness in them.
What John is telling each one of us is that we need not be afraid of our sinful and human nature, our weakness , our sins.With our faith in  Jesus, we can overcome  the darkness of our lives.We can be the children of the Light.
The above words of John make us understand what this salvation means to each one of us.It gives us hope and confidence in life.We don't have to be afraid of anything in our life.We may have committed serious sins.We have offended many.We have failed many times in our lives.But, we have hope.As long as Jesus is with us, we have an inner power and confidence in our lives that give us peace and joy.
Logos: "Intelligence,word as the expression of that intelligence.
Jesus Christ in his preincarnate existence is called Ho Logos,the Word, meaning first immaterial intelligence and then the expression of that intelligence in speech that humans could undesrstand.
The opposite of logos is  lalia which is unintelligent sounds produced by animals."

Denaha,The Manifestaton of the Lord.

Today's Gospel gives the account of  the Baptism of the Lord and  the descent of the Holy Spirt on Jesus. Jesus , like any other person of his time went over to John  the Baptist to recieve the baptism of repentance . John was  reluctant to baptize Jesus as he knew that the person standing before him is  the one who should be giving hm the baptism. But ,  he went along as by the express desire of Jesus.It is  after the baptism that Jesus began his public ministry and preached the advent of the Kingdom of God,  the kingdom of love and forgivness.
All of us  have received our baptism and  recieved the gifts of the Holy Spirit.But, our spirit is dormant and we are reluctant to  live and preach our faith.Our selfsihness and arrogance control us.This feast of Denaha should be a starting point for us to begin our Christian life  in a renewed way  , manifesting our faith in the Lord,Jesus.We should also take effort to speak about our faith and preach the message of Jesus.

Lenten Reflection,March 1,12,Mt.5:33-42

In today's Gospel, Jesus reverses some of the teachings that have come from the old Testament.People were once told that it was all right to take revenge upon people who had hurt them. Jesus is telling them not to to take revenge and to conquer evil with good.
During this season of Lent, we will get many opoortunities to do good. We should use them.It does not matter that we were hurt by the actions by others.  Jesus wants us not to retaliate and instead to shower the enemy with acts of goodness.
Retaliation,forgiveness  constricts our heart whereas forgiveness enlarges the horizon of our mind.Jesus wants us to be generous and forgiving.When we forgive, we experience the mercy of the Lord.We be come freed of all bondages.We become victors instead of victims.
We shall ask the Lord to give us the grace to foeget and forgive.

The Acts of the Apostles

A summary of the Acts of the Apostles:
Barnabas bringing Saul to Antioch--they remained there for a year.Disciples are called Christians at Antioch.
Paul and Barnabas  go to Cyprus(from Antioch)
Paul's speech in Pisidian,Antioch(Acts 13)
Acts 16--Timothy(mother Jewess,Father Greek) becomes a follower of Paul.
17-Paul's speech to the Athenians at Areopagus
18-staying at Corinth for a year
19-Paul at Ephesus--after the baptism, laying his hand on the baptized---the Holy Spirit.
They spoke in tongues and prophesied.12 men
Ephesus in uproar because of the urging of a silversmith,Demetrius who lost his job---making idols for god Artemis.
20-Paul telling the elders of Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem...Holy Spirit warns that prison and hardships do face him in every city:"However, I consider myself worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-"--the task of testifying to the Gospel of God's grace.
"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.'
"Be shepherds of the Church of God which he bought with his own blood.It is more blessed to give than to receive."
21--Paul goes to Jerusalem.
22--Paul arrested.Speaking to the people with the permission of the Roman comander--gives the whole story of his life.
Before  governor,Felix.
27--276 people on the ship to Rome
28-2 yrs of Paul's stay and preaching in Rome.
Paul was executed at a spot on the Ostian Way outside Rome in A.D. 69.

Easter,2012.

What does Easter mean for each one of us? Does it have any deeper meaning  in our life? Or is it  over with the liturgical celebration of the event?Easter means that Jesus is alive in our midst. He is risen and he is alive.It makes us realize that we are not alone in the pathways of life. We have a companion, a protector,  a savior walking beside us.He has conquered the power of evil, of sin and death.He is the Lord of the universe.
However harsh the world may be  to us, whatever may be the nature of our sufferings in the world, whoever may be the person who has hurt us in our life, they do not have the last word in our life. We can overcome the impact of all those evil influences as long us we trust in the Lord, keep Him close to us and experience his presence in our life.
When the tomb is empty, when the expereinces of life are bitter, when we think there is no light at the end of the tunnel,  resurrection reminds us  that everything is not over and  that Jesus is  waiting to receive us in his arms.
We can have the same experience that Mary Magdalene had.Easter should make us say like her, I have seen the Lord. I am not afraid any more, I have confidence in my life. Nothing can take away peace from my heart.
Let this Easter be a new beginning in life, a life based on love and forgivenss. Those who come into contact with  our life may know that we believe in the Lord Jesus who is alive in our midst. Let every word or action of us send forthe the message that our Lord is alive to protect all of us.

God's love,Jn.3,16

 The words we heard from the Gospel  today are some of the most beautiful words recorded in the Gospels.The Evangelist summarizes the entire mission of Jesus by summing it up in those few words where he describes that it was God's love for mankind that made him  send his son into the world and permitted his death. Those few words tell us the whole story of our faith.The love of God  for mankind is without any limits.The love was so immense that He was willing to sacrifice his son for mankind so that all could be saved.
How consoling and comforting it is to hear that His love has no limits and that we are forever floating in His love.May the Lord give us strength to continue to experience that love so that in our times of brokenness and failures we know that God will not abandon us.
Lord, thank you for the blessings you have given me in my life.You have blessed me in many ways that I am not aware of.Be with me ,Lord.Be my strength.Let not anything or anyone distract me from my attachment to you.

St.Joseph's Feast,March 19,12,Mt.1:18-25

March 19,St.Joseph's Feast,Mt.1:18-25
Today we celebrate the feast of St.Joseph.All across the the State, in many churches, free meals are given to the people in honor of St.Joseph.
The reading from the Gospel, speaking about Joseph, refers to him as being righteous, just, dikaios.Dikaios is one who conforms hmself to the rules set by God.It means  that Joseph was living a life according to his faith in the Lord. He always walked in the path of his faith, never ever moving away from a way of life in conformity with the teachings of his faith.There is faithfulness, compassion, mercy and justice in the way he lived his life.Today , we are offered the example of Joseph to model our lives upon.So many are the tempting allurements of our life which distract us from justice, mercy and faith.We have to stand firm and reject such ways of life that make us unfaithful and unrighteous.
Lord, help me to stand by my faith.Let me overcome the power of tempations which lures me away from you and leads me to ways of the world.
St.Joseph, dear father, please keep me in your protection and intercede for me so that I may lead a life worthy of my faith.

Lenten Reflections,Jn.5:19-23,March 13,12

Jesus speaks about the identity between himself and the Father and asserts that he who receives him receives the Father.Those who don't honor the Son will not be honorng the Father.These words were  addressed to the Jews who refused to commit themselves to Jesus.
We often blame the Jews for not accepting Christ. But what about us?We have accepted Jesus as our Savior but very often in our lives , in our day to day activities, we refuse to lead a life according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. We act as if we never heard of Jesus.We remain stuck in our old habits---arrogant, selfish, hateful, depressed, angry , lustful etc.There is no change happening in our lives because of our faith in Jesus.That means our commtiment is very shallow and peripheral.
Today God has given another opportunity to deepen our comitment to Him and make changes in the way we think and live.
Lord, make me a new person.By my efforts, I cannot make  changes in my life. I am a fallible, frail human being, always failing from being faithful to my commitment. I need your grace to support me.Be my rock.Give me the strength to follow you. Don't pay any attention to my failures. I am weak and fragile.Come to my aid.

Thank You ,Lord.

Sometimes, it is necessary to sit back and to reflect on our life in the background of the pure graciouness of the Lord. Today is a day like this for me. God has given me a few days to sit back to reflect on my life , its direction,  progress and what I propose to do, moment by moment, day by day. I don't  have many years before me to put any proposals or ideas into practice on a long term basis. The years , months and days at my disposal are limited. Every day is a bonus from the Lord. I have to be thankful for the gifts I have received. What is required is to make myself more thankful and merciful.
Every day , I have to say say to some one "Thank You" just for the sake of making that person happy and peaceful.God has given me this gift of gratitude.Let me give it freely instead of holding it firmly. Let me  release the power and energy of gratitude to those around me. The constant recharging of my heart with thanks is what is needed now.
Eucharist is the greatest  act of thanksgiving that we can participate in this  life. We join with Jesus in thanking the Lord for the great gift of the Son of the Lord. His sacrifice becomes our scrifice to the Lord.A priest  becomes a more active partcipant in  this great act of Thanksgiving.Our little acts of gratitude are small steps that lead us to the altar of that great Thanksgiving. Let the world of every day work become the great Cathedral for me to express my words of gratitude
Thank you Lord,for the gift of Life, for the gift of health and for all  the blessings you have given me.For the friends, family and for all those who  have shown me kindness in one way or another, I thank You. For all those who have created difficulties for me, for all those  who have ill-treated me, I thank you, Lord. For, it is through their actions or negative repsonses that I did improve my life.

Lenten Reflectons,March 8,12,Mt.21:28-32

In today's Gospel, through the parable of the two sons Jesus shows  us who is really obeying the will of God.In the parable, the second son who said  that he won't go to the field  actually did go and thus  obeyed his father's commandment.Similarly, the gentiles who were considered sinners because of all kinds of failures on their part accepted Jesus as their Savior while the Israelites who were waiting for the Savior refused to accept him.The people who are really following the will of God are the gentiles.
What is needed is not not just words and platitudes of belief but williness to follow Jesus really in life. This is what Jesus is telling us. It does not matter who we are and how sinful we are. What is important  is our turning back on sin and deciding to become a follower of Jesus.
Today is given another fresh opportunity  to make the decision to follow Jesus and avoid the paths of sins.
We shall ask the Lord to forgive our sins  and to follow him in our life.
Lord, give me the grace to be a faithful follower of yours and to repent of my failures in the past.

Lenten Reflections,march3,12.Mt.11:17-24

In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about the need for repentance. He had done many miracles and spoken about God's love.But people remained stubborn and were unwilling to repent of their sins.Many towns that were condemned in the past would have repented if they were witnesses to the miracles he had done for the towns in his time.How terrible it was for these towns and people not to have seen the the warnings sent to them!
These warnings are enough for us to repent of our sins and return to the Lord. None of us is  perfect. We are all sinners. We need God's mercy and forgivenss. But God is willing to forgive our sins and give us the grace to be reconciled with him.How consoling it is to know that our Lord is very forgiving and compassionate. There is no need to feel despair in our hearts because of our weaknesses and sins. We can return to the Lord and ask for his mercy and forgiveness.
Lord, be kind t me. I am a sinner. I need your mercy and forgivness. O Lord, be kind to me.Forgive my sins. I need your mercy and forgivness everyday in my life.

Lenten Reflections,March2,12.Mk.11:27-33

In today's Gospel, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees to show proofs for his  authority in doing what he is doing--healing people, correcting their mistaken notions of religious life etc. Jesus counters them by asking them to tell him by what authroityy John the Baptist was doing his ministryof preaching.They were trying to trap Jesus and were not interested in undergoing any internal transformation.Their hearts were not open to God.They were interested in continuing their traditions and customs.
But we know who Jesus is. The strangest thing is that we don't follow what Jesus is asking us to follow--to be forgivng and merciful,to reach out and help one another,to ask for repentance.
This season of Lent offers us a new opportunity to become new persons. We know where we are deficient.
We can control our ill-temper, be more helpful and forgiving.These do not need any herculean efforts. These are things that we can accomplish in the inner recsses of our hearts.
Lord, transform me.Change me to be a follower of you.Why should I feel worred? I should feel happy and peaceful.As long as you are with me, why should I be afraid.I should be more kind and lovng.That is all  you want from me. No heroic deeds.Lord, help me to follow you in my life. I am not looking back or forward. Today's task is enough for me.

Lenten Reflections,Feb.29,12 Mt.9:1-9

In today's Gospel, we read about the healing of the paralysed man. Jesus forgives his sins first, offering him the chance to enjoy peace in his heart.
Today we are the paralysed people standing before Jesus, asking for healing from our own sinfulness. Only  we know what is ailing us, what is preventing us from being united with the Lord. Our arrogance, envy and lustful feelings are there preventing us from being united with the Lord.
His forgiveness is there for our asking. We shall ask the Lord to forgive all our sins and restore us to union with him.When our inner wounds are healed, we will be able to live in harmony with others and experience the peace that Jesus offers us.
Lord, heal me from my inner wounds. I have offended you in so many ways. Lord, forgive my sins and give me the grace to be united with you.

Lent Reflections,Feb.27,Mk.7:14-23

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds his disciples that what makes a person impure is not the food that comes into his body but the thoughts that come out of him. The desire to commit sins comes from our heart.  We should not be concerned with the food we eat but about the desires and thoughts that come from our hearts. Our  hearts should be pure. We should not entertain thoughts and dsires that lead us to sin.Of course, we are sinful people, fragile and weak. Thoughts and desires arise in our  hearts. But through our prayers, through our opneness to the Lord, through His grace, we can overcome the power of sin.Through our repentance, we can ask for forgivness for the sins we have committed.
We shalls strive to be forgiving and loving, kind and helpful.
O Lord, have mercy on me. Make understand your ways in my life. I am a sinful person. My heart harbors unholy thoughts. Make me pure. Help me to be your humble servant. Transform me  .Change me. Ignore my sins and waeknesses.Give me the grace to be faithful to you all the time in my life.

Lenten Reflections,Feb.25,12,Mt.6:5-15

In today's Gospel, in response to the request of his disciples, Jesus teaches them a prayer which of course, every Christian says hundreds of times daily in his life. There is no moment in our life when we don't say it. In the mass also, we say  this prayer. What other prayer is as great as this? If we want to know what a prayer should have, it has everything needed in it. We praise Go and submit ourselves to the will of God. Then only we ask for anything in our life.
 Only one condition is there. If we want God to forgive our sins, we have to forgive the offenses of others. We need forgiveness daily in our lives. We are weak and fragile human beings. We need the grace of God to support us. We need his forgiveness to become holy in our lives. Jesus wants us to reach out to others and offer the same forgiveness and love that we want from God to others.
When we say our Father, it should become possible for all of us to reach out to one another and offer forgiveness.
This will  make us  us lovable in the eyes of God.

Lent Reflections,Feb.24,12,Mt.7:1-6.

In today's Gospel, Jesus is asking his listeners not to be judgemental.It is very natural for us to judge the  failures and weaknesses of others and forget ours. Jesus very beautifully points out that we are very much interested in pointing out the faults of others while ignoring much serious sins of ours.
This Lent is an opportune time for us to look at our lives and see where we can can make improvements.If we can be a little more positive in our attitudes, we will be able to see the good qualities of others. The same people that we criticize very severely have so many good qualities that we ignore to take note of. We can look at the positive qualities of others and give more emphasis to such qualities. The negativism from our perspective will then slowly disappear.
In his book, The Eight Habit, Stephen Covey asks us to look at other people through their good qualities.
Our family and professional lives would definitely change for the better if we can try to control our judgemental behavior.
Lord, help me t see the good qualities of others. Give me the grace to control my judgemental attitudes. Be merciful to me.I am a sinner .Only with your grace, can I live in love and compassion.

Lenten Reflections,Feb.21,Mt.5:38-48

In today's Gospel, Jesus is asking us not to retaliate but to reach out and forgive. It is natural for one to to give back in the same coin that has been given to him. Therefore the Mosaic Law prescribed retaliation in the same way one was treated. Jesus reverses all that and stops the flow of hatred and revenge. In this period of Lent, what better way  is there for us to practice the  love of God than by following this commandment of the Lord.
We have received injuries and insults in our lives several times. We carry those wounds in our hearts. Sometimes it is the the lack of love from the people from whom we expect love and compassion. Sometimes, the attitude of superiors ignoring our services and work is grating on us.We always receive some kind of bumps from all sides in our daily life. If we are going to carry on hatred and vengeance in our life, there will be no peace.We will always be feeling the  bitterness of those  hurts. Sometimes, humanly, it will be hard for us to forget and forgive. But then, knowing that this is what Jesus wants from us, we just reach out and forgive.God will come to our assistance and give abundant blessings.

Epiphany Reflections,Feb.15,12,Jn.8:31-38

In today's Gospel, Jesus enters into a dialogue with his  listeners about his mission and identity. He tells them plainly that they are refusing to accept the facts that are before  them.He asks them to accept him as the Savior because of the  works he does. He tells them that in accepting his teachings, they will be accepting the truth and no more will be living in the shadows of lies and untruths. By accepting Jesus, they will be freed from their sins. The  will be able to experience peace and joy in their hearts.
Today , Jesus is asking us to commit ourselves to him and experience the forgiveness he offers us.We are all sinners. Every day , we exhibit more of our fragility and weakness. But we should know that the Lord will never forsake us.We should feel comforted in that hope.

Epiphany Reflectons,Jan.14,12,Jn.9:35-39

In today's Gospel, we find Jesus speaking to the blind man who was cured of his blinness and asking him whether he believed in the Son of Man.Jesus reveals that he is the Son of Man. The blidman right away acknowledges him as the Messiah and bows down to worship him. He became a true believer. His physical as well as spirtual blindness have faded away. We have our sight but our spiritual vision is darkened often. We become blind with our arroganc,e selfishness an lack of love. We don't see the presenceof God in our lives. Today Jesus is asking us to commit ourselves to him.

Funeral

Points
Prayers and condolences.
Great meemories of his service and love come to mind -- of the family,students and friends...the way he cared for them and worked for them when they were young.His words--hard work- inspiring actions---all remain strongly imprinted in our minds.
As a teacher, his influence --unforgettable.A teraches affects eternity---Henry Adams.
At a time like this---the words of Jesus to Martha nd Mary---I am the Life and the Resurrection...
For  a Christian, death is only a curtian---a veil --it opens the way to etrnal life---and does not take away life from us.
The words of Donne--when you hear the church bell tolling, don't ask for whom it tolls, it tolls for you.
This is the time for reconciliation and forgiveness.

Marriage,homily,Feb.11,12

Points
Congratulations--A decision today before the Lord --to live together.When you look back later in life, you would say....the best decision..
When Churchill was asked what he would do if he were given a second life---would want to be the husband of his wife....She --present at all Parliament gatherings when he spoke..
Today , you will be asked  to marry---according to the law of Christ---What is the law of Christ.?
The  law of love...Sacrifice...Giving up everything for the one that is loved
The more you sacrifice, the more you grow in love.Don't ask what I  can get---what I can give...how much I can sacrifice...
When you go down , you go up...
An old man from Delhi---three things he does...Should be heard from every Christian
You are called to that love today.
A sacrament--a source of grace---Your interactions, your acceptance of the joys and sorrows of life---bring the grace of God into your life...
Scott Hahn--the lay theologian..my wife is the tabernacle (Sacrari) for me.
Prayer makes you humble, loving, willing to sacrifice and to forgive...May God bless you.

Epiphany Reflectons,Feb.9,12,Mt.12:18-21

In today's Gospel, we are told about the mercyof Jesus.The evangelist uses a messainic prophecy from the prophet Isaiah to describe the ministry of Jesus.Jesus would not do anything to inflict pain on any one but would do everything possible to lift the burden of pain from the lives of people. As Jesus was going around, healing and comforting people, his work of mercy was expalined  using the prophetic words  from Isaiah.
We have to carry this conviction that our Lord will always be with us in our times of need. When we are hurt and sufering, we should find our strength and hope n the comforting love of Jesus.Whatever may be problems, we should never get frightend or feel hopleess. We have to hope even when there is no  visible sign  of hope, knowing that the Lord will not abndon us and that  he would come to our aid.

Epiphany 5th week,Jan.6,12,Jn.8:39-47

Jesus in today's Gospel is trying to convince an unbelieving group the truth of his mission.But they remain more stubborn and hard-hearted and refuse to look at the truth of his message.Jesus tells them that if their hearts were open to God, they would acknowledge him as the Messiah.
Today, Jesus is asking us to open our hearts to God.If our hearts are devoid of arrogance, we would see the hand of God guiding us.
We shall ask the Lord to open our hearts and help us to see the events of our life in the light of his message.

Epiphany Reflections,Denaha,4th Week,Feb.1,12,Mt.6:1-4

In this passage, Jesus reminds his listerners how necessary it is not to show off when we are  giving alms.We help others not for publicty or for getting the applause of other people. We help people because we love them and we know that God loves them too. God wants us to use our talents and reources to help others. Our attitude when we help others should be one of love and generosity.There should be no intention of getting any publicity out of what we do for others.When we help others sincerely and with love, God will take care of our needs."Your Father who sees in secret will repay you."
How easy it is for us to be carried by the  approval of others. But that approval and publicty are worthless. We become more selfish and lose the sense of pure genersoity and love .
Today we shall ask the Lord for the grace to help others wthout any motive for publicity or  approval.Popular approval has no value. What is important is how we stand before Lord.
Lord, give me the grace to avoid the desire for approval or publicity.

Epiphany Reflections,3rd week,Jan.23,12,Lk.2:28-35

In today's Gospel,  we read the prohecy of Simeon who thanks God for giving him the blessing to see the child who is the Savior of the world. In those  few words of Simeon are packed the whole story of the life of Jesus and what would happen to Mary in her life.
 He announces that  Jesus is the light of the Gentiles and the gory of Israel and that he is destined to be the downfall and rise of many in Israel.
To all of us who have experienced Jesus as our Savior, he is the light of our life. We shall not be afraid of anything that happens in our lives.Events in our life may appear to be intimidating and beyond incomprehensible. But with Jesus on our side we can overcome all those obstacles.His presence in our life gives us confidence and hope. Let us not be afraid of anything in our life.
Simeon reminds us to be thankful like him because we have Jesus with us. He was happy and he felt his life's dreams were fulfilled. In great feelings of joy he asks the Lord to allow him to depart from this earth because his eyes had seen the undreamable--the Savior of the world. That feeling of joy should be in our hearts because with the presence of Lord in our hearts, we can overcome our problems.

Epiphany Reflections,Jan.19,Jn.17:6-11

In this passage from the Gospel, Jesus prays for the unity of his diciples. He speaks about the unity between Himself and the Father and requests the Father to keep his disciples united with one another in the same kind of intimate bond of togetherness.In this  Week that  when  Christians all over the world are  asked to pray for unity, we should also think of the ways in which we can  keep this sense of unity in our midst. Even if we are  closely bound together by so many factors, there are hundreds of other things that make us move apart. We often think how close the family should be but there also we find so manyfactors that keep them fragmented and disunited.Our parishes should feel a sense of unity but so many things happen there to to keep us fragented. We shall try to  remove all these factores that keep us apart and plan on coming together because we are the children of the same Father. We are always loved by the  Lord and He wants us to forget our  differences and come togeht as one family.

Epiphany Reflections,Lk.12:4-12

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us of being bold and confident in our witness to him. We have to be afraid of those who are leading us astray from the path of faith , from our dependence on God.We don't have to be much afraid of those who are trying to destroy our material prosperity but to be deeply suspicious of those who plant wrong ideas into our minds in order to destroy our faith.Those  who denigrate the works of God and attribute them to the power of evil are doing great harm to people.Today , we shall ask the Lord to make us  strong and confident in the practice of our faith.
Sometimes we are confused as to what kind of response  we have to give before those who who denigrate our faith.Whatever may be the positions or power they hold in life, we will be inspired by the Holy Spirit to give the right reponse.
Today we shall ask the Lord to send his grace  into our hearts so that we may have the boldness to live and proclaim  our faith.

Epiphany Reflections(Denaha),Mk.6:14-29

In today's Gospel, we read about the life of John the Baptist. While describing his heroic life and death, the evangelist mentions that  he was  just  and holy.John the Batist was also praised  by Our Lord as  the greatest of men  born on this earth.  He was one who gave himself totally to God and devoted his life in bringing people to God.He had no fear of people or  of their false  traditions. Today , as we  reflect on  his life, let us ask the Lord to give us  the gift of living according to our faith. There are all  kinds of practices and opinions  that  lure us away from the faith.
Our own friends and colleagues who are attracted by the spirit of the world do often urge us to live a life away from  the teachings of Jesus Christ. We too are often tempted to follow the beaten path and choose the life style of  those who are concerned only with material sccess and popularity.Runnning against the current of the day would require  tremendous effort.Only with the grace of God  do we get the courage to live according to the spirit of  the Gospel.
 We should pray to  have  the constancy and steadiness of  John the Baptist to resist the power of such allurements and live according to the demands of our faith.

Epiphany--Reflection,Jan.12.12,Jn.10:31-38

In today's Gospel, Jesus  invites his listeners not to stand outside and criticize but to accept and follow Him.He even challenges the truthfulness of their accusations by showing from the Scriptures itself that all those who are chosen by God are called gods in the Scriptures.He asks them to get out of their semantics and to become converts in their hearts.
We too are sometimes caught in this web of questions and discussions and try to  avoid confronting the truth.Jesus wants us to be his followers and to live according to his teachings. We wait and hesitate. No waiting and hesistating. Let us avoid what is wrong and follow Jesus by making deep corrections in our hearts.

Epiphany--Reflection,Jan.11.12,Jn.10:25-30

In today's Gosepl in response to the inquiries of people wth regard to the identity of Jesus, He tells them plainly that he and the father are one.His own deeds would bear witness to the fact that He is Divine.No man would be in a position to do what Jesus did. He is calling them to become his followers and guide their lives according to His words. They are on the brink.They hesitate to take the plunge. We know the Lord and we are His followers.But our lives do not conform to his teachings. Today , he is asking  us to change our attitutdes and become his followers.He will never abandon us. We are offered His protection all the time in our lives.

Denaha 1st S,Jan.8,12,Lk.4:14-30

I am reminded of the life of Peter Reddy who used to walk around the streets of Kerala with the words, "God loves  you" on the back of  his shirt.He used to sleep on church verandhas and would come for particiaption in  the masses.He would preach public meetings. He was a college professor.He resigned his  job at the college and went around preaching the message of Jesus.What was his motive? His love of Jesus.He was filled with the Holy Spirit.He had to convey the message that Jesus loves every one.Jesus was  the center of his life.
In today's Gospel, we find Jesus going to the synagogue and reading  the passage from Isaiah about the Christ and telling the people after reading it that the passage was  fulfilled right before their eyes.He was  telling them that he was  the Christ and he came to heal and love.
This feast reminds us about our duty as Christians to live  the message of  the love in our lives and to preach it through our words and actions.How can we do this?Look at the way we live. Is there anything that can be changed in my life? Can I become more loving and forgiving in my family relationships?
Can I live such a life in my contacts with other people?

Christmas Reflections,Jan.4,12,Jn.3:16-21.

In today's Gospel, the Evangelist speaks  of the immensity of God's love.God sent his Son to redeem us through His death because of  His great love for us.It is  not to condemn us but to save us that He came to the world.These words of the Gospel should make us very happy and peaceful in our life.Because of our weaknesses and failures, we often think of God's punishment. We never think of His love. His love is for all of us.As Bishop Sheen says, we are loveable not because of our merit but because God has put  His love into our hearts.
How consoling it is know  that  God's overwhelming love is there for all of us to experience. In His presence, none of us has any value. We have value  only because He loves us.
 We shall ask the Lord to give us the grace  to experience His love always in our lives.

Christmas Reflections,Jan2,12,Lk.14:25-35

In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about discipleship and what it entails. One who decides to follow Jesus should resolve to follow him  with his whole heart. Jesus requires our  total attachment to Him.Our families and other personal interests come only secondary to the place that Jesus has  in our lives. Jesus cannot just be one of the leaders in our lives. He is our only leader.He is the only one to be followed.
He is the source of our hope.Jesus reminds his followers that  thosewho who plan to start big ventures will aways think before to find out whether their projects would be successful.The followers of Jesus have to  decide whether it is going to be a total commitment on their part.They are asked to be a source of goodness in the society in which they live. If we cannot transform our lives or the lives of the people with whom we live, then we are worthless like the salt that has lost its taste.
In this New Year, it is very appropriate for us to reflect on the nature of our attachment to Jesus. Our attachment should be total and whole-hearted.
When we have Jesus, we have everything that is  needed in life.