In today's Gospel, we find the Pharisees and the Scribes asking Jesus why his disciples are not keeping the age-old traditions of their faith . Eating meals before washing their hands was considered a violation of the tradition. Jesus counters their argument by telling them that they are accusing his disciples of a braking a human tradition, while they are violating the divine commandment by not taking care of their parents. Jesus quotes the words of the prophet Isaiah to show that they are hypocritical in their words and actions.Jesus further points out that it is not the external actions that are important but their interior dispositions. It is our interior thoughts and actions directed by those thoughts that are more important.Our bad thoughts defile us.
Let us not be hypocritical in our lives.It is not the observance of rituals and traditions that are important but the good thoughts and actions that come from us are more important.We shall ask the Lord to change our hearts so that we may become more merciful and loving.
Friday, September 22, 2017
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Elia1,Sept.16,Lk.15:1-7,Parable of the Lost Sheep
Jesus speaks about the joy that is felt by God when a sinner repents of his sins and returns to Him. Jesus explains this through the parable of the Lost Sheep.A shepherd searches for his lost sheep and feels extremely happy when he finds it.So too there will be joy in heaven when a sinner repents and comes back to God.This parable was spoken when the Pharisees and scribes accused Jesus of his association with sinners.They found it unacceptable that Jesus was welcoming sinners and eating with them.
Jesus makes it clear that he is not going to reject sinners but will accept them and love them.He wants them to be saved and not to be rejected and condemned.
What a source of comfort and consolation this saying of Jesus is for each one of us.We are not going to be rejected and abandoned just because of our sins. He will forgive us and offer his love for us.
Often we are caught in the web of our guilt feelings and feel ourselves condemned and guilty because of our sins.But through this parable Jesus offers us hope and peace.This is the joy that Christianity offers us.
Navarre Commentary: "In the face of our weakness,God does not stand idly by:he goes out in search of what is lost and makes every effort to find it....Meditation on this passage will help us to be optimistic and confident."
St.Therese of Lisieux: "What joy to remember that Our Lord is just;that he makes allowances for all our shortcomings, and knows full well how weak we are.What have I fear to then?Surely the god of infinite justice who pardons th eprodigal son with such mercy will be just with me."
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Elia 1 Wednesday,sept.13,Lk.12:41-48,Feast of St.John Chrysostom
Quotes from St.John Chrysostom
If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the Chruch door, you will not find Him in the chalice.
Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.
Why not learn to enjoy the little things--there are so many of them.
the rich man is not one who is in possession of much, but one who gives much.
the Eucharist is a fire that inflames us ,that like lions breathing fire, we may retire from the altar being made terrible to the devil.
When we teach our children to be good,to be gentle, to be forgiving...we instill in their souls and revel the image of god within them.
St.John was the Archbishop of Constantinople and later banished from the see on account of the allegation raised against him that he was close to some followers of Origin.
4th-5th C.
In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about the need to be a careful steward. If we fail in our duty and waste the resources entrusted to our care, we would be punished and deprived of the opportunity to be in charge of the tasks that were entrusted to us.More would be expected from theose who are given more.
God has given us the faith.We know the Lord will be there to protect us and to love us.We should use our knowledge to protect and love the people entrusted to our care.Our faith should glow more powerfully through our daily activities.
god be kind to me and help me to grow in my love for you.
If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the Chruch door, you will not find Him in the chalice.
Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.
Why not learn to enjoy the little things--there are so many of them.
the rich man is not one who is in possession of much, but one who gives much.
the Eucharist is a fire that inflames us ,that like lions breathing fire, we may retire from the altar being made terrible to the devil.
When we teach our children to be good,to be gentle, to be forgiving...we instill in their souls and revel the image of god within them.
St.John was the Archbishop of Constantinople and later banished from the see on account of the allegation raised against him that he was close to some followers of Origin.
4th-5th C.
In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about the need to be a careful steward. If we fail in our duty and waste the resources entrusted to our care, we would be punished and deprived of the opportunity to be in charge of the tasks that were entrusted to us.More would be expected from theose who are given more.
God has given us the faith.We know the Lord will be there to protect us and to love us.We should use our knowledge to protect and love the people entrusted to our care.Our faith should glow more powerfully through our daily activities.
god be kind to me and help me to grow in my love for you.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Sept.12,Elia 1,Lk 9 :23-27
In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about the true nature of discipleship.Following Jesus would involve acceptance of the crosses of our daily life.The hardships and difficulties of daily life are the sources of our salvation.It is an accepting them that we become true followers of Jesus.We accept them not because we love suffering for its own sake but because we know that Jesus will protect us. Instead of becoming rebellious and hard-hearted, we become compassonate and merciful .Jesus reminds us that all that we accumulate as our comforts becomes meaningless, if they do not help our spiritual life.What is important is being with the Lord.
Lord, thank you for giving us the courage to follow you. No hardship of life will have the power to deflect us from our attachment to you.You give us peace and comfort and in you we find the joy of our life.What is important is the salvation of our soul.Thank you Lord for your protection and love.
Lord, thank you for giving us the courage to follow you. No hardship of life will have the power to deflect us from our attachment to you.You give us peace and comfort and in you we find the joy of our life.What is important is the salvation of our soul.Thank you Lord for your protection and love.
Friday, September 8, 2017
Sept1,Kaitha 6, Jo.15:18-25
Jesus speaks about the persecution and suffering that are going to be experienced by his disciples.The world is hating Jesus because he is speaking their value-systems.All those who follow Jesus will also stand by those values and hence they will be hated by the world.What he is telling us is that we don't have a rosy path to follow in our life of faith.When we live by the light of our faith, we are always standing against the spirit of the world and hence will be opposed and persecuted.
What we have to bear in mind is that opposition to our faith and religious life from our neighbors and friends on account of our faith should not deter us from following our path.We have standing beside us, Jesus, the anchor and protector of our life.
What we have to bear in mind is that opposition to our faith and religious life from our neighbors and friends on account of our faith should not deter us from following our path.We have standing beside us, Jesus, the anchor and protector of our life.
Sept.2,Kaitha 6,Lk.21:5-6;20-24
Jesus speaks about the destruction of the Temple and of the calamities that would happen to the people of Israel.These warnings remind us that nothing is permanent in our life. All that we see and enjoy as the most beautiful creations of man will disappear before our very eyes.What is important is our faith in our lord Jesus Christ and our determination to change the direction of our lives.Our faith in him will act as a strong bulwark against all kinds of oppressive systems
Sept.4,Kaitha 7,Mk.13:14-23
Jesus speaks about the destruction and annihilaton that the world will expereince.There would be no time to find a secure place nor to gather our most precious possessions.The end will come suddenly and without a warning.What Jesus wants us to do si to prepare for any eventuality.In our spiritual life, we should be prepared.We should live in such a way that we are spiritually prepared to meet any eventuality in our lives.
The necessity of constant vigilance is what is enjoined upon us: Be watchful.I have told it all to you beforehand."
We have our faults and weaknesses.Our weaknesses and failures should not make us despair. We have to get out of such morally degenerating situations through our repentance and through our determination to reform our lives."Lord, forgive me" should be the road we have to take.Once we are reconciled with God through our repentance, we become partakers of the mercy and compassion of the Lord.
The necessity of constant vigilance is what is enjoined upon us: Be watchful.I have told it all to you beforehand."
We have our faults and weaknesses.Our weaknesses and failures should not make us despair. We have to get out of such morally degenerating situations through our repentance and through our determination to reform our lives."Lord, forgive me" should be the road we have to take.Once we are reconciled with God through our repentance, we become partakers of the mercy and compassion of the Lord.
Kaitha 7,Sept.9,Mk.2:13-17,The Call of Levi
In today's Gospel, we see Jesus meeting Levi, the tax collector and calling him to follow him.Leaving his post and all that pertains to the office, he accepts the call and follows Jesus.Jesus takes the occasion to visit his house for dinner with his friends and relatives.People were surprised to see Jesus eating with tax-collectors and those who were considered by the society as sinners.To their murmurings and complaints, Jesus explains the nature of his ministry. He tells them that he has come to call sinners, to save them and offer them forgiveness and compassion from the Lord.
These words of Jesus should make our heart glow with hope and joy.Our sins weigh us down and we bemoan the fact that there s no forgiveness and mercy for us. We feel that because of our failures and sins, we would be deprived of the mercy and love of God. Jesus shows us that God is there ready to welcome us and to offer us forgiveness. We are not going to be condemned. Instead, we would be forgiven and rehabilitated.What a joy these words of Jesus produce in our hearts!
These words of Jesus should make our heart glow with hope and joy.Our sins weigh us down and we bemoan the fact that there s no forgiveness and mercy for us. We feel that because of our failures and sins, we would be deprived of the mercy and love of God. Jesus shows us that God is there ready to welcome us and to offer us forgiveness. We are not going to be condemned. Instead, we would be forgiven and rehabilitated.What a joy these words of Jesus produce in our hearts!
Sept.5,Kaitha 7,Mt.25:31-40,Mother Teresa
Quotes from Mother Teresa:
"Do not wait for leaders;do it alone,person to person"
"God speaks in the silence of the heart, snd we listen.And then we speak to God from the fullness of our heart, and God listens.And this listening and this speaking is what prayer is meant to be."
"A clean heart is a free heart.A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love."
"we too are called to withdraw at certain intervals into deeper silence and aloneness with God...to be alone with him--not with our books,thoughts and memories but completely stripped of everything--to dwell lovingly in His presence, silent, empty, expectant and motionless.We cannot find God in noise or agitation."
Mother Tersea was born on Aug.26,1910 and died on Sept.5,1997.She was canonized on Sept.4,2016 by Pope Francis.
I had the good luck of meeting Mother Teresa when she came to Washington DC with Abp.James Hickey. I had a picture taken of her with the Abp.I did introduced myself to her.When she heard that I was from Chy , she sorrowfully said that she had no convent in Chy. The Spanish Catholics stood on the steps of the Cathedral and sang hymns welcoming her.From there, she went to the White House to meet the President.It was during her stay in Washington that she established two convents in Washington DC-- in some of the poorest areas of the city.
Who an forget the transformation that she brought about in the world!
Today as we celebrate her feast, we shall also keep her message alive in our heart by helping the poor and the abandoned.
"Do not wait for leaders;do it alone,person to person"
"God speaks in the silence of the heart, snd we listen.And then we speak to God from the fullness of our heart, and God listens.And this listening and this speaking is what prayer is meant to be."
"A clean heart is a free heart.A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love."
"we too are called to withdraw at certain intervals into deeper silence and aloneness with God...to be alone with him--not with our books,thoughts and memories but completely stripped of everything--to dwell lovingly in His presence, silent, empty, expectant and motionless.We cannot find God in noise or agitation."
Mother Tersea was born on Aug.26,1910 and died on Sept.5,1997.She was canonized on Sept.4,2016 by Pope Francis.
I had the good luck of meeting Mother Teresa when she came to Washington DC with Abp.James Hickey. I had a picture taken of her with the Abp.I did introduced myself to her.When she heard that I was from Chy , she sorrowfully said that she had no convent in Chy. The Spanish Catholics stood on the steps of the Cathedral and sang hymns welcoming her.From there, she went to the White House to meet the President.It was during her stay in Washington that she established two convents in Washington DC-- in some of the poorest areas of the city.
Who an forget the transformation that she brought about in the world!
Today as we celebrate her feast, we shall also keep her message alive in our heart by helping the poor and the abandoned.
Sept.6,Kaitha 7,Mk.5:1-13
In today's Gospel , we find jesus driving out demons from a man possessed and allowing the demons to enter into the swine that were
Kaitha 7,Sept.7,Mt.13:10-17
In response to the disciples' inquiry as to why Jesus was speaking in parables, He gives his explanation by saying that the listener should be receptive to the message. There is a moral dimension in teaching.The one who is a disciple is willing to accept the teaching.The one with a questioning heart is so filled with attitudes that are negative the he is not willing to accept the teaching. Jesus is hinting that in order to understand his message about the kingdom of God, one should have an openness of heart.
We should ask the Lord to open our heart to the words of the Lord so that we may be transformed by His teaching.As long as the Lord is with us, we know that we can find our way in the labyrinth of worldly concerns and anxieties.
We should ask the Lord to open our heart to the words of the Lord so that we may be transformed by His teaching.As long as the Lord is with us, we know that we can find our way in the labyrinth of worldly concerns and anxieties.
Sept.8,Nativity of Our Lady,Kaitha,7,Mt1:1-16
Today we celebrate the Nativity of the Bl.Virgin Mary.In a world that is torn with war and violence, she offers us hope and peace.She wants us to return to a life of submission to the will of God.Her "Yes" to God changed the nature of the world and made the it a home for the Son of God.
This feast originated after the Council of Ephesus in 431where Mary was given the title the "Mother of God."The feast originated first in the Greek Church but was later adopted in the Latin Church in the 17th century.
This Feast celebrating the birth of Mary is an occasion for us to thank the Lord for having given her the gift of birth so that she could become the Mother of God as well as the Mother of humanity.When dark clouds of despair and of pain , mental and physical, harass us, we have a Mother to go to to intercede for us, to offer us hope and peace.What she told Jesus at Cana, she would be telling God for each one of us: "They have no wine". The emptiness of our life will be transformed through her intercession into a well of joy.
This feast originated after the Council of Ephesus in 431where Mary was given the title the "Mother of God."The feast originated first in the Greek Church but was later adopted in the Latin Church in the 17th century.
This Feast celebrating the birth of Mary is an occasion for us to thank the Lord for having given her the gift of birth so that she could become the Mother of God as well as the Mother of humanity.When dark clouds of despair and of pain , mental and physical, harass us, we have a Mother to go to to intercede for us, to offer us hope and peace.What she told Jesus at Cana, she would be telling God for each one of us: "They have no wine". The emptiness of our life will be transformed through her intercession into a well of joy.
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Sept.2,Kaitha 6,Lk.21:20-24
In this passage, Jesus speaks about the destruction of Jerusalem.The beautiful city of Jerusalem which was the pride of the Israelites was destroyed by the Roman army in AD 70.What Jesus predicted did happen before the eyes of his disciples later.But it is also the harbinger of good news too. Just as the destruction was a certain fact, so too will be the redemption of the world.
What we have to remember is the warning that Jesus gives through this passage.Everything that appears to be glorious and powerful in this world has only a transient value.It will disappear from our sight in no time. What is important is the way we lead our lives-- the conformity that we try to establish between our life and the teachings of the Lord.What is more stable and long standing than a beautiful Temple is our faith in the Lord and our determination to lead our lives in conformity with His teachings.
What we have to remember is the warning that Jesus gives through this passage.Everything that appears to be glorious and powerful in this world has only a transient value.It will disappear from our sight in no time. What is important is the way we lead our lives-- the conformity that we try to establish between our life and the teachings of the Lord.What is more stable and long standing than a beautiful Temple is our faith in the Lord and our determination to lead our lives in conformity with His teachings.
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