Third sunday in Easter

Easter third Sunday

Welcome everyone to celebrate the third Sunday in Easter. I would like to thank you all to come out to celebrate life and happiness, to celebrate faith and forgiveness.

In today’s gospel, we meet with the two disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ on the way to Emmaus. They looked sad and unhappy; they looked distressed and low. But they were still talking to each other and every time they talked their sadness increased. While they were talking, a mysterious man came along and joined them asking, “ what are you talking about and why are you looking sad”. Then they explained how they lost their Master and Lord. They said, “We hoped we would save us and others. We thought He was our Messiah and Lord”. Then the stranger explained to them everything from the Old Testament to the New Testament. He explained to them why it was so necessary that the Messiah should suffer, die and on the third day rise again. He opened their minds and hearts. He opened them to reality. And then while He was breaking the bread, they recognized that the stranger was not a stranger at all, the mystery man was not a mystery man at all. He was their Master and Lord. He was their good shepherd and God. Then the Master vanished from their eyes but their heart, soul, mind and body was filled with Christ alone.

They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us? Were not we so happy and satisfied in His presence?

Dear friends when we are sad and unhappy. When we are in need and in trouble, we are not alone, Christ will come to us and He will fill us with His love and kindness. And God gave us all another earthly person to understand and help us in our need yes that wonderful and beautiful creature is called, “Mother”.

Mothers are God sent. The growth of a family, society and a nation mostly depend on mothers. Out of perfection only perfection comes out and from a good mother there comes out only good children.

One day three children decided to send beautiful gifts to their mother on mother’s day. So the first son bought a beautiful big house and the second son bought a BMW car and the third son got a parrot that could recite the whole bible upside down. All you have to do is just say Matthew gospel chapter 25, the parrot would say how Jesus would come to judge the world.

Few days later the mother sent thank you notes to each of her children. To the first son she said, “son, I am getting old and I can not maintain a big house. So I cannot accept your gift. But thank you for your kind thought. To the second son, she said son, as you know I am not driving anymore and I cannot accept your BMW. Anyhow thank you very much. She then wrote a long letter to the third son saying, “son you are the best and you understand what a mother want. You know I am a religious person. Thank you for all your prayers and the mother’s day gift. Son the world needs people like you who can help others to know God and His kindness. Thank you very much for your gift. Then she wrote son by the way… the bird was so so delicious”.

The gospel says that Jesus experienced love and kindness at home. His mother Mary looked after Him well. When He disappeared at the temple in Jerusalem, His parents were distressed and His mother asked Him, “why did you do this to us?” Mary influenced Him in man ways. The bible says by listening to His parents, Jesus grew in wisdom and knowledge and he was found favor with God and people.

Mothers play a vital role in the growth of children. They make everything come true for their children and their sacrifice and suffering bring happiness and joy in their children. They influence their children greatly. The first miracle of Christ was done by the influence of His mother Mary at Cana of Galilee.

As we celebrate mother’s day let us pray to God for our mothers and ask God to protect and keep them safe.