Good morning/evening every one, I am happy to welcome all our summer parishioners, visitors, parishioners and every one here today. Christ Jesus called us all in a special way to follow Him. So let us prepare ourselves to celebrate His Sacred mistery called to mind our shortcomings and sins.
Once a man as he walked with his friends said, "Look at new my dog. This is a very special one and now you will understand how..." Then he threw a piece of wood out in the water and his dog right away ran on the top of the water and picked it up and brought it back to him. The dog was so amazing walking on the water. The man said, "What do you think about my special dog.." His friend looked at him and the dog and said, "How come your dog doesn't know swimming".
Today's gospel invites us to reflect on and know that Christ Jesus is constantly calling us to follow Him but the call is not like any other ordinary invitation but a special and extraordinary Call.
As Christ our Lord is going along the road with all of His apostles, followers and others, a scribe comes to Him and says, "I will follow you wherever you go..." In other words, "I am ready to sacrifice my phiscal comfort to be with you". Christ who knows the inner thoughts of all... does not advice him to follow instead He talks about the physical discomfort he is going to face saying, "Foxes and birds have shelters. Creatures have their basic comfort and the son of man (Ben Adam) does not have even a place to lay His head.
Once a non-Catholic said, "What is going on in your church. People stand, sit, kneeldown, bow, walk and again repeat the same. It's so exhausting". Our rituals may look exhausting for others but the physical discipline helps us to unite our body and mind and be one with God. The very word 'Disciple' comes from discipline. Discipline demands giving up something to achieve something greater. But by complaining, nothing is going to be achieved.
Once a priest had a parishioner who never stopped complaining for each and everything. One day he, in order to make her happpy, said, "Every one says that your potetoes are the best, you are growing every healthy potetoes.... that is wonderful". She replied saying, they are true but I am not happy because, if I don't have bad ones how will I feed the pigs".
Physical discipline helps us to lot to improve our self-confidence. For example, setting goal to lose weight or getting up at certain time or doing physical exercise and so on.
There are two kinds of people. Morning people and people who want to shoot morning people.
To the second person, Jesus says, "Follow me". He responds saying, "Let me go and bury my father..." It's about emotional challenge.
Once a man prayed to God saying, "God, please help me, I am suffering..." and God appeared to him and said, " I am going to help you and before that, get me a glass of water from that house..." He went into the house and thirty five years later, because he fell in love with the woman in that house and had two children, called the Lord again saying, "Lord, help me, I am suffering". God looked at him and said, "Where is my water".
How is our emotional attachment with others? does it help to say, "yes" to the Lord or stop us from loving him wiht all our heart, mind, body and soul. Any human connection should help us to find God each and every day and thus grow spiritually and have deeper inner peace. They say, "One non-church goer can easily influence negatively and stop others from going to church and it takes at least four church goers to influence one non-church goer to bring back to church.
The thir person also says to Christ, " Let me go and kiss good bye to my momy and daddy."
Many of you have seen Mormon missionaries riding their bicks, wearing dark pants, white shirts and ties. Let me tell you more about their life-style. They do not see their families during the two years of their mission service. They are allowed to call home only on Christmas and Mother's day. Their day begins at 6.30 in the morning with Bible study and prayer. Then they work until 9.30pm. This becomes their routine for six days a week. No Tv, No movies or dates for two years. Though we have some serious theological issues with mormons, we can not deny their mission commitment. Commitment is the key and that is why they are growing so rapidly in Canada today.
Conclusion:
Are we like the apostles saying, "Yes.." to the Lord when He calls us and follow Him or like these three people who had different challenges and went away from the Lord. Christ needs committed, dedicated disciples like you and me and keep saying, "Yes, Lord I will follow you by my words and needs". So let us follow the Lord who is our way, the truth and life.... Amen.
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