30th Sunday- A

Love God and your neighbor. 

Good evening/morning everyone, I am happy to welcome you all for today's Holy Mass. 

Today I have an announcement to make. Since I am so Ecumenical, I would love to invite all denominations to St. Joseph's Catholic Church. I love to especially welcome fifty and hundred-dollar bills. 

Once a little boy sitting in a tall and big tree refused to come down. So, the parents called the police, the fire fighters and so on but they could not do anything. He refused to come down. Then they said, "Let us call our new priest and he could do something..." The priest came and looked up and made a sign of the cross and immediately the boy came down. Everyone clapped hands for the priest. Then a man approached the priest and said, "Oh father, you are the best. You have miracle powers and with a sign of the cross, you brought the boy down..." The priest said, "I didn't make the sign of the cross. I did was a sign looking at the boy saying, "If you don't come down, I will cut down the tree..." 

Once a man approached many priests and asked, "Please help me to understand your faith in five words and I'd join your Church...many pastors refused saying, "It's impossible to teach the whole Catholic faith in five words...but at last (it happens always) one priest looked at him and said, "I can summarize the whole Christian faith in five words namely, "Love God, Love your neighbor". The rest is all commentary. 

Today if we approach hundred people and ask about the most important element of Christianity, we would get many different answers. When Christ our Lord was asked about the most important element, Christ the only Son of God said, "Our love directed toward God and God alone". 

Once a man went to a spiritual master and said, "Master, I made all kinds of pilgrimages, went to mountain tops and to the bottom of the oceans and to the deserted lonely places to find God but I never found Him. And you say, "God can be found at any time and in anywhere". Please help me to find Him. Do you know what the spiritual master did? He took the man to a river and pushed his head in the water and was holding it for two minutes. And when the man came out of water, he got so mad at the master and said, "I came to you so that you could help me to find god but you are trying to kill me" 

Then the master looked at him and said, "when you were in the water, what were you thinking about? The man said, "no, I wasn't thinking about anything. All I wanted to do is just breath... and breath". Then the master said, "Son, just as if you love God with all your heart, mind, body and soul...you will see Him not tomorrow or this afternoon but right this minute..." 

The most important and core of all Jewish prayer is called, "Shema, Israel," namely hear O Israel. Every pious and devoted Jew would recite the Shema twice daily, morning and evening. It's a center of all prayers. He would pray saying, "Hear O Israel, the Lord is God. The Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength". Christ our Lord says that this is the greatest of all commandments.  

Yes, we should give God what is right not what is left. What is right then? Giving ourselves to God is the right thing. As we give ourselves and love Him with who we are, then more will be given to us, yes, more happiness, more joy and more life. 

Then Christ our Lord added another commandment saying, 'Love your neighbor as yourself". There is a beautiful legend about St. John the apostle. As he lived in his old age in Ephesus, he went very day to preach the good news to people. Since he was very old and his body and mind were failing, so his homily became five-word homily. He used over and over again, five words. He used to look at the massive crowed and repeated saying, "My Children, love one another...my children love one another". 

In the second century a non-Christian writer named Aristides wrote a letter to the roman emperor saying, "The people who are calling themselves Christians love one another. They share with one another what they have and support the widows and orphans. They preach a new kind of religion"  

Christ says, "By this everyone will come to know that you are my disciples. If you love one another". 

Once a Rabbi went to a Catholic Monastery and the head monk who invited him began to complain to him saying, "Once our Monastery was really doing well. We had so many monks and people used to come for spiritual directions and prayers but not we don't have many monks. There are only five monks left and people don't come anymore for any spiritual directions or prayers..." The Rabbi who listened to all didn't say anything but the next day, as he was leaving the monastery, he called the head monk and said, "Last night I had a vision and one of you is the Messiah" And thus he went on his way. The abbot I mean the head monk was so shocked and amazed and let all the five monks Knew. Then everything began to change in the monastery. Everyone began to treat each other and themselves thinking that they could be the Messiah. There was love and forgiveness. They loved each other so much. Then seeing their compassion, love and kindness, many men joined their order to become monk and people came back for spiritual and moral support. 

 Yes, by loving others, we not only change others but we change ourselves too. So, let us love god and others. Amen. 

29th Sunday-Mission Sunday

MISSION SUNDAY.... 

Good evening/morning every one. Welcome to celebrate today's Holy Mass. Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates 'Mission Sunday'.  

Last week after pet animal blessing, someone asked, "Will dogs go to heaven?" I said, "Not only dogs, so are the fleas". Last Wednesday, I had a chance to meet with other church ministers and when I introduced myself to them saying, "I am from the best church in town". 

Once a missionary went to a distant land to preach the Good News of Christ our Lord and while he was walking with the guide, he asked about the people, culture, food and so on. Then he looked at the guide and said, "what about cannibals. Do you have cannibals in your village?" The guide laughed and laughed and said, "Oh father, we don't have any cannibal because we ate the last one yesterday" 

Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates 'Mission Sunday'. This day, we are called in a special way to pray for all missionary priests and people who dedicate their lives to promote justice and peace and who preach the Good News of Christ our Lord and who sacrifice their time, energy and resources for the welfare of others.  

We are by the very nature of the sacrament of Baptism are called to become missionaries at home and abroad. 

There is a non-canonical story of our Lord Jesus Christ that after His ascension, the angels met with Him and looking at his pierced hands and feet said, "You suffered a lot to bring love and forgiveness among people. Lord, who is going to continue to mission of love and forgiveness now? My apostles and disciples will go everywhere to preach the Good News and what would happen after their death? Do you have any other plan? Christ said, "Yes, my people who were baptized in my name will go out and preach the love and forgiveness of God everywhere". Yes, we are His plan. And we are called to continue His mission of love and forgiveness. 

In the Old Testament time, people did not go out to preach the message of God. They spread the message of God within the community but in the New Testament time, we are called to go out and preach the Good News everywhere.  

There is a story about St. Mother Teresa who once went to a very rich Hindu man and stretched out her hand and said, "Give me something for the poor. And the rich man spat in her hand. Mother Teresa was not mad or angry, instead she smiled at him and said, "This is for me and stretching out her another hand and said, "Now give me something for the poor". The rich man was so inspired by her action and then he himself became a follower of Christ our Lord.  

By the very way of life, we are asked to inspire others and bring them to God almighty. 

Once a man went to a spiritual master and said, "Master, I'd like to become a missionary and go to distant land to preach the Good News of Christ our Lord and thus he offered the master two gold-coins. The master not saying anything took one of the gold coins and threw it in the river. The man right away jumped in the water and was looking for it. When he could not find it, asked the master, "where did you throw my coin?" For that the master took the other coin threw it in the water and said, "right there..." Then he called the man and said, "Son, if you want to become a missionary, you should know how to unbind yourself from material things and hold on to Christ the only way".  

Every time Christ our Lord sent His apostles to preach the good news, He clearly told them not to take anything with them. As we go to talk to someone about Christ, the Bible or the rosary, we should know how to carry Christ with us. Yes, Christ alone is our strength and courage.  

In today's gospel, as the Pharisees asked saying, "Teacher, is it lawful to pay taxes to emperor or not?" Christ then taking the coin and looking at it says, "whose head is this and whose title is this. Give it to Ceasar, what belongs to Caesar and give it to God what belongs to God. What belongs to God. We belong to God and we should give ourselves to Him and thus continue the mission of preaching His love and kindness to all.  

Today there are so many priests, nuns and lay people are going to different countries to preach the good news of Christ. They build schools, hospitals, nursing homes and so on. By their way of life, they inspire many. Once St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Good news and if it is necessary, use words". St. Paul went not thirty thousand kilometers but thirty thousand miles to preach the Good News. And we do not need to go to distant land to preach the good news and become missionaries, all we have to do is pray and support the missionaries and also become missionaries of Christ for those who are at home not experiencing the love of Christ our Lord. Yes, the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Amen. 

28th Sunday- A

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY-A 

Good morning everyone, I am happy to welcome you all for today's Holy Mass. 

After today's and tomorrow Masses, there will be a special pet animal blessing. If you haven't brought your pets today, you may bring them tomorrow 10.00 or 12.00 noon and I will bless them in front of the statue of St. Francis of Assisi. 

One of the churches, after the pet blessing, a wonderful woman came to me and said, "Oh father, I don't have any animal at home and is it o. k to bring my husband?" I said, "That’s fine with one condition. After I bless him, you should take him back to the zoo". He looked at me and said, "Father, that’s not funny. Do not give up your day job". By the way, he was one of the persons who pronounced my last name right and I gave him a check for hundred dollars and he gave it back to me. It's because I said, "This check can be cashed in heaven". 

Once a woman who passed away was at the heavenly gate. Before letting her in St. Peter looked at her and said, "By the way, before entering into heaven, you suppose to spell a word". She said, "What word". Why don't you spell "Love." She said, "L..o..v..e" and thus she was allowed to enter into heaven. Then the saint looked at her and said, "I am going to have a break and all you have to do is, if anyone comes here, just ask that person to spell a simple word and let them in". And as she was standing at the gate, you won't believe that her ex-husband came. She looked at him and said, "What are you doing here?" I took a heart attack and ended up here. Am I in heaven? She said, "Not yet my ex-husband, not yet" before entering into heaven, you suppose to spell a word. He said, "What word?" She looked at him and said, "Spell Czechoslovakia". 

Friends in Christ Jesus, the past three weekends, we have been meditating upon the kingdom of God. Christ our Lord talks about the kingdom of God where we will see God face to face and celebrate unending life. We are all called to enter into heaven and be with Christ our Lord and thus to have eternal bliss. And that's why even before He was going to the Father. He called all His apostles and said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house and if they were not, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you and so where I am you may be too.  

Then one of His apostles St. Thomas said, "Jesus, we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to us all, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can go to the Father except through me". 

Our God is not God Father who kills others when they do not do what He is saying. Our God is God the Father who though we go away from Him, loves us unconditionally. 

Today's gospel talks about a glimpse of the glory of the kingdom of heaven. It's like a celebration of a wedding festival. We are all invited and celebrate and be happy eternally.  

Once a man who went to heaven was so curious of going to eternal punishment, I mean to hell and see the place. The angel said that is not a good idea but any how he went down. He actually had a good time. The next week also he did the same and had good time. On the third time when he wanted to go to hell, the angel of the Lord said, "NO" but he went down but this time, things were so different. He was being tortured and was in agony and he looked at the devil and said, "What is going on here. The last two times I had fun but now I am being tortured and in agony" The devil looked at him and said, "Son, before you were a visitor but now you are a resident".   

There are so many people say "No" to the wedding banquet, to the celebration. They have so many excuses to come to church and know and learn about the love, kindness, forgiveness of God almighty. They always find a way to avoid the celebration saying, "I don't have time... I am busy and I have to take my children to hockey and so on..." If a person doesn't have grocery, he knows where to go and when a person needs gas, and he knows where to go but when a person doesn't have time, why does he not know where to go. We should go to God who created time. We should go to Him who made everything and He will bless us with more time. 

St. Francis de Sales says, "Pray every day an hour and when you are busy, then pray two hours". 

There is a beautiful Arabian fable which tells about a man who went to his neighbor and asked to borrow a rope. The neighbor said, "I cannot lend it to you because I am using it to tie up a pile of sand" But the man said, "You cannot tie up a pile of sand though". You know what the neighbor said? He said, "Oh yes, you can and you can do anything with a rope when you don't want to lend it to others". 

Today so many people come up with so many excuses to come to the wedding feast and they refuse to know the know the love and kindness of God by practicing their faith. 

But on the other hand, you are here celebrating Christ's love and kindness. You are here participating in his wedding feast and so let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the wedding banquet one day with Christ who is preparing a place for us all in heaven and pray for those who are away from His love and forgiveness.  

If anyone asks you about where you were today? Tell them that you went to experience a piece of heaven... I mean to the Church. Amen.