3rd Sunday -B

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time- B 

Once a holy nun stood in front of a bar and was screaming and yelling at people who were going to drink saying, "You are made in a special way by God. You are the image and likeness of God. Do not kill your body with alcohol". Then two men walked up to her and said, "Sister, we do understand what you are saying. And before judging us, why don't you have a drink and then judge?" The nun said, "OK. Buy me two shots of vodka in a cup not in a glass so that people won't know that I am drinking. Thus, they went and ordered drinks for themselves and then said, 'Two shots of vodka in a cup Please" As the bartender was pouring the drink, he looked at them and said, "Wow...that nun again". 

Everyone is so busy these day, running for something or somewhere. It used to be 'Love' the most used word but not it is busy. We are all busy of doing something. And in the gospel, we see how Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were so busy catching fish and James and John sons of Zebedee were busy too mending nets and catching fish. Then we see how Christ the Son of God, calling them in their business. When they were called, they didn't say, "What about our families, what about our business and what about our everyday living".  Instead they left behind everything and immediately followed our Lord Jesus Christ who was preaching the Kingdom of God to all. 

For example, St. Paul was called in an unexpected moment to be an apostle of Christ. Saul studied under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel and he himself became a Rabbi and teaching and preaching God's words and eliminating the followers of Christ. He was a proud Pharisee but Christ called him in his busyness and asked him to preach the Good News.  

Mother Teresa became a teaching nun, helping children to learn and become intellectually stronger but God called her to do different mission. He called her to help the sick and the dying. 

And all the divine call, we can notice one thing that they were all doing different jobs already. They were all minding their own things but Jesus called them to leave behind what they were doing and asked them to become fishers of people.  

That is our God, when we think that we are already doing something and we don't have a call from God and then unexpectedly we will be called to do something special in His name. 

2. The one more thing that we might notice that there is no age limit for our call. God will call us at any age. When Abraham was called by God, Abraham was not 25 or 35 years old, he was 75. 

Moses was an older man too and when God called Jonah to go to Nineveh he was not a boy but an older man.  

God did not see how old we are but how ready we are. We can be called at any age to do His mission. 

As Christ was walking by the sea of Galilee, He was Simon and Andrew older people fishing and John and James old enough to do their own business. And Jesus called them for another mission. 

Conclusion:  

Jesus will not see what we are doing and how busy we are and He will not consider our age for his mission. Instead He will call us at any time and any age to do His mission and all we have to say is , "Yes" Lord because the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. Therefore, let us be ready to leave behind certain things and follow the Lord our God. 

And then all we can pray is, "Strike, Strike at the root of penury in my heart. 

Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows. 

Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service. 

Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might. 

Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily strife. 

And give me the strength to surrender my strength to they will with love. Amen. 

2nd sunday in ordinary time

Second Sunday in Ordinary time. 

The Bible says that God made Adam to sleep and from one of his ribs, He made a beautiful Eve. Now you all know why men are always after women. It's because they want their rib back. 

Once a Jewish man met with his would-be son-in-law and said, "Ben, tell me what are you doing?' Ben was all happy and said, "I study theology...I am studying about God" So how are you going to look after my daughter studying theology? Ben says, "I don't worry it's because God will provide..." What about buying a house for my daughter? Ben said god will provide. What about having grandchildren and how are you going to look after them? Ben again says, "God will provide". Then that evening, the man's wife was so excited and says, "have you met Ben and what did he say?' The man looked at his wife and said, "I like that boy very much and He already thinks that I am God...". 

The main theme of today's scripture is 'Divine vocation'. Every one of us is called by God for Christ our Lord by doing something for others with one's life. 

When God called Samuel saying. 'Samuel...Samuel', the boy Samuel didn't understand who was calling him. He went to the prophet Eli and then Eli helped him to know that that was God calling him. So, the third time, as God called Samuel said, "Speak Lord your servant is listening'.  

Because of business of life and our preoccupations, we all miss listening to God almighty. God never stops calling us but from our part, it's we who have to listen and respond to him saying, "Speak, Lord your servant is listening'. 

Once a man went to a spiritual master and said, "Master, please help me. My wife and I are constantly fighting and I don't know how be a good husband. The master said, "Go home and listen to everything that she is saying and come back to me in two weeks'. The man came back after two weeks saying, "we are still fighting with each other'. Then the master said, "This time go home and listen to your wife everything that she is not saying'.  

As we listen to others, we build stronger relationships and as we listen to God, we come to know our divine vocation or call.  

St. Paul says to the Corinthians today about the divine call saying, "our call is call to holiness. We have to keep our bodies pure and our souls holy. By the very sacrament of baptism, we became the temples of the Holy Spirit. 

Once a holy nun standing in front of a bar and screaming at people saying, "My vocation is stopping you from drinking and ruing our body..." Then two guys came to her and said, "Sister, you never drank and why don't you taste it first and talk against it later..." The nun said, "Ok..." What should we get it for you? The nun said, "two vodka with ice in a cup, so that people don't know that I am drinking..." The guys went in the bar and ordered for themselves and then they said, "give us two shots of vodka in a cup..." The bartender as he was pouring looked at them and said, "wow... that nun again".   

In today's gospel we see how John the Baptist looking at Christ says, "Look, here is the lamb of God..., the one who came to sacrifice His life for the salvation of humanity. John the Baptist came to prepare the way of the Lord and thus he asks his disciples to follow the Lord Christ Jesus.  

Everything that we do, we should do for the glory of God in Christ and we are the end but just means. We like John the Baptist should show the way of Christ to others and encourage them to follow Christ alone who is the way, life and truth.  

Let us remember that the heaven chose us and we don't have any other way except choosing heaven. So, let us choose heaven I mean Christ and celebrate life. Amen.