31st B

31st Sunday- B 

Last week one of my priest friends from India called and said, ‘What do you do on your day off?’ I wanted to be funny, so I said, ‘I just mind my own business. Could I do anything for you?’...then within five minutes my mom called and said, “What did you tell him, and he called me here complaining, and by the way, where do you get all your materials?’ 

Once a man who was minding his own business walking on a beach, found a bottle and picked it up and then he opened, there came out Genie wanting to grant him three wishes. The man said, “a million dollars”. He got it and then he wanted a Lamborghini and he wished that he could be irresistible to all women. In an instant, he became a box of chocolates. 

 Christ is the image of an invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him, all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-all things were created through Him and for Him. 

Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate end of all, it’s because He is the beginning. And He gives us the spiritual secret to joy today saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your soul, mind, spirit and strength and love your neighbor as yourself”. And all the law and prophets hang on these two powerful lifegiving commandments. 

These commandments are like two sides of a same coin. We cannot separate one from another. They are so interlinked and connected. Jesus says, “Anyone who says, “Lord, Lord will not enter the kingdom of God but only those who put their faith into practice”.  Faith without action or work is dead.  

There is a story about a French man who wanted to come to Canada. So, he sold all his property and other things and bought a ticket to come to Canada. As he was travelling on a ship, a man noticed that every day while others went to the dining hall for their breakfast, lunch and dinner, this man used to go to a corner and eat cheese and crackers that he brought with him. This went on for many days.  

The man on the last day of those three long months travel approached the man and asked why he was always eating cheese and crackers while everyone else is enjoying good gourmet meal. The man said, “You know what, I always wanted to go to Canada and so, sold my property and other things that only allowed me to buy the ticket and that is why. The man was shocked and looked at him and said, “Don’t you know your meals are also included in your ticket”. Loving God is also included loving your neighbor and vice versa. If we love God and not our neighbor, then our faith is a dead faith. 

Yes, Love is included in all the commandments and laws. Love is the basis of our faith. 

In those days, in the time of Jesus, so many people didn’t know their right hand from their left hand. They didn’t know the love and kindness of God. They didn’t even have that courage to call God, Father. 

It’s because so many religions restrictions and controls. There were so many customs and religious culture that kept people away from the love and kindness of God. They didn’t have the joy in life and there comes Christ who defines everything in the simplest way possible. 

And there comes a scribe who asked Christ the best of all commandments and Jesus says... “Love God and your neighbor” These words shape our faith.  

When a person is in love with God, he cannot deny his neighbor. Then comes the question, who is our neighbor? The one who is in need. St. Ambrose once said, “if anyone knocks at your door at night and shivering in the cold and if you have two shirts one on you and the other in your closet, remember, that one belongs to him”. This is called Christian solidarity, our moral foundation. 

This is my education, this is my money and why should I share with others? It’s because there stands our moral responsibility. There comes our life decision. Ultimately nothing belongs to us, we are blessed to help the one who is in need. 

Neighbor is the one who is in need. You don’t need to go so far to find a neighbor. He is at your home or at your school or at your business, longing to find a little hope. If you share your faith and your blessing, then you can boldly say that you love God and your neighbor” Amen.

30th Sunday- B

30th Sunday-B 

Good morning/evening everyone, we are happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. 

Last week, I visited an older lady in a nursing home in Peterborough. We were all singing ‘Happy birthday’ to her and I said, “Wow...It’s awesome, you are 95 now”. And she was not happy with me at all. She got mad and I didn’t do anything at all and then she looked at me and said, “You know what I am only 94 and don’t make me old”. 

Once there was a little boy called ‘ODD”, and as he went to school, everyone made fun of him calling and saying, add. But he used to stick out his chest and walked boldly. Then he got a good job and family and as he got older, he said to his family, “You know what I don’t like my name and as I die, just put an empty tomb-stone and nothing on it” Then he died and the family erected a big empty tomb stone for him and as hundreds of people went around the cemetery, they all looked at the empty tombstone and said, “That is odd”. 

Friends in Christ Jesus,  

There was a man by name ‘John Newton’ in England and he was very much involved in selling people as slaves to different countries. He made lots of money and life went very well for him and then one day, as he was travelling with so many people with the intention of selling them as slaves, what happened was, there came a huge typhoon that hit the ship and he knew that he was going to die and that time, John Newton who never practiced his faith and he did go to church that often knelt down and prayed to God saying, “God, please spare my life and I promise that I would never involve in human trade and I will dedicate my whole life to Christ our Lord and thus try my best to improve humanity” Then he was miraculously saved and he eventually became a minister and dedicated his life to Christ and he was the one who wrote that beautiful hymn, “Amazing grace how great thou art, I was once lost and now I am found. I was blind and now I can see”. 

What makes us blind today? 

It’s because often our eyes are being closed from recognizing Christ. He is everywhere doing miracles and wonders. He is with us today and we don’t need to run to a desert or to mountain tops or to anywhere. He is with us always. Yes, He is passing by us every day.  

What happened to the disciples on the way to Emmaus? Even though Christ Himself came and joined them, since their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. It’s because they were filled with sadness and they were filled with everyday worldly things and they didn’t have faith in the Resurrection of Christ. What happened to Thomas when all the apostles said, “We have seen the Lord and He is indeed risen”. Since doubt and questions filled his heart, he didn’t believe in Christ.  

But in today’s gospel, we meet with Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, a socially rejected man. People kept away from him saying, “Because his sins, God punished him and made him blind and because of his sins, his own family didn’t want to associate with him and thus he became a beggar. He was an outcast and reject.  

Though he was physically blind, he was spiritually alive and was longing to see again. When he heard that Christ the Lord was passing by, he began to shout saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”. 

As he cried aloud, everybody tried to stop him saying, you are a sinner, you are blind, and you are a beggar and stop calling him. Do not bother Him and do not come near Him and so on. Then what happened, he began to shout even more, saying, “Jesus, Son of David....have mercy on me”.  

The Lord hears the cry of the poor. He will never abandon anyone. As you come to Him with faith, you will receive blessing upon blessing and healing upon healing. Nothing is impossible with our loving Savior. He is our God and He loves us with His unconditional love. 

Then Christ Himself stopped and looked at him intently and said, “Son, what can I do for you?” 

Jesus, let me see again. I want to see the light and Christ said, “Go, your faith has made you well”.  

The bible uses the word ‘Immediately”. Yes, without any condition or demand, the man gained his sight and began to see and glorify God in Christ. 

The very word ‘Jesus’ has so much power and as we pronounce His name, all our challenges, pain, failure and suffering will disappear. So, let us call Him, “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me” Amen 

MISSION SUNDAY

MISSION SUNDAY 

Good evening/morning everyone, I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. Our special welcome to all our parishioners, visitors and everyone here today. 

Once there was a little boy called ODD. Everyone made fun of him at school, calling him odd but the boy wasn’t worried about it at all. Then he moved on with his life getting a good job and making good money and so on. But his name always bothered him, so he said to his family, “when I die, do not write my name on the tombstone, just leave it empty”.  And when he died, the family put a big tombstone without any name and hundreds and hundreds of people came to the cemetery every day and everyone who looked at the empty tombstone said, “That is odd”. 

Once a missionary went to a distant country to preach the Good News of Christ our Lord and as he was walking with his guide to the village, he asked about the people, their culture and language and so on and then he looked at the guide and said, “What about cannibals? I heard you still have cannibals in the village”. The guide began to laugh and laugh and said, “You know, Father, we don’t have any cannibal at all because we ate the last one yesterday”. 

Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates Mission Sunday. This Sunday, we are called to pray for all the missionaries around the world, we are called to support them, and we are called to become missionaries at home and around the world. 

Catholic Church by her very nature is Missional church. She has to keep on moving preaching the Good News of Christ our Lord to all and that is why Christ our Lord before going to heaven gave a new mandate to His apostles saying, “Therefore go everywhere preach the Good news and baptized them all in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit”. 

Christ our Lord with His disciples went everywhere preaching and healing and then asked His disciples to do the same. It’s because the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few and therefore we have to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into His vineyard.  

In those days, missionaries and lay people went to Africa and other Asian countries to preach the Good News and now the time is completely changed. Missionaries from other countries are coming here to preach the Good News. And you are called not to go to different countries to be missionaries but asked to be missionary at home. 

Once when we talked about God, everyone knew about the God who created heaven and earth, the God who created us in His own image and likeness. But today, when we talk about God, people began to think about divine energy, nature, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist gods. Things are changing so fast. 

Once when we talked about the Good News, everyone knew about Christ Jesus and how he by dying on the cross destroyed death and by rising restored life, but now Good news is so different and so many people are not aware of the preaching, healing and miracles of Christ our Lord. 

Once when we talked about Church, they knew about Catholic and protestant churches and they knew the difference too. But today church is becoming more and more being used loosely.  

It’s not because there are strangers living among us; it’s not because there are non-believers living among us, it’s because our own family members and friends are refusing to practice their faith. They have faith, but they don’t have time and they have faith, but they don’t have hope. 

Today you are called to become missionaries not in a foreign land but at your own home. You are called to inspire them with your words and actions. There is a deep longing in every one of us to know and experience love and kindness. There is a longing to find peace, a permanent peace and that love, and kindness and that permanent peace can be found in Christ and Christ alone.  

The people who are outside of the church, I mean, your grandparents, your parents and your children need missionaries, yes, they need you. Once they come to know that you are there for them to serv and not to be served, they will know not you but the one whom you love the most, Christ our Lord. 

So, friends in Christ Jesus, as we pray and support Missionaries around the world, let us become missionaries at home and help your own family members to kow Christ who is love. Amen.