Saturday, April 23, 2016
good shepherd sunday
JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Once a sunday school teacher asked her students to memorize the famous Psalm 23rd. One of the boys tried to memorize the Psalm but he could not remember the whole psalm at all. As the children were reciting the Psalm on day in front of the congregation, Sam out up nervously and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd and that is all I need to know". Yes, the Lord is our Shepherd and that is all we need to know and everything will be fine.
Today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. This day, we celebrate our special call to follow Him and to be with Him. The Shepherd knows His sheep and leads them to everlasting life.
1. Once two people were asked to recite the Psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want..." The first man who was a powerful orator got up and recited the whole Psalm, and everyone stood up and clapped their hands and cheered for him. Then the other man got up and repeated the same word and this time, no mone cheered for him. They were all sitting quietly in a devotional and prayerful mood. Then the orator got up and said, "I have a confession to make". You should know the difference between this old man and I, "I only know the psalm and this man knows the shepherd". today, we are called to know the shepherd persnally by means of every day prayer and self-giving.
2. One day a sheep saw a hole in the fence and he escaped through the hole. He wandered far and forgot his way back. Then he realized that he was being chased by a wolf. He ran and ran but the wolf was kept following him until the shepherd came and rescued him. Then he carried the sheep to the fold. After that so many people told the shepherd to nail up the fence but he never did. That is our Good Shepherd who gives us freedom and free will to choose between good and bad and between right and wrong. When we go away from Him and fall into sin, He recognizes our failures and weaknesses saying, "I came for the one sheep that was lost". For the Good Shepherd, the lost sheep is also a good sheep. And He saves us from peril and danger. He gives us freedom not to go away from Him but to know our humanness fully and thus to love God with all our heart, mind and body and love others as ourselves.
3. In today's gospel, Jesus says that His sheep hear His voice and they follow Him. And no one can snatch them out of His hand. People may go away from God and His Church but because of His love and forgiveness, they will certainly come back to Him. Nothing can stop them from experiencing His love.
4. Once there happened a dialogue between a recent convert and his friend, "So you have been converted to Catholicism?' Yes. Then you should know about Jesus and His life. Tell me about His birth place. The convert said, "to be honest with you, I don't know. what was His age when He died? I don't know. How many sermons did He preach? I don't know. Then the friend looked at him and said, "you don't know much and you claimed to be converted to Catholicism". Yes, I am ashamed at how little I know about Jesus but this much I do know. Three years ago, I was a drunkard and was in debt. My family was falling to pieces. My wife and children hated me and they did not even want to see me. But now I have given up drinking, we are out of debt; ours is a happy family. All this Christ has done for me. This much I know.
what is our call? Do we follow Christ and His teaching and do we love Him? let us ask ourselves again and again.
Conclusion: The love of the Good Shepherd transforms our very nature. The lost sheep is also a good sheep, le us go to Him and He who is our way, truth and life and He who is our Good Shepherd will transform our lives. Amen.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Third Sundayof Easter-C
Third Sunday-C1
Good evening/morning every one, I am so happy to see you all and I come from the best church in Lakefield called St. Paul the Apostle Church.
Once a woman died and as she was entering into heaven, the angel that was standing at the door said, "Before entering into heaven, you suppose to spell a word". She said, "what word". The angel said, "Spell love". she said, "L...o..v...e". Then the angel said, "You may enter into heaven now... and by the way, I am going to have a break, why don't you stand at the door and if anyone comes just ask to spell a simple word and let the person in.." Thus she was standing at the door. Imagine who came to heaven, her ex-husband. she looked at him and said, "What are you doing here?' He said, "I took a heart attack and here I am. Am I in heaven?" She said, "Not yet my ex-husband, not yet... you suppose to spell a word before entering into heaven". He said, "what word?" She looked at him and said, "Spell Czechoslovakia".
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
1. When Mary Magdalen saw the empty tomb, she was so confused and began to cry. What happened while she was crying? As she was crying, Jesus the Only Son of God Himself apeared to her and said, " woman, why are you crying? and whom are you looking for? she, thinking he was a gardener, said, "Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, tell me where you have laid him and I will go and take him with me". Then the risen Christ called her by name saying, "Mary". Then only she recognized the risen Christ. Jesus the Lord appeared to her while whe was in pain and loney. Christ the Lord appeared to her while she was grieving and was struggling to cope with suffering.
When we grieve of losing someone dear to us, we might think that we are alone and God abandoned us. But the risen Christ never leaves any of His Children alone. He comes us to in an unexpected time to console and comfort us. As children of God, we will never be alone and He is always with us.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
2. The another resurrection story is about the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. While they were travelling, they looked sad and were suffering, because the Jesus in whome they put all their trust and hope was gone. While they were travelling, Jesus Himself joined them and explained everything about Himself beginning from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Then they recognized Christ in the breaking of the bread and as Jesus vanished from their sight, they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us" "Were not our faith increasing while He explained the Scriputres to us".
when we are saddened and are struggling with our faith, we will never be left unanswered, the risen Christ will definately join us and thus increase our faith in Him. When we question our faith, doubt our spiritual practices, we will never be left alone but Christ will inspire us through His words and make us stronger.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
3. Last weekend, we heard the story of the apostles hiding behind locked doors for the fear of authority and we also heard about Thomas saying, "unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nail and my hand in his side, I will not believe" When Christ appeared and gave them all divine peace and said to Thomas, "Do not dout but believe and continued saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have come to believe".
And in today's gospel, we see the second calling of Simon Peter whom Christ called him at the sea of Galilee saying, "Come and follow me". He immediately left everything behind and followed our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ gave him a new name peter and made him His apostle. When Christ asked His disciples at Ceasarea Philipi who they were saying Christ was, Simon Peter was the one who said, "Jesus, you are the Messiah, the Only Son of God". When many of His followers left Him because he said his flesh was the real food and His blood was the true drink, Jesus asked his disciples whether they also wished to go away from Him and that time Simon Peter was the one who came forwared and said, "Jesus, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life" and the same Simon Peter was the one who denied Christ three times. And in today's gospel we see how Simon Peter expresses his threefold love for Christ. Then happens the second calling. After His confesison, Christ askes to follow Him.
Conclusion: It's human nature to go away from the Lord and it's our human nature to fall into the same sin again and again and it's our human nutre to doubt and question our faith but at the same time, when we come back, Christ will never abandon us. Instead He will love us more and more. So let us celebrate the resurrection of Christ...and celebrate our life in the risen Christ. Alleluia.
Good evening/morning every one, I am so happy to see you all and I come from the best church in Lakefield called St. Paul the Apostle Church.
Once a woman died and as she was entering into heaven, the angel that was standing at the door said, "Before entering into heaven, you suppose to spell a word". She said, "what word". The angel said, "Spell love". she said, "L...o..v...e". Then the angel said, "You may enter into heaven now... and by the way, I am going to have a break, why don't you stand at the door and if anyone comes just ask to spell a simple word and let the person in.." Thus she was standing at the door. Imagine who came to heaven, her ex-husband. she looked at him and said, "What are you doing here?' He said, "I took a heart attack and here I am. Am I in heaven?" She said, "Not yet my ex-husband, not yet... you suppose to spell a word before entering into heaven". He said, "what word?" She looked at him and said, "Spell Czechoslovakia".
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
1. When Mary Magdalen saw the empty tomb, she was so confused and began to cry. What happened while she was crying? As she was crying, Jesus the Only Son of God Himself apeared to her and said, " woman, why are you crying? and whom are you looking for? she, thinking he was a gardener, said, "Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, tell me where you have laid him and I will go and take him with me". Then the risen Christ called her by name saying, "Mary". Then only she recognized the risen Christ. Jesus the Lord appeared to her while whe was in pain and loney. Christ the Lord appeared to her while she was grieving and was struggling to cope with suffering.
When we grieve of losing someone dear to us, we might think that we are alone and God abandoned us. But the risen Christ never leaves any of His Children alone. He comes us to in an unexpected time to console and comfort us. As children of God, we will never be alone and He is always with us.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
2. The another resurrection story is about the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. While they were travelling, they looked sad and were suffering, because the Jesus in whome they put all their trust and hope was gone. While they were travelling, Jesus Himself joined them and explained everything about Himself beginning from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Then they recognized Christ in the breaking of the bread and as Jesus vanished from their sight, they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us" "Were not our faith increasing while He explained the Scriputres to us".
when we are saddened and are struggling with our faith, we will never be left unanswered, the risen Christ will definately join us and thus increase our faith in Him. When we question our faith, doubt our spiritual practices, we will never be left alone but Christ will inspire us through His words and make us stronger.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
3. Last weekend, we heard the story of the apostles hiding behind locked doors for the fear of authority and we also heard about Thomas saying, "unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nail and my hand in his side, I will not believe" When Christ appeared and gave them all divine peace and said to Thomas, "Do not dout but believe and continued saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have come to believe".
And in today's gospel, we see the second calling of Simon Peter whom Christ called him at the sea of Galilee saying, "Come and follow me". He immediately left everything behind and followed our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ gave him a new name peter and made him His apostle. When Christ asked His disciples at Ceasarea Philipi who they were saying Christ was, Simon Peter was the one who said, "Jesus, you are the Messiah, the Only Son of God". When many of His followers left Him because he said his flesh was the real food and His blood was the true drink, Jesus asked his disciples whether they also wished to go away from Him and that time Simon Peter was the one who came forwared and said, "Jesus, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life" and the same Simon Peter was the one who denied Christ three times. And in today's gospel we see how Simon Peter expresses his threefold love for Christ. Then happens the second calling. After His confesison, Christ askes to follow Him.
Conclusion: It's human nature to go away from the Lord and it's our human nature to fall into the same sin again and again and it's our human nutre to doubt and question our faith but at the same time, when we come back, Christ will never abandon us. Instead He will love us more and more. So let us celebrate the resurrection of Christ...and celebrate our life in the risen Christ. Alleluia.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Divine Mercy Sunday
Divine Mercy Sunday
Good morning every one, I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the solemn feast of the divine mercy called divine mercy Sunday. Dear friends, every time we come to Church, we celebrate divine mercy, we are given divine mercy to continue our mission of preaching the Good News of our Risen Christ to all and every time we come to Church, we are called to share divine mercy with our brothers and sisters in need.
Once there was a servant who used to bring fresh fruits to the king every morning. The king enjoyed the fresh fruits and one day, the king was in a very bad mood. As the servant brought some fresh black berries, he tasted it and did not like it so he vented his anger by throwing the berries on his face. Then the servant bowed before the king and said, “God is merciful”. The king looked at him and said, ‘why do you say God is merciful?’ The servant said because this morning I thought of bringing you pineapple but I changed my mind for that I am saying that God is merciful.
Once a mother sought from King Napoleon pardon of her son. But the king said that it was the man’s second offence and justice demanded his death. She then looked at him and said, “I am here not for justice but for mercy. The king said, he does not deserve mercy. She then said it would not be mercy if he deserved it and mercy is all I ask. Then the king looked at her and said, “Then I have mercy for your son”.
Dear friends, we do not need justice from our God but mercy and compassion. Our God is full of mercy and compassion and that is why He sent His only Son Christ to us all. Today we celebrate divine mercy Sunday. Pope John Paul the second blessed the second Sunday of Easter as divine mercy Sunday. As we all know the story of Sister Faustina to whom Jesus our Lord appeared and asked her to let the world know how much he loves us and has compassion for us all. This private apparition and revelation does not reveal some thing new to the world but instead give us reassurance of God’s mercy and compassion for the world.
This divine mercy we are going to recall three importance things such as Ask trust and share. Yes, we are called to ask God for his mercy and compassion without any hesitation. Jesus promises that those who ask will receive not thirty or sixty but hundred fold of love, kindness and mercy. To those who ask the gift of the Holy Spirit is given. Let our prayer of thanksgiving and spiritual celebration becomes a form of asking God our father.
The divine mercy Sunday also invites us to trust in the mercy of god our father. Yes, every time people came to Christ for healing, all He asked them was, “ do you have faith? Or do you believe and trust and when they said, “Yes” lord we trust in you and Christ said, your faith has healed you, go in peace. Let us trust in God and celebrate as though we have received it already.
To remember the whole celebration of Divine Mercy, let us keep in mind an acronym — F.I.N.C.H.
F — The Feast of Divine Mercy, or the Second Sunday of Easter. The divine flood gates through which all graces flow are open on that day. On that day the Good Shepherd goes after us with love and mercy. The promises of Divine Mercy Sunday are real. On that day we should pray with boldness for the deepest intention of our hearts. The grace of Divine Mercy Sunday cleanses our souls completely of all sin and the punishment due to those sins.
I — The Image. At Jesus' command, St. Faustina had an image painted to remind us that God wants to forgive us. Jesus wanted at the bottom of the image the signature "Jesus, I trust in you." If we trust, He will do the rest. Jesus promised special graces for those who spend time before this image.
N — The Novena helps us prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday. Each day for nine days we bring a specific group of people before the mercy of God. The novena begins on Good Friday and ends on Holy Saturday. However, it can be prayed anytime.
C — The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is a short but powerful prayer to the Father that Jesus taught to St. Faustina when she was praying for Poland. It looked like Poland was about to be destroyed by the angel of wrath because of Poland's sins. Saint Faustina's prayers seemed fruitless. She heard in her soul the words of the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy. When she began to pray that prayer, the angel of wrath was powerless. We must pray the Chaplet for mercy and conversion for our country and the whole world.
Father Michael noted Jesus' message to St. Faustina that if you pray the Chaplet at the bedside of the dying, He will give them the grace of salvation. At the end of their life, I come to them not as a Just Judge but as a Merciful Savior. Jesus told St. Faustina to pray for the dying, since the salvation of some souls was dependent on her prayers.
H — The Hour of Mercy from 3to 4 p.m. daily, commemorating the death of Jesus, is like a mini-Divine Mercy Sunday. If possible, we are asked to do at least one of these three things:
1. Pray the Stations of the Cross
2. Try to visit Jesus in the chapel
3. Remember Jesus in His abandonment on the cross
Jesus wants us to remember the 3 o'clock hour every day. One of the most important ways to receive God's mercy is to trust in His mercy and be willing to give that mercy to others.
And the divine mercy Sunday invites us to share the divine mercy with others. The whole of Christianity is based on serving others. Dear friends, our loving saviour will judge us on how we served and helped others. Any thing we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to the Lord. So let us celebrate divine mercy and recall the goodness of the Lord. Amen.
Good morning every one, I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the solemn feast of the divine mercy called divine mercy Sunday. Dear friends, every time we come to Church, we celebrate divine mercy, we are given divine mercy to continue our mission of preaching the Good News of our Risen Christ to all and every time we come to Church, we are called to share divine mercy with our brothers and sisters in need.
Once there was a servant who used to bring fresh fruits to the king every morning. The king enjoyed the fresh fruits and one day, the king was in a very bad mood. As the servant brought some fresh black berries, he tasted it and did not like it so he vented his anger by throwing the berries on his face. Then the servant bowed before the king and said, “God is merciful”. The king looked at him and said, ‘why do you say God is merciful?’ The servant said because this morning I thought of bringing you pineapple but I changed my mind for that I am saying that God is merciful.
Once a mother sought from King Napoleon pardon of her son. But the king said that it was the man’s second offence and justice demanded his death. She then looked at him and said, “I am here not for justice but for mercy. The king said, he does not deserve mercy. She then said it would not be mercy if he deserved it and mercy is all I ask. Then the king looked at her and said, “Then I have mercy for your son”.
Dear friends, we do not need justice from our God but mercy and compassion. Our God is full of mercy and compassion and that is why He sent His only Son Christ to us all. Today we celebrate divine mercy Sunday. Pope John Paul the second blessed the second Sunday of Easter as divine mercy Sunday. As we all know the story of Sister Faustina to whom Jesus our Lord appeared and asked her to let the world know how much he loves us and has compassion for us all. This private apparition and revelation does not reveal some thing new to the world but instead give us reassurance of God’s mercy and compassion for the world.
This divine mercy we are going to recall three importance things such as Ask trust and share. Yes, we are called to ask God for his mercy and compassion without any hesitation. Jesus promises that those who ask will receive not thirty or sixty but hundred fold of love, kindness and mercy. To those who ask the gift of the Holy Spirit is given. Let our prayer of thanksgiving and spiritual celebration becomes a form of asking God our father.
The divine mercy Sunday also invites us to trust in the mercy of god our father. Yes, every time people came to Christ for healing, all He asked them was, “ do you have faith? Or do you believe and trust and when they said, “Yes” lord we trust in you and Christ said, your faith has healed you, go in peace. Let us trust in God and celebrate as though we have received it already.
To remember the whole celebration of Divine Mercy, let us keep in mind an acronym — F.I.N.C.H.
F — The Feast of Divine Mercy, or the Second Sunday of Easter. The divine flood gates through which all graces flow are open on that day. On that day the Good Shepherd goes after us with love and mercy. The promises of Divine Mercy Sunday are real. On that day we should pray with boldness for the deepest intention of our hearts. The grace of Divine Mercy Sunday cleanses our souls completely of all sin and the punishment due to those sins.
I — The Image. At Jesus' command, St. Faustina had an image painted to remind us that God wants to forgive us. Jesus wanted at the bottom of the image the signature "Jesus, I trust in you." If we trust, He will do the rest. Jesus promised special graces for those who spend time before this image.
N — The Novena helps us prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday. Each day for nine days we bring a specific group of people before the mercy of God. The novena begins on Good Friday and ends on Holy Saturday. However, it can be prayed anytime.
C — The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is a short but powerful prayer to the Father that Jesus taught to St. Faustina when she was praying for Poland. It looked like Poland was about to be destroyed by the angel of wrath because of Poland's sins. Saint Faustina's prayers seemed fruitless. She heard in her soul the words of the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy. When she began to pray that prayer, the angel of wrath was powerless. We must pray the Chaplet for mercy and conversion for our country and the whole world.
Father Michael noted Jesus' message to St. Faustina that if you pray the Chaplet at the bedside of the dying, He will give them the grace of salvation. At the end of their life, I come to them not as a Just Judge but as a Merciful Savior. Jesus told St. Faustina to pray for the dying, since the salvation of some souls was dependent on her prayers.
H — The Hour of Mercy from 3to 4 p.m. daily, commemorating the death of Jesus, is like a mini-Divine Mercy Sunday. If possible, we are asked to do at least one of these three things:
1. Pray the Stations of the Cross
2. Try to visit Jesus in the chapel
3. Remember Jesus in His abandonment on the cross
Jesus wants us to remember the 3 o'clock hour every day. One of the most important ways to receive God's mercy is to trust in His mercy and be willing to give that mercy to others.
And the divine mercy Sunday invites us to share the divine mercy with others. The whole of Christianity is based on serving others. Dear friends, our loving saviour will judge us on how we served and helped others. Any thing we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to the Lord. So let us celebrate divine mercy and recall the goodness of the Lord. Amen.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Fourth Sunday of lent- C
Fourth Sunday of Lent-C
Good morning every one, I am so happy to welcome you all for today's Holy Mass. The fourth sunday of Lent is called 'Rejoice Sunday' as we are getting closer to celebrate the glorious resurrection of Christ our Lord. Dear friends, every time we come to church, we celebrate God our Father who is full of love and compassion; we celebrate Christ who says that there is no sin that can not be forgiven for our lovig Father. So as we go to the Him with who we are, there we will completely be forgiven and be given life that will never end.
One day a teacher showed his students a crisp hundred dollar bill and asked who wanted it and every one raised their hands and said, "I want it...I want it". Then he purposely soiled and crumpled and rumpled the hundred-dollar bill and showed to them saying, "Now who wants the soiled bill?" Again everyone raised their hands and said, "I want it...I want it". Then he looked at them all and said, "whether the hundred dollar bill is crisp or soild, it has the same value and likewise whether a person is good or bad, he is always precious in the sight of god. Nothing can change the heart of God from loving His children and we are all equal in His sight".
Today's gospel is all about how precious we are in the sight of God. We are humans and fall into the same sin again and again. We go away from Him and face with human challenges and difficualties but at the same time, nothing can change God. Our sins can not touch the heart of God our Father.Sin takes us away from God. When we leave our sins behind, we will change and come to know the unchanging power of God all around us.
once there was a sailor whose job was capturing people from one country and sell them to another country. Since he did not believe in God, he never felt morally responsible for what he was doing. One day as he was taking people to sell as slaves, he encountered a huge cyclone and Tsunami and he knew that he was going to die with all those people, so he finally knelt before God and prayeds saying, "Almighty God, I have never beleived in you and I have sinned against you. Please forgive and save my life and I will never sell people and will dedicate my whole life to you" Then a miraculous thing happened, the sea was calm and so was his mind. He released all the people and dedicated His life to God and God alone. He was John Newton who wrote his experience in a beautiful poem and even today we sing his peom in Church. He wrote, "Amazing grace how great thou art. I was lost but now I am found and I was blind and now I can see"
John Newton was a prodigal son and as he came back, he experienced only love and forgiveness. Today we are asked to come back to God who is full of love and compassion. Though the son went away from his father and squandered all his propety, as he came back to senses and asked for forgiveness. The father said, " My son was dead and now he is alive. He was lost and now he is found". Then there was a celebration of love and acceptance. Yes, it is God who is our Father loves us all wihtout limit or any condition.
once a woman came to her parish priest and said, "Father, last night I had a divine vision. Christ appeared and talked to me". The priest who did not believe her and smiled and said, "That is a very good thing and keep praying". But she kept coming to him every day and talking about her divine vision. At one point, the priest who was annoyed at her claim, looked at her and said, "If Jesus appears to you the next time, just ask Him about my private sins; then I will know whether it is really Jesus". The next weekend, the priest waited for her but she did not show up. Three weeks later, as she came back to the priest said, " Jesus appeared and talked to me". Then the priest looked at her and said, "Did you ask him about my private sins". She said, "Yes, I did and he said, "He does not remember your sins".
That is our God who forgives all our sins and accepts who we are. As we go to Him, He never says "No" but showers upon us all His countless blessings.
Once there was a holy man who prayed to God five times and day fasted three times a week and did every thing according to the will of God and followed the commandments of God in all he was doing and then one day he met with a woman who was leading an immoral life. He condemned her saying, ‘you are living against God and He will definitely punish you. You will go to eternal punishment’. She then pleaded him to do something for her but he refused saying, ‘there is no salvation for you people’. You will die in your sins. Then one day the holy man died and went to heaven. He was celebrating everlasting life there. Two weeks later the woman also died and went to heaven. When the holy man saw the woman in heaven, he got so mad and asked god what was going on? God said, “ son, you lived your life well and good and thus you are given life everlasting and this child of mine was a prodigal one but she came back to me and she was lost but now she is alive. Join her and celebrate life”.
Today we have one more question to ponder. The prodigal son's story talks about the Father and the two sons and what about the mother? Why did the gospel not talk about the Mother? Who would be the mother? The mother figure is purposely left behind so that as we come to church, practice our faith and receive all the churches sacraments know that the mother is still alive and she is the holy Catholic Church where we experience love, kindness and above all else forgiveness.
Conclusion: Let us thank God for He is good and His love surpasses everything. Let us not judge others but accept and pray for them. Let us see the presence of Christ our Savior in them all. Amen.
Good morning every one, I am so happy to welcome you all for today's Holy Mass. The fourth sunday of Lent is called 'Rejoice Sunday' as we are getting closer to celebrate the glorious resurrection of Christ our Lord. Dear friends, every time we come to church, we celebrate God our Father who is full of love and compassion; we celebrate Christ who says that there is no sin that can not be forgiven for our lovig Father. So as we go to the Him with who we are, there we will completely be forgiven and be given life that will never end.
One day a teacher showed his students a crisp hundred dollar bill and asked who wanted it and every one raised their hands and said, "I want it...I want it". Then he purposely soiled and crumpled and rumpled the hundred-dollar bill and showed to them saying, "Now who wants the soiled bill?" Again everyone raised their hands and said, "I want it...I want it". Then he looked at them all and said, "whether the hundred dollar bill is crisp or soild, it has the same value and likewise whether a person is good or bad, he is always precious in the sight of god. Nothing can change the heart of God from loving His children and we are all equal in His sight".
Today's gospel is all about how precious we are in the sight of God. We are humans and fall into the same sin again and again. We go away from Him and face with human challenges and difficualties but at the same time, nothing can change God. Our sins can not touch the heart of God our Father.Sin takes us away from God. When we leave our sins behind, we will change and come to know the unchanging power of God all around us.
once there was a sailor whose job was capturing people from one country and sell them to another country. Since he did not believe in God, he never felt morally responsible for what he was doing. One day as he was taking people to sell as slaves, he encountered a huge cyclone and Tsunami and he knew that he was going to die with all those people, so he finally knelt before God and prayeds saying, "Almighty God, I have never beleived in you and I have sinned against you. Please forgive and save my life and I will never sell people and will dedicate my whole life to you" Then a miraculous thing happened, the sea was calm and so was his mind. He released all the people and dedicated His life to God and God alone. He was John Newton who wrote his experience in a beautiful poem and even today we sing his peom in Church. He wrote, "Amazing grace how great thou art. I was lost but now I am found and I was blind and now I can see"
John Newton was a prodigal son and as he came back, he experienced only love and forgiveness. Today we are asked to come back to God who is full of love and compassion. Though the son went away from his father and squandered all his propety, as he came back to senses and asked for forgiveness. The father said, " My son was dead and now he is alive. He was lost and now he is found". Then there was a celebration of love and acceptance. Yes, it is God who is our Father loves us all wihtout limit or any condition.
once a woman came to her parish priest and said, "Father, last night I had a divine vision. Christ appeared and talked to me". The priest who did not believe her and smiled and said, "That is a very good thing and keep praying". But she kept coming to him every day and talking about her divine vision. At one point, the priest who was annoyed at her claim, looked at her and said, "If Jesus appears to you the next time, just ask Him about my private sins; then I will know whether it is really Jesus". The next weekend, the priest waited for her but she did not show up. Three weeks later, as she came back to the priest said, " Jesus appeared and talked to me". Then the priest looked at her and said, "Did you ask him about my private sins". She said, "Yes, I did and he said, "He does not remember your sins".
That is our God who forgives all our sins and accepts who we are. As we go to Him, He never says "No" but showers upon us all His countless blessings.
Once there was a holy man who prayed to God five times and day fasted three times a week and did every thing according to the will of God and followed the commandments of God in all he was doing and then one day he met with a woman who was leading an immoral life. He condemned her saying, ‘you are living against God and He will definitely punish you. You will go to eternal punishment’. She then pleaded him to do something for her but he refused saying, ‘there is no salvation for you people’. You will die in your sins. Then one day the holy man died and went to heaven. He was celebrating everlasting life there. Two weeks later the woman also died and went to heaven. When the holy man saw the woman in heaven, he got so mad and asked god what was going on? God said, “ son, you lived your life well and good and thus you are given life everlasting and this child of mine was a prodigal one but she came back to me and she was lost but now she is alive. Join her and celebrate life”.
Today we have one more question to ponder. The prodigal son's story talks about the Father and the two sons and what about the mother? Why did the gospel not talk about the Mother? Who would be the mother? The mother figure is purposely left behind so that as we come to church, practice our faith and receive all the churches sacraments know that the mother is still alive and she is the holy Catholic Church where we experience love, kindness and above all else forgiveness.
Conclusion: Let us thank God for He is good and His love surpasses everything. Let us not judge others but accept and pray for them. Let us see the presence of Christ our Savior in them all. Amen.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Second Sunday in Lent-C
Second Sunday in Lent-C
Good morning everyone, I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. Dear friends, every time we come to Church, we get closer to God Almighty through prayer and every time we come to Church, because of our sincere prayer, our appearance will begin to change and we will become more spiritual and will begin to reflect Christ in our every day activities. Every time we come to Church, we hear God saying, “you are my beloved child and with you I am so happy”
Once a mother saw his son being bad and asked him to pray to God so that god could change him. After his prayer the mother looked at him and said, ‘did you pray to God to make you good’ the boy said, ‘no, I prayed for you so that God can give you enough strength to put up with me.
Once a man said, "When I play, I play harder. When I work, I work harder and when I pray, I fall a sleep". The German mystic Meister Echhart once said that you should bother less of what you have to do and think more about what you are to Being. If your being is good, then your doing will shine brightly.
Once a rich man was building a tavern a small town and a group of believers from a local church were worried and thus they planned an all- night prayer meeting to ask god to intervene. Then a shocking thing happened. Lighting struck the building and destroyed it completely. The rich man sued the church saying, “because of their prayer, my building was struck by lighting” and the Christian said, ‘No, not because of our prayers”. Then the judge finally looked at them both and said, “No matter how this case is going to come out, one thing is sure and clear. The owner of the building believes in prayer and the church people don’t”
Once some people looked at Mother Theresa and said, “Mother, when you pray what do you say to God?” Mother said, ‘I don’t say anything. I just listen”. Then they asked, ‘what does God say to you as you listen?” She again looked at them and smiled and said, “He doesn’t talk either”. He listens.
Prayer means communion, being with God. It is being one with God. It is having a holy experience.
Prayer helps to identify good from evil. It helps us to say, “no” to sin and Satan. For example, last weekend gospel, as Jesus was finishing His forty days and forty nights of prayer and fasting, He was tempted by Satan. We saw how He said No, to Satan and yes to the love of God. It is because of His prayer, everything happened. As we deeply enter into prayer life, we will know how to say no to temptations and evil and says to the love of God.
And in today’s gospel, Jesus goes to a mountain with His three disciples and while He was praying to His father God, another important change happened in Him and around Him. His appearance began to change. He becomes full of light and because of that change, His clothes became dazzling white. There the disciples witnessed How Moses and Elijah came to Christ and they were talking to Him. Then they hear a voice from heaven saying to them, ‘this is my beloved Son with whom I am so happy, listen to Him and him alone”.
We often hear how the Muslims pray five times a day, the Hindus pray three times a day and the Budhist praying as often as they can and what about Christians, followers of Christ....Our whole life is a prayer. As St. Paul says, "When we do everything for the glory of God, then our whole life becomes a prayer".
Even today so many spiritual leaders, mystics and holy people as they entered deeply in prayer, begin to experience altered state of conciousness. It is one of the qualities of prayer. A person who spends time in prayer knows how to separate good from evil and he begins to experience the oneness of body and soul and thus his appearance will change, his surrounding will change. People who are with him will know that he is a man of prayer and though they do not spend time in prayer or doing diving things, they too experience god in their daily lives.
Conclusion: Dear friends, as we celebrate the season of lent, we are called to get closer to god, and we are called to know that we belong to God. Yes, the Lenten observances of prayer, fasting and works of charity help us to do so. So let us pray without ceasing for us and for others. Amen.
Good morning everyone, I am so happy to welcome you all for today’s Holy Mass. Dear friends, every time we come to Church, we get closer to God Almighty through prayer and every time we come to Church, because of our sincere prayer, our appearance will begin to change and we will become more spiritual and will begin to reflect Christ in our every day activities. Every time we come to Church, we hear God saying, “you are my beloved child and with you I am so happy”
Once a mother saw his son being bad and asked him to pray to God so that god could change him. After his prayer the mother looked at him and said, ‘did you pray to God to make you good’ the boy said, ‘no, I prayed for you so that God can give you enough strength to put up with me.
Once a man said, "When I play, I play harder. When I work, I work harder and when I pray, I fall a sleep". The German mystic Meister Echhart once said that you should bother less of what you have to do and think more about what you are to Being. If your being is good, then your doing will shine brightly.
Once a rich man was building a tavern a small town and a group of believers from a local church were worried and thus they planned an all- night prayer meeting to ask god to intervene. Then a shocking thing happened. Lighting struck the building and destroyed it completely. The rich man sued the church saying, “because of their prayer, my building was struck by lighting” and the Christian said, ‘No, not because of our prayers”. Then the judge finally looked at them both and said, “No matter how this case is going to come out, one thing is sure and clear. The owner of the building believes in prayer and the church people don’t”
Once some people looked at Mother Theresa and said, “Mother, when you pray what do you say to God?” Mother said, ‘I don’t say anything. I just listen”. Then they asked, ‘what does God say to you as you listen?” She again looked at them and smiled and said, “He doesn’t talk either”. He listens.
Prayer means communion, being with God. It is being one with God. It is having a holy experience.
Prayer helps to identify good from evil. It helps us to say, “no” to sin and Satan. For example, last weekend gospel, as Jesus was finishing His forty days and forty nights of prayer and fasting, He was tempted by Satan. We saw how He said No, to Satan and yes to the love of God. It is because of His prayer, everything happened. As we deeply enter into prayer life, we will know how to say no to temptations and evil and says to the love of God.
And in today’s gospel, Jesus goes to a mountain with His three disciples and while He was praying to His father God, another important change happened in Him and around Him. His appearance began to change. He becomes full of light and because of that change, His clothes became dazzling white. There the disciples witnessed How Moses and Elijah came to Christ and they were talking to Him. Then they hear a voice from heaven saying to them, ‘this is my beloved Son with whom I am so happy, listen to Him and him alone”.
We often hear how the Muslims pray five times a day, the Hindus pray three times a day and the Budhist praying as often as they can and what about Christians, followers of Christ....Our whole life is a prayer. As St. Paul says, "When we do everything for the glory of God, then our whole life becomes a prayer".
Even today so many spiritual leaders, mystics and holy people as they entered deeply in prayer, begin to experience altered state of conciousness. It is one of the qualities of prayer. A person who spends time in prayer knows how to separate good from evil and he begins to experience the oneness of body and soul and thus his appearance will change, his surrounding will change. People who are with him will know that he is a man of prayer and though they do not spend time in prayer or doing diving things, they too experience god in their daily lives.
Conclusion: Dear friends, as we celebrate the season of lent, we are called to get closer to god, and we are called to know that we belong to God. Yes, the Lenten observances of prayer, fasting and works of charity help us to do so. So let us pray without ceasing for us and for others. Amen.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
First Sunday in Lent
First Sunday in Lent-C
Once a priest who went for a nice walk in the winter was stopped by a thief. He showed the priest a big knife and demanded his wallet. As the priest was unzipping his winter coat, the thief saw his clerical collar and apologized him saying, "O Father, I am sorry I did not know that you are a priest". Then the priest said, "Shall I offer you a cigarette?" "The thief was shocked and said to the priest, "Oh..I am sorry, father, I gave up smoking for Lent".
Today the Holy Catholic Church enters into the first Sunday of Lent. The season of Lent is usually consisting of forty days of fasting, prayer and works of mercy and charity that began with ash Wednesday when we received holy ashes on our forehead that remined of our dependency on God Almighty. That day we heard the words of the Bible namely ,"O soul, remember, Your body is dust and unto dust, it shall return" and this lenten season concluds at sundown on Holy Thursday. The color of Lent is violet. During these forty days, we closely follow our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered and died for our salvation.
Once there lived an amazing farmer in the island of Ireland. He was so happy to spend more time in his field and one day as he was dying, he asked his son to take him to the field where he reached down and clutched some soil onto his hands and died a happy man.
As he was entering into heaven, the angel asked him to let the soil go but he refused, so he was let outside. Thousand years after, the angel again came to him and said, "come into heaven and let the soil go". The farmer again refused. Two thousand years after, when the angel came to him, he decided to let the beloved soil of Ireland go. When he entered into heaven, the first thing, he saw was, his beloved Island Ireland waiting for him in heaven".
What we leave behind for the sake of others and for our own sake and what we sacrifice for the well-being of others, they will always be counted in heaven.
In today's gospel we see how our Lord Jesus Christ the king of the universe spent forty days and forty nights for our salvation and praying and fasting and at the end of fortieth day encoutered Satan who tempted Him.
Christ our Lord encountered three types or kinds of temptation namely physical, spiritual and material.
For the physical temptation, Christ our Lord said, “One does not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God”.
Once a man who wanted to become a monk was adviced to do some reflection and meditation on his special call. while he was sitting comfortably to do so, he saw a beautiful woman walking by, and was distracted. The next day, he closed his eyes and was doing his meditation but he heard her walking by and was distracted again. The next day, he closed his eyes and ears and as she was walking by, he could smell her. So he covered his head with a brown bag and was doing his meditation. Time went by, when it was ten o’clock, his mind began to act out saying, this is the time, she supposed to walk by. where is she? where is she?
physical desire can stop us from loving God and his immense glory. And this season helps us to rethink our physical desires and if they stop us from going to God, we should improve ourselves during this season.
The second one is spiritual temptation. And Christ our Lord said, “Do not tempt God your Father”.
Once there was a religious man who prayed five times a day and fasted three times a week and did every thing according to the commandments of the Lord and one day as he was walking on a river bank, he fell in the water and cried to God saying, God help me. Then came fire fighters and then police and people to help him but he refused saying, ’God will come and help me”. But God did not come, he drowned. when he went to heaven, he said God how come you did not come to help me. God said, I was the one who sent all those people to help you but you refused. Do not tempt your Father. The difference between religious and spiritual people is religious people look for miracles but spiritual people become miralcles for others.
The third temptation of Christ is the mateiral one and to that Christ said, ’Worship the Lord and serve only Him”.
one day a man met with his friend who looked sad and he asked why. He said you know my uncle who died a week ago and left with me a million dollar. yes you suppose to be happy and why are you sad because the other uncle who died two days ago also left me a million. wow now you have two millions and you should be happy and why are you looking sad. The man said I am sad becasue I do not have any more uncle to die.
material things will never fill the heart of a person. When we serve God and God alone, we will be given everything. Let us take advantage of this season and fill our hearts with love and kindness; with happiness and joy and thus become new and say no to our old self. There is a saying, "Satan tempts people and idle people tempt Satan". Let us keep ourselves busy of improving spiritually and find God. Amen.
Once a priest who went for a nice walk in the winter was stopped by a thief. He showed the priest a big knife and demanded his wallet. As the priest was unzipping his winter coat, the thief saw his clerical collar and apologized him saying, "O Father, I am sorry I did not know that you are a priest". Then the priest said, "Shall I offer you a cigarette?" "The thief was shocked and said to the priest, "Oh..I am sorry, father, I gave up smoking for Lent".
Today the Holy Catholic Church enters into the first Sunday of Lent. The season of Lent is usually consisting of forty days of fasting, prayer and works of mercy and charity that began with ash Wednesday when we received holy ashes on our forehead that remined of our dependency on God Almighty. That day we heard the words of the Bible namely ,"O soul, remember, Your body is dust and unto dust, it shall return" and this lenten season concluds at sundown on Holy Thursday. The color of Lent is violet. During these forty days, we closely follow our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered and died for our salvation.
Once there lived an amazing farmer in the island of Ireland. He was so happy to spend more time in his field and one day as he was dying, he asked his son to take him to the field where he reached down and clutched some soil onto his hands and died a happy man.
As he was entering into heaven, the angel asked him to let the soil go but he refused, so he was let outside. Thousand years after, the angel again came to him and said, "come into heaven and let the soil go". The farmer again refused. Two thousand years after, when the angel came to him, he decided to let the beloved soil of Ireland go. When he entered into heaven, the first thing, he saw was, his beloved Island Ireland waiting for him in heaven".
What we leave behind for the sake of others and for our own sake and what we sacrifice for the well-being of others, they will always be counted in heaven.
In today's gospel we see how our Lord Jesus Christ the king of the universe spent forty days and forty nights for our salvation and praying and fasting and at the end of fortieth day encoutered Satan who tempted Him.
Christ our Lord encountered three types or kinds of temptation namely physical, spiritual and material.
For the physical temptation, Christ our Lord said, “One does not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God”.
Once a man who wanted to become a monk was adviced to do some reflection and meditation on his special call. while he was sitting comfortably to do so, he saw a beautiful woman walking by, and was distracted. The next day, he closed his eyes and was doing his meditation but he heard her walking by and was distracted again. The next day, he closed his eyes and ears and as she was walking by, he could smell her. So he covered his head with a brown bag and was doing his meditation. Time went by, when it was ten o’clock, his mind began to act out saying, this is the time, she supposed to walk by. where is she? where is she?
physical desire can stop us from loving God and his immense glory. And this season helps us to rethink our physical desires and if they stop us from going to God, we should improve ourselves during this season.
The second one is spiritual temptation. And Christ our Lord said, “Do not tempt God your Father”.
Once there was a religious man who prayed five times a day and fasted three times a week and did every thing according to the commandments of the Lord and one day as he was walking on a river bank, he fell in the water and cried to God saying, God help me. Then came fire fighters and then police and people to help him but he refused saying, ’God will come and help me”. But God did not come, he drowned. when he went to heaven, he said God how come you did not come to help me. God said, I was the one who sent all those people to help you but you refused. Do not tempt your Father. The difference between religious and spiritual people is religious people look for miracles but spiritual people become miralcles for others.
The third temptation of Christ is the mateiral one and to that Christ said, ’Worship the Lord and serve only Him”.
one day a man met with his friend who looked sad and he asked why. He said you know my uncle who died a week ago and left with me a million dollar. yes you suppose to be happy and why are you sad because the other uncle who died two days ago also left me a million. wow now you have two millions and you should be happy and why are you looking sad. The man said I am sad becasue I do not have any more uncle to die.
material things will never fill the heart of a person. When we serve God and God alone, we will be given everything. Let us take advantage of this season and fill our hearts with love and kindness; with happiness and joy and thus become new and say no to our old self. There is a saying, "Satan tempts people and idle people tempt Satan". Let us keep ourselves busy of improving spiritually and find God. Amen.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Fifth Sunday-C
Fifth Sunday in year C
Once after Mass, a pious lady met with the priest and she was crying uncontrollably. The priest looked at her and said, "is that anything wrong? I never sawd you being sad and crying. what happened? O Father, My husband died last night. I am so sorry to hear that. did he have any last wish or saying. yes, Father he did. what did he say. what was his last word. he looked
at me and said, "O Maria, put down that damn gun".
Today's gospel passage brings out the complete mission of Christ our Lord. Right after His baptism at Jordan, our Lord Jesus Christ comes to the lake shore of Gennesaret and there He preaches the Good News of Salvation. Though there were thousands of rabbis in the time of Jesus; though there were so many teachers of the temple and synogogue in the time of Christ and though there were many spiritual and religious leaders at that time, people did not go to them. People were not drawn or attracted to them because they taught people about a God of punishment and fear. But on the other hand, Christ our Lord showed them all the father-God, God who is full of compassion and love, about a God who is slow to anger and ready to forgive. And that is why the crowd was pressing in on Christ.
once a dad and his son were travelling to a distant country by a ship that encountered a big cyclone. The son got so afraid and looked at his dad who was confortably sleeping. He woke his dad up and said, "Dad, are you not afraid that we are going to be perished. we are going to die". The dad laughed at him and said, "Son, God will look after us. you do not need to be afraid. Just believe in Him". The son was not happy to hear that. Then the dad took a knife and tried to kill his son. The son was not afraid of his dad at all. So the dad askey him why. The son said it is because you are my dad and you are not going to kill me. Then the dad said, "Son, God is our Father and why are you afraid of the things that happen around us?. He will never abandon us. And Jesus was talking about that God and asked them to call that God Father.
After preaching the love and kindness of God our father to people, He said to Simon Peter, "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch" He answed Christ saying, "O Master, all night long we tried our best and we did not get anything at all. Since you are the light of the world and you say so, I will let the nets down".
First Christ our Lord was preaching people the good news and now we see how he is teaching Simon and others about the secret of trusting God. As we put our complete trust in the Lord, miracles will happen, not one miracle or two but thousands and thousands of miracles will happen to us every day.
Once a man was saying his friend, "I got lost in the desert for three days and knelt before God and prayed for his help". " Did God come and help you?" The man said, "NO, before He could, an explorer showed up and helped me the way"
Miracles are happening every day but we are incapable of recognizing them.
As Simon Peter listened to Christ, Miracles happened and there he instantly realized his humanness, his human weakness and knelt before Christ and said, "Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man". But out of love, He calls them to become aposltes of the Good News. He calls them to become fishers of people.
Once a man met with the spiritual master and said, "Last night God appeared to me and said that you have the precious stone that would make me the richest man in town. Please give me that stone". The master took a stone from his pocket and gave it to him saying, "I found it one the road. Take it and it is yours". The man was happy to receive the stone. The next day, the man came to the spiritual master and said, "I reflected all day long and found the truth. Keep this stone and please give me the riches that made you to give away this stone".
As Simon and others realized their humanness and limited human frailties, Christ our Lord showed them the way to catch people. The true riches of being with Christ and helping others to know the kindgdom of god.
Dear friends, we are too given to the true riches to be with Christ and enjoy His love and forgiveness. We are blessed becasue we are here listening to His divine words and experiencing His presence among us. And we are also called to become fishers of people namely spreading the good news of salvation to all. We are as we celebrate the year of mercy asked to be merciful like the Father. God bless.
Once after Mass, a pious lady met with the priest and she was crying uncontrollably. The priest looked at her and said, "is that anything wrong? I never sawd you being sad and crying. what happened? O Father, My husband died last night. I am so sorry to hear that. did he have any last wish or saying. yes, Father he did. what did he say. what was his last word. he looked
at me and said, "O Maria, put down that damn gun".
Today's gospel passage brings out the complete mission of Christ our Lord. Right after His baptism at Jordan, our Lord Jesus Christ comes to the lake shore of Gennesaret and there He preaches the Good News of Salvation. Though there were thousands of rabbis in the time of Jesus; though there were so many teachers of the temple and synogogue in the time of Christ and though there were many spiritual and religious leaders at that time, people did not go to them. People were not drawn or attracted to them because they taught people about a God of punishment and fear. But on the other hand, Christ our Lord showed them all the father-God, God who is full of compassion and love, about a God who is slow to anger and ready to forgive. And that is why the crowd was pressing in on Christ.
once a dad and his son were travelling to a distant country by a ship that encountered a big cyclone. The son got so afraid and looked at his dad who was confortably sleeping. He woke his dad up and said, "Dad, are you not afraid that we are going to be perished. we are going to die". The dad laughed at him and said, "Son, God will look after us. you do not need to be afraid. Just believe in Him". The son was not happy to hear that. Then the dad took a knife and tried to kill his son. The son was not afraid of his dad at all. So the dad askey him why. The son said it is because you are my dad and you are not going to kill me. Then the dad said, "Son, God is our Father and why are you afraid of the things that happen around us?. He will never abandon us. And Jesus was talking about that God and asked them to call that God Father.
After preaching the love and kindness of God our father to people, He said to Simon Peter, "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch" He answed Christ saying, "O Master, all night long we tried our best and we did not get anything at all. Since you are the light of the world and you say so, I will let the nets down".
First Christ our Lord was preaching people the good news and now we see how he is teaching Simon and others about the secret of trusting God. As we put our complete trust in the Lord, miracles will happen, not one miracle or two but thousands and thousands of miracles will happen to us every day.
Once a man was saying his friend, "I got lost in the desert for three days and knelt before God and prayed for his help". " Did God come and help you?" The man said, "NO, before He could, an explorer showed up and helped me the way"
Miracles are happening every day but we are incapable of recognizing them.
As Simon Peter listened to Christ, Miracles happened and there he instantly realized his humanness, his human weakness and knelt before Christ and said, "Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man". But out of love, He calls them to become aposltes of the Good News. He calls them to become fishers of people.
Once a man met with the spiritual master and said, "Last night God appeared to me and said that you have the precious stone that would make me the richest man in town. Please give me that stone". The master took a stone from his pocket and gave it to him saying, "I found it one the road. Take it and it is yours". The man was happy to receive the stone. The next day, the man came to the spiritual master and said, "I reflected all day long and found the truth. Keep this stone and please give me the riches that made you to give away this stone".
As Simon and others realized their humanness and limited human frailties, Christ our Lord showed them the way to catch people. The true riches of being with Christ and helping others to know the kindgdom of god.
Dear friends, we are too given to the true riches to be with Christ and enjoy His love and forgiveness. We are blessed becasue we are here listening to His divine words and experiencing His presence among us. And we are also called to become fishers of people namely spreading the good news of salvation to all. We are as we celebrate the year of mercy asked to be merciful like the Father. God bless.
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