The holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH 

Good morning/evening everyone. Once reporters asked Pope John xiii, "Holy Father, how many people are working in Vatican?" Pope said, "about half of them"   

Once a baby camel looked so sad and the mother said, "Son, why are you looking sad? You should be proud that your dad was one of them who carried the Magi to Bethlehem". I know my but I want to know why do we have this huge hump on our back. Mom said, "This helps us to store water. Since we live in desert, we will go without water and this hump helps to store water my son. What about our long legs and rounded feet. The mom said, these legs help us to walk in the desert. And what about our long eyelashes. The mom again said, we live in desert and our eyelashes protect us from sand and wind. Then the son looked at his mother and said, "Then why are we living in the cold and snowy Toronto zoo?" 

Once a man was searching for something under a bright halogen light in a parking lot and then his friends came by and said, "What are you looking for". My key. So the friend also joined and the both were looking for the key for long time. Then at one point the friend said, "Where did you lose your key?' He said, "At home". Then why are you looking for here. It's because its brighter here. They say look for God where you lost Him. Some at home, in relationship, at work or in the business and so on. 

And today's feast of the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph help us to find God in everything that we do. 

Joseph, the bible says only one word about Joseph saying he was a just man. He was god-fearing and faith-practicing person. There is a funny story about why Joseph never talks in the bible. Once Joseph went to his mom and said, "Mom, I don't understand Jesus and Mary. They talk about immaculate conception, virgin birth, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and assumption and so on. You know what Joseph's mom said, "Joey, go home and keep your mouth shut". 

Joseph the foster father of Jesus. He protected his family and he was well aware of the surrounding and thus he was blessed to help Jesus and Mary. 

Mary: about 10 years ago, I called to man to repair a church door and I said, "I am calling from our Lady of Fatima church and he said, wow....just now someone called me from our lady of mount Carmel. How many ladies you have in the church? That was a great opportunity for me to help him to understand the role of blessed lady in the church and said, though she is called with many different names, she is the only one, the mother of god. And I explained the holy rosary and how we are so blessed to have the luminous mystery because of john Paul the second where we meditate the baptism of the Lord. His first miracle and his proclamation of the kingdom of god and transfiguration and holy Eucharist. I explained to him the seven sorrows of the blessed lady and how to meditate on them. I had a chance to answer all his questions about our blessed Lady. He came to the church the very next day and fixed the door that cost about 800 dollars and he said, this is my donation to the church. Then I never saw him again. Five years later, I saw him walking on his knees in Bosnia at Madjugoria. He said he dedicated his life to our lady and is coming to this holy place every year. And I stayed with him three more days and we did more prayers and he inspired me to know more about our lady. Blessed lady was so well aware of what was going on in herself. After saying yes to God, she accepted everything for the sake of Christ our Lord. Every family will be a holy family, when mothers play their spiritual role effectively and thus they help children and family members to find god where they lost him. 

Jesus: they say until 6th month of the pregnancy of John the Baptist,  Elizabeth did not know what was going on with her. There was no movement in her stomach. She was losing hope and she did not know to whom she could go. She thought that the child was dead. She would have a stillborn baby and there came our blessed mother to visit her and then something amazing happened. Because of Christ our Lord the child in her womb leaped for joy. That is our lord Jesus Christ. He continuously gives life and joy. Even at the last moment he brings life to the lifeless and hope to the hopeless.  

Sometimes it is sad when people say that they don't see or experience god. As a child is in mother's womb, the child doesn't believe in the mother but there is an omnipresence of mother, Because of the mother, the child lives, moves and has his or her being and likewise though we don't feel or experience, there is an omnipresence of God and its so important to know God each and everyday. Coming to church should help us to know the presence of God everywhere and thus we will find him where we lost him. Amen. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS... 

Merry Christmas and Good evening every one. I am so happy to welcome you all for today's Christmas eve celebration. 

Today we celebrate the biggest event that has ever happened in human history, the unimaginable event. Yes, God the Creator, the Source of our very being became human and willingly accepted to live among us like you and me. Today's celebration of the glorious event of the birth of Christ the Only Son of God tells us that God never abandons His people and He will not leave us orphaned. 

God is love surpasses everything. When His own chosen people whom He loved without condition, went away from Him, when His own people faced with pain and difficulties; when His own people began to worship false gods such as money, power and pleasure and rejected His mercy and compassion; love and kindness, yet God the Father did not abandon them. 

He knew His children and He knew that they were weak and fragile and He knew that they would come back to Him. And in order to bring them back to Him, He sent His kings, prophets, Holy men and women to them and at last, as the expression of His unconditional love, God sent His Only Son Jesus Christ our Lord through whom everything came into existence and for whom alone, everything was created. 

Yes, God sent His Son the Redeemer Jesus our Lord. Jesus was born poor in Bethlehem and lived with poor. And at the age of twelve, He manifested His divine love at the temple in Jerusalem telling all the teachers, wise men and to the Pharisees and Scribes that God loves every one and every one belongs to Him. At the age of thirty, while He was baptized, the heavens opened, and there came out the divine voice saying, "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him alone". 

Christ our Lord went everywhere with His chosen apostles preaching the good news doing miracles and wonders. Jesus our Lord over and over again says that anyone who follows Him will have life everlasting.  

Dear friends in child Jesus, every time we celebrate the miraculous birth of Christ, we celebrate our birth, we celebrate our joy and happiness. Yes, every time we come to Church, we celebrate His glorious birth and every time we receive any of the church's sacraments, we celebrate His life and every time we come here, we begin to reflect His love and kindness. We become the God we worship. Today, what is our gift to child Jesus? Since everything that we see and have belong to him and what can we possibly give Him?  

We can give ourselves. Yes, let us give ourselves to Him and join the angels and the shepherds and sing, "Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on earth". Amen.

4th Sunday of Advent

4th Sunday in Advent-B 

Good evening/morning every one. Welcome to celebrate our fourth Sunday of Advent today.  

Once a wife said to her husband, "Honey, you won't believe that I had a dream in which you are giving me a diamond necklace for Christmas and I don't know what it means. The husband said, "Honey, you wait and see". Even before Christmas day, she said, "I had the same dream again that you are giving me a beautiful diamond necklace for Christmas and I don't know what it means. The husband again said, "wait and see". On Christmas day, she saw a beautiful well wrapped Christmas gift waiting for her on the kitchen table. Upon seeing it, she said to herself, "wow, I fooled and tricked him again and then she opened the gift and saw a book named, "How to interpret dreams". 

Once a famous Canadian spiritual man said, in 1950s, kids lost their innocence. They were liberated by their well-paying jobs, cars and new music and there came a new term called, "Generation Gap". 

In 1960s, kids lost their authority, it was a decade of protest against Church, government and parents. They rejected authorities but yet there was nothing to replace it. 

In 1970s, kids lost love and it was a decade of Miism. It’s about self-image, self-love, self-help, self-growth and so on. Since everything was about Me...me, they forgot about true love. 

In 1980s, kids lost their hope, they were stripped of their innocence, authority and self-love. They were more confused than ever. Nothing gave them meaning. They began to experience more pain and suffering, more depression and anxieties. They stopped believing in future. 

In 1990s, kids lost in the world of cyber space. Objects became subjects and subjects became meaningless. And thus we live in a world of confusion, chaos, rejection and loss.  

But still there is hope, there is faith and there is love for those who put their trust in Christ the Lord. 

Yes, the fourth Sunday of Advent brings us all more hope, more faith and more love.  

Today's gospel is about Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 

Today's gospel says that Joseph was a just man. Just man in the bible means one who is honest and god-fearing. Joseph did everything according to the will of God. He prayed to God unceasingly and practiced his faith going to synagogue and helping people in need. He put God first in everything he said and did. He was holy and blameless before God and others. 

Today's gospel talks about the great mother of God, Mary most holy. Though Mary was chosen by God in a special way, God still sent His Angel Gabriel to announce the Good News and ask her willingness to be the mother of God. God did not take her free will away. When Mary said, "Let it be done according to His will...", then only things began to change.  

Today's gospel talks about Jesus the only Son of God. The very name Jesus has power and He came to save humanity and take them all back to His Father's kingdom. While all the prophets, kings, holy men and women failed to bring divine love, wisdom and knowledge to humanity, God sent at last His only Son our Lord Jesus Christ who gave the power and courage to call God, Father...the highest revelation of all. Everything Christ our Lord said and did, all His miracles and wonders take us to Father who loves us unconditionally. 

Conclusion: Because of Christ, we have more hope and because of Him, we have more faith and because of Him, we enjoy more love. 

Once a man prayed to God saying, God, the world is without faith, hope and love and please do something before we die without faith, hope and love. And God said to him, 'son, I already did something. The man said, "what did you do". God said, "I created you".  Amen. 

2nd Sunday in Advent

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT- JOHN THE BAPTIST SUNDAY 

One day a man spotted a beautiful lamp and as he picked it up and rubbed it, there came out a genie looking at him and said, "Ask me for anything and I will grant you..." The man thought for a while and said, "I need a spectacular job and a job that no man ever succeeded at..." What did you say? No man ever succeeded at? The man said, "yes. I need a job that no man ever succeeded at" you know what happened. Genie made him a house wife. 

Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the second Sunday in Advent. And this Sunday is also called 'John the Baptist' Sunday. John the Baptist the fore runner of our Lord Jesus Christ came to prepare the way of the Lord. His message was, "The Lord is coming. Let's prepare His way". 

Today's gospel passage contains three messages namely Calling, Healing and Living out the Message. 

1. CALLING: Once a prisoner who lived in a solitary confinement for years and who never saw or spoke to anyone, saw a tiny ant coming into his cell. The man was so happy to see that tiny ant and he put it in the palm of his hand and was amazed at its beauty and fed that ant with one or two grains. He was transformed by seeing an ant.  Then one day he realized that it had taken him ten years of solitary confinement to know the beauty of that little creature. The same kind of experience happened to El Greco the Spanish painter. One day as he was sitting in his dark room, his friends called him out saying, "The Sun is shining and come out to the light". He said, "No I will not because it would disturb the light that is shining within me'.   Those who intensely search for the Lord will always find Him. Every baptized person is given the gift to find Christ through the means of prayers and others spiritual exercises. When we look for Him, He will manifest Himself to us. Once we experience the Lord, the like John the Baptist, we too will begin to call others to the light namely to Christ the Lord. 

2. HEALING: Once while three monks were going to a village to preach the Good News, came to a river bank and realized that they had to cross the river to go to the village and then they saw a beautiful woman also standing on the bank wanting to cross the river. So, one of the monks, out of charity and love carried the woman on his shoulders and thus all crossed the river. When the monks came back to their monastery, the other two monks went to all other monks and said what happened. Then the others came to him and said, "we monks are not allowed to touch a woman and you carried her on your shoulders". They criticized him and it went on and on for many days. Then one day, the monk called the other two monks and looked at them and said, "you know what, I carried that woman and let her go many days ago and why are you still carrying her in your hearts and minds?' Healing comes when we leave certain things behind. When we hold on to unholy things of ours and others, we distant ourselves from Christ but instead when we leave our old ways of hatred, revenge and jealousy, we become new in Christ Jesus. 

3. LIVING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE: Once a pious Catholic had a neighbor who never went to church or did anything spiritual in life. Every Sunday when Joe went to Chruch, the other man went fishing. Every time the man saw Joe, he always said to Joe, "Joe, I am going fishing and are you going to join me?' Joe used to say, "I am going to Church". Then one day, the neighbor looked at Joe and said, "Joe, how come every time I go fishing I invite you and you never invite me to Church". That day Joe experienced something new in him.  Living out the gospel message means helping others to know the love and kindness of God in Christ. Today so many people do not come to church and so many do not experience the love, kindness and forgiveness of Christ our Lord. It's not because they are bad or they unholy, it's because they don't feel welcomed. We do not extend Christ love to them. Let us become John the Baptist and call them to the Lord. Amen.