16th sunday

16th Sunday-B 

Good evening/morning everyone. Someone said you are from India, could you do anything Indian? I said, "Of course and thus I took out my cell phone and made two telemarketing calls" 

Once a preacher preached on alcoholism saying, "If I have all the wine in the world, I will take it and throw it in the river". "If I have all the vodka, Brandy, whiskey in the world, I will take them and throw them in the river". 'If I have all the Molson and Corona in the world, I will take them and throw them in the river". Then there was a long pause and then when the choir director announced the final hymn, there was a big roar of laughter because she said, "our final hymn today is "Let us all gather at the river". 

The next weekend, he talked on forgiveness and asked, "If you have any enemy at all, please raise your hands, almost everybody raised their hands, except the choir director. What is with the choir director? The pastor asked her why and the ninety-two-year-old fragile woman said, "It's because I outlived all my stupid enemies".  

Everybody clapped hands for her and then the pastor invited her to the front and said, "Since you don't have any enemy at all. We are not going to give you any hymn. Why don't you choose three hymns for yourself", the ninety-two-year old lady was so happy and looked at them all and especially the men and said, "Him, Him and Him". 

Friends in Christ Jesus, 

It's because of Christ, we have happiness and joy and it's because of Him, we have a sense and meaning in our life and it's only because of Him, we have the courage to call God almighty, 'Father'. 

Christ our Lord called so many people to follow Him but among the many, He chose only twelve and called them Apostles. He then sent the apostles to continue His mission of preaching and healing. Upon their return from the mission, He took them to a lonely place where they could relax and take it easy. But on the other hand, Christ our Lord who even sacrificed His life for humanity, saw a big crowed coming toward Him and He had compassion for them. They were like sheep without a Shepherd and thus He began to teach them many things. 

People were like sheep with a shepherd 

Once a Japanese soldier was put in a prisoner war camp with a Canadian prisoner. The soldier was beaten up bad because he was considered as a traitor. He Canadian soldier bandaged his wounds and gave his food to him and it went on for many days and then one day the Japanese soldier was beaten very bad and the Canadian soldier knew that he was going to die. So, he said, "Why don't you accept Christ in your life and you will be saved" Do you know what the Japanese soldier said, " If Jesus is nice like you then I will..." 

There are so many people today like sheep without a shepherd, I mean, the good shepherd. They are beaten by so many things. They are facing so many challenges and difficulties every day, may be, it's because of their family situation, their health problems and their financial challenges. As they know that they are not alone, the shepherd is with them and will not abandon them, their whole understanding of life and living will be different. 

Then they could say with boldness, 

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil. You are with me. Your rod and staff, they comfort me. Yes, the Lord is our Shepherd and we shall not want. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord our whole life long. Amen 

15th Sunday

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY. 

 I am a very shy person, but I am fine standing before the Altar. And I call this 'my Alter ego'. 

Once a preacher preached against drinking alcohol. He said, "If I had all the wine in the world, I would take it and throw it in the river. If I had all the whisky and brandy in the world, I would take them and throw them in the river and if I had all the vodka in the world, I would take it and throw it in the river". After his sermon, the choir director announced with a big smile, "Our final hymn is, "Shall we all gather at the river". 

The preacher wasn't happy at all with the choir director and the next Sunday, he preached on forgiveness. After his preaching, he asked the people how many are going to forgive others, and everybody raised their hands except the choir director and the preacher looked at her and said, "how come you are not raising your hand?' And the choir director the ninety years old woman said, "Because I outlived all those stupid people". 

Then everybody clapped hands for her and the preacher was so happy with her and said, "Instead of asking me, why don't you choose three hymens for yourself today". The ninety years old woman was so happy and looked at them all and especially men and said, "Him...him and him". 

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,  

Last week end, we met with Christ in His hometown where His authority was rejected by prominent people. And Christ who is compassionate and kind and loving and forgiving still managed to heal the sick and give life to the dead. And in today's gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ who called not the prominent and important people, who called not the rich and influential people but ordinary and everyday people to be His apostles, gave them power and authority. He sends them out to continue His mission of healing and casting out demons.  

As Christ was sending them out on mission, He asked them to take nothing for their journey, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts and not even two tunics. He asked them to take only a shepherd staff and wear sandals and if anyone does not welcome them as they leave, they were asked to shake off the dust on their feet as testimony against them. 

Jesus Christ asked them to take a staff, a shepherd staff to let the people know that they were to guide the people like a shepherd would guide his sheep. 

Christ asked them not to take any bread so that the apostles and others would know that man does not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Christ is our living bread and He fills our heart, mind, body and soul with life-giving bread. 

Christ asked them not to take any bag so that the apostles and others world know that by gaining the whole world and forfeiting or losing one's soul does not going to profit anything. We belong to heaven and what we own, we owe to God and God alone. 

Christ Jesus asked them not to take money in their belts so that the apostles and others would come to know that we cannot serve both God and money. We should give what belongs to Creaser and to give what belongs to God. What belongs to God? We belong to God and by giving ourselves to God, we gain everything. 

Christ asked them to shake off the dust when people refuse to listen to them, it is not only a reminder against them but also an invitation to know that we are dust and unto dust we shall return so it's important to know, love and serve the Lord our God. 

As they went on mission, they did what Christ our Lord commanded them. 

Once Mother Teresa who started her new religious order, the missionary of Charity, went to a very rich Hindu man and stretched out her hand and said, "Please give me something for the poor". You know what the rich man did, he spat on her palm and St. Mother Teresa did not react at all, instead she smiled at him and said, "This is for me and now give me something for the poor". This changed the rich man completely and he became a great benefactor then.  Our great Mother Teresa started her religious order without bread, without bag and without money and without two tunics but all she had was "Jesus Christ". When we have Christ, everything will be given to us. We can have everything in the world and if we don't have Christ with us, we have nothing and if we don't have anything but Christ then we have everything.  

Conclusion: we are called to preach and be missionaries in our everyday life, so let us take Christ with us and then we too will see great things happening to us and to others . Amen. 

14th Sunday-B

FOURTIENTH SUNDAY-B 

Good evening/morning everyone. I am happy to welcome you all for today's Holy Mass. Once a parishioner asked me..."What kind of entertainment we have in India". I couldn't stop laughing and said, "In India, we have more than one billion people and you want to know what kind of entertainment we have. Procreation is our recreation. Then I said, 'Please don't ask me these things in the confessional and tell me your sins now". 

Once an old man was walking in the street holding hands with a beautiful woman and laughing and joking. The next week as he went to see his family doctor, he said, "Thank you for your advice, doc". The doctor said, "What did I say?" You said, "Get a hot mama and be cheerful". The doctor said, "No, not at all. I said, "you had heart murmur and be careful". 

The name 'Isha' which means Jesus in Arabic is mentioned in the Holy Koran more than twenty-five times. It's more than the prophet Mohamed. The Old Testament uses the names Jesus more than hundred times. Every time the Hebrew Bible talks about 'Salvation', it uses the word 'Jeshua'. With this name that the angel Gabriel asked Mary to name her divine son. At the very name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. This very name has power and anyone who pronounces the name of Jesus and bless themselves will be abundantly blessed.  

In today's gospel passage, we see how our Lord Jesus Christ with His disciples comes to His home town and in the synagogue, He proclaims His mission statement namely preaching and healing; loving and forgiving and thus showing the people who were enslaved by so many man-made rules and regulations and so many man-made rituals the way to the kingdom of God. They say all the way to heaven is heaven because He said that He is the way and as we follow Christ, we are already living in heaven. He not only shows the way and He Himself is the way. 

But His home town people reacted differently. Prophets are not without honor except their hometown and among His own people. They began to put Him down saying, "We know Him. He is just a carpenter's Son and we know His mother and we know His father and we know His siblings and others. Then where did He get this wisdom and knowledge and where did He get His power and authority and they took offense at Him. 

Though they criticized Him, they did recognize Christ's great divine authority and power. They did see Him immense healing miracles and wonders. Even by rejecting Christ our Lord, they recognized His divinity. 

And How did Christ accept His rejection? 

Once Victor Frankl said, "Between stimulus and response, there is a space and in that space is our freedom to choose our response. And in our response lies our growth and our freedom". 

Jesus says, "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad and your reward is great in heaven". 

When people, His own people who were friend with Him and who knew Him well, put Him down and criticized Him, the only reaction of Christ or Lord was, the gospel passage says that He was amazed at their disbelief". 

And He still did some miracles and wonders and healing for people. Yes, Christ our Lord will never say, "NO" to anyone. 

Conclusion: Friends in Christ Jesus, people may reject us, it's because you believe in Christ and your own family members and friends may criticize you, it's because you come to Church and your own people and others may put you down, it’s because you put your faith in practice, let us not be afraid but stand firm and proclaim the truth. We are not alone but Christ is with us. Amen.