31st Sunday

Dear Friend,
There are some things we desire so much in life that we are ready to take a risk and sometimes pay any price to acquire what we desire. Sometimes these things might appear insignificant to others: like getting a movie ticket, a particular dress or suit, a particular job or interview or the latest computer gadget, but to us they mean everything. Have we the desire to see God, to meet Him? What risk are we ready to take, what ridicule are we ready to face to encounter Him?

Have a blessed encountering weekend!


Fr. Jude Botelho

Reflection

Today’s first reading, from the Book of Wisdom, written a century before Christ points out that salvation doesn’t necessarily come primarily only to those who are focused against sin, which is negative, but to those who are open to God’s love, which is positive. It puts everything into proper perspective. Before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain on a scale, very small and insignificant, or as the morning dew. On the other hand, God is almighty and all powerful. Yet this mighty God cares and is concerned not only about the universe but also about each and every one of us and is merciful towards us. He gently corrects us and leads us from evil back to him. How do we respond to this great love? In the words of the psalmist we say: ‘I will bless your name forever more.’ He wants the best for us A columnist, Scott Bennett, tells the story of a man ‘Michael’, who was facing a series of devastating reversals in his life, leaving him desperate and defenseless. He had no job, his car had been repossessed, his marriage was ending, and his father had just died a month earlier. One night, in a frantic cry for help, Michael lifted up his face to the stars. And then the incredible happened. This is how he expressed it: “I felt I was one with…. call it God, call it creation… I don’t know. I do know I felt a peace that I have never known before or since. A power and a purpose was revealed to me that night that I cannot put in words. But I never doubted again that life is precious and has a purpose. –As Christians we are blessed with a faith that teaches us we have in God a compassionate, caring and loving father, whose thoughts are above ours as the heavens are above the earth. God who created us loves us, cares for us and will never cease pursuing what is best for us even if we fail out of human frailty. “What the caterpillar calls the end of the road, God calls a butterfly.” James Valladares in ‘Your words, O Lord, Are Spirit, and They Are Life’ The Gospel today shows us clearly the attitude of God towards sinners illustrated in how Jesus treats Zacchaeus the tax collector. Although his profession would have made him very rich, Zacchaeus led a lonely and isolated life in spite of his wealth. He had heard of Jesus and his reputation in dealing with prostitutes and sinners. Zacchaeus hoped and wanted to see Jesus. He hears that Jesus is passing that way but he is lost in the crowds and is too short to see Jesus. But he grabs the opportunity of seeing him by climbing a sycamore tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. Perhaps, the crowds are amused by this short man, a respectable tax collector, who is perched on the tree. But Jesus does not pass by without noticing his effort. He stops, looks up and calls Zacchaeus by name. “Zacchaeus, come down! Hurry, because I must stay at your home today!” Zacchaeus, cannot believe his ears, Jesus is coming to his home and wants to stay with him! The impossible has become possible! The crowds are enraged because Jesus has invited himself to the house of a sinner, a tax collector, a traitor and friend of the Romans. Jesus is not bothered by the reaction of the crowd. He does not see the sins but he sees the sinner and reaches out. Jesus’ attitude touches Zacchaeus and the man who had been collecting riches all his life now is ready to give it all to others, He no longer needs his riches, he has found Jesus. It is worthwhile noting that Jesus does not demand repentance before entering into Zacchaeus’ home. Jesus overlooks the wrong doing in the hope that he will repent. He gave Zacchaeus the opportunity to change in the atmosphere of unconditional acceptance. We change not because God forces us to change but only when we experience His unconditional acceptance even in our sins. God comes to us in spite of ourselves! A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to pick up some medication for her daughter. On returning to her car she found that she had locked her keys in the car. She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter. She found a coat hanger there. Then she looked at the hanger and said, “I don’t know how to use this.” So she bowed her head and asked the Lord to send some help. A man got out of his car and asked her if he could help. “Please can you use this hanger to unlock my car?” she said. He said, “Sure.” He walked over to the car and in less than one minute, the car was opened. She hugged the man and through tears, she said, “Thank you so much! You are a very nice man.” The man replied, “Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour.” The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried aloud, “Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a professional!” –While we are all sinners, the Lord sees the good within us and keeps coming, knocking at the door of our hearts, encouraging us to come closer to him. Tomi Thomas in ‘Spice up your homilies’ Advantage Disadvantage Several years ago there was a basketball player by the name of Nate Archibald. When Nate finished college, most of the professional teams ignored him because they thought he was too short. In fact his nickname was ‘Tiny’. The Cincinnati Royals decided to take a chance on Nate and signed him to play on their team. Well, Nate made it big in the NBA because he was lightning fast, had good hands, and was a great shooter. He played in the NBA for fourteen seasons and became known as the player who proved that a ‘little man’ could play in the NBA. Just look at some of the honours he won: He was named to the All-NBA team five times. He was named to the NBA All-Star team six times. He was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame. Not too bad for a man most people thought was too short to play in the NBA. –The Bible tells us about another short man who became great, even though he was not very tall. His name was Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was not only short; he was hated by almost everyone because he was a tax collector. As a tax collector he often cheated people and collected more taxes than they owed. When he heard that Jesus was passing by he made an attempt to climb a tree to see Jesus. Jesus saw him and called him by name and went to his house and Zacchaeus was changed forever. When Jesus enters our lives our shortcomings, our handicaps do not matter at all. John Pichappilly in ‘The Table of the Word’ Cared for the least of his people There were some eyebrows raised when John XXIII was elected pope. He was in his seventies and there was no great hope that he was going to shake the Church. One of the first things he did, however, made people sit up and notice. He went in person to visit prisoners in one of Rome’s prisons. He met them as equals and chatted informally with each. He even disclosed that he himself had a relative in jail! The work and short pontificate of this man was going to open many doors, and set many prisoners free. ?Jack McArdle in ‘And that’s the Gospel Truth’ May we remember that every tiny step we take towards Jesus is always blessed by Him! Fr. Jude Botelho botelhojude@gmail.com

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 27 October 2013 Luke 18: 9-14

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

27 October 2013

Luke 18: 9-14

 

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood up and prayed about  himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Who am I to judge?

 

The parable of the Pharisee and the publican tends to arouse in many Christians a strong rejection of the Pharisee who stands before God looking arrogant and sure of himself, and a spontaneous sympathy for the publican who humbly acknowledges his sin. Paradoxically, the story can awaken in us this feeling:  “I give thee thanks, my God, because I am not like this Pharisee.”

   To hear the message of the parable correctly, we have to realize that Jesus does not tell the story to  criticize the group of Pharisees, but to trouble the  consciences of “some who held themselves as just, felt secure about themselves and despised the rest.” Among these we find  indeed many Catholics in our times.

   The prayer of the Pharisee reveals to us his inner attitude. “Oh God! I thank you because I am not like the others.”What kind of a prayer is this that prompts us to believe ourselves better than others? Even a Pharisee, who faithfully fulfills the law, can live with a perverted attitude. This man feels himself just before God and precisely for this reason he becomes a judge who despises and condemns those who are not like him.

   The publican, on the other hand, only manages to say: “Oh God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This man humbly recognizes his sin  He cannot boast about how holy his life is.  He commends himself to the compassion of God. He does not compare himself to anyone. He does not judge the others. He lives the truth as he sees it and before God.

    The parable is a sharp criticism that exposes a deceptive religious attitude  allowing us to live in the sight of God confident of our innocence while we condemn from a stance of our supposed  moral superiority all those who do not think or act like us.

   Historical circumstances and self-congratulatory trends at variance with the Gospel have made Catholics especially prone to this temptation. So we have to read the parable, each one of us , in an attitude that looks critically at ourselves: Why do we believe ourselves better than agnostics? Why do we feel ourselves closer to God than those who do not practice their faith? What lies behind certain prayers for the conversion of sinners?  What does it mean to make reparation for the sins of others while we ourselves are not converted to God?

   Recently, when asked by a journalist, Pope Francis made  this statement: “Who am I to judge someone who is gay?” His reply surprised almost everyone. Apparently, no one expected such a simple and evangelical  reply from a Catholic Pope.  However, this is the attitude of those who truly live before God.

Fr. Barron on the Mystery of Eating Jesus' Flesh

Deep Misunderstanding about the Bible by Fr. Robert Barron

Fr. Barron comments on Violence in the Bible

Cardinal Alencherry's visit to Ahmedabad

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28th Sun C Gratitude

06-Oct-2013

We all like to receive gifts and when we receive them we are quick to open the gift wrapping to find out what gift we have received. If it is a gift we desired and wanted very much we are absolutely taken up by the gift and cherish it. But sometimes we feel that we merited the gift and deserved the gift we have received. But a gift is no gift if we have earned it! A grateful heart is never sad because everything is truly a gift! Have a grateful weekend counting your many blessings and expressing thanks! Fr. Jude

Sunday Reflections: 28th Sunday of the Year - 'Gratitude is memory of the heart' 13-Oct-2013
2 Kings 5: 14-17;                                 2 Timothy 2: 8-13;                  Luke 17: 11-19;

The first reading speaks of the healing of Naaman the leper by the prophet Elisha and his deep gratitude that he shows for the healing he has experienced. He wishes to express his gratitude by offering a gift, and when the prophet refuses the gift, he shows his thanks by carrying back soil on which to erect an altar to the true God. What is remarkable is that Naaman is a foreigner, a pagan who acknowledges the true God, while the Israelites refuse to acknowledge and worship their true God, but go after pagan Gods! The response psalm expresses the thanks of both Naaman and the leper, as well as the gratitude of the Church, for the gift of salvation in Christ. "Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders."

Showing Gratitude
Byron Dell grew up on a farm in Nebraska. When he was eight years old, he had a pony named Frisky. Sometimes the pony lived up to its name. One morning when Byron was getting the cows, Frisky bolted at breakneck speed. Byron held on for dear life, and emerged unhurt. That night Byron's father accompanied him upstairs to bed and asked his son to kneel with him and thank God that he was not hurt. There besides Byron's bed the father prayed out aloud a spontaneous prayer of thanksgiving to God. That incident happened 55 years ago, but Byron never forgot it. It moved him deeply and gave him a greater appreciation of his father. Above all, it taught him to be grateful. And ever since, he has made gratitude to God a regular part of his life.
Mark Link in "Sunday Homilies"

Today's gospel tells us that Jesus was travelling to Jerusalem along the border between Samaria and Galilee. It was not a common road used by people and lepers were there as they could not be seen where most people dwelt. They stood far off and pleaded their case: "Jesus, master, have pity on us!" The lepers were outcasts of society and people avoided them but Jesus notices them and acknowledges their plea. However, he does not heal them immediately. He asks them to go and show themselves to the priest, as that was ritual to be followed according to the law. All ten of them follow the command of Jesus and all ten of them as they go to the priest, are cured of their illness. Surely they would be excited and delighted at their good fortune and all of them are so happy that they go perhaps to meet their family and friends to share the good news. They are caught up by their cure but they forget the healer. Only one, a Samaritan, remembers his benefactor and comes back to thank Jesus. He falls at his feet and thanks him. The other nine saw Jesus only as a wonder worker who healed them. The Samaritan realized who Jesus was: the Messiah and Saviour. To him Jesus says, "Get up and go your way; your faith has made you well." Ten lepers were healed outwardly but only one was healed inwardly. While we are grateful for the gifts we have received it is not enough to revel in the gifts and enjoy the gifts, we have to go to the source of the gifts: Jesus. The most effective way to come to gratitude is to remember 'where we came from'.

Annual Thanksgiving Letter
In 1939, Sgt. Robert Mac Cormack saved the life of his commanding officer, Mayor Harry Parkin, on a battlefield in France.  He has just received his thirty-fifty annual letter of thanks from Parkin, now an estate agent in Richmond, Yorkshire. "Dear Bob," Parkin wrote, "I want to thank you for the thirty five years of my life which ordinarily I would not have had were it not for you. I am grateful to you." -Yes, gratitude is the memory of the heart. We are often accustomed to turn to God in trouble and forget him when things go well. Day after day we experience God's blessings and care, but are we grateful to him?
Antony Kolencherry in 'Living the Word'
Schindler's List
Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist, who during World War II, single-handedly and tenaciously saved thousands of Polish Jews from the horrors and brutalities of incarceration in the diabolical concentration camps. As the war ended, the defeated Germans pulled out of Poland and the people eagerly awaited the arrival of the Russians. But just before the Russians arrived, Oskar Schindler, fearing for his safety, decided to flee westwards as well. When word got around that Oskar Schindler was planning to leave, the people he saved rallied together and began to discuss ways and means to express their heartfelt gratitude. But they had little to offer him. Suddenly, one man opened his mouth and pointed to the gold bridge-work on his teeth. "Take this please, and give it to Oskar." That was indeed a very noble gesture, but the people would not hear of it. "Please," begged the man, "please take it away. Were it not for Oskar, the SS would have taken it anyway. And my teeth would have been in a heap in some SS warehouse, along with the golden fangs of many others." So the people agreed. One of them who was a dentist in Cracow, extracted the gold. He passed it on to a jeweller, who melted it and fashioned a ring. On the inner rim of that ring, he inscribed the following words from the Talmud, "The one who saves a single life saves the entire world."
James Valladares in 'Your words, O Lord, Are Spirit, and They Are Life'

Attitude of Gratitude
Some years ago a movie came out which humourously depicted a division of humanity between those who were grateful and those ungrateful, titled, 'What about Bob?' It stars Richard Dreyfuss as a psychologist who has everything: a lovely wife and children, a dream house, a successful practice and a best-selling book which gives advice for problem solving. But the psychologist himself has a problem: nothing makes him happy. By way of contrast, he has a patient named Bob who possesses very little, but shows a dog-like gratitude for any scrap he receives. Played by Bill Murphy, Bob winds up at the psychiatrist's home as an uninvited dinner guest. He savours each item of food, loudly expressing his satisfaction. Unaccustomed to such gratefulness, the wife is pleased, but her husband grows more and more irritated until he finally explodes, slamming his fists on the table and telling Bob to be quiet. - Our genuine happiness lies not in what we achieve, but in how we receive. A sense of accomplishment is important, but much more significant is having an attitude of gratitude. Our ability of receiving the great gift of faith depends on our attitude of gratitude.
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'

Best of Gifts
There is a huge fortress on a hill overlooking the town of Weinsberg in Germany. One day, far back in feudal times, the fortress was surrounded by the enemy. The commander of the enemy troops agreed to let all women and children leave the fortress. He also agreed to allow each woman take one valuable possession with her. Imagine the amazement and frustration of the commander when he saw each woman leave the fortress with her husband on her back! Charity begins at home. The hardest place to practice the gospel is at home in my own house.
Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth!'

Thanks for Anything!
On leaving home after holidays to return to my Gujarat mission years ago, my little nieces Ruth and Rachel joyfully cried out, "Thanks, Uncle Frankie!" Taken aback, I inquired, "What for?" They replied in unison, "Thanks for going!" Being a kind of disciplinarian who controlled their TV viewing habits, they were thankful that I was going away. Truly, thanksgiving can be for anything, anywhere, anytime. And, to everybody!
Francis Gonsalves in 'Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds'

May we always be grateful because everything we have is a gift!

 

Fr. Jude Botelho

BotelhoJude@gmail.com

PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections.
These reflections are also available on my Web site www.NetForLife.net Thank you.

28th Sun Pagola C

Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time ©

Luke 17, 11-19

José Antonio Pagola

Belief without gratitude

The story begins by narrating the cure of a group of ten lepers on the outskirts of Samaria. But this time Luke does not stop at the details of the healing, but in the reaction of one of the lepers on finding himself cured. The evangelist carefully describes all the steps, for he wants to shake up the routine faith of not a few Christians.

   Jesus has asked the lepers to present themselves to the priests to obtain the authorization that will allow them to rejoin society. But one of them,  a  Samaritan by birth, on seeing that he  was cured, instead of going to the priests, returns to find Jesus. He feels a new life has begun for him. Everything will be different in future: he will be able to live a more dignified and happy life. He knows to whom he owes his new found dignity. He needs to meet Jesus.

   He returns “praising God in a loud voice.”   He knows that the saving power of Jesus can only have its source in God. Now he feels something new for that Good Father of whom Jesus speaks. He will never forget him. He will in future live giving thanks to God. He will praise him with all his might. Everyone must know that he feels loved by him.

   On meeting Jesus, he throws himself at his feet giving him thanks. His companions have gone on their way to meet the priests, but he knows that Jesus is his only savior. So he is here at his side thanking him. He has found the best gift from God in Jesus.

   At the conclusion of the story, Jesus speaks to ask three questions to express his surprise at what happened. They are not addressed to the Samaritan at his feet. They contain the message Luke wants heard in Christian communities.

   “Were not the ten made clean?” Were not all cured? Why do they not recognize what they have received from Jesus? “The other nine, where are they?” Why aren’t they there?   Why are there so many Christians who live without almost ever giving thanks to God? Why do they not feel specially grateful to Jesus? Do they not know him? Does he mean nothing new to them?

   “Has no one except this foreigner returned to give glory to God?” Why have people who feel a real admiration for and gratitude to Jesus  given up religious practice, while some Christians feel nothing special towards him? Benedict XVI mentioned a few years ago that an agnostic who seeks God may be nearer him than a Christian of routine faith who carries on because of tradition and inherited practice. A faith that does not produce joy  and gratitude in believers is a sick faith.

28th Sun C Gratitude

October 13, 2013

28^th Sunday of the Ordinary Time C

2 Kings 5:14-17; Psalm 98:1-4; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19

Daily Mass Reading - Audio

Gratitude vs. Entitlement

Human beings are so funny in a way. They know ridiculous ways to make themselves as well as others unhappy even though there is no need to be so. Today’s first reading taken from 2 Kings tells us the story of the miraculous healing of a man called Naaman who was a valiant and well respected army commander of Benhadad, the king of Aram. Unfortunately he was suffering from leprosy, one of the most dreaded and disfiguring diseases. At his request Benhadad sent him to Joram, the king of Israel with a letter which read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” King Joram had a shock of his life – to cure a leper! He was sure that the mighty Benhadad was looking for a reason to attack and plunder his country. He tore his garment and cried aloud. However Elisha the prophet consoled him saying that he will take care of it. Eventually Naaman was cured of his leprosy. Naaman was ready to reward the prophet generously; but Elisha refused to accept any remuneration for the divine blessing granted for which he just happened to be a channel.

In fact, we are all channels of divine blessings. We are stewards or storekeepers of the divine treasure house. Our vocation is to distribute the divine blessings in the particular situation we find ourselves in. God gave birth to us and she is still taking care of us for a purpose (Did I say she? Yes, it was not a slip of tongue; I meant it. As far as I came to know, he is a she!), God wants us to be her representatives in the particular situation in which she placed us in order to distribute her blessings and gifts to her children. When I say her children, I do not mean human beings alone. Every bit of creation, including our mother earth is her children. Nobody else can fill-in the position that God has created for us. Ours is a unique position, whether we succeed in that role or not. Failing in our role does not mean that we can defeat God, we can fail only ourselves. In due course, even without our support and cooperation, God will accomplish her plan through introducing somebody else to rectify our failures. If we play our role efficiently we make God our mother proud and our brothers and sisters happy and our own life worthwhile. Now what are we supposed to distribute? It is already given to us - our time, our talents and our treasures. We are stewards of these 3Ts – time, talents and treasures. We are not their owners. These are given to us freely for free distribution – not to hoard up or to own them as our private property. They will be with us only for a short while. Whether we deal them out or not, they will not stay with us forever. We will run out of our time, talents and treasures sooner or later!

Now let us have a look at the gospel story - healing of the ten lepers - nine of them Jews and one Samaritan. All of them pleaded with Jesus and as usual he felt pity on them and sent them to the priests so that they may pay the tribute and get reinstated publically into the society from which they were cast out on account of their dreadful disease. On their way they found themselves cleansed of their repulsive disease. They went home happily. But one of them, as St Luke says, “came back glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.” And he was the Samaritan. Why did the Samaritan come back and why the Jews not? The reason is simple and obvious. The Jews never felt that they need come back and thank Jesus, because they know that they were entitled to get cured by Jesus a fellow Jew, whereas that Samaritan had no right or claim to receive such a miraculous healing. In fact Jesus deserved to be condemned for treating a Samaritan in the same way he treated his fellow Jews. There is nothing wrong in the Samaritan being grateful because he had no right; he never deserved to be healed. I hope you noticed, at the very beginning of today’s reflection I said, “Human beings are so funny in a way. They know ridiculous ways to make themselves as well as others unhappy even though there is no need to be so.” We are a funny bunch. By claiming “entitlement” we make our own life as well as the lives of other who associate with us miserable. The moment we are given something generously, we own it and later on claim that we deserved it. To get and to forget is our nature.

It was not because of any merit of theirs that people of Israel was chosen by Yahweh. But the moment they were chosen they began considering themselves special and above everybody else. This attitude of entitlement we can see in almost every person. The moment a girl gives her consent to marry a boy, he starts possessing her - dictating terms and conditions. The moment a person is employed out of sympathy for his miserable situation, he starts striking for better wages he is entitled to have. Husband think he is entitled to have a better treatment from his wife while wife thinks that she is entitled to be better cared for by her husband. Parents think that they are entitled to get all the respect from their children, children think that they are entitled to be treated better by their parents. Teachers think that they are entitled to be treated better by students, students too feel the same. Thus we are all people of entitlement – only rights no duties! Nobody thinks anybody deserves to be thanked for. Why should we show gratitude towards anybody, even towards God! Is it not his duty to take care of us and provide us what we need? Or why did he create us? In fact God should be condemned for his partiality – he is extra generous to some people while utterly stingy towards others! Why this favoritism and preferential treatment? Why all were not treated equally? How can we be grateful to God or, for that matter, to anybody else when it is quite evident that in comparison we got less than others! We are entitled to have a better deal than what we have at present. Dear friends, when gratitude is replaced by an attitude of entitlement everybody suffers. If we replace our attitude of entitlement with an attitude of gratitude, our world will turn out to be heavenly.

Dr Kurian Perumpallikunnel CMI

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