3^rd Sunday of Advent: Year- B

Gaudete Sunday

1^st Reading: Is. 61: 1-2. 10-11: I exult for joy in the Lord.

2^nd Reading: 1 Thess: 5: 16-24: May you all be kept safe, spirit, soul, and body, for the coming of the Lord.

Gospel: John: 1: 6-8. 19-28: There stand among you-unknown to you-the one who is coming after me.

Jesus the Light of the World: The Special Witness of John the Baptist:

John the Baptist’s sole purpose on earth was to witness and to bear testimony to Christ, the Light of the world. His purpose stands as a dynamic example for every believer to bear a witness to Christ as John the Baptist did with humility and obedience to the Will of God.

1.    The inquiry of the delegation and the replies given by John the Baptist:

The official delegation sent by the religious authorities of Jerusalem did not come with good intentions. The crowd followed John because of his preaching and baptism at the river John. The Jewish leaders were worried and angry about him seeing the religious movement without taking them into account. So they asked him three questions:

a.    First question: Are you the Christ? He denied emphatically, “I am not the Christ.” Christ means “the anointed one” or “the Messiah”.

b.    Second question: Are you, Elijah? He said, “I am not Elijah.”

c.     Third question: Are you the prophet? He replied, “No.” Moses announced in Deut. 18: 15: about the “the Prophet” or “the Messiah” would become a king as their leader in Israel. They had just repeated their first question in another form. John expressed exactly “who he was” and “what he had come to do.”

Now they asked a real question: “Then why are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah and not the prophet?” (Jn 1: 25). John gave the inspiring answer which was moving. “I baptize with water...he is standing among you...I am not fit to undo his sandal strap (Jon 1: 26-27).” Here we see his total humility and witness to Christ. So he allowed his disciples to follow Christ, Andres, and John followed Christ (Jn 1: 35-39).

 

2.    The replies John gave to the Jewish leaders reveal to us the kind of person that he was:

a.    He was a profoundly humble person: At the sight of Jesus, John realized not just his littleness but his nothingness. Whereas we try to appear more than what we are.

b.    John had understood his vocation well: He learnt God’s plan for him through his prayer and fast in the desert and determined to carry out those plans with his discernment.

c.     John had tremendous respect and love for Jesus: “He must grow greater, I must grow smaller” (Jn 3: 30).  He realized, being the eldest one, no jealousy, and no pride in his life.

 

3.    Our vocation as Christians is similar to that of John the Baptist:

What would be our answers to the Jewish leaders if we were in the place of John? The questions are put for us today and we try to give the possible answer:

a.    Who are you?

b.    What are you? What is the purpose of your life?

c.     What do I think of myself? What do people think that I am? What does God think about me?

The answer is very simple: “I am a Christian; the purpose of my life is to follow Christ faithfully and to lead people to him. I am his messenger as John the Baptist and other disciples of Jesus.”

In the second reading, Paul invites us to carry out our task joyfully as Christians, since we can count at all times on God’s help who will not fail us:  “Be happy at all time, pray constantly, give thanks to God for all things...! God has called and He will not fail you (1 Thess. 5: 18. 23).

 

Thought: The servant and messenger of God are not sent forth by people, but by God, is a man of high calling and mission of enormous responsibility and accountability. The servant’s primary purpose is: to lead people to believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ, Son of God, the Light of the world.

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com

 

DECEMBER 8

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF

THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

1^st Reading: Genesis 3: 9-15.20: I will make you enemies of each other; your offspring and her offspring.:

2^nd  Reading: Eph 1: 3- 6.11- 12: Before the world was made, God chose us un Christ.

Gospel: Luke 1: 26- 38: You are to conceive and bear a Son.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus: Submission to God’s Will.

Today we are celebrating the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Luke’s account of the Annunciation inspires us to compare Mary with Eve.

Mary obediently received the Word of the Angel Gabriel, whereas Eve accepted the word of the Serpent. Mary gave birth to the living salvation of all through Jesus Christ, whereas Eve gave birth to disobedience and death.

The first reading talks about the first parents Adam and Eve on account of their disobedience as a result they were deprived of the life in the spirit of God.

The second reading brings joyful news for us all. God has loved us and chosen us right from the very beginning of the world to become His children through sharing His own life and to live holy lives so as to get ready to share God’s life and joy on earth and in heaven.

1.    God’s plans of love for human:

God created the first parents Adam and Eve out of His love and not because He had to. Adam and Eve came God’s hands in his own image and likeness: perfect in body and soul and they were placed in a garden who were completely happy.  But they lost their “grace-life” or “life in the Spirit” or “the wonderful gift of God” because of their disobedience to the command of God as St. Paul explains the word “grace” means “gift”, “baksheesh” in the second reading.

2.    Adam and Eve wrecked God’ plans of love for them:

God does not force his gifts to anyone. He created Adam and Eve free. The greatest gift of freedom was given to them but they broke God’s command and lost their treasure of Grace-Life, the life in the Spirit to share it in heaven. Being the children of God they turned into slaves of the devil and experienced the miseries and death in life.

3.    God’s plans of love for humankind were not to be defeated:

St. Paul tells us that God laid down his plans of love for humankind “from the beginning”, “before the world was made” (Eph 1: 4). This tells us how deep his love for humanity despite Adam and Eve’s disobedience, God succeeded his plan through his Son Jesus Christ born of virgin Mary (Gal 4: 4) to make available to everyone the gift of “Grace-Life”, “The life in the Spirit” which Adam and Eve had lost by their disobedience. We have “Grace” “in Christ”, “In the Beloved”, “through Jesus Christ”. (Eph 1: 4.5.6).

4.    The Mother of Jesus:

The Son of God, the Messiah was born of a woman (Gal 4: 4) was Mary from Nazareth. Mary would give to Jesus human life and Jesus would give to Mary Life Divine.

5.    God communicated the Life in the Spirit to Mary from the very beginning of her existence: Great  help for non-catholic brethren’s  Mary’s existence

Adam and Eve lost Grace-Life, the life in the Spirit, not only for themselves, but also for all their children. Deprived of this gift, every human person is born inclined to sin, and sooner or later everyone falls a victim to it. But a single person Mary, the Mother of Jesus was preserved from the original sin from the very beginning (Gen 3: 15-“I will make you enemies of each other...your offspring and her offspring. It will crush your head...” a comparison study of Esther 5: 13; John the Baptist also received the life in the Spirit in visitation of Mary, in the womb of Elizabeth; Lk 1: 29-the greeting of the angel Gabriel at the annunciation-“Rejoice, you so highly favoured; the Lord is with you.”) was special privilege or favour granted to her is the purpose of day’s feast.

6.    The holiness of Jesus demands that his Mother should receive the Life in the Spirit right from the moment she was conceived:

God filled her with Grace-Life from the very beginning and at no moment the devil touch her soul. She did the Will of God with humility and obedience to the command of God always.

7.    From the earliest time, Christians have firmly believed that Mary the Mother of Jesus possessed the Life in the Spirit form the first moment of her existence:

The Holy Spirit was given to the apostles on Pentecost day. As promised by the Lord Jesus, he has been with the Church down the centuries in the person of those whom Jesus appointed to guide his Church, the apostles and their successors. So the Spirit of the Lord not only guides the leaders of the church but every individuals and the community as well.

8.    In 1854, the Church announced officially what Christians had believed down the centuries:

The feast we celebrate today which has been celebrated throughout the Church long before. It is surprised to hear that England was one of the first countries to celebrate it, together with Ireland and other Local Churches.

On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX, surrounded by many bishops from all over the world and thousands of Christians at Rome declared this feast “That by a special favour from God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin, from the very moment she was conceived.”

9.    At Lourdes, Mary Confirmed the Faith of her Children:

Four years after the Holy Father’s solemn proclamation, she appeared several times to a girl called Bernadette, at a place called Lourdes, France. Hundreds of miraculous cures can’t be explained by the laws of nature proved by the doctors. Definitely, Mary has hand in that discovery.

In one of the apparitions Bernadette asked the Lady who appeared to her to tell her who she was. The Lady replied: “I am the one conceived without sin.”

Mary the Mother of Jesus has also appeared in many other places all over the world that she intercedes for us to her Son Jesus Christ always like acting at the wedding feast at Cana and lots of miracles taking place in the lives of the believers today.

 

Thought: Mary was encouraged to believe: “For nothing is impossible with God.” God expects us to believe in His Power. Surrender to God is an absolute essential for our salvation.

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com

 

Second Sunday of Advent: Year- B

1^st Reading: Is. 40: 1-5. 9-11: Prepare a Way for the Lord

2^nd Reading: 2 Pet. 3: 8-14: We are waiting for the New Heavens & New Earth.

Gospel: Mk. 1: 1-8: Make His Paths Straight.

Jesus Christ and John the Baptist:

The Good News & the Messenger of God:

Mark begins his writing with “The beginning of the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Genesis 1: 1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth...” John 1: 1 “In the beginning was the Word...”The birth of the Son of God is from the very beginning of the creation story. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev 22: 13).

Mark wastes no time in sharing the Good News about the coming of God’s Son into human history. He jumps right to the subject of God’s messenger whom God sent to prepare the way for His Son. 

In today’s reading we find three messengers telling three different communities to prepare the way for the Lord who is about to come.

The first, prophet Isaiah was sent to the people of Israel still in exile.

The second, John the Baptist to the people of Palestine.

The third, the apostle Peter to a group of Christian communities living some forty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

 

1.    The message conveyed by the prophet Isaiah.

The prophet was not speaking of a material but of a spiritual road to be built in the hearts of the Jews, which is at the time of looked like a desert indeed, most of them having abandoned the law of Yahweh. The advice of the prophet to his people was:

a.    Level the mountain of your pride.

b.    Fill the valleys, that is, start observing the Law of Yahweh which you have abandoned.

But it took another five hundred years for this prophecy to be fully realized, as it will be made clear in the explanation of the Gospel which follows.

2.    The message conveyed by John the Baptist.

The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled when John the Baptist started his preaching as a messenger of Jesus. In fact, the messenger of John the Baptist repeats that of Isaiah.

3.    We must enable Jesus to save us; only the humble of heart will be saved.

Not everyone is going to welcome Jesus because of pride, self-sufficiency and disobedience. The humble ones such as sinners, gentiles, out castes and simple ones welcome Jesus.

4.    A message of Peter for his Christians and for us all.

His message coincides with that of Isaiah and of John the Baptist.

a.    Peter tells his Christians that the Lord is coming.

b.    Peter explains to them the reason for the Lord’s delay.

God wants everyone saved; he gives people ample time for repentance. God is never in a hurry: for him a thousand years are like a day and he can accomplish in a single day the work that would take people a thousand years to carry out. God is patient because he is both powerful and compassionate.

c.     But Christians on their part, says Peter, should put every moment in their lives to the best use, as they wait for Christ to come.

That is, keep on waiting for the Lord who will certainly come; but let your waiting be an active one, doing his will joyfully at all times like the five wise virgins waiting for the bridegroom with lamps filled with oil of faith, hope, love, obedience and humility.

Thought: John knew that life was more than food, clothing and housing. He knew that he must not allow anything to distract him or the people from God…

·       Not living in extravagant luxury.

·       Not being dressed in the latest and most expensive fashion.

·       Not eating the most tasty dainties.

 Therefore he denied himself and practised self-denial. What a lesson for all believers, preachers and laypeople alike! (Rom 14:17)

The mission of God’s messenger is to prepare the way of the Lord, to baptise and to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins.

The Old Testament & the New Testament point toward “The Gospel” about Jesus Christ.

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com

 

First Sunday of Advent: Year- B

 

First Reading: Is. 63. 16-17; 64, 1. 3-8: Lord, that you would tear the heavens open and come down.

Second Reading: 1 Cor. 1. 3-9: We are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

The Gospel: Mk. 13: 33-37: Stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming.

 

The End Time and Its Warning to Believers, Mk 13:28-37

Jesus had just covered the signs of the end time and His return. It stirs hope and gives a picture of the future glory that can be human’s. But one thing is needful: human must turn his/her life over to God or else he/she will be banished from the presence and glory of Christ forever. Jesus gives six critical warning to a person.

1. The signs points to the end- are discernable (v.28-29)

          a. Even as a fig tree

          b. Even as a cause has its effect

          c. Even to the point of becoming immediate-right at hand cf.v.32

2. The events occur rapidly-in one generation (v. 30)

3. The events are surety-irrevocable (v.31)

4. The exact time is unknown-the day and hour (v.32)

5. The need is to be on guard: stay alert (v.33-36)

          a. Because time is unknown

          b. Because believers are assigned specific responsibilities and work

          c. Because Christ is returning unexpectedly-suddenly

          d. Because believers can be caught sleeping

6. The warning is to all-watch (v.37): No one is exempt: no believer, no unbeliever. Every person is to be on guard! Be alert (v.33), is to keep watch (v.34), is to therefore keep watch (v.35), is not to be caught sleeping (v.36), is to hear the warning: “What I say to you I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” (v.37).

Thought: Four tragic things can happen to a believer while he is waiting for the Lord to return.

1. A believer may fail to wait long enough.

2. A believer may delay or postpone or slack up in his work for the Lord.

3. A believer may think he can go ahead and do what he wishes and cover it with the Lord later.

4. A believer may begin to think like the world.

 

We are starting today a New Year of Worship. We shall go again through the various times of the Year of the Church:

Advent

Christmas

Lent

Easter

Pentecost

Ordinary time of the Year.

 

We do not notice the growth of our children, plants, flowers, trees etc every day. Yet there is a growth and development each moment of our lives.

The church wants us to grow, day after day, year after year and through the various times in the Year of Worship.

We don’t grow by just remembering in the Year of the Church, we can grow spiritually:

By re-living them within us year after year

By really getting ready for the coming of Christ at Advent time

By really having Christ born in our souls at Christmas

By really suffering and dying to sin with Christ during Lent time

By really rising to a new life with the Risen Jesus at Easter

By really receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

By actively and joyfully waiting for the final coming of Christ during the ordinary time of the year.

 

In a way, Christians ought to live these various times of the year of Worship at one and the same time throughout their life.

We should always be ready to welcome Christ since Christ keeps on coming to us in various ways day after day.

So we must live with Christ, walk with Christ, suffer with Christ, die with Christ and rise with Christ on the last day and every day of our life.

 

1.    The time of Advent:

There are two types of time in Greek: 1. Chronos (calendar time) 2. kairos (the fullness or grace filled time).

The word “Advent” means “coming” –who is coming? Not the historical Jesus as body but the transformed Christ at the last day for judgement.

 

2.    There is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ:

We can see God and reach God through Jesus Christ the mediator between God and the people. Jesus saved us by his just living life, dying to sin, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.

 

At the beginning of this season of Advent, we should make our prayer which the Prophet puts in the lips of the people of Israel in today’s first reading:

a.    We must acknowledge our own sinfulness

b.    We must get convinced that sin is at the root of all our miseries

c.     There is nothing in us to make us deserve salvation

d.    The sad state to which our sins have reduced us came about because we neglected prayer

e.     Fallen as we find ourselves, we are tempted, like the Jews to complain to God

We are wrong. It is not God who abandoned us but we who abandoned God. His invitation to repent during this time of Advent is a fresh proof of his concern for us.

 

3.    Having acknowledged our sins, we should take a second step: confidently ask our redeemer to come to our rescue:

 

There is no way for a person to go back to God by himself or herself. So we must implore him to come and save us.  Isaiah expresses this beautifully when speaking to God on behalf of his people.

Is. 64, 8- “We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hands.”

Is. 63, 16- “You, O Lord, our Father; our Redeemer is your ancient name.”

Is. 63, 17- “Return for the sake of your servant, the tribes of your inheritance.”

Is. 64, 1- “Oh that you would tear the heavens open and come down.”

 

4.    While waiting for Jesus’ coming, we must praise him for all that he has already done to save us:

 

5.    We must never grow discouraged in our waiting for Christ’s coming:

Paul gives us the reason why: Because God will never fail us. (1 Cor. 1, 8).

 

6.    In our waiting for Christ, we must keep both: Watchful and Active:

This is the message of Mark in the passage of the Gospel we have read. In carrying out our task, Jesus warns us to be watchful, since the devil is at all times trying to convince us that there is yet ample time left in life to prepare for Jesus’ coming. Eg. The parable of the ten virgins.

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com

 

(All Soul’s Day)

November 2^nd

I Reading: Wisdom 3:1-9

II Reading: Romans 6:3-9

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

 

The Parable of the Sheep and Goats:

The Final Judgement of Nations, Mt 25:31-46

Jesus taught about the final judgement of nations (all nations of people) which will be the judgement of the world through the parable of the sheep and Goats. He judges two types of beings, sheep and goats, not same type of being. The sheep are faithful whereas goats are not faithful and don’t serve Christ.

The only faith that God knows and accepts is the faith that serves Christ by ministering to people. A man who says he has faith and does not ministering to people is only professing faith in Christ. Scripture says, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do” (Jas 2:18). God knows no faith apart from good works, that is, apart from ministering to the needs of the  people.

1. The Son of Man is coming to judge (v.31-33)

a. coming in glory

b. coming with angels

c. coming to be enthroned

d. coming to gather all nations

e. coming to separate the nations, both sheep and goats

          1) sheep- favoured seat

          2) goats- unfavoured seat

2. The judgement of sheep will occur (v.34-40)

a. the judge: the king

b. the invitation: come

c. the reward: the kingdom

d. the basis of judgement: ministering to Christ

e. the ministry defined

          1) a humble, instinctive ministry: no thought of reward, only of helping people in need

          2) a ministry to the Lord’s brothers and sisters (all types of people)

3. The judgement of goats will occur (v.41-45)

a. the judgement

          1) cut off from God

          2) eternal fire

b. the basis of judgement

          1) a failure to minister

          2) a selfish life

          3) a spiritual blindness

4. The judgement is for eternity (v.46)

Thought: Selfishness, indulgence, extravagance, hoarding-all that leads to and indicates the neglect of others-will visibly condemn a person when he or she stands before Christ (Mt 19:16-22, 23-24,27-30).

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com

 

                                         

 

All Saints Day, 1^st November

I Reading: Revelation 7:2-4,9-14:

II Reading: 1John 3:1-3:

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12:

Who are called or known as saints? Where do they come from? What did they do in their lives? They are not born from heaven neither they are born as saints. They come from the humble, simple, God fearing family witnessed their lives for Christ and for the church by their total faith in one  and true living God with their commitment, total dedication and sacrifice. They faced suffering, persecutions, rejections, temptations and weaknesses  in life as human. They won the war by the blood of the lamb, the Word of God and witness or testimony. In the Beatitudes,  Jesus said, how Blessed you are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…Happy you are… Fortunate you are…which means makarios in Greek=true joy comes from God and within not from outside. Poor in spirit means humbling oneself, total surrender to God, total dependency on God’s providence at all times etc. Jesus assures us that there is a reward in heaven for the right cause.

In the year, 609, Pope Boniface IV cleared out the statues of gods and goddesses from the Pantheon (“the house of all the gods) which was propagated by the Roman empire and turned the building into a church which he dedicated to God in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all saints. This church is still standing.

Famous martyrs and saints were venerated in the church on various dates throughout the world. Today we have millions of saints who are known and unknown to mankind, but well known to God. The number of saints and martyrs goes on increasing day after day, this led the church to establish a feast in their honour on 1^st November around 800 A.D. In this feast we praise God for having accomplished his salvation in so many people.

The Holy Spirit moved the church to establish this feast for a double purpose:

1) To praise God for having completed his salvation in so many of our Christian brothers and sisters throughout world.

2) To encourage those still living on earth to persevere faithful to Christ inspite of human weakness, temptation and persecution.

Their message from heaven today is:

Do not lose discourage; remember that we were just what you are, weak, and sinful people. Yet we were saved by God’s power and love. Keep up the struggle; we are here to lend you a helping hand with our prayer to God. There is a fabulous reward ready for you too here.

1. Every Christian is a saint in the making.

Paul does not hesitate to call his Christians “saints”:

From Paul…to you all, who are God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints.” (Rom 1, 1.7; 1Cor 1,1.2; 2Cor 13,12).

In today’s second reading, John points out why Christians may rightly be called “saints” while still on earth, inspite of human weakness:

a. We, Christians are truly God’s children at Baptism (1Jn 3:1).

b. We are destined to be with God forever and to be like him (1Jn 3:2-3).

We Christians ought to consider ourselves at all times, “saints in the making” that is, people striving to become holy.

2. Neither human weakness nor suffering nor persecution should discourage Christians from striving after holiness:

The Book of Revelation teaches us about the sacrificial life and witnessing life of the people having faith in Jesus.

a) The first reason why we should not get discouraged is that we have already been chosen to be saved: Ex 39:30- Consecrated to Yahweh. Ez 9:4-T=Greek “Tau”, resemble a cross.

b) Ours is a numerous family; it runs into millions; we should pluck up courage at the thought that so many of our brothers and sisters are ready to give us a helping hand:

The Book of Revelation speaks of 144,000 people assigned by the angel, that is 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.

We all form part of the new people of Israel; those who will, shall be saved (Rom 11:30-32).

c) Suffering, persecution, difficulties should spur us on to greater faithfulness, not discourage us:

In the first reading of John’s vision- saw a large crowd dressed in white tunics bearing palms in their hands, a symbol of victory during the time of Nero the Roman emperor. The second Baptism is the shedding of his/her blood for Christ which cleanses a person from all sin.

d) The great reward ready for us in heaven ought to encourage us to be faithful to Christ: Revelation, the last verses of the first reading 7: 15, 17 have been left out. They beautifully show what our reward in heaven will be like:

3. Christians are lucky people: Because the kingdom of God belongs to them by their faith and by their witnessing life for Christ and for his church.

Hence our weakness stand in the way of our becoming saints, yet we have very reason to be optimistic that we shall succeed. Suffering, temptation and persecution should not a hindrance to our salvation. All we have to do, is to walk on earth with our eyes fixed on the fabulous reward God has in store for us in heaven.

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com