feast of St Anthony of Padua

Feast of St. Anthony of Padua

Mark 12: 1-12

Dear Friends

                   Today we are celebrating the feast of St Anthony. He was great preacher. He dedicated his life for God. He found the real corner stone in his life. So he preached the truth to the people so that they might also understand the true corner stone of their life. During the mass we read the Gospel according to St Mark. 12; 1-12. In the gospel we listened Jesus is telling a Parable of wicked servants of Vineyard. This is very beautiful parable that Jesus told them concerning the salvation intended by God.

            There is very famous drama written by William Shakespeare “The Tempest” the story of this drama is thus, there was Lord in Milan. His name was Prospero his brother was Antonio. Prospero decide to entrust the ruling of the land to his brother Antonio and indulge in reading books. But the Antonia was cunning he dismissed all the trusted servants of Prospero from the governing and he began to rule over them inhuman.  Not only he did but he planed to kill his brother Prospero with help of Naples king. Knowing this conspiracy by the help of some trusted servants who remained in the palace he fled to Remote Island and he began to plane to revenge his brother from there. This story is telling us the cheating and it revenge story. In many literature we read that there is cheating and its revenge flows.  Like wise today’s gospel also says that God is cheated by who were trusted by him so he will punish them.

           

            Jesus is telling this parable to the people who were believed to be the custodians of true faith and kingdom of God. God is conveying them that they failed to be the good workers of God. So he is telling the story of Vineyard and its servants. He said that there was man planted a vineyard and he made a fence and a watch house to protect and he entrusted that beautiful vineyard to the selected servants. In the fullness of the harvest season he sent his slaves to collect the land lords share. They beat them and some were killed and others were mocked. So finally he sent his only Son thinking that they may respect him but they were inhuman with him too. They killed him cruel.  It hurt the land Lord thus he came and punished the wicked servants. This parable was most convincing that Jesus is going to be rejected by the trusted servants of God. He is going to be brutally killed by his own people.  Perhaps this may be the fourth prediction of his passion and death. He is reached Jerusalem already. When he set a journey to Jerusalem he was convincing his disciples to the tragic death he is to face in Jerusalem. In the Jerusalem he is declaring his knowledge of his life and death.  

            Jesus is telling parables which most famous for them because in the history of Israel there was similar story, they have heard before. In the book of Isaiah chapter 5 says about the Lord’s vineyard. God of Israel planned a vineyard his right hand planted. He did everything for the well of this vineyard. But it produced only bad grapes. It was a proto Isaiah doom prediction. Because Israelites were not trust worthy to Yahweh, They went after the gentile God and deceived God of Israel. Thus they failed to produce the good grapes. But in the New Testament Story of Vineyard it is different from the past. Here they knowingly disregarded the true owner of the vineyard. This was failure of the Jewish people that they could not understand the original and only son Jesus who was sent to them by God. Or they knowingly disregarded him. Therefore he is giving them a historical data.  They killed many prophets, Jeremiah was beaten and Queen Jezebel killed and mocked many prophets.  Hereby Jesus is acknowledging them failed servants. He told them that there is a miracle yet to happen, that the labourers rejected the stone happen to be the corner stone of the building. He quotes this from the Psalm [118: 22-23] 

            This corner stone is Jesus himself. He mentions that he is going to be the foundation of the kingdom of God.  There is story heard about the Jerusalem temple. Now we can see reminiscence of temple as Wailing Wall. In the starting of the construction the some stones were found disfigured and huge so they rejected them and placed aside of the temple at last they took these stones to construct that wall after beautiful construction of statues and beams of the temple. But those rejected stones are still remaining as miracle. This was the fact that Jesus was telling them.  Jesus reminded them not to be failed to accept the corner stone of your life.

             We are celebrating a feast of saint who was well aware of the corner stone of his life, he regarded Jesus as the center of his life therefore he preached his life till the death. He tried to convince others that Jesus is the center and corner stone of everyone’s life.  In the life history of St Anthony, we read a story that he was arguing with a Jew named Boonville. He particular Jew told Anthony that there is no miracle in the Eucharist. He said that it is mere bread. Then St. Anthony asked him to starve his donkey for three days and he agreed to that. Then Anthony told him on the third day let us carry each other Eucharist and Food for the Donkey. St. Anthony carried Eucharist and Jew carried Ouds food. But the donkey bowed before the Eucharist. Thus that Jew was convinced of the Eucharistic presence. We understand that Donkey was well aware of the corner stone Jesus.

            We have to be convinced of the presence of Jesus. Jesus is the corner stone. He told that Peter that you are the rock. I will build my house on your rock. It is very clear that Jesus is the first and prime stone that the church is built. Therefore my dear friends let us be conscious of the real stone and be united to the church that strong build built on Peter’s rock. May God Bless us.        Amen.

homily on Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday

Mathew 28:16- 20

Today the first reading tells about the marvelous deeds of the God that God has done for his people. Moses reminds Israelites that there is no God like God Israel in the history of the world who revealed himself to the beloved people. These words of boost are the most suitable to the new Israel [Church] who enjoys the revealed knowledge of God. In the Fullness of time God revealed himself fully to us. This is what we read in the letter to the Hebrews[1:1]   

 We must have heard many times that accruing knowledge about Trinity is Herculean task. We heard that once St Augustine was reminded by boy in the sea shore who was drying the sea by foolish act. These story emphases, that it is very hard to understand the Trinitarian God. Catholic Church teaches that the One God with three person but one in essence. Most of us might have watched the Tamil movie Annyan. In the movie the hero is possessed with multiple personality disorder. He posses three personality but he is one person. It is better we understand God is opposite to this disorder, Three person but one personality.  

 We can understand this Trinitarian God as Love. In the gospel of John 3:16, Father manifest his love. He sent his only son to the world to save it. His Son practiced his love that he gave his love and life for the world. In the letter of St John chapter 3 says that God’s love is within us we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. So we realize that the Trinitarian God father, son and spirit, is Love.  

This Trinitarian God entrusts certain duties to all the Christians. In the Gospel Jesus says his disciples go Galilee which was there homeland. So in their place he asked them to go to the nations and make disciples, he commanded them to baptize them in the name of the trinity, and ask them to teach them to practice what he has commanded.

Trinitarian God gives us three duties; make disciple, baptize and teach.

Make disciple [matheateo] the Greek word has a special meaning. His concept of discipleship is different from that time. The Jewish Rabbis had disciples but they were mere students who followed his utterance. Hereby Jesus wants us to be different disciples. Therefore he says that anybody wants to be my disciple much forgo his life and follow me. So the duty he gave us is to make them good disciples who can follow him forgoing everything.

 

Baptize [ Baptizmo] it is the real practice of the time. But he was thinking of baptism of new birth. In the Jewish history there was a practice of baptizing disciples but Jesus was teaching of new baptism. Jewish baptism was content of circumcision, bathing and sacrifice. But his command is different from the Jewish baptism. They baptize themselves before meeting anybody. But Jesus was totally against this system of baptism which traditionally practiced. We can see that in the Gospel of John chapter 5, there was a man who wished to take bath in the pool of Bethesda, he told Jesus there is nobody to help me to take bath in the pool. But Jesus gave new baptism which was essential for him. He gave him confidence. So he asked him take his bed and go. So he is asking us to give baptism of self confidence. God says that you have to be baptized with water and spirit.

Teaching the commandments of Jesus, Jesus commanded his disciples to love everybody. He says I give a new commandment which is to love everybody. He has introduced method of teaching. Do it rather than teaching through words. Therefore he said do as I did in the time of last supper.       

   

feast of St Peter

Homily on the feast of St Peter’s throne

Today the feast of the St Peter is relevant because the Church is ever living

It has no end. There was the storm and heavy rain over the church but it withstood. Once Jesus told that it is that one who made house on the rock is wise man because the storm struck and rain fall over it. It survived. Church is like that house built on the rock, who is Peter.

“All for Jesus” is the Book written by Frederic William Feber. He was professor in Oxford. Later he decided become Anglican Priest. It was known so many discouraged. Even William Wordsworth wrote to him that “ If you decided to join for priesthood I do not say it is wrong decision. But we will loose great persona in English Literature” he became a great writer in Spirituality. Peter was like this man.

Peter left everything for God. In the Gospel of Mark 10: 28, He asked Jesus. What shall we get? We left everything for u.  he is promised of persecution and eternal life. He added first will be last and last will be first.

·                    Peter was last but became first.

·                    He was the first apostle to be called by Jesus.

·                    He was the first to recognize Jesus as Messiah [ Mk 8 : 27-33]

·                    He was the first to receive the resurrection of Jesus. [ I Cor 15: 5]

·                    He was the first to proclaim the salvation to Gentiles[ Act 10]

·                    He was the first to prompt the writing of Gospel. Mark was the disciple of Peter.

Ø     He was the Original Man. Real Man who is very week and strong. He is was the man with pure heart but he was some times very sincere and at times he failed to be so. In the relationship in the Church in Antioch, first he ate with Gentile and then he rejected to eat with them.

Ø     First he recognized Jesus as Messiah. But later he rejected Him the sufferings of Jesus so Jesus rebuked him calling him Satan. This peter Habit and personality.

Ø     Therefore Jesus changed his name. He called him Peter[ rock]. This was meant to be the change of Peter. Jesus told Him that you have change your personality.

Ø     The Name, Simon  meaning is Njagna. It is inconsistency of Simon. He told him to be Rock like person.

Ø     Simon becomes Peter. He was struggling to become peter.

Ø     The Story of the Orange tree. The owner of the Orange field thought of destroying the Plant but he run the tractor over the plant but it was not destroyed so in the next year it gave abundant fruits,

Ø     Peter too failed to be sincere to his masters demand to be rock.

Ø     He said once to Jesus that we would make three booths in the time of transfigurations. He was unaware of the new Messiah. Therefore he was telling that old prophet and torah is still reining the world.

Ø     He rejected Jesus washing his feet. But later he asked him to wash him fully. Inconsistency of peter. 

Ø     He cut the ear of the Malchus the Servant of the high priest.  There he is called Simon peter which says that he is not changed and become peter. He also thought he can gain the Kingdom of God through the sword and violence.

Ø     U. R Ananda Murthi’s novel Bharathipuram gives us an example of the master’s touch. It says that influences the disciples. When Swami Vivakanada felt that he is totally lost when he touched the Master Paramahamsan.

Ø     Jesus told him that he would disown him before the Rooster crows twice at midnight. It is idiom. It says that it is fearful  hours of midnight.

Ø     For Peter it is twice happened. First when he was walking over the water. Jesus asked him to catch his hand. But second time he did not touch him but just looked at him. it was the time when the rooster crows second time. Hereafter Jesus only looks to us to change.

Ø     The Story of Qvadis Domine. Jesus goes back to Rome when the Rome was persecuted by Nero. He went back and died the crucified downward. Give the importance to Jesus in every thing even unto death.

Ø     Jesus asked him whether he loves him. He thrice repeated. He replayed that I love you. We all have to respond to Jesus like peter.

Ø     Jesus wants us to be rock like Peter where his church is glorified. John Paul II said that our homes are church. So we are small rocks where the church remains.