Voltaire, the well known French philosopher and writer had a stroke and facing death. He was a loose christian who wrote many thoughts against the dogmas of the Church. At his death bed he wanted to reconcile with the Church and asked his followers to send for a priest. But they hesitated to do it and he said to them, 'Begone! It is you that have brought me to my present condition'. He was in deep despair and screamed, ‘O, Christ! O, Lord Jesus!’ Then, turning his face, he would cry out, ‘I must die-abandoned of God and of men!’ Voltaire the man who wrote against religious dogmas knew that Jesus has the power to forgive sins!
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world"(Jn.1/29), this is the witness of John the Baptist. And this is the greatest witness and recognition of Jesus.
Jesus has the power to forgive sins. I do not think there is any other religious leader who said I forgive your sins. There are gurus who said go and purify yourselves in the river Ganges, make a pilgrimage or do penance. It is Jesus Christ who said to the woman who wet his feet with tears and wiped with hair in Simeon's house, "Your sins are forgiven"(Lk:7/48). Not only sins are forgiven but also forgiven without any judgement or accounting of sins.
Remember, Jesus says to the woman who was caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more (Jn. 8/11). Jesus forgives our sins without any judgement! That's the great privilege of those who know Christ. An young Hindu priest said why can't we have a confessional in the temple?
I read a confession of a converted murderer, he wrote, it was in the confessional that he burst out in tears for the first time in his life. He writes, after two hours of confession, he heard the old priest saying your sins are forgiven for a small penance. He could not but cry. Yes, that is Jesus the lamb of God who forgives our sins without any judgement and accounting.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
One thing you haven't done!
“There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me"(Mk10:21). There is still one thing you haven't done! What is that one thing in our lives to follow Jesus? I think it needs a deep reflection to find out what is the one thing or many things. Jesus can be a reference point to find this out. Zaccaeus stood in front of this reference point, he felt like looking at a mirror, and found what he hasn't done. Zacchaeus said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount"(Lk:19/8). He might had a deep reflection on the fig tree!
We use the terms attachment and detachment in the spiritual conversations. If you want to attach to God you may have to detach certain things. In the life of Elisha we read "he took his yoke off oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant"(1kings 19/21). God told Abraham"Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you"(Gen 12:1). Peter pulled his boat up on the shore, left everything and followed Jesus(Lk. 5/11).
Somebody asked a guru what is attachment? He said, attachment is the dance of our outer pleasure. Then he was asked what is detachment? Guru said, detachment is the song of our inner joy.
I remember the story of Sylvester, one of the first ten disciples of St. Francis of Assisi. When Bernard, a rich young man renounced everything and was giving up his wealth to the poor to follow Francis, Sylvester, was the parish priest of St. Ruffino, told him that he didn't receive proper value for the stones that he sold to Francis to build San Damiano. Francis gave him handful of money. That day he couldn't sleep, he fell in deep silence. That made him to be the disciple of Francis.
Let me invite you to have a deep reflection in front of the mirror, the reference point, Jesus to find what is the one thing that we haven't done.
We use the terms attachment and detachment in the spiritual conversations. If you want to attach to God you may have to detach certain things. In the life of Elisha we read "he took his yoke off oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant"(1kings 19/21). God told Abraham"Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you"(Gen 12:1). Peter pulled his boat up on the shore, left everything and followed Jesus(Lk. 5/11).
Somebody asked a guru what is attachment? He said, attachment is the dance of our outer pleasure. Then he was asked what is detachment? Guru said, detachment is the song of our inner joy.
I remember the story of Sylvester, one of the first ten disciples of St. Francis of Assisi. When Bernard, a rich young man renounced everything and was giving up his wealth to the poor to follow Francis, Sylvester, was the parish priest of St. Ruffino, told him that he didn't receive proper value for the stones that he sold to Francis to build San Damiano. Francis gave him handful of money. That day he couldn't sleep, he fell in deep silence. That made him to be the disciple of Francis.
Let me invite you to have a deep reflection in front of the mirror, the reference point, Jesus to find what is the one thing that we haven't done.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
I have a name
Recently I watched the movie "les miserables" I do not think somebody can watch the life of Jean Valjean without tears. Many lives have changed by this 1862 novel by Victor Hugo.
In the movie, Javert, the police officer calls Valjean by his number 24601. Valjean says, my name is Jean Valjean. I realised that having a name is a blessing and it is the name that separate us from another and make us unique. Have you ever thought how much time our parents spend to name us? And name is so important and precious to us. Personally speaking, I am so happy when somebody remembers my name and calls by name, I enjoy that moment. I hope you too.
Giving a number to a person is humiliation and that must be the reason Hitler tattooed numbers on the prisoners. It was to reject the identity of a person. It was as cruel as his persecution.
I like the bible words from Isaiah, "I have called you by name and you are mine"(43:1). It is the great comfort that we have not lost in the crowd. God knows each one by our name!
I remember a Malayalam short story "Radha Radha Mathram"by Mukundan. In the story a girl forgets her name and she undergoes great identity crisis which makes her breakdown. Dear friends, having a name is a blessing and more blessing it is to know that God knows us by name.
In the movie, Javert, the police officer calls Valjean by his number 24601. Valjean says, my name is Jean Valjean. I realised that having a name is a blessing and it is the name that separate us from another and make us unique. Have you ever thought how much time our parents spend to name us? And name is so important and precious to us. Personally speaking, I am so happy when somebody remembers my name and calls by name, I enjoy that moment. I hope you too.
Giving a number to a person is humiliation and that must be the reason Hitler tattooed numbers on the prisoners. It was to reject the identity of a person. It was as cruel as his persecution.
I like the bible words from Isaiah, "I have called you by name and you are mine"(43:1). It is the great comfort that we have not lost in the crowd. God knows each one by our name!
I remember a Malayalam short story "Radha Radha Mathram"by Mukundan. In the story a girl forgets her name and she undergoes great identity crisis which makes her breakdown. Dear friends, having a name is a blessing and more blessing it is to know that God knows us by name.
Wedding death
I like the poetries of Emily Dickinson, many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality. In "the chariot" she depicts death as a beautiful and joyful wedding. In her words:
"Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality".
I read this poetry in the high school and I could never forget it. Don't you feel that this poetry is very Christian? Don't you think that death is a happy wedding for a Christian?The Psalmist sings: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me(23/4).
St. Francis of Assisi teaches how to die in peace and joy, he was so passionate about death, calls death " sister death"! He blessed bread, sung psalms and that was a beautiful goodbye to eternity saying: "welcome sister death"
Remember the first martyr of the Church, St. Stephen, he was stoned to death. Even in painful suffering, he sees divine visions and says "Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56).
Recently I visited a funeral home to pay homage to a grandpa of 36 grand children. He was peaceful in the coffin with a beautiful smile. I thought he must be a man who had a happy wedding with death and a journey to eternity.
When we think about death we should not leave the death of Jesus on the cross. I do not think there is anyone who has suffered like Jesus Christ. According to the study Jesus was scourged 39 times and each scourge will make 400 wounds. That means there was no place on Jesus' body without wounds, so painful, unimaginable suffering! In this suffering Jesus asks the Father why have you forsaken me? And there is no answer from the heaven and theologians call this as "aggressive silence". But Jesus dies peacefully, saying unto your hands I comment my spirit. What a beautiful death! A death, like a child falls into sleep!
When I share this, I am sure a couple of people are coming to your minds who had similar death experience. Yes, dear friends, death should be a moment celebration for Christians and it is a wedding and a journey to Jesus.
"Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality".
I read this poetry in the high school and I could never forget it. Don't you feel that this poetry is very Christian? Don't you think that death is a happy wedding for a Christian?The Psalmist sings: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me(23/4).
St. Francis of Assisi teaches how to die in peace and joy, he was so passionate about death, calls death " sister death"! He blessed bread, sung psalms and that was a beautiful goodbye to eternity saying: "welcome sister death"
Remember the first martyr of the Church, St. Stephen, he was stoned to death. Even in painful suffering, he sees divine visions and says "Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56).
Recently I visited a funeral home to pay homage to a grandpa of 36 grand children. He was peaceful in the coffin with a beautiful smile. I thought he must be a man who had a happy wedding with death and a journey to eternity.
When we think about death we should not leave the death of Jesus on the cross. I do not think there is anyone who has suffered like Jesus Christ. According to the study Jesus was scourged 39 times and each scourge will make 400 wounds. That means there was no place on Jesus' body without wounds, so painful, unimaginable suffering! In this suffering Jesus asks the Father why have you forsaken me? And there is no answer from the heaven and theologians call this as "aggressive silence". But Jesus dies peacefully, saying unto your hands I comment my spirit. What a beautiful death! A death, like a child falls into sleep!
When I share this, I am sure a couple of people are coming to your minds who had similar death experience. Yes, dear friends, death should be a moment celebration for Christians and it is a wedding and a journey to Jesus.
Monday, December 31, 2012
My Birthday Gift
I can't imagine, one more year is over after celebrating the great and ever memorable birthday in 2012. There are certain times that we do want to celebrate special events in our life, which happened to be my birthday and ten years of Ordination that fell on the same day. But away from home, no friends and friars around, I felt a kind of loneliness. I remembered that I went down to the kitchen for breakfast on my birthday in 2012. And there, Fr. Dismas was waiting for me with a fruit basket sent by my family in Singapore. My eyes opened wide, that was really unexpected gift, my heart leaped with joy, I felt love of my family in Singapore and I said to my heart you are not alone.
As I was unpacking the fruit basket, a phone call came from one of the students, let me call her cupcake. She told me, "Father, I would like to make confession". I said, "Sure, I am celebrating my birthday, we can celebrate mass and have a bite together". I wanted to thank God for a productive day to celebrate my ordination day not because someone was coming for confession but cupcake was dear to me. She was a wonderful student and a role model to many students and a good catholic. One day couple of her friends invited me to have lunch with them and they tried to explain to me that cupcake was going to Southeast. I thought Southeast was a place and in my ignorance I said that if that's her will, let her. Later I came to know that Southeast was a Protestant church.
I did not judge her, may be God used my ignorance for a better result. She is coming, she is coming to make confession, I was thrilled. She came by noon, made her confessions, attended mass. I made a cup of soup and gave it to her. I am so happy for her now. God works in mysterious ways. She has joined the Benedictine Sisters and I dream and pray that she becomes a great nun.
I said to the Lord, before I go to bed, that was an awesome celebration.
As I was unpacking the fruit basket, a phone call came from one of the students, let me call her cupcake. She told me, "Father, I would like to make confession". I said, "Sure, I am celebrating my birthday, we can celebrate mass and have a bite together". I wanted to thank God for a productive day to celebrate my ordination day not because someone was coming for confession but cupcake was dear to me. She was a wonderful student and a role model to many students and a good catholic. One day couple of her friends invited me to have lunch with them and they tried to explain to me that cupcake was going to Southeast. I thought Southeast was a place and in my ignorance I said that if that's her will, let her. Later I came to know that Southeast was a Protestant church.
I did not judge her, may be God used my ignorance for a better result. She is coming, she is coming to make confession, I was thrilled. She came by noon, made her confessions, attended mass. I made a cup of soup and gave it to her. I am so happy for her now. God works in mysterious ways. She has joined the Benedictine Sisters and I dream and pray that she becomes a great nun.
I said to the Lord, before I go to bed, that was an awesome celebration.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sweet home
I read somewhere that there are six types of families. The first one is Kurukshetra which means the family will be like 'Kurukshetra'. Those who do not know 'Kurukshetra', it means the battle field of the Mahabharata between Pandava and Kauravas. Kurukshetra family is 24/7 fighting family.
The second is restaurant, this kind of family is like a restaurant , family come together only for dining, relation is very poor. The house becomes just a restaurant, a place to eat.
The third one is cemetery, you may guess how this family would look like, very silent, no communication, not because of they are practicing virtue, but poor relationship. They may live under one roof, but far away from hearts. The family becomes like a cemetery with great silence of non communication and love.
The fourth one is hostel, it is similar like a restaurant, family becomes a place for rest and sleep. Again there is lack of relationship, the family members have their own room, TV, computer and cellphones, they disperse to their room saying goodnight. Poor sharing and communication, each one becomes an island.
The fifth one is club, a place for celebration and enjoyment.The neighbourhood thinks that this family is a happy family because of their life celebrations but when we dig their lives we see lots of past wounds and anger towards each other.
The final one is sweet home, the model is holy family where each one becomes symbol of love. Each one is enthusiastic to love each other, it is a praying family, a sacrificing family. They live in Pentecostal experience. To understand Pentecostal experience, we may have to look in to the Babel in the Book of Genesis. According to the story, a united humanity is building a city with a tower whose top may reach unto heaven. God came down to see what they did and confused their languages, so that they would not be able to return to each other, and they left off building the city. At Pentecost. people from all over the world were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate, and St. Peter was preaching, even though they all spoke different languages they could all understand what he was saying. On that day 3,000 people became Christians!
Sweet home is the symbol of this Pentecost experience. Every one in the family understands each other. Husband understands wife, father and mother understand children, mother- in- law understand daughter- in- Law. That is really sweet home. As we celebrate feast of holy family let us reflect over this.
The second is restaurant, this kind of family is like a restaurant , family come together only for dining, relation is very poor. The house becomes just a restaurant, a place to eat.
The third one is cemetery, you may guess how this family would look like, very silent, no communication, not because of they are practicing virtue, but poor relationship. They may live under one roof, but far away from hearts. The family becomes like a cemetery with great silence of non communication and love.
The fourth one is hostel, it is similar like a restaurant, family becomes a place for rest and sleep. Again there is lack of relationship, the family members have their own room, TV, computer and cellphones, they disperse to their room saying goodnight. Poor sharing and communication, each one becomes an island.
The fifth one is club, a place for celebration and enjoyment.The neighbourhood thinks that this family is a happy family because of their life celebrations but when we dig their lives we see lots of past wounds and anger towards each other.
The final one is sweet home, the model is holy family where each one becomes symbol of love. Each one is enthusiastic to love each other, it is a praying family, a sacrificing family. They live in Pentecostal experience. To understand Pentecostal experience, we may have to look in to the Babel in the Book of Genesis. According to the story, a united humanity is building a city with a tower whose top may reach unto heaven. God came down to see what they did and confused their languages, so that they would not be able to return to each other, and they left off building the city. At Pentecost. people from all over the world were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate, and St. Peter was preaching, even though they all spoke different languages they could all understand what he was saying. On that day 3,000 people became Christians!
Sweet home is the symbol of this Pentecost experience. Every one in the family understands each other. Husband understands wife, father and mother understand children, mother- in- law understand daughter- in- Law. That is really sweet home. As we celebrate feast of holy family let us reflect over this.
Cream biscuit
I hope you all have eaten cream biscuits in your life. It is the cream between the two pieces adds more sweetness to the biscuit. I think cream biscuit teach us a reality of life that we must act as cream which adds sweetness and closeness in others life.
If there is any bitterness and gap between father and mother, children should act as cream. And if it is between mother and children the father has to act as cream, if this is between daughter in law and mother in law, son has to act as cream and many other ways you could imagine.
St. John says in his first letter chapter 4 "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God". I'd everyone who loves is from God we should love each other.
There are people who say I love my Husband, my wife, my children and if they can not express it, that is not love. If you love someone we should act as cream and should express it. I remember a father of a child who brought 49 marks out of 50 in maths and the father asked without a word of appreciation, where is the one mark? Funny isn't it? Sometimes we are in this category, we love but cannot express. If you love you have to express.
I remember a day after my ordination, a couple came to me and said they were send by one of my friend friars. They said they need counselling. I was just ordained and they were asking for counselling, I was shocked. I pretended like I have been counsellor for many years and started counselling. They were fighting each other, and I just sat there opening my mouth. When they were tired I addressed the women calling sweet sister, she was so happy and asked the husband, "Hear what father has called me, have you ever called me like this in between five years of our life."? I ran away from the counselling room when the counselling ended. She conveys that thinking I love my wife/Husband and children are not enough, we have to express. Dear brothers and sisters, if you love you have to express, be cream each other.
If there is any bitterness and gap between father and mother, children should act as cream. And if it is between mother and children the father has to act as cream, if this is between daughter in law and mother in law, son has to act as cream and many other ways you could imagine.
St. John says in his first letter chapter 4 "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God". I'd everyone who loves is from God we should love each other.
There are people who say I love my Husband, my wife, my children and if they can not express it, that is not love. If you love someone we should act as cream and should express it. I remember a father of a child who brought 49 marks out of 50 in maths and the father asked without a word of appreciation, where is the one mark? Funny isn't it? Sometimes we are in this category, we love but cannot express. If you love you have to express.
I remember a day after my ordination, a couple came to me and said they were send by one of my friend friars. They said they need counselling. I was just ordained and they were asking for counselling, I was shocked. I pretended like I have been counsellor for many years and started counselling. They were fighting each other, and I just sat there opening my mouth. When they were tired I addressed the women calling sweet sister, she was so happy and asked the husband, "Hear what father has called me, have you ever called me like this in between five years of our life."? I ran away from the counselling room when the counselling ended. She conveys that thinking I love my wife/Husband and children are not enough, we have to express. Dear brothers and sisters, if you love you have to express, be cream each other.
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