Difference between THEY and YOU!

Junior had just received his brand new driver's license. To celebrate the special day, the whole family went out to the driveway and climbed into the car for his first official drive. Dad went immediately to the back seat, right behind the newly licensed driver. "I'll bet you are back there to get a change of scenery, right? After all these months of sitting up here, teaching me how to drive?" Junior said to his dad. "Nope!" said dad. "I'm going to sit back here and kick the back of your seat as you drive, just like you've been doing to me for sixteen years!"

It is quite interesting to note how we learn to pray: as a child there were too many distractions such as a big group of people, colorful clothes, big hall-way, smiles and faces of people, music and the unusual quietness of the parents. As we grow into adolescents God becomes a Santa and we were focusing just on needs and friends. The crowd, colors, music and other external distractions don’t matter much as in the past. As young adults God takes the role of GPS and we take the role of lost travellers asking for directions. The amazing thing to note here is the maturity that we grow into in our prayer life. It takes ages to for us to get the image of God in our hearts and minds!

A deer comes out of the womb and starts walking, running and talking its language. Most of the animal world is that way. We come out and take our own time in uttering words like ma, pa and oh boy! There are different layers of speech before we truly speak the language. Intelligible sentence to come out of a young boy or a girl takes time. He or she has to mentally Xerox whatever parents and friends do and say. Great public speakers are the ones who have gone above the average in their approach of language and the use of language shifts from just communication to all imagination and all inspiration.

The focus of Jesus in today’s gospel is in educating his friends to excel in their deep knowledge of God. Ordinary people with no formal education at that time depended heavily on the religious leaders. People with brains were focused on the scripture and the strict traditional outlook on God. Jesus had a different standard for the knowledge of God: presence of Jesus replacing formal education in scripture. The best way to know God is to be with Jesus. Great minds educated the people about God so when the real question comes they get confused and make mistakes. What they possess is a partial revelation or little knowledge.

Jesus knows that there should a difference between THEY and YOU; they who find other gods or foolishly take something or someone for God! “My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God, and I didn't.” -Unknown ‘Who do you say that I am’ is a question put to people who experience the real presence of Jesus; friends of Jesus; who know exactly the object of our belief. The ordinary people were very much influenced by Jesus since all the preaching and healing were done in their midst. They have heard him and seen his miracles but the higher leave of realization is given to the inner circle. We have to ask here: where do you want to be? In the crowd? Or where?

The deeper knowledge of God is awarded to each one of us through sacraments. We are privileged in all ways to know and merge with God. That knowledge should motivate us to join with Jesus to bring life to the people around us. Jesus had a mission and People’s salvation was the object of his father’s will. The more we intimately relate with Jesus we not only come to know God, we also will come to know how to love others and work towards the good of the society.

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Wedding Mass (Kevin & Heather Corkran)

“The best way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once.” A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?" And the father replied, "I don't know, son, I'm still paying for it." Confused he went to his mom and asked the same question. To his surprise she said the same thing. He went to his granny as to why she didn’t help his parents. She said “Your grandpa and I are still paying ours still.”

We are here to thank God for joining Kevin and Heather and continue to pray for their efforts to be permanently and exclusively united to each other in bonds of love. This is only a ceremony but marriage is not a word! It is a sentence; a paragraph or a book. Sacrament of Matrimony and Sacrament of Ordination are the only 2 sacraments that emphasize intimacy and demand our vows in public to be permanent and exclusive in our relationship. Both the vows are so human and no human promise is perfect.

There is an old saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell God your plans for the future!” How do we make such huge promises when we don’t know who we will become in the future? People always change, so how can a couple know that they will hold on to their promises? There is no guarantee that life will turn out as we plan. We don’t live with car battery to have guarantee. This is an adventure into the unknown. That surety is the result of your love and commitment. Strong, lasting relationships require as ‘raw material’ two strong individuals. Only a person who knows how to love himself or herself responsibly would know and love another person.

The word ‘Respect’ literally means ‘to look again’. Respect in marriage is the readiness and the ability to notice and appreciate the qualities of one’s spouse what others don’t or can’t notice. Only in the permanent relationship can a person experience ‘Trust’ and dependability and reliability follow. Many people misunderstand when we speak of marriage as exclusive: it doesn’t mean forsaking all others or giving up of others rather it implies that one’s primary energy, one’s basic focus, will remain exclusively on one’s wife or husband.

As Marriage covenant is a serious commitment we should never forget the counsel of professionals. Many marriage experts note that good marriages are usually seasoned with a sense of humor that allows couples to laugh at themselves. There used to be sign offices WORK MORE TALK LESS! That doesn’t work for marriage. Talk more and spend time together: TV and Internet are not the only recreations!

The quality or the worth of a good citizen doesn’t necessarily be that he or she has to serve the military rather one’s ability to live and raise a good family since families make societies and good families make good societies. That is the reason the vows are made public that the public play a big part in the success of marriages. Every marriage in the society increases the quality level and responsibility level of the people who witness the marriage. Kevin and Heather look up to you for guidance and direction as you are married and committed to your marriage vows. Make sure your lesson to this new couple is one of support and encouragement.

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Extravagant forgiveness!

Every conversion story is enlightening and encouraging us to grow in faith. I was watching the conversion story of Fr. John Corapi recently. It was personally uplifting for me as he spoke about his personal life: he searched for meaning in life; worked in almost all areas to find easy money and fame; lived in Vegas and befriended celebrities who in turn befriended him to drugs and at the verge of death in a mental hospital he was given a rosary by his mom and asked him to pray. His reading of prayer got deepened and he told him mom that he wanted to confess his sins to a priest. After the confession he told the priest that he wanted to be a priest and started absolving others sins including that of his own father! Isn’t it wonderful and easy to share with people that God’s forgiveness is so easy and ready?

How about human forgiveness? A lady loved her grand-daughter and did everything for her. The grand-daughter with her boyfriend went ahead and stole all the valuables from the granny and ran off! Is it easy to forgive? An abusive husband for 18 years who was ready even to kill her and she managed to escape from him got divorce and escaped death! Is it easy to forgive? Abused by a priest or an older person; grew up into adulthood with no confidence nor a sense of achievement filled with all kinds of psychological illness. Is it easy to forgive? Is it easy to forgive a cheating husband? Cheating wife? Children who want to have their ways no matter what happens?

The simplest truth to understand here is we can’t forgive others the way God forgives us. One of the reasons for this comparison some argue is that we all sin and God doesn’t. God doesn’t need our forgiveness whereas we all depend on each other’s forgiveness. That is not the foundation for the understanding of forgiveness here! The foundation here is the exchange of goodness for tyranny; embrace for crucifixion; love for hatred and all other opposite effects and emotions for God’s pure love. 1^st reading talks about such profound exchange between God and David.

The beginning of the end of our forgiving self is forgetfulness of God’s generosity. The more we are appreciative and aware of God’s generosity the more forgiving we become. David forgot what he received from God; Simon the Pharisee in the gospel forgot what he received from God and also failed to see what the sinful woman received before and during the washing of the feet of Jesus! Our failure to forgive often results from a particular situation and not from the collective personality of a person.

Stephen Covey narrates a few good stories on forgiveness in families as he validates the point that we will always be victims until we forgive; when we truly forgive we open the channels through which trust and unconditional love can flow. What good is there to boast of a God who forgives and we don’t? Hatred is like cancer; has the ability to spread not only in your body but all those you come in contact with. Forgiveness is the antidote. The joy of apologizing is rewarding but the joy of forgiving is rejuvenating. … as we forgive those who sin against us should become a reality in each of us. The point to notice here in Our Father is the prayer of forgiveness is next to our prayer for food. As Gandhi said, “forgiveness is the attribute of the strong; the weak can never forgive.” Are you strong?

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The Class of 2010: Graduation Mass

It was graduation day and Mom was trying to take a picture of their son in a cap and gown, posed with his father. "Let's try to make this look natural” she said, “Junior, put your arm around your dad's shoulder." The father answered, "If you want it to look natural, why not have him put his hand in my pocket?"

This is a moment to think back what your parents and significant others have been so far in your life; that includes your school and religious formation too. Your parents helped you enormously but in turn their married life got matured and grown by you and your achievements. You make them proud by your commitment and motivation to study and achieve.

“I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not so sure”. This is how almost all the teenagers feel, confused and pulled in all kinds of direction. What you are taking with you is a collection of all goodness from Holy Family: a little bit of the priests, teachers and well-wishers who have shown you values that they live by. I very well remember quoting George Santayana earlier said, “A child educated only at school is an uneducated child.” You can get all the A’s and still flunk life.

Being the salt and light incorporates a vast entity. Salt is little in quantity, light from the candle is small in stature but it’s influence in length, width, breadth and depth is significant. Our God-given potentials are to be appreciated and utilized for the glory of God. Socrates once said, “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” Thus choose friends wisely since your recreation world depends on them. Learn as much as possible from your parents since trial and error starts at home. Choose happiness above success since God wants us to be happy and most of the human successes need fixing.

Jason Laguna was suspended from last Friday from school (1 day), Rockland, NY because he wore Rosary in school. Learn to know God since there is no greater friend to share your pain like the way you suffer when you suffer; there is no greater friend who rejoices like the way you rejoice when you rejoice – Your faithful practice of religion teach that thus be faithful to your religious duties. Skipping your religious duties is one thing but discouraging your friend’s religious sentiments is sinful. Stay away from being a hurdle to another’s faith. Hope you all remember what we talked about the other day regarding your time at the computer!

Like the moon that depends on the light from the Sun, we all need the light from God to be the same light for others. Church needs you; our country needs you and your family needs you. Continue to make us proud in all that you do! Don’t let pride rule you, your good looks deceive you, your tiny brains fool you, rather let God put you on top. It is God who wants you to be the light and salt. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere. Amen.

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Worship without sacrifice is an absurdity!

The Story of a Jewish boy Mortakai is very touching. He refused to go to school. The parents did all that they could, but he wouldn’t listen to them. He would run back home and refused to go back. They took him to their Rabbi and told him about their problem. Rabbi didn’t say a word; he picked him up and held him to his heart for a long time. Then he put him down. That boy not only went to school, he became a great bible scholar. A great way to understand what Eucharist is all about: the embrace of God.

It is very interesting to note the traditional concept as given in the Rev 3:20 of Jesus knocking at the door. We use that image often especially when kids receive the First Holy Communion. We tell them of opening the door for Jesus as he stands outside, willing to come in. What we have not seen or not paid attention to is Rev 4:1 in heaven the door is open. JP II asserted that every mass is an experience of heaven on earth. It symbolically explains the open door as Jesus comes in and takes possession of us. He doesn’t need to wait or knock as all our senses are at use: in liturgy we hear, see, smell, touch and taste the divine. Many of us prefer to keep those senses untouched thus ignore or avoid the intrusion of the divine power for various reasons!

These claims have meaning only if we understand what lies deep in these mysteries. Gandhi said, “Worship without sacrifice is an absurdity of the modern age.” What are we doing here? We are sacrificing here. In the past people sacrificed to recognize God’s power over creation; to offer thanks to God; to seal the agreement or covenant with God or as atonement for our sins. We Christians offer this sacrifice for all those reasons also. Moreover, we offer our sacrifice since it is a Sacrament and that brings us grace.

The practice of calling Jesus the LAMB of God is so revolutionary as this title does not bring out anything of power or majesty such as the Messiah or the Lion of Judah! This title is a great reminder of God’s love and compassion from Abraham to the present. He gave Abraham a ram to be sacrificed! As Melchizedek king of Salem offered the sacrifice as King and priest and blessed the covenantal people, Jesus, the King and High Priest and Prophet sacrifices and blesses the new covenantal people of God and Salem is renamed as Jerusalem by that time! Scholars agree that the land of Moriah where Isaac was to be sacrificed on hill is about the same place as Calvary. And the Passover when the lamb was sacrificed and the blood on the doorposts spared the 1^st born of Israel.

As Eucharist contains the Church’s entire spiritual wealth, and the experience of God’s love for people is shown in breaking and sharing the bread, it calls us for a greater responsibility in our vocation as Christians. The celebration of Eucharist is not ended rather extended throughout the day and throughout the year. We have God, temple, altar and the Lamb; we need priests and people! We need to pray for people to return to the scripture and Eucharist so much as we pray for priests to administer the sacraments. Every time a Christian fails to be with the people of God, we miss the Glory of God. Thomas missed; Martha and Mary missed the company of Jesus. God continues give us opportunities. Eucharist is the source and summit of all our Christian life.

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