Personal Impact!

Luke 1:39-56

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in Judea's hill country. There she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby inside her jumped. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she called out, "God has blessed you more than other women. And blessed is the child you will have! But why is God so kind to me? Why has the mother of my Lord come to me? As soon as I heard the sound of your voice, the baby inside me jumped for joy. You are a woman God has blessed. You have believed that what the Lord has said to you will be done!"

  Mary said,

   "My soul gives glory to the Lord.

     My spirit delights in God my Savior.

  He has taken note of me

      even though I am not important.

   From now on all people will call me blessed.

     The Mighty One has done great things for me.

      His name is holy.

  He shows his mercy to those who have respect for him,

      from parent to child down through the years.

  He has done mighty things with his arm.

      He has scattered those who are proud in their deepest thoughts.

  He has brought down rulers from their thrones.

      But he has lifted up people who are not important.

  He has filled those who are hungry with good things.

      But he has sent those who are rich away empty.

  He has helped the people of Israel, who serve him.

      He has always remembered to be kind

  to Abraham and his children down through the years.

      He has done it just as he said to our people of long ago."

  Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she returned home.

Food for thought!

Today, we mark a feast known as the Visitation of Mary, that is, Mary's visit to Elizabeth. Why should we mark and celebrate such an event? Why mark Mary's visit to Elizabeith? Well, because Mary's visit marked Elizabeth. The gospel says: «When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby inside her jumped. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she called out, 'God has blessed you more than other women. And blessed is the child you will have! But why is God so kind to me? Why has the mother of my Lord come to me? As soon as I heard the sound of your voice, the baby inside me jumped for joy. You are a woman God has blessed. You have believed that what the Lord has said to you will be done!´»

When Mary visited Elizabeth, Elizabeth did not, and could not, stay the same; she was remarkably marked: «As soon as I heard the sound of your voice, the baby inside me jumped for joy.» Mary made such a positive impact on Elizabeth that «the baby inside her jumped», that «Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit», that Elizabeth «called out, God has blessed you more than other women. And blessed is the child you will have.»

There are people in life whose presence mark us, people who have marked us with their presence. There are people whose presence not only mark us but also make the best, not the worst, come out of us. Just as there are people whose presence make the worst, not the best, come out of us. The former make us be the best of us; the latter make us be the worst of us. There are people in whose company we easily lower our morals, and there are people in whose company we better our morals; there are people in whose company we easily sin, just as there are people in whose company we stay good and do good. I don't know where you belong to others. But I know where Mary belongs; she is of the good people who help others be good and do good, for as soon as she showed up, Elizabeth got filled with the Holy Spirit, and Elizabeth began to say, not bad, but good things. Mary's presence positively impacted on Elizabeth.

The gospel reading of today is about you and me; it is about impact. You know from experience, don't you, that if three equally well-qualified candidates present themselves for a job, the successful one will, generally, be the one who impacts the interviewers best. You know, don't you, that good CVs matter, experience matters, but good personal impact not only matters but matters most, because it allows us to stand out and to rise above our colleagues.

This personal impact is called many names, such as rapport, authority, likeability, magnetism, attractiveness, radiance, charisma, or personal chemistry. I prefer calling it the «Marian effect». It is the kind of impact that marks and makes the others be their best. Are there people who have marked and made you be and do your best? These people are your Marys. Are there people whom you have marked and made be and do their best? These people are your Elizabeth. Be a person of good impact; be Mary.

Thanksgiving!

1Cor 11:23-26 This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

Food for thought!

Today, we are celebrating Corpus Christi feast; it is the feast of the Eucharist. We celebrate the Eucharist everyday, so why do we need a feast for it? Well, before anything else, the word «Eucharist» means «thanksgiving». And as you see the reading above, Jesus took some bread, AND THANKED GOD for it and broke it. Then he said, do this as a memorial of me. In other words, Jesus told us to do what he did. And this is why we have a feast for thanksgiving; lest we forget.

A feast like this affords us the opportunity to give God collective thanks to God for Christ’s salvation.

How do you thank God? Do you just come kneel down and say, I thank you Lord? This is not enough. There's a proper way of thanking God. As the Psalm 116:12-13 says, «How can I repay to the Lord for all his goodness to me? The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the name of the Lord... A thanksgiving sacrifice I make; I will call on the name of the Lord.» The answer is by the Eucharist, because this is how Jesus did and taught us to do, «he took bread and gave thanks; he took the cup and gave thanks». And after he told and tells us: «Do this in memory of me.» So the Eucharist is about THANKSGIVING.

But do we really need to thank God? For what? It is because Jesus did it all, I mean our salvation; he saved us all. This is why he died saying, «It is finished.» All we have to do now is thank God; there's no more salvation because it is already done by Jesus. It means that we are already spared, we are already saved BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

As long ago in the Old Testament the Jews of old were saved by the blood of the lambs slaughtered in Egypt, you and I are saved by the blood, not of animals, of Jesus blood. This is what the letter to the Hebrews reminds us:

«But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!» (Heb 9:11-15)

Mark 10:32-45 Dare!

Mk10:32-45

The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,
and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes,  and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.” Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, ‘What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, ‘We can.” Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Food for thought!

These words of Jesus are very revealing of him; they show a Jesus that's focused on something, his death. In light of his death, Jesus is going to Jerusalem, to die. The gospel reading says that he took his disciples aside and started to talk to them about his death. Yes, today's food for thought is about death, your death.

When did you last take your dear ones aside and talked about your death? Not yet? Do you even ever think of your death? Do you ever talk about it as Jesus did many times? Do you share with anybody about your death? Have you planned for it? How would you like to be buried? Where?  Do you have a will, a testament? This is the best way to plan for and think of and share your death. Don't be afraid. Like Jesus, take your friends aside and talk to them about your death.

Talking about your death will help you to be focused like Jesus. Jesus was a man whose face was set on some goal. He was a man whose mind was made up. He was a man who was determined to go somewhere and who refused to be distracted from his mission. Jesus was a focused man, whose mind was fixed on some mission and who was determined to carry it out. Jesus was ready to pay the price, in order to get the prize.

This is what Jesus is asking the two disciple: "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" Jesus is telling John and James that what you are aspiring has a price tag; are you ready to pay the price, or you want the prize but not the price? This is a lesson for all of us: whatever we want to achieve in life, whatever we focus on, like having good life, good family, great business, good job, good spouse, has a price tag. You can't have a prize without a price.

James and John paid the price too. As you know, James was the first apostle to die martyrdom and his brother John was the last apostle to die, in exile. In other words, the two got what the wanted, be one on the left and the other on the right of Jesus. one died first, the other last! Next time you kneel down to ask Jesus for something think twice; think not only of what you ask for, but also think of what you will pay to get it.

Mark 10:28-31 God is not indifferent to our efforts!

 Peter said to Jesus, «We have left everything and have followed you!» «What I'm about to tell you is true,» Jesus replied. «Has anyone left home or family or fields for me and the good news? They will receive 100 times as much in this world. They will have homes and families and fields. But they will also be treated badly by others. In the world to come they will live forever. But many who are first will be last. And the last will be first.»

Food for thought!

Today's gospel reading begins where yesterday's stopped (Mark 10:27). Peter and his disciples must have looked at the rich man go away until he disappeared. And as he went, Peter's mind must have been working, and, characteristically, his tongue could not stay still. He had just seen a man deliberately refuse Jesus' «Follow me!» He had just heard Jesus say in effect that that man by his action had shut himself out from the Kingdom of God.

Peter could not help drawing the contrast between that man and himself and his friends. Just as the man had refused Jesus' «Follow me!» he and his friends had accepted it, and Peter with that almost crude honesty of his wanted to know what he and his friends were to get out of it. Peter's concern is our concern: we sometimes do wonder, if there is any recognition for us for having accepted Jesus as our saviour, for having followed him on a daily basis, for having gone to church every Sunday or everyday for some, for taking time to pray, etc. What is our reward? What’s in this for us?” Jesus' answer falls into three sections.

(i) Jesus says that no man ever gave up anything for the sake of himself (that is, Jesus) and of his good news without getting it back a hundredfold. Jesus is saying that those who follow him have a definite advantage both here and in the hereafter. Jesus reminds us all that God is not indifferent to our efforts; that God sees; God notices; that God records and rewards every sacrifice that is made for him and because of him. Jesus reminds us that what we have walked away from might seem like a lot to them, but God has far more in our future than we left behind in our past. Jesus is saying that we cannot beat God with generosity, we cannot out perform God in giving.

When Jesus speaks of «100 times», he simply means that it is more than you can imagine. He is not saying that if you give a dollar, he will give you one hundred in return. He might, but that is not the point! He is simply telling us that He has far more for us than anything we could ever give up to follow Him.

A caveat!

Jesus also lets us know that the «100 times more» will not come to us unaccompanied; it will come with «persecutions»; that is, there is a price to pay for the prize. Not everyone will be excited to see us taking Jesus that serious. We shall be misunderstood, misrepresented, and in some cases persecuted even by those close to us.

The promise of persecutions removes the whole matter from the world of quid pro quo. This is not a matter of a material reward for a material sacrifice. This is about the honesty of Jesus. He never offered an easy way. He told men straight that to be a Christian is a costly thing.

Second, this is about challenge. It is as if he said, «Certainly you will get your reward, but you will have to show yourself a strong enough man or woman to get it.» The second thing that Jesus added was the idea of the world to come. He never promised that within this world of space and time there would be a kind of squaring up of the balance sheet and settlement of accounts. He does not call us to win the rewards of time. He calls us to earn the blessings of eternity. In other words, God has not only this world in which to repay.

Finally, Jesus adds one more warning: «many who are first will be last. And the last will be first.» This was in reality a warning to Peter. It may well be that by this time Peter was estimating his own worth and his own reward and assessing them high. What Jesus is saying is, «The final standard of judgment is with God. Many a man may stand well in the judgment of the world, but the judgment of God may upset the world's judgment. Still more many a man may stand well in his own judgment, and find that God's evaluation of him is very different.» It is a warning against all pride. It is a warning that the ultimate judgments belong to God who alone knows the motives of men's hearts. It is a warning that the judgments of heaven may well upset the reputations of earth.

Tough answer to tough question!

Mark 10:17-27

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’

Food for thought!

Tough question. Tough answer.

The young man that came to Jesus asked a tough question: what must I do to inherit eternal life? This is a question that we all ask, directly or indirectly. As we grow old, as we move away from our birth and come closer to our death, we silently make this question. When I am dead, what will happen to me? Where will I go after this life? Is this life all there is? In other words, what must I do today to live tomorrow? How must I conduct myself today in order to survive tomorrow? This is the tough question.

Tough questions require tough answers. I praise this man because he knew where to take his tough questions. He took his question to Jesus. The Gospel says that he came running up, greeted Jesus with great reverence, and asked. Where do we take our questions? To whom do we go when we need answers to our difficult questions? We do well to run to Jesus, the wisdom of God, as the Letter to the Hebrews puts it:

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are all accountable. (Heb. 4:12-13)

When you decide to take your quest to Jesus, you must prepare yourself for what he will tell you. Some times Jesus' answers are just too tough; you must be ready not only to ask but also to listen. Otherwise, you will be like the young man in today's Gospel reading, to whom Jesus said: Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he went away sad.

Why did this man go away the way he did? Well, Jesus had quoted to the man the commandments which were the basis of the decent life. Without hesitation the man said he had kept them all. And he was not lying; he was saying the truth. And Jesus liked him for that. However, note one thing, that with one exception, all the commandments that this man kept were negative commandments; Thou shalt not! His morality consisted in not doing. The man had never given away anything, and this is what Jesus told him to do for the first time in his life: Go and sell and give.

In effect the man was saying, “I never in my life did anyone any harm.” That was perfectly true. But the real question is, “What good have you done?” And the question to this man was even more pointed, “With all your possessions, with your wealth, with all that you could give away, what positive good have you done to others? How much have you gone out of your way to help and comfort and strengthen others as you might have done?” Christianity consists in not doing bad things ONLY; Christianity consists ALSO in doing good things. That was precisely where this man, like so many of us, failed and fell down. We think that we are OK, just because we never robbed a bank, never stole a car, never .... We are not OK until we learn to do good to others. Morality is not just not doing evil to others; it is also about doing good to others. So, "what good have you done in this life?" God will ask us one day.

God is a team!

John 16:12-15 

Jesus said: ‘I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He will glorify me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: All he tells you will be taken from what is mine.’
Food for thought!
Yesterday we learnt that, according to Genesis 1:7, God created us in his image and likeness. This means that by looking and observing ourselves, we can come to some understanding of God; and by meditating on the nature of God, we can gain some understanding of ourselves. If we are his image, then we have something in common.
Today, we are celebrating the Trinity Sunday, that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If God is trinitarian, if God is three in one, if God is communitarian, if God is a family, then God is a team. And if so, then we are also something of a team, something of a family, something of community. Being a family or being a community or being a team is not foreign to us; it is natural.
Have you ever noticed that, every day, in some way, we are a part of some team? Did you ever realize that just about everything we do depends on teamwork? If you are married, you and your spouse are a team; if you are employed, you and your colleagues are a team; this our community is a team, and lives thanks to teamwork.
Nothing great in life was ever done without a team. Name one great achievement in history that was accomplished by a solo individual, without the help of anyone else...! Nothing of significance. In other words, every great thing, every great achievement in life is done in a team. Even to beget children takes a team; no one makes children alone, no one raises children alone. Even the creation of man needed a team. Read in Genesis and you will notice that before God created man, He said, «Let us» (Gen. 1:26-27). Yes, man was created by a team! And man was created for team: «So God created man in his own likeness. He created him in the likeness of God. He created them as male and female.» God created us as team.
In the gospel reading, Jesus tells that even the Holy Spirit does not work alone; "he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; He will glorify me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: All he tells you will be taken from what is mine.’"
NO SOLO EVER DOES ANYTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE. If you want to succeed, team up with some people; alone you will never, ever, get anywhere of significance. Get involved in some team and involve some people in what you do, whatever you do. You have missed too much already for working alone, for being alone, for living alone. Remember what the Bible says about this: «It is not good for man to be alone.» It is not good; and it will never be good to live alone, for all of us and for everybody. Yes, in order to succeed you need a team; in order to succeed I need a team. That is the rule. Violate it and it will violate you; keep it and it will keep you. One is too small a number to achieve greatness.
Today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Most Blessed of the Teams, the Blessed Trinity, we wish to acknowledge all our teams, all the members of our different teams, beginning with  our family team, our faith team, our friends team. May the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless our teams. Amen.

In the image of God!

Ecclesiasticus 17:1-13

The Lord fashioned man from the earth,  to consign him back to it. He gave them so many days’ determined time,  he gave them authority over everything on earth. He clothed them with strength like his own,  and made them in his own image. He filled all living things with dread of man,  making him master over beasts and birds. He shaped for them a mouth and tongue, eyes and ears,  and gave them a heart to think with. He filled them with knowledge and understanding,  and revealed to them good and evil. He put his own light in their hearts  to show them the magnificence of his works. They will praise his holy name,  as they tell of his magnificent works. He set knowledge before them,  he endowed them with the law of life. Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,  and their ears heard the glory of his voice. He said to them, ‘Beware of all wrong-doing’;  he gave each a commandment concerning his neighbour. Their ways are always under his eye,  they cannot be hidden from his sight.

Food for thought!

"He made them in his own image."

When we say that there is in us an image of God, what do we mean? In what does this image of God consist of? Is it in all of us, in body and soul? Is it in everybody? Is it in both men and women? Is it in man only?

To say that there is an image of God in us does not mean that there is equality between God and human beings. We simply are saying that in us there is some likeness to God, copied from God as from an exemplar; yet this likeness is not one of equality, for such an exemplar infinitely excels its copy. Yes, there is in us a likeness to God; not, indeed, a perfect likeness, but imperfect.

In what does the image of God consist of?

It is one thing to say that we are made in the image and likeness of God; it is another thing to say in what the image of God that is in us consists. In other words, human beings are like God in exactly what? The Bible can help us in this. We find the first hint in the book of Genesis 1:26, «Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature, so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.»

According to this text, immediately after God resolved to make us after the likeness of himself, he added what we consider to be the clue to responding to the question, «So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.»

All this suggests that the image of God in us, the likeness of human beings to God consists in being God's representative or extension before «the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.» It means that we have a God-given task to carry out. And since nemo dat quod non habet (no one gives what he or she has not), and also since Ad impossibilia nemo tenetur (no one is obliged to do the impossible), God gave or equipped human beings with all they need to carry out the task; it means human beings have the godly capacity to carry out the task.

The godly capacity human beings have is the image and likeness of God. Or better, the image and likeness of God in human beings is the godly capacity in them. Thanks to this godly capacity that human beings have, they are capable of doing many godly things.

Indeed, it is this godly capacity in man that makes the difference between humans and animals. This means further that the godlier we are the more human we are; and the more human we are the godlier we are.

Is the image of God to be found in all humans, male and female? We must understand that when Scripture says, ‘to the image of God He created him,’ it adds, ‘male and female He created them,’ not to imply that the image of God came through the distinction of sex, but that the image of God belongs to both sexes, man and women.

Do you have any friends?

Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17

A kindly turn of speech multiplies a man’s friends,  and a courteous way of speaking invites many a friendly reply. Let your acquaintances be many, but your advisers one in a thousand. If you want to make a friend, take him on trial,  and be in no hurry to trust him; for one kind of friend is only so when it suits him  but will not stand by you in your day of trouble. Another kind of friend will fall out with you  and to your dismay make the quarrel public, and a third kind of friend will share your table,  but not stand by you in your day of trouble: when you are doing well he will be your second self,  ordering your servants about; but if ever you are brought low he will turn against you  and will hide himself from you. Keep well clear of your enemies,  and be wary of your friends. A faithful friend is a sure shelter,  whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. A faithful friend is something beyond price,  there is no measuring his worth. A faithful friend is the elixir of life,  and those who fear the Lord will find one. Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends,  for as a man is, so is his friend.

Food for thought!

There is a saying that a friend is someone who walks in, when the rest of the world goes out. This is what the reading above is saying of the third kind of friend: will not stand by you in your day of trouble "when you are doing well he will be your second self,  ordering your servants about; but if ever you are brought low he will turn against you  and will hide himself from you."

To find a friend, one must close one eye; to keep him, close both eyes. In other words, be careful to all people but intimate with few and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. All of us, have failed in this; we hurry to trust people; we don't try them long enough. We all have seen many people who pose as our friends; they smile when they see us; they come to us when they are in need; they flee us when we are in need.

But we also have real friends. I mean people who stand by us, when we are thin and when we are thick; when we are down and when we are up; such friends are rare, and whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. Such a friend is like a fragile thing that require as much care in handling as any other fragile and precious thing.

By the way, do you have any real friend? A faithful friend is something beyond price,  there is no measuring his worth. A faithful friend is the elixir of life,  and those who fear the Lord will find one. Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends,  for as a man is, so is his friend. This means that you are your friends and your friends are you. If you are good, you have good friend; if you have bad friends it is because you are bad.

Don't take anything for granted!

Mark 9:41-50

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward. ‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’

Ecclesiasticus 5:1-5

Do not give your heart to your money, or say, ‘With this I am self-sufficient.’ Do not be led by your appetites and energy to follow the passions of your heart. And do not say, ‘Who has authority over me?’ for the Lord will certainly be avenged on you. Do not say, ‘I sinned, and what happened to me?’ for the Lord’s forbearance is long. Do not be so sure of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. And do not say, ‘His compassion is great, he will forgive me my many sins’; for with him are both mercy and wrath, and his rage bears heavy on sinners. Do not delay your return to the Lord, do not put it off day after day; for suddenly the Lord’s wrath will blaze out, and at the time of vengeance you will be utterly destroyed. Do not set your heart on ill-gotten gains, they will be of no use to you on the day of disaster.

Food for thought!

These two readings have one thing in common: NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED.

1.   Do not take any deed for too small.  It means that any kindness shown, any help given, to God's people will not lose its reward. Jesus is telling us that everybody in need has a claim upon us because s/he is dear to Christ. Had Jesus still been here in the flesh he would have helped that man in the most practical way and the duty of help has devolved on us, Christians. It is to be noted how simple the help is. A cup of cold water. We are not asked to do great things for others, things beyond our power. We are asked to give the simple things that anybody can give; we can all afford a cup of water.

2.   Do not take anybody for too small to matter: "anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck." To sin is terrible but to teach another to sin is infinitely worse, even when the other is a small child.

3.   Do not say, ‘I sinned, and what happened to me?’ for the Lord’s forbearance is long.

4.   Do not be so sure of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. And do not say, ‘His compassion is great, he will forgive me my many sins’; for with him are both mercy and wrath, and his rage bears heavy on sinners.

5.   Do not delay your return to the Lord, do not put it off day after day; for suddenly the Lord’s wrath will blaze out, and at the time of vengeance you will be utterly destroyed.

6.   Do not set your heart on ill-gotten gains, they will be of no use to you on the day of disaster.

1 Corinthians 10:11-12

So when you see someone failing and falling into sin or disrepute don't laugh but pray; don’t be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fail and fall flat on your face as easily as the person you laughing at. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence. Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he too fall into sin and disrepute.

Who is not against us is for us!

Mark 9:38-40

John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.’

Numbers 11:25-29

GOD came down in a cloud and spoke to Moses and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy leaders. When the Spirit rested on them they prophesied. But they didn't continue; it was a onetime event. 26 Meanwhile two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp. They were listed as leaders but they didn't leave camp to go to the Tent. Still, the Spirit also rested on them and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!" 28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' right-hand man since his youth, said, "Moses, master! Stop them!" 29 But Moses said, "Are you jealous for me? Would that all GOD's people were prophets. Would that GOD would put his Spirit on all of them."

Food for thought!

What do you think of these two Readings? They both deal with something called jealousy and tolerance. Jealousy does not always come from bad people alone; sometimes it comes from good people like you and me. Did you notice that in the Reading from Numbers who is jealous is Joshua, who had been Moses' right-hand man since his youth; and in the Gospel Reading it is John, the Beloved disciple?

Even good people can be jealous. I can be jealous; you can be jealous. So the question is, why do people who are blessed become jealous of other blessed people? Good people like Joshua and John intolerant of other people trying to do good? Why do we stop people who are doing, not evil, but good? John says that it is because they do not belong to our group!

Many Christian people lament that God no longer has a place in our world today. Maybe we are looking in the wrong places. If we looked beyond the Tent of Meeting and beyond those who belong to our group, it might surprise us to see that God is as active in our world today as He has always been. He may be working with those we regard as the wrong people, and in places we deem to be the wrong places.

It is wrong for any of us to think that our church has a monopoly of salvation. Why? Because there are many ways to God. He has his own secret stairway into every heart. He fulfils himself in many ways; and no man or church has a monopoly of his truth.

But--and this is intensely important--our tolerance must be based not on indifference but on love. We ought to be tolerant not because we could not care less; but because we look at the other person with eyes of love. When Abraham Lincoln was criticized for being too lenient to his enemies and reminded that it was his duty to destroy them, he gave the great answer, "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" Even if a man be utterly mistaken, we must never regard him as an enemy to be destroyed but as a strayed friend to be recovered by love.

Only with prayer!

Mark 9:14-29

When Jesus, with Peter, James and John came down from the mountain and rejoined the disciples, they saw a large crowd round them and some scribes arguing with them. The moment they saw him the whole crowd were struck with amazement and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ he asked. A man answered him from the crowd, ‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’

‘You faithless generation’ he said to them in reply. ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he replied ‘and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’

‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.’ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’ And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand.

When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ ‘This is the kind’ he answered ‘that can only be driven out by prayer.’

Food for thought!

This is the kind that can only be driven out by prayer!

According to this statement of Jesus, there are some things in life that we cannot do by our efforts. There are things that are just too much for us to accomplish. In other words, there are things that only God can do. Today's gospel is a reminder of this fact.

While Jesus was up in the mountain, down in the valley the disciples were struggling without success. A man had brought to Jesus his son possessed by devil. As Jesus was not around, the man asked the disciples to cast it out, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO.

This incident was very humbling and embarrassing to the disciples. They were not able to cast out the devil; they didn't and couldn't do it. Why? What went wrong? What was missing?

We know from yesterday's Second Reading that, " No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit." (Ephesians 12:3). In other words, without the Holy Sprit we cannot even say that Jesus is Lord, let alone act in his name. Yes, even disciples of Jesus need heavenly empowerment.

In yesterday's First Reading, we heard that when the disciples "were all filled with the Holy Spirit, [they] began to speak". It means that before the Holy Spirit came on them, the disciples could not speak; they were unable to speak just as in today's gospel reading the same disciples were unable to expel the devil.

Does this sound familiar? Don't you have situations, issues, problems that just don't go away, however much you fight and struggle? Despite going to church every Sunday or to some everyday, despite being a follower of Jesus, Christians are bound to sometimes fail in their endeavors.

After their failure, and when they  went home, away from the crowd and in private with Jesus, the disciples revisited the issue; they took their failure to Jesus; they wanted to know why the kept failing and failing. This is a lesson. We must take our failures to Jesus; we must tell him in private not only about our successes but also our failures. And when they spoke to Jesus about their failure, Jesus told them why they failed.

He said, "This is the kind that can only be driven out by prayer." In other words, there are some kinds of problems, some kind of situations in our lives that can only be conquered with the help from heaven; things that only God can do. This is what Jesus told the father of the possessed son: "Everything is possible for anyone who has faith." Yes, everything, not just some things, are possible with God. This is what St. Paul reminds us in the letter to the Phillipians, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (4:13)

So, as we start this week, let us remember to call upon heaven when and where we often fail. Let us bring our struggles to Jesus, and bring Jesus to our struggles. And he will empower us with the Holy Spirit as he did on Pentecost, "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak."

Pentecost!

John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

Food for thought on Pentecost!

Today, we are celebrating Pentecost, which means 50. Today, if you counted, it is 50 days since Easter Sunday. Amazing things took place on this day, as we heard in the first reading. The greatest miracle was not the tongues; it was not what was seen on the outside. The greatest miracle was what happened on the inside, in the hearts of the disciples. (Act 2:4) «And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak.»

When Jesus went back to heaven, the disciples didn't know what to do. They retired to their upper rooms and hid themselves. They were afraid of the Jews; they knew that the people did not like them, and they too didn't like the people because they knew that their message was different from the popular message of the time, and they just felt like wrapping themselves up in bed and not having to get up and face the hostile society. This is what the Holy Spirit changed in the disciples.

Ac.2:1-13

So when the day of Pentecost came round, they were all together in one place; and all of a sudden there came from heaven a sound like that of a violent, rushing wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And tongues, like tongues of fire, appeared to them, which distributed themselves among them and settled on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them the power of utterance.

This is the kind of work that the Holy Spirit does in the hearts of believers. When fear of trouble tends to freeze our faith and courage into silent submission to despair, the Holy Spirit warms us up and empowers us to go out there and make a difference. Many times we are like the disciples of Jesus: we have the message, we have the mission, we know what to say and do, we know the answers, we have the plan, we have the theology, sometimes we have even the money, but just don't make much happen; we need he Holy Spirit.

In other words, it is not enough to know or to have a message, or to have a theology; it is not enough to have a plan; it is not enough to have funds, it is very important to have the Holy Spirit. What moves us from inaction to action, what makes us take risks, go the extra mile, and do whatever it takes to achieve our goals, is called the Holy Spirit. THE DIFFERENCE MAKER IS THE HOLY SPIRIT: «And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit AND THEY BEGAN to speak.»

In other words, many of us haven't started to be our dreams, haven't began to realize our plans, not because we don't have the dreams, not because we don't have the plans, but because we are not yet on fire of the Holy Spirit. Dreams and plans and money are not enough; we need the Holy Spirit. All people have dreams; many people have plans; some people have enough money; what all people need in order to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others is called Holy Spirit.

FIRELIGHTER AND FIREFIGHTERS

There are two kinds of people in this world: fighlighters and firefighters. The Holy Spirit is a Firelighter; He ignites our souls; He puts us on fire. The first reading described this way the action of the Holy Spirit, that «tongues, like tongues of fire, appeared to them, which distributed themselves among them and settled on each one of them.» The Holy Spirit put these people on fire because He is a firelighter.

Unfortunately, as the Holy Spirit lights our souls with fire, so do other people fight our fire. Yes, we have firefighters all around us; they are all over the place; sometimes people get married to them, other times people have fire fighters as their leaders.

How can you identify firefighters? Firefighters use phrases like these: It's not in the budget; that's not practical; we tried that before and it didn't work; we've never done it that way before; that is the way it is everywhere; if it isn't broken, then don't fix it; that's not the way we do things around here; it will never work; who do you think you are, you will never be any different; you are a day dreamer; I know you; etc.

Sometimes, you get a brilliant idea, which ignites your soul; you feel yourself on fire; you want to experiment your new plan. Then, you go and share with your friend. Before you finish telling them your new idea and plan, they cut you short: That won't work; no one has ever done it, forget all about it...! Whenever you hear such comments, know that you're seeing a fire fighter.

Many of us have quenched fire, quenched dreams, quenched brilliant ideas because of firefighters. My advice to you is stay away from firefighters; spend more time with people who see you not just as you are but as you could be; people who encourage your dreams, ignite your fire and help it burn even more. Increase firelighter friends and diminish firefighters in your life. Befriend the best Firelighter, the Holy Spirit.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON NOT A THING

Well, the Holy Spirit is not a thing, he is a Person, the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. So don't be afraid of the Holy Spirit; he is a person not a thing. Did you notice that in today's gospel Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as «he» and not as «it»? Eight times Jesus called him «he»!! It means what? That indeed the Holy Spirit is a person, just as the Father, just as Jesus himself. Don't be afraid again of the Holy Spirit; he is a person; not a thing out there.

Jesus said of him this way: «He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.»

If, as the second reading put it, our flesh and blood are responsible for our «repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic- show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; brutal temper; impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small- minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community» (Gal 5:19-21);

Likewise, we are always under the influence the Holy Spirit, every time we «love, and have joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). You see how the Holy Spirit is busy in all of us without us knowing?! So, please, don't be afraid to love, and rejoice, and leave in peace, don't be afraid to show kindness and goodness, and faithfulness and gentleness, and self-control; these things are godly, because they are the Holy Spirit at work in you.

Let us welcome the Holy Spirit now, and ask him to increase his presence in me and in you. We pray: «Oh, Come Holy Spirit and fill the heart of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.»

Unwritten and unwriteable good news!

John 21:20-25

Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. This was the one who had leaned against Jesus at the meal and asked him, “Lord, who is going to betray you?” When Peter saw this disciple, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain until I come, what difference does that make to you? You must follow me.” Therefore, the word spread among the brothers and sisters that this disciple wouldn’t die. However, Jesus didn’t say he wouldn’t die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what difference does that make to you?” This is the disciple who testifies concerning these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

Jesus did many other things as well. If all of them were recorded, I imagine the world itself wouldn’t have enough room for the scrolls that would be written.

Food for thought!

As we come to the end of the written gospel, we are reminded that this is not all; there is still more good news that was not written nor was writable down in human words. Indeed, most of what we have of Jesus is what he did in the last three years of his life. What, for instance, did Jesus do during his 30 years of hidden life? As we know, Jesus lived about 33 years of age, of which some 30 years, he spent at Nazareth, his home village. But as to what he did during this time, we know very little. The gospels focus on his last 3 years. This is why John confesses that "Jesus did many other things as well. If all of them were recorded, I imagine the world itself wouldn’t have enough room for the scrolls that would be written."

Are we going to feel sorry for what we don't have? Yes, and No. Yes, because we would like to know how Jesus lived as a 7 year old, or 17 year old, etc. We only know that at 12 years old he went with his parents to Jerusalem for the Jewish festivities, and that after he stayed behind without his parents' knowledge. He was later found among religious elders teaching and learning.

But we are not sorry for what we don't have because what we have is what the heavenly Father intended for us. In other words, although we don't have all the good news of Jesus, we have all the good news of Jesus for us that we need and that God intended for us and for our salvation: John 20:30-31

30 Jesus provided far more God- revealing signs than are written down in this book. 31 These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it. What is not written, Jesus knows how we come to know it: «I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.»

We can only content ourselves with what God deemed enough for us. And we do well to "believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life." The rest, we shall know when the Holy Spirit comes. By the way, tomorrow we celebrate Pentecost. As Jesus said, "when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you."

May the Holy Spirit come and open our eyes to see not only the evil in the world but also the goodnews around us, both written and unwriteable.