Mk.4:35-41
Even When the Wind Blows
Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still! The wind ceased and there was great calm (Mk.4:26-39).
A young man applied as a farmhand. He told the owner about his previous work experience and then added, “And I can sleep even when the wind blows.” This puzzled the farmer but since he needed a help, he hired the young man. During the next few months the hired hand did everything asked of him, and the farmer was satisfied.
Late one night, one of those infamous Midwestern wind-storms roared across the plains. It was 2:00 AM but the farmer got out and ran out to tie down whatever needed to be secured. First, he checked the barn. The doors were shut tight, shutters were closed, and the animals were all properly tied in their stalls. He checked the springhouse, the pump, the storage shed, the machinery and the trucks. All was secured.
The farmer frantically ran from place to place. He just knew something had to be loose, uncovered, or rattling. However, everything was as it should be. He then stuck his head into the bunkhouse to thank the new hand, only to find him sound asleep. He then remembered that curious statement, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” He smiled, realizing that the young man had done everything he was expected to do. He could indeed sleep when the wind blew (Brian Cavanaugh). Jesus was in the boat with His disciples when a violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat. Jesus was in the stern asleep on a cushion. The disciples were afraid and they woke Him. He rebuked the wind and subdued the turbulence of the sea by mere word: “Quiet! Be still!” He then asked His disciples why they were terrified. The disciples were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?" Jesus exercised power over wind and sea. The disciples were terrified because they thought Jesus did not care that they were perishing. When Jesus calmed the storm, they realized that He was with them while they sailed. They became fearless because the journey with Jesus was a peaceful journey even in storm. In our life’s journey we too encounter different storms. A storm may arise because of a family problem, sickness, failure in our endeavors, death, separation, losing job, unpaid debt, children hooked in drugs, and emotional problems. When these happen sometimes we become scared, anxious, skeptical, and lose our faith. And what good can this attitude bring us? C.H. Spurgeon, England’s best know preacher during the second half of the 19th century said, “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.” The reason why we become terrified during times of storms is because we forget that Jesus is with us and we forget that He cares. Jesus can sleep even when the wind blows because He does what needs to be done. We just need to put our faith and trust in Him.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Friday, June 16, 2006
Feast of Corpus Christi
Mk.14:12-16, 22-26
Reverence for the Eucharist
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God" (Mk.14:22-25).
This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi. This feast began in Liege, Belgium when St. Juliana, an Augustinian nun who from her youth had great adoration for the Eucharist made a request to Bishop Robert de Thorete, Bishop of Liege to have a feast in honor of the Body and Blood of Christ. At that time, bishops could order feasts in their dioceses, and so Bishop Robert called a synod in 1246 and ordered the celebration to be held in the following year and that a monk named John should write the Office for the occasion. Bishop Robert and Juliana both died before seeing the Feast become widespread. However, a friend of Juliana, Eve, urged Henry of Guelders, Bishop of Liège, to request the pope to extend the celebration to the entire world. Pope Urban IV obliged and published the Bull "Transiturus" (8 September, 1264), in which he ordered the annual celebration of Corpus Christi on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. He then requested Thomas Aquinas write the Office for the universal celebration. Urban IV died October 2, 1264, again halting the spread of the Feast. Clement V, at the Council of Vienne, in 1311, ordered the adoption of the feast worldwide and published a decree to this effect. On the night before He died, Jesus gave us His body and blood. “While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.’”(v.22-25). This is Jesus giving us the total sacrifice of Himself to save us all. When we receive Jesus in the communion we receive Jesus saving us now.
Yet, how many of us have overlooked the importance of the Eucharist? For some this is just a Sunday obligation. For others it has become a habit. Some don’t even care at all. Others go the church not properly dressed. Some even forget to turn off their cell phones. Mothers let their children walk in the aisle like they are in the mall. P eople came in late and sometimes indisposed. Attitudes like these show lack of reverence to the Eucharist. The feast of Corpus Christi reminds us of the truth about the mystery of the Eucharist. It tells us of the right disposition so that we can celebrate it with reverence.
In the Eucharist, Jesus reconciles us to the Father. One concrete way of showing our reverence to Jesus in the Eucharist is our willingness to be reconciled also with one another. One of the right dispositions in this celebration is to have a loving and forgiving heart. Our celebration is in vain if we ask God to forgive us but we are not willing to forgive those who offended us.
The Masai tribes of Kenya, Africa, are cattle raisers. They roam from place to place with their herds. Whenever a priest visits them on his pastoral rounds, he pitches a tent a few kilometers away from their pastures. He then collects a basketful of green grass and has it taken to the tribal settlement. Green grass among desert-dwelling people is a sign of life. The basket of green grass passes from one family to another. But if one family is not living in peace with others, it is not allowed to pass on the basket of grass. The priest waits for a week and if by that time the basket of grass has not returned to him, he knows that the tribal peace has been disturbed and the people are in no condition to celebrate Mass and receive communion. He then moves on to the next group in his nomadic parish (William Hoffsuemer).
If am going to pass the basket of green grass in our parish do you think it will return to me so that we can celebrate the Eucharist and receive communion?
Reverence for the Eucharist
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God" (Mk.14:22-25).
This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi. This feast began in Liege, Belgium when St. Juliana, an Augustinian nun who from her youth had great adoration for the Eucharist made a request to Bishop Robert de Thorete, Bishop of Liege to have a feast in honor of the Body and Blood of Christ. At that time, bishops could order feasts in their dioceses, and so Bishop Robert called a synod in 1246 and ordered the celebration to be held in the following year and that a monk named John should write the Office for the occasion. Bishop Robert and Juliana both died before seeing the Feast become widespread. However, a friend of Juliana, Eve, urged Henry of Guelders, Bishop of Liège, to request the pope to extend the celebration to the entire world. Pope Urban IV obliged and published the Bull "Transiturus" (8 September, 1264), in which he ordered the annual celebration of Corpus Christi on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. He then requested Thomas Aquinas write the Office for the universal celebration. Urban IV died October 2, 1264, again halting the spread of the Feast. Clement V, at the Council of Vienne, in 1311, ordered the adoption of the feast worldwide and published a decree to this effect. On the night before He died, Jesus gave us His body and blood. “While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.’”(v.22-25). This is Jesus giving us the total sacrifice of Himself to save us all. When we receive Jesus in the communion we receive Jesus saving us now.
Yet, how many of us have overlooked the importance of the Eucharist? For some this is just a Sunday obligation. For others it has become a habit. Some don’t even care at all. Others go the church not properly dressed. Some even forget to turn off their cell phones. Mothers let their children walk in the aisle like they are in the mall. P eople came in late and sometimes indisposed. Attitudes like these show lack of reverence to the Eucharist. The feast of Corpus Christi reminds us of the truth about the mystery of the Eucharist. It tells us of the right disposition so that we can celebrate it with reverence.
In the Eucharist, Jesus reconciles us to the Father. One concrete way of showing our reverence to Jesus in the Eucharist is our willingness to be reconciled also with one another. One of the right dispositions in this celebration is to have a loving and forgiving heart. Our celebration is in vain if we ask God to forgive us but we are not willing to forgive those who offended us.
The Masai tribes of Kenya, Africa, are cattle raisers. They roam from place to place with their herds. Whenever a priest visits them on his pastoral rounds, he pitches a tent a few kilometers away from their pastures. He then collects a basketful of green grass and has it taken to the tribal settlement. Green grass among desert-dwelling people is a sign of life. The basket of green grass passes from one family to another. But if one family is not living in peace with others, it is not allowed to pass on the basket of grass. The priest waits for a week and if by that time the basket of grass has not returned to him, he knows that the tribal peace has been disturbed and the people are in no condition to celebrate Mass and receive communion. He then moves on to the next group in his nomadic parish (William Hoffsuemer).
If am going to pass the basket of green grass in our parish do you think it will return to me so that we can celebrate the Eucharist and receive communion?
Friday, June 09, 2006
Holy Trinity 1st reading
Dt.4:32-34
All that God Does, He Does Well
"Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?” (Dt.4:32-34).
Rabbi Moshe had a trip to a strange land. He took a donkey, rooster, and a lamp. He lit a lamp to study the holy books before going to sleep, but a fierce wind came up, knocking over the lamp and breaking it. Yet the rabbi said, “All that God does, He does well.” During the night some wild animals came along and drove away the rooster, and the thieves stole the donkey. Moshe woke up, saw the loss, but still proclaimed easily, “All that God does, He does well.”
He then went back to the village only to learn that the enemy soldiers had invaded it during the night and killed all the inhabitants. He also learned that these soldiers traveled through the same part of the woods where he lay asleep. Had his lamp not been broken, he would have been discovered. Had not the rooster been chased, it would have crowed, giving him away. Had not the donkey been stolen it would make a loud and harsh cry. So once more Rabbi Moshe declared, “All that God does, He does well.”
French Proverb says, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart". In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses call upon Israel to remember its past history and check out if there could be anything greater than what God has given them ever happened before. “Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?”(Dt.4:32-34).
God did not tell the people of His affection for them but demonstrate it eloquently through the wonderful things He accomplished for them. Remembering God’s action on their behalf, they were called to respond to God in praise and love. Like Rabbi Moshe they were called to declare, “All that God does, He does well.”
When we contemplate the action of God in our lives, we should respond with praise and love. God relates to us in a very personal way. In love, the Father created us. In mercy, the Son redeemed us, and through the Holy Spirit we continue to know, experience, and enjoy the love and mercy of God. We are called to remember the great things the Lord has done for us. We are grateful not only for the good things that happened but even for the bad things as well because we know God can always turn them into something beautiful because “All that God does, He does well.”
Let us praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
All that God Does, He Does Well
"Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?” (Dt.4:32-34).
Rabbi Moshe had a trip to a strange land. He took a donkey, rooster, and a lamp. He lit a lamp to study the holy books before going to sleep, but a fierce wind came up, knocking over the lamp and breaking it. Yet the rabbi said, “All that God does, He does well.” During the night some wild animals came along and drove away the rooster, and the thieves stole the donkey. Moshe woke up, saw the loss, but still proclaimed easily, “All that God does, He does well.”
He then went back to the village only to learn that the enemy soldiers had invaded it during the night and killed all the inhabitants. He also learned that these soldiers traveled through the same part of the woods where he lay asleep. Had his lamp not been broken, he would have been discovered. Had not the rooster been chased, it would have crowed, giving him away. Had not the donkey been stolen it would make a loud and harsh cry. So once more Rabbi Moshe declared, “All that God does, He does well.”
French Proverb says, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart". In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses call upon Israel to remember its past history and check out if there could be anything greater than what God has given them ever happened before. “Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?”(Dt.4:32-34).
God did not tell the people of His affection for them but demonstrate it eloquently through the wonderful things He accomplished for them. Remembering God’s action on their behalf, they were called to respond to God in praise and love. Like Rabbi Moshe they were called to declare, “All that God does, He does well.”
When we contemplate the action of God in our lives, we should respond with praise and love. God relates to us in a very personal way. In love, the Father created us. In mercy, the Son redeemed us, and through the Holy Spirit we continue to know, experience, and enjoy the love and mercy of God. We are called to remember the great things the Lord has done for us. We are grateful not only for the good things that happened but even for the bad things as well because we know God can always turn them into something beautiful because “All that God does, He does well.”
Let us praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God Responds to our Yearnings as Trinity
Trinity Sunday B
God Responds to our Yearnings as Trinity
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God (Jn.3:16-18).
A dirt farmer worked his poor ground with one son and one horse. One day the horse ran away. The neighbors commiserated with the farmer for his bad luck. “Bad luck?” said the farmer. “How do you know it was bad luck?” A week later the horse came back with ten wild horses. This time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. “Good luck? Remarked the farmer. “How do you know it was good luck?” Sure enough, some days later the son tried to ride one of the wild horses and broke a leg. So the farmer lost his only helper. The neighbors gathered round to express their sorrow over the return of bad luck. “How do you know it was bad luck?” the dirt farmer said. A few weeks later, war broke out and soldiers came around conscripting all young men. But they could not take a man with a broken leg (Willi Hoffsuemmer).
In our life, we have good and bad experiences. When we are happy, when our wishes are granted, when our dreams are fulfilled, and when life is so good to us we feel that God really loves us. We have a sense of wonder and awe. We respond to Him with gratitude. However, there are times when we are confronted with our limitations, afflicted by our fragility and troubled by many problems. During this time we feel so down yet we put our trust in the God. Thus, whether it is good or bad, we experience life as a mystery to be discovered and not a problem to be solved. To see life as a mystery is to discover it as a gift and to discover life as a gift is to discover the giver – the source of all wonder – God our Father.
What is the Giver giving us when we say that life is a gift? He gives us the gift of Love expressed through His Son. Jesus is the personified love of God. Unfortunately this Love was rejected and contradicted but the Son was so generous pursuing His love with great hope. His is the love that never surrenders and He expressed it in a deepest way through His death.
The fulfillment of this gift that God has given us is to become gift to others too. To become what we received - to become love – to become like Jesus to others. And what does it mean to become like the Son? To love like the Son is to remember His dynamics of love i.e. to love without expecting anything in return, to love without giving up though confronted with rejections and contradictions, and to love with hope.
It is hard to love when we are rejected. It is painful to love without being loved in return. It is tiring to love when our love is not reciprocated and when we are not affirmed. However, the Holy Spirit will help us persevere in our love.
This is the way by which we experience God in our life. We yearn for personal relationship with God and God responds to our yearning as a Trinity. The Father gives us life. The Son teaches us how to live this life in full by loving. The Holy Spirit helps us in our struggle to persevere with hope.
God Responds to our Yearnings as Trinity
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God (Jn.3:16-18).
A dirt farmer worked his poor ground with one son and one horse. One day the horse ran away. The neighbors commiserated with the farmer for his bad luck. “Bad luck?” said the farmer. “How do you know it was bad luck?” A week later the horse came back with ten wild horses. This time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. “Good luck? Remarked the farmer. “How do you know it was good luck?” Sure enough, some days later the son tried to ride one of the wild horses and broke a leg. So the farmer lost his only helper. The neighbors gathered round to express their sorrow over the return of bad luck. “How do you know it was bad luck?” the dirt farmer said. A few weeks later, war broke out and soldiers came around conscripting all young men. But they could not take a man with a broken leg (Willi Hoffsuemmer).
In our life, we have good and bad experiences. When we are happy, when our wishes are granted, when our dreams are fulfilled, and when life is so good to us we feel that God really loves us. We have a sense of wonder and awe. We respond to Him with gratitude. However, there are times when we are confronted with our limitations, afflicted by our fragility and troubled by many problems. During this time we feel so down yet we put our trust in the God. Thus, whether it is good or bad, we experience life as a mystery to be discovered and not a problem to be solved. To see life as a mystery is to discover it as a gift and to discover life as a gift is to discover the giver – the source of all wonder – God our Father.
What is the Giver giving us when we say that life is a gift? He gives us the gift of Love expressed through His Son. Jesus is the personified love of God. Unfortunately this Love was rejected and contradicted but the Son was so generous pursuing His love with great hope. His is the love that never surrenders and He expressed it in a deepest way through His death.
The fulfillment of this gift that God has given us is to become gift to others too. To become what we received - to become love – to become like Jesus to others. And what does it mean to become like the Son? To love like the Son is to remember His dynamics of love i.e. to love without expecting anything in return, to love without giving up though confronted with rejections and contradictions, and to love with hope.
It is hard to love when we are rejected. It is painful to love without being loved in return. It is tiring to love when our love is not reciprocated and when we are not affirmed. However, the Holy Spirit will help us persevere in our love.
This is the way by which we experience God in our life. We yearn for personal relationship with God and God responds to our yearning as a Trinity. The Father gives us life. The Son teaches us how to live this life in full by loving. The Holy Spirit helps us in our struggle to persevere with hope.
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