23rd Sunday Ordinary Time.....

Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1: Colossians 1:21-23; Gospel: Luke 6:1-5

“Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy” is the third commandment among the Ten Commandments. The Jewish religious leaders multiplied this one law into numerous laws for the people to follow. They got so obsessed with the observance of these laws that they lost sight of the purpose behind the law. Eventually they ended up even prohibiting any good that could be done on a sabbath day (Lk 13:14) and questioned any failure to adhere as in today’s Gospel.

Originally, God blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it (Ex 20:11). Anything that is consecrated is set apart for God. Hence the sabbath day was supposed to be set apart for God and was to be spent in prayer and worship. But the Pharisees lost sight of this purpose and were merely concerned with observing the prohibitions. They were more worried about what should not be done, and forgot about what was to be done, namely to consecrate the day to God.

As Christians, Sunday is our sabbath day – set apart for God. But have we really set apart that day for God? A mere glance into our activities on Sunday would tell us that it is a day of relaxation, enjoyment, etc. It is also a day when we catch up with all that we have not been able to do during the week. With the Sunday Mass our obligation is over, whether we even attend it from the beginning to the end is out of the question. For most people, Sunday is a holiday and this applies even to family prayer (if at all there is such a custom of praying together). If this is how we spend the ‘day of the Lord’, then we will be no different from the Pharisees.

‘Keep it holy’ applies to every hour of the day and to every activity that we indulge in. It is not reduced to attending Sunday Mass. Tomorrow is Sunday. How am I going to spend it? Would it be consecrated to the Lord? Am I ready to keep it holy? May the Lord help us in this endeavour to go beyond mere rules to understand the purpose behind and live a meaningful life.

http://kjcemission.in/gospel-toons/lord-of-the-sabbath/

AN ODE TO MY MOTHER - By Dn. Anto SDB

Today is a red-lettered day and I cannot let this day pass without a post. It is the Birthday of the Second-most important person in my life, next only to God – it’s my mother. Oh no. No the one who brought me into this world, but the one who will bring me to Heaven.

Catholic Christians, all over the world, celebrate the 8th of September as the birthday of Mother Mary. She may be called as the Blessed Virgin Mary, but she is in fact our mother.

I personally consider it a blessing to have been born as a Catholic through which I have come under the Mantle of Mother Mary. As far as I can remember I have had a special devotion to the Mother of God, but this devotion has of late developed into a profound love that keeps expanding by each day. This is due to the fact that I have become more aware of the presence and guidance of the Blessed Mother in my life.

St. John Bosco, the founder of our Salesian Congregation, used to tell his boys that it was Mother Mary who brought each boy into the Oratory and it was she who guided and protected them. The same is also true of every individual who enters the Salesian Congregation to serve as a cleric or lay brother. Today, I stand at the threshold of my priestly ordination in the Catholic Church. When I look back at life, I cannot understand how I have managed to persevere this far. Then I remember the words of St. John Bosco and things fall into perspective.

Everybody agrees that the love of a mother is one of the purest and highest forms of love. No mother would ever let down her son at any point of time and for any reason. But this heavenly Mother of mine, was very different. She was willingly to sacrifice her only beloved son (Jesus Christ) that God’s will and human salvation may be accomplished. It was my sins that crucified my Saviour on the Cross. It was because of me that He had to die. But still Mother Mary could accept me as her beloved son and pray for me unceasingly with love and tears as she did at the foot of the Cross.

Very often in my life, I have been very unmindful of this Mother’s love and guidance. I have hurt her so much. Yet, she has carried me through life in a way that only she can do. And as we celebrate her birthday, I thank God from the bottom of my heart for the gift of such a wonderful mother. What more could I ask for?

She has been a mother to me. Yes. But the question is – Have I been a son to her? Well! Not exactly. And that is the task that each Catholic is called to embark upon, so that we confirm ourselves to the likes of her only son Jesus Christ.

O Mary! My mother and guide. Make our hearts like unto thine, so that we may love your son as you loved and be transformed into your true sons and daughters.

Happy Birthday Mama. Thank you for all that you are and all that you do for me.

https://ajohnsdb.wordpress.com/2017/09/08/an-ode-to-my-mother/ 

PUT INTO DEEP Deep Trust in Divine Providence  Sep 7 ,2017 (Lk 5:1-11)

The town in Austria,  Feldkirch in 1799 was faced with the prospects of being attacked by the armies of Napoleon.It was an Easter Day and the sun shone brightly, letting the soldiers of the enemy being spotted.The Town Council was called together, in haste, to consult what had to be done. It was a situation of tension. It was a time of immense distress. After a long period of discussion, the dean of the Church made a proclamation: "My brothers it is Easter Day! We have been reckoning our own strength, and that fails. Let us turn to God. Ring the bells and have service as usual, and leave the matter in God's hands" It was a hard and (humanly speaking) a risky decision, but they agreed to do as he said.Thus from the Church towers of Feldkirch, rang the boisterous and joyous peals of the bells, in honor of the Resurrection of the Lord.

The streets began to be filled with worshipers, hastening to the Church. The enemy army, on hearing the sudden ringing of the bells, were taken aback with surprise and shock.They came to a conclusion that the Austrian Army had arrived in order to relieve the place.So they fled hastily! The town of Feldkirch were saved from the possibilities of destruction and ruin! Divine Providence had rescued a tiny town, who placed their trust in Him, from the deathly clutches of a mighty army! Is my life of faith, characterized by a "Deep Trust in Divine Providence"? The Gospel of the Day is a wonderful presentation of the marvels that can be witnessed when one place's one's complete trust in the Lord and surrenders one's life - in action and deeds - to the Providence of the Lord. Our Blessed Lord is fully into His ministry of preaching and proclaiming God's Word (Lk 5:1)

 The Word was transforming people and in sometime, a wonderful transformation was to happen to a person, who would become a close follower of the Transforming Lord! The crowds were thronging together, to hear the words of Jesus. But, "standing by the lake, Jesus saw two boats by the lake" (Lk 5: 2)

The Gospel says that, "the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets" (Lk 5: 2b) This verse, though little and appears insignificant carries a mighty message: the message of the Power of God's Providence.The fishermen, as we would later read, were Simon and James and John and others.They had toiled the whole night... caught no fish, and were now, dejectedly, washing their nets.The boat was empty - bereft of any fish! But Divine Providence had a mighty plan in this "barrenness" The emptiness of the boat allowed our Blessed Lord to enter it, and make it His Pulpit for preaching God's Word! The vacancy in the boat prompted our Blessed Lord to enthrone it, and make it His platform for calling His First Disciples!

 Had there been fish in the boat in all probability, the fishermen would be in it, sorting and cleaning the fish and would have left no space for the Blessed Lord to preach from it Had there been a mighty catch that night in all probability, the boat, filled with the fish, would not have been there and the vehicle of "catching fish" would have missed the chance to be a "podium for proclaiming God's Word" Is my life, at this point, empty and barren... like this boat? Maybe its been a long time I have been watching and expecting, patiently and faithfully, for my boat to be filled. Maybe its being a horrible wait, sometimes even leading to frustration and hopelessness, for my boat to be filled. But can I trust Divine Providence, in having a purposive plan for this "emptiness and barrenness"? Later on, Simon would be asked by our Lord to "put out into the deep and let the nets down for a catch" (Lk 5: 4) It seemed illogical, pointless and hardly reasonable to Simon. It seemed as a confronting questioning of Simon's skills and abilities in his field of expertise. But Simon "let go" of his own prejudices, tiredness and (possible) humiliation and trusted in the Mighty Providence of the One, who would be His Life and Master! And this Trust did not fail him!

The net was filled with fish. His mind was filled with feelings of awe. His eyes were filled with tears of repentance. His heart was filled with the joy of surrendering. Here is a beautiful story of how. A competent fisherman failed utterly in his field of competence but is initiated into being a competent fisher of people, for the Kingdom of God!

 As Christians, we do claim to be people of faith and belief. But does this "faith" translate itself into real "trust"? When hardships come in life... I may proclaim my faith with my lips.. But do I "trust" Him to take me through? When emptiness fills my life.. I may perform external works of faith..But do I "trust" Him to utilize my barrenness, in the way He wants? When toils of life yield no results... I may persist in saying that I have faith... But do I "trust" Him to grant me the fruits of labour, in His own time and in His own measure? And if I really "trust" in the Lord. I would be a person of joy, going about my works without anxieties and radiating serenity and calm even when walking through the valleys of sufferings even when sinking in the deluge of pain even when surrounded by the clouds of uncertainty! Yes, let us "let go" of our own fears, apprehensions, preconceptions and pride in order to "fully trust" in the mighty power of God's Providence and experience His Awesome and Amazing Care for us!

 God Bless! Live Jesus!

THE CALL

Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8).

The story of the astonishing catch of fish in Luke is also the story of Jesus’ call of Peter to become a disciple. It contains what photographers have called the “decisive moment” that tells the whole story. The look on Peter’s face is not just about the catch of fish where all night there had been no fish. He has just experienced a theosophy, an encounter with God in the man standing before him in the boat. And the light of that revelation makes transparent his own naked sense of inadequacy, his sinfulness. “Depart from me, Lord,” he says to Jesus as he falls to his knees.

The call of Peter is not unlike other biblical calls: Moses at the burning bush; Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel; the conversion of St. Paul. In each case, the person being called feels the floor of their very existence fall out from beneath them. They are overwhelmed by their own unworthiness and inability to do what they are being invited to do. The call is what empowers them to go beyond themselves to a new kind of life. What the evangelicals call “conviction of sin” clears the way for the gift of salvation, to make sure the person knows it is not something they have earned or deserve.

There are human equivalents to this experience. Perhaps the most exhilarating is the “look of love” two people see in one another’s eyes that invites them into a mutual relationship they know is pure gift, total acceptance that defies logic and sets aside all inadequacy. I choose you. Or a moment of unconditional forgiveness that wipes clean some offense and restores a life-saving friendship. In either, case, love calls us to a deeper level of responsibility and loyalty. There is no turning back now.

We know the rest of Peter’s story a life changing journey of both courage and failure that will unite him to Jesus in both life and death.

BLESSED ARE YOU.........LUKE 6:20

“Blessed are you …” (Luke 6:20).

There is a moment when I thought filling a glass with water drop by drop that the water crests at the lip of the glass and then overflows with the next drop. It is full.

The Beatitudes describe a life lived at the point of fullness right before overflowing. Faith is poised there, still incomplete, still expectant, but already at the edge where earth and heaven meet. Jesus called his disciples to live in that moment, blessed in their want, their hunger, their tears, when the world ridiculed and rejected them as dreamers and troublemakers: “Rejoice, leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.”

Likewise, those who were content with what this world offers, satisfied, applauded for being worldly wise, wary of prophets. Woe to them for settling for happy when they might have had joy.

The Beatitudes are on the other side of the limits we set to protect our lives from exuberance and compassion. Each time we risk going beyond ourselves, we deepen the blessing that is always there where earth meets heaven, where life overflows and love is replenished faster than we can give it away. Blessed are those who learn this early and practice it daily, for they already live in the presence of God.

Good To Be Aware of EBOLA Disease........

It is good to be aware of this killer disease..EBOLA!

++++ EBOLA ++++

There is currently an Ebola outbreak putting all of us at risk. Pls help educate all around u by sending this msg to all your contacts..

What is EBOLA?

It's a virus that attacks a person blood system:

Ebola is what scientists call a haemorraghic fever - it operates by making its victims bleed from almost
anywhere on their body.
Usually victims bleed to
death.

Ebola is highly contagious;
Being transmitted via
contact with body fluids
such as blood, sweat, saliva,
semen or other body discharges.

Ebola is however NOT AN AIRBORNE VIRUS!

EXTREMELY deadly:
About 90% of people that
catch Ebola will die from it.
It's one of the deadliest
diseases in the world,
killing in just a few weeks.

Untreatable(no cure):
Ebola has no known treatment or cure.
Victims are usually treated for symptoms with the faint hope that they
recover.

How Do I Know Someone has Ebola?

•Fever
•Headache
•Diarrhoea
•Vomiting
•Weakness
•Joint & Muscle pains
•Stomach Pain
•Lack of Appetite

Protect Yourself:
•Wash Your Hands
with Soap
Do this a lot. You can
also use a good hand
sanitizer. Avoid
unnecessary physical contact with people.

■Restrict yourself to food you prepared yourself.

■Disinfect Your Surroundings
The virus cannot
survive disinfectants,heat, direct sunlight,detergents and soaps.

Clean up!:
•Fumigate If you have Pests.
•Rodents can be carriers of Ebola.
•Fumigate your environment & dispose off the carcasses properly!
•Dead bodies CAN still
transmit Ebola.
•Don't touch them without
protective gear or better yet avoid them altogether.

Protect Yourself:
•Use protective gear if you
must care or go near
someone you suspect has
Ebola.

Report:
•Report any suspicious
symptoms in yourself or
anyone else IMMEDIATELY.

Do not delay!

Educate Everyone:
•Tell your neighbours,
colleagues and domestic
staff (anyone really). Basically you're safer when
everyone is educated.