18th Ord - Year C

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time -- Year C

ECC 1:2; 2:21-23; COL 3:1-5, 9-11; LK 12:13-21

One Young rich man seeing many destitute, naked people and homeless people, being pity on them he distributed some of clothes, property from his house. By seeing this action, the father of the young man so serious and asked him explanation. Son replied that they all are poor. He said that Christ asking him to love poor. Father complained his abnormal behavior to higher authorities and son replied same. So out of angry father said don’t come to my house, you don’t have any authority on my possessions. Son said for the sake of poor and for Christ I will live a poor life and he removed the clothes on his body and gave to his father, Since these clothes also belongs to the father. So for the sake of poor, He became poor and started working for reformation for the Church in 13^th century. That is none other than St.Francis of Assisi.

               All the saints in their life are not clinging to worldly pleasures. They gave first priority to Christ. The readings of the day reminding us and inviting us to become like ‘Christ centered person’. Jesus said ‘Life is not consists in the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15).

          Even the first reading says ‘All is vanity’. In the parable, rich man’s land produced abundantly. Already he is rich and his crops are produced more fruit though he even not even think of the other. He is planning for future. Rich man’s character is self centered, covetous. This is not expected from him. God gives talents to each one of us to share with others who don’t have i.e. Love your Neighbor.  For this reason Jesus condemned rich man saying “You Fool!”  Then what must be the ideal Christian character should be?

                Christ centered life is nothing but live life as Christ lived or imitating Christ’s footsteps.  With Baptism we died with Christ for Sin and with his resurrection we are living. So our life is not for fornication, impurity passions, evil desires but it for Christ.

                Let our life not for worldly passions but it is for Christ. What I mean by this sentence is “Become Christ” i.e. love God and Love neighbor in day to day life. Don’t be self centered. As Christians we must do journey from ‘I’ to ‘We’. I is Self but ‘We’ is togetherness. So let us ask Christ’s help, to overcome selfishness in our lives. May our loving Jesus assist us. Amen

17th ordinary Year C

“Lions may lack and go hungry but those who seek the Lord, Lack nothing” (Ps 34:10)

Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

Power of Christian

            A patient gets power from injection or tablets, a looser gets power from hope of winning, a farmer obtains hope by seeing rains at the proper time and a hunger gets strength from food. Then what about Christian?  Christian gets his strength and draws power from Christ only through prayer. Then you may ask question what is prayer? How can it become power to Christian? Prayer is not monologue but it is a dialogue between Supreme Being (God) and Man. We read in the psalms “the power belongs to God” (62:11) and God wants to transmit this power to human beings by having dialogue with Him i.e. who ever asks will receive it.( Mt 7:7). Prayer is a mighty weapon. As weapon kills many enemies so Prayer also kills the mighty enemy Satan. Prayer is a key to God’s grace. As key opens lock so prayer opens the heart of man to God.

           In today’s Gospel, we heard that the disciples, after seeing Jesus at prayer, asked him to teach them to pray. By seeing their enthusiasm, Jesus not only gave them the “our father” as the pattern, He also taught them the spirit required behind every prayer. What’s that spirit? Through the parable of the “persistent friend” Jesus outlined the spirit of prayer.That spirit consists of at least 2 things:

1.    Pray Persistently: We must pray always and not to lose heart. Jesus through the parable encourages constancy in prayer. Constancy not only manifests our deep faith but also increase our faith to a higher level. Somehow, god does not give us at the first but It is not to be taken as disappointment but rather as training by God in spiritual matters. As in the parable, persistent friend had benefited so we also surely benefit from God.
2.  Pray with filial confidence: God is our Father. When we pray to God by calling ‘our father’, the relationship between God and us is one of deep intimacy- Father and children. So God is more willing to bestow good gifts to us. Abba father never rejects or refuses to give Holy Spirit, the supreme gift to his children. St. James revealed that as we are not asking so we are not getting (James 4:2) so ask God confidently he is surely listening and answer our prayers.   When apostles asked they received Holy Spirit. Today if you and I ask for same spirit our heavenly father ready to anoint us with his spirit.

       Prayer not only affects individual but it also affects community. In today’s first reading Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah. God listened his petition and saved Loth’s family. Today if you intercedes for whole world, then God is ready to save at least one so why can’t use this power? Why can’t you try it?  Prayer transforms the desire and moulds it according to God’s will, whatever it is so it is power to Christian to witness the Lord.

         Through the readings of the day as a Christian we must learn ‘How to Pray’ Prayer consists of praise, forgiveness, petitions and intercession. So let us cultivate the habit of prayer and through prayer let us be close to almighty God as His children.