The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
Every priest has his favorite ministry. Some priests like weddings, some like preaching, others like visiting the sick and still others teaching. I am among those priests whose favorite ministry is funerals. Last year, we had about 40 funerals here at IC. And If I add the funerals I had at St. Helen and at funeral homes, I had a funeral a week. I had funeral services of elderly and young people, people I knew well and those that I did not, those who died of natural causes and those who took their own life, those who believed and those who gave up their faith, and I also buried a little baby. The one thing that was common to these funerals was the each one of them was unfailingly was a deep experience of God. Not that the other aspects of my ministry are not divine encounters, but at a funeral, I cannot but confront the God who loves us beyond death.
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
(My homily today is disconnected from the scripture readings. I have chosen to offer a reflection on the just concluded Synod on the Family instead).
The two-week long Synod on the family, convened by Pope Francis last year, ended last Sunday (Oct 19, 2014). The Synod was convened to discuss the "the pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization." The Preparatory Document described the purpose of the Synod “to define the current situation and to collect the bishops' experiences and proposals in proclaiming and living the Gospel of the Family in a credible manner." The working document also invited ordinary Catholics in the pew to send in their reflections and assured them that the Synod “will thoroughly examine and analyze the information, testimonies and recommendations received [from them] to respond to the new challenges of the family."
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I find today’s first reading about Cyrus the Persian king and gospel story about ‘giving to God what belongs to God,’ very intriguing. In a strange way, these stories - separated by more than six hundred years - are integrally connected. Cyrus defeated the Babylonians and after ascending the throne he ended the Babylonian exile of the people of Israel. He set them free to go back to Judah. However, it is the way that Isaiah reflects upon this event that should draw our attention. Isaiah calls Cyrus (even though Cyrus is not a Hebrew), God’s “anointed one.” He is the only one outside the Hebrew people that is considered anointed by God. Moreover, God says to Cyrus, “I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not” (Is 45). The impression we get is of a God who directs history. Yes, there are human beings invested with power and authority but is God who ultimately directs the events of the world. It is here that we find our connection with the gospel reading. Caesar may be the Roman Emperor and what is due to him is his petty little coin. So give to Caesar what belong to him. But the human person, human life, human history, human destiny, belongs to God. So give to God what belong to God, which includes the world and all in it, including Caesar. In the strangest way, in the death of Jesus even the mighty Roman Empire would be accomplishing God’s plan of salvation.
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I call myself a ‘foodie.’ Besides theology, I understand food. I love good food and I love trying out new food. I cook my food with passion. I am not a big eater but whatever I eat needs to excite my palette. For me, food is not just about the body; it is also about the soul. And that is why there is nothing I detest more than fast food or eating alone. Food is meant to be shared. If I get time, I cook for the staff the best part of it is sharing it with them.
Because I am a foodie, I totally get today’s scripture readings. Hear this from Isaiah: “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines; juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” I totally get the reason why life at God’s mountain is compared to a great feast with juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. Jesus continues this theme in today’s gospel reading as he uses the analogy of a wedding feast to teach important lessons about the kingdom of God.
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Every so often, I take the time to evaluate my life from the ‘big-picture’ perspective. This year, for example, I have been a priest for twenty years. Prior to that, I was in the seminary for twelve years. I have spent thirty-two of my forty-eight years in religious life. For most part, I am very content with where I am today. I feel exhausted with daily labor on most days, but inside, I feel I am in a good place with God and my communities. My faith in God has never been stronger. My life-vision is discipleship. But, life has not been a cake walk. I am not a man without sins, failures, numerous vocation crises, and some regrets. As I am approaching fifty, I think of the last 48 years as a gift from God. But then, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, how should I plan my life ahead? It is going to take some ‘big-picture’ prayer, reflection, and planning.
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s gospel parable is the story of a vineyard owner and two sons. On the periphery the rhetorical question that Jesus poses to the chief priests is very simple. “Which of the two sons did his father's will?" The answer that Jesus opponents gave is also rather simple – “The first.” But then parables are never about the obvious. If I was a parent, I would not want a child who refuses my requests and then completes the task or a child who complies but then does not carry out the task. Would you? I would like my child to both comply and fulfils my request. The parable is actually about a ‘third son’ – Jesus Christ. This Son both said “Yes” to his Father AND fulfilled the task of human redemption assigned to him. But the chief priest and the elders could not look deep enough to recognize that.
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I began our parish retreat, ‘Discipleship: Encountering Christ Everyday,” by outlining the hierarchy of beings. I suggested that encountering God is a complicated reality because of the huge gap between who God is and who we are. The difference between God and us is like the difference between a bug and us. If a bug or a bull-frog were trying to describe human beings, what would they say? I am not trying to raise a bizarre question to draw your attention. I am merely trying to draw your attention to the first reading from Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”
If Isaiah’s words are true, then is it possible for us to make any judgments about God? The answer is that as human beings we will never know everything about God. However, we can make some judgments about God. We can do that because, first, we are imbued with rationality. Even though God’s rationality is infinitely superior to ours, nevertheless we have the ability to reason out divine realities. Second, we can make judgments about God because of God’s self-revelation in history, in Scripture, and in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the closest we will come to knowing God. In spite of Jesus’ revelation, our full knowledge and understanding of God will only happen when we see God face-to-face. Meanwhile, parables, like we have in today’s gospel, help us understand God a little better.
In my three points today, I would like to focus on the parable of the Good Employer and its implications for us.
1. The Need for Analogy. What does God look like? My childhood image of God was that God is old, male and spoke English. I bet you that many people today still think that way. I later realized that my image of God was totally inadequate. The 12th Century theologian, Thomas Aquinas taught that when it comes to God our human language falls terribly short in capturing the fullness of God. The only way to describe God, according to him is through analogies. So when Jesus calls God “Abba,” Jesus was not trying to teach us that God is male but that God is like a father who loves his children, provides for their needs, protects them and gives them security. Jesus also used feminine imageries to talk about God. For example, in the same gospel from which today’s gospel is taken, Jesus says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling!” (Mt 23:37) Jesus was not teaching that God is female, but rather, he was using the analogy of a mother hen to teach us that God is like a mother who offers love, security and care to her children. In other words, our language will always be inadequate to describe God or to know God’s thoughts. However, analogies provide us a way to imagine and talk about God.
2. Man made God in His Image and Likeness. That brings us to the parable of the Good Employer we have in today’s gospel reading. What is the context of the parable? The parable is Jesus’ response to the rejection of his revelation of God. We conclude this because right after this parable, Jesus predicts his suffering and death at the hand of the chief priests and scribes. Before I go into the meaning of this parable, I would like to focus on an important reality – the rejection of the God of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the scriptures not only record human rebellion, human disobedience and human waywardness, but it also records the human rejection of God. Jesus was rejected because some human beings wanted God to be what God was not. They wanted God to be in their image and likeness. In their understanding, someone like Jesus could never be God. In their minds, God is righteous and just. And if God is righteous and just, there how can God also be kind and merciful and go after the one stray sheep? It did not make sense to them to welcome back the prodigal son, to give refuge to the adulterous woman, or to eat with tax-collectors and sinners. But that fact is that this is the kind of God that is revealed in Jesus. And some people rejected a God who could be just and merciful at the same time. Jesus tried to communicate to them that God’s thoughts are not their thoughts, and God’s ways are not their ways. But they did not buy that argument. They put him to death.
3. God is Just AND Merciful. That brings us to today’s parable. Daniel Harrington, the Jesuit scripture scholar says that the parable of the Good Employer defends Jesus’ special concern for the marginal people in Jewish society. People were complaining about him that he was associating with disreputable people. Jesus defends his association with sinners by appealing to the generosity of God. According to Harrington, God is both just and merciful. Those who were hired first received a just reward because the employer paid them what was to due to them. On the other hand, the fact that the latecomers received the same amount reveals God’s mercy and compassion. This parable offers a rich doctrine about God, more specifically, the connection between God’s justice and mercy. On the one hand, just like the laborers who were hired first, we can be sure of God’s reward. On the other hand, just like those who were hired last, we can sure about God’s kindness, mercy and generosity.
This message is very timely for us today. We are so divided in the church today between those who consider themselves worthy of communion and those who feel marginalized. There are those whose along with families are the perfect example of Catholic doctrine and those who are struggling with their divorce and remarriage, with their own sexuality and sexual orientation, with an abortion or pornography or addictions. And we can point fingers at each other. But here is the point that Jesus is trying to make. None of us merit the kingdom because of our righteousness. The Kingdom is ours only because God is both just and merciful. There is only one thing we can count on for sure - God’s generosity.
- Fr. Satish Joseph
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Two weeks back, the gospel reading was the passage where Jesus says to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” I had preached a homily on the meaning of “carrying our crosses.” Today, on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, I would like you hear this quote. It is a quote by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, a Franciscan Capuchin priest and also the papal household preacher for both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict. He says, "It is no longer you who carry the cross; it is the cross that carries you; the cross does not crush but exalts you." I find great comfort in the fact that this year the feast of the exaltation of the cross falls on a Sunday, so that the entire Church can reflect on the power of the cross of Jesus Christ.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
First of all, I must confess that in asking to share a reflection tonight instead of Fr. Satish, I feel like the batboy who has just been called up to pinch-hit for Babe Ruth. Nevertheless, in a similar style, I will have three points upon which to reflect.
For a moment, call to mind the last time you were hurt or offended. What was it that someone said or did to hurt you? How did you respond? Jesus wants to be right in the middle of these situations—quite literally—and offers us practical wisdom on how to handle them. This week, I believe God speaks to us through the scriptures about encounter, changing the weather and harmony.
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
I had a funeral this week that taught me some very important lessons. We buried Dino Adducio. Dino was a very faithful Catholic who for most part of his life was a regular mass goer. As Dino and his wife Carmella got older, they moved to N Carolina. But once there, Dino stopped going to church. From the notes that his family gave me, Dino got mad with God. Dino’s wife Carmella was sick most of her life and he had prayed to God for healing. Dino felt let down by God when she was not healed and stopped going to Church. I interpreted Dino’s anger and disappointment with God as an act of faith. It is like in a marriage – being mad with one another means that there still is a relationship; that people still care. In any case, it is how Dino died that is truly moving. On this particular day, Dino asked his wife to lay next to him in bed. She refused because she had things to get done in the house. He repeatedly asked her and after much insistence, she agreed. She slipped into bed with him and lay next to him. And that is how he died. Dino was mad with God, and God responded through this most beautiful parting gift for Dino and Carmella.
Like Dino, most of us experience a discrepancy between how we intend life to happen and how many things in life turn out. We have a similar situation in today’s gospel reading. Peter had just confessed that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Do you remember that immediately after that confession, Jesus strictly ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ? Today’s gospel tells us the reason for that command - because, there was huge discrepancy between the kind of messiah that Israel was expecting and the kind of messiah that Jesus would reveal himself to be. The “messiah” in the Israelite expectation was a traditional warrior-hero, riding into battle with a victory sign. But Jesus reveals an image so contrary to the popular expectation that if it was revealed that Jesus was the ‘messiah,’ the Roman-weary population of Palestine would have immediately declared Jesus the political king. But Jesus needed more time to reveal that he was a suffering messiah rather than a triumphalistic messiah. When Jesus revealed the necessity for him to suffer, Peter was shaken to his core. Not in his wildest imagination did he expect a rejected, suffering, cross-bearing, persecuted and crucified messiah! Of course, Peter would not know until much later. No wonder, then, that Peter rebukes Jesus. From this time on until his eventual suffering, death and resurrection, Jesus would take the time to bridge the discrepancy between the expectation of the disciples and the true nature of his messiahship.
a) Life: Expectation versus Reality. Today’s first reading begins with Jeremiah saying to God, “You have duped me O Lord.” Jeremiah felt cheated by God. His prophetic ministry turned out to be very different than what he anticipated it to be. Instead of acceptance, he experienced opposition and violence. Who among us ever intentionally embraces insecurity, suffering, pain and uncertainty? Who among us expects our loved ones to suffer? And yet, we learn soon that there is a discrepancy between what we would like and what life may offer us. Yes, children suffer, the innocent do get killed, bad things to happen to good people, people do hurt each other, we do fall ill and sometimes fatally, accidents do end tragically, and if nothing else sometimes natural disasters permanently alter our lives. Peter experienced a similar discrepancy. “God forbid, Lord! No such things shall ever happen to you.” When Jesus says to Peter, “You are thinking not as God does but as human being do,” he is really inviting his disciples to a way of life. Jesus was teaching them that there are two ways to face our disappointments and discrepancies – with God and faith or without God and faith. Jesus’ own example is a lesson. He voluntarily embraces the cross for human redemption and carries that cross with God’s help. Even when he felt abandoned by God, he did not lose his faith in his Father.
b) The Deeper Meaning of the Cross. Peter’s rebuke of Jesus is based on his lack of knowledge of God’s plan for the world. Peter had no idea how suffering and death could be connected to the glory of Messiahship. Jesus, on the other hand, knew how God was intending to transform human history. But Jesus also knew that in order to accomplish God’s plan he would have to embrace the cross… literally. Who would have thought that a cross meant for criminals could pack so much meaning and purpose? Who would have thought that embracing the cross and dying on it will transform how humanity approached God. Who would have thought that the cross could hide behind it so much love? Who would have thought that suffering freely embraced could bring such unfathomable goodness? When Jesus rebuked Peter and asked Satan to get behind him, Jesus was inviting Peter to look deeper. Today, Jesus is doing the same thing with us as he says to us, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me,” he is inviting us to look deeper. We may not see it, but little Dino’s suffering, as senseless as it seems, has a purpose. Like Peter could not see it then we do not see it now. Every cross, the one that Jesus carried and the ones that we carry are not devoid of meaning. If life offers us crosses, God graces each cross with meaning.
c) The Necessity of Suffering. The truly surprising element in Jesus’ words is the necessity of suffering in order to follow Jesus. Why does Jesus say, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself take up the cross and follow me.” There are two reasons for this. First, by the time this gospel was written, followers of Jesus were already subjected to severe persecution. Many of them had to endure intense suffering in order to remain faithful to Christ and his teaching. But when persecution ended, the cross took on different meaning. For the early monks and for many others, the cross meant the willingness to discard those things that could come between the self and the radical demand of Christianity. This is true for us too. I think of the necessity of the cross as a path to authentic discipleship. When our suffering is for a greater good, when we suffer with others to help carry their cross, when we embrace a cross in standing up for what is right, and even when we suffer with faith not knowing the purpose of our pain, we become like Christ. Nothing connects us to Christ more intimately than carrying our cross like he did. And if we are carrying a cross we must know that Christ is very close to us. In the same way that the cross of Jesus brought salvation to the world, our crosses can become a way of holiness.
- Fr. Satish Joseph
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
I have lived in the United States for fourteen years now. I am a permanent resident. Numerous people have asked me if I am ready to get citizenship. Today, nothing about this great country stops me from applying for citizenship. There is one problem, however. If I do apply for citizenship, I have to discard my Indian citizenship and surrender my Indian passport. I have to shift my allegiance to the flag that I love saluted for 48 years and pledge my allegiance to a new flag. I have not been able to bring myself to do that as yet. I wish I could be the citizen of both these countries but that is not a possibility. So I have decided that as long as my parents are alive, that I will continue to hold an Indian passport and be an Indian citizen.
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
About four weeks back, I received a call from a parishioner after the 11 am mass that a family with two small kids was in church seeking financial help. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I have been taken for a ride numerous times with similar stories. Sadly, I have become immune when people come to me for financial help. I always carry gift cards from local restaurants with me so that I do not send anyone away hungry. Back to the story, I was at mass at St Helen that week and was not going to return to IC till about 2pm. So I asked this parishioner to ask the family to wait till I got back. My reasoning was that if their need is genuine, they will probably wait. Sure enough when I got back around 2:30 they were parked in front of the rectory. I had sure that they were genuinely in need. As soon as I came out of the rectory door, the man came out of the car. When his wife joined him, he made her go back to the car and get the kids as well. There were two adorably cute kids perhaps 5 and 1 1/2 year olds. This made me sad. I felt that the children were being publicly displayed to gain sympathy. These cute kids certainly deserve better. I still decided not to judge them and entered into a conversation with them. They said that they were on the way from New Jersey to California and that they need $200 and some gas money. I do not carry cash with me and offered to help them with food, which the man promptly refused. So I asked a simple question – if you do not have money, why would you go from one end of the country to another with children? I did not get an answer and that was when I decided to request and ID. Honestly, in asking for an ID I had the children’s wellbeing in my mind. The man gave me a Romanian ID and I realized that the family was Romanian. When I asked for a local ID he informed that he did not have a local ID. But then, the family had a car with American license plates. I asked how he drove if he did not have a license. He said that the car was rented. I know better that car rentals do not sign out a car without insurance or a photo ID. At this point, the man got rather upset saying that someone in the parish had said that they should wait for me and that he had waited for two-and-a-half hours and that I was being unhelpful. I offered them food again. He said that he would come to the office on Monday. But that is not what happened. That evening after the 6pm mass I heard that the same couple was outside the church, once again, with their kids. Many people gave then cash and someone even drove them to the gas station and filled their gas tank. After talking to some people, I have figured out that they left our church parking lot with a full tank of gas and over $300. I have mixed emotions when I think of this incident. First, I feel guilty for not giving them the money. Then I feel I did the right thing to ask for the ID because I wanted to make sure the children were safe. Third, I was angry because their entire story was fabricated and I felt lied to and many people were manipulated by then outside the church.
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This past June, I conducted a half day retreat for the NAIM group. This group is for widows and widowers who come together every month and give each other support and companionship. Among the thirty or so participants was a Pat Aicher who came into the room with a walker. I saw her sit very carefully into her chair. Immediately, a few other ladies from the group came and propped her legs on a chair in front of her. I was most impressed with the kindness. During break time, Pat slowly made her way to the restroom as I stayed in the retreat room to prepare for my next session. Pat was back soon and as she walked in, she said to me, “I know you Father.” She said that she had attended my Lenten silent retreat on Teresa of Avila a few years back. I had conducted yet another Lenten retreat this last Lent and I did not remember her being there. So I told her that I had conducted another retreat and if she would like to be contacted about my Lenten silent retreat in 2015. What she said in response sent a chill down my spine. She said, “I would like to, Father, but I will not live that long. The doctors have given me only six weeks. I have cancer.” My immediate reaction was, “So what are you doing here?” I do not remember her response but I remember saying to her, “You are a strong woman! If I were you, I would be lying in bed wallowing in self-pity.” She said, “Naaagh! That’s not for me. I know where I am going. I am not worried!” And then she asked me if I would prop her legs on to the chair in front of her. When I did that, my hands were trembling. About four weeks after my retreat, I got news that Pat Aicher had died.
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s first reading captures the most inspiring moment of Solomon’s life. For reasons I will explain later, Solomon’s success is not where I want to begin this homily. I would like to begin with the tragic later-half of his life. Solomon was only the third king of Israel. He inherited the throne because David had promised Bathsheba (the wife he had illegitimately gotten) that her son Solomon would inherit the throne rather than Adonijah, the legitimate heir. God honored David’s promise and today’s reading tells the story of Solomon’s beginning to fame. But it is what happened afterwards that is appalling. Solomon made two major errors. First, in direct disobedience to God’s covenant with Moses, he employed Canaanites as forced laborers, and in this way did what the Egyptians had done to the Israelites. Second, he took about 700 women as wives and 300 concubines from most of the neighboring cultures. To make it worse, Solomon erected altars to the alien gods of these wives. He was personally involved in the construction of some of these shrines. This was in direct violation of the first commandment. God was angry with Solomon. Twice before, God had appeared to him and warned him of the dangers of disobedience (1 Kings 11:9-10). And that is exactly what happened. Solomon’s son Rehoboam succeeded Solomon but under his rule ten of the twelve tribes formed the northern kingdom. Tragically, Israel was split in two because of Solomon’s deeds.
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s gospel reading is a continuation of last Sunday’s gospel about the sower and the seed. Today we have the parable of the weeds among the wheat, the parable of the mustard seed, and the parable of the yeast in the dough. These parables are so powerful that it is often possible to miss the detail that the parables are about the the ‘mysteries of the Kingdom of God.’ Jesus says, “I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.” In a very real sense, then, to focus merely on the parables is to miss the point. We should really be focusing on the mysteries of the Kingdom of God that these parables reveal.
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In my hands I have my Bible. This Bible was not a gift. I purchased this Bible about three years into my seminary life. I saved money for six months to purchase it. After my initial conversion from being a nominal Catholic to a more serious Catholic, God’s word became my passion. Part of my initial conversion was the realization that my primary call was not merely to be a priest but first and foremost to be a disciple. And the question I struggled with was, “Who is a disciple?” If Jesus were to call me like he did the disciples, what would he want from me? To understand this, I delved into the gospels and later into the whole Bible like a child into a cookie jar. And if you glance through my Bible, you will see that it is highlighted in rainbow colors. This Bible is twenty-eight years old. It was in tatters and falling apart. I wanted to replace this old one with a new one but I soon realized that this Bible was not just another book. This Bible represented my conversion, my faith journey, my life and my relationship with God. This Bible was not something, it was somebody. In many ways, this Bible was a Sacrament, the real presence of God through God’s word. Knowing how dear this Bible was to me, a very dear friend of mine got is restored. Today, I take the Bible on all my retreats, classes and seminars. This Bible is not my book. This Bible is my best friend.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I was on my way to St. Helen for mass on Thursday. I had just crossed Linden Ave on Woodman Drive. This segment, all the way up to the Wright Patterson air force base, is a target speed enforcement zone. When I go for mass in the morning is also peak traffic hour. On Thursday, as soon as I crossed the lights, I noticed a red truck behind me. He was driving too close to me for my comfort. Obviously, he could not change lanes because of the heavy traffic on the left lane. I put my right turn signal early enough for the driver to know that I will be right turning into St. Helens. Like all people do, I slowed down close to the drive ti turn. And as I did in the rear view mirror I saw the driver flip me off. Did he do that simply because I had slowed him down? Did he do that because I drove the speed limit? Did he do it because he was impatient? I have no idea. I only know this – that this is a learnt behavior.
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
I want to share two stories with you. When I was at home last month was also the time when Pope Francis was also returning from his trip to the Middle East. On the flight he gave an interview to reporters and one of the topics that came up was clerical celibacy. The media in India reported the Pope’s response widely. When I came down for breakfast that morning, my father said to me, “Pope Francis says that priests can get married.” I was very measured in my response lest my father think that I have a secret girlfriend in distant America. I learnt later that the Pope had said, “It [celibacy] is a rule of life that I appreciate very much, and I think it is a gift for the church, but since it is not a dogma, the door is always open." The Pope was merely reiterating the well-known Catholic position that clerical celibacy is not divine law. It was promulgated after the 10th Century and Church could change that law if that is where she discerned the Holy Spirit was guiding her. If she wants to do that she has the depth of history, theology and tradition to make a sound decision.
Here is my second story.
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
A grandmother was talking to me about her grandchildren whom she loves very dearly and lavishes them with gifts. She would do anything for them. She has only one regret. Some of her young grandchildren who now have jobs, own homes and live with their girl-friends say to her, “Why do ask us to go to church and pray grandma? We have everything we need. It was not God who gave them to us. We have worked hard for it. We do not need God.” I know these young people. They were baptized. They made their first communion in this very church. They made their confirmation too.
If they could talk to you, what would you say to them?
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
My last day at home in India before I leave for Dayton is always a very emotional day for all of us. But the last few minutes before I leave the house is even more intense. My parents and I spend these last few minutes together in prayer. The scene is the same each time. We huddle together, with my dad seated on the sofa and my mother standing next to him. My mother is only as tall as my father sitting down. I stand over them, lay my hands on them and pray over them. And then, they place their hands on me and bless me with the sign of the cross. By this time, tears are flowing down our cheeks. We try to smile through the tears suppressing any possibility of simply breaking down. On this last visit, particularly, as we huddled together in prayer, I remember becoming aware of how much love there was as we stood there together. I simply cannot put into words the power of that love. That love gives me the strength to finally walk out of the house and to my parents to anticipate the next visit.