Sermon Thoughts – 14th Sunday in Ordinary time – C (Lk 10, 1-12.17-20)

Sermon Thoughts – 14th Sunday in Ordinary time – C (Lk 10, 1-12.17-20)
Every one loves to be successful in his work. Some must work in dreaming of this time. Some are lucky and get “click” in their area. The disciples of Jesus were enjoying such a lucky moment. The 72 of his followers whom Jesus sent to preach, success in their mission and return to their master with immense joy, to explain about “their” achievement. It is surely one of the best moments in their life: and of Jesus’. So good was their preaching.
In the ancient times great teachers and philosophers had their followers around them. Many lived together with them, till they realize they have learned something for their life. The stay with the master helps them in many ways: they learned not only from the theory but watched and learned from the lives of the teachers.
Jesus was dealing like an ancient teacher. And today’s gospel passage gives some credit to Jesus their master too. Jesus held his followers close to him; so close to his life. There was nothing to hide for Jesus. His life was so transparent and simple.
In the reading from Prophet Isaiah we come across with the best image to the nearness, the closeness of God: “As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap…”
Mother and child: it is the deepest relation in the living world. Mother, becomes a “mother” by giving life to a child. This gives her absolute happiness. Out of this happiness she is ready to give everything for the good of the baby.
Breast Milk is the best food for babies; says science. Through it, not only the food is transferred, but the feelings of the mother too. The body contact is also very important for a child in its balanced growth.
When Isaiah uses this ‘mother – child’ imagery, he was not sure of the later explorations of the modern science at all. But he was inspired by God. What he preached was his life experience with Him: the God, so close to His children; some one ready to give everything for their good.
Jesus incarnated as the Gift of God – the father – in this world – to nourish, to guide and lead us to the love of God. He presented God so sweet and fatherly to us; he became our food in the growth in the faith. Yes, he gave everything for us. His followers realized it first, some with certain hesitation. And they learned the originality and genuineness of his teaching from his life style.
And that was the strength of his teaching. We hear in Gospel, that the contemporary of Jesus are often in astonishment, hearing the words of Jesus; observing his deeds…
Now his followers too can astonish people. They are grown… they have proved, Jesus is their master!
Yes, we and our faith are the outcome of this astonishment. It derives from the uniqueness and the simplicity of the Great Master Jesus.
Jesus’ message was simple; establishing the Kingdom of God in Love and humanity.
Let us try to keep this Jesus simple and proclaim him, his presence in our day today lives. May he bless us all as he helped his followers! Amen.
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Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon Thoughts – Solemnity – St Peter And Paul – June 29

Sermon Thoughts – Solemnity – St Peter And Paul – June 29
The Catholic Church celebrates the memory of two great saints, the pillars of the church or the faith.
A study on these two persons may tell us they were two sides of a magnet. They had totally different characters; different charismas; different life experiences; different academical qualifications and different Jesus Experiences.
Still the Church celebrates their feast on the same day. It shows these two persons have some thing together. It is their dedication for Jesus and his “Evangelium”.
Church shows no special concern here; Peter as the prime apostel of Jesus and Paul, the Apostle of Gentiles; both enjoy the same status here. Primacy and supreme authenticity is seen more over in their missions; not in their “special status”.
We are continuing the mission entrusted by these apostles, in our modern world. These saints teach us some thing very core, which must be in our mission and in our Proclamation. It is their unmoved and tireless option for Jesus’ Message.
Both of them proclaimed Jesus in their own way. They had enough matters to discuss. But they were not for their self esteem. But for Jesus.
We have enough talents and abilities, among us. But how we are united for Him? Or all the discussions and quarrels we experience are mainly for our ego?
These two saints teach us to work selfless for Jesus and his Reign. Not for ourselves.
Let us pray for the uniting spirit. Let us work together for Jesus.
May the prayers and model of these saints, help us to unite different tastes and talents for the Kingdom of God. Amen.
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Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon thoughts – 13th Sunday Ordinary time – Year C

Sermon thoughts – 13th Sunday Ordinary time – Year C
We want a secure life and a secure world. Therefore, we have so many insurances: life insurance, Health insurance, insurance for our car, home insurance … and more … Without a password, we won’t get our emails! I remember: Just before some years, the front doors of our homes were not closed, at least during the day. But now we have to close them all … Our airports, railway stations … everywhere we are monitored.
Security … yes, this is a big issue of our time …
Today’s readings are all about ‘calling’. But in the background we can still observe the ‘security-efforts’ of some called.
The first reading: Elijah calls Elisha. It is God who states that Elisha will be in place of the prophet Elijah. Elijah saw the industrious Man Elisha plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. It is interesting; Elijah does not speak a word. He threw his cloak over Elisha. A sign: cloak, stands for protection. ‘God’s protection over me’- Elisha recognizes this sign immediately. He understands his work is now for the kingdom of God, and the filed is the hearts of men. And God is there for his protection.
In the Gospel we see, Jesus ‘homeless’. He had a bitter experience in a Samaritan village. Jesus knew that is included in his life. But the disciples want Jesus to destroy the village. But he ‘turned and rebuked them’. Jesus does not destroy, but protects. Destruction and death- he fought against them. Life is the central message of Jesus.
What we hear further in the Gospel, can be interpreted in this context. The first one comes and wants to follow Jesus. Does he think to follow Jesus is easy? A life without trouble? We do not know exactly. Anyway, Jesus responds by experience what he has just experienced in the Samaritan village. The Son of Man has no shelter, no security. Yes, to follow Jesus means live with some uncertainty.
To the Second said Jesus “follow me”. But he wants his parents buried. But are they alive or just dead? Jesus has to wait for him?
Apropos, waiting? It has no place in the “call”. Abraham, Moses, Elisha, Mary, Peter and John…all of them answer God’s call plenty fast.
Here Jesus seems to be rigid: the man has to proclaim the glad news of God. He should proclaim life. It is God instructing him to do so.
The Third Man seems to me a combination of first and 2. He wants to follow Jesus, but first of all he wants to say bye to his family. He himself took the decision to follow Jesus, though, some matters prevent him…

‘Call’ should have decisiveness. Remaining in the matter is important. Jesus is usually ‘on the way’. It is an attitude: One must be going…. ‘He can not remain inactive’. Abraham, Moses, and Mary… a few examples: they were in motion, to move the hearts of men. Their goal of course is God.
This motion can be insecure from time to time. But trust in God is the strength. Jesus never seeks his own security. On the contrary he often goes through many risky ways. It is love leads him to do so. The freedom that Paul mentions in the letter to the Galatians, must be understood in this context. A freedom, not in the sense of the world, ‘rather, serves one another through love’. I am called for others. I have to convey God’s protection and life through my words and life. It was the way of Jesus.

But again and again, the mentality of the disciples towards the Samaritans, revisit us.
My safety, my advantage, my opinion… I am becoming the centre of my world.
As I often say such attitudes make our preaching, our faith ridiculous and implausible. We know it’s only a minority, but that is an important weapon for the opponents of the Church…
Not only the Pope, bishops, priests and nuns…, all of us are called. All have to fulfil their own task on their own way.
And Jesus admonishes us to respect this great responsibility.

The safety and freedom that Jesus promises us are different than we experience in normal life. But they are lasting.
Are we deciding today for our God, his freedom and his ‘security’?
May God bless us to do so. Amen!
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Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon Thoughts – 12th Sunday Year C (Lk 9, 18-24)

Sermon Thoughts – 12th Sunday Year C (Lk 9, 18-24)
The gospel passage from Luke is very much clear to any Christian. Jesus is making a self assessment. He is doing this in a very prudent manner. He is asking his disciples, what the opinion on him from the crowds is. It is interesting to note that Luke uses the term “crowd” in many of his passages. Thereby he may be pointing out the common, with out mentioning a special group. In this crowd every body is included. This also mentions the style of Jesus’ ministry. He moved many people with his life.
And this crowd were having an expectation in the renewed mission in Jesus. The answer proves it. The figures of Elijah and John the Baptist stand for a redemption and salvation. It could be either religious or political. Any how the common people were in want of nearest “freedom”.
Jesus places then the next question. The question is of course addressing the whole disciples. “You” is used in a plural form. Now Jesus wants the very core reply. He wants to know in what manner he influenced them, through the special living-together and teachings.
Peter is the one answers the question. I think this answer was a united one, as we find no counter arguments in the passage.
Why Jesus is asking this?
Jesus knew, just like the opinions of the crowd, there will be many other opinions among the people. He wanted to know whether his friends have the same opinion as some common people having. If then, his life with them till the day was meaningless.
The reply of Peter shows, they had perceived Jesus some one special; the anointed of God. Yes, He is greater than any Prophet. By their proclamation, they place Jesus to God.
But, Jesus’ command to his friends was not to make their conviction public. Not yet. It was not because, their faith was wrong, but Jesus wanted to know whether they remain in this conviction. So he reveals his upcoming passion and death. Some unexpected bitter days: He wants to know, how they react to this situation. If they overcome these days with their faith, they can proclaim their conviction.
Later, we are meeting the disciples, who appear to be weak in this conviction; at least for certain hours. But except Judas, others regain their faith in Jesus, in an extra ordinary way. And they proclaim their life experience with the Son of God, in Jesus.
Now, Jesus asks me and you the same question.
What do you say about me?
He wants not a general theologically configured answer. He wants from me a personal conviction: My life experience with him. This is not an easy job. Our world is having many concepts and faiths regarding God. There are right as well as wrong messages on God.
Now, where is my faith? What did I acquire through my past faithful years? What is my life conviction on God?
Is my God someone who stays with me? Do I have perception in person?
Yes, Jesus is happy when we achieve it. Let us live for it. May God bless us all! Amen.
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Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon thoughts – Sacred Heart of Jesus – Year C (Lk 15, 3-7)

Sermon thoughts – Sacred Heart of Jesus – Year C (Lk 15, 3-7)

Searching, finding and the celebration on the recovery is seen in some pericopes in Luke’s Gospel, especially the 15th chapter of Luke’s gospel. Such a narration is given for our meditation, on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Luke will say one thing very clearly: we are not lost for ever! It is because our God is some one special, some one who is in search of His lost sheep. The psychology behind may be, we are God’s “Own”. We may notice a very special care on this recovery! There is no criticism towards the lost one. A criticism or a bad word may hurt the recovered one. Yes, God’s love is Unprejudiced, His care is unquestioning and his acceptance is incomparable.
I remember a scene from a German film: a young lady has a boy-child. His father is not with them. She is alone in upbringing the child. He is some “active type” too. Once she was on a trip to visit her friend. Her blind uncle is also with them. As the mother enters in to her house, the boy takes the car and rides to some distance. The adventure ends, when the car hits a tree. The insiders had no injuries. As the mother comes to the car, it is missing together with the child and blind uncle. So she searches for them and with the help of Police they were found. The mother, as surprise for me, caresses her child and shows her concern of the lost last minutes. She never thinks that it was he who drove the car. She thinks it was her blind uncle. But she has no comments on it.
God’s heart is broader and more amicable. Because God knows me and you better than any other in this world.
The Feast teaches me also another aspect- the confidence of the shepherd in the remaining 99 sheep. He is sure he will not have to go for another search, when he comes back!
The story wants from me and you a big heart – a big heart to rejoice with the shepherd and the returned sheep.
Sacred Heart of Jesus resembles the heart of the shepherd in this gospel passage. His Heart is hurt with lance and thorns. Still it is burning in the fire of Love.
The devotion to the Special Heart must help us to be faithful in following God, the great shepherd. It must help us to rejoice with the lucky. It also asks me to be responsible for my brothers and sisters in faith in Jesus.
Yes, the Heart of Jesus will teach us such lessons.
He has me and you in his Heart. Let us carry Him in our lives.
Let us raise our eyes towards His Heart.
Let us meditate on His unique Love.
May we all get a place in His Heart. Amen!
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Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon thoughts – 10th Sunday in Ordinary time – Year C

Sermon thoughts – 10th Sunday in Ordinary time – Year C

The two readings of the day have a lot in common. Widow, deceased son, resurrection, and astonishment on divine presence!
Widow means to be helpless. Live without Partner. An important part of their life is no longer there. This makes their life difficult. It is like a bird that must fly with one wing. Europe is better positioned in this case. But in the East it was different. You might have heard about India and ‘Sati’, a custom, a ritual of dying on the pyre of her husband.
Biblical world is much better and social in this regard: There are numerous portions in the Bible; those assure care and protection for widows and orphans and warn to avoid taking advantage of their weakness. And some of them are very hard: “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans. “(Exodus 22:21-24). Similarly, the prophet Jeremiah declares: “For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors for ever and ever.”(Jeremiah 7:5-7)
Elijah the prophet of God is on the way. His Name means “God is Yahweh”! Yahweh means “I am who am”! “To be” is nothing less than life. Yahweh is yes, God of life. Yes, in this case of helplessness, God comes to rescue: as a prophet; in the form of the Son of God. The Prophet and Jesus are on the way with God’s life
God wants no one suffers unnecessarily. God wants life! This is clear in both cases. Life is God’s plan on earth. Remember! The Bible begins with the creation narration! It’s all in his plan.
We see a wonderful meeting in the Gospel! Two crowds of people come together face to face! Jesus with his friends – They symbolize life and joy, the other is a funeral procession with the dead young man and his helpless mother.
The crowd of life and joy meets the train of death. At this meeting life will flourish further. At first, the dead son is alive. The poor mother gets her life of hope back. Then the people are invited, to life, to the surprise.
The resurrection of the Dead is a prophetic act of Jesus! We cannot repeat it as such. But ‘dead’ are many in our world!
Death is where relationships break, and where hope dies, where there love lacks. Yes, there are many ‘dead’ around us.
I am sure it is now our task to make this action further. As Christians, we bear Christ, his life and his joy in our lives and in our activities. We often meet people in our life, many who have lost their hope; those who are in need of help. Can I give the divine joy, for others through my presence? Is my life a living testimony of God, his love and mercy?
Jesus says, “Get up!” We can extend our hands to provide the help necessary to enable one to get up! Through our physical and social and even financial helps we can be different. Our God is a God of life! We are his children! Let us be the messengers of life! God bless us in life! Amen.
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Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon thoughts – The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) – Solemnity:

Sermon thoughts – The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) – Solemnity:
“On this day the Catholic’s demonstration” takes place. “Some may comment on the Eucharistic procession in this way.
The term “demonstration” is not wrong in itself. May be not fitting to the present time demonstrations of political parties, cultural groups etc. Yes Catholic’s Eucharistic procession has another demonstrative value.
The term demonstration derives from the Latin word “demonstrare” means to show. We, Catholics have some thing to show; to demonstrate; we carry the “monstrance” and the Eucharistic presence of Jesus in the form of simple bread!
Yes, we show something that is not equivalent to the worldly demonstrations. We show something divine, that surround us. It is God’s uninterrupted presence with us. He is there on our way. He is there to bless us in our day to day life.
We, show, God is not only present in the tabernacle. The church building is not the only residence of God. He is a God going with us.
Just as in Exodus, in the old times; Yahweh was accompanying the forefathers. They experienced His Wonderworks as they were with Him. They experienced downs in their fights, as they abandoned God and went after their own power and likes.
The same God is with us. He has assured us his permanent presence through his only one Son Jesus Christ.
He has promised to be with us till the end of the day.
The Eucharist was his solution to remind us on his presence on earth.
When we celebrate this Eucharist, when we consume him, he repeatedly reminds his promise, that he is there for us to save us, to guide us.
Yes, we demonstrate this incomparable divine concept.
This solemnity is just equal to the Maundy Thursday celebrations.
On that day Jesus instituted this Holy Sacrament.
Today we remember it intensively, so that we may come closer to this mystery of God.
Let us be aware of our God. Let us take the mission of Jesus, to proclaim him, his love and humanity and compassion in our daily lives.
May this feast help us to realize the divinity in and around us! Amen.
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Fr Thomas Kalathil