Sermon thoughts- 18th Sunday in Ordinary time - A - Matthew 14, 13-21

The context of the Gospel is clear:
Jesus hears about the death of John the Baptist.
In this situation, Jesus seeks solitude - he does not flee in fear but he needs time to prepare for his Mission. Then he knew that his time has come.
Yes, he needs now is peace and reflection ...

He undertakes this mission self-evidently; Jesus was so in many times.
He was so motivated in helping people, healing the sick, in speaking to them, in sharing meals... This self-evident style is seen in today's Gospel Passage. This self-evident nature is also required from his disciples - including us.

Jesus could of course avoid this unpleasant situation, if he had said, “I currently have no time, I must now take care of my job. I need time for myself ..." But he does not do it. In everything he sees and fulfils the will of God ...

Jesus sought his rest... But he saw the desperate people around him.
They called for help. Of course ... Jesus had "compassion" ...
He sees these people are thirsty and hungry.
As Isaiah indicates, what these people bought so far didn’t satiate their hunger and thirst.

After the judicial murder of John the Baptist, people go after him. John, the prophet is murdered, now Jesus is here and he remains their only hope.

Only Jesus sees their spiritual and physical hunger and thirst exactly.
So he taught and healed them ... It reduced their mental loads a little...
Then occurs the other problem, namely hunger of the body.
Now Jesus asks his disciples to solve it.
The disciples represent normal people: they symbolize the helplessness ... They wish to send these people back home. Through this they can achieve two goals:
1. they do not need to take care of the food issue;
2. Jesus and the disciples can take rest.
Jesus is not returning them or asking them to go to another person.
He has compassion for them and asked his disciples. “give them some food yourselves“.
As the Evangelist tells us, Jesus knew that his disciples had 'something' to share. “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here “. It was their food for the evening. If they dare to share it, even Jesus gets no bread in the evening.

But Jesus does not care about his own hunger and food. He wants that it is shared. Jesus is giving an example for his disciples and to us:
First, he shares his private time for others, he now shares his dinner.
In the Love and through the heavenly Blessings, the Time and the Bread turns to consolation and Food for many.

What happens at the end?
There is more bread than in the beginning. 12 baskets full of bread...
Not only the people are happy but the disciples too.
They learned some lessons too in this evening:

The apostles will not consider the “bread” as their bread only.
This is the "bread of blessings" and it is for the people of God.
The apostle learn again:
they have to share everything in the future.
It's not the quantity but the love of God and trust in the divine are important. Later we see that they shared "the bread of blessing, not only in Israel but also throughout the world. As the Eucharist - and as self-sharing breads!

They learn a new theory:
to give means to receive. And it is repeated…
Possessing may give joy to few people: but sharing can give greater joy...

Jesus shared his time, his bread and his life for others. Now everyone is glad. People are happy, the disciples are also happy. So Jesus sends the people back; his disciples will go to the other side ...
Now Jesus can turn to prayer in peace and gratitude.

Worship is perfect when we see the plight of the people and serve them and become one with God. Prayer and action, yes both should happen; both are important. Then the joy is perfect. Let us move to this perfection of the Heavens. Amen!
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon Thoughts – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – A - Mt 13, 44-52

“Give everything, do everything to attain the Aim”.
I had this impression when I saw the women's soccer finals a week ago in TV, where Japan, “the small team” had won against the powerful team of United States. It was a fight to the end ...

By observing athletes, artists, researchers and scientists; we get this impression at large.
To achieve a goal you need a start and an end and a continuous work in between. The Modern psychology teaches that it must happen after a ‘success recipe’: a recipe with clear instructions is necessary.

It is just as we cook after a recipe. The first attempt must not succeed very well. But targeted - repetition can improve it lead us to achieve the goal.

Search for the kingdom of heaven needs a ‘success recipe’ with certain frames. The three different parables tell us so:

If you are looking tirelessly you will find the treasure.
Then not every one finds a treasure. A searching mind is preferred.

To distinguish a precious gem from other stones, one needs talent.
This talent is not inborn, but it is achieved after years of practice and learning. Luck and persistence are not enough for it.

Fish do not come into the net automatically.
Behind every successful catch there will be a story of long hours of hard work.

Success is no luck. It may not fall from the heavens. May be it is good for films and books. In reality it is a rare thing.


To reach heaven you need perseverance and diligence.
And more over real spiritual power.



There lived a Francis of Assisi, few centuries ago: he had everything - wealth and fame - as the son of a wealthy father;
But he decided to be poor for the kingdom of God, - to call God, ‘father’.

There lived a Mother Teresa in the streets of Calcutta; she renounced her better living chances to serve the poor and sick children in India.

There are certainly many people in our time, perhaps little known in the media or through people.

That's why we experience the church today in our world.
We feel in the church, the silent and uninterrupted work of such people.
And Jesus, his church needs such people to foster His kingdom and to proclaim and live His Word.

At the end of the Gospel, we hear a warning:
There will be a separation and a judgment between the good and the bad.
The ‘small and unimportant’ fishes represent less important dealings from our side. Finally only the most important works will be counted.

Jesus wants only to motivate us; to engage in possible good works.
One, who loses his opportunities in life, has to be sad at the end.
Then he may get that chance never again.

The Gospel invites us all to engage in ‘search’: go looking for the most important. Live the kingdom of heaven-oriented.

“Have a goal for your whole life, a goal for one section of your life, a goal for a shorter period and a goal for the year; a goal for every month, a goal for every week, a goal for every day, a goal for every hour and for every minute, and sacrifice the lesser goal to the greater” Leo Tolstoy formed such a rule of Happiness as he was 18 years.

I wish joy and happiness about the kingdom of heaven.
God bless us all. Amen!

-

Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon thoughts – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time A - Matthew 13, 24-43

Today we have heard three different parables about the kingdom of heaven.
The first one was about Good seeds and weeds that grow together in one field; the second one is on the mustard seed that grows as a big tree and the last one was on yeast that was mixed with wheat flour.

Even they report different things, all of these parables have
one thing in common.
They convey an important message:
That's about the necessity of time and patience to recognize God and his secrets.

Every day we must make several decisions in our lives.
There are moments where we have to judge.
Some of them must be made quickly.
Some of them need time and reasoning.

Jesus will be telling us today:
We cannot take such rash decisions on the kingdom of God and our faith:
He says, one needs time and patience in growing faith.

Jesus also criticizes our nature of questioning.
Do we have enough patience with some our choices?
Do we leave time for ourselves and also to others?

Exactly, what we need are the time and patience.
We need them to understand God's word and our fellow beings.

Parables have a "hidden or secret nature”. They may not express everything. Jesus is also hiding some important messages in his messages through his parables.
It is not completely hidden.
Everyone who has the desire to search for its meaning will find an explanation.

Just as the disciples came to Jesus and asked, we too should look for the meaning of the word of God.
For that we must have time and patience.
Jesus tells us the kingdom of heaven is a mystery and it needs time to grow:
Just as the good seeds needed time till their harvest;
just as the mustard seed needs time to grow as a big tree;
just as the yeast needs time to work in the flour.

God and his secrets are revealed for them who thirst and hunger for it.
The disciples of Jesus are an example for us.
They show their hunger and thirst after God's secret:
They could approach the `inner '` hidden' meaning God with their deep faith.
Through that they show us they were in the correct path in following Jesus.

God is revealed to those who search for him with deep faith and patience.
There is no change for this basic-attitude.

“Whoever has ears ought to hear”:
It means he who gives more attention to God,
who has an inner ear “tuned” for the “frequency of God”,
who listens to the voice of God in patience will enter in to His secrets ...

God is different in judging: We tend to judge by our experience fast.
But God is not fast in His decisions.
He gives us a chance ...
He has time and patience with us:
How long is the time, how long we are “tolerated” are “mystery”.

Therefore let us make use of the “gifted time” the present NOW.
Let us long for the voice of God, listen and follow him.
That will only benefit us.
That's what we try to learn repeatedly in this community.
May God bless us all in this growth. Amen!
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon Thoughts -15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A - Mt 13, 1-23

We have some experience in this cultivation and farming.

Some of us sitting here in our church may be farmers.

At least we have some experience from our gardens.

We know a hundredfold harvest is rare incident.

One who gets back hundred percent is lucky.

Yes, it is a ‘gamble’ - between nature and our work.

God is powerful than humans. It needs no discussion.

God himself is working in our proclamation.

Therefore, the word of God should successfully bring hundred times.

But just as in our field or garden,

our ‘work of faith’ brings not such a success.

Furthermore we are deeply disappointed.

Yes, it is also ‘gamble’ - between our faith / human nature and God's spirit.

Even our Lord Jesus hadn’t a hundred-fold harvest.

He was very disappointed - in our language - against his own people, because his people were not willing to believe in him and in his work.

They witnessed his works with 30 and 60 fold returns.

Jesus’ behaviour is a guide for all of us in our lives.

Life may not bring 100% success. We can work for it. But it must not be the result. There may often situations that we do not succeed as we calculate it.

But one need not be disappointed; says Jesus.

Our churches and religious services may be poorly attended and evaluated. Religious values can be matter for nothing.

Jesus says, it is so... but do not be disappointed. Do not be sad.

Then success is not a name of God.

Success is perhaps the measure of the world.

In faith, it must not always be so.

Yes it is a very different kind of success criteria:

Success, for Jesus has nothing to do with the quantity, quality is important.

These few grains, which make 30 or 60 percent results may replace some thing and balance what has not worked out.

We are those grains.

We know we are not perfect in faith.

But that is not to be shamed.

Each day God offers us the opportunity to grow in our faith.

This means that we - who are here / have faith in God, have got a responsibility:

then we should bear Credible-fruits ...

We should manifest God in the world.

This will make our ‘fields’ slowly fruitful.

It does not happen overnight.

We need to work ever again.

Growing weeds must be removed.

Anything that prevents the growth of the word has no place there.

This should happen in the church, in our community life.

We know the duty of every Christian is to ‘represent God’.

Each or any person baptized has to do his or her part.

Priests and bishops are only to accompany our faith.

Our life itself should witness to the Word / God's kingdom.

People who are watching us and should be able to ‘see and feel the Christ in us’. This is not easy.

Let us work Grateful and happy to fulfil our mission.

Targeted work will certainly lead to better harvest.

I wish us all strength and insight to witness God in our Christian life and to contribute our part to spread the kingdom of God. God bless us. Amen!

-

Fr Thomas Kalathil