A well educated man came to a priest and criticized:
“You Christians have some logical and mathematical problems.
You think 1 +1 = 1: It is about your teachings on married life.
For you one man plus one woman makes not two persons, but one.
Then you teach 1 +1 +1 = 1: that's about your God:
God is Father, Son and Spirit. So they are three.
Still you count yourselves as monotheist.
Not only that: You teach God incarnates as a man.
And this man has been crucified as a criminal.
And you believe him as the Saviour and claim that he is risen from the dead.
But can any dead live again?
No history, no science, no logic can confirm it; So I remain an atheist.”
The Priest asked quietly: “How many close friends do you have”?
“Many”. “Ok, do you know every thing about these friends?”…
After a silence he replied: “not every thing, but almost”…
“You claim, you are good friends, but you don’t know fully about them.
How can we, then know about God, who is supreme than humans?”
The man returned in silence…
My dear friends, many people think like this man today.
For them God must think and act always according to our human logic and calculation. And this is the problem in understanding God.
If I listen to a lecture on modern technology without having basic information I may not understand any thing.
Or just take the example of daily life. We use so much electronic products. Are we using them with complete know how?
The Desire to understand is surely a good and positive approach but the truth is that, you can not understand every thing.
In such a way it is not easy to say we want to understand God.
Then God is greater than all the sciences and technology.
All we can do is to do some attempts and move closer to God.
The Holy Bible is a great help to understand some aspects of God, of course with in the limits of our human reasoning.
In that way the first Reading reminds us about the greatness of Yahweh.
We see him acting as a Saviour and liberator of his people. He reveals himself as a merciful God. This is a new face of God for them.
Then they previously knew only the gods who were arrogant and violent.
The second reading from the Romans, is more acceptable for us. God is called as Father - Abba. Because we are all connected to God through Jesus Christ, His Son.
As the apostle Paul says, we are not only the children of God but also heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
This picture is closer than the first.
We can now approach God without fear and inhibitions.
And those who believe in this God through Christ, becomes God's child and is freed by the Holy Spirit. This is the message of the gospel to the disciples. The disciples have to bring this good news of liberation in God to all people and thus save humanity.
We believe and celebrate the presence of God in the Triune God. Then Jesus says: “I am with you always, until the end of the age“:
My dear friends,
Trinity is not a feast of confirming the authority of God.
It gives us the message of acceptance, participation and sharing.
God shares His divinity with Christ and the Holy Spirit.
This God welcomes us human, as his children.
This is the very special matter of the trinity.
Our God is not the only Ruling God.
He loves and lives communion and unity in peace and joy.
There is no place for human logic and mathematics in this love.
Because, real love is blind and God is Love.
Trinity is the egoless love between God the Father, Son and Spirit and we are blessed by called to participate in this love with others and our nature as well.
Let us open our hearts to receive that love.
May the triune God bless us all. Amen.
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil
Today we celebrate an important Feast. Pentecost is the feast of the Holy Spirit, one of the most important persons of the Triune God.
Holy Spirit has different names.
Often the spirit is called as the Wind from God, Spirit of God, Spirit of Truth, Ruach (Hebrew), Pneuma or Paraclete (Greek).
In Acts, we hear about the Spirit around 68 times and among that 37 times is in the first 12 chapters. Yes, the spirit is often present in the New Testament- We heard more on the Spirit in the New Testament.
But the Scripture begins with an account of the Holy Spirit.
„In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:1-2): we hear this in the first Tradition of Creation (Priestly Tradition which contains Gen 1 and some other parts in the Genesis, Exodus and Numbers and all of Leviticus).
Also in the 2nd Creation Tradition (Yahwist tradition), we hear more intense and closer action of the Spirit in the creation of humans.
We read in Gen. 2, 7: “then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being”.
A Spirit that Transforms the shape of the Earth together with God;
A Spirit that is fills the breath of God in people and spreads the life.
This is the same Spirit that strengthened and worked in the Prophets and many leaders of the Israelites.
This is the same spirit of God who dwelt in Mary and gave us Jesus our saviour. During the baptism of Jesus we see this Spirit of God again in signs and symbols.
At the end of his Life, Jesus promises a helper, an advocate for his disciples: The same Spirit above mentioned will assist the apostles.
That's what we hear in Acts, in the first reading today.
They are becoming new Men – A new creation of God in the Holy Spirit.
The disciples were in "Chaos", in the fear swallowed them.
They were so afraid of the Jews and others.
Now, by the presence of the Spirit of God, the disciples receive power and form. They can courageously preach the life and the Gospel of Jesus.
That could cost their lives. But they were no more cowards.
Because, they felt the spirit of God in them. They felt the promise of Jesus in their inside. Not only the Apostles get their form, slowly the church, too gets her form in the Spirit.
In the Gospel of John (20, 22), we hear another narration of the Holy Spirit. Here it is Jesus himself who gives the Spirit to his Apostles by “breathing on them”.
This again reminds us of the creation story... This reminds us the God who breathed his Spirit to the Human.
This gives us picture a God who is so close to his followers.
This promises us, his disciples the Divine Courage and Life.
The Gospel of last Sunday is the Prayer of Jesus for his disciples – He prays for the unity too. And it is very interesting to watch the happening at Pentecost. We see the prayer of Jesus is coming true today.
At first we see the unity of the disciples in the Spirit of God.
Then the unity of the people: because they understand the Gospel in their own language. God is glorified in all these: Yes, the prayer of Jesus comes true from today onwards.
And the disciples of Jesus are gathering such an experience right at Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit makes Jesus' disciples - not only the 12 apostles - and all who believe in him- his inspired apostles and messengers.
He gives us his strength and courage; he unites us all in Jesus.
He now gives us a common language for different receivers.
This is the language of God who created everything.
This is the language of Jesus, who healed people, comforted them;
This is the language of love that unites us.
This is what we celebrate on this Pentecost. We rejoice in our God who is near, who is with us. He strengthens and makes us a new creation in his Spirit. I wish - like the disciples of Jesus - all of us a new beginning in the spirit of God. God bless us all. Amen.-
Fr Thomas Kalathil
Once I was taking class in a Sunday school (instead of another teacher). I just asked a child in the class, how he prays and what he prays. His answer was so interesting… It was so:
“dear Jesus, make my maths teacher sick tomorrow….”
And I asked why only the maths teacher?
Then he told, he couldn’t finish his homework for Monday and if he appears with out doing them, he gets some punishment.
He had “his good reason” for the prayer…
The Gospel passage of this Sunday explains Jesus’ prayer for his disciples. Not like the prayer of the child, of course. It is a prayer before his departure.
Jesus as the Son of God was really not in need of the help of his Father. Still he maintains here a certain politeness. Gospel says: Jesus is lifting his Eyes up to heaven…By this gesture Jesus is accepting the power and greatness of God the Father.
We should also recall: Who looks up? Certainly, the one who is smaller than the other has to do that. In Prayer life, one has to be “smaller or humbler”. Let us not forget the parable of two praying men in the temple: The Pharisee was pride, the Tax collector was humble. And the prayer of the humble tax collector was heard (Lk 18, 14). Yes, in our prayer life, the proper disposition of Heart is important. Prayer requires more humility than pride.
My dear friends, accepting the greatness of God in prayer is not a wrong step at all. Becoming humbler in prayer doesn’t mean, becoming slave or sacrificing one’s human dignity. I surely believe that Jesus doesn’t what to humiliate us. But we can perceive this “position”/disposition from another positive angle, which is; accepting the greatness of God means accepting his goodness…
We see Jesus glorifies his father (both in our father and here). But he also prays for others:
He prays not to save/free his friends from the world,
but to secure them from the evil in the world.
This is not only a Powerful prayer to resist the temptations in life but it is a realistic prayer. Jesus tells us to accept the life with faith and God’s help. We have to face the problems and trails, not run away from them.
More than that Jesus is not praying here for any material good.
All the more he prays for spiritual good.
Does that mean all our prayers for material good are wrong?
Of course we should pray for good health and good life etc...
But they should be according to the will of God. We should allow God to do his Will, not to fulfil our will and wishes.
We pray a lot … so much. I don’t know really, how many prayers do we have? How many prayer books do we have in our families or how many prayer services daily we have?
How much Rosaries, Holy Masses and other prayers are offered daily, for the sake of peace, health etc...
Still many things remain unchanged.
Why? Is there any reason for it?
I think we should be more serious in our prayers and have to find some answers.
We may find that Jesus’ prayers were very special.
It is mainly because; the Prayers of Jesus are emerging from his life situations.
This should inspire our prayer lives.
Our Prayers should have real connections to our lives.
Or we must relate between our prayers and our lives. That will surely make the Prayer an experience.
I wish and pray such a good prayer life for all of us.
God bless us all. Amen.
--
Fr Thomas Kalathil
Children have a very special nature. Normally they trust their parents in any circumstance. This trust makes them secure and powerful.
And of course not only children but every human, like to be secure in life.
The Gospel on this feast day really provides us such an assurance of the Divine Guardian- God. Jesus is having his last speech to his followers.
It is not like the speech at the table of last supper.
Even though Jesus is ascending to Heaven, it is not shadowed by a feeling of separation, all the more the promise of His presence and guidance all through their lives is felt powerfully.
Jesus is not hiding the persecutions they are to face by remaining faithful to His Gospel. But through the apostles aren’t scared, because the words of Jesus give them assurance and power in these tests.
Yes, they are like simple children who blindly trust in their parents.
The Apostles trust in Jesus (more than ever) and are - as the Gospel says-
on their mission of proclamation.
This proves with out doubts; the Gospel is really Good News.
It is good news because it rediscovers and reinstates the faith of the apostles.
It assures in them - also in the lives of believers - the Omni-presence of God.
Still for some the Gospel of the day can be little confusing.
Then the gospel says Jesus ascends in to heaven.
But the last sentence says that the “Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” (Mk 16, 20)
How could it be possible:
to be in heaven and at the same time being with the apostles?
There come these questions:
Where is God? Is he in heavens?
This question can disturb not only an atheist but also a believer,
who has to undergo sufferings and difficulties in his lives.
Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut, the first human in outer space and the first to orbit the Earth, was asked: „ Did you see God there (in space)?
His answer was “I did not see any God up there”.
Sure, we believe that there is a Heaven, but where and how it seems to be, is not sure to any one. Even the Holy Bible says he is not “up” there.
We can read that in the Acts:
“While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1, 10-11)
We have to admit that there are linguistic limitations in understanding the Word of God – of course the term “Heaven” too.
Heaven in the Bible is not the sky or the space above us. It is more than that.
The Ascension of Our Lord is not some travel in to the space where no humans are living. It is a great entry into the lives of the apostles and his followers in faith and action. In this manner we can surely call this feast as “Jesus entry in to the human Hearts and lives.”
More over is not the feast of departure and absence, but it is the feast of God’s presence; The Feast of Our God who Incarnated – became Emmanuel - God with us.
He is present in our lives, if really believe and acknowledge him.
If he is in and with us, everything we speak will be ‘Good News’,
because it will be His Spirit speaks in and through us.
If our hearts are filled by His presence and love,
there can not be other message than His.
If he is with us, no fears and persecutions can suppress us.
St Paul witnesses: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Phil 1, 21).
Now let us re enter in to the meaning of this feast of ascension.
It is the feast of glorification: not only Jesus, but all who really follow Him, are promised and assured the Heaven, this Glory.
They can be with God and be at the right side of Father.
Let us think, speak and act in his presence and spirit and love.
Thus we can enjoy the presence of God in this life and life after life.
God bless us all. Amen!---
Fr Thomas Kalathil
The readings of this Sunday impress us with its human understanding of the good news. It shows us the real spirit, Jesus conveyed to his followers is kept in their proclamation. Faith and Mercy are proclaimed here without any compromise.
Let us start from the first reading. We hear there two incidents- at first Peter meet Cornelius in Caesarea where the proclamation and baptism of the newly converted happens. Cornelius gives Peter the due respect. But Peter’s response is much interesting. He says, “Get up. I myself am also a human being”. The head of the apostles and many thousands of followers is so human in his growth. He is not taken by the wonders and signs. He is all the more humble and accepts his weakness.
We see this humble and God depending Peter is blessed by the Spirit of God and his proclamation is fruitful.
We see here the process - St. Peter becomes a real pastor. He is not proud at all, but believed in the power of God and his loving nature who accepts every one in faith. This is the Jesus whom Peter personally experienced. He himself left Jesus in his trails but he could repent and got the chance to turn back to his Lord with added spirit and love. The mercy and love St Peter enjoyed from his Lord is lived by him in his life.
When we come to the second reading we hear almost same message here. Of course John the Apostle of Love of God expresses this in his own theology and spirituality.
“Love one another” “love is from God and through love we know God” “God loved us first and gave his Son”… all these sentences are really uplifting human. Then no human being is against Love. Every one looks for Love; every one needs love. And John gloriously relates this love to God, because St. John experienced Jesus and God’s Love in Love alone.
The Gospel is just another angle of this second reading.
There Jesus has the main role. But the message is same.
“Remain in my love”, “Keep my commandments means to remain in love”.
The sign of Great love is to offer one’s Life for his friend.
You are not slaves, but friends. I chose you and appointed first. All these messages in the gospel passage are supreme.
One sentence is greater than the other.
All these proclamations underline the personal experience of the apostles. They lived and spread what they experienced in Jesus. What they acquired during their life with Jesus.
These experiences are special to each one.
But there is some common factor too.
That is the loving and understanding divine spirit.
Their picture on God was some one caring and human.
Jesus their master lived such a human and caring life with them.
That was their great example to follow.
As Peter and John were the closest apostles of Jesus, we can feel that speciality in their writings and activities. They proclaim Jesus as a loving friend and at the same time the Lord of their lives.
He is the first and best lover, who loved me and you at first and
who loved us at the best by giving his own life for us.
My dear friends,
We practice our faith in Jesus with a gap of long time to the apostles.
We cannot have the same intensity of the Jesus Experience of the Apostles.
Still we are called to follow and proclaim Jesus.
That may be a challenge for us.
But we can feel Jesus, his love - in the sacraments and in his Gospel and some times through his loving community.
We are his present followers; that means, as St. Peter we have the duty to uplift people, with our words, through our human and caring deeds.
We can also reciprocate to the love of God and feel him as friend and guide if we will. We can be the apostles of the Love of God as St John- of course in our manner.
Let us seek this personal experience of God in this church, in this community and in our gatherings, in our family. May the loving and caring God bless us all. Amen
-Fr Thomas Kalathil
Jesus was a very good observer. We see almost all the parables and stories Jesus told were connected with the life of the people in his time. He could meditate on the happening surrounding him and really connect them to the kingdom of God and the Good news.
Since I am in this German parish, I have the chance to watch the works of in a vineyard as my room is surrounded by acres of vineyards. The distance from my house to oldest vineyard in Germany is less than 100 meters.
In these days I can watch how quick the branches are growing and getting green leaves. (After the winter one may not see any leaves on the branches).
Here the Vintners have their own methods in the cultivation.
When the grapes are collected, they keep only two healthy branches on each vine. All other braches will be pruned. These two branches will grow soon in those months when it is warm enough and there will be again small branches. After some months the vintner will cut down the week branches again.
When there are grapes, the vintner will repeatedly remove unnecessary branches and leaves from the vine.
In the first year, this was very strange to me till I cleared my doubts:
This is to concentrate the strength of the grapes.
The vintner had to do this, if they want a good harvest.
Just as we hear in the Gospel passage of this Sunday.
The interesting point in the parable of Vine and the branches is that there is a vintner who cuts the branches. He cannot be soft-hearted or merciful and allow the whole branches to grow. This may cause only a disorder and disaster to the cultivation. There will be no enough grapes in these vine or they will be not that good in quantity and quality.
The parable tells with out any mercy that there should be some order in the life, just as the vine branches are being treated.
Jesus has a special instrument for the purification:
“You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you”, yes it is his Word.
From the first reading we hear about the converted Saulus –the one who was pruned by the Word of God. Once he was very proud of his origin as his name mentions: Saulus means “the sublime”, “prayed for”.
Now the “encounter with Jesus” made him “Brother Saul (Paul)” or the servant of Christ and the Apostle of the gentiles.
He was least bothered about his sublime Jewish tradition.
He concentrated only on his mission for Jesus.
St Paul remained in his life so close to Jesus and that produced fruits.
Jesus asks us to remain with him. He promises his presence with us.
Whether I am remaining related to Jesus?
Whether I am bringing the corresponding fruits in my life?
Or do I have some obstacles, which trouble me to bring up the real fruits?
In the second reading of letter to John we hear, “let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth“- its meaning is very clear and suiting to the Gospel. It is not the superficial matters, but the spirit behind our actions is very important and it is counted. What we are doing, what comes out of our life should relate to Jesus.
We are blessed if we can sing along with the psalmist:
“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD;
all the families of the nations shall bow down before him.
To him alone shall bow down all who sleep in the earth;
before him shall bend all who go down into the dust.
And to him my soul shall live; my descendants shall serve him.
(Ps 22, 27-30)
We are blessed, if our lives are remaining and growing in the living vine of Jesus and generating fruits fitting to his Spirit. God Bless us all. Amen!
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil
