Faith Heals

 JESUS CORNERED BY THE FAITH OF CANAANITE WOMAN

As we prepare to celebrate the year of Faith let us meditate on the Gospel of Mathew chapter 15 verses 21 to 28. A Canaanite woman and her ardent faith in Jesus is the theme of this passage. Towards the end we see Jesus admiring her deep faith. As Jesus was passing through Tyre and Sidon (Mt 15:22) approaches Jesus. She request for Jesus’ mercy and pleads to heal her daughter possessed by a demon. But we see Jesus is not responding to her. He turns his face against her. No one expects such a behavior for Jesus. Even Jesus’ disciples feel sorry for her and beg for her. In spite these request we see Jesus being rude to her. He states that He has come for only Jewish people.  Even this is not disheartening her. She kneels before Jesus and seeks his help. Then we see Jesus justifying his attitude saying that it will not be fair to take children’s bread and through it to the dogs. This is the most insulting phase in the interaction. Usually no one will bear this. But here we see a logical argument from the Canaanite woman. It is some what like a tit for tat.  In Gospel we see many occasions where the Pharisees and Sadducees trying to corner Jesus. But they were not at all successful. But Canaanite women through his reply: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table" perfectly corners Jesus. Jesus is now astonished by her deep faith and praises her and heals her daughter.

In this gospel passage we see the true faith in Jesus. She admits Jesus as son of David and pleads for the healing of her daughter. Even though Jesus neglects her pleading initially her continuous requests and the deep faith and hope in Jesus is answered towards the end. Gospel Luke chapter 11 verses 9 to 12 speak about the power of prayer. Actually the Canaanite woman does the same. She pleaded and it was given. She sought and she found; she knocked and it opened to her. The deep faith of the Canaanite woman is revealed before us.

 A reflection on this incident in the gospel will answer many of our situations. There are times when we feel that Jesus is not responding to our prayers even after a long time. We feel neglected and disheartened. Often it may affect the faith level of certain people. Here the only thing is to strengthen our belief. We have plead continuously just like the Canaanite woman. We have to put our hope and faith in Lord Jesus. As he has taught in the parable of the unjust Judge and the widow we have to beseech continuously. Monica the mother St. Augustine of Hippo pleaded for long 15 years for the conversion of his son. In the year of faith let us pay heed to the word of God which renews and reforms us to rediscover our faith in risen lord to be His witness.

Door of Faith

 

Faith is now being subjected to a series of questions arising from a profound change in mentality of the people. People limit the field of rational certainties to that of scientific and technological discoveries only. Humanity is currently experiencing to a greater extent than in the past a profound change in their attitude. It is in this context Pope Benedict XVI has announced a "Year of Faith". Pontiff is really aware of the profound crisis of faith that has affected many people. "It is because of this Pope Benedict XVI  has recently  spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ. The theme of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that the Pontiff  have convoked for October 2012 is The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith'. Apostolic letter for the year of faith “Door of Faith” speaks about a renewed conversion to the Lord Jesus and to the rediscovery of faith so that the members will be credible and joyful witnesses to the risen Lord in the world today.  

The Year of Faith will run from October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013. 11^th October 2012, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II and also marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text promulgated by Blessed John Paul II.  On November 24^th the universal church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King. This will be a good opportunity to usher the whole Church into a time of particular reflection and rediscovery of the faith.

The 'door of faith' is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into His Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace". To enter through the door is to set out on a journey that lasts a life time. It begins with baptism and ends with the passage through death to eternal life.  

. "A Christian may never think of belief as a private act. Faith is choosing to stand with the Lord so as to live with Him. This 'standing with Him' points towards an understanding of the reasons for believing. Faith, precisely because it is a free act, also demands social responsibility for what one believes.

"The Year of Faith, from this perspective, is a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world.

In the mystery of His death and resurrection, God has revealed in its fullness the Love that saves and calls us to conversion of life through the forgiveness of sins. For St. Paul, this Love ushers us into a new life. ... Through faith, this new life shapes the whole of human existence according to the radical new reality of the resurrection. ... 'Faith working through love' becomes a new criterion of understanding and action that changes the whole of man's life"."Through His love, Jesus Christ attracts to Himself the people of every generation: in every age He convokes the Church, entrusting her with the proclamation of the Gospel by a mandate that is ever new. Today too, there is a need for stronger ecclesial commitment to new evangelization in order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith. In rediscovering His love day by day, the missionary commitment of believers attains force and vigor that can never fade away. Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy". "Only through believing, then, does faith grow and become stronger; there is no other possibility for possessing certitude with regard to one's life apart from self-abandonment, in a continuous crescendo, into the hands of a love that seems to grow constantly because it has its origin in God".

"We want to celebrate this Year in a worthy and fruitful manner.

1.      Reflection on the faith will have to be intensified, so as to help all believers in Christ to acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel.

Reflection on faith will help the believers to acquire more conscious and vigours adherence to Gospel 

2.      Intensify in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope.

We will have to profess our faith in the Risen Lord in our cathedrals and in the churches of the whole world; in our homes and among our families  so that everyone may feel a strong need to know better and to transmit to future generations the faith of all times.

Religious communities as well as parish communities, and all ecclesial bodies old and new, are to find a way, during this Year, to make a public profession of the Credo.

3.      Intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist.

Celebration of faith is taking place in the Eucharistic celebration. The entire salvation mystery is revealed during the Eucharistic celebration which has to be celebrated in the fullness of faith.

4.      Rediscover the content of faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed and to reflect on the act of faith.

 Knowledge of the content of faith is essential for adhering fully with intellect and will to what the church proposes. Knowledge of faith opens a door into the fullness saving mystery revealed by God. Catechism of the Catholic Church an important tool of the Vatican council II gives a systematic knowledge of the content of faith

5.      Retracing the history of faith marked by the unfathomable mystery of interweaving holiness and sin.

It is here the great contribution of men and women for the growth and development of the community by the witness of life and the continuing work of conversion in order to experience the mercy of the Father is to be understood.

6.      The Year of Faith will also be a good opportunity to intensify the witness of charity.

Faith and charity each require the other; in such a way that each allows the other to set out along its respective path. Indeed, many Christians dedicate their lives with love to those who are lonely, marginalized or excluded, as to those who are the first with a claim on our attention and the most important for us to support, because it is in them that the reflection of Christ's own face is seen. Through faith, we can recognise the face of the risen Lord in those who ask for our love".

7.      Faith commits every one of us to become a living sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the world

Intent on gathering the signs of the times in the present of history,. What the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end. Thus the renewal of the Church is achieved through the witness offered by the lives of believers: by their very existence in the world, Christians are called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us.

The celebration of the year of faith focuses on an authentic and renewed conversion to Lord the one Saviour of the world. It is through the mystery of death and resurrection Jesus has revealed the love of God in its fullness which calls us to a conversion by forgiving our sins. There should be a renewed conversion to the Lord Jesus to the rediscover our life of faith. Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy so that the members will be credible and joyful witnesses to the risen Lord in the world today.  

Honour Your Parents

Honour Your Parents

Abstract: These days some of the teenagers and the youth have  lot of communication gap with their parents. This leads to tension in their relationship.This can be sorted out with proper understanding between the parents and their children. A passage from Sirach an Old Testament book (3: 1-15) tells about the fruits of respecting and obeying parents.

These days during the interaction with teenagers and the youth,some of them share their broken relationship with their parents. Some parents on the other hand have come to me for prayer request  for their college going children. It is true that as children step into their adolescence there arises some communication gap with their parents. During these periods they give more listening to their peer groups than their parents. They want to be more in the company of their peer group than parents. Some parents feel very bad because of the sudden attitudinal changes in their children. More over parents feel that their children are not obeying them and show resistance to their advices. Most often children also feel that their parents poke their nose in all their personal freedom and interactions and they get irritated in return. Children show their irritation through back answering, rude behaviors and gestures.

This is a very common problem in most of the families with teenagers and budding youths.  But these problems can be easily sorted out if both children and parents try to understand the situations. Children should understand the sacrifices their parents are making each and every day to bring them up. From the day a child is born parents are after the child caring him or her day in and day out. Each child should think how much his/her mother had suffered to bring him/her up? How much her /his father has struggled to meet both ends? They do everything because of their love towards you.  Do not take every thing for granted. It would be good that children should spend some time to think about their parents love towards them. (I do admit that for some children  have not experienced the love of parents.)

On the other hand parents should also understand their children and give them support and freedom as they grow up. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) says the bible. Parents should respect the freedom of their children and guide them to use this freedom responsibly. Children should be able to respect their parents and share their feelings with their parents. There should be an open relationship. Children should be able to experience the warmth in parents’ relation and must interact with them politely.  Honor your father and mother that you may live long on the earth (Ephesians 6:3). To make things easy there must be a good family atmosphere. Parents should take care to be role models to their children.

Sirach an Old Testament book (3: 1-15) tells about the fruits of respecting and obeying parents. 
An abstract from  the book of Sirach is presented.

1.  Honour your father by word and deed to have blessing from the father
2. Honour your Father to get your sins atoned
3. Honour your father your prayers will be answered
4. Glorify your father to have long life on earth
5. Do not  glorify yourself by dishonoring your father
6. Father's blessing strengthens the house of children
7.  Man's glory comes from honoring his father
8. Glorify your Mother to lay up treasure
9. Mother's curse uproots their foundations
10. Lack of respect to mother brings disgrace  for children
11. Help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives;
12.  Do not despise your father even when your father is lacking understanding  but show forbearance. Kindness to a father will not be forgotten for your sins will not be remembered (as frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away). 

Thus Man's glory comes from Honouring the father (parents). So honour your parents by your words and deeds. Honouring your father (parents) will bring blessing, will lay up treasure  and strengthens your house.  you will have long life on earth and Your sins will be atoned.  Dishonouring the mother (parents) will bring curse and disgrace  that will uproot the foundations of your house. Help  your parents in old age and do not grieve along as they live. Do not despise them even when your parents lack understanding but you have show forbearance.

TOUCH THAT HEALS

TOUCH THAT HEALS

JESUS' MODEL

Abstract: A culture of life has to be promoted in this world. This is a culture of love taught by Jesus. It is the challenge of a true disciple to promote this culture of love. For this one has to make Jesus as his role model. This makes one to love, serve, forgive, surrender and undertake sufferings like Jesus for the love of God and neighbour and become HIS model in this world. A true disciple of Jesus is other oriented. He has to shed his self-centredness and fill his heart with love for God and love for neighbour. This is the beginning of a new culture, a culture of love, in fact the culture of life. This can bring real transformation in this world.

Modeling is an important profession these days. It gives handsome perks and publicity. A lot of young people are interested to build a career in this field. Many a people are fascinated by models. They try to dress and groom themselves like these models. Many of them follow these models blindly. Have you ever thought of Jesus to be role model in your life? Some frown at the very thought of it. Does he got that style, that glamour and charm to be a model? These thoughts come because you might not have experienced him...you might not have followed him.... or you might not have understood him. Pause for a moment to have a recollection. It will be good when you become aware that it is time to renew your life by turning back to your Lord. Try to understand Jesus as a person who likes to have a good relationship with you and try to experience His loving care and compassion towards you. Take up the challenge of following Him as a disciple. His life is always a challenge for His disciple who wishes to follow him closely and enact Him in this world with a vision. The vision to transform the culture of this world from a culture of Death to a culture of life.. a culture of Love.

Jesus challenges all of us to enact Him.... Just as HE has loved..Just as He has served..Just as He has forgiven..Just as He has prayed.. Just as he has accepted the sufferings... all for the benefit of THE OTHER. This is the core of Christian living. A living is a life centered on Jesus as one’s role model.

Love of Jesus is self emptying and unconditional. He teaches his concept of love through his words “No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.”(Jn 15/13).He not only teaches by his words but also practices this by his deeds through his ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Jesus was aware of his mission. He came not to be served but to serve others even to the extent of offering his life as a ransom to redeem us. For the Son of man himself came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.' (Mk 9/45). He teaches the importance of service in the life of a Christian through his high drama at the last supper where he humbles himself to wash the feet of his disciples before the last supper. Jesus’ message was always centered on compassion and forgiving love of God the Father. He exhorted his disciples to forgive the trespass of others so that God forgives our trespasses. “give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, ⁴ for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.” (Lk 11/3-4a). Jesus practices his teaching on the cross where he begs his Father to pardon those who offended him (Lk 23/34). Jesus throughout his mission seeks and does the will of the father unto the last. At Gethsemane we see Jesus in great trouble. Mental pain of Jesus is revealed here. Even at this moment his prayer is Lord your will be done not mine. “Father,' he said, 'if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.' ” ( Lk 22/42). This is Jesus attitude to prayer, always accepting the will of the Father. Jesus is aware of the sufferings he has to undergo in his mission and its culmination. It is through the sufferings that He undertakes he redeems the humanity. The concept of suffering servant of God depicted in the book of Isaiah (Is 53/3-12) is revealed through the life of Jesus. We find Jesus offering his life of suffering, passion and finally his sacrificial death on the cross to the redemption of humanity. Jesus’ self emptying love, self giving service, forgiving love, surrendering to the will of the Father and sacrificial suffering are the challenges that one has to undertake when one accept Jesus as a role model.

Accepting Jesus as our role model entrusts us with the duty of modeling Jesus in this world, the world we live. This is our greatest challenge and responsibility. We should be the models of his self emptying love and self giving service, forgiving love, self surrendering prayer and sacrificial suffering for the benefit of others. We should be able to manifest this all through our life. All this happens when we shed our self-centredness and fill us with love for God and love for neighbour and there by become other oriented. This is the beginning and blooming of a new culture, a culture of love, in fact the culture of life. This will bring real transformation in this world.