Sermon thoughts – 7th Sunday in Eastertime –Year B – John 17, 6a. 11b-19

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Thomas Kalathil

John 17, 17 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

Sermon Thoughts – Ascension of Our Lord – Year B – MK 16, 15-20

Posted on May 15, 2012 by 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. read more…

Sermon thoughts – 6th Sunday in Easter time – B (Joh 15, 9-17; 1 Joh 4, 7-10; Acts 10, 25-26.34-35.44-48)

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Thomas Kalathil

Love One Another - John 15, 17 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. read more…

Sermon thoughts – 5th Sunday in Eastertime – B – Joh 15, 1-8; Acts 9, 26-31; 1Joh 3, 18-24

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Thomas Kalathil

I am the Wine 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

Sermon thoughts – 4th Sunday in Easter time – B – John 10:11-18

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Thomas Kalathil

Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Joan of Arc…
These names are familiar to many.
Also their personalities are widely accepted and respected by most of us.
The reason is they were good in their duty.
They were good leaders, who lived for a noble cause.

That means to be good is always welcome in our world.
We too try to be good as we can: may be we have some other conditions for the goodness: mostly they are superficial – to have a good house, good education, good job, good family, good friends, good manners and so on.
One may not hesitate to express if one merits some goodness…
It is also a truth that for many their life is a competition to be better or to be the best.

In the Gospel today, Jesus is proclaiming himself as the good shepherd.
He is not hesitating to declare this truth. Because, Jesus was sure about his goodness and his call. He is also sure of the hardships he has to face by being good. Then the gospel tells: “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”. Yes, the sacrifice, at the end is very important. He proves it through his life, through the sacrificial life for all the people.

All these have an explanation:
Jesus had great trust and hope in his Heavenly father,
who can rise him up from all these hardships.

Of course this is what distinguishes Jesus from other adorable leaders of the world. He spread the hope, Faith and love of enemies and lived it to his end.
He was at the same time the shepherd and the sacrificial lamb.

My dear friends,
The Gospel of good shepherd is not something just to listen and praise the greatness of Jesus. But we can see a hidden call behind this gospel.
Placing this Gospel in the Easter time,
Church has surely something to remind us;
the good shepherd and the crucified and resurrected Jesus is the same.

This gospel passage teaches us:
As Jesus was the shepherd, we too are called to follow his great example.
We too are entrusted to be good shepherds in this world.
We are called to spread good words (Good News = Gospel),
to encourage others,
to witness faith, hope, love and other human values
through our sacrificial life.

This Easter time asks us to refresh our calls.
Because, we are called to be shepherds:
We are also the sheep.
We are called to carry out our responsibilities in love and concern of others.
We are called to carry our cross in patience as Jesus did.

To be good can be painful and may need sacrifice.
But this is not the end. It is only the way.
The life of Jesus is the example and inspiration.
What we need is the trust in God; hope in his promise;
Perseverance in our call.

May the example of Jesus help us to be good shepherds in our world! Amen.

- Fr Thomas Kalathil