Sermon thoughts – Easter – A- 2011 – Mt 28, 1-10

First of all I wish you all a blessed Easter feast. May the risen Christ bless us with his ever extending life.

Dear friends,

most of us have some experience in gardening or planting some trees.

We know that not all the seeds which are sown in the same earth will grow.

It is not then the issue of the earth, it can be the defect of the particular seed.

In order to grow, the seed must have a “potentiality of life” in it.

If the seed has this potentiality, it will be powerful enough even to overcome any obstacle above it.

It can come out of the earth or between stones and thorns.

The resurrection of Jesus gives us the same message of such a potential seed.

He had the life which was not passing.

No cross, no grab could hide or prevent this Power.

Yes, he had the power to break the chains of the Death and decay.

He received this power from God, in the union of the spirit.

Sometimes we have some sleepless nights. We cannot sleep if we are undergoing some strain or stress or when some important decisions are to be met.

I think Jesus also cannot be “inactive” or “simply dead”.

He had to rise.

Then he had to hand over His mission to his friends and apostles.

Because his mission was incomplete.

Or his mission ends or gets alive only with this hand-over of the mission.

Resurrection of Jesus is the celebration of Life.

It is the celebration of the continuing life of the divine nature.

It also reminds us the continuing mission of Jesus,

which is entrusted to us through his disciples.

The risen Lord was a very special and different experience for the disciples.

Then the risen Jesus reawakened their faith which was almost fading out.

The good news that their Lord and Master overcame the sufferings and death, gave them at least some hope at their present frustrating lifetime.

The risen Christ and the various experience with him made them stronger and stronger about their faith. They could slowly recognize the teachings of their Master. They can reconstruct and better understand the “hidden meanings” of the Words of Jesus at his life time with them. Slowly they get enlightened. He is living and his message is life.

Thus Resurrection of Jesus becomes the first and very important step in their later mission.

They grow slowly to the courage to proclaim the Risen Lord:

it prepared them to experience the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

The Risen Lord teaches us that His Power is mysterious and inexplicable.

This power was not of Human nature but it was divine.

Resurrection is giving power and hope in our life- not only the disciples of Jesus but also to us.

It assists us especially when we are weak and worn out.

It fills us with new life and Hope.

Let us try to get closer to the mystery of this Easter.

Let it reawaken our faith and hope.

May the Risen Lord bless us all. Amen!

-

Fr Thomas Kalathil

Meditation on the Cross and Suffering of Jesus – 2011 – Good Friday.

We hear a lot on suffering and death.

Cross and death are not nice and pleasant themes to hear.

I ask myself in these days a question:
Should I mourn on the death of Jesus? Should I cry about him?

Then I got an answer for this:
On his death, I must not grieve.

Then comes the next question: What does the Holy Week then mean?
Then the liturgies on Holy Thursday or Good Friday have nothing to be sorrow. I am confused…
Can I say that there is nothing to grieve?
Yes, there is something to mourn and to weep.
But it is not on the death of Jesus.
For he said to the women of Jerusalem:
“Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and your children!” (Luke 23:28)

Then Jesus was aware of his way.
He knew what his end.

Therefore he has no regrets. The suffering and death did not weaken him.

Still his warning is there- for me.
As he said to the women, he says, mourn- because of your sins and mistakes. Because of the debt of my world I should repent. Yes, I have to cry about it. Then I, my world of egoism, crucify him again and again. I have to feel sorrow on that.
His death reminds me of my failures against him: Against my human beings.

The cross remains in our midst as the winner. This is the tree of life.
In the church tree has an important place. For Christmas, we see a Christmas tree … And now we see the tree of the cross. Again the Christ – tree.
It is the Tree of Life – Tree of Love – the tree of gratitude. It stands on the earth. It looks to the Heavens. In him is life.

Christ is my tree of life. He tells me not to cry. Avoid the “situations” that make you cry and repent. Simply said renounce sin.

He stands as the tree of life and love.
He invites me to be happy and rejoice.

Weep not for me, but seek the will of God …

He says … Be a tree … be alive … giving possibilities of life.
For that you need to carry your cross.

Do not be a cross of the curse and death to others.
But be a cross of life and blessing.
Do not cry … rejoice and be happy in Jesus. AMEN!
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil