Sermon thoughts – 9th Sunday in OT A – Mt 7, 21-27

Dear sisters and brothers
Today’s Gospel passage is concerned with the will of God and justice, mainly.
God says, not everyone comes to heaven, to the happiness of the Lord. “But only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven, will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

And to some others he says:
“I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers!”

These two sentences give us an important message.

The gift of prophecy, and of doing miracles, may not be counted as the Work of God alone. Sometimes they can be performed even by bad men. We read in the Holy bible that even to Pharao and to Nabuchodonosor were revealed future events.

Proclaiming the Word of God and praying piously alone cannot make us God’s children. These are important but are only a part of the proper faith.
The faith requires from us a living-testimony and that must not superficial.
God does nothing unrighteous.
His actions are always right.
And those who live according to the will of God is also known and recognized by God.
The Gospel is not something written or spoken word.
It is the way of life, it invites us to live in the shadow of God:
– In everything give God His worthy space.
– Honor God in everything.
Let’s try to meet people and God in this motivation. Then we can experience heaven here on earth.

Our celebrations and merrymaking in these days (before the Lent time) may not be without meaning. They should bring us closer to the people and to God. God bless us in abundance. Amen!
–
Fr Thomas Kalathil

Sermon thoughts – 7th Sunday (Mt 5, 38-48)

Sermon thoughts – 7th Sunday (Mt 5, 38-48)
 

Avoid resisting, but have enough patience in life:
We can so shorten the Gospel passage of this Sunday.
Resistance, particularly at the present, is not a strange term for us.
We are experiencing resistance in politics;
particularly in Egypt and Tunisia and some Arab countries.
This is a political face.

We can define resistance as a force that prevents or inhibits the movement of a body or a system.
In psychology, there are several explanations for resistance.
Sigmund Freud says: “Whatever interferes in the continuation of a work is, resistance.”
Even in normal life we have enough of that.
Then the resistance is a common phenomenon in everyday life.
If something is inappropriate to our taste, or is not up to our level, then we, yes, many of us, will resist:
It can be against the parents, or school, or against friends, against a political system or even against some settings of the church.
This takes place often as a word and deed.

Today’s readings too assert this human side.
However, it doesn’t support them but instruct us to avoid this.

The Book of Leviticus – the third book in the Pentateuch – is designed as a history and guideline to liturgical services and is closely related to the other four books of Moses, the Torah: But it never says that one should hate his enemy. There is no such reference in the original rules of the Jews.
On the contrary, as we heard in the first reading, it teaches to love others as themselves, or literally, “You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart” (Lev. 19, 17)
But how does Jesus comes to the statement in the Gospel:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” (Mt 5, 43)

Many Bible experts believe that it as a later addition of some learned Jews.

But many experience say: the revenge can makes someone your enemy, but he triumphs over him with patience. It is clear, if we use our time to criticize others, then we may have no time to love them.

“An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind.” says Mahatma Gandhi.

Therefore, our way should be that of forgiving and forgetting.

We must have Patience:
with others, of course;
but to have patience with oneself is most important.

We know it is certainly not an easy way to live. Patience requires a lot of strength in life. It is a fight “against me” and of course against the “customs of the world” or “my environment”.
But the in the end we may feel patience is much better and more valuable than the revenge and resistance.

This does not mean that we should respond at all, even if it appears wrong. No, sometimes we have to grant it. Even Jesus didn’t show his other cheek to his persecutors. It is important that it should not be against a “person”.

We believe: Jesus will set us free. He freed us by his gospel, his heartfelt message to people. He wants us to be perfect;
be perfect as his Heavenly Father.

We know our Heavenly Father is patient with us. We too should be so and live in patience and love with fellow human beings, we show that are the children of God.
“Patience is power, with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes silk.” This is a Chinese proverb.
May God the Father give us a heart that forgives and loves. Amen!

-
Fr Thomas Kalathil