6th Sunday of Easter: love lives always

“There's an old Jewish parable about a soap-maker and a Rabbi. They're out on a walk. The soap-maker says to the Rabbi, `Rabbi, what good is religion? What good is God? Look at all the misery in the world, what good does God do?` The Rabbi said, `That is a great question.` But then he didn't answer it. They just kept walking along. They came across some kids who were playing in the dirt. The Rabbi said, `Look at those kids. You're a soap-maker and you say that soap makes people clean, but look how dirty those kids are. What good does soap do?` The soap-maker said, `Well, Rabbi, soap doesn't do any good unless you use it.`”
Well dear friends, Religion does not do any good unless you live it. "God does not do any good unless you obey him." There is an old saying you can take the horse to the water, it is up to the horse to drink or not. So also God shows you the way how to live and it up to you to obey him or not. I already told you sometime back that Religion is a way of life. Jesus came to teach us the way. And in today's gospel he says “He who loves me will keep my commandments” which means 'he will follow the way or guidelines I taught them. He will obey me.'
Unfortunately we live in an age where law and commandments and control are rejected. Individual freedom and independence are stressed to the extent that Crime and violence are increasing at a fearful rate. Among millions of people there is practically no respect for law or constituted authority, either of God, or of man! On the international scene, nations live in fear because they very well know that the so-called "guarantees" and treaties of peace are not worth the paper on which they are written. There is no law—no respect for authority—among the nations of the world.
But still I always wonder 'Can you imagine a world without law and order.' No we cannot. World without order is like body without bones.Law and order is part and parcel of the universe. Look at universe there is a hidden law and order in the universe. Newton’s law of motion or Einstein’s theory of relativity. These are all nothing but discovery of the laws of the universe. Universe follows some laws or rules. Earth takes 365 days to move one round around the Sun. Nothing less or nothing more. Moon take 28 days to go around the earth. There is order. Because of this there is night and day, summer and winter etc.
Where the law is obeyed there is order. Where there is order there you find life smooth. Take for example the traffic rules. Drive on your left. Speed limit and level crossings. They restrict your freedom. But they are for your safety. So also the commandments.
The first thing we must understand is the ten commandments were never intended to be an end in themselves. The primary purpose of the law is to restore RELATIONSHIP between God and man and establish the foundation for RELATIONSHIP with one another. The commandments are like signposts guiding us on the road to this end. Without such understanding, the Ten Commandments are merely a set of rules that lead to death, discouragement, and pride.
What make you to obey they laws? Is it fear of punishment or the love for the law giver. Jesus is proposing 'a love for him' that should instigate them to obey his commands. Because fear remains as long as the person remains but love remains for ever. He is going to go away and what is going to remain with them are the principles he taught them. It is these principles and commandments that are going to keep him alive in in their midst and in the midst community of believers. So he asks them to obey his commandments and principles so that he may be alive through them in the community.
Even today it is 'our living the gospel' that keeps him alive in the world. “Word-proclaimed” is like building the house on the sand but “word-lived” is like a house built on a rock that cannot be shaken. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the gales blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” 2000 years the church still survives in spite of many storms and gales within and without, because it was founded of the rock of those who did not only heard or proclaimed the word but lived it or witnessed to it. People who loved him to the point of death.“Blood of the martyrs was the seed of Christianity.” There is no greater love than to die for his friend. You are my friends if you obey what I command you. It is the love that gives life and obedience that shows love. Amen.

Thank God for his great gift

Ten years back on this day I was ordained as a priest. Wonderful gift of priesthood was bestowed on me. What a joy and privilege. Today I thank the Lord for the gift of priesthood. Ten long years went like two years. I still feel I am newly ordained. Still discovering what it means to be a priest. I am humbled by the words of appreciation the Parish Priest wrote about me in this week's News-letter. "Congrats to Fr.Bosco............hard-working and holy".
I pray that the Lord may make me like that. Holiness is a life long journey. Holiness is not just closing the eyes when I say prayers and mass. It is much more than that. It is closing my eyes and ears to the attractions of this world. Control of mind and heart over the senses. Undivided attention and devotion to the work I do. Finding joy in the work I do. Keeping away from pride, prejudice and selfishness. Being magnanimous even when you are used, abused, laughed at and threatened. A life long journey.
The Lord sustained me all these ten years. I can feel his presence in my life. Specially when I have to walk through the dark days of my life, he was there. When I was discouraged he was my comfort, when overjoyed he was my companion.
I only pray that I may know him more clearly,
Love him more dearly,
Follow him more nearly.
Ten years are not enough. Give me more.
Thanks for all your prayers.

5th Sunday of Easter:“Heaven: where is it? How to get there?”

On December 20th 2005 there was a special programme on American News channel called ABC News. In that programme, Journalist Barbara Walters travels to India, Israel and throughout the United States, interviewing religious leaders, scientists, believers and non-believers alike to get a range of perspectives on heaven and the afterlife. The title of the programme and the question she went around asking was “Heaven: where is it? How to get there?” Heaven is an interesting topic to talk about even today. So today I want to discuss with you the same topic “Heaven: where is it and how to get there?” Before that let me ask you what is heaven? In fact our gospel today has an answer for this. (Jn. 14/1-14)

When we read it we often get a pictorial description of what heaven is. We imagine it to be a big city with huge mansion and many rooms. Rooms to accommodate as many as possible. Jesus says “he will go and prepare those rooms for them in his father’s house.” Is it this what he meant when he said “there are many rooms in my Father’s house.” If we accept this pictorial description then we have the difficulty of answering the question “where is it?” Scientists and astronauts will say we have not seen the seventh heaven. No glimpses of it yet.

What then Jesus meant when he said “there are many rooms in my Father’s house”. The word ‘many rooms or dwelling places’ (mone/menein) is “not many mansions in the sky, but spiritual positions in Christ.”(commentary by Raymond E.Brown.p.627). Jesus is on his way to be reunited with the Father in glory and to make it possible for others to be united to the Father-this is how he prepares the places.

This raises the question “what then is the father’s house? Those who know St. John’s gospel will immediate remember the first use of the term “my Father’s house” in the gospel, (which is also its first use in the Bible). At the cleansing of the temple Jesus spoke of the temple as the “Father’s house” and later in the confrontation with the Jews he said “destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days”. Here he shifts the centre of Divine dwelling to himself, in his risen glorified state, according to the interpretation supplied by the narrator. As we read the second part of today’s gospel, Jesus speaks of this union between him and the father. So what is heaven?

Look at what Catechism of the catholic church says about heaven :
“This perfect life with the Most Holy trinity- the communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed- is called heaven. (Article 1024)
To live in heaven is to live with Christ. 1025

So Heaven is a life of communion and love. It is wonderfully portrayed in a story I heard a long back:

A devout man was talking with an Angel about Heaven and Hell."Come," said the Angel. "Walk with me, and I will show you Hell."And together they walked into a room of cold, rough stone. In the centre of the room, atop a low fire, sat a huge pot of quietly simmering stew. The stew smelled delicious, and made the devout man's mouth water. A group of people sat in a circle around the pot, and each of them had a long-handled spoon tied to their hands. The spoons were long enough to reach the pot; but the handles were so ungainly that every time someone dipped the bowl of their spoon into the pot and tried to manoeuvre the bowl to their mouth, the stew would spill. The rabbi could hear the grumblings of their bellies. They were cold, hungry, and miserable. "And now," the Angel said, "I will show you Heaven."Together they walked into another room, almost identical to the first. A second pot of stew simmered in the centre; another ring of people sat around it; each person was outfitted with one of the frustratingly long spoons. But this time, the people sat with the spoons across their laps or laid on the stone beside them. They talked, quietly and cheerfully with one another. They were warm, well-fed, and happy. "Lord, I don't understand," said the rabbi. "How was the first room Hell; and this, Heaven?"God smiled. "It's simple," he said. "You see, they have learned to feed each other."(Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto) Charles K. 8/21/06And where is heaven it can be any where. It can be in the sky, it can be here right now. When can we attain it? It can be now today or after-life.

Let me conclude with a short rhyme which we use to sing in our Junior Seminary for our get-togethers.
“Time to be happy is now,
Place to be happy is here,
The way to be happy is to make some one happy
And we’ll have a little heaven right here.”
Amen

Story of “Emmaus Journey” is one of the wonderful post-resurrection stories. There are volumes written about it. There are so many retreat centres and journals and magazines named after it. But today I want to see it as a story of two depressed men helped to come out of their despair and hopeless situation. First, I want to see how they ended up in that situation and secondly, how they came out of it.
Cleopas and the other disciple like any other Jewish men and women of their time hoped for the “Messiah” who will deliver them. When the arrival of Messiah was announced, they like the other disciples left everything; their homes, families, jobs and followed him. From that day onwards he was their hope. He was their joy. He was their everything. They were so overwhelmed with the reception he got when he entered into Jerusalem. All the “Hosannas” he got and all the attention they themselves got by leading the procession, controlling the crowds, forming a human chain round Jesus. Oh! Wonderful. This is what they dreamed of in their life.
But within a week, everything changed. Their hero, their only hope was betrayed, captured, persecuted, crucified and buried. All happened within a day. The man who had a lovely meal with them on Thursday was condemned , judged, killed and buried by the next day same time. His tomb was sealed, with it all their hopes and aspiration. A sense hopelessness set in. They were filled with disappointment, doubt, disillusionment, defeat, discouragement, despair. They didn’t know what to do.
Is it not true to human experience even today. We all have our dreams and aspirations in life. We want to achieve something in life. That give purpose and meaning to our life. That gives us satisfaction. For this we take up jobs, we select partners and enter into lasting relationship with them through marriage and we have few friends to party. Our life will be going like a dream. Smooth and pleasant. But suddenly our dreams are shattered. You loose your job which you loved and cherished through no fault of your own. Your partner whom you loved proposes a break up or you teenage daughter or Son whom you love most and spent your life for wants to get away from you because you are an hindrance. Or your intimate friend betrays you. It is then you feel what the disciples felt. It is then the sad Ds - disappointment, doubt, disillusionment, defeat, discouragement, despondency, depression, and despair creep in.
Most of us who are sitting here may be going through one of this right now or may have to face it some time. I don’t wish any of this to any one of you. But suppose if you are faced with this how to get out this situation. It is during this time Jesus is willing to walk with you. May be through your friend or a family member. Allow that stranger to enter into your situation as the disciples in the gospel did. Share with him/her your disappointments. Allow your friends to shed a new light on the problem. Listen to what he says about the situation or problem. He may have a different way of looking at it. For the two disciples what has happened in Jerusalem to their hero was a tragedy. But for the stranger it was fulfilment of a plan. So listen to what he/she has to say. Often we don’t listen. That is the struggle.
‘I remember the story of a woman who went to complain to her Parish priest that there is no peace in the family. Specially between her and her husband. She said “Father, from the moment he comes back from the office the quarrel starts. Argument goes on for hours and hours and ends up in breaking plates and glasses. Thank God we don’t break each other’s neck.” “Father please do something to solve this problem. It has become a everyday affair these days.” Parish priest thought about it for a moment. He took some water, blessed it, gave it to her and said: “Take this water. It is blessed. The moment your husband enters into the house, have this blessed water with you at least for one hour. But your husband should not see the water, then it looses its power. So have it in your mouth. Try this ‘water-mantra’ and come back after a week.” She went away with the water and came back after a week. She said “Father, I cannot hold it in mouth for so long. Its painful. So it is not really working." Next time the priest said a long prayer and gave the water asking her to try hard this time. After a week she came back happy and joyful. She said "what a miracle the water changed my husband". Priest replied and said “it is not the water it your mouth that brought the change. All these days when he started the argument you well equally arguing with him. Both of you were talking, none of you were listening. Now that you have water in your mouth, you were not talking, just listening; so the problem is solved.’