Key Message:
We are selected and set apart for Jesus!!
Homily:
Our Lord Jesus worked as a carpenter till his thirtieth year. But once He got baptized, He worked only for Almighty God. He completely set apart Himself only for doing God’s work. In today’s first reading when the issue of distribution of food for widows came where the Apostles had to jump-in, they wisely allocated the tasks to other spirit-filled people. They restricted their time to do what God had asked them to do only. If they had taken the job of overseeing the distribution of food for widows, Christianity would not have spread. In some families we see there is no equal distribution of work. The mother carries the majority of the task on her shoulders. There is no support from her spouse and kids. She works all 365 days with no break. God too rested on the seventh day, didn’t He? Our moms also will require a good weekend break! Though she has many capabilities, her personal interest to shine in the world diminishes along with her health.
A mother’s testimony: “I had lots of health issues for 15+ years. Out of my anguish I told our Lord Jesus, “You are curing so many people in the world. I have been suffering for years altogether. I am not sure what the reason is for this prolonged sickness and why You are not curing me. Please tell me something so that my heart will find some peace”. Then immediately our Lord Jesus made me remember the occasion where St. Paul asked our Lord Jesus to remove the thorns thrice. Our Lord Jesus only replied, “My grace is sufficient for you”. I understood our Lord Jesus is giving me the same reply – “My grace is sufficient for you”. Also it occurred to me that though our Lord did not take away the thorn from St. Paul, he still completed his race. He was eagerly looking forward to the award. He never quit. So having problems is not the actual problem, how we respond is the real problem.
In most of my prayers I was telling our Lord, while all the other ladies of my age are enjoying life, why I alone was suffering. I got an answer for it too. Though St. Paul could raise a dead man to life, he himself was not getting cured, because he was specially chosen by God. St. Paul was chosen by God to have this thorn. He was one of the robust stones whom God has chosen to build His church. So I am also chosen and set apart by God to do His work only.”
Setting apart for God, does not mean a blessing alone, it is a blessing with suffering. If you are uniquely suffering, you are set apart for Jesus. You are His chosen race. God’s own people. You are selected by God to build up His church. When God has anointed us to do His specialised work He will also give us the capability to do the work for which He has anointed us to do. One of the great saints of our times, St. Little Therésè of the Child Jesus was suffering all her life with sickness. Yet she couldn’t remember that she had committed any sin from the age of 3. She said that she was so accustomed to suffering that she wanted to suffer in Heaven too. If you are having a special child, then you are set apart by God to take care of one of His weak children.
Our Lord Jesus forgave the thief who was on his deathbed, but had lived a life full of sins. Our Lord couldn’t punish the good thief or even recall his sins. Our Lord Jesus said, “Even if you give a glass of water to someone, because He is my servant, you will receive a reward”. Let us help those who are suffering because they are God’s servants.
In today’s first reading we see that when the Apostles had to take the worldly tasks in their hands, they refrained from it. They only covered the spiritual part and the rest they allocated to others. They stayed focussed on their ministry. If we are called to do ministry, let us stay focused on that call only. Even if the other tasks are good ones, if it takes our focus on ministry then we should refrain from it like the Apostles. Which job is as precious as being God’s servants?
Let us take part in God’s mission in our lives. Let us work on one mission for Jesus. Let us ask our Lord Jesus to lead us. He will show us the way. Hasn’t He said, “I am the way”. It can be an intercessory ministry, which is a very powerful ministry. Begin the intercessions as part of your family prayer. Have each of your children remember and pray for his friend or teacher or someone whom they know is suffering. Or we can take care of children, if not financially, but by keeping them on the right path. Saint Don Bosco was devoted to taking care of the young. He said, “To know that you are young is sufficient reason for me to care for your welfare.” He did all he could do for the young. If you are happy giving Catechism classes to children or being part of a choir, continue it. We may not be able to handle multiple ministries, but we can take only one. I know a rich family where the second child was a special kid. They were not able to find a proper school for him and in the process they started a school for special kids. Now they are able to take care of many special kids. We can invite one not-so-fed kid to our house and lovingly give him good food. If there is no time or money for anything, we can choose gentle speaking as our mission. Gentle words can heal deep wounds.
Let us not fear when we face problems in our lives. When Daniel’s three friends – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were about to be thrown into the red hot furnace, they did not fear. They were not able to see the Almighty God in their physical eyes. They boldly replied to the king, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods”. They went into the burning furnace boldly. But when Jesus was sleeping in the boat and there was a storm, the disciples feared. Our Lord Jesus rebuked them, not because they woke Him from His sleep but because they feared. When there is a problem, our Lord Jesus is not going to run away from us. But whether we face it boldly like Daniel’s friends or fearfully like the Apostles is only our choice. Better be brave, our health also will be better!!
Key Message:
We are selected and set apart for Jesus!!
Homily:
Our Lord Jesus worked as a carpenter till his thirtieth year. But once He got baptized, He worked only for Almighty God. He completely set apart Himself only for doing God’s work. In today’s first reading when the issue of distribution of food for widows came where the Apostles had to jump-in, they wisely allocated the tasks to other spirit-filled people. They restricted their time to do what God had asked them to do only. If they had taken the job of overseeing the distribution of food for widows, Christianity would not have spread. In some families we see there is no equal distribution of work. The mother carries the majority of the task on her shoulders. There is no support from her spouse and kids. She works all 365 days with no break. God too rested on the seventh day, didn’t He? Our moms also will require a good weekend break! Though she has many capabilities, her personal interest to shine in the world diminishes along with her health.
A mother’s testimony: “I had lots of health issues for 15+ years. Out of my anguish I told our Lord Jesus, “You are curing so many people in the world. I have been suffering for years altogether. I am not sure what the reason is for this prolonged sickness and why You are not curing me. Please tell me something so that my heart will find some peace”. Then immediately our Lord Jesus made me remember the occasion where St. Paul asked our Lord Jesus to remove the thorns thrice. Our Lord Jesus only replied, “My grace is sufficient for you”. I understood our Lord Jesus is giving me the same reply – “My grace is sufficient for you”. Also it occurred to me that though our Lord did not take away the thorn from St. Paul, he still completed his race. He was eagerly looking forward to the award. He never quit. So having problems is not the actual problem, how we respond is the real problem.
In most of my prayers I was telling our Lord, while all the other ladies of my age are enjoying life, why I alone was suffering. I got an answer for it too. Though St. Paul could raise a dead man to life, he himself was not getting cured, because he was specially chosen by God. St. Paul was chosen by God to have this thorn. He was one of the robust stones whom God has chosen to build His church. So I am also chosen and set apart by God to do His work only.”
Setting apart for God, does not mean a blessing alone, it is a blessing with suffering. If you are uniquely suffering, you are set apart for Jesus. You are His chosen race. God’s own people. You are selected by God to build up His church. When God has anointed us to do His specialised work He will also give us the capability to do the work for which He has anointed us to do. One of the great saints of our times, St. Little Therésè of the Child Jesus was suffering all her life with sickness. Yet she couldn’t remember that she had committed any sin from the age of 3. She said that she was so accustomed to suffering that she wanted to suffer in Heaven too. If you are having a special child, then you are set apart by God to take care of one of His weak children.
Our Lord Jesus forgave the thief who was on his deathbed, but had lived a life full of sins. Our Lord couldn’t punish the good thief or even recall his sins. Our Lord Jesus said, “Even if you give a glass of water to someone, because He is my servant, you will receive a reward”. Let us help those who are suffering because they are God’s servants.
In today’s first reading we see that when the Apostles had to take the worldly tasks in their hands, they refrained from it. They only covered the spiritual part and the rest they allocated to others. They stayed focussed on their ministry. If we are called to do ministry, let us stay focused on that call only. Even if the other tasks are good ones, if it takes our focus on ministry then we should refrain from it like the Apostles. Which job is as precious as being God’s servants?
Let us take part in God’s mission in our lives. Let us work on one mission for Jesus. Let us ask our Lord Jesus to lead us. He will show us the way. Hasn’t He said, “I am the way”. It can be an intercessory ministry, which is a very powerful ministry. Begin the intercessions as part of your family prayer. Have each of your children remember and pray for his friend or teacher or someone whom they know is suffering. Or we can take care of children, if not financially, but by keeping them on the right path. Saint Don Bosco was devoted to taking care of the young. He said, “To know that you are young is sufficient reason for me to care for your welfare.” He did all he could do for the young. If you are happy giving Catechism classes to children or being part of a choir, continue it. We may not be able to handle multiple ministries, but we can take only one. I know a rich family where the second child was a special kid. They were not able to find a proper school for him and in the process they started a school for special kids. Now they are able to take care of many special kids. We can invite one not-so-fed kid to our house and lovingly give him good food. If there is no time or money for anything, we can choose gentle speaking as our mission. Gentle words can heal deep wounds.
Let us not fear when we face problems in our lives. When Daniel’s three friends – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were about to be thrown into the red hot furnace, they did not fear. They were not able to see the Almighty God in their physical eyes. They boldly replied to the king, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods”. They went into the burning furnace boldly. But when Jesus was sleeping in the boat and there was a storm, the disciples feared. Our Lord Jesus rebuked them, not because they woke Him from His sleep but because they feared. When there is a problem, our Lord Jesus is not going to run away from us. But whether we face it boldly like Daniel’s friends or fearfully like the Apostles is only our choice.
Better be brave, our health also will be better!!