The gospel of today’s liturgy narrates two incidents. Pilate was a ruthless ruler. Some people had come all the way from Galilee to worship in the temple of Jerusalem. We do not know what offense they committed on that occasion. The fact is that Pilate sent his soldiers and had the Galileans slaughtered as they were worshipping in the temple.

Another incident is: A tower had collapsed crushing to death eighteen people who were inside at that moment in Siloam.

People in those days were of the idea that whenever a misfortune overtook a person, it is a sign that either the person or someone else in the family was guilty of serious sin. Our Lord clearly calls in question this view. He makes us understand that the misfortune that brings the suffering cannot be understood extensively as punishment for personal sin. Jesus declares: “No, I tell you” (Lk.13..3) Then he adds: “But unless you repent you will all perish just as they did”. (Lk.13.3).

Repentance means turning away from sin and turning to God. Turning to God means first of all entering into one’s self. There is no conversion without this turning to one’s own core, to one’s heart or conscience. The person must discover his or her deepest self and at the same time his higher self, God.

“Unless you repent you will all perish. (Lk.13.5). A moment of repentance, a real conversion, a moment of grace is worth more than the whole universe. It can square the account of a whole life. It can bring about in anyone whomsoever what Jesus promises to his companions in torment: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk.23.43).

The incidents of Pilate mingling the blood of Galileans with their sacrifices and the tower of Siloam falling and killing eighteen people, tell us of the fragility of life and the certainty of death. The victims of these disasters had no time to prepare for their death. We hear of so many sudden deaths. For example the recent Chilean earthquake, killing about 900 people.

Let us therefore heed the words of our Lord: “unless you repent, you will all perish”. (Lk.13.5).

May God bless you all
Fr. Chris

The first reading of today’s liturgy of the word gives us the perfect model of what our faith should be.. The first reading says, “The Lord said to Abraham:’Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Gen.15,5-6).

We should know the story of Abraham. Abraham was 75 years old, when called to leave his country, his clan, his friends and set out for another country hundreds of miles away, about which Abraham knew nothing. It was hard to abandon one’s own country but to leave it at the age of 75, no man would ever do. Yet Abraham, trusting exclusively on the word of God, did as God had told him and left for unknown country.

On reaching the country God had spoken to him about, Abraham found out that the land was occupied by peoples too strong for him to displace. How could that land possibly become his?
Then God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven. Time passed and neither promise was being fulfilled. It was hard to see how the Lord promised him would be his, but it was still harder to believe that a man now nearly a hundred years old, with a wife also advanced in age, could have children. Abraham even wondered when and how the promise would be fulfilled, wondered why God was delaying in fulfilling them. It was impossible to see that God’s promise would be fulfilled.

Later on Abraham was blessed with a child in the person of Isaac, after the age of a hundred. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only Son, Isaac. Abraham again trusted God, to the point of being ready to offer his son, Isaac in sacrifice.

Because of his deep faith in God, Abraham was called Our Father in Faith. From this beautiful story, we learn that we must put our trust in God throughout our life: in joy and in sorrow, never doubting for a moment.

May God bless you!

Fr. Chris

We have started the Holy season of Lent, a very important period in the year of worship. It is the time to make God the centre of our life once again, a time to abandon our sin and go back to Him.

Today’s gospel tells us the three temptations of Jesus after he had fasted forty days in the desert. The devil said to him:

1. “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
2.  “If you, then, will worship me, it (the entire world) will all be yours.”
3. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.”

Here we can notice the devil’s cleverness. He quotes the scripture lavishly at every temptation, he poses as a sincere friend of Jesus, interested in his welfare. The devil promises Jesus power and glory which according to him are in his hands to distribute to whomsoever he pleases. But it is not true. Jesus called the devil a “liar and the father of lies”. (Jn.8.44)

The only thing the devil distributes in abundance is misery, suffering and death. We have been foolish enough to believe him when he promised us happiness.

We will also notice that Jesus too quoted the scripture in his reply to each temptation but in their true meaning. Jesus answered the devil:

1.  “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone.’”
2.  ”It is written, ’worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
3.  “It is said,’ Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

By these Jesus defeated the devil in the desert .

The devil tempts us to exactly the same way he tempted Jesus.

1. He tempts us to procure the needs of life against God’s plans and will: to accumulate the goods of this world so as to come to the conclusion that we do not need God any longer.
2. He tempts us to human power and glory, to be above others, to be served by them rather than to be at the service of our brothers and sisters.
3. He tempts us to worship him: this is the summary of all temptations. To do what the devil wants rather than God’s will, in order to secure what men prize most: money, power and pleasure.

Jesus used the scriptures to defeat the devil. Jesus gives us this weapon in our hands. A prayerful daily reading of the scriptures will give us the light and strength we need to resist temptation.

Fr. Chris

Today the Lord speaks of the beatitudes in the gospel. He says, “Blessed are you, who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”, (Lk.6.20) who are the poor? They are those who place their trust in the Lord, not in riches.

The beatitudes reveal an order of happiness and grace, of beauty and peace. Jesus celebrates the joy of the poor, to whom the kingdom already belong.

The Lord also says, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received consolation” (Lk.6.24). The Lord grieves over the rich, because they find their consolation in the abundance of goods. Let the proud seek and love earthly kingdoms but blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Abandonment to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow. Trust in God is a preparation for the blessedness of the poor. They see God.
You will notice that Jesus does not address the poor as some modern social reformers do. Some modern reformers tell the poor to hate the rich, to use violence, to start a revolution.

The world has its own idea of blessedness. The world says: Blessed is the man who is always healthy. Blessed is the man who rules, or who wield authority. Blessed is the man who is rich. Blessed is the man who enjoys life. Blessed is the man who is popular.

Jesus says: Blessed are the poor. Blessed are those who though in the world, yet are not of the world. Blessed are those who are not attached to this world. The world says: get all you can and keep all you get.

All kinds of wrong become possible to the man who makes his own pleasure. The stars shine as brightly during the daylight as they do at night. But during the day, they are not visible because of sunshine. If one is content with the sunshine of pleasures of this world, he loses the vision of the stars, the vision of eternal blessedness. The words of the Book of Revelation can be applied to him: “for you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev.3.17).

I would conclude this message with an example. In the U.S a protestant girl became a catholic and joined a convent against the wishes of her father. Her father wrote to her:”I shall leave to you twelve and half million dollars provided you leave the convent.” She wrote back saying “my heavenly Father is richer than my earthly father.” and she remained in the convent and became a religious.

On Wednesday we start the Holy season of Lent. Let us not focus our attention on earthly, material things but on Jesus who became poor in order to make us rich.

Fr. Chris

The readings of today’s liturgy of the word of God speak of the call of Isaiah, Paul and Peter. All the three were extraordinary messengers of God. All three were different from the other. Isaiah seems to have been an aristocrat. He spoke with dignity and with moral authority as befitting an ambassador of God, the most high. He moved like a prince among men. Paul, a man of strong passion, a man of fiery personality, an organizer, a leader, a man of complete dedication and a man of hard work. Peter, a fisherman, very impulsive, his impetuosity occasionally turned into presumption, loyal, devoted to Christ, prompt to conceive and ardent to excite.

Three different messengers and three different ways of calling. None of the three did think of it earlier. The call comes almost unexpectedly. The response was one of total surrender, one of humility, one of unworthiness, one of responsibility. Isaiah says, “Here am I send me” (Is.6.8) Paul says of himself: “I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church. But by the grace of God I am what I am..” (1cor.15,9-10). Peter “fell down at Jesus’ feet saying, “go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Lk.5,8).

God calls us to be his messengers, perhaps not in an extraordinary way. Perhaps we are not extraordinary people. Nevertheless God calls us. What is our response? It should be one of surrender, one of humility, one of unworthiness and one of responsibility. Isaiah, Paul and Peter confessed their unworthiness. This deep sense of unworthiness allows God himself to work. It enables the grace of divine call to be effective in them.

We are unworthy to be called by God. Let us confess our unworthiness. We cannot enter into relationship with God unless we confess our unworthiness. Let us be like them in our lives so that God may make use of us, his messengers in our own life situations.

May God bless you all,

Fr. Chris.

This Sunday the readings focus our attention on our call to a prophetic mission rooted in love. Since the prophet must speak the truth in love, his message risks rejection. The first reading is about the call of Jeremiah who is chosen by God even before he was born. “I have appointed you as prophet to the nations…Stand up and tell them all I command you”. Jeremiah is also warned that his mission will not be easy, because his message will certainly meet opposition. The only reason why Jeremiah accepts such an unpopular mission is God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of persecution. “They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you”. This is a clear reminder that it is not the eloquence of God’s messengers that count, but their clear witness to God’s love. Against this background we see the meaning of Paul’s message in the second reading. Without the kind of love that Paul speaks about, Jeremiah or any messenger of God will fail. Love that is patient and kind and never jealous; a love that is always ready to forgive, to trust, hope and endure whatever comes, is a powerful driving force. That love sustained Paul in his ministry till his martyrdom in Rome, and the same love inspired Jesus. Even though rejected by his own people, Jesus endures all persecution to his own death and resurrection.

The Gospel passage is a clear reminder that when God’s messengers speak the truth in love, they risk rejection and opposition. Jesus in the Synagogue faces such rejection not because he is a local young man of Nazareth, but because his biblical message about God’s universal love and salvation contains a truth that the audience cannot deny, and thus angers the religious and political leaders. He is immediately considered dangerous and subversive. “They sprung to their feet and hustled him out of the town…intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away”. What message do we take home?
1) The readings remind us of our call to a prophetic mission rooted in love.
2) The readings also assure us that God never abandons his faithful servants when they speak the truth in love.
3) Just like Jeremiah, Jesus and Paul, we are challenged to live our prophetic calling as Christians even if in doing so we may risk our comfort, rejection and even our lives.

Today, we, the Pallottine Fathers and all those who belong to the Pallottine family, celebrate the feast of our founder,  St. Vincent Pallotti.  He was born in Rome, on April 21st,  1795. and ordained a priest on the 16th of May, 1818. On April 4th  1835, he founded the Union of Catholic Apostolate, (UAC).

The UAC is a communion of those faithful who, inspired by the charism of St. Vincent Pallotti, promote the co-responsibility of all the baptized to revive faith and rekindle charity in the Church and in  the world. The Patroness of the Union is the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles, The spiritual Centre of the Union is the Church of San Salvatore in Rome where the remains of St. Vincent repose.  The Union of Catholic Apostolate is an international Public Association of the Faithful, of Pontifical Right and is constituted by the faithful of every state and vocation, erected by the Holy See and regulated according to Canon Law. The UAC participates in the mission of the Church, to awaken faith and awareness of the vocation to the apostolate, to re-enkindle charity among all the members of the People of God so that all will be evermore united in the commitment to spread charity so that there will be one flock under one Shepherd..  The Union strives to revive and bring to fruition the charisms of every person. It seeks to live the mystery of the Church as an apostolic communion which reveals the identity and fundamental dignity of all the faithful. Among all Catholics it aspires to revive the faith, hope and love they have received as gifts in baptism; promote their own holiness and that of their neighbours; promote their awareness of the mission God has entrusted to each person, and to strengthen and support their readiness and capacity to carry out the apostolate together.  In  addition, it aspires to make accessible to them that apostolic  spirituality which is our inheritance; and to strengthen their commitment to the mission.

In collaboration with all Christians the Union aspires to invoke God’s blessing on the work of evangelization through prayer, sacrifice, and good works; help men and women to open themselves to the light of faith and the saving power of Christ; sustain with vigor the growth of an ever more complete unity; prepare and enable as many as possible to collaborate as messengers of the Gospel at the service of Infinite Love; bring the Christian message of salvation to those who have not yet heard it; and endeavor to provide the means necessary for apostolic undertakings.

(Taken from St. Vincent Pallotti’s Vision Chapter 10)

We wish all of the Pallottine Fathers and UAC members a Happy Feast Day , and pray for God’s blessings  upon you through the intercession of St. Vincent Pallotti. and Mary, Queen of Apostles.

Dear friends:

We are a people of Hope in the spirit. Hope means direction and promises for us; we are looking forward to the Lord’s blessings for the Church of Christ in our world. While all around us, signs of decadence and unfaithfulness, herald a time without God and without hope, we believe in the Lord’s presence who is the Saviour of the World.

How does the Lord touch our hearts encouraging us to faith, hope and love? It is through the Holy Spirit, reaching out to us and giving us new life. When the Lord reveals himself, it is the Spirit of God doing God’s miracles in  us. During these last three Sundays we celebrated three of the Lord’s greatest revelations. The revelation of the newborn King, the revelation of the son of God in baptism and today the revelation of Jesus in his first sign( at the wedding of Cana) revealing his glory.

As the story of the wedding at Cana is told, the miraculous sign of the water turned into wine, it is the Spirit who touches our hearts with the power of God’s love, who lets us experience the beauty, goodness and power of Jesus Christ, Son of God; in the Spirit Jesus Christ himself is the Word of God spoken in Eternity and now revealed in His flesh. Before us, the mystery of love itself unfolds in the mystery of the God-With-Us.  Revealing himself becomes a powerful life giving event and surprise of the Holy Spirit.

The story takes on an even more powerful significance when we ponder about the nature of the sign, the changing of water into wine. The plain water turns into beautiful and powerful wine, need turns into plenty, material turns into spiritual;  in the Spirit we are turned from darkness into light, from sin into grace, from death into life, from humanity into divinity. It is the powerful loving Spirit, that flows from the Father and begets the Son who touches us and makes us new, truly “a People of Hope, in the Spirit”.

Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

When Christ was baptized in the river of Jordan by John then Jesus left behind the hidden years of life and begun the public ministry. The heaven approved the divinity of the begotten son as the Holy Spirit was poured upon Jesus in the form of a dove and a voice came from heaven “you are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Baptism of the Lord entails a shared responsibility of the father who has sent his son to redeem the humanity. A greater sense of integrated purpose of God the father is revealed in his son through sending his own son to the world with a dual nature of human and divine, to pacify the coexistence of mankind which was essential for our understanding. To be sure, Jesus has taken his very birth and a sustainable comprehensive life he led, underwent the passion and death to identify himself with human beings but his resurrection is above all the Godliness that is our faith. Every believer is God’s miracle. St Augustine says “Sound faith is the beginning of a good life, of a life deserving of eternal life.” Now faith is to believe what we do not see. The reward of such faith is to see what we believe. Faith is the only key to universe. It keeps focusing on God’s promises. The plus quality of having faith and hope is that it discerns if we are to be victors and not victims.

In the Baptism of Jesus, we find a few essential elements are involved like waters of Jordan, dove appears as the sign of the holy spirit, Voice of the father identifying Jesus as “This is my son.” above all being God our redeemer humbled himself and received baptism at the hands of John. water helps to purify our body and mind, it quenches our thirst and keeps us holy by His baptism in the springs of water and gives a hope that all will be purified by water and Holy Spirit. We witness what Is 61: 1 is fulfilled the Baptism of Jesus. “The spirit of Lord God is upon me because the Lord anointed me to bring good news to the humble, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to those in prison, to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favour”.

Hence I would readily encourage everyone to promote profound faith in the revelation of God. If we acknowledge the invisible God who holds our life is omnipotent; our contribution is to contemplate on the baptism of Jesus, marvel in the light of the creative work of the Father and redemptive work of Christ, who by his very birth, life, death and resurrection has reconciled with God in all things. Let us accept the Lordship of Christ and sing a Hymn to Christ.

Fr. James Banu Bodula SAC.