Eighth Sunday of the Year : A

"STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING"

First Reading: Isaiah 49: 14-15
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Gospel Reading: Matthew 6: 24-34

   * First reading is from the book of Prophet Isaiah. In this passage Prophet Isaiah gives consolation and hope to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. He assures them that the Lord God will never forget them. Further he adds, even if a nursing mother forgets her infant (which is most uncommon), even then , the Lord God will will never ever forget His chosen people. This is the assurance of God to each one of us chosen by Him. We can always trust in God. He is always faithful.

   * Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. In this passage, Paul tells the Christian community in Corinth that God alone can judge rightly because He alone knows the secrets of the heart of a person. We should not make hasty judgments about other people. God is the only one who can judge rightly.

"Freedom from Worries and Anxieties"
Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. In this passage, Jesus urges His disciples and us not to be anxious about the things of this world. He urges us to trust in the providence of God. Different causes of anxieties and worries are taken into consideration by Jesus.
1. The disciples are not to be anxious about life. By being anxious, we cannot add one day to our life.
2. The disciples are not to be anxious about what they will eat or drink. Jesus gives us the example of the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap like men do. But heavenly Father feeds them without fail. We are of more value than the birds.
3. The disciples are not to be anxious about their clothing. Jesus gives us the example of the lilies of the field. They are far better presented than King Solomon in his glorious days. If so, God will certainly take care of us.
4. The disciples are to have single minded loyalty. Divided loyalties are also cause of anxieties in our lives.
To be blessed by God, all we need to do is to seek God's Kingdom and His righteousness. The rest will follow. Finally, Jesus tells us that we need not be worried about tomorrow either because, tomorrow will have its own worries and problems to be dealt with.
Hence, Jesus' message liberates us of  all types of worries and anxieties, so that we may be free to follow His divine will.
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength" - C.T.Boom.
"The secret of health of both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly " - The Buddha.  

Seventh Sunday of the Year : A

                "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES"

First Reading: Leviticus 19: 1-2, 17-18
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3: 16-23
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5: 38-48

   * First reading is from the book of Leviticus. In this passage, the Lord God asks Moses to instruct the Israelites regarding their way of life. They were told to be holy like the Lord Himself. To be holy would mean : Not to hate one's neighbour or take vengeance or grudge as they love themselves. This teaching of the Lord God is echoed in the teaching of Jesus.

   * Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. In this passage, Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians that Holy Spirit dwells among them. They are the temples of the Holy Spirit and hence they should be holy. Further, he adds that wisdom of the world is folly. Paul asks them to respect one another forgetting their differences.

"You must be Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect"
Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. This passage contains one of the most difficult and revolutionary teachings of Jesus. To love those who love us is easy. But Jesus tells His disciples and us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. Such a teaching is never heard off.
Jesus gives us the example of the heavenly Father who is good to everyone. : both good and bad. Jesus goes beyond the teaching of Leviticus, where love was restricted to the neighbour. Revenge and retaliation is not for His disciples. Old Testament teaching of eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth is not to be practiced by His disciples. because, revenge and retaliation eventually destory a person and the society. Jesus asks His disciples to be better than the gentiles/ordinary people, in their behaviour.
Jesus' teaching is very sensible if we look at the world today. Hate never solves any problems , rather, when we hate another person, we give him/her tremendous power over us.: he/she robs us of our peace of mind and capacity to love. Let us turn our enemies into friends,
"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends" - Abraham Lincon.
" Love is the only force capable of transforming any enemy into a  friend" - Martin Luther King Jr.
"Overcome the angry by non-anger: overcome the wicked by goodness."- The Buddha.
"To error is human but to forgive is divine"- a Proverb.

Sixth Sunday of the Year : A

"FULFILLMENT OF THE COMMANDMENTS"

First Reading: Sirach 15: 15-20
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5: 20-37

   * First reading is from the book of Sirach. In this passage, the author says that God has given us freedom to choose good and evil. But God wants that we humans should always use our freedom with a sense of responsibility.

   * Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. In this passage, Paul tells the Christian community in Corinth that salvation through the cross of Christ is God's marvelous plan for the world. He gives us a future vision too: what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.

"Letter of the Law V/s Spirit of the Law"
Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. In this passage, Jesus reinterprets the ten commandments given by the Lord God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The new Moses, that is, Jesus gives us a new vision and a new understanding.
1. Jesus confirmed the Law in its condemnation of killing. But He went deeper in condemning the motivation that leads to such a crime: that is anger. He teaches us that reconciliation is far more important than offering sacrifices. The duty of making peace is more urgent than the duty to offer worship to God.
2. Jesus confirmed the law that adultery is a sin. But He went much further by teaching us that a person who looks lustfully at the opposite sex has already sinned in his/her heart. A person's sinful intentions and attitudes are equally sinful as the sin itself.
3. Jesus gave a clear teaching about divorce too. Law of Moses allowed a husband to divorce his wife on grounds of unchastity . But Jesus taught that divorce is unacceptable in the eyes of God.
Demands of Jesus from His followers is certainly very tough. On our own we cannot measure up to His standards. But with God's grace, we can certainly measure up to the standards set by Jesus.