The Feast of Corpus Christi: B: June 2, 2024

 THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

First Reading: Exodus 24: 3-8

Second Reading: Hebrews 9: 11-15

Gospel Reading: Mark 14: 12-16 and 22-26

   *First reading is from the book of Exodus. A detailed description of the covenant that the Lord God made with Moses on behalf of the people of Israel is given. The covenant is sealed with the blood of animals. Moses instructs them to be obedient to the Lord God. Then Moses takes the blood and throws it upon the people. The covenant between the Lord God and Moses is a pre-figuration of the new and eternal covenant that Jesus made. He seals it with His own precious blood on Calvary.

   *Second reading is from the letter to Hebrews. Jesus is portrayed as the High Priest who offers His own blood for the redemption and salvation of all humankind. Unlike the priests of the old covenant, Jesus enters the sanctuary with His own blood for our eternal redemption. He is the mediator between God and humankind. He brings eternal redemption to everyone who believes in Him. 

Take: This is my body.... This is my blood.                                                   Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. We have a detailed description of the events of the Last Supper of Jesus with His beloved Apostles. At the Last Supper, Jesus institutes the Eucharist: He gives His body as food for us and He gives His blood as life-giving drink for all eternity. Unlike the old covenant which was sealed with the blood of animals, the new covenant is sealed with the precious blood of Jesus, the Son of God. In the Eucharist, we are fully sharing in the very life of Christ in totality. Hence, the feast of Corpus Christi- the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ- gives us a wonderful opportunity to be thankful for the most precious gift of the Eucharist and for the abiding and real presence of the Lord. Jesus is in our midst in a simple, tangible form. The feast of Corpus Christi should help us in the following ways: 1. By receiving the Holy Eucharist, we are intimately united with the Lord and we become transformed so as to become more and more like that of Jesus. 2. This is a day of humble acceptance of God's gift and it challenges us to live up to the expectations of the Lord who is always abiding in us. On the night before He died, Jesus shared Himself in the form of bread and wine with His beloved disciples and said to them: 'Do this in memory of me.' Memory keeps the past alive. It is a form of immortality. Let every celebration of the Eucharist be a memory of the Lord. He continues to walk and talk with us in the Eucharist. May the Eucharistic Lord Bless you abundantly! 

"At the time of communion not only we receive Jesus but Jesus also receives us as the member of His body." - St. Pope John Paul II

"If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy communion. - St. Maximillian Kolbe

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. Thanks.) 

The Feast of the Most Holy Trinity: B: May 26, 2024

THE HOLY TRINITY: THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

First Reading: Deuteronomy 24: 32-34 and 39-40

Second Reading: Romans 8: 14-27

Gospel Reading: Matthew 28: 16-20

   *First reading is from the book of Deuteronomy. Moses reminds the people of Israel that the Lord God has done great and wonderful things in their lives. The Lord God always protects them with a mighty hand. Hence, it is absolutely necessary to follow the commandments of the Lord God in order to enjoy the fullness of the life given to them by Him.

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul explains to the Christian community at Rome and to us that by the fact that the Holy Spirit is present in us, we are made children of the heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit enables us to call God: 'Abba Father'. The Holy Spirit also makes us fellow heirs with Christ the Lord.

The great mystery of one God and three persons                                                 Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. Jesus instructs His disciples to baptize people from all nations and make them disciples in the name of Trinity: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The mystery of the Holy Trinity reveals to us the three different faces of God: 1. The face of God as Father- the beginning and the end of all, the creator and ruler. He is not only the God we obey through the commandments but also the God we address as our Father. 2. The face of God as Son- the redeemer. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, the Divine Word of God who took human nature so as to bring salvation to humankind. 3. The face of God as Holy Spirit- He is the comforter who is always with us, the paraclete who teaches us and guides us in our earthly journey. St. Paul in his letter to Corinthians speaks of the trinitarian God working in us. "There are various gifts but the same Spirit and there are various services but the same Lord and there are varieties of working but it is the same God who inspires them all in everyone." (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) On this feast of the most Holy Trinity let us rejoice and say: We have a Father who cares for us, we have a brother who died for us and we have a Spirit - a comforter who guides us to the shores of eternity. Praise be to the Holy Triune God. 

"For in the name of God, the Father and the Lord of the universe and of our Saviour  Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit they then receive the washing with water." - St. Justin (Martyr)

"Faith and prayer will equip you to relate with the Trinity and relay a Divine message to the humanity." - G.G. Mona 

The Feast of Pentecost: B: May 19, 2024

THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE APOSTLES

First Reading: Acts 2: 1-11

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12: 3-7 and 12-13

Gospel Reading: John 20: 19-23

   *First reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. A vivid and convincing account of the happenings on the day of Pentecost is narrated. The following details are mentioned: 1. There is a rush of a mighty wind and the appearance of tongues of fire on each of the Apostles. All of them are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. 2. They receive the gift of tongues and are able to speak in other languages. All who are present in Jerusalem from different parts of the world are able to listen to the Apostles in their own native language. The mighty wind and tongues of fire are expressions of the powerful way in which the Spirit of God comes down on the day of Pentecost. Speaking in different languages points to the fact that all man-made barriers of languages, cultures, regions and other differences are done away with by the powerful and mighty presence of the Holy Spirit. Now onwards, God's community is united in the Spirit of God. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul explains to the Christian community at Corinth and to us that the Holy Spirit dispenses various gifts to the members of the Christian community. But these gifts are for the common good. Hence, by the power of the Holy Spirit all of us are baptized into the one body of Christ.

Receive the Holy Spirit                                                               Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. The risen Lord's appearance to the disciples gathered in a closed upper room is narrated. After greeting them with the words of peace and showing them His pierced hands and side, the risen Lord breaths on them and blesses them with the words, "Receive the Holy Spirit." Hence, the risen Lord infuses them with the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the word of God boldly and powerfully. According to the biblical tradition, the wind and the Spirit signifies the breath of God. Hence, Pentecost signifies a new creation and a new beginning. The day of Pentecost is hence the birthday of the Church. We too need the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in order to live as true followers of Christ in these challenging times. Let our prayer be, 'Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.'

Bethlehem was God with us,                                                                                                                      Calvary was God for us,                                                                                                                              and Pentecost is God in us."     - Robert Baer

"Pentecost is a celebration of God......                                                                                                        a celebration of God's power.....                                                                                                                  a celebration of God's desire to empower us and to dwell within us." - Mark Hart 

The Feast of Ascension of the Lord: B: May 12, 2024

                       THE ASCENSION OF JESUS

First Reading: Acts 1: 1-11

Second Reading: Ephesians 1: 17-23

Gospel Reading: Mark 16: 15-20

   *First reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. A description of the various apparitions of  the risen Lord on different occasions after His resurrection is narrated in detail. After a period of forty days, Jesus ascends to heaven and He promises His disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit upon them. He asks them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world. As they listened to Him, Jesus is lifted up to heaven and a cloud takes Him out of their sight.

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Ephesians. Paul explains the meaning and the significance of the Ascension of the Lord to the Ephesian Christian community. He asserts that God raised Jesus above all earthly powers and made Him not only the head of the Church but the Lord of the whole creation. Those who believe in Him will accomplish great things. 

The risen Lord is taken up to heaven                                                    Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. After instructing the disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is taken up to heaven and He sits at the right hand of God. On His final day in this world, the Lord commissions His disciples to carry on the work that He began in the world. The Ascension of Jesus tells us that He is no longer physically present among His disciples. From now on, they are to proclaim His teachings to the whole world. The feast of Ascension should give us hope of a life after death. It should as well strengthen us by the abiding presence of the risen Lord among His followers. Hence, the following messages are given by this Feast: 1. The risen Lord is now in His glory and He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. 2. Jesus assures us that after His Ascension, He will send the Holy Spirit to guide us and to strengthen us. 3. Jesus promises us that even after being ascended into heaven, He will continue to be with us till the end of the world: By the word of God and His sacramental presence in the Holy Eucharist. 4. Jesus' Ascension gives us the assurance that one day all who believe in Him will participate in His glory. 

"At His Ascension our Lord entered Heaven and He keeps the door open for humanity to enter."  - Oswald Chambers

"Ascensions into heaven are like falling of leaves, sad and happy all at the same time. Going away isn't really sad especially when your going enables a new kind of presence to be born." - Ernest Hemingway

Sixth Sunday of Easter B: May 5, 2024

         JESUS' COMMANDMENT OF LOVE

First Reading: Acts 10: 25-26, 34-35 and 44-48

Second Reading: 1 John 4: 7-10

Gospel Reading: John 15: 9-17

   *First reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. A vivid account of the conversion and baptism of Cornelius, a non-Jew and a Roman Centurion with his family is given. While St. Peter speaks to them about Jesus and His ministry, Holy Spirit comes down on them. This incident explicitly reveals to the Apostles that God is not selective in His love and He wants everyone to be saved. His salvation is open to all people and all nationalities. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. John. John makes a very important statement about God: That God is love in its fullness. The proof of God's love for humankind is that He sent His only Son into the world to give us eternal  life and make expiation for the sins of the whole humanity.

'Love one another as I have loved you'                                                          Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. Jesus expresses His deep love for His beloved disciples. In return, their love for Him is to be expressed by keeping His commandments. Jesus in this context is not speaking about the ten commandments which were given to Moses by the Lord God on Mount Sinai. In the Gospels we have definite guidelines and sign-posts so as to keep His commandments in our day to day lives. They could be summarized in the following manner: 1. Do not return evil for evil. Nothing is achieved by revenge and retaliation. 2. Do not judge others. Leave the judgements to God. 3. Do not worry about food , drink and cloths as if these are the most important things in life. Our primary concern should be to live as Christ wants us to. 4. Do not look back once you have decided to follow Jesus. 5. Let your light shine before everyone. 6. Love your enemies: Not just your friends and cronies. 7. Give and you will receive in abundance. 8. Forgive everyone who sins against you. 9. Take this bread and eat it. Take this cup and drink it. Eucharist is the primary nourishment to live as followers of the Lord. 10. Finally, love one another as I have loved you. If we follow these do's and don'ts then probably we will be able to fulfill the commandment of love given by the Lord. 

"Hungry for love, He looks at you.                                                                                                              Thirsty for kindness, He begs you.                                                                                                            Homeless for shelter in your heart, He asks you.                                                                                      Will you be that one to Him?" - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta