RELIGIOUS ARTICLES AND PRAYERS IN OUR LIFE

Recently I announced to all of you to bring all the damaged or broken religious articles such as holy pictures, statues, rosaries, holy linens, holy cards, medallions, religious art crafts, prayer books, etc. to be disposed off. Actually, I initiated it because a few of you have approached me with these damaged religious articles and asked what to do with them. So I decided to collect them and to bury them near our grotto.

I understand these objects of devotions have been blessed and they should not simply be discarded in the dustbin, but we should dispose of these items by burying or by burning them. When we Catholics buy any religious articles, we are accustomed to having the religious objects “blessed”. We believe that when these religious objects are blessed then they signify the permanent sanctification and sacredness.

The minute the religious objects are blessed and dedicated for divine worship or veneration, they must be treated with reverence and must not be used in either an improper or disrespectful way (cf. Code of Canon Law, no. 1171). I have seen some members who have left our Catholic faith simply discard these blessed objects without giving a proper reverence. We, Catholics give a lot of sentimental values to these objects no matter how small they are. We must treasure and value always these blessed religious articles and dispose of them in a proper manner if you no longer need them.

While I was sorting out all those blessed objects with my workers, Karijoe and Joseph, I found many valuable objects especially small prayer books and broken rosaries. I have collected all the rosary beads and will send them to my friends who can string rosary beads out of them. We have burnt some old Bibles and prayer books and buried the ashes reverently.

I realise the best prayer books are these tiny ones with very few pages which consist of the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers, and other prayers such as Angelus, prayer before and after meal, prayer after the Holy Communion, praying to certain saints, prayer for protection, prayer to archangels, healing prayers, safe journey, etc. These short and simple composed prayers are very meaningful and easy to remember.

Some of the older generations are still practicing and reciting them without fail because they believe these prayers are defenses against their daily battle and provides protection against wickedness and evil. I still remember during my younger days when I used to keep prayer books in my pocket whenever I travelled and they had become the most important prayers in my life. Those prayers are still entrenched in our hearts and they are still fresh in our memories.

Over the years, these prayers are no longer recited because we feel that they are not so important in our life. Just remember, that anywhere we go, at any time, prayers will continue to assist you in your mission, taking care of you and your children. May the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all the Saints, guard you from all evil.

HUMILITY LEADS TO HAPPINESS

In the Gospel today (LK 14:1, 7-14), Jesus warns us against all forms of pride and self-glorification and self-promotion. The proud person is self-centered, not God-centered and not people-centered.

In the Catholic list, what are the seven deadly sins? Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Laziness, Wrath, Envy and Pride. There is a little demon of pride in each one of us. We must keep this demon in check and not let him grow in us.

We have been looking at some of the marks or identifying characteristics of a Christian. Humility is a virtue. The real answer to our quest for humility lies in Christ’s words… “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly of heart.”

Ecclesiasticus says, “The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself”. If we want to grow in humility, then we must be willing to listen with an open heart, willing to change and be corrected.

Jesus teaches that living in humility is the gateway to the road that leads to happiness.

POSITIVE THINKING LEADS TO A HAPPIER LIFE

One of my priest friends asked me during the recent Clergy Recollection, “Do you ever feel lonely at any point of your ministry?” No. That was my quick answer to him. I make myself occupied with my personal agenda and prioritise my priestly vocation through serving our church.

There is nothing wrong with focusing on family life as we go through various stages in our lives. At times we may feel lonely or frustrated with so many commitments and tasks at home but God has given us a mission in our family and we are called to be faithful to our vocation. We can be stressed out, frustrated, angry, overwhelmed but we should re-examine our priorities especially on our spiritual aspect by refocusing on prayer and the Sacrament of Eucharist in order to grow in holiness.

We have to be courageous to say “no” to worldly things and willingly and freely to say, “yes” to God. I am also learning to stay focused on my spiritual life and with my church ministry as well. Lately, I was reading a book entitled, “Thinking For A Change” written by John C. Maxwell speaking about successful thinking. He explains that a successful person finds a way to the top because of the way he or she thinks. If one wants to change for the better in life then one must make a change for the better in his/her way of thinking. The author says that our today’s life is a result of the way we were thinking yesterday and tomorrow’s life will be determined by the way we think today.

Even I as a priest I do find it hard to tune my mind with positive attitudes and thinking. My negative thoughts, attitudes and feelings drain my energy and enthusiasm in my ministry. It’s God who gets me through slowly. I need to place my faith in Him, and choose to focus on things, which are ultimately positive.

At times we can be very negative in our thinking due to the situations or people we meet in one way or another. Our negative thoughts, words and attitudes will make us unsuccessful and unhappy. With our positive attitudes we can experience pleasant and happy feelings, which lead us to brighter days and a happy, successful and healthy life.

Positive thinking is all about ourselves. Faith is all about God. We have the power of God to discipline our thinking. As Christians, we should be the greatest positive thinkers. Let the Holy Spirit transform us by changing the way we think and eliminate all the negative thoughts from our minds.

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it,” (Ps 37: 5).

SALVATION IS FOR ALL

The sure way of faith in Jesus Christ is better than ten thousand ways of reaching heaven. 

“Who will actually enter the Kingdom of God?” “Will there be only few saved?” In today’s gospel (Lk 13:22-30), Jesus speaks to us that He is the only way – the narrow way to heaven. Heaven is at the end of our journey. God has prepared for us the eternal life where all our weariness will end. Eternal life is for all. Salvation is offered to all.

There is no favoritism in the Kingdom of God. Entrance to heaven is not easy. One who struggles for it will get into it. This means those who struggles and suffer for the sake of the truth, justice, peace and love will enter into it.

Salvation depends somehow on our co-operation, our personal decision and the intensity of our efforts. If we make a response, God will not fail us because He is compassion and loving God. His love is unconditional. He wants everyone to be saved because “His kindness towards us,” God wants all, not a few, ALL to be saved (see 1 Tim 2:4).

COMMUNITARIAN SPIRITUALITY

On Thursday, 18th August, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers from Oregon, USA gave a talk on “Communitarian Spirituality” in our parish. Approximately 80 parishioners attended the talk.

Here are some major points extracted from his talk:

1  The early community of believers were devoted very much with four activities: Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking of the Bread and Prayers, (Acts 2:42) and they had come to know Jesus who is their “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6).

2  Trinitarian God is a model for an ideal human community, which reveals the divine image. The Triune God invites the human community to be united through mutual love and harmony by respecting each individual with equality and dignity.

3  God who is love and who created man and woman for love has called them to love, “So that they are no longer two, but one flesh” (Matthew 19:6). Then, God blessed them and said to Adam and Eve “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Gn 1:28). Marriage is rooted in God’s purpose at the creation. The nuptial covenant between God and His people had prepared for an everlasting covenant in the Sacrament of Matrimony which can be seen in the book of Genesis 1:28 and “the wedding-feast of the Lamb” (Rev 19: 7, 9).

4  The Sacrament of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) welcomes and initiates the new members to become full members of the community of Christ. Then, each member is invited to participate and share at the Table of the Community and receive the Body and Blood of Christ. These Sacraments particularly the Sacrament of Eucharist introduces us into our relationship with Jesus and the Church then build unity on that relationship.

5  The eight Beatitudes listed in Matthew 5 offers us spiritual virtues and attitudes of Christian life. All of us should take them together and fully integrate them in the life of the community as we build a united community.

6  Conclusion: Living the spirituality of communion of communities orientates us to become the Church, One Body of Christ where each of us is a part of it. “The body is a unit, though it is comprised of many parts. Although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ,” (1 Cor 12:12).