Where is the Rest to be Found?

On the All Saints Day we have celebrated with all who have attained their eternal reward and are seated with God in heaven. They are our friends in heaven.

On the All Souls Day we commemorate the faithful departed who have not yet been admitted to the company of God, and pray that they will soon attain the joys of eternal life.

We find death such a difficult topic to talk about, to deal with, and we tend to see death as the end of life rather than a part of a journey.

We all suffer in this world more or less, either from anxiety of mind, or sorrow of heart, or pain of body. And nevertheless we all long for rest; we seek it eagerly. Where is rest to be found? Where shall we seek it?

In fact the greater number of men and women and children, seek their rest in the enjoyment of the riches, pleasures, and honors of this life. Do they really find rest in these things? No. Rest is not in these things.

The greatest challenge to a people of faith, is to really believe in life after death where we find eternal rest… to really believe that we actually go onto a better place.

"There is only way we can get ready for immortality and that is to love this life and to live it courageously and cheerfully and as faithful as we can."

On this month of November we shall remember to pray for all the departed souls, forgotten souls and all the poor souls in purgatory. Eternal rest grant unto them, Lord!

Love God, Love Neighbours

Today’s Gospel reading revolves around the question: “Which commandment of the Law is the greatest?” (MT 22: 34-40). Another way to put this question is to ask, “What do I need to do to achieve salvation?”

“Love God with your whole mind, your whole heart, and your whole soul, and love your neighbor as yourself,” is more an attitude in life than a list of things to do. “God is present when we love Him and when we love our neighbours.

People are either good or bad about questioning things. We are good if we are truly interested in discovering God’s will. We are bad if we are only interested in picking apart God’s Word. Hopefully, we all want to learn and grow and become more in tune with God in every way. Jesus boiled down God’s commandments for us in life: Love God and love people. 

If we get these right, most things will fall into place. But if we get these wrong, most other things will go wrong as well.True love of God and true love of neighbour are two sides of the same coin. We cannot separate them.

“Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20).

We ask the Lord to help us to put Him first in our life. So many times we find ourselves putting other things ahead of Him. We make time for the things we want to do, but we find little time to pray. We shall find time to talk to our parishioners/friends/family members.

Many are Called, Few are Chosen!

“For many are called but few are chosen," (Mt 22:14). Today's gospel sends a message to those who are keeping away from the Lord’s Supper that they are missing out on the joy of life.

The Eucharistic banquet is the symbol of happiness and joy present in the Kingdom of God. Sometimes what keep us away from the joy of the kingdom is not sin but preoccupation with the necessities of life. When the invitation is given - one goes to his farm, another to his business, etc. These are, of course, necessary and useful occupations. To be serious with our job is a good thing and good sign, but when our job keeps us away from attending the Eucharist, then it has become an obstacle. It hinders us from experiencing the real presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. 

It used to be that people attended Church service to fulfill a “Sunday obligation,” otherwise it would be counted against them as sin. This kind of fear no longer motivates young people today. In the Eucharist we say of ourselves, “... Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” The Lord invites us to a supper, a banquet, a feast. Can you imagine that such a wedding feast calls us to a deepest intimacy with Jesus?

"The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want and surely the goodness and kindness of the Lord shall follow me all the days of my life and in the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever." Amen.

Live by the Truth of God's Word

“Give to Caesar what is belong to Caesar and give to God what is belong to God, (MT 22:22)."

The verb translated "GIVE" here often carries the sense of giving something “BACK” to who it belongs. Our giving unto to Him is an outward sign of our inward condition. It is not just an obligation, but an opportunity for blessing. Hearts that belong to God rejoice in the opportunity to use what God has given them to worship Him; whether it be by the giving of money, time, talents, etc. What we have we gladly give to God and then set back in excited anticipation to see how He will use what we give. 

The Gospel reminds us that we as Christians we not only members of the Church but also members of the society. Tensions can exist between our loyalty to God and our duty to our country especially when political issues touch upon faith, morality and justice. In this case we need to put God and His laws first even if it brings us into conflict with the state.

Integrity starts in the heart, a heart that is fully controlled by God. Once you have examined your heart then you need to examine your actions. If you need to examine your integrity then live truthfully. Live by the truth of God’s word.

The Murderous Tenants

The context of the parable of the murderous tenants of the vineyard is about violence and the abuse of power. The themes of this story of violence and abuse of power remain very much part of our present day world. Parts of this contemporary story are the power struggle going on across the world, as well as the violence and wars we encounter in our neighbourhoods, towns and countries. The consequences of these our lives become: bitter, broken and damaged relationships, a loss of ability to hear what others are saying to us, and a deafness to the voice of God in our lives.

God always gives many opportunities and patiently waits for our conversion. He never cuts us off. A time will come when we will be answerable for the way we choose. We must repent and return to God from all our indifference, ingratitude and selfishness.