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).

TRUST IN THE LORD ALWAYS

What are the things that make you sad? You may be emotionally very weak, get upset over little things and end up crying alone. You feel upset when your spouse or children are irresponsible and don’t help out at home. You feel burdened emotionally when someone is not being honest in term of relationship. You easily get disturbed when you feel less freedom in doing things, quarrelling with your best friends and over injustices that are happening surround you. You also feel miserable when you have lost someone that you have loved so much and you miss that person dearly and you are not going to get him/her back again. You feel boredom when your boss pressurises you with so many tasks to get it done at once.

When your organised plans for the day don’t go as planned, what is your reaction or response? What are some of the things that make you sad, helpless or hopeless. Do you get upset, irritated and angry?

Even when some of my plans or goals have not been carried out well in the parish, I feel upset. I too notice some poor response from you, my parishioners. When you are irresponsible with your commitments, I feel annoyed. Often times you surprise me with your objections to the plans and objectives of the parish and this upsets me. However, I am well aware that there will be many more ‘surprises’ from you but I will take them as a challenge in my ministry and I shall accept them as the will of God.

How do we avoid things that make us sad? How can we make ourselves strong in our weaknesses? Even our plans, objectives, goals can be brilliant and well planned but when they turn out to be upsetting or contradicted by others, do not lose your peace. Things can make us upset and surely, God will intervene to contradict our plans and goals just for a simple reason to bring down our pride in order to make us meek and humble. This will help us to grow in that virtue so pleasing to Jesus – meekness and humility. “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth,” (MT 5:5).

We may allow ourselves to be upset over little things right now but who knows you may succeed in many things one day. “You are worried and upset about many things,” but Jesus liberates us saying, “Only one thing is needed,” (MT 10:41-42). We meet many obstacles in our lives but just PRAY that in time, God will free us from all sadness, worries and troubles of life. We shall find courage, strength and peace to overcome all adversities of life. Therefore, just pray and reflect on the reality of God intervening and He will make His plans and wills to turn out better than ours.

All Generations Will Call Me Blessed

When Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption that Mary was "assumed body and soul into heavenly glory," on 1 November 1950, it was a cause of great joy throughout the Catholic world.

We firmly believe that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was free of all sin including original sin. She was recognised as “full of grace,” “blessed among women,” and “one with the Lord.” She was chosen to be the Mother of our Saviour. She conceived our Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit and through her, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14).

The Assumption is proof that God literally lifts up the lowly. Like her Son and his Ascension, Mary is lifted up by God into the Kingdom of Heaven.

On this Solemnity, we thank the Lord for giving us such a wonderful Mother. She helps us to stay on the path of fulfilling God’s will with obedience and to live more like her in humility. Do sing a Magnificat in our own heart, “The Almighty has done great things for me!”