A. Back Ground: The real ordinary time start today. It talks about characteristics of developing faith. The difference between bouquet and seed. Growing seed is difficult and time consuming. It needs everyday watering and manuaring. Then only it will become a big tree.
B. Preamble for today's reading:
B.1 what is faith?
In our living world, there are many professions: medicine,engineering,legal etc. Each profession there are things to understand logically. Then you grow on faith in that profession. Similarly religion. First you should be clear about concepts. Then you should know the scientific theory behind that.
Let's think about Catholicism, what are the concepts.
(1) God has created human according to His image, to lead a happy life(logic: you cannot decide from which parents that you can come to this world? Only God decides. He decide your death time too)
(2)Our original parents, didn't follow the guide lines given by God. They ate fruits from forbidden tree, which causes them to expel from Eden Garden.(Freedom is always subject to follow law-not to eat from forbidden tree)
(3)Fear and sorrow introduced to human life
(4)God trained Israelis how to accept full freedom through Jesus(son of God)
(5)Basic guideline introduced to human before Jesus was to follow 10 commandments with Eye to eye principle.
And God was instructing direct.
(6)After Jesus, full freedom restored with same 10 commandments with pardoning principle/ with triune God(father-son-holy spirit)/now God s invisible, you have to search for HIM.
(7) Full Freedom for human means, Human's cannot control over death and they will not know 100% outcome for any action. These two is under the control of God.
(8) Death,fear and sorrow to our life is the result of sin, done by ourselves(going against 10 commandments+not following God's will). Christianity says, that your sins will be pardoned immediately, under the sacrament of confession.
(9)Your brain, consist of 2 machines-logical + Emotional. For any action of yours these 2 machines discuss, mostly they contradict. Hence any action of yours is a CROSS, since you are not avail of 100% of outcome of that action.
Jesus showed practically, how these 2 machines functions, swinging from Gethsamane To Golgotha. Every acton of ours is a cross, since we are not avail,100% outcome of that action. Hence every human life is a cross. Jesus(God), showed, to choose to dying at the cross, that our life too, we are hanging on a cross. The 5 wounds Jesus was having, has even seen after HE has risen, just to indicate, that we sinned mainly from our 5 senses.(Mouth,eyes,nose,hear & touch). Every day you have to get it pardoned for those sins.
(10) Human life is full of worries,fears and sorrows/disagreements. God means love and Happy. But our sins(gong against God) make us our life miserable, like the dead body of Jesus. What is the treatment for these woes?
God, in His own wisdom,showed us, at the cross, that Holy Mary is our mother. Death body of Jesus were kept at the lap of Holy Mary. Jesus at the cross was hanging on 3 nails. 3 nails can be assigned
(1) woes of your self
(2) woes with your immediate family
(3) woes with your society. Hence all these woes to be handed over to Holy Mary/saints for them to intercede with God.
Old linen was kept at the tomb of Jesus, implying that all your bad experience and sins to forget by your self. Lastly the stone of the tomb was rolled out,implying that you should determine to change.
When you understand,and convinced
about logic behind concepts, then it is easy for you to practice.
B.2: what pope Francis says about faith:
Chapter1- THE LIGHT OF FAITH
The light of faith: this is how the church traditions speak of the great gift brought by Jesus. In john's gospel, Christ says himself:" I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness."(Jn 12:46). St paul uses the same image:" God who said' let light shine out of darkness' has shone in our hearts (2 Cor 4:6). The pagan world, which hungered for light, had seen the growth of the cult of the sun God, sol invictcus, invoked each day at sunrise. Yet though the sun was born a new each morning, it was clearly incapable of casting it's light on all human existence. The sun does not illumine all realty; its rays cannot penetrate to the shadow of death, the place where men's eyes are closed to it's light."No one- saint justin martyr writes-has ever been ready to die for his faith in the sun" Conscious of the immense horizon which their faith opened before them, Christians invoked Jesus as the true sun"whose rays bestow life". To Martha,weeping for the death of lazarus, Jesus said:" did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"(Jn11:40). Those who believe, see; they see with a light that illumines their entire Journey, for it comes from the risen Christ, the morning star which never sets.;
B.3 More consideration of seed and tree
For any seed to develop like a big tree, it needs
(1) Care+ everyday watering
(2) Sunlight
The above (1) you have to do it, while
above (2) God will provide.
When you want the support of God, you need to follow HIS commandments. Otherwise you are trying to grow a small tree, without sunlight, which is not possible.
B.4 Why we respect so much Holy MARY!
(MOTHER OF FATH)
She is a living examples for us to(1) follow the God's will(2)setting example of developing faith!
She was from the Jew's religion,but in following God's will, she never find fault with God, for the difficulties, they face in bringing up Jesus, from childhood to youth.
Specially how she managed (1)in up bringing Jesus, until jesus' public life(2) hoe she introduced Jesus for public lfe(at Cana)(3) seeing his sorrowful agony(4) leading church with apostles & now she protect human for their misgivings!
C. Today's reading:
Ezk 17:22-24 says" ..top..cedar..highest branch..take a shoot..plant it myself..high mountain..bird will live.."
Paul says(2 cor 5:6-10)"..to be exiled from body and make our home with Lord..we are intent of pleasing Him.."
Mark(4:26-34) says"Jesus said..seed..night and day..growing..harvest..Kingdom Of God like a mustard seed..smallest.. grows.. biggest..birds..He spoke..capable of understanding.."
Reminds:
Characteristics of developing Faith. It is a continuous effort, until your death. Any subject when you need to develop, you have to be fully focused on that subject throughout your life time. Then only you can see the beauty of that subject.
Similarly Jesus teaching you have to focused at least on sundays for you to enjoy your life as promised by God. We are ever grateful to saint Pius V, for arranging these readings, in 16 th centuary. Following Jesus teaching, you will see Impossible things make it possible
In your life.
C. Conclusion:
You normally like bouquet of flowers rather than a packet of seed. But you forget that there is a limitation of cut flowers,no matter how beautiful they are. You have to spend more time,in planting seeds. Jesus told you to grow seed of faith, by following HIM.U grow every day Faith, with support of God/Mary &saints,Then you will be happy, enjoying beauty of God's creation. Catholic faith is always maturing with life time,when you trust& follow ONLY Jesus teaching. HE will not disappoint,you, provided you give your all.
In ordinary times 1- we started from Baptism-the real acceptance of our free will to accommodate God into our life. Ordinary times 2- we were reminded of growing our knowledge about Jesus teachings in our life. When we grow the knowledge of Catholicism, the seed of Jesus, in our life, gradually becoming like a big tree.
GBU
For more pl visit:
http://
http://www.sundayreading.net/
Or
http://holymaryreflection.
