A. Back ground:
Last few sundays, we reflected, that we have become an catholic professional with Confirmation, then 1st lesson of Jesus message at Cana, where HE clearly show the importance of Mary and saints, to resolve our worries(you are guaranteed that you can receive much more than what you asked(new wine is better than old wine),provided you don't loose faith(water). Water is equivalent to 7 Catholic ethics(10 comms/7 sacraments/avoid 7 vices/practice 7 corporal+spiritual mercies/ pardoning and love. Here too, we were clearly shown the difference between God and saints. Holy Mary didn't know, what is the process, Jesus was adopting to produced new wine.
Then last sunday, we were again reminded, the basic message of christianity-Love; to achieve love, you should follow the 6 ethics pre to love. Today, we are reminded,as christian followers of christ(who are living like in one villege,as far as christianity concern-GLOBAL VILLEGE OF CATHOLICS) what is love in detail and how we are deviating from christianity,trying to throw away Christ, by ourself.
B. Pre amble for today's reading:
B.1 The 3 love
One of the loosest word in the english language is the word love. I love my wife, I love God... The word Love just about describes every thing from heaven to Hollywood. It is used of God giving Himself to us in His son; our Lord giving Himself, for us on the cross; of mother theresa giving herself, as she did, to the casualties in Calcutta; of a man and woman engage in sexual activity(even if there is no real love involved at all). It is a word that bandied about in pop Songs and video nastiest,and even in Phono graphic literature.
Word'Love' in Greek language
The Greek language love is much more precise, and give 3 words;
Eros: which means sexual love. We have it in the word erotic:
We say that book or that video is erotic. It arouses sexual desire or it deals with sexual love.
Philia- means friendship- love that is mostly used in the new testament.
But what St paul uses today Love is Agape. This agape is the highest expression of Love that is known to human kind(unselfish or caring love). St John uses it when he tells us that God is love,and love comes from God(1Jn4:7-8).
Eros is all take,and Philia is give and take,agape is all give.
There is lot of agape: love of a husband for. Wife, of a parent for a child or a child to a parent, love of a healthy for the sick, the christian love of a girl and a boy, when t is unselfish and controlled. It is not an easy Love. It is challenging Love. It does not come in a rush it comes in installments: in small measures from repeated effort day after day. It comes from attitude, it comes from God. It comes from practice. Practice it and you grow in it. Keep it up
Remember that 3 kinds of love, all very good, in it is own context. Eros,philia and agape-and the greatest of these is agape!.
B.2 General belief about love
(A). One say: Kindness and love is a virtue that the blind can see and the deaf can hear, it also grows one's humanity.
The more love we give the more will we receive in return. This is in accordance with the eternal law of cause and effect.
(B). But love has many meanings and depending upon the conditioning of each individual, they will have their own interpretation,hence it is loosest word in the english language,which has not being well defined.
Characteristics of love
Eros is all take,and Philia is give and take, agape is all give.
Remember that 3 kinds of love, all very good, in it is own context. Eros,philia and agape-and the greatest of these is agape!.
Other than Agape Love, all other love(Eros+phili) give rise to frustration as,the recipient of love, may not react according to your expectations. Then you might think life is miserable, and. Reality is always sorrow.
Without God concept, you will not enjoy love,otherwise at some point, you will discourage, when you expect anything out of your action of love, other than for God!. It involves all 6 preconditions to love. Your action has to be based on (1)10 commandments
(2) 7 sacrament
(3) without 7 vices
(4) To accommodate 7 bodily(corporal) Mercies
(5) To accommodate 7 spiritual mercies
(6) You action has to accommodate pardoning(including the exclude/love the hate/admitting that you are wrong)
You can carry out the above 6 actions, only for the love of God, thinking that how much he has loved you(your practical experience from your life), without expecting any return.
Then only, your love becomes happy, you trust only God, for any return, NOT any human being:
B.3: Love and practice(summary)
LOVE,one of loosest word in English.Word Love describes every thing from heaven to earth.Greek-LOVE is more precise& give3words;
EROS-sexual(all take/single human)/
PHILIA-friendship(give& take)(human to another human)/
AGAPE-unselfish or caring,with no return is expected-all give(human to God).ex: love of/parent for child/healthy for sick.It is not an easy Love.It is challenging Love.It does not come in a rush it comes in installments:in small measures from repeated effort day after day. It comes from attitude,it comes from God.
When you do it for invisible God,HE will become visible to you. AGAPE-love you cannot do
(1)when you treat any visible person/item as God
(2)when your actions are not following 6Ethics of catholism preamble to this love(10 comms/7sacraments/avoid7vices/
When you practice you grow. Otherwise your Love may result in many reasons to frustrate.
C. Today's reading:
Reading 1 JER 1:4-5,17-19 says".. word.. LORD..Before I formed you..womb..knew you..But..gird..loins..tell them
..deliver..says..LORD.
Paul says (1 COR 12:31—13:13)"..
Strive..greatest spiritual gift..show.. excellent..speak..do not..love..all faith..move mountain..do not..love.. nothing.
..Love..patient..kind..not jealous,..not pompous,..not rude..rejoices with..truth.. child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child..put aside childish things.."
Gospel LK 4:21-30 says"..Jesus
“Today..Scripture..fulfilled..
Reminds:
(1) For everything,we say"LOVE". We are conditioned for this word, thinking that we
are practicing it. Jesus shows; as. Confirmed christian, you belong to one cast, like you are living in one global villege. You try to undermine Christ himself. Undermine HIS teachings. You try to undermine Mary/saints,(forgetting the first lesson at Cana) you are not giving your due respect. Also you try to undermine, basic concept of love, to suit for your own convenience.
Example, you say by action, placing your forehead to ground, it is respect to your parent and teachers; just kneeling it is worship to God: you think culture(so called) is better than religion, to lead happy life!
(2)why we repeat about Jesus message "full filled" from last sunday to this sunday-but 2nd reading to day tells us the main theme of Christianity-LOVE
(3) why gospel says- Jesus were taken to mountain top and try to kill him- It shows that certain times, you have taken Jesus to hill top in your life, but with/without your knowledge you try to push him down-how?
(4) With time goes, we convert the religious principles given by God to suit to our own convenience. Many excusetics(excuse for not to do a thing) will appear in our life, to suit to our requirement. As one cast, christ followers,(living in one villege/global), we should be able to practice christianity, better than non christians. We should be able to enjoy Happiness. Why unhappness grow in our life? Check where it has gone wrong?
(5) As church going Catholics, without our knowledge, we tend to reject Jesus teachings, in it is proper meaning. We criticize others bad, without analyzing ourself. We forget to verify our life, before judging other person. That is why Jesus warn us today" PHYSICION CURE YOUR SELF". Best verfcation is whether you are happy or not. If you are unhappy you have to verify Why?, with the principles given by God.
D. Conclusions:
Pope Francis has declared year 2016, as year of Mercy. It is well suited to analyze inthis sunday. Why, the door of mercy is only for catholics? How many catholics will avoid this door and follow everyday, THE DOOR OF CONVENIANCE OR DOOR OF EXCUSETICS, creating no (spirituality)current flow, in our life. When a rod of steel(you) with proper current flow(action), can lift 12 times more, than it's weight, when there is no current, the steel cannot even lift up a feather. You are demagnatised. Please take the rare advantage of going thru' Door of Mercy and don't forget to pray for the intention of pope Francis!
GBU
For more pl visit:
http://
http://www.sundayreading.net/
Or
http://holymaryreflection.
