Back ground:
Today is a start of new season: Ordinary season no 1, cycle no 3. We observe the following with regard to sunday readings,during this cycle 3.
(1)5 sundays until Ash Wednesday,church invites us to reflect on Ordinary season no 1.
(2)Again ordinary season starts, after lent(from 10 feb-25 march Good Friday + after easter-sunday on 27th march to 1st may 2016.
(3) Ordinary 2,Then again starts with ordinary times(6 sunday)with(Ascension of lord)-may 8th & finishes on 20 th nov(34th sunday). End of liturgical cycle 3.
Today, we are invited to understand, the basic life of catholic. How to be a PROPESSIONAL member of church?.
John the Baptist, fortels the formation of church by Holy spirit, also he indicates, 2 important sacraments of the church
(1)baptism-Holy spirit like a dove
(2) Confirmation- Holy Spirit like fire.
B. Preamble for today's reading:
B.1 Professional
Professional means who understand theory& apply for betterment of society!.He does things,even when he does not feel like doing them and not blown about by winds of moment. He stay focused to success of his mission and do difficult things. Many charismatic and popular leaders get into trouble when they seize doing 'difficult things' in order to win approval or be liked. It was difficult to Jesus to say 'no' to people,but
(1)HE said NO to ambitious young man to follow HIM
(2)HE said NO to HIS mother,when She interrupt HIS teaching
(3)HE said NO to Judas,turning into politics
(4)HE said NO to temptation in wilderness
(5)HE said NO at times,to HIMSELF"NO,I will not run from this. I will drink the cup that is placed before to me"
Catholic professional
You become Professional,after CONFIRMATION. Training under professional is needed for you to become professional. Your parents+Godparents +teachers
has given that training to you,after Baptism!.(That is their responsibility)
In summary, any Profession, before you becoming a professional you need to undergo training, with professionally qualified person/s.
In Catholic Profession too, you start with your baptism(newly born),Holy Spirit will come like a dove, to you), you have been trained from your parents & GoD parents+teachers, then only you will have CONFIRMATION(Holy Spirit will come like a fire), you become as a qualified Catholic professional.
Why Fire?
Fire can be used for good,as well as bad purposes, depending upon how you take decisions from your free will.
You can be a good catholic or bad catholic. Confirmation does not guarantee you, any power. You are capable of taking your own decisions, to follow God's will, and to enjoy happiness, as promised by God.
Today, you have been told, the path that you should take, to be, a practicing catholic, like normal other professions available in our society. You will be happy to note:
How practical is Catholicism?
How other professions have followed church,to develop their professional bodies!.
B.2: How important to know your responsibility of becoming God parent to a child?
Bp wojtyla(st JP2) suggested to Vatican II n 1965; that revised rite of Baptism include some instruction to parents and God parents to teach the faith to the child,by word and by example. He and other Polish bishops wanted a separate document on the Blessed Virgin Mary,instead of including a chapter on her in a larger document on the church, but it went in the other way. The Dogmatic Constitution of the church(lumen gentium) finally included a last chapter titled" the blessed Virgin Mary,mother of God in the mystery of Christ and of the church" which supports the notion of Mary as "Mother of the church"
However, there is an urgent need of instructions to the parents and God parents as how they should carry their responsibilities with regard to child
B.3 Instructions that can be given to parents/God parents with regard to their responsibilities at baptism of a child;
Quote"
Instructions:
As parents and God parents you are blessed to receive this baby child, to uplift him, to please the God. With baptism Holy spirit will be received by this baby as a Dove. Hence following factors you should know clearly,in order to carry out duties of this innocent child!.
Back ground
(1) God did not created, baby Adam or Baby Eve, but we got baby Jesus. Why? He created, matured Adam and Eve. They both were having full freedom to live and are supposed live according to God's will. Always freedom is subject to law. God told them not to eat from the forbidden tree,but they betrayed. This resulted God to introduce death to human life!,with introduction of child hood to humans.
Hence catholic life is having 2 parts I.e
(1) Child hood (2) adulthood.
Responsibility of parents!
(2) In Gospel, the childhood of Jesus,does not have much details. But you know HE followed Mary+Joseph, until HE went to public life, after Baptism by John the Baptist. This indicates, that managing childhood is the responsibility of parents. This is more evident,due to following
(a)newly born child, cannot decide his name, neither he cannot decide his food. It is parent responsibility
(b) even naming baby jesus, angel has told "Jesus"name to Mary
(c) all rituals that has to be done for baby Jesus, has been carried out, by Holy mary, though Jesus is God-son.
(3) Jesus, during HIS public life, has shown us how to manage Freedom, to be happy in this life to follow God's Will. This is mainly applied for a matured catholic.
(A) 10 commandments with love and pardoning, is the basic rule to be followed, in order to understand the God's Will for you.
In addition:
(B)you should avoid 7 vices, in your life. Anger,sloth,pride, lust, envy,avarice and gluttony.
Finally:
(C) you should lead your life with work of mercy:
PRACTISE CORPORAL(of body-feeding hungry+giving drink to thirsty+clothing nacked+welcoming stranger+visiting sick & imprisoned+burying death)&SPIRITUAL WORKS(counseling doubtful+instructing ignorant+admonishing sinner+comforting sorrowful+bearing wrong patiently+pray for living & dead)
(4) During the old testament, you will see how, God the Father, is preparing, humans to practice freedom. This is similar to, how you train your child to follow God's will, when he become adult, so that he can enjoy, his life happily with following God's will. Hence your duty as a parent is to prepare, your child, CHLDHOOD, to accommodate, how to follow God's law, during his childhood, before, becoming adult-to follow God's will. In order to do that
(A) You should know what is 10 commandments, how to lead your life with pardoning and love. You both should practice at home
(B)to establish link with God, you should practice, family rosary, with this child, allow the child to have Holy Euchrist, and practice confession(more regularly)
Jesus told" if you misguide a child, you are fit to throw into sea,with a stone,tying around your neck". Understand your responsibility clearly.
(5) After Jesus,ascension, Holy spirit form the church. The invisible leader of church, even, to day is Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, immediately changed practices, to accommodate following in the church, which God the father(old testament) and God the son(Gospel) has not practiced
(A) church is open for every body-
irrespective any cast. Hence your newly born baby, you cannot indicate any cast
(B)no circumcision:
(C) no restriction on food. (Earlier jews did not eat pork)
From time to time. Church introduce, various laws to manage your life, to accommodate influence of technological change,into your life. You should know these rules too.
For ex: artificial birth control,abortion,and Euthanasia prohibited. Various dogma's with regard to saints, purgatory, about Holy mary is established. In future too church will introduce laws and subjects to help you to practice your life in accommodating God's Will, to enjoy your life HAPPILY.
(6) Catholic church has identified holy family+ saints are respectable invisible characters, who led their human, to satisfy God's will, when they were living. Out of which Holy Mary is an outstanding example, where she was present in all 3 ares of catholic teaching
(A) she was present, during God the father's time-practicing 10 commandments with eye to eye principle
(B) she identified Love, even before Jesus birth. This is evident when she conceived christ, she visited Elizabeth to share her happiness with her, once she received christ. She identified 30 years before to john the Baptist, the running principle of church is love and she showed how to practice that.
(C) She witnessed, Jesus birth, His childhood, His public life, His death, his risen from death, His resurrection and forming of the church by Holy Spirit. She is only human being in the world, who witness and practice the change, for the love of God. As catholic can you forget her?
(D) that is why, God in His own wisdom, told us to, to request, the intercession of mary, to manage our fear/sorrows/disagreements.
Ex: cana and in front of the cross at Golgotha
Similarly, catholic church is having a beautiful process,of, declaring saints. For every vocation in this world, church has identified, exemplary characters who can be venerated, and intercede on behalf of us with God, to resolve our worries. IDENTIFY SUCH CHARACTER,GET HIS NAME, PUT TO YOUR NEWLY BORN CHILD, so that when child grows, he will, study further this character and will be a great help for him, to develop his carrier, once he become matured and will be grateful to you,naming and introducing such character
(7)Lk 3:16,21-22: says"..I baptize you with water, but someone is coming,someone who is more powerful than I am and I am not fit to undue the strap of HIS sandals; HE will baptize you with holy spirit and fire.'
Now when all the people had been baptized and while Jesus after HIS own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on HIM, in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven,' you are my son, the beloved; my favor rest on you'.
Holy spirit coming as Dove, as well as fire- John the baptist foretells, the formation of church, early baptism, coming as a dove, at confirmation, coming as a fire.
Fire is the hidden basic need of a human beings. Fire is equivalent to your free will. Fire cannot be used by a child, it can properly used by adult, for a good or bad purpose.
At Baptism, you witness, the invisible arrival of dove to this lovable child. When you train him, with catholic prayer life+confessions +allow him to receive Holy Eucharist, gradually he will become matured in catholic adult life. At confirmation, you can be proud that, you are witnessing his changing to adult hood, where he can stand alone, and your responsibility is over. No doubt that God will bless your life,as well as, this child life.
(8)what is catholic life?
Religion,faith,piety,devotion-
The proper implementation of vatican II made official church worship more participatory, not in term of geographical location(sanctuary or pews), but in terms of external and internal involvement of body(gesture and verbal responses) and soul(intellect and will). Listening to the revealed word of God(as proclaimed at sunday mass) and feeding on the word(made flesh in Holy Communion) empowers the lay and ordained faithful to seek lives of holiness(in other words, doing the Will of God in every thing that is said or done-words and deeds.
(9) You as parent and God parent is having, a serious responsibility to uplift this newly born baby, to complete his childhood, with a proper training of catholic principles until he become matured to follow the God's will. For that you, yourself has to practice Catholicism as indicated above.
KEEP THIS INSTRUCTION WITH YOU and GIVE THIS PAPER TO HIM, WHEN HE RECEIVES
CONFIRMATION, HE WILL BE EVER GREATFUL TO YOU and YOU ARE PLEASING GOD.
GBU
Summary:
(1)10 commandments: explain
(2) Love +pardoning explain
End"
C. Todays reading:
Isaiah(Is 40:1-5,9-11) says"console..says..God..
Paul(Tt 2:11-14,3-4.7) says"God's grace..revealed..taught..to give up..does not lead to God..He sacrificed..set us free..no ambition except..good..own compassion .. Saved us..Holy Spirt..generiously poured..eternal life" lk(3:15-16,21-22) says"..john might be ..christ.."I baptise with water..more powerful..HE WILL BAPTSE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE..decended..like a dove..voice from.."U'R MY SON..MY FAVOUR REST ON U"
Reminds: formation of church by Holy Spirit, and to become a member of the church- baptism(dove), finally, to become full member of church confirmation(fire). When you want to become a medical doctor,first, you become a member of the medical council, with the basic qualification, then you practice under the supervision of full member for some period, for you to be allowed as full member, to practice, as a medical doctor. Similarly, for Catholicism. Parents have the primary responsibility to educate their children, how to follow God's will, when child become matured..
D. Conclusions;
Jesus baptized at age of 30,why catholics are baptising newly born?.early Baptism clearly shows
(1)when you are born,parents responsibility is name you & provide food where you could not do. Mary+Joseph carry all rituals of baby Jesus.
(2)Jesus started His public life,with Baptism,to show how to enjoy freedom
(3)when Mary conceived -overjoyed&shared with Elizabeth. once U receive God,U share that Joy with others.
Early Baptism is,responsibility of parent for his child(until he can understand about life)Hence parents/teachers responsibility for children is to train them to follow God's will,until, they grown up.
Jesus told"if you misguide children,you are fit to be thrown to sea,tying,stone round your neck".baptising newly born baby,will multiply your Joy-spiritually too & your primary duty is to guide him,to receive Eucharist+practise confession,until his confirmation,to follow God's will directly by himself. Then only he can receive Confirmation, as a professional Catholic, enjoy his life, following God's Will direct.
GBU
For more pl visit:
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http://www.sundayreading.net/
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http://holymaryreflection.
