A. Back ground:
Today is the last sunday of ordinary times(part 1),before lent. We have covered 4 sundays, up to now. It is interesting to note that, all these 5 sundays, church, invited us to reflect
BASIC PATH OF CATHOLIC LIFE
(1)Adult catholic life will be commenced from Confirmation, you become a professional
(2)God,at Cana,gave us 1st lesson-always treatment for worries,come to HIM, thru' Mary&saints(new wine),while U lead U'r life(filling with water), following 7Catholic Ethics.
(3) Ethics are{10 comms+7 sacraments+avoid 7 vices+practice 7 (each) corporal & spiritual Mercies+pardoning+ love}
(4)Love is the mission statement of Catholicism -avoid Eros(selfish)+Phili(business) Love, practice agapa(God oriented) love. For this follow 6 preceding ethics that lead to christian Love
Today, it reflects;
(5) Why Jesus, educate them in shallow waters, after that, HE asked them to go into Deep waters to catch fish. Why did not
HE opt to show good catch, in shallow waters?. There is a deep meaning!.
Any subject, more you reflect and practice, you get deep experience. More you practice, more experience you get.
To day, we see continuation to our previous 4 sundays: I.e:
action has to be more than words. In order to do that,reflect more on sunday readings & acquire God's message into your life and practice it. No other christian Denomination has organized this kind of sunday readings,except catholic church.
when you become a friend of God, you can speak on behalf of HIM. In return HE Will reveal Himself to you, for you to speak and act. This is what has happened to apostles, Mary and saints!
B. Preamble for today's reading;
B.1 understanding why God has created you!
God has created you to lead a happy life. For that, you should be healthy, wealthy(ability to live a happy life,with basic needs) and free of worries. God has given full freedom for us, to take any decision and any action in our life,using our free will. Any freedom is subject to law. There are ethics, that one should follow, as christians.(This will become law)
One should be clear about the application of these Ethics, in order, to achieve, the promised out put by that Religion. (For catholics- Happiness,independent to time) Christianity plays a vital role in this regard. It talks about happiness, not only life after death but the present life that you are leading. As christian if you are not happy now, check why it is?, there can be certain lapses, in your life.
Christian Ethics in Brief.
7 ethics;(10 comms/7sacraments/avoid7vices/
Process to handle your worries!
Even when you follow 7 ethics, you might come across Worries/sorrows in your life.2 forms-suffering of body& sorrow in mind. Bodily sufferings can be passing/permanent& range from headaches,cancer etc& injuries from accident. Spiritual sufferings worry,fear,loneliness, disappointments,deaths etc . HOW TO TREAT THESE WORRIES?
Christian life is, that you are leading your life, under the God's will. So there is an insurance of happiness, from God to you. But what is the process that we should follow? God, in HIS own wisdom has Very clearly shown in the 1st lesson of Christianity at Cana.
Factors to remember
(1)Jesus was there, when Mary found wine is depleting. God showing a process for the treatment of worries.
(2)Jesus created new wine, much better than old: WHY?(When your request is from Mary/saints- your requirement is over satisfied.
(3) Jesus should have created wine, from nothing: but why he requested people to fill jars?(God want us to follow 7 ethics)
(4) Did Mary knew, the process, that Jesus was following to create wine? No(understand the difference between God and Mary/saints)
This is HOW you GET WORRY-LESS MIND-only available in Catholicism!.Following Church rules will take you to lead your present life happily.
GOD HAS CREATED YOU TO LEAD A HAPPY LIFE BY FOLLOWING 7 CATHOLIC ETHICS+CHURCH RULES(up to date)
B.2. Understanding the characteristics freedom!
God, has reintroduce Freedom, similar at the creation of Adam and Eve, to use your free Will, even without HIM, subject to law of 7 Ethics. This introduction of Free will to you, differs from original creation, (1) introduction of childhood (2) introduction of death to separate human life into 2 parts.
Life in this world- up to death/ outside this world Eternal life.(3) 100% outcome for any of your actions, you are not avail of (4) you don't know, what is happening inside your body(only God knows) (5)to lead life, taking decision with your free will, you should follow 7 Ethics of Chrstianity+ other disciplines, that you have to follow with regard to living a healthy life(drink water/do exercise)(6) when you are living in society, you cannot live alone, you are interdependent-hence you have to love your neighbor (7) new guidelines to lead a moral life will be given by Church. Hence follow those(No artificial birth Contron+no abortion+no euthanasia)etc.
When you lead your freedom, surrendering to God's will, God will see that you lead a happy life. But major draw back of human is they prefer earth bound requirements such as Money, power and sex, as their primary need, and, forget God. They tend to go to church, but their, life is full of words but no actions, with regard to follow the teachings of Jesus!
B.3 difference between word and action
Actions - speak louder than words. Let your words teach and your actions speak. We're full of words but empty of actions. When We're lazy, your performance will slow all actions.
Joseph&Mary set example of taking actions;
1. By fleeing to Egypt with baby Jesus
2.With God in mind,by not returning to Jerusalem but to Nazareth!
Jesus showed us,using our free will, we can create new ways of thinking (Like new testament).
Even in death HE had HIS hands stretched out,as far as they can go. People had to nail HIM down to keep HIM from doing more. He asked HIS staff to pray for more recruits, b'cos fields were already bursting&ready for harvest.
On cross,HE told John"Mary is your mother& you must be her son now".
By doing so HE implies"MY work is finished,but yours just began with Mary".
For actions HE told"Put your net in deep(NOT shallow)waters for good catch"implying,your Sunday mass,has to be attended with deep1st/2nd/Gospel readings, to understand the God's message and acquire that message into your life with your own actions. Church has provided you with a good weekly syllabus! Don't miss
B.4: development:
Any country's development is a measurement of the gap between actions to words. It is easy to say words, but, it will be difficult to realize the deep meaning of those words, in your actual life. The more gap between word & action, the more you, country, religion development will near zero. Catholic Love also is the same. Try to practice 6 ethics prior to love, to practice love. Study "THE DOOR OF MERCY", Practice & go thru' the Door of Mercy, during this year,to see your happiness multiplied!
C. Today's reading;
Isaias (IS 6:1-8)
Says".. saw..Lord seated on a high and lofty throne..“Holy.. LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”.. “Woe.. me..doomed!For.. man..unclean lips.. seen..King,..LORD of hosts!”.. wickedness..removed..sin purged.”
..“send me!”
Paul says(1 COR 15:1-11)".. gospel.. I preached..Christ died..our sins..buried.. raised..third day..appeared..Cephas..Twelve.
After..to James..all.. apostles.
Last..to me.."
Gospel LK 5:1-11 says".. crowd..God,.saw 2 boats..lake..fishermen..
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,but at your command I will lower the nets.”..fish..nets..tearing.. signaled..partners..other boat..danger of sinking..Simon..fell..knees of Jesus,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”..likewise James and John..
Jesus..Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”..left..followed him."
Reminds; why Jesus,gave them knowledge at shallow waters and asked them to" put the net in deep waters to catch fish". HE is trying to show ACTION SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORD. For that you have to travel to deep waters. Reflecting or analyzing further needs for you to travel to deep waters. Then only you have to put the net. You will see big crop of fish!.
How to go to deep waters, make a habit to study daily, what is given in next sundayreadings, while you are reciting Rosary. Before you start rosary, go thru' 7 ethics of life, check where you have gone wrong, after the rosary, imagine the crucified Jesus on the cross, he has 3 nails to hang HIS body; identify your 3 types of worried(1) personal to you(2)worries with immediate family members(3) worries about the society. Hand over these 3 types to Holy mary, for her to intercede with God, for speedy treatment(with imagining the death body of Jesus,on the lap of Holy mary)
You will see, God presence in your happy life.
Reminds us;
1. after they received knowledge, for action Simon & others, went to DEEP sea, implying ACTIONS speak louder than words
2. Full of words but no actions, liable to be cursed by God, since HE himself curse fig tree, with no fruits but only leaves
3. Pope Francis, introduced DEEP ACTION to go thru'DOOR OF MERCY
4. check how & where to Go thru' to catch more fish.
Conclusion:
Only words is not Catholicism. Pope francis, clearly shows this!. He introduced, very new methods for us to easy the path of God, it is for us to practice it.
Today, you are invited, first be happy, then share that happiness with neighbors.
Remember, if you are not happy to share, God also not happy to provide the much required happiness to you!
Next sundays During cycle 3 lent, you will reflect,how you change U'r life,as a catholic professional.
GBU
For more pl visit:
http://
http://www.sundayreading.net/
Or
http://holymaryreflection.
