We started liturgical cycle 3 from 29th november 2015. Then followed advent and Christmas seasons,before coming to Ordinary season part (1).we stop ordinary season(part 1),on 7/2/2016 (5th sunday) ,to start lent season. After easter we celebrated 4 feasts. Ascension,pentacost,holy Trinity,corpus christie, to come to this sunday.
We will be following ordinary season until 20 th November 2016:Christ king feast to end cycle 3 of liturgical cycle.
Today is the first sunday of ordinary times(part 2). We have covered 5 sundays,(in part 1 of ordinary time) up to now. All these 5 sundays, church, invited us to reflect (after 5th, why we started,from 10th?/because,the 4 feast after easter, we consider as ordinary sundays)
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
(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.
Today, church invited us to reflect on 3 aspects: (1) why we should respect parents and look after them
(2)Christian principle of pardoning(unconditional)
(3) How you will have rebirth during this life
B. Preamble for today's reading:
B.1 Why we should worship God and respect parents?
You cannot decide from which parents that you will come to this world,only, God has decided. Your parents have accepted the request. They brought you up, to become learned person.
They have maintain,instruct,educate,
B.2 Why parents have to look after you?
God Did not create baby Adam and baby Eve. He create adult Adam and Eve. They were given full freedom. Always freedom is subject to law. But they broke the law, resulting God to
(1) introduced death to human
(2) Introduce fear and sorrow to human life
(3) Introduce childhood to human life(that is why we got baby Jesus)
(4) Responsibility of bringing Children, has been given to parents.
(5) Parents duty is to bring children to adulthood, with necessary support, until they(become independent) can directly follow the God's Will.
B.3: Children's responsibility towards parents:
Human life is of 3 major parts: childhood, adult hood and old age. Against childhood, old age a person, may not be able to carry out his own duties. God has given opportunity to look after your parents during their old age. By doing so,you will glorify God, for what your parents have done for you, to brought you up on behalf of God.
B.4. Paul's conversion: what iS modern conversion?
Paul was whole heatedly following Judaism. He was persecuting Christ followers. God shown him the path of salvation. How do get this kind of God's message today?
First, you have to be wholeheartedly with God, that means, you have to be sinless. This you can achieve by confession(with a priest- Jn20:23).(2) Then you should develop a happy mind. How to do that? You should hand over your worries to Mary/ you should be healthy/ you should be efficient. (3) you should convert your Talents to energy.
With a Happy mind, when you move, God will change your path, if HE wished, by 3rd party/ change your job or accident. Etc.
B.4.1 Catholic rebirth
Jesus said"One cannot see Kingdom of God unless he is born again?(Jn3:3).
Christianity believes only of 1 birth (NO REBIRTHS).But during this life,you temporarily die due to sin(going against 7 Ethics).With pardoning process(REPENTANCE,CONFESSION &INDULGANCE)you will be reborn again. Hence Catholics are reborn during this life. You die with Sin &be born again with grace after pardoning. In life,you have many(temporary)births &deaths. But from one birth to next,(1cycle of pardoning) you have to get closer to God.
Another rebirth for U is when God change your life. It can be a sickness/accident/even change of jobs;
a TWIST in Ur life,BUT NOT THE END.
Since you are not used to this change, you may suffer.This will develop PATIENCE in U.If you have develop good faith(Praying Rosary &Sunday mass),you will manage this twist with PERSEVERANCE&HOPE. You will get to know the twist is for your own good.This is Catholic Rebirth!.
B.5 how to identify sin?
First, we have to be clear about what is Sin?. Going against 10 commandments:
Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me/Thou shall not take name of Lord thy God in vain/ Keep holy Sabbath Day/Honour thy father& mother/thou shalt not kill(HUMANS)/Thou shall not commit adultery/Thou shall not steal/Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor/ Thou shall not covert thy neighbor's wife/Thou shalt not covert thy neighbors goods
Next steps to avoid 7 Vices!
AVOIDING 7 VICES!
Adam&eve,were fallen to trap of satan, by wanting to be like God.7vices lead you to be like God,unintentionally
(1)laziness(sloth)
(2)Anger: your strong feeling,that other is wrong
(3)Pride:Great an admiration of oneself:boasting,love for publicity,hyprocrisy,discord,
(4)envy:"WHY SHOULD NOT I HAVE EVERY THING THAT OTHERS HAVE?(when you forget God has created you for unique purpose)(5)lust:It is a disoriented love that seeks not other but individual pleasure& satisfaction for all your action(forget God,for achievements)
(6)avarice: lead us to be greedy& ends up with fraud,perjury,dishonesty& harshness
(7)gluttony:flows from disorderly animal appetite,obsession with food&drink to point of living to eat,rather than eating to live.
WHEN YOU FORGET GOD
(1)IN ALL YOUR ACTION
(2)FORGET PURPOSE OF U'R CREATION-you may attract towards these vices,unknownly
C. Todays readings:
ReBirth Catholic(sunday6/5)
Book of kings(1K 17:17-24)says"Elijah beg God to restore life of son of a widow;
Paul says( Gal 1:11-19) tells story of his conversion.
LK(7:11-17)tells'With a word Jesus raised widow's death son to life.
Remind:
(1)God has restored both widow's only hope,for you to think,you cannot decide your parents,to come to this world. God decided. They make you to walk/nourish/educate,for God,hence you have to look after them, specially when they are old,like God restoring Hope,for hopeless,then you glorify God,for your life
(2)to resolve today christian Middle East problem, pray to St Paul,to intercede with God,for solution!
(3)death is result of original sin/when you go against 10comms+7vices it is sin which will cause fear&sorrow in your life/Catholism provides how to rebirth with grace,by Pardoning-3 steps(REPENTANCE+CONFESSION with Priest(Jn 20:23)+INDULGANCE-
E. Conclusions:
Today, Church invites us to reflect
(1) About your Pedigree: who has decided to bring you, into this world/how did you come up to this present life-contribution of your parents and guardians+friends. What is your responsibility with regards to your parents
(2)Purpose of life: God has guaranteed your happiness, when you surrender your Will to HIM.
(3) Always you have to rehabilitate your life, with sin and coming to grace with pardoning process. Allow God to change your life. Like St paul life.
GBU
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http://holymaryreflection.
