OBEDIENCE TO ATTEND CHURCH

In God’s eyes, the human community is a family, a team. He made us not to be fiercely independent, but to be healthly interdependent. Man is created a worshipping being. If you don’t worship your God naturally you will find yourself worshipping other gods in form of money, power, sleep the list is endless.

In the third commandment, we are commanded to always remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. On top of Jesus strengthening that law when he gave his commands saying love your God with your all, he also said, where two or three meet in my name, there I will be present, that place today is the church.

I can’t brag about my love for God because I fail him daily, but I can brag about his love for me because he never fails. We are reminded that God is happy when we obey what he commands and he said obedience is better than sacrifice. Many people have received many graces and favors from God just by obeying what he commands.

We are encouraged to participate fully in the church activities, among others, singing and praying together, cleaning the church, handling church equipments carefully and most important being good role models to others, Christ is the best and perfect role model.

Catholic Church is universal, to mean it’s for all. If you know a friend who does not attend the church service, encourage him/her to attend, greatest is the celebration in heaven when one converts and accepts God as his Lord and saviour. 

Our greatest problem is not our politics, not our friends or our society, our greatest problem is our sin which Christ is so willing to forgive if we repent and obey him.In church our faith grows, and faith is the assurance of things hoped for and conviction of things not seen. Make a date with God and expect his blessings!!

Charles Joseph – Liturgical Task Force

Jesus turns water into wine

Jesus Turns H₂O into wine

The first key is an attitude of creative service. Mary mother of Jesus was not in charge of this wedding at Cana. In the ancient world, it was always the bride's father who was in charge. 

When Jesus and his newly formed band of followers showed up, they would have joined right in. With the added drinking capacity of a bunch of hardy fishermen, it's no wonder that they ran out of wine.

It’s interesting that the head caterer (the "headwaiter"), the one who was responsible for providing food and drink throughout the wedding festivities, was not the one who noticed that the wine was running short. Instead, it was the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 Even in the midst of a rollicking party, a wedding feast where she was a guest and not a hostess, she kept her attention to the needs of others. She didn't become so self-absorbed in having a good time that she forgot about those around her.

Instead, she recognized the potential disaster, and then she took the initiative to do something about it – to help avert the great embarrassment and disappointment that running out of wine would cause to the bride's family.

That was Mary's habitual approach to life: she always fostered an attitude of creative service. She kept her eyes open for opportunities to help others, and she took the initiative to seize those opportunities. This is how she reflected in her own day-to-day life the goodness and generosity of God, who is always thinking of us and providing for us and watching over us. 

An attitude of creative service is the first key to being a true follower of Christ. St Vincent Pallotti said it well: "Remember that the Christian life is one of action; not of speech and daydreams... In heaven we shall rest."

                    Charles Joseph-Liturgical Task Force

Baptism of the Lord

The solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord brings to an end the season of Christmas. Jesus descended into River to sanctify its waters and to give the powers to beget sons of God.

Christ did not need the baptism of John, although he appeared in the substance of our flesh and was recognized like unto ourselves, he was absolutely sinless and impeccable. He conferred upon the water the power of true baptism which would remove all the sins of the world.

The waters of baptism flow to the river of justice when we believe in our call to believe as children of God, but we are busy beavers damning the rivers to restrain the grace as a personal possession that we hoard instead of sharing with humanity.

If God shows no partiality, why should we? In discerning our baptismal call, do we pray or just act? We should not forget but to accept baptism of the Holy spirit as a purifying fire to melt ice jams on the rivers of justice,and to live our professional faith.

This is our salvation that once chilled our hearts, so we offer comfort to our brothers and sisters to renew the face of the earth. Once we receive peace from God, we will go and manifest that peace with humility to continue immersing ourselves in baptismal grace and don’t just proverbially wiggle our toes to test the water.

That when we let the Holy spirit descend in depth of our souls, to move us to action for justice in places and ways we could never envision and when we follow Jesus example and eagerly go about doing good in love, living temperately, justly and devoutly, we await the blessed hope our Savior Jesus Christ gives.

By Hayker – Liturgical Leader

LORD AND KING

The feast of Epiphany is a celebration of the manifestation of God in the form of human flesh through Jesus Christ his son. It is the visit day of the three wise men (Magi) Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior to the child Jesus a revelation of Christ as “Lord and King” by way  of offering of Gold,

frankincense and Myrrh.

Today's  reading invites us to discover the epiphany of our Lord in everyone and every event, everywhere. That we worship Jesus at mass with Gold of our love, the myrrh of humility and the frankincense of our adoration, by turning our lives in a new direction. 

Let us choose a better way of life, abstaining from proud and impure thoughts, evil habits and selfish behavior by becoming stars leading others to Jesus. That we may remove the darkness of the evil around us by radiating Jesus love in selfless service, unconditional forgiveness and compassionate care.

 Our country is gearing for the General elections and up and down humankind is faced with the challenge of whom to bank on in terms of governance. The country is hissing more than ever with the song of  ‘Tribe’. This is a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of  those called to be children of the same father. 

Tribalism mocks the words of Jesus “treat others the way you would have them treat you.” Indeed tribalism is more than a disregard for the words of Jesus. It is a denial of the truth of the each human being revealed by the mystery of incarnation. Let us offer gifts to Jesus,  the gift of friendship with God in whole kindheartedly with devotion and friendship with others by leading them to Jesus through exemplary lives of Christian  charity in action.

Our gift of reconciliation with God by daily asking His pardon and forgiveness for our sins and giving unconditional forgiveness to our offenders, our gift of peace seeking God’s peace in our own lives through prayer, the sacramental life and daily  Meditation on the words of God. Today those Christians who practice their religion from selfish motives such as to gain political power, prestige or recognition by  society do not offer love, tears of joy and probably patience in relationship and marriage, they ignore Jesus teaching in their private lives.

 

We can remove or lessen, the darkness of evil around us by being if not like stars, at least like candles, radiating Jesus love by selfless service, unconditional forgiveness and compassionate care.

By HAYKER  - Liturgical Leader