Sunday(29/6) Chosen Catholic - in summary

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God has chosen U'r parents,for U to come to this world &lead a happy life!.Similarly HE has chosen Paul & Peter,to provide U, knowledge of achieving HAPPINESS.U can choose what ever U want,similarly God has chosen U & Church.Brain(law-10 com:)&heart(charity+God's will) of church is Paul & Peter!.They give us knowledge to follow Jesus.To reach God many methods.For paul "Saul,why do U prosecute me?"Stuck blind for 3 days and thru'Ananias his vision was restored.He wrote many letters(Epistles)to us.Peter: hard person u would declare to be foundation of church.67AD same day, Peter was crucified,head downward, in Nero's gardens at vatican &Paul was beheaded as a prisoner outside gates of Rome.Act of apostels show the miracles peter did!.Paul reveal his experience about following God's will.Jn21:15-19& Mt16:13-19 explain how peter start Church"Feed my lambs,feed my sheep".U/chosen?

Christie Alwis.

www.sundayreading.net

Sunday(29/6) Chosen Catholic/ St peter & Paul apostels! - in detail

A.
Back ground:

When we summaries the sunday readings from June 1st (9th-13th sundays in ordinary times(after easter period-8th ordinary sunday held on 2/3/2014/cycle 1) we are reminded of basic christian faith  that Jesus was having both human + divine qualities! & How the divine person suffered in His human nature(during easter)!


June 1- Ascension of the Lord: Basic christian belief that Jesus has risen from death & went to heaven. This follows the concepts of Holy Mary's Immaculate Conception & Assumption in to heaven. On the other hand, this indicates how to balance earthly desires such as Money, power & sex! To realise 'Bird' Happiness

June8- Pentercost Sunday-Holy spirit- when we want to get the knowledge of Christianity, we should develop a spiritual thirst

June 15- The Most Holy Trinity- Basic Christian faith. God is in 3 persons. In any action in this world there are always 3 aspects to be analyzed.
(1)FATHER-purpose(2)SON-in practice how much U deviate from purpose(3)SPIRIT-remedial action to reach purpose.
In Christainty, God has created every human to lead a happy life(with full freedom subject to LOVE with effect from Jesus)

June 22-The Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ-Corpus Christi: How to digest Christianity to you own life!. Bonding ritual of catholic to form the church.analogy of this is:
As 2 pieces of wax fused together make one,so who he receive Holy Communion is so united with Christ that Christ is in him & he is in Christ!

June- 29 today Sts Peter & Paul apostles - how God has chosen them to be the pillars of HIS church!.




B.
Pre analysis for today's reading:

B.1
Formation of Church:

Unlike many other religions, Jesus Himself has formed the church. Church management structure is still followed by many develop orgernisations in the world. 3 major areas, administration- cannon law, subject matter- catechism, commercial- roman curia.

B.2. Christianity:

Christianity is quite distinct in that it rose from a Jewish background, which is monotheistic & it centers around a historic figure of Jesus. Apostles were eye witness at the first. Peter & Paul did tremendous missionary work to develop christianity. Specially St paul vision embraced the whole world. He wished to proclaim THE GOSPEL as far as possible.

For example, in recent past;

 Spiritually Bl.Mother Teresa resembles St paul. She is conscious of having been chosen by God the Father to work for the Glory of Christ; to this end she found her society.

Today is feast of these 2 saints!



St Paul

Paul(Saul) who hated christianity, converted from Judaism after the vision of Lord!."Saul,why do U prosecute me?"Stuck blind for 3 days and thru' Ananias his vision was restored. He wrote many letters(Epistles) to us. While on mission,He never stops to develop his talents to earn his living,in making tents!Paul had access to Peter &James. He started to write about christianity & is instrumental in proclaiming the Gospel thru' the media of social communication& did the tremendous work for us. According to him 'christ allowed us to join him on the cross, not out of by necessity but by choice. Jesus wanted us to voluntarily surrender as He did'.
While on mission,He never stops to develop his talents to earn his living,in making tents!. Paul was beheaded as a prisoner outside gates of Rome , by Romans in AD67. You can see 3 water streams, where Paul head has been fallen!even now.

St peter

St peter served as 1st pope, for longest period of 37 years (30 - 67 AD):He performed 1st public miracles&pioneered 1st church council.67AD Peter was crucified,head downward,in Nero's gardens at vatican,because he said He was not worthy to die same way as Jesus!

Peter & Paul
When we treat church as one body, the brain is Paul & Heart is Peter. They provide teaching & preaching of church respectively!.

Both supposed to have martyrdom on the same day in 2 different places. Peter in Vatican,while Paul outside Rome.

Heads of St Peter & St Paul,enclosed in silver busts are at the popes cathedral(basilica of our Saviour)in Rome.

Position of saint's
Saints have no seniority in heaven!. The ones we know about have no prestige or special privileges that other saint's do not!. They have made it- they are in. Recognising them as saint's is meant to help us more than them!.


B.3
Importance of Choosing!
At birth, the following 3 aspects are introduced to any human without his knowledge!.
(1) Breathing
(2) subject to gravitational force
(3) subject to develop(soul) mind+ ability to chose!.

Breathing is the basic nourishment of human body. Gravitational force indicates, your worldly desires towards living: sex: money: power

Mind you start developing from day1 until your death. More you are wiser, ability of choosing become more efficient!. God is the ideal person to choose, since he knows every person mind,at a given time. Each person is having individual freedom to carry out his own actions which God will never intervene!

B.3.1
Relationship of Christianity to birth!
Christianity,logically follow every human is created by God(answer to"who has decided for you to come to this world through your parents),Hence the air you breath become God at Baptism!& you started the basic faith of christianity accepting the existence of Holy Trinity!. Your inhaling/ ex hailing, God will read your mind!.(Similar to mobile telephone).
Breathing you stop when you die!.

Gravitational force:

 earthly desires for you to live in this world, you start developing while you are growing!. With death you leave all worldly desires/assets,cannot take it further!.

When you balance your desires with SPIRITUAL desires, you enjoy happiness like a BIRD. Catholicism gives you how to do this in very simple form of developing LOVE!

When a rich young ruler who stood eagerly facing Jesus & asked" What must I do to enter the kingdom of heaven?" "Loose your ties to your possessions and follow me" was the Jesus reply!.yet the young man turned head and walked away. Having measured the cost, he decided it was too dear!. The interesting thing about this story is that Jesus loved the young man even as he walked away. He did not withdraw His love because the young man did not meet his quota or jump on the bandwagon!. THIS WAS ONE MAN WHO WALKED AWAY AND YET JESUS STILL LOVED HIM!


B.3.2.

Mind+freewill
This is called"SOUL". Learning from childhood with experience we develop our soul. Free will is ability to choose!. Always there can be 2 outcomes. Successful or unsuccessful(failure). God's selection of Paul has been very successful. Paul further his free will to tune his will to God, though he has not physically met Jesus. It is a good example for us!

Peter has certain failures, that may be the cause that Jesus ask him 3 times!
But later Peter was really receptive to God's will to form the church!.(Typical of human)

When we analyze John the Baptist, we see sometimes how he failed to understand God's will!.(He doubted Jesus,when he was put to jail)

C.
Today's reading:

2 sets: vigil mass & mass during the day!

Acts of apostles: how Peter make crippled person to walk!/how peter was saved from Herod

Paul talk how he became a christian!/end of his mission

Gospel:Jn21:15-19 Christ told peter after asking 3 times Do you love me, said"Feed my lamb,feed my sheep"/ Mt16:13-19 reminds how Peter is assigned to build the Church!

All the readings summarizes
(1) how peter & paul was chosen by God

(2)how peter & Paul surrender their Will to God's will in order to form the church

D.

Conclusions:

D.1 Life:
Life is raging torrent of a cascading river. Methods given by Jesus, is the bank which keeps it within the limits!.
you are chosen catholic. How you have been chosen may be in different ways! Out come of Christianity is happiness in your life!. God has created you to lead a happy life, subject to
(1)follow 10 commandments with no enemies,
(2)lead a charitable life,
(3)lead your life surrendering your will to God's will. In doing so, your personal freedom has to be carefully lead with handing over your disagreements/sorrows to Holy Mary or Jesus Christ,carrying out your personal disputes with happiness as said by Jesus"if you anybody ask you to carry 1 mile,carry 2 mile"

D.2
God's Will

Precept of St paul, who said"you must live your whole life according to the Christ you have received(god's will)- Jesus the Lord,you must be rooted in Him & build on Him & held firm by the faith you have been taught,and full of THANKSGIVING. Make sure that no one traps you and deprives you of your freedom by some second-hand, empty, rational philosophy based on the principles of this world instead of on Christ(col 2:6-8)

You are being Chosen to lead a happy life, if not check your system!

GBU

Birth of John The Baptist(24/6) - in summary

His birth was foretold by angel Gabriel to(his father)Zachary.John is considered born in grace,along with  Jesus(25/12)&Mary(8/8).At river Jordan he shouted to crowd"Do Penance for kingdom of heaven is at hand!I am the voice of one crying wilderness.make straight way of Lord"John pointed to Jesus "BEHOLD LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKE AWAY SINS OF WORLD"& baptised HIM-God appeared,form of a dove,said"THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM VERY PLEASED"Having openly rebuked Herod for his unlawful marriage with Herodias, his brothers wife,he was arrested.He doubted& even sent someone to ask Jesus in public"Are u sure U'are who say U'are?"JOHN WAS DOUBTING SAME MAN HE HAS BAPTISED!.But Jesus depended John,telling John was finest person who had ever lived!This last Prophet chosen by God,lost his head,as ordered by Herod,on advice of Herodias,at notorious dance of Salome.U/CHOSEN/DOUBT/GOD?

Christie Alwis.

www.sundayreading.net

Sunday (22/6/2014)corpus christi- THE MOST HOLY BODY & BLOOD OF CHRIST. Bonded Catholic - in detail

A.
Back ground
Last 2 sundays, we were reminded of Holy spirit & basic faith of Christianity Holy TRINITY!. This sunday we were reminded about Eucharist- The heart & soul of christian faith!. Catholic teaching reaffirms the real presence of Jesus Christ in the holy Eucharist. Church & the Eucharist are intimately united & can never be divided. Catholics believe, the consecrated wafer of bread & wine miraculously transformed into the real body & Blood of Christ at the mass, when priest speaks the words of Christ"This is my body/this is my blood".

B. Preamble for today's reading

B.1. Unique ritual of catholic!

From material aspect,Jesus left His people with more than memories!.Only possession He had at His death was His robe,which ended up being bartered for by Roman soldiers. Yet HE gave His people something tangible to remember Him
He gave us a beautiful parting memory that we could touch, taste,feel & digest in to our body!.

If you an athletic, you need to eat nourishing food to get energy to your body. Say meat will provide you energy & if you tie a loaf of meat  to your thigh!to run, Will you get energy to run? No. You have to prepare meat, enjoy eating, will digest your meat to convert energy into your body!. Similarly Holy Eucharist, you have to digest to receive the spiritual energy!
Hence Eucharist become precious nourishment for your faith,as well as a bonding ritual among members of the church!(See B-2-5 below)

B.2- last letter of St John Paul2

St JP2 wrote His last en cyclical in 2003(Ecclesia de Eucharistia) on Eucharist & it's relation to the church!, which consists of 6 parts!.

EUCRASTIC
(1) as mystery of faith- how the consecrated bread & wine can become & remain the body & blood,soul & divernity of Christ
(2) the foundation of church
(3)As apostelic(being historical connected what the 12 apostles themselves did)
(4)Requirement to receive communion
(5)Proper dignity,respect & reverence demanded as holy celebrations(frequent visit to Blessed Sacrament,Holy hours of Adoration,Exposition & benediction, Corpus Christi processions, Perpetual Adoration chapels,masses celebrated with reverence and decorum proper to the sacred mysteries to be celebrated)
(6)The role of Virgin Mary

B.3 Worship only to Eucharist!

Holy Eucharist is called the "Real Presence" of Christ, and it alone is given the WORSHIP and ADORATION due to God, because it is considered the real,true and substantial body and blood of Christ himself!. The other ways are mystical and spiritual but not substantial and not considered sacraments in and of themselves.

B.4 The difference between Praise, Respect & Worship!
Many developing country catholics, unknowingly mix up with worship to God & respect to their parents/teachers, undermining the worshipping God.

Praising: temporary respect
A mother will praise her Son for his good work, while she will blame(shout) her son for his bad work at different times. Since  human is weak, naturally the child is weak, the child has to be brought up with praise, as well as blame, under the pure intention of make him a good man. So praise is a temporary affair, where we appreciate, while reserving right to point out wrong at a different time. The body language that is being normally use a smile, or praising words from your mouth. Correcting, normally used the facial expression of frowning, with blaming by mouth.
Respect:  A person(like your parent) who has been helpful in your life, but you can live without him now!. As a gratitude you respect him like bowing your head to him.

Worship: only God why? Because you are grateful to Him in providing life and allowing you to lead your life happily!. So you kneel only to Him. Without God you accept that you cannot live(Air will be provided to you by God to breath)

Hence praise & respect is temporary in time, while worship is permanent in time. Here one should not identify your mother/father, as living God at your home, so that you confuse worshipping to them rather than God!.

10 commandments are very clear in respect of parents and worship of God(1& 4)
(1) Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me
(2) Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
(3) Keep holy the Sabbath Day
(4) Honour thy father and mother

B.6 How far this is true in this scientific world?

Evidence(1)

Fr Peter,German Priest was doubting  the conversion of bread & wine, into the body & blood of Christ at the moment of consecration in mass. While he was travelling,he stayed at Bolsena(Italy) was celebrating mass: The HOST when he broke for communion,appeared be spattered with blood & bleed into the corporal,the small cloth upon which the Host & chalice rest during the cannon of mass. After this,in1264,Pope Urban 4 institute the feast, Corpus Christi. you can see the blood stained corporal in the church of St Christina. After 700 years Pope Paul 6 celebrated this feast in the same alter.

Evidence(2)

In 1830,at Holy Mass, St Catherine Laboure PHYSICALLY SAW CHRIST at the HOST. You can see her in corrupt body in Paris.

Evidence(3) St anthony's example

  Bonvillo(Tolouse/france)didn't believe presence of God in Eucharist. He allowed his mule,in market place starving for3 days. Anthony &Bonvilo brought Eucharist &oats respectively. Mule turned from food & kept his head on the ground in an posture of Adoration &did not rise until Anthony retired!.

There are many more incidents you can get!



C. Today's reading

(Jn6:51) I am the living bread which has come down from heaven,anyone who eats this bread will live for ever!. And  bread I shall give you is my flesh,for the life of the world"

Encouraging us the value of Eucharist to have bonding rituals that help us feel & bring closer to God.

C.2

Book of 'Deuteronomy' reminds that Manna was heavenly food given by God prior to Jesus.
It is clear now only heavenly food that God will physically provide is Eucharist!

C.3

Paul says that we become a single body with this communion.



D. Conclusions:
D.1 Ritual among horses

Horses respond more to someone who breathes slowly and deeply into their nostrils!so that they can capture the essence of that persons smell. This is how horses greet and bond with each other. This is a ritual.
Jesus understood the need for people to have a tangible things to remember Him by. It was His ultimate gift to His staff- bread & wine representing tears and all the laughter!

D.2
What are bonding rituals in church?

Listed in B.2-5

D.3 Pope Francis & Eucharist
According Pope Francis(ref:1st encyclical letter- The light of faith) He explains about Eucharist! Para 44(quote)

" The sacramental character of faith finds its highest expression in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the precious nourishment for faith: an encounter with Christ truly present in the supreme act of His love, the life giving gift of Himself. In the Eucharist we find the intersection of faith's two dimensions. On the one hand,there is a dimension of history: the Eucharist is act of remembrance, a making present of mystery in which the past,as an event of death & resurrection, demonstrates its ability to open up a future,to foreshadows ultimate fulfilment. The liturgy reminds of this by its repetition of the word hodie, the "today" of the mysteries of salvation. On the other hand,we also find the dimension which leads from the visible world to the invisible. In the Eucharist we learn to see the heights and depth of reality. The Bread & wine are changed into Body & Blood of Christ,who become present in His passover to the Father;this movement draws us, body and soul, into movement of all creation towards the fulfilment of God"

D.4 last year corpus christi message!(13/10/2013)

Out of 10 only 1 leper, a samaritan(foreigner) to thank Jesus. He not only gave us healing by living & dying for us, he gave himself to us in the Eucharist - means "THANKSGIVING". God does not need our thanks!.we need it in order to be fully & genuinely human!

D.5 Catholic Church & Catholic educators in developing world!

Most of the developing countries, where catholics are in minority, confuse about worshipping, undermining to worship only Eucharist!. In action most of them tend to Worship parent(+teachers+elders+clergy) while respecting Eucharist!. No clear instructions are given about the body language of worshipping & respecting!, hence average catholic will become ignorent to Holy Eucharist!


GBU

Sunday(22/6/2014)Bonded Catholic - in summary

From material aspect,Jesus left His people with more than memories!.Only possession He had at His death was His robe,which ended up being bartered for by Roman soldiers.Yet HE gave His people something tangible to remember Him:last supper.Ritual of communion,HE said  (Jn6:51) I am the living bread which has come down from heaven,anyone who eats this bread will live for ever!. And  bread I shall give you is my flesh,for the life of the world"He gave us a beautiful parting memory that we could touch, taste,feel & digest in to our body!. Eucrastic become precious nourishment for U'r faith.Human nature encourage us to have bonding rituals that help us feel closer to others & like part of a team. 'Deuteronomy'reminds that Manna was heavenly food given by God prior to Jesus.Paul says that we become a single body with this communion. What are bonding rituals in U'r family/church?

Christie Alwis.

www.sundayreading.net