TODAY 10th July 2016 we are in Cycle 3: celebrating 15th Ordinary Sunday mass.
All previous 14 ordinary Sundays,church invited you to become good catholic professional managing your life crosses.
A.1 why we respect all religions n the world?
Every religion in the world says, love each other, don't sin, sin will cause you to increase fear and sorrow in your life. Each religion definition of Sin is different, the laws that they have to follow is different. Also treatment for sin, to reduce the negative effect to the present life also different.
Every religion in the world is good, since they advocate love each other. But as a catholic professional, you should know how to differentiate Catholicism with other Christian denomination, as well as, as other religions. These are called concept defining features.
A.2 How to differentiate Catholicism? Why you belong to Catholic church?
You can recollect, that we discussed, these concept defining features:
Single birth, no rebirth/Sin can be pardoned thru' REPENTANCE,CONFESSION with a priest, and carrying out indulgence activities/ process given by Holy Trinity/Sin is defined as going against 10 commandments and not avoiding 7 vices.(Sloth,anger, pride, envy, lust,avarice and gluttony)Your life moves with state of sin with guilt and liable for punishment to removing guilt with repentance and confession, then you are in grace to receive Holy Eucharist, the most holy body and blood of Christ, as spiritual nourishment, to carry out indulgence activities, to reduce or remove punishment for sin.
A.3. How you verify whether you are moving in correct direction of Catholic teaching?
SWOT analysis:
Then we focus to the importance of SWOT analysis. As a catholic professional, what is your strength, what are your weakness, what is your opportunity, what are the threats.?
So how to verify whether, your are moving towards achieving Happiness. For that you have to do SWOT analysis.
Your Strength as a catholic that you can lead a happy life with converting your talents to energy to serve the society, and your weakness is you tend to Sin with going against 10 commandments+ not avoiding 7 vices,specially we analysed Sloth, Anger and Pride,will retard your progress.
Your opportunity is, that you can easily identify your sin(since it has happened during single birth) and get it cleared with pardoning process. (When you believe rebirth, your sins, cannot be identified clearly, since, you don't have any records of sins from your previous births)
Your threat Will be- without knowing clearly the concept of Catholicism that is how to surrender your will to God' will, when sufferings come to your life, you tend to temporally deviate from Catholicism or God.
A.4 Catholic Church mainly consist of ?
Then last Sunday, we were told about 2 categories of people in Catholicism, ie Priest and layman, what are their responsibilities
Priest to administer 7 sacraments + manage church, while layman to maintain children+ manage society. Here too Catholicism have 7 sacraments, where the other Christian denomination does not have; baptism/confirmation/Eucharist for initiation to church, penance/anointing sick for living/matrimony and holy orders to continue the God's kingdom until end of the world.
We also found that we can see these 2 categories, clearly with Peter and Paul, though paul is not married. They both represent apostle and disciples. Even these 2 categories are haunting in todays parable.
A.5 how to continue today's reading?
Today, you are invited to analyse more on why suffering comes, and who is responsible for your suffering. What is your obligation towards your neighbours
B. Summary of Todays readings
Deuteronomy(Dt 30:10-14) moses says obey the commandments and laws given by God.
Paul (col 1:15-20) says"everything on earth created by God. HE showed us how to manage our life thru' HIS death at Cross.
Lk 10:25-37 says" Jesus explained to a lawyer,how to inherit eternal life, by wholeheartedly loving God,and your neighbour as your self. HE told the famous Samaritan, story to him.
D. When we reflect todays readings:
D.1 Who is your neighbour?
You might ask, why Jesus having 3 people to show, how to love thy neighbor?
Priest, levitte, represent catholic Priest and Catholic layman, total of whole catholics, while samaritan, represent, non Catholics,specially non christians. It clearly shows, as christians, we have an advantage in life, where you can easily live happily, with good life, under the grace of God and you accept, the whole humanity as one family, with God as Father. When You tend to neglect your neighbor, you become ungrateful. While, non Christians, though they are not accepting, God as creator, tend to more heart full for his neighbor.
You will see, words are not becoming actions by most of Christians.
D.2 why suffering? Who is responsble? How to explain suffering from Catholism?
On the other hand, why, jesus, showed, a beaten person, helpless person?. If he is responsible for that situation, why his neighbor is helping him?.
Then it is better to analyze, who is responsible for suffering?
Life is complicated, and there will always be UNANSWERED QUESTIONS and UNTHINKABLE TRAGEDY.
Certain people believe, karma has caused you to suffer. Karma is mainly coming from previous births. Only thing is that you don't know what is the sin,you committed, and in which birth!. Hence Repentance for your sin becomes complex.
In christianity, suffering is attributed mainly
Due to Your own sin (this can be either in this world or in purgatory) or God wanted to change your plan to His. Most of the time,you might feel, it is innocent who suffer, and guilty sinners seen to escape pain and misery.
Every human is eager to know the reason for suffering. Mental &physical sufferings are highly depending upon individuals. You can
easily follow 7 Ethics,when you are with grace after pardoning process, especially after removing guilt (Repentance &confession with a priest).Then you don't have to worry about any suffering. As far as other’s suffering,always try& support them so that they can relieve from their sufferings. Unlike doubting Thomas(feast3/7),at the last suffer,you can say" lord we know where you are going,we know the way" Specially when receiving Eucharist)
So, answer to who is responsible for suffering is complicated and will be either your own sins or God wanted to change your direction of life. That is why,instead of seeing suffering as punishment,catholics see suffering in different way. Mother Theresa of Calcutta treat suffering is analogus to personally kissed and embraced by the crucified lord. He holds us so close and so tide: we can feel the nails and throns in our own body.
If Suffering has caused people to abandon their faith, their righteousness is worth little. According to the book of Job,genuine faith weathers even the most difficult of storms. As Job says" Even if HE should kill me, I still will trust HIM"(job 13:15)
Catholic Christians firmly believe in redemptive suffering, whereby a
person willingly offers up their personal aches and pains, trials and tribulations with Christ on the cross.
The Catholic notion of redemptive suffering,that is, uniting your
own suffering with a crucified jesus gives a person's unavoidable suffering means and purpose.
Take example: how peter or paul suffered and finally how they died?. Is it according to their sin? No. God allowed them to suffer(gave them the courage) to manage the situation. At no time they complained
God about their suffering!.
So in Christianity suffering cannot be judged as due to sin. Only situation is if you are suffering, you can first check whether you are in Grace, if so, you can manage suffering , leaving your suffering to be resolved by Holy mary or saints.
E. Conclusion:
So today readings, church invte us to reflect most vital questions in out life:
1) Who is our neighbor
2) How to treat the suffering:
The real question, there fore becomes, WHY DO THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER, BUT HOW DO THE RIGHTEOUS RESPOND IN THEIR SUFFERING!, like Job without loosing fath!.
GBU
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