Father's Weekly Message
Fr. Shaji Joseph Pazhukkathara
March 2021
3/25/2021 0 Comments
Little Johnny was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch. The little boy was curious and asked, "Why do you have that palm branch, dad? "You see, when Jesus came into town, everyone waved palm branches to honor him; so we got palm branches today. "Aw, shucks,” grumbled Little Johnny." The one Sunday I can't go to church, and Jesus shows up !"The Church celebrates today as both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. It is on Palm Sunday that we enter Holy Week. At the procession with Palms, we read the Gospel of Mark. Mark dedicates over one-third of his Gospel to Passion Week, the final days of Jesus’ life. It shows the importance and every year we celebrate them from Palms Sunday through Holy Saturday. Jesus enters the Holy City of Jerusalem amidst of thousands of pilgrims who came for the annual feast of Passover (Exodus 12:1-13). Prince Solomon used his father David’s royal donkey for the ceremonial procession on the day of his coronation (1 Kings 1:32-40).Jesus entered the Holy City as a king of peace, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah (9:9-10).On Holy Thursday there is a Chrism Mass in Cathedral Churches because it is a solemn observance of Christ's institution of the Eucharist and priesthood. In order to make the opportunity for most priests and laity to attend this Mass, Diocese may celebrate prior to the holy week, as we celebrated in our diocese. At this 'Chrism Mass,' the bishop blesses the Oil of Chrism used for Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination, and Anointing of the Sick. On Holy Thursday, we celebrate three things: Institution of the Eucharist, Institutionof the Priesthood, and Jesus promulgation off new commandment of Love. "Love one anotheras I have loved you" (John 13:3).The original meaning of this feast is celebrating the passing of the angel of death over the Israelites and their escape from Egypt ((Exodus12:3). In the new Passover, Jesus will pass over to the Father through the upcoming events of his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. The Holy Thursday liturgy in the parish communities, celebrated in the evening because Passover began at sundown. Washing of the feet takes place in this Mass. In the Old Testament time is wasa gesture of hospitality, normally performed by a house hold slave. In John chapter13, Jesus washes the disciples' feet. The foot washing may be a sign of priestly ordination as in the Book of Exodus 40:12. Food brought for the poor will be brought at the offertory. After the Holy Thursday evening Mass the Blessed Sacrament carried in solemn procession to the flower-bedecked Altar of Repose, where it will remain 'entombed' until the communion service on Good Friday. And finally, there is the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament by the people during the night, just as the disciples stayed with the Lord during His agony on the Mount of Olives before the betrayal by Judas. No Mass will be celebrated again in the Church until the Easter Vigil proclaims the Resurrection. Holy Thursday institution of Eucharist Jesus said to his disciples, “This is my body broken for you; this is my blood and shed for you” and we see on Good Friday that sacrifice is completed on the cross. He broke himself for us and fed us. This is also the week when we should lighten the burden of Christ’s passion as daily experienced by the needy people through our corporal and spiritual works of mercy; break and share.Jesus completed the sacrificeson the Cross. The water and blood came from the side of Jesus. In the book of Numbers when Moses struck the rock, the water came out (20:10-13). Paul interprets this rock as Christ (1Corinthians 10:4) from which flows the spiritual drink of the Eucharist.St. John Chrysostom says,, "The water and blood symbolized Baptism and Holy Eucharist. From these two Sacraments the Churchis born: from Baptism, the cleansing of water that gives rebirth and renewal through the Holy Spirit, and fromthe Holy Eucharist."Holy Week can become "holy” for us only if we actively and consciously take part in the liturgies of this week. Let us meditate on these beautifulliturgies and renew our own faith.
Baptism: Sacrament of New Life!
3/25/2021 0 Comments
Third, fourth and fifth Sundays of Lent, we choose the reading from Year A, because we have RCIA Candidates. We join them and meditate on these readings. This weekend the readings are centered on the Sacrament of Baptism and new life. The first reading, from the Book of Exodus chapter 17, tells us the story of Israelites complaining about their thirst. In the previous chapter, they had complained that Moses brought them to the wilderness to die of hunger (16:3). Here they grumbled that Moses meant for them to die of thirst. So Moses asked the LORD, “What shall I do with this people?” Moses followed God’s instruction and strikes the rock. In Deuteronomy 32 in Moses’ song, he called God the Rock. St. Paul says that the rock was the Christ (I Corinthians 10:4). The spiritual rock followed Israelites in the wilderness and satisfied their thirst. The place Israelites quarreled was called Massah and Meribah which means the place of the test. Psalm 95:89 says, “Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the desert. There your ancestors tested me; they tried me though they had seen my works.” Several generations of the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and they forgot about their God who made Covenant with them and they complained that in Egypt they at least were not thirsty.In the Gospel, Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman. Samaritans were halfJews, ritually impure, and therefore Jews were forbidden to drink from any vessel they had handled. It began with the devastation of northern Palestine by Assyria. We read in the Second Book of Kings chapter 17 that the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. The Israelites in Samaria had defiled themselves by assimilating the practice of those pagan people and intermarrying with them. This caused enmity between Jews and Samaritans. Geographically, Judea is in the extreme south, Samaria in the middle, and Galilee in the extreme North. Normally, Jews avoid Samaria to go between north and south. But Jesus went through the Samaria and made a stop at Jacob’s well.This well was located on a piece of land that had been bought by Jacob (Genesis 33:1819), and later given to Joseph (48:22).Jesus oversteps the boundaries of Jewish traditions by conversing with women in public, sharing a drink with Samaritan, and mingling with a sinner. When Jesus reached the well, it was hot midday, and he sat there and the disciples went to town to get some food. Jesus was thirsty from traveling and asked the Samaritan woman for water.We see in the Old Testament the meetings between future spouses at wells. Isaac meets Rebekah (Genesis 24:1067), Jacob meets Rachel at the well of Haran (Genesis 29:130), and Moses and Zipporah meet at a well in Midian (Exodus 2:1521). Here Jesus is the divine bridegroom in search of believers to be His covenant bride.“Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His thirst was for the soul of the Samaritan woman. On the other hand, the Samaritan woman thirst for real love.Normally women used to go to fetch water in the morning or in the evening when it was not too hot. But she came to fetch water at noon. She may be trying to avoid the crowd. Jesus came to her level to reach out and walk with her and leads her to faith. Jesus reveals himself as the source of Living Water.The liturgy makes use of the symbol of water to refer to our relationship with God. It represents God’s Spirit comes to us in Baptism. The water that Jesus promises is closely linked to conversion and the forgiveness of sin. In the second reading, Saint Paul asserts that, as the savior of mankind, Jesus poured the living water of the gift of his Holy Spirit into our hearts. Samaritan woman, in the Gospel once embraced the faith, the living water, became a missionary who brought others to Jesus. Once she had a lifechanging experience, she couldn’t hold it for herself.Jesus THIRST for our faith. Do we thirst for him? Yes, we do. The question is do we recognize it? Lent invites us to renew our faith, through our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Let us pray for one another, in a special way please pray for our RCIA candidates Christian Paul Newbury, Jasmine Sue Zenisek and Charlotte Jirschele.
3/14/2021 0 Comments
We are in Fourth Sunday in Lent. Traditionally this Sunday is known as “Laetare Sunday,” from the Latin word for “Rejoice!” It sets a tone of joyful anticipation of the Easter mystery. The theme of the reading is new life and spiritual sight.The fourth Sunday of Lent gives us a review of salvation history. The first reading is a historical moment of salvation history. Israelites were governed by Judges. Israelites looked at the surrounding kingdoms and asked God for a King of Israel. Saul was their first king, but he offended God, and the kingship was taken from him. The Lord asked Samuel, the last Judge in Israel, to go to Bethlehem to anoint Jesse’s son the next king. Samuel followed God’s command and anoints David and Holy Spirit comes upon him. This anointing is a type of baptism. We read in the book of Isaiah 1:12 “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots, a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him.”When Samuel met Jesse, Eliab was there and God told Samuel not to judge in appearance. Jesse’ presented seven of his children; God didn’t choose any of them. God chose the unexpected one, David. In the eyes of Jes-se, he was a young and just shepherd. Samuel was made a decision based on appearance, but God had a differ-ent plan. God said to Samuel, “God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).” We read in the Book of Psalms 78:7071, “He chose David his servant, took him from the sheepfolds. From tending ewes God brought him, to shepherd Jacob, his people, Israel, his heritage. He shepherded them with a pure heart; with skilled hands he guided them.” God anointed David to shepherd the Israelites.The Gospel reading is also a symbolic catechesis on baptism. Isaiah prophesied and Jews believed that when Jesus comes he will heal the blind and other diseases. We read in Isaiah 42:7, “To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.”Jews believed that wherever there is suffering there is sin. So the disciples brought up this question to Jesus’ attention. Jesus tells them it is a providential plan of God. Jesus gave the physical sight to the man who was blind; it is a sign that Jesus gives spiritual sight to see the world in the light of heaven. Jesus says, “I am light of the world.” Jesus is the source of truth, faith, and life. The Man who received the sight, received the light of faith.Jesus applied the clay mixed with saliva on man’s eyes and asked him to go and wash in the 'Pool of Siloam.’ In the second book of Kings (5:1014) Elisha commanded Naaman the Syrian to “go and wash” in the Jorden river to be restored to health. The pool of Siloam was in the southern district of ancient Jerusalem to serve as a water supply for the city. Siloam means sent. Here Jesus is the source of living water. This miracle anticipates the administration of baptism.Jews said that it is unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of a person who born blind. When they threw him out, Jesus came and asked him that whether he believed in the Son of Man. He made the profession of faith.This Gospel passage associated with baptism. Just as the blind man went down into the waters of Siloam and came up whole, so also believers who are immersed in the waters of Baptism comes up spiritually whole, total-ly healed of the spiritual blindness with which all of us are born. Let us pray for all those who are preparing for the Sacrament and also let us renew our own baptism in this Lenten season.I assume all of us are praying for someone during this lent. Let us pray for a neighboring family or so someone in our life. During Holy week take a candle and give it to them as a symbol of your prayer. Thank you!
Baptism: Sacrament of New Life!
3/5/2021 0 Comments
Third, fourth and fifth Sundays of Lent, we choose the reading from Year A, because we have RCIA Candidates. We join them and meditate on these readings. This weekend the readings are centered on the Sacrament of Baptism and new life. The first reading, from the Book of Exodus chapter 17, tells us the story of Israelites complaining about their thirst. In the previous chapter, they had complained that Moses brought them to the wilderness to die of hunger (16:3). Here they grumbled that Moses meant for them to die of thirst. So Moses asked the LORD, “What shall I do with this people?” Moses followed God’s instruction and strikes the rock. In Deuteronomy 32 in Moses’ song, he called God the Rock. St. Paul says that the rock was the Christ (I Corinthians 10:4). The spiritual rock followed Israelites in the wilderness and satisfied their thirst. The place Israelites quarreled was called Massah and Meribah which means the place of the test. Psalm 95:8-9 says, “Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the desert. There your ancestors tested me; they tried me though they had seen my works.” Several generations of the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and they forgot about their God who made Covenant with them and they complained that in Egypt they at least were not thirsty.
In the Gospel, Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman. Samaritans were half-Jews, ritually impure, and therefore Jews were forbidden to drink from any vessel they had handled. It began with the devastation of northern Palestine by Assyria. We read in the Second Book of Kings chapter 17 that the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. The Israelites in Samaria had defiled themselves by assimilating the practice of those pagan people and intermarrying with them. This caused enmity between Jews and Samaritans. Geographically, Judea is in the extreme south, Samaria in the middle, and Galilee in the extreme North. Normally, Jews avoid Samaria to go between north and south. But Jesus went through the Samaria and made a stop at Jacob’s well. This well was located on a piece of land that had been bought by Jacob (Genesis 33:18-19), and later given to Joseph (48:22).
Jesus oversteps the boundaries of Jewish traditions by conversing with women in public, sharing a drink with Samaritan, and mingling with a sinner. When Jesus reached the well, it was hot midday, and he sat there and the disciples went to town to get some food. Jesus was thirsty from traveling and asked the Samaritan woman for water.
We see in the Old Testament the meetings between future spouses at wells. Isaac meets Rebekah (Genesis 24:10-67), Jacob meets Rachel at the well of Haran (Genesis 29:1-30), and Moses and Zipporah meet at a well in Midian (Exodus 2:15-21). Here Jesus is the divine bridegroom in search of believers to be His covenant bride.
“Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His thirst was for the soul of the Samaritan woman. On the other hand, the Samaritan woman thirst for real love. Normally women used to go to fetch water in the morning or in the evening when it was not too hot. But she came to fetch water at noon. She may be trying to avoid the crowd. Jesus came to her level to reach out and walk with her and leads her to faith. Jesus reveals himself as the source of Living Water.
The liturgy makes use of the symbol of water to refer to our relationship with God. It represents God’s Spirit comes to us in Baptism. The water that Jesus promises is closely linked to conversion and the forgiveness of sin. In the second reading, Saint Paul asserts that, as the savior of mankind, Jesus poured the living water of the gift of his Holy Spirit into our hearts. Samaritan woman, in the Gospel once embraced the faith, the living water, became a missionary who brought others to Jesus. Once she had a life-changing experience, she couldn’t hold it for herself.
Jesus THIRST for our faith. Do we thirst for him? Yes, we do. The question is do we recognize it? Lent invites us to renew our faith, through our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Let us pray for one another, in a special way please pray for our RCIA candidates Christian Paul Newbury, Jasmine Sue Zenisek and Charlotte Jirschele.