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International Cuisine Conference on Traditional Asian Diet
Panaji, Goa, September 2-5, 2007 - http://www.indologygoa.in
Online Media Partner: http://www.goanet.org
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12-Aug-2007
Dear Friend,
There are moments in life when we cannot be silent, when we are called to
take a stand, when we have to stand up and be counted, but we are afraid and
lack the courage of our convictions. The coward dies a thousand deaths the
brave man dies but once! Christianity is not about making us feel comfortable
but about standing for God and for justice for all. Have a
faith-strengthening weekend! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Twentieth Sunday The Challenging Word! 19-Aug-07
Readings: Jeremiah 38: 4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12: 1-4; Luke 12: 49-53;
Jeremiahs ministry took place during the twelve years between the first fall
of Jerusalem and its final destruction in 587 B.C. Jeremiah had the unpleasant
task of warning the people that if they continued in their corrupt way of life
and did not repent and return to God their nation would be destroyed. The
people did not like Jeremiahs warnings and complained that his message was
demoralizing the people. He was accused of treason and punished by being
lowered in a cistern where he was stuck in the mud until he was rescued.
Jeremiah knew he had to speak the truth and warn the people no matter what the
consequences for his life. Despite his pain, the prophet remained faithful to
his mission.
Courage to confront
In the 1920s an English adventurer named Mallory led an expedition to conquer
Mount Everest. His first, second and even his third attempt with an experienced
team met with failure. Upon his return to England, the few who had survived
held a banquet to salute Mallory and those who had perished. As he stood up to
speak he looked around he saw picture frames of himself and those who had died.
Then he turned his back on the crowd and faced a large picture of Mount Everest
looming large like an unbeatable giant. With tears streaming down his face, he
spoke to the mountain on behalf of his dead friends. I speak to you Mt.
Everest, in the name of all brave men living, and those yet unborn. Mt.
Everest, you defeated us once, you defeated us twice; you defeated us three
times. But Mt. Everest, we shall someday defeat you, because you cant get any
bigger and we can.
John Rose in Johns Sunday Homilies
In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews the author spells out
the Christian response to Gods call. The Christian life implies that we must
be willing to pay the price for being in the race, just as athletes do by their
training to win. The biggest hindrance in our race to the finish is our sins
which weigh us down. But we are also encouraged to carry on and run to the
finish by countless people who have gone before us and inspire us with their
lives. Ultimately Jesus is our inspiration and we must keep him always in focus
if we are to persevere to the end.
Today gospel a challenging one, is called the gospel of the sword, or the
gospel of fire because of the inevitable confrontation it speaks of as part of
living the Christian life to the full. Jesus bluntly states the meaning and
purpose of his life when he states, I have come to bring fire to the earth,
and how I wish it were blazing already. There is a baptism I must still
receive, and how great is my distress till it is over! Jesus does just that
when he touches any human being. Once touched by Jesus our lives are never the
same. He ignites us to live fully; He pushes us into the centre of life so that
we are forced to take a stand for or against him. He goes on to speak of the
consequence of being his follower; Do you suppose that I have come to bring
peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household
will be divided
. These words of Jesus disturb us. Can he really mean what he
says? In todays gospel Jesus talks about his mission by
using the metaphor of lighting a fire, and he refers to his passion by using
the image of a baptism to be received. Both fire and water are ambivalent
symbols. Fire can be awesome and it was seen by the Israelites to symbolize the
presence of God. It was also terrifying in its power and symbolized its ability
to cleanse, divide, destroy and purify, as the Jews experienced during their
exodus to the Promised Land. Jesus also says he has a baptism to receive, which
brings to mind another ambivalent symbol of Gods activity water. This water
brings life, refreshment, cleansing and healing but also destruction and death.
Todays gospel puts Jesus and what he stood for in sharp perspective. No one
who accepts Jesus can be the same. His message would bring a sword, even to
people who were closely related to each other.
Fiddler on the Roof
An example of the opposition that that faith brings about in a family occurs in
the play Fiddler on the Roof. The story takes place in Russia in 1905 and the
plot centres around a man named Tevye, the father of a poor Jewish family. He
has five daughters but no son. His eldest daughter marries a tailor who was not
chosen for her by the traditional matchmaker. After a struggle with his
conscience Teyve accepts the marriage. His next daughter marries a college
student who has broken with many Jewish traditions. After another struggle with
his conscience, Teyve accepts this marriage too. Finally, his third daughter,
Chava, marries a non-Jew, a young Russian soldier. When Golde, Teyves wife
breaks the news to him, Teyve, says, Chava is dead to us! We must forget her.
Alone, Teyve, sings a beautiful song called Chavalah. In it he pours out his
heart to God. He cant understand why Chava did what she did. At that moment
Chava appears and pleads with Teyve to accept her and
her husband. Teyve looks up to heaven and says: How can I accept them? Can I
deny everything I believe in? On the other hand, can I deny my own child? (But
if I deny everything I believe in
) if I try to bend that far, I will break..
No Chava. When Jesus invited people to follow him, he realized what he was
asking. For them it meant doing what Chava had to do. It meant leaving father
and mother and family.
Mark Link in Sunday Homilies
Christianity is not a dull religion! Nothing could be farther from Jesus
intention. His own life shows this. He preached on street corners as well as in
synagogues. He constantly met new and interesting characters (from wealthy tax
collectors to pushy prostitutes.) He was faced with every kind of human problem
(from intellectual tests to family squabbles about inheritance). He enjoyed
banquets and fasted for weeks in the desert. He asked little children to come
into his presence just to enjoy them, and at other times he had fierce battles
with the Pharisees whom he called hypocrites and whitened sepulchers. William
McNamara in his book The Human Adventure, has a fascinating chapter which
describes the contemplative active Christ The Disciplined Wild Man! What an
appropriate title for Jesus. What a fitting description for the Word of God who
came to set the world on fire. -Eugene Lauer
We stand for God?
Some time ago a newspaper columnist Arthur Jones, shared an important moment
in his earlier life with his readers. It happened when he was drafted into the
Royal Air Force and found himself in military barracks with 30 other men. On
the first night he had to make a decision. He had always knelt to say his
prayers. Should he continue to kneel now that he was in military service? He
squirmed a little and then said to himself: Why should I change just because
people are watching? Am I going to begin my life away from home by letting
other people dictate what I should do or not do? He decided to kneel. By the
time he had finished, he became aware that everyone else was aware of him. And
when he made the Sign of the Cross, he was aware that everyone else knew he was
a Catholic. As it turned out, he was the only Catholic in the barracks. Yet,
night after night he knelt. He said that those ten minutes on his knees often
led to discussions that lasted for hours. On the last
day in boot camp, someone said to him, You are the finest Christian Ive ever
met. He replied, Well, I might be the most public Christian youve ever met,
but I dont think Im the finest. Still, I thank you for what you said. That
story illustrates one of the points of todays gospel. Commitment to Jesus
means taking a stand on certain things. And sometimes that stand sets us in
opposition to other people.
Mark Link in Sunday Homilies
May we stand for Christ rather than be put down by what others say!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
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