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**** Goanet Classifieds ****
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Enescil, a Brazilian engineering firm requires Engineers, Architects
and Draftsmen, proficient in AutoCAD, for their new office in Goa
Those interested can email [email protected] by 15 November 2011
Selected candidates will be sent to Brazil for 2 months training
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13-Nov-2011
Dear Friend,
We pray routinely almost every day, 'Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.' What
kingdom are we praying for? One of pomp and glory and power? Is that the
Kingdom that Christ came to spread on earth? Today's feast of Christ the king
reminds us that his kingdom and his kingship is of a different kind. His
kingdom becomes a reality and is with us when we care about others and show our
love in action for the poor, the weak and the needy. We are like our King when
we bend down to serve others! Have a thanksgiving weekend affirming your
loyalty to Christ in action! -Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Feast of Christ the King-"Being loyal subjects of Christ
our King!" 20-Nov-2011
Ezekiel 34: 11-12,15-17 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26;
28 Matthew 25: 31-46
In the first reading, Ezekiel, gives us a beautiful picture of Himself as the
Shepherd. It is a picture of a shepherd walking in the middle of his sheep,
going back and forth among them, looking for the lost, carrying the weak and
wounded in his arms. It is a picture of a shepherd, which in biblical times
always had overtones of kingship, as with David the shepherd king. Just as the
shepherd king cared for his flock, God's love for us is personal, individual,
and there is nothing beyond God's love that we need.
Part of a Great Movement
Powerful instincts reside within the human heart. One of these instincts
produces a yearning to be part of something great, to be involved in a movement
that will change history, to become immortal through sharing in a grand
enterprise of worldwide proportions. Throughout history unscrupulous men have
taken advantage of this strong instinct. Adolf Hitler is a prime example of how
an egomaniac who possesses what today is called "charisma" can scoop almost an
entire nation into the palm of his hand. From our vantage point in time we may
look back and wonder that rational and responsible human beings were so easily
duped until we realize how passionate the hunger to be significant can become.
Because he understood this passion, Hitler based his oratory on the principle
that if the lie you tell is big enough, people will believe it. In effect he
demanded that his people turn over to him their being so that the goals of a
master race could be achieved.
-Christ as our King claims dominion over all creation. He alone deserves to
receive a throne within our hearts. Powerful though he is, he does not win our
hearts by force of conquest. Rather he invites us to be the people of his
eternal and universal kingdom. He does not play upon our instinct to be part of
greatness; he fulfills it.
Charles Miller in 'Sunday Preaching'
Matthew's Gospel passage gives us a vision of the last judgement, when all
nations, without distinction between Jew and Gentile, without discrimination
between priest and people, are assembled before the King. We should not think
that the vision points only to the end of this world, because it reminds us of
the kind of community where Jesus sees himself to be recognized, the kind of
people where Jesus sees himself to be at home. The reading tells us that first
there will be a separation of the sheep from the goats, the good at the right
and the bad at the left. What the sole criterion for judgement for worthiness
for citizenship in the Kingdom of God, is our exercise of love. Jesus
illustrates his criterion with simple things that everybody can do: feeding the
hungry, giving thirsty people a drink, making a stranger welcome, providing
covering for the ill-clothed, comforting the sick, and visiting those in jail.
But even these simple manifestations of
love are often neglected by us. These love-criteria can be put into practice
literally and have been called the 'Corporal works of Mercy', which the Church
and her followers have practiced down the ages. We should note that in
Matthew's vision we have a list of human needs and appropriate responses by a
caring community. None of these needs is specifically religious. The criterion
does not exalt those who spent long hours in prayer, fasting and penance, they
rather focus on the needs of the human heart. To these human needs there is the
response of the kingdom people. That response is an authentic human response
and therefore a profoundly religious one.
Whatsoever you do to the least, you do unto me.
Joe's query was not out of concern for my welfare but rather to highlight his
own predicament. He merely asked whether I had eaten a meal that day. He had
not and with that frosty evening closing in he was not likely to eat one unless
I provided it. One way or another he assured me that he would survive, as there
were many days when he did not have a decent meal but it would be greatly
appreciated if he could have one now. Like an alert T.D., he quickly added the
supplementary question to ask if I had ever gone two days in winter without a
meal. The plea was irresistible. When Joe left I was filled with gratitude
towards and deep appreciation of thousands of people throughout the land who
provide meals on wheels, who care for the aging or sick relatives or
neighbours, or who work in the Vincent de Paul Society or the aid agencies.
Today's gospel is a salute to all such workers and helpers. Jesus assures them
that every act of kindness done to one in need
is done to himself and will be rewarded accordingly. It is a good gospel to
keep before our minds in the run up to Christmas.
Tom Clancy in 'Living the Word'
Doing Good
There was a queue of people outside the gates of heaven. Each person was asked
the question: 'Why do you think you should be admitted?' The first person in
the queue, a very religious man, said, 'I studied the Bible every day.' 'Very
good,' said the Lord. 'However, we'll have to carry out an investigation to see
why you studied the Bible. So please step aside for a moment!' The second was a
very pious woman who said, 'Lord, I said my prayers every day without fail.'
'Very good,' the Lord answered. 'However, we'll have to see if your motives
were pure, so step aside for a moment.' Then an innkeeper approached. He just
said, 'Lord on earth I wasn't a very religious man, but my door was always open
to the homeless, and I never refused food to anyone who was hungry.' 'Very
good,' said the Lord. 'In your case no investigation is needed, go right in.'
-It has been said that if you do a good deed, but have an ulterior motive, it
would be better not to do it at
all. The only exception is charity. Even though it isn't as good as doing it
with a pure motive, it is still a good deed, and benefits the other person, no
matter what your motive.
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies'
The Beggar King
In his book The Christian Vision, John Powell recalls an old Irish legend. It
seems that the reigning king had no children to succeed him on the throne. So
he has his messengers post signs in every town and village of his kingdom
inviting qualified young man to apply for an interview with the king. This way
the king hoped to be able to choose a successor before he died. Two
qualifications, especially, were stressed. The person must have a deep love for
God and for his neighbour. The young man around whom the legend centres saw one
of the signs. He, indeed, had a deep love for God and neighbour. He felt a kind
of inner voice telling him to apply for an interview. But the young man was so
poor that he didn't have decent clothes to wear to an interview. He also had no
money to buy provisions for the long journey to the king's castle. He finally
decided to beg for the clothes and the provisions he needed. After a month of
travel, one day the young man caught
sight of the king's castle. At about the same time, he also caught sight of a
poor old beggar sitting by the side of the road. The beggar held out his hands
and pleaded for help. "I'm hungry and cold," he said. "Could you give me
something warm to wear and something nourishing to eat?" The young man was
moved by the sight of the beggar. He stripped off his warm outer clothes and
exchanged them for the tattered old coat of the beggar. He also gave the beggar
most of the provisions he had been carrying in his backpack. Then, somewhat
uncertainly, he walked on to the castle in tattered clothes and without enough
food for his return trip. When the young man arrived at the castle, guards met
him and took him to the visitors' area. After a long wait, the young man was
led in to see the king. He bowed low before the throne. When he straightened
up, the young man could hardly believe his eyes. He said to the king, "You were
the beggar beside the road." "That's
right," said the king. "Why'd you do this to me?" asked the young man. "I had
to find out," said the king, "if you really did love God and neighbour."
Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies'
Loyal to the Master
Once a soldier was taken before the Roman magistrate. His crime was that of
being a Christian. The magistrate asked him, "Are you a Christian?" The
Christian soldier replied, "Yes". The magistrate enquired, "If so, are you the
enemy of Caesar?" The Christian replied, "No." "Then you must offer incense to
the image of Caesar", said the magistrate. The Christian replied boldly, "I
refuse to offer any incense to Caesar. God, and God alone must be adored and
worshipped. Jesus alone is my God and I love and worship Him alone." The
magistrate threatened saying, "If you refuse I will sever your head from your
body." The Christian boldly replied, "You may cut off my head from my shoulder,
but you cannot separate my heart from my King and God-Jesus Christ." The
Christian was decapitated.
John Rose in 'John's Sunday Homilies'
Hidden Face of Christ
In the year 1880 in Paris a rather poorly dressed priest showed up at a
presbytery looking for a night's lodgings. He had come all the way from Turin,
in Italy, and was trying to raise funds to build a church. The visitor's name
was John Bosco, but this meant nothing to the resident priest, so he put him in
the attic. Many years later when John Bosco was declared a saint by the Church,
the priest said, 'had I known it was John Bosco, I would not have put him in
the attic; I would have given him the best room in the house.' We never know
exactly who it is we are meeting in the person of our neighbour. But this is
not important. What is important is that we see in that person a needy human
being, and that we do our best to meet his need. For those with faith, behind
the face, no matter how strange, the face of Christ lies hidden.
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies'
May we be people of His kingdom who love and care for others!
Fr. Jude Botelho
[email protected]
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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