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10-Dec-2012
Dear Friend,
Are we happy with our life? Joseph Addison said, "The essentials of happiness
are, something to do, someone to love and something to hope for." Helen Keller
said, "Happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through
fidelity to a worthy cause." Victor Frankl said: "Happiness is a choice which
transforms our tragedies into triumphs." We can be happy by making others
happy! Have a joy-filled weekend! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Third Sunday of Advent: "Change your heart! Rejoice the
Lord is near" 16-Dec-2012
Readings:Zephaniah 3: 14-18Philippians 4: 4-7Luke 3: 10-18
Today's first reading from the Book of Zephaniah has the message: joy over
sadness, optimism over pessimism. Zephaniah knew that the people were defeated,
that their morale was very low and to these people he cried out: Shout for Joy!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart! He then gives them the reason for the
celebration, 'The Lord, the king of Israel is in your midst; you have no more
evil to fear.' Twice he reminds them that despite the sad things that are
happening, God is in their midst. God's nearness is not a threat but a
blessing. His nearness can make us see everything around us in a new light. His
nearness can help us to see beyond the pain, the loss, the tension and the
disasters that threaten us. The Lord is in our midst as a warrior, so victory
is assured if we concentrate on Him rather than on our misery.
Ode to Joy!
Life is full of both sadness and joy. Both can be opportunities for growth, and
joy can overcome sadness. An example is Beethoven, whose deafness gradually
became so profound that he shared in the difficulties of many deaf people: He
was unable to do such simple things as join in group conversations, he felt
embarrassed and so isolated; eventually he felt it necessary to withdraw within
himself. Conducting the first performance of his Ninth and last symphony,
pathetically he had to be told to turn around to face the audience to
acknowledge the waves of applause, because he couldn't hear them. Yet in the
midst of his deafness - a sadness unique for musician - he composed his
beautiful, lilting "Ode to Joy".
Harold Buetow in 'God still speaks: Listen!'
In the gospel of today we focus on John the Baptist who prepared the people for
the coming of the source of all joy, Jesus Christ. Perhaps we might be
surprised to picture John the Baptist as a person associated with deep joy
because we are used to him being portrayed as an austere person, alone in the
desert in strange garb with queer eating habits. Yet the gospel tells us that
the people looked up to him and followed him and came to listen to him. Perhaps
there was some quality about John that attracted people to seek him and follow
him. He has been preaching repentance and reminding them to prepare a way for
the coming of the Lord. The people are moved and ask him, "What must we do
then?" To the common people who ask that question John reminds them of their
duty to be generous with what they have received and not to hoard the surplus
they have. To the tax collectors who ask the same question John exhorts them to
be just and not to collect extras so
that they might line their own pockets at the expense of the poor. To the
soldiers who asked in their turn, John reminded them not to use their authority
to intimidate and unjustly steal money from the poor. What John is telling all
these groups of people is that if they wish to have joy they have to forget
themselves and their needs and think of others. Happiness is not about what
presents you get but what you give to others and how happy you make them. Mark
Twain once remarked "Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value
of a joy you have to have someone to divide it with."
Source of our joy
There's a relevant story about a salesman who dreamed that he has gone into the
next life. There he found all former salesmen separated into two groups: the
failures lodged in one place, the successes in another. He watched the failures
- a thin, hungry-looking mob - while the waiters came in to serve dinner. A
waiter went down one side of a table and up the other laying out great platters
of delicious food, but - strangely enough - he was preceded by another waiter
who affixed to each dinner's arm a long iron spoon. This spoon rendered the arm
absolutely rigid, so that it couldn't be bent at the elbow. As a result, the
men couldn't eat. The new arrival then went to see the successes, whose
dwelling place was that of a multitude of genial, well-fed, happy gentlemen.
There he witnessed the same procedure he had seen in the other place. But here
the long spoon rigidly fixed to the arm of each diner proved no impediment
whatever. Each man dipped his spoon
into the food and fed the man seated next to him! Returning to the first
group, he asked one of the sales men why they didn't do the same thing, and got
the reply, "I'm starving, and I should feed that dirty crook next to me?"
Harold Buetow in 'God still speaks: Listen!
Lord I choose you!
A vivid illustration of what John was challenging people to do is found in
Catherine Marshall's book Something More. One day, her daughter Linda was about
to take a shower. Linda had one foot in the shower stall and the other foot on
the bathroom rug. As she stood there in this awkward position, it suddenly
occurred to her that this was a good picture of her life. Linda had always
wanted to commit her life to God, but she could never quite do it. She always
kept one foot in and one foot out. Now, it seemed the moment had finally come
when she must decide for God or against him. Standing there, Linda thought
about what choosing the Lord would cost her. The price would be high. But she
was tired of living in two worlds and enjoying neither. Linda paused for a long
time, took a deep breath, and said aloud, "Lord, I choose you!" With that, she
stepped into the shower. It was for her a true baptism. It's this kind of a
change of heart that John was calling
upon people to make.
Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies'
Street Preacher
A number of years ago the dean of American psychiatry, Dr. Karl Menninger,
surprised a lot of people by writing a book called Whatever Became of Sin? He
began it with a humorous but thought-provoking story. One sunny day in
September 1972, a street preacher appeared on a busy corner in downtown
Chicago. As office workers hurried by on their way to lunch, the street
preacher would suddenly raise his right arm; point a bony finger at an office
worker, and shout, "Guilty!" Then he would stiffen up, pause a few seconds, and
start over again. He'd raise his right arm, point his finger at an office
worker, and shout, "Guilty!" The effect on the pedestrians was almost eerie,'
said Dr. Menninger. They would glance at the preacher, look away, glance back,
and then hurry on.
Mark Link in 'Sunday Homilies'
The Truth will set you free!
A friend of mine is a member of AA. He is now a fully convinced and convicted
member, after a long period of rationalization, self-justification, and denial.
For most of his first year there was self-justification, and denial. For most
of his first year there was a raging battle going on within him. He could not
identify with the others, and because he had not done all the crazy things the
others had done, he continued to deny that he really was an alcoholic. By
sticking with the programme, however, and by continuing to attend the meetings,
he gradually came to a point where he was ready to ask for help, to take his
focus off the others, and to ask himself 'what do I have to do to gain
sobriety?' It was only then that his recovery had begun. The message had got
through to him, and he was ready to make a personal response to what he was
hearing. I believe there is a great need for us to hear the truth, to see the
truth, and to speak the truth.
Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth!'
Tell it as it is!
A young lad was doing his homework, as his dad watched television. "Dad",
called the boy, 'where did I come from?' The father was unprepared for the
question, as he hummed and pondered. 'A stork brought you', came the answer at
last. A few minutes later came the other question. 'Dad, where did you come
from?' Once again the father was slightly flustered, and then he replied 'Santa
brought me'. The young lad continued writing. Just as his dad was beginning to
relax, a third question came. 'Dad, where did grand-dad come from? The father
was running out of ideas by now, but then he reverted to the old reliable. 'He
was found under a head of cabbage." By now the father was quite pleased with
himself, and the young lad finished his writing, closed the copy and went to
bed. As the father was reflecting on the string of questions, he got a bright
idea, and he went over to the table, got the young lad's copy, and read what he
had written. Imagine how he felt
when he read 'As far as I can ascertain, after persistent questioning, there
hasn't been one normal birth in this family for the past three generations'!
Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth!'
Happiness is...
Viktor Frankl tells us in his book: Man's Search for Meaning that the members
of his immediate family were imprisoned by the Nazis only because they were
Jews. Very sadly, his wife, his children and his parents were all killed in the
holocaust. One day the Gestapo ordered him to strip. Obediently he did as
directed and stood before his persecutors stark naked but with his head held
high. The only possession on his person was his wedding band. Walking up to
him, one of the guards grabbed his hand and forcibly pulled it off his finger.
Viktor sheepishly submitted -he had no other alternative. But even as he
suffered this shameful indignity, he said to himself, "You can take away my
wife, you can take away my children, you can strip me of my clothes and my
freedom, but there is one thing no person can ever take from me - and that is
my freedom to choose how I react to what happens to me! In his own words:
"Happiness is a choice which transforms our
tragedies into triumphs." -Jesus said it differently: "Those who want to save
their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
Viktor Frankyl in 'Man's Search for Meaning'
Let's wait that God will come and empty us of falsehood and fill us with joy!
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.
