Life is a gift of God...
"It is not choice, it is life." And this life is a gift of God, created in His image and likeness. Violence and disrespect of human life is nothing new to the modern era. It is as old as the first sin of Adam and Eve. However, the secular culture that we live in today has taken an ominous turn, and our future looks bleak.
Countless are the death of the unborn! This stigma on current society reverberates loud and clear of our sinfulness and selfishness. How can we take pride in the ingenuity of our civilization and the invention of modern marvels, when all of our advancement, which should have helped to promote life and wellbeing of humanity, does just the opposite. We have stooped so low!
Wars are fought among uncivilized. "Might is right" in the animal world. Tools were discovered by men to hunt animals, and to cut the woods, stones for better living. Today, the advancement of these tools bespeaks inhumanity. Tools of modern society are not to hunt animals but to kill humans, in great numbers. What a shame!
Millions go hungry around the world, and thousand die of starvation daily. Do we really believe that every life is a gift of God? If this is our claim, then it should tear our hearts apart, when we see injustice done to countless people. "Whatever you do to the least of my brethren you have done it unto me." Isn't this the voice of Jesus? How can we close our ears and say that we are his followers. You hypocrites!
How much thought do we give, when it comes to putting someone to death, because he or she is a burden for the society? Are we the author of life? We are not! Therefore, we should stand in awe before God, with much gratitude for life He has given us. We must learn to respect life from conception to natural death. "Life is a gift of God, what I make of this life is my gift to God."
Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx ( From Pastor's Desk )
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Your faith has saved you...!
Faith is a gift from God, which He bestows freely upon those who open their life in humanity. Naaman, the leper would not have received healing, if he had continued to stand on the ground of pride and arrogance. The servant filled with faith requests his master Naaman, to follow the command of the prophet to immense himself in the river Jordan. However, it is not the water of Jordan, but his openness, to humble himself before God, that brought about the healing he desired.
Christian journey is a journey of faith. Faith is a leap in the dark with confidence that God will hold us in the palm of his hand. Young minds of today find it difficult to live in faith. They seek explanation for everything and anything, which is good, but whatever is outside the realm of reason and scientific knowledge is discarded. Stupidity! Jesus while thanking His Father, said:"I thank thee Father for keeping the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven from the wise and the learned, but revealing them to mere babes!"
A friend of mine recently told me what he said to his Hindu friend, which impressed me greatly! His Hindu friend alledged that in their religion everything has an explanation, which human mind can understand and grasp, but yours he said, does not. To which my catholic friend replied, "Exactly!" And, that is the difference between these two religions. Ours begin with faith, and then seeks explanation; yours begins with explanation and no faith.
We, the disciples of the Lord should always be humble, in order to grow in faith. We have to return back to God to give thanks, like the Samaritan, with loud voices for all the blessings He has showered upon us. The celebration of the Eucharist is the celebration of faith. We return to God in humility to express our gratitude. Jesus full of joy will say to us: "stand up and go on your way, your faith has saved you".
Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx. ( From the Pastor's Desk)
Faith is a gift from God, which He bestows freely upon those who open their life in humanity. Naaman, the leper would not have received healing, if he had continued to stand on the ground of pride and arrogance. The servant filled with faith requests his master Naaman, to follow the command of the prophet to immense himself in the river Jordan. However, it is not the water of Jordan, but his openness, to humble himself before God, that brought about the healing he desired.
Christian journey is a journey of faith. Faith is a leap in the dark with confidence that God will hold us in the palm of his hand. Young minds of today find it difficult to live in faith. They seek explanation for everything and anything, which is good, but whatever is outside the realm of reason and scientific knowledge is discarded. Stupidity! Jesus while thanking His Father, said:"I thank thee Father for keeping the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven from the wise and the learned, but revealing them to mere babes!"
A friend of mine recently told me what he said to his Hindu friend, which impressed me greatly! His Hindu friend alledged that in their religion everything has an explanation, which human mind can understand and grasp, but yours he said, does not. To which my catholic friend replied, "Exactly!" And, that is the difference between these two religions. Ours begin with faith, and then seeks explanation; yours begins with explanation and no faith.
We, the disciples of the Lord should always be humble, in order to grow in faith. We have to return back to God to give thanks, like the Samaritan, with loud voices for all the blessings He has showered upon us. The celebration of the Eucharist is the celebration of faith. We return to God in humility to express our gratitude. Jesus full of joy will say to us: "stand up and go on your way, your faith has saved you".
Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx. ( From the Pastor's Desk)
Riches blind people...
To amass wealth, people walk great distance. And, what a walk it is! Most of the time, they trample upon fellow human beings. Everyone is a child of God and a lawful heir to the wealth of this world. If this is the case, it is lawful for me to have more than I need, when millions of my brothers and sisters go hungry and thirsty everyday?
We walk the talk, but are unable to walk the walk. Several days ago, a friend of mine surprised me. He seems to deny the existence of God, but favors humanitarian approach to address the crisis mankind faces. I said to him, "excellent!" So you accept that all of humanity is equal and should be treated equally." He replied, "I have worked hard to be a doctor. Therefore, I should have especial statues in the society, better treatment and greater wealth. However, I will share a little of my income with less fortunate people." How can we live as one human family?
Education should help us to become better individuals, not to exploit others. The irony is that education is used as a weapon, rather than to build healthy human community; education is employed to form classes that sets ppeople apart, instead of bringing us together. Has education opened our eyes, or made us blind.
Earthly riches are not ours, but are placed at our disposal to form a loving community, and for a healthy living. If riches were ours, then we should be able to carry them with us from this life to the next. The rich man in Hades was torment, while Lazarus was enjoying the bliss. Where are his riches? He begs with Abraham and Lazarus. Where are his riches, and power? What is the widom of possessing an abundance of material goods and money?
The rich man in the gospel lived a very lavish life. The wealth blinded him to the extend that he could not even see the poor Lazarus lying at his gate. Our true wealth is God's life, which Jesus offered from the cross, and the Holy Spirit carried it in out hearts. Let us be more proud of God's gift of salvation, than of any earthly awards.
Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx ( Pastor's Desk )
To amass wealth, people walk great distance. And, what a walk it is! Most of the time, they trample upon fellow human beings. Everyone is a child of God and a lawful heir to the wealth of this world. If this is the case, it is lawful for me to have more than I need, when millions of my brothers and sisters go hungry and thirsty everyday?
We walk the talk, but are unable to walk the walk. Several days ago, a friend of mine surprised me. He seems to deny the existence of God, but favors humanitarian approach to address the crisis mankind faces. I said to him, "excellent!" So you accept that all of humanity is equal and should be treated equally." He replied, "I have worked hard to be a doctor. Therefore, I should have especial statues in the society, better treatment and greater wealth. However, I will share a little of my income with less fortunate people." How can we live as one human family?
Education should help us to become better individuals, not to exploit others. The irony is that education is used as a weapon, rather than to build healthy human community; education is employed to form classes that sets ppeople apart, instead of bringing us together. Has education opened our eyes, or made us blind.
Earthly riches are not ours, but are placed at our disposal to form a loving community, and for a healthy living. If riches were ours, then we should be able to carry them with us from this life to the next. The rich man in Hades was torment, while Lazarus was enjoying the bliss. Where are his riches? He begs with Abraham and Lazarus. Where are his riches, and power? What is the widom of possessing an abundance of material goods and money?
The rich man in the gospel lived a very lavish life. The wealth blinded him to the extend that he could not even see the poor Lazarus lying at his gate. Our true wealth is God's life, which Jesus offered from the cross, and the Holy Spirit carried it in out hearts. Let us be more proud of God's gift of salvation, than of any earthly awards.
Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx ( Pastor's Desk )
Thursday, October 04, 2007
On Music...
"Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inner places of the soul." Plato.
We met this lovable person called Frank Chiswell ,(a senior citizen and sax player), who in our first meeting threw us a question on who wrote the Star Spangled Banner. Little did we know that he is a musician. He is a saxophone player. He said , "take away music and I am dead. " And little did he know that music, I mean really music not noise is a part of my life.
When I was new to this world, I learned to love music through Mother Nature - the melody from the bamboos, love notes of the mayas (rice birds), refrains of the brook, nocturnal scintillating tunes of the crickets, the songs of the wind. I hear music when I throw peebles in the river of my childhood that draws circles of ripples. There are notes etch in the sky as the clouds move rhythmically and finally comforts the thirsty earth.
Music is everywhere. You've got to listen to it. In this world of diverse music from different culture, you just have to change the way you listen to them. What is noise to others, make that music to your ears. And when we sing, the angels listen...
"Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inner places of the soul." Plato.
We met this lovable person called Frank Chiswell ,(a senior citizen and sax player), who in our first meeting threw us a question on who wrote the Star Spangled Banner. Little did we know that he is a musician. He is a saxophone player. He said , "take away music and I am dead. " And little did he know that music, I mean really music not noise is a part of my life.
When I was new to this world, I learned to love music through Mother Nature - the melody from the bamboos, love notes of the mayas (rice birds), refrains of the brook, nocturnal scintillating tunes of the crickets, the songs of the wind. I hear music when I throw peebles in the river of my childhood that draws circles of ripples. There are notes etch in the sky as the clouds move rhythmically and finally comforts the thirsty earth.
Music is everywhere. You've got to listen to it. In this world of diverse music from different culture, you just have to change the way you listen to them. What is noise to others, make that music to your ears. And when we sing, the angels listen...
On Values...
The greatest handicap - fear.
Most disagreeable person - the complainer
The best day - today.
Worst bankruptcy-loss of enthusiasm
The easiest thing to do - find fault
Best teacher - one who makes you want to learn
Most useless asset - pride
Greatest need - common sense
The greatest mistake - giving up
Meanest feeling - regret at another's success
The greatest stumbling block -egotism
Best gift - forgiveness
The greatest comfort - work well done
Greatest knowledge - God
Greatest thing in the world - love
From Jim Pierce's "Big Golden Trumpet" published by Charles Hansen Music...
(Courtesy of Frank Chiswell, the sax player patient of my wife, Eve and a friend)
The greatest handicap - fear.
Most disagreeable person - the complainer
The best day - today.
Worst bankruptcy-loss of enthusiasm
The easiest thing to do - find fault
Best teacher - one who makes you want to learn
Most useless asset - pride
Greatest need - common sense
The greatest mistake - giving up
Meanest feeling - regret at another's success
The greatest stumbling block -egotism
Best gift - forgiveness
The greatest comfort - work well done
Greatest knowledge - God
Greatest thing in the world - love
From Jim Pierce's "Big Golden Trumpet" published by Charles Hansen Music...
(Courtesy of Frank Chiswell, the sax player patient of my wife, Eve and a friend)
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
On Stewardship....
By Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx
It is vital to have good stewards for the well-being of the household and the community at large. They execute an important responsibility for the smooth running of society or a firm. If they fail to carry out their duty in a worthy manner, the ripple effects are seen everywhere. This is ordinary knowledge, which we experience day in and day out.
When God created the world, He made men the stewards of his creation. How have we executed this role throughout history? Times past and present speak volumes of our success and failure. There are several edifying figures in our history, who worked tirelessly for the wellbeing of the society and to enhance nature. Today, there are many people who follow in the footsteps of those noble souls to be good stewards.
Our greatest tragedy is the failure of the majority of the people to implement responsibly the task of being the good stewards. The disparity between the rich and the poor is glaring; the same with the nations. No one should go hungry, yet millions die of starvation every year, because we failed in out duty to share the resources equally.
Global warming is being triggered by human greed and selfishness, which threatens our very existence. God trusted the humans, and made us the stewards of His creation. Now, how should we present the accounts of our actions? Should we place before Him all our nuclear weapons, saying: "This is our gift to you!" We produced this masterpiece by letting millions go hungry. These weapons could be used to clear the rest without mercy. What a tragedy!
Should God continue to trust humankind, and entrust His creation in our defiled hands? Jesus came into the world to set men right once again with God, our Creator. He spoke of love of God and love of neighbor, with all our strength, heart, mind and soul. Instead of listening to God's beloved Son and amending our ways, we crucified Him. Could we say that we are good stewards?
Let us repent with sincere sorrow, and take the responsibility seriously to enhance the creation of God as good stewards, and share the resources with the whole of humanity.
By Fr. Peter Fernandes, sfx
It is vital to have good stewards for the well-being of the household and the community at large. They execute an important responsibility for the smooth running of society or a firm. If they fail to carry out their duty in a worthy manner, the ripple effects are seen everywhere. This is ordinary knowledge, which we experience day in and day out.
When God created the world, He made men the stewards of his creation. How have we executed this role throughout history? Times past and present speak volumes of our success and failure. There are several edifying figures in our history, who worked tirelessly for the wellbeing of the society and to enhance nature. Today, there are many people who follow in the footsteps of those noble souls to be good stewards.
Our greatest tragedy is the failure of the majority of the people to implement responsibly the task of being the good stewards. The disparity between the rich and the poor is glaring; the same with the nations. No one should go hungry, yet millions die of starvation every year, because we failed in out duty to share the resources equally.
Global warming is being triggered by human greed and selfishness, which threatens our very existence. God trusted the humans, and made us the stewards of His creation. Now, how should we present the accounts of our actions? Should we place before Him all our nuclear weapons, saying: "This is our gift to you!" We produced this masterpiece by letting millions go hungry. These weapons could be used to clear the rest without mercy. What a tragedy!
Should God continue to trust humankind, and entrust His creation in our defiled hands? Jesus came into the world to set men right once again with God, our Creator. He spoke of love of God and love of neighbor, with all our strength, heart, mind and soul. Instead of listening to God's beloved Son and amending our ways, we crucified Him. Could we say that we are good stewards?
Let us repent with sincere sorrow, and take the responsibility seriously to enhance the creation of God as good stewards, and share the resources with the whole of humanity.
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