5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Isaiah 6:1-8
Ps 137:1-5.7-8
1 Co. 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11

CALLED TO BE MESSENGERS OF GOD

Christian life begins with the encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. This encounter not only transforms our life, but also entrusts to us a mission. In effect, Isaiah had a vision of God in the sanctuary. Filled with awe, he acknowledged his sinfulness before the holiness of God. Purged and strengthened by God, he received his call to be God’s messenger.

St Paul had an encounter with the crucified and risen Jesus on his way to Damascus. This encounter, or better still this experience, changed his life. From a persecutor of the Church, he became an apostle of Christ, a witness of the Gospel. Thus he worked and preached with much zeal, conviction and pride in God’s grace.

In the Gospel, St Luke narrates the call of the first disciples. Simon Peter and his companions were fishermen by profession. After a fruitless fishing adventure, in their despair and tiredness, they encountered Jesus. Though with hesitation and protest, Simon obeyed this itinerant preacher who told him: “Put out into deep water and lower the nets for a catch.” Out of this trust and obedience, they caught many fish. This miraculous catch changed their lives and perspective. They left everything and followed Jesus. From fishermen they became fishers of men.

As such, God can transform and make you too a testimony to his glory and power. Therefore, do not think of quitting or giving up no matter what you are going through. God has a grand plan and a mission for you. He is able to use you irrespective of your past or sins. If you allow the Lord to encounter you where you are, if you accept his call to become his messenger, your life will never be the same.
Remain blessed! Amen

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Jeremiah 1:4-5.17-19
Psalm 70
1Corinthians 13:1-13
Luke 4:21-30

THE LOT OF A PROPHET

A prophet is the spokesperson of God. He speaks on behalf of God. As such, prophets are often not welcomed. They may be rejected, maltreated or persecuted, especially by their own kins: “No prophet is ever accepted in his own country,” Jesus tells his townsmen. This was the experience of Jesus and many prophets including Jeremiah.

The evangelist Luke continues his report of the visit of Jesus to the synagogue of his hometown. He preached so well that the people marveled at his gracious words and eloquence. But this admiration turned into rage. Their amazement quickly turned into hatred. Thus, they ejected him out of the synagogue. They wanted to push him off the cliff on which their town was built. But Jesus walked through them and left.

Such treatment of men of God was not uncommon. The prophet Jeremiah was to have similar experience. Since his mother’s womb, God had chosen him to be a prophet to the nations. But he was to face opposition and hostility. The people would fight against him, but they would not overcome him because God had made him a fortified city. The Lord was with him to deliver him.

By virtue of our baptism, we too are prophets. We must speak and proclaim the words of God to our contemporaries. But we must keep two things in mind. First, we will face challenges, rejection, criticisms and oppositions. And yet, we should not be afraid because the Lord is with us. With God, we shall overcome. Second, we may have all it takes to be a good prophet; but without love, we are “simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing”. Love is a gift that lasts forever, says St Paul in the second reading. Yes, love is everything and it changes everything. Let our love for one another become a testimony in today’s world.

Amen

EASTER SUNDAY

Acts 10 :34.37-43 
Psalm117 
1Corithians 5 :6-8 
John 20 :1-9

HE HAS RISEN INDEED

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. For we celebrate the foundation of our faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ (cf. 1Cor. 15:13-14).

However, from the gospel reading, we understand that the Lord's resurrection is not a scientific fact to be proven. It is to be believed in. No one saw Jesus coming out of the tomb. But some "facts" and events indicate that something extraordinary happened: the empty tomb, the appearances of the Risen Lord, and the witness of the apostles.

From what happened on Good Friday and these indicators, we come to believe that Jesus was dead, but now he is alive. On Good Friday, our hopes were shattered. But today, our hope has come alive. We now know our Redeemer lives. Easter is therefore a period of joy and hope.

This is the Good News we must carry. Let us bring this joy and hope to those around us. Let us show by our way of life that we are Easter people. Let us celebrate this Easter not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, unforgiveness and self-pity, but with sincerity, truth, and self confidence (1Cor. 5:6-8). May the Risen Lord bless and keep all of us.
Amen