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

FEAST OF BAPTISM OF THE LORD, YEAR C

Isaiah 40:1-5.9-11
Psalm 103
Titus 2:11-14;3:4-7
Luke 3:15-16.21-22

YOU ARE MY SON

We celebrate today the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. This event is narrated in today's gospel. John was baptizing people in preparation for the coming of the expected Messiah. After Jesus too has been baptized and was praying three phenomena happened: the heavens were opened, the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and a voice was heard saying "You are my Son, in you I am well pleased".

The opening of the heavens reminds us of the shutting up of the gate of heaven as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve. Mankind was sent away from the presence of God. We were exiled. But now in Jesus Christ, God is reconciling us to himself. He has forgiven us and is opening once again the treasures of his gracious love for us. He is restoring that friendship with him. Our exile is coming to an end. This is the glad tiding and consolation that is proclaimed in the first reading to the people of Jerusalem.

The descent of the Holy Spirit reminds us of the Spirit of God that was moving above the waters at the time of creation, while the dove reminds us of the end of the flood in the days of Noah. All this tells us that Jesus Christ had come to inaugurate a new era, the era of grace that makes us new creatures in the Holy Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit that we received at our baptism  making us sons and daughters of God. We are therefore renewed and our nature transformed. We can now lead new lives for God, as St Paul tells us in the second reading.

As we celebrate this feast today, let us thank God for the gift of the sacrament of baptism and ask him to renew his grace in us so that we may be faithful to our baptismal promises.

Amen

SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY

Isaiah 60,1-6
Psalm 71
Ephesians 3: 2-3. 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

God Has Manifested Himself To Us

We celebrate today the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word “epiphany” means manifestation, revelation or showing forth. Through a star, God revealed the birth of his Son to the magi in the east. God became man for the salvation of all. Therefore, he manifests himself to all.

There is no stranger in God’s plan of salvation. He leaves no one out. He adapts himself to our human condition. To the world, he reveals himself by the cry of a baby. To the shepherds, he revealed himself in a manger. To the magi, through a star. To the pagans of St Paul’s time, he revealed his love through the proclamation of the Gospel (Eph. 3:2-3.5-6). To us too, He manifests himself in various ways, especially in the daily events of our life and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

What makes the difference is our response to him. Our response must be to accept Jesus as our Star, the Light that enlightens all men. When we accept him, we must also radiate the light of Christ to the world. We must rise and shine, as the first reading exhorts us (Is. 60,1-6). Rising and shining are characteristics of the sun, which gives light, life and warmth to all. We are therefore called to shine in the world, covered by the darkness of sin, wickedness, selfishness, injustice, corruption, violence, hatred, unforgiveness, etc. May the Lord help us to become little stars that lead people to Christ.
Amen.