The Human Need of Becoming Great

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Twenty Sixth Week:  Thursday*

*Gospel :  Mt 18:1-5*

*First Reading : Is 66: 10-14*

*Responsorial Psalm : 131: 1-3*

*The Human Need of Becoming Great*

*1) The desire to become great is natural*

From childhood, we want to become something: 

The best student,

The best player,

The successful professional,

A respected leader,

A person whom others recognize.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to grow and do something meaningful.

The problem begins when greatness means being above others.

Jesus does not say, “Do not become great.” He teaches us what true greatness means.

Ask yourself: “Do I want to become great so that I can serve more people, or so that more people will serve me?”

*2) Jesus changes the meaning of greatness*

The disciples are thinking about position. Jesus speaks about attitude.

They ask: “Who is greatest?”

Jesus places a child among them.

The message is striking: Greatness in God's Kingdom is not measured by how many people are below me, but by how many people I am willing to lift up.

A person may have a high position but a low heart. Another may have a small position but a great heart.

*3) Humility is the doorway to greatness*

Jesus says: “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 18:4) Notice the words “humbles himself.”

Christian humility does not mean saying, “I am useless.” True humility means: “I know that everything I have is a gift, and I am willing to use it for others.” The more gifts we receive, the greater our responsibility to serve.

A beautiful principle: Great gifts + great position + great responsibility = great service.

*4) Greatness begins with knowing our dependence on God*

A little child knows that he or she needs parents.

Likewise, the spiritually mature person knows: “I need God.”

Sometimes our achievements make us forget God.

We say: “I built this.” “I achieved this.” “I became successful.”

But humility says: “God gave me the ability, people helped me, and I must use what I have received for His glory and the good of others.”

*5) Greatness is measured by service*

Jesus will later give the same principle in another form: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” (Mt 20:26)

Therefore, a mother serving her children, a father working for his family, a teacher educating students, a priest serving his people, a doctor caring for patients, or a person quietly helping the poor can be great in God's eyes.

The world may not applaud them. God sees the service.

*6) Greatness means making others feel important*

A truly great person does not constantly ask: “How important am I?” Instead: “How important can I make the other person feel?”

A great person listens to the person whom everyone ignores.

A great person gives dignity to the poor.

A great person encourages someone who has failed.

A great person gives another person an opportunity to grow.

If my presence makes others feel small, my greatness is only an illusion. If my presence helps others become great, I am beginning to understand Jesus' teaching.

*7) Do not compete with others; compete with your former self*

The disciples were comparing themselves with one another.

We can fall into the same trap:

Who has more money?

Who has a better position?

Whose children are more successful?

Who receives more recognition?

Who has more followers?

Who is more respected?

Jesus offers another way: Do not measure your life by comparing yourself with another person. Measure it by how much you have grown in love, humility and service.

Yesterday I was impatient; today I am more patient.

Yesterday I was selfish; today I am more generous.

Yesterday I could not forgive; today I can forgive.

That is real growth.

*8) The greatest person may be the one whom nobody notices*

Jesus chooses a child—someone without power, wealth or social status.

This tells us something beautiful: Heaven's greatness and the world's greatness are not always the same.

Someone may never appear in newspapers, never receive an award and never occupy an important position, yet may be very great before God because of a life of love and sacrifice.

A grandmother praying quietly for her family may be great before God.

A person caring for a sick parent may be great before God.

Someone forgiving another person may be great before God.

Someone helping a poor family secretly may be great before God.

*9) How can I become great in the Kingdom of Heaven?*

We can turn Jesus' teaching into five practical steps:

*A) Give God the first place* : Recognize that our talents, opportunities and life itself are gifts.

*B) Respect every person* : Especially those whom society considers small or unimportant.

*C) Encourage others* : Use our abilities to help others grow rather than to make ourselves look superior.

*D) Accept the role of a servant* : Do small things without always expecting recognition.

*E) Trust God like a child* : Depend on God, remain teachable and place our future in His hands.

GREATNESS = HUMILITY + SERVICE + LOVE + TRUST IN GOD

*10) Points to Ponder* 

Person A: “I want to become great so that everyone will know me.”

Person B: “I want to become great so that I can do something good for others.”

Both want greatness. But their understanding of greatness is completely different.

The first asks: “How many people know me?”

The second asks: “How many people have been helped because of me?”

That is the transformation Jesus wants to make in us.

The world measures greatness by position, possessions, power and recognition. Jesus measures greatness by humility, love, service and our willingness to become small for the sake of others.

“When I become more important, do other people become smaller—or do they become greater because of me?”

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

Danger of Looking back While Ploughing

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Twenty Sixth Week:  Wednesday*

*Gospel :  Luke 9:57-62*

*First Reading : Job 9: 1-12; 14-16*

*Responsorial Psalm : 88: 10-15*

*Danger of Looking back While Ploughing*

*1) Why does Jesus use the image of a plough?*

In the time of Jesus, ploughing was done by guiding an animal or animals through the soil. The person holding the plough needed to keep his eyes fixed ahead to make a straight furrow.

If he continually looked behind, the furrow could become crooked.

So Jesus takes an ordinary agricultural experience and gives it a spiritual meaning: If you want to move forward, you must know where you are going.

The plough becomes a symbol of commitment.

Once the farmer begins ploughing, he cannot constantly turn around and check what he has left behind.

Likewise, once we genuinely say “Yes” to Christ, we are called to move forward with trust.

*2) The context of Luke 9:57–62*

It is important that Jesus' statement comes after three people express their desire to follow Him.

One says: “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Another says: “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

Another says: “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”

Notice the repeated word: *First*

“First, let me go and bury my father"

"First say farewell to those at my Home"

Jesus is exposing the danger of divided priorities.

They are interested in following Jesus, but something else continues to demand first place.

Therefore, the plough image means: Discipleship requires a direction and a decision.

*3) “Looking back” can mean living in the past*

Some people are physically moving forward but emotionally living in yesterday.

They constantly say:

“Those were the best days.”

“If only I had taken that opportunity.”

“If only I had married someone else.”

“If only I had chosen another career.”

“If only I had not made that mistake.”

“If only my family were as it was before.”

The problem is not remembering.

The problem is allowing “if only” to control our present.

A beautiful principle: We cannot plough tomorrow's field while constantly looking at yesterday's field.

*4) The rear-view mirror of life*

A modern way of understanding this Gospel is through the rear-view mirror of a car. The rear-view mirror is useful. We need to know what is behind us.

But imagine driving a car while staring continuously into the rear-view mirror. Sooner or later, we will lose control.

Our life is similar. The past is our rear-view mirror, not our windshield.

Look back occasionally. Learn. Correct yourself. Give thanks.

But keep your eyes on the road ahead.

*5) Looking back at our failures*

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to our future is not our failure itself but our inability to forgive ourselves.

A person may say: “I made a terrible mistake. Therefore, I can never become a good person again.”

But Christianity is a religion of new beginnings.

Peter denied Jesus, but Jesus gave him another opportunity.

Paul persecuted the Church, but God gave him a mission.

Therefore: Your past may explain you, but it does not have to define you.

We should not allow yesterday's failure to become today's identity.

*6) Looking back at our successes*

Interestingly, we can also look backward at our successes.

A person may say:

“I was once important.”

“I once had that position.”

“People once respected me.”

“Our family was once very successful.”

Then we become unable to accept the new stage of life.

This happens especially when people experience:

retirement,

transfer,

change of responsibility,

loss of position,

ageing,

change in ministry,

change in family circumstances.

We may keep asking: “Why is life not the way it was before?”

Jesus tells us: There is still a field in front of you to plough.

*7) Looking back at relationships*

Another form of looking back is emotional attachment to people or relationships from the past.

Some relationships have ended, but the person continues to live mentally inside them.

Sometimes forgiveness is needed.

Sometimes acceptance is needed.

Sometimes we need to say: “Thank you for what you meant in my life. I now place you in God's hands and continue my journey.”

Moving forward does not mean that we stop loving people.

It means that we stop allowing the past to prevent us from living the present.

*8) The Phrase : “Let me first…”*

The phrase “Let me first…” is especially relevant to modern life.

How often do we say: 

“First I will become successful; then I will pray.”

“First I will make money; then I will serve.”

“First I will settle everything; then I will give time to God.”

“First I will enjoy my life; later I will become serious about faith.”

The danger is that “later” can become “never.”

Jesus asks us to put God at the centre now, not merely someday.

*9) loughing requires concentration*

A farmer cannot plough properly while being distracted by everything around him.

This has a strong application to the modern world.

We live in an age of: notifications, WhatsApp messages, Instagram, YouTube, endless news, constant entertainment, multiple distractions. Our attention is continuously pulled in different directions.

Jesus' image reminds us: A distracted disciple cannot make a straight furrow.

We need moments of silence, prayer and concentration to know where God is leading us.

*10) loughing is difficult*

Jesus does not say: “Whoever puts his hand on the plough and finds the soil easy…”

He says: “Whoever puts his hand to the plough…”

Ploughing involves hard soil.

Sometimes the soil contains stones.

Sometimes the farmer becomes tired.

Sometimes the weather is unfavourable.

Yet he continues. This is a powerful image of Christian perseverance.

In our lives: 

Marriage may become difficult.

Priestly ministry may become difficult.

Religious life may become difficult.

Parenting may become difficult.

Forgiving someone may become difficult.

Serving the poor may become difficult.

But difficulty does not automatically mean: “I must abandon the plough.”

Sometimes God asks us to continue ploughing the difficult soil.

*11) “The furrow” of our own vocation*

Every person has a particular field.

A priest has his field.

A parent has his field.

A teacher has his field.

A doctor has his field.

A young person has his field.

A retired person has his field.

We sometimes lose peace because we keep comparing our furrow with somebody else's furrow.

The farmer beside me may have a bigger field.

But my responsibility is not his field.

My question is: “Am I faithfully ploughing the field God has entrusted to me?”

*12) The past can teach us—but should not imprison us*

Look back for wisdom, but look forward with hope.

We should look back to say: “Thank you, Lord.” “Forgive me, Lord.” “Teach me, Lord.”

But we should look forward and say: “Lead me, Lord.”

There is a difference between remembering the past and living in the past.

*13) Three questions*

Where is my hand? Is it still on the plough?

Where are my eyes? Are they looking toward Christ or constantly toward the past?

Where is my heart? Is it divided between yesterday and God's call today?

“The Christian journey requires a hand on the plough, eyes on the path, and a heart that trusts God with the future.”

“Do not allow yesterday to pull you backward when God is calling you forward.”

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

The power of the Archangels

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Twenty Sixth Week:  Tuesday*

*Gospel :  John 1:47-51*

*First Reading : Daniel 7: 9-10; 13-14*

*Responsorial Psalm : 138: 1-5*

*Second Reading : Revelation 12: 7-12*

*The power of the Archangels*

*1) What is the power of an Archangel?*

The word Archangel means a chief or leading angel. In the Bible, three Archangels are especially associated with particular missions:

St Michael – defender and protector: “Who is like God?”

St Gabriel – messenger of God: he announces God's plan to Mary.

St Raphael – healer and companion: he accompanies Tobias and brings healing.

Their power is therefore mission-oriented. Michael does not possess God's power; he serves God's authority. Gabriel does not create the message; he carries God's message. Raphael does not replace God the healer; he becomes an instrument of God's healing.

*2) Why does God need Archangels if He can do everything Himself?*

God does not need angels in the sense of being dependent on them. Rather, God chooses to involve His creatures in His work.

Just as God uses parents to care for children, teachers to educate, priests to proclaim the Gospel and doctors to bring healing, God uses angels as His servants.

This gives us an important lesson:

God's power often works through persons who are willing to become His instruments.

The question is not only, “What can God do for me?” but also, “What can God do through me?”

*3) St Michael: The power to defend*

St Michael represents the power of standing for God when evil stands against God.

The Book of Revelation says: “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.” — Revelation 12:7

Michael's battle can be understood spiritually. Evil often begins with a small temptation, a lie, pride, jealousy or compromise.

We need a “Michael” within us.

There must be a moment when we say:

“No, I will not lie.”

“No, I will not take revenge.”

“No, I will not destroy another person's reputation.”

“No, I will not compromise my faith for money or popularity.”

The greatest battle may not be happening outside us. It may be happening inside our hearts.

St Michael teaches: A strong Christian is not someone who never faces temptation, but someone who knows when to say “No” to evil.

*4) St Gabriel: The power to communicate God's message*

Gabriel appears as God's messenger. He comes to Mary with an announcement that changes history.

But notice something beautiful: God's message requires Mary's response.

Gabriel says: “Do not be afraid, Mary.” — Luke 1:30

And Mary responds: “Let it be with me according to your word.” — Luke 1:38

We may not be Archangels, but we too are messengers.

A parent can bring God's message to a child.

A teacher can bring encouragement.

A priest can bring the Gospel.

A friend can bring hope to someone who is discouraged.

Sometimes one sentence can change someone's life.

Gabriel carried God's message to Mary. Whose message of hope am I carrying today?

And another important question: Am I carrying God's message—or my own anger, criticism and negativity?

*5) St Raphael: The power of accompanying and healing*

Raphael's story in the Book of Tobit is particularly beautiful because he walks with Tobias.

He does not simply give instructions and disappear. He accompanies him on his journey.

This gives us a profound understanding of God's healing.

Sometimes healing comes through: 

a doctor,

a counsellor,

a priest,

a friend,

a family member,

a kind word,

or simply someone who stays beside us.

We can become Raphael for somebody else.

Someone may not need our advice. They may simply need our presence.

“I cannot solve your problem, but I will walk with you.”

That itself can be a ministry of healing.

*6) The Archangels teach us that heaven is not inactive*

Sometimes people imagine heaven as a place where angels simply sing continuously.

But Scripture presents angels as servants and messengers of God.

They worship God, carry out His mission and serve His plan.

This gives us another lesson:

True greatness is not having power over others; it is using whatever power we have in the service of God and others.

A parish priest has authority—but it must become service.

A parent has authority—but it must become care.

A teacher has knowledge—but it must become formation.

A wealthy person has resources—but they can become charity.

*7) Why do we need the Archangels?*

We need them as a reminder of three realities:

We need Michael when we are under temptation. “Lord, give me courage to fight evil.”

We need Gabriel when we are confused. “Lord, help me hear and communicate Your message.”

We need Raphael when we are wounded. “Lord, accompany me and make me an instrument of healing.”

*8) God's Power in Arch Angels*

Perhaps the most important point about the Archangels is this: The power belongs to God.

Michael's strength points to God's victory.

Gabriel's message points to God's Word.

Raphael's healing points to God's mercy.

Therefore, devotion to the Archangels should never stop with admiration for the angels. The angels always point us beyond themselves to God.

“Michael teaches us to stand for God, Gabriel teaches us to speak for God, and Raphael teaches us to walk with God's people. Their power is not their own—it is the power of God working through faithful servants.”

*Three questions for our Reflection*

Michael asks: What evil must I resist?

Gabriel asks: What good news must I proclaim?

Raphael asks: Whom must I accompany?

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

Jesus is not the property of a small group. We do not possess Jesus; we belong to Jesus

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Twenty Sixth Week:  Monday*

*Gospel :  Luke : 9:46-50*

*First Reading : Job 1: 6-22*

*Responsorial Psalm : 17: 1-7*

*Jesus is not the property of a small group. We do not possess Jesus; we belong to Jesus*

*1) The disciples wanted to control Jesus' name*

The man was not one of the Twelve. The disciples apparently thought: “He is not one of us, so he should not be doing this.”

Their mistake was to confuse belonging to their group with belonging to God’s work.

Jesus corrects them. The work of God is greater than our group, our parish, our community, our movement, our denomination or our ministry.

A very good sentence for reflection is: “God’s grace is never the private property of a particular group.”

*2) “Good can be done by anyone” — what is the logic?*

There is a very important logic here. Goodness does not become good only because “our person” does it.

Suppose someone who is not a Catholic helps a poor family, saves a child from danger, feeds a hungry person, forgives an enemy or cares for an abandoned elderly person. Can we say: “It is not valuable because he is not one of us”? Certainly not.

The good action remains good. The disciples were looking at the identity of the person: “He does not follow with us.”

Jesus looks at the fruit of the action. This gives us a wonderful principle: Do not reject the good simply because it comes from someone outside your circle.

Goodness is not made sacred by the identity of the person who performs it.

*3) The Bible itself shows that God works beyond “our group”*

There are many examples.

*The Good Samaritan* — Luke 10:25–37 : The Samaritan was an outsider in the eyes of the Jews. Yet Jesus presents the Samaritan, not the religious leaders, as the example of mercy.

The question was not: “Which group does he belong to?”

The question was: “Who showed mercy?”

*Cornelius* — Acts 10 : Cornelius was a Gentile. Yet Peter discovers: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality.” (Acts 10:34) And Peter recognizes that God is already at work in him.

*The Magi* — Matthew 2:1–12 : The first people who come to worship the newborn King are not Jewish religious leaders but Gentile seekers from the East. God can lead people toward Christ in ways that surprise the religious community.

*“God so loved the world…”* -  John 3:16 : Not merely one group. Not one nation. Not one parish. Not one community. But the The world.

*4) “Jesus does not belong to the few”*

The Gospel gives us a deeper truth: Jesus belongs to no exclusive group because Jesus came for everyone.

The disciples seem to think: “Jesus is with us.”

But Jesus gradually teaches them: “I am not only for you. I am for everyone.”

This is also seen in John 10:16: “I have other sheep that are not of this fold.”

Jesus' mission always moves beyond boundaries.

He crosses boundaries of: 

Jew and Gentile

clean and unclean

rich and poor

sinner and respectable person

insider and outsider

*5) There is a connection between the child and the outsider*

This is one of the most beautiful aspects of Luke 9.

First the disciples ask: “Who is the greatest?” Jesus places a child beside him.

Then John says: “We tried to stop him because he does not follow with us.”

These two incidents are connected.

The disciples want: greatness + recognition + belonging + control.

Jesus teaches: humility + welcome + openness + service.

In other words: The disciple of Jesus must not ask, “How important am I?” but “How can I welcome and serve?”

*6) A wonderful paradox: “Jesus does not belong Only to us”*

We often say: “Our Jesus.”

But spiritually the deeper truth is: Jesus is not ours to possess. We are his to follow.

We cannot say:

“Only our group can do good.”

“Only our ministry is important.”

“Only our people can serve.”

“If they are not with us, they are against us.”

Jesus reverses this mentality. 

The Church is not a club protecting its membership.

It is meant to be a community that recognizes and cooperates with goodness.

*7) Application to our life*

*A) Do not be jealous of another person's goodness* : Sometimes someone outside our group does something wonderful. Instead of saying: “Why is he getting appreciation?” we should say: “Thank God that good has been done.” The good is more important than our recognition.

*B) Do not monopolize God's work* : A parish may have its own ministries. Another parish may do something differently. A young person may begin an initiative that was not started by the older generation. Our response should not immediately be: “Who gave them permission?” Sometimes the better question is: “How can we support the good that is already happening?”

*C) Learn to appreciate goodness in non-Christians too* : A Catholic may encounter tremendous generosity from the members of other communities. We should be able to say: “That is a good act. I thank God for it.” Recognition of goodness in another person does not diminish our own faith.

*D) Parents can apply this to children* : Sometimes parents compare: “Our child is better than their child.” Jesus teaches us not to turn even goodness into a competition. A child from another family may show greater generosity, discipline or kindness. Instead of jealousy: “Let us learn from that goodness.”

*E) In parish life, avoid “our group” mentality* There can easily be: 

Choir vs choir, 

Youth vs elders, 

Old members vs new members

One association vs another association

Parishioners vs outsiders

Luke 9 says: The Kingdom of God is bigger than our group. A person who contributes something beautiful should not be rejected because he or she is not part of “our circle.”

*F) In society, recognize the good wherever it appears* 

A doctor saves a life.

A police officer protects someone.

A teacher changes a child's future.

A neighbour helps a poor family.

A stranger returns a lost purse.

A person of another faith feeds the hungry.

We should have the humility to say: “There is goodness here.”

We do not lose anything by recognizing it.

*8) Good or Who did it? 

There is a danger even in religion: We can become more interested in defending our group than advancing God's Kingdom.

The disciples were not angry because the man was doing evil.

They were angry because: “He does not follow with us.”

That phrase can become a spiritual warning.

Sometimes our real problem is not: “Is this good?” but: “Who did it?”

Jesus says: Look first at the good being done, not merely at the identity of the person doing it.

“The disciples wanted to protect Jesus from outsiders; Jesus wanted to protect his disciples from exclusiveness.”

“Jesus is too big for our circle, God's goodness is too great for our group, and the Kingdom is too wide for our boundaries.”

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

Sinners in Heaven

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Twenty Sixth Week:  Sunday*

*Gospel :  Mt 21:28-32*

*First Reading : Ez 18:25-28*

*Responsorial Psalm : 25: 4-9*

*Second Reading : 2:1-11*

*Sinners in Heaven*

*1) The first son said “No,” but later said “Yes”*

The father said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” The son answered, “I will not.” But later he changed his mind and went.

This is the story of many sinners.

They may have said “No” to God through their lifestyle, choices or mistakes. But one day they experience conversion and say, “Yes, Lord.”

A delayed Yes is still a Yes. The door of God's Kingdom is not closed because our first answer was wrong.

*2) The second son said “Yes,” but never went*

The second son said, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go.

This represents people whose words are religious but whose lives are not.

They say: “I believe in God.” “I go to church.” “I pray.” “I know the Bible.” “I am a good Christian.”

But the real question is: Does my life say “Yes” to God?

Jesus is warning us against a Christianity that exists only in words.

*3) Why tax collectors and prostitutes?*

In Jesus' time, tax collectors were often despised because they were associated with exploitation and collaboration with the Roman system. Prostitutes were publicly regarded as immoral. Yet Jesus says that many of them believed John's message and repented.

The important word is “repented.”

Jesus is not saying: “Sin is acceptable.”

He is saying: “No sinner is beyond conversion.”

A person who has fallen badly but sincerely turns toward God may be spiritually closer to the Kingdom than someone who looks religious but refuses to change.

*4) The shocking logic: God looks at the direction of the person*

Imagine two people walking. 

One has walked 10 kilometres in the wrong direction but suddenly turns around and begins walking toward home.

The other has walked only one kilometre but continues confidently in the wrong direction.

Who is moving toward home? The first.

Similarly, God does not look only at where we have been. He also looks at where we are turning.

A sinner who turns toward God is on the road to the Kingdom.

*5) “First” does not necessarily mean “better”*

Jesus says they will enter “ahead of you.”  This is important. 

He is not creating a new hierarchy: “Prostitutes are better than religious people.”

Rather, He is confronting the religious leaders because they had received God's invitation but refused to respond.

The tragedy is not that the sinner has fallen.

The greater tragedy is: The sinner refuses to get up.

And another tragedy is: The righteous person thinks he has no need to change.

*6) The greatest danger: being a “respectable sinner”*

There are obvious sins that everybody can see.

But there are also hidden sins: pride, jealousy, resentment, unforgiveness, gossip, hypocrisy, superiority, judgmental attitudes, lack of compassion, spiritual pride.

A person may have a respectable appearance while carrying a wounded heart.

So Jesus turns the question toward us: “Am I the sinner who is changing, or the righteous person who refuses to change?”

*7) A beautiful paradox: Heaven is full of people who changed*

We sometimes imagine that the Kingdom of God is for people who never made mistakes.

The Gospel gives us another picture.

The Kingdom is filled with people who can say: 

“I was lost, but I came back.”

“I fell, but God's grace lifted me.”

“I said No, but eventually I said Yes.”

Peter denied Jesus—but returned.

Paul persecuted Christians—but became an apostle.

Matthew was a tax collector—but became a disciple.

The thief on the cross had a criminal past—but turned toward Jesus and received mercy.

The Gospel is therefore not: “Only good people can enter Heaven.” It is: “People who allow God's grace to transform them can enter the Kingdom.”

*8) Points to Ponder*

*A) God does not ask, “What was your first answer?”* : He asks: “What is your answer now?” Your past may say No. Your present can say Yes. Therefore, never say: “I have gone too far from God.” As long as you can turn back, the road home is open.

*B) The Church is not a museum of saints; it is a hospital for sinners* : We don't come to church because we are perfect. We come because we need healing. The person sitting beside us may have a difficult past—but may be sincerely changing. Therefore: Don't judge a person's past when God is working on his or her present.

*C) The danger of saying “Yes” too easily* : The second son teaches us that religious words are not enough. 

It is easy to say: “Yes, Father.” But God asks:  “Where are your feet?”

It is easy to say: “I forgive.” But have I actually forgiven?

It is easy to say: “I love God.” But how do I treat the person whom I dislike?

It is easy to say: “Thy will be done.” But what happens when God's will is different from mine?

*D) God can write a beautiful last chapter* : Perhaps someone has wasted many years. Perhaps a person has made serious mistakes. Perhaps a family has broken down.Perhaps someone has lived far from God.

But the last chapter has not yet been written. Conversion can happen even late in life.

Therefore: Never write a person's final story while God is still writing it.

*E) “Sinners in Heaven” begins with “sinners who repent”* 

The title can be provocative: “Sinners in Heaven!”

But the Gospel gives us the qualification: Not sinners who continue proudly in sin, but sinners who hear God's voice, repent and change.

The Kingdom is not a reward for perfect people.

It is the home of people who have allowed God's mercy to transform them.

*F) The question Jesus leaves us* : At the end of the Gospel, Jesus is not really asking us: “Are you the first son or the second son?”

He is asking something deeper: “What are you doing with the Father's invitation today?”

Because every morning God says: “My child, go and work in my vineyard.”

Perhaps yesterday we said No. Today we can still say: “Yes, Father.”

And the most important thing is not how loudly we say it, but whether we go.

The key is that Jesus is not praising sin. He is praising repentance, conversion and obedience.

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

What things were “cancelled” from the disciples?

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Twenty Fifth Week:  Saturday*

*Gospel :  Luke 9:43-45*

*First Reading : Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8*

*Responsorial Psalm : 90: 3-6, 12-13, 17*

*What things were “cancelled” from the disciples?*

*1) What was “concealed” from the disciples?*

The disciples could not understand the mystery of the Cross. Just before this passage, they had witnessed Jesus' power in the healing of the boy possessed by an evil spirit. The crowd was amazed at the greatness of God (Lk 9:43). 

At precisely that moment of glory, Jesus tells them: “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”

They could not reconcile two things:

Jesus is powerful, yet He will allow Himself to be handed over.

Jesus is the Messiah, yet He will suffer.

Jesus brings victory, yet His victory will come through the Cross.

Jesus is Lord, yet He will become vulnerable in the hands of human beings.

The disciples were looking for glory; Jesus was preparing them for the Cross.

*2) Why was it concealed from them?*

The Gospel does not suggest that God wanted to keep the disciples ignorant forever. Rather, they were not yet ready to grasp the full meaning of Jesus' Passion.

Luke 9:45 says: “They did not understand this saying.”

Their problem was not merely lack of intelligence. Their expectations about the Messiah were different. They were still thinking in terms of power, success, honour and victory. In the following verses, they even argue about which of them was the greatest (Lk 9:46).

This is significant. Jesus is speaking about His suffering, while the disciples are thinking about their greatness.

*3) What is the purpose of this concealment?*

There is a spiritual lesson here: some truths can be understood only gradually.

God does not always reveal everything at once.

The disciples would understand the Cross more deeply after the Resurrection. What appeared to be defeat would later be understood as the way to salvation.

Therefore, faith sometimes means saying: “Lord, I do not understand now, but I trust You.” Understanding may come later.

*4) What does “the Son of Man will be delivered” mean?*

The word “delivered” is important.

Jesus will be: betrayed by one of His own, handed over to the authorities, rejected, mocked, condemned, crucified.

But there is a deeper mystery: Jesus freely accepts this path for our salvation.

The Cross is not simply something that happens to Jesus. It becomes something He accepts and offers in love.

This gives us an important distinction:

The Cross is not the celebration of suffering for its own sake.

The Cross is the revelation of love in the midst of suffering.

*5) Application to Life*

*A) We do not understand everything immediately*

There are moments when we ask: “Why is this happening to me?”

A sickness, failure, rejection, transfer, misunderstanding, loss, disappointment or unexpected change may make no sense at the moment.

Like the disciples, we may say: “Lord, I don't understand.”

Faith does not always give us an immediate explanation. Sometimes it gives us the strength to continue without one.

Can I trust God even when I cannot understand what He is doing?

*B) Behind apparent defeat, God may be working*

The disciples saw the Cross as something incompatible with Jesus' greatness.

But the Cross became the path to Resurrection.

We often measure life by immediate results: success, money, recognition, position, popularity, achievement.

God may see something deeper. What looks like defeat today may become an instrument of grace tomorrow.

*C) We want glory without the Cross*

This is perhaps one of the strongest messages of Luke 9.

The disciples wanted greatness, but Jesus was speaking about suffering.

We too may want: Resurrection without Good Friday, success without sacrifice,  victory without struggle, recognition without service, harvest without sowing.

But Christian discipleship follows the pattern of Christ: Cross → surrender → faithfulness → Resurrection.

*D) God's silence does not mean God's absence*

Sometimes God seems silent.

We pray, but there is no immediate answer.

We ask for direction, but the way remains unclear.

The disciples themselves did not understand what Jesus was telling them.

Yet Jesus continued walking with them.

When we do not understand God, we must not conclude that God has abandoned us.

The disciples did not understand the plan, but they were still walking with Jesus.

*E) Some truths are understood only through experience*

There are things we can explain intellectually, but there are other things we understand only by living them.

For example:

We understand forgiveness more deeply after being hurt.

We understand compassion after experiencing suffering.

We understand sacrifice after giving something up for another.

We understand God's faithfulness after passing through a difficult period.

We understand the Cross more deeply after carrying our own cross.

Experience can open the meaning that words alone cannot reveal.

*F) Do not judge the story before it is finished*

The disciples might have thought: “Jesus is going to suffer. Therefore, everything is going wrong.”

But they did not yet know the end of the story.

This is also true in our lives.

We often judge a chapter while God is still writing the book.

A difficult chapter is not necessarily the conclusion.

Do not make a permanent judgment about your life based on a temporary struggle.

*G) We need humility before God's mystery*

The disciples were unable to understand Jesus' words.

That teaches us something important: Faith is not having an answer to every question.

Sometimes faith means accepting: “I don't understand, but I believe that God is with me.”

There is humility in saying, “I don't know.”

*G) The Cross changes the meaning of suffering*

Christianity does not teach us to seek suffering.

Rather, when suffering comes, Christ teaches us how to transform it through love, faith and surrender.

A person may suffer because of illness, old age, loneliness, persecution, family problems or life's unexpected circumstances.

The question becomes: “Can I unite my suffering with Christ and allow it to become an offering of love?”

This gives suffering a different meaning.

The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying, but Jesus did not abandon them. He continued to walk with them until they were ready to understand.

“I may not understand what God is doing in my life today, but I can still trust that God is walking with me. The Cross may be a mystery now, but with God, the story does not end at the Cross.”

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*

Raised on the third day

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Twenty Fifth Week:  Friday*

*Gospel :  Luke 9:18-22*

*First Reading : Ecclesiastes 3:1-11*

*Responsorial Psalm : 144: 1-4*

*Raised on the third day*

*1) Why the “third day”?*

*The third day is the day of God's intervention* : Throughout the Bible, the third day often becomes a moment when something decisive happens. For example:

Abraham sees the place where he will offer Isaac “on the third day” (Genesis 22:4).

Israel encounters God at Sinai on the third day (Exodus 19:16).

Jonah is delivered after three days (Jonah 1:17).

Esther approaches the king after fasting for three days (Esther 4:16–5:1).

Hosea speaks of God raising his people up “on the third day” (Hosea 6:2).

These passages should not all be treated as direct predictions of the resurrection. But together they establish a biblical pattern: The third day can be associated with waiting, crisis, and then God's decisive action. There is darkness, but God acts.

*2) The third day means that death is real—but not ultimate*

This is perhaps the most important point.

Jesus did not say: “I will suffer, but nothing serious will happen.”

He says that he will be rejected, suffer, be killed—and then be raised.

The resurrection doesn't make the suffering unreal. Rather: Suffering is real. Death is real. But neither has the final word.

That is the logic of the Gospel.

Christian hope is therefore not simply positive thinking. It is not: “Everything will be fine.” It is: “Even when something passes through death, God can bring forth new life.”

*3) Why not immediately?*

There is something spiritually profound about the waiting.

Jesus dies, and there is an interval before resurrection.

The disciples have to experience the apparent defeat.

This resembles many experiences in our own lives. We often want God to move immediately: 

“Lord, fix this now.”

“Give me an answer now.”

“Remove this suffering now.”

But the biblical pattern sometimes includes a third-day experience: a period in which we cannot yet see what God is doing.

The third day teaches us that God's silence is not necessarily God's absence.

There can be a time between: “It is finished” and “He is risen.”

*4) The “third day” and transformation*

Notice that resurrection is not simply Jesus returning to his previous life.

Lazarus, for example, was raised and eventually died again.

Jesus' resurrection is different. It is new, transformed life.

This gives us another spiritual principle: God does not always restore the old form; sometimes he brings forth something new.

That is important in our personal lives.

We may pray: “God, give me back exactly what I had.”

But sometimes God's work is not about restoring the past. It is about creating something new from what has been broken.

*5)  A “third day” experience in our lives*

We can use the phrase “third day” as a spiritual metaphor, while remembering that our experiences are not equivalent to Christ's resurrection.

There may be moments when: *First day*— something dies, A dream fails, A relationship changes, A plan collapses, A familiar identity disappears, Something we depended upon is taken away.

We may say: “This is the end.” 

*Second day* — we wait. Nothing seems to happen. We don't understand. Prayer feels unanswered. We cannot see the future. This can be the hardest period.

*Third day*— new possibility appears. 

Eventually, something begins to emerge: a new understanding, a new direction, reconciliation, greater freedom, a new vocation, deeper faith, or simply the ability to live again with hope.

The “third day” is therefore a reminder: Don't interpret the whole story from the middle of the story.

*6) But we should be careful*

We should not use the “third day” idea to tell suffering people: “Don't worry; everything will definitely work out exactly as you want.”

The resurrection does not mean every earthly problem receives the ending we desire.

Sometimes people pray for healing and do not receive physical healing.

Sometimes relationships are not restored.

Sometimes a dream genuinely dies.

Christian hope is deeper than the promise that every earthly situation will have a happy ending.

The resurrection promises that God's life is stronger than death, and that ultimately death itself does not have the final word.

*7) Third day - Cross → waiting → resurrection life*

The disciples hear Jesus predict his suffering immediately after Peter says: “You are the Christ of God.”

This means we have to allow Jesus to define what Messiahship means.

Peter seems to understand: Messiah = power, victory, glory.

Jesus teaches: Messiah = suffering, self-giving, death, resurrection.

And then, in the verses immediately following Luke 9:22, Jesus says that those who follow him must also deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow him (Luke 9:23).

So the “third day” cannot be separated from the cross.

Christian discipleship has the shape: Cross → waiting → resurrection life. Or: surrender → death to self → new life.

*8) What might this mean for daily life?*

*A) Don't call something “the end” too quickly* : Sometimes we experience a painful event and immediately conclude: “My life is finished.” The resurrection challenges that conclusion. Ask: “Is this really the end, or am I still somewhere between Friday and Sunday?” 

*B) Learn to live through the waiting* : The second day is uncomfortable because nothing seems to be happening. We want answers. But spiritual maturity includes learning to say: “I don't understand what God is doing, but I don't have to understand everything today.” Faith sometimes means remaining faithful before seeing the outcome.

*C) Let some things die* : There are things in us that may need to die: pride, resentment, the need to control everything, an unhealthy attachment, an old image of ourselves, fear of what others think, the demand that life happen according to our plan. 

We can pray: “Lord, what needs to die in me so that something new can live?”

That is a very deep way of understanding the Paschal mystery.

*D) Resurrection begins with surrender* : Jesus does not avoid the cross by trying to control the outcome. He entrusts himself to the Father. This challenges us: Can I surrender what I cannot control? Sometimes resurrection begins not when we find an answer, but when we finally say: “Father, I place this in your hands.”

*E) Don't confuse God's silence with God's absence* : The disciples on Holy Saturday had no idea what Sunday would bring. From their perspective, everything had collapsed. But God was not absent. This can become a powerful prayer during difficult periods: “Lord, I cannot see the third day yet, but help me trust that you are still at work.”

*9) A deeper way to see the “third day”*

Perhaps we can summarize the Christian meaning this way:

The first day: Something happens that we cannot accept.

The second day: We live through the darkness without understanding.

The third day: God reveals that death was not the final reality.

And this becomes a pattern of Christian existence: We die to something, we wait, and God brings forth life.

Not necessarily the life we imagined.

Not necessarily according to our timetable. But new life.

“I may not yet see the third day, but I can remain faithful in the second day.”

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*