Unless we come down in our lives, we are unable to serve people

Gospel Thoughts

*Ordinary Season : 12th Week - Friday*

*GOSPEL - Mt 8:1-4*

*First Reading - Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22*

*Unless we come down in our lives, we are unable to serve people*

*Jesus comes down from the mountain and cures a leper*

*1) Jesus' coming Down from the mountain*

Matthew's Gospel chapter 5-7 is considered as the sermon on the Mount, which is very important part of the Gospel

On the mount Jesus taught many things to his disciples and made them to realise how to build the Kingdom of God 

Today we begin the 8th Chapter, that is immediately after the sermon on the mount 

So the need of coming down from the mountain and what follows afterwords is very important

*2) Healing of the Leper*

Soon after Jesus came down from the mountain, Jesus cured a leper from his leprosy. 

This happens not on the mountain, but some where down among the people 

So Jesus' coming down from the mountain and healing of the leper has a lot of symbolic meaning to our life 

This can be seen at two levels 

*3) Meaning of Being in the Mountain*

*A) First level of understanding*

*I) For prayer, teaching and meditation*

When we see the life of Jesus, its very clear that Jesus went to the mountain for a specific purpose 

The purpose is either to *Teach, or Preach or to Pray to the Father*

These above things have special significance in the life of Jesus 

Before this episode, Jesus was on the mountain to teach many things (Sermon on the Mount)

So Jesus coming down from the mountain healed a leper

*II) Mountain in our lives*

Like Jesus' life, mountains have very important role in our lives too

We need to go to mountain to learn, to pray and to meditate

The following are the mountains in our lives : 

The Church, The tabernacle, The pilgrim centres, the Holy places, The altar in our houses, the prayer meetings in our wards

We need to come down from these mountains, in order to serve the people. We can't remain continuously on these mountains 

*The best example is Mother Theresa : She spent one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, before the Blessed Sacrament, which helped her to serve*

So going to the mountain of Blessed Sacrament and coming down from it was a necessary activity to serve the people 

*B) Second Level of Understanding*

Coming down from many of the things in our lives, in oder to serve people 

*I) Jesus' Life*

Jesus came down from His divinity to humanity to serve people, *Coming down shows here the aspect of Humility*

Jesus obyed to the Father, until the death on the Cross: coming down shows the hieght of Jesus' obedience 

Jesus allowed himself to be suffered under human beings: coming down shows Jesus' willingness to suffer 

Jesus burial in some ones tomb : coming down shows the simplicity of Jesus 

Jesus' rejection at Nazareth : coming down shows Jesus' willingness to accept his own people who rejected Him 

Forgiveness from the Cross : coming down shows, not to take revenge, but to save and pray even for enemies 

Jesus' cry at the tomb of Lazar: coming down shows Jesus' wliingness to feel one with the pain and sufferings of human beings 

Jesus at the cana: coming down shows Jesus willingness to share with joy and Happiness

*My Life*

Coming down from mountain in this level applies to many of the things in our lives, in order to serve others 

We need to come down from our pride, ego, highfigh life, luxurious and self centred life 

We need to come down from our, anger, revenge, jealousy, selfishness and self-righteousness

We need to come down from our attachments to the worldly things, money, power, position, false influence, falsehood and cheating 

Unless we come down from these things we will never be able to achieve anything in life

Am I ready to come down in my life?

*Think about it*

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

*Fr Maxim Dsouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*