Process in Producing Fruit

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

16^th Week – Friday

Gospel – Matthew 13: 18-23

Process in Producing Fruit

1) First Step: The Seed has to be good

Good seed will produce good plant and good plant will produce good fruit. This is the basic condition to bear good fruit

A bad seed will not produce good fruit.

This also applies to our life. Only a good person will bear good fruit. A bad person will not be able to bear good fruit.

 2) Second Step: The Seed has to fall to the ground

Seed is unable to produce fruit if it remains in the sack or in the secure place

It has to fall to the ground. Only in the ground it will produce fruit

Falling to the ground indicates the quality of humility.

Only a humble person can bear fruit. We can learn the quality of humility from the seed

3) Third Step: Breaking of  itself  by the seed

The fallen seed breaks itself. It loses its shape, beauty, identity.

Only when it breaks then it sprouts. By remaining itself, without undergoing any changes will not be able to produce the fruit. Losing of its identity becomes vey essential thing to produce fruit.

Even in our lives to produce fruit we need to break ourselves, our comforts, luxurious life and pleasurable things, narrow mindedness, selfish motives, desire of name and fame, craze for power, laziness,  and our evil habits.

4) Fourth Step: Roots appear first

Roots are the first one to come out from the seed and they go to the Ground.

It is really a wonder to see in the seed that the roots are the first one to come out and go inside the mud

Only when the roots are sufficiently rooted in the ground the shoots appear

Only when the roots are strong, only then the plant will survive

If shoots come without the roots, then the plant will not survive

No seed will produce first shoots without producing the roots first

WHAT ABOUT MY LIFE

I am worried about roots or fruits? At times we are only worried about the fruits than the roots

Only when our roots are strong we can produce abundant fruit.

So first of all we need to pay attention to the roots. Once the roots are strong then we become strong and we are able to produce fruit.

Our family is one of the beautiful places to deepen our roots. Those whose roots are very strong in the family and on the family values will definitely produce plentiful fruit

We need to think about the roots very often and very seriously if we want to produce the lasting fruit.   

5) Fifth Step: Manure the Plant

As the plant grows need to give some manure for its healthy growth.

With the manure the plant becomes very weak and may not be able to produce the expected fruits

Likewise unless we feed our plant of life with good manure, we may not be able to generate much fruit.

As we grow we need to fill our life’s plant with service, gratitude, forgiveness, sacrifice selflessness, wellbeing of others, Love, Humility and other Kingdom Values

Am I Ready to Grow like a Seed which offers itself to produce fruit in 100 Fold?

 

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

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore

Have I ever felt that I am blessed because of my eyes which can see and ears which have the power to hear?

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

16^th Week – Thursday

Gospel – Matthew 13: 10-17

Saint of the Day: St Bridget of Sweden  

 

Have I ever felt that I am blessed because of my eyes which can see and ears which have the power to hear?

 Jesus says, “Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears, for they hear” 

 1) Eyes and ears God's Wonderful creation 

 Have we ever thought the power of our eyes and eras 

 Usually to understand their power we need to ask those persons who have lost thier sight and who have lost the capacity to hear because of some physical problems

 Once we lose our sight and capacity to hear, it is very difficult to get back these God given powers. 

 We may be having the capacity to spend crores of rupees to for any kind of treatment, but there is no surety that we will be able to get back these powers if they are lost 

 It is very clear that our eyes and eras are wonderful creation of God, which no one can deny. 

 2) Physical sight and Spiritual sight 

 Physical sight is very important. All of us are really depending on our physical sight 

 It is not enough to have only physical sight, but more than this we need to have a deeper sight which we call it as spiritual sight. 

 A person who has a spiritual sight is able to see the deeper reality 

 He sees not the sick person but able to see the pain of the person 

 He sees not only sees the simple person but able to see the humility of the person 

 He can see the real worth of the person 

 He can see the goodness and greatness of the person 

 He can see the forgiving nature of the person 

 He can see many more deeper realities of the person 

 3) Physical capacity to hear and the deeper capacity to listen 

 We hear lots of things in our surrounding. Noise of various kinds we hear through our ears 

 Ears have very sensitive powers to hear all that happens in our surrounding

 But a person should have a deeper capacity to listen. Hearing and listening is totally different. 

 Hearing happens by itself. Listening needs concentration and deeper reflection

 Person only with the power to hear has limited capacity to understand. But a person who has the capacity to listen has a deeper capacity to know the reality 

 One who has the capacity to listen is able to hear 

 The cry of the other 

The sound of the pain of another 

The painful sigh of the poor people 

Pain of the harsh words 

Voice of the voiceless 

 4) When our eyes and ears become blessed? 

 When we are able to see the kingdom realities 

 When we are able to see Jesus in another person 

 When we are able to see truth and justice in our surrounding

 When we are able to see God in the nature 

 When we are able to see the sacredness of God in our surroundings

 When we are able to listen to the Word of God 

 When we are able to listen, understand and act according to the Word of God 

 When we are able to listen the voice of God in our conscience

 When we are able to catch to voice of the Master in the Holy Scriptures

 When we are able to listen the voice of Jesus in the poor, sick, downtrodden, marginalized, lost ones, dying, sinners, in the suffering, and in elderly 

 5) Call to become Blessed/Holy 

 Jesus calls everyone to become holy and blessed 

 Only through our eyes and eras we can become blessed people 

 Use your eyes to see the greater realities, you will be blessed 

 Use your eras to listen the deeper voice of God and the cry of the other you will be Blessed 

 So using these God given powers for greater and deeper purposes we can become blessed and Holy 

 6) Try to understand this 

It is not enough to have eyes, but our eyes should have the sight to see the greater realities. Do I have this sight?  Am I able to see? 

 It is not enough to have the Ears, but should have the capacity to listen the deeper realities

 Do my ears have the capacity to listen? Or do I only hear the noises which does not make any difference in my life???]

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

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore

Have they taken away my Risen Lord? If so, what to do? – ‘Turn is the Turning Point'

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

16^th Week – Wednesday

Gospel –John 20: 1-2, 11-18

Feast of Mary Magdalene

 

Have they taken away my Risen Lord? If so, what to do? – ‘Turn is the Turning Point'

"They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there"

1) The situation of Mary Magdalene

When Mary came to the tomb she could not find the body of Jesus. So she thought that someone has taken away her Lord from the tomb.

For this she was very upset

She started to Cry

This cry shows that she really missed Jesus in her life

This cry shows how much she loved Jesus

This cry shows how much she valued Jesus in her life

This cry shows she is ready to do anything to get her Jesus back

Great is her love for Jesus

2) How she found missing Jesus in her life

She just turns to other side and finds Jesus there

Something marvelous and wonderful. Just a turn and there she finds Jesus

What a wonderful sight. Later she realized that it was Jesus and she was so happy to encounter the Risen Lord.

The turn of Mary was so powerful that she was able to find and experience Jesus

We have a similar situation in the Life of Jesus. “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly” Luke 22:61-62

On the one side the turning and look of Jesus was So powerful, which changed Peter completely

At the same time the turn of Peter was so powerful that made him to realize his great mistake of denial.

So we can imagine how powerful the turn is and look of the Lord and also of Peter. Same thing happens in the life of Mary

3) "They" have taken away the Lord

In today's context who are "they"

We can say that 'COVID19' takes the place of "they"

COVID19 is making us to feel that it has taken away our Sunday Eucharist

COVID19 is making us to feel that it has taken away the sacrament of Reconciliation and all the other Sacraments.  

COVID19 is making us to feel that it has taken away our various liturgical celebrations

COVID19 is making us to feel that it has taken away the adorations and retreats

COVID19 has made us to feel insecure, anxious and tensed, because our loved ones are caught up in various places and many of them are suffering and tensed about their lives and future

All these situations make us feel that our beloved Lord is missing from our lives

In this tensed situation what shall we do?

Mary Magdalene just turned her view from the tomb to the other side. And there she finds the Risen Lord, which changes the entire situation.

4) Turning and looking the other side is very important in this present day context

All of us are looking at one side, which makes us to weep, worried, tensed and lost. But this is not the end of the story

Just fix your gaze to the other side of the situation and there you will find your beloved Lord

"WHAT WOULD BE THE OTHER SIDE"

Word of God is the other side. Look at there you will find your beloved Lord

Look at your family. Spend your time in praying and sharing your joys and sorrows. You will find your Lord there.

There are so many who need our help these days. Try to help in whatever way possible to the needy. There you will find your Lord.

There are many who have died these days due to various reasons. We are not able to attend the funerals. By praying for them we will find our divine Lord there.

Because of the situation we are asked to stay inside the House. Turn towards your house and be there in solitude. You will find your Risen Lord There

One more important turn is “Turn towards your life”. Take a deep turn to go inside yourself.  ‘To Know Thyself” needs a deep turn. For sure you will find your beloved Lord.

5) ‘Turn’ is the turning point

Once Mary encountered the Risen Lord, everything changes. Changes for the better and for the best

When we are able to find our Risen Lord in the above mentioned places, our life becomes meaningful and the situation which we are facing also becomes meaningful to us

Definitely by turning to the other side we are able to encounter the Risen Lord

Let’s try to turn to the other side of our Life, where the Risen Lord is waiting for me for the divine encounter 

Am I ready?

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

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore

Obstacles to meet Jesus

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

16^th Week – Tuesday

Gospel –Matthew 12: 46-50

"Obstacles to meet Jesus"

1) The Crowd becoming an obstacle to meet Jesus

The mother and brothers of Jesus came to meet Him. But they could not meet Him.

Since a huge crowd had surrounded Jesus to listen to his preaching they could not reach to the place to meet him. So the crowd became an obstacle to meet Jesus.

Here It is important point to note that the "crowd" which is becoming an obstacle to meet Jesus, which has a much deeper meaning to our life.  

2) The Crowd may represent the following

In the context the 'crowd' represents the many people who were around Jesus who in a way became obstacle to meet Jesus.

Likewise there are many people, today, who may become obstacles to me in my way towards Jesus

There are also people who appear to be very close to Jesus, but they do not allow others to meet Jesus. They become obstacles to others.

They are like Pharisees who had the key. Neither they entered nor did they allow others to enter

Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering - Luke 11.52.

3) Modern meaning for the Crowd

In the present day context the concept of the 'Crowd' can be applied the "things or Modern Gadgets" which prevent us from having a direct and close contact with God.

 Mobiles, internet, Whatsaap, entertainment, face book, social networks, serials, parties, functions and other activities of life may take the place of ‘Crowd’ in my life

The crowd also represents the "Busy" schedule of the Day. Today All people are busy with so many things. Busy schedule has become the obstacle to meet Jesus, because there is no time.

 The "crowd" is also represents our own Ego, pride, jealousy, narrow mindedness, non cooperation, anger, revenge, indifference, and hatred. Such things do not allow us to meet Jesus

The ' Crowd' also represents the so called addiction to drugs, alcohol, junk food, worldly pleasures and attachment to money.

The 'Crowd' also means, one’s own comfort zone, power, position, hidden agenda, selfish motives, name and fame. All these become hurdles in meeting Jesus.

The "crowd" also represents our own sinfulness and inclination to sin.

The "Crowd" also represents the snares of the devils.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1Peter 5:8.

4) Closeness to Jesus and the Crowd

Those people who came to meet Jesus were his own mother and the brothers

In the relationship ‘Mother’ and ‘Brothers’ have special significance. They become close to the person.

Even then they were unable to meet Jesus. In spite of being very close they were not able to meet Jesus.

This also calls us to reflect about the power of the Crowd. Some time even if we feel that we are very close to God, there may be unexpected things which may come on my way in meeting and experiencing Jesus.

5) What type of Crowd in present in my Life?

There is no doubt that the goal of our life is to meet Jesus and to experience him personally

In our relationship to Jesus, we may feel that Jesus is like a brother to me. This is very important. At the same time ‘is my brotherly approach to Jesus helping me to experience him or not?

Is there any crowd which is obstructing my relationship with Jesus?

What are the possible ‘crowd’ which may become an obstacle to my relationship to Jesus?

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

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore

 

This Generation - How to understand this?

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

16^th Week – Monday

Gospel –Matthew 12: 38-42

 

This Generation - How to understand this?

1) This Generation – Does it apply to Others

In the context of the Gospel 'This Generation' refers to the Pharisees who came to argue with Jesus.

Is it also possible to apply the concept of 'this generation' to others

The so called this 'Pharisees' also applicable to various kinds of people. These may be some of the examples:

People those who argue with wrong intention belong to 'this generation'

People who doubt the existence of God and His divinity belong to 'this Generation'

People those who fail to see the hand of God in various activities of our lives belong to 'this Generation'

Those who consider themselves as righteous, who think that they know everything, those who are proud, those who misuse their authority, power and ability to trap others belong to 'this generation'

2) No sign will be given to 'this generation'. Why?

They don't deserve it

It does not help them in any way

In reality they are not interested in a sign

Even if the sign is given they will not accept it

‘Sign’ is only a ‘context’ to create an opportunity to get into argument and to prove that the other is wrong and to show that they are unable to know the reality

We must also understand that when the reality itself is present (Jesus) sign has no value

Therefore sign becomes useless. That is why no sign is given to 'this generation'

3) What is this sign stands for us in our context

God’s mercy through Jesus Christ

God’s love through Jesus Christ

Forgiveness through Jesus Christ

Enlightenment through Jesus Christ

Goodwill to know the reality

God experience

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Service, Humility and generosity

These signs are always present in our Context. We need not search or ask for these signs.

Do these signs have any meaning to my life? Do these signs make any difference in my life?

4) Who will be able to recognize the divine signs?

Those who look for signs they will not be given

For a believer everything that happens in life becomes a sign. That brings a great change in life.

“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.” ― Stuart Chase

Those who firmly believe in the power of God, every action of theirs becomes a sign to others to proclaim that God exists and God is very active in humans life.

5) Generation of the Modern times

In computer language now we belong to 10^th generation

This generation is highly influence by the artificial intelligence

This generation also believes that everything is possible in and through science and modern technology

This generation hardly thinks about the God and God’s Divine power and intervention

May be the divine sign may not have any value

The Modern generation is influenced by media, whatsaap, internet, YouTube, may have a strong influence on our belief system

Will Jesus call to those who are really addicted to these thing ‘A Evil Generation’

Do I belong to this generation?

6) To which generation I belong

“This Generation" - generation of the Pharisees?  Or

To the generation where one sees Gods hand in everything that happens in his life and accepts that itself as a great sign from God.

Try to see God in everything that happens in your life. That itself is a great sign in our day to life, which communicates a very powerful message to everyone around us.

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

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore

The Enemy comes when you Think Everything is Fine

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

16^th Week – Sunday

Gospel –Matthew 13: 24-43

 

The Enemy comes when you Think Everything is Fine

Jesus Says "While everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the Wheat and Went Away".

1) Enemy is active at all time.

•  It is clear that the Enemy or the Satan or the Sin is active at all time and they don't take rest.
• Only we think about Holiday. But there is no concept of Holiday for Satan, sin and enemy. 24×7 they are active.
• They enemy is more active when we think everything is fine. When we have such a thought we are least prepared. So Satan or enemy or Sin takes that opportunity and attack in a terrible way
• When we are not prepared it is easy for the enemy to attack. So they enemy waits all the time to attack us, but especially when we are least prepared they are attack us more.  

2) Enemy in the Modern Times

• In our modern times the Enemy or the Satan or Sin has become so active and powerful through the modern gadgets.
• On the one hand these modern gadgets have succeeded in putting the majority of the population into ‘sleep mode’ in the area of spirituality that's why the enemy has taken the advantage of the situation.
• At the same time the modern media or social media has made us to remain in ‘active mode’ with regard to the worldly things and we become slaves to these things very easily
• Modern enemy so called the ‘Media’ is very attractive in its presentation. The Satan has become so colorful, attractive and creative. Such an enemy enters into our life without our knowledge and we become slaves to its allurements
• The Modern Fast food culture, dress style, hair style, thinking pattern and all other areas of life have been influenced by this media. So the enemy or the Satan or the sin is attacking us in a most attracting way through the media and weeds are sown in the midst of wheat  
• Today we need to be alert and cautious about mobiles, internet, Whatsaap, Facebook, advertisement, junk food, and dress. Since we take laxity in these things the enemy has taken advantage to sow weeds in our lives.

3) No Holiday for Spiritual things

• As Christians there should not be Holiday for Prayer and Spiritual things. The moment we give Holiday to the Spiritual things in our lives, we go into the sleep mode, where Satan or sin becomes very Active.
• Discipline yourselves, keep alert, Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour- 1 Peter 5:8
• Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial;^[a] the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

4) Difficulty of identifying the enemy and weeds

• The parable makes it very clear that the enemy who sow the weeds is not known. He came in the night and sows the weeds and disappeared. You can’t identify him in any way
• Even the weeds are not able to find in the initial stage. No one knew that there are weeds among the wheat. Only in the later stage when it started to grow it became visible.
• This is the specialty of sin or Satan or the enemy.  Before we become aware of his deeds enemy takes control of our life. This is the most dangerous in our life
• Enemy or Satan or the devil enters into our life in the guise of doing good. But it enters into our life only to destroy us
• The evil becomes so one with the good, and it is very difficult to uproot it easily. Weeds could not be taken out easily because they became so one with wheat. So need to be careful.

5) Evil has the capacity to compete with the Good, but no capacity to destroy good

• As we know the wheat was sown first and weeds were sown later. Even then they grew together.
• Both had same growth. Both produced fruits at the same time. Both took the same time to yield their fruit
• In other words evil was able to compete with the ‘Good’. So it is very clear that evil is also powerful and we need to be careful about it.
• In the beginning of the parable good seeds were sown first and weeds were later. Towards the end we see the evil is collected first for the destruction and then good is collected for the preservation. Finally it shows the evil has no existence of its own. Finally, only the good or wheat remained and weeds were destroyed So we need to be alert to do only Good.

6) The growth of the weeds

• Once it takes its place among the wheat it starts growing
• Nothing could stop the growth of the weeds
• Even though there were so many grains of wheat, it could not succeed in curtailing the growth of the weeds  
• So it is very clear once the sin starts growing in our life it is very difficult to control. Therefore we need to be alert to not to entertain the sin in our lives

7) Every plant of wheat was preserved

• The master did not wish to destroy even a single wheat in the pretext of destroying the weeds.
• Neither the weeds was able to destroy any of the wheat in the field. Wheat was able to produce the fruit in spite of the trouble of the enemy. Finally all the wheat was preserved and weeds were destroyed.
• God does not want to destroy the good ones in the pretext of destroying the evil one. God destroys only the evil and preserves the Good
• It is also clear that evil has no power to destroy the good. As long as we do well and we are good, no enemy or no devil or no sin will be able to destroy our lives

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

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore