This Sermon is prepared by

Rev.Fr.Peter Jayakanthan sss
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
Corpus Christi Catholic Church,
Houston, Texas, US



ஞாயிறு மறையுரைகள்

மதிப்பிற்குரிய அருட்பணியாளர்களே, துறவிகளே, அருட் கன்னியரே, உங்கள் ஞாயிறு மறையுரைகளை எமது இணையத்தளத்தின் ஆன்மீக வலத்தில் பிரசுரித்து, ஆண்டவர் இயேசுவின் நற்செய்தியை எல்லோருக்கும் அறிவிக்க விரும்பினால், info@tamilcatholicnews.com என்ற எமது மின்னஞ்சலுக்கு உங்களுடைய ஆக்கங்களை அனுப்பிவைக்கவும். உங்கள் மறையுரைகள் உலகெங்கும் இருக்கும் அனைத்து தமிழ் உள்ளங்களையும் சென்றடையும்.



இதோ! ஓநாய்களிடையே ஆடுகளை அனுப்புவதைப்போல நான் உங்களை அனுப்புகிறேன். எனவே பாம்புகளைப்போல முன்மதி உடையவர்களாகவும் புறாக்களைப்போலக் கபடு அற்றவர்களாகவும் இருங்கள்.
(மத்தேயு 10:16)

நீங்கள் போய் எல்லா மக்களினத்தாரையும் சீடராக்குங்கள்; தந்தை, மகன், தூய ஆவியார் பெயரால் திருமுழுக்குக் கொடுங்கள். நான் உங்களுக்குக் கட்டளையிட்ட யாவையும் அவர்களும் கடைப்பிடிக்கும்படி கற்பியுங்கள். இதோ! உலக முடிவுவரை எந்நாளும் நான் உங்களுடன் இருக்கிறேன்
(மத்தேயு 28:19-20)

நீ அவற்றை உன் பிள்ளைகளின் உள்ளத்தில் பதியுமாறு சொல். உன் வீட்டில் இருக்கும்போதும், உன் வழிப்பயணத்தின் போதும், நீ படுக்கும்போது, எழும்போதும் அவற்றைப் பற்றிப் பேசு.
(இணைச்சட்டம் 6:7)








4th Sunday of Advent

Community: ….A Living……&…..Moving place of Messiah!

2Sam7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Rom16:25-27, Lk1:26-28.

Dear Sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, I welcome you to today’s Eucharistic Celebration on this Lord’s Day. We come on every Sunday not as an individual, rather as a family and as a community. This is our strength and support. In the past three Sundays, we have been reflecting on the season of Advent: presence is a blessing; my journey is another exodus; and the call to be the voice of joy. The last week of advent invites us to move from responding to our Individual call, to our call as community. Church is not a structure or building; rather it is the people of God. Our greater role is to build communities wherein lies the true dwelling, living and moving place of God.

Why do you go to Church on Sundays? This was a question given to students during religion class. A few responded, saying: they go to see and worship God; some said, they go to fulfill the commandments and to please the elders. Others said that church is the dwelling place of God. The next question of the teacher was why can’t our home or other market places be a dwelling place of God? Many responded together, saying: we have devils in our home so we go to Church to meet angels. Home and market places are filled with enemies and devils, only church can be the dwelling place of God.

I asked Mr. Joe what drives him to visit this particular Parish, far away leaving the churches that are closer to your home. He said Father, I am sorry to make this judgment, but it is the feeling of many. The pastor asks for money and donation at every Sunday Eucharist, always doing some construction and extension in the church building. There is less community spirit and sense of belonging. However, the other parish I go with my family offers lively community celebration, life oriented homily, involvement for my children, and we experience the moving presence of God, not only inside the church sacramentally, but also in our family and in our community.

Yes dear friends, the readings of this fourth Sunday of advent call us to recognize the dwelling, living and moving place of God in our communities. In the first reading we have an interesting conversation between the greatest king of Israel, David, and the challenging prophet Nathan. David is at the peak of his achievement and accomplishments. The prophet Nathan continued to be the spokesperson of Yahweh. What were the accomplishments of David and what did he intend to do more? First, David retrieved Jerusalem from the hands of the Jebusites, proclaiming it as the capital of his political kingdom. Secondly, continuing with his predecessor, his Father King Saul, David worked and succeeded in uniting and bringing the divided kingdom and the people of Israel and Juda into one kingdom. David proved that his administrative strength is stability; his victory over various small and large kingdoms gave greater confidence to go ahead. Thirdly, after looking after the stability of his kingdom, he desired to make his place a stable and comfortable one; so he built a massive and gorgeous palace for himself and his family. These are some of David’s achievements.

While he was in his new palace with all the luxury, he observed the simple and small tent, where the Ark of the Convent was placed. Here he expressed his desire of building a dwelling place of Yahweh, and to preserve the Ark of the Covenant there. He wanted to accomplish making a stable place for God. The Ark of the Covenant contains the tablets-the Commandments, the Staff of Aaron and Manna. Initially, the people of Israel looked for God in fire, wind, water and mountain; then after discovering this, they respected and recognized the presence of Yahweh in the Ark.

The prophet Nathan listened to David as King, and agreed initially to the thought of David. But during his next encounter with David, Nathan disagreed and challenged the desire and plan of David. He said, The Ark has been a mobile shrine for the last 200 years in the life of our people. God has been moving and journeying with us. You cannot fix the place of God to prove your power as a ruler. It was Yahweh who called you and anointed you to be a humble servant of Yahweh. He was there in all your successes and achievements. It is the kingdom and dynasty of the Messiah, not of David. He will make the chosen people and kingdom stable; He will continue to strengthen your community. I am the living and moving God of life and spirit, don’t put the Ark in one place and restrict Yahweh; rather make known the God of Yahweh as a community encountering me, and journeying with me.

In the Gospel, Luke who accepted Christ after being influenced by St. Paul around 50A.D, and writing this text around 70 AD, the Roman kingdom destroyed the great temple of Jerusalem and the people who were not Jews embraced the Christian community; they were not aware of how God came to be born as Messiah, thus fulfilling the promise of salvation. So Luke explains, beginning from the Annunciation event, Luke confirms the message of Incarnation, that God who spoke in words and through prophets, now came to dwell with the humanity. His dwelling among us is to show that He is the God of the living and moving. He is constantly on the move.

Mary is the center of today’s gospel on the Annunciation, and she is the center of the Christmas celebration. She is the privileged and the chosen one to be the Ark of the Covenant. Mary is offered graciousness and worthiness to carry the Messiah, when she hears, “You are full of grace or filled with grace”. None of the young teen age women would dare to accept this call because they will not be spared by any one. Mary believed strongly after the initial hesitation that God is going to move her, lead her and walk with her till on Calvary. “Here I am” is the response we read in scripture from many leaders and prophets. They said yes on behalf of the community and to the Lord of community. Here May said yes on behalf of the whole community, and yes to the God who lives and leads the community. She moved as the Ark of the Covenant from Bethlehem to Nazareth, from Nazareth to Egypt and then to Jerusalem. Her yes reveals that she is the first believer and disciple of the Lord.

She is the new Ark of the Covenant. The Ark keeps moving, Mary kept moving in the community. We shall experience the moving Spirit of the Lord in our families and communities. The Christian Faith is a matter of continually making Jesus a part of our lives.

There is nothing wrong in building Churches, but we need to form moving lively communities among and around us. European Churches have become museums, where there is neither community of people, nor sacramental participation; rather only tourists visit. We know how the thousands of years old Churches have been attacked and destroyed in Syria, and Iraq, where Christians have been asked leave empty handed, carrying only their faith in their hearts. They left united as families and communities. They also believe strongly that no one can stop their witnessing communities and families of faith. They say that they move and journey with God.

In New York, more than fifty Parish churches have been closed but Christ will continue to dwell, live and move in families and communities. Fr. Salvador Carranza, Pastor, Church of El Carmen, Santa Tecla, El Salvador, when the church was destroyed in the first 2001 El Salvador Earthquake, January 13, 2001, said “We have been left without a temple, but not without a Church. We are the Church, and the Church depends on us to keep it alive.” -Msgr. Óscar Romero, El Salvador, when church was repressed and persecuted, commented, “We will be living microphones for the Lord and we will proclaim his words everywhere”. Shall we recognize and witness the living and moving presence of God among us!-Amen