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)








20th Sunday of Ordinary Year

Be a Fire and Water………consistent and constant Yes!

Jer 38: 4-6, 8-10
Heb 12: 1-4
Lk 12: 49-53

Dear Sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, I welcome you to this Eucharistic celebration. We have come to begin another new week in the presence of the Lord. We gather every time as a family, as a community and as beloved children of God. This celebration and gathering offer us a sense of identity and strong feeling of belonging. As we enter into this sacred death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, we may be aware of the dying and rising moments of our daily life. Our baptismal call to be a fire and water to carry on the mission of Jesus may open our hearts and minds to respond to this invitation here on earth and around our neighborhood community.

Where is more fire? Is it at the Pentecostal, at the Assembly of God or at Jehovah witnesses or in the Catholic Church? Most of us will say that there is more fiery speech, moving singing and prayer not in the Catholic Church rather in other denomination. The invitation of today’s reading is not emotional expression with in our liturgy and within our church; rather we are called to be on our toe in being witnesses of mercy and compassion of Jesus.

Fire and water appear in the scripture as the sign of purification from all types of evil and the powerful presence of the Lord. Here in today’s context water and fire also signifies as ever burning zeal and every moving mission. Nothing could stop the burning fire and powerful speed of water. We are challenged to breakthrough our hurdles and hostile issues and keep moving by responding to the call of God constantly. Can we make our Yes constant and consistent!

In the Gospel, Luke is offering the symbol of fire and water to denote that Jesus followers need to be active yes people to the situation demanded of that time. Palestinian houses used the oven where burning fire was being used with the dung of Camel. They were family and community oriented people, even for the blind cause will not compromise to be away from their community and family. Because, leaving a family and community is a separation and sinful division. Here when some were struggling to respond yes and follow Jesus restricting to the cells of Judaist blind rules of family and community, Jesus is inviting to be fire and water as actively moving people of His good news of peace and liberation.

In the first reading Prophet Jeramiah proves to be a fire in spite of being punished and pushed to the dark pit. Babylonians were becoming a powerful force in Mesopotamian region, demanding to pay tribute. But King Zedekiah of Judah captured Assyria and seeking the help of Egypt to defend from Babylonians by refusing to pay. Here Prophet Jeremiah challenges the shortcuts and evil acts of Judah and asking to pay as they almost surrounded, if not Jerusalem will be attacked, destroyed they will be taken exile. Furious queen hears this and influences king to put prophet to death. Ethiopian servant at the royal palace works to get Prophet Jeremiah out of Cistern, bottled type water with boiling water.587 Babylonians attacked but faith was preserved like fire because of the Prophets.

The words of the late Archbishop Helder Camara, the champion of Brazil’s poor, serves as a prophetic warning, to all members of the Church: “When I give bread to the poor they call me a Saint. But when I ask why the poor have no bread, they call me Communist.”

We Christians should blaze with the same fire with which Jesus wished his disciples to burn: “I came to cast fire upon earth, and would that it were already kindled” (Luke 12: 49). Hence, let us remember the old saying, “He/She who is on fire cannot sit on a chair,” and let us carry the fire of the Holy Spirit wherever we go. The scientist-cum-theologian Teilhard de Chardin said: “Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity we shall harness the energies of love. Then for the second time in the history of the world man will have discovered fire.” “An 'adult' faith is not a Faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty (“dictatorship of relativism”); a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ. It is this friendship that opens us up to all that is good and gives us a criterion by which to distinguish the true from the false, and deceit from truth” (Benedict XVI, April 18, 2005). Such a Faith will enable the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn in us and give us the courage of our Christian convictions

In 1980, in the midst of a U.S.-funded genocidal war against the so-called leftist rebels in El Salvador, Archbishop Blessed Oscar Romero who sided with the poor, exploited farm workers, declared: “If they kill all your priests and the bishop too, each one of you must become God's microphone, each one of you must become a prophet. I do not believe in death without resurrection. If they kill me, I will be resurrected in the Salvadoran people."

41 year old gymnastic, 35 year swimmer Michael and 31 year beach volley ball player mother of three children all these are like a burning fire and moving water keep moving to Olympics to Olympics challenging us to be active in our own ways.

Shall we be a fire and water actively live our faith, share our talents and offer our generous help to be a disciple of Jesus the light of the world-Amen.