Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary TimeDo you want to be in the presence of God or go away from the presence of God!Ex : 32:7-11,13-1
1 Timo : 1:12-17
Luke : 15:1-32 Good morning dear friends in Christ Jesus
Do you want to stay in the presence of God or
go away from the presence of God!
Yes, I want (we want) to be in the presence of God. Sorry I do not believe in your answers. Dear friends could you tell me
Where is the presence of God? The presence of God is in the tabernacle, the presence of God in the church. If you say the presence of God is in the church or in the tabernacle then why all the people leave the church immediately after the mass, why then all of you go out of the church? How many of you want to remain in the church? Nobody? but you say I want ( we want) to be in the presence of God.
But dear friends today Jesus is inviting us to feel his presence everywhere. In the book of genesis God tells that I am going to create human being in my own image and likeness. So if all of you believe that you are all created in the image and likeness of God then every one of you is carrying the image and likeness of God or you carry the presence of God. … (‘She has the presence of God, he has the presence of God, and this child has the presence of God). Dear friends all of us resemble the presence of God.
Secondly, when you receive the communion you are receiving the presence of God in your hands, in your heart, in your body. Hence your whole body resembles the presence of God. The presence of God which is in the tabernacle is now going to stay in each and every one of our heart. That means each and every one of us carry His presence where ever we go. Isn’t it?
Thirdly, moreover you are all sons and daughters of St. Francis of Assisi because St. Francis has seen the presence of God in all the creatures. If you say your patron is St. Francis of Assisi then you must be able to see the presence of God in all the creatures.
Dear friends, in the first reading we find that Moses was in the real presence of God of Yahweh. Since he was in the presence of God he has done great wonders. In the same way the people of Israel too wanted to see the presence of God so they asked Aaron to show the presence of God. Aaron ordered the people to bring their jewels, gold etc. The people brought their ornaments. Together they made molten calf. And they began to worship the calf as the presence of Yahweh. But the anger of the Lord was with them. Later to show the presence of God to the people, Moses ordained (29) sons of Levi as priests of Yahweh. Thus, every catholic priest is a priest of Yahweh.
Dear friends, by the ignorance, the people of Israel began to worship the false God in the image of calf. In the similar manner today we too have the ignorant people like protestant, people of Pentecost, etc. they do not believe in the presence of God which is in the Eucharist. Catholic Church teaches that the real presence of God is in the Eucharist. Today, how many of us pray to the Holy Eucharist? How many of us spend our time before the Eucharist? Even in our catholic church we have many ignorant Christians like the people of Israel. Because our Catholics began to worship the saints, the Virgin Mary etc.. The saints or Virgin Mary is not to be worshiped rather they must be venerated. Today each one of your check your lives weather you worship God in the presence of Eucharist or you worship Saints and Virgin Mary.
In the second readings St. Paul says that he was away from the presence of God. By his ignorance he was persecuting the Christians, insulted the Christians but in his mercy God brought him in to His presence. Thus he himself says that he is the least of all sinners but today God raised him one of the greatest among all the apostles.
And in the gospel Jesus says through story of the prodigal son that when the youngest son was away from the presence of God he was undergoing lots of difficulties. He was alienated form the sight of the father, he was starving, so much so not even the food of pigs he was not able to get. Totally he was abandon. In the same manner if you and I are away from the presence of God surely we too will undergo pain, difficulties, and sufferings in our life. But when the youngest son returned to His father and to stay in the presence of the father we see the great feast and celebration.
Dear friends at this juncture let us analyze our own lives? If we stay in the presence of God surely we will get blessings and graces of God. if you go away from the presence of God surely you will undergo pain and difficulties. Today in our modern world we do not have time to spend our presence before the presence of God. Because we occupy ourselves with our works, people are ready to sacrifice Mass and daily prayers than their works.
for example
it is easy for us to sleep than to pray;
it is easy for us to go for our work than to go for the mass;
it is easy for us to spend our time by drinking and chatting in machies but it is difficult to come to church spend our little time in the presence of God and to pray.
Today’s saint St. Mother Theresa along with her heavy works daily she used to spend her time in the presence of the Holy Eucharist. That is why she is a saint today. So dear friends, do you want to stay in the presence of God or go away from the presence of God?
Machies: Tasmac
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