Homily by Fr Mathew January 1, 2015

Ten Commandments for the year 2015

1. Be thankful to life

We are dying to the year of 2014. Once in our life, we will not see the following year. So, therefore, live this moment, cherish this moment, be busy doing good to others.

2. You've got to love yourself

Many people hate themselves. If you don't like yourself, it spills over in your interactions with others. How do you know that you don't like yourself? These are the symptoms:

• ornery, sour, critical, judgemental, negative
• Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." That means that you cannot love others unless you love yourself.

3. Don't be rigid with yourself

Rigidity is the mother of many vices from which comes out obsessions, perfectionism, fanaticism, idealism, and which can ultimately lead to terrorism. Don't be a rigid follower of any ideology. Even a political party can make you an obsessive person.

4. Give up must-erbations

Albert Ellis is the author of Rational Emotive Therapy. He talks about avoiding ten irrational thoughts. We must give up these irrational thoughts.

• I MUST be loved and approved by every significant person
• I MUST be an adequate person in all areas
• My wife/husband MUST be like this...

5.  Forgive others and forgive yourself

Don't carry the burden of hatred. Don't carry the burden of guilt feelings. They will literally kill you. You've got to forgive yourself and others because God has unconditionally forgiven you.

6. Don't internalize other people's problems.

There are crazy (troubled people) out there. They will maltreat you. They will slam you. You cannot prevent this from happening. Remember, they are their problems. Don't make their problems as your problems. In other words, don't internalize other people's nastiness and problems.

7. Do small gestures of kindness

Opening a door for somebody, picking up something that fell, bringing a meal to someone who is sick, are small kindnesses that can make a lot of difference and the world can be a lot brighter than before.

8. Don't try to change others

Rather, try to change yourself. Many a time we are busy trying to change others but we forget to change ourselves. If everybody changed themselves, what a wonderful world we would live in.

9. Be joyful

That is the primary characteristic of a Christian. Without being joyful in this world, how can you be joyful in the world to come (heaven). Read the book The Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis (If you have not received a Copy of Pope Francis' "THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL," please get your copy from St John Bosco parish. It is our gift for you during this Christmas season/New year).  Smile at others. It can be infectious. It will cause a chain of smiles in other people.

10. Meditation

Mindfulness, a new terminology, for meditation has become popular in many people's lives because helps them deal with life problems and maintains your calm. Try to stay for a few minutes in solitude without being distracted by noise in order to get in touch with your inner self and other self (God).

Pray together as a family, eating dinner with family, and going to church on Sundays will definitely foster bond and love among the members of a family. A family that prays together stays together!.

Epiphany: Homily by Fr Mathew

  

Epiphany of the Lord

 Is 60:1-6 ,Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6, Mt 2:1-12

Mark Twain used to tell a joke that he put a dog and a cat in a cage together as an experiment, to see if they could get along. They did. So he put in a bird, pig and goat. They, too, got along fine after a few adjustments. Then he put in a Baptist, a Presbyterian, and a Catholic, and hell broke loose. Mark Twain did not even bother putting together a Christian, a Muslim, and a Hindu. That was unthinkable in his days

In today’s world, we live in a global village. We humans are like animals who live in the same cage who profess different faiths and belong to different races and nationalities. However, our interaction with each other is very minimal. We are on a journey together as the prophet Isaiah speaks in the first reading and interestingly our destination is the same.

Nevertheless, sometimes I think we are like passengers on a plain. I have made long trips in my life. I was on a journey with a group of people in Europe for two weeks. I remember none of them by name now. I don’t remember who it was next to me when I made long trips to India. We ate together and sat together for many hours, but didn't care for each other as to remember who they were.

Isn't that what is happening in this world now? Do we get along with each other? Do you remember a scene from Eugene Ionesco’s play, “The Bald Soprano.”? Two people who do not know each other are sitting in a room. Their conversation reveals a series of striking coincidences. Both were born in Manchester. EACH has a two year daughter named Alice. They are now living in London and are actually dwelling in the same street. They live in the same apartment building and share the very same flat.  It transpires that they are husband and wife and they do not know each other.

We erect barriers among ourselves. We create our own idol gods who limits God’s generosity among ourselves. We refuse to get in touch with our own common humanity.

Epiphany brings those walls that we created among us down. It tells us that God is accessible to everyone regardless of your background. It declares the commonalty of the human race. After all, God created us in his image. God dwells in us.  As Paul says in the second reading, we are co-heirs, members of the same body and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. Epiphany calls is to a new vision of the world that sees beyond the walls and borders we have created and to walk by the light which has dawned for all of humankind, a light by which we are able to recognize all men and women as our brothers and sisters under the loving providence of God, the Father of all.

In this world, in which there is a lot of hatred and war, we can become like guiding stars to those who are searching and looking for truth.