THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.

Proverbs 8:22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15

We Catholics believe that we believe in one God, but in practice we behave differently. We speak of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and some accuse us of being worshippers of Mary too. Are we in practice polytheistic like the Hindus ? We begin our prayers taking the name of three persons. In the Mass we pray to the Father in the Son through the Spirit. So what do we actually believe ? We believe in a mysterious God. God by nature is a mystery, otherwise he is not God. The God who can be comprehended by my mind and thought is not the real God. God is transcendent and immanent. Immanent God we may be able to grasp some, but not the transcendent God fully well.

One day St Augustine of Hippo was walking along the sea shore and reflecting on the doctrine of the Trinity. He suddenly saw a little child all alone on the shore. The child made a hole in the sand, ran to the sea with a little cup, filled her cup, came and poured it into the hole she had made in the sand. Back and forth she went to the sea, filled her cup and came and poured it into the hole. Augustine went up to her and said, "Little child, what are you doing?" and she replied, "I am trying to empty the sea into this hole."
"How do you think," Augustine asked her, "that you can empty this immense sea into this tiny hole and with this tiny cup?" To which she replied, " And you, how do you suppose that with this your small head you can comprehend the immensity of God?" With that the child disappeared.

Like Augustine we may not be able to understand the mystery of the Trinity. But we can describe the mystery, in the words of the Athanasian Creed: "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God." Jesus knew very well that the disciples and his listeners were not able to understand the meaning of his message. Jesus expressed it in today’s Gospel. "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." Jesus revealed himself to the people gradually and as understandable to them. First He taught them to recognize in Himself the Eternal Son of God. When His ministry was drawing to a close, He promised that the Father would send another Divine Person, the Holy Spirit, in His place. Finally after His resurrection, He revealed the doctrine in explicit terms, bidding them "go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:18).

We can get an inkling of trinity from our human experience of life in a family.

We are created in God's image, and so the love that links husband and wife and gives rise to new life - this is a pale reflection of the divine family of the Blessed Trinity. The love of a husband and wife may reflect the love of the Father and the Son. As Jesus says: All that is mine is yours and all that is yours is mine » (Jn 17, 8-10). Similarly everything that a husband possesses becomes equally of the wife’s too and vice versa. As the Holy Spirit proceeds from the love of the Father and the Son, as in a family a child is born from the love of a husband and wife.

Speaking of the family life Jesus said: For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one.

In John Chapter 17:11 Jesus says: that they may be one as we are one » (Jn 17,11).

Another simile can be had from this lighted candle. This burning candle has three inseparable things in itself: the flame, the heat and the light. All the three are inseparably linked together but flame is not heat or heat is not light. The only visible thing in it is the flame, the heat and the light can be experienced as the Holy Spirit and the Father who are invisible.

One more example for the experience of the trinity in our life is our thought process. When I think of something, the thought is inseparably part of myself. Yet, I know my thought distinct from myself, though it is one with me. But when I express that thought in word or write it down, it becomes separate from me. It is like my thought as the Son who was with the Father before the incarnation and my word or written word is the Incarnated Word as St.John mentions… in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. When the time came the Word became flesh. And the implemented action of me resulting from my expressed thought can be compared to the Holy Spirit. ( in my thought in my word and in my action).

So, the trinity can be experienced in our self. As Jesus said: If anyone loves my commandment, the Father will love him and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. St. Paul tells us that God's love is poured into our hearts through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Our idea about who God is and what he is like always affects how we live. Sometimes we may wonder why God even bothered to reveal the truth about his inner, Trinitarian nature, since he knew it would be impossible for us to understand it completely. But God knew what he was doing. He knew that our idea about what he is like would profoundly affect our idea about how to follow him.

The more deeply we ponder and absorb this revelation of God, the more we will love him. And the more we love God, the happier we will be.

But in order to love him more, we must know him better.

An old proverb says, "You cannot love what you do not know." This is the reason that God has revealed himself to us. He wants us to know him. Because he wants us to love him.

Today, on this feast of the Blessed Trinity, we need to ask ourselves: how well do we know God?

Have we become satisfied with the bare minimum?

Are we striving to know him better?

Do we know him better today than we did one year ago, five years ago, twenty years ago?

Today, when we profess our faith in God, let's really mean it. And let's ask God to stir up our desire to know him better, because if we really want to do so, he will gladly show us how to do so.

Easter 6 [C] Acts 15:1-2, 22-29;Rev. 21: 10-14, 22-23; John 14: 23-29

Today’s readings show us the effects of the abiding presence of God in His Church and of His indwelling in each one of us. The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, tells us how the Holy Spirit indwelling in the Church helped the apostles to solve a major doctrinal problem about the Gentiles becoming Christians, which shook the very foundation of the early Church. The gospel passage reminds us that the Holy Spirit, abiding within us, is our teacher and the source of all peace.  The passage offers a vision of hope.  Jesus promises his followers that the Holy Spirit will come and instruct them in everything they need to know.

The story is told that after Helen Keller’s teacher, Annie Sullivan, had given her the names of physical objects in sign language, Miss Sullivan attempted to explain God and tapped out the symbols for the name "God." Much to Miss Sullivan’s surprise, Helen spelled back, "Thank you for telling me God’s name, Teacher, for he has touched me many times before." How could Helen Keller have known about God? Although she was blind and deaf, Helen Keller knew God, for God had shown Himself to her. That is “revelation” of an indwelling God about whom today’s scripture speaks.  

In this passage, Jesus reveals one of the great secrets of Christian life. When we are baptized, God himself, the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, actually come into our souls and take up residence there." We will come to him and make our dwelling with him," Jesus tells us.

Have we ever wondered why Jesus ascended back into heaven fifty days after his resurrection? Why didn't he stick around? Because he wanted to be closer to us; he wanted to be able to dwell deep within our hearts, beyond earthly limits. If Christ had not "gone to the Father," he would have remained limited by time and space, as he was during his earthly life. (It is good that I go, Jesus said).

But since he now dwells body and soul in heaven, he can be present to each one of us at all times, through the Holy Spirit. Since the three Persons of the Trinity share the same nature, where one is, all three are. 

But for the sake of our understanding, the Church has long attributed God's presence within our soul especially to the Holy Spirit, the most hidden of the three Persons of the Trinity, whom we are preparing to welcome in the coming Solemnity of Pentecost. 

We often live as if our Christianity were something outside of us, like a membership in a club, forgetting the God’s indwelling aspect of our faith life. That forgetfulness handcuffs God's power in our lives. The Holy Spirit is polite. He respects our freedom. He chooses to be a guest, not a dictator.

He sits in the living room of our souls, loving us, eagerly waiting for us to put away our cell phone, shut down our computer, and pay attention to him for few minutes, to listen to him, to ask him for guidance and strength. And whenever we do, he is able to increase what is good in us, and cleanse what is bad.

Jesus teaches us that the condition for this indwelling of the Holy Trinity is that we show our love of God by keeping his word.  And this keeping of his word will be facilitated by the Holy Spirit, God's Holy Breath. And he will be a comforter.

What kind of comfort can we expect from the Comforter?  Let’s look more closely at the word ‘comfort’. Modern usage has weakened its meaning to softness and gentle touches; in fact it has come to mean just about the opposite of its real meaning. The word comes from the Latin confortare, which means ‘to strengthen’; fortis means ‘strong’.  Comfort therefore means strength!  The Holy Spirit will make us robust, strong in faith. 

And what kind of peace can we expect?  “I give you my peace.  Not as the world gives peace do I give it to you.”  It is not the ego’s peace, which is like the peace after a good meal, or after some private victory.  He promises his kind of peace – which is “a peace the world cannot give” (Jn 14:27). The indwelling Holy Spirit will give us lasting peace and joy which can not be snatched away by any external force.

God inhabits our hearts so deeply and intimately that we become the visible dwelling place of God.  His living and life-affirming presence is always with us, yet '"hidden" in the very things we so often take for granted.  Thus, we are invited to look for and encounter "God-with-us," yet "hidden" -- hidden in the person sitting next to us, in the words we speak and the songs we sing at worship.

As we prepare ourselves for the great feast of the Comforter, the strength giver, the peace giver- in two weeks, let’s examine how we make use of the gifts of the holy Spirit; and pray every day for the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our hearts so that he may make us holy by his indwelling presence in us.

Easter V [C] (4/28/13): Acts 14: 21-27; Rev 21: 1-5; Jn 13: 31-33, 34-35

Someone once said that the purpose of a sermon is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Jesus’ preaching had this effect. He comforted the suffering, the sick and oppressed. But he also made the Pharisees and Sadducees very uncomfortable.

In today’s second reading Paul and Barnabas tell us that the way to the Kingdom of God lies through many afflictions – reminiscent, of course of Jesus’ remarks to his disciples that they should strive to enter through the narrow door (Lk 13.24,Mat 7.13).

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified. What is the relationship between Judas’ going out and Jesus’ glory? Because Judas went out to conspire with the Jews to crucify Jesus. Jesus’ glory came through his cross and crucifixion. And that is the pattern of any Christian’s glory too. That is why Paul and Barnabas tell the early Christians that "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.'"

In other words, only through the Cross can we reach the Resurrection; only through self-sacrificing love can we experience true Christian joy.

St John in the Second Reading gives us the same message from the other direction. He paints a picture of heaven, where the saints live in perfect communion with God. The main characteristic of that life is that God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away."

The old order - that's our order. That's our life here and now in the pilgrim Church on earth. It will pass away; it won't always be like this. But for the time being, it's full of wailing and weeping, mourning and pain.

Our society is so obsessed with pleasure, comfort, health, youth, and appearances that sometimes even we Christians forget about that, and we start thinking that the only meaningful life is a painless life.

The examples of the saints can remind us that, in fact, just the opposite is true: only through the Cross can we reach the Light.

Blessed Lydwina [LIHD-vine-ah] of Holland is a case in point. She lived in the 1400s.  She was a pretty, vivacious 15-year-old, until she got into an ice-skating accident and ran into complications during her recovery. For the next thirty-eight years she never left her sickroom. God sent her a rare and gruesome cross: Her flesh began to rot. She had agonizing headaches, constantly recurring fits of vomiting, unending fevers, maddening thirst, spasms of pain in every part of her body - it was as if she were already decaying in the grave, while she remained conscious to experience it.

At first, she felt anger and revulsion at her suffering. But gradually she learned that God was asking her to suffer for the reparation of others' sins.

Her confessor visited her frequently, taught her to meditate on our Lord's passion, and frequently brought her Holy Communion - which was her only food for the last 13 years of her life. As she recognized and embraced her life's mission, she began to add voluntary sufferings to the ones God had sent her (sleeping on boards instead of on a bed, for example).God rewarded her by giving her powers of healing (healing others’ sickness), prophecy, and special visions. Lydwina's specific vocation was uncommon, but its pattern is the same for every Christian vocation, ours included: through Cross to resurrection.

Death has a new meaning now not only for Jesus but for us too, and life can have a new meaning for us, if we allow it to be shaped by this new commandment. Love one another as I have loved you.

When I love I make myself vulnerable, and if I am afraid of that, I won't love.  I will dream and sentimentalize instead.  So, to love as Jesus loved means to make ourselves vulnerable and willing to be hurt.

In other words, we must walk the way of love, loving one another as Jesus loved us, and still loves us, pouring out his life for us now in the food which is his body and the chalice of his blood. This life of love that he calls us to lead is indeed a glorious life and a joyful one, but it is still a life overshadowed by death. We must allow to die every day, so that we may truly live, and follow Christ along the path of glory through the open door into the life of God. In the face of pain and struggles let’s always remember that the way to resurrection passes through the pain of the cross.

Easter V [C] (4/28/13): Acts 14: 21-27; Rev 21: 1-5; Jn 13: 31-33, 34-35

Someone once said that the purpose of a sermon is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Jesus’ preaching had this effect. He comforted the suffering, the sick and oppressed. But he also made the Pharisees and Sadducees very uncomfortable.

In today’s second reading Paul and Barnabas tell us that the way to the Kingdom of God lies through many afflictions – reminiscent, of course of Jesus’ remarks to his disciples that they should strive to enter through the narrow door (Lk 13.24,Mat 7.13).

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified. What is the relationship between Judas’ going out and Jesus’ glory? Because Judas went out to conspire with the Jews to crucify Jesus. Jesus’ glory came through his cross and crucifixion. And that is the pattern of any Christian’s glory too. That is why Paul and Barnabas tell the early Christians that "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.'"

In other words, only through the Cross can we reach the Resurrection; only through self-sacrificing love can we experience true Christian joy.

St John in the Second Reading gives us the same message from the other direction. He paints a picture of heaven, where the saints live in perfect communion with God. The main characteristic of that life is that God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away."

The old order - that's our order. That's our life here and now in the pilgrim Church on earth. It will pass away; it won't always be like this. But for the time being, it's full of wailing and weeping, mourning and pain.

Our society is so obsessed with pleasure, comfort, health, youth, and appearances that sometimes even we Christians forget about that, and we start thinking that the only meaningful life is a painless life.

The examples of the saints can remind us that, in fact, just the opposite is true: only through the Cross can we reach the Light.

Blessed Lydwina  of Holland is a case in point. She lived in the 1400s.  She was a pretty, vivacious 15-year-old, until she got into an ice-skating accident and ran into complications during her recovery. For the next thirty-eight years she never left her sickroom. God sent her a rare and gruesome cross: Her flesh began to rot. She had agonizing headaches, constantly recurring fits of vomiting, unending fevers, maddening thirst, spasms of pain in every part of her body - it was as if she were already decaying in the grave, while she remained conscious to experience it.

At first, she felt anger and revulsion at her suffering. But gradually she learned that God was asking her to suffer for the reparation of others' sins.

Her confessor visited her frequently, taught her to meditate on our Lord's passion, and frequently brought her Holy Communion - which was her only food for the last 13 years of her life. As she recognized and embraced her life's mission, she began to add voluntary sufferings to the ones God had sent her (sleeping on boards instead of on a bed, for example).God rewarded her by giving her powers of healing (healing others’ sickness), prophecy, and special visions. Lydwina's specific vocation was uncommon, but its pattern is the same for every Christian vocation, ours included: through Cross to resurrection.

Death has a new meaning now not only for Jesus but for us too, and life can have a new meaning for us, if we allow it to be shaped by this new commandment. Love one another as I have loved you.

When I love I make myself vulnerable, and if I am afraid of that, I won't love.  I will dream and sentimentalize instead.  So, to love as Jesus loved means to make ourselves vulnerable and willing to be hurt.

In other words, we must walk the way of love, loving one another as Jesus loved us, and still loves us, pouring out his life for us now in the food which is his body and the chalice of his blood. This life of love that he calls us to lead is indeed a glorious life and a joyful one, but it is still a life overshadowed by death. We must allow to die every day, so that we may truly live, and follow Christ along the path of glory through the open door into the life of God. In the face of pain and struggles let’s always remember that the way to resurrection passes through the pain of the cross.

EASTER IV [C] Acts 13:14, 43-52; Rev 7:9, 14-17; Jn. 10:27-30

Historians tell us that the earliest popular image of the Christian faith in the Lord Jesus was not the crucifix which is perhaps the most common image for us today. It was rather the image of the Lord as the caring and loving shepherd. We do know that the two images really come together in a sense as one, because the Good Shepherd's care and love for us is so great that the Shepherd gives up his life for the sheep.

In the Old Testament, the image of the Shepherd is often applied to God as well as to the leaders of the people.  God chose shepherds to be the Patriarchs; he chose shepherds to be Israel's first kings; the prophets ceaselessly speak of Israel as a flock and God as their shepherd.

The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel compare Yahweh’s care and protection of His people to that of a shepherd.  “He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against His breast and leading the mother ewes to their rest” (Is. 40:11).  Ezekiel represents God as a loving shepherd who searches diligently for the lost sheep.  Psalm 23 is David’s famous picture of God as The Good Shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.  In green pastures you let me graze, to safe waters you lead me.”  The prophets often used harsh words to scold the selfish and insincere shepherds or leaders of their day.  Jer 23:1: “Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered."  

Jesus introduces himself as the good shepherd of his flock. He knows his sheep and his sheep hear his voice: Just as the Palestinian shepherds knew each sheep of their flock by name, and the sheep knew their shepherd and his voice, so Jesus knows each one of us, our needs, our merits and our faults.  

That Jesus compares us to sheep is not a compliment, by the way. Sheep are among the dumbest of all creatures. Most animals, in many cases, will survive if released into the wild. They will learn to fend for themselves and make it. But a sheep released into the wild cannot survive. Sheep have no survival skills whatsoever. They are totally dependent upon the shepherd - just like we are. The sheep come to know that when the shepherd speaks they should follow because his plan for them is better than their plan for themselves.

In chapter ten of John’s Gospel, Jesus adds two more roles to those of the good shepherd.  He goes in search of stray lambs and heals the sick ones.  Jesus heals the wounds of our souls through the sacrament of Reconciliation and strengthens us in illness and old age with the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  Jesus dies for his sheep: (As Isaiah says, by his wounds we are healed).  Just as the shepherds of ancient days protected their sheep from wild animals and thieves by risking their own lives, so Jesus died in expiation for the sins of all people.

A shepherd walks in front of his flock, whistling or speaking or singing. The sheep follow along behind. As long as they can hear the shepherd's voice, they keep following; they have to stay close enough to hear his voice.

As long as the shepherd is close by, the wolves will not attack the sheep. Only when a sheep falls behind, out of reach of the shepherd's voice, is there danger of getting lost and being attacked. When Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me," this is the image he has in mind. 

He wants to stay close to us, and he wants us to stay close to him, close enough so we can always hear his voice. That way we can be sure to arrive safely to the rich pastures and refreshing streams of a meaningful, joyful life. He is not a distant God, and he doesn't want to save us from far away.

Unfortunately, life in today's world is noisy, and it is not always easy for us to hear the voice of our good shepherd. We are bombarded with so many other voices, so many images, so many ideas. Christ knows this, yet he still tells us, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me." No matter how noisy, dark, or stormy it gets, he knows how to make his voice heard in our hearts. We can always tune into it - that's the gift of prayer. 

He gives us his word, his grace, his sacraments, and he sends us into the world around us, to gather all the wandering and lost sheep. Our mission is to bring them back to the flock. It's not always easy.  It takes prayer, sacrifice, and patience. It takes an ongoing effort on our part to know the faith well enough to be able to answer objections. But above all, it takes sharing Christ's own love for his people, for every person. 

Today, we pray for all those who have been chosen to be shepherds among us. We pray for our religious leaders that they may live and serve their flock according to the model of the Good Shepherd. We pray for parents and guardians of our youth who are chosen to be shepherds, too. We pray for our civic leaders and all who protect us with their service. And finally, we pray for each one of us that we may be shepherds to one another by the love and care we give to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today as we observe the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. the church invites us to reflect on the meaning of God’s call and to pray for an increase in vocations.

EASTER-2013

On Good Friday we saw how Jesus was scourged, mocked, nailed to the cross where he dies after a few hours and hastily buried in a tomb. If that were the end of the story of Jesus that would be a bad story, a tragedy. But glory be to God, it is not. Death is not the end of the story of Jesus. There is one more chapter. This is the most important chapter because, as the saying goes, they who laugh last, laugh best. And in the last chapter of the story of Jesus we see him rise from the dead in all glory and majesty. He is vindicated. His enemies are shamed and confused. Jesus regains his eternal glory with the Father.

Resurrection is the greatest of the miracles, for it proves that Jesus is God.  That is why St. Paul writes: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; and your faith is in vain” (I Cor 15: 14). “Jesus is Lord, he is risen” (Rom 10: 9), was the central theme of the preaching of the apostles, because Jesus prophesied His Resurrection as a sign of His divinity:  “Tear down this temple and in three days I will build it again” (Jn 2: 19). The founder of no other religion has an empty tomb as Jesus has.  Easter is the guarantee of our own resurrection.  Jesus assured Martha at the tomb of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me will live even though he dies” (Jn 11: 25-26). 3) Easter is a feast which gives us hope and encouragement in this world of pain, sorrows and tears.  It reminds us that life is worth living.  It is our belief in the Real Presence of the risen Jesus in our souls, in His Church, in the Blessed Sacrament and in Heaven that gives meaning to our personal as well as our communal prayer, and gives strength to fight against temptations and freedom from unnecessary worries and fears. 

No one is ever ready to encounter Easter until he or she has spent time in the dark place (like Jesus in the tomb) where hope cannot be seen. When we are going through very difficult times: through betrayal, unjust discrimination, lies, misrepresentations; and when the enemy seems to be winning the battle in our lives, Easter will come live to us. Easter is the last thing we are expecting. It's about more hope than we can handle. Easter promises us more than the stars in our darkness.

Easter tells us that the tomb is not a blind alley; it is a thoroughfare. It closes on the twilight; it opens on the dawn."

Jesus built a bridge to death with his Cross, so that men might pass from the land of death to the land of Life.  Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was still dark "but the darkness did not remain. The dawn broke. God's Son had risen.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was never meant to be proved but experienced. As a matter of fact it cannot be proved, as none of us was there. We have to take the word of others who were. Those early witnesses were very passionate about their testimonies. Many were to be martyred in defense of their convictions. The most convincing evidence of the Resurrection of Christ is the transformation of the people who know Jesus and believed in Him after his death.

You do not say: resurrected Christ, appear to me and then I will believe. It is just the opposite. The resurrected Christ appeared only to those who did believe. He did not reveal himself to the Caiaphas and Pilates and Herods of the world.

The evidence of resurrection is overwhelming, and life makes no sense without it. Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  The Twelve apostles  were not going to give up their lives to simply perpetuate that which they know to be a hoax.

Islam religion believes everything about Jesus, including his miraculous virgin birth and his life full of miracles, except his death on the cross and his resurrection. Because it is the central point of Christian faith- Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again. Of course Muslims believe too that Christ will come again.

For most of us, believing that Jesus rose again from the dead becomes a little like believing the earth is round and that it orbits the sun. Once upon a time people didn't know that. They thought the earth was flat and that the sun orbited the earth. It caused quite a stir when this view had to be revised. But that was a long time ago and now we accept that picture of our solar system without much thought. Sure the world is round and we orbit the sun, but what does that have to do with anything? It doesn't change what you have to do at work tomorrow, does it?

Easter has somehow become part of the "routines" of this world. Easter is no longer shocking for us--it surely does not make us re-evaluate everything else we think we know. But, unless it changes everything in our life, it makes no sense. This is not some fact we can ponder just once every twelve months. This should change everything.... and on EVERY day. And we should witness this resurrection of Jesus among people who live as though God doesn’t exist or is dead for them.

Billy Graham responded to someone who shouted out "God is dead! God is dead!" Dr. Graham with tenderness replied, "That's strange because I just talked to Him in prayer a few minutes ago." Yes, the day you really believe in the resurrection is the day you change your life, change your universe.

The most important thing of Easter after acknowledging and believing in the resurrection is to share in the victory of resurrection. How can we do that ? Jesus said ‘unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you can have no life in you’. If so, only by sharing in the Eucharist with believing faith can we share in the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus vanished from the physical sight of the disciples going to Emmaus when he broke the bread. He hid himself in the bread so that they could receive him spiritually. Let’s receive the resurrected Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and be empowered by him to witness his power everywhere we go today and tomorrow.

GOOD FRIDAY- 

 There was a school with a class of students that no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off from this school in one year by the unruly students. A young man, just out of college, heard about the class and applied to the school.

 The principal asked the young man, "Do you know what you are asking for? No one else has been able to handle these students. You are just asking for a terrible beating."

 After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man looked at the principal and said, "Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge. Just give me a trial basis."

 The next morning the young man stood before the class. He said to the class, "Young people, I came here today to conduct school. But I realize I can't do it by myself. I must have your help."

 One big boy, they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his buddies, "I won't need any help. I can lick that little bird all by myself."

 The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there would have to be some rules to go by. But he also added that he would allow the students to make up the rules and that he would list them on the blackboard.

This was certainly different, the students thought!

One young man suggested "NO STEALING."

 Another one shouted "BE ON TIME FOR CLASS."

 Pretty soon they had 10 rules listed on the board. The teacher then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules. "Rules are no good unless they are enforced", he said.

 Someone in the class suggested that if the rules were broken, they should receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with their coat off.

 The teacher thought that this was pretty harsh, so he asked the class if they would stand by this punishment.

 The class agreed. Everything went along pretty good for two or three days. Then Big Tom came in one day very upset. He declared that someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had stolen Big Tom's lunch. Someone had seen little Timmy with Big Tom's lunch!

 The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the room. Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom's lunch.

 So the teacher asked him, "Do you know the punishment?

 Little Timmy nodded that he did. "You must remove your coat," the teacher instructed.

The little fellow had come with a great big coat on. Little Timmy said to the teacher, "I am guilty and I am willing to take my punishment, but please don't make me take off my coat.

The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and take his punishment like a man. The little fellow started to unbutton that old coat. As he did so, the teacher saw he did not have a shirt on under the coat. And even worse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat. The teacher asked little Timmy why he had come to school without a shirt on.

Little Timmy replied, "My daddy's dead and my mother is very poor. I don't have but one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I wore my big brother's coat so that I could keep warm."

 That young teacher stood and looked at the frail back with the spine protruding against the skin, and his ribs sticking out. He wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back and without even a shirt on.

 Still, he knew he must enforce the punishment or the children would not obey the rules. So he drew back to strike little Timmy.

 Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, "Is there anything that says that I can't take little Timmy's whipping for him?"

The teacher thought about it and agreed.

With that Big Tom ripped his coat off and stooped and stood over little Timmy at the desk. Hesitatingly the teacher began to lay the rod on that big back.

But for some strange reason after only five licks that old rod just broke in half. The young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob. He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye in the room. Little Timmy had turned and grabbed Big Tom around the neck apologizing to him for stealing his lunch. Little Timmy begged Big Tom to forgive him. He told Big Tom that he would love him till the day he died for taking his whipping for him.

 Aren't you glad that Jesus took our whipping for us. That He shed His precious blood on Calvary so that you and I can have eternal life in Glory with Him?

Four people in the trial scene of Jesus testified that he was innocent. Pilate said he was innocent, he found no fault in him. Herod found no offence in him and sent him back to Pilate. The good thief said, Jesus did not deserve it, he is no offender like them. The centurian said this man was really innocent. Then whose sins and offences did he take upon himself ? Yours and mine. Our big brother Jesus took upon himself our offences and sins. Shouldn’t we live a life in greatfulness to him ?