Fr. Jose

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Dear family members and friends: We have learned that the ten commandments can be summarised into two: Love your God and love your neighbour. In today’s Gospel Jesus underlines this in an answer to the question, ‘which is the great commandment in the Law?’ The greatest commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” That means loving God requires our whole being. It places God at the absolute centre of life and authority. Second one is, “you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Genuine love for God cannot be separated from how we treat people around us. The care for others should be just as the care and respect we have to ourselves. These two commandments are the basis of the entire scripture. If love is missing then the scripture loses its purpose. Law and Prophets represent the Old Testament and Jesus has come to fulfil the scripture with new commandment of love sacrificing oneself for
others. Amen

Fr. Jose

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Dear family members and friends: Today s Gospel reminds us about our responsibility as a good citizen. A good believer must be a good faithful citizen also. Jesus says, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s’. As believers we belong to God and at the same time we belong to the country where we live. As we fulfil our duties to God, we have to fulfil all the responsibilities to the country. Paying tax is one important duty we have to perform and at the same time we have to gratefully offer to God what is His due. In today s prayer over the offerings we pray, Grant us, Lord, we pray, a sincere respect for your gifts, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve.  Let us be cleansed in what we do fulfilling our duties to God and to our country. Amen

Fr. Jose

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Dear family members and friends:Jesus is using a very familiar and attractive parable about people being chosen for the Kingdom of Heaven. The parable says that those who were invited were not ready to come saying some excuses. Some even attacked those were sent to remind them about the wedding feast. Finally, the king asked the servants to invite from among those who were not chosen earlier. There also was a problem: one who entered was without wedding garment and he was thrown out. In today’s first reading from the Book of Isaiah, we see the mountain of the Lord with a great feast and the people were waiting for the Lord. In both cases it is the Lord our God who is the host and He invites all of us to His banquet ie. the Holy Eucharist. It is not enough that we accept the invitation, but we have to be well prepared for that making ourselves worthy to be received in to the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen

Fr. Jose

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Dear family members and friends:In today’s Gospel we read the parable of the vineyard which was leased to tenants who proved themselves wicked by their unfaithfulness and greed. In the responsorial psalm we proclaim, “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.” In the parable the vineyard is well protected and is with all facilities. This refers to the care the Lord has given to the house of Israel. The tenants are the leaders and elders of Israel who did not listen to the prophets nor to Jesus, the Son. Ultimately this parable refers to all of us who are God’s chosen people. He provides everything needed for us and He wants us to produce good fruits being faithful to Him. Let us follow His words and be filled with His grace in order to enjoy the fruits of His Kingdom. Amen.

Fr. Jose

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Dear family members and friends: Jesus uses the parable of the two sons to teach about true obedience. The first one agreed to go to work, but didn’t go. The second one, though he refused to go to work at the first instance, later repented about it and went to work. This is the real obedience. It is not enough to say outwardly we follow the word of God, it should lead us to real repentance as the tax collectors and prostitutes, who though sinners later repented and become eligible for heaven. In the second reading St. Paul speaks about the real obedience of Jesus who emptied Himself to become obedient unto death. Let us obey the Word of God by putting them into practice in our life instead of simply pretending outwardly. Amen