Reading: From the Gospel according to St. Matthew 4: 12-22

Dear and Respected Brethren,

The Holy Church observes this Sunday as the first Sunday after the festival of Epiphany (Denaha).As we all know, it is a festival of lights, as our Lord and Savior stepped into the water of river Jordan, all water resources of the world were purified and blessed. When God created water, the Holy Spirit was brooding upon it, adding God’s power and strength. (Genesis 1:2) When water got polluted due to man’s selfishness, the baptism of our Lord enabled water resources to get purified and blessed. The modern man is destroying the water resources across the globe brutally for his selfish interests, motives and negligence to maintain the gifts of God. All the rivers in Kerala were a source for the people to depend for their personal needs like drinking, cooking, bathing etc. In addition to the rivers, the lakes were also equally useful. At present all rivers and lakes have been polluted as the people throw all sorts of wastes into them. The Christian community has a great responsibility to act wisely and to caution all concerned to retain the purity and blessedness of the water resources. Our Parishes and spiritual organizations must wake up ourselves and have to bring in awareness among the people around each and every water resources. Our forefathers used to honor the water resources on the feast of Denaha with lights floating objects like the stem of plantain trees etc. (which was known as Pindi Perunnal in Malayalam.) These days we lost the practice and tradition. We have to revive it without fail.

In verse 16 of today’s reading we read. “The people who sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” It is a prophecy about the gentiles of Zabulon and Nephthalim and the same was fulfilled when our Lord stayed at Capernaum. As we learn from the Holy Scriptures, the inhabitants of Zabulon and Nephthalim were gentiles and they got the unique blessing to witness and experience the great light. Let us remember our Lord’s self introductory words: “I am the light of the world.” And the purpose of His blessed incarnation is to convert the people in darkness as people of the brilliant light. Our Lord says: “you are the light of the world.” By being in Lord Jesus, we all could provide light to the surroundings. Let us think how far we could provide light to the surroundings. Are we causing light or darkness through our lives in the homes, church and the society? If we could not reproduce lights from us it means that there is problem in storing light from our Lord and Savior. We are supposed to work like the moon, which reserves light during day time and provides light in the night.

Between verses 18 and 22 we find our Lord inviting four Apostles from their secular lives to the mission work. All the four were actively engaged in their profession and from there only our Lord called them. As soon as they heard the call, they left what they were doing, what they held and all that in which they had relied till then. Our Lord asked them to follow Him and they obeyed. There was no doubt or rethinking. Though they were fishermen by profession, they were veterans of the Holy Scriptures and teachings of the forefathers. When we read ‘left’ what they had, a lot of confusion comes to our minds. It doesn’t mean that they left their relations etc for ever. It means that they followed Christ by concentrating on His commands and instructions. They still had connections and relationships with members of their families in tact. But there was a change in their attitude. That’s all.  Our Lord calls each and every one of various and different walks of lives to “follow Him”. How many of us could identify His voice and call? How many of us could react positively so far? He calls again and again. Let us give heed to His call and decide that we would also follow him with full satisfaction. When we read that St. Peter, St. Andrews, St. John and St. James left all that they had, we must realize that they left their priority for certain things and needs and vested their priority for the will of God. Our Lord needs us to change our priority from our selfish desires to the will of God. We should not forget the truth that God is the provider of all that we need in our daily lives. Even without asking or reminding, He provides them abundantly. So God wants us to look for and wait for the will of God. In Lord’s Prayer we have been trained to pray for the will of God. Every now and then, when we pray ‘Lord’s Prayer’ we repeat “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let us pray this only prayer taught by our Lord meaningfully.

May God bless us all

Jose Kurian Puliyeril

Kottayam.

Reading: From the Gospel according to St. Matthew 4: 12-22

Dear and Respected Brethren,

The Holy Church observes this Sunday as the first Sunday after the festival of Epiphany (Denaha).As we all know, it is a festival of lights, as our Lord and Savior stepped into the water of river Jordan, all water resources of the world were purified and blessed. When God created water, the Holy Spirit was brooding upon it, adding God’s power and strength. (Genesis 1:2) When water got polluted due to man’s selfishness, the baptism of our Lord enabled water resources to get purified and blessed. The modern man is destroying the water resources across the globe brutally for his selfish interests, motives and negligence to maintain the gifts of God. All the rivers in Kerala were a source for the people to depend for their personal needs like drinking, cooking, bathing etc. In addition to the rivers, the lakes were also equally useful. At present all rivers and lakes have been polluted as the people throw all sorts of wastes into them. The Christian community has a great responsibility to act wisely and to caution all concerned to retain the purity and blessedness of the water resources. Our Parishes and spiritual organizations must wake up ourselves and have to bring in awareness among the people around each and every water resources. Our forefathers used to honor the water resources on the feast of Denaha with lights floating objects like the stem of plantain trees etc. (which was known as Pindi Perunnal in Malayalam.) These days we lost the practice and tradition. We have to revive it without fail.

In verse 16 of today’s reading we read. “The people who sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” It is a prophecy about the gentiles of Zabulon and Nephthalim and the same was fulfilled when our Lord stayed at Capernaum. As we learn from the Holy Scriptures, the inhabitants of Zabulon and Nephthalim were gentiles and they got the unique blessing to witness and experience the great light. Let us remember our Lord’s self introductory words: “I am the light of the world.” And the purpose of His blessed incarnation is to convert the people in darkness as people of the brilliant light. Our Lord says: “you are the light of the world.” By being in Lord Jesus, we all could provide light to the surroundings. Let us think how far we could provide light to the surroundings. Are we causing light or darkness through our lives in the homes, church and the society? If we could not reproduce lights from us it means that there is problem in storing light from our Lord and Savior. We are supposed to work like the moon, which reserves light during day time and provides light in the night.

Between verses 18 and 22 we find our Lord inviting four Apostles from their secular lives to the mission work. All the four were actively engaged in their profession and from there only our Lord called them. As soon as they heard the call, they left what they were doing, what they held and all that in which they had relied till then. Our Lord asked them to follow Him and they obeyed. There was no doubt or rethinking. Though they were fishermen by profession, they were veterans of the Holy Scriptures and teachings of the forefathers. When we read ‘left’ what they had, a lot of confusion comes to our minds. It doesn’t mean that they left their relations etc for ever. It means that they followed Christ by concentrating on His commands and instructions. They still had connections and relationships with members of their families in tact. But there was a change in their attitude. That’s all.  Our Lord calls each and every one of various and different walks of lives to “follow Him”. How many of us could identify His voice and call? How many of us could react positively so far? He calls again and again. Let us give heed to His call and decide that we would also follow him with full satisfaction. When we read that St. Peter, St. Andrews, St. John and St. James left all that they had, we must realize that they left their priority for certain things and needs and vested their priority for the will of God. Our Lord needs us to change our priority from our selfish desires to the will of God. We should not forget the truth that God is the provider of all that we need in our daily lives. Even without asking or reminding, He provides them abundantly. So God wants us to look for and wait for the will of God. In Lord’s Prayer we have been trained to pray for the will of God. Every now and then, when we pray ‘Lord’s Prayer’ we repeat “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let us pray this only prayer taught by our Lord meaningfully.

May God bless us all

Jose Kurian Puliyeril

Kottayam.