Dear friends,
Now that the celebration of Christmas is almost over, we are little relaxed from the celebration mood. Hope you all enjoyed the Christmas celebration and that was beneficial to you all by way of blessings of the Infant Jesus. We are still in the Christmas season though.
We are at the verge of celebrating the New Year, 2018. Every year is a New Year, because we are not going to have an 0ld Year 2018. But all the same may this coming year be filled with all the blessings of the Almighty God and may you have all your good dreams realized in the year 2018. At the end of the Year 2017, we are celebrating the Solemn feast of the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. This family was like any other family in the time of Jesus. But there is a reason why this family is considered Holy.
In our day today life and in our families, we relate with our children in a diminishing manner. That is, our relation keeps a distance from our children. This distance keeps growing and growing in a slow pace and comes to a point where our relationship becomes so distant from them that we look at each other or treat them as strangers. Our relationship becomes legal and there remains only the fact that they are our children only because they were/are our biological products.
Our relationship is no more filial or cordial with them. It is governed mostly by external factors like laws for example. The law tells us to do certain things to our children and forbids certain things. Unfortunately, the things the law allows or suggests are mostly material and the things that are forbidden by the law is mostly moral or spiritual. We as the law-abiding citizens of the country, have to obey the law and that leaves us more handicapped in shaping the comprehensive personality of our kids. This is what makes the situation more crucial. Because the spiritual upbringing or the moral soundness of the children are less cared for. I am not blaming the law or the attitude and commitment to abide by the law. I am explaining the situation.
The reason the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus is considered Holy, because their relationship to each other was cordial or familial. They cared more for the spiritual upbringing of the child Jesus and the moral behavior of Jesus (not that he was going to be immoral by any means). That made their family, a family. That is why it is considered Holy. We also need to keep our families holy by caring not only for the material needs but also for the moral and spiritual upbringing of our children. Because we are responsible and accountable for them too.
Wish you all a very great success in making your family a Holy Family.
Yours in the Infant Jesus,
Fr. A. Antony
 

Dear friends,
I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas. May the blessings and peace of the Baby Jesus be all yours on this special occasion. I would also like to extend my heartiest gratitude for the wishes you sent me through cards. I appreciate your goodwill and prayerful wishes.
Once a little boy had a birthday and he was so small that he could not even understand what the celebration of birthday is. On the day of his birth he was the center of attraction the whole day. There was a delicious meal cooked and he got too many presents. His dad bought him a nice set of dress for the birthday hero and his fondest candies coupled with a brand new luxurious toy for him. The little boy was very happy even though he did not understand why all those things happened unusually.
At the end of day, the boy asked his dad, “Dad, what is special today that you and others gave me so many gifts?” His dad said, “Today is your birthday son. That is why we celebrate the happiness that you were born in this world to us.” The boy replied, “Oh! How I wish every month I had a birthday!” The same kind of wish creeps into my mind when I see such a large number of people in the Church for Christmas, Good Friday and Easter.
There are two kinds of Christians at large. One kind is those that come to the church and the other kind is those that are brought to the church. The second kind of Christians are those who are brought to the church for the sacrament of Baptism and those who are brought for the final farewell. These two things happen without our knowledge. Among those that come there are several sub groups of Christians. They are like Christmas Christians, Easter Christians, Good Friday Christians, family event Christians, and the list can go on. But the ultimate thing is that we are called to be Christians. We are called to be Christians all our life.
We come today to the church to celebrate Christ. This is the same reason that we should come for mass every weekend (at least). Because every Sunday we celebrate Christ. Except this is an annual event, Christmas would be like any other Sunday celebration. Because it is Christ that we commemorate and celebrate in every Sunday celebration. I am not trying to underestimate the greatness of this day, the Christmas. But I am trying to bring to your attention the greatness of the weekend masses. I am not trying to cast a negative feeling on this special day. But I am trying to reach out to more people to express the need to come to the Holy mass very often. I do not try to hurt the feeling of anyone, but as a pastor, I am trying to persuade you to understand the real meaning of being a Christian.
We are called to be Christians, not for a particular season or time. But we are to be Christians all through our life. To come to Sunday Eucharist is not one of the many jobs that we need to accomplish, but it is a handy tool for a greater accomplishment, that is to be a Christian. That is what is necessary. To accomplish the task of being a Christian, participating in the Eucharistic celebration is a MUST. Without that we can not make a good and lively Christian.
Again, I wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and my best wishes to you all to make a good Christian for which today, the day of the birth of the Savior would be a great start.
God bless you,
Yours sincerely in the Infant Jesus,   
Fr. A. Antony
 

 

Dear friends,
 
Today we are in the third week of the Advent. This week is called the Gaudete Sunday, which is the Sunday of joy. Now we are at the joy of Christmas as it draws near and near. The Emmanuel is going to be here in our midst. We are eagerly looking forward to it.
 
There was once a Guru who took his disciple on a walk trying to teach him how to rely on God. They kept walking and the Guru asked him to sit for sometime and meditate. They both sat in a spot in a forest. And as the disciple was looking he saw a tiger coming toward them and he got scared. The disciple shouted, “Master, here is a tiger is coming to devour both of us. Please get up and run for our lives!” The Guru did not mind either the tiger or the scared disciple’s screaming. The tiger came and looked at the Guru and came near him and acted as if he was trying to smell the Guru. Guru kept calm. And after a while the tiger left. The scared disciple was looking at this speechlessly. Then they both started going back to their home.
 
On the way back there was a honey comb on which some one threw a stone. So, the bees started flying around and now the Guru started screaming, “Oh bees…bees….” The disciple felt baffled and told the Guru, “Master, when the tiger came you were not scared and why do you behave so weird fearing these bees? The master told him, “Yes. You are right. But the thing is, when the tiger came, I was with God and he was with me. But now when the bees came, I am with you.”
 
That is what makes all the difference, who is with us. Most of the times we are content with the people who are with us, the human beings. But this season of Christmas reminds us of the One who wants to be with us, the Emmanuel, the Son of God and God through him. His presence with and amidst us is the reason for the joy of today. I f we could realize how fortunate we are to have him among us, we would not be in need of anything. But that does not very often happen.
 
We should realize that the persons we are content being with are not people who are as powerful and trustworthy as God is. The God who desires to be with us is most powerful and most trustworthy of all. He is the one whom we need to be with. Our being with him fulfills every desire of our heart. Our being with him culminates all the fortunes we could ever hold. Our being with him makes us ever joyful people. And that is why His presence among us is an important element of our life.
 
Let us look for His coming and His stay with us.
 
God bless.
 
Yours sincerely in Christ Jesus,
Fr. A. Antony
 

Dear friends,
Hope you are all doing well.
I had many Birthday wishes and prayers on my birthday. I whole-heartedly thank you for everything. It is your prayers and wishes that keeps me going. Thank you very much.
Once a king was going on his horse in disguise to see how the people lived in his country. He saw everybody was happy and content.  He even spoke to some of the people to know how he ruled the peoples. The people said what they felt. Mostly everybody spoke well of the king. The king who was in disguise was happy about what he saw and heard. He started returning home.
On his way back to the palace he had to go through a very tiny village. As he entered the village he saw a beggar with dirty rags on him for his dress and the king learnt that the beggar had nothing to eat in a long time and he was starving. But at the same time, he saw that the beggar was happy. He approached him and said, “Are you not hungry? How are you able to be happy?” The beggar said, “My body is used to these kinds of long starvations and the changing weather. So, I am not unhappy about anything”. The king revealed himself as the king and promised the beggar that he would give him everything he needed, food, clothing and shelter. The beggar happily accepted the offer.
When the king arrived at the palace, he completely forgot about the beggar amidst his busy schedule. After few days he remembered that incident and sent the soldiers to look for him and bring him to the palace. The soldiers came back without the man but with a note from the beggar. The note read like this: His Majesty, I do not know if I will be alive or dead when you read this letter. Until I met you I did not have any expectations and I lived a happy life. When you saw me, you made me a promise that you would take care of my needs which you did not do and I don’t blame you for that. I understand that you are very busy with many other things as a king of the country. Yet I have a request to make to you: Kindly do not promise anybody anything unless you are sure you can do it. When the king finished reading the note his eyes were filled with tears and the soldiers informed him that the beggar was already dead.
In this season of advent, we are looking forward to a king who does not make empty promises. In fact, he is coming only to fulfil the promises that the Father made. He is the realization of the Promise. He is coming to offer the fullness of redemption which is The Promise. Yes, we know that He does not disappoint. This season is given to us to look into the promises we made to Him at our Baptism. Are we good enough to keep that promise? Or do we disappoint Him with our empty or false promises? Whether or not we give empty promises or false promises, we are going to be the losers. So, let us make use of this season of Advent to prepare ourselves to receive Christ, the Promise of the Father so that we may be true to our promises to Him.
Advent blessings.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. A. Antony
 

Dear friends,
 
Hope you had a good week with comparatively warmer weather. We can not look for this weather for long. Brace yourselves for colder weather in the near future. Good luck.
 
We are now starting a new liturgical year from this Sunday. We are entering in to a new season, Advent. This is a time of waiting in hope for the coming of our Lord Jesus. As we enter in to these days of preparation and waiting, we need to do some important things in this time. This season is not concerned only with decorations of the house, cleaning, purchase of new clothing and other stuff. But it is mostly concerned with the decorations of the heart and preparing it well to receive Him.
 
When I say decorations of heart I mean that we need to make a good confession and prepare ourselves for a worthy celebration of the Holy Eucharist on the Day.  I have seen many decorations all over the cities and towns. They are only external preparation. But all the same they tell us how important is that day for those who wait for that day. That is why I said that we need to make a good confession to celebrate the feast in a meaningful way.
 
What amount of preparation do we do for the welcoming of our friends, relatives, coworkers, even some acquaintances?  We do all these that they may feel at ease and that they should not feel unwelcomed and that they should not be offended by our indifference. If we could do so much for our earthly people, how much more do we need to do for the heavenly person who comes to meet us. Definitely we need to do thousands and thousands of time more for the coming of the Savior. Making a good confession and celebrating the Holy Eucharist is the only way to welcome Him in our midst.
 
Another thing that we need to do is that, we need to do an evangelizing work. That is to inform people about the importance of making confession in this season and asking them to come for confession. The people may include our children, our friends, our parishioners, our relatives, anybody who has not made confession for a long time and anybody you may think of. This adds flavor to our preparatory work.
 
To help you in this regard I would like to offer more time for making your confession. I will be in the confessional for an hour on the weekends. The time is as below:
 
St. Michael’s, Hewitt: Saturday (9th and 16th December) 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm
St. Mary’s, Auburndale: Sunday (10th and 17th December) 7.30 am to 8.30 am
St. Kilian’s, Blenker: (10th and 17th December) 10.00 am to 10.30 am and 11.30 am to 12.00 pm.
 
If need be I will be available after the weekday masses at the prior notice from anybody. Kindly make use of this chance and make a good confession and celebrate the Christmas in a meaningful and fruitful manner.
God bless.
Yours sincerely in Christ Jesus, Fr. A. Antony