15th Priestly Anniversary

Recently, there was a UEFA Nations League football competition. Did you watch the Final match? Portugal won against Spain, the current Champions. Before the Final match, we could see the banners and Advertisements all over social media; Competition between an old and experienced player and a young and energetic player; Cristiano Ronaldo (legend) 40 vs Yamal 17 (Superstar Player). Many criticized that Ronaldo has become old and he cannot achieve like the earlier times. You know what happened in the final? 

A universal application that considers the biological age of Ronaldo is 28. Of course! His fitness is incomparable. At the age of 40, Maradona, Roonie became fat and old, but Ronaldo is fighting with the young adolescent players. How come? 

It is all because of his mindset, his exceptional discipline, and formation that keep him a legend. He practices rigorous training, a strict diet, unwavering mental focus, and a strong work ethic. 

This June, I am turning 44 and today all the more, with 15 years of Priestly experience. How do I feel? Am I getting old? Am I tired? No. The strong training, disciplined lifestyle and joyful mission keep us young, always to compete with the modern world. Today's Priests, nuns should have a disciplined lifestyle in physical, mental and spiritual health. Here is my message;

1. Parable in Matthew 7 presents two types of men: the wise and foolish. The wise men who build their house on a rock, while those who hear and ignore are like a foolish man who builds on sand. The people who have a solid spiritual life and a peaceful fraternal relationship, and a joyful mission will be meant to have their building on rock that resists every storm in life. Invest more in yourself, for you are a great asset to God. Find out your gifts and limitations also. 
2. Your time is limited. Do not spend more time criticizing others, justifying yourselves, and having unnecessary discussions. In today's first reading, we find that Paul is not flexible, compromising with the communities of Corinth with whom he was preaching the Gospel. He is straightforward. He does not worry about protecting his relationship with them. He speaks in the name of Christ. He is contradicting because they are against the values of the Church. He is simply opening up the pure intentions of how they behave against the Gospel.
3. We need to leave out the regrets of the past. A man once told a priest that he was unable to forgive a friend who had hurt him deeply. “I’ve tried praying, I’ve tried letting go, but I can’t. The wound is too deep,” he said. The priest gently led him into the church and pointed to the crucifix. He explained, “The Forgiveness is not about forgetting the wound—it’s about not passing it on.” Risen Lord still bears His wounds. And by His wounds, we are healed. So let us leave the past, but not be the cause of new wounds in others. We often hear that “to forgive is to forget.” But the truth is: even when we cannot forget, the journey of forgiveness begins. And in that moment, we begin to reflect the very heart of God.

Happy Priestly Anniversary! 

Missionary Journeys of Paul and learnings

June 12, Thursday 

In these days, we are listening to the experience of Paul, the apostle, during his missionary journeys. 

Today’s letter to 2 Corinthians was written during Paul's third missionary journey. The missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul offer many valuable lessons for our journey of Delegation.

1. Forming disciples is the primary work of the early church: 

• First Council of Jerusalem, one of the main tasks is to form/produce the disciples. 
• Paul was convinced that to achieve the best long-term results, ministry includes training leaders and building sustainable churches. 
• Paul formed collaborators around him; never a soloist in his mission, Timothy and Titus, Barnabas, Silas, and Apollos. male and female collaborators; he preferred to call them coworkers.
• For Paul, Evangelisation is not just about conversion alone, but about forming communities of faith or individual persons.
• Paul appointed elders and revisited churches to strengthen them (Acts 14:23).
• Criteria to be his disciples; most of them were non-Jews, Timothy had a Greek father. Priscilla and Aquila from Rome: all of them should be rooted in scripture. 
• Passion for vocation promotion, the soul of our mission, the reason for our hope, 

2.   Paul’s formation is giving Training Through Suffering and Perseverance

• Paul modelled Christ-like living through his actions. Disciples learn more by watching a life well-lived by the apostle in his life and preaching. Paul prepared disciples to face hardship as part of their ministry.
• The prison doors opened during an earthquake, and all the prisoners' chains were loosed, but Paul and Silas, despite the opportunity to escape, chose to remain in the prison. Paul and Silas's stay in the prison. Teaching the disciples to learn from our sufferings
• 2 Timothy 2:3 – “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
• Pruning is vitally important for the plant to grow high and bear fruit. John 15:2, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit. We cannot think of an easy life. 

3.Disputes, disagreements and controversies are possible in our life of mission. We need to be Collaborators for the common mission.

Peter and Paul had a hot discussion on the issue of circumcision during the Council of Jerusalem. 

• Paul and Peter
• Paul and James had different theologies around the issue of salvation. Paul emphasized salvation by faith alone, while James would say faith without works is dead. 
• Paul and Barnabas on John Mark

Study: Paul did not get along with the other apostles because of his nature. 

The differences of opinions and , disagreements and controversies are all things possible among saints. The saints have not "fallen from Heaven". They are people like us, who also have complicated problems; these are things that make us human and realistic. 

What makes us holy is not the absence of fights. Holiness lies in the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness.

Everyone has a different task in the field of the Lord: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.... we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building" (I Cor 3: 6-9).

We need to go out of the assembly with this spirit; one for all and all for one, common goal- common passion- Gospel- Paul and Peter, different ministers of activity, director, formator.