John 15 (the First religious Profession)

Carmelite Missionary Sisters 

Recently I read an article by Sr. Mary, titled “Religious life as a garden” and she is a Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, who had many years of missionary experience in Peru, “I have experienced religious life as a beautiful garden that is helping us to grow and bloom.” Today’s gospel John 15 reminds us that life in the religious life (Congregation) is like life in a garden; a variety of plants, flower plants, vegetable plants, etc. The Carmelite family has various flowers in the garden (in Church history, the saints are often associated with particular flowers); St. Teresa of Avila, Teresa of Child Jesus, St. Teresa Benedicta, John of the Cross, etc. We wish and pray for you that one day you may also become a flower in this garden.     

There are three understandings of religious life as a garden

1. God, the Father is the good gardener: 

We have many gardeners sa Servants; kuya Bulit, Mateo Tam, Cuong, Who is the good gardener? We are all not good gardeners. Good gardeners should test the soil, protect it from tupa, water it and care for it. Even we, the formators and superiors are not certainly good gardeners. God is a good gardener. He knows the type of garden, and what is good for you, God knows what is best for you, because he knows better than we know ourselves.

God is the source of charism, “I knew you, when you were in your mother’s womb” (Jer 2:5). He has granted you this gift of charism, Therefore, he is a good gardener of your religious life. 

Give your full availability to the action of the gardener. Allow yourselves to be formed by the hands of the gardener. Have your connection with the gardener, talking time frequently to be alone with Him, who we know loves us. Trust him, be open and give your availability to “wherever the glory of God calls me” the words of your founder, Surrender yourselves to the gardener,

Gardener is pruning also: This gardener not only waters, and cares but also prunes, “He cuts off every branch that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful”, pruning is part of the gardener’s care. Let us be ready for this process of allowing ourselves to be formed/transformed/pruned. 

2. Jesus, the real vine: 

Have you known about the Passion fruit, which is popular in Viet Nam? Recently I read the news, that Vietnamese farmers in Gia Lai Province abandoned coffee gardens for passion fruit because it gives more profit. 

The Passionfruit plant needs something to climb on other trees or another vine. Our religious life is also built-in support of Jesus. He says, “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the me. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” 

Jesus has called you to for this friendly, spousal, and loving relationship with him by listening to his Word, The Word of God is your bread for support. Eucharist is the sign of your spousal union with Jesus. “without me, you can do nothing” 15:5, remain in him rooted, if you want to be a Carmelite nun forever. Do not fall into the temptation of growing like an individual plant but being supported with Jesus. 

We need these supplies for plant growth. Water, sunlight, fertilizers, In our religious life also, we need the Word of God, the Eucharist and Marian devotion. They are helping you with your personal growth and maturation process. 

3. Now the responsibility of each plant is to bear fruits/flowers: 

People love only these two parts; Flowers and fruits. Flowers are useful for decoration; fruits are served to eat. After the profession, you will be assigned to the mission. You are going to work in the following categories of ministry: Catholic education, health care ministry, socio-pastoral ministry, ministry of spirituality, and missionary. You are going to share with the people what you will receive now that is Jesus and his care. 

Unlike the other congregations, your founder stressed very much ecclessiality, for he said, “I will live for the Church and I will die for her.”  Remember we are walking with the Church. Today we need a church not simply walk in front of the people or behind the people but is capable of walking at people’s side.

We need to accept the reality that everyone is different, we are made in human likeness, communion is important, and be patient like the gardener who waits for looking for the fruits (Luke 13). So, he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still, I find none”. The gardener says let us wait this year also, I will put manure and work. 

There are some plants giving flowers throughout the year. Some flowers will bloom only after so many years. The Kurinji flower is one of the rarest flowers that bloom once every 12 years in India. Every one of you is a creature of God; you are different, and everyone is a treasure in our eyes. 

Pope Francis expresses this fear every time he meets consecrated people, “Many are abandoning the religious life today”. He is not discouraging you, but telling the reality. Many are leaving religious life, because of the crisis of faith; no hunger for God, not able to face the disappointments of community life, influence of modern culture. If the world is strong, we need to fight with our faith. 

Be together and live the life of communion. Hold one another. The desire of your founder, “One heart animated by one and the same spirit” to encourage one another, and work hard every day without being satisfied with the results.  

We wish you a successful and holy life in the garden. 

We remember and thank your parents, who once used to water the plant, providing sunlight for you to grow and giving fertilizers; they nurtured you in faith so that one day you could become a tree and that you live a saintly life in serving God and the Poor. we thank you for offering these young girls for offering to the Carmelite garden of the family.  

God bless you!

John 21:15-19

 This Gospel occurs only in the Gospel of John. Why? 

Because it happens only when they are alone. The disciples are napping (siesta) after breakfast, Jesus calls John for a personal dialogue and asking his love proposal. There would not be anybody around them and so did not record other evangelists. 

Some also say John wrote this particular incident of love because there was a kind of tension between John's and Peter's communities. This is written by John to authenticate John's community Jesus' call to the early Church because they thought that the Church was scandalized by the denial of Peter. John's three love proposals equalize the three denials of Peter.  

Though the word ‘love’ is given three times, in the original text there is a difference. In the first two instances, we have the word ‘agapao’ (‘selfless love’), while in the third instance, we have ‘phileo’ (‘friendship’ or ‘friendly love’). In the third question, Jesus asks Peter about his personal relationship with him. There, Peter surrenders, saying, “Lord, you know everything!” Our relationship with Jesus, though it begins at a functional level, moves towards a relational or personal level.

1. Jesus comes down to have a friendly relationship with John. He proposes a friendly model to all other followers. 

Jesus aims from us the personal relationship, 

Feast of Matthias

 Feast of Matthias

Liverpool, one of the famous English Premier League teams has a consistent strategy for their winning.  They are known for sending last-minute substitutes in the football game. The best players like Harvey Elliot, Neymar, Ibrahimovic and Salah used to sit on the benches and watch the game until 70-80 minutes. When they enter into the field, all the other players are almost tired. The statistics tell that this kind of last-minute substitute players score many goals. 

Matthias is also like the last-minute substitution player who was chosen to be the apostle at the last moment by lot. Why? Knowing the will of God through lots was a Jewish custom. The Apostles wanted to retain the original number of followers of Jesus to 12, in continuation with the understanding of the Church as the New Israel. at the last moment, Matthias entered into the field and became the twelfth apostle.

What are the lessons for us?

(a) Everyone of us can become an apostle. It is enough that you wait for your opportunity. He was not in the list of other disciples who had not seen Jesus, who were not called by him, and who did not follow him during his earthly ministry. Matthias represents every one of us – Being called an apostle means being raised to the level of a friend. 

(b) Do not blame attitude - but wait for your opportunity and grab it and perform well. Events happen to us in life. At times, events are out of our control. We should not lament about the situation and spend time worrying about it, rather We need to accept the events not as occurrences but as our responsibilities. We have to wait for the opportunity and perform the best in this opportunity. Matthias did not blame for Judas, neither the early community, but focus on someone who would perform the rest of the works of Jesus. 

(c) Jesus says to his apostles, “I have loved you, chosen you, and appointed you.” The initiative is from God. Allowing the initiatives of God to take their place in our lives demands surrender and obedience.