At Easter: my thought…
Years ago, sometimes immediately after Easter, when I was doing my college studies in Calcutta, a Jesuit priest offered Holy Mass in our community. He was a pastor working among the tribal people. The simple but profound homily he preached for us touched my heart. The few sentences he spoke would be as follows: ‘I experience Risen Christ among the people with whom I work. They are poor, illiterate and in our modern sense uncivilized. They do not have many needs. They work hard, spend all the earnings in eating and drinking, respect each other and faithfully follow all the Church’s teachings. When they have any problem they come to me and ask for solution. Often I do not have any solution to their problems. Sometimes I take them to the Church, show them the Crucifixion and tell them that Jesus died for us because He loved us. But his life story is not ended with his death. He overcame the death to give us new life. If we believe in his resurrection we will have new life and he will look after all our needs. Theses simple often believe my words. They surrender their problems at the feet of Jesus. Some of them do come back to me after few days to thank me for the blessing and prayer.
I found the words very profound and up-lifting. Many years have gone by since I heard those words. But surprisingly every year at the time of Easter I remember these words. In my own life, when things are not in order, when I do not find the solution of many problems I remember those words of the holy priest. I look at the Risen Lord and draw inspiration for him.
What about you?
Years ago, sometimes immediately after Easter, when I was doing my college studies in Calcutta, a Jesuit priest offered Holy Mass in our community. He was a pastor working among the tribal people. The simple but profound homily he preached for us touched my heart. The few sentences he spoke would be as follows: ‘I experience Risen Christ among the people with whom I work. They are poor, illiterate and in our modern sense uncivilized. They do not have many needs. They work hard, spend all the earnings in eating and drinking, respect each other and faithfully follow all the Church’s teachings. When they have any problem they come to me and ask for solution. Often I do not have any solution to their problems. Sometimes I take them to the Church, show them the Crucifixion and tell them that Jesus died for us because He loved us. But his life story is not ended with his death. He overcame the death to give us new life. If we believe in his resurrection we will have new life and he will look after all our needs. Theses simple often believe my words. They surrender their problems at the feet of Jesus. Some of them do come back to me after few days to thank me for the blessing and prayer.
I found the words very profound and up-lifting. Many years have gone by since I heard those words. But surprisingly every year at the time of Easter I remember these words. In my own life, when things are not in order, when I do not find the solution of many problems I remember those words of the holy priest. I look at the Risen Lord and draw inspiration for him.
What about you?
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