Cut off all things that are detrimental to your soul - Fr. Joseph Edattu VC

the lord be with you with your spirits reading from the holy gospel according to mark glory to you oh lord jesus said to his disciples if anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to christ then i tell you solemnly he will most certainly not lose his reward but anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck and if your hand should cause you to sin cut it off it is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go to hell into the fire that cannot be put out and if your food should cause you to sin cut it off it is better for you to enter into life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell and if your eye should cause you to sin tear it out it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of god with one eye than to have two eyes be thrown into hell where their worms does not die nor their fire go out for everyone will be salted with fire salt is a good thing but if salt has become incipied how can you season it again how salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another the gospel of the lord praise you lord jesus christ please be seated my brothers and sisters today's reading is very uh very important and very famous word of god and very controversial bible passage because there are many people who have some people who have taken these words of god very literally and cut their hands and cut their feet so and walking lame and crippled thinking that they are doing something great but that is not a great thing because jesus didn't mean to take this word of god literally because if you someone say that my right hand is causing problem and if you cut it off remember your left hand is ready to do the same and then you may have to cut it off your left hand and then your heart will commit sin then you cannot take your heart out of it so it is not about it is not the body part that commits in your sin comes from inside so what does the meaning why did jesus say if your left hand is causing problem katito what does it mean it means the seriousness of getting rid of such important aspects which you think very important for you but if it is causing you to trouble causing you to falling into sin you need to get rid of it for example you have a very good friend the best friend and he may be the only friend you have but the problem is whenever he comes to you he makes you commit sin he or she whoever may be and you don't want to commit sin but at the same time that your friend is causing you to fall into sin but at the same time you value these friendships so much you know this is the only friendship you have but the lord says cut it off get rid of such friendships even it may be painful just like your eyes if it is causing you trouble you are tearing it out is very painful but sometimes we may have to go through such pains in order to be holy so when jesus says such a very extreme words doesn't mean that we have to literally cut it off cut our hands off but he means we need to cut off certain things which seem to be so dear to you certain relationships which seem to be very dear to you certain actions certain connections certain pleasures which seem to be very so dear to you we need to cut it off so this is one thing that lord says and today jesus starts with this sentence if anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to christ for example somebody visits your family and normally you don't take any stranger inside of your home but then suddenly you came to know he is your parish priest and you know the parish priest he stands in the name of jesus christ and the moment you know this parish priest and you welcome him and you invite him and he gives him a cup of water the lord says if anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to christ just because you belong to christ then i tell you solemnly you will most certainly not lose this reward you will surely get blessing for example maybe a preacher may be a one who is serving god maybe a priest or maybe someone who stand in the name of jesus christ who is so close to god and then you welcome them just because you love jesus and you do you know cup of water is the least thing that you can give that even this minor thing will not go unrewarded so the even the minor thing that you do for these people in the name of jesus christ for the sake of christ because they stand they belong to christ you will not go unrewarded when you help the poor people when you help your neighbors when you help someone you know especially those who belong to christ we need to help them we need to make sure that you help them we because we are helping christ they stand in the name of jesus christ they should be helped and when we help them remember your reward will be sure especially when people come for admissions in the school or maybe maybe for visiting your families maybe there are many reasons and those people who belong to christ those people who belong to christ when they approach you we should help them we should give them not just a cup of tea or cup of water much more than that and when we do that remember we will surely will be rewarded because you are helping in the name of jesus christ you are helping them because they belong to christ this very important word of god my dear brothers and sisters there are so many christians not helped in the parishes we have in the church churches have got very important institutions colleges schools and other places but our christian friends and family members are rejected not even taken care it is against the bible teaching the lord says we will be rewarded if you help a christian who belong to christ when we support them when you help them when they are in need when they are going through poverty when you help them you will be rewarded mightily the word of god says very clearly the same way there is another thing for example someone comes to you someone comes to you because you belong to christ and if you cheat them when someone comes to you i remember one family they they had entered into a married marriage so i remember the parents uh and the brother of the girl who was talking to me and said father thank you uh you know thank you for all of your prayers my sister's marriage is fixed and the husband's family very prayerful family they go today for daily mass and when we came to know that they are actively in the church actively uh participating in the church activisities and all those things we were so happy we did not check anything else we just decided to get married and give the daughter to god daughter in marriage now recently i came in after marriage they came to know this boy us and was mentally sick and he's going through medications and within 2-3 days he started showing his real color and the whole family was trying to cover up and they were hiding these and they were in fact cheating this girl my dear brothers and sisters such kinds of cheatings are very dangerous cheating because the other family trusted you because you belong to christ the other family trusted you because you go for the church daily the other family trusted you because you believe in jesus christ you are in many ways you represent jesus christ you're actively participating the activities of the church so they trusted you that you are holy you're good but you are cheating making use of this spirituality seem to be a covering up mask for many people their spirituality is a mask they will be they will not go unpunished they will not go they will not be spared we read like this verse 42 of the same chapter but anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck if your hand should cause you to sin cut it off so the first sentence but anyone who is obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith if somebody trusts us trust you because you are a priest and they come to you and if you abuse that person then it is a terrible act of evil the lord says it is better to tie around your neck a big millstone and be thrown into the sea and if someone trust your family if someone comes for marriage if someone comes to approaches you for help because you are a believer you are a christian you believe in jesus you are a priest you are a preacher you are very active in your parish and therefore they approached you they came to you and after that if you cheat them if you hurt them if you abuse them that is the worst kind of sin that we can commit it has got terrible consequences there are so many people who do that the spirituality is a mask spirituality is a mask there are many people who seem to be actively interacting with the priests and bishops and many other people at the same time they want to promote their evil business they want to get money power and influence and want to give an impression that they are very holy and sincere and committed and truthful but at the same time when people approach them they cheat them mighty brothers and sisters this is exactly what jesus said anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith would be better thrown into the sea with a great great mil millstone there are two types of millstones uh in the olden times there are two types of military one is ordinary millstone the other one is great millstone ordinary millstone means the women who are grinding the rice or the wheat with the small stone and then they started grinding like this with the hands that is called the small millstone the big millstone means huge grinding it's a huge stone and there's a huge stone in the middle and the donkey goes around it and grinds it a big donkey uh is tied to this rock and then a millstone and then goes around and grinds so these are the two meals to one is small the other one is great so jesus says you have to use the big meal stone not the small one if you are using the small one there's a possibility you come up from the water so you should never come out such a great sin it is praise the lord my dear brothers and sisters this is something very very important for all of us there are so many kinds of cheatings are going on in this more in this modern world especially even in this spiritual world in christian life christianity hiding things and cheating others in the business and many others in the name of in the name of god and financially cheating in the marriage stating buying and selling area that is cheating husband is cheating wife and wife is cheating husband brothers are cheating sisters and siblings treating each other but at the same time very prayerful seem to be going for holy mars daily and always saying holy rosary and prayers these people is better to tie around their neck a big millstone i don't know we will get enough billstone for this because we there are so many people who fall into such things be real like these and if your hand should cause you to sin cut it off if your hand hand is very important for us but even if it is very important if it is causing problem for us we should cut it off what does it mean it's not supposed to be taken literally but it should be taken you know i know one person who is into falling into wrong things falling into addictions and he says father whenever he comes once in a while from abroad he brings some special foreign liquor and it's very rare once and it's a very rare chance he comes directly to my home though i stopped taking liquor but since he brings it i enjoys it and i don't want to hurt him my brothers and sisters this man is tolerating and compromising his ideology and his principle his decision he has taken in the presence of god just not to plea not to hurt that person but at the same time he doesn't bother in hurting god he doesn't bother in breaking the command the breaking the promises that he has made in front of god but he's only worried about hurting this man the lord says even if your hand is so so special for you if it is causing problem causing stumble causing temptation cut it off such friendship is not good for us god will bring the right friendships or even god himself is the best friend so therefore the lord says it is better for you to cut it off and it is better for you to enter life meant than to have two hands and to go to hell even if you have all the organs of your body and if you are at the end if you are fallen into hell there is no use in having all these organs it's better to have one or one hand and go to heaven this is what exactly the lord says let's read verse 44 and if your food causes you to stumble cut it off it is better for you to enter the lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell praise the lord thank you jesus praise to jesus thank you father praise your father now sometimes when i when i preach these things you may wonder father these things are very complicated these are very difficult for us to follow we don't want to cut off many of our dear ones and dear things and special things that is close to us i don't think it is practical father sometimes people we feel these are not practical i remember one day one person came and told me father i have some unforgiveness against certain people but i have forgiven them but i keep a distance from them i don't want to talk to them i have forgiven unconditionally i have no problem with them but i don't want to talk to them i don't want to go to them i don't want to visit them then i told them you have not still forget forgiven that person you still have the hurt inside you are still afraid to face that person and the moment i said you are not forgiven completely from your heart he was not ready to accept it but when i explained to him he said father it's true that jesus said not only to forgive your enemy but love your enemy i have forgiven but don't tell me to love it is not practical because the way they have hurt me the way they have wounded me it is too much for me to take up so don't tell me to love then i told him it's not i who is telling you jesus told you and jesus is telling me to it's not enough that we forgive our enemies we have to love our enemies and he said father i'm tired it's not practical and he asked me this question do you think father is it practical for you do you think it is practicable is it possible to practice is it practical then i told him truly speaking for me it is not practical then he was so shocked and scandalized and again he looked at me and said father you mean it's not practical i said for me it is not practical then he was so happy and he looked at his wife and said see i told you it is not practical and now father agrees with me and then i told him my brother listen to me my body is weak though my spirit is willing my spirit says you have to forgive and you have to love my spirit is ready to love my enemy but my body is weak my body says keep this unforgiveness the moment i think of that person the anger comes inside face changes trembling reactions my body is weak but my spirit is willing therefore jesus gave me a solution jesus knows it is impossible for father joseph to forgive his enemy therefore jesus gave me a solution what is that solution jesus knows my emotion is ready to forgive my spirit is ready to forgive only my body is not ready to forgive my my emotion is already praying for him my spirit is already praying for him but my body is not ready to go to that person not too ready to go to the enemies therefore jesus said father joseph i know your emotion is ready to forgive your spirit is willing to forgive but your body is not ready to accept it your body is still holding you therefore don't worry you change your body take my body and jesus gave his body this is what is happening in christianity in no other religion this great miracle happens in every other religion everyone gives you advices the religious leaders are giving you advice do this do that do this and we are struggling with our body and it is impossible for us to fulfill it but in christianity jesus gives a solution jesus knows our bodies so weak and fragile and therefore jesus says don't worry my children your spirit is powerful it is coming from heaven your spirit is willing but your body is weak but this body has conquered that this body has conquered the devil therefore take my body and you put on my body and therefore it will be possible for you everything will be possible for you in my body that is why saint paul says it is no more i who lives but christ lives in me that is why jesus took the bread and he said take my body and take my blood eat and drink and we eat and bring the body of christ and then we become his body and then it is easy for me to forgive my enemies it is easy forgive for me to accept every every hurt every abuser is easy for you to pray for me to love my enemies it is easy for me to embrace my those who hurt me because it is not my body does it it is the body of christ that is what happens in the christianity my brothers and sisters in no other religion this solution is possible in no other religion this solution is given to us in no other religion this miracle happened in no other religion this help is given to the humanity we read like this first corinthians 11 was 24 and when he had given thanks he broke it and said this is my body that is for you this is my body that is for you you take my body you take my body this body is ready to accept any insult this body is ready to take any pain this body is ready to die for your brother this body is ready to embrace your enemies this body is ready to love all those who are hurting you therefore take my body this is my body that is for you that is why saint paul said galatians chapter 2 verse 20 it is no longer i who live but it is christ who lives in me it is no longer i who live but it is christ who lives in me and the life i now live in the flesh i live by faith in the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me he gave himself for me he gave his body and blood to me therefore my brothers i told that man therefore it is possible for me to love my enemy for me it is impossible but jesus gave me his body and blood now his body and blood lives in me therefore everything is possible for me so i told him if you receive the holy eucharist daily with repentance with full faith you also will be able to forgive your enemy you also will be able to die for christ you also will be able to sacrifice your life for christ and also for your brethren you will be ready to sacrifice all your intentions and desires for the lord because it is no more you live in your body but christ lives in you let's close our eyes sing together the offer to him and over all our intentions and tell jesus jesus my body is so weak my body is so weak i'm falling into sin frequently i'm hating people and getting angry getting jealousy getting confused angry depression all these things so i want to change my body give me your body in this holy mass i am welcoming you your body your blood into my body and transport my body

Channel: Catholic Sanctuary

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Length: 19min 33sec (1173 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 03 2022