Easter Sunday

Acts 10: 34, 37 - 43

And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,
the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;
but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest;
not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."



Psalms 118: 1 - 2, 16 - 17, 22 - 23

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever!
Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures for ever."
the right hand of the LORD is exalted, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.




Colossians 3: 1 - 4

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.




John 20: 1 - 9

Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first;
and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying,
and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.
Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Koi Diamond

The Koi Diamond, an elongated pear shaped stone, was found more than a decade ago in in the Republic of Congo and was cut from the original 60-carat rough diamond. The diamond, it was agreed by all gemological experts involved, cannot be graded. In its polished form, the diamond displays an unusual color mix of light yellow, dark blue, black - and orange, which is the stone's dominant hue. Due to its colorless zones, the diamond is almost striped, the patterns and colors being very much reminiscent of the Koi, the ornamental, Japanese variety of carp, which are often seen in the ponds or water gardens of the Orient.

Today's Bible Readings and Gospel

1st Reading

Ezk 37:12-14

Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel.
And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD."


2nd Reading

Rom 8:8-11

and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.


Gospel

Jn 11:1-45

Now a certain man was ill, Laz'arus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Laz'arus was ill.
So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it."
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Laz'arus.
So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go into Judea again."
The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?"
Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."
Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, "Our friend Laz'arus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep."
The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.
Then Jesus told them plainly, "Laz'arus is dead;
and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
Now when Jesus came, he found that Laz'arus had already been in the tomb four days.
Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off,
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house.
Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world."
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."
And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.
Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.
When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled;
and he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see."
Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days."
Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me."
When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Laz'arus, come out."
The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him;

PS: All the three readings of today touched me so much that I was in tears during the Gospel. Each and every verse held such a deep meaning for me.

Family Retreat, Feb 7 to 9, 2014

These are some of my most favorite Bible quotes which I picked up during the Family Retreat from Feb 7 to 9 at my St. Joseph Church, Mira Road (East).

Heb 2:14-18

Today, for the very first time, I read as a lector. The church celebrated the Presentation of the Lord or The Creed for all the First Holy Communicants and the Confirmation candidates and as a catechist, I got my first chance as a lector. I read the 2nd Reading which was taken from Heb 2:14-18.

As usual, my heart was pounding very badly and I was extremely conscious. But by the grace of Jesus Christ, I didn't fumble and flutter. I read confidently but couldn't make eye contact with the congregation. I just couldn't but I need to in the future to get over my consciousness. Otherwise, praise Lord, I sounded loud and clear. Thank you, Jesus!

"Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help who are being tested".

These words I am writing from my Bible and so they are a bit different from what I read in the morning. But the meaning remains the same.

Then I and Golu took the Offeratory.

Goldie was there in the mass as a First Holy Communicant.

I also gave the communion.

Googaa was at the community hall attending the Faith Formation seminar. But I got an opportunity to give communion in her mass as well and praise Lord, she received the communion from my hand. Thank you, Jesus!

So a perfect Sunday.

Thank you, Jesus, for being so kind and generous. I love you a lot!!!

Coconut Oil

We all are aware of the health benefits of coconut oil that include hair care, skin care, weight loss, maintaining cholesterol levels, stress relief, increased immunity, proper digestion and many more. In fact, coconut oil has a million uses and just recently I have discovered coconut oil as my beauty product and using it liberally on my skin.

It’s a miracle product. I have started using coconut oil as a wonderful natural way to make my hair and skin soft, radiant and healthy. Coconut oil is not only great for our hair but for our overall health as well. It has become my life’s most obsessed natural beauty staple.
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Coconut oil is one of the most inexpensive natural remedies that can help treat my dry, scaly, and itchy skin this winter season. I don’t have to shell out thousands for chemically-treated branded moisturizers. I have learnt that the fatty acids in coconut oil helps lock moisture into the skin, making it smooth and it can be used over the elbows and other rough spots to soften them. Interestingly, people in Polynesian cultures have used coconut oil to nourish the skin for thousands of years. Now it’s my turn.

I have started using coconut oil as my body lotion: after the shower, I rub coconut oil all over my body— it feels and smells amazing. Coconut oil is an all natural beauty multi-tasker. It is one of the best natural skin care products available. I am sure regular application to my face can help maintain a youthful and glowing appearance.

Coconut oil is simply great for my skin: I have been dreading this dry winter skin but my bottle of coconut oil makes a great moisturizer from head to toe, particularly for my dry lips. Hopefully, it will work wonders for my skin. Coconut oil can be used as a skin softener, lip gel, makeup remover, anti aging cream, etc. etc etc. Just check out this website for some of the most amazing coconut oil skin recipes. I am sure you will love it http://www.livingthenourishedlife.com/2013/04/coconut-oil-skin-recipes

Nowadays I also sweep a small amount of coconut oil on top of my makeup and leave it alone. It looks like my skin had never glowed brighter than this and that is why coconut oil is my newest green beauty obsession. I apply it on my face morning and night for luscious treatment because the small molecular structure of coconut oil allows for easy absorption through my pores, giving my skin a soft and smooth texture.

I love my new beauty product.

LECTOR

The Lord has been merciful to me always. He has always led me in the right direction where I can glorify His name rightly. After a lot of contemplation, I have finally decided to be a lector. A lector is a person who reads aloud certain of the scriptural passages used in a church service. I have read a few times unofficially, but from now on I will be doing it officially as a lector. I attended the English lectors meeting on Sunday, 26th August, as I felt I am little prepared for it now. I felt the Lord is giving me the go ahead this year.


I very well remember that there was a phase in my life when I wanted to be a news reader. This dream couldn’t see the light of the day but God must have known my desire to be a reader and that’s why He is giving me an opportunity to fulfill my dream by becoming a lector in His presence. He wants me to be in His presence all the time. In fact, even I want to be in His presence all the time as I feel lost otherwise. So one by one God is fulfilling all my dreams and I am really very thankful to Him. Christ Jesus has always been gracious to me and He keeps pleading for me to His Father to be extra merciful to me and my family.


But as a lector, I have to be extremely careful. I have here with me some points taken from “The Effective Lector” by Edward Horodko. I will just take the excerpts from here:



• Understand the scripture passages and then successfully communicate them to the assembly.
• Practicing aloud is essential. Get used to the sound of the readings
• Start your preparation early in the week before your assigned turn.
• Prepare for both readings, even if one is assigned to another lector.
• To read a reading well, you must have deep understanding.
• Do not use someone else's ideas of where to pause, how to inflect, or which words to emphasize. These actions must come spontaneously and honestly from only one place: from what the reading means to you.
• Arrive about a half hour before mass starts.
• Consider your attitudes, your gestures, the tone of your voice, how you go about contacting your listeners with your eyes.
• Look like you belong where you are; realize that people are watching you

• The body. When it's time to address the assembly, hold your body straight but not rigid. Don't slouch. Look like you want to communicate. Have authority. Be genuine, be unpretentious.
• The feet. Keep your feet firmly planted while you speak.
• The face. Use it to convey meaning, but avoid all artificiality. Be yourself.
• The eyes. Have eye contact with people when you talk to them. But not at the expense of losing your place in the text. Have an awareness of all the people, but talk to them one-to-one.
• A good time to establish eye contact is during the opening "a reading from..." stand still before you begin reading.
• Create a significant silence before you begin speaking.
• Look across the entire room as you say the opening phrase. Then pause again and begin the reading.
• You may find it useful to run your finger along the text as you read so you can freely maintain eye contact with the assembly without the risk of loosing your place.
• Never look artificial or "theatrical."
• Walk to the ambo and take a deep breath as you arrive there. This will calm you and elp you focus your power.
• Ask other lectors to critique you. Dedicate yourself to being an effective lector.
• Always set the opening and closing forms ("a reading from..." and "the word of the lord.") apart from the body of text with both a pause and a change of attitude. Remember that they are not part of the reading; don't make it sound like they are.
• When you make a mistake, remember why you're there... To convey the word of god. You're not there to show people that you're perfect, or what a great reader you are. If you ruin a sentence or thought, simply back up and say it correctly. Whatever you do, don't apologize for your mistake; that adds to the distraction, taking people even farther from the meaning you're trying to convey. Don't be embarrassed because you're human.
• If no meaning was lost in your error, ignore the minor error.
• Remember that ministry is service.
• Perform your role in the liturgy of the word fully prepared, with a mastery of your readings, honestly communicating god's word to god's people.

Ed Horodko's ministries have included liturgist, cantor, music director, and Director of Lectors, most recently at Sacred Heart Church, Olema, California. He is also a lector workshop teacher / leader, and a professional voice actor who has announced nationally in thousands of commercials. Currently he develops and supports Catholic radio broadcasts in the Dioceses of Reno, NV and Sacramento, CA, at Immaculate Heart Radio.