Easter 4 C - Homilies and Stories

Background:

John’s Gospel has a heavy overlay of mystical imagery. Yet today’s brief gospel seems clear and simple enough. However, it’s revelation of the great tenderness of Jesus – undoubtedly based on clear historical memories in the tradition – is richly mystical. All will know that we are followers of Jesus by the love we have for one another. This is not a prediction which has yet been fulfilled.

Story:

 

Once upon a time there was a sergeant in the marines who was the senior enlisted man in his platoon. One day his outfit was ambushed and pinned down by enemy fire. The lieutenant in command was badly wounded as were many of the men. The sergeant took over and extricated the men from the trap, though he himself was wounded twice. He went back by himself to carry out the wounded commanding officer.  

Quote 75 - Happiness and Success

"Success is not the key to happiness.
Happiness is the key to success.
If you love what you are doing,
you will be successful."

- Albert Schweitzer

12 Ways to Hook an Audience in 30 Seconds

                                                   

  “When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire,” says advertising executive David Ogilvy. You have only 30 seconds in a TV commercial to grab attention. The same applies to a presentation. The first 30 seconds of your talk is crucial. This is the time your listeners form an impression of you, and of what’s to follow.

Like a fine thoroughbred, you need to hit the ground running by starting strong. Instead, many presenters are more like old, tired workhorses—they start weak by wasting those first precious seconds with platitudes and pleasantries. Brain research shows that we don’t pay attention to boring things. Surprise your listeners with a hook that immediately grabs their attention.
The key is to make sure that the hook is brief, well-rehearsed and pertinent to your topic. What follows is 12 hooks that will grab your audience’s attention—and keep it.
 

How Adam Got Eve -- Women, please forgive!

     Adam was hanging around the garden of Eden feeling very lonely.

                                        So, God asked him, 'What's wrong with you?'

SARDAR IN A TOUGH QUIZ

Sardarji is in a Quiz Contest with a prize money of Rs.1 crore.

The questions are as follows:

 

1) How long was the 100 year war?

Options :  A) 116   B) 99   C) 100   D) 150

Sardar says "I will skip this"

 

Easter 3 C - Homily and Stories

Introduction to the Celebration 

We have gathered to celebrate the presence of the risen Lord among us. We are called to be the people who bear witness to his victory over death. We are the people who proclaim the Father’s forgiveness to the ends of the earth by being people who are for giving.

Michel de Verteuil

Text comments

During Easter the Sunday and weekday gospel readings are taken from St John’s gospel; this is the time of year when the Church invites us to meditate on this gospel. St John is always very deep; traditionally his is known as “the spiritual gospel”; these weeks should therefore be a time for us to deepen our meditations.

Living well---Living well Together

When you thought I wasn't Looking - Poem

When you thought I wasn’t looking

 

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
 

Mary - The ARK of the Covenant - Subhash Anand

Easter 2 C Sunday - Homilies and Stories

Background:

Often this Gospel is used as an occasion to prove the Church’s control of the forgiveness of sins and even to demand more frequent confession. 

The Church, in this perspective, has a monopoly on forgiveness and must be stern in its use. Patently this narrowly circumscribes the passionate forgiveness of God which Jesus came to reveal. God may be generous with forgiveness, it is implied, but the Church cannot and should not. Yet the story of Thomas, immediately after suggests that such an interpretation of the words of Jesus missed the points. To forgive is not a right to be jealously guarded, but an obligation to be exercised generously. We do not earn our own forgiveness by forgiving others.  Rather we manifest the generosity and implacability of God’s forgiveness of us.