“Looking to the Lord, Who is ever merciful and compassionate, and receiving the Grace of repentance, which can help us to also become saints!”

(Based on Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles)

There were two brothers were convicted of stealing sheep in a particular place.

In accordance with the brutal punishment of that society…
… both were branded on their forehead with the letters S T, which stood for “Sheep Thief.”

One of them, unable to bear the stigma, ran away to a foreign place.

But people would ask him about the letters on his brow, and what they meant.
Thus he wandered from land to land.
Finally, full of bitterness, he ended his life and was buried in a forgotten grave.

But the other brother, repented of his misdeed and did not go away from his home.

He said to himself: “I can’t escape from the fact that I stole sheep.
So I will remain here, until I win back the respect of my neighbours and myself.”
As years passed by, he established a reputation for respectability and integrity.

One day a stranger in this town saw this man (by now, old) with the letters S T branded on his forehead.

He asked a native what they signified.

After a little thought, the villager said: “It all happened a great while ago, and I have forgotten the particulars; but I think the letters are an abbreviation of SAINT.”

The man whose forehead was branded with ‘S T’ to signify SHEEP-THIEF, had repented and revived his life so much…
… that other people, by now, experienced him as a SAINT

Yes… The marvellous grace of God in the penitent and a believing heart…
… is able to transform the ‘detestable scars and branding of sin’ into an ’emblem of honour and beauty!’

It is this transformative power and grace of the Lord that we thank and celebrate on this Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Love of God is that it brings people of contrasting characters and temperaments to come together in the Church.

The love of God respects individuality, but forges together beautiful relationships.

The love of God maintains personal traits, but mingles together wonderful team-efforts.

Such is the power and beauty of God’s Love!

St Peter and St Paul were certainly quite different – in their upbringing, in their temperament and in their nature…

St Peter probably just had, what is called in our days ‘elementary education’.

He was a fisherman, married with a family…
… and had the enormous privilege of having known and worked alongside Jesus during his ministry.
He was chosen by Jesus as the leader of the apostles
He was impulsive by nature and often said and did things without a prior thought!

On the other hand…
St Paul was a graduate from one of the prestigious universities of his day (perhaps, like the Oxford or Cambridge or Stanford in our days)…
… and had been tutored by the famous leader of the Hillel School of Rabbis called Gamaliel.

He was well-versed in the Scriptures and lived passionately by the Jewish Law
He spent his early years persecuting Christians and seeking to end the movement called “Christianity”
He was converted after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ.

There is more…
The name of Peter was ‘Simon’, meaning: ‘he has heard’ (in Hebrew)

He was named ‘Cephas’ in Aramaic or Petros in Greek, meaning ‘rock or stone’.

The name of Paul was ‘Saul’, meaning: ‘asked for’ or ‘prayed for’ (from Hebrew)

His Roman name was “Paul’, meaning ‘little’ or ‘small’ in Latin

St Peter denied Jesus three times before His Crucifixion; later, after the Resurrection, he would be asked to affirm three times to the question, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

St Paul persecuted the Church and affirmed the stoning of the first martyr, St Stephen; later, he would be asked the pertinent question on the road to Damascus, “Paul, Paul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Despite all these differences, the two apostles had an important aspect in common: They both took part in the mighty miracle of “repentance”

Ordinarily, both these persons would have perhaps drowned themselves in the sea of sorrow and misery, if they got stuck to their past life and depended only themselves…!

Peter could have felt…”I was given so many special privileges by the Lord.

I was to be a model for others to follow.
I had even boasted that I would give up my life for the Lord!

But now I have failed…

I can never ever be credible in life!

What would others think of me?
I would be branded forever by others
… an imposter
… a traitor
… a boaster
… a betrayer!

It’s the end of my life… It’s all over for me!”

Paul could have felt… “I have been such a dreadful persecutor

My name and presence would cause such terror to the innocent followers of Christ
I have made my life an absolute wreck…I can never be credible in life!

What would others think of me?
I would be branded forever by others
… a persecutor
… a tormentor
… a tyrant
… a Cheater!

It’s the end of my life.. It’s all over for me!”

But they did not look into themselves…
… rather looked onto to Christ!

And they found strength
… they found hope!
… they found the Grace to Repent!

Yes…. The marvelous grace of God in the penitent and a believing heart…
… is able to change and transform the ‘detestable scars and branding of sin’ into an ’emblem of honour and beauty!’

Today they are remembered with honour and admired with great respect…
… St Peter and St Paul are the pillars of the Church!

Their names today stand for mighty courage, passionate love for the Lord and faithful submission to God’s Will

Is my life also being “branded” with guilt or shame or misery or unfaithfulness or sin?

Let’s not get discouraged and drown ourselves into misery!

Instead, may we look to the Lord, who is ever merciful and compassionate, and receive the grace of repentance, which can help us to also become saints!

Happy Feast of St Peter and St Paul – the mighty and valiant warriors of our Faith!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“May we be blessed with the Grace to lead a Christ-centric life, and thus, to “Have a heart for all – extending, our hands, in help, to all!”

(Based on 2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a, Rom 6:3-4, 8-11 and Mt 10:37-42 – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A)

A very well-respected and fine Christian gentleman, died in a particular village.

The entire village, mourned his death, and felt the grief, at the passing of this man…
…who exemplified charity and goodness and who always placed Christ at the centre of his life.

Among all the kind words that were spoken at the funeral, the most heart-touching, came from a man who was least expected to speak good.

This man, was a hard-core drug addict and given to a life of drunkenness and debauchery.

Tried as much as he could, he was still unable to fully overcome his bad tendencies.

The entire village had scorned him…
… abandoned his case.
(But this “all-forsaken” man had been greatly accepted and encouraged by the gentleman who died.

In fact, it was his constant reinforcement that had become a source of hope for the “abandoned” man to revive his life!)

Standing next to the grave, this man acclaimed the gentleman in these words:
“He had a heart for everybody – good or bad, lost or least!

Never for a moment, did he think about the unworthiness of the other!
But all he did was…”extend his hand, in help, to all!”

That was indeed a wonderful tribute to a Christian: “Having a heart for all – Extending, his hand, in help, to all!”

The Christ-centric life had enabled the gentleman to “Have a heart for all – Extending, his hands, in help, to all!”

Are we ready, as followers of Christ, to do the same?

The Gospel of the Day is a reminder of the Great Call of Jesus to follow Him, in the “way of the Cross”…
… with a deep exhortation to translate this “following” into a “life of kindness”!

The Gospel passage very clearly enunciates the demand placed on a Christian:
Giving Christ, the first place in life!

Jesus says: “He who loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me…” (Mt 10: 37)

Undoubtedly – and rightly so – the society places “honouring of one’s own family members, especially parents”, with the highest sense of social obligation.

Jesus, in no way, negates this supreme duty of one’s familial responsibilities.
But He goes a step further, in the demand to be His disciple: Giving God, the top most priority!

What does this point to?
For a person, generally…
… One’s feelings are most tender and filial towards one’s family members…

Jesus demands: I deserve to be loved more tenderly!

… One’s duties are oriented towards the well-being and growth of one’s family…

Jesus demands: My Kingdom deserves greater attention and devotion.

… One’s concerns are centered on the future of one’s family…

Jesus demands: Your relationship with me and your salvation, is to be the prime concern of importance.

These demands in no way, reduce our Family Commitments

Rather, it places a demand on us: That our Christian Families ought to become Christ-Centered!
This would make us to “seek for holiness, in perfectly carrying out our duties of the family, with Christ as the Head of the Family!”

As St Francis de Sales says in his classic book – The Introduction to Devout Life:
“When God created the world He commanded each tree to bear fruit after its kind;

And even so He bids Christians – the living trees of His Church – to bring forth fruits of devotion, each one according to his kind and vocation.

This then, is the meaning of those strong words of Jesus…
… which demand a greater affinity and loyalty to Him, than even to one’s closest family members.

It is thus, when we “Give Christ the first place in our life!” that our lives become epitomes of kindness!

It is here that the Lord assures to those, who are willing to have Him at the centre of their lives: “And whoever, gives to one of these little ones, even a cup of cold water, because he is a disciple…
… truly I tell you, will not lose his reward!” (Mt 10: 42)

In this simple verse, the Lord highlights the magnanimity of doing “little acts of kindness”

1) Who can do these acts?
“Whoever”

One can be a priest… a consecrated person… a family person… a single… a poor person… “an unlucky” one… a “nobody” in the society…

“Whoever” we be – We can, all, do these acts of kindness!

2) To whom can these acts be done?
“To Little Ones”

These “little ones” include the unnoticed people… the rejected ones… the ones whom society scorns and frowns upon… the people who are abandoned… those who are not given a “second chance”

“Little Ones” – All, are “worthy” to receive these acts of kindness

3) What kind of acts of kindness are these?
“Giving even a cup of cold water!”

Giving water in the thirsty and dry land of Israel, was not a very “famed” act.

It was considered simple, petty, common and ordinary.

Yet, for Jesus, this was an important act of kindness.

Also to be noted is that, giving “cold” water, would certainly, take some “extra effort” on the part of the provider.

Thus, though a simple act, it did involve the elements of “sacrifice and self-giving”
“Giving even a cup of cold water” for us can therefore, include…
… “a friendly hello or a smile to people around us, who might be looking for encouragement in life”
… “a whisper of prayer for a person in distress”
… “a gentle touch of concern to a worried family member or a friend in trouble”
… “a listening ear to a broken family, a shoulder to a depressed soul or an emphatic heart for a disturbed person”
… and many many more…..!

The Second Book of Kings records the beautiful example of the Shunammite woman being blessed by God with a son, for her deed of kindness to Elisha, the Prophet (2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16)

It is when we have Christ at the centre of our lives, that all our “simple acts of kindness” also become “salvific” in nature…
… which will prompt the Lord, on Judgment Day to declare: “Whatever you did, for one of the least of My brothers, you did it for Me” (Mt 25:40)

Let us give heed to the appeal of St Paul: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus!” (Rom 6:11)

Yes, the Lord exhorts us, as His followers to “take up our Cross and follow Him” (Mt 10:38)

May we be blessed with the Grace to lead a Christ-centric life …
… and thus, to “Have a heart for all – Extending, our hands, in help, to all!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

— Fr Jijo Jose Manjackal MSFS
Rome, Italy
Email ID: reflectioncapsules@gmail.com

“Having a deep humility that causes us to reach out to others in concern and care, and to have a strong faith that prevents any blocks in the ‘horizon of our faith!’”

(Based on Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 and Mt 8:5-17 – Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer.

He was a literary celebrity during his lifetime.
He ranks among the 26 most translated authors in the world!

He was also a great optimist and had a very strong positive outlook towards life.

But he was also often sick and would not keep well.

Once he was bedridden with tuberculosis.

His wife, sick of his extreme positivity, made fun of him and said: “I expect you still believe that it is a wonderful day!”

Lying on the bed, with a series of medicine bottles on his table, Stevenson looked out of the window, with the sunshine blazing down, and said: “Oh yes, I do!

I will never let a row of medicine bottles block my horizon!”

What about us?

Do the problems of life block the horizon of our faith?

The Gospel of the Day is a wonderful exhibition of a powerful faith, which refused to get limited by the problems of life.

The passage begins with a centurion approaching Jesus with a request:
“Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress” (Mt 8:6)

Here is a beautiful example worth admiring and imitating…

A high placed military officer approaches Jesus for a healing of his servant
A wonderful illustration of humility – a striking example of concern for people in the lower position.

We need to ask ourselves…
… What is my attitude to those who are inferior to me?
… How do I treat and behave with those who work for us, in our houses, institutions etc – our servants, our cooks, our drivers, our watchmen etc…?

All of them deserve…
… an act of concern!
… a word of appreciation
… a push of encouragement

When Jesus expresses His willingness to come to his house, the Centurion manifests yet another admiring act…
… a Faith that dares the challenges all problems
… A Faith that defies the shocks of troubles!

He responds to Jesus saying: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; only say the Word and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8:8)

Who is a centurion?

A centurion was a professional officer in the powerful army of the Roman Empire.

Although the word has its roots in the Latin word centum, meaning “one hundred,” a centurion in the Roman army of Jesus’ day typically commanded about 80 soldiers, known as a century.

What was the position of the centurion in the Roman army?

Above an ordinary centurion were more senior centurions, with the highest-ranking centurion in a legion being the Primus Pilus (First Spear).
A Roman legion normally had 60 centurions, commanding a total of about 4,800 soldiers.
Above the centurions were six military tribunes, who served as senior officers of the legion. They did not each command a separate force of 3,000 men but assisted in the leadership and administration of the legion.
Above the tribunes was the legatus legionis (legion commander), who commanded the entire legion.
Above them was the Emperor was the supreme commander of the Roman army.

It was such a “man of authority” who as an officer himself was “under immense authority”…
… who stood before Jesus
… and requested for a healing for his servant.

This mighty centurion looked at Jesus as the Commanding Emperor of a mighty army!

In Jesus, he saw a man…
… of immense authority!
… of mighty strength!
… of great power!

And so He tells Jesus, “… only say a word, and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8: 8b)

The man had a deep concern for his servant

He had a tenderness that caused him to identify with the sufferings of his slave

But he also had a deep faith that refused to be limited by problems and difficulties

His faith was strong and refused the challenges of life to hamper his belief in Jesus!

The centurion did not allow the problems of life to block the “horizon of his faith!”

What about us?

Do our hardships in life, sometimes cause a mist in the horizon of our faith?
Do the concerns of our family and community, sometimes hinder our horizon of our faith?
Do the problems of our future, our plans and our works, cause blocks in the horizon of our faith?

Let us respond positively to the challenge and invitation of the Centurion in today’s Gospel …
… to have a deeper humility that causes us to reach out to others in concern and care
… to have a stronger faith that prevents any blocks in the “horizon of our faith”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Showing the world that we are redeemed, so that they will believe in our Redeemer!”

(Based on 2 Kings 25:1-12 and Mt 8:1-4 – Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A missionary who stepped into a village for the first time had an interaction with the village headman.

After knowing that the missionary was there to speak about the Gospel, the village headman, who was open to the truth, stood up…
… and asked the missionary: “Do you want us to know about Jesus Christ?
Then prove it also by your life!”

He went on to say, “As I welcome you to this village, I also appeal to you:

Not only tell us about Christ, but show us Christ!
Show us that you are redeemed, and we will believe in your Redeemer!”

Yes, so true is the saying: “Christianity refuses to be proved first and practiced afterwards…
… its practice and its proof go hand in hand!”

Theoretical knowledge shows the whole forest – builds the context and helps to set strategy.

Practical knowledge shows a single tree – puts forth the situation and challenges to act.

The Gospel of the Day is the narrative of the ‘first in the series’ of practical applications of the theoretical knowledge…
… that Jesus has expounded through the Sermon on the Mount

The Gospel is a great challenge to all of us who are expected to “Not only tell about Christ, but also show Christ!”

The incident of the cleansing of the Leper in Mt 8: 1-4 is placed immediately after the Great Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1- 7:29)

The Sermon on the Mount was the theoretical knowledge that Jesus expounded

The cleansing of the leper is the theoretical application of some of those principles

At the start of the Sermon on the Mount, we read “When Jesus saw the CROWDS, He went up to the mountain…..” (Mt 5:1)

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we read, “When Jesus came down from the mountain, great CROWDS followed Him” (Mt 8:1)

Many people in the crowd have listened and marvelled at the teachings of Jesus.
Many of them now follow Him…

Perhaps to see how He would apply those lofty teachings in real life
Perhaps to see whether all those high ideas were really liveable in actual life

And what is the scene that they encounter?

A leper who approaches Jesus!

“A leper!!”… Ooops!!

“Stay away, all” would have been the united chorus of that multitude of crowd!

Leprosy was one of the most feared and dreaded disease of the ancient world.

The Hebrew word for leprosy (Tsara’ath) comes from a root word which means “to scourge or to strike.”

Leprosy was very often, considered a curse.

It was incurable and highly deadly – blatantly evident on the body and an ugly sight!
Leprosy was almost a ‘living death’, with many sweeping implications.

A person would be declared a leper after tests were performed (Lev. 13).

Once declared a leper by the priest, the leper had to be cut-off from contact with society.

He had to display marks of mourning, as if for the dead (thus, to touch him would defile oneself)

When someone drew near, he had to call out, “Unclean! Unclean!”
He had to remain outside the camp with no access to the temple or perform any worship.

Leprosy was, indeed, a living death!

The crowd who saw this leper approach and worship Jesus would have had mixed feelings – shock… anger… unpleasantness…

They would have been also very curious what would Jesus do…
“He preached so much… let’s see what He does now”

“Is He really going to touch and get defiled by that dirty leper?”

But the Lord was not just well-versed in theoretical knowledge; He was also the perfect executioner of applied knowledge!

Theoretically He had said…
“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and the Scribes, you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:20)

Practically…
He now goes beyond the ceremonial stipulations of the Law and ‘touches’ and heals the leper (Mt 8:3)

Theoretically He had said…
“… take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them” (Mt 6:1)

Practically…
He tells the leper not to make a publicized show of his cure; instead to ‘show himself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded’ (Mt 8:4)

Theoretically He had said…
“Judge not, that, you may not be judged” (Mt 7:1)

Practically…
He doesn’t condemn or despise or mock the leper who comes close to him and instead expresses his whole-hearted willingness to shower mercy on him by saying, “I am willing; be clean” (Mt 8:3)

Theoretically He had said…
“Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the Will of the Father in heaven” (7:21)

Practically…
He puts into effect His teachings, ‘walking the talk’ and fulfilling the Will of the Father to be a Healer and Saviour to people.

The Lord was not just an eloquent and effective preacher but also a committed and convinced practiser of what He spoke.

His deeds matched His wonderful words!
His words produced dazzling deeds!

This then is the invitation to us too:
To have an integral Christian Life by being…
… a Preacher of the Word (in whichever little or insignificant way possible)
… and a Practiser of the Word (through a witnessing and charitable life)

May the touch of the Lord take away any ‘leprous’ tendencies in our mind and life and free us from any bondage in order to live a firm and committed Christian Life!

Let us all become a zealous missionary with a clear awareness that we “not only need tell about Christ, but we also need to show Christ to the world!”

Yes, “let us show the world that we are redeemed, so that they will believe in our Redeemer!”

God Bless! Live Jesus

“Being a ‘convinced and committed’ Christian!”

(Based on 2 Kgs 24:8-17 and Mt 7:21-29 – Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

In the year 1974, under the oppressive Soviet regime, the famous Russian writer and Nobel Prize Laureate, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn knew that his arrest by the ruling regime was only a matter of time.

The system demanded conformity.
Everyone was expected to repeat what the State said…
… even if they no longer believed it.

But before he was arrested and exiled, Solzhenitsyn released one final message.

The essay was called, “Live not by lies!”

Solzhenitsyn understood that many people outwardly professed values they no longer truly believed…
… because they wanted comfort, security, or acceptance.

His challenge remains relevant for Christians today: Do we merely say “Lord, Lord,” or do we actually live according to the Lord’s will

Are we “convinced and committed Christians”…
… or are we “convenient and compromising Christians?”

The Gospel of the Day is a bold reminder and warning to us Christians from possessing such kind of a “colour-changing attitude”…
… professing one thing and living something else to suit the surroundings!

Jesus declares, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 7:21)

This Gospel passage is the conclusion of the spectacular Sermon on the Mount which began from Chapter 5 of the Gospel of St Matthew.

This great discourse and the brilliant exposition of the Christian teaching is concluded with two fundamental exhortations by Christ:

Be a doer of the Word, not just a listener
Have a strong foundation built on Him, rather than on the world!

Christianity, for some, becomes a soothing philosophy and a relaxing religion.

The mercy of the Lord… the love of the Father… the providence of God
… they become easy escape routes to avoid duties and responsibilities
The pious practices…the devout rituals… the spiritual exercises
… they sometimes get reduced to mere ‘relaxing’ techniques or ‘lifeless’ customs

It gets easy to merely say ‘Lord, Lord’ – but to live a life in witness to the Lord becomes a pain in the neck

It feels good to say, “Jesus, Jesus” – but to orient our actions and deeds, worthy of our vocation becomes a hard reality.

But this is the challenge that the Lord invites us to rise up to…

Being a person who seriously lives ones profession of faith and makes life a truly witnessing one!
Being a person who consciously makes efforts to be holy and saintly in order to give glory to the salvific act of the Lord, who shed His blood for us!

Towards this end, Jesus says that we need to have our faith and life built on the strong foundation of the Lord Himself!

To all who place their entire hope on worldly treasures or self-capabilities – like the house build on sand – are sure to collapse!
To all who build their entire trust on Jesus and His grace and goodness – like the house built on rock – are sure to remain firm!

Being a Christian is an exciting adventure.

There is lot of contentment… loads of peace… bundles of joy!

But there is also the danger of being snared by the pleasures or riches or temptations in the world…
… which constantly entices us to move away from the Lord and identify ourselves with the world.

Jesus says, “They do not belong to the world anymore… ” (Jn 17: 16)

St Peter says, “Your enemy, the devil, is prowling round, like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat. Stand up to him, strong in faith…” (1 Pt 5: 8-9)

Let us “live not by lies” but “in the Truth, in the Lord!”

Let us examine our Christian lives and check…

Am I a “committed and convinced” Christian?
… am I a “convenient and compromising” Christian?

God Bless! Live Jesus!