“Being loyal to the Gospel by remaining firm in faith and hope, trusting in the Providence and Power of the Lord!”

(Based on Jer 14:17-22 and Mt 13:36-43 – Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

One of the very famous hymns in Malayalam, composed by Sadhu Kochukunju Upadesi (1883 –1945 – preacher, poet and composer) goes thus:

“Dukhathinde paana paathram
Karthav yende kayyil thannal
Sandoshathodh adhu vaangi
Hallelujah paadidunne….”

Translated as…
“If my Lord offers a chalice
Full of worries into my hands,
I will accept it with pleasure
And sing ‘Hallelujah’ with thanks.

The hymn pays glorious tribute to the Immense Love of the Lord…
… despite the seemingly tough and troublesome moments that we go through in life.

The spirit of this hymn was beautifully lived and celebrated by St Alphonsa, the first woman of Indian origin to be canonised…
… whose feast is celebrated today, on July 28

Life often takes us through…
… trials of struggle and pain
… situations of agony and abandonment
… occasions of evil encounters and malicious moments!

Yet, in all such moments, the call of the Gospel is to remain firm in faith and hope – trusting in the Providence and Power of the Lord.

The Gospel of the Day is an exposition by the Lord on this crucial Reality of our lives, by the explanation of the Parable of the Weeds.

It’s noteworthy to know some interesting facts about this parable…

Sowing weeds in someone else’s field, was a way take revenge on the other and to express one’s hatred and anger!

Something similar to today, people…
… breaking the glass of the houses of those whom they don’t like
… disfiguring the walls of the house of the people whom they hate

The weeds that Jesus speaks of in the parable, were highly similar to the wheat that was sown.

It was almost impossible to distinguish the two, in their initial stages.

Seeking to pull up the weeds would definitely destroy the wheat plant
This was because, their roots would get inter-twined.
Any attempt to pull up the weeds, would also cause harm to the good plant.

It is in the light of these points, that our “doubt and perplexity” about the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds grows:
“Why does evil exist in a world that was created good?”

This is where the Lord challenges every Christian to understand…
… that some mysteries in life cannot be fully understood, but are to be boldly lived!
… that some struggles in life cannot be totally eliminated, but are to be bravely challenged!
…. that some problems in life cannot be completely solved, but are to be fearlessly encountered!

As we take time to digest this fact, let us also spare a thought for the seed of wheat that was sown by the Sower.

For the Sower, the Seed of Wheat was priceless… special…!

He had sown it with a lot of love, care and affection.

And so, He would do everything in His power, to make sure, that He loses nothing of it, in the attempt to get rid of the weeds.

The Sower is God.

And the Bible, throughout, speaks about how the seed that is sown – the wheat – is precious to God…
… the lost sheep is passionately sought until it is found (Lk 15: 1-7)
… the lost coin is ardently searched till it is found (Lk 15: 8-10)
… the leftover pieces of loaves are devoutly gathered up (Mt 14:20)
… the rejected short man, hiding on the tree, is assigned a new chapter in life (Lk 19: 1-10)
… the nearly-stoned woman, caught in the act of adultery, is given new life (Jn 8: 1-11)
… the impulsive fisherman, called as the rock, and who denied three times, is accepted back (Jn 21: 15-19)

We are the precious Wheat.

Jesus opens our hearts and minds to have a “realistic understanding” of life.

We need to be patient with ourselves and with others…
… in dealing with sin and with evil tendencies

Of course, as humans, we do many times…
… bite our teeth in anger, glaring at the inhumanness in our society and the world
… lose our cool, in finding ourselves to be imperfect and sinful even after years of trying
… go mad, in encountering silly disputes and indifferences in our families & communities
… have our blood boiling, seeing the various scandals and shameful incidents in the Church

But the Lord says… “Hold On”….

Surely, we have our emotions and feelings when we come across unjust situations..

But the Lord says:
“Do your best…and leave the rest to Me!
Aim for perfection… but give not into despair because of devastations!”

This certainly is no excuse for us to deny our duty and responsibility…
… and even the obligation to seek to avoid wickedness and dissuade evil practices.

But we may never find ourselves in PERFECT elimination of evil and sinful behaviours…
… either in our personal life, or societal life or even in the life of the church.

The Lord, the Final and the Supreme Judge, will make sure, that “Good finally triumphs over the evil!”

“The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will collect out of His Kingdom, all who cause others to sin and evildoers…
… the Righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of Their Father!” (Mt 13: 41, 43).

As the national motto of India says: “Satyam eva jayate” (Truth alone triumphs!”)

Let us have recourse to the Awesome and Ultimate Power of God, and be strengthened in our lives…
… knowing and trusting that He will ultimately cause “Everything for our good” (Rom 8:28)

In all moments of trials and struggles, let us be loyal to the Gospel by remaining firm in faith and hope – trusting in the Providence and Power of the Lord.

Let us seek the intercession and be inspired by St Alphonsa, as we too sing:
“Dukhathinde paana paathram, Karthav yende kayyil thannaal…”

“If my Lord offers a chalice, full of worries into my hands,
I will accept it with pleasure, and sing ‘Hallelujah’ with thanks.

My father will never offer, anything that is harmful I’m sure.
He may give me moments of pain, still He loves me beyond measure!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Seeking the Grace to realize the power of ‘little things’ and ‘little efforts’ in building up the ‘Great Kingdom of God’ and to spread the ‘Immense Love of the Lord’ to all!”

(Based on Jer 13:1-11 and Mt 13:31-35 – Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Jesus in the Gospels loves to use simple, tiny and insignificant objects, to project His message of the Kingdom!

Today He uses the example of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven in describing the Might of the Kingdom!

The mustard seed & leaven would’ve hardly received any attention in the normal sense.

But Jesus, the Master Artist paints these li’l objects into the Mighty Canvas of the Kingdom & delivers a powerful message…

The Kingdom of God has its humble beginnings….but it develops into a Powerful Force!

The Kingdom of God often starts very insignificantly…but it expands into a Huge Reality!
The Kingdom of God initiates in an unnoticed manner….but it enlarges into an Influential Entity!

Little is much when GOD is in it!

The mustard seed develops into a Tree, which renders shelter to the birds of the air (Lk 13: 19)…..

The sinners find a solace in this Tree….
The sick encounter support in this Tree..
The rejected have a remedy in this Tree…
The cast-outs meet consolation in this Tree….
The prostitutes experience peace in this Tree…

The leaven which is little, makes the whole mass of dough to rise (Lk 13: 21)…

The rod in Moses’ hand…a shepherds’ ordinary crook…became a mighty symbol of God’s Power
The jawbone with Samson…. a decaying useless bone…became an instrument of killings thousands of enemies!
The stone in David’s hand….an unnoticed stone… became the means of conquering the gigantic Goliath!

Little is much when GOD is in it!

We live in times when many things are explained or rejected in terms of science, psychology, post-modern modern philosophies and assorted spiritualities

We live in times when material values and worldly attitudes are corroding our lives.
We live in times when ethical principles and traditional virtues often get kicked into the backyard!

Times are bad. Times are worsening. Times are sickening…

Times, are even, sometimes seen to be hopeless, scary and terrifying!

But we also ought to realize that many things, which cannot be discovered and understood through the microscope of science and modern theories…
… can be discovered by looking through the eyes of faith!

Yes, massive things can be seen and achieved by looking through the miniscule eye of Faith!

Our efforts and attempts to spread God’s Kingdom may be just minor and appearing to be insignificant…
… like the Mustard Seed and the Leaven.

But, little is much, when God is in it!!

The Lord reminds each of us of “His Immense Love” (and His deep pain, when we refuse to accept His Love!) through the example of the “loin cloth” in the Book of Prophet Jeremiah:

“This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this waistcloth, which is good for nothing.”

“For as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen!” (Jer 13:10-11)

May we seek the grace to realize the power of “little things” and “little efforts” in building up the “Great Kingdom of God” and to spread the “Immense Love of the Lord” to all!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Seeking the Lord more fervently by immersing ourselves into the waters of repentance and coming out, with an excited shout of discovery: ‘Eureka, Eureka! I have found It!’”

(Based on 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12, Romans 8:28-30 and Mt 13:44-52 – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A)

One of the common yet interesting legendary stories goes thus…

Archimedes was a Greek scientist – a young man of 22 years old – renowned for his work in mathematics, mechanics and physics.

One day Archimedes was summoned by the king Hiero of Syracusans to investigate if he had been cheated by a goldsmith.

The king said he had given a goldsmith the exact amount of gold needed to make a crown.
However, when the crown was ready the king suspected that the goldsmith cheated some silver into the crown, keeping some of the gold for himself.

The king then asked Archimedes to solve the problem.

Struggling to find the answer to the problem, Archimedes decided to freshen himself with a bath.
With his clothes off, as Archimedes immersed himself into the bathtub.
And as he lowered himself, the water level in the bathtub rose and overflowed…

This phenomena, of the “water overflowing” caused Archimedes to realize…
… that the amount of water displaced depended on how much of his body was immersed into the bathtub.

This simple observation helped him to get the solution to his problem.

This discovery excited him so much that he jumped out of the tub and ran through the streets naked…
… shouting ‘Eureka, Eureka!’
… a word in Greek which means, ‘I have found it! I have found it!’

What about us?

Have we had a “Eureka – I have found It” experience?

A discovery transforms Life!

Every age has its own discoveries and inventions which have transformed the lives of human beings.

Discovering God, as the Supreme Treasure of One’s Life is the Greatest Transformation, one can ever have!

Have I discovered God as The Most Important and Matchless Treasure of my Life?

The Gospel of the day presents three parables (Mt 13: 44-52)…
… which speak on the Kingdom of God and an Invitation to each one of us to discover Its Pristine value!

1) The Parable of the Hidden Treasure:

The olden days had the practice of hiding one’s treasure like jewellery or money in the field…
… especially in contexts of wars or natural calamities or foreign invasions.
Sometimes, this hidden treasure remained unclaimed or forgotten…
… and was discovered by some “lucky” persons!

The Parable describes one such person who discovered a treasure.

According to the Palestinian laws of that time, the mere finding of a buried treasure did not entitle the finder to possess it…
… unless he also owned the property in which it was found.

The discoverer of our Parable does that: Gives up everything, for the Matchless Treasure!

King Solomon gave up all offers of wealth, long life or vengeance on enemies…
… for the Treasure of the Wisdom of God! ( I Kg 3:9)
The Samaritan Woman, was “blessed” to meet the Thirsty Man by the well…
… and she discovered Him to be the Treasure of her life! (Jn 4:29)

The parable dares to offer ourselves totally for the sake of the Discovery of the Kingdom!

2) The Parable of the one in search of Pearls
Pearls were the most costliest and the most sought-after.

The trader of our Parable is on a Mission…
.. a clear-cut mission, to discover the Fine Pearls
He is single minded in His search
He is focused on what he wants, in his task.

He has an amazing passion and a dedication to discover the best!

Jacob of the Old Testament was resolute in receiving a Pearl of blessing from the Angel of God (Gen 32:27)
[Mary Magdalene was persevering in her search for the Lord, the Pearl of her life ( Jn 20:11)

The Parable dares us to be totally dedicated and zealous in our Discovery of the Kingdom!

3) The Parable of the Fishing Net

This parable is an invitation to accept the hard and unpleasant realities in our life and to make the necessary changes and amendments.

Not everything is goody-goody when it comes to spiritual life…
Not all is well when we consider the life in the Church…
Not all is ok in our personal or family or societal life!

We need to strive to cast away the unwanted elements…
… and thus be willing to live a purified and sanctified life!

The People of Nineveh gave up their sinful life to embrace a life in God Yahweh (Jon 3:5)
Zacchaeus was boldly able to throw the unwanted aspects of his life after encountering Jesus (Lk 19:8)

The parable dares us to cast away the unbecoming aspects of our life, in our Discovery of the Kingdom!

These three parables when applied to our personal spiritual life, would also give us three key Virtues, that forms the basis of a True Spirituality:

A. Renunciation: “The parable of the Hidden Treasure” is a call to renounce our everything in order to possess the Kingdom. (Mt 19:21)

B. Longing: “The Parable of the one in search of the pearls” is a call to have an intense thirst and longing for Jesus and His Kingdom!

C. Humility: “The Parable of the fishing net” is a call to humble ourselves and acknowledge our limitations and weaknesses so as to grow in perfection of the Kingdom!

Let us discover…
A true Spirit of Renunciation…
A fervent heart of Longing…
A gentle mind of Humility…

Yes, a discovery can transform life!

King Solomon discovered the need to boldly choose the Wisdom of God over all other things (I Kg 3:9)
St Paul discovered a great Trust in God’s Providence by saying, “all things in life happens for good! (Rom 8:28)

Have I discovered God as The Most Important and Matchless Treasure of my Life?

Let us seek the Lord, more fervently and deeply…
… immersing ourselves into the waters of repentance and new life

And thus coming out of it, with an excited shout of discovery:
“Eureka, Eureka! I have found It!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Like St James, having Jesus as the Best Friend of our life!”

(Based on the Feast of St James, the Apostle)

A class of Standard Five students were being taught the value of friendship.

At the end of the class, the teacher, while revising, asked the children to give a short definition of friendship.

Little Jane lifted up her hand and replied:
“A friend is someone who knows all about you…
… lavishes love on you, for being just as you are
… and yet, gently leads you, to become better than what you are!”

The Gospel of the Day, on the Feast of St James, is a beautiful account of Jesus, the True Friend who lavishes His Love for His disciples…
… and yet, gently, leads them to become better disciples!

The Gospel narrative begins with the mother of Apostles James and John, requesting the Lord to grant her children a privileged place in the Kingdom.

In her tenderness and affection as a mother, she wished that her children be always close to the Lord…

But the Lord replied: “You do not know what you are asking!” (Mt 20:22)

The Lord was inviting the mother… and the disciples… and each one of us to understand…
… “What it really means to be close to the Lord!”

Did they really know what it meant to be close to the Lord?
Do I really know what it means to be close to the Lord?

St James had enjoyed a privileged place in the Band of the Apostles of Jesus.

He was in the Core Group – one of the Three – Peter and John being the other two- who had the opportunity to be with the Lord in some of His special and extraordinary moments.

Raising the dead daughter of Jairus
Transfiguration on the mountain top
Moments of praying and agony in the Garden of Gethsemane

James was indeed physically close to the Lord…

But the Lord today invites, with much love and affection…
James and his brother John
Their mother
The disciples
… and each one of us

To really realize the meaning, of asking “to be closer to Him”

Being close to the Lord means: Making changes in our lifestyle and to be in accord with the Will of God!

Look at the lives of Mother Mary… St Joseph… St Paul… St Peter… St Matthew

Being close to the Lord means: To get out of comfort zones & taking risks in life, for Christ’s sake!

Look at the lives of the Good Samaritan… Nicodemus… Simon of Cyrene

Being close to the Lord means: Giving up a sinful life and amending our ways to seek for holiness!

Look at the lives of Zacchaeus… the Woman caught in adultery… the Samaritan Woman… the Good Thief…

Being close to the Lord means: Embracing sufferings that come our way, seeing the Providence of God!

Look at the lives of Mother Mary… St John the Baptist… St Stephen… St Paul…

In asking to be close to the Lord, we also say that…
… Yes Lord, I will share in your cup of suffering.
… Yes Lord, I will join you on the way of the Cross
… Yes Lord, I will unite with your death on the Cross!

The mother of John and James realized this…

That’s why we find her….at the Foot of the Cross (Mt 27:56)
She understood.
She got close to Jesus.
She remained till the end.
She drank the Cup!

John also realized this…

That’s we find him, according to tradition, suffering during the Roman Persecution
He understood.
He got close to Jesus.
He remained till the end.
He drank the Cup!

James also realized this…

That’s why we find him, killed by the sword, in witness to Christ, His Master (Acts 12:2)
He understood.
He got close to Jesus.
He remained till the end.
He drank the Cup!

The Lord also promises…

He who shares my cup, also shares my Glory!
He who shares my cross, also shares my Rising!

The Apostle James, went close to the Lord, drank the Cup…
… and he shares in the Joy of the Lord

Today, he intercedes and invites and beckons us…

To come closer to the Lord…
… and share in the Lord’s Joy and Glory!

Are we willing to be close…really close…
… to Jesus, our Beloved Friend?

He is our Best Friend “Who knows all about us…
… lavishes His love on us, for being just as we are
… and yet, gently leads us, to become better than what we are!”

Feast Day Greetings of the Apostle St James!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Discovering the Bible as the mighty source, containing the immensity of God’s Power and encountering the Lord Himself”

(Based on Jer 3:14-17 and Mt 13:18-23 – Friday of the 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Year 2)

One of the most famous persons who had been greatly impressed and influenced by the Holy Bible was Mahatma Gandhi.

He once made a statement, which would make all of us…
… to examine deeply our level of love for the scriptures
… to make relevant changes in order to match our lives with the teachings of the Bible

This statement goes thus:
“You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet.

But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature!”

Now, that indeed is a mightily powerful statement isn’t it?

That’s an intense statement..
… of, on one side, our Sacred Scripture being acknowledged…
as having tremendous power to transform
as having remarkable force to bring about changes
… and yet, on the other side, We, the caretakers and promoters of the Bible – the Christians – being people…
who give very minimal respect and reverence
who fail to find the worth of the treasure that is in possession!

Well, it is left to each one of us.. to examine, in the light of this statement, whether…
… the Holy Bible has become a constant and regular companion of my life
… the Sacred Scriptures have become a catalyst for effecting personal transformation

The Gospel of the Day is the beautiful explanation, by Jesus, of the Parable of the Sower and through it, a reminder for us to revive our delight in and our dedication to, in living the Word of God.

The famous author Mark Twain once said:
“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture which they cannot understand;

But as for me, I have always noticed that the passages in Scripture which trouble me most, are those which I do understand.”

The passage in consideration – the explanation of the Parable of the Sower (Mt 13: 18-23) – is surely one which has come very often under our scanner of reflection and meditation.

We almost know each of its elements in detail:

The Sower sowing the seed
Some falling on the wayside and birds devouring them
Some falling on the rock and after a quick sprouting, withering away
Some falling among the thorns and failing to grow, suffocated by its choke
Some falling on the good seed and yielding – a thirty, a sixty and a hundred fold

We also have understood its applications in our life

Yet, very often, its implications fail to take root in us and we remain indifferent or casual regarding the Seed – the Precious Word of God!

Today, therefore, the Lord once again seeks to awaken our minds and shake our lethargic minds, in seeking to revive our love and enthusiasm for His Word.

Here are some of the practical pointers for self-introspection, towards this objective…

What is my reading habit with respect to the Bible – God’s Word…?
Have I read the Bible fully, at least once?
… If YES… why not make efforts to read “the beautiful expressions in God’s love-letters”, once again
… If NO… why not make a bold step to try to read the Bible fully, atleast once.

One could perhaps, start with some of the easier books/sections of the Bible.. maybe, the New Testament, or the Psalms etc…
Sometimes we might feel too bored or disinterested to pick up the pages of the Old Testament – some passages might seem even disturbing or distressing.

Yet, when we understand that those were some of the societal manners that existed back then…
… and Scriptures were written by human authors, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in concrete life-situations, we would be able to appreciate them much better

Can I set apart, daily, at least a few minutes to read the Bible?
Can I make genuine efforts to memorize at least a few verses from the Bible?

Bible verses can be invoked in our moments of prayer, in our moments of needing spiritual strength, in our moments of deepening the faith etc.

What is my effort and dedication in putting into practical effect the Bible – God’s Word…?
Am I a person who only simply reads the Bible – without making efforts to understand it, or one who fails to try to put into practice what I learn from God’s Word?
Is my love for the Word of God only finding expression in forwarding ‘Daily Bible Verses’ through social media sites/apps, emails or SMS’S or do I also try to apply and live those verses in my day-to-day activities?

These days, we have access to – especially through the internet and many magazines and books – an innumerable amount of Bible Study material, explanations on the Bible, sermons and reflections etc.

Do these become a springboard for me to personally learn more and deepen my spiritual bond with the Lord of the Word; or do I only take these, without making any personal reflection and use it for giving sermons, talks etc.
Has the Word become a personal and intimate life-giver for me and do I have a deep thirst to know and grow more in the Word?

Through Prophet Jeremiah, the Lord reminds us to become ‘shepherds after His Own Heart’:
“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer 3:15)
… the Bible is the great source to grow in Knowledge and Understanding of the Lord!

As Christians, we are privileged and prized – to possess the Precious Book of God’s Salvific acts – in the Holy Bible.

As it is often said, “The BIBLE contains B(asic) I(nstructions) B(efore) L(eaving) E(arth)”

The Bible…
… is a treasury of immense love
… is a source of unmatched transformative power
… is a supplier of unparalleled strength and grace towards salvation

Let us realise that we have a “Document containing enough dynamite…
… to bring peace to a battle-torn planet!”

Do I treat The Bible just an ordinary piece of literature, a lifeless object to be just decorated (or in some cases, dusted and dirtied) and a book of sacredness but still untouched and unexplored…
… or can I discover It to be the mighty source, containing the immensity of God’s Power and encountering the Lord Himself, “Who is the Word – that became flesh and dwells among us?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!