“Realising that even in our ‘saddest walks of life,’ the Lord is with us – walking with us, and giving us many signs and symbols of Faith!”

(Based on Acts 3:1-10 and Lk 24:13-35 – Wednesday in the Octave of Easter)

A commonly known incident is told of a customs officer, who observed a truck coming up to the border.

The wary behaviour of the driver caused the customs officer to look at him with suspicion – of smuggling some goods – and he ordered a search of the vehicle.

The officer was pretty sure, that the driver was involved in smuggling something…

But even after a thorough search – of the panels, the bumpers, the wheel cases and other parts of the truck….
… he was unsuccessful!

Not convinced, but due to lack of proof, the customs officer had to wave the driver through.

This happened many times over the years – week after week….

The officer made the driver to go through rigorous searches: full body search, X Rays, Sonar…
… but nothing illicit was ever found!

Finally, the day arrived when the customs officer was to retire.

For one last time, the officer observed the same driver coming in…
… and he asked him: “I know you are a smuggler!

And I also know, very cleverly, you have been deceiving me all these years, and taking some goods beyond this check point.

Today is my last day at work.

So I pray you, to tell me what have you been smuggling all these years.
I promise that I will not tell anyone about it.”

Seeing the insistent pleading of the customs officer, the driver replied, coolly:
“Trucks!”

The customs officer had made a detailed check up of the driver, on several occasions.

But he missed the most obvious good that could have been smuggled: Trucks!

How often can this happen in our lives as well…
… We “miss the most obvious!”

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful incident to “open our eyes” to see the obvious – the obvious reality of our Faith…
… and thus, to be convinced witnesses of this Good News of the Reality!

The post-Resurrectional narratives today presents before us the incident of our Risen Lord appearing to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus (Lk 24: 13-35).

One of the striking features that this passage presents before us is the human tendency (weakness!) to “miss the obvious!”

The two disciples, who are on the way to Emmaus, had been greatly struck by the incidents that had happened over the last one week in Jerusalem.

This therefore, resulted in them failing to “read the signs of symbols”…

Their Master, Jesus, in Whom they had placed all their hopes, had undergone a cruel death on the Cross (Lk 24:21).
… The CROSS, however, seemed, to them, purely as a sign of humiliation and shame!

This was followed by the report of some women who had seen the empty Tomb of the Lord (Lk 24:22)
… The EMPTY TOMB, however, seemed, to them, purely as a sign of dashed hopes and broken dreams

This confusion was confirmed by some of the other members of the group, but Him they had not met (Lk 24: 24)
… This ABSENCE of JESUS, however, seemed, to them, purely as a sign of a lost prospect and an uncertain future.

As they walked on the way, Jesus explained the Scriptures to them, to open their hearts to what was written about Him (Lk 24: 27)
… The SCRIPTURES, however, seemed, to them, purely as a sign of falling on deaf ears and God’s words being found empty.

As they reached the village, Jesus made movements as if to go on ahead (Lk 24: 28)
… The MOVEMENTS of JESUS, however, seemed, to them, purely a sign of a traveller wanting to move on with His journey

A number of symbols were presented to these disciples…

Cross, Empty Tomb, Absence of Jesus, Scriptures, Movements of Jesus
… but all of them seemed irrelevant and immaterial.

They failed to make an impact!
They MISSED THE OBVIOUS!

That’s when, our Blessed Lord would “open their eyes” by partaking in one of the most important post-resurrectional ‘Expression of His Presence’: The Breaking of Bread!

“He sat down to eat with them, took the bread, and said the blessing; then He broke the bread and gave it to them…
… then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him!” (Lk 24: 30-31)

The ‘Breaking of the Bread’ opened their eyes… and they began to “See the Obvious”

The Cross began to be seen as the Symbol of Victory!
The Empty Tomb began to be seen as the Symbol of God’s Almighty Power!
The Absence of Jesus began to be seen as the Symbol of His Presence amidst the community!
The Scriptures began to be seen as the Symbol of God’s Promises being fulfilled!
The Movements of Jesus began to be seen as the Symbol of the Lord alluring them to invite Him into their hearts and homes!

This incident invites us to also have our “eyes opened” and “see the obvious” in our Faith.

And this experience is deepened by our participation in the “Breaking of the Bread”.

The “Breaking of Bread” is the Holy Eucharist.

This incident of the “Breaking of Bread” contains the elements (Scripture, Prayer, Blessing, Breaking of bread) of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church…
… “Eucharistic celebration always includes: the proclamation of the Word of God; thanksgiving to God the Father for all his benefits, above all the gift of his Son; the consecration of bread and wine; and participation in the liturgical banquet by receiving the Lord’s body and blood.”

There are moments in our life, when we like the Disciples on the way to Emmaus, walk dejected and disillusioned.
… things seem lost for us and the future holds no good for us
… darkness seem to pervade our every thought

Like those Disciples, we too are given a lot of symbols of God’s Presence…
… but we fail to find meaning in them!

It is therefore the Breaking of the Bread – the Holy Eucharist – that can strengthen our Christian Life and “open our eyes”…
… to “see the obvious!”

May this powerful incident of the Emmaus Experience, help us to resolve and renew a few commitments with respect to the Holy Eucharist…
… to be more eager to participate for the Holy Mass as often as possible
… to never be late for Mass; instead to prepare well, and participate with more enthusiasm
… to seek to spend more time with the Eucharistic Lord and encourage others to do so as well

It is the Eucharist that can help us to know and realize that even in our “saddest walks of life,” the Lord is with us – walking with us, and giving us many signs and symbols of Faith…

And thus, to have our “eyes opened”…
… and “see the obvious” in our Life of Faith!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being steadfast to the Lord, despite our tears and pains… and experiencing the caring and intimate Love of the One Who is ‘always with us!’”

(Based on Acts 2:36-41 and Jn 20:11-18 – Tuesday in the Octave of Easter)

One of the very beautiful verses in the Bible, not too known though… is from the book of the Psalms..

Psalm 56: 8, “O Lord.. You have stored my tears in a bottle”

Another translation would read, “… You have collected my tears in a wineskin”

This verse speaks volumes of a God who is so intimately related with a person and expresses a very personal and close association.

God is the God who…
… is specially close to His people in their moments of pain and suffering
… is particularly near to His people in their times of affliction and tribulations.

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful witness to this loving concern and tender affection of God…
… expressed by Jesus to Mary Magdalene.

We are still near the tomb of the Lord.

Mary Magdalene, the soul who loved the Lord so deeply, is still lingering around the tomb of the Lord.

She had experienced Divine Love in a great manner.

Her heart could not fully accept that the Lord who had transformed her life was no more

Her mind could take in the fact that the One whom she loved so deeply had gone away.

And so she kept waiting.

True love always seeks…

True love always seeks to break boundaries, do away with hurdles and cast away any barriers

Finally, when she did encounter Him, her eyes were kept away from recognizing the Lord.

But the Lord did recognize her…
… not just her physical pains.. rather also her mental agony and her spiritual longing!

And so He asks her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” (Jn 20:13)

Mary had been incessantly weeping over the loss of her Beloved

She had been continuously shedding tears for the Lover of her soul.

However… these tears were not in vain….
… these tears were not lost in futility..

Rather, the Lord was storing them up carefully in a vial… in a bottle… in a wineskin

“O Lord.. You have stored my tears in a bottle” (Ps 56:8)

And these tears of affection, love and fondness was rewarded by the Lord, by calling her by name, “Mary!” (Jn 20:16)

The sweetness of that voice, calling out her name, wiped away every tear!

Her tears were turned to smiles…
… her mourning to comfort
… her brokenness to immense joy!

Today, we are reminded the same…

We may be shedding many tears before the Lord…

It could be due to many reasons…
… maybe some personal crisis in life
… maybe some brokenness in the family
… maybe some tragedy or calamity to our closed ones

All these may cause us to have tears…
… either externally or within the depth of our hearts

Some tears may be seen by others…
… most others, will go unnoticed, invisible

Yet, the One who loves us the most – the Lord – is storing up all our tears in His presence

Each one of our tear is precious to the Lord…

Just like Mary Magdalene, who continued to be faithful and longing for the Lord…
… let us also be steadfast to our God, despite our tears and pains and sadness.

This faithfulness to Him will surely win the reward for us…
… the reward of our names being called out by the Lord!

Happy Easter to all of you!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Having the last laugh with Jesus, our Risen Saviour and Lord!”

(Based on Acts 2:14, 22-33 and Mt 28:8-15 – Monday in the Octave of Easter)

There’s a story of a little girl whose grandfather had passed away.

She stood beside his grave after the burial, quietly staring at the Cross.

The adults were weeping, but this child suddenly smiled and whispered to her mother, “Mamma.. Mamma… Grandpa is playing hide and seek with Jesus, right?”

And with a bigger grin, she said, “Wait and see… He’ll find him soon!”

The adults were stunned.

What seemed like a naïve comment carried a profound truth: Death is not the end.

For those who belong to Christ, it’s just a waiting game – until Resurrection comes calling.

The child in her innocence had captured the essence of Easter.

The world might see the tomb as the end…
… but we know, it’s where the Risen Lord begins His greatest surprise!

Well…
.. the three hours of the agonizing Death of Christ on the Cross, was seen as a sign of victory by Satan

The kingdom of darkness had conquered and the world of misery had overcome all goodness…
… so it was felt!

But it was God who had the last laugh!

Jesus rose from the dead…
… and Life and Salvation became the last words.

God indeed made a fool out of satan!

The Resurrection – Jesus’ rising from the dead – was the most spectacular joke that God had pulled on Satan.

It is a reminder that whatever happens in life…
… when one has entrusted everything to the Lord, then ultimately: God Saves!

During His life, the Lord encountered many occasions…
… when He was subject to being in humiliating, mocking and testing situations

At the desert, Satan had sought to make Jesus a fool, by tempting and luring Him through many temptations. (Mt 4: 1-10)
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord once again faced a trying time in battling to embrace God’s Will totally and completely (Lk 22: 41-44)
On the Cross, the soldiers and others who persecuted the Lord, mocked and challenged Him to come down from the Cross (Mk 15: 29-32)

At every stage of His Life, our Blessed Lord was put into situations of being the “butt of jokes” and the “laughingstock”…
… and a target for many a trial, tribulations and mockeries.

The Crucifixion was meant to be the greatest of all such “agonizing” mockeries!

But…
… Divine Wisdom always finds a way out to triumph!
… Divine Providence always regains the way to victory!

This is the message of the Resurrection.

The Gospel of the Day is the account of the encounter of Jesus with the women, who had come to the tomb of the Lord.

The women who saw the empty tomb and encountered the Lord, were filled with a holy fear, a tremendous joy and a deep devotion. (Mt 28:8-9)

When one encounters Divine Wisdom…
… one is filled with true joy and peace.

Are we ready to share in the happiness of this “joyful” act of the Lord?

Life may bite us sharply with ensnaring temptations and evil tendencies…

Life may make a fool of us with mounting tensions and troubles…
Life may put us down badly with uncertainties and doubts…

We may often, find ourselves mocked.
We may often, find ourselves ridiculed.

But in all such situations, let us dare to look to our Crucified Lord…
… who Himself underwent painful mocking and unfair scorning…
Yet, had the final laugh, through the Resurrection from the dead!

The Resurrection gives us…
… every reason to rejoice, even in the midst of deadly trials…
… every cause to be joyful, even in the midst of heavy tribulations…

May the Risen Lord be the reason for us to rejoice and be joyful, thanking Him for the greatest joke ever – the crushing of Satan by the power of the Holy Cross!

Let us entrust all our works and deeds to the Safe Hands of Jesus…
… because “God always saves!”

As Christians, we can indeed rejoice and say, that “on Easter Day, Christ truly made a fool of sin and death!”

And we are reminded: “Life may often make you a fool!

But never be discouraged; with Jesus, we will always have the last laugh!”

Happy Easter to all of you!

“Let HALLELUJAH be the joyful song that we radiate in all our thoughts, words and deeds!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The HOLY WEEK is the holiest week in the Liturgical Year!

And this HOLY WEEK can truly become a HOLY & HEALING WEEK…
… if we make efforts to TOTALLY LIVE FOR GOD!

The HOLY WEEK is a reminder to all of us…
… that God has given HIMSELF TOTALLY FOR US!

And we in turn, are to GIVE OURSELVES TOTALLY TO THE LORD!

Let this week, be a time…
… to grow in greater personal intimacy in His Word
… to ‘fall in love with Him’ in the Holy Eucharist
…. and to dwell with Him, near His Holy Cross.

Let us try to perform THREE TASKS, THIS WEEK
a. READ: Read the last 3 chapters of all the four Gospels – in order to meditate deeper on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ

b. REPAIR: Repair our relationships, especially by praying for those with whom we are not very okay, and extending the forgiveness and goodwill of the Lord to them

c. RESOLVE: Resolve to overcome a particular bad habit/sin that has been nagging us for sometime, and/or cultivating a virtue in order to grow in our Christian life

Let we hold the hands of our Blessed Mamma and St Joseph – and imitate them – in seeking the Will of the Lord, always!

Wish you a Blessed Holy Week!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

(Based on the Holy Week)

We have entered into the Most Blessed Week in the Liturgical Calendar

The Holy Week commemorates the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord.

The Lord came to this world to die.

The shadow of His cross was cast on every event of His life.

And now, we are ready to mingle ourselves with those Sacred Moments of commemorating His Cross.

March 30, 2026
On MONDAY, we have the Gospel wherein Mary anoints the feet of the Lord (Jn 12: 1-11)

We could ponder on some aspects…
a. The deep love of Mary
… Least bothered of what others felt.
… Least mindful of her own shame or dignity
All that mattered to her was Jesus and love for Him

Can I grow in my spiritual life, to possess such a unique and undivided love?

b. Danger of piety being covered up under the cloak of materialism, duplicity – Judas.
His focus was moved from “Following the Lord” to “Plotting against the Master”

Is my love for the Lord, losing its sheen and getting corrupted with worldliness?

March 31, 2026
On TUESDAY, we ponder with the Lord in His final discourse to His disciples (Jn 13: 21-33, 36-38)

We could dwell on some of the aspects…
a. The various attitudes towards the Lord, highlighted through the Disciples
… John, the beloved disciple, who could remain close to His heart.
… Simon Peter, the wavering disciple, genuinely wishing to follow the Lord, but failing often due to human limitations.
… Judas, the betraying disciple, in whom darkness had slowly encompassed and the night of sin was being encountered.

Am I growing in my love for the Lord, to be His beloved, or am I still floating on the waters of uncertainty or am I going downhill into spiritual darkness, failing to hold the hand of the Lord?

b. The prime importance needed in preparation to receive the Lord in the Holy Mass.
The Apostles had the privilege to participate in the First Holy Eucharist.
… however one of them, received the Lord with a deliberate and purposeful sin in the heart, which led to bringing death upon himself, at the reception of the Life-giving Bread.

Do I make the necessary preparations to receive the Lord worthily in the Holy Eucharist, growing in awareness of His presence in our hearts throughout the day…
… and in turn becoming a Eucharist to the needy in the world?

April 01, 2026
On WEDNESDAY, we reflect on the downfall of Judas (Mt 26: 14-25)

We could contemplate over some aspects…
a. Judas falls into the sin of avarice
One of the greatest dangers in life is that of misuse and attraction to money.
The Lord said, “Where thy treasure is, there thy heart too” (Mt 6:21)

Is my life too much attached to worldly pleasures, riches, powers, my own talents and capabilities that I fail to depend on the Lord and make Him the only and ultimate treasure of my life?

b. An insider is the one capable of being the greatest traitor and betrayer.
Among all the people who knew Jesus, The Twelve were chosen to be the closest.
… they shared the inner-most life and secrets of the Lord.

And therefore, the greatest danger was from one among them; and Judas Iscariot proved this right, by agreeing to betray his Master.

As an insider in the Church, am I betraying the Lord, by leading a lukewarm life, a scandalous life or a disinterested life?

April 02, 2026
On THURSDAY, we celebrate the intimate and passionate Love of Jesus!

The word ‘Maundy’ comes the Latin word “Maundatum” which means Command.

Three commands were expressed by the Lord…
a. The Command of Love
b. The Command of Commemorating the God of Love in the Holy Eucharist
c. The Command of continuity of sharing in the Priesthood of Jesus, the Priest and Victim

Can I grow in this consciousness and conviction to carry out the commands of the Lord?

April 03, 2026
On FRIDAY, we live through the Passion, Agony and Death of the Lord.

He who was sinless made Himself sin, for you and me!
… He who was blameless took upon the whole blame, for you and me!

Shall we make and mould our lives for holiness, abandoning our sinful ways…
… to be in greater communion with the One who died so that we may have life, and life in its abundance?

April 04, 2026
On SATURDAY, we pray at the tomb of the Lord, contemplating…
…. His deep, immense and unconditional for each of us, personally
… His Divine Wisdom to redeem the world back to Himself, scripting the greatest story ever

Yes the days are here…
… with another chance to review our lives, and renew our love-life with the Lord.

St Francis de Sales says, “Calvary is the Mount of lovers”
… and, “The love which is not the fruit of the Passion, is feeble”.

Our Greatest Lover is crucified there…
… as an expression of His love for us!

Come, let us also tread to path towards Him on Calvary, with our Blessed Mamma
… purging our sins, growing in His love
… and thus seek to rise with Him, and sing our eternal song – “Alleluia! He is Risen”

Wish you a Blessed Holy Week!

God Bless! Live Jesus!