“Holding our heads high in firm faith and trust, knowing that we have a God Who is deeply in love with us!”

(Based on Zec 9:9-10, Rom 8:9, 11-13 and Mt 11:25-30 – 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A)

This common incident is told of a speaker in a motivational session, who began the seminar by holding up a 200 Euro note.

With the audience curiously looking at the crisp-note, the speaker asked, “Who among
you would like to have this 200 Euro note?”

Needless to say, all the hands in that seminar-hall went up.

The speaker was not surprised.
He then said, “I will surely give this note to a lucky one among you… but first, let me do this…”

He then proceeded, to crumble up the note.

Oh… there it was… the note – now badly crumbled and no longer appearing crisp or appealing…

He then asked, “How many still want this note?”

No surprises! There was no reduction in the number of hands that went up!

The speaker proceeded to further disfigure the note and asked, “How many still want it?”

The number of hands that went up still remained the same…
… and in fact, there was a greater excitement among the audience, to get the note!

The note was badly crumbled and out of shape, yet all wanted that valuable note!

Does it sound strange?
Or was that just normal?

The note was badly crushed, but all still wanted it…!

For a moment, let’s replace that “note “with each one of us.

Do we still feel that we have the same acceptance – even though we feel we are disfigured or in bad shape?
Do we have the same liking for ourselves who have been badly battered or hurt in life?

We already seem to be having some second thoughts, unlike in the case of the multi-Euro note!

It is here the Gospel of the day brings home the message, that whatever happens in our life…
… there will be One Person who will always accept us, long for us and love us, just as we are: God!

Life may many times crumble us and ground us, to alter us…
Sin may many times cause us to be disfigured and stained and blemished…
But in all this, we have a great assurance: God accepts and loves us!

The Gospel of the Day is the beautiful invitation by the Lord…
…. to come to His Presence
… and to rest in His Heart!

Jesus says, “Come to me all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28)

Our lives are characterised by innumerable occasions when we feel tired and exhausted and just to give up….
… Those doing their studies often feel the burden of their academics and say, “Oh, I am fed up of this!”
… Those doing household chores at times feel unrewarded and unrecognised and say, “Oh, it’s a daily burden!”
… Those into works of livelihood sometimes struggle with pressures and deadlines and say, “Oh, I am really tired of all this!”
… Those in positions of caretaking others, often strain against temperaments and characters and say, “Oh, I feel so tired”
… Those who are surrounded by evil tendencies, bad habits and sinful cravings say, “Oh, I am I feel so weary!”

Each of us, at some time or the other…in some situation or the other…
… do feel the burden of being tired, weary and exhausted.

Perhaps… You feel life sometimes is a great struggle, isn’t it?

You often have thoughts like, “Why is my life so pitiable,” isn’t it?
You tend to think that “I wish all this was not there in my life,” isn’t it?
You have feelings that you are unlucky in life and “I have nothing to look forward,” isn’t it?

To each of us then, Our Gentle Lord invites: “Come my Child…. and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28)

Jesus says: “Take My yoke upon you…” (Mt 11:29)

The instant reaction to this sentence, to us who are already overburdened, might be…
… “Oh No! Why another yoke?”
… “I already have a yoke; why should I carry the Lord’s yoke?”

We need to understand the concept of a “yoke”, especially from the Jewish society.

‘Yoke’ is a bar of wood, so made as to unite two animals (usually oxen)…
… enabling them to work in the fields, drawing heavy loads and pulling instruments used for farming.

Farmers would ‘yoke’ the young ox with the old experienced ox to train them.

The old ox would take the major load and the young one would be walking along and learning.
… The burden of the young one is reduced and the older one takes over the weight of the work!

The yoke, helps the young one…
… to reduce its burden
… to feel urged to do more, as its efforts are doubled by the elder one

This is the picture of the ‘yoke’ that Jesus presents…
… Yoke as a symbol of partnership
… Yoke as a symbol of control
… Yoke as a symbol of relief
… Yoke as a symbol of hope

When we take the “yoke” of Christ…
… He Strengthens us
… Our burdens are no longer ours; He takes over
… We find a meaning for our lives and we feel refreshed
… We feel urged to do more in life as the Lord blesses our efforts

Prophet Zechariah mirrors the emotions of the one who trusts in the Lord and finds strength in God: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is He…!” (Zech 9:9)

St Paul reminds us to live not by the flesh, but by the Spirit…
… and thus to prioritize God in our every activity
“So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh; for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom 8:12-13)

Are we ready to take the “Yoke” of Christ?

It means that we ought to build a relationship with the Lord…

It means that as disciples, we are willing to accept the “yoke” of our Rabbi and Master Jesus

Life might be harsh on us….

But the Lord invites us, “Come to me, and I will give you rest… Take my yoke”

Often we run to other sources for comfort and pleasure, to relieve ourselves from our burdens…
… sinful addictions
… unpleasant habits
… unholy sources of pleasure

But the Lord says, to instead present ourselves to Him, at every moment…
… and receive strength and rest from Him!

When we lean on to the Lord, He gives us His rest and consolation
When we are faithful to our relationship with Him, He strengthens us and comforts us!

Let us read the Word of God daily to find strength

Let us spend time with the Lord in prayer every day without fail
Let us worthily receive the Sacraments to experience His Living Presence

Let us hold our heads high in firm faith and trust, knowing that we have a God who is deeply in love with us

May the “Yoke” of Christ give us rest, hope, strength and joy
… and let us hear the Good Shepherd telling us in our moments of struggle, “My Child, I am with you always!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Allowing the charity of God to always radiate in us, knowing for sure that ‘the moon of God’s Love always goes on shining, even on the darkest nights!’”

(Based on Amos 9:11-15 and Mt 9:14-17 – Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A man, occupying an important and influential position in the society was often criticized for his honest and just way of dealing with things.

Once his friend enquired of him: “Why don’t you give fitting replies to your critics?”

To that the person replied:
“In my native town lives a widow who has a dog.

Whenever the moon shines, it goes outside and barks all night.”

The friend, confused on that example, asked: “ I didn’t get you…
… what is it about the dog and the moon?”

“Oh,” the man continued, “the moon went on shining — that’s all.”

Our lives our often marked by a number of criticisms and condemnations.

People often make “their own” yardsticks, to measure others actions, and to find a way of criticizing others!

Are we also sometimes in the category of those who “criticize and condemn” others?

The Gospel of the day is an invitation to examine this common human tendency of assessing others’ manners and conduct…
… based on “standards and measurements” that are set by ourselves.

Do I evaluate the action of another person based on my own “prejudiced” mindset… or do I measure it with the yardstick that God uses?
Do I critically analyse other people’s attitudes from my own “biased” perspective… or do I gauge it with the benchmark that God proposes?

In the Gospel, we see the disciples of John who come to Jesus with a critical query:
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Mt 9:14)

It is interesting to note the reason that the disciples of John use here, in order to ask put forward their question…

It would be something like this…
“We, the disciples of John… we follow our Master in leading an ascetic and hard life.

We fast often times during the week…
… we live a hard life.
Look at the Pharisees too…
… they fast twice a week, which is more than the stipulated requirement of the Law.
We engage ourselves in so much of fasting.

But look at your disciples…

They are only found to be enjoying life!
Why don’t they fast… like we do… ??”

They had perhaps made “their own” yardsticks to measure the actions of the disciples and found a way of criticising them!

But the Lord asks them to change this their “yardstick” and “measuring scale” of judging other people.

Jesus gives an example of the bridegroom and the context of a marriage.

Marriage is the time of joy and celebration…
… not of mourning or being sad!

It is a time of feasting…
… and not fasting!
A time of feasting on God’s tremendous Providence and Grace!
A time of feasting on the Love and Compassion shown by the Lord!

The Lord makes a challenge….
… consider and evaluate situations from the “eyes of God” – in the way that God sees.
… assess and measure people in the “manner of God” – with the approach that God takes.

It is said that when God measures a person, He puts the tape around the heart, and not the head!

The attitude of “criticizing and complaining” is a constant temptation.

We may perhaps, also be victims of the same.
But let us always remain “true to ourselves, and honest in what we do”

Let the Charity of God always radiate in us and thus know for sure…
… “the moon of God’s Love always goes on shining!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“May St Thomas help us, with his intercession and inspiration, to become Christians of conviction and to firmly cry out, in joyful acclamation, ‘My Lord and My God’”

(Based on the Solemnity of St Thomas, the Apostle of India)

A young man joined the military service as a soldier.

One morning, he was ordered by the sergeant to report for duty at the canteen.

He, however refused.
The sergeant threatened to report him to the officer that day.

“All right,” said the young man, “go ahead. I did not enlist to be a bartender but a soldier, and I will not report at the canteen!”

His action of refusal was duly reported to the major who sent for him.

His companions taunted him as being “adamant” and “snobbish”

The young man went to the Major – with trembling knees but a steady heart – for he knew he was right.

The officer asked him, ‘Are you the young man who disobeyed orders this morning?’

“Yes, sir, I am.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Simply because I do not believe it is right to do what I was asked to do.

I enlisted to be a soldier and not a bartender.’

The officer arose quickly from his chair.

A trickle of fear went down the spine of the young man!

However, the officer extending his hand, said: “Young man, you are the kind of man we want.

I am glad to see a fellow who has the courage of his convictions. You are not obliged to report at the canteen.
I am proud of your convictions!”

The young man was supposedly considered by others as being “adamant” and “proud”…

But the officer realized the worth of this young man – as having a courageous character of convictions!

True commitment and steadfast faithfulness in life requires the power of convictions and certainty!

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Thomas – who is popularly (or rather infamously) called as the “Doubting Apostle”.

He was probably considered by others as being “adamant” and “proud”…

It was his search for convictions in life that made him seek for a proof for the Lord’s appearance
It was his desire for certainty in life that caused him to doubt at the words of his companions over the Lord’s Resurrection.

The Lord realized the worth of this young man- as having a courageous character of convictions!

When we go through the life of St Thomas as seen in the Gospels…
… we encounter a person constantly displaying courage, expressing commitment and seeking for convictions.

St Thomas indeed stands out among the other apostles…

1) It was probably St Thomas who first expressed his desire to give up his life for the Lord and His Kingdom…

“Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (Jn 11: 16)

St Thomas becomes a motivation for all those who follow Christ, to be bold and brave and even to give up one’s life for the Lord and His Kingdom

2) It was St Thomas who had the simplicity and the openness to ask Jesus when the Lord had declared that “Where I am going you know the way,” and the Lord had responded “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”…

“Master, we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)

St Thomas becomes a consolation to all those who face genuine uncertainties in spiritual life and encourages to remain like a child – in openness, simplicity and frankness.

3) It was St Thomas who refused the trust the words of his companions on the issue of the Jesus’ Resurrection.

He knew that many of his companions had impulsive reactions and therefore, could not be believed for their words.

Therefore, he insisted that his belief in Christ’s Resurrection would depend only on His personal experience with the Lord

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in His Hands and put my finger into His side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25)

St Thomas becomes a refuge for all those who grapple with spiritual anxieties – lack of consolation in prayer life, deep longing to experience God…
… and many confusions regarding spiritual teachings and faith experiences

In St Thomas, we have a saint who is very human and with whom we – who are often prone to mistakes and frail in weaknesses – can easily connect.

He was brave, but also had his moments of feeling lost
He was courageous, but also had his moments of seeking answers for doubts
He was enthusiastic, but also had his moments of staying away from the faith-community

St Thomas is a shining beacon of courage.

He had his doubts.
But once cleared, he became a person of immense conviction.

This conviction made him to travel across many lands to give witness to Jesus, His Lord and Master…
… and even to give up His life, in martyrdom!

Yes, true commitment and steadfast faithfulness in life requires the power of convictions and certainty!

May St Thomas help us, with his intercession and inspiration, to become Christians of Conviction and Certainty…
… and to firmly cry out, in joyful acclamation, “My Lord and My God”

Happy Feast of St Thomas, the Convinced Disciple of Christ!

Happy Feast of Faith and Belief, Boldness and Courage to all!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Avoiding ‘harbouring’ of evil; instead, enthroning the Divine Mercy of the Lord in our hearts!”

(Based on Amos 7:10-17 and Mt 9:1-8 – Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

“Harbour” is a place on the coast, where ships may moor in shelter…
… especially one protected from rough water by piers, jetties, and other artificial structures.

The word “harbour” is also used to speak about a keep a thought or feeling, (typically a negative one) in one’s mind, especially secretly

The Gospel of the Day is an expose by Jesus, on how a group of people “harbour” wrong thoughts in the mind.

It is an exposition of this evil side of life that often empowers human hearts…
… and pops its head up, especially when encountered by goodness and holiness.

The Gospel is the healing of the paralytic, when Jesus comes into His own town.

Seeing the paralytic being brought on the stretcher, and admiring their faith, Jesus had said, “Courage child, your sins are forgiven” (Mt 9:2)

However, some of the scribes got irked hearing these words and said, “This man is blaspheming”

But Jesus, who knows the hearts of people…. who reads the thoughts of all.. said:
“Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Mt 9:4)

Another translation of this verse would read: “Why do you harbour evil in your hearts?”

The Lord exposes the evil intention of the Scribes in questioning His action of cleansing the paralytic.

For the paralytic, it was a great moment…
… of being cleansed from sin, and being restored to holiness
… of having a very personal encounter of the Saviour and receiving wholeness

It was a sacred time…
… a holy instant!

But where there is the presence of Holiness, evil finds itself disturbed and distances itself!

Evil cannot exist beside the Sacred!

Human life often finds itself engaged and engrossed with evil things…

The pull to be bad constantly lurks in human minds…
The urge to be sinful often prowls in human hearts…

Therefore, when the paralytic was encountering goodness and holiness…
.. the evil side in the scribes popped its head up, and questioned and quizzed our Blessed Lord.

The same question that Jesus asked the scribes is now thrown to us: “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” or “Why do you harbour evil in your hearts?”

Am I a person who is unable to tolerate the good things happening in other people’s life
Am I someone who gets irked and irritated when the other person prospers in happiness?

We sometimes adorn the walls of our hearts with many filthy stuff…
… uncharitable thoughts, indecent words and jokes
… hurtful views of people or crude perspectives of situations.

The Lord feels hurt and sad by this our “harbouring of evil in our hearts”

Are we ready to throw off all those unbecoming stuff from our hearts…
… and place the Divine Mercy of the Lord, enthroned in our hearts?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Growing deeper in our relation with the Lord, and with Him, being strong and bold against the storms of the evil one!”

(Based on Amos 5:14-15, 21-24 and Mt 8:28-34 – Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Four boys were on an expedition – through the rivers and valleys and the mountain ranges.

At the end of the day, they camped – with supper by a campfire – in a lonely ravine.

However, at midnight a terrific thunderstorm encountered them.

The boys were forced to take refuge from the storm in the barn of a farmer.

They felt safe from the stormy rain and lay on the hay…
… when suddenly they heard loud noises…

This time not that of nature… but of a human voice – loud and wild.

All through the night they heard that terrible shouting.

Somehow, in fear and trembling, they managed to through the night.

When dawn appeared, they come down from the barn, and realised the reason for the noise…

The farmer’s father was mentally unstable… mad
… locked up in one of the rooms of the house!

The expedition of the boys ended up with a dual-storm-experience!
… the storm of nature’s fury – in the thunderstorm and heavy rainfall
… the storm of human anger unleashed by that poor man who was hysteric

The Gospel of the Day along with the previous passage, presents two storms that are encountered by Jesus and His Disciples…
… the storm of nature’s fury – as They got caught in the heavy tempest while in the boat (Mt 8: 23-27)
… the storm of human anger – as They met the two demoniacs coming out of the tombs (Mt 8: 28-34)

In both the “stormy” and “turbulent” encounters, Jesus calms the “violence” and displays His supremacy as the Lord of all storms and turbulence.

The Gospel of the Day is the incident of the healing of the two demoniacs.

The word “demons” might immediately put off many people
… including perhaps some of us!

“Modern and so-called learned” sceptics of the Bible dismiss demon-possession as rubbish!

Some might say that it was just a primitive manner that people had, to describe psychic or social disorders.

Some might say that it was just a superstitious belief and practice.

But when we consider the Bible in its totality and especially the ministry of Jesus…
… it is very evidently seen that there is not much accommodation to superstitious beliefs or practices.

Any false or fanciful superstitious stuff was in fact, corrected or rectified!

The Church teaches that the Devil is real, and not just a mythical personification of evil.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Satan “acts in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and … his action causes grave injuries” (CCC #395).

Pope Francis, in his first homily quoted: ‘He who does not pray to the Lord, prays to the Devil.’

This then is an important aspect that we see in today’s Gospel
… Jesus performing this miracle of exorcism, showing His supreme power and authority over the satanic forces.

What is my understanding of Satan and the evil forces?

I need to realise that this real force opposes anything that is spiritual and holy.

This also means that wherever there is a spiritual action taking place, there is an opposition by the Devil and his evil power.

Do I arm myself with deeper faith, courage and conviction in God’s power?
Do I equip myself with greater holiness and sanctity to withstand evil influences?

The “Our Father” is a powerful prayer which invokes the power of God against the evil: “… and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil”

Another important and interesting dimension that we see in today’s Gospel passage is the repulsion and disgust for Jesus…

This repulsion is displayed by two groups:

The two demoniacs
The people of the town

And this repulsion is characterised by a singular word – “begging”

The demoniacs BEGGED Him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine” (Mt 8: 31)
Thereupon the whole town came to meet Jesus, and when they say Him, they BEGGED Him to leave their district” (Mt 8: 34)

The demoniacs couldn’t stand the Holiness and Power of the Lord and so they “begged” Him to cast them into the swine

The people of the town – we are not very sure, what exactly were their reasons – too had a repulsion to the Lord and “begged” Him to leave their district.

In both the cases, one thing is clear: Holiness was opposed and was found repulsive by evil forces!

Where there is Holiness, evil cannot stand!
Where there is Sanctity, satan finds it unbearable!

This then, makes it imperative on our part, as Christians, to embrace ourselves closer into holiness and immerse ourselves deeper into the power of God!

Evil is a reality…

But the power of God, is much stronger!
Jesus says, “Fear not, I have conquered the world”

May we grow deeper in our relation with the Lord…
… and with Him, be strong and bold against the “storms” of the evil one!

God Bless! Live Jesus!