The Mammoth Cave National Park, in central Kentucky, is a U.S. National Park.
It encompasses portions of the Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world.

In these caves, one can see enormous pillars which have been formed by the steady dropping of water from the roof of the cavern.

This masonry – formed of solid rock – made by the slow and silent process of nature, is a true marvel…
• A single drop of water, finds its way from the surface down through the roof of the cave, and deposits its sediment
• Another follows it and still another… each adding its imperceptible contribution, until the icicle of stone begins to grow, ultimately reaching the pillar which likewise has been forming on the bottom of the cave.

These become a massive pillar  – brilliant and classic.

This process is so similar that which occurs in our hearts…

Each thought, that awakens for a moment, sinks into the soul – just as each little drop of water, with its limestone deposit, makes its contribution to the pillar in the cave.

Other thoughts follow and yet others…erecting within our hearts, pillars of purpose that form our character.

 Think nobler, and our character will mould into being noble…
 Think wicked, and our character will decay into being evil…
What is the thought-pattern that we nurture in our lives?

The Gospel of the Day makes a dramatic presentation of two opposing characters – one of them holy and the other evil – John the Baptist and Herod the Tetrarch –  which were formed as a result of the accumulation of contrasting deposits of thoughts and feelings.

The Gospel passage is a sort of a “flashback” passage which recounts the visually-disturbing incident of the ‘beheading of John the Baptist’.

The increasing popularity of Jesus caused Herod the Tetrarch, the ruler of the land, to come face-to-face with his guilty conscience.

Truth is always very powerful!

It can, silently, yet very authoritatively …
… challenge faulty lives
… prick guilty consciences
… confront culpable actions

Herod bore the guilt of having killed John the Baptist, who was the voice of the Truth.
 He knew that he had done something extremely wicked and merciless
 He knew that he had acted in opposition to truth, to honesty and to sincerity.

Therefore, the rising fame of the Lord – whom he misunderstood as John – drove him to despair over that brutal act of the killing of the Baptist.

• The constant exposition to wicked thoughts and evil inclinations had caused his life to become a pillar of guilt-filled feelings!

 Think wicked, and our character will decay into being evil…

On the other hand, was the righteous life of John the Baptist.

He was born with a sense of purpose – of being a voice to the Truth.

He maintained this goal by always living in sincerity – fearless and courageous.
To this end, he even valiantly shed his blood!

• The constant nurturing of holy purposes and sacred acts had caused his life to become a pillar of a purpose-filled existence!

 Think nobler, and our character will mould into being noble…

What is the thought-pattern that we nurture in our lives?

• Is my life a Pillar…
… of guilt-filled feelings – formed by deposits of wickedness, evil and sin?

OR

• Is my life a Pillar…
… of a purpose-filled existence – formed by deposits of holy determination and sanctified lives?

Today we celebrate the Feast of a Great Saintly Doctor of the Church – St Alphonsus Liguori, the Patron Saint of Theologians.
 His life was lived in-purpose
 His being was filled with determination.

May His words…

“The more a person loves God, the more reason he has to hope in Him.
This hope produces in the Saints an unutterable peace, which they preserve even in adversity, because as they love God, and know how beautiful He is to those who love Him, they place all their confidence and find all their repose in Him alone”

… inspire and impel us to also live holy lives – and thus our lives may become a “marvellous edifice” and an “enormous pillar” of God’s graces.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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…

1. What is my reading habit with respect to the Bible – God’s Word…?

 Have I read the Bible fully, atleast 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, atleast a few minutes to read the Bible?

 Can I make genuine efforts to memorize atleast a few verses from the Bible?
• These verses can be invoked in our moments of prayer, in our moments of needing spiritual strength, in our moments of deepening the faith etc.

2. 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?

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

As it is 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

Do I treat it 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!

Every form of mass media has some kind of an influence on its audience or users.

Some forms of mass media are more powerful and influential…
Some others are lesser…

There is a sense of identification that users have with the content of the Mass Media.

For example:
• A scene in a movie may make its audience to burst out laughing, to shed tears at an emotional scene or even induce anger at seeing a disturbing scene.
• A commentary or a nice song or jingle or a funny comment by the host in a radio program may make the listeners to smile, to be excited or to be just relaxed.
• A meme that is seen on the social networking site or a video or a picture that is shared through mobile social apps like WhatsApp, may make the user to reflect deeper or to feel happier or draw out of ignorance

The Gospels are also a great and effective form of Mass Media…
… sharing the message of God’s love to all
… spreading the news of the Kingdom to all
… reaching out the compassion of the Lord to all

One of the important composition of the Gospel is in the form of “parables”

The Gospel of the Day, presents the dynamics of Jesus using “parables” as an effective method of communication of the message of the Kingdom of God.

The passage begins with an enquiry by the Disciples:
“The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” (Mt 13:10)

The Gospel of St Mathew is generally structured comprising of The Five Discourses…
1. The Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7)
2. The Sermon for the Mission (Chapter 10)
3. The Sermon in Parables (Chapter 13)
4. The Sermon of the Church (Chapter 18)
5. The Sermon on Eschatology (Chapters 23-25)

The Thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of St Matthew is the “Sermon in Parables”

Jesus was a master story-teller.
He presented the mighty mysteries of the Kingdom in plain parables.

The parables, however, had two contrasting aspects to it…

1. On one side, they were simple and revealed many things

 The parables of the Lord were based on everyday experiences of the people and local practices, customs and culture.

This contextualization helped the people to easily connect with the message that Jesus wanted to convey.

2. On the other side, they were complicated and concealed many dimensions

 The parables of the Lord would neatly conceal many of the complicated dimensions of the mysteries of the Kingdom.

This concealing caused many people to misunderstand, misinterpret Jesus as well as the message that He wanted to convey.

This dual aspect in the “parables” of Jesus…
• simple and revealing many things
• yet, complicated and concealing many dimensions

… had a dual effect…
• To many, it generated interest, a sense of wonder and made way for deeper reflection and personal transformation
• Yet, to many others, it failed to make any impact, or even made them to close their hearts in receiving the truth of the Lord

The Parables of Jesus, therefore, also sparked two types of hearers…

… Supporters and Believers
 Those who heard and understood the parables, and had their life transformed – growing closer to the Lord and becoming effective missionaries of the Kingdom!

… Opponents and Skeptics
 Those who heard, but with minds were closed to the message of the Parables, and had their hearts hardened – distancing themselves from the Lord and turning to be adversaries of the Kingdom!

The Parables of the Lord are delivered to each one of us too.

What effect do they have, on our lives…
 Do I remain open to its message and thus grow to be a supporter of the Kingdom and Believer in the Lord….?
 Or do I close my heart to its truths and thus reduce myself to be an opponent to the Lord and a skeptic of the Kingdom of God…?

Jesus used the “parables” as an effective method of communication of the message of the Kingdom of God…
… to share the message of God’s love
… to spread the news of the Kingdom
… to reach out the compassion of the Lord

Do I find a sense of identification with the message of the Parables…
… or do I remain closed and hard-hearted?

May the Gospel – and in particular, the Parables – turn out to be a powerful form of Mass Media, effecting transforming changes in us!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

We sometimes find advertisements,  in newspapers or magazines, that invite the readers to apply for a job or a task.

These ads…
… attract those who are interested by mentioning the various packages and privileges
… inform regarding  various factors and parameters that makes one eligible for that post or duty.

The Gospel of the Day presents such an open-invitation – in a bid…
…. to attract all, to the Kingdom of God, by mentioning various packages and privileges
…  to inform, regarding  various factors and parameters that makes one eligible for the Kingdom of God

In the Gospel passage, we read that “The family of Jesus come to meet Him, while He was at ministry” (Mt 12: 46)

“Someone told Him, ‘Your Mother and Your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you” (Mt 12: 47)

But the Lord makes use of this context to put forward a very important truth:
• Spiritual bonding with God, the Father takes higher precedence over blood bonding.
• Spiritual relations are to be given a higher priority over the generational heritage and legacy.

A new and significant understanding is put forward by Jesus to define “His Family”
“… whoever does the Will of My Heavenly Father is My brother and sister and mother” (Mt 12: 50)

Thus, we see a wonderful ad that Jesus displays…

An ad…
…. to attract all, to the Kingdom of God by mentioning various packages and privileges
…  to inform, regarding  various factors and parameters that makes one eligible for the Kingdom of God

Here are the main aspects of this great ad…

 The Offer: Being a member of the Family of God

Jesus makes a open and loving invitation for all to be part of His Family.

We are given a privilege to be called the brothers and sisters of our Blessed Lord!

• What a great honour!
• What a wonderful favour!

 The Qualification: Seeking and doing the Will of God

The most essential and basic qualification to possess the offer of being a member of the Family of God, is to seek and do the Will of God.

Jn 1:12 says, “..to those who accept Him, He gave power to become children of God”

 The Privileges: Divine Peace and Happiness on the earth and promise of life eternal

The One who is part of the Divine Family, also is privileged to share in the life and happiness of the Divine Family!

Jn 6:40 declares, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

 Who can apply: Anyone, who is daring to sacrifice one’s personal agenda

The one who can apply for this “offer” of being a member of God’s Will is to possess a dare and courage: to let go of one’s personal desires in life, and seek to embrace what God wants of him/her.

Mt 16: 24 says, ” Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.

When should it be applied: At the earliest, in the first instance possible

The opportune time to take the initiative to participate in the Divine Family is “now”

In the parable of the ten virgins, in Mt 25: 1-13, the five virgins missed the opportunity to be part of the wedding feast, because of their delay and postponement.

2 Pet 3:9 says, “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,” but He is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Our Blessed Lord would be delighted to have us as part of His Divine Family.

For this, He also gives out His ad…
… attracting us to the Kingdom of God
… informing us of the various factors  and parameters

Are we willing to positively respond to this invitation of the Lord?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The English word ‘sincere’ comes from two Latin words : ‘sin-e’ and ‘cere’.

‘Sin-e’ means: without
‘Cere’ means: wax

So ‘sin’e’ + ‘cere’ means “without wax”

Sincere, therefore, literally means, being “without wax”

In ancient Greek, when art flourished, it was a common practice to repair with “invisible wax”, any vase or statue that had, as a result of carelessness, been damaged.

Sometimes while chiselling the bust in marble, if the chisel slipped out the Sculptor’s hand, some edge of the statue would be chipped off.

Rather than taking the trouble of making a new bust, the sculptor would repair the features with “wax” so that the flaw could not be detected, unless by very close scrutiny.

However, if the client happened to be a knowledgeable person, he would carry the finished statue into the open before paying for it, and examine it carefully in the sunlight!

If the statue was “sincere” i.e. “without wax” – it would remain firm; else some parts of it would drop down!

“Sincerity” of the statue was thus examined in the presence of sunlight!

Am I a “sincere” person… “without the wax” of deceit, malice, corruption or guile?
• I need to come into the presence of the Sunlight – Jesus – to be examined!

The Gospel of the day presents an incident where the “insincerity” of a certain group of people was exposed in the warming and bright presence of Jesus, the Light of the world.

Some of the Scribes and the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you” ( Mt 12: 38)

Through St Paul, we get to know that it was, probably, a characteristic of the Jews to ‘demand signs’.
“For Jews demand signs, and Greeks look for wisdom” (1 Cor 1: 22)

When we scan through the pages of the Bible, we also see God Himself giving many signs to His people…

 God put a mark on Cain, after he had killed Abel, so that no one should kill him at sight (Gen 4: 15)

 God gave the sign of the ‘rainbow’, as a sign of the covenant, so that the waters would never become a flood, to destroy all mortal beings (Gen 9: 13-15)

 God empowered Moses with many signs, when Moses had to present himself before Pharaoh, in a bid to ask him “to let go” of the Israelites ( Ex 3: 12)

 Two hundred and fifty men were consumed, by a fire from the Lord, after they had unworthily offered incense to God (Num 16: 35)

 God gave a sign to Gideon, when he asked for it, humbly, as a confirmation in his entrusted task (Judg 6: 17)

 God gave a sign at King Saul’s anointing (1 Sam 10: 1-13)

However, in today’s Gospel, we find that when the Pharisees and the Scribes, demand a sign, Jesus doesn’t yield to it!

What was the reason?

The demand of the Pharisees and Scribes was a demand for a sign “not in humility” or “to really cast off any doubt”
• Rather, this was a demand for a sign that exposed their obstinacy to remain in unbelief!

In fact, Jesus sees through their “insincerity”

He sees through the fact, that they were “with wax” – the wax of deceit, falsity and deception!
• And this their “wax” of trickery, began to melt in the presence of Jesus, the Powerful Light!

Therefore Jesus comes down heavily on them and says, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign…” (Mt 12: 39)

Note the two strong words that Jesus uses…
 Evil: pointing to a wicked heart that sought destruction and spoiling the lives of others

 Adulterous: pointing to an unfaithful heart that reduced relations to a mere pragmatic nature, and was characterised by cheating and disloyalty.

Is my life also characterised by constantly wanting “only” signs from God…

• I expect immediate answers to all my prayers, in the way I want
• I always want some miracles, as I choose, to keep the light of my faith burning
• I get depressed and feel totally lost when I do not get the signs that I expected in life
• I witness a lot of wondrous deeds around me, but still I remain obstinate  in my unbelief

Is my Christian life only a sign-seeking one…
 Or is my Christian life, rather,  a Saviour-seeking one?

Do I be obsessed with wanting only miracles…
 Or am I, rather, passionate and zealous about the Master?

Jesus invites us to be “sincere” – “without wax”.
• In His bright presence, all “wax” of duplicity and hypocrisy will melt
• In His glowing light, all “wax” of dishonesty and deception will dissolve

May we be closer to Jesus, the Great ‘Sun’ and live our Christian Lives, in “sincerity”, in zealousness and with deeper passion for the ‘Son’ of God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Pandora’s Box” is a phrase which means a process that once begun, generates many complicated problems.

There is a Greek mythological story about the origin of this phrase – the “Pandora’s Box”

According to the Greek legend, the first woman of the earth, named Pandora was sent to the earth, by the gods, with a casket (box) in her hand.
She was forbidden to open this box.

However, out of immense curiosity one day she lifted the cover of the box and looked in.
But there came forth from the box, every conceivable plague for man’s body and his mind, and immediately they scattered themselves far and wide throughout the earth.

Pandora hastened to replace the lid of the box, but there was only one thing left – Hope!

Often our life can resemble this mythological tale, in that, we face a whole set of evils and troubles unleashed at us.   

The Pandora’s Box – of persecutions, of difficulties, of sadness, of daily tensions – gets opened often in our lives.
But Life still invites and challenges us to Move on with Life, in Hope, seeking to heal every negativity!  

Our Blessed Lord is our model and perfect example for this.

While on the earth, He had to face the trial of many Pandora Boxes – of cruel plots, of hurtful betrayals, of painful rejections – being unleashed at Him.
Yet, He remained firm and defiant in His Zeal and Passion for His Mission – His Mission of being a “Hope to the Gentiles”( Mt 12: 21)

The Gospel of the Day makes a vivid presentation of this struggle of our Blessed Lord was subjected to.   

The Gospel passage begins with the verse, “But the Pharisees went out and took counsel to put Jesus to death” (Mt 12: 14)

There could be perhaps, quite a factors that prompted the religious elders of the time, to make this move

1. Jesus did not correspond to their idea of being a Messiah   

The Pharisees and the religious leaders of the time, probably had a externally dominant visualization of the Messiah Who was to come…
• Someone Who was politically powerful
• Someone Who would be Restorer of their Religion
• Someone Who would firmly establish the Jewish Empire

But none of these seemed to be evident in the ministry and life of Jesus. 

2. Jesus seemed to be a thorn in their cosy structured and institutionalized pattern of life  

The long wait for the Messiah had resulted…
• In religion in being devoid of religiosity and instead being reduced to mere rituals
• In Spirituality losing its sheen of sacredness and instead being sunken to mere static statutes

This had resulted in creation of classes…
 Of the Ruling Class:  consisting of the Pharisees, the Scribes and other religious leaders and elders,
 Of the Ruled Class: consisting of the ordinary people, whose voices were often restrained, and had become mute followers of the tradition.

Jesus, however, by His Vibrant Teachings, His Mighty Deeds and His Uncompromising Life, disturbed all such cosy structures and comfortable religious life-style.

How often do we also turn anti against those who become a ‘Jesus’ to us…

• Those whose ideas do not correspond to our sinful or lethargic ways of life  
• Those who become a thorn in our cosy and institutionalized pattern of life      

We too may sometimes plot ways and means to end such forces..
… which trigger transformation in us
… which awaken our consciences to lead purer or holier lives

We are instead, invited to be like Jesus, our Blessed Lord.

He faced a mighty unleashing as from a Pandora’s box…
… deadly plots to end His Life and Mission
… uncharitable venoms of conspiracy to terminate His life

Yet, He remained firm and bold to remain ” the Chosen Servant, the Beloved in Him God delighted, the One who proclaimed justice to the Gentiles and in Whose Name, the Gentiles hoped (cf. Mt 12:18 -21)

Are we ready to “live our lives in hope” even though we may often experience the evils of the “Pandora’s Box” seeking to submerge us?

May Jesus, our Blessed Lord be our hope, our strength and our courage!

God Bless! Live Jesus!