A young man was to be sentenced to the prison for a serious offence.

>> The judge had known him from childhood, for he was well acquainted with his late father.

His father was a famous legal scholar and the author of an exhaustive study entitled, “The Law of Trusts.”

“Do you remember your father?” asked the magistrate.

>> “I remember him well, your honour,” came the reply.

Seeking to probe further, the judge said:
 “As you are about to be sentenced and as you think of your wonderful dad, what do you remember most clearly about him?”

There was a groaning pause.

>> Then the judge received an answer he had not expected.

“I remember when I went to him for advice.

He looked up at me from the book he was writing and said, ‘Run along, boy; I’m busy!’

When I went to him for companionship, he turned me away, saying:

“Run along, son; the writing of this book must be finished!’

Your honour, you remember him as a great lawyer.

But I remember him, only as a lost friend!”

The magistrate muttered to himself, “Alas! He finished the book, but lost the boy!”

The busyness of the father resulted in the boy failing to receive love, and thus ended up into bad ways of living.

Every person longs for love…
>> Every person longs to be cared for…

The father in this story, achieved great success in his worldly life, but failed miserably to love and care for his son.

However, in absolute contrast, we have our Heavenly Father, who is deeply in love with us, His children, and who never ceases to express His caring affection to us, at every moment.

Our Heavenly Father is also busy… but busy in loving His children, and expressing His constant care.
 

The Gospel of the Day is a testimony to Jesus affirming the assuring and loving presence of God, our Heavenly Father.

Jesus declares these beautiful words, which ought to be inscribed in golden shades, on the canvas of our hearts, “… the Father Himself loves you…” (Jn 16: 27a)

 This is indeed one of the mightiest and loftiest truth that we all need to know, experience, be convinced of, and live constantly in its assurance…
… the truth that “The Father Himself loves us!”

Every person longs for love and longs to be cared for…

Human love, however, sometimes fails to answer to this basic and essential need.

> Sometimes people around us get too busy, to even care for us…

>> Sometimes, people from whom we expect love, fail to understand our need…

>>> Sometimes, people who ought to care for us, fall short of their responsibility….

 
All this could leave a feeling a hurt within us.
>> All this could imprint a wound of sadness inside of us.

 
But in such moments of feeling lonely and desperation, especially, Jesus assures and promises us that we are not abandoned or left lonely…
>> Instead Jesus emphatically proclaims that just as He was loved by His Father, we too are loved by our Heavenly Father!

>> It is confidence in this tremendous love of the Father…
… that will make us to seek whatever we wish in life, knowing that our prayers will be answered, in the way and the time, that He, My Father wishes! (Jn 16: 26)

His Love will make me delight in His Will, letting go of my personal desires!

 
>> It is conviction in this unconditional love of the Father…
… that will make us to enjoy a deep sense of joy and bliss, knowing that in any situation of gloom or sadness or tension or worry, He, My Father, is taking me through! (Jn 16: 24)

His Love will make me want to do only His Will, setting aside my individual wantings!

 

Our Heavenly Father, our Abba is in deep love of each one of us…
>> The Crucifix is the proof of this “mad love” of the Father.

 
May we, with His grace, deepen our love and conviction in the Amazing Love of the Father.

>> He is busy.. but busy expressing His tender love to us.

>> He is busy writing… writing His letters of His precious love to us.

May we be privileged to hear:

“Wow!! He finished his/her life, and gained eternal life!”

 
God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Ten Fingers for God” is a biography on the life of Dr Paul W Brand, a noted leprosy expert. 

Dr. Brand was the first physician to appreciate that leprosy did not cause the rotting away of tissues, but that it was the loss of the sensation of pain which made sufferers susceptible to injury.

The biography, “Ten Fingers for God”, notes Dr Brand’s frightening experience one night, when he thought he had contracted leprosy…

Dr. Brand arrived in London one night after an exhausting trip.

He was getting ready for bed, had taken off his shoes, and as he pulled off a sock, discovered there was no feeling in his heel!

 >> The numbness in his heel terrified him!

 
He rose mechanically, found a pin, sat down again, and pricked the small area below his ankle.

>> He felt no pain!

He thrust the pin deeper, until a speck of blood showed… Still he felt nothing!

He supposed, like other workers with leprosy… he too had contracted the dreaded disease!

All that night the great orthopaedic surgeon tried to imagine his new life…

… as a leper, an outcast

… his medical staff’s shattered

… the forced separation from his family.

As night receded, “with steady fingers he bared the skin below his ankle, jabbed in the point….
… and behold…. He yelled!!”
 

Blessed was the sensation of pain!

He then realized that during the long train ride, sitting immobile, he had numbed a nerve.

>> And that had caused him a temporary numbness!

From then on, whenever Dr. Brand cut his finger, turned an ankle, or even suffered immense nauseating pain, he was to respond with fervent gratitude, ‘Thank God for pain!’

 
Pain was understood as being vital for the preservation of healthy tissue in anyone leading a normal life.

Pain is also to be understood as vital for the promotion, perseverance and progress of anyone wanting to lead a life, in deeper and closer union with the Lord!

 

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus declaring the reality of the presence of pain, suffering and sorrows in spiritual life, and yet those factors being pathways and passages to experience deep joy and bliss!

 
Not negating the actuality of the darker side of life, Jesus also mightily displays the large canvas of life which is enveloped in the light of happiness…

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16: 20)

Jesus was making His Apostles aware of the realities of His passion and death.

> He had came into the world to die!

>> Death was the goal and fulfilment of His life.

To the delicate and fragile minds of the Apostles, the Lord gives a very practical analogy: the pains and the bliss of motherhood…

“When a woman is in labour, she is in anguish, because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world” (Jn 16: 21)

This analogy of the Lord sheds light and hope for our sufferings and pains in life too.

 
Mothers know the pain of giving birth to a child.

To others, this pain, though not experienced, can be vaguely understood as being a very painful experience.

 
>> The pain is too excruciating…

>> The pain causes to think that everything within is being pulled out, with a piercing pain…

>> The pain sometimes makes the person to even cry out ‘I wish this never happened to me’ ….

Jesus says that the hardships, sufferings and trials that we undergo in life are such.

 
But the moment, the child is delivered and the mother sees the innocent face of her tender babe, the whole scenario of emotions changes…

>> The excruciating pain is replaced by a thrilling excitement and exhilaration!

>> The severe-anguishing sore is replaced by a delightful bliss and ecstasy!

>> The nerve-wracking ache is replaced by a heavenly joy and happiness!

And Jesus, such will be our joy too, if we are also faithful and loyal to the Lord, in pains and sufferings!

 
This is indeed a higher spirituality… a higher level of holiness…

>> To cherish joy, even in the midst of pain

>> To radiate happiness, even in the thick of sorrows.

It is to this elevated floor of sanctity that the Lord invites us.

>> He is with us to hold our hands to climb up  to this floor.

>> He is wanting to embrace us in love, as He beckons us to come nearer to Him.

 
When life stings us with pain…

> When problems beset us into agony…

… With hope, trust, faith and strength,
>> Let us exclaim: ‘Thank God for pain!’

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Just a minute, honey, and I will be ready…”
… thus goes the words of the wife who is busy with her make-up, while her husband keeps waiting, impatiently looking at his watch.

>> He knows it’s getting late to go for the scheduled program.
>>He also knows that the phrase “just a minute” would last a much longer time!

 

“Oh, Yes, I will get the work done in the next ten minutes…”
… thus goes the words of the official when asked to speed up the pending paper work of the renewal of a contract by a perplexed client

>> But the client knows the work will take much longer to be completed
>> He knows that the phrase “in the next ten minutes” would last a much longer time!

 

“Yes, Mummy, I will clean up the room right now…”
… thus goes the words of kids, when asked to clean up their room, which is in a state of mess

>> But the Mother knows that this cleaning up would be further delayed and would need more reminders
>> She knows that the phrase, “right now” would last a much longer time!

 

These are some of our day-to-day experiences of not being able to come to terms with “delays and uncertainties” with respect to time.

> Such delays and uncertainties, often put us through tensions or anxiety or an “uncomfortable” state of mind!

 
In the Gospel of the day, the disciples also undergo this experience…  of “delays and uncertainties” with respect to time.

Jesus tells His disciples, “A little while and you will see me no more; again a little while and you will see me” (Jn 16:16)

But these words of Jesus put the disciples into a state of dilemma
>> They failed to grasp the meaning of the words of Jesus and were confused!

 
They began to have a discussion on the phrase of Jesus – “a little while”

>> “What does he mean by ‘a little while'”? (Jn 16: 18)

How long was this “little while” going to be?
>> How does He define the phrase “a little while”?

If they knew exactly how long this “little while” would last…
…. then they would have been more courageous and patient

 
But now the disciples find themselves to be confused and in dilemma.

However, Jesus the Good Shepherd, knew the confusion of His little sheep
>> Jesus, the Master, knew the perplexity of His simple followers

But He doesn’t define the phrase “a little while”

>> He doesn’t say that it is a particular moment of time, that can be considered as a countdown!

>> He doesn’t refer to it as being an exact measure of time, to which one can count and gauge!

Instead, Jesus defines “a little while” in terms of an experience…

…an experience of weeping and lamenting turning into rejoicing

… an experience of sorrow turning into joy (Jn 16:20)

 

Is our life today in a state of crisis and confusion?

> Is our life today passing through waves of troubles and the deserts of anxiety?

>> Is our life today moving along the rough terrains of calamities and the valleys of brokenness?

 
Then the Lord assures us…
… “In a little while” and things will be fine!

… “In a little while” and the sunshine will appear again!

We might complain… How long is this “little while”!

We might argue…. this “little while” is being too agonising!

But the Lord invites and challenges us to look to Him, telling us…
“I too have had my painful and agonising moments… in My life and especially on the Cross

I too had My experience of feeling ‘how long is this little while going to last’…

But I stood firm and patient in trusting the Will of My Father…
… I held on the mighty Providence of my Father and knew that a bright morn awaited Me”

Yes, Jesus, through the Gospel wishes to encourage us and strengthen us…

… in sufferings, to love Him strongly!

… in hardships, to trust in Him deeper!

… in uncertainties, to depend on Him greater!

 

Surely, life will take us through many experiences…  of “delays and uncertainties” with respect to time.
… We may tend to lose our patience!
… We may feel like giving up!
… We may want to quit!

But let us turn to the Lord for strength, grace and courage…
… and listen to Him whispering to us…

“Hold on my Child! I am with you….embracing you in my arms!

In Me, your weeping will be changed to rejoicing

In Me, your sorrow will be turned to joy!”

Let us seek earnestly for this gift of deeper trust and complete surrender to the Mighty Providence and Holy Will of the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus! 

William Lyon Phelps was an American author, critic and scholar who taught the first American university course on the modern novel.

He taught English literature at the Yale University for forty-one years until his retirement in 1933.

Once, while correcting an answer-paper, before Christmas one year, Phelps came across a note (like the kind, even these days, some children would do in an examination, to appease and please their teachers!) in the answer paper: 
“Only God knows the answer to this question. Merry Christmas.”

A bit amused, Phelps returned the paper with this note:
“For that answer, God gets an A  grade – outstanding. And you get an F – below satisfactory. Happy New Year!!”

 
This little humorous incident (without being too critical), when looked from a global spiritual perspective, points out a grand and complex reality:

There are many questions of life which will keep baffling humanity.

 
To some answers will be found.
>> To some, answers will be known.

But to many, there will be a mysterious silence.

Humanity does not have an answer to all questions in life.

Yet, life encourages us to walk ahead, with trust and hope.

As Christians, this trust and hope finds a greater meaning and strength, because we have the assurance and promise of the Lord that He is with us, and solutions for life’s problems will be revealed to us, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of the Day is this assurance of Jesus that even though many things are not understood in life, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us, in time and as needed, the mysteries of life and of our faith.

The Lord had been with the disciples for quite some time and had instructed them on many teachings.

Even at  the final discourse, in the context of the Last Supper,  Jesus teaches His chosen ones many things.

Yet, He still has many more things to tell and teach.

 
But like a loving parent, who knows the grasping power of the child….
>> Like an understanding teacher, who realises the comprehending capability of the student…

Jesus knows, that the disciples would not be able to understand still further His teachings.

And so He says, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (Jn 16:12)

But He does not leave the Disciples in this state of hanging in mid-air…
>> He assures them of the Might Power that will follow His going away from the disciples.
>> He promises them that the Holy Spirit will descend on them and they would realise, gradually, the power and depth of His teachings!

“But when He comes, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you to all truth” (Jn 16: 13)

Our lives too remains a blank question-paper, with questions hurled at us, and answers found wanting!

Situations and circumstances put forward many uneasy, awkward and even unanswerable questions to us.

>> We look for answers.
>>We seek for solutions.

Sometimes we get.
>> But many times, we fail to obtain.

It may lead us to desperation.
>> It may even lead us to anxiety.

But the Lord assures us…
…  that He has the answer to every question in the world
… that He has the solution to every problem of our life.

But not all will be told to us, or revealed to us, at once.

>> They will be conveyed to us, at the appropriate time, in the appropriate situation.

From our part, what is simply needed is…
… an openness to His Spirit
… a trust in His Divine Providence
… a constant seeking to know His Will

The underlying principle for this simple, yet, seemingly hard to practise philosophy of life, is the fact that “God Loves Us” immeasurably, and that every moment of our life, is taken care by Him.

>> His glory fills the heavens and the earth.

>>  His knowledge permeates in every event of life.

Let us seek to grow in this faith and trust in the Lord.

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

One of the famous stories by the American author, Napoleon Hill goes thus…

Years back, a great warrior found himself to be in a situation, wherein he had to take a hard decision, to ensure success on the battlefield.

He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe, whose men outnumbered his own.
>>  He got  his soldiers into boats  and sailed to the enemy’s country.
He then unloaded all the soldiers and the equipment.

When they had disembarked, he gave a strong order, “Burn the ships!”
>> The ships that had carried them were burnt!
… Up they went, in smoke!

Then he addressed his soldiers, ” “You see the boats going up in smoke.
That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win!
We now have no choice—we win, or we perish!”

The result of the battle was astonishing:
>> Though they were a very small number… they still won!

It’s such in life…
>> Any person who wishes to find success in any undertaking, must be willing to “burn all ships”…
…cut all sources of retreat…
… and have a burning desire to win!

Today Holy Mother the Church celebrates the Feast of two such saints….Apostles St Philip and St James… who lived a faithful and courageous life as followers of Jesus…
… having “burnt all ships” that kept them away from Christ
…cut all sources of retreat
… and had a burning desire to be ‘ever faithful’!

The Apostle St Philip was a native of Bethsaida, on Lake Gennesaret.  He was among the first disciples of Jesus (Jn 1:43)

>> At the miraculous feeding of the multitude, it was to Philip that Jesus asked, “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” to which Philip replied, “Two hundred denarii worth food will not be enough for them to have a little” (Jn 6:5)
>> When through Greeks came to meet Jesus, it was Philip whom they met and it was he who reported to Andrew and they both went to Jesus (Jn 12: 21-22)
>> It was Philip who told Jesus, in the Upper Room, “Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us” (Jn 14: 8)

The Apostle St James is called as the Younger or the Less, because he was the second of that name who was an apostle of Jesus – distinguishing him from James the Greater, the son of Zebedee

>> St James the Less was also called as James the Just and is sometimes also called as the “Brother of the Lord”
>> He is the author of one of the Epistles in the New Testament and he was also ordained as the Bishop of Jerusalem.

The Gospel of the Day (Jn 14: 6-14) presents Jesus declaring Himself as “The Way, the Truth and The Life” (Jn 14: 6)
>> These two Apostles, St Philip and St James by their life, gave a faithful witness to Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life!

We are called and challenged, by these Apostles to do the same as well…

Being ready…
>> to embrace Jesus as The Way…
… seeking to follow only His paths and doing His Will
…being bold to stand firm in the face of hardships, while walking on the Way

Being ready…
>> to embrace Jesus as The Truth…
… wanting to let go a life of dishonesty and hypocrisy in our actions of life
… determined in the conviction to live for Christ and His virtues in day-to-day life

Being ready…
>> to embrace Jesus as The Life…
… willing to utilize all our talents, gifts, resources in life for the glory of God and His Kingdom
… being brave to let go off anything which prevents us from living a life for the Lord

The Apostles St Philip and St James…
… were greatly purified in their following of the Lord, through various persecutions and hardships
.. and finally, gave their life in martyrdom to the Lord and His Kingdom!

We are invited and exhorted by these Great Apostles…
.. to “burn all ships”  – that can take us away from Christ..
…”cut all sources of retreat”  – that tempt us to go away from the battlefield of Christian life
…and instead have a “burning desire” to be ever faithful to Christ and His Kingdom!

Wish you a Happy Feast of the Apostles – St Philip and St James!
>> May we too, seek and work to be His True Apostles and thus live to be a Saint!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Sports coaches assist athletes in developing their full potential.

They are responsible for training athletes in a sport by analyzing their performances, instructing them in their skills and by providing encouragement.

Sportspersons would vouch the important role played by their coaches in their formation to be excelling in their field of sports.

It is the role of the coach to help the sportspersons…
… to fine tune some of their skills and abilities
… to observe their weak zones and suggest ways to strengthen those areas
… to motivate and encourage them in moments of failures or lethargy or disappointments

In the game of life, only One Coach matters the most… Jesus!

The Gospel of the day presents this is encouraging and comforting “coaching” dimension of Jesus and an invitation to always derive motivation and strength from Jesus, the ‘Coach’!

It is the context of the Last Supper discourses – when Jesus speaks of His going away from the world.

The disciples are a frightened lot – confused, worried and uncertain of the future.
>> The Lord promises the gift of the Holy Spirit.
>> He also warns of the many impending persecutions that will befall on them.

But in this context of fear, worry, doubts and anxieties, Jesus assures them, ” I have told you this, that you may not fall away” (Jn 16:1)

Jesus knows His disciples very well.
>> He has lived with them for nearly three years.

Like a very good “coach”, He is aware of who the disciples are…
>> He knows many of their instincts and tendencies – to doubt, to not understand many things, to waver in their trust, to be unclear of their goals in life…
>> He also is aware of their sincerity and simplicity, their openness and obedience and their preciousness in personality…

Therefore, Jesus assures them that He would strengthen them so that “they don’t fall away”

Later, Jesus would repeat similar words particularly to Peter, the leader of the Apostles, “Simon, Simon… I have prayed that your own faith may not fail..” (Lk 22: 32)

Jesus, the Coach wanted all His disciples to not “fall in life”; rather to be faithful and committed.
>> And He invites and exhorts each one of us as well, to train under the guidance of His coaching and be on the winning side of life!

Jesus, the Coach assures us…
… that He would accompany us, by the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, who will help us to give testimony to Christ (Jn 15: 26)
… that He would remain with us, even when we have to face the hardships of being expelled as a result of the “improper and deformed” consciences of people (Jn 16: 2)

Each day makes us to play the game of life – filled with joys and thrills, and yet also of possibilities of disappointments, worries and disturbances.
>> Our best bet to come out with flying colours in this game of life is to take shelter with Jesus, the Coach.

He will help…
… to fine tune our skills and abilities with His grace, to be His zealous witnesses
… to observe our weak zones and help us purify those sinful and disturbing areas of life
… to motivate and encourage us in moments of sadness, discouragement and hopelessness

The Cross of Christ has opened the door to victory for us…
It is our turn to give our best in this game of life and share in the victory lap with the Lord.
>> Jesus, the Life Coach beckons us….

God Bless! Live Jesus!