An incident is reported that took place a few years ago.

A former astronaut took over as head of a major airline company.
>> He was extremely ambitious to make his company as the best airline service provider.

Once, when this new president was making an inspection of a particular department, he came across an employee…
…resting his feet on the desk, while the telephone was ringing continuously.

“Are you not going to pick up the phone?” queried the boss, with a sense of displeasure.

“That’s not my department!”, answered the employee indifferently!
>> He had not recognised his new boss.
” I work in the maintenance section!”, he replied.

“Huh!” quipped the president, “Not anymore!”

The casual attitude and the laid-back and easy-going approach of the employee cost him his job.
The new boss would not tolerate any people, who failed to show a sense a responsibility and commitment…
… which are essential and undeniable qualities in the pursuit of perfection and excellence!

What about us?
Is our Christian life characterised by responsibility and commitment?
>> Or do we have a casual attitude and a laid-back and easy-going approach?
The Gospel of the Day presents to us a strong reminder by the Lord to take our Christian life seriously…
… with its undeniable duties and its unavoidable sense of responsibility.
Jesus speaks of the coming of the Son of Man at an unexpected time…
… just as the coming of a thief is unknown to the master of a house (Lk 12: 39-40)

What are some of the characteristics of the coming of a thief to the house?
1. It happens in the quiet of the night….
… so that no one becomes aware and the setting is perfectly safe
>> There is a sense of ‘anonymity’

2. It takes place when none of the people in the house are expecting it…
… thus leaving them completely startled and unprepared
>> There is the element of ‘total surprise’

3. It happens in areas where there is emptiness or lesser security measures
… thus creating greater potency to danger and sharper damage
>> There is a factor of ‘missed opportunity to take care’
These then are the “loopholes” in our spiritual life, that can cause us to be off-guard…
… when the Lord appears in His Second Coming (just as the coming of the thief in the night)…
>> A sense of ‘anonymity’
>> An element of ‘total surprise’
>> A factor of ‘missed opportunity to take care’

Do we remain “anonymous” to the Lord…
… by remaining ignorant of His teachings and commandments – even though He addresses very often through the Bible and the Church?
… by failing to give heed to the repeated reminders by the Lord through various advices from our caring one, and the guidance we receive through sermons, reflections, messages and life-situations?

Do we get caught with “total surprise” at the Will of God in our lives…
… failing to see the providential hand of God in the struggles and hardships that we undergo?
… entering into a sense of despair and discouragement when things don’t happen the way we plan?

Do we become victims of “missing opportunities to take care”…
… by failing to do the many good works which we can perform, but fail, owing to our slackness?
… by taking the stance of being indifferent in situations of injustice and discriminations?

The Lord clearly warns even in the Book of Revelation…
… “If therefore you shall not watch, I will come to you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you.” (Rev 3:1-3)
Though this passage may cause a sense of fear and insecurity, we also need to consider, the converse…
… that if we are prepared and alert
… that if we are ready and vigilant
>> then the “coming of the Lord” becomes a joyful waiting and an expectant hope!

Nothing fears the one who is prepared, to meet the Lord!

St Paul encourages us through these words: ” But you brothers, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief!” ( 1 Thess 5: 2-4)

When we are in the Light of Christ…
… by a constant life of vigilant prayer
… by a faithful life of sacraments
… by a committed life to the Church
>> No darkness can overpower us; No fear of thieves can cause panic!
As Christians, each one us is entrusted the duty of being faithful “employees” of the Kingdom of God!
>> Are we going to “rest our feet on the desk”…
… with a casual attitude and a laid-back and easy-going approach…?

Or shall we be “armed and ever-ready to serve”…
… with a sense a responsibility and commitment…?
Be ready…
Our Boss… The Lord… may come anytime….!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Kindly Note that this week, reflections will not be sent.

I will be making my retreat.
Please pray for me.

I too pray for you, and all your intentions.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A highly skilled engineer had been confined to his bed due to a paralysis of the lower limbs. 
So great was his reputation, that once, he was asked to draw the blueprints for a great suspension bridge. 
With much determination, the engineer completed the blueprints and handed it over to those who were to carry out the work.
Months passed by…

… and the work of the bridge was completed. 
Four men came to the engineer’s room and carried him, on the cot, to the place…

… from where he could see the bridge, suspending over a wide river

Tears filled his eyes as he gazed at the engineering marvel…

… and with the blueprints in his hands, he cried out: 

“It’s just like the plan! It’s just like the plan!” 

God, the Great Engineer, has his blueprints for each one of us, in our lives…

… His Holy Will! 
Do we build our lives as per this blueprint?
The Gospel of the Day invites us to have our wills in harmony with this blueprint…

… the Will of God!

In today’s Gospel, a woman from the crowd calls out to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who bore you and nursed you”  (Lk 11:27)
This woman had probably been following Jesus for sometime or had observed some of His works or had heard about Him. 

>> This greatness of the Man was attributed to His Mother. 
The woman had probably a driving principle behind this thought, “Behind every successful man, there is a strong woman…constantly supporting and nourishing”.

>>  Mother Mary was recognized and understood as this Woman behind the success of Jesus!

Let’s just visualize how Jesus would have felt when He heard these words…

>> Every child is proud and to hear good of one’s parent…

… especially about the mother. 
Jesus too, would have been very proud and happy of His Mother.
He would have thought of the moments that His Mother…

… would have taught Him various prayers 

… would have taught Him the scriptures. 

… would have taught Him to love God
Jesus surely had many things to thank and praise His Mother. 

>> But the Lord doesn’t remain fixated on the level of mere human praise and efforts… 
The Lord loves things of the High….and His concerns are of the High! 

>> And so, he invites and challenges the woman to look higher… 

“Surely blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it as well” (Lk 11:28)

The Lord was probably telling the woman… 

“Yes, surely my Mother is truly great for Her tender care of me. 

She is indeed wonderful for Her amazing upbringing of me. 

>> But My Mother is great, not just because of these earthly factors… 
There is much more…

>> There are many more reasons which makes Her truly great. 
She is blessed because…

… She listened to God’s Word and accepted it wholeheartedly. 

… She was obedient to God though she did not understand many things 

… She chose to put Her faith in God, though the path ahead was dim 

… She lived and shared the love that she received from God.”
The Lord made the woman to not just be satisfied with transient, material aspect, but to have a higher perspective in life. 
The same message is reached out to each one of us today…. 

>> Am I a person who is simply satisfied with only the concerns of the material world? 

>> Am I a person who remains stunted on just listening to God’s word, but not practising it? 

>> Am I a person who fails to fly higher, to also be concerned with the aspects of the Divine? 

>> Am I a person who is excited to hear and listen to the Bible, but afraid to live it in my life?

God has his blueprints for each one of us, in our lives…

… His Holy Will! 

 
Do we obediently carry out our works, as per His plan?

May this Great Engineer, seeing our lives… 

… and with the blueprints in His hands, exclaim: 

“It’s just like the plan! It’s just like the plan!” 

God bless! Live Jesus!

A museum is an institution that cares for and conserves a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance…

… and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. 
A museum…

… brings alive the past to the present and becomes a inspiration for the future! 

… showcases the heritage and history and awakens many emotions and feelings!
A regular visit to a museum can be an enriching, informative and an encouraging experience. 

>> A regular visit to a Christian Museum can be a still further enriching, nourishing and fulfilling 

experience for our material and our spiritual life!
Most of us have a very ready access to one of the best Christian Museums… 

Most of us have a very regular opportunity to visit one of the finest Christian Museums… 

Most of us have a very repeated chance to frequent one of the premium Christian Museums…
What is the Christian museum we are talking about? 

>> It is the ROSARY.

The Rosary is the Christian museum… 

… which  brings alive the past of the salvation history, to the present and becomes a inspiration for the future! 

… which showcases the heritage and history of our faith and awakens many emotions and feelings!

 
Today Holy Mother the Church celebrates the Feast of our Lady of the Rosary. 
This Feast of our Lady of the Rosary was instituted by Pope St. Pius V in the year 1570. It was a sign of thanksgiving for a great naval victory over the Turks at the battle of Lepanto, obtained primarily by the recitation of the Rosary.
The Feast reminds us that that the Rosary is a Powerful Weapon.

The Rosary is a Powerful Weapon of victory and conquest.

>> In our struggle with the forces of sin and evil tendencies…

… the Rosary is the weapon of devotion. 
>> In our battle with the forces of discouragements in life…

… the Rosary is the weapon of hope and courage. 
>> In our war with the terrors of temptations to purity…

… the Rosary is the weapon of holiness and sanctity. 
The Rosary is a beautiful presentation of the Life of Jesus, through the eyes of our Blessed Mother. 

>> It is a wonderful way of learning the lessons of our faith and recollecting the beauty of our salvation. 

The celebration of this Feast day and the whole month of October as the Rosary Month induces in us some aspects for our personal reflection and thought…
The mysteries contained and celebrated in the Rosary refer to the mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary. 

>> Have I discovered the beauty and the joy of contemplating with Mother Mary on the life of Jesus through the Rosary?
The Rosary is a repetitive vocal prayer and involves one’s movements of the hands, lips and heart in its exercise. 

>> What care and preparation do I take to allow the Rosary to be recited with a greater involvement and a deeper participation?
The Rosary is very often considered by many as a wonderful sleep-inducer or even a boring affair. 

>> Do I deliberately make efforts to check what is the time and the state of mind when I am praying the Rosary? 

 
There are times, perhaps, when we fail to be interested in praying the Rosary.

>> Am I knowingly and unknowingly falling into the trap of making the Rosary as a mere routine or a ritual?

The Feast today invites us to re-awaken or re-start or re-invigorate our interest and commitment to Praying the Holy Rosary, daily!

The word Rosary means a “Crown of Roses”. 
Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time one says a Hail Mary, one is giving her a beautiful rose and that completion of each Rosary makes her a beautiful crown of roses. 

>> The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions.
Like the exhibits in a museum, each mystery of the Rosary reveals much… 

>> Each Mystery that we meditate upon, is a miniature theology of the mysteries of the life of 

Jesus and the life of Mary, offered with a view to feeding the minds and the heart. 
The awesome story of our salvation is encapsulated in the Holy Rosary. 

>> The Rosary is the nutshell of our salvation history.
Let us truly pray the Rosary and live the mysteries of the Rosary in our everyday life. 

The saying goes true…”No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary“

Happy Feast of the Holy Rosary! 
God Bless! Live Jesus!

Postal stamps seems to be slowly on the verge of extinction.

>> Some decades back, however, they formed an integral part of the world of communication.
These postage stamps hold an important attribute that we could emulate: they stick to one thing until they get there!

>> They remain persistent until, they reach their destination!
This is an important key in our spiritual life as well: Remaining persistent, till we reach our destination!

The Gospel of the Day presents before us the theme of Prayer with a special emphasis on perseverance and determination in prayer life. 
This aspect of persistence in prayer through a parable:

>> A parable of a friend who knocked at the door of his friend at an odd midnight hour…seeking for some help.

Prayer invariably points to the notion of Necessity and Dependence in our lives:  A necessity for various things…and a Dependence on God 

>> A necessity of realizing our limitations…

… and a Dependence on the power of God 
>> A necessity of moving out of our capabilities..

… and a Dependence on the strength of God 
>> A necessity of knowing all things not possible for me…

… and a Dependence on the grace of God

For a moment, let us get into the shoes of this friend who faced this need of an unexpected traveler in his house…and thus forced to seek for help…
This man received an unexpected guest… 

Probably, it was the end of all the chores of his day..and as he was retiring to bed, this traveler came to his house. 
His condition was so pitiable that he did not even some morsels of food to be given.
>> He had the good will…

… but did not have the resources to help. 
>> He had the good intentions…

… but did not have the supplies to assist.

Very often, we ourselves land up into such situations…

Perhaps someone drops in for a coffee…and lays bare their problems… 

>> But we feel totally helpless how to help…
Perhaps we get a letter or a message…informing of some serious crisis… 

>> But we feel totally helpless how to help…
Perhaps our close ones undergo some pain…and life becomes hard… 

>> But we feel totally helpless how to help…
Perhaps we see many in absolute suffering…and our heart reaches out to them.. 

>> But we feel totally helpless how to help…

We ask ourselves: “What can I do?” 

>> There is a strange, sinking sensation… a sense of pressure, almost terror: “What shall I say?“

The best you can do is just hope for a quiet moment when you can rush to God, our Great Neighbour and cry out to him, “A friend has come, and I have nothing to set before him.“
This happens often, doesn’t it? 
It is out of such moments of deep necessity that true prayer is born. 

>> It is out of such moments of genuine dependence that true prayer is born. 

But that does not mean, that God, our Great neighbour, is a sleeping fella who has to be awakened from his slumber or who has to forced to render us help. T
he point of the parable is that as a Person who is in necessity and who is dependent, ought to have a great level of patience & perseverance & determination. 
In prayer, it often happens that we determine…

… the way

… the time

… the mode

… in which God should answer our requests!

 
But we often forget, that, the Great Neighbour, God…

… is also our loving Father. 

… is also the One who cares deeply for us. 

… is also Someone who wishes the best for us.
In Lk 11: 9, Jesus gives us the exciting verse, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  

ASK…SEEK…KNOCK…all these three verbs indicate a continual process and a constant action.

“Keep on asking…keep on seeking…keep on knocking”.
The Lord is a Loving Father…

>> He does not demand perseverance because of some hard-heartedness.. 
Rather, He expects consistence and perseverance because of His deep and tender Love for us and wanting us to not get bogged down by mere material concerns…rather to SEEK HIM above all in prayer and to make HIM the greatest need of our lives!
St. Teresa of Avila says:

“Provided that we don’t give up, the Lord will guide everything for our benefit…!

There is no other remedy for this evil of giving up prayer than to begin again!” 

Like postal stamps which have this key attribute: Remain persistent until, they reach their destination…

… may we grow in our perseverance and determination in prayer.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A certain person who was known to be a “person in hurry always”, was part of a prayer meeting.

One day, he was asked to make the prayer before the meeting.
Being known for being a “person in hurry always”, he made a short prayer – classic in brevity and beautiful in preciseness:
“Dear God, Let Your Will be done…

Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. 

Amen!”
Seeking to do the Will of God, at always times…

… and living according to It, is the key to our faithful Christian living.

The Gospel of the Day is an exhortation towards this aspect through the prayer – The Our Father…

… with the key dimension of “forgiveness and pardon”.

The Eleventh Chapter of St Luke opens with a teaching on prayer.
This teaching begins with Jesus presenting the blueprint in praying- the beautiful prayer “The Our Father”.
The Lukan version of the Our Father has five petitions:

1. Hallowed be thy name

2. Thy Kingdom come

3. Give us today our daily bread

4. Forgive us our sins

5. Do not subject us to the final test
The fourth petition  – for forgiveness – is also accompanied with a clause – “…as we forgive”..

“…and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Lk 11: 4)

… forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us!

… forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us!
Well, does this mean God’s forgiveness is conditional?

 
It needs to be understood, that God , in His infinite mercy and goodness, has always the store of forgiveness, unconditionally opened for us!
But..

>> To receive this treasure of forgiveness, we need to first forgive others!

>> To receive this grace of pardon, we need to first pardon others!

It means that…

>> If we harbour a wrong against other…

>> If we continue to nurture hatred against other…

>> If we wilfully fail to extend absolution to the other…

>> If we adamantly keep having repulsion against the other…

                … then we are telling God to not forgive me either!

                …then we are telling God to not shower His blessing on me!

                …then we are telling God to withhold His unconditional mercy on me!

                ….then we are telling God to stop extending His unconditional compassion!
It is this aspect of “forgiveness” that becomes highly essential and conditional…

… in our desire to do the Will of the Father, at all times, and living a faithful Christian life. 

The prayer – “Our Father” is indeed one of the most easily learnt and widely used prayers.

>> But this clause of the prayer, which is often overlooked, also makes this prayer dangerous!

>> This clause of the prayer, which is often not thought of, also makes this prayer challenging!
Let the prayer ‘Our Father’… 

…  help us to make inroads into forgiving others!

…  make us to march forward into extending pardon to others!

With forgiveness and mercy in our hearts, may we seek to echo, at all times…

“Dear God, Let Your Will be done…

Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. 

Amen!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Some prayers are very popular. 

>> Some of them remain very much fixed in our minds. 

>> Some of them also awaken instant sentiments of faith, inspiration and love.
One such prayer, which many of us would agree meets the above conditions is:

The Prayer of Peace – “Make me a channel of our peace” 

>> Popularly attributed to St Francis of Assisi.

Today we celebrate the Feast day of this peaceful and powerful saint – St Francis of Assisi. 
St Francis of Assisi probably is one of the most popular saints in the entire world. 

>> The name of this saint invokes so many pictures and words to our minds –  nature, animals, poverty, renunciation, cross, stigmata, surrender, trust…
Another aspect of this Great Saint that is highlighted is the Deep JOY that he lived in his life.

We often live in a world “robbed” of true joy and cheerfulness… 

>> People today aren’t very happy in life…
We see something similar happening in the Gospel of the Day as well (Lk 10: 38-42)

>> Martha who gets irritated and disturbed, because her sister Mary is seated at the feet of the Master…

… while she herself is busy doing the household chores.
 Even though, Jesus, the Lord of joy was in her house…

… she was irritable and cribbing
Perhaps, we too often lose our sense of joy and plunge into disturbances, when encountered by the troubles of life. 
Queries on why there is no joy or happiness will evoke some of the following replies: 

>> “You don’t know the struggles what I’m going through.” 

>> “How can you expect me to be cheerful when my marriage and family is falling apart?” 

>> “God seems miles away from me, and you want me to cheer up?” 

>> “My kids drive me nuts.” 

>> “I’ve got cancer. How can I rejoice?” 

>> “People have mistreated me and I’m not going to be happy until I get even.” 

>> “If I had more money, I’d be happy.”
Do I identify myself with some of the above replies…..?

If yes, then the Saint of the day, St Francis of Assisi today challenges us to rise above these our concerns and to find the Treasure of True Joy and the Wealth of Genuine happiness in God!

We turn to an incident from his life for our reflection today…

 
One winter day St. Francis of Assisi with Brother Leo, and the bitter cold made them suffer keenly. 
St. Francis called to Brother Leo, and he said: 

“Brother Leo, even if we in every country give a great example of holiness and integrity and good edification, nevertheless… note carefully that perfect joy is not in that.“
And when he had walked on a bit, St. Francis called him again, saying: 

“Brother Leo, even if we give sight to the blind, heal the paralyzed, drive out devils, give hearing to the deaf, make the lame walk, and restore speech to the dumb, and bring back to life a dead man…note carefully that perfect joy is not in that.“
And going on a bit, St. Francis cried out again in a strong voice: 

“Brother Leo, if we knew all languages and all sciences and Scripture, if also to prophesy and to reveal the secrets of the consciences of others… note carefully that perfect joy is not in that.” 
And as they walked on, St. Francis called again forcefully: ”

“Brother Leo, even if we could speak with the voice of an angel, and knew all about the treasures in the earth, and knew the qualities of birds and fishes, animals, humans, roots, trees, rocks, and waters… note carefully that perfect joy is not in that.”

And going on a bit farther, St. Francis called again strongly:

 “Brother Leo, even if we could preach so well that should convert all infidels to the faith of Christ…note carefully that perfect joy is not in that.”
Now when he had been talking this way for a distance, Brother Leo in great amazement asked him: “Father, I beg you in God’s name to tell me where perfect joy is.”

And St. Francis replied:

“When we, soaked by the rain and frozen by the cold, all soiled with mud and suffering from hunger, and we ring at the gate of our House, and the brother from inside comes and says angrily: ‘Who are you?’ 
And we say: ‘We are two of your brothers.’ 
And he contradicts us, saying: ‘You are not telling the truth. Rather you are two rascals who go around deceiving people and stealing what they give to the poor. Go away’ 
And he makes us stand outside in the snow and rain, cold and hungry, until night falls-then if we endure all those insults and cruel rebuffs patiently, without being troubled and without complaining, and if we reflect humility and charity…

… Oh, Brother Leo, note carefully that perfect joy is there!

 
‘And if we continue to knock, and the brother comes out in anger, and drives us away with curses and hard blows like bothersome scoundrels, saying; ‘Get away from here, you dirty thieves-go to the hospital! Who do you think you are? And if we bear it patiently and take the insults with joy and love in our hearts…

… Oh, Brother Leo, note carefully that perfect joy is there!”

And if later, we still cry loudly begging them to open for us and he grows still more angry and says: ‘I’ll give them what they deserve.’  

And he comes out and beats us so much that he covers our bodies with wounds–if we endure all those evils and insults and blows with joy and patience, and bear the sufferings patiently for love of Christ…

… Oh, Brother Leo, note carefully that perfect joy is there!

‘And now hear the conclusion, Brother Leo. 

>> Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to His friends is that of conquering oneself and willingly enduring sufferings, insults, humiliations, and hardships for the love of Christ. 
‘I will not glory save in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

PERFECT JOY IS ONLY IN THE CROSS!
This incident of St Francis of Assisi, might sound too ideal for us… 

And the approach and attitude of the Great Saint too utopian for us… 

>> Still, it is possible to grow in our understanding of True Joy and Peace in God alone!
Let us seek the Intercession of this Wonderful Saint in being an instrument of joy & peace 

“Make me Lord, a channel of your peace…”

Happy Feast Day! 
God Bless! Live Jesus!