A common phrase that is often heard or read is…

“Most children walk to school…. but come back home running!”

 

Fairly true, in many cases, right?

 

It takes a long walk to reach school… as its often considered as “the not so interesting” part for a child – to study, to be under various rules, to be restricted to a classroom etc 

 

>> But it takes a very short run to reach back home… as it is often considered as “the thrilling” part for a child – to play, to enjoy, to have fun etc…

 

 

Our attitudes to activities in life is influenced by our interest for it:

>> The greater the interest…

… the higher is the enthusiasm in an activity;

 

>> The lower the interest…

… the lower will be the keenness for a particular work.

 

 

The Gospel of the Day presents two disciples who “walk away from home” in disinterest and dejection…. but later “who run towards home” with enthusiasm and passion!

 

 

>> The walk away…

… was a dull tale of being filled with disappointment and confusion…

 

>> The walk towards…

… is an exciting story of being filled with immense joy and happiness…

 

The encounter of Jesus to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus is one of the classic Resurrection encounters.

>> This incident appears only in the Gospel of St Luke.

 

The disciples, who are unnamed, have obviously been shaken up very badly over the incidents over the last one week in Jerusalem.

 

Like the Apostles, these disciples also would have been badly affected…

>> Their Master, Jesus, in whom they had trusted and they had followed, had to undergo a shameful death – as that of a criminal.

 

>> It was humiliating…

… to be called as followers of a Criminal…

>> It was abasing…

… to be called to as followers of a Blasphemer…

 

 

Added to that, the accounts of some women who had seen the Empty Tomb of the Lord, added to greater shame and confusion.

 

Life was dealing harshly with them….

>> Gloom had descended into their hearts;

>> Grim had taken over their lives.

 

And so they “walked” .. disappointed and dejected… away from “home” – Jerusalem – to a village named Emmaus.

 

But this “walk” in sadness and gloom, was soon to be become a life-transforming event!

 

>> Moments of hardships often become moments to encounter the deep love of the Lord!

>> Situations of dejections often become situations to experience the immense mercy of God!

 

Jesus met them, explained the Scriptures to them.. and finally in the house, broke the bread… “and their eyes were opened!” (Lk 24: 30-31)

 

Their gloom was taken away….

>> Their mourning was converted…

>>> Their sadness was chased away

 

This experience “had to be shared”… This experience “had to be recounted”…

>> And so these disciples, who had “encountered” the Lord… now “ran”!

 

The walk away… was a dull tale of being filled with disappointment and confusion…

>> The walk towards… is an exciting story of being filled with immense joy and happiness…

 

 

How is our life?

>> Are we merely “walking” through activities and works in life, in dissipation….

Or are we “running” through our duties and responsibilities filled with joy and hope?

 

>> Are we merely “walking” passively in our spiritual life and our Christian witnessing…

Or are we “running” boldly and enthusiastically, overflowing with happiness and love?

                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

The Lord walks with us… on our every journey, in our every activity…

>> But seldom do we see Him… seldom do we “feel” His presence!

 

Those disciples realised this “feeling” of the Lord being with them at the Breaking of the Bread…

>> There lies the key…there lies the open secret…

 

Realisation of the Presence of the Lord in our lives, is guaranteed and facilitated by a meaningful and honest participation in the Lord’s Body and Blood – at the Holy Eucharist!

 

The Lord in the Holy Eucharist, calls and invites us…

… to experience Him, to encounter Him… to be transformed by Him!

 

Let the power of the Lord help us to overcoming our “lethargic and uninterested” walking in spiritual life…

… and instead help us to be filled with a powerful enthusiasm to “run” in His presence and announcing the Good News of His Saving Love to the world!

 
Happy Easter to You! 
God Bless! Live Jesus!

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

Our God is a God who…

… is specially close to His people in their moments of pain and suffering

… is particularly near to His people in their times of affliction and tribulations.

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

 

 

We are still near the tomb of the Lord.

 

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

She had experienced Divine Love in a great manner.
>> Her heart could not fully accept that the Lord who had transformed her life was no more

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

… and so she kept waiting.

 

True love always seeks…

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

 

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

 

But the Lord did recognize her…

… not just her physical pains.. rather also her mental agony and her spiritual longing!

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

 

>> Mary had been incessantly weeping over the loss of her Beloved

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

 

However… these tears were not in vain….

… these tears were not lost in futility..

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

 

Today, we are reminded the same…

 

We may be shedding many tears before the Lord…

 

It could be due to many reasons…

… maybe some personal crisis in life…

… maybe some brokenness in the family…

… maybe some tragedy or calamity to our closed ones…

 

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

 

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

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

 

Each one of our tear is precious to the Lord…

 

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

 

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

 
Happy Easter to all of you! 
God bless! Live Jesus!

 It seems that in the Greek Orthodox tradition, especially in the medieval ages, there was a very strange custom…

 

… The day after Easter was devoted to telling jokes!

 

 

Yeah.. you read it right…. There was a day set-apart specially, to revel in jokes!

 

 

What was the logic or purpose behind it?

 

It was felt that this custom was in imitation of the cosmic joke that God pulled on Satan in the Resurrection.

 

Satan considered that the death of Jesus signalled victory for him.

>> The Kingdom of darkness had conquered, so it was felt…

>> The world of misery had overcome all goodness, so it was felt…

 

But it was God who had the last laugh!

>> God raised Jesus from the dead, and life and salvation became the last words.

 

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

>> And this was celebrated, symbolically, with the custom of telling jokes.

 

Strange it might sound, but there is something worthwhile to reflect in the purpose of this custom…

>> It is a call to celebrate and enjoy God’s magnificent victory over Satan and the powers of darkness.

 

 

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

 

>> At the desert, Satan had sought to make Jesus a fool, by tempting and luring Him through many temptations. (Mt 4: 1-10)

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

>> In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord once again faced a trying time in battling to embrace God’s Will totally and completely (Lk 22: 41-44)

>> On the Cross, the soldiers and others who persecuted the Lord, mocked and challenged Him to come down from the Cross (Mk 15: 29-32)

 

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

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

 

 

But…

… Divine Wisdom always finds a way out to triumph!

… Divine Providence always regains the way to victory!

This is the message of the Resurrection.

 

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

 

Divine Wisdom always, has the final laugh in every trial and tribulation!

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

 

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

>> Life may make a fool of us with mounting tensions and troubles…

>> Life may put us down badly with uncertainties and doubts…

 

We may often, find ourselves mocked.

>> We may often, find ourselves ridiculed.

 

But in all such situations, let us dare to look to our Crucified Lord…

… who Himself underwent painful mocking and unfair scorning…

Yet, had the final laugh, through the Resurrection from the dead!

 

The Resurrection gives us every reason to rejoice, even in the midst of deadly trials…

>> The Resurrection gives us every cause to be joyful, even in the midst of heavy tribulations…

 

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

 

 

Happy Easter to all of you!

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Let this week, be a time…

… to grow in greater personal intimacy in His Word

… with Him in the Holy Eucharist

…. and dwelling with Him near His Holy Cross.

 

May we hold the hands of our Blessed Mamma and imitate Her, in seeking the Will of the Lord, always!

 
God Bless! Live Jesus!

We have entered into the Most Blessed Week in the Liturgical Calendar ->> The Holy Week commemorating the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord.

 

• The Lord came to this world to die.

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

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

 

1. Tomorrow, MONDAY, we have the Gospel wherein Mary anoints the feet of the Lord (Jn 12: 1-11)

We could ponder on some of the aspects…

a. The deep love of Mary

… Least bothered of what others felt.

… Least mindful of her own shame or dignity

All that mattered to her was Jesus and love for Him

 

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

 

b. Danger of piety being covered up under the cloak of materialism, duplicity – Judas.

His focus was moved from “Following the Lord” to “Plotting against the Master”

 

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

 

 

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

We could dwell on some of the aspects…

a. The various attitudes towards the Lord, highlighted through the Disciples

… John, the beloved disciple, who could remain close to His heart.

… Simon Peter, the wavering disciple, genuinely wishing to follow the Lord, but failing often due to human limitations.

… Judas, the betraying disciple, in whom darkness had slowly encompassed and the night of sin was being encountered.

 

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

 
b. The prime importance needed in preparation to receive the Lord in the Holy Mass.
The Apostles had the privilege to participate in the First Holy Eucharist.

… however one of them, received the Lord with a deliberate and purposeful sin in the heart, which led to bringing death upon himself, at the reception of the Life-giving Bread.

 

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

 

 

3. On WEDNESDAY, we reflect on the downfall of Judas (Mt 26: 14-25)

We could contemplate over some aspects…
a. Judas falls into the sin of avarice

One of the greatest dangers in life is that of misuse and attraction to money.

 The Lord said, “Where thy treasure is, there thy heart too” (Mt 6:21)

 

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

 

b. An insider is the one capable of being the greatest traitor and betrayer.

Among all the people who knew Jesus, The Twelve were chosen to be the closest. 

… they shared the inner-most life and secrets of the Lord. 
And therefore, the greatest danger was from one among them; and Judas Iscariot proved this right, by agreeing to betray his Master.

 

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

 

 

4. On THURSDAY, we celebrate the Maundy Thursday.

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

 

Three commands were expressed by the Lord …

1. The Command of Love

2. The Command of Commemorating the God of Love in the Holy Eucharist

3. The Command of continuity of sharing in the Priesthood of Jesus, the Priest and Victim

 

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

 

 

5. On FRIDAY, we live through the Passion, Agony and Death of the Lord.

He who was sinless made Himself sin, for you and me!

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

 

 

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

 
6. On SATURDAY, we pray at the tomb of the Lord, contemplating…

…. His deep, immense and unconditional for each of us, personally

… His Divine Wisdom to redeem the world back to Himself, scripting the greatest story ever

 
Yes the days are here…

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

 

St Francis de Sales says, “Calvary is the Mount of lovers”

… and… “The love which is not the fruit of the Passion, is feeble”.

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

 
Come, let us also tread to path towards Him on Calvary, with our Blessed Mamma

… purging our sins, growing in His love

… and thus seek to rise with Him, and sing our eternal song – “Alleluia! He is Risen”

 
Wish you a Blessed Holy Week!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

 The Passion of Christ is one of the most influential movies based on the life of Jesus.

>> The movie had a strong impact on many of its watchers.

 

The movie also had a major impact on many of the people who were involved in its making…
One such person was the powerful experience of the actress who played the role of Veronica in the movie.

 

She was an Italian actress in her early thirties.

>> Although brought up as a Catholic, she had long ago stopped practicing her faith.

>> The time of the filming was also a time of a spiritual low point in her life.

 

Her scene in the movie:

… as Jesus carries His cross, He falls to the ground.

… The crowds surge around him, abusing him as he lies on the ground.

… Moving through the middle of this confusion is Veronica….

              … she looks at Him with immense love and devotion.

              … kneeling before Him, saying, “Lord, permit me”, she takes a white cloth and wipes his badly bruised face.

 
This scene however, had to be shot many times, since the noisy crowd kept bumping into Veronica and disrupting this moment of affection and intimacy.

 

It seems that after many such shots of kneeling before the suffering Christ, looking into his eyes, and calling him Lord, the actress felt something had started to melt inside her.

 

It was her moment of “believing” once again in her Lord!

• This experience was lighting up the flame of faith in her darkened heart.

• This experience was blossoming the bud of hope in her dry and barren life.

 

This is what the Crucified Saviour can do in our lives…

>> This is what the Bleeding Messiah on the Cross can effect in our hearts..

… a conversion.

… a transformation.

… a change of heart.

… a trading of temperaments.

 
The Liturgy of the Day presents Jesus, approaching “His Hour” – the moments of the world’s redemption…

… by His embrace on the Cross, which would crush the evil powers and be a sign of salvation and hope for the world.

 
We have entered the most important week of the Liturgical Year – The Holy Week!

>>The days of the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection are here

 The Liturgy of the Day presents before us two Gospel Passages:

1. The narration of the Entry of Jesus into the gates of the city of Jerusalem…

… and His welcome by the people, with palm branches and cries of “Hosanna!” (Mt 21: 1-11)
2. The narration of the Death of Jesus outside the gates of the city of Jerusalem…

… and His rejection by the people, with spears and nails and cries of “Crucify Him!” (Mt 26: 14- 27:66)

The Liturgy teaches us that Jesus made it very clear that His Way was to be different from the “popular ways” of the world!
Jesus very boldly proclaims this quote: 

“All that is popular, need not be right always;

All that is right, need not be popular always!”

Both the Gospel passages highlight this concept very clearly:

>> The donkey that bore Jesus and the palm branches that were waved…

… point that that Jesus was not to be a “popular” political master, but a “right” spiritual Messiah!
>> The Cross that bore Jesus and the nails that were pierced…

…. point that Jesus was not interested to be a “popular” worldly king, but the “right” King of Hearts!

As St Paul would say: “Jesus Christ, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God… but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant… humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2: 6-8)
The Lord emphatically declares the Christian thumb rule: The Way of the Cross alone, is the Way of Christianity…

>> No Cross… No Christianity!

>> Know Cross… Know Christianity!

Jesus had instructed during His ministry: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain. But if it dies, it produces much fruit” (Jn 12: 24)

 

With this example from nature, the Lord pointed out that Sacrifice is the true way to salvation and redemption.
• There is no blessing, without making a sacrifice.

• There is no salvation, without shedding of blood.

• There is no redemption, without undergoing pain.

 
The Cross was to be the ultimate symbol that was to draw all people to Himself. (Jn 12:32)

>> And He invites all His followers to also “deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him” (Mt 16: 24).

 
As we hold the palm branches and sing “Hosannas” to our King, let us also become aware, that if we remain firm as the followers of Christ…

… we ought to take up our cross, even though people may shout “crucify him, crucify him!”

The Cross hangs as a symbol in many of the places that we go: 

>> In the Church… homes… many books and pictures.. 

>> Some of us even wear it around the neck…

 

• Does the Cross move us to seek the Lord in a more intimate and close manner?

• Does the Cross inspire us to walk our own ways to Calvary, with greater purpose and meaning?
 

As we enter the Holy Week, let us take time…

… to meditate deeper on the Holy Cross and the sufferings that He underwent for us.

… to look at His Holy Cross, for some time, everyday, in order to become more like Him.

… to hold His Holy Cross close to our hearts, that we may experience true transformation.

… to live His Holy Cross in our own life situations and bring healing and peace to our world.

 
• The Crucified Lord can effect a conversion in us to turn away from our sinful lives.

• The Crucified Lord can bring a change in us to become more holy and seek Him alone.

 

The Lord draws us to Him… to His Cross…

Come…

… let us look at Him

… meditate on Him

… love Him deeper!

 
Wish you a Blessed Palm and Passion Sunday…

… and a Blessed Holy Week!

 
Let us be intimate with the Passion of the Lord and experience His magnanimous love…

… so that we too may sincerely shout, on Easter Sunday, from the depths of our hearts: 

“Alleluia! He is risen!

He is my Lord and God!”

 

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

      There is an ancient story, familiar to many of us, in many forms…

 

A poor farmer in a village, owned a horse, which he used for ploughing and transportation.

>> One day, this horse escaped into the hills.

 

The neighbours sympathised with the farmer over his bad luck.

But the farmer replied, “Bad Luck? Good luck? Who knows!”

 

A couple of days later, the horse returned to the farm, with a herd of wild horses, following its trail.

The farmer locked these horses in the stable.

 

When the neighbours heard of it, they congratulated the farmer on his good luck.

>> But the farmer said “Good Luck? Bad luck? Who knows!”  

 

The following day, the farmer’s son mounted one of these wild horses, but was thrown off, fracturing his legs.

 

Once again the neighbours called on the farmer to express their sorrow at his bad luck.

>> But the farmer replied, “Bad Luck? Good luck? Who knows!”

 

The following week, army officers arrived at the village to recruit all the able-bodied young men, because of a war that had started. But, they of course, had to leave behind the famer’s young son, because of his fractured leg.
The neighbours once told the farmer, how much in luck he was.

>> But the farmer said “Good Luck? Bad luck? Who knows!”  

 

The farmer maintained a position of neutrality and balance in the midst of all pleasant and unpleasant events of life.

 
However, very often, we are like the neighbours, who rejoice greatly when good things happen and curse immensely when things go wrong.

>> We fail to see that everything in life has a purpose.

 

As a result, negative experiences in life often crush us and cause immense disappointments.

• When things don’t shape up as we plan, we get greatly frustrated.

• When people don’t behave in the way we expect, we get totally devastated.

 
But through today’s Gospel reading, the Lord invites us…

… to not get shattered or disappointed with life’s bad-turns or evil-leanings…

…Rather, to gather strength and courage to fight the evil, arm oneself in faith and hope and seek to live a life of holiness and conviction…

… even in the midst of any setback or failure!

 
The Gospel of the day, on this eve of the Holy Week, introduces us to culmination of the sharp antagonism and hatred that was building up against Jesus.

 
Jesus had raised up the dead Lazarus (Jn 11: 1-43)

 

This event garnered a lot of attention…

… many people began to believe in the person of Jesus, as the Messiah and Lord.

>> But many others, also began to have a greater bitterness towards this Man who was working wonders!

 

Many people grew in their following of Jesus and placed a greater trust and confidence in Him

>> But many others, had their flames of jealousy intensified and began to have greater plotting to finish off the “law-breaker” and “blasphemer”

 

• The good that the Lord had done, was apparently turning out to be an evil for the Lord!

• The “life-giving” action of the Lord would immediately result in a “life-taking” act on Him!

• The event of blessing to Lazarus would apparently turned out to result in an occasion of curse on Him [since dying on the cross was considered to be a curse ( Deut 21: 23)]!

 

In the ensuing planning and plotting by the chief priests and the Pharisees, the High Priest said, “… it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish” (Jn 11: 50)

 

• Jesus had grown to be a big threat for them

• Jesus had gathered up much popularity and had become a menace for the leaders.

Therefore, the High Priest suggested a “quick-solution”… to kill Jesus!

 

But, everything in life has a purpose…

… Because God is the ultimate ruler, preserver and nurturer of this universe!

 

• They plotted death but God planned life

• They were selfish but God made Him the Saviour

• They sought for political gain, but God ensured spiritual gain.

• They hoped to spare one nation, but God saved the whole world.

• They intended the worst evil for Jesus but God turned it into the greatest good.

• They wished to scatter all His followers, but God brought them together as one holy nation.

 

Our life also follows this same pattern…

• The events we think are bad, also have a purpose in God’s mind.

• The moments that we consider as cursed, also can be turned to a blessing by God.

 

Sometimes, it’s just too hard to accept this teaching… too difficult to understand this concept..

But we have a beautiful answer in this our painful moments: the Cross.

 

Look to the Cross and find strength from Him…

… who was abused though He was pure

… who suffered immensely, thought He was faultless.

… who underwent tremendous agony, thought He was sinless.

 

But that was the way of God…

…mysterious to us, but life saving for the world.

… baffling for us, but redemptive for the world.

 

 

What is most important is not to get discouraged or disheartened…rather…

… to seek the Lord wholeheartedly in all those situations

… to be faithful to the Lord in steadfastness and patience.

.. to be strong and joyful, finding strength in the love of the Lord.

 

Everything.. yes.. everything in life, happens for good!

 
God Bless! Live Jesus!