A story is told of an official who was going around house to house, collecting data and statistics for the Census.

As he moved from one place to another, he came to a particular house, which was located high up in the mountains.
This was a poor family and the house was in a deplorable state.

The official approached the mother of the family, who was just outside the house, cleaning the premises.

Picking up the census form to be filled up, he asked the mother, “How many dependants do you have?”
“Well, there is Rosie, and Billy, and Lucia, Susie, Harry, and Jeffrey. There’s Johnny, and Harvey, and our dog, Willie and the cute little kitten Daisy!”

“Umm..excuse me, Ma’m”, interrupted the census-official, “that’s not necessary! I only need the humans”

“Ah!” she said, “Sorry about that! Well, there is Rosie, and Billy, and Lucia, Susie, Harry, and Jeffrey…..”
But once again, the official cut short her words and said, a bit irritatingly, “No Ma’m! You don’t seem to understand! I don’t need their names. All I want is just the numbers!”
“Ah!” said the lady, surprisingly, “Sorry to tell again.. but I don’t know them by numbers! I know them only by names!”

The members of the family were not considered in terms of numbers, but were valued by their names!
Each one in the house was special.
Each one of them was precious.

The Gospel of the Day echoes this similar melody of each one of us being “valuable and precious”, to Jesus, the Great Good Shepherd!
“I am the Good Shepherd” says the Lord, “I know mine and mine know Me” (Jn 10: 14)

The illustration of Jesus as the Shepherd is certainly one of the most endearing, popular and loved image in the whole of the Gospels.
Undoubtedly, one of the most popular and loved Psalms is Psalm 23 – the Psalm of the Good Shepherd.

The picture of Jesus, the Good Shepherd that immediately comes to our mind, is usually that of Jesus, holding a little lamb in His sturdy hands, or of Jesus, the Shepherd trudging through the grasslands with many sheep, following and walking with Him, happily bouncing and frolicking.

As we enjoy and bask in the joy of this image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, it is apt that we also meditate and reflect on some dimensions of the Heart of this Divine Shepherd…

1. Each sheep is extremely personal, unique and precious to the Divine Shepherd’s Heart

The Good Shepherd has a very large number of sheep in His flock.
Yet each of us is uniquely important for Him
He loves each one… He treasures each one!

2. The Divine Shepherd’s Heart is willing to make any sacrifice, even His life

Unlike a hired hand, the Divine Shepherd has a tremendous sense of responsibility and attached to His sheep.

This makes Him to undergo any pain, any suffering, any sacrifice for the sake of His beloved sheep.. even to the point of laying down His life.

3. The Divine Shepherd’s Heart longs to bring back the ones which have strayed

The Divine Shepherd is aware of many sheep that are not yet part of His fold.
He longs for them…
He seeks to bring them to Him…
He yearns to make them part of His fold…

We are invited to deepen this our understanding of the Heart of the Divine Shepherd.
At the same time, we are also challenged to possess Heart, resembling that of the Divine Shepherd…

Do I have a heart that treasures and values each person that has been entrusted to my care…
·      Nurturing them, being responsible for them, appreciating and encouraging them…
·      Leading them to the pastures of holiness and the flowing waters of grace and mercy…

Do I have a heart that is willing to offer sacrifices for the ones entrusted to my care…
·      Making minor adjustments to help others…
·      Giving up certain comforts to reach out to the needy…
·      Foregoing my personal luxuries to become a light to a person in darkness…

Do I have a heart that yearns to bring back the ones who have strayed away from the right path…
·      Those who have lost the focus in life
·      Those who are staying away from the Church and Her Precious Sacraments
·      Those who have addicted themselves to many vices and bad pleasures of life

The Church needs shepherds, after the Heart of the Great Shepherd.

Often time, many a shepherd go astray….
… failing to cater to the needs of the sheep
… failing to be faithful and honest to their vocation
… failing to be available and willing to forego personal comforts.

May each of us, lean closer to the Heart of our Divine Lord, knowing that each one of us precious and special to Him…
… resting in the bosom of His Presence
… feeding from the Food He offers in the Holy Eucharist
… attuning ourselves more to Him by listening to His Holy Word
And thus, becoming a good shepherd, according to the Heart of the Great Good Shepherd!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Tom Brown’s School Days” is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes.

The story is set in the 1830s at Rugby School, a public school for boys.
>> Much of the novel is based on the author’s experiences in the school.

There is a fine passage in Tom Brown’s School Days which tells of a boy who had the courage to stand up against ridicule.

A new boy  – a Christian – had come to the school.
>> On his first night, in a room where there were twelve beds and boys, he knelt down to say his prayers.

But the boy became the object of ridicule and fun…
…others began to make poking comments
…some others began to laugh and giggle, humiliating him and his faith.

Tom Brown had been observing all the while.
>> It was at that time, that Tom also saw a heavy slipper flying through the air toward the head of the kneeling boy.

But the boy remained unperturbed and finished his prayers.

When the lights went out a little later, Tom Brown thought of his own mother, and the prayers that she had taught him to say, but which he had never said since he came to Rugby.

>> Then and there he made a decision that the next time he went to bed, he, too, would say his prayers.

When that next night came, the other boys in the room, ready to laugh and scoff at this newcomer who said his prayers, were amazed to see Tom Brown, whom they all respected and feared, kneel down at the side of his bed and pray.

The courageous prayer of the boy, in spite of the ridicule, won the respect of all his companions!

Yes, Christianity demands…
>> And only the ones who are willing to respond to these demands are worthy of being the Followers of the Lord.

It pays to be a Christian!
>>> It costs much to be a Follower of Christ!

In the Gospel of the Day, the Lord is pretty straight-forward and candid in His challenging requirements and would even ask us, as He asks His disciples, “Do you also wish to go away?” (Jn 6: 67)

We are at the concluding portion of the 6th Chapter of the Gospel of St John – known as the chapter on the Discourse of the Bread of Life.

The hearers of Jesus, from the beginning of this Chapter have been taken through a very intriguing path…

>>> It began with the fragrance of compassion and mercy being radiated by the Lord in the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6: 1-15)

>>> This fragrance developed into an aura of authority and power that was displayed in the incident of the walking on the water (Jn 6: 16-21)

>>> This aura began to radiate more gloriously through His teachings on He being the Bread of Life (Jn 6: 22-59)

>>> This glorious splendour was further revealed and explained when He declared Himself as the Son of Man who would ascend to where He was (Jn 6: 61-62)

The Chapter, as it’s nears the conclusion, finds many of the hearers abandoning Christ.

Therefore we read, “As a result of this, many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him” (Jn 6:66)

It seemed nice and wonderful to be the followers of Christ, when He provided food to their satisfaction
… But when there was a demand made by Christ, the “goody-goody” feelings disappeared and they began to reject Him!

Is this not the attitude that is prevalent among many of the Christians… including we, perhaps?!

As long as the ground of our lives, receives the continual showers of favours being granted and prayers being instantly heard, we feel nice with the Lord.
… But in the times when the ground has to experience the drought of delays in prayers and absence of the rains of consolation, we feel to do away with the ways of the Lord!

As long as the garden of my life, is blessed with the flowers of prosperity, security and comforts, we remain happy to be with the Lord
… But in the circumstances when the garden goes dry and the weeds of misery begin to crop up, we feel to abandon the presence of the Lord and tread our own wills!

And therefore the Lord asks us, “Do you also wish to go away?” (Jn 6: 67)

Faith in the Lord is no cheap thing!
>> It indeed costs to be faithful!

The History of the Bible is replete with examples for this fact…

>> It cost Abraham in giving up Isaac, his beloved, in order to prove his faith in the Lord

>> It cost Moses to let go off his weaknesses and frailties, in order to become the leader of a vast multitude

>> It cost Daniel to be cast into the den of lions in being a faithful warrior of the Lord

>> It cost Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to pass through the ordeals of the fiery furnace in proving to be loyal to the Lord

>> It cost Stephen a painful death by being stoned in order to witness his daring courage in the Lord

>> It cost Peter to be nailed upside down to stand firm as the rock of faithfulness and commitment

Yes, Christianity demands…
>> And only the ones who are willing to respond to these demands are worthy of being the Followers of the Lord.

What is it costing us to be faithful to our Lord and King?

Often times, our practice of Christian faith enters, tiptoed and slyly, into the halls of comfort and cosiness…

> A Baptism received long ago…
>> Some Sacraments obtained now and then…
>>> A few Church obligations completed once in a way…
>>>> Some occasionally unavoidable practise of piety and devotion…

This is all that sometimes it “costs” us in being a Christian!

But the Lord today powerfully seeks to shake off the dusts of lethargy and casualness and confronts us, “Do you also wish to go away?”

Our remaining with the Lord, ought not to be in mere words, but also in deeds and actions

Being with the Lord demands…
… that we grow in our zeal and love for the Lord
… that we become an extension of Christ to the needy
… that we strive to be passionate proponents of His love and mercy

Yes, let us be fervent in the stipulations of being a Christian…
… and be willing to respond to those demands that make us worthy of being the Followers of the Lord.

May our Christian lives be encompassed by a deep love for the Lord and may we rise up to the challenge to remain loyal and faithful to the demands placed on us by Christ, our Powerful and Mighty King!

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 StJames… 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!

Our generation is a much trendier and health-conscious one….

Right?

 

People, especially, in the urban areas, do spend a great deal of time and energy in seeking to be more fashionable, more good-looking and being more healthy.

 

As part of this inclination, the modern trend is being highly conscious of the “diet” that one takes…

• One is keento know which food will help one’s body to remain fit and healthy
• One is conscious to supplement foods that will keep one stronger and also appeal to the taste buds, at the same time.
• One is also eagerto plan out one’s meals and food-eating habits, that suits one’s lifestyle, in order to promote good health , shape and wellbeing.

 

But it would be nice and good to also check what is the condition and state of our “spiritual diet“.

 

We do tend to give a lot of importance to our “physical diet” in terms of the food to be eaten and that which are to be avoided.

But what is the importance that we accord to our “spiritual diet“?

 

• Is my “spiritual diet” nourishing – my soul, my spiritual wellbeing?
• Is my “spiritual diet” leading me to good health – of holy thoughts and purity of heart?

 

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the Spiritual Dietician, exhorting the most important element, that is to be part of  the “spiritual diet” of everyone who follows Him – the Holy Eucharist – through the “Bread of Life” discourses.

After the feeding of the large multitude of people by the multiplication of the loaves, the people sought Jesus.

• Jesus, knew their hearts longed not for Him, but for the bread-giver!
• Jesus knew they were following not Him, but the food-provider!

 

So Jesus sought to put the matters in the right perspective and teaches them about the real food that they should be longing.

It is in this context that Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life; He who comes to me shall not hunger and He who believes in me, shall never thirst” (Jn 6: 35)

 

Jesus declares Himself as the bread of life.

The Greek word that is used here for “bread” is “artos“.

 

This “artos“….

…  refers to food composed of flour mixed with water, and baked.

… also refers to food of any kind or food in general.

 

As “bread” or “food” is essential for the physical life

… Jesus as “the bread of life” is required for the spiritual life!

 

Without bread, physical life would perish….

… Without Jesus, the bread, spiritual life would perish!

 

It is this simple a logic…

It is this crucial a fact!

 

In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus offers this “bread of life” for us…

… to be our nourishment and strength

… to be our sustenance and energy

… to be our life and forte

 

What is our disposition and attitude towards Jesus, the “Bread of Life” in the Holy Eucharist?

 

History is a witness, that through centuries, there have been many saints, both men and women, who have lived for major chunks of their lives, just on the Holy Eucharist.

They would take no food or drink, but ONLY received the Holy Communion, everyday.

 

A few notable among these saints are…

….  St Catherine of Siena (in the 1350’s….. prior to her death, for seven years, she took no food into her body, except the Holy Eucharist)

…  St Nicholas of Flue (lived in Switzerland as a hermit, in the 1400’s… for nearly 19 years, lived without any food, except the Holy Eucharist)

… Blessed Alexandrina da Costa of Portugal ( of the 20th century… for the last thirteen years of her life, lived on the Holy Eucharist alone)

 

Our Lord himself explained to Blessed Alexandrina why He gives this grace to his some of His saints:

“You are to live by the Eucharist alone,” Jesus told her, “because I want to prove to the world the power of the Eucharist and the power of my life in souls.”

 

This greatest Treasure of Lives – the Holy Eucharist  – the Bread of Life…

… eagerly longs for our reception

… keenly awaits for our adoration

 

As Pope Benedict XVI says,

“In the sacrament of the altar, the Lord meets us, men and women created in God’s image and likeness, and becomes our companion along the way.

In this sacrament, the Lord truly becomes food for us, to satisfy our hunger for truth and freedom.

Since only the truth can make us free, Christ becomes for us the food of truth.”

 

• Shall we not renew our love and commitmentto receiving the “Bread of Life” more frequently, more devoutly, more passionately and with greater preparedness?
• Shall we not revive our affection and dedication to spend more time with the “Bread of Life” in the Blessed Sacrament, to gain strength, to atone for sins and to offer the world for its sanctification and healing?

 

Let the Holy Eucharist  – the Bread of life – become the essential, the integral and the most fundamental constituent of our “Spiritual Diet“

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!