A commonly known story (found in different versions) is told of a king who once asked his daughter how dear he was to her.
“As dear, as dear – as salt!” said the daughter, in all her innocence.

The king thought that this was very little and a “cheap” way of expressing her love to him.

>> And so, being unhappy, remained extremely disappointed with his daughter.

A few months, later, the King sponsored a great feast for the people of his land.
The daughter, made sure, that every dish that was brought to the King, remained unsalted

>> And thus nothing tasted good to the King.
It was then that the King realized his mistake!

The absence of the salt – which rendered the food tasteless – made him realize the value of salt…

… and the intelligence, in the answer of his daughter!

And thus, the King loved his daughter recognizing the importance of salt – and happy to being loved “As dear, as dear – as salt!”

The Gospel of the Day is the beautiful reminder by the Lord, to recognize the importance of “being the salt of the earth,” and to be on the guard, that our Christian lives don’t become tasteless or bland..

… by “not losing the saltiness!”

As Jesus proceeds with the Sermon on the Mount, He declares…

… “You are the salt of the earth” (Mt 5: 13)

It is fascinating to recognize the greatness of this statement of Jesus, in our present day context…

Imagine this…

>> There are over six billion people in the world…

… spread over seven continents and around 195 countries…
>> There are people belonging to thousands of tribes, ethnicity, languages etc…

… and again hundreds of temperaments, personalities, outlooks and characters.

 

Among all these various people, the Lord – the Creator of the whole universe – declares to each one of us…

… YOU…

… Yes, YOU, His beloved creation, and the one whom He loves deeply:

>> “You are the salt of the earth” 

Perhaps, this statement of the Lord may cause us surprise and trigger us to ask Him:

” You must be kidding, Lord!

>> I mean…. Look at the vast expanse of the world – millions of people in here, variety of languages, behaviors, temperaments, personalities…

… and amidst, all this, You expect, Me…

>> Me? To be the Salt of the Earth?!
We might even pose a question: 

“Do you expect Me, a puny little thing, to really be the Salt to the Earth?

>> I am just a Nobody!”

But the Lord – who knows us through and through – would thunder back and tell us:

 “Do not say, you are a nobody!

 

I am precise in calling You…!

>> You have been Baptized in Me, and you have My Spirit dwelling in You.

 

Long back, some of my servants also expressed their inability in a similar fashion…

… Abraham

… Jeremiah

… Peter

 

But they were raised… by My Grace and their co-operation.

 

 

You too, have a responsibility towards Me and My Kingdom…

… and You will do much in doing little, when and as I wish!”

 

 

Perhaps, these magnanimous words of the Lord would overwhelm us..

… but still, filled with unworthiness, we may cry out, expressing our helplessness: 

“But Lord, the challenge is just too great!

I do have some talents and capabilities, that You have bestowed on me.

>> But will those be enough?

 

I just feel that I am too small and insignificant, to be making a real difference in the world!”

 

This is where the Lord will remind us…

“Of course, I don’t deny that it is going to be easy for you to be the Salt of the Earth!

 

You will struggle…

… You will have to walk the hard path, as did even my Beloved Son on His Way of the Cross.”

The Lord will also remind us that “the salt that He spoke of”…

…was not the pure, refined type that is available today.

 

The salt of the olden days, when exposed to moisture, could easily become insipid.

>> It could become tasteless and useless… good only to be thrown and trampled down!

 

In the same way, we, as the ‘Salt of the Earth’, need to be highly careful.

 

>> If we expose ourselves, too much to the worldly and material affairs, we will lose your saltiness!

>> If we pollute ourselves by the many vain pleasures in the world, we will end up being ineffective!

And then we will be useless…only to be trampled upon! (Mt 5:13b)

 

Our life is like… as St Paul writes in the Second Letter to the Corinthians is a… ‘Treasure in Clay’! (2 Cor 4:7)

 

 When preserved and careful utilized, we will remain precious

>> If not handled carefully, we will end up spoiling a wonderful fortune!

 

We are to be the Salt of the Earth…

… in whichever state of life we are

… to whichever vocation we are called to

… in whichever works or activities we engage in

 

We are to be the salt…

… that gives taste, to those who have lost meaning and hope in life

… that preserves the virtues of the Gospel and teachings of the Church in a world of decay

… that symbolizes purity even though the world around you plunges into immorality and sin

… that makes you part of the Sacrifice that is offered to God as described in the Law (Lev 2:13)

 
Yes, we need to remember, that we have a great calling.. to be the Salt…

… to give taste to the world… to preserve the Gospel values..to be a symbol of purity…to offer your life as a sacrifice.

>> We are indeed Precious!

 

Let us never let ourselves be diluted with the waters of worldly pleasures and thus become insipid!

 

Perhaps, like the King in the story, we sometimes, don’t recognize the importance of salt…

… the importance and immense responsibility in being “the salt of the earth”!  
The Lord, today, reminds us:

“Your Christian vocation has to become dear to you….

… “As dear, as dear – as salt!”

Are we ready to be the ‘Salt of the Earth’…?”

 

 

 God Bless! Live Jesus!

There is an eating disorder named ‘Pica’.

 

Pica is the craving to eat what is not edible. 

It is characterized by an appetite for substances that are non-nutritive such as paper, clay, metal, chalk, soil, glass, sand etc.

 

There are different variations of pica, as it can be from a cultural tradition, acquired taste, or a neurological mechanism such as an iron deficiency or a chemical imbalance.

 

‘Pica’ can lead to intoxication in children, which can result in an impairment in both physical and mental development.

 

Now in the spiritual realm, many of us could be affected by a ‘Spiritual Pica’.

 

• A Spiritual Pica would refer to a craving to enjoy what is non-spiritual.

• A Spiritual Pica would mean a strong desire to enjoy what is unholy.

 

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus giving an antidote to this tendency by presenting the Beatitudes.

 

The Beatitudes are a beautiful proclamation and an exhortation…

… to set one’s hearts on the higher and nobler things of life

… to be delighting in the true and heavenly aspects in life.

 

Jesus, the Teacher went up the mountain, and after He had sat down, began to teach (Mt 5: 1-2)

 

When we go through the list of the Beatitudes, one of the standout aspects that we notice is the ‘tone’ and the ‘mood’ that is expressed by Jesus…

• There is a lot of joy that is expressed…
• There is a lot of peace that is radiated…
 

When seen from a worldly perspective, the Beatitudes present a grim and gloomy picture…

 

They speak of…

>> People who are poor… people who are mourning…

>> People who are too modest… people who are in want…

>> People who are merciful…people who are clean at heart…

>> People who are peacemakers…people who are persecuted…

 

From the worldly eyes, these are not people who are “great” or “happening” or “cool”

>> Instead, they are usually categories of people who are put down or who rarely come to the limelight or those who considered weak and fragile.

 

But, the Lord reverses this notion, and places these sections of persons in the category of being Blessed!

 

What is the reason?

 

• Blessedness for the Lord is an attribute that is solely associated with God and dependence on Him

• Blessedness for the Lord is a virtue that is directly a result of one’s faith in the Lord and reliance on His providence.

 

This is the greatness and paradox in Christian Life.

• One is invited to live a life of immense happiness and joy…

…but the result is not an achievement of one’s own merit, but is a fruit of one’s dependence and trust in the Lord.

 

• One is encouraged to enjoy a life of peace and delight…

… but the outcome is a not an accomplishment proceeding from sheer hard-work or personal efforts, but is a grace obtained because of one’s faith, love and commitment to the Lord.

 

However, many of us, fail to look upwards and gaze higher…

… instead our aims remain sometimes peripheral and stuck to being worldly.

 

We get afflicted by a ‘Spiritual Pica’….

… craving to enjoy what is non-spiritual.

… a strong desire to enjoy what is unholy.

 

The Lord today challenges and invites us to go beyond such materialistic tendencies and instead become a person of being truly Blessed.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A story is told of various fruits, coming together for a discussion.
The topic of discussion was to know the reason, why no other fruit, but the grape, contains juice, from which the best wines were ma de.
They also discussed from the Biblical perspective, as to how, the wine from the grape, is an important element in Sacred Scriptures.

“Her drink is famous throughout the world”, declared all the other fruits.

>> “Why is she more worthy, than we are, to be so blessed by God?”, they asked one another.

A cluster of grapes, which were hanging nearby in the garden, heard the complaint and told them: 

“All of you grow individually – each one to oneself and by oneself.

But we, grapes, always, grow in bunches.

>> We always hang on to each other.
That is our nature – that is the only way we can grow. 
And it is this mutual dependence on one another, that puts something special into the wines that come forth from us!”

Mutual dependence, selfless unity and constant integration with one another, was their nature – and this brought the best in them. 

These qualities, also ought to become the nature in our own families, communities and society – and that will bring out the best in us!

Our God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Blessed Trinity is the Perfection of this Mutual Dependence, Selfless Unity and Constant Integration with one another!

Today, as we celebrate the Great Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, we are invited to grow into this nature of our God.

 

The Dogma of the Blessed Trinity is indeed the most fundamental, yet the most baffling and confusing mystery of the Christian Faith.

 

However, we are encouraged by a great truth about this mystery…

> The mystery of the Trinity is more to be lived, than merely be understood

> The mystery of the Trinity is more to be encountered, than merely be grasped

> The mystery of the Trinity is more to be experienced, than merely be comprehended

 

 

This feast is celebrated on the Sunday, following the Feast of the Pentecost.

 

The encounter of the Holy Spirit, was a life-transforming experience for the Disciples.

> It brought about a huge upliftment in courage for their sagging and fearful spirits.

> It brought about a massive alteration of mind, to being bold and dynamic in their faith.

 
Along with this, it also brought in the tremendous experience of the Holy Spirit as a God!

>> This was something very new, strange and heart-experiential.

 
The disciples, as we know, were Jews.

 

Jews believed in strict monotheism – One God.

They professed this belief in One God, daily, by the ‘Shema Israel’: “Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one God….” (Deut 6:4)

 

However, in Jesus, the disciples encountered a deep Divine experience.

>> On Pentecost Day, they also encountered a deep Divine experience in the Holy Spirit.

 

This tremendous experience, along with the grace of God, helped them to reflect on the many words and sayings of Jesus that pointed to the dimension of Three Persons in the One nature of God.

 
Thus, with gradual and deeper reflection on the words of the Lord, and the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples – strict monotheists – began to understand the mystery of God in a new light…

>> God is One

>> There are three Persons – the Father is God, the Son is God, the Spirit is God

>> The Father is not the Son and the Spirit; the Son is not the Father and the Spirit; the Spirit is not the Son and the Father.

 

This Triune invocation was the way the Lord exhorted to Baptize disciples in all the nations, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, in the name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT” (Mt 28: 19).

The Dogma of the Blessed Trinity has explanations, rationalization and details in the Holy Scripture and the Teachings of the Church.

>> However, with all that, the Dogma continues to remain a mystery…

 

And this is the beauty of the Mystery of the Triune God…

… It is something to grow in, daily

… It is something to develop a deeper relationship, daily

… It something to be lived and experienced in practical life, daily

 
As Evagrius of Pontus, a Greek monk of the 4th century said: “God cannot be grasped by the mind. If God could be grasped, God would not be God!”

 

This is our Blessed Triune God…

… He escapes being subjugated to the prisons of the mind; instead, invites to forge a powerful bond with the heart!

… He gets away from being trapped in the intriguing theological explanations and philosophical reasoning; instead calls forth to form an everlasting covenant of love!

Our whole world reflects the Triune nature of the Blessed Trinity…

>> Water exists in three forms – solid as ice, liquid as water, gaseous as steam

(In physics, it is also proved that theoretically, water exists as solid, liquid and gas at the same time at something called the triple point – a temperature of 0oC or 273.16 K and at a pressure of 611.2 Pa)

 

>> Sunlight displays a triune dimension – the substance of the sun, the heat, the light

 

>> The universe consists of three things: matter, space, and time.

(Each one of those is itself a trinity.

Matter = mass + energy + motion.

Space = length + height + breadth.

Time = past + present + future)

 

>> Human beings have a triple dimension, consisting of the body, the mind and the soul

 
The Trinity is everywhere!

>> The most important factor that is needed is that we need to grow in this awareness and deeper our love for Him!

The Lord in today’s Gospel presents this deep love of the Blessed Trinity, in perhaps, the most popular verse of the Gospels: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Son, that whoever believes in Him, may not perish, but may have eternal life!” (Jn 3:16)

 

>> Are we willing to grow in cultivating an intimate and close bond with the Triune God – the God of Love and Holiness?

>> Are we willing to live the beautiful virtues of the Blessed Trinity – Mutual Dependence, Selfless Unity and Constant Integration – in our personal relationships with one another ?

 

Let us become greatly aware of the many invocations we make to the Blessed Trinity (Sign of the Cross, in our daily prayers etc…) and perform those actions with greater meaning and significance!

May the Blessed Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit- helps us to grow in our intimacy and union, and in turn, help to reflect His image to all people in our lives…

… and thus, bring the “best wine” in us all!

Happy Feast of the Blessed Trinity!

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A money-collection drive was being been conducted in a particular Church for a particular intention.

>> The people were free to put in as much contribution as they wanted for the noble cause.

 

One gentleman stood up and announced a rather large contribution, and the people applauded greatly.

 

A few moments later, an old lady stood up and announced her donation.

But it was greeted with silence.

 

The priest, however, in reply to the cold response of the people, stood up and said emphatically, “Ladies and gentleman, I believe I hear the applause of the nail-scarred Hands!”

 

The people understood what the priest meant, and slowly but surely applauded the old lady’s generosity.

 

The Gospel of the Day presents such a similar act of appreciation by Jesus over the apparently “tiny” yet really “great” contribution by a widow to the Temple Treasury.

 

The passage of the day is the culmination of the 12th Chapter of the Gospel of St Mark.

 

This has been a volatile passage…

                      

1. Jesus tells the parable of the Tenants (Mk 12: 1-12)

… thereby giving out a sharp message to the Jews to accept the Messiah and not forfeit the many graces and blessings that they had been blessed with.

 

2. Jesus gives a fitting response to the question of paying taxes (Mk 12: 13-17)

… thereby exhorting the concerned people to not get stuck to earthly obligations and instead gear one’s life in total allegiance to the Lord Creator

 

3. Jesus corrects the false notion regarding the teaching on Resurrection (Mk 12: 18-27)

… thereby challenging to live a life in worthiness of eternity and to have the correct and deeper faith in the Living God and His Teachings

 

4. Jesus makes clear the greatest commandments (Mk 12: 28-34)

… thereby inviting all to understand that there is only one true God and He deserves all the love and affection of our being and this love ought to be expressed in love of neighbour.

 

5. Jesus points out from Scripture that He is the Messiah, the Lord (Mk 12: 35-37)

… thereby opening the eyes of the people to read Scripture with greater openness to the Spirit and an invitation to accept Him as the Lord of their lives.

 

These five pronouncements finally concludes with Jesus denouncing the action of the scribes especially in devouring the lives of the poor widows.

 

Jesus says, “The scribes devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers” (Mk 12: 40)

 

• Widows were an easy trap to be cheated…

• Widows were easy pickings to be exploited…
 

However, the chapter ends with a beautiful counteract…

A widow – symbol of all the other widows, who have been cheated, or oppressed or facing humiliations – comes in to the Temple and drops in her ‘everything’ in the treasure!

 

This is indeed a powerful symbol of faithfulness and duty…

• She is a symbol of being oppressed – yet she is heartily generous

• She is an object of being condemned – yet she is mightily liberal
 

And she becomes a symbol of self-giving and total-emptiness.

 

This poor widow becomes a great challenge for us in our lives…

• Life may bite us hard with cruel luck and bad destiny… 

• Life may oppress us through various elements in the society…

• Life may cheat us in the form of many people or circumstances…

 

Yet, through all this…

Like this poor widow,

• Can I be firm to still give to God in gratitude?

• Can I be faithful to do my responsibilities even if unrewarded?

 
Let us draw inspiration from the Saint of the day, St Bogumilus in order to have deeper faith and fervour in our Christian Faith.

 

This holy person from Poland was consecrated Archbishop of the Polish See of Gniezno.

>> St Bogumilus recited the divine office with much care and devotion.

 

Each day before celebrating Mass, he would prepare by prostrating himself in prayer, extending his arms in the form of a cross.

>> It was thus that he asked the angels to present his prayers to God, and petitioned the Blessed Virgin Mary to obtain for him the purity of heart requisite to consecrate the Eucharist worthily.

 

He gave much of his time to mental prayer, which he punctuated with fervent aspirations: “May I love you, O Lord, my strength; O Lord, my pillar, and my refuge, and my deliverer.”

 

On his deathbed, Bl. Bogumilus experienced a vision of the Madonna and Child, surrounded by a throng of angels, inviting him to heaven.

May the Blessed Mother Mary, who Herself was a poor widow, and gave Herself entirely to the Lord…

>> And Jesus, who like the poor widow, gave Himself entirely to His people and in doing God’s Will…

… be our inspiration, our strength and our hope!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” are the famous words of exhortation of St Jerome, the doctor of the Church.

 

St Jerome himself was well-versed in Scripture

He is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the translation that became known as the Vulgate), and his commentaries on the Scriptures.

 

• The Scriptures talk to us of God and of His love and providence
• The Scriptures tell of us people who experienced God’s mercy and lived in His presence
• The Scriptures help us to experience His care… to grow in His love.
Are we genuinely making efforts to grow in knowing and understanding the Scriptures so that we can know and understand and love our God, more deeply?

 
The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus exhorting the people to have a closer look into the Scriptures and thereby, discovering Him in a deeper manner!

 

Over the last few days, we have seen Jesus facing various sorts of groups and quizzed over different aspects…

• The Chief priests, Scribes and elders questioned Jesus on His authority

• The Pharisees and Herodians interrogated Jesus on the subject of paying taxes to Caesar

• The Sadducees confronted Jesus on the topic of the Resurrection

• Another scribe enquired Jesus on the first of all the commandments     

 

After this long round of being questioned, Jesus now puts a question to His listeners, “How do the Scribes claim that the Messiah is the Son of David?…. David calls Him ‘Lord’; so how is He his Son?” (Mk 12: 35,37)    

The nation of Israel had King David as her greatest King.

And it was through the line of David, that the Jews knew the future Messiah would be coming.

 

They eagerly awaited this ‘Son of David’.

 

• Thus was written in the Scriptures.

• Thus was taught from the Scriptures.

And Jesus was aware of this aspect.

 

However, the Lord invites and challenges His listeners to look at Scripture in a deeper manner and to understand its greater implications.

 

Therefore, Jesus quotes King David from Psalm 102 which presents David calling the Messiah as the Lord.

 

And then He puts forward this very simple query… “How can the Son of David also be Lord of David”?

 

Implied in this question was the powerful claim by Jesus, that…

… He Himself was the Messiah – the Son of David and the Lord of David

 

Implied in this question was also the powerful answer to the previous questions that were put forward to Him by the various groups:

 

• To the query on the greatest commandment…

… Jesus declares that He is the Lord, who is to be loved with one’s whole heart, and one’s whole soul and with one’s whole mind and with one’s whole strength

 

• To the confrontation on the topic of Resurrection…

… Jesus declares that He is the Lord of the Resurrection and the One Who grants eternal life

 

• To the interrogation on the subject of paying taxes to Caesar

… Jesus declares that He is the Lord who is above all earthly kingdoms and to whom absolute allegiance is to be rendered

 

• To the questioning on His authority

… Jesus declares that He is the Lord who is the source of all authority and requires no one’s permission or authorization!

 

 

>> The Jews were familiar with the Scriptures…

>> They were familiar with the Psalms particularly…

>> They were familiar notable with the passages especially concerning David and the Messiah..
 

Yet, they had seldom considered Scriptures in the way that Jesus was presenting to them!

 

• Jesus had cast new light on the reading of the Scriptures!
• Jesus had opened a new way of looking at the Scriptures!
 

Our own lives can parallel the lives of these Jews, with respect to the Scriptures.

 

How eager and zealous are we regarding the Word of God?

 

How faithful and committed are we…

… to reading the Scriptures daily?

… to spend some time regularly in studying the Bible?

… to understand the person of Jesus and grow in Him through His Word?

… to inculcate the light of His Wisdom and to practice it in our daily activities and life?

 

 

We are to seek the grace of the Holy Spirit to grow in our understanding and love of the Lord and to live a life in Him!

 

Maybe we could take a simple resolution of spending at least a few minutes, daily, without fail, in reading the Holy Bible.

• We need to read His Word

• We need to learn His Word

• We need to practise His Word

 

Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ!

 

Let us grow in our passion for His Holy Word and be committed to His Kingdom, so that our lives may mightily proclaim, “Jesus is Lord!”

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Papa, do you love Jesus?” asked a little child to her father.

 

The father was an extremely irreligious man – even hating and condemning all religious practices.

 

So, with a sense of irritation, the father replied, “Jesus is dead, my dear, long, long ago. He was crucified, and that was the end of Him.” 

 

“But Jesus rose again, and did what no other man could do”, continued the innocent child, “and if Jesus was not living now, we could not be living either, as He gives us life and everything else, Papa.” 

 

But the father questioned back, “But how can I love whom I have never seen, my child? Tell me that, my dear!”

 
The child, at first didn’t know what to reply.

>> The father was extremely happy that his question had puzzled the daughter and hoped that now she would stop the topic.

 

 

But the little girl put forth another question, “Papa, how old was I when Mamma died?” 

 

“Hmm…six months, my child”, replied the father.

 

 

“Then I can say”, said the child, “that I never saw her, for I don’t remember her at all.

But you have always tried to make me love Mummy, by telling me how good and kind she was; and I do love her!”,

 

And then with a deeper sense of affection, she continued, “Even though I don’t remember having seen her, I still do love her, Papa!”

 

 

By this time the tears were running down the father’s cheeks.

 

He kissed his beloved child and said, “God has spoken to me by you, my dear! I realize I do need to love God, even though I have not seen Him!

And now you must pray for me, and ask God to give me a new heart, with which I shall love Jesus.”

 

(Undoubtedly, the prayer of the innocent child was soon answered!)

 

 

What about me….

Do I love God?

>> Do I really love God?

 

Even though sometimes I am am not able to experience His presence…

Even though at times, I go through the hardships and grinds of life…

>> DO I LOVE GOD?

 

 

The Gospel of the Day is a mighty invitation and reminder by the Lord, to Love God with our “ALL”…

… All our heart

… All our soul

… All our mind

… All our strength

 

 

The passage begins with a member of the scribe, approaching Jesus with a question:

“Which is the greatest of all commandments?”(Mk 12: 28)

 

 

This man, who questioned Jesus was no ordinary man or any ignorant person. 

 

 

He was a scribe

>> Some translations would put it as “a Lawyer”

>> The Gospel of St Matthew describes him as a “Scholar of the Law” (Mt 22: 35)

 

He was an expert in the Mosaic Law.

…someone who studied the law, interpreted the law and taught the law!

 

 

Just prior to the questioning by this scribe, Jesus had silenced six groups of people…

1. The Chief Priests 2. The Scribes 3. The Elders

“As Jesus was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes and the elders approached Him, and said….” (Mk 11:27)

 

4. The Pharisees 5. The Herodians

“They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech” (Mk 12:13)

 

6. The Sadducees

“Some Sadducees who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus….” (Mk 12: 18)

 

 

Most of them had approached and questioned Jesus…

 … not to know or learn more about the Law, but to question Him and trap Him!

… not with genuineness in their heart, but with malice and viciousness!

 

 

However, Jesus, aware of all this background… 

>>> the wicked conspiracy that was brewing against Him

>>> the plot of testing that was hanging in the air

 

… responds with something immensely marvellous and spectacular:

“The Lord our God, is Lord alone. Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength”(Mk 12:29- 30) and

“Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mk 12: 31)    

 

 

Here was a classic answer…

 

>> The background in which the question was put forth quite “hateful” and “repulsive”

… but Jesus dares to answer with the sublime answer of “Love”!

 

>> The Lord was being targeted badly with stones of “hatred, jealousy, aversion and hostility”

… but He gently, but firmly showers back the flowers of “Love, Tenderness and Commitment”!

 

 

Love, as Jesus defines, is not simply about feelings and emotions, as is the popular and the ‘commercial’ understanding.

 

Undoubtedly, Love has the dimensions of being a tender feeling and an expressive emotion.

 

But beyond that, Love is…

>> A Commitment

>> A Dedication

>> A Decision

…. that one makes to be faithful – to a person or a duty or a situation!

 

“Agape” is the Love to which we are called… 

… a self-giving love

… a self-sacrificing love

… an other-centered love

 

 

>> Life sometimes can be quite harsh to us – making us feel totally lost out, abandoned even by God and even causing us to question the presence and existence of a Just and Loving God…

… But, can we still dare to “love God”?

 

>> Life sometimes hits very hard at us – in the form of others not accepting us, others ridiculing, criticizing us and we finding ourselves as the subject of hatred and injustice.

… But, can we still dare to “love our neighbours”?

 

>> Life sometimes is very unfair to us, we feel – by not rewarding us with rewards, that we consider, we deserve, in answer to the hard-work we put in.. or by not allowing us to enjoy the joys of life and instead bombards us with tensions and worries

… Can we still go out of the way and live a life “In Love and For Love”?

 

 

When one’s life is truly centred on love for God, one also begins to express this love to one’s neighbours , in concrete and certain acts of love

>> When one’s life is drawn into real service for humankind, one slowly but surely has to realise that the source of these charitable deeds is God and thereby one is to draw closer to the Lord.

 

 

May our life be a constant check to see if we are living under the banner of these two fundamental commands of Christian life – Love of God and Love of neighbour!

 

And thus, in the depths of our hearts…

>> even with all the troubles, problems and uncertainties clouding our lives

>> even if we are unable to see the power of God leading us

… we can still whisper and even shout: “I REALLY LOVE YOU, MY GOD!

 

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

An old man and his wife, who had spent their life, in the villages, were taken to the railway station by their son, who had a job in the city.

 

It was for the first time in their life that this old couple was seeing a train!

 

The husband was highly d at the sight of that large locomotive.

>> He looked the engine over very carefully, and shook his head.

 

“Well, what do you think of it, father?” asked the son with eagerness

 

“She’ll never start,” was the firm answer by the disbelieving father: “she’ll never start.”

 

However, in a few minutes, the conductor waved, the bell rang, the locomotive puffed, the train moved slowly at first, then faster.

 

 It was disappearing in the distance when the son inquired slyly: “”Well…what do you think of it now?”

 

The old man shook his head more violently than before and blurted out with greater assertion:

“She’ll never stop,” he affirmed; “she’ll never stop!!”

 

 

How often is this true of many people…

… Pre-Conceptions often close the mind; and one is unwilling to open anything new

… Prejudices often shut one’s understanding; and one becomes adamant in refusing to learn!

 

Truth is received and understood only by the one who is open and willing to accept it!

>> Truth can never be forced upon..

>> Truth can never be thrust on anyone…

Rather, Truth with the freedom it allows, is taken in only by the one docile to it!

 

The Gospel of the Day presents another group of opponents -characterised by rigidity to accept the truth and blocked in mentality to be docile – who try to put down and prod our Blessed Lord in His teachings. 

 

Yet, Jesus, who is source and perfection of all wisdom, fails to get bogged down – instead traps them in their own arguments and leaves them faced with a mighty challenge to change!

 

The Sadducees came to Jesus to put forward a hypothetical riddle regarding the question of the Resurrection.

 

The Sadducees were the top people in the nation, the elite group of aristocrats who owned a lot of land, wealth and rank.

 

They were the power brokers in Israel’s supreme court, the Sanhedrin.

Even the high priests came from the families of the Sadducees.

 

They were selective in what they accepted from the Scriptures.

>> They rejected all the historical books.

>> They also rejected all the psalms and the other ‘writings’ like Job and Ecclesiastes.

>> Not one of the books of the prophets would they accept.

They were left with just the first five books of Moses.

 

Moses was their person of authority.

That is why when they come to Jesus, they characteristically begin, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us…” ( Mk 12:19)

 

They also rejected the resurrection of the dead.

>> “Men stay dead,” they said; human beings only have this life here and now.

That is what they believed; no judgment; with death, the soul perishes with the body.

 

We live in a world where we also encounter many of the “modern” Sadducees.

>> People who live as though there is no Resurrection..

>> People who deny giving any significance for life after this life

>> People who fail to uphold any teachings or thoughts that support a life after death

 

For such “modern” Sadducees,

… Life consists in basically enjoying the pleasures of this present life to the maximum!

… Life is not to be drowned in “boring” piety and “dull” devotions with a hope for the future!

 

Perhaps, some of us, may also share such thought-patterns of the Sadducees.

 

Yet, the Lord addresses us, just as He did to the Sadducees, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mk 12: 24)

 

>> The Scriptures clearly testify to the various references that are made to the fact of the “dead” not really being dead… rather, alive in the Lord

>> The power of God clearly testifies that God as the one who created creation out of nothing, also has the power to grant new life to those who are dead

 

The Gospel passage ends with the statement by Jesus, “You are greatly misled” (Mk 12: 27b).

>> Another translation would read, “You are quite wrong”

 

The Lord was not afraid to clearly and bluntly tell the Sadducees that they were wrong and misled in their understandings.

 

And perhaps, if we are in the category of being a “modern” Sadducee, the Lord uncompromisingly tells us also, “You are greatly misled”

 

 

We need to be open to the voice of the Lord, calling us to trust deeper, in the presence of a life after this life.

>> Let not our prejudices shut our understanding; and we becomes adamant in refusing to learn!

 

Truth is received and understood only by the one who is open and willing to accept it!

 

 

May we grow to be more docile to the voice of the Lord, so that we may mould our present lives in perfect tune to God’s Will, and thus be able to enjoy a life of Resurrection – true happiness in eternity!

 

 

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The statement, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” is a common phrase known to many of us.

 

Considered generally to be Arabic, this ancient proverb means that solely because two parties have a common enemy, they are friends.

 

There is also an identical Chinese proverb that says, “It is good to strike the serpent’s head with your enemy’s hand!”

 

• A good example of this comes from World War II. The US and Great Britain were allied with the Soviet Union. Neither country was friendly with the USSR before the war and they would be enemies again soon afterwards. But during WWII, they were both enemies of Nazi Germany. Because the Soviets were the enemy of Hitler (an enemy of Britain and the US), they were considered friends of the US and Britain!

 

• In business, this example is seen in the speculated purchase of Yahoo! by Microsoft, in an attempt to gain the market-share from Google, in the online search engine market.

 

• Even in nature, we have an example for this…

The Pilot fish, which are smaller fish, cleans parasites off larger predators like sharks. These smaller fish swim freely around the sharks and even inside the mouths of the sharks that could easily eat the small fish. Since the shark’s enemy is the parasite and the parasite’s enemy is the smaller fish, the shark considers the Pilot fish a friend and accommodates an otherwise potential food source.

 

The Gospel of the day presents a classical example of this canny ingenuity in human nature…

… and seeks to put Jesus, to the shame!

But the Lord of all wisdom and knowledge overcomes all such shrewd tactics and comes out a winner…with flying colours.

 

The passage begins with the statement, “They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to ensnare Him in His speech” (Mk 12:13)

 

The “they” in the verse refers to the chief priests, the scribes and the elders (Mk 11: 27b)

 

This group had already been silenced by the Lord…

• In questioning Jesus of His authority, they found themselves facing a tougher question from Jesus. (Mk 11: 27-33)

• Jesus also told a parable of the Tenants in the vineyard, which alluded to their closed attitude to accept Him as the Messiah of their lives (Mk 12: 1-12)

 

 

This group of chief priests, scribes and the elders, went away…

… with hatred in their against Jesus

… with a mind to plot further against Jesus

 

So, they got together two opposing parties, in their scheme to oppose Jesus.

 

These two opposing parties were the Pharisees and the Herodians (Mk 12: 13)

 

 

Who are the Pharisees?

• The Pharisees were primarily not a political party but a group of scholars and pious people. They enjoyed a large popular following, and in the Gospels, they appear as spokesmen for the majority of the population.

• They hated the pagan Roman occupation of Israel.

• Their hope was for a new Judas Maccabee who would arise and throw off the Roman empire.

• Many of the common people embraced their patriotic message.

 

 

Who are the Herodians?

• Their name came from King Herod, who was a half Jew and had made a made a political deal with the Romans.

• The Herodians held political power, and supported King Herod Antipas, the Roman Empire’s ruler over much of the land of the Jews from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39.

• The Herodians favoured submitting to the Herods, and therefore to Rome, for political pragmatism.

 

The Pharisees were obsessed with their religious traditions, while the Herodians had little religion at all.

 

Yet, when Jesus spoke and opposed both formalism and love of worldliness, these two groups came together in their opposition to Him!

 

 

And they trap Jesus with a very cunning question, “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” (Mk 12: 14c)

 

• If Jesus had said:

No, you should not pay taxes….

… that no true Israelite who loves God should willingly pay the tax as the Roman Coin with the image of Caesar and all of his titles claiming to be divine is blasphemous…

 

All of the common people would have said, “How godly man is He!”

 

But Jesus would have been arrested for sedition and treason.

 

• On the other side, if Jesus had said:

Yes, you should pay taxes….

… that it is not bad since the Roman empire brings stability and economic prosperity…

 

All of the common people would have abandoned Him saying, “He is a betrayer of God’s law!”

 

Jesus would have been badly persecuted for misleading them from the path of God.

 

 

It was trouble either way…

 

But Jesus, the Lord of all wisdom and knowledge, found His way through the maze of human shrewdness by answering, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Mk 12: 17)

 

Jesus said that what is most important in life is one’s supreme allegiance to God!

• Political demands, social commitments, familial duties, communitarian stipulations all have their place and position…

But above all, what needs to be given the prime importance in one’s life is: Allegiance to God!

 

We live in times and situations wherein there are many forces and philosophies and thought-patterns, that join hands in opposing the teachings of Jesus and the Church.

• Jesus is still an enemy to many of the truth-denying realities in the world.

• The Church is still opposed by many of the immoral entities of the world.

 

It is our duty to remain firm in our faith and render absolute allegiance to the Lord, in order to oppose and fight against such adverse and opposing factors in the world.

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A commonly known story goes thus…
An Arab sheikh, once gave a banquet for his son.

>> He invited his friends to share his hospitality. 
His one request was that each guest bring a small skin of wine as his contribution to the feast. 
On the appointed day, the skins were emptied.

>> However, the further discovery caused immense embarrassment for the host as well as the like: most of them contained water! 

Each guest had reasoned that, since everyone else would bring wine, he might be able to make a substitution and not be detected.

>> But finally most of them ended up bringing water, that finally the whole content was “more watery” than “being wine!”

The price of enjoyment always comes at a price: of responsibility.
It is “freedom with responsibility” that ensures valid enjoyment and proper satisfaction.
Human tendency, however, it is, to often want…

… To enjoy, without having worked

… To reap fruits, without having harvested 

… To take credit for oneself, even for things/people not belonging to oneself.

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful reminder by Jesus, through the Parable of the Tenants…

… that we are only stewards in this beautiful world of ours, which is owned by God

… that we are to be caretakers of the many duties entrusted to us, by the Almighty

 

We have concluded a journey of fourteen weeks (nearly hundred days) of walking intimately with the Lord in His Passion, Death, Resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit…

… starting with the Ash Wednesday in the season of Lent

… through the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday

… the Ascension and the Feast of the Holy Spirit – the Pentecost.

 
As we resume the Ordinary times of the Liturgical year, we are presented with the message to make an examination of the “quality of our life of faith”, through the Parable of the Tenants.
 

 

The tenants were entrusted with the vineyard by the Master, and were expected to provide the produce in due time.

>> They were entrusted fully with the taking care of the vineyard.

 

 

The Master placed a lot of trust in the servants.

 

He gave the freedom… a responsible freedom…

…which could be meaningfully used and nurtured

…or which could be woefully misused and manipulated.

 

However, the tenants, who were trusted immensely…probably lost their focus on the real trust and diminished in their commitment and responsibility to their Master as well as their duty.

 

>> Their personal interests gained greater prominence over their entrusted duties.

>> Their selfish agenda gained the upper hand over the faithfulness to the Master.

 

 

This led to them to a total denial of all the emissaries and servants of the Master, who were sent to collect the produce.

>> This denial was extended even to the Master’s own Son!

 

  

 

This denial of the Son led to the letting loose of the anger and fury of the Just Master!

>> A squandering away of the responsible freedom, led to the downfall of the tenants!

>> A failure to give heed to the emissaries and servants caused them to face the Master’s rage!

>> A denial and rejection of the Master’s own Son, with a cruel intent, caused their destruction!

 

 

Are we also, as Christians, as tenants of the Heavenly Master failing in our responsibilities and duties?

The Lord has entrusted us with many responsibilities…

>> To promote and grow in our faith…

… by a faithful prayer-life, co-operation with the graces of God, keeping away from a life of sin etc.
>> To be faithful to the vocation and works we are called to do…

… by constantly renewing our resolve in the works we do, remaining focussed on our calling etc.
>> To encourage others to increase in faith and in love of life…

… by being interested In their well-being, supporting them, teaching them etc.

 

The Lord presents Himself as the cornerstone…

… “the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone..” (Mk 12: 10)

 

 

Jesus is the cornerstone…of Salvation…of the Church…of His People!
>> We need to find strength and support in this Cornerstone…

… the cornerstone to build a wonderful life in God and grow in holiness…

… the cornerstone to stand firm and strong in faith to withstand every storm of life…
 

Let us come to understand that the price of enjoyment always comes at a price: of responsibility.

>> And it is “freedom with responsibility” that ensures valid enjoyment and proper satisfaction.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Dear Friends in Christ, 

Here is a short video message on the Holy Spirit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAi37OAr-9I&feature=youtu.be