Arabian horses are made to go through painstaking and meticulous training in the dry deserts of the Middle East.
 

One of the most important aspects that the trainers expect from the horses is of “absolute obedience”.

>> This final test to assess their level of obedience is quite extreme…
The trainers compel the horses to be without water for many days.

A few days later, they turn the horses loose towards a pool of water…

>> The highly thirsty, parched and dehydrated horses, of course start running towards it.
But just as they get to the edge, ready to plunge in and drink, the trainer blows his whistle.

>> Screech….!
 

The horses are to stop mid-way…

The horses who have been completely trained and who have learned perfect obedience, stop!

>> They turn around and come pacing back to the trainer.

>> They stand there trembling, wanting water… but they wait in perfect obedience.

When the trainer is sure that he has their obedience, he gives them a signal to go back to drink.

>> Complete obedience  from the horses is a sign of their being completely trained.
 

Well.. this sure sounds hard and severe…

>> But perhaps, we need to learn an important aspect: the need for trustful obedience to our Master!.
·       When we are in the dry deserts of life, we got to be totally obedient to God.

·       When we are in the parched phases of life, we ought to fully heed the voice of the Lord.

The Gospel of the Day is an exhortation by the Lord to listen to Him, to give heed to His Word and to be obedient to Him.
“Jesus appointed seventy (two), whom He sent ahead of Him, in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit” (Lk 10:1)
They were “chosen and appointed”.

>> Why were these chosen?

…and not others?
>> Well… we can only make some guess-works… because the bottom-line is:

“They were ‘chosen'”

Choice is always a gift, and not a merit!

>> This gift cannot be demanded…. it is given by the Lord, out of His Will
Therefore, it demands a sense of “gratitude” and a spirit of “responsibility”!

The choosing of the seventy (two) also reflects Jesus as the New Moses!
Moses had chosen seventy elders.
>> We read this in the Book of Numbers:

“The LORD said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.” (Num 11:16)

The “seventy” were chosen from the elders of the tribes of Israel to assist Moses.

>> They were to become an extension of the work that was entrusted to Moses, by Lord Yahweh
 

In the Gospels, the seventy (two) disciples are also called, by Jesus, for the similar task:

>> They were to become an extension of the work that was entrusted to Jesus by the Heavenly Father.
 

In this task of “becoming an extension”, one of the most important essentials was that of “listening to the words of the Master”

>> Obedience to the Word is a necessary criteria to become a true extension of the Lord!
 

Jesus very specifically lays downs rules and regulations to be followed in their mission journey and task:

“Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road….” (Lk 10:4)
These exhortations by the Master would cause…

… a sense of insecurity for the disciples

… a feeling a being stranded in the problems that they could encounter.

 

Yet, the disciples were strongly urged to…

… Listen to His Exhortation

… to Trust in His Providence

… and to be obedient to His Word

·       The disciples were to listen to Jesus, the Beloved Son and grasp His teachings for life

·       The disciples were to listen to Jesus, Beloved Son’s commitment in the path of suffering

·       The disciples were to listen to the Beloved Son’s trust in God’s Will at every moment

Each one of us is called and chosen, as Christians, to be a disciple of Christ – “an extension of the Lord’s tasks in this world” …

… “You did not choose me, but I chose you; and appointed you to go and bear fruit; fruit that will last” (Jn 15:16)

·       Life will take us through many deserts and desolations of difficulties.

·       Life will put us through various storms and hurricanes of hardships.
But in all such moments, are we ready and open to listen to the Voice of the Lord?
 

Yes, when we are in the dry deserts of life, we better be totally obedient to God.

>> When we are in the parched phases of life, we ought to fully heed the voice of the Lord.
The Lord will take us through…

… every crisis

… every desert

… every darkness

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8: 31)
 

May we seek the special intercession of St Maria Faustina- the Great Saint of Mercy – on her Feast Day.
Let us give heed to the words of our Blessed and Merciful Lord, as mentioned in her Diary:

>> ” My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications.”
>> “Yes.. when you are obedient I take away your weakness and replace it with My strength. I am very surprised that souls do not want to make that exchange with Me.”
 

 Let us grow in our efforts to be completely obedient to our Master!

>> Let us pray for His grace to be truly listening and following the voice of our Master!
Are we ready to listen and obey the voice of the Lord?
 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

There is a non-fictional self-help book by Napoleon Hill named ‘Think and grow rich’.
There is a lovely story in this book, which goes thus….
 

A long while ago, a great warrior faced a situation which made it necessary for him to make a decision which insured his success on the battlefield.

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

… then gave the order to “burn the ships” that had carried them.
 

Addressing his men before the first battle, he said, “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!”

History says that they won the battle!
 

Any person who wishes to find success in any undertaking much be willing to “burn his ships” and to cut off all sources of turning back…

>> Only thus, can one be sure of maintaining a “burning desire” to win!

The Gospel of the Day highlights on this aspect of making a complete commitment to the cause of the Kingdom of God…

… and being prepared to face any challenges in being faithful to this dedication!

Jesus says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Lk 9: 62)

Our Blessed Lord speaks of three areas of “giving-up” in our Christian life…
1. The “Giving-Up” of personal security
The Lord says, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Lk 9: 58)

The life of Jesus was characterized by a lack of personal security.
>> It is to this life of “poverty” that our Blessed Lord invites each one of us too….

… in the sense of knowing that our Loving Father will provide for us, with our genuine co-operation

… in the sense of not being anxious or over-worried over the concerns of life

… in the sense of depending on the Lord for the necessities of life
 

2. The “Giving-Up” of personal gains
The Lord says, “Let the dead bury the dead” (Lk 9: 60)
This was in response to the man who said, “let me go first and bury my father”.
This statement was a common way of saying, “Let me wait until I receive my inheritance from my father!”
It was an excuse of “economics and finance” that the man was trying to furnish, to evade the Kingdom responsibility!
 

>> Jesus calls us to a life of “obedience” to his Will…

… in the sense of letting go of personal gains and profits for His sake

… in the sense of curbing our selfish wantings and cravings
 

3.  The “Giving-Up” of personal relationships
The Lord says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Lk 9: 62)
This was in response to the man who said, “I will follow you Lord, but first let me say farewell to my home”

>> Jesus calls us to a life of being “chaste” to His Divine Love…

… in the sense of prioritizing Him above all other relations

… in the sense of giving the Lord the first place in life
 

We ought to have a “burning desire” as the missionaries of the Kingdom, to spread God’s Word and make Him loved more!
Martin Luther King Jr. said:

“Consider that people are like tea bags.

They don’t know their own strength until they get into hot water”

It is essential, therefore that we “burn our ships” of comfort and personal wishes…

… so that we can be better imitators of Him, Who demands that we be zealous in our journey towards perfection.
 

Let’s give heed to the words of St Jerome:

“Good, better, best.

 Never let it rest.

‘Til your good is better and your better is best.”

Let us today specially seek the Intercession of St Francis of Assisi – the Wonderful Saint – on his Feast Day.

>> May we seek to be an instrument of joy & peace, as we sing with the mystical saint the chorus: “Make me Lord, a channel of your peace…”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I?   

I took the one less travelled by,   

>> And that has made all the difference.”   
These well-acclaimed and much-celebrated lyrical words from the poem “The Road not taken” by Robert Frost highlight the importance of making critical choices in life.
 

It is our choices that show who we are, far more than our abilities.

>> It is our choices that determines our success in life, far more than our talents.
The attitude of our life determines the altitude of our life!

 
The Gospel of Day takes pride in presenting a determined Jesus, who has made a choice-for-life in moving towards the mission of His life.
“When the days for His being taken up were fulfilled, He resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51)

The Gospel of St Luke presents the whole ministry of Jesus as a linear journey…

… a movement from Galilee to Jerusalem.

>> All the events and actions of Jesus are oriented towards Jerusalem.
 

This verse – Luke 9:51 – signifies a mega shift in the earthly ministry of Jesus.
Jesus leaves the northern area of Israel called as Galilee and moves ahead to the southern area of Israel called as Judea.

Just as the Israelites had the Exodus Event, which marked the beginning of their salvation as a nation…

… Jesus too will have the Exodus Event which culminates in Jerusalem, which will mark the beginning of the salvation of the whole world!
This verse – Luke 9:51 – marks the beginning of the Exodus Event in the life of Jesus.
The verse reads, “… He RESOLUTELY determined to journey to Jerusalem”
The Greek word used for “resolutely” is Sterizo.

>> Sterizo is a strong word, which means…

… to strengthen and to establish

… to stand firm with one’s decision.
Jesus makes this strong resolution  – Sterizo – To embrace the vision and plan of God.

>> Jesus makes this strong resolution  – Sterizo – To be 

obedient to the Will of His Father.

Jerusalem was the place where he was to suffer and die.

>> He was fully determined to go and would not be dissuaded;

>> He went cheerfully and courageously though He knew the things that should befall Him.

The Road to Jerusalem was to be marched resolutely by Jesus!

All of us walk the Road to Jerusalem…
Life…

… with its hard challenges and unexpected troubles

… with its spiritual difficulties and luring temptations

… with its doses of unforgiveness and bad temperaments

… with its continual showers of unpleasantness and irritations

… with its allurements to bad habits and hard-to-give up pleasures

>> Is indeed a Road to Jerusalem!
But unless we make a strong resolute decision to walk through this Jerusalem Road, salvation and victory and happiness can never be ours!

When Jesus decided to go ahead with resoluteness in His decision, He met with rejection!

“…they would not welcome Him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem” (Lk 9:53)
 

The Jews and the Samaritans were much at loggerheads with each other.
As we see in Jn 4:20, the great controversy between the Jews and the Samaritans was about the place of worship – whether it was Jerusalem or whether it was Mount Gerizim.

>> So bitter was the altercation between them that the Jews would have no dealings with the Samaritans, nor they with them (Jn. 4:9).
 

This is the reality of the world.
When one makes a determined decision for life, one is faced with many challenges.

>> When one makes a strong resolution for life, one is faced with many oppositions.

Like the disciples, James and John, very often, the answer to this rejection is sought in the form of vengeance and violence and wrath.

>> It is the easier way.

>> It is the more simpler way.

… but it is a destructive way!
 

Jesus answers this rejection with a better and a powerful weapon: self-sacrifice.
The Son of Man came not to destroy, but to save through a call to repentance.

>> It is the hard way.

>> It is a the more tough way.

… but it is a saving way!
 

The answer to life’s problems is not in reacting, but in being pro-active!
Jesus in the Gospel today invites each one of us to have a resolute determination in walking the Road to Jerusalem.
It’s easy to pick up shortcuts and easy roads to find success in life.

>> But it takes a resolute decision to walk the hard way…

 
The grace of God will strengthen and boost us in this hard path…
The Holy Bible is a witness to this great saga of great people who have walked this hard path…

… including Jesus.

Two roads diverge at every moment in our life

>> A road of the easy…and the road of the hard…
Which one shall we travel by?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
All love to have friends who make life more interesting and joyful by their presence.

>> The journey of life gets more easy and exciting with the presence of friends.

Our spiritual journey too follows this concept…
God, the author of life, in His all-powerful Wisdom, has blessed each of us with a friend.

>> A friend who accompanies us.

>> A friend who strengthens us.

>> A friend who helps us….
 This friend is known as “The Guardian Angel“

Today, Holy Mother the Church celebrates the Feast of “The Guardian Angel“

The Church in her teachings affirms and assures that “from its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by watchful care and intercession of the angels. Beside each believer, stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 336)

From the first moments of our existence, the Guardian Angel has been with us…

>> At our birth, the Guardian Angel was elated at the dawn of a new life…

>> At our Baptism, the Guardian Angel was pleased to have us join God’s Family…

>> At our Confession, the Guardian Angel was delighted to have us back to God’s holiness…

>> At our Holy Communion, the Guardian Angel rejoiced in us, receiving the Loving Lord…

>> At our Confirmation, the Guardian Angel was joyful in us, being strengthened in the Spirit…

>> At our Marriage, Profession/Ordination, the Guardian Angel was happy with our way of life..

>> At our final moments, the Guardian Angel will be with us to strengthen and console us…

At every stage and step of our life, God has blessed us with this beautiful companion to ” to guide and protect us through life and to lead us safely to our Eternal Home.“
The Lord wants each one of us to be walking in His presence and be safe from the snares of the Evil.

>> And for this purpose, He has blessed us with a the beautiful image of the Guardian Angel…
 

An Angel is a being, a person  – one who has an intelligence and a free will.

>> An Angel thinks…but clearer than we do….

>> An Angel loves..but dearly than we do…

How does a Guardian Angel guard us?

By gentle inspirations…
In the hard moments of doubts and confusion…

>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with words of clarity and understanding.
In the dark situations of hopelessness and resignations…

>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with the light of God’s hope and strength.
In the narrow tunnels of losing faith and giving up…

>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with comforting words and counsels.
In the unfaithful times of going away from doing God’s will through sin…

>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with strong urges to come back to God’s ways.
In the daily moments of facing a choice of doing good or bad…

>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with showing what is more beneficial and valuable.

The Guardian Angels do not force us.
The Guardian Angels do respect our free wills.

>> But the Guardian Angels do long for us to always walk in God’s power and presence.

The Feast of the Guardian Angels is an opportunity for us to increase in our devotion and fondness for this “friend” whom God has blessed each one of us with.

>> The Feast of the Guardian Angels is also an opportunity for us to increase in our duty and responsibility of becoming a guardian, a friend and a guide to one another.

There are many whom we know who struggle with difficulties…problems…

>> faith-issues…financial difficulties…

>> mental problems..emotional breakdowns…

The Feast is a reminder to each one of us, to become a Guardian to all…

Jesus, through the Gospel of the day on this Feast day says… “See that YOU DO NOT DESPISE one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Mt 18:10).

“Not despising” someone not only includes avoiding putting down or humiliating or causing scandal to others etc…

… but on a positive sense, means to encourage, promote and strengthen one another.

A true friend is the one who really cares…when the whole world despises.

>> We have a responsibility to be a True Guardian to each other in our life on the earth.

God has also blessed each one of us, with a True Friend, in our Guardian Angel.

>> Let us grow in reverence and love for our Dear Spiritual Friend.

Let us invoke the assistance of this friend in our works, on meeting people, on going to different places etc.
Let us grow in our awareness, as St John Vianney would say:

” When we are walking in the streets, let us fix our eyes on Our Lord bearing his Cross before us; on the Blessed Virgin who is looking at us; on our Guardian Angel who is by our side.“
 

Happy Feast to our Dear Friend, the Guardian Angel ..and to each one of us!

God Bless! Live Jesus!