Here is probably, a well-known incident…

A motivational session was on…

The speaker began the seminar by holding up a 2000 rupee note.

With the audience curiously looking at the crisp-note, the speaker asked, “Who among you would like to have this 2000 Rupee note?”

>> Needless to say, all the hands in that seminar-hall went up.

The speaker was not surprised.

He then said, ” I will surely give this note to a lucky one among you.. but first, let me do this….”

>> He then proceeded, to crumble up the note.

Oh… there it was.. the note – now badly crumbled and no longer appearing crisp or appealing…

He then asked, “How many still want this note?”

>> No reduction in the number of hands that went up!

The speaker proceeded, to further disfigure the note… and asked, “How many still want it?”

The number of hands that went up, still remained the same…

… and in fact, there was a greater excitement among the audience, to get the note!

The note was badly crumbled and out of shape…yet all wanted that valuable note!

Does it sound strange?

>> Or was that just normal?

The note was badly crushed, but all still wanted it…

>> The note was greatly disfigured, yet all sought for it…

For a moment, lets replace that ‘note’ with a human person, who is much more priceless.

>> Do we have the same acceptance for a person who has been disfigured or is in a bad shape?

>> Do we have the same longing for a person who has been badly battered or hurt in life?

We already seem to be having some second thoughts, unlike in the case of the multi-rupee note!

It’s here the Gospel of the day brings home the message, that whatever happens in our life, there will be One Person who will always accept us, long for us and love us: God!

>> Life may many times crumble us and ground us, to alter us…

>> Sin may many times cause us to be disfigured and stained and blemished…

But in all this… we have a great assurance: God accepts and loves us!

The proof: The Crucified Lord, who stripped Himself of all glory and honour, took upon our sins on Himself, and died a shameless death – punished, agonized and abandoned!

It is His painful death on the Cross that has won eternal life for us: “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” ( Jn 3:14-15)

One of the inherent tendencies, perhaps, in humanity is to “forget good deeds”.

This is so true when one considers the relation between the people of Israel and God Yahweh.

Israelites found themselves very often in trouble, under persecution and being oppressed.

Every time, however, God would deliver them from danger.

This would be followed by a brief period of faithfulness and commitment by the Israelites, before lapsing again…

>> Again the Lord would rescue…

But the people would again “forget the good deeds” of the Lord.

>> They would forsake His commandments

>> They would forego His instructions

>> They would lose sight of His laws.

Yet, God never abandoned His people.

>> They continued to be precious to Him…always!

Our lives are so often patterned as that of the people of Israel.

>> Many times we fall into sin and get grounded by our many evil tendencies….

>> Many times we forsake God’s ways to follow our own interests and selfishness…

>> Many times we dirty ourselves with impure thoughts, uncharitable deeds and indifferences…

Yet, we remain priceless and precious to the Lord, always

>> We remain valuable and worthwhile to the Lord, always

God offers His beautiful gift of salvation and redemption through means of the Holy Cross.

In the Cross, we have the powerful proof and demonstration…

… that in all our sufferings, we have a God who shares in our pain and misery

… that in all our sinful tendencies, we have a God who has borne the pain of abandonment

… that in all our hopeless situations, we have a God who Himself suffered discouragement

The Cross proves that we are always precious to the Lord and that He deeply desires and longs for us, just as we are!

Let us hold our heads higher in firm faith and trust, knowing that we have a God who is deeply in love with us.

>> May we be impelled by His love to let go of our sinful inclination.

>> May we be motivated by His bountiful mercy to cast away our erring tendencies.

Yes, God so loved each of us – You and Me – that He sent His only Son…

…. so that each of us – You and Me – may not perish,

… but may have eternal life!

God bless! Live Jesus!