In the centre of London stands an iconic building – St Paul’s Cathedral.

This majestic structure is built in the shape of a cross…

… with a large dome crowning the intersection of its arms.

>> At 111.3 metres high, it is one of the largest cathedral domes in the world.

Climbing up 259 steps inside the dome, one reaches the “Whispering Gallery”.

The speciality of this gallery is:

>>When one stands on one side of the circular gallery, and whispers…

… these soft tones of sound can be heard, on the other side – even 30 metres away.

The sound bounces back many times on the smooth walls of the dome…

… and the whisper can be heard even at a far distance.

What is said, even in the lowest of tones, can be heard, on the opposite side of the dome.

In the spiritual realm, the entire space is like this “whispering gallery”…

… even the lowest of tones, are heard by our Loving God.

>> No matter how low we whisper, He hears!

>> No matter how silent be our prayer, He hears!

Are we able to have such a trust and confidence in our prayer life?

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful initiation by Jesus to help us to know, grow and deepen our understanding of God as being a Loving and Caring Father…

… as the One Who listens to our every prayer – including the ones whispered in the lowest of tones!

Today’s Gospel passage begins with Jesus issuing a warning on the danger of making prayer a mere “lip-service”

>> “In praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do….” (Mt 6:7)

What was Jesus meaning by the clause “heaping up empty phrases as the Gentiles…”?

One of the notable Gentile groups at the time of Jesus, were the Romans, under whose occupation the Jews were living.

It’s noteworthy to see some of the aspects of the ancient pagan Roman prayer:

1. All sacrifices and offerings required an accompanying prayer to be effective.

>> It was declared that “a sacrifice without prayer was thought to be useless and not a proper consultation of the gods.”

2. Prayer – the spoken word was considered the single most potent religious action.

>> And knowledge of the correct verbal formulas were the key to efficacy.

3. An accurate naming was vital for tapping into the desired powers of the deity invoked.

>> Hence public religious ritual had to be enacted by specialists and professionals faultlessly…

… even a small a mistake would require that the action, or even the entire festival, be repeated all over!

( A historian named Livy reports of an occasion when the presiding magistrate at the Latin festival forgot to include the “Roman people” among the list of beneficiaries in his prayer…

… the festival had to be started all over!)

The Greek word used for “empty phrases” is “battalagesete”.

>> It means to stammer, babble, talk gibberish, or to repeat the same things over and over mindlessly!

With this in background, Jesus emphatically declares that prayer is not about “heaping empty phrases”.

In this context, it also good to provide the Catholic understanding and logic of some of the prayers, which are perhaps considered as repetitive (eg: The Rosary, Novenas, Litanies.. etc)

Are all these standard prayers mere “heaping up of empty phrases…?”

>> No!

The Bible teaches us many examples of repetitive prayers…

>> The angels continually – day and night – sing “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev 4:8)

>> Psalm 136 repeats the words “for his steadfast love endures forever” nearly 26 times in 26 verses!

>>Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed in the “same words” three times (Mk 14: 32-39)

>> Jesus, in fact, also commends the fact of continually praying, through the example of the widow and the unjust judge (Lk 18: 1-14)

Thus, it is seen that the Bible has many examples of repetitive prayer.

>> Therefore, the repetitive Catholic Prayers like the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Novenas, Litanies etc… are scripturally well-supported

>> When prayed with honesty and devotion, they become means to allow the heart…

… to praise God and understand His mighty works

… to grow in His love and come to a deeper awareness of His Providence

… and pray with Mother Mary and the Saints and intercede to them for our intentions

>> Prayer is not rattling off a few external words and feel satisfied in having done that…

… It is opening up, in dependence, the interiority of our hearts, to the One Who knows all!

>> Prayer is not going through a series of stipulated and organised system of words…

… It is allowing the heart to “mean what is said”, and to cause the lips express what the heart feels!

It is to this effect that Jesus says “Your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him” (Mt 6:8)…

… and teaches us the beautiful prayer – “The Our Father”!

Jesus presents the beautiful understanding of God being a Loving and Caring Father…

… The Father, in heaven, Whose Name we acknowledge to be most Holy and Worthy

… The Father, Whose Kingdom becomes the target to Which we ought to aspire

… The Father, Whose Will is to become the compass and blueprint of our life

… The Father, Whose providence nourishes us with daily bread for our sustenance and well-being

… The Father, Who extends His Immense Mercy to us, which we receive only if we forgive in turn

… The Father, Who strengthens us in our moments of trials and temptations

… The Father, Who rescues us from all evil by tenderly holding us in the palm of His Hand

Yes, Jesus wants us to understand and experience God as a Loving and Tender Father.

May we realize that in the spiritual realm, the entire space is like a “whispering gallery”…

… and even the lowest of tones, are heard by our Loving God.

>> No matter how low we whisper, He hears!

>> No matter how silent be our prayer, He hears!

Let this be our trust and confidence in our prayer life…

… and thus throw ourselves, into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father!

God Bless! Live Jesus

A father and his little son were on a journey.

They stopped mid-way to have lunch in a restaurant.

The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him.

>> They ordered lunch.

When the waiter brought the food, the father said, “Son, we’ll just have a silent prayer.”

Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer…

… but the boy just sat with his head bowed and eyes closed for an unusually long time!

When he finally looked up, his father asked him:

“What in the world were you praying about all that time?”

With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied:

“How do I know?

It was a silent prayer!”

Very often, prayer, for us, is associated with “words”!

But True Prayer goes beyond words…

… it is about a relationship!

… it is about being in communion with God!

.. it is about getting in grateful touch with the One Who knows all and cares much!

Such are the sentiments teachings that are reflected in today’s Gospel which presents Jesus’ teaching on Prayer.

Jesus begins today’s Gospel with a strong warning:

“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them…” (Mt 6:1)

Prayer is one of the most common practices of piety that most of us undertake.

>> However, very often, it is seen that our prayers consist more of blabbering empty and meaningless words, than actually praying!

Our practise of praying could perhaps take different forms and structures, depending on our own experiences of life and the outlook towards life.

>> Let’s have a quick list of the some of the ways in which our prayer has perhaps, taken shape…

(without any offence to any group/persons/professions!)

1. Prayer as a false politician

We bombard God with many empty promises, saying that if you fulfill my petitions, I will perform some deeds and good works for you.

Many times during elections campaigns, we hear many political speeches…

… laden with juicy words, stylish phrases, heart-rendering narrations and sensational emotions.

( It’s only time which can tell, to what extent, did these speeches actually have authenticity in them!)

>> Does my prayer tend to have such “political” overtones…?

2. Prayer as someone who argues and fights,as in a Court Case

Prayer is used mainly as means to achieve some intentions and we bring our good actions, as witnesses to win our case.

We tell God that we have performed so-and-so good things and try to argue and win the case against Him.

3. Prayer as a Frustrated Critic

>> We seek more to discuss things on why things don’t happen in life, and what are the demerits of wasting time in prayer, rather than seeing the goodness and blessings the Lord has showered in our lives.

Prayer time is spent more on questioning God and blaming Him…

… rather than praising Him for His Providential care

>> Is my prayer time merely “a time of complaint and criticism”?

4. Prayer as an Accountant

>> We seek to tally our demands and claims, and discuss the accounts of our many works with the Lord, to achieve our desired targets and goals.

Prayer becomes a time of statistical brainstorming with discussions on “give and take” policies and devising plans to tap “the budget of God’s blessings”!

>> Is my prayer a “mere statistical interaction” with God?

5. Prayer as a Programmer

>> We bring before the Lord, neat sheets of a programmed life – and expect the Lord to give the desired output, in response to my commands.

Like the computer which follows the software codes, with precision, we punch in our codes of “wants and demands” to the Lord and expect Him to follow it, like a foolproof software or program.

>> Is my prayer a “fixated coded-sheet” with only demands and wants?

6. Prayer as a Kidnapper

>> We hold God at ransom, and threaten that ‘if You do not fulfill my aspirations, I will leave You and will even abandon Your Church and its practices, and bring to an end all the good works that You have begun in me’!

We take the upper hand in prayer and expect God to follow all what we say – in the way we want, in the time that we demand and in the manner we expect!

>> Does my prayer become a means “to kidnap” the goodness of the Lord?

We need to examine our lives and see, whether our prayers remain stuck to these (or even other similar) categories.

Surely, each of these categories of prayers emerge out of one’s own life experiences

>> The Lord doesn’t judge us on the basis on it

But, the Lord Who seeks perfection in us… wishes, wants and demands…

… to have a higher and a more perfect understanding and practise of prayer.

Through today’s Gospel, Jesus points to the essence of Prayer..

>> Prayer is lifting up of one’s heart and mind to God, with an intention to seek and do His Holy Will.

Prayer is not about “my feelings”….

…. It is about “His Feelings”

Prayer is not achieving something or fulfilling a task…

…It is about spending time with the One Who loves us most.

As St. Bonaventure says, “When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than proceedings from the mouth”

Today, let us examine, our prayer life…

>> Are my prayers mere lip-service

….or real expressions, emerging from the depth of our hearts?

St John Mary Vianney says,

” Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.”

May the Lord help us…

… to purify our prayer habits

… to give us a deeper taste to be in His Presence

… to realize that He is in complete charge of our lives

… and that our task is to always seek to conform to His Will!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The Year 1989 saw the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Germany.

> This wall was the barrier that divided the nation from 1961 to 1989.

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, there would have been, perhaps, no person in all of East Germany, who was more despised …

… than the former Communist dictator Erich Honecher.

>> Being the secretary of the Communist Party, Erich Honecher was the prime organiser of the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and, in this function, bore responsibility for the “order to fire” along the inner German border.

However, after the collapse of the wall, Honecher had been stripped of all his offices.

Kicked out of his villa, the new government refused him and his family, new housing.

>> The family of the Honechers were rendered homeless and destitute.

It was at this stage, Pastor Uwe Holmer, Director of a Christian Help Centre decided to take a bold step:

Feeling that it would be wrong to give them a room, in the Help Centre, which was meant for even needier people…

… Uwe Holmer decided to take the family of the Honechers into their own home!

Holmer’s children had suffered the wrath of the rule of the Honechars..

>> 8 of his children had been turned down for higher education, due to their discriminatory policies.

But now, Holmer – filled with God’s Mercy – decided to care and accept their personal enemy – and perhaps one of the most hated men in Germany!

>> Many people turned against Holmer for his decision

>> Many felt angered in having given refuge to an enemy

But Holmer, the Christian, was convinced of what he was doing…

>> It was indeed an unnatural move…

>> It was undoubtedly an unconventional step…

.. But it was so much Christ-like!

He put into practise what Jesus had taught on the Sermon of the Mount, as we see in today’s Gospel:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Mt 5:44)

It is said that some books/thoughts are to be just tasted…

>> Some are to be just swallowed…

>> While some others are to be chewed and digested!

Well… here is a teaching that is certainly not too easy to digest:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you!

Sometimes when we hear the word ENEMY…

>> Our thoughts go to some enemy of the nation or some social criminal…

>> Or perhaps, some of us, may think of some person who has harmed us deeply or cheated us, and has turned to be an enemy…

But if we analyze our lives closer… we may observe that we all have many enemies in our lives..

An ‘enemy’, is defined by the Oxford Dictionary, as “a person or thing, hostile or opposed to something; that harms or weakens someone/something”

A little closer look into our lives will probably make us to discover that…

>> Perhaps, many people fall into this definition of being an “enemy”…

… Many in our family or our community

… Many in our friends circle

… Many in our workplaces

… Many in the society

We get so easily offended when our egos our hurt..

>> We feel a sense of resentment when we are not treated as we feel we ought to be…

>> We experience bitterness when other people do not fall in line with the way we think…

… there are often so many tussles and mental games…

… and we have so often grudges against all these people!

All these are our “enemies”!

>> This list of enemies in our life…though apparently unnoticed, is perhaps deeper….

But, today the Lord says: “Love those enemies…and pray for them”!

Humanly speaking, of course, it seems only a theoretical advice – seemingly impractical!

>> But the Lord wants us to be perfect!

We also know one thing…

… If this was not possible, the Lord would have never said it!

The Life of Jesus Himself was a proof for it…

… Lovingly inviting even all those who hated and detested Him, to experience His Love

… Constantly reaching out with the call of repentance, to those who wronged Him

… Giving His life for all of us, who offend and hurt Him

The call of the Gospel “to love our enemies” is a high demand…

>> It is indeed a huge challenge

Yet, with the grace of the Lord…

… Let’s pick up this challenge of the Lord…and seek towards perfection!

Pope St John Paul II says, “Don’t fear to be the saints of the Third Millennia!”

Let’s not remain in idealistic talks and thoughts…

… rather, lets translate the words and challenges of the Lord, in our practical and daily life.

May we identify the “enemies” in our life…

… and seek Divine Assistance and the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints.

May we dare to “receive into our homes” those who, though deserve to be punished…

… but still are worthy of the Mercy of the Lord!

>> “Misericordes Sicut Pater” – “Be merciful, like the Heavenly Father” (Lk 6:36)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

India honours Mahatma Gandhi as the Father of the nation.

The New Testament made a great impression on him, especially the Sermon on the Mount, which went straight to his heart.

He would say to one of his disciples:

“The gentle figure of Christ…

… so patient, so kind, so loving, so full of forgiveness that He taught His followers not to retaliate when abused or struck, but to turn the other cheek…

>> I thought it was a beautiful example of the perfect man…!”

“The message of Jesus as I understand it,” said Gandhi, “is contained in the Sermon on the Mount unadulterated and taken as a whole…

The Gospel of the Day presents this lofty teaching of Jesus on non-retaliation and the power of forgiving love.

It is significant to read that in this Passage of the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus is instructing some of the core personal tasks that has to be taken up by each individual Christian.

• The Sermon on the Mount makes a personal obligation on each Christian

It is worth meditating and reflecting on each line of this Great Sermon, and examining to what extent am I living this lofty and powerful teaching of the Lord in my life.

One of the highly debatable and confusing teachings of Jesus is contained in today’s Gospel reading.

Jesus says, “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the one cheek, turn to him the other also” (Mt 5: 39)

This verse could easily raise a lot of doubts and questions…

• Did Jesus mean that Christian should be passive to evil?

• Did Jesus teach that we should suffer unnecessarily in the face of social evils?

• Did Jesus teach passivity and being lethargic when one encounters wickedness and evil?

The one direct answer to all such doubts is seen in the light of the life of Jesus Himself…

• He was always actively against evil and sinful activities

• He was a constant opponent to oppression, condemnation and human wickedness

Then what would have Jesus meant by those strong phrases of “resist evil.. and turning one’s cheeks?”

There could be, speaking in general terms, three responses to evil:

1. Opposing with violence

2. Bearing everything passively

3. A courageous non-violence

The first two responses are also popularly called as Fight or Flight

…either FIGHT against the evil… or take FLIGHT from the evil situations

>> FIGHT: oppose with evil and violence

>> FLIGHT: run away from the situation or passively be submissive

But the way of Jesus is a higher one…

… a much higher and bolder one: the way of ACTIVE NON-VIOLENCE.

The Greek word that is used by St Mathew, for “resist” is “antisthemi”

‘Antisthemi’ is not a passive or a weak term.

>> It was a classical Greek ‘military’ term.

It means…

… to take a stand against, to oppose or to resist

… to establish one’s position publicly by conspicuously “holding one’s ground,”.

… It means refusing to be moved (” being pushed back”)

This clearly shows that “to resist evil” is not merely a passive act of submission…

… rather is a firm, courageous and bold action of holding onto one’s convictions of truth and opposing every reaction to subdue truth.

This is further illustrated in the example that Jesus gives, “of turning one’s cheek, when hit on the right cheek”

In the culture of Jesus, the left hand was commonly used for unclean tasks, and only the right hand was considered appropriate for such actions as striking another person.

Now, its common sense to note, that if one hits with the right hand, it would hit the other person only on the “left” cheek.

Therefore, if the person is hit on the “right” cheek, as in the example of Jesus, it simply means, that one was hit with a “back-hand”.

What is the significance of a back-handed slap?

A backhanded slap, had a greater message than merely hurting or causing pain…

>> Instead, it meant to be an act of “severe” humiliation… of “terrible” insult!

A backhand slap, in the time of Jesus, was the usual way of admonishing inferiors:

>> Masters backhanded slaves; husbands, wives; parents, children; men, women; Romans, Jews.

What is the response that Jesus suggests for such an act of dreadful humiliation?

Not Fight… Not Flight.

>> Rather, a strong and bravely opposing act of courage: “turn the other cheek as well!”

It is a calculated response intended to invite the aggressor to consider his or her actions.

This bold action of turning one’s cheek robs the oppressor of the power to humiliate.

It is as if the oppressed person is saying,

“Try again if you want, buddy!

Your first blow failed to achieve its intended effect.

I deny you any power to humiliate me!”

This was how our Blessed Lord who gave this supremely lofty teaching demonstrated in His life… by dying on the Cross!

• The Cross was a powerful opposition to evil and sin.

The One who died on the Cross did not die a passive death…

Rather, He boldly preached against every act of oppression and mightily spoke against every form of discrimination!

As Christians, we need to be bold and courageous to “resist” every evil and sinful deed.

In Christ, we have a teaching that is not passive, but is “extremely” active and powerful.

To merely FIGHT or simply make a FLIGHT in the face of oppressions, is cheap and ordinary…

In fact, it is “no spirituality”.

But to “be bold in one’s convictions” and “to oppose” evil, even to the point of giving up one’s life, is a lofty, supreme and mighty spirituality.

• Jesus embodied this spirituality.

• Many great men and women in history have been inspired by it and lived it.

As Christians, the followers of the Bold Jesus, are we ready to embrace this “powerful” spirituality?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The Indian folklores of Akbar-Birbal are popular.

Here is one…

Once King Akbar asked his prime minister, Birbal, “Who is greater, me or God?”

This minister Birbal was very clever and prudent person.

>> Without hesitation, he answered, “You are, Your Majesty.”

Though the king was flattered, he asked, “How can that be?”

“Well, you see, Your Majesty “, replied the smart minister, “If you do not like someone, you can banish him from your kingdom very easily.

>> However, how can God banish anyone from His Kingdom?

Where can He send him?

The whole universe is God’s Kingdom!”

With one answer, the minister had achieved two goals:

• Pleased his King – by affirming his greatness by telling of the ‘power’ to banish

• Told the truth – by acknowledging God’s total sovereignty

This little incident speaks to us of the supreme Glory and Omnipotence of God and His Kingdom.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus teaching to us on the nature and characteristics of the Kingdom of Glorious and Omnipotent God, with the help of parables.

One aspect that we need to note here is the usage of parables in the teaching ministry of Jesus.

It could be said that if Jesus had a grammar teacher, then, probably the teacher would have been extremely proud of this Student!

Jesus used a lot of metaphors, similes, illustrations and parables in His teachings.

Therefore we need to be aware and careful when we read and understand this ‘technique’ of the Lord:

• Such parables and examples were not to be taken in the literal sense, but in its figurative sense

• Such metaphors were presented by Jesus to emphasise on a particular aspect of a teaching

• Such illustrations were not meant to be closed-reflections; rather, they were to be means of allowing a person to explore and delve deeper into the mystery that was being explained.

The teachings connected to God and His Kingdom are mysteries…. divine and lofty.

• Metaphors and parables are the meaningful expressions of these mysteries.

They are never complete by themselves… Yet, they are rich and meaningful.

• They induce emotions.

• They help to situate culturally.

• They unite people together in a common search.

And this is the essence of true religiosity: fostering one’s search and longing for the Divine.

By presenting the parables, Jesus triggers our minds to open up to the vastness of the reality of God and to foster our desire to seek Him more, in our everyday living and circumstances.

• For a true seeker of God, every situation of life becomes a parable from God, revealing His Supreme Providence.

• For a genuine searcher of the Divine, every circumstance and person in life, becomes an illustration from the Lord, to know His Presence and Will

>> Do I consider my life as a “beautiful parable” from God, and seek to find the Divine elements in it?

>> Do I reflect on the circumstances of my life – joyful, painful, sorrowful, sinful – as a “wonderful illustration” from the Lord, inviting me to see His Presence and fostering my own relationship with Him?

The two parables of the Day present to us, figuratively, some aspects of the Kingdom of God:

1. The Parable of the Kingdom of God as the seed that is sown, sprouted and giving a rich harvest, without being in the grasp of the awareness of the one who sows

What does this parable teach?

a. The duty of the one who sows, even if one is unaware how the growth-process happens

>> Am I active and energetic in being an agent of the Kingdom of God – by speaking of Christ, by living His Gospel values, by freeing our lives from sin – even if I fail to understand ‘how’ would this help in the growth process of the Kingdom?

b. The glory of the growth of the seed, taking its own time and conveying the message of patience and persistence

>> Do I be patient when success doesn’t come to me immediately and do I continue to be persevering in my efforts – of prayer, of duty, of my responsibilities – even if it takes a longer time than I expect?

c. The assurance that the growth of the seed, fostered by earthly elements, nevertheless, given by the power and grace of God.

>> Do I be faithful to the duties that I need to do and then totally depend on the mighty hand of God in order to experience success and see the fruits of my labour? As the Psalmist says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain, who build” (Ps 127: 1)

2. The Parable of the mustard Seed as the Seed that is the smallest when sown, yet grows on to be the greatest of all shrubs, and becomes a shelter for the birds of the air

What does this parable teach?

a. The little things of life also have the potency to develop to give the greatest results, since God is the Author of such successes and accomplishments

>> Am I convinced that even if my resources – be it talents or time or income or personnel or anything else – are too small or insignificant, they can still become powerful means for the growth of God’s Kingdom, if we are faithful and depend totally on His grace?

b. The external growth and triumphs that are achieved, in turn, ought to become a source of help and solace for the others (as the birds of the air take nest in the huge mustard shrubs)

>> Do the achievements of my life – small or big- help me to become a person who reaches out in support and solace, to the needy ones?

c. An element of surprise and wonder is present in every act of nature – the little mustard seed, which would otherwise have been trampled upon as something too ordinary, amazes by its extraordinary growth

>> Am I able to trust in the “surprising and astonishing” wonders that the Lord can perform in ‘any’ situation of my life ?

All of us are part of the Project ‘Kingdom of God’.

May we nurture and grow in this task that is entrusted to us, in the little or big way that God graces us…

… and thus bring glory and honour to our Supremely Glorious and Omnipotent God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A Chinese proverb goes thus: “Do not have each foot on a different boat.”

“Standing on two boats” is a trend that we find in our modern world.

… people taking double standards in their life in the society outside and life at home inside

… friends changing their loyalties to one another depending on the circumstance and situation, for their own favour

… spouses cheating on one another, for their own selfish and sinful pleasures

… business partners entering into secretive contracts with other companies, for unaccounted gains

Many such examples of people not being “true to their words” makes today’s Gospel extremely relevant in our context.

In the Gospel, Jesus says: “Let what you say, simply be ‘Yes’ or “No’” (Mt 5:38)

Continuing the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives His instructions to His disciples, on how one should remain “focused in one’s faith”.

The Sermon on the Mount can be also termed as a “Teaching on Challenging Mediocre Lifestyles”.

Jesus, all through the Sermon on the Mount, picks up various topics…

… anger

… adultery

… divorce

… vows

… love for enemies

etc…

>> And raises the level of their understanding for a Christian.

Today’s Gospel presents Jesus speaking on the topic of “vows and promises”…

… emphasizing on the aspect of remaining focused and clear, in one’s words and deeds.

Jesus categorically declares that for a Christian, there ought to be no “double standards”

… a Yes, ought to be a Sincere Yes

… a No, ought to be a Firm No

>> A Sincere Yes to God… a Firm No to Satan

>> A Sincere Yes to Holiness… a Firm No to Sin

>> A Sincere Yes to the Kingdom of God… a Firm No to the ways of the world

The reason to have this conviction is our Faith and Confidence in the Lord.

>> He is the Lord Who remains the same always: “Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and forever!” (Heb 13:8)

We need to therefore ask ourselves:

>> Am I focusing on sincerity and honesty, in my daily actions and words…

… or do I sometimes take “double-standards”?

>> Am I having the proper balance in living the Christian life even though I face many pressures…

… or do I lose the balance and fall into the pits of lethargy, disappointments and laxity?

>> Am I having the confidence and the trust in the Lord and bank on Him at every turn of life…

… or do I experience perplexities of anxiety, despair and despondency?

The world today clearly promotes and propagates insincerity, unfaithfulness and duplicity.

>> Glamour and popularity are the motivations

>> Business-orientations and short-term gains are the catchwords in relationships

In such a “tricky and trying” situation, a Christian is called forth to avoid “standing on two boats”…

… and instead, “be firm and resolute” to standing on Christian Principles.

Our Master Jesus reminds us:

“I prepared for 30 years in silent contemplation of the Christian Virtues…

… 3 years in preaching them

… and 3 hours – on the Cross – in standing firmly in defense of them!

What about you?”

Today we seek the intercession of St John Francis Regis, a Jesuit Priest in the early 17th century.

>> He was well known for his work with at-risk women and orphans.

>> He established safe houses and helped the unemployed find work.

May his words spoken to people who were not bothered about their spiritual life, inspire us towards a “stronger and more resolute” Christian life…

… “What concerns me is not death, which is the object of my wishes: but the state of damnation that you are in, and regard so little!”

God Bless! Live Jesus

The Canadian author, Thomas Costain in his historical novel “The Three Edwards” speaks of the life of a 14th century Duke named Raynald Ill.

>> Raynald was extremely overweight and was commonly called by his Latin nickname “Crassus” which meant ‘fat’!

 

 

This Duke Raynald, after a violent quarrel, suffered defeat in a revolt by his younger brother Edward.

 

Edward captured Raynald, but did not kill him.

 

Instead he imprisoned Raynald in a room in the castle…

… and promised that he could regain his title and property, if he was able to escape from the room.

 

 

This task – to escape from the room – would have been pretty simple for most people, since the room had several windows and a door; none of which was locked!

 

But Raynald had a problem…. His size… His uncontrolled appetite!

 

Edward knew his elder brother…

… and He very well knew this weakness as well!

 

Each day, therefore, Edward send him a variety of delicious foods!

>> Instead of dieting his way out of the room, he began to relish on the grand food served to him…

… and Raynald grew fatter!!

 

When Edward was questioned by the people on his cruelty for having captured his elder brother, he would reply, without any qualms: 

“My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills.”

 

 

The story goes on to say that Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn’t released until after Edward died in battle. 

>> But by then his health was so ruined, that he died within a year!

 

Raynald died…

… as a prisoner of his own appetite!

 

 

How often is this a reality in our spiritual lives as well!

 

>> Sin sometimes captures our hearts so much…

.. that we are unwilling to let go, and thus wither in our sinful state

 

>> Immorality and transgressions take over our lives so much…

… that we become slaves, and remain much bound to them.

                                                                                                                           

 

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful call by Jesus to make an honest examination of our state of life, and check whether we are imprisoned by sin…

… especially from the perspective of immorality and decadence in our ethical system.

 

 

Our modern society is often a rude and mute witness to many inhuman atrocities and abuses, especially against women.

>> The world seems to be more and more losing, the sense of sin!

 

 

In this context, it’s shocking to read the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading:

“Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery in his heart”! (Mt 5:28)

 

 

Jesus’ words pierces through the heart!

>> He gives no space for lame excuses and silly explanations…

… he hits straight at the target!

 

SIN consists not in some external actions alone…

…..but SIN is conceived and given birth in one’s heart!

 

When we consider the society in which we live in, we find that…

Immorality is on the rise….

>> We pass through cities and towns..

>> We look through newspapers and magazines…

>> We scan across websites, swanky apps and fancy shops…

.. and we find that…  Immorality is, indeed, on the rise!

 

Immoral pictures, sensual visuals, inhuman portrayal of persons, double-meaning talks have somehow become the order of the day!

>> We are very often surrounded by filth and lewdness in our society.

 

Just as the God, the Divine Sower sows the seeds of Word of God…

… so, Satan, the Father of Deception scatters the seeds of Immorality and Lust everywhere!

 

It’s here, that a Christian needs to be on the watch.

>> It is our duty as Christians, to preserve our hearts from this dangerous contagion.

 

The beatitudes tell us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God” (Mt 5: 8)

 

We have a duty…

… to preserve ourselves from Impurity!

… to protect others in their dignity and honour!

…to awaken the society which is often, deadened in immorality & perversion!

 

 

Let us examine our lives and check.. “Am I becoming a prisoner of my own appetite?”

… being a slave to lustful thoughts or immoral patterns of attitudes

… being indifferent to a society which strips itself of all dignity in the name of liberty and freedom

 

The Lord very powerfully challenges us to be totally intolerant to casting away sin and sinful tendencies from our life…

>> ” If your right eye causes you to sin… tear it out and throw it away” (Mt 5: 29)

>> ” If  your hand causes you to sin… cut it off and throw it away” (Mt 5: 30)

 

Sin has no place in a world of mercy and love!

>> Mercy places an obligation that all sin be rid off!

>> Love demands that all wrongdoing be cast away!

 

Let the words of St Antony of Padua be given heed to:

“Anyone, then, who desires to live chastely in Christ Jesus, must flee not only the mouse of lust, but even from its very scent.”

 

Let’s awake, Dear Christians…

…  Purify our World and live in Sanctity and Holiness…

 

 

Let us free ourselves from the “imprisonment of our appetites” and experience the “glorious liberty” of the Children of God!

 

God Bless! Live Jesus

It is said that there are two extremely fatal phrases in the English language.

>> They are

1. “What is the use?”

2. “Why should I?”

“What is the use?” is the fatal tendency…

… that causes people to look at the world from a purely pragmatic perspective

>> Such a tendency…

… causes people to lose interest in things and people, if they don’t seem useful and beneficial

… causes people to manipulate people, things and situations in a way that suits their self-interests

“Why should I?” is the fatal tendency…

… that causes people to look at the world from a resigned and indifferent perspective

>> Such a tendency…

… causes people to rot in lethargy and tepidity and lose the spice of life

… causes people to push the responsibility to other, and themselves slacken in comfort and ease

These two phrases were very much reflected in the “Pharisaic and the Scribal lifestyle” which Jesus, in today’s Gospel invites each us to surpass and overcome.

>> The “What is the use” lifestyle…

… which made them to only flaunt their external piety and lose sight of the unglamorous aspect of devotion

>> The “Why should I” lifestyle…

… which made them to reject any offer calling them to repentance or amend their ways and instead made them to be stuck to their own prejudices and adamant patterns of thought.

Jesus always keeps challenging us!

The Lord loathes laziness and lukewarmness…

>> He loves to keep raising the standard of our holiness and faith!

This challenge is reflected in today’s Gospel Reading.

Jesus says, ” Unless your righteousness exceeds that of Scribes & Pharisees, you can’t enter the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5: 20)

The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees would consist…

… in a lifestyle which insisted only on the exact following of the ‘letter’ of the Law neglecting its spirit

… in a tendency to neglect the fundamental aspects of the Law and focus only on the peripheries

What could be some of the negative aspects of the Righteousness of Scribes and Pharisees, which Jesus condemns…and which perhaps, we need to overcome?

1. They liked to preach…but not practise

We live in a world where there are many people who are good in preaching, writing reflections and advising on spiritual matters.

>> But very often, a massive chasm appears between their preaching and their way of life.

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

2. They liked to do things to “show-off”

A tragedy of religious practices can be, when things are done not to please God, but to win the approval and endorsement of people.

>> Religious piety and devotions very often become means to have self-gratification of one’s senses, and sadly, even platforms to boast and brag about one’s capacities and capabilities.

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

3. They liked to make the Word of God, user-friendly, at the cost of God’s Will:

One of the trends in the modern world, is to have all products and gadgets “user-friendly”.

Sadly, this trend is also often applied to the Word of God.

>> The Word of God, its commandments and laws are twisted and condensed and expanded and interpreted and quoted and explained and elucidated – all to suit one’s own comfortable and pleasurable way of life!

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

Am I in any of these category of peoples??

The Lord challenges us today.. to exceed this sort of a righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees.

We need to be people…

… “who walk the talk”!

… “who practice our Faith to Please God and Him alone

… “who live a Gospel-oriented life”

The Gospel ought to mould and shape us – and not we changing the Word of God to suit and justify our secured and comfortable lives!

>> Gal 1:10, says,” If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.”

Our modern world strongly advocates the two fatal phrases of…

… “What is the use?” and “Why should I?”

As followers of Christ, it is our duty and task to go beyond such a “Pharisaic and Scribal Lifestyle”…

… and live as Jesus would want us to!

We need to counter these two fatal phrases, with inspirational mantras…

>> “What is the use?” is to be countered by “All to Thy Glory!”

>> “Why should I?” is to be countered by “To let Thy Will be done!”

Let all our actions and thoughts be directed only to God.

Let our Lives truly be a Good News!

>> As St Francis of Assisi says, “Preach the Gospel always…use words, if necessary!“

God Bless us! Live Jesus!

Great incidents and heroic stories can inspire and challenge us greatly.

The Bible is most certainly a power-filled storehouse of such great incidents and heroic stories…

… which inspire us to be more zealous in serving the Lord

… which challenge us to be more enthusiastic in our following of the Lord

One of the most powerful incidents, which has this dual dimension of “inspiring and challenging” is the one found in the First Book of the Kings, Chapter 18, verses 20-39.

This incident is known by many titles …

>>The Challenge of Elijah, the Prophet

>> Elijah v/s Baal

>> Elijah and the prophets of Baal

… and many more.

The incident is familiar to most of us…

After a drought of three years, the prophet Elijah presented himself to Ahab, the king of Israel, with the promise that the Lord would provide rain.

Elijah, then went on to challenged 450 prophets of the pagan god named Baal and 400 prophets of another pagan god, Asherah to a contest on Mount Carmel.

His words of challenge to them were powerful:

“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21).

The game of challenge began:

>> Each side (The numerous prophets of Baal v/s Elijah, the solitary prophet) made sacrifices to their God without building a fire…

… and the lighting of the fire was to be performed by the strongest god (God!)!

Baal was silent.

>> The confident prophet Elijah began to even mock the prophets of Baal:

“Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened” (1 Kings 18:27).

The time then can for Elijah to intercede for the revealing of the Glory of God…

He poured a large amount of water over his sacrifice and asked Jehovah to reveal Himself by consuming the sacrifice.

>> “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38)

When the people saw the clear victory of Jehovah, they fell on their faces and said:

“The Lord, He is God!

The Lord, He is God!”

Elijah then commanded the people to seize the prophets of Baal and to not let one of them escape.

>> God then sent the rain he had promised and the drought ended (1 Kings 18:41-46).

One of the most powerful messages derived from this incident is that…

…” When we stand for God, God stands by us!”

… “When we seek to uphold the Lord, the Lord reveals His Glory through us!”

The Prophet Elijah, who stood for the Lord and was bold to proclaim His Power…

… became the mighty instrument through whom God would reveal His glory!

Elijah, the prophet , through whom God manifested His Glory…

… would foreshadow the Great Prophet, Jesus, Who would be the fullness of God’s Glory! (Col 1: 19)

>> Jesus is not just the Great Prophet, Who is the Voice and Word of God

>> Jesus is not just the Supreme Law-Giver, through Whom everything came into being

… Jesus would be the fulfilment and the completion of the Law and the Prophets (Mt 5: 17)!

This Jesus goes on to present a mighty challenge to His followers:

“Whoever relaxes one of the least of the commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven;

But he who does them, and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:18-19)

This is a powerful invitation that the Lord presents before us:

>> “Are you willing to stand up for me?”

>> “Are you willing to uphold my virtues and the Kingdom values by your life?”

Just as Prophet Elijah, in his days, found challenged by paganism, our world today is faced with innumerable challenges…

>> A spirit of materialism, that seeks to devour all people into a life of comfort and cosiness…

… at the loss of dependence on God and faithfulness to Divine Providence

>> A spirit of relativism, that does away with even fundamental truths and basic institutions…

… by seeking to dilute the virtues for which the Church champions and makes void Christ’s teachings

>> A spirit of division, that slays communities and societies on peripheral grounds like colour, language, caste, region etc…

… and causes people to even divert from essential elements like faith, worship, communion etc

>> A spirit of indifference, that makes people to behave as strangers to one another…

… and making one to be insensitive to the needy and hurting the Triune Image of God within oneself

As Christians, more than ever before, the challenge is before us…

>> To stand up for God…

… and know for sure, that He will stand by us!

>> To uphold the Lord…

… and experience truly the Glory of God revealed through us!

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Antony of Padua…

… one of the most loved Saints, all over the world.

He is popularly invoked by those who have trouble finding lost objects.

But in own day, he was more popular as the “Hammer of Heretics”…

… due to the powerful witness of his life and preaching.

An account in the life of St Antony tells of an Ordination of some Franciscan and Dominican friars both…

… and the superiors desired that someone be designated to preach.

With no one prepared to speak, St Antony was pressed by the other friars in attendance (both Franciscans and Dominicans) to take on the unprepared task.

He hesitated…

… but was encouraged by the others to speak “whatever the Spirit of God gave him to say.”

Anthony proceeded to preach with great brilliance, to the shock of all those in attendance!

His zeal, oratory skill, and many conversions won him the title “Hammer of Heretics.”

>> His brilliance made him the foremost preacher in his day.

May the great incidents and the heroic stories of the Bible continue to always “inspire and challenge” us

>> And May the Powerful Intercession of the “Hammer of Heretics” – St Antony of Padua…

…. help us to be bold and daring – to rise up to the occasion… and Stand up for God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Here is a lovely story of a humble little monk named Telemachus living out in the farming regions of Asia.

Telemachus had no great ambitions in life.

He loved his little garden, and tilled it through the changing seasons.

But one day in the year 391, he felt a sense of urgency, a call of God’s direction in his life – to Rome.

Rome was the heart and soul of the mighty empire.

The feelings of such a call frightened him, but he went anyway, praying along the way for God’s direction.

When he finally got to the city it was in an uproar! The armies of Rome had just come home from the battlefield in victory, and the crowds were turning out for a great celebration.

They flowed through the streets like a tidal wave, and Telemachus was caught in their frenzy and carried into the Colloseum.

He had never seen a gladiator contest before, but now his heart sickened.

Down in the arena men hacked at each other with swords and clubs.

The crowds roared at the sight of blood, and urged their favorites on to the death.

Telemachus couldn’t stand it.

He knew this wasn’t the way God wanted people to live or to die.

So little Telemachus worked his way through the crowds to the wall down by the arena. “In the name of Christ, forbear!”, he shouted.

Nobody heard him, so he crawled up onto the wall and shouted again: “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

This time the few who heard him only laughed. But Telemachus was not to be ignored.

He jumped into the arena, and ran through the sands toward the gladiators. “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

The crowds laughed at the silly little man, and threw stones at him.

Telemachus, however, was on a mission.

He threw himself between two gladiators to stop their fighting. “In the name of Christ, forbear!” he cried.

They hacked him apart!

They cut his body from shoulder to stomach, and he fell onto the sand with the blood running out of his life.

The gladiators were stunned, and stopped to watch him die.

Then the crowds fell back in silence, and, for a moment, no one in the Colloseum moved.

The site of the dead man, and the reaction of the crowd, led the emperor and his guests to silently stand, turn and leave the Colloseum.

After a few minutes, the Gladiators put their swords down and they too left.

>> All that remained in that giant stadium was the scrawny lifeless body of the young man.

History claims that this was the very last gladiator game at the coliseum.

The memory of that man screaming to the crowd, and the image of the blood thirsty lust of the crowd had changed the hearts and the minds of the Romans in that instant.

Within an hour, the emperor issued an edict forbidding any future games of war within the Roman Empire.

• There was no more killing in the Colloseum.

• There were no more gladiator matches in Rome.

All because one man, stood up….and said “In the Name of Jesus, forbear!!”.

He, as a true Christian, became, the salt of the earth and light of the world.

This is the call of the Gospel of the Day.

Jesus says, ” You are the salt of the earth” ” (Mt 5: 13) and “You are the light of the world” (Mt 5: 14)

• In ancient Greece, salt was considered so valuable it was called, “theon”, divine.

• The Romans believed that nothing was of more value than salt except the Sun. Roman soldiers were even paid in salt.

• An ancient Near Eastern custom still practiced among some Arabs today is that a pact of friendship is sealed with a gift of salt.

This call of the Gospel has gained significant importance and urgency in our world today.

We live in times and generation when the need to be a “salt” and “light” has gained tremendous urgency…

• The world is losing a taste for things of everlasting value and instead relishes more of transient materials.

Can I be a “salt” in such situations giving the taste of eternity and goodness, to revive lives and to orient them towards the real joys of life?

• The world is fast degrading and losing values in various areas like moral life, social situations, cultural integrity and religious fervour.

Can I be a “light”, casting away the darkness of ignorance and shedding new illumination and radiance for the revival of sanctified lives?

• The world today, and even the Church, sometimes, is sadly deeply getting corrupted and there are strong strands of infection and contamination affecting various core dimensions.

Can I be a “salt” which rubs in consciousness for transformation and change and be a healing agent to prick the conscience of people to lead an integral life?

• The world and even the Church, sometimes, is easy on closing the eye to the evils that are constantly rising, and fails to be a powerful voice for justice and peace

Can I be a “light” which casts its powerful rays on the dark shades of wickedness and expose the inhuman elements of the society, helping towards a harmonious and pleasant world?

“Salt” and “light” are symbols of purity.

To be the “salt” and “light” in the world, demands a high level of perfection and holiness in our lives.

May we be willing to rise up to the challenge of being the “salt of the earth” and “light to the world” even if it requires giving up many of our comfort areas of life, so that our Christian values can be preserved and the love of God may shine forth to the world!

God bless! Live Jesus!