The year 258 AD saw a massive killing campaign unleashed against the Christians by the Roman Emperor Valerian.

Popular lore has it that a young Deacon had been placed in charge of the Church’s riches.

>> These treasures included the Holy Grail which was supposed to be the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper.

Emperor Valerian, who had just killed the Pope had set his eyes also on finishing off this young Deacon.

Having a good knowledge of the Church’s riches, the cruel Emperor commanded the Deacon to hand over all the “treasures of the Church” to him or that he too would suffer a dreadful death.

The deacon requested for a few days to collect together the vast amount of wealth.

Three days later, the Deacon, mustering immense courage, threw open the palace doors to deliver the “treasures”.

His hands were all empty – no silver nor gold nor any other precious ornaments.

>> Instead, flaunting behind him were the poor, the blind and the crippled of the town.

When he reached the throne, the Deacon daringly announced, “These are the true treasures of the Church”!

The Emperor was mightily enraged.

He sentenced the young fellow to a death by torturous grilling!

Literally, the executioners followed the command – barbecuing the Deacon to death on a gridiron.

However, the valour and the dare displayed by the faithful soldier of Christ was so great that, after a few minutes of being roasted, he said to his executioners, “This side is done… Turn me over on the other side!!”

That could be the height of boldness and courage, right?

And what’s more.. call it Divine humour, the Church has named this Deacon as the Patron Saint of comedians, butchers, chefs and roasters!

Classic one, isn’t it?

The name of the Deacon is St Lawrence, whose feast we celebrate today.

His daring life goes on to prove…

… that a passionate love for Christ can overcome any pain and persecution – including death!

… that the worth of being a true disciple is total fidelity to the person of Christ and to His Kingdom, even if it means bearing hardships and difficulties

We are invited, as the Gospel of the day says, “to be the grain of wheat that falls into the earth and dies” ( Jn 12: 24-26)

Our Blessed Lord expounds one of the most basic principles in nature:

>> New life emerges only when there is a sacrifice

>> Transformation in life happens only when a sacrifice is involved.

The vegetables, before being served at table…

… needs to be pulled up from the heart of the earth

… and passed through the torment of fire in being cooked

The meat, that comes with its tasty appeal, at the food table..

… needs to be first submitted to the slaying by the knife

… and passed through the flaming ordeal, in being rendered edible

Sacrifice, therefore, is nature’s way of passage to experience new life!

The Lord takes an appeal to this basic principle in saying that “unless a grain of wheat dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12: 24)

At the time of Jesus, farmers would drop one grain of wheat at a time, in its cultivation

• The soil would be ploughed and shallow trenches dug out to create the bed for the seeds.

• The wheat grains, one at a time, were dropped into the trench and covered with loosened soil

A little sneak into the wheat yielding statistics (roughly – since it varies from place to place, depending on the soil, seed variety and other factors) reveals the point that Jesus explicated about “a grain of wheat which dies, yields much fruit”

If we consider an acre of land…

>> Two bushels of grain would yield around 40 bushels of wheat

>> That translates to, around 150 kg of grain yielding around 3000 kg of wheat!

• Simplifying it, gives an equation (very roughly): 1 kg of grain sown would yield around 20 kg of wheat!

That’s enormous, isn’t it?

This is the power of sacrifice, that Jesus alludes to, with an example from nature.

As Christians, we are challenged to live a life of Sacrifice, in order to yield the harvest of God’s Kingdom.

Greater our sacrifice, greater would be the fruits that are yielded for the glory of God and His Kingdom!

The Gospel passage refers to two ways of making this sacrifice…

1. Dying to the world

“He who hates his love in this world, will keep it for eternal life” (Jn 12: 25)

2. Serving the Lord wholeheartedly by following Him

“If anyone serves me, the Father will honour me” (Jn 12: 26)

Can we personalize these two dimensions of sacrifice….?

• Dying to the worldly values which glorify the self – power, positions and honour- and instead seek to live in humility, self-discipline and selflessness!

• Constantly making efforts to serve the Lord in every aspect of our life – words, deeds, thoughts – and leading a life that brings glory to God and serving His people in every little way possible

• Giving up sins – both personal and social – and constantly rejecting alluring temptations to remain fixated by worldly standards; instead focussing on the transcendental dimensions of life

• Prioritising the Lord and His Kingdom in every aspect of our life and remaining focussed on Him alone – even amidst persecutions or hardships to give up the Gospel Lifestyle

The courageous and bold Deacon, St Lawrence is a powerful model for us to lead a life of Christian Sacrifice.

May our Crucified Lord, who is the greatest embodiment of Sacrifice, fill us with the grace and courage to live a committed Christian life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

One of the greatest weaknesses that we face in our lives is that of “misunderstanding”.

>> Personal relationships can undergo crisis due to misunderstandings.

>> Business affairs can prove disastrous due to misunderstandings.

>> Societal interactions can go haywire due to misunderstandings.

>> Community dealings can go wrong due to misunderstandings.

And the opposite is also true…

… Understandings can become the one of the greatest strengths of our lives too!

>> Personal relations can bloom when we understand well.

>> Business affairs can strike gold when there is good understanding.

>> Societal dealings can be peaceful when there is an amicable understanding.

>> Community interactions can be heavenly when there is mutual understanding.

Understandings and Misunderstandings play a vital role in our daily life and existence!

The Gospel of the Day invites each one of us, to examine what is our perspective of the Lord:

Am I understanding Him well….and thus, is He a strength to me?

>> Or am I misunderstanding Him….and this, is He proving a stumbling block to me?

Understanding or Misunderstanding Jesus will play the pivotal role in our daily spiritual existence!

On reaching Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:13), Jesus poses a dual question to His disciples…

Who do people say that He is …and Who do the Disciples say that He is.

This two-fold question of Christ…evokes two answers….

1. The Opinion of Jesus as being only Human

>> The people understand Jesus as John the Baptist, or Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets (Mt 16: 14)

2. The Opinion of Jesus as being only Divine

>> St Peter, as the Captain of the Group, with a heavenly revelation, declares Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God! (Mt 16: 16)

It’s interesting that after this question-answer session, the Lord Himself chooses to give an answer on who He is!

And this answer of the Lord is a key to our understanding or misunderstanding Jesus.

Jesus declares that He would be a suffering God….

He would be the Man to undergo many persecutions! (Mt 16: 21)

>> He is not only Human.

>> He is not only Divine.

… He is the Suffering God-Man!

Am I able to accept this reality dimension of Jesus?

He is amazing in His Human teachings… He is wonderful in His Divine Deeds.

>> But He is also the Afflicted, the Maltreated, the Victimized and the Wronged.

He is classic in His Human examples.. He is awesome in His Divine miracles.

>> But He is also the Suffering, the Persecuted, the Sacrificed and the Tortured.

>> He is not only Human.

>> He is not only Divine.

… He is the Suffering God-Man!

And like Peter, perhaps some of us shy away from accepting this Painful Reality of the Lord…

… “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Mt 16: 22)

We love to follow Him in His exhortations…

>> We love to be enamoured in His wondrous doings.

But we back off…at the mention of His pains, difficulties, persecutions and anguish.

>> We like a Sociable Christ…

… One Who gives equal status to all in the society and breaks sociological barriers

>> We like a political Christ…

… One Who is fearless to challenge the political corruption of the society

>> We like a Revolutionary Christ…

… One Who demands to go beyond the comfort zones of our life

But do we embrace the Suffering Christ?

>> Do we accept the “Saviour” Christ?

Do we consent to the Crucified Christ?

It’s easy to misunderstand Jesus as only a mere human hero.

>> It’s easy to misunderstand Jesus as only a awesome Divine entity.

But it’s not so to understand and accept Him as the Heroic and Awesome and Suffering God-Man!

Understanding or Misunderstanding Jesus will play the pivotal role in our daily spiritual existence!

Today, let us seek for the grace to accept and understand truly the Person and Divinity of Jesus.

Let us make Him the true strength of our lives.

>> Let us behold Him in the Eucharist.

>> Let us encounter Him in prayer.

>> Let us recognize Him in the Word!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Years back, in the late 1900’s, engineers were asked to give their opinions on a possible railroad through the Andes Mountains

(Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world; it passes through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina)

They concluded that the job would be an impossible one.

However, as a last resort, an engineer from Poland named Ernest Malinowski was called in.

Malinowski’s reputation as an engineer was famous, but he was in the aging sixtieth year of his life at that time.

The authorities feared to impose such a rigorous task on the old man.

Malinowski, however, assured the representatives that the job could be done.

The railway began to worm its way across the Andes from Peru with sixty-two tunnels and thirty bridges along its way.

• One tunnel ran up to 4,000 feet in length, 15,000 feet above the level of the sea.

• On two occasions, revolutions in some of the countries through which the railroad passed, held up construction.

• Once Malinowski had to even flee to Peru and remain in exile for a time

But nothing could prevent the old man in completing the engineering feat.

By 1880, work was completed on what, till recent times (2006), was the highest railroad in the world.

Malinowski had many barriers towards the achievement of this grand feat…

… The problems arising out of old age

… The challenging mountainous terrains

… The impossibility expressed by many other engineers

However, nothing of it could deter his determination in achieving what he wanted!

Life rewards abundantly, those who are willing to challenge the barriers and be persistent in overcoming them!

The Gospel of the Day presents the beautiful story of a mother who dared to “break through” the mountainous terrains of religious prejudices, social ignominy and personal misery to bridge blessings from God for her precious daughter.

Jesus had withdrawn to the district of Tyre and Sidon (Mt 15:21)

In the Old Testament times, this region was better known as the area of the tribes of the Canaanites.

• Over the years, the land had grown in paganism as well as corruption.

Their presence was a strong threat to the purity of Israel’s religion and morality.

Therefore, there was a long history of spiritual and military clashes between the Israelites and Canaanites.

It was in this place that Jesus meets one of them – a woman, whose daughter had been “severely possessed by a demon” (Mt 15:22b)

The presence of “that” woman, however, made the disciples of Jesus, to complain to their Master, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us” (Mt 15: 23b)

At this juncture, we hear two cries…

>> One – the cry of the woman

>> The other – the cry of the disciples

The woman cried out of helplessness and out of deep misery – for the “unclean” demon to be cast away from her daughter

>> The disciples cried out in wretchedness and disgust – for the “unclean” woman to be cast away from their presence

It’s interesting to note the wordplay in Greek, in the words of the disciples and those of the woman…

>> The disciples uttered, “APOLYSON – send her away”

>> The woman cried, “KYRIE ELEISON – have mercy, Lord”

These two similar-sounding yet contradicting choruses were ringing in the air – “Apolyson – Kyrie Eleison… Apolyson – Kyrie Eleison”

The Master then stepped in to say, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel… It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” (Mt 15: 24, 26)

Perhaps the addressing of Jesus as a “dog” would have come as no surprise to the Canaanite woman.

It was a reminder of the sharp distinction that existed, historically, between the Blessed Israelites and the Cursed Canaanites.

ü The Jews “were” considered as the “children” and the Canaanites (Gentiles) “were” considered as “dogs”

And in every house, the children get fed first… not the dogs!

But the figurative tone set forth by Jesus, found its amazing reply in the words of the Canaanite woman, “Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters” (Mt 15: 27)

Here was a glorious acknowledgement by the woman…

“Yes, I am a Canaanite, and considered to be a dog.

I do acknowledge that Israelites have a special privilege in the order of God’s grace.

But we too, deserve the Grace of God that is due to all people, in general!”

I demand not the privileged bread that is reserved to the mighty….

But, just the crumbs of Your grace will suffice in healing my ailing daughter!”

That was an amazing reply of persistent faith!

The mountainous terrains had been broken!

No religious prejudices, no social ignominy or no personal misery could prevent the bold faith of the woman to bridge the blessings of God’s healing!

Yes, life rewards abundantly, those who are willing to challenge the barriers and be persistent in overcoming them!

With immense pride, the Lord proclaimed, “O Woman, great is your faith” (Mt 15: 28)

Do we also seek to possess such kind of a tremendous faith and unperturbed persistence?

• Sometimes we hear – like the cries of the disciples – discouraging voices and refraining chants…

• Sometimes we have to encounter the agonizingly painful and silent response of the Lord…

• Sometimes we have to bear humiliating challenges to our prayers and even disturbing answers from the Divine..

Yet, like this wonderful mother, who was determined to break down every “mountain” of barrier, for the sake of a miracle for her daughter…

… do we remain courageous, firm and bold in our faith and trust in the Lord?

St Francis de Sales says, “when you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them; try to bend them with gentleness and time.”

May Our Blessed Lord – the God of all peoples – bless us with a firmness in our faith, perseverance in our piety and courage in our convictions!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A compass is an instrument used for navigation and orientation that shows direction.

It is used to find the right direction to get one to where one wants to go.

• A compass helps to guide through unknown terrains.

• A compass helps to direct well, without being lost.

• A compass helps to keep right the focus.

A compass in life is a requirement in order to be constantly having the right target and aim.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, as a person, in perfect control of His life; as a result of being in union with His Father – the Compass of His life..

… and He, becomes the Compass in the life of His disciples – to guide and direct them to safety!

The Gospel is the incident of Jesus walking on the waters, as the disciples travel in the boat, caught up in the midst of a strong sea wind.

This incident follows the “miraculous” event of the multiplication of five loaves and two fish, to feed a “massive” number of people. (Mt 14: 13-21)

The people were greatly amazed and excited about this “super-miracle”.

• The people had seen an astonishing miracle.

• The people had witnessed Someone who was able to provide them food.

• The people had experienced Someone who could provide them security and strength.

But Jesus realized that all such excitement and exhilaration, would lead the people to make Him a King…

He knew that they would….

… be stuck to only material satisfaction and physical contentment

… not understand the heavenly and transcendental meaning of the miracle

And so Jesus would dismiss the crowds, and withdrew to the mountain by Himself to pray (Mt 14:23)…

… to be with His Heavenly Father, alone.

His Beloved Father was the “Compass” of His life – the One who led Him….

… to guide through unknown terrains

… to direct well, without being lost

… to keep right the focus.

United with His Father, Jesus reaches out as a “Compass” to His struggling disciples…

They were being tossed up by the mighty waves and their boats were lashed by the mighty winds. (Mt 14:24)

But Jesus enters this “chaotic” scene….and ensures His peace and calm.

• The disciples were lost…

• They had missed sight of their direction…

• They were disoriented in their focus and sight…

• Fear had seized them

• Anxiety was drowning them.

But the Lord, the “Compass” of Life restores back their calm and focus and direction.

• Nothing is lost, when we have the Lord as the compass of our lives.

• Nothing will be drowned, if we hold on to Jesus, as the compass of our lives.

The disciples realized this… and they experienced the calming effect in their lives.

Are we also ready to have God as the “Compass” of our lives?

In prayer… In faithfulness.. In trust…

… let us be ready and open, to be led by the True Guide of our lives!

God bless! Live Jesus!

There is a little story told of a person who went to Paris on a trip.

Wishing to buy his wife a gift, he purchased a phosphorescent, ‘mother-of-pearl’ match-box container.

(‘Mother-of-pearl’ is the common name for sparkling nacre, a blend of minerals that are secreted by oysters and deposited inside their shells, coating and protecting them from foreign objects; these eventually become pearls)

The beauty of this gift was that in the dark it was said to radiate a wonderful light.

The man packed it in his trunk, took it home and after the family-dinner, asked for the lights to be put out.

>> In the dark, he took the match-box container from his pocket to present it to his wife.

But, when he looked at it, it was as black as the darkness around.

Frustrated, he said, “That is just the way foreigners are often treated! I have been cheated!”

Next day, however, his wife, a bit curious, discovered on the box, a few words in French.

>> She took it down to some friends who had a French maid and had it translated.

That night, in the darkness, that box was all aglow, for she had followed the instructions written on the box, which said:

‘If you keep me all day long in the sunlight,

I will shine for you all night long, in the darkness’

Yes…

>> The greater one is in the light, the greater would be one’s glow in the dark!

… because a glow in the dark is assured for that which has the capacity to infuse light within itself!

Light emerges from the depths of holiness.. to shine clearly even in the dark…

>> This is Transfiguration!

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are invited to have this Transfiguration Experience, in imitation of our Blessed Lord.

Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord

The scene of the Transfiguration is a visually powerful and an authoritatively impactful incident.

>> Jesus takes three disciples – the core team among the Twelve – Peter, James and John – and led them up a high mountain. (Mk 9: 2)

>> There He was – His appearance changing and seen to be with Great Glory!

One of the easy tendencies in life is to “get used to”…

>> Get used to doing the same works and dealing with the same people.

A tendency of “monotony” creeps in

>> A feeling of “boredom” crawls in!

The danger with “monotony” is that…

… it can drain away enthusiasm from the works one does

This danger of “monotony” is a strong possibility even in our spiritual life.

>> We begin to take our faith for granted

>> We tend to view our devotions with casualness.

Prayers get boring.

>> The Holy Eucharist seems meaningless

>> Pious practices fails to generate any passion

The same danger was true even in the case of the Disciples.

The disciples had been with Jesus for a while now…

>> They had seen Him…

… performing many wonders

… teaching and addressing the crowds

… being the subject of many oppositions too

But slowly, as human tendency is – a feel of monotony would have begun to creep into their lives.

It is at this stage, that our Blessed Lord chooses three of His “core” disciples – Peter, James and John, and in their presence gets Transfigured! (Mk 9: 2-10)

The Transfiguration experience was something very special and unique for these disciples…

>> They saw our Blessed Lord glisteningly shining – His clothes being whiter “as no fuller on earth could bleach” (Mk 9:3)

>> They witnessed Moses and Elijah (Mk 9:4) – the great Lawgiver and the mighty Prophet – along with Jesus, Who was the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophet!

>> They heard the Divine Voice – “This is My Beloved Son; listen to Him” (Mk 9: 7b) – from the cloud; reminiscent of God Yahweh who would speak to His people of old, from the clouds

The three disciples were being introduced to a new perspective of their Master.

>> They saw Jesus – not in the usual way – but arrayed in His Divine Glory and Honour!

Jesus had not become something that He was not…

>> He was always God and was always the Second Person of the Divine Trinity.

All this while, the eyes of the disciples were kept away from seeing the fullness of glory – only sparks of Divinity was revealed to them

But now, here was a moment, though short – the Transfiguration – when the chosen disciples could come face-to-face with Divine Glory!

The moment of Transfiguration had made them see things in a new light…

>> Jesus was still the same – but they now saw Him, for a short moment, with a Glorious Glow

That is the splendour and glory of the moment of Transfiguration…

… when woundedness is refined into beauty

… when sufferings are graced into meaningfulness

Have we had this Transfiguration Experience?

Surely, we have had…

But perhaps, many of us fail to recognise it.. or acknowledge it

>> A moment…

… when our words have touched and sparkled a sad soul..

… when we ourselves have been healed in our brokenness by some Divine intervention

… when we experienced the light of God’s healing, restoration, forgiveness etc through the Sacraments of the Church

… when a pulse of joy and satisfaction raced through our veins in having rendered, perhaps, a tiny but significant act of service and care to a needy person

… when, in our brokenness or deep pain or lethargy, an encouraging word has revived our bent spirits

Many are such moments of Transfiguration in our life…

>> But the more we look deeper, the more we find, that God has blessed us immensely with such “Transfiguration” experiences.

It is these “Transfiguration” moments that will take us through, strongly, in our moments of darkness.

>> The light of Transfiguration on Mount Tabor helped to shine through during the darkness of Crucifixion on Mount Calvary for Jesus!

The greater one is in the light of the Transfiguration, the greater would be one’s glow in the dark phases of life!

May this Gospel of the Transfiguration help us to be reminded of the promise of the Lord that:

“If you keep yourself, all day long in the sunlight of My Love,

I will shine for you all night long, in the darkness of your life”

Happy Feast of the Transfiguration!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A man once had a fine-bred dog – an American Foxhound – named Jasper.

>> Jasper was trained well and the owner expected much of him.

Finally, after his ‘training’, Jasper was let go on a ‘hunt’ in the nearby forest.

As he was let free, Jasper got sight of an antelope and gave a spirited chase.

Soon, however, a startled rabbit came across the track of the antelope, diverting Jasper’s attention!

>> Forgetting the antelope, Jasper dashed after the rabbit.

Just as he was gaining momentum, a rat darted across the path!

>> Again, Jasper diverted and rushed after the rat, only to see it run into a hole in the ground.

Highly excited, scratching and barking, Jasper presented a picture of frustration – distracted from the ‘big thing’ to end up by barking into a hole in the ground!

Jasper had been trained and was expected to chase “bigger” preys; but ended up, grunting, lunging and scratching at something worthless!

The reason was simple:

• Losing sight of the bigger goal and instead, being distracted by something very petty and useless

• Unable to keep focus on the ‘more’ valuable aim and instead, being diverted by something very trivial.

Is my life also “losing sight” of the precious aspects of life?

>> Am I seeking “the right things” and the “proper entities” of life?

The Gospel of the Day is a call by our Blessed Lord to ‘refine’ our priorities in life and to ‘re-sort’ our concerns towards Him and His Kingdom.

Today’s Gospel passage forms part of the “Bread of Life” Discourse of the 6th chapter of St John.

Jesus, after having performed the ‘magnanimous’ miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, had His popularity ratings on a high.

There were many factors that propelled towards this…

>> Huge problems suddenly seemed to ‘shrink in size’ before Jesus, the Great God!

A huge crowd, who were ‘hungry’ had just been ‘satisfied’ to the full

>> Impossible situations suddenly seemed to be non-existent before Jesus, the God of all possibilities!

Just two little fish and five barley loaves became a medium of nourishment to thousands

There was naturally, immense excitement among the crowds with respect to Jesus.

• Before their own eyes, a ‘massive’ miracle had been wrought

• For their own stomachs, a ‘miraculous’ wonder had been performed

They would have felt themselves in similar situations as the people of Israel in the wilderness, when their leader Moses had fed them with food (Ex 16: 12-15)

Some among them would have also recounted the words of Jesus, elsewhere during His ministry: “Behold, something greater is here…” (Mt 12:41)

And so, the people, who had become ‘fans’ of our Blessed Lord, began to ‘seek’ – frantically and with great craze.

A personal experience of the Divine is to become a launching-pad in forging a personal relationship with the Lord!

• But a personal experience of the Divine, when not properly channelled, can also get deviated and remain fixated to mere devotion and emotional piety.

Jesus was very well aware of the danger that lay in ‘fickle’ crowds who followed Him – merely for ‘bread’ and not for a ‘life-transformation’.

And so He puts forward a probing challenge to the crowds who were desperately following Him:

“Amen, Amen, I say to you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (Jn 6: 26-27)

The crowds were asked by Jesus to ‘refine’ their priorities in life and to ‘re-sort’ their concerns towards Him and His Kingdom!

The same exhortation is being rendered to us today: to ‘refine’ our priorities in life and to ‘re-sort’ our concerns towards Him and His Kingdom…

>> Do I follow the Lord only to be satisfied by the ‘bread’ of having our prayers always heard in the way I want and of ‘always’ enjoying prosperity in life…

… or do I also follow the Lord for His own sake – as the One who truly becomes the ‘Bread’ of life- my strength, my hope and my greatest asset in life?

>> Do I seek the Lord only when I am ‘given’ something by God; following merely a ‘receiving’ spirituality – that has hands always stretched out in anticipation to ‘get’ something from God…

… or can I grow in my hunger for Jesus, the Bread of Life, and also be willing to respond to His demand to “give” my life in service of Him, of His Kingdom and of His people?

As Christians, we ought to be persons who have our aims set on the “high” things of life – seeking Jesus and His Kingdom.

• Jesus ought to be the greatest treasure of our life

• Jesus ought to be the deepest satisfaction in our life

We are expected to chase up “bigger” preys.

ü But do we sometimes, end up, grunting, lunging and scratching at something worthless?

We need to make an examination of our lives.

Perhaps, we are…

• Losing sight of the bigger goal and instead, being distracted by something very petty and useless

• Unable to keep focus on the ‘more’ valuable aim and instead, being diverted by something very trivial.

Jesus, the Bread of Life – especially by His Holy Word and in His Holy Eucharist – invites us to wholly dedicate our lives in seeking Him alone.

Let us realise, that as true Christians, real fulfilment comes from more than “just making a living”; it comes, instead, from “making a life, in Jesus”

May we not be merely ‘bread-seekers’; instead be the sincere seekers of the One who is the True Bread of Life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The Mammoth Cave National Park, in central Kentucky, is a U.S. National Park.

>> It encompasses portions of the Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world.

In these caves, one can see enormous pillars which have been formed by the steady dropping of water from the roof of the cavern.

This masonry – formed of solid rock – made by the slow and silent process of nature, is a true marvel…

• A single drop of water, finds its way from the surface down through the roof of the cave, and deposits its sediment

• Another follows it and still another… each adding its imperceptible contribution, until the icicle of stone begins to grow, ultimately reaching the pillar which likewise has been forming on the bottom of the cave.

These become a massive pillar – brilliant and classic.

This process is so similar that which occurs in our hearts…

>> Each thought, that awakens for a moment, sinks into the soul – just as each little drop of water, with its limestone deposit, makes its contribution to the pillar in the cave.

>> Other thoughts follow and yet others…erecting within our hearts, pillars of purpose that form our character.

Think nobler, and our character will mould into being noble…

>> Think wicked, and our character will decay into being evil…

What is the thought-pattern that we nurture in our lives?

The Gospel of the Day makes a dramatic presentation of two opposing characters – one of them holy and the other evil – John the Baptist and Herod the Tetrarch…

… which were formed as a result of the accumulation of contrasting deposits of thoughts and feelings.

The Gospel passage is a sort of a “flashback” passage which recounts the visually-disturbing incident of the ‘beheading of John the Baptist’.

The increasing popularity of Jesus caused Herod the Tetrarch, the ruler of the land, to come face-to-face with his guilty conscience.

Truth is always very powerful!

It can, silently, yet very authoritatively …

… challenge faulty lives

… prick guilty consciences

… confront culpable actions

Herod bore the guilt of having killed John the Baptist, who was the voice of the Truth.

>> He knew that he had done something extremely wicked and merciless

>> He knew that he had acted in opposition to truth, to honesty and to sincerity.

Therefore, the rising fame of the Lord – whom he misunderstood as John the Baptist – drove him to despair over that brutal act of the killing of the Baptist.

• The constant exposition to wicked thoughts and evil inclinations had caused his life to become a pillar of guilt-filled feelings!

>> Think wicked, and our character will decay into being evil…

On the other hand, was the righteous life of John the Baptist.

He was born with a sense of purpose – of being a voice to the Truth.

He maintained this goal by always living in sincerity – fearless and courageous.

>> To this end, he even valiantly shed his blood!

• The constant nurturing of holy purposes and sacred acts had caused his life to become a pillar of a purpose-filled existence!

>> Think nobler, and our character will mould into being noble…

What is the thought-pattern that we nurture in our lives?

• Is my life a Pillar…

… of guilt-filled feelings – formed by deposits of wickedness, evil and sin?

OR

• Is my life a Pillar…

… of a purpose-filled existence – formed by deposits of holy determination and sanctified lives?

Today we celebrate the Feast of St John Maria Vianney, the patron saint of all the priests!

>> As a young son, he had to face resistence from his father, who was opposed to his being a priest, due to financial difficulties as well as the strained political climate of his time

>> As a young seminarian, he had to face hardships in the seminary, due to his difficulties in studies

>> As a young priest, he had to face isolation from the parish at Ars, where he was first appointed, due to the indifference and the secular lifestyle of the people in the village.

He experienced the great reality: “When one’s heart is rooted in unbelief and is closed to the truth…

… things of the Divine appear to be hostile!”

But despite this harsh experience of “indifference and hostility to the Truth”…

… he held on to “Doing the Will of God, and be His Faithful Follower!”

>> St John Maria Vianney placed His entire trust in the Power of God

Today let us seek the Intercession of St John Maria Vianney…

… to remain “faithful and firm”

>> And thus, seek to imitate St John the Baptist, in following our Blessed Lord

May his words inspire us:

>> “You cannot please both God and the world at the same time, They are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires, and their actions.”

>> “I tell you that you have less to suffer in following the cross than in serving the world and its pleasures.”

Let us also pray specially for Priests all over the world, that their Patron Saint – St John Maria Vianney – may intercede, to help all priests…

… to be more holy and faithful to their Noble Vocation

… to be more zealous in administering the Sacraments and giving His Word

… to be more passionate in Loving the Lord and bringing many more to His Love

Happy Feast to all the Priests!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A young salesman became discouraged because he had been rejected by many of the customers that he approached.

He asked a more experienced salesman for some advice.

>> “Why is it that every time I make a call on someone I get rejected?”

“I just don’t understand that,” answered the older salesman…

… “I’ve been hit on the head, called dirty names, and thrown out the door, but I’ve never been rejected!

Remember, my son… Rejection isn’t what happens to us…

… but how we interpret what happens to us!”

How do we interpret the various situations of disappointments that we come across in life?

>> Do we get depressed and discouraged…

… or can we still be hopeful and know that “every rejection is one more step closer to true success!?”

Rejection and dejection, are sure companions in the life of a Christian, who is uncompromising and unwavering in one’s faith.

>> Despite these aspects, are we ready to hold on to Doing the Will of God, and be His Faithful Followers?

Our Blessed Lord Himself underwent rejection and dejection in life.

>> Yet He would cling on to Doing the Will of God!

The Gospel of the Day narrates this painful incident of “rejection and dejection” that our Blessed Lord encountered in His life, at the hands of His own country people (Mt 13: 54-58)

It is interesting to note, how the people of the hometown seek to justify their rejection of Jesus, by rationalizing their attitude…

>> Using 6 questions ( 6= A Biblical symbolic number which often stands for imperfection!)…

… the people of the hometown, reveal their blocked minds and closed hearts.

When one’s heart is rooted in unbelief and is closed to the truth…

… things of the Divine appear to be hostile!

And so the Lord would declare: “A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country or his own house!” (Mt 13: 57)

Thus, Jesus becomes the “Sign of Contradiction!”

… the Prince of Peace, begins to be seen as a cause of division and despise

… the Healer of Souls, begins to be seen as a cause of disagreement and discord!

… the Comforter of Hearts, begins to be seen as a cause of disturbance and distress

Anyone who seeks to follow Jesus – the “Sign of Contradiction” – the Epitome of Truth and Honesty…

… is sure to face the same experience!

Every true Christian, because of one’s convictions in the Eternal Values of Uncompromising Truth and Desire to do the Will of God, is sure to face…

… rejection from the people, because one’s ways challenge the lethargic lifestyle of others!

… dejection from the society, because one’s way of living poses a threat the corruption around!

But despite this “rejection and dejection”, can we still continue to hold on the Lord, the “Sign of Contradiction!”?

Life often hurls the “bricks of rejection” at us…

>> We can either be hurt by them…

… or be strengthened and buckle ourselves up with greater courage

>> We can either blame all those situations and curse life…

… or we can be thankful for those moments, which provides us a chance for “more blessings!”

Yes, we need to remember always:

>> Rejection isn’t what happens to us…

… but how we interpret what happens to us!”

Let us not get depressed and discouraged by the various situations of disappointments that we come across in life…

… instead let us be hopeful, and know that “every rejection is one more step closer to true success!”

On this First Friday of the Month, let us re-dedicate our love and commitment to the Sacred Heart of Jesus…

… and always pray for greater commitment and dedication to the Will of God, filled with immense peace and joy!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

It was a physics class.

The professor noticed that one of the class students was not paying attention to the class.

So he suddenly asked this question, “Andy, will you tell me what is electricity?”

The boy, realized that he was caught unawares.

>> In fact, he had not heard the question properly!

But he tried to be appear to have understood.

And so he said:

“Oh.. Sir.. Hmmm… Well, I am sorry.

I actually had it on the tip of my tongue, just a moment ago!

But it just escaped me right now!”

The whole class broke into laughter and the professor with a grin said:

“Oh, what a pity!

Here is the only boy in the history of the world who has ever know what electricity is and had it even on the tip of his tongue.

>> But sadly, he’s forgotten already!!”

Well… such is the case with many of us as well, probably.

>> There are many things we do not understand…

… but pretend that everything is known to us

>> There are many things not going on fine with us..

… but we still behave as if we are aware of everything.

We sometimes are people who affirm and consent…

… without really understanding or grasping the whole reality

>> It’s a “lip” yes…

… but not a consent with the mind.

>> It’s an external nodding…

… without a true affirmation from the heart.

The Gospel of the Day presents such a classic case in the context of the disciples of Jesus saying a “Yes” to having understood the teachings of Jesus…

… And invites us to examine our lives and check whether:

>> We say only a “lip” yes without the consonance of the mind!

>> We give an external nodding without the affirmation of the heart!

The first 50 verses of the 13th Chapter from St Matthew is a quick montage of several parables…

… Seven in all…

1. Parable of the Sower (vv. 1-9)

2. Parable of the Weeds among wheat (vv. 24-30)

3. Parable of the Mustard Seed (vv. 31-32)

4. Parable of the Yeast (v. 33)

5. Parable of the man finding the treasure (v. 44)

6. Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (v. 45)

7. Parable of the Net thrown in the sea (vv. 47-50)

These 7 parables teach several great truths and virtues….

1. Preparing our hearts to receive the Generous Word of God….

2. Accepting the reality of evil in the world and being firm to be good…

3. Realizing the Divine Grace that blossoms our littleness into a shelter for many…

4. Recognizing the transforming effect of a committed faith…

5. Experiencing the joy of discovering the Lord as the Treasure of our lives….

6. The Willingness to give up everything to prioritize the Lord as the Pearl of Great Prize….

7. Living a life with the awareness of the judgment of good and evil at the end of our lives!

At the end of this quick, power-packed narration of the 7 parables, Jesus puts forward a question to His Disciples:

“Do you understand all these things?”(Mt 13:51)

The Lord wished to know if His disciples were grasping these great truths of Christian Life…

>> He wanted to know from His chosen ones, the level of their understanding.

The Gospel says the Disciples “answered, ‘Yes'”(Mt 13:51b).

Well, we are not fully sure whether the Disciples really understood and grasped everything….

>> We really can’t say for certain whether their “Yes”,…

… was only a “lip” yes or one with the consonance of the mind

… was an external nodding or one with the affirmation of the heart

There are many occasions in the Gospels…

… when we see the Disciples “said something” but did not actually follow it or live it

… Or they really did not fully understand and grasp the person of Jesus and His teachings

>> At the Transfiguration, when Peter said, “Let us make three tents”, the Gospel says, “he did not know what he was saying!”(Lk 9:33b)

>> After the multiplication of the loaves, the Gospel says “they had not understood the incident of the loaves”(Mk 6:52)

>> After the calming of the storm at the sea, they said to one another “Who then is this Whom even wind and sea obey?”(Mk 4:41)

>> They failed to recognise and see the Father in Jesus and so Jesus chided them, saying, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me?” (Jn 14:10)

They asked Him Show us the Father.

We therefore do not really know the depth of the “Yes” of the Disciples…

… Was it only an instinctual reply?

… Was it just a spontaneous answer?

We cannot fully trace the intention of the Disciples.

But this incident is certainly a reminder and an invitation for us to examine…

… Do we seek to understand the Lord and His Teachings?

… Are we aware of the greatness and the worth of the many devout practices of our faith?

Let us examine…

>> Do we realize the Power of the Most Holy Mass and prepare ourselves accordingly for a worthy celebration…

… or has it become a regular routine of life, without the due preparation and a sense of reverence?

>> Do we read the Living Word of God daily, and seek to live in accordance with His Teachings…

… or has the Bible merely become another “object” of the house, only to be kept in a place of seclusion, with an occasional glance?

>> Do our prayers and the reception of the other Sacraments become a God-experience and have a life-touching effect…

… or have they been rendered as casual or even compelled actions, with little effect on one’s life and activities?

Yes, as Christians, we are sometimes people who affirm and consent…

… without really understanding or grasping the whole reality.

Let us instead, give heed to the Lord, who invited His followers to be like the ” instructed scribe, who is like the house holder who brings from his storeroom, both the new and the old.” ( Mt 13:52)

God bless! Live Jesus