An old lady was sitting in the park – all alone and dejected.

A young boy – who was sitting on the opposite bench – and was doing some writing work, had been constantly watching this lady who was brooding over some worry.

Finally, after a while, he stopped writing and enquired:

“Madam, I have been observing you. From morning, you have been quite worried.

What’s the matter? Maybe there is some way I can help you

The old lady looked at him and replied: “You know, my son, in life, I have been worried about so many things in life… but most of them never happened!”

The young man was surprised to hear that – “troubled about things, that never really happened!”

So he asked again, “Then why are you troubled now?”

She replied, with a tinge of remorse: “I am worried as to why did I unnecessarily worry so much in my life!”

Funny, isn’t it?

But, are we sometimes like this old lady?

>> Too much worried and disturbed in life…

… sometimes (or perhaps, very often) even about things that have not happened in life!

The call of the Gospel is an invitation by Jesus to “cast all our worries and burdens” on Him.

We read in the Gospel today, the assuring words of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11: 28)

Jesus came into the world, primarily as a Saviour!

>> He is in deep love with us!

“…You are precious in my eyes and I love You!” (Is 43:4).

The meaning of the name “Jesus” Itself is that…

… GOD SAVES!

As a Beloved Lover, He constantly tugs the strings of our hearts and beckons us to Himself – wanting us to experience His Saving Love!

>> He extends His cordial and warmest invitation to each one of us who are weary and heavy-burdened!

The Greek word for WEARY is “Kopiao”…

… which means to toil and become weary to the point of exhaustion! .

>> WEARY not only refers to the daily physical strains and struggles we undergo in life, but is also…

… the internal exhaustion caused by seeking Divine Truth through mere Human Wisdom.

… the external burden caused by futile peripheral efforts to seek the Divinity.

Many of us, very often, reach the point of exhaustion and fatigue by our everyday works and in our striving for salvation.

However, today, the Lord calls all of us – to experience His Resting Presence!

>> “Behold, I stand at the door and Knock! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me”” (Rev 3:20).

“Experiencing His Resting Presence” also means “to learn from Him”…

… especially learning to be Humble and Gentle like Him! (Mt 11: 29)

A proud heart robs the person of spiritual insights

>> It renders a person to look only to oneself; the dependence on the Lord is lost!

A harsh (violent/tough/annoyed/wrathful) heart steals the person of “being at peace”

>> It renders a person to look only at the negativities of life; the attitude of being grateful to God is lost!

Today, let us give heed to the call of the Lord…

… to “Rest in His Presence”

>> And thus to learn to be more “gentle and humble”

Many of us might question: How can I “Rest in His Presence”

>> Many of us might counter: Is it really possible to learn to be more “gentle and humble”?

“Rest in His Presence” can be…

… by making a time for the Lord, in prayer, every day of our life – an act, which we shall never compromise!

… by “becoming aware” of the Presence of the Lord in the activities that we engage in

… by recognizing the goodness in other people and situations of life, and thus being, consciously, grateful to God

Learning to be more “gentle and humble” can be…

… by picking up any of those virtues, and (purposely) doing an act towards growing in the virtue

… by daily examining the conscience, in the practice of that particular virtue, and making amends to try again, even if failed (Let’s remember the Lord Who always rose again, even when He fell many times, on the Way of the Cross!)

… by praying specially to the Holy Spirit for those virtues, and never being discouraged, even when faced with the opposite vice

… by being inspired by the many saints, who went through the phases of vices, but were ultimately able to conquer, and live the virtues

Tensions, worries and problems of life constantly disappoint us!

>> Even our striving to improve our spiritual lives (and the feeling of failure to do so) discourage us!

But the Lord constantly tells us…”Come to Me!”

>> “Never, ever get discouraged, My Child!”

As St Francis de Sales says, “The greatest thing that can befall a soul, beyond sin… is anxiety!”

Let not the anxieties of our life dishearten us…

>> Instead may the Invitation of the Lord – “to Rest in His Presence and to learn from Him”…

… help us to always be at peace in life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A mother took her three children to a fine restaurant for a dinner.

>> It was a crowded Sunday and they could only get separate seats.

As food was served, the youngest daughter – 6 year old Mary – who was seated at the far corner of the restaurant…

… loudly enquired from her mother: “Mother, don’t people say grace before meals in this place?”

A wave of silence wrapped the entire restaurant!

The mother did not know how to react.

But soon enough, the manager of the hotel, who was at the counter, said in an assuring voice to the child: “Yes we do. You may start!”

All the people bowed their head in silence

Little Mary closed her eyes, joined her hands and bowing her head…

… in a loud and crystal voice prayed: “Bless us O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are going to receive from your goodness, through Christ our Lord… Amen!”

The child found it strange to observe that none of the elders were praying…

… So she went “out of the way”

>> And did something that was very beautiful

>> And taught others an action to be imitated

A child “goes out of the way”…

… in expressing love and affection by trying to imitate the kind acts of the elders

… in trying to help others – giving a hand at the household chores, or doing little works

The Gospel of the Day is an invitation by the Lord to re-discover this “forgotten” child-like dimension of our lives: “To go out of the way”!

Jesus, speaking of this worthwhile quality …

… presents to us the image of a Shepherd who goes “out of the way”, in search of the lost sheep.

Jesus says: ” If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray…

… will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills, and go in search of the stray?” (Mt 18: 12)

The shepherd loves all his hundred sheep…

… yet, when one gets strayed, he makes “an out-of-the-way effort” to get the lost one back.

He does not give up on the strayed.

>> He doesn’t desert the lost.

>> He doesn’t abandon the one, gone from his circle.

This attitude of going “out of the way”…

>> “taking an extra pain”

>> “dripping an extra sweat”

… would seem weird and strange to the calculative, pragmatic and business-minded head of ours, in this modern period!

We might question:

>> Is it not a waste of time to go after the “lost sheep”…

… of an obsessed drug-addict or a habitual drunkard or a consistent smoker?

>> Is it just too futile to awaken a “lost sheep”…

… of a soul in slumber, where there is no focus on spiritual life, where there is slackness of prayer and sacraments and where worldliness and materialism have crept and conquered?

>> Is it of any use to go after the “lost sheep”…

… of a couple who are constantly bickering and a family which is broken up with regular fights and misunderstandings?

>> Is there any sense in trying to restore the “lost sheep”…

… of a community whose members seem disinterested, who are lethargic, who have their own personal and hidden agenda and who always back-talk and back-bite?

>> Is it just not meaningless to revive the “lost sheep”…

… of a society or a nation where corruption has taken deep-roots in hearts of people and all sincere efforts of transformation often gets dumped into the bin?

The True Shepherd however, in all such situations, of the “lost sheep” …

… “goes out of the way”

>> The Good Shepherd makes an extra effort in getting them back!

This Good Shepherd today invites us to be partakers in restoring the lost ones.

A critical danger in the process of “growing- up” is the tendency to lose our “natural child-like” qualities.

>> As a child, we were free to express our emotions…

… but when we “grow up”, we tend to hold them up all within (only to burst out one day!)

>> As a child, we were easily dependant on those who cared for us…

… but when we “grow up”, we become arrogant towards them and seek ‘independence’

>> As a child, we were able to enjoy and relax in the present moment…

… but when we “grow up”, we get caught up in the snare of the past and shrink with fear of the future.

The Lord invites us to get back the “lost” child-like faith and trust.

>> We need to realise that we are always little children to our Heavenly Father!

>> He loves to care for us… He longs that we depend on Him entirely!

Yes, children sometimes teach elders great lessons, isn’t it?

Let us be willing to “go out of the way”…

>> And do things that are very beautiful

>> And teach others actions, that can be imitated!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A young man went up from his home in the countryside to the city to join the University for a degree.

As a resident student, he had his own room in the hostel.

After he had settled in, his Mother, a godly, devoted Christian, decided to pay him a visit.

> She was delighted to see the campus and felt good with the ambience.

> She was also happy that her son was taking a keen interest in his studies.

However, when she went to his room, she was greatly shocked.

The kind of pictures that he had fixed to the walls of his room in the hostel made the mother feel embarrassed!

They were portraits of semi-dressed artistes, film stars, and suggested much that was sensual, and unbecoming a young man who had been devoutly trained at home, as he had.

The mother said not a word.

Instead of expressing her displeasure, she went home.

The following day, sent across a framed picture of the Divine Mercy of Jesus, with the request that he would hang it in his room.

A few weeks later she visited again him.

This time, however all the other pictures in the room were gone…

Only the picture of the Divine Mercy was there!

When she asked him about it, he replied, ‘You see, mother, I could not have those pictures along-side this Sacred picture. They would be out of place!’

Evil cannot exist beside the Sacred!

>> Where there is the presence of Holiness, evil finds itself disturbed and distances itself!

But human life often finds itself engaged and engrossed with evil things…

>> The pull to be bad constantly lurks in human minds…

>> The urge to be sinful often prowls in human hearts…

The Gospel of the Day is an exposition of this evil side of life that often endangers human hearts, and pops its head up, especially when encountered by goodness and holiness.

The Gospel is the healing of the paralytic, when Jesus comes into His own town.

Seeing the paralytic being brought on the stretcher, and admiring their faith, Jesus had said, “Courage child, your sins are forgiven” (Lk 5:20)

However, some of the scribes got irked hearing these words and said, “Who is this who speaks blasphemy?” (Lk 5:21)

But Jesus, who knows the hearts of people…. who reads the thoughts of all.. said:

“What are you thinking in your hearts?” (Lk 5: 22)

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read the parallel verse, in the following way:

“Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Mt 9: 4)

Another translation of this verse would read:

“Why do you harbour evil in your hearts?”

“Harbour” is a place on the coast, where ships may moor in shelter, especially one protected from rough water by piers, jetties, and other artificial structures.

>> It is also to keep a thought or feeling, (typically a negative one) in one’s mind, especially secretly

The Lord exposes the evil intention of the Scribes in questioning His action of cleansing the paralytic.

For the paralytic, it was a great moment…

… of being cleansed from sin, and being restored to holiness

… of having a very personal encounter of the Saviour and receiving wholeness

It was a sacred time…a holy instant!

But where there is the presence of Holiness, evil finds itself disturbed and distances itself!

>> Evil cannot exist beside the Sacred!

Therefore, when the paralytic was encountering goodness and holiness, the evil side in the scribes popped its head up, and questioned and quizzed our Blessed Lord.

The same question that Jesus asked the scribes is now thrown to us:

“What are you thinking in your hearts?” or “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” or “Why do you harbour evil in your hearts?”

>> Am I a person who is unable to tolerate the good things happening in other people’s life?

>> Am I someone who gets irked and irritated when the other person prospers in happiness?

We sometimes adorn the walls of our hearts with many filthy stuff -uncharitable thoughts, indecent words and jokes, hurtful views of people or crude perspectives of situations.

The Lord feels hurt and sad by this our “harbouring of evil in our hearts”

Are we ready to throw of all those unbecoming stuff from our hearts, and place the Divine Mercy of the Lord, enthroned in our hearts?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A man sat down to supper with his family and said the Grace before meals…

… thanking God for the food, for the hands which prepared it, and for the source of all life.

But as the meal started, began to complain…

… he complained about the freshness of the bread…

… the bitterness of the coffee

… and the sharpness of the cheese.

>> He also began to criticize about some of his work-mates as well as his relatives, who were not very understanding, he felt.

After some time, the young daughter questioned him, “Dad, do you think God heard the Prayer of Grace today?”

The father answered confidently, “Of course.”

Then she asked, “And do you think God heard what you said about the coffee, the cheese, and the bread…

… and also about the people you mentioned?”

Not so confidently, yet since he couldn’t deny, he answered, “Why, yes, I believe so.”

The little girl then concluded, “Then which do you think God believed, Dad?”

The man was suddenly aware that his mealtime prayer had become a routine…

… a thoughtless habit rather than an attentive and honest conversation with God.

By not concentrating to be charitable during the conversation at the meal, he had left the door open to let hypocrisy sneak in!

The Season of Advent is a time to look into all such areas of our life…

…which needs a change

… which needs a transformation!

The Gospel of the Day reminds and exhorts us to become aware of this aspect: making a true preparation to realize and receive a God, who wants to be intimately involved in our lives.

The Gospel begins with the mention of a series of names: political and religious leaders, which formed the context of the birth of Christ.

” In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas?” (Lk 3: 1-2)

What do these names of the political and religious figures point to?

1. It shows extent of the religious decay of the Israelites.

>> The Chosen People, who were to have God alone as their King and Ruler, are now ruled by pagan and foreign rulers

>> The Chosen People, who were to have God’s selected persons as Priests and Religious, are now guided by people who had been illegally appointed by the Roman Government

What do we learn?

>> When we fail to listen to God’s commandments and adamantly choose the path of sin, we are bringing upon the wrath of God’s justice on us

>> When we do not give heed to what God wants of us in our lives, we give the governing authority in our lives to Satan and his party, and thus give in to misery and slavery.

2. It also shows that Jesus is not any abstract entity, but One Who was part of our real, historical world

>> The mention of the religious and the political leaders is a clear proof offered by St Luke that Jesus truly, came in flesh and blood, in our history.

>> He is unlike any other godly figure whose historicity can be questioned. He, the God of History, chose to be born, live and be part of our real world – the world we live in.

What do we learn?

>> Jesus, as a historical person means that He can identify with our real problems and difficulties of life. In Him, there is truly Someone who understands us and has experienced what we ourselves undergo in life

>> Jesus, shows that God is not some philosophical abstract or a “creation of the mind” or some utopian idea; rather, Jesus is a God, Who became Emmanuel (= With us, God)

To welcome the birth of this God who wishes to involve in our lives, the messenger, John the Baptist, is sent ahead of Him.

The Gospel says, “John the Baptist went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Lk 3: 3)

He also echoed what Isaiah the prophet had spoken, “Every valley shall be filled and every mount and hill made low” (Lk 3:5 & Is 40: 3-5)

Thus, we see, the message of John the Baptist can be shortly summarised into a short refrain: Repair and Prepare!

This then, ought to be a message that we carry for our lives…

… as we are exhorted to make ready a place for the Birth of the God, Who wants to be intimately involved in our lives – Repairing and Preparing!

>> Repair: the dark areas of our life, where sin and evil reigns…

… and Prepare: a place, where holiness and God’s sanctity can dwell!

>> Repair: the broken relationships which suffer for lack of forgiveness…

… and Prepare: a heart, which accepts the failures of people and gives them more space!

>> Repair: the bad inclinations and addictions, to which we cling on and find it hard to let go…

… and Prepare: a mind, which is focussed on having Jesus alone as the Lord of one’s life!

Yes, the Lord wishes to come to us.. with His comforting presence and His forgiving love.

>> All that He wishes is that, we be ready to receive Him worthily.

He braves much difficulties… He humbles Himself immensely…

>> Are we ready to bow and accept this magnanimous love of the Divine?

As the words of a popular hymn goes, “Great things happen, when God mixes with us?”

… Let us Repair & Prepare our lives, so that “God can mix in our lives” and we can truly experience His Greatness in our lives!

Let us have the courage to overcome and set-right all routines and activities of our life of faith…

… any thoughtless habits that fail to have an attentive and honest conversation with God.

Let this Season of Advent be a time to look into all such areas of our life…

…which needs a change

… which needs a transformation!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A priest went to visit a violent criminal who was condemned to death…

… hoping to prepare his soul to die well.

But the man wouldn’t even talk to him.

The priest pleaded and begged him to get reconciled with God…

… but the man’s heart was highly closed!

Finally, as a last resort, the priest entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary and then said to the criminal, “Before I leave, will you grant me one little favor?”

The man, with an intention to get rid of the bothersome priest, said he would.

“Let us then,” the priest responded, “Say one Hail Mary.”

So, together they began to pray that simple prayer…

… “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with You…”

But they hadn’t even got through the first sentence when the criminal turned pale…

… and his voice started to shake.

The priest to continued the Hail Mary…

… and as he finished tears started to flow from the man’s face, and he fell on his knees at the priest’s feet.

As soon as the prayer was done, the man asked to make confession.

He then confessed his sins with a great sense of repentance!

The words, “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you…”

… had ignited the spark of repentance in him!

Yes, that’s the power of the intercession of Mother Mary!

>> She is the refuge of sinners

Her life of Faithfulness to God’s Grace, is an inspiration to all of us…

… to live an Immaculate and Holy Life!

Today, we celebrate the Solemn Feast of the beginning of the faithful life of the Most Beautiful and Loved Creation of God: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother.

Sin is part of every human life.

St Paul testifies to this fact when he says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23)

By themselves, human beings are incapable of freeing themselves from sin.

Therefore…

… Everyone needs a Saviour

… Everyone needs a Redeemer

But God, in His infinite wisdom had thought of the most excellent way of redeeming humanity.

>> Salvation was to be accomplished not through any magical power

>> Salvation was to be brought about not through some superhuman force

Rather, the salvation of humanity was to be won by a Human Himself – the most perfect Human.

>> This perfect Human deserved and required the most sinless of all wombs for being born

>> This perfect Human demanded and necessitated the most immaculate of all lives to be nurtured

Thus, God in His perfect wisdom, applied the Grace of Redemption and Salvation to the One He had chosen – Mary of Nazareth.

Therefore…

>> Mary is the first recipient of the Redemption of Christ!

>> Mary is the first fruit of the Salvation, won by Christ!

This is the story of the Immaculate Conception of Mother Mary.

The Holy Scripture testifies to this Immaculate nature of our Blessed Mother through the words of Angel Gabriel to Her, “Hail, FULL of Grace!” (Lk 1:28)

Thus, the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother points to Her sinlessness, Her being full of Grace, Her perfection in holiness and Her absolute adherence to the Will of God.

But, hey…

… wait a moment!

>> Are not all these things pointing to Mary simply being somebody “too-special” and almost like she being “supernatural”?

>> Are not all these things telling us that Mary was simply just “not like us” and we can never ever achieve or even aspire to be what She was?

Well… Undoubtedly, Mary lived a life that was “too-special” and a life that was “supernatural” in holiness.

But we need to bring to our mind a very vital aspect…

Though the birth of being sinless, was a gift granted to Her…

… the fact of remaining sinless all through Her life, was Her choice!

Though the birth of being full of grace, was a gift bestowed on Her…

… the fact of remaining always in the Grace of God, was Her choice!

Though the birth of being perfect in holiness, was a gift endowed on Her…

… the fact of remaining holy, was Her choice!

Like any other human person, She too…

… went through the crises of life

… faced humiliation and rejection in life

… had to face the rock of uncertainty and doubts of life

But, it was Her radical choice for God and Her absolute preference to the Will of God, that made Her to remain Immaculate all through Her Life.

“Yes, Lord… Thy Will be done” (Lk 1:38) was a chorus that She sang in all the moments of life!

Today, on this Feast day, this our Blessed Mother invites and exhorts us, also…

… to make a choice for God, always, and lead a sinless life

… to always opt for God alone, at all times, and being immaculate in life

… to unswervingly be faithful to God’s Will, and thus seek to be perfect in life

The challenge is great… the efforts required are radical.

>> But we are not left alone in this “pursuit of holiness” (1 Cor 9:24)

Our Blessed Mamma – the Beautiful Lady in blue and white – grace in holiness and immaculate in love – holds our hands and tells us:

“My Little Child, I am with you!

I love you, and together, we shall walk in this exciting path of Holiness…

… towards My Son and Your Brother…

… towards Our Saviour Jesus!”

Yes, may we give heed to the loving call of our Blessed Mother

>> And be fervent and zealous to lead a holier life, pleasing to God…

… as we pray, “Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with You…!”

Happy Feast of our Immaculate Mamma!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Every person in the world faces a moment of darkness.

>> Some of us get encompassed by it.

>> Some of us get dejected by it.

The Gospel of Day presents the healing of two blind men.

Two blind men, who faced immense darkness, but did not allow to get encompassed or dejected by it.

Let us travel with them through this exciting journey of moving from “Tamas” to “Jyothi”…

These two blind men take us through four stages of a spiritual life:

1. A State of Blindness

The two men are struck with blindness.

There is no idea as to when or how or why they became blind.

>> Maybe they were blind from their birth.

>> Maybe they became blind due to some sickness as they grew up

>> Maybe they became blind as a result of some accident or calamity

The reasons for their blindness is unknown

Maybe many of us are in a state of blindness….

>> Blindness of inferiority complexes…

>> Blindness of inner brokenness…

>> Blindness of family crisis…

>> Blindness of being rejected and not accepted…

Some of us maybe experiencing this darkness from the time of our birth.

>> Some of us maybe experiencing this darkness due to calamities striking our lives as we grew

2. A State of Seeking

A life of blindness meant a life of total dependence on others…

…at times facing the ire of the people…at times facing the rejection of the people.

They could have become dejected and totally depressed.

>> They could have given up in life and cursed their destiny.

The two blind men, did not allow their darkness to cloud their lives.

>> They probably would have heard about Jesus and the wonders He had done.

They sought…

… with hope, the One who could banish their darkness.

… with faith, the One who could heal their gloominess.

Our state of blindness should not become a hindrance to seek the Lord.

>> We need to seek the Lord with our entire being…

>> We need to seek the plan of God and His providential care in our shadows..

>> We need to seek the road ahead with Hope and Faith in His Divine plans…

3. The State of Faith

The two blind, after making a deliberate choice to seek the Lord, express their deep faith in the healing power of the Lord.

The Lord makes a test of their trust and hope in Him.

“Do you believe that I am able to do what you want”. They answered, ” Yes, Sir!” (Mt 9:28)

Our seeking for the Lord, needs to be supplemented greatly with the vitamin of Faith!

>> Delays in our prayer requests, should become an incentive to grow deeper in faith.

>> Addition of more struggles in life, ought to be moments to have more faith in Him

4. The Stage of Proclamation

The Two blind, who were healed by Jesus, now, are filled with tremendous joy and enthusiasm.

Their happiness is so much overflowing, that they go beyond the words of Jesus, and proclaim His wonderful miracle to the peoples.

“But they went out and spread word of Him through all that land” (Mt 9:31)

Once we are touched by the Lord, our happiness would know no bounds.

>> Once we are healed by the Lord, our enthusiasm would get highly contagious.

The two blind men in the Gospel take us through these four stages…

The Stage of Blindness…

The Stage of Seeking…

The Stage of Faith…

The Stage of Proclamation.

Let us be inspired and challenged by them

Let us seek…

… the Lord of Light in our darkness.

… the Lord of healing in our sicknesses.

… the Lord of holiness in our blindness.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A Christian who was converted from Judaism was sharing his testimony.

As he shared his views on various preachers whom he had met during the course of conversion, he made a comment:

“The sermons of some preachers used to be magnificent…

… but their life would be so inconsistent and incompatible to what they spoke from the pulpit!

This would make me think about these preachers in my mind in the following way:

‘When they were at the pulpit, I wished they would never leave it!

>> But when they were out of the pulpit, I wished they would never enter it again!”

That’s why, when I decided to become a Christian, I took a resolution:

‘My Halakah (Jewish term to describe one’s way of “walking”) should always follow my Haggadah (Jewish term to describe ‘the teaching”)!

What about us?

>> “Does our Halakah follow our Haggadah?”

Life judges us, on the basis of how well does our preaching and practicing co-ordinate & complement each other.

>> Life challenges us to bridge the gap between the two essentials of life – one’s talking and one’s walking the talk!

The Gospel of the Day is an invitation to reflect on the words of Jesus:

“Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the Will of My Father, Who is in heaven” (Mt 7:21)

Our Christian Life is often an experience…

… where we find many professing the faith, but failing to practise!

How often does this situation arise in our own lives and situations too…

We pledge ourselves at trendy events, for the cause of the poor…but we fail to help…

>> Many other people remain quite unnoticed…but become forerunners for the cause of the poor!

We make a big show and be popular as a helpful person…but we fail in some genuine needs..

>> Many other people remain quite unnoticed…but are present with their full force to render help!

We make many resolutions on new year days or birthdays…but fail to materialize them…

>> Many other people remain quite unnoticed…but are able to make many amendments and changes!

We make many promises to the Lord during feast days or novena times…but fail to live up…

>> Many other people remain quite unnoticed…but render much love to the Lord through the year!

We all experience this “I will do”…but “I did not do” experiences in life.

>> Am I also part of this category of “Nominal” Christians?

On the personal Faith Level, this trend is seen more distinctly and vividly…

>> People claim themselves to be Catholics…

… but appear in church only on grand feast days!

>> People appreciate the Catholic teaching…

… but support moral laws which go directly against!

>> People assert having dedicated their lives to God…

… but fail to find time for God and prayer!

>> People declare loving God above all…

… but fail to reject pleasures which hurts and pains Him!

>> People profess and make vows to God…

… but neglect to even try to keep up those promises!

But the Lord clearly declares, on Who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven: “he does the Will of my Father“

Therefore, the proposition is clear:

>> It is not pompous words that will grant life, but carrying out the Will of the Father!

>> It is not fancy talk that will confer true happiness, but practising the Will of the Father!

>> It is not flowery language that will accord blessings, but fulfilling the Will of the Father!

How are we to observe the Will of the Father?

St. Paul explains how we should set about trying to do the Father’s will:

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 2:5)

Like Christ…

… when we dare to be merciful and compassionate, we can do the Father’s Will

… when we prioritize other’s interests over selfish ones, we can do the Father’s Will

… when we empty ourselves and became obedient, we can do the Father’s Will

It is not only good news “proclaimed” but good news “practiced”…

… that will win others to the glorious freedom of forgiveness of sins!

Let us examine sincerely in this Season of Advent…

… and wherever needed, amend our lives

May we have the courage to take and practise the resolution:

‘My Halakah (one’s way of “walking”) should always follow my Haggadah (“the teaching”)!

God Bless! Live Jesus!