Sphygmometer is the device that is used to measure blood pressure.

Blood pressure is the strength of the blood pushing against the sides of the blood vessels.

A increase in BP puts extra strain on the arteries and this may lead to heart attacks or strokes.

The use of Sphygmometers, is on the rise these days…

… with an increased number of people affected with high blood pressure.

One big reason of an increased blood pressure is the rising tension levels and anxiety factors.

·      We engage in works which trigger greater emotions.

·      We let ourselves get affected with situations that cause great panic

·      We react quicker to situations and bring upon unnecessary worries and fears

Such uncontrolled and unrestrained increase in anxieties and troubles can cause a great deal of harm to our health.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the heart-expert, warning us of this danger of increased anxiety levels and troubled moments and instead invites to lead a life of peace.

Jesus says in Jn 14: 27, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid”

The context of this statement of Jesus is the discourse at the Last Supper.

Jesus informs of his imminent going away from the disciples, which made them sad and anxious.

·      They had placed their hopes in Him.

·      They had offered their lives to Him.

But His announcement of departure caused worry and anxiety to the disciples.

But Jesus, who knows their hearts and gauges their emotions assures them, ” Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give it to you” (Jn 14:27)

The disciples entered into an anxiety-mode as their hearts got wearied with what was to come immediately.

But Jesus invites them to go beyond such peripheral worries, and be assured of a peace that comes as a result of trusting in Him, the Lord of all future!

·      When one is imprisoned in the immediate worries of life, one fails to enjoy the true freedom of peace and joy

·      When one is landlocked amidst the borders of impending fears and troubles of life, one is unable to move out to experience real inner tranquillity and serenity

Are we finding ourselves often in situations, when our “hearts are troubled” (Jn 14:27b) and as a result, our BP levels go high?

Then Jesus, the Master Doctor of hearts, needs to be immediately consulted…

·      He would give us the tablet of His peace which would subside our fears

·      He would give us the tonic of His soothing Word which would calm our troubles

Troubles will, without any doubt, always haunt us…

Problems will, for sure, often beset us…

But we need to grow in our understanding that in all this, Jesus, is in perfect control of our lives.

                        

The Sphygmometer levels may show a higher level of BP…

>> But can we allow our Trust levels in the Lord to have a greater increase?

The reading on the Sphygmometer may show a greater count of BP…

>> But can we let the reading on our Faith Meter to show a greater count?

Let Jesus, the Doctor of hearts, take complete charge of our lives

In Him, we shall experience fervent joy.

>> In Him, we shall live with true peace.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.

>> Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever…

… even if your whole world seems upset!”

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God knocks at my door, seeking a home for His son.

“Rent is cheap”, I say.

>> “I don’t want to rent. I want to buy”, says God.

“I’m not sure I want to sell, but you might come in to look around”.

>> “I think I will”, says God

“I might let you have a room or two”.

>> “I like it”, says God, “I’ll take the two. You might decide to give me more some day.

I can wait”, says God

“I’d like to give you more, but it’s a bit difficult. I need some space for me”.

>> “I know”, says God, “but I’ll wait. I like what I see”.

“I’d like to give you the whole house, but I’m not sure”

>> “Think on it”, says God. “I wouldn’t put you out.

Your house would be mine and My Son would live in it.

>> You’d have more space than you’d ever had before”.

“I don’t understand at all”.

“I know”, says God, “but I can’t tell you about that.

>> You’ll have to discover it for yourself.

That can only happen if you let me have the whole house”.

“A bit risky”, I say.

>> “Yes”, says God, “but try me”.

“I’m not sure – I’ll let you know”

>> “I can wait”, says God, “I like what I see”.

– excerpts from a poem titled “Covenant” by Sr Margaret Halaska

It shows the beautiful dialogue between a soul and God, who desires to dwell in the heart of a person..

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus throwing light on this beautiful theme of God wishing to make a home in our hearts: “Those who love me, will keep my word, and My Father will love them and we will come and make our home with them” (Jn 14: 23)

The story of the Bible is a God who longs to dwell with His people.

In the Old Testament, we see the Garden of Eden was a beautiful communion of the first parents with God.

>> The atmosphere was so much homely… so much loving

Sin caused a rupture in this homely bonding between God and human beings.

But the Lord, still longed to dwell with His people…

·      He accompanied the Israelites in their journey through the desert… being with them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

·      He also established His glory among the people of Israel by dwelling in the ark of the covenant.

Every now and then, the people sinned and lost this presence of the Lord

Through the prophets, the Lord would invite the people to come back to His homely presence.

Finally, in the fullness of time, God decided to dwell with humans, when the Eternal Word became flesh..

>> Jn 1: 14, “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us”

To perpetuate His continual presence, Jesus also gave us His Body and Blood, in Real Presence, when He instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper with the culmination of His Sacrifice on the Cross, and His rising from the dead.

This then, is the story of the longing of a God who yearns to dwell with His people.

Jesus re-iterates this constant longing of the Lord, by promising, “Those who love me, will keep my word, and My Father will love them and we will come and make our home with them” (Jn 14: 23)

The Lord wishes to dwell more close to us..

He longs to have a home in our hearts…

>> Do we make the space for Him?

The Lord promises to come and make His home in our hearts, if we love Him and keep His Word.

·      Loving Him requires giving Him the highest priority and precedence in our lives

·      Keeping His Word requires following His teachings and commandments at all times.

·      Loving Him means to constantly long for Him and to have our thoughts centred on Him

·      Keeping His Word means to make decisions and choices based on His Gospel virtues

·      Loving Him means to free our hearts from undue and inordinate attachments

·      Keeping His Word means to go against our personal choices to preserve His Will and plans

The Lord wants a space in our hearts, to dwell in us…

·      Maybe, some rooms of our heart has been rented to many unwanted habits…

·      Maybe, some areas of our lives are occupied by unfit tenants of sin and evil…

·      Maybe, some quarters of our mind are accommodated with unholy and bad thoughts…

God is knocking at our doors, seeking a home for His Son…

We might feel it’s “a bit risky”…

“Yes”, says God, “but try me…

I can wait…

>> I like what I see!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “To live according to the Spirit…

… is to love according to the Spirit!”

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A popular poster/picture that has been seen probably by most of us is “the conversation with Jesus Crucified.”

“I asked Jesus, ‘how much do you love me?'”

He stretched out His Hands on the Cross and said, “This much!”…

… And He died!

On the Cross, the Lord revealed the depth of His Love for each one of us.

This Love that Jesus has for us is the model and ideal for us to imitate.

The Gospel of the Day is the wonderful exhortation of Jesus to His followers with the “Great Commandment of Love”

Jesus says:

“A new commandment I give you, that You love one another, even as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34)

It is interesting to note that what Jesus gives is a COMMANDMENT…

… it was not a suggestion

… it was not a piece of advice

… it was not an ordinary recommendation

It was a Commandment!

>> TO LOVE, is a COMMAND!

Every follower of Christ…

…is expected …

… is bound …

… and is under obligation …

.. TO LOVE… as JESUS LOVED!

We could take a clue on understanding some dimensions of “how to love, the way Jesus loved” , by taking recourse to the 15th Chapter of St John

Jesus speaks of three dimensions of love in this Gospel passage (Jn 15)

1. A Love that is obedient

Jesus says, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (Jn 15: 10)

Jesus remained in the love of the Father, by doing His commandments.

And he enjoins the same principle  of Obedient Love to His disciples too.

>> The one who loves, also obeys…

>> The one who loves, also follows the commands…

Do I have a love that is obedient…?

… happy to undertake the various duties and responsibilities entrusted to me and fulfilling them to the best of my capabilities.

2. A Love that is sacrificial

Jesus says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15: 13)

Jesus showed the depth of His love by undertaking the highest sacrifice of His own life.

And he enjoins the same principle of Sacrificial Love to His disciples too.

>> The one who loves, also offers and foregoes some luxuries and securities…

>> The one who loves, also gives up many of the comforts and personal desires…

Do I have a love that is sacrificial?

… willing to lay down one’s bias and prejudices, dying to one’s evil inclinations, putting to sword one’s bad habits that takes away from God and making adjustments of one’s self-desires to make way for God’s plans in life.

3. A Love that is fruitful

Jesus says, “.. I chose and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain… ” (Jn 15: 16)

Jesus showed the quality of His love by displaying the fruits of compassion, tender mercy, an accommodating heart, gentleness and generosity.

> And he enjoins the same principle  of Fruitful Love to His disciples too.

>> The one who loves, also bears fruits of patience, kindness, self-control and faithfulness…

>> The one who loves, also lives a life that radiates the fruits of joy, generosity and peace…

Do I have a love that is fruitful?

… bearing fruits that witness God’s love by promoting unity and harmony and attracting many to the tender mercy of the Lord by a live of passion and zeal.

The Lord has loved us tremendously… with a love that is obedient, sacrificial and fruitful.

> Each of us is to possess this same treasure of love.

Love binds every brokenness..

>> Love joins every divorced situation…

>> Love unites every ruptured circumstance…

May the Lord enable us to be filled from His fountain of love and share His joy and peace to a world that is broken and seeks for consolation, comfort and calm…

… and thus help us to share in His Dwelling place “where every tear will be wiped away and there will be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain…” (Rev 21: 4)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS)– Calvary is the academy of love!

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Illiteracy is a deep crisis that is affecting our global society.

Illiteracy has many undesirable consequences and results.

While the call and efforts to eradicate illiteracy, has gained momentum over the past few years, from the spiritual realm, we are faced with a similar crisis: Spiritual Illiteracy

Spiritual Illiteracy could be described as…

… the inability to know or understand the promptings and inspirations of the Holy Spirit

… the lack of keenness to know about the Lord, His Teachings and His Mission

… the failure to have any interest to know God and His infinite love and mercy

This spiritual illiteracy is on the increase, and as Christians, we need to trigger a revolution to eradicate this hollowness in experience and knowledge of the Lord.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus revealing the spiritual illiteracy of His apostles, “Have I been with you so long and yet you do not know me…?” (Jn 14:9)

The context of this statement is the Last Supper Discourse that Jesus gives to His chosen disciples.

The disciples had been, probably with Jesus for nearly three years…

· They had seen Him performing a number of miracles

· They had heard Him speak of the glorious Kingdom of God.

· They had experienced Him endowed with the special favour of God

· They had touched Him and received powers and graces for the mission.

Yet, when Jesus speaks to them about the Father, the disciples express their ignorance.

Jesus, therefore, puts forward the question, “Have I been with you so long and yet you do not know me…?” (Jn 14:9)

Our lives can also resemble that of these disciples in being ignorant and unaware about the Lord.

We may remain “illiterate” spiritually, even though we have been admitted for a long time in the school of Jesus.

We may be “illiterate” in knowing…

… the vision of Jesus in building His Kingdom on the earth

… the feelings of the Lord in being passionately zealous to save all people

… the value of the sacrifice that Jesus has offered for us by His passion and death

… the depth of glory that is promised to us as a fruit of the Resurrection, if we follow Him

This spiritual “illiteracy” causes us…

.. to remain unaware of the power and workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives

… to become lethargic and uninterested to know more about the Lord and His Word

… to be lukewarm and indifferent to explore the Lord deeper, especially in His Sacraments.

The call of the Gospel is to rekindle the fire to know the Lord more intimately and closely.

The book of Hosea (Hos 4:6) places a warning if we are to continue in this “illiteracy”:

“My people perish for want of knowledge!

>> Since you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from my priesthood!

>> Since you have ignored the law of your God, I will also ignore your sons”

A revolution is to be triggered so that “spiritual illiteracy” can be wiped away!

This is also a wonderful opportunity for us to examine the possible means of “knowing” the Lord and the many opportunities that we squander away in “knowing” Him deeper…

…Do I set apart, sometime at least, daily, reading the Bible – His Holy Word?

… Do I spend time, without any fail, in quiet prayerful moments with the Lord?

… Do I maximize my possibilities of meeting the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament?

… Do I pick up opportunities to listen to His Spirit in the various situations of my life?

… Do I ignite the sparks of desire to participate in the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and Confession?

Jesus desires that we know Him more…

… not just ‘about’ Him

… not just intellectual knowledge

… not just His teachings or wisdom

… But Him!

He wants all to have an “experiential” and a “living” experience of Him!

Let us “learn Jesus” more and more, faithfully attending His School of Love and doing away with the “spiritual illiteracy” in our lives!

>> LEARN JESUS to LIVE JESUS to GIVE JESUS!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “How happy are we to be slaves of God, who made Himself a slave for us!”

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Most of us would have experienced the “falling asleep” or “numbness” of arms, legs and feet, especially while sitting cross-legged (usually while sitting on the floor).

Right?

Technically known as “peripheral neuropathy” or “paresthesia”, this syndrome is caused by the compression of specific nerves.

When one sits cross-legged, sleep with arm above the head, or position any limb in such a way to put excess pressure on a nerve, that nerve will stop sending impulses normally.

If the pressure is great, or the duration long, the nerve will eventually stop sending impulses altogether.

>> That particular area will essentially then “fall asleep” or feel “numb”.

Once the pressure is relieved, the nerve starts functioning normally again and one is able to move the limb.

>> It may, however, take some time to work properly and one may feel some tingling, “pins and needles”, during the process.

Spiritually speaking, it is very much possible that one experiences such “falling asleep” or a “numbness” in one’s conscience.

>> This is Spiritual Paresthesia!

This “lack of sensation” can cause one to be “life-less” and “feeling-less” to…

… constant occurrences of sin and evil doings

… frequent aberrations in moral and ethical life

… even constant spiritual reminders that the Lord gives us

The Gospel of the Day presents a case of “Spiritual Paresthesia”, which could perhaps, be a reality in our lives as well…

Jesus, in the Gospel of the day, declares Himself as “The Way, The Truth and The Life” (Jn 14:6)

>> This reply of the Lord came in response to the query of Thomas, the Apostle who asked Jesus, “Lord, we do not know, where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)

Thomas, along with the other disciples, had by now, spent quite a lot of time with Jesus, their Master….

>> They had encountered Jesus as The Way….

… the Way Forward: when sicknesses and problems of life had crippled the lives of many

>> They had encountered Jesus as The Truth….

… the Truth Uncompromised: when lies and malicious forces sought to thwart the plans of the Kingdom of God

>> They had encountered Jesus as the Life….

… the Life in Abundance: when hopelessness and sin would cause people to give up any aspirations for life

Yet, the disciples failed to recognize these aspects in Jesus.

They were perhaps, in a state of “spiritual paresthesia”…

… being numb to understanding Jesus

… unable to sense the words and depths of the Words of Jesus.

And so when Thomas put forward the doubt: “Lord, we do not know, where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)…

… Jesus emphatically declared, “I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE!” (Jn 14: 6)

The Lord wanted the disciples to overcome their “spiritual paresthesia”…

…and come to be aware of the Reality and Greatness of His Presence in their life!

Perhaps, we too often find ourselves in a state of “spiritual paresthesia” or “spiritual numbness”!

One of the main factors, which can cause this state of “spiritual numbness”, is the reality of sin in our lives…

… which many times, we either deny or fail to acknowledge.

In the teachings of Jesus, one of the stand-out factor was His uncompromising attitude with respect to sin.

And perhaps, this is where Jesus as a Holy Person stands out incomparable with all other great spiritual or philosophical leaders of the world.

>> This is also where Christianity as a religion stands out unmatched with any other belief system or practice of spirituality.

For Jesus and in Christianity…

… there is an uncompromising teaching on the need to root out sin and evil offences

… there is an absolutely unparalleled insistence on removal of sin for spiritual progress

… there is an unsurpassed assertion on being holy and pure to be in communion with Him

We need to make an honest examination of our conscience…

Is our life suffering from a “spiritual Paresthesia” or “numbness to what is holy” or a “lack of sensation to sin”…

… Do I continue to pursue, persevere or promote deeds of sin, even though I am aware of it, or has been brought to my notice?

… Do I fail to be sensitive to issues of immense sin and evil happening in and around me, in people and situations, and instead become indifferent and uninterested?

A persistence in this spiritual “Paresthesia” or numbness can very dangerously sever our relation with the Lord.

The Lord proclaims that “In My Father’s house, there are many rooms…” (Jn 14: 2)

He wishes and desires, that all of us….

… should dwell with Him!

… should enjoy eternal life in Him!

… should reach the heights of holiness!

But this also requires our genuine co-operation to the Grace of the Lord…

… by seeking to get over our spiritual Paresthesia or numbness…

This process of getting out of this spiritual “Paresthesia” will involve feeling some “tingling pins and needles” of reparation, penance and atonement.

Let us be willing to…

… let go a life of sin

… embrace the words of the Lord

… and live it joyfully and fervently in our life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “True devotion advances boldly, with­out stopping to worry about details!”

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An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high ranking diplomat who represents a state.

>> He/she is usually accredited to another sovereign state, or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sovereign.

The ambassadors have some general functions…

>> Diplomatic:

Conducting negotiations with the host government, representing their state in meetings and delivering messages on behalf of their own government, receiving messages the host government for relay back to their own; being the spokesperson for their government etc.

>> Ceremonial:

Representing their government at public events in that host country and being the most visible symbol of their own country

>> Administrative:

Overseeing the operations at the embassy and of other diplomats and staff.

This word “ambassador” is also often used more liberally for persons who are known, without national appointment, to represent certain professions, activities and fields of endeavour.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the “Ambassador” of His Heavenly Father, and who in turn, invites each of us to be His Ambassador and of His Kingdom in our world.

Jesus says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send, receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives the One who sent Me” (Jn 13:20)

Jesus came into this world to reveal the love and mercy of God.

>> He is the Love made flesh and the Mercy incarnate.

While on earth, Jesus sought to be the perfect Representative of God, His Almighty and Beloved Father.

Finding deep communion in long hours of prayer, Jesus would emphatically give witness to His Father, by His mighty deeds of power, spectacular wonders of healing and His heart-touching words of eternal life.

This mission of being the Ambassador of the Father, was however, not without its shares of pain for Jesus…

… He had the face the pain of being rejected by His own people

… He had to bear the agony of being betrayed by His own chosen one

… He had to face the humiliation of the worst form of execution known those days

Yet, none of this could deter the Lord from choosing to be the “Ambassador” for the Kingdom of Heaven.

He today invites each one of us to be an “Ambassador” for Him and His Kingdom.

Like an ambassador of the state or a country, perhaps we too have certain functions and roles as being the privileged “Ambassador for Christ”…

>> Diplomatic:

In the sense of not being compromising, but a function that makes us to be convinced and passionate in preaching the message of the Lord and His Kingdom to others.

Nothing should bring us low or falter us from standing firm in proclaiming His Word and standing for His Gospel virtues.

>> Ceremonial:

In the sense of not being show-off or parading mere externally, rather a duty that requires of us to make our very lives and every action a witness of the Love and Mercy of God.

~~ Our very words should reflect the goodness of the Lord

~~ Our very actions should radiate the gentleness and holiness of the Lord

~~ Our very life should mirror the self-sacrificing and altruistic nature of the Lord.

Administrative

In the sense of not being power-hungry or position-seekers, rather, with a servant-like attitude, seeking the good and upliftment of others.

As a representative of Christ, we must also feel the obligation within us to bring others to the faith in Jesus and make His message of love and holiness to spread to all.

The spiritual growth of the other ought to become a genuine concern for me!

St Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians echoes this call and invite of the Lord, to be His Ambassadors…

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Cor 5:18-20).

May we be firm and joyful in being an “Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom”!

God bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Let us always belong to God, unreservedly and without interruption.

>> May He ever live and reign in our hearts.”

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“I keep six honest serving-men…

They taught me all I knew;

Their names are What and Why and When, and How and Where and Who”

– Words of the author, Rudyard Kipling who is famous for his book, “The Jungle Book”

This concept of 5W’s and 1H – What, Why, When, Where, Who and How – is extensively used in journalism, especially while writing a factual news story.

It is said that one of the classical methods in writing the opening paragraph of a news story should contain answers to, as far as possible, all these 5W’s and 1H.

The Gospel of the Day presents St John presenting a ‘Recapitulation Passage’ on Jesus.

This passage gives a neat answer in tune with the concept of 5W’s and 1H…

• WHO Jesus is?

• WHAT did Jesus do?

• WHY did Jesus come?

• WHERE did Jesus come?

• WHEN did Jesus come to be?

• HOW did Jesus come?

1. Who Jesus is?

St John presents Jesus as ‘the Saviour of the World’: “… for I do not come to condemn the world, but to save the world” (Jn 12: 47b)

Jesus is not the one who condemns or denounces or reviles a person…

Instead He is the One who saves, the One who redeems and the One who atones.

• Have I accepted Jesus as the Saviour of my life…

… or is He just some great teacher or just a wonderful philosopher or even just a great Man?

• Do I grow in my conviction that the “WHO” of Jesus primarily consists in Him wanting to save me from my sin, and wanting me to lead a holy and sanctified life, so that I can belong to Him completely?

2. What did Jesus do?

St John presents Jesus as ‘speaking the Word of Life’: ”Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge Him; the word that I spoke, will condemn him… “(Jn 12: 48)

Jesus, the Eternal Word, spoke His words which guarantees life, and life in abundance (Jn 10:10b)

That is why St Peter confessed to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6: 68)

• Am I keen in listening to the words of Jesus, that He speaks to me,especially through His Holy Word in the Bible?

• Do I seek to live and base my life on these Words and teachings that the Lord speaks to me?

3. Why did Jesus come?

St John presents Jesus coming ‘to lead from the darkness of death to the light of eternal life’: “I came… so that everyone who believes in me, might not remain in darkness; … His commandment is eternal life” (Jn12: 46, 50)

The Lord, who is the light of the World, came to the world so that all may share in His Life, His Eternal Life.

• Am I fixated in the mundane pleasures and transitory luxuries of the world, and giving no heed to the spiritual side of my life?

• Do I orient my life towards to the higher aspects of life, gazing heavenward, and preparing my spiritual life to be worthy of eternal life?

4. Where did Jesus come?

St John presents Jesus as ‘coming to this world’: “.. I come into the world…” (Jn 12: 46)

This is a significant lesson that we are taught: that Jesus came into this world.

He came to sanctify and redeem our world.

In Incarnation, Jesus descends to our world… sinful, corrupt and prone to evil tendencies.

He does not abandon this world…

He does not give up on any of us…

He does not forsake us in our misery…

• Do I make space for Jesus to enter into my world, even if I am aware that I am sinful or prone to bad habits or constantly falling into failures?

• Am I willing to accept the transformations that will be demanded of me, when Jesus descends into the realms of my life, and exhorts me to be walking with Him on His way of the Cross?

5. When did Jesus come to be?

St John presents Jesus as ‘existing with the Father, from eternity’: “… and whoever sees Me, sees the One who sent ME; .. I say as the Father told Me” (Jn 12: 45, 50b)

Jesus, the Son, is the visible image of God, the Father.

With the Father, He has existed from all ages, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

He is the Lord who is unchanging.

He is the Lord who is all-knowing and all-loving.

He is the Lord who has the complete control over my life.

• Do I possess the faith to be firm in my trust in the Holy Providence, knowing the Jesus knows everything, especially in my moments of hardships and trials?

• Am I reflecting the image of God in my life, just as Jesus reflected the image of His Heavenly Father, knowing that this is possibly only by being in close union with the Lord, in devotion and discipleship?

6. How did Jesus come?

St John presents Jesus as ‘coming as the light to the world’: ” I come into the world as light… ” (Jn 12: 46)

Jesus came to the darkness of our world, by being the Light.

All His teachings radiate with truth

All His deeds shine with holiness

• Do I be firm in my principles and values to hold on to the teachings and commandments that the Lord, lovingly invites me to live?

• Am I courageous to be the shining light even when many forces of darkness around me, try to put off this holy radiance of the Lord?

Let us seek to live a life that is intimately more connected to the Lord…

… so that these 5W’s and 1H of the Life of Christ may have a deeper and a transformative effect in our lives!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Have Jesus always for your patron, His Cross for a mast on which you must spread your resolutions as a sail. Your anchor shall be a profound confidence in Him, and you shall sail prosperously.”

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There goes a legend in the early Church…

The pagans, once forced a holy person to drink a portion of poison, as part of persecutions against the faithful.

>> This holy person had been imprisoned.

He drank it, and not only did he himself remain unharmed, but he also healed others who had been blinded by the potion.

When he left the prison, the pagans searched for him in vain, for he had become invisible to them.

The holy person was St Mathias.

Today is the Feast of this Apostle, St Mathias.

>> He is the Apostle, chosen by lot, to go ?into the place of the traitor Judas,?.

The Acts of the Apostles describes:” that he may take his place in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell.” ( Acts 1:25)

St Mathias had one of the most unique privileges as well as one of the most awkward moments.

He had the unique privilege of being counted the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.

>> He had the unique awkward moment of taking the position left blank by Judas, the betrayer.

It is usually hard to fill up empty spaces of vacancies and opportunities.

>> And it indeed gets too hard to fill up the vacancy of being counted among the exclusive Twelve Apostles.

This task gets too complicated especially if the vacancy was created as a shameful result of “betrayal” and “treachery”

St Mathias had to fill in the gap left by the “traitor” Judas Iscariot.

>> Yet, Divine Providence had it that St Mathias should replace Judas, to be “counted as one among the Twelve”.

Life sometimes is such…

>> We are asked to take up tasks that may seem highly uncomfortable

>> We are invited to draw up duties which may seem highly insulting

Are we willing to accept them, seeing God’s providential hand in them?

>> Are we ready to undertake them, knowing God’s Will is at work in that?

St Matthias stands in the place of the traitor Judas

>>But not as another traitor…

… but as one who knows the treachery of human hearts and the need for Heavenly Grace.

The Feast of St Mathias is a reminder of this naked and frightening, yet remarkable and bold truth:

>> There is a possibility of being a traitor in all of us… like Judas

>> But there is also the glorious chance of being His faithful apostle…like St Mathias.

>> There are elements of betraying God, within each of us… like Judas

>> But there are also graces of being passionately committed to the Lord… like St Mathias.

May St Mathias intercede and inspire us…

… to be docile to accept God’s strange Will working in our lives

… to be bold to take up the challenge of filling up gaps caused by betrayal and uneasiness

… to be aware of God’s mighty Providence guiding every action of the Church and the world

Happy Feast of St Mathias, the Apostle

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “We must pray for that holy resignation so that God can shape our hearts…

… into a fitting place for Him to dwell and reign in eternity!”

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Heard of the “bystander” effect?

Well… the ‘bystander effect’ is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases, in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim, when other people are present.

This phenomenon is also called as ‘bystander apathy’.

According to the “bystander effect”, the probability of ‘help’ is inversely related to the number of bystanders (onlookers).

i.e. the greater the number of bystanders, the lesser will be the possibility of help that is offered.

The lesser the number of bystanders, the greater will be the possibility of help that is offered.

Such examples are commonly seen in our society…

·      If someone has an accident on the road and many people gather around, chances are that hardly anyone would take a step in assisting the injured person..

·      A cruel trend increasing these days is that when another is undergoing some mishap or disaster, there are many more people taking “selfies” or clicking pictures or busy uploading such “breaking” news on social networking sites, but totally unmoved to help the person in need…

Unfortunately, this “bystander effect” or “bystander apathy” has also dangerously encroached our spiritual lives…

An attitude of being “uncaring” and being concerned only of one’s selfish needs

An attitude of being “lethargic” and wanting to be free from taking up responsibilities

This has led to…

… “careless” tendencies in caring for our spiritual lives

… “irresponsible” avoiding of duties in taking care of others.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who confronts this “bystander effect” in our lives.

He exhorts…

… to get involved in the lives of peoples and make a difference to them

… to be conscious of our own spiritual life and be zealous about it

Jesus speaks of being the Good Shepherd, who is close and intimate to the sheep.

>> It is this intimacy and closeness, that makes Him personally and affectionately concerned of His sheep.

The Lord also speaks of others, who are least interested in the welfare and safety of the sheep.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and robber” (Jn 10: 1) 

The difference in the attitude of the Good Shepherd and the thieves and robbers is this:

·      The Good Shepherd has a deep intimacy with the sheep… the others have no relationship!

·      The Good Shepherd is fully interested in the welfare of the sheep… the others only care for their personal agenda and benefits!

·      The Good Shepherd will undertake any sacrifice, even of His life for the sheep… the others will escape and run away from assuming any difficulties or hardships!

All of us in our lives are entrusted with “sheep” and we are to be shepherds to them…

>> This “sheep” could be anybody, based on our status and position in life.

They could be…

… parishioners, lay faithful

… students, work-colleagues, friends

… family members, spouses, children

… the needy, the wanting, those in distress

… our own selves

The question is:

In all such situations, of we being a “Shepherd”, am I afflicted with a “bystander effect” or a “bystander apathy” and fail to reach out to “our sheep”?

It is the Lord who has entrusted us with the “sheep” and He expects us to be good and faithful shepherds.

The responsibility is great… the duty is immense on us.

>> But do we get lethargic and indifferent, and fail in our duty to be a true shepherd?

Jesus, the Great Good Shepherd, is our model and example…

… Let us grow in intimacy of our “sheep”

… Let us become more concerned of the welfare of our “sheep”

… Let us be willing to take up any sacrifice for the good of our “sheep”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections”

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‘Speech recognition technology’ is a technology that has been on for a few years and has been gaining immense use in recent times.

This technology recognizes spoken words and converts them to digitally identifiable signals or waves.

Such a technique is in wide use in various gadgets and instruments…

>> To initiate phone calls, select radio stations or play music from a compatible smartphones, MP3 player or music-loaded flash drive.

>> In fighter aircrafts, in setting radio frequencies, commanding an autopilot system, setting steer-point coordinates and controlling flight display.

>> Students who are blind or have very low vision can benefit by using to convey words and then hear the computer recite them, as well as use a computer by commanding with their voice.

>> Speech recognizers are also used in video games in order to input various commands and control access

This technique taps on the logic of recognizing the “sound” or the “speech”

Spiritually considering, such a “speech recognizing technique” is vital in forging a close and intimate relationship with the Lord.

The better our “technique” in recognizing the voice of the Lord, the closer will be our relationship…

The Gospel of the Day presents this aspect of “listening” to the voice of the Lord: “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow Me” (Jn 10:27)

Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd.

One amazing quality of sheep is that they have the ability to internalise the voice of their shepherd, their master.

The sheep in the Middle East, were generally reared for their wool, rather than the meat.

>> This meant that the sheep would be with the Shepherd for quite some time.

A bond of relationship would develop between them.

>> The shepherd would seek to care affectionately…

… the sheep, in turn, would seek to obey its master

>> The shepherd would lay down his comforts to safeguard…

…  the sheep, in turn, would look to follow its guide

The shepherd would have a particular speech or voice, that will help to call out a particular sheep…

>> This sheep would, gradually, ‘internalise’ this sound or name and will respond to this call of its loving shepherd!

This is the illustration that Jesus uses to point out that His “sheep will follow Him, because they will recognize His voice” (Jn 10:4)

But we live in a world, where there are often many other “noises” which prevent us from hearing the Voice of the Good Shepherd.

Are we aware of these “noises”?

>> The “noise” of sin which prevents us from hearing the sweet, gentle voice of the Spirit within us…

>> The “noise” of worldliness that causes us to be attracted to the pleasures of comforts and avoid the whispers to holiness and sanctity…

>> The “noise” of discouragements and lukewarmness that makes us to be apathetic and indifferent to the needs and service of others and of God…

>> The “noise” of obstinacy and hard-heartedness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit which are transmitted through the Scriptures, the Church Teachings and the inspirations of people and situations of life.

All such noises affect the “speech-recognising” ability in us to hear clearly and distinctly the Voice of the Lord.

We need an upgrading of our “speech-recognizing” system…

>> We need a servicing of our “speech-recognizing” mechanism…

The Great Shepherd is waiting for us to be heard…

>> He is gently talking to us… He is softly whispering to us…

Let us do away with any “noises” that affect the “speech-recognizing technology” of our spiritual lives…

… and hear our Great Shepherd telling us:

” I know you… you are to follow Me.

I will give you eternal life; you shall never perish.

>> And no one shall snatch you out of My Hand!” (Cf. Jn 10: 27-29)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Retire at various times into the solitude of your own heart…

… even while outwardly engaged in discussions or transactions with others, and talk to God.”

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