“Deepening our resolve to live a ‘life of sharing’ so that all our actions may become an expression of the Divine Experience for the other!”
(Based on Song 2:8-14 and Lk 1:39-45– Monday of the 4th Week in Advent, Year B)
There was a little boy, who wanted to meet God.
He guessed that the trip would be very long, so he packed his bag with a lot of chocolates, cookies and his favourite mango juice as well.
He started his journey, and walked for a long time – even in the hot, blazing sun.
Finally, he got tired, and found a park to rest.
In the park, he met an old woman…
… sitting all by herself..
… just staring at some pigeons.
The boy, tired and famished, sat down next to her and opened his bag.
He was about to open his favourite drink, when he noticed that the old woman looked hungry.
So he offered her a cookie.
She gratefully accepted it, and smiled at him.
Her smile was so pretty, that the boy wanted to see it again.
So he offered her the mango juice as well.
Once again, she gratefully accepted it, and smiled at him.
The boy was delighted!
They sat there, the whole afternoon – eating and smiling – without saying a word.
Finally, as it grew dark, the boy realized he was too late, and had to rush back home.
As he got up to leave, and had taken a few steps, he turned…
…ran back and gave the woman a loving hug.
When the boy reached the house, his mother was surprised at the deep joy that the child radiated, and asked the reason for it.
The boy answered, “I had lunch with God!”
Before the mother could say anything, the boy added: “You know what?
She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”
Meanwhile, the old woman also filled with happiness, reached her house, and was asked by her son, on the reason for it.
The old woman answered, “I had lunch with God”
Before the son could say anything, the woman added: “You know what?
He’s much younger that I expected!”
“Sharing” became the wonderful platform, for the two of them, to experience joy, with the essence of Divinity.
Yes, “sharing” is a quality, which is a reflection of the Divine – Who, in Jesus, empties Himself, in “self-giving” and “self-emptying”
The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful recounting of the “joy in sharing” – through the encounter of Mary and Elizabeth.
Mary, after having received the surprising and confounding message from Angel Gabriel, to be the Mother of the Son of God, doesn’t remain captivated or captured in heavenly bliss.
… Instead She sets out, “in haste” to the town of Judah? to the house of Her cousin, Elizabeth (Lk 1:39)
Heaven had revealed to Her the good news of Divine Favour…
… but, Mary doesn’t swell up in pride
Instead, She sets out, in service and humility
Divine Joy and Grace makes Mary to imitate the quality of the Child within Her: To share!
And this act of sharing by Mary, caused Elizabeth, Her cousin, to rejoice and the child, John, to “leap for joy”!
Elizabeth testifies to this fact when she exclaimed in a loud voice, “For at the moment the sound of
Your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy” (Lk 1: 44)
This is an essential dimension of Christian Life: Sharing.
Just as Christ shared…
… by emptying of His glory, and becoming one like us, in all things, except sin
… by being part of human experiences and being a model to live a perfect life
… by taking up pain and suffering to redeem humanity from the clutches of sin
… by giving Himself entirely, with love and deep affection, in the Holy Eucharist
Just as Mother Mary shared…
… by offering Herself in service to her cousin, Elizabeth in her need
… by becoming a model to us, by living a life in total obedience to God’s Will
… by offering Herself to God’s Providence and letting Herself be the Mother of all humanity
We too are invited, exhorted and challenged to live a “Life of Sharing”!
Our Christian lives must…
… cause us to share our resources and abilities in the service of the family and community we are in
… make us to share our time with those in need – especially of encouragement and consolation
… cause us to share our knowledge and experience to bring more people to faith in Christ
… make us to share our little acts of charity and sharing in the redeeming act of Christ
When we share our life with the ones in need…
… we experience joy and satisfactionWhen we share of our self – time, love, material things or anything – to those in want…
… we experience happiness and contentment.
The world today is much thirsty to receive love and extremely hungry to receive care.
Each Christian is expected and invited to imitate Christ and help others to experience Divine Love.
Mother Mary is our model towards this.
She made choices to grow in imitation of Her Son and helped others to experience Divine Joy
As the words of St Teresa of Avila…
“Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world”
May we deepen our resolve to live a “life of sharing”…
… especially as we approach the Nativity of Christ
So that each of our action may become an expression of Divine Experience for the other!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “We shall never experience total joy so long as we are in this mortal life.
… this grace is reserved to the blessed Spirits in heaven
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