“May our gestures of teaching about ‘The Word, Jesus,’ inspired by St John the Baptist, reinforce hope and courage to those dying – in sin, in affliction, in depression, in loneliness!”

(Based on the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist – Wednesday of the 12th Week of Ordinary Time)

There was a school system in a large city that had a program, to help children keep up with their school assignments…
… during the time when the children were admitted for sicknesses.

One day a teacher who was assigned to this program, received a call asking her to visit a particular child.

She took the child’s name and room number and had a short talk with the child’s regular class teacher.
“We’re studying about words in his class now – nouns and adverbs,” the class teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”

The hospital-program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon.

The boy had met with a bad accident, been badly burnt and was in great pain.

Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.”

When she left after teaching, she felt she hadn’t accomplished much.

But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?”

The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize.
“No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, you met him, his whole attitude has changed.
He’s fighting back, responding to treatment…

It’s as though he’s decided to live!”

Two weeks later, the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived.

Everything changed when he came to a simple realization which he expressed it this way:
“They wouldn’t send a teacher to teach about words, and work on ‘nouns and adverbs’ with a dying boy, would they?”

The gesture of teaching about “words” reinforced hope and courage to that dying boy!

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear.

If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today!

The Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist comes with this great message of “hope”!

The Gospel presents the beautiful incident of the birth and naming of St John the Baptist.

The birth of John the Baptist is the pivot around which the history of our faith turns.

He was the last prophet of the Old Covenant – and the first of the New Covenant.

One of the highlighting aspects of the birth of John the Baptist is the message that “hope is not to be lost, even in the midst of extreme barrenness!”

The Gospel of St Luke says that “Elizabeth and Zechariah, both were advanced in years”, but they had no child; Elizabeth was barren” (Lk 1: 7)

Elizabeth’s barrenness was also symbolic of the barrenness of the land, of the world and of the entire humanity…

Wickedness had caused creation to be incapable of nurturing and sustaining life
Sin had rendered human beings infertile, to bear God’s grace and live in holiness

But God…
… is the God of hope
… the God of fulfilling every promise
… and the God of surprises!

From the barrenness of Elizabeth emerged the forerunner of the One who is Life!
From the barrenness of the world, God gave rise to the Fountain of hope and trust!

The entire life of St John – through the key events – is a spectacular reminder of this great virtue of “hope”…

A. The conception of John
Even when there is barrenness all around, we need to “hope” in God who is able to work miracles and give us life and joy!

B. The naming of John
Even when there are many worldly voices that seek to distract us from the ways that God wishes for us, we need to “hope” in God and follow whatever He wills, so as to find glory and joy in Him!

C. The life of John in the desert
Even when life takes us through the deserts of emptiness, dangers, hardships and misery, we need to “hope” in God who has a definite plan and purpose for our life!

D. The beheading of John
Even when we become victims of cruelty, exploitation, wickedness and inhumanness, we need to “hope” in God by living a life of truth, courage, convictions and valour!

The Church celebrates the Nativity of only three persons, in her liturgical calendar…

1. Jesus -“Hope” Himself
2. Mother Mary – the Mother of “Hope”
3. John the Baptist – the symbol of “Hope”

May our lives become truly rooted in “hope” and become beacons of spreading this “hope and trust” to others.

There are many who are sick in our world.
There are many who are burnt by the fires of afflictions and at the point of death
There are many who have lost all faith in life and give themselves up to despair and dejection.

Our gestures of teaching about “The Word – Jesus” can reinforce hope and courage to those dying – in sin, in affliction, in depression, in loneliness.

Wish you a Happy Feast of the Nativity of the “symbol of Hope” – St John the Baptist.

May Jesus our “Hope” and Blessed Mamma, our “Mother of Hope” strengthen us!

God bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – Put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations, and say continually:
“The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him and I am helped.

He is not only with me but in me, and I in Him.”

REFLECTION CAPSULE FOR THE DAY – June 23, 2020: Tuesday

“’Dieting’ ourselves into being ‘fit and fine’ to enter through the narrow gate!”

(Based on 2 Kings 19:9-36 and Mt 7:6-14 –Tuesday of the 12th Week of Ordinary Time)

Like dieting?

Here are some “interesting” and “humorous” diet tips (try them at your own risk!)…

• If no one sees you eating what you like, it has no calories

• If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, they will cancel each other out.

• Food taken for medicinal purposes does not count. This would include buttered toast, cheese sandwich, chocolate jam…

• Snacks consumed during a movie do not count as they are part of the entertainment.

• Late-night snacks have no calories.

Dieting, over the last few years, has grown to be a fashionable trend.

Many try to look slim and fit
Many are more health-conscious.
Many want to shed off any extra kilos

But when it comes to a spiritual realm, perhaps all of us need to do a “spiritual dieting”!
• A dieting to shed off the extra “fat” of sin and evil inclinations
• A dieting to reduce the overweight of “unholy” thoughts and “impure” feelings
• A dieting to burn away the bulging flab of “uncharitable” deeds and “critical” speech

This “dieting” is a necessity to be “slim” and “fit” and “fine” in order to enter through the narrow gate that Jesus proposes in today’s Gospel.

Jesus says in the Gospel today, “Enter by the narrow gate… for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Mt 7: 13-14)

The Sermon on the Mount continues with Jesus presenting the wonderful message of the Kingdom of God and its radical requirements.

One of the key aspects in the Sermon on the Mount is the demand made on the part of the disciple to “make a choice”
• One has to radically “make a choice” for the Kingdom of God.
• One has to stay committed to this “choice” that is taken and live it to the fullness.

It is this “choice” that will determine whether our entry to eternity…
… eternal condemnation – is through the “wide gate” or
… eternal life – is through the “narrow gate”.

Jesus says that it is easy to pass through the wide gate…
• All those who choose not to live in accordance to the Gospel values
• All those who are content to make life “merry” and just “live life to the max”
• All those who fail to respond to God’s Grace and deny having a life in Him
But this will lead to doom and condemnation!

To pass through the narrow gate is hard…
• All those who make a choice to live according to the teachings of the Lord
• All those who boldly seek to proclaim the Kingdom by their faithful and holy lives
• All those who constantly hold on to the Lord despite hardships and difficulties in life
But this will lead to joy and eternal life!

We read in the Old Testament of the example of King Hezekiah who humbled himself before the Lord and sought the ways of the Lord. He prayed:
“So now, O Lord our God, save us, I beseech thee, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou, O Lord, art God alone!” (2Kings 19:19)

The choice for the Lord and His Kingdom requires us to shed away unnecessary “fat and flab”…
… and ‘diet’ ourselves into being “fit and fine” to enter through the narrow gate.

Are we all set to enter into this mode of “spiritual dieting?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Take care of your health…

… that it may serve you to serve God!”

“Seeking to purify our lives, rather than indulging in mud-slinging on others by judging others!”

(Based on 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18 and Mt 7:1-5 – Monday of the 12th Week of Ordinary Time)

Blessed Mother Mary.
Zechariah and Elizabeth.
Bartimaeus.
Martha.
Mary Magdalene.
Levi.
Peter.
Thomas.
Zachaeus.
Man crippled for 38 years.
The Samaritan Woman.
The woman caught in adultery.
The widow who offered the two mites.
Malchus.
The thief alongside Jesus on the cross…

Relax…

This is not a reference list of all the main persons of the New Testament for some research purpose or study.

But for a moment, let’s look at the lives of these persons….

All of them had to face some sort of trouble in their lives…some hitches and dilemmas, were a part of all their lives.

Now, if each of them, were to be placed on trial, as in a court, and judged according to our standards and our human yardsticks….
… Perhaps, most of them would be been condemned and convicted.

Some of them would have been humiliated in public…
… some abused with insults and foul language
… some perhaps would be stoned or even put to death!

This is Human Judgment.

But in the Light of God’s mercy and by God’s way of judging…
… we know the story of all their lives!

Human Beings are least equipped to judge, but their judgments are miserable & condemnable

God is fully equipped to judge, but His judgment is praiseworthy & encouraging!

That’s the difference in Judgment between Human Beings and God!

In the Gospel of the Day, Jesus says, “Do not judge!” (Mt 7:1)

We need to clarify what does the word JUDGE mean…

Jury makes judgments.
Schools make judgments on students.
Companies make judgments on candidates in an interview or in cases of promotion/demotion.

All these may not constitute the judgment that Jesus means.

Judging, in the sense of Jesus, is condemning!

It is to have a negative and pessimistic attitude to human beings and condemning and rejecting them outright and absolutely!!

We could consider “Judge not” from three aspects:

1. We are unworthy to pass a final judgment on any person or situation:

We need to let God be God and as human beings, we need to know our limitations.

2. We are not to judge the motives of other people:

Human beings see only the external…
… God sees the heart of the person!

3. We are not to be petty faultfinders:

We need to cease having a “microscopic vision”, in order to scan and scrutinize the faults and weaknesses of others.

In the light of today’s Gospel, we need to examine certain aspects of our life…
Do I…
… maximize the sins and faults of others and minimize mine?
… come to quick, hasty and negative conclusions?
… pass critical stories to other?
… have a strong bias to find others guilty?
… be too harsh even when speaking the truth?
… dilute an unkind remark by saying, “I was only joking.”
… say something critical and then trying to cover it up?

Even after this examination, if there is a tendency to judge, then there is one person we can be critical of…
… Yes, Our Own Selves!

Yes, let us be judging our actions, our behaviours, our thoughts…
…. and seek to purify our lives, rather than indulging in mud-slinging on others!

The Lord constantly reminds us: “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” (2 Kings 17:13)

It’s high time we give up the “vulture-culture”!

Vultures, as we know, are birds, which fly across landscapes and terrains, and with their sharp eyes, swoop down on rotting, dead flesh…
… any flesh that is decayed, becomes a great feast for them!

The “vulture-culture” is very much in our society too…

We tend to relish on the decay, the weaknesses, the faults, the miseries and dark areas of others’ lives!

Am I, in anyway, contributing to this foul-practice??

Yes, let’s stop being Vultures!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Support and excuse your neighbor with great generosity of heart!”

“Being convinced of the Lord’s Mighty Presence in our lives and of our preciousness to Him, let us allow all our “fears” to propel and boost our Christian Missionary lives!”

(Based on Jer 20:10-13, Rom 5: 12-15 and Mt 10:26-33 – 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time)

Five-year old Jack was in the kitchen as his mother made supper.

She asked him to go into the store-room (the place where much of the provisions were stored) and get her a can of tomato soup.

But li’l Jack didn’t want to go in alone there and cried:
“It’s dark in there and I’m scared, Mamma”

She asked again, and he persisted in his refusal.

Finally she said, “Jack, look… there is nothing to fear in going to that store-room. Jesus will be in there, with you…”

The constant request and this assurance made Jack to walk hesitantly to the door and slowly open it.

He peeked inside, saw it was dark, got all frightened and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: “Jesus, if you’re in there, would you, please, hand me that can of tomato soup?!”

Well, this little anecdote highlights a common trend that is evident in many of our lives:

Fear takes an upper hand in many of our activities and renders us fragile…
Fear has a strong grip over our minds and hearts in many situations and makes us weak…

The Gospel of the Day is a clarion call by the Lord to ward off anxiety-causing fears and instead to be courageous in our life as a Christian.

Our Blessed Lord gives His instructions to His Apostles as they are being commissioned for the mission journey.

Today He touches upon one of the core emotions that can affect the Disciples in their mission endeavour: the emotion of Fear.

Jesus says, “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt 10:30)

Jesus seeks to cast off fear from His followers by showing them the preciousness and value of their lives… and how much of importance they are to Him.

For this, he presents the example of a sparrow.

Though quite strange, Jesus probably had a very pertinent reason for this choice of the common sparrow.

During the time of Jesus (unlike in many of our modern developed cities), sparrows were so common that they were practically worthless.

Two sparrows were sold for a ‘cent’

The word “cent” is the Greek word ‘assarion’.

An assarion was worth only 1/16 of a denarius.

One denarius was the day’s wage for a rural worker.

So, by simple math, a single sparrow was worth only 1/32 of a day’s wage of a rural worker.

Another aspect to be noted is…

In Mt, Jesus says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent?” (Mt 10: 29)
In Lk, Jesus says, “Are not five sparrows sold for a two cents?” (Lk 12: 6)

If two sparrows could be purchased for a cent, then a person should get only four sparrows for two cents.

Then why the ‘fifth’ sparrow?

Probably the fifth sparrow must have been an incentive offered by merchants to get people to buy more sparrows.

The fifth sparrow was given, just merely to sweeten the deal!

Our Blessed Lord used this practice of buy-four-get-one-free sparrows to illustrate how much God values life.

He emphasizes that said that not even one sparrow is forgotten before God.

Even a nearly worthless free sparrow is not overlooked by God.
He takes immense interest even in an unappreciated bird!

Therefore, Jesus says, “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt 10:30)

When we have a firm conviction of how precious we are to the Lord – Who is All-Powerful and All-Mighty – our every fear will be banished away!
When we grow in our awareness that I am really very much worth to God – who is All-Knowing and All-Good – our every apprehension will be relaxed!

Prophet Jeremiah – who had to undergone great persecutions – remained staunch and firm by his trust in the Lord and echoed: “But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me!” (Jer 20:11)

We are invited to grow in the Grace that Jesus has won for us, by His Death on the Cross – and by this Grace, to overcome all our fears of life, knowing that God is in total charge of my life…
… “For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many!”(Rom 5:15)

Fear is one of the core emotions that can affect our life as a Christian:

Fear takes an upper hand in many of our activities and renders us fragile…
Fear has a strong grip over our minds and hearts in many situations and makes us weak…

But the deeper we are convinced that I am precious and prized to the Lord, the lesser will be our fears!

“What need I fear, when thou art near, O King of night and day” is a refrain from a Christian hymn!

Yes…

Fear can either prevent or propel
… Prevent from moving forward, being afraid of what will happen
… Propel to have a stronger determination and rouse the enthusiasm levels

Fear can either be a barrier or a boost:
… Barrier that does not allow any initiative to be taken or any thought-process to progress
… Boost that accelerates the resolve and willpower and helps march towards the goal

Are we going to let “fear” to PREVENT and act as a BARRIER in our lives?

Or can we, convinced of the Lord’s mighty presence in our lives and of our preciousness to Him, let “fear” to PROPEL AND BOOST our Christian Missionary lives….!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Those who love to be feared…

… fear to be loved!”

“Consecrating our lives to the Maternal Care of our Blessed Mother Mary and finding consolation and comfort in Her Immaculate Heart!

(Based on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mother Mary)

There is a well-known incident in the life of St Francis de Sales…

During the period from December 1586 to January 1587, St Francis underwent a terrible crisis, a temptation, a trial.

There were several causes:

His natural tendency to anxiety
The problem of predestination (a Calvinist position which says that God has determined the eternal destiny of every human being. He has chosen some to eternal life and foreordained others to everlasting punishment) keenly discussed in theological circles in those days.
A mystical dimension to the trial: an unselfish, pure love of God and total surrender to Him, in which lay the answer to his problems as he was being tempted to despair of his salvation.

One day in January 1587, St Francis went into the church of St. Etienne des Grès.

He went to the chapel of our Lady and knelt down in front of the statue.

He was inspired to make an unconditional surrender of his salvation to God, using the words: “O God, Just Judge and Merciful Father, at least in this life will I love You, if it is not given to me to love You in life everlasting”.

Then he saw there a card with the prayer – The Memorare: “Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary …”

He took it and earnestly prayed it.

He was instantly healed.

The temptation vanished.

Strength and confidence returned to him.

He consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and decided to dedicate his life to God with a vow of chastity.

The Gentleman Saint, St Francis de Sales found consolation and encouragement by dwelling on the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary, and consecrated himself to Her maternal care.

Today, on the Feast Day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we too are invited to admire and venerate the deep love and affection of our Blessed Mother and to seek Her help and intercession to lead a life in closer union with the Lord.

The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Blessed Mary is celebrated on the following day of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of the Lord.

Jesus in a vision to Lucia (one of the Fatima visionaries) said: “I want My Church to…put the devotion to this Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart.”
Lucia would also say: ““The work of our redemption began at the moment when the Word descended from Heaven in order to assume a human body in the womb of Mary. From that moment, and for the next nine months, the Blood of Christ was the Blood of Mary, taken from Her Immaculate Heart; the Heart of Christ was beating in unison with the Heart of Mary!”

Both these devotions are intricately linked.

The Catechism of the Church says:
“Mary’s role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it.” (CCC # 964)

“This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ’s virginal conception up to his death”. (CCC #1172)

Saint Alphonsus Ligouri tells us, “After the love which we Jesus Christ, we must give the chief place in our heart to the love of His Mother Mary.”

It was in 1942, in the context of the devastating Second World War, that Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

St Luke gives a glimpse into this Blessed Heart of our Mother, when he testifies that “… Jesus’ Mother kept all these things in Her Heart” (Lk 2: 51b)

What does the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother teach us?

1. The Immaculate Heart of Mary teaches us that “everything in life is not understood”.

Mother Mary had to face a lot of hardships and struggles in life

Right from the moment of the Annunciation
… to the misunderstandings about her marital life
… the hardships at the time of the birth of Her Child
… the grievances and tribulations in the events post-birth and care of the Child
… the loss of Her Spouse, Joseph
… the misunderstandings that Her Little Babe had to face in His ministry
… the cruel death meted out to Her Beloved Child

With all these great troubles of life, we still find that Mother Mary remained trustful and obedient.

2. The Immaculate Heart of Mary teaches us that “sorrow and pain are an integral part of everyone’s life”

The Heart of our Blessed Mother faced a lot of pain and agonies…
… sacrificing of a promising life ahead, for the sake of giving birth to God’s Child
… facing crisis in the family and possibilities of misunderstanding with her to-be-husband Joseph
… uncertainty during and after the birth of the Child
… living life as a widow and alone with Her Son away in a risky mission
… undergoing the deepest pain of seeing One’s Own Child facing a harrowing death

3. The Immaculate Heart of Mary teaches us that “being focused on doing God’s Will brings the greatest joy and happiness”

The Heart of our Blessed Mother was ever focused on doing God’s Will.

Just as Her Son would tell later on in life, “My food is to do the Will of the One who sent me” (Jn 4:34), Mary also would sustain Her life on doing the Will of the Father at all times.

This would therefore turn out to be the source of strength and joy, even in the midst of the deep pain that Her Heart underwent.

The Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother is a model and example and inspiration for all of us too….

Do I realise that “not everything in life can be understood”; yet life is still worth living and making it beautiful for others and for God?

Do I accept that “pains and problems” are part and parcel of life; yet, holding on to the Father’s Hands will assure us of a spiritual joy and heavenly peace?

Do I seek to constantly seek and do God’s Will in my life, and be committed and faithful to the tasks that are entrusted to me, as part of my vocation?

Saint Louis de Montfort beautifully reminds us: “If you put all the love of the mothers into one heart it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.” –

May we consecrate our lives to the Maternal Care of our Blessed Mother Mary and find consolation and comfort in Her Immaculate Heart!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, may we rest in You!

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mamma!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Honour, revere and respect the Blessed Virgin Mary with a very special love; she is the Mother of our Sovereign Lord, and so we are Her children.

Let us think of Her with all the love and confidence of affectionate children

Let us desire Her love, and strive with true filial hearts to imitate Her Graces!”

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus – the Precious Symbol of True Love – stir the flames of God’s Love in our hearts and inspire us to set ablaze the world on fire, with His Love and Compassion!”

(Based on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)

Here is a simple story, familiar to many of us…

A young man displayed his heart, one day.
It was a sight to behold – without a single flaw.

“The most beautiful heart in town” he proclaimed and attracted the crowds to admire it.

Then an aged man joined the big crowd.
“Why, my heart is beautiful too”, he said quietly.

All eyes turned to see his heart…
It was beating strongly, but had a number of scars, patches, deep gouges and several jagged edges.

The people stared at that heart!

How could he claim to have a “beautiful” heart, they wondered!

The young man remarked, “You must be joking. My heart is perfect, whereas yours is a mess of scars and patches!”
“Well”, said the old man, “The heart’s worth is measured by love!”

“In giving love, you tear out a piece of your heart – that leaves a gouge – which is patched when you receive love.
If you give more than you receive, then the gouges remain.
They can be painful – but that is the risk you take…”

The young man realized the worth of love.

Inspired by the true symbol of the heart, the young man, ripped of a piece of his heart, and offered it, with trembling hands to the old wise man.

Then he patched the gauged with the large piece that the old man gave him!

As the crowd watched in amazement, the two embraced each other!

Love, by its nature, gives away…

The heart, which is deep-rooted in love, thus bears wounds and patches.

Today on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we contemplate in adoration and meditation on the Heart of our Blessed Lord – pierced and broken and shared – in love for each one of us.

In the year 1673, Our Blessed Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary (of the Visitation Order – a Congregation founded by St Francis de Sales, the Doctor of Love) and made her to rest her head upon His Heart; and during which He revealed to her the wonders of His love.

He revealed to her, His Sacred Heart…
… and requested her to establish the Feast of the Sacred Heart – the Friday after the Corpus Christi, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ- in order to make reparation for sins which offend His Sacred Heart.

In her vision, she saw His wounded heart, on fire with love, saying, “Behold this Heart which has loved men so much and has received such little love in return.”

It was on June 11, 1899 Pope Leo XIII solemnly consecrated the whole humankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Gospel of the day presents the account of how the Heart of our Blessed Lord was pierced with a lance, on Mount Calvary.
“But one soldier thrust his lance into His side, and immediately blood and water flowed out” (Jn 19: 34)

The Catholic tradition identifies the water as the symbol of Baptism and the Blood as the symbol of the Holy Eucharist.
• The Water symbolizes purification.
• The Blood symbolizes atonement.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is today one of the most recognizable symbols of the Christian faith.
• The picture consists of the Heart, with the wound of the lance in its side, a crown of thorns about it, a cross above it and flames surrounding it.

This Sacred Heart of Jesus represents not simply His physical heart but His love for all humankind.

This Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of the Lord teaches us many things…

a. It teaches us the immense love that the Lord possesses for each one of us, personally.

Have I experienced the tremendous love that the Lord has for me?

I may feel myself low.
I may consider myself to be not very good.
I may think that my life is just not worth living.
I may deem that my past has ruined my life very badly.
I may judge that situations around me can never be changed.

Even with all these things, am I convinced that “Jesus loves me”, still… and that He will take me through, by the power of His love?

b. It teaches us the pain and the agony that the Lord still undergoes as a result of our sin and the sins of the world

Do I realize that a sinful life brings tears to the Lord and causes more wounds to the Precious Heart of the Lord?

There is nothing which pains the Lord more than sin.
It was for our salvation that He shed even the last drop of His blood.
He not just wants but insists and demands and commands us to live in holiness.

Do I give heed to this “passionate and sincere” call of the Lord to live our lives in sanctity and in accordance to God’s Will in my life?

c. It teaches us the need to be part of the process of redemption that Christ has won for us and to be shareholders in His mission of bringing God’s love to all

Do I become aware that Christ is calling me to be part of His redemptive work of salvation?
Christ still suffers and undergoes pains.

From the Cross, He cried, “I thirst” (Jn 19: 28)

He desires that people who have known and experienced His love become effective agents of bringing His love to others.

By a life of sacrifices (tiny or great…little or huge), by simple acts of love, compassion and mercy and by greater participation in the Sacramental Life of the Church, the love of the Sacred Heart can be brought to many more people.

Am I willing to take up this responsibility that the Lord is handing on to us?

The Heart of the Lord is pierced, broken and shared for each one of us.

In the Holy Eucharist, we have the privilege to receive this greatest treasure.

In turn, we are to break our hearts and share it with others, to bring the love and compassion of the Lord to the world.

May this Solemnity of the Precious Symbol of True Love stir the flames of God’s Love in our hearts and inspire us to set ablaze the world on fire, with His Love and Compassion!

Sacred Heart of Jesus, may we ever remain close to You!

Happy Feast of the Most Blessed Heart of the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “May thy heart dwell always in our hearts!

May thy blood ever flow in the veins of our souls!
O sun of our hearts, thou givest life to all things by the rays of thy goodness!
I will not go until thy heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus!
May the heart of Jesus be the king of my heart!

Blessed be God. Amen.”

“Trusting and being confident in our prayer life by throwing ourselves into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father!

(Based on Sir 48:1-4 and Mt 6:7-15 – Thursday of the 11th Week of Ordinary Time)

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

This majestic structure is built in the shape of a cross…
… with a large dome crowning the intersection of its arms.

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

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

The speciality of this gallery is:

When one stands on one side of the circular gallery, and whispers…
… these soft tones of sound can be heard, on the other side – even 30 metres away.

The sound bounces back many times on the smooth walls of the dome…
… and the whisper can be heard even at a far distance.

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

In the spiritual realm, the entire space is like this “whispering gallery”…
… even the lowest of tones, are heard by our Loving God.

No matter how low we whisper, He hears!
No matter how silent be our prayer, He hears!

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

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful initiation by Jesus to help us to know, grow and deepen our understanding of God as being a Loving and Caring Father…
… as the One Who listens to our every prayer – including the ones whispered in the lowest of tones!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hence public religious ritual had to be enacted by specialists and professionals faultlessly…
… even a small a mistake would require that the action, or even the entire festival, be repeated all over!

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

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

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

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

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

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

No!

The Bible teaches us many examples of repetitive prayers…

The angels continually – day and night – sing “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev 4:8)
Psalm 136 repeats the words “for his steadfast love endures forever” nearly 26 times in 26 verses!
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed in the “same words” three times (Mk 14: 32-39)
Jesus, in fact, also commends the fact of continually praying, through the example of the widow and the unjust judge (Lk 18: 1-14)

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

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

When prayed with honesty and devotion, they become means to allow the heart…
… to praise God and understand His mighty works
… to grow in His love and come to a deeper awareness of His Providence
… and pray with Mother Mary and the Saints and intercede to them for our intentions

Prayer is not rattling off a few external words and feel satisfied in having done that…
… It is opening up, in dependence, the interiority of our hearts, to the One Who knows all!

Prayer is not going through a series of stipulated and organised system of words…
… It is allowing the heart to “mean what is said”, and to cause the lips express what the heart feels!

It is to this effect that Jesus says “Your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him” (Mt 6:8)…
… and teaches us the beautiful prayer – “The Our Father”!

Jesus presents the beautiful understanding of God being a Loving and Caring Father…
… The Father, in heaven, Whose Name we acknowledge to be most Holy and Worthy
… The Father, Whose Kingdom becomes the target to Which we ought to aspire
… The Father, Whose Will is to become the compass and blueprint of our life
… The Father, Whose providence nourishes us with daily bread for our sustenance and well-being
… The Father, Who extends His Immense Mercy to us, which we receive only if we forgive in turn
… The Father, Who strengthens us in our moments of trials and temptations
… The Father, Who rescues us from all evil by tenderly holding us in the palm of His Hand

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

May we realize that in the spiritual realm, the entire space is like a “whispering gallery”…
… and even the lowest of tones, are heard by our Loving God.

No matter how low we whisper, He hears!
No matter how silent be our prayer, He hears!

Let this be our trust and confidence in our prayer life…
… and thus throw ourselves, into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father!

God Bless! Live Jesus

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “The Prayer of the sick person is his patience…
… and his acceptance of his sickness for the love of Jesus Christ.

Make sickness itself a prayer, for there is none more powerful, save martyrdom!”

“Understanding that true Prayer goes beyond words – it is about a relationship, about being in communion with God and about being in grateful touch with the One Who knows all and cares much!”

(Based on 2 Kings 2:1-14 and Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 –Wednesday of the 11th Week of Ordinary Time)

A father and his little son were on a journey.

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

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

They ordered lunch.

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

Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer…
… but the boy just sat with his head bowed and eyes closed for an unusually long time!

When he finally looked up, his father asked him:
“What in the world were you praying about all that time?”

With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied:
“How do I know?
It was a silent prayer!”

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

But True Prayer goes beyond words…
… it is about a relationship!
… it is about being in communion with God!
… it is about being in grateful touch with the One Who knows all and cares much!

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

Jesus begins today’s Gospel with a strong warning:
“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them…” (Mt 6:1)

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

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

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

Let’s have a quick list of the some of the ways in which our prayer has perhaps, taken shape…
(Without any offence to any group/persons/professions!)

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

Many times during elections campaigns, we hear many political speeches…
… laden with juicy words, stylish phrases, heart-rendering narrations and sensational emotions.
(It’s only time which can tell, to what extent, did these speeches actually have authenticity in them!)

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

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

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

3. Prayer as a Frustrated Critic

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

Prayer time is spent more on questioning God and blaming Him…
… rather than praising Him for His Providential care

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

4. Prayer as an Accountant

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

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

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

5. Prayer as a Programmer

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

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

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

6. Prayer as a Kidnapper

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

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

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

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

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

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

But, the Lord Who seeks perfection in us… wishes, wants and demands…
… to have a higher and a more perfect understanding and practise of prayer.

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

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

Prayer is not about “my feelings”….
…. It is about “His Feelings”

Prayer is not achieving something or fulfilling a task…
…It is about spending time with the One Who loves us most

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

Today, let us examine, our prayer life…

Are my prayers mere lip-service
….or real expressions, emerging from the depth of our hearts?

St John Mary Vianney says,
“Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.”

May the Lord help us…
… to purify our prayer habits
… to give us a deeper taste to be in His Presence
… to realize that He is in complete charge of our lives
… and that our task is to always seek to conform to His Will!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Those who pray from the heart do not think about the prayer they are saying…

… but about the God to whom they pray!”

“Considering people not as a ‘burden’ or a ‘stress’; but as brother and sister!”

(Based on 1 Kings 21:17-29 and Mt 5:43-48 –Tuesday of the 11th Week of Ordinary Time)

The following story is known to us, perhaps in different forms…

A gentleman who was walking down the streets of a city was greatly interested too look at the street children – many of whom were carrying smaller children upon their backs – and managing at the same time to play their games.

“It is too bad,” said the gentleman to one little fellow, “that you have to carry such a heavy burden!”

“He’s no burden, Sir!” came the quick reply; “he’s my brother.”

The child who was carrying his younger sibling, did not count the pain or the difficulty in carrying; instead embraced the situation joyfully.

“He’s no burden, Sir… he’s my brother” – is a phrase that ought to strike a chord in our hearts.

As Christians, we need to make this journey…
… of considering people not as a “burden” but as a brother!
… of considering people not as a “stress” but as a sister!

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful exhortation by Jesus to make this transition from considering people as a “burden” and “stress”…
… and instead look at them as “brothers and sisters”, extending the Christian virtue of unconditional love to all.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, continues to pull down barriers of “comfort and coziness” by challenging His disciples to rise above the normal standards of the world.

Today He speaks on the aspect of “Love”.

Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human person.

The dictionaries define love as being ‘a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person’ or a ‘feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection’.

Generally speaking, love is considered only to be a human ’emotion or feeling’.

It is something that is usually understood as being “felt” or “sensed” or “experienced”.

Jesus surely did consider “love” as an emotion and a feeling.

Therefore…
• He loved the company of people….
• He cherished affection of those who followed Him…
• He treasured relationships and fostered friendships with all…

But beyond these “external” dimensions of Love…
… Our Blessed Lord taught and showed a higher aspect of love.

Love, not just being a “feeling” but “love as a “decision”.

Love, not just being a “sensation” but love as a “commitment”

Therefore Jesus would say, “For if you love only those who love you, what recompense will you have?” (Mt 5: 46)

Love, when understood only as a “feeling” or an “emotion” can get reduced to being just an “object” or a “thing”
• Just as one exchanges goods with each other… love is also exchanged with one another.
• Just as one shares one’s belongings and possessions with one another… love is also shared with one another
• Just as one gives and takes things from each other… love is also given and taken from each other

But the Lord presents a higher understanding of love and demands a much supreme expression of love from His followers: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5: 48)

Love to be a “virtue” has to surpass the ordinary realms of being “an emotion” and “feeling” and transcend to being a “radical decision” and a “faithful commitment”.

When someone hurts us, we don’t “feel” like loving…

But Jesus says, “Love that person”, because love is a “daring decision”

When someone continues to be lukewarm, we don’t have any “emotions” of love…

But Jesus says, “Love that person”, because love is an “absolute allegiance”

When someone continues to cause pain, we don’t “experience” any love…

But Jesus says, “Love that person” because love is a “challenging commitment”

Now this teaching certainly irks our “normal” understanding.
• How can I possibly love someone who has hurt and killed me, mentally?
• How can I be expected to show love to someone who still hurts me, even intentionally?
• How can I be told to love people who have no regard for me at all and treat me as an object?

It seems to be an impossibility.
It seems to be absurd.

But let us look to the Crucified Lord…
… and we have the perfect example of this Love being lived in actuality!

Jesus on the Cross shows that love is to be a “daring decision”, an “absolute allegiance” and a “challenging commitment”!

Love to be a “virtue” has to surpass the ordinary realms of being “an emotion” and “feeling”…
… and transcend to being a “radical decision” and a “faithful commitment”.

One may not be able to “show” love…
… but can we still, at least pray and wish for the good of the person?

One may not be able to “talk” freely to the one who has hurt…
… but can we still, at least refrain from wanting bad to happen to that person?

One may not be able to “resist” from having bad feelings when encountering one’s enemy… … but can we still, at least offer the person to the Mercy of God?

This teaching certainly seems to be a big “burden” and a significant “stress”

But this is where, we need to make a journey…
… of considering people not as a “burden” but as a brother!
… of considering people not as a “stress” but as a sister!

The Lord has walked through this journey.

He is still with us, to accompany us.
• This journey may be hard
• This journey may be hurting
• This journey may be painful

But the Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you!” (2 Cor 12: 9)

Let us trust Him!

Let us be courageous in Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily!”

“Becoming agents and ambassadors of true love by destroying evil forces with goodness!”

(Based on 1 Kings 21:1-16 and Mt 5:38-42 –Monday of the 11th Week of Ordinary Time)

The TIME magazine, in its declaration of Jesus, as the Man of the Millennium, proclaimed:
“The single most powerful figure – not merely in these two millenniums but in all human history – has been Jesus of Nazareth…
… a serious argument can be made that no one else’s life has proved remotely as powerful and enduring as that of Jesus.”

One of the reasons for this Massive Influence of Jesus, was His uncompromising and ever-bold attitude with respect to sin, evil and living a life of total love!

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

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

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

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

Did Jesus mean that a Christian should be passive to evil?
Did Jesus teach that we should suffer unnecessarily in the face of social evils?
Did Jesus teach passivity and being lethargic when one encounters wickedness and evil?

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

He was always actively against evil and sinful activities
He was a constant opponent to oppression, condemnation and human wickedness

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

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

1. Opposing with violence
2. Bearing everything passively
3. A courageous non-violence

The first two responses are also popularly called as Fight or Flight
…either FIGHT against the evil… or take FLIGHT from the evil situations

FIGHT: oppose with evil and violence
FLIGHT: run away from the situation or passively be submissive

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

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

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

It was a classical Greek ‘military’ term.

It means…
… to take a stand against, to oppose or to resist
… to establish one’s position publicly by conspicuously “holding one’s ground,”.
… It means refusing to be moved (” being pushed back”)

This clearly shows that “to resist evil” is not merely a passive act of submission…
… rather is a firm, courageous and bold action of holding onto one’s convictions of truth and opposing every reaction to subdue truth.

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

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

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

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

What is the significance of a back-handed slap?

A backhanded slap, had a greater message than merely hurting or causing pain…
Instead, it meant to be an act of “severe” humiliation… of “terrible” insult!

A backhand slap, in the time of Jesus, was the usual way of admonishing inferiors:
Masters backhanded slaves; husbands, wives; parents, children; men, women; Romans, Jews.

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

Not Fight… Not Flight.
Rather, a strong and bravely opposing act of courage: “turn the other cheek as well!”

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

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

It is as if the oppressed person is saying,
“Try again if you want, buddy!
Your first blow failed to achieve its intended effect.

I deny you any power to humiliate me!”

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

The Cross was a powerful opposition to evil and sin.

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

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

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

In Christ, we have a teaching that is not passive, but is “extremely” active and powerful.
To merely FIGHT or simply make a FLIGHT in the face of oppressions, is cheap and ordinary…

In fact, it is “no spirituality”.

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

Jesus embodied this spirituality.
Many great men and women in history have been inspired by it and lived it.

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

Let us become…. Agents and Ambassadors of true love…destroying evil forces with goodness!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Nothing is so strong as gentleness…

… nothing so gentle as real strength!”