“Giving ourselves entirely to the Lord, especially at Holy Mass, and through the Mass, at all times of the day, to all persons in our life.

(Based on Dan 9:4-10 and Lk 6:36-38 – Monday of the 2nd Week in Lent)

Barter is a system of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money.

This type of exchange was relied upon by early civilizations.
Goods were exchanged for food, tea, weapons, and spices.

The barter system requires the giving of a good (product), to receive an equivalent good.
It is a system which involves the dimension of providing and obtaining, offering and receiving.

The Gospel of the Day calls for a similar barter system…on a Divine realm though…

Giving to God and obtaining His graces and favours.

The Lord, giving His teachings on a practical Christian life, exhorts,”…give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give, is the measure you get back” (Lk 6:38)

Jesus brings a very concrete example from the market scene, to drive home his point of generously giving.

The context of Jesus is the market in Israel, the middle-east part of the world.

As in many places today, this area witnessed markets that had buyers and sellers engaged in bargaining and negotiating over prices, quality and the amount of things and goods.

When a price was finally set, the customer would offer his container—usually a large bowl or pot or an open vessel—and the seller would use a scoop (measuring spoon) to fill the container.

There would be some interesting steps in this process of measuring the grain for a customer and which Jesus quotes in His approach to giving:

1. First, the seller would fill the container to the top.
2. Secondly, he would press the grain down and fill some more.
3. Thirdly, he would shake the container so the grain would settle and then fill in some more.
4. Finally, he would fill the container until it overflowed!

The contents of this overflowing container would then be transferred to a pouch or a bag so that the buyer could bring home the contents from the market.

Well, this process could sound a bit strange and weird to us in the modern world.

We live in times, when contents are sold by the weight, and not the volume..
We live in times, when manipulations are done to give as less as possible…

But this is where, Jesus, bringing in the example of the market, invites generosity in giving…

Our giving ought to be measured not by weight, but by volume…and that refers to a far-greater amount of giving!
Our giving ought to, not be curtailed down by clever manipulations…rather is to be done very generously and lavishly!

St Paul in 2 Cor 9:6 would say, “Whoever sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly; whoever reaps bountifully will also reap bountifully”

Our giving ought not to be a calculated effort…rather should be a overflow from the heart!

When we engage is such a lavish and generous giving, God too will shower His abundance, in a similar and much better fashion!
“For the measure you give, will be the measure you get back” (Lk 6:38)

Of course, that is not to say that we are limiting God’s power of giving…

God’s surely showers His gifts lavishly!
God surely pours His blessings overwhelmingly!

But the Lord invites us to be involved in a Divine Barter System…

Give to God, who deserves all, so that we may be prepared to receive His blessings.
Give to God, who is worthy of all, so that we may be blessed to receive His graces.

In the Divine barter system, the advantage is that, we get much more than what we give… we obtain far greater than what we offer!

God’s giving is not to be seen just from material or physical aspects…

In fact, that would just be a very limited and low level of understanding.

God’s gifts are to be understood more from a spiritual perspective:
… Gift of His mercy to live a life in union with Him.
… Gift of His grace to be faithful and more committed.
… Gift of His love to be better human beings and be more charitable.
… Gift of His salvation to enjoy eternal bliss and happiness with Him .

All these gifts will be surely lavished and given… “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured out into our laps!”

The greatest exchange…the Divine barter system.. is seen and experienced in the Holy Eucharist.. at every Holy Mass.

Let us give ourselves entirely to the Lord… especially at Holy Mass and through the Mass, at all times of the day… to all persons in our life…
… especially as we enter into a new month,

Then, in the words of Fulton Sheen, we will be graced to hear the words of the Divine Lord telling us…

You give me your humanity, and I will give you my Divinity!
You give me your time, and I will give you My eternity!
You give me your broken heart, and I will give you Love!
You give me your nothingness, and I will give you My all!

God bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
MARY – “BLESSED IS SHE WHO BELIEVED”
The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith.

By faith, Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel Gabriel, believing that “with God nothing will be impossible” and so giving her assent: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word.”
It is for this faith that all generations have called Mary blessed.
Throughout her life and until her last ordeal, when Jesus Her Son died on the Cross, Mary’s faith never wavered.
She never ceased to believe in the fulfilment of God’s Word…
… and so the Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith! (CCC # 148-149)

---

“Giving ourselves entirely to the Lord, especially at Holy Mass, and through the Mass, at all times of the day, to all persons in our life.

Barter is a system of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money.

This type of exchange was relied upon by early civilizations.
Goods were exchanged for food, tea, weapons, and spices.

The barter system requires the giving of a good (product), to receive an equivalent good.
It is a system which involves the dimension of providing and obtaining, offering and receiving.

The Gospel of the Day calls for a similar barter system…on a Divine realm though…

Giving to God and obtaining His graces and favours.

The Lord, giving His teachings on a practical Christian life, exhorts,”…give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give, is the measure you get back” (Lk 6:38)

Jesus brings a very concrete example from the market scene, to drive home his point of generously giving.

The context of Jesus is the market in Israel, the middle-east part of the world.

As in many places today, this area witnessed markets that had buyers and sellers engaged in bargaining and negotiating over prices, quality and the amount of things and goods.

When a price was finally set, the customer would offer his container—usually a large bowl or pot or an open vessel—and the seller would use a scoop (measuring spoon) to fill the container.

There would be some interesting steps in this process of measuring the grain for a customer and which Jesus quotes in His approach to giving:

1. First, the seller would fill the container to the top.
2. Secondly, he would press the grain down and fill some more.
3. Thirdly, he would shake the container so the grain would settle and then fill in some more.
4. Finally, he would fill the container until it overflowed!

The contents of this overflowing container would then be transferred to a pouch or a bag so that the buyer could bring home the contents from the market.

Well, this process could sound a bit strange and weird to us in the modern world.

We live in times, when contents are sold by the weight, and not the volume..
We live in times, when manipulations are done to give as less as possible…

But this is where, Jesus, bringing in the example of the market, invites generosity in giving…

Our giving ought to be measured not by weight, but by volume…and that refers to a far-greater amount of giving!
Our giving ought to, not be curtailed down by clever manipulations…rather is to be done very generously and lavishly!

St Paul in 2 Cor 9:6 would say, “Whoever sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly; whoever reaps bountifully will also reap bountifully”

Our giving ought not to be a calculated effort…rather should be a overflow from the heart!

When we engage is such a lavish and generous giving, God too will shower His abundance, in a similar and much better fashion!
“For the measure you give, will be the measure you get back” (Lk 6:38)

Of course, that is not to say that we are limiting God’s power of giving…

God’s surely showers His gifts lavishly!
God surely pours His blessings overwhelmingly!

But the Lord invites us to be involved in a Divine Barter System…

Give to God, who deserves all, so that we may be prepared to receive His blessings.
Give to God, who is worthy of all, so that we may be blessed to receive His graces.

In the Divine barter system, the advantage is that, we get much more than what we give… we obtain far greater than what we offer!

God’s giving is not to be seen just from material or physical aspects…

In fact, that would just be a very limited and low level of understanding.

God’s gifts are to be understood more from a spiritual perspective:
… Gift of His mercy to live a life in union with Him.
… Gift of His grace to be faithful and more committed.
… Gift of His love to be better human beings and be more charitable.
… Gift of His salvation to enjoy eternal bliss and happiness with Him .

All these gifts will be surely lavished and given… “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured out into our laps!”

The greatest exchange…the Divine barter system.. is seen and experienced in the Holy Eucharist.. at every Holy Mass.

Let us give ourselves entirely to the Lord… especially at Holy Mass and through the Mass, at all times of the day… to all persons in our life…
… especially as we enter into a new month,

Then, in the words of Fulton Sheen, we will be graced to hear the words of the Divine Lord telling us…

You give me your humanity, and I will give you my Divinity!
You give me your time, and I will give you My eternity!
You give me your broken heart, and I will give you Love!
You give me your nothingness, and I will give you My all!

God bless! Live Jesus!

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
MARY – “BLESSED IS SHE WHO BELIEVED”
The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith.

By faith, Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel Gabriel, believing that “with God nothing will be impossible” and so giving her assent: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word.”
It is for this faith that all generations have called Mary blessed.
Throughout her life and until her last ordeal, when Jesus Her Son died on the Cross, Mary’s faith never wavered.
She never ceased to believe in the fulfilment of God’s Word…
… and so the Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith! (CCC # 148-149)

---

“Experiencing ‘Transfiguration moments’ in order to take us through, strongly, in our moments of darkness!”

(Based on Gen 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, Rom 8:31b-34 and Mk 9:2-10 – 2nd Sunday of Lent, Year B)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That night, in the darkness, that box was all aglow, for she had followed the instructions written on the box, which said:
‘If you keep me all day long in the sunlight,
I will shine for you all night long, in the darkness’

Yes…

The greater one is in the light, the greater would be one’s glow in the dark!
… because a glow in the dark is assured for that which has the capacity to infuse light within itself!

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

This is Transfiguration!

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

On this Second Sunday of Lent, we are presented with the event of the Transfiguration of our Lord, as recounted by St Mark.

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

Jesus takes three disciples – the core team among the Twelve – Peter, James and John – and led them up a high mountain. (Mk 9: 2)
There He was – His appearance changing and seen to be with Great Glory!

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

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

A tendency of “monotony” creeps in

A feeling of “boredom” crawls in!

The danger with “monotony” is that…
… it can drain away enthusiasm from the works one does

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

We begin to take our faith for granted
We tend to view our devotions with casualness.

Prayers get boring.

The Holy Eucharist seems meaningless
Pious practices fails to generate any passion

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

The disciples had been with Jesus for a while now…

They had seen Him…
… performing many wonders
… teaching and addressing the crowds
… being the subject of many oppositions too

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

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

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

They saw our Blessed Lord glisteningly shining – His clothes being whiter “as no fuller on earth could bleach” (Mk 9:3)
They witnessed Moses and Elijah (Mk 9:4) – the great Lawgiver and the mighty Prophet – along with Jesus, Who was the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophet!
They heard the Divine Voice – “This is My Beloved Son; listen to Him” (Mk 9: 7b) – from the cloud; reminiscent of God Yahweh who would speak to His people of old, from the clouds

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

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

Jesus had not become something that He was not…

He was always God and was always the Second Person of the Divine Trinity.
All this while, the eyes of the disciples were kept away from seeing the fullness of glory – only sparks of Divinity was revealed to them

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

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

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

That is the splendour and glory of the moment of Transfiguration…
… when wounds are refined into beauty
… when sufferings are graced into meaningfulness

Have we had this Transfiguration Experience?

Surely, we have had…

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

A moment…
… when our words have touched and sparkled a sad soul
… when we ourselves have been healed in our brokenness by some Divine intervention
… when we experienced the light of God’s healing, restoration, forgiveness etc through the Sacraments of the Church
… when a pulse of joy and satisfaction raced through our veins in having rendered, perhaps, a tiny but significant act of service and care to a needy person
… when, in our brokenness or deep pain or lethargy, an encouraging word revived our bent spirits

Many are such moments of Transfiguration in our life…

But the more we look deeper, the more we find, that God has blessed us immensely with such “Transfiguration” experiences.
And He wishes that through Prayer, we grow in Him to have deeper “Transfiguration Experiences!”

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

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

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

May this Gospel of the Transfiguration help us to be reminded of the promise of the Lord that:
“If you keep yourself, all day long in the sunlight of My Love,
I will shine for you all night long, in the darkness of your life”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH
To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to “hear or listen to”) in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself.

Abraham is the model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture.
The Virgin Mary is its most perfect embodiment.
Abraham fulfils the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”
Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Because he was “strong in his faith”, Abraham became the “father of all who believe” (CCC # 144-146)

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“Making a journey of considering people not as a “burden” but as a brother, not as a “stress” but as a sister!”

(Based on Deut 26:16-19 and Mt 5:43-48 – Saturday of the 1st Week in Lent)

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 to 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 heavy burdens!”

“He’s no burden, Sir!” came a 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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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:

By his Revelation, “the invisible God, from the fullness of His Love, addresses men as His friends…
… and moves among them, in order to invite and receive them into His own company.”
The adequate response to this invitation is faith.
By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God.
With his whole being, man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, “the obedience of faith” (CCC # 142-143)

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God bless! Live Jesus!

“Letting all our actions and thoughts to be directed to God and making our lives to truly become a Good News!”

(Based on Ezek 18:21-28 and Mt 5:20-26 – Friday of the 1st Week in Lent)

It is said that there are two extremely fatal phrases in the English language.

They are

1. “What is the use?”
2. “Why should I?”

“What is the use?” is the fatal tendency…
… that causes people to look at the world from a purely pragmatic perspective

Such a tendency…
… causes people to lose interest in things and people, if they don’t seem useful and beneficial
… causes people to manipulate people, things and situations in a way that suits their self-interests

“Why should I?” is the fatal tendency…
… that causes people to look at the world from a resigned and indifferent perspective

Such a tendency…
… causes people to rot in lethargy and tepidity and lose the spice of life
… causes people to push the responsibility to other, and themselves slacken in comfort and ease

These two phrases were very much reflected in the “Pharisaic and the Scribal lifestyle” which Jesus, in today’s Gospel invites each us to surpass and overcome.

The “What is the use” lifestyle…
… which made them to only flaunt their external piety and lose sight of the unglamorous aspect of devotion

The “Why should I” lifestyle…
… which made them to reject any offer calling them to repentance or amend their ways and instead made them to be stuck to their own prejudices and adamant patterns of thought.

Jesus always keeps challenging us!
The Lord loathes laziness and lukewarmness…

He loves to keep raising the standard of our holiness and faith!

This challenge is reflected in today’s Gospel Reading.

Jesus says, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of Scribes & Pharisees, you can’t enter the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5: 20)

The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees would consist…
… in a lifestyle which insisted only on the exact following of the ‘letter’ of the Law neglecting its spirit
… in a tendency to neglect the fundamental aspects of the Law and focus only on the peripheries

What could be some of the negative aspects of the Righteousness of Scribes and Pharisees, which Jesus condemns…and which perhaps, we need to overcome?

1. They liked to preach…but not practise
   We live in a world where there are many people who are perhaps good in preaching, writing reflections and advising on spiritual matters.

But very often, a massive chasm appears between their preaching and their way of life.

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

2. They liked to do things to “show-off”
   The tragedy of religious practices can be, when things are done not to please God, but to win the approval and endorsement of people.

Religious piety and devotions very often become means to have self-gratification of one’s senses, and sadly, even platforms to boast and brag about one’s capacities and capabilities.

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

3. They liked to make the Word of God, user-friendly, at the cost of God’s Will:
   One of the trends in the modern world, is to have all products and gadgets “user-friendly”.

Sadly, this trend is also often applied to the Word of God.

The Word of God, its commandments and laws are twisted and condensed and expanded and interpreted and quoted and explained and elucidated – all to suit one’s own comfortable and pleasurable way of life!

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

Am I in any of these category of peoples?

The Lord challenges us today… to exceed this sort of a righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees.

We need to be people…
… who walk the talk
… who practice our Faith to Please God and Him alone
… who live a Gospel-oriented life

And in this effort, one of the important areas that we need to conquer is that of “control of anger”

We need to learn to ‘pluck off the weeds of anger from our hearts,’ remembering the powerful exhortation of the Lord: “When you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift!” (Mt 5:23-24)

The Gospel ought to mould and shape us – and not we changing the Word of God to suit and justify our secured and comfortable lives!

Gal 1:10, says,” If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.”

Our modern world strongly advocates the two fatal phrases of…
… “What is the use?”
… “Why should I?”

As followers of Christ, it is our duty and task to go beyond such a “Pharisaic and Scribal Lifestyle”…
… and live as Jesus would want us to!

Prophet Ezekiel reminds us: “But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right, they shall surely live; they shall not die.” (Ezek 18:21)

We need to counter these two fatal phrases, with inspirational mantras…

“What is the use?” is to be countered by “All to Thy Glory!”
“Why should I?” is to be countered by “To let Thy Will be done!”

Let all our actions and thoughts be directed only to God.
Let our Lives truly be a Good News!

As St Francis of Assisi says, “Preach the Gospel always…use words, if necessary!“

God Bless us! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
SACRED SCRIPTURE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

Such is the force and power of the Word of God that it can serve the Church as her support and vigour…
… and the children of the Church as strength for their faith
… food for the soul
… and a pure and lasting fount of spiritual life.
Access to Sacred Scripture ought to be open wide to the Christian faithful.
The study of the sacred page should be the very soul of sacred theology.
The ministry of the Word – pastoral preaching, catechetics and all forms of Christian instruction, among which the liturgical homily should hold pride of place – is healthily nourished and thrives in holiness through the Word of Scripture.
The Church “forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful -to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures.”
Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. (CCC # 131-133)

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“Trusting in the Lord and knowing that our Loving God, hearing our cry, will always rush towards us!”

(Based on Esth 14:1, 3-5, 12-14 and Mt 7:7-12 – Thursday of the 1st Week in Lent)

A story is told of a group of tourists who were visiting a large sheep farm.

The guide of the tourists was explaining how the little lambs are taken care by the mother sheep.

In order to demonstrate this, he took one little lamb from the farm…
… and placed it in a large enclosure with thousands of sheep.

The noise of the bleating sheep was deafening.

The little lamb, who seemed lost in the midst of that crowd…
… after a moment of silence, began crying loudly.

As it bleated, the mother lamb, who was at the end of the enclosure, heard the cry…
… and rushed towards her little lamb.

As the tourists were wonder-struck at this sight, the guide – who was a Christian – made a statement:
“This is how it is with God also!
We should never imagine that we are beyond the reach of God!

He sees us as if we are the only child in the whole world!”

The Gospel of the day presents this assurance given by Jesus, of how every cry of prayer is heard and answered by the Lord, in His Holy Will…
… and His teaching on having a proper attitude and disposition in prayer.

The Lord makes a comparison in his teaching on prayer:

The “good” attitude that is displayed by human beings, even though they are imperfect and limited…
… and the “Good” approach that is always exhibited by our God, Who is Perfect and Generous!

Jesus tells: “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?” (Mt 7:9-10)

The Lord contrasts something that is good, with something that is quite hard to imagine or even dangerous…

Asking for bread… can a stone be given?
Asking for fish… can a snake be given?

Using this practical approach, the Lord drives home a very important point:

A human father – with all limitations, weaknesses and struggles – will always strive to give the best for his child
A human father – with all the shortcomings, hardships and labours – will always ensure to provide the finest for his child
… Then how much more is it not understood, that God, Who is all-good and caring, will DO THE BEST ALWAYS for all of us, His Beloved Children!

Therefore, we are asked to cultivate this very vital virtue: Trusting in the Lord!

When we trust in God…
… our prayers become meaningful!
… our struggles become salvific!
… our lives become joyful!

The beautiful prayer of Queen Esther is a wonderful inspiration for all of us, to totally trust in the Lord…
… especially in times of struggles, difficulties and problems of life:
“O my Lord, you only are our king; help me, who am alone and have no helper but You…

Save us by Your hand, and help me, who am alone and have no helper but You, O Lord” (Esth 5:3, 14)

In life, we will have moments when we feel lost out… and we keep crying to God in prayer.

But let us always know, that our Loving God, hearing our cry…
… will always rush towards us!

Let us grow in our trust and always keep in mind:
“We should never imagine that we are beyond the reach of God!

He sees us as if we are the only child in the whole world!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
TYPOLOGY – Unity of the Old and New Testaments
The Church, has illuminated the unity of the divine plan in the two Testaments through Typology…
… which discerns in God’s works of the Old Covenant prefiguration of what He accomplished in the fullness of time, in the Person of His Incarnate Son.

Christians therefore read the Old Testament in the light of Christ crucified and risen.
Such typological reading discloses the inexhaustible content of the Old Testament; but it must not make us forget that the Old Testament retains its own intrinsic value as Revelation reaffirmed by our Lord himself.
Besides, the New Testament has to be read in the light of the Old. Early Christian catechesis made constant use of the Old Testament.
As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
Typology indicates the dynamic movement toward the fulfilment of the divine plan when “God [will] be everything to everyone.” (CCC # 128-130)

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“Having a lively and energetic attitude to nurture ourselves with the blossoming graces and blessings that the Lord constantly showers on us!”

(Based on Jon 3:1-10 and Lk 11:29-32 – Wednesday of the 1st Week in Lent)

Attitudes determine to a great extent what one experiences in life.
Attitudes determine to a great level what one undergoes in life.

There are a couple of birds which can make us aware of two contrasting attitudes in life: the vulture and the hummingbird.

While hunting for food, all that vultures look for is rotting meat…

They thrive on the rotten and the smelly!

But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals.
Instead, they look for the colourful blossoms…looking for nectar from suitable flowers.

They nourish on the beautiful and the fresh!

The vultures live on what was.

They live on the past.
They fill themselves with what is dead and gone.

But humming-birds live on what is.

They live on the present.
They fill themselves with life and freshness.

The Gospel of the day is a display of these two attitudes – an attitude which seeks to feed oneself only on lifeless lowly aspects, similar to the vulture… and an attitude which seeks to nurture oneself on lively higher aspects, similar to the humming bird.

A big crowd had gathered around Jesus and He began to speak and teach them.
“This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign…” (Lk 11:29)

This verse has its background in a previous verse… Lk 11:16…where it says, “Others to test Him, asked Him for a sign from heaven”

The motive for asking the sign was to “test” Jesus.

There was clear hypocrisy in this demand.
Jesus had already performed a lot of miracles…..
“..the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead raised up” (Mt 11:3-5)

Yet, a sign was demanded!

True, that God gave signs to people in the Old Testament.
For example…to Gideon… to Abraham… to Moses… to the people of Israel etc

But the difference was that…
… those signs were given in request for a confirmation.
….those signs were given to strengthen the faith and belief.

As it is commented, “Signs were granted to those who desired them for the confirmation of their faith, as to Abraham and Gideon; but were denied to those who demanded them for the excuse of their unbelief.”

Some in the crowds…some of the Pharisees and the Scribes… demanded a sign from Jesus, just to remain obstinate and adamant in their unbelief!

For the Jews, the time of the coming of Messiah was expected to be a time of great warfare upon the Gentiles and great material prosperity.

The pseudographical work – The Apocalypse of Baruch – mentioned that ‘the time of the Messiah would bring in an inexhaustible supply of manna to feed the Jews until the end of time.’

Another pseudographical work – The Psalms of Solomon – says ‘the Messiah will “purge Jerusalem of the heathen . . . break the pride of sinners like so many pots . . . and gather the holy nation and lead it with justice, in peace and equality”‘

Jesus was not showing such “external” signs of being a Messiah

Therefore, the demand for a ‘sign from heaven’’ was a result of the hostility for Jesus’ failure to meet their materialistic expectations.

But Jesus exhorts to look at the higher and heavenly signs and symbols that He was providing!

Jesus derides a “vulture” style attitude….
… of looking only for materialistic signs and wonders
… of feeding only on lower and earthly concerns

Jesus, instead, challenges to adopt a “humming-bird” style attitude…
… of seeking to go beyond in finding the beautiful and higher realities
…of nurturing oneself on symbols that are deeper and much more precious

Is my life reduced to looking only for lowly and materialistic gains and desires?

Or is my life raised up in longing for higher and spiritual treasures and gifts?

The world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.

Let us have a lively and energetic attitude as that of a humming-bird…
… to nurture ourselves with the blossoming graces and blessings that the Lord constantly showers on us!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GOSPELS

The fourfold Gospel holds a unique place in the Church…
… as is evident both in the veneration which the liturgy accords it
… and in the surpassing attraction it has exercised on the saints at all times
St. Caesaria the Younger says, “there is no doctrine which could be better, more precious and more splendid than the text of the Gospel. Behold and retain what our Lord and Master, Christ, has taught by his words and accomplished by his deeds.
St Therese of Child Jesus says, “But above all it’s the gospels that occupy my mind when I’m at prayer; my poor soul has so many needs, and yet this is the one thing needful. I’m always finding fresh lights there; hidden meanings which had meant nothing to me hitherto” (CCC # 127)

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“By the Grace of God, making every moment of our life an act of prayer, in order to grow in greater closeness and union with the One who loves us the most!”

(Based on Isa 55:10-11 and Mt 6:7-15 – Tuesday of the 1st Week in Lent)

Old Betty worked for several years as a maid, in different houses.

She was once asked the meaning of the Biblical verse “Pray without ceasing” and what it meant for her life.

“Well, it just means what it says,” said Betty.

“When I wash my face in the morning, I pray to God…
… that many sinners may be washed in the blood of Christ during the day.

When I put on my clothes, I pray to God…
… to clothe me with Christ and with His humility.

When I take up the broom to sweep, I think of the woman who swept the house for the lost piece of silver, and I pray God…
… to sweep the world and to save lost sinners.

When I clean the vessels and they begin to shine, I pray to the Lord…
… to brighten my soul.

When I wash clothes, I pray that God…
… may wash away the filth from human hearts and all may remain fresh in His grace

When I wipe the windows and scrape the rust from the front-gates, I pray that God…
… may cleanse the society of the dirt of inhumanness and take off the rust of indifference”

And thus Betty went on mentioning the things that gave her an opportunity of approaching God in prayer.

How beautiful and a practical life of prayer, isn’t it?

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful exposition by Jesus on Prayer.

The Lord highlights the essential dimensions that constitute real prayer and goes on to give the blueprint of an Ideal Prayer by teaching the “Our Father”.

Jesus says, “And in praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Mt 6:7)

In the context, when we look closely into this verse, we see that Jesus is pointing to the important principle in the pagan religions: the spoken word is most important for effectiveness of any prayer or sacrifice.

Prayer had assumed the nature of being a formula or a procedure that had to be strictly followed for its efficacy.

The pagan understanding was all about “pleasing the god” and “tapping the Divine power” by one’s words and verbal formulae.

Historically it is reported of an occasion when the presiding magistrate at a Roman pagan festival forgot to include the “Roman people” among the list of beneficiaries in his prayer; the festival had to be started all over again!

It is therefore the attitude towards prayer and perception of God that Jesus condemns.

And this is a strong and relevant message that the Lord seeks to drill in our minds: Prayer is not to be reduced to being a formulaic key to unlock the power of the Divine!

It’s not our many words that makes God to grant His grace
.. Rather, it is by His Will and His graciousness that we receive His blessings.

Then what is meant by prayer?
The blueprint of prayer – The Our Father – that Jesus teaches gives us the answer.

Prayer is…

Acknowledging His greatness
(Our Father, who art in heaven)

Ascribing glory and honour to Him
(Hallowed be Thy Name)

Seeking His Kingdom to come
(Thy Kingdom come)

Longing for His Will to be done in our lives
(Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven)

Putting forward our needs and offering our aspirations to His Providence
(Give us today our daily bread)

Choosing to actively being reconciled to all people to receive His forgiveness
(and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us)

Imploring to keep away from sin and all evil inclinations and desires
(and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil)

Our whole life ought to be translated to acts and deeds of prayer.

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

When we understand prayer as being a “relationship” and being in “His loving presence”, prayer becomes a joyful, a continual and a meaningful devotion.

May His grace help us to make every moment of our life an act of prayer, in order to grow in greater closeness and union with the One who loves us the most!

Let prayer become a joyful action
Let prayer become a continual devotion
Let prayer become a powerful commitment

Yes, in our day-to-day life, let us “pray without ceasing!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE THREE STAGES IN THE FORMATION OF THE GOSPELS

1. The Life and Teaching of Jesus: The Church holds firmly that the four Gospels, “whose historicity she unhesitatingly affirms…
   … faithfully hand on what Jesus, the Son of God, while He lived among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation, until the day when He was taken up.”
2. The Oral Tradition: For, after the Ascension of the Lord, the apostles handed on to their hearers what He had said and done…
   …. but with that fuller understanding which they, instructed by the glorious events of Christ and enlightened by the Spirit of truth, now enjoyed.
3. The Written Gospels: The sacred authors, in writing the four Gospels, selected certain of the many elements which had been handed on, either orally or already in written form…
   … others they synthesized or explained with an eye to the situation of the churches, the while sustaining the form of preaching
   … but always in such a fashion that they have told us the honest truth about Jesus! (CCC # 126)

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“Drawing closer to Jesus, the Great Rock Who will help us to stand firm and become passionate in service of the Church!”

(Based on the Feast of the See of St Peter [Chair of St Peter] )

A soldier working in the army – who was known for his bravery and never-give-up attitude – was asked by a journalist:
“What is the motivation for you to be so valiant and strong in your service?”

To that, the soldier replied: “Well, we have a saying in our army…
… and I try to follow that.

The saying is this: ‘If someone says, he is not afraid of death…
… then he is either lying
… or he is in the army!’

I have lived in this way of life… living this truth!”

As Christians, we are all soldiers of Christ!

Are we ready to have the courage to face any situation of difficulty, including death…
… and seek to be ever faithful to the Lord and His Church?

Today, we are invited to renew our love and commitment to the Church as we celebrate the Feast of the “See of St Peter” (Chair of St Peter).

This Feast celebrates Christ choosing St Peter to “sit” in authority as the visible leader of the Church on earth.

The “See of St Peter” or the “Chair of St Peter” in the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is “a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors…
… to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity!”
This feast brings to mind the mission conferred by Christ on St Peter, the First Pope, and continued in an unbroken line down to the present Pope.
We celebrate the unity of the Church, founded upon the Apostle, and renew our assent to the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff!

The Gospel of the Day presents to us the Faith Statement of Peter, the leader of the band of the Apostles and Jesus declaring to him:
“…on this rock, I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it!” (Mt 16:18)

Jesus – the Great Rock entrusts to Peter, the rock and assures Him that the Church will always stay rock-grounded!

The Lord had…
… and still has great Faith and Trust in His Church

But, personally, we need to ask: Am I sometimes doubtful, uncertain and hesitant with respect to the Church?

This Feast is a good opportunity for us to get to some of the Basics of the Church.

The word “Church”….in Greek… is Ekklesia.

Ekklesia can be split to two words… “ek” = out of + “kaleo” = to call

This gives us an important meaning of EKKLESIA – THE CHURCH…. TO BE CALLED OUT OF….

The Church is a body
…to be called out of the world
… into being a Family and Fellowship in God!

The Church is a body…to be called out of materialistic and worldly gains…
… and be a sign of hope and salvation!

This gives us a clue to many aspects of the Church
…and which will help our own understanding

The Church is not a mere building…
… the Church is the People of God.

We often reduce the Church – especially in our everyday vocabulary – to a mere building made of stones and cement…

But, we need to realise and remember that the Church is made of living stones (1 Pet 2:5)
… and all of us need to contribute our mite in keeping alive this Church of God.

Do I give my share of talents and gifts to the Church is keeping it effective and relevant for our modern times?

Do I make sacrifices and offer prayers for the Church so that she may stand strong in the midst of struggles?
Do I promote and encourage the teachings of the Church and find beauty and wisdom in them?

Perhaps one reason we find ourselves in a cribbing position, with respect to the Church is because of our failure to understand its nature…
… and also have our own misunderstandings and prejudices.

When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who am I” (Mt 16: 13) he got varied answers…
… some surprising
… some unexpected

The Mystery of Jesus was so great…
… people failed to grasp who actually He was…

The Mystery of the Church is also great…
… that people fail to understand her and even form opposing opinions!

We may feel that the Church is too traditional and too conservative and too authoritarian…

But we fail to see that she has preserved much morals…
… kept safe human values
… and promoted holiness

We may feel that the Church is all too mistaken in many areas and has committed many blunders…

But we ought to know that the Church has a human dimension and despite it, the Spirit of the Lord leads

We may feel that the Church is just too bad with scandals and has lost all credibility…

But we need to realize that the evil one attacks those who strive for sanctity and tries to disrupt God’s plans

The Church undergoes the pain of many a misunderstandings…
… Christ too underwent the same.

The Church suffers the bad name of being called by many names….
… Christ too underwent the same.

From a negative aspect, What is a Hospital?

Diseases, Blood, Pus, Screaming, Pains, Twisted bodies, Suffering..

But from a Positive Aspect, What is a Hospital?

Care, Healing, Love, Solace, Relief, Aid, Selfless Service….

Our Church can be understood in similar tones…

Weaknesses are plenty…
… yet, when seen from a Divine perspective, she is Holy!

All of us are concerned about the growing rejection of Church and Christian values in our society…

But we who are Baptized, and who seek the good of the Church…
… ought to join our hands and seek to revive the relevance and importance of the Church.

The Church has its weaknesses…
… but the Church needs Powerful Persons… in You and Me!

The Church has its negatives…
… but the Church needs Passionate Lovers of God… in You and Me!

The Church has its flaws…
… but the Church needs Committed Preachers of the Word… in You and Me!

The Body of Christ while hanging on the Cross was weak
… but “No bone of His, was broken” (Jn 19:36)

The Church of Christ while living in the world maybe weak
… but No bone shall be broken!
“…on this rock, I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it!”

St Peter, after having personally experienced the Presence and Power of Jesus in his life, could write with deep conviction:
“When the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will obtain the unfading crown of glory!” (1 Pet 5:4)

Let us draw closer to Jesus, the Great Rock Who will help us to stand firm and become passionate in service of the Church…

And being ready to face any challenge or problem, let it be said of us:
“If someone says, he is not afraid of death or problems in life…
… then he is either lying
… or he is a Christian!”

Happy Feast Day!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Word of God, which is the Power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, is set forth and displays its power in a most wonderful way in the writings of the New Testament
They hand on the ultimate truth of God’s Revelation.
Their central object is Jesus Christ, God’s Incarnate Son: His Acts, Teachings, Passion and Glorification…
… and His Church’s beginnings under the Spirit’s guidance.
The Gospels are the heart of all the Scriptures “because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Saviour” (CCC 124-125)

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