Responding to the invitation of the Lord, Who displays His Sacred Heart: ‘This Heart of Mine… is just for you! Can you also give me your life…and tell me, ‘LORD, JUST FOR YOU!’”

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

A youngster who was pretty desperate in life – contemplating even of terminating his life – exasperated and lost, was passing along the streets, when he heard the Church bells ringing for the Angelus at noon time.

Something in him, made him to go inside the Church.

As he went in, he saw a large statue of Jesus…
… with the Sacred Heart of Jesus prominently displayed

And underneath the statue were written words…
… beautiful words that would bring him much consolation, hope and joy

So much so, that he would take a resolution to amend his life and to live with greater hope and joy!

The words were as follows:
“As you look into My Heart… remember always, these words:

There is an Eye that never sleeps, even beneath the wing of night
… just for you!

There is a Ear that never shuts, even when sink the beams of light
… just for you!

There is an Arm that never tires, even when human strength gives way
… just for you!

There is a Love that never fails, even when earthly loves decay
… just for you!

And… there is a Heart that never stops beating, even when trials of life lash you hard
… just for you!

This Heart of Mine… is just for you!

Can you also give me your life…?
… and tell me, “LORD, JUST FOR YOU!”

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…
… as He tells us, “This Heart of Mine… is just for you!”

Love, by its nature, gives away…

The Sacred Heart of our Blessed Lord – which is deep-rooted in Mercy and Compassion – bears wounds and patches that are symbolic of His Passionate Love for all of us!

In the year 1673, Our Blessed Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary 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 only 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!

With St Francis de Sales, the Doctor of Love, let us pray:
“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.”

As we gaze at the Sacred Heart, we are reminded
“This Heart of Mine… is just for you!

Can you also give me your life…?
… and tell me, “LORD, JUST FOR YOU!”

Happy Feast of the Most Blessed Heart of the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
Christ’s Human Will

At the sixth ecumenical council, Constantinople III in 681, the Church confessed that Christ possesses two wills and two natural operations, divine and human.
They are not opposed to each other…
… but co-operate in such a way that the Word made flesh willed humanly in obedience to his Father all that he had decided divinely with the Father and the Holy Spirit for our salvation.

Christ’s Human Will “does not resist or oppose but rather submits to His Divine and Almighty Will!” (Cf. CCC # 475)

“Making efforts to be people, who not simply ‘react;’ instead, in patience and gentleness, seek to ‘respond!’”

(Based on 2 Cor 3:15-4:1,3-6 and Mt 5:20-26 – Thursday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

Sinbad the Sailor is a fictional character.

His tales are mostly voyage stories – fantastic adventure stories through the seas of Africa and South Asia.

One of the tales narrates of how Sinbad and his sailors landed on an island.

On arriving, they saw coconuts, high up on the trees; which could very well quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger.

But these coconuts were far beyond their reach.

However, they noticed a large number of monkeys on the branches of the trees.

Soon enough, Sinbad and his men, began to throw stones and sticks up at the apes.

This enraged the monkeys and they began to seize the coconuts…
… and hurl them down at the men on the ground.

This was exactly what Sinbad and his men wanted!

They got the monkeys so angry…
… that they gave in to satisfy the needs of those who made them angry!

This is exactly what anger does…
… we play ourselves, into the hands of those who cause us to lose our temper!

We end up “reacting”…
… than “responding”!

The Gospel of the day is a teaching by Jesus on this very important concern of Christian Life: Anger.

Killing is considered to be a serious evil in every society and every way of life

Killing in its basic form is usually considered only in the sense of the physical body.

But the Lord today presents a higher perspective in the understanding of killing…
“You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill’; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment’. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to the judgment….” (Mt 5: 21)

The Lord expands the understanding of killing beyond the physical body…

A person engages in killing… if, by anger…
… the social standing of the other person is upset
… the emotional state of the other person is wounded
… the spiritual balance of the other person is disturbed

We could understand anger from various perspectives…

1. Anger as Quick temper
   Prov 15:18 says, “An ill-tempered man stirs up strife…”

It is said that speak when one is angry, one makes the best speech that would be regretted much!

Quick temper sometimes…
…. forms part of our temperament
… comes even unknowingly
… is instigated by other’s actions

Yet, in all this, one ought to…
… rise quickly from remaining in the state of anger.
… become conscious of the occasions which can excite anger
… see that the temper is not fed or nurtured or intensified

2. Anger which leads to stubbornness
   Eph 4:26: “…. do not let the sun to set on your anger”

Sometimes, the anger within is allowed to grow so much…
…that we get habituated to getting angry for even tiny and trivial matters
…that we lose our peace of mind, and sometimes even become indifferent
…that we choose not to budge from our position or viewpoint and remain adamant

Yet, we need to make efforts…
… to try to overcome our ego and self mentality and seek to make amends with the person
… to lower oneself in humility (even if we are right) and ease the situation of annoyance

Anger needs to be sanctified…channelled in the proper way!

One may feel a ‘just’ anger at….
… the immense corruption in the world and even in religious circles
… the forces of evil that seem to root away even faint traces of hope
… the indifferent and unchanging attitudes and temperaments of people which is sickening.

Yet… even these ought to get channelled properly
… even these ought to be routed in the right manner

Yes… even our just anger needs to be sanctified and purified in the burning furnace of God’s Love.

Anger is indeed a major tendency that is a cause of distress for many of us.
Anger is indeed a prime inclination that is a root of sin for many of us.

There are moments, when anger captures us and we throw ourselves into people…
… throw words which are not appropriate
… throw emotions that would cause shame and guilt later
… throw actions and deeds that would cause pain and injury

Let us make genuine, practical and realistic efforts in the fight to sanctify and purify our anger.

Undoubtedly…
… it is painstaking
… it requires deeper attempts
… it requires committed determination!

But the Lord assures His Grace to help us and His Love to encourage us!

Let us make efforts to be people, who not simply “react”…
… instead, in patience and gentleness, seek to “respond!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:

This truly human knowledge of God’s Son expressed the divine life of his person.
“The human nature of God’s Son, not by itself but by its union with the Word, knew and showed forth in itself everything that pertains to God.”
Such is first of all the case with the intimate and immediate knowledge that the Son of God made man has of his Father.
The Son in his human knowledge also showed the divine penetration he had into the secret thoughts of human hearts.
By its union to the divine wisdom in the person of the Word incarnate, Christ enjoyed in his human knowledge the fullness of understanding of the eternal plans he had come to reveal.

What he admitted to not knowing in this area, he elsewhere declared himself not sent to reveal (Cf. CCC # 473-474)

“Making efforts to growing into Convinced and Certain and Confident Christians!”

(Based on 2 Cor 3:4-11 and Mt 5:17-19 – Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

A university student was seen with a large “K” printed on his T- shirt.

When someone asked him what the “K” stood for, he said, “Confused.”
“But,” the questioner replied, “you don’t spell “confused” with a “K!”

The student answered, “Well, you don’t know how confused I am!”

The confused state of mind led to be boy to display a totally confused and puzzled look!

How often is this true in our own lives as a Christian…

We fail to have certain convictions in our faith… and the resultant life that is displayed outside, is one of confusion or uncertainty.
We fail to be sure of what our life of faith is…and as a result, we fail to bring people to experience God’s love and instead, sometimes even lead others astray.

The Gospel of the Day is a peek into the conviction that Jesus had in His life of preaching and mission and a challenge for us to become persons who become fervent and convinced in teaching the commandments of the Kingdom of God.

The Gospel is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfil” (Mt 5: 17)

One of the distinguishing features in the preaching and teaching ministry of Jesus was His deep conviction and certainty.

Jesus did not speak as if He was blabbering on some unknown topic.

Jesus did not mutter words as if He was whiling away time to talk on a strange issue.

Instead, Jesus was thoroughly convinced of what He spoke and taught.

It was this deep-seated conviction that made Him to say that He had “come not to abolish the law or the prophets”.

The message of Jesus contained newness and freshness.

However, it was not a preaching that was entirely new

It was a teaching that was born in deep certainty and delivered with utmost conviction.

He was the fullness of the teachings of all the Law.

He was the fulfilment of the prophecies of all the Prophets.

This gave it a fresh crispiness.

This gave it a refreshing perspective.

Do we also possess a similar conviction and certainty in our Life of Faith, just as Jesus displayed?

The Lord demands such a requirement.

Hence, He would say, that “whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so, will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5: 19)

Our Christian lives are sometimes marked by an unwanted uncertainty and confusing convictions.

We know a little bit about our faith… but not deep enough.
We know a little bit concerning our teachings… but not in its depth.
We know a little bit about the virtues we are to live… but not fully convinced of it.

As a result of this ‘unsure’ attitude and ‘confused’ mentality, we are unable to
… (1) live a true and honest Christian lives
… (2) witness and teach others our genuine faith

May we not remain confused Christians; rather experience the love and mercy of the Lord…
… and make efforts to growing into Convinced and Certain and Confident Christians!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
CHRIST’S SOUL AND HIS HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

Apollinarius of Laodicaea asserted that in Christ the divine Word had replaced the soul or spirit. Against this error the Church confessed that the eternal Son also assumed a rational, human soul.
This human soul that the Son of God assumed is endowed with a true human knowledge.
As such, this knowledge could not in itself be unlimited…
… it was exercised in the historical conditions of his existence in space and time.
This is why the Son of God could, when He became man, “increase in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man”…
… and would even have to inquire for himself about what one in the human condition can learn only from experience.

This corresponded to the reality of his voluntary emptying of himself, taking “the form of a slave!” (Cf. CCC # 471-472)

“Having courage to be the ‘salt of the earth and light of the world!’”

(Based on 2 Cor 1:18-22 and Mt 5:13-16 – Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

Here is a lovely story of a humble little monk named Telemachus living out in the farming regions of Asia.

Telemachus had no great ambitions in life.

He loved his little garden, and tilled it through the changing seasons.

But one day in the year 391, he felt a sense of urgency, a call of God’s direction in his life – to Rome.

Rome was the heart and soul of the mighty empire.

The feelings of such a call frightened him, but he went anyway, praying along the way for God’s direction.

When he finally got to the city it was in an uproar! The armies of Rome had just come home from the battlefield in victory, and the crowds were turning out for a great celebration.

They flowed through the streets like a tidal wave…
… and Telemachus was caught in their frenzy and carried into the Colloseum.

He had never seen a gladiator contest before, but now his heart sickened.

Down in the arena men hacked at each other with swords and clubs.

The crowds roared at the sight of blood, and urged their favourites on to death.

Telemachus couldn’t stand it.
He knew this wasn’t the way God wanted people to live or to die.

So little Telemachus worked his way through the crowds to the wall down by the arena. “In the name of Christ, forbear!” he shouted.

Nobody heard him, so he crawled up onto the wall and shouted again: “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

This time the few who heard him only laughed. But Telemachus was not to be ignored.

He jumped into the arena, and ran through the sands toward the gladiators. “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

The crowds laughed at the silly little man, and threw stones at him.

Telemachus, however, was on a mission.

He threw himself between two gladiators to stop their fighting. “In the name of Christ, forbear!” he cried.

They hacked him apart!
They cut his body from shoulder to stomach…
… and he fell onto the sand with blood running out of his life.

The gladiators were stunned, and stopped to watch him die.

Then the crowds fell back in silence, and, for a moment, no one in the Colloseum moved.

The site of the dead man, and the reaction of the crowd, led the emperor and his guests to silently stand, turn and leave the Colloseum.

After a few minutes, the Gladiators put their swords down and they too left.

All that remained in that giant stadium was the scrawny lifeless body of the young man.

History claims that this was the very last gladiator game at the coliseum.

The memory of that man screaming to the crowd, and the image of the blood thirsty lust of the crowd had changed the hearts and the minds of the Romans in that instant.

Within an hour, the emperor issued an edict forbidding any future games of war within the Roman Empire.

There was no more killing in the Colloseum.
There were no more gladiator matches in Rome.
All because one man, stood up… and said “In the Name of Jesus, forbear!!”

He, as a true Christian, became, the salt of the earth and light of the world.

This is the call of the Gospel of the Day.

Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth” (Mt 5: 13)
“You are the light of the world” (Mt 5: 14)

In ancient Greece, salt was considered so valuable it was called, “theon” – divine.

The Romans believed that nothing was of more value than salt except the Sun. Roman soldiers were even paid in salt.
An ancient Near Eastern custom still practiced among some Arabs today is that a pact of friendship is sealed with a gift of salt.

This call of the Gospel has gained significant importance and urgency in our world today.

We live in times and generation when the need to be a “salt” and “light” has gained tremendous urgency…

The world is losing a taste for things of everlasting value and instead relishes more of transient materials.

Can I be a “salt” in such situations giving the taste of eternity and goodness…
… to revive lives and to orient them towards the real joys of life?

The world is fast degrading and losing values in various areas like moral life, social situations, cultural integrity and religious fervour.

Can I be a “light”, casting away the darkness of ignorance…
… and shedding new illumination and radiance for the revival of sanctified lives?

The world today, and even the Church, sometimes, has her members sadly deeply getting corrupted and there are strong strands of infection and contamination affecting various core dimensions.

Can I be a “salt” which rubs in consciousness for transformation and change…
… and be a healing agent to prick the conscience of people to lead an integral life?

The world and even the Church, sometimes, is easy on closing the eye to the evils that are constantly rising, and fails to be a powerful voice for justice and peace

Can I be a “light” which casts its powerful rays on the dark shades of wickedness…
… and expose the inhuman elements of the society, helping towards a harmonious and pleasant world?

“Salt” and “light” are symbols of purity.

To be the “salt” and “light” in the world, demands a high level of perfection and holiness in our lives.

St Paul reminds us that “it is God Who establishes us… in Christ and has anointed us by putting His seal on us and giving us His Spirit in our hearts as a first instalment!” (2 Cor 1:21-22)

Today let us specially seek the intercession of St Marian Therese, the Indian Saint on her feast day…
…. and may we be willing to rise up to the challenge of being the “salt of the earth” and “light to the world”…
… even if it requires giving up many of our comfort areas of life
… so that our Christian values can be preserved and the love of God may shine forth to the world!

In the dangerous “colloseums of our world” when the Gospel Virtues are often ripped apart…
… let us have the courage, with the Mighty Grace of God, to declare: “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

And thus the “salt of the earth and light of the world!”

God bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
HOW IS THE SON OF GOD, MAN?

Because “human nature was assumed, not absorbed”, in the mysterious union of the Incarnation, the Church was led over the course of centuries to confess the full reality of Christ’s human soul…
… with its operations of intellect and will, and of his human body.
In parallel fashion, she had to recall on each occasion that Christ’s human nature belongs, as his own, to the divine person of the Son of God, who assumed it.
Everything that Christ is and does in this nature derives from “one of the Trinity”.
The Son of God therefore communicates to his humanity his own personal mode of existence in the Trinity. In his soul as in his body, Christ thus expresses humanly the divine ways of the Trinity: “The Son of God… worked with human hands
… He thought with a human mind.
… He acted with a human will
… and with a human heart he loved.

Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin. (Cf. CCC # 470)

“Adopting Divine Attitudes in life and mapping our lives in accordance with the Beatitudes!”

(Based on 2 Cor 1:1-7 and Mt 5:1-12 – Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

This popular story is told of a trucker who went into a drive-in restaurant along the highway.

He had ordered a large meal and was beginning to enjoy it…
… when four guys on motorcycles – looking rough and toughs – came in.

These people – local ruffians – roughed up the trucker…
… devoured on the meal that he had ordered and finished it.

The trucker did not talk back to them.

He simply paid his bill and left.

The tough guys were revelling and gloating.
Proudly they began to say, “He didn’t have the guts to say a single word or to lift a hand.

So much of a weakling he was, isn’t it
He didn’t to even raise a voice or didn’t know to retaliate!”

The waiter who seeing all that was happening, came along and added: “He didn’t probably know much of driving either probably!

He just backed his truck over four bikes in the parking lot!”

That’s often how human tendencies are, isn’t it?

The tendency to laud over others and to display one’s power and arrogance…
The tendency to give back in revenge and to seek for opportunities to avenge…

These are tendencies that as human beings we all have – in one form or the other – in one measure or the other

But as a Christian – a follower of Christ – we are challenged to move beyond such “human” (or rather, inhuman!) tendencies, and adopt Divine Attitudes in life.

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful charter of Divine Attributes – BE ATTITUDES – that are to be lived and practised in our day to day being and living!

The Eight Beatitudes – one of the most beautiful passages of the B.I.B.L.E. (sometimes expanded as being “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”!) – presents to us a ready reference on how to live as a True Follower of Christ.

The passage begins with the sentence, “Jesus went up to the mountain and SAT DOWN…and HE BEGAN TO TEACH them” (Mt 5:1)

In the Jewish Tradition, the Rabbi (teacher) would sit and teach.

The Hebrew word ‘Rabbi’ is derived from “rav”, which means ‘Great One’.

When St Matthew specifically mentions that “Jesus sat down and taught”, Jesus is presented as the Rabbi: The Great One – The Teacher – who speaks with great authority.

Jesus is the New Moses, who presents the “New Law- the law of Absolute Love!”

What is this teaching of such great authority?

It’s a teaching which calls for a reversal of the worldly values!
It’s a teaching that turns the worldly standards of greatness upside down!

The world holds in high esteem the aspects of power, prestige, richness and prosperity.

The yardstick of greatness of people is very often measured in terms of these external achievements.

But Jesus, the teacher-par-excellence, reverses this false notion of the world…
… And pronounces BLESSEDNESS to the poor, the mourning, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers and the persecuted ones!

High jumpers while competing with each other, keep raising the bar higher and higher, to achieve victory.

Similarly, the Beatitudes that are pronounced by Jesus raises the bar – the standards of Christian life are raised to a great proportion.

All the beatitudes, focus on one aspect: The need to lower oneself and instead to understand that “God alone suffices!”

Very often many questions pop up in our minds…
…. “Why is my life full of suffering, though I seek to live a genuine life?”
… “Why do the unjust prosper, and the people who pursue for justice fail to receive rewards?”
… “Why does success elude me whereas those who adopt wrong means bask in achievements?”

It’s hard to give a downright answer to such questions…
… but the Beatitudes gives us a glimpse into the mind of Jesus: That in all such occasions, our attitude ought to be, “God alone suffices!”.

“GOD ALONE SUFFICES” ought to be our mantra…
… when we find ourselves at the receiving end, even though after having worked hard, we don’t find the expected success
… when we are still subject to persecutions and hardships even though we live in honesty and truthfulness

Of course, this teaching is hard to follow… may even seem impractical…!

Yet, we are not alone…
… Jesus the teacher, Himself is our Model and Example… He walked the talk!

Hanging on the Cross, Jesus became the epitome of the Beatitudes that He Proclaimed

He is the One…
… Who was and is, the Poor, Mourning, Meek, Hungry and Thirsty,
… Who was and is, the Merciful, Clean of Heart, Peacemaker and the Persecuted One!

Today let us look to Jesus, the Teacher and the One who lived out the Beatitudes, and make our Christian life more meaningful!

As human beings we do have tendencies to laud over others or display power and arrogance or to give back in revenge or to seek for opportunities to avenge etc

But let this Teaching on the Beatitudes help us as a True Follower of Christ to move beyond such “inhuman” tendencies…
… and adopt Divine Attitudes in life.

In the words of Fulton Sheen, “It’s hard to be a Christian… but it’s harder not to be one!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
JESUS CHRIST – TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN!

After the Council of Chalcedon, some made of Christ’s human nature a kind of personal subject. >> Against them, the fifth ecumenical council, at Constantinople in 553, confessed that “there is but one hypostasis [or person], which is our Lord Jesus Christ, one of the Trinity.”
Thus everything in Christ’s human nature is to be attributed to his divine person as its proper subject, not only his miracles but also his sufferings and even his death:
“He who was crucified in the flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, is true God, Lord of glory, and one of the Holy Trinity.”
The Church thus confesses that Jesus is inseparably true God and true man.

He is truly the Son of God who, without ceasing to be God and Lord, became a man and our brother: “What he was, he remained and what he was not, he assumed”, sings the Roman Liturgy (Cf. CCC # 468-469)

“Growing in the experience of ‘the greatest love story of all time that is contained in a Tiny White Host!’”

(Based on the Solemnity of Corpus Christ – the Body and Blood of Christ)

The initial years of the 20th Century saw communists seizing a Catholic parish and imprisoning the priest in his own rectory near the church. After being locked up in his own house, the priest looked out the window and was horrified to see the anti-Catholic militants enter the church.

Once inside, they went into the sanctuary, broke open the tabernacle and in an act of desecration, threw down the ciborium – scattering the Sacred Hosts on the floor.

The priest knew exactly how many Hosts had been in the ciborium: Thirty-two.

However, the communists either failed to notice, or did not pay any attention to a small girl who had been praying at the back of the Church.

She saw everything.

That night the girl returned, and slipping past the guard at the rectory, entered the Church where she made a Holy Hour.

After her Holy Hour, she went into the sanctuary, and kneeling down, bent over and received Jesus in the Holy Communion with her tongue (Since at that time, it was not permissible lay-people to touch the Sacred Host with their hands)

Each night, the girl returned to the church to make her Holy Hour and received Jesus in Holy Communion on her tongue, just as she did the first night.

On the thirty- second night, after having consumed the last Host, she accidentally made a noise that awoke the guard who was asleep at his post by the priest’s residence.

From his bedroom window, the priest could only watch in horror as the heartrending scene unfolded before his eyes!

The girl tried to run away…
…. But the guard chased her, grabbed her, and beat her to death with the butt of his rifle!

The little girl had a heroic martyrdom – all because of her tender and deep love for the Holy Eucharist!

It was this incident that would inspire Archbishop Fulton Sheen – one of the greatest 20th century proponents of the Catholic Church – to spend one hour each, daily, before the Holy Eucharist

The daring action of that little girl inspired the heart of another fervent soul, Fulton Sheen, who would go on to influence millions to love Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!

How is our love for the Holy Eucharist?

Today we solemnly celebrate the Great Feast of the Corpus Christi – the Body and Blood of Jesus.

The Catechism of the Church teaches, “In the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained” (#1374).

On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus with His chosen disciples, celebrated the Passover Meal, taking the bread and wine, solemnly declaring, “This is my Body” (Mk 14: 22) and “This is my Blood” (Mk 14: 24)

The following day, Jesus would carry out this sacrifice of offering Himself for the expiation of the sins of the world, on Mount Calvary.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist is the perpetual continuation and adoration of the sacrifice of Calvary.

The Holy Mass is not another sacrifice.
The Holy Mass is not a repetition of the sacrifice of Calvary.
The Priest at the Holy Mass is not offering a different sacrifice.

Instead,

The Holy Mass is the same sacrifice of Jesus.
The Holy Mass is the perpetual continuation and adoration of the sacrifice of Calvary.
The Priest at the Holy Mass is Jesus Himself, the High Priest and Victim of the Sacrifice.

What is our understanding, love and commitment to the Holy Mass?

In the Holy Eucharist, we have the promise of the Emmanuel God, “I am with you always, till the end of the age” (Mt 28: 20) being fulfilled.

We live in times when…
… there is a lot of indifference growing
… there are several newer problems and crisis cropping up
… the anxiety and uncertainties caused by the pandemic are taking a toll on us

We live in a situation of faith where…
… there is a tendency to dilute many of the spiritual values
… there is a strong opposition to living holy and sanctified lives

In all such struggling moments and trying situations, we have an answer and solution in the Holy Eucharist.

The Eucharist is the story of a God who longs to dwell with us and in us.

The Eucharist is the saga of a God who is madly and passionately in love with us.

From the Cross, our Blessed Lord cried, “I thirst” (Jn 19: 28b)

Shall we not respond, with a positive affirmation, to this cry of the Lord?

It’s also good to quickly go through some “unnoticed” parts of the Holy Mass – and realize its significance, in order to understand and love the Holy Mass, more deeply and devoutly.

THE INTRODUCTORY RITE:
The Opening Prayer:

Called as the ‘Collect’, this prayer, gathers together all the intentions, and unites with the prayer of the High Priest, Jesus Himself.

An action to do: Use the moment of silent, to bring before the Lord all intentions and prayers

LITURGY OF THE WORD:
Signing ourselves on the forehead, lips and the chest

We seek His Help to cleanse our minds, lips & hearts, that we may worthily receive Jesus, the Word into our lives!

An Action to do: Use the moment, to truly have clean thoughts (mind), sincere words (lips) and honest feelings and deeds (heart)

THE OFFERTORY
a. The Offering of Bread and Wine

The Gifts, represent fruits of our labour. As the gifts, we pray, that we too be changed into His Body and Blood.

An Action to do: Use to moment, to offer our entire life to the Lord – just as we are – with all our situations, struggles, aspirations and hopes.

b. The mingling of a drop of water in the wine by the Priest

The water represents, our littleness, which is totally mingled with the wine, signifying, our intention to be one with the Divine Lord

An Action to do: Use the moment, to sincerely wanting to be united with the Lord and becoming more and more like Him!

c. The washing of the hands

The Priest – the representative of the People of God, cleanses himself and prepares, for the Most Holy Sacrifice of Calvary.

An Action to do: Use the moment, to repent of our sins and praying earnestly, never to fall into sin again!

THE PREFACE
a. Lift up your hearts
Our minds and hearts need to transcend our human worries, concerns and troubles, and be raised in heavenly contemplation

An Action to do: Use the moment, to ascend to the heights of glory, in order to recognise and be united to the Will of God in our lives.

b. Prayer:
The Church enlists (as per the Liturgical Season or the theme) the various ways in which the Lord has worked in human history. We (the Church Militant), seeking intercession for the Faithful Departed (the Church Suffering) join the beautiful choir of the saints and angels (the Church Triumphant) and angels, singing Holy Holy, Holy to the Most High God!

An Action to do: Use this moment of intense praise and Divine worship, to be longing to possess Heaven and to be filled with the radiance of this joy in this world.

THE COMMUNION RITE
Epiclesis

The portion where the power of the Holy Spirit is invoked, so that the gifts of bread and wine, may be transformed into Divine Species.

An Action to do: Use this moment, to pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit, that His Power may overshadow us

THE CONSECRATION
A small piece of the host is mingled with the Sacred Wine

Signifying the unity of the Body and Blood of the Lord pointing symbolising Resurrection, and also the Unity of the Body of Christ, the Church.

An Action to do: Use this moment, to pray for the grace to share in His Resurrection and to love the Church and be thankful for our Catholic Faith

THE HOLY COMMUNION
A moment when heaven touches the earth…when the Divine lowers itself to embrace the fallen Humanity, to raise it up to Divine status…

An Action to do: Use this moment, to be totally absorbed in the mighty ocean of God’s Mercy and experiencing the consummation of His Divine Love!

THE RITE OF THE DISMISSAL
We are asked to be the Eucharist to one another – breaking ourselves, in service!

An Action to do: Use this moment to pledge to be a True Missionary, giving His Love to all – in the little way, that we can!

There is nothing more beautiful on this earth, than the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist – the Holy Mass!

As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says: “The Eucharist is our most precious treasure… it contains all the mystery of our Salvation!”

Let us truly “Experience and Enjoy the Eucharist!”

May we grow in the love of the Holy Eucharist, for, as Bishop Fulton Sheen says, “The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host”!

In this time of the pandemic, in case, due to restrictions, we are unable to physically receive the….
…. let us make this PRAYER OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION and experience the Merciful Love of the Eucharistic Lord:
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You, Amen”

Wish you a very Happy Feast of the Holy Eucharist!

May our Blessed Mamma of the Holy Eucharist, help & intercede for us, to love the Lord more!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:

The Nestorian heresy regarded Christ as a human person joined to the divine person of God’s Son. Opposing this heresy, St. Cyril of Alexandria and the third ecumenical council, at Ephesus in 431, confessed “that the Word, uniting to himself in his person the flesh animated by a rational soul, became man.”
The Monophysites affirmed that the human nature had ceased to exist as such in Christ when the divine person of God’s Son assumed it.

Faced with this heresy, the fourth ecumenical council, at Chalcedon in 451, confessed: Following the holy Fathers, we unanimously teach and confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, composed of rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father as to his divinity and consubstantial with us as to his humanity; “like us in all things but sin”. He was begotten from the Father before all ages as to his divinity and in these last days, for us and for our salvation, was born as to his humanity of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.” (Cf. CCC # 466-467)

“Responding with faithfulness and gratitude even in fiery and harsh situations of life!”

(Based on Tob 12:1, 5-15, 20 and Mk 12:38-44 – Saturday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time)

A missionary in a particular place came across a man who had bandaged and scarred hands.

When asked what had happened, he said, “My neighbour’s straw roof was on fire.

I helped him to put it out and that’s how my hands were burned.”

It was only later that the whole story was known.

The neighbour hated him and had in anger, set his roof on fire…
… while his wife and children were asleep in the hut.

They were in great danger.

Providentially, the Christian was able to put out the fire in his house on time.

But sparks flew over to the roof of the man who had set the house on fire…
… and his house started to burn.

There was no hate in the heart of this Christian!

There was only love for his enemy

And so, he did everything he could to put out the fire in his neighbour’s house.

That is how his own hands were burned!

Life was being pretty harsh and “fiery” to him…
… but he chose to respond in faithfulness and gratitude.

Am I loyal and dedicated to do my responsibilities even if unrewarded?

The Gospel of the Day presents an act of faithfulness and courage by a widow who make a “small but highly significant contribution” to the Temple Treasury.

The passage of the day is the culmination of the 12th Chapter of the Gospel of St Mark.

This has been a volatile passage…

1. Jesus tells the parable of the Tenants (Mk 12: 1-12)
   … thereby giving out a sharp message to the Jews to accept the Messiah and not forfeit the many graces and blessings that they had been blessed with.
2. Jesus gives a fitting response to the question of paying taxes (Mk 12: 13-17)
   … thereby exhorting the concerned people to not get stuck to earthly obligations and instead gear one’s life in total allegiance to the Lord Creator
3. Jesus corrects the false notion regarding the teaching on Resurrection (Mk 12: 18-27)
   … thereby challenging to live a life in worthiness of eternity and to have the correct and deeper faith in the Living God and His Teachings
4. Jesus makes clear the greatest commandments (Mk 12: 28-34)
   … thereby inviting all to understand that there is only one true God and He deserves all the love and affection of our being and this love ought to be expressed in love of neighbour.
5. Jesus points out from Scripture that He is the Messiah, the Lord (Mk 12: 35-37)
   … thereby opening the eyes of the people to read Scripture with greater openness to the Spirit and an invitation to accept Him as the Lord of their lives.

These five pronouncements finally concludes with Jesus denouncing the action of the scribes especially in devouring the lives of the poor widows.

Jesus says, “The scribes devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers” (Mk 12: 40)
• Widows were an easy trap to be cheated…

However, the chapter ends with a beautiful counteract…

A widow – symbol of all the other widows, who have been cheated, or oppressed or facing humiliations – comes in to the Temple and drops in her ‘everything’ in the treasure!

This is indeed a powerful symbol of faithfulness and duty…
• She is a symbol of being oppressed – yet she is heartily generous
• She is an object of being condemned – yet she is mightily liberal

And she becomes a symbol of self-giving and total-emptiness.

This poor widow becomes a great challenge for us in our lives…
• Life may bite us hard with cruel luck and bad destiny…
• Life may oppress us through various elements in the society…
• Life may cheat us in the form of many people or circumstances…

Yet, through all this…
Like this poor widow,
• Can I be firm to still give to God in gratitude?
• Can I be faithful to do my responsibilities even if unrewarded?

St Paul beautifully inspires us by his life of commitment, as we hear him proclaim the words of hope:
“For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing!” (2 Tim 4:6-8)

Life will often present “fiery and harsh” situations…
… can we still chose to respond in faithfulness and gratitude.
… can we still remain loyal and dedicated to my responsibilities?

May the Blessed Mother Mary, who Herself was a poor widow, and gave Herself entirely to the Lord…

And Jesus, who like the poor widow, gave Himself entirely to His people and in doing God’s Will…
… be our inspiration, our strength and our hope!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
JESUS CHRIST – TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN

The unique and altogether singular event of the Incarnation of the Son of God does not mean that Jesus Christ is part God and part man…
… nor does it imply that he is the result of a confused mixture of the divine and the human.
He became truly man while remaining truly God. JESUS CHRIST IS TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN.
During the first centuries, the Church had to defend and clarify this truth of faith against the heresies that falsified it.
The first heresies denied not so much Christ’s divinity as his true humanity (Gnostic Docetism).
From apostolic times, the Christian faith has insisted on the true incarnation of God’s Son “come in the flesh”.
But already in the third century, the Church in a council at Antioch had to affirm against Paul of Samosata that Jesus Christ is Son of God by nature and not by adoption.
The first ecumenical council of Nicaea in 325 confessed in its Creed that the Son of God is “begotten, not made, of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father”…

… and condemned Arius, who had affirmed that the Son of God “came to be from things that were not” and that he was “from another substance” than that of the Father (Cf. CCC # 464-465)

“Willing to ‘taste and see’ the HOLY BIBLE in order to recognise the Power and Goodness of the Holy Word of God!”

(Based on Tob 11:5-15 and Mk 12:35-37 – Friday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time)

“You tell me that your Book is the Word of God, but can you prove it so?” challenged an owner of an orchard (= enclosed land with fruit trees)…
… to a Christian who was quite enthusiastic about his faith.

The owner of the orchard had very little regard and hardly cared for things of the Divine.

Faced with that question of the faith, the Christian, admiring the fruit trees in the orchard…
… went closer to an apple tree – full of luscious and juicy red ones – gently held one of the apples and said: “What fine looking apples!”

And then, changing the subject said, “But what a pity! They are of such poor quality when it comes to eating them!”

“What!” exclaimed the shocked orchard owner, “Of poor quality? How can you make such a blunt and baseless statement without even having tasted one of them!

Pick one or two and try them…!”

The Christian obliged.

As he began to eat an apple, smacking his lips he said, “Yes, you are right! The apples are excellent!”

But he went on to say, “Now Sir… you must deal with the BOOK, in the same way I dealt with your fruit!

Taste and see… the goodness contained in the Word of God!”

Yes, its only when we are willing to “taste and see” that we recognise the Power and Goodness of the Bible – the Holy Word of God!

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” are the famous words of exhortation of St Jerome, the doctor of the Church.

The Scriptures talk to us of God and of His love and providence

The Scriptures tell of us people who experienced God’s mercy and lived in His presence
The Scriptures help us to experience His care… to grow in His love.

Are we genuinely making efforts to grow in knowing and understanding the Scriptures so that we can know and understand and love our God, more deeply?

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus exhorting the people to have a closer look into the Scriptures and thereby, discovering Him in a deeper manner!

Over the last few days, we have seen Jesus facing various sorts of groups and quizzed over different aspects…

1. The Chief priests, Scribes and elders questioned Jesus on His authority
2. The Pharisees and Herodians interrogated Jesus on the subject of paying taxes to Caesar
3. The Sadducees confronted Jesus on the topic of the Resurrection
4. Another scribe enquired Jesus on the first of all the commandments

After this long round of being questioned, Jesus now puts a question to His listeners, “How do the Scribes claim that the Messiah is the Son of David? David calls Him ‘Lord’; so how is He his Son?” (Mk 12: 35,37)

The nation of Israel had King David as her greatest King.

And it was through the line of David, that the Jews knew the future Messiah would be coming.

They eagerly awaited this ‘Son of David’.

Thus was written in the Scriptures.
Thus was taught from the Scriptures.
And Jesus was aware of this aspect.

However, the Lord invites and challenges His listeners to look at Scripture in a deeper manner and to understand its greater implications.

Therefore, Jesus quotes King David from Psalm 102 which presents David calling the Messiah as the Lord.

And then He puts forward this very simple query… “How can the Son of David also be Lord of David”?

Implied in this question was the powerful claim by Jesus, that…
… He Himself was the Messiah – the Son of David and the Lord of David

Implied in this question was also the powerful answer to the previous questions that were put forward to Him by the various groups:

1. To the query on the greatest commandment…
   … Jesus declares that He is the Lord, who is to be loved with one’s whole heart, and one’s whole soul and with one’s whole mind and with one’s whole strength
2. To the confrontation on the topic of Resurrection…
   … Jesus declares that He is the Lord of the Resurrection and the One Who grants eternal life
3. To the interrogation on the subject of paying taxes to Caesar
   … Jesus declares that He is the Lord who is above all earthly kingdoms and to whom absolute allegiance is to be rendered
4. To the questioning on His authority
   … Jesus declares that He is the Lord who is the source of all authority and requires no one’s permission or authorization!

The Jews were familiar with the Scriptures…

They were familiar with the Psalms particularly…
They were familiar notable with the passages especially concerning David and the Messiah..
Yet, they had seldom considered Scriptures in the way that Jesus was presenting to them!

Jesus had cast new light on the reading of the Scriptures!

Jesus had opened a new way of looking at the Scriptures!

Our own lives can parallel the lives of these Jews, with respect to the Scriptures.

How eager and zealous are we regarding the Word of God?

How faithful and committed are we…
… to reading the Scriptures daily?
… to spend some time regularly in studying the Bible?
… to understand the person of Jesus and grow in Him through His Word?
… to inculcate the light of His Wisdom and to practice it in our daily activities and life?

Let us seek the grace of the Holy Spirit to grow in our understanding and love of the Lord and to live a life in Him!

On this First Friday of the Month of June, as we seek to renew our commitment and love to the Sacred Heart of our Blessed Lord…
… we are invited to take the resolution of spending at least a few minutes, daily – without fail – in reading the Holy Bible.

We need to read His Word
We need to learn His Word
We need to practise His Word

Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ!

Let us grow in our passion for His Holy Word and be committed to His Kingdom, so that our lives may mightily proclaim, “Jesus is Lord!”

Let us joyfully and with docility be willing to “taste and see” the HOLY BIBLE…
… in order to recognise the Power and Goodness of the Holy Word of God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE INCARNATION

Taking up St. John’s expression, “The Word became flesh”, the Church calls “Incarnation” the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.
Belief in the true Incarnation of the Son of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.”

Such is the joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning whenever she sings “the mystery of our religion.” He was manifested in the flesh! (Cf. CCC # 461-463)

“Hearing the Loving Invitation of the Lord, knocking at the door of our hearts, and in turn, expressing to Him our love and affection!”

(Based on Tob 6:10; 7:1,9-14;8:4-8 and Mk 12:28-34 – Thursday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time)

A nurse who was known to be very jovial and kind, on the paediatric ward, before listening to the little ones’ chests…
… would plug the stethoscope into their ears
… and let them listen to their own heart.

Their eyes would always light up with awe.

Once as she was doing this with a four-year old boy named David, she was amazed to hear his response!

Gently she tucked the stethoscope into little David’s ears…
… and placed the disk over his heart: ‘Listen’, she said, “What do you suppose that is?”

David drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap…
… tap, tap… tapping deep in his chest.

Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin…
… and he asked: “Is that Jesus knocking?”

This beautiful incident reminds all of us of the Gracious Presence of the Divine in each one us…
… knocking at the door of our heart, every moment

And inviting us: “Do you experience My Unconditional Love, and are you ready to offer your love to Me?”

The Gospel of the Day, is a challenging invitation to reflect on this fundamental aspect of our Christian Life…
… with the mention of a scribe, who had been watching his fellow-scribes in an argument with the Lord, and feeling impressed with Jesus, coming up to Him with a question:
“Which commandment is the first of all” (Mk 12:28)

We are not too sure of the motive of this scribe.

As per the versions of the same incident, in St Matthew (Mt 22:35) and St Luke (Lk 10:25), the person posed this question to Jesus, in order to “test him”.

The Markan version is however, silent on this aspect.

But whatever be the intention, the scribe most certainly was reflecting a common query that was widespread among the teachers and scholars of the Law:

Which was the greatest commandment or law?

God had issued the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel.

These laws were intended for the people of Israel to be “distinguished” as the chosen nation of the Lord – chosen from among all others in the world.

These laws – simple and direct in nature – were aimed towards demanding a total commitment and loyalty from the part of the people, to the Lord.

However, over time, these uncomplicated laws by which the people of Israel were to live…
… began to be expanded and extended and expounded.

It resulted in 613 commandments or stipulations:

365 of them (corresponding to the number of days in a year) were negative commandments, as in ” You shall not…”
And 248 of them (corresponding to the number of bones and major organs in the body, as per the Jewish understanding) were positive commandments, as in “You shall…”

When the Lord was asked to mention the First of all these Commandments, He puts forward the basis and the foundation of all these various laws, stipulations and commandments:
“You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk 12: 30)

And “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mk 12: 31)

Note the insistence on the word “all”….
… “all” your heart… feelings, emotions, desires
… “all” your soul… will, choices, decisions
… “all” your mind… reason, knowledge, memory
… “all” your strength… talents, abilities, capacities

The Lord commands and demands a “total” and “complete” loving!

He does not permit compromises to let our wishes to slide through…
He does not allow framing excuses to let our desires to be fulfilled…
He does not consent devising justifications to let our inclinations be satisfied…

He demands an “absolute” and “unadulterated” love!

As Christians, we often…
… seek to find “loopholes” in laws of loving the Lord and our neighbour…
… try to spot “gaps” in commandments which ask to love the Lord and our neighbour…

Our selfishness often creeps in…
Our personal desires often spoil it…
Our sinful tendencies often gain an upper hand…

But the insistence of the Lord is clear:
“Love Fully”
“Love Totally”
“Love Completely”

This is the ideal to which we, as Christians are called!

If not for this highest ideal, our life as a Christian would cease to have a uniqueness!

If not for this loftiest ideal, our life as a Christian would fail to be different from others!

Each of us as Christians are called…
… “to be holy”
… “to be set apart”
… “to be different”

This holiness comes when we seek for the highest ideal…
… loving God totally and expressing this love wholly to our neighbour.

This setting apart comes to fruition when we seek for the premier ideal…
… giving to God entirely and articulating this self-giving in humble service of others.

The call is indeed great and very lofty…

The Lord is knocking at the door of our heart, every moment…
… inviting us to “experience His Unconditional Love, and calling us to offer our love to Him!”

Shall we, at this moment… place our hands on our heart…
… hear His Loving Invitation and answer Him:

“Yes Lord, I recognise it’s You… knocking at the door of my heart… I LOVE YOU, LORD!”

God bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
WHY DID THE WORD BECOME FLESH?

The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God’s love:
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness!
Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after His example.
The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”
“For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”

“The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods (Cf. CCC # 458-460)

“With deep faith, hope and love, living in accordance with the Will of God, in our journey towards Eternity!”

(Based on Tob 3:1-11, 16-17 and Mk 12:18-27 – Wednesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time)

There was a young Christian woman – resolute and strong in faith – who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been just a few weeks to live.

She had resigned herself to the Will of the Lord…
… and so had also accepted this painful reality.

As part of her preparation for a meaningful departure from this life, she also contacted her parish priest and spoke at length.

Among the many things that she discussed, she also told, with a great sense of excitement:
“I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The priest stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say, and replying, “Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request!”

The young woman explained:
“My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement.

In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared…
… someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’
It was my favourite part because I knew that something better was coming…
… like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie.
Something wonderful, and with substance!’

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ‘What’s with the fork?’

Then I want you to tell them: ‘Keep your fork… the best is yet to come!”

The eyes of the priest welled up with tears of joy, though with a heavy heart!

He knew that this would be one of the last time he would see her…
… but he also rejoiced that the woman had great faith and hope of the glorious life to come!

At her funeral, people walking by the young woman’s casket were deeply surprised …
… seeing the fork placed in her right hand.

Over and over, the priest heard the question, ‘What’s with the fork?’

And over and over he smiled…
… and replied: “Keep your fork… the best is yet to come!”

And indeed, it’s so true!

How deep is our faith and hope in the eternal promises of the Lord…?

And how passionate are we to live in accordance with the Will of God with our eyes set on eternity…?

Do we live in accordance to this truth of the “glorious life of eternity?”

Or are we a “practical Sadducee?” – failing to be open to the Truth of Eternity and living in casualness and lethargy

The Gospel of the Day presents a group of opponents – characterised by rigidity to accept the truth.

The Sadducees came to Jesus to put forward a hypothetical riddle regarding the question of the Resurrection.

The Sadducees were the top people in the nation, the elite group of aristocrats who owned a lot of land, wealth and rank.

They were the power brokers in Israel’s supreme court, the Sanhedrin.
Even the high priests came from the families of the Sadducees.

They were selective in what they accepted from the Scriptures.

They rejected all the historical books.
They also rejected all the psalms and the other ‘writings’ like Job and Ecclesiastes.
Not one of the books of the prophets would they accept.
They were left with just the first five books of Moses.

Moses was their person of authority.

That is why when they come to Jesus, they characteristically begin, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us…” (Mk 12:19)

They also rejected the resurrection of the dead.

“Men stay dead,” they said; human beings only have this life here and now.
That is what they believed: No judgment; with death, the soul perishes with the body.

We live in a world where we also encounter many of “practical” Sadducees.

People who live as though there is no Resurrection
People who deny giving any significance for life after this life
People who fail to uphold any teachings or thoughts that support a life after death

For such “practical” Sadducees,
… Life consists in basically enjoying the pleasures of this present life to the maximum!
… Life is not to be drowned in “boring” piety and “dull” devotions with a hope for the future!

Perhaps, some of us, may also share such thought-patterns of the Sadducees.

Yet, the Lord addresses us, just as He did to the Sadducees, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mk 12: 24)

The Scriptures clearly testify to the various references that are made to the fact of the “dead” not really being dead…
… rather, alive in the Lord!

The power of God clearly testifies that God as the one who created creation out of nothing…
… also has the power to grant new life to those who are dead!

The Gospel passage ends with the statement by Jesus, “You are greatly misled” (Mk 12: 27b).

Another translation would read, “You are quite wrong”

The Lord was not afraid to clearly and bluntly tell the Sadducees that they were wrong and misled in their understandings.

And perhaps, if we are in the category of being a “modern and practical” Sadducee…
… the Lord uncompromisingly tells us also: “You are greatly misled”

We need to be open to the voice of the Lord, calling us to trust deeper, in the presence of a life after this life.

Let us cease to be a “practical Sadducee” – professing belief in the Resurrection only in lips, but failing to display this belief by a life of holiness!

It is true that we don’t have much awareness of how the “next life” would be…
… We do fall short of words to explain the nature of the life-to-come or rationally describing “how heaven would be!”
… We may even have our own fears and anxieties in thinking of death or in the parting moments of our loved ones!

But we do know for certain one thing: that we would be one with our Lord- the lover of our soul…
… the fullness of joy
… the supremacy of holiness
… the culmination of every desire

With deep faith, hope and love, let us always remember: “Keep your fork… the best is yet to come!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
WHY DID THE WORD BECOME FLESH?

With the Nicene Creed, we answer by confessing: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.”
The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who “loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins”: “the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world”, and “he was revealed to take away sins”:
Sick, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again.
We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us.
Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Saviour; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator.

Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state? (Cf. CCC # 456-457)