“Being ready to ‘break through the roof’ of all adversities, to experience the God of blessings pouring down Graces!”

(Based on Isa 35:1-10 and Lk 5:17-26 – Monday of the 2nd Week in Advent)

There is a popular quote in Hindi, which goes so:
“Bhagwaan jab deta hain, chappar phaad kar deta hain”

The meaning of the words are given below:

Bhagwaan (God) jab (when) deta hain (gives), chappar (roof) phaad (tear open) kar deta hain (gives)!

Therefore, literally, in English, this quotation would get translated as:
“When God gives, He tear opens the roofs and gives!”

The Gospel of the Day gives a similar scene of “The roof being torn open!”

Our Blessed Lord is engaged in His ministry of teaching (Lk 5: 17)

This is something that we can all learn from!

The Lord…
… though quite popular as a miracle worker
… though very admired for his mighty deeds of healing

Always gave a great priority to the “ministry of teaching”

He would always make it a point to “teach” the people

Very often, in our lives (especially those engaged in various Church ministries)…
… we neglect the aspect of teaching

We tend to run after works and ministries that are more sensational, popular and “glamorous”!

This verse of the Gospel is a challenge for us to renew our commitment to the “ministry of teaching”…
… about the Kingdom of God
… about ways to lead a Holy Life by prioritizing God above all
… about understanding the true meaning of God’s commandments

As Jesus is engaged in this “ministry of teaching”…
… a great number of Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem (Lk 5:17)

The house was fully packed, with people cramming to hear the Lord..
The house was, brimming with persons seeking the healing of the Lord..,

It was then that a group of people brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed (Lk 5: 18)

They came with much expectation to see the paralysed man, whole and well again.

They sought with an eager and earnest desire for the Lord of power and healings.

But as they approached the house… their hopes would have gone down!

The thick crowd of people would have slimmed their hopes!
The massive gathering at the door would have thinned their anticipations!

But it is when the chips are down, that one is given a chance to find strength one never knew one had…
… and put it toward the greater good.

The people came seeking for blessings…
They came seeking for the God of blessings…

But it seemed, that the firmament was closed to shower down blessings!

But then they had a hope…similar to the words…” Bhagwaan jab deta hain, chappar phaad kar deta hain!”

Yes …”When God gives, He tears opens the roofs and gives!”

And so they decided to take on this same principle that God uses to shower His blessings:
“To tear open the roof!”

“But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus” (Lk 5: 19)

“Opened up the roof” has other translations…
… “dug a hole through the roof”
…“removed part of the roof”
… “uncovered the roof”

We would perhaps think the roof was some primitive, thatched roof.

But most likely, that was not the case…

As per the architecture then, this roof was more than likely a mud clay roof with tiles

To lower the paralyzed man through the roof, they literally had to do a major demolition of the roof.

Well… picture this…

You’re in this packed house – people crammed to the max…trying to listen to Jesus.

All of a sudden you start to hear some banging on the roof.

These people would have literally tore the tiles off the roof, made a hole & lowered the paralyzed man by a rope into the house.

Then the roof materials begins to fall in on you!

Well… imagine also the people’s responses…

They would have been astonished, amazed and some even angered!
They were there to listen to Jesus….they had come early…they had won their spot…

They were perhaps hearing their life-transforming sermon!

It’s at this point, that the “roof starts tearing down!”

But Jesus, the God of blessings, is immensely pleased and edified by their faith and trust!

Their “tearing of the roof” was blessed by “pouring down of blessings”.
Their “tearing of the roof” was rewarded with a “cleansing of sins”.

Many times, we too face similar barriers and blockages in our experience for the Lord.

Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of discouragements, disappointments and distresses?

Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of ‘end-of-the-road’ feelings and ‘hopeless situations’?

Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of problems which seem impossible and unsolvable?

Difficulties and barriers will always be many in life…

Hardships and challenges will often stare on our face…

But let us have the grit and the guts to be ready to “break through the roof” of all such adversities!

Then, we will experience the God of blessings also pouring down Graces on us… “Chappar phaad ke!!” (breaking the roof)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE APOSTOLATE

The whole Church is apostolic, in that she remains, through the successors of St. Peter and the other apostles, in communion of faith and life with her origin, and in that she is “sent out” into the whole world.
All members of the Church share in this mission, though in various ways. “The Christian vocation is, of its nature, a vocation to the apostolate as well.” Indeed, we call an apostolate “every activity of the Mystical Body” that aims “to spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the earth

(CCC # 861-862)