(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 14: DEPENDING ON THE DIVINE POWER AND OFFERING EVERY LITTLE ACT TO HIS GRACE!

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:52) “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly!”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
Mother Mary exults in the Holy Spirit and acknowledges the powerful and mighty Power of God…
… Who dethrones human pride and invites all to a life a dependence on Divine Power
… Who raises every simple and little effort in life, and blesses with His Grace and Mercy

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

1. Recognise that everything in life is a Gift of God, and we need to totally depend on the Lord!
2. Realise the power of little things and allow God’s Grace to strengthen every tiny effort, remembering that “little is much when God is in it!”

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS

Give thanks to the Lord for 5 things that you did/experienced today
Do one act of charity – even if its very small – by invoking the Presence and Power of God

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, as I thank you for all your Graces in my life, inviting me totally depend on You, I offer all the things that I do – small or big – to you, and seek Your Gracious Blessings, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Experiencing life as a beautiful miracle by tuning our hearts to God’s Will, altering our minds to His My Thoughts and regulating our lives to His Commands!”

(Based on Isa 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25 and Lk 7:19-23 – Wednesday of the 3rd Week in Advent)

There is an interesting cartoon that appeared in the newspapers…

This cartoon shows a fourth-class boy, looking intently to his class teacher.

Behind them, stares a blackboard – covered with mathematics problems, which the boy has not finished.
(The teacher is apparently very upset that the boy has not completed solving the problems)

With a rare insight, the boys says: “Well, I’m not an underachiever.
You are an over-expecter!”

The cartoon throws light on an interesting human dimension: many times, we have high levels of expectations but what we achieve in life often falls short of our expectation.

We expect many things from our relationships…
… but when what we actually achieve becomes low, we get disappointed.

We expect life to bless us with many good things…
… but when what we actually achieve is less, we feel sad.

The Gospel of the Day presents this dimension that was experienced by Jesus – being considered an under-achiever, since He did not fulfil the “required and likely expectations”

The Gospel begins with the verse, “And John (the Baptist), calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord saying, ‘ Are you He Who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Lk 7:19)

John the Baptist had come preaching with much zeal and fervour.

There was fire in him…
There was blaze in his spirit…

His words testify to this aspect:
“Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit, will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt 3:10)

“You brood of vipers! Who asked you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Lk 3:7)

He had received a mandate to “be the voice of the one crying in the wilderness” (Jn 1: 23)…
… to prepare the way for the Messiah, by making the paths straight
… to prepare the people with the strong message of repentance and warning of the judgment to come

He expected Jesus – the Messiah…
… to set afire the world with the might of judgement
… to come with fury and force and establish the Kingdom of God (Mt 3: 12)

But as the ministry of Jesus progressed…

John’s expectations were not being fulfilled, in the way he thought.

Jesus epitomized love…
… though judgement was surely warned, with respect to sin

Jesus embodied compassion…
… though fury was seen with respect to obstinacy in sin

The style of the ministry of Jesus was contrary to what John expected!

And so word was sent to ask Jesus, “Are you the One Who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Lk7: 20)

Many times, in our lives, we too experience such unfulfilled expectations.

This is true not only in our relationships with one another or with the blessings of life, but even with God!

We have sometimes a set pattern of the way God should work…
We have sometimes a rigid understanding of the Providence of God…

A sickness or an illness strikes our family…
A disaster or a calamity hits our life…
A painful tragedy or an unexpected mishap happens…
A prayer remains unanswered for ages or a sin remains stuck for years…

And…
… we begin to lose hope
… we have our minds filled with doubts
… we begin to question the Power of God

As humans, all these things are understandable and even quite natural.

But the call of the Gospel is to “open our eyes and see the wonders that the Lord does, every moment of our lives”
“… the blindness of our sin being restored, with the sight of forgiveness
…. the lame excuses of our laziness being challenged, to walk with enthusiasm
… the leprosy of our indifference being touched, to allow us to extend generosity
… the deafness of our insensitivity being opened, to hear the cries of the needy
… the dead hopes of our lives being given a fresh lease of life to spur us towards eternity
… the poverty of our hearts being filled with the richness of God’s glorious blessings and grace”
(Cf Lk 7:22)

Yes…
When we open our eyes, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we realise the wonders that God keeps doing in our lives…
… Every moment… at every step of our life!

Prophet Isaiah very powerfully reminds us:
“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!)…
… Who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!).

I am the Lord, and there is no other.” (Is 45:18)

Perhaps, sometimes we are “over-expecters”

Expecting God to work
… in the way we want
… in the time that we want

But the Lord looks at us and is perhaps telling us:
“I am no under-achiever!

Tune your hearts to My Will…
Alter your minds to My Thoughts…
Regulate your lives to My Commands…
… and you will see…
Life is a beautiful miracle… at all times… at all moments!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE TEACHING OFFICE

Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task “to preach the Gospel of God to all men,” in keeping with the Lord’s command.
They are “heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers” of the apostolic faith “endowed with the authority of Christ.”
In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility.

By a “supernatural sense of faith” the People of God, under the guidance of the Church’s living Magisterium, “unfailingly adheres to this faith.” (CCC # 888-889)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 13: HUMBLING ONESELF, TO HAVE GOD, AS THE GREATEST STRENGTH OF LIFE!

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:51) “He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
Filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, Mamma Mary proclaims the Magnificat and reminds every human person…
… to make God as the Sole and Solid Strength of life
… to humble oneself before the Awesome Authority of God

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

1. Rely totally on God as the Strength of life, Who can lift us from any situation of misery, pain and humiliation!
2. Have the courage to humble oneself totally before the Grace of God, as we are reminded, “the rivers of Grace flow, not on the mountains of pride, but through the valley of humility!”

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS?

Earnestly pray this verse: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me!” (Phil 4:13)
Identify an area/situation wherein I need to humble myself; practise it consciously today!

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, give me the Grace to bank on You as the Greatest Strength of my life, and help me to walk in Your Path in humility and dependence, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Loving the Lord and being willing to make suitable changes, to give highest importance to His Will!”

(Based on Zeph 3:1-2, 9-13 and Mt 21:28-32 – Tuesday of the 3rd Week in Advent)

A man who was engaged, took his fiancé for dinner on her birthday.

When they sat down, he laid an elaborate box on the table – her birthday gift.

All the while they were eating dinner, she just kept thinking about this box – because it was a big box – and she wanted to know what was inside.

She could hardly eat.

The waiting to open the gift was disturbing her…
… but her boyfriend told her to open the gift, after dinner.

All she could think about was what was in the box. Finally, when dinner was over, she asked:
“Can I open the box now?”

“Yeah, you can!”

She opened the box…
… and pulled out a pillow.

“Oh, wow, I mean, this is a nice pillow…
… but it’s a pillow.”

She turned the pillow over, thinking that something was taped to the back.

There was nothing.

“Well, thank you!”

It was obvious she was disappointed that she got a pillow.

Her boyfriend, however, got up, took the pillow from her…
… and laid the pillow on the floor.

He got down on one knee, took her by the hand, and said, “Will you love me for life?”

The girl now totally gave up the pillow!

The pillow was no longer so important for her
Instead… the one who gave her the pillow, now became much more important!

Love for a person trifles every peripheral need and discomforts!

When you discover love for a person, you begin to go beyond difficulties…
… and seek to strengthen your relationship with the person.

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful story of “willingness to make suitable changes, and giving importance to the person, in order to display one’s love…
… rather than being restricted with peripheral and external promises, without sincerity!”

The Gospel presents to us…
… the story of a son who – though initially seemed reluctant – but finally would overcome difficulties, and follow the words of his father
… and contrasted by his brother who fails to keep up his word!

The passage begins with the first son being asked by the father: “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” (Mt 21:28)

And the son replying initially in the negative; but later repenting: “And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went” (Mt 21:29)

This is contrasted by the other son – who was given the same order – and replied in the positive initially, but later would retract from his words

“And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.” (Mt 21:30)

These two sons could represent our own attitudes to the Divine Will:
Failure to understand initially but later repenting and doing what God wants

An initial fervour to do all what God wants, but failure to sustain in this pursuit

The first son may have had his own reasons to refuse the will of his father initially…

Maybe…
… he was lazy
… he had some other commitments
… he did not give much importance to his father’s words
… he was too proud and least bothered about what other’s wanted including his father

The reasons could be anything

But the parable tells, that he had a realization…
… and that would make him do what his father wanted!

The Gospel explains this with a phrase: “… but afterward, he repented.”

Maybe, we too need to have this “Repenting Experience” in our lives in order to follow the Will of our Heavenly Father

In instances, when we feel lazy in life…
… “to repent” and to push ourselves with the Graces offered by God

In times, when we have other commitments other than the Kingdom of God…
… “to repent” and to bring back our first priority to do what God wants in our life

In situations, when we don’t give much importance to the ways of God…
… “to repent” and to remain docile and open to the Power and Providence of God in life

In moments, when our pride overwhelms us, and we become too cosy and careless…
… “to repent” and to bow down before the Awesome and Majestic Presence of God

It is possible that sometimes we get so occupied with the trifles and peripherals of life…
… that we fail to understand that “growing in relationship with our Lord” is the most important task of our life!

We tend to get more attracted to the “big box that allures us” …
… than to spend time with the Lord…understand His Mind deeper and to love Him more!

The Lord today invites us through this parable of the two sons, to become people…
… who not only pledge our words but our life also to Him!
… who not only make an external profession but commit with an inner passion for the Kingdom!

Yes, let us understand that “Love for a person trifles every peripheral need and discomforts!”

When you discover love for a person, you begin to go beyond difficulties and seek to strengthen your relationship with the person.

When we love the Lord, we also ought to be willing to make suitable changes, and give importance to His Will…
… rather than being restricted with peripheral and external promises, without sincerity!

The Lord, Who humbled Himself – as a boy kneeling on a pillow, desiring for love – asks us the question: “Will you love me for life?”

What is our answer?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE EPISCOPAL COLLEGE AND ITS HEAD, THE POPE

The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular Churches.”
As such, they “exercise their pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them,” assisted by priests and deacons.
But, as a member of the episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches.
The bishops exercise this care first “by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the universal Church,” and so contributing “to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches.”
They extend it especially to the poor, to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working throughout the world.

Neighbouring particular Churches who share the same culture form ecclesiastical provinces or larger groupings called patriarchates or regions.

The bishops of these groupings can meet in synods or provincial councils. “In a like fashion, the episcopal conferences at the present time are in a position to contribute in many and fruitful ways to the concrete realization of the collegiate spirit” (CCC # 876-877)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 12: GLORIFY GOD IN EVERYTHING!

BIBLE VERSE:
(Lk 1:46) “My soul magnifies the Lord!”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
Mamma Mary, filled with Grace and Joy, proclaims the magnanimous deeds of the Lord, as we are reminded…
… to be grateful to God for His continual endowment of Grace and Mercy
… to give Glory to God in all the works that we do and in all the ministries that we engage in

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

1. Become aware of the constant shower of Grace that is bestowed on us – even when we go through the deserts of pain and hardship
2. Let every work that is undertaken, render glory and praise to God

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS?

Identify three areas/situation that you have seen God’s Protective hand, and express your gratitude
Pick up any work you did today, and give glory to God for His Graces that guided you.

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, help me to always be grateful for your innumerable Mercies, and to do everything – not for name or fame – but for Your Greater Glory, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Rooting out all pessimistic mind-sets, and focussing instead on growth in holiness and humility!”

(Based on Num 24:2-7, 15-17 and Mt 21:23-27 – Monday of the 3rd Week in Advent)

Once, a preacher was speaking the Word of God to a great crowd.

As was his practice, he was concentrating more on the content of his message and of its effect upon the hearts of people, for transformation…
… rather than the precise literary form of it.

Among his audience, was seated a certain fussy gentleman.

He had been known for making extremely critical remarks and comments.

At the end of the prayer service, this person went up to the preacher and said:
“By the way, I noticed that you made eleven mistakes of grammar in your sermon.”

“Very likely,” replied the preacher, very coolly, “I don’t doubt it for a minute.
My early education was faulty. I often wished that I had received more schooling.

But I am using all the grammar I know in the service of Christ.

How is it with you?”

Well, we don’t know how the fussy gentleman reacted to this bold and true reply of the preacher.
(Hopefully, he went home and read a chapter of the Bible and prayed for a humbler heart…
… rather than just revising his skills of grammar!)

When the heart is closed to God’s spirit, the focus dwells only external and peripheral factors…

The heart gets closed to spiritual appreciation…
The mind remains curious only for rhetorical arguments!

The Gospel of the Day presents such a critically harsh and uncharitably closed attitude of the chief priests and scribes and elders towards the person and ministry of Jesus.

This is expressed in their volatile question to Jesus:
“By what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority?” (Mt 21: 23)

The context of today’s Gospel is the presence of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem.

Chapter 21 of St Mathew’s Gospel has a progressive sequence…

The entry into Jerusalem (Mt 21: 1-11)
The ‘re-storation’ in the Temple at Jerusalem and indignant behaviour of authorities(Mt 21:12-16)
The entry to Bethany and cursing of the fig tree (Mt 21: 17-22)
The ‘re-entry’ to the Temple at Jerusalem and questioning of Jesus by the authorities (Mt 21: 23-27)

The popularity of Jesus was on the rise…
… He had a rousing welcome to the city of Jerusalem

The impact of Jesus was also on the rise…
… He had performed a daring cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple

These factors had greatly disturbed the religious leaders.

In Jesus, they perceived a threat.
… a threat to their attitude of subjugating people to their yoke than to service of God

In Jesus, they sensed a danger.
… a danger to their personal wishes and agenda of having a monopoly over religion

In Jesus, they identified a menace.
… a menace to their comfort-rendering style of spirituality and way of life.

And so, they – the chief priests and scribes and the elders – sought to put Jesus to the task and questioned His authority on doing such deeds and performing such actions.

Their eyes were closed to see the goodness of the Lord
Their hearts had become clogged to examine their own maligned conscience
Their lives were rendered blocked to be willing to make necessary changes for the good.

Instead…
… they only found fault with the Lord
… they only become critical of the ways of the Lord

When the heart is closed to God’s spirit, the focus dwells only external and peripheral factors…

The heart gets closed to spiritual appreciation…
The mind remains curious only for rhetorical arguments!

Is such an attitude prevalent among us also?

A mentality of harshly criticising…
A tendency to inhumanly condemn…
… without any consideration to humanness or acceptance or self-examination etc.

Let us root out all such pessimistic mind-sets and focus instead on growth in holiness and humility!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE EPISCOPAL COLLEGE AND ITS HEAD, THE POPE

When Christ instituted the Twelve, “he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them.”
Just as “by the Lord’s institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter’s successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another.”
The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the “rock” of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.
“The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head.”
This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church’s very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, “is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.”
“For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.”
“The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter’s successor, as its head.” As such, this college has “supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff.”
“The college of bishops exercises power over the universal Church in a solemn manner in an ecumenical council.”
But “there never is an ecumenical council which is not confirmed or at least recognized as such by Peter’s successor.”

“This college, in so far as it is composed of many members, is the expression of the variety and universality of the People of God; and of the unity of the flock of Christ, in so far as it is assembled under one head.” (CCC # 880-885)

“Standing up, with joy, for Jesus amid every difficulty, and cleansing our hearts so that our Blessed Lord can be born in us!”

(Based on Zeph 3:14-18 a, Phil 4:4-7 and Lk 3:10-18 – 3rd Sunday in Advent, Year C)

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, 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 Colosseum.

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 the 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 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 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 the 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 the 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 Colosseum 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 Colosseum.

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 Colosseum.

The memory of that man screaming to the crowd, and the image of the bloodthirsty 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 Colosseum.

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

Today, as Christians, we are challenged and demanded by our Blessed Lord:
“Are you willing to stand up for me?”

But we often find ourselves lost, and ask the Lord, “What shall we do?”

The Gospel of the Day throws light on this aspect – “What shall we do?”

We are on the third Sunday of the Season of Advent.

This is called the Gaudete Sunday – the Sunday of Joy.

We are more than halfway through the season in preparation for Christ.

Sometimes, like runners, in a marathon…
… we may feel tired of this preparation
… or we may think, when is the destination going to reach?

And so we may get wearied… tired… or feel exhausted.

But the Church, our caring Mother, knows Her children, and tells us…
“Just a few more days… and it will be Christmas!
Do not give up hope… Instead, continue to prepare…
In joy… in happiness… in expectancy…”
Thus, this Third Sunday of Advent, we celebrate as Gaudete (= Joyful, in Greek) Sunday.

On this Joyful Sunday, “What shall we do?” is the constant refrain that we encounter in the Gospel.

The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What then shall we do?” (Lk 3:10)
The tax-collectors asked John the Baptist, “Teacher, what shall we do?” (Lk 3:12)
The soldiers asked John the Baptist, “And we, what shall we do?” (Lk 3:14)

This then is what we also ask our Blessed Lord, as we come before Him, this 3rd Sunday of Advent – “What shall we do?”

And both – John the Baptist, the fore-runner and Jesus, the Messiah – are telling us:
“Repent of your sins”
… especially those to whom you have been clinging on for a long time

“Depend more on God’s Power”
… especially to many of us, who rely more on our own power and strength

“Take the Word of God more seriously
… especially by picking up the Bible more often, reading, meditating and living more in It

“Be more faithful to the Church”
… especially in times when there is a lot of criticism of the Church and there is a demand for loyalty and passion from the members themselves.

“Receive the Sacraments more frequently”
… especially to grow deeper in the love of God and become a God’s mighty witnesses in a world that often challenges the faith and dilutes the Gospel values

Let us give heed to the call of St John the Baptist and the love of Jesus, so that our preparation for Christmas, may truly become more meaningful and more worthy!

Thus, we can “stand up for Jesus” amid any difficulties and worries of life!
Yes, let us keep on cleansing our hearts so that our Blessed Lord can be born in us!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE HIERARCHICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH

It belongs to the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry that it have a personal character. Although Christ’s ministers act in communion with one another, they also always act in a personal way.
Each one is called personally: “You, follow me” in order to be a personal witness within the common mission, to bear personal responsibility before him who gives the mission, acting “in his person” and for other persons: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit …”; “I absolve you….”
Sacramental ministry in the Church, then, is at once a collegial and a personal service, exercised in the name of Christ.

This is evidenced by the bonds between the episcopal college and its head, the successor of St. Peter, and in the relationship between the bishop’s pastoral responsibility for his particular church and the common solicitude of the episcopal college for the universal Church. (CCC # 878-879)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 11: GIVING GOD’S PRESENCE TO OTHERS!

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:41) “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth [was] filled with the Holy Spirit…”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
Carrying the Fullness of Grace in Her Womb, Mother Mary reaches out in humble service to Elizabeth, who, on hearing the voice of her Blessed Cousin…
… is filled with the Joyful Presence of the Holy Spirit
… and experiences her child – John, who is to be the Baptist – leaping for delight, just as the Ark of the Covenant made King David to leap for joy (Cf. 2 Sam 6:14-22)

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

1. Be an instrument of the Holy Spirit, so that your presence brings joy and hope to the people around you
2. Mother Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant – having Jesus the Word, Jesus the Manna (Bread) and Jesus, the Priest in her womb

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS?

Pray daily to the Holy Spirit, and say: “Holy Spirit, fill my heart with your love and joy!”
Learn by heart, any 3 verses of the Bible

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, fill my heart with the joy of Your Holy Spirit, and may I radiate joy and hope to everyone in my life, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Preparing our hearts to receive His Word as He wishes, in our life and seek to live, in total accord with Him!”

(Based on Sir 48: 1-4, 9-11 and Mt 17:9a, 10-13 – Saturday of the 2nd Week in Advent)

It was December in the year 1903.

After several attempts, the Wright brothers – achieved success in getting their “flying machine” off the land.

They were very much thrilled!

They telegraphed this message Katherine, their sister, informing her of the great invention:
“We have actually flown 120 feet! Will be home for Christmas”

The sister was also super-excited.

She rushed to the editor of the local newspaper, to share the great news and showed him the telegraph message.

The editor glanced at the message and said:
“How nice! So the boys will be home for Christmas!”

Oh! The Editor had completely missed the big news – that man had flown for the first time in history!!

How often is this our experience too in life – Missing the Important Points and settling for lower ones!

We fail to give attention to the most important things of life?

Instead, we get carried away by some other less priorities of life!

This is so true, especially with respect to the Word of God?

The Lord promises so many wonderful things in His Holy Word..
… but often, we miss the point.

Something similar had happened to the people of Israel as well…

God had promised them of the coming of the Messiah…
… but they missed the point..
… and thus, failed to recognise the Saviour He came!

God had promised that Prophet Elijah of old would return…
… but they missed the point…
… and thus, failed to recognize the Prophet when he came!

This is what Jesus points out to His disciples in today’s Gospel, when He says: “I tell you, Elijah has already come and they did not recognise him; but did to him, whatever they pleased” (Mt 17: 12)

John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, had come, preaching the message of repentance and conversion of heart (Mt 3:1)

The Gospel says that John the Baptist…
… wore a clothing made of camel’s hair
… had a leather belt around his waist
… had food of locusts and wild honey (Mt 4: 4)

This appearance was very similar to that of Elijah, the Prophet (2 Kings 1:8)

But in their encounter with John the Baptist, the people failed to recognise him as the “Elijah who was to come”

And thus John the Baptist came to be…
… rejected
… derided
… finally killed!

Many times in our life, we too “miss the point” in our encounter with the Lord…

He gives His Beautiful Word to us…
… but we fail to be encouraged by It and live by It

He makes many wonderful promises of assurance and guidance…
… but we fail to live a life of trust and confidence

He offers Himself wonderfully in the Sacraments, especially Confession and Holy Eucharist…
… but we fail to derive the necessary fruits from Them

Today, the Gospel invites us, to look at God’s Promises, God’s Word’s and God’s Will…
… and discover the true purpose of it in our lives.

This is truer as we prepare for Christmas…
Jesus is the BIG POINT of the Christmas

Let us dare not “miss Him”!

May we prepare our hearts to receive His Word as He wishes, in our life…
… and seek to live, in total accord with Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism

Intrinsically linked to the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry is its character as service.
Entirely dependent on Christ who gives mission and authority, ministers are truly “slaves of Christ,” in the image of him who freely took “the form of a slave” for us.
Because the word and grace of which they are ministers are not their own, but are given to them by Christ for the sake of others, they must freely become the slaves of all.
Likewise, it belongs to the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry that it have a collegial character. >> In fact, from the beginning of his ministry, the Lord Jesus instituted the Twelve as “the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy.”
Chosen together, they were also sent out together, and their fraternal unity would be at the service of the fraternal communion of all the faithful: they would reflect and witness to the communion of the divine persons.
For this reason every bishop exercises his ministry from within the episcopal college, in communion with the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter and head of the college.
So also priests exercise their ministry from within the Presbyterium of the diocese, under the direction of their bishop. (CCC # 876-877)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 10: SEEKING GOD’S WILL ALWAYS & LIVING IN HUMILITY

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:38) “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to Your Word!”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
Receiving the Word of God, Mamma Mary bows Her head in humble submission to the Will of God, as She teaches all humanity…
… to give highest priority in doing the Will of God
… to clothe oneself with the virtue of humility to allow God to work wonders in life

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

1. Seek the Will of God in everything that you do in life
2. Be daring to practise the virtue of humility, as St Augustine reminds us: “Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.”

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS?

Before entering into any venture/work, make it a habit to ask: “What is God’s Will for me?”
Practise 3 simple acts of humility today

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of Mamma Mary, who is an example to always seek Your Will in our lives, and is an inspiration to live in humility, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!