“Not being stony-hearted; rather having tender, loving, understanding and compassionate hearts!

(Based on Jer 20:10-13 and Jn 10:31-42 – Friday of the 5th Week in Lent)

“We are strewn all over the ground.

Some of us are considered useless….

Some of us are just stamped upon…
Some are made use in some hard labour…
Some of us…
… well…some of us, however, are made use for some inhuman practices.

This includes making use of some of us, to hurt others
… to cause pains and wounds to others
… and some even to cause fatal deaths!

Our life is often long…
… but sometimes, such kind of painful moments and incidents, ooze out any bit of feelings we may have (though we are considered not to be having any sentiments!)

Are you wondering who we are?

Well…
… we are the family of stones!

Yep… Stones!

Strewn all over…
Sometimes useless, right?
Sometimes just stamped upon, right?
Sometimes just made use for hard labour, right?
But sometimes, some of us, the stones
… also become objects of injuring and causing pain to others

One such occasion was when, as you read in the Gospel of St John 8
… some of us were picked up by a gang of highly malicious, judgmental and selfish people, to cause death to a woman who was caught in an act of immorality.

We were ready to thrown on that woman.
We were set to become objects of brutality and terror.

However, that day, we encountered the most amazing personality.

He had glorious eyes.

He had a breath-taking voice.
He had a tremendous authority.

His name was Jesus!

And His one sentence, “He who is without sin, let him be the first to stone” dropped the jaws of all those blood-thirsty and cruel people.

We were all released from their hands.

We saw them all turning their backs and going home, in shame.
We also saw, the wonderful triumph of Mercy and Love and Compassion.

However, a few days later, some of us were soon back to find ourselves in the hands of those blood-thirsty men.

This time, the target was none other than that same charismatic person named Jesus.

You read about that in John 10:31, “The Jews took up stones again to stone Jesus”

We were left wondering why this innocent man was being targeted so badly.

He was after all preaching the Kingdom of God.
He was bringing the message of God’s Love and salvation to the world.

By His Life, He was declaring Himself to be the Messiah from God.

By His works, He was also proving Himself to be the Son of God.

But none of these “clear-cut” evidences were able to convince those people.

They still believed that Jesus was a blasphemer.
They still were determined to think that Jesus was a heretic.

And so they picked us up
…yes, we the stones
… to indulge themselves in a blood-bath of the Blessed Man of claimed Himself to be the Lord and Saviour of the World!

Prophet Jeremiah also had a similar experience of being denounced by the people…
… and centuries ago, recounting his own struggle, had written these prophetic words about the Saviour: “For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side!
‘Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’ say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall.
‘Perhaps he will be deceived, then we can overcome him, and take our revenge on him!’” (Jer 20:10)

Our thoughts go out to those people who have such ruthless and stony intentions….

God had blessed them with such beautiful hearts.
God had showered them with so much of wisdom to discern and understand.

Yet, they failed to make use of these divine gifts and instead, had hardened their hearts!

What a pity, that those human beings had become like us
… stones!

Yes, just how could they become stone-hearted?

Stone-hearted
… that they failed to be open to the possibility of God’s hand at work.

Stone hearted
… that they were adamant to be closed to any explanation of the Lord.

Stone-hearted
… that they were stubborn to listen to the voice of God’s Spirit in their lives.

We, the stones, now appeal to you, dear readers, to be wary and examine your lives: Are you also sometimes acquiring a nature like us, the stones…
… hard to the feelings of other people and failing to understand them?
… rigid to the inspirations of the Spirit of God and not letting Him work in your lives?
… inflexible to have changes and transformations in life, to attune oneself to God’s Will?

There are already many of us in the world…

On your streets, on your roads
… we are all, indeed strewn all over the place
…we, the stones.

But we sincerely beg you…
… not to let your hearts to become like us
… not to let your lives to be similar to our nature.

Let the world have more of, not stony-hearts…
… but tender, loving, understanding and compassionate hearts!

Let the world have more of, not hardened souls…
… but docile, open, submissive and humble lives!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
GOD IS TRUTH
The sum of your word is truth; and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.

This is why God’s promises always come true.
God is Truth itself, whose words cannot deceive. This is why one can abandon oneself in full trust to the truth and faithfulness of his word in all things.
The beginning of sin and of man’s fall was due to a lie of the tempter who induced doubt of God’s word, kindness and faithfulness.
God’s truth is His wisdom, which commands the whole created order and governs the world.
God, who alone made heaven and earth, can alone impart true knowledge of every created thing in relation to himself.
God is also truthful when he reveals himself – the teaching that comes from God is “true instruction”.
When he sends his Son into the world it will be “to bear witness to the truth” (Cf. CCC #215-217) ——————————–

(Based on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord)

This simple and beautiful little story is told about a long, tedious train journey, made by some elderly residents of a nursing home who were on their way to a vacation spot.

At one station, a young mother with a small child entered the train.

The child smiled at all the grim faces around him and began moving from one lap to another…
… talking, shouting with joy and chatting with everyone.

Instantly, the grim and silent atmosphere in the train was changed to one of joy and happiness.

Today is the celebration of the day when our Blessed Lord and Mamma Mary entered into the “train of human life” to begin a journey of “joy and mirth!”

On this Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we remember with joy and gratitude how Mary said “Yes to the Divine Plan”….
… to pave the way for Her Divine Son Jesus to transform a hopeless, joyless and sinful world into a place of joy and happiness!

This Announcement of the Good News of the beginning of salvation history, with the encounter of Blessed Virgin Mary with Angel Gabriel, is the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord.

Mother Mary, at the Annunciation teaches us many things…

1. Mother Mary teaches the supreme goodness of obedience

Heaven had chosen a simple girl, Mary to be the Mother of Jesus, the Saviour.

When Angel Gabriel was sent to seek Her consent, Mary, after the initial moments of fear, bowed Herself in obedience: “Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to Me, according to Your Word” (Lk 1: 38)

This obedience to God’s Will would turn out to be Her fortress and strength – in moments of uncertainty, loneliness, dread and agony.

2. “Faithfulness, thy true Daughter is Mary!”

One of the most outstanding qualities to be admired and imitated from our Blessed Mother is “to be faithful”
In Mother Mary, we have a person, who remained faithful at all times…
… even when there were dark clouds of unwarranted humiliation looming over her
… even when unforeseen difficulties encountered Her during the birth of Jesus
… even when she encountered many situations which were not understood by Her
… even when life surrounded her with agonising moments and heartbreaking instances

The “Fiat” at the Annunciation would be lived all through Her life

This act of being “faithful forever” was a result of the constant choices that She made to listen and obey to God’s Will always.

3. Mary was ready to be moulded and shaped by God

When Mary was entrusted with the greatness of the task, She gave Herself readily to the power of God

She didn’t hold back anything; She was complete in Her surrender

It is when we offer ourselves wholly and be ready to be moulded and shaped by the Lord, that He can perform wonders through us.

4. Mary held on to Jesus as the Greatest Treasure of Her life
   The greatness and the eminence of Mother Mary came as result of Her single-minded focus and love: Everything for Jesus and in Jesus.

When in the womb…
… Her sole attention was on Jesus

While in the manger…
… Her whole care was for Jesus

While in His ministry…
… Her thoughts were centred on Him

While on the Cross…
… Her entire self rested on Him

It is when Jesus becomes the Treasure of our life, that our lives gets enshrined in Grace and Holiness

5. Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant, bearing Jesus.
   The Scriptures easily point to the fact that Mother Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant

The ark in the OT travelled to the land of Judah and remained for 3 months (2 Sam: 6:1-11)

The Ark in the NT, Mary travels to Judah, to meet Her cousin Elizabeth and remained for 3 months (Lk 1:39, 56)

David danced and leaped, and shouted before the ark in the OT (2 Sam 6:14)

In the NT, John, the babe, leaped and Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry before Mary (Lk 1: 41, 43)

Inside the ark of the Old Covenant was the manna – the miraculous bread from heaven, the staff of Aaron, the Priest and the tablets of the covenant (Heb 9:4)

The NT Ark, Mother Mary had within Her Jesus, the Bread of Life, Jesus, the Eternal Priest and Jesus, the Law-giving Word!

As the New Ark of the Covenant, Mother Mary deserves our highest veneration and honour, which will lead us to a greater closeness and intimacy with the One, She derives all Her praise – Jesus, Her Son and our Brother!

May we embrace Mary, the beautiful instrument chosen by God…
… and be led to love the Lord more!

The Feast of the Annunciation is an invitation for us…

To grow deeper into embracing the Will of God in our lives.
To give consent to the inspirations of the Lord that comes constantly to us.
To be open to march forward in faith and hope, in our life of faith in the Lord.

The Lord is wishing to find a place in a willing heart, even today…

Just as Mary, our Loving Mother, who said Yes to the Will of the Lord, let us also, say Yes to God’s Will…
… and allow our Blessed Lord and Mamma Mary with St Joseph, to enter into the “train of our life” and to have a journey of “joy and mirth!”

Happy Feast of the Annunciation.

Let us continue to hold on to our Blessed Mamma
Let us continue to seek to grow in the Love of Her Beloved Son.

God bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
GOD, “HE WHO IS”, IS TRUTH AND LOVE
God, “HE WHO IS”, revealed himself to Israel as the One “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”

These two terms express summarily the riches of the Divine Name.
In all His works God displays, not only His kindness, goodness, grace and steadfast love…
… but also His trustworthiness, constancy, faithfulness and truth.
He is the Truth, for “God is light and in him there is no darkness”
“God is love,” as the apostle John teaches. (CCC # 214)

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“Making a firm commitment and holding on to the Lord, even when we know it is God’s Will that is permitting us, to experience momentary suffering and struggle!”

(Based on Dan 3:14-20, 24-25, 28 and Jn 8:31-42 – Wednesday of the 5th Week in Lent)

Valiant stories of courage and faith are always an inspiration!

One such beautiful incident is narrated in the 3rd Chapter of the Book of Daniel

This chapter describes how the Jews were forced to bow down before a golden image of King Nebuchadnezzar.

However, three young men – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – refused to do so, and held on to their faithfulness to God Yahweh.

This act of defiance infuriated the king and he warned them of severe consequences if they failed to to do what he commanded.

At this, the three young, displaying immense courage and faith in the Lord responded:
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
But if not, be it known to you, O king…
… that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up!” (Dan 3:16-17)

The three young men were convinced of the mighty delivering Hand of the Lord…

But not only that; they also boldly offered themselves to the Will of God and declared…
… “even if it is the Will of God, that we should momentarily suffer in this fire, we will still be faithful to God!”

That’s Faith! That’s Trust!

Holding on to the Lord, not only because you wish that God will answer your prayer, in the way you want, and in the time you want…
… but being faithful to the Lord, even when you know it is God’s Will that is permitting you, to experience momentary suffering and struggle!

Being convinced of the Truth and Beauty of God’s Will…
… they were willing to make every sacrifice – and go against every stubborn temptation!

Are we ready to open our eyes to this Truth of knowing and accepting God’s Will in our life?

Or do we remain stubborn and defiant in the ‘temptation to think and do as per our own wishes’…
… and fail to experience the Divine Power of the Lord?

The Gospel of the Day is a continuation of the Jews getting into arguments with Jesus on the question of His Divinity.

The Lord invites them open their eyes to see and experience the Truth…
… but they close their minds, and choose to remain stubborn, in their own understanding

The Lord exposes before them the futility of being ignorant and the advantage of knowing the Truth…
… but they wilfully choose to remain stuck in their past knowledge and be unwilling to open their hearts to possibilities of change.

Jesus, the Truth-Incarnate, declares: “You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free” (Jn 8: 31)

But the people retorted and answered: “… we have never been enslaved…” (Jn 8: 33)

They considered slavery from only a physical perspective!

They were extremely offended when Jesus considered them to be slaves!

But Jesus brings the focus into right perspective (as he does always!), and speaks of a deadlier form of slavery and a higher form of freedom…

A slavery to Sin…
… that causes one to be away from God and His people

A slavery to ignorance and error…
… that causes one to be closed to God’s Word and prevent His transformation to take place within

He invites to receive Freedom in Him…
… that enjoins with knowing and doing the Father’s Will
… that liberates one from the bondages of death, and leads into peace and joy!

The danger to remain stagnant in sinful or ignorant ways constantly lurks in our life:

The Truth of the Bible is often presented to us in appealing and interesting formats…
… but we often seek to remain ignorant or don’t show any interest to read and understand God’s Word

The beauty of the Sacramental Life and the Teachings of the Church is laid before our eyes…
… but we time and again, tend to be lethargic, casual and sometimes even, hostile to them

Our eyes often come into contact with the suffering lot of people, in and around us…
… but many times, we turn a blind eye to them and remain indifferent in our cosy lifestyle

Each of us needs a purification…
Each of us needs a movement…
… a purification from our stubborn ways to a life of obedience and docility to God’s Word
… a movement from a sluggish life of faith to being a fervent and committed Christian

Yes, Jesus is constantly extends His Nail-Scarred Hands, inviting us to a life of holiness and sanctity.

Let us make a self-examination of our state of life…
… realize the need to have a purification and a movement…
… and embrace and live with Jesus, the Truth, “Who sets us free!”

Today, let us make a firm commitment – like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three young men in the Book of Daniel, whose life was a valiant story of courage and faith

And hold on to the Lord, not only because we wish that God will answer our prayer, in the way we want and in the time we want…
… but being faithful to the Lord, even when we know it is God’s Will that is permitting us, to experience momentary suffering and struggle!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
Over the centuries, Israel’s faith was able to manifest and deepen realization of the riches contained in the revelation of the divine name. God is unique; there are no other gods besides him.

He transcends the world and history. He made heaven and earth: “They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment….but you are the same, and your years have no end.”
In God “there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
God is “HE WHO IS,” from everlasting to everlasting, and as such remains ever faithful to Himself and to His promises.
The revelation of the ineffable name “I AM WHO AM” contains then the truth that God alone IS. >> The Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and following it the Church’s Tradition, understood the Divine Name in this sense: God is the fullness of Being and of every perfection, without origin and without end. All creatures receive all that they are and have from him…
… but He alone Is His very being, and He is of Himself everything that He Is. (CCC # 212-213)

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“Being wary of the menaces to be adamantly self-righteous, to be engrossed only in the affairs of this world and to be obstinately closed in spirit!”

(Based on Num 21:4-9 and Jn 8:21-30 – Tuesday of the 5th Week in Lent)

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death.

Though it has many and wide range of reasons and factors, the cause is frequently attributed to mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, alcoholism, or drug abuse.

Stress factors such as financial difficulties or troubles with interpersonal relationships also often play a key role.

In this fast-paced world, where indifference has grown in a humongous manner, suicide is certainly one great tendency and trend.

This suicide is, mainly, of the physical order.

How many of us have, however, thought of the threat of suicide occurring, even with respect to our spiritual life?

How many of us, have considered, that there is a danger of suicide happening, even with respect to our life of faith?

The Gospel of the Day is a warning to be aware of the danger of “suicide” from a spiritual angle, that can occur in the soul of each person.

Jesus continues His revelation to the people, of He, being the ambassador of God, His Father.

He tells the people that “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin” (Jn 8: 21)

The Lord refers to “dying in one’s sin”

This aspect of “dying in one’s sin”, which would be equivalent to a person committing suicide in the spiritual sense, could consist of various ways:

1. A person dangers oneself to “suicide” in the spiritual sense, when one is too self-righteous – an attitude of “I know everything – even more than God!”

When Jesus told that He is going away, the Jews said, “He is not going to kill Himself, is He, because He said, “Where I am going, you cannot come?” (Jn 8:22)

The Jews failed to understand the words of the Lord, because they were filled with pride of their knowledge, and considered themselves to know everything.

They were filled with a certain obstinacy in being open to the words of the Lord, and failed to see that there could be also other possibilities of looking at the words of Jesus.

2. A person risks the danger of “suicide” with respect to one’s faith, when one fails to set one’s eyes heavenward, and instead gets fixated with earthly things.

Jesus said to the Jews, “You belong to what is below. I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world” (Jn 8: 23)

The Jews had their thoughts and deeds centred only on the things of this world and failed to transcend their minds heavenward.
They were filled with a certain worldliness that made their concerns to be limited.

They were unable to understand the heavenly realities that the Lord presented before them, and even shut their eyes to make an attempt to understand them

3. A person exposes oneself to the perils of “suicide” from the spiritual point of view, when one is wilfully ignorant of the Truth.

Though Jesus had spoken much, performed much, the Jews still ask Him,” Who are you?”. Jesus then said to them, “What I told you from the beginning” (Jn 8: 25)

The Jews had great many opportunities to discover faith in the Lord, as He had exposed them to many great wonders, taught several teachings and performed many deeds to show His divinity.

Though, they were learned in their scripture and laws, they failed to recognise the Source of the Scripture and the Giver of the Law.

Their minds were adamantly closed to the Reality.
Their hearts were purposely shut to the Truth.

The Lord moaned that these Jews were risking the danger of “committing suicide” spiritually… of “dying in one’s sins”.

This warning is addressed to us also….

Am I exposing myself to the risk of “losing my life, in sin”?
Am I endangering myself to the peril of “forfeiting my soul, in sin?”

Let us be wary of these menaces…
… to be adamantly self-righteous and being proud with our own knowledge, and failing to trust in the mighty wisdom and power of the Lord.
… to be engrossed only in the affairs of this world, and failing to raise our hearts to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”.
… to be obstinately closed in spirit, to the promptings of the Lord through various inspirations and failing to see the hand of God in the wonders that occur in our lives.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:

After Israel’s sin, when the people had turned away from God to worship the golden calf, God heard Moses’ prayer of intercession…
… and agreed to walk in the midst of an unfaithful people, thus demonstrating His Love.
When Moses asked to see His Glory, God responded “I will make all My Goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you My Name “the LORD” [YHWH].
Then the LORD passes before Moses and proclaimed, “YHWH, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”
Moses then confessed that the LORD is a forgiving God.
The Divine Name, “I Am” or “He Is”, expresses God’s faithfulness: despite the faithlessness of men’s sin and the punishment it deserves, He keeps “steadfast love for thousands”.
By going so far as to give up His own Son for us, God reveals that He is “rich in mercy”.
By giving His Life to free us from sin, Jesus revealed that He Himself bears the Divine Name: “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will realize that “I AM!” (CCC # 210-211)

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“Picking up the broken pieces of our life, filling the spaces in our emptiness and starting, all over again!”

(Based on Dan 13:41-62 and Jn 8:1-11 – Monday of the 5th Week in Lent)

“Let me start again…
Pick the pieces of my brokenness
Fill the spaces in my emptiness…
Let me start again!”

This a beautiful hymn that echoes the sentiments and feelings of a person who has suffered much and is yet ready to start life all over again.

Life sometimes can crush us really hard…

Life sometimes can wreck us really miserably…

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful testimony of a person who…
… found herself at the lowest ebbs of her life
… when everything seemed all over
… in total tatters and brokenness

Yet…
… was able to pick up the broken pieces of her life
… fill the spaces in her emptiness
… and start it all over again

All by the grace and power of the Lord, who intervened, and instilled a new hope and zeal in her.

The incident in focus is the ‘infamous’ occurrence of the woman who was “caught” in adultery.

There are many things to be pondered and reflected on, through this incident…

Think of the “mean” and “disgraceful” attitude of the people who “caught” this woman “in the act” (Jn 8:3)
… Were they fitted with “special probing and lusty” eyes, that devilishly gazed into “intimate exchanges”, that too on an early morning?

Think of the “self-appointed” role of these “moralists” who sought to restore the innocence of the land, without realising that, perhaps, their own eyes were filled with lust, their hearts drenched in obscenity and their lives soaked in vulgarity.
… How was it that their “clean” consciences and “true” intentions caught hold of only the woman, “caught in the act”, whereas, the man involved, was left, scot-free?

Think of the “deadly” trap that they were laying before the Lord, in seeking to find his opinion on the accused woman
… How neatly they had trapped the Lord in a “most vicious” dilemma:

If the Lord permitted death, it would be going against the Law of the land – of the Romans – since only the Romans were permitted to take the life of a person

If the Lord did not allow to stone, He would be going against the Law of the Lord, which had ordered the stoning of the convicted adulterer to death.

If the Lord permitted killing, He would be going against His own teaching of mercy, and His fundamental mission of “coming to seek and save the lost”

If the Lord forgave her, He would be going against the principle of Justice, and that would be infringing the rights and duties of a Just God.

It was a near-perfect scene, for the religious leaders to dreadfully trap the Lord.

The woman had been caught “in the act” of adultery…

Jesus was now to be trapped “in the act” of breaking the Law…

The woman had been shamefully paraded and stripped of all her dignity…

Jesus was now to be gloriously humiliated and disrobed of His glory and majesty…

But all these were “mere” human thinking and wile wishes…

The wisdom of God is much greater than all human craftiness and cunningness

The mercy of the Lord extends much beyond all human wickedness and maliciousness.

In their wickedness, they failed to see, that they were testing the law with the Law-Giver Himself!

And so, the Benevolent Law-giver, bent down, and wrote with His finger… (Jn 8:6)
… just as He had, centuries back, written the Law on the tablet and given to Moses: “… tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God Himself” (Ex 32:16)

He wrote, not a new law, but He wrote to make the law perfectly understood..

He wrote, not a new commandment, but He wrote to make understand the true spirit of the commandment…
“Let the one who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn 8:7)

This statement shattered all those accusers who heard it!

Those who came to cast the stone had themselves stoned brutally, by the guilt of their sin!

Those who came to enjoy parading the nakedness of the woman, themselves were stripped naked, by their sin and shame!

Justice had triumphed!

Mercy had excelled!
Love had won!

All had left, save the one accused and the One who was Love and Compassion!

The one accused, stood in fear and trembling before the One who recreates and renews!

And so she was given another chance…
…. to pick up the broken pieces of her life
… and to start anew!

In the book of Daniel, the innocent lady, Susanna would undergo a similar experience…
… of being condemned and doomed to death!

But the Wisdom of the Lord would shine through the young boy Daniel…
… and innocent life was saved!

Susanna trusted in the mighty Providence of God…
… and her hopes would not be disappointed; she would not be left in desolation.

These are times when our world is going through immense difficulty

With hope, let us renew our love and faith in the Lord…
… trusting that the Mighty Hand of the Lord will deliver us from every “hopeless and fearful” situation!

Yes, life may very often reduce us also to the same state as this one who was accused.

We may find ourselves crushed….broken…accused… abandoned…shamed!

But the Lord, still gives us a chance….

Shall we not…
…. pick up the broken pieces of our life…
… fill the spaces in our emptiness…
… and start it, all over again?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
By revealing His Name, God at the same time reveals his faithfulness which is from everlasting to everlasting, valid for the past (“I am the God of your father”), as for the future (“I will be with you”).

God, who reveals his name as “I AM”, reveals himself as the God who is always there, present to his people in order to save them.
Faced with God’s fascinating and mysterious presence, man discovers his own insignificance. Before the burning bush, Moses takes off his sandals and veils his face in the presence of God’s holiness.
Because God is holy, he can forgive the man who realizes that he is a sinner before him: “I will not execute my fierce anger. . . for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst.”
The apostle John says likewise: “We shall. . . reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
Out of respect for the holiness of God, the people of Israel do not pronounce his name. In the reading of Sacred Scripture, the revealed name (YHWH) is replaced by the divine title “LORD” (in Hebrew Adonai, in Greek Kyrios). It is under this title that the divinity of Jesus will be acclaimed: “Jesus is LORD.” (CCC # 203-204)

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Burying bury ourselves with our Crucified Lord so that we can experience the Salvific Power of Christ, Who was willing to ‘be the Grain of Wheat that was sown, to bring Life to all!’”

(Based on Jer 31:31-34, Heb 5:7-9 and Jn 12:20-33: 5th Sunday of Lent, Year B)

Little Tommy – all of 7 years – enjoyed hearing stories of the past.

Once on a visit to his grandfather, he asked his knowledgeable grandpa to narrate a story. And Old Grandpa:
“What I want to tell today, is not a story actually, but something that existed a few decades back.

This is the wonderful phenomenon about a place called Handkerchief Pool in Yellowstone Park (in West US).

The speciality of this pool is this:
If you drop your handkerchief – dirtied and dusted – on its surface…
… down to the bottom will it descend

Then a current will draw it out of sight.

You will think you have lost your handkerchief.

But in a little while, the honest pool will hand back your handkerchief…
… neat, clean and unsoiled!

All that you need to do is to take an iron rod, pick up the handkerchief…
… and voila! You will find that all the stains are gone!”

Hearing this interesting aspect, Tommy’s mother replied:
“And Tommy, that’s also such a beautiful way for us to understand, that if we are willing to allow the ‘dirtied handkerchief of our life’ to be immersed into the pool of God’s Grace…
… we would emerge clean and neat!”

All of us are invited to immerse our life – stained and dirtied by sin…
… into the cleansing pool of God’s Grace

It is this “burying of ourselves” that will help us to experience the Salvific Power of Christ, Who was willing to “be the Grain of Wheat that was sown, to bring Life to all!”

We are on the last Sunday before the Holy Week.

The days of the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection are slowly approaching.

Some Greeks come to Jesus with a desire to meet the Lord and they express this longing to Philip.

Philip takes this appeal along to Andrew, who together approach Jesus with this request.

It’s interesting that both Philip and Andrew are Greek names…

The Greeks must have felt more inclined and at home to talk to them.

When Jesus hears this desire of the Greeks, He declares that “His Hour” has come…
He came to the world to draw all people to Himself

In Jn 12:19, the Pharisees had complained that “the whole world was running after Him”.

And here indeed, this fact was being exhibited, with the Greeks, who represented the Gentile world, seeking the Lord.

But the Lord, as always, with His Divine and Amazing Wisdom, confounded the earthly request with a higher purpose.

The Greeks had certainly expressed their desire to see the Lord.

But what was the motive?

It is not known clearly….
… maybe because they were amazed at Jesus’ teaching and sought Him as one of their own great Greek philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle etc
… maybe because they were fascinated at Jesus’ wonders and desired to meet Him expecting some miracles and healings.

But the Lord, always loves to bring attention to the real and needed aspects of life.

He tells them, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain. But if it dies, it produces much fruit” (Jn 12: 24)

With this example from nature, the Lord points out that Sacrifice is the true way to salvation and redemption.

There is no blessing, without making a sacrifice.
There is no salvation, without shedding of blood.
There is no redemption, without undergoing pain.

This group of Greeks – the Gentiles – also reminds us of three men from the East, the Magi, who were also Gentiles and had come to meet the Lord.

And there are striking similarities between them:

The Magi came, just a few days after the Saviour of the world was born…

The Greeks came, just a few days before the Saviour of the world was to die.

The Magi sought the Lord with these words, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” (Mt 2:2)…

The Greeks, sought the Lord with a similar desire, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus” (Jn 12:21)

The Magi’s desire was answered with a shocking humiliation: seeing the Son of God, stripped of all His glory and laid on the wood of an ordinary manger as a tiny babe.

The Greek’s desire would be also answered with a shocking humiliation: seeing the Saviour of the world, stripped of even His earthly protection, and laid on the wood of an ordinary cross as a miserable criminal!

Yes, suffering and pain was the way that the Lord had chosen to redeem and save the world!

The Cross was to be the ultimate symbol that was to draw all people to Himself (Jn 12:32)

As we slowly approach the Holy Week, let us take time, therefore…
… to meditate deeper on the Holy Cross and the sufferings that He underwent for us.
… to look at His Holy Cross, for sometime, everyday, in order to become more like Him.
… to hold His Holy Cross close to our hearts, that we may experience true transformation.
… to live His Holy Cross in our own life situations and bring healing and peace to our world.

Our lives are indeed, often dirtied and soiled

This “dirtied and soiled handkerchief of our life” needs an immersion into the pool of God’s Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness!

Sometimes, we feel that it is too tough to approach the Lord…
… and even feel that “we will lose our handkerchief!”

But the Lord assures, that if we are willing to be patient and trusting…
… willing to resign ourselves to His Mercy

Then we will have the experience of getting back the “handkerchief of our life” neat, clean and unsoiled!

Let us dare to “bury ourselves with our Crucified Lord” so that we can experience the Salvific Power of Christ, Who was willing to “be the Grain of Wheat that was sown, to bring Life to all!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
GOD – I AM WHO I AM!
God called Moses from the midst of a bush that burned without being consumed: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

God is the God of the fathers, the One who had called and guided the patriarchs in their wanderings. >> He is the faithful and compassionate God who remembers them and His promises.
He comes to free their descendants from slavery.
He is the God Who, from beyond space and time, can do this and wills to do it
… the God Who will put His Almighty Power to work for this plan.
In revealing his mysterious name, YHWH (“I AM HE WHO IS”, “I AM WHO AM” or “I AM WHO I AM”), God says Who He Is and by what Name He Is to be called.
This Divine Name is mysterious…
… just as God is mystery.
It is at once a Name revealed and something like the refusal of a name, and hence it better expresses God as what he is – infinitely above everything that we can understand or say: He is the “hidden God”, His Name is ineffable, and He is the God Who makes himself close to men. (CCC # 205-206)

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“Being convinced in the Lord of Truth and passionate for the Lord of Truth!”

(Based on Jer 11:18-20 and Jn 7:40-52 – Saturday of the 4th Week in Lent)

Christianity and the teachings of the Catholic Church have baffled and amazed many people.

Some have even tried – even violently – to find alternatives for the same…
… only to realise, that a genuine search for the Truth would lead them to Christianity and the Catholic Church!

One such person who rejected Christianity for the sake of “finding the truth” was G.K. Chesterton.

Chesterton sought to formulate the one blanket philosophy that could explain everything as everything is…
… because he did not believe Christianity or any other modern worldview to be completely it.

He was after the “master key of philosophies,” for he was certain no one had yet found it.

Eventually he knitted together a philosophy that appeared to be wholly true and sane and sensible…
… only to discover that his discovered philosophy of sanity was, in fact, not his – it was the Truth already taught by the Church!

In his own words, “I tried to be some ten minutes in advance of the truth.

And I found that I was eighteen hundred years behind it!”

G.K. Chesterton would later say, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”

The Christian Ideal indeed demands living with convictions…
… in the midst of opposing views and interpretations.

Jesus, the Master – the Truth Incarnate – lived this life of conviction…
… and in the face of oppositions and worldly thought-patterns, He became a sign of “contradictions and paradox!”

And therefore Christ had to undergo varied responses from those who encountered Him…
… very few understood Him, a little
… many of them failed to understand Him
… many of them even badly misunderstood Him

He remained The Truth – yet, the sign of contradiction.

The Gospel of the Day presents this deep contradiction that was experienced by the people of His time – including the religious leaders.

The passage records two conversations:

The first one among the crowd

The second one among the chief priests and the Pharisees

Both have a similar subject: Jesus.

Both have a similar dilemma: Confusion about Jesus.

The people in the crowd were confused in recognizing who really Jesus was.

The words of the Lord were so authoritative and astonishing that some considered Him as a prophet revisited and some even seeing Him as the Messiah (Jn 7:41).

However, others were not convinced and they began to debate on the origin of the Messiah.

The second conversation, between the chief priests and Pharisees, was not just about some personal opinions, but involved the proper following of the Law as well.

Nicodemus, the one who had met Jesus, one night, however, began to defend Jesus.

It was to him, that Jesus, on that night, had told, one of the most loved verses, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16)

After his encounter with the Truth-Incarnate, Nicodemus….
… the genuine seeker of truth, had the spark in his heart, kindled by the Lord of Love.
… the honest searcher of reality, had the longing within, nourished by the Lord of Holiness.

And so he stood firm and bold, to defend the One whom he perceived as the Truth!

But here, one also gets to see the deep hatred that was grooming in the minds of the leaders…

Nicodemus told that, in judging Jesus, it was necessary to follow the Law properly: “Does our law condemn a person, before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” (Jn 7:51)

He did not say that he agreed with Jesus…

He did not say that he denied Jesus could be a criminal…

All he said was to follow the law – to be just and fair!

But that statement provoked the anger of the other blinded-and-obstinate religious leaders!

The forces of confusion and dilemma watered him down, and contradictions reigned galore!

Where there is the proclamation of truth, there is the presence of many false screams, seeking to drown it hard!

Where there is the defence of truth, there is the defiance of many evil forces, wanting to do away with it!

Jeremiah, the Prophet foretold this “opposition to the Truth” that Jesus would encounter:
“But I was like a gentle lamb, led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me, they devised schemes, saying, ‘Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more!’” (Jer 11:18)

Jesus is a sign of contractions.

He is The Truth.

In His presence, no lie can stand.
In His presence, no evil can withstand.

But it is this confusion, that can lead a person to understand the reality, if one is open and honest!

Yes, it’s pretty strange that sometimes contradictions that can actually help us to recognize The Truth!

Georges Bataille, a French intellectual and literary figure writes, “I believe that truth has only one face: that of a violent contradiction”

The Lord – the Truth Incarnate is ready to reveal Himself to those open at heart and honest in seeking Him.

Are we ready to learn more from Him and to know Him more?

Are we ready to draw the waters of Holiness from the Fountain of Truth?
Are we ready to blaze our lives with the fire of passionate love from the Furnace of Truth?

Let us not be…
… confused by the Lord who was the sign of contradiction.
… puzzled by the Lord who was the sign of paradoxes.

Instead, let us be…
… convinced in the Lord of Truth!
… passionate for the Lord of Truth!

Let us reminded of the fact that a genuine search for the Truth would always lead to Christianity and the Catholic Church!

God bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
GOD REVEALS HIS NAME

God revealed Himself to His people Israel by making His Name known to them.
A name expresses a person’s essence and identity and the meaning of this person’s life.
God has a Name; He is not an anonymous force.
To disclose one’s name is to make oneself known to others…
… in a way it is to hand oneself over by becoming accessible
… capable of being known more intimately and addressed personally.
God revealed himself progressively and under different names to his people…
…. but the revelation that proved to be the fundamental one for both the Old and the New Covenants was the revelation of the Divine Name to Moses in the theophany of the burning bush
… on the threshold of the Exodus and of the covenant on Sinai. (CCC # 203-204)

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Trusting in their Heavenly protection and intercession of St Joseph, and in turn, being a protector and defender to one other!”

(Based on the Solemnity of St Joseph)

The early American Indians had a unique ritual in their training of young boys to be brave and strong in their lives.

The evening of the boy’s thirteenth birthday, would consist of the final test, after having learnt hunting, exploration, fishing and other skills.

The boy was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night all alone.

Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe.

But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.

When the blindfold was taken off, he would find himself in the midst of the thick woods…
… and he would be terrified!

Every time a branch snapped or something fell, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce.

His heart would pound with fear…

He would seek for some consolation, but would find none…
He would long to feel safe again, but the wait seemed to be an unending one…

After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest…

Looking around, the boy saw the wild flowers, lush trees, and the outline of the path.

Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow.

Guess who it was?

It was his father!

He had been there all night long.

The boy had been unaware, but the father was always there, to make an intervention, in case of any eventuality of danger.

The protection of the father encircled the child, irrespective of whether the boy was aware or not.

Such is the tremendous protection and security of God, our Loving Father.

In the fullness of time, when God, the Father decided to send His Beloved Son to the earth, for the redemption of humankind, He had to entrust the care of His Precious Child to the protection and care of a human father…

And it was St Joseph who was chosen to be assigned this task and responsibility of being the caretaker and protector of Jesus, the Son of God!

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Faithful and Just Protector of Jesus – St Joseph.

Just as God had entrusted Him to be the protector of the body of Jesus while on earth, St Joseph is also the protector and patron of His Body on the earth today, the Holy Church.

St Joseph in fulfilling his task of being the protector of Jesus, teaches us a few lessons…

1. He was ever prompt to the voice of the Lord
   In his moments of confusion, he was still open to the promptings of the Spirit.
   “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him…” (Mt 1:24)

Am I docile to the inspirations of the Lord, so as to be in greater tune with the Will of God?

2. His love was attentive to the needs of the Divine Child and the Mother
   St Joseph was ready to make any sacrifice for the sake of protecting Jesus and Mary.

He was willing…
… to undergo societal humiliations
… to bear physical hardships of travelling, migration, lack of comforts etc
… to be prudent to the socio-political situations and make decisions in favour of the family

Does love prompt me to be attentive and sensitive to the needs of others, and cause me to make sacrifices towards the good of the other?

3. A willingness to be playing the “backdrop role” in the great drama of salvation
   St Joseph, was privileged to be sharing the most intimate presence with the two holiest persons of this world – Jesus, the Son of God and Mary, the Immaculate Mother.

Yet, it also meant that Joseph had to stay away from the limelight of glory and be the “silent yet impactful” figure of the salvation history.

Do I have the courageous humility to take up any role that the Lord entrusts me, in His plan of salvation – be it shorn of fame, littleness in glamour or even subject to awkwardness, uncertainty or dislikeness?

4. He was ready to give up his personal decisions and doubts in obedience to the voice of God
   St Joseph was not afraid to shed his own personal concerns, anxieties and even doubts, when asked to be part of the mysterious redemptive plan of God.

There were many things that were not understood by him…

There were a lot of factors that prompted him to question and confront..

Yet, He had the deep daring to keep them all aside – because he was convinced that God’s mighty hand was at work, in them all.

Am I willing to place my faith in God and follow my vocation faithfully…
… even though circumstances around me maybe uncertain, the future looks bleak
… and my own reasonable thinking may see situations and people as being illogical, unscientific and irrational?

As St. Alphonsus Liguori says, “We should, indeed, honour St. Joseph, since the Son of God Himself was graciously pleased to honour him by calling him father.

If the King of kings was pleased to raise Joseph to so high a dignity, it is right and obligatory on our part to endeavour to honour him as much as we can!”

St Francis de Sales, the Gentleman Saint teaches us: “What more remains for us to say now, except that we cannot doubt at all that this glorious saint (St Joseph) has great influence in heaven…
… Oh how happy shall we be, if we can merit a share in his holy intercession!

He will obtain for us, if we have confidence in him, a holy growth in all kinds of virtues, but especially in those that we have found that he possessed in a higher degree than any others…
… which are most holy purity of body and mind, the most lovable virtue of humility, constancy, courage and perseverance!”

The Lord protects us, no matter how fearful the external situations are…

St Joseph protected the Little Divine Babe and His Mother, despite hardships and trials…

Shall we also not trust in their Heavenly protection, and in turn, be a protector and defender to each other?

Happy Feast of St Joseph, the Just Worker in God’s Plan of Redemption.

Glorious Blessings of Jesus, his Precious Child – the Way, the Truth and the Life
Heavenly Intercessions of Mary – his loving Spouse and our affectionately protecting Mother

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD

“I believe in One God” – These are the words with which the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed begins.
The confession of God’s oneness, which has its roots in the divine revelation of the Old Covenant, is inseparable from the profession of God’s existence and is equally fundamental.
God is unique; there is only one God: “The Christian faith confesses that God is one in nature, substance and essence.”
To Israel, his chosen, God revealed himself as the only One: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
Through the prophets, God calls Israel and all nations to turn to him, the one and only God: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. ‘Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength.’”
Jesus himself affirms that God is “the one Lord” whom you must love “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”.
At the same time Jesus gives us to understand that he himself is “the Lord”. To confess that Jesus is Lord is distinctive of Christian faith. This is not contrary to belief in the One God. Nor does believing in the Holy Spirit as “Lord and giver of life” introduce any division into the One God. (CCC # 200-202)

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“Daring to display the ‘spirit of leadership’ like Jesus our Master, by seeking to be true and faithful, rather than just be popular!”

(Based on Exod 32:7-14 and Jn 5:31-47 – Thursday of the 4th Week in Lent)

Written on the stone pavements of a street in a remote village are the following words:
“One of the evils of this modern day, is the scarcity of men and women in places of leadership who are willing to speak their convictions…
… at the risk of popularity!”

Christian life is a constant challenge between two aspects: Being Popular or being Right!

There is a constant challenge to stand against prospects of gaining false fame and phony popularity, by compromising on one’s Christian ideologies and values.

Can we be Christians…
… who value one’s integrity for Christ’s sake, than to compromise one’s principles and turn popular?
… who give priority to being honest for the Lord’s honour, than to dilute one’s ethics and gain cheap fame?

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus who stood firm and rock-solid, in his mission commitment, even in the face of opposition, indifference and apathy from the Jews.

The context of today’s Gospel Passage – Jn 5:31-47 – is the aftermath of the Healing of the Crippled Man by the pool of Bethesda, on the Sabbath Day (Jn 5:1-18)

This incident had sparked a rage of opposition against Jesus…

He was persecuted because the act of healing was done on the Sabbath (Jn 5: 16)
His defense caused the Jews to kill Him, because Jesus equated Himself with God (Jn 5:18)

There was a strong wave of antagonism and hostility, against Jesus…
… that was pressurizing Him to compromise His teachings
….that was coercing Him to dilute His principles

But Jesus stood firm and rock-solid, in his mission commitment, even in the face of opposition, indifference and apathy from the Jews.

He therefore presents before the Jews, witnesses which would testify to Him, to His Divinity.
He uses the language of a courtroom – “witnesses” – to prove His credibility as the Divine Person

Our Christian Life is a constant challenge..
… to let go of our values and principles
… to compromise on our efforts and mission works

But we need to be inspired and imitate our Blessed Lord…
… Who was unwilling to let go of His Commitment and Dedication to the Mission

Let this Gospel Passage challenge and inspire us…
.. to remain ever uncompromising in our Christian Life.

To stand for God and His Kingdom
To live to share His Love and Mercy

Yes…
…. “one of the evils of this modern day, is the scarcity of men and women in places of leadership who are willing to speak their convictions…
… at the risk of popularity!”

Let us dare to show this “spirit of leadership” like Jesus our Master…
… by seeking to be true and faithful, rather than just be popular!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER

Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of everything.
The Credo begins with God the Father…
… for the Father is the First Divine Person of the Most Holy Trinity
Our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth…
… for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works.
“I believe in God”: this first affirmation of the Apostles’ Creed is also the most fundamental.
The whole Creed speaks of God, and when it also speaks of man and of the world it does so in relation to God.
The other articles of the Creed all depend on the first…
… just as the remaining Commandments make the first explicit.
The other articles help us to know God better as he revealed himself progressively to men. (CCC # 198-199)

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“Creating ‘beautiful paintings’ of God’s Love and Mercy in this world by the Power of the Master”

(Based on Isa 49:8-15 and Jn 5:17-30 – Wednesday of the 4th Week in Lent)

After the death of a great painter a young Italian boy went to the painting studio and asked for the great artist’s brush.

The boy tried the brush…
but found he could not paint any better with it than with his own.

It was then he realized…
… the power of painting, was not in the brush

It was in the Master!

The boy lacked the master’s power.

It was the Power of the Master that created the beautiful paintings.

Jesus, displayed immense strength and courage…
… as a result of His Powerful Union with His Father!

This Power led Him to create “beautiful paintings” of Mercy and Love in the world.

The Gospel of the Day is an amazing revelation by Jesus on His relationship with the Father.

This passage has its background in the healing that Jesus performed on a Sabbath day, of a man who had been ill for a very long time – thirty-eight years (Jn 5: 1-16).

When the Jews found out from the healed person, that it was Jesus who had done this work, they were extremely furious.

Their objection was that…
… Jesus had done this miracle on a Sabbath
… Jesus had made the person to perform a work – of carrying the mat – on the Sabbath day.

They, therefore, began to persecute Jesus (Jn 5: 16).

But Jesus brought out a fair logic in defending Himself, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work” (Jn 5:17)

• Jesus equates Himself to the Father….
• Jesus establishes Himself as the Son of God…

And He draws the point, that just as, on the Sabbath Day, His Father….
… creates and sustains, so is He renewing and bringing life to the world!
… supplies life and maintains, so is He nourishing and refreshing the world!

• Jesus, as the Son has every right and privilege to engage in life-saving works, just as His Father
• Jesus, as the Son has every justification and claim to do life-redeeming works, just as His Father

As followers of Jesus, we are to be the extension of His life-saving and redeeming works in the world…
… Am I willing to become a person, filled the power of the Lord, in order to bring healing to the world, by my deeds of kindness and goodness?
… Am I willing to become an extension of the Lord, imbued with His spirit, in order to spread His love and mercy to our broken and struggling world?

As followers of Jesus, we need to have the proper and true understanding of the Sabbath…
• The Sabbath is a day of solemn rest, holy to the Lord…
… Do I give it to the Lord, entirely, engaging only in deeds that help me come closer to Him?

• The Sabbath is a memorial of Israel’s liberation from bondage in Egypt
… Do I remind myself of being a person to be liberated from the bondage of sin, and seeking to grow in holiness?

• The Sabbath is sign of the irrevocable covenant between God and human beings…
… Do I renew the spirit of this pledge and promise to the Lord with salvific deeds of love?

Let us deepen our relationship and grow in our efforts to be more in union with the Lord…
… the One who guides the world, the One who sustains each of us and the One who fills life in all!

Jesus, displayed immense strength and courage…
… as a result of His Powerful Union with His Father!

This Power led Him to create “beautiful paintings” of Mercy and Love in the world.

Let us also realize that it is only by “the Power of the Master that we can create the ‘beautiful paintings’ of God’s Love and Mercy in this world”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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

Through the centuries many professions or symbols of faith have been articulated in response to the needs of the different eras.
None of the creeds from the different stages in the Church’s life can be considered superseded or irrelevant.
They help us today to attain and deepen the faith of all times.
Among all the creeds, two occupy a special place in the Church’s life:
… The Apostles’ Creed is so called because it is rightly considered to be a faithful summary of the apostles’ faith. It is the ancient baptismal symbol of the Church of Rome. Its great authority arises from this fact: it is “the Creed of the Roman Church, the See of Peter the first of the apostles, to which he brought the common faith”.
… The Niceno-Constantinopolitan or Nicene Creed draws its great authority from the fact that it stems from the first two ecumenical Councils (in 325 and 381). It remains common to all the great Churches of both East and West to this day.
Our presentation of the faith will follow the Apostles’ Creed, which constitutes, as it were, “the oldest Roman catechism”.
As on the day of our Baptism, when our whole life was entrusted to the “standard of teaching”, let us embrace the Creed of our life-giving faith. To say the Credo with faith is to enter into communion with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and also with the whole Church which transmits the faith to us and in whose midst we believe.
This Creed is the spiritual seal, our heart’s meditation and an ever-present guardian; it is, unquestionably, the treasure of our soul. (CCC # 192-197)

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