“Being proactive, and ready ‘to rise, take up our mats, and walk!’”

(Based on Ezek 47:1-9, 12 and Jn 5:1-3, 5-16 – Tuesday of the 4th Week in Lent)

“The seven habits of highly effective people” by Stephen Covey is one of the most popular best-selling book in the world.

The book speaks of seven prime qualities to tap success in life and to achieve one’s objectives and aims.

The first among these seven habits of highly effective people is “to be proactive” in life.

Problems beset every person in this world.
Difficulties surround all of us, in every society.
But, the one who is “proactive” in life, is able to get over these “paralyzing” factors of life.

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful presentation of this aspect: On how to have our heads raised up, in hope and trust, despite many crushing and crippling causes in life.

Jesus is in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover.

As he passed through the town, he came near a pool, named Bethzatha.

Jesus encounters a person there, who has been ill for a very long period… thirty eight years! (Jn 5:5)

We are not exactly told what illness was it…

Probably a paralyzing illness… a cripple of the legs… or even a combination of many other sicknesses.

But one thing is known: this sickness made the person to not walk!

The sickness had immobilized him.
But more than his physical body, it seems, that the sickness had crippled also his mind:

His way of thinking seemed jammed in having hope in life…
His outlook to life seemed blurred to see optimism and hope…
His perspective of people seemed to distort his confidence and trust…

When Jesus questions the man, “Do you want to be well?” the man answers not with a positive affirmation or an optimistic assertion.

Instead he begins to get into a complaining and a pitiable mode, “Sir, I have no one… ” (Jn 5: 7)

A ray of hope was offered to him…
… but instead the man continued to see only the dark clouds.

A glimpse of joy was revealed to him…
… but instead the man persisted on the sad aspects alone.

The long period of sickness had blotted his vision and faded his hopes.

But the Lord – the ever-challenging God – does not allow the man to remain in this unfortunate and “look-on-me-with-sympathy-please” mode…

Instead, Jesus charges him, “Rise, take up your mat and walk” (Jn 5:8)

And immediately the man became well, took up his mat and walked!

The presence of the Lord vanished away the man’s doubts and lame excuses…

The man became proactive…
… casting away his attitude of complaining to become a person of courage
… dropping off his crippling attitude of “none-to-help” and picking up the mat of power and grace

Problems beset each of us in this world.
Difficulties surround all of us, at various times and situations
But, the one who is “proactive” in life, is able to get over these “paralyzing” factors of life!

Jesus gives us this courage and the hope to be “proactive” in life, with His grace and mercy.

Pro-activity is not a mere human attitude of determination…
… it is an action spurred by the mighty love and mercy of the Lord.

Pro-activity is not a mere individual display of willpower and resolve…
… it is an approach, impelled by a tremendous faith and hope in the Lord.

You and I, very often may find ourselves in crippling situations of life.

We may keep on lying down…
We may keep on being a “complaint-box”
We may keep on blaming people and situations…

Or…

We may raise up our heads to see the Lord challenging us to walk…
We may garner strength and courage and be bold to pick up our mats of suffering…
We may imbue ourselves with the Lord’s power to never let anything cripple our minds..

Shall we be ready, “to rise, take up our mats, and walk?”

The choice is ours…

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
PROFESSION OF FAITH
The first “profession of faith” is made during Baptism.

The symbol of faith is first and foremost the baptismal creed…
… since Baptism is given “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
The truths of faith professed during Baptism are articulated in terms of their reference to the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
The Creed is divided into three parts…
… the first part speaks of the first divine Person and the wonderful work of creation
… the next speaks of the second divine Person and the mystery of his redemption of men
… the final part speaks of the third divine Person, the origin and source of our sanctification.
These are the three chapters of our [baptismal] seal.
These three parts are distinct although connected with one another. According to a comparison often used by the Fathers, we call them articles.
Indeed, just as in our bodily members there are certain articulations which distinguish and separate them, so too in this profession of faith, the name “articles” has justly and rightly been given to the truths we must believe particularly and distinctly.
In accordance with an ancient tradition, already attested to by St. Ambrose, it is also customary to reckon the articles of the Creed as twelve, thus symbolizing the fullness of the apostolic faith by the number of the apostles. (CCC # 189-191)

---

“Staying calm and happy by having a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!

(Based on Is 65:17-21 and Jn 4:43-54 – Monday of the 4th Week in Lent)

There was once a good woman who was well-known among her circle for her simple faith and her great calmness in the midst of many trials.

Another woman, living across the street, hearing of her, said, “I must go and see that woman, and learn the secret of her calm, happy life.”

She went, and, enquired the woman: “Are you the woman with the great faith?”

“No,” was the answer!

“I am not the woman with the great faith, but I am the woman with a little faith in the great God,” came the rest of the answer!

Yes, the secret of “staying calm and happy” is about having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

The Gospel of the Day presents an incident of a “person who stayed calm and happy” by having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

Jesus is in the land of Galilee…away from his hometown. (Jn 4:43)

In this Gentile land, a royal official whose son was ill – nearing death – approached Jesus, seeking for a healing.

He travelled a far distance – nearly 25 miles, from Capernaum to Galilee – and coming to Jesus, he asked, “Sir, come down, before my child dies” (Jn 4: 49)

This royal official had a mixed bag of faith…

He had faith in Jesus, which made him to come a long distance to meet Jesus.
… his faith was however, mostly prompted only because of a need for a healing.

Often our faith resembles this royal official…
… turning to the Lord only in times of afflictions and troubles
… having our own doubts on whether the Lord can really work miracle in the way I want

But we must also remember…
… hard and difficult situations, are willed by God, to allow for miracles and healings, which ought to become the springboard for a deeper and committed life of faith!
… the Lord has His own ways and means of working powerfully in our lives, and we need to have the openness and humility to receive them in His way and in His time!

When the Lord gave His word, “You may go; your son will live” (Jn 4:50), this royal official, with a mixed bag of faith…
… began to understand the secret of “staying calm and happy” by having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

The Gospel says, “… the man believed what Jesus said to him and left” (Jn 4: 50b)

Moments of immense difficulties and crisis often cripple us.
Times of tremendous hardships and pains often cause worries to us.
But, the Lord constantly invites us “to stay calm and happy” by having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

It’s His grace that strengthens us.

It’s His mercy that empowers us.

Shall we also adopt and personalize this great secret…
… of “staying calm and happy” by having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
Whoever says “I believe” says “I pledge myself to what we believe.”

Communion in faith needs a common language of faith, normative for all and uniting all in the same confession of faith.
From the beginning, the apostolic Church expressed and handed on her faith in brief formulae normative for all.
But already very early on, the Church also wanted to gather the essential elements of her faith into organic and articulated summaries, intended especially for candidates for Baptism:
This synthesis of faith was not made to accord with human opinions, but rather what was of the greatest importance was gathered from all the Scriptures, to present the one teaching of the faith in its entirety…
… and just as the mustard seed contains a great number of branches in a tiny grain
… so too this summary of faith encompassed in a few words the whole knowledge of the true religion contained in the Old and the New Testaments.
Such syntheses are called “professions of faith” since they summarize the faith that Christians profess.
They are called “creeds” on account of what is usually their first word in Latin: credo (“I believe”). They are also called “symbols of faith”.
The Greek word symbolon meant half of a broken object – the broken parts were placed together to verify the bearer’s identity.
The symbol of faith, is a sign of recognition and communion between believers.
Symbolon also means a gathering, collection or summary. A symbol of faith is a summary of the principal truths of the faith and therefore serves as the first and fundamental point of reference for catechesis. (CCC # 185-188)

---

“Embracing the Cross and being enamoured by the Love of our Crucified Lover!”

(Based on 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23, Eph 2:4-10 and Jn 3:14-21 – 4th Sunday of Lent, Year B)

A story is told of a lady who was very much zealous in telling about Jesus Christ to the world.

This lady was blind and illiterate…
… and yet found different ways to spread the Gospel.

One day, she went to a missionary priest and asked for a copy of the Bible in French.

When she got it, she asked the missionary to underline John 3:16, in red, and mark the page, so that she could find it.
(Jn 3:16 = “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Son…that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Eternal Life!”)

The missionary wanted to see what she would do with this Bible that was marked with red…
… and so he followed her.

The lady went in the late afternoon to a school…
… and made her way to the entrance.

As the school children came out, she would stop one of them and ask if he knew how to read French.

If the boy would say “Yes” she would ask him to read the verse that was marked in red.

Then she would ask, “Do you know what this means?”…
… and then go on to tell him more about Jesus Christ and living a Life in the Lord!

The missionary priest would later testify that this lady led nearly a couple of dozen boys to become missionaries of the Lord!

The tremendous love, in the heart of woman, for Christ, triggered in her a deep desire to reach out God’s Love to many many more people in her life.

As followers of Christ, each of us are bound to tell the world about the Precious Life of “Living in God!”

How well are we doing our Duty of Proclaiming God to the world?

This proclamation of the Lord comes when one has a passionate love for Christ.

The Gospel of the Day presents this love of God that has been gifted to all of us, by the death of Christ on the Cross.

The Cross is indeed, the great, big and beautiful symbol of God’s Love for all of us!

Every religion and every ideology has its own symbol.

But what makes the symbol of Christianity – the Cross – so unique is that…
… Its founder transformed this instrument of shame into the sign of salvation!
… Its founder not just preached about the symbol, but even embraced it, in obedience and love!

The Cross had cast its shadow on the life of Christ all through…

Wood (symbolic of the ‘Wood of the Cross’) was part of the life of Christ all through…
… the Babe Jesus was laid on the ‘wood of the manger’ by his beloved Parents
… the Boy Jesus worked with ‘wood in the workshop’ of His carpenter father, Joseph
… the Brave Jesus would use the ‘wood of the boat’, as His Pulpit to preach the Word of God
The Beloved Jesus would finally be laid on the “wood of the Cross” in total obedience to His Father!

This is what the Lord foretold Nicodemus…
… as we see in today’s Gospel Passage: ” And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (Jn 3: 14)

Jesus makes a reference to the Old Testament incident as found in the Book of Numbers (Num 21: 4b-9)…

The people grew disinterested and dissipated by their journey and began to grumble
However, God in His mercy, offered a bronze serpent, mounted on a pole…
… for deliverance from the punishments of their sin

This bronze serpent would be a typography of the Cross of Christ!

Just as the bronze serpent came to the rescue of the people of Israel, the Cross of Christ comes to our rescue…
… but with a much greater reward – of salvation!
… with a much greater consolation – of the peace of Christ!

We too, often grow disinterested and dissipated in our journey of life and begin to grumble

Our sin of disobedience and lack of trust in God’s Will, brings us punishments of various kinds.

However, God in His mercy, offers us Christ Crucified, mounted on the Cross…
… for deliverance from the punishments of our sin!

All those who looked at the bronze serpent had lived…

All of us, who will look at Christ Crucified on the Cross, will live forever!

Our modernistic world has notoriously and pragmatically misuses the Cross:

Fashionists have the symbol of Christianity stylishly displayed all over themselves..
… as jewellery hanging round their necks, ears, wrists etc
… as tattoos imprinted on the various body parts
… as drawings on various objects of worldly use

The Cross is often found to be degraded and despised as merely…
… an ornament of show
… a pattern of beautification
… a statement of raging and crazy style

But the Cross of Christ transcends all these…

And, we Christians, today, need to be zealous, to restore the Cross, the Symbol of Christianity to its original sense…
… The Symbol of Hope and Salvation
… The Symbol of Unconditional Love
… The Symbol of Unfathomable Mercy

St Francis de Sales beautifully reminds us:
“If you wish to learn how to love God, come to Calvary.

Jesus Christ on His Cross will teach you!
Mount Calvary is the Mount of lovers!
All love which does not take its origin from the Passion of the Saviour, is foolish and dangerous!
Love and death are eternally blended together in the Passion of the Saviour!”

The Cross is indeed the great reminder of the tremendous and faithful Love of the Lord for all of us: “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)

It is this tremendous love, in our hearts, that can trigger a deep desire to reach out God’s Love to many many more people in our lives.

As followers of Christ, each of us are bound to tell the world about the Precious Life of “Living in God!”

Are we ready to Proclaim God’s Word to the world?

Come, let us embrace the Cross and be enamoured by the Love of our Crucified Lover!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
ONE CATHOLIC FAITH

Through the centuries, in so many languages, cultures, peoples and nations, the Church has constantly confessed this one faith, received from the one Lord, transmitted by one Baptism, and grounded in the conviction that all people have only one God and Father.
For though languages differ throughout the world, the content of the Tradition is one and the same. The Church’s message “is true and solid…
… in which one and the same way of salvation appears throughout the whole world.”
We guard with care the faith that we have received from the Church, for without ceasing, under the action of God’s Spirit, this deposit of great price, as if in an excellent vessel, is constantly being renewed…
… and causes the very vessel that contains it to be renewed. (CCC # 172-175)

---

“Casting away pride and embracing humility and dependence on God!”

(Based on Hos 5:15-6:6 and Lk 18:9-14 – Saturday of the 3rd Week in Lent)

Let’s begin with a simple question today….

Which is the only disease in the world, which can affect everyone else, except the person himself/herself?

Is the answer too hard to guess?
…
…
Hmm…

Well… the answer is pretty simple…

It is…
Pride!

Pride is the disease that can affect everyone else, except the person himself/herself!
Pride is the sickness that can cause harm to all others, except the one who possess it!

Pride can be a snare to the other, while one enjoys oneself in the false pleasure it gives!

Pride can be a spirit-dampener for the other, while it is an ego-inflator for oneself!

The Gospel of the Day exhorts a strong message on this deadly vice of Pride.

Chapter 18 of the Gospel of St Luke begins with two parables, that teach on the aspect of Prayer.

The parable of the Widow who was persistent (Lk 18: 1-8)
The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18: 9-14)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector have interesting comparisons with respect to the various gestures and actions that they take:

Both go up to the Temple area to pray…

The Pharisee took up his position… the tax collector stood off at a distance
The Pharisee spoke the prayer to himself… the tax collector would not even raise his eyes to heaven
The Pharisee spoke of his personal glories…the tax collector acknowledged being a sinner, in need of mercy.

Though the Gospel doesn’t speak of it, it seems that both, the Pharisee and the tax collector had taken a mirror with themselves, when they went to pray….

A mirror… yeah!

But, the strange fact is that, both of them used the mirror in contrasting manners!

The Pharisee used the mirror and saw his many achievements and accomplishments…
… being unlike the rest of the sinful humanity like the greedy, dishonest or adulterous
… fasting twice a week
… pay tithes on his whole income

The tax collector, also used a mirror… but saw in it, his many failures and shortcomings…
… the moments when he had cheated others to have greater financial gains
… the times he had subjected himself to be a traitor by working against his own people
… the need to seek for God’s mercy acknowledging his sinfulness

Prayer is like a mirror…but it depends on one’s attitude and disposition what one sees…

If one is filled with pride and self-conceit, one sees only one’s accomplishments…
… and thus pushes out God and replaces oneself as the source of all good works!

If one is truly humble and modest, one sees one’s weaknesses and limitations…
… and thus acknowledge the dependence on God and on His grace in life!

Prayer could be made into a time of reciting the litany of one’s great achievements…
…or prayer could be made into a moment of seeking God’s mercy and compassion.

Prayer could be made into an occasion to boast of oneself and put down others…
… or prayer could be made into a moment to see the glittering light of God guiding us.

What is our attitude and disposition?

Am I afflicted with the sickness of pride which makes me to flaunt only myself at the expense of the other?
Am I distressed with the disease of arrogance which makes me to see myself as the greatest person in the world, casting aside all people and even God?

There is something of “this” Pharisee, perhaps, in all of us which needs to be shun…
There is something of “this” tax collector, which needs to be cultivated…

The need to cast away pride and the need to embrace humility and dependence on God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH

We do not believe in formulae, but in those realities they express, which faith allows us to touch.
The believer’s act [of faith] does not terminate in the propositions, but in the realities [which they express].
All the same, we do approach these realities with the help of formulations of the faith which permit us to express the faith and to hand it on…
… to celebrate it in community
… to assimilate and live on it more and more.
The Church, “the pillar and bulwark of the truth”, faithfully guards “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”.
She guards the memory of Christ’s words; it is she who from generation to generation hands on the apostles’ confession of faith.
As a mother who teaches her children to speak and so to understand and communicate, the Church our Mother teaches us the language of faith…
… in order to introduce us to the understanding and the life of faith. (CCC # 170-171)

---

“As we make our journey, in the ‘train of life’, giving an optimistic answer to the fundamental question of our faith: ‘Do YOU love JESUS?’”

(Based on Hos 14:1-9 and Mk 12:28-34 – Friday of the 3rd Week in Lent)

A heart-touching incident is told of a man who was travelling in a train.

Sitting opposite him was a mother and a little girl.

He talked to the little girl and told her stories and showed her his penknife – how it opened and closed.
He even sang to her, and she loved her new companion.

As the train reached the destination, the little girl looked up to the man and asked: “Do you love Jesus?”

He didn’t understand her at first…
… but she repeated the question.

The man stammered and blushed as he said good-bye to her and her mother…

But he couldn’t forget the question; “Do you love Jesus?”

He went to bed that night and that question didn’t go away, “Do you love Jesus?”

When he woke up the next morning, it was still there.

The question was planted by the Spirit in his heart and it put down its roots.

It demanded an answer.

Five years later he was walking through the city, when he bumped into a lady coming out of her house.

He recognized her as the mother of the little girl.

“Hello!” he said to her warmly, “I don’t suppose you remember me. About five years ago I travelled in the same train coach as you and your daughter.”

“I remember it well,” she said, “come in.”
So he went into her house.

“Do you remember that your daughter asked me a question as we were getting out of the train?” >> “How is she? Can I see her?” he asked.

The woman looked away.

Tears were in her eyes.

“I’m sorry” she said…
… “She is in heaven!”

She took him to her room and there were her Bible, and her dolls, and prize books, and some toys. “That’s all that’s left of my sweet Lettie,” her mother said.

“No,” said the man – who was shocked and dazed – quite vehemently. “That is not all that is left of her.

I am left. I am left. I owe her my faith in God!

I was an unbeliever when she asked me that question.

I loved the world and I lived badly, but she asked me that question and I never could forget it, and since that time I have changed.

I am not the man I was. I am now God’s.

I can answer the question now!”

What about us?

Can we answer that question: “Do YOU love Jesus?”

The Gospel of the Day is an exhortation by the Lord, to Love God with our “ALL”…
… All our heart
… All our soul
… All our mind
… All our strength

The Gospel begins with a member of the scribe, approaching Jesus with a question:
“Which is the greatest of all commandments?”(Mk 12: 28)

This man, who questioned Jesus was a scribe

Some translations would put it as “a Lawyer”
The Gospel of St Matthew describes him as a “Scholar of the Law” (Mt 22: 35)

He was an expert in the Mosaic Law.
… someone who studied the law, interpreted the law and taught the law!

Jesus responded him, with something immensely special:
“The Lord our God, is Lord alone. Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength”(Mk 12:29- 30)…

“Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mk 12: 31)

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

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

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

Love, as Jesus defines, is not simply about feelings and emotions, as is the popular and the ‘commercial’ understanding.

Undoubtedly, Love has the dimensions of being a tender feeling and an expressive emotion.

But beyond that, Love is…
… a commitment
… a dedication
… a decision
…. that one makes to be faithful – to a person or a duty or a situation!

Life sometimes can be quite harsh to us – making us feel totally lost out, abandoned even by God and even causing us to question the presence and existence of a Just and Loving God…
… But, can we still dare to “love God”?

Life sometimes hits very hard at us – in the form of others not accepting us, others ridiculing, criticizing us and we finding ourselves as the subject of hatred and injustice.
… But, can we still dare to “love our neighbours”?

Life sometimes is very unfair to us, we feel – by not rewarding us with rewards, that we consider, we deserve, in answer to the hard-work we put in.. or by not allowing us to enjoy the joys of life and instead bombards us with tensions and worries
… Can we still go out of the way and live a life “In Love and For Love”?

When one’s life is truly centered on love for God, one also begins to express this love to one’s neighbours , in concrete and certain acts of love.

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

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

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

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

As we make our journey, in the “train of life”, we are constantly faced with this fundamental question of our faith: “Do YOU love JESUS?”

This question is planted by the Spirit in our hearts and it put down its roots.

It demands an answer.

What is our answer?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH

It is the Church that believes first, and so bears, nourishes and sustains my faith.
Everywhere, it is the Church that first confesses the Lord: “Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you”, as we sing in the hymn ‘Te Deum’…
… with her and in her, we are won over and brought to confess: “I believe”, “We believe”.
It is through the Church that we receive faith and new life in Christ by Baptism.
Salvation comes from God alone; but because we receive the life of faith through the Church, she is our mother: “We believe the Church as the mother of our new birth…
… and not in the Church as if she were the author of our salvation.”
Because she is our mother, she is also our teacher in the faith. (CCC # 168-169)

---

“Being careful not to allow ourselves to be ‘influenced and altered’ by the ways of the world, so that we may not end up losing the ‘song of our Faith!’”

(Based on Jer 7:23-28 and Lk 11:14-23 – Thursday of the 3rd Week in Lent)

A group of two brothers were roaming in the forest, when they found a couple of tiny birds of the family of linnets.


When the boys got the birds home, they put the linnets in a cage, opposite the canary bird, which was tied in another cage.
(Canary birds are known to be “Singing Birds”)

They explained to their mother that they hoped the linnets – being so young – would learn to imitate the singing canary…
… Instead of cheeping as normally birds do, they expected them to sing (like the canary)


The next day the boys entered the room, and exclaimed:
“Mother, come here, look what has happened!
>> Our canary is cheeping like a linnet!”


The mother came in… and found it so!
>> Instead of the linnets learning to sing, the Canary bird forgot its ability to sing!


Thus, the canary had to be separated from the wild birds of the wood and kept under cover for a time before regaining the singing ability.

Such is the case with Christians who allow themselves to “influenced and altered” by the ways of the world!
>> We may end up losing the “Song of our Faith!”


Yes, Christian life requires that we be constantly “on the watch and guard”, because it is…
… a constant struggle between the forces of evil and the power of goodness…
… a relentless warfare between the coercion of sin and the strength of holiness…


The Gospel of the Day presents this struggle between…
… Jesus and the Pharisees
… the Holy One and the evil forces
… the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of Satan


The Lord came to the world to usher in the Kingdom of God.
>> Bringing to forefront the Kingdom of Power and Holiness, the Lord casts out a demon from a person who is dumb. (Lk 11:14)

This mighty action of healing and deliverance had a tremendous effect…
… the dumb man spoke
… and the people marvelled.


But, this wondrous act of power and authority also triggered a volley of struggles…
… a struggle of words between the Pharisees and Jesus
… a teaching on the struggle between the Kingdom of God and the forces of evil


The Lord lashes out in authority and conviction, on being accused of siding with evil powers to cast out demons: “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and a divided household falls” ( Lk 11: 17)
>> Jesus makes it clear that one cannot be siding with negative forces in order to perform deeds of goodness and salvation!
>> Jesus makes it clear that one cannot be on the side of evil and sin and yet be authentic and genuine in doing works of true deliverance and righteousness!


This brings us to an important dimension that needs our honest and critical consideration:
Am I a person truly on the side of God when I engage in works and ministries of the Lord…
… but still continuing to be on the side of the Evil One by living a life of sin?

Am I a person imbued with the Spirit of the Holy Lord in professing to be a Christian…
… or am I living a dual-life by failing to give up immoral tendencies and obliging the evil spirit?

Am I a person who may be performing a lot of good works in the name of God…
… but failing to have an intimate relationship and union with the God of all power and glory?


Venerable Fr Peter Marie Mermier, the founder of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales puts it beautifully:
“The ministry of a priest without prayer, is a barren ministry, without any effect, even harmful; it is a ministry of death!
>> Instead of enlightening, it blinds; instead of healing, it kills!

But the ministry of the one who prays, is a ministry of life!”


Christian life is not to be just defined by external works of piety and works…
…but is to be a reflection of the inner intimacy and relation with the Lord.

Christian Life is not to be merely characterized by many deeds of charity and devotion…
… but is to be a manifestation of one’s true faith and closeness to the Divine Master.

• A true inner disposition and authority is a must to be effective and credible in our life.
• A proper grounding is an absolute requirement to be engaged in the works of the Lord.


I may find myself often in the “cage” of faith and unbelief…
>> But am I clear in taking the side of the Lord and Him alone?

I may find myself often in the “cage” of actions of goodness and temptations of the evil…
>> But am I convinced of taking the side of the Kingdom of God alone?


Christian Life is a constant struggle
… between the evil and good
… between the Devil and Jesus
… between the Kingdom of God and the powers of wickedness

Which side are we on?


Let us be careful not to allow ourselves to be “influenced and altered” by the ways of the world…
… so that we may not end up losing the “Song of our Faith!”


God Bless! Live Jesus!

——————————–
Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
BELIEVING IN GOD
Faith is a personal act – the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself.
>> But faith is not an isolated act.
>> No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life.
>> The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our love for Jesus and for our neighbour impels us to speak to others about our faith.
>> Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith.
>> “I believe” (Apostles’ Creed) is the faith of the Church professed personally by each believer, principally during Baptism.
>> “We believe” (Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) is the faith of the Church confessed by the bishops assembled in council or more generally by the liturgical assembly of believers.
>> “I believe” is also the Church, our mother, responding to God by faith as she teaches us to say both “I believe” and “We believe” (CCC # 166-167)
——————————–

“Seeking to live a life that is sinless, with a faith that is fearless, for a hope that is endless!”

(Based on Deut 4:1-9 and Mt 5:17-19 – Wednesday of the 3rd Week in Lent)

Here is an interesting read….

First dentistry became painless;
Then bicycles chainless
The latest steel rustless,
And probably laws, enforceless.

Next, cookery became fireless,
Telegraphy wireless,
Cigars nicotineless
And tennis courts, grassless

Soon oranges were seedless,
The proper diet, fatless,
The motor roads dustless,
And coffee, caffeineless.
Our times are such that there are many advancements made as a result of great technology.

However a danger has also appeared in rendering things to be made “¬¬¬____less”

Our prayers seem to be devotionless
Charity heartless
Preaching depthless
And religiosity, faithless!

While it’s wonderful to allow technology and modern techniques to make our life ‘easier and relaxing’, it’s a grave danger to allow the same “relaxing and easing” tendency to overpower our spiritual endeavours!

The Gospel of the day is a warning by the Lord to be wary of this inclination to “relax” and “loosen” things which are pertaining to God and thus be exposed to the risk of being “lowered” in the eyes of God.
“Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven… “(Mt 5: 19)

The Lord addresses Himself as the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets (Mt 5:18)

God, in the Old Testament, while delivering the commandments to the people of Israel, had strictly enjoined on them to keep His decrees and laws close to their hearts and to follow them carefully:

“But take care, as you value your lives! Do not forget the things which you yourselves have seen, or let them slip from your heart as long as you live; teach them, rather, to your children and to your children’s children.” (Dt 4:9)

But as time passed on and generations went by, the intensity in the following of these commandments drastically reduced.

The laws began to lose their original spirit and motive.

The instructions of the Lord were abandoned for their spiritual value
The commandments began to be followed more from a social perspective
There began a “loosing” and “relaxing” of the commandments and the laws of the Lord!

The Greek word for “relaxing”, that Jesus speaks of in referring to the commandments of God is a word – “luo”.

This word “luo” can imply different meanings:

It could be to break up or to demolish or to destroy that which is bound up firmly.
It could be the loosening of the bond of matrimony between a husband and wife
It could be to loosen any person or thing, that is tied or fastened to something
It could be the undoing or dissolving of anything or any thought or idea.
It could be to annul or subvert something especially laws or authority.

This “luo” is a grave danger to which all of us are also exposed to…

The danger to allow lethargy to troop in, in the name of “easiness”
The danger to allow lukewarmness to creep in, in the name of “convenience”
The danger to allow sluggishness to dominate, in the name of “broadmindedness”

The Lord today invites us to examine and probe into areas of our life that needs a real “tightening” and “intensification”

Has my prayer life become relaxed and casual…

Can I “tighten” it up, to grow in deeper communion with the Lord?

Has my participation in the Holy Eucharist become too monotonous and more “ritualistic”…

Can I “intensify” my preparation and participation in this most sacred act of the world?

Has my reading of the Word of God taken a backseat or lost its significance in my daily life…

Can I “tighten” it up, in order to draw strength from the mighty sword of God’s Word?

Has my relationship with my fellow people and the needy ones, devoid charity and kindness…

Can I “intensify” with a truer interest in their concerns and making a difference in their lives?

Let us seek to have and live…
A life that is sinless…
A faith that is fearless…
An enthusiasm that is limitless…
A joy that is deceitless
And a hope that is endless!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
WALKING BY FAITH

We walk by faith, not by sight! We perceive God as “in a mirror, dimly” and only “in part”.
Even though enlightened by him in whom it believes, faith is often lived in darkness and can be put to the test…
… the world we live in often seems very far from the one promised us by faith.
Our experiences of evil and suffering, injustice and death, seem to contradict the Good News…
… they can shake our faith and become a temptation against it.
It is then we must turn to the witnesses of faith…
… to Abraham, who “in hope… believed against hope”
… to the Virgin Mary, who, in “her pilgrimage of faith”, walked into the “night of faith” in sharing the darkness of her son’s suffering and death
… and to so many others
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely…
… and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” (CCC # 164-165)

---

“Doing away with mathematical countings in pardoning others, knowing that we ourselves have received this favour from the Lord!”

(Based on Dan 3:2, 11-20 and Mt 18:21-35 – Tuesday of the 3rd Week in Lent)

An incident is said of a worker named Richard Weaver (He would later on become a popular preacher of the Word) who was working in a mine.

During the course of the work, unintentionally, he hit a fellow-miner.

The fellow-miner, however lost his cool and retorted: “I feel like giving you a hard smack on your face!”

“Very well”, said Weaver, “If that will do any good, you may do it.”

The man struck him.

Weaver turned to him the other cheek.

The man struck again.

This was repeated five times; and when Weaver presented his cheek for the sixth time, the man turned away, cursing.

Weaver cried after him: “The Lord forgive you, for I do; and the Lord save you!”

The following morning, as work started, this man was the first person that Richard Weaver met.

As Weaver approached him, he burst into tears.

“Oh Richard” he cried as he knelt before him, “do you really forgive me?”

Richard Weaver helped him get up…

As he rose… a changed and transformed man!

That’s the Power of Forgiveness!

The Gospel of the Day presents this Mighty and Power Message of Forgiveness…
… Forgiveness that goes beyond the rules of mathematics!

A common observation that is noticed among many children, is the fear and apprehensions of some subjects in the school or college.

Among these subjects, one which would top the list of subjects which causes tension and undue worry, is certainly, Mathematics!

Many have a fear of this subject which deals with figures and numbers.

Many have an aversion to this subject which deals with digits and numerals.

Well, it’s not known or certain whether Our Lord had any such aversion or fear or apprehension or even dislike for this subject, Mathematics!

But one thing is for certain…
… that the Lord sure loved to keep out Mathematics when dealing with important spiritual dimensions.
… that the Lord indeed would transgress the norms of Mathematics when engaged in vital spiritual aspects.

The Gospel of the Day is an exhibition of this aspect of the Lord going beyond mathematical boundaries in dealing with the beautiful virtue of forgiveness.

The passage begins with the Lord’s chief and one-of-the-first apostles Peter, raising a query to his Master, ” Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Mt 18: 21)

It was probably a genuine doubt of Peter, which arose from his own personal experiences.
He must have had some difficulties in forgiving, out of his wavering temperament, perhaps!

But he now puts forward to Jesus a doubt as to what should be the limit of one’s forgiveness.

Peter sought to know the exact boundaries that one must limit oneself, while forgiving.

He wanted clear-cut rules to define the maximum threshold and frontiers of generosity in pardoning.

But the Lord replies firmly, “I say to you, not seven times, but seventy seven times” (Mt 18:22)

The Lord does away with the mathematical rules in forgiveness!
The Lord does not confine to the mathematical stipulations in forgiveness!

“Seventy seven times” would refer a number, unlimited and uncountable!

The frontiers for how many times to forgive are done away with…
The boundaries for how many times to forgive do not hold good…

As the Lord spoke these words to Peter, the apostle would himself have recalled…
“Once beside the sea of Galilee, when I encountered the Holy Master, I realized that I was drowning in the waters of sin… and I had asked pardon from the Lord.
Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man (Lk 5:8)”

These words of the Lord would have again echoed in the ears of Peter, later on, after the resurrection of Jesus….

Once again, beside a Sea… this time, the Sea of Tiberius, Peter experienced the forgiving power of the Lord in accepting back, though he had betrayed Him three times (Jn 21: 15-18)

Many times he had sinned against the Lord…

Many times he had caused pain and ache to the Lord…
Many times he had abandoned and betrayed the Lord…
But every time, the Lord forgave, wholeheartedly!

The Lord was truly the Master, “who practised what He preached”

The Lord was truly the Master, “who forgave unconditionally and without any limits”

This Lord, today seeks to impress on us too, this same attitude of forgiveness.

The teaching on forgiveness, is most certainly easy said than done!

To forgive….especially to forgive repeatedly, is certainly no easy task…

But it would require a deeper experience of the Unconditional Love of the Lord and our own determination, along with His grace, to reach out in forgiveness and pardon to our constantly erring brothers and sisters!

Are we ready to cast away mathematical limitations in forgiving, and extend the mercy of the Lord to others?

Are we ready to do away with mathematical countings in pardoning others, knowing that we ourselves have received this favour from the Lord?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH AND FAITH AS THE BEGINNING OF ETERNAL LIFE

Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man.
We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: “Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience…
… by rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith.
To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God
We must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be “working through charity,” abounding in hope…
… and rooted in the faith of the Church.
Faith makes us taste in advance the light of the beatific vision, the goal of our journey here below. >> Then we shall see God “face to face”, “as He is”.
So faith is already the beginning of eternal life
When we contemplate the blessings of faith even now, as if gazing at a reflection in a mirror…
… it is as if we already possessed the wonderful things which our faith assures us we shall one day enjoy! (CCC # 162-163)

---

Going to the Lord in our moments of rejection, and seeking solace, healing and consolation from Him!”

(Based on 2 Kings 5:1-15 and Lk 4:24-30 – Monday of the 3rd Week in Lent)

One of the most painful words in perhaps the whole of dictionary is the word … “Rejection”

And this is perhaps one word, that has been experienced in life, by most of us…( if not by all).

Most of us have felt the sting of rejection…
Most of us can recollect instances and situations of rejection even now…
Most of feel a twinge within ourselves when we hear this word ‘rejection’…

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, our Master undergoing the painful experience of ‘rejection’.

The background of the Gospel passage of the day is that Jesus is in the Synagogue at Nazareth at the beginning of His ministry.

Being handed over the Scripture from the book of Isaiah, Jesus spoke of the fulfilment of the text that was read:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor….” (Lk 4:18)

The Graciousness of His words and the Eloquence of His speech attracted the audience to Himself.

The first impression was surely a wonderful impression…
… but as time would prove, it is not always the best and lasting impression.

When He began to teach the people of how God has brought His salvation and the message of hope to not just the Jews, but the Gentiles also, murmurs of rejection began to crop up.

The message of straight talk to the heart, which affected their inner lives, caused uneasiness to His listeners.
The delivery of the truth which had a direct bearing upon their lives and attitudes, caused edginess to arise among His listeners.

And so, there happened a “conversion”…
…. a conversion, not for the good, but for the bad!

They were converted from having a good opinion of Jesus to forming a detestable view on Him

They were converted from nodding their heads in approval to shaking their heads and clenching their fists in refutation and denial.

How true a picture is this of many a human nature….

We appreciate those persons who speak what I wish to speak…
… but deny those who speak against us, even if they speak the truth!

We encourage those people who harp the same tune that we wish to hear…
… but terribly denounce those who play the melody for a genuine transformation!

The Lord was rejected!

And He Himself testified to this naked reality, “No prophet is accepted in his own native place” (Lk 4: 24)

The Gospel of John presents this reality in a more dramatic manner, “He came to His own and His own rejected Him!” (Jn 1:11)

Rejection is a part of each of our lives…

And the rejection is much greater and true, when one stands for the Truth and the Virtues of the Gospel!

We get rejected…
… by our friends who don’t approve when we seek to live a holier lives…
… by the society which is unable to appreciate those wanting a sanctified life…

But the Lord assures us.. “In all your rejection, look up to me!”
“There was no one who was rejected as I was…
I was rejected when I was born….
I was rejected when I lived…
I was rejected when I died….”
“Are you also going to reject me… I, who have risen from the dead?”

[Some of us who use the mobile phones in the dictionary mode, (especially the older version – and not the smartphones), would have experienced this simple fact…

When one types the word “rejected” in the dictionary mode, in the older version of the mobile phone, it appears as “selected”…
Try it if you wish….]

The same is true when we type in the word “rejected” in the Divine mode…. before the Lord!
He converts every “reject” to a “select”…

He converts our rejection to a selection for grace and sanctification
He converts our rejection to a selection for purification and strengthening.

Our lives have suffered much pain and our hearts are a canvas of much agony of rejection.

But the Lord today invites us to go to Him and seek solace, healing and consolation from Him.

He who was rejected, is the Lord of acceptance!

He who was rejected, is the Saviour of hope!
He who was rejected, is the God of healing!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE NECESSITY OF FAITH AND PERSERVING IN FAITH

Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation.
Since without faith it is impossible to please (God) and to attain to the fellowship of his sons…
… therefore without faith, no one has ever attained justification
… nor will anyone obtain eternal life – but he who endures to the end!
Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man.
We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: “Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience.
By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith.
To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God…
… we must beg the Lord to increase our faith
… it must be working through charity, abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church! (CCC # 161-162)

---

(Based on Exod 20:1-17, 1 Cor 1:22-25 and Jn 2:13-25 – 3rd Sunday of Lent, Year B)

This story is told in a particular kingdom, wherein a famous Christian artist – known for his paintings and art…
… once drew a beautiful painting of Christ Crucified – with the caption – “The King reigns on the Throne of the Cross. Is He reigning also on the throne of your lives?”

This painting was gifted to the king on his birthday, with a grand unveiling ceremony…
… with a request by the painter, to place the painting in a prominent place in the palace.

Seeing the painting, many of the court officials including the ministers were dumbfounded and bewildered…
… along with being apprehensive on what would be the reaction of the king.

But the king arose from his throne…
… commanded that his throne be removed from the regular place.

And holding up the spectacular painting, the king placed it right in the place where his throne was – the most prominent place in the palace – as he announced:
“There is no greater King than the Lord Himself! He deserves the most prominent place – in our hearts, in this kingdom and in this palace!”

Realization of the greatness of the Lord and giving Him His due honour and priority in our lives…
… is indeed one of the most vital aspect of our life

And this top prioritization alone can ensure the upholding of the “Sense of the Sacred” in our lives!

God is Holy.

And all matters pertaining to God, has a “Sense of the Sacred.”

Worship becomes meaningful, when one becomes aware of this Sense of the Sacred.

Preaching becomes powerful, when one is convinced of this Sense of the Sacred.
Liturgy becomes heart-touching, when one acknowledges this Sense of the Sacred.

Today we need to make an examination…

Is my Worship of God becoming merely external, and losing its inner values?
Is my Liturgy more a ritualistic and obligatory exercise, than truly an experiential one?
Is my Preaching of God reduced to great talks, but devoid of conviction and passion?

If the answer to any of the above questions is a Yes…
… then we are perhaps losing the Sense of the Sacred.

The Gospel of the day presents a classic case of this loss of the Sacred Sense.

The Temple of Jerusalem is desecrated by a loss of the Sacred Sense and Jesus seeks to restore it by cleansing the temple.
“In the temple, Jesus found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.

Making a whip of cords, He drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” (Jn 2:14-15)

The Jerusalem Temple was very dear to the faith of the people of Israel.

Worshipping in this temple was the ultimate for the Israelites, in their honouring of God.

At the Passover, Jews from around the world came to the temple to sacrifice to the Lord (Ex. 12:1-28; Lev 23:4-8).

It was highly impractical to bring sacrificial animals long distances.

So they were made available in the Jerusalem Temple!

Most Jews also paid the temple tax during the Passover.
Since, they came from various places and bore pagan Roman seals, money-changers were there in the temple, to convert the Roman coinage into appropriate currency.

Pagan symbols on Roman money made it unacceptable for Yahweh’s house.

Where there is money, corruption slowly creeps in…!

Pilgrims had to pay exorbitant rates to change money, and sellers exploited those in poverty, overcharging for the poor man’s offering of pigeons and doves (Lev. 5:7).

To make things worse, these merchants set up shop in the Court of the Gentiles, making it useless as a place of prayer due to the hustle and bustle of the buying and the selling of goods.

Though not inherently evil, these practices became occasions for sin.

What started for a noble cause, led to immense corruption.
There began the loss of the “Sense of the Sacred”…

And this is so true in our own lives…

The beginning of the loss of the Sense of the Sacred begins with trivial things.

I allow little delays and some relaxations in my prayer life…

And suddenly, I find no excitement in spending time in prayer.

I allow laxity and silence and indifference in my relationships…

And suddenly, I find no meaning in many of my relations…

I allow unpreparedness and disinterest to walk into my celebration and participation of Mass…

And suddenly, I find not meaning in the Holy Eucharist.

The loss of the Sense of the Sacred happens in a very subtle and quiet way.

And unless, we remain vigilant and careful, we can lose our way in spiritual warfare.

It is this reminder and warning that the Lord delivers today, by cleansing the Jerusalem Temple

“Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” (Jn 2:16b)

Today we have converted many of the places into “marketplaces”…

Today we have badly defiled the “Sense of the Sacred” in many places…

Cinemas and movies have a heavy stench of vulgarity and indecency.

They rob the society of its ethical culture and moral innocence.

Posters, hoardings and advertisements have become mediums of immorality and offensiveness

They rob its viewers of their principles and convictions in life.

The Internet and new media are badly misused to become snares of promoting life-threatening and life-abusing activities.

They rob its users of their proper purposes & instead addict them to many compulsions & cravings which are hard to be given up.

Families and communities often become places lacking in genuine love, unity and peace

They rob one of the chance to grow in a spirit of sharing and understanding.

Our bodies are often manipulated with many addictions, improper practices and ungodly behaviours.

They rob the person of the purity and holiness that is engraved deep within.

The Cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple is a strong reminder for us, to check the areas and the manner in which we have lost the Sense of the Sacred…

We complain that the world is becoming more materialistic and less spiritual.
We complain that the Church is becoming more “worldly” and less inspiring.

One of the root problems lies in the fact, that we perhaps losing the “Sense of the Sacred”

Unless I am in awe of the God who has created this beautiful and majestic world, I will continue to abuse and misuse the world.
Unless I am in wonder of the God who has gifted the Church with life-saving sacraments, I will continue to blame the Church and lose precious graces that I can obtain through her.

Let us revive the “Sense of the Sacred”.

Let us cleanse anything which diminishes this “Sense of the Sacred”
Let us become a people who radiate with joy and enthusiasm this “Sense of the Sacred”

Yes, let us enthrone and accord the Lord – the King of kings and the Lord of lords – the most prominent place in our hearts, in our lives and in our families!

May we always offer an optimistic answer to the question:
“The King reigns on the Throne of the Cross. Is He reigning also on the throne of your lives?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE FREEDOM OF FAITH

To be human, “man’s response to God by faith must be free…
… and therefore, nobody is to be forced to embrace the faith against his will.
The act of faith is of its very nature a free act. God calls men to serve him in spirit and in truth.
Consequently they are bound to him in conscience, but not coerced!
This fact received its fullest manifestation in Christ Jesus. Indeed, Christ invited people to faith and conversion, but never coerced them…
… “For he bore witness to the truth but refused to use force to impose it on those who spoke against it. His kingdom grows by the love with which Christ, lifted up on the cross, draws men to Himself! (CCC # 160)

---