“Offering our world of burdens to Jesus and feeling energetic and enthusiastic!”

(Based on 2 Sam 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30-19:3 and Mk 5:21-43 – Tuesday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A person came to a spiritual counsellor to share his difficulties and problems of life.

During the break of the counselling session, as the two took a walk in the garden area, the person who was had come to share the difficulties, noticed a large statue of the Atlas.

(The Statue of Atlas is of a well-built man, who with all his muscles straining…
… is holding the world upon his shoulders)

Seeing that statue of Atlas who was struggling to hold the world, the man told the counsellor:
“Do you see that man struggling to hold the world on his shoulders?

That’s exactly how I feel in my life as well!

The burden of the whole world seems to be on my shoulders and I feel exasperated!”

The counsellor gave a gentle smile to the man and asked him to have his eyes on the other side of the street.
“Look at that statue,” said the counsellor.

The man noticed, at a distance, the statue of Infant Jesus…
… Who was holding the world (globe) in His Hands.

And the counsellor continued:
“We have a choice in life!

We can either follow Atlas and feel as if the entire world of burden is placed on my shoulders…
… and thus feel exasperated and exhausted!

Or we can follow Jesus and offer our world of burdens to Him, Who will hold it in His Hands…
… and thus feel energetic and enthusiastic!

The Gospel of the Day recounts two people who had an encounter with Jesus, and offered their world of burdens to Him, …
… and thus felt energetic and enthusiastic!

Sicknesses and diseases are great interrupters in life…
… they enter into the house of life, without knocking at the doors
… they disrupt many plans and aspirations
… they reduce the hope for the future

The Gospel is a narration of two persons who encountered this interruption in life…

1. Jairus’ daughter – on the death bed – would have dashed many hopes of their family
2. The long suffering of the woman – with haemorrhage – would have crushed her aspirations

Both these two persons – Jairus and the Woman with the haemorrhage underwent similar struggles….

One had tremendous mental agony as a result of worry for his beloved child…
The other had also tremendous physical agony along with her mental and social stigmas…

Both their sufferings had reached a saturation point of tolerance…

Both of them were struggling immensely to swim across the ocean of agony and pain…

But both these persons also displayed a similar sort of faith in the Lord….
“Seeing Jesus, Jairus fell at His feet and pleaded earnestly with Him…” ( Mk 5:22)
“…realizing what had happened to her, the woman approached Jesus in fear and trembling; fell down before Jesus and told Him the whole truth” (Mk5: 33)

They both “offered their world of burdens” to Jesus…
… in deep faith and trust…
… with much love and devotion
… with great expectations and hopes

The “offering of their burdens” was a sign of total submission and surrender

Jairus offered himself to the power and mercy of the Lord…
The woman with haemorrhage offered herself to the compassion and love of the Lord…
This made them to experience the power of the Lord.

When we offer ourselves fully to the holy and precious Will of the Lord…
… we come in contact with His Divine Providence and Wonder

When we submit ourselves to the mighty power and providence of God…
…we experience His Divine Strength and Courage

When we surrender ourselves to the dominion and sovereignty of God…
… we encounter His marvellous presence and guidance

Our Christian Life – with all its challenges – places before us choices:

We can either feel that the entire world of burden is placed on our shoulders…
… and thus feel exasperated and exhausted!

Or we can offer our world of burdens to Jesus, telling Him, “’Here I am Lord; here’s my life. I give you my world, the whole world’…
… and thus feel energetic and enthusiastic!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism

There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive.
“There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest.
Christ Who died for all men desires that in His Church, the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin.
Catechesis strives to awaken and nourish in the faithful faith in the incomparable greatness of the risen Christ’s gift to His Church: the mission and the power to forgive sins through the ministry of the Apostles and their successors
The Lord wills that His disciples possess a tremendous power: that His lowly servants accomplish in His Name all that He did when He was on earth.
Priests have received from God a power that He has given neither to angels nor to archangels –
God above confirms what priests do here below.
Were there no forgiveness of sins in the Church, there would be no hope of life to come or eternal liberation.

Let us thank God who has given his Church such a gift!” (CCC # 982-983)