“Seeking to come away from the ‘season of winter’ and being warm and enthusiastic in the love of the Lord by receiving the touch of the Divine!”

(Based on Acts 11:19-26 and Jn 10:22-30 – Tuesday of the 4th Week in Easter)

In many parts of the world, it is now summer!

The effects of global warming are being clearly experienced in many of the countries…
…with increased temperatures
… unusual climatic changes

But it’s pretty interesting to note, that even though externally, the climate is warm…
… there could be many areas in our life… which remain cold!

Isn’t it?

Perhaps….
… we are experiencing a “coldness” in many of our relationships
… there is a sense of a “cold wave” in our work-places, studies or in our undertakings and activities

We need the “tender touch” of our Blessed Lord to “warm” our “cold hearts” …
… and in order to come to experience “abundance of life” in Him!

The Gospel of the Day presents the dimension of “coldness” that was experienced by the people, who encountered Jesus, in accepting Him as the Lord of Life.

The Gospel passage begins with St John giving a dual-context in the encounter between Jesus and the people…

The religious atmosphere of the time: “The Feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem” (Jn 10: 22a)

The physical atmosphere of the time: “It was winter” (Jn 10:22b)
The Feast of Dedication was also called Hanukkah.

This feast celebrated the liberation of the city of Jerusalem from Antiochus, the Syrian King.

This King had desecrated the Jerusalem Temple by building an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs on the Temple Altar.

The Feast of Dedication celebrates the day that Israel regained control of the temple and re-consecrated it to the one true God!

However, it is to be noted that though year after year, they gathered to celebrate the re-dedication of the Temple…
… their hearts were, perhaps, still far from God Yahweh!
… their lives were, perhaps, still, yet to be in accordance with the Will of God!

This is what St John, the Evangelist, points to when he speaks of the physical atmosphere of the time: “It was winter” (Jn10:22b)

This statement was not just about the weather or the season of the year

He was describing “a season of life… a season of faith!”

It was his style of diagnosing the interior condition of the “Faith of the People” who had come for the Feast of the Dedication!

Many of the people of Israel, were in a season of “winter”…
…”cold” in their hearts: to accept the person of Jesus – the One Who had inaugurated the Kingdom of God, going about doing a lot of works of salvation and healing!

… “cold” in their minds: to accept the teachings of Jesus – the One Who was exhorting them to live God’s commandments not just externally, but with the sincerity of the heart!

… “cold” in their lives: to accept the challenge of Jesus – the One Who was convicting them of their sinfulness and inviting them to a life of repentance and holiness!

It was this being in a “season of winter” that prompted them to ask Jesus with a sense of apathy and irritation: “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly” (Jn 10: 24)

“Tell us plainly” was the utterance of a frozen people…
… who had “winter” in their hearts and their minds
… who were “cold” and had begun to take their faith for granted
… who were “frozen” and were merely satisfied with external dedication of the Temple, without an inner renewal of the heart!

We need to examine our lives and check….
… Am I also a “frozen person?”

Am I also, in a “season of winter”?
… Is my relationship with the Lord, a mere utterance of the lips and fails to affect my daily living?
… Is my practice of devotion and my participation in the liturgy and sacraments, a plain ritualistic and a routine custom, without making me to truly enter into intimacy with the Lord?
… Is my life of faith, just an ordinary and lethargic one, taking the grace and blessing of the Lord for granted, and not wanting to make efforts to grow in the love of the Lord and neighbour?

The Lord gives us the one straight answer: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow Me” (Jn 10: 27)

The Book of the Acts of the Apostles gives us the beautiful example of Barnabas – who lent his ears to the Lord and thus could be an agent of the Lord’s Power and Love

“When Barnabas came and saw the Grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord!” (Acts 11: 23-24)

When we offer our Lord our entire life –our heart and mind wholly– we become a contagious witness of His Resurrection and a powerful messenger of His Love

Let us dedicate not just our externalities to the Lord…
… but much more our internalities – our hearts, minds and lives to His Providence

Let us seek to come away from the “Season of Winter”….
… be warm in the love of the Lord
… be enthusiastic, receiving the touch of the Divine
… be ardent, to seek, hear and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST

“Adhering to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, to the apostolic traditions, and to the consensus… of the Fathers,” we profess that “the sacraments of the new law were… all instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Jesus’ words and actions during his hidden life and public ministry were already salvific, for they anticipated the power of his Paschal mystery.
They announced and prepared what he was going to give the Church when all was accomplished. >> The mysteries of Christ’s life are the foundations of what he would henceforth dispense in the sacraments, through the ministers of his Church, for “what was visible in our Saviour has passed over into His mysteries.”
Sacraments are “powers that comes forth” from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving.
They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church.

They are “the masterworks of God” in the new and everlasting covenant. (CCC # 1114-1116)

“Growing in intimacy of our ‘sheep’ in imitation of Jesus, the Great Good Shepherd!”

(Based on Acts 11:1-18 and Jn 10:1-10 – Monday of 4th Week in Easter )

Heard of the “bystander” effect?

Well… the ‘bystander effect’ is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases, in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim, when other people are present.


This phenomenon is also called as ‘bystander apathy’.


According to the “bystander effect”, the probability of ‘help’ is inversely related to the number of bystanders (onlookers).
i.e. the greater the number of bystanders, the lesser will be the possibility of help that is offered.
>> The lesser the number of bystanders, the greater will be the possibility of help that is offered.


Such examples are commonly seen in our society…

If someone has an accident on the road and many people gather around, chances are that hardly anyone would take a step in assisting the injured person..

A cruel trend increasing these days is that when another is undergoing some mishap or disaster, there are many more people taking “selfies” or clicking pictures or busy uploading such “breaking” news on social networking sites, but totally unmoved to help the person in need…


Unfortunately, this “bystander effect” or “bystander apathy” has also dangerously encroached our spiritual lives…


An attitude of being “uncaring” and being concerned only of one’s selfish needs
>> An attitude of being “lethargic” and wanting to be free from taking up responsibilities


This has led to…
… “careless” tendencies in caring for our spiritual lives
… “irresponsible” avoiding of duties in taking care of others.


The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who confronts this “bystander effect” in our lives.

He exhorts…
… to get involved in the lives of peoples and make a difference to them
… to be conscious of our own spiritual life and be zealous about it


Jesus speaks of Himself, as the Good Shepherd, who is close and intimate to the sheep.

It is this intimacy and closeness, that makes Him personally and affectionately concerned of His sheep.


The Lord also speaks of others, who are least interested in the welfare and safety of the sheep.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and robber” (Jn 10: 1)


The difference in the attitude of the Good Shepherd and the thieves and robbers is this:

The Good Shepherd has a deep intimacy with the sheep… the others have no relationship!
>> The Good Shepherd is fully interested in the welfare of the sheep… the others only care for their personal agenda and benefits!
>> The Good Shepherd will undertake any sacrifice, even of His life for the sheep… the others will escape and run away from assuming any difficulties or hardships!


All of us in our lives are entrusted with “sheep” and we are to be shepherds to them…

This “sheep” could be anybody, based on our status and position in life.


They could be…
… parishioners, lay faithful
… students, work-colleagues, friends
… family members, spouses, children
… the needy, the wanting, those in distress
… our own selves


The question is:
In all such situations, of we being a “Shepherd”, am I afflicted with a “bystander effect” or a “bystander apathy” and fail to reach out to “our sheep”?

It is the Lord who has entrusted us with the “sheep” and He expects us to be good and faithful shepherds.


The responsibility is great… the duty is immense on us.

But do we get lethargic and indifferent, and fail in our duty to be a true shepherd?


Jesus, the Great Good Shepherd, is our model and example…
… Let us grow in intimacy of our “sheep”
… Let us become more concerned of the welfare of our “sheep”
… Let us be willing to take up any sacrifice for the good of our “sheep”


God Bless! Live Jesus!

——————————–
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
>> The epiclesis is also a prayer for the full effect of the assembly’s communion with the mystery of Christ.
>> “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” have to remain with us always and bear fruit beyond the Eucharistic celebration.
>> The Church therefore asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit to make the lives of the faithful a living sacrifice to God by their spiritual transformation into the image of Christ…
… by concern for the Church’s unity, and by taking part in her mission through the witness and service of charity. (CCC # 1109)
——————————–

“Never forgetting that ‘Jesus Christ is precious and He loves
us very much!'”

(Based on Acts 13:14, 43-52, Rev 7:9, 14-17 and Jn 10:27-30– 4th Sunday in Easter, Year C)

A story is said of an elderly priest who was known for his
deep piety, committed service and profound conviction in
preaching.

His old age had rendered him nearly blind and he
even found it quite hard to breathe normally…
… and in fact, struggled to speak even in whispers!

However, despite his old age, he loved to visit prayer
meetings to speak about the love of Christ.

He would take the
help of the catechist to get his message delivered to the people

Once, while preaching, he repeated the sentence: 
“Jesus Christ is precious and He loves you very much!”

The catechist, thinking that the priest had made a mistake…
… reminded and whispered to him, “Father, you have already
said that statement twice!”

The priest, turning to the catechist said in a strong tone, “Yes, I
know I have said it twice, and I will say it once again!”

And so saying, with a firm and convincing voice, he told the
people, “Jesus Christ is precious and He loves you very much!”

The priest re-iterated to the people how Precious the Love of
God is!

Have we discovered and tasted the deep Love of God in
our lives?

God our Father loves us so much that He goes to any extent to
ensure His protection, care and love. 

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, tells us, “My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch
them out of the Father’s hand!” (Jn 10:29)

All the pages of the Bible speak to us one important Truth:
God is intimately involved with our lives!

He is not far away.

He constantly and consistently longs to have us with Him. 

Jesus reminds us that as His sheep, we ought to “hear His
Voice, know Him and follow Him!” (Cf. Jn 10:27)

This imagery of the Lord, as a Good Shepherd, is a very
consoling, assuring and encouraging one

Sheep in the times and areas of Jesus were often reared for
their wool, rather than the meat.

The sheep would be with the Shepherd for some time – and
an affinity would develop among them
The shepherd would make all the efforts – even at the cost
of comforts – to take care of the sheep…
… the sheep, would remain in submission to this affection,
and faithfully follow the Master

As a Good Shepherd, the Lord looks at us, not as a flock – a
group

Instead, we are seen and cared for, very uniquely – as
individual sheep!

In the Presence of the Lord, we don’t need a ‘nametag!’

He knows us by name!

It’s this awareness that I am loved, and uniquely cared for, that
will strengthen us in moments of strife!

When we feel hurt, rejected, unloved, or lost, it can be
overwhelmingly difficult to see God’s light.
When we go through temptations or times of distress, we
may stray away and feel unworthy

But the protective care of the Lord is always with us, as He
assures us, “no one shall snatch them out of My Hand!”
(Jn 10:28).

Yes, we are invited to be His ‘own people!’ 

We are called to be His ‘inescapable people!’

The Merciful Father – our Good Shepherd – is waiting for each
one of us…
… Whatever be the mess, that my life may be in!

Let us run into His embrace of Love, with sincere repentance
and contrition of heart

And pledge to live for Him, and with Him… forever!

Let us never forget that “Jesus Christ is precious and He loves
us very much!”

Let these words be repeated constantly in our life…
… with
deep piety, profound conviction and committed service to one
another!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

In every liturgical action the Holy Spirit is sent in order to bring us into communion with Christ and so to form his Body.
The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father’s vine which bears fruit on its branches.
The most intimate cooperation of the Holy Spirit and the Church is achieved in the liturgy.
The Spirit who is the Spirit of communion, abides indefectibly in the Church.

For this reason the Church is the great sacrament of divine communion which gathers God’s scattered children together. >> Communion with the Holy Trinity and fraternal communion are inseparably the fruit of the Spirit in the liturgy. (CCC # 1108)

“Rising up to the challenge to remain loyal and faithful to the demands placed on us by Christ, our Powerful and Mighty King!”

(Based on Acts 9:31-42 and Jn 6:60-69 – Saturday of the 3rd Week in Easter)

There is a challenging incident that goes thus…

A Parish Priest, after the Holy Mass on a Sunday, was standing outside the Church, when he came across a young girl.

This girl had been in the hotel plaza and had missed the Sunday service.

“Good Morning!” greeted the Priest.

“Good Morning too, Father”, came the reply from the girl.

“Are you well this morning?”

“Oh, I am so tired!” she explained, “I blistered my feet dancing, the whole night!”

And then she had a query, “By the way, Father, what do you think about dancing?”

With a grave seriousness, the Priest replied, “You call yourself to be a Christian, isn’t it?

Have you ever blistered your feet for God?”

That question hit her like a lightening!

She turned away, with guilt and shame displayed on her face.

A few days later, she spoke to the Priest again, saying, “I have hardly slept since you asked me that question.

I want to tell you honestly… I have never blistered my feet for the Lord.

But to the best of my abilities, I will seek to work for Him, hereafter!”

Has our Christian Life ever caused us…
… blisters on our feet?
… aches in our hands?
… tensions in our minds?
… anxiety in our hearts?

It pays to be a Christian!

It costs much to be a Follower of Christ!

Yes, Christianity demands…

And only the ones who are willing to respond to these demands are worthy of being the followers of the Lord.

The Lord is pretty straight-forward and candid in His challenging requirements…
… and would even ask us, as He asks His disciples in the Gospel of the Day, “Do you also wish to go away?” (Jn 6: 67)

We are at the concluding portion of the 6th Chapter of the Gospel of St John – known as the chapter on the Discourse of the Bread of Life.

The hearers of Jesus, from the beginning of this Chapter have been taken through a very intriguing path…

It began with the fragrance of compassion and mercy being radiated by the Lord in the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6: 1-15)
This fragrance developed into an aura of authority and power that was displayed in the incident of the walking on the water (Jn 6: 16-21)

This aura began to radiate more gloriously through His teachings on He being the Bread of Life (Jn 6: 22-59)

This glorious splendour was further revealed and explained when He declared Himself as the Son of Man who would ascend to where He was (Jn 6: 61-62)

The Chapter, as its nears the conclusion, finds many of the hearers abandoning Christ.

Therefore we read, “As a result of this, many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him” (Jn 6:66)

It seemed nice and wonderful to be the followers of Christ, when He provided food to their satisfaction
… But when there was a demand made by Christ, the “goody-goody” feelings disappeared and they began to reject Him!

Is this not the attitude that is prevalent among many of the Christians… including we, perhaps?

As long as the ground of our lives, receives the continual showers of favours being granted and prayers being instantly heard, we feel nice with the Lord.
… But in the times when the ground has to experience the drought of delays in prayers and absence of the rains of consolation, we feel to do away with the ways of the Lord!

As long as the garden of my life, is blessed with the flowers of prosperity, security and comforts, we remain happy to be with the Lord
… But in the circumstances when the garden goes dry and the weeds of misery begin to crop up, we feel to abandon the presence of the Lord and tread our own wills!

And therefore the Lord asks us, “Do you also wish to go away?” (Jn 6: 67)

Faith in the Lord is no cheap thing!

It indeed costs to be faithful!

The History of the Bible is replete with examples for this fact…

It cost Abraham in giving up Isaac, his beloved, in order to prove his faith in the Lord

It cost Moses to let go off his weaknesses and frailties, in order to become the leader of a vast multitude

It cost Daniel to be cast into the den of lions in being a faithful warrior of the Lord

It cost Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to pass through the ordeals of the fiery furnace in proving to be loyal to the Lord

It cost Stephen a painful death by being stoned in order to witness his daring courage in the Lord

It cost Peter to be nailed upside down to stand firm as the rock of faithfulness and commitment

Yes, Christianity demands…

And only the ones who are willing to respond to these demands are worthy of being the Followers of the Lord.

The book of the Acts of the Apostles beautifully recounts many incidents of people following the Lord – willing to give up their past life, and live a new life in Christ…

The healing of the paralyzed Aeneas through the instrumentality of Peter, made “all the residents of Lydda and Sharon… to turn to the Lord.” (Cf. Acts 9:35)
The healing of Tabitha, in Joppa, also caused many people to “believe in the Lord!” (Acts 9:36-42)

What is it costing us to be faithful to our Lord and King?

Often times, our practice of Christian faith enters, tiptoed and slyly, into the halls of comfort and coziness…

A Baptism received long ago…
Some Sacraments obtained now and then…
A few Church obligations completed once in a way…
Some occasionally unavoidable practise of piety and devotion…

This is all that sometimes it “costs” us in being a Christian!

But the Lord today powerfully seeks to shake off the dusts of lethargy and casualness and confronts us, “Do you also wish to go away?”

Our remaining with the Lord, ought not to be in mere words, but also in deeds and actions

Being with the Lord demands…
… that we grow in our zeal and love for the Lord
… that we become an extension of Christ to the needy
… that we strive to be passionate proponents of His love and mercy

We have to be ready and willing, to let our “feet be blistered”, bear “aches in our hands”, go through “tensions in our minds” and battle “anxiety in our hearts”…
… for the sake of the Lord and His Kingdom!

May our Christian lives be encompassed by a deep love for the Lord and may we rise up to the challenge to remain loyal and faithful to the demands placed on us by Christ, our Powerful and Mighty King!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES PRESENT THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST

Together with the anamnesis, the epiclesis is at the heart of each sacramental celebration, most especially of the Eucharist:
“You ask how the bread becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine the Blood of Christ I shall tell you: the Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what surpasses every word and thought. Let it be enough for you to understand that it is by the Holy Spirit, just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the Holy Spirit that the Lord, through and in himself, took flesh.”
The Holy Spirit’s transforming power in the liturgy hastens the coming of the kingdom and the consummation of the mystery of salvation.

While we wait in hope he causes us really to anticipate the fullness of communion with the Holy Trinity. Sent by the Father who hears the epiclesis of the Church, the Spirit gives life to those who accept him and is, even now, the “guarantee” of their inheritance (CCC # 1106-1107)

(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)

MAY 0️⃣6️⃣ – Mary, Mother most pure

💭 To Reflect
Mary preserved the gift of purity, and was away from every stain of evil, to become the bearer of Jesus, the Most Holy One!

✅ To Practise
Preserve purity of body, mind and heart!

🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may make conscious decisions to stay away from every evil and preserve my purity, Amen!

“Growing in the Love for the Holy Eucharist and deepening our faith and conviction in Him!”

(Based on Acts 9:1-20 and Jn 6:52-59 – Friday of the 3rd Week in Easter)

In the early 1970s, during the Vietnam War, Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan was the Archbishop of Saigon.

The Communists saw him as a threat.

On the Feast of the Assumption – 1975 – he was arrested and shipped off to a prison in North Vietnam.

He stayed there for thirteen years, nine of them in solitary confinement.

During his imprisonment, he couldn’t celebrate Mass or receive the Eucharist.

However, the Archbishop was allowed one luxury: to write letters to friends outside prison.

When he did, he often asked them to send him what he called “his medicine.”

They knew what he meant.

They sent him cough medicine bottles…
… filled with wine and small bits of bread.

Sympathetic guards smuggled him some wood and wire, and from that he made a small cross, which he hid in a bar of soap.

He kept all this in a cardboard box.

That box became his own private altar.

Every day, at 3:00 p.m. – the hour of Christ’s death – he would place drops of wine in the palm of his hand, mingled with water, to celebrate Mass.

The greatest ongoing miracle in history was able to take place.

That cramped prison cell became as beautiful and as blessed as any cathedral…
… a sanctuary for the glory of God.

He did this for thirteen years…
… till he was finally freed in 1988.

This is a man who understood – with every fibre of his being – how precious Holy Communion is.

What about us?

How deep is my understanding, faith and love for the Most Holy Eucharist?

The Holy Eucharist – the Body and Blood of Jesus – is the greatest treasure that the Church offers to Her children…

Yet, the Holy Eucharist sometimes, also becomes the great barrier for people to misunderstand and misinterpret the Church.

The same was true even in the time of Jesus.

The mention of His Body and Blood caused great division, misunderstanding and led to the misinterpretation of Jesus.

The Gospel of the Day is an account of the Lord declaring the necessity of being partakers of His Body and Blood to be having a share in eternal life.

Jesus continues His discourse on He being the “Bread of Life”.

The Lord surprises His hearers by saying that He is “the bread that came down from heaven” (Jn 6:51a)

He shocks them even further by saying that “the bread that I give is my flesh for the world” (Jn 6:51b)

This caused a dispute among the people, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” (Jn 6:52)

The bold declaration of the Lord that He would give His Flesh and His Blood as food and drink…
… caused a huge scandal among His listeners and it cause deep divisions and disputes.

The same is so much true in our own world, when the Church declares the Holy Eucharist to be the True and Real Body and Blood of the Lord, there is so much dispute and division caused.

Not many are able to accept this understanding
Not many are convinced of this teaching
Not many even believe this to be true

The Catechism of the Church declares that “the mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique”

“In the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist ‘the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” (CCC #1374-1375)

Questions now arise before us…

How is my belief and understanding of this most Precious and Treasured Gift of the Holy Eucharist – “the source and summit of Christian Life”?

Do I believe with conviction that Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Eucharist?
Do I celebrate and participate in the Holy Mass with this Divine Fervour?

What is the effect that this Sacrament of Total Self-giving on me?

Does the reception of Jesus, the Love Incarnate, make me in turn to be more loving towards others and do I make deliberate choices to extend love to all?
Does the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist impel me also to make sacrifices – even tiny, insignificant, unnoticed – for the cause and good of others?

How is my contribution to spread the Good News of the Holy Eucharist to others?
… Am I being a person who radiates the love of the Eucharist to others, by my conscious efforts to be respectful, reverent and devoted in the Chapel or Church and also become aware of the Lord’s Presence, when passing by Churches or handling Sacred objects?
… Do I tell to other people about this exciting, real presence of God in the Holy Eucharist, to other people, especially the sick, the suffering and those in distress, that they may experience the Real and True healing presence of the Lord?

Let us understand that in the Most Holy Eucharist – the greatest ongoing miracle in history – takes place.

It is this miracle that turns even a cramped prison cell to become as beautiful and as blessed as any cathedral…
… a sanctuary for the glory of God.

Let us grow in the Love for the Holy Eucharist and deepen our faith and conviction in Him.

May Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist always be praised…
… and may our Blessed Mother Mary, the Mother of the Eucharist, intercede for us!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES PRESENT THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST

Christian liturgy not only recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them, makes them present.
The Paschal mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated.
It is the celebrations that are repeated, and in each celebration there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that makes the unique mystery present.
The Epiclesis (“invocation upon”) is the intercession in which the priest begs the Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the offerings may become the Body and Blood of Christ…

… and that the faithful by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God. (CCC #1104-1105)

(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)

MAY 0️⃣5️⃣ – Mary, Mother of Hope

💭 To Reflect
Mary was full of hope, even though she went through many hard, dark and painful moments in life.

✅ To Practise
Hope in God, even in tough moments!

🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may fully hope in the promises of the Lord, even while going through the storms of life, Amen!

“Growing in our love for Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist – the Bread of Life!”

(Based on Acts 8:26-40 and Jn 6:44-51 – Thursday of the 3rd Week in Easter)

Saint Mother Teresa was known for her immense devotion to the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.

She found her strength for her services of mercy, by being united and spending time with the Eucharistic Lord…
… everyday!

She has spoken very beautifully about the Holy Eucharist:

She says: “When Jesus came into the world, he loved it so much that he gave His Life for it.

He wanted to satisfy our hunger for God.

And what did He do?

He made himself the ‘Bread of Life.’

He became small, fragile and defenseless for us.

Bits of bread can be so small that…
… even a small child can chew it!
… even a dying person can eat it!”

Have we discovered our Love for this “Precious Bread of Life?”

The Sixth Chapter of the Gospel of St John can be called as “the great discourse on the Bread of Life”

Jesus declares Himself as the “Bread of Life” (Jn 6:35), Who came down from heaven.

On hearing this statement of the Lord, the Jews “murmured” about Him (Jn 6:41)

They knew that Jesus was only the son of Joseph.
They knew the father and mother of Jesus.
They were very familiar with His human origins

Therefore, the statement of Jesus that “He was the bread, Who came down from heaven” caused a great deal of “murmur”.

The Greek word that is used here for murmur is a word, “gogguzo”…

This “gogguzo” means…
… any low, continuous sound as of a brook, the wind, trees etc or low indistinct voices
… a mumbled or private expression of discontent
… to show “smouldering discontent”, droning on in a low, constant murmur

A similar “gogguzo” was also expressed by the Israelites, in their long journey in the desert.

When Moses led the large multitude of the Israelites through the desert, the impatient crowd, raised their voices in complaint against Moses and Aaron, “Would that we had died at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread” (Ex 16:3)

The Israelites also “murmured!”

In response to this “murmuring” of the people, God Yahweh provided them with the “flesh of the quail” and the “bread of the Manna” (Ex 16: 4-15)

In the Gospel, when the Jews “murmured”, Jesus provides them with a reply of the “flesh of His body” and the “bread of His Life”

Jesus tells – as we see in today’s Gospel also – “Stop murmuring among yourselves… I am the Bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.” (Jn 6: 43, 48-50)

The Israelites were given perishable flesh of the quails and they who ate the Manna, died.

But Jesus, now gives His imperishable flesh of His Own Body and offers the Eternal Manna as the Bread of our life!

It is in the Holy Eucharist, that the Lord offers this imperishable food and salvation to each of us.

What is our perception and passion towards this True Life that Jesus offers in the Holy Eucharist?

The Israelites in the Old Testament as well as the Jews in Jesus’ time, “murmured”…

Do I also “murmur” and remain indifferent to believing in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist?

Do I also “murmur” and fail to prepare myself well to receive Jesus, in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?

Do I also “murmur” and become unmindful or even disrespectful to the Presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, in the Chapels and in the Churches?

May this lengthened meditation on John 6 – the “the great discourse on the Bread of Life” – help us to deepen our faith and zeal for Jesus, in the Most Holy Eucharist.

It is this devotion and union with the Lord, alone, that can make us also, in turn, a Eucharistic people – breaking and giving ourselves – for the welfare and salvation of the world!

In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, Philip…
… inspired by an Angel of the Lord reaches out to a royal official – an Ethiopian eunach – and delivers the Word of God and the Salvific Message of the Risen Lord.

When we have a deep passion for the Lord in our hearts, we too will reach out the Message of God’s Love and Mercy to the world around us.

Let the words of St Francis de Sales inspire us:
“When the bee has gathered the dew of heaven and the earth’s sweetest nectar from the flowers, it turns it into honey, then hastens to its hive.

In the same way, the priest, having taken from the Altar, the Son of God (who is as the dew from heaven, and true son of Mary, flower of our humanity)…
… gives Him to you as Delicious Food!”

Let us seek to satisfy our hunger for God…
… by growing in our love for Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist – the Bread of Life!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE HOLY SPIRIT RECALLS THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST – ANAMNESIS.

The liturgical celebration always refers to God’s saving interventions in history.
“The economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words which are intrinsically bound up with each other.
The words for their part proclaim the works and bring to light the mystery they contain.”
In the Liturgy of the Word the Holy Spirit “recalls” to the assembly all that Christ has done for us.
In keeping with the nature of liturgical actions and the ritual traditions of the churches, the celebration “makes a remembrance” of the marvellous works of God in an anamnesis which may be more or less developed.

The Holy Spirit who thus awakens the memory of the Church then inspires thanksgiving and praise (doxology). (CCC #1103)

(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)

MAY 0️⃣4️⃣ – Mary, Mother of the Church

💭 To Reflect
Mary at the foot of the Cross with the Beloved Disciple, and in the Upper Room with the other disciples, unites us, as the Church, to Jesus.

✅ To Practise
Deepen our love for the Church; deepen our understanding of the Church Teachings.

🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may commit myself totally to the Church, the Bride of Christ, Amen!

“Allowing Jesus, the Bread of Life, to always be the source, strength and summit of our Christian living!”
(Based on Acts 8:1-8 and Jn 6:35-40 – Wednesday of the 3rd Week in Easter)

One of the simplest moral stories that all of us have heard is that of the thirsty crow.

One hot day, a thirsty crow flew all over, looking for water.

For a long time, he could not find any.
He felt weak, and lost all hope.

Suddenly, he saw a water jug below the tree. He flew straight down, and was delighted to see some water inside it!

Sadly, he found that the neck of the jug was too narrow and it was impossible for him to access the water.

He tried to push the jug to tilt, for the water to flow out but the jug was too heavy.

The crow thought hard for a while.

Then looking around it, he saw some pebbles and an idea struck him.

He started picking up the pebbles one by one, dropping each into the jug.

As more and more pebbles filled the jug, the water level kept rising.

Soon it was high enough for the crow to drink.

His plan had worked…
His thirst had been quenched!

The moral of this story is to “Think and work hard, you may find solution to any problem.”

But when we consider this story from another perspective, we notice that it also shows the deep craving inside every creature, to satisfy one’s thirst.

One is restless till this thirst is fulfilled…
One is impatient till this craving is satisfied…

This agitated thirst is also innate in every human being…
… a thirst for the Divine, for the Transcendental.

And this thirst, compels humans…
… to search… to seek…
… for the source of satisfaction
… for the fountain of fulfilment

But how wonderful it would be to be knowing and to be convinced that this “thirst” can find its fulfilment only in God.

And how wonderful it would be, if all human beings could be properly guided and correctly directed on this path of finding true contentment.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus promising this fulfilment and contentment to all those who come to Him and believe in Him – the Bread of Life.

Jesus declares, “I am the Bread of Life; He who comes to me shall not hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (Jn 6: 35)

The crowds who had been fed by Jesus, by the miracle of the multiplication of loaves, came in search of Jesus… probably expecting more…

They wanted still more… and they express this to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always” (Jn 6:34)

In John Chapter 4, we read the story of the Samaritan woman, by the well of Jacob, who had also expressed a similar desire.

She said to Jesus “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water” (Jn 4: 15)

This desire to receive bread or water, so that one may not hunger again or be thirsty again, is the innate desire and longing within each human being…

Each of us, deep within, are thirsty and hungry…
… wanting to drink water and eat food that will quench the longing, forever.

It is this search that makes people to go out and seek the various sources of satisfaction.

Some feel to have found this fulfilment…
… through worldly pleasures and bad habits like smoking, drinking, obsession with sex, drugs etc, which only lead to momentary external satisfaction and short-lived bursts of thrill.

Some feel to have found this fulfilment…
… in the various philosophies, new-age patterns of life and naturalistic means of spirituality etc, which may have traces of truth, but fail to provide authentic and fullness of life.

The Book of the Acts of the Apostles records one such notable example of Saul.

Saul (who is also called Paul) failed to understand and grasp “The Truth” and persecuted all those who followed “The Way!”

“But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.” (Acts 8:3)

But Jesus, today, boldly and unambiguously declares that it’s only in HIM that true and complete fulfilment of life can be found: “He who comes to me shall not hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (Jn 6: 35)

Are we convinced of this fact, that it’s only in Jesus, that I can achieve true and complete happiness…?

Like the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32), we may have strayed away from this path of truth, to seek our own means and ways to find happiness and satisfaction.

But the Lord, today, calls us back to Him…
… to His Heart
… to His Church
… to His Eucharist
… to experience Him fully.

To those who have strayed…
… the call of the Gospel, is to come back to the paths of truth

To those who are holding on to Him…
… the call of the Gospel, is to deepen the conviction, that in Him alone, can the hunger of my soul and the thirst of my heart be fulfilled.

To those who have strayed…
… the Lord invites to build the virtues of humility, docility and openness to the Spirit.

To those who are holding on to Him…
… the Lord invites to build the virtues of patience, firm trust and a passionate longing.

May Jesus, the Bread of Life, always be the source, strength and summit of our Christian living!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE HOLY SPIRIT RECALLS THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST

The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual understanding of the Word of God to those who read or hear it, according to the dispositions of their hearts.
By means of the words, actions, and symbols that form the structure of a celebration, the Spirit puts both the faithful and the ministers into a living relationship with Christ, the Word and Image of the Father, so that they can live out the meaning of what they hear, contemplate, and do in the celebration.
“By the saving word of God, faith… is nourished in the hearts of believers. By this faith then the congregation of the faithful begins and grows.”
The proclamation does not stop with a teaching; it elicits the response of faith as consent and commitment, directed at the covenant between God and his people.
Once again it is the Holy Spirit who gives the grace of faith, strengthens it and makes it grow in the community.

The liturgical assembly is first of all a communion in faith. (CCC #1101-1102)