“As we gaze at the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are reminded: ‘This Heart of Mine, is just for you! Can you also give me your heart…?”

(Based on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)

A youngster who was pretty desperate in life – contemplating even of terminating his life – exasperated and lost, was passing along the streets, when he heard the Church bells ringing for the Angelus at noontime.

Something in him, made him go inside the Church.

As he went in, he saw a large statue of Jesus…
… with the Sacred Heart of Jesus prominently displayed

And underneath the statue were written words…
… beautiful words that would bring him much consolation, hope and joy

So much so, that he would take a resolution to amend his life and to live with greater hope and joy!

The words were as follows:
“As you look into My Heart… remember always, these words:

There is an Eye that never sleeps, even beneath the wing of night
… just for you!
There is a Ear that never shuts, even when sink the beams of light
… just for you!
There is an Arm that never tires, even when human strength gives way
… just for you!
There is a Love that never fails, even when earthly loves decay
… just for you!
And… there is a Heart that never stops beating, even when trials of life lash you hard
… just for you!

This Heart of Mine… is just for you!

Can you also give me your life…?
… and tell me, “LORD, JUST FOR YOU!”

Today on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we contemplate in adoration and meditation on the Heart of our Blessed Lord – pierced and broken and shared – in love for each one of us…
… as He tells us, “This Heart of Mine… is just for you!”

Love, by its nature, gives away…

The Sacred Heart of our Blessed Lord – which is deep-rooted in Mercy and Compassion – bears wounds and patches that are symbolic of His Passionate Love for all of us!

In the year 1673, Our Blessed Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary and made her rest her head upon His Heart; and during which He revealed to her the wonders of His love.

He revealed to her, His Sacred Heart, and requested her to establish the Feast of the Sacred Heart – the Friday after the Corpus Christi, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ- to make reparation for sins that offend His Sacred Heart.

In her vision, she saw His wounded heart, on fire with love, saying, “Behold this Heart which has loved men so much and has received such little love in return.”

It was on June 11, 1899, Pope Leo XIII solemnly consecrated the whole of humankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Gospel of John describes how the Heart of our Blessed Lord was pierced with a lance, on Mount Calvary: “But one soldier thrust his lance into His side, and immediately blood and water flowed out” (Jn 19: 34)

The Catholic tradition identifies the water as the symbol of Baptism and the Blood as the symbol of the Holy Eucharist.

The Water symbolizes purification.
The Blood symbolizes atonement.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is today one of the most recognizable symbols of the Christian faith.

The picture consists of the Heart, with the wound of the lance in its side, a crown of thorns about it, a cross above it and flames surrounding it.

This Sacred Heart of Jesus represents not only His physical heart but His love for all humankind.

Lk 15:3-7 displays this beautiful Heart of the Good Shepherd, Who goes in search of the lost one!

This Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of the Lord teaches us many things…
a. It teaches us the immense love that the Lord possesses for each one of us, personally.

Have I experienced the tremendous love that the Lord has for me?

I may feel low. I may consider myself to be not very good.
I may think that my life is just not worth living or that my past has ruined my life very badly.

Even with all these things, am I convinced that “Jesus still loves me”, and that He will take me through, by the power of His love?

b. It teaches us the pain and the agony that the Lord still undergoes as a result of our sin and the sins of the world

Do I realize that a sinful life brings tears to the Lord and causes more wounds to the Precious Heart of the Lord?

There is nothing that pains the Lord more than sin.

It was for our salvation that He shed even the last drop of His blood.
He not just wants, but insists and demands and commands us to live in holiness.

Do I give heed to this “passionate and sincere” call of the Lord to live our lives in sanctity and accordance with God’s Will in my life?

c. It teaches us the need to be part of the process of redemption that Christ has won for us and to be shareholders in His mission of bringing God’s love to all

Do I become aware that Christ is calling me to be part of His redemptive work of salvation?

Christ still suffers and undergoes pains. From the Cross, He cried, “I thirst” (Jn 19: 28)

He desires that people who have known and experienced His love become effective agents of bringing His love to others.

By a life of sacrifices (tiny or great… little or huge), by simple acts of love, compassion and mercy and by greater participation in the Sacramental Life of the Church…
… the love of the Sacred Heart can be brought to many more people.

Am I willing to take up this responsibility that the Lord is handing on to us?

The Heart of the Lord is pierced, broken and shared for each one of us.

In the Holy Eucharist, we have the privilege to receive this greatest treasure.
In turn, we are to break our hearts and share it with others, to bring the love and compassion of the Lord to the world.

May this Solemnity of the Precious Symbol of True Love stir the flames of God’s Love in our hearts and inspire us to set ablaze the world on fire, with His Love and Compassion!

Sacred Heart of Jesus, may we ever remain close to You!

With St Francis de Sales, the Doctor of Love, let us pray:
“May Thy Heart dwell always in our hearts!
May Thy Blood ever flow in the veins of our souls!
O Sun of our hearts,
Thou givest life to all things by the rays of Thy Goodness!
I will not go until Thy Heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus be the king of my heart!
Blessed be God. Amen.”

As we gaze at the Sacred Heart, we are reminded:
“This Heart of Mine… is just for you! Can you also give me your heart…?
… and tell me, “LORD, JUST FOR YOU!”

Happy Feast of the Most Blessed Heart of the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE MYSTAGOGY OF THE CELEBRATION

The proclamation of the Word of God enlightens the candidates and the assembly with the revealed truth and elicits the response of faith, which is inseparable from Baptism.
Indeed Baptism is “the sacrament of faith” in a particular way, since it is the sacramental entry into the life of faith.
Since Baptism signifies liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil, one or more exorcisms are pronounced over the candidate.
The celebrant then anoints him with the oil of catechumens, or lays his hands on him, and he explicitly renounces Satan.

Thus prepared, he is able to confess the faith of the Church, to which he will be “entrusted” by Baptism. (CCC #1236-1237)

“Reinforcing hope and courage to everyone!”

(Based on the Solemnity of the Nativity of St John the Baptist)

There was a school system in a large city that had a program, to help children keep up with their school assignments…
… during the time when the children were admitted for sicknesses.


One day a teacher who was assigned to this program, received a call asking her to visit a particular child.

She took the child’s name and room number and had a short talk with the child’s regular class teacher.
“We’re studying about words in his class now – nouns and adverbs,” the class teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”


The hospital-program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon.

The boy had met with a bad accident, been badly burnt and was in great pain.

Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.”

When she left after teaching, she felt she hadn’t accomplished much.


But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?”

The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize.

“No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, you met him, his whole attitude has changed.

He’s fighting back, responding to treatment…
>> It’s as though he’s decided to live!”


Two weeks later, the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived.

Everything changed when he came to a simple realization which he expressed it this way:
“They wouldn’t send a teacher to teach about words, and work on ‘nouns and adverbs’ with a dying boy, would they?”


The gesture of teaching about “words” reinforced hope and courage to that dying boy!

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear.
>> If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today!


The Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist comes with this great message of “hope!”

The Gospel presents the beautiful incident of the birth and naming of St John the Baptist.


The birth of John the Baptist is the pivot around which the history of our faith turns.
>> He was the last prophet of the Old Covenant – and the first of the New Covenant.


One of the highlighting aspects of the birth of John the Baptist is the message that “hope is not to be lost, even in the midst of extreme barrenness!”

The Gospel of St Luke says that “Elizabeth and Zechariah, both were advanced in years”, but they had no child; Elizabeth was barren” (Lk 1: 7)


Elizabeth’s barrenness was also symbolic of the barrenness of the land, of the world and of the entire humanity…

Wickedness had caused creation to be incapable of nurturing and sustaining life
Sin had rendered human beings infertile, to bear God’s grace and live in holiness


But God…
… is the God of hope
… the God of fulfilling every promise
… and the God of surprises!

From the barrenness of Elizabeth emerged the forerunner of the One who is Life!

From the barrenness of the world, God gave rise to the Fountain of hope and trust!


The entire life of St John – through the key events – is a spectacular reminder of this great virtue of “hope”…

A. The conception of John
Even when there is barrenness all around, we need to “hope” in God who is able to work miracles and give us life and joy!

B. The naming of John
Even when there are many worldly voices that seek to distract us from the ways that God wishes for us, we need to “hope” in God and follow whatever He wills, so as to find glory and joy in Him!

C. The life of John in the desert
Even when life takes us through the deserts of emptiness, dangers, hardships and misery, we need to “hope” in God who has a definite plan and purpose for our life!

D. The beheading of John
Even when we become victims of cruelty, exploitation, wickedness and inhumanness, we need to “hope” in God by living a life of truth, courage, convictions and valour!


The Church celebrates the Nativity of only three persons, in her liturgical calendar…
>> Jesus -“Hope” Himself
>> Mother Mary – the Mother of “Hope”
>> John the Baptist – the symbol of “Hope”


We are invited to have our lives truly rooted in “hope” and become beacons of spreading this “hope and trust” to others.

There are many who are sick in our world.
>> There are many who are burnt by the fires of afflictions and at the point of death
>> There are many who have lost all faith in life and give themselves up to despair and dejection.

Our gestures of teaching about “The Word – Jesus” can reinforce hope and courage to those dying…
… in sin, in affliction, in depression, in loneliness.


Wish you a Happy Feast of the Nativity of the “symbol of Hope” – St John the Baptist.
>> May Jesus our “Hope” and Blessed Mamma, our “Mother of Hope” strengthen us!


God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE MYSTAGOGY OF THE CELEBRATION OF BAPTISM
>> The sign of the cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the imprint of Christ…
… the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the redemption Christ won for us by his cross. (CCC # 1235)
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“Giving heed to the Cry of the Lord: BEWARE!”

(Based on 2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3 and Mt 7:15-20 – Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Joseph Grimaldi was an English actor, comedian and dancer, who became a very popular English entertainer in the 18th century.

This celebrated clown, used to go through phases of depression.


Once he went to a physician to obtain a cure for his depressed spirit.

The physician however, did not know who the patient was…
… and thought, he only needed a little amusement
He failed to realise that this man was a comedian himself.

So the physician said to him, “I think one of the best solutions for you is…
… go down the town, and there is a person named Grimaldi.
Hear his amusements… and am sure, you will be out of your depression!”

“But, doctor,” was the grim answer that came back, “I am Grimaldi!”


Even though he was a person who was able to make all others happy…
… within himself, Grimaldi failed to experience inner joy and peace of mind.

Does it happen with us as well…?

Externally things seem to be good and fine…
… but perhaps, internally we are experiencing pain and brokenness!

Exteriorly, maybe we have fair amount of money, luxuries and comfort…
… but perhaps, interiorly, we fail to have a sense of true joy and peace of mind


We are invited today to shun off every external “mask or façade” and truly bear fruits of peace, joy and love!


The Gospel of the Day is a stern admonition by Jesus on the need “to become aware of any such spiritual deception and pretence” that can ruin our Christian Faith.

The world is fraught with a lot of dangers.

There are physical, social, emotional, environmental, intellectual, occupational dangers etc.


Most of the time, we are aware of these dangers…
And we take means and measures…
… to be protected from them
… and to keep ourselves free from harm.

But there is also another very important area to which, many of us…
… either remain ignorant
… or don’t pay much attention
… or take it very lightly

They are “Spiritual Dangers”


Today, the Gospel discusses one of the most powerful Spiritual Dangers: DECEPTION!

The power of this danger lies in the fact that it is…
… very “subtle”
… very “tricky”
… and apparently appears to be highly “good”!

Jesus cautions: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mt 7:15)


The Lord begins today’s Gospel with the word, “BEWARE”!

This is a strong word that is used in Greek – “prosecho”

“pros” means ‘before’
“echo” means ‘hold’
Thus, “prosecho” means “hold before”!

BEWARE – Prosecho – means…
… to hold one’s mind back from
… never to expose one’s mind

Jesus in the previous verses had given an invitation to walk along the narrow gate…

“Enter through the narrow gate…” (Mt 7:13)

In this striving to “enter through” to the gate of life…
… Jesus issues a strict warning to be aware of the false prophets who would misguide and lead astray

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing…” (Mt 7: 15)

In Palestine, the most dangerous enemy of the sheep was the wolf!

It was a natural enemy, roaming the hills…

It would wait for a flock of sheep
At the precise moment, it would come out of its place of hiding
And snatch the sheep and rip it to shreds!

The sheep would be totally defenceless against such prowling wolves!

The Lord presents this imagery to His followers – His sheep: Of being aware of such “sheep-clothed” wolves!


We have in the world, today…

Many religious philosophies
Varied spiritual methods
A number of attractive theological views
… which present Religion in a very alluring, charming and pleasant way!
… which presents Christianity as a bed of roses – cosy, comfy and casual!

But let us give heed to the Cry of the Lord: BEWARE!


Let us not bleed away our precious spiritual life and our Christian Faith!

Are we a seeking a Life…
… without the Cross and the Crucified Lord?

Are we fascinated to a Prosperity Gospel which glorifies richness & success & good social life…
… but nothing on repentance, virtuous life & inner holiness?

Are we attracted to “fiery preachers” and “awesome praise and worship” which appears good…
… but are deprived of the Real Sacramental Presence found only in the Catholic Church?


Let us also BEWARE and examine…

The books we read…
The talks we engage in…
The jokes we indulge in…
The habits we occupy ourselves with…
The music and the songs we delight in…

Are they all worthy of being “Christian”…
… or are they deceptively and subtly leading us away from the innocence and honesty of Christian Life?

Are they in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves?

Yes, we need to Beware!!


We need to examine:

Am I really on the watch, with respect to my spiritual life…
… or I am, exposing myself to the deceptive techniques of satan?

Jesus said: “By their fruits, you will know them…” (Mt 7:16)

Gal 5:22 says “The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control!”

In all our actions… and with respect to all peoples…
… let us weigh their truthfulness in the light of these “Fruits of the Holy Spirit”
… let us check their reliability by the yardstick of these “Fruits of the Holy Spirit”


The world will often resort to “deception and pretence” to suit its needs and wants…

The world will often take recourse to “deception and pretence” to rob spiritual resources…
But, as Christians, we need to be aware, as well as be on our guard, constantly…
… preserving our innocence
… and keeping alight our light of faith!


Let us realise that no amount of external goodness, money, luxuries or comfort…
… can “vaccinate” us from pain and brokenness!

It’s only when we allow the Presence of the Lord to heal us…
It’s only when we allow the Love of the Lord to infill our hearts…
>> That we can experience true peace and joy!


Let’s pray therefore: “O Lord, you know that there are so many moments when I externally need to make others happy and put up a smiling face…
… even though I am broken and depressed within

I pray, at this moment…
… that Your Tender Mercy may heal, strengthen and renew me
… so that I truly become an Icon of Love and Peace in the world
I believe that by the Power of Your Love, I can truly become a joyful person, Amen!”


God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
CHRISTIAN INITIATION
>> The meaning and grace of the sacrament of Baptism are clearly seen in the rites of its celebration.
>> By following the gestures and words of this celebration with attentive participation, the faithful are initiated into the riches this sacrament signifies and actually brings about in each newly baptized person. (CCC # 1234)
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“Making a choice – remembering that it’s only the Divine that can sustain us!”

(Based on 2 Kgs 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36 and Mt 7:6, 12-14 – Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A man once came to a crossroad, which had a church on one side, and a golf-park on the other.

At the crossroad was an interesting sign board.

It read…
MAKE A CHOICE!
Would you – like Lot – look at the greenery and be attracted to spend time there?
… or would you, like Abraham, be ready to walk in, to have an encounter with the Divine?

The greens may attract you…allure you… and entertain you
… but remember, its only the Divine that can sustain you!

Life indeed attracts us with many things that can allure and entertain us

But Christian Life demands that we make a choice – for God and His Virtues
… a choice to enter by the “narrow gate”

Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate… for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Mt 7: 13-14)

The Sermon on the Mount continues with Jesus presenting the wonderful message of the Kingdom of God and its radical requirements.

One of the key aspects in the Sermon on the Mount is the demand made on the part of the disciple to “make a choice”
• One has to radically “make a choice” for the Kingdom of God.
• One has to stay committed to this “choice” that is taken and live it to the fullness.

It is this “choice” that will determine whether our entry to eternity…
… eternal condemnation – is through the “wide gate” or
… eternal life – is through the “narrow gate”.

Jesus says that it is easy to pass through the wide gate…
• All those who choose not to live in accordance to the Gospel values
• All those who are content to make life “merry” and just “live life to the max”
• All those who fail to respond to God’s Grace and deny having a life in Him

But this will lead to doom and condemnation!

To pass through the narrow gate is hard…
• All those who make a choice to live according to the teachings of the Lord
• All those who boldly seek to proclaim the Kingdom by their faithful and holy lives
• All those who constantly hold on to the Lord despite hardships and difficulties in life

But this will lead to joy and eternal life!

As we stand at the crossroads of our life, let’s make a choice, remembering…
… The “greens of worldly pleasures” may attract us …allure us… and entertain us
But, it’s only the Divine that can sustain us!

MAKE A CHOICE!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
CHRISTIAN INITIATION

From the time of the apostles, becoming a Christian has been accomplished by a journey and initiation in several stages.
This journey can be covered rapidly or slowly, but certain essential elements will always have to be present: proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel entailing conversion, profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and admission to Eucharistic communion.
This initiation has varied greatly through the centuries according to circumstances.
In the first centuries of the Church, Christian initiation saw considerable development.
A long period of catechumenate included a series of preparatory rites, which were liturgical landmarks along the path of catechumenal preparation and culminated in the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation.
Where infant Baptism has become the form in which this sacrament is usually celebrated, it has become a single act encapsulating the preparatory stages of Christian initiation in a very abridged way. >> By its very nature infant Baptism requires a post-baptismal catechumenate.
Not only is there a need for instruction after Baptism, but also for the necessary flowering of baptismal grace in personal growth.
The catechism has its proper place here.
The second Vatican Council restored for the Latin Church “the catechumenate for adults, comprising several distinct steps.”
The rites for these stages are to be found in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).
The Council also gives permission that: “In mission countries, in addition to what is furnished by the Christian tradition, those elements of initiation rites may be admitted which are already in use among some peoples insofar as they can be adapted to the Christian ritual.”
Today in all the rites, Latin and Eastern, the Christian initiation of adults begins with their entry into the catechumenate and reaches its culmination in a single celebration of the three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.

In the Eastern rites the Christian initiation of infants also begins with Baptism followed immediately by Confirmation and the Eucharist, while in the Roman rite it is followed by years of catechesis before being completed later by Confirmation and the Eucharist, the summit of their Christian initiation. (CCC # 1229-1233)

“Seeking to purify our lives, rather than indulging in mud-slinging on others!”

(Based on 2 Kings 17:5-8 and Mt 7:1-5b – Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A story is told of an elderly man who, during his evening walk, was surprised to see, a man hoeing his garden (=digging and loosening the mud)…
… while sitting in a chair!

“What laziness!” thought the elderly man.

But suddenly he saw, leaning against the chair…
… a pair of crutches.

The man was at work despite his handicap!

That made the elderly person to think to himself: “How true is the saying: Judge a tree from its fruit, not from its leaves!”

So often it happens that we place people on a trial – as in a court – and judged according to our standards and our human yardsticks….
… Perhaps, most of them would be been condemned and convicted.

But seldom have we realised that there could always be “another side to the story that I am seeing!”

The Gospel of the Day is a teaching on this tendency of human beings to judge – hastily and impulsively – which very often turns out to be rash and reckless

Jesus says, “Do not judge!” (Mt 7:1)

We need to clarify what does the word JUDGE mean…

The jury makes judgments.
Schools make judgments on students.
Companies make judgments on candidates in an interview or in cases of promotion/demotion.

All these may not constitute the judgment that Jesus means.

Judging, in the sense of Jesus, is condemning!

It is to have a negative and pessimistic attitude to human beings and condemning and rejecting them outright and absolutely!!

We could consider “Judge not” from three aspects:

1. We are unworthy to pass a final judgment on any person or situation
   We need to let God be God and as human beings, we need to know our limitations.

Not everything is known to us – therefore, leave the matters “which tempt us to judge” to the Mercy of God!

2. We are not to judge the motives of other people
   Human beings see only the external…
   … God sees the heart of the person!
3. We are not to be petty faultfinders:
   We need to cease having a “microscopic vision”, in order to scan and scrutinize the faults and weaknesses of others.

In the light of today’s Gospel, we need to examine certain aspects of our life…

Do I…
… maximize the sins and faults of others and minimize mine?
… come to quick, hasty and negative conclusions?
… pass critical stories to other?
… have a strong bias to find others guilty?
… be too harsh even when speaking the truth?
… dilute an unkind remark by saying, “I was only joking.”
… say something critical and then trying to cover it up?

Even after this examination, if there is a tendency to judge, then there is one person we can be critical of…
… our own selves!

Yes, let us be judging our actions, our behaviours, our thoughts…
…. and seek to purify our lives, rather than indulging in mud-slinging on others!

The Lord constantly reminds us: “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes…
… in accordance with all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” (2 Kings 17:13)

When we look into the lives of people…
… and feel to judge them

Let us consciously tell ourselves: There could always be “another side to the story that I am seeing!”

Yes… Judge a tree from its fruit, not from its leaves!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
BAPTISM IN THE CHURCH

From the very day of Pentecost the Church has celebrated and administered holy Baptism.
Indeed St. Peter declares to the crowd astounded by his preaching: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The apostles and their collaborators offer Baptism to anyone who believed in Jesus: Jews, the God-fearing, pagans
Always, Baptism is seen as connected with faith: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household,” St. Paul declared to his jailer in Philippi; and the narrative continues, the jailer “was baptized at once, with all his family.”
According to the Apostle Paul, the believer enters through Baptism into communion with Christ’s death, is buried with him, and rises with Him: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
The baptized have “put on Christ.”
Through the Holy Spirit, Baptism is a bath that purifies, justifies, and sanctifies.
Hence Baptism is a bath of water in which the “imperishable seed” of the Word of God produces its life-giving effect.

St. Augustine says of Baptism: “The word is brought to the material element, and it becomes a sacrament. (CCC #12256-1228)

“May the Holy Eucharist become the greatest strength and support of our lives!”

(Based on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi – the Body and Blood of Christ)

An incident is told of a seminarian who was guiding a group of tourists in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican.

These tourists were quite clueless about the Catholic Faith…
… and so paid great interest to what was being told by the seminarian-guide.

The seminarian had explained with great care about the masterpieces of art, sculpture and architecture in this magnificent basilica.

Finally, he concluded the tour of the Basilica at the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in the Basilica…
…. and tried to quickly explain What It was.

One of the elderly persons in the group who had paid a special attention to all the details said:
“Pardon me! Would you please explain What is This ‘Blessed Sacrament’?”

The seminarian did.

At the end of it, the man, falling on his knees, exclaimed: “Ah! If this is so, then this Chapel where God Truly Lives, is the greater work than any other art in this entire Basilica!”

Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is indeed the Most Important Treasure in this world.

Have we discovered this Spectacular Truth?
Are we passionate about this Awesome Gift?

The Solemnity of the Great Feast of the Corpus Christi – the Body and Blood of Jesus, today…
… is given to us, to deepen our devotion to the Lord in the Eucharist and intensify our longing and thirst for Him!

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 narrative of the multiplication of loaves in the Gospel of St. Luke (Cf. Lk 9:11b-17) shows the Compassionate Heart of our Blessed Lord.

In the Gospel of St. John, after having provided physical nourishment for the crowd (Jn 7:5-15), Jesus had declared Himself as “The Bread of Life” (Jn 6: 35).

The Greek word that is used for “bread” is “artos”. This “artos”….
… refers to food composed of flour mixed with water and baked.
… also refers to food of any kind or food in general.

As “bread” or “food” is essential for the physical life
… Jesus as “the bread of life” is required for the spiritual life!

Without bread, physical life would perish….
… Without Jesus, the bread, spiritual life would perish!

On this great Feast day, there are questions that arise before us

1. What is my belief and understanding of this most 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?
2. 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?
3. What is my contribution in spreading 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 other people about this exciting, real presence of God in the Holy Eucharist – especially the sick, the suffering and those in distress, that they may experience the real healing presence of the Lord?

Jesus – the Bread of Life – in the Holy Eucharist…
… eagerly longs for our reception and our adoration

The tragedy in our life, however, is that very often, this “magnetic” Eucharistic presence remains abandoned and forsaken!

It’s a pity that the Living Lord is hardly visited in the Blessed Sacrament!

Chapels and Churches often remain empty and forlorn!
Hardly any say “Hello” to the Lord in the Eucharist!

The Holy Eucharist – the greatest miracle of the world – often remains unnoticed!

We need to come to experience that…

There is nothing more sublime in this world than the Holy Eucharistic Presence!
There is nothing more beautiful than moments spent before the Eucharistic Lord!

The Lord waits for us… every moment… every day!

The Lord seeks for us… every second… every hour!

We may have different excuses to evade and avoid time before His presence…

Maybe too many works and occupations…
Maybe a feeling that it is too dry and boring to be with Him…
Maybe an attitude that social works suffice and go beyond all such pious devotions…

But no excuse and no theory can give justification to miss the Presence of the Lord!
The more we remain with Him, the more we become like Him!

Amid daily scuffles and struggles of life, the Holy Eucharist ought to be the strength and support of our lives. The Holy Eucharist may not give us…
… instant answers or solutions in the way we expect.
… us immediate responses and remedies in the manner we want.

But the Holy Eucharist will most certainly…
… strengthen us with grace and power to face the challenges with courage.
… infuse us with a deep and intense authority to defy any difficulties that we meet.
… empower us with immense joy and peace to withstand the storms of life.

Let us grow in the love of the Holy Eucharist, for, as Bishop Fulton Sheen says, “The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host!”

And, in turn, may we become a magnetic Presence of the Lord to others!
… Seeking the Eucharist, to be a Eucharist to the other!
… Loving the Eucharist to break and share oneself with the other!

Wish you a very Happy Feast of the Holy Eucharist!

May our Blessed Mamma of the Holy Eucharist, help and intercede for us, to love the Lord more!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
CHRIST’S BAPTISM

In his Passover Christ opened to all men the fountain of Baptism. He had already spoken of his Passion, which he was about to suffer in Jerusalem, as a “Baptism” with which he had to be baptized.
The blood and water that flowed from the pierced side of the crucified Jesus are types of Baptism and the Eucharist, the sacraments of new life.
From then on, it is possible “to be born of water and the Spirit” in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
See where you are baptized, see where Baptism comes from, if not from the cross of Christ, from his death.

There is the whole mystery: he died for you. In him you are redeemed, in him you are saved. (CCC #1225)

“Firmly pledging loyalty and allegiance to our Loving God and trusting Him at all times!”

(Based on 2 Chron 24:17-25 and Mt 6:24-34 – Saturday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time)

A top ranked official, was extremely efficient and skilled in all his works.

However, he suffered from constant bouts of ulcer in the mouth, stomach upset and headaches.

Several medications couldn’t solve this problem.

Finally, a close friend of his, who had been away abroad for some years, met him…
… and knowing of his problems, suggested:
“I have the solution for all your physical troubles.

With all your works and responsibilities, you daily take up a lot of tension and worry.

So all that you need to do is…

Choose any one particular day of the week.

Whenever you get a problem that causes you anxiety…

Write it on a piece of paper….
Drop it inside a ‘Worry Box’…
… and then completely forget about it.

This ‘worry box’ is to be opened on that particular day of the week.”

The official tried this method of “writing the anxieties and problems on a paper, dropping it into a ‘worry box’ and opening it only on a Sunday.”

To his surprise, he found that most of the things that had disturbed him over the past six days were already settled.

It would have been useless to have worried about them.

That’s when he realised, his foolishness in being anxious and worried about a lot of things in life…
… things that deserved no attention for worry or anxiety!

And behold, in doing so, he also found his health to be regaining to full force.

Is that not pretty similar in our lives as well?

We often fret and worry about a lot of things in life…
… only to realise, that most of them, do not actually deserve the “anxiety attention and the worry weightage.”

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful reflection given by Jesus on this nagging factor in our life – anxiety and worry.

The Lord firstly invites us to have a clear conviction regarding our loyalty: to God or to mammon.

He says, “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6: 24)

We can be faithful and committed to only one of them.

To whom have we pledged our loyalty and allegiance…?

To the True and Living God who alone is worthy of every honour and who alone is able to bless our lives with true joy and happiness….?
… or to false and make-believe effigies of money, wealth and possessions which may give momentary satisfactions but fail miserably in rendering true peace of mind…?

When we have made this pledge and commitment to the Lord, He invites us to “live” this commitment.

One of the strongest signs of “living” this commitment is to “trust” in Him!

And the external sign of “trusting” in Him is to not get into the vice of “anxiety”

Jesus asks this very practical and logical question:
“Can any of you, by worrying, add a single moment to your life-span?” (Mt 6: 27)

All of us…
… surely, as we live our lives have our quota of tensions and troubles.
… without doubt, as we discharge our duties, will have our share of pressures.

But do we let these tensions and troubles and pressures to get converted to needless “worries” and undue “anxieties”?

It is said that “worry is wasting today’s time, to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.”

Worries and anxieties cause us…
… to miss the beautiful gift of the present – Today
… causing blockage in the golden chances awaiting ahead – Tomorrow
… as a result of the cloud of undue pressures and fears of the past – Yesterday

Humans, as we are, stresses and strains are sure to come our way…
… but, does my Christian Faith help me to convert such circumstances to occasions to trust in God deeper and build our faith stronger?

For a person on deep faith, situations of tension are made into moments of seeking God deeper and experiencing His providence.
For a person of higher trust, circumstances of worries are transformed to occasions of cherishing God’s presence and developing an approach of stronger reliance and dependence.

There is no doubt that life will constantly hurl ‘bricks of worry and anxiety’ on us

Discouragements are an easy trap for us to stumble in our life of faith
Anxieties are easy snares to corner us with fretfulness and fear.

But as Christians, we need to be courageous to use these ‘bricks of worry and anxiety’ into castles of “confidence and success!”

The evil one, in life…
… seeks to hamper our desire to seek the Lord and work for His Kingdom
… attempts to tarnish our good intentions to be a messenger of His Kingdom

Do we succumb to those attacks of “anxiety” and “worry”?
… or do we stand firm, in faith and trust, placing our faith in the Lord, entirely?

Worries and anxieties often eat up our life…
… and many of us even suffer physically, spiritually and socially.

The Lord, our best friend, advises us today:
“Write down your worries and anxieties on a piece of paper… (i.e. speak to me in Prayer!)
… put them into the “worry box”… (i.e. Offer them to My Heart!)
… and open it once a week… (i.e. On a Sunday – the Sabbath Day, set apart for the Lord!)

And you will realise, most of the things that had disturbed over the past six days, were already settled.”

Yes, let us firmly pledge loyalty and allegiance to our Loving God…
… and trusting Him at all times, boldly declare, with hope:
“I seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
CHRIST’S BAPTISM

All the Old Covenant prefigurations find their fulfilment in Christ Jesus.
He begins his public life after having himself baptized by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan.
After His resurrection, Christ gives this mission to his apostles: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to “fulfil all righteousness.”
Jesus’ gesture is a manifestation of his self-emptying.

The Spirit who had hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a prelude of the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as his “beloved Son.” (CCC #1223-1224)

“Making a choice for God and His everlasting Kingdom, over the world and its transient riches!”

(Based on 2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-8, 20 and Mt 6:19-23 – Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time)

A priest who knew of a man in his parish, who was greatly attached to wealth, wrote this letter, to him, exhorting him on the need to have God as the Greatest Treasure of his life.

“Dear Jim, I would like to propose to you two examples today – one from the Christian world and the other from the secular world.

Do read through… and I pray that God will help you to make the right choices in life.

The first example is of St Francis de Sales who says that there is a wide difference between having poison and being poisoned.

He tells that all apothecaries (= a person who prepares and sells medicines and drugs) have poisons ready for special uses, but they are not consequently poisoned, because…
… the poison is only in their shop, not in themselves

And so you may possess riches without being poisoned by them, so long as they are in your house or purse only…
…and not in your heart!

The second example is that of King Midas, which I’m sure you are aware of…

This ancient Greek tale tells of a king named Midas who was granted a special wish…
… that whatever he touched would turn to gold!

Excitedly, Midas went about touching all sorts of things, turning them into gold.

Soon Midas became hungry.
He picked up a piece of food, but he couldn’t eat it, for it had turned to gold in his hand!

Midas’ beloved daughter, seeing his dismay, threw her arms about him to comfort him, and, she too turned to gold!

‘The golden touch is no blessing,’ cried Midas and begged for this power to be taken away!

Greed and avarice made King Midas to consider gold as the greatest treasure.

However, life taught him the lesson for true happiness by making him realise the transient nature of worldly treasures.”

The priest concluded the letter with these words: “These two examples are set before you.

Now you need to make a choice: God and His everlasting Kingdom…
… or the world and its transient riches!”

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus teaching us this great lesson of not being attached to earthly riches…
… and instead, to discover our true treasure in the Lord.

Our Blessed Lord says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal…” (Mt 6: 19)

Jesus points out to the futility of having our security on earthly goods by citing two similes:
• Moth and rust
• Thieves

Any possession or any wealth on the earth, has to face a danger from both these aspects:
Those which cause damage from within… Those which cause destruction from outside.

Moth and rust cause damage from within…
… they spoil money, render precious things useless and cause irreversible harm to costly goods.

Thieves cause destruction from outside…
… they loot valuable things, threaten lives for acquiring wealth and induce immense tension and worry.

However, the Lord says to place our treasure on things that are eternal and heavenly.

The advantage?

There is to be no fear of destruction: from within or from outside.

Moth and rust cannot affect them… Thieves cannot loot them.

That is why the Lord assures His disciples:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give you peace” (Jn 14: 27)
“…your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16: 22)

St Paul would later articulate this in his letter to the Romans:
“For I am convinced that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth…
… nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8: 38)

Jesus assures a treasure and wealth that cannot be either damaged from inside or can be destroyed from outside.
• There is total guarantee in placing our hearts on heavenly treasures.
• There is full assurance in letting our mind set on spiritual wealth.

What do these teachings mean for us?

Am I being forbidden to use wealth?
Am I being discouraged from having money with me?

Jesus goes a step beyond these queries and seeks to check our intentions and our attitude:
“For where your treasure is, there your health also will be” (Mt 6: 21)

• Is my heart constantly set only on worldly treasures and riches…
… and fails to, instead, give the prime place and honour to the Lord and set priorities for Him?

• Is my life constantly only worried about money, properties, gadgets and possessions…
… and fails to, instead, accord the rightful and due place to the Lord and concerns for Him?

Any of us can, at any time, fall into the temptation of having an attitude of avarice and wanting to have only wealth and earthly treasures.

But can I know and realise, that all such external possessions will not be able to assure my true peace and happiness?

Real treasure is to be cherished only by having the Lord as our only true possession!

The greatest joys of life come by clinging on to those realities which have eternal value!

The choice is before us: God and His everlasting Kingdom…
… or the world and its transient riches!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
BAPTISM IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION – Prefigurations of Baptism in the Old Covenant

The Church has seen in Noah’s ark a prefiguring of salvation by Baptism, for by it “a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water”: The waters of the great flood, you made a sign of the waters of Baptism, that make an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness.
If water springing up from the earth symbolizes life, the water of the sea is a symbol of death and so can represent the mystery of the cross.
By this symbolism, Baptism signifies communion with Christ’s death.
But above all, the crossing of the Red Sea, literally the liberation of Israel from the slavery of Egypt, announces the liberation wrought by Baptism:
You freed the children of Abraham from the slavery of Pharaoh, bringing them dry-shod through the waters of the Red Sea, to be an image of the people set free in Baptism.
Finally, Baptism is prefigured in the crossing of the Jordan River by which the People of God received the gift of the land promised to Abraham’s descendants, an image of eternal life.

the promise of this blessed inheritance is fulfilled in the New Covenant. (CCC #1219-1222)

“Making ‘Our Father’ – the beautiful prayer, to become a really meaningful one in our life!”

(Based on Sir 48:1-14 and Mt 6:7-15 – Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time)

Most of us have seen those advertisements or billboards which announce some bumper offer or sale.

For example…

Winter Sale on branded clothing: Up to 50% off!*

Buy a new house, at just Rs 1000!*

Buy one pizza, get one free!*

But, a point to be noted is that most of these advertisements of offers and goodies also have a “tiny asterisk – * ” sign next to it.

What does the * refer to?

It has a catch in it…. Terms and Conditions Apply!

The offer is valid, only on the basis of some conditions.

The sale is applicable, only on the agreement of some special terms.

Well, the Gospel of the Day is the prayer of the Our Father.

And one of the ‘offer’ that is mentioned in the Our Father is that of Forgiveness.

However, this offer of Forgiveness has an “asterisk *” sign attached to it…
Yes… Terms and Conditions apply!

What is the offer?

The Forgiveness from God!

And what is the condition applied to receive this offer of forgiveness?

We, first need to forgive others!

The Gospel of the Day is part of the Sermons on the mount in the Gospel of St Matthew.

Jesus is presenting His teaching on various Christian themes.

In His teaching on prayer, Jesus teaches the beautiful prayer – The Our Father.

The Our Father has seven petitions:

1. Hallowed be thy name
2. Thy Kingdom come
3. Thy Will be done
4. Give us today our daily bread
5. Forgive us our sins
6. Lead us not into temptation
7. Deliver us from evil.

The fifth petition – for forgiveness – is also accompanied with a clause – “…as we forgive”…
“… and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Mt 6:12)
… forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us!
… forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us!

Well, does this mean God’s forgiveness is conditional?

Certainly NO!

It needs to be understood, that God, in His infinite mercy and goodness, has always the store of forgiveness, unconditionally opened for us!

But to receive this treasure of forgiveness, we need to first forgive others!

To receive this grace of pardon, we need to first pardon others!

God’s Mercy and Forgiveness is unconditional…
… but our reception of the same, is conditional!

It means that…
If we harbour a wrong against other…
If we continue to nurture hatred against other…
If we wilfully fail to extend absolution to the other…
If we adamantly keep having repulsion against the other…
… then we are telling God to not forgive me either!
… then we are telling God to not shower His blessing on me!
… then we are telling God to withhold His unconditional mercy on me!
… then we are telling God to stop extending His unconditional compassion!

The prayer – “Our Father” is indeed one of the most easily learnt and widely used prayers.

But this clause of the prayer, which is often overlooked, also makes this prayer dangerous!

This clause of the prayer, which is often not thought of, also makes this prayer challenging!

Let the prayer ‘Our Father’ make us to make inroads into forgiving others!
Let the prayer ‘Our Father’ make us to march forward into extending pardon to others!

Let this beautiful prayer, also become a really meaningful one!

Are we ready, to take this “Offer?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
BAPTISM IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION – Prefigurations of Baptism in the Old Covenant

In the liturgy of the Easter Vigil, during the blessing of the baptismal water, the Church solemnly commemorates the great events in salvation history that already prefigured the mystery of Baptism:
Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. In Baptism we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace you give us in this sacrament
Since the beginning of the world, water, so humble and wonderful a creature, has been the source of life and fruitfulness. Sacred Scripture sees it as “oveshadowed” by the Spirit of God:

At the very dawn of creation, Your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness! (CCC #1217-1218)

“Doing away with the ‘gadgets of our self-wills’ and beginning to really re-charge ourselves with doing God’s Will!”

(Based on 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14 and Mt 6:1-6 – Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time)

An Italian newspaper carried a news story about a young couple in Milan who seemed particularly devoted in their worship.

The priest at a Cathedral reported that the pair spent an hour or more on a regular basis…
… sitting before a statue of the Virgin Mary.

But shockingly…
… it turned out, that they were not really praying!

This young couple was recharging their cell phone!

They had noticed a stray electric cable sticking out of the wall…
… behind the statue of the Virgin Mary.

Whenever their phone’s power supply dwindled, the young couple came to the church and re-charged it!

Well…
What looked like an act of piety, was actually a self-serving ploy!

Maybe, we are much shocked by this act…

But how about us?
Do we indulge ourselves into similar acts?
… claiming to be praying – but without true devotion or only for “transient gains and desires”
… claiming to be abstaining – but without a sense of joy and reducing it to “an annual observance of an unconvinced pious act”
… claiming to be doing acts of piety – but perhaps, with selfish motives or as “popularity stunts”

Are we really re-charging ourselves?
… or are recharging the many “gadgets” of our self-will?

The Gospel of the Day is a teaching by Jesus on the prime importance of restoring the “true intention in the acts of praying, fasting and almsgiving”…
… with a need to put on the vestment of humility and sincerity!

The Gospel Passage – Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18 – presents to us Jesus speaking of the three core practices that were essential pious practices of His time: ALMSGIVING, PRAYER and FASTING (PENANCE).

He invites us to perform these acts of piety with a “holy and sincere devotion”

With respect to almsgiving, Jesus says…
… “sound no trumpet” (Mt 6:2)

With respect to prayer, Jesus says…
… “shut the door and pray to your Father” (Mt 6:6)

With respect to fasting, Jesus says…
…”anoint your head and wash your face” (Mt 6:17)

It is interesting to note that these 3 practices refers to 3 dimensions of Love:
… towards God
… towards others
… towards oneself

Prayer: Reminding ourselves to grow in the Immensity of God’s Love
Almsgiving: Reviving our basic duty of caring and being responsible to one another
Fasting: Rediscovering the worthiness of our lives and commit to grow in holiness

It’s high time we move from “prayering” –merely reciting words…
… to praying – words of love that arise from the heart!

It’s high time we move from “announcements” – throwing words of charity into the air…
…to almsgiving – charity that flows from the generosity of one’s heart!

It’s high time we move from “feasting” – indulging in self-pleasure…
… to fasting – self-discipline to help one to regulate one’s life!

Yes… we are called to give greater attention to “return to the basics”…
… restoring the “true intention in all our activities!”

Can we stop making our acts of piety as merely self-serving ploys?

Shall we do away with the “gadgets of our self-wills”
… and begin to really re-charge ourselves with doing God’s Will?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
BAPTISM – What is This Sacrament Called?

This bath is called enlightenment, because those who receive this [catechetical] instruction are enlightened in their understanding
Having received in Baptism the Word, “the true light that enlightens every man,” the person baptized has been “enlightened,” he becomes a “son of light,” indeed, he becomes “light” himself
Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift… We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift.
It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own…
… grace since it is given even to the guilty
… Baptism because sin is buried in the water
… anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed
… enlightenment because it radiates light

… clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God’s Lordship. (CCC #1216)