“Making the journey to see people not as a ‘burden or stress’ but as a brother and sister!”

(Based on 1 Kings 21:17-29 and Mt 5:43-48 – Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time)

The following story is known to us, perhaps in different forms…

A gentleman who was walking down the streets of a city was greatly interested too look at the street children – many of whom were carrying smaller children upon their backs…
… and managing at the same time to play their games.

“It is too bad,” said the gentleman to one little fellow, “that you have to carry such a heavy burden!”

“He’s no burden, Sir!” came the quick reply; “he’s my brother.”

The child who was carrying his younger sibling, did not count the pain or the difficulty in carrying; instead embraced the situation joyfully.

“He’s no burden, Sir… he’s my brother” – is a phrase that ought to strike a chord in our hearts.

As Christians, we need to make this journey…
… of considering people not as a “burden” but as a brother!
… of considering people not as a “stress” but as a sister!

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful exhortation by Jesus to make this transition from considering people as a “burden” and “stress”…
… and instead look at them as “brothers and sisters”, extending the Christian virtue of unconditional love to all.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, continues to pull down barriers of “comfort and coziness” by challenging His disciples to rise above the normal standards of the world.

Today He speaks on the aspect of “Love”.

Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human person.

Dictionaries define love as being ‘a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person’ or a ‘feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection’.

Generally speaking, love is considered only to be a human ’emotion or feeling’.

It is something that is usually understood as being “felt” or “sensed” or “experienced”.

Jesus surely did consider “love” as an emotion and a feeling.

Therefore…
• He loved the company of people….
• He cherished affection of those who followed Him…
• He treasured relationships and fostered friendships with all…

But beyond these “external” dimensions of Love…
… Our Blessed Lord taught and showed a higher aspect of love.

Love, not just being a “feeling” but “love as a “decision”.
Love, not just being a “sensation” but love as a “commitment”

Therefore Jesus would say, “For if you love only those who love you, what recompense will you have?” (Mt 5: 46)

Love, when understood only as a “feeling” or an “emotion” can get reduced to being just an “object” or a “thing”

Just as one exchanges goods with each other…
.. love is also exchanged with one another.
Just as one shares one’s belongings and possessions with one another…
… love is also shared with one another
Just as one gives and takes things from each other…
… love is also given and taken from each other

But the Lord presents a higher understanding of love and demands a much supreme expression of love from His followers: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5: 48)

Love to be a “virtue” has to surpass the ordinary realms of being “an emotion” and “feeling” and transcend to being a “radical decision” and a “faithful commitment”.

When someone hurts us, we don’t “feel” like loving…

But Jesus says, “Love that person”, because love is a “daring decision”

When someone continues to be lukewarm, we don’t have any “emotions” of love…

But Jesus says, “Love that person”, because love is an “absolute allegiance”

When someone continues to cause pain, we don’t “experience” any love…

But Jesus says, “Love that person” because love is a “challenging commitment”

Now this teaching certainly irks our “normal” understanding.
• How can I possibly love someone, who has hurt and killed me mentally?
• How can I be expected to show love to someone, who still hurts me – even intentionally?
• How can I be told to love people who have no regard for me at all and treat me as an object?

It seems to be an impossibility.
It seems to be absurd.

But let us look to the Crucified Lord…
… and we have the perfect example of this Love being lived in actuality!

Jesus on the Cross shows that love is to be a “daring decision”, an “absolute allegiance” and a “challenging commitment”!

Love to be a “virtue” has to surpass the ordinary realms of being “an emotion” and “feeling”…
… and transcend to being a “radical decision” and a “faithful commitment”.

One may not be able to “show” love…
… but can we not, at least pray and wish for the good of the person?

One may not be able to “talk” freely to the one who has hurt…
… but can we not, at least refrain from wanting bad to happen to that person?

One may not be able to “resist” from having bad feelings when encountering one’s enemy…
… but can we not, at least offer the person to the Mercy of God?

The journey of reconciliation begins with a conscious and committed decision ‘to accept and forgive!’

This teaching certainly seems to be a big “burden” and a significant “stress”

But this is where, we need to make a journey…
… of considering people not as a “burden” but as a brother!
… of considering people not as a “stress” but as a sister!

The Lord has walked through this journey.

He is still with us, to accompany us.
• This journey may be hard
• This journey may be hurting
• This journey may be painful

But the Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you!” (2 Cor 12: 9)

Let us trust Him!
Let us be courageous in Him!

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 sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out…
… to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to “plunge” or “immerse”; the “plunge” into the water symbolizes the catechumen’s burial into Christ’s death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as “a new creature.”
This sacrament is also called “the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” for it signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit…

… without which no one “can enter the kingdom of God” (CCC #1214-1215)

“Through the intercession of St Antony of Padua, being firm and resolute in our Christian living and being bold in one’s convictions to oppose evil!”

(Based on 1 Kings 21:1-16 and Mt 5:38-42 – Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time – Feast of St Antony of Padua)

India honours Mahatma Gandhi as the Father of the nation.

The New Testament made a great impression on him, especially the Sermon on the Mount, which went straight to his heart.

He, once said, to one of his disciples:
“Behold the gentle figure of Christ…
… so patient, so kind, so loving, so full of forgiveness that He taught His followers not to retaliate when abused or struck, but to turn the other cheek…

I thought it was a beautiful example of the perfect man…!”

“The message of Jesus as I understand it,” said Gandhi, “is contained in the Sermon on the Mount unadulterated and taken as a whole…”

The Gospel of the Day presents this lofty teaching of Jesus on non-retaliation and the power of forgiving love.

It is significant to read that in this Passage of the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus is instructing some of the core personal tasks that has to be taken up by each individual Christian.

The Sermon on the Mount makes a personal obligation on each Christian

It is worth meditating and reflecting on each line of this Great Sermon, and examining to what extent am I living this lofty and powerful teaching of the Lord in my life.

One of the highly debatable and confusing teachings of Jesus is contained in today’s Gospel reading.

Jesus says, “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the one cheek, turn to him the other also” (Mt 5: 39)

This verse could easily raise a lot of doubts and questions…

Did Jesus mean that Christian should be passive to evil?
Did Jesus teach that we should suffer unnecessarily in the face of social evils?
Did Jesus teach passivity and being lethargic when one encounters wickedness and evil?

The one direct answer to all such doubts is seen in the light of the life of Jesus Himself…

He was always actively against evil and sinful activities
He was a constant opponent to oppression, condemnation and human wickedness

Then what would have Jesus meant by those strong phrases of “resist evil… and turning one’s cheeks?”

There could be, speaking in general terms, three responses to evil:

1. Opposing with violence
2. Bearing everything passively
3. A courageous non-violence

The first two responses are also popularly called as Fight or Flight
…either FIGHT against the evil… or take FLIGHT from the evil situations

FIGHT: oppose with evil and violence
FLIGHT: run away from the situation or passively be submissive

But the way of Jesus is a higher one…
… a much higher and bolder one: the way of ACTIVE NON-VIOLENCE.

The Greek word that is used by St Mathew, for “resist” is “antisthemi”

‘Antisthemi’ is not a passive or a weak term.

It was a classical Greek ‘military’ term.

It means…
… to take a stand against, to oppose or to resist
… to establish one’s position publicly by conspicuously “holding one’s ground,”.
… It means refusing to be moved (” being pushed back”)

This clearly shows that “to resist evil” is not merely a passive act of submission…
… rather is a firm, courageous and bold action of holding onto one’s convictions of truth and opposing every reaction to subdue truth.

This is further illustrated in the example that Jesus gives, “of turning one’s cheek, when hit on the right cheek”

Now, its common sense to note, that if one hits with the right hand, it would hit the other person only on the “left” cheek.

Therefore, if the person is hit on the “right” cheek, as in the example of Jesus, it could quite probably mean, that one was hit with a “back-hand”.

What is the significance of a back-handed slap?
A backhanded slap, had a greater message than merely hurting or causing pain…

Instead, it meant to be an act of “severe” humiliation… of “terrible” insult!

A backhand slap, in the time of Jesus, was the usual way of admonishing inferiors:

Masters backhanded slaves; husbands, wives; parents, children; men, women; Romans, Jews.

What is the response that Jesus suggests for such an act of dreadful humiliation?
Not Fight… Not Flight.

Rather, a strong and bravely opposing act of courage: “turn the other cheek as well!”

It is a calculated response intended to invite the aggressor to consider his or her actions.

This bold action of turning one’s cheek robs the oppressor of the power to humiliate.

It is as if the oppressed person is saying,
“Try again if you want, buddy!
Your first blow failed to achieve its intended effect.
I deny you any power to humiliate me!”

This was how our Blessed Lord who gave this supremely lofty teaching demonstrated in His life… by dying on the Cross!

The Cross was a powerful opposition to evil and sin.

The One who died on the Cross did not die a passive death…

Rather, He boldly preached against every act of oppression and mightily spoke against every form of discrimination!

As Christians, we need to be bold and courageous to “resist” every evil and sinful deed.
In Christ, we have a teaching that is not passive, but is “extremely” active and powerful.

To merely FIGHT or simply make a FLIGHT in the face of oppressions, is cheap and ordinary…

In fact, it is “no spirituality”.

But to “be bold in one’s convictions” and “to oppose” evil, even to the point of giving up one’s life, is a lofty, supreme and mighty spirituality.

Jesus embodied this spirituality.

Many great men and women in history have been inspired by it and lived it.

As Christians, the followers of the Bold Jesus, are we ready to embrace this “powerful” spirituality?

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Antony of Padua…
… one of the most loved Saints, all over the world.

He is popularly invoked by those who have trouble finding lost objects.

But in own day, he was more popular as the “Hammer of Heretics”…
… due to the powerful witness of his life and preaching.

May the Powerful Intercession of the “Hammer of Heretics” – St Antony of Padua…
…. help us to always be firm and resolute in our Christian Living!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua)…
… and the door which gives access to the other sacraments.
Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God…

… we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the Word” (CCC # 1213)

“Seeking to grow in faith and trust in the Lord, the Triune God!”

(Based on the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity)

A law-school professor was telling his class what to expect of the final examination.
“The question paper will be nearly 14 pages long” he explained, “and it will take at least four hours to answer all the questions!”

Hearing that, the entire class groaned with murmuring.

As the class grumbled, the Professor added, with a tone of consolation: “Don’t be worried.

In this tough exercise of the examination, all of you will be in the same boat!”

At this, one student, with a naughty grin spoke up: “Yeah, Sir… We all will be in the same boat.
Just that, the name of the boat would be Titanic!!”

(Titanic was the name of the boat that had a tragic end -sinking into the ocean after a crash with an iceberg and leading to the death of nearly 1500 people in the year 1912)

This little humorous incident (without being too critical or analytical), when looked at from a global spiritual perspective, points out a grand and complex reality: There are many examinations in life, which tends to drown our life!
To some questions of life, answers will be found.

But to many, there will be a mysterious silence.

Today we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity…
… a feast that apparently throws up a lot of questions

Yet, is so fundamental to our faith, that we are called forth to make a leap of faith and deepen our love-relationship with this Mystery of Unity!

One of the basic truths of life is that the most beautiful aspects of the world cannot really be defined

Can we define love and the exact reasons why we love a person?
Will it be possible to clearly define if you are asked the happiest moment of your life?
Is it easy to give a definition of the moment when you went through an agonising tragedy?

In all such cases, they can be described, but not really defined with precision…
… These are mysteries of life that need to be experienced!

The most profound, meaningful, and life-changing things or events of our lives don’t warrant to be defined…
… they need to be experienced, and lived in a manner that proves the truth of the Mystery!

The greater one delves into the experience of such mysteries, the greater is one able to love them!

The deeper one experiences such mysteries, the passionate is one’s commitment to it!

And it is an experience that makes a Mystery come alive, and to abide by it!

The Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is indeed deep and complex

Yet, the Power of this Beautiful Mystery is so deep, that we can approach the Blessed Trinity… experience the Love and Mercy showered to us, and live with a passionate commitment!

The Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity goes beyond the realm of human definition…
… and insures us to surrender ourselves to God’s Awesomeness and bow down in adoration!

That is why the most beautiful way to understand this Lofty Mystery is to enter into a deeper relationship with the Blessed Trinity – a greater communion and participation.

The Gospel of the Day is this assurance of Jesus that even though many things are not understood in life, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us, in time and as needed, the mysteries of life and our faith.

Jesus speaks about this to His disciples: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the Truth…” (Jn 16:12-13)

The experience of the Pentecost – the infilling of the Holy Spirit – helped the disciples, who were strict monotheists, to grasp the Mystery of the Trinity in a new light…

God is One and there are three Persons – the Father is God, the Son is God, the Spirit is God
The Father is not the Son and the Spirit; the Son is not the Father and the Spirit; the Spirit is not the Son and the Father.

The Mystery of the Trinity is indeed lofty – and even though many worldly realities and examples attempt to explain, we can no way fully explain this Mystery.

[Example: Sunlight displays a triune dimension – the substance of the sun, the heat, the light

The universe consists of three things: matter, space, and time.
(Each one of itself has a triune dimension
Matter = mass + energy + motion.
Space = length + height + breadth.
Time = past + present + future)
Human beings have a triple dimension, consisting of the body, the mind and the soul
In short, the whole world reflects the Triune nature of the Blessed Trinity!]

We are reminded this Most profound, Meaningful, and Life Impacting Mystery of our life – the Mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity – doesn’t warrant to be defined…
… It needs to be experienced, and lived in a manner that proves the Truth of the Mystery!

Our lives often remain a blank question-paper, with mysterious questions hurled at us, and answers found wanting!
We look for answers. We seek for solutions.

Sometimes we get. But many times, we fail to obtain.

It may lead us to desperation. It may even lead us to anxiety.

But the Lord assures us…
… that He has the answer to every question in the world and the solution to every problem of our life.
Of course, not all will be told to us, or revealed to us, at once.

They will be conveyed to us, at the appropriate time, in the appropriate situation.

From our part, what is simply needed is…
… openness to His Spirit; trust in His Divine Providence; constantly seeking to know His Will

The underlying principle for this simple, yet, seemingly hard to practise philosophy of life, is that “the Triune God Loves Us” greatly, and that every moment of our life, is taken care of by God’s Providence!

The greater our trust in the Living God…
… the nearer will we be, to the answers of life!

Yes, Life will constantly place before us “tough exams!”
We may complain and grumble

In frustration, we may sometimes even feel that “lives may turn out to be like the Titanic!”

But let’s not lose hope… Let us seek to grow in faith and trust in the Lord, the Triune God!

Happy Feast of the Most Blessed Trinity!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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

The sacraments of Christian initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life.
“The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life.
The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life.

By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity.” (CCC # 1212)

“Willing to be an apostle of encouragement, ‘by putting back the stars’ in the lives of people!”

(Based on Acts 11:21b-26; 12:1-3 and Mt 10:7-13 – Feast of St Barnabas)

A story is said of a man who lived a very fine life.

Being a carpenter, he had helped in the construction works of the church.
He was also very benevolent in helping people who needed his counselling and guiding skills

However, at a particular phase in his life, many things went wrong…
His wife had a sudden death and the man found himself at a deep loss
There was also a financial crisis that he faced, with a few people exploiting his simple innocence

These and many other experiences left him quite broken, dejected and defeated.

It was at this time, that attending a Sunday Mass, he heard the priest preaching on the Love and Providence of God.

The sermon touched him much… the Word of God moved him greatly.

After the Mass, he approached the priest to have a talk with him

The priest welcomed him cordially, and the two spoke for a long time.

After his sharing, the man felt extremely relieved and coming back home, he told his neighbour:
“What a man he is…!

“When I went into his office, all the stars had fallen out of my skies – but one by one he put them back again…
I feel so much stronger and hopeful, now…!

Experiences in life are often such…
… unfair and unjust
… partial and discriminatory

We therefore are in need of encouragements in life…
… to lift our sagging spirits
… to boost our depressed minds

In situations where “the stars fall out of our skies”…
… we need encouragements and support to have them ” one by one, be put back again!”

Today, Holy Mother the Church celebrates the Feast of St Barnabas – who was an immense source of encouragement…
… and invites us to also become persons of encouragement to others.

The Holy Bible presents many characters and personalities, who assume great importance and are in the highlight, by virtue of their words and deeds.

But there are also a few, who remain in the background, and yet are strong and powerful characters…
… St Barnabas, whose feast we celebrate today, is one such personality.

The word “Barnabas” in Greek means… “the Son of Encouragement”.

And true to his name, St Barnabas lived a life, “encouraging” the Christian Faith.

It’s amazing to see the very many practical ways in which St Barnabas can be a model and example for our Christian lives

Let’s pick up a few areas in which St Barnabas was a source of encouragement…for our practical Christian life.

1. Religiously:
   Barnabas was of the tribe of Levi (Acts 4:36)
   The tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites and had political responsibilities as well.

The spirit of a strict Jewish System was much strong in Levites.
Yet, Barnabas breaks away from that strict religious system, to embrace Christianity – all for the Love of Jesus and His Church.

Am I willing to let go of my many faith-prejudices and false religious-notions and embrace Christ and His Church, for the love of Jesus and His Kingdom?

2. Cultural
   Barnabas was from Cyprus, in Turkey (Acts 4:36)
   … and yet, he becomes a missionary to work in Jerusalem and other far-away places.
   He transcends cultures and places, and moves beyond his own cultural, linguistic and ethnic boundaries – all for the Love of Jesus and His Church.

Am I willing to let go beyond my cultural, linguistic and ethnic barriers, for the love of Jesus and His Kingdom?

3. Financially
   When the Early Church was in need, Barnabas sold his field, and gave the money to the Apostles (Acts 4:37)
   He was sensitive to the needs of the Church and was willing to be self-giving – all for the love of Jesus and His Church.

Am I willing to let go of my richness, possessions and attachments, for the Love of Jesus and His Kingdom?

4. Psychologically
   St Paul, after his dramatic conversion, was not easily accepted by the Early Church because of his ignominious past (Acts 9:26).

But Barnabas took the lead in helping Paul to be part of the preaching ministry, as Scripture testifies:
“But Barnabas took him (Paul) and brought him to the Apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27)

It was St Barnabas who supported and encouraged St Paul, in his initial days of struggle – all for the Love of Jesus and His Church.

Am I willing to accept and encourage people who are misunderstood and are mistreated, for the love of Jesus and His Kingdom?

5. Spiritually
   St Barnabas was a person mightily filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:24)

Yet, he was happy and content to ‘play second fiddle’ – playing the minor and supportive role to St Paul, in his missionary endeavours.

He was willing to remain humble and meek – all for the Love of Jesus and His Church.

Am I willing to let go of my tendencies of spiritual pride, and instead remain humble and meek, for the love of Jesus and His Kingdom?

In life, we come across many who are broken and dejected, sad and hopeless…

We find many who “have the stars fallen out of their skies”

Can we become persons who encourage, console and strengthen them, “by one by one, putting back the stars” in their life?

St Barnabas invites and exhorts us…
… Are we willing to be a “Child of Encouragement?”

Happy Feast of the “Apostle of Encouragement!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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

Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law.
There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony.
The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith.
There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life.

In this organic whole, the Eucharist occupies a unique place as the “Sacrament of sacraments”: all the other sacraments are ordered to it as to their end (CCC # 1210-1211)

“Freeing ourselves from the ‘imprisonment of our appetites’ and experiencing the ‘glorious liberty’ of the Children of God!”

(Based on 1 Kings 19:9, 11-16 and Mt 5:27-32 – Friday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

The Canadian author, Thomas Costain in his historical novel “The Three Edwards” speaks of the life of a 14th century Duke named Raynald Ill.

Raynald was extremely overweight and was commonly called by his Latin nickname “Crassus” which meant ‘fat’!

This Duke Raynald, after a violent quarrel, suffered defeat in a revolt by his younger brother Edward.

Edward captured Raynald, but did not kill him.

Instead he imprisoned Raynald in a room in the castle…
… and promised that he could regain his title and property, if he was able to escape from the room.

This task – to escape from the room – would have been pretty simple for most people, since the room had several windows and a door; none of which was locked!

But Raynald had a problem…. His size… His uncontrolled appetite!

Edward knew his elder brother…
… and He very well knew this weakness as well!

Each day, therefore, Edward send him a variety of delicious foods!

Instead of dieting his way out of the room, he began to relish on the grand food served to him…
… and Raynald grew fatter!

When Edward was questioned by the people on his cruelty for having captured his elder brother, he would reply, without any qualms:
“My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills.”

The story goes on to say that Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn’t released until after Edward died in battle.

But by then his health was so ruined, that he died within a year!

Raynald died…
… as a prisoner of his own appetite!

How often is this a reality in our spiritual lives as well!

Sin sometimes captures our hearts so much…
… that we are unwilling to let go, and thus wither in our sinful state

Immorality and transgressions take over our lives so much…
… that we become slaves, and remain much bound to them.

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful call by Jesus to make an honest examination of our state of life, and check whether we are imprisoned by sin…
… especially from the perspective of immorality and decadence in our ethical system.

Our modern society is often a rude and mute witness to many inhuman atrocities and abuses, especially against women and children.

The world seems to be more and more losing, the sense of sin!

In this context, it’s shocking to read the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading:
“Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery in his heart”! (Mt 5:28)

Jesus’ words pierces through the heart!

He gives no space for lame excuses and silly explanations…
… he hits straight at the target!

SIN consists not in some external actions alone…
… but SIN is conceived and given birth in one’s heart!

When we consider the society in which we live in, we find that…
Immorality is on the rise….

We pass through cities and towns…
We look through newspapers and magazines…
We scan across websites, swanky apps and fancy shops…
.. and we find that… Immorality is, indeed, on the rise!

Immoral pictures, sensual visuals, inhuman portrayal of persons, double-meaning talks have somehow become the order of the day!

We are very often surrounded by filth and lewdness in our society.

Satan, the father of deception scatters the seeds of immorality and lust everywhere!

It’s here, that a Christian needs to be on the watch.

It is our duty as Christians, to preserve our hearts from this dangerous contagion.

The beatitudes tell us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God” (Mt 5: 8)

We have a duty…
… to preserve ourselves from impurity!
… to protect others in their dignity and honour!
…to awaken the society which is often, deadened in immorality and perversion!

The Lord reveals Himself in the stillness and tranquillity of our hearts and lives…
… just as Elijah experiences the Voice of the Lord – not in the strong wind, or earthquake or the fire… but in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13)

Let us examine our lives and check… “Am I becoming a prisoner of my own appetite?”
… being a slave to lustful thoughts or immoral patterns of attitudes
… being indifferent to a society which strips itself of all dignity in the name of liberty and freedom

The Lord very powerfully challenges us to be totally intolerant to casting away sin and sinful tendencies from our life…
“If your right eye causes you to sin… tear it out and throw it away” (Mt 5: 29)
“If your hand causes you to sin… cut it off and throw it away” (Mt 5: 30)

Sin has no place in a world of mercy and love!

Mercy places an obligation that all sin be rid off!
Love demands that all wrongdoing be cast away!

Let the words of St Antony of Padua be given heed to:
“Anyone, then, who desires to live chastely in Christ Jesus, must flee not only the mouse of lust, but even from its very scent.”

Let’s awake, Dear Christians…
… purify our world and live in sanctity and holiness…

Let us free ourselves from the “imprisonment of our appetites” and experience the “glorious liberty” of the Children of God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
WHEN IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED? Liturgy and culture

The celebration of the liturgy, therefore, should correspond to the genius and culture of the different peoples.
In order that the mystery of Christ be “made known to all the nations… to bring about the obedience of faith,”
It must be proclaimed, celebrated, and lived in all cultures in such a way that they themselves are not abolished by it, but redeemed and fulfilled…
… It is with and through their own human culture, assumed and transfigured by Christ, that the multitude of God’s children has access to the Father, in order to glorify Him in the one Spirit.
“In the liturgy, above all that of the sacraments, there is an immutable part, a part that is divinely instituted and of which the Church is the guardian, and parts that can be changed…
… which the Church has the power and on occasion also the duty to adapt to the cultures of recently evangelized peoples.”
“Liturgical diversity can be a source of enrichment, but it can also provoke tensions, mutual misunderstandings, and even schisms.”
In this matter, it is clear that diversity must not damage unity.
It must express only fidelity to the common faith, to the sacramental signs that the Church has received from Christ, and to hierarchical communion.

Cultural adaptation also requires a conversion of heart and even, where necessary, a breaking with ancestral customs incompatible with the Catholic faith (CCC #1204-1206)

“Seeking to make our lives to be a Good News!”

(Based on 1 Kings 18:41-46 and Mt 5:20-26 – Thursday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

It is said that there are two extremely fatal phrases in the English language.

They are

1. “What is the use?”
2. “Why should I?”

“What is the use?” is the fatal tendency…
… that causes people to look at the world from a purely pragmatic perspective

Such a tendency…
… causes people to lose interest in things and people, if they don’t seem useful and beneficial
… causes people to manipulate people, things and situations in a way that suits their self-interests

“Why should I?” is the fatal tendency…
… that causes people to look at the world from a resigned and indifferent perspective

Such a tendency…
… causes people to rot in lethargy and tepidity and lose the spice of life
… causes people to push the responsibility to other, and themselves slacken in comfort and ease

These two phrases were very much reflected in the “Pharisaic and the Scribal lifestyle” which Jesus, in today’s Gospel invites each us to surpass and overcome.

The “What is the use” lifestyle…
… which made them to only flaunt their external piety and lose sight of the unglamorous aspect of devotion

The “Why should I” lifestyle…
… which made them to reject any offer calling them to repentance or amend their ways and instead made them to be stuck to their own prejudices and adamant patterns of thought.

Jesus always keeps challenging us!
The Lord loathes laziness and luke-warmness…

He loves to keep raising the standard of our holiness and faith!

This challenge is reflected in today’s Gospel Reading.

Jesus says, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of Scribes & Pharisees, you can’t enter the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5: 20)

The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees would consist…
… in a lifestyle which insisted only on the exact following of the ‘letter’ of the Law neglecting its spirit
… in a tendency to neglect the fundamental aspects of the Law and focus only on the peripheries

What could be some of the negative aspects of the Righteousness of Scribes and Pharisees, which Jesus condemns… and which perhaps, we need to overcome?

1. They liked to preach…but not practise

We live in a world where there are many people who are good in preaching, writing reflections and advising on spiritual matters.

But very often, a massive chasm appears between their preaching and their way of life.

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

2. They liked to do things to “show-off”

A tragedy of religious practices can be, when things are done not to please God, but to win the approval and endorsement of people.

Religious piety and devotions very often become means to have self-gratification of one’s senses, and sadly, even platforms to boast and brag about one’s capacities and capabilities.

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

3. They liked to make the Word of God, user-friendly, at the cost of God’s Will:

One of the trends in the modern world, is to have all products and gadgets “user-friendly”.

Sadly, this trend is also often applied to the Word of God.

The Word of God, its commandments and laws are twisted and condensed and expanded and interpreted and quoted and explained and elucidated – all to suit one’s own comfortable and pleasurable way of life!

The Scribes and Pharisees seemed to be in this category of people.

Am I in any of these category of peoples??

The Lord challenges us today… to exceed this sort of a righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees.

We need to be people…
… “who walk the talk”!
… “who practice our Faith to Please God and Him alone
… “who live a Gospel-oriented life”

The Gospel ought to mould and shape us – and not we changing the Word of God to suit and justify our secured and comfortable lives!

Gal 1:10, says,” If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.”

Our modern world strongly advocates the two fatal phrases of…
… “What is the use?” and “Why should I?”

As followers of Christ, it is our duty and task to go beyond such a “Pharisaic and Scribal Lifestyle”…
… and live as Jesus would want us to!

We need to counter these two fatal phrases, with inspirational mottos…

“What is the use?” is to be countered by “All to Thy Glory!”
“Why should I?” is to be countered by “To let Thy Will be done!”

Let all our actions and thoughts be directed only to God.
Let our lives truly be a Good News!

As St Francis of Assisi says, “Preach the Gospel always…use words, if necessary!“

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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LITURGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE UNITY OF THE MYSTERY – Liturgical traditions and the catholicity of the Church

The diverse liturgical traditions have arisen by very reason of the Church’s mission.
Churches of the same geographical and cultural area came to celebrate the mystery of Christ through particular expressions characterized by the culture: in the tradition of the “deposit of faith,” in liturgical symbolism, in the organization of fraternal communion, in the theological understanding of the mysteries, and in various forms of holiness.
Through the liturgical life of a local church, Christ, the light and salvation of all peoples, is made manifest to the particular people and culture to which that Church is sent and in which she is rooted. >> The Church is catholic, capable of integrating into her unity, while purifying them, all the authentic riches of cultures.
The liturgical traditions or rites presently in use in the Church are the Latin (principally the Roman rite, but also the rites of certain local churches, such as the Ambrosian rite, or those of certain religious orders) and the Byzantine, Alexandrian or Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite and Chaldean rites.

In “faithful obedience to tradition, the sacred Council declares that Holy Mother Church holds all lawfully recognized rites to be of equal right and dignity, and that she wishes to preserve them in the future and to foster them in every way. (CCC # 1202-1203)

“Being bold and daring, to rise up to the occasion and ‘standing for God!’”

(Based on 1 Kings 18:20-39 and Mt 5:17-19 – Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

Great incidents and heroic stories can inspire and challenge us greatly.

The Bible is most certainly a power-filled storehouse of such great incidents and heroic stories…
… which inspire us to be more zealous in serving the Lord
… which challenge us to be more enthusiastic in our following of the Lord

One of the most powerful incidents, which has this dual dimension of “inspiring and challenging” is the one found in the First Book of the Kings, Chapter 18, verses 20-39.

This incident is known by many titles …

The Challenge of Elijah, the Prophet
Elijah v/s Baal
Elijah and the prophets of Baal
… and many more.

The incident is familiar to most of us…

After a drought of three years, the prophet Elijah presented himself to Ahab, the king of Israel, with the promise that the Lord would provide rain.

Elijah, then went on to challenge 450 prophets of the pagan god named Baal and 400 prophets of another pagan god, Asherah to a contest on Mount Carmel.

His words of challenge to them were powerful:
“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21).

The game of challenge began:

Each side (The numerous prophets of Baal v/s Elijah, the solitary prophet) made sacrifices to their God without building a fire…
… and the lighting of the fire was to be performed by the strongest god (God!)!

Baal was silent.

The confident prophet Elijah began to even mock the prophets of Baal:
“Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened” (1 Kings 18:27).

The time then can for Elijah to intercede for the revealing of the Glory of God…

He poured a large amount of water over his sacrifice and asked Jehovah to reveal Himself by consuming the sacrifice.
“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38)

When the people saw the clear victory of Jehovah, they fell on their faces and said:
“The Lord, He is God!
The Lord, He is God!”

Elijah then commanded the people to seize the prophets of Baal and to not let one of them escape.

God then sent the rain he had promised and the drought ended (1 Kings 18:41-46).

One of the most powerful messages derived from this incident is that…
…” When we stand for God, we experience God standing by us!”
… “When we seek to uphold the Lord, the Lord reveals His Glory through us!”

Prophet Elijah, who stood for the Lord, and was bold to proclaim His Power…
… became the mighty instrument through whom God would reveal His glory!

Elijah, the prophet, through whom God manifested His Glory…
… would foreshadow the Great Prophet, Jesus, Who would be the fullness of God’s Glory! (Col 1: 19)

Jesus is not just the Great Prophet, Who is the Voice and Word of God
Jesus is not just the Supreme Law-Giver, through Whom everything came into being
… Jesus would be the fulfilment and the completion of the Law and the Prophets (Mt 5: 17)!

Jesus goes on to present a mighty challenge to His followers:
“Whoever relaxes one of the least of the commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven;
But he who does them, and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:18-19)

This is a powerful invitation that the Lord presents before us:

“Are you willing to stand up for me?”
“Are you willing to uphold my virtues and the Kingdom values by your life?”

Just as Prophet Elijah, in his days, found challenged by paganism, our world today is faced with innumerable challenges…

A spirit of materialism, that seeks to devour all people into a life of comfort and cosiness…
… at the loss of dependence on God and faithfulness to Divine Providence

A spirit of relativism, that does away with even fundamental truths and basic institutions…
… by seeking to dilute the virtues for which the Church champions and makes void Christ’s teachings

A spirit of division, that slays communities and societies on peripheral grounds like colour, language, caste, region etc…
… and causes people to even divert from essential elements like faith, worship, communion etc

A spirit of indifference, that makes people to behave as strangers to one another…
… and making one to be insensitive to the needy and hurting the Triune Image of God within oneself

As Christians, more than ever before, the challenge is before us…

To stand up for God…
… and know for sure, that He will stand by us!

To uphold the Lord…
… and experience truly the Glory of God revealed through us!

May the great incidents and the heroic stories of the Bible continue to always “inspire and challenge” us…
… and help us to be bold and daring – to rise up to the occasion… and “stand up for God!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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LITURGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE UNITY OF THE MYSTERY – Liturgical traditions and the catholicity of the Church

From the first community of Jerusalem until the Parousia, it is the same Paschal mystery that the Churches of God, faithful to the apostolic faith, celebrate in every place.
The mystery celebrated in the liturgy is one, but the forms of its celebration are diverse.
The mystery of Christ is so unfathomably rich that it cannot be exhausted by its expression in any single liturgical tradition.

The history of the blossoming and development of these rites witnesses to a remarkable complementarity. When the Churches lived their respective liturgical traditions in the communion of the faith and the sacraments of the faith, they enriched one another and grew in fidelity to Tradition and to the common mission of the whole Church (CCC # 1200-1201)

“Being ready to be the salt of the earth!”

(Based on 1 Kings 17:7-16 and Mt 5:13-16 – Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

A commonly known story (found in different versions) is told of a king who once asked his daughter how dear he was to her.

“As dear, as dear – as salt!” said the daughter, in all her innocence.

The king thought that this was very little and a “cheap” way of expressing her love to him.

And so, being unhappy, remained extremely disappointed with his daughter.

A few months, later, the King sponsored a great feast for the people of his land.

The daughter, made sure, that every dish that was brought to the King, remained unsalted

And thus nothing tasted good to the King.

It was then that the King realized his mistake!

The absence of the salt – which rendered the food tasteless – made him realize the value of salt…
… and the intelligence, in the answer of his daughter!

And thus, the King loved his daughter recognizing the importance of salt – and happy to being loved “As dear, as dear – as salt!”

The Gospel of the Day is the beautiful reminder by the Lord, to recognize the importance of “being the salt of the earth,” and to be on the guard, that our Christian lives don’t become tasteless or bland..
… by “not losing the saltiness!”

As Jesus proceeds with the Sermon on the Mount, He declares…
… “You are the salt of the earth” (Mt 5: 13)

It is fascinating to recognize the greatness of this statement of Jesus, in our present day context…

Imagine this…

There are over six billion people in the world…
… spread over seven continents and around 195 countries…

There are people belonging to thousands of tribes, ethnicity, languages etc…
… and again hundreds of temperaments, personalities, outlooks and characters.

Among all these various people, the Lord – the Creator of the whole universe – declares to each one of us…
… YOU…
… Yes, YOU, His beloved creation, and the one whom He loves deeply:

“You are the salt of the earth”

Perhaps, this statement of the Lord may cause us surprise and trigger us to ask Him:
“You must be kidding, Lord!

I mean…. Look at the vast expanse of the world – millions of people in here, variety of languages, behaviours, temperaments, personalities…
… and amidst, all this, You expect, Me…
Me? To be the Salt of the Earth?!

We might even pose a question:
“Do you expect Me, a puny little thing, to really be the Salt to the Earth?

I am just a Nobody!”

But the Lord – who knows us through and through – would thunder back and tell us:
“Do not say, you are a nobody!

I am precise in calling You…!

You have been baptized in Me, and you have My Spirit dwelling in You.

Long back, some of my servants also expressed their inability in a similar fashion…
… Abraham
… Jeremiah
… Peter

But they were raised… by My Grace and their co-operation.

You too, have a responsibility towards Me and My Kingdom…
… and You will do much in doing little, when and as I wish!”

Perhaps, these magnanimous words of the Lord would overwhelm us…
… but still, filled with unworthiness, we may cry out, expressing our helplessness:
“But Lord, the challenge is just too great!
I do have some talents and capabilities, that You have bestowed on me.

But will those be enough?

I just feel that I am too small and insignificant, to be making a real difference in the world!”

This is where the Lord will remind us…
“Of course, I don’t deny that it is going to be easy for you to be the Salt of the Earth!

You will struggle…
… You will have to walk the hard path, as did even my Beloved Son on His Way of the Cross.”

The Lord will also remind us that “the salt that He spoke of”…
…was not the pure, refined type that is available today.

The salt of the olden days, when exposed to moisture, could easily become insipid.

It could become tasteless and useless… good only to be thrown and trampled down!

In the same way, we, as the ‘Salt of the Earth’, need to be highly careful.

If we expose ourselves, too much to the worldly and material affairs, we will lose your saltiness!
If we pollute ourselves by the many vain pleasures in the world, we will end up being ineffective!
And then we will be useless…only to be trampled upon! (Mt 5:13b)

Our life is like… as St Paul writes in the Second Letter to the Corinthians is a… ‘Treasure in Clay’! (2 Cor 4:7)

When preserved and careful utilized, we will remain precious

If not handled carefully, we will end up spoiling a wonderful fortune!

We are to be the Salt of the Earth…
… in whichever state of life we are
… to whichever vocation we are called to
… in whichever works or activities we engage in

We are to be the salt…
… that gives taste, to those who have lost meaning and hope in life
… that preserves the virtues of the Gospel and teachings of the Church in a world of decay
… that symbolizes purity even though the world around you plunges into immorality and sin
… that makes you part of the Sacrifice that is offered to God as described in the Law (Lev 2:13)

Yes, we need to remember, that we have a great calling… to be the Salt…
… to give taste to the world… to preserve the Gospel values… to be a symbol of purity…to offer your life as a sacrifice.

We are indeed precious!

Let us never let ourselves be diluted with the waters of worldly pleasures and thus become insipid!

Perhaps, like the King in the story, we sometimes, don’t recognize the importance of salt…
… the importance and immense responsibility in being “the salt of the earth!”

The Lord, today, reminds us:
“Your Christian vocation has to become dear to you….
… “As dear, as dear – as salt!”

Are we ready to be the ‘Salt of the Earth’…?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
HOW IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED? – Where is the Liturgy Celebrated?

The gathering of the People of God begins with Baptism; a church must have a place for the celebration of Baptism (baptistry) and for fostering remembrance of the baptismal promises (holy water font).
The renewal of the baptismal life requires penance. A church, then, must lend itself to the expression of repentance and the reception of forgiveness, which requires an appropriate place to receive penitents.
A church must also be a space that invites us to the recollection and silent prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist.
Finally, the church has an eschatological significance. To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold, which symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new Life to which all men are called.
The visible church is a symbol of the Father’s house toward which the People of God is journeying and where the Father “will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Also for this reason, the Church is the house of all God’s children, open and welcoming. (CCC # 1185-1186)

“May our Blessed Mother Mary, the Mother of the Church intercede for us to be faithful members of the Church and to lead a committed Christian life!”

(Based on 1 Kings 7:1-6 and Mt 5:1-12 – Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time – Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church)

An elderly person was given a latest model of a mobile phone, on his birthday by his son, who lived abroad.

Seeing the phone, the man exclaimed:
“Oh son! This piece of technology is just of no use for me!
I do not belong to your generation. This gadget is too complicated for me!”

But as he made this comment, he also saw a little letter attached.

It was a letter from his son.

It read thus:
“Dear Father, Wish you a very Happy Birthday!
On this special day, I am presenting this latest phone for your use.

I know that you will react by saying it is of no use for me
But knowing you, I have also attached a simple-to-use manual…
… a booklet, that I myself have prepared so that you can use the phone without any hassles.

Wish you a happy time using the phone and hope to hear you soon!”

The man was pleasantly surprised, and saw another booklet which read “Manual for use” with its table of contents:

1. Usage instructions
2. Safety instructions
3. Assembly and Installation instructions
4. Maintenance instructions.
5. Troubleshooting instructions
6. Service locations
7. Product technical specifications.
8. Warranty information

These 8 instructions were to help the man to make the best use of the product and get the maximum out of it.

Seeing the 8 instructions, the man immediately exclaimed:
“Oh this is so wonderful!

These 8 instructions are just like the 8 beatitudes that Jesus had given, for make the best use of our life here on earth and get the maximum out of it!”

Yes…

Just as instructional manuals become guidelines for better usage, greater effectiveness and higher appreciation…
… Our Christian spiritual life also needs an Instructional Manual…
… for better fruitfulness
… for greater effectiveness

We have concluded a journey of fourteen weeks (nearly 100 days) of walking intimately with the Lord in His Passion, Death, Resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit…
… starting with the Ash Wednesday in the season of Lent
… through the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday
… the Ascension and the Feast of the Holy Spirit – the Pentecost.

As we resume the Ordinary times of the Liturgical year, we are presented with the message to make an examination of the “quality of our life of faith” through the Eight Beatitudes.

The Gospel of the Day – the 8 Beatitudes: one of the most beautiful passages of the B.I.B.L.E. (sometimes expanded as being “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth!”

Or “Behold I Bring Life Eternal!”)…
…. presents to us a ready reference Instruction Manual with 8 instructions, on how to live as a true follower of Christ.

The passage begins with the sentence, “Jesus went up to the mountain and SAT DOWN…and HE BEGAN TO TEACH them” (Mt 5:1)

In the Jewish Tradition, the Rabbi (teacher) would sit and teach.

The Hebrew word ‘Rabbi’ is derived from “rav”, which means ‘Great One’.

When St Matthew specifically mentions that “Jesus sat down and taught”, Jesus is presented as the Rabbi: The Great One – The Teacher – Who speaks with great authority.

Jesus is the New Moses, who presents the “New Law- the law of Absolute Love!”

What is this teaching of such great authority?

It’s a teaching which calls for a reversal of the worldly values!
It’s a teaching that turns the worldly standards of greatness upside down!

The world holds in high esteem the aspects of power, prestige, richness and prosperity.

The yardstick of the greatness of people is very often measured in terms of these external achievements.

But Jesus, the teacher-par-excellence, reverses this false notion of the world…
… And pronounces BLESSEDNESS to the poor, the mourning, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers and the persecuted ones!

High jumpers while competing with each other, keep raising the bar higher and higher, to achieve victory.

Similarly, the Beatitudes that are pronounced by Jesus raises the bar – the standards of Christian life are raised to a great proportion.

All the beatitudes, focus on one aspect: The need to lower oneself and instead to understand that “God alone suffices!”

Very often many questions pop up in our minds…
…. “Why is my life full of suffering, though I seek to live a genuine life?”
… “Why do the unjust prosper, and the people who pursue for justice fail to receive rewards?“
… “Why does success elude me whereas those who adopt wrong means bask in achievements?”

It’s hard to give a downright answer to such questions…
… but the Beatitudes gives us a glimpse into the mind of Jesus: That in all such occasions, our attitude ought to be, ” God alone suffices!”

“God alone suffices” ought to be our refrain…
… when we find ourselves at the receiving end, even though after having worked hard, we don’t find the expected success
… when we are still subject to persecutions and hardships even though we live in honesty and truthfulness

Of course, this teaching is hard to follow…may even seem impractical…!

Yet, we are not alone..
… Jesus the teacher, Himself is our Model and Example.. He walked the talk!

Hanging on the Cross, Jesus became the epitome of the Beatitudes that He Proclaimed…
… He was the One Who was Poor, Mourning, Meek, Hungry and Thirsty, Merciful, Clean of Heart, Peacemaker and the Persecuted One!

Today let us look to Jesus, the Teacher and the One who lived out the Beatitudes, and make our Christian life more meaningful!

In the words of Fulton Sheen, “It’s hard to be a Christian… but it’s harder not to be one!”

May the Divine Instructional Manual given by Jesus on the Mount became the pattern for us to lead a Committed Christian Life!

Today we also celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Mother of the Church.

Mother Mary is the Model for all in the Church to “always say YES to God’s Will and live a Committed Life as a Follower of Christ!”

This feast which has been brought promulgated from last Year…
… is celebrated every year on the Monday after Pentecost.

One of the primary reasons for the celebration of this Feast is “to foster Marian piety and the Maternal sense of the Church.”

Pope Francis says that, “this celebration will help us to remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored…
… to the Mystery of the Cross
… to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet
… and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed!”

The Marian title of “Mother of the Church,” was given to the Blessed Mother by Pope Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council.

The Gospel Passage – Jn 19: 25-34 – presents the “Model of the Church”

Jesus, the Head of the Church
Mary, the Mother of all the children in the Church
The Beloved Disciple, who stands for all the members of the Church

This “Model Church” stands as a witness and an example for the Church, to “always seek and do God’s Will!”

Mother Mary is the first Evangelizer and the first Disciple of Her own Son and Lord, Jesus the Christ!
Mother Mary is not just the biological Mother of Jesus…
… but, by doing the Will of the Father perfectly, She is also His Spiritual Mother!
Thus Mary is the Mother of the Church!

As St Maximilian Kolbe says, “If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother!”

Yes, doing the Will of the Father…
… is the DNA that joins all the members of the Family of God

May our Blessed Mother Mary, the Mother of the Church intercede and pray for all of us…
… to be faithful and witnessing members of the Church.

Happy Feast Day of Mary, the Mother of the Church…
… to all Her Little Children of God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
WHEN IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED? Where is the Liturgy Celebrated?

The tabernacle is to be situated “in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honour.”
The dignity, placing, and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
The sacred chrism (myron), used in anointings as the sacramental sign of the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, is traditionally reserved and venerated in a secure place in the sanctuary.
The oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick may also be placed there.
The chair (cathedra) of the bishop or the priest “should express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer.

The lectern (ambo): “The dignity of the Word of God requires the church to have a suitable place for announcing his message so that the attention of the people may be easily directed to that place during the liturgy of the Word” (CCC #1183-1184)

“Realizing that by our Christian vocation, we are constantly in touch with ‘Fresh Waters of Grace’”

(Based on the Solemnity of Pentecost)

An incident is told of a great ship that was stranded off the coast of South America.

Week after week, the ship lay there, in the still ocean waters with not a hint of a breeze.
The captain was desperate; the crew was dying of thirst.

The salty ocean waters stared at the members of the ship.

Finally, one day, on the far horizon, a steamship appeared.

As this tiny boat, approached them, the captain of the great ship called out:
“We need water. Give us water!”

The steamship replied: “Lower yourselves, and life will be yours!”

The captain – an experienced person, and who knew that it was impossible to get potable water from the oceans – was infuriated.

But the steamship gave the same reply, “Lower yourselves, and life will be yours!”, and sailed away.

The captain was all by himself – feeling angry and desperate!

But a little later, when no one was looking, a cleaner boy of the ship, lowered a bucket into the sea and then tasted what he brought up: It was perfectly sweet, fresh water!

How was that possible?

The ship had been stranded, just out of the oceans, into the mouth of the River Amazon (Amazon makes up for nearly 1/5th of the earth’s fresh waters!)

For weeks together, they had been sitting on top of all the fresh water that they needed.

But it remained undiscovered!

So it is, often, with our Christian Lives as well!

What we are really seeking, is already inside us: Waiting to be discovered!

The Holy Spirit, Who has been dwelling within us, from our Baptism, gently whispers to us: “Lower yourselves, and life will be yours!”

Today, on this Great Day of Pentecost, we are invited to open our hearts to recognize the Power of the Holy Spirit…
… and to become aware of the inherent greatness in our vocation as Christians.

On the day of Pentecost, in the Upper Room, as the disciples were gathered in prayer, along with Blessed Mother Mary, “the Holy Spirit filled the entire house in which they were” (Acts 2:2)

It is to be noted that the word used to describe the coming of the Holy Spirit is the Greek word “aphno” which means “suddenly”

“And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind…” (Acts 2: 2)

The coming of the Holy Spirit was “sudden”.

This energetic entry of the Holy Spirit is a glimpse to one important characteristic of the person of the Holy Spirit: Vitality!

The Holy Spirit is a spirit of life… of energy… of vivacity… of animation… of dynamism!

Where the Holy Spirit is, there is the great movement of the will, the mind and the heart!

It was this “sudden” coming of the Holy Spirit that transformed the small group of Jesus’ disciples into mighty warriors of the Kingdom of God.

Fear was transformed into power…

Timidity was changed into boldness…

Uncertainty was converted into conviction…

Our own lives need an encounter of this “life-transforming” experience.

Is my Christian life, dull and slow – merely laced with routine actions of prayers and sacraments?
Is my life of faith, lethargic and tepid – simply being pulled on, without any particular awareness or lived without any enthusiasm?
… then, we need the mighty movement of the Holy Spirit to impress life and vitality to our life and our faith!

The Holy Spirit is undoubtedly one of the most shy person of the Blessed Trinity and therefore, also often, neglected in our daily prayers or devotion

The study and awareness of the Holy Spirit is certainly, in general, given lesser priority and importance in comparison to the other Persons of the Trinity
The Feast of the Pentecost is very often not accorded the “solemn” tone in comparison to other feasts like Christmas or Easter

But let us realize, that in the Holy Spirit and in the celebration of this Feast, we have a great treasure to cherish and enjoy.

Each Christian ought to build an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Each Christian must become more aware of the role of the Holy Spirit in daily living

How wonderful it would be if we could inculcate a few practical resolutions to grow in our intimacy and union with this Powerful and Dynamic Personality of the Blessed Trinity:

1. Offering the day to the Holy Spirit, as we begin the day, thanking for His protection and seeking His help through the day
2. Invoking a tiny chaplet, “Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and minds” as we begin a particular activity or work
3. Making a short examination of conscience at the end of the day, introspecting our lives in overcoming sin, being grateful for His guidance and seeking to grow spiritually in holiness, with the power of the Holy Spirit
4. Co-operating with the Holy Spirit to become effective agents of unity in our homes, our communities, our places of work and our churches.
5. Purposely creating a few seconds of silence in the schedule of our works or our activity or through the course of the day, and talking to the Holy Spirit, as a friend, in the cave of our heart
6. Listening to the still, gentle voice of the Holy Spirit in the depths of our being, speaking to us to be more active to read God’s Word in the Bible and to partake of the Sacraments more frequently especially Confession and Holy Eucharist.

The Lord has blessed our lives with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

He longs to be empower our lives…

He earnestly wants to be in total control of our lives…

But for this, He needs our permission…

A permission in the form of…
… longing for Him
… making sincere efforts to live a life casting away sin

Let us realize that by our Christian vocation, we are constantly in touch with “Fresh Waters” of Grace.

Let us become aware of the worth of the “source of life” that is with us, and live a life worthy of it…
… by constantly giving heed to the call: “Lower yourselves, and life will be yours!”

Wish you a very Happy Feast of the Holy Spirit – the Pentecost!

Happy Birthday to our Mother Church!

May we cherish the life offered by our Mother, in the Sacraments, and especially receive the sweetness of the Holy Eucharist more worthily and enthusiastically!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
HOW IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED? – Where is the Liturgy Celebrated?

A church, “a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where is worshipped the presence of the Son of God our Saviour, offered for us on the sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the faithful – this house ought to be in good taste and a worthy place for prayer and sacred ceremonial.”
In this “house of God” the truth and the harmony of the signs that make it up should show Christ to be present and active in this place.
The altar of the New Covenant is the Lord’s Cross, from which the sacraments of the Paschal mystery flow.
On the altar, which is the centre of the church, the sacrifice of the Cross is made present under sacramental signs.
The altar is also the table of the Lord, to which the People of God are invited.

In certain Eastern liturgies, the altar is also the symbol of the tomb (Christ truly died and is truly risen). (CCC # 1181-1182)