“Being fervent and zealous to lead a holier and immaculate life, pleasing to God – like Mamma Mary!”

(Based on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

A priest went to visit a violent criminal who was condemned to death…
… hoping to prepare his soul to die well.

But the man wouldn’t even talk to him.

The priest pleaded him to get reconciled with God…
… but the man’s heart was highly closed!

Finally, as a last resort, the priest entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary and then said to the criminal, “Before I leave, will you grant me one little favor?”

The man, with an intention to get rid of the bothersome priest, said he would.
“Let us then,” the priest responded, “Say one Hail Mary.”

So, together they began to pray that simple prayer…
… “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with You…”

They hadn’t even got through the first sentence when the criminal turned pale…
… and his voice started to shake.

The priest to continued the Hail Mary…
… and as he finished tears started to flow from the man’s face, and he fell on his knees at the priest’s feet.

As soon as the prayer was done, the man asked to make confession.

He then confessed his sins with a great sense of repentance!

The words, “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you…”
… had ignited the spark of repentance in him!

Yes, that’s the power of the intercession of Mother Mary!

She is the refuge of sinners

Her life of Faithfulness to God’s Grace, is an inspiration to all of us…
… to live an Immaculate and Holy Life!

Today, we celebrate the Solemn Feast of the beginning of the faithful life of the Most Beautiful and Loved Creation of God: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother.

Sin is part of every human life.

St Paul testifies to this fact when he says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23)

By themselves, human beings are incapable of freeing themselves from sin.

Therefore…
… Everyone needs a Saviour
… Everyone needs a Redeemer

But God, in His infinite wisdom had thought of the most excellent way of redeeming humanity.

Salvation was to be accomplished not through any magical power
Salvation was to be brought about not through some superhuman force
Rather, the salvation of humanity was to be won by a Human Himself – the most perfect Human.

This perfect Human deserved and required the most sinless of all wombs for being born
This perfect Human demanded and necessitated the most immaculate of all lives to be nurtured

Thus, God in His perfect wisdom, applied the Grace of Redemption and Salvation to the One He had chosen – Mary of Nazareth.

Therefore…
Mary is the first recipient of the Redemption of Christ!
Mary is the first fruit of the Salvation, won by Christ!

This is the story of the Immaculate Conception of Mother Mary.

The Holy Scripture testifies to this Immaculate nature of our Blessed Mother through the words of Angel Gabriel to Her, “Hail, FULL of Grace!” (Lk 1:28)

The Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother points to Her sinlessness, Her being full of Grace, Her perfection in holiness and Her absolute adherence to the Will of God.

“Yes, Lord… Thy Will be done” (Lk 1:38) was a chorus that She sang in all the moments of life!

Today, on this Feast day, this our Blessed Mother invites and exhorts us, also…
… to make a choice for God, always, and lead a sinless life
… to always opt for God alone, at all times, and being immaculate in life
… to unswervingly be faithful to God’s Will, and thus seek to be perfect in life

The challenge is great… the efforts required are radical.

But we are not left alone in this “pursuit of holiness” (1 Cor 9:24)

Our Blessed Mamma – the Beautiful Lady in blue and white – grace in holiness and immaculate in love – holds our hands and tells us:
“My Little Child, I am with you!
I love you, and together, we shall walk in this exciting path of Holiness…
… towards My Son and Your Brother…
… towards Our Saviour Jesus!”

Yes, let us give heed to the loving call of our Blessed Mother

And be fervent and zealous to lead a holier and immaculate life, pleasing to God…
… as we pray, “Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with You…!”

Happy Feast of our Immaculate Mamma!
ALL GLORY AND HONOUR TO HER ETERNAL SON AND OUR SAVIOUR, JESUS!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE CONFESSION OF SINS

Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance:
“All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession…
… even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue
… for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly.”
When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon.

But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, “for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know.” (CCC # 1456)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 07: BE A LIGHT TO OTHERS!

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:79) “To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
At the Birth of John (the Baptist), Zechariah exclaims the song of joy – BENEDICTUS – praising God for His Marvellous Mercy, prophetically revealing the Mind of God about the child, and calling all people…
… to become a Light that shines brightly in situations of darkness
… to experience the Peace of the Lord, and become a messenger of Peace to the world around

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

Share the Light of the Gospel – with virtues of Faith, Hope and Love – to everyone
Allow the Peace of Christ to flood your heart, even if externally situations are discouraging; and with this experience, to become a Messenger of Peace in the world

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS?

1. Light a Candle of Hope today, in the life of any one person, today, who is drowning in the darkness of disappointment
2. Make efforts to repair a broken relationship, by starting to pray for the Peace of Christ for that person

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, may the Light of Your Gospel shine brightly in my life, so that experience the Peace that flows from Your Heart, I may become a messenger of Peace, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, the Word, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Responding to the Invitation of the Lord!”

(Based on Is 40:25-31 and Mt 11:28-30 – Wednesday of the 2nd Week in Advent)

Many of us would have come across the acronym “RSVP” in Invitations for marriage, baptism, birthdays, wedding anniversaries or some other social events.

RSVP stands for Repondez S’il Vous Plait ( in French) which is translated as
Reply, If you please!

The purpose of this RSVP is that the person sending the invitation, would like you to tell him or her, whether you accept or decline the invitation.

Today, Jesus, the King of all Hearts, presents a thrilling and a pleasant invitation…”Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden…”(Mt 11:28)

Every invitation is to contain “By Whom”, “To Whom”, “What” and a “When!”

Let’s analyse these aspects in the Invitation of the Lord

1. By Whom is the invitation:

Jesus came into the world, primarily as a Saviour!

He’s in deep love with us!
“…You are precious in my eyes and I love You!” (Is 43:4).

As a Beloved Lover, it is He who tugs at the strings of our hearts & beckons us to Himself.

2. To Whom is the invitation:
   Jesus extends His cordial and warmest invitation to each one of us who is weary and heavy-burdened….personally!

The Greek word for Weary is ‘Kopiao’…which means to toil & become weary to the point of exhaustion!

Weary could refer to the internal exhaustion caused by seeking Divine Truth through mere Human Wisdom.
Heavy Laden could be the external burdens caused by futile peripheral efforts & works to seek the Divinity.

Many of us certainly, reach the point of exhaustion and fatigue in our everyday works and life and in our search for salvation.

Yes, You and I – each one of us – is today, an honoured and a privileged Invitee!
“Behold, I stand at the door and Knock!” (Rev 3:20).

3. What is the invitation?
   To rest in His Sacred Heart & to Learn from Him Gentleness and Humility.

A haughty heart robs the person of spiritual insights…

Pride renders a person to look only to oneself; the gaze on the Lord is considered meaningless.

This is where the Pharisaic Mentality went wrong.

They saw legalism as the vehicle to heaven.
They lost sight of God’s desire for the heart.
They glorified the Law of Moses, but failed to see the Glorious God of the Law!

The Kingdom belongs to the Gentle and Humble…
… and that’s what Jesus invites us to learn!

4. When is the invitation?

NOW!

“Why delay good things in life, isn’t it?”

The Yoke of the Lord is easy… because it is HE who takes up the burden…
… we are only sharers in His Divine Yoke!

He gives us a yoke which is made to fit our needs and abilities perfectly well!

And the Time is NOW!

The Invitation is already posted and the Master is waiting!

What is our Response….
RSVP…. Repondez S’il Vous Plait?

Today we also seek the intercession of St Ambrose of Milan, whose feast we celebrate.

He was the Bishop of Milan, a Biblical critic, a doctor of the Church
His literary works have been acclaimed as masterpieces of Latin eloquence, and his musical accomplishments are remembered in his hymns.
He is also remembered as the teacher who converted and baptized St. Augustine of Hippo, the great Saint!

Let us give heed to the exhortation of St Ambrose:
“Open wide your door to the one who comes.
Open your soul, throw open the depths of your heart to see
the riches of simplicity…
… the treasures of peace, the sweetness of grace.

Open your heart and run to meet the Sun of eternal light that illuminates all men!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE CONFESSION OF SINS

The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others.
Through such an admission, man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them…

… and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible. (CCC # 1455)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 06: REJOICE IN GOODNESS!

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:58) “Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown His great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
When the time came for the birth of the child – a miracle after many years of barrenness – the neighbours and relatives of Elizabeth and Zechariah…
… rejoiced in the Goodness of the Lord as they thanked His amazing Providence and Protection
… recognised the Mercy of God which always accompanies and strengthens

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

Recognise goodness in people and situations; rejoice in them and appreciate them – for this is a Divine Attribute as we see God, in the Book of Genesis exclaiming by seeing the Good Creation, “It is good!”
Realise that God’s Mercy is always there to strengthen and protect, even in the weariest situations of life; hold fast to the Heart of God, and be optimistic in the Ways of the Lord!

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS?

1. Offer a situation of trouble/concern that you have, to the Heart of God, and seek for His Mercy
2. Appreciate 5 people today for their Goodness and Love in your life.

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, may I always recognise Goodness in others, live a life of joy, and offer all my concerns to Your Heart, knowing that Your Mercy will always protect and heal me, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, the Word, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being be willing to ‘go out of the way’ and doing things that are very beautiful!”

(Based on Isa 40:1-11 and Mt 18:12-14 – Tuesday of the 2nd Week in Advent)

A mother took her three children to a fine restaurant for a dinner.

It was a crowded Sunday and they could only get separate seats.

As food was served, the youngest daughter – 6 year old Mary – who was seated at the far corner of the restaurant…
… loudly enquired from her mother: “Mother, don’t people say grace before meals in this place?”

A wave of silence wrapped the entire restaurant!

The mother did not know how to react.

But soon enough, the manager of the hotel, who was at the counter, said in an assuring voice to the child: “Yes we do. You may start!”

All the people bowed their head in silence

Little Mary closed her eyes, joined her hands and bowing her head…
… in a loud and crystal voice prayed: “Bless us O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are going to receive from your goodness, through Christ our Lord… Amen!”

The child found it strange to observe that none of the elders were praying…
… So she went “out of the way”

And did something that was very beautiful

And taught others an action to be imitated

A child “goes out of the way”…
… in expressing love and affection by trying to imitate the kind acts of the elders
… in trying to help others – giving a hand at the household chores, or doing little works

The Gospel of the Day is an invitation by the Lord to re-discover this “forgotten” child-like dimension of our lives: “To go out of the way!”

Jesus, speaking of this worthwhile quality…
… presents to us the image of a Shepherd who goes “out of the way”, in search of the lost sheep.

Jesus says: “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray…
… will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills, and go in search of the stray?” (Mt 18: 12)

The shepherd loves all his hundred sheep…
… yet, when one gets strayed, he makes “an out-of-the-way effort” to get the lost one back.

He does not give up on the strayed.

He doesn’t desert the lost.
He doesn’t abandon the one, gone from his circle.

This attitude of going “out of the way”…
“taking an extra pain”
“dripping an extra sweat”
… would seem weird and strange to the calculative, pragmatic and business-minded head of ours, in this modern period!

We might question:
Is it not a waste of time to go after the “lost sheep”…
… of an obsessed drug-addict or a habitual drunkard or a consistent smoker?

Is it just too futile to awaken a “lost sheep”…
… of a soul in slumber, where there is no focus on spiritual life, where there is slackness of prayer and sacraments and where worldliness and materialism have crept and conquered?

Is it of any use to go after the “lost sheep”…
… of a couple who are constantly bickering and a family which is broken up with regular fights and misunderstandings?

Is there any sense in trying to restore the “lost sheep”…
… of a community whose members seem disinterested, who are lethargic, who have their own personal and hidden agenda and who always back-talk and back-bite?

Is it just not meaningless to revive the “lost sheep”…
… of a society or a nation where corruption has taken deep-roots in hearts of people and all sincere efforts of transformation often gets dumped into the bin?

The True Shepherd however, in all such situations, of the “lost sheep” …
… “goes out of the way”

The Good Shepherd makes an extra effort in getting them back!

This Good Shepherd today invites us to be partakers in restoring the lost ones.

A critical danger in the process of “growing- up” is the tendency to lose our “natural child-like” qualities.

As a child, we were free to express our emotions…
… but when we “grow up”, we tend to hold them up all within (only to burst out one day!)

As a child, we were easily dependant on those who cared for us…
… but when we “grow up”, we become arrogant towards them and seek ‘independence’

As a child, we were able to enjoy and relax in the present moment…
… but when we “grow up”, we get caught up in the snare of the past and shrink with fear of the future.

The Lord invites us to get back the “lost” child-like faith and trust.

We need to realise that we are always little children to our Heavenly Father!

He loves to care for us… He longs that we depend on Him entirely!

Yes, children sometimes teach elders great lessons, isn’t it?

Let us be willing to “go out of the way”…

And do things that are very beautiful
And teach others actions, that can be imitated!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
CONTRITION

The reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God.

The passages best suited to this can be found in the Ten Commandments, the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings. (CCC #1454)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 05: GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS!

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:25) “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favourably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
Elizabeth exclaims these words of gratitude, as she and Zechariah – who went through much humiliation and ignominy – are blessed with a child. Elizabeth exudes immense joy and reminds us…
… of the need to remain faithful to the God Who is always very near us – even though, sometimes we pass through moments of agonizing silence and abject isolation
… of the aspect of the being hopeful, knowing that God will strengthen us in every situation of apparent disgrace and disappointment

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

Have faith that none of our prayers will go in vain before the Almighty Presence of God; the Lord in His Beautiful Time, will give us what’s most needed for our Salvation. Thus, every prayer ought to be “a prayer to allow His Eternal Plan to be fulfilled!”
We are never left alone in our moments of struggle; God’s Grace moulds us and shapes us, if we remain open to His Will.

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS?

1. Think of at least one incident of the past wherein we experienced God’s Grace and Presence in tough moments; offer a prayer of Gratitude and renew our hope for the present moments of struggle.
2. Sing/Say with faith: “God will make a Way, where there seems to be no way!”

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, increase my faith to know that you are with me in every prayer that I make, and that Your Presence is constantly moulding me in every situation of my life, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, the Word, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being ready to ‘break through the roof’ of all adversities, to experience the God of blessings pouring down Graces!”

(Based on Isa 35:1-10 and Lk 5:17-26 – Monday of the 2nd Week in Advent)

An elderly person – a Christian – who had gone through many difficulties, but held on to faith…
… was addressing a group of youngsters:
“Never get discouraged in life!
Never lose hope in life!

And yes, always remember, God can pour down His Blessings, even by breaking open the roofs of your struggles!”

Are we ready to trust in the “God Who pours down His Blessings, even through broken roofs?”

The Gospel of the Day gives a similar scene of “The roof being torn open!”

Our Blessed Lord is engaged in His ministry of teaching (Lk 5: 17)

This is something that we can all learn from!

The Lord…
… though quite popular as a miracle worker
… though very admired for his mighty deeds of healing
Always gave a great priority to the “ministry of teaching”

He would always make it a point to “teach” people

Very often, in our lives (especially those engaged in various Church ministries)…
… we neglect the aspect of teaching

We tend to run after works and ministries that are more sensational, popular and “glamorous!”

This verse of the Gospel is a challenge for us to renew our commitment to the “ministry of teaching”…
… about the Kingdom of God
… about ways to lead a Holy Life by prioritizing God above all
… about understanding the true meaning of God’s commandments

As Jesus is engaged in this “ministry of teaching”…
… a great number of Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem (Lk 5:17)

The house was fully packed, with people cramming to hear the Lord..

The house was, brimming with persons seeking the healing of the Lord..,

It was then that a group of people brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed (Lk 5: 18)

They came with much expectation to see the paralysed man, whole and well again.

They sought with an eager and earnest desire for the Lord of power and healings.

But as they approached the house… their hopes would have gone down!

The thick crowd of people would have slimmed their hopes!

The massive gathering at the door would have thinned their anticipations!

But it is when the chips are down, that one is given a chance to find strength one never knew one had…
… and put it toward the greater good.

The people came seeking for blessings…

They came seeking for the God of blessings…

But it seemed, that the firmament was closed to shower down blessings!

But then they had a hope… “God can pour down His Blessings, even by breaking open the roofs of your struggles!”

And so they decided “to tear open the roof!”

“But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus” (Lk 5: 19)

“Opened up the roof” has other translations…
… “dug a hole through the roof”
…“removed part of the roof”
… “uncovered the roof”

We would perhaps think the roof was some primitive, thatched roof.

But most likely, that was not the case…

As per the architecture then, this roof was more than likely a mud clay roof with tiles

To lower the paralyzed man through the roof, they literally had to do a major demolition of the roof.

Well… picture this…

You’re in this packed house – people crammed to the max…trying to listen to Jesus.

All of a sudden you start to hear some banging on the roof.

These people would have literally tore the tiles off the roof, made a hole & lowered the paralyzed man by a rope into the house.

Then the roof materials begins to fall in on you!

Well… imagine also the people’s responses…

They would have been astonished, amazed and some even angered!

They were there to listen to Jesus….they had come early…they had won their spot…

They were perhaps hearing their life-transforming sermon!

It’s at this point, that the “roof starts tearing down!”

But Jesus, the God of blessings, is immensely pleased and edified by their faith and trust!

Their “tearing of the roof” was blessed by “pouring down of blessings”.
Their “tearing of the roof” was rewarded with a “cleansing of sins”.

Many times, we too face similar barriers and blockages in our experience for the Lord.

Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of discouragements, disappointments and distresses?

Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of ‘end-of-the-road’ feelings and ‘hopeless situations’?

Are we willing to “break through the roof”…
… of problems which seem impossible and unsolvable?

Difficulties and barriers will always be many in life…

Hardships and challenges will often stare on our face…

But let us have the grit and the guts to trust in “God Who pours down His Blessings, even through broken roofs!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
CONTRITION

The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit.
It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear).
Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution.

By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance. (CCC #1453)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 04: ‘GOD’S WILL’ WILL PROTECT YOU!

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:13) “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard!”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
Zechariah – whose wife Elizabeth is barren – and going through much rejection and humiliation, receives the Good News of the Presence of the Lord.

The Angel of the Lord assures…
… their prayers, though delayed, in accordance with God’s Beautiful Plans, will never be denied – they will always be blessed in abundance, when God’s Will is prioritised
… their tears, though many, will be transformed to “rivers of joy and blessings” – as beautifully described in Psalm 56:8 about the preciousness of our tears: “You have…put my tears in your bottle…”

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

Can I continue to hold on to the Lord, even though, some of my prayers seem totally unheard – trusting that God’s Will, when prioritized, will always give us the best?
Am I ready to invite the Lord to touch my heart, so that all my tears may be Graced, and I may in turn, become a ‘healed healer’ to others?

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THE WORD THIS CHRISTMAS?

1. Ensuring that every prayer of mine, has the final declaration: “Lord, let Your Will be done in my life!”
2. Reaching out, today, to at least one person, who needs the assurance of God’s Love and Healing.

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, may all my intentions be wrapped with a joyful acceptance of Your Will, and may I become an instrument of your Love and Healing to the world, Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, the Word, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Preparing our hearts to receive His Word as He wishes, in our life, and seeking to live, in total accord with Him!”

(Based on Is 11:1-10, Rom 15:4-9 and Mt 3:1-12 – 2nd Sunday in Advent)

It was December in the year 1903.

After several attempts, the Wright brothers – achieved success in getting their “flying machine” off the land.

They were very much thrilled!

They telegraphed this message Katherine, their sister, informing her of the great invention:

“We have actually flown 120 feet! Will be home for Christmas”

The sister was also super-excited.

She rushed to the editor of the local newspaper, to share the great news and showed him the telegraph message.

The editor glanced at the message and said:
“How nice! So the boys will be home for Christmas!”

Oops…

The Editor had completely missed the big news, isn’t it?

The big news was that “man had flown for the first time in history!!”

But he totally “missed the point!”

How often is this our experience too in life -missing the important points and settling for lower ones!

We often fail to give attention to the most important things of life…
… instead, we get carried away by some other less priorities of life!

Isn’t it?

Something similar had happened to the people of Israel as well…

God had promised them of the coming of the Messiah…
… but they “missed the point”..
… and thus, failed to recognise the Saviour He came!

God had promised that Prophet Elijah of old would return…
… but they “missed the point”…
… and thus, failed to recognize the Prophet when he came!

This is what John the Baptist in today’s Gospel will point out…
… that people “missed the important points” in life!

And so he calls them “to repent” and come back to realise and recognize the priorities of life!

John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, had come, preaching the message of repentance and conversion of heart (Mt 3:1)

The Gospel of St Matthew says that John the Baptist…
… wore a clothing made of camel’s hair
… had a leather belt around his waist
… had food of locusts and wild honey (Mt 3: 4)

This appearance was very similar to that of Elijah, the Prophet (2 Kings 1:8)

But in their encounter with John the Baptist, the people failed to recognise him as the Elijah “who was to come”

They “missed the point!”

And thus John the Baptist came to be …
… rejected
… derided
… finally killed!

Jesus also will echo this aspect when He will tell later in His ministry:
“I tell you, Elijah has already come and they did not recognise him; but did to him, whatever they pleased” (Mt 17: 12)

John the Baptist realised that the people were “missing the point” with respect to…
… having a false hope in their patriarchal faith
… understanding the law and the prophets

That’s why, he tells the people – quoting the patriarch Abraham and the prophet Isaiah –
… “Do not presume to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father'” (Mt 3:9a)
… “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths” (Mt 3: 3b)

The people of Israel had perhaps taken for granted…
… that their great heritage – consisting of great patriarchs like Abraham and Isaac and Jacob – would be credited to them, for their salvation!
… that the oracles of the prophets – like Isaiah – did not apply to their life and they could go on living a life as they pleased!

But John the Baptist…

The fearless prophet
The unassuming forerunner
The uncompromising martyr
… would challenge them with the Kingdom ‘ringtone’: “Repent!” (Mt 3:2)

All his life would be an echo of this Kingdom Ringtone – “Repent”

… “Repent” – for you have “missed the point” of living as per the commandments of the Lord

… “Repent” – for you have “missed the point” in failing to recognise the Truth and Power of the Lord

… “Repent” – for you have “missed the point” by giving priority to your own whims and fancies of life

Many times in our life, we too “miss the point” in our encounter with the Lord…

He gives His Beautiful Word to us…
… but we fail to be encouraged by It and live by It

He makes many wonderful promises of assurance and guidance…
… but we fail to live a life of trust and confidence

He offers Himself wonderfully in the Sacraments, especially Confession and Holy Eucharist…
… but we fail to derive the necessary fruits from Them

Today, the Gospel invites us, to look at God’s Promises, God’s Word’s and God’s Will…
… and discover the true purpose of it in our lives.

This is more true as we prepare for Christmas…

CHRIST is the BIG POINT of Christmas

But perhaps…
… we “miss the point” by giving much priority to only external decorations and festivities
… we “miss the point” by forwarding Advent greetings, but failing to practise them ourselves
… we “miss the point” by commercialising this whole season, and failing to dare to grow spiritually

Yes, let us dare not “miss Him!”

May we prepare our hearts to receive His Word as He wishes, in our life…
… and seek to live, in total accord with Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
CONTRITION

When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity).

Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible. (CCC #1452)

(A journey through Verses from the Bible – with practical applications – to Love Jesus & Live Jesus!)

DAY 03: BEING FAITHFUL TO GOD

BIBLE VERSE
(Lk 1:26-27) “Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children…”

CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE VERSE
Zechariah and Elizabeth – faithful and sincere in every aspect – are faced with the ‘societal humiliation” since they are barren. Yet…
… they remain faithful to the Lord, performing all their duties with utmost sincerity
… they waited in hope before the Lord, knowing that God has His beautiful plan and time!

WHAT IS CHRIST SPEAKING TO ME, THROUGH THIS BIBLE VERSE?

Am I faithful to my life of prayer, even though there are various setbacks that I face?
Can I trust in the plans of God, even in moments of darkness, doubts and disappointments?

HOW CAN I CELEBRATE CHRIST, THIS CHRISTMAS?

Spend ten minutes in the Presence of God, offering all the struggles to the Heart of the Lord
Renew your hope in the Lord, by saying, “Jesus, I trust in You!”

LET’S PRAY
Lord Jesus, help me to remain faithful to you, even in my moments of struggles, knowing that Your Divine Providence, will always help me encounter the ‘ray of joy, beyond the clouds of disappointments,’ Amen!

Let us celebrate Christ, this Christmas, and live like Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!