“Being ready to let go of ourselves and get transformed to be a Volcano of Generosity!”

(Based on Ezek 34:1-11 and Mt 20:1-16 – Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

One of the most powerful, spectacular and amazing natural wonder of the world is a Volcano!

The image of a Volcano brings to our mind a massive mountain, erupting fumes of smoke and lava.

A volcano represents mighty force.
A volcano stands for…
… immense heat
… great strength

The Gospel of the Day lets out a life-challenging message, delivered with much power and force…
… like a volcano!

We have the familiar parable of the Landowner and the workers from Mt 20:1-16 for our Gospel Passage today.

This landowner is quite unique and amazing in his approach.

He hired labourers for his vineyard first in the early hours of the day…

Then periodically throughout the day…
Finally, he hired some at the fag end of the day – to work only one hour.

The labourers in those days, like often in our society too…
… had no secure work and no consistent income.

They were given hired on a day to day basis.

Those hired late, were not sure of what wages they would be paid…

They had to, therefore, solely depend on the kindness of the one who had hired them!

The landowner in the Gospel, pays the labourers, not as per their work…
… but as per his kindness!

He pays the labourers, not just based on their hard efforts…
… but based on His big-heartedness!

The Landowner is like a Volcano – mighty and immense and great…
… in his generosity!

He is a Volcano of Generosity!

Like a volcano, he is mighty…
… in standing up to his principles in being firm to render benevolence.

Like a volcano, he is immense…
… in lavishing unexpected favours and rendering surprising packages

Like a volcano, he is great…
… in being fair in his dealings and yet going beyond justice to the needy.

This landowner is Jesus!

He is the Volcano of generosity.

Jesus has given us life and many essentials and comforts of life…
… in His generosity.

Jesus has strengthened us with His transformative words in the Bible…
… in His generosity.

Jesus has provided us with grace and mercy when we have been lost in sin…
… in His generosity.

Jesus has blessed us with His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist to nourish us…
… in His generosity.

Jesus has showered us with love and affection when we have been broken and shattered…
… in His generosity.

All this He has done when we least deserved it.

Like the late-employed workers we did not deserve this great bounty.

Perhaps, some of us might identify ourselves with the workers who were employed at the start of the day…
… and we feel ourselves been cheated and treated unfairly.

We feel that since we have been more faithful and committed, we ought to deserve more!

But the words of the Lord, need to sink deep into our hearts, “My friend, I am not cheating you…
… Am I not free to do as I wish, with my own money?” (Mt 20: 13, 15)

Let’s accept it:
We have been treated justly…
… we have been given our just wages
… we have been paid rightly.

But we lose our temper, because we compare ourselves with others and feel, “I deserved more!”

We cry foul, because we judge other people and their efforts and say, “That fellow was not so much worthy!”

We shout unfair, because we look over on the other side of the fence and exclaim, “I did better than that one!”

We go blind to the fact that we have been treated justly, and instead crib that others have been prized with greater generosity.

This is the Volcano of Generosity – Jesus.

His generosity goes beyond our wildest imaginations.
His generosity crosses all human boundaries of expectations.
His generosity traverses way ahead of what we can think or conceive!

And this Volcano of Generosity invites us to be similar in our attitude and life…

Be a volcano of generosity…
… with encouragement, for those who fail in life, despite trying hard!
… with love, for those who lose heart and struggle with problems of life!
… with patience, for those who get irritated and annoyed with situations!
… with kindness, for those who constantly find faults and are pessimistic!
… with hope, for those who find no meaning in life and remain depressed!

The Volcano is one of the most powerful, spectacular and amazing wonder in the world.

If we can shape our lives, into a Volcano of Generosity…
… we too can be a powerful, spectacular and amazing witness to the Lord in this world!

Are we ready to let go of ourselves…
… and get transformed to be a Volcano of Generosity?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – CHRISTIAN HOLINESS

The children of our holy mother the Church rightly hope for the grace of final perseverance and the recompense of God their Father…

… for the good works accomplished with his grace in communion with Jesus. (CCC # 2016)

“Giving heed to the exhortation of the Lord to ‘give up’ things that do not count and instead to ‘take up’ the greater priorities of our Christian life!

(Based on Ezek 28:1-10 and Mt 19:23-30 – Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near the modern Naples, in the region of Campania in Italy.

This city was greatly devastated – destroyed and buried – by nearly 13- 20 feet of ash and pumice, in the volcanic eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The dreadful eruption killed the inhabitants of the city and buried it under tons of ash.

During the excavation, plaster was made use to fill in the voids in the ash layers that once held dead bodies.

This made way for one to see the exact position that the person was in, when he or she died.

Several years later, as the construction workers were laying a foundation for a building outside the city of Pompeii, they found something very strange…

They found a corpse of woman, who probably had been fleeing from the eruption, but had got caught in the shower of hot ashes!

The weird part was that the woman’s hands clutched jewels, which were preserved in a very good condition!

The jewels were all hers…
… but death had rendered them useless for her!

That perhaps, is the bottom-line of life, isn’t it?

Treasures of this world are just not a wise investment…
… they can neither be taken with us at the end of life
… neither can they be enjoyed for but a few years on the earth

These are the sentiments and the teachings that are transmitted by the Lord in today’s Gospel.

Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19: 23)

The Gospel goes on to say that, “when the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished…” (Mt 19: 25)

It is fairly understandable, that just like the disciples, we too find ourselves in a state of amazement, wonder or even shock, at the words of the Lord concerning richness.

Could Jesus “really” mean that the rich won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

Was Jesus meaning that all wealth is categorically bad and therefore to be dumped off?

One of the prevailing dominant notions with respect to riches, in the Old Testament was that, they were considered to be a sign of God’ special favour.

There are several references for the same…

In Gen 24: 35: “Abraham’s servant tells Laban, ‘The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy.’

In Job 42:12: “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.”

In Prov 10: 22: ” It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.”

But the Old Testament also very clearly points out that these material blessings ought to be undoubtedly accompanied by a concern and care for the poor…

In Ps 132: 15: “God will bless Zion with abundant provisions and satisfy her poor with food”

In Ps 37: 11: “The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace”

Thus the teachings of the Scriptures point to a greater responsibility that is placed on the rich.

This responsibility finds it onus on discovering God as the greatest treasure and richness of one’s life.

The Prophet Habakkuk gives beautiful expression to this clarion call:
“… Though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food…
… yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.” (Hab 3: 17-18a)

This then is the spirit of “richness” that Jesus, the culmination of the Laws and the Prophets calls forth for.

“Richness” that rests not on material wealth…
… but on God, the Source of all wealth and prosperity

“Wealth” that doesn’t pride on external glory…
… but on the Lord, the giver and provider of every richness and gift

Our lives sometimes gets so pre-occupied and anxious with….
… garnering of material wealth
… planning on amassing greater resources
… harvesting mighty fields of glory and richness
… that God gets pushed out of life and the Source and Sustainer of all goodness finds no place in our hearts and minds!

But Jesus makes us to realize the need to discover, maintain and hold on to the Lord as the Supreme Treasure of our life…
… and consider all other riches and wealth as flowing from His Mercy
… with a duty towards sharing it with the needy and the disadvantaged!

Prophet Ezekiel reminds us of the miserable end of the prince of Tyre who savagely took false pride in his riches and position, considering himself even “to be a god” (Cf. Ezek 28:2)

“… by your great wisdom in trade, you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth; therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you consider yourself as wise as a god, therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, the most terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor…” (Ezek 28:5-7)

Instead of clinging on to worldly wealth…
… let us cling on the Lord, who alone can help us to find the true meaning of our lives!

Instead of holding on to material glory…
… let us hold on to the Kingdom of Heaven, where alone can we find the perfect peace and happiness!

As goes a beautiful quote: “A person is no fool to give up what he cannot keep…
… in order to gain what he cannot lose.”

Let us realize: Treasures of this world are just not a wise investment…
… they can neither be taken with us at the end of life
… neither can they be enjoyed for but a few years on the earth!

Instead, may we give heed to the exhortation of the Lord to “give up” things that do not count and instead to “take up” the greater priorities of our Christian life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – CHRISTIAN HOLINESS

He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning…
… through beginnings that have no end.

He never stops desiring what he already knows. (CCC # 2015)

“With confidence, giving heed to the words of the Lord assuring us: ‘Trust the desert!'”

(Based on Ezek 24:15-23 and Mt 19:16-22 – Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A river wanted to flow to the sea, through a vast desert.

But seeing the vast dry sand, it got afraid.

Fearful thoughts crept into its mind:
“The desert may gulp up all my water…
… the hot breath of the sun will surely dry me up…
… and I will be reduced to a mere stinking swamp!”

Then it heard a mysterious voice, “Trust the Desert”

But the river retorted, “But then, will I ever be the same?

Will I not lose my identity?”

The voice once again thundered, “There is no way to remain the same!”

So the river, with trust in the desert, began to flow through it.

The simmering heat of the sun turned her into vapour.
The wind carried her over, as clouds, over the hot expanse of the desert.
She was formed into rain!

And out of the clouds, came down a newer, fresher and much more splendid river, on the other side of the desert.

The river was delighted and exclaimed, “Now, I am truly my Real Self!”

Immense trust and making the radical decision to pass through the desert, helped the river to experience newness in life…
… and to enjoy the delight of a transformed and renewed life!

Is life calling us to have a deeper trust and cross through deserts, in order to experience freshness in life?

Or are we afraid to take that risk of losing many of the ‘things’ we hold precious to ourselves?

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus exhorting us to trust in Him, and to cross the deserts of life, “letting go of riches, in order to experience true joy in Him and eternal life with Him!

The incident of the person asking Jesus, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Mt 19:16) finds resonance with many of our inner desires and longings.

We too have a lot of questions, like the man who asked, “What must I do to have eternal life…”

How can I really have peace of mind and happiness at home and in my life…?
How is it that I may be able to experience joy in life, despite the many poundings and grindings that life renders me…?
How is it that I can be assured of the treasures of heaven and the bliss of life eternity…?

The man who enquired Jesus presented Him with a list of many activities and deeds that he engaged himself, towards this purpose.

“All of these (following the commandments) I have observed,” (Mt 19: 20a) said the man to Jesus

We too have something similar to say…

I keep on working hard, putting in constant efforts in my daily duties and the various responsibilities entrusted to me…

I toil very much in meeting life’s ends and gathering together my resources in making sure that things go on well in life…

But like that man, we too get lost with this one basic question, “What do I still lack?” (Mt 19:20b)

What do I still lack…
… that my life fails to be soaked in happiness and my heart misses the train of joy and peace?
… that my relationships fail to have the required fervour of love and affection?
… that my spiritual life fails to have the flavour of passion, zeal and enthusiasm?

This is where the Lord will tell us, “to let go of things that keep us attached”

Jesus says, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell, what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then follow Me” (Mt 19:21)

• The man was attached to his possessions, even though he performed many acts of God’s commandments.
• The man found it hard to leave his riches, and his following of the laws of God made little impact on him, to make renunciations.

Therefore, the Lord diagnosed his problem as his inability to “let go” of his attachments.

“Unnecessary accessories” of life can be a burden in our smooth travelling on the path of eternity!

Are we also faced with the same diagnosis?

Do I find it hard to “let go”…
… of my selfish lifestyle and my own personal comforts… even though I seek to render service or engage in different works?
… of my egoistic tendencies and self-centred inclinations… in my relationships and in interacting with the people in my life?
… of my individual agenda and self-interested plans… and fail to base my life as per the Plan of God and walk according to His Will in my life?

As Christians, we are called to perfection (Mt 5:48)

This ‘challenge to perfection’ demands that we have to pass through the “deserts”…
… deserts of renunciation
… deserts of seeking only God’s Will
… deserts of altering our personal choices and prioritizing the values of the Lord

This will help us to experience newness in life and to enjoy the delight of a transformed and renewed life!

Let us heed to the call of the Lord today…
… to make such radical choices and decisions in life…
… so that we can truly experience the joy of heaven in our day-to-day lives and one day, be blessed, with the fullness of life eternal!

When faced with the deserts of life…
… let us, with confidence, give heed to the words of the Lord assuring us: “Trust the desert”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – CHRISTIAN HOLINESS

Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification…

… that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes. (CCC # 2015)

“Seeing the world through the eyes of a child – in openness, sincerity, wonder and innocence!”

(Based on Ezek 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 and Mt 19:13-15 – Saturday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Charles Francis Adams was a 19th century American historical editor, politician and diplomat.

His son was Brooks Adams, who became a historian.

A researcher, while making a study on the life of the Adams Family came across their personal diaries.

Both, the father and son, had entered a description of a particular day…
… It was a day when they had gone fishing.

However, interestingly, their descriptions had a world of difference…

The father, wrote in his diary:
“Went fishing with son. Day wasted.”

The son, however wrote in his diary:
“Went fishing with my father. The most wonderful day of my life!”

Why such a huge contrast in the description of the same day?

The son Brooks, was only twelve years at that time.

It was a bad day at fishing as they didn’t catch any fish…
… but they spent a lot of time talking

The boy had asked a number of questions, and the father had creatively answered…
… in the process, explained many important aspects about life.

The father, on the other hand, felt it as a waste of time…
… without even any fish being caught!

Our attitude in life makes a world of difference!

Seeing the world through the eyes of a child – in openness, sincerity, wonder and innocence – can help us to have “a wonderful day,” every day of our life!

Hence, in the context of a family life, there is a popular quote which says:
“A house is built with bricks and beams…
… A home is built with love and dreams!”

The Gospel of the Day presents to us an occasion to dwell on a reflection on our families…
… and some of the basic essentials that needs to be part of every family (religious community included as well)

Family Life is an important component of every society.

The Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 19, has an interesting structure or a progression with respect to the topics discussed and the persons involved.

The chapter begins with a discussion on the institution of ‘Marriage’. (Mt 19: 2-10)

Jesus explains the importance of this sacred bond and a strong exhortation is given on the need to do away with divorce.

The chapter proceeds, as we see in today’s reading, with a discussion on ‘little children’. (Mt 19: 13-15)

This discussion is followed by an incident in which a ‘young man’ encounters Jesus (Mt 19: 16-22)

The Chapter finally ends with an exhortation by Jesus to have maturity as an ‘adult’ is making choices for the Kingdom of God! (Mt 19: 23-30)

Thus, the Chapter 19 of Matthew is a travel through a FAMILY context…
… starting from MARRIAGE…and the need to avoid DIVORCE…
… to little CHILDREN
… to the problems of a YOUTH
… and finally ending with the choices as an ADULT.

In today’s Gospel, we have the discussion on Little Children (Mt 19: 13-15)

Though it’s a short passage, the Gospel gives us enough food for thought…
… especially in the context of a family or a community life.

We see four different groups or sets of people in today’s Gospel Passage, and we can learn some aspects from each of those sets…

Three of them give us a positive quality which is to be inculcated

One gives a negative quality which is to be avoided in life.

1. Firstly, the Gospel begins with the statement, “Little children were brought to Jesus…” (Mt 19: 13a)

Probably the parents, the elder brothers/sisters or the guardians of the children would have brought them to Jesus.

We see here, the First set of people… Parents, Guardians, Elders etc…. and they teach us the First Positive Quality – the Spirit of Responsibility!

They were Responsible in caring for the good and future of the children.

It was an ancient practice that children would be brought to Rabbis to be blessed and prayed over.

This first set of people teach us to be responsible for the growth of others in our family and in our communities.

2. The Second set of people are obviously the Little Children.

These little ones teach us the Second Positive Quality, needed in a family or a community – the Spirit of Receptivity!

Children display a great sense of receptivity and openness.

They are able to accept the affection, the care, the love and the blessings that are given to them.
They do not close themselves to the good things in life.

We too need to cultivate this Spirit of Receptivity, to be open to the actions, thoughts, views and feelings of others in our family and our community.

3. The Third Set of people display a negative attitude which we need to avoid.

When the children were brought to Jesus, the Disciples refuse to accept them and want to keep them away (Mt 19: 13b)

They show a Spirit of Rejection!

They perhaps felt that these children would be a nuisance to Jesus and His ministry.
They felt it as a waste of time and energy to entertain the children.

Little things in life were considered to be a useless and futile activity.

We need to avoid this Spirit of Rejection…

In our families or communities, we can have this attitude towards those who don’t do any work or fail to contribute anything.

We often fail to understand the importance…
… of little tokens of love
… tiny expressions of care by our family and community members

And we, instead, tend to reject and avoid them.

4. The fourth Set is represented by Jesus Himself…
   … and he presents the Spirit of Restoration and Redemption.

He does not reject…
… rather, He accepts and seeks to redeem the little children.

He seeks to restore the little ones who are rejected…
… who are avoided and who are not given the due importance.

In our lives, we too need to be having a Spirit of Redemption and Restoration…

To redeem the ones who are at the periphery and who fail to get any attention
To restore the ones who are broken and abused and are shunned!

Thus, this powerful Gospel passage teaches us…

To avoid the Negative Quality of the Spirit of Rejection…

Rather…

To adopt the positive qualities of…
… The Spirit of Responsibility,
… The Spirit of Receptivity
… The Spirit of Redemption and Restoration!

Let us seek the Intercession of our Blessed Mother that we may avoid the tendency to Reject People…

And instead, we may be…
… Responsible towards others
… Receptive to others
… and Redeem and Restore the lives of others!
And thus build happy and loving homes!

Let us always understand that “our attitude in life makes a world of difference!”

Seeing the world through the eyes of a child – in openness, sincerity, wonder and innocence – can help us to have “a wonderful day,” every day of our life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – CHRISTIAN HOLINESS

Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union with Christ.
This union is called “mystical” because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments – “the holy mysteries” – and, in Him, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
God calls us all to this intimate union with him, even if the special graces or extraordinary signs of this mystical life…

… are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all. (CCC # 2014)

(Based on Ezek 16:1-15, 60, 63 and Mt 19:3-12 – Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Henry Ford is the founder of the Ford Motor Company.

He manufactured the first automobile that was affordable even to the middle class – an object of expensive curiosity turned into a practical conveyance.

Ford had a happy married life with Clara Jane Bryant.

On their golden wedding anniversary, a reporter asked them:
“To what do you attribute your fifty years of successful married life?”

“The formula,” said Mr. Ford, “is the same formula I have always used in making cars – just stick to one model!”

Being faithful and loyal is undoubtedly the hallmarks of a successful relationship.

But we live in a world, where divorce is becoming an increasingly common term and phenomenon.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus engaged in a conversation with the Pharisees…
… and clarifying and shedding light on the concept of faithfulness and fidelity in relationships.

When we hear the word Divorce, we primarily associate it…
…. with a man and woman, in marriage, seeking divorce.

But Divorce is not merely limited to spousal relations.

In fact, divorce is on the increase everywhere….

There is divorce…
… between the parents and the children
… between siblings and family relations
… among the members of a religious community and congregation
… among the members of the Church
… within the society itself

There is also a great divorce within one’s spiritual life…
… One is separated and torn apart between serving God and serving the World!

In all these cases of Divorce…
… the one basic factor that is lacking is that of Commitment and Faithfulness.

When there is a decrease in commitment and faithfulness, the gravity of divorce and separation, increases!

It could be…
… in the spousal relation
… in the family relation
… in the community relations
… in the societal relations
… or even in our personal spiritual relationship with God!

When we fail in faithfulness, we succeed in separation…

When we are complacent in commitment, we are in danger of divorce…!

Today, let us look into our personal spiritual relationship with God…and examine…

Are we separating ourselves from God?
Are we being divorced from God?

Apparently, we may feel that these questions are not for us…

But let’s go a little deeper into ourselves…
… Are we really serving God as our master? … as the Only Master?
… Or are there times, when we fail in our faithfulness, and become complacent in our commitment…?

We need to give the first place to God…
… in our personal lives , our family lives/ our religious and priestly consecration.

But are there occasions, when for some time at least, we keep God away…
… to satisfy our sinful pleasures?
… to answer our egoistic tendencies?
… to fulfill our worldly sinful desires?
… to gratify our evil personal agenda?

If the answer is yes…
… then we are not on God’s side!

The Lord demands a total commitment and dedication to Him.

God hates divorce!

In Baptism, we have entered into a covenant with Him.

Am I in danger of being divorced or separated from our Beloved Covenant Partner?

Little acts of unfaithfulness & infidelity are the ones that slowly shreds a relationship into pieces.

Lets tighten up our spiritual lives, and re-dedicate our commitment and faithfulness and consecration to the Lord.

He is a God who cares deeply for us

He is Loving parent who sees to all our needs
He is a Lover who is intensely passionate about us

Shall we not remain in His loving affection by being more faithful and committed to Him and Him alone?!

Let faithfulness and loyalty be the hallmarks of our successful relationship with the Lord.

Let’s say…

Yeah to Jesus and His Kingdom…
… and Nay to Satan and the World!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – CHRISTIAN HOLINESS

In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift…
… so that doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor.
Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance…

… as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints. (CCC # 2013)

“Like our Blessed Mother Mary, properly channelizing the God-given Freedom towards excellence of life, blossoming of virtues and the Glory of God!”

(Based on the Solemnity of the Assumption of Blessed Mother Mary & the Independence Day of India)

The Feast of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother Mary is celebrated in variety of ways, all over the world.

In some of the small towns of Rome, there is a very symbolic custom.

It is called as L’Incinata – the Bowing Procession.

The people in the village carry a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary down the main street.

This is symbolic of Mother Mary on Her way to heaven

From the opposite direction comes another procession, carrying the statue of Jesus.

This is symbolic of Her Son Jesus coming to welcome Her

Under an arch that has been prepared with branches and thousands of flowers, the two processions meet.

The statues are then made to bow to each other, three times…
… It is symbolic of Jesus welcoming His Beloved Mother at the gates of heaven.

Then the combined procession continues, with the people carrying the statues side-by-side to the Church….
… Symbolically indicating, Jesus taking along His Mother to Her throne in heaven!

This ‘bowing procession’ so very beautifully and symbolically represents the wonderful event of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother Mary.

It celebrates the Son-King sharing His Glory with His Mother.

Human kingdoms have followed the tradition of the son who is the King of the Land, crowning his mother, as the Queen of the Kingdom.

The Old Testament bears witness to this fact:

King Solomon on assuming charge of the throne, after King David, raised his mother Bathsheba to his side, to be the royal queen (1 Kings 2: 19)

This was also a foretaste of what was to follow…
… Jesus, the King of Kings awarding the throne of glory to His Mother, Mary and raising Her to be the Queen of Heaven and Earth!

The feast of the Day – the Assumption of Mother Mary – is one of the four Marian Dogmas that the Catholic Church pronounces.

A dogma is a doctrine that is solemnly proposed by the Church as formally revealed in Scripture or Tradition.

The four Marian Dogmas are:

1. Mary as the Mother of God
2. The Perpetual Virginity of Mary
3. The Immaculate Conception of Mary
4. The Assumption of Mary into heaven

The declaration of the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary is as follows:
“By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”

This Dogma of the Assumption was proclaimed on November 1, 1950, by Pope Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitution “Munificentissimus Deus”

The Dogmatic Proclamation of the Assumption was not defining something new in the Church…
… rather it was an official recognition of the centuries-old belief on Christians about the Assumption of their Heavenly Mother.

The celebration of the Feast of the Assumption teaches us one important aspect: The Assumption of Mother Mary is the sure hope for us, for a life of eternal glory!

Our Blessed Lord came to this world to “die” and “win” salvation for human beings.

This act of salvation had its total co-operation in the Person that God had chosen as His Own in the Divine Plan – Mother Mary.

From the moment, She said “yes” to the messenger of the Lord to become the Mother of God’s Child…
… She placed Herself in a position of “constantly being under the scanner to say a Yes” to God’s Will!

Her Yes to God, meant a “No” to many things in Her personal life…
… her own individual desires
… her own undisclosed dreams

She would become the epitome of the one who lived the teaching that Jesus would later expound during His ministry:
“No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God” (Lk 9: 62)

Her echo of “Yes” reverberated and resonated all through Her life…
…. in times of loneliness
… in times of immense pain
… in times of utter hopelessness

It was this daring faithfulness that made God to bestow on Her the privilege to share in Her Son’s Glory!

This is wonderful story of the Assumption.

This then is one of the great promise and assurance that God gives to each one us through this Dogma of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother Mary.

Does life grind us, with its daily toils and do we undergo immense pain and suffering…
… sometimes even unbearable and agonizing?

Does life grill us, with many incidents of misunderstandings, exposition to calumnious talks…
… and total absence of positive encouragements and unconditional acceptance by people?

Does life gnash us, with constant tensions and difficulties that never seem to leave us alone…
… and paralyze us with innumerable jolts of depression and despair?

Then, the Assumption of our Blessed Mother comes to our rescue, with a hopeful answer to all such miserable questions!

We need to be reminded that Mary had exclaimed, “Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1:38)

Mary was an ordinary human being.

She had Her ordinary and humble beginnings.
She too went through common life’s struggles and strains.

But through these “ordinary” circumstances…

God “raised” Her to the Heights
God “assumed” Her into Glory
… simply because She “found favour with God” and lived a life worthy of that call
In total submission, humble obedience and loyal faithfulness!

This then is our call too…

As Baptized Christians, we too have “found favour” with God.
We dwell in “ordinary” circumstances of life – with hardships and pains.

But if we also…
… seek and live the Will of the Lord at all times
… constantly submit to what He wants
… and dutifully bow to His mercy and grace

Then the glory which Jesus has “won” for us at Resurrection, will be ours!

God’s plans are indeed wonderful…

In the “Story of the Fall,” a mother (Eve) had been involved intimately with a man (Adam) and humanity fell into the sea of sin!

In the “Story of the Rise,” a Mother (Mary) was involved intimately with a Man (Jesus) and humanity is promised to “assume” to the skies of glory!

Are we ready to co-operate with God’s plans in our lives, just as Mother Mary did…
… and thus receive the “Privilege of Assumption into Glory” just as Mother Mary received?

Let us grow in our Love for the Lord and for the Blessed Woman who bore God in Her womb…
… and was borne by God into heaven, and not left in the grave to turn back into dust!

Today, the Great Land of India celebrates her Independence Day.

May all Indians grow to understand the true meaning of freedom…
… and like Mother Mary, properly channelize the God-given Freedom towards excellence of life, blossoming of virtues and to the Glory of God!

Happy Feast to Jesus, Our Great King and to Mamma Mary, His Glorious Queen-Mother!

Happy Independence Day to all Indians, all over the world!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – CHRISTIAN HOLINESS

All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life…
… and to the perfection of charity.”
All are called to holiness:

“Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (CCC # 2013)

“Engaging ourselves in radical Christian charity and humility!”

(Based on Ezek 9:1-7; 10:18-22 and Mt 18:15-20 – Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Online social networking services, over the last few years, have achieved immense levels of popularity and usage.

Many use them, on account of their…
… versatility in finding and maintaining contacts
… easy to use features and the availability of readily accessible tools
… resourcefulness which helps to gain a lot of information and entertainment

One of the features that is available on most of these networking sites/apps is the option to “unfriend” someone.

To “unfriend” means to remove someone from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking website.

The technique to do that is pretty simple:

Going to the person’s profile
Hover over the ‘Friends’ button at the top of the profile
Click on “Unfriend’

It’s as easy and straightforward as that to “throw” someone out of the friend list!

Real life too, sometimes falls into this “simplistic” technique to “unfriend” people from life – especially people who are close to us and who ought to deserve “repeated” chances before the ties are severed…

… Someone offends us – either out of ignorance or perhaps due to some reason – but we easily “break ties” with that person

… Someone speaks a bad word about us and we take so much offence that we lose all our peace of mind and devise schemes to terminate or harm that person – either physically or socially or mentally

… Someone acquires a bad name – out of false rumours or maybe even out of some true incident; but we make a mountain of the mole and go on to further critically damage the image of that person

Our life sometimes makes it so easy “to unfriend” someone…
… sometimes, even our own family members, or close friends or some other person who has played a deep role in our lives.

The Gospel of the Day invites us to reflect in depth on this our trend to “unfriend” people from our lives, without even giving them further chances or opportunities to remedy themselves.

Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone” (Mt 18: 15)

Jesus was a person who had an important principle in all His teachings: the need to strive towards perfection.

In Mt 5: 48, Jesus says, “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect”

It’s this pursuit of perfection in human relationships that makes Jesus to invite us in being careful and cautious…
… with respect to severing our relationships with one another.

“Friendship”, it is said, “is delicate as a glass – once broken it can be fixed but there will always be cracks”

Jesus, therefore warns us on the need to “handle with care” our relationships.

The “pursuit towards perfection” makes it inevitable for a Christian – a follower of Christ, to go beyond one’s own limitations and situations in maintaining relationships…
… by preserving and perfecting the fine ones
… by mending and restoring the broken ones.

It is easy to say “I don’t like you any more” because of some bad experience
… but it takes Christian Gentleness to respect and accept a person, despite his/her faults or failures

It is easy to show a person the exit-door in our relationship due to some misunderstanding or ego-clash
… but it takes Christian Humility to let go of one’s “proud and adamant mentality” and lower oneself to try to understand better the person in fault and his/her situation and background

It is easy to harbour grudge and to nurture ill-feelings and to spread the contagion of malicious talks regarding a person whom we don’t like
… but it takes Christian Charity to allow the honey of Christ’s love to permeate our hearts and to be able to find goodness even in the midst of a slush of ‘apparent dirt’ in the person

Our lives, families, communities and societies are being plagued by a number of cancers with respect to relationships:

Backbiting and spreading false rumours about people and situations
Cooking up bogus stories and building up on some true incidents to fashion an “interesting and spicy” report regarding particular persons
Actively engaging in forming groups and cliques against someone in order to satiate one’s own pleasures and get through one’s personal agenda for life

Are we ready to be bold to let go of all such tendencies to which we can be prone…
… and instead engage ourselves in radical Christian charity and humility?

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Maximillian Kolbe, who was called by Pope St John Paul II as the “Patron Saint of our Difficult Century!”

May the words of this Heroic Saint, who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz, be an inspiration for us:
“The most deadly poison of our times is indifference.

And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits.
Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him…
… to the greatest extent of our powers!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – CHRISTIAN HOLINESS

And those whom he predestined he also called…
… and those whom he called he also justified

… and those whom he justified he also glorified. (CCC # 2012)

“Like children, being able to firmly trust and relax in the arms of our Caring and Loving Heavenly Father!”

(Based on Ezek 2:8-3:4 and Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 – Tuesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A little boy once came to his Dad, one night.

He confessed a mistake that he had done during the course of the day.

Then kneeling at Daddy’s feet, the child, with hands folded, prayed with tears:
“Dear God, make me a man – like Daddy – wise and strong.

I know You can!”

This innocent gesture touched the father very much.

He had a profound realization of his deep limitations and the child’s high expectations

Then when the child had slept, the father knelt beside his bed.

Confessing his sins, and praying with a low-bowed head, made this prayer:
“O God, make me a child – like my sweet child here – pure, guileless, trusting in You with a faith sincere.

I know You can!”

We all grow up in life – physically, socially, psychologically etc

But sometimes this “growing up” fails to preserve the “growth” that is already witnessed in little children – openness, sincerity, trust and spontaneity.

Can we dare, as adults, to “grow” into being a child?

The Gospel of the Day is an elegant presentation by Jesus on the “necessary attitude” that is required for a valid entry into the Kingdom of Heaven: a child-like nature.

Jesus says, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 18: 3)

One of the grave dangers in the process of “growing- up” is the tendency to lose our “natural child-like” traits.

A child is someone who is born with many inherent qualities.

But in the process of “becoming an adult”, we abandon many of those.

This ‘abandonment’ could be because…
… of the upbringing in the society or the culture we live
… or the various experiences that we go through as we grow up

As a child, we would be free to express our emotions
… but as we grow up, we tend to hold them up all within (only to burst out one day!)

As a child, we would trust and depend easily on those who care for us
… but as we grow up, we become fearful or disbelieving towards those same persons

As a child, we would be eased to live in the present moment, enjoying and relaxing
… but as we grow up, we fall into the trap of the past and cringed with the fear of the future.

This “growth” process also affects our child-like faith and trust in God our Father.

Jesus presents the beautiful imagery of a Shepherd who goes behind the lost sheep.

The cry of that sheep which has been strayed pierces the heart of the shepherd
The dangers that the sheep which was lost is exposed to frightens the shepherd

Such is the deep longing and craving of our Heavenly Father towards us – we, who sometimes turn out to be the lost sheep by losing our child-like faith and confidence.

A popular song from the Hindi movie “Three Idiots” has the following line:
“… Give me another chance, I wanna grow up once again…”

The Lord invites us to have a “renewal of our minds” and to retrieve back the ‘lost’ child-like faith and trust.

It takes courage and dare to make efforts to let go of our “matured egoistic” tendencies in order to depend more on our Heavenly Father.

The process usually is encountered by resistance…

Why should I depend on someone…?
… I am mature enough to think for myself
Why should I become humble…?
… I have my own desires to be satisfied to

These could be some of the thought-patterns that one stumbles into, in giving heed to the call of the Lord to ” be like a child”.

Our Lord Himself is the greatest model and example in learning to have a “child-like” faith…

St Paul tells in his letter to the Philippians, ” ..though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God, a thing to be grasped.

Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave…. becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2: 6-8)

May we be privileged to be graced with the gift of being “like children”…
… and thus be able to firmly trust and relax in the arms of our Caring and Loving Heavenly Father!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – CHRISTIAN HOLINESS

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…

… in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. (CCC # 2012)

“Being grateful to our Crucified Lord, remembering that ‘PAIN PASSES, BUT BEAUTY REMAINS!'”

(Based on Ezek 1:2-5, 24-28c and Mt 17:22-27 – Monday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

An incident is told about a master painter, who had a very fervent student-disciple.

The master was suffering from a severe bout of arthritis.

It was very painful for him to paint.

He had to hold his brush between his thumb and index finger.
And as he painted, the student-disciple often heard him crying out in pain.

On one such occasion, the student asked the old master:
“Why do you go on painting, if it hurts so much?”

The master looked up to his disciple, and with an assuring smile replied:
“Remember always, son…
… Pain passes, but beauty remains!”

Every selfless act of suffering and struggle indeed leaves an imprint of lasting beauty and splendour.

In the canvas of Salvation History, the Son of Man indeed had to go through much suffering…
… but the painting finally reveals the Great Truth: “PAIN PASSES, BUT BEAUTY REMAINS!”

The painting of salvation indeed displays immense Generosity and magnanimous Mercy of the Lord, Who paid a “ransom” to save His people

He spared no efforts in getting His people released…
… by suffering on the Cross
… shedding His Blood
… giving up His life
… and rising from the dead

Have we fallen in love with this MASTER Who gave Himself up for us?

Are we willing to live our life in obedience, and in imitation of the command of Him, Who ransomed His life for us?

The Gospel of the Day presents an interesting, yet a ‘not-too-familiar’ passage of Jesus and His disciples being asked to pay the Temple tax.

“When Jesus and His disciples came to Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your Teacher pay the Temple tax?” (Mt 17: 24)

What was this Temple tax?

The Temple tax was …
… a symbolic gesture in gratitude for what the people of Israel owed to God, for their redemption from slavery in the land of Egypt.

It was a Jewish tax with its origins seen in Ex 30: 12-16:
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel… The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD.”

This offering was to be an “atonement money”, which would be used for the service of the meeting tent (Ex 12: 16)

In later centuries, this half-shekel was adopted as the amount of the Temple Tax – the one that all Jews were supposed to pay once a year for the upkeep and maintenance of the Jerusalem Temple.

The Temple Tax was thus an “atonement” money

It was a “ransom” money!

It is fascinating to note that the incident of this “ransom/atonement” money is mentioned immediately after Jesus spoke of His Passion and Death.

Jesus told His disciples in Mt 17:22-23:
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day”

The incident of the Temple tax, which is the atonement/ransom money, is mentioned…
… immediately after Jesus speaks of His Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Is there any connection between these two incidents?

The Temple tax was in gratitude for the redemption of Israel from slavery
… Jesus would now free all people from the slavery of sin by His Death and Resurrection

The Temple Tax was paid as “ransom” money…
… The Blood of Jesus would now be the “ransom” that will be paid for redemption of humanity.

Jesus did not resist His disciples from paying the Temple Tax…
… as we would see in the incident of the miraculous catch of the fish with a coin in the mouth (Mt 17: 27)

But the perfect payment of the “tax”…
… would be done by Jesus Himself – by His Sufferings, Death and Resurrection!

Jesus would not just pay the tax…
… He would also give Himself in complete obedience to the Father

Thus, He would becoming the “tax” – the ransom and the atonement money!

1 Tim 2:6 says, “Jesus gave Himself as a ‘ransom’ for all”

Mk 10:45 says “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ‘ransom’ for many”

It is interesting to also note that this incident of the Temple Tax brings reminds us of the former occupation (trade) of two of the disciples of Jesus:

1. Matthew… who was a tax collector (Mt 9:9)
   (Probably that explains why this incident is mentioned only in the Gospel of St Matthew)
2. Peter… who was a fisherman (Mt 4:18)
   (That’s why Jesus asks Peter to “go to the sea, take the first fish that comes up, and open the mouth to find a coin…”)

Matthew and Peter could represent any of us…

Maybe, like Mathew – the Tax Collector…

We are collecting a lot of things in life…
… but still not finding peace in life!
We are occupied with material dimensions at our “own tables”…
… or find ourselves at the receiving end of not being accepted and being looked down by others.

Maybe, like Peter – the fisherman…

We are fishing in the waters of life for contentment and satisfaction…
.. but fail to have a catch!
We are putting in a lot of effort to fish for success, yet finding none…
… or find ourselves drowning in a sea of sin, hopelessness or despair

Whoever we are…

The Lord extends His loving invitation…
… to leave our “tables of collection” and follow Him!
… to cast away our “nets of fish” and follow Him!

He has become the “Ransom”…
… in Whom we can find the ‘collection’ of all joys and contentment of life!
… in Whom we can witness the ‘great catch’ of salvation and redemption!

By this great act, He gave the “Ransom”…
… for our freedom from captivity!
By His humbling sacrifice, He paid the “Atonement money”…
… for our salvation for eternal life!

Let us fall in love with the Man Who gave Himself up for us!

Let us be willing to live our life in obedience and imitation of His commands Who ransomed His life for us!

When our Christian witnessing takes us through struggles and pains, let’s be grateful to our Crucified Lord, remembering: “PAIN PASSES, BUT BEAUTY REMAINS!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION

After earth’s exile, I hope to go and enjoy you in the fatherland…
… but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven.
I want to work for your love alone
In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands…
… for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works.
All our justice is blemished in your eyes

I wish, then, to be clothed in your own justice and to receive from your love the eternal possession of yourself. (CCC # 2011)

“Allowing the Most Holy Eucharist to inflame the sparks of our faith, in order to blaze briskly, in devotion and service!”

(Based on 1 Kgs 19:4-8, Eph 4:30-5:2 and Jn 6:41-51 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)

Here is an interesting and highly enlightening conversation between two friends – Richard and John

Richard, an intelligent scientist – agnostic – expressed an interest in understanding the faith of his Catholic friend John and asked him to take him for the Holy Mass.

After the Mass, John asked Richard what he thought of it. Very slowly and thoughtfully, thoughtfully, Richard said, “Do you Catholics really believe that thing, that small piece of bread, is not bread but Jesus Christ?”

“Yes, we do,” said John

“Your Church teaches that God is really present there?”

”Yes”

“The priest at the Altar said, body and blood, soul and divinity. You really believe all that?” came the next curious query from Richard.

“Yes, we do” replied John, growing defensive.

Richard then made as if to say something, but refrained from saying it.

John assured him that he would not be offended.

Finally, hesitatingly, Richard said, “I don’t really understand your faith!”

With a relief, John calmly said, “I can understand how you feel. It sounds very shocking, I know.”

“No, you don’t understand. That’s not what I mean. You will take it as an insult, but I don’t mean it to be”, explained Richard.

“I promise that I will not take it as an insult. But I really want to know what is on your mind,” clarified John

“Well then… I don’t think you really do believe that. I don’t mean to say you’re dishonest, but…”

“Hmmm… I think I know what you mean. You can’t really understand anyone who believes something so shocking,” replied John,

“You don’t see how one could ever get down on one’s knees before that altar, right?”

“No” enlightened Richard, “I don’t see how I could ever get up. If I believed that little thing that looks like an ordinary round of bread was really the Almighty, I think I would just faint.

I would fall at His feet, like a dead man!”

Those words hit John like a lightening.

Here was a man, not of his faith, but who seemed to truly understand the mighty power of the Little White Host – the Holy Eucharist!

He had been a Catholic all his life. He had been receiving the Holy Communion for many years.

But never before had he ever thought that the Eucharist could actually be so powerful!

Is my Catholic Faith, in the Holy Eucharist, in the lines of John…
… believing yet not really passionate
… professing faith, but not fully convinced
… theoretically doubting and practically not living

The Gospel of the Day is a continued discourse by Jesus, on the Bread of Life and is a strong reminder to revive, refresh and renew our Faith in the Lord – especially in the Most Holy Eucharist.

The Gospel passage begins with the verse, “The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, ‘I am the bread which came down from heaven’” (Jn 6:41)

We notice here a sharp change in attitude and approach of the people…

At the start of the Chapter, when Jesus had multiplied the bread, and the people had their satisfying fill, they were extremely excited, enthusiastic and energized concerning Jesus. (Jn 6: 1-15)

They were overawed by His spectacular miracle
They were keen to crown this “Bread-Giver” as their King

But as we progress through the Chapter, we observe that the people are antagonized and annoyed by the words of Jesus that ‘He is the Bread from Heaven’

They were scandalized by His comparison to being greater than even Moses, whom alone they had considered to be the bread-giver in the wilderness
They were lethargic and disinterested in accepting the teaching of Jesus because they knew of his earthly origins and his family background

The result: Jesus, the Bread of Life, failed to be understood and be accepted!

Their hardheartedness and their supposition that “they knew Jesus” prevented them from accepting the Bread of Life!
Their unwillingness to be open to the truth and their pride in failing to realise that Jesus was someone who transcended earthly ties, caused them to be blinded in receiving the power of theBread of Life!

Do these factors prevent us also from understanding and accepting Jesus, the Bread of Life in the Most Holy Eucharist?

Am I ignorant of the teachings of the Church and thus fail to realise the depth and the worth of the Holy Eucharist?
Do I feel that “I know a lot of things” and that the teachings concerning the Holy Eucharist are just “not reasonable” or “do not sound logical” or are “too childish?”

Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is the greatest treasure, the mightiest force and the most supreme source of love on the earth.

But how many of us really make efforts…
… to strengthen this faith?
… to grow in this awareness?
… to nurture this conviction?

St John Maria Vianney said, “If we really understood the Mass, we would die of joy.”

Every participation in the Holy Eucharist ought to make us die…

Perhaps, physically we are yet to attain that height of sanctity.

But we ought to die…
… to our sinful ways of life
… to our pride and other vices that can cripple us
… to our selfish desires that denies giving the Lord the prime place in life

As Catholics, we profess and take pride that we have a Living God, “truly, really and substantially” present in the Holy Eucharist. >> But…
… can we live a life worthy of this Blessed Presence?
… can we be truly zealous and passionate in our love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist?

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

In the same way, the priest, having taken from the Altar, the Son of God (who is as the Dew from Heaven, and True Son of Mary, the Flower of our humanity)…
… gives Him to you as Delicious Food.”

May Jesus, the Bread of Life, present in the Holy Eucharist inflame the sparks of our faith…
… and may it blaze briskly, in devotion and service!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION

The saints have always had a lively awareness…

… that their merits were pure grace. (CCC # 2011)