✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – Aug 10, 2024: Saturday

“May our Crucified Lord – the greatest embodiment of Sacrifice – fill us with the grace and courage to live a committed Christian life, like St Lawrence!”

(Based on the Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr)

The year 258 AD saw a massive killing campaign unleashed against the Christians by the Roman Emperor Valerian.

Popular lore has it that a young Deacon had been placed in charge of the Church’s riches.

These treasures included the Holy Grail which was supposed to be the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper.

Emperor Valerian, who had just killed the Pope had set his eyes also on finishing off this young Deacon.

Having a good knowledge of the Church’s riches, the cruel Emperor commanded the Deacon to hand over all the “treasures of the Church” to him or that he too would suffer a dreadful death.

The deacon requested for a few days to collect together the vast amount of wealth.

Three days later, the Deacon, mustering immense courage, threw open the palace doors to deliver the “treasures”.

His hands were all empty – no silver nor gold nor any other precious ornaments.

Instead, flaunting behind him were the poor, the blind and the crippled of the town.
When he reached the throne, the Deacon daringly announced, “These are the true treasures of the Church!”

The Emperor was mightily enraged.
He sentenced the young fellow to a death by torturous grilling!

Literally, the executioners followed the command – barbecuing the Deacon to death on a gridiron.

However, the valour and the dare displayed by the faithful soldier of Christ was so great that, after a few minutes of being roasted, he said to his executioners, “This side is done… Turn me over on the other side!!”

That could be the height of boldness and courage, right?

And what’s more… call it Divine humour, the Church has named this Deacon as the Patron Saint of comedians, butchers, chefs and roasters!

Classic one, isn’t it?

The name of this Daring Deacon is St Lawrence, whose feast we celebrate today.

His daring life goes on to prove…
… that a passionate love for Christ can overcome any pain and persecution – including death!
… that the worth of being a true disciple is total fidelity to the person of Christ and to His Kingdom, even if it means bearing hardships and difficulties

We are invited, as the Gospel of the day says, “to be the grain of wheat that falls into the earth and dies” (Jn 12: 24-26)

Our Blessed Lord expounds one of the most basic principles in nature:

New life emerges only when there is a sacrifice
Transformation in life happens only when a sacrifice is involved.

Vegetables, before being served at table…
… needs to be pulled up from the heart of the earth
… and passed through the torment of fire in being cooked

Meat, that comes with its tasty appeal, at the food table…
… needs to be first submitted to the slaying by the knife
… and passed through the flaming ordeal, in being rendered edible

Sacrifice, therefore, is nature’s way of passage to experience new life!

The Lord takes an appeal to this basic principle in saying that “unless a grain of wheat dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12: 24)

At the time of Jesus, farmers would drop one grain of wheat at a time, in its cultivation

The soil would be ploughed and shallow trenches dug out to create the bed for the seeds.
The wheat grains, one at a time, were dropped into the trench and covered with loosened soil

A little sneak into the wheat yielding statistics (roughly – since it varies from place to place, depending on the soil, seed variety and other factors) reveals the point that Jesus explicated about “a grain of wheat which dies, yields much fruit”

If we consider an acre of land…

Two bushels of grain would yield around 40 bushels of wheat
That translates to, around 150 kg of grain yielding around 3000 kg of wheat!

Simplifying it, gives an equation (very roughly): 1 kg of grain sown would yield around 20 kg of wheat!

That’s enormous, isn’t it?

This is the power of sacrifice that Jesus alludes to, with an example from nature.

As Christians, we are challenged to live a life of Sacrifice, in order to yield the harvest of God’s Kingdom.

Greater our sacrifice, greater would be the fruits…
… that are yielded for the glory of God and His Kingdom!

The Gospel passage refers to two ways of making this sacrifice…

  1. Dying to the world
    “He who hates his love in this world, will keep it for eternal life” (Jn 12: 25)
  2. Serving the Lord wholeheartedly by following Him
    “If anyone serves me, the Father will honour me” (Jn 12: 26)

Can we personalize these two dimensions of sacrifice….?

Dying to the worldly values which glorify the self – power, positions and honour- and instead seek to live in humility, self-discipline and selflessness!

Constantly making efforts to serve the Lord in every aspect of our life – words, deeds, thoughts – and leading a life that brings glory to God and serving His people in every little way possible

Giving up sins – both personal and social – and constantly rejecting alluring temptations to remain fixated by worldly standards; instead focussing on the transcendental dimensions of life

Prioritising the Lord and His Kingdom in every aspect of our life and remaining focussed on Him alone – even amidst persecutions or hardships to give up the Gospel Lifestyle

St Paul reminds us to become cheerful givers – offering ourselves totally to the Lord and His Kingdom (Cf. 2 Cor 9:6-7)

St Lawrence, today stands as a beautiful model and example of total self-giving

The courageous and bold Deacon, St Lawrence is a powerful model for us to lead a life of Christian Sacrifice.

May our Crucified Lord, Who is the greatest embodiment of Sacrifice…
… fill us with the grace and courage to live a committed Christian life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!


📖 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 charity of Christ is the source in us of all our merits before God.
Grace, by uniting us to Christ in active love, ensures the supernatural quality of our acts…

… and consequently their merit before God and before men. (CCC # 2010)

✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – Aug 09, 2024: Friday

“Bracing ourselves up for the challenging, yet exciting ride with the Lord, as His disciple!”

(Based on Nah 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 and Mt 16:24-28 – Friday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Some of us have been to amusement parks…
… filled with many jolly and amazing rides.

One of the common yet interesting rides in these parks are the Roller Coaster rides….

The ones, which are constructed at dizzying heights
The ones possessing several dangerous and heart-wrenching ups and dips
The sight of which fills many a weak-at-heart persons, to have giddy feelings!

To those, however, who take up this challenge…
… it’s a sheer ecstatic and thrilling experience!

Welcome to Christianity….a Real-Time Roller Coaster Ride!

The ride is not easy…

But the Thrill of the Ride…
… is truly a genuine experience of Remarkable Joy and Peace and Happiness!

Chapter 16 of St Matthew’s Gospel continues the Theme of True Discipleship.

After having revealed Himself as being the Heroic, Awesome and Suffering God-Man, Jesus spells out clearly the demands of being His True Disciple:

To deny oneself…to take up one’s cross..to follow Him! (Mt 16: 24)

To follow Christ, we need to follow His terms!

We need to…

Lay down something…
Lift up something…
And then Follow the Lord

We need to…

Lay down our personal pleasures and comforts…
Lift up our daily duties…
And then Follow the Lord

The Lord demands.

The Lord expects.

Am I ready?

Am I a Christian who is zealous and devout and religious on a Sunday…
… but tepid and listless and impractical through the weekdays?

Am I a Christian who loves to wear religious articles around my body…
… but fail to adorn my actions and deeds with charitable and sanctifying works?

Am I a Christian who enjoys rattling off prayers and reciting many devout ejaculations…
… but fall short of translating those good words into a life of honesty and gentleness and humility?

Am I a Christian who takes the pleasure and benefit of being a member of the Church…
… but come to a sticky end in standing by the Church in Her moments of crisis and scandals?

Am I a Christian who relishes listening to Gospel Music, decorating houses with devout pictures and even spreading devotions to many saints…
… but not make the grade when it comes to living the Gospel values and morals?

Very often, our activities and works are centered only on acquiring the things of this world.

Surely, we have our own daily needs and wants

But beyond all these, a Christian ought to realize, that we are “pilgrims on this earth”

As St Paul says, “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3: 20)
As St Peter says, “… As aliens and sojourners… keep away from worldly desires” (1 Pet 2: 11)

Jesus says, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mt 16:26)

Sometimes we hoard up only material wealth and riches…
… failing to seek for the God who blesses us with the needs of our life!

Sometimes our prayers become only petitions for transient things…
… failing to raise a word of thanks to the Lord Who always sustains us!

The Lord invites us to take up the challenges of being a Christian.

As a Christian, our lives have to be qualitatively different from others!

Let those who see us – be it in our workplaces or in our friend’s circle or any other place – make remarks such as…
… “Ah! Here is a person who displays a lot of trust and hope in a living God!”
… “Here is somebody who remains firm even in difficulties, because he/she knows there is a Loving Father caring and protecting always”

Yes, Christianity is indeed a Real-Time Roller Coaster Ride

To those who take up this challenge…
… it’s a sheer ecstatic and thrilling experience!

At Baptism, we have signed a document…
… which entitles us to the Great Privilege of being the Child of God

But by Baptism, we also have agreed to many terms….
… which obliges us the Great Duties of being a Soldier of God!

Being a disciple and soldier of Christ is a demanding affair.

Let us brace ourselves up for this challenging, yet exciting ride with the Lord.

God Bless! Live Jesus!


📖 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

Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God’s wisdom.
These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer.

Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions. (CCC # 2010)

✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – Aug 08, 2024: Thursday

“Being enriched by Jesus, the humble Carpenter of Nazareth!”

(Based on Jer 31:31-34 and Mt 16:13-23 – Thursday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A beautiful write-up found on the entrance wall of a library goes thus:

“Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40 and Jesus for only 3 years.

Yet the influence of Christ’s ministry…
… infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined years of teaching from these greatest of philosophers.

Jesus painted no pictures…
… yet some of the finest artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him.

Jesus wrote no poetry…
… but Dante, Milton and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him.

Jesus composed no music…
… still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the music they composed in His praise.

Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth.

ARE YOU READY TO BE ENRICHED TOO?”

The quality of our Christian Life, indeed, depends on the quality and understanding our relationship with our Blessed Lord!

The more we deepen our relationship with the Lord…
… the greater we will be able to radiate His Love and Goodness in our life!

The more we grow in our understanding of the Lord…
… the deeper will be the nourishing and enrichment that we will experience by His Grace!

The Gospel of the Day invites each one of us, to examine:
Am I understanding the Lord – and thus, is He a strength to me?
… or am I misunderstanding Him – and thus, is He a stumbling block to me?

Understanding or Misunderstanding Jesus will play the pivotal role in our daily spiritual existence!

On reaching Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:13), Jesus poses a dual question to His disciples…
Who do people say that He is … and who do the Disciples say that He is.

This two-fold question of Christ… evokes two answers…

  1. The Opinion of Jesus as being only Human

The people understand Jesus as John the Baptist, or Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets (Mt 16: 14)

  1. The Opinion of Jesus as being only Divine

St Peter, as the Captain of the Group, with a heavenly revelation, declares Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God! (Mt 16: 16)

It’s interesting that after this question-answer session, the Lord Himself chooses to give an answer on who He is!

And this answer of the Lord is a key to our understanding or misunderstanding Jesus.

Jesus declares that He would be a suffering God….
He would be the Man to undergo many persecutions! (Mt 16: 21)

He is not only Human.
He is not only Divine.
… He is the Suffering God-Man!

Am I able to accept this reality dimension of Jesus?

He is amazing in His Human teachings… He is wonderful in His Divine Deeds.

But He is also the Afflicted, the Maltreated, the Victimized and the Wronged.

He is classic in His Human examples… He is awesome in His Divine miracles.

But He is also the Suffering, the Persecuted, the Sacrificed and the Tortured.

He is not only Human.
He is not only Divine.
… He is the Suffering God-Man!

But like Peter, perhaps some of us shy away from accepting this Painful Reality of the Lord…
… “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Mt 16: 22)

We love to follow Him in His exhortations…

We love to be enamoured in His wondrous doings.

But we back off…at the mention of His pains, difficulties, persecutions and anguish.

We like a Sociable Christ…
… One Who gives equal status to all in the society and breaks sociological barriers

We like a political Christ…
… One Who is fearless to challenge the political corruption of the society

We like a Revolutionary Christ…
… One Who demands to go beyond the comfort zones of our life

But do we embrace the Suffering Christ?

Do we accept the “Saviour” Christ?
Do we consent to the Crucified Christ?

It’s easy to misunderstand Jesus as only a mere human hero.

It’s easy to misunderstand Jesus as only an awesome Divine entity.
But it’s not so easy to understand and accept Him as the Heroic and Awesome and Suffering God-Man!

Understanding or Misunderstanding Jesus will indeed play the pivotal role in our daily spiritual existence!

Today, let us seek for the grace to accept and understand truly the Person and Divinity of Jesus.

Let us make Him the true strength of our lives.

Let us behold Him in the Eucharist.
Let us encounter Him in prayer.
Let us recognize Him in the Word!

Every sphere of human greatness has been greatly enriched by the humble Carpenter of Nazareth.

Let us also be ready, to be enriched by Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!


📖 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

Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others…
… the graces needed for our sanctification
… for the increase of grace and charity

… and for the attainment of eternal life. (CCC # 2010)

✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – Aug 07, 2024: Wednesday

“Combining our sweet faith with a tough trust with our pious devotion with a faithful dedication!”

(Based on Jer 31:1-7 and Mt 15:21-28 – Wednesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

There lived a good woman, who was well-known among her circle for her simple faith and her great calm and composed attitude, in the midst of many trials.

Another woman, who came as her new neighbour, hearing of her, remarked:
“I must go and see that woman, and learn the secret of her calm, happy life.”

She went, and, enquired of the woman: “Are you the woman with the great faith?”

“I don’t know,” was the answer, “I don’t know if I am the woman with the great faith…
… but I do know that I am the woman with a little faith in the Great God!”

The Gospel of the Day in a similar way, presents before us a beautiful incident of faith…
… of a woman, with a faith, in the Great God!

“You are beautiful… pleasant… delightful…

Your love is like honey… Your presence is charming!
You are wonderful in your splendour and spectacular in your majesty and glory!”

These are some of the endearing and appealing and fascinating words that are addressed to Jesus.

This is the Jesus who is sweet, cuddly, lovable, adorable, amiable, agreeable and friendly!

We yearn for this Jesus.
We are happy with this Jesus.

In life, often, we get settled with sentimental faith.

We get fixated, often, with a faith based on emotions and sweet words.

Perhaps, that’s how we also want our world to be – kind, caring, accommodating, considerate and gentle!

But we know… the reality is different.

The world that we wish is very often not the world that we experience.

We like a peaceful world…
… but we often encounter a world with missiles and innocent lives snatched away!

We like a respectful civilization…
… but we bump into a civilization which is debasing and merciless!

The world of our actual experience is very different from the world that we hope and desire for…

In this context, we need a Faith that can carry us through this tough life.

A faith based on mere sweet words, pious rituals and peripheral feelings doesn’t suffice…
A mere sentimental faith leaves us paralyzed and crippled with the hard-hitting realities of life!

We need a Faith that’s strong….
… a Faith that’s valiant
… a Faith that can battle life’s odds..

The Canaanite Woman in today’s Gospel Reading is a Person who possessed this Challenging and Brave Faith!

She is a big misfit in approaching Jesus and to be a bearer of Faith…
a. She is a Canaanite: An unaccepted pagan, a denied heathen!
b. She is a Woman: A degraded status, a humiliated class!
c. She has a possessed child: A helpless situation, a miserable condition!

Yet she dares…
… to approach the Lord of the Universe: ” Lord, Son of David, have pity on me!!”

  1. The First Reply from the Lord…?

Shhhh…. (the Word Perfect responds with a total hush…)

No answer from the Master…. the wait for the Woman increases…

It’s trying time!
t’s a testing moment!

The probably irritated-disciples seek to chase her away, disturbed by the shoutings and the wailings…

  1. The Second Reply from the Lord…?

Hmmm… I am sent not for her category…I am sent only for the Chosen Race…

Agony from the Master… the hopes of the woman diminishes…

It’s a grilling time!
It’s a gruelling moment!

Yet she dares… to approach once more..kneeling before the Throne of Mercy…” Sir, help me!!”

  1. The Third Reply from the Lord…?

Grrr… Children’s bread is not thrown to the dogs…

More anguish from the Master.. the expectations of the woman is crushed…

It’s a hard time!
It’s a harsh moment!

To hear being called a DOG… was humiliating and insulting and offensive…

Was this the height of rudeness??

But, the woman of Faith noticed that Jesus had used the word “kunariois” – the word for household pets…

She noticed that He had not used the word “kuon” – the word for other ordinary dogs…

Ah… there was the opening… there was the possibility…there was the occasion…

A person of Deep Faith is able to wait patiently for a sparkle of sunshine even in the midst of the darkest clouds!

The Woman of Faith sneaked a chance in that seemingly degrading word…

She was a “kunariois” – a household pet…. >> She immediately matches her wit,
with the wit of Jesus..

Pets are not outsiders – they are insiders;

Pets are not out of the family… they are part of the family…

Pets are not to have a seat at the Master’s table…
… but they enjoy an intimacy at the Master’s feet!

So she replies: “Yes Lord! But even the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table”

It was a moment of Truth!

  1. The Fourth Reply from the Master…?

“Woman, how great is your faith!!”

The Woman of Faith had triumphed!

The Lord of the Universe marvelled at her faith!

The God of Healings blessed the Woman of Faith with heart’s desire!

Life is definitely hard.

We are challenged however to have a harder and a stronger faith!

The Canaanite Woman, who is proclaimed, through all the churches today, is a shining model!

She, who was called a DOG….(!!)…is today praised and glorified by GOD…(!!)!

Sentimental faith and sugary words are needed

But it’s not enough!

We need to combine our Sweet Faith with a Tough Trust…
… our Pious Devotion with a Faithful Dedication!

Let us be a Person of Faith with the Heart of a Dove and the Skin of a Rhinoceros!

God Bless! Live Jesus!


📖 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

Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace…
… no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification

… at the beginning of conversion. (CCC # 2010)

✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – Aug 06, 2024: Tuesday

“Let us always have the joy to proclaim:
‘In Jesus I rest. In Jesus I stay calm!'”

(Based on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord)

A Christian business had the following note stuck on his door: “I follow the ‘submarine spirituality!’”

One of his client – interested in this caption – asked him its meaning.

To that, the man replied:
“No matter how furious the storm upon the surface of the ocean…
… the submarine is able to submerge to the deep and finds a place whose calm no storm ever disturbs.

Deeper things of life are always calm and steadfast!

In Jesus I rest. In Jesus I stay calm.

In Jesus, I follow a submarine spirituality!”

Peace and calm are assured for those who are willing to “go into the depths” and allow the Lord to ensure the serenity of the soul

This is the experience of Transfiguration!

The Gospel of the Day – on this Feast Day – recounts the beautiful narration of the Transfiguration of Jesus…
… whereby the disciples are given a glimpse to experience “the Glory of peace and calm!”

One of the easy tendencies in life is to “get used to”…

Get used to doing the same works and dealing with the same people.
A tendency of “monotony” creeps in

The danger with “monotony” is that…
… it can drain away enthusiasm from the works one does

This danger of “monotony” is a strong possibility even in our spiritual life.

We begin to take our faith for granted
We tend to view our devotions with casualness.
Prayers get boring.
The Holy Eucharist seems meaningless
Pious practices fails to generate any passion

The same danger was true even in the case of the Disciples.

The disciples had been with Jesus for a while now…

They had seen Him…
… performing many wonders
… teaching and addressing the crowds
… being the subject of many oppositions too

But slowly, as human tendency is – a feel of monotony would have begun to creep into their lives.

It is at this stage, that our Blessed Lord chooses three of His “core” disciples – Peter, James and John, and in their presence gets Transfigured! (Mk 9: 2-10)

The Transfiguration experience was something very special and unique for these disciples…

They saw our Blessed Lord glisteningly shining – His clothes being whiter “as no fuller on earth could bleach” (Mk 9:3)

They witnessed Moses and Elijah (Mk 9:4) – the great Lawgiver and the mighty Prophet – along with Jesus, Who was the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophet!
They heard the Divine Voice – “This is My Beloved Son; listen to Him” (Mk 9: 7b) – from the cloud; reminiscent of God Yahweh who would speak to His people of old, from the clouds

The three disciples were being introduced to a new perspective of their Master.

They saw Jesus – not in the usual way – but arrayed in His Divine Glory and Honour!

Jesus had not become something that He was not…

He is always God and is always the Second Person of the Divine Trinity.

All this while, the eyes of the disciples were kept away from seeing the fullness of glory – only sparks of Divinity was revealed to them

But now, here was a moment, though short – the Transfiguration – when the chosen disciples could come face-to-face with Divine Glory!

The moment of Transfiguration had made them see things in a new light…

Jesus was still the same – but they now saw Him, for a short moment, with a Glorious Glow

That is the splendour and glory of the moment of Transfiguration…
… when woundedness is refined into beauty
… when sufferings are graced into meaningfulness

Have we had this Transfiguration Experience?

Surely, we have had…

But perhaps, many of us fail to recognise it.. or acknowledge it

A moment…
… when our words have touched and sparkled a sad soul..
… when we ourselves have been healed in our brokenness by some Divine intervention
… when we experienced the light of God’s healing, restoration, forgiveness etc through the Sacraments of the Church
… when a pulse of joy and satisfaction raced through our veins in having rendered, perhaps, a tiny but significant act of service and care to a needy person
… when, in our brokenness or deep pain or lethargy, an encouraging word has revived our bent spirits

Many are such moments of Transfiguration in our life…

The deeper we look, the more we find, that God has blessed us immensely with such “Transfiguration” experiences.

It is these “Transfiguration” moments that will help us remain strong, even through the rough waters of troubles and struggles.

The power of Transfiguration on Mount Tabor helped to remain peaceful and calm through the stormy moments of Crucifixion on Mount Calvary for Jesus!

This ‘submarine spirituality,’ whereby “no matter how furious the storm upon the surface of the ocean, the submarine is able to submerge to the deep and finds a place whose calm no storm ever disturbs”…
… is the invitation to each one of us are called to.

May this Feast of the Transfiguration help us to be reminded of the assurance of the Lord that:
“Deeper .things of life are always calm and steadfast!”

Let us always have the joy to proclaim:
“In Jesus I rest. In Jesus I stay calm.
In Jesus, I follow a Submarine Spirituality!”

Happy Feast of the Transfiguration!

God Bless! Live Jesus!


📖 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 merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness.
“Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due

Our merits are God’s gifts.” (CCC # 2009)

✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – Aug 05, 2024: Monday

“Praying, LEAD KINDLY LIGHT, and overcoming every failure by the Grace of God!”

(Based on Jer 28:1-17 and Mt 14:13-21 – Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A brave missionary – known to have pioneered many missions – was sharing his experiences with a group of novices (group of brothers, before taking the evangelical vows, in a religious order/congregation)

In his interaction with the young and aspiring novices…
… he recounted the many moments of struggles and “apparent failures” that he had to face in the missions.

Yet with much joy in his heart and a special sparkle in the eyes, he exhorted:
“My dear novices… the words of one of the beautiful hymns that we often sing, as part of our Night Prayer (Compline – Divine Office) gave me a lot of strength, at the end of every day.

‘Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,

Lead Thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.’”

The great missionary did encounter moments of failures in life…
… but what kept him going, was the hope and conviction to see the Hand of the Lord, leading and guiding Him!

Yes, failure is something which we surely encounter very often in our lives!

We fail to stand up to ours and others’ expectations in our personal lives…

We fail to answer to the needs and demands of our family or community lives…
We fail to respond to the challenges and duties of our responsibilities in our societal lives…

But every failure, can also be the gateway to venture into a fresh framework of opportunities…

The background of today’s Gospel is a very disturbing one: the beheading of John the Baptist!

The Voice which heralded the Coming of the Saviour…

The Voice which had provided hope…
… had been brutally silenced!

Jesus, on hearing this news, withdrew to a lonely place.

The inhuman murder…

Of His Cousin
Of His companion in the Works of the Kingdom…
… was a moment of great pain to the Lord
… perhaps, even a great setback to Him!

Disappointment was apparently looming large…

The Mission hereafter was not going to be easy…
Failure was knocking at the doors…

But every failure, can also be the gateway to venture into a fresh framework of opportunities…

Though filled with pain and sorrow and grief…
… Jesus continues His ministry of preaching the Kingdom of God.

And thus we see our Blessed Lord multiplying the loaves and feeding the crowds (Mt 14: 15-21)

The Evil King Herod, had feasted on the vices of self-pleasure and debauchery

The Good King Jesus, would make a feast on the virtues of compassion and self-giving!

The Evil King Herod spread a party of lewdness, trudging on the death of an innocent man

The Good King Jesus would host a party of God’s Mercy and Tenderness, inviting to eternal life!

Jesus failed to get bogged down by failures…

He did not allow Himself to be immersed in a sea of let-downs and disappointments.

Instead, He made His Compassionate and God-trusting Heart to shine through the clouds of darkness!

Jesus also taught His Disciples to not get disappointed or disheartened by “apparent” signs of failures or lack or success.

When Jesus asked His disciples to provide food for the hungry crowd, the disciples said:
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here” (Mt 14:17)

The disciples were expressing their possibility of ‘facing a failure’…
… “We have no resources, Lord!”
… “All what we have is just not good enough to be successful!”

But the Lord – Who had refused to be bogged down by failure – now teaches the Disciples to also imitate Him…

Not being disappointed with possibilities of failures…
… instead, entrusting whatever we are and however we are, to the Bountiful Care of the Father

Not getting discouraged by situations of lack of success…
… instead, giving praise to the Lord at all times, knowing that He works wonders and miracles – in His Time, In His Way!

The same resources which signified nothingness – five loaves and two fish:
… were now transformed by the Lord as food for thousands!
… were now symbols of God’s power and providence!

You and I…
… Are we facing failures at this moment?
… Is our spiritual life going downhill?
… Are we lost in the society- facing rejections and encountering disappointments in all areas of our life?

Do we feel that FAILURE become part and parcel of our existence?

Fear not…!
Give up not hope…!

Let us hold on to the Lord…
… the same Lord who was “face-to-face with failure” after the brutal murder of His Cousin
… the same Lord who worked a miracle for his disciples who were “face-to-face with failure” in ministry

Success is…
… being faithful, in doing God’s works: however little they be – in the time & place, God wishes!

Success is…
… persevering and holding on to God’s Will: however painful they be – in the manner, God wishes!

Am I today being surrounded by a hazy atmosphere of failures and disappointments?

Look up to the Lord for inspiration…
… The Lord Who remained ever faithful to the Will of God and the Lord Who had to suffer on the Cross by virtue of His obedience and fidelity!

He shows what is true success!
He shows what is real achievement!

Yes, Faithfulness is more vital than success.

Authenticity is more needed than victory

With faith and hope, let’s pray: “LEAD KINDLY LIGHT…”

God Bless! Live Jesus!


📖 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

Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature…

… can bestow true merit on us as a result of God’s gratuitous justice. (CCC # 2009)

✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – Aug 04, 2024: Sunday

“Being sincere seekers of the One Who is the True Bread of Life!”

(Based on Exod 16:2-4, 12-15, Eph 4:17, 20-24 and Jn 6:24-35 – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)

A man once had a fine-bred dog – an American Foxhound – named Jasper.

Jasper was trained well and the owner expected much of him.

Finally, after his ‘training’, Jasper was let go on a ‘hunt’ in the nearby forest.

As he was let free, Jasper got sight of an antelope and gave a spirited chase.

Soon, however, a startled rabbit came across the track of the antelope, diverting Jasper’s attention!

Forgetting the antelope, Jasper dashed after the rabbit.

Just as he was gaining momentum, a rat darted across the path!

Again, Jasper diverted and rushed after the rat, only to see it run into a hole in the ground.

Highly excited, scratching and barking, Jasper presented a picture of frustration – distracted from the ‘big thing’ to end up by barking into a hole in the ground!

Jasper had been trained and was expected to chase “bigger” preys; but ended up, grunting, lunging and scratching at something worthless!

The reason was simple:

  • Losing sight of the bigger goal and instead, being distracted by something very petty and useless

Is my life also “losing sight” of the precious aspects of life?

Am I seeking “the right things” and the “proper entities” of life?

The Gospel of the Day is a call by our Blessed Lord to ‘refine’ our priorities in life and to ‘re-sort’ our concerns towards Him and His Kingdom.

Today’s Gospel passage forms part of the “Bread of Life” Discourse of the 6th chapter of St John.

Jesus, after having performed the ‘magnanimous’ miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, had His popularity ratings on a high.

There were many factors that propelled towards this…

Huge problems suddenly seemed to ‘shrink in size’ before Jesus, the Great God!

A huge crowd, who were ‘hungry’ had just been ‘satisfied’ to the full

Impossible situations suddenly seemed to be non-existent before Jesus, the God of all possibilities!

Just two little fish and five barley loaves became a medium of nourishment to thousands

There was naturally, immense excitement among the crowds with respect to Jesus.

  • Before their own eyes, a ‘massive’ miracle had been wrought
  • For their own stomachs, a ‘miraculous’ wonder had been performed

They would have felt themselves in similar situations as the people of Israel in the wilderness, when their leader Moses had fed them with food (Ex 16: 12-15)

Some among them would have also recounted the words of Jesus, elsewhere during His ministry: “Behold, something greater is here…” (Mt 12:41)

And so, the people, who had become ‘fans’ of our Blessed Lord, began to ‘seek’ – frantically and with great craze.

A personal experience of the Divine is to become a launching-pad in forging a personal relationship with the Lord!

  • But a personal experience of the Divine, when not properly channelled, can also get deviated and remain fixated to mere devotion and emotional piety.

Jesus was very well aware of the danger that lay in ‘fickle’ crowds who followed Him – merely for ‘bread’ and not for a ‘life-transformation’.

And so He puts forward a probing challenge to the crowds who were desperately following Him:
“Amen, Amen, I say to you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (Jn 6:26-27)

The crowds were asked by Jesus to ‘refine’ their priorities in life and to ‘re-sort’ their concerns towards Him and His Kingdom!

The same exhortation is being rendered to us today: to ‘refine’ our priorities in life and to ‘re-sort’ our concerns towards Him and His Kingdom…

Do I follow the Lord only to be satisfied by the ‘bread’ of having our prayers always heard in the way I want and of ‘always’ enjoying prosperity in life…
… or do I also follow the Lord for His own sake – as the One who truly becomes the ‘Bread’ of life- my strength, my hope and my greatest asset in life?

Do I seek the Lord only when I am ‘given’ something by God; following merely a ‘receiving’ spirituality – that has hands always stretched out in anticipation to ‘get’ something from God…
… or can I grow in my hunger for Jesus, the Bread of Life, and also be willing to respond to His demand to “give” my life in service of Him, of His Kingdom and of His people?

As Christians, we ought to be persons who have our aims set on the “high” things of life – seeking Jesus and His Kingdom.

  • Jesus ought to be the greatest treasure and the deepest satisfaction of our life

We are expected to chase up “bigger preys.”

But do we sometimes, end up, grunting, lunging and scratching at something worthless?

We need to make an examination of our lives.

Perhaps, we are…

  • Losing sight of the bigger goal and instead, being distracted by something very petty and useless
  • Unable to keep focus on the ‘more’ valuable aim and instead, being diverted by something very trivial.

Jesus, the Bread of Life – especially by His Holy Word and in His Holy Eucharist – invites us to wholly dedicate our lives in seeking Him alone.

Let us realise, that as true Christians, real fulfilment comes from more than “just making a living;” it comes, instead, from “making a life, in Jesus”

May we not be merely ‘bread-seekers’; instead be sincere seekers of the One Who is the True Bread of Life!

Today – Aug 04 – we celebrate the Feast of St John Maria Vianney, the patron saint of all the Priests!

May the words of the Saintly Priest motivate us: “You cannot please both God and the world at the same time…
… they are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires, and their actions.”

“I tell you that you have less to suffer in following the cross than in serving the world and its pleasures.”

Let us also pray specially for Priests all over the world, that their Patron Saint – St John Maria Vianney – may intercede, to help all priests…
… to be more holy and faithful to their Noble Vocation
… to be more zealous in administering the Sacraments and giving His Word
… to be more passionate in Loving the Lord and bringing many more to His Love!

Happy Feast to all the Priests!

God Bless! Live Jesus!


📖 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

This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us “co-heirs” with Christ…

… and worthy of obtaining “the promised inheritance of eternal life. (CCC # 2009)

✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – Aug 03, 2024: Saturday

“Having our conscience always pure and always giving heed to the voice of the Lord!”

(Based on Jer 26:11-16, 24 and Mt 14:1-12 – Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

An incident is narrated of a man who brought a package of supplies from a trading shop.

On reaching home, to his surprise, he found a silver coin inside the package.

Something troubled him.

He came back the next morning to the trader and handed him back the silver coin.

The trader was amused and surprised and asked him: “That’s interesting to see that you have returned back the silver coin!”

The customer replied: “Well, I got a good man and a bad man in my heart!

The good man said, It is not yours'; the bad man said, 'Nobody will know'. The good man said, 'Take it back'; the bad man said,Never mind’.”

And so thinking, I went to bed…
… but the good man and the bad man talked the whole night and troubled me.”

The conscience of the man caused him disturbance because of the fault that he was supposedly in…
… and made him to yield to its goodness!

Each of us, at every moment, have our conscience speaking to us…

Do we listen and give heed?
Or do we silence the voice of the conscience and allow our guilt to rotten up our minds and dirty our actions?

The Gospel of the Day presents the intense ordeal faced by King Herod who failed to give consideration to the voice of conscience…

And instead had his mind rottened and his actions dirtied…
… by falling into the trap of guilt and shame.

King Herod had exercised his authority and sinfulness by beheading John the Baptist. (Mt 14:1-12).

The demon of guilt and shame of that inhuman murder kept bothering him.

In this scattered state of mind, King Herod hears about the deeds and wonders of another man, Jesus.

His guilt-filled and confused mind is unable to grasp the identity of this new man who works marvels and so he told:
“This is John the Baptist, he has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him!” (Mt 14:2).

The king harassed by sin and shame failed to grapple the mystery of the Son of God, the King of kings!

The persona of Jesus surpasses great minds and cannot be arrested by hardened hearts!

The character of Jesus baffles proud mentalities and cannot be captured by cynical spirits!

King Herod was greatly disturbed with a guilty conscience and a sinful heart.

He felt greatly challenged and threatened by Jesus, Who was being considered as a King.

The sinful and corrupt Kingdom of Herod was faced with an opposition from…
… the pure and holy Kingdom of God!

The increasing popularity of Jesus caused Herod the Tetrarch, the ruler of the land, to come face-to-face with his guilty conscience.

Truth is always very powerful!

It can, silently, yet very authoritatively…
… challenge faulty lives
… prick guilty consciences
… confront culpable actions

Herod bore the guilt of having killed John the Baptist, who was the voice of the Truth.

He knew that he had done something extremely wicked and merciless
He knew that he had acted in opposition to truth, to honesty and to sincerity.

Therefore, the rising fame of the Lord – whom he misunderstood as John the Baptist – drove him to despair over that brutal act of the killing of the Baptist.

Constant exposition to wicked thoughts and evil inclinations had caused his life to become a pillar of guilt-filled feelings!

Think wicked, and our character will decay into being evil…

On the other hand, was the righteous life of John the Baptist.

He was born with a sense of purpose – of being a voice to the Truth.

He maintained this goal by always living in sincerity – fearless and courageous.

To this end, he even valiantly shed his blood!

Constant nurturing of holy purposes and sacred acts had caused his life to become a pillar of a purpose-filled existence!

Think nobler, and our character will mould into being noble…

We need to examine our lives and conscience and check…

Am I, like King Herod, filled with fear and doubts because of my sinful conscience and guilty mind?

OR…

Can I be like John the Baptist, filled with a sense of purpose and clarity in life?

Is my life a chest-box of guilt-filled feelings – formed by deposits of wickedness, evil and sin?

OR…

Can my life be a treasure of a purpose-filled existence – formed by deposits of holy determination and sanctified lives?

Yes, each of us, at every moment, have our conscience speaking to us…

Do we listen and give heed?
… or do we silence the voice of the conscience and allow our guilt to rotten up our minds and dirty our actions?

Purified by the Sacraments…

Strengthened by God’s Word…
Empowered in prayer…
… let us become persons who have our conscience always pure and always give heed to the voice of the Lord, “Be Holy, as I am Holy!”

Today is the First Saturday of the Month – when we specially honour and venerate the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother Mary…

Let us specially seek the intercession of our Blessed Mother, and consecrate ourselves to Her Immaculate Heart…
… that we may be inspired and impelled to live a holy life.

God Bless! Live Jesus!


📖 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

Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature…

… can bestow true merit on us as a result of God’s gratuitous justice. (CCC # 2009)