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

(Based on 2 Cor 12:1-10 and Mt 6:24-34 – Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

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

However, he suffered from constant bouts of ulcer in the mouth, stomach upset and headaches.
Several medications couldn’t solve this problem.

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

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

So all that you need to do is…

Choose any one particular day of the week.
Whenever you get a problem that causes you anxiety…
Write it on a piece of paper….
Drop it inside a ‘Worry Box’…
… and then completely forget about it.

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

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

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

It would have been useless to have worried about them.

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

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

Is that not pretty similar in our lives as well?

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

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

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

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

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

To whom have we pledged our loyalty and allegiance…?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For a person on deep faith, situations of tension are made into moments of seeking God deeper and experiencing His providence.

For a person of higher trust, circumstances of worries are transformed to occasions of cherishing God’s presence and developing an approach of stronger reliance and dependence.

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

Discouragements are an easy trap for us to stumble in our life of faith

Anxieties are easy snares to corner us with fretfulness and fear.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We seek today the intercession of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga.

He is the Patron Saint of students, Christian youth, Jesuit novices, AIDS patients and caregivers…
… and invoked against eye troubles and epidemics.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

— Fr Jijo Jose Manjackal MSFS
Rome, Italy
Email: reflectioncapsules@gmail.com

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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 – The Fourth Commandment – The Family and the society

Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person. >> They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone…

… especially of families and the disadvantaged. (CCC # 2236)

“Seeking ‘the reward of Eternity’ by God’s Mercy and Grace, and our spiritual longings and faithfulness!”

(Based on 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30 and Mt 6:19-23. – Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558-1603.

She was probably England’s greatest and most controversial Queen.

As she lay on her death bed, the nation’s best doctors battled to save her life…
… but in vain!

When she was told that she was going to die, the unfortunate Queen began to weep.

She sobbed and said: “I will give millions for an inch of time!”

She had lived 70 years of pursuing wealth, fame and pleasure

It is said she had 10,000 dresses in her wardrobe with atleast 2000 pairs of gloves alone!
She was the queen of the kingdom which was considered to be “one on which the Sun would never set”

Yet, this apparently powerful and rich Queen of England, died – pleading for “an inch of time”

This is the reality of our earthly lives….

No matter how materially rich we are…
… none of these would count as being important, when death arrives!

No matter how popular and fame we acquire while on earth…
… all of it would be reduced to nothingness, when the end comes!

The only thing that would matter, would be…
… Have we made God as the ultimate treasure and meaning of our life and live by His Will?
… Are we humble enough to acknowledge and depend on the Providence of God?

The sooner we realise this, the more meaningful would our lives be…

The further we delay, the deeper would be the moments of anxieties in life!

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful reminder by Jesus to have an examination of the “longings of our hearts” and to set right “first things first!”

Jesus says: “Do not store up treasures for yourself on earth….” (Mt 6: 19)

Every human being has an innate longing and a craving to go beyond transitory, transient and peripheral aspects of life.

It is this dimension that is described in terms of…
… longing for eternal happiness
… desire for peace and serenity
… yearning for the Absolute
… deep thirst for God etc.

There is a search for the Eternal…
… a pursuit for the Everlasting
… a wish to pursue good thoughts
… in every human being!

However, very often in this quest, human beings go astray and go off track, by falsely seeking for the Eternal, in mere peripheral objects.

These objects vary for different people…
… It could be wealth, power, prestige, sex, drugs, other addictions, worldly attachments etc.

We often build up for ourselves castles and mansions in this physical world…
… and remain under the false pretence, that my life is comfortable and everything is very good.

But today, the Lord warns us: “Have we stored up treasures on the earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves can steal?!” (Mt 6:19)

Jesus points to the fact that one must not have treasures “that would not last.”

In this reference, he points to three entities: moth, rust and thieves.

Why moth?
Rich and extravagant dresses and garments were often expressions of wealth.

And moths loved to treat on such “ornate” dresses and garments

Garments, in the Bible, also refer to the dignity of a person, a symbol of righteousness and the sign of salvation

Moths eating such garments, point to the loss in spiritual agility and vigour!

Why rust?
Grains were considered as a sign of prosperity and thus they would be stored in storehouses (as the parable of the rich fool suggests – Lk 12: 18b)

The Greek word used for ‘rust’ is “brosis” which literally means “an eating”

This could refer to how rats, mice, worms, and insects could eat away at these storehouses of grain!

If wealth consisted of jewellery, then this ‘eating away’ could refer to “rust” (= the product of a chemical reaction in which oxygen combines with water vapour to form the oxide of the metal).

Why thieves?
Gold, precious metals and other costly goods would be another sign of richness.

They would be hidden by keeping them safe in the houses etc.

The most common method that was done was to find a secret place in the field and in the dark of night, a hole would be dug and the treasure would be buried.

But thieves would lurk around at night and watch where people would bury their treasure…
… and then go and dig it up.

The phrase “where thieves break in” could be literally translated “where thieves dig in.”

The houses of those times were constructed of mud; so thieves would often dig through the walls and steal the treasures!

Thus, our Blessed Lord warns against having our riches that ‘would not last’…
… those which could be consumed by moths
… those which could easily be eaten up or be rusted
… those which could be stolen and plundered by thieves

Instead the Lord says: “Store up treasures for yourself in heaven” (Mt 6:20)

We need to ask ourselves: Are we rich in what matters to God?

St Paul says, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but be transformed by a renewal of your minds..!” (Rom 12:2)

Time and again, we like to stroll along in life, thinking, that…
… spiritual life, relation with God, Divine thoughts, holy practices, devout rituals are just not “happening” things!

But, for a moment, we need to pause and think:

We may not be thinking too seriously about our spiritual lives…
… But Jesus was really quite serious….

That’s why He DIED on the Cross…!

His bleeding death was real…
… His agony and pain and sufferings, for the sake of our sins, was real!

JESUS IS REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT OUR SALVATION…!
… But, AM I SERIOUS ABOUT THIS LIFE, THAT HE WON FOR ME?

How long are we going to fool ourselves…?

Falsely inflating our egos and satisfying our craving desires…
Being satisfied with worldly pleasures…
Seeking momentary happiness…

Where our heart is…
… there will be our treasure! (Mt 6:21)

Let’s dwell deeper on the words of St Augustine: “God, you have made us for yourself…
… and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”

All our earthly and material wealth will never give us “an extra inch of time”…
… but our spiritual longings and faithfulness, by God’s Mercy and Grace, will win for us “the reward of Eternity!”

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 – The Fourth Commandment – The Family and the society

Those in authority should practice distributive justice wisely…
… taking account of the needs and contribution of each, with a view to harmony and peace.

They should take care that the regulations and measures they adopt are not a source of temptation by setting personal interest against that of the community. (CCC # 2236)

“By the Grace of God, making every moment of our life an act of prayer, in order to grow in greater closeness and union with the One who loves us the most!”

(Based on 2 Cor 11:1-11 and Mt 6:7-15 – Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Old Betty worked for several years as a maid, in different houses.

She was once asked the meaning of the Biblical verse “Pray without ceasing” and what it meant for her life.

“Well, it just means what it says,” said Betty.

“When I wash my face in the morning, I pray to God…
… that many sinners may be washed in the blood of Christ during the day.

When I put on my clothes, I pray to God…
… to clothe me with Christ and with His humility.

When I take up the broom to sweep, I think of the woman who swept the house for the lost piece of silver, and I pray God…
… to sweep the world and to save lost sinners.

When I clean the vessels and they begin to shine, I pray to the Lord…
… to brighten my soul.

When I wash clothes, I pray that God…
… may wash away the filth from human hearts and all may remain fresh in His grace

When I wipe the windows and scrape the rust from the front-gates, I pray that God…
… may cleanse the society of the dirt of inhumanness and take off the rust of indifference”

And thus Betty went on mentioning the things that gave her an opportunity of approaching God in prayer.

How beautiful and a practical life of prayer, isn’t it?

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful exposition by Jesus on Prayer.

The Lord highlights the essential dimensions that constitute real prayer and goes on to give the blueprint of an Ideal Prayer by teaching the “Our Father”.

Jesus says, “And in praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Mt 6:7)

In the context, when we look closely into this verse, we see that Jesus is pointing to the important principle in the pagan religions: the spoken word is most important for effectiveness of any prayer or sacrifice.

Prayer had assumed the nature of being a formula or a procedure that had to be strictly followed for its efficacy.

The pagan understanding was all about “pleasing the god” and “tapping the Divine power” by one’s words and verbal formulae.

Historically it is reported of an occasion when the presiding magistrate at a Roman pagan festival forgot to include the “Roman people” among the list of beneficiaries in his prayer…
… the festival had to be started all over again!

It is therefore the attitude towards prayer and perception of God that Jesus condemns.

And this is a strong and relevant message that the Lord seeks to drill in our minds:

Prayer is not to be reduced to being a formulaic key to unlock the power of the Divine!

It’s not our many words that makes God to grant His grace
… Rather, it is by His Will and His graciousness that we receive His blessings.

Then what is meant by prayer?
The blueprint of prayer – The Our Father – that Jesus teaches gives us the answer.

Prayer is…

Acknowledging His greatness
(Our Father, who art in heaven)

Ascribing glory and honour to Him
(Hallowed be Thy Name)

Seeking His Kingdom to come
(Thy Kingdom come)

Longing for His Will to be done in our lives
(Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven)

Putting forward our needs and offering our aspirations to His Providence
(Give us today our daily bread)

Choosing to actively being reconciled to all people to receive His forgiveness
(and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us)

Imploring to keep away from sin and all evil inclinations and desires
(and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil)

Our whole life ought to be translated to acts and deeds of prayer.

In this context, it also good to provide the Catholic understanding and logic of some of the prayers, which are perhaps considered as repetitive (eg: The Rosary, Novenas, Litanies.. etc)

Are all these standard prayers mere “heaping up of empty phrases…?”

No!

The Bible teaches us many examples of repetitive prayers…

The angels continually – day and night – sing “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev 4:8)
Psalm 136 repeats the words “for his steadfast love endures forever” nearly 26 times in 26 verses!
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed in the “same words” three times (Mk 14: 32-39)

Jesus, in fact, also commends the fact of continually praying, through the example of the widow and the unjust judge (Lk 18: 1-14)

Thus, it is seen that the Bible has many examples of repetitive prayer.

Therefore, the repetitive Catholic Prayers like the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Novenas, Litanies etc… are scripturally well-supported

When prayed with honesty and devotion, they become means to allow the heart…
… to praise God and understand His mighty works
… to grow in His love and come to a deeper awareness of His Providence
… and pray with Mother Mary and the Saints and intercede to them for our intentions

When we understand prayer as being a “relationship” and being in “His loving presence”, prayer becomes a joyful, a continual and a meaningful devotion.

May His grace help us to make every moment of our life an act of prayer, in order to grow in greater closeness and union with the One who loves us the most!

Let prayer become a joyful action
Let prayer become a continual devotion
Let prayer become a powerful commitment

Yes, in our day-to-day life, let us “pray without ceasing!”

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 – The Fourth Commandment – The Family and the society

The exercise of authority is meant to give outward expression to a just hierarchy of values…

… in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom and responsibility by all. (CCC # 2236)

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

(Based on 2 Cor 9:6-11 and Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 – Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

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

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

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

This young couple was recharging their cell phone!

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

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

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

Maybe, we are much shocked by this act…

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

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

[Of course, it can be said, that God could use this ‘unintented time of devotion’ also as a time of blessing!]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fourth Commandment – The Family and the society

The exercise of authority is measured morally in terms of its divine origin, its reasonable nature and its specific object.

No one can command or establish what is contrary to the dignity of persons and the natural law. (CCC # 2235)

“Daring to ‘receive into our homes’ those who, though deserve to be punished, but still are worthy of the Mercy of the Lord!”

(Based on 2 Cor 8:1-9 and Mt 5:43-48 – Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

The Year 1989 saw the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Germany.

This wall was the barrier that divided the nation from 1961 to 1989.

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, there would have been, perhaps, no person in all of East Germany, who was more despised …
… than the former Communist dictator Erich Honecker.

Being the secretary of the Communist Party, Erich Honecker was the prime organiser of the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and, in this function, bore responsibility for the “order to fire” along the inner German border.

However, after the collapse of the wall, Honecker had been stripped of all his offices.

Kicked out of his villa, the new government refused him and his family, new housing.
The family of the Honeckers were rendered homeless and destitute.

It was at this stage, Pastor Uwe Holmer, Director of a Christian Help Centre decided to take a bold step:

Feeling that it would be wrong to give them a room, in the Help Centre, which was meant for even needier people…
… Uwe Holmer decided to take the family of the Honeckers into their own home!

Holmer’s children had suffered the wrath of the rule of the Honechars..

Eight of his children had been turned down for higher education, due to their discriminatory policies.

But now, Holmer – filled with God’s Mercy – decided to care and accept their personal enemy – and perhaps one of the most hated men in Germany!

Many people turned against Holmer for his decision

Many felt angered in having given refuge to an enemy

But Holmer, the Christian, was convinced of what he was doing…

It was undoubtedly an unconventional step…
… but it was so much Christ-like!

He put into practise what Jesus had taught on the Sermon of the Mount, as we see in today’s Gospel:
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Mt 5:44)

It is said that some books/thoughts are to be just tasted…

Some are to be just swallowed…
While some others are to be chewed and digested!

Well… here is a teaching that is certainly not too easy to digest:
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you!

Sometimes when we hear the word ENEMY…
Our thoughts go to some enemy of the nation or some social criminal…

Or perhaps, some of us, may think of some person who has harmed us deeply or cheated us, and has turned to be an enemy…

But if we analyze our lives closer… we may observe that we all have many enemies in our lives..

An ‘enemy’, is defined by the Oxford Dictionary, as “a person or thing, hostile or opposed to something; that harms or weakens someone/something”

A little closer look into our lives will probably make us to discover that…

Perhaps, many people fall into this definition of being an “enemy”…
… Many in our family or our community
… Many in our friends circle
… Many in our workplaces
… Many in the society

We get so easily offended when our egos our hurt..

We feel a sense of resentment when we are not treated as we feel we ought to be…
We experience bitterness when other people do not fall in line with the way we think…
… there are often so many tussles and mental games…
… and we have so often grudges against all these people!

All these are our “enemies!”

This list of enemies in our life…though apparently unnoticed, is perhaps deeper….

But, today the Lord says: “Love those enemies…and pray for them!”

Humanly speaking, of course, it seems only a theoretical advice – seemingly impractical!

But the Lord wants us to be perfect!

We also know one thing…
… If this was not possible, the Lord would have never said it!

The Life of Jesus Himself was a proof for it…
… lovingly inviting even all those who hated and detested Him, to experience His Love
… constantly reaching out with the call of repentance, to those who wronged Him
… giving His life for all of us, who offend and hurt Him

The call of the Gospel “to love our enemies” is a high demand…

It is indeed a huge challenge…

Yet, with the grace of the Lord…
… Let’s pick up this challenge of the Lord…and seek towards perfection!

St John Paul II says, “Don’t fear to be the saints of the Third Millennia!”

Let’s not remain in idealistic talks and thoughts…
… rather, lets translate the words and challenges of the Lord, in our practical and daily life.

May we identify the “enemies” in our life…
… and seek Divine Assistance and the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, St Joseph and the Saints.

May we dare to “receive into our homes” those who, though deserve to be punished…
… but still are worthy of the Mercy of the Lord!

“Misericordes Sicut Pater” – “Be merciful, like the Heavenly Father” (Lk 6:36)

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 – The Fourth Commandment – The Family and the society

Those who exercise authority should do so as a service.

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant. (CCC # 2235)