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

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

It was December in the year 1903.

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

They were very much thrilled!

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

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

The sister was also super-excited.

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

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

Oops…

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

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

But he totally “missed the point!”

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

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

Isn’t it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They “missed the point!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is more true as we prepare for Christmas…

CHRIST is the BIG POINT of Christmas

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

Yes, let us dare not “miss Him!”

In the first reading, Isaiah’s “shoot from the stump of Jesse” reminds us that God often begins His greatest works in places that look barren or finished.

New life quietly springs where we least expect…
… if only we do not miss His subtle stirrings.

St Paul, in the second reading, exhorts that Christ came to fulfill the covenant for Israel and extend mercy to the Gentiles…
… revealing a God far bigger than our expectations.

Advent warns us not to limit His work to our comfort zones…
… but to welcome the wideness of His saving love.

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

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Cycling our way, with our Heavenly Father, in the exciting art of Mission!”

(Based on Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 and Mt 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8 – Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent)

One of the exciting things in life, which many of us have gone through, is learning a bicycle.

These days, bicycles come with a special set of training wheels that are attached to the back wheels.

The two little wheels attached to the back wheel are there to help provide balance and confidence to the rider.

But many of us, would have also learnt the bicycle in the old-fashioned way…
… the parent or a friend who ran alongside the one learning, until the rider got under way.

This person, who would be accompanying, would most often say three things, while learning this art of cycling…

Always keep the eye on the road…
… to keep the focus
Don’t lean to the left or the right side…
… to have proper balance
Remember, I am always there with you…
… to feel the confidence and trust

These three principles would help the person to learn quick this art of cycling.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus sending out the Twelve…
… to learn the Art of Mission…

Like the art of cycling, the Apostles are also given some basic principles…
… the principle to keep focus
… the principle to have a proper balance
… the principle of confidence and trust

The ministry of Jesus had gained a lot of popularity.

There were crowds of people following Him…
There were multitudes of persons attracted to Him…

The Heart of the Lord is moved in empathy for these people.

The Gospel says, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36)

The ministry of Jesus had also gained a lot of opposition.

Many of the religious leaders were greatly taken aback by the raw authoritative power of Jesus
Many of the Scribes and Pharisees were greatly offended by the blunt and open challenges by Jesus
Many of the local and family people were greatly scandalized by the boldness and courage of Jesus

But as the saying goes… “Challenges are what makes life interesting, and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful!”

Though opposition and challenges were raging hard against the ministry of Jesus…
… He remained courageous and determined.

And so, He chose the Twelve…
… who would be with Him and to be sent out (Mk 3:14)

The Twelve were to be His extension – of His Teachings, of His Works

And so, He not only chooses the Twelve…
… but He also sends them on a mission

A mission…
… with an authority over unclean spirits
… to proclaim the Kingdom of God
… to preach repentance and peace

In this art of mission, the Lord gives a few instructions and principles…
… and “also gave authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness” (Mt 10:1)

The Twelve were to learn…
… to keep focus on the preaching of repentance and bringing healing to people
… to have a proper balance by not getting discouraged in the face of any sort of rejection
… to have confidence and trust in the Lord Who was with them to provide what they needed

Each of us, by virtue of our following Christ, is a missionary…

Am I focussing on preaching only His Gospel and living only His life….
… or do I get distracted with other agenda and motives?

Am I having the proper balance in living the Christian life even though I face many pressures…
… or do I lose the balance and fall into the pits of lethargy, disappointments and laxity?

Am I having the confidence and the trust in the Lord and bank on Him at every turn of life…
… or do I experience perplexities of anxiety, despair and despondency?

The art of missions is exciting.
We may feel a little afraid at times…
We may sometimes even fall..

But we only need to follow some of the basic principles, coupled with His Grace…
… to be focussed on the Lord alone
… to be balanced in prayer and faithfulness
… to be trusting and being confident in His awesome power

And when we embark on this art of mission, just like a caring parent, who is happy to see one’s child cycling confidently…
… our Heavenly Father will also look at us with much happiness and joy and be proud of us!

Are we ready to cycle our way, with our Heavenly Father, in this exciting art of Mission?

Today is the Feast of St. Nicholas

Most people know him only as the inspiration behind Santa Claus…
… but the real St. Nicholas, a 4th-century saint, was famous for secretly helping those in need
… most notably providing dowries for three poor daughters so they could live with dignity.
His life reminds us to see beyond popular images
… be attentive to the needs of others
… and respond to our own call to holiness with joy.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Hearkening to the Words of the Lord, ‘just have faith in Me and obey My Words!'”

(Based on Isaiah 29:17-24 and Mt 9:27-31 – Friday of the 1st Week of Advent)

A little child, during a forest expedition, was asked by his father to get across a letter urgently to the village.

The father pointed over a trail, over which the boy had never gone.

“But Father” protested the child, “I have never been through this way.

I do not even see the path that will reach our village.
Will it be reasonable for me to travel along this path? “

“Do you see the trail” replied the father, “as far as that big tree down there?”

The boy replied, “Oh, yes, I do see that far”

“Well” continued the father, “when you get there by the tree…
… you will see the trail a little further ahead
… and so on, until you get within sight of the houses of our village.

Just have faith in me and obey my words!”

This is the journey of our Christian life…
… where the element of faith has to take over the aspect of seeing!
… where the element of obedience has to take over the aspect of rationality!

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful exposition into these insights…
… which are highly essential for our life as a Disciple of Christ and a Missionary of His Kingdom.

The Gospel passage under consideration is the healing of the two blind men in the Gospel of St Matthew (Mt 9: 27-31)

One of the strange aspects that we could notice in this incident is what happens after the healing has taken place.

St Matthew says that, after their eyes were opened, “Jesus sternly charged them, ‘See that no one knows it'” (Mt 9:30)

He forbids the two men from making his fame known to others.

The Greek word that is used here for “sternly charged” is very interesting and revealing.

St Mathew uses the word, “embrimaomai”.

“Embri-mao-mai” literally means to snort with anger/displeasure (like a horse)!

In other words, Jesus “roared with rage” when He ordered the men to not proclaim about Him.

Why did Jesus adopt such an “angry stance?”

The Jewish people were longing for a Messiah who would save them from the pagan Roman Rulers.

Their understanding of the Messiah was purely from a temporal perspective – a prince who would wage a war and destroy the Roman enemies

If it was known outside that the Messiah, the much-awaited King had arrived, many Jews would undoubtedly seek to enthrone Him.

They would make efforts to usher in a physical kingdom with a violent expulsion of the Roman rulers!

We see such a tendency on many occasions in the Gospels, but more explicitly after the multiplication of the loaves in the Gospel of St John

“Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry Him off to make Him King, He withdrew to the mountain alone” (Jn 6:15)

But, such a move would have jeopardized the Mission of the Lord!

He came not to be a king as any other king…
… rather He, the King of kings, came to reign over the hearts and lives of people!
He came not to be someone who would merely rescue from material oppression…
… rather, He came to be the Saviour who would free the world from sin and every bondage!

It is also to be seen that the two blind men addressed Jesus as “the Son of David” (Mt 9:27b)

This was the first time, in the Gospel of St Matthew, that Jesus was proclaimed by someone as “Son of David”

“Son of David” clearly pointed that Jesus was the Messiah.

The two blind men were confessing that Jesus is the Messiah!

Therefore, if the two men, excited and overjoyed as they were, with their miraculous healing, had gone around proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah…
… there was a grave danger, that the people would be instigated to a rebellion against the Romans

(Such an explanation is also supported by the fact that while healing or performing wonders among the Gentiles, Jesus did not forbid them.

The Gentiles, unlike the Jews, did not have any Messianic expectation as such.

For eg: After healing the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus tells him, “Go home to your family and announce to them, all that the Lord in His pity has done for you” – Mk 5:19)

There is also another point of consideration…

Jesus was the Perfect Physician.

He knew that the blind, when healed, cannot be exposed to the light, all on a sudden.

The exposure to the Light has to be gradual.

Jesus, the doctor-par-excellance and the Light of the World (Jn 9:5) knew, that there was great danger…
… if these spiritually blind would try to immediately go and spread about their experience with the Light

The Light would only end up harming them and also those to whom they preached!

And therefore, “Jesus sternly charged them, ‘See that no one knows it'” (Mt 9:30)

What do these things entail for us?

A very important principle as Missionary of Christ and His Kingdom is implied here:
“Go only when we are sent to and to whom we are sent to”

This is one of the important basics of any publicly ministry of the Kingdom!

We need to know and realize…

The Mission belongs not to me…
… the Mission belongs to the Lord
The works and ministry are not my initiatives…
… they are solely entrusted to me by the Lord

It is His Work
It is His Mission!

We are to be His active instruments
We are to be His lively tools

This realization is highly essential for an effective and faithful Missionary life.

Such a realization, therefore, directly implies the necessity of Faith and Obedience!

Yes, our life as a missionary ought to be one..
… where the element of faith has to take over the aspect of seeing!
… where the element of obedience has to take over the aspect of rationality!

May our Blessed Lord touch and open our eyes, to “see the trail” that is on ahead of us, in our journey of faith…
… and may hearken to His Words, “Just have faith in Me and obey My words!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Having the courage to ‘walk the talk!'”

(Based on Isaiah 26:1-6 and Mt 7:21,24-27 – Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent)

A Christian who was converted from Judaism was sharing his testimony.

As he shared his views on various preachers whom he had met during the course of conversion, he made a comment:
“The sermons of some preachers used to be magnificent…
… but their life would be so inconsistent and incompatible to what they spoke from the pulpit!

This would make me think about these preachers in my mind in the following way:
‘When they were at the pulpit, I wished they would never leave it!

But when they were out of the pulpit, I wished they would never enter it again!”

That’s why, when I decided to become a Christian, I took a resolution:
‘My Halakah (Jewish term to describe one’s way of “walking”) should always follow my Haggadah (Jewish term to describe ‘the teaching”)!

What about us?

“Does our Halakah follow our Haggadah?”

Life judges us, on the basis of how well does our preaching and practicing co-ordinate & complement each other.

Life challenges us to bridge the gap between the two essentials of life – one’s talking and one’s walking the talk!

The Gospel of the Day is an invitation to reflect on the words of Jesus:
“Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the Will of My Father, Who is in heaven” (Mt 7:21)

Our Christian Life is often an experience…
… where we find many professing the faith, but failing to practise!

How often does this situation arise in our own lives and situations too…

We pledge ourselves at trendy events, for the cause of the poor, but we fail to help

Many other people remain quite unnoticed, but become forerunners for the cause of the poor!

We make a big show and be popular as a helpful person, but we fail in some genuine needs

Many other people remain quite unnoticed, but are present with their full force to render help!

We make many resolutions on new year days or birthdays, but fail to materialize them

Many other people remain quite unnoticed, but are able to make many amendments and changes!

We make many promises to the Lord during feast days or novena times, but fail to live up

Many other people remain quite unnoticed, but render much love to the Lord through the year!

We all experience this “I will do”…
… but “I did not do” experiences in life.

Am I also part of this category of “Nominal” Christians?

On the personal Faith Level, this trend is seen more distinctly and vividly…

People claim themselves to be Catholics…
… but appear in church only on grand feast days!

People appreciate the Catholic teaching…
… but support moral laws which go directly against!

People assert having dedicated their lives to God…
… but fail to find time for God and prayer!

People declare loving God above all…
… but fail to reject pleasures which hurts and pains Him!

People profess and make vows to God…
… but neglect to even try to keep up those promises!

But the Lord clearly declares, on Who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven: “he does the Will of my Father“

Therefore, the proposition is clear:
It is not pompous words that will grant life, but carrying out the Will of the Father!

How are we to observe the Will of the Father?

St. Paul explains how we should set about trying to do the Father’s will:
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 2:5)

Like Christ…
… when we dare to be merciful and compassionate, we can do the Father’s Will
… when we prioritize other’s interests over selfish ones, we can do the Father’s Will
… when we empty ourselves and became obedient, we can do the Father’s Will

It is not only good news “proclaimed” but good news “practised”…
… that will win others to the glorious freedom of forgiveness of sins!

Let us examine sincerely in this Season of Advent…
… and wherever needed, amend our lives

May we have the courage to take and practise the resolution: ‘My Halakah (one’s way of “walking”) should always follow my Haggadah (“the teaching”)

Today we celebrate St. John Damascene, a 7th-century priest and monk…
… known as the “Golden Speaker” for his profound writings and hymns.

A staunch defender of the faith, he taught that honoring sacred images draws us closer to Christ.

His life inspires us to know the Lord more deeply and reflect His love boldly.
As he said: “I do not worship matter, but the Creator who became matter for my sake.”

May his example move us to live with unwavering faith and courage!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Daring to know the Lord more and to help each other more!”

(Based on Isaiah 25:6-10a and Mt 15:29-37 – Feast of Saint Francis Xavier, Patron Saint of Missions)

Some people change the world not by doing extraordinary things…
… but by choosing to love in extraordinary ways!

One such man was Francis Xavier…
… a young priest who found greatness not in fame, but in compassion.

When he reached the shores of India in 1542, he was offered comfort, honour, and a place among the elite.

But holiness never chooses the comfortable seat.

He walked past the luxury…
… and went straight to the poorest fishermen, the sick, the forgotten.

He lived with them, ate with them, cried with them.
He didn’t just speak about Jesus…
… he showed the Lord, by sharing life.

The Gospel of the Day is this invitation of Jesus…
… to be fed, to be healed and to find joy in His presence

A ‘holy picnic’ where every heart is welcomed and satisfied.
… A picnic with Jesus.

A picnic basically has some essential elements…

A nice location
Joyful interactions
Good food
A sense of satisfaction and contentment

Our picnic with Jesus in today’s Gospel passage has all these elements.

Come… let’s join Jesus…
… in this wonderful time of a picnic.

1. A nice location
   The mood of a picnic is very often regulated by the choice of the place we make.

It should be something exciting, something scenic and something to involve ourselves in.

The location that Jesus chooses for this picnic is a Mountain (Mt 15:29)

A mountain is certainly an exciting place…
… a scenic location and moves our hearts to get involved in its beauty.

The mountain was one of the favourite places of the Lord.

This high altitude place was where Jesus could strengthen His attitude towards His mission.

He would spend hours of the night in communion with His Father on the mountains.

And so, He invites us to join with Him on the mountains…
… To relax in His love and to experience the coolness of His presence.
… To raise our thoughts to higher levels and overcome the worldly concerns.

2. Joyful interactions
   Great crowds came to Him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute and many others. They placed them at His feet and He cured them (Mt 15:30)

The picnic with Jesus, on the mountain, becomes an occasion of cure and restoration.

On the mountain, Jesus becomes a fountain of healing and the source of joy.

3. Good food
   Food is one of the best parts of a picnic.

And the Lord lavishes abundant food to all those who were there with Him on the mountain.

Then, He took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples, who in turn, gave them to the crowds (Mt 15:36)

It seemed to be a situation of starvation and hunger.

But the Lord converts this grim situation into an occasion of contentment and blessing.
His compassionate love overflows into a lavish multiplication of the loaves and the fish!

4. A sense of satisfaction and contentment:
   Every picnic ideally should end on a note of great fulfilment and bliss.
   The picnic with Jesus on the mountain, where He healed a lot of people, spoke His Life-giving words and blessed them with abundant food, becomes moments of happiness.
   “They all ate and were satisfied…” (Lk 15:37)

It had been a lovely time for the people in this picnic with the Lord.

They had the picnic…
… in a nice scenic location of the mountain
… with many joyful interactions with Jesus, who healed and cured many.
… with good food, in lavishness, provided by the Lord Himself.
… with a great sense of satisfaction and deep fulfilment.

Prophet Isaiah foretold: “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples, a feast of rich food…
… then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth!” (Cf. Is 25:6-8)

The Lord invites us to join with Him in a picnic with Him…

To go to the mountain of prayer and intimacy
To have joyful interactions with Him and receive His spiritual, emotional and physical healings.
To be blessed with the good food of His Holy Eucharist and His nourishing Word.
To have a great satisfaction in being filled with immense peace and serenity.

This is what was epitomized by St Francis Xavier, whose feast we celebrate today.
… and displayed a contagious enthusiasm of giving Christ to all.

The following quotes of this dynamic ‘Patron Saint of Missions’ is also an inspiration for all of us…

“It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards a one’s progress, nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken”

“It is impossible to find a saint who did not take the two P’s seriously: prayer and penance”
… and seek to grow deeper in our missionary commitment!

As we continue to nourish our spiritual lives in this Season of Advent, let us enjoy the picnic with the Lord & make our lives a beautiful one…
… to share… to care

And to also dare to know the Lord more and to help each other more.

Happy Feast of St Francis Xavier!

God Bless! Live Jesus!