“Daring to move out of the ‘zone of limitation’ and knowing that God is always with us – caring, loving and providing!”

(Based on 1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34 and Mk 8:1-10 – Saturday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

Two Christian friends were talking about their life experiences.

One of them said: “It is so very hard to trust God and to realize that His Hand is still leading us in the dark phases of our life!”

“Well”, said the other, “if you cannot trust a person out of sight, then he/she is not worth much!

And if you cannot trust God in the dark, it simply shows… you don’t trust Him at all!”

That’s quite a point, isn’t it?

We find our Christian Faith often on an easy course, when things go on well.

But when difficulties come our way, our “trust” level is questioned.

It is in these “questionable moments of trust” that we tend to enter into a “zone of limitation”

We tend to think in a limited and restricted manner.
But God loves to challenge us to move beyond such boundaries and borders!

Yes, human beings tend to think in a limited fashion, but God loves to expand our possibilities.

Human beings tend to get bogged down by boundaries, but God loves to throw open our horizons.

The Gospel of the day is a clear illustration of this expansion of human horizons and possibilities, through the miracle of the feeding of loaves…
… and thus trusting Him deeper!

Jesus is with His disciples and huge crowd.

They are once again in a situation of having a want of feeding this huge multitude.

It’s interesting to highlight the patterns in the attitudes of Jesus and the disciples.

Jesus sees the hungry crowd and His heart moved in compassion…

The disciples saw the hungry crowd and probably their minds were moved in tension!

Jesus foresaw the possibility of immense fulfilment and satisfaction in the deserted area…

The disciples got stuck with seeing only barrenness and emptiness in the deserted area!

The disciples concluded impossibility by their mathematical calculations…

Jesus concluded possibility by His Divine calculations!

The disciples saw only the desert…

Jesus looked beyond – to find an oasis in the desert!

How often are we too like the disciples…
… limited in our thinking and restricted by our inabilities.

But Jesus invites us, like He did to His disciples…to look beyond…
… to look to Him who can expand every horizon and possibility!
… to look to Him who can turn deserts into pools and hills into highways!

Yes, we will have moments in our life which makes us to complain:
“It is so very hard to trust God and to realize that His Hand is still leading us in the dark phases of our life!”

But we are reminded by the Gospel of the Day: “If you cannot trust a person out of sight, then he/she is not worth much!

And if you cannot trust God in the dark, it simply shows… you don’t trust Him at all!”

Let us dare to move out of the “zone of limitation” and trust the Lord…
… knowing He is always with us – caring, loving and providing!

14th February is popularly celebrated as Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is, of course, a day when a there is a “sudden” wave of expression of love and care and affections to the ones whom we love.

When taken in the right spirit and when celebrated in a meaningful way, this Day becomes a Day…
… of “specially” recognizing the worth of the one(s) we love
… of showing our love and affection to the one(s) dear to the our heart

But our modern society unfortunately and tragically, sometimes tends to “rob” this day to be celebrated in a meaningful.

“Love” is highly commercialized and “sold”
External affections are unduly given greater importance, forgetting the prime duties – of commitment and faithfulness – involved with love

Advertisers and commercialists rake in massive profits with a number of external objects portraying “love!”

Whether this day truly becomes a day of “expressing genuine love and care”

Or whether it is more, a day of “externalities of ‘love-feelings’ taking the upper-hand…
… is a matter of debate, as well as a matter of one’s own personal choice and view.

But as a Christian, this day – Feb 14…
… is a day for us to remind ourselves to grow in the immensity of God’s Love
… is a day for us to revive our basic duty of caring and being responsible to one another
… is a day for us to rediscover the worthiness of our lives and commit to grow in holiness

Jesus, the True Lover illustrates the real meaning of love…
… by leading us out of ignorance to true knowledge
… by inviting us to move from earthly riches to truly heavenly treasures

This is real and true love…
… a heart that makes one to move out of ignorance
…a heart that prompts in action to reach out to those in need of God’s true Word

Jesus, our True Lover… invites and challenges us to grow in this love!

Holding our hand, and with deep love and affection, He asks us: “Will you be My valentine forever?”

Let’s not blush….let’s not be shy…

Instead in deep faith and true commitment, pledge forever, our love to the Lover of all Hearts!

God Bless! Live Jesus!