“Picking up the broken pieces of our life, filling the spaces in our emptiness and starting, all over again!”

(Based on Dan 13:41-62 and Jn 8:1-11 – Monday of the 5th Week in Lent)

“Let me start again…
Pick the pieces of my brokenness
Fill the spaces in my emptiness…
Let me start again!”

This a beautiful hymn that echoes the sentiments and feelings of a person who has suffered much and is yet ready to start life all over again.

Life sometimes can crush us really hard…

Life sometimes can wreck us really miserably…

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful testimony of a person who…
… found herself at the lowest ebbs of her life
… when everything seemed all over
… in total tatters and brokenness

Yet…
… was able to pick up the broken pieces of her life
… fill the spaces in her emptiness
… and start it all over again

All by the grace and power of the Lord, who intervened, and instilled a new hope and zeal in her.

The incident in focus is the ‘infamous’ occurrence of the woman who was “caught” in adultery.

There are many things to be pondered and reflected on, through this incident…

Think of the “mean” and “disgraceful” attitude of the people who “caught” this woman “in the act” (Jn 8:3)
… Were they fitted with “special probing and lusty” eyes, that devilishly gazed into “intimate exchanges”, that too on an early morning?

Think of the “self-appointed” role of these “moralists” who sought to restore the innocence of the land, without realising that, perhaps, their own eyes were filled with lust, their hearts drenched in obscenity and their lives soaked in vulgarity.
… How was it that their “clean” consciences and “true” intentions caught hold of only the woman, “caught in the act”, whereas, the man involved, was left, scot-free?

Think of the “deadly” trap that they were laying before the Lord, in seeking to find his opinion on the accused woman
… How neatly they had trapped the Lord in a “most vicious” dilemma:

If the Lord permitted death, it would be going against the Law of the land – of the Romans – since only the Romans were permitted to take the life of a person

If the Lord did not allow to stone, He would be going against the Law of the Lord, which had ordered the stoning of the convicted adulterer to death.

If the Lord permitted killing, He would be going against His own teaching of mercy, and His fundamental mission of “coming to seek and save the lost”

If the Lord forgave her, He would be going against the principle of Justice, and that would be infringing the rights and duties of a Just God.

It was a near-perfect scene, for the religious leaders to dreadfully trap the Lord.

The woman had been caught “in the act” of adultery…

Jesus was now to be trapped “in the act” of breaking the Law…

The woman had been shamefully paraded and stripped of all her dignity…

Jesus was now to be gloriously humiliated and disrobed of His glory and majesty…

But all these were “mere” human thinking and wile wishes…

The wisdom of God is much greater than all human craftiness and cunningness

The mercy of the Lord extends much beyond all human wickedness and maliciousness.

In their wickedness, they failed to see, that they were testing the law with the Law-Giver Himself!

And so, the Benevolent Law-giver, bent down, and wrote with His finger… (Jn 8:6)
… just as He had, centuries back, written the Law on the tablet and given to Moses: “… tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God Himself” (Ex 32:16)

He wrote, not a new law, but He wrote to make the law perfectly understood..

He wrote, not a new commandment, but He wrote to make understand the true spirit of the commandment…
“Let the one who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn 8:7)

This statement shattered all those accusers who heard it!

Those who came to cast the stone had themselves stoned brutally, by the guilt of their sin!

Those who came to enjoy parading the nakedness of the woman, themselves were stripped naked, by their sin and shame!

Justice had triumphed!

Mercy had excelled!
Love had won!

All had left, save the one accused and the One who was Love and Compassion!

The one accused, stood in fear and trembling before the One who recreates and renews!

And so she was given another chance…
…. to pick up the broken pieces of her life
… and to start anew!

In the book of Daniel, the innocent lady, Susanna would undergo a similar experience…
… of being condemned and doomed to death!

But the Wisdom of the Lord would shine through the young boy Daniel…
… and innocent life was saved!

Susanna trusted in the mighty Providence of God…
… and her hopes would not be disappointed; she would not be left in desolation.

These are times when our world is going through immense difficulty

With hope, let us renew our love and faith in the Lord…
… trusting that the Mighty Hand of the Lord will deliver us from every “hopeless and fearful” situation!

Yes, life may very often reduce us also to the same state as this one who was accused.

We may find ourselves crushed….broken…accused… abandoned…shamed!

But the Lord, still gives us a chance….

Shall we not…
…. pick up the broken pieces of our life…
… fill the spaces in our emptiness…
… and start it, all over again?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
By revealing His Name, God at the same time reveals his faithfulness which is from everlasting to everlasting, valid for the past (“I am the God of your father”), as for the future (“I will be with you”).

God, who reveals his name as “I AM”, reveals himself as the God who is always there, present to his people in order to save them.
Faced with God’s fascinating and mysterious presence, man discovers his own insignificance. Before the burning bush, Moses takes off his sandals and veils his face in the presence of God’s holiness.
Because God is holy, he can forgive the man who realizes that he is a sinner before him: “I will not execute my fierce anger. . . for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst.”
The apostle John says likewise: “We shall. . . reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
Out of respect for the holiness of God, the people of Israel do not pronounce his name. In the reading of Sacred Scripture, the revealed name (YHWH) is replaced by the divine title “LORD” (in Hebrew Adonai, in Greek Kyrios). It is under this title that the divinity of Jesus will be acclaimed: “Jesus is LORD.” (CCC # 203-204)

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Burying bury ourselves with our Crucified Lord so that we can experience the Salvific Power of Christ, Who was willing to ‘be the Grain of Wheat that was sown, to bring Life to all!’”

(Based on Jer 31:31-34, Heb 5:7-9 and Jn 12:20-33: 5th Sunday of Lent, Year B)

Little Tommy – all of 7 years – enjoyed hearing stories of the past.

Once on a visit to his grandfather, he asked his knowledgeable grandpa to narrate a story. And Old Grandpa:
“What I want to tell today, is not a story actually, but something that existed a few decades back.

This is the wonderful phenomenon about a place called Handkerchief Pool in Yellowstone Park (in West US).

The speciality of this pool is this:
If you drop your handkerchief – dirtied and dusted – on its surface…
… down to the bottom will it descend

Then a current will draw it out of sight.

You will think you have lost your handkerchief.

But in a little while, the honest pool will hand back your handkerchief…
… neat, clean and unsoiled!

All that you need to do is to take an iron rod, pick up the handkerchief…
… and voila! You will find that all the stains are gone!”

Hearing this interesting aspect, Tommy’s mother replied:
“And Tommy, that’s also such a beautiful way for us to understand, that if we are willing to allow the ‘dirtied handkerchief of our life’ to be immersed into the pool of God’s Grace…
… we would emerge clean and neat!”

All of us are invited to immerse our life – stained and dirtied by sin…
… into the cleansing pool of God’s Grace

It is this “burying of ourselves” that will help us to experience the Salvific Power of Christ, Who was willing to “be the Grain of Wheat that was sown, to bring Life to all!”

We are on the last Sunday before the Holy Week.

The days of the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection are slowly approaching.

Some Greeks come to Jesus with a desire to meet the Lord and they express this longing to Philip.

Philip takes this appeal along to Andrew, who together approach Jesus with this request.

It’s interesting that both Philip and Andrew are Greek names…

The Greeks must have felt more inclined and at home to talk to them.

When Jesus hears this desire of the Greeks, He declares that “His Hour” has come…
He came to the world to draw all people to Himself

In Jn 12:19, the Pharisees had complained that “the whole world was running after Him”.

And here indeed, this fact was being exhibited, with the Greeks, who represented the Gentile world, seeking the Lord.

But the Lord, as always, with His Divine and Amazing Wisdom, confounded the earthly request with a higher purpose.

The Greeks had certainly expressed their desire to see the Lord.

But what was the motive?

It is not known clearly….
… maybe because they were amazed at Jesus’ teaching and sought Him as one of their own great Greek philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle etc
… maybe because they were fascinated at Jesus’ wonders and desired to meet Him expecting some miracles and healings.

But the Lord, always loves to bring attention to the real and needed aspects of life.

He tells them, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain. But if it dies, it produces much fruit” (Jn 12: 24)

With this example from nature, the Lord points out that Sacrifice is the true way to salvation and redemption.

There is no blessing, without making a sacrifice.
There is no salvation, without shedding of blood.
There is no redemption, without undergoing pain.

This group of Greeks – the Gentiles – also reminds us of three men from the East, the Magi, who were also Gentiles and had come to meet the Lord.

And there are striking similarities between them:

The Magi came, just a few days after the Saviour of the world was born…

The Greeks came, just a few days before the Saviour of the world was to die.

The Magi sought the Lord with these words, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” (Mt 2:2)…

The Greeks, sought the Lord with a similar desire, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus” (Jn 12:21)

The Magi’s desire was answered with a shocking humiliation: seeing the Son of God, stripped of all His glory and laid on the wood of an ordinary manger as a tiny babe.

The Greek’s desire would be also answered with a shocking humiliation: seeing the Saviour of the world, stripped of even His earthly protection, and laid on the wood of an ordinary cross as a miserable criminal!

Yes, suffering and pain was the way that the Lord had chosen to redeem and save the world!

The Cross was to be the ultimate symbol that was to draw all people to Himself (Jn 12:32)

As we slowly approach the Holy Week, let us take time, therefore…
… to meditate deeper on the Holy Cross and the sufferings that He underwent for us.
… to look at His Holy Cross, for sometime, everyday, in order to become more like Him.
… to hold His Holy Cross close to our hearts, that we may experience true transformation.
… to live His Holy Cross in our own life situations and bring healing and peace to our world.

Our lives are indeed, often dirtied and soiled

This “dirtied and soiled handkerchief of our life” needs an immersion into the pool of God’s Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness!

Sometimes, we feel that it is too tough to approach the Lord…
… and even feel that “we will lose our handkerchief!”

But the Lord assures, that if we are willing to be patient and trusting…
… willing to resign ourselves to His Mercy

Then we will have the experience of getting back the “handkerchief of our life” neat, clean and unsoiled!

Let us dare to “bury ourselves with our Crucified Lord” so that we can experience the Salvific Power of Christ, Who was willing to “be the Grain of Wheat that was sown, to bring Life to all!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
GOD – I AM WHO I AM!
God called Moses from the midst of a bush that burned without being consumed: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

God is the God of the fathers, the One who had called and guided the patriarchs in their wanderings. >> He is the faithful and compassionate God who remembers them and His promises.
He comes to free their descendants from slavery.
He is the God Who, from beyond space and time, can do this and wills to do it
… the God Who will put His Almighty Power to work for this plan.
In revealing his mysterious name, YHWH (“I AM HE WHO IS”, “I AM WHO AM” or “I AM WHO I AM”), God says Who He Is and by what Name He Is to be called.
This Divine Name is mysterious…
… just as God is mystery.
It is at once a Name revealed and something like the refusal of a name, and hence it better expresses God as what he is – infinitely above everything that we can understand or say: He is the “hidden God”, His Name is ineffable, and He is the God Who makes himself close to men. (CCC # 205-206)

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“Being convinced in the Lord of Truth and passionate for the Lord of Truth!”

(Based on Jer 11:18-20 and Jn 7:40-52 – Saturday of the 4th Week in Lent)

Christianity and the teachings of the Catholic Church have baffled and amazed many people.

Some have even tried – even violently – to find alternatives for the same…
… only to realise, that a genuine search for the Truth would lead them to Christianity and the Catholic Church!

One such person who rejected Christianity for the sake of “finding the truth” was G.K. Chesterton.

Chesterton sought to formulate the one blanket philosophy that could explain everything as everything is…
… because he did not believe Christianity or any other modern worldview to be completely it.

He was after the “master key of philosophies,” for he was certain no one had yet found it.

Eventually he knitted together a philosophy that appeared to be wholly true and sane and sensible…
… only to discover that his discovered philosophy of sanity was, in fact, not his – it was the Truth already taught by the Church!

In his own words, “I tried to be some ten minutes in advance of the truth.

And I found that I was eighteen hundred years behind it!”

G.K. Chesterton would later say, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”

The Christian Ideal indeed demands living with convictions…
… in the midst of opposing views and interpretations.

Jesus, the Master – the Truth Incarnate – lived this life of conviction…
… and in the face of oppositions and worldly thought-patterns, He became a sign of “contradictions and paradox!”

And therefore Christ had to undergo varied responses from those who encountered Him…
… very few understood Him, a little
… many of them failed to understand Him
… many of them even badly misunderstood Him

He remained The Truth – yet, the sign of contradiction.

The Gospel of the Day presents this deep contradiction that was experienced by the people of His time – including the religious leaders.

The passage records two conversations:

The first one among the crowd

The second one among the chief priests and the Pharisees

Both have a similar subject: Jesus.

Both have a similar dilemma: Confusion about Jesus.

The people in the crowd were confused in recognizing who really Jesus was.

The words of the Lord were so authoritative and astonishing that some considered Him as a prophet revisited and some even seeing Him as the Messiah (Jn 7:41).

However, others were not convinced and they began to debate on the origin of the Messiah.

The second conversation, between the chief priests and Pharisees, was not just about some personal opinions, but involved the proper following of the Law as well.

Nicodemus, the one who had met Jesus, one night, however, began to defend Jesus.

It was to him, that Jesus, on that night, had told, one of the most loved verses, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16)

After his encounter with the Truth-Incarnate, Nicodemus….
… the genuine seeker of truth, had the spark in his heart, kindled by the Lord of Love.
… the honest searcher of reality, had the longing within, nourished by the Lord of Holiness.

And so he stood firm and bold, to defend the One whom he perceived as the Truth!

But here, one also gets to see the deep hatred that was grooming in the minds of the leaders…

Nicodemus told that, in judging Jesus, it was necessary to follow the Law properly: “Does our law condemn a person, before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” (Jn 7:51)

He did not say that he agreed with Jesus…

He did not say that he denied Jesus could be a criminal…

All he said was to follow the law – to be just and fair!

But that statement provoked the anger of the other blinded-and-obstinate religious leaders!

The forces of confusion and dilemma watered him down, and contradictions reigned galore!

Where there is the proclamation of truth, there is the presence of many false screams, seeking to drown it hard!

Where there is the defence of truth, there is the defiance of many evil forces, wanting to do away with it!

Jeremiah, the Prophet foretold this “opposition to the Truth” that Jesus would encounter:
“But I was like a gentle lamb, led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me, they devised schemes, saying, ‘Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more!’” (Jer 11:18)

Jesus is a sign of contractions.

He is The Truth.

In His presence, no lie can stand.
In His presence, no evil can withstand.

But it is this confusion, that can lead a person to understand the reality, if one is open and honest!

Yes, it’s pretty strange that sometimes contradictions that can actually help us to recognize The Truth!

Georges Bataille, a French intellectual and literary figure writes, “I believe that truth has only one face: that of a violent contradiction”

The Lord – the Truth Incarnate is ready to reveal Himself to those open at heart and honest in seeking Him.

Are we ready to learn more from Him and to know Him more?

Are we ready to draw the waters of Holiness from the Fountain of Truth?
Are we ready to blaze our lives with the fire of passionate love from the Furnace of Truth?

Let us not be…
… confused by the Lord who was the sign of contradiction.
… puzzled by the Lord who was the sign of paradoxes.

Instead, let us be…
… convinced in the Lord of Truth!
… passionate for the Lord of Truth!

Let us reminded of the fact that a genuine search for the Truth would always lead to Christianity and the Catholic Church!

God bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
GOD REVEALS HIS NAME

God revealed Himself to His people Israel by making His Name known to them.
A name expresses a person’s essence and identity and the meaning of this person’s life.
God has a Name; He is not an anonymous force.
To disclose one’s name is to make oneself known to others…
… in a way it is to hand oneself over by becoming accessible
… capable of being known more intimately and addressed personally.
God revealed himself progressively and under different names to his people…
…. but the revelation that proved to be the fundamental one for both the Old and the New Covenants was the revelation of the Divine Name to Moses in the theophany of the burning bush
… on the threshold of the Exodus and of the covenant on Sinai. (CCC # 203-204)

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Trusting in their Heavenly protection and intercession of St Joseph, and in turn, being a protector and defender to one other!”

(Based on the Solemnity of St Joseph)

The early American Indians had a unique ritual in their training of young boys to be brave and strong in their lives.

The evening of the boy’s thirteenth birthday, would consist of the final test, after having learnt hunting, exploration, fishing and other skills.

The boy was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night all alone.

Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe.

But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.

When the blindfold was taken off, he would find himself in the midst of the thick woods…
… and he would be terrified!

Every time a branch snapped or something fell, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce.

His heart would pound with fear…

He would seek for some consolation, but would find none…
He would long to feel safe again, but the wait seemed to be an unending one…

After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest…

Looking around, the boy saw the wild flowers, lush trees, and the outline of the path.

Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow.

Guess who it was?

It was his father!

He had been there all night long.

The boy had been unaware, but the father was always there, to make an intervention, in case of any eventuality of danger.

The protection of the father encircled the child, irrespective of whether the boy was aware or not.

Such is the tremendous protection and security of God, our Loving Father.

In the fullness of time, when God, the Father decided to send His Beloved Son to the earth, for the redemption of humankind, He had to entrust the care of His Precious Child to the protection and care of a human father…

And it was St Joseph who was chosen to be assigned this task and responsibility of being the caretaker and protector of Jesus, the Son of God!

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Faithful and Just Protector of Jesus – St Joseph.

Just as God had entrusted Him to be the protector of the body of Jesus while on earth, St Joseph is also the protector and patron of His Body on the earth today, the Holy Church.

St Joseph in fulfilling his task of being the protector of Jesus, teaches us a few lessons…

1. He was ever prompt to the voice of the Lord
   In his moments of confusion, he was still open to the promptings of the Spirit.
   “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him…” (Mt 1:24)

Am I docile to the inspirations of the Lord, so as to be in greater tune with the Will of God?

2. His love was attentive to the needs of the Divine Child and the Mother
   St Joseph was ready to make any sacrifice for the sake of protecting Jesus and Mary.

He was willing…
… to undergo societal humiliations
… to bear physical hardships of travelling, migration, lack of comforts etc
… to be prudent to the socio-political situations and make decisions in favour of the family

Does love prompt me to be attentive and sensitive to the needs of others, and cause me to make sacrifices towards the good of the other?

3. A willingness to be playing the “backdrop role” in the great drama of salvation
   St Joseph, was privileged to be sharing the most intimate presence with the two holiest persons of this world – Jesus, the Son of God and Mary, the Immaculate Mother.

Yet, it also meant that Joseph had to stay away from the limelight of glory and be the “silent yet impactful” figure of the salvation history.

Do I have the courageous humility to take up any role that the Lord entrusts me, in His plan of salvation – be it shorn of fame, littleness in glamour or even subject to awkwardness, uncertainty or dislikeness?

4. He was ready to give up his personal decisions and doubts in obedience to the voice of God
   St Joseph was not afraid to shed his own personal concerns, anxieties and even doubts, when asked to be part of the mysterious redemptive plan of God.

There were many things that were not understood by him…

There were a lot of factors that prompted him to question and confront..

Yet, He had the deep daring to keep them all aside – because he was convinced that God’s mighty hand was at work, in them all.

Am I willing to place my faith in God and follow my vocation faithfully…
… even though circumstances around me maybe uncertain, the future looks bleak
… and my own reasonable thinking may see situations and people as being illogical, unscientific and irrational?

As St. Alphonsus Liguori says, “We should, indeed, honour St. Joseph, since the Son of God Himself was graciously pleased to honour him by calling him father.

If the King of kings was pleased to raise Joseph to so high a dignity, it is right and obligatory on our part to endeavour to honour him as much as we can!”

St Francis de Sales, the Gentleman Saint teaches us: “What more remains for us to say now, except that we cannot doubt at all that this glorious saint (St Joseph) has great influence in heaven…
… Oh how happy shall we be, if we can merit a share in his holy intercession!

He will obtain for us, if we have confidence in him, a holy growth in all kinds of virtues, but especially in those that we have found that he possessed in a higher degree than any others…
… which are most holy purity of body and mind, the most lovable virtue of humility, constancy, courage and perseverance!”

The Lord protects us, no matter how fearful the external situations are…

St Joseph protected the Little Divine Babe and His Mother, despite hardships and trials…

Shall we also not trust in their Heavenly protection, and in turn, be a protector and defender to each other?

Happy Feast of St Joseph, the Just Worker in God’s Plan of Redemption.

Glorious Blessings of Jesus, his Precious Child – the Way, the Truth and the Life
Heavenly Intercessions of Mary – his loving Spouse and our affectionately protecting Mother

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD

“I believe in One God” – These are the words with which the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed begins.
The confession of God’s oneness, which has its roots in the divine revelation of the Old Covenant, is inseparable from the profession of God’s existence and is equally fundamental.
God is unique; there is only one God: “The Christian faith confesses that God is one in nature, substance and essence.”
To Israel, his chosen, God revealed himself as the only One: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
Through the prophets, God calls Israel and all nations to turn to him, the one and only God: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. ‘Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength.’”
Jesus himself affirms that God is “the one Lord” whom you must love “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”.
At the same time Jesus gives us to understand that he himself is “the Lord”. To confess that Jesus is Lord is distinctive of Christian faith. This is not contrary to belief in the One God. Nor does believing in the Holy Spirit as “Lord and giver of life” introduce any division into the One God. (CCC # 200-202)

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“Daring to display the ‘spirit of leadership’ like Jesus our Master, by seeking to be true and faithful, rather than just be popular!”

(Based on Exod 32:7-14 and Jn 5:31-47 – Thursday of the 4th Week in Lent)

Written on the stone pavements of a street in a remote village are the following words:
“One of the evils of this modern day, is the scarcity of men and women in places of leadership who are willing to speak their convictions…
… at the risk of popularity!”

Christian life is a constant challenge between two aspects: Being Popular or being Right!

There is a constant challenge to stand against prospects of gaining false fame and phony popularity, by compromising on one’s Christian ideologies and values.

Can we be Christians…
… who value one’s integrity for Christ’s sake, than to compromise one’s principles and turn popular?
… who give priority to being honest for the Lord’s honour, than to dilute one’s ethics and gain cheap fame?

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus who stood firm and rock-solid, in his mission commitment, even in the face of opposition, indifference and apathy from the Jews.

The context of today’s Gospel Passage – Jn 5:31-47 – is the aftermath of the Healing of the Crippled Man by the pool of Bethesda, on the Sabbath Day (Jn 5:1-18)

This incident had sparked a rage of opposition against Jesus…

He was persecuted because the act of healing was done on the Sabbath (Jn 5: 16)
His defense caused the Jews to kill Him, because Jesus equated Himself with God (Jn 5:18)

There was a strong wave of antagonism and hostility, against Jesus…
… that was pressurizing Him to compromise His teachings
….that was coercing Him to dilute His principles

But Jesus stood firm and rock-solid, in his mission commitment, even in the face of opposition, indifference and apathy from the Jews.

He therefore presents before the Jews, witnesses which would testify to Him, to His Divinity.
He uses the language of a courtroom – “witnesses” – to prove His credibility as the Divine Person

Our Christian Life is a constant challenge..
… to let go of our values and principles
… to compromise on our efforts and mission works

But we need to be inspired and imitate our Blessed Lord…
… Who was unwilling to let go of His Commitment and Dedication to the Mission

Let this Gospel Passage challenge and inspire us…
.. to remain ever uncompromising in our Christian Life.

To stand for God and His Kingdom
To live to share His Love and Mercy

Yes…
…. “one of the evils of this modern day, is the scarcity of men and women in places of leadership who are willing to speak their convictions…
… at the risk of popularity!”

Let us dare to show this “spirit of leadership” like Jesus our Master…
… by seeking to be true and faithful, rather than just be popular!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER

Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of everything.
The Credo begins with God the Father…
… for the Father is the First Divine Person of the Most Holy Trinity
Our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth…
… for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works.
“I believe in God”: this first affirmation of the Apostles’ Creed is also the most fundamental.
The whole Creed speaks of God, and when it also speaks of man and of the world it does so in relation to God.
The other articles of the Creed all depend on the first…
… just as the remaining Commandments make the first explicit.
The other articles help us to know God better as he revealed himself progressively to men. (CCC # 198-199)

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“Creating ‘beautiful paintings’ of God’s Love and Mercy in this world by the Power of the Master”

(Based on Isa 49:8-15 and Jn 5:17-30 – Wednesday of the 4th Week in Lent)

After the death of a great painter a young Italian boy went to the painting studio and asked for the great artist’s brush.

The boy tried the brush…
but found he could not paint any better with it than with his own.

It was then he realized…
… the power of painting, was not in the brush

It was in the Master!

The boy lacked the master’s power.

It was the Power of the Master that created the beautiful paintings.

Jesus, displayed immense strength and courage…
… as a result of His Powerful Union with His Father!

This Power led Him to create “beautiful paintings” of Mercy and Love in the world.

The Gospel of the Day is an amazing revelation by Jesus on His relationship with the Father.

This passage has its background in the healing that Jesus performed on a Sabbath day, of a man who had been ill for a very long time – thirty-eight years (Jn 5: 1-16).

When the Jews found out from the healed person, that it was Jesus who had done this work, they were extremely furious.

Their objection was that…
… Jesus had done this miracle on a Sabbath
… Jesus had made the person to perform a work – of carrying the mat – on the Sabbath day.

They, therefore, began to persecute Jesus (Jn 5: 16).

But Jesus brought out a fair logic in defending Himself, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work” (Jn 5:17)

• Jesus equates Himself to the Father….
• Jesus establishes Himself as the Son of God…

And He draws the point, that just as, on the Sabbath Day, His Father….
… creates and sustains, so is He renewing and bringing life to the world!
… supplies life and maintains, so is He nourishing and refreshing the world!

• Jesus, as the Son has every right and privilege to engage in life-saving works, just as His Father
• Jesus, as the Son has every justification and claim to do life-redeeming works, just as His Father

As followers of Jesus, we are to be the extension of His life-saving and redeeming works in the world…
… Am I willing to become a person, filled the power of the Lord, in order to bring healing to the world, by my deeds of kindness and goodness?
… Am I willing to become an extension of the Lord, imbued with His spirit, in order to spread His love and mercy to our broken and struggling world?

As followers of Jesus, we need to have the proper and true understanding of the Sabbath…
• The Sabbath is a day of solemn rest, holy to the Lord…
… Do I give it to the Lord, entirely, engaging only in deeds that help me come closer to Him?

• The Sabbath is a memorial of Israel’s liberation from bondage in Egypt
… Do I remind myself of being a person to be liberated from the bondage of sin, and seeking to grow in holiness?

• The Sabbath is sign of the irrevocable covenant between God and human beings…
… Do I renew the spirit of this pledge and promise to the Lord with salvific deeds of love?

Let us deepen our relationship and grow in our efforts to be more in union with the Lord…
… the One who guides the world, the One who sustains each of us and the One who fills life in all!

Jesus, displayed immense strength and courage…
… as a result of His Powerful Union with His Father!

This Power led Him to create “beautiful paintings” of Mercy and Love in the world.

Let us also realize that it is only by “the Power of the Master that we can create the ‘beautiful paintings’ of God’s Love and Mercy in this world”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE CREED

Through the centuries many professions or symbols of faith have been articulated in response to the needs of the different eras.
None of the creeds from the different stages in the Church’s life can be considered superseded or irrelevant.
They help us today to attain and deepen the faith of all times.
Among all the creeds, two occupy a special place in the Church’s life:
… The Apostles’ Creed is so called because it is rightly considered to be a faithful summary of the apostles’ faith. It is the ancient baptismal symbol of the Church of Rome. Its great authority arises from this fact: it is “the Creed of the Roman Church, the See of Peter the first of the apostles, to which he brought the common faith”.
… The Niceno-Constantinopolitan or Nicene Creed draws its great authority from the fact that it stems from the first two ecumenical Councils (in 325 and 381). It remains common to all the great Churches of both East and West to this day.
Our presentation of the faith will follow the Apostles’ Creed, which constitutes, as it were, “the oldest Roman catechism”.
As on the day of our Baptism, when our whole life was entrusted to the “standard of teaching”, let us embrace the Creed of our life-giving faith. To say the Credo with faith is to enter into communion with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and also with the whole Church which transmits the faith to us and in whose midst we believe.
This Creed is the spiritual seal, our heart’s meditation and an ever-present guardian; it is, unquestionably, the treasure of our soul. (CCC # 192-197)

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“Being proactive, and ready ‘to rise, take up our mats, and walk!’”

(Based on Ezek 47:1-9, 12 and Jn 5:1-3, 5-16 – Tuesday of the 4th Week in Lent)

“The seven habits of highly effective people” by Stephen Covey is one of the most popular best-selling book in the world.

The book speaks of seven prime qualities to tap success in life and to achieve one’s objectives and aims.

The first among these seven habits of highly effective people is “to be proactive” in life.

Problems beset every person in this world.
Difficulties surround all of us, in every society.
But, the one who is “proactive” in life, is able to get over these “paralyzing” factors of life.

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful presentation of this aspect: On how to have our heads raised up, in hope and trust, despite many crushing and crippling causes in life.

Jesus is in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover.

As he passed through the town, he came near a pool, named Bethzatha.

Jesus encounters a person there, who has been ill for a very long period… thirty eight years! (Jn 5:5)

We are not exactly told what illness was it…

Probably a paralyzing illness… a cripple of the legs… or even a combination of many other sicknesses.

But one thing is known: this sickness made the person to not walk!

The sickness had immobilized him.
But more than his physical body, it seems, that the sickness had crippled also his mind:

His way of thinking seemed jammed in having hope in life…
His outlook to life seemed blurred to see optimism and hope…
His perspective of people seemed to distort his confidence and trust…

When Jesus questions the man, “Do you want to be well?” the man answers not with a positive affirmation or an optimistic assertion.

Instead he begins to get into a complaining and a pitiable mode, “Sir, I have no one… ” (Jn 5: 7)

A ray of hope was offered to him…
… but instead the man continued to see only the dark clouds.

A glimpse of joy was revealed to him…
… but instead the man persisted on the sad aspects alone.

The long period of sickness had blotted his vision and faded his hopes.

But the Lord – the ever-challenging God – does not allow the man to remain in this unfortunate and “look-on-me-with-sympathy-please” mode…

Instead, Jesus charges him, “Rise, take up your mat and walk” (Jn 5:8)

And immediately the man became well, took up his mat and walked!

The presence of the Lord vanished away the man’s doubts and lame excuses…

The man became proactive…
… casting away his attitude of complaining to become a person of courage
… dropping off his crippling attitude of “none-to-help” and picking up the mat of power and grace

Problems beset each of us in this world.
Difficulties surround all of us, at various times and situations
But, the one who is “proactive” in life, is able to get over these “paralyzing” factors of life!

Jesus gives us this courage and the hope to be “proactive” in life, with His grace and mercy.

Pro-activity is not a mere human attitude of determination…
… it is an action spurred by the mighty love and mercy of the Lord.

Pro-activity is not a mere individual display of willpower and resolve…
… it is an approach, impelled by a tremendous faith and hope in the Lord.

You and I, very often may find ourselves in crippling situations of life.

We may keep on lying down…
We may keep on being a “complaint-box”
We may keep on blaming people and situations…

Or…

We may raise up our heads to see the Lord challenging us to walk…
We may garner strength and courage and be bold to pick up our mats of suffering…
We may imbue ourselves with the Lord’s power to never let anything cripple our minds..

Shall we be ready, “to rise, take up our mats, and walk?”

The choice is ours…

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
PROFESSION OF FAITH
The first “profession of faith” is made during Baptism.

The symbol of faith is first and foremost the baptismal creed…
… since Baptism is given “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
The truths of faith professed during Baptism are articulated in terms of their reference to the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
The Creed is divided into three parts…
… the first part speaks of the first divine Person and the wonderful work of creation
… the next speaks of the second divine Person and the mystery of his redemption of men
… the final part speaks of the third divine Person, the origin and source of our sanctification.
These are the three chapters of our [baptismal] seal.
These three parts are distinct although connected with one another. According to a comparison often used by the Fathers, we call them articles.
Indeed, just as in our bodily members there are certain articulations which distinguish and separate them, so too in this profession of faith, the name “articles” has justly and rightly been given to the truths we must believe particularly and distinctly.
In accordance with an ancient tradition, already attested to by St. Ambrose, it is also customary to reckon the articles of the Creed as twelve, thus symbolizing the fullness of the apostolic faith by the number of the apostles. (CCC # 189-191)

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“Staying calm and happy by having a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!

(Based on Is 65:17-21 and Jn 4:43-54 – Monday of the 4th Week in Lent)

There was once a good woman who was well-known among her circle for her simple faith and her great calmness in the midst of many trials.

Another woman, living across the street, hearing of her, said, “I must go and see that woman, and learn the secret of her calm, happy life.”

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

“No,” was the answer!

“I am not the woman with the great faith, but I am the woman with a little faith in the great God,” came the rest of the answer!

Yes, the secret of “staying calm and happy” is about having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

The Gospel of the Day presents an incident of a “person who stayed calm and happy” by having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

Jesus is in the land of Galilee…away from his hometown. (Jn 4:43)

In this Gentile land, a royal official whose son was ill – nearing death – approached Jesus, seeking for a healing.

He travelled a far distance – nearly 25 miles, from Capernaum to Galilee – and coming to Jesus, he asked, “Sir, come down, before my child dies” (Jn 4: 49)

This royal official had a mixed bag of faith…

He had faith in Jesus, which made him to come a long distance to meet Jesus.
… his faith was however, mostly prompted only because of a need for a healing.

Often our faith resembles this royal official…
… turning to the Lord only in times of afflictions and troubles
… having our own doubts on whether the Lord can really work miracle in the way I want

But we must also remember…
… hard and difficult situations, are willed by God, to allow for miracles and healings, which ought to become the springboard for a deeper and committed life of faith!
… the Lord has His own ways and means of working powerfully in our lives, and we need to have the openness and humility to receive them in His way and in His time!

When the Lord gave His word, “You may go; your son will live” (Jn 4:50), this royal official, with a mixed bag of faith…
… began to understand the secret of “staying calm and happy” by having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

The Gospel says, “… the man believed what Jesus said to him and left” (Jn 4: 50b)

Moments of immense difficulties and crisis often cripple us.
Times of tremendous hardships and pains often cause worries to us.
But, the Lord constantly invites us “to stay calm and happy” by having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

It’s His grace that strengthens us.

It’s His mercy that empowers us.

Shall we also adopt and personalize this great secret…
… of “staying calm and happy” by having “a simple and a little faith, in the Great and Big God!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
Whoever says “I believe” says “I pledge myself to what we believe.”

Communion in faith needs a common language of faith, normative for all and uniting all in the same confession of faith.
From the beginning, the apostolic Church expressed and handed on her faith in brief formulae normative for all.
But already very early on, the Church also wanted to gather the essential elements of her faith into organic and articulated summaries, intended especially for candidates for Baptism:
This synthesis of faith was not made to accord with human opinions, but rather what was of the greatest importance was gathered from all the Scriptures, to present the one teaching of the faith in its entirety…
… and just as the mustard seed contains a great number of branches in a tiny grain
… so too this summary of faith encompassed in a few words the whole knowledge of the true religion contained in the Old and the New Testaments.
Such syntheses are called “professions of faith” since they summarize the faith that Christians profess.
They are called “creeds” on account of what is usually their first word in Latin: credo (“I believe”). They are also called “symbols of faith”.
The Greek word symbolon meant half of a broken object – the broken parts were placed together to verify the bearer’s identity.
The symbol of faith, is a sign of recognition and communion between believers.
Symbolon also means a gathering, collection or summary. A symbol of faith is a summary of the principal truths of the faith and therefore serves as the first and fundamental point of reference for catechesis. (CCC # 185-188)

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“Embracing the Cross and being enamoured by the Love of our Crucified Lover!”

(Based on 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23, Eph 2:4-10 and Jn 3:14-21 – 4th Sunday of Lent, Year B)

A story is told of a lady who was very much zealous in telling about Jesus Christ to the world.

This lady was blind and illiterate…
… and yet found different ways to spread the Gospel.

One day, she went to a missionary priest and asked for a copy of the Bible in French.

When she got it, she asked the missionary to underline John 3:16, in red, and mark the page, so that she could find it.
(Jn 3:16 = “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Son…that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Eternal Life!”)

The missionary wanted to see what she would do with this Bible that was marked with red…
… and so he followed her.

The lady went in the late afternoon to a school…
… and made her way to the entrance.

As the school children came out, she would stop one of them and ask if he knew how to read French.

If the boy would say “Yes” she would ask him to read the verse that was marked in red.

Then she would ask, “Do you know what this means?”…
… and then go on to tell him more about Jesus Christ and living a Life in the Lord!

The missionary priest would later testify that this lady led nearly a couple of dozen boys to become missionaries of the Lord!

The tremendous love, in the heart of woman, for Christ, triggered in her a deep desire to reach out God’s Love to many many more people in her life.

As followers of Christ, each of us are bound to tell the world about the Precious Life of “Living in God!”

How well are we doing our Duty of Proclaiming God to the world?

This proclamation of the Lord comes when one has a passionate love for Christ.

The Gospel of the Day presents this love of God that has been gifted to all of us, by the death of Christ on the Cross.

The Cross is indeed, the great, big and beautiful symbol of God’s Love for all of us!

Every religion and every ideology has its own symbol.

But what makes the symbol of Christianity – the Cross – so unique is that…
… Its founder transformed this instrument of shame into the sign of salvation!
… Its founder not just preached about the symbol, but even embraced it, in obedience and love!

The Cross had cast its shadow on the life of Christ all through…

Wood (symbolic of the ‘Wood of the Cross’) was part of the life of Christ all through…
… the Babe Jesus was laid on the ‘wood of the manger’ by his beloved Parents
… the Boy Jesus worked with ‘wood in the workshop’ of His carpenter father, Joseph
… the Brave Jesus would use the ‘wood of the boat’, as His Pulpit to preach the Word of God
The Beloved Jesus would finally be laid on the “wood of the Cross” in total obedience to His Father!

This is what the Lord foretold Nicodemus…
… as we see in today’s Gospel Passage: ” And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (Jn 3: 14)

Jesus makes a reference to the Old Testament incident as found in the Book of Numbers (Num 21: 4b-9)…

The people grew disinterested and dissipated by their journey and began to grumble
However, God in His mercy, offered a bronze serpent, mounted on a pole…
… for deliverance from the punishments of their sin

This bronze serpent would be a typography of the Cross of Christ!

Just as the bronze serpent came to the rescue of the people of Israel, the Cross of Christ comes to our rescue…
… but with a much greater reward – of salvation!
… with a much greater consolation – of the peace of Christ!

We too, often grow disinterested and dissipated in our journey of life and begin to grumble

Our sin of disobedience and lack of trust in God’s Will, brings us punishments of various kinds.

However, God in His mercy, offers us Christ Crucified, mounted on the Cross…
… for deliverance from the punishments of our sin!

All those who looked at the bronze serpent had lived…

All of us, who will look at Christ Crucified on the Cross, will live forever!

Our modernistic world has notoriously and pragmatically misuses the Cross:

Fashionists have the symbol of Christianity stylishly displayed all over themselves..
… as jewellery hanging round their necks, ears, wrists etc
… as tattoos imprinted on the various body parts
… as drawings on various objects of worldly use

The Cross is often found to be degraded and despised as merely…
… an ornament of show
… a pattern of beautification
… a statement of raging and crazy style

But the Cross of Christ transcends all these…

And, we Christians, today, need to be zealous, to restore the Cross, the Symbol of Christianity to its original sense…
… The Symbol of Hope and Salvation
… The Symbol of Unconditional Love
… The Symbol of Unfathomable Mercy

St Francis de Sales beautifully reminds us:
“If you wish to learn how to love God, come to Calvary.

Jesus Christ on His Cross will teach you!
Mount Calvary is the Mount of lovers!
All love which does not take its origin from the Passion of the Saviour, is foolish and dangerous!
Love and death are eternally blended together in the Passion of the Saviour!”

The Cross is indeed the great reminder of the tremendous and faithful Love of the Lord for all of us: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have Eternal Life!” (Jn 3:16)

It is this tremendous love, in our hearts, that can trigger a deep desire to reach out God’s Love to many many more people in our lives.

As followers of Christ, each of us are bound to tell the world about the Precious Life of “Living in God!”

Are we ready to Proclaim God’s Word to the world?

Come, let us embrace the Cross and be enamoured by the Love of our Crucified Lover!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
ONE CATHOLIC FAITH

Through the centuries, in so many languages, cultures, peoples and nations, the Church has constantly confessed this one faith, received from the one Lord, transmitted by one Baptism, and grounded in the conviction that all people have only one God and Father.
For though languages differ throughout the world, the content of the Tradition is one and the same. The Church’s message “is true and solid…
… in which one and the same way of salvation appears throughout the whole world.”
We guard with care the faith that we have received from the Church, for without ceasing, under the action of God’s Spirit, this deposit of great price, as if in an excellent vessel, is constantly being renewed…
… and causes the very vessel that contains it to be renewed. (CCC # 172-175)

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“Casting away pride and embracing humility and dependence on God!”

(Based on Hos 5:15-6:6 and Lk 18:9-14 – Saturday of the 3rd Week in Lent)

Let’s begin with a simple question today….

Which is the only disease in the world, which can affect everyone else, except the person himself/herself?

Is the answer too hard to guess?
…
…
Hmm…

Well… the answer is pretty simple…

It is…
Pride!

Pride is the disease that can affect everyone else, except the person himself/herself!
Pride is the sickness that can cause harm to all others, except the one who possess it!

Pride can be a snare to the other, while one enjoys oneself in the false pleasure it gives!

Pride can be a spirit-dampener for the other, while it is an ego-inflator for oneself!

The Gospel of the Day exhorts a strong message on this deadly vice of Pride.

Chapter 18 of the Gospel of St Luke begins with two parables, that teach on the aspect of Prayer.

The parable of the Widow who was persistent (Lk 18: 1-8)
The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18: 9-14)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector have interesting comparisons with respect to the various gestures and actions that they take:

Both go up to the Temple area to pray…

The Pharisee took up his position… the tax collector stood off at a distance
The Pharisee spoke the prayer to himself… the tax collector would not even raise his eyes to heaven
The Pharisee spoke of his personal glories…the tax collector acknowledged being a sinner, in need of mercy.

Though the Gospel doesn’t speak of it, it seems that both, the Pharisee and the tax collector had taken a mirror with themselves, when they went to pray….

A mirror… yeah!

But, the strange fact is that, both of them used the mirror in contrasting manners!

The Pharisee used the mirror and saw his many achievements and accomplishments…
… being unlike the rest of the sinful humanity like the greedy, dishonest or adulterous
… fasting twice a week
… pay tithes on his whole income

The tax collector, also used a mirror… but saw in it, his many failures and shortcomings…
… the moments when he had cheated others to have greater financial gains
… the times he had subjected himself to be a traitor by working against his own people
… the need to seek for God’s mercy acknowledging his sinfulness

Prayer is like a mirror…but it depends on one’s attitude and disposition what one sees…

If one is filled with pride and self-conceit, one sees only one’s accomplishments…
… and thus pushes out God and replaces oneself as the source of all good works!

If one is truly humble and modest, one sees one’s weaknesses and limitations…
… and thus acknowledge the dependence on God and on His grace in life!

Prayer could be made into a time of reciting the litany of one’s great achievements…
…or prayer could be made into a moment of seeking God’s mercy and compassion.

Prayer could be made into an occasion to boast of oneself and put down others…
… or prayer could be made into a moment to see the glittering light of God guiding us.

What is our attitude and disposition?

Am I afflicted with the sickness of pride which makes me to flaunt only myself at the expense of the other?
Am I distressed with the disease of arrogance which makes me to see myself as the greatest person in the world, casting aside all people and even God?

There is something of “this” Pharisee, perhaps, in all of us which needs to be shun…
There is something of “this” tax collector, which needs to be cultivated…

The need to cast away pride and the need to embrace humility and dependence on God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH

We do not believe in formulae, but in those realities they express, which faith allows us to touch.
The believer’s act [of faith] does not terminate in the propositions, but in the realities [which they express].
All the same, we do approach these realities with the help of formulations of the faith which permit us to express the faith and to hand it on…
… to celebrate it in community
… to assimilate and live on it more and more.
The Church, “the pillar and bulwark of the truth”, faithfully guards “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”.
She guards the memory of Christ’s words; it is she who from generation to generation hands on the apostles’ confession of faith.
As a mother who teaches her children to speak and so to understand and communicate, the Church our Mother teaches us the language of faith…
… in order to introduce us to the understanding and the life of faith. (CCC # 170-171)

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