“Being firm and resolute to stand on Christian principles!”

(Based on 2 Cor 5:14-21 and Mt 5:33-37 – Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

A Chinese proverb goes thus: “Do not have each foot on a different boat.”

“Standing on two boats” is a trend that we find in our modern world.
… people taking double standards in their life in the society outside and life at home inside
… friends changing their loyalties to one another depending on the circumstance and situation, for their own favour
… spouses cheating on one another, for their own selfish and sinful pleasures
… business partners entering into secretive contracts with other companies, for unaccounted gains

Many such examples of people not being “true to their words” makes today’s Gospel extremely relevant in our context.

In the Gospel, Jesus says: “Let what you say, simply be ‘Yes’ or “No’” (Mt 5:38)

Continuing the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives His instructions to His disciples, on how one should remain “focused in one’s faith”.

The Sermon on the Mount can be also termed as a “Teaching on Challenging Mediocre Lifestyles”.

Jesus, all through the Sermon on the Mount, picks up various topics…
… anger
… adultery
… divorce
… vows
… love for enemies etc.

And raises the level of their understanding for a Christian.

Today’s Gospel presents Jesus speaking on the topic of “vows and promises”…
… emphasizing on the aspect of remaining focused and clear, in one’s words and deeds.

Jesus categorically declares that for a Christian, there ought to be no “double standards”
… a Yes, ought to be a Sincere Yes
… a No, ought to be a Firm No

A Sincere Yes to God… a Firm No to Satan
A Sincere Yes to Holiness… a Firm No to Sin
A Sincere Yes to the Kingdom of God… a Firm No to the ways of the world

The reason to have this conviction is our Faith and Confidence in the Lord.

He is the Lord Who remains the same always: “Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and forever!” (Heb 13:8)

We need to therefore ask ourselves:

Am I focusing on sincerity and honesty, in my daily actions and words…
… or do I sometimes take “double-standards?”

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 world today clearly promotes and propagates insincerity, unfaithfulness and duplicity.

Glamour and popularity are the motivations
Business-orientations and short-term gains are the catchwords in relationships

In such a “tricky and trying” situation, a Christian is called forth to avoid “standing on two boats”…
… and instead, “be firm and resolute” to stand on Christian Principles.

Our Master Jesus reminds us: “I prepared for 30 years in silent contemplation of the Christian Virtues…
… 3 years in preaching them
… and 3 hours – on the Cross – in standing firmly in defense of them!

What about you?”

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

Becoming a disciple of Jesus means accepting the invitation to belong to God’s family…
… to live in conformity with His way of life:

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother. (CCC # 2233)

“Freeing ourselves from the ‘mprisonment of our appetites’ and experience the “glorious liberty” of the Children of God!”

(Based on 2 Cor 4:7-15 and Mt 5:27-32 – Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

The Canadian author, Thomas Costain in his historical novel “The Three Edwards” speaks of the life of a 14th century Duke named Raynald Ill.

Raynald was extremely overweight and was commonly called by his Latin nickname “Crassus” which meant ‘fat!’

This Duke Raynald, after a violent quarrel, suffered defeat in a revolt by his younger brother Edward.

Edward captured Raynald, but did not kill him.

Instead he imprisoned Raynald in a room in the castle…
… and promised that he could regain his title and property, if he was able to escape from the room.

This task – to escape from the room – would have been pretty simple for most people, since the room had several windows and a door; none of which was locked!

But Raynald had a problem…
… His size… His uncontrolled appetite!

Edward knew his elder brother…
… and He very well knew this weakness as well!

Each day, therefore, Edward send him a variety of delicious foods!

Instead of dieting his way out of the room, he began to relish on the grand food served to him…
… and Raynald grew fatter!!

When Edward was questioned by the people on his cruelty for having captured his elder brother, he would reply, without any qualms:
“My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills.”

The story goes on to say that Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn’t released until after Edward died in battle.

But by then his health was so ruined, that he died within a year!

Raynald died…
… as a prisoner of his own appetite!

How often is this a reality in our spiritual lives as well!

Sin sometimes captures our hearts so much…
.. that we are unwilling to let go, and thus wither in our sinful state

Immorality and transgressions take over our lives so much…
… that we become slaves, and remain much bound to them.

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful call by Jesus to make an honest examination of our state of life, and check whether we are imprisoned by sin…
… especially from the perspective of immorality and decadence in our ethical system.

Our modern society is often a rude and mute witness to many inhuman atrocities and abuses, especially against women.

The world seems to be more and more losing, the sense of sin!

In this context, it’s shocking to read the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading:
“Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery in his heart”! (Mt 5:28)

Jesus’ words pierces through the heart!

He gives no space for lame excuses and silly explanations…
… he hits straight at the target!

SIN consists not in some external actions alone…
… but SIN is conceived and given birth in one’s heart!

When we consider the society in which we live in, we find that…

Immorality is on the rise….

We pass through cities and towns..
We look through newspapers and magazines…
We scan across websites, swanky apps and fancy shops…
… and we find that immorality is, indeed, on the rise!

Immoral pictures, sensual visuals, inhuman portrayal of persons, double-meaning talks have somehow become the order of the day!

We are very often surrounded by filth and lewdness in our society.

Satan, the father of deception scatters the seeds of immorality and lust everywhere!

It’s here, that a Christian needs to be on the watch.

It is our duty as Christians, to preserve our hearts from this dangerous contagion.

The beatitudes tell us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God” (Mt 5: 8)

We have a duty…
… to preserve ourselves from Impurity!
… to protect others in their dignity and honour!
… to awaken the society which is often, deadened in immorality & perversion!

Let us examine our lives and check… “Am I becoming a prisoner of my own appetite?”
… being a slave to lustful thoughts or immoral patterns of attitudes
… being indifferent to a society which strips itself of all dignity in the name of liberty and freedom

The Lord very powerfully challenges us to be totally intolerant to casting away sin and sinful tendencies from our life…

“If your right eye causes you to sin… tear it out and throw it away” (Mt 5: 29)
” If your hand causes you to sin… cut it off and throw it away” (Mt 5: 30)

Sin has no place in a world of mercy and love!

Mercy places an obligation that all sin be rid off!
Love demands that all wrongdoing be cast away!

Let’s awake, Dear Christians…
… purify our world and live in sanctity and holiness.

Let us free ourselves from the “imprisonment of our appetites”…
… and experience the “glorious liberty” of the Children of God!

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Antony of Padua…
… one of the most loved Saints, all over the world.

He is popularly invoked by those who have trouble finding lost objects.

But in own day, he was more popular as the “Hammer of Heretics”…
… due to the powerful witness of his life and preaching.

His words are indeed apt and relevant:
“Anyone, then, who desires to live chastely in Christ Jesus, must flee not only the mouse of lust, but even from its very scent.”

May the Powerful Intercession of the “Hammer of Heretics” – St Antony of Padua…
… help us to always be firm and resolute in our Christian Living.

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

Some forgo marriage in order to care for their parents or brothers and sisters…
… to give themselves more completely to a profession
… or to serve other honorable ends.

They can contribute greatly to the good of the human family. (CCC # 2231)

“Making efforts to be people, who not simply ‘react;’ instead, in patience and gentleness, seek to ‘respond!’”

(Based on 2 Cor 3:15 – 4:1, 3-6 and Mt 5:20-26
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Sinbad the Sailor is a fictional character.

His tales are mostly voyage stories – fantastic adventure stories through the seas of Africa and South Asia.

One of the tales narrates of how Sinbad and his sailors landed on an island.

On arriving, they saw coconuts, high up on the trees; which could very well quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger.

But these coconuts were far beyond their reach.

However, they noticed a large number of monkeys on the branches of the trees.

Soon enough, Sinbad and his men, began to throw stones and sticks up at the apes.

This enraged the monkeys and they began to seize the coconuts…
… and hurl them down at the men on the ground.

This was what Sinbad and his men wanted!

They got the monkeys so angry…
… that they gave in to satisfy the needs of those who made them angry!

This is exactly what anger does…
… we play ourselves, into the hands of those who cause us to lose our temper!

We end up “reacting”…
… than “responding!”

The Gospel of the day is a teaching by Jesus on this very important concern of Christian Life: Anger.

Killing is considered to be a serious evil in every society and every way of life

Killing in its basic form is usually considered only in the sense of the physical body.

But the Lord today presents a higher perspective in the understanding of killing…
“You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill’; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment’. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to the judgment….” (Mt 5: 21)

The Lord expands the understanding of killing beyond the physical body…

A person engages in killing… if, by anger…
… the social standing of the other person is upset
… the emotional state of the other person is wounded
… the spiritual balance of the other person is disturbed

We could understand anger from various perspectives…

1. Anger as Quick temper
   Prov 15:18 says, “An ill-tempered man stirs up strife…”

It is said that speak when one is angry, one makes the best speech that would be regretted much!

Quick temper sometimes…
… forms part of our temperament
… comes even unknowingly
… is instigated by other’s actions

Yet, in all this, one ought to…
… rise quickly from remaining in the state of anger.
… become conscious of the occasions which can excite anger
… see that the temper is not fed or nurtured or intensified

2. Anger which leads to stubbornness
   Eph 4:26: “…. do not let the sun to set on your anger”

Sometimes, the anger within is allowed to grow so much…
… that we get habituated to getting angry for even tiny and trivial matters
… that we lose our peace of mind, and sometimes even become indifferent
… that we choose not to budge from our position or viewpoint and remain adamant

Yet, we need to make efforts…
… to try to overcome our ego and self mentality and seek to make amends with the person
… to lower oneself in humility (even if we are right) and ease the situation of annoyance

Anger needs to be sanctified…channelled in the proper way!

One may feel a ‘just’ anger at….
… the immense corruption in the world and even in religious circles
… the forces of evil that seem to root away even faint traces of hope
… the indifferent and unchanging attitudes and temperaments of people which is sickening.

Yet… even these ought to get channelled properly
… even these ought to be routed in the right manner

Yes… even our just anger needs to be sanctified and purified in the burning furnace of God’s Love.

Anger is indeed a major tendency that is a cause of distress for many of us…
… and a root of many other sins!

There are moments, when anger seizes us and we ‘throw’ ourselves into people…
… ‘throw’ words which are not appropriate
… ‘throw’ emotions that would cause shame and guilt later
… ‘throw’ actions and deeds that would cause pain and injury

Let us make genuine, practical and realistic efforts in the fight to sanctify and purify our anger.

Undoubtedly…
… it is painstaking
… it requires deeper attempts
… it requires committed determination!

But the Lord assures His Grace to help us and His Love to encourage us!

Let us make efforts to be people, who not simply “react”…
… instead, in patience and gentleness, seek to “respond!”

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

This necessary restraint does not prevent them quite the contrary from giving their children judicious advice…

… particularly when they are planning to start a family. (CCC # 2230)

“Being willing to rise up to be the ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light to the world’ so that Christian virtues can be preserved and promoted!”

(Based on 2 Cor 1:18-22 and Mt 5:13-16 – Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Here is a lovely story of a humble little monk named Telemachus living out in the farming regions of Asia.

Telemachus had no great ambitions in life.

He loved his little garden, and tilled it through the changing seasons.

But one day in the year 391, he felt a sense of urgency, a call of God’s direction in his life – to Rome.

Rome was the heart and soul of the mighty empire.

The feelings of such a call frightened him, but he went anyway, praying along the way for God’s direction.

When he finally got to the city it was in an uproar!

The armies of Rome had just come home from the battlefield in victory.

Huge crowds turned out for the great celebration…
… and Telemachus was caught in their frenzy and carried into the Colloseum.

He had never seen a gladiator contest before, but now his heart sickened.

Down in the arena men hacked at each other with swords and clubs.
The crowds roared at the sight of blood, and urged their favorites on to the death.

Telemachus couldn’t stand it.

He knew this wasn’t the way God wanted people to live or to die.

So little Telemachus worked his way through the crowds to the wall down by the arena.

He shouted: “In the name of Christ, forbear!
Nobody heard him, so he crawled up onto the wall and shouted again: “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

This time the few who heard him only laughed.

But Telemachus was not to be ignored.

He jumped into the arena, and ran through the sands toward the gladiators. “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

The crowds laughed at the silly little man, and threw stones at him.

Telemachus, however, was on a mission.

He threw himself between two gladiators to stop their fighting…
… And cried, “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

They hacked him apart!

They cut his body from shoulder to stomach, and he fell onto the sand with the blood running out of his life.
The gladiators were stunned.
The crowds fell back in silence
For a moment, no one in the Colloseum moved.

The site of the dead man, and the reaction of the crowd, led the emperor and his guests to silently stand, turn and leave the Colloseum.

After a few minutes, the Gladiators put their swords down and they too left.

All that remained in that giant stadium was the scrawny lifeless body of the young man.

History claims that this was the very last gladiator game at the coliseum.

The memory of that man screaming to the crowd, and the image of the blood thirsty lust of the crowd…
… had changed the hearts and the minds of the Romans in that instant.

Within an hour, the emperor issued an edict forbidding any future games of war within the Roman Empire.

There was no more killing in the Colloseum.
There were no more gladiator matches in Rome.

All because one man, stood up…
… and said “In the Name of Jesus, forbear!”

He, as a true Christian, became, the salt of the earth and light of the world.

This is the call of the Gospel of the Day.
Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth” (Mt 5: 13) and “You are the light of the world” (Mt 5: 14)

In ancient Greece, salt was considered so valuable it was called, “theon”, divine.

The Romans believed that nothing was of more value than salt except the Sun. Roman soldiers were even paid in salt.

An ancient Near Eastern custom still practiced among some Arabs today is that a pact of friendship is sealed with a gift of salt.

This call of the Gospel has gained significant importance and urgency in our world today.

We live in times and generation when the need to be a “salt” and “light” has gained tremendous urgency…

The world is losing a taste for things of everlasting value and instead relishes more on transient materials.

Can I be the “salt” in such situations, giving the taste of eternity and goodness and to orient them towards the real joys of life?

The world is fast degrading and losing values in various areas like moral life, social situations, cultural integrity and religious fervour.

Can I be the “light,”casting away the darkness of ignorance and illuminating radiance for the revival of sanctified lives?

The world today is sadly getting corrupted and there are strong strands of contamination affecting various core dimensions.

Can I be the “salt” which rubs in consciousness for transformation and be a healing agent to prick the conscience of people to lead an integral life?

The world sometimes is easy on closing the eye to the evils that are constantly rising, and fails to be a powerful voice for justice and peace

Can I be the “light” which casts its powerful rays on the dark shades of wickedness and expose the inhuman elements of the society, helping towards a harmonious and pleasant world?

“Salt” and “light” are symbols of purity.

To be the “salt” and “light” in the world, demands a high level of perfection and holiness in our lives.

Let us be willing to rise up to the challenge of being the “salt of the earth” and “light to the world”
… even if it requires giving up many of our comfort areas of life
… so that our Christian values can be preserved and the love of God may shine forth to the world!

Let’s stand up with conviction and passion against the ‘colossal negativities’ in the world…
… and boldly say, “In the name of Christ, forbear!”

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

When they become adults, children have the right and duty…

… to choose their profession and state of life. (CCC # 2230)