Category: Ordinary Days

28 Jun 2015 (Based on Mk 5:21-43)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

Here is a story of a mother and her little four-year-old daughter were getting ready to retire for the night.

The child was afraid of darkness.
The mother, alone with the child, felt a little fearful as well.

When the room lights were put off, the child caught a glimpse of the moon outside the window.

“Mother,” she asked with innocence, “is the moon, God’s light?”

“Yes, my child” said the mother “God’s light is always shining.”

The next doubt was, “Will God blow out His light and go to sleep?”

The mother smiled at her and replied, “No, my child. God never goes to sleep.”

Then out of a simplicity of a child’s faith she said that which gave reassurance to the fearful mother: “Well, so long as God is awake, I am not afraid!”

The assurance that God was with them, made the little child courageous and strong!

 A deep faith casts away every fear…
 A strong belief puts aside every panic…

The Gospel of the Day is a wonderful journey, with Jesus, in this movement from “Fear” through “Faith”…
… Jairus, whose daughter was at the point of death, is led from the “fear of death and hopelessness” through “faith” to experience the miracle of restoration of life
… The woman with haemorrhage for twelve years is led from the  “fear of shame and depression” through “faith” to experience the miracle of cleansing and wholeness of life.

The Gospel passage of the day is one of the many “sandwich” passages in the Gospel of St Mark.

“Sandwich” stories are a literary technique in which the narration of one story begins, but is interrupted by another story, before finishing the first one.

Some of the examples of these “sandwich stories” are…

In Mk 3: 20-35, we have…
 Mk 3:20-22: Jesus’ family members set out to seize Him
o Mk 3: 23-30: Jesus speaks to the Pharisees on their accusation of Him
 Mk 3: 31-35: Jesus family comes to meet Him

In Mk 6: 7-33, we have…
 Mk 6: 7-13: The disciples sent on a mission
o Mk 6: 14-29: Herod’s opinion on John the Baptist and the narrative of the beheading.
 Mk 6: 30-33: The disciples return from the mission

In Mk 11: 12-25, we have…
 Mk 11: 12-14: Jesus cursing the fig tree
o Mk 11: 15-19: Jesus cleansing the Temple
 Mk 11: 20-24: Jesus’ teaching on the withered fig tree

In Mk 14: 1-11, we have…
 Mk 14: 1-2: The Conspiracy against Jesus
o Mk 14: 3-9: The anointing of Jesus at Bethany
 Mk 14: 10-11: The conspiracy plan by Judas to betray Jesus

Such kind of “sandwich” layers illustrates points for reflection by showing ..
… similarities and contrasts between the outside and the inside layers.
… the first and the last as “the bread”‘ and the centre one as the “filling” of the sandwich!

Today’s Gospel also follows this “sandwich-story” structure… Mk 5: 21-43
 Mk 5: 21-24: Jesus is pleaded by Jairus to heal his daughter
o Mk 5: 25-34: The woman suffering from haemorrhage is healed
 Mk 5: 35-43: Jesus heals the daughter of Jairus

There are many similarities and contrasts between the “bread” – the outside layers and the “filling” – the inside layers in this ‘sandwich’ passage…

Age:
• Jairus’ daughter is 12 years
• The woman was suffering from haemorrhage for 12 years

Description of the Condition:
• Jairus’ daughter at the point of death
• The woman at the point of utter hopelessness

Status of the person:
• Jairus is the daughter of a ruler of the synagogue
• The woman with the problem of bleeding is an old widow

The support system for the suffering one:
• Jairus’ daughter has many people to mourn – to weep and wail loudly
• The widow is all alone in her suffering and agony

The place:
• Jairus’ daughter is in her room, in the house
• The woman with the haemorrhage is out on the crowded street

The mode of healing:
• Jairus’ daughter is healed with a word, “Talitha Koum”
• The suffering woman was healed by a “touch”

The title used by Jesus:
• Jairus’ daughter is called by Jesus as ‘Little Girl’
• The suffering woman is called by Jesus as ‘Daughter’

Some of the key messages of both these stories invite us to reflect on our own life…

• Emphasis on Faith
Jairus, the father of the sick child, as well as the suffering woman display a tremendous faith and trust in Jesus

 Do I also put my trust and hope in the Lord, even when situations are “dead-like” and there seems no hope in life?

• Acts of humility
Jairus, as well as the suffering woman, make acts of humility, by falling at the feet of Jesus and pleading for mercy and help

 Am I able to let go of my egoistic tendencies and be ready to fall at the feet of the Lord, seeking for His mercy, compassion and help?

• The Lord being in perfect control
Jairus, as well as the suffering woman experience the charismatic power and control that Jesus displays even when throngs of pain, suffering and death are surrounding him.

 Do I realise that even if there are crowds of humiliation and shame around me or mourners of discouragement and despair wailing loudly in my life, the Lord is still in perfect charge, if I surrender and offer my life to His tremendous power?

The “sandwich stories” of the day are a great invitation for us to move from a “Life of Fear” to a “Life of Faith”, trusting and putting our hope in the Lord and in His Mighty Power.

It is to be also noted that after the cure of Jairus’ daughter, the Lord asked her parents to “give her something to eat” (Mk 5: 43)

This could also be a reminder for us, in our spiritual life, that after moving from a “Life of Fear” to a “Life of Faith”, we also need to sustain and nourish it by eating and consuming of the “Life of Fullness” in the Most Holy Eucharist!

Let us let go of every “Fear” in our lives, by having deeper “Faith” in the Lord and enjoying the “Fullness” of healing and happiness!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

27 Jun 2015 (Based on Mt 8:5-17)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

The Roman military was one of the most successful and powerful in world history.
It dominated the  Western world for over a thousand years.

• The Romans believed themselves to be descendents of Mars, literally the sons of the war god.
• They were a proud and uncompromising people who, above all else, excelled at the art of warfare.

The core of Rome’s military strength lay in the professionalism of their heavy infantry.

The Gospel of the Day begins with a beautiful narrative of a healing encounter that an officer of this mighty Roman Empire had with Jesus, the greatest Emperor of the Everlasting Empire of God!

The Gospel begins with the verse, “As Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to Him, beseeching Him and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress” (Mt 8: 5-6)

A centurion was a professional officer of the might army of the Roman Empire.

Even though, theoretically, this word traces its roots to the Latin word ‘centum’ which means one hundred, a Centurion in the Roman Army was one who commanded 80 men.

When the Centurion made his request to Jesus, our Blessed answered him, “I will come and cure him” (Mt 8: 7)

It is very remarkable to note what the Centurion answered in reply.

He says, “… For I too am a person UNDER authority” (Mt 8: 9)

Some other translations would read,  “… For I too am a person SUBJECT TO authority”

Though he was a ‘Centurion’ – a person with 80 people under his ‘beck and call’, it is fascinating to see that he doesn’t say, “I am a person WITH authority” or “I am a person FULL OF authority”

Instead he says, ” I too am UNDER authority”.

What was the authority that he was UNDER?

To know this, it would be good to see what was the position of the Centurion in the Roman Army.

 Above the centurion was a senior centurion… (a total of 80 men for a Centurion)
 Above this senior centurion were sixty centurions… ( a total of 4800 men)
 Above the sixty centurions were six tribunes… (each tribune had 3000 men.. so total 18, 000)
 Above the six tribunes were the two consuls.
 Above the consuls was the Emperor!

It was in this very long line of delegated authority that the Centurion of our Gospel passage stands.

The Centurions were also chosen from the best of the best.

A Roman soldier did not become a centurion overnight.
It took years!

The special ‘cohorts’ within each legion made up of veterans of sixteen years or more were the normal source for men to be promoted as centurions.

The historian Polybius wrote: “In choosing their centurions, the Romans look not so much for the daring or fire-eating type, but rather for men who are natural leaders and possess a stable and imperturbable temperament; not men who will open the battle and launch attacks, but those who will stand their ground even when worsted or hard-pressed, and will die in defence of their posts.”

It was such kind of a man who stood before Jesus, requesting for a healing for his servant.

We usually look at Jesus as a soft, gentle and affectionate person.
But this Centurion saw Jesus as the Commanding Emperor of a mighty army!

In Jesus, he saw a man of strength… a man of power.. a man of immense authority!

And so He tells Jesus, “… only say a word, and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8: 8b)

The Centurion looked at Jesus as the head and person-in-charge of the mighty army of God.
 He believed that the Lord had immense power and strength
 He trusted that the Lord vested tremendous authority and influence

It was not necessary for Jesus to come to his house.
Instead, all it needed was a “Word” from Him….
… a command as in a military set-up
… an order as in  the armed forces

Jesus is amazed and marvelled at this tremendous faith of the centurion and lavishes His praise on him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith” (Mt 8: 10b)

Is my faith comparable to the faith of this Centurion and can I be inspired by his marvellous belief?

 Do I look on the Lord and have confidence in Him, as the One infested with all power and glory – able to overcome every crippling force of the world?
 Do I consider and trust in the Lord as the Mighty Emperor with all supremacy and dominance  – able to conquer every problem that I face and triumph over any sinful situation?

The Lord is the great healer.
He is the One who takes away our every infirmity and disease.

May we be inspired deeper by the people of faith, and grow in our trust and belief in the Lord, knowing that…
 We need to be bold soldiers, because we have a Powerful and Authoritative Commander!
 We need to be courageous citizens, because we have a Mighty and Awesome Emperor!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

26 Jun 2015 (Based on Mt 8:1-4)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

An integral system of education consists of proper blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application.

Theory refers to learning ideas and concepts, principles and philosophies regarding a particular subject through books, media, encyclopaedias, academic institutions, classes, lectures and other sources.

Practicals refers to the ability of using that information and applying it in a real-life context.

• Theoretical knowledge shows the whole forest –  builds the context and helps to set strategy.
• Practical knowledge shows a single tree – puts forth the situation and challenges to act.

In recent times, many of the subjects and the curriculum in institutions, insist and demand on both the theoretical knowledge and the practical dimension of knowledge.

The Gospel of the Day is the narrative of the ‘first in the series’ of practical applications of the theoretical knowledge that Jesus has expounded through the Sermon on the Mount.

The incident of the cleansing of the Leper in Mt 8: 1-4 is placed immediately after the Great Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1- 7:29)
• The Sermon on the Mount was the theoretical knowledge that Jesus expounded
• The cleansing of the leper was the theoretical application of some of those principles

At the start of the Sermon on the Mount, we read “When Jesus saw the CROWDS, He went up to the mountain…..” (Mt 5:1)
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we read, “When Jesus came down from the mountain, great CROWDS followed Him” (Mt 8:1)

• Many people in the crowd have listened and marvelled at the teachings of Jesus.

• Many of them now follow Him…
o Perhaps to see how He would apply those lofty teachings in real life
o Perhaps to see whether all those high ideas were really liveable in actual life

And what is the scene that they encounter?

A leper who approaches Jesus!

“A leper!!”… Yucks!!
“Stay away, all” would have been the united chorus of that multitude of crowd!

Leprosy was one of the most feared and dreaded disease of the ancient world.

The Hebrew word for leprosy (Tsara’ath) comes from a root word which means “to scourge or to strike.”

Leprosy was very often, considered a curse.
It was incurable and highly deadly – blatantly evident on the body and an ugly sight!

Leprosy was almost a ‘living death’, with many sweeping implications.

A person would be declared a leper after tests were performed (Lev. 13).
Once declared a leper by the priest, the leper had to be cut-off from contact with society.

• He had to display marks of mourning, as if for the dead (thus, to touch him would defile oneself)
• When someone drew near, he had to call out, “Unclean! Unclean!”
• He had to remain outside the camp with no access to the temple or perform any worship.

Leprosy was, indeed, a living death!

The crowd who saw this leper approach and worship Jesus would have had mixed feelings – shock… anger.. unpleasantness…

They would have been also very curious what would Jesus do…
“He preached so much… let’s see what He does now”
“Is He really going to touch and get defiled by that dirty leper?”

But the Lord was not just well-versed in theoretical knowledge; He was also the perfect executioner of applied knowledge!

 Theoretically He had said…
“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and the Scribes, you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven” ( Mt 5:20)

• Practically…
He now goes beyond the ceremonial stipulations of the Law and ‘touches’ and heals the leper (Mt 8:3)

 Theoretically He had said…
“.. take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them” (Mt 6:1)

• Practically…
He tells the leper not to make a publicised show of his cure; instead to ‘show himself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded’ (Mt 8:4)

 Theoretically He had said…
“Judge that, you may not be judged” (Mt 7:1)

• Practically…
He doesn’t condemn or despise or mock the leper who comes close to him and instead expresses his whole-hearted willingness to shower mercy on him by saying, “I am willing; be clean” (Mt 8:3)

 Theoretically He had said…
“Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the Will of the Father in heaven” (7:21)

• Practically…
He puts into effect His teachings, ‘walking the talk’ and fulfilling the Will of the Father to be a Healer and Saviour to people.

The Lord was not just an eloquent and effective preacher but also a committed and convinced practiser of what He spoke.
• His deeds matched His wonderful words!
• His words produced dazzling deeds!

This then is the invitation to us too:
To have an integral Christian Life by being a Preacher of the Word (in whichever little or insignificant way possible) and a Practiser of the Word (through a witnessing and charitable life)

May the touch of the Lord take away any ‘leprous’ tendencies in our mind and life and free us from any bondage in order to live a firm and committed Christian Life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

25 Jun 2015 (Based on Mt 7:21-29)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

A chameleon is a tree-dwelling lizard with long thin legs, a strong curled tail and a long sticky tongue.

One of the special characteristic of the chameleon is the ability to change its colour.

The chameleon takes the colour of its background and environment – tree, bush, or  grass etc.

Generally it was considered that this change of colour happens by dispersion of pigment-containing organelles within their skin.

However, recent researches (2014) show a different picture…

Chameleons have two superimposed layers within their skin that control their colour and thermoregulation.
• The top layer contains a lattice of guanine nano-crystals.
• By exciting this lattice, the spacing between the nano-crystals can be manipulated, which in turn affects which wavelengths of light are reflected and which are absorbed.
• Exciting the lattice increases the distance between the nano-crystals, and the skin reflects longer wavelengths of light.

Thus, in a relaxed state the crystals reflect blue and green, but in an excited state the longer wavelengths such as yellow, orange, and red are reflected.

Is this not a similar case with many Christian lives as well?

Many Christians are like the chameleon – they can take on the colour of the world about them.

Just as it is difficult to distinguish the chameleon from the background, so it is very difficult to distinguish many Christians from the background of the world in which they live!

And the reason for this seems to be similar as well, just as the chameleons.

Perhaps such Christians have two superimposed-layers…
• The top layer with the tag of “Christian” – but containing a lattice of “personal agenda” and “sinful inclinations”
• When the external surroundings get conducive and favourable, this “lattice” of sin and duplicity expands – the colour changes – from “holiness” to “worldliness”!

The Gospel of the Day is a bold reminder and warning to us Christians from possessing such kind of a “colour-changing attitude” – professing one thing and living something else to suit the surroundings!

Jesus declares, “Not everyone who says to 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)

This Gospel passage is the conclusion of the spectacular Sermon on the Mount which began from Chapter 5 of the Gospel of St Matthew.

This great discourse and the brilliant exposition of the Christian teaching is concluded with two fundamental exhortations by Christ:
1. Be a doer of the Word, not just a listener
2. Have a strong foundation built on Him, rather than on the world!

Christianity, for some, becomes a soothing philosophy and a relaxing religion.
• The mercy of the Lord… the love of the Father… the providence of God – they become easy escape routes to avoid duties and responsibilities
• The pious practices…the devout rituals… the spiritual exercises – they sometimes get reduced to mere ‘relaxing’ techniques or ‘lifeless’ customs

 It gets easy to merely say ‘Lord, Lord’ – but to live a life in witness to the Lord becomes a pain in the neck
 It feels good to say, “Jesus, Jesus” – but to orient our actions and deeds, worthy of our vocation becomes a hard reality.

But this is the challenge that the Lord invites us to rise up to…
• Being a person who seriously lives ones profession of faith and makes life a truly witnessing one!
• Being a person who consciously makes efforts to be holy and saintly in order to give glory to the salvific act of the Lord, who shed His blood for us!

Towards this end, Jesus says that we need to have our faith and life built on the strong foundation of the Lord Himself!
 To all who place their entire hope on worldly treasures or self capabilities – like the house build on sand – are sure to collapse!
 To all who build their entire trust on Jesus and His grace and goodness – like the house built on rock – are sure to remain firm!

Being a Christian is an exciting adventure.
There is lot of contentment… loads of peace… bundles of  joy!

But there is also the danger of being snared by the pleasures or riches or temptations in the world, which is constantly enticing us to move away from the Lord and identify ourselves with the world.

 St Peter says, “Your enemy, the Devil, is prowling round, like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat. Stand up to him, strong in faith…” (1 Pt 5: 8-9)
 Jesus says, “They do not belong to the world anymore… ” (Jn 17: 16)

Let us examine our Christian lives and check…
Am I a “committed and convinced” Christian?
Or am I a “chameleon” Christian?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

23 Jun 2015 (Based on Mk 7:6,12-14)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

Like dieting?

Here are some “interesting” and “humorous” diet tips…
• If no one sees you eating what you like, it has no calories
• If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, they will cancel each other out.
• Food taken for medicinal purposes does not count. This would include buttered toast, cheese sandwich, chocolate jam…
• Snacks consumed during a movie do not count as they are part of the entertainment.
• Late-night snacks have no calories.

Dieting, over the last few years, has grown to be a fashionable trend.
 Many try to look slim and fit
 Many are more health-conscious.
 Many want to shed off any extra kilos

But when it comes to a spiritual realm, perhaps all of us need to do a “spiritual dieting”!
• A dieting to shed off the extra “fat” of sin and evil inclinations
• A dieting to reduce the overweight of “unholy” thoughts and “impure” feelings
• A dieting to burn away the bulging flab of “uncharitable” deeds and “critical” speech

This “dieting” is a necessity to be “slim” and “fit” and “fine” in order to enter through the narrow gate that Jesus proposes in today’s Gospel.

Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate… for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Mt 7: 13-14)

The Sermon on the Mount continues with Jesus presenting the wonderful message of the Kingdom of God and its radical requirements.

One of the key aspects in the Sermon on the Mount is the demand made on the part of the disciple to “make a choice”
• One has to radically “make a choice” for the Kingdom of God.
• One has to stay committed to this “choice” that is taken and live it to the fullness.

It is this “choice” that will determine whether our entry to eternity…
… eternal condemnation  – is through the “wide gate” or
… eternal life – is through the “narrow gate”.

Jesus says that it is easy to pass through the wide gate…
• All those who choose not to live in accordance to the Gospel values
• All those who are content to make life “merry” and just “live life to the max”
• All those who fail to respond to God’s Grace and deny having a life in Him
But this will lead to doom and condemnation!

To pass through the narrow gate is hard…
• All those who make a choice to live according to the teachings of the Lord
• All those who boldly seek to proclaim the Kingdom by their faithful and holy lives
• All those who constantly hold on to the Lord despite hardships and difficulties in life
But this will lead to joy and eternal life!

The choice for the Lord and His Kingdom requires us to shed away unnecessary “fat and flab” and ‘diet’ ourselves into being “fit and fine” to enter through the narrow gate.

Today is the feast of St Joseph Cafasso.
He was a 19th century priest, greatly devoted to the Blessed Sacrament and to Blessed Mother Mary. It was through his encouragements that St John Bosco decided his vocation of working with boys.

May his intercession and life be an aid and example for us.
Let His words inspire us, “We are born to love, we live to love, and we will die to love still more.”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

22 Jun 2015 (Mk 7:1-5)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

The microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye.

The basic microscope is an optical instrument that uses a lens or a combination of lenses to produce magnified images of small objects – especially of objects that are too small to be seen by the unaided eye.
• Microscopes are used in industrial processes, in investigation of living cells, in comparative studies of chemistry and geology, and in diagnostic medicine.
• Biologists and doctors use microscopes on cell samples, on small organisms, and on chemical structures, to classify and analyze them and their functions.

When we consider relationships, it won’t be wrong to say that there are many who use microscopes in their dealings and interactions.
• Microscopes to focus on the mistakes and negative aspects of others
• Microscopes to magnify and enlarge the faults and failures of others

Perhaps, some of us are also guilty of having such a “microscopic” view of the defects and imperfections of others.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus “focussing” His view on this very critical and crucial topic: of judging others and of pinpointing mistakes of others without considering one’s own negative dimensions.

As human beings, we are constantly in the mode of “judging”
Judging in the sense of “choosing” or “making a selection” or “taking a decision”

But the Lord clearly warns us to be wary and careful in this act of “judging”

Our judging…
… should not be rash
… should not a final opinion on a person or situation
… should not be a means to putting down other persons
… should not be an unfair ruling on someone’s external behaviours

Maybe a simple list could help us check our areas of “judging”

Do I…

 Enlarge the negatives of others—their faults, mistakes and petty ways?

 Come to hasty and negative conclusions of situations or persons?

 Get involved unnecessarily in situations where I should not?

 Gossip critical stories and uncharitable tales regarding others?

 Have a strong prejudice to find others guilty?

 Be overly harsh and even ruthless, even when speaking the truth?

 Add “spicy” remarks  and “sensational” jingles when telling a story?

 Set aside an unkind comment by simply saying, “I was just kidding!”

 Speak something critical and then try to cover it up?

 Be unkind and hurtful and then quickly change the subject, to impress the hurtful feeling?

 Have pleasure in condemning others?

 Report the truth in order to hurt and not to help?

 Put down others with an intention to let ourselves be seen better?

The Lord strongly warns to keep away from all these and many more acts of such “judgement”.

It is also good to consider judging from another perspective:

When somebody does an act, which we consider that it can be “judged”, there are two areas which we may not really know…
1. How hard the person has tried “not to do” that particular action – be it a sin, or a mistake or a failure or a blunder etc…
2. How strong were the external forces or the circumstances that “made the person to do” that particular action…

Many of us may have perhaps,  a tendency to use a “microscope” in finding the faults and failures of others.
We tend to focus .. we tend to magnify… we tend to relish looking closely!

The Lord is serious on making us walk the “path of perfection”
• Making efforts to become “less judgmental” is an essential part of this process.

May we focus the lens of our microscopes from looking at the “faults” of others and instead shift to concentrate more on the “positives”, the “brighter” and the “affirmative” areas of people and situations.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

21 Jun 2015 (Based on Mk 4:35-41)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

A visitor was once walking along a high part of the shore of the Dead Sea.

As he casually was strolling across and relaxingly enjoying, he lost his balance and fell into the water.

• Swimming was an activity he had never learnt!
• Desperation was a weakness that hastened to him quickly!

He could not swim and, in extreme anxiety, lest he should sink and be drowned, he began to fling his arms about frantically!

• Was his life going to be terminated?
• Was his enjoyable walk awaiting an anti-climax end?

At last, exhausted by wildly moving his arms for help, he felt he could do no more.

Then he found something strange happening…
The waters bore him up!

The water of the Dead Sea is so heavy with salt and other minerals that when he lay still in it he found he floated on the surface!

When he frantically moved his arms, in despair, there was immense fear of drowning..
But when he became still, he experienced the calm of support and strength!

Drowning was an impossibility so long as he resigned himself to the power of the deep!

The Gospel of the Day is this powerful lesson to trust deeper in the power of the Lord, when we encounter the storms of life!

The Gospel narrates the incident of Jesus and His disciples travelling in the boat, encountering the fierce storms and how the Lord brings in calm and serenity in that situation of turmoil and turbulence. 

All the three synoptic Gospels – Mathew, Mark and Luke – not only report this incident of Jesus calming the boat, but also mention a simple yet significant detail – “Jesus slept”!

• St Matthew says , “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.”  (Mt 8:24)

• St Luke says “As they sailed, he fell asleep.”  (Lk 8:23)

• St Mark says, ” A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.” (Mk 4:38)

It’s amazing to imagine this situation:
• The storms are raging high…
• The waters are probably hitting hard on the boat…
• The disciples are anxiously rowing, struggling to balance…
There is terror around.. there is a sense of fear… there is growing apprehension.

Yet, in the midst of all this, the Gospels say that “the Lord is sleeping”!

Wow! That really must be a good and sound sleep, isn’t it?
The Psalmist says, “I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8)

To be able to sleep in the midst of severe storms, is a sign of tremendous peace of mind!

Isaiah 43:2 promises:
” When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown”

• The One who has immense faith and trust in God has absolutely nothing to worry…even in the midst of any storm or squall
• The One who has great confidence and belief in Divine Providence has just nothing to fear…even in the midst of any horror or terror.

Jesus was in communion with His Father.
 This bonding made Him to be assured of every protection and care!
 This union made Him to be rest assured of every safety and security!

Here is an important spiritual principle that Jesus teaches us:
 The greater one is in communion with God, the greater and easier is one’s trust in Divine Providence.
 The higher one is in union with God, the lesser will be the anxiety and worry factor in life.

Even when Jesus faced the greatest storm of His life – His passion and death – He was able to go through the crisis in peace and serenity.

In fact, before being arrested and taken for being crucified, Jesus assures peace and joy even for his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (Jn 14: 27)

The Lord today invites us to have this same kind of an faith and trust in Him and His Divine Providence.

Life will, undoubtedly, bring with it many storms and tempests in life.
 We may experience lots of fear…
 We may feel the end is near…
But the one who trusts in Him, is assured of safety and security!

The more we are close to the Lord, the deeper would be this faith and confidence!

Drowning in life is an impossibility, when we resign ourselves to the complete power and providence of the Lord.

The power of the Lord is with us and beneath us… waiting to bear us up!

Do we trust?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

20 Jun 2015 (Based on Mt 6:24-34)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

There is a French word named “sabot”.
It is a word which means a ‘wooden shoe’.

The English word ‘sabatoge’ comes from this root word ‘sabot’.

According to one theory, ‘sabatoge’ was the practice of throwing a wooden shoe or wooden clogs into a machinery (particularly power looms) to stop the work.

The word has come to mean ‘any attempt to hinder production or spoil a product or mess up a plan’.

In our lives, there is a ‘sabot’ – a wooden shoe that is often cast into our souls to hinder us from accomplishing the plan of God and to stop our work for the Kingdom of God.

That ‘sabot’ is called worry… and it is thrown by Satan!

It clogs our peaceful relation with the Lord and disrupts our life of joy and harmony.

In the Gospel of the Day, Jesus warns us regarding this device of ‘sabotage’ – worry – that we often encounter and experience in our lives.

The Lord firstly invites us to have a clear conviction regarding our loyalty: to God or to mammon.
He says, “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6: 24)

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

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

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

One of the strongest signs of “living” this commitment is to “trust” in Him!
And the external sign of “trusting” in Him is to not get into the vice of “anxiety”

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

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

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

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

 For a person on deep faith, situations of tension are made into moments of seeking God deeper and experiencing His providence.
 For a person of higher trust, circumstances of worries are transformed to occasions of cherishing God’s presence and developing an approach of stronger reliance and dependence.

The evil one will no doubt hurl the “sabot” – shoes – of worry and anxiety on us
• He does know that discouragement are an easy trap for us to stumble in our life of faith
• He does know that anxieties are easy snares to corner us with fretfulness and fear.

 The evil one seeks to sabotage our desire to seek the Lord and work for His Kingdom
 The evil one tries to sabotage our good intentions to be a messenger of His Kingdom

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

When the wooden blocks of worries are hurled on us…
… let us seek the help of the wood of the Cross…with Christ Crucified as our strength…
And boldly declare, with hope, “I seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

19 Jun 2015 (Based on Mt 6:19-23)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

The story of King Midas is well-known…

This tale from ancient Greece tells of a king named Midas who did a good deed for a Satyr (a class of Greek gods) and was granted a wish by the GOD of wine, Dionysus.

For his wish, Midas asked that whatever he touched would turn to gold!

Although Dionysus tried to dissuade him, Midas insisted that the wish was an excellent one, and it was granted!

Excitedly, Midas went about touching all sorts of things, turning them into gold .

Soon Midas became hungry.
He picked up a piece of food, but he couldn’t eat it, for it had turned to gold  in his hand!

“I’ll starve,” moaned Midas, “Perhaps this was not such a good wish after all!”

Midas’ beloved daughter, seeing his dismay, threw her arms about him to comfort him, and, she too turned to gold !

“The golden touch is no blessing,” cried Midas.

He cried out to Dionysus, begging the god to take back his power.

Dionysus instructed him to travel into the hills, and bathe at the source of the river Pactolus.

And sure enough, as Midas bathed, the power of the golden touch flowed into the water.
The water becomes speckled with tiny flakes of gold.

Midas left the river, free of his curse and feeling like a new man.

Greed and avarice made King Midas to consider gold as the greatest treasure.
However, life taught him the lesson for true happiness by making him realise the transient nature of worldly treasures.

The Gospel of the Day present Jesus teaching us the lesson of not being attached to earthly riches, and instead, invites us to discover our true treasure in the Lord.

Our Blessed Lord says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal…” (Mt 6: 19)

Jesus points out to the futility of having our security on earthly goods by citing two similes:
• Moth and rust
• Thieves

Any possession or any wealth on the earth, has to face a danger from both these aspects:
Those which cause damage from within… Those which cause destruction from outside.

Moth and rust cause damage from within…
…they spoil money, render precious things useless and cause irreversible harm to costly goods

Thieves cause destruction from outside…
… they loot valuable things, threaten lives for acquiring wealth and induce immense tension and worry.

However, the Lord says to place our treasure on things that are eternal and heavenly.

The advantage?
There is to be no fear of destruction: from within or from outside.
Moth and rust cannot affect them… Thieves cannot loot them.

That is why the Lord would assure to His disciples, later on in the ministry:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give you peace” (Jn 14: 27)
“…your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16: 22)

St Paul would later articulate this in his letter to the Romans:
“For I am convinced that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8: 38)

Jesus assures a treasure and wealth that cannot be either damaged from inside or can be destroyed from outside.
• There is total guarantee in placing our hearts on heavenly treasures.
• There is full assurance in letting our mind set on spiritual wealth.

What do these teachings mean for us?
 Am I simply being forbidden to use wealth?
 Am I simply being discouraged from having money with me?

Jesus goes a step beyond these queries and seeks to check our intentions and our attitude:
“For where your treasure is, there your health also will be” (Mt 6: 21)

• Is my heart constantly set only on worldly treasures and riches…
… and fails to, instead, give the prime place and honour to the Lord and set priorities for Him?

• Is my life constantly only worried about money, properties, gadgets and possessions…
… and fails to, instead, accord the rightful and due place to the Lord and concerns for Him?

Any of us can, at any time, fall into the desire to have the wishes that King Midas had: an attitude of avarice and wanting to have only wealth and earthly treasures.

But can I know and realise, that all such external possessions will not be able to assure my true peace and happiness?
 The real treasure is to be cherished only by having the Lord as our only true possession!
 The greatest joys of life come by clinging on to those realities which have eternal value!

May the intercession of St Romuald, who lived a life as an Abbot, and practised immense austerities inspire us.

As he says, “Better to pray one psalm with devotion and compunction than a hundred with distraction”, let us ask the grace to have a single-mindedness in our following of the Lord.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

18 Jun 2015 (Based on Mt 6:7-15)

Fr Jijo Manjackal MSFSLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The pagan understanding was all about “pleasing the god” and “tapping the Divine power” by one’s words and verbal formulae.
• Historically it is reported  of an occasion when the presiding magistrate at a Roman pagan festival forgot to include the “Roman people” among the list of beneficiaries in his prayer; the festival had to be started all over again!

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

And this is a strong and relevant message that the Lord seeks to drill in our minds: Prayer is not to be reduced to being a formulaic key to unlock the power of the Divine!

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

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

Prayer is…

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

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

• Seeking His Kingdom to come
(Thy Kingdom come)

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

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

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

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

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

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

May His grace help us to make every moment of our life, an act of prayer in order to grow in greater closeness and union with the One who loves us the most!
Let prayer become a joyful action..
Let prayer become a continual devotion
Let prayer become a powerful commitment.

God Bless! Live Jesus!