(A): THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Many of us, at some time or the other, would have received love letters – letters from our parents, siblings, relatives, friends etc. A love letter carries some unique specialties – there is much eagerness to read it…there is much joy while reading it…and there is much contentment after having read it…

Hmmm….here is a well-known secret….shhh… the Lord is a great “lover”, though sometimes He is too shy a lover!

He loves to talk to us through love-letters.

The Word of God is God’s love letter to each one of us…
… and the Liturgy of the Word, during the Holy Mass, celebrates this loving conversation.

Let’s give a better attention as God speaks to us, In His Word. Often, the time of sitting, while listening to the Readings, is when we gaze around the Church/Chapel, looking at others, being distracted with our thoughts etc. Let’s seek to focus our attention greater, on the Lord, who talks to us…IN HIS WORD!

Let’s be aware of the greatness of this Liturgy of the Word:

1. The 1st, 2nd and the Gospel Readings: God’s mysterious works of Salvation and Love are proclaimed. Let’s seek to strike a chord of these readings with our own lives. On Sundays, in particular, the 1st Reading and the Gospel are directly intimately. On other major feasts too, a single thematic string unites all the readings.
2. The Responsorial: We give an affirmation to the Reading, we heard, and express our gratitude and petition to our Life-Giver.
3. The Alleluia: Praising the Lord, we welcome Him with joyful shouts and signing ourselves on the forehead, lips and the chest, we seek His Help to cleanse our minds, lips & hearts, that we may worthily receive Jesus, the Word into our lives!
4. The Sermon: Often considered to be the boring part, the avoidable section, the relaxing phase, the Sermon should, in fact, seek to connect the hearts of the Faithful, with Jesus- the Divine Word, and strengthen our Christian living in this world.

TO REFLECT

Do I give enough attention while listening to the Readings?
Do I make the sign of the Cross, with awareness, and welcome the Lord, by seeking to cleanse our minds, our lips and our hearts?
Do I prepare devoutly to preach the sermon/ to listen to the sermon, and seek the assistance of the Holy Spirit, who is the Author of the Word of God?
Am I able to recall the Readings, during the course of the Day, and make the Word of God, a real and practical dimension of my life?

PRAYER
Oh Divine Word, who became flesh and dwelt amidst us, give us the grace and the wisdom to understand You, in the Holy Word. May the Liturgy of the Word, that we celebrate in the Eucharist, become a dynamic inspiration and force in our everyday lives, and may we in turn, become a Gospel- the good news, to the poor, the oppressed and all peoples in our lives, Amen!

(B): THE OFFERTORY

After having been nourished by His Word, we profess our Faith in the Holy Catholic Church, and we offer our petitions and gifts to the Lord.

The Lord has blessed our lives with innumerable gifts and graces. As the Psalmist says, “If I were to count your blessings, I would have to be eternal like You, O Lord!”

The Eucharist is a thanksgiving meal… When we come to the Mass, we are not to come empty-handed. Rather, we give ourselves, wholly to the Lord. All what we are and all what we have belongs to the Lord, who is the Source and End of all. And to Him, we offer everything – our blessings, our plans, our feelings, our concerns, our heart and our lives!

Along with ourselves, we also offer all the people in our lives – our family, community, our nation, our world… The Eucharist is a moment of healing and grace for the entire creation…and we bring all to His feet.

Let’s bring to consciousness the various dimensions in this part of the Mass:

1. The Creed: With much devotion and deep love, we express and affirm the teachings and faith of our Holy Mother, the Church
2. The Prayer of the Faithful: The Community as a family, offer petitions, and thus, the entire creation becomes part of this Divine Action of the Holy Mass
3. The Offering of Bread and Wine: The Gifts, which soon, will become the Body and Blood of Christ, represent fruits of our labour. As the gifts, we pray, that we too be changed into His Body and Blood
4. The mingling of a drop of water in the wine by the Priest: The water represents, our littleness, which is totally mingled with the wine, signifying our intention to be one with the Divine Lord
5. The washing of the hands: The Priest – the representative of the People of God, cleanses himself and prepares, for the Most Holy Sacrifice of Calvary.

TO REFLECT

Am I fervent and zealous in expressing my love for my mother, the Church, as I recite the Creed?
Do I offer everything to the Lord, and be ready to accept His will in my life?

PRAYER
Most Merciful Lord, I come to you, in humble praise, to offer you myself. All what I have is given by you, and to you, I offer everything. Make the offerings that I make, be for me, a channel to accept your Holy Will in my life, and thus, I may be able to truly experience the power of Your Body and Blood, Amen.

“Being bold and daring to rise up to the occasion, and ‘standing up for God!’”

(Based on 1 Kings 18:20-39 and Mt 5:17-19 – Wednesday of the 10th Week of Ordinary Time)

Great incidents and heroic stories can inspire and challenge us greatly.

The Bible is most certainly a power-filled storehouse of such great incidents and heroic stories…
… which inspire us to be more zealous in serving the Lord
… which challenge us to be more enthusiastic in our following of the Lord

One of the most powerful incidents, which has this dual dimension of “inspiring and challenging” is the one found in the First Book of the Kings, Chapter 18, verses 20-39.

This incident is known by many titles …

The Challenge of Elijah, the Prophet
Elijah v/s Baal
Elijah and the prophets of Baal
… and many more.

The incident is familiar to most of us…

After a drought of three years, the prophet Elijah presented himself to Ahab, the king of Israel, with the promise that the Lord would provide rain.

Elijah, then went on to challenge 450 prophets of the pagan god named Baal and 400 prophets of another pagan god, Asherah to a contest on Mount Carmel.

His words of challenge to them were powerful:
“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21).

The game of challenge began:

Each side (The numerous prophets of Baal v/s Elijah, the solitary prophet) made sacrifices to their God without building a fire…
… and the lighting of the fire was to be performed by the strongest god (God!)!

Baal was silent.

The confident prophet Elijah began to even mock the prophets of Baal:
“Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened” (1 Kings 18:27).

The time then can for Elijah to intercede for the revealing of the Glory of God…

He poured a large amount of water over his sacrifice and asked Jehovah to reveal Himself by consuming the sacrifice.

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38)

When the people saw the clear victory of Jehovah, they fell on their faces and said:
“The Lord, He is God!
The Lord, He is God!”

Elijah then commanded the people to seize the prophets of Baal and to not let one of them escape.

God then sent the rain he had promised and the drought ended (1 Kings 18:41-46).

One of the most powerful messages derived from this incident is that…
…” When we stand for God, God stands by us!”
… “When we seek to uphold the Lord, the Lord reveals His Glory through us!”

The Prophet Elijah, who stood for the Lord and was bold to proclaim His Power…
… became the mighty instrument through whom God would reveal His glory!

Elijah, the prophet , through whom God manifested His Glory…
… would foreshadow the Great Prophet, Jesus, Who would be the fullness of God’s Glory! (Col 1: 19)

Jesus is not just the Great Prophet, Who is the Voice and Word of God
Jesus is not just the Supreme Law-Giver, through Whom everything came into being
… Jesus would be the fulfilment and the completion of the Law and the Prophets (Mt 5: 17)!

This Jesus goes on to present a mighty challenge to His followers:
“Whoever relaxes one of the least of the commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven;
But he who does them, and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:18-19)

This is a powerful invitation that the Lord presents before us:

“Are you willing to stand up for me?”
“Are you willing to uphold my virtues and the Kingdom values by your life?”

Just as Prophet Elijah, in his days, found challenged by paganism, our world today is faced with innumerable challenges…

A spirit of materialism, that seeks to devour all people into a life of comfort and cosiness…
… at the loss of dependence on God and faithfulness to Divine Providence

A spirit of relativism, that does away with even fundamental truths and basic institutions…
… by seeking to dilute the virtues for which the Church champions and makes void Christ’s teachings

A spirit of division, that slays communities and societies on peripheral grounds like colour, language, caste, region etc…
… and causes people to even divert from essential elements like faith, worship, communion etc

A spirit of indifference, that makes people to behave as strangers to one another…
… and making one to be insensitive to the needy and hurting the Triune Image of God within oneself

As Christians, more than ever before, the challenge is before us…

To stand up for God…
… and know for sure, that He will stand by us!

To uphold the Lord…
… and experience truly the Glory of God revealed through us!

May the great incidents and the heroic stories of the Bible continue to always “inspire and challenge” us…

And may we be bold and daring… to rise up to the occasion…
.. and Stand up for God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Truly it is a blessed thing to love on earth as we hope to love in Heaven…

… and to begin that friendship here which is to endure for ever there!”

Our Christian Life celebrates God, who is Emmanuel – With us, God!

And this Emmanuel God, fulfils His promise, by dwelling in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.

On June 14, 2020, we celebrate the Feast of the Corpus Christi; and it is apt and meaningful, that we take some time, to prepare ourselves for this Great Feast…
… and to realize the worth and greatness of this Most Beautiful Treasure that God is gifting to Humanity.

The Year 2020 has been, in particular, a time of great trial with respect to our faith, in the midst of the pandemic. We have been physically distant from the celebration of the Eucharist.

This Feast, therefore, this Year in particular, is given to us, to deepen our devotion to the Lord in the Eucharist and intensify our longing and thirst for Him!

We begin today… a 5- day series of Mini Reflections, to help us to become spiritually more oriented to the Blessed Eucharist and in the understanding of the Holy Mass.

This orientation, in turn, will help us, to become a Eucharist to others.

So let us begin…. a tiny attempt to mingle into the heart of the Mystery of all Mysteries – the Most Holy Eucharist.

Let’s delight in this love story….as Bishop Fulton Sheen says, “The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host”!

“LIFE ‘n LOVE LYRICS” – Reflection in preparation for the Feast of Corpus Christi – The Body and Blood of Jesus! – DAY ONE

(A): PREPARATION FOR THE HOLY MASS

As human beings, we all engage ourselves in many social gatherings, events, occasions etc. And for all of that, we do make a lot of planning, preparations and arrangements.

The Holy Mass is the re-enactment of the Sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary, in memory of the Holy Institution at the Last Supper.

It is a momentous and splendid Divine Occasion and Event!

But often, this event, is accorded very little preparation. No wonder, for some people, the Mass often seems boring and sadly, considered as a useless ritual!

Very often, we engage our bodies and our minds in talks, in making fun, in being filled with worldly attractions and many external distractions. But is my heart and mind, really ready to embrace the Awesome Moments of the Lord’s Life- His Passion, His Death and His Resurrection, which is celebrated at Mass!

The Lord of the Universe, descends on the Altar and is ready to dwell in our little hearts! I need to realize the gravity of this Moment and prepare my heart to receive this Divine Saviour!

Do I take time to read and reflect on the Readings of the Mass beforehand?
• Do I make a genuine examination of Conscience and truly repent, in order to receive God’s Mercy?
• Do I become aware that, at Holy Mass, I am at Mount Calvary, along with our Blessed Mother, and ready to offer my life, along with Jesus, for the Salvation of the world?

Prayer: O Divine Trinity, give me the grace to prepare myself better, in participating at the Holy Mass. In the past, I have often engaged myself, in external disturbances and failed to really know the importance of the Mass and the preparation required for this Divine Occasion. Help me, to give myself wholly to you, so that every Eucharist becomes a life-transforming experience for me, and I may become a Living Sacrament of Your love to the world, AMEN.

(B): THE INTRODUCTORY RITE

The Holy Eucharist is basically oriented towards four aspects
(a) Adoration and Worship of God
(b) To give thanks for His gifts and graces
(c) To ask remission of our sins
(d) To offer our petitions to the Lord.

As we begin the Holy Eucharist, we need to become aware of these aspects.

Let’s also become aware of the Importance of the various parts of the Introductory Rite:

1. The Entrance Hymn: The Community of people, which has come together as a family, express their joy through the entrance hymn.
2. The Welcome Greeting: The celebration begins in the name of the God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who is One in Three persons. We are welcomed into the Celebration in the Name of the Trinity.
3. The Penitential Rite: We bring to focus our sinfulness and unworthiness, before the Holy and Awesome God, and seek His mercy and pardon.
4. The Gloria: We unite with all the peoples of the world, with our Blessed Mother, the Angels and Saints in singing our praises and honour to our Triune God, whose glory reigns on high.
5. The Opening Prayer: Called as the Collect, this prayer, gathers together all the intentions of the participants, and is united with the prayer of the High Priest, Jesus Himself!

To Reflect

Do I become aware of the importance and significance of some of the Sacramentals and Holy Actions like the Holy Water, the Incense, Bowing before the Altar?
Do I pay attention to the words of the Entrance Hymn, and make it a real prayer, rather than just a routine affair?
Do I begin the Holy Mass in a Spirit of Reverence and Recollection, becoming aware of the greatness of the Sign of the Cross?
Do I recollect my sinful state and truly repent of them, in order to receive God’s Mercy?
Do I, seek to render my praise and worship to the Lord, with all my heart, with all my mind and with all the strength, as I join in singing the Gloria?
Do I bring before the Lord, my petitions and the intentions of those who are in need of prayers?

Prayer
Most Loving Lord, as I enter into the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, inspire me to become aware of the greatness and solemnity of this Sacrifice of Calvary. Let the offering of the Mass not be a mere ritual, but become a real and living energy in me. Help me, to live and practice the spirit of considering each Eucharistic Celebration, as the First, the Last and the Only Mass ever celebrated… Amen!

“Being Salt of the earth and Light to the world by being communion with the Lord!”

(Based on 1 Kings 17:7-16 and Mt 5:13-16 – Tuesday of the 10th Week of Ordinary Time)

Let’s do a short-visualization based on today’s Gospel Reading….

There are over seven billion people in the world…
… spread over seven continents and around 195 countries…

There are people belonging to thousands of tribes, ethnicity, languages etc…
… and again hundreds of temperaments, personalities, outlooks and characters.

Among all these various people… the Lord, the Creator of the whole universe…
… through today’s Gospel reading tells YOU…
.. Yes, YOU, His beloved creation, and the one whom He loves deeply….
… “You are the salt of the earth!“

Now hearing this, you look up in surprise to God!

You look up to His face and tell Him bluntly:
“You must be kidding, Lord!
I mean…. Look at the vast expanse of the world….
… millions of people in here, variety of languages, behaviours, temperaments, personalities…
… and amidst, all this, You expect, Me…
… Me? To be the Salt of the Earth?!

I am just nothing, in this vast ocean of people!
Do you expect Me, a puny little thing, to really be the Salt to the Earth?
I am just a Nobody!”

But the Lord thunders back and says:
“Do not say, you are a nobody!

But I am precise in calling You…!
You have been Baptized in Me, and you have My Spirit dwelling in You.

Long back some of my servants also expressed their inability in a similar fashion…
… Abraham
… Jeremiah
… Peter

But they were raised… by My Grace and their co-operation.

Remember the beautiful example of Elijah who obeyed my voice – and how during the drought, He was taken care…
… and his words to the widow at Zarephath: “The jar of meal shall not be spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth!”(1 Kings 17:14)

You too, have a responsibility towards Me and My Kingdom…
… and You will do much in doing little, when and as I wish!”

But I, with a long face, again highlighted my helplessness:
“But Lord, the challenge is just too great!
I do have some talents and capabilities, that You have bestowed on me.
But will those be enough?

I just feel that I am too small and insignificant, to be making a real difference in the world!”

But the Lord, was unwilling to budge and said:
“Of course, I don’t deny that it is going to be easy for you to be the Salt of the Earth!

You will struggle…
… You will have to walk the hard path, as did even my Beloved Son on His Way of the Cross.

Some of you might perhaps think that as in the modern days, salt may never lose its taste.

But the salt that I spoke of in the Gospel, was not the pure, refined type that is available today.

The salt of the olden days, when exposed to moisture, could easily become insipid.

It could become tasteless and useless… good only to be thrown and trampled down!

In the same way, you, as the Salt of the Earth, need to be highly careful.

If you expose yourself, too much to the worldly and material affairs, you will lose your saltiness!
If you pollute yourself by the many vain pleasures in the world, you will end up being ineffective!
And then you will be useless…only to be trampled upon!

Your life is like… as my servant St Paul had once written in his Second Letter to the Corinthians… ‘Treasure in Clay’!

When preserved and careful utilized, you will remain precious

If not handled carefully, you will end up spoiling a wonderful fortune!

You are to be the Salt of the Earth…
… in whichever state of life you are
… to whichever vocation you are called to
… in whichever works or activities you engage in

You are to be the salt…
… that gives taste, to those who have lost meaning and hope in life
… that preserves the virtues of the Gospel and teachings of the Church in a world of decay
… that symbolizes purity even though the world around you plunges into immorality and sin
… that makes you part of the Sacrifice that is offered to God as described in the Law (Lev 2:13)

Remember…
You have a great calling… to be the Salt…
… to give taste to the world
… to preserve the Gospel values
… to be a symbol of purity
… to offer your life as a sacrifice.

Yes, You are Precious!

Never let yourself, be diluted with the waters of worldly pleasures and thus become insipid!

Do not be contaminated by the World… rather, preserve your saltiness, by being in Communion with Me!

So, my Child…
… Are You ready to be the Salt of the Earth…?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “There are virtues of universal account, which must not only be called into occasional action, but ought to spread their influence over everything.

We do not very often come across opportunities for exercising strength, magnanimity, or magnificence; but… … gentleness, temperance, modesty, and humility, are graces which ought to colour everything we do.

Sugar is better than salt, but we use salt more generally and oftener.

Consequently, it is well to have a good and ready stock in hand of those general virtues of which we stand in so perpetual a need!”

“Going beyond materialistic tendencies and becoming a person of being truly Blessed!”

(Based on 1 Kings 17:1-6 and Mt 5:1-12 – Monday of the 10th Week of Ordinary Time)

There is an eating disorder named ‘Pica’.

Pica is the craving to eat what is not edible.
It is characterized by an appetite for substances that are non-nutritive such as paper, clay, metal, chalk, soil, glass, sand etc.

There are different variations of pica, as it can be from a cultural tradition, acquired taste, or a neurological mechanism such as an iron deficiency or a chemical imbalance.

‘Pica’ can lead to intoxication in children, which can result in an impairment in both physical and mental development.

Now in the spiritual realm, many of us could be affected by a ‘Spiritual Pica’.

A Spiritual Pica would refer to a craving to enjoy what is non-spiritual.
A Spiritual Pica would mean a strong desire to enjoy what is unholy.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus giving an antidote to this tendency by presenting the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes are a beautiful proclamation and an exhortation…
… to set one’s hearts on the higher and nobler things of life
… to be delighting in the true and heavenly aspects in life.

Jesus, the Teacher went up the mountain, and after He had sat down, began to teach (Mt 5: 1-2)

When we go through the list of the Beatitudes, one of the standout aspects that we notice is the ‘tone’ and the ‘mood’ that is expressed by Jesus…

There is a lot of joy that is expressed…
There is a lot of peace that is radiated…

When seen from a worldly perspective, the Beatitudes present a grim and gloomy picture…

They speak of…

People who are poor… people who are mourning…
People who are too modest… people who are in want…
People who are merciful…people who are clean at heart…
People who are peacemakers…people who are persecuted…

From the worldly eyes, these are not people who are “great” or “happening” or “cool”

Instead, they are usually categories of people who are put down or who rarely come to the limelight or those who considered weak and fragile.

But, the Lord reverses this notion, and places these sections of persons in the category of being Blessed!

What is the reason?

Blessedness for the Lord is an attribute that is solely associated with God and dependence on Him
Blessedness for the Lord is a virtue that is directly a result of one’s faith in the Lord and reliance on His providence.

This is the greatness and paradox in Christian Life.

One is invited to live a life of immense happiness and joy…
…but the result is not an achievement of one’s own merit, but is a fruit of one’s dependence and trust in the Lord.

One is encouraged to enjoy a life of peace and delight…
… but the outcome is a not an accomplishment proceeding from sheer hard-work or personal efforts, but is a grace obtained because of one’s faith, love and commitment to the Lord.

However, many of us, fail to look upwards and gaze higher…
… instead our aims remain sometimes peripheral and stuck to being worldly.

We get afflicted by a ‘Spiritual Pica’….
… craving to enjoy what is non-spiritual.
… a strong desire to enjoy what is unholy.

The Lord today challenges and invites us to go beyond such materialistic tendencies and instead become a person of being truly Blessed!

Let the example of Elijah, the Prophet be an inspiration for us.

He listened to the Word of the Lord…
… and was “blessed” by the Lord – being fed by ravens, in the time of drought:
“And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.” (1 Kings 17:6)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice!”

“May the Blessed Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit- helps us to grow in our intimacy and union and in turn, help to reflect His image to all people in our lives!”

(Based on Solemnity of the Holy Trinity)

When some guests came home, a little child was once asked to make the sign of the Cross, invoking the name of the Blessed Trinity.

This little girl, with a gleaming smile and innocently looking at her parents, made the sign of the Cross with the words, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of St Anthony, Amen!!”

(The child had probably heard much more about St Antony than about the Holy Spirit)

Another child, during the time of Christmas, was asked, “Who are the three persons of the Blessed Trinity”

Looking at the beautiful crib that was made at home, the child answered, “God the Father, Mary our Mother and Baby Jesus, our Saviour!”

In another incident, a child, after attending a prayer service, with various invocations especially to the Infilling of the Holy Ghost, had this doubt: “I don’t understand why the West Coast isn’t included too!”

When inquired what she meant, she added, “You know, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the whole East Coast.”
(The Holy Ghost had been misunderstood by the little child as Whole East Coast!)

Well, such simple misunderstandings are commonly seen among little children.

The truth, however, is that, when it comes to the Dogma of the Blessed Trinity, even elders are not spared of possibilities of similar misunderstandings.

The Dogma of the Blessed Trinity is indeed the most fundamental, yet the most baffling and confusing mystery of the Christian Faith.

However, we are encouraged by a great truth about this mystery…
• The mystery of the Trinity is more to be lived, than merely be understood
• The mystery of the Trinity is more to be encountered, than merely be grasped
• The mystery of the Trinity is more to be experienced, than merely be comprehended

Today we celebrate the Great Solemnity of the Holy Trinity.

This feast is celebrated on the Sunday, following the Feast of the Pentecost.

The encounter of the Holy Spirit, was a life-transforming experience for the Disciples.
• It brought about a huge upliftment in courage for their sagging and fearful spirits.
• It brought about a massive alteration of mind, to being bold and dynamic in their faith.

Along with this, it also brought in the tremendous experience of the Holy Spirit as a God!

This was something very new, strange and heart-experiential.

The disciples, as we know, were Jews.

Jews believed in strict monotheism – One God.

They professed this belief in One God, daily, by the ‘Shema Israel’, “Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one God….” (Deut 6:4)

However, in Jesus, the disciples encountered a deep Divine experience.

On Pentecost Day, they also encountered a deep Divine experience in the Holy Spirit.

This tremendous experience, along with the grace of God, helped them to reflect on the many words and sayings of Jesus that pointed to the dimension of Three Persons in the One nature of God.

Thus, with gradual and deeper reflection on the words of the Lord, and the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples – strict monotheists – began to understand the mystery of God in a new light…
• God is One
• There are three Persons – the Father is God, the Son is God, the Spirit is God
• The Father is not the Son and the Spirit; the Son is not the Father and the Spirit; the Spirit is not the Son and the Father.

This Triune invocation was the way the Lord exhorted to Baptize disciples in all the nations, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28: 19)

The Dogma of the Blessed Trinity has explanations, rationalization and details in the Holy Scripture and the Teachings of the Church.

However, with all that, the Dogma continues to remain a mystery…

And this is the beauty of the Mystery of the Triune God…
… It is something to grow in, daily
… It is something to develop a deeper relationship, daily
… It something to be lived and experienced in practical life, daily

As Evagrius of Pontus, a Greek monk of the 4th century said: “God cannot be grasped by the mind. If God could be grasped, God would not be God!”

This is our Blessed Triune God…
… He escapes being subjugated to the prisons of the mind; instead, invites to forge a powerful bond with the heart!
… He gets away from being trapped in the intriguing theological explanations and philosophical reasoning; instead calls forth to form an everlasting covenant of love!

Are we willing to grow in cultivating an intimate and close bond with the Triune God – the God of Love and Holiness?

Are we willing to live the beautiful virtues of the Blessed Trinity – unity, self-giving, in our personal relationships with one another ?

Our whole world reflects the Triune nature of the Blessed Trinity…

Water exists in three forms – solid as ice, liquid as water, gaseous as steam
(In physics, it is also proved that theoretically, water exists as solid, liquid and gas at the same time at something called the triple point – a temperature of 0oC or 273.16 K and at a pressure of 611.2 Pa)

Sunlight displays a triune dimension – the substance of the sun, the heat, the light

The universe consists of three things: matter, space, and time.
(Each one of those is itself a trinity.
Matter = mass + energy + motion.
Space = length + height + breadth.
Time = past + present + future)

Human beings have a triple dimension, consisting of the body, the mind and the soul

Even though these are mere worldly realities and examples, and in no way can seek to explain
the Mystery of the Trinity…
… they help us to understand an important aspect of life: The Trinity is everywhere

Everything created thing in nature reflects the Life of the Trinity
The most important factor that is needed is that we need to grow in this awareness and
deepen our love for Him!

May the Blessed Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit- helps us to grow in our intimacy and union and in turn, help to reflect His image to all people in our lives!

Happy Feast of the Blessed Trinity!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “[When we make the Sign of the Cross]… with our right hand, we use either three fingers to represent the Trinity or five fingers to represent Jesus’ five wounds.

We begin the prayer by placing our right hand on our forehead to acknowledge that God the Father is the one from whom all things originate.
Next, we move our hand down to our stomach as a sign that Jesus proceeded from the Father.

Lastly, we cross ourselves from left shoulder to right shoulder to show that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son and that He is the bond of love between Father and Son!”

“May the Blessed Mother Mary, Who gave Herself entirely to the Lord, and Jesus, who like the poor widow, gave Himself entirely to His people and in doing God’s Will, be our inspiration, our strength and our hope!”

(Based on 2 Tim 4:1-8 and Mk 12:38-44 – Saturday of the 9th Week of Ordinary Time)

A money-collection drive was being been conducted in a particular Church for a particular intention.

The people were free to put in as much contribution as they wanted for the noble cause.

One gentleman stood up and announced a rather large contribution, and the people applauded greatly.

A few moments later, an old lady stood up and announced her donation.
But it was greeted with silence.

The priest, however, in reply to the cold response of the people, stood up and said emphatically, “Ladies and gentleman, I believe I hear the applause of the nail-scarred Hands!”

The people understood what the priest meant, and slowly but surely applauded the old lady’s generosity.

The Gospel of the Day presents such a similar act of appreciation by Jesus over the apparently “tiny” yet really “great” contribution by a widow to the Temple Treasury.

The passage of the day is the culmination of the 12th Chapter of the Gospel of St Mark.

This has been a volatile passage…

1. Jesus tells the parable of the Tenants (Mk 12: 1-12)
   … thereby giving out a sharp message to the Jews to accept the Messiah and not forfeit the many graces and blessings that they had been blessed with.
2. Jesus gives a fitting response to the question of paying taxes (Mk 12: 13-17)
   … thereby exhorting the concerned people to not get stuck to earthly obligations and instead gear one’s life in total allegiance to the Lord Creator
3. Jesus corrects the false notion regarding the teaching on Resurrection (Mk 12: 18-27)
   … thereby challenging to live a life in worthiness of eternity and to have the correct and deeper faith in the Living God and His Teachings
4. Jesus makes clear the greatest commandments (Mk 12: 28-34)
   … thereby inviting all to understand that there is only one true God and He deserves all the love and affection of our being and this love ought to be expressed in love of neighbour.
5. Jesus points out from Scripture that He is the Messiah, the Lord (Mk 12: 35-37)
   … thereby opening the eyes of the people to read Scripture with greater openness to the Spirit and an invitation to accept Him as the Lord of their lives.

These five pronouncements finally concludes with Jesus denouncing the action of the scribes especially in devouring the lives of the poor widows.

Jesus says, “The scribes devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers” (Mk 12: 40)
• Widows were an easy trap to be cheated…
• Widows were easy pickings to be exploited…

However, the chapter ends with a beautiful counteract…
A widow – symbol of all the other widows, who have been cheated, or oppressed or facing humiliations – comes in to the Temple and drops in her ‘everything’ in the treasure!

This is indeed a powerful symbol of faithfulness and duty…
• She is a symbol of being oppressed – yet she is heartily generous
• She is an object of being condemned – yet she is mightily liberal
And she becomes a symbol of self-giving and total-emptiness.

This poor widow becomes a great challenge for us in our lives…
• Life may bite us hard with cruel luck and bad destiny…
• Life may oppress us through various elements in the society…
• Life may cheat us in the form of many people or circumstances…

Yet, through all this…
Like this poor widow,
• Can I be firm to still give to God in gratitude?
• Can I be faithful to do my responsibilities even if unrewarded?

St Paul beautifully inspires us by his life of commitment, as we hear him proclaim the words of hope:
“For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing!” (2 Tim 4:6-8)

May the Blessed Mother Mary, who Herself was a poor widow, and gave Herself entirely to the Lord…

And Jesus, who like the poor widow, gave Himself entirely to His people and in doing God’s Will…
… be our inspiration, our strength and our hope!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice”

“Growing in our passion for God’s Holy Word and being committed to His Kingdom, so that our lives may mightily proclaim, ‘Jesus is Lord!’”

(Based on 2 Tim 3:10-17 and Mk 12:35-37 – Thursday of the 9th Week of Ordinary Time)

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” are the famous words of exhortation of St Jerome, the doctor of the Church.

St Jerome himself was well-versed in Scripture
He is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the translation that became known as the Vulgate), and his commentaries on the Scriptures.

The Scriptures talk to us of God and of His love and providence

The Scriptures tell of us people who experienced God’s mercy and lived in His presence
The Scriptures help us to experience His care… to grow in His love.

Are we genuinely making efforts to grow in knowing and understanding the Scriptures so that we can know and understand and love our God, more deeply?

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus exhorting the people to have a closer look into the Scriptures and thereby, discovering Him in a deeper manner!

Over the last few days, we have seen Jesus facing various sorts of groups and quizzed over different aspects…

The Chief priests, Scribes and elders questioned Jesus on His authority
The Pharisees and Herodians interrogated Jesus on the subject of paying taxes to Caesar
The Sadducees confronted Jesus on the topic of the Resurrection
Another scribe enquired Jesus on the first of all the commandments

After this long round of being questioned, Jesus now puts a question to His listeners, “How do the Scribes claim that the Messiah is the Son of David?… David calls Him ‘Lord’; so how is He his Son?” (Mk 12: 35,37)

The nation of Israel had King David as her greatest King.

And it was through the line of David, that the Jews knew the future Messiah would be coming.

They eagerly awaited this ‘Son of David’.

Thus was written in the Scriptures.
Thus was taught from the Scriptures.
And Jesus was aware of this aspect.

However, the Lord invites and challenges His listeners to look at Scripture in a deeper manner and to understand its greater implications.

Therefore, Jesus quotes King David from Psalm 102 which presents David calling the Messiah as the Lord.

And then He puts forward this very simple query… “How can the Son of David also be Lord of David”?

Implied in this question was the powerful claim by Jesus, that…
… He Himself was the Messiah – the Son of David and the Lord of David

Implied in this question was also the powerful answer to the previous questions that were put forward to Him by the various groups:

To the query on the greatest commandment…
… Jesus declares that He is the Lord, who is to be loved with one’s whole heart, and one’s whole soul and with one’s whole mind and with one’s whole strength

To the confrontation on the topic of Resurrection…
… Jesus declares that He is the Lord of the Resurrection and the One Who grants eternal life

To the interrogation on the subject of paying taxes to Caesar
… Jesus declares that He is the Lord who is above all earthly kingdoms and to whom absolute allegiance is to be rendered

To the questioning on His authority
… Jesus declares that He is the Lord who is the source of all authority and requires no one’s permission or authorization!

The Jews were familiar with the Scriptures…

They were familiar with the Psalms particularly…
They were familiar notable with the passages especially concerning David and the Messiah..

Yet, they had seldom considered Scriptures in the way that Jesus was presenting to them!

Jesus had cast new light on the reading of the Scriptures!
Jesus had opened a new way of looking at the Scriptures!

Our own lives can parallel the lives of these Jews, with respect to the Scriptures.

How eager and zealous are we regarding the Word of God?

How faithful and committed are we…
… to reading the Scriptures daily?
… to spend some time regularly in studying the Bible?
… to understand the person of Jesus and grow in Him through His Word?
… to inculcate the light of His Wisdom and to practice it in our daily activities and life?

We are to seek the grace of the Holy Spirit to grow in our understanding and love of the Lord and to live a life in Him!

Maybe we could take a simple resolution of spending at least a few minutes, daily, without fail, in reading the Holy Bible.

We need to read His Word
We need to learn His Word
We need to practise His Word

Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ!

Let us grow in our passion for His Holy Word and be committed to His Kingdom, so that our lives may mightily proclaim, “Jesus is Lord!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Cultivate a special devotion to God’s Word, whether studied privately or in public.

Always listen to it with attention and reverence, strive to profit by it, and do not let it fall to the ground…

… but receive it within your heart as a precious balm, thereby imitating the Blessed Virgin, who ‘kept all these sayings in Her Heart!’”

“Giving an affirmative answer to the fundamental question of our faith: ‘Do YOU love Jesus?’ as we make our journey, in the ‘train of life!’”

(Based on 2 Tim 2:8-15 and Mk 12:28-34 – Wednesday of the 9th Week of Ordinary Time)

A heart-touching incident is told of a man who was travelling in a train.

Sitting opposite him was a mother and a little girl.

He talked to the little girl and told her stories and showed her his penknife – how it opened and closed.
He even sang to her, and she loved her new companion.

As the train reached the destination, the little girl looked up to the man and asked: “Do you love Jesus?”

He didn’t understand her at first…
… but she repeated the question.

The man stammered and blushed as he said good-bye to her and her mother…

But he couldn’t forget the question; “Do you love Jesus?”

He went to bed that night and that question didn’t go away, “Do you love Jesus?”

When he woke up the next morning, it was still there.

The question was planted by the Spirit in his heart and it put down its roots.

It demanded an answer.

Five years later he was walking through the city, when he bumped into a lady coming out of her house.

He recognized her as the mother of the little girl.

“Hello!” he said to her warmly, “I don’t suppose you remember me. About five years ago I travelled in the same train coach as you and your daughter.”

“I remember it well,” she said, “come in.”
So he went into her house.

“Do you remember that your daughter asked me a question as we were getting out of the train?”

“How is she? Can I see her?” he asked.

The woman looked away…
… tears were in her eyes.

“I’m sorry” she said…
… “She is in heaven!”

She took him to her room and there were her Bible, and her dolls, and prize books, and some toys. “That’s all that’s left of my sweet Lettie,” her mother said.

“No,” said the man – who was shocked and dazed – quite vehemently. “That is not all that is left of her.

I am left. I am left. I owe her my faith in God!

I was an unbeliever when she asked me that question.

I loved the world and I lived badly, but she asked me that question and I never could forget it, and since that time I have changed.

I am not the man I was. I am now God’s.

I can answer the question now!”

What about us?

Can we answer that question: “Do YOU love Jesus?”

The Gospel of the Day is an exhortation by the Lord, to Love God with our “ALL”…
… All our heart
… All our soul
… All our mind
… All our strength

The Gospel begins with a member of the scribe, approaching Jesus with a question:
“Which is the greatest of all commandments?”(Mk 12: 28)

This man, who questioned Jesus was a scribe

Some translations would put it as “a Lawyer”
The Gospel of St Matthew describes him as a “Scholar of the Law” (Mt 22: 35)

He was an expert in the Mosaic Law.
…someone who studied the law, interpreted the law and taught the law!

Jesus responded him, with something immensely special:
“The Lord our God, is Lord alone. Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength”(Mk 12:29- 30)…

“Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mk 12: 31)

Note the insistence on the word “all”….
… “all” your heart… feelings, emotions, desires
… “all” your soul… will, choices, decisions
… “all” your mind… reason, knowledge, memory
… “all” your strength… talents, abilities, capacities

The Lord commands and demands a “total” and “complete” loving!

He demands an “absolute” and “unadulterated” love!

Love, as Jesus defines, is not simply about feelings and emotions, as is the popular and the ‘commercial’ understanding.

Undoubtedly, Love has the dimensions of being a tender feeling and an expressive emotion.

But beyond that, Love is…
… a commitment
… a dedication
… a decision
…. that one makes to be faithful – to a person or a duty or a situation!

Life sometimes can be quite harsh to us – making us feel totally lost out, abandoned even by God and even causing us to question the presence and existence of a Just and Loving God…
… But, can we still dare to “love God”?

Life sometimes hits very hard at us – in the form of others not accepting us, others ridiculing, criticizing us and we finding ourselves as the subject of hatred and injustice.
… But, can we still dare to “love our neighbours”?

Life sometimes is very unfair to us, we feel – by not rewarding us with rewards, that we consider, we deserve, in answer to the hard-work we put in… or by not allowing us to enjoy the joys of life and instead bombards us with tensions and worries
… Can we still go out of the way and live a life “In Love and For Love”?

When one’s life is truly centred on love for God, one also begins to express this love to one’s neighbours, in concrete and certain acts of love.

St Paul reminds us: “If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself!” (2 Tim 2:11-13)

As Christians, we often…
… seek to find “loopholes” in laws of loving the Lord and our neighbour…
… try to spot “gaps” in commandments which ask to love the Lord and our neighbour…

But the insistence of the Lord is clear:
“Love Fully”
“Love Totally”
“Love Completely”

This is the ideal to which we, as Christians are called!

If not for this highest ideal, our life as a Christian would cease to have a uniqueness!

In the words of St Paul, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth!” (2 Tim 2: 15)

As we make our journey, in the “train of life”, we are constantly faced with this fundamental question of our faith: “Do YOU love Jesus?”

This question is planted by the Spirit in our hearts and it put down its roots.

It demands an answer.

What is our answer?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Our longing to gaining God’s Love causes us to meditate…
… Love, when gained, leads to contemplation.

Love renders the charm of what we love so pleasing…

… our minds never tire of reflecting on it!”

“Being more docile to the voice of the Lord, so that we may mould our present lives in perfect tune to God’s Will, and thus be able to enjoy a life of Resurrection – true happiness in eternity!”

(Based on 2 Tim 1:1-3, 6-12 and Mk 12: 18-27 – Wednesday of the 9th Week of Ordinary Time)

An old man and his wife, who had spent their life, in the villages, were taken to the railway station by their son, who had a job in the city.

It was for the first time in their life that this old couple was seeing a train!

The husband was highly d at the sight of that large locomotive.

He looked the engine over very carefully, and shook his head.

“Well, what do you think of it, father?” asked the son with eagerness

“She’ll never start,” was the firm answer by the disbelieving father: “she’ll never start.”

However, in a few minutes, the conductor waved, the bell rang, the locomotive puffed, the train moved slowly at first, then faster.

It was disappearing in the distance when the son inquired slyly: “”Well…what do you think of it now?”

The old man shook his head more violently than before and blurted out with greater assertion:
“She’ll never stop,” he affirmed; “she’ll never stop!!”

How often is this true of many people…
… Pre-Conceptions often close the mind; and one is unwilling to open anything new
… Prejudices often shut one’s understanding; and one becomes adamant in refusing to learn!

Truth is received and understood only by the one who is open and willing to accept it!

Truth can never be forced upon..
Truth can never be thrust on anyone…
Rather, Truth with the freedom it allows, is taken in only by the one docile to it!

The Gospel of the Day presents another group of opponents -characterised by rigidity to accept the truth and blocked in mentality to be docile – who try to put down and prod our Blessed Lord in His teachings.

Yet, Jesus, who is source and perfection of all wisdom, fails to get bogged down – instead traps them in their own arguments and leaves them faced with a mighty challenge to change!

The Sadducees came to Jesus to put forward a hypothetical riddle regarding the question of the Resurrection.

The Sadducees were the top people in the nation, the elite group of aristocrats who owned a lot of land, wealth and rank.

They were the power brokers in Israel’s supreme court, the Sanhedrin.
Even the high priests came from the families of the Sadducees.

They were selective in what they accepted from the Scriptures.

They rejected all the historical books.
They also rejected all the psalms and the other ‘writings’ like Job and Ecclesiastes.
Not one of the books of the prophets would they accept.
They were left with just the first five books of Moses.

Moses was their person of authority.
That is why when they come to Jesus, they characteristically begin, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us…” (Mk 12:19)

They also rejected the resurrection of the dead.

“Men stay dead,” they said; human beings only have this life here and now.
That is what they believed; no judgment; with death, the soul perishes with the body.

We live in a world where we also encounter many of the “modern” Sadducees.

People who live as though there is no Resurrection…
People who deny giving any significance for life after this life
People who fail to uphold any teachings or thoughts that support a life after death

For such “modern” Sadducees,
… Life consists in basically enjoying the pleasures of this present life to the maximum!
… Life is not to be drowned in “boring” piety and “dull” devotions with a hope for the future!

Perhaps, some of us, may also share such thought-patterns of the Sadducees.

Yet, the Lord addresses us, just as He did to the Sadducees, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mk 12: 24)

The Scriptures clearly testify to the various references that are made to the fact of the “dead” not really being dead… rather, alive in the Lord
The power of God clearly testifies that God as the one who created creation out of nothing, also has the power to grant new life to those who are dead

The Gospel passage ends with the statement by Jesus, “You are greatly misled” (Mk 12: 27b).

Another translation would read, “You are quite wrong”

The Lord was not afraid to clearly and bluntly tell the Sadducees that they were wrong and misled in their understandings.

And perhaps, if we are in the category of being a “modern” Sadducee, the Lord uncompromisingly tells us also, “You are greatly misled”

We need to be open to the voice of the Lord, calling us to trust deeper, in the presence of a life after this life.

Let not our prejudices shut our understanding; and we become adamant in refusing to learn!

Truth is received and understood only by the one who is open and willing to accept it!

St Paul reminds us of the need to remain open to the Spirit of the Lord and to constantly bear witness to the Lord and His Kingdom:
“Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control.

Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but take your share of suffering for the gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling…” (2 Tim 1:6-9)

May we grow to be more docile to the voice of the Lord, so that we may mould our present lives in perfect tune to God’s Will, and thus be able to enjoy a life of Resurrection – true happiness in eternity!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you.

Often invoke them, constantly praise them…

… and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs!”