“Renewing our commitment to a life of holiness, offering our weaknesses and sins totally to the unfathomable Mercy of God and becoming a Missionary of Mercy to all!”

(Based on Acts 2:42-47, 1 Pet 1:3-9 and Jn 20:19-31 – 2nd Sunday of Easter – Sunday of Divine Mercy)

St. John Maria Vianney is the patron saint of priests.

As a model priest, he helped all the needy in his parish or in the region around him.

Once, word was sent to him that a very sick man of his parish was seeking to make confession.

However, this man was pretty far off from the place where the church was.

It was a time when vehicles were too sparse.
The climate was bitter cold and the rain storm was blowing in.

But the zeal in the heart of the Saintly Priest was still greater.

So, he picked up his cloak and started his walk to the sick man’s house.

The freezing cold pierced through his frail bones

The lashing winds wrenched his body in frosty pain
Yet, St John Vianney trekked on!

Finally he reached the house of the sick man.

By the time he arrived, St Vianney himself was shivering and wobbly with high fever.
He fell so ill, that he had to hear the confession, lying down, beside the sick man’s bed.
Many in fact, even thought, that the priest was more sick than the penitent ill-man!

It was the personal experiences of God’s Mercy that helped St John Vianney to share God’s immense mercy! God’s Mercy always reaches out – to the one who is in need, to the one who seeks!

All of us are to have an experience of the Lord’s forgiving love and be a Missionary of Mercy

Pope St John Paul II beautifully tells us: “Divine Mercy! This is the Easter Gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to Humanity at the dawn of the third millennium!”

Today as we celebrate God’s Mercy – on this Divine Mercy Sunday – we are presented with the example of St Thomas, the Apostle…
… who is a consolation to all who face uncertainties in spiritual life

St Thomas sometimes is considered by others, as being “adamant” and “proud.”

But…
… it was his search for convictions in life that made him seek for a proof for the Lord’s appearance
… it was his desire for certainty in life that caused him to doubt the words of his companions

When we go through the life of St Thomas as seen in the Gospels, we encounter a person constantly displaying courage, expressing commitment and seeking for convictions.

It was probably St Thomas who first expressed his desire to give up his life for the Lord and His Kingdom… “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (Jn 11: 16)

St Thomas becomes a motivation for all those who follow Christ, to be bold and brave and even to give up one’s life for the Lord and His Kingdom

St Thomas also had the simplicity and the openness to ask Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)

St Thomas becomes a consolation to all those who face genuine uncertainties in spiritual life and encourages to remain like a child – in openness, simplicity and frankness.

St Thomas refused to trust the words of his companions on the issue of the Jesus’ Resurrection.

He knew that many of his companions had impulsive reactions and therefore, could not be believed for their words.

Therefore, he insisted that his belief in Christ’s Resurrection would depend only on His personal experience with the Lord
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in His Hands and put my finger into His side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25)

St Thomas becomes a refuge for all those who grapple with spiritual anxieties – lack of consolation in prayer life, deep longing to experience God and many confusions regarding spiritual teachings and faith experiences

St Thomas is a shining beacon of courage.

He had his doubts. But once cleared, he became a person of immense conviction.

It was the personal experience of God’s Mercy that helped St Thomas to cry out with conviction: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28) and to share God’s immense mercy to others!

This intimate experience made him to travel across many lands to give witness to Jesus, His Lord and Master…
… and even to give up His life, in martyrdom!

The Feast of the Divine Mercy is an invitation for all of us to plunge into the ocean of God’s Mercy…
… even though often we are crushed under the weight of sin, struggles, failures and helplessness!

Let’s remember “the ocean of God’s Mercy is greater than all our sins, failures and weaknesses!”

St Faustina, in The Diary, reminds us the Mind of the Lord:
“I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners.

On that day the very depths of My Tender Mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of Graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy.
The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment!”

Let this Feast of the Divine Mercy be an opportunity for all of us to renew our commitment to a life of holiness, offer our weaknesses and sins totally to the unfathomable Mercy of God…
… and with this personal experience of God’s Mercy, become a Missionary of Mercy to all!

Happy Feast of the Mercy of the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being powerful witnesses of Christ, Who is risen for us!”

(Based on Acts 4:13-21 and Mk 16:9-15 – Saturday in the Octave of Easter)

A middle-aged man who had been baptized during the Easter Vigil Service…
… shared his short testimony, as part of his vote of thanks to the people who had gathered in Church.

He said, “This is the most special day for me, when I have been received into the Holy Catholic Church!

My joys knows no bounds!
I had been waiting for this day for long.

Of course, my journey had a huge hurdle – as the lives of many followers of Christ, failed to enthuse me!”

He added: “It was pretty sad to see that in the midst of a modern generation screaming with solutions, I found Christians stammering for answers!

In a tech-savvy world that comfortably misguided people into pleasures, Christians were stumbling for lack of conviction!”

And he went on to say, “But tonight, on this Easter Vigil, I hope that you and I, will be powerful witnesses of Christ, Who has risen for us!”

Are we ready to be powerful witnesses for Christ…
… filled with conviction and joy?

The Gospel of the Day recounts the mandate given to the Apostles by Jesus, the Master, to spread His Gospel to the entire nations:
“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15)

We are on the Saturday of the Easter Octave.

Over the last few days, we have meditated on the various Resurrection accounts from the various Gospel narratives.

The encounter of the women, on the way back from the tomb (Mt 28: 8-15)
The encounter by Mary of Magdalene, calling her by name (Jn 20: 11-18)
The encounter of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, with the Risen Lord, at the breaking of bread (Lk 24: 13-35)
The encounter of the Apostles with the Risen Lord in the closed room (Lk 24: 35-48)
The encounter of the Apostles with the Risen Lord by the Sea of Tiberias (Jn 21: 1-14)

Today, in the Gospel of St Mark, we have a sort of summary of the many Resurrection narratives, closing with the mission mandate of the Lord…
… to “go into all the world” and reach out the saving Word of the Lord.

In all these various Resurrection narratives that are mentioned in today’s Gospel…
… one common element is seen: A mention of unbelief or uncertainty of the disciples.

When Mary Magdalene saw the Lord and reported this to the disciples…
… “but when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it” (Mk 16:11)

When the two disciples on the way to Emmaus spoke of the Risen Lord’s appearance to them, “they did not believe them” either (Mk 16: 13)
… but later the Lord appeared to the disciples themselves and “rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed…” (Mk 16: 14, NABRE)

The disciples found it hard to accept and believe in the Resurrection of the Lord.

They had been rebuked often by the Lord, during His earthly ministry.
Now they are again chided for their lack of faith, even after His Resurrection.

Despite this less intensity in their belief, the Risen Lord entrusts them with His mission of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom.

Despite this little strength in their faith, the Risen Lord, hands over to them His task of preaching the Word of God to all the nations.
That’s the trust of the Lord in His disciples.
That’s the faith of the Lord in His chosen ones

It’s His conviction that “I will be with them
… and above all, I trust them”!

Like the disciples, we too may and will have our moments of…
… variations in faith
… slackening in trust
… and slipping in hope

In all this, let us be assured that the Lord, Who has entrusted His task to us, will continue to trust in us, and assures His presence with us.

We are weak…
We are fragile…

The Lord knows these aspects in us, much better than we ourselves.
He knew all this, even of the Apostles.
Yet, He wholly trusted them.
And He wholly trusts us too!

The disciples would grow in the strength of this trust and would become courageous and powerful to give witness to the Risen Lord – even when put through trials and tribulations.

This bold witness even surprised many people, including the religious leaders:
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus!” (Acts 4:13)

Their conviction would make them to profess the Lord in all what they did:
“But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge…
… for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard!’” (Acts 4:19-20)

We live in the midst of a modern generation screaming with solutions!

We live in a tech-savvy world that comfortably misguides people into pleasures!

Let us be Christians….
… who don’t stammer for answers; instead, strongly shout out God’s Love!
… who don’t stumble for lack of convictions; instead, boldly walk with commitment!

Yes, let this Easter Season help all of us to be powerful witnesses of Christ…
… Who has risen for us!

Happy Easter to all of you!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Putting to effect all our abilities, and being focussed on our Crucified Lord to be single-minded in our love for the Lord!”

(Based on Acts 4:1-12 and Jn 21:1-14 – Friday in the Octave of Easter)

Every person’s life consists of various strengths, talents, abilities and aptitudes.

These strengths and talents help a person to achieve triumphs in life.
These abilities and aptitudes push the person to climb up higher the ladder of success

However, it is said that “one’s greatest strength can also be the reason for one’s greatest fall!”

Sometimes strengths and abilities themselves can become….
… the reason for great depressions in life
… the gateway to a person to being tempted into false ways
… the entrance for a person to abandon one’s true calling and vocation of life

The Gospel of the Day is a strong picturisation of this aspect with the person of Peter, the prime Apostle of Jesus, in focus.

We are on the last chapter of the Gospel of St John – Chapter Twenty One.

The chapter describes another post-Resurrectional account of the appearance of Jesus.

The disciples, have been greatly disturbed and devastated by the death of their Master, Jesus.

Perhaps, all their hopes were crashed…all their aspirations had sunk.

Then, Peter, perhaps filled with greater sorrow than others, makes an important statement, “I am going fishing” (Jn 21:3)

He would have been more sorrowful because the Lord had always accorded a special attention to him…
… Yet, he was the one who had primarily and publicly denied his Master.

And so he takes another lead… this time however, away from the Lord… “to go fishing”

In Mt 4:19, we read that Peter had received the glorious vocation of following the Lord…
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”

This was the vocation of Peter…
… to follow Jesus closely and personally and intimately
… to be a fisher of people, for the Kingdom of God.

But when faced with the greatest crisis of his life, he sought comfort and refuge, in what was probably, humanly speaking, his greatest strength – fishing!

All through his life, Peter was probably living close to the sea.

He knew the depths and the breadth of the waters.
Fishing was his great strength
Fishing was his big asset.

However, at the call of the Lord, Peter had given up this “earthly” asset and strength to embark through “newer” waters of life with the “Great Fisherman of Galilee”

The Lord had given him a “higher” vocation – to become fishers of people.

But now Peter, dejected and depressed, “leaves” this Divine vocation and goes back to his earthly strength and livelihood – fishing.

His strength and ability of fishing had become….
… the reason for great depressions in his spiritual life
… the gateway to being tempted into false ways, leaving the way of the Lord
… the entrance for him, to abandon his true calling and vocation of life of being fishers of people

“One’s greatest strength can also be the reason for one’s greatest fall!”

But once again, the Lord comes to the rescue…

He had called Peter, for the first time, by the Sea of Galilee… by a miraculous catch of fish (Lk 5: 1-11)

He now again calls Peter, by the Sea of Galilee – by a miraculous catch of fish
… calls him to renew his commitment and love for the Lord
… calls him to go back to his vocation and give up his life for him
… calls him to leave his “earthly strength” of fishing, and to depend totally on the Lord!

The danger that Peter faced in his life can be a danger for us too…

Our greatest strength can also be the reason for our greatest fall!

What is the greatest strength of our lives?
Money? Prestige? Talents? Abilities? Self-Confidence?
Or God?

Sometimes we find, that the very talents and abilities…
… by which we are able to do the works, of the Lord, may themselves, become great snares of temptations

We, therefore, need to be on the watch always – be on the guard at all times!

Sure, that it is the Lord Himself who has blessed us with various talents.

But all our capabilities, needs to find its source, strength and continuity, in and by the Lord.

Let us put to effect all the abilities that the good Lord has blessed us with, for His Kingdom…
… and may we always be focussed on our Crucified Lord to be single-minded in our love for the Lord.

Happy Easter to all of you!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Growing in love of the Mystery of the Risen Lord, and seeking to live it, more fully and more meaningfully in our lives!”

(Based on Acts 3:11-26 and Lk 24:35-48 – Thursday of the Easter Octave)

It is said that an encounter with a mystery can cause one of the two reactions …

A fervent fear leading to veneration and devotion
A nauseating aversion leading to hatred and abhorrence.

The encounter with a mystery is always something overwhelming:

It causes either a transformation for the good or a change to run away from the truth and reality.

Mysteries are indeed powerful and can be life-transforming!

The Gospel of the Day presents this powerful dimension of the Apostles…
… encountering the Mystery of the Resurrection, in the person of Jesus Christ, the Lord, risen from the dead!

The Resurrection Day of the Lord was perhaps the most baffling, confusing and puzzling day in the lives of the Apostles…

Just a few days back, they had witnessed the horrifying and painful death of their Beloved Master.

In their weakness, and fearing for their life, they had abandoned their Master.

Yet, heart of heart, these disciples would have been tremendously affected, at the loss of the One who had brought new hopes and expectations to their lives.

But now, the strange and surprising reports of the tomb being empty and the Lord appearing to two on the way to Emmaus have confused the poor disciples.

It’s in this state of fear, confusion that Jesus comes in their midst and appears to them.
“But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost” ( Lk 24: 37)

The disciples were face to face with a Mystery – the mystery of Jesus Christ, Resurrected.

And every mystery can cause two reactions…
… a fervent fear leading to veneration and devotion
… or a nauseating aversion leading to hatred and abhorrence.

The disciples were initially filled with a lot of fear and were startled deeply.

[But as they slowly were in the presence of the Great Mystery, their hearts began to be filled with joy and holiness…

We are also witnesses to the Great Mystery of the Resurrection

What is our reaction?

Are we filled with fear and fail to live a life of true witnessing?
… Or are we filled with the calm and serenity that the Risen Lord promises?

There is a need to make an honest examination of our lives…

The Mystery of the Risen Lord is about joy and happiness

Do I radiate this joy to others…
… or do others only come across angry faces, irritated behaviour and unpleasant conduct in me?

The Mystery of the Risen Lord is about trust and confidence

Do I display this faith and belief…
… especially when we face many problems and crisis in life, to stand firm in hope?

The Mystery of the Risen Lord is about call to a new way of life…

Am I courageous to embrace this new way of life in the Risen Lord…
… and be willing to do away with my sinful habits and tendencies to fall away from God’s presence?

The Risen Lord is in our midst, as He was with the Apostles…
… Especially in His Most Holy Eucharist
… Especially in His Holy Word of God.

Let us not be afraid of this Mystery…
Let us not have an aversion towards it…

Rather, let us grow in love of the Mystery of the Risen Lord…
… and seek to live it, more fully and more meaningfully in our lives.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Realising that even in our ‘saddest walks of life,’ the Lord is with us – walking with us, and giving us many signs and symbols of Faith!”

(Based on Acts 3:1-10 and Lk 24:13-35 – Wednesday in the Octave of Easter)

A commonly known incident is told of a customs officer, who observed a truck coming up to the border.

The wary behaviour of the driver caused the customs officer to look at him with suspicion – of smuggling some goods – and he ordered a search of the vehicle.

The officer was pretty sure, that the driver was involved in smuggling something…

But even after a thorough search – of the panels, the bumpers, the wheel cases and other parts of the truck….
… he was unsuccessful!

Not convinced, but due to lack of proof, the customs officer had to wave the driver through.

This happened many times over the years – week after week….

The officer made the driver to go through rigorous searches: full body search, X Rays, Sonar…
… but nothing illicit was ever found!

Finally, the day arrived when the customs officer was to retire.

For one last time, the officer observed the same driver coming in…
… and he asked him: “I know you are a smuggler!

And I also know, very cleverly, you have been deceiving me all these years, and taking some goods beyond this check point.

Today is my last day at work.

So I pray you, to tell me what have you been smuggling all these years.
I promise that I will not tell anyone about it.”

Seeing the insistent pleading of the customs officer, the driver replied, coolly:
“Trucks!”

The customs officer had made a detailed check up of the driver, on several occasions.

But he missed the most obvious good that could have been smuggled: Trucks!

How often can this happen in our lives as well…
… We “miss the most obvious!”

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful incident to “open our eyes” to see the obvious – the obvious reality of our Faith…
… and thus, to be convinced witnesses of this Good News of the Reality!

The post-Resurrectional narratives today presents before us the incident of our Risen Lord appearing to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus (Lk 24: 13-35).

One of the striking features that this passage presents before us is the human tendency (weakness!) to “miss the obvious!”

The two disciples, who are on the way to Emmaus, had been greatly struck by the incidents that had happened over the last one week in Jerusalem.

This therefore, resulted in them failing to “read the signs of symbols”…

Their Master, Jesus, in Whom they had placed all their hopes, had undergone a cruel death on the Cross (Lk 24:21).
… The CROSS, however, seemed, to them, purely as a sign of humiliation and shame!

This was followed by the report of some women who had seen the empty Tomb of the Lord (Lk 24:22)
… The EMPTY TOMB, however, seemed, to them, purely as a sign of dashed hopes and broken dreams

This confusion was confirmed by some of the other members of the group, but Him they had not met (Lk 24: 24)
… This ABSENCE of JESUS, however, seemed, to them, purely as a sign of a lost prospect and an uncertain future.

As they walked on the way, Jesus explained the Scriptures to them, to open their hearts to what was written about Him (Lk 24: 27)
… The SCRIPTURES, however, seemed, to them, purely as a sign of falling on deaf ears and God’s words being found empty.

As they reached the village, Jesus made movements as if to go on ahead (Lk 24: 28)
… The MOVEMENTS of JESUS, however, seemed, to them, purely a sign of a traveller wanting to move on with His journey

A number of symbols were presented to these disciples…

Cross, Empty Tomb, Absence of Jesus, Scriptures, Movements of Jesus
… but all of them seemed irrelevant and immaterial.

They failed to make an impact!
They MISSED THE OBVIOUS!

That’s when, our Blessed Lord would “open their eyes” by partaking in one of the most important post-resurrectional ‘Expression of His Presence’: The Breaking of Bread!

“He sat down to eat with them, took the bread, and said the blessing; then He broke the bread and gave it to them…
… then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him!” (Lk 24: 30-31)

The ‘Breaking of the Bread’ opened their eyes… and they began to “See the Obvious”

The Cross began to be seen as the Symbol of Victory!
The Empty Tomb began to be seen as the Symbol of God’s Almighty Power!
The Absence of Jesus began to be seen as the Symbol of His Presence amidst the community!
The Scriptures began to be seen as the Symbol of God’s Promises being fulfilled!
The Movements of Jesus began to be seen as the Symbol of the Lord alluring them to invite Him into their hearts and homes!

This incident invites us to also have our “eyes opened” and “see the obvious” in our Faith.

And this experience is deepened by our participation in the “Breaking of the Bread”.

The “Breaking of Bread” is the Holy Eucharist.

This incident of the “Breaking of Bread” contains the elements (Scripture, Prayer, Blessing, Breaking of bread) of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church…
… “Eucharistic celebration always includes: the proclamation of the Word of God; thanksgiving to God the Father for all his benefits, above all the gift of his Son; the consecration of bread and wine; and participation in the liturgical banquet by receiving the Lord’s body and blood.”

There are moments in our life, when we like the Disciples on the way to Emmaus, walk dejected and disillusioned.
… things seem lost for us and the future holds no good for us
… darkness seem to pervade our every thought

Like those Disciples, we too are given a lot of symbols of God’s Presence…
… but we fail to find meaning in them!

It is therefore the Breaking of the Bread – the Holy Eucharist – that can strengthen our Christian Life and “open our eyes”…
… to “see the obvious!”

May this powerful incident of the Emmaus Experience, help us to resolve and renew a few commitments with respect to the Holy Eucharist…
… to be more eager to participate for the Holy Mass as often as possible
… to never be late for Mass; instead to prepare well, and participate with more enthusiasm
… to seek to spend more time with the Eucharistic Lord and encourage others to do so as well

It is the Eucharist that can help us to know and realize that even in our “saddest walks of life,” the Lord is with us – walking with us, and giving us many signs and symbols of Faith…

And thus, to have our “eyes opened”…
… and “see the obvious” in our Life of Faith!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being steadfast to the Lord, despite our tears and pains… and experiencing the caring and intimate Love of the One Who is ‘always with us!’”

(Based on Acts 2:36-41 and Jn 20:11-18 – Tuesday in the Octave of Easter)

One of the very beautiful verses in the Bible, not too known though… is from the book of the Psalms..

Psalm 56: 8, “O Lord.. You have stored my tears in a bottle”

Another translation would read, “… You have collected my tears in a wineskin”

This verse speaks volumes of a God who is so intimately related with a person and expresses a very personal and close association.

God is the God who…
… is specially close to His people in their moments of pain and suffering
… is particularly near to His people in their times of affliction and tribulations.

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful witness to this loving concern and tender affection of God…
… expressed by Jesus to Mary Magdalene.

We are still near the tomb of the Lord.

Mary Magdalene, the soul who loved the Lord so deeply, is still lingering around the tomb of the Lord.

She had experienced Divine Love in a great manner.

Her heart could not fully accept that the Lord who had transformed her life was no more

Her mind could take in the fact that the One whom she loved so deeply had gone away.

And so she kept waiting.

True love always seeks…

True love always seeks to break boundaries, do away with hurdles and cast away any barriers

Finally, when she did encounter Him, her eyes were kept away from recognizing the Lord.

But the Lord did recognize her…
… not just her physical pains.. rather also her mental agony and her spiritual longing!

And so He asks her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” (Jn 20:13)

Mary had been incessantly weeping over the loss of her Beloved

She had been continuously shedding tears for the Lover of her soul.

However… these tears were not in vain….
… these tears were not lost in futility..

Rather, the Lord was storing them up carefully in a vial… in a bottle… in a wineskin

“O Lord.. You have stored my tears in a bottle” (Ps 56:8)

And these tears of affection, love and fondness was rewarded by the Lord, by calling her by name, “Mary!” (Jn 20:16)

The sweetness of that voice, calling out her name, wiped away every tear!

Her tears were turned to smiles…
… her mourning to comfort
… her brokenness to immense joy!

Today, we are reminded the same…

We may be shedding many tears before the Lord…

It could be due to many reasons…
… maybe some personal crisis in life
… maybe some brokenness in the family
… maybe some tragedy or calamity to our closed ones

All these may cause us to have tears…
… either externally or within the depth of our hearts

Some tears may be seen by others…
… most others, will go unnoticed, invisible

Yet, the One who loves us the most – the Lord – is storing up all our tears in His presence

Each one of our tear is precious to the Lord…

Just like Mary Magdalene, who continued to be faithful and longing for the Lord…
… let us also be steadfast to our God, despite our tears and pains and sadness.

This faithfulness to Him will surely win the reward for us…
… the reward of our names being called out by the Lord!

Happy Easter to all of you!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Having the last laugh with Jesus, our Risen Saviour and Lord!”

(Based on Acts 2:14, 22-33 and Mt 28:8-15 – Monday in the Octave of Easter)

There’s a story of a little girl whose grandfather had passed away.

She stood beside his grave after the burial, quietly staring at the Cross.

The adults were weeping, but this child suddenly smiled and whispered to her mother, “Mamma.. Mamma… Grandpa is playing hide and seek with Jesus, right?”

And with a bigger grin, she said, “Wait and see… He’ll find him soon!”

The adults were stunned.

What seemed like a naïve comment carried a profound truth: Death is not the end.

For those who belong to Christ, it’s just a waiting game – until Resurrection comes calling.

The child in her innocence had captured the essence of Easter.

The world might see the tomb as the end…
… but we know, it’s where the Risen Lord begins His greatest surprise!

Well…
.. the three hours of the agonizing Death of Christ on the Cross, was seen as a sign of victory by Satan

The kingdom of darkness had conquered and the world of misery had overcome all goodness…
… so it was felt!

But it was God who had the last laugh!

Jesus rose from the dead…
… and Life and Salvation became the last words.

God indeed made a fool out of satan!

The Resurrection – Jesus’ rising from the dead – was the most spectacular joke that God had pulled on Satan.

It is a reminder that whatever happens in life…
… when one has entrusted everything to the Lord, then ultimately: God Saves!

During His life, the Lord encountered many occasions…
… when He was subject to being in humiliating, mocking and testing situations

At the desert, Satan had sought to make Jesus a fool, by tempting and luring Him through many temptations. (Mt 4: 1-10)
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord once again faced a trying time in battling to embrace God’s Will totally and completely (Lk 22: 41-44)
On the Cross, the soldiers and others who persecuted the Lord, mocked and challenged Him to come down from the Cross (Mk 15: 29-32)

At every stage of His Life, our Blessed Lord was put into situations of being the “butt of jokes” and the “laughingstock”…
… and a target for many a trial, tribulations and mockeries.

The Crucifixion was meant to be the greatest of all such “agonizing” mockeries!

But…
… Divine Wisdom always finds a way out to triumph!
… Divine Providence always regains the way to victory!

This is the message of the Resurrection.

The Gospel of the Day is the account of the encounter of Jesus with the women, who had come to the tomb of the Lord.

The women who saw the empty tomb and encountered the Lord, were filled with a holy fear, a tremendous joy and a deep devotion. (Mt 28:8-9)

When one encounters Divine Wisdom…
… one is filled with true joy and peace.

Are we ready to share in the happiness of this “joyful” act of the Lord?

Life may bite us sharply with ensnaring temptations and evil tendencies…

Life may make a fool of us with mounting tensions and troubles…
Life may put us down badly with uncertainties and doubts…

We may often, find ourselves mocked.
We may often, find ourselves ridiculed.

But in all such situations, let us dare to look to our Crucified Lord…
… who Himself underwent painful mocking and unfair scorning…
Yet, had the final laugh, through the Resurrection from the dead!

The Resurrection gives us…
… every reason to rejoice, even in the midst of deadly trials…
… every cause to be joyful, even in the midst of heavy tribulations…

May the Risen Lord be the reason for us to rejoice and be joyful, thanking Him for the greatest joke ever – the crushing of Satan by the power of the Holy Cross!

Let us entrust all our works and deeds to the Safe Hands of Jesus…
… because “God always saves!”

As Christians, we can indeed rejoice and say, that “on Easter Day, Christ truly made a fool of sin and death!”

And we are reminded: “Life may often make you a fool!

But never be discouraged; with Jesus, we will always have the last laugh!”

Happy Easter to all of you!

“Let HALLELUJAH be the joyful song that we radiate in all our thoughts, words and deeds!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The HOLY WEEK is the holiest week in the Liturgical Year!

And this HOLY WEEK can truly become a HOLY & HEALING WEEK…
… if we make efforts to TOTALLY LIVE FOR GOD!

The HOLY WEEK is a reminder to all of us…
… that God has given HIMSELF TOTALLY FOR US!

And we in turn, are to GIVE OURSELVES TOTALLY TO THE LORD!

Let this week, be a time…
… to grow in greater personal intimacy in His Word
… to ‘fall in love with Him’ in the Holy Eucharist
…. and to dwell with Him, near His Holy Cross.

Let us try to perform THREE TASKS, THIS WEEK
a. READ: Read the last 3 chapters of all the four Gospels – in order to meditate deeper on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ

b. REPAIR: Repair our relationships, especially by praying for those with whom we are not very okay, and extending the forgiveness and goodwill of the Lord to them

c. RESOLVE: Resolve to overcome a particular bad habit/sin that has been nagging us for sometime, and/or cultivating a virtue in order to grow in our Christian life

Let we hold the hands of our Blessed Mamma and St Joseph – and imitate them – in seeking the Will of the Lord, always!

Wish you a Blessed Holy Week!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

(Based on the Holy Week)

We have entered into the Most Blessed Week in the Liturgical Calendar

The Holy Week commemorates the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord.

The Lord came to this world to die.

The shadow of His cross was cast on every event of His life.

And now, we are ready to mingle ourselves with those Sacred Moments of commemorating His Cross.

March 30, 2026
On MONDAY, we have the Gospel wherein Mary anoints the feet of the Lord (Jn 12: 1-11)

We could ponder on some aspects…
a. The deep love of Mary
… Least bothered of what others felt.
… Least mindful of her own shame or dignity
All that mattered to her was Jesus and love for Him

Can I grow in my spiritual life, to possess such a unique and undivided love?

b. Danger of piety being covered up under the cloak of materialism, duplicity – Judas.
His focus was moved from “Following the Lord” to “Plotting against the Master”

Is my love for the Lord, losing its sheen and getting corrupted with worldliness?

March 31, 2026
On TUESDAY, we ponder with the Lord in His final discourse to His disciples (Jn 13: 21-33, 36-38)

We could dwell on some of the aspects…
a. The various attitudes towards the Lord, highlighted through the Disciples
… John, the beloved disciple, who could remain close to His heart.
… Simon Peter, the wavering disciple, genuinely wishing to follow the Lord, but failing often due to human limitations.
… Judas, the betraying disciple, in whom darkness had slowly encompassed and the night of sin was being encountered.

Am I growing in my love for the Lord, to be His beloved, or am I still floating on the waters of uncertainty or am I going downhill into spiritual darkness, failing to hold the hand of the Lord?

b. The prime importance needed in preparation to receive the Lord in the Holy Mass.
The Apostles had the privilege to participate in the First Holy Eucharist.
… however one of them, received the Lord with a deliberate and purposeful sin in the heart, which led to bringing death upon himself, at the reception of the Life-giving Bread.

Do I make the necessary preparations to receive the Lord worthily in the Holy Eucharist, growing in awareness of His presence in our hearts throughout the day…
… and in turn becoming a Eucharist to the needy in the world?

April 01, 2026
On WEDNESDAY, we reflect on the downfall of Judas (Mt 26: 14-25)

We could contemplate over some aspects…
a. Judas falls into the sin of avarice
One of the greatest dangers in life is that of misuse and attraction to money.
The Lord said, “Where thy treasure is, there thy heart too” (Mt 6:21)

Is my life too much attached to worldly pleasures, riches, powers, my own talents and capabilities that I fail to depend on the Lord and make Him the only and ultimate treasure of my life?

b. An insider is the one capable of being the greatest traitor and betrayer.
Among all the people who knew Jesus, The Twelve were chosen to be the closest.
… they shared the inner-most life and secrets of the Lord.

And therefore, the greatest danger was from one among them; and Judas Iscariot proved this right, by agreeing to betray his Master.

As an insider in the Church, am I betraying the Lord, by leading a lukewarm life, a scandalous life or a disinterested life?

April 02, 2026
On THURSDAY, we celebrate the intimate and passionate Love of Jesus!

The word ‘Maundy’ comes the Latin word “Maundatum” which means Command.

Three commands were expressed by the Lord…
a. The Command of Love
b. The Command of Commemorating the God of Love in the Holy Eucharist
c. The Command of continuity of sharing in the Priesthood of Jesus, the Priest and Victim

Can I grow in this consciousness and conviction to carry out the commands of the Lord?

April 03, 2026
On FRIDAY, we live through the Passion, Agony and Death of the Lord.

He who was sinless made Himself sin, for you and me!
… He who was blameless took upon the whole blame, for you and me!

Shall we make and mould our lives for holiness, abandoning our sinful ways…
… to be in greater communion with the One who died so that we may have life, and life in its abundance?

April 04, 2026
On SATURDAY, we pray at the tomb of the Lord, contemplating…
…. His deep, immense and unconditional for each of us, personally
… His Divine Wisdom to redeem the world back to Himself, scripting the greatest story ever

Yes the days are here…
… with another chance to review our lives, and renew our love-life with the Lord.

St Francis de Sales says, “Calvary is the Mount of lovers”
… and, “The love which is not the fruit of the Passion, is feeble”.

Our Greatest Lover is crucified there…
… as an expression of His love for us!

Come, let us also tread to path towards Him on Calvary, with our Blessed Mamma
… purging our sins, growing in His love
… and thus seek to rise with Him, and sing our eternal song – “Alleluia! He is Risen”

Wish you a Blessed Holy Week!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being intimate with the Passion of the Lord and experiencing His tremendous Love as we enter, with Faith and Hope, into the ‘Holy Week’”

(Based on the Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord)

It was a cold morning on February 5, 1597.

On a windswept hill overlooking Nagasaki, 26 Christians – Franciscan missionaries, Japanese catechists, and even children – stood bound to wooden crosses.

They had marched through the streets in humiliation, mocked, beaten, and bleeding… while crowds watched.

Among them was Louis Ibaraki, just twelve years old.

When soldiers came to nail his hands to the crossbeam, he looked at them with peace and said:
“It is an honour to die for my Lord.”
The crowd grew silent.

As the final nails were driven and the crosses raised, the martyrs began to sing – hymns to Christ the King.

(And in that moment – as tradition tells us – a strange and still silence fell over Nagasaki.

Heaven responded to their offering…
… a cloud, shaped like a Cross, appeared in the sky)

[This event is historically documented and recorded in sources like ‘The Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan’ by Fr. Cieslik, S.J., and the Vatican archives following their canonization in 1862.”]

Today, we shout “Hosanna” to the King of kings…
… as we wave our palms.

But we also realise this has ‘the tone of a funeral procession in slow motion…
… leading to the blood-soaked wood of Calvary.

The martyrs gave their lives for the King of Kings…
… and today, the Lord asks: Are you ready to give Me your heart, and to trust me always?

Today we are entering into one of the most important weeks of the Liturgical year – The Holy Week!

And we commemorate the start of this Holy Week, with the Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

On this Sunday, we recollect the entry of the Lord into the town, riding on a donkey (Cf. Mk 11:7)

The donkey has a specific symbolism…

In the olden days, military officers engaged in war and battles would ride on the most efficient animals: the fast and furious warhorses.

But after the victory in the war, the victorious officers would parade into the city riding on… yes, a donkey.
That was the reason why the people shouted out when they saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.

In the First book of the Kings 1: 38-4, we read of how Prince Solomon used the royal donkey of his father David, for the ceremonial procession on the day of his coronation.

The new Solomon, Jesus, the True Prince of Peace and the King of Kings today enters His city, Jerusalem on a donkey as well!

A new reign of peace was being signalled.
A new kingdom of love was being ushered.

Are we ready to welcome the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace into our lives?

He is not the glorious King of might and wealth…

But He is the Spectacular King who will reign on His throne of the Cross.

He is not the proud Emperor who parades much show and pomp…

But He is the Wonderful Lord who displays His compassion and love by His wounds!

Are we ready to welcome this King into…
Our lives?
Our homes?
Our hearts?

The Passion of the Lord is about to begin…

Are we going to be part of the people who crucify Him?
… or are we going to be people who repent of sins and seek to live a life worthy of the King?

Many of us would have read the following, with a picture of Jesus Christ crucified…
“I asked Jesus, how much do you love me?”
And Jesus answered, “This much”
And He extended His arms on the cross…

But there’s probably a sequel to this, which perhaps is not known much, but is worth reflecting on…

Jesus then asked me, “How much do you love me”

I picked up the hammer and the nails….
saying, “This is how much I love You!”
… and began to crucify Him!

The Passion of the Lord is a result of our sins…

The Crucifixion of the Lord is a consequence of our disobedience…

Prophet Isaiah would say, “It was our infirmities that He bore and it was our sufferings that He endured” (Is 53:4)

He died for love of us.
He suffered to save each of us.

Are we going to remain stubborn and adamant and continue to be a people who shout, “Crucify Him”…
… Or shall we repent, fall on our knees, seek a transformation, and, with palm branches in our hands
… truly exclaim and acclaim Jesus as the Lord, shouting, “Hosanna to the King of Kings! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Many of us are often just happy to be part of the “city crowd”…
… remain there and once in a way, shout Hosanna, and be happy!

But the Lord says: Leave the city and climb Calvary
“He who wishes to follow me, must deny, take up the cross daily and follow!” (Mt 16:24)

We must realise that Christianity without the Cross is impossible…
No Cross, no crown!
No wounds, No blessings!
No offering, no happiness!

We have the palms with us now – they are fresh and green.

But in a few days, they will turn dry.

Singing and shouting Hosanna, when everything is fresh and green, is not too difficult.

But can we keep the same spirit, even when things dry up…
… or will we end up saying, “Crucify Him!”

Let us truly make this week, a “holy week”…
… by making a confession of our sins, and making suitable amendments
… be deciding to read the Bible every day, without fail
… by spending time with Jesus, in personal prayer, every day
… by repairing some ‘toxic’ relationships – asking the “gift of forgiveness and healing of these relationships” from the Lord

The Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord is not just about nostalgia.

It’s about ‘making a decision.’

Holy Week is not to be reduced to a theatre of memories…
… but it is an invitation to intimacy with the Passion.

Our Blessed asks: “Will you walk with Me… all the way to Golgotha?”

So this week…
Don’t just wave palms.

Pick up your cross.

Don’t just sing “Hosanna”.

Whisper “I’m Yours” in the silence of your lives.

Don’t just remember what Jesus did.

Allow Him do it in you.

Because Holy Week without surrender is just ‘history’

But when you allow the Crucified Lord to work in your life, it becomes ‘HIStory!’
And this will truly become “the Week that changed your world!”

Wish you a Blessed Palm Sunday…
… and a Glorious Holy Week!

Let us be intimate with the Passion of the Lord and experience His tremendous love…
… so that we too may worthily and honestly shout, on Easter Sunday, “He is risen!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!