A rich business man and his assistant were travelling around a village on a tour.

As they walked along, they saw a boy pulling a plough (= a large farming implement with blades fixed in a frame, drawn over soil to turn it over and cut furrows in preparation for the planting of seeds) which was steered by an old man.

It amused the assistant so much that he insisted on taking a picture of the scene with his little pocket camera. Later he showed the picture to a priest in the next village, remarking about the peculiar spectacle.

“Yes,” said the Priest, “it seems a very strange way to plough a field that way.

But I happen to know the boy and old man well.

They are very poor. However, when the little church was built here in the village, they wanted to contribute something.

>> They had no money.

They had no grain to spare and winter was coming on.

So they sold their ox and gave the money to the church building fund, and now, minus the valuable animal, they have to pull the plough themselves.”

The men looked at each other for a moment, then the assistant said, “But what a magnanimous sacrifice! Why did you allow it?”

“They did not feel that way about it” said the priest, “They regarded it as a great joy that they had an ox to give to the Lord’s work!”

Yes, true charity happens when there is an involvement of sacrifice and surrender.

Do we have the joy and the generosity to give ourselves, to the Lord and for His works?

The Gospel of the Day demonstrates the powerful message of True Giving, through the incident of the Offering of the Poor Widow.

The passage begins with the verse, “When Jesus looked up and saw…” (Lk 21: 1)

Jesus has sharp eyes…

>> He sees what most people miss to see…

>> He perceives what most people ignore…

>> He observes what most people pass on as ordinary…

We find this aspect, in many places of the Gospel…

While all others saw only the corrupt mind of Zacchaeus, Jesus saw deeper… (Lk 19:7)

>> He observed the flame of genuine repentance and earnest desire in him.

While all others saw only the filth in the woman caught in adultery, Jesus saw deeper…(Jn 8:3)

>> He observed the spark of pleading for mercy and compassion in her.

While all others saw only a disturbance in the blind beggar Bartimaeus, Jesus saw deeper… (Lk 18:39)

>> He observed the flash of true longing and expectant hope in him…

There are many times in our life, when we think or do little things and we would feel them as insignificant.

But the Lord sees deeper…

>> A tiny word of thanks and appreciation…The Lord sees our goodness.

>> A small gesture of timely help and assistance… The Lord sees our nobility.

>> A genuine smile of encouragement and support… The Lord sees our benevolence.

The palace of goodness is built by the tiny bricks of genuine actions and loving thoughts.

And the Lord sees it all – “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3)

He doesn’t miss a single gift, small or large.

>> He knows every giver, rich and poor.

This is the significance of being engaged in little and small acts of charity.

>> None of them go down the drain.

Rather, all of them are recorded by God and translates into a fountain of blessings!

The Lord keenly observed the insignificant action of the Poor Widow dropping in two copper coins into the Temple Treasury.

The Temple Treasury was in the Court of the Women, which was on the easternmost part of the Temple.

>> The Court of the Women obtained its name, not from its appropriation to the exclusive use of women, but because they were not allowed to proceed farther, except for sacrificial purposes.

Against the walls of this temple area were the thirteen chests, or ‘trumpets,’ for charitable contributions.

These thirteen chests were shaped like trumpets, narrow at the mouth and wide at the bottom.

>> Each one had a different Hebrew letter designating separate offerings and causes.

Into this Temple Treasury, “the poor widow just drops in two small copper coins” (Lk 21:2)

What difference did her two coins make toward meeting the temple budget?

Probably nothing!!

Perhaps the treasurer muttered under his breath as he saw it being dropped:

“Why do people throw such small coins into the treasury? They’re more a nuisance to count than they’re worth!”

But the Lord has a totally different yardstick of measuring and of judging.

People count worth of money by what is given.

>> God counts worth of money by what is left over.

People say “wow” over thicker and fatter amounts given, irrespective of the means and intention.

>> God says “wow” over any amount given, but only when given with the proper means and true intention.

While most people would have sidelined this meager act of giving, the Lord lavishes praise on the poor widow who “gave it all”.

The gifts of the rich would have not cost them much…

… But the widow may have gone hungry that night because she gave all what she had.

She gave it all, not for any praise or to show-off, but out of love of God and her religion.

What is our attitude in “giving” to God?

Often we give only “leftovers” to God.

>> If we have some food left, after we have relished nicely, we give it off to some hungry

>> If we have anything left, after we’ve spent for all our needs, then we drop a bit for charity.

>> If we have some “time” left, after engaging in all leisure, then we give the time to God.

>> If we have some goodwill left, after busying with many works, we offer our thanks to the Lord.

The Lord, seriously, is in no need of the offering of our money.

>> But the Lord, very seriously, is on the lookout for an ‘offering of our hearts’!

Let us make not just peripheral contribution of our lives, but rather engage in sacrificial offerings of our self.

As Blessed Mother Teresa would say:

“Give, but give until it hurts…

… It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving”

The Lord has given everything for us.

As His disciples, we too are expected to be similar: to give everything to Him.

An “all-giving” Master deserves “all-giving” disciples…

… Doesn’t He?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

It is said of one of the great Tsars (emperors) of Russia of how he would often visit the people of his kingdom, in disguise.

>> This was his method of recognizing the welfare and the well-being of his people.

On one occasion, he dressed up in the garment of a peasant (farmer).

He knocked at the door of an inn for a night shelter.

The innkeeper, who opened the door, had a long look at the peasant.

>> With hands folded, the man was pleading for a place to stay in the inn.

Seeing his shabby clothes and his haggard appearance, the innkeeper began to dismiss him saying:

“Tonight, there are many of the King’s courtiers and noblemen taking lodging in this inn.

>> You may look for a place somewhere else!”

But as he said this, one of the King’s noblemen, who heard the sound of the peasant man, rushed to the door, and motioned to let him in, saying:

“The dress may be that of a peasant, but the voice is the voice of my lord, the King!”

Very often something similar happens in our lives – God, our King comes to us, in disguise…

… in the supplication of a needy neighbour or a distressed companion

… in the silence of a broken soul or an unhappy relationship

… in the pleading of an oppressed cry or a troubled heart

>> Do we recognize our King in all these?

Perhaps the word “King” always brings to our minds, images of…

… royal dresses and majestic clothings

… bane arrogance and vain haughtiness

… super-riches and wealthy adornments

But Christianity always comes to break such notions and shatter such worldly conceptions

>> Are we ready to be the sincere followers of this True and Just King?

The Church today, on this last day of the liturgical year, invites Her children to HAIL this Mighty King – Jesus…

… with the Solemnity of Christ the King!

The Gospel of the Day describes the scene of the Last Judgment…

The passage presents the Son of Man – the King of kings – seated in His majesty and awesome glory and all the nations awaiting His judgment. (Mt 25: 31-32)

The sheep, placed on the right side, are the chosen ones to enjoy the bliss of the Kingdom.

>> The goats, placed on the left side, are the condemned ones to suffer the fire of punishment.

One of the important aspects to be observed in this passage of the scene of the Last Judgment is the manner in which the King looks at human actions…

The Bible says, “Humans look on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7)

One of the common question that both the groups – the sheep as well the goats – posed was:

“When did we know…”

The sheep were taken by surprise, at the occasions, which the Lord found them doing good…

>> They remained unaware of those situations, though they did the good in God’s sight.

>> They remained unaware of those occasions, though they did the needful in God’s sight.

The goats were taken by surprise, at the occasions, which the Lord found them missing to do good…

>> They remained unaware of those situations, where they failed to do the good in God’s sight.

>> They remained unaware of those occasions, where they missed to do the needful in God’s sight.

> We may not “realize” the occasions of doing good…

>> We may not “realize” the occasions of having missed doing good…

This, therefore, calls for cultivation of an inner disposition to do good.

>> This calls for building of an inner character to be charitable.

Ø From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks…

Ø From the abundance of goodness within, good actions flow…

Ø From the abundance of kindness within, kind conduct emerges…

Ø From the abundance of love within, charitable behaviours proceed…

Let’s prepare ourselves well, in cultivating an inner disposition to do good…

… by allowing Christ to reign over our lives!

From the next Sunday, we enter into the Hopeful Season of Advent…

… let it be an occasion to grow in cultivating love, deep within.

… let it be a time of forming a character of goodness and kindness.

The Day of Judgment is certainly to be a glorious one…

If we fail to build up a character of goodness and charity, we may go through feelings of anxiety or fear or even dread!

>> But trusting in the mercy and compassion of the Lord, let us, as the little children of our Heavenly Father, be hopeful and confident!

Jesus, our Great King, desires earnestly and eagerly to reign over our hearts!

>> Shall we not open our hearts and lives to the Lord?

Yes, let us Hearken to His voice…Christ, the King – The Great King.

>> No land to reign, but our hearts…

>> No majestic throne, but the cross…

>> No mighty army, but a few people to spread His word…

>> No royal treats all the time, but pain and suffering often…

>> No grand fiesta or party but the sacrifice of the Calvary in the Eucharist…

This king invites us today to renew our commitment to Him

He comes to us in many different situations and circumstances of our life…

May we never say to Him, “You may look for a place somewhere else!”

>> Instead, even in situations when the externals appear vague…

… filled with a clear disposition of the Lord reigning in our hearts, may we say: “The dress may be that of a peasant, but the voice is the voice of my lord, the King!”

Royalty is less, but faithfulness is assured….

>> Popularity is rare, but blessings are plenty.

Shall we always say “Yes” to this King of Hearts – Christ the Crucified King?

Happy Feast to all the Valiant and Faithful Soldiers of Christ, the Awesome King!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Question: Who could be the called as the most blessed’ people in the world?

Answer: Christians

The Reason: In Christ we have the possibility to receive great blessings, to have heavenly experiences on earth by living a faith-filled life and to enjoy the most intimate moments with God in the Most Holy Eucharist.

The Biblical Support: John 10:10, “I have come to give life, and life in abundance”

John 6:51, “I am the Living Bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever”

Question: Who could be the called as the most ‘pitied’ people in the world?

Answer: Christians

The Reason: A Christian who fails to believe & be convinced of a life in Christ after this earthly life & lives only for this world.

The Biblical Support: 1 Cor 15:19, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all”

Am I a Christian who can be called Blessed, because of my faith in Christ which is directed towards Eternal Life ?

>> Or am I a Christian who is to be Pitied, because of my belief in Christ which is only to satisfy my desires of this world?

The Gospel of the Day invites us to dwell on these aspects with the incident of the Question on the Resurrection.

This question on the Resurrection was put forward by the Sadducees.

The Sadducees were the priestly aristocracy among the Jews.

>> They tried to live in close contact with the Roman rulers so that they might as far as possible promote the secular interests of their people.

Consequently they took little interest in religious matters and in many respects clashed with the Pharisees, especially as regards the Pharisees’ attachment to the ‘traditions of the elders’.

Anything which was not taught by ‘the law of Moses’ (the first five books of the Old Testament) was rejected by the Sadducees as forbidden innovations.

Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees did not believe in many aspects:

>> They didn’t believe…

… in angels.

… in heaven or hell.

… in life after death.

… in the immortality of the soul.

… in the resurrection of the dead.

Thus, the doubt on the Resurrection exposes the hypocrisy of the Sadducees.

>> They were asking Jesus about something they didn’t believe.

They sought to establish that belief in a resurrection from the dead was unscriptural and impractical by putting forward a highly hypothetical question.

But Jesus, the cleverest and smartest Master outwits their malicious plans.

Jesus establishes that eternal life would not be a mere extension of this presently life.

>> Rather, there would be a great transformation of all that is earthly.

The style and the method of this transformation is known only to God…

>> The manner and the mode of this transformation is known only to God…

But the Lord with logic & reason and a strong scriptural-support champions this Doctrine of the Resurrection from the Dead.

The passage ends with the statement, “And they no longer dared to ask him anything” (Lk 19:40)

The Sadducees who came to trap the Lord with their malicious doubts were put to silence.

>> Maybe a few of those Sadducees…

… would have second thoughts on it.

… got a bit confused between Jesus’ words and their own convictions

… felt angered at the convinced reply of Jesus & their unwillingness to let go of their position.

Maybe most of those Sadducees felt threatened by the confident reply of Jesus and felt disturbed by their aversion to give up their opinions.

>> It’s a tragedy when one fails to convert oneself, even after knowing the truth.

>> It’s a pity when one fails to change oneself, even after becoming aware of the reality.

>> It’s a calamity when one fails to alter oneself, even after being conscious of the facts.

Are we practical Sadducees in our lives?

>> Do I believe in the power of the Resurrection of the Dead?

>> Do I believe that there is a life beyond our earthly existence?

It is not that enough to have a mere verbal belief.

>> This belief ought to be translated in our personal living.

We need to prepare ourselves for a glorious eternity by living a holy life.

>> We need to avoid any blocks and sins which can hamper my progress to eternal life.

The world is becoming more and more materialistic today.

The feeling that “after all we have only one life” and “let us enjoy to the maximum” is widespread.

Certainly, God has blessed us with this life…and we need to enjoy.

>> But enjoy it in the proper manner with a sense of responsibility and decorum.

Let us give up anything that reduces the value of enjoyment to mere sensual and bodily-pleasurable activities.

>> Instead, let us enjoy real freedom and happiness, by living a life of Grace and Love!

We are Christians…

>> Will my life be the most blessed? or Will my life be the most pitied?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

One of the basic requirements of religion is the aspect of Sacredness.

God is Holy.

>> And all matters pertaining to this holy God, has a Sense of the Sacred.

>> Worship becomes meaningful, when one becomes aware of this Sense of the Sacred.

>> Preaching becomes powerful, when one is convinced of this Sense of the Sacred.

>> Liturgy becomes heart-touching, when one acknowledges this Sense of the Sacred.

Today we need to make an examination…

>> Is my Worship of God becoming merely external and losing its inner values?

>> Is my Liturgy more a ritualistic and obligatory exercise than truly an experiential one?

>> Is my Preaching of God reduced to great talks but devoid of conviction and passion?

If the answer to any of the above questions is a Yes…

… then we are perhaps losing the Sense of the Sacred.

The Gospel of the day presents a classic case of this loss of the Sacred Sense.

The Temple of Jerusalem is desecrated by a loss of the Sacred Sense and Jesus seeks to restore it by cleansing the temple.

“Then Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things” (Lk 19:45)

The Jerusalem Temple was very dear to the faith of the people of Israel.

>> Worshipping in this temple was the ultimate for the Israelites, in their honouring of God.

At the Passover, Jews from around the world came to the temple to sacrifice to the Lord (Ex. 12:1-28; Lev. 23:4-8).

It was highly impractical to bring sacrificial animals long distances.

>> So they were made available in the Jerusalem Temple!

Most Jews also paid the temple tax during the Passover.

Since, they came from various places and bore pagan Roman seals, money-changers were there in the temple, to convert the Roman coinage into appropriate currency.

>> Pagan symbols on Roman money made it unacceptable for Yahweh’s house.

Where there is money, (usually) corruption slowly creeps in…!

Pilgrims had to pay exorbitant rates to change money, and sellers exploited those in poverty, overcharging for the poor man’s offering of pigeons and doves (Lev. 5:7).

To make things worse, these merchants set up shop in the Court of the Gentiles, making it useless as a place of prayer due to the hustle and bustle of the buying and the selling of goods…

Though not inherently evil, these practices became occasions for sin.

>> What started for a noble cause, led to immense corruption.

There began the loss of the “Sense of the Sacred”…

And this is so true in our own lives…

The beginning of the loss of the Sense of the Sacred begins with trivial things.

I allow a little delays and some relaxations in my prayer life…

>> And suddenly, I find no excitement in spending time in prayer.

I allow laxity and silence and indifference in my relationships…

>> And suddenly, I find no meaning in many of my relations…

I allow unpreparedness and disinterest to walk into my celebration and participation of Mass…

>> And suddenly, I find not meaning in the Holy Eucharist.

The loss of the Sense of the Sacred happens in a very subtle and quiet way.

>> And unless, we remain vigilant and careful, we can lose our way in the spiritual warfare.

It is this reminder and warning that the Lord delivers today, by cleansing the Jerusalem Temple.

“It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it into a den of robbers'” (Lk 19: 46)

Today we have converted many of the places into “dens of robbers”…

>> Today we have badly defiled the “Sense of the Sacred” in many places…

Cinemas and movies have a heavy stench of vulgarity and indecency.

>> They rob the society of its ethical culture and moral innocence.

Posters, hoardings and advertisements have become mediums of immorality and offensiveness

>> They rob its viewers of their principles and convictions in life.

The Internet and new media are badly misused to become snares of promoting life-threatening and life-abusing activities.

>> They rob its users of their proper purposes & instead addict them to many compulsions & cravings which are hard to be given up.

Families and communities often become places lacking in genuine love, unity and peace

>> They rob one of the chance to grow in a spirit of sharing and understanding.

Our bodies are often manipulated with many addictions, improper practises and ungodly behaviours.

>> They rob the person of the purity and holiness that is engraved deep within.

The Cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple is a strong reminder for us, to check the areas and the manner in which we have lost the Sense of the Sacred…

>> We complain that the world is becoming more materialistic and less spiritual.

>> We complain that the Church is becoming more “worldly” and less inspiring.

One of the root problems lies in the fact, that we perhaps losing the “Sense of the Sacred”

>> Unless I am in awe of the God who has created this beautiful and majestic world, I will continue to abuse and misuse the world.

>> Unless I am in wonder of the God who has gifted the Church with life-saving sacraments, I will continue to blame the Church and lose precious graces that I can obtain through her.

>>> Let us revive the “Sense of the Sacred”.

>>> Let us cleanse anything which diminishes this “Sense of the Sacred”

>>> Let us become a people who radiate with joy and enthusiasm this “Sense of the Sacred”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Aicha Moussaoui had been up all night, weeping and pacing inside her house… “I am wounded,” she said.

Moussaoui was enduring a hard time.

>> She was the mother of an alleged conspirator in terrorist crimes.

Her youngest son, Zacarias Moussaoui, 33, had been accused of plotting with the 9/11 hijackers which killed thousands of people at the World Trade Centre in America.

“For me, it’s as if he had died,” she said of her son… “I want to see him so I could ask my son: Why? How? Is it true?”

Moussaoui said she “felt like the roof fell on me”

These are painful and heart-wrenching words of a mother who was shattered by the alleged misdeeds of her son.

She expected him to respect and honour her care.

>> She had brought him up, with much love and affection.

>> She wanted him to become a responsible person of the society.

But…

… her love was answered with disgrace

… her expectation shattered with humiliation

… her affection bruised with pain

The heart of a mother is broken when her child strays away from the ways of truth and honesty.

If this is the experience of an earthly mother, how much more will be the pain and suffering of our God, if we stray away from Him, who loves each one of us deeply with a motherly affection?

>> If a human mother has so much pain, how much more will God, with a motherly heart suffer!

It is this sorrow and grief that is strongly expressed by Jesus in the Gospel of the day.

>> Jesus laments over the City of Jerusalem.

St Luke records this lamentation of the Lord with a powerfully sentimental verse:

“As Jesus drew near, he saw the city and wept over it” (Lk 19: 41)

Jesus is usually an epitome of great joy and rejoicing.

>> But this joyful Jesus being made to shed tears shows the gravity of situation.

What made Jesus to shed tears?

>> The pain and the hurt He experienced because of the ill-response and harsh reaction of His chosen people, Israel, represented by the city of Jerusalem.

God had chosen Israel as His people.

>> Out of all the civilizations on the earth, He chose them as His beloved.

Through them He promised that the Saviour of the human race would come.

This promise ignited the hearts of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

>> God wiped out their enemies even in the most extreme of circumstances!

>> Time and again, God blessed them with judges, kings and prophets

>> He even provided them a place to worship.

But as the quote goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt!”

Israel, God’s own people no longer delighted in being His distinctive people.

For them, He became routine.

>> They began to consider Him of little value.

>> They allowed their hearts to grow hard, over and over, again and again.

Finally, Jesus, the long-promised Messiah came, the One whom God the Father had sent.

But most of the Jews by then, had grown stubborn and complacent in their ways.

They had no room for the One who came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.

>> They maltreated the Saviour of the World.

>> They rejected the Chosen One of God.

And this led, Jesus to shed tears.

…like a mother, whose heart is broken in seeing her child choose wrong ways.

…like a mother, whose soul is crushed in witnessing her child engaged in misdeeds.

…like a mother, who cries in agony when her child strays away from the path of goodness.

This story of Jerusalem could well be our own life-story.

We have been specially chosen and loved by the Lord.

>> He has taken us through many dangers, sicknesses and accidents.

>> In times when everything seem lost, He has been our refuge.

>> In moments when all seemed totally blank and dark, He has been the glowing light.

>> In occasions we felt like quitting life and escaping from realities, He held us in good stead.

But we tend to easily forget all these good deeds and wonders of the Lord.

We fail to be grateful and thankful to the Lord….

…by living a holy and virtuous life.

…by deepening our bond of love and affection with Him

…by translating His graces into deeds of charity and concern for our people.

We instead persecute and torture Him…

…by living a lethargic or unholy or even scandalous life

…by abandoning many of His commandments and the teachings of the Church

…by harming our brothers and sisters and being highly indifferent in situations.

God’s heart, like that of a broken mother weeping for her child, is crying out for us…

We have strayed much….it’s time to come back to Him

He calls us.

>> He longs to have us with Him always.

>> He wants us back in His loving embrace.

As little children, let us run, in sincere repentance, to the welcoming motherly heart of our Beloved God.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A little tortoise was constantly facing a complex of feeling too low in life.

 

Seeing the various other animals, moving swiftly and speedily…

… the tortoise would very often hide it self in its shell.

 

It felt that it could never progress in life!

 

 

One day, it came across a wise person and sought an advice of how to get the best from life.

 

The sage – a wise person – replied:

“My little tortoise, always remember that you have been created specifically.

So never feel low or bad about yourself.

 

And as far as progressing is concerned…

… Always remember: ‘Unless you stick your neck out, you can never progress!”

 

 

 

That was a simple, yet effective piece of advice, isn’t it?

 

Unless the tortoise “stuck its neck out, it could never progress!”

 

Sticking the neck out of course, meant “taking a risk”…

… but unless that was done, progress was not going to happen.

 

 

The same is true for us in our life as well:

>> Unless we take risks… Unless we “stick out our necks”

… we can never progress!

 

 

The Gospel of the Day is a parable of a person who refused “to stick out his neck”…

… and thus not only failed to progress, but ended up on the losing side!

 

 

Jesus presents the very-practical “Parable of the Productive Servants”

 

A nobleman who, before going to a far away country, entrusts money to his servants with an instruction, “Engage in trade with these, until I return” (Lk 19: 13)

 

 

The money given was a “mina”

 

A mina was a Greek coin.

>> The lowest level of the Greek Coinage System was the drachma…

…. equal to one day’s wages.  (1 Drachma = 1 day’s wages)

 

One hundred drachmas equalled one Mina (100 Drachmas = 1 Mina).

>> Therefore, One Mina equalled nearly 100 days of wages (1 Mina = 100 days wages; i.e. nearly 3 months)

 

 

With this (fairly huge) amount of money, the Master instructs the servants to “invest”

 

Investment always means a “sense of risk!”

 

 

The parable goes on to say that…

… one of them made another ten (Lk 19: 16)

… the other made another five (Lk 19:18)

 

These two are greatly rewarded.

 

The one “who is willing to take risks” always finds life more rewarding and satisfying!

 

 

But, its over here, the parable presents the third servant, who decided to be “Mr Keep it Safe!”

 

He came back to his master, with an excuse: “Sir, here is your coin” (Lk 19: 20)

 

He failed to make any investment

>> He failed to take “any risk”

 

He refused to “stick out his neck!”

 

 

Sticking the neck out, of course, meant “taking a risk”…

… but unless that was done, progress was not going to happen.

>> And that would make him end up on the losing side!

 

 

The Bible is replete with personalities, who would take “risks”…

… and thus emerge successfully!

>> Noah would “take the risk” of listening to God and build the Ark for rescue from the deluge

>> Abraham would “take the risk” by obeying God and leaving His country and people

>> Moses would “take the risk” and trust in God to lead the people out of slavery

>> Jeremiah would “take the risk” of being a prophet despite several oppositions to his life

>> Peter would “take the risk” of leaving his fishing profession to be ‘fishers of men’

… and many many more!

 

They “risked their lives” for God – His Will and His Kingdom!

>> They would “stick our their neck” to in progress in the ways of God!

 

 

How about us?

 

>> Do we “take risks”?

… the “risk” to trust in God, in spite of the uncertainties of life

… the “risk” to know God has the best plan for us, despite the many hardships we face in life

… the “risk” to believe that God always walks with us, even though we go through the ‘deserts of life’

 

May we always realize:

Unless we take risks… Unless we “stick out our necks”

… we can never progress!

 

 

Let us specially seek the intercession of St Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians, whose feast we celebrate today.

>> Let us imitate her courage and zeal to “stick out her neck” – “to take risks” – by being firm in her faith, even to the point of intense suffering …

… and thus at all times, have “heavenly music” in our hearts!

 

 

 

 God Bless! Live Jesus!

There is a story said about a carpenter, who had least botheration about his Christian faith.

His pious and devout wife would often exhort him to return to faith…

… but he cared least!

>> They would even often have fights over this issue.

Once, he left to the woods, to fell trees.

As he glanced around, he noticed a tree – dead and dry, with its leafless branches embracing the skies.

>> He said to himself, “That tree I will cut down. For it is dead and dry, fit only to burned!”

As he got himself ready with the axe, to chop down the tree…

… he heard a voice thundering within him, “Are you not also like this dead tree…. Fit only to be burned?”

He tried to banish away such thoughts…

… but the higher he lifted up the axe to cut the tree, the greater was the voice heard!

He went on to strike the tree a few times…

… but the thought kept flashing in his mind: “Will God ever tell me.. ‘Cut it down..fit only to be burned!”

Eventually, the thoughts became so great, that he fell on his knees…

… and pleaded with God, to receive him back.

The story goes on to say, that he went back to his wife and was reconciled to her…

… and had his faith restored in the Lord…

… revived by the Mercy of God!

Is my life like a dead tree….without spiritual energy and “fit only to be burned”?

… then the Lord today thunders in our hearts: To restore our faith and be revived in His Mercy!

The Gospel of the Day takes us through such a faith-restoring and mercy-experiential incident in the life of a little man – Zacchaeus

The story begins with Jesus coming to Jericho and intending to pass through the town (Lk 19:1)

Jericho has a long history, especially seen in the Old Testament.

>> Jericho was the first city to be conquered by the Israelites under Joshua. (Josh 6:1-27)

It was surrounded by a huge wall. However, with directives from God & under the leadership of Joshua, the city was laid siege.

On the appointed day, Joshua ordered the people to shout & the walls of the city collapsed and the Israelites destroyed it.

Joshua laid a curse on the one who would rebuild this city.

>> Thus, Jericho bore the brunt of a curse.

It is to this ‘place of curse’ that Jesus makes his entry.

As Jesus makes his entry to this cursed place, a little man named Zacchaeus climbs & hides himself behind the leaves of a tree.

Now this incident of Jesus entering an accursed city and a man hiding behind the leaves of a tree, has quite striking similarities with another incident, seen at the start of the Bible – the incident in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3)

In the book of Genesis, when Adam and Eve sinned, God moved about in the garden.

>> But they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden (Gen 3: 8)

God comes to a place, which has been now cursed because of sin.

But two persons hide themselves in the trees of the garden.

Interesting similarity, isn’t it?

God comes to a place of curse… the Garden… and two persons (Adam and Eve) hide in the trees.

>> Jesus comes to a place of curse… the city of Jericho… and one person (Zacchaeus) hides in the trees.

But with the similarity, there are also striking differences…

Adam and Eve hid from God, in order to stay away from God, because of the guilt of sin.

>> Zacchaeus hid from Jesus, in order to see him better, because of his own complexes.

Adam and Eve were fearful to hear the words of God addressing them.

>> Zacchaeus was surprised and joyful to hear the words of Jesus addressed to him.

Adam and Eve wanted to remain hiding even after God sought for them in the garden.

>> Zacchaeus jumped down from the tree after Jesus sought to come to his home.

Is there some similarity of these incidents to my life too?

Am I, like Adam & Eve, hiding from God, because I am scared of Him due to some of the sins which I am unwilling to give up?

>> Or am I, like Zacchaeus, seeking refuge in the leaves of trees like money, pleasure, evil habits and yet have a desire to see the Lord?

The Lord is gazing at us… like He gazed at Adam and Eve and Zacchaeus.

Am I, like Adam & Eve, fearful to hear the words of God, in the Bible or through the teachings of the Church or the words of other people, because of the pain to get rid of my sinful tendencies and evil practices?

>> Or am I, like Zacchaeus, joyful to hear God’s words addressed to me, & also ready to make changes for a better spiritual life?

The Lord is addressing each one of us…like He addressed Adam and Eve and Zacchaeus.

Am I, like Adam & Eve, wanting to remain in my sinful and lethargic state of life even though I experience that God’s mercy and compassion is readily available?

>> Or am I, like Zacchaeus willing to jump down with joy, from the tree of pride, complexes, sin and fear, and welcome the Lord into the home of my life?

The Lord is seeking for us…as He sought Adam and Eve and Zacchaeus.

The Lord is gazing, addressing and seeking for us.

>> Am I ready to encounter, to listen and to be found by Him?

A Yes to the question, will also mean taking some radical decisions in our life, just like Zacchaeus did…

>> Giving up of possessions…

>> Letting go of my undue desire for money, cheap popularity, the riches in my life etc.

>> Repaying those whom I have cheated…

>> Forgiving and accepting those whom I hurt, whom I don’t like, whom I am not in good terms etc.

Zacchaeus was a despised man.

… because of his short stature.

… because as a tax collector, he worked for the enemy-government and would cheat and defraud people.

… because Jesus came to his house – a house of a sinner.

But the encounter with Jesus made him a transformed person

>> The encounter with Jesus made him to go beyond all complexes and filled him with deep joy!

This same transformation is at hand for us…

Let, us, learn from the Little Man and make significant changes in our life, in order to experience the magnanimous wonders and graces from our Big God!

Maybe our life is like a dead tree….without spiritual energy and “fit only to be burned”!

>> The Lord today thunders in our hearts: To restore our faith and be revived in His Mercy!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of our Blessed Mother Mary.

This Feast is a constant reminder for us to “offer ourselves” to the Lord.

Technically speaking, we can’t ‘offer’ anything to God because He is the source of everything.

>> All what we are and what we have is His.

But we can surely make a pledge of our lives to Him and live a life united with Him.

This is the offering that is demanded of us…

… an offering of a faithful life

… an offering of a holy life

>> Just like our Blessed Mother!

Yes, as little children, holding the Hands of our Blessed Mamma, may we cry to the Lord – “For You, Forever!”

Happy Feast of the Presentation of our Blessed Mamma!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Every person in the world faces a moment of darkness.

>> Some of us get encompassed by it.

>> Some of us get dejected by it.

The Gospel of Day presents the healing of a blind man.

> The blind man, faced immense darkness, but did not allow to get encompassed or dejected by it.

Let us travel with him through this exciting journey of moving from “Tamas”(darkness) to “Jyothi”(light)…

These blind man takes us through four stages of a spiritual life:

1. A State of Blindness

The man was stuck with blindness.

There is no idea as to when or how or why he became blind.

>> Maybe he was blind from birth.

>> Maybe he was blind due to some sickness as he grew up

>> Maybe he was blind as a result of some accident or calamity

The reasons for his blindness is unknown

Perhaps, many of us are in a state of blindness….

>> Blindness of being rejected and not accepted…

>> Blindness of inferiority complexes…

>> Blindness of inner brokenness…

>> Blindness of family crisis…

> Some of us maybe experiencing this darkness from the time of our birth.

> Some of us maybe experiencing this darkness due to calamities striking our lives as we grew

2. A State of Seeking

A life of blindness meant a life of total dependence on others…

…at times facing the ire of the people…at times facing the rejection of the people.

> The blind man could have become dejected and totally depressed.

> He could have given up in life and cursed their destiny.

But the blind man, did not allow the darkness to cloud his lives.

>> He probably would have heard about Jesus and the wonders He had done.

>> He sought with hope, the One who could banish his darkness.

>> His sought with faith, the One who could heal his gloominess.

Our state of blindness should not become a hindrance to seek the Lord.

>> We need to seek the Lord with our entire being…

>> We need to seek the plan of God and His providential care in our shadows..

>> We need to seek the road ahead with Hope and Faith in His Divine plans…

3. The State of Faith

The blind man, after making a deliberate choice to seek the Lord, expressed his deep faith in the healing power of the Lord.

The Lord makes a test of his trust and hope in Him.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight” (Lk 18:41)

Our seeking for the Lord, needs to be supplemented greatly with the vitamin of Faith!

>> Delays in our prayer requests, should become an incentive to grow deeper in faith.

>> Addition of more problems in life, ought to be a moment to have more faith in Him

4. The Stage of Proclamation

The blind man, who was healed by Jesus, now, was filled with tremendous joy and enthusiasm.

> His happiness is so much overflowing, that he goes beyond the words of Jesus, and proclaims His wonderful miracle to the peoples.

“And immediately, he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God” (Lk 18: 43)

> Once we are touched by the Lord, our happiness would know no bounds.

> Once we are healed by the Lord, our enthusiasm would get highly contagious.

The Blind man in the Gospel take us through these four stages…

The Stage of Blindness… The Stage of Seeking…the Stage of Faith…the Stage of Proclamation.

Let us be inspired and challenged by him

>> Let us seek the Lord of Light in our darkness.

>> Let us seek the Lord of healing in our sicknesses.

>> Let us seek the Lord of holiness in our blindness.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A familiar story, in various versions goes such….

A lady came up to a shop which had the name “Everything your heart desires, is available here”

The curious lady went to the shopkeeper and asked: “I want peace of mind and love and happiness and wisdom and freedom from fear”

The shopkeeper, in return, smiled and said: “Madam, thank you for expressing your desire. But please do note: I sell only seeds, not fruits!”

Such is the logic in our Christian Life as well.

God has gifted the “seeds” of good things to all of us….

But…

… do we “sow these seeds” to produce good fruits?

… do we “invest these seeds” in order to derive its potential blessings?

The Gospel of the Day – Mt 25:14-30 – presents before us a simple-to-understand and practical-to-follow Parable of the Lord: the Parable of the Talents!

One of the beauty of this Parable is that it is simple, clear and easy to understand.

>> And its lessons are hard to miss!!

This parable tells what to do while we live in this world and the need to be responsible and dutiful.

The Parable introduces the fact that the servants were judged by the way, they managed the master’s resources.

We learn a very crucial truth from this: All that we have belongs to God!

We need to underline and highlight the word “ALL”

>> All…

>> Fully…

>> Totally…

>> Everything…

>> Completely…

… Belongs to GOD!

>> We own nothing…

>> We hold no space…

>> We possess no one…

… All belongs to GOD!

He made them…

… He gave them to us

>> And One Day… He will take them from us again.

Even our life itself is a gift from God!

If only our world and our generation were to grow more and more in this truth…!

>> How often we hold on to our possessions…

… and go bonkers in preserving and safeguarding them!

>> How often we seek twisted and distorted ways…

… to acquire more wealth and capture vital status and ranks!

>> How often we resort to disgraceful and shameful means…

… to win over positions and powers and authority!

>> How often we play dirty games and indulge in dreadful activities…

… to put down people and go up in dominance!

Another aspect that we find in the parable is the usage of the word “talents”.

Usually, when we hear the word “talents” in English, we tend to think of some natural abilities, like…

… playing the piano

… or being good at some sports

… or being skilled in painting or knowing how to handle computers etc….

In the time of Jesus, however…

… the ‘talent’ was referred to a huge amount of money.

One talent would represent approximately 16½ years of salary for a labourer.

>> To give a man two talents would equal around 33 years of salary….

>> To give a man five talents would be like giving him 80 years of salary to invest…

That’s indeed a huge amount, isn’t it?

>> Imagine, how rich would the Owner himself have been!

(This once again reminds us that the Owner – God – is the Source of ALL… everything in our life!)

But what was the criteria in giving different people a particular amount of money?

>> Each one according to one’s ability

And who made this determination to allocate the amount of money?

>> The Master himself, according to His wish!

Here’s another truth: God is not obligated to treat us, like he treats anyone else.

He can give us more or He can give us less than others.

>> Some have more money and talent and opportunity and strength and health and relationships than others.

>> Others have less money and talent and opportunity and strength and health and relationships!

It’s not about being unlucky.

>> It’s not about our ill-fate.

>> It’s not about being inauspicious!

The Master…has total sovereignty and freedom with what and how much HE wants to give to His people!

This leaves us with a choice:

1. We can either crib and complain, gripe and grumble about our situation and make excuses and just sit idle!

OR…

2. We can accept the given situation we are in and start from where we are, and do what we can… to the best!

Yes…

>> The Dynamics of Comparison is useless…

… the Tactic of Hard Work is amazing!

>> The Strategy of Complaining is ineffective…

… the Scheme of Determination is superb!

>> The Policy of Grumpiness is futile…

… the Approach of Gratefulness is incredible!

The Parable of the Talents is a very Practical Parable that the Lord has offered us!

Yesterday is past…

… tomorrow is the Future.

>> But Today is a GIFT…

… that’s why, it is called as The PRESENT!

Let’s make this PRESENT, a PLEASENT GIFT to the GREAT GIVER…

… by seeking His Grace and combining it with our hard works and determination!

On this day – the 19th of November, 2017- , let us give heed to the exhortation of our Holy Father Pope Francis, who has declared this day – the 33rd Sunday of the Liturgical Year – as the “World Day of the Poor”

Let us make some practical efforts to reach out the poor with the resources that God has blessed us with…

… Maybe with our finances

… Maybe with our gifts and potentialities

… Maybe with our time

… Maybe with our prayers

>> And thus may this “World Day of the Poor” be a platform for us to “reach out more and more to the poor and the needy” and thus “our love may not just be in words or

mere talk, but something active and genuine. (cf. 1 Jn 3: 18)”

Let us make the best use of the “seeds” of good things given to all of us and …

… sow these seeds” to produce good fruits!

… “invest these seeds” in order to derive its potential blessings!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

One of the common technique of understanding and personalizing a Biblical text is by, what could be called as the Method of Assuming a Character.

One puts oneself in the shoes of one of the characters in the Biblical passage and draws reflections and thoughts for one’s spiritual growth.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son…

>> One could assume the character of the Younger Son…and identify as one having gone away from God.

>> One could assume the character of the Father….and identify as one who longs for the return of those lost and those gone away from us.

>> One could assume the character of the Elder Son….and identify as one who gets irritated and even angry at the “apparently unjust” side of God’s love of being overly merciful!

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan…

>> One could assume the character of the injured man….and identify as one who is beaten up and lying helpless, seeking for assistance

>> One could assume the character of the thieves….and identify as one who sometimes engages in “not so good” activities and thus harming the lives of others

> One could assume the character of the Levite or the Priest….and identify as one who fails to set right the priorities in life.

>> One could assume the character of the Good Samaritan….and identify as one who reaches out to people in their dire need.

>> One could assume the character of the inn-keeper….and identify as one who remains generous in allowing the injured man in the inn, despite a possible loss of money.

The Gospel of the Day is the Parable of the Persistent Widow.

>> For our reflection, we shall use the similar Method of “Assuming a Character”.

The Parable speaks of a judge and a widow.

The judge is characterised by some features:

>> He did not fear God.

>> He did not fear humans.

He was initially adamant in his refusal.

The Widow is characterised by some features:

>> She had a genuine need.

>> She was denied justice.

She remained persistent till the end.

In our usual understanding, we assume the character of the Widow and God as the Judge and draw some of the following conclusions:

We are often in many and true needs.

>> But we often, find ourselves, a bit depressed at the delays in receiving the answers to our prayers.

The parable encourages and exhorts us to remain persistent in our prayer life and not to get discouraged by God’s delays, which apparently appears as God’s denials.

Yes, God’s delays are certainly not His denials!

God’s pauses are certainly not His refuses!

But for a change, for our reflection, we shall try to reverse our roles…

Let US assume the role of the JUDGE…and GOD as the WIDOW!

Sounds strange?

>> Me as the Judge?

>> God as the Widow?

Widows in the first century found themselves at a very sad state.

They were quite literally unprotected.

>> Many became homeless and destitute after the death of their husbands.

Often they were at mercy of cunning men, including some religious leaders who would “devour widows houses” (Mark 12:40)

A widow couldn’t count on anyone to come to her aid.

>> She represents the hopeless….the unaided…the oppressed.

In Mt 25:35, Jesus identifies Himself with the one who was hungry, thirsty, naked, stranger and the imprisoned.

>> Jesus in the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger and the imprisoned…. is the hopeless one…the unaided one… the oppressed one.

Jesus, like the widow in the Parable…comes knocking at our door…

… “Behold I stand at the door, and knock… “(Rev 3:20)

As the oppressed and justice-deprived widow, Jesus, knocks at our door – we the Judges.

What is our reaction and response?

The cry of the one in pain and suffering reaches our hearts…

>> Do I reach out my heart to them and seek to ease their troubles and hardships?

The moaning of a broken family or a lost teenager or a spoilt child comes to us…

>> Do I pray for them and help them, in ways possible for me?

The sad tear of the abused or oppressed people with whom we work is seen by us…

>> Do I get out of my comfort-shell to make them feel comforted and consoled?

The disturbing reports of violence, corruption, injustice in the society falls on our senses…

>> Do I remain indifferent to them and become saturated with such atrocities?

Yes…the widow – the hopeless, the unaided and the oppressed one… keeps knocking at our doors…

>> As a Judge…do I keep refusing?…do I keep getting irritated?…do I feel life as a botheration?

The Parable of the Persistent Widow is certainly a big lesson to remain firm and perseverant in our prayer life.

>> But this parable, when looked from another perspective, is also a big challenge to become a people who reach out in justice and give comfort and consolation to the needy.

Knock….knock…

>> Do we hear the knock, seeking for help?

God Bless! Live Jesus!