“Being grateful to our Crucified Lord, remembering that ‘PAIN PASSES, BUT BEAUTY REMAINS!'”

(Based on Deut 10:12-22 and Mt 17:22-27 – Monday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

An incident is told about a master painter, who had a very fervent student-disciple.

The master was suffering from a severe bout of arthritis.

It was very painful for him to paint.
He had to hold his brush between his thumb and index finger.
And as he painted, the student-disciple often heard him crying out in pain.

On one such occasion, the student asked the old master:
“Why do you go on painting, if it hurts so much?”

The master looked up to his disciple, and with an assuring smile replied:
“Remember always, son…
… Pain passes, but beauty remains!”

Every selfless act of suffering and struggle indeed leaves an imprint of lasting beauty and splendour.

In the canvas of Salvation History, the Son of Man indeed had to go through much suffering…
… but the painting finally reveals the Great Truth: “Pain passes, but beauty remains!”

The painting of salvation indeed displays immense Generosity and magnanimous Mercy of the Lord, Who paid a “ransom” to save His people

He spared no efforts in getting His people released…
… by suffering on the Cross
… shedding His Blood
… giving up His life
… and rising from the dead

Have we fallen in love with this MASTER Who gave Himself up for us?

The Gospel of the Day presents an interesting, yet a ‘not-too-familiar’ passage of Jesus and His disciples being asked to pay the Temple tax.

“When Jesus and His disciples came to Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your Teacher pay the Temple tax?” (Mt 17: 24)

What was this Temple tax?

The Temple tax was …
… a symbolic gesture in gratitude for what the people of Israel owed to God, for their redemption from slavery in the land of Egypt.

It was a Jewish tax with its origins seen in Ex 30: 12-16:
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel… The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD.”

This offering was to be an “atonement money”, which would be used for the service of the meeting tent (Ex 12: 16)

In later centuries, this half-shekel was adopted as the amount of the Temple Tax – the one that all Jews were supposed to pay once a year for the upkeep and maintenance of the Jerusalem Temple.

The Temple Tax was thus an “atonement” money

It was “ransom” money!

It is fascinating to note that the incident of this “ransom/atonement” money is mentioned immediately after Jesus spoke of His Passion and Death.

Jesus told His disciples in Mt 17:22-23:
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day”

The incident of the Temple tax, which is the atonement/ransom money, is mentioned…
… immediately after Jesus speaks of His Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Is there any connection between these two incidents?

The Temple tax was in gratitude for the redemption of Israel from slavery
… Jesus would now free all people from the slavery of sin by His Death and Resurrection

The Temple Tax was paid as “ransom” money…
… The Blood of Jesus would now be the “ransom” that will be paid for redemption of humanity.

Jesus did not resist His disciples from paying the Temple Tax…
… as we would see in the incident of the miraculous catch of the fish with a coin in the mouth (Mt 17: 27)

But the perfect payment of the “tax”…
… would be done by Jesus Himself – by His Sufferings, Death and Resurrection!

Jesus would not just pay the tax…
… He would also give Himself in complete obedience to the Father

Thus, He would becoming the “tax” – the ransom and the atonement money!

1 Tim 2:6 says, “Jesus gave Himself as a ‘ransom’ for all”

Mk 10:45 says “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ‘ransom’ for many”

It is interesting to also note that this incident of the Temple Tax brings reminds us of the former occupation (trade) of two of the disciples of Jesus:

Matthew… who was a tax collector (Mt 9:9)
(Probably that explains why this incident is mentioned only in the Gospel of St Matthew)

Peter… who was a fisherman (Mt 4:18)
(That’s why Jesus asks Peter to “go to the sea, take the first fish that comes up, and open the mouth to find a coin…”)
Matthew and Peter could represent any of us…

Maybe, like Mathew – the Tax Collector…

We are collecting a lot of things in life…
… but still not finding peace in life!
We are occupied with material dimensions at our “own tables”…
… or find ourselves at the receiving end of not being accepted and being looked down by others.

Maybe, like Peter – the fisherman…

We are fishing in the waters of life for contentment and satisfaction…
.. but fail to have a catch!
We are putting in a lot of effort to fish for success, yet finding none…
… or find ourselves drowning in a sea of sin, hopelessness or despair

Whoever we are…

The Lord extends His loving invitation…
… to leave our “tables of collection” and follow Him!
… to cast away our “nets of fish” and follow Him!

He has become the “Ransom”…
… in Whom we can find the ‘collection’ of all joys and contentment of life!
… in Whom we can witness the ‘great catch’ of salvation and redemption!

By this great act, He gave the “Ransom”…
… for our freedom from captivity!
By His humbling sacrifice, He paid the “Atonement money”…
… for our salvation for eternal life!

Let us fall in love with the Man Who gave Himself up for us!

When our Christian witnessing takes us through struggles and pains…
… let’s be grateful to our Crucified Lord, remembering: “PAIN PASSES, BUT BEAUTY REMAINS!”

St Clare of Assisi, whose feast we celebrate today, is an inspiration for us to firmly trust in God.

Let her words inspire us:
“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity!

Place your soul in the brilliance of glory!
And transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation!
Gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him.”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material. (CCC # 2275)

“Keeping ourselves fit, healthy and ready – not just physically – but much more spiritually, for the Kingdom of God!”

(Based on Wis 18:6-9, Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 and Lk 12:32-48 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C)

Bob, a fitness trainer was sharing his experiences to a group of Christian youngsters.

As a fitness trainer, Bob would spend hours at the gym – himself working out, and helping others to obtain good health

However, this workout and spending time at the gym, did not prevent him from his Christian obligations…
… he was regular for all the Sacraments
… he had a good personal prayer life, with daily reading of the Bible.

Talking to the youth, Bob said, “My young friends! God wants fit, healthy and ready people for His Kingdom!

This fitness and readiness is not just about our physical bodies, but much more about our spiritual body!”

And then he added, “Remember always the words of St Paul in his letter to Corinthians:
All who compete in the games use strict training.

They do this so that they can win a prize—one that doesn’t last…
… but our prize is one that will last forever!”

Do we keep ourselves fit, healthy and ready – not just physically – but much more spiritually, for the Kingdom of God?

The Gospel of the Day gives an exhortation to be prepared, and arm ourselves for the coming of the Lord:
“You must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour, you do not expect” (Lk 12:40)

The Greek word used for the term “ready” is “hetoimos”… from a noun “heteos” which means to be fit….

It has a connotation of being prepared and seeking for fitness!

In today’s modern world, a lot of emphasis is placed on being health-conscious and maintaining oneself to be fit and fine.

As followers of Christ, we need to remember that this aspect of being healthy is to be extended beyond the physical body, to also the spiritual dimension of our lives.

One needs to be not just physically fit, but also be spiritually strong.
One needs to be not just bodily healthy, but also be spiritually tough.

It is this spiritual strength & toughness that will help us to be always ready to be prepared for the coming of the Lord.

There are several factors which affect the fitness of our physical bodies…
… and perhaps the similar factors could also be applied to the fitness for our spiritual lives.

1. Faulty food affects the fitness of our physical bodies

Proper food plays a vital role in having a healthy body.

It is very important to regulate the intake of our food and to have a check on the type of food.

We need to apply this same principle to our spiritual lives as well…

What is the type of food that I am feeding for my spiritual life?

Do I lavish myself on unhealthy thoughts of lust and desires, harmful words of indecency and lewdness and dangerous actions of immorality and wickedness?
Do I feed myself with the precious Word of God and nourish myself with His inspirations and wisdom?
Do I nourish myself with His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist?

2. Faulty lifestyle affects the fitness of our physical bodies.

It is important to have a disciplined and self-controlled lifestyle in order to maintain our fitness.

A regular habit of exercises and workouts coupled with moments for relaxation and leisure from tension-filled works is important.
One must also avoid various bad addictions which can hinder having a good physical shape.

We need to apply this same principle to our spiritual lives as well…

What is the type of lifestyle I am leading, with respect to my spiritual life?

Do I exercise myself with the daily and regular habits of prayer, Bible Reading, pious practises and devotions?
Do I spare time and energy to make some sacrifices and reparations for various causes, especially as a remorse for our sins?
Do I make constant efforts to give up on some of our bad cravings, obsessions or habits?

3. Faulty environment affects the fitness of our physical bodies.

It is also essential that one maintains a clean and good environment in order to prevent being affected by diseases or sicknesses.

One must also seek to avoid any harmful situations or surroundings which can adversely affect the health.

We need to apply this same principle to our spiritual lives as well…

What is the type of environment that I am providing and surrounding my spiritual life?

Do I keep myself away from occasions of sin and shield myself away from harmful possibilities like bad books, friends, movies or songs, jokes and other cheap entertainments?
Do I strengthen my spiritual life with the powerful grace that is bestowed in the Sacrament of the Confession by a regular acknowledgment of my sins?
Do I seek the company of good people, nurture spiritual friendships and also foster a childlike companionship with the holy saints and angels?

Christian Life is a battle and a warfare…against the forces of the Evil.

We need to arm our spiritual lives mightily with the power and strength from God.

It is easy to give up on fitness.
It is easy to live a relaxed life and take life too casually.

But such a careless life, will lead us to a tragic end as that of the Unfaithful Servant in the parable that the Lord tells in today’s Gospel (Lk 12:45-46)

It has been recorded that a Greek commander, just before a coming battle is reported to have said: “The secret of victory is in ‘getting ready well!’”

Let us also seek for faithfulness in our Christian Life and as ‘ready soldiers’, let us be constantly “on the watch.”

Yes… let us keep ourselves fit, healthy and ready – not just physically – but much more spiritually, for the Kingdom of God…
… remembering that “our prize is one that will last forever!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo…

… and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival. (CCC # 2275)

“Pulling ‘both the oars’ of faith and works so that the ferry ‘of our lives’ may move across the river!”

(Based on Deut 6:4-13 and Mt 17:14-20 – Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Two men were once seriously disputing the relative importance of faith and works…
… when they came to a ferry (boat) over a river.

As they started across they asked the ferryman his opinion on the subject.

Was faith alone enough in life?
… or was also works of faith important for a good Christian life?

In answer…
… the boatman, who was a strong believer in God, pointed to his two oars.

“One,” he said, “I will call faith, the other, works.
If I pull only on this one oar – the right oar – I get nowhere, but go round in a circle.
Just so if I pull only on the left oar.

But when I pull on both oars, then the ferry moves across the river.”

That was indeed a very sensible explanation, describing the relationship of faith and works.

The Gospel of the day is the incident of how the disciples fail to heal the boy and how Jesus intervenes to cure and teaches the importance of possessing strong faith.

This Gospel passage is preceded by the Glorious event of the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-3)

These two incidents show contrasting dimensions…
On one side, immense glory being revealed and the Divine splendour being manifested

On the other, lack of faith being exposed and the failure in the Kingdom ministry

On one side, the three disciples basking in the light of heightened faith and devotion

On the other, the other disciples being lost in the darkness of inability to put the faith to effectiveness

How often is this the experience of our own lives too…

There are some moments when we experience the loftiness of God’s glory and power

There are other moments when we fail miserably to evoke His presence and are unable to feel His

There are some times when faith makes us to feel that everything is so glorious and wonderful

There are other times when our faith hits rock-bottom and our spiritual life loses its sheen and all seems so miserable

This is the reality of our lives – contrasting experiences of glorious faith at some instants and miserable lack of trust at other

But the Gospel of the day ends with an encouraging exhortation by Jesus to have a strong and sturdy faith – the faith the size of a mustard seed

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17:20)

When the disciples were unable to bring about a healing to the epileptic boy, the Lord sure did rebuke them for their “lack of faith”.

But after having healed the child, He does not linger with the reproaching or admonishing attitude…
…. instead as a loving friend and a caring master, gently but firmly encourages them to be stronger in their faith.

This is the approach that He has towards us too…

He knows that we have our weak moments and situations of disbelief and doubts
He knows that there are periods when our faith is merely on the lips and not really from the depths of our hearts
He knows that there are times when annoying circumstances encroach our faith-life and all our efforts in devotion meet with bitter conclusions

Yet, with firmness and fondness, Jesus invites us to keep seeking to grow in our trust in Him and have faith of the size of the mustard seed.

Let us pull “both the oars” of faith and works…
… so that ‘the ferry of our lives’ may move across the river of God’s Grace!

Let us today seek the intercession of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as Edith Stein.

She was a German Jewish philosopher who converted to Catholicism…
… became a Carmelite nun
… finally becoming a martyr in the Nazi concentration camp.

Let her words inspire us:

“And when night comes, and you look back over the day and see how fragmentary everything has been, and how much you planned that has gone undone…
… and all the reasons you have to be embarrassed and ashamed:
Just take everything exactly as it is, put it in God’s hands and leave it with Him.”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit
“if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus…
… and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual.
It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion…

… depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence. (CCC # 2274)

“Requesting for a stop at Calvary – to embrace the Cross of Christ!”

(Based on Deut 4:32-40 and Mt 16:24-28 – Friday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Dayton Ohio in America has an elevated railway.

One of the stations of this railway was near a great Roman Catholic burial ground named Calvary Cemetery.

The name of this station was Calvary Station.

The unique aspect of this station was that the trains did not stop at this station, except on request.

The reason?

For several years, in that part of the town, there were many more dead than living people.

Therefore, just after leaving the nearest station, the train guard would open the door and shout:
“Next station is Calvary! Train stops on request only…

Anybody for Calvary?”

Perhaps this a parable of life’s train!

At all other stations, life’s train stops – market-street station, school-street station, church-street station, home-avenue station etc…

But only at one station, there is a stop only when someone chooses to: the Station of Calvary!

The Gospel of the Day has Jesus, the Guard of our Life’s Train echoing the invitatory words, “Anybody for Calvary?”

Jesus tells His disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after Me, must deny Himself, take up His cross and follow Me” (Mt 16:24)

One of the finest aspects about Jesus, as a Person and as a Teacher, is the clarity and precision that He maintained in all His words and deeds.

He was clear and precise of what was His Mission on the earth

He is clear and precise also, of what is expected of His followers.

There is no pretense or deception in His talks.

There are no loopholes or strings attached in His demands

He makes it precisely clear that the one who follows Him must fulfil the three basic conditions:

Denying Oneself
Taking up the Cross
Following Him

1. Denying oneself – demands that one is willing to entrust the reins of one’s life totally to the Master.

It means a priority of the highest order that is reserved for the Lord and His Kingdom
It means a constant rejection of desires that cause the self to be greater than the Lord

2. Taking up the Cross – demands that one is wholeheartedly and readily willing to do one’s duty as a Christian, joyfully and steadily

It means an availability to be at the service of the Lord and His Kingdom at all times
It means a seeking and an acceptance of the Will of God at every moment of life

3. Following Him – demands that one keeps a steadfast focus on the Lord alone and keeping away anything that would cause a distraction

It means a faithful and an unflinched commitment to walk only on the path that the Lord demands
It means a radical letting go of anything that can be contrary to the Gospel ways and the Kingdom values.

But very often we find that these things are easier said, than done…

We wish to deny ourselves.

But too often….
… our selfish desires dominate over us and we get disillusioned
… we give in to making excuses or dilute the seriousness of our call

We wish to take up our cross.

But too often…
… we feel ourselves overburdened with responsibilities
… we fear the hardships of disciplining ourselves and shy away from it

We wish to follow Him.

But too often…
… worldly distractions and human affairs preoccupy us and our hearts get divided in our loyalty to the Lord
… our enthusiastic hearts get weighed down by scandals or lack of motivations or even opposing forces.

The Lord, through today’s Gospel gives a call once again – to embrace a life of the Cross!

The way of the Cross is the only true path for a Christian.

That was the way of the Lord.

That is to be the way of each follower too.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian says, “To endure the cross is not tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ”.

A life embracing the cross is the hallmark of a Christian – in self-denial, in total commitment and with complete sincerity.

It’s a stumbling block for the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks (1 Cor 1:23)

But to those who believe, it is the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor 1: 24)

As our life-train chugs on, Jesus, the Guard echoes the call, “Anybody for Calvary?”

Are we willing to request for a stop at Calvary – to embrace the Cross of Christ?

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Dominic Guzman, the Founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans).

St Dominic boldly followed this Call of the Gospel and lived an austere life in much humility and love of God…
… and promoted Devotion to the Holy Rosary.

He challenges us to “Arm ourselves with prayer rather than a sword…
… to wear humility rather than fine clothes”

Let us empower ourselves, like St Dominic, with the Armour of the Rosary.

Let us dwell, with Our Blessed Mamma, who perfectly lived the life of being a True Disciple of Jesus…
… who denied Herself, took up the Cross
… and followed Him wholeheartedly!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

Since it must be treated from conception as a person…
… the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed

… as far as possible, like any other human being. (CCC # 2274)

“Being enriched by Jesus, the humble Carpenter of Nazareth!”

(Based on Num 20:1-13 and Mt 16:13-23 – Thursday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

A beautiful write-up found on the entrance wall of a library goes thus:

“Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50 years, Aristotle for 40 years and Jesus for only 3 years.
… yet the influence of Christ’s ministry, infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined years of teaching from these greatest of philosophers.

Jesus painted no pictures…
… yet some of the finest artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him.

Jesus wrote no poetry…
… but Dante, Milton and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him.

Jesus composed no music…
… still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the music they composed in His praise.

Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth.

ARE YOU READY TO BE ENRICHED TOO?”

The quality of our Christian Life, indeed, depends on the quality and understanding our relationship with our Blessed Lord!

The more we deepen our relationship with the Lord…
… the greater we will be able to radiate His Love and Goodness in our life!

The more we grow in our understanding of the Lord…
… the deeper will be the nourishing and enrichment that we will experience by His Grace!

The Gospel of the Day invites each one of us, to examine:

Am I understanding the Lord – and thus, is He a strength to me?
… or am I misunderstanding Him – and thus, is He a stumbling block to me?

Understanding or Misunderstanding Jesus will play the pivotal role in our daily spiritual existence!

On reaching Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:13), Jesus poses a dual question to His disciples…
Who do people say that He is … and who do the Disciples say that He is.

This two-fold question of Christ… evokes two answers…

Jesus as being only Human
The people understand Jesus as John the Baptist, or Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets (Mt 16: 14)

Jesus as being only Divine
St Peter, as the Captain of the Group, with a heavenly revelation, declares Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God! (Mt 16: 16)

It’s interesting that after this question-answer session, the Lord Himself chooses to give an answer on who He is!

And this answer of the Lord is a key to our understanding or misunderstanding Jesus.

Jesus declares that He would be a suffering God….

He would be the Man to undergo many persecutions! (Mt 16: 21)

He is not only Human.
He is not only Divine.
… He is the Suffering God-Man!

Am I able to accept this reality-dimension of Jesus?

He is amazing in His Human teachings… He is wonderful in His Divine Deeds.

But He is also the Afflicted, the Maltreated, the Victimized and the Wronged.

He is classic in His Human examples… He is awesome in His Divine miracles.

But He is also the Suffering, the Persecuted, the Sacrificed and the Tortured.

He is not only Human.
He is not only Divine.
… He is the Suffering God-Man!

But like Peter, perhaps some of us shy away from accepting this Painful Reality of the Lord…
… “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Mt 16: 22)

We love to follow Him in His exhortations…
We love to be enamoured in His wondrous doings.

But we back off…at the mention of His pains, difficulties, persecutions and anguish.

We like the sociable Christ…
… One Who gives equal status to all in the society and breaks sociological barriers

We like the political Christ…
… One Who is fearless to challenge the political corruption of the society

We like the revolutionary Christ…
… One Who demands to go beyond the comfort zones of our life

But do we embrace the Suffering Christ?
Do we accept the “Saviour” Christ?
Do we consent to the Crucified Christ?

It’s easy to misunderstand Jesus as only a mere human hero.

It’s easy to misunderstand Jesus as only an awesome Divine entity.

But it’s not so easy to understand and accept Him as the Heroic and Awesome and Suffering God-Man!

Understanding or Misunderstanding Jesus will indeed play the pivotal role in our daily spiritual existence!

Today, let us seek for the grace to accept and understand truly the Person and Divinity of Jesus.
Let us make Him the true strength of our lives.

Let us behold Him in the Eucharist.
Let us encounter Him in prayer.
Let us recognize Him in the Word!

Every sphere of human greatness has been greatly enriched by the humble Carpenter of Nazareth.

Let us also be ready, to be enriched by Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception…

… the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child’s rights. (CCC # 2273)

“Let us always have the joy to proclaim:
‘In Jesus I rest. In Jesus I stay calm!'”

(Based on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord)

A Christian businessman had the following note stuck on his door: “I follow the ‘submarine spirituality!’”

One of his client – interested in this caption – asked him its meaning.

To that, the man replied:
“No matter how furious the storm upon the surface of the ocean…
… the submarine is able to submerge to the deep and finds a place whose calm no storm ever disturbs.

Deeper things of life are always calm and steadfast!

In Jesus I rest. In Jesus I stay calm.
In Jesus, I follow a submarine spirituality!”

Peace and calm are assured for those who are willing to “go into the depths” and allow the Lord to ensure the serenity of the soul

This is the experience of Transfiguration!

The Gospel of the Day (Lk 9:28b-36) – on this Feast Day – recounts the beautiful narration of the Transfiguration of Jesus…
… whereby the disciples are given a glimpse to experience “the Glory of peace and calm!”

One of the easy tendencies in life is to “get used to”…
… Get used to doing the same works and dealing with the same people.

A tendency of “monotony” creeps in

The danger with “monotony” is that…
… it can drain away enthusiasm from the works one does

This danger of “monotony” is a strong possibility even in our spiritual life.

We begin to take our faith for granted
We tend to view our devotions with casualness.
Prayers get boring.
The Holy Eucharist seems meaningless
Pious practices fails to generate any passion

The same danger was true even in the case of the Disciples.

The disciples had been with Jesus for a while now…

They had seen Him…
… performing many wonders
… teaching and addressing the crowds
… being the subject of many oppositions too

But slowly, as human tendency is – a feel of monotony would have begun to creep into their lives.

It is at this stage, that our Blessed Lord chooses three of His “core” disciples – Peter, James and John, and in their presence gets Transfigured! (Cf. Lk 9:28-29)

The Transfiguration experience was something very special and unique for these disciples…

They saw our Blessed Lord glisteningly shining – “His clothes became dazzling white.” (Lk 9:29)

They witnessed Moses and Elijah (Cf. Lk 9:30) – the great Lawgiver and the mighty Prophet – along with Jesus, Who was the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophet!

They heard the Divine Voice – “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to Him” (Lk 9:35) – from the cloud; reminiscent of God Yahweh who would speak to His people of old, from the clouds

The three disciples were being introduced to a new perspective of their Master.

They saw Jesus – not in the usual way – but arrayed in His Divine Glory and Honour!

Jesus had not become something that He was not…

He is always God and is always the Second Person of the Divine Trinity.

All this while, the eyes of the disciples were kept away from seeing the fullness of glory – only sparks of Divinity was revealed to them

But now, here was a moment, though short – the Transfiguration – when the chosen disciples could come face-to-face with Divine Glory!

The moment of Transfiguration had made them see things in a new light…

Jesus was still the same – but they now saw Him, for a short moment, with a Glorious Glow

That is the splendour and glory of the moment of Transfiguration…
… when woundedness is refined into beauty
… when sufferings are graced into meaningfulness

Have we had this Transfiguration Experience?

Surely, we have had…

But perhaps, many of us fail to recognise it.. or acknowledge it

A moment…
… when our words have touched and sparkled a sad soul.
… when we ourselves have been healed in our brokenness by some Divine intervention
… when we experienced the light of God’s healing, restoration, forgiveness etc through the Sacraments of the Church
… when a pulse of joy and satisfaction raced through our veins in having rendered, perhaps, a tiny but significant act of service and care to a needy person
… when, in our brokenness or deep pain or lethargy, an encouraging word has revived our bent spirits

Many are such moments of Transfiguration in our life…

The deeper we look, the more we find, that God has blessed us immensely with such “Transfiguration” experiences.

St Peter, later in his ministry, would acknowledge these glorious moments of the Transfiguration: “We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.” (2 Pet 1:18)

It is these “Transfiguration” moments that will help us remain strong, even through the rough waters of troubles and struggles.

The power of Transfiguration on Mount Tabor helped to remain peaceful and calm…
… through the stormy moments of Crucifixion on Mount Calvary for Jesus!

The ‘submarine spirituality,’ whereby “no matter how furious the storm be upon the surface of the ocean
… the submarine is able to submerge to the deep, and find a place whose calm no storm ever disturbs”
… is the invitation to which each one of us are called to.

May this Feast of the Transfiguration help us to be reminded of the assurance of the Lord that:
“Deeper .things of life are always calm and steadfast!”

Let us always have the joy to proclaim:
“In Jesus I rest. In Jesus I stay calm.
In Jesus, I follow a Submarine Spirituality!”

Happy Feast of the Transfiguration!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them…
… the state is denying the equality of all before the law.
When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable…

… the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. (CCC # 2273)

“Firmly securing and being safe with JESUS, the ROCK!”

(Based on Num 12:1-13 and Mt 14:22-36- Tuesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Creation around us – created by our Good God – has many lessons to teach us.

One such lesson is mentioned in the Book of Proverbs, where it speaks about a small animal named badger

Prov 30:26: “The badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in the rocks!”

The badger is a weak, timid little animal – like a rabbit or hare.
It has no means of defense in itself

Though it like a rabbit, it can’t run like one.
Though it resembles a mole, it can’t dig deep like one.

When it’s foes – the vulture or the eagle comes in sight…
… it realises it cannot fight back in defense or run away fast!

So what does the badger do to find safety and protection?

Knowing that it is a “feeble fold,” it rushes straight to the rocks!
The badger repositions itself among the rocks, to remain safe and secure!

The badger lets the rocks to defend it…
… and the foes fight a miserable fight against the rocks
… and leave the badger in peace!

How beautiful a lesson is this to all of us, who often get attacked by the “foes of troubles, distractions, temptations and despairs of life!”

Weak as we are…
… we can find our refuge, protection and strength if we go straight to our Rock – JESUS!

Have we learnt this method of facing the challenges of life, by taking refuge in Jesus…
… especially in the “trying” moments of life?

The Gospel of the Day is a reminder and a lesson on this beautiful aspect of trusting and depending on the Lord – in every situation of life.

After the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus dismissed the crowds.

He made the disciples to get into the boat, while He went up to the mountains to pray (Mt 14: 22-23)

Here is a great lesson that Jesus teaches us…

There will be many success stories that would be woven in life.

Yet, all those occasions ought to lead us closer to God – the source of every success.

Every success in life ought to, not make us proud – instead, in humility, lead us to grow closer to God – in gratitude and for greater strength.

There will also be times when the sun shines bright and there are many admirers thronging our life.

Yet, all those occasions ought to make us realise that in God alone ought to be my true joy and satisfaction.

Every joy of life ought to, not make us lose ourselves in the thickets of achievements…
… instead, in meekness, help us to depend more on God – in trust and for greater faith.

As the disciples were lost on the sea, with the winds and waves turning against them, they saw Jesus walking on the sea (Mt 14: 25)

Jesus sought to drive away every ‘ghostly fears’ and assured them of His presence.

Peter, however, the leader of the gang took the initiative of going towards Jesus and walking on the water.
He even made his first steps on the waters.

But, when he saw the mighty winds, he got frightened and cried out, “Lord, save me” (Mt 14: 30)

Immediately, the Gospel says, “Jesus stretched out His Hand and caught him and said to him ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'” (Mt 14: 31)

Here was life throwing a mighty challenge to Peter:

Whether he could have his focus on God or not…
Whether to continue ahead in life or not…

As long as he had his focus on the Lord, things were fine

But the moment, he wavered in this “focus,” Peter began to sink

The boats of our Christian lives often pass through the stormy waters of problems and difficulties.

There will be many moments when our faith makes attempts “to walk on the waters” with the Lord.

As long as we keep our focus on Him, things would be fine.

But the moment there is a “deviation” in this focus – there will be the “sinking” experience!

Can we grow in our trust…
… in being always focussed on the Lord?

In the face of many challenges of life, we often are rendered to be a “feeble fold”

But let’s never lose heart!

As Prov 30:26 reminds us: “The badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in the rocks!”

Let us take refuge in Jesus, the Rock of our life!

When attacked by the “foes of troubles, distractions, temptations and despairs of life”…
… let us find refuge, protection and strength, by going go straight to our Rock – JESUS!

Are we ready to REPOSITION ourselves…
… and firmly secure and be safe amidst JESUS, the ROCK?

Today we also celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Mary Major Basilica.

St. Mary Major is one of the four Roman basilicas known as patriarchal cathedrals in memory of the first centers of the Church.

(The other three being St. Peter’s Basilica, St. John Lateran Basilica, and St. Paul’s Basilica, outside the Walls.)

St. Mary Major Basilica is also the First Marian Shrine for pilgrims…
… which set a pattern for countless shrines
… where pilgrims gather to honor our Blessed Mother throughout the world.

Let us today specially seek the intercession of our Blessed Mother…
… to remain ever-faithful to the Lord, even in the face of difficulties and struggles of life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard…

… every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.” (CCC # 2273)

“Praying, LEAD KINDLY LIGHT, and overcoming every failure by the Grace of God!”

(Based on Num 11:4b-15 and Mt 14:13-21 – Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

A brave missionary – known to have pioneered many missions – was sharing his experiences with a group of novices (group of brothers, before taking the evangelical vows, in a religious order/congregation)

In his interaction with the young and aspiring novices…
… he recounted the many moments of struggles and “apparent failures” that he had to face in the missions.

Yet with much joy in his heart and a special sparkle in the eyes, he exhorted:
“My dear novices… the words of one of the beautiful hymns that we often sing, as part of our Night Prayer (Compline – Divine Office) gave me a lot of strength, at the end of every day.

‘Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,

Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.’”

The great missionary did encounter moments of failures in life…
… but what kept him going, was the hope and conviction to see the Hand of the Lord, leading and guiding Him!

Yes, failure is something which we surely encounter very often in our lives!

We fail to stand up to ours and others’ expectations in our personal lives…
We fail to answer to the needs and demands of our family or community lives…
We fail to respond to the challenges and duties of our responsibilities in our societal lives…

But every failure, can also be the gateway to venture into a fresh framework of opportunities…

The background of today’s Gospel is a very disturbing one: the beheading of John the Baptist!

The Voice which heralded the Coming of the Saviour…

The Voice which had provided hope…
… had been brutally silenced!

Jesus, on hearing this news, withdrew to a lonely place.

The inhuman murder…
Of His Cousin
Of His companion in the Works of the Kingdom…
… was a moment of great pain to the Lord
… perhaps, even a great setback to Him!

Disappointment was apparently looming large…

The Mission hereafter was not going to be easy…
Failure was knocking at the doors…

But every failure, can also be the gateway to venture into a fresh framework of opportunities…

Though filled with pain and sorrow and grief…
… Jesus continues His ministry of preaching the Kingdom of God.

And thus we see our Blessed Lord multiplying the loaves and feeding the crowds (Mt 14: 15-21)

The Evil King Herod, had feasted on the vices of self-pleasure and debauchery

The Good King Jesus, would make a feast on the virtues of compassion and self-giving!

The Evil King Herod spread a party of lewdness, trudging on the death of an innocent man

The Good King Jesus would host a party of God’s Mercy and Tenderness, inviting to eternal life!

Jesus failed to get bogged down by failures…

He did not allow Himself to be immersed in a sea of let-downs and disappointments.

Instead, He made His Compassionate Heart to shine through the clouds of darkness!

Jesus also taught His Disciples to not get disappointed or disheartened by “apparent” signs of failures or lack or success.

When Jesus asked His disciples to provide food for the hungry crowd, the disciples said:
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here” (Mt 14:17)

The disciples were expressing their possibility of ‘facing a failure’…
… “We have no resources, Lord!”
… “All what we have is just not good enough to be successful!”

But the Lord – Who had refused to be bogged down by failure – now teaches the Disciples to also imitate Him…

Not getting discouraged by situations of lack of success…
… instead, giving praise to the Lord at all times, knowing that He works wonders and miracles – in His Time, In His Way!

The same resources which signified nothingness – five loaves and two fish:
… were now transformed by the Lord as food for thousands!
… were now symbols of God’s power and providence!

You and I…
… are we facing failures at this moment?
… is our spiritual life going downhill?
… are we lost in the society- facing rejections and encountering disappointments in all areas of our life?

Do we feel that FAILURE become part and parcel of our existence?

Fear not…!
Give up not hope…!

Let us hold on to the Lord…
… the same Lord who was “face-to-face with failure” after the brutal murder of His Cousin
… the same Lord who worked a miracle for his disciples who were “face-to-face with failure” in ministry

He shows what is true success!
He shows what is real achievement!

With faith and hope, let’s pray: “LEAD KINDLY LIGHT…”

Today – Aug 04 – we celebrate the Feast of St John Maria Vianney, the patron saint of all the Priests!

Let us pray specially for Priests all over the world, that their Patron Saint – St John Maria Vianney – may intercede, to help all priests…
… to be more holy and faithful to their Noble Vocation
… to be more zealous in administering the Sacraments and giving His Word
… to be more passionate in Loving the Lord and bringing many more to His Love!

Happy Feast to all the Priests!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents
… nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state

… they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. (CCC # 2273)

“Living with the conviction that all our works and activities ought to be always oriented solely towards the Glory of God’s Greatness!”

(Based on Eccles 1:2; 2:21-23, Col 3:1-5, 9-11 and Lk 12:13-21 – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C)

King Louis IV was, from 1643-1715, the King of France – 72 years – which is the longest in modern European history.

He boasted himself as “The Great” and even took great pride in calling himself “I am the state”.

The “Great” king had even planned his own funeral to be just as spectacular.

He had instructed Bishop Massillon that upon his death…
He was to be laid in a golden coffin at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

At his funeral service the entire cathedral was to be completely dark…
… lit dimly by only one candle positioned above the coffin.

This was to be done so that all would be awed by the “Great” king’s presence, even in death.

When he died, Bishop Massillon did exactly as the King had instructed.

At the funeral, thousands of people gazed at the exquisite casket that had the mortal remains of their monarch…
… illuminated by a single flickering candle.

However, as the funeral service began, the Bishop slowly bent down…

And to the surprise of all…
… he blew out the candle which represented the late king’s greatness!

Then in the darkness, the Bishop proclaimed to all: “Dieu seul est grand – Only God is Great!”

It was a rebellious cry to both – the late king and to those who were attending the funeral who had called him “Louis XIV the Great!”

The world very often considers richness in terms of wealth, power and position, isn’t it?

But not God!

The world very often greatness in terms of worldly success and accomplishments., isn’t it?

But not God!

How about us?

Are we rich and great only in the eyes of the world..?
… or can we instead aspire and seek to be rich and great in the eyes of God?

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful reminder from the Lord on the need to understand the real meaning of “being rich”…
… and an invitation to be constantly on the guard against greed and avarice.

Chapter 12 of St Luke begins with the statement: “Meanwhile, so many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot” (Lk 12: 1)

Jesus had become a Phenomenon!

There were hundreds and thousands of people who were following Him

It’s from among these thousands (the Greek word used is “myriads”) of people, that the voice of one person catches the attention of Jesus.

And so we read, “Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me'” (Lk 12: 13)

We could imagine this situation…

Thousands of people crowding…

One man manages to shout above others… probably pushing others and comes in front… and puts forward a petition…

It is before the whole crowd (and probably before his brother), that this man wants Jesus to pronounce a favour for him…
… a favour for getting the inheritance and help to get riches

How often is our prayer to Jesus also similar to this man’s request…!

We want Jesus to answer our petitions in the way “we want” – to have favours granted in the manner and time that “we want”

The Will of God is often not consulted.

And when such “prayers of demand” and “claims of requirements” are not fulfilled or delayed…
… we get into despair and depression
… we accuse that none of our prayers are heard
… we blame that probably God is deaf to us and that our devotions are worthless

The man who made his “prayer of demand” and “claim of requirement” was probably…
… influenced by a greed to be rich and wealthy
… disposed by the vices of avarice and greed

He was wanting to have God’s approval for the same!

But Jesus refuses to be dragged into such a controversy…

Centuries back, Moses had been embroiled in an argument and was questioned back:
“Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us?” (Ex 2:14a)

Jesus, aware of this, quoted in a similar fashion, ” Friend, who appointed Me as your judge and arbitrator?” (Lk 12:14)

Jesus had guessed the intentions of this man who put forward the petition…

And so He uses the occasion to teach him… and His disciples…
… and to each one of us: On the dangers of holding on to riches – things which are temporary and transient.

Jesus gives the Parable of the Rich Fool, and teaches us…
… It is not bad to work hard and to put in efforts to produce bountiful harvests
… it is not wrong to make use of God-given talents and reap richer produces.

However, it is also very essential to examine our attitudes towards prosperity and our attachments towards riches!

It is wrong…
… when we amass earthly wealth and riches without any care for heavenly treasures and spiritual gifts
… when we get pre-occupied only with material matters and neglect the requirements of our spiritual life
… when the pleasures of the body are given higher priority over the demands of the Kingdom of God

The parable teaches us on the dangers of being attached to wealth and riches

And challenges us to “Hold lightly, to what God has given us!”

In the light of this parable, we need to check…

… In my personal life
Does God have the first place in my life or are there other attachments that are given higher priority, attention and time?

… In our family life
Do we thank God for all our blessings and continually depend on Him by cultivating a spiritual culture or are other modern gadgets and social amusements that are given greater precedence?

… in our parish, community and religious life
Do we orient all our activities and ministries, solely for the glory of God and the service of the needy, and seek His intervention at every decision or do we play around with Christian values and even dilute or compromise them?

The Scripture constantly calls us to become aware of the worthlessness of earthly riches and calls to aspire for things which are higher in nature:

“Vanity of vanities… All is vanity!” (Eccl 1: 2)
“Set your minds on things that are above, and not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:2)

God considers richness in terms of doing His Will and following His commandments

But not the world!

God equates greatness in terms of giving up our attachments for His sake and taking up our Cross daily

But not the world!

We are faced with this choice, at every moment….

Are we rich and great only in the eyes of the world..?
… or can we instead aspire and seek to be rich and great in the Eyes of God?

Let us always remember: “Only God is great!”
… and that all our works and activities ought to be always oriented solely towards the Glory of His Greatness!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected…

… by civil society and the political authority. (CCC # 2273)

“May our lives become a ‘marvelous edifice’ and an ‘enormous pillar’ of God’s graces.”

(Based on Lev 25:1, 8-17 and Mt 14:1-12 – Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

The Mammoth Cave National Park, in central Kentucky, is a U.S. National Park.

It encompasses portions of the Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world.

In these caves, one can see enormous pillars which have been formed by the steady dropping of water from the roof of the cavern.

This masonry – formed of solid rock – made by the slow and silent process of nature, is a true marvel…

A single drop of water, finds its way from the surface down through the roof of the cave, and deposits its sediment
Another follows it and still another… each adding its imperceptible contribution, until the icicle of stone begins to grow…
…. ultimately reaching the pillar which likewise has been forming on the bottom of the cave.

These become a massive pillar – brilliant and classic.

This process is so similar that which occurs in our hearts…

Each thought, that awakens for a moment, sinks into the soul – just as each little drop of water, with its limestone deposit, makes its contribution to the pillar in the cave.

Other thoughts follow and yet others…
… erecting within our hearts, pillars of purpose that form our character.

Think nobler, and our character will mould into being noble…

Think wicked, and our character will decay into being evil…

What is the thought-pattern that we nurture in our lives?

The Gospel of the Day makes a dramatic presentation of two opposing characters – one of them holy and the other evil – John the Baptist and Herod the Tetrarch…
… which were formed as a result of the accumulation of contrasting deposits of thoughts and feelings.

The Gospel passage is a sort of a “flashback” passage which recounts the visually-disturbing incident of the ‘beheading of John the Baptist’.

The increasing popularity of Jesus caused Herod the Tetrarch, the ruler of the land, to come face-to-face with his guilty conscience.

Truth is always very powerful!

It can, silently, yet very authoritatively …
… challenge faulty lives
… prick guilty consciences
… confront culpable actions

Herod bore the guilt of having killed John the Baptist, who was the voice of the Truth.

He knew that he had done something extremely wicked and merciless
He knew that he had acted in opposition to truth, to honesty and to sincerity

Therefore, the rising fame of the Lord – whom he misunderstood as John the Baptist – drove him to despair over that brutal act of the killing of the Baptist.

The constant exposition to wicked thoughts and evil inclinations had caused his life to become a pillar of guilt-filled feelings!

Think wicked, and our character will decay into being evil…

On the other hand, was the righteous life of John the Baptist.

He was born with a sense of purpose – of being a voice to the Truth.

He maintained this goal by always living in sincerity – fearless and courageous.

To this end, he even valiantly shed his blood!

The constant nurturing of holy purposes and sacred acts had caused his life to become a pillar of a purpose-filled existence!

Think nobler, and our character will mould into being noble…

What is the thought-pattern that we nurture in our lives?

Is my life a Pillar…
… of guilt-filled feelings – formed by deposits of wickedness, evil and sin?

OR

Is my life a Pillar…
… of a purpose-filled existence – formed by deposits of holy determination and sanctified lives?

On this Saturday, let us specially seek the intercession of our Blessed Mother, through Her Immaculate Heart, as we pray…
… that we may be inspired and impelled to live a holy life – and thus our lives may become a “marvelous edifice” and an “enormous pillar” of God’s graces.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation. (CCC # 2273)