(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)


MAY 1️⃣1️⃣ – Mary, Mirror of Justice

💭 To Reflect
Mary, being united with Jesus, Her Beloved Son, mirrored and reflected the wonderful justice of God – perfect holiness and sanctity.

✅ To Practise
Reflect God’s Justice – by a life of sanctity and holiness

🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may reflect God’s Justice and Holiness through my acts and deeds, Amen!

“Being firm and joyful in being an ‘Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!’”

(Based on Acts 13:13-25 and Jn 13:16-20 – Thursday of the 4th Week in Easter)

An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high ranking diplomat who represents a state.

He/she is usually accredited to another sovereign state, or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sovereign.


Ambassadors have some general functions…

Diplomatic:
Conducting negotiations with the host government, representing their state in meetings and delivering messages on behalf of their own government, receiving messages the host government for relay back to their own; being the spokesperson for their government etc.

Ceremonial:
Representing their government at public events in that host country and being the most visible symbol of their own country

Administrative:
Overseeing the operations at the embassy and of other diplomats and staff.


This word “ambassador” is also often used more liberally for persons who are known, without national appointment, to represent certain professions, activities and fields of endeavour.


The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the “Ambassador” of His Heavenly Father, and who in turn, invites each of us to be His Ambassador and of His Kingdom in our world.
>> Jesus says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send, receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives the One who sent Me” (Jn 13:20)


Jesus came into this world to reveal the love and mercy of God.
>> He is Love made flesh and Mercy Incarnate.
While on earth, Jesus sought to be the perfect Representative of God, His Almighty and Beloved Father.

Finding deep communion in long hours of prayer, Jesus would emphatically give witness to His Father…
… by His mighty deeds of power, spectacular wonders of healing and His heart-touching words of eternal life.


This mission of being the Ambassador of the Father, was however, not without its shares of pain for Jesus…
… He had the face the pain of being rejected by His own people
… He had to bear the agony of being betrayed by His own chosen one
… He had to face the humiliation of the worst form of execution known those days


Yet, none of this could deter the Lord from choosing to be the “Ambassador” for the Kingdom of Heaven.


He today invites each one of us to be an “Ambassador” for Him and His Kingdom.


Like an ambassador of the state or a country, perhaps we too have certain functions and roles as being the privileged “Ambassador for Christ”…

Diplomatic:
In the sense of not being compromising, but a function that makes us to be convinced and passionate in preaching the message of the Lord and His Kingdom to others.
>> Nothing should bring us low or falter us from standing firm in proclaiming His Word and standing for His Gospel virtues.

Ceremonial:
In the sense of not being show-off or parading mere externally, rather a duty that requires of us to make our very lives and every action a witness of the Love and Mercy of God.
>> Our very words should reflect the goodness of the Lord Our very actions should radiate the gentleness and holiness of the Lord
>> Our very life should mirror the self-sacrificing and altruistic nature of the Lord.

Administrative
In the sense of not being power-hungry or position-seekers, rather, with a servant-like attitude, seeking the good and upliftment of others.
>> As a representative of Christ, we must also feel the obligation within us to bring others to the faith in Jesus and make His message of love and holiness to spread to all.
>> The spiritual growth of the other ought to become a genuine concern for me!


St Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians echoes this call and invite of the Lord, to be His Ambassadors…
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Cor 5:18-20).


We read in the Acts of the Apostles of St Paul along with other companions giving a public witness to Jesus and thus becoming His ambassador! (Acts 13:14 ff)
>> Let us also be firm and joyful in being an “Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!”


God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST
>> The ordained ministry or ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood.
>> The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church.
>> The saving mission entrusted by the Father to his incarnate Son was committed to the apostles and through them to their successors: they receive the Spirit of Jesus to act in his name and in his person.
>> The ordained minister is the sacramental bond that ties the liturgical action to what the apostles said and did and, through them, to the words and actions of Christ, the source and foundation of the sacraments.
>> The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or “seal” by which the Christian shares in Christ’s priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions.
>> This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible, it remains for ever in the Christian…
… as a positive disposition for grace
… a promise and guarantee of divine protection
… and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church.
>> Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated (CCC # 1120-1121)
——————————–

(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)

MAY 1️⃣0️⃣ – Mary, Virgin most faithful

💭 To Reflect
Mary remained ever faithful to the Will of God, and held firmly to the Yes that was professed at the Annunciation.

✅ To Practise
Faithfulness to God’s Will

🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may remain every faithful to the Will of the Lord.

“Orienting our lives more and more to the Lord, and seeking to live a life that is intimately more connected to Him!”

(Based on Acts 12:24-13:5a and Jn 12:44-50 – Wednesday of the 4th Week in Easter)

“I keep six honest serving-men…

They taught me all I knew;
Their names are ‘What and Why and When, and How and Where and Who’”

These are the words of the author, Rudyard Kipling who is famous for his book, “The Jungle Book”

This concept of 5W’s and 1H – What, Why, When, Where, Who and How – is extensively used in journalism, especially while writing a factual news story.

It is said that one of the classical methods in writing the opening paragraph of a news story should contain answers to, as far as possible, all these 5W’s and 1H.

The Gospel of the Day describes St John presenting a ‘Recapitulation Passage’ on Jesus.

This passage gives a neat answer in tune with the concept of 5W’s and 1H…
• WHO is Jesus?
• WHAT did Jesus do?
• WHY did Jesus come?
• WHERE did Jesus come?
• WHEN did Jesus come to be?
• HOW did Jesus come?

1. Who is Jesus?
   St John presents Jesus as ‘the Saviour of the World’: “… for I do not come to condemn the world, but to save the world” (Jn 12: 47b)

Jesus is not the one who condemns or denounces or reviles a person…

Instead He is the One who saves, the One who redeems and the One who atones.

Have I accepted Jesus as the Saviour of my life…
… or is He just some great teacher or just a wonderful philosopher or even just a great Man?

Do I grow in my conviction that the “WHO” of Jesus primarily consists in Him wanting to save me from my sin, and wanting me to lead a holy and sanctified life, so that I can belong to Him completely?

2. What did Jesus do?
   St John presents Jesus as ‘speaking the Word of Life’: “Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge Him; the word that I spoke, will condemn him…” (Jn 12: 48)
   Jesus, the Eternal Word, spoke His words, which guarantees life, and life in abundance (Jn 10:10b)
   That is why St Peter confessed to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6: 68)

Am I keen in listening to the words of Jesus, that He speaks to me, especially through His Holy Word in the Bible?

Do I seek to live and base my life on these Words and teachings that the Lord speaks to me?

3. Why did Jesus come?
   St John presents Jesus coming ‘to lead from the darkness of death to the light of eternal life’: “I came… so that everyone who believes in me, might not remain in darkness; … His commandment is eternal life” (Jn12: 46, 50)

The Lord, who is the light of the World, came to the world so that all may share in His Life, His Eternal Life.

Am I fixated in the mundane pleasures and transitory luxuries of the world, and giving no heed to the spiritual side of my life?

Do I orient my life towards to the higher aspects of life, gazing heavenward, and preparing my spiritual life to be worthy of eternal life?

4. Where did Jesus come?
   St John presents Jesus as ‘coming to this world’: “… I come into the world…” (Jn 12: 46)
   This is a significant lesson that we are taught: that Jesus came into this world.

He came to sanctify and redeem our world.

At Incarnation, Jesus descends to our world… sinful, corrupt and prone to evil tendencies.

He does not abandon this world…
He does not give up on any of us…
He does not forsake us in our misery…

Do I make space for Jesus to enter into my world, even if I am aware that I am sinful or prone to bad habits or constantly falling into failures?

Am I willing to accept the transformations that will be demanded of me, when Jesus descends into the realms of my life, and exhorts me to be walking with Him on His way of the Cross?

5. When did Jesus come to be?
   St John presents Jesus as ‘existing with the Father, from eternity’: “… and whoever sees Me, sees the One who sent ME; … I say as the Father told Me” (Jn 12: 45, 50b)

Jesus, the Son, is the visible image of God, the Father.

With the Father, He has existed from all ages, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

He is the Lord who is unchanging.
He is the Lord who is all-knowing and all-loving.
He is the Lord who has the complete control over my life.

Do I possess the faith to be firm in my trust in the Holy Providence, knowing the Jesus knows everything, especially in my moments of hardships and trials?

Am I reflecting the image of God in my life, just as Jesus reflected the image of His Heavenly Father, knowing that this is possibly only by being in close union with the Lord, in devotion and discipleship?

6. How did Jesus come?
   St John presents Jesus as ‘coming as the light to the world’: “I come into the world as light… ” (Jn 12: 46)

Jesus came to the darkness of our world, by being the Light.

All His teachings radiate with truth
All His deeds shine with holiness

Am I firm in my principles and values to hold on to the teachings and commandments that the Lord, lovingly invites me to live?

Am I courageous to be the shining light even when many forces of darkness around me, try to put off this holy radiance of the Lord?

When we offer ourselves wholly to the Lord, His Spirit will lead us and guide us…
… just as we see in the Acts of the Apostles

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said:
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:2-3)

Let us orient our lives more and more to the Lord…
… and seek to live a life that is intimately more connected to Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST

As she has done for the canon of Sacred Scripture and for the doctrine of the faith, the Church, by the power of the Spirit…
… who guides her “into all truth,” has gradually recognized this treasure received from Christ and, as the faithful steward of God’s mysteries, has determined its “dispensation.”
Thus the Church has discerned over the centuries that among liturgical celebrations there are seven that are, in the strict sense of the term, sacraments instituted by the Lord.
The sacraments are “of the Church” in the double sense that they are “by her” and “for her.”
They are “by the Church,” for she is the sacrament of Christ’s action at work in her through the mission of the Holy Spirit.
They are “for the Church” in the sense that “the sacraments make the Church,” since they manifest and communicate to men, above all in the Eucharist, the mystery of communion with the God who is love, One in three persons.
Forming “as it were, one mystical person” with Christ the head, the Church acts in the sacraments as “an organically structured priestly community.”

Through Baptism and Confirmation the priestly people is enabled to celebrate the liturgy, while those of the faithful “who have received Holy Orders, are appointed to nourish the Church with the word and grace of God in the name of Christ. (CCC # 1117-1118)

(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)

MAY 0️⃣9️⃣ – Mary, Virgin most prudent

💭 To Reflect
Mary always lived in prudence by being sensitive to the needs, and discerning – with humility and trust – what is good in the eyes of God.

✅ To Practise
Always choosing what is right, in the eyes of God!

🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may practise the virtue of prudence, by living in accordance with what is right and just, Amen!

“Seeking to come away from the ‘season of winter’ and being warm and enthusiastic in the love of the Lord by receiving the touch of the Divine!”

(Based on Acts 11:19-26 and Jn 10:22-30 – Tuesday of the 4th Week in Easter)

In many parts of the world, it is now summer!

The effects of global warming are being clearly experienced in many of the countries…
…with increased temperatures
… unusual climatic changes

But it’s pretty interesting to note, that even though externally, the climate is warm…
… there could be many areas in our life… which remain cold!

Isn’t it?

Perhaps….
… we are experiencing a “coldness” in many of our relationships
… there is a sense of a “cold wave” in our work-places, studies or in our undertakings and activities

We need the “tender touch” of our Blessed Lord to “warm” our “cold hearts” …
… and in order to come to experience “abundance of life” in Him!

The Gospel of the Day presents the dimension of “coldness” that was experienced by the people, who encountered Jesus, in accepting Him as the Lord of Life.

The Gospel passage begins with St John giving a dual-context in the encounter between Jesus and the people…

The religious atmosphere of the time: “The Feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem” (Jn 10: 22a)

The physical atmosphere of the time: “It was winter” (Jn 10:22b)
The Feast of Dedication was also called Hanukkah.

This feast celebrated the liberation of the city of Jerusalem from Antiochus, the Syrian King.

This King had desecrated the Jerusalem Temple by building an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs on the Temple Altar.

The Feast of Dedication celebrates the day that Israel regained control of the temple and re-consecrated it to the one true God!

However, it is to be noted that though year after year, they gathered to celebrate the re-dedication of the Temple…
… their hearts were, perhaps, still far from God Yahweh!
… their lives were, perhaps, still, yet to be in accordance with the Will of God!

This is what St John, the Evangelist, points to when he speaks of the physical atmosphere of the time: “It was winter” (Jn10:22b)

This statement was not just about the weather or the season of the year

He was describing “a season of life… a season of faith!”

It was his style of diagnosing the interior condition of the “Faith of the People” who had come for the Feast of the Dedication!

Many of the people of Israel, were in a season of “winter”…
…”cold” in their hearts: to accept the person of Jesus – the One Who had inaugurated the Kingdom of God, going about doing a lot of works of salvation and healing!

… “cold” in their minds: to accept the teachings of Jesus – the One Who was exhorting them to live God’s commandments not just externally, but with the sincerity of the heart!

… “cold” in their lives: to accept the challenge of Jesus – the One Who was convicting them of their sinfulness and inviting them to a life of repentance and holiness!

It was this being in a “season of winter” that prompted them to ask Jesus with a sense of apathy and irritation: “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly” (Jn 10: 24)

“Tell us plainly” was the utterance of a frozen people…
… who had “winter” in their hearts and their minds
… who were “cold” and had begun to take their faith for granted
… who were “frozen” and were merely satisfied with external dedication of the Temple, without an inner renewal of the heart!

We need to examine our lives and check….
… Am I also a “frozen person?”

Am I also, in a “season of winter”?
… Is my relationship with the Lord, a mere utterance of the lips and fails to affect my daily living?
… Is my practice of devotion and my participation in the liturgy and sacraments, a plain ritualistic and a routine custom, without making me to truly enter into intimacy with the Lord?
… Is my life of faith, just an ordinary and lethargic one, taking the grace and blessing of the Lord for granted, and not wanting to make efforts to grow in the love of the Lord and neighbour?

The Lord gives us the one straight answer: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow Me” (Jn 10: 27)

The Book of the Acts of the Apostles gives us the beautiful example of Barnabas – who lent his ears to the Lord and thus could be an agent of the Lord’s Power and Love

“When Barnabas came and saw the Grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord!” (Acts 11: 23-24)

When we offer our Lord our entire life –our heart and mind wholly– we become a contagious witness of His Resurrection and a powerful messenger of His Love

Let us dedicate not just our externalities to the Lord…
… but much more our internalities – our hearts, minds and lives to His Providence

Let us seek to come away from the “Season of Winter”….
… be warm in the love of the Lord
… be enthusiastic, receiving the touch of the Divine
… be ardent, to seek, hear and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST

“Adhering to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, to the apostolic traditions, and to the consensus… of the Fathers,” we profess that “the sacraments of the new law were… all instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Jesus’ words and actions during his hidden life and public ministry were already salvific, for they anticipated the power of his Paschal mystery.
They announced and prepared what he was going to give the Church when all was accomplished. >> The mysteries of Christ’s life are the foundations of what he would henceforth dispense in the sacraments, through the ministers of his Church, for “what was visible in our Saviour has passed over into His mysteries.”
Sacraments are “powers that comes forth” from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving.
They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church.

They are “the masterworks of God” in the new and everlasting covenant. (CCC # 1114-1116)

“Growing in intimacy of our ‘sheep’ in imitation of Jesus, the Great Good Shepherd!”

(Based on Acts 11:1-18 and Jn 10:1-10 – Monday of 4th Week in Easter )

Heard of the “bystander” effect?

Well… the ‘bystander effect’ is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases, in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim, when other people are present.


This phenomenon is also called as ‘bystander apathy’.


According to the “bystander effect”, the probability of ‘help’ is inversely related to the number of bystanders (onlookers).
i.e. the greater the number of bystanders, the lesser will be the possibility of help that is offered.
>> The lesser the number of bystanders, the greater will be the possibility of help that is offered.


Such examples are commonly seen in our society…

If someone has an accident on the road and many people gather around, chances are that hardly anyone would take a step in assisting the injured person..

A cruel trend increasing these days is that when another is undergoing some mishap or disaster, there are many more people taking “selfies” or clicking pictures or busy uploading such “breaking” news on social networking sites, but totally unmoved to help the person in need…


Unfortunately, this “bystander effect” or “bystander apathy” has also dangerously encroached our spiritual lives…


An attitude of being “uncaring” and being concerned only of one’s selfish needs
>> An attitude of being “lethargic” and wanting to be free from taking up responsibilities


This has led to…
… “careless” tendencies in caring for our spiritual lives
… “irresponsible” avoiding of duties in taking care of others.


The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who confronts this “bystander effect” in our lives.

He exhorts…
… to get involved in the lives of peoples and make a difference to them
… to be conscious of our own spiritual life and be zealous about it


Jesus speaks of Himself, as the Good Shepherd, who is close and intimate to the sheep.

It is this intimacy and closeness, that makes Him personally and affectionately concerned of His sheep.


The Lord also speaks of others, who are least interested in the welfare and safety of the sheep.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and robber” (Jn 10: 1)


The difference in the attitude of the Good Shepherd and the thieves and robbers is this:

The Good Shepherd has a deep intimacy with the sheep… the others have no relationship!
>> The Good Shepherd is fully interested in the welfare of the sheep… the others only care for their personal agenda and benefits!
>> The Good Shepherd will undertake any sacrifice, even of His life for the sheep… the others will escape and run away from assuming any difficulties or hardships!


All of us in our lives are entrusted with “sheep” and we are to be shepherds to them…

This “sheep” could be anybody, based on our status and position in life.


They could be…
… parishioners, lay faithful
… students, work-colleagues, friends
… family members, spouses, children
… the needy, the wanting, those in distress
… our own selves


The question is:
In all such situations, of we being a “Shepherd”, am I afflicted with a “bystander effect” or a “bystander apathy” and fail to reach out to “our sheep”?

It is the Lord who has entrusted us with the “sheep” and He expects us to be good and faithful shepherds.


The responsibility is great… the duty is immense on us.

But do we get lethargic and indifferent, and fail in our duty to be a true shepherd?


Jesus, the Great Good Shepherd, is our model and example…
… Let us grow in intimacy of our “sheep”
… Let us become more concerned of the welfare of our “sheep”
… Let us be willing to take up any sacrifice for the good of our “sheep”


God Bless! Live Jesus!

——————————–
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
>> The epiclesis is also a prayer for the full effect of the assembly’s communion with the mystery of Christ.
>> “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” have to remain with us always and bear fruit beyond the Eucharistic celebration.
>> The Church therefore asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit to make the lives of the faithful a living sacrifice to God by their spiritual transformation into the image of Christ…
… by concern for the Church’s unity, and by taking part in her mission through the witness and service of charity. (CCC # 1109)
——————————–

“Never forgetting that ‘Jesus Christ is precious and He loves
us very much!'”

(Based on Acts 13:14, 43-52, Rev 7:9, 14-17 and Jn 10:27-30– 4th Sunday in Easter, Year C)

A story is said of an elderly priest who was known for his
deep piety, committed service and profound conviction in
preaching.

His old age had rendered him nearly blind and he
even found it quite hard to breathe normally…
… and in fact, struggled to speak even in whispers!

However, despite his old age, he loved to visit prayer
meetings to speak about the love of Christ.

He would take the
help of the catechist to get his message delivered to the people

Once, while preaching, he repeated the sentence: 
“Jesus Christ is precious and He loves you very much!”

The catechist, thinking that the priest had made a mistake…
… reminded and whispered to him, “Father, you have already
said that statement twice!”

The priest, turning to the catechist said in a strong tone, “Yes, I
know I have said it twice, and I will say it once again!”

And so saying, with a firm and convincing voice, he told the
people, “Jesus Christ is precious and He loves you very much!”

The priest re-iterated to the people how Precious the Love of
God is!

Have we discovered and tasted the deep Love of God in
our lives?

God our Father loves us so much that He goes to any extent to
ensure His protection, care and love. 

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, tells us, “My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch
them out of the Father’s hand!” (Jn 10:29)

All the pages of the Bible speak to us one important Truth:
God is intimately involved with our lives!

He is not far away.

He constantly and consistently longs to have us with Him. 

Jesus reminds us that as His sheep, we ought to “hear His
Voice, know Him and follow Him!” (Cf. Jn 10:27)

This imagery of the Lord, as a Good Shepherd, is a very
consoling, assuring and encouraging one

Sheep in the times and areas of Jesus were often reared for
their wool, rather than the meat.

The sheep would be with the Shepherd for some time – and
an affinity would develop among them
The shepherd would make all the efforts – even at the cost
of comforts – to take care of the sheep…
… the sheep, would remain in submission to this affection,
and faithfully follow the Master

As a Good Shepherd, the Lord looks at us, not as a flock – a
group

Instead, we are seen and cared for, very uniquely – as
individual sheep!

In the Presence of the Lord, we don’t need a ‘nametag!’

He knows us by name!

It’s this awareness that I am loved, and uniquely cared for, that
will strengthen us in moments of strife!

When we feel hurt, rejected, unloved, or lost, it can be
overwhelmingly difficult to see God’s light.
When we go through temptations or times of distress, we
may stray away and feel unworthy

But the protective care of the Lord is always with us, as He
assures us, “no one shall snatch them out of My Hand!”
(Jn 10:28).

Yes, we are invited to be His ‘own people!’ 

We are called to be His ‘inescapable people!’

The Merciful Father – our Good Shepherd – is waiting for each
one of us…
… Whatever be the mess, that my life may be in!

Let us run into His embrace of Love, with sincere repentance
and contrition of heart

And pledge to live for Him, and with Him… forever!

Let us never forget that “Jesus Christ is precious and He loves
us very much!”

Let these words be repeated constantly in our life…
… with
deep piety, profound conviction and committed service to one
another!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

In every liturgical action the Holy Spirit is sent in order to bring us into communion with Christ and so to form his Body.
The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father’s vine which bears fruit on its branches.
The most intimate cooperation of the Holy Spirit and the Church is achieved in the liturgy.
The Spirit who is the Spirit of communion, abides indefectibly in the Church.

For this reason the Church is the great sacrament of divine communion which gathers God’s scattered children together. >> Communion with the Holy Trinity and fraternal communion are inseparably the fruit of the Spirit in the liturgy. (CCC # 1108)

“Rising up to the challenge to remain loyal and faithful to the demands placed on us by Christ, our Powerful and Mighty King!”

(Based on Acts 9:31-42 and Jn 6:60-69 – Saturday of the 3rd Week in Easter)

There is a challenging incident that goes thus…

A Parish Priest, after the Holy Mass on a Sunday, was standing outside the Church, when he came across a young girl.

This girl had been in the hotel plaza and had missed the Sunday service.

“Good Morning!” greeted the Priest.

“Good Morning too, Father”, came the reply from the girl.

“Are you well this morning?”

“Oh, I am so tired!” she explained, “I blistered my feet dancing, the whole night!”

And then she had a query, “By the way, Father, what do you think about dancing?”

With a grave seriousness, the Priest replied, “You call yourself to be a Christian, isn’t it?

Have you ever blistered your feet for God?”

That question hit her like a lightening!

She turned away, with guilt and shame displayed on her face.

A few days later, she spoke to the Priest again, saying, “I have hardly slept since you asked me that question.

I want to tell you honestly… I have never blistered my feet for the Lord.

But to the best of my abilities, I will seek to work for Him, hereafter!”

Has our Christian Life ever caused us…
… blisters on our feet?
… aches in our hands?
… tensions in our minds?
… anxiety in our hearts?

It pays to be a Christian!

It costs much to be a Follower of Christ!

Yes, Christianity demands…

And only the ones who are willing to respond to these demands are worthy of being the followers of the Lord.

The Lord is pretty straight-forward and candid in His challenging requirements…
… and would even ask us, as He asks His disciples in the Gospel of the Day, “Do you also wish to go away?” (Jn 6: 67)

We are at the concluding portion of the 6th Chapter of the Gospel of St John – known as the chapter on the Discourse of the Bread of Life.

The hearers of Jesus, from the beginning of this Chapter have been taken through a very intriguing path…

It began with the fragrance of compassion and mercy being radiated by the Lord in the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6: 1-15)
This fragrance developed into an aura of authority and power that was displayed in the incident of the walking on the water (Jn 6: 16-21)

This aura began to radiate more gloriously through His teachings on He being the Bread of Life (Jn 6: 22-59)

This glorious splendour was further revealed and explained when He declared Himself as the Son of Man who would ascend to where He was (Jn 6: 61-62)

The Chapter, as its nears the conclusion, finds many of the hearers abandoning Christ.

Therefore we read, “As a result of this, many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him” (Jn 6:66)

It seemed nice and wonderful to be the followers of Christ, when He provided food to their satisfaction
… But when there was a demand made by Christ, the “goody-goody” feelings disappeared and they began to reject Him!

Is this not the attitude that is prevalent among many of the Christians… including we, perhaps?

As long as the ground of our lives, receives the continual showers of favours being granted and prayers being instantly heard, we feel nice with the Lord.
… But in the times when the ground has to experience the drought of delays in prayers and absence of the rains of consolation, we feel to do away with the ways of the Lord!

As long as the garden of my life, is blessed with the flowers of prosperity, security and comforts, we remain happy to be with the Lord
… But in the circumstances when the garden goes dry and the weeds of misery begin to crop up, we feel to abandon the presence of the Lord and tread our own wills!

And therefore the Lord asks us, “Do you also wish to go away?” (Jn 6: 67)

Faith in the Lord is no cheap thing!

It indeed costs to be faithful!

The History of the Bible is replete with examples for this fact…

It cost Abraham in giving up Isaac, his beloved, in order to prove his faith in the Lord

It cost Moses to let go off his weaknesses and frailties, in order to become the leader of a vast multitude

It cost Daniel to be cast into the den of lions in being a faithful warrior of the Lord

It cost Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to pass through the ordeals of the fiery furnace in proving to be loyal to the Lord

It cost Stephen a painful death by being stoned in order to witness his daring courage in the Lord

It cost Peter to be nailed upside down to stand firm as the rock of faithfulness and commitment

Yes, Christianity demands…

And only the ones who are willing to respond to these demands are worthy of being the Followers of the Lord.

The book of the Acts of the Apostles beautifully recounts many incidents of people following the Lord – willing to give up their past life, and live a new life in Christ…

The healing of the paralyzed Aeneas through the instrumentality of Peter, made “all the residents of Lydda and Sharon… to turn to the Lord.” (Cf. Acts 9:35)
The healing of Tabitha, in Joppa, also caused many people to “believe in the Lord!” (Acts 9:36-42)

What is it costing us to be faithful to our Lord and King?

Often times, our practice of Christian faith enters, tiptoed and slyly, into the halls of comfort and coziness…

A Baptism received long ago…
Some Sacraments obtained now and then…
A few Church obligations completed once in a way…
Some occasionally unavoidable practise of piety and devotion…

This is all that sometimes it “costs” us in being a Christian!

But the Lord today powerfully seeks to shake off the dusts of lethargy and casualness and confronts us, “Do you also wish to go away?”

Our remaining with the Lord, ought not to be in mere words, but also in deeds and actions

Being with the Lord demands…
… that we grow in our zeal and love for the Lord
… that we become an extension of Christ to the needy
… that we strive to be passionate proponents of His love and mercy

We have to be ready and willing, to let our “feet be blistered”, bear “aches in our hands”, go through “tensions in our minds” and battle “anxiety in our hearts”…
… for the sake of the Lord and His Kingdom!

May our Christian lives be encompassed by a deep love for the Lord and may we rise up to the challenge to remain loyal and faithful to the demands placed on us by Christ, our Powerful and Mighty King!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES PRESENT THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST

Together with the anamnesis, the epiclesis is at the heart of each sacramental celebration, most especially of the Eucharist:
“You ask how the bread becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine the Blood of Christ I shall tell you: the Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what surpasses every word and thought. Let it be enough for you to understand that it is by the Holy Spirit, just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the Holy Spirit that the Lord, through and in himself, took flesh.”
The Holy Spirit’s transforming power in the liturgy hastens the coming of the kingdom and the consummation of the mystery of salvation.

While we wait in hope he causes us really to anticipate the fullness of communion with the Holy Trinity. Sent by the Father who hears the epiclesis of the Church, the Spirit gives life to those who accept him and is, even now, the “guarantee” of their inheritance (CCC # 1106-1107)

(MAY we WITH MAMMA MARY live in holiness)

MAY 0️⃣6️⃣ – Mary, Mother most pure

💭 To Reflect
Mary preserved the gift of purity, and was away from every stain of evil, to become the bearer of Jesus, the Most Holy One!

✅ To Practise
Preserve purity of body, mind and heart!

🙏🏻To Pray
Mamma Mary, intercede for me, that I may make conscious decisions to stay away from every evil and preserve my purity, Amen!