“Giving our hearts to the Lord who knocks at the doors of our lives!”

(Based on Acts 14:5-18 and Jn 14:21-26)

God knocks at my door, seeking a home for His son.

“Rent is cheap”, I say.
“I don’t want to rent. I want to buy”, says God.
“I’m not sure I want to sell, but you might come in to look around”.

“I think I will”, says God
“I might let you have a room or two”.

“I like it”, says God, “I’ll take the two. You might decide to give me more some day.
I can wait”, says God

“I’d like to give you more, but it’s a bit difficult. I need some space for me”.
“I know”, says God, “but I’ll wait. I like what I see”.

“I’d like to give you the whole house, but I’m not sure”
“Think on it”, says God. “I wouldn’t put you out.
Your house would be mine and My Son would live in it.
You’d have more space than you’d ever had before”.

“I don’t understand at all”.
“I know”, says God, “but I can’t tell you about that.
You’ll have to discover it for yourself.
That can only happen if you let me have the whole house”.

“A bit risky”, I say.
“Yes”, says God, “but try me”.

“I’m not sure – I’ll let you know”

“I can wait”, says God, “I like what I see”.

• excerpts from a poem titled “Covenant” by Sr Margaret Halaska

It shows the beautiful dialogue between a soul and God, who desires to dwell in the heart of a person..

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus throwing light on this beautiful theme of God wishing to make a home in our hearts: “Those who love me, will keep my word, and My Father will love them and we will come and make our home with them” (Jn 14: 23)

The story of the Bible is a God who longs to dwell with His people.

In the Old Testament, we see the Garden of Eden was a beautiful communion of the first parents with God.

The atmosphere was so much homely… so much loving

Sin caused a rupture in this homely bonding between God and human beings.

But the Lord, still longed to dwell with His people…

He accompanied the Israelites in their journey through the desert… being with them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
He also established His glory among the people of Israel by dwelling in the ark of the covenant.

Every now and then, the people sinned and lost this presence of the Lord
Through the prophets, the Lord would invite the people to come back to His homely presence.

Finally, in the fullness of time, God decided to dwell with humans, when the Eternal Word became flesh..
Jn 1: 14, “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us”

To perpetuate His continual presence, Jesus also gave us His Body and Blood, in Real Presence, when He instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper with the culmination of His Sacrifice on the Cross, and His rising from the dead.

This then, is the story of the longing of a God who yearns to dwell with His people.

Jesus re-iterates this constant longing of the Lord, by promising, “Those who love me, will keep my word, and My Father will love them and we will come and make our home with them” (Jn 14: 23)

The Lord wishes to dwell more close to us..
He longs to have a home in our hearts…

Do we make the space for Him?

The Lord promises to come and make His home in our hearts, if we love Him and keep His Word.

Loving Him requires giving Him the highest priority and precedence in our lives

Keeping His Word requires following His teachings and commandments at all times.

Loving Him means to constantly long for Him and to have our thoughts centered on Him

Keeping His Word means to make decisions and choices based on His Gospel virtues

Loving Him means to free our hearts from undue and inordinate attachments

Keeping His Word means to go against our personal choices to preserve His Will and plans

The Acts of the Apostles gives us the account of Paul and Barnabas giving a powerful witness in Lystra…
… and demonstrating the Power of the Lord, Who was given the highest priority in their life! (Acts 14:5-18)

The Lord wants a space in our hearts, to dwell in us…

Maybe, some rooms of our heart has been rented to many unwanted habits…
Maybe, some areas of our lives are occupied by unfit tenants of sin and evil…
Maybe, some quarters of our mind are accommodated with unholy and bad thoughts…

God is knocking at our doors, seeking a home for His Son…

We might feel it’s “a bit risky”…
“Yes”, says God, “but try me…I can wait…

I like what I see!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Have patience to walk with short steps until you have wings to fly!”

“Drowning in life is an impossibility, when we resign ourselves to the complete Power and Providence of the Lord!”

(Based on Acts 6:1-7, 1 Pet 2:4-9 and Jn 14:1-12)

A visitor was once walking along a high part of the shore of the Dead Sea.

As he casually was strolling across and relaxingly enjoying, he lost his balance and fell into the water.

Swimming was an activity he had never learnt!
Desperation was a weakness that hastened to him quickly!

He could not swim and, in extreme anxiety, lest he should sink and be drowned, he began to fling his arms about frantically!

Was his life going to be terminated?

Was his enjoyable walk awaiting an anti-climax end?

At last, exhausted by wildly moving his arms for help, he felt he could do no more.

Then he found something strange happening…

The waters bore him up!

The water of the Dead Sea is so heavy with salt and other minerals that when he lay still in it he found he floated on the surface!

When he frantically moved his arms, in despair, there was immense fear of drowning..

But when he became still, he experienced the calm of support and strength!

Drowning was an impossibility, so long as he resigned himself to the power of the deep!

In our life of faith, are we ready to “resign ourselves to the power of the deep”?

The Gospel of the Day is an assuring lesson by the Lord – the Way, the Truth and the Life – to His disciples to trust deeper and place their hopes in Him.

The Gospel begins with the statement: “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (Jn 14: 1)

We need to highlight the context of this particular statement:

Jesus is having The Last Supper, with His chosen disciples…
… in a few hours from now, He will be undergoing an immense “agony” in the Garden of Gethsemane
… a little later, He would be undergoing excruciating humiliation and a painful death on the Cross.

Yet, with this impending dangers, the Lord is at peace within Himself

He not only nurtures a peace within; He even assures this peace to His followers exhorting them: “Do not be troubled!”

What gave Jesus this tremendous power to have inner serenity and peace, in the face of agonizing trouble?

It was His relationship with His Abba… His Heavenly Father!

He came to this world solely to do the Will of His Father…
… and it was the assurance of the Father, with Him, that would be the secret of His Success in Mission!

As Christians, don’t we also face immense pressures and difficulties in life?
… persecutions in witnessing our faith in the society
… challenges to live an authentic Christian life in a corrupt society
… struggles to live a holy life, in the midst of alluring sinful tendencies

What can give us power to have inner serenity and peace, in the face of such agonizing troubles?

It is only our relationship to the Father, through Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit!
It is PRAYER alone that can take us through the storms of life!

The Psalmist says, “I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8)

To be able to sleep in the midst of severe storms, is a sign of tremendous peace of mind!

Isaiah 43:2 promises:
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown”

Yes, the one…
… who has immense faith and trust in God has absolutely nothing to worry, even in the midst of any storm or squall
… who has great confidence and belief in Divine Providence has just nothing to fear, even in the midst of any horror or terror.

Jesus was in communion with His Father.

This bonding made Him to be assured of every protection and care!
This union made Him to be rest assured of every safety and security!

And this important spiritual principle, Jesus teaches His disciples too:

The higher one is in union with God, the lesser will be the anxiety-factor in life.

Even when Jesus faced the greatest storm of His life – His passion and death – He was able to go through the crisis in peace and serenity.

Before being arrested and taken for being crucified, Jesus assures peace and joy for his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (Jn 14: 27)

The Lord today invites us to have this same kind of faith and trust in Him and His Divine Providence.

Let us realize that we are a chosen generation – God has called and chosen each one of us to live a life in Him by totally trusting in Him!

“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light!” (1 Pet 2:9)

Faith and Trust in Him also demands that we set proper priorities and make choices for the Lord and His Kingdom.

The community of disciples, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, is a beautiful inspiration for all of us to set proper priorities for the Lord.

When they realized that there was a danger to sideline the ‘Word of the Lord’ to other ‘works of the Lord,’ they set apart a few people for the charitable service while they others devoted to prayer and ministry of the Word:

“It is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word!” (Acts 6:2-4)

Life will, undoubtedly, bring with it many storms and tempests in life.

We may experience lots of fear…
We may feel the end is near…
But the one who trusts in Him – the Way, the Truth and the Life – is assured of safety and security!

The more we are close to the Lord, the deeper would be this faith and confidence!

Drowning in life is an impossibility, when we resign ourselves to the complete power and providence of the Lord.

The power of the Lord is with us and beneath us… waiting to bear us up!

Do we trust?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

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

“’Learn Jesus’ more by faithfully attending His School of Love and doing away with ‘spiritual illiteracy’ in our lives!”

(Based on Acts 13:44-52 and Jn 14:7-14)

Illiteracy is a deep crisis that is affecting our global society.

Illiteracy has many undesirable consequences and results.

While the call and efforts to eradicate illiteracy, has gained momentum over the past few years, from the spiritual realm, we are faced with a similar crisis: Spiritual Illiteracy

Spiritual Illiteracy could be described as…
… the inability to know or understand the promptings and inspirations of the Holy Spirit
… the lack of keenness to know about the Lord, His Teachings and His Mission
… the failure to have any interest to know God and His infinite love and mercy

This spiritual illiteracy is on the increase, and as Christians, we need to trigger a revolution to eradicate this hollowness in experience and knowledge of the Lord.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus revealing the spiritual illiteracy of His apostles, “Have I been with you so long and yet you do not know me…?” (Jn 14:9)

The context of this statement is the Last Supper Discourse that Jesus gives to His chosen disciples.

The disciples had been, probably with Jesus for nearly three years…

They had seen Him performing a number of miracles
They had heard Him speak of the glorious Kingdom of God.

They had experienced Him endowed with the special favour of God
They had touched Him and received powers and graces for the mission.

Yet, when Jesus speaks to them about the Father, the disciples express their ignorance.

Jesus, therefore, puts forward the question, “Have I been with you so long and yet you do not know me…?” (Jn 14:9)

Our lives can also resemble that of these disciples in being ignorant and unaware about the Lord.

We may remain “illiterate” spiritually, even though we have been admitted for a long time in the school of Jesus.

We may be “illiterate” in knowing…
… the vision of Jesus in building His Kingdom on the earth
… the feelings of the Lord in being passionately zealous to save all people
… the value of the sacrifice that Jesus has offered for us by His passion and death
… the depth of glory that is promised to us as a fruit of the Resurrection, if we follow Him

This spiritual “illiteracy” causes us…
… to remain unaware of the power and workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives
… to become lethargic and uninterested to know more about the Lord and His Word
… to be lukewarm and indifferent to explore the Lord deeper, especially in His Sacraments.

The call of the Gospel is to rekindle the fire to know the Lord more intimately and closely.

The book of Hosea (Hos 4:6) places a warning if we are to continue in this “illiteracy”:
“My people perish for want of knowledge!

Since you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from my priesthood!
Since you have ignored the law of your God, I will also ignore your sons”

A revolution is to be triggered so that “spiritual illiteracy” can be wiped away!

This is also a wonderful opportunity for us to examine the possible means of “knowing” the Lord and the many opportunities that we squander away in “knowing” Him deeper…
… Do I set apart, sometime at least, daily, reading the Bible – His Holy Word?
… Do I spend time, without any fail, in quiet prayerful moments with the Lord?
… Do I maximize my possibilities of meeting the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament?
… Do I pick up opportunities to listen to His Spirit in the various situations of my life?
… Do I ignite the sparks of desire to participate in the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and Confession?

St Paul points to this fact of how many Jews failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah…
.. and thus missed out on “living a life in Him”
… and how the Gentiles would “learn the path to eternal life!”

“And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’” (Acts 13:46-47)

Jesus desires that we know Him more…
… not just ‘about’ Him
… not just intellectual knowledge
… not just His teachings or wisdom
… But Him!

He wants all to have an “experiential” and a “living” experience of Him!

Let us “learn Jesus” more and more, faithfully attending His School of Love and doing away with the “spiritual illiteracy” in our lives!

LEARN JESUS to LIVE JESUS to GIVE JESUS!

Today, let us seek the intercession of St Pachomius, who is considered to the Founder of the Cenobatic (living in communities) life of Consecrated Life.

Let us pray to him for the grace to always remain in the love of the Lord, and give heed to his words:
“If an impure thought enters your mind, be it hatred or wickedness, jealousy, envy, contempt for your brother, or human vainglory, remember at once and say, ‘If I consent to any one of those things, I shall not see the Lord.”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “How happy are we to be slaves of God, Who made Himself a slave for us!”

“Overcoming our ‘spiritual paresthesia’ and fully cooperating with the Grace of the Lord!”

(Based on Acts 13:26-33 and Jn 14:1-6)

Most of us would have experienced the “falling asleep” or “numbness” of arms, legs and feet, especially while sitting cross-legged (usually while sitting on the floor).

Right?

Technically known as “peripheral neuropathy” or “paresthesia”, this syndrome is caused by the compression of specific nerves.

When one sits cross-legged, sleep with arm above the head, or position any limb in such a way to put excess pressure on a nerve, that nerve will stop sending impulses normally.

If the pressure is great, or the duration long, the nerve will eventually stop sending impulses altogether.

That particular area will essentially then “fall asleep” or feel “numb”.

Once the pressure is relieved, the nerve starts functioning normally again and one is able to move the limb.

It may, however, take some time to work properly and one may feel some tingling, “pins and needles”, during the process.

Spiritually speaking, it is very much possible that one experiences such “falling asleep” or a “numbness” in one’s conscience.

This is Spiritual Paresthesia!

This “lack of sensation” can cause one to be “life-less” and “feeling-less” to…
… constant occurrences of sin and evil doings
… frequent aberrations in moral and ethical life
… even constant spiritual reminders that the Lord gives us

The Gospel of the Day presents a case of “Spiritual Paresthesia”, which could perhaps, be a reality in our lives as well…

Jesus, in the Gospel of the day, declares Himself as “The Way, The Truth and The Life” (Jn 14:6)

This reply of the Lord came in response to the query of Thomas, the Apostle who asked Jesus, “Lord, we do not know, where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)

Thomas, along with the other disciples, had by now, spent quite a lot of time with Jesus, their Master….

They had encountered Jesus as The Way….
… the Way Forward: when sicknesses and problems of life had crippled the lives of many
They had encountered Jesus as The Truth….
… the Truth Uncompromised: when lies and malicious forces sought to thwart the plans of the Kingdom of God
They had encountered Jesus as the Life….
… the Life in Abundance: when hopelessness and sin would cause people to give up any aspirations for life

Yet, the disciples failed to recognize these aspects in Jesus.

They were perhaps, in a state of “spiritual paresthesia”…
… being numb to understanding Jesus
… unable to sense the words and depths of the Words of Jesus.

And so when Thomas put forward the doubt: “Lord, we do not know, where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)…
… Jesus emphatically declared, “I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE!” (Jn 14: 6)

The Lord wanted the disciples to overcome their “spiritual paresthesia”…
…and come to be aware of the Reality and Greatness of His Presence in their life!

Perhaps, we too often find ourselves in a state of “spiritual paresthesia” or “spiritual numbness”!

One of the main factors, which can cause this state of “spiritual numbness”, is the reality of sin in our lives…
… which many times, we either deny or fail to acknowledge.

In the teachings of Jesus, one of the stand-out factor was His uncompromising attitude with respect to sin.

And perhaps, this is where Jesus as a Holy Person stands out incomparable with all other great spiritual or philosophical leaders of the world.

This is also where Christianity as a religion stands out unmatched with any other belief system or practice of spirituality.

For Jesus and in Christianity…
… there is an uncompromising teaching on the need to root out sin and evil offences
… there is an absolutely unparalleled insistence on removal of sin for spiritual progress
… there is an unsurpassed assertion on being holy and pure to be in communion with Him

We need to make an honest examination of our conscience…

Is our life suffering from a “spiritual Paresthesia” or “numbness to what is holy” or a “lack of sensation to sin”…
… Do I continue to pursue, persevere or promote deeds of sin, even though I am aware of it, or has been brought to my notice?
… Do I fail to be sensitive to issues of immense sin and evil happening in and around me, in people and situations, and instead become indifferent and uninterested?

A persistence in this spiritual “Paresthesia” or numbness can very dangerously sever our relation with the Lord.
The Lord proclaims that “In My Father’s house, there are many rooms…” (Jn 14: 2)

St Paul beautifully proclaims the wonders of the Resurrection of Jesus and the promise of blessing that is enshrined to everyone who follows Him: “But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days, He appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.

And we bring you the Good News that what God promised to the fathers; this He has fulfilled to us their children, by raising Jesus!” (Acts 13:30-33)

Yes, the Lord wishes and desires, that all of us….
… should dwell with Him!
… should enjoy eternal life in Him!
… should reach the heights of holiness!

But this also requires our genuine co-operation to the Grace of the Lord…
… by seeking to get over our spiritual Paresthesia or numbness…

This process of getting out of this spiritual “Paresthesia” will involve feeling some “tingling pins and needles” of reparation, penance and atonement.

Let us be willing to…
… let go a life of sin
… embrace the words of the Lord
… and live it joyfully and fervently in our life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “True devotion advances boldly, without stopping to worry about details!”

“Being a joyful ‘Ambassador’ for Christ and His Kingdom!”

(Based on Acts 13:13-25 and Jn 13:16-20)

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.

The 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 the Love made flesh and the 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)

May we also be firm and joyful in being an “Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom”!

God bless! Live Jesus!

---

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “One single day of devotion is worth more than a thousand years of worldly life!”

“May we orient our lives more and more to the Lord and seek to live a life that is intimately more connected to Him!”

(Based on Acts 12:24-13:5a and Jn 12:44-50)

“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”

• 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.

In 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)

May we 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!

---

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “From the heights of heaven, Jesus Christ mercifully looks down upon you…

… and graciously invites you there!”

“Seeking to have the ‘tender touch’ of our Blessed Lord to ‘warm our cold hearts’ and thus to experience an abundance of life in Him!”

(Based on Acts 11:19-26 and Jn 10:22-30)

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…

1. The religious atmosphere of the time: “The Feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem” (Jn 10: 22a)
2. 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

May we 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!

---

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Retire at various times into the solitude of your own heart, even while outwardly engaged in discussions or transactions with others…

… and talk to God!”

“Here I am, O Lord!” – A Video Presentation of “Prayer and Blessing” dedicated to the COVID-19 Warriors, by the MSFS Fathers (Missionaries of St Francis de Sales) of Mermier Bhavan Community, Hebbagodi (Electronics City, Bengaluru).

“Jesus is the Teacher of Holiness! I go to Him, because I would like to learn from Him, how to become a Saint!” – St Francis de Sales (SFS)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Leaning closer to the Heart of our Divine Lord, knowing that each one of us is precious and special to Him, and thus, becoming a good shepherd, imitating the Great Good Shepherd!”

(Based on Acts 11:1-18 and Jn 10:11-18)

A story is told of an official who was going around house-to-house, collecting data and statistics for the Census.

As he moved from one place to another, he came to a particular house, which was located high up in the mountains.
This was a poor family and the house was in a deplorable state.

The official approached the mother of the family, who was just outside the house, cleaning the premises.

Picking up the census form to be filled up, he asked the mother, “How many dependents do you have?”
“Well, there is Rosie, and Billy, and Lucia, Susie, Harry, and Jeffrey. There’s Johnny, and Harvey, and our dog, Willie and the cute little kitten Daisy!”

“Umm…excuse me, Ma’am”, interrupted the census-official, “that’s not necessary! I only need the humans”

“Ah!” she said, “Sorry about that! Well, there is Rosie, and Billy, and Lucia, Susie, Harry, and Jeffrey…”
But once again, the official cut short her words and said, a bit irritatingly, “No Ma’am! You don’t seem to understand! I don’t need their names. All I want is just the numbers!”
“Ah!” said the lady, surprisingly, “Sorry to tell again… but I don’t know them by numbers! I know them only by names!”

The members of the family were not considered in terms of numbers, but were valued by their names!

Each one in the house was special.
Each one of them was precious.

The Gospel of the Day echoes this similar melody of each one of us being “valuable and precious”, to Jesus, the Great Good Shepherd!
“I am the Good Shepherd” says the Lord, “I know mine and mine know Me” (Jn 10: 14)

The illustration of Jesus as the Shepherd is certainly one of the most endearing, popular and loved image in the whole of the Gospels.

Undoubtedly, one of the most popular and loved Psalms is Psalm 23 – the Psalm of the Good Shepherd.

The picture of Jesus, the Good Shepherd that immediately comes to our mind, is usually that of Jesus, holding a little lamb in His sturdy hands…
… or of Jesus, the Shepherd trudging through the grasslands with many sheep, following and walking with Him, happily bouncing and frolicking.

As we enjoy and bask in the joy of this image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, it is apt that we also meditate and reflect on some dimensions of the Heart of this Divine Shepherd…

1. Each sheep is extremely personal, unique and precious to the Divine Shepherd’s Heart

The Good Shepherd has a very large number of sheep in His flock.
Yet each of us is uniquely important for Him

He loves each one!
He treasures each one!

2. The Divine Shepherd’s Heart is willing to make any sacrifice, even His life

Unlike a hired hand, the Divine Shepherd has a tremendous sense of responsibility and attached to His sheep.

This makes Him to undergo any pain, any suffering, any sacrifice for the sake of His beloved sheep.. even to the point of laying down His life.

3. The Divine Shepherd’s Heart longs to bring back the ones which have strayed

The Divine Shepherd is aware of many sheep that are not yet part of His fold.

He longs for them…
He seeks to bring them to Him…
He yearns to make them part of His fold…

We are invited to deepen this our understanding of the Heart of the Divine Shepherd.

At the same time, we are also challenged to possess Heart, resembling that of the Divine Shepherd…

Do I have a heart that treasures and values each person that has been entrusted to my care…

Nurturing them, being responsible for them, appreciating and encouraging them…
Leading them to the pastures of holiness and the flowing waters of grace and mercy…

Do I have a heart that is willing to offer sacrifices for the ones entrusted to my care…

Making minor adjustments to help others…
Giving up certain comforts to reach out to the needy…
Foregoing personal luxuries to become a light to a person in darkness…

Do I have a heart that yearns to bring back the ones who have strayed away from the right path…

Those who have lost the focus in life
Those who are staying away from the Church and Her Precious Sacraments
Those who have addicted themselves to many vices and bad pleasures of life

The Church needs shepherds, after the Heart of the Great Shepherd.

St Peter, in the Acts of the Apostles, was made to understand the need to reach out the Good News of the Lord, even to the Gentiles… and make no distinction, in disseminating God’s Free Gift of Salvation to all!

The Great Shepherd constantly invites us all to give heed to His voice…
… and if necessary, to even correct ourselves so that we can be on the right path.

Often time, many of us, as shepherds go astray….
… failing to cater to the needs of the sheep
… failing to be faithful and honest to their vocation
… failing to be available and willing to forego personal comforts.

May each of us, lean closer to the Heart of our Divine Lord, knowing that each one of us precious and special to Him…
… resting in the bosom of His Presence
… feeding from the Food He offers in the Holy Eucharist
… attuning ourselves more to Him by listening to His Holy Word
And thus, becoming a good shepherd, according to the Heart of the Great Good Shepherd!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “I am only a weak man, subject to passion; but by the grace of God, since I have been a shepherd, I have never let myself be carried away and uttered angry words against my flock!”

“Let us do away with any ‘noise’ that prevents us from hearing our Good Shepherd, Who assures us, His constant accompaniment with us!”

(Based on Acts 2:14, 36-41, 1 Pet 2:20-25 and Jn 10:1-10)

‘Speech recognition technology’ is a technology that has been on for a few years and has been gaining immense use in recent times.

This technology recognizes spoken words and converts them to digitally identifiable signals or waves.

Such a technique is in wide use in various gadgets and instruments…

To initiate phone calls, select radio stations or play music from compatible smartphones, MP3 player or music-loaded flash drive.
In fighter aircraft, in setting radio frequencies, commanding an autopilot system, setting steer-point coordinates and controlling flight display.
Students who are blind or have very low vision can benefit by using to convey words and then hear the computer recite them, as well as use a computer by commanding with their voice.
Speech recognizers are also used in video games in order to input various commands and control access

This technique taps on the logic of recognizing the “sound” or the “speech”

Spiritually considering, such a “speech recognizing technique” is vital in forging a close and intimate relationship with the Lord.

The better our “technique” in recognizing the voice of the Lord, the closer will be our relationship…

The Gospel of the Day presents this aspect of “listening” to the voice of the Lord: “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow Me” (Jn 10:27)

Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd.

One amazing quality of sheep is that they have the ability to internalize the voice of their shepherd, their master.

The sheep in the Middle East were generally reared for their wool, rather than the meat.

This meant that the sheep would be with the Shepherd for quite some time.

A bond of relationship would develop between them.

The shepherd would seek to care affectionately…
… the sheep, in turn, would seek to obey its master

The shepherd would lay down his comforts to safeguard…
… the sheep, in turn, would look to follow its guide

The shepherd would have a particular speech or voice, that will help to call out a particular sheep…

This sheep would, gradually, ‘internalize’ this sound or name and will respond to this call of its loving shepherd!

This is the illustration that Jesus uses to point out that His “sheep will follow Him, because they will recognize His voice” (Jn 10:4)

But we live in a world, where there are often many other “noises” which prevent us from hearing the Voice of the Good Shepherd.

Are we aware of these “noises”?

The “noise” of sin which prevents us from hearing the sweet, gentle voice of the Spirit within us…
The “noise” of worldliness that causes us to be attracted to the pleasures of comforts and avoid the whispers to holiness and sanctity…
The “noise” of discouragements and lukewarmness that makes us be apathetic and indifferent to the needs and service of others and of God…
The “noise” of obstinacy and hard-heartedness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit which are transmitted through the Scriptures, the Church Teachings and the inspirations of people and situations of life.

All such noises affect the “speech-recognizing” ability in us, to hear clearly and distinctly the Voice of the Lord.

We need an upgrading of our “speech-recognizing” system…

We need a servicing of our “speech-recognizing” mechanism…

When we are willing to open ourselves to the Voice of the Word, we are made aware of the state of life that we are in

The proclamation by St Peter on Pentecost Day touched the hearts of the people “who were open to the Voice of the Lord”; they realized that they were in need of God’s Merciful touch…
… “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” (Acts 9:37)

St Peter also reminds that Jesus, our Good Shepherd – though innocent and blameless – underwent a lot of suffering for our sake…
… and constantly calls us to turn away from our wayward ways, and return to Him

“He himself bore our sins in His Body on the Cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounds, you have been healed.
For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1 Pet 2:24-25)

Yes, the Great Shepherd is waiting for us…

He is gently talking to us… He is softly whispering to us…

Let us do away with any “noises” that affect the “speech-recognizing technology” of our spiritual lives…
… and hear our Great Shepherd telling us:
”I know you… you are to follow Me.
I will give you eternal life; you shall never perish.
And no one shall snatch you out of My Hand!” (Cf. Jn 10: 27-29)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “The body is poisoned through the mouth, even so is the heart through the ear.

And even if we do mean no harm, the Evil One means a great deal, and he will use those idle words as a sharp weapon against some neighbor’s heart!”