Here is a simple story, familiar to many of us…

A young man displayed his heart, one day.

It was a sight to behold – without a single flaw.

>> “The most beautiful heart in town” he proclaimed and attracted the crowds to admire it.

Then an aged man joined the big crowd.

“Why, my heart is beautiful too”, he said quietly.

All eyes turned to see his heart…

It was beating strongly, but had a number of scars, patches, deep gouges and several jagged edges.

The people stared at that heart!

>> How could he claim to have a “beautiful” heart, they wondered!

The young man remarked, “You must be joking. My heart is perfect, whereas yours is a mess of scars and patches!”

“Well”, said the old man, “The heart’s worth is measured by love!”

>> “In giving love, you tear out a piece of your heart – that leaves a gouge – which is patched when you receive love.

If you give more than you receive, then the gouges remain.

>> They can be painful – but that is the risk you take…”

The young man realized the worth of love.

Inspired by the true symbol of the heart, the young man, ripped of a piece of his heart, and offered it, with trembling hands to the old wise man.

>> Then he patched the gauged with the large piece that the old man gave him!

As the crowd watched in amazement, the two embraced each other!

Love, by its nature, gives away…

>> The heart, which is deep-rooted in love, thus bears wounds and patches.

Today on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we contemplate in adoration and meditation on the Heart of our Blessed Lord – pierced and broken and shared – in love for each one of us.

In the year 1673, Our Blessed Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary and made her to rest her head upon His Heart; and during which He revealed to her the wonders of His love.

He revealed to her, His Sacred Heart…

… and requested her to establish the Feast of the Sacred Heart – the Friday after the Corpus Christi, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ-  in order to make reparation for sins which offend His Sacred Heart.

In her vision, she saw His wounded heart, on fire with love, saying, “Behold this Heart which has loved men so much and has received such little love in return.”

It was on June 11, 1899 Pope Leo XIII solemnly consecrated the whole humankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Gospel of the day presents the account of how the Heart of our Blessed Lord was pierced with a lance, on Mount Calvary.

“But one soldier thrust his lance into His side, and immediately blood and water flowed out” (Jn 19: 34)

The Catholic tradition identifies the water as the symbol of Baptism and the Blood as the symbol of the Holy Eucharist.

·      The Water symbolizes purification.

·      The Blood symbolizes atonement.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is today one of the most recognizable symbols of the Christian faith.

·      The picture consists of the Heart, with the wound of the lance in its side, a crown of thorns about it, a cross above it and flames surrounding it.

This Sacred Heart of Jesus represents not simply His physical heart but His love for all humankind.

This Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of the Lord teaches us many things…

a.      It teaches us the immense love that the Lord possesses for each one of us, personally.

Have I experienced the tremendous love that the Lord has for me?

>> I may feel myself low.

>> I may consider myself to be not very good.

>> I may think that my life is just not worth living.

>> I may deem that my past has ruined my life very badly.

>> I may judge that situations around me can never be changed.

Even with all these things, am I convinced that “Jesus loves me”, still… and that He will take me through, by the power of His love?

b.      It teaches us the pain and the agony that the Lord still undergoes as a result of our sin and the sins of the world

Do I realize that a sinful life brings tears to the Lord and causes more wounds to the Precious Heart of the Lord?

>> There is nothing which pains the Lord more than sin.

>> It was for our salvation that He shed even the last drop of His blood.

>> He not just wants but insists and demands and commands us to live in holiness.

Do I give heed to this “passionate and sincere” call of the Lord to live our lives in sanctity and in accordance to God’s Will in my life?

c.       It teaches us the need to be part of the process of redemption that Christ has won for us and to be shareholders in His mission of bringing God’s love to all

Do I become aware that Christ is calling me to be part of His redemptive work of salvation?

Christ still suffers and undergoes pains.

>> From the Cross, He cried, “I thirst” (Jn 19: 28)

He desires that people who have known and experienced His love become effective agents of bringing His love to others.

>> By a life of sacrifices (tiny or great…little or huge), by simple acts of love, compassion and mercy and by greater participation in the Sacramental Life of the Church, the love of the Sacred Heart can be brought to many more people.

Am I willing to take up this responsibility that the Lord is handing on to us?

The Heart of the Lord is pierced, broken and shared for each one of us.

In the Holy Eucharist, we have the privilege to receive this greatest treasure.

>> In turn, we are to break our hearts and share it with others, to bring the love and compassion of the Lord to the world.

May this Solemnity of the Precious Symbol of True Love stir the flames of God’s Love in our hearts and inspire us to set ablaze the world on fire, with His Love and Compassion!

Sacred Heart of Jesus, may we ever remain close to You!

Happy Feast of the Most Blessed Heart of the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “May thy heart dwell always in our hearts!

>> May thy blood ever flow in the veins of our souls!

O sun of our hearts, thou givest life to all things by the rays of thy goodness!

I will not go until thy heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus!

May the heart of Jesus be the king of my heart!

Blessed be God. Amen.”

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In 1174, an Italian architect Bonnano Pisano began work on a bell tower for the Cathedral of the city of Pisa.

>> The tower was to be around 185 feet tall.

There was just one “little” problem:

The builders quickly discovered that the soil was much softer than they had anticipated…

>> And soon the whole structure had begun to tilt…

… and it continued to tilt…

… until finally the realized that nothing could be done to make the Leaning Tower of Pisa straight again!

(Quite interestingly, the word “Pisa” means “Marshy Land,” which gives some clue as to why the tower began to lean even before it was completed!)

The tower has stood for over 800 years but there are still problems!

What was the problem?

>> Was it bad design?

>> Poor workmanship?

>> An inferior grade of materials?

… No!!

The problem was what was underneath.

>> The sandy soil on which the city of Pisa was built was must not stable enough to support a monument of this size.

The problems all stem from a faulty foundation!

>> And the same holds good for our lives too!

Many problems in life emerge because of a very poor and shaky foundation…

>> One fails to do well in academic studies…

… if one has a poor foundation in the fundamentals of the subject.

>> One fails to be emotionally stable…

… if one has a poor foundation of not having received affection in the early years.

>> One fails to achieve expertise in a skill or an art…

…  if one has a poor foundation in the essentials and the basics.

The higher the aims and achievements, the greater must be the basics!

>> The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid!

This is a message and an exhortation that is delivered by Jesus in today’s Gospel reading.

We have been with the Lord, over the last few days, listening to His teaching named as the ‘Sermon on the Mount’, which is a call to perfect discipleship.

St Matthew’s Gospel, today, concludes this amazing teaching with the fundamental requirement of a True Disciple: “Listening & Obeying God’s Will in One’s life”.

Jesus says: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the Will of My Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21)

                                                                                                                

Too often in life, we are surrounded by people, who misuse and abuse the forum of Religion, for their own selfish desires and gains…

>> Religion, in oft ways, is today, the platform for gaining cheap popularity and loathsome recognition and fame and fulfilling one’s personal agenda and goals!!

But the Lord, the powerful-challenger, comes down heavily on such an attitude : A liking to be Spiritual just on the External…

… but unwilling to perform deeds in accord with God’s Will…!

It’s all too easy…

… to just listen to the teachings of Jesus

… be in awe of them

… get mesmerized by them

… and proclaiming oneself to be a Servant and Follower of Jesus!

(There is a great crowd of people in this category!)

But when it comes to actual situations of fulfilling the Will of Jesus, in our lives…

… it’s a real pain and suffering!

( And no wonder, the number of people in this category, very often, is too little!)

The Lord, today….. invites us to examine the Foundation of our lives…

… Have we built our Lives on Shaky Sand?

… Or on The Resolute Rock?

Jesus speaks of the Parable of the Two Foundations: One on sand; the other on the rock.

>> The one who has built one’s life on a sandy foundation fails to stand firm in the storms of life

>> The one who has built one’s life on a rock foundation remains strong and stable in the storms of life.

The laying of every foundation requires a process of Excavation….a Digging!

Do we want to build a strong foundation?

…then we need to undergo the Procedure of Digging!

>> Can we dig deeper into our lives…

… and see what are the areas in which I need a healing and a touch of the Lord?

>> Can we dig deeper into our minds…

… and see what really are my motivations in life and what I really want in life?

>> Can we dig deeper into our hearts…

… and examine what are my desires and to what things I get attracted?

>> Can we dig deeper into our relationships…

… and check whether there is authenticity or are they just hollow?

This process of digging into the various areas of our life can be an experience of varied sorts…

>> We could have pain to dig out some of our evil tendencies and abandon them.

>> We could have uneasiness to dig out some of our luxurious likings and let go off them.

>> We could have agitation to dig out some of our unhealthy tendencies and discard them.

>> We could have discomfort to dig out some of our lazy inclinations in spiritual life and dispose them.

Perhaps some of us may we feel that we have already built up fine structures and can be proud to have a good career, a stable family life, a flourishing bank balance, an enjoyable lifestyle etc…

… but the Lord invites us to check the Strength of each of these structures…

>> Is my Family Life able to withstand the storms of misunderstandings, constant quarrels and breakdowns?

>> Is my Spiritual Life able to withstand the storms of doubts, fears, discouragements and persecutions?

>> Is my Professional Life able to withstand the storms of failures, disappointments and collapses?

>> Is my Social Life able to withstand the storms of rejection, humiliation and indifferences?

Fame, Money, Prestige, Pleasures, doing things just for the sake of it or out of force,…these are SANDS, on which the Structure of Life, will be instable & shaky!

>> Honesty, Truthfulness, Seeking to do God’s will at all times, suffering patiently for the sake of the good..these constitute THE ROCK, on which the Edifice of Life, will be stable and firm!

We need the Lord Himself as the Firm Foundation of all the structures in our life!

>> With Him, all storms can be withstood and all winds and gales can be endured!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, is famous as a wonder of the world.

But, if not for the repair & renovation works, that was undertaken later…

…it would have long back, collapsed to the ground!

Let our lives not “lean” like this tower with a “Faulty Foundation”…

>> Rather, let it be secure and stable with “Jesus, the Firm Foundation”!

Let Jesus alone be the Firm Rock and the Grand Forte of our lives!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “A person who has not the fever of self-will, is contented everywhere and in all things…

… provided God be glorified.

>> He cares not in what capacity God employs him, provided he can do therein His Divine will.

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The world is fraught with a lot of dangers.

>> There are physical, social, emotional, environmental, intellectual, occupational dangers etc.

Most of the time, we are aware of these dangers, and we take means and measures, to be protected from them, and to keep ourselves free from harm.

But there is also an most important area – Spiritual Dangers – of which, many of us…

… either remain ignorant

… or don’t pay much attention

… or take it very lightly.

Today, the Gospel discusses one of the most powerful dangers, in Spiritual Life: DECEPTION!

The power of this danger lies in the fact that it is very “subtle”, very “tricky” and apparently appears to be highly “good”!

The Lord begins today’s Gospel with the word, BEWARE! (Mt 7:15)

Am I really on the watch, with respect to my spiritual life, or I am, exposing myself to the Deceptive techniques of Satan?

There is an extremely deceptive way, in which Eskimos in the North Pole kills an animal… especially a wolf…

The Eskimo coats a very-sharp knife with animal blood & allows it to freeze.

>> Then he adds another layer of blood & another & another – until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood.

Next, the hunter fixes this blood-coated knife in the ground with the enticing sharp edge of the blade upwards.

When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent…

… he begins to lick it, tasting the fresh, frozen blood.

>> Then he licks faster, more & more voraciously, lapping the blood until the knife edge is almost bare.

So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf is mysteriously unaware of the naked blade on his own tongue…

… nor does he recognize the instant at which his thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood.

Unknowingly, his life leaks away…as his craving for the tempting blood increases….

The Result?

>> A Dead wolf!

The Reason?

>> Deception!

All from the suicidal blade…

…caused by the great and cunning technique of Deception!

We have in the world, today…

>> Many religious philosophies

>> Varied spiritual methods

>> Attractive theological views

… which present Religion and Pathways to God in a very alluring, charming and pleasant way.

But let us give heed to the Cry of the Lord… BEWARE!

>> Let us not bleed away our precious spiritual life!

Are we a seeking a Life without the Cross and the Crucified Lord?

>> Are we fascinated to a Prosperity Gospel which glorifies richness & success & good social life…

… but  nothing on repentance, virtuous life & inner holiness?

Let us also BEWARE…

… of the books we read

… of the talks we engage in

… of the music & the songs we delight in

… of the jokes we indulge in

… of the habits we occupy ourselves with

Are they in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves?

>> We need to BEWARE!

Jesus said… ” By their fruits, you will know them..”! (Mt 7:16)

What are these fruits?

>> St Paul tells us in Gal 5:22: “The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control!”

Let us always be on the watch…

… BEWARE!

Let us give great heed to the words of St Irenaeus, the 2nd century Church Father and Apologist:

“Error, indeed is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected.

>> But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced more true than truth itself.”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “The declared enemies of God and His Church, heretics and schismatics, must be criticized as much as possible…

… as long as truth is not denied.

>> It is a work of charity to shout: ‘Here is the wolf!’ when it enters the flock or anywhere else.

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Eight-year old Jack, along with his parents were watching a Passion Play.

(Passion Play is the dramatic presentation of the Passion of Jesus Christ – His suffering, death and resurrection)

Jack was very much emotionally involved watching the play.

>> The sufferings that Jesus was undergoing was having a deep emotional impact on li’l Jack.

The drama progressed to the scene, where Jesus is stood before the people…

… and Pilate asks the crowd for their choice of persons: Barabbas or Jesus

So the one who was acting as Pilate, stood before the audience, with Jesus and Barabbas on his two sides.

>> And with a loud voice, he asked:

“So whom do you want? Jesus or Barabbas?”

When li’l Jack heard this question, he felt a deep push within himself…

… he was getting very emotional… he was feeling a sense of urge to defend Jesus…

The Pilate on stage, went on shouting “Jesus or Barabbas….Jesus or Barabbas”…

Finally, being unable to control his emotions, Jack got up from his seat, and shouted aloud:

“I am for Jesus!”

His parents did not realise how to react to this emotional outburst of their li’l son…

… so too the others who were sitting around them.

But Jack went on shouting, with more boldness: “I am for Jesus… I am for Jesus!”

The play had to have an abrupt break…

… but in the meanwhile, many other people also joined the enthusiastic cry of li’l Jack and blended with his chorus: “I am for Jesus!”

What about you?

>> Are you for Jesus?

Christian life is a warfare…

… with a constant question posing us…”Are you for Jesus?”

The Gospel of Day is an invitation by Jesus to follow Him – by the “narrow gate”…

… and to always make a choice for Him!

>> Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate… for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Mt 7: 13-14)

The Sermon on the Mount continues with Jesus presenting the wonderful message of the Kingdom of God and its radical requirements.

One of the key aspects in the Sermon on the Mount is the demand made on the part of the disciple to “make a choice”

• One has to radically “make a choice” for the Kingdom of God.

• One has to stay committed to this “choice” that is taken and live it to the fullness.

The discipleship to which Jesus calls is radical…

… it requires an honest and wholehearted surrender of oneself to God’s Will

… it demands a complete and undivided focus on Him and His Mission

A Christian either walks on the road to life…

… or walks on the road to destruction!

>> There is no third alternative!

It is this “choice” that will determine whether our entry to eternity…

>> Eternal condemnation – is through the “wide gate” or

>> Eternal life – is through the “narrow gate”.

Jesus says that it is easy to pass through the wide gate…

• All those who take life very casually and without any responsibility

• All those who are content to make life “merry” and just “live life to the max”

• All those who fail to respond to God’s Grace and deny having a life in Him

>> But this will lead to doom and condemnation!

To pass through the narrow gate is hard…

• All those who make a choice to live according to the teachings of the Lord

• All those who boldly seek to proclaim the Kingdom by their faithful and holy lives

• All those who constantly hold on to the Lord despite hardships and difficulties in life

>> But this will lead to joy and eternal life!

Christian life is indeed a warfare…

… and we are constantly posed this question: “Are you for Jesus?”

What is our answer?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “In all your affairs, rely wholly on God’s providence, through which alone you must look for success.

>> Nevertheless, strive quietly on your part to cooperate with its designs.

Imitate little children who with one hand, hold fast to their father…

… while with the other they gather strawberries or blackberries from the hedges.

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There was a school system in a large city that had a program, to help children keep up with their school assignments…

… during the time when the children were admitted for sicknesses.

One day a teacher who was assigned to this program, received a call asking her to visit a particular child.

She took the child’s name and room number and had a short talk with the child’s regular class teacher.

“We’re studying about words in his class now – nouns and adverbs,” the class teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”

The hospital-program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon.

The boy had met with a bad accident, been badly burnt and was in great pain.

Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.”

When she left after teaching, she felt she hadn’t accomplished much.

But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?”

The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize.

“No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, you met him, his whole attitude has changed.

He’s fighting back, responding to treatment…

>> It’s as though he’s decided to live!”

Two weeks later, the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived.

Everything changed when he came to a simple realization which he expressed it this way: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to teach about words, and work on ‘nouns and adverbs’ with a dying boy, would they?”

The gesture of teaching about “words” reinforced hope and courage to that dying boy!

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear.

>> If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today!

The Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist comes with this great message of “hope”!

The Gospel presents the beautiful incident of the birth and naming of St John the Baptist.

The birth of John the Baptist is the pivot around which the history of our faith turns.

>> He was the last prophet of the Old Covenant – and the first of the New Covenant.

One of the highlighting aspects of the birth of John the Baptist is the message that “hope is not to be lost, even in the midst of extreme barrenness!”

The Gospel of St Luke says that “Elizabeth and Zechariah, both were advanced in years”, but they had no child; Elizabeth was barren” (Lk 1: 7)

Elizabeth’s barrenness was also symbolic of the barrenness of the land, of the world and of the entire humanity…

·      Wickedness had caused creation to be incapable of nurturing and sustaining life

·      Sin had rendered human beings infertile, to bear God’s grace and live in holiness

But God…

… is the God of hope

… the God of fulfilling every promise

… and the God of surprises!

>> From the barrenness of Elizabeth emerged the forerunner of the One who is Life!

>> From the barrenness of the world, God gave rise to the Fountain of hope and trust!

The entire life of St John – through the key events – is a spectacular reminder of this great virtue of “hope”…

a.      The conception of John

Even when there is barrenness all around, we need to “hope” in God who is able to work miracles and give us life and joy!

b.      The naming of John

Even when there are many worldly voices that seek to distract us from the ways that God wishes for us, we need to “hope” in God and follow whatever He wills, so as to find glory and joy in Him!

c.       The life of John in the desert

Even when life takes us through the deserts of emptiness, dangers, hardships and misery, we need to “hope” in God who has a definite plan and purpose for our life!

d.      The beheading of John

Even when we become victims of cruelty, exploitation, wickedness and inhumanness, we need to “hope” in God by living a life of truth, courage, convictions and valour!

The Church celebrates the Nativity of only three persons, in her liturgical calendar…

1. Jesus -“Hope” Himself

2. Mother Mary – the Mother of “Hope”

3. John the Baptist – the symbol of “Hope”

May our lives become truly rooted in “hope” and become beacons of spreading this “hope and trust” to others.

>> There are many who are sick in our world.

>> There are many who are burnt by the fires of afflictions and at the point of death

>> There are many who have lost all faith in life and give themselves up to despair and dejection.

Our gestures of teaching about “The Word – Jesus” can reinforce hope and courage to those dying – in sin, in affliction, in depression, in loneliness.

Wish you a Happy Feast of the Nativity of the “symbol of Hope” – St John the Baptist.

>> May Jesus our “Hope” and Blessed Mamma, our “Mother of Hope” strengthen us!

God bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations, and say continually:

“The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him and I am helped.

>> He is not only with me but in me, and I in Him.”

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The initial years of the 20th Century saw communists seizing a Catholic parish and imprisoning the priest in his own rectory near the church.

After being locked up in his own house, the priest looked out the window and was horrified to see the anti-Catholic militants enter the church.

Once inside, they went into the sanctuary, broke open the tabernacle and in an act of desecration, threw down the Ciborium – scattering the Sacred Hosts on the floor.

>> The priest knew exactly how many Hosts had been in the ciborium: Thirty Two.

However, the communists either failed to notice or didn’t pay any attention, to a small girl who had praying in the back of the Church.

>> She saw everything.

That night the girl returned, and slipping past the guard at the rectory, entered the Church where she made a Holy Hour.

After her Holy Hour, she went into the sanctuary, and kneeling down, bent over and received Jesus in the Holy Communion with her tongue (Since at that time, it was not permissible lay-people to touch the Sacred Host with their hands)

Each night, the girl returned to the church to make her Holy Hour and received Jesus in Holy Communion on her tongue, just as she did the first night.

On the thirty- second night, after having consumed the last Host, she accidentally made a noise that awoke the guard who was asleep at his post by the priest’s residence.

From his bedroom window, the priest could only watch in horror as the heartrending scene unfolded before his eyes:

>> The girl tried to run away…

…. But the guard chased her, grabbed her, and beat her to death with the butt of his rifle!

The little girl had a heroic martyrdom – all because of her tender and deep love for the Holy Eucharist!

It was this incident that would inspire Archbishop Fulton Sheen – one of the greatest 20th century proponents of the Catholic Church – to spend one hour each, daily, before the Holy Eucharist!

>> The daring action of that little girl, inspired the heart of another fervent soul, Fulton Sheen, who would go on to influence millions to love Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!

Today is the great Solemnity of the Corpus Christi – the Body and Blood of Jesus.

The Catechism of the Church declares that “the mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique”

The Catechism teaches, “In the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained” (#1374).

The Holy Mass is not another sacrifice nor a repetition of the sacrifice of Calvary.

Instead,

• The Holy Mass is the same sacrifice of Jesus – the perpetual continuation and adoration of the sacrifice of Calvary.

The Priest at the Holy Mass is Jesus Himself, the High Priest and Victim of the Sacrifice.

The Holy Eucharist – the Body and Blood of Jesus – is the greatest treasure that the Church offers to Her children…

>> Yet, the Holy Eucharist sometimes, also becomes the great barrier for people to misunderstand and misinterpret the Church.

The same was true even in the time of Jesus.

>> The mention of His Body and Blood caused great division, misunderstanding and led to the misinterpretation of Jesus.

After having provided physical nourishment for the crowd (Lk 9: 11-17), Jesus had declared Himself as “The Bread of Life” (Jn 6: 35).

The Greek word that is used for “bread” is “artos”.

>> This “artos”….

… refers to food composed of flour mixed with water, and baked.

… also refers to food of any kind or food in general.

As “bread” or “food” is essential for the physical life

… Jesus as “the bread of life” is required for the spiritual life!

Without bread, physical life would perish….

… Without Jesus, the bread, spiritual life would perish!

The Lord surprised His hearers by saying that “the bread that I give is my flesh for the world” (Jn 6:51b)

>> This saying had caused a dispute among the people, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” (Jn 6:52)

The bold declaration of the Lord that He would give His Flesh and His Blood as food and drink, caused a huge scandal among His listeners and it caused deep divisions and disputes.

>> The same is so much true in our own world – when the Church declares the Holy Eucharist to be the True and Real Body and Blood of the Lord, there are so many disputes and divisions.

On this great Feast day, there are questions that arise before us…

1. What is my belief and understanding of this most Treasured Gift of the Holy Eucharist – “the source and summit of Christian Life”

… Do I believe with conviction that Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Eucharist?

… Do I celebrate and participate in the Holy Mass with this Divine Fervour?

2. What is the effect that this Sacrament of Total Self-giving on me?

… Does the reception of Jesus – the Love Incarnate, make me in turn to be more loving towards others and do I make deliberate choices to extend love to all?

… Does the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist impel me also to make sacrifices – even tiny, insignificant, unnoticed – for the cause and good of others?

3. What is my contribution to spread the good news of the Holy Eucharist to others?

… Am I being a person who radiates the love of the Eucharist to others, by my conscious efforts to be respectful, reverent and devoted in the Chapel or Church and also become aware of the Lord’s Presence, when passing by Churches or handling Sacred objects?

… Do I tell to other people about this exciting, real presence of God in the Holy Eucharist – especially the sick, the suffering and those in distress, that they may experience the real healing presence of the Lord?

Jesus – the Bread of Life – in the Holy Eucharist…

… eagerly longs for our reception and our adoration

The tragedy in our life, however, is that very often, this “magnetic” Eucharistic presence remains abandoned and forsaken!

It’s a pity that the Living Lord is hardly visited in the Blessed Sacrament!

>> Chapels and Churches often remain empty and forlorn!

>> Hardly any say “Hello” to the Lord in the Eucharist!

We sometimes are reducing ourselves to a generation seeking only after mighty wonders,

fascinating miracles and attracted only to external sensations!

>> But the Holy Eucharist – the greatest miracle of the world often remains unnoticed!

We need to come to experience that…

>> There is nothing more sublime in this world than the Holy Eucharistic Presence!

>> There is nothing more beautiful than moments spent before the Eucharistic Lord!

>> The Lord waits for us…every moment…every day!

>> The Lord seeks for us…every second…every hour!

We may have different excuses to evade and avoid time before His presence…

>> Maybe too many works and occupations…

>> Maybe a feeling that it is too dry and boring to be with Him…

>> Maybe an attitude that social works suffice and go beyond all such pious devotions…

But no excuse and no theory can give justification to miss the Presence of the Lord!

>> The more we remain with Him, the more we become like Him!

In the midst of daily scuffles and struggles of life, the Holy Eucharist ought to be the strength and support of our lives.

The Holy Eucharist may not give us…

… perfect answers or solutions in the way we expect.

… us immediate responses and remedies in the manner we want.

But the Holy Eucharist will most certainly…

… strengthen us with grace and power to face the challenges with courage.

… infuse us with a deep and intense authority to defy any difficulties that we meet.

… empower us with immense joy and peace in order to withstand the storms of life.

May we grow in the love of the Holy Eucharist, for, as Bishop Fulton Sheen says, “The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host”!

>> And, in turn, may we become a magnetic Presence of the Lord to others!

… Seeking the Eucharist, to be a Eucharist to the other!

… Loving the Eucharist to break and share oneself to the other!

Wish you a very Happy Feast of the Holy Eucharist!

>> May our Blessed Mamma of the Holy Eucharist, help & intercede for us, to love the Lord more!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “ Our Savior has instituted the most August Sacrament of the Eucharist, which contains His Flesh and His Blood in their reality…

… to the end that he who eats of it shall live forever.

>> Whoever, therefore, frequently eats with devotion this Food, so effectually confirms the health of his soul…

… that it is almost impossible that he should be poisoned by any kind of evil affection.

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A top ranked official, was extremely efficient and skilled in all his works.

>> However, he suffered from constant bouts of ulcer in the mouth, stomach upset and headaches.

Several medications couldn’t solve this problem.

Finally, a close friend of his, who had been away abroad for some years,  met him..

… and knowing of his problems, suggested:

“I have the solution for all your physical troubles.

With all your works and responsibilities, you daily take up a lot of tension and worry.

So all that you need to do is…

> Choose any one particular day of the week.

Whenever you get a problem that causes you anxiety…

>> Write it on a piece of paper….

>> Drop it inside a ‘Worry Box’…

… and then completely forget about it.

This ‘worry box’ is to be opened on that particular day of the week.”

The official tried this method of “writing the anxieties and problems on a paper, dropping it into a ‘worry box’ and opening it only on a Sunday.”

To his surprise, he found that most of the things that had disturbed him over the past six days were already settled.

>> It would have been useless to have worried about them.

That’s when he realised, his foolishness in being anxious and worried about a lot of things in life…

… things that deserved no attention for worry or anxiety!

>> And behold, in doing so, he also found his health to be regaining to full force.

Is that not pretty similar in our lives as well?

We often fret and worry about a lot of things in life…

… only to realise, that most of them, do not actually deserve the “anxiety attention and the worry weightage.”

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful reflection given by Jesus on this nagging factor in our life  – anxiety and worry.

The Lord firstly invites us to have a clear conviction regarding our loyalty: to God or to mammon.

>> He says, “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6: 24)

We can be faithful and committed to only one of them.

To whom have we pledged our loyalty and allegiance…?

>> To the True and Living God who alone is worthy of every honour and who alone is able to bless our lives with true joy and happiness….?

… or to false and make-believe effigies of money, wealth and possessions which may give momentary satisfactions but fail miserably in rendering true peace of mind…?

When we have made this pledge and commitment to the Lord, He invites us to “live” this commitment.

One of the strongest signs of “living” this commitment is to “trust” in Him!

>> And the external sign of “trusting” in Him is to not get into the vice of “anxiety”

Jesus asks this very practical and logical question:

“Can any of you, by worrying, add a single moment to your life-span?” (Mt 6: 27)

All of us..

… surely, as we live our lives have our quota of tensions and troubles.

… without doubt, as we discharge our duties, will have our share of pressures.

But do we let these tensions and troubles and pressures to get converted to needless “worries” and undue “anxieties”?

It is said that “worry is wasting today’s time, to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.”

Worries and anxieties cause us…

… to miss the beautiful gift of the present – Today

… causing blockage in the golden chances awaiting ahead – Tomorrow

… as a result of the cloud of undue pressures and fears of the past – Yesterday

Humans, as we are, stresses and strains are sure to come our way…

… but, does my Christian Faith help me to convert such circumstances to occasions to trust in God deeper and build our faith stronger?

>>  For a person on deep faith, situations of tension are made into moments of seeking God deeper and experiencing His providence.

>> For a person of higher trust, circumstances of worries are transformed to occasions of cherishing God’s presence and developing an approach of stronger reliance and dependence.

There is no doubt that life will  constantly hurl ‘bricks of worry and anxiety’ on us

>> Discouragements are an easy trap for us to stumble in our life of faith

>> Anxieties are easy snares to corner us with fretfulness and fear.

But as Christians, we need to be courageous to use these ‘bricks of worry and anxiety’ into castles of “confidence and success!”

The evil one, in life…

… tries to hamper our desire to seek the Lord and work for His Kingdom

… attempts to tarnish our good intentions to be a messenger of His Kingdom

Do we succumb to those attacks of “anxiety” and “worry”?

… or do we stand firm, in faith and trust, placing our faith in the Lord, entirely?

Worries and anxieties often eat up our life…

… and many of us even suffer physically, spiritually and socially.

The Lord, our best friend, advises us today:

“Write down your worries and anxieties on a piece of paper… (i.e. speak to me in Prayer!)

… put them into the “worry box”… (i.e. Offer them to My Heart!)

… and open it once a week… (i.e. On a Sunday – the Sabbath Day, set apart for the Lord!)

>> And you will realise, most of the things that had disturbed over the past six days, were already settled.”

Yes, let us firmly pledge our loyalty and allegiance to our Loving God…

… and trusting Him at all times, boldly declare, with hope:

“I seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “If our heart is inwardly troubled and disturbed…

… it loses both the strength necessary to maintain the virtues it had acquired

… and the means to resist the temptations of the enemy!”

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The story of King Midas is well-known…

This tale from ancient Greece tells of a king named Midas who did a good deed for a Satyr (a class of Greek gods) and was granted a wish by the GOD of wine, Dionysus.

For his wish, Midas asked that whatever he touched would turn to gold!

Although Dionysus tried to dissuade him, Midas insisted that the wish was an excellent one, and it was granted!

Excitedly, Midas went about touching all sorts of things, turning them into gold .

Soon Midas became hungry.

He picked up a piece of food, but he couldn’t eat it, for it had turned to gold  in his hand!

“I’ll starve,” moaned Midas, “Perhaps this was not such a good wish after all!”

Midas’ beloved daughter, seeing his dismay, threw her arms about him to comfort him, and, she too turned to gold !

“The golden touch is no blessing,” cried Midas.

>> He cried out to Dionysus, begging the god to take back his power.

Dionysus instructed him to travel into the hills, and bathe at the source of the river Pactolus.

And sure enough, as Midas bathed, the power of the golden touch flowed into the water.

>> The water becomes speckled with tiny flakes of gold.

Midas left the river, free of his curse and feeling like a new man.

Greed and avarice made King Midas to consider gold as the greatest treasure.

However, life taught him the lesson for true happiness by making him realise the transient nature of worldly treasures.

The Gospel of the Day present Jesus teaching us the lesson of not being attached to earthly riches, and instead, invites us to discover our true treasure in the Lord.

Our Blessed Lord says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal…” (Mt 6: 19)

Jesus points out to the futility of having our security on earthly goods by citing two similes:

·      Moth and rust

·      Thieves

Any possession or any wealth on the earth, has to face a danger from both these aspects:

>> Those which cause damage from within… Those which cause destruction from outside.

Moth and rust cause damage from within…

…they spoil money, render precious things useless and cause irreversible harm to costly goods.

Thieves cause destruction from outside…

… they loot valuable things, threaten lives for acquiring wealth and induce immense tension and worry.

However, the Lord says to place our treasure on things that are eternal and heavenly.

The advantage?

There is to be no fear of destruction: from within or from outside.

>> Moth and rust cannot affect them… Thieves cannot loot them.

That is why the Lord would assure to His disciples, later on in the ministry:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give you peace” (Jn 14: 27)

“…your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16: 22)

St Paul would later articulate this in his letter to the Romans:

“For I am convinced that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8: 38)

Jesus assures a treasure and wealth that cannot be either damaged from inside or can be destroyed from outside.

·      There is total guarantee in placing our hearts on heavenly treasures.

·      There is full assurance in letting our mind set on spiritual wealth.

What do these teachings mean for us?

>> Am I simply being forbidden to use wealth?

>> Am I simply being discouraged from having money with me?

Jesus goes a step beyond these queries and seeks to check our intentions and our attitude:

“For where your treasure is, there your health also will be” (Mt 6: 21)

·      Is my heart constantly set only on worldly treasures and riches…

… and fails to, instead, give the prime place and honour to the Lord and set priorities for Him?

·      Is my life constantly only worried about money, properties, gadgets and possessions…

… and fails to, instead, accord the rightful and due place to the Lord and concerns for Him?

Any of us can, at any time, fall into the desire to have the wishes that King Midas had: an attitude of avarice and wanting to have only wealth and earthly treasures.

But can I know and realise, that all such external possessions will not be able to assure my true peace and happiness?

>> Real treasure is to be cherished only by having the Lord as our only true possession!

>> Greatest joys of life come by clinging on to those realities which have eternal value!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “There is a wide difference between having poison and being poisoned.

All apothecaries (a person who prepares and sells medicines and drugs) have poisons ready for special uses, but they are not consequently poisoned, because…

… the poison is only in their shop, not in themselves

>> And so you may possess riches without being poisoned by them, so long as they are in your house or purse only…

…and not in your heart!”

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In the centre of London stands an iconic building – St Paul’s Cathedral.

This majestic structure is built in the shape of a cross…

… with a large dome crowning the intersection of its arms.

>> At 111.3 metres high, it is one of the largest cathedral domes in the world.

Climbing up 259 steps inside the dome, one reaches the “Whispering Gallery”.

The speciality of this gallery is:

>>When one stands on one side of the circular gallery, and whispers…

… these soft tones of sound can be heard, on the other side – even 30 metres away.

The sound bounces back many times on the smooth walls of the dome…

… and the whisper can be heard even at a far distance.

What is said, even in the lowest of tones, can be heard, on the opposite side of the dome.

In the spiritual realm, the entire space is like this “whispering gallery”…

… even the lowest of tones, are heard by our Loving God.

>> No matter how low we whisper, He hears!

>> No matter how silent be our prayer, He hears!

Are we able to have such a trust and confidence in our prayer life?

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful initiation by Jesus to help us to know, grow and deepen our understanding of God as being a Loving and Caring Father…

… as the One Who listens to our every prayer – including the ones whispered in the lowest of tones!

Today’s Gospel passage begins with Jesus issuing a warning on the danger of making prayer a mere “lip-service”

>> “In praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do….” (Mt 6:7)

What was Jesus meaning by the clause “heaping up empty phrases as the Gentiles…”?

One of the notable Gentile groups at the time of Jesus, were the Romans, under whose occupation the Jews were living.

It’s noteworthy to see some of the aspects of the ancient pagan Roman prayer:

1. All sacrifices and offerings required an accompanying prayer to be effective.

>> It was declared that “a sacrifice without prayer was thought to be useless and not a proper consultation of the gods.”

2. Prayer – the spoken word was considered the single most potent religious action.

>> And knowledge of the correct verbal formulas were the key to efficacy.

3. An accurate naming was vital for tapping into the desired powers of the deity invoked.

>> Hence public religious ritual had to be enacted by specialists and professionals faultlessly…

… even a small a mistake would require that the action, or even the entire festival, be repeated all over!

(A historian named Livy, reports of an occasion when the presiding magistrate at the Latin festival forgot to include the “Roman people” among the list of beneficiaries in his prayer…

… the festival had to be started all over!)

The Greek word used for “empty phrases” is “battalagesete”.

>> It means to stammer, babble, talk gibberish, or to repeat the same things over and over mindlessly!

With this in background, Jesus emphatically declares that prayer is not about “heaping empty phrases”.

In this context, it also good to provide the Catholic understanding and logic of some of the prayers, which are perhaps considered as repetitive (eg: The Rosary, Novenas, Litanies.. etc)

Are all these standard prayers mere “heaping up of empty phrases…?”

>> No!

The Bible teaches us many examples of repetitive prayers…

>> The angels continually – day and night – sing “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev 4:8)

>> Psalm 136 repeats the words “for his steadfast love endures forever” nearly 26 times in 26 verses!

>>Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed in the “same words” three times (Mk 14: 32-39)

>> Jesus, in fact, also commends the fact of continually praying, through the example of the widow and the unjust judge (Lk 18: 1-14)

Thus, it is seen that the Bible has many examples of repetitive prayer.

>> Therefore, the repetitive Catholic Prayers like the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Novenas, Litanies etc… are scripturally well-supported

>> When prayed with honesty and devotion, they become means to allow the heart…

… to praise God and understand His mighty works

… to grow in His love and come to a deeper awareness of His Providence

… and pray with Mother Mary and the Saints and intercede to them for our intentions

>> Prayer is not rattling off a few external words and feel satisfied in having done that…

… It is opening up, in dependence, the interiority of our hearts, to the One Who knows all!

>> Prayer is not going through a series of stipulated and organised system of words…

… It is allowing the heart to “mean what is said”, and to cause the lips express what the heart feels!

It is to this effect that Jesus says “Your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him” (Mt 6:8)…

… and teaches us the beautiful prayer – “The Our Father”!

Jesus presents the beautiful understanding of God being a Loving and Caring Father…

… The Father, in heaven, Whose Name we acknowledge to be most Holy and Worthy

… The Father, Whose Kingdom becomes the target to Which we ought to aspire

… The Father, Whose Will is to become the compass and blueprint of our life

… The Father, Whose providence nourishes us with daily bread for our sustenance and well-being

… The Father, Who extends His Immense Mercy to us, which we receive only if we forgive in turn

… The Father, Who strengthens us in our moments of trials and temptations

… The Father, Who rescues us from all evil by tenderly holding us in the palm of His Hand

Yes, Jesus wants us to understand and experience God as a Loving and Tender Father.

May we realize that in the spiritual realm, the entire space is like a “whispering gallery”…

… and even the lowest of tones, are heard by our Loving God.

>> No matter how low we whisper, He hears!

>> No matter how silent be our prayer, He hears!

Let this be our trust and confidence in our prayer life…

… and thus throw ourselves, into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father!

God Bless! Live Jesus

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Do not look forward in fear to the changes and chances of this life….

… rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise.

>> God, to Whom you belong will in His Love enable you to profit by them.

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A legendary story goes is told of a holy person who lived an extremely virtuous life.

>> The goodness in him diffused, as a flower would spread its fragrance.

So impressed were the angels, that they came down to enquire on his secrets and even to offer him special gifts of miracles and thus he could gain more popularity and fame.

>> They offered him the gift of the “touch of his hand” – so that he would be able to heal the sick or raise the dead…

… But he refused, saying that “God alone could heal”

>> Then, they offered him the “power of conversion” – so that people could turn to God in repentance…

… But he refused, saying that “the Holy Spirit alone could work repentance in souls”

>> Then they offered the power to be a “model of goodness” so that many more would be drawn to him by the virtue of his life…

… But he refused, again, saying that “if all are drawn to him, people would be away from God”

Puzzled, the angels asked him what gift did he desire!

The holy person replied:

“Grant me the gift of humility…

… so that I might do good to all, without me even knowing it!”

And so the angels interceded to God…

… and he was blessed:

>> Wherever his shadow would fall, where he himself could not see it…

… the shadow would cure sicknesses, heal broken hearts and bring back people to God in repentance!

Humility was the virtue that was sought by the virtuous person…

… and it was this simplicity to allow the Lord to take complete possession of all his goodness, that exalted him to climb the ladder of sanctity higher!

Yes, Humility is the prime virtue that needs to embellish the life of every Christian.

The Gospel of the Day is a teaching by Jesus on the prime importance of doing away with pride and instead, beautifying one’s life with sincere humility.

Jesus, through the Sermon on the Mount continues to target the key areas of one’s Christian living.

Today He speaks on the three core practices that were essential pious practices of His time: almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

Jesus condemns the practice of these devout exercises becoming instruments to show-case one’s pride and exhibit pomp and self-glory.

·      With respect to almsgiving, Jesus says…

… “sound no trumpet”

·      With respect to prayer, Jesus says…

… “shut the door and pray to your Father”

·      With respect to fasting, Jesus says…

…”anoint your head and wash your face”

One of the fundamental aspects in the Spirituality of Jesus is His emphasis on the intention of the heart.

>> Sin is…

…  when the heart rejects the working of the Spirit.

>>  Holiness is…

… when the heart accepts the grace of the Spirit.

·      When the heart consents to evil, sin occurs

·      When the heart consents to grace, goodness is affirmed.

>> An act of almsgiving happens, when the heart willingly gives – in generosity and with wholeheartedness

>>  An act of prayer happens, when the heart seeks communion with the Lord – in openness and with faithfulness

>>  An act of fasting happens, when the heart self-sacrifices and renounces – in sincerity and with willingness

When the intention of the heart is genuine and sincere, then one remains least bothered of external attractions and publicity…

… there is no desire to seek for attention and appreciation for one’s devout actions

… there is no inclination to want acknowledgement and recognition for one’s pious deeds

And this is the ideal to which Jesus invites us:

>> A religion that spreads not simply on the basis of external shows..

…but on the basis of genuine spirituality

>> A faith that grows not merely on the strength of pompous deeds…

… but on the foundation of true dependence and trust in the Lord

Is my practice of religion resembling a peacock’s display of feathers – wanting to flaunt one’s pride and vain glory – but in the process…

…  exposing one’s unattractive face of life?

… revealing one’s cheap side of life?

Let us give heed to the wisdom from the book “Imitation of Christ” and seek to grow in humility and  dependence on the Lord:

“Do not think yourself better than others lest, perhaps, you be accounted worse before God who knows what is in man.

>> Do not take pride in your good deeds, for God’s judgments differ from those of men and what pleases them often displeases Him”

May we take concrete and practical decisions to practise the three pillars of Christian Piety – Fasting, Almsgiving and Praying…

… in its truest sense.

>> And may this be our prayer to enshrine all our activities:

“Grant me the gift of humility…

… so that I might do good to all, without me even knowing it!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “The most perfect degree of humility is to take pleasure in contempt and humiliations.

>> Contempt suffered patiently for love of Him is worth more before God…

… than a thousand fastings and disciplines!”

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