An interesting story is told of man who was looking for a job.

He was a man with bulging muscles.

>> However, he was somehow, unable to obtain a job for himself.

One day he saw an ad on the gate of a zoo for a man to play the part of a monkey!

>> He found this job quite strange…

… but his helpless situation forced him to take it up.

He was to put on an outfit of a monkey in the morning…

>> Get into the cage

>> Pensively walk up and down

>> Eat peanuts and bananas all through the day

>> And to jump from one tree to the other in the cage.

One day he was very exhausted and lost his balance as he was jumping from one tree to the other in the far corner of the cage.

>> He accidently fell into the cage of a lion which came charging on him.

With immense fear and trepidation, he cried aloud: “Help, help!”

The lion, however, in a calm voice, looking at him in his face, uttered:

“If you don’t shut up, we will both lose our jobs!!”

Both – the monkey and the lion – were actually real men…

… but disguise and pretence made them to appear and be perceived differently!

This humorous story, however, does cause us to reflect on an important trend that is often seen in our society…

… putting on a deceptive appearance, to achieve one’s aims and agenda

… donning a mask, to realise one’s goals – good or bad

The Gospel of the Day is a stern admonition by Jesus on the need “to become aware of spiritual deception and pretence” that can ruin our Christian Faith.

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 another very important area to which, many of us…

… either remain ignorant

… or don’t pay much attention

… or take it very lightly

>> They are “Spiritual Dangers”

Today, the Gospel discusses one of the most powerful Spiritual Dangers: DECEPTION!

The power of this danger lies in the fact that it is…

… very “subtle”

… very “tricky”

… and apparently appears to be highly “good”!

Jesus cautions: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mt 7:15)

The Lord begins today’s Gospel with the word, “BEWARE”!

This is a strong word that is used in Greek – “prosecho”

>> “pros” means ‘before’

>> “echo” means ‘hold’

Thus, “prosecho” means “hold before”!

>> BEWARE – Prosecho – means…

… to hold one’s mind back from

… never to expose one’s mind

Jesus in the previous verses had given an invitation to walk along the narrow gate…

>> “Enter through the narrow gate…” (Mt 7:13)

In this striving to “enter through” to the gate of life…

… Jesus issues a strict warning to be aware of the false prophets who would misguide and lead astray

>> “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing…” ( Mt 7: 15)

In Palestine, the most dangerous enemy of the sheep was the wolf!

It was a natural enemy, roaming the hills…

>> It would wait for a flock of sheep

>> At the precise moment, it would come out of its place of hiding

>> And snatch the sheep and rip it to shreds!

The sheep would be totally defenceless against such prowling wolves!

The Lord presents this imagery to His followers – His sheep: Of being aware of such “sheep-clothed” wolves!

We have in the world, today…

>> Many religious philosophies

>> Varied spiritual methods

>> A number of attractive theological views

… which present Religion in a very alluring, charming and pleasant way!

… which make Christianity as a bed of roses – cosy, comfy and casual!

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

>> Let us not bleed away our precious spiritual life and our Christian Faith!

>> 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?

>> Are we attracted to “fiery preachers” and “awesome praise and worship” which appears good…

… but are deprived of the Real Sacramental Presence found only in the Catholic Church?

Let us also BEWARE and examine…

>> The books we read…

>> The talks we engage in…

>> The jokes we indulge in…

>> The habits we occupy ourselves with…

>> The music and the songs we delight in…

Are they all worthy of being “Christian”…

… or are they deceptively and subtly leading us away from the innocence and honesty of Christian Life?

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

Yes, we need to Beware!!

We need to examine:

>> Am I really on the watch, with respect to my spiritual life…

… or I am, exposing myself to the Deceptive techniques of Satan?

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

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

In all our actions… and with respect to all peoples…

… let us weigh their truthfulness in the light of these “Fruits of the Holy Spirit”

… let us check their reliability by the yardstick of these “Fruits of the Holy Spirit”

>> The world will often resort to “deception and pretence” to suit its needs and wants…

>> The world will often take recourse to “deception and pretence” to rob spiritual resources…

… But, as Christians, we need to be aware, as well as be on our guard, constantly…

… preserving our innocence

… and keeping alight our light of faith!

God bless! Live Jesus!

Like dieting?

Here are some “interesting” and “humorous” diet tips…

• If no one sees you eating what you like, it has no calories

• If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, they will cancel each other out.

• Food taken for medicinal purposes does not count. This would include buttered toast, cheese sandwich, chocolate jam…

• Snacks consumed during a movie do not count as they are part of the entertainment.

• Late-night snacks have no calories.

Dieting, over the last few years, has grown to be a fashionable trend.

>> Many try to look slim and fit

>> Many are more health-conscious.

>> Many want to shed off any extra kilos

But when it comes to a spiritual realm, perhaps all of us need to do a “spiritual dieting”!

• A dieting to shed off the extra “fat” of sin and evil inclinations

• A dieting to reduce the overweight of “unholy” thoughts and “impure” feelings

• A dieting to burn away the bulging flab of “uncharitable” deeds and “critical” speech

This “dieting” is a necessity to be “slim” and “fit” and “fine” in order to enter through the narrow gate that Jesus proposes in today’s Gospel.

Jesus says in the Gospel today, “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.

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 choose not to live in accordance to the Gospel values

• 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!

The choice for the Lord and His Kingdom requires us to shed away unnecessary “fat and flab”…

… and ‘diet’ ourselves into being “fit and fine” to enter through the narrow gate.

Are we all set to enter into this mode of “spiritual dieting?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Blessed Mother Mary.

Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Bartimaeus.

Martha.

Mary Magdalene.

Levi.

Peter.

Thomas.

Zachaeus.

Man crippled for 38 years.

The Samaritan Woman.

The woman caught in adultery.

The widow who offered the two mites.

Malchus.

The thief alongside Jesus on the cross…

Relax…

This is not a reference list of all the main persons of the New Testament for some research purpose or study.

But for a moment, let’s look at the lives of these persons….

>> All of them had to face some sort of trouble in their lives…some hitches and dilemmas, were a part of all their lives.

Now, if each of them, were to be placed on trial, as in a court, and judged according to our standards and our human yardsticks….

… Perhaps, most of them would be been condemned and convicted.

Some of them would have been humiliated in public…

… some abused with insults and foul language

… some perhaps would be stoned or even put to death!

This is Human Judgment.

But in the Light of God’s mercy and by God’s way of judging…

… we know the story of all their lives!

Human Beings are least equipped to judge, but their judgments are miserable & condemnable

>> God is fully equipped to judge, but His judgment is praiseworthy & encouraging!

That’s the difference in Judgment between Human Beings and God!

In the Gospel of the Day, Jesus says, “Do not judge!” (Mt 7:1)

We need to clarify what does the word JUDGE mean…

>> Jury makes judgments.

>> Schools make judgments on students.

>> Companies make judgments on candidates in an interview or in cases of promotion/demotion.

All these may not constitute the judgment that Jesus means.

Judging, in the sense of Jesus, is condemning!

>> It is to have a negative and pessimistic attitude to human beings and condemning and rejecting them outright and absolutely!!

We could consider “Judge not” from three aspects:

1. We are unworthy to pass a final judgment on any person or situation:

>> We need to let God be God and as human beings, we need to know our limitations.

2. We are not to judge the motives of other people:

>> Human beings see only the external…

… God sees the heart of the person!

3. We are not to be petty faultfinders:

>> We need to cease having a “microscopic vision”, in order to scan and scrutinize the faults and weaknesses of others.

In the light of today’s Gospel, we need to examine certain aspects of our life…

Do I…

… maximize the sins and faults of others and minimize mine?

… come to quick, hasty and negative conclusions?

… pass critical stories to other?

… have a strong bias to find others guilty?

… be too harsh even when speaking the truth?

… dilute an unkind remark by saying, “I was only joking.”

… say something critical and then trying to cover it up?

Even after this examination, if there is a tendency to judge, then there is one person we can be critical of…

… Yes, Our Own Selves!

Yes, let us be judging our actions, our behaviours, our thoughts…

…. and seek to purify our lives, rather than indulging in mud-slinging on others!

It’s high time we give up the “vulture-culture”!

Vultures, as we know, are birds, which fly across landscapes and terrains, and with their sharp eyes, swoop down on rotting, dead flesh…

… any flesh that is decayed, becomes a great feast for them!

The “vulture-culture” is very much in our society too…

>> We tend to relish on the decay, the weaknesses, the faults, the miseries and dark areas of others lives!

Am I, in anyway, contributing to this foul-practice??

>> Yes, let’s stop being Vultures!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

We all are familiar with the ‘remote control’ of a television.

In the remote control, there is the button named “MUTE”.

>> It is used to put off the sound, momentarily.

Sometimes, in our spiritual lives, too, we undergo the experience of being in the “MUTE” mode with God.

>> There is a total silence, that pervades our relation with God.

Have we undergone this experience of the “silence” of God?

>> Do we sometimes feel why is God “absent” in my life?

The Couple of Day – Zechariah and Elizabeth – underwent, this “mute” experience with God.

>> Though advanced in age, living a life of prayer, service and faithfulness, they were not blessed with the Gift of a Child.

Barrenness, in the Jewish Society was one of the greatest misfortunes for a family.

>> Being barren was thus a harsh experience for this Devout Couple!

But then came the precious and joyous moment…

>>The “His Name is John” Moment!

…..when, new life and fresh joy radiated their lives!

The names of John, and his parents – Elizabeth and Zechariah are very significant.

Their names are very significant; it tells that God’s delays are not His denials!

… The name Zechariah means “The Lord remembers”

… The name Elizabeth means, “the oath of God”

>> Thus, the name of the couple stands for: The Lord remembers His oath!

However, the long years of barrenness would have seemed as a contradiction to them – it seemed God had totally forgotten about them.

>> But this is where we learn, that God’s delays are certainly not His denials!

>> He has a better plan (Jer 29:11) – always, without fail!

And they were indeed blessed with a Son – named “John” whose name means “God is Gracious!”

True to this name, after a prolonged period of silence and hush…

… Zechariah and Elizabeth experienced the “Graciousness of God”.

>> The long agony had been finally rewarded….with the Graciousness of God – John!

The “muteness” that this Couple experienced, also reflected the Silence that the people of Israel experienced…

… in their waiting of the Messiah!

>> But the Birth of John, was the breaking of this silence.

The World, which waited eagerly for the Messiah, had now heard a Voice!

>> It was time to put off the “Mute”…

… the Voice had been Born!

John 1:23, ” I am the Voice of one, crying out in the desert!”

John the Baptist, the Voice, had been born, to announce the coming of Jesus, the Word!

We all undergo “Mute” moments in our lives!

>> They are painful and agonizing moments…

… when all seems dry, answerless, silent

…when there is only dreadful calm, a total brokenness, painful agonies and miseries

… when there is sometimes even no hope ahead!

Sometimes, in unbelief, we may begin to even question or interrogate God…

… like Zechariah questioned the Angel

… and may even get affected with some physical muteness of health or wealth or prestige or disbelief or misunderstanding or persecution etc…!

But nothing of our Unbelief will spoil God’s plan for us…

God says in Jer 29:11, “I know well the plans I have in mind for you….plans for your welfare, not for woe; plans to give you a future, full of hope!”

>> Our “mute” moments will be transformed, into, “His name is John” moments…!

>> Our “unspoken miseries” will be transfigured into ” gracious and gifted” moments…!

Let’s strengthen our lives with the oft-heard truth about three ways of God answering our prayers…

>> YES…. I will fulfill your desire in the way you want

>> or WAIT…. in my own time, I will grant your wishes

>> or NO…I have something much better for you!!

Let us be patient in faith, hope and love in our MUTE moments…

… so that we may experience the gracious & gifted “HIS NAME IS JOHN” moments in our lives!

Happy Birthday to John the Baptist, The Voice & Happy Feast Day to all, The Listeners!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

There is a French word named “sabot”.

It is a word which means a ‘wooden shoe’.

The English word ‘sabatoge’ comes from this root word ‘sabot’.

According to one theory, ‘sabatoge’ was the practice of throwing a wooden shoe or wooden clogs into a machinery (particularly power looms) to stop the work.

The word has come to mean ‘any attempt to hinder production or spoil a product or mess up a plan’.

In our lives, there is a ‘sabot’ – a wooden shoe that is often cast into our souls to hinder us from accomplishing the plan of God and to stop our work for the Kingdom of God.

That ‘sabot’ is called worry… and it is thrown by Satan!

It clogs our peaceful relation with the Lord and disrupts our life of joy and harmony.

In the Gospel of the Day, Jesus warns us regarding this device of ‘sabotage’ – worry – that we often encounter and experience in our lives.

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.

• All of us, 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”?

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?

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

ü 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.

The evil one will no doubt hurl the “sabot” – shoes – of worry and anxiety on us

• He does know that discouragement are an easy trap for us to stumble in our life of faith

• He does know that anxieties are easy snares to corner us with fretfulness and fear.

ü The evil one seeks to sabotage our desire to seek the Lord and work for His Kingdom

ü The evil one tries to sabotage 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?

When the wooden blocks of worries are hurled on us…

… let us seek the help of the wood of the Cross…with Christ Crucified as our strength…

And boldly declare, with hope, “I seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558-1603.

>> She was probably England’s greatest and most controversial Queen.

As she lay on her death bed, the nation’s best doctors battled to save her life…

… but in vain!

When she was told that she was going to die, the unfortunate Queen began to weep.

>> She sobbed and said: “I will give millions for an inch of time!”

She had lived 70 years of pursuing wealth, fame and pleasure

>> She had servants to cater to every whim

>> It is said she had 10,000 dresses in her wardrobe with atleast 2000 pairs of gloves alone!

>> She was the queen of the kingdom which was considered to be “one on which the Sun would never set”

Yet, this apparently powerful and rich Queen of England, died – pleading for “An Inch of Time”

This is the reality of our earthly lives….

>> No matter how materially rich we are…

… none of these would count as being important, when death arrives!

>> No matter how popular and fame we acquire while on earth…

… all of it would be reduced to nothingness, when the end comes!

The only thing that would matter, would be…

… Have we made God as the ultimate treasure and meaning of our life and live by His Will?

… Are we humble enough to acknowledge and depend on the Providence of God?

>> The sooner we realise this, the more meaningful would our lives be…

>> The further we delay, the deeper would be the moments of anxieties in life!

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful reminder by Jesus to have an examination of the “longings of our hearts” and to set right “first things first”!

Jesus says: ” Do not store up treasures for yourself on earth….” (Mt 6: 19)

Every human being has an innate longing and a craving to go beyond transitory, transient and peripheral aspects of life.

>> It is this dimension that is described in terms of…

… longing for eternal happiness

… desire for peace and serenity

… yearning for the Absolute

… deep thirst for God etc…

There is a search for the Eternal….. a pursuit for the Everlasting.. in every human being!

However, very often in this quest, human beings go astray and go off track, by falsely seeking for the Eternal, in mere peripheral objects.

>> These objects vary for different people…

… It could be wealth, power, prestige, sex, drugs, other addictions, worldly attachments etc.

We often build up for ourselves castles and mansions in this physical world…

… and remain under the false pretence, that my life is comfortable and everything is very good.

Our hearts & minds gets set on “things of this world“ and we remain deceived with peripheral joys and temporary happiness and tranquility!

But today, the Lord warns us: “Have we stored up treasures on the earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves can steal?!” (Mt 6:19)

Jesus points to the fact that one must not have treasures “that would not last”

In this reference, he points to three entities: moth, rust and thieves.

1. Why moth?

Rich and extravagant dresses and garments were often expressions of wealth.

>> And moths loved to treat on such “ornate” dresses and garments

Garments, in the Bible, also refer to the dignity of a person, a symbol of righteousness and the sign of salvation

>> Moths eating such garments, point to the loss in spiritual agility and vigour!

2. Why rust?

Grains were also considered as a sign of prosperity and thus they would be stored in storehouses (as the parable of the rich fool suggests – Lk 12: 18b)

The Greek word used for ‘rust’ is “brosis” which literally means “an eating”

>> This could refer to how rats, mice, worms, and insects could eat away at these storehouses of grain!

>> If the wealth consisted of jewellery, then this ‘eating away’ could refer to “rust” (= the product of a chemical reaction in which oxygen combines with water vapour to form the oxide of the metal).

3. Why thieves?

Gold, precious metals and other costly goods would be another sign of richness.

They would be hidden by keeping them safe in the houses etc.

>> The most common method that was done was to find a secret place in the field and in the dark of night, a hole would be dug and the treasure would be buried.

But thieves would lurk around at night and watch where people would bury their treasure…

… and then go and dig it up.

The phrase “where thieves break in” could be literally translated “where thieves dig in.”

>> The houses of those times were constructed of mud; so thieves would often dig through the walls and steal the treasures!

Thus, our Blessed Lord warns against having our riches that ‘would not last’…

… those which could be consumed by moths

… those which could easily be eaten up or be rusted

… those which could be stolen and plundered by thieves

Instead the Lord says: “Store up treasures for yourself in heaven” (Mt 6:20)

We need to ask ourselves: Are we rich in what matters to God?

St Paul says, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but be transformed by a renewal of your minds..!” (Rom 12:2)

Time and again, we like to stroll along in life, thinking, that…

… spiritual life, relation with God, Divine thoughts, holy practices, devout rituals are just not “happening” things!

>> We feel that they are too boring

>> We feel that they are reserved for the older generation people

>> We feel that they are not meant for the 21st century generation!

But.. for a moment..we need to pause and think…

We may not be thinking too seriously about our spiritual lives…

… But Jesus was really quite serious….

>> That’s why He DIED on the Cross…!

His bleeding death was real….His agony and pain and sufferings, for the sake of our sins, was real!

HE WAS REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT OUR SALVATION…!

…But, AM I SERIOUS ABOUT THIS LIFE, THAT HE WON FOR ME?

How long are we going to fool ourselves…?

>> Falsely inflating our egos and satisfying our craving desires…

>> Being satisfied with worldly pleasures…

>> Seeking momentary happiness…

Where our heart is…

… there will be our treasure! (Mt 6:21)

Let’s dwell deeper on the words of St Augustine:

“God, you have made us for yourself…. and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”

All our earthly and material wealth will never give us “an extra inch of time”…

… but our spiritual longings and faithfulness, by God’s Mercy and Grace, will win for us “the reward of Eternity!”

Yes, let us soar like eagles, in our longings for God..

… .and not just be satisfied, like chickens, picking up tiny grains of worldly pleasures!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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

A father and his little son were on a journey.

They stopped mid-way to have lunch in a restaurant.

The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him.

>> They ordered lunch.

When the waiter brought the food, the father said, “Son, we’ll just have a silent prayer.”

Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer…

… but the boy just sat with his head bowed and eyes closed for an unusually long time!

When he finally looked up, his father asked him:

“What in the world were you praying about all that time?”

With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied:

“How do I know?

It was a silent prayer!”

Very often, prayer, for us, is associated with “words”!

But True Prayer goes beyond words…

… it is about a relationship!

… it is about being in communion with God!

.. it is about getting in grateful touch with the One Who knows all and cares much!

Such are the sentiments teachings that are reflected in today’s Gospel which presents Jesus’ teaching on Prayer.

Jesus begins today’s Gospel with a strong warning:

“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them…” (Mt 6:1)

Prayer is one of the most common practices of piety that most of us undertake.

>> However, very often, it is seen that our prayers consist more of blabbering empty and meaningless words, than actually praying!

Our practise of praying could perhaps take different forms and structures, depending on our own experiences of life and the outlook towards life.

>> Let’s have a quick list of the some of the ways in which our prayer has perhaps, taken shape…

(without any offence to any group/persons/professions!)

1. Prayer as a false politician

We bombard God with many empty promises, saying that if you fulfill my petitions, I will perform some deeds and good works for you.

Many times during elections campaigns, we hear many political speeches…

… laden with juicy words, stylish phrases, heart-rendering narrations and sensational emotions.

( It’s only time which can tell, to what extent, did these speeches actually have authenticity in them!)

>> Does my prayer tend to have such “political” overtones…?

2. Prayer as someone who argues and fights,as in a Court Case

Prayer is used mainly as means to achieve some intentions and we bring our good actions, as witnesses to win our case.

We tell God that we have performed so-and-so good things and try to argue and win the case against Him.

3. Prayer as a Frustrated Critic

>> We seek more to discuss things on why things don’t happen in life, and what are the demerits of wasting time in prayer, rather than seeing the goodness and blessings the Lord has showered in our lives.

Prayer time is spent more on questioning God and blaming Him…

… rather than praising Him for His Providential care

>> Is my prayer time merely “a time of complaint and criticism”?

4. Prayer as an Accountant

>> We seek to tally our demands and claims, and discuss the accounts of our many works with the Lord, to achieve our desired targets and goals.

Prayer becomes a time of statistical brainstorming with discussions on “give and take” policies and devising plans to tap “the budget of God’s blessings”!

>> Is my prayer a “mere statistical interaction” with God?

5. Prayer as a Programmer

>> We bring before the Lord, neat sheets of a programmed life – and expect the Lord to give the desired output, in response to my commands.

Like the computer which follows the software codes, with precision, we punch in our codes of “wants and demands” to the Lord and expect Him to follow it, like a foolproof software or program.

>> Is my prayer a “fixated coded-sheet” with only demands and wants?

6. Prayer as a Kidnapper

>> We hold God at ransom, and threaten that ‘if You do not fulfill my aspirations, I will leave You and will even abandon Your Church and its practices, and bring to an end all the good works that You have begun in me’!

We take the upper hand in prayer and expect God to follow all what we say – in the way we want, in the time that we demand and in the manner we expect!

>> Does my prayer become a means “to kidnap” the goodness of the Lord?

We need to examine our lives and see, whether our prayers remain stuck to these (or even other similar) categories.

Surely, each of these categories of prayers emerge out of one’s own life experiences

>> The Lord doesn’t judge us on the basis on it

But, the Lord Who seeks perfection in us… wishes, wants and demands…

… to have a higher and a more perfect understanding and practise of prayer.

Through today’s Gospel, Jesus points to the essence of Prayer..

>> Prayer is lifting up of one’s heart and mind to God, with an intention to seek and do His Holy Will.

Prayer is not about “my feelings”….

…. It is about “His Feelings”

Prayer is not achieving something or fulfilling a task…

…It is about spending time with the One Who loves us most.

As St. Bonaventure says, “When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than proceedings from the mouth”

Today, let us examine, our prayer life…

>> Are my prayers mere lip-service

….or real expressions, emerging from the depth of our hearts?

St John Mary Vianney says,

” Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.”

May the Lord help us…

… to purify our prayer habits

… to give us a deeper taste to be in His Presence

… to realize that He is in complete charge of our lives

… and that our task is to always seek to conform to His Will!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The Year 1989 saw the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Germany.

> This wall was the barrier that divided the nation from 1961 to 1989.

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, there would have been, perhaps, no person in all of East Germany, who was more despised …

… than the former Communist dictator Erich Honecher.

>> Being the secretary of the Communist Party, Erich Honecher was the prime organiser of the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and, in this function, bore responsibility for the “order to fire” along the inner German border.

However, after the collapse of the wall, Honecher had been stripped of all his offices.

Kicked out of his villa, the new government refused him and his family, new housing.

>> The family of the Honechers were rendered homeless and destitute.

It was at this stage, Pastor Uwe Holmer, Director of a Christian Help Centre decided to take a bold step:

Feeling that it would be wrong to give them a room, in the Help Centre, which was meant for even needier people…

… Uwe Holmer decided to take the family of the Honechers into their own home!

Holmer’s children had suffered the wrath of the rule of the Honechars..

>> 8 of his children had been turned down for higher education, due to their discriminatory policies.

But now, Holmer – filled with God’s Mercy – decided to care and accept their personal enemy – and perhaps one of the most hated men in Germany!

>> Many people turned against Holmer for his decision

>> Many felt angered in having given refuge to an enemy

But Holmer, the Christian, was convinced of what he was doing…

>> It was indeed an unnatural move…

>> It was undoubtedly an unconventional step…

.. But it was so much Christ-like!

He put into practise what Jesus had taught on the Sermon of the Mount, as we see in today’s Gospel:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Mt 5:44)

It is said that some books/thoughts are to be just tasted…

>> Some are to be just swallowed…

>> While some others are to be chewed and digested!

Well… here is a teaching that is certainly not too easy to digest:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you!

Sometimes when we hear the word ENEMY…

>> Our thoughts go to some enemy of the nation or some social criminal…

>> Or perhaps, some of us, may think of some person who has harmed us deeply or cheated us, and has turned to be an enemy…

But if we analyze our lives closer… we may observe that we all have many enemies in our lives..

An ‘enemy’, is defined by the Oxford Dictionary, as “a person or thing, hostile or opposed to something; that harms or weakens someone/something”

A little closer look into our lives will probably make us to discover that…

>> Perhaps, many people fall into this definition of being an “enemy”…

… Many in our family or our community

… Many in our friends circle

… Many in our workplaces

… Many in the society

We get so easily offended when our egos our hurt..

>> We feel a sense of resentment when we are not treated as we feel we ought to be…

>> We experience bitterness when other people do not fall in line with the way we think…

… there are often so many tussles and mental games…

… and we have so often grudges against all these people!

All these are our “enemies”!

>> This list of enemies in our life…though apparently unnoticed, is perhaps deeper….

But, today the Lord says: “Love those enemies…and pray for them”!

Humanly speaking, of course, it seems only a theoretical advice – seemingly impractical!

>> But the Lord wants us to be perfect!

We also know one thing…

… If this was not possible, the Lord would have never said it!

The Life of Jesus Himself was a proof for it…

… Lovingly inviting even all those who hated and detested Him, to experience His Love

… Constantly reaching out with the call of repentance, to those who wronged Him

… Giving His life for all of us, who offend and hurt Him

The call of the Gospel “to love our enemies” is a high demand…

>> It is indeed a huge challenge

Yet, with the grace of the Lord…

… Let’s pick up this challenge of the Lord…and seek towards perfection!

Pope St John Paul II says, “Don’t fear to be the saints of the Third Millennia!”

Let’s not remain in idealistic talks and thoughts…

… rather, lets translate the words and challenges of the Lord, in our practical and daily life.

May we identify the “enemies” in our life…

… and seek Divine Assistance and the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints.

May we dare to “receive into our homes” those who, though deserve to be punished…

… but still are worthy of the Mercy of the Lord!

>> “Misericordes Sicut Pater” – “Be merciful, like the Heavenly Father” (Lk 6:36)

God Bless! Live Jesus!

India honours Mahatma Gandhi as the Father of the nation.

The New Testament made a great impression on him, especially the Sermon on the Mount, which went straight to his heart.

He would say to one of his disciples:

“The gentle figure of Christ…

… so patient, so kind, so loving, so full of forgiveness that He taught His followers not to retaliate when abused or struck, but to turn the other cheek…

>> I thought it was a beautiful example of the perfect man…!”

“The message of Jesus as I understand it,” said Gandhi, “is contained in the Sermon on the Mount unadulterated and taken as a whole…

The Gospel of the Day presents this lofty teaching of Jesus on non-retaliation and the power of forgiving love.

It is significant to read that in this Passage of the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus is instructing some of the core personal tasks that has to be taken up by each individual Christian.

• The Sermon on the Mount makes a personal obligation on each Christian

It is worth meditating and reflecting on each line of this Great Sermon, and examining to what extent am I living this lofty and powerful teaching of the Lord in my life.

One of the highly debatable and confusing teachings of Jesus is contained in today’s Gospel reading.

Jesus says, “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the one cheek, turn to him the other also” (Mt 5: 39)

This verse could easily raise a lot of doubts and questions…

• Did Jesus mean that Christian should be passive to evil?

• Did Jesus teach that we should suffer unnecessarily in the face of social evils?

• Did Jesus teach passivity and being lethargic when one encounters wickedness and evil?

The one direct answer to all such doubts is seen in the light of the life of Jesus Himself…

• He was always actively against evil and sinful activities

• He was a constant opponent to oppression, condemnation and human wickedness

Then what would have Jesus meant by those strong phrases of “resist evil.. and turning one’s cheeks?”

There could be, speaking in general terms, three responses to evil:

1. Opposing with violence

2. Bearing everything passively

3. A courageous non-violence

The first two responses are also popularly called as Fight or Flight

…either FIGHT against the evil… or take FLIGHT from the evil situations

>> FIGHT: oppose with evil and violence

>> FLIGHT: run away from the situation or passively be submissive

But the way of Jesus is a higher one…

… a much higher and bolder one: the way of ACTIVE NON-VIOLENCE.

The Greek word that is used by St Mathew, for “resist” is “antisthemi”

‘Antisthemi’ is not a passive or a weak term.

>> It was a classical Greek ‘military’ term.

It means…

… to take a stand against, to oppose or to resist

… to establish one’s position publicly by conspicuously “holding one’s ground,”.

… It means refusing to be moved (” being pushed back”)

This clearly shows that “to resist evil” is not merely a passive act of submission…

… rather is a firm, courageous and bold action of holding onto one’s convictions of truth and opposing every reaction to subdue truth.

This is further illustrated in the example that Jesus gives, “of turning one’s cheek, when hit on the right cheek”

In the culture of Jesus, the left hand was commonly used for unclean tasks, and only the right hand was considered appropriate for such actions as striking another person.

Now, its common sense to note, that if one hits with the right hand, it would hit the other person only on the “left” cheek.

Therefore, if the person is hit on the “right” cheek, as in the example of Jesus, it simply means, that one was hit with a “back-hand”.

What is the significance of a back-handed slap?

A backhanded slap, had a greater message than merely hurting or causing pain…

>> Instead, it meant to be an act of “severe” humiliation… of “terrible” insult!

A backhand slap, in the time of Jesus, was the usual way of admonishing inferiors:

>> Masters backhanded slaves; husbands, wives; parents, children; men, women; Romans, Jews.

What is the response that Jesus suggests for such an act of dreadful humiliation?

Not Fight… Not Flight.

>> Rather, a strong and bravely opposing act of courage: “turn the other cheek as well!”

It is a calculated response intended to invite the aggressor to consider his or her actions.

This bold action of turning one’s cheek robs the oppressor of the power to humiliate.

It is as if the oppressed person is saying,

“Try again if you want, buddy!

Your first blow failed to achieve its intended effect.

I deny you any power to humiliate me!”

This was how our Blessed Lord who gave this supremely lofty teaching demonstrated in His life… by dying on the Cross!

• The Cross was a powerful opposition to evil and sin.

The One who died on the Cross did not die a passive death…

Rather, He boldly preached against every act of oppression and mightily spoke against every form of discrimination!

As Christians, we need to be bold and courageous to “resist” every evil and sinful deed.

In Christ, we have a teaching that is not passive, but is “extremely” active and powerful.

To merely FIGHT or simply make a FLIGHT in the face of oppressions, is cheap and ordinary…

In fact, it is “no spirituality”.

But to “be bold in one’s convictions” and “to oppose” evil, even to the point of giving up one’s life, is a lofty, supreme and mighty spirituality.

• Jesus embodied this spirituality.

• Many great men and women in history have been inspired by it and lived it.

As Christians, the followers of the Bold Jesus, are we ready to embrace this “powerful” spirituality?

God Bless! Live Jesus!