“Ten Fingers for God” is a biography on the life of Dr Paul W Brand, a noted leprosy expert. 

Dr. Brand was the first physician to appreciate that leprosy did not cause the rotting away of tissues, but that it was the loss of the sensation of pain which made sufferers susceptible to injury.

The biography, “Ten Fingers for God”, notes Dr Brand’s frightening experience one night, when he thought he had contracted leprosy…

Dr. Brand arrived in London one night after an exhausting trip.

He was getting ready for bed, had taken off his shoes, and as he pulled off a sock, discovered there was no feeling in his heel!

 >> The numbness in his heel terrified him!

 
He rose mechanically, found a pin, sat down again, and pricked the small area below his ankle.

>> He felt no pain!

He thrust the pin deeper, until a speck of blood showed… Still he felt nothing!

He supposed, like other workers with leprosy… he too had contracted the dreaded disease!

All that night the great orthopaedic surgeon tried to imagine his new life…

… as a leper, an outcast

… his medical staff’s shattered

… the forced separation from his family.

As night receded, “with steady fingers he bared the skin below his ankle, jabbed in the point….
… and behold…. He yelled!!”
 

Blessed was the sensation of pain!

He then realized that during the long train ride, sitting immobile, he had numbed a nerve.

>> And that had caused him a temporary numbness!

From then on, whenever Dr. Brand cut his finger, turned an ankle, or even suffered immense nauseating pain, he was to respond with fervent gratitude, ‘Thank God for pain!’

 
Pain was understood as being vital for the preservation of healthy tissue in anyone leading a normal life.

Pain is also to be understood as vital for the promotion, perseverance and progress of anyone wanting to lead a life, in deeper and closer union with the Lord!

 

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus declaring the reality of the presence of pain, suffering and sorrows in spiritual life, and yet those factors being pathways and passages to experience deep joy and bliss!

 
Not negating the actuality of the darker side of life, Jesus also mightily displays the large canvas of life which is enveloped in the light of happiness…

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16: 20)

Jesus was making His Apostles aware of the realities of His passion and death.

> He had came into the world to die!

>> Death was the goal and fulfilment of His life.

To the delicate and fragile minds of the Apostles, the Lord gives a very practical analogy: the pains and the bliss of motherhood…

“When a woman is in labour, she is in anguish, because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world” (Jn 16: 21)

This analogy of the Lord sheds light and hope for our sufferings and pains in life too.

 
Mothers know the pain of giving birth to a child.

To others, this pain, though not experienced, can be vaguely understood as being a very painful experience.

 
>> The pain is too excruciating…

>> The pain causes to think that everything within is being pulled out, with a piercing pain…

>> The pain sometimes makes the person to even cry out ‘I wish this never happened to me’ ….

Jesus says that the hardships, sufferings and trials that we undergo in life are such.

 
But the moment, the child is delivered and the mother sees the innocent face of her tender babe, the whole scenario of emotions changes…

>> The excruciating pain is replaced by a thrilling excitement and exhilaration!

>> The severe-anguishing sore is replaced by a delightful bliss and ecstasy!

>> The nerve-wracking ache is replaced by a heavenly joy and happiness!

And Jesus, such will be our joy too, if we are also faithful and loyal to the Lord, in pains and sufferings!

 
This is indeed a higher spirituality… a higher level of holiness…

>> To cherish joy, even in the midst of pain

>> To radiate happiness, even in the thick of sorrows.

It is to this elevated floor of sanctity that the Lord invites us.

>> He is with us to hold our hands to climb up  to this floor.

>> He is wanting to embrace us in love, as He beckons us to come nearer to Him.

 
When life stings us with pain…

> When problems beset us into agony…

… With hope, trust, faith and strength,
>> Let us exclaim: ‘Thank God for pain!’

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Just a minute, honey, and I will be ready…”
… thus goes the words of the wife who is busy with her make-up, while her husband keeps waiting, impatiently looking at his watch.

>> He knows it’s getting late to go for the scheduled program.
>>He also knows that the phrase “just a minute” would last a much longer time!

 

“Oh, Yes, I will get the work done in the next ten minutes…”
… thus goes the words of the official when asked to speed up the pending paper work of the renewal of a contract by a perplexed client

>> But the client knows the work will take much longer to be completed
>> He knows that the phrase “in the next ten minutes” would last a much longer time!

 

“Yes, Mummy, I will clean up the room right now…”
… thus goes the words of kids, when asked to clean up their room, which is in a state of mess

>> But the Mother knows that this cleaning up would be further delayed and would need more reminders
>> She knows that the phrase, “right now” would last a much longer time!

 

These are some of our day-to-day experiences of not being able to come to terms with “delays and uncertainties” with respect to time.

> Such delays and uncertainties, often put us through tensions or anxiety or an “uncomfortable” state of mind!

 
In the Gospel of the day, the disciples also undergo this experience…  of “delays and uncertainties” with respect to time.

Jesus tells His disciples, “A little while and you will see me no more; again a little while and you will see me” (Jn 16:16)

But these words of Jesus put the disciples into a state of dilemma
>> They failed to grasp the meaning of the words of Jesus and were confused!

 
They began to have a discussion on the phrase of Jesus – “a little while”

>> “What does he mean by ‘a little while'”? (Jn 16: 18)

How long was this “little while” going to be?
>> How does He define the phrase “a little while”?

If they knew exactly how long this “little while” would last…
…. then they would have been more courageous and patient

 
But now the disciples find themselves to be confused and in dilemma.

However, Jesus the Good Shepherd, knew the confusion of His little sheep
>> Jesus, the Master, knew the perplexity of His simple followers

But He doesn’t define the phrase “a little while”

>> He doesn’t say that it is a particular moment of time, that can be considered as a countdown!

>> He doesn’t refer to it as being an exact measure of time, to which one can count and gauge!

Instead, Jesus defines “a little while” in terms of an experience…

…an experience of weeping and lamenting turning into rejoicing

… an experience of sorrow turning into joy (Jn 16:20)

 

Is our life today in a state of crisis and confusion?

> Is our life today passing through waves of troubles and the deserts of anxiety?

>> Is our life today moving along the rough terrains of calamities and the valleys of brokenness?

 
Then the Lord assures us…
… “In a little while” and things will be fine!

… “In a little while” and the sunshine will appear again!

We might complain… How long is this “little while”!

We might argue…. this “little while” is being too agonising!

But the Lord invites and challenges us to look to Him, telling us…
“I too have had my painful and agonising moments… in My life and especially on the Cross

I too had My experience of feeling ‘how long is this little while going to last’…

But I stood firm and patient in trusting the Will of My Father…
… I held on the mighty Providence of my Father and knew that a bright morn awaited Me”

Yes, Jesus, through the Gospel wishes to encourage us and strengthen us…

… in sufferings, to love Him strongly!

… in hardships, to trust in Him deeper!

… in uncertainties, to depend on Him greater!

 

Surely, life will take us through many experiences…  of “delays and uncertainties” with respect to time.
… We may tend to lose our patience!
… We may feel like giving up!
… We may want to quit!

But let us turn to the Lord for strength, grace and courage…
… and listen to Him whispering to us…

“Hold on my Child! I am with you….embracing you in my arms!

In Me, your weeping will be changed to rejoicing

In Me, your sorrow will be turned to joy!”

Let us seek earnestly for this gift of deeper trust and complete surrender to the Mighty Providence and Holy Will of the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus! 

William Lyon Phelps was an American author, critic and scholar who taught the first American university course on the modern novel.

He taught English literature at the Yale University for forty-one years until his retirement in 1933.

Once, while correcting an answer-paper, before Christmas one year, Phelps came across a note (like the kind, even these days, some children would do in an examination, to appease and please their teachers!) in the answer paper: 
“Only God knows the answer to this question. Merry Christmas.”

A bit amused, Phelps returned the paper with this note:
“For that answer, God gets an A  grade – outstanding. And you get an F – below satisfactory. Happy New Year!!”

 
This little humorous incident (without being too critical), when looked from a global spiritual perspective, points out a grand and complex reality:

There are many questions of life which will keep baffling humanity.

 
To some answers will be found.
>> To some, answers will be known.

But to many, there will be a mysterious silence.

Humanity does not have an answer to all questions in life.

Yet, life encourages us to walk ahead, with trust and hope.

As Christians, this trust and hope finds a greater meaning and strength, because we have the assurance and promise of the Lord that He is with us, and solutions for life’s problems will be revealed to us, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of the Day is this assurance of Jesus that even though many things are not understood in life, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us, in time and as needed, the mysteries of life and of our faith.

The Lord had been with the disciples for quite some time and had instructed them on many teachings.

Even at  the final discourse, in the context of the Last Supper,  Jesus teaches His chosen ones many things.

Yet, He still has many more things to tell and teach.

 
But like a loving parent, who knows the grasping power of the child….
>> Like an understanding teacher, who realises the comprehending capability of the student…

Jesus knows, that the disciples would not be able to understand still further His teachings.

And so He says, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (Jn 16:12)

But He does not leave the Disciples in this state of hanging in mid-air…
>> He assures them of the Might Power that will follow His going away from the disciples.
>> He promises them that the Holy Spirit will descend on them and they would realise, gradually, the power and depth of His teachings!

“But when He comes, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you to all truth” (Jn 16: 13)

Our lives too remains a blank question-paper, with questions hurled at us, and answers found wanting!

Situations and circumstances put forward many uneasy, awkward and even unanswerable questions to us.

>> We look for answers.
>>We seek for solutions.

Sometimes we get.
>> But many times, we fail to obtain.

It may lead us to desperation.
>> It may even lead us to anxiety.

But the Lord assures us…
…  that He has the answer to every question in the world
… that He has the solution to every problem of our life.

But not all will be told to us, or revealed to us, at once.

>> They will be conveyed to us, at the appropriate time, in the appropriate situation.

From our part, what is simply needed is…
… an openness to His Spirit
… a trust in His Divine Providence
… a constant seeking to know His Will

The underlying principle for this simple, yet, seemingly hard to practise philosophy of life, is the fact that “God Loves Us” immeasurably, and that every moment of our life, is taken care by Him.

>> His glory fills the heavens and the earth.

>>  His knowledge permeates in every event of life.

Let us seek to grow in this faith and trust in the Lord.

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

One of the famous stories by the American author, Napoleon Hill goes thus…

Years back, a great warrior found himself to be in a situation, wherein he had to take a hard decision, to ensure success on the battlefield.

He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe, whose men outnumbered his own.
>>  He got  his soldiers into boats  and sailed to the enemy’s country.
He then unloaded all the soldiers and the equipment.

When they had disembarked, he gave a strong order, “Burn the ships!”
>> The ships that had carried them were burnt!
… Up they went, in smoke!

Then he addressed his soldiers, ” “You see the boats going up in smoke.
That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win!
We now have no choice—we win, or we perish!”

The result of the battle was astonishing:
>> Though they were a very small number… they still won!

It’s such in life…
>> Any person who wishes to find success in any undertaking, must be willing to “burn all ships”…
…cut all sources of retreat…
… and have a burning desire to win!

Today Holy Mother the Church celebrates the Feast of two such saints….Apostles St Philip and St James… who lived a faithful and courageous life as followers of Jesus…
… having “burnt all ships” that kept them away from Christ
…cut all sources of retreat
… and had a burning desire to be ‘ever faithful’!

The Apostle St Philip was a native of Bethsaida, on Lake Gennesaret.  He was among the first disciples of Jesus (Jn 1:43)

>> At the miraculous feeding of the multitude, it was to Philip that Jesus asked, “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” to which Philip replied, “Two hundred denarii worth food will not be enough for them to have a little” (Jn 6:5)
>> When through Greeks came to meet Jesus, it was Philip whom they met and it was he who reported to Andrew and they both went to Jesus (Jn 12: 21-22)
>> It was Philip who told Jesus, in the Upper Room, “Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us” (Jn 14: 8)

The Apostle St James is called as the Younger or the Less, because he was the second of that name who was an apostle of Jesus – distinguishing him from James the Greater, the son of Zebedee

>> St James the Less was also called as James the Just and is sometimes also called as the “Brother of the Lord”
>> He is the author of one of the Epistles in the New Testament and he was also ordained as the Bishop of Jerusalem.

The Gospel of the Day (Jn 14: 6-14) presents Jesus declaring Himself as “The Way, the Truth and The Life” (Jn 14: 6)
>> These two Apostles, St Philip and St James by their life, gave a faithful witness to Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life!

We are called and challenged, by these Apostles to do the same as well…

Being ready…
>> to embrace Jesus as The Way…
… seeking to follow only His paths and doing His Will
…being bold to stand firm in the face of hardships, while walking on the Way

Being ready…
>> to embrace Jesus as The Truth…
… wanting to let go a life of dishonesty and hypocrisy in our actions of life
… determined in the conviction to live for Christ and His virtues in day-to-day life

Being ready…
>> to embrace Jesus as The Life…
… willing to utilize all our talents, gifts, resources in life for the glory of God and His Kingdom
… being brave to let go off anything which prevents us from living a life for the Lord

The Apostles St Philip and St James…
… were greatly purified in their following of the Lord, through various persecutions and hardships
.. and finally, gave their life in martyrdom to the Lord and His Kingdom!

We are invited and exhorted by these Great Apostles…
.. to “burn all ships”  – that can take us away from Christ..
…”cut all sources of retreat”  – that tempt us to go away from the battlefield of Christian life
…and instead have a “burning desire” to be ever faithful to Christ and His Kingdom!

Wish you a Happy Feast of the Apostles – St Philip and St James!
>> May we too, seek and work to be His True Apostles and thus live to be a Saint!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Sports coaches assist athletes in developing their full potential.

They are responsible for training athletes in a sport by analyzing their performances, instructing them in their skills and by providing encouragement.

Sportspersons would vouch the important role played by their coaches in their formation to be excelling in their field of sports.

It is the role of the coach to help the sportspersons…
… to fine tune some of their skills and abilities
… to observe their weak zones and suggest ways to strengthen those areas
… to motivate and encourage them in moments of failures or lethargy or disappointments

In the game of life, only One Coach matters the most… Jesus!

The Gospel of the day presents this is encouraging and comforting “coaching” dimension of Jesus and an invitation to always derive motivation and strength from Jesus, the ‘Coach’!

It is the context of the Last Supper discourses – when Jesus speaks of His going away from the world.

The disciples are a frightened lot – confused, worried and uncertain of the future.
>> The Lord promises the gift of the Holy Spirit.
>> He also warns of the many impending persecutions that will befall on them.

But in this context of fear, worry, doubts and anxieties, Jesus assures them, ” I have told you this, that you may not fall away” (Jn 16:1)

Jesus knows His disciples very well.
>> He has lived with them for nearly three years.

Like a very good “coach”, He is aware of who the disciples are…
>> He knows many of their instincts and tendencies – to doubt, to not understand many things, to waver in their trust, to be unclear of their goals in life…
>> He also is aware of their sincerity and simplicity, their openness and obedience and their preciousness in personality…

Therefore, Jesus assures them that He would strengthen them so that “they don’t fall away”

Later, Jesus would repeat similar words particularly to Peter, the leader of the Apostles, “Simon, Simon… I have prayed that your own faith may not fail..” (Lk 22: 32)

Jesus, the Coach wanted all His disciples to not “fall in life”; rather to be faithful and committed.
>> And He invites and exhorts each one of us as well, to train under the guidance of His coaching and be on the winning side of life!

Jesus, the Coach assures us…
… that He would accompany us, by the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, who will help us to give testimony to Christ (Jn 15: 26)
… that He would remain with us, even when we have to face the hardships of being expelled as a result of the “improper and deformed” consciences of people (Jn 16: 2)

Each day makes us to play the game of life – filled with joys and thrills, and yet also of possibilities of disappointments, worries and disturbances.
>> Our best bet to come out with flying colours in this game of life is to take shelter with Jesus, the Coach.

He will help…
… to fine tune our skills and abilities with His grace, to be His zealous witnesses
… to observe our weak zones and help us purify those sinful and disturbing areas of life
… to motivate and encourage us in moments of sadness, discouragement and hopelessness

The Cross of Christ has opened the door to victory for us…
It is our turn to give our best in this game of life and share in the victory lap with the Lord.
>> Jesus, the Life Coach beckons us….

God Bless! Live Jesus!
 

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

“Rent is cheap”, I say.
“I don’t want to rent. I want to buy”, says God.

“I’m not sure I want to sell, but you might come in to look around”.
“I think I will”, says God

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

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

“I’d like to give you the whole house, but I’m not sure”

“Think on it”, says God. “I wouldn’t put you out.
Your house would be mine and My Son would live in it.
You’d have more space than you’d ever had before”.

“I don’t understand at all”.

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

“A bit risky”, I say.

“Yes”, says God, “but try me”.

“I’m not sure – I’ll let you know”

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

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

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

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

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

In the Old Testament, we see the Garden of Eden was a beautiful communion of the first parents with God.
The atmosphere was so much homely… so much loving

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

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

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

Every now and then, the people sinned and lost this presence of the Lord

Through the prophets, the Lord would invite the people to come back to His homely presence.

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

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

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

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

The Lord wishes to dwell more close to us..
He longs to have a home in our hearts…
>> Do we make the space for Him?

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

Loving Him requires giving Him the highest priority and precedence in our lives
>> Keeping His Word requires following His teachings and commandments at all times.

Loving Him means to constantly long for Him and to have our thoughts centred on Him
>> Keeping His Word means to make decisions and choices based on His Gospel virtues

Loving Him means to free our hearts from undue and inordinate attachments
>> Keeping His Word means to go against our personal choices to preserve His Will and plans

The Lord wants a space in our hearts, to dwell in us…
>> Maybe, some rooms of our heart has been rented to many unwanted habits…
>> Maybe, some areas of our lives are occupied by unfit tenants of sin and evil…
>> Maybe, some quarters of our mind are accommodated with  unholy and bad thoughts…

God is knocking at our doors, seeking a home for His Son…
>> We might feel it’s “a bit risky”…

“Yes”, says God, “but try me…
I can wait…
I like what I see!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The Boxer Rebellion  or the Boxer Uprising was an anti-imperialist uprising which took place in China towards the end of the 20th century.

 It was initiated by the Militia United in Righteousness (Yihetuan),known in English as the “Boxers,” and was motivated by proto-nationalist sentiments and opposition to foreign imperialism and associated Christian missionary activity.

The well-trained, athletic young men were referred to as “Boxers,” because of the martial arts and physical exercises that they practiced.

On one such occasion, during this Boxer Rebellion, some insurgents captured a Christian mission school and blocked all the gates but one.

In front of that one gate, was placed a Cross – flat on the ground.

Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot.

Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free.

But the eighth student – a young girl – refused to commit the sacrilegious act.

Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad.

Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad!

The example of the one brave and faithful child inspired others to also be bold in their defence of faith.

These children, strong and courageous, laid down their lives, to be obedient to their faith. 

>> Fear of death could not strangle their faith!

>> Fear of persecution could not suppress their conviction!

The Gospel of the Day is a mighty invitation by Jesus to remain steadfast and bold even in the face of persecutions in defence for our faith in Him.

And this steadfastness is in imitation of Jesus, our Master, who Himself underwent a miserable series of pain, persecution , suffering and humiliation, and yet remain totally faithful to His Mission.

Jesus says, “If the world hates you, realise that it hated me first… If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (Jn 15: 18, 20b)

The Lord is very clear in His teaching and preaching:

>> Friendship with Jesus would mean hostility from the world.

>> Non-compromise with Jesus’ teaching would result in antagonism from the world.

Our Lord Himself had to undergo this pain of rejection, persecution and opposition throughout His life…

>> At His birth, King Herod sought to terminate His life

>> After Baptism, Satan sought to tempt Him out of His mission.

>> During His ministry, the Pharisees and Scribes would misunderstand and misjudge Him

 
The Lord alerts His disciples that the same will be true in their lives too, if they too chose to remain faithful to their vocation.

As a follower of the Lord, we too need to be aware that sufferings and hardships on being Christian is sure to come our way.

 

What is our attitude and disposition to these trials that we face because of our faith in Christ?

Do we be bold and courageous…
… even when we are to face isolation or seclusion due to standing firm in our values and principles in the Lord?

Do we live our life in joy and calmness…
… even when we have to face misunderstandings and become an object of laughter, or called as “old-traditionalist” as a result of being staunch in following the Gospel values?

>> The world constantly ensnares us with temptations to abandon the Cross…
>> The evil one very often traps us with hardships to dilute our faith in the Lord…

Are we going to yield in to such temptations and enticements…
>> Or are we prepared to face any amount of difficulty, to uphold our Faith in the Lord?

Are we going to stamp the Cross of Christ and Faith in Him…
>> Or are we bold and courageous to sustain our witnessing to Jesus in the world?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The Gospels are a beautiful account of the many narratives, describing the works, teachings and life of Jesus.

We get a glimpse to various images and facets of the life of Jesus.
>> These various images of the Lord, help us to relate to Him in a much more intimate and closer manner.
>> These various images of the Lord, also help us, in turn, to imitate Him and to live more and more like Him, in this world.

The Gospel of the Day… just six verses… Jn 15: 12-17, on a closer reading, presents a number of images of the Lord.

These images will help us to…
… form a closer bond with the Lord
… imitate the Lord better in our lives

Image 1: Jesus, the Lover…. inviting us to be His lovers!

The Lord says, “… love one another, as I have loved you”  (Jn 15: 12)

>> Jesus is our Lover!
He is the Love-incarnate, and He expresses His deep love to us at every moment of our life.

Do we experience the Lord as a Lover…?
… intimately and passionately loving us, even in the midst of problems of life
… assuring His faithful support to us at every situation, even if we have been unfaithful

 
Image 2: Jesus, the friend… inviting us to have Him as our best friend!
The Lord says, “… I have called you friends… ” (Jn 15: 15b)

>> Jesus is our Friend!
He is the One who shares everything that He has with us and does not keep any secrets in this Divine friendship.

Do we experience the Lord as our Friend…?
… constantly walking beside us, sharing our every emotion – joy, sorrow, hateful feelings, frustration, silly thoughts, stupid doubts, unseen jealousies etc
… on whom we can rely on, in any situation of life – may not get an answer in every problem, but surely being strengthened in having a shoulder to lean on and hands to hold onto!

Image 3: Jesus, the brother…inviting us to share in His Sonship!
The Lord says, “… I have told you everything I have heard from My Father” (Jn 15: 15)

>> Jesus, the Son of the Heavenly Father, is our Brother!

We are raised to a status of being “sons in the Son”!
We are given the privilege to address God  – not as any impersonal being, or a distant reality.. but as our Father  – a loving Daddy, a caring Parent!

Do we experience the Lord as our Brother…?
… the One who reveals the secrets of the Heavenly Family and bids us to have a closer union with the Divine Family
…  the One who asks us to cast off our fear of God as being some strict rule-keeper and instead to cherish His Fatherly affection and fondness

Image 4: Jesus, the Master… inviting us to give heed to His commandments!
The Lord says, ” This is command: love one another” (Jn 15: 17)

>> Jesus is our Master!
We are obliged to obey the order of the Lord and carry out His plans and wishes faithfully.

Do we experience the Lord as our Master…?
… giving heed to His commandment of being an instrument of love and harmony in our life situations
… being faithful, in little or big things, to please the Master at all times

Image 5: Jesus, the Intercessor… inviting us to cast our concerns to Him!
The Lord says, “.. whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you” (Jn 15:16b)

>> Jesus is our Intercessor!
By His Holy Sacrifice, He has become the mediator and intercessor for the entire human race, before the Heavenly Father (1 Tim 2:5)

Do we experience the Lord as our Intercessor…?
… bringing before Him our concerns and the needs of the world, knowing that intercession is a very powerful means of alleviating the struggles and problems of the world
… becoming a prayer-warrior and helping the grace and intervention of God to be felt by people who are in distress and trouble

Image 6: Jesus, the Missionary.. inviting us to be co-workers in His Project Kingdom!
The Lord says, “you did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain…” (Jn 15: 16a)

>> Jesus is our model Missionary
The mission that was entrusted by the Father, is now shared by Jesus to all of us, and we become partners and collaborators with Him

Do we experience Jesus as our model Missionary…?
… knowing that He is the ideal and perfect missionary and that I must seek to imitate Him, in bringing God’s reign in the lives of people
… realising that it is a huge honour and a big responsibility that is placed on me, to be a co-worker and teammate of the Lord.

The Gospel presents these powerful images of the Lord to grow closer to Him and to reflect these images, in our contexts.

Let the words of St Clare inspire us:
“We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become.
If we love things, we become a thing.
>> If we love nothing, we become nothing.

Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved, an image disclosed through transformation.
This means we are to become vessels of God´s compassionate love for others. ”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

One of the wonderful SMS’s that has been read and circulated by many of us, perhaps, goes thus….

“Life is like having a cup of coffee…

You sit by the window, lift the cup, take a careless sip…
… and find no sugar!

Too lazy to go for the sugar, you somehow manage with that sugarless cup.

>> On finishing, you find undissolved sugar crystals, settled at the bottom!

That is life!

>> We don’t make any effort to value what is around or within us.

So look around… Maybe, the sweetness you are looking is much closer than you think!”

 

How often is our spiritual life also lived similarly…

>> We go through the rigours of spiritual practices… 
… but they sometimes become mere routines
 

>> We perform many chores of religious exercises… 
… but they sometimes turn out to be ritualistic.

Spiritual life becomes tasteless…

>> Spiritual life loses its fascination…

But Jesus, in the Gospel of the Day invites us to have a deeper excitement and happiness in life, by abiding in His love.

>> He tells us, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy maybe in you, and that your joy may be full” (Jn 15: 11)

The Lord wishes each of His follower to live a life of immense joy and happiness.

Jesus, Himself lived a very joyful life.

 
What was the recipe of His happiness?

>> A life, that was lived in perfect communion with His Heavenly Father…

… seeking union with the Father through moments of solitude in prayer

… raising His Heart to the Father in gratitude and thanksgiving at every situation of life.

 
>> A life, that was lived in absolute obedience to the Will of His Father…

… willing to shed any personal comforts or desires to be faithful to the mission entrusted

… readiness to undergo any amount of pain and suffering, even death, to be totally committed

 
Jesus hands over this same recipe to us, to discover true joy and happiness in life.

 
When we seek to live in Communion with the Heavenly Father…

       … in intense moments of prayer

       … with a heart of thanksgiving

 
And we seek to being obedient to God’s Will…

       … even at the cost of some personal comforts

       … ready to bear sufferings to be faithful to Him

It is then…

… that we will experience real joy and happiness

… that we will treasure heavenly experiences in our hearts

Life grinds us through many tasteless moments and situations…

> We get upset easily…

>> We tend to get defensive…

>> We get into a mode of being lethargic…

But the Lord says… “Stir up your lives!”

 
“Stir up your lives” to savour the sweetness of joy, peace and serenity…

… to taste the joy that is guaranteed by obeying God’s commandments

… to taste the peace that is assured by letting our lives be symphony of service to others

… to taste the serenity that is promised by always abiding in the loving presence of the Lord

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The Time Magazine in its issue dated 19th November, 1965, reported of a major electricity breakdown along the US-Canada border.
>> This was called as the Northeast Blackout of 1965.

The impact of the breakdown was so great that it affected people in nearly 80, 000 sq.miles along the border!

The whole area was submerged in deep darkness.

The cause of the failure was the tripping of a protective relay, or a fuse, which was just the size of a bread box!
>> The safety relay, which was to trip if the current exceeded the capacity of the transmission line, was set too low.

A failure in the single fuse, of such a tiny size was able to cause the breakdown of an entire power grid of such a huge magnitude!

>> A tiny failure in the connections caused a mighty collapse!
>> A minor malfunction in the grid caused a major disintegration!

It is therefore highly essential that the most basics aspects of life,however small or tiny they may appear, be given the proper and appropriate attention.

Such is the case too, in our spiritual lives…

>> If the connection with the Lord, the Fuse of our life trips, our whole life will be in darkness!
>> If the link with the Lord, the Safety Relay of our life overloads, our whole life will collapse into obscurity!

The Gospel of the Day invites us to continually nurture and nourish our relationship with the Lord and to reflect the fruits of this affiliation in our daily lives.

Jesus says that, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit, because without me, you can do nothing” (Jn 15: 5)

These are highly powerful words of the Divine Lord…”WITHOUT ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING!”

There are a few implications of these powerful words….

1. Its a great message of hope
The statement of the Lord is a deep assurance that in every moment of our lives, we can bank on Him.

St Paul realised the deep understanding of this message of hope and could cry out, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13)

We can place our hope in the Lord…
… even when all seems lost and crashed in life
… even when things hit rock bottom in our life

2. It’s a great message of warning
The statement of the Lord is also a grave warning that in every moment of our lie, we can crack without Him.

The Prodigal Son realised the depth of such a break of relationship, when he had gone away from his father, and found himself in dire needs.

He would therefore say, “I shall get up and go to my Father and I shall say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you…’  (Lk 15: 18)

We are warned by the Lord…
… in every moment, we need to be dependent on the Lord
… in every situation of life, we cannot achieve true success by our own merits and talents

Sometimes in life, when things go on well and when everything seems fine, we tend to forget that it is the Lord, who is ultimately leading and guiding us.

We get into a feeling that it is my achievements and hard work alone, that is the cause of every success and smile that I enjoy.

But once in a way, when darkness engulfs our lives… maybe by way of..
… a sickness or a death…
… a financial difficulty or uncertainty of the future…
… crisis in relationships or breakage of human bonding
… or any other problem or difficulty…

We realise that there is a tripping in our relationship with the Lord, the Fuse of our life!

Unless we stay connected to this Mighty Fuse, our lives will stay in gloom and shadow

>> When we are connected with the Lord, even in the midst of any crisis, the supply of inner joy and peace will always remain constant!

>> When we are in link with the Lord, even with problems encompassing us, the streaming of Divine calm and happiness, will always remain uninterrupted!

 God Bless! Live Jesus!