Thud….thud….. ….went the hammer… fifty seven hits over…

Thud…thud…again…

 

A small crack appears… a tiny opening observed…

 

And again bangs the hammer…one last time…the sixtieth time…..and…. finally…. its happened!

The rock has been finally split…into pieces! 

The huge rock…had been cracked by the hammer.

 

The rock split into two at the 60th hit of the rock-cutter.

 

But, was it just the last bang of the hammer which cracked the rock? 

Was is the last hit of the hammer which broke the rock into pieces?

No! The hits that went before are also important!

 

Perseverance pays! 

Determination delivers!

 

The Gospel of the Day presents before us the theme of Prayer with a special emphasis on perseverance and determination in prayer life.

 

Prayer is like hitting  a rock with a hammer!

 

If it is a really big rock ,we will hit is for quite some time to just get a small crack.

>> We have to keep hitting, for the crack to  become big enough to break the rock in pieces.

It we stop hitting, we may have stopped when the crack  is just about  to split open and break.

 

In the Gospel today, Jesus speaks of this aspect of persistence in prayer through a parable…

 

A parable of a friend who knocked at the door of his friend at an odd midnight hour…seeking for some help.

 

Prayer invariably points to the notion of Necessity and Dependence in our lives…

 

>> A necessity for various things…and a Dependence on God

 

>> A necessity of realising our limitations…and a Dependence on the power of God

 

>> A necessity of moving out of our capabilities…and a Dependence on the strength of God

 

>> A necessity of knowing all things not possible for me…and a Dependence on the grace of God

 

For a moment, let us get into the shoes of this friend who faced this need of an unexpected traveler in his house…and thus forced to seek for help…

 

This man received an unexpected guest…

>> Probably, it was the end of all the chores of his day..and as he was retiring to bed, this traveler came to his house.

His condition was so pitiable that he did not even some morsels of food to be given.

 

He had the good will…but did not have the resources to help. He had the good intentions…but did not have the supplies to assist.

 

Very often, we ourselves land up into such situations…

 

Perhaps someone drops in for a coffee…and lays bare their problems…

> But we feel totally helpless how to help…

 

Perhaps we get a letter or a message…informing of some serious crisis…

> But we feel totally helpless how to help…

 

Perhaps our close ones undergo some pain…and life becomes hard…

> But we feel totally helpless how to help…

 

Perhaps we see many in absolute suffering…and our heart reaches out to them..

> But we feel totally helpless how to help…

 

We ask ourselves: “What can I do?”

There is a strange, sinking sensation… a sense of pressure, almost terror: “What shall I say?“

 

The best you can do is just hope for a quiet moment when you can rush to God, our Great Neighbour and cry out to him, “A friend has come, and I have nothing to set before him.“

 

This happens often, doesn’t it?

 

> It is out of such moments of deep necessity that true prayer is born.

> It is out of such moments of genuine dependence that true prayer is born.

 

But that does not mean, that God, our Great neighbour, is a sleeping fella who has to be awakened from his slumber or who has to forced to render us help.

The point of the parable is that as a Person who is in necessity and who is dependent, ought to have a great level of patience & perseverance & determination.

 

>> In prayer, sometimes, we determine the way God should answer our requests.

 

>> In prayer, sometimes, we determine the time God should answer our requests.

 

>> In prayer, sometimes, we determine the limit God should answer our requests.

 

>> In prayer, sometimes, we determine the mode God should answer our requests.

 

But the Parable reminds us… We are only a person in necessity and dependant.

> The Great Neighbour, God…is also our loving Father.

> The Great Neighbour, God…is also the One who cares deeply for us.

> The Great Neighbour, God…is also Someone who wishes the best for us.

 

In Lk 11: 9, Jesus gives us the exciting verse, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” 

 

ASK…SEEK…KNOCK…all these three verbs indicate a continual process and a constant action.

“Keep on asking…keep on seeking…keep on knocking”.

 

The Lord is a Loving Father…

He does not demand perseverance because of some hard-heartedness..

>> Rather, He expects consistence and perseverance because of His deep and tender Love for us and wanting us to not get bogged down by mere material concerns…rather to SEEK HIM above all in prayer and to make HIM the greatest need of our lives!

 

The rock-cutter determinately and constantly knocks at the rock…and his efforts are rewarded.

 

Let us grow in this perseverance and determination in prayer.

 

“Provided that we don’t give up, the Lord will guide everything for our benefit…!

There is no other remedy for this evil of giving up prayer than to begin again!” 

 – St. Teresa of Avila.

 

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Most of us have seen those advertisements or billboards which announce some bumper offer or sale.

For example…

>> Winter Sale on branded clothing: Up to 50%  off!*

>> Buy a new house, at just Rs 1000!*

>> Buy one pizza, get one free!*

But, a point to be noted is that most of these advertisements of offers and goodies also have a “tiny asterisk – * ” sign next to it.

What does the * refer to?
>> It has a catch in it…. Conditions Apply!

~ The offer is valid, only on the basis of some conditions.
~ The sale is applicable, only on the agreement of some special terms.

The Gospel of the Day is the prayer of the Our Father.

>> And one of the offer that is mentioned in the Our Father is that of Forgiveness.

However, this offer of Forgiveness has an “asterisk *” sign attached to it…

Yes… Conditions apply!

What is the offer?

>> The Forgiveness from God!

And what is the condition applied to receive this offer of forgiveness?

>> We, first need to forgive others!

The Eleventh Chapter of St Luke opens with a teaching on prayer.

This teaching begins with Jesus presenting the blueprint in praying- the beautiful prayer “The Our Father”.

The Lukan version of the Our Father has five petitions:
1. Hallowed be thy name
2. Thy Kingdom come
3. Give us today our daily bread
4. Forgive us our sins
5. Do not subject us to the final test

The fourth petition  – for forgiveness – is also accompanied with a clause – “…as we forgive”..
“…and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Lk 11: 4)

..forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us!
…forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us!

Well, does this mean God’s forgiveness is conditional?

It needs to be understood, that God , in His infinite mercy and goodness, has always the store of forgiveness, unconditionally opened for us!

But..
~~ To receive this treasure of forgiveness, we need to first forgive others!

~~ To receive this grace of pardon, we need to first pardon others!

It means that…
>> If we harbour a wrong against other…
>> If we continue to nurture hatred against other…
>> If we wilfully fail to extend absolution to the other…
>> If we adamantly keep having repulsion against the other…
                ..then we are telling God to not forgive me either!
                …then we are telling God to not shower His blessing on me!
                …then we are telling God to withhold His unconditional mercy on me!
                ….then we are telling God to stop extending His unconditional compassion!

The prayer – “Our Father” is indeed one of the most easily learnt and widely used prayers.

>> But this clause of the prayer, which is often overlooked, also makes this prayer dangerous!

>> This clause of the prayer, which is often not thought of, also makes this prayer challenging!

·       Let the prayer ‘Our Father’ make us to make inroads into forgiving others!

·       Let the prayer ‘Our Father’ make us to march forward into extending pardon to others!

Let this beautiful prayer also become a really meaningful one!

October 7th is the Feast of “Our Lady of the Rosary”; also known by another title – “Our Lady of Victory”

Pope Leo XIII says:
“The devotion to the Rosary is, so great and so confident, to the august Queen of Heaven…
… and has never shone forth with such brilliancy as when the militant Church of God has seemed to be endangered by the violence of heresy… or by an intolerable moral corruption, or by the attacks of powerful enemies.”

Our world, today is greatly endangered by the evils of…
>> dilution of morals >> heretical powers to do away with God
>> venomous attacks to destroy and corrupt the Church.

>> May we pick up the Rosary as our weapon to pray and powerfully invoke the grace of God.

May the Motherly Intercession of our Mamma fill us with the Holy Spirit, to help us to truly love Jesus, our Brother deeply and to trust in the manifold grace of God, our Father!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian operatic Tenor.

(A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is one of the highest of the male voice types)

He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for the brilliance and beauty of his tone, and eventually established himself as one of the finest tenors of the 20th century.

Luciano relates:

“When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of singing.
>> He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice.

Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil.

I also enrolled in a teachers college.

On graduating, I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’

“Luciano,” my father replied, ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them.

For life, you must choose one chair.’

“I chose one.

>> It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance.
>> It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera.

And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book–whatever we choose–we should give ourselves to it.

Commitment, that’s the key.
>> Choose one chair!”

Often we try to find joy and satisfaction in life, by trying to adjust and fit into many “chairs”.

>> We end up in frustrations and irritation and bitterness.
>> Our life gets entangled into a lot of annoyance and resentment

The Result: We feel life is totally unfair to us… We complain.. We argue!

The Gospel of the Day reflects this common trend of our lives through the incident of Jesus in the house of Martha and Mary.

During his journey of ministry, Jesus came to a village and was welcomed in the house of Martha and Mary.

Martha demonstrates great hospitality by welcoming Jesus into the home.
>> She gets busy with the tasks of serving their honoured Guest.

Mary, on the other side, displays great devotion and love, by sitting at the feet of Jesus
>> She gets immersed into spending time, with the revered Rabbi.

This incident could raise a few reactions that we could generally have towards Martha and Mary….

1. Appreciating  the courage and devotion of Mary
>> The position adopted by Mary was something contrary to the fixed norms for a Jewish woman.

She sat the the feet of Jesus, just as a student would, while learning at the feet of a Rabbi.
> This was a role, reserved for men.

Yet, Mary “chose the better part” (Lk 10: 42)

2. Being critical of Martha
>> Martha is very often portrayed in a very negative light as being too nagging and pestering.

She had got herself busy in preparing for the comfortable stay of the guest, which was a pretty normal and expected thing to do.
> This was a role, expected of all women, in general

3. Considering Mary as being lazy
>> The fact that the Gospel fails to mention any role of Mary in the “process of hospitality” could cause us to think that Mary was lazy or avoiding the responsibility of duty.

4. Feeling emphatic for Martha
>> Martha was only doing the natural duty that was part of her office – taking care of the guests.

it was natural that, seeing her sister not helping, caused irritation to her.

Besides all these possible reactions to the incident, it is also good to reflect on the words of Christ to Martha, which gives us a deep pointer for reflection.

Jesus tells Martha, ““Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.* Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her” (10:41-42).

The Lord extends an invitation to Martha to examine her approach…

Jesus is not against her actions of service and of providing a comfortable hospitality.

But he is concerned that Martha is too” worried and distracted”

The Greek word used for “distracted” is “periespato”

>>  “Periespato” means to be pulled or dragged in different directions

As a result of this high degree of distraction….
>> Martha fails to maintain an important and basic dimension of hospitality – giving due attention to the guest
>> Martha also seeks to cause a humiliation for her sister, Mary, in public
>> Martha even goes on to accuse Jesus of “not caring about her”

We live in a world where we are prone to get easily “distracted” – to be pulled or dragged in different directions – like Martha.

But can we seek to overcome this crippling tendency by “choosing the better part” of giving whole attention to the Lord and to His Kingdom.

Very often…
… our best intentions in life can get spoilt due to our tendency to over-worry or be over-anxious.
… our noblest deeds of works can be marred due to our unnecessary outbursts of irritation and distractions

Life offers us many “chairs” – choices – which can distract us, cause us irritation and take away our focus from what is most basic and most important.

May we ask the grace to choose the “one thing that is needed” – the one “chair” – of being committed to the Lord and His Kingdom, so that we can enjoy true peace and joy in life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Mr George Crane was a popular newspaper columnist, psychologist and physician in the United States.

He speaks of an experience of a wife who came into his office, full of hatred toward her husband.

Seeking a divorce, she blurted out, “I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has caused pain to me.”

Dr. Crane suggested an clever plan:
“Go home and do this…
>> Act as if you really love your husband.
Pretend and tell him how much he means to you.

Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible.
Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him!

And, after you’ve convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bombshell!

Tell him that you are getting a divorce.
That will really hurt him!
Hurt him to the core!”

With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Wonderful indeed! That is a superb way of  settling scores with the one who hurt me the most!”

So off she went, doing what was told, with enthusiasm, acting “as if”
She showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing…

After two months, when she didn’t return, Dr Crane called. “So, are you ready now to go through with the divorce?”
“Divorce?” she exclaimed. “Never! I discovered I really do love him.”

·      Her actions had changed her feelings.

·      Her “affectionate” motions done with revenge,  resulted in “loving” emotions with sincerity!

·      Her “acting” in actuality helped her to rediscover her lost love.

That’s the power of love!

Love is the best medicine for any sickness which cripples human life!

And the reason for this amazing power of love is simple:
>> True Love flows from the heart of the One who is Love… God!
>> Genuine Love gushes forth from the fount of the One who is Love Incarnate… Jesus!

The Gospel of the Day is a wonderful exposition of Jesus emphasizing on the importance of unity and faithfulness in the relationship of marriage.

The Church defines marriage as:

“The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring;
this covenant between baptised persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.”

Marital love is patterned on the love that Christ has for each one of us….and the love with which we are to love the Lord.

We could understand this love, from three dimensions…

1. A Love that is obedient
Jesus says, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (Jn 15: 10)

Jesus remained in the love of the Father, by doing His commandments.

>> And he enjoins the same principle  of Obedient Love to His disciples too.

·      The one who loves, also obeys…

·      The one who loves, also follows the commands…

Do I have a love that is obedient…?
… happy to undertake the various duties and responsibilities entrusted to me and fulfilling them to the best of my capabilities.
… willing to listen to each other’s needs and be sensitive to the concerns and wishes of the other

2. A Love that is sacrificial
Jesus says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15: 13)

Jesus showed the depth of His love by undertaking the highest sacrifice of His own life.

>> And he enjoins the same principle of Sacrificial Love to His disciples too.

·      The one who loves, also offers and foregoes some luxuries and securities…

·      The one who loves, also gives up many of the comforts and personal desires…

Do I have a love that is sacrificial?
… willing to lay down one’s bias and prejudices, dying to one’s evil inclinations, putting to sword one’s bad habits that takes away from God and making adjustments of one’s self-desires to make way for God’s plans in life.
… allowing my ego or selfish desires to take a back seat and bring into focus what is true, right and just?

3. A Love that is fruitful

Jesus says, “.. I chose and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain… ” (Jn 15: 16)

Jesus showed the quality of His love by displaying the fruits of compassion, tender mercy, an accommodating heart, gentleness and generosity.

>> And he enjoins the same principle  of Fruitful Love to His disciples too.

·      The one who loves, also bears fruits of patience, kindness, self-control and faithfulness…

·      The one who loves, also lives a life that radiates the fruits of joy, generosity and peace…

Do I have a love that is fruitful?
… bearing fruits that witness God’s love by promoting unity and harmony and attracting many to the tender mercy of the Lord by a life of passion and zeal.
… showering forth fruits that sweeten the hearts of our loved ones and causes greater affections of commitment and faithfulness.

The Lord has loved us tremendously… with a love that is obedient, sacrificial and fruitful.
>> Each of us is to possess this same treasure of love.

·      Love binds every brokenness..

·      Love joins every divorced situation…

·      Love unites every ruptured circumstance…

May the Lord enable us to be filled from His fountain of love and share His joy and peace to a world that is broken and seeks for consolation, comfort and calm!

May the Lord fill us with an awareness of the sanctity and supremacy of Marriage and help us to persevere in, to preserve,and to promote this Sacred Sacrament.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

It was a one-day convention on inner-healing.

The people who were participating were given helium-filled balloons, and told to release them, at some point during the prayer service, when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts.   

>> Through the day, there were some balloons that ascended.

But by the end of the day, it was found that more than forty percent of the balloons were unreleased.

The reason: Those people were unable to let go off their inner bitterness and sorrows.

What about us…
… Are we in a position to let go of our balloons, in order to witness our joy in the Lord?

The Gospel of the Day invites us to reflect on the theme of “Joy in the Lord”.. with two instances of rejoicing:
>> The Disciples rejoicing after their successful mission experience
>> Jesus rejoicing in the Holy Spirit and thanking His Father for His Infinite Wisdom

One of the essential hallmarks of a Christian is a Life of Joy.

This was the experience of the Disciples, when they returned back from the mission.

>> They had enjoyed success in their ministry…
>> They had a sense of satisfaction in the works that they had done…

They realised that it was the power of the Lord that enabled them to taste success and relish triumph.

So they rejoiced greatly, saying: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of Your Name” (Lk 10: 17)

Do we also rejoice, by seeing the hand of the Lord in the success and achievements of our lives….?

… knowing that whatever we achieve, is ultimately not just due to our hard-work and efforts; rather, was the result of our co-operation to the grace of God!
… recognising that all our talents and opportunities are gifted by God to exhibit His Glory and Honour!

Our Blessed Lord, however also tells the Disciples to go beyond the peripheral joys and happiness in life; instead to rejoice in the Spirit.

St Luke would testify this in the words: “At that very moment, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth…'” (Lk 10: 21)

This then is what we too are expected to imitate from the Lord: Rejoicing in the Spirit.

St Paul would beautifully explicate this, when he says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil 4: 4)

Our life is to be an inspiring exhibition of the Joy in the Lord and Rejoicing in the Spirit.

Do we radiate joy…
… in our encounter with one another, and spread the cheer of life?
… even in the midst of hardships, knowing that we have a God who is deeply caring for us?
… thanking the Lord for His blessing, above all, for the gift of Himself in the Word and the Sacraments?

There is, without doubt, many reasons for us to be grumpy, to complain and to feel resentment in life.

But can we allow the power of the Lord to enamour us, and realise that beyond all these, we have a reason to celebrate and to rejoice…
… knowing that God is with us, to ensure success in our journey of life, with our wholehearted co-operation
… knowing that God is the greatest reason to be happy and the treasure of life Who deserves every glory

Can we let go our balloons in order to display Christian joy and happiness in life?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”

All love to have friends who make life more interesting and joyful by their presence.
>> The journey of life gets more easy and exciting with the presence of friends.

Our spiritual journey too follows this concept…

God, the author of life, in His all-powerful Wisdom, has blessed each of us with a friend.
>> A friend who accompanies us. A friend who strengthens us. A friend who helps us….

This friend is known as “The Guardian Angel“

Today, Holy Mother the Church celebrates the Feast of “The Guardian Angel“

The Church in her teachings affirms and assures that “from its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by watchful care and intercession of the angels. Beside each believer, stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 336)

From the first moments of our existence, the Guardian Angel has been with us…

> At our birth, the Guardian Angel was elated at the dawn of a new life…

> At our Baptism, the Guardian Angel was pleased to have us join God’s Family…

>At our Confession, the Guardian Angel was delighted to have us back to God’s holiness…

>At our Holy Communion, the Guardian Angel rejoiced in us, receiving the Loving Lord…

>At our Confirmation, the Guardian Angel was joyful in us, being strengthened in the Spirit…

> At our Marriage, Profession/Ordination, the Guardian Angel was happy with our way of life..

> At our final moments, the Guardian Angel will be with us to strengthen and console us…

At every stage and step of our life, God has blessed us with this beautiful companion to ” to guide and protect us through life and to lead us safely to our Eternal Home.“

The Lord wants each one of us to be walking in His presence and be safe from the snares of the Evil.
>> And for this purpose, He has blessed us with a the beautiful image of the Guardian Angel…

> An Angel is a being, a person  – one who has an intelligence and a free will.
> An Angel thinks…but clearer than we do….An Angel loves..but dearly than we do.

How does a Guardian Angel guard us?

Through gentle inspirations…

In the hard moments of doubts and confusion…
>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with words of clarity and understanding.

In the dark situations of hopelessness and resignations…
>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with the light of God’s hope and strength.

In the narrow tunnels of losing faith and giving up…
>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with comforting words and counsels.

In the unfaithful times of going away from doing God’s will through sin…
>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with strong urges to come back to God’s ways.

In the daily moments of facing a choice of doing good or bad…
>> The Guardian Angel gently inspires us with showing what is more beneficial and valuable.

The Guardian Angels do not force us.
> The Guardian Angels do respect our free wills.

But the Guardian Angels do long for us to always walk in God’s power and presence.

The Feast of the Guardian Angels is an opportunity for us to increase in our devotion and fondness for this “friend” whom God has blessed each one of us with.

The Feast of the Guardian Angels is also an opportunity for us to increase in our duty and responsibility of becoming a guardian, a friend and a guide to one another.

There are many whom we know who struggle with difficulties…problems…faith-issues…financial difficulties..mental problems..emotional breakdowns…

>> The Feast is a reminder to each one of us, to become a Guardian to all…

Jesus, through the Gospel of the day on this Feast day says… “See that YOU DO NOT DESPISE one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Mt 18:10).

“Not despising” someone not only includes avoiding putting down or humiliating or causing scandal to others etc….but on a positive sense, means to encourage, promote and strengthen one another.

>>> A true friend is the one who really cares…when the whole world despises.

We have a responsibility to be a True Guardian to each other in our life on the earth.

God has also blessed each one of us, with a True Friend, in our Guardian Angel.
>> Let us grow in reverence and love for our Dear Spiritual Friend.
>> Let us invoke the assistance of this friend in our works, on meeting people, on going to different places etc.

May we grow in our awareness, as St John Vianney would say, ” When we are walking in the streets, let us fix our eyes on Our Lord bearing his Cross before us; on the Blessed Virgin who is looking at us; on our Guardian Angel who is by our side.“

Happy Feast to our Dear Friend, the Guardian Angel ..and to each one of us!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

Here is a creative invitation letter….

“Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and earth, Sovereign Ruler of the World…
… and the Most Glorious Virgin Mary, Queen and Princess of the heavenly Court…

… wish to invite you to the wedding of their Divine Son Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to Mademoiselle Thérèse Martin…

… now Lady and Princess of the kingdoms brought as dowry by her Divine Spouse, namely, the Childhood of Jesus and His Passion, of nobility being the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.

Monsieur Louis Martin, proprietor and owner of the domains of suffering and humiliation…
… and Madame Martin, princess and lady of honour of the heavenly court…

… wish to invite you to the wedding of their daughter Thérèse to Jesus, the Word of God, second person of the Blessed Trinity…

… who, through the operation of the Holy Spirit, became man and was born of the Virgin Mary!

Being unable to invite you to assist at the nuptial blessing which was bestowed on them on the mountain of Carmel (the heavenly court being alone admitted there)…
… they beg you, nonetheless…

… to be present at the return from the wedding which will take place tomorrow, on the day of Eternity…

… to which Jesus, the Son of God, will come on the clouds of Heaven to judge the living and the dead.

(The hour being still uncertain, you are invited to hold yourselves in readiness and to watch.)”

This was the letter written by St Theresa of Child Jesus, in the days of preparation of her Final Commitment to Jesus, in the consecrated life.

A letter…
… highly simply, yet deeply concentrated in mysticism and spirituality
… highly childlike, yet reverberating with immense love and passion for the Lord

Today, as we celebrate the Feast of this Amazingly Passionate lover of the Lord – St Therese of Child Jesus (St Therese of Liseux)

She is a saint…
… little in structure and deeds, but gigantic in her love of the Lord!
… unnoticed and unseen, but tremendously revered and loved for her way of love!

We live in an age that relishes and appreciates insights related to growth, maturity, accountability and responsibility.

>> There is a love to hear “high” theology…
>> There is a craze to talk “systematic” thoughts…
>> There is an interest to discuss “complex” spiritualities..

Not that these are bad or not to be promoted…but these “mature” talks ought not to take one away from the basic aim of true spirituality: Love God and Loving Neighbour!

There is a tendency that these “advanced” talks get jammed with only peripheral talks & fails to translate into true action & deeds.
>> It is here, that our Little Saint of the Day invites us to find a new freshness and sparkle in Spirituality.

> She is the Little Saint who dared to love the Big God!
> She is the Big Saint who presents to us the Little Way!

This Little Way of the Big Li’l Saint resonates with the Gospel of the Day when Jesus invites and declares that unless one becomes like a little child, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

For a child, everything is big!
>> The toys that one plays..the food that one eats..the houses that one sees…
>> Even the ones who take care… And especially, the ones closes to the child..probably, the parents….are very big too!

… They mean everything for the Child.
… They signify the ultimate for the Child.

This is the child-likeness to which The Little Flower grew.
> Her child-likeness has God as the Centre of her world…

>> God means everything for this Little Saint.
>> God signifies the ultimate for this Little Saint!

She saw herself as ‘a child’ but energized by God who directed her journey in faith.

> Her child-likeness does not promote childishness or immaturity or passivity.
>> Her child-likeness encourages deeper trust and maturity and enthusiasm.

This spirituality of the Little Way sounds too simple….and too little..
> But in fact and in practise, is a highly challenging one…

… Is God the centre of my world, when I get drunk with a sinful and immoral life?

… Is God the centre of my world, when I get over dependant on my material riches?

… Is God the centre of my world, when I bank upon my own wisdom in my works?

… Is God the centre of my world, when I insist on doing my will, over the Will of God?

Little Therese of Child Jesus, the Little Saint is also the Big Saint of Love!

The Little lover of God invites us…
… to adorn all our words with love
… to embrace all our actions with love
… to beautify all our thoughts with love

>> It could be speaking with friends…interacting with fellow workers…discussing some business matters..enjoying with family members..

>> It could be doing household works…handling massive finances…studying various subjects…performing some spiritual activites…

>> It could be thinking some philosophical views…reflecting about some people…considering about some situations…imagining some circumstances…dreaming some visions….

… Whatever be our words..or actions…or thoughts….let them be embellished in LOVE!

The Little Way…  Sounds simple, but not so simple in practise, right?

Yet, there is much simplicity…cos God remains at the centre of every effort and attempt!

> There is much sentimentality, no doubt.
> There is much simplicity, no doubt.

But with or without all those feelings, the Little Way simply tells us to have God at the Centre of Everything…and do all in Love!

Love demands a fidelity in the countless mundane ‘little’ things of daily life
> The Little Way doesn’t eliminate Heroism, rather it’s brought within the reach of the poor.

The rains of love ought to shower every aspect of ordinary everyday life.

The Little Flower dares to throw “petals” at the Loving Lord…
> These petals even considered “worthless petals” by the world – a little sacrifice, a gentle smile, a kind word, an appreciative action!

Sometimes, these “worthless petals” are nothing more than a faithful effort.

But this fact of “having tried”, a good will “to do good”…. all these petals please the Lord!

Let us join the Little Saint to tread the Little Way.
>> She promised to “shower roses” on the way to those who dare…

As a child, let us hold the hands of this Li’l Big Saint to love deeper the Big Big God of Love!

Lets live Love to give Love!
>> Lets live Jesus to give Jesus!

Happy Feast of the Beautiful Little Flower!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

There is a non-fictional self-help book by Napoleon Hill named ‘Think and grow rich’.

There is a lovely story in this book, which goes thus….

A long while ago, a great warrior faced a situation which made it necessary for him to make a decision which insured his success on the battlefield.

He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe, whose men outnumbered his own.

He loaded his soldiers into boats, sailed to the enemy’s country, unloaded soldiers and equipment, then gave the order to “burn the ships” that had carried them.

Addressing his men before the first battle, he said, “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!”

History says that they won the battle!

Any person who wishes to find success in any undertaking much be willing to “burn his ships” and to cut off all sources of turning back…

Only thus, can one be sure of maintaining a “burning desire” to win!

The Gospel of the Day highlights on this aspect of making a complete commitment to the cause of the Kingdom of God and being prepared to face any challenges in being faithful to this dedication!

Jesus says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Lk 9: 62)

Our Blessed Lord speaks of three areas of “giving-up” in our Christian life…

1. The “Giving-Up” of personal security

The Lord says, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” ( Lk 9: 58)

The life of Jesus was characterised by a lack of personal security.

>> It is to this life of “poverty” that our Blessed Lord invites each one of us too….
… in the sense of knowing that our Loving Father will provide for us, with our genuine co-operation
… in the sense of not being anxious or over-worried over the concerns of life
… in the sense of depending on the Lord for the necessities of life

2. The “Giving-Up” of personal gains

The Lord says, “Let the dead bury the dead” (Lk 9: 60)

This was in response to the man who said, “let me go first and bury my father”.

This statement was a common way of saying, “Let me wait until I receive my inheritance from my father!”

.
It was an excuse of “economics and finance” that the man was trying to furnish, to evade the Kingdom responsibility!

>> Jesus calls us to a life of “obedience” to his Will…
… in the sense of letting go of personal gains and profits for His sake
… in the sense of curbing our selfish wantings and cravings

3.  The “Giving-Up” of personal relationships

The Lord says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Lk 9: 62)

This was in response to the man who said, “I will follow you Lord, but first let me say farewell to my home”

>> Jesus calls us to a life of being “chaste” to His Divine Love…
… in the sense of prioritizing Him above all other relations
… in the sense of giving the Lord the first place in life

We ought to have a “burning desire” as the missionaries of the Kingdom, to spread God’s Word and make Him loved more!

Martin Luther King Jr. said:
“Consider that people are like tea bags.
They don’t know their own strength until they get into hot water”

It is essential, therefore that we “burn our ships” of comfort and personal wishes, so that we can be better imitators of Him, Who demands that we be zealous in our journey towards perfection.

May we seek the intercession of St Jerome, whose feast we celebrate today, who would say:
“Good, better, best.
Never let it rest.
‘Til your good is better and your better is best.”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

The Church professes and proclaims Her faith in God which is encapsulated in the Nicene Creed.

The Nicene Creed begins with the proclamation, “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE.”

>> The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Three Archangels – St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael.

Archangels are one of the nine choirs of angels. (cf. Eph 1:21, Col 1:16)
In ascending order, the choirs or classes are 1) Angels, 2) Archangels, 3) Principalities, 4) Powers, 5) Virtues, 6) Dominations, 7) Thrones, 8) Cherubim, and 9) Seraphim.

The Feast of the Three Archangels – St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael is an opportunity to learn more about them and to grow in deeper devotion and fondness for them.

St. Michael
>> The name of the archangel Michael means, in Hebrew, “Who is like unto God?”

St Michael is known as “the prince of the heavenly host.”
He is usually pictured as a strong warrior, dressed in armour.

St Michael makes an appearance in the Bible on four occasions:
> In Dan 10:13 and in Dan 12:1, he appears as the special guardian of the people of Israel.
> In Jude 9, he appears in a dispute with the Devil.
> In Rev 12:7-9, he fights against Satan and his evil forces.

What does St Michael teach us?
… St Michael teaches us to depend on the power of God in our battle against the forces of Satan
… St Michael teaches us to guard ourselves against the disguises and snares of evil forces.
… St Michael teaches us to become a guard and protector of our fellow brothers and sisters.

St Gabriel
>> The name of the archangel Gabriel means, in Hebrew, “God is my strength”
St Gabriel is known as a “messenger of God”
He is usually pictured announcing something and sometimes with a lily or a sceptre.

St Gabriel makes an appearance three times in the Bible:

> In Dan 8:15–26 and  9:21–27, he appears to Daniel to explain his visions
> In Lk 1:11-38, he appears to Zechariah and Mary to deliver the good news from God

… St Gabriel invites us to listen to God’s voice and inspirations through various sources.
… St Gabriel invites us to find courage in situations of fear, by trusting in God’s Providence.
… St Gabriel invites us to be open to surprises and wonders the Lord works in our lives.

St Raphael
>> The name of the archangel Raphael means, in Hebrew, “God has healed?”

St Raphael is known as “a wonderful helper and fellow traveller”
He is usually pictured walking with a young boy, sometimes carrying a staff.

> St Raphael makes many appearance in the Book of Tobit in the Bible:
> St Raphael appears disguised in human form as the travelling companion of Tobias, the son of Tobit.

… St Raphael inspires us to discover God as the healing balm in our afflictions and hardships.
… St Raphael inspires us to walk boldly with God in all the terrains and valleys and paths of life.
… St Raphael inspires us to trust in God in seemingly hopeless and impossible hurdles of life.

Let the celebration of this Feast of the Three Archangels – St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael help us to grow in our love for our heavenly friends.

>> The Lord wants us to grow in holiness.
>> The Lord wants us to be protected in His care.
>> The Lord wants to be fearless in being His beloved Child.

May the Archangels help us in this our journey of life.

Happy Feast of the Holy Archangels!

God Bless! Live Jesus!