“With faith and hope, leaving all to God’s Holy Will in all our prayers!”

(Based on Gen 18:20-32, Col 2:12-14 and Lk 11:1-13 – Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C)

One day, a lady was giving some lessons to her little nephew.

He was generally a good, attentive child.

But on this occasion he could not fix his mind on the lessons.

The child had actually lost one of his favourite marbles and was disturbed by it.

So after a little while of distraction, the little boy suddenly said: “Aunty, may I kneel down and ask God to help me find my marble?”

His aunt gave her consent.

The little boy knelt by his chair, closed his eyes, and prayed silently.

Then he rose and went on with his lessons contentedly.

Next day, with fear that the child had not found his toy, and so might lose his simple faith, the lady gently asked him: “Well, dear, have you found your marble?”

“No, Aunty,” was the reply, “but God has made me not want to!”

What a beautiful reply, isn’t it?

God does not always answer our prayers in the way we wish or expect!

But if we are sincere in our prayers to Him… “He will take from us the desire for what is contrary to His Will…
… and give us faith and hope to leave all to His Holy Will!”

What is our understanding of Prayer?

The Gospel of the day is a beautiful invitation…
… To understand Prayer
… And to grow in being a Person of Prayer

The Gospel passage begins with Jesus “praying in a certain place” (Lk 11: 1a)…
… and His disciples asking Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11: 1b)

Here is an interesting notion that is observed even in our daily lives: EMULATION

EMULATION is a quality prevalent in many areas of our life…

A child emulates the styles and mannerisms of the parents

A student emulates the virtues of his/her teacher and forms an ideal
Lovers seek to emulate qualities in the other to be more and more like them
People emulate the style statements and lifestyles of their heroes (role models)

The disciples of every Jewish Rabbi also had a deep desire to emulate their Master.

This included how the Rabbi appeared, his eating styles, his Sabbath observational manners, what he liked and disliked, his mannerisms and his preferences.
The Rabbi would also teach and emphasize certain aspects of the prayers that he considered most important, depending on his outlook and approach to God.

Thus, we see the disciples of Jesus, the Rabbi also come to Him… to emulate Him

They had seen their Master often resorting to long hours of prayer
They had observed their Master interceding to the Father on important occasions
They had experienced their Master as One Who was in communion with the Father through prayer

And so, seeing their Master in prayer – wanting to emulate Him – they ask Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Lk 11: 1b)

Here is also an important lesson for us…

Do we want our children to pray?
… As parents, we must be rooted in prayer and children should see us praying

Do we want our parishes to be more vibrant and co-operative?
… The priests especially and the faithful should live as persons of prayer

Do we want our religious communities to be houses of peace and joy?
… The community members have a bounden duty to spend time in personal and community prayer

As Christians, we have a duty to be persons of Prayer…
… being in communion with the Father
… seeking His Will at all times
… living joyfully, knowing that the Father cares for us

The relationship that Jesus emphasizes in prayer is that of God as a Father…

A Loving Father
… Who cares and loves us much!
A Merciful Father
… Who never abandons us and always wants us to be close to Him!

What is therefore needed in prayer, “is a raising of one’s heart to the Father in love”

Jesus in the Gospel, further teaches on prayer, through a parable:

A friend who knocks at the door of his friend at an odd hour in the night, seeking for help (Lk 11: 5-8)

The man had an unforeseen guest, and so he went to his friend seeking for help

This man had the goodwill to serve his guest…
… but did not have the resources to help.

Very often, we ourselves land up into such situations, isn’t it?

We have “guests” coming in different forms….

People with problems and difficulties who approach us for help and assistance
Moments of uncertainty and insecurity that diverts our minds to it
Situations of sicknesses or crisis which seek our attention

In all those situations, we ask ourselves: “What can I do?”

But we need to realise, and be convinced: “The best thing a Christian can do… is to pray!”

In all moments of hardships and difficulties…
… we need to rush to God, our Great Neighbour and cry out to Him, “A friend has come, and I have nothing to set before him.“

Such moments become occasions when we realise…
… Necessity for God and Dependence of God are two essential constituents of Prayer

We thus become persons of Prayer…
… the more we sense the need for God in our life and the more we depend on Him
… the more we know that God is everything for us and the more we know He knows what’s best for us!

Of course, it does not mean that God, our Great neighbour, is sleeping and that He has to be awakened from his slumber…
… or that He has to be forced to render us help.

The point of the parable is that: When we realise we have a Friend Who is most needed for me and on Whom I can depend on…
… Whatever be the time of my life, I will go to Him
… Whatever be the situation I face in life, I present myself to Him

Thus prayer becomes…
… not simply an exercise or an obligation to be fulfilled
… not simply a remedial measure in our moments of struggle

But prayer becomes…
… a time of sharing and presenting ourselves, always, to the Lord seeking His Will
… a moment when we love the Lord more and perceive His plan for us in our life
… a time of self-introspection to weed away anything unbecoming of His Love

The Lord is a Loving Father, Who loves our prayer not because of hard-heartedness…
… but because He thirsts that we spend more time with Him, in His presence!

God’s Love for us… is and ought to become the greatest reason for us to pray!

And so Jesus says, “Ask, Seek and Knock” (Lk 11: 9)

Ask… to come to know that we depend on God for everything
Seek… to continually declare that we wish His Will to be done in our lives
Knock… to surrender ourselves to Him knowing that He is always available for us!

Prayer, is thus, always influential and transformative…
… making us to bend our wills to His Will
… causing us to amend our ways, to have our lives resonant with His Will

Yes, if we are sincere in our prayers to Him…

“He will take from us the desire for what is contrary to His Will…
… and give us Faith and Hope, to leave all to His Holy Will!”

Let us give to the words of St Teresa of Avila:
“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!”
May the Lord help us to grow in our understanding of prayer and to always be Persons of Prayer!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. (CCC # 2270)

“Responding to God’s Great Graces and reaching out to the world with hope and faith and love like the little couple of ‘St Anne and Joachim!’”

(Based on Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

All of us at some time or the other, have come across Family pictures…
… the one bearing many generations of family members

The grandfather and grandmother… with their sons and daughters and their spouses and their little children etc.

Perhaps, some of us have such family portraits or pictures with us.

Every such Family Photo gives a nostalgic feel…

Those are not mere printed papers….
They contain legacies
They are filled with memories
They give a glimpse of the past: struggles, disappointments, mistakes, events hard to acknowledge….
They give an inkling to the future: love, laughter, hope, blessings…
They are a witness to the present: unity, fellowship, brokenness, anger….

A family photo also reveals… the Presence of the Higher Being – God…
… Who has worked in unknown yet amazing ways.

His presence is very much seen in many of our family situations.

Hard situations converted to moments of grace
Tough times transformed to strengthening situations

A family photo has it all…..

Today we gaze at the Family Photo of our Beloved Saviour.

We specially recall and cherish the Blessings of God, bestowed on the privileged Grandparents of Jesus & the Parents of Blessed Mother Mary…
… St Anne and St Joachim.

Hardly anything is known about Saint Ann and Saint Joachim.

Their photos are blurred and hazy
They’re absent in the Bible.
There are stories and legends that have come down to us through the ages and tradition.

Though we don’t know many details about the life of this couple, we can firmly assume a few things:

They were simple people of great hope looking for the Coming of the Messiah…
Their faith in God was the guiding force of their lives!

The lives of Saints Joachim and Anne remain shrouded in mystery, lost to history.

But one thing, we know with certainty: The legacy of their daughter, Mary – the Woman entrusted by God the Father to become the Mother of God.

It was their teaching that would have helped Mamma Mary to say Her “Fiat” – Yes, to God.

It was their upbringing that helped Mamma Mary to stand firm in the midst of unforeseen events.
It was their example that helped Mamma Mary to be strong in the face of immense pain and sufferings!

Yes, God chose two very unlikely individuals – Anne & Joachim – to help in His Plan for the Salvation of the world.

Is God looking at you and me at this moment…..?

Like He chose this insignificant Couple….
… He looks at each of us – in hope and expectation

Let us look at our Family Photo…
…not just of the blood-related family, but the whole Human Family
There are many faces dejected…
There are many hearts broken…
There are many souls in sin…
There are many lives shattered…
There are many minds confused…
There are many wills unrepentant…
There are many bodies abused…
There are many characters in filth…

As people of the Kingdom, we need to understand the power of “little things becoming big, with God’s Great Grace!”…
… just like the “grain of mustard seed…” (Cf. Mt 13:31 ff)

The Lord is calling us like the “little couple” of St Anne and Joachim to reach out to this human family…
… and to fill the world with hope and faith and love!

Pope Benedict XVI says: “Often we are led to believe that sainthood – holiness – is reserved to a few chosen ones

Saintliness, the fullness of Christian life, does not consist in the achievement of extraordinary feats, but in uniting oneself with Christ… in making his disposition… his behaviour… our own!”

Saints Ann and Joachim saw the mighty hand of God at work in their lives.

They heard God’s voice yet wondered how God could possibly use them.
They stepped forth in faith, not knowing where the journey led…

But God rewarded them with the Beautiful and Precious Daughter – Mary!

Today they gladly rejoice in being blurred, yet significant characters in the Divine Family Portrait – glittered and ‘halo’ed and dazzling….
… with the Grandeur of Jesus , the King of Kings, their Precious Grandchild….
… and the loveliness of Mary, the Queen of all hearts, their beloved daughter!

Happy Feast of Mamma’s parents to all.

May their Li’l Divine Prince Bless us! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.
From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person…

… among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life. (CCC # 2270)

“Like St James, having Jesus as the Best Friend of our life!”

(Based on the Feast of St James, the Apostle)

A class of Standard Five students were being taught the value of friendship.

At the end of the class, the teacher, while revising, asked the children to give a short definition of friendship.

Little Jane lifted up her hand and replied:
“A friend is someone who knows all about you…
… lavishes love on you, for being just as you are
… and yet, gently leads you, to become better than what you are!”

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful account of Jesus, the True Friend who lavishes His Love for His disciples…
… and yet, gently, leads them to become better disciples!

The Gospel narrative begins with the mother of Apostles James and John, requesting the Lord to grant her children a privileged place in the Kingdom.

In her tenderness and affection as a mother, she wished that her children be always close to the Lord…

But the Lord replied: “You do not know what you are asking!” (Mt 20:22)

The Lord was inviting the mother… and the disciples… and each one of us to understand…
… “What it really means to be close to the Lord!”

Did they really know what it meant to be close to the Lord?

Do I really know what it means to be close to the Lord?

St James had enjoyed a privileged place in the Band of the Apostles of Jesus.

He was in the Core Group – one of the Three – Peter and John being the other two- who had the opportunity to be with the Lord in some of His special and extraordinary moments.

Raising the dead daughter of Jairus
Transfiguration on the mountain top
Moments of praying and agony in the Garden of Gethsemane

James was indeed physically close to the Lord…

But the Lord today invites, with much love and affection…
James and his brother John
Their mother
The disciples
… and each one of us

To really realize the meaning, of asking “to be closer to Him”

Being close to the Lord means: Making changes in our lifestyle and to be in accord with the Will of God!

Look at the lives of Mother Mary… St Joseph… St Paul… St Peter… St Matthew

Being close to the Lord means: To get out of comfort zones & taking risks in life, for Christ’s sake!

Look at the lives of the Good Samaritan… Nicodemus… Simon of Cyrene

Being close to the Lord means: Giving up a sinful life and amending our ways to seek for holiness!

Look at the lives of Zacchaeus… the Woman caught in adultery… the Samaritan Woman… the Good Thief…

Being close to the Lord means: Embracing sufferings that come our way, seeing the Providence of God!

Look at the lives of Mother Mary… St John the Baptist… St Stephen… St Paul…

In asking to be close to the Lord, we also say that…
… Yes Lord, I will share in your cup of suffering.
… Yes Lord, I will join you on the way of the Cross
… Yes Lord, I will unite with your death on the Cross!

The mother of John and James realized this…
That’s why we find her….at the Foot of the Cross (Mt 27:56)

She understood.
She got close to Jesus.
She remained till the end.
She drank the Cup!

John also realized this…
That’s we find him, according to tradition, suffering during the Roman Persecution

[He understood.
He got close to Jesus.
He remained till the end.
He drank the Cup!

James also realized this…
That’s why we find him, killed by the sword, in witness to Christ, His Master (Acts 12:2)

He understood.
He got close to Jesus.
He remained till the end.
He drank the Cup!

The Lord also promises…

He who shares my cup, also shares my Glory!
He who shares my cross, also shares my Rising!

The Apostle James, went close to the Lord, drank the Cup…
… and he shares in the Joy of the Lord

Today, he intercedes and invites and beckons us…

To come closer to the Lord…
… and share in the Lord’s Joy and Glory!

Are we willing to be close…really close…
… to Jesus, our Beloved Friend?

He is our Best Friend “Who knows all about us…
… lavishes His love on us, for being just as we are
… and yet, gently leads us, to become better than what we are!”

Feast Day Greetings of the Apostle St James!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

Unintentional killing is not morally imputable.
But one is not exonerated from grave offense if, without proportionate reasons, he has acted in a way that brings about someone’s death…

… even without the intention to do so. (CCC # 2269)

“Hearing, knowing and discovering Jesus!”

(Based on Exod 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20b and Mt 13:10-17- Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Let’s begin our reflection today with one verse prior..

Jesus in Mt 13:9 says, “He who has ears, let him hear!”

Two ones are two
Two twos are four
Two threes are six
Two fours are eight
Two fives are ten….

Remember having learnt the multiplication table by constant, loud repeating until you knew them by heart?

When we hear what we say, it gets into our heart….

It’s vital to hear well, so that it gets drilled into our heart!

It is interesting to notice how the Bible often uses some part of the human body to make an important spiritual observation or illustrate an principal Biblical truth…
… as does this verse: “He who has ears, let him hear!”

“God has given us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we talk.”

The Bible talks in many places about this very practical and crucial habit of listening.

Jesus, the teacher-par-excellence, reminds His listeners to become aware of the Importance of hearing…
… and hearing it fully and well!

Jesus lived in times when technological advancements were still a distant reality.

Memory Chips, Recording Devices, Video Capturing Units were nowhere in use.

To communicate a message and instill it in the memory of the people was not an easy task….

But Jesus is the great illustrator – the Master Story Teller!

He loved to use common and practical examples to get His point through…

He would see the field…
… and proclaim the Parable of the Sower and related parables….

He would see the sheep…
… and enlighten with the Parable of the Good Shepherd…

He would see the vineyard…
… and impart the Parable of the Vineyard…

He would see the many day-to-day items…
… and convey the Parables of the Mustard Seed, the Salt, the Light, the Leaven, the Hidden Treasure, the Lost Coin….etc….

Jesus painted pictures in the minds of His listeners – a classical artist indeed!

But why Parables?

Jesus says, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven has been granted to you, but not to them!” (Mt 13:11)…
… and quotes Isaiah, “they look but they do not see and hear but do not listen or understand!” (Mt 13:14)

Is Jesus wanting to keep the people away from believing?

Certainly No!

Let us look to Prophet Isaiah to get clarity on this verse…

Prophet Isaiah was ridiculed and mocked by his listeners for being too plain and simple in his message!

His critics in fact, even accuses him of talking childish language.. “Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast??” ( Is 28:9)

And despite this simple and plain talk, his listeners failed to listen…
… they became hard-hearted!

And it is in answer to this cold response, that He encountered from people, especially the Pharisees, that Jesus quotes prophet Isaiah, “You shall indeed hear but not understand.. you shall indeed look, but never see!”

What a pity…
… when we hear, and yet pretend not to have heard!
What a tragedy…
… when we see, and act as if we are blind!

It happens all too often in our lives too…

Smoking is dangerous to health…
… but people still puff up their lives in smoke!
Drinking is harmful to good living…
… but people melt away their lives down the drain!
Seat belts and helmets save lives…
… but people don’t use and risk their lives in accidents & disasters!

We know…
… yet we fail to act

We see…
… yet we are blind

We hear…
… yet we are deaf!

Our conscience acts similar….

The first time we do something we know is wrong, we feel a stab, warning us…
The next time we do the same wrong thing, the stab becomes a little less intense….
But if we continue in this way, our conscience becomes deadened and we no longer feel any guilt at all…

As Jesus spoke Parables to unbelievers, they resisted His message and their hearts became more hardened!

To those who are open to the truth and those who are spiritually eager
… the Parables are a great teaching.
To those closed in their minds and inflated in pride
… the Parables are mere kids stories to be discarded!

Jesus wants us to hear…and know..and discover Him!

Am I really hearing?
Am I really seeing?

Am I really open to discover the Divine Truths?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment – Respect for human life

The acceptance by human society of murderous famines, without efforts to remedy them…
… is a scandalous injustice and a grave offense.
Those whose usurious and avaricious dealings lead to the hunger and death of their brethren in the human family…

… indirectly commit homicide, which is imputable to them. (CCC # 2269)

“Simply sowing, with the Divine Sower, in his mad generosity!”

(Based on Exod 16:1-5, 9-15 and Mt 13:1-9 – Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

If variety is the spice of life…
… simplicity is the essence of life.

If humour is the flavour of life…
… simplicity is the base of life.

If cheerfulness is the seasoning in life…
… simplicity is the spirit of life!

Simple things, always go a long way in life…
… isn’t it?

Our God is the God of simplicity

He is the God of small things!

The Lord of Simplicity and Smallness loves to expound His beautiful and profound teaching of the Kingdom of God…
… through the simple and small objects of life.

In today’s Gospel, a Mighty Teaching is delivered through the medium of…
… the Tiny seed
… the insignificant soil
… and the unnoticed Sower!

Certain simple things of life remain in the background, until a strong gaze is fixed on them…
… to realize its worth and importance.

Is this not true even in our day to day lives?

The simple acts of sacrifice and love done by the members of the family
The unseen efforts of a number of workers ensuring cleanliness and safety in society
The quiet acts of service rendered by those working in our institutions and places of work
… all these simple aspects of life often remain forgotten and unrecognized, unless we consciously make an effort to remember and thank them!

And so today’s Gospel begins with the verse… “A Sower went out to sow and as he sowed….”

Full Stop!

We don’t hear of this Sower anymore in the Parable.

There is much written on the type of soil…
There in enough written on seeds that are broadcasted…
There is a fair mention also of the produce…
… But what about the Sower?

So, today, let’s focus the camera of our reflection today….on the generally unnoticed Sower…

This Sower has a stand out quality:

He is…
… lavish in His generosity
… extravagant in His big-heartedness
… and sumptuous in His Kindness!

Though seasoned in His profession of sowing the Seeds, the Sower, bountifully, broadcasts the Seeds on all sorts of soil…

Look closer….

He doesn’t make an account of the number of seeds lost…
He doesn’t tally the wastage that will be incurred…
He doesn’t bill the produce that will result…

He just does one thing… HE SOWS!

Is HE mad??

Seems so!

A Mad Sower….!
… A Sower Who is mad in being extremely generous, lavish and extravagant!

Who is this Sower?

GOD

The Sower is God, Who is Mad …
… mad for His children, by sowing the seeds of Mercy and Love, generously!
… mad for His people, by sowing the seeds of Forgiveness and Acceptance, lavishly!
… mad for His loved ones, by sowing the seeds of His Grace and His Spirit, extravagantly!

Now, how many of us can be like that?

Do we sow…
… when a loss is bound to happen as per human calculations?

Do we sow honesty and truthfulness…
… even if birds of injustice devour all our good intentions?

Do we sow good initiatives…
… even if there is no reward and all our endeavours are being choked?

Do we sow a kind word…
… even if we know that bad words will scorch our pure purpose?

Do we sow a loving action…
… even though the reaction is always tepid and cold and even adverse?

Do we sow help and co-operation…
… in spite of the fact that no one will appreciate our good works?

Do we sow a forgiving smile & a reconciling gesture…
… though we are deeply hurt & even wounded?

Do we sow an attitude of deep trust & confidence…
… although things are totally topsy-turvy in life?

The Sower, in the Parable, however, continued to Sow…..

He knows… “As the rains and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return, till they have watered the earth…
… the Seed will not return idle, but will accomplish the purpose for which it has been sown!” (Cf. Is 55:10-11)

Truly…
… sowing is not a very easy task
… sowing is not a rewarding enterprise!

But today, the Divine Sower, who is “madly generous,” dares us to join Him in Sowing!

Yes, it’s a simple spirituality: “Simply Sow, so as to serve the society, with satisfaction and serenity!”

Are we willing to Simply Sow, with the Divine Sower, in his Mad Generosity?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Fifth Commandment- Respect for human life

The moral law prohibits exposing someone to mortal danger without grave reason…

… as well as refusing assistance to a person in danger. (CCC # 2269)