“Being open and docile to the presence of the Lord in our lives!”

(Based on Gen 4:1-15, 25 and Mk 8:11-13 – Monday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

The Song of Bernadette is a 1943 film which dramatizes the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous.

St Bernadette, reported eighteen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Lourdes, France, from February to July 1858.

This movie begins with a prologue-dialogue, which goes thus…
“For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary.

For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible”

This statement casts light on an important aspect of the nature of faith and belief:

To those who believe, miracles are an aid…
To those choose not to believe, no miracles can come to aid!

The Gospel of the Day is clear example of this aspect of the nature of faith and belief…
… the constant refusal and adamant denial of the Pharisees to believe in Jesus

We are in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of St Mark.

Jesus performed an amazing miracle of the multiplication of the loaves…
… for about four thousand people (Mk 8:1-9)

From there, Jesus proceeds to the region of Dalmanutha (Mk 8:10)

On reaching this place, the religious leaders namely the Pharisees, came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test Him (Mk 8:11).

But the Lord responded with a “sigh, from the depth of His spirit” (Mk 8:12)

What made Jesus to respond so strongly?

Is Jesus against asking signs?
Is Jesus against having doubts?

The answer to all the questions above is…
… not in the affirmative!

Jesus is NOT necessarily against asking signs…

The Bible is in fact, a witness to many people asking for signs from God…

Gideon asked for a sign from God (Judg 6:17)
Moses asked God what sign would prove to Pharaoh that he was sent by God ( Ex 4:1)
Elijah promises what Elisha had asked for, on the condition of a sign (2 Kg 2:10)

Jesus is NOT out rightly against lack of belief or unbelief…

The unbelieving Thomas, was chided, but not condemned by Jesus, after His resurrection (Jn 20:27-28)
The lack of faith of the disciples is saddening for Jesus, but He does not reject them (Mk 4:40)
The father, whose boy was possessed with a demon was blessed with a healing, on his acknowledgment of littleness in faith (Mk 9:24)
The emotionally unsettled and wavering Peter is given another chance to prove his loyalty despite his rejection and denial of faith in Jesus (Jn 21:15-17)

Then what is Jesus against?

Jesus is terribly against those people…
… who reject faith, despite many signs and wonders that are plainly presented
… who demand for greater miracles for merely curiosity and excitement
… who make use of the powers of God for personal satisfaction and gratification
… who remain stone-hearted, unmoved and indifferent despite clear indications and signals from God.

The Pharisees represented this class of people, whom the Lord had a terrible dislike and aversion…
… because of their attitude of indifference
… because of their outlook of rejection

Am I a person who constantly rejects signs and wonders from the Lord, and fail to grow in faith?

Do I remain obstinate and indifferent to God’s powers, and fail to be open to God’s movements in my life?

The Lord is constantly speaking to us through various blessings and miracles

Let us be open and docile to Him!

Yes, let us realize, that…
“To those who believe, miracles are an aid…

To those choose not to believe, no miracles can come to aid!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The Second Commandment

The second commandment forbids false oaths.
Taking an oath or swearing is to take God as witness to what one affirms.
It is to invoke the divine truthfulness as a pledge of one’s own truthfulness.
An oath engages the Lord’s name.

“You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and swear by his Name. (CCC # 2150)

“Making an offering to the Lord so that our life-journey is assured to be in safe hands!”

(Based on Jer 17:5-8, 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20 and Lk 6:17, 20-26 – 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C)

A highly rich and influential person was privileged to be one of the special guests to undertake a 21-day cruise on a Majestic Battleship.

This ship belonged to the former Emperor of the land…
… and had been modernized with immense facilities and luxurious features.

The man was highly impressed with the comforts that were provided on board.

Among the many things that made a pleasant impact on him was also…
… the Sunday Morning Mass that was attended by all the sailors and attendants, who were not on duty.

It was more so, since the man himself was not so particular about the practise of faith.

At the conclusion of the celebration of the Holy Mass, the man asked one of the sailors:
“Are you obliged to attend these Sunday Morning services?”

“It’s not exactly about obligation, Sir!” replied the sailor…
… “but our journey is assured to be in safe hands, by this our offering to the Lord!”

Those sailors and attendants had made a conscious and deliberate choice to practise their faith…
… and to surrender themselves to the Higher Power for safety and protection.

Our lives are also similar to such cruises…
… sometimes going through calm and quiet waters
… sometimes struggling in disturbed and turbulent waters
… sometimes encountering even dangerous storms and violent gales

Do we make a constant choice for the Lord and live ourselves in surrender to Him?

The Gospel of the Day is the beautiful teaching of the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Luke…
… with a call to “hope and trust in the Lord always!”

The beatitudes are assurances of blessing and joy to all those who make a conscious choice for the Lord and His Kingdom!

Jesus says, “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God” (Lk 6:20)

One of the great messages in this verse is the Message of Hope!

The Greek word used for “poor” is “ptochos”

Ptochos means…
… reduced to beggary or asking for alms
… destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour
… helpless, powerless to accomplish an end

It’s interesting to note that this word “Ptochos” has its origin in the word “ptosso” which means “to crouch”

Therefore, the “poor” literally means, “one who is crouching”…
… a position where the knees are bent and the upper body is brought forward and down

It’s a position that is very often defied and despised, in the worldly standards, which emphasizes on being proud and haughty!

Thus, when the Lord says, “Blessed are the poor,” it is a tremendous message of Hope…
… to those who find themselves at the peripheries of life
… to those lost in the miseries of life and find no hope – materially, spiritually, mentally, socially

Of course, the word “poor” does not mean…
… that one simply becomes timid and passive or be simply submissive to any social evils without any resistance
… that one adopts an attitude of being “always hands folded” in surrender or “faces cast down” in defeat

“Poor” instead refers to the fact that one has God has one’s greatest strength and treasure

Being “poor in the Lord,” contradictory as it may sound, is the greatest richness that one can have.

Being “poor in the Lord” gives the greatest confidence to a person, who realises that being in God, one can never fail!

How true is the saying, “One who kneels before God, can stand before anyone!”

One who is aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses and yet offers oneself entirely to the power of God…
… such a one, in the eyes of the world may be “poor”… but is “Blessed” in the sight of God!

Prophet Jeremiah assures us: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water…
… that sends out its roots by the stream
… and does not fear when heat comes
… for its leaves remain green
… and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:7-8)

It takes courage to be a Christian who is committed and passionate!

Yes… “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord!” (Ps 40:5a)

Let us realise that our life in the Lord “is not about obligation…
… but our journey is assured to be in safe hands, by our offering to the Lord!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The Second Commandment

God’s Name is great when spoken with respect for the greatness of His majesty.

God’s Name is holy when said with veneration and fear of offending Him. (CCC # 2149)

“Daring to move out of the ‘zone of limitation’ and knowing that God is always with us – caring, loving and providing!”

(Based on Gen 3:9-24 and Mk 8:1-10 – Saturday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Two Christian friends were talking about their life experiences.

One of them said: “It is so very hard to trust God and to realize that His Hand is still leading us in the dark phases of our life!”

“Well”, said the other, ” if you cannot trust a person out of sight, then he/she is not worth much!
>> And if you cannot trust God in the dark, it simply shows… you don’t trust Him at all!”


That’s quite a point, isn’t it?

We find our Christian Faith often on an easy course, when things go on well.
>> But when difficulties come our way, our “trust” level is questioned.

It is in these “questionable moments of trust” that we tend to enter into a “zone of limitation”
>> We tend to think in a limited and restricted manner.
>> We tend to limit ourselves to our inadequacies and narrowness.


But God loves to challenge us to move beyond such boundaries and borders!

Yes, human beings tend to think in a limited fashion, but God loves to expand our possibilities.
>> Human beings tend to get bogged down by boundaries, but God loves to throw open our horizons.


The Gospel of the day is a clear illustration of this expansion of human horizons and possibilities, through the miracle of the feeding of loaves…
… and thus trusting Him deeper!


Jesus is with His disciples and huge crowd.
>> They are once again in a situation of having a want of feeding this huge multitude.


It’s interesting to highlight the patterns in the attitudes of Jesus and the disciples.

Jesus sees the hungry crowd and His heart moved in compassion…
>> The disciples saw the hungry crowd and probably their minds were moved in tension!

Jesus expresses His concern and care to feed the hungry crowd…
>> The disciples express their frustration and urgency to send the crowd away at the earliest!

Jesus foresaw the possibility of immense fulfilment and satisfaction in the deserted area…
>> The disciples got stuck with seeing only barrenness and emptiness in the deserted area!

Jesus moved in action, to enquire about the possibilities of feeding the people…
>> The disciples groaned in inaction at the plight of having to feed the people!


The disciples concluded impossibility by their mathematical calculations…
>> Jesus concluded possibility by His Divine calculations!

The disciples saw only the desert…
>> Jesus looked beyond – to find an oasis in the desert!


How often are we too like the disciples…
… limited in our thinking
… restricted by our inabilities
… stuck by our mental calculations

But Jesus invites us, like He did to His disciples – to look beyond…
… to look at Him who can shatter every obstacle and barrier!
… to look to Him who can expand every horizon and possibility!
… to look to Him who can turn deserts into pools and hills into highways!


Yes, we will have moments in our life which makes us to complain:
“It is so very hard to trust God and to realize that His Hand is still leading us in the dark phases of our life!”

But we are reminded by the Gospel of the Day:
“If you cannot trust a person out of sight, then he/she is not worth much!
>> And if you cannot trust God in the dark, it simply shows… you don’t trust Him at all!”


Let us dare to move out of the “zone of limitation” and trust the Lord…
… knowing He is always with us – caring, loving and providing!


God Bless! Live Jesus!

—————————–
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments  – The Second Commandment
>> Oaths which misuse God’s Name, though without the intention of blasphemy, show lack of respect for the Lord.
>> The second commandment also forbids magical use of the Divine Name. (CCC # 2149)
—————————–

“Building our lives into a beautiful edifice of His Love and Mercy!”

(Based on Gen 3:1-8 and Mk 7:31-37 – Friday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

A group of people were standing outside a very large and ornate Cathedral…
… admiring and marvelling at the fine craftsmanship
… the detail work
… the care and the love that seemed evident in building such a fine place to worship a loving God.

One of the men turned to the other in the group and asked:
“Why can’t we build so today?

Why can’t we build with such pride, such craftsmanship today?
After all, we now have better technology than back then!”

The other man gazing at the glorious edifice, replied: “Well…

They had convictions; we, mostly, only opinions!
They had passion; we, mostly, only fashion!”

How is our life of faith?

Enthusiastic… with convictions and passions?
Or monotonous… with only opinions and fashions?

The Gospel of the day presents the fruits of a convinced and passionate follower of Christ…
… with an invitation, to allow the Lord to open our hearts and lives to His Saving Love!

Jesus is back to the district of the Decapolis.

It was in this region that Jesus had healed the man who was possessed by a legion of demons (Mk 5: 1-20)

When Jesus had performed the miracle then, the people had requested Him to leave the place.
“Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their district” (Mk 5:17)

But today’s Gospel gives a contrasting picture of this people who had opposed Jesus.

The Gospel says that the people of this area, were begging Jesus to lay His hands on the deaf and dumb person! (Mk 7:32)

What had caused this dramatic change?

The people who were begging Jesus to leave their place…
… were now begging Jesus to perform a miracle!

Probably, the great witness of the man who was delivered from the legion of demons had caused about this transformation!

We hear at the end of that incident…
“And as he was getting into the boat, the man… begged Jesus that he might be with Him.

But He refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.’

And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marvelled!” (Mk 5:18-20)

Yes, when the Good News becomes a personal experience and a transformative healing encounter…
.. one is filled with a “passionate zeal” to reach it to others!

As it is said, “a spark can become a flame; a flame a fire”
… the spark of the experience of the Lord’s Power became a fire in his heart, to bring God’s Healing to many!”

This missionary endeavor of the man…
… led the people of the area to reach out to Jesus
… resulting in the healing of another man – a deaf and dumb person

Jesus in healing this deaf and dumb person, has a very peculiar style of going about.

He takes the person away from the crowd, put His fingers into the man’s ears, spitting, touched his tongue…
… lifted up His eyes to heaven, groaned and said “Ephphatha, Be Opened!” (Mk 7:33-34)

There is a very personal and intimate touch in this healing process!

It is interesting to note that in the book of Genesis, when God formed human beings…
… there was a very personal involvement from the part of God to create humans – the crown of creation.

“God formed man, out of the clay and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” (Gen 2:7)

Jesus also does something similar in the healing of the deaf and dumb person….

He very personally involves Himself.
He uses His own touch to heal and recreate the person!

Jesus is the Lord of the New Creation!

God created the world good.

Human beings spoiled it through sin.

But Jesus restores and renews the goodness!

Our ears maybe closed very often to the voice of the Spirit of the Lord

Our mouths maybe often mute to speak the power of the Lord to others.

But the Lord is ready to touch us… and renew and recreate us.

Are we ready to receive this renewing and recreating touch from the Lord?
“Ephphatha… Be Opened!”

This “Ephphatha experience” ought to help us to also reach out His care, mercy and love to many people!

The Lord wishes that we build our lives into a beautiful edifice of His Love and Mercy

But this requires us to move from opinions to convictions in faith!
It requires us to journey from mere fashions to passions in life!

14th February is popularly celebrated as Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is, of course, a day when a there is a “sudden” wave of expression of love and care and affections to the ones whom we love.

When taken in the right spirit, it becomes a day…
… of “specially” recognizing the worth of the one(s) we love, and expressing our love and affection

But our modern society unfortunately and tragically, sometimes tends to “rob” this day to be celebrated in meaningfully

External affections are unduly given greater importance, forgetting the prime duties – of commitment and faithfulness – involved with love
Advertisers and commercialists rake in massive profits with a number of external objects portraying “love”

As a Christian, Feb 14…
… is a day for us to remind ourselves to grow in the Immensity of God’s Love
… is a day for us to revive our basic duty of caring and being responsible to one another
… is a day for us to rediscover the worthiness of our lives and commit to grow in holiness

Jesus, the True Lover holds our hand, and with deep love and affection, asks us:
“Will you be My valentine forever?”

Let’s not blush… let’s not be shy…

Instead, let us, with deep faith and true commitment, pledge forever, our love to the Lover of all Hearts!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The Second Commandment

St. James condemns those “who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called.”

The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ’s Church, the saints, and sacred things. (CCC # 2148)