“Deepening our Faith in JESUS, the Bright Star – the Great I AM – Who always shines in our lives!”

(Based on Gen 17:3-9 and Jn 8:51-59 – Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent)

It is said that during the First World War, in American towns any household that had given a son to the war…
… was entitled to place a star on the window pane.

A certain man was walking down a certain avenue in New York, accompanied by his little boy.

The lad became very interested in the lighted windows of the houses, and clapped his hands whenever he saw a star at the window pane of the houses.

As they passed house after house, he would say: “Oh, look, daddy, there’s another house that has given a son to the war!

And there’s another!
There’s one with two stars!
And look, there’s a house with no star at all!”

After quite some time, they came to a some vacant places where there were no houses.

However, in the vast expanse, the evening star was seen shining brightly in the sky.

The little fellow caught his breath and with an excited exclaim said: “Oh, look, Daddy,” he cried, “God must have given His Son, for He has got a Star in His window.”

“He has indeed!’ said Daddy!

Yes, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16)

This Gift of God – Jesus, the Son of God – is the Person of controversy in today’s Gospel.

Not all people were able to digest this fact, that Jesus, could be fully Divine.

It is such a debating discussion over the Divinity of the Lord that forms the chunk of the Gospel of the Day.

One of the constant companions of the Lord, all through His life was…
… being hated!

It was especially His declaration on having a Divine origin that generated greater sparks of hatred.

The debate continues between Jesus and the Jews.

The Jews had immense pride in calling themselves as the children of their Father, Abraham.

As the debate continues, the Lord puts forward the gem of His defense…the core of His revelation: “Truly truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (Jn 8:58)

Those words of Jesus hit his critics, directly on the face…
“Before Abraham was, I AM!”

“I AM” was the title of God Yawheh!
“I AM” was the sole privilege of the Lord Almighty!

This was the name that was given by God to Moses: “I AM who am. This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you” (Ex 3:14)

It was pure blasphemy for any mortal to use it for oneself.

I AM – the Name…
… demanded fear as to none other
… commanded respect as to no one
… contained awesomeness as in nothing else

In the book of Genesis, we read God Yahweh – the Great “I AM” time and again encounters Abraham.

“Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations!” (Gen 17:3)

The Jews who were well aware of these incidents, were highly infuriated, when Jesus would call Himself as the “I AM”…
… not only claiming superiority over Abraham
… but equating Himself to be God!

And so, the Lord had to face the consequences of this “blasphemous” act:
“So they picked up stones to throw at Him” (Jn 8:59)

The life of our Blessed Lord expounds an important truth:
Where there is mention of Divinity…
… there are forces of the evil seeking to cast it away.

Where there is presence of the Divine…
… there are powers seeking to destroy the sacredness.

Jesus, the One hated the most, was the Most Divine.

Venerable Fulton Sheen (who is soon to be beatified) picks up this beautiful aspect…
… to present a secular, rational and a logical reasoning to see the Truth in the Holy Catholic Church.

We quote him here….
“If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world;
… in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hated.

My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh.

If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world!

Look for the Church…
… that is hated by the world as Christ was hated by the world!
… that is accused of being behind the times, as our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned.
… which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth.
… which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils.
… which, in seasons of bigotry, men say must be destroyed in the name of God as men crucified Christ and thought they had done a service to God.
… which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because He called Himself the Truth.
… which is rejected by the world as Our Lord was rejected by men.
… which amid the confusions of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ

And respect its Voice as the very voice of its Founder

And the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly it is other worldly
Since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself.

But only that which is Divine can be infinitely hated and infinitely loved.

Therefore the Church is Divine.”

Our own lives sometimes becomes an object of hate when we stand for Christ, the Truth

The more we tend towards being Divine…
… the greater is the opposition we face.

Jesus, is the same, yesterday today and forever (Heb 13:8)

As His true followers, we too will have to undergo agony, pain, humiliation and even suffering….

Let us be firm in His grace and stand bold, facing the challenges to our faith
Let us grow in our love and commitment to the Holy Church and share in Her suffering.

Let us deepen our Faith that “God has given His Son, for He has got a Star in His window”…
… and may this Bright Star – Jesus – always shine in our lives!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Allowing our Blessed Lord and Mamma Mary with St Joseph, to enter into the ‘train of our life’ and to have a journey of ‘joy and mirth!'”

(Based on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord)

This simple and beautiful little story is told about a long, tedious train journey…
… made by some elderly residents of a nursing home who were on their way to a vacation spot.

At one station, a young mother with a small child entered the train.

The child smiled at all the grim faces around him and began moving from one lap to another…
… talking, shouting with joy and chatting with everyone.

Instantly, the grim and silent atmosphere in the train was changed to one of joy and happiness.

Today is the celebration of the day when our Blessed Lord and Mamma Mary entered into the “train of human life” to begin a journey of “joy and mirth!”

On this Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we remember with joy and gratitude how Mary said: “Yes to the Divine Plan”….
… to pave the way for Her Divine Son Jesus to transform a hopeless, joyless and sinful world into a place of joy and happiness!

This Announcement of the Good News of the beginning of salvation history, with the encounter of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Angel Gabriel…
… is the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord.

Mother Mary, at the Annunciation, teaches us many things…

1) Mother Mary teaches the supreme goodness of obedience

Heaven had chosen a simple girl, Mary to be the Mother of Jesus, the Saviour.

When Angel Gabriel was sent to seek Her consent, Mary, after the initial moments of fear, bowed Herself in obedience:
“Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to Me, according to Your Word” (Lk 1: 38)

This obedience to God’s Will would turn out to be Her fortress and strength – in moments of uncertainty, loneliness, dread and agony.

2) “Faithfulness, thy true Daughter is Mary!”

One of the most outstanding qualities to be admired and imitated from our Blessed Mother is “to be faithful”

In Mother Mary, we have a person, who remained faithful at all times…
… even when there were dark clouds of unwarranted humiliation looming over her
… even when unforeseen difficulties encountered Her during the birth of Jesus
… even when she encountered many situations which She did not understand
… even when life surrounded her with agonising moments and heartbreaking instances

The “Fiat” at the Annunciation would be lived all through Her life

This act of being “faithful forever” resulted from the constant choices that She made to always listen and obey God’s Will.

3) Mary was ready to be moulded and shaped by God

When Mary was entrusted with the greatness of the task, She gave Herself readily to the power of God

She didn’t hold back anything
She was complete in Her surrender

It is when we offer ourselves wholly and be ready to be moulded and shaped by the Lord, that He can perform wonders through us.

4) Mary held on to Jesus as the Greatest Treasure of Her life

The greatness and the eminence of Mother Mary came as a result of Her single-minded focus and love: Everything for Jesus and in Jesus.

When in the womb…
… Her sole attention was on Jesus
While in the manger…
… Her whole care was for Jesus
While in His ministry…
… Her thoughts were centred on Him
While on the Cross…
… Her entire self rested on Him

It is when Jesus becomes the Treasure of our life, that our lives get enshrined in Grace and Holiness

5) Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant, bearing Jesus.

The Scriptures easily point to the fact that Mother Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant

The ark in the OT travelled to the land of Judah and remained for 3 months (2 Sam: 6:1-11)

The Ark in the NT, Mary travels to Judah, to meet Her cousin Elizabeth and remained for 3 months (Lk 1:39, 56)

David danced and leapt, and shouted before the ark in the OT (2 Sam 6:14)

In the NT, John, the babe, leapt and Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry before Mary (Lk 1: 41, 43)

Inside the ark of the Old Covenant was the manna – the miraculous bread from heaven, the staff of Aaron, the Priest and the tablets of the covenant (Heb 9:4)

The NT Ark, Mother Mary had within Her Jesus, the Bread of Life, Jesus, the Eternal Priest and Jesus, the Law-giving Word!

As the New Ark of the Covenant, Mother Mary deserves our highest veneration and honour…
… which will lead us to a greater closeness and intimacy with the One, She derives all Her praise – Jesus, Her Son and our Brother!

(The last book of the Bible testifies to this greatness of the “Ark of the Covenant…
… now present in the temple of God, in heaven – “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple..” [Rev 11:19])

Let us embrace Mary, the beautiful instrument chosen by God…
… and be led to love the Lord more!

The Feast of the Annunciation is an invitation for us:

To grow deeper into embracing the Will of God in our lives.
To give consent to the inspirations of the Lord that come constantly to us.
To be open to march forward in faith and hope, in our life of faith in the Lord.

The Lord is wishing to find a place in a willing heart, even today…

Just as Mary, our Loving Mother, who said Yes to the Will of the Lord, let us also say Yes to God’s Will…
… and allow our Blessed Lord and Mamma Mary with St Joseph, to enter into the “train of our life” and to have a journey of “joy and mirth!”

Happy Feast of the Annunciation.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Staying away from the ‘poison of sin’ by always looking to be guided by the ‘Wisdom of God’ reflected in the Cross of Christ!”

(Based on Num 21:4-9 and Jn 8:21-30 – Tuesday of the 5th Week in Lent)

Two people were once traveling by car.

The navigation system kept saying, “Turn back… recalculating…”

But the one driving…
… rejecting the suggestion from the GPS, as well as the word from his companion
… insisted, “No, this is the way. I know this road, very well.”

So they kept going.
Slowly, the road became narrower… rougher… and then it simply stopped.

They had to reverse all the way back, losing the very time they thought they were saving.

And in that quiet moment, there was a simple realization: Sometimes, it’s not that the direction is unclear…
… it’s that we are too certain of our own way to change it!

We hold on not just to a path…
… but to our own way of thinking, without any openness!

This is what is seen in the Gospel today.
Jesus speaks clearly, reveals the truth, shows the way…
… yet the people remain fixed in their own understanding, unable to move beyond it.

Jesus continues His revelation to the people, of He, being the ambassador of God, His Father.

He tells the people that “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin” (Jn 8: 21)

The Lord refers to “dying in one’s sin”

This aspect of “dying in one’s sin” could consist of various ways:

1) A person dangers oneself to “dying in one’s sin” when one is too self-righteous – an attitude of “I know everything – even more than God!”

When Jesus told that He is going away, the Jews said, “He is not going to kill Himself, is He, because He said, “Where I am going, you cannot come?” (Jn 8:22)

The Jews failed to understand the words of the Lord, because they were filled with pride of their knowledge, and considered themselves to know everything.

They were filled with a certain obstinacy in being open to the words of the Lord…
… and failed to see that there could be also other possibilities of looking at the words of Jesus.

2) A person risks the danger of “dying in one’s sin” with respect to one’s faith, when one fails to set one’s eyes heavenward, and instead gets fixated with earthly things.

Jesus said to the Jews, ”You belong to what is below. I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world” (Jn 8: 23)

The Jews had their thoughts and deeds centred only on the things of this world and failed to transcend their minds heavenward.

They were filled with a certain worldliness that made their concerns to be limited.
They were unable to understand the heavenly realities that the Lord presented before them, and even shut their eyes to make an attempt to understand them

3) A person exposes oneself to the perils of “dying in one’s sin” when one is wilfully ignorant of the Truth.
Though Jesus had spoken much, performed much, the Jews still ask Him,” Who are you?” Jesus then said to them, “What I told you from the beginning” (Jn 8: 25)

The Jews had great many opportunities to discover faith in the Lord, as He had exposed them to many great wonders, taught several teachings and performed many deeds to show His divinity.

Though, they were learned in their scripture and laws, they failed to recognise the Source of the Scripture and the Giver of the Law.

Their minds were adamantly closed to the Reality.
Their hearts were purposely shut to the Truth.

The Lord moaned that these Jews were risking the danger of “dying in one’s sins”.

This warning is addressed to us also….

Am I exposing myself to the risk of “losing my life, in sin?”
Am I endangering myself to the peril of “forfeiting my soul, in sin?”

Let us be wary of these menaces…
… to be adamantly self-righteous and being proud with our own knowledge
… and thus failing to trust in the mighty wisdom and power of the Lord.

Just as the people, bitten by the poisonous serpents, would live by looking at the bronze serpent (Cf. Num 21:4-9)…
… let us, stay away from the “poison of sin” by always looking to be guided by the “Wisdom of God” reflected in the Cross of Christ!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Picking up the broken pieces of our life, filling the spaces in our emptiness and starting, all over again!”

(Based on Dan 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 and Jn 8:1-11 – Monday of the 5th Week in Lent)

“Let me start again…
Pick the pieces of my brokenness
Fill the spaces in my emptiness…
Let me start again!”

This a beautiful hymn that echoes the sentiments and feelings of a person…
… who has suffered much and is yet ready to start life all over again.

Life sometimes can crush us really hard…
Life sometimes can wreck us really miserably…

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful testimony of a person who…
… found herself at the lowest ebbs of her life
… when everything seemed all over
… in total tatters and brokenness

Yet…
… was able to pick up the broken pieces of her life
… fill the spaces in her emptiness
… and start it all over again

All by the grace and power of the Lord, who intervened, and instilled a new hope and zeal in her.

The incident in focus is the ‘infamous’ occurrence of the woman who was “caught” in adultery.

There are many things to be pondered and reflected on, through this incident…

Think of the “mean” and “disgraceful” attitude of the people who “caught” this woman “in the act” (Jn 8:3)
… Were they fitted with “special probing and lusty” eyes, that devilishly gazed into “intimate exchanges,” that too on an early morning?

Think of the “self-appointed” role of these “moralists” who sought to restore the innocence of the land, without realising that, perhaps, their own eyes were filled with lust, their hearts drenched in obscenity and their lives soaked in vulgarity.
… How was it that their “clean” consciences and “true” intentions caught hold of only the woman, “caught in the act”, whereas, the man involved, was left, scot-free?

Think of the “deadly” trap that they were laying before the Lord, in seeking to find his opinion on the accused woman
… How neatly they had trapped the Lord in a “most vicious” dilemma:
If the Lord permitted death, it would be going against the Law of the land – of the Romans – since only the Romans were permitted to take the life of a person

If the Lord did not allow to stone, He would be going against the Law of the Lord, which had ordered the stoning of the convicted adulterer to death.

If the Lord permitted killing, He would be going against His own teaching of mercy, and His fundamental mission of “coming to seek and save the lost”

If the Lord forgave her, He would be going against the principle of Justice, and that would be infringing the rights and duties of a Just God.

It was a near-perfect scene, for the religious leaders to dreadfully trap the Lord.

The woman had been caught “in the act” of adultery…

Jesus was now to be trapped “in the act” of breaking the Law

The woman had been shamefully paraded and stripped of all her dignity…

Jesus was now to be gloriously humiliated and disrobed of His glory and majesty…

But all these were “mere” human thinking and wile wishes…

The wisdom of God is much greater than all human craftiness and cunningness

In their wickedness, they failed to see, that they were testing the law with the Law-Giver Himself!

And so, the Benevolent Law-giver, bent down, and wrote with His finger… (Jn 8:6)
… just as He had, centuries back, written the Law on the tablet and given to Moses: “… tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God Himself” (Ex 32:16)

He wrote, not a new law, but He wrote to make the law perfectly understood..
“Let the one who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn 8:7)

This statement shattered all those accusers who heard it!

Those who came to cast the stone had themselves been stoned brutally…
… by the guilt of their sin!

Justice had triumphed!
Mercy had excelled!
Love had won!

All had left, save the one accused and the One who was Love and Compassion!

In fact, the Only One Who could actually throw a stone…
… as the Sinless and Guiltness One!

The one accused, stood in fear and trembling before the One who recreates and renews!

And so she was given another chance…
…. to pick up the broken pieces of her life
… and to start anew!

In the book of Daniel, the innocent lady, Susanna would undergo a similar experience…
… of being condemned and doomed to death!

But the Wisdom of the Lord would shine through the young boy Daniel…
… and innocent life was saved!

Susanna trusted in the mighty Providence of God…
… and her hopes would not be disappointed; she would not be left in desolation.

Yes, life may very often reduce us also to the same state as this one who was accused.

We may find ourselves crushed….broken…accused… abandoned…shamed!
But the Lord, still gives us a chance….

Shall we not…
…. pick up the broken pieces of our life…
… fill the spaces in our emptiness…
… and start it, all over again?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Exclaiming with hope and trust: ‘Thank you Lord for the pain! I know there is a purpose! I know I am loved!’”

(Based on Ezek 37:12-14, Rom 8:8-11 and Jn 11:1-45 – 5th Sunday of Lent, Cycle A)

An incident is narrated of a 6-year old boy, who was diagnosed with leukaemia (cancer of the blood/bone-marrow).

One day, the child had to undergo a very painful procedure called “spinal tap”.
(‘Spinal Tap’ is a procedure in which a needle is inserted into the spinal cord in order to take out fluid for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment).

The mother, knowing that her child would have to undergo a lot of pain, approached him and told:

“Remember, if it hurts, it’s because you are loved, and there is purpose for the pain!”

The child remembered this sentence and took it to heart.

As the procedure was conducted, the child yelled and sobbed and cried…
… with the horrendous pain.

When the process was finally getting through, the child, with tears in his reddish eyes, looked up to the doctor and exclaimed:
“Thank you Doctor for the pain!

I know there is a purpose!

I know I am loved!”

(The incident goes on to say, that the child survived the painful illness and went on to live a normal life!)

Well, life often takes us through “painful procedures,” right?

In all such situations, our Christian faith reminds us:

“Remember, if it hurts, it’s because you are loved, and there is purpose for the pain!”

The Gospel of the Day – the raising of Lazarus – is a powerful teaching on this dimension of how we need to put our trust in the Lord…
… and realise, that there is a purpose that God has in store for us, even in the most painful situations of our life.

The narration of the raising of Lazarus is the longest single narrative/story in the entire Gospels (Jn 11: 1-45).

Long as it is, this incident also teaches us a number of essential lessons for life…

1) The Providence of God, that answers, even when we do not “feel” His presence around us (Jn 11:4-6)

“So when Jesus heard, that Lazarus was ill, He remained for two days in the place where He was” (Jn 11:6)

Thus teaching us…
… we need to depend on the Lord at all times, even in our dark moments of life
… the Lord will never abandon us and in fact, can never leave us

2) The slow understanding of the Disciples, who were with the Lord for a while, and yet had not understood His Ways and Words (Jn 11:8-16)

“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved” (Jn 11:12)

Thus teaching us…
… doubts and dilemmas are very much part of one’s life as a disciple
… the patience of the Lord in dealing with those who are called and chosen

3) The power of trust and hope in the Lord, even in hard and trying situations of life (Jn 11:21-27)

Martha said to Jesus, ‘Yes Lord, I have come to believe, that You are the Messiah, the Son of God…” (Jn 11:27)

Thus teaching us…
… as gold is tested in furnace, so our faith will be tested in the crucible of pains and sufferings
… we need to resign ourselves to the Power of the Lord, even though we may not understand many things

4) The empathy of the Lord in sharing with the pain of humanity (Jn 11:35)

“And Jesus wept” (Jn 11:35)

Thus teaching us…
… in our suffering moments, the Lord is very much close to us, and suffers with us
… our tears are precious to the Lord and He stores them in a bottle (Ps 56:9)

5) The power of God’s Word (Jn 11:43-44)

“Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!'” (Jn 11:43)

Thus teaching us…
… the Word Which created the entire universe, is given to us in the Holy Bible, for us to read, cherish and find strength!
… the promises given by His Word will come to fruition in due season and no powers on this earth can diffuse or dilute it!

In the midst of all these and various other “food for transformation” that this incident offers…
… we focus our attention on one message: “God’s delays are not His denials”

Yes, God’s delays are, certainly, not His denials!

One of the striking aspects we encounter in this Gospel passage is the delay that Jesus “purposely” entails in coming to Lazarus.

The Gospel says that “… when Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was.” (Jn 11:6)

This statement is on one side surprising; while on the other, shocking!

It was clearly known that Jesus was closely associated with Lazarus.

“A friend in need, is a friend indeed” is a phrase that we are aware.

Then why did Jesus delay in going to Lazarus?

As the Lord Himself answers: “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (Jn 11:4)

This verse then is the key to many of our problems and anxieties about “prayers not being answered!”

How many are the times, when we go through the struggles of life, and we expect the Lord to work a wondrous deed…
… but when nothing as such happens, we become feeble in our faith!

How many are the occasions, when we face a problem in our material or spiritual life, and we hope that something terrific is going to happen…
… but when the situation remains the same, we begin to waver in our belief!

This is where the words of the Lord, “this illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God”…
… ought to come to our aid!

We need to examine our life…
… Am I only having “belief in the Lord”, but not having “trust in Him?”
… Am I only “professing the Lord with my lips”, but failing to “recognize His power from my heart?”

“Belief in the Lord” would only consist of declaring oneself to be a Christian, and having a name that one is a follower of Christ…
… But “trust in the Lord” would translate to also follow the commandments of being a Christian, and seek to live as Christ lived, by seeking and doing God’s Will in life.

“Professing the Lord with my lips” would only include saying vocal prayers, being regular to the practices of devotion and piety and finding satisfaction in doing the external duties of the religion…
… But “recognizing His Power from the heart” would mean to also remain calm in the face of problems, being patient even in great darkness and being joyful in the midst of turbulent life situations.

As Christians, the only way is the “Way of the Cross”
… a way filled with pains and sufferings

But, we must also realise, that it is this “way of the Cross” alone…
… that would lead to the “joy of the Resurrection!”

All our “unwanted” situations of life – pains, struggles, difficulties and crisis – have a meaning and purpose in the eternal plan of God…
“… all things work for good, for those who love God…” (Rom 8:28)
“… I know well that plans for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe…” (Jer 29:11)

The Word of God assures us through Prophet Ezekiel and St Paul that God will raise us up from every grave and from every “dead situation” – the “grave and the death of sicknesses, hopelessness and fear!”

“And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people…
… And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live…!” (Ezek 37:13-14)

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you!” (Rom 8:11)

Yes, in all our struggles and hardships of life, let us seek…
… to move higher in our faith and belief towards a real “trust in the Lord”
… to advance from just “professing the Lord with my lips” to “recognizing His power from our hearts!”

And thus, in every situation of life let us with hope and trust exclaim:
“Thank you Lord for the pain!

I know there is a purpose!
I know I am loved!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!