“Overcoming our ‘spiritual paresthesia’ and fully cooperating with the Grace of the Lord!”

(Based on Acts 13:26-33 and Jn 14:1-6 – Friday of the 4th Week of Easter)

In the late 1970s, a young man named Ian Waterman, just 19 years old and full of life…
… was suddenly struck by a rare neurological condition.

Overnight, he lost his entire sense of touch, balance, and bodily awareness…
… though not a single muscle was paralyzed.

He could move, technically…
… but he no longer knew how.

Without his sense of body position, he was trapped inside himself.
Doctors told him he would likely never walk again.

But Ian was determined.

Through slow, painstaking effort and immense mental focus, he retrained his brain to walk again…
… by watching every movement visually.
He had to constantly think about every step, every motion…
… because the natural, effortless connection with his body was gone.
(Later he would be referred to as the “man who lost the body!”)

Ian’s story is striking…
… not just medically, but spiritually.

Because what he experienced physically, is what many of us go through spiritually.

We often lose our awareness of God!

We go through the motions – Mass, prayer, acts of charity…
… but the connection with the Lord feels dry, distant, numb.

We become spiritually numb.
Detached. Disconnected. Distant.

We are walking.

But not with Him.

We are alive.

But not aware.

We are moving.

But without meaning.

This is what we could call “spiritual paresthesia” – a loss of sensation to grace, to the presence of the Lord, and even to sin.

But we are not doomed to stay there.

We are called to have intentional cooperation, spiritual discipline, and the Grace of God…
… as the Lord cries out to every soul numbed by routine, by sin, by indifference, with the proclamation:
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life!” (John 14:6)

This reply of the Lord came in response to the query of Thomas, the Apostle who asked Jesus, “Lord, we do not know, where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)

Thomas, along with the other disciples, had by now, spent quite a lot of time with Jesus, their Master….

They had encountered Jesus as The Way….
… the Way Forward: when sicknesses and problems of life had crippled the lives of many

They had encountered Jesus as The Truth….
… the Truth Uncompromised: when lies and malicious forces sought to thwart the plans of the Kingdom of God

They had encountered Jesus as the Life….
… the Life in Abundance: when hopelessness and sin would cause people to give up any aspirations for life

Yet, the disciples failed to recognize these aspects in Jesus.

They were perhaps, in a state of “spiritual paresthesia”…
… being numb to understanding Jesus
… unable to sense the words and depths of the Words of Jesus.

And so when Thomas put forward the doubt: “Lord, we do not know, where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5)…
… Jesus emphatically declared, “I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE!” (Jn 14: 6)

The Lord wanted the disciples to overcome their “spiritual paresthesia”…
…and come to be aware of the Reality and Greatness of His Presence in their life!

Perhaps, we too often find ourselves in a state of “spiritual paresthesia” or “spiritual numbness!”

One of the main factors, which can cause this state of “spiritual numbness”, is the reality of sin in our lives…
… which many times, we either deny or fail to acknowledge.

In the teachings of Jesus, one of the stand-out factor was His uncompromising attitude with respect to sin.

And perhaps, this is where Jesus as a Holy Person stands out incomparable with all other great spiritual or philosophical leaders of the world.

This is also where Christianity as a religion stands out unmatched with any other belief system or practice of spirituality.

For Jesus and in Christianity…
… there is an uncompromising teaching on the need to root out sin and evil offences
… there is an absolutely unparalleled insistence on removal of sin for spiritual progress
… there is an unsurpassed assertion on being holy and pure to be in communion with Him

Let’s realise: “The devil doesn’t always roar—sometimes, he just numbs.

Quietly. Slowly. Deadly!”

We need to make an honest examination of our conscience…

Is our life suffering from a “spiritual Paresthesia” or “numbness to what is holy” or a “lack of sensation to sin”…
… Do I continue to pursue, persevere or promote deeds of sin, even though I am aware of it, or has been brought to my notice?
… Do I fail to be sensitive to issues of immense sin and evil happening in and around me, in people and situations, and instead become indifferent and uninterested?

A persistence in this spiritual “Paresthesia” or numbness can very dangerously sever our relation with the Lord.

The Lord declares that “In My Father’s house, there are many rooms…” (Jn 14: 2)

St Paul reminds us of the wonders of the Resurrection of Jesus and the promise of blessing that is enshrined to everyone who follows Him:
“… we bring you the Good News that what God promised to the fathers; this He has fulfilled to us their children, by raising Jesus!” (Acts 13:30-33)

Yes, the Lord wishes and desires, that all of us….
… should dwell with Him!
… should enjoy eternal life in Him!
… should reach the heights of holiness!

But this also requires our genuine co-operation to the Grace of the Lord…
… by seeking to get over our spiritual Paresthesia or numbness…

This process of getting out of this spiritual “Paresthesia” will involve “disciplining” in the form of reparation, penance and atonement.

Let us be willing to…
… let go a life of sin
… embrace the words of the Lord
… and live it joyfully and fervently in our life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Remaining firm and joyful in being an ‘ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!'”

(Based on Acts 13:13-25 and Jn 13:16-20 – Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter)

In 1994, Rwanda became a place of terror.

While the world turned its back, and the embassies were evacuating their citizens…
While even United Nations peacekeepers were packing their bags and boarding flights out of Kigali…

There was one man who chose to stay.

Carl Wilkens.

An American missionary.

Not a soldier or a diplomat.
Not even a politician.
Just a man who had tasted the love of Christ…
… and could not walk away while thousands were walking to their deaths.

The U.S. embassy urged him.

His own government told him: “It’s too dangerous.”

But he said, “If I leave, who will help them?

Who will speak for those who have no voice?”

He stayed – risking his life to protect Tutsis from genocide.

He hid them. Fed them.
Drove through bloodied streets to bring aid.
And through his courage, hundreds were rescued!

[Source: Wilkens, C. (2011). I’m Not Leaving. EPPress.]

Carl Wilkens became, in effect, an ‘ambassador’ of compassion…
… his presence reflecting a higher Kingdom, one rooted in Christ’s love and courage.

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, the “Ambassador” of His Heavenly Father…
… and in turn, invites each of us to be His Ambassador and of His Kingdom in our world.

Jesus says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send, receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives the One who sent Me” (Jn 13:20)

Jesus came into this world to reveal the love and mercy of God.

He is the Love made flesh and the Mercy incarnate.

While on earth, Jesus was the perfect Representative of God, His Almighty and Beloved Father.

Finding deep communion in long hours of prayer, Jesus would emphatically give witness to His Father…
… by His mighty deeds of power, spectacular wonders of healing and His heart-touching words of eternal life.

This mission of being the Ambassador of the Father, was however, not without its shares of pain for Jesus…
… He had the face the pain of being rejected by His own people
… He had to bear the agony of being betrayed by His own chosen one
… He had to face the humiliation of the worst form of execution known those days

Yet, none of this could deter the Lord from choosing to be the “Ambassador” for the Kingdom of Heaven.

He today invites each one of us to be an “Ambassador” for Him and His Kingdom.
… Being convinced and passionate in preaching the message of the Lord and His Kingdom to others.
… Making our very lives as a witness of the Love and Mercy of God.
… Seeking the good of all and uplifting everyone.
… Bringing others to faith in Jesus and make His message of love and holiness to spread to all.

St Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians echoes this call and invite of the Lord, to be His Ambassadors…
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Cor 5:18-20).

Let’s realise that “you don’t always need a pulpit to preach…
… you need a life that proclaims Christ!”

Let us remain firm and joyful in being an “ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Orienting our lives more and more to the Lord, and seeking to live more intimately connected to Him!

(Based on Acts 12:24-13:5a and Jn 12:44-50 – Wednesday of the 4th Week in Easter)

“I keep six honest serving-men…

They taught me all I knew;
Their names are ‘What and Why and When, and How and Where and Who’”

— Words of the author, Rudyard Kipling who is famous for his book, “The Jungle Book”

This concept of 5W’s and 1H – What, Why, When, Where, Who and How – is extensively used in journalism, especially while writing a factual news story.

It is said that one of the classical methods in writing the opening paragraph of a news story should contain answers to…
… as far as possible, all these 5W’s and 1H.

The Gospel of the Day describes St John presenting a ‘Recapitulation Passage’ on Jesus.

This passage gives a neat answer in tune with the concept of 5W’s and 1H…

WHO is Jesus?
WHAT did Jesus do?
WHY did Jesus come?
WHERE did Jesus come?
WHEN did Jesus come to be?
HOW did Jesus come?

1) Who is Jesus?
St John presents Jesus as ‘the Saviour of the World’: “… for I do not come to condemn the world, but to save the world” (Jn 12: 47b)

Jesus is not the one who condemns or denounces or reviles a person…

Instead He is the One who saves, the One who redeems and the One who atones.

Have I accepted Jesus as the Saviour of my life…
… or is He just some great teacher or just a wonderful philosopher or even just a great Man in my life?

Do I grow in my conviction that the “WHO” of Jesus primarily consists in Him wanting to save me from my sin, and wanting me to lead a holy and sanctified life, so that I can belong to Him completely?

2) What did Jesus do?
St John presents Jesus as ‘speaking the Word of Life’: “Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge Him; the word that I spoke, will condemn him…” (Jn 12: 48)

Jesus, the Eternal Word, spoke His words, which guarantees life, and life in abundance (Jn 10:10b)

That is why St Peter confessed to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6: 68)

Am I keen in listening to the words of Jesus, that He speaks to me, especially through His Holy Word in the Bible?

Do I seek to live and base my life on these Words and teachings that the Lord speaks to me?

3) Why did Jesus come?
St John presents Jesus coming ‘to lead from the darkness of death to the light of eternal life’: “I came… so that everyone who believes in me, might not remain in darkness; … His commandment is eternal life” (Jn 12:46, 50)

The Lord, who is the light of the World, came to the world so that all may share in His Life, His Eternal Life.

Am I fixated in the mundane pleasures and transitory luxuries of the world, and giving no heed to the spiritual side of my life?

Do I orient my life towards to the higher aspects of life, gazing heavenward, and preparing my spiritual life to be worthy of eternal life?

4) Where did Jesus come?
St John presents Jesus as ‘coming to this world’: “… I come into the world…” (Jn 12: 46)

This is a significant lesson that we are taught: that Jesus came into this world.
He came to sanctify and redeem our world.

At Incarnation, Jesus descends to our world… sinful, corrupt and prone to evil tendencies.
He does not abandon this world…
He does not give up on any of us…
He does not forsake us in our misery…

Do I make space for Jesus to enter into my world, even if I am aware that I am sinful or prone to bad habits or constantly falling into failures?

Am I willing to accept the transformations that will be demanded of me, when Jesus descends into the realms of my life, and exhorts me to be walking with Him on His way of the Cross?

5) When did Jesus come to be?
St John presents Jesus as ‘existing with the Father, from eternity’: “… and whoever sees Me, sees the One who sent ME; … I say as the Father told Me” (Jn 12: 45, 50b)

Jesus, the Son, is the visible image of God, the Father.

With the Father, He has existed from all ages, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
He is the Lord who is unchanging.
He is the Lord who is all-knowing and all-loving.
He is the Lord who has the complete control over my life.

Do I possess the faith to be firm in my trust in the Holy Providence, knowing the Jesus knows everything, especially in my moments of hardships and trials?

Am I reflecting the image of God in my life, just as Jesus reflected the image of His Heavenly Father, knowing that this is possibly only by being in close union with the Lord, in devotion and discipleship?

6) How did Jesus come?
St John presents Jesus as ‘coming as the light to the world’: “I come into the world as light… ” (Jn 12: 46)

Jesus came to the darkness of our world, by being the Light.
All His teachings radiate with truth
All His deeds shine with holiness

Am I firm in my principles and values to hold on to the teachings and commandments that the Lord, lovingly invites me to live?

Am I courageous to be the shining light even when many forces of darkness around me, try to put off this holy radiance of the Lord?

When we offer ourselves wholly to the Lord, His Spirit will lead us and guide us…
… just as we see in the Acts of the Apostles

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said:
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:2-3)

Let us orient our lives more and more to the Lord…
… and seek to live a life that is intimately more connected to Him!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Allowing the ‘tender touch’ of our Blessed Lord to ‘warm” our cold hearts!'”

(Based on Acts 11:19-26 and Jn 10:22-30 – Tuesday of the 4th Week in Easter)

Two explorers who were at extreme parts of the Arctic (= area surrounding the North Pole)…
… were describing (or rather, boasting!) about the extent of cold in their places.

“It was so cold where I was,” said the first explorer, “that the candle froze and we couldn’t blow it out.”

“That’s nothing,” said his rival.

“Where I was, the words came out of our mouths, in pieces of ice…
… and we had to fry them to hear what we were talking about.”

Well… of course… that’s quite a bit of exaggeration!

But its also a ‘freezy’ reminder to us to check how are our words, our hearts and our lives!

Do we spew out “cold words” of hostility and animosity?

Are our hearts and lives “cold” with indifference and lethargy?

We need the “tender touch” of our Blessed Lord to “warm” our “cold hearts” …
… and in order to come to experience “abundance of life” in Him!

The Gospel of the Day presents the dimension of “coldness” that was experienced by the people, who encountered Jesus, in accepting Him as the Lord of Life.

The Gospel passage the Day begins with St John giving a dual-context in the encounter between Jesus and the people…

The religious atmosphere of the time: “The Feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem” (Jn 10:22a)

The physical atmosphere of the time: “It was winter” (Jn 10:22b)

The Feast of Dedication was also called as Hanukkah.

This feast celebrated the liberation of the city of Jerusalem from Antiochus, the Syrian King.
This King had desecrated the Jerusalem Temple by building an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs on the Temple Altar.

The Feast of Dedication celebrates the day that Israel regained control of the temple and re-consecrated it to the one true God!

However, it is to be noted that though year after year, they gathered to celebrate the re-dedication of the Temple…
… their hearts were, perhaps, still far from God Yahweh!
… their lives were, perhaps, still, yet to be in accordance with the Will of God!

This is what St John, the Evangelist, points to, when he speaks of the physical atmosphere of the time: “It was winter” (Jn10:22b)

This statement was not just about the weather or the season of the year

He was describing “a season of life… a season of faith!”

It was his style of diagnosing the interior condition of the “Faith of the People” who had come for the Feast of the Dedication!

Many of the people of Israel, were in a season of “winter”…
…”cold” in their hearts: to accept the person of Jesus – the One Who had inaugurated the Kingdom of God, going about doing a lot of works of salvation and healing!
… “cold” in their minds: to accept the teachings of Jesus – the One Who was exhorting them to live God’s commandments not just externally, but with the sincerity of the heart!
… “cold” in their lives: to accept the challenge of Jesus – the One Who was convicting them of their sinfulness and inviting them to a life of repentance and holiness!

It was this being in a “season of winter” that prompted them to ask Jesus with a sense of apathy and irritation:
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly” (Jn 10:24)

“Tell us plainly” was the utterance of a frozen people…
… who had “winter” in their hearts and their minds
… who were “cold” and had begun to take their faith for granted
… who were “frozen” and were merely satisfied with external dedication of the Temple, without an inner renewal of the heart!

We need to examine our lives and check….
… Am I also a “frozen person?”
… Am I also, in a “season of winter?”

Is my relationship with the Lord…
… a mere utterance of the lips and fails to affect my daily living?

Is my practice of devotion and my participation in the liturgy and sacraments…
… a plain ritualistic and a routine custom, without making me to truly enter into intimacy with the Lord?

Is my life of faith, just an ordinary and lethargic one…
… taking the grace and blessing of the Lord for granted
… and not wanting to make efforts to grow in love of the Lord and neighbour?

The Lord gives us the one straight answer: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow Me” (Jn 10:27)

We are called to dedicate not just our externalities to the Lord…
… but much more our internalities – our hearts, minds and lives to His Providence

Let us seek to come out of the “Season of Winter!”

Let us….
… be warm in the love of the Lord
… be enthusiastic, receiving the touch of the Divine
… be ardent, to seek, hear and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Experiencing God’s Intimate Love and sharing His Love to all!”

(Based on Acts 11:1-18 and Jn 10:11-18 – Monday of the 4th Week of Easter)

An ingenious teenager, tired of reading bedtime stories to his little sister…
… decided to record several of her favourite stories on tape.

He told her: “Now you can hear your stories anytime you want.

Isn’t that great?”

She looked at the machine for a moment…
… and then replied, “No. It hasn’t got a lap!”

The little girl loved the stories that her elder sister recited to her…
… but what she loved most was her lap – the warmth of her love and affection!

No gadgets can ever replace love!

No modern technology can substitute personal affection!

We are called to be people who “experience God’s Intimate Love and share His Love to all!”

Yes, we are “valuable and precious”
… and called to become a good shepherd to one another!

The Gospel of the Day echoes the amazing melody of each one of us being “valuable and precious”, to Jesus, the Great Good Shepherd!

“I am the Good Shepherd,” says the Lord, “I know mine and mine know Me” (Jn 10:14)

The illustration of Jesus as the Shepherd is certainly one of the most endearing, popular and loved images in the whole of the Bible.

Undoubtedly, one of the most popular and loved Psalms is Psalm 23 – the Psalm of the Good Shepherd.

The picture of Jesus, the Good Shepherd that immediately comes to our mind, is usually that of Jesus, holding a little lamb in His sturdy hands…
… or of Jesus, the Shepherd trudging through the grasslands with many sheep, following and walking with Him, happily bouncing and frolicking.

As we enjoy and bask in the joy of this image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, it is apt that we also meditate and reflect on some dimensions of the Heart of this Divine Shepherd…

1) Each sheep is extremely personal, unique and precious to the Divine Shepherd’s Heart

The Good Shepherd has a very large number of sheep in His flock.

Yet each one is uniquely important to Him
He loves each one!
He treasures each one!

We must know that shepherds, back then, in the society, reared sheep, mainly not for meat…
… but more for its wool!

This would mean that the sheep would spend much time with the Shepherd

This would create a great bond and affection between the sheep and the Shepherd!

2) The Divine Shepherd’s Heart is willing to make any sacrifice, even His life

Unlike a hired hand, the Divine Shepherd has a tremendous sense of responsibility and is attached to His sheep.

This makes Him undergo any pain, any suffering, any sacrifice for the sake of His beloved sheep…
… even to the point of laying down His life.

3) The Divine Shepherd’s Heart longs to bring back the ones which have strayed

The Divine Shepherd is aware of many sheep that are not yet part of His fold.
He longs for them…
He seeks to bring them to Him…
He yearns to make them part of His fold…

The Gospel according to St Luke Chapter 15 – the great Chapter of God’s Amazing Mercy – tells us of how the Good Shepherd goes out in search of the one lost sheep…
… reminding us that “each one of us is precious to the Lord” and He wants us back to Him! (Lk 15:3-7)

We are invited to deepen our understanding of the Heart of the Divine Shepherd.

At the same time, we are also challenged to possess a heart, resembling that of the Divine Shepherd…

a. Do I have a heart that treasures and values each person who have been entrusted to my care…

Nurturing them, being responsible for them, appreciating and encouraging them…
Leading them to the pastures of holiness and the flowing waters of grace and mercy…

b. Do I have a heart willing to offer sacrifices for the ones entrusted to my care…

Getting out of our comfort zones to help others…
Giving up certain comforts to reach out to the needy…
Foregoing personal luxuries to become a light to a person in darkness…

c. Do I have a heart that yearns to bring back the ones who have strayed away from the right path…

Those who have lost the focus in life
Those who are staying away from the Church and Her Precious Sacraments
Those who have addicted themselves to many vices and bad pleasures of life

The Church needs shepherds, after the Heart of the Great Shepherd.

The Great Shepherd constantly invites us all to give heed to His voice…
… and if necessary, to even correct ourselves so that we can be on the right path.

Often, many of us, as shepherds go astray….
… failing to cater to the needs of the sheep
… failing to be faithful and honest to their vocation
… failing to be available and willing to forego personal comforts.

May each of us, lean closer to the Heart of our Divine Lord, knowing that each one of us is precious and special to Him…
… resting in the bosom of His Presence
… feeding from the Food He offers in the Holy Eucharist
… attuning ourselves more to Him by listening to His Holy Word

And thus, becoming a good shepherd, according to the Heart of the Great Good Shepherd!

In this tech-savvy world, let us remember…
… no gadgets can ever replace love!
… no modern technology can substitute personal affection!

We are called to be people who “experience God’s Intimate Love and share His Love to all!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!