“Called forth to ‘be the shining lamp, that lights up God’s House!'”

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

In a certain mountain village in Europe several centuries ago, a nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to his townspeople.

Finally, he decided to build a church for a legacy.
The complete plans for the church were kept secret until its completion.

When the people gathered, they marvelled at the church’s beauty and its completeness.

Following many comments of praise, an astute observer inquired, “But where are the lamps? How will the church be lighted?”

Without answer, the nobleman pointed to some brackets in the wall; he then gave to each family a lamp to be carried to the prayer service and hung on the wall.

“Each time you are here, the area where you are seated will be lighted,” the nobleman explained.

“Each time you are not here, that area will be dark. Whenever you fail to come to church, some part of God’s house will be dark!”

The faithfulness of the people in coming for prayer would determine the intensity of light, in their particular spot in the Church.

As followers of Christ, all are called to be the “light of the world”…
… and all are expected to live in faithfulness and loyalty to the Kingdom – for the Glory of God!

Ascension Sunday is a beautiful day to renew our commitment to Jesus, the One Who has called and chosen us (Cf. Jn 15:16)…
… as He calls us to leave behind “legacies of light” and be His witnesses.

The Solemnity of the Ascension proclaims the day when Jesus ascended to the heavens, as a culmination of the glory of the Resurrection

We are also reminded today of the Mission mandate of preaching His Good News to everyone!

The Ascension of Jesus completes the Resurrection.

The Resurrection is victory over death.
The Ascension lifts humanity to heaven.

Acts 1:10-11 says, “And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?’”

While it is quite natural for us to seek Jesus, who apparently “has gone far away from us,” the reality is that Jesus is now closer to us – closer than we can ever imagine!

It is as if they are saying to us, “Don’t misunderstand this moment. Don’t deny yourselves the gift that is being given you.”

The Ascension of the Lord is not about His absence but about His Presence.

It is not about His leaving but about His Presence that is assured and promised to all of us
It is not about a location but about a relationship.

This Feast is the beautiful invitation to every Christian on the way to live – to look upward

To transcend the needs of this world, and to have our highest priorities on God.
To go beyond the pilgrim journey of this earth, and prepare meaningfully for eternity.

Before His Ascension, as we read in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus pronounces two important declarations:

“You are witnesses of these things” (Lk 24:48)
“I am sending upon you what My Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with Power from on high.” (Lk 24:49)

These two declarations of the Lord was a call to constantly…
… ‘relive’ their experiences, as witnesses, with the Lord – and to know He is with them always
… ‘realise’ that they would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in all aspects of life

It’s these two declarations that ought to become the motivation and strength for every disciple of Christ to evangelise the world…

My God is with me always, and I have nothing to be afraid of!
My God is all-knowing and all-powerful and He will protect me always!

We are assured that “great things happen, when God mixes with us” as we are reminded:
… He is “WITH YOU ALWAYS” (abiding and protecting)
… He is the great “I AM” (sovereign and powerful)

(Let us, therefore, never forget these 5 beautiful words that the Lord tells to all of us, at all moments: “I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS!”)

St Paul reminds us, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God!” (Col 3:1)

Every moment, every hour and every day – Jesus tugs our hearts, and invites us to “look upward” and to have our focus on Him, Who was Crucified, but now is Risen and seated at God’s Right Hand!

The Psalmist states, “Blessed [are those]… in whose hearts are the highways to Zion!” (Ps 84:5)

We need to make an examination of our lives and make suitable changes for the good…

Is sin enslaving us?

Let us ‘ascend’ with His Mercy – in holiness and purity of life!

Is regret and remorse discouraging us?

Let us ‘ascend’ with His Healing – in joy and hope!

Is anger and jealousy pulling us down?

Let us ‘ascend’ with His Grace – in gentleness and gratitude!

As we give heed to the Great Commission of Jesus – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Cf. Mt 28:19) – to become fruitful evangelizers in the world, the words of St Teresa of Avila are a great inspiration:
“Christ has no body but yours!

No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which He looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world.”

Each one of us is called forth to “be the shining lamp, that lights up God’s House!”

It is our faithfulness to God that would determine the intensity of this light
As followers of Christ, let us live in faithfulness and loyalty to the Kingdom – for the Glory of God!

Happy Feast of the Ascension!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Experiencing the Amazing, Everlasting, Impartial, Outstanding and Unconditional Love of God!”

(Based on Acts 18:23-28 and Jn 16:23b-28- Saturday of the 6th Week of Easter)

A Catechism teacher was explaining her students in Class 4 about the Love of God.

As she was explaining, little Monica, suddenly exclaimed: “Miss, I now understand the vowels!”

The teacher – surprised – asked her, “But how does Love of God make you understand the vowels?”
And the little one said, “Because as you said, the Love of God is Amazing, Everlasting, Impartial, Outstanding and Unconditional!

So, the Love of God is… A.E.I.O.U.!”

Yes, the Love of God encompasses all superlative adjectives!

There is nothing we can to do make God love us more!
There is nothing we can do to make God love us less!
His love is A.E.I.O.U.!

Every person longs for love…
Every person longs to be cared for…

The Gospel of the Day is a testimony of Jesus affirming the assuring and loving presence of God, our Heavenly Father.

Our Heavenly Father, is deeply in love with us, His children…
… and never ceases to express His caring affection to us, at every moment.

Jesus declares these beautiful words, which ought to be inscribed in golden shades, on the canvas of our hearts:
“… the Father Himself loves you…” (Jn 16: 27a)

This is indeed one of the mightiest and loftiest truth that we all need to know, experience, be convinced of, and live constantly in its assurance…
… the truth that “The Father Himself loves us!”

Every person longs for love and longs to be cared for…

Human love, however, sometimes fails to answer to this basic and essential need.

Sometimes people around us get too busy, to even care for us…
Sometimes, people from whom we expect love, fail to understand our need…
Sometimes, people who ought to care for us, fall short of their responsibility….

All this could leave a feeling a hurt within us.
All this could imprint a wound of sadness inside of us.

But in such moments of feeling lonely and desperation, especially…
… Jesus assures and promises us that we are not abandoned or left lonely

Instead Jesus emphatically proclaims that just as He was loved by His Father, we too are loved by our Heavenly Father!

It is confidence in this tremendous love of the Father…
… that will make us to seek whatever we wish in life, knowing that our prayers will be answered, in the way and the time, that He, My Father wishes! (Jn 16: 26)

His Love will make me delight in His Will, letting go of my personal desires!

It is conviction in this unconditional love of the Father…
… that will make us to enjoy a deep sense of joy and bliss, knowing that in any situation of gloom or sadness or tension or worry, He, My Father, is taking me through! (Jn 16: 24)

His Love will make me want to do only His Will, setting aside my individual wantings!

Our Heavenly Father, our Abba is in deep love of each one of us…

The Crucifix is the proof of this “mad love” of the Father.

May we, with His grace, deepen our love and conviction in the Amazing Love of the Father.

He is busy – busy expressing His tender love to us
He is busy writing – writing His letters of His precious love to us

Let us deepen our experience of the Love of God as… A.E.I.O.U.
Amazing
Everlasting
Impartial
Outstanding
Unconditional!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Realising that pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world!”

(Based on Acts 18:9-18 and Jn 16:20-23 – Friday of the 6th Week in Easter)

An elderly man was sharing his experiences to a group of youngsters.

Among the many things that he spoke, he also touched upon the topic of “pain and suffering”…
… and said: “My dear young people, I have gone through much pain in life

And these painful experiences – though hard initially – became sources of great blessing and grace, when I realised their value, and signs of God’s wonderful Presence”

And he went on to add, “Remember always…
God whispers to us in our pleasures
… speaks in our consciences
… but shouts in our pains.

Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world!”

Yes, pain is to be understood as vital for the promotion, perseverance and progress of anyone wanting to lead a life…
… in deeper and closer union with the Lord!

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus declaring the reality of the presence of pain, suffering and sorrows in spiritual life…
… and yet those factors being pathways and passages to experience deep joy and bliss!

Not negating the actuality of the difficult side of life, Jesus also mightily displays the large canvas of life which is enveloped in the light of happiness…
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16: 20)

Jesus was making His Apostles aware of the realities of His passion and death.

He had came into the world to die!
Death was the goal and fulfilment of His life.

To the delicate and fragile minds of the Apostles, the Lord gives a very practical analogy: the pains and the bliss of motherhood…
“When a woman is in labour, she is in anguish, because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child…
… she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world” (Jn 16: 21)

This analogy of the Lord sheds light and hope for our sufferings and pains in life too.

Mothers know the pain of giving birth to a child.

To others, this pain, though not experienced, can be vaguely understood as being a very painful experience.

The pain is too excruciating…

Jesus says that the hardships, sufferings and trials that we undergo in life are such.

But the moment, the child is delivered and the mother sees the innocent face of her tender babe, the whole scenario of emotions changes…

The excruciating pain is replaced by a thrilling excitement and exhilaration!
The nerve-wracking ache is replaced by a heavenly joy and happiness!

And Jesus says that, such will be our joy too, if we are also faithful and loyal to the Lord, in pains and sufferings!

This is indeed a higher spirituality…
… a higher level of holiness

To cherish joy, even in the midst of pain
To radiate happiness, even in the thick of sorrows.

It is to this elevated floor of sanctity that the Lord invites us.

He is with us to hold our hands to climb up to this floor.
He is wanting to embrace us in love, as He beckons us to come nearer to Him.

We hear the Lord assuring St Paul, even amid much pain and persecution:
“Do not be afraid.

Go on speaking, and do not be silent…
… for I am with you.” (Acts 18:9)

When life stings us with pain…
When problems beset us into agony…
… With hope, trust, faith and strength,

Let us realise: “Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being docile to accept God’s ‘strange yet protective’ Will working in our lives!”

(Based on the Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle)

The dungeon was dark.

The air thick with hatred.
The pagan guards sneered as they held out the cup.

“This is poison,” they told a certain holy person.

“Drink, and die with your so-called faith.”

Any ordinary man would have begged for mercy.

But this man, was no ordinary man.

He took the cup.
He raised it in silent trust.
And with a steady hand and a prayer on his lips, he drank.

The poison coursed through his veins…
… but did not kill him.

And just when the guards expected to see him collapse, a miracle erupted:
Those around him, already blinded by the same deadly drink, suddenly received their sight.

Not only did the poison fail to harm him…
… it became a source of healing for others.

The prison shook with confusion.

Chaos erupted.
And by the time they scrambled to find him, he had vanished – hidden, invisible to their eyes, shielded by Heaven itself.

The holy person was St Mathias.

Indeed… when God’s hand is on your life, no chain can hold you, no poison can stop you…
… and no enemy can find you.

Faith is not proven by walking away from the fire…
… but by standing and facing it, knowing God is in control.

Today is the Feast of this Apostle, St Mathias.

He is the Apostle, chosen by lot, to go “into the place of the traitor Judas”.

The Acts of the Apostles describes:” that he may take his place in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell.” (Acts 1:25)

St Mathias had one of the most unique privileges as well as one of the most awkward moments.

He had the unique privilege of being counted the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.
He had the unique awkward moment of taking the position left blank by Judas, the betrayer.

It is usually hard to fill up empty spaces of vacancies and opportunities.

And it indeed gets too hard to fill up the vacancy of being counted among the exclusive Twelve Apostles.

This task gets too complicated especially if the vacancy was created as a shameful result of “betrayal” and “treachery”

St Mathias had to fill in the gap left by the “traitor” Judas Iscariot.

Yet, Divine Providence had it that St Mathias should replace Judas, to be “counted as one among the Twelve”.

Life sometimes is such…

We are asked to take up tasks that may seem highly uncomfortable

We are invited to draw up duties which may seem highly insulting

Are we willing to accept them, seeing God’s providential hand in them?

Are we ready to undertake them, knowing God’s Will is at work in that?

Let us trust in the mighty and assuring words of Jesus, “You did not choose me, but I chose you…” (Jn 15:16)

St Matthias stands in the place of the traitor Judas

But not as another traitor…
… but as one who knows the treachery of human hearts and the need for Heavenly Grace.

The Feast of St Mathias is a reminder of this naked and frightening, yet remarkable and bold truth:

There is a possibility of being a traitor in all of us
… like Judas

But there is also the glorious chance of being His faithful apostle
… like St Mathias.

There are elements of betraying God, within each of us…
… like Judas

But there are also graces of being passionately committed to the Lord…
… like St Mathias.

May St Mathias intercede and inspire us…
… to be docile to accept God’s ‘strange yet protective’ Will working in our lives
… to be bold to take up the challenge of filling up gaps caused by betrayal and uneasiness
… to be aware of God’s mighty Providence guiding every action of the Church and the world.

Let’s remember: God’s Will may not always make sense…
… but it always makes saints!

Happy Feast of St Mathias, the Apostle

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being assured of the promise of the Lord that He is with us, and that the answers to the examinations of life will be revealed to us, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit!”

(Based on Acts 17:15, 22-18:1 and Jn 16:12-15 – Wednesday of the 6th Week in Easter)

A law-school professor was telling his class what to expect of the final examination.

“The question paper will be nearly 14 pages long” he explained, “and it will take at least four hours to answer all the questions!”

Hearing that, the entire class groaned with murmuring.

As the class grumbled, the Professor added, with a tone of consolation:
“Don’t be worried.

In this tough exercise of the examination, all of you will be in the same boat!”

At this, one student, with a naughty grin spoke up: “Yeah, Sir… We all will be in the same boat.

Just that, the name of the boat would be Titanic!!”

(Titanic was the name of the boat that had a tragic end – sinking into the ocean after a crash with an iceberg and leading to the death of nearly 1500 people in the year 1912)

This little humorous incident (without being too critical or analytical), when looked from a global spiritual perspective…
… points out a grand and complex reality:
There are many examinations in life, which tends to drown our life!

To some questions of life, answers will be found.

But to many, there will be a mysterious silence.

Humanity does not have an answer to all questions in life.

Yet, life encourages us to walk ahead, with trust and hope.

As Christians, this trust and hope finds a greater meaning and strength, because we have the assurance and promise of the Lord that He is with us…
….and the Answers to the Examinations of Life will be revealed to us…
… in and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of the Day is this assurance of Jesus that even though many things are not understood in life…
… the Holy Spirit will reveal to us, in time and as needed, the mysteries of life and of our faith.

The Lord had been with the disciples for quite some time and had instructed them on many teachings.

Even at the final discourse, in the context of the Last Supper, Jesus teaches His chosen ones many things.
He still has many more things to tell and teach.

And so…
… like a loving parent, who knows the grasping power of the child
… like an understanding teacher, who realises the comprehending capability of the student

Jesus knows, that the disciples would not be able to understand still further His teachings.

He says, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (Jn 16:12)

But He does not leave the disciples in this state of hanging in mid-air…

He assures them of the Might Power that will follow His going away from the disciples.
He promises them that the Holy Spirit will descend on them and they would realise, gradually, the power and depth of His teachings!

“But when He comes, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you to all truth” (Jn 16: 13)

Our lives too remain a blank question-paper, with questions hurled at us, and answers found wanting!

Situations and circumstances put forward many uneasy, awkward and even unanswerable questions to us.
We look for answers.
We seek for solutions.

Sometimes we get.
But many times, we fail to obtain.
It may lead us to desperation.
It may even lead us to anxiety.

But the Lord assures us…
… that He has the answer to every question in the world
… that He has the solution to every problem of our life.

Of course, not all will be told to us, or revealed to us, at once.

They will be conveyed to us, at the appropriate time, in the appropriate situation.

From our part, what is needed is…
… an openness to His Spirit
… a trust in His Divine Providence
… a constant seeking to know His Will

The underlying principle for this simple, yet, seemingly hard to practise philosophy of life, is the fact that “God Loves Us” immeasurably, and that every moment of our life, is taken care by Him.

His glory fills the heavens and the earth.
His knowledge permeates in every event of life.

St Paul invited the people of Athens… to leave behind unknown objects of worship…
… and instead, to trust and believe in the Living God, Who has risen from the dead, and lives and moves in each one of us:

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man
… nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything
… since He Himself gives to all men life and breath and everything.
And He made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth
… having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him.
Yet he is not far from each one of us, for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being!’” (Acts 17:24-28)

The greater our trust in the Living God…
… the nearer will we be, to the answers of life!

Yes, life will constantly place before us “tough exams”

We may sometimes complain and grumble

In frustration, we may sometimes even feel that “lives may turn out to be like the Titanic!”

But let’s not lose hope…!

Today, May 13, we seek the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima and specially pray the Rosary.

Our Blessed Mother is venerated under this title following apparitions, starting from May 13, 1917, to three shepherd children – Lucia, St Jacinta and St Francisco – in Fatima, Portugal.

The message of Fatima includes a call to conversion of heart, repentance from sin…
… and a dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially through praying the Rosary.

Through the inspiration and intercession of our Blessed Mother…
… Let us seek to grow in faith and trust in the Lord.

God Bless! Live Jesus!