“Having our hearts opened, in perseverance and passion, to seek the wonderful experience of the Divine!”

(Based on 1 Pet 2:2-5, 9-12 and Mk 10:46-52 – Thursday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A man was sharing his experience of life with a group of youngsters:
“One night, a few years ago there was a total eclipse of the moon.
Everybody was talking about it.

Many even stayed up till the early hours…
… in the hope of witnessing it.

And I was asking myself: ‘Why all this interest in the moon, simply because it is disappearing?’

Of course, I don’t deny that it is a wonderful phenomenon.

But I am also convinced that most of those people wouldn’t see a full moon in the sky…
… much less stop to admire it!”

And the man said, “It brought to my mind the words of Emerson: ‘The fool wonders at the unusual; the wise person wonders at the usual.”

True vision not only admires at the unusual phenomenon of life…
… but also greatly esteems and appreciates the little beauties that are scattered all around!

Do we have the vision to appreciate the great miracles in and around us…?
Are we passionate and enthusiastic about the wonderful blessings we enjoy every day…?
… or ARE WE BLIND?

This vision to appreciate and be enthusiastic in life has its roots in an experience of the Divine.

It’s this experience that becomes a launching-pad to live a passionate life for the Lord and for His Kingdom!

The contrast is also true…

A lack of experience of the Divine makes the spiritual journey a lethargic one…
… sometimes makes it even non-existent!

The greater the experience that one has of the Divine, the higher will be one’s enthusiasm and interest in spiritual matters.

The Gospel of the Day presents the experience of the Divine by a blind person and his consequent expression of happiness and delight in the Lord.

Blind Bartimaeus experiences the Divine healing power and gives vent to his deep joy in the Lord by ‘following Him on the way’.

Jesus was passing through the land of Jericho.

As he was leaving Jericho, with His disciples, the news reached the ears of Bartimaeus.
He was blind.

We do not know how long was he so.
We do not know what was the reason for being so.
But we know one thing…
… that he would have heard about the wonders and fame of Jesus.

The very mention that “Jesus of Nazareth” was passing that way, made him to spring into pleading for mercy.

Just as the steps of the lover sounds sweet to the Beloved…
Just as the strains of music sound sweet to the singer…
So, the mention of the name, “Jesus” sounded healing and wholeness for Blind Bartimaeus!

With his might and strength, he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy” (Mk 10:47)

The crowd tried to dissuade him.
The people surrounding made efforts to silence him.
But nothing of this could prevent this determined person to cry out to his God!

Even though Bartimaeus was “physically blind,” he had the willingness to have “true vision!”

The people on the other hand, were “physically fine” but lacked the true vision…
… to see the great presence of God’s Power in their midst!

This persevering and passionate pleading of Bartimaeus was amply rewarded.

Jesus called him, and said to him, “Go your way, your faith has saved you!” (Mk 10:52a)

This tremendous healing experience, fanned to flame the sparks of Divine Love within blind Bartimaeus!

He immediately received his sight and followed Jesus on the way (Mk 10: 52b)

This experience became a launching pad to nurture a life-long relationship with the Divine!

We too require a deeper experience of the Lord, to nurture and strengthen our spiritual life.

We sometimes remain blind to things of the spiritual dimension.
We sometimes feel rejected in our lack of progress in a holy life.
Yet, we are invited to cry out with full intensity, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Surely, this act of faith from our part, would meet with many oppositions…
… we may hear voices telling us that it is useless to cry to God and rely on His power
… we may be told that it is illogical and unreasonable to be banking on Divine assistance

But like Blind Bartimaeus, are we willing to transgress and traverse all such negative voices, and drown them with a wave of mightier faith…
… crying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Unless we undergo such a healing experience, our faith will remain shallow and our spiritual following will remain dispirited.

This healing is not just of the physical nature…
… rather it could be healing of the mind
… healing of the spirit
… or a social healing
… or an emotional healing.

The fact of being healed would make me more passionate about the Divine Healer!

The fact of being cleansed would make me more zealous about the Divine Sanctifier!

Yes, true vision not only admires at the unusual phenomenon of life…
… but also greatly esteems and appreciates the little beauties that are scattered all around!

We need to have the vision to appreciate the great miracles in and around us!
We need to be passionate and enthusiastic about the wonderful blessings we enjoy everyday!

May our hearts be opened, in perseverance and passion, to seek the wonderful experience of the Divine.

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Treasuring the Lord, knowing that true riches consist ‘not in the abundance of possessions, but in the fewness of wants!’”

(Based on 1 Pet 1:18-25 and Mk 10:32-45 – Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

A rich man, who was known to be quite pious and devout in his Christian life was once encountered by a young man…
… who questioned his integrity and credibility, and wanted to prove that all his pious actions were quite hypocritical.

“How can you,” asked the young man, “claim to be a true Christian when you have so much of wealth?”

The rich person who was also extremely generous and had helped a lot of people replied: “Well, I do agree that God has blessed me with a lot of material things.

But at the same time, I believe that all these blessings are purely a gift from God…
… and so I reach out to the needy!

And above all, I strongly believe that my wealth consists not in the abundance of my possessions…
… but in the fewness of my wants!”

The rich man had discovered the true purpose of riches in life…
… and had also unearthed the true spirit of having riches: Not in the abundance of possessions, but in the fewness of wants!”

How beautiful a lesson is this for us Christians…
…. who live in the world, yet are called to be out of the world.
… who live amidst possibilities of wealth, yet are called to be detached from them.
… who live with the prospect of gaining immense power, yet are exhorted to not be attached

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus highlighting this essential element of Christian living: Being in the world, but living out of the world, with eyes firmly set on heavenly realms.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee approach Jesus and ask for a favour: “Grant to us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory” (Mk 10:37)

They sought for a prime place in the future Kingdom of the Lord.

They probably had the conception and understanding, that Jesus would rule in glory…
… and they being His chosen ones, sought for esteemed positions in this Glorious Kingdom.

They were certainly right that the Lord would surely one day rule in glory.

But they got it totally wrong in their understanding and perspective of the nature of this rule.

His was not to be a kingdom of arrogant display of power…
… rather one of serene majesty and mercy

His was not to be a rule of aggression and pomp…
… rather one of gentle splendour and grace.

The Lord had, according to St Mark’s Gospel, just made His third prediction, regarding His Passion, Death and Resurrection.

He was revealing the true nature and character of the victory that He was to gain.
He was exposing the manner in which His glory would be stamped upon all ages to come.

However, the disciples fell short in grasping these words of the Lord.

St Mark says that “they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid” (Mk 10: 32b).

Our lives are very often no different, from the ignorance that the disciples had and the wrong notion that was expressed by James and John.

We fall prey to seeking great honour and fame in being a Christian…
… but are unable to grasp the fact that ‘to be a Christian is to be living a life of simplicity’.

We yield to temptations of being obsessed to seek power and positions of futile vanity…
… and fail time and again to live up to the Christian virtues of humility and modesty.

We often become victims of engaging in dirty politics and authority-grabbing games…
… and become an anti-witness to the Lord who ‘came to serve, rather than be served’

We need to give heed to the words of the Lord who prayed that “we are in the world, but do not belong to this world” (Jn 17: 15)

A Christian life… ought to be hallmarked by detachment and separation…
… detachment from too much of worldly distractions and vain glory
… separation from sinful ways and evil tendencies

A Christian life… ought to be radiated with total focus and complete dedication…
… total focus on the Lord who ‘walked the talk’ by giving up His life in service
… complete dedication to the Kingdom of God which calls for a humble way of life

Let us learn this secret that being rich in the Lord consists “not in the abundance of possessions, but in the fewness of wants!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

— Fr Jijo Jose Manjackal MSFS
Rome, Italy
Email ID: reflectioncapsules@gmail.com

“Growing in the assurance that God is always holding us, and remaining calm and confident in this journey of life!”

(Based on 1 Pet 1:10-16 and Mk 10:28-31 – Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

One day a person who was going through much spiritual and mental perplexity called up his friend.

He knew that his friend was able to remain sturdy and confident, even in the midst of troubles of life.

And so he desired to learn from him this secret to stay calm

“Tell me,” the anxious friend asked over the phone, “how is it that you can trust God so easily? How is it that you always got hold of God?”

For some time, the person was silent.

And then, taking a deep sigh, he replied, “It surely did take me a while to know and learn this.

But let me be honest with you.

Even now I have my moments when I don’t know if I have got hold of God…
… but one thing I have learnt over the years: ‘God always has a hold of me!”

It was the assurance that God was always holding him…
… that allowed this person to remain calm and confident in his journey of life.

Are we ready to grow deeper in this fact: that God is always having a hold of me…
… and this assurance that translates to a life of trust and confidence!

Our lives in the Lord, is a spiritual journey…

The greater assurance we have in the promises of the Lord, the more pleasant will be our journey
The stronger our assurances in the Word of the Lord, the swifter will be our progress in this journey towards the Lord

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus declaring His assured promises to those who follow Him, sincerely and wholeheartedly.

Jesus tells to Peter and the other disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and the sake of the Gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age…
… and eternal life in the age to come” (Mk 10: 29)

This incident takes place right after the encounter of the rich young man with Jesus (Mk 10 17-22)

This man was proposed by Jesus to sell all his possessions and then follow Him.

The man, however, found it hard, to let go off his attachments, and instead let go of the Lord.
He went away sad!

Peter, as the leader of the disciples, however, contrasts this “possessive and worldly” tendency of the rich young man…
… by telling Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you” (Mk 10: 28)

Perhaps, there was a growing concern among the disciples, as to whether their radical decision to commit themselves to the Master would go in vain!

Perhaps, there was an apparent fear within the disciples, as to whether their decisions to leave their professions, their families and their aspirations to follow the Lord would go fruitless!

How often do we sink in hopelessness, thinking whether our expressions of faith would end up in meaninglessness…?

Sometimes even fearful thoughts and anxious emotions may cross our mind…
… will the various sacrifices and pains that I take up for the Lord, go in vain?
… will my unshed tears, my unspoken prayers and painful sighs, end up in futility?
… will the efforts I make to grow in love and nourish others in faith, lead to fruitlessness?

But the Lord assures us, that none of these efforts – small or great, noticed or unnoticed, seen or unseen – will escape the penetrating eyes of the Lord and go unrewarded.

All our actions, done in love has an assured reward!

What is however, most essential, is our total focus on the Lord and unflinched commitment to Him.

The Lord most certainly assures us of rewards and gifts.

But, in this pursuit, may we not stray or lose focus of Him!

Our lives ought to be impelled by the love for the God of rewards…
… than merely the rewards of God!

Our lives must be lived in faithfulness to the God of gifts…
… than being fascinated only to the gifts of God!

May the Lord Himself be our greatest reward…
… our finest gift!

When we grow in the assurance that God is always holding us…
… we can remain calm and confident in this journey of life.

Yes… GOD IS ALWAYS HAVING A HOLD OF ME!

Are we ready to grow deeper in this awareness?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“May Mary, the Mother of the Church – our Beloved Mother and the Perfect Disciple – intercede and inspire us, to use our freedom with responsibility!”

(Based on the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church)

A lady once remarked to her spiritual guide, “I am very afraid to pray, ‘Thy Will be done'”
“And why is that so?”, asked the guide.

“I am afraid…” continued the lady, “… that God will bring some calamity to my only child or send me a heavy trial in life”

The spiritual guide, having patiently listened to her, replied: “Suppose if your beloved child comes to you and says, ‘Mummy, here after, I want to always do whatever you say and live as you will…’

Would you say to yourself… Ah! Here is my chance!

I will make my child to do all the harsh things.
I will make use of his willingness to obey me, by cutting off all his pleasures
I will make sure he has a tough time because anyway he will do whatever I say”

“Oh no!” answered back the mother, “I will give him the best possible things that I can.

I will make sure that he is protected from every danger.
I will do anything to ensure him true happiness!”

“And do you think…,” continued the spiritual guide, “Do you think that God is less loving than you?”

The will of every human parent is to ensure the best for their children, isn’t it?

How much more loving and caring is the Will of the Father!

“God’s Will” is meaningfully understood in the set-up of a family…

In a human family…
… Every member wishes that the other is taken care
… Every member seeks for the good of the other

How much more is the love and concern in the Family of God…
… to all those who seek to do the Will of the Father!

The Church is this Communion of those who “bind upon themselves to do the Will of the Father”

Today we celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Mother of the Church.

Mother Mary is the model for all in the Church to “always say YES to God’s Will!”

This feast which has been promulgated in the Year 2018…
… is celebrated every year on the Monday after Pentecost.

We have concluded a journey of fourteen weeks (nearly hundred days) of walking intimately with the Lord in His Passion, Death, Resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit…
… starting with the Ash Wednesday in the season of Lent
… through the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday
… the Ascension and the Feast of the Holy Spirit – the Pentecost.

As we resume the Ordinary times of the Liturgical year, we are presented today…
… with the beautiful example of Mary, the Mother of the Church, Who is the role model for all of us to “use freedom with responsibility” and be a person of prayer and faith!

One of the primary reasons for the celebration of the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church is “to foster Marian piety and the Maternal sense of the Church.”

Pope Francis said that, “this celebration will help us to remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored…
… to the Mystery of the Cross
… to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet
… and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed!”

The Marian title of “Mother of the Church,” was given to the Blessed Mother by Pope Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council.

Jesus says, “Whoever does the Will of My Father in Heaven, is my…. Mother!” (Mt 12: 50)

When we scan through the pages of the New Testament, we find, that perhaps no other person fulfilled the Will of the Father as perfectly as Mary

Mary, the Mother of the Church, always said “YES to God’s Will”

Mary is Blessed not just because she gave physical birth to Jesus…
… but also because She listened and lived the Will of the Father!

She is blessed…
… because She listened to God’s Word and accepted it wholeheartedly.
… because She chose to put Her faith in God, though the path ahead was dim
… because She was obedient to God’s Will, though She did not understand many things”

As St. Irenaeus says: “Being obedient, She became the cause of salvation for Herself and for the whole human race.”

The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience

“What Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by Her faith”

We are reminded that it is “freedom with responsibility” that ensures valid enjoyment and proper satisfaction.

Mother Mary is the model for all of us to discharge all our duties with a great sense of responsibility.

She is the first Evangelizer and the first Disciple of Her own Son and Lord, Jesus the Christ!

She is not just the biological Mother of Jesus…
… but, by doing the Will of the Father perfectly, She is also His Spiritual Mother!

Thus Mary is the Mother of the Church!

St Maximilian Kolbe says, “If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother!”

Yes, doing the Will of the Father and using our freedom with responsibility…
… is the DNA that joins all the members of the Family of God.

We may perhaps, have our fears in doing His Will….

But let us realize, that the Will of Father is wrapped with much love and affection…
… there is a tenderness in His Will, that ensures each of us, His children are protected!

Jesus is our Supreme Model and Leader in listening and living the Will of the Father

Mother Mary is our Beloved Mother and Perfect Disciple, Who followed Her Son wholly, in obedience to the Will of the Father!

Many saints and holy people also show us, by their sanctified lives that it is worth, meaningful and salvific, to do the Will of the Father!

All of them beckon us:
“Come be part of the Family of God…
Listen always to what God wants of you in your life

Ask Him, at all times, what you should be doing in life
Put your trust in His Power and Providence, when you do His Will!”

Are we willing to be members of this Family of God?
… Then we need to be ready to do the Will of the Father!

Let us ask our Blessed Mother Mary, the Mother of the Church to intercede and pray for all of us…
… to be faithful and witnessing members of the Church.

Happy Feast Day of Mary, the Mother of the Church…
… to all Her Little Children of God!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Realizing that by our Christian vocation, we are constantly in touch with the Holy Spirit- ‘Fresh Waters’ of Grace”

(Based on the Solemnity of Pentecost)

It was after a devastating flood.

Rescue teams moved through the wreckage of a collapsed apartment block – calling, listening, hoping.

In one section of the building, a firefighter heard a faint groanings and cries.

But when they tried to open the door, it wouldn’t move.
It wasn’t locked.
It wasn’t jammed.

It had been barricaded from the inside.

Table, shelves, even a sofa had been pushed against the door by the person inside…
… someone trying desperately to feel safe inside, amid the watery chaos.

It took precious minutes to remove the barrier.

When they finally reached her, she was alive – but shaken, trembling, and tearful.

And as they carried her out, she whispered something realistic:
“I was so afraid of what might come in…
… that I blocked the door as much as I could.

I didn’t realize I was keeping help out.”

Isn’t that how many of us live?

We pile fear, shame, pain, and distraction against the door of our hearts – not because we don’t want help…
… but because we’re scared of being vulnerable.

And all the while, the Holy Spirit stands outside saying, “Let Me in… I’ve come to save you!”

Today, on this Great Day of Pentecost, we are invited to open our hearts to recognize the Power of the Holy Spirit…
… and to become aware of the inherent greatness in our vocation as Christians.

On the day of Pentecost, in the Upper Room, as the disciples were gathered in prayer, along with Blessed Mother Mary, “the Holy Spirit filled the entire house in which they were” (Acts 2:2)

It is to be noted that the word used to describe the coming of the Holy Spirit is the Greek word “aphno” which means “suddenly”
“And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind…” (Acts 2: 2)

The coming of the Holy Spirit was “sudden.”

Those gathered in the Upper Room were preparing themselves in prayer – not knowing when and how would the coming be!

But the Holy Spirit doesn’t wait for perfect people and planned moments…
… He looks for prepared hearts!

This energetic entry of the Holy Spirit is a glimpse to one important characteristic of the person of the Holy Spirit: Vitality!

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of life… of energy… of vivacity… of animation… of dynamism!

Where the Holy Spirit is, there is the great movement of the will, the mind and the heart!

It was this “sudden” coming of the Holy Spirit that transformed the small group of Jesus’ disciples into mighty warriors of the Kingdom of God.
Fear was transformed into power…
Timidity was changed into boldness…
Uncertainty was converted into conviction…

Our own lives need an encounter of this “life-transforming” experience.

Is my Christian life, dull and slow – merely laced with routine actions of prayers and sacraments?
Is my life of faith, lethargic and tepid – simply being pulled on, without any particular awareness or lived without any enthusiasm?

Then, we need the mighty movement of the Holy Spirit to impress life and vitality to our life and our faith!

We want the ‘Upper Room’ blessings…
… but are we willing to climb the stairs of prayer and reconciliation?

The Holy Spirit is undoubtedly one of the most shy person of the Blessed Trinity and therefore, also often, neglected in our daily prayers or devotion

The study and awareness of the Holy Spirit is certainly, in general, given lesser priority and importance in comparison to the other Persons of the Trinity.

The Feast of the Pentecost is very often not accorded the “solemn” tone in comparison to other feasts like Christmas or Easter

But let us realize, that in the Holy Spirit and in the celebration of this Feast, we have a great treasure to cherish and enjoy.

The Sacred Triduum gives us victory..
… Pentecost gives us the voice to proclaim it

Each Christian ought to build an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Each Christian must become more aware of the role of the Holy Spirit in daily living

How wonderful it would be if we could inculcate a few practical resolutions…
… to grow in our intimacy and union with this Powerful and Dynamic Personality of the Blessed Trinity:

Wishing “Good Morning, Holy Spirit ” to Him as we begin the day, thanking for His protection and seeking His help through the day
Invoking a tiny chaplet, “Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and minds” as we begin a particular activity or work
Making a short examination of conscience at the end of the day, introspecting our lives in overcoming sin, being grateful for His guidance and seeking to grow spiritually in holiness, with the power of the Holy Spirit
Co-operating with the Holy Spirit to become effective agents of unity in our homes, our communities, our places of work and our churches.
Purposely creating a few seconds of silence in the schedule of our works or our activity or through the course of the day, and talking to the Holy Spirit, as a friend, in the cave of our heart
Listening to the still, gentle voice of the Holy Spirit in the depths of our being, speaking to us to be more active to read God’s Word in the Bible and to partake of the Sacraments more frequently especially Confession and Holy Eucharist.

The Lord has blessed our lives with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
He longs to be empower our lives…
He earnestly wants to be in total control of our lives…

But for this, He needs our permission…
Permission in the form of…
… longing for Him
… making sincere efforts to live a life casting away sin.

Let us not block the door of our hearts, for fear of being vulnerable…
… instead, give heed to the Holy Spirit, Who constantly says: “Let Me in… I’ve come to save you!”

Wish you a very Happy Feast of the Holy Spirit – the Pentecost!

Happy Birthday to our Holy Mother, the Church!

Let us cherish the life offered by our Mother, in the Sacraments…
… and especially receive the sweetness of the Holy Eucharist more worthily and enthusiastically!

God Bless! Live Jesus!