“Asking the Grace from ‘Our Father’ to help us make inroads into forgiving others!”

(Based on Isa 55:10-11 and Mt 6:7-15 – Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent)

There was a king who had suffered much from his rebellious subjects.

But one day they surrendered their arms…
… threw themselves at his feet
… and begged for mercy.

The king pardoned them all.

One of the king’s friends said to him: “We are surprised at your act!

Did you not say that every rebel should die?
Did you not give us a command that every enemy should be killed?”

“Yes,” replied the king, calmly…
… and added, “but I see no rebels here!”

True forgiveness flows from the heart…
… and eliminates every bitterness
… so as to render every enemy as null and void!

We are today called to have a special focus on the aspect of forgiveness…
… as we give heed to the beautiful rendition of the pattern of all prayers – “The Our Father” – as recounted by St Mathew

The Gospel of the Day is part of the Sermons on the Mount in the Gospel of St Matthew.

Jesus presents His teaching on various Christian themes.

In His teaching on prayer, Jesus teaches the beautiful prayer – The Our Father.

The Our Father has seven petitions:
1) Hallowed be Thy Name
2) Thy Kingdom come
3) Thy Will be done
4) Give us today our Daily Bread
5) Forgive us our sins
6) Lead us not into temptation
7) Deliver us from evil.

The fifth petition – for forgiveness – is also accompanied with a clause – “…as we forgive”..
“…and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Mt 6:12)
… forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us!
… forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us!

Well, does this mean God’s forgiveness is conditional?

Certainly NO!

It needs to be understood, that God, in His infinite mercy and goodness, has always the store of forgiveness, unconditionally opened for us!

But to receive this treasure of forgiveness, we need to first forgive others!

God’s Mercy and Forgiveness is unconditional…
… but our reception of the same, is conditional!

It means that…

If we harbour a wrong against other…
If we continue to nurture hatred against other…
If we wilfully fail to extend absolution to the other…
If we adamantly keep having repulsion against the other…
… then we are telling God to not forgive me either!
… then we are telling God to not shower His blessing on me!
… then we are telling God to withhold His unconditional mercy on me!
… then we are telling God to stop extending His unconditional compassion!

We are called therefore, to “forgive from our heart”…
… and thus to reconcile with everyone in our life.

It is when we truly forgive, that we become recipients of the Great Mercy and Forgiveness of God!

The book of Isaiah 55: 11 says, “… My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Let us allow the Merciful Word of the Lord…
… to work it’s forgiving effects in us!

The prayer – “Our Father” is indeed one of the most easily learnt and widely used prayers.

But this clause of the prayer, which is often overlooked, also makes this prayer dangerous!

Let us ask the Grace from ‘Our Father’ to help us make inroads into forgiving others!

We are called to realize that true forgiveness flows from the heart…
… eliminates every bitterness
… and thus, renders every enemy as null and void!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Making right choices, that will help us to preserve and enhance, the greatness of ‘the film of our life!'”

(Based on Lev 19:1-2, 11-18 and Mt 25:31-46 – Monday of the 1st Week of Lent)

Ward Kimball was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios in the 1930’s.

He was on the team for the first full-length animated feature by the Disney studio, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” (Year: 1937)

He spent 240 days…
… working on a single four-and-a-half-minute scene.
In that scene, the dwarfs were cooking a meal for Snow White, and he covered every detail.

When the time came, to review the film, Walt Disney personally reviewed the scene…
… and commented: “That scene is hilarious. It’s terrific.”

Then, he added, “But, I think it interrupts the flow of the movie…
… so we need to cut it out!”

So off went that scene – 240 days of immense work, scrapped…
… in order to preserve and enhance, the greatness of the film!

A hard choice indeed…
… but a choice that would be proved right, later, when the film was released and became a runaway success!

When “the film of our lives” is shown…
… will it be as great as it ought to be?

A lot will depend on the multitude of “choices” that we make!

The choices that we make, make or break our life!

The Gospel of the Day presents the Son of Man seated in His majestic and awesome glory…
… and all the nations awaiting His judgement, based on the choices that they have made in life!

The sheep, placed on the right side, are the chosen ones to enjoy the bliss of the Kingdom.

The goats, placed on the left side, are the condemned ones to suffer the fire of punishment.

An important aspect to be observed in this passage of the scene of the Last Judgement is the manner in which the Lord looks at human actions…

The Bible says, “Humans look on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7)

One of the common question that was posed to both the groups – the sheep and the goats – was: “When did we know…”

The sheep were taken by surprise, at the occasions which the Lord found them doing good…

They remained unaware of those situations, though they did the good in God’s sight.

The goats are taken by surprise, at the occasions, which the Lord found them missing to do good…

They remained unaware of those situations, where they failed to do the good in God’s sight.

We may not realise the occasions of doing good…

We may not realise the occasions of having missed doing good…
We may externally engage in many good works…
… but it may fail to find approval in the Lord’s sight.

This calls for cultivation of an inner disposition to do good

From the abundance of goodness within, good actions flow!

It’s this inner disposition to do good, that will prompt us to make the right choices in life…
… choices that will help us to preserve goodness
… choices that will help us to nurture greatness

Let this season of Lent be a time of forming a character of goodness and kindness.

The Book of Leviticus exhorts: “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy”(Lev 19:2)

Our life’s film is not meant to be merely successful…
… it is meant to be sacred!

Sacredness is not primarily about grand miracles, but concerns simple daily choices

Give God the highest priority in your life
Render love and mercy to your neighbour
… because holiness is edited into the small, unseen scenes of everyday life!

God who commands, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”…
… is the same Judge of Matthew 25

The holiness He asks for in life…
… will be verified by the love which we show to the least and the lost, in eternity!

The “film of our life” is continually being recorded!

We are called to make it great, as it ought to be

Let’s therefore make right choices (even if they are tough!)…
… that will help us to preserve and enhance, the greatness of “the film of our life!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Not allowing any space to sin, and thus preventing any eventuality of we ‘being chopped’ of our life in the Lord!”

(Based on Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7, Rom 5:12-19 and Mt 4:1-11 – 1st Sunday of Lent, Cycle A)

Once, the trees of the forest formed an association in order to rebel against the ‘axe’, which had caused much harm to all of their folk.

The trees – The redwood, the teak, the cedar, the oak, the cypress, the Sequoias, the banyan and many others – convoked a meeting…
… and decided that none of them would allow the axe to have wood for its helve (= handle of the axe).
But the axe attended the meeting…
… and pleaded to speak just for a couple of minutes.

The request was granted and the axe spoke:
“I can very well understand the difficulties that all of you have faced, as a result of my nature.

And I will definitely not stand in the way of your decision.

But I just have this one suggestion:
“Each of you – be it the redwood or teak or cypress or banyan or any other…
… You look so majestic and splendorous.

People look at you, and raise their minds to the Creator for such marvellous creations.

Will you want your beauty and brilliance to be blocked by the small bushes and trivial creepers that grow in front of you and around you?

So just allow me, to be given some wood only for this purpose…
… that I may cut down those irritating and disturbing plants and creepers

And thus your grandeur can be beheld without any block!”

This proposal seemed very viable and practical for those majestic trees…
… and thus beguiled…

They allowed to give wood to the “axe” – for the ‘good and harmless’ proposal.

Do we need to continue to hear the story further?

Well, you guessed it right…

The moment the axe was furnished with wood for its handle…
… it chopped down all the trees – sparing none!

Thus the wisdom of the ages comes to highlight: “Watch for the beginnings of evil…”

St Francis de Sales says:
“We must be especially alert against the beginnings of temptation…
… for the enemy is more easily conquered if he is refused admittance to the mind and is met beyond the threshold, when he knocks.”

The Gospel of the Day, on this first Sunday of Lent, is an account, from the Gospel of St Mathew, of how Jesus resisted temptations…
… and emerged victorious by the power of the Spirit, to proclaim the Gospel of God!

The Gospel passage begins with the verse:
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil” (Mt 4: 1)

In Jesus, we encounter a God…
… Who has a very human face – sharing in sufferings, partaking in miseries and participating in hardships.
… Who understands us, in our weak moments, consoles us in our painful situations and who empathizes with us in our trials and temptations.

Jesus knows what it is like to struggle with temptations and enticements…

Because He Himself was tempted!

Jesus knows what it is like to ward off the beasts of our vices and evil tendencies…

Because He Himself was among wild beasts!

Yet, in all His trials, He emerged victorious and triumphant!

He was led and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, Who rested upon Him in fullness.

He remained steadfast in His filial obedience to the Father and unwavering in His mission.

And what we see in Jesus is not only His victory… it is our path:

Life in the Holy Spirit.
Faithful obedience to the Father.
A firm and resolute heart anchored in our mission.

These are not merely His triumphs…
… they are the graces He shares with us
… so that in Him, with Him and through Him, we too may overcome temptation.

St Paul tells us: “For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Rom 5:19)

Can I thirst to grow continually in the infilling of the Holy Spirit?

Can I learn, despite all hardships, to constantly seek and do only the Father’s Will?
Can I cultivate the steadfastness to be singly focussed on the mission of His Kingdom?

We live in a world which is often, like a wilderness…
… dry in spiritual fervour… heated up with material desires…arid in religious enthusiasm

We live in a world where there are often, many wild beasts…
… ferociously corrupt and unhealthy practices
… menacingly abusive evil lifestyles

We need to resist the temptations arising from such situations…
… and stand firm in our focus and commitment to the Lord and His Kingdom.

The account of the ‘First Sin’ in Genesis 3:1-7 clearly gives us the pattern that is followed in every temptation to sin:

1) Sin is proposed
2) The person is either pleased or displeased with the proposal
3) The person either consents or refuses

We see the same pattern being followed in all the three temptations of Jesus (Cf. Mt 4:3-10)

And we have the same pattern followed in all our temptations as well – whether we are aware or not.

Our Blessed Lord in His beautiful prayer “The Our Father” taught us the remedy to resist temptation…
“and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..”

Yes, the easiest recourse to overcome temptation is: “To Pray”

St Francis de Sales says:
“As soon as you feel yourself tempted, follow what little children would do when they see a wolf or a bear…
… they run at once to their parent’s arms or atleast call out to them for help and assistance”

It is a deeper and purposeful focus on Jesus Crucified that would come to our aid in our moments of temptations.

We also need to, especially, in our ‘smaller’ temptations, which like bees and flies may constantly seek to disturb…
… make sure that we don’t fall into anxiety or worry
… and instead, perform the contrary virtues

(eg:

For vainglory thoughts, think of the triviality of this earthly life
For anger, perform deeds of charity and forgiveness
For pride, do acts of humility
For lust, dwell on the purity of the Lord)

The Lord today exhorts us to not get caught up in the snares of temptation…
… instead be victorious and triumphant by the Grace and Power of Him – our Saviour, Model and Master!

Let us not allow any “wood” to be given to the “axe” of sin…
… and thus prevent any eventuality of we “being chopped ” of our life in the Lord!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Being responsible, especially with the use of our words, to avoid many ignominies of life!”

(Based on Isa 58:9b-14 and Lk 5:27-32 – Saturday after Ash Wednesday)

A young man was browsing through a huge library.

As he was admiring the various titles of the publications, he came across a small pamphlet on which were written the following words:

“‘I am responsible.’

I am responsible for a number of haunting experiences in the world…
… pillows being wet by sobs
… noble hearts broken in the silence of a dark corner
… cruel misunderstandings that make life look dark and dirty
… gentle and sensitive natures, seared and smeared with stains
… old-time friends splitting apart and turning their backs on one another
… and many many more!

Use me, therefore, responsibly…
… Else, I would continue to be responsible for many such ignominies!

Yes, ‘I am responsible!’

Wanna know my name?

I am the Tongue!

And all these my works are called: The crimes of the tongue!”

Yes, the “crimes of the tongue” are a major source of haunting experiences in the world.

Are we also promoters of such “crimes of the tongue?”

The Gospel of the Day is an account of Jesus, the Great Physician of Galilee, in His rounds of healing sick patients…
… and encountering some critical persons who reveal a dark side of human life by their “slanderous and harsh” tongues and committing the “crimes of the tongue!”

Levi, the tax-collector heeds the call of the Lord “to follow Him” ( Lk 5:27)

In his great happiness of being accepted and the joy of following his new-found Love, Levi hosts a grand party.

This feast is a wonderful time of sharing for various other tax collectors as well.

But this time of joy and happiness, becomes an occasion for some people to “wag their tongues” in negative talks and remarks!

As the saying goes, where two or three are gathered with a vicious and malicious mind…
… there is the assassination of the character of few people!

The Pharisees and their scribes, seeing Jesus sharing the joyful companionship of the tax collectors, began to murmur and grumble: “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Lk 5: 30)

Jesus clarifies His mission of coming to the world to heal the sick and to cure the ill. (Lk 5:31)

He is the Great Physician of Galilee.

This Great Physician, clearly examines the “tongues” of the Pharisees and the Scribes and identifies their sickness…

Their tongues spoke ill of people who were being saved.
Their tongues criticized the people who were given a redeeming status in the society.
Their tongues lashed at out the Lord who came to bring acceptance and love to the outcast.

The words that their tongues uttered …
… revealed the low-state of their life.
… revealed the negativity that was widespread in their life.

The Great Physician today wishes to examine our tongues: our words and our speech.

Are we also persons whose tongues lash out in harsh criticism and rash judgements?
Are we also persons whose tongues hit out in negative comments and unkind criticism?

The Great Physician is here to heal us…

Our tongues easily reveal our sicknesses to Him.

St Francis de Sales, mentions about this aspect, in his book, ‘Introduction to the Devout Life’…
“Doctors get a good knowledge of the health or the illness of a man by examining his tongue.

Our words are signs of the qualities of our souls”

The state of the tongue reveals the state of the health of the person.

The condition of the tongue gives an indication of the well-being or illness in a person.

Similarly, the words, which the tongue speaks, reveal the state of our inner life.

Our speech, which the tongue utters, reveal the condition of our spiritual life.

This time of the Lent is a great opportunity for us, to improve in this area of our life.

The Great Physician has His prescriptions ready…

His Holy Word, which can sweeten our tongues with patience and charity.
His Holy Eucharist, which can cleanse our tongues in sanctity and holiness.

Let us use the tongue, responsibly…
… else, it would continue to be responsible for many ignominies of life!

Being healed and cleansed by the Divine Touch of the Great Physician…
… let us avoid “crimes of the tongue!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

“Realizing that ‘Jesus is knocking at the door of my heart!'”

(Based on Isa 58:1-9a and Mt 9:14-15 – Friday after Ash Wednesday)

A nurse in a pediatric ward, before listening to the little ones’ chests…
… would plug the stethoscope into their ears
… and let them listen to their own heart.

Their eyes would always light up with amazement…
… but she never got a response equal to four-year-old David’s comment.

Gently she tucked the stethoscope into his ears…
… and placed the disk over his heart.

“Listen,” she said, “What do you suppose that is?”

He drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line…
… and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap
… tap, tapping deep in his chest.

Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin and he asked: “Is that Jesus knocking?”

Lent is the beautiful season when we are called to turn inward and realise: “Jesus knocking at the door of my heart!”

The readings of the day are strong reminders – heavy knockings, in fact, on the door of our hearts…
… Jesus, our Blessed Lord and Prophet Isaiah exhorting us to realise the true meaning of fasting!

The disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus with an important query: “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?” (Lk 9:14)

The Mosaic Law commanded only one day of fasting – the day of Atonement.

The Book of Leviticus prescribes this fast: “On the tenth day of the seventh month…you are to enter into a solemn fast and refrain from all work, because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you.

In the presence of God, you will be made clean of all your sins. It is a Sabbath of all Sabbaths.
You must fast. It is a perpetual ordinance” (Lev 16:29-31)

But it is to be noted that the Pharisees and apparently, the disciples of John, had also adopted another tradition…
… that of fasting two days a week.

This was considered to be a very pious act among this group.

In Luke 18:12, we find the Pharisee who boasts of fasting twice a week, as he makes his prayer, in contempt of the tax collector.

It is to this fasting, that the disciples of John refer to when they counter Jesus with the question: “Why don’t your disciples fast?”

But Jesus opens their eyes to see the stagnancy in their thought and practice.

The practice of fasting was for the atonement of one’s sins.

It was a time of mourning in seeking the restoration of Israel…
… a time of waiting for the Messiah who would redeem their nation.

But somehow for many of the people, these basic aspects of fasting were forgotten and apparently, lost.

Very often, their practice of fasting had grown stagnant….
… and they failed to realise the reason and meaning of their fasting.

When one loses sight of the original purpose, actions become mere lifeless customs.

A custom, devoid of its purpose and real intention is dead and decayed!
A tradition, performed without knowing its’ true meaning is an obsolete ritual!

Does this not happen to us as well?

The Season of Lent calls for us to make extra sacrifices, especially through the form of fasting.

What is my attitude to fasting and penance?

Am I ready to undertake the powerful style of fasting as presented in Isaiah 58: 6-7: A fasting…
… to lose the bonds of wickedness and to undo the thongs of the yoke
… to let the oppressed go free and to share the bread with the hungry
… to bring the homeless poor into the house and to cover the naked

The Lord declares Himself as the Bridegroom, Who has come to restore the glory of Israel. (Mt 9:15)

It’s time to rejoice with Him, Who is the Bridegroom and Saviour – Jesus!

Our fasting, penances and sacrifices are to be joyful…
… because we have Jesus, the bridegroom with us.

His presence with us, is a matter of joy
… yet we fast and do penance, to share joyfully in His suffering and pain.

His presence with us, is an occasion of rejoicing
… yet we make sacrifices and discipline ourselves, to find deeper meaning in His Cross.

Lent is the season to “slow down and turn inward!”

Do we realise that “Jesus is knocking at the door of my heart?”

Let us, be willing, to “listen to the voice of the Lord, inviting us, closer to His Heart”…
… and open our eyes to the real purpose of our fasting and acts of penance.

“Knock… knock…
… Are you going to fast on Friday?”

God Bless! Live Jesus!