Jesus has come to ‘give us abundant life’ (Jn 10,10). And this abundant life is for our body, mind and spirit. St. Paul says: “May your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess.5,19).

Very often we find ourselves not being able to experience this abundant life which Jesus has come to give us. In the book of  Psalm we read: “Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Their hearts were bowed down with hard labour; they fell down with no one to help…..Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death”. (107,10-11;17-18).

But after being ‘feasted with the food of the swine’ (cfr Lk, 15-16), if we are ready to come back to our senses and decide to go back to our Father’s house, we can experience the forgiving love and mercy of the Lord.

The Psalmist is sharing his own experience: “While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long….my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgression to the Lord” and you forgave the guilt of my sin”. (Ps. 32, 3-5).

The purpose of the Sacrament of confession is stated by the Church thus: “The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our soul and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health ( cfr. Healing of the Paralytic- Mk. 2,1-12), has willed that his Church continues, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of  healing and salvation, even among her own members” (CCC 1421). So when on the first day of the week, when the Risen Lord appeared to the apostles in the locked room, he said to them: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. Then he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn. 20, 21-23).

St. Paul was added to the Apostles after getting the vision of Jesus entrusting him with a unique mission, to which he whole heartedly responded. He was well aware of the significance of this sacrament. “He has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself…entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors of Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5, 18-20). Hence this Sacrament is also called ‘the Sacrament of Reconciliation’.

Realising our human nature that ‘we all sin’ (Rom. 3,23; 1 Jn. 1, 8), the Lord has instituted this sacrament of His mercy and grace. But what can happen is that we lose the sense of sin. As our Bl. Pope John Paul II has pointed out: “Insensitivity to sin is the greatest curse of this present generation. Through Prophet Isaiah the Lord says: “Woe to you who call evil good and good evil…” (5,20). Suppose we keep poison in a bottle and attach to it a label saying ‘Poison’. If somebody takes off this label and replaces it with a label with ‘Honey’ on it, the poison still remains poison. So likely, whether we admit sin to be a sin or not, sin remains sin.

If we think we can directly make our confession to God, without an intermediary of  a priest, the danger of human mind ‘diluting or compromising the sin’ persists. Jesus commanded “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, whose sins you bind they are bound. ”If we do not follow the way Jesus commanded, then we take responsibility for seeking forgiveness the way WE WANT, NOT THE WAY Jesus wanted it.

Is it not a temptation for the modern man not to seek and get forgiveness  and be lost in his own stubbornness and sin, even though God gave His means to obtain forgiveness ?

It is human nature to apologise when we make mistakes. And it soothes our heart when we come to know that we are forgiven. When we hear the words of Absolution at the confessional we are doubly sure that our sins are forgiven by the Lord because it is Jesus who gave that authority to the Apostles and to their successors (Jn. 20,23; 2 Cor. 5,19-20).

Jesus not only forgives our sins but forgets our sins, so that we need not live in guilt of our past sins.

“If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn. 1,9). “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8,12). “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8,1).

For a valid confession the church teaches that we are to be faithful to the five steps. The validity of the confession depends not on the Confessor, but on the penitent following these steps:

1. Examine your conscience in the light of the Word of God– especially with regard to the Ten commandments (Ex.20. 2-17; CCC. 2084-2557), the five Precepts of the Church (CCC 2041-2043), ….Frequenting the sacrament of confession with examination of conscience increases our self awareness of sin which will lead us to the second step.

2. Repent your sins-Repentance has been the central teaching of Jesus. At the very outset of his proclamation he said: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mk. 1,15). Without sincerely repenting for our sins, we cannot have the kingdom experience. After his resurrection, he reminded the disciples of what was written in the Scriptures: “…….Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations….” (Lk. 24,47). Hearing Peter’s first preaching after Pentecost, the listeners were “cut to the heart and said to Peter and other Apostles: ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them; ‘Repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven…”(Acts 2,37-38). Later in his speech in Solomon’s Portico Peter again exhorted: “Repent, and turn to God that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3, 19-20).

3. Resolve not to commit the sin again. The Scriptures as well as the Church is clear in teaching that confession is not a ‘license to sin again’. “Have you sinned, my child? Do so no more, but ask forgiveness for your past sins. Flee from sin as from a snake; for if you approach sin, it will bite you. Its teeth are lion’s teeth, and can destroy human lives” (Sirach 21, 1-2). Jesus told the woman caught in adultery: “I do not condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again” (Jn. 8,11)

“Among the penitents, acts of contrition occupy the first place. Contrition is “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again” (CCC 1451).

4. Confess your sins to a priest. The Church teaches that ‘confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance’(CCC 1456)

5. Do the penance the priest gives. “Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must ‘make satisfaction for’ or ‘expiate’ his sin. This satisfaction is called “penance”(CCC1459).

Every Sacrament is a visible sign through which the invisible grace of Jesus is poured into our lives. “His grace restores what sin has damaged in us” (CCC 1708). As St.Augustine has said:“Whoever confesses his sins is already working with God. God indicts your sins; if you also indict them, you are joined with God. Man and sinner are, so to speak, two realities: when you hear “man”- this is what God has made; when you hear “sinner”- this is what man himself has made. Destroy what you have made, so that God may save what he has made. When you begin to abhor what you have made, it is then that your good works are beginning, since you are accusing yourself of your evil works. The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. You do the truth and come to the light”.

“Reconciliation with God is the purpose and effect of this sacrament. Those who receive this Sacrament of  Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation. Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true “spiritual resurrection”, restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God” (CCC 1468).

Mary Pereira

Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8,12). Jesus,’ the Word Become Flesh’, dwelt among us and showed us the Light of Life. He is ‘the true light which enlightens everyone’ (Jn. 1,9). In him there is no darkness for He is God, and God is Light. Jesus lived the word of the Father and became the light of the world.

Since the Word of God is revealing God’s Nature, it is the Light. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119,105).  When we live God’s word, we share God’s Nature, and therefore we become lights, reflecting God’s nature. Whereas WHEN WE DISOBEY GOD’S WORD AND LIVE SELFISHLY, we become darkness, sharing the character of the Evil one.

Hence what is darkness? Disobeying God’s Word, and expressing my selfish nature. Consequently we harm ourselves and others and the effect is passed on to the society and to the coming generations.

We need light when there is darkness. Jesus told the disciples: “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5,14). The light and darkness which Jesus meant is not the literal light of the day and the darkness of the night. There can be deeds of light and deeds of darkness, as there is kingdom of light and kingdom of darkness.  St. John makes it clear: “Whoever says, “I am in the light”, while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light.” (1 Jn. 2,9-10).

Jesus, as the light of the world, came to give His Divine Light into our hearts. He taught about the attitudes of the kingdom of God – which is the kingdom of light – in his Sermon on the Mount. Especially the chapters five, six and seven of the gospel of Mathew, describe the lifestyle of the kingdom of light. Starting with the Beatitudes, he goes on highlightening the values of the kingdom of God which are opposed to the values of this world.

Let us briefly reflect on what Jesus teaches: “Do not be angry with a brother or   a sister, do not say to anyone, ‘you fool’, do not commit adultery in thought, word and deed, do not be unfaithful to the partner in marriage, do not swear, do not resist the evil doer, you shall love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, do acts of charity in secret and not for publicity, have childlike  trust in God who is our Father, pray to Him and trust in Him in all your needs, do not judge nor criticize others……In short, in our dealings with one another he gave us a Golden Rule: “In everything,  do to others as you would have them do to you”.

Every disciple of Jesus is called to be ‘wise enough to hear these words of his and act on them’ (Mt.7,24). When we live such lives we become light of the world, reflecting the light of Jesus in our lives. Since the gospel teachings of Christ written by the four Evangelists are unfamiliar we are called to be the fifth living gospel. Many people around us are ignorant of the values of the kingdom of light; deliberately or not, knowingly or not, many are living in the kingdom of darkness. As Bl. Mother Teresa has said: “Instead of cursing darkness, let us light a candle”. Instead of getting worried, anxious or disappointed about those who ‘live in the darkness’ of hatred, impurities, greed, jealousy, addictions, occult and the like, let us live the kingdom values and shine as light among them. “The light shines in darkness”. (Jn.1,5). As St. Paul says: “We are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor. 2,15). Imbibing the kingdom values fully in his life, he could set his life as a model for others. “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor.11,1).

This mission of being the ‘light of the world’ is urgent now, as the darkness is dominating the lives of people much more than ever before. The works of the darkness are manifested in the lives of people in varied ways: “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissentions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these” (Gal. 5,19-20).  Nevertheless, we cannot lose hope. We need to continue doing good, which is ‘our way of life’ (Eph. 2,10).

“For it is God’s will that by doing right we should silence the ignorance of the foolish” (1 Pet. 2,15).  We, as the Disciples of Christ, are ‘not  to be in darkness; for we are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness” (1 Thess. 5,4-5). We are exhorted  to “cloth ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other” (Col. 3,12- 13).  Thereby we become a blessing for others. Yes, let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light” (Rom13,12).

Let us put on this armour of light, first in our own home/house, then in our neighbourhood, in our places of work and in the society at large, for Jesus said  “when you receive the Holy Spirit you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world” (Acts 1,8). We have only a short life here in this pilgrim land. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil.3,20). Compared to our eternal life, our life here is just like a drop of water in the ocean. May we be the drops of love, joy, peace and blessing in the life of others, fulfilling the mission entrusted to us – being the ‘light of the world’, which is now groping in darkness of sin, despair, meaninglessness and confusion. Let us follow the footsteps of Jesus who said: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (Jn. 9,5). Yes, I can fulfil this mission only when I am journeying through this land. Let us encourage ourselves daily, while it is still “today”, so that none of us may grow hardened by the deceit of sin” (Heb.3,13).

“No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works, and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Mt.5,15-16).

Let us sing along:

‘Lord, the light of Your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness shining
Jesus Light of the world shine upon us
Set us free by the truth You now bring us
Shine on me, Shine on me.
Shine, Jesus shine
Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze, Spirit blaze,
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your Word,
Lord, and let there be light’.

Mary Pereira

‘The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith” (Lk17.5). The father of the boy with a deaf and dumb spirit, when challenged by the Lord about his faith, said to the Lord: “I believe: help my unbelief” (Mk 9.24). In the Baptismal Rite, the Priest asks the catechumen: “what do you want?” and the response is “faith”. So we get faith in the Sacrament of Baptism, but we need to grow in this faith. We find the apostles asking the Lord to help them increase their faith. We too need to pray daily for an increase of faith. “It is the Holy Spirit who gives the grace of faith” (CCC 1102). We are called to live the faith from our baptism till death.

But  we are living in a time when faith is vanishing from the life of many. Jesus foreknew this and hence asked: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk. 18.8).

People usually think that Faith is mere intellectual understanding which is notional faith and not faith as applied to our daily life; and therefore our faith is not effective in our practical life. Our faith becomes effective when we live what we notionally believe.

What is faith? The Holy Scripture tells that ‘faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb.11.1). In the Creed we profess and proclaim this faith in ‘the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen’: ‘we believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our God……in the forgiveness of sins, resurrection of our body, and life everlasting.” We can profess to believe, yet our actions fail to reflect it !

St. James says: “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder” (Jas. 2.19). We understand from this that just believing in God is not sufficient. If‘I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth…’ I should respond to this belief by loving Him and giving Him due honour, Adoration and worship.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: “faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself”. (CCC 1814)

Let us reflect on few things, ‘God has said and revealed’:

“I am who I am;…I am the Lord your God… you shall have no other gods before me…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind….I told that you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he….” (Ex. 20,2-3; Mt. 22,37; Jn.8,24)

Do I believe and respond to this revelation of God? How do I respond to this belief?

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jer. 31,3).

“….you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you…”(Is. 43,4)

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Is.49,15)

If I believe in this love of my Creator God, why should I be depressed and downtrodden because of lack of love from parents and others?

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh.1,9).

“I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt.28,20)

Do I experience the presence of God with me always?

If I believe these truths revealed by God, my attitude towards God, myself and others will be different. “Faith is man’s response to God” (CCC 26).  I need to respond to these truths in my thoughts, convictions and behaviour. We see many people living in sorrow or inferiority complex because they were not loved and appreciated by others; many are wounded by the rejection of their parents; many living in fear of varied sorts….Does not this show our lack of faith in God and in what He has ‘said and revealed’? We need to grow in faith through prayer and growing in the knowledge of the Word of God. Then we can have faith-filled expressions.

God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it?” (Numb.23,9). Whatever the Lord has ‘said and revealed’ become a reality in my life, if I respond to the truth in faith.

St. Paul tells that ‘shield of faith’ is one of the important weapons which we need to use in our spiritual warfare. With this armour we “will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6,16). We need to use the shield of faith in His Promises, be convinced of His love and come out of the negative feelings. Here the influence of the evil one is ‘quenched’. Faith in the Lord and in His never failing Word can ‘put out the flames of the evil’ which comes in the form of temptation and other negative attitudes.

Some practical tips:

When the enemy shows doubts about the Word of God, I should have the faith that God does not tell lies and He is ever faithful to his promises. (Numb.23.19, Mk.13,31).

When the enemy tempts me with the desires of the world, I should have the faith that reminds me that eternal happiness is worth sacrificing the temporal pleasures which are passing.

When the enemy tempts me to the slippery paths of occult, I should have the faith that the only way is Jesus, and that even if I gain the whole world, it does not profit me if I lose my soul (Mt.16,26).

When I am gripped with depression about my broken childhood of rejection and un-wantedness, I should have the faith in the Word of God that “if my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up” (Ps.27,10 ; also see Is.49,15).

When I am paralysed with the thought that I am good for nothing, the faith in God’s Word that ‘I am a  child of God’(1 Jn.3,1), and I am ‘precious in his sight, and honoured and he loves me’ (Is.43,4) should help me accept myself,  as I am the handiwork of God.

When I have fear and lack confidence, my faith in His Word should raise me up: “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh.1,9). “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4,13)

So our faith in the Word of God and our acting accordingly is the antidote against the tactics of the evil one.

Once a lady came to me sharing her pain and sorrow because of her husband calling her once ‘monkey’. She lost her self image from that day and she did not want to look into the face mirror and was walking always, putting her head down. I told her what her dignity is before the eyes of God, as she is the ‘apple of His eyes’; and told her to read Isaiah 43,4. She became radiant with joy. She realised the truth that for her Creator God, who is her real husband (Is.54,5) she is precious and honoured even though in the eyes of her earthly husband, she is like a ‘monkey’.

Yes, we should be, not only the hearers and readers of the Word of God, but be the believers in the Word and be responding to it in our thoughts, words and actions. Such should be our faith-filled life. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11,6). In the gospel narrative of the healing of woman who was suffering from haemorrhage for twelve years, we find the woman with the faith: “if only I touch His cloak, I will be made well” (Mt 9.21), she “came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His clothes, and immediately her haemorrhage stopped.” (Lk.8.44). Thereupon Jesus said: “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me” (46). It is our faith, which unlocks the power of God. We must confess the truths of our faith, believe in them and act accordingly.

St. Paul says: “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ” (Rom.10,17). The Church also teaches us: “By the saving word of God, faith is nourished in the hearts of believers….The proclamation does not stop with a teaching; it elicits the response of faith as consent and commitment, directed at the covenant between God and his people” (CCC 1102). “Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. (CCC 162)

We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: “Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith” (1 Tim. 1.18, 19). To live, grow, and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the Word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith” (CCC 162).

Whatever gifts and talents that we have received from God are to be used and multiplied (cfr. The Parable of the Talents). We have a responsibility to live our faith and to help others to grow in faith. As At. Paul tells: “What you have heard from me through many witnesses, entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach to others as well” (2 Tim. 2,2). This is the way to spread faith. So we have no time to waste. Satan’s trick is to take away the Word of God from us and to make us lose faith. “Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4,3-4).

“Faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our love for Jesus and for our neighbour impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith.” (CCC 166).

Fr. Raniero Cantalamesse, ofmcap, the Preacher of the Pontifical Household, said while explaining the ‘Parable of the Talents’ (Mt. 25,14-30): “Today´s faith and the Sacraments are the talents that we Christians have received. How are we making use of these talents?

The fruits of the natural talents become irrelevant to us when we die; the fruits of the spiritual talents follow us into eternity and they will gain us the approval of the Divine Judge: “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

Mary Pereira

The name ‘Corpus Christi’ is the Latin word for ‘the Body of Christ’. The Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or on the following Sunday. It is the celebration of the truth of the ‘transubstantiation’ of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ during the Holy Mass. The Eucharistic Procession is a special feature of the celebration of this feast, and it was endowed with indulgences by Pope Martin V and Eugene IV.

The introduction of Corpus Christi as a feast in the Christian Liturgy was primarily due to the petition of the 13^th Century Augustinian nun Juliana of Liege. From her early youth, Juliana had veneration for the Blessed Sacrament, and always longed for a special feast in its honour. This desire is said to have been increased by a vision of the Church under the appearance of full moon leaving one dark spot, which signifies the absence of such a Solemnity. In 1208 she reported her first vision of Christ to her Confessor Priest as instructed by the Lord to plead for the institution of the feast of the Corpus Christi. The vision was repeated for the next twenty years. In 1263, Pope Urban IV investigated the claims of a Eucharistic Miracle at Bolsena, in which a Consecrated Host began to bleed. In 1264 he issued the Papal bull in which Corpus Christi was made a feast throughout the entire Latin Rite. This was the very first papally sanctioned feast in the history of the Latin Rite.

It is a feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist. “The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life” (II Vatican Council -Lumen Gentium). As Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, it is ‘a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the Cross’ (1366). By celebrating the Eucharist, we proclaim that Jesus has not withdrawn from the world; He has not left us alone.

When Jesus knew that  His hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (Jn. 13.1). The Eucharist is essentially the fullest act of gratitude prefigured in Melchizedek, finding its fulfilment in the Sacrifice of Christ. Every Mass is a participation in and celebration of the Sacrifice of Jesus, but the feast of the Corpus Christi is the time to be especially aware of the Eucharist: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk.22.19)

“As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor.11.26). With these words St .Paul reminds us that the celebration of the ‘Lord’s Supper ’is the memorial of the Redeeming Sacrifice of Christ. As Blessed Pope John Paul II said in his homily announcing the Year of the Eucharist, “there is a close relationship between “building the Eucharist” and “proclaiming Christ”…..We are reliving this wonderful reality in the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, during which the Church not only celebrates the Eucharist but solemnly bears it in procession, publicly proclaiming that the Sacrifice of Christ is for the salvation of the world”.

In the Sacrament of baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit; we are also given a commission to live the Christ-like life with the help of the ‘sanctifying gifts’ (Is.11.2) which the Holy Spirit gives us in Baptism. In the Holy Eucharist we are fed by the Sacramental Body and Blood of Christ; we are transformed by what we eat and drink, to become ourselves the mystical Body of Christ. Nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ we are ‘send forth’ to live His Presence in the world today. ‘To receive in faith the gift of His Eucharist is to receive the Lord Himself’ (CCC 1336). “Just as I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me” (Jn.6.57). Bl. Mother Theresa, Bl. Pope John Paul II and the Saints and Martyrs down the centuries could be  a sign of the Presence of Jesus in the world because of this ‘indescribable gift’ (2 Cor.9.15).

As Pope Benedict XVI said in his sermon on 21.04.2011 for the Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper, challenging us: “Jesus desires us, He waits for us. But what about us? Do we really desire Him? Are we anxious to meet Him? Do we desire to encounter Him, to become one with Him, to receive the gifts He offers in the Holy Eucharist? Or are we indifferent, distracted, and busy about other things?

We have every reason to celebrate this solemn feast of Corpus Christi to thank God for His indescribable gift and to live our faith in proclaiming the truth.

We had the privilege of participating in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and joining in the Eucharistic Procession in a church in Bratislava, SK this year. We were edified by the number of attendance , overflowing the big church, and the Eucharistic Procession, with the ‘little angels’ dressed in their First communion dress, throwing the flowers honouring the Lord. In spite of the rain, people did follow the Lord in procession, adoring Him at 4 different altars prepared outside in the public place.

Such events are not so common these days but the importance of this feast should not be forgotten. This is a very special and memorable occasion where we can all remember our own first communion day and that of our children. Mass attendances for such solemn celebrations are coming down; but it is a real challenge for all of us to keep our faith alive.

Mary Pereira

“The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the “mysteries that are hidden in God. They can never be known unless they are revealed by God. To be sure, God has left traces of his Trinitarian Being in his work of creation and in his Revelation throughout the Old Testament. But his inmost Being as “Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone or even to Israel’s faith before the Incarnation of God’s Son and the sending of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 237)

In Genesis, chapter 1.26 we read: “ God said, “Let us make man in our own image, according to our likeness”. God did not say: “Let me make…”.It implies that God is a communion of persons. So also “the Christian family is a communion of persons, the sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit” (CCC 2205). As some theologians clarify: “Creation was the unanimous decision of the Triune God: The decision coming from the Father, executed through His Son Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

The mystery of the Trinity is fully revealed in the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, at the time of his baptism: “When Jesus had been baptised, just as he came up from the water, suddenly, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3.16-17). The Trinitarian nature of One God is revealed in the very first book of the Bible itself, and made known to the world at the baptism of Jesus. And at the end of his earthly presence, just before the Ascension, Jesus commanded his apostles to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit “(Mt. 28.19). “ I am sending upon you, what my Father promised; stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

Trinity is a Divine Mystery which is not comprehensible to human reason or knowledge. There is a story that St. Augustine was walking on the beach contemplating the mystery of the Trinity. Then he saw a boy in front of him who had dug a hole in the sand and was going out to the sea again and again and bringing some water to pour into the hole. St. Augustine asked him, “What are you doing?” “I’m going to pour the entire ocean into this hole.” “That is impossible, the whole ocean will not fit in the hole you have made” said St. Augustine. The boy replied, “And you cannot fit the Trinity in your tiny little brain.” The story concludes by saying that the boy vanished, as St. Augustine had been talking to an angel.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God himself. It is therefore the source of all other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the “hierarchy of the truths of faith” (234).

“Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is one, the Son’s another, the holy Spirit’s another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal” (CCC 266).”

We begin and end every prayer, both Liturgical and personal, ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ In the prayer of the Creed we profess our faith in the Trinity; “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit……I believe in the Holy Spirit…”  Each time we make the sign of the Cross, we profess our faith that we belong to the Triune God through our Baptism.

St. Caesarius of Arles has said that ‘The faith of all Christians rests on the Trinity.’ We are baptised in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The significance of the Sacrament of Baptism is not our immersion into the water, but our immersion into the life of the Trinity. In the Sacramental Rite of Baptism, at the anointing on our forehead with the blessed oil, the Priest says: “I anoint you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Before receiving the Sacrament, the parents and the godparents of the child (or the recipient in the case of adult baptism), respond to a three-part question when asked whether they believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: to which they answer “I do”.

The Catechism teaches in no. 263:  “The mission of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of the Son (Jn. 14.26) and by the Son “from the Father” (Jn. 15.26), reveals that, with them, the Spirit is one and the same God. “With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified” (Nicene Creed). In the Eucharistic Prayer II, the Church prays “all holiness comes from your Father, through your Son Jesus Christ and through the working of the Holy Spirit”. “Inseparable in what they are, the divine persons are also inseparable in what they do.”(CCC 267). “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Gal.4.6). “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (Jn.14.26)

Jesus said: “The Father judges no one but has given all the judgement to His Son, so that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who send him” (Jn. 5.23). “No one who denies the Son, has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son, has the Father also” (1 Jn. 2.23). “Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God, does not have life” (1 Jn. 5.10-12).

Now the Holy Spirit is the love of the Father and of the Son. And therefore, where the Father and Son are One, that unity is brought about by the Holy Spirit. And “ it is the very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom.8.16). “ And  no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12.3).

We are privileged to have the life of the Trinity within. Jesus said: “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and make our home with them” (Jn.14.23). St. Paul reminds us that we are ‘the temple of the Holy Spirit’ (I Cor. 3.16. 6.19).

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, One True God, we adore you.  We thank You Father because you created us and we totally depend on you; We thank you Father for sending your Son to redeem us,  and we thank you Holy Spirit, because you are dwelling in our hearts and transforming us into the likeness of Jesus.

Fr. JMK

Pentecost, which means fifty days, is celebrated fifty days after Easter. On this day we recall that fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon Mother Mary, the Apostles and all those who gathered in the Upper Room where the Risen Lord appeared to the Apostles. As instructed by the Lord, they were waiting for the promise of the Father; to be clothed with power from on high (cfr Lk 24.49). “Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them” (Acts 2.2).

This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through Prophet Joel: “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit”. This flaming fire of the Holy Spirit came upon each one gathered in the Upper Room. Being ‘filled with the new wine’ (Acts 2.13) of the Holy Spirit, Peter started boldly to proclaim the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ bringing to faith the three thousand people. Those who welcomed his message were baptised and that day about three thousand persons were added to the faith (Acts 2.22-41). From the day of Pentecost the mission of Christ and His Spirit becomes the mission of the Church and hence Pentecost is rightly called the Birthday of the Church. It is significant to note that St. Peter, the first Pope was already the leader and spokesman for all the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday. United with and under the leadership of St. Peter, other disciples too started to proclaim the Gospel.

It was on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit actually took up residence within the human soul. In the Old Testament, we understand that the Spirit of God would descend upon a prophet or a messenger of God to inspire him to reveal God’s will to His people. But something new happened at Pentecost. God came and dwelt not only among us as our Lord Jesus Christ, but within us through the Holy Spirit. So St. Paul could ask the Corinthians: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor 3.16). What a privilege it is that God comes and dwells within us!

It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that transforms us. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to overcome the power of sin. “If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”. We often fail to live up to our calling as God’s children due to our innate selfishness, short temper or other weaknesses. But through our Baptism into Christ Jesus, we are baptised into His death. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength and the grace to die to our sins and to rise with Jesus to His resurrected glory (Rom 6.3-5). The flame of God’s love prompts me to ‘walk in newness of life, which is impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit.

We cannot experience the Sonship of God, the Father (Rom 8.15; Gal 4.6)) and the Lordship of Jesus (1 Cor 12.3) without the help of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit in us who fills our hearts with the love of the Father (Rom 5.5). It is not enough that we have the Holy spirit through Baptism but we need to live in fellowship with Him (2 cor 13.13). St Paul tells: “Do not quench the Holy Spirit’” (1 Thess 5.19). When fire wood is burning, if we pour water on it, the fire will be put off. So too when we commit sin, in our thought, word or deed, the flame of the Holy Spirit within is quenched. Similarly, when the fire is burning if new fire wood is not put, gradually the fire would be put off, hence we need to add more fire wood to continue the fire to burn; so too, through our prayer, listening, reading and meditating God’s Word, worthy Sacramental life etc., we need to rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit within (2 Tim 1.6). We are enabled to work for Christ, to preach, without being tired only with the help of the Holy Spirit.  ( Acts 4.31). So let us love this ‘Divine Guest’ within and try not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4.30) through our sins- our selfishness, lack of love and undue concern for people in our family and among others, our negligence in prayer life, indifference to our faith, Word of God and Sacraments and the like

Jesus said that He came to cast fire on earth. He comes to give the fire of the Kingdom of God in the hearts of people, and he wants that this fire spreads INTO the hearts of all men through his Apostles and disciples. It was with this fire of the Holy Spirit the Apostles and missionaries throughout the ages went about preaching the Word of God and continued the mission of Christ with conviction and power, facing all the challenges including martyrdom.

We too have the same flame of the Holy Spirit burning within us. Do I cooperate with the grace of God to rekindle it in my day to day life and then bring this fire of God’s love and power into the world around me? Do we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit as Jesus, the Apostles and the Saints did? Or are we quenching His flame by our lukewarm faith?

O Divine Flame within me, you are the love of the Father and the Son; enkindle me with a burning desire to live Jesus and with a greater zeal to fulfil His mission. You are the light of God; enlighten my mind with the knowledge of eternal things. You are the Spirit of truth; lead me to the truths of the mysteries of the Divine Word.

Fr. JMK

Im liturgischen Jahr befinden wir uns in der Zeit zwischen der Himmelfahrt unseres Herrn und dem großen Pfingstfest. Einige Theologen haben gesagt: “Im Alten Testament war der Fokus auf Jahwe, Gott, dem Vater; das Neue Testament war die Zeit Jesu, und die Zeit nach der Himmelfahrt des Herrn ist die Zeit des Heiligen Geistes. Der auferstandene Herr erschien den Aposteln und gab ihnen Anweisungen durch den Heiligen Geist. “… Er wurde in den Himmel aufgenommen, nachdem er durch den Heiligen Geist den Aposteln, die er sich erwählt hatte, Anweisungen gab“. (Apg 1,2). Bevor er in den Himmel aufstieg, sagte er zu ihnen “Und ich werde die Gabe, die mein Vater verheißen hat, euch herabsenden. Bleibt in der Stadt, bis ihr mit der Kraft aus der Höhe erfüllt werdet “ (Lk 24,49). Aus der Apostelgeschichte verstehen wir, wie sie und die Jünger in der frühen Kirche, durch den Heiligen Geist erfüllt und bevollmächtigt waren, als Zeugen Jesu Christi zu leben. Wir finden die Verheißung des auferstandenen Herrn, sich in ihnen zu erfüllen: ” Aber ihr werdet die Kraft des Heiligen Geistes empfangen, der auf euch herabkommen wird; und ihr werdet meine Zeugen sein in Jerusalem und in ganz Judäa und Samarien und bis an die Grenzen der Erde. “(Apg 1,8). Sie waren durch den Heiligen Geist geführt, die vom Jesus ihnen anvertraute Mission fortzusetzen: “Mir ist alle Macht gegeben im Himmel und auf Erden. Geht zu allen Völkern und macht alle Menschen zu meinen Jüngern; tauft sie auf den Namen des Vaters und des Sohnes und des Heiligen Geistes; und lehrt sie, alles zu befolgen, was ich euch geboten habe. Seid gewiss: Ich bin bei euch alle Tage bis zum Ende der Welt. (Mt 28. 18-20).

Jesus hat seine ständige Präsenz in seiner Kirche gesichert – In der Kirche, die er auf dem Felsen (festen Glauben) von Peter etabliert hat.   „Ich aber sage dir: Du bist Petrus und auf diesen Felsen werde ich meine Kirche bauen und die Mächte der Unterwelt werden sie nicht überwältigen.“(Mt 16.18). Aber Jesus hat auch einen weiteren Beistand  der Kirche geschenkt. “Und ich werde den Vater bitten und er wird euch einen anderen Beistand geben, der für immer bei euch bleiben soll.  Es ist der Geist der Wahrheit, den die Welt nicht empfangen kann, weil sie ihn nicht sieht und nicht kennt.”(Joh 14. 16,17). Jesus wusste, dass es für seine Jünger nicht möglich wäre, sich an all das, was er sie während der drei Jahren seines öffentlichen Wirkens lehrte zu erinnern (Joh 14,26) oder in die Praxis umzusetzen; noch wäre es für sie, die Verfolgungen, denen sie in ihrem Leben ausgesetzt würden, durch ihre eigene Kraft, leicht zu ertragen. Deshalb legte Er ihnen nahe, sich „mit der Kraft aus der Höhe zu bekleiden“, um sich nicht nur an das was Jesus sagte zu erinnern, sondern um sie, nach Anhörung seines Wortes, auch in ihrer Sündhaftigkeit zu überführen (Joh 16,8). Wenn aber jener kommt, der Geist der Wahrheit, wird er euch in die ganze Wahrheit und Gerechtigkeit führen.(Joh 16,13),

Die gleiche Macht des Herrn, der Heilige Geist, ist uns durch die Taufe gegeben worden. Der Hl.Paulus sagt: “Lasst euch vom Geist leiten, dann werdet ihr das Begehren des Fleisches nicht erfüllen. Denn das Begehren des Fleisches richtet sich gegen den Geist, das Begehren des Geistes aber gegen das Fleisch“. (Gal 5.16,17)  Unsere fleischliche Natur uns oft nötigt, rebellisch, ungehorsam, egoistisch zu sein; unsere Freiheit durch Genuß von Drogen, Alkohol, sündhafte sexuelle Freuden usw. zu missbrauchen. Deshalb müssen wir “ durch den Geist die sündigen Taten des Leibes töten ” (Röm 8.13). Nur wenn wir unser Leben dem Wirken des Heiligen Geistes überlassen, werden wir als “Kinder Gottes” (Mal 1,15) leben können. Ein siegreiches christliches Leben ist nur dann möglich, wenn wir vom Heiligen Geist erfüllt sind und von ihm geführt werden. In diesem Sinne ermahnt uns der Hl. Paulus : ” Wenn wir aus dem Geist leben, dann wollen wir dem Geist auch folgen“. (Gal 5,25).

In der Zeit zwischen Himmelfahrt und Pfingsten, die Aposteln und die Heilige Jungfrau Maria verbrachten neun Tage im Gebet und warteten auf die Erfüllung der Verheißung Christi, seinen Geist zu senden. Die  Gläubigen beten in diesen neun Tagen die Novene zum Heiligen Geist. Lasst uns beten, dass der Heilige Geist alle Herzen erfüllen kann.

Bischof Ignatius di Latakia, Bischof eines östlichen Ritus hat während seiner Rede, anlässlich des Weltkirchentages im Juli 1968 folgendes gesagt :

Ohne den Heiligen Geist:

Gott ist weit weg
Christus bleibt in der Vergangenheit
Das Evangelium ist ein toter Buchstabe
Die Kirche ist einfach eine Organisation
Autorität ein Mittel der Herrschaft
Mission ein Werkzeug der Propaganda
Liturgie nicht mehr als eine Anspielung
Christliches Leben eine Moral der Versklavung.

Aber mit dem Heiligen Geist:

Der Kosmos ist auferstanden und stöhnt von den Geburtswehen des Königreichs
Der auferstandene Christus ist gegenwärtig
Das Evangelium ist die Kraft des Lebens
Die Kirche verkündigt das Leben der Dreifaltigkeit
Autorität ist ein befreiender Dienst
Mission ist ein Pfingsten
Die Liturgie ist Ausdruck der Erinnerung und der Erwartung
Menschliches Handeln steht im Dienst des Göttlichen

Vater, wir danken Dir, dass Du uns deinen Heiligen Geist gegeben hast. Hilf uns, den Heiligen Geist in uns durch unsere Sünden und Gleichgültigkeit weder zu beleidigen noch zu stillen “(Eph 4,30). Gib uns die Gnade, dass wir in unserem Alltag durch den Heiligen Geist geführt werden.

Mary Pereira

Peace is a beautiful gift of God and He intended the human kind to live in peace with one another and with the whole creation. (cfr. Isa. 11. 6-9).

The angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds thus: “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will” (Lk.2:14). Only when we give glory to God through our lives, can we experience the peace of God. The coming of Jesus into the world was an assurance of peace to people of good will. In the gospels we see Jesus greeting people with peace on many occasions. To the woman who was healed of haemorrhage, Jesus said: “Your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (5:34). It was her faith in Jesus that healed her and relieved her of her sufferings and  gave her peace.

As it was time for Jesus to leave the disciples, He knew they were disheartened and hence in his farewell discourse, He told them: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (Jn 14.27). When Jesus appeared to the Apostles after His Resurrection, again He greeted them: “Peace be with you” (Jn 20. 19,21, 26).

The living and loving God reads the pangs of our innermost self and He always offers His peace. The peace that Jesus gives is not just the absence of unrest or violence. It is much more positive; it takes away our anxiety, fear and worry. Nothing can take us from the peace of Christ – no sorrow, no danger , no suffering can make it less. It is internal. It is the experience of the possession of all the blessings of God; the possession of God Himself. As Prophet Micah writes: “And He will be their peace” (5.5). “Jesus is our peace” (Eph 2.14). So it is not an abstract idea, but the very person of Jesus. The peace of Christ is part of our ‘life in Christ’. So Jesus said: “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace” (Jn. 16.33). The world may persecute us, as Jesus pointed out, still we can have the peace of Christ.

We need to have peace with God, with ourselves and with one another. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was always in perfect peace with God the Father, with Himself and with others as He was living the word of the Father, which He was proclaiming: “The word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me” (Jn. 14.24). In fact every one of us yearns for peace. But we see around us that many are bereft of this peace. Through Prophet Baruch God is pointing out the reason why we do not experience this peace. “If you had walked in the way of God, you would be living in peace forever” (3.13). If I do not have this peace ‘forever’ it is because I do not walk in the way of God; the logic is as simple as that. God is ever faithful to His word. “God is not a human being that He should lie, or a mortal, that He should change His mind. Has He promised, and will He not do it? Has He spoken, and will not fulfil it?” (Num. 23.19). Jesus is ‘the way, the truth and the life’ (Jn 14.6), and when I live His way, I am not far from the experience of peace. God’s way is selflessness, forgiving love, humble service to one another, considering others better than ourselves (Phil 2.3), respecting human life etc. When our way is not such,  when we live in selfishness, bitterness and anger, not considering the dignity of our life or that of others, craving for name and fame…it is but natural that we experience lack of peace within. “Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace, in peace because they trust in you” (Is 26.3.).

St.Paul tells about ‘the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding’ (Phil 4.7). What does it mean? When I enjoy ‘all good things of the world’, like love and appreciation from everyone, success in my career, good health etc, I may be able to experience peace, which the ‘world can understand’; where as if I am deprived of all these ‘good things of the world’, when people reject me, misunderstand me; when I face problems in my career, financial crisis, health problem etc, I am still in peace and serenity of heart, ‘the world cannot understand’ that. The onlookers may ask me: “How can you be in peace when you have so many problems?” Yes, this is the peace which surpasses all understanding, and only in God I can experience such peace. Quite rightly St.Augustine has said: “Our heart is created for you O Lord, and until it finds Thee, it is not at rest”. As St.Paul tells: “To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8.6).

“If you, even you, had only recognised on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (Lk 19.42). Lord, open our eyes to recognise the truth about what will bring us your peace and what will take away your peace from our lives.

“The inner peace is a fruit of the union of the human will with the divine will. It is achieved through the body of Christ, in its worship, prayer and Sacramental life. Baptism joins us with the whole body of Christ and is a commitment to discipleship in all its implications” (Bishop Richard Harries: ‘Questioning Belief’)

After the final blessing of the Holy Eucharist, the Priest sends us forth with a mission: “The Mass is ended; go in peace (in the peace of Christ).”. We, the faithful respond: “Thanks be to God”. We thank the Lord for the gift of peace which we received while participating in the Holy Eucharist; through listening the readings,and ‘breaking of the Word; then by receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, we become one with the Prince of Peace. As At.Paul tells: “It is no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2.20). We go back to our home, place of work with this peace of Christ, and with a changed attitude through hearing the Word which enables us to live in peace with one another and with every situation, however hard that may be.

Mary Pereira

When we are listening to the radio, sometimes the frequencies from two stations clash and we do not get clarity for the hearing. So we tune it to the right frequency to hear it properly. Likewise we need to tune our heart in order to hear God’s voice clearly.

We can hear voices from the outside world, from our hardened conscience or from our right conscience which is built on the Word of God. We need to discern from where the thoughts, motivations, urges come.

Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they know me” (Jn 10.27). Through a familiar imagery for the Israelites, Jesus was bringing forth a truth. The shepherd, tending the sheep, goes in front of the sheep with a staff and a whistle. Each time when he wants to direct the sheep, he uses his whistle producing a particular sound. When he wants his sheep to turn to the right in order to lead them to green pastures or to fresh waters, he whistles a particular sound; the sheep understands the message and turns to the right. When some danger is ahead, he sounds the whistle with a particular voice and the sheep run as directed by the shepherd. Suppose two sheep among the flock think: “There is nice green pasture here; let us graze for some more time”. If they disobey the shepherd’s voice and stay back, they will be in danger.

The Lord, who knows what is good for us in each situation and in each state of life, is talking to us through His Word, through His Church and through the gentle whispers of the Holy Spirit within our heart. But we need to attune ourselves to receive it.  In the busy schedule of our lives, and much more, in this technological age, attuning ourselves to the voice of the Lord becomes harder.

According to a Vatican spokesman, Fr.Federico Lombardi, “without a spiritual life, people are at the risk of losing their souls. In the age of cell phone and internet, it is very difficult to protect silence and nourish the interior dimension of life. There is an interior and spiritual dimension of life that must be guarded and nourished. If not, it can become barren to the point of drying up and indeed dying. Today it is a very grave threat and it is the most irreparable misfortune” .

If we fail to heed to the voice of the Lord and amend our ways, the warning is given to us that we will be crushed by the enemy, “because you did not recognise the time of your visitation from God” (Lk 19.44).

A preacher was giving a retreat for College students. At the end of the retreat a young boy came and told the preacher: “I liked your preaching. But I will do all that after some time. Life is short; now I am in the prime of my age. I want to enjoy life. I have many girl friends and I like pornography”. After four years, the preacher was giving a retreat in the same locality. A very sad looking man approached the preacher and asked: “Do you recognise me? I am the one who came to you and said, when you were giving retreat in our college four years ago that ‘life is short; I want to enjoy’…Then he started weeping. In tears he said: “Yes, my life is very short. I am an AIDS patient now. I may die soon”.

The Lord was speaking to his conscience when he was listening to the Word during the retreat. Gentle was His call, giving him the freedom of choice. It was time of ‘the Lord’s visitation in his life’. But he did not want to heed to it. The loving Lord had a beautiful plan of welfare for this young man as for each of us. “Surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope” (Jer 29.11). Our enemy, the devil (1 Pet 5.8) also has a plan for us: “to steal and kill and destroy” (Jn 10.10a). If I live, listening to the voice of the Lord, His plan of welfare about me will become a reality and I can taste the goodness of the Lord all throughout my life. But if I give a deaf ear to the voice of the Lord, and rebel against His loving admonitions, then I am giving chance for the enemy to influence my life. And his plan is to destroy my life here and hereafter.

In olden times, people used to catch rats at home with a trap. If a rat smells the blood of a rat caught in the trap, it will avoid running into the trap. It learns a lesson from a previous incident of some other rat dying in the trap. We, human beings do not learn from our past experience or that of others. We rather jump into the same trap thinking that nothing will happen to me. The number of divorce taking place, and consequently children suffering from psychological problems, becoming addicts of drugs and sex, should open our eyes to the reality of the hard consequences of our leaving God and His Word out of our life, resulting in misusing our freedom for premarital sexual relations, leading to no solidarity of family life. But such behaviours are “blinding the mind of the unbelievers” (2 Cor 4.4). Through the prophets the Lord tells: “Oh that today you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river” (Is. 48.18). “If you had walked in the way of God, you would be living in peace forever” (Bar 3.13)

St.Stephen was accusing the Jews: “You stiff necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as our ancestors used to “ (acts 7.51).

Lord Jesus, save us from this peril. Touch our hearts and open it to listen to your Word; touch our minds and illumine it with your light.

Mary Pereira

“Work for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (Jn 6,27). What is it that endures into eternal life? Jesus makes it clear: “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (Jn 6,63). After one’s death when the body is laid in the coffin, nobody will say: ‘Peter is lying in the coffin’; but people will say: “Peter’s body is lying in the coffin.’ The soul-less body is lifeless body. It is the spirit/soul in me that makes me, me. It proves what Jesus has said: “It is the spirit that gives life”.

We are created with spirit, mind and body. St.Paul tells: “May your spirit, soul (mind) and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5,23). Our Creator God provides us with everything that is needed for us to have ‘abundant life’ (Jn. 10,10) in all these areas. “He endowed them with strength like His own….gave them dominion over beasts and birds. He gave them discretion and tongue and eyes, ears and a mind for thinking. He filled them with knowledge and understanding and showed them good and evil. He allotted to them the law of life. He established with them an eternal covenant and revealed to them his decrees. Their eyes saw His glorious majesty, and their ears heard the glory of His voice. He said to them: “Beware of all evil”. And He gave commandment to each of them concerning the neighbour…(Sir.17,3-14). “The Lord created medicines out of the earth…and He gave skill to human beings …By them the physician heals and takes away pain….” (Sir. 38.4, 6, 7).

So God our loving Father is much concerned about the welfare of our body, mind and spirit. But we tend to be taking care of our body and mind, but often we neglect the care of our spirit. Our body must be submitting to the mind, and mind to the spirit. And my spirit should be submitting to God’s Spirit and to His Word. Then only we can attain eternal life. So Jesus said: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4,4). The Word of God is the food for my spirit. Nourishing my spirit everyday with this food helps me to have His life in me.

“Do not work for the food that perishes” (Jn.6,27). Jesus echoes the question posed by Prophet Isaiah: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which does not satisfy” (Is. 55,2)? We satisfy our physical hunger by food; but our spiritual hunger (for life, for truth, for love) can be satisfied only by God. The other means which we falsely go into for our satisfaction are just like “cracked cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2,13).

“Having loved his own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (Jn. 13,1).  As a beloved father who will make all arrangements in order that the life of his children be smooth going, so too Jesus at the last supper instituted the Blessed Sacrament as the nourishment for our soul: “…Take, eat; this is my body….Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of the sins”(Mt. 26,26-28). In the discourse on Bread of Life in the Gospel narrative of John (6,22-59), Jesus was foretelling about this food for our soul.

“The bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world…the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh… Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life…Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them…whoever eats me will live because of me…”

Right from the beginning, the Old Testament makes it clear that God has made a Covenant relationship with His people. And in the New Testament, Jesus seals this Covenant with His Blood, which he commanded His Apostles to continue to ‘do in His remembrance’ (Lk 22,19). “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” (Lk 22,20; 1Cor.11,24-25)

It is abiding in His teaching that will make us His true disciples. Just believing in the Lord through our baptism is only a first step of our discipleship. “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8,31-32).

The more we are united with God, the more free we can be from the hurts and pains of everyday life. May we nourish our soul through the spiritual food, which the very Author of life is giving us every day. Bodily food helps us to be alive in this world; food for our mind (knowledge, worldly wisdom, recreation with friends etc)  help us to become mature and enjoy this earthly life. But it is the spiritual food that sustains and develops supernatural life in me, which alone is everlasting.

Lord Jesus we thank you for ‘renewing and strengthening our inner man nature’ (2 Cor. 4,16) through your Presence in us, through your Word and through the Holy Eucharist. Along with St. Paul we ‘pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ , the Father of glory, may give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation as we come to know Him, so that, with the eyes of our heart enlightened, we may know what is the hope to which He has called us, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power for us who believe, according to the working his great power.” (Eph 1,17-19)

Mary Pereira