“But I tell you that Elijah has already come and people did not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased.” (Mt 17:12)

“But I tell you that Elijah has already come and people did not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased.” (Mt 17:12)

Today’s Passage: Mt 17:10-13

Meditation: Yesterday we were reflecting on the indifference of the people. Even now in the end of the second week of the advent, we find the indifferent attitude of the people against Jesus’ coming into the world. No preparation is being done as to the reception of the Savior. May be people are there for shopping in the mall or busy with other businesses, but are they open to Jesus, the Savior? This is also for you and me. If we are indifferent, we cannot receive him. 

 Today’s verse is something more hard heartening and warning than yesterday. Jesus says, “But I tell you that Elijah has already come and people did not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased.” (Mt 17:12) This may be also the result of the indifferent attitude in our lives. When we keep on indifference to the realities, then we may not be able to realize the truth in right time; we may not able to recognize it, we may stand against it, or destroy it.

Therefore, in order to have a fruitful Christmas, we have to be alert and watchful in our lives; otherwise we will be punished. In the gospel of John we read, “This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.” (Jn 3:19) If we continue in our sins, we cannot receive him as our Savior. Moreover, “no child of God keeps on sinning, for the Son of God keeps him safe, and the Evil One cannot harm him.” (1Jn 5:18)

What a pity it is that the expected one has already come but we could not recognize him! Indifference may make us even blind. Let this Christmas be an occasion of encountering our Lord Jesus Christ for each one us. 

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Lord, let us always be alert and watchful in our life so that we may not fall into indifference. Teach us to wait for you expectantly that we may prepare ourselves and recognize you when you arrive. We pray today in special for all those who have done or spoken evil against you in their ignorance. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

 Greetings: God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Saturday…

“Now, to what shall I compare the people of today?” (Mt 11:16)

“Now, to what shall I compare the people of today?” (Mt 11:16)

Today’s Passage: Mt 11:16-19

Meditation: Today’s meditation verse leads us to a different way of looking at ourselves. It demands clearly to review ourselves; who we are and what we are.  It is nothing about others but ourselves. “Now, to what shall I compare the people of today?” (Mt 11:16) Both something positive and something negative are given; but I don’t find anyone responding to it either positively or negatively. They are indifferent in their life all the way.

This is just like presenting the mind of a father or teacher who wants his children to do something but respond indifferently. Indifference is the most ingratitude nature of man; it becomes of course a big burden for the other. Persons with an indifferent attitude cannot contribute to anything to the other or society. They naturally may become nuisance or threat to the society. There is no place for these people in the kingdom of God.

 In the book of Revelation we read, “I know what you have done; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other. But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth.” (3:15, 16) Is it only because that you are of no use that you are expelled from? Can we say that anything useless should be destroyed and eliminated? I think, then, the whole orientation of this verse will be misleading.

Here the main thrust is not merely on the usefulness or the uselessness; rather it is about your response to God’s call. How do you respond to it in different circumstances? If you are not responding to any of those at all, that means you are not concerned about anything but you. This indifference will certainly prove your ingratitude; and this ingratitude will drive you out from the kingdom of God.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Teach us, O Lord, how to be a faithful servant in our ministries. Sometimes we are very indifferent to different calls that need our response; be it social, religious, or political. When we become indifferent, we become ungrateful to whatever we have from God. Lord, teach us to be grateful in our life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

 Greetings: God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Friday…

“But he who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John.” (Mt 11:11)

“But he who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John.” (Mt 11:11)

Today’s Passage: Mt 11:28-30

Meditation: In today’s meditation verse Jesus reminds us of the difference between the greatness of heaven and earth. One who is great here on earth need not be great in heaven. For the norm of the earth and norm of the heaven are different. The word of the Lord says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” (Ps 55:8) Therefore, we called to lead life that suits to the norm of heaven.

Since “our citizenship is in heaven,” (Phil 3:20) we have to have the norm of heaven in our life, not of the earth. If we go after the norm of the earth we may be seeking the glory of man. In the gospels of Mathew and Luke we find Jesus many a time criticizing the Pharisees and the scribes for their quest for human approval and glory. In the gospel of John we read, “A person who speaks on his authority is trying to gain glory for himself. But he who wants glory for the one who sent him is honest, and there is nothing false in him.” (Jn 7:18)

It doesn’t mean that John the Baptist was after the human glory rather Jesus reminds us that we have to lead a life in view of eternity. “He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly matters, but he who comes from heaven is above all.” (Jn 3:31) We are called to set our minds according to the norms of heaven. That is why Jesus prayed to the father that ‘his disciples are not of the world, but they are in the world.’ (Jn 17:16)

Therefore, it compels us to think seriously about our proclamation and ministry in and around us. Whether we are doing it for the glory or approval of man or not? All our actions here on earth make us worthy or unworthy of entering the Kingdom of God. Let us therefore, try to lead a fruitful and Spirit filled Christian life. 

      

 Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Teach us, O Lord, how to be a servant in our ministries and states of life. Help us not to be discouraged even when we are the last ones in this world for “even the Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.” (Mk 10:45). We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

 Greetings: God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Thursday…

“For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.” (Mt 11:30)

“For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.” (Mt 11:30)

Today’s Passage: Mt 11:28-30

Meditation: Jesus is always more realistic than anyone. Those who are called by God are always asked to put their full trust in their master, the living God. We see in OT leaders like Abraham and Moses leaving everything for God and following him. In NT we find Jesus asking his disciples to leave everything they have and follow him. This following is not simply going behind him, rather taking up each one’s cross and following him.

He is not simply attracting disciples with many offers of comforts, rather making them aware of their call and capable of facing those challenges attached to it. In today’s meditation verse also we hear Jesus speaking about the yoke and the load he is going to give to them. Jesus never says that he will take away the yoke and the load, but make them easy to carry. That means we have to take our own cross and follow him.

Jesus also was not running away from the cross of his life. He carried his own cross and asked his disciples to emulate him. We have to face the challenges and temptations of our life. Pope Francis says, “Whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms.” That is really encouraging to each one of us.

Now it is time to respond to his call. Are we ready to take our cross of life and follow him? If we are ready, then we don’t pray for getting rid crosses in our lives rather for the real strength to carry the cross. Saint Alphonsa prayed to the Lord, “Give me, O Lord, more sufferings together with the gift of endurance.” In the midst of sufferings this should be our prayer too before the Lord instead of running away from this.

     

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Teach us, O Lord, how to be a shepherd in our ministries and states of life. We are always judgmental in our lives and lose many souls. Let us have a loving and caring gaze of a good shepherd in relationships so that we may bring many into your flock. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

 Greetings: God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Wednesday…

“He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hill side and go and look for the lost sheep.” (Mt 18:12)

“He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hill side and go and look for the lost sheep.” (Mt 18:12)

Today’s Passage: Mt 18:12-14

Meditation: After my silent retreat in the last week on “the joy of the gospel” of Pope Francis, the Lord gave me another message on this passage. It is really challenging and worth meditating too. A man, who had hundred sheep, one day found that one of his sheep lost on the way home. He is asking us today to respond or address to the question, “What do you think a man does who has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost?”

Jesus’ answer is of course there. But from the bottom of our heart, how do we answer to it? If we have the mind set up of “the majority” or “plenty,” we will surely be tempted to leave the one and stay with the ninety-nine. For the risk is found in leaving the ninety-nine and losing some more of the sheep. Therefore, one percent of the lost is taken for granted; the lost is lost, let us be careful of the rest of the sheep.

They will have their own justification or philosophy, as to the entire ninety-nine is otherwise to lose their shepherd. They are well comfortable with that thinking. But in “the joy of the gospel” Pope Francis says, “All of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the gospel.” (EG 20)

Leaving the ninety-nine therefore also means leaving the comfort zone of our life. We may be comfortable with the ninety-nine who are obedient, obliging, loyal etc. But the good shepherd is also concerned with the comfort of the lost one who lost both shepherd and the ninety-nine. He is not judging him there rather caring and bringing home back. May god help to leave our comfort zones of lives for the better comfort of the lost ones! 

        

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Teach us, O Lord, how to be a shepherd in our ministries and states of life. We are always judgmental in our lives and lose many souls. Let us have a loving and caring gaze of a good shepherd in relationships so that we may bring many into your flock. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

 Greetings: God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Tuesday…