Light and Darkness

Part XI

Lord, we humbly pray, keep us away from evil ways and the darkness of this world.

Lord is telling us to get rid of darkness, then how can we do this? Get rid of our evil ways and sins. Then God will hear our prayers. Do not create a wall between God and us by our sins. ‘But your guilty deeds have made a gulf between you and your God. Your sins have made him hide his face from you so as not to hear you, since your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with guilt; your lips utter lies, your tongues murmur wickedness. No one makes upright accusations or pleads sincerely. All rely on empty words, utter falsehood, conceive trouble and give birth to evil. (Is. 59: 2-4)I was wondering why God was not showing me mercy; because of my transgressions. He had hidden His face from me, and I had fallen into darkness. We very often murmur about our selfishness, wickedness, and self-glorification, but we should always praise God. We have to be fair in our judgments and sincere in our prayers to God. Always pray to God for mercy and grace in order to live a holy life that pleases both God and men. We must learn to control our tongues and refrain from gossip; else, we will never be able to ascend the Divine ladder of God's Kingdom. ‘The tongue is a flame too. Among all parts of the body, the tongue is a whole wicked world: it infects the whole body; catching fire itself from hell, it sets fire to the whole wheel of creation.’ ‘But nobody can tame the tongue—it is a pest that will not keep still, full of deadly poison. We use it to bless the Lord and Father, but we also use it to curse people who are made in God’s image: the blessing and curse come out of the same mouth.’ (Jms. 3: 6, 8-9). We begin blaspheming our Lord because of our loose tongue  the most serious transgression against and disobeying God’s first commandment. We must separate ourselves from the mob and from the modern world. Make an effort to spend time at our Lord's feet, remembering His name in our hearts and minds. Praise His name and put Him foremost in our daily lives. I recall going to my children's school to attend a PTA meeting and seminar led by the famed Prof. P.C Thomas. He approached the Podium to begin his seminar, but first he muttered a brief prayer. He began in this manner. “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Lord give me the wisdom to speak what I have to speak and bless my listeners to understand what they listen Amen”. I was taken aback by this act, which he performed at the start of his discussion, and most of the listeners were students of all religions, with the exception of a Hindu school. This is how we must honor his name whenever we have the opportunity.