Light and Darkness

Part Part VII

Lord, enlighten our mind and heart by Your Living Word

  Working hard in spiritual exercises is very important to lead perfection spiritual life. We need certain discipline in our prayer life and sacrifice, then only we can sustain in our Charism. Keep our body and mind holy is the most important thing, and who can sustain in faith without sin? “How can a young man keep his ways spotless? By keeping his words, with all my heart I seek you, do not let me stray from your commandments. In my heart I treasure your promises, to avoid sinning against you.” Ps 119: 9-11. In these four years we spent our time in constant prayer and continual meditation on the Word of God. Then slowly by prayer and fasting, the darkness and all kind of evil will fade away, and the light of Jesus will guide us to the real truth. Fasting is very important in our spiritual life, and not normal fasting by avoiding the food and other things, but in prayer and in perseverance and be charitable by giving alms, avoid dirty talks, be kind to poor, visit the sick and help the needy, care about widows this is the way we should fast. The more we do, the more we will be strengthened. Then only the evil spirit will run away from us. ‘This is the kind that can be driven out only by prayer and fasting.’ (Mk.9: 29)The streams of living water will flow from our heart when we hearing Jesus’ Words with perseverance and wholeheartedly, “but not one who drinks the water will be thirsty again: the water that I shall give will become a spring of water within, welling up for eternal life.” Jn. 4: 14. We should drink this Living Water the Word of God in the day and night. Then we will grow slowly and gradually and start producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit: ‘the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, trustfulness, and self-control.’(Gal. 5: 22) If we do not follow our spiritual fathers’ teachings and guidance, we will become the prisoners of the darkness instead of becoming the slaves for our Lord. Then eternal providence will be snatched away from us. 

The Light and Darkness

Part VI

Lord, give us holiness and lead us to the light of Jeus Christ 

  Before came to Christ I was thinking how it is possible to lead a spiritual life of holiness. It was very difficult to lead a spiritual life and even to think about it. Br. Victor says: ‘when we hear the Word of God, we get the conversion. When we get the conversion, grace will come abundantly without any measure. If we don’t hear the Word of God we never recognise Jesus and his kingdom. We should be born again in the Spirit, Jon.3: 3. Then only we will see the glory of His Kingdom.’ That’s why our Brothers say that we should stay four years in the Word of God and in intensive prayer, constantly attend the Holy Mass, frequent confessions and other spiritual exercises. 'Blessed is he who perseveres and attains a thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. Daniel.12:12', As a period of preparation for knowing the truth and attaining holiness in order to inherit eternal life. What we truly do these days is obey whatever our spiritual father says to us. We cultivate holiness by resisting and avoiding temptations and sins. These instructions will differ from one disciple  to the next based on their spiritual development. We should do whatever service our spiritual father requests of us in a modest manner. We must listen to, obey, and carry out all of our spiritual father's commands in a holy manner. ‘For those who in holiness observe holy things will be adjudged holy, and, accepting instruction from them, will find their defence in them. Set your heart, therefore, on what I have to say, listen with a will, and you will be instructed.’ (Wis. 6: 10-11) We should set our hearts to observe and ponder what our Lord has to say. We should open our internal eyes and ears to receive the instructions from our spiritual father. ‘The holiness is wholeness’ as Br. Brilly said in a talk. Even for some of us the four years are not enough especially in my case, it took me more than eight years to get the real knowledge of our Charism. ‘Blessed is he who perseveres and attains a thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.’(Dan 12:12) I feel still it is not enough and need many years for me to sustain in such a strong unwavering faith and to obtain the grace. 

Light and Darkness

Part V

Your Word is lamp for my feet, a light for my path

  We all should read and meditate the Word of God everyday especially listen to our spiritual fathers’ talks, at least one hour a day to grow spiritually in wisdom and knowledge. If we do not listen or obey their instructions we cannot grow spiritually or else  we will stumble down and this will be the result: ‘I would not attend to the voice of my masters; I would not listen to those who tried to teach me. Now I have come to nearly every kind of misery, in the assembly and in the community.’(Prov. 5:13-14) We will be thrown out from the assembly and even from our community. The wisdom comes from the Scriptures, so meditating the Word of God day and night will give us light in the darkness, that is Jesus himself. Psalm 119:105 (NJB): 105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. The obedience is the most important thing in our spiritual life, from the beginning and till the end of our days in this world. We have to get the corrections from the wise men (the spiritual fathers) otherwise we will be astray from the path of truth: ‘Correction is severe for one who leaves the way; whoever hates being reprimanded will die.’(Prov. 15:10) If we obey the instructions we will be respected in the community of the holy people. We should not be disrespected or neglected by our negligence towards the teachings of our teachers: ‘Whoever rejects correction lacks self-respect, whoever accepts reproof grows in understanding.’(Prov. 15: 32) The mocker cannot follow the wise: ‘the mocker does care to be reprimanded, and will not choose the wise as companions’ (Sir. 15: 12). When we respect and obey our spiritual father and our friends in Christ are the companions they are the wise people in God’s Spirit. There will be always their support and guidance through their prayers in our spiritual life. We cannot take it lightly and we will experience the blessing from God or else it will be opposite as well.

Light and Darkness

Part IV

Jesus, You are Light of the world. 

 When we get into the darkness all the doors of the Divinity will be closed forever. The evil spirits will guide us into that Gehenna the hell, the darkest place for the sinners; the snakes, vultures, jackals, hyenas, wildcats, owl, bats all kind of dirty animals or the evil spirits will be there. The numbers of demons are countless and every one of these demons has their own duty to destroy a soul step by step. They are very much faithful to their master, Satan! 

  Darkness is the veil which is blocking the light of Jesus to the soul. So avoiding such situation of darkness in the spiritual life a life in holiness is very important. The best way to get rid of darkness is seek the will of God in our life and lead a sinless life to become a real sacrifice to God. A  good soul will not oppose the truth and she always seeks the will of God in her life. “The retribution of God from heaven is being revealed against the ungodliness and injustice of human beings who in their injustice hold back the truth.” Rom. 1. 18. They know the way to approach the truth and God had revealed them every thing and His glory and might through His wonderful creations. “Ever since the creation of the world, the invisible existence of God and his everlasting power has been clearly seen by the mind understands of created things.  And so these people have no excuse.” Rom. 1: 20.

  Those who are not honouring God will be perished. By giving thanks and obeying His commandments, we are honouring the Almighty God. Our minds are darkened by the god of this world. They knew God and yet they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but their arguments became futile and their uncomprehending minds were darkened. Rm.1:21(NJB). We have to glorify God and honour Him because He is the only One to be honoured and be glorified. If we don’t honour Him we will be giving the place to other gods of this world. We should thank Him for His mighty deeds and blessings which we received. God has the glory in His Mighty presence and it cannot be compare with any earthly matters or anything in the sky or in the heavens. All creatures the existing and nonexistent are His creations and no one can create any new matter either living or nonliving by his or her intelligence. All the creations are hidden in His own Wisdom and knowledge. Whoever neglects this will be abandoned by God “in their inmost cravings to filthy practices of dishonouring their own bodies—because they exchanged God’s truth for a lie and have worshipped and served the creature instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen Rom. 1: 24-25. That’s why we should listen and obey our spiritual fathers’ instructions. Those who are not obeying the instructions and teachings of our fathers’ will be gone astray from our Lord. They will go into the depth of the darkness. If we listen and obey the teachings of our spiritual fathers’, our God will bless us.