The Light and Darkness

 

PART XXVIII

Lord, give us strength to bear all the difficulties, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus! 

  Read and meditate the Word of God in the day and night. We should be strengthened by the Spirit of God and become like zealots of His kingdom. Once Br. Joemon told me: ‘we should become the soldiers of Christ.’ ‘Bear with your share of difficulties, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.’ (2Timo. 2: 3). So brothers and sisters, pray unceasingly to our Lord to make us the children of His Kingdom. When we find the truth we don’t need to look around to grow spiritually or seek any kind of teachings, God will teach us everything. We will be silent in nature and wait patiently to hear the voice of God, like Elijah heard the murmuring sound of God, And after the earthquake, fire, a light murmuring sound. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him, which he said, what are you doing here, Elijah? (1King.19: 12-13). When we find the Truth and the knowledge of His kingdom, we start to get away from the crowd and withdraw ourselves from all the worldly matters. That’s why our early Church Fathers spent their life in the deserts and caves in a lonely and solitude way. They were always tried to keep the people away form them. It is in the Internal Castle, which St. Mother Teresa of Avila experienced and wrote about. Only through contemplative prayer and holiness can one soul enter into this Castle. Which God is created for each one of us? Each house may different according to our humility and holiness. We should find that; but only through the Spirit of God we will get it. If we go out from His Castle we will be separated and thrown out from His Garden, that is the darkness and there will be no light of Jesus. But those who repent and do his conversion, will come back to Him.  He will wrap us in His love and all our desires will be; only to do His will. In this particular Word of God, which   Br. Brilly gave in one of his talks: ‘Before I knew ….my desires had hurled me onto the chariots of Aminadib!’ (Song of Songs 6: 12) same way without knowing ourselves, our Lord will take us to eternity in His chariot. We cannot find it until we seek for it and thirst for it. Any failings in our life, any loss of our near and dear ones in our life, any obstacles and any other worldly matters should not discourage us in our spiritual life and the joy in Christ. We should trust in Jesus and he will guide to the real truth, which is Word of God. ‘Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth.’ (Jon. 17: 17) When we find the truth we will not waver from our charism and our spirituality. 

The Light and Darkness

 

Part XXIV

Jesus told his beloved disciple, John “This is your Mother” he took her into his home.

  How we get the faith in Jesus is from our acknowledgment of nothingness. When we embrace the faith we will become the children of God, then Jesus give us His Mother and we become associate with the communion of saints. John 19:26–27 (NJB): Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ 27 Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. Jesus has to give us His Mother to us and there is no other way to approach her, but with humility. 

   All of us should have the real love towards Mother Mary. In my life I did not ask her intercession for any material needs of this world, but for the eternal life. One day while I was going back to Muscat after my vacation; my wife requested me to recite a rosary everyday while she was offering me a rosary. How I started reciting of the rosary started was very interesting. During those days in Muscat, I was not converted to Catholicism. Actually I was started reading Bible two three years ago of my wedding. Then after getting the rosary in my hand the situation and my habits has changed. I have a habit to see the news in TV in the evening after my work in our Recreation Hall. One day I was thinking to recite Rosary while my evening Bible reading before going to see the news in TV. When one day I went to watch TV news the people those were sitting in the TV Hall put the MTV TV music and dance show. This show was very popular among yougsters that time. Some of us told these people to put back the News, but they refused and there was an argument within these two groups and I was not joined with them to involve in the arguments. I left the TV Hall and thought to recite Rosary that day. A thought came into my mind that, if Mother Mary intervene in the matter of watching TV I will stop watching TV and spend time in prayer in my room, where I was staying alone. I have visited the TV rooom for another 3-4 days and whenever I went there the people were watching the Music and Dance show of MTV. Then I went back to my room and started spent time Bible Reading and reciting rosary. I felt Mother Mary took away the taste and interest of me to watch TV and instead spend time for the Lord. Since then I never stopped reciting rosary on daily basis. Since that day I have included the rosary in my personal prayer. Then, a thought came into my mind that if I get more closer to Jesus after praying rosary then I will consider Mother Mary as my own mother. I continued praying the rosary for one year without missing a day. Mother Mary fixed the prayer timing for me in my daily life. Before that there was no order in my prayer life. Slowly, slowly the discipline started in the prayer life. I realised that she is the one who is guiding us to the Fathers’ house. Jesus says:’ ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house there are many places to live in; otherwise I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepare place you a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you to myself, so that you may be with me where I am.’(Jon. 14: 1-3). Then in the year of 1997 I have attended a retreat, the retreat was centered on Holy Mass, Word of God, Eucharist Adoration and hours of personal prayer in day time. I got a tremendous way of conversion and I became a true Catholic. I trust in Jesus and he became my friend and my Lord. I can say in confidence he is truly The Son of God. This way I have received Mother Mary in full manner, she became my Mother. Lord has prepared a place for each one of us and He will give it us.

   Mother Mary interceded unceasingly for me to show the way to approach our Lord. She taught me that only Word of God would guide me to know the real truth. She was the one who bore the Word of God in her womb and gave birth to him. That is the way she is giving herself to all whom respect her honestly. The Scripture says: I am the mother of pure love, of fear, of knowledge, and of worthy hope,’ and I am bestowed on all my children, form all eternity on those appointed by him. Sir. 24: 18 She pondered the Word of God in her heart since her childhood. (Lk.2: 19, 51)’As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.’

The Daily Word of God

 

Daily Word On 19th Nov 2023

Jesus said, I am the living bread came down from heaven. 

1 Kings 19:7–8 (NJB): But the angel of Yahweh came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.’ 8 So he got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, God’s mountain. 

Elijah was run away for Jezebel the Queen. She told him that she will kill him as Elijah killed all the false prophets in Israel. He ran away stayed for some days in a cave. An angel of God appeared to him and told him to eat and drink, the bread and water. He ate for the second time and he travelled fourty days and forty nights in the desert. Elijah was survived within bread and water which is symbolising the Holy Eucharist. Then how much more Jesus can do with His Body and Blood, the Eucharist to save us till the end od lour life on earth and to give us eternal life. St Catherine of Sienna has survived for seven years just by consuming The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. So we can see how much precious is the Eucharist is? There are many other saints has lived many years just with Eucharist as their only meal. John 6:51 (NJB): 51 I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’  Jesus is giving himself for us in this Living Bread, in this tiny bread to make us as a living sacrifice for Him to save many souls for him.