Word of Life

 

On 5th Feb 2025  

Meditating the Words of Jesus from Holy Scriptures 

Lord, teach us to serve you in a humble and gentle way 

   Mt 4: 23-25, When we entered the Bank of Galilee on my trip to the Holy Land in 2007, I was reminded of these verses. I was observing the surrounding mountains when our guide informed us that Lebanon was to the left, Syria and Jordan to the right (because in the time of Jesus Syria was was Greater Syria, which includes some part of Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and some other nearby nations). I began reflecting on these verses, and as I looked up and down, I had the impression that Jesus was sharing the gospel with everyone on the earth, regardless of race, color, or language. Then I saw that the entire seashore was covered with tiny blue stones rather than sand. In all the seashores I have visited since I was a child, I have never witnessed such occurrences. I kept some of the stones in my shoulder bag after kissing them. Jesus's presence was still felt on the coast, and I was so moved, then I started crying softly. I collected stones, sand, leaves, seeds, and flowers, but I never purchased any artwork or mementos to preserve as souvenir. I turned all of these small items into a mural or fresco because I felt they were priceless treasures that would serve as a reminder of my journey I had taken with Jesus, my Lord. Mt. 4: 23-25 He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and illness among the people. 24 His fame spread throughout Syria, and those who were suffering from diseases and painful complaints of one kind or another, the possessed, epileptics, the paralysed, were all brought to him, and he cured them. 25 Large crowds followed him, coming from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and Transjordan. Jesus, his apostles, and his disciples never wasted any time in sharing the Good News with the entire world.  Everywhere Jesus went, there was a sizable crowd that followed him, and he healed everyone who was ill. We may be prepared to accept Jesus Christ's personality and completely surrender to his plan for our lives when we make the decision to follow him. Jesus himself says ‘I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ By following Jesus' example and learning from him, we grow like him and are equipped to handle life's obstacles. 

 

Word of Life

 Word of Life mural, commonly known as 'Touchdown Jesus.'

Copyright University of Notre Dame

On 3rd Feb 2025  

Meditating the Words of Jesus from Holy Scriptures 

Jesus Said. “Come after me and I will make you fishers of people”

 As he was walking by the Lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, ‘Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.’ 20 And at once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him. Jesus called the four of them to make them his disciples. He told them that he will make them fishers of men These disciples were selected by Jesus to be the first part of his plan to establish his kingdom on earth. They were straightforward, common impoverished people who fished and lacked worldly intelligence or wisdom. When Jesus called the four of them they gave up their father, the fishing net, and everything that was rightly theirs when Jesus asked them to join him. Since he promised to make them fishers of men, they were given the mission of advancing God's Kingdom and leading all peoples to salvation through Jesus Christ. Because he wanted to fulfill the mission in a new way in accordance with the Father's will, Jesus chose the weakest and poorest members of society. The three disciples who had the greatest privilege of accompanying him to Mount Tabor, where they witnessed Jesus' glorification or transfiguration, were Peter, James, and John. It was a wonderful vision they had seen. When heaven opened, the two most potent prophets of God, Moses and Elijah, met Jesus and told him of Jesus' sacrifice to God for the sake of both His own people and all of humanity.