The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 1st September 2024

Lord, let us seek the peace, joy and justice in the Holy Spirit 

Rm 14:17 for it is not eating and drinking that make the kingdom of God, but the saving justice, the peace and the joy brought by the Holy Spirit. 

Drinking and eating are not fundamental aspects of Christian life. We should not be concerned about food or drink because God provides for all of our needs. But we have to believe in Him; our faith in the Lord is more essential than our desire for temporal possessions. We must summon the Holy Spirit and seek His guidance in anything we do for the Lord. Only God's Spirit can provide us with joy, serenity, and preserving justice, which are more important than food in our daily lives. We can heed the advise of St Paul, who states in: 1Tm 6: 6-8 Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. We must live with the content of our possessions. During his tour to Arunachal Pradesh, Br Joemon explained how Christians and other indigenous people live there. They live their lives by working in the fields or doing other modest occupations to provide for themselves and their families. They have no desire for a lavish lifestyle. They are exceedingly hospitable and willing to share anything they have, even sacrificing their necessities for their guests or a stranger. A priest told Br Joemon about an incident in which strangers (travellers) arrived at a house one day. The adult members of the household were preparing to go to work in the morning. The strangers requested water from the family members, and when questioned if they ate any food, they stated that they did not. What they have done is give the strangers the food they prepared to take to the field. When the priest heard the narrative from one of the family members of the house, he asked him, 'Then what you ate during the day?, he said nothing' This is the authentic Christian life. 

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 30th August, 2024

Lord, You are the God, for both the dead and living.

Rm 14: 8-11(NJB) while we are alive, we are living for the Lord, and when we die, we die for the Lord: and so, alive or dead, we belong to the Lord. It was for this purpose that Christ both died and came to life again: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why, then, does one of you make himself judge over his brother, and why does another among you despise his brother? All of us will have to stand in front of the judgement-seat of God: 

We are live for God, not for the modern world and its desires. When we live, we should do so for the Lord. When we die, we give our lives for the Lord. We have not given any thought to our own future goals. God has a plan for each of us based on the extent of our love and faith for our Lord. God fulfilled all of His promises to bring us salvation through His only Son's birth, death, and resurrection. This is how Jesus Christ became the living God for all who live and die. Through these mysteries, Jesus offered all glory to the Heavenly Father. In this way, Jesus demonstrates his Godly and human nature to us, encouraging us to love our brothers and sisters and neighbours without condemning them for anything. So we should not scorn our brothers and sisters, but rather beg His compassion before the judgment seat of God.  

The Word of God

Word of God, On 25th August, 2024

Lord, let our armour be Jesus Christ, Your only begotten Son

 Rm 13: 11-14 Besides, you know the time has come; the moment is here for you to stop sleeping and wake up, because by now our salvation is nearer than when we first began to believe. The night is nearly over, daylight is on the way; so let us throw off everything that belongs to the darkness and equip ourselves for the light. Let us live decently, as in the light of day; with no orgies or drunkenness, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop worrying about how your disordered natural inclinations may be fulfilled. 

We should not sleep in timidity; rather, Jesus urges us to be awaken in the Spirit of God. The salivation is extremely near and approachable in complete confidence, as Jesus has risen from the dead to deliver redemption to all people. We should believe in God's plan for our salvation. The night is gone, and the Light of Jesus has overcome the darkness of evil. So, in this way, we are asked to live decently in the light of Jesus, who has the authority to destroy all the principalities and ruling forces of evil. We should eliminate all orgies (ecstatic singing and dancing to worship the pagan gods) and promiscuity (a disordered sexual behavior; mixing with many people) intoxication and jealousy. We may never consider or worry about our unsatisfied disordered natural urges, which is a bad behavior. 

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 23rd August, 2024

Lord, let our thoughts and words give light to others 

  Sir 37: 16-18 Reason should be the basis for every activity, reflection must come before any undertaking. Thoughts are rooted in the heart, and this sends out four branches: good and evil, life and death, and mistress of them always is the tongue.Today, several thoughts were tormenting me in various ways, till a reflection occurred to me. However, the aforementioned Word of God provided the answer to my questions. Thoughts are always communicated with both good and evil intents; evil ways lead to sin. The Lord is speaking to us through His Spirit concerning this particular Word of God. Br Victor mentioned this verse during one of his talks. Br. Victor says, "The tongue is the sharpest weapon that can hurt people in their hearts and minds." The excellent words instill hope and life in people who hear them. The tongue used in bad ways will leave unhealing scars on those who hear it. Let us spread positive words and prevent the negative habits of thoughtless speech. Let us console others instead of hurting them. 

St Ignatius Loyola explains how the thoughts manipulate us: “It may be admitted as a principle that there arise in man three sorts of thoughts, of which one comes of itself, and the other two from the good and the evil spirit. A bad thought, which if consented to would become a mortal sin, may be an occasion of merit:

(1) When the thought, as soon as it presents itself, is resisted or banished;

(2) When the thought repelled, once or several times, returns soon afterward but is constantly resisted until vanquished: and this second victory is much more meritorious than the first.

Mortal sin is committed by thought, first, when the thought is consented to; and second, when the thought is acted upon, which is a more grievous sin:

(1) because it is entertained longer;

(2) because we give ourselves up to it more ardently:

(3) because we generally injure others by scandalizing them.”

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 21st August, 2024

Lord is asking us to love our neighbour, even love our enemies! 

  Rm 13: 8-10 The only thing you should owe to anyone is love for one another, for to love the other person is to fulfil the law. All these: You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and all the other commandments that there are, are summed up in this single phrase: You must love your neighbour   as yourself. Love can cause no harm to your neighbour, and so love is the fulfilment of the Law. 

  We owe one other nothing more than to love one another. When we love one another, we fulfill the law. This is how we obey God's commandment. When we love our neighbors, we are fulfilling God's law and commandments. When we love our neighbor, we do not injure anyone; God’s love is unconditional. God is asking us to love even our enemies John 3:16 (NJB): For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. God loved the world by providing His Son for everyone's salvation. This is how God revealed to the world the fulfillment of the law. He does not discriminate in His love and care for the poor, rich, sinner, upright, wise, fool, gentle, or proud, but He does love those who have repented hearts. 

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 20th August, 2024

Lord, let us give Your love to our brothers and sisters selflessly 

Rm 12: 9-12 NJB Let love be without any pretence. Avoid what is evil; stick to what is good. In brotherly love let your feelings of deep affection for one another come to expression and regard others as more important than yourself. In the service of the Lord, work not halfheartedly but with conscientiousness and an eager spirit. Be joyful in hope, persevere in hardship; keep praying regularly; share with any of God’s holy people who are in need; look for opportunities to be hospitable. 

Love must be poured out of our hearts without reservation. We cannot pretend that we love others. Genuine love comes from people who are humble and noble-hearted. It cannot be faked, and its scent will spread by avoiding evil and sticking to what is right. Brotherly love stems from a great passion for one another and cannot be evaluated; it will be limitless. Love is characterized by an expression of gratitude and the recognition that others are more important than oneself. God dislikes half-hearted people; instead, they should be conscientious and enthusiastic. Certain requirements must be met at all times: joy in hope, perseverance in adversity (without judgment or complaint), and consistency in prayer. We should share our resources and talents with our brothers and sisters who are living holy lives in Jesus Christ. We must seek out opportunities to help others in a warm and welcoming manner. 

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 18th August, 2024

May God bless us and guide us to do His Will

Rm 11: 33-36 (NJB) How rich and deep are the wisdom and the knowledge of God! We cannot reach to the root of his decisions or his ways. Who has ever known the mind of the Lord? Who has ever been his adviser? Who has given anything to him, so that his presents come only as a debt returned? Everything there is comes from him and is caused by him and exists for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen. 

God's wisdom is enormous and profound. How can we get God's wisdom and knowledge, which are impossible to obtain through human means? We can have a glimpse of His wisdom through His mercy and grace. Who can grasp God's mind? Only those who do His will can get a glimpse into it. No one can offer advice to our Lord because He is the Almighty God. We are merely God's creatures and cannot approach Him unless He lets it. Everything is derived from Him, produced for Him, caused by Him, and exists because of Him. May God bless and lead us in carrying out His will in all that we do.