The Light and Darkness

 

The Light and Darkness On 13th September 2024 

The Wisdom of Silence 

Speak Lord, Your servant is listening 

How we get wisdom is, to be with Jesus in silence and in humility. Br. Brilly said one of his talks that: In silence God speaks to us. God spoke to Samuel in the night of the silence. He called him in a gentle voice. If there is no silence we cannot see God and we never ever understand the Kingdom of God. We are living in a noisy world and should be very careful to lead a spiritual life’ God has selected Samuel from his solicitude stature in union with the Spirit of God. 1Sam 3: 10, Yahweh then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel answered, ‘Speak, Yahweh; for your servant is listening.’ God always looks into our hearts, considering our undivided and untroubled hearts. In today's world, there are plenty of distractions. The social media and Internet rule us and turn us into slaves of Satan, who has the authority to deceive us, leading us to darkness. God's wisdom and knowledge enable us to use media for evangelisation. Blessed Carlo Acutis used the Social Media and Internet to evangelise the world through his love towards Jesus in the Eucharist. Reading and reflecting on the Holy Scriptures is the most effective way by invoking the Holy Spirit's guidance. The Word of God is the true food for our souls, cherishing, enriching, and strengthening us to live holy lives that leads us to eternal life. Begin reading it with greater passion and devotion to Jesus Christ. While reading and hearing God's Word, pray, "Lord, help us build our faith." Rm 10: 17, But it is in that way faith comes, from hearing, and that means hearing the word of Christ. We may not fail to ask the help of our Mother, to help us meditate His Word,  and we all know and believe that she is the one received the Word of God in it’s full substance and she conceived God’s Word, our Lord Jesus Christ and she gave birth to Him. Lk 1: 38 let your Word fulfil in me. Moses was living a silent life unknowing to his own people the Israelites, when God called him from the burning bush. That is why our brothers often tell us to reflect on God's Word in silence. It is a magnificent experience to act in pure isolation and contemplation, in the true spirit of prayer, by focusing on God's Word in quiet. Br. Victor was chosen by God for this specific mission and as a Herald of Holy Scriptures, just as Jesus picked St. Paul. 

    We should be filled with repentance, humility, fidelity, and unwavering love for our Lord and all of us are His creation. Is 66: 2 NJB, But my eyes are drawn to the person of humbled and contrite spirit, who trembles at my word. We should work hard to get that silence, humility and faithfulness from Mother Mary and she is greatest example for us to get these greate virtues. The early church fathers are saying about her that in silence and emptiness she gained and the enormous wisdom of God. She served God in silence without looking for any reward. We should love others without any reward. These all qualities will be followed to sustain in us with sublime prayers to our God. 

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 9th September 2024

Lord, let us love our brothers and sisters with deep affection

Rm 12: 10-13 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. 

We should love our brothers and sisters, not just biological ones, but also spiritually united ones, as well as our neighbours. Always think of them as more important than ourselves. They may be given preferences in the Lord's ministry to carry out activities for God's Kingdom. 

Never approach our Lord empty-handed; rather, sanctify ourselves before entering His sanctuary, His Temple. Always visit Him with a penitent heart to please Him, and if we are in grave sins, confess them before we hug and receive Him.

Pray for our brothers and sisters to help them grow spiritually, share our knowledge and abilities with them, and empower them. We should be glad in our hope and confidence in the Lord. Perseverance is essential in dealing with all of life's difficulties and pain. Never complain about our hardships, persecutions, rejections, or humiliations; these are all part of our spiritual life. 

Share our wealth and abilities with holy individuals who are affiliated with us, particularly our spiritual fathers and instructors, as well as our spiritual associates in our community. When serving our brothers and sisters, we should always be welcoming and generous. Look for opportunities to be hospitable in our community so that we can show them our love and support. 

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 5th September 2024

Lord, give us Your grace to fulfil Your mission on earth 

Romans 12:3-5 (NJB): And through the grace that I have been given, I say this to every one of you: never pride yourself on being better than you really are, but think of yourself dispassionately, recognising that God has given to each one his measure of faith. Just as each of us has various parts in one body, and the parts do not all have the same function: in the same way, all of us, though there are so many of us, make up one body in Christ, and as different parts we are all joined to one another.

  We all have the grace of Jesus Christ, as St Paul says, and certain requirements exist to live a life in Christ Jesus. We should never be proud of ourselves or believe that we are superior to others. Our faith is the measure by which the Lord can bestow favor on everyone of us. We all have distinct parts in our bodies, just as Jesus has the mystical body that is the church he established. In communion, we all share Jesus' body with him. By attending or participating in Holy Mass, we devour His Body and Blood, and He transforms our bodies and souls to connect us with Himself. This way, we are part of his body, and each of us has distinct personalities and abilities to utilize it worthily to build His Body, the Church. This is how our Lord is using the grace that He has given us. 

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 2nd September 2024

Lord, let our love towards others without any pretence 

Rm 12: 6-9 Then since the gifts that we have differ according to the grace that was given to each of us: if it is a gift of prophecy, we should prophesy as much as our faith tells us; if it is a gift of practical service, let us devote ourselves to serving; if it is teaching, to teaching; if it is encouraging, to encouraging. When you give, you should give generously from the heart; if you are put in charge, you must be conscientious; if you do works of mercy, let it be because you enjoy doing them. Let love be without any pretence. Avoid what is evil; stick to what is good

The spiritual gifts that we possess will differ depending on the grace that Jesus has bestowed upon us. How we prophesy or preach will be determined by the measure of our faith. We cannot preach to the audience what we do not possess. We serve the Lord in a variety of ways, some of which are practical. Whatever we do, whether it's teaching, helping, or encouraging, we should do it with devotion and thankfulness in our hearts. If we are allocated or granted authority for a unique mission or task, we should carry it out diligently. We may appreciate performing acts of compassion or mercy. Our love for others should be genuine, so that the fragrance of Jesus' love can spread to everyone. Always avoid evil behaviors that may impede our spiritual advancement, and instead focus on doing good.  

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.