Jesus Son of God

 Part II

You are Christ Son of the Living God 

  He is the Son of the living God, the only Son of God. It is the faith which proclaimed by St. Peter when Jesus asked His disciples ‘But you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Matt.16: 16. This is the mystery and the ultimate truth that Jesus is the man and God. St Peter was just a fisher man and unlearned. By receiving the wisdom of God he proclaimed the truth which was  hidden from the learned and the wise. Jesus himself said that “Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because, no human agency that revealed this to you; but my Father in heaven”. Matt 16: 17. Heavenly Father will reveal the secret mysteries of Jesus and His Kingdom to all whom he loved in this world. It was God’s plan that His Godly and earthly nature is to make His flocks to understand the nature of God. This was Heavenly Fathers’ plan to save His own children from the destruction and save their souls. We have to accept Jesus as our Lord and God, and then we will feel the difference. “But to those who did accept him he gave power to become the children of God, to those who believed in his name who were born not for human stock or human desire or human will but from God himself.” Jon. 1: 12-13. We are born in Christ not from human stock but from God Himslef. So what is important is to believe in His name, this makes us to born again in His enduring Word.

Jesus Son of God

Part I 

Jesus will be called Son of Most High

Our faith is, Jesus Son of God and this is the ultimate foundation of Christianity and the Catholic faith. This faith is the gift of our Lord through His mercy which poured upon us. Gabriel the Angel of God came to Mother Mary and proclaims the mystery, the birth of Jesus. ‘But the angel of God said to her ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favor. Look! You are to conceive in you womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of Most High.’ Lk.1: 31-32. Heavenly Father himself proclaims about Jesus; He is the Son of God. Jesus was born a man and he has divine nature. That’s why he is Son of God. While John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, John  has seen the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus and he heard the Word of the  Father.’ And the Holy Spirit descended on him like in a physical form, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “you are my Son; today have I fathered you.” Lk. 3: 22. God the Father Himself declared that Jesus is His only Son, How can anybody we neglect this factor. Through him only the salvation comes. This makes us separate from the other religions and other sects. 

Daily Prayer

Day 26, Evening Prayer:  Lord, I am lifting my hands towards You, have mercy on me!

  After the whole day’s of effort, what we gain and what we lost? We have to examine ourselves wholeheartedly. In the evening of the day examine ourselves with a humble and contrite heart, how efficiently we spent our day with the Lord. ‘The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds: and until it does, he is not to be consoled, nor will he desist until the Most High takes notice of him, acquits the upright and delivers judgement.’ Eccles. 35: 16-17. So do the prayer in a humble nature because our Lord humbled Himself to accept the death on the Cross. He did not count equality with God. The evening prayer is so important because all our efforts which we done in the Spirit of God during the day should be examined and say thanks to God for His mercy. More over ask pardon for our failings (the sins in words and deeds) which we done against God’s will. Our prayer should be like incense which is pleasing God as the priests offer during the time of Sacrifice of Holy Mass. ‘Yahweh, I am calling, hurry to me, and listen to my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be like incense in your presence, my uplifted hands like the evening sacrifice? Ps. 141: 1-2. When we lift our hands all our bondages will be broken and we will be free to accept the Spirit of God.

Daily Prayer

Day 25, Lord, You have counted my sorrows and collected my tears in Your wineskin. 

  Our tears of repentance is loved by God. In the Gospel of St  Mathew says about Jesus heals the blind men. Jesus heard the cry of of the blind men. They followed Jesus till he reached his home. Matthew 9:27–30 (NJB): As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting(crying loudly), ‘Take pity on us, son of David.’ 28 And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up to him and he said to them, ‘Do you believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Lord, we do.’ 29 Then he touched their eyes saying, ‘According to your faith, let it be done to you.’ 30 And their sight returned. Then Jesus sternly warned them, ‘Take care that no one learns about this.’  Here we could see Jesus understand their grievances and he was ready to cure their blindness. Psalm 42:3–4 (NJB): have no food but tears day and night, as all day long I am taunted, ‘Where is your God?’ 4 This I remember as I pour out my heart, how I used to pass under the roof of the Most High used to go to the house of God, among cries of joy and praise, the sound of the feast. Here we could see how the Psalmist lamented for his unworthiness. He was so much distressed about his companions as they all deserted him. Psalm 56:8 (NJB): You yourself have counted up my sorrows, collect my tears in your wineskin. Lord know very well about our miseries and nothingness. All our actions are recoded in His Book of Life. Nothing is to worry, but we should lament for our sins with deep repentance. 

Daily Prayer

Day 24, Lord, “Seven times a day I praise You for Your upright judgements.”

  Daniel prayed to God three times a day. ‘Three times each day, he went down on his knees, praying and giving praise to God as he had always done.’ Dan. 6:10. But What the Psalmist says? Psalmist prayed seven times a day. ‘Seven time a day I praise you for your upright judgements.’ Ps. 119: 164. Psalmist lamented three times in a day. ‘For my part, I appeal to God and Yahweh saves me; evening, morning, noon, I complain and I groan.’ Ps. 55: 16-17. Our Catholic Church’s official prayers; the Divine Office Prayer also has seven times prayer schedules. When we practice is a discipline in our prayer life, we will grow spiritually one with our Lord. Other wise we cannot gHow Elijah prayed for the rain in Israel. He was very much attached to the love of God. Elijah trust in God and he never despise Him. We all know he was taken to Heaven in body and soul. 1 Kings 18:42–46 (NJB): While Ahab went back to eat and drink, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel and bowed down to the ground, putting his face between his knees. 43 ‘Now go up’, he told his servant, ‘and look out to sea.’ He went up and looked. ‘There is nothing at all,’ he said. Seven times Elijah told him to go back. 44 The seventh time, the servant said, ‘Now there is a cloud, small as a man’s hand, rising from the sea.’ Elijah said, ‘Go and say to Ahab, “Harness the chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” ’ 45 And with that the sky grew dark with cloud and storm, and rain fell in torrents. Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel. 46 But the hand of Yahweh had come on Elijah and, hitching up his clothes, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. Elijah also prayed seven times, seven has significant meaning or fulfilment of the Word of God. Joshua and Israelites marched seven times around the city walls of Jericho, they raised the war cry on the  seventh day and the walls was collapsed, they entered the city and captured the city. Josh 6: 10-20Joshua 6:14–16 (NJB): ……………They marched once round the city (on the second day) and went back to camp; and so on for six days. 15 On the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched (in the same manner) round the city seven times. (This was the only day when they marched round the city seven times.) 16 At the seventh time, the priests blew their trumpets and Joshua said to the people, ‘Raise the war cry, for Yahweh has given you the city! Joshua 6:20 (NJB): The people raised the war cry, the trumpets sounded. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they raised a mighty war cry and the wall collapsed then and there. At once the people stormed the city, each man going straight forward; and they captured the city. These are evidence of constant prayer of the faithful servants of God in the Holy Scriptures

Daily Prayer

 

Day 23, The Morning Prayer, God loves a cheerful giver. 

   One more important thing we have to do is; always do the penance for our sins, for our own constant conversion. We have to pray for our enemies as they are our benefactors and we should give them unconditional love. Sirach 35:16–18 (NJB): Whoever wholeheartedly serves God will be accepted, his petitions will carry to the clouds.  17 The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds: and until it does, he is not to be consoled, 18 nor will he desist until the Most High takes notice of him, acquits the upright and delivers judgement. Do not approach our lord with empty hands. ‘No one will appear before me empty-handed.’ Exod. 34: 20. We should strive for the holy virtues and these are the gifts God is expecting from us and he is not asking money or something materially. Sirach 35:8–10 (NJB): Add a smiling face to all your gifts, and be cheerful as you dedicate your tithes. 9 Give to the Most High as he has given to you, as generously as your means can afford; 10 for the Lord is a good rewarder, he will reward you seven times over. Our love towards Him is to obey His commandments. Lord says:There are many gifts and many wonders God has shared with us. These blessings are innumerable and immeasurable and we cannot put the value for it. God loves the cheerful giver, 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NJB): Each one should give as much as he has decided on his own initiative, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. so we should give abundantly without any measure. We will be rewarded in many ways which we never knew. ‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.’ Jon. 14: 15.

Daily Prayer

Day 22, The Moning Prayer, Lord, help us to stay away from sins.

  One thing is very important in our spiritual life is that to do fasting and prayer, this way we get the repentance and we will lament for our sins. This will help us to stay away from the sins. We may experience the presence of Jesus when we start keeping vigil in our prayers. It will give us the constant intimacy with our Lord and He will give us the concentration in our prayers.  If we starve our body we can control our temptations and our body; the flesh. That’s why Sirach says about the overeating. ‘Sirach 23:6 (NJB): do not let lechery and lust grip me, do not leave me a prey to shameless desire. St. Paul also says not to be the belly worshipers. ‘They are destined to be lost; their god is the stomach; they glory in what they should think shameful, since their minds are set on earthly things. Phi. 3:19. Even Jesus was tempted by Satan to have food, but what Jesus told is to be an eye opening for us: ‘Human beings live not on bread alone.’ Lk. 4: 4. But by Word of God: ‘………to show that not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Detr.8:3(V-DRBO). So let’s pray to our Lord, to strive for fasting and prayer; it is an important factor to grow spiritually.