The Daily Word

Daily Word On 15th Dec 2023

Jesus came into this world in the name of his Father 

John 5:43–44 (NJB): 43 I have come in the name of my Father and you refuse to accept me; if someone else should come in his own name you would accept him. 44 How can you believe, since you look to each other for glory and are not concerned with the glory that comes from the one God? 

Jesus and Father is One. Still we refuse to believe in him. If some one else coming in their name we will accpet him because we do not have the discernment to know who Jesus is. We are looking to others how we are glorified and look for the praise from them. We should honour our Lord Jesus Christ, and in him we found the salvation. Jesus came into this world by His Father’s Word, Jesus is the Word took flesh from Mother Mary. We should read and meditate the Word of God day and night to get the closeness to God. Lest Jesus will pass away swiftly from us before we recognise him unless we are not attentive to his Word, as St Ambrose explains: “This is the person Christ has loved in loving you, the person he has chosen in choosing you. He enters by the open door; he has promised to come in, and he cannot deceive. Embrace him, the one you have sought; turn to him, and be enlightened; hold him fast, ask him not to go in haste, beg him not to leave you. The Word of God moves swiftly; he is not won by the lukewarm, nor held fast by the negligent. Let your soul be attentive to his word; follow carefully the path God tells you to take, for he is swift in his passing.” St Ambrose on Virginity

The Light and Darkness

 

Jesus is the Light in Darkness

PART XXX

The light and Darkness(About Tongue Part I)

    The tongue was most disobedient organ in our body, which we cannot control. ‘Some one does not trip up in speech has reached perfection and is able to keep the whole body on a tight rein.’ (Jms. 3: 2) If we do not speak anything wrong we can control our body. ‘So the tongue is only a tiny part of the body, but its boasts are great. Think how small a flame can set fire to a huge forest; tongue is aflame too.’ (Jms. 3: 5) The tongue is a small part of the body and we should learn how to control the tongue. We can purify our tongue by repeating the Word of God like; ‘Lord Jesus; Son of God, I am a sinner, have mercy on me’ Matt. 16: 16, Matt. 20: 31, Luke 5:8 (NJB): Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’So many saints of ancient times from the East in the deserts were used this particular phrase(verses) for meditation and as a mental prayer by repeating constantly. 

  Jesus came into this world to lead us to the light, Jesus himself is the light. This is his mercy to prevent us from darkness. Whenever we we believe in Jesus not only believe in him but believe in the Father in Heaven, who have been sent him to world for our salvation. John 12:44–46 (NJB): Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in the one who sent me, 45 and whoever sees me, sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, to prevent anyone who believes in me from staying in the dark any more.

   God was always waiting for you and me. He had given me enough time to know Him and He forgave my sins so many times, but I was always like that pig or that dog which St. Peter is explained: ‘It would have been better for them never to have learnt the way of uprightness, than to learn it and then desert the holy commandment that was entrusted to them. What they have done is exactly as the proverb rightly says: The dog goes back to its vomit and: As soon as the sow has been washed, it wallows in the mud.’ (2Peter. 2: 21-22) Br. Victor says: ‘If you do one wrong, everything will be wrong and it continues until the death of our soul, but we should repent and come back to God.’ So we should not do anything wrong in our spiritual life. Even we do any sin we should repent and come back immediately to God wholeheartedly. We should not say anything wrong with our tongue. 

Daily Word of God

 

Daily Word on 5th Dec 2023

Lord our Master is coming, He Said: “Stay awake”

Mark 13:33–37 (NJB): Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from his home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own work to do; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow or dawn; 36 if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. 37 And what I am saying to you I say to all: Stay awake!’ The time is near for our Master to come as we are approaching for Christmas. He will select the best sheep for him to be with Him, he is our Good Sheperd. We never know the time when He is coming to meet us. Let us prepare ourselves to be worthy to enter into His court. We have to guard all our virtues which is pleasing to God. He has given us so many talents to bear fruit for His Kingdom. Let us examine ourselves, whether we produced the fruits according to the measures of the talents which He endeavoured to us. Are we able to welcome Him?

The Light and Darkness

 

PART XXIX

Lord Jesus, let your Holy Spirit guide us to the truth which is hidden in the Scriptures

  The media mainly the internet is very much popular in our daily life and we should be very careful while browsing it. So many kind of false teaching is approaching us through many inter sites, apps, even many other kind of Christian web sites as well. Which might’ve guide us to evil ways, the darkness. The media’s main purpose is to keep us away from the real light of Jesus. They publish their own ideas and doctrines other than true Catholic Doctrines which has no spiritual values and it may destroy our Catholic faith.

   Each one of us has a specific plan from God to build His kingdom. The Charisms varies from one to another. God has entrusted us His Gospel to preach to the whole world. That’s what our duty in Christ and that is our Charism. ‘God has approved us to be entrusted with the gospel, and this is how we preach, seeking to please not human beings but God who test our hearts’ (1Thes. 2:4) We are to be called the heralds of the Gospel and we should be faithful to God’s call. We have to fulfil the will of God at any matter of fact. Br Victor once said in a talk: ‘You are the Ambassadors for Christ our Lord.’If we are in Word of God, we cannot please the ordinary people but we can please those who are having the zeal for Jesus and his kingdom. The Holy Spirit is guiding us to the complete the truth and will reveal the things to come. ‘However, when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told; and he will reveal to you things to come.’ (Jon. 16:  13) Jesus will reveal all the mysteries of his kingdom through his Spirit. But one thing we have to do is, become nothing to receive Jesus in a full manner. If our Lord has given us the authority to preach, we should be faithful to that call. 

  The obedience is the best virtue to know the truth. Only the humble can obey wholeheartedly other wise it will be a matter of arguments or an internal conflict of doubts. Truth is always hidden from the wicked and proud. Humility can open the veil of our soul to seek the Truth. Jesus is the One who humbled himself to become nothing as an oblation to God. 

The Daily Of God

 

Daily Word on 27th Nov 2023

Eternal life is hidden in the Scriptures 

John 5:39–40 (NJB):  39 You pore over the scriptures, believing that in them you can find eternal life; it is these scriptures that testify to me, 40 and yet you refuse to come to me to receive life! 

Jesus is telling us we have studied Holy Scriptures, because we found there is eternal life. These Scriptures are not simply words but the Word of God, that is Jesus and in him we found salvation for each one of us. The Scriptures of Old Testament is witnessing that God is coming into this world through flesh of an human being that is our Lady, Mother Mary. How can we neglect the reality and the truth of Jesus’s Divinity and humanity. We are invited to believe in the Word of God and the presence of Jesus in it while reading and reflecting, hear his voice, what he is speaking to each one of us. 

Lord, you are telling us to believe in you and receive life in its fullness. Amen!

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.’