The Light and Darkness

Part XXXXIV

Jesus said: ‘I have power to take it up again; and this is the command I have received from my Father.’

  When we are in darkness, we become blind, and without Jesus' light, we cannot perceive spiritual things or experience God's Kingdom. We know that Peter rejected Jesus three times before the cock crowed, as Jesus had warned him before his Passion. Perhaps it was one of the lowest points in St. Peter's spiritual life. Then we must decide how much we want to change our attitude towards Jesus. Perhaps we deny Jesus in our minds many times in a day ‘Then he started cursing and swearing, ‘I do not know the man.’ And at once the cock crowed’ (Matt. 26: 74) Peter denied Jesus because he was scared of the crowds and the authorities. He was disregarding the love and care that Jesus had given him. But Jesus never abandoned him, forgave him, and forgot what he had done to him. 

   It was Jesus’s divine mercy that he forgive and forget our sins. Jesus never gets away from his own flocks. ‘No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will, and as I have power to lay it down, so I have power to lay it down, so I have power to take it up again; and this is the command I have received from my Father. (Jon. 10: 18) He never allows anybody or any powers in the universe to take away His flocks from Him. The Father in heaven has given each souls to His own Son to take care off.  

   We should prepare ourselves to approach our Lord and His Heavenly Kingdom. Otherwise in the Judgement Day we will be rejected from His Kingdom. Jesus tells us about the Last Judgement in Matt. 25: 31- 46: ‘When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.’ Jesus will separate the people of Light and Darkness. The work in the Light will enlighten our mind, body and soul. Jesus is the real light which empowers us to do all good things according to His will. Matthew 25:34–38 (NJB): Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, 36 lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” 37 Then the upright will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?” 40 And the King will answer, “In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” 41 Then he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. When we do good for others, especially the poor and weak in society, Jesus will always remember it. Lord, all we have are your gifts. ‘What made you so important? What have you got that was not given to you? And if it is given to you, why are you boasting as though it were your own?’ (1 Cor. 4:7) There is nothing of our own; whatever we are having is the gift from God. Then why we are in greedy, because of our pride and it is a mortal sin against God our Father. 

  A Prayer: Lord, I am unworthy, unholy, and unfit to accomplish any useful service in Your kingdom. But one thing I don't understand is why you love me so much and think I'm overly affectionate.  This is solely because your Love and Mercy were considered in your eyes. I don't have the words to express your love for me because the words are in your hands and belong to you alone.: ‘for we are in His hand, yes, ourselves and our sayings, and all intellectual and all practical knowledge’ (Wis. 7: 16) 

The Light and Darkness

Part XXXXIII

Lord, give us Your spirit of grace and prayer to enlighten our heart.  

  Lord, You rescued Prophet Lot from the darkness of the night, and your angels led him and his family out of the gloom and horror of God's retribution. Lord, Your angels warned them not to look back and run away from the destruction, but Lot's wife looked back and was transformed into a pillar of salt. ‘But Lot’s wife looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt’ (Gen. 19: 1-29) (A similar pillar of salt is still there on the bank of Dead Sea which we have seen while we visited the Holy Land) God is speaking to us to follow the light and to get rid of darkness everyday, we may not hearing His voice  because our mind is full of darkness and the pleasures of this world. Jesus is very patient and gentle and he is waiting at the door of our heart. We may always to keep the oil ready for the lamp, that is the constant prayer and to endure in the presence of God. Zechariah 12:10 (NJB): But over the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem I shall pour out a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look to me. When the Holy Spirit comes into our midst we will get away from the darkness of the evil. The world is going after the sins, because the world is belongs to Satan and we are the children of light. Like the five of the wedding attendants, we have to keep the lamp alighted. ‘Ten wedding attendants took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones, though they took their lamps, took no oil with them, where as ‘sensible ones took the flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fall asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom! Go out to meet him……………Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other attendants arrived later. “Lord, Lord” they said, “open the door for us” But he replied “In truth I tell you, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’ (Matt. 25: 1-13)

   We must be like the five prudent ladies who were praying vigil for our Lord while keeping the lamp alight with enough oil till the bridegroom arrives to accompany him.The other five attendants were asleep rather than carrying out the duties assigned to them by the Master of the Ceremony. They could not withstand the light of Jesus and fell into darkness.

 Let us pray: Lord, we are weak and lame without courage and strength. Oh Lord, come and strengthen us to be united with you in sublime prayer and contemplation. Lord, let us  sustain in You and to follow You till we reach Your eternal glory.Lord, show us the way of light to follow you. Lord: ‘Your word is lamp for my feet, a light on my path’ Ps 119: 105(NJB) Lord, Give us the Word of light to enlighten our soul.

The Light and Darkness

Part XXXXII

Jesus said: “Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life.”

  Jesus fed the multitude by multiplying the loaves and fish. Then they approach again for this material food, and Jesus knows that these people are not looking for something spiritual, but rather for material things. John 6:27 (NJB): Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of man will give you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal. When Jesus began to talk about the eternal food, the Eucharist, which is the center of eternal life, they all disregarded him. Jesus said to them: ‘Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day.’(Jon. 6: 54) They all left, even most of his disciples except the apostles.  

(Jon. 6: 60, 65-66 NJB)  ‘After hearing it many of his followers said, this is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it? How can we hear and follow the truth by giving attention what Jesus is speaking to us. In the human way it is difficult to understand the mystery of the Eucharist, but those are loving Jesus will understand this heavenly mystery.  Jesus again told them. Jn 6: 65-66 NJB ‘He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me except by the gift of the Father. After this, many of his disciples went away and accompanied him no more.’ Knowing the Kingdom of God is the Father's gift, and no one can see Him without His mercy and grace. After the Eucharistic talk, these disciples abandoned him and did not return. They never turned back to Jesus. Satan blinded their eyes and threw them into the darkness, instead of the true light, Jesus. We should come closer to Jesus and pray to him to strengthen our faith. 

  While in the Holy Land, we all traveled to the Synagogue of Capernaum, where Jesus revealed the Eucharist. When our priest, Fr Eugiene, read John Chapter 6, we were deeply moved and amazed by Jesus' revelation of salvation. We are so blessed because our Charism is built on studying and living in God's Word, as we hear the Scriptures read and taught by our Brothers each week. For the spiritual person, yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all the same, with no difference even after two thousand years, and Jesus Christ is the same. ‘Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be forever.’ (Heb. 13: 8). He asked the apostles whether they wish to leave him: John 6:67–69 (NJB): Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ 68 Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, 69 and we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.’  Then Peter was answered  that Jesus is the Son of God.  This is the faith that enables us to hold the same belief as St. Peter: that Jesus is the divine Son. In a speech, Br. Shaji questioned the audience, "Are we the apostles? We certainly possess the apostolic grace and are apostles. If we answer His call with faithfulness, then each of us is called into this apostolic grace. Give us the ability, Lord, to trust You completely until the end of our lives.  

The Light and Darkness

Jesus, The Light in Darkness 

PART XXXXI

Lord, deliver us from the evil ways of this world, which are darkening our minds. 

  St Peter giving an advice here to invoke Holy Spirit to do the things spiritually not by our human intelligence. Human beings are nothing in front of God’s glory but are mere creatures. But we can be valuable in His eyes when we obey His commandments. 2 Peter 1:19–21 (NJB): So we have confirmation of the words of the prophets; and you will be right to pay attention to it as to a lamp for lighting a way through the dark, until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds. 20 At the same time, we must recognise that the interpretation of scriptural prophecy is never a matter for the individual. 21 For no prophecy ever came from human initiative. Our minds are darkened by the god of this world but when Jesus comes in our midst his light will enlighten our path towards his kingdom. There are many prophesy about Jesus in the Old Testament and in the Psalms. We have to pay attention to these revelations by meditating through the Scriptures 

  God is leading and guiding us through His mercy and grace, this is the way He is making us to repent and come back to Him. ‘Or are you not disregarding his abundant goodness, tolerance and patience, failing to realise that this generosity of God is meant to bring you to repentance? (Rm. 2: 4) Yes Lord, we were disregarded of your goodness, tolerance and patience. Lord, very often the evil thoughts come into our mind instead of Your Holy Word. Let us pray to our Lord to have that Godly repentance which He reveals to us through the Scriptures: ‘I am glad now, not because you were made to feel distress, but because the distress that you were caused led to repentance; your distress was the kind that God approves and so you have come to no kind of harm through us.’2 Cori. 7:9  There is no time to wait or waste and it is very appropriate to come back to Him with repentance and with full conviction. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel’ Mk. 1: 15. Jesus is inviting us to come back to him by true repentance through meditating his Word of God by faith in him.  

Mohny Mathews

Community of Grace 

The Light and Darkness

PART XXXX

The Word is real light which will enlighten us in darkness. 

The Almsgiving delivers us in the time of falling into darkness

  In this instance, Thobit is advising his son Thobias on how to live a life that fears God. His first piece of advise concerns paying alms to the underprivileged. God will reveal to us who needs our almsgiving.. Tobit 4:7–10 (NJB): Set aside part of your goods for almsgiving. Never turn your face from the poor and God will never turn his from you. 8 Measure your alms by what you have; if you have much, give more; if you have little, do not be afraid to give less in alms. 9 So doing, you will lay up for yourself a great treasure for the day of necessity. 10 For almsgiving delivers from death and saves people from passing down to darkness. Almsgiving is a signet to our finger which will lead us to generosity in giving. Sirach 17:22 (NJB): Almsgiving is like a signet ring to him, he cherishes generosity like the pupil of an eye. Charity to the Poor is very important as it will make us the child of God. God will love us, more than a mother loves her child. We should give the poor according to our ability, if we have more give accordingly and if we have less do not hesitate to give. Alms giving makes us to live in light of our Lord and will not deprived in darkness. Sirach 4:1–2 (NJB): My child, do not refuse the poor a livelihood, do not tantalise the needy. 2 Do not add to the sufferings of the hungry, do not bait anyone in distress. 

  Psalm 18:28 (NJB): 28 Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp, my God lights up my darkness; Lord is our lamp for walk in the darkness. He never reject us when we rely on him while we climb on the ramparts or any drastic dangers of this world.  Psalm 119:105 (NJB): Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. The Word of God is the real light for us to travel in the travesties. The Word can enlighten us and he is the real light that light in the darkness and the darkness could not over power it (Jn 1: 5,9)John 1:9 (NJB): The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world.

A Journey to Emmaus Part II

Jesus is Risen Alleluia

A Journey to Emmaus Part II

On the Journey to Emmaus Jesus was explained everything to the disciples which is written in the Scriptures about him.. He was preaching to them the word by word from the Scriptures how he was gone into suffering before his sacrifice on the Cross in Calvary.  

Listen again to what Isaiah says about Christ,

Lord told 'Ahaz; Listen now, House of David:

Are you not satisfied with trying human patience

That you should try my God’s patience too?

The Lord will give you a sign in any case:

It is this: the young woman is with child.

She will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.

He who is the Saviour of the world brings salvation to all nations.

You are very slow to believe, again Isaiah says: For a son has been born for us,

A son has been given to us, and dominion has been laid on his shoulders;

These are the names he has been given,

‘Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace’

To extend his dominion in boundless peace,

Over the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To make it secure and sustain it in fair judgement and integrity.

From this time onwards and forever, the jealous love of Yahweh Sabaoth will do this.

When Jesus was born, Herod wanted to kill the baby.

He killed all the new born,

All the male children in Bethlehem, two years old and below

And all of them in Judaea.

In the Book of Jeremiah, Yahweh says this: A voice is heard in Ramah,

Lamenting and weeping bitterly:

It is Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.

Rachel from the grave lamented as she was buried in Bethlehem.

But God saved Jesus, because He is His beloved Son

who was to fulfil the Heavenly Father’s plan of Eternal Covenant and Salvation.

He was taken away by his father and mother to Egypt.

As prophesied In Hosea, Lord says this: When Israel was a child I loved him,

And I called my son out of Egypt.

The sufferings and hardships of his father and mother are indescribable.

The travel to Egypt was not within a small distance.

Joseph, his foster father, took care of him more than a real father.

When he was born, his mother and father did not even had a house to give him birth.

Again in book of Jeremiah, Lord said; In those days and at that time,

I shall make an upright Branch grow for David,

who will do what is just and upright in the country.

In those days Judah will triumph, and Israel live in safety.

And this is the name the city will be called: Yahweh-is-our-Saving-Justice.”

‘For Yahweh says this, “David will never lack a male descendant

To occupy the throne of the House of Israel,

His reign will remain forever and ever, who is he? Jesus Christ!

Haven’t you read in Psalms: 'I will proclaim the decree of Yahweh:

He said to me, ‘You are my son, today have I fathered you.

Ask of me, and I shall give you the nations as your birthright,

While the whole wide world as your possession.“

Read in the Book of Mica, Lord told about the birth of Jesus:

But you (Bethlehem) Ephrathah,

the least of the clans of Judah,

from you will come for me a future ruler of Israel

Whose origins go back to the distant past, to the days of old.

Hence Yahweh will abandon them

Only until she who is in labour gives birth,

Then those who survive of his race will be reunited to the Israelites.

Behold the price they paid for Jesus as you can read in the book of Zechariah:

'I then said to them, ‘If you see fit, give me my wages;

if not, never mind.’ So they weighed out my wages: thirty shekels

And it happened; one of his beloved disciples sold him for thirty shekels of silver.

Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the smelter,

This princely sum at which they have valued me!’

Taking the thirty shekels of silver,

I threw them into the Temple of Yahweh, for the smelter.

Isaiah again prophesied about his passion and our salvation:

He had no form or charm to attract us, no beauty to win our hearts;

He was despised, the lowest of men, a man of sorrows,

Familiar with suffering, one from whom, as it were, we averted our gaze, despised,

For whom we had no regard.

Yet ours were the sufferings he was carrying

And struck with affliction by God;

whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions,

He was crushed because of our guilt;

The punishment reconciling us fell on him,

We have been healed by his bruises.

Lord, When we drew near to the village, to our destination,

you were about to part ways; but we pressed you to stay with us admitting that

Our hearts were burning with the love of God,

As you explained everything from Moses to the Prophets and Psalms.

 

Lord, you accepted our invitation join us for supper.

We brought for you the fresh bread and wine

Then you took the bread, and gave thanks,

You broke it and gave it to us, saying, ‘This is my body given for you;

Do this in remembrance of me.’

You did the same with the cup after supper, and said,

‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.”

 

Lord, through the breaking of the Bread, your body,

You were breaking the word of God for us.

This opened our eyes and we could see; Jesus

Lord, forgive our sins as we are unworthy to be your disciples

 

Lord, our eyes were deprived of seeing you.

Our eyes were blinded by the god of this world .

Our minds were boasting that we knew everything.

But our human knowledge cannot comprehend anything about your Kingdom.

 

Lord, our hearts were burning within as you talked and explained scriptures to us

Lord, indeed you are risen and we believe it.

Now, we are going to Jerusalem and all over the world to tell our brothers and sisters

That we have seen you and to share what you revealed to us while breaking the Word and the Bread.

 

You were always with us and gave us your Living Word

By mercy and grace, Heavenly Father had chosen us

To know you Lord, and to grow in the knowledge of Christ

But we still could not believe you

 

During your life on earth, you offered prayer and entreaty,

You cried with loud voice and with full of tears,

To the Heavenly Father who had the power to save you from death,

You heard the call of the Father with reverence.

 

You have done everything in obedience.

Despite being the Son, you went through sufferings;

And through the sufferings, you were perfected,

You became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.

 

Lord, you are the shepherd who willingly gave your own life for us.

When you were doing good things you didn’t show your greatness.

Even when after rising from the tomb you never showed your glory.

But you showed yourself to those who loved you abundantly.

 

Lord, you are the source of all the goodness.

You are sitting at the right hand of God the Father.

To intercede for us endlessly without counting our sins.

Lord, we love you, we believe you are risen Alleluia, Alleluia, Alle--Lu--iah!!!

Mohny  Mathews 

Community of Grace 

 

The Light and Darkness

 

Jesus is the Real Light in Darkness 

PART XXXIX 

Lord, let us walk in Your Light and prevent darkness from our mind. 

  Luke 22:52–53 (NJB):  53 When I was among you in the Temple day after day you never made a move to lay hands on me. But this is your hour; this is the reign of darkness.’ We never know how the darkness comes in our life. As mentioned in ‘Lk 25: 15-16(NJB)Jesus himself came up and walked by their side16 but their eyes were prevented from reognising him. The same thing happened to the apostles as Jesus was proceeding for the crucifixion, they all were scattered or vanished form the vicinity and were hiding. But they were watching from far away by the fear of persecution and not having the fear of God or love of God. 

   Acts 2:20–21 (NJB): The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the day of the Lord comes, that great and terrible Day. 21 And all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. While addressing the crowd after Jesus' resurrection, Peter stated how each of us will spend our final days on earth; we have no idea about this. We may continue to believe that it will be years before Jesus returns, its our imagination and will not happen to be. Only we can envisage how our final day on Earth will be before we pass away in our mortal bodies. Our spirits will not experience death until we receive the gift of eternal life, a prize from our Lord! This is the last day of our judgment on the road to eternity. Let us pray that the darkness of this world does not blind our inner eyes, and that we do not fix our external eyes on the pleasures of this life. 

  The Lord is working here, His most magnificent miracle against the Egyptians and demonstrated to the people of Israel how great our God is. God desires to bring darkness to the entire country of Egypt, but only Israelites can have light wherever they live. In the passage of 1Peter 3:18–19 (NJB):  In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life, 19 and, in the spirit, he went to preach to the spirits in prison. It represents how Jesus descended into the darkness of the perished souls in hell and preached the Gospel to the souls possessed by evil. Similarly, the Egyptians were in darkness, and God pushed them into a vast darkness that they had never encountered before.. Exodus 10:21–23 (NJB): Yahweh then said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand towards heaven, and let darkness, darkness so thick that it can be felt, cover Egypt.’ 22 So Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven, and for three days there was thick darkness over the whole of Egypt. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days, but all the Israelites did have light where they were living.