The Narrow road – A Journey

Saints just for our little cute kids. One was St. Marcelino and today is the feast of St. Dominic Savio a saint of teenagers, choirboys, falsely accused people, juvenile delinquents.. sweet isn’t it.

A small excerpt on an article about him says “….His was the way of the ordinary: cheerfulness, fidelity in little things, helping others, playing games, obeying his superiors. This heroism in little things is the stuff of holiness.” So that means you can become just perfect in small easy ways. To read more click here

Well today the bible gave me one clear answer and I don’t need to look at anything else. I had a friend who used to tell me, be ‘born again’ to be saved. Now he was absolutely right. It was only a little later I realised that his definition of being a ‘born again’ was different from what I thought it was.

Keeping the bible clearly on being ‘born again’, I understood that equivalent to baptism, i.e., it washes me of my original sin and gives me the graces and makes me a christian.
In my friends definition a ‘born again’ was one who’s original sins will be cleansed ofcourse, but that would also clean one of his past, present and future sins. Wow, now who wouldn’t want to know, ‘child no matter what sins you commit in future, you will be forgiven’. I felt like getting a fortune cookie in my hand. I had to just sin and produce the cookie as my clearance for all that sin. I am a born again after all!

Well though when asked “Lord what must I do in order to be saved” – Jesus said “be born again”, Again when asked “Lord what must I do in order to inherit the kingdom of heaven” – Jesus said follow the commandments, then Jesus said take your CROSS and follow me.

Jesus if I am already born again why do I need the commandments and what is the cross your talking about. You mean I have to work hard to earn the kingdom of heaven. Have you not already earned it for me?

Well if thats true Jesus being a born again (baptism) is necessary so that I am cleansed and made new and receive the graces I need to Work towards becoming worthy enough for that precious kingdom you have so dearly earned for me by your precious blood.

That’s a totally big step I take today, as I walk forward on my narrow road

Saint of the Day -St. Bridgid of Ireland

A few words from Tobit (Ch 4) – Instructions to his son. Please see Ch4 in the bible for the complete text. Following are a few points from the text I found useful. For online reading of text click here

“Honor your mother and do not abandon her all the days of her life.”

“… those who act in accordance with truth will prosper in all their activities.”

“Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor, and the face of God will not be turned away from you.”

“… almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the Darkness. almsgiving…. is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High.”

“In pride there is ruin and great confusion.”

“In idleness there is loss and dire poverty, because idleness is the mother of famine.”

“What you hate do not do to anyone.”

“Place your bread on the grave of righteous, but give none to sinners.”

“… none of the nations has understanding, but the Lord himself will give them good counsel; …”

On Zenit – Honeymoons and Vulnerability – South African Bishops’ Spokesman Speaks on Priestly Ministry

When I look into her eyes, there I see acceptance.
When I see her beautiful lips, I see a smile.
Her arms waiting to embrace me,
And there I feel the warmth and there I am at peace.

Her holding me, calms me down.
Her look takes away all desperation
She is as if a ocean of solace
With her son, they, my companion

And in gratitude i bow
As this letter I write
From, her dear child,
To, Mama Mary with Love

Prayer: I give thee all myself, and to show my devotion to thee, I consecrate to thee my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my entire self.

Wherefore, O loving Mother, as I am thine own, keep me, defend me, as thy property and possession.

India legalized homosexuality; getting very different reactions from different sections of society. Some very pro some totally against whereas some just don’t care. Religion and the religious should not interfere in politics, true. But they have the very responsibility of molding human conscience. And if it takes them to interfere in politics and the law system, then be it. Behind all evil is the object of temptation. In the following videos Bishop Sheen explains how a simple desire could turn into temptation. And today its necessary for us to realize this, because we have started ignoring the negative effects of temptations on the pretext of natural human character.

I found these videos on youtube @ http://www.youtube.com/user/wonderboy021082 – Check link for more videos.

Part 1

Part 2
Part3

There was the potter working on the wheel. Making useful pots. When any clay turned out bad, he tried shaping the same clay again. And all this he made according to his choice, the way he knew would be best for the clay.

And we are the clay and our God is the potter. He has made us according to his will, most beautiful. But sometimes when we go our own way and make a mess of our lives, the potter – our God, stands by us to remake us and reshape our lives. He is never tired of making us again and again.

But there is another message that follows. God gives us our choice to return to him when we have walked the way of the satan. He helps us mend our ways by teaching us, as he molds our lives back. In the process, he fills us with wisdom and strength. No matter what he does for us, if we continue to do evil, he will also punish us. And if He ever intends to punish us and we repent and look at God for protection, He will embrace us with his forgiveness and mercy.

And what is it that we cannot achieve with his shadow over us?

He who made the clouds, the stars, the colors and the breeze.
He who is the breath, he will never cease.
His wrath is the thunder of the sky.
His warmth does in our smiles lie.

I am like the clay which turned out bad
No matter how much the potter did to shape it back
I grew more stubborn day by day
He watered me soft, to mend my way.
Lord, you are my Potter and I am your clay.

Evita

I suddenly wished to see God today. Though I knew google would not help me, I anyway wanted to see how people have perceived God would look like. A picture of the space specially captured my attention. Though I have seen it many times, through various sources before, today it seemed to have a special meaning to me. The picture which looked like an eye, most beautiful and magnificent. Who could have drawn that on the sky, or was it really God’s eye looking at us.

I remembered the little hymn I sang when I was little;

“My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There is nothing my God cannot do.
made the rivers, he made the mountains,
and all the handy works too.”

Oh yes, that painter can and will only paint beautiful things in my life and there is nothing impossible for him. I no longer want to see God, because I know what he is and I see and feel him enough within me every day, every moment.

The unworthy successor of Peter who desires to benefit from the immeasurable wealth of Christ feels the great need of your assistance, your prayers, your sacrifice, and he most humbly asks this of you. – Pope John Paul II

With those words I begin my today’s post. I think of an orphan, who gets fatherly love and care from another man. That man becomes his father. That little child learns its way of life from the one who is fostering it. It learns to understand the world and the values it needs to live with.

Jesus came to teach us to live our lives his father wills for us. He became our father on this earth a mediator of his father to us. He chose for us those who could take the figure of himself after he left. He did not leave us orphans, but gave us the precious gifts of our priests, who will nourish our souls and lead us towards God’s plan for us.

But the one’s Jesus chose for us, are from among us. They are not divine as our Christ himself is. They are humans. Above all, their human nature causes them to be led astray if they give into temptations. And because they are people of God, their temptations are much stronger than we normal humans face.

And so as Pope John Paul asks of us our prayers and sacrifices, for himself, and so, it is our duty to pray for our priests.

Everytime we hear about a priest who has sinned, let us not forget to reflect on the life of Christ himself. Christ never sinned, but his life was a perfect example of all a priest faces everyday. Leaving his family, serving the poor, fighting for justice, fasting, his temptations. Jesus was never accepted or respected by his own people, so I see a lot of catholics not respecting their priests. Its not simple to become a savior without sacrifice. And moreover let us not forget the human nature of our priests.

(Many may still not agree with me -  thats simply our human nature ) Well let us all pray now;

Prayer for our priests

Lord Jesus, we your people pray to You for our priests. You have given them to us for our needs. We pray for them in their needs.

We know that You have made them priests in the likeness of your own priesthood. You have consecrated them, set them aside, annointed them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, appointed them to teach, to preach, to minister, to console, to forgive, and to feed us with Your Body and Blood.

Yet we know, too, that they are one with us and share our human weaknesses. We know too that they are tempted to sin and discouragement as are we, needing to be ministered to, as do we, to be consoled and forgiven, as do we. Indeed, we thank You for choosing them from among us, so that they understand us as we understand them, suffer with us and rejoice with us, worry with us and trust with us, share our beings, our lives, our faith.

We ask that You give them this day the gift You gave Your chosen ones on the way to Emmaus: Your presence in their hearts, Your holiness in their souls, Your joy in their spirits. And let them see You face to face in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread.

We pray to You, O Lord, through Mary the mother of all priests, for Your priests and for ours. Amen.