Monday, December 31, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
December 28
According to Wikipedia, December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. Well, I am not interested in knowing what historical events happened on this day and also, I am not at all interested to see what famous, interesting and notable events happened throughout history on 28 December. What matters me the most is that on this day, thirteen years ago, I got married to my Golu.
While researching on December 28, I came to know that according to Catholicism, December 28 is the Feast of the Holy Innocents or Martyrs. During this octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the memory of the small children of the neighborhood of Bethlehem put to death by Herod. Sacrificed by a wicked monarch, these innocent lives bear witness to Christ who was persecuted from the time of His birth by a world which would not receive Him. It is Christ Himself who is at stake in this mass-murder of the children; already the choice, for or against Him, is put clearly before men. But the persecutors are powerless, for Christ came to perform a work of salvation that nothing can prevent; when He fell into the hands of His enemies at the time chosen by God it was to redeem the world by His own Blood.
Our Christmas joy is tempered today by a feeling of sadness. But the Church looks principally to the glory of the children, of these innocent victims, whom she shows us in heaven following the Lamb wherever He goes.
The Daily Readings for December 28, 2012 will be as follows:
Reading 1, First John 1:5--2:2
This is what we have heard from him and are declaring to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 If we say that we share in God's life while we are living in darkness, we are lying, because we are not living the truth. 7 But if we live in light, as he is in light, we have a share in another's life, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, 'We have no sin,' we are deceiving ourselves, and truth has no place in us; 9 if we acknowledge our sins, he is trustworthy and upright, so that he will forgive our sins and will cleanse us from all evil. 10 If we say, 'We have never sinned,' we make him a liar, and his word has no place in us.
1 My children, I am writing this to prevent you from sinning; but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright. 2 He is the sacrifice to expiate our sins, and not only ours, but also those of the whole world.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 124:2-3, 4-5, 7-8
2 if Yahweh had not been on our side when people attacked us, 3 they would have swallowed us alive in the heat of their anger. 4 Then water was washing us away, a torrent running right over us; 5 running right over us then were turbulent waters. 7 We escaped like a bird from the fowlers' net. The net was broken and we escaped; 8 our help is in the name of Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.
Gospel, Matthew 2:13-18
13 After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.' 14 So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt. 16 Herod was furious on realising that he had been fooled by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or less, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. 17 Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more.
While researching on December 28, I came to know that according to Catholicism, December 28 is the Feast of the Holy Innocents or Martyrs. During this octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the memory of the small children of the neighborhood of Bethlehem put to death by Herod. Sacrificed by a wicked monarch, these innocent lives bear witness to Christ who was persecuted from the time of His birth by a world which would not receive Him. It is Christ Himself who is at stake in this mass-murder of the children; already the choice, for or against Him, is put clearly before men. But the persecutors are powerless, for Christ came to perform a work of salvation that nothing can prevent; when He fell into the hands of His enemies at the time chosen by God it was to redeem the world by His own Blood.
Our Christmas joy is tempered today by a feeling of sadness. But the Church looks principally to the glory of the children, of these innocent victims, whom she shows us in heaven following the Lamb wherever He goes.
The Daily Readings for December 28, 2012 will be as follows:
Reading 1, First John 1:5--2:2
This is what we have heard from him and are declaring to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 If we say that we share in God's life while we are living in darkness, we are lying, because we are not living the truth. 7 But if we live in light, as he is in light, we have a share in another's life, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, 'We have no sin,' we are deceiving ourselves, and truth has no place in us; 9 if we acknowledge our sins, he is trustworthy and upright, so that he will forgive our sins and will cleanse us from all evil. 10 If we say, 'We have never sinned,' we make him a liar, and his word has no place in us.
1 My children, I am writing this to prevent you from sinning; but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright. 2 He is the sacrifice to expiate our sins, and not only ours, but also those of the whole world.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 124:2-3, 4-5, 7-8
2 if Yahweh had not been on our side when people attacked us, 3 they would have swallowed us alive in the heat of their anger. 4 Then water was washing us away, a torrent running right over us; 5 running right over us then were turbulent waters. 7 We escaped like a bird from the fowlers' net. The net was broken and we escaped; 8 our help is in the name of Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.
Gospel, Matthew 2:13-18
13 After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.' 14 So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt. 16 Herod was furious on realising that he had been fooled by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or less, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. 17 Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more.
Christmas
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” – Christmas celebrates Jesus Christ’s birth on December 25. I feel that the best Christmas gift of all is the “presence of a happy family all wrapped up with one another” because Jesus is the reason for the season and for Him, a family means a lot!
Every year, during Christmas we decorate a Christmas tree, ideally an evergreen conifer such as pine or fir, traditionally associated with the celebration of Christmas. But this year we are going to decorate an artificial one though I am not too fond of artificial Christmas trees. We all have already got into the Christmas spirit with our wine and other traditional recipes.
Every day we are playing Christmas carols and we immensely enjoyed the four-day Mira-Bhayander Christmas Carol Carnival organized by our church. I honestly feel that Christmas time is most magical time of the year filled with unique attractions, events and activities. Honest to my Lord God, I never enjoyed any of the ‘pagan’ festivals which I used to celebrate earlier the way I enjoy this Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus.
I will be spending a lot of time this week scurrying around, looking for the “perfect” gift for my kids. But whatever it is, I fully agree with David Jeremiah when he said that “All the Christmas presents in the world are worth nothing without the presence of Christ”. How well I understand this now. Christmas (from Old English Cristes Maesse or “Mass of Christ” should be actually a reminder for us about the trials and tribulations of Jesus Christ. It should be a reminder for us that God so loved the world that He sent His only Son on earth on Christmas to redeem us from our sins. Christmas is all about Jesus and nothing else. Christmas is the bell God uses to remind us a savior was born.
Every year, during Christmas we decorate a Christmas tree, ideally an evergreen conifer such as pine or fir, traditionally associated with the celebration of Christmas. But this year we are going to decorate an artificial one though I am not too fond of artificial Christmas trees. We all have already got into the Christmas spirit with our wine and other traditional recipes.
Every day we are playing Christmas carols and we immensely enjoyed the four-day Mira-Bhayander Christmas Carol Carnival organized by our church. I honestly feel that Christmas time is most magical time of the year filled with unique attractions, events and activities. Honest to my Lord God, I never enjoyed any of the ‘pagan’ festivals which I used to celebrate earlier the way I enjoy this Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus.
I will be spending a lot of time this week scurrying around, looking for the “perfect” gift for my kids. But whatever it is, I fully agree with David Jeremiah when he said that “All the Christmas presents in the world are worth nothing without the presence of Christ”. How well I understand this now. Christmas (from Old English Cristes Maesse or “Mass of Christ” should be actually a reminder for us about the trials and tribulations of Jesus Christ. It should be a reminder for us that God so loved the world that He sent His only Son on earth on Christmas to redeem us from our sins. Christmas is all about Jesus and nothing else. Christmas is the bell God uses to remind us a savior was born.
Christ Jesus
Last night, in IBIBLEVERSES, I came across this couple of beautiful sentences about my Lord God. It says: “The more we know Christ, the more we want to talk about him. The more we speak with Christ, the more we want to speak about him. The more we are won over by Christ, the more we want to draw others to him.” I absolutely loved this. Similar things happen to me as well – the more I come to know about Him, the more I feel like knowing about Him. So I keep researching about Christ on Google, try to read the latest news written about Him and try to buy the new books available in my church bookstall.
Jesus was born about 7 BC in Bethlehem in Judea and with His miraculous birth; He is considered the Son of God and God himself. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made”. Jesus Christ is the person who changed the world forever with His teachings of love and faith, using logical parables. He embraced fishermen and tax collectors and turned them into some of the most influential men to ever live.
The most central biblical names for Jesus are Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Lord and Savior. The history of Jesus Christ is contained in four books or Gospels; outside these it cannot be pretended that there is any reliable narrative of His life. No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word.
Jesus was born about 7 BC in Bethlehem in Judea and with His miraculous birth; He is considered the Son of God and God himself. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made”. Jesus Christ is the person who changed the world forever with His teachings of love and faith, using logical parables. He embraced fishermen and tax collectors and turned them into some of the most influential men to ever live.
The most central biblical names for Jesus are Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Lord and Savior. The history of Jesus Christ is contained in four books or Gospels; outside these it cannot be pretended that there is any reliable narrative of His life. No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
18th December
Today is 18th December. This day has a special place in my heart. It was on this day, twelve years ago, that I had received the Good News of Jemimah, my first born. It was on this day that the angel Gabriel of my life had proclaimed the good news that little Jemimah will be born to me in August. How happy I was on that day. How happy I am today.
There has been so many upheavals in our life but I still sentimentally remember this day every year. We had nothing but since the day Jemimah is born, we haven't looked back in life. We have just moved on. Alone - at that time, the three of us and now, the four of us. Nothing much has changed. There has been no help for us from anywhere. The four of us have just trughed alone in life.
So I am very sentimental about 18th December. Old memories are just flashing on in my mind. Some good, some bad and some ugly memories. But the happiness of conceiving Jemimah which I had felt that day still remains incomparable. Its a feeling which only a mother can understand.
Though I am not the most perfect being, I am working hard to become one. I fail most of the times but still I keep trying. I need to emulate Mother Mary who is the perfect role model of a loving mother.
Onion
An onion a day keeps the doctor away. Studies reveal that this kitchen staple has many hidden talents making it the diamond of the vegetable world. Oh yes, you are right, I came to know this while attending Fr. Britto’s naturopathy course. I realized what rich healing power an onion has.
Onion is known as phalandu in Sanskrit and has a good source of fiber and vitamin C and might inhibit tumor growth. It’s amazing to know that an onion is capable of fighting infections and healing the human body and is rich in sulfur-containing compounds.
Onions include substantial relief from number of diseases such as common cold, asthma, bacterial infections and respiratory problems. Onions contain flavonoids such as quercetin which reduces the risk of colon cancer. It is because of health benefits of onion, that in ancient Mesopotamia, onion was believed as cure of all illness. Physicians in ancient Egypt prescribed onion and during 16th century, onion was prescribed to cure infertility in women.
Onions can be helpful in reducing inflammation in arthritis as well as reversing bone loss. The health benefits of onion are endless because of its powerful anti-septic and anti-bacterial properties and it also prevents cancer tumor growth, improving sinuses and helps to treat earaches.
I am finding onions hard to avoid since the time I have come to know about their considerable health benefits and since these are naturally free of fat and cholesterol and also low in sodium, they are very beneficial for women who are at a risk for osteoporosis. It has blood sugar lowering ability and one of the most popular health benefits of onions is alleviating the symptoms of diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and increasing the production of insulin. Onions contain load of organic sulfur, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. They help prevent and treat several different types of cancers. Hold on, it’s not enough – onions also reduce risks of heart attack and lowers cholesterol. If that’s not enough, onions are often used to prevent tooth decay and hello there, it’s found that onions can destroy osteoclasts that break down bone during menopause.
So, hats off to an onion!!!
Onion is known as phalandu in Sanskrit and has a good source of fiber and vitamin C and might inhibit tumor growth. It’s amazing to know that an onion is capable of fighting infections and healing the human body and is rich in sulfur-containing compounds.
Onions include substantial relief from number of diseases such as common cold, asthma, bacterial infections and respiratory problems. Onions contain flavonoids such as quercetin which reduces the risk of colon cancer. It is because of health benefits of onion, that in ancient Mesopotamia, onion was believed as cure of all illness. Physicians in ancient Egypt prescribed onion and during 16th century, onion was prescribed to cure infertility in women.
Onions can be helpful in reducing inflammation in arthritis as well as reversing bone loss. The health benefits of onion are endless because of its powerful anti-septic and anti-bacterial properties and it also prevents cancer tumor growth, improving sinuses and helps to treat earaches.
I am finding onions hard to avoid since the time I have come to know about their considerable health benefits and since these are naturally free of fat and cholesterol and also low in sodium, they are very beneficial for women who are at a risk for osteoporosis. It has blood sugar lowering ability and one of the most popular health benefits of onions is alleviating the symptoms of diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and increasing the production of insulin. Onions contain load of organic sulfur, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. They help prevent and treat several different types of cancers. Hold on, it’s not enough – onions also reduce risks of heart attack and lowers cholesterol. If that’s not enough, onions are often used to prevent tooth decay and hello there, it’s found that onions can destroy osteoclasts that break down bone during menopause.
So, hats off to an onion!!!
Good Old Coconut
Since time immemorial, we all know the immense health benefits of drinking coconut water. It has now become one of my regular health benefit regimes. Coconut water is not only low in carbs, it is 99% fat-free and low in sugars. I drink coconut water daily to help me with my nerves and its aiding me in weight loss. Though I am not diabetic, it helps me hydrate my body and protects my heart as well. That’s why I have a loving heart now.
Coconut water is not only high in potassium; it contains many other magical health benefits as well. We have been consistently drinking coconut water from last few months to regulate our intestinal function. Though I was never a cola fan and a juice person, I have adapted to this natural juice which is packed with simple sugar and electrolytes. It acts as a natural detoxification.
I used to have coconut water while I was pregnant and now I have started having it regularly. People with dry skin can apply tender coconut water on their face directly. So I guess I should apply this on my face now since this supposed winter season has made my skin quite dry.
Coconut water is not only high in potassium; it contains many other magical health benefits as well. We have been consistently drinking coconut water from last few months to regulate our intestinal function. Though I was never a cola fan and a juice person, I have adapted to this natural juice which is packed with simple sugar and electrolytes. It acts as a natural detoxification.
I used to have coconut water while I was pregnant and now I have started having it regularly. People with dry skin can apply tender coconut water on their face directly. So I guess I should apply this on my face now since this supposed winter season has made my skin quite dry.
Lemon
Since the time in August I attended the basic course in naturopathy by Father Britto Joseph, I have become a big fan of three things – lemon, coconut water and onion – and since then, I have included all these in my life. And so I have decided to write three different posts on the health benefits of all these three things. In this first post, I will write about lemon.
We all know that lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C and so consuming lemon water daily has provided a lot of health benefits for me. Some of the health benefits of drinking lemon water include liver cleansing, improved digestion and elimination, increased body alkalinity, and much more. But one of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it has paved way for losing my weight faster, thus acting as a great weight loss remedy for me. And I can already feel that.
Lemon water also helps me in eliminating my liver toxins and waste products: I drink 5 litres of water each day and I make sure that it has lemon in it. Besides enormous health benefits, this inexpensive and easily available citrus fruit is excellent for my skin care and it protects my skin from infections. What I learnt just now is that lemon juice mixed with water and honey brings glow to the skin and so its time about I start adding honey to my lemon water. It will enable moisturize my skin. And most importantly, drinking lemon water regularly has also prevented constipation.
I can vouch that drinking lemon water throughout the day has revolutionized my health and has definitely brought a sense of achievement and pride in me as a woman.
We all know that lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C and so consuming lemon water daily has provided a lot of health benefits for me. Some of the health benefits of drinking lemon water include liver cleansing, improved digestion and elimination, increased body alkalinity, and much more. But one of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it has paved way for losing my weight faster, thus acting as a great weight loss remedy for me. And I can already feel that.
Lemon water also helps me in eliminating my liver toxins and waste products: I drink 5 litres of water each day and I make sure that it has lemon in it. Besides enormous health benefits, this inexpensive and easily available citrus fruit is excellent for my skin care and it protects my skin from infections. What I learnt just now is that lemon juice mixed with water and honey brings glow to the skin and so its time about I start adding honey to my lemon water. It will enable moisturize my skin. And most importantly, drinking lemon water regularly has also prevented constipation.
I can vouch that drinking lemon water throughout the day has revolutionized my health and has definitely brought a sense of achievement and pride in me as a woman.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
BASKING IN FAITH
Last night, I finished reading the book BASKING IN FAITH written by Teresa Joseph FMA. I had bought this book last week from our church book stall.
Its a great book and I really like some of the Bible quotes she has used while defining FAITH and which even I would like to share in my post.
In Chapter 4 (page number 44), she quotes Benedict XVI's DEUS CARITAS EST, 1. It says: "One does not become a Christian through an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but through an encounter with an event, a person who gives life a new horizon, and with this, a decisive direction". I just love this.
Then on page number 51, she takes an extract from Rom 12: 1-2 which says: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect". Simply beautiful...!!!
On the same page, she writes, we need to return to Jesus Christ and to His Gospel daily. How very true...!!!
In Chapter 6 (Faith and Witness) on page number 68, her writing touched me the most. Here she writes that "We are in the community only because Jesus has called us. He loves, calls and enables the person to overcome one's own brokenness and thus enables him/her to be in relationship with Him. Each one whom Jesus calls has a particular relationship with Him and through Jesus each one has relationship with one another. Jesus has His own style of bringing people into community and communion". Amazing truth - just what happened to me this year...!!! Nothing can be truer than this...!!!
She continues: "The wonderful vision in Ez 36: 24-28 speaks eloquently of this. From all nations and countries, God will gather and bring us to our own land. After purifying our hearts, He will grant us a new heart and a new spirit and how beautiful it is to be assured that He will put His own spirit within us". I was touched by these lines because this is what exactly happened to me. Its amazing how my life too went through a similar journey. I was born and brought up in Bhilai, then I went to Durgapur, and from there I was taken to Vasai. Its really a bit dramatic how I met my Golu (a Christian) and how I got married to him. God gathered me from different places and brought me to my own land. He then purified my heart, granted me a new heart and a new spirit. Alleluia...praise the Lord...!!!
To add further, in the next paragraph she quotes: "Ez 11: 17-20 offers another striking vision, God will gather us from wherever we have been scattered and will give us the land of Israel and give us a new heart. It is amazing to know that an intimate relationship of love is at work between God and His people". How true, Lord, how true...!!!
She ends the paragraph writing: "God's unique gift to each person is the name by which He calls him/her. Intimacy with God and familiarity with Jesus leads to childlike faith and total surrender". Whoof...something I can vouch on...!!!
On page number 70 she writes: "Family prayer is a powerful means to draw down God's blessings in abundance on each and every member of the family".
The last paragraph on this page says: "God is guiding and leading us with immense love. Everything that is happening to us is lovingly guided by Him and therefore is concrete expressions of God's love for us. It is His way of weaving our personal salvation history". Alleluia...!!!
Here's something which has given me a lot of confidence. I always get nervous when I have to say or do something in public. To get over this she quotes Luke 12: 4-12 -- "Do not fear the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what to say". To this she adds: It is the Holy Spirit who will put appropriate words in our mouth at the correct time.
Somewhere in the middle of the book she has written that "When everything around us seems to be utterly dark, the Lord Jesus is ever close to us, therefore we forge ahead whispering frequently in our hearts: our trust in You, Lord God".
For conclusion she writes: "Perhaps there were times when our faith in the power of prayer faltered. Unlimited trust in Jesus can help us to go back to him over and over again even when we falter". What soothing words...!!!
So I guess everyone must read this book to increase their faith in Christ Jesus in this Year of Faith.
Its a great book and I really like some of the Bible quotes she has used while defining FAITH and which even I would like to share in my post.
In Chapter 4 (page number 44), she quotes Benedict XVI's DEUS CARITAS EST, 1. It says: "One does not become a Christian through an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but through an encounter with an event, a person who gives life a new horizon, and with this, a decisive direction". I just love this.
Then on page number 51, she takes an extract from Rom 12: 1-2 which says: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect". Simply beautiful...!!!
On the same page, she writes, we need to return to Jesus Christ and to His Gospel daily. How very true...!!!
In Chapter 6 (Faith and Witness) on page number 68, her writing touched me the most. Here she writes that "We are in the community only because Jesus has called us. He loves, calls and enables the person to overcome one's own brokenness and thus enables him/her to be in relationship with Him. Each one whom Jesus calls has a particular relationship with Him and through Jesus each one has relationship with one another. Jesus has His own style of bringing people into community and communion". Amazing truth - just what happened to me this year...!!! Nothing can be truer than this...!!!
She continues: "The wonderful vision in Ez 36: 24-28 speaks eloquently of this. From all nations and countries, God will gather and bring us to our own land. After purifying our hearts, He will grant us a new heart and a new spirit and how beautiful it is to be assured that He will put His own spirit within us". I was touched by these lines because this is what exactly happened to me. Its amazing how my life too went through a similar journey. I was born and brought up in Bhilai, then I went to Durgapur, and from there I was taken to Vasai. Its really a bit dramatic how I met my Golu (a Christian) and how I got married to him. God gathered me from different places and brought me to my own land. He then purified my heart, granted me a new heart and a new spirit. Alleluia...praise the Lord...!!!
To add further, in the next paragraph she quotes: "Ez 11: 17-20 offers another striking vision, God will gather us from wherever we have been scattered and will give us the land of Israel and give us a new heart. It is amazing to know that an intimate relationship of love is at work between God and His people". How true, Lord, how true...!!!
She ends the paragraph writing: "God's unique gift to each person is the name by which He calls him/her. Intimacy with God and familiarity with Jesus leads to childlike faith and total surrender". Whoof...something I can vouch on...!!!
On page number 70 she writes: "Family prayer is a powerful means to draw down God's blessings in abundance on each and every member of the family".
The last paragraph on this page says: "God is guiding and leading us with immense love. Everything that is happening to us is lovingly guided by Him and therefore is concrete expressions of God's love for us. It is His way of weaving our personal salvation history". Alleluia...!!!
Here's something which has given me a lot of confidence. I always get nervous when I have to say or do something in public. To get over this she quotes Luke 12: 4-12 -- "Do not fear the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what to say". To this she adds: It is the Holy Spirit who will put appropriate words in our mouth at the correct time.
Somewhere in the middle of the book she has written that "When everything around us seems to be utterly dark, the Lord Jesus is ever close to us, therefore we forge ahead whispering frequently in our hearts: our trust in You, Lord God".
For conclusion she writes: "Perhaps there were times when our faith in the power of prayer faltered. Unlimited trust in Jesus can help us to go back to him over and over again even when we falter". What soothing words...!!!
So I guess everyone must read this book to increase their faith in Christ Jesus in this Year of Faith.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
2012 - A Year of Change
The year has flown by like the wind.
Beginning October 11, 2012, and concluding on November 24, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI has declared as the "Year of Faith" because it’s the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) and also the twentieth anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). During the Year of Faith, Catholics are asked to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the catechism so that they may deepen their knowledge of the faith.
But much before this was declared, I was already becoming ‘faithful’ towards Jesus Christ. Personally, this year has been a “Year of Faith” for me in its true sense – in fact, 2012 has been a major “year of change” in my life. Soon after the dragon of Chinese astrology arrived with the Lunar New Year in January, constructive changes started taking place in my life. 2012 has been a landmark year for me. Twenty four years back, 1988, was yet another memorable year of my life. It is the happiest year of my childhood and now 2012 has been an extremely happy year.
Though I don’t remember much about 1988, all I can say is that I was happy – I had scaled academically and I had a lot of friends whom I have been able to locate on Facebook now. About 2012… Well, it has been good to me right from the beginning because I dared to bring in change in me. It was on January 24 that the “bitter realization” donned on me and I decided to bring in the much-needed change in my life. Obviously, I couldn’t do this alone – I had to take the Lord’s help and the Lord was good to me and helped me bringing this change in my life!
I started off by being faithful to the Lord by reading books on Him and listening to His songs of praise. These were the first couple of steps I had to undertake to bring in the change in my life. Though I stumbled initially, I kept growing in faith. In March, I completed my Bible studies and applied for the post of a Sunday School teacher (catechist). I had wanted to teach the lower grades but I feel that God wanted me to take up bigger challenge and so I became a Confirmation (eleventh standard) teacher. What a way Jesus exalted me in my life for being humbly faithful to Him! More than my own self, Jesus knew my capabilities better. By June, I was a catechist. Praise the Lord.
In July I dared to bring in professional change in my life. This fulfilled my long-cherished dream of becoming a work-from-home mom. My daughters’ crèche was stopped – what else could I ask in life? But if that was not enough, yet another dream of mine got fulfilled around September – I adopted two puppies and gave shelter to two homeless souls – Peter Pan and Tinker Bell! Despite the messy home, life couldn’t be any more beautiful!
October is considered as the month of Rosary and this year I attended all the days except the day I was in Delhi. So Mamma Mary blessed me and interceded to her son Jesus Christ to make me an Eucharistic Minister for my faithfulness. In November, I became an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. This has been the highlight of my spiritual life in 2012.
According to C.S. Lewis, “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward”. Since the time I decided to let go and started moving forward with the help of Jesus Christ, there was no looking back for me this year. And as Marilyn Monroe has said: “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together”, better things started falling in my life in 2012.
As according to Price Pritchett “Change always comes bearing gifts”, all the spiritual changes in my life brought in the gift of Jesus Christ for me. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it’s written – “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” I became a new creature in Christ.
At the very beginning of the year, St. Paul was greatly instrumental in making spiritual changes in my life. As he had said: “What shall I do, Lord?” And the Lord said to him, “Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do” (Acts 22:10). Much in the same way, in my own way, I had asked the Lord “what shall I do” and the Lord asked me to “rise” and “go into Damascus” and after that I had on my own known “all that was appointed” for me!
Soon after that I had read a book on the life of St. Augustine which also brought in spiritual changes in me. Since then there has been only faith formation in my life this year. But I still feel that this is just the tip of the iceberg – a lot more waits for me! I have to keep growing in faith by constantly reading the Bible, reading about saints and martyrs, spending time in personal prayer, and knowing my catechism perfectly well.
St. Augustine has said that “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us”. And so I have been humbled by the kind of love God has shown for me this year. He has also said that “He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent” and so because I asked the Lord to save me, He answered my call and set me free from all my iniquities.
And like St. Augustine has also said that “If we live good lives, the times are also good. As we are, such are the times” and so in 2013 also, I aspire to live in Christ’s spirit. I aspire to live a good spiritual life and grow in faith each passing day.
Lastly, again to quote St. Augustine, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee”, I am always restless without my Jesus Christ. I want to be with Him at all the moments of my life in 2013. I don’t want Uncle Onida to bother me anymore.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Kanjeevaram Saree
On 3rd December, I bought my first ever Kanjeevaram (sometimes spelled as Kanjivaram) or Kanchipuram saree. In October, while I used to go for rosaries, I had seen someone wearing one and I had asked her to get one for me. So on 3rd December I became the proud owner of a Kanjeevaram saree, a type of saree traditionally made by weavers from Kanchipuram located in Tamil Nadu. A Kanjeevaram silk saree is a magnificent creation of the craftsmen living in this small town of Kanchi, situated near Bangalore.
My first-ever Kanjee (I would like to call it so) isn’t at all a simple contrast border silk saree but has gold zari dots and patterns and definitely holds a place of pride among my various other sarees.
My Kanjee is a resplendent blue real zari pure Kanjeevaram silk saree embellished with zari work along with same material blouse. Finally, I have managed to add something ravishing with traditional touch to my wardrobe. I am so glad that I decided to own this saree because Kanjeevaram silk sarees have been able to maintain their grandeur and style even today and I feel proud to say that my saree gives out a royal look and makes me feel rich.
Since Kanchipuram sarees are a must for every bridal trousseau, I have decided to wear this saree on my thirteen wedding anniversary night on 28th December. These sarees are termed as proud possessions of womanhood and since a Kanjeevaram saree is a must have in every Indian woman's closet, now it’s there in mine.
A Kanjeevaram saree is made to last a lifetime because it will never go out of fashion. Kanjeevaram sarees are considered as heirlooms and are passed down from generations. So I guess I will have to buy another one to pass it on to my two daughters. :)
My first-ever Kanjee (I would like to call it so) isn’t at all a simple contrast border silk saree but has gold zari dots and patterns and definitely holds a place of pride among my various other sarees.
My Kanjee is a resplendent blue real zari pure Kanjeevaram silk saree embellished with zari work along with same material blouse. Finally, I have managed to add something ravishing with traditional touch to my wardrobe. I am so glad that I decided to own this saree because Kanjeevaram silk sarees have been able to maintain their grandeur and style even today and I feel proud to say that my saree gives out a royal look and makes me feel rich.
Since Kanchipuram sarees are a must for every bridal trousseau, I have decided to wear this saree on my thirteen wedding anniversary night on 28th December. These sarees are termed as proud possessions of womanhood and since a Kanjeevaram saree is a must have in every Indian woman's closet, now it’s there in mine.
A Kanjeevaram saree is made to last a lifetime because it will never go out of fashion. Kanjeevaram sarees are considered as heirlooms and are passed down from generations. So I guess I will have to buy another one to pass it on to my two daughters. :)
Saint Andrew
November 30 is celebrated as St Andrew’s Day, the Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle. Saint Andrew is the patron of Fishermen and Scotland, and also of the Small Christian Community (SCC) I belong to. For this, we had an Eucharistic Celebration in the evening followed by a get-together. During this Eucharistic celebration, I read out the PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL.
Our response: Lord hear our prayer
1. God of love, we pray for our Holy Mother Church, may our Pope, Bishops, priests, religious and laity continue to experience your tender love and compassionate care as disciples of Jesus. For this let us pray to the Lord, Lord….!
2. Lord, inspire and guide the leaders of our nation and all the surrounding nations that they may rule the values of liberty, equality and fraternity. We also pray for those holding important positions in society, various organizations, churches, etc. that they may use their power and position for the welfare of the fellow brethren. For this…….!
3. We pray for all the sick people in our parish and in our community that through the healing power of the Lord, may they receive the healing from all kinds of illnesses. For this…..!
4. We pray for all the priests of our parish, our SCC spiritual director, parish coordinator, area coordinator, animators and their families who are working tirelessly for the parish that You may bless them abundantly. For this……!
5. Let us pray for our personal and local needs. For this……!
But sadly, I couldn’t get a chance to distribute communion because there were too many ministers already present.
It is believed that after Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach though he was a native of Bethsaida, a town in Galilee, upon the banks of the lake of Genesareth. He was the son of Jonah, or John (Matthew 16:17; John 1:42) and was the brother of Simon Peter. But whether elder or younger the Holy Scriptures have not acquainted us. It is usually said that St Andrew was among the top three Apostles of Jesus.
Our response: Lord hear our prayer
1. God of love, we pray for our Holy Mother Church, may our Pope, Bishops, priests, religious and laity continue to experience your tender love and compassionate care as disciples of Jesus. For this let us pray to the Lord, Lord….!
2. Lord, inspire and guide the leaders of our nation and all the surrounding nations that they may rule the values of liberty, equality and fraternity. We also pray for those holding important positions in society, various organizations, churches, etc. that they may use their power and position for the welfare of the fellow brethren. For this…….!
3. We pray for all the sick people in our parish and in our community that through the healing power of the Lord, may they receive the healing from all kinds of illnesses. For this…..!
4. We pray for all the priests of our parish, our SCC spiritual director, parish coordinator, area coordinator, animators and their families who are working tirelessly for the parish that You may bless them abundantly. For this……!
5. Let us pray for our personal and local needs. For this……!
But sadly, I couldn’t get a chance to distribute communion because there were too many ministers already present.
It is believed that after Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach though he was a native of Bethsaida, a town in Galilee, upon the banks of the lake of Genesareth. He was the son of Jonah, or John (Matthew 16:17; John 1:42) and was the brother of Simon Peter. But whether elder or younger the Holy Scriptures have not acquainted us. It is usually said that St Andrew was among the top three Apostles of Jesus.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Being Christian
On 9th June, when I went for my first retreat for the catechists, we were asked a question: “what does it mean to be a Christian?” Nobody was able to answer this question. That set me thinking.
Immediately I had made a note of this question in my book as well as in my mind. Over the months, I have been asking myself this question: “what does it mean to be a Christian?”
In the last six months, I have tried to live a true Christian life. Through my endeavors as a catechist and now as a Eucharistic Minister, I have learnt that being a Christian means that “you are changed on the inside and not controlled from the outside”. It means that your heart has been changed by the presence of Jesus Christ.
I have realized that becoming a Christian is one of the most important steps that I have ever taken in my life on earth. In April 2001, when I was getting converted into a Christian, I had never realized that to become a Christian, it is important not only to understand and agree with Christian beliefs, but also to rely on these things for my life. I have realized this now, after eleven years, while I write this.
“It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.” With this I firmly believe that I was born to be a Christian. God had His own plans for my life which is in a continuous process of realization – getting married to a Christian was the founding stone of my Christianity – things which have been following this are for eternity!
They say there are two important days in anyone’s life: the day you were born, and the day you find out why you were born. I have realized the importance of both…
Somebody great has said that “I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous Presence.” How true. How truly it fits my life.
But I have also realized that being a true Christian is hard. It means dedicating your life to God after accepting Jesus Christ into your life. To be being Christian means to be being 'good' because it’s very difficult to be good all the time. For me, being Christian means to be a better human being. But take heart as “God hasn't given up on you. He hasn't turned away. He believes in you.” Alleluia
Being Christian means to overcome Satan's attacks in the other realms which make us a human being: our mortal spirit and our flesh in this world. But I have nothing to fear – Jesus my savior is always present to carry me in His arms every time I fall. Amen to that.
Thank You Lord
I come before You today
And there's just one thing that I want to say
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
For all You've given to me
For all the blessings I cannot see
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretched arm
I will bless Your name
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
For all You've done in my life
You took my darkness and gave me Your light
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
You took my sin and my shame
You took my sickness and healed all my pain
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretched arm
I will bless Your name
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
Oh, thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Oh, thank You Lord
I just want to thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
Oh we thank You, oh we thank You Lord
Lift Your voice, thank You Lord
All You've done in our live we just wanna say thank You Lord
Oh thank You Lord, thank You Lord
Yes we do, oh we wanna say thank You Lord
Yes thank You Lord
Thank You Lord, thank You Lord, thank You Lord
Thank You Lord, thank You Lord, thank You Lord
The grateful heart
With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretched arm
I will bless Your name
Oh, thank You Lord, yes
I just wanna thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You, thank You, thank You
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
Yes we thank You Lord, thank You Lord, thank You Lord
Yes we thank You, oh we thank You
And there's just one thing that I want to say
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
For all You've given to me
For all the blessings I cannot see
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretched arm
I will bless Your name
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
For all You've done in my life
You took my darkness and gave me Your light
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
You took my sin and my shame
You took my sickness and healed all my pain
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretched arm
I will bless Your name
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
Oh, thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Oh, thank You Lord
I just want to thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
Oh we thank You, oh we thank You Lord
Lift Your voice, thank You Lord
All You've done in our live we just wanna say thank You Lord
Oh thank You Lord, thank You Lord
Yes we do, oh we wanna say thank You Lord
Yes thank You Lord
Thank You Lord, thank You Lord, thank You Lord
Thank You Lord, thank You Lord, thank You Lord
The grateful heart
With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretched arm
I will bless Your name
Oh, thank You Lord, yes
I just wanna thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You, thank You, thank You
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
I just wanna thank You Lord
Thank You Lord
Yes we thank You Lord, thank You Lord, thank You Lord
Yes we thank You, oh we thank You
"Future in heaven for sure....."
O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget;
After I'd wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Saviour I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, With joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Saviour made me whole;
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
Born of the Spirit with life from above into God's fam'ly divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made when as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer of grace He did offer - He saved me, O praise His dear name!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Saviour made me whole;
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
Now I've a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure, there in those mansions sublime.
And it's because of that wonderful day when at the cross I believed;
Riches eternal and blessings supernal from His precious hand I received.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Saviour made me whole;
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!!!!!!!!
After I'd wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Saviour I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, With joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Saviour made me whole;
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
Born of the Spirit with life from above into God's fam'ly divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made when as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer of grace He did offer - He saved me, O praise His dear name!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Saviour made me whole;
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
Now I've a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure, there in those mansions sublime.
And it's because of that wonderful day when at the cross I believed;
Riches eternal and blessings supernal from His precious hand I received.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Saviour made me whole;
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!!!!!!!!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Esther
The Book of Esther is the story of a beautiful young Jewess who risked her life to serve God and to save her people. This book tells the story of the Jewish queen of Persia who exposed a plot to destroy her people and thus saved all the Jews in that country from destruction.
When people in the family came to know about my commissioning as the Eucharistic Minister, somebody called me Esther and compared me with her saying that like Esther was chosen by God to save the Jewish people, I have been chosen by God to save the family people. So I am trying to understand more about God’s plan in Esther so that I can understand God’s plan in me.
According to raystedman.org, “This little gem (the Book of Esther), tucked away in an obscure corner of the Old Testament is a very rich book. The thing that makes the Book of Esther so fascinating is — this is our story. We can see how accurately it illustrates what is happening to us when God is at work in the human heart.”
It further states that God moved in a wonderful way to deliver his people through Esther, who became the queen of this foreign kingdom. The website states that in this book you have one of the most exciting stories of all time. It is more than simply a story of God's power in delivering the Jews.
Esther pictures the renewed Spirit that is given to man when he becomes a Christian, when he is regenerated, when his spirit is made alive in Jesus Christ. She is under the influence and control of her cousin, Mordecai, who throughout this book is a picture for us of the Holy Spirit and his activity in our lives. This man's name means "little man" -- man in his humility -- and he is thus a picture of Christ.
In chapter 2 the Spirit is received when Esther, under the control of her cousin, Mordecai, is brought before the king and he falls in love with her. Because of her beauty he immediately chooses her to be his queen and exalts her to the second place in the kingdom. In that scene you have a picture of what might be called the conversion of this king. He receives a new spirit, without understanding that the Holy Spirit, also, is involved -- many of us today may have failed to understand this at the moment of our becoming Christians. But Mordecai is there in the background and we shall see how he becomes one of the prominent characters in this story of the wonderful deliverance of the kingdom.
Themes in the Book of Esther:
There are many themes in the book of Esther. We clearly see God's interaction with man's will, his hatred of racial prejudice, his power to give wisdom and help in times of danger. But there are two overriding themes:
God's Sovereignty - The hand of God is at work in the lives of his people. He used the circumstances in Esther's life, as he uses the decisions and actions of all humans to providentially work out his divine plans and purposes. We can trust in the Lord's sovereign care over every aspect of our lives.
God's Deliverance - The Lord raised up Esther, as he raised up Moses, Joshua, Joseph, and many others to deliver his people from destruction. Through Jesus Christ we are delivered from death and hell. God is able to save his children.
Surprisingly, though, The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of God. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to God.
When people in the family came to know about my commissioning as the Eucharistic Minister, somebody called me Esther and compared me with her saying that like Esther was chosen by God to save the Jewish people, I have been chosen by God to save the family people. So I am trying to understand more about God’s plan in Esther so that I can understand God’s plan in me.
According to raystedman.org, “This little gem (the Book of Esther), tucked away in an obscure corner of the Old Testament is a very rich book. The thing that makes the Book of Esther so fascinating is — this is our story. We can see how accurately it illustrates what is happening to us when God is at work in the human heart.”
It further states that God moved in a wonderful way to deliver his people through Esther, who became the queen of this foreign kingdom. The website states that in this book you have one of the most exciting stories of all time. It is more than simply a story of God's power in delivering the Jews.
Esther pictures the renewed Spirit that is given to man when he becomes a Christian, when he is regenerated, when his spirit is made alive in Jesus Christ. She is under the influence and control of her cousin, Mordecai, who throughout this book is a picture for us of the Holy Spirit and his activity in our lives. This man's name means "little man" -- man in his humility -- and he is thus a picture of Christ.
In chapter 2 the Spirit is received when Esther, under the control of her cousin, Mordecai, is brought before the king and he falls in love with her. Because of her beauty he immediately chooses her to be his queen and exalts her to the second place in the kingdom. In that scene you have a picture of what might be called the conversion of this king. He receives a new spirit, without understanding that the Holy Spirit, also, is involved -- many of us today may have failed to understand this at the moment of our becoming Christians. But Mordecai is there in the background and we shall see how he becomes one of the prominent characters in this story of the wonderful deliverance of the kingdom.
Themes in the Book of Esther:
There are many themes in the book of Esther. We clearly see God's interaction with man's will, his hatred of racial prejudice, his power to give wisdom and help in times of danger. But there are two overriding themes:
God's Sovereignty - The hand of God is at work in the lives of his people. He used the circumstances in Esther's life, as he uses the decisions and actions of all humans to providentially work out his divine plans and purposes. We can trust in the Lord's sovereign care over every aspect of our lives.
God's Deliverance - The Lord raised up Esther, as he raised up Moses, Joshua, Joseph, and many others to deliver his people from destruction. Through Jesus Christ we are delivered from death and hell. God is able to save his children.
Surprisingly, though, The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of God. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to God.
King David 2
Healing and Restoration (courtesy: www.case-study.com)
God never brings us condemnation without offering us grace and healing. This is a recurring theme throughout the Bible — God wants to have an intimate
relationship with each of us, and goes out of His way to invite us into that relationship. The whole point of Nathan’s charge against David was not to punish him,
but to restore him.
There have been many parallels between this chapter of David’s life and the lives of men who have fallen into sin. Whether the man is a well-known figure like Jim Bakker
or Bill Clinton, or a common “man in the street,” we all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, or where you’ve been –
God’s healing, restoring grace is available for you, just like it was for David. All you have to do is be willing to face God — and yourself — with the same painful
honesty that was David’s first step toward rebuilding his life.
Are you ready for a fresh start? Your life can be healed, restored, and rebuilt, just like David’s was. I can tell you from experience that it will not be an easy
journey, but it will be the most worthwhile venture of your entire lifetime.
Like David, you will have to be honest with God, and with yourself.
Stop trying to hide your sin behind cheap excuses and lies
Be willing to deal with and accept the consequences of your sin
Totally surrender yourself to God
Allow Jesus to come into your heart and forgive your sin
Having accepted His free gift of salvation, let Him start the process of rebuilding your life on His firm, eternal foundation.
God never brings us condemnation without offering us grace and healing. This is a recurring theme throughout the Bible — God wants to have an intimate
relationship with each of us, and goes out of His way to invite us into that relationship. The whole point of Nathan’s charge against David was not to punish him,
but to restore him.
There have been many parallels between this chapter of David’s life and the lives of men who have fallen into sin. Whether the man is a well-known figure like Jim Bakker
or Bill Clinton, or a common “man in the street,” we all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, or where you’ve been –
God’s healing, restoring grace is available for you, just like it was for David. All you have to do is be willing to face God — and yourself — with the same painful
honesty that was David’s first step toward rebuilding his life.
Are you ready for a fresh start? Your life can be healed, restored, and rebuilt, just like David’s was. I can tell you from experience that it will not be an easy
journey, but it will be the most worthwhile venture of your entire lifetime.
Like David, you will have to be honest with God, and with yourself.
Stop trying to hide your sin behind cheap excuses and lies
Be willing to deal with and accept the consequences of your sin
Totally surrender yourself to God
Allow Jesus to come into your heart and forgive your sin
Having accepted His free gift of salvation, let Him start the process of rebuilding your life on His firm, eternal foundation.
King David
Condemnation and Repentance (Courtesy: www.case-studies.com)
David had sinned, and thought that he had managed to build an effective cover-up plan. He only overlooked one small detail: you can’t hide your heart from
God.
no matter how hard we try, we can’t hide from God. We’re much better off if we’re just honest with Him up front — it’s not like He doesn’t already know.
David was reminded, as I often need to be, that God is bigger and smarter than we are. Nathan, who hadn’t been a party to any of this incident, recited back to
David EXACTLY what he had done, in painful detail, and pronounced God’s judgement on the king. On top of that, David had already pronounced his own death sentence
— he was backed into an uncomfortable corner.
It’s important to understand the dynamic of this situation. Nathan literally risked his life bringing this accusation before the king. The king was the sole
power-broker of government; he could have told one of the guards to kill Nathan on the spot. He could have denied his sin, and argued with Nathan (and with God). He
could have defied them and continued in his denial. The choice was David’s to make. Nathan understood the risk, yet also understood that obedience to God, even to the
point of death, is better than long life of rebellion and disobedience.
I recently heard Robert Lewis teaching about this moment of decision in David’s life. Lewis pointed out that David could have continued in denial, with words such as
“I did NOT have sex with that woman.” Instead, the element of David’s being that made him “a man after God’s own heart” rose up within him — what Lewis calls
“the face of the king” — and David, face-to-face with himself, made the most noble statement of his life:
There were none of the blame-shifting “but” phrases that typified Saul, his predecessor to the throne. There were no excuses, no spin, no double-talk or legalese
waffling. David saw his situation clearly, and dealt with it boldly. With his admission of guilt, it would have been fully justified if God had carried out the
sentence pronounced upon him by his own judgement and struck him dead on the spot. David confessed his sin, and expected to die for it.
It is when we are truly honest with God that we find His mercy and grace:
And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.” (2 Samuel 12:13b)
This was an important defining moment in David’s life. He confessed his sin, and was prepared to accept his punishment of death. Instead, God showed His grace by
forgiving David, and allowing him to live. For the rest of his days, when David opened his eyes in the morning, he knew that he was alive for one reason and one reason
only: the sheer grace of God. That turning point changed the direction of David’s life, and deepened his relationship with God to a level he had never known
before. Understanding God’s grace will have the same effect on you and me.
Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance. It illustrates that David’s repentance was not just a “sorry, I’ll try to do better” sort of thing, but a deep, heartfelt plea
to God for forgiveness, healing and restoration:
Psalm 51
1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.
David didn’t try to shift the blame for his sin. This Psalm doesn’t contain one single word of self-justification. David didn’t try to blame Bathsheba for his downfall,
or talk about the enormous stresses and responsibilities in the life of a great leader. He faced his sin head-on, and called it what it was: his sin.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.
David understood that, while he had indeed sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba, any sin is first and foremost a sin against God, and his first step of repentance is
confession before God.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
David acknowledged the basic depravity of mankind, himself included. He finally came to the point of “truth in the inmost being,” and was honest with himself about his
sin.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Hyssop was used under Old Testament law for two rituals of purification. It was part of the purification of one healed of leprosy, and of those who had contact with a
dead body. David saw his sin for what it really was: a deadly disease that could be cured only by God himself. Only the Grace of God can purify us and forgive our sins.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
David “prayed through” to the outcome of genuine repentance before God: that which was broken begins to heal, as God blots out our sin and creates a clean heart within
us. David’s reference to being “cast away from Your presence” in verse 11 refers back to his predecessor to the throne, King Saul, who failed to honestly repent of his
sin of disobedience. As a result, God withdrew his Spirit from Saul, who lived out his days in misery and torment. David witnessed this chapter in Saul’s life, and asked
not only for forgiveness, but for a renewed relationship, and deliverance from the fate of Saul.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18 By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.
Genuine repentance brings forgiveness, restoration and healing, and the end result of that cycle is action. David committed himself to serving God with his restored
life, and leading other needy people to Him. It is not the “sacrifice” of labor that produces favor with God; it is favor with God, through honest repentance, that
produces a willing servant.
David had sinned, and thought that he had managed to build an effective cover-up plan. He only overlooked one small detail: you can’t hide your heart from
God.
no matter how hard we try, we can’t hide from God. We’re much better off if we’re just honest with Him up front — it’s not like He doesn’t already know.
David was reminded, as I often need to be, that God is bigger and smarter than we are. Nathan, who hadn’t been a party to any of this incident, recited back to
David EXACTLY what he had done, in painful detail, and pronounced God’s judgement on the king. On top of that, David had already pronounced his own death sentence
— he was backed into an uncomfortable corner.
It’s important to understand the dynamic of this situation. Nathan literally risked his life bringing this accusation before the king. The king was the sole
power-broker of government; he could have told one of the guards to kill Nathan on the spot. He could have denied his sin, and argued with Nathan (and with God). He
could have defied them and continued in his denial. The choice was David’s to make. Nathan understood the risk, yet also understood that obedience to God, even to the
point of death, is better than long life of rebellion and disobedience.
I recently heard Robert Lewis teaching about this moment of decision in David’s life. Lewis pointed out that David could have continued in denial, with words such as
“I did NOT have sex with that woman.” Instead, the element of David’s being that made him “a man after God’s own heart” rose up within him — what Lewis calls
“the face of the king” — and David, face-to-face with himself, made the most noble statement of his life:
There were none of the blame-shifting “but” phrases that typified Saul, his predecessor to the throne. There were no excuses, no spin, no double-talk or legalese
waffling. David saw his situation clearly, and dealt with it boldly. With his admission of guilt, it would have been fully justified if God had carried out the
sentence pronounced upon him by his own judgement and struck him dead on the spot. David confessed his sin, and expected to die for it.
It is when we are truly honest with God that we find His mercy and grace:
And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.” (2 Samuel 12:13b)
This was an important defining moment in David’s life. He confessed his sin, and was prepared to accept his punishment of death. Instead, God showed His grace by
forgiving David, and allowing him to live. For the rest of his days, when David opened his eyes in the morning, he knew that he was alive for one reason and one reason
only: the sheer grace of God. That turning point changed the direction of David’s life, and deepened his relationship with God to a level he had never known
before. Understanding God’s grace will have the same effect on you and me.
Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance. It illustrates that David’s repentance was not just a “sorry, I’ll try to do better” sort of thing, but a deep, heartfelt plea
to God for forgiveness, healing and restoration:
Psalm 51
1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.
David didn’t try to shift the blame for his sin. This Psalm doesn’t contain one single word of self-justification. David didn’t try to blame Bathsheba for his downfall,
or talk about the enormous stresses and responsibilities in the life of a great leader. He faced his sin head-on, and called it what it was: his sin.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.
David understood that, while he had indeed sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba, any sin is first and foremost a sin against God, and his first step of repentance is
confession before God.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
David acknowledged the basic depravity of mankind, himself included. He finally came to the point of “truth in the inmost being,” and was honest with himself about his
sin.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Hyssop was used under Old Testament law for two rituals of purification. It was part of the purification of one healed of leprosy, and of those who had contact with a
dead body. David saw his sin for what it really was: a deadly disease that could be cured only by God himself. Only the Grace of God can purify us and forgive our sins.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
David “prayed through” to the outcome of genuine repentance before God: that which was broken begins to heal, as God blots out our sin and creates a clean heart within
us. David’s reference to being “cast away from Your presence” in verse 11 refers back to his predecessor to the throne, King Saul, who failed to honestly repent of his
sin of disobedience. As a result, God withdrew his Spirit from Saul, who lived out his days in misery and torment. David witnessed this chapter in Saul’s life, and asked
not only for forgiveness, but for a renewed relationship, and deliverance from the fate of Saul.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18 By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.
Genuine repentance brings forgiveness, restoration and healing, and the end result of that cycle is action. David committed himself to serving God with his restored
life, and leading other needy people to Him. It is not the “sacrifice” of labor that produces favor with God; it is favor with God, through honest repentance, that
produces a willing servant.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Eucharistic Minister
Yesterday, November 11, 2012, was a golden day of my life. Yesterday all my sins were washed away and my nights turned to day. Yesterday Jesus Christ made me whole and gave me the authority over His Body and Blood. Yesterday I became an Eucharistic Minister. It means a lot to me to be a Eucharistic minister, and I am sure it will change my life forever.
Eucharistic Ministers have a variety of names – extraordinary or special ministers, auxiliary, or lay distributors (of Jesus’ body). By being an Eucharistic Minister of my parish, I will be now serving, distributing, and administering the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ during the Holy Communion or Eucharist of the Church Service. In the Catholic Mass, Eucharistic Ministers are referred to more accurately as "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion" (the "ordinary" minister being the priest celebrant.
I read that Eucharistic Ministers are called not only to minister the Body and Blood of Christ, but to have and maintain a strong faith, a sense of awe, and an inclusiveness of others as the foundation for their ministry. The ministers accomplish this by strengthening their faith from within and sharing it with the faithful at communion time. Eucharistic Ministers must be comfortable in establishing a relationship with each communicant in what is most likely the most intimate moment in the liturgy.
During my tenure as an Eucharistic Minister, I will also be asked to bring Holy Communion to people within the parish community who are sick and/or homebound. The experience in bringing the Body of Christ to others, who cannot attend mass due to illness or other limitations, will truly be a gift from God. I am feeling so very exhilarated. Indeed, all my sins have been washed away.
PS: I am trying but cannot recall which hymn was being sung while I was distributing the Holy Communion for the first time, but the first person whom I gave the Communion was extremely tall and had a mustache.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
What a friend....(indeed)....!!!
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Red Door Shimmer
23rd October, 2012 (Tuesday), was a lucky day for me in two ways. Firstly, my Golu gifted me Elizabeth Arden’s (EA) new fragrance, Red Door Shimmer. This makes it my fifth fragrance from EA. And this also kicks off my Christmas shopping.
But what makes the day really special is that on that day I led the entire rosary at my community on my own. I was the leader for that evening. It came as a surprise and I absolutely loved it. All the petitions were spontaneous and I guess my fruits of hard work are at last paying off. And that is why I feel that this particular day has been an extremely lucky day for me.
According to my research, EA’s Red Door Shimmer perfume is a limited edition holiday flanker to 1989’s Red Door fragrance. This glamorous ‘floriental’ fragrance is a modern blend of sparkling fruits, shimmering florals and warming woods. Though it’s a Christmas gift, I have already used it.
The juice was developed by perfumer Clement Gavarry, and includes notes of pear, yuzu leaf, blackberry, pink pepper, gardenia, Casablanca lily, peony, tonka bean, red amber, musk, sandalwood and vetiver.
I won’t be surprised if Red Door Shimmer becomes my signature scent because I have loved it. This new fragrance is one intended for the upcoming Christmas season with a spirit of shimmering effervescence which has already got me in the mood for our triple celebration in style.
Though the bottle is not all that beautiful, I read somewhere that it resembles sparkling champagne. This fragrance is definitely different from my previous collections of EA perfumes yet it’s similar to them in some way. “Red Door Shimmer definitely holds true to its muse while remaining its own fragrance”, writes someone in her column.
But what makes the day really special is that on that day I led the entire rosary at my community on my own. I was the leader for that evening. It came as a surprise and I absolutely loved it. All the petitions were spontaneous and I guess my fruits of hard work are at last paying off. And that is why I feel that this particular day has been an extremely lucky day for me.
According to my research, EA’s Red Door Shimmer perfume is a limited edition holiday flanker to 1989’s Red Door fragrance. This glamorous ‘floriental’ fragrance is a modern blend of sparkling fruits, shimmering florals and warming woods. Though it’s a Christmas gift, I have already used it.
The juice was developed by perfumer Clement Gavarry, and includes notes of pear, yuzu leaf, blackberry, pink pepper, gardenia, Casablanca lily, peony, tonka bean, red amber, musk, sandalwood and vetiver.
I won’t be surprised if Red Door Shimmer becomes my signature scent because I have loved it. This new fragrance is one intended for the upcoming Christmas season with a spirit of shimmering effervescence which has already got me in the mood for our triple celebration in style.
Though the bottle is not all that beautiful, I read somewhere that it resembles sparkling champagne. This fragrance is definitely different from my previous collections of EA perfumes yet it’s similar to them in some way. “Red Door Shimmer definitely holds true to its muse while remaining its own fragrance”, writes someone in her column.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Salsa
Exactly a month back, on 11th September, 2012, Tuesday, I had joined Salsa classes with great enthusiasm. I was very excited to have joined because I have always wanted to learn Salsa. But today I regret to write that I will not be going for my classes anymore. I cannot do Salsa. I guess I just can’t dance. Dancing is not for me. It’s just another dreadful word in my life after DRIVING. Just the way I cannot drive to save my soul, likewise, I cannot dance to save my life. These two are some of those things in my life that I may never be able to do in this birth. Perhaps I will have to take another birth to learn Salsa. To learn Salsa had always been a distant dream and looks like this dream has distanced me from it. Some things aren’t meant for me.
Salsa dance was created by Spanish-speaking natives of the Caribbean and let it be for them. It’s not for a nincompoop Indian like me. Salsa mixes dance influences from Africa and Europe. I am very sure now that it isn’t for me. Though Salsa originated in Cuba in the 1920s; I will have to take another birth to learn it. It is a fusion of different types of dance and music styles, but I know only one style and that is ‘tapori’. And though Salsa is just 90-year-old, this 36-year-old lady will never be able to pick up the graceful Salsa steps. It’s too late for me and my body is unable to take up the strain of dancing. It pains at all possible places. It’s a fact and I have to admit it whether or not I like it.
Though Salsa dancing is a very beautiful dancing style, full of sensuality and grace, I am not meant for it. The rhythm, the dance, the musical excitement attributed to Salsa, which literally means "sauce", isn’t working out for me. This dance oozes with sensuous style, the passion and energy but my body isn’t able to gather the passion and excitement that flows about the dance floor unlike other Salsa dancers. So I quit.
When speaking about something that is of not much consequence, my main teacher in the Confirmation class says that “it isn’t important for salvation”. So to quote him, Salsa dance isn’t important for my salvation. The things that can actually bring in salvation for me are teaching in the Confirmation classes and going for regular rosaries for the entire month of October. So let me continue doing that and not run behind things which aren’t meant for me.
Salsa dance was created by Spanish-speaking natives of the Caribbean and let it be for them. It’s not for a nincompoop Indian like me. Salsa mixes dance influences from Africa and Europe. I am very sure now that it isn’t for me. Though Salsa originated in Cuba in the 1920s; I will have to take another birth to learn it. It is a fusion of different types of dance and music styles, but I know only one style and that is ‘tapori’. And though Salsa is just 90-year-old, this 36-year-old lady will never be able to pick up the graceful Salsa steps. It’s too late for me and my body is unable to take up the strain of dancing. It pains at all possible places. It’s a fact and I have to admit it whether or not I like it.
Though Salsa dancing is a very beautiful dancing style, full of sensuality and grace, I am not meant for it. The rhythm, the dance, the musical excitement attributed to Salsa, which literally means "sauce", isn’t working out for me. This dance oozes with sensuous style, the passion and energy but my body isn’t able to gather the passion and excitement that flows about the dance floor unlike other Salsa dancers. So I quit.
When speaking about something that is of not much consequence, my main teacher in the Confirmation class says that “it isn’t important for salvation”. So to quote him, Salsa dance isn’t important for my salvation. The things that can actually bring in salvation for me are teaching in the Confirmation classes and going for regular rosaries for the entire month of October. So let me continue doing that and not run behind things which aren’t meant for me.
Delhi
On Monday, 8th October, 2012, I went to Delhi. This was my second trip. I had first been to Delhi for JCK Exhibitions in July 2007. Like all my official trips, these two trips to Delhi have also been very hectic and unorganized. I just didn’t get any time for relaxation. But somehow this trip has a lot of happy memories.
In July 2007, during my stint as a senior writer with JCK INDIA magazine, the only things I remember about the trip is that around ten of us went to Delhi on 5th July by August Kranti express which got delayed by ten hours. So instead of reaching Delhi in the morning of 6th July, we all reached in the night. And the only things we did were interview the exhibitors and work for the daily newsletter; we were back in two-three days time. I think I was back on 8th July. No photographs, no shopping, nothing. We stayed at a hotel called Hans Plaza which was close to Infomedia office and away from Pragati Maidan, the exhibition venue.
But this time I travelled by Indigo airlines and was all alone. I was put up at Almondz Hotel which is situated some 500 metres from Patel Nagar Metro station; though I didn’t have to travel by the metro. This hotel is at East Patel Nagar, a 3-star, with a very cozy room for me and only me.
The venue for the Awards Function was the state-of-the-art Manekshaw Centre, quite a distance from the hotel. Since it was somewhere in the cantonment area, I couldn’t manage to see that many human souls and just caught glimpses of the army schools and hospitals located there. I remember reading names of places like Subroto Park, Dhuan Kuan, etc. which didn’t make much sense to me.
Though Delhi is the second most populous metropolis of India after Mumbai, it failed to impress me. But I am not surprised. The problem with me is that I am so much used to living in Mumbai that any other place has stopped exciting me. Thanks to all my official travels, I have visited places like Kolkata once, Delhi twice, Jaipur once, Hyderabad twice, Bangalore twice and Surat once. But all these places have not impressed me at all. Even though these one-day trips manage to rejuvenate me, somehow the places fail to wow me. But like I said, they act as feel good factors for me and honestly, I wait for these short trips, as they enable to bring for me the much-needed change in my otherwise mundane daily schedule.
Though I was constantly on the go, I clicked some random photographs of Delhi which I have already posted on Facebook. For some, they might be very stupid looking pics, but for me, these are all the memories I have of my second trip to Delhi. Since I don’t have any remembrances of my first trip, I made sure that I click few on this trip. So all the pics that one can see are taken from a moving car – distorted pics of Delhi auto-rickshaw, airport, runway, bus-stop, etc. People will find them stupid but for me they are memories. I just don’t care what people think.
Surprisingly, though I had my initial apprehensions about Delhi, I must say that it was an overall good experience. Right from the word go, I mean Indigo, everything about the trip has been memorable. It was the first time I was travelling by Indigo and I need to state the fact that it’s a damn good airline to travel on. I was quite impressed by their punctuality, so much like me, and both the flights have been pretty impressive. They departed bang on time (1:35 pm) and arrived at the destination (3:15 pm) much before the given schedule and I like them for this. Even while coming back, they took off punctually at 9:30 am and we landed at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji terminal at 11:15 am, much before the scheduled time.
Another good thing about this trip is Almondz Hotel. Like I wrote earlier, I had a cozy room for me and what has left a lasting memory of this hotel is that they serve good coffee. I was bowled over at the coffee. I have had coffee in many five star hotels but some of these have only managed to leave a bitter taste in my mouth. But the coffee served to me in the morning was of just the right blend. Just the way I like it. The wrong blend is a big put off for me. So, Almondz Hotel gets full marks from me for serving me the right kind of coffee for breakfast. This makes my Delhi trip extra special.
So, overall, quite a memorable trip. There were no negative happenings and I am so very happy about it.
In July 2007, during my stint as a senior writer with JCK INDIA magazine, the only things I remember about the trip is that around ten of us went to Delhi on 5th July by August Kranti express which got delayed by ten hours. So instead of reaching Delhi in the morning of 6th July, we all reached in the night. And the only things we did were interview the exhibitors and work for the daily newsletter; we were back in two-three days time. I think I was back on 8th July. No photographs, no shopping, nothing. We stayed at a hotel called Hans Plaza which was close to Infomedia office and away from Pragati Maidan, the exhibition venue.
But this time I travelled by Indigo airlines and was all alone. I was put up at Almondz Hotel which is situated some 500 metres from Patel Nagar Metro station; though I didn’t have to travel by the metro. This hotel is at East Patel Nagar, a 3-star, with a very cozy room for me and only me.
The venue for the Awards Function was the state-of-the-art Manekshaw Centre, quite a distance from the hotel. Since it was somewhere in the cantonment area, I couldn’t manage to see that many human souls and just caught glimpses of the army schools and hospitals located there. I remember reading names of places like Subroto Park, Dhuan Kuan, etc. which didn’t make much sense to me.
Though Delhi is the second most populous metropolis of India after Mumbai, it failed to impress me. But I am not surprised. The problem with me is that I am so much used to living in Mumbai that any other place has stopped exciting me. Thanks to all my official travels, I have visited places like Kolkata once, Delhi twice, Jaipur once, Hyderabad twice, Bangalore twice and Surat once. But all these places have not impressed me at all. Even though these one-day trips manage to rejuvenate me, somehow the places fail to wow me. But like I said, they act as feel good factors for me and honestly, I wait for these short trips, as they enable to bring for me the much-needed change in my otherwise mundane daily schedule.
Though I was constantly on the go, I clicked some random photographs of Delhi which I have already posted on Facebook. For some, they might be very stupid looking pics, but for me, these are all the memories I have of my second trip to Delhi. Since I don’t have any remembrances of my first trip, I made sure that I click few on this trip. So all the pics that one can see are taken from a moving car – distorted pics of Delhi auto-rickshaw, airport, runway, bus-stop, etc. People will find them stupid but for me they are memories. I just don’t care what people think.
Surprisingly, though I had my initial apprehensions about Delhi, I must say that it was an overall good experience. Right from the word go, I mean Indigo, everything about the trip has been memorable. It was the first time I was travelling by Indigo and I need to state the fact that it’s a damn good airline to travel on. I was quite impressed by their punctuality, so much like me, and both the flights have been pretty impressive. They departed bang on time (1:35 pm) and arrived at the destination (3:15 pm) much before the given schedule and I like them for this. Even while coming back, they took off punctually at 9:30 am and we landed at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji terminal at 11:15 am, much before the scheduled time.
Another good thing about this trip is Almondz Hotel. Like I wrote earlier, I had a cozy room for me and what has left a lasting memory of this hotel is that they serve good coffee. I was bowled over at the coffee. I have had coffee in many five star hotels but some of these have only managed to leave a bitter taste in my mouth. But the coffee served to me in the morning was of just the right blend. Just the way I like it. The wrong blend is a big put off for me. So, Almondz Hotel gets full marks from me for serving me the right kind of coffee for breakfast. This makes my Delhi trip extra special.
So, overall, quite a memorable trip. There were no negative happenings and I am so very happy about it.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Let me start again.....
Let me start again,
Pick the pieces of my brokenness,
Fill the spaces in my emptiness,
Let me start again.
Let me start with You Lord,
Everything begins in You,
All my winnings and my loosings, all begin in You.
Come let me rise to greet the morning,
Let me catch the dew a-falling
Let the tidings of a new day keep my courage strong.
Let the darkness of my night cease,
Yes, the passion and anxieties
With You there to hold me Jesus,
I’ll sing a bold new song.
Pick the pieces of my brokenness,
Fill the spaces in my emptiness,
Let me start again.
Let me start with You Lord,
Everything begins in You,
All my winnings and my loosings, all begin in You.
Come let me rise to greet the morning,
Let me catch the dew a-falling
Let the tidings of a new day keep my courage strong.
Let the darkness of my night cease,
Yes, the passion and anxieties
With You there to hold me Jesus,
I’ll sing a bold new song.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Dreams do come true….
…without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them. As Walt Disney said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”. So at long last, before it was too late, I mustered up all my courage of pursuing my most-cherished dream of becoming a work-from-home mother. Walt Disney also said that a man (in my case a woman) should never neglect his family for business (please read job) and so I have taken this bold decision just for my lovely family. I have always yearned to give more of myself to them – be with my daughters all the time and personify the so-called “hands-on mother”. Hope this turns out to be one of the wisest decisions I have ever taken in my life. Though a bit late for Googaa and too early for Goldie, I guess this is the best gift I give them on their birthdays this year. From momma, with love :)
I came across a saying that “Dreams come true if you survive the hard times” and it has indeed turned out so very true for me. I remember well the hard times we have gone through as a family because I had to work. I remember crying on the day I left Googaa in a crèche for the very first time. I remember crying when I was asked to resign from a certain job because I could never reach office on time. I remember crying every time my mother and mother-in-law refused to look after my kids. I cry from within whenever my kids are unwell and I have to go to office leaving them at the crèche because I was told once to never mix up my personal problems with work. I cry now while writing this because these memories are still fresh in me.
But by the grace of our Super God, everything will change for the best from tomorrow. From tomorrow I will be working from home. I will not be keeping my daughters in the crèche, I will not be serving them rice and boiled eggs or order food from a hotel if I happen to get extremely delayed at work; for that matter, I will not be running late for work anymore, I will not be feeling guilty of leaving them alone whenever they are unwell; I will be with them and for them almost all the time. Amen to that.
There’s always an appropriate time for a dream to come true and this is my time. I am really looking forward to tomorrow because it is a new beginning for us. The universe is working in my favor and come tomorrow, I will be in the BE HAPPY phase of my life because it’s not always about money. Tomorrow marks the start of a brave new future filled with all our dreams but I have a wish list here (see below). But honestly, all the adversity I have had in my professional life, all my troubles and obstacles have only strengthened me. So, dream on until your dreams come true. As far as I am concerned, I look forward to enjoy this loveliest phase of life.
10 things I wish to do while working from home is to
1) Laugh a lot
2) Learn to be patient
3) Be playful with my daughters
4) Drink the amount of water I am supposed to in a day
5) Walk
6) Learn salsa
7) Join aerobics class
8) Cook great meals
9) Work more on my spirituality
10) Join an NGO for stray dogs
I came across a saying that “Dreams come true if you survive the hard times” and it has indeed turned out so very true for me. I remember well the hard times we have gone through as a family because I had to work. I remember crying on the day I left Googaa in a crèche for the very first time. I remember crying when I was asked to resign from a certain job because I could never reach office on time. I remember crying every time my mother and mother-in-law refused to look after my kids. I cry from within whenever my kids are unwell and I have to go to office leaving them at the crèche because I was told once to never mix up my personal problems with work. I cry now while writing this because these memories are still fresh in me.
But by the grace of our Super God, everything will change for the best from tomorrow. From tomorrow I will be working from home. I will not be keeping my daughters in the crèche, I will not be serving them rice and boiled eggs or order food from a hotel if I happen to get extremely delayed at work; for that matter, I will not be running late for work anymore, I will not be feeling guilty of leaving them alone whenever they are unwell; I will be with them and for them almost all the time. Amen to that.
There’s always an appropriate time for a dream to come true and this is my time. I am really looking forward to tomorrow because it is a new beginning for us. The universe is working in my favor and come tomorrow, I will be in the BE HAPPY phase of my life because it’s not always about money. Tomorrow marks the start of a brave new future filled with all our dreams but I have a wish list here (see below). But honestly, all the adversity I have had in my professional life, all my troubles and obstacles have only strengthened me. So, dream on until your dreams come true. As far as I am concerned, I look forward to enjoy this loveliest phase of life.
10 things I wish to do while working from home is to
1) Laugh a lot
2) Learn to be patient
3) Be playful with my daughters
4) Drink the amount of water I am supposed to in a day
5) Walk
6) Learn salsa
7) Join aerobics class
8) Cook great meals
9) Work more on my spirituality
10) Join an NGO for stray dogs
Monday, August 6, 2012
NATUROPATHY
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. ~ Hippocrates
Yesterday we attended a full day Basic Course on Naturopathy by Rev. Fr. M. Britto Joseph, S.J, Jesuit priest, naturopath and Siddha Maruthuva Pandit, at our St. Joseph Church, Mira Road. He is the founder of the departments of Naturopathy & Homoeopathy in the Holy Family Hospitals of Patna and Delhi and has been working for forty years in the field of alternative medicine.
We thought that this day-long session will be too boring to endure but his humorous and inspirational style of preaching his message made the course a truly unique one for us both. We got enlightened about a lot of things which we already knew but never bothered to give a second thought.
Naturopathy believes that “All healing powers are within one’s body” and this science and art of drugless system of healing us for a healthy living is undoubtedly so informative. Naturopathy teaches us how we should live, what we should eat and how our daily routine should be. Naturopathy is a guide to increasing our vital energy for a holistic approach to increased healing, growth and metabolism. It’s nothing but the science of synchronizing our beings with Mother Nature.
We came to know that all diseases are due to the accumulation of toxins that have steadily been piling up in our body. We came to know about natural living because naturopathy’s philosophy is to be one with nature, understanding and respecting it. It emphasizes nutritious and healthy food. Naturopathy is not just a system of medicine but also a science of health promotion designed to increase our well being and happiness in all aspects.
Honestly, naturopathy is just the traditional system of health treatment which is practiced in many countries across the world. It’s actually a constructive method of treatment which aims at removing the basic cause of all diseases. For instance, acidity, which has been harrowing me since a very long time!
Naturopathy enables getting rid of physical as well as mental ailments and believes that the change in our dietary habit can bring about remarkable changes in our health as well. Naturopathy, in fact, prescribes a diet that can be adopted by anyone easily. The diet uses natural means to purify our body and balance our immune system. It explains to us that it’s extremely important to keep our digestive system healthy by eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables (ONION) and keeping away from red meat. Naturopathic diets encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables based on eating nutritious foods and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
I am sure that if I just religiously drink five liters of WATER a day, my perennial problem of migraine will be solved forever. It is because of not drinking adequate water that I have been developing acidity which is to leading to headaches and which in turn is leading to migraines. Looks like, I have at last found out the root cause of my problem and I am bent upon solving it. Amen
Yesterday we attended a full day Basic Course on Naturopathy by Rev. Fr. M. Britto Joseph, S.J, Jesuit priest, naturopath and Siddha Maruthuva Pandit, at our St. Joseph Church, Mira Road. He is the founder of the departments of Naturopathy & Homoeopathy in the Holy Family Hospitals of Patna and Delhi and has been working for forty years in the field of alternative medicine.
We thought that this day-long session will be too boring to endure but his humorous and inspirational style of preaching his message made the course a truly unique one for us both. We got enlightened about a lot of things which we already knew but never bothered to give a second thought.
Naturopathy believes that “All healing powers are within one’s body” and this science and art of drugless system of healing us for a healthy living is undoubtedly so informative. Naturopathy teaches us how we should live, what we should eat and how our daily routine should be. Naturopathy is a guide to increasing our vital energy for a holistic approach to increased healing, growth and metabolism. It’s nothing but the science of synchronizing our beings with Mother Nature.
We came to know that all diseases are due to the accumulation of toxins that have steadily been piling up in our body. We came to know about natural living because naturopathy’s philosophy is to be one with nature, understanding and respecting it. It emphasizes nutritious and healthy food. Naturopathy is not just a system of medicine but also a science of health promotion designed to increase our well being and happiness in all aspects.
Honestly, naturopathy is just the traditional system of health treatment which is practiced in many countries across the world. It’s actually a constructive method of treatment which aims at removing the basic cause of all diseases. For instance, acidity, which has been harrowing me since a very long time!
Naturopathy enables getting rid of physical as well as mental ailments and believes that the change in our dietary habit can bring about remarkable changes in our health as well. Naturopathy, in fact, prescribes a diet that can be adopted by anyone easily. The diet uses natural means to purify our body and balance our immune system. It explains to us that it’s extremely important to keep our digestive system healthy by eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables (ONION) and keeping away from red meat. Naturopathic diets encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables based on eating nutritious foods and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
I am sure that if I just religiously drink five liters of WATER a day, my perennial problem of migraine will be solved forever. It is because of not drinking adequate water that I have been developing acidity which is to leading to headaches and which in turn is leading to migraines. Looks like, I have at last found out the root cause of my problem and I am bent upon solving it. Amen
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
First class
On Sunday, 22nd July, 2012, I conducted my first independent confirmation class. I did it because the main teacher was out of town and I had to carry on with the regular teaching. There were butterflies in my stomach and I had absolutely no idea what I was teaching and what the students were grasping. I just know that I taught about the rich young man, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. Though I didn’t fumble anywhere, I know for sure that there was chaos inside me as well as in the classroom.
Though I had done all my homework, now I feel that I should have also done my usual Google research. It always helps.
I taught Session 8 which was about JESUS, THE GOOD TEACHER.
Though I had done all my homework, now I feel that I should have also done my usual Google research. It always helps.
I taught Session 8 which was about JESUS, THE GOOD TEACHER.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Charles Dickens
“Remember! It is Christianity to do good always – even to those who do evil to us. It is Christianity to love our neighbours as ourself, and to do to all men as we would have them do to us. It is Christianity to be gentle, merciful and forgiving, and to keep those qualities quiet in our own hearts, and never make a boast of them or of our prayers or of our love of God, but always to show that we love Him by humbly trying to do right in everything. If we do this, and remember the life and lessons of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and try to act up to them, we may confidently hope that God will forgive us our sins and mistakes, and enable us to live and die in peace”.
These are the beautiful words of Charles Dickens, the great English writer and the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. He was a Christian and was often referred to as, “that great Christian writer” by Leo Tolstoy, the Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. During his time, Charles Dickens filled his works with Christian references to encourage devotion to Jesus Christ and that’s why I have decided to continue reading his books. From yesterday (3rd July), I have again started reading A TALE OF TWO CITIES.
I have always liked Charles Dickens but respect for him increased manifold when on Friday, 29th June, 2012, I came to know his views on Jesus and Christianity. Dickens was a member of the Church of England and deeply believed in Jesus though in all his writings, he is outspoken in his dislike of evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism. I read somewhere that “the one aspect of his life that best reveals Dickens’ deep Christian faith is his fiction. Charles Dickens was not a religious writer but his novels expressed his Christian beliefs”. I like this about him and so don’t want to stop reading his books/writings.
But it seems that after 1847 he did attend the Anglican Church near his home. And you know what? He prayed each morning and night. In one of his most popular and endearing novels, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Scrooge sees the folly of his way and exclaims, “I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse”. Here, Scrooge says this about his “salvation” that comes not from an encounter with Christ, but an encounter with self. He displays the Dickensian view that salvation is achieved by loving your neighbor, giving a cup of water to those in need. The New Testament teaches that such acts are the result of spiritual conversion; for Dickens, they were the means. And that’s why I see no harm in continuing to read his books.
While speaking about A CHRISTMAS CAROL, how can anyone ever forget these famous lines from the novel? “Once upon a time of all the good days in the year, upon a Christmas eve, old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak biting, foggy weather….” This Charles Dickens' novel, published in 1843, is the famous tale of an old and bitter miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by spirits from the past, present and future.
According to charlesdickenslondon.net, Charles Dickens greatly influenced the shaping of Christmas as we know it today. In his early work, PICKWICK PAPERS, he sets out a splendidly homely, family and friends gathering to party together. It was only after this that the (A) CHRISTMAS CAROL came in followed by five lesser known, but still important Christmas stories by Dickens. It seems this great novelist also wrote numerous other Christmas stories. Interestingly, the earliest terming of the phrase “Merry Christmas” was coined in (yes, you have guessed it right), A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
Then there’s this website, http://www.ctlibrary.com/ch/1990/issue27/2739.html, where it’s mentioned that in 1849, Dickens wrote an important manuscript that had not been printed until 1934. This work was so personal to him that Dickens requested it not be made public for 85 years. The work was a retelling of the Gospel narratives, adapted from the Gospel of St. Luke, titled THE LIFE OF OUR LORD.
In this website, Marie Dickens, Dickens’s daughter-in-law, says: “This book, the last work of Charles Dickens to be published, has an individual interest and purpose that separate it completely from everything else that Dickens wrote. Quite apart from its Divine Subject, the manuscript is peculiarly personal to the novelist, and is not so much a revelation of his mind as a tribute to his heart and humanity, and also, his deep devotion to Our Lord”.
Dickens wrote THE LIFE OF OUR LORD so that his children would become familiar with Jesus Christ, and he often read the story to them. When his children left home, he gave each a New Testament. To one, he wrote, “I put a New Testament among your books, for the very same reasons, and with the very same hopes that made me write an easy account of it for you, when you were a little child; because it is the best book that ever was or will be known in the world…” How very sweet of him to say this!
It’s further written in the website that “Dickens respected Christianity’s founder, Jesus Christ, who practiced what Dickens so desperately wanted to find in humanity. Jesus loved all people. He rubbed shoulders with social castaways, rebuked wealthy elitists, and severely condemned hypocrisy. If ever a man could gain Dickens’ utmost respect and favor, Christ could, and did”. Like I wrote before, my respect for Dickens multiplied after reading this fact about him. Dickens portrays Jesus as a good man who is loved by God like a son.
I felt really nice to know that Dickens truly respected the Bible and Christ and sought to instill in his children the same reverence. So much like me and so being a diehard Charles Dickens fan, I will not feel guilty to devour his writings once again.
PS: On 1st July, 2012, I took my first Confirmation class. I just did the start up on a testimony by archbishop -----. But what the heck! Small beginnings have great endings…!!!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Jesus the teacher
Besides being the great Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ was also a teacher. Jesus was often referred to as “Rabbi” or "Teacher”. He was a Jewish teacher from Galilee in Roman Judaea. One of his missions on earth was to teach people of God’s love. He often did this by using examples. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, conceded that Jesus of Nazareth was “a teacher” from God, as documented by the “signs” which He did (John 3:2). In John 2:12-12:50 (Jesus’ Public Ministry), Jesus’ teaching material consists mostly of seven discourses. One of His disciples came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him”. For which Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent me”.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.
Jesus was a great teacher – the best ever. Crowds listened to Him. Jesus told them to be merciful, good and kind. Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. When He spoke in parables, He explained them only to His disciples. Torah in its relation to Jesus and his teaching is a prominent theme in Matthew. Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived. He taught the highest truths that were ever taught. He promoted the purest ideals that were ever presented.
Till date Jesus is known as a teacher (didaskolos) by the people. He set time aside specifically to teach (didaskein) the people in the temples and synagogues in Galilee. Jesus has been given the title of the great teacher by many people who have studied and applied His teachings throughout history. Some of the main principles of Jesus' teaching are love, forgiveness, and prayer, not being judgmental and being careful of hypocrites.
He was a mystical teacher. The teachings brought by Jesus Christ from God-the-Father came to us in the form of Jesus’ conversations with His disciples and with other people.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.
Jesus was a great teacher – the best ever. Crowds listened to Him. Jesus told them to be merciful, good and kind. Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. When He spoke in parables, He explained them only to His disciples. Torah in its relation to Jesus and his teaching is a prominent theme in Matthew. Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived. He taught the highest truths that were ever taught. He promoted the purest ideals that were ever presented.
Till date Jesus is known as a teacher (didaskolos) by the people. He set time aside specifically to teach (didaskein) the people in the temples and synagogues in Galilee. Jesus has been given the title of the great teacher by many people who have studied and applied His teachings throughout history. Some of the main principles of Jesus' teaching are love, forgiveness, and prayer, not being judgmental and being careful of hypocrites.
He was a mystical teacher. The teachings brought by Jesus Christ from God-the-Father came to us in the form of Jesus’ conversations with His disciples and with other people.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Jesus opened the door for me
Jesus opens the door to our hearts, Jesus opens the door of new life for sinners, Jesus has opened the door of salvation to every person, Jesus unlocks the door of our understanding – but today Jesus opened the door of my bathroom!
While taking bath this morning, I just don’t know how the bathroom door got latched from outside. After my bath, when I wanted to come out of the bathroom, I just couldn’t open the door. To my utter dismay, it was latched from outside and I was the only one at home at that time. The kids had gone to school and even Golu had left for work. I was extremely scared at the thought of remaining locked inside the bathroom till evening.
Then I asked Jesus to help me break open the door. I kept praying to Him and knocking on the door so that the latch on the outside could give way. I kept doing this for almost 10 minutes. Twice or thrice I called out the name of my neighbor but obviously she didn’t hear me. I was feeling totally helpless and miserable. But I kept taking the name of Jesus and kept hammering on the door.
Suddenly the door opened and I felt that Jesus had opened the door of heaven for me. I am very, very sure it was Jesus who opened the door for me in the morning. And I am extremely thankful to Jesus for rescuing me. Love you Jesus, praise you Jesus! Thank you Jesus!
While taking bath this morning, I just don’t know how the bathroom door got latched from outside. After my bath, when I wanted to come out of the bathroom, I just couldn’t open the door. To my utter dismay, it was latched from outside and I was the only one at home at that time. The kids had gone to school and even Golu had left for work. I was extremely scared at the thought of remaining locked inside the bathroom till evening.
Then I asked Jesus to help me break open the door. I kept praying to Him and knocking on the door so that the latch on the outside could give way. I kept doing this for almost 10 minutes. Twice or thrice I called out the name of my neighbor but obviously she didn’t hear me. I was feeling totally helpless and miserable. But I kept taking the name of Jesus and kept hammering on the door.
Suddenly the door opened and I felt that Jesus had opened the door of heaven for me. I am very, very sure it was Jesus who opened the door for me in the morning. And I am extremely thankful to Jesus for rescuing me. Love you Jesus, praise you Jesus! Thank you Jesus!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Repentance
Presently, to prepare myself for the role of a catechist, I am reading a book given to me for reference. In this, I have been reading about King David and during my research on him, I came across this line which touched me the most. It says, “David’s adultery with Bathsheba was only an opportunity to demonstrate the power of repentance”. And in this particular statement, the word which struck me the most was ‘repentance’. I wanted to know more and write more about this particular word.
The word repentance (teshuvah) is derived from the Hebrew root sh-u-v, which means “to return” – the implication being “to return to God”. In other words, a sinner has to change his mind about sin. This is exactly what it means to repent: a change of mind about sin and about God. I just loved what I read about King David. In fact, King David is one character from the Old Testament whom I like a lot. I like him since I read about him in my Bible classes because though he sinned, he repented for it – he didn’t hide it from God. He accepted his sin and did everything possible to repent and be a righteous person all over again. In his suffering as a sinner, he wrote psalms to express himself and reach out to God. What a great personality!
According to Webster, repentance is defined as “to feel sorry for or reproachful for what one has done” and David did this all. He suffered much, he repented for what he had done and all his sins were forgiven. For it’s written in the New Testament: “Repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”. Even Jesus Christ once said that unless we “repent” we will all perish (Luke 13:3, 5).
It’s also written about King David that “His contrition was so sincere that God pardoned him”. I really like this particular information about King David: “The spirit in which David accepted these penalties has made him for all time the model of penitents”. I just love it. How many of us are like King David!
In the Hebrew Bible, repentance generally leads to salvation. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.
Jesus Himself said that “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance”. I have read this line umpteen times and every time this line manages to stir up my soul. I feel lighter every time I come across this verse. It’s written in Revelation 3:19 that “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline” and I am fully confident of Jesus’ love for me. He loves me a lot and has exalted this repentant sinner to great heights. I again want to reiterate that what is seen now is just the tip of the iceberg; many more beautiful things are still in store for me. I am the chosen one and thus great things will happen with me because I have decided to mix up with Jesus.
Psalm 51 is marked by true characteristics of repentance such as:
• Appeal to the mercy of God
• Honesty
• Understanding of the severity of sinning against God
• No excuses or justification
• Desire to reform
• Recognition that forgiveness is not deserved but by grace alone
The word repentance (teshuvah) is derived from the Hebrew root sh-u-v, which means “to return” – the implication being “to return to God”. In other words, a sinner has to change his mind about sin. This is exactly what it means to repent: a change of mind about sin and about God. I just loved what I read about King David. In fact, King David is one character from the Old Testament whom I like a lot. I like him since I read about him in my Bible classes because though he sinned, he repented for it – he didn’t hide it from God. He accepted his sin and did everything possible to repent and be a righteous person all over again. In his suffering as a sinner, he wrote psalms to express himself and reach out to God. What a great personality!
According to Webster, repentance is defined as “to feel sorry for or reproachful for what one has done” and David did this all. He suffered much, he repented for what he had done and all his sins were forgiven. For it’s written in the New Testament: “Repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”. Even Jesus Christ once said that unless we “repent” we will all perish (Luke 13:3, 5).
It’s also written about King David that “His contrition was so sincere that God pardoned him”. I really like this particular information about King David: “The spirit in which David accepted these penalties has made him for all time the model of penitents”. I just love it. How many of us are like King David!
In the Hebrew Bible, repentance generally leads to salvation. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.
Jesus Himself said that “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance”. I have read this line umpteen times and every time this line manages to stir up my soul. I feel lighter every time I come across this verse. It’s written in Revelation 3:19 that “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline” and I am fully confident of Jesus’ love for me. He loves me a lot and has exalted this repentant sinner to great heights. I again want to reiterate that what is seen now is just the tip of the iceberg; many more beautiful things are still in store for me. I am the chosen one and thus great things will happen with me because I have decided to mix up with Jesus.
Psalm 51 is marked by true characteristics of repentance such as:
• Appeal to the mercy of God
• Honesty
• Understanding of the severity of sinning against God
• No excuses or justification
• Desire to reform
• Recognition that forgiveness is not deserved but by grace alone
The Cross
The Cross of Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of Christianity. The Cross reminds Christians of Jesus’ victory over sin and death, since it is believed that through His death and resurrection on the Cross, Jesus conquered death itself – the Cross means God has power over death. The Cross wasn’t a disastrous end for Jesus; rather, it brought fresh meaning to Jesus’ life and ministry. The first Christians saw it as a deliberate act of God, enabling them to experience God’s presence and activity.
Stauros is the Greek word, usually translated CROSS, that in the Bible is used in reference to the device on which Jesus was executed. The Cross is the symbol of the triumph of good. As a symbol, the Cross is a reminder of the sacrifice of our Savior over two thousand years ago. The reason Jesus had to die for our sins was for us to be forgiven (for our sins) and go to be with the Lord.
Jesus bore our sins upon the Cross and died in our place so we could be reconciled with God the Father Almighty and receive eternal life. The meaning of the Cross is a representation of Jesus Christ shedding His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Therefore the Cross is a symbol of the sacrifice so that we, as Christians, can have the reassurance that we will go to heaven through Christ. According to Explore Faith, “The Cross in the New Testament also has a more personal and individual meaning as a symbol or an image for the path of transformation, for what it means to follow Jesus. It means to die and rise with Christ”. We also find this in Acts of the Apostles (Paul) – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. The Cross is an image for the path of spiritual and psychological transformation that leads to a new identity and way of being.
The Cross reveals that the true nature of God is to love totally, and for this reason the cross of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross for sinners. The Cross reminds you and me that we have been bought with a price; Jesus loved you and me so very much that He gave up His life for us. Even while dying Jesus didn’t have remorse for anyone. In fact, as Jesus hung on the cross, He forgave the soldiers who were constantly mocking Him and eventually crucified Him.
Mount Calvary
Mount Calvary is the mountain where the miraculous event took place – saving mankind from sin and death. This is the place where Jesus was crucified; Mount Calvary was the place of execution, not far from Jerusalem; and the name signifies the “place of skulls”.
“Take up your Cross”
Then he (Jesus) said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their Cross daily and follow”. Taking up one’s Cross means torture and total denial of self. What Jesus meant was that we have to lead a righteous and sinless life to be His true disciples. We have to give up all possible temptations that come our way and take the path of difficult righteous life.
Stauros is the Greek word, usually translated CROSS, that in the Bible is used in reference to the device on which Jesus was executed. The Cross is the symbol of the triumph of good. As a symbol, the Cross is a reminder of the sacrifice of our Savior over two thousand years ago. The reason Jesus had to die for our sins was for us to be forgiven (for our sins) and go to be with the Lord.
Jesus bore our sins upon the Cross and died in our place so we could be reconciled with God the Father Almighty and receive eternal life. The meaning of the Cross is a representation of Jesus Christ shedding His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Therefore the Cross is a symbol of the sacrifice so that we, as Christians, can have the reassurance that we will go to heaven through Christ. According to Explore Faith, “The Cross in the New Testament also has a more personal and individual meaning as a symbol or an image for the path of transformation, for what it means to follow Jesus. It means to die and rise with Christ”. We also find this in Acts of the Apostles (Paul) – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. The Cross is an image for the path of spiritual and psychological transformation that leads to a new identity and way of being.
The Cross reveals that the true nature of God is to love totally, and for this reason the cross of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross for sinners. The Cross reminds you and me that we have been bought with a price; Jesus loved you and me so very much that He gave up His life for us. Even while dying Jesus didn’t have remorse for anyone. In fact, as Jesus hung on the cross, He forgave the soldiers who were constantly mocking Him and eventually crucified Him.
Mount Calvary
Mount Calvary is the mountain where the miraculous event took place – saving mankind from sin and death. This is the place where Jesus was crucified; Mount Calvary was the place of execution, not far from Jerusalem; and the name signifies the “place of skulls”.
“Take up your Cross”
Then he (Jesus) said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their Cross daily and follow”. Taking up one’s Cross means torture and total denial of self. What Jesus meant was that we have to lead a righteous and sinless life to be His true disciples. We have to give up all possible temptations that come our way and take the path of difficult righteous life.
19th June – Our Juneteenth
It is historically interesting to note that the biggest event on 19th June, 1999, was the wedding of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie Rhys-Jones in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. But I am more interested in narrating about the incident that happened in my life on that day. Probably, at the time the Prince was getting ‘hitched’, even God was planning to get me ‘hitched’ for life; though little did I know about it when I alighted from the Virar-bound train at Dadar station that rainy Saturday evening. (Like romantic novels, I won’t add ‘beautiful’ before rainy here because honestly I don’t think there was anything beautiful about that rainy evening). Nevertheless, I decided to keep the ‘date’ I had with him (Jason Alexander Cardozo) for that evening.
While my train ‘arrived’ at Dadar station and I alighted at platform no. 3 to keep my so-called ‘date’ I was absolutely clueless that years and years back, the Statue of Liberty had ‘arrived’ at its permanent home at Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor on that very day, aboard the French frigate Isere. I guess I have all the ‘Liberty’ of being mushy and say that even I had ‘arrived’ at my ‘permanent home’ – his heart! Again I didn’t know about it then in 1999; but today, thirteen years down the line, I am glad to write that I made a wise decision of accepting his proposal; of not saying ‘no’ to him when he was proposing to me.
It was the 170th day of the year and destiny had grand plans for me in the next 195 days remaining until the end of that year. A decade later, in 2009, a British psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall devised a formula to pinpoint that the day we all are most likely to feel the ‘cheeriest’ is on June 19. That year, June 19, according to some formula, was the “happiest day” of the year. In Britain, it was officially declared as the happiest day of 2009. It was indeed for me, an Indian, as well. I had completed one decade of togetherness with him.
This same psychologist also wrote that “the most important thing in our lives is our relationships – and no amount of money can buy that”. He also wrote that “any psychologist, life coach or happiness expert will tell you that relationships with people are what make you happy”. Well, I can blindly vouch for this because as the saying goes “guys get and forget” I am sure anybody else “getting” me would have “forgotten” me soon after; that person wouldn’t have shown me the same kind of love and affection and attention he shows to me even after 13 years of our married life because as Martin Luther King has said, “there is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage” and I really thank my stars for conspiring in favor of me on that Saturday evening thirteen years back.
In America, this day is also known as Juneteenth – the date set aside for the celebration of freedom from the end of enslavement for Americans of African descent. It is recognized by almost 40 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Congress as “Juneteenth Independence Day”. I guess it was a Juneteenth Independence Day for me as well – I got independence from my mundane loveless life because as Mother Teresa said, “loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible”. During this phase, I used to be very lonely, felt unwanted and was at the lowest point in my life – luckily, this love arrived and cured me of all my loneliness and “unwantedness” and brought me out from nothingness to existence. Like earlier, it didn’t create “a hole in my heart”. Here for no reason at all, I would like to add this beautiful quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – “If I am not worth the wooing, I am surely not worth the winning”. All I can say here is that he found me worth wooing and he surely won me.
Confucius has said that “can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?” but honestly he has no big demands from me except that I stop shouting at the kids and fighting with him. I try hard to give up all that but some habits die hard.
For us Alexander Smith’s awesome quote fits well – “Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition”. We began discovering ourselves from 5 o’clock onwards on that rainy evening (under my baby pink umbrella) thirteen years back at Bandra Bandstand. And since then, we have been delighting in each other’s recognition. For us, love is the answer for everything! Unlike William Shakespeare’s philosophical one-liner which says, “The course of true love never did run smooth”, praise the Lord, it has been running smoothly for us right from day one because it was well-planned by the Lord Himself. How wrong Publilius Syrus was when he said that “the gods never let us love and be wise at the same time” because I feel to love him and eventually marry him was one of the wisest decisions I ever took in my life (though I hardly confess this to him).
So a very Happy Juneteenth to us both!!!
While my train ‘arrived’ at Dadar station and I alighted at platform no. 3 to keep my so-called ‘date’ I was absolutely clueless that years and years back, the Statue of Liberty had ‘arrived’ at its permanent home at Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor on that very day, aboard the French frigate Isere. I guess I have all the ‘Liberty’ of being mushy and say that even I had ‘arrived’ at my ‘permanent home’ – his heart! Again I didn’t know about it then in 1999; but today, thirteen years down the line, I am glad to write that I made a wise decision of accepting his proposal; of not saying ‘no’ to him when he was proposing to me.
It was the 170th day of the year and destiny had grand plans for me in the next 195 days remaining until the end of that year. A decade later, in 2009, a British psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall devised a formula to pinpoint that the day we all are most likely to feel the ‘cheeriest’ is on June 19. That year, June 19, according to some formula, was the “happiest day” of the year. In Britain, it was officially declared as the happiest day of 2009. It was indeed for me, an Indian, as well. I had completed one decade of togetherness with him.
This same psychologist also wrote that “the most important thing in our lives is our relationships – and no amount of money can buy that”. He also wrote that “any psychologist, life coach or happiness expert will tell you that relationships with people are what make you happy”. Well, I can blindly vouch for this because as the saying goes “guys get and forget” I am sure anybody else “getting” me would have “forgotten” me soon after; that person wouldn’t have shown me the same kind of love and affection and attention he shows to me even after 13 years of our married life because as Martin Luther King has said, “there is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage” and I really thank my stars for conspiring in favor of me on that Saturday evening thirteen years back.
In America, this day is also known as Juneteenth – the date set aside for the celebration of freedom from the end of enslavement for Americans of African descent. It is recognized by almost 40 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Congress as “Juneteenth Independence Day”. I guess it was a Juneteenth Independence Day for me as well – I got independence from my mundane loveless life because as Mother Teresa said, “loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible”. During this phase, I used to be very lonely, felt unwanted and was at the lowest point in my life – luckily, this love arrived and cured me of all my loneliness and “unwantedness” and brought me out from nothingness to existence. Like earlier, it didn’t create “a hole in my heart”. Here for no reason at all, I would like to add this beautiful quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – “If I am not worth the wooing, I am surely not worth the winning”. All I can say here is that he found me worth wooing and he surely won me.
Confucius has said that “can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?” but honestly he has no big demands from me except that I stop shouting at the kids and fighting with him. I try hard to give up all that but some habits die hard.
For us Alexander Smith’s awesome quote fits well – “Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition”. We began discovering ourselves from 5 o’clock onwards on that rainy evening (under my baby pink umbrella) thirteen years back at Bandra Bandstand. And since then, we have been delighting in each other’s recognition. For us, love is the answer for everything! Unlike William Shakespeare’s philosophical one-liner which says, “The course of true love never did run smooth”, praise the Lord, it has been running smoothly for us right from day one because it was well-planned by the Lord Himself. How wrong Publilius Syrus was when he said that “the gods never let us love and be wise at the same time” because I feel to love him and eventually marry him was one of the wisest decisions I ever took in my life (though I hardly confess this to him).
So a very Happy Juneteenth to us both!!!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Psalm 116:6–11
"The LORD protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
for the LORD has been good to me.
He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
And so I walk in the LORD's presence
as I live here on earth!
I believed in you, so I said,
'I am deeply troubled, LORD.'
In my anxiety I cried out to you,
'These people are all liars!"
I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
for the LORD has been good to me.
He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
And so I walk in the LORD's presence
as I live here on earth!
I believed in you, so I said,
'I am deeply troubled, LORD.'
In my anxiety I cried out to you,
'These people are all liars!"
Monday, June 11, 2012
Catechist Retreat
I am only few steps away from becoming a catechist and honestly, though at one hand I am extremely excited, on the other hand, I am feeling somewhat intimidated. As I haven’t done this earlier, I am a totally new catechist eager to learn some basic teaching skills to help me while teaching – any theory, any tip, any method – anything which will help me getting started on the planning and teaching. Since I will be engaged in the students’ faith formation, I don’t want to go wrong anywhere.
For this I attended a personal retreat especially conducted for those who lead others to faith. I spent my entire weekend participating in interplay workshops conducted by spiritual leaders Jaime and Ligia Da Fonseca. I didn’t know what interplay was until I attended one – it’s a body-spirit practice that consists of interactive, improvised body movement with a playful, childlike quality. I must say that I really enjoyed the invigorating 2-day session and look forward to more such interplays where I can unlock my holistic body wisdom in a creative way. I learnt so much and I honestly intend to practice some of these every day. This spiritual practice integrated my body and mind and heart so much. I really had so much fun and right now I am feeling so relaxed and refreshed and renewed with more body spirit.
Well, lets get back to me as a catechist. Initially I will be a volunteer or co-teacher to assist the larger class. Then later on when I am confident enough, I will conduct classes on my own.
I have been appointed to co-teach Confirmation students. Just for my knowledge as well, Confirmation is a sacrament, ritual or rite of passage practiced by several Christian denominations and it means strengthening or deepening one’s relationship with God. Confirmation candidates attend a series of special classes to learn about the sacrament, their faith and Christian responsibilities. I will be instructing one of these classes with an experienced teacher (catechist).
Confirmation is typically administered around the age of 16 or when a child completes tenth standard. In our church, these candidates will be in their eleventh standard now. So I will have to tread ground with teens who are at a very critical stage of their spiritual lives. I pray to Jesus to please bless me to spread His words in a way He wants it. I pray to Jesus that through this retreat, I become a living sign of faith.
PS: My Golu gifted me a new phone yesterday – Samsung Galaxy Ace plus S7500 – so now I am a proud owner of an extremely smart dark blue phone! It was launched in India just recently in April – I am yet to discover all its features.
For this I attended a personal retreat especially conducted for those who lead others to faith. I spent my entire weekend participating in interplay workshops conducted by spiritual leaders Jaime and Ligia Da Fonseca. I didn’t know what interplay was until I attended one – it’s a body-spirit practice that consists of interactive, improvised body movement with a playful, childlike quality. I must say that I really enjoyed the invigorating 2-day session and look forward to more such interplays where I can unlock my holistic body wisdom in a creative way. I learnt so much and I honestly intend to practice some of these every day. This spiritual practice integrated my body and mind and heart so much. I really had so much fun and right now I am feeling so relaxed and refreshed and renewed with more body spirit.
Well, lets get back to me as a catechist. Initially I will be a volunteer or co-teacher to assist the larger class. Then later on when I am confident enough, I will conduct classes on my own.
I have been appointed to co-teach Confirmation students. Just for my knowledge as well, Confirmation is a sacrament, ritual or rite of passage practiced by several Christian denominations and it means strengthening or deepening one’s relationship with God. Confirmation candidates attend a series of special classes to learn about the sacrament, their faith and Christian responsibilities. I will be instructing one of these classes with an experienced teacher (catechist).
Confirmation is typically administered around the age of 16 or when a child completes tenth standard. In our church, these candidates will be in their eleventh standard now. So I will have to tread ground with teens who are at a very critical stage of their spiritual lives. I pray to Jesus to please bless me to spread His words in a way He wants it. I pray to Jesus that through this retreat, I become a living sign of faith.
PS: My Golu gifted me a new phone yesterday – Samsung Galaxy Ace plus S7500 – so now I am a proud owner of an extremely smart dark blue phone! It was launched in India just recently in April – I am yet to discover all its features.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Suffering...
I have subscribed to a site which sends me quotes from the Bible every day. And what I received today is truly amazing. It has made me understand the true meaning of the things that has been happening to me for quite some time now. This site sent me a passage about Lazarus’ sickness and death and how Jesus raised him from death. This passage has given me the answer to the question which I had been asking myself for so long – why am I suffering so much?
Here’s an excerpt from the “encouragement” I received today – “When God’s answer to prayer seems to be no—when He seems to ignore your desperate pleas—it’s likely that He has a bigger, grander plan. Perhaps your own suffering is a necessary (though temporary) part of it. Can you believe this, trust it, and test it in your own experience? This particular line about ‘suffering’ has answered my question which had been tormenting me for so long. I have understood it today. I have understood why I suffered the way I did and will not get discouraged by it anymore. I have understood that suffering is a Christian’s path to glory. I suffered because I had to be glorified by Him. Jesus has glorified me in my suffering. I have understood that I will have a new life patterned after the glorified life of Jesus Christ. There is a purpose and redemption in my suffering.
The Bible has so much to say about SUFFERING. Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” – John 16:33. It’s also written that “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”. Philippians 1:29. “...count it all joy when you fall into it...” I have understood that suffering leads to spiritual maturity.
The Cross is the central symbol of the Catholic religion. It is a symbol of suffering, and our religion makes much of suffering. Christ suffered on the Cross and achieved eternal glory. Much in the same way, we have to suffer daily on our individual Crosses to gain that eternal glory from our Father in heaven. For Jesus also told His disciples that those who humble themselves will be exalted and I feel that suffering is kind of humbling oneself in the sight of God. It has also been mentioned in the Bible that “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted”.
The more you suffer, the more you deserve to gain. It’s clearly mentioned in Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer…” The Father caused Jesus to suffer and exalted Him to great heights. He will do the same for us. He is doing the same for me. I have understood it so very well today. I always used to question myself why this thing was happening to me and today when I read those lovely words in the first paragraph, I understood everything. I understood that I had to suffer so that God could exalt me spiritually because He has planned wonderful things for me. And I can already see and understand and appreciate all the wonderful things that are happening to me right now around me.
My suffering started since 2010 and it was from that time that I am also getting exalted spiritually. Jesus is trying to draw me closer and closer to Him. He wants me to suffer more so that He can exalt me more and keep me close to His heart. I guess this was the reason I was born. God knew me from the time I was formed in my mother’s womb and had called me by my name Jubilee as He wanted me to follow Him. All His great plans for me started from the time I was conceived and so no harm came to me when my mother tried to abort me. Jesus kept me alive as He wanted me to be born and be one of His faithful followers. Oh how clear everything is to me now; as clear as the morning light – my meeting with my Golu, our inter-religion marriage, my conversion, my faith, my suffering, my becoming an animator, my joining the Bible Course, and now me being a catechist – the entire process was so well planned by Jesus much before I was born – He has been a driving force in giving my life its true direction – and so I had to suffer the way I did so that I could be more faithful to Him and able to call Him mine with a true heart. Thank you Lord for making me understand all this today. There is indeed joy in suffering – I can already foresee the joy which awaits me!
My suffering has actually being a blessing because it helped in fulfilling God’s great plans for me. “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake” (Col. 1:24a). I had to dedicate myself in finding joy in Christ. Suffering has been a part of the proof of my genuine faith and it is the God-ordained pathway to glory and everlasting joy for me. My joy has risen from sorrow and therefore can now withstand all grief. Just the way Job suffered and was exalted, much in the same way, I have been exalted in my suffering. The same thing has happened with me. And so I have found a deep meaning even in Job’s suffering.
The joy of suffering is that it brings us closer to Jesus Christ. As a convert I didn’t know that in order to embrace Christ truly, I had to also embrace suffering the way He did. I had to know that the normal Christian life is to be a life of joy not in the midst of parties and celebrations but amidst brokenness and suffering. I had to experience this suffering and sorrow because I had to be blessed; only suffering could bring blessing from Christ. I had to lose my earthly dignity to gain spiritual dignity in Christ because suffering has actually drawn me nearer to God and now I need to maintain this dignity till the end of my life. Just the way Jesus endured the shame and suffering of the Cross so that God would be glorified, I have to endure my suffering to be glorified. In fact I am being glorified right now but there are more things to come. I am sure this is just the beginning. I know God has further plans for me. Something in me, most probably the Holy Spirit, says that I have embraced Christianity in order to exalt Christ’s name. A voice within me always says that through my writing I have to take Jesus’ name higher and higher and keep praising Him all the time. From now on I will learn to rejoice in my suffering I underwent.
Suffering always comes back to rejoicing in Christ. So I should rejoice that I suffered because without my suffering I couldn’t glorify His name. The joy comes to me from the discovery of the meaning of this suffering today. Through my suffering, I choose to seek consolation in God and become closer to Him.
So, “rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…”!
Here’s an excerpt from the “encouragement” I received today – “When God’s answer to prayer seems to be no—when He seems to ignore your desperate pleas—it’s likely that He has a bigger, grander plan. Perhaps your own suffering is a necessary (though temporary) part of it. Can you believe this, trust it, and test it in your own experience? This particular line about ‘suffering’ has answered my question which had been tormenting me for so long. I have understood it today. I have understood why I suffered the way I did and will not get discouraged by it anymore. I have understood that suffering is a Christian’s path to glory. I suffered because I had to be glorified by Him. Jesus has glorified me in my suffering. I have understood that I will have a new life patterned after the glorified life of Jesus Christ. There is a purpose and redemption in my suffering.
The Bible has so much to say about SUFFERING. Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” – John 16:33. It’s also written that “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”. Philippians 1:29. “...count it all joy when you fall into it...” I have understood that suffering leads to spiritual maturity.
The Cross is the central symbol of the Catholic religion. It is a symbol of suffering, and our religion makes much of suffering. Christ suffered on the Cross and achieved eternal glory. Much in the same way, we have to suffer daily on our individual Crosses to gain that eternal glory from our Father in heaven. For Jesus also told His disciples that those who humble themselves will be exalted and I feel that suffering is kind of humbling oneself in the sight of God. It has also been mentioned in the Bible that “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted”.
The more you suffer, the more you deserve to gain. It’s clearly mentioned in Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer…” The Father caused Jesus to suffer and exalted Him to great heights. He will do the same for us. He is doing the same for me. I have understood it so very well today. I always used to question myself why this thing was happening to me and today when I read those lovely words in the first paragraph, I understood everything. I understood that I had to suffer so that God could exalt me spiritually because He has planned wonderful things for me. And I can already see and understand and appreciate all the wonderful things that are happening to me right now around me.
My suffering started since 2010 and it was from that time that I am also getting exalted spiritually. Jesus is trying to draw me closer and closer to Him. He wants me to suffer more so that He can exalt me more and keep me close to His heart. I guess this was the reason I was born. God knew me from the time I was formed in my mother’s womb and had called me by my name Jubilee as He wanted me to follow Him. All His great plans for me started from the time I was conceived and so no harm came to me when my mother tried to abort me. Jesus kept me alive as He wanted me to be born and be one of His faithful followers. Oh how clear everything is to me now; as clear as the morning light – my meeting with my Golu, our inter-religion marriage, my conversion, my faith, my suffering, my becoming an animator, my joining the Bible Course, and now me being a catechist – the entire process was so well planned by Jesus much before I was born – He has been a driving force in giving my life its true direction – and so I had to suffer the way I did so that I could be more faithful to Him and able to call Him mine with a true heart. Thank you Lord for making me understand all this today. There is indeed joy in suffering – I can already foresee the joy which awaits me!
My suffering has actually being a blessing because it helped in fulfilling God’s great plans for me. “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake” (Col. 1:24a). I had to dedicate myself in finding joy in Christ. Suffering has been a part of the proof of my genuine faith and it is the God-ordained pathway to glory and everlasting joy for me. My joy has risen from sorrow and therefore can now withstand all grief. Just the way Job suffered and was exalted, much in the same way, I have been exalted in my suffering. The same thing has happened with me. And so I have found a deep meaning even in Job’s suffering.
The joy of suffering is that it brings us closer to Jesus Christ. As a convert I didn’t know that in order to embrace Christ truly, I had to also embrace suffering the way He did. I had to know that the normal Christian life is to be a life of joy not in the midst of parties and celebrations but amidst brokenness and suffering. I had to experience this suffering and sorrow because I had to be blessed; only suffering could bring blessing from Christ. I had to lose my earthly dignity to gain spiritual dignity in Christ because suffering has actually drawn me nearer to God and now I need to maintain this dignity till the end of my life. Just the way Jesus endured the shame and suffering of the Cross so that God would be glorified, I have to endure my suffering to be glorified. In fact I am being glorified right now but there are more things to come. I am sure this is just the beginning. I know God has further plans for me. Something in me, most probably the Holy Spirit, says that I have embraced Christianity in order to exalt Christ’s name. A voice within me always says that through my writing I have to take Jesus’ name higher and higher and keep praising Him all the time. From now on I will learn to rejoice in my suffering I underwent.
Suffering always comes back to rejoicing in Christ. So I should rejoice that I suffered because without my suffering I couldn’t glorify His name. The joy comes to me from the discovery of the meaning of this suffering today. Through my suffering, I choose to seek consolation in God and become closer to Him.
So, “rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…”!
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