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.