Baptism of love

I am reading this book titled CO-HEIRS WITH CHRIST written by Dr. Fio Mascarenhas. In the fourth chapter it is written that “the ‘baptism of love’ which is the experience of the Holy Spirit pouring the love of God into one’s heart, inserts one into a new faith-dimension”. At the end of the chapter, Dr. Fio writes, “…I can more easily perceive the wisdom and the beauty of God’s plan for the world, and for me personally. I now feel thrilled and greatly privileged to say ‘yes’ to the Lord’s call to partnership”.

Again, the story of my life! Though I was baptized in 2001, it was not before 2010 that I experienced the actual pouring of God’s love into my heart which inserted into me a new faith-dimension. Since 2001 to 2010 – nine years – I was just an ordinary Convert into Christianity. I went to church because I had to but I didn’t have the required faith. I didn’t disrespect and hate Jesus but I didn’t love Him the way I was meant to.

But Jesus always loved me and had a plan for me – He had not brought me out of darkness into His marvelous light for no reason at all – He had big, big plans for me which I was obviously unaware of. So in mid-2010, He put me into an exile and for two years made me suffer – but as per the beauty of God’s plan, this suffering was only to purify me – having undergone this suffering, after the end of two years, I was “greatly privileged to say ‘yes’ to the Lord’s call to partnership” in His ministry – first as an Animator, then Catechist and then the biggest privilege of all – Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

Wow, what a feeling, what a privilege.

The baptism of love!!!

So, it took me nine years to experience this baptism of love, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit – the pouring of God’s love into my heart which inserted into me a new faith-dimension. I am so glad of all these – I am indeed privileged…!!!

Feast of St. Mathew

Yesterday was the feast of St. Mathew, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.

In the daily Bible diary, it was written about Mathew that “there was something strange and compelling in the way that Jesus looked at Mathew, invited him to follow Him, and led the way forward. Mathew, for his part, never turned back, once he met the Lord”.

That made me think. Well, isn’t this true for me as well? Since the time Jesus has invited me to follow Him, I have led the way forward. I have also not turned back since the time I have met the Lord. I have kept moving forward in my life in full faith. Jesus has been the biggest source of inspiration in my life.

It was also written that Mathew is “one of the greatest instances in the New Testament of Jesus’ power to see in a man, not only what he was, but also what he could be. No one ever had such faith in the possibilities of human nature as Jesus had”.

Well, Jesus must have had that very faith in the possibilities of my nature as well – and trust in my potential – He must have known from the very beginning that He could use me in His vineyard. That’s why He must have kept me safe from the snares of the world and didn’t allow me to waver much in life. In order to purify me for my role as His disciple, He tested only till the point I could bear – He must have known my capacity and restricted my waywardness.

Like I wrote in my earlier post, it was a purification time for me, the exile of my life wherein I was able to come out a renewed person, just after the requirements of Jesus’ heart so that He could rely on me as His disciple. I am so very glad that I went through this testing time and with the guidance of Jesus, have become what He wants me to be.

I am also sure that this is just the tip of the iceberg – Jesus has a lot of wonderful plans for me and preparing me for it – He will reveal all these plans in His time!!!

the LORD loves the righteous...

She hated going to work...

She went out of compulsion -- the not-so-good financial situation at home...

She was actually a homebird...she loved to be at home...to cook, to clean, to be with the kids, to wait on her husband...but she had to go to work...

Return from Exile

Yesterday, while I was teaching my catechism class of standard VII on the above topic, I found myself saying that “we all go through an exile in our life which is the purification time for us”. I don’t know what made me say this. I had been preparing for this lesson for such a long time and during the preparation time, this thought never occurred to me. It was only in the class while teaching that I found myself saying this.

And I like what I said.

Later on when I was evaluating myself for this class, I was feeling happy that I said this. I also told the students that we should purify ourselves during this exile and return to the Lord who loves us so very much.

I kept thinking about this all throughout yesterday. I felt nice to realize that in 2010 I had gone into a similar kind of exile – I was a captive of my own thoughts and deeds and when I finally returned from this by mid-2012, I was somewhat a purified person. I was in an exile for close to two years but God must have seen something worthy in me and didn’t allow me to remain in exile for too long – I was returned to my native land through a conversion of my heart – I was purified and made into a new being – a Catechist.

Since then I have grown from strength to strength and reached where I am today because of my faith in Jesus Christ and His blessings upon me. I am a changed person because of the exile experience in my life…