24 Hours for the Lord

“24 Hours for the Lord” is a worldwide initiative called for by our beloved Holy Father Pope Francis to invite all people to receive the mercy of God through Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is happening all across the world since March 4th and 5th, kicked off by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square.

Many churches across the globe have been open for a 24-hour period, beginning with Mass on Friday evening, March 4th, and concluding with Mass on Saturday evening, March 5th. Confessions are also been offered during this “24 Hours for the Lord.”

This is especially a time to invite back to the Church those who have fallen away from the practice of the sacraments and are just waiting for the door of God's mercy to be opened for them. This Lenten initiative, organized by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, took place in our church on March 21-22.

This 24 Hours for the Lord is an important part of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy and we are the recipients of a tremendous gift of mercy, and it reminds us that we must also show mercy to our neighbors.

Pope Francis wants all the world's people to enjoy this feeling, so he has called an extraordinary Jubilee for 2016, and unprecedented time of forgiveness known as The Year of Mercy.
In his Lenten message to the world, Pope Francis wrote, "By calling for an attentive listening to the word of God and encouraging the initiative '24 Hours for the Lord', I sought to stress the primacy of prayerful listening to God's word, especially his prophetic word. The mercy of God is a proclamation made to the world, a proclamation which each Christian is called to experience at first hand."

For me it was a great time as an individual as I did two things which I had never done before – I laid the foundation for the one-hour Adoration and conducted first half of this Adoration. In our parish, four communities were formed into one zone and each zone came together to conduct hourly adoration. I was asked to prepare this one-hour adoration which I couldn’t do properly but at least laid the foundation for it. Then I initiated this adoration which was then taken over by someone else in the second half. So I learnt to prepare hourly adorations and also how to conduct them. A new learning for me and I am so glad about it.

The Lord has always been very merciful to me and my family but in this Jubilee Year of Mercy I am experiencing it all the more. I have overcome one of the biggest fears of my life – speaking in public on a microphone colloquially nicknamed mic or mike.

GOD FULFILS THE DESIRES OF THE HEART

Psalm 37:4
Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it

Matthew 7:7
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Psalm 21:2
You have granted him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.

Psalm 81:10
I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

Isaiah 58:14
Then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

I am quoting so many Biblical verses just to prove the fact that God indeed listens to the desires of our heart. It has been the earnest desire of our heart to get a home close to the church but all our attempts have failed so far. We are just not able to afford any flats adjacent to the church. We have given up on this desire.

But just when we had given up this desire, the Lord is actually working on it. So what if we cannot go close to the church, the church is coming close to us. Yes, a new church is being built in our area which is quite close to our home. The Lord is fulfilling the desires of our heart.

Though we will be away from the vibrant St. Joseph church, we will be so close to the newly built Divine Mercy (I think so) church. What delight it will be to participate in the daily Eucharist and able to go walking. No need to be dependent on vehicles – I will be able to walk out the distance on my own.

Till this brilliant idea struck me in the morning, I used to be dreadful with the thought that once the new church comes up, I will be separated from my ever-loving St. Joseph church. But this brilliant idea was put into my mind by no one else but the Lord Himself soon after I reached home after attending the closing Eucharistic celebration for the worldwide “24 Hours for the Lord”. I was expressing how, because of me, everyone at home had to wake up so early in the morning today. While I was apologizing for this, I found myself saying that this problem will be solved once the new church comes up. Since then I am delighted that the Lord is fulfilling the desire of my heart by bringing the church close to me – He’s making it convenient for me. I am so very happy with this revelation.

Isaiah 49: 1-6

Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”
5 And now the Lord says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am[a] honored in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

You are always there

Walk with me, oh my Lord,
Through the darkest night and brightest day
Be at my side, oh Lord,
Hold my hand and guide me on my way.

Sometimes the road seems long,
My energy is spent.
Then, Lord, I think of you
And I am given strength

Walk with me, oh my Lord,
Through the darkest night and brightest day
Be at my side, oh Lord,
Hold my hand and guide me on my way.

Stones often bar my path,
And there are times I fall,
But you are always there
To help me when I call.

Walk with me, oh my Lord,
Through the darkest night and brightest day
Be at my side, oh Lord,
Hold my hand and guide me on my way.

Just as you calmed the wind
And walked upon the sea
Conquer, my living Lord
The storms that threaten me.

Walk with me, oh my Lord,
Through the darkest night and brightest day
Be at my side, oh Lord,
Hold my hand and guide me on my way.

Help me to pierce the mists
That cloud my heart and mind,
So that I shall not fear
The steepest mountain-side.

As once you healed the lame
And gave sight to the blind
Help me when I'm downcast
To hold my head up high.

Walk with me, oh my Lord
Through the darkest night and brightest day
Be at my side, oh Lord
Hold my hand and guide me on my way.

Handle with care...

Happy Women's Day???

Wondering whether dedicating just one day in the entire year is sufficient for women? Isn’t every day a woman’s day? All around the world, for all the women, it’s a great struggle to be a woman in this male-dominated world. And if she’s able to live safely every day, come out winners, then it’s really a great achievement and calls for celebration.

Safety begins at home and it’s a time for celebration for a woman if she feels safe, loved and pampered in her own family. Sadly, till date, not all women can be considered safe, loved and pampered. There are still a handful who have to go through everyday tortures from dominant fathers, overbearing brothers and abusive husbands. A few who have to go through eve-teasing and much more than that in the society. So, the day we have a safe environment for all women, will actually be the true Women’s Day.

Till then, it will just be a great achievement for few individuals to live with a drunkard father all throughout the childhood and come out unscathed. It will just be a great achievement for few to struggle for her individuality among her uncooperative brothers and find an identity of her own. It will be a great achievement for a privileged few to find the right partner in life and be the apple of his eyes.

Unfortunately, I have known women who dread going back home.

The day a woman is able to smile after a hard day’s work and look forward to get back home to safety and love and a lot of pampering; will actually be a woman's day and that will be her real achievement.