This lockdown since 21st March is turning out to be most wonderful and spiritually enriching time for me!😇
Except partaking the Lord sacramentally, I am doing much better than the other times! I am praying more, reading more, writing more and even cooking more!😂 I made chapattis today all by myself!
I am really enjoying this lockdown and my home has become my monastery and domestic church! There is Mass in the morning, regular prayers and some really quality reading is been done!🙏🏻
And how can I forget to write about the Bible study course that Fr. Regan sent to me!😇 This online Bible Study Programme (BSP) was initiated on the Feast of the Annunciation of our Lord and was sent to me also - I am so very happy! This lockdown could not have been better than this!😇
Friday, March 27, 2020
I and St. Elizabeth of the Trinity!
After Mary Magdalene, if I am not jealous of somebody loving Jesus with equal fervour is St. Elizabeth of the Trinity! In fact, she is the only Carmelite saint who truly inspires me - not for her writings but for her similarity with my life! For the writings, the ultimate mystic and Doctor of the church is St. John of the Cross!🤗
Right from the very beginning in OCDS, the teachings on St Elizabeth of the Trinity fascinated me! I started researching more about her life and here's what I have found that connects me with her. Some things I noticed yesterday from my previous notes:
1) She was born in July and died in November - both my favourite months!
2) Her father was in the army. And he died because of heavy drinking!
3) She had a fiery temperament - probably inherited from her ancestors!
4) She loved gardening!
5) Mary Magdalene had a great impact in her life!
6) She loved writing and had a diary in which she wrote every possible thing!
7) The letters of St Paul were a great source of scriptural inspiration for her!
8) She loved the Bible and the Eucharist!
9) She loved to be in the confines of her cell in the monastery!
10) She loved Jesus very very much!!!
Right from the very beginning in OCDS, the teachings on St Elizabeth of the Trinity fascinated me! I started researching more about her life and here's what I have found that connects me with her. Some things I noticed yesterday from my previous notes:
1) She was born in July and died in November - both my favourite months!
2) Her father was in the army. And he died because of heavy drinking!
3) She had a fiery temperament - probably inherited from her ancestors!
4) She loved gardening!
5) Mary Magdalene had a great impact in her life!
6) She loved writing and had a diary in which she wrote every possible thing!
7) The letters of St Paul were a great source of scriptural inspiration for her!
8) She loved the Bible and the Eucharist!
9) She loved to be in the confines of her cell in the monastery!
10) She loved Jesus very very much!!!
Rejoice Sunday
"Find meaning in defeat. If you give in at some point during the experiment and succumb to the temptation, don’t lose heart. Make failure your servant by examining its root. And then get back up to try again."
This sentence had struck me the most when I was typing everyone's articles and stories for the OCDS Easter Magazine.
And then 23rd March happened to be the Fourth Sunday of Lent which is also known as the Laetare Sunday or Rejoice Sunday - rejoice not because we are getting over Lent but because we are nearing Easter. But I also read that rejoice because there are still two more weeks left in the Lenten season - two more weeks to be firm in our fasting and praying and almsgiving!
So I want to rejoice because I have still two more weeks to get going with my fasting! Though I succumbed to my fasting since last Saturday, the above line and today been Rejoice Sunday gives me the hope to start again!!!
And no matter what, this time I will not succumb to my fasting!!! Be it a good morning or a night, how does it matter to me? All my mornings and nights are good - thanks to Jesus Christ!
This sentence had struck me the most when I was typing everyone's articles and stories for the OCDS Easter Magazine.
And then 23rd March happened to be the Fourth Sunday of Lent which is also known as the Laetare Sunday or Rejoice Sunday - rejoice not because we are getting over Lent but because we are nearing Easter. But I also read that rejoice because there are still two more weeks left in the Lenten season - two more weeks to be firm in our fasting and praying and almsgiving!
So I want to rejoice because I have still two more weeks to get going with my fasting! Though I succumbed to my fasting since last Saturday, the above line and today been Rejoice Sunday gives me the hope to start again!!!
And no matter what, this time I will not succumb to my fasting!!! Be it a good morning or a night, how does it matter to me? All my mornings and nights are good - thanks to Jesus Christ!
The days of the Old Testament!
I am really amazed to realize that you Lord, in unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit, are bringing back the days of the Old Testament! Some things like the days during the Exile, the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, etc are really being understood by me now! All the writings of the Prophets wherein they have written about praying with a contrite heart is being understood by me now! So long I understood those writings to teach in Sunday School but really understanding their deep significance now!
I am convinced Lord that you are allowing this pandemic to teach us a big lesson - we all wandered far away from you, it's your way of bringing us back to our senses!!!
Without you we are nothing!!!
I understood this a long time ago, the world is realising this now!
I am convinced Lord that you are allowing this pandemic to teach us a big lesson - we all wandered far away from you, it's your way of bringing us back to our senses!!!
Without you we are nothing!!!
I understood this a long time ago, the world is realising this now!
Let not the Eucharist stop
When I first wrote this, the Corona virus fear was spreading faster than the virus itself and people were simply panicking and forgetting that Lord you exist! They have forgotten that there cannot be any fear where you are there! I am amazed at how people are simply creating fear by forwarding messages on WhatsApp and making the situation worse than it actually could be!
I feel it is a modern way of terrorism - they are so done with bomb blasts that they are creating fear through diseases now!☹️
But Lord I don't want to be scared of the situation because I know you are always protecting us! You are a protective shield on us!
My only request to you is that let not the Masses stop. In so many places they have stopped celebrating the Masses - it should not happen here also!🙏🏼
The world needs prayers, the world needs you! When will they understand this? Let not the enemy win! Lord, please take control of the situation! Please forgive the sins of your people! You had changed your mind when Abraham had pleaded to you for the sake of ten righteous people! Will you not change your mind now Lord? I know I am not righteous but there must be someone righteous in your eyes! For that one person's sake Lord I implore you to take control of the world and not allow the enemy to win to stop the Masses!
I feel it is a modern way of terrorism - they are so done with bomb blasts that they are creating fear through diseases now!☹️
But Lord I don't want to be scared of the situation because I know you are always protecting us! You are a protective shield on us!
My only request to you is that let not the Masses stop. In so many places they have stopped celebrating the Masses - it should not happen here also!🙏🏼
The world needs prayers, the world needs you! When will they understand this? Let not the enemy win! Lord, please take control of the situation! Please forgive the sins of your people! You had changed your mind when Abraham had pleaded to you for the sake of ten righteous people! Will you not change your mind now Lord? I know I am not righteous but there must be someone righteous in your eyes! For that one person's sake Lord I implore you to take control of the world and not allow the enemy to win to stop the Masses!
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Carmelite monastery Goa
Last year on this day I had uploaded the pictures of the Carmelite monastery that I visited in Goa! Though I have not visited any other monasteries, I would like to believe that this is the most beautiful monastery in the world! 😍
How privileged I am to be a member of this Order! Thank you so much Lord for finding me worthy and making me a part of it through our Spiritual Assistant!
And I love its garden!
Out of all the saints of this Order, I feel closer to St. Elizabeth of the Trinity for three things:
- Her fiery temperament
- Defence background
- Love for gardening
No matter how great the others are, she's the one for me! 😍😍
My Window Garden
I have always loved two things in life - gardens and dogs!
Both have been my passion since childhood!
I tried keeping dogs at home but they are destructive; they chewed up everything at home! So I sent them to a farmhouse where they can freely chew on anything they want! I didn't allow them to destroy my home because I just love my home!
I have maintained my love for gardens because these plants only beautify everything around them; they don't destroy anything!
And so if at one hand I have become a dog hater, on the other hand, I still remain a garden lover! 😍
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