Practice of the Presence of God

Yesterday in our meditative prayer session we were told about Brother Lawrence, one of the most prominent Carmelite saints. With this, we were told to pray like him.

Brother Lawrence is one of the most admired and imitated sons of the Catholic Church. He worked for a time as a soldier before entering the Discalced Carmelite Prior in Paris. Lawrence was uneducated, and so had to enter the monastery as a layman. He worked in the kitchens and as a cobbler there for the remainder of his life. Lawrence is known for his devotion and ability to bring God into every aspect of his life. His classic Christian work, PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD, details how to gain that constant and comforting connection to God. Readers have treasured this short and easy book for centuries because of Lawrence’s honest advice and his obvious passion for spiritual matters. He rejoiced in everyday tasks, prayed constantly, and was known around the monastery for his kindness and willingness to help others.

PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD is a creative Christian work that is required reading according to many believers. Readers will come away with great peace and joy, and a better understanding of what it means to constantly be in God’s presence.

If I am not mistaken, there are Five Conversations by Brother Lawrence. Here are the excerpts from the Fourth Conversation: “Brother Lawrence spoke with great openness of heart concerning his manner of going to God whereof some part is related already. He told me that all consists in one hearty renunciation of everything which we are sensible does not lead to God. We might accustom ourselves to a continual conversation with Him with freedom and in simplicity. We need only to recognize God intimately present with us and address ourselves to Him every moment. We need to beg His assistance for knowing His will in things doubtful and for rightly performing those which we plainly see He requires of us, offering them to Him before we do them, and giving Him thanks when we have completed them.

In our conversation with God we should also engage in praising, adoring, and loving Him incessantly for His infinite goodness and perfection. Without being discouraged on account of our sins, we should pray for His grace with a perfect confidence, as relying upon the infinite merits of our Lord. Brother Lawrence said that God”. Like him, I want to discover the greatest secret of living in the Kingdom of God here on earth.


PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD is one of the most beautiful and touching stories of Christian devotion ever written. It says that we must merely open our hearts to receive Him and His loving presence.

January 30

Between my last post on Monday, January 28, 2013, till today, a lot of positive developments have taken place. Ideally, I would have loved to write separate posts for each incident, but because of lack of time today, I am unable to do so. So I am writing down all the incidents one by one in the same post with separate headlines.

Pimkie Handbags

My fetish for handbags is not unknown to my Golu and so he got three big and beautiful Pimkie handbags for me from Spain. I have absolutely no idea how big or small this brand Pimkie is in Spain, but the very fact that all the three handbags are simply mind-blowing is what matters the most. I am glad that Golu could bring something which I love and also of my taste. The bags, along with lots and lots of chocolates, were given to me on Sunday, January 27.

Hindi Eucharistic Celebration

Then on Monday, January 28, we attended the very first Hindi Eucharistic celebration of our lives. This week Googaa had got serving for Monday 7o’clock mass which happened to be Hindi. Though some of the things went bumper for me and mainly for Googaa, I absolutely loved attending the Hindi mass. It has been a very exciting experience for me to have attended the same.

37 Million Diyas campaign: “Say Yes to Love, Say No to Violence”

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to be a part of the newly-launched 37 Million Diyas campaign by the Archdiocese of Bombay to raise awareness and initiate change in the attitude toward and the treatment of women in India, conducted by our church. It was really heart-wrenching to know about the way the girls and women are treated in India and I really thank my stars for giving me a husband like my Golu who treats me as well as the daughters like a queen and princesses. The facts and figures shared in the church were simply horrifying and brought tears to my eyes.

But something exciting took place to sooth this feeling. This something can eventually materialize into something beautiful if I take it seriously. The vice president of our church has put in a proposal for me to be the youth animator for 6-7 communities. It will need a lot of dedication, commitment and 10-12 hours of interaction with the youth in a month. I am still wondering whether or not to take up this humongous responsibility because it will involve a lot of meetings with the youth which are obviously very time-consuming. I am still in the process of making up my mind about this proposal.

30 January, 2004

And the most important thing about today is that today is January 30. It was on this day in 2004 that we got the good news about Goldie. Oh my god, it’s already nine years. It will be clichéd to say how time flies but actually how time has flown by and my Goldie is going to be nine years old on September 30. She will be promoted to grade IV this year and in 2014 she will be receiving her First Holy Communion. Wasn’t it just yesterday that the doctor had confirmed the news to us?

Transformation

Transformation means a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state. Transformation may also mean Transfiguration. Just like the Transfiguration of Jesus, one of the important episodes in the New Testament narrative in which Jesus is transfigured (or metamorphosed) on Mount Sinai and becomes radiant, transformation may also refer to (according to Wikipedia), Transfiguration. This Transfiguration of Jesus, an event reported by the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus underwent transfiguration, was the culminating point of Christ’s public life.

Much in the same way there has been a transformation or transfiguration in my life as well – right from my own Baptism (starting point) till its end (whenever it will be). After this transfiguration there has been a marked change in my form and appearance and my spiritual life has undergone a metamorphosis. Much like Jesus’ transfiguration, this transformation in my life has brought in a change that has glorified and exalted me, since the dictionary meaning of transformation also includes a marked change in character usually for the better.

Though “The Transfiguration” is the last painting by the Italian High Renaissance master Raphael, in my life 2012 was an amazing year for my Transfiguration. Just like every event in the life of Christ had a significance and nothing happened without a purpose, everything in my life also has been happening for a purpose – both at the macro (large-scale) and micro (level). I guess my baptism way back in April 2001 was the transformation on the macro level and my most recent transformation (in the micro level) was just recently in January 2012.

The rest, as they say, is history.

A Disciple of Jesus

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.

A disciple means a pupil or student. The disciples were the people who chose to follow Jesus Christ and to listen to His teaching. They called Him rabbi, or teacher. I guess I am also becoming a disciple of Jesus each passing day.

The word disciple literally means a LEARNER (just like me). According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, disciple denotes “one who follows another’s teaching” (the way I am trying to follow the teachings of Jesus). But a disciple can always not only be a learner, he also has to be an ADHERENT. For this reason disciples are also spoken of as IMITATORS of their teachers. Simply put, a disciple is a learner (like me), who’s primary teacher in life is Jesus.

All this is beautifully mentioned in the website: http://executableoutlines.com/cw/cw_00.htm

So, the million dollar question here is how to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ?

According to http://www.kenwooldridge.org/becomedisciple.html, Jesus Christ has four hundred million disciples throughout the world today and hopefully YOU (me) are one of them. A disciple of Jesus is someone who follows, learns and is loyal to Jesus regardless of the cost. (Luke 14:27) “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple”.

It is true that Jesus wants everyone to be His disciples. (Matthew 11:28) – “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.

A disciple of Christ must experience salvation. It’s written in www.kenwooldridge.org that “God the Father looked upon humanity and saw what Satan had done to mankind. From the time of Adam until then, about four thousand years, he Satan had targeted and attacked man in all areas of life. He had tormented man’s body with every conceivable type of sickness and contaminated man’s mind with thoughts of sin, violence, confusion and evil. He disturbed, disrupted, distorted and destroyed the equilibrium of man’s emotional state and men and women became children of wrath. Man’s will capitulated, became weak and became enslaved to the lusts of the flesh”.

So, deciding to be a disciple of Jesus is the most important, and the best decision I could have made in my life. By obeying His commandments and serving my fellowmen (as an animator, catechist and Eucharistic minister), I have become a better disciple of Jesus Christ.

The thumb rule of a true disciple is that he/she must put his Master above those nearest and dearest to Him. Jesus is calling everyone to be His disciple – being a disciple of Jesus Christ is costly (Luke 14:26) - “whoever comes to me cannot be my disciple unless he loves me more than he loves his family”.

I came across this beautiful thought from today’s “3-minute Retreat” by Loyola Press. Here are the excerpts:

Psalm 34:15

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

This verse includes four action verbs – turn, do, seek and pursue. The life of discipleship is active, dynamic and vigilant. A disciple is constantly in the process of personal conversion. This process creates a chain reaction that gathers momentum as it goes, leading others to experience the peace and freedom of the Kingdom of God.

So I pray to Jesus Christ and thank Him for calling me to conversion of life. I pray to Him to guide my feet on the path to peace. Amen!!!

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

More than anything

More than anything (2)
I love you Jesus more than anything
More than worldly wealth
More than life itself
I love you Jesus more than anything.

Nothing in this world can take your place
Nothing take your love away
Someday i will see you face to face
Look into your eyes and say

More than anything (2)
I love you Jesus more than anything
More than earthly friends
More than family
I love you Jesus more than anything.

Enrich Salon & Academy

For our 13th Wedding Anniversary on 28th December, 2012, my Golu had given me a gift voucher of Enrich Salon & Academy. He wanted me to straighten my hair there for that day but I went to my regular parlor to do that as I didn’t want to risk my looks on that day. But today after much contemplation, I went to redeem the voucher at Enrich’s Mira Road outlet. Though Enrich was established in 1997, with Mulund as its first location, they had opened the Mira Road outlet around the same time last year.

One little apprehension which I had with Enrich earlier was that they are a chain of unisex salon in Mumbai and so I had my inhibitions to get myself beautified over there. But now I know why they are considered to be one of the elite salons – they have separate male and female sections and that came as a welcome relief. I got a “rejuvenating facial” done for myself and quite enjoyed it – with the remaining money of the voucher, I got my eyebrows and upper lips also done. I am glad I didn’t have to shell out any money from my own pocket and my own parlor money for this month also got saved and now I can use this money to start off my 2013 birthday shopping.

So I liked the overall treatment I was given at Enrich and have no qualms on their achievement of a Super Brand status. Guess, they deserve it. I had a good experience; now I won’t think twice before getting any beauty treatment done from them.

On a more serious note, I am happy to write that I managed to attend Fr. Vincent Barboza’s Apologetics Talk on DO WE CATHOLICS WORSHIP SAINTS. I must say that it was just too informative for a person like me though I never have any inhibitions and doubts about anything the Church does. But it’s always good to have an in-depth knowledge of my new-found Christian religion as every small and big detail about Christianity will enable me to teach better and also defend my faith and conviction. I tried to jot down the notes as much and as fast as I could which I can always use as my reference.

I so much liked this talk that I couldn’t wait till tomorrow to post it in my blog. Moreover, on Saturdays I hardly get any time to blog so I thought since I don’t have anything else to do and also because am not feeling all that sleepy, I should finish writing my post. Monday would be too late.

Fr. Vincent Barboza confirmed that he will be back again in our parish for four days during the Lenten season with some very “interesting topics”. So, waiting with bated breath for Fr. Barboza to speak on some really interesting topics!

Another good thing that happened today is that though I left home late for today’s evening Eucharistic celebration, by the grace of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, I could participate in the entire mass. I entered the church and the mass started because come what may, I had to attend this mass – after all it was the Feast of Conversion of St. Paul – how could providence not make me attend this celebration. So I didn’t only attend the full mass, but also loved all the hymns that were sung today, right from the entrance hymn which was “We’ll be blessed because we came”.

The other hymns were:
1) We offer you oh Lord divine
2) Jesus you are my salvation
3) Jesus what a wonder you are
4) Sadly, I can’t recall the recessionary hymn. But it was equally nice. I am so glad that I could attend the Eucharistic celebration of the Feast of Conversion of St. Paul (my role model).

PS: Remembered the hymn - it was "count your blessings, name them one by one"....