The CROSS

 

My People,

 

“Jesus Christ has Risen! Alleluia!  We have risen with Him, Alleluia!”

I love the Cross at Mt. Carmel’s Church. I do. Every time I gaze at the cross, I love Jesus even more. I can’t take my eyes off Jesus.

From my window, I see a tree, that I am quiet fascinated with. Once in a year all the leaves turn to a red colour and the leaves remain that way for another 3 days. When the colour fades off the leaves begin to fall, and the tree gets completely barren. After another 3 days you will see the shade of green on all the branches of the tree. It is filled again with the loveliest green leaves you’ve ever seen.

At the workplace, for Christmas, two years back, we had a secret Santa-Claus. While everybody had opened up their gifts, I did not. Reason being, I don’t like it if anybody would find faults into what I had so lovingly received. The Manager walks up to me, and asked me what I had received. I told him that I did not open it. He looked at me excitedly and said ‘come on, open it.’ I did. He looked at it and said ‘Anita, you received the best gift of all.’ I am blessed. I am. I received ‘The Cross’.

Often, when I need my spirit to be lifted – God does it so amazingly. The tree from my window is a reminder from God to me – it is what Ecclesiastes 3:3 says it best - ’to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:’

On the 28th, I was there for the 3 hours agony being preached by Fr. Jude. It was simply amazing. He began with a request for all cells and pagers to be switched off. And that is something I truly appreciate. People need to understand and show reverence to God. He stated

• That forgivenss is a grace and therefore we need to pray to God for that grace and the ability to be able to forgive.
• That women should not dress inappropriately-when they come to Church.
• That we must be able to participate in the mass celebration by singing Gods praises together.
• That we need to repent and make a good confession.
• That we should be like Mama Mary, ever ready to do God’s will.

For the Good Friday, service, there were two points in particular that I loved of what Fr. Leslie gave in his homily:

• When we come in contact with the poor, we must not treat them miserably. Mostly when the poor ask for alms-and they happen to touch the hand-people treat them like parasites. That should not be the behaviour rather we must be like Christ-compassionate.
• Fr. Leslie then mentioned of how his mother always said: ‘Children are a gift of God.’

I think if we remember this point-we will never be biased (never make gender differences).

On the 30th I went for the Easter vigil, which began at 8.00 pm. Fr. Alvaro gave the homily. You definitely need to hear him. He is his enthusiastic best when he delivers the homily. I love the way Fr. Alvaro expresses himself.

I love the way Fr. Chand when he prays during the celebration of the mass gives a long pause for remembering all the souls.

I offer the mass and pray for Gods mercy to all the souls and I also pray for the souls that will leave the world today-till the day I attend mass next.

The 1st of February I remember being miserable (it was really bad). At that moment, the bell rang and I stood up for the celebration of the mass. As I saw Fr. William, come up the altar, my anguish (torment) it all disappeared.

After the mass, I got myself seated on my toes, looked into the eyes of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and I prayed for Fr. William with all my heart. I prayed for his good health. This is my prayer to you my sweet Jesus. 

When I was in school, our whole family went to the beach in Mangalore. Every one had given all their belongings to me and they went for a swim. I removed my chain of my neck and before I knew it, I dropped both my gold pendnants on the sand. I looked–I could not find it. My mother saw me and from afar asked what the matter was?  Everybody, got off the water, and started looking, my aunt was the first to find Mama Mary and then my mum found my Cross. The fishermen had told my mum, that once you loose something on the sand, you will never find it. My whole family, they turned the deaf ear to what was advised to them and within 15 minutes of hunting, the unimaginable happened.

My Cousins cell is programmed, to call out names out loud. Just the last week was when I actually heard it echo as ‘The Cross’ for (D’CRUZ). If you think all this is a coincidence. It isn’t. God talks using different means.

People often compare themselves to Priests. How can you? And my words of advice don’t look to criticize Priests-and certainly don’t come talking to me about it.  Remember, they are Jesus Priests.

I believe that Priests walk on ‘Holy Ground’.

I believe Jesus is saying to us, "Before you take up your cross, be ready to face a moment of truth. Be ready to experience a crisis by which you will learn to deny your self-will. You can follow me as a true disciple only when you can freely admit you can do nothing in your own strength—you cannot overcome sin through your own willpower—your temptations cannot be overcome by your self-efforts alone—you cannot work things out by your own intellect. Philippians 4:13 states: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’

Paul speaks of servants who “knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness”. Romans 2: 18-19. Such saints as Paul describes are to be commended.

We are only able to bring light to our communities as we are full of Christ’s life ourselves. We have to live out the message we bring, if we are to preach it with any power. God help us to remember that the light shines through in the little things of life.

With all my Love,

For Love Prevails!
AnitA.
 

Jesus said to his disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me". Matthew 16:24

As Jesus bore his own cross to Golgotha, led by His tormentors, He was too weak and frail to carry it for long. When He had reached the end of His endurance, Simon, the Cyrene, was compelled to pick it up and carry it to the place of crucifixion. Matthew 27:32

Jesus knew exactly what He was saying when He called us to "take up our cross and follow him." He remembered His own cross - He knows all about the agony and the helplessness. He knows we can't carry it all the way in our own strength.

God knows that not one of His children can carry the cross they take up when following Christ. We want to be good disciples by denying ourselves and taking up our cross, but we seem to forget that that same cross will one day bring us to the end of our human endurance. Jesus forewarns us, "Without me ye can do nothing" John 15:5.  So He asks us to take up our cross, struggle on with it, until we learn that lesson. Not until our cross pushes us down into the dust do we learn the lesson that it is not by our strength, but by His power. That is what the Bible means when it says His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

 

 

Prayer: Abba Father, keep me always obedient and faithful to You.

Promise Date: 30^th MARCH 2013.  Isaiah 55:11

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.