Love Prevails!: The LIGHT. . .

My People,

Good Morning! I like to begin the day with the thought that we need to get into an agreement with God. We need to shake off the negative voices and speak words of encouragement.

John 15:12 states - "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

All of us at some point feel that to wait is a difficult thing. To wait on God is a grace of God.
When we wait we tire of the waiting and question as to why God is doing this to us? We question His love, His wanting to help us? We question...?

When Mary and Joseph were searching for Jesus, they found Him 3 days later in the temple. We hear of Jesus after a span of 18 years when Jesus was to be baptized by John in the river Jordan. Jesus waited for the precise moment to be baptized by John the Baptist.

Jesus the Son of God, didn’t have to wait, He could have broken the rules. He could have said, 'Abba Father, I’m your only Son'. And The Father would still love His Only Son.

What is that makes Jesus, so humble, so wonderfully compassionate, so gentle and loving?

In Genesis 1 we learn that God took His time to bring forth creation and rested on the 7^th day. He did not bring it forth with one breath or a clap. HE took His time.

Often we are in a hurry. There are times, I too run short of patience and I know I am close to it, I can feel it all around me, it is but just the patience to be in that moment and the wish to be and the wish to hold on and to love. When we have a God given promise and when we want something so bad we forget that God is PATIENCE Himself. He waited to bring creation. And then after He loved us even more...

Matthew 3 states - Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.

How often we feel so great about what we achieve that we find it impossible and below us to associate with or wait for someone we don’t think is our equal. Look at what John says, John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness."

Jesus waited 18 years in patience to start His ministry. He followed what was in accordance with the Scriptures and in His Father’s will.

Many members of the Church want centre stage. Let us try to be like John the Baptist. Let us be the ones to lead others to JESUS – the Light of the world.

Somewhere in the month of July-August 2012, Fr. William when celebrating the mass, stated the name Chand meant the Moon. In that second, I realized what I had written in the month of March 2012.

When the name of Fr. William was announced as the next Priest to come to Mt. Carmel-I felt HOPE and rightly so.

GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES.

Day 25th January, 2015 – After the 7:30 pm mass I was speaking with Fr. Alvaro as he was looking at the poster and told me of the Priests who would be singing. I said yes, me and my cousin would have loved to be there for the function. I told him the only reason we can’t is in keeping with Fr. William’s weekly announcement.

Since the year 2009-2010 I have been at Mt. Carmel’s. First I was there by the right of my brother’s death and second by the Promise given to me by God in the order of the events and third of all it was my Parish too.

GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES.

At times we struggle at times we fall. Everyone is given a potential. God forgets no one. We are all gifted and we must find within ourselves our full potential. We are all made to be the one what God intends us to be. We can’t be somebody else. When we try at some point or the other we will fail miserably or fall short.

We can’t all be Jesus. We can’t be John the Baptist either. But look at what John came to do: he came to pave the way for Jesus - He showed the way to Jesus. We can’t all be the LIGHT. But we all can show the way to the Light. John 1:29 states - The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Faith comes by hearing His Word and walking close to Him. We should always be “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” Hebrews 12:2.

When people walk closely with Jesus, they begin to hate sin and become detached from this world. True faith that comes out of the very heart of Jesus - it will be His very own faith—that grows within and emerges from our hearts!
“By faith Enoch was translated.” All his faith was focused on one great desire of his heart: to be with the Lord!

A grieving father named Jairus (one of the rulers of the synagogue) came to Jesus to ask for the healing of his dying daughter. Jairus fell at Jesus's feet, 23 and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.” Mark 5:22-24

We know that Christ is our only hope, and in our crisis we run to Him, fall at His feet and seek His mercy and help. This was what Jairus did, he was saying Lord, You have all power, You can keep her from dying!

Responding to this man's faith, Jesus went with him. Jesus permitted time to run out because He wanted His disciples to have faith that goes beyond hopelessness, beyond even death! The believers who stood at the little girl’s bedside had limited faith. As long as there was life left, Jesus was needed.

These people had faith only to the point of death. When circumstances looked as if all was lost, when the little girl died their faith died too. They sent a messenger saying, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" Mark 5:35
The words meant absolutely nothing to Jesus. He never gives up on the dead because He is resurrection life! v36, “Jesus, as if He did not hear what was spoken, said to the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.”

The wedding at Cana in Galilee - The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, "They have no wine." John 2:1-3.
Sometimes we as people run out of patience. It is TOUGH to wait - DIFFICULT at times. At this wedding in Cana, Jesus’ mother, Mary, saw that the celebration had run out of wine. So she went to Jesus and said, Do something. Jesus replied, “My hour has not yet come” John 2:4. Mary could have accepted her Son’s reply as ok this is a Heaven declared response, that wine won’t be multiplied at this wedding. But look at what Mary does — she ignores her son’s response and says to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." John 2:5

God is sovereign and I believe nothing ever happens unless He wills it. Sometimes the answer of God is well I’m leaving this up to you. But sometimes God’s sovereign will is to see, what and how we accept His will.

But Mary needed God to move immediately! “Jesus told the servants ‘Fill the jars with water.’ When the jars had been filled, he said, ‘Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.’ . . . When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, he responded with you have kept the best until now. John 2:7-10.

A miracle occurred. Yet things could have been very different. Mary might have been discouraged by Jesus’ response. She might have accepted His words at face value, agreeing, that it was not the right time. This was a gigantic leap of faith something that we all need to do when TOUGH times come.

To have faith that pleases God, means the road ahead will be filled with frustrating experiences. So you have a promise and the way ahead feels twisted and you cry out to God because you feel the promise is a million light years away – DONT GIVE UP!

Remember, all God wants is our relationship with Him to be based on love. All that God wants is for us to love and trust Him with all of our hearts.
Scripture says that when God promised to make Abraham the father of all nations, Abraham “He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old,” Romans 4:19. Abraham realized that nothing in his power could make it work. And yet we read in Romans 4:20, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger”
The more Abraham figured, that he couldn’t do this, the stronger His faith in God’s ability grew. And through the death of his flesh - came a power that was — the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is what my brother once told me and I’ll frame it the best way I know how. This is a story (true or not, it’s your call) and it starts with a wealthy man who was getting by with age. He had a lot of people around him, and he knew the reason why they were there.

Years roll on and this man goes into bankruptcy. A register is kept at the side of the dead man’s coffin. A passerby walks in to be the only one who comes and pays his homage to someone he has never ever met before. He then leaves after signing the register.

A month later he receives a letter from the solicitor with a cheque in it worth millions – the letter goes on to explain, as to how the rich man was convinced of all the greed of his relatives and how they were waiting for him to die and get their hands on his money. That in reality no one did love him. And the wealthy man on learning this realized that he needed to twist the story, so he had them believe that he lost all his wealth. And soon every one of them started to leave him.

The condition for anyone to get his wealth was that the person knowing he had nothing – could still spare some time and be there for him. All, that person would then have to do was to fill in the register with his details.

This perfect stranger had satisfied that wish, and when he signed the book he became the only one to do so.

He satisfied the rich man’s desire to be loved. He became the one who loved the rich man – with no knowledge that the man possessed anything. Thus being the only one to qualiy.

Love has no parameters. Love has no boundaries.

How many times do we ever completely rely on God? I watch people who want to get ahead in life, never completely relying on God to take them there.

Sometimes we work so hard to be appreciated. We want to be approved. And sometimes that never comes to be. Seldom do we ever realize that The One Above, The Great Almighty has ‘Pre-Approved’ us.

When the world becomes a difficult place.
When the one you love-does not acknowledge your presence.
When the people who should stand by you – fail to do so.
When everything you do backfires.
When you find that you are running short of friends.
When you see others have a roof above and you are left wondering?
When your world collides and there is nothing left for you to go on......

REMEMBER - REMEMBER

Jesus came to live in this difficult world.
We leave Jesus alone all the time.
Jesus was alone when in the garden of Gethsemane and He was left alone when the soldiers came to arrest Him.
Jesus showed the way to LOVE and we still crucify Him.
From the Cross, Jesus had only His mother and John His apostle by His side.
The Foxes have their holes, and their birds their nest, but the Son of God had no roof.
REMEMBER – Jesus was crucified to hold our world together for us. He will never let us ever be alone. When you feel that there is no one to understand, when you think that the road you walk on is unbearable. REMEMBER - that Jesus walked His way into this world too. So I may as a person fail to understand you, but Jesus He always understands with a heart ever ready to place His in yours and yours in His.

Jesus meek and humble of Heart make my heart like unto Thine.

Day 31^st January, 2015 – Fr. Alvaro. Words cannot describe the awesomeness of what the Spirit of God can do. Fr. Alvaro always gives his best. I never can tire of hearing him. But this day, he was just up there. I told him ‘I am very proud of you’ and I am. 7:30 p.m. mass.

Day 31^st January, 2015 - Somewhere in December or January, I think there were two collections made during the mass, and this woman sitting to my side, when I passed whatever that is called for collection, screamed at me telling me to keep it down, and as I went to pass it on to the behind row, she ordered me again. Thank God, there was another woman sitting to the other side and told her that it needs to be passed as this was the second collection.

Today, I was in the line to receive communion, when this same woman forcefully pushed me screaming move. I was to receive Jesus, I said nothing. I kept quiet. Then when I received Jesus, I asked Jesus if I said something it would only be with His will in it. If not I will be quiet. After mass, as the woman was sitting right behind me, I got up from my seat, tapped on her shoulder, and asked her in the most sweetest manner possible, ‘Do you have a problem with me?’ she looked stunned. I reminded her of the 1^st instance and then today’s instance and I asked her did I do anything to annoy you? I added if I have I am sorry. She looked like she would cry.

I had to deal with this problem. After saying what I had to I went to my seat and felt the peace of God.

What a wonderful life it is. How blessed it is to be a wife and a mother – when you are born to be a woman.

As a world, we are progressing at a rapid speed. We no more make time for our loved ones. Working women, hardly get to see their husband and children. And then there are some women who are so goal oriented that work takes precedence over their family. They have less of time and less of themselves to give to their husband & children.

This is a new age – an age where women want to be the new man. Women want their individual freedom.

Some women work to help their husbands and that is so understandable in this day and age. And some carry it a bit too far with the craving for their solo career. It’s ok to think that way when one is single but again not at the cost of losing one’s family.

When I speak, I don’t say that all women are the same. But sometimes we as women do forget what is really important.

Have you seen some of the women – especially when they are given any position? Be it Church, be it anywhere? When it comes to Church duty, some women really give it their all. And I wonder, what about their husband and children? What about their families?

When you tend to be in every committee, when you attend meetings, time passes by and by the time the day is done. When one is married, their first duty is to their spouse and their children. Yes, Church duty is important but never at the cost of ones family.

As a wife, a mother the household chores such as cooking, cleaning and providing become the role of a woman failing which no reason is excusable.

When Fr. Alvaro spoke he didn’t necessarily say all this but something of what he said made me feel that finally someone verbalized what the Spirit of God expects of us-as women.

From a husband to wife & a wife to husband each best represents the love of Christ to one another. And LOVE becomes the anchor in a marriage. Love being God HIMSELF - 'The ONE' that holds us.

When ones love is perfect before God, they become His LILIES.