My Love SONG. . .

My People,

Good Morning! Love what a beautiful and mysterious blessing it is. It not only sets the heart on fire but gives a whole new meaning to life. Without love what would I be? Without God where would I be?

To be faithful and to love are the most endearing qualities in a person.

In a today’s world people shy away from using the word faithful, because if they did it would imply the basic necessity of having to love through the ups and downs of life.

So given the word faithful, one would rarely come across the usage in a sentence. So what does that say for humans, really only this that the term loyalty which comes to mean faithful is meant for brand usage such as the ones used by the so called companies.

Save the last dance for me is a wonderful song. In love, one is possessive. This person tells the one he loves that in all that life can offer and the temptations it throws, to know that he waits for her because in the dance of life, he gently reminds her that her heart and his are one. His words, I will never, never let you go,  I love you oh so much. I know love is forever, to have and to hold.

 

 

I think I would get a lot jealous if I had to watch the one I love with anyone else. It is by the grace of God, I don’t find myself getting jealous. But then again love is something else.  

 

If I can love and get possessive and feel a little bit jealous at times. If I love you so much to never want to be the one who ever stops you from the way to life, then I also want you to remember I love you and I want to hold and never let you go. This is what I mean to say,  you are mine forever and no matter what you do I will never ever let you go.

Now let me ask you, one thing don’t you think of God the same way? God never lets go. He holds us tight, each and every one of us. We are forever marked with the blood of Christ.

The lyrics to the song.

You can dance every dance with the guy
Who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight
You can smile every smile for the man
Who held your hand 'neath the pale moonlight

But don't forget who's taking you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin', save the last dance for me, hmm

Oh, I know that the music's fine
Like sparkling wine go and have your fun
Laugh and sing but while we're apart
Don't give your heart to anyone

But don't forget who's taking you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin', save the last dance for me, hmm

Baby, don't you know I love you so?
Can't you feel it when we touch?
I will never, never let you go
I love you, oh, so much

You can dance, go and carry on
'Till the night is gone and it's time to go
If he asks, if you're all alone
Can he take you home, you must tell him, no

'Cause don't forget who's taking you home
And in whose arm's you're gonna be
So darlin', save the last dance for me

 

It is said that ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely.' People believe that money is power. I know money has the capacity to buy what is required for our daily living. God gives the means. The world believes differently. The greed for money is the root of all evil. William Shakespeare said, ‘To each his own.’

We work to make our lives a little better. And thank God for our jobs. Wants they grow. Gone are the simple days. Money matters and for some it does not matter what road is taken as long as the way to get the means exist.

Day 27^th September, 2015 - A Franciscan priest wearing the white hood celebrated the mass. He was so full of joy that it was fantastic and so different. He made it so memorable.

 

There are two things that I would like to add here, one being, that no matter what, the mass should never be hurried with. God never hurries with His plans!

I love the way Fr. Warner reads the Gospel. He reads and stresses on each word. It is crystal clear. There is no hurry.

I love each celebration of the mass, whichever Fr. celebrates it. But Fr. Byron never hurries with the mass. It is so beautiful the way he celebrates it.

People are always so impatient. They want a short mass but a big party. If it goes through the night that’s wonderful but the mass a minute longer is too much for them. At a party people will make request for extra songs to be played, imagine that.

Every fraction of a second is a God given time to us. Even the mass being celebrated is for our good. It is not being said for God, but for the good of our souls, but do we understand? We can’t hurry God. But yet we dare to tell the Priests to hurry with the mass. That’s completely wrong. That’s totally unethical and unbecoming. How we behave with Priests is really what we do to Jesus. We should love and be obedient to our Priests. But since we have never learned to be obedient to anybody this would be a tall order.

There is no other thing. If we show lack of love to our Priests we show lack of love to Jesus. Love means at times a Priest, can say things that does not go well with some of us. At times, both of us can annoy each other. But our duty as people is to still be obedient and love them – not back bite or try to drive them away.

Day 3^rd October, 2015 - Bishop Ferdinand Fonseca burial day. There was thunder and lightning and heavy showers of rain. I was fully drenched when I reached home. I will forever remember it as the Ferdinand Fonseca Day. He sent down the rains.

 

Day 8^th October, 2015 - When going for the Bible class, I heard Fr. Byron celebrating the Konkani mass. It was good seeing him after so long even though there was a quiet a distance. I was extremely glad.

Also I got to know the whereabouts of a friend of my brother after not seeing him for more than 12 years.

 

Day 10^th October, 2015 – I have come to believe that no matter how long time a thing takes when you look out for something you will find it.

Day 17^th October, 2015 -  I have left from work at 6:30 p.m. I asked God, if you think that I should be in the Church, I will be. I can try to hurry up, I can try to run, I can try a lot of things. But that’s just what I can do and I would still not get there. But if it is in Your will for me to be then no matter what I will be.

From Bandra station, I have missed the Bus by a couple of seconds. I find myself walking and talking to God at the same time. Its 07:25 in the evening and the mass begins at 07:30 and walking would take a half an hour from where I was. And on a Saturday 15 minutes by rickshaw. I continue walking and my talk with God continues in the same way.

Two minutes later, I get into a rickshaw, no traffic on the road. I am near Mt. Carmels. I look into the Church, I see all the people seated and I think okay the reading is going on. I am walking through the grounds and I see Fr. Alvaro in his white alb and I realize the mass has not yet begun. So my heart does a little dance. As I walk I hear the hymn, Fr. goes back in and I kneel down say hello to Jesus, and Fr. comes back out and begins with 'In the name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit' - My big miracle.

 

 

My dad had pictures of Popes John Paul II and Paul the VI under a glass shelf. As a kid I would stand near the shelf and look at Pope Paul VI.

Over the years I have waited for the beatification of Pope Paul the VI. Till today the 11^th of October, 2015 - all I know is that he was a Pope.

I am drawn to look at the snap it’s the same with Padre Pio. The only difference being I know Padre Pio. I am never alone. The feeling is I know him my whole life. That’s the way it feels in my head and heart. Maybe everyone feels the same.

 

 

Day 11^th October, 2015 – Gospel Mark 10-17:30

Some months back when I just entered home, my cousin was watching BBC and there was some document on. Let’s say something about how my cousin was watching it made me want to watch it too.

It was a study being conducted about a ferry man’s life-separated by distance and time and set in different cultural backgrounds, one from Bangladesh and the other from the UK.

The person from the UK did the talking. It was taken over a week’s shoot and all the while the British person had to learn to live the life of the Bangladeshi.

Somewhere through the program he goes on to say that they both conduct the ferry services – having the same job title with a huge difference in the way they operate and also in their earnings. The Bangladeshi has to row his boat several times a day through the river carrying people along. The boat does not run on any mechanism but human strength. So he begins early in the morning and continues till late in the evening. What he makes is not enough to run his home. He, his wife, son and daughter in law stay in a place where there is no light and there is hardly any space. It’s completely dark. Then he mentions that the Bangladeshi has a home back in his village and he intends to go home. All he wants is to make enough money to buy two cows. And at the point he is at and from the daily earnings, it looks that given an entire day to row the boat, the earnings are so meagre that an entire life time is not enough.

The British person has to make it through the week living with the Bangladeshi in his home and waking early and learning how to row the boat to make a living. And he does admit it to be tough. But no matter what he manages to dress up like the Bangladeshi and he rows the boat starting in the morning and keeps up to the end of the day.

After a week has passed and the man has accomplished his goal it is now time for him to leave Bangladesh. Once home in the UK, he is back to work on his ferry services across the Thames River. His is a ship run on motor with the latest of Technology facilities and making much more in his salary than his Bangladeshi counterpart who has only enough to somehow make it through the day.

I love the ending because this is what we must really be like. This man, on reaching home, sends money to his counterpart to be able to buy the two cows and settle in his hometown. God worked through this man (His child) to reach another child in another part of the world. This man made another man’s dream come true.

If each man takes responsibility for another, my goodness what a world that would be?

God does not tell us to give all we possess? At least HE does not call everyone to give up all? He calls a chosen few.

I have seen people find it easy sometimes to give something they have to complete strangers but be so reluctant to be giving to their own? WHY?

I have seen families who have it all and yet I have seen them and their children fight together with other members of family when it comes to property matters even though it is such a very small trivial piece of whatever it is. They are ready to break ties for what they would not take with them when they leave this world.

All I want to say when you have so much and maybe your brother or sister is or are not materially fortunate as you are, couldn’t you find it in your heart to be giving of what you have been given so generously?

If you can help-then help?

Be merciful. Be compassionate.

Remember, the mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me. This is not just a saying it is a blessing that begets blessings in plenty.

 

Fr. Alvaro was telling about people that when advised with matters on property and giving to the poor will ask why the Vatican does not choose to sell what it has to give to the poor?

Isn’t it really a sad day when our priests have to listen to such bizarre questions from the people?

Let us now look at the ‘Holy Family’, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. These are the things that I have learnt from Fr. Ashlyn’s teachings during the Bible sessions. There is so much to learn from him. He speaks and the ‘Holy Spirit’ works within each one of us in wonderful ways.

For now I am learning Obedience and ‘emptying myself completely to His Providence.’

 

Obedience is of the utmost importance. Here we look at Obedience to the LAW from the ‘Holy Family’

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. Luke 2:1

And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Luke 2:3-5

 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Luke 2:21-24

 

Obedience to the teachings of the Scriptures-from the ‘Holy Family’

 

Obedience to what was told by the Angel of God to Mary.

When Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to conceive in her womb the Son of God, Mary responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Mary believed. Mary surrendered to God not withholding anything. Look at the words (handmaid of the Lord-meaning a servant)(let it be to me according to your word). Mary did not say, okay this is what I think, no Mary believed and obeyed and said God whatever you have in plan for me that is what I will do. OBEDIENCE to GOD!

Mostly people believe that weak minded people listen to people. They think obedience is a character trait of the weak.

Mary was liberal (open minded by nature). When Mary learnt from The archangel Gabriel that Elizabeth her cousin was with child, Mary proceeded with haste to visit her to share in the happiness. She did not move on her own whims and fancies, but the Spirit moved her to do the unthinkable. She did not keep Jesus with her alone, she shared her experience of Jesus with her cousin, thus also enabling the unborn John to feel the Eucharistic presence of Jesus and rejoice in the strength of the ‘Holy Spirit.’

Mary and Joseph did not become overprotective parents. Neither did God the Father intervene saying no this is my only Son and He can’t mix around with others or do the things that others do.

Jesus learnt to be a carpenter watching His father, Joseph.

When Jesus was found in the temple after three days of looking out for Him, Mary’s words were, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

Normally mothers always put themselves in the forefront behaving like they are the only ones who feel the pain of their sons. The poor man, the father has no pain, no emotion. Mary is not at all like that. Look at her words, (“Son, why have you treated us). Mary speaks on behalf of her husband. Look at the next sentence, where Mary says ‘Your father and I’. Mary shows honour in her words towards her husband. If she did not do by deeds the words would never come out the way it is here.

Mary honoured her husband, Joseph. Mary was obedient to Him. Mary did not question Joseph or challenge him instead she followed him obediently knowing that in doing so she was following God’s will. The following words demonstrate the obedience. “behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod." Matthew 2:13-15

 

The Wedding at Cana tells us about Mary’s implicit belief in Her Son Jesus. When the wine was over Mary tells Jesus, there is no wine. Jesus replies ‘O woman what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’ Mary tells the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’

And really that is the underlying message that Mary does not get emotional and cry out. She believes in Jesus and this is what Mary tells us too that when we pray, to hold our gaze to Jesus, let not anything trouble us. Those are the words that need to ring in our hearts always, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’

 

Thank You, Father.

Thank You, Jesus.

Thank You, Holy Spirit.

Thank You, God for Fr. Ashlyn.

 

This was one of my prayers-I know it is written that there would be none like Solomon. Known to be the wisest among men, wisdom is wonderful it is the strength of God. I used to pray for wisdom and I used to ask for a whole lot of It - every bit of the wisdom of God. I did not completely understand my prayer back then. But God knows the heart. He sees my imperfection. He completes me. I dare not exist without Him. To The Alpha and The Omega, to my most perfect God, all praise and Glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

With all my Love,

For Love Prevails!
AnitA.

 

To climb heights
To swim the depths of the Sea
To walk the Earth
To fly across the galaxy
To survey the universe
To live the dream.

An insurmountable task - To love.
To expect nothing in return,
To die in the heart and yet live forever to love.

To be every beat of your heart
As to me you are every beat of mine, Forever.
My love song to you, My love.

  

 

PRAYER: Abba, Father, keep me obedient and always faithful. Remember, this your servant.
Mama Mary keep me humble, I pray. Amen.