My People,
Good Morning! Have you been greeted
with a smile? And tell me aren't you charmed? I do know
there are so many aspects to a human being but to me the one who smiles is like
a Christmas tree all lit up. I think if one had to be called beautiful it
would have to be definitely for the 100 watt smile. Isn’t it true?
There
is no fear in love. 1 John 4:18
Day 28th October, 2015 –
St. Jude’s Feast and my dad’s birthday too.
We have our Bible class and Fr. Ashlyn mentions the hymn ‘Count your
blessings!’ The Holy Spirit and I write.
Day 30th October, 2015 –
We have a talk by Fr. Ashlyn at Mt. Carmel’s Church at 8:00 in the evening. I
think I might have reached there by 08:20 - Abba, Father told me that the most
important thing to do was just be there.
What an amazing life this really
is.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
Day 2nd November, 2015 – At
Mt. Carmel’s for the 6:00 am mass I can feel the tears roll down my face. I
pray ‘Jesus, Son of God have mercy on me.’
It’s 07:30 am and in comes Fr. Joe
on the altar. I love every part of the celebration of the mass. Fr. Joe’s homily soothed my heart. It was not
an answer to what I was praying for. But it was an answer from the Holy Spirit.
He relieved that part of my heart which was troubled. It is in my nature to say
what is on my mind. I don’t pretend to like something when I may feel something
else. I don’t necessarily take an action over what I feel unless it is God who
tells me to do so. I am but His servant. I have heard it been said that one must
not pay attention to the bad. And it’s not something I do, but then again it’s
not in me to turn away when I can hear God’s voice clearly.
I cannot let someone suffer or cry
and not try to do something to help. God has always let me help.
If I but move to the right or left,
If I do call the color as white or black. If I do so - I have never done
anything without His will.
Do I overlook the wrongs that are
done? Do I never have a say? What do I do? These were specifically the
questions that weighed heavy on my heart.
I thank God, for Fr. Joe.
The graveyard on all souls day is
surrounded by candles and decorated with flowers. It's beautiful to watch. I attended the 7:30 mass in the
evening. Waited to watch the graveyard and be a part of the celebration. I
prayed for all the souls. When leaving, I told them “I love you”.
Every mass I pray for the ‘Holy
Souls’. These are my words: ‘I pray for all the souls who have come from the
beginning of time, and those who have left the world and those who will leave
the world today until the next time I attend the mass. I pray for Your mercy on
them and for the release of all the souls of Purgatory.’ I make sure I leave no
one out of my prayers.
Their goal is to be in the company
of God. That’s all they want. That’s all they need.
The first time I remember having a high
temperature, is when I was six. My mum had got me a box of crayons and being as
sick as I was, I kept it under my pillow. Every time I woke up I would lift my
pillow, look at the box of crayons and go back to sleep. I still love colours.
I still get excited about the littlest things.
People say there is nothing to do.
I find life interesting yes it has its ups and downs, but that is what it is. I
love my life.
I
love to cook but more than that I love to bake. When baking there is a whole
new world of colours and techniques involved which I am quiet fascinated with?
I love arts and craft. I love the thought of working on miniature stuff (craft
work). I love writing for my blog. I love working on graphics, I love the
display of colours. God never tires, His brain work fascinates me. I am amazed
and always in awe of His magnificence. Take all the great minds like Einstein, Mozart, Beethoven, Helen Keller,
Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Raphael and this must be
like a tip of the iceberg when you think of the genius mind that brought these
into existence. GOD!!!!
I love colours. They brighten up
everything. There are so many varieties of flowers and they are all so amazingly
beautiful. When you look at them you are in a world that is so breath taking and
marvellously beautiful. Looking at them refreshes all the senses and the
feeling is simply amazing. Even now if I have my eyes closed I will feel that
feeling all over again. That is the presence of God - among the flowers.
God makes the best use of His time.
He never wastes a single second. God in
His time created every little flower, every colour, every little petal, the intricate
designs, the fragrance, the sensation that you get when you look at them. And
nothing in this world can compare to that joy that fills the heart.
Why take the effort?
God never wastes a second. He does
everything He can. He does it for us. No matter how much we hurt Him He
continues with His good work. When we fall in our ways, when we hurt each
other, HE does not condemn us, He build us up by the sacrifice of His Son.
Day 30th October, 2015 –
The 'Promise of Lilies.’ Mt. Carmels Church-The altar.
Thank You, Father.
Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Holy - Spirit.
Women empowerment - The current job situation
has opened vast opportunities for women. Some of the women are the top bracket
earners. When one gets such top notch salary it kind of gets to the head. And
if and when a woman earns more than a man, can you imagine the condition of
that home. Not hard to imagine is it?
Good if it does not make a
difference. But when it does, it is easy to stray, it is easy to be unfaithful
it is easy to find faults with the husband and play the blame game it is easy
to be condemning the spouse.
All the money in the world should
not change the natural order of things. So a better job, a better pay check
cannot make you any more powerful or powerless. It is all in the head. Yes,
money can give you the feeling that you are in command. Our relationships are
not purchased with money.
The arch angel Gabriel came bearing
good news. Mary, a simple 15 year old (a kid in reality) accepted the will of God
through Gabriel. Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me
according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
The moment Mary accepted the Will of God the Holy
Spirit descended on Mary and Mary conceived Jesus. The Son of God became flesh,
to be born a human (true God and true man). Mary listened, believed God and His
Word. Mary was obedient to God and her husband. Mary lived a life filled with
doing the Will of God in everything she did. She was a wife, a mother.
In all her simplicity, her desire
to do God’s will superseded everything. Her power was not in her wanting to be
herself but in being everything that God wanted in her.
Day 14th November, 2015
– After attending the 05:15 wedding mass (one of my cousins) at St. Peters’
Church, for the first time in my life, I noticed the grotto and in it were
inscribed Mary’s words ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ I am amazed, of all the
times I have been to St. Peters this had to be the first time that I actually
saw the grotto.
Add to it the Gospel theme the ‘Wedding
at Cana....
To me it is a miracle, because I know, Mother Mary is talking to me. Now I have to be even
more attentive. Mama, I’m listening......
Love never dies.
I believe whatever God has revealed
because God is the truth.
|
Love is always and forever. Love is
to know that you could die for the one you love. Love is to the end of time. It crosses all
the extremities and the parallels of the universe. It is infinite. Love is God
and who could speak of it better than Him?
Genesis
1:27 states: So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them
God created all men equal in His
own image and likeness. He did not create us with any difference. He called us
His children.
Often in life we forget the meaning
to life. And in the real essence of the
word, it implies the total love of God. He gave us this life, because He loves
us. This is His gift to us therefore we have no right to end this life. He gave
us this life therefore He alone can take it away.
We are here to know Him, to love
Him, to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven.
This is a beautiful life and ‘The
right to life’ - is not just WORDS. There is a whole new perspective to it and
the rights an individual has. Every human being, each and every one, no matter
from whichever strata of the ladder the person hails from - he or she has rights
that no being must violate. If one cares less for any individual – one shows a
lack of love for God.
Luke
10:27 states: - He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your
mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Let us put
this as a basis for building on the principle of Human Rights.
- The right to dignity to be treated fairly by another human being-with no caste barrier or discrimination.
- The right to not be subjugated to (not be kept down or oppressed) by anybody irrespective of the social status.
- The right to choose a way of life that makes one happy while adhering to the rules of the law of God and of Society.
- The right to be free.
- The right to be happy.
- The right of choice.
We all face temptations. As
Christians, as Catholics we will face hard times. The enemy will hurl
everything he has at us, all in the name of Christ. Stand strong in the name of
Jesus.
So you love somebody. Everybody
loves somebody at some point in their life. And what would life be without
love?
Love is essential. When as a person
you have not met the one you love over a period of time, what would you feel?
And when the moment approaches and
you get to see the one you love, you never thought your heart would ache with
so much pain at the sight of your loved one.
That ache is the one you want to return to every time. That kept at a
distance was essential to know the depth of love, without which that
understanding of the heart would never dawn and it had to at God’s time. 14th
November, 2015.
When you stand next to the one you
love and when your feet don’t budge an inch. That definitely has to be the best
place in the world. 15th November, 2015.
Growing up, I never was a fan of
the Romeo & Juliet story. I never did like sad endings. He drinks poison to kill himself knowing that she is dead and
then she wakes up to the fact that he is dead. And knowing this she kills herself. Too much confusion,
they had a lack of communication and understanding, a tragic love story, but
still a big hit.
Do you ever wonder why? We all want
someone who would love us to death.
Could it be that we all want
something so much, we hunger for it and we look for it everywhere our whole
lives through often we are this close but the lures of the world keep us away.
It is love that Satan fears because
love is the most powerful weapon in ones arsenal. Love gives you the ability to
lay down your life for the one you love. Love is sacrifice.
Fear clouds our minds from the
truth. It creates a chaos and we don’t see our way out of it. Fear grows with time. It is what the devil
uses to keep us from getting to the truth.
Below is an example:-
Lets
say for instance I’m a lonely person, never been loved. I’ve been
lonely all my life. My parents gave me the things I would require, but I never grew up
ever feeling the warmth of a good and loving home. Never knew anyone never had friends. Never
thought about anybody and nobody thought about me. Over time I’ve become hard
hearted, bitter and selfish. I see the world with the way I’ve grown to know
them. Nobody cared for me and I for one as a person could care less. And if I
had a favourite line it would be the Chris Isacc song ‘nobody loves no one.’
The last time I visited Church was
when I was little. Since then I have lost my way. Off and on I see families and
I wonder what it is, is it for real? And then I get miserably bitter.
I don’t believe in love, I think it
is a well told lie. (Fear has kept me believing that
love is a lie. Fear has kept me feeling bitterness.)
My turning point comes when I least
expect. Somehow I find myself in the middle of nowhere. I’m lost, very hurt,
dejected and not a penny in my purse. For clothes, I have just one additional
pair. I don’t know how to make it through and I don’t know how to get back
home. I am stranded in the middle of
nowhere. My journey begins.
Suddenly I find myself in the company of people. And this is a small town but the people seem to be kind to a stranger like me.
They come bringing me food and offering me shelter. I have never known anyone
to be so kind to me. I watch them, I watch their kindness and I am completely
taken over with their generosity and their love. They are kind to me knowing
that I can’t repay. So really their expectation is zero. But their hearts are so full of love.
I hear the Church bells toll and I
walk in the direction of the sound of the bells. I look at the Church. I walk in
and sit in one of the first pews. As I look at the CROSS I now know, I never
was alone. I am home.
The
depth of love is shown in the suffering of the person.
Second
it is in the giving of oneself completely to the one you love.
The greatest love story, is not the
one where both kill themselves on knowing the death of the other. No. The greatest love story is the one where
there is a sacrifice. But the one who makes the sacrifice also lives up to the
promise to come back to the one He loves. A promise is a promise.
When we are in love with someone,
we want to be spending all the time we can. We just love to be in
their presence. It is no different with Jesus. When we are in love with Him and
are passionate for His presence, we will find ways to get close enough to Him.
To me the most passionate love
story is the one Jesus has with us. As I am writing I will write it as Jesus
and me, this is my love story.
I love to be loved by Him.
- That when mocked and spat upon and betrayed, He never gave up on me.
- That when scourged (whipped/flogged) He never said stop.
- When carrying the Cross - He carried me in His thoughts. He never let me of His mind.
- That when they hammered the nails on His feet and hands, that through that pain He covered all my scars and never let me feel the pain.
- When on the CROSS - He looked at me and said, this is how much I love you, I love you to death? Do you love me?
What is the love of Christ?
- The betrayal (a kiss on the cheek) by a friend (an apostle).
- The crown of thorns.
- The scourging at the pillar.
- The side where the sword was pierced.
- The wound on the shoulder due to carrying of the Cross.
- The thorn that entered the eye of Jesus.
- The nail hammered on the right hand.
- The nail hammered on the left hand.
- The nail hammered on both the feet.
- The compassion to heal on a Sabbath (Jesus followed the law to perfection, but His heart was filled with compassion)
- The sorrow at the death of Lazarus
- The forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery. (Jesus unfailing mercy)
The wounds of Christ reveal, The Perfection of Love - In John 13:34 Jesus give us this Commandment, "Love one another as I have loved you".
Love by its very nature is total and constant giving of self to God. "It is in giving that we receive!"
The below two verses are from the song ‘Never Give Up’. I
love the title and the lyrics below.
Keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you
Don't give up
Every victory comes in time, work today to change tomorrow
It gets easier, who's to say that you can't fly
Every step you take you get, closer to your destination
You can feel it now, don't you know you're almost there?
Please Read:-
“A sower went out
to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on,
and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up,
it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew
with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced
a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears to hear
listen!” Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said,
“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to
others I speak in parables, so that ‘looking they may not perceive, and
listening they may not understand.’ Luke 8:5-15
The parable that Jesus explains to His disciples is: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have
heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that
they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when
they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe
only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the
thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are
choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not
mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they
hear the word, hold onto it and bear fruit with
patient endurance.
Day 22nd November, 2015 –
Christ the King feast.
Morning, back from the Church to
home I saw a woman purchase fish and feed the cats. I got a little bit mad with
what I saw. I kept thinking of all the people who go hungry.
There were 13 cats in all. I had a
recount just to be sure.
For the first time in my life, I
walked as part of the procession to St. Andrew’s Church. It was nice to see the
4 Church come together. To me it was new. I have been for the celebration of Christ
the King mass and I have stayed back and prayed. But this was not something I
had ever done.
Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandez gave
the homily.
I did not understand the magazine
issue that they made an announcement of but what I did understand is that the
proceeds of it goes to support the ........
I wasn’t exactly listening to all
the announcements. (I don’t in the Church either. The part of the celebration
of the mass and prayers-I listen to, I pray and anything else which takes my mind of
Jesus, I avoid. That is my time to Jesus and nobody else. And Jesus, never minds
me doing that. The words I put down here is because If I don’t I will have been
in disobedience to Jesus and The Holy Spirit.) I heard the Priests and the
Bishop. Other than that when the man spoke I wanted to run. Don’t get me wrong,
he spoke well, but there was no heart – it bored me.
My only point being – that this was
Christ the King feast day and at best that was what it should have been.
This is what Christ the King – celebration stands for:-
The
Apostles wrongly supposed that the Messiah would restore the kingdom of Israel.
Before the Roman magistrate Jesus declared that His kingdom was not of this
world. This kingdom one can enter only by penance, by faith and by baptism.
This kingdom is opposed to that of Satan and to the power of darkness. It
demands a detachment from riches and earthly things. We must deny ourselves and
carry The Cross.
Christ offered Himself as a victim
for our sins at the price of His own blood, as priest He
continues to offer Himself. We are the redeemed of Christ.
Each of us were given a small parcel (some snacks). I bought it home.
When we listen to the Gospel –
homily, at Church or in this case the gathering we bring it home if the distractions
or cares of the world have not lured it out of us.
When we receive the Body of Christ –
how welcome do we make Jesus feel? Do we forget Him a minute after receiving communion?
What is it that we take home with us? Do we bring Jesus or do the cares of the world get to us?
After receiving communion, we must
feel the presence of Jesus, when we do every mass will have made a different
impact on us.
Day 31st October, 2015 A
lot of work and I am completely exhausted. I tried to make it to Church.
Day 9th November, 2015 - People
always complain that they don’t find anything interesting to do. And it is
surprising that they say so. Due to the
time I put at work these days, people have come to believe that apart from work
I have nothing to do. I love the job
that God has blessed me with. It’s just that I am way too tired.
I leave from home at 6:15 in the morning and reach home in the night at 9:00 on
other days. Both last Saturday, 31st October and this Saturday, the
7th of November I reached home at 10:50 and 11:35 in the night.
17th – 21st November,
the whole of this week I have been reaching home after 10.00 in the night.
Wednesday-Bible study day is the only time I left early from work.
I am never in a hurry to get
anywhere. I give my job the best of me, I try.
Not being able to make it to Church
that’s the most difficult one of all. I try hard to make it but there are
blocks on all the paths. Yes I can have my way, but that would not be in His will
for me. I desire to be with Him, but when He permits for me to come to Him and
be in His presence, I will be. When I force my view, there is no surrender and
no trust at all. I trust Him with all my heart. I trust in His promise to me.
He says nothing will keep us apart. That means together forever.
Day 21st November, 2015 –
I was completely tired. This entire week, I have slept for about 4-41/2 hours
only.
Being completely drained out, I sat
in the bus knowing I had to reach work. These days I have worked nearly 14-15
hours at a stretch. I feel miserable due to mental exhaustion at work. If you
think I sat to do over-time that would never be true.
Jesus asked me to have my eyes closed.
I did. Jesus asked me to be with Him. We spoke. When I reached work it took me time to realize, but what happened is Jesus let me into His
heart and I felt wholly renewed. I felt strong, happy and like I could take on
the world.
When you feel and know His heart,
the world and the way you see it changes forever. Nothing seems to be the same.
Love changes the route.
With all my Love,
For
Love Prevails!
AnitA.
PRAYER: Abba, Father, keep me obedient and always faithful. Remember, this
your servant.
Mama Mary keep me humble, I pray. Amen.
