My Dedication To Pope Francis and To Pope Benedict.
To The Cardinals (& Cardinal Oswald Gracias),
To The Arch-Bishops and The Bishops.
To The Priests of all Orders & all Ranks.
And to my Mount Carmel Priests-Bandra:-
Fr. Reuben Tellis, Fr. Joe Pereira, Fr. Christopher Goveas and Fr. Daniel Fernandes.
And to The Nuns of all Orders & all Ranks.
And Thank You, Fr. Alvaro!
My People,
Hello! When I did begin to write this letter, it was during the Season of Christmas. And I sincerely believe that if we truly live like the Holy Family, then Everyday is Christmas!
Christ is God's - Gift to the world!
Through the merits of Christ's life and death we are offered full forgiveness.
Isaiah 55:11 - (This is one of my favourites)
so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
I trust in You, my Almighty God!
If I could sing this song, I would for You, my sweet Jesus💘
In This Life - Collin Raye
For all I've been blessed in this life
There was an emptiness in me
With one honest touch you set me free
Let the world stop turning
Let the sun stop burning
Let them tell me love's not worth going through
If it all falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life, I was loved by you
For every mountain I have climbed
Every Raging river crossed
You were the treasure I longed to find
Without your love I would be lost
Let the world stop turning
Let the sun stop burning
Let them tell me love's not worth going through
If it all falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life, I was loved by you
In this life, I was loved by you
Christmas is a time the heart rejoices. It is a time when all the fondest memories come rushing in.
Growing up, our Christmas season would always begin with listening to Nat King Cole. There is something magical in listening to those Christmas classics.
God loves us so much that He never wanted us to be alone and so He sent His only Son into the world as His token of love, that we who are poor might share in His richness. Indeed we are blessed in the Holy Name of JESUS!
Man thinks, it is his wealth that makes him rich. But without God we are all poor. Having eyes we do not see. Having ears we do not ear. We are not OPEN to understanding the ways of God. Wealth and Power are blinding factors.
The Shepherds were tending their sheep. They were watchful and awake. To them (the poor) the Good News of the Saviors birth was given.
God came to Earth in human form. The Christmas message says that God’s grace is greater than our sin. It is a message of the Death and Resurrection of Christ.
“she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
The Birth of Jesus, is a reminder from God Himself, that we are not alone. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emman′u-el” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23
Jesus is here to forgive our sins and to fill our hearts with everlasting HOPE!
Therefore:
Let us not be distracted
We know that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Mary at the annunciation and Mary's answer was 'YES' to the Lord.
The situation unexplainable. How would Mary begin to explain this to Joseph. And how and why would he believe? When something is beyond the human scope, remember it is never beyond God. Our God is the God of the Impossible! Mary understood this.
Also, Mary was told of Elizabeth's pregnancy. I am a firm believer that Mary made this decision, to visit Elizabeth after having sensed the Holy Spirit permitting her to be with Elizabeth.
In all my conversations with the Holy Spirit, there is always a sense of direction. And when you know God, when you know the Spirit of God, there is a knowing, that nothing can shake. I know, that I know, that I know!
I am nothing without God. I am a wretched sinner. But, what I have learnt with the Holy Spirit is faithfulness.
How Blessed is Mary and so filled with humility to think of her cousin, with little thought to her own delicate state. How truly Blessed to trust God and know His faithfulness, in spite of all the other thoughts coming in. Mary believed, God would take care of her and knowing this, Mary, left everything in the hands of God. Mary stayed with Elizabeth, for 3 months.
Mary and Elizabeth, two women and the way the greetings come about with the highest exaltation to God Almighty. Both Mary and Elizabeth, were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Today, in the world we live in we need to have God in all areas of our lives. Like Mary, we need to magnify God.
Mary was not distracted. Her heart was in God. Her focus was always God and always doing His will!
Matthew 1 describes Joseph as a just man.
The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Joseph believed and faithfully did as to what was asked of him in a dream. On three different occasions, he was given instructions, Joseph followed with no second thought. Joseph did his best for his family.
God brought Mary and Joseph together in marriage. It was the Holy Spirit who brought the Child Jesus into their life. The Holy Family was created by God.
Mary and Joseph wanted to find a safe place where the Baby Jesus, could be born. The inn was crowded. The innkeeper could have helped, but he was too caught up with worldly affairs, to see the truth.
In the midst of an ongoing fight with the virus, we are distracted with a number of things. We find ourselves getting anxious. Fears and worries get the best of us.
It is difficult to surrender, but surrender we must and completely to God. And when something does worry you, ask God for help. Things may not change immediately. But with the passage of time, you will notice His ever growing strength in you and an unshakable faith and confidence in The God of the IMPOSSIBLE, The Almighty God!
Knowing wholly well, at times I hurry myself too. And the Spirit of God will gently remind me, to calm down. And it works beautifully. What the Spirit of God reminds me to do is-to leave everything to God!
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
In that moment, when I hurry, I fail to place my trust in God. I fail to understand that God is in control of everything. It is pride that makes me think that I could do it myself and in my time.
Whatever your situation, whatever your worry, leave it to Jesus. When you calm down, it is not on your strength, but Jesus’s, Who accompanies you and me in our struggles, in our fight against evil.
Read Psalm 91. Don’t just Read, BELIEVE!
Then no matter where I go, where I stand, whether there is a cyclone coming from the North, or a tornado from the South towards me, or an Earthquake just around the area that I am in, or a Volcano erupt to my East, a Tsunami on the West of me or something fall from the sky,
Nothing will harm me. God will make the place I am in, the safest place on Earth. I trust in God!
Remember: KEEP your FOCUS on JESUS!
Let us not be deceptive
When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem looking for the King of the Jews, King Herod appeared to be interested. But in reality his true response was insecurity-jealousy.
Matthew 2:16 - Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.
Due to the predicament we are in, there is a compulsion to wear masks.
But people were always wearing masks. (King Herod, was wearing a mask of insincerity-pretending to be interested in the new born baby, to get all the information, he could.) Like King Herod, there are deceptive people pretending to be good. The world has witnessed through the ages, the massacre of the innocent initiated by those in power.
We live in a make believe world. Ultimately it is the choice we make. People play games, behaving differently with different people while not being true to anyone. I have seen deception in all aspects of life. But what hits the hardest, is when it comes from ones own family. And the sugar coated people, everything is an act to them. It is most difficult to find someone who understands how to be true. And in reality people were wearing masks long before the pandemic, only now it is visible to all.
William Shakespeare said it best, 'To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as night follows day, thou canst not then be false to any man'.
If God wants you to know something, you will get to know it someway or the other. If God wants you to have something, even if you are a constellation away, you will get what God has in store for you.
Nobody can deceive you, from what God has in store for you.
Nobody can keep you, from what God has in mind for you or for me.
Let us always remember to pray, 'Jesus, I trust in You!'
Remember: No matter how deceptive people can be, and maybe you know of it, and maybe you've been hit bad, choose to see the good in everybody. It will keep you in good stead. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34
Let us welcome Baby Jesus like the shepherds Luke 2:8-20
The shepherds were out in the field. They were tending the sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and gave them the good news of the birth of our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ. And with the angel there was a multitude of heavenly host singing praise to God.
Luke 2:16, And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
The Shepherds were the privileged first, who welcomed the new-born Saviour.
Having seen the Baby, they made known the saying which had been told to them concerning the child, to Mary, who kept all these things pondering them in her heart.
Please, let us look at these two passages from Luke:
Luke 1:39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
Luke 2:16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Both Luke 1:39 and 2:16, have the words - went with haste.
Filled with the Spirit, they move towards what has been declared to them by the Angel of the Lord. It is the enthusiasm that best describes the word haste.
The shepherds did not fall asleep, they were awake and watchful. And hence were able to experience the Heavenly glory. Their enthusiasm gave way to their joy. They would never forget what they saw. And it happened all so suddenly!
Remember: We, too, like the shepherds, must be awake and watchful, (in other words open and alert) in our day to day living, for we never know when we will encounter God!
It can happen SUDDENLY!
Let us be dedicated to God
When the Baby Jesus was brought in to the temple, Simeon took the child in his arms and said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation” Luke 2:29-30
Simeon understood God’s plan to provide salvation through His Son’s sacrificial death for us.
Remember: There is no life without Jesus. Jesus is the Light of The World - The Incorruptible Light.
Remember-Remember: Keep God first place!
Let us live like the Holy Family of Nazareth
Luke tells us that the Holy Family would go to the temple every year to celebrate the feast of the Passover.
As the feast ended and they were returning home, they realized Jesus was not with them. Joseph and Mary must have experienced some sort of panic on not being able to find Jesus for three days! (Yes, there is a deeper insight to this, but let us for now focus on this present situation as it is.)
And when they saw Him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” Luke 2:48
In todays world and something like this would mean a lot of blame game. By the time a problem solved, the marriage would be in question.
Look at the words Mary speaks, 'your father and I'. Mary speaks of Joseph, placing him in the first part of the sentence when speaking and then speaking of herself later. Love and respect is what Mary shows to her husband with these words. We don't hear this manner of speaking, these days? Do we?
(Even today, there are still a few simple hearted women-some are the quiet ones and some are noisy.)
But mostly women are arrogant, egoistic and in a manner of speaking lack understanding. To them everything is gender equality. It is a power struggle and one that is capable of destroying the family. And in every sense of the word, it is happening in the world as we speak. You break the woman, you break the family. It is a win for the devil. So obvious, but who can truly see or for that fact explain it to a woman?
And, Mary's words they soothe your soul. They are filled with concern representing not just herself but Joseph too. 3 days later and their Peace reflects. Imagine their goodness, the love and their understanding. IMAGINE!
Jesus answers, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49, but Joseph and Mary do not understand the reply.
(When you love deeply and you know that you are going to be killed, how do you prepare your loved ones? How do you let them know? How do you build them up?)
(Jesus therefore puts the question to His parents in Lk 2:49. Mary trusted in God’s Providence and considered these things in the silence of her heart. Jesus knew this fully well. And Jesus, knew that Mary, His mother, when confronted with the Death of Her Son, would understand the words and the reason to finding Jesus on the 3rd day.)
Luke 2:51–52 tells us, Jesus "was obedient to them," and "increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man".
Obedience is a virtue that teaches us to be humble.
God gave parents the duty to discipline their children. And parents are accountable to God for the souls of their children.
Jesus was obedient to His parents just as He was obedient to God The Father even unto death on The Cross.
When we give, we must learn to be giving like Mary. Mary gave her all. Mary suffered with Jesus as she stood at the foot of the Cross and remained by His side, to His Death.
Remember: It is the love of the husband to his wife and their love, faithfulness and devotion to each other.
It is their love to the children and the children's obedience to their parents.
Let us live like the Holy Family of Nazareth, not just during the Christmas season but each and every day of our lives.
This is the true Christmas Spirit that we love one another, remembering well that God sent His only Son to save us from sin and condemnation. We are REDEEMED!
The words in the Bible and as Mary speaks them-
At the Annunciation:
“How shall this be, since I have no husband?” Luke 1:34
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
Mary's answer YES to GOD!
At the Visitation:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.” Luke 1:46-55
Mary in a delicate condition, could have been extremely exhausted by the journey, but here comes the Song of Praise to GOD! Mary magnifies the Lord!
At the Temple(The Boy Jesus):
“Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” Luke 2:48
Mary ever so thoughtful, ever so gentle.
At the Wedding at Cana:
"They have no wine." John 2:3
"Do whatever he tells you." Johnn 2:5
Mary ever so concerned about others.
At the wedding at Cana, they ran short of wine. You or I could be short of something. Whenever we are in a problem, we must take our prayer to Mary, who will intercede for us, to Jesus, just as Mary did at Cana.
All Mary, asks of us is, "Do whatever he tells you."
Trust in Jesus! It is after all our Mamas instruction. LISTEN!
Remember:
Todays women look for power and position. They want to outdo men. As a result family life suffers. It is time, we learn something from Mary. Mary did not look for titles and yet there are so many that are laid down with the deepest of love for a mother as splendid as Mary.
How do you write of Mary?
The heart knows something wonderful, something indescribably good.
The sweet Mary-The gentle Mary!
The very thought that makes flowers bloom in my heart.
Mary a simple girl! MARY! the Queen of Heaven!
🎄🌲
To me every day is Christmas. Can you imagine my excitement all the year round?
I love Christmas decorations. I love all the craft work associated with the season. I learn new ways and new things and it is a joy.
I love baking and there is so much to do, especially all the fun stuff.
Yes, I love watching my plants grow. When I see a new leaf, it brings so much excitement.
With Jesus, there is never a dull moment in my life.
And I am in awe of Gods Supreme Intelligence-His Wisdom.
All knowing-All encompassing God, I am in awe of You.
I don't get what I want but I have everything that God knows is good for me. Truly, no one can instruct the way God does. Because only He can get us to do, what He knows is best for us, provided we OBEY.
Obedience is a trust in God. It is choosing to let God hold the strings of my life. It is choosing to have no say, but trust in all His ways. His say in my life...
Obedience is always doing what God asks me to do. Sometimes it is in that moment itself.
No turning back. No feeling shy, no feeling of awkwardness. Obedience to the dot. Trust and obey (Do).
John 2:5 “Do whatever he tells you.” (The words of Mama Mary). And you will never be wrong.
In the two years, I have been to Mangalore; I have missed all that keeps me busy (Christmas busy). In Mangalore there is always work. This time, I have not involved myself with much of anything due to reasons pertaining to my health.
Though, I loved making a wreath. That is every bit of the Christmas fun activity I had. We have also put up a Crib and a Christmas tree, but it is fairly simple, compared, to what we do in Bombay.
On Christmas day, as I looked out the window, I saw the lights twinkling outside and I realized, I may have missed the lights and the fun, but in my heart I was content.
I sometimes, wonder if somehow we have let the very celebration of Christmas take us from the Christ of Christ…mas.
You know, you may have seen the sticker, JESUS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! And sometimes, I wonder is it just a sticker or is it something we ought to think more deeply about.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm 139:23-24
CONCLUSION: It is difficult to understand the meaning of silence. We often end up speaking our doubts and fears to people we come across.
Joseph and Mary's hearts were completely in God. Their silence in the Gospels reflected their obedience in doing the will of God.
There is a marked silence in the life of Jesus too. We hear of Jesus when He is 12 and then we hear of Him again at 30 when Jesus begins His ministry, in confirming to the will of God.
This level of silence that we experience through the lives of Joseph, Mary and Jesus must make us more aware of how we must live in accordance to the will of God.
To listen to God’s Word is to read it and ask oneself-Is God saying something to me? Only in this way, does our life change.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph prayed together, worked together and they stayed together as a family.
The Holy Family (JMJ), is a reflection of The Holy Trinity - The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Every family is meant to reflect the Holy Family. This is our only chance on Earth. This is meant to be our little Heaven on Earth!
We must model our lives upon the unconditional love of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. To die to self. To live for one another and to God!
And Every Day is CHRISTMAS! It truly is!
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.
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.
Prayer for the souls in PURGATORY:- Our Lord dictated this prayer to St. Gertrude the Great to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said.
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."
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