HAPPY BIRTHDAY

WE THE COMMUNITY OF PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART WANT WISH A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DEAR BROTHER RINU JOSE SCJ. WE PRAY THAT GOD WILL BLESS YOU WITH HIS GRACE ALL THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE AND YOU WILL LIVE A 110 YEARS MORE.

BY
PRIESTS OT THE SACRED HEART
ELURU

Best Wishes

We the community of Priests of the Sacred Heart, Eluru, want to wish Fr. Martin Van Oij, All the best on his 43rd Priestily Ordination day. We pray that God will bless you with all the Graces that you need in His ministry. We also wish you very good health of Body and Mind. We pray for you and for your Province and all the members of your family, who were generous enough to send you to India.

May the Good Lord bless you and keep you safe and fine.

By
SCJ Eluru

I have come to fulfill the law

Today Jesus invites us to tell us that he is not on earth, rather to fulfill the laws. And He says that who ever teaches the Word of the Lord to others would be considered as greate in the Kingdom Of God.
What is important here is that some misunderstanding could occure here. many times we see Jesus breaking the law. But now He says that He has come to fulfill the Law. Is it not contradictory? NO! Because very often Jesus broke the Law inoder to give more importance to human life and for the law of the Lord.

The important law of the Lord is to Love the Lord and to love each other. And anything that hinders us from doing it need to be broken and need to do in a more right way of Lord. So Today's Bible passage is a very much challenging invitation to all of us to see the laws of our time. How are we following the laws- of our religious house, national laws, political laws? How far others are benefiting because we keep the laws? All aspect need to look into. And need to love the Lord more deeply in this Lenten season. For this grace let us pray.
By
Sani Michael SCJ.

Exams are over

Dear ones,
It is with greate pleasure that we inform you all, Our exams all over today. And now our holidays begin from today. Our College will re-open on 16th June. So we want to thank you all for your constant prayer and support that we all recevied from you all, in this acadomic year 2005-2006.
By
SCJ Eluru
Theology Students.

It is in forgiving that we are forgiven

Today’s Gospel is about forgiveness. And Jesus gives us the parable about the unforgiving servant. Though his master forgives to him, he can’t forgive to his fellow man. It is interesting to hear the judgment of the master at first, sell your wife and children and all that you have and pay your debt. But hearing his plea his master forgives him.
What is it in our time? Are we able to forgive to our fellow human beings?
Just I want to tell you all one incident, which took place in Kerala just two years ago.
Early in the morning the sacristan came to the parish priest and says that he saw one dead body in the courtyard of the church. And they both went and confirmed that it was a murder. And they informed the police. In the investigation the police found out some pieces of cloths and one rosary and something that which belong to the parish priest. And the case was sent to the court. And court gave order to the bishop to judge the priest. And bishop gave order that since he is a newly ordained priest, he can continue as the priest. But never allowed to use his ministry outside his room. Daily he can celebrate just one Holy Mass in his room. By hearing the judgment the priest’s father died of heart attack. All his family rejected him. And he was in a small room living for death to come. Just after fifty years now one old couple comes for confession to him. And they confessed that they both are doctors and while they were trying to abort one child the lady died. And it was they who kept the dead body in the church courtyard. And the priest gave them forgiveness of sin. And they permitted this priest to mention about this to the diocese without mentioning their name. And diocese understood it and they permitted the priest to celebrate Holy Eucharist out side of his room and to exercise his priestly power. Just one week after this priest died.

My dear people, this happened, in Kerala, if I am not wrong just two years ago. How the priest could give them forgiveness of sins. Just think of his spoilt life, just in a room for 50 years. And now everything is becoming on right way. And he said that it was coming out of Calvary, to the glory of Resurrection. Yes forgiveness gives us this experience.

Lent is time to forgive everyone and to get forgiveness from everyone. Let us all forgive one another, for it is in forgiving that we are forgiven.

By
Sanil Michael SCJ

We are sorry for keeping this reflection of yesterday, in the publication of today. Since we all were under the fire of exams we could not do it. Hope that you all forgive us.

HappyFeast for you all

Though the feast of St. Joseph was yesterday, the Church celebrates it today. And he is one of the patrons of our Congregation. And so we the community of Eluru want to wish each one of you a very happy Feast day and all the blessings of it. For sure we do believe that God will give answer to all your prayers through the intercession of His Foster Father- St. Joseph.

For all the families that will read our blog, we have this simple prayer and message for you all. That is God will give you His strength and love for you to lead your family just as St. Joseph and Mary led their child - Child Jesus. And for sure this time of ours is a different time and we need the strength of the Lord, and we pray that Grace for you all through the intercession of St. Joseph.

By

SCJ Eluru community

Thou shall not make my Father’s House, a market place

Today the Gospel is about cleansing of the Temple. And we have a very idea from this passage. Today is also the 3rd Sunday of the Lent. Just let us examine our selves how far we have done with our spiritual work. Could we answer to the invitation of the Lent? Or what are the areas that we need to improve in us during this short time that is left for us before the celebration of the Easter.

Today’s reading invites to a historical event done by Jesus. That is the cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple. This has a realistic background. The temple of Jerusalem was divided into different section. The entrance was for poor people and sinners and the more inner side one go, one can see the people who were near to the Holy Sanctuary was considered as most holy people. Only priests could go the place called Holy of Holies.

And in the entrance of the temple were poor people were to come and worship is the place where the “trade” took place. And it is from here that Jesus sends out the traders. And where the Pharisees were angry at Him for doing it. The poor could not contribute to the temple enough amount of money, so the trade that which was outside the temple, now is introduced into the inside of the temple.
Just let us look into our churches today. What is happening? Where people are fighting of caste, color, religion, and so on? Even there are dioceses in India where people fought for the bishop of same caste, same rite and so on. How can we speak about the purity of our temples today? We need to look into ourselves and say what is within us about our churches?

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? Asks St: Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:16. And please look into our society what happens. We know about the abuse of the children in socially, politically, religious way, sexually also. How can speak about the purity of our own bodies. In India every year 20millon young and old ladies are introduced into prostitution says women Liberation Theology. And 2000cores of rupees is made in India through prostitution says one of the most leading magazine in India. Almost all the counties of the world has same story to tell us. It may not be in the same way as it is in India. So this cleaning of Temple has much meaning in our present society.

Whatever it may be that holds such ideas we need to fight against it and need to get Liberation. Even if we have to talk whip we need to take it. It may be for money, position, power or any such things. Let us shout: “ Thou shall not make my Father’s House, a market place”.
Amen.
BY
SANIL MICHAEL SCJ

happy Birthday

WE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF THE PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART, ELURU WANT TO WISH A VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DEAR FATHER (RECTOR OF THE HOUSE) KUS.
TODAY IS ALSO THE BIRTHDAY OF HIS MOTHER AND WE ALL PRAY FOR HER GOOD HEALTH AND GOOD SPIRIT IN SERVING THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY BY LEADING A HOLY LIFE AND PROMOTING ALL GOODNESS OF THE LORD IN HER WAY.

BOTH WE WISH A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND ALL THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD.

BY

PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART
ELURU.

Prayer in Preparation for the General Conference

Prayer in Preparation for the General Conference“Dehonians on Mission “ad gentes”

O God our FatherIn your great mercyYou sent your only Son Jesus Christ

As the sacrament of your love

And the savior of the world,
Raise up in your peopleMissionaries according to your heart;

Attentive to the cries of the world

In its thirst for peace and reconciliation

And eager to give their livesTo proclaim your Kingdom of justice and love

To the ends of the earth.
Send your spiritTo renew within our communities

The missionary fervor of your servant Fr DehonAnd our martyrs.

May Mary, luminary of the gospel proclamation

Inspire us with a readinessFor humble service to the church.
Amen

TAKEN FROM

WWW.DEHON.IT

the prodigal father

Today’s passage is about the prodigal father. When sinners and tax collectors were coming to Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes were angry at him. Why does he welcome the sinners to him? Why he is not keeping the standard of a Rabbi (Teacher)? Jesus understands their questioning and he says today’s parable to them.

Many things could be taken out and reflected from it.
One thing that impressed me from today’s reading is that of the mercy of the Father. Actually I feel that father is the “prodigal one”. Because he was ready to go out and welcome his son who comes after spending all his money with sinners and prostitutes. But the love of the father makes to look for his son.
What a love! Only we admire the generosity of the Father. And thank the son for coming back to such a loving father. The returning of the son would have added joy to himself and to all his family members (Only his elder brother was angry).

This parable is found only in the Gospel of Luke. And he might wanted to convey some special meaning or message to us all. That is the love of the father, who is waiting for his son to come back to his family. May the present situation of the family would be bad in our society and so it would be hard to understand about family itself. We need to understand it in a more loving and generous way of living. But never what I want to do. It is doing what is right good for me as well as for the society. So let us return to our families were we belong.
St. Augustine understood is more clearly that is why he said” Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in you (In your Family.)

By

SANIL MICHAEL SCJ

SECOND YEAR OF THEOLOGY STUDENT

ELURU

Today is the first day of the rest of our life

Today’s Parable is to each one of us. Jesus came to this world to save us all. But the rejection is something Jesus could not withstand. The prophets and saint all have the same message for all of us. And it to turn our hearts and minds into the way of the Lord. And even in the first reading we see that the brothers of Joseph were angry with him because their father loved him more than them. And that gives them matter for jealous and they treat him badly.

Lent is an invitation to turn our ways into the ways of the Lord. These forty days are time for us to look into ourselves and change our ways. And not just until the time of Easter, rather for a new way of living from now until our death. Not just in this Lenten time.

Because today is the first day of the rest of our life. So let us change our life and wait to resurrect with the risen Lord.

By
Sanil Michael SCJ.

Second year of Theology

Luke: 16: 19-31

Thursday, March 16, 2006Jeremiah: 17: 5-10 Luke: 16: 19-31

“Trust in God, but not in human beings.” “The wicked trust in human being and cursed. The just trust in the lord and assure God as their future”. Dear brothers in today’s first reading the Jeremiah observation on the human heart concludes with a declaration of doom for those who forsake God. Example: a person who accurse wealth unjustly can be corrupted mind in this way. This we see in today’s Gospel reading too. The parable or story that Jesus tells us in today's gospel reading is Avery difficult passage for most of us. It, along with the epistle lesson this morning, speak to us of the difficulty that some people have with wealth - with money - with accumulating stuff. In today's parable, the rich man crosses paths with poor Lazarus every day. He sees Lazarus waiting at the gate of the house. - The Dogs licking his sores. He waits for the servant to bring out the rich man's Breadcrumbs for him to eat. Indeed Lazarus longs for those crumbs. Even though - as was the custom in some places where water was Scarce and food abundant, the crumbs were used, instead of water, to clean one's hands with when the meal was done. It’s clear that the rich man knew about Lazarus. He refers to Lazarus by name, even after both of them has died. But notice something else: the rich man never speaks directly to Lazarus. Not Even from Hell where he is under torment. And when he is in Hell he still expects Lazarus to serve him: "Father Abraham," he calls out, "have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames." And then again, "Then, father, send him to my father's house - for I have five brothers - that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment." Even after the rich man undergoes the divine reversal of fates, he still hasn't changed how he treats Lazarus. It's as if the chasm that separated them after they died also existed when they lived. The rich man kept Lazarus at a distance. And now that he's in trouble, he expects Lazarus to cross that distance to help him. That’s quite the attitude - and quite the chasm. Now, none of us have a poor person at the end of our driveway waiting for the dirty crumbs from our tables This Story really has little to say to us when we have taken the first step toward becoming like the rich man. But as I said at the very beginning that today's gospel reading is a very difficult passage for most of us, it is so precisely also because it causes us to ask questions like: How am I like the rich man? - Who is it I ignore - or treat as less than fully human? - Who is our Lazarus? The one whom I regard as less than I am? That's not nice - especially not nice since we are aware that there is a lot of need out there, and since we are aware that we have only so much time, only so much money, only so much compassion.
The whole passage - given our context as a people who have so much more than 90% of the world's population - is distressing; even for those who share their time, give their money, and spend their compassion on the poor and needy within our town and indeed within our world community
Compared to most of the privileged people in the world, most if not all of you speak to those who have a different station in life. You do not regard street people as your inferiors or treat those on welfare as your servants. You do care about the poor of our community and of our world. So my dear friends; today,There is a chasm between those who love money and those who seek true riches, between those seek out the newest toys that our society is so desperate, and those who pursue righteousness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Remember how the Rich Man - even in hell - where he knows the truth of his lack of caring - still does not address Lazarus personally - how he still regards him as one who can be sent by others - as a servant to help him -rather than as one who has received his just reward from God? Those in love with money simply will not get the picture, if they do get it - they still end up wandering from the faith. So love God, feel comfortable - but also feel assured - for the one who rose from the dead has promised to help you and to forgive you - and he will be true to his promise - and he will guide you day by day as you continue to yield your life to him. He doesn't expect you to do everything for everyone -only to do everything you can - and to trust him for the rest if you make excuses for your lack of caring for others - instead of making amends if you cling to what you have rather than letting it go if you judge others less worthy because of their poverty and others as greater because of their riches then you will pay for it. God is forgiving - but God is not mocked To this I might add the Love of God - and loving our neighbors - as we love ourselves is the root of all goodness. “Blessed be the one who raised from the dead and who speaks to us now.And blessed are all those who hear his words and act upon them”. Amen

By

Jayaraj SCJ

Frist year Theology Studnet

Save me o lord in your steadfast love.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Save me o lord in your steadfast love.

Dear friends, today matahew’s gospel Jesus is going up to Jerusalem and moving gradually to his death. Tows of his disciples ask him if they can sit at his right and left hand in the kingdom. Jesus then asks if they can drink of the cup he is going to drink. Clearly, the disciples do not understand what the kingdom is about that they are called to serve, not to be served. They too are called to lay down their lives for others.

Reflection
Here Jesus is unthinkable for us he wedded authority with service and with the sacrifice of one’s life for the sake of another. Authority with out sacrificial love is brutish and self-serving. Jesus also used stark language to explain what kind of sacrifice he had in mind. His disciples must drink his cup if they expect to reign with him in his kingdom. The cup he had in mind was a bitter one involving crucifixion. What kind of cup does the lord have in mind for us? For some disciples such a cup entails physical suffering and the painful struggle of martyrdom. But for many it entails the long routine of the christen life, with all its daily sacrifice, disappointments, setbacks, struggles, and temptations. A disciple must be ready to lay down his or her life in martyrdom and be ready to lay it down each and every day in the little and big sacrifices required. And early church father summand up Jesus: teaching with the _expression; to serve is to reign with Christ We share in God’s reign by laying sown our live in humble service of one another as Jesus did for us sake. Are u ready to lay down your life and to serve others as Jesus did? So brothers think of it and meditate over.

Prayer;

Therefore whenever we invoke Gods blessing let us keep this prayer in our mind
“Lord Jesus, make me a servant of love for your kingdom, that I ma seek to serve rather than be served. Inflame my heart with love that I may give generously and serve joyfully for your sake”. Lord I pray that I may respond to your call and to surrender my life into our hands. In a world where we are encouraged to take control of our lives and to seek what we want and take it in your name.

written by
Bhaskar Reddyscj
First year theology Student.

Being mad with love of God

Today we celebrate the Birthday of our Belove founder- Father Leo John Dehon. And for sure it is a greate happy moment in the life of the congregation. We all thank God for the life of Fr. Dehon and his mission and founding of the Congregation and so many other things too.

I would like to mention one of his teachings to us.

In the death bed of St. Francis of Assissi, his followers came asked him to give some adivice for them. Let us do something for the Lord, let us begin it now onward....Said the saint. And it was indeed a greate surprise for all of them. Because this is a man who lived all his life for the Lord and His people. It is the man who threw his dress infront of the Bishop and said I have only One Father..... Now he says let us begin. Becuse it was a greate fire in him to do something for the Lord.

The same spirit we can see in the life of Fr. Dehon too. And that is what I would like to share with you all.

" The love of your heart must overflow....It seems that God is beside himself because of his overpowering love, and therefore we must not be afraid to be beside ourselves, being mad with love of God. Let us give ourselves completely and without reserve. Let us draw generousity from love. Let us come again to that wonderful gift that God has made of Himself and of His Son, and to the gift the Son has made of Himself for us, let us read and reread this book of love which love itself....."

HAPPY HOLI FOR YOU ALL

India is a land of verities and adventures. India is divided into different states. And almost all the states of India have got its won celebrations and feasts. But there are some particular celebrations that India celebrates as it own and one of the most important festivals is Holi and that is being celebrated these days. So we want to wish all our dear readers a very happy Holi and all the blessings of it.

This festival of joy, mirth and buoyancy is celebrated when both Man and Nature cast off their winter gloom. Holi heralds the arrival of Spring - the season of hope and new beginnings and marks the rekindling of the spirit of life. Gulmohurs, corals, silk-cottons and mango trees start flowering, gardens and parks present a glorious spectacle of a riot of colours - crimson, red, pink, orange, golden yellow, lemon and a variety of glittering greens. Men who remained indoors during the cold months of winter emerge out to see a new sparkling world of colour and gaiety. The flowers breathe out their fragrance into space and brooks and streams leap in the valleys, Men rejoice with brilliant light of day and the eloquent silence of night. And then the joy bubbling in their hearts find _expression in dance, drama and music. Holi also puts an end to the days of trials and tribulations for the poor who remained ill-clad and without adequate shelter during the chilling cold of the winter season.
Holi is one of the most ancient festivals of the Aryans which finds an honoured mention in our old Sanskrit texts like Dashakumar Charit and Garud Puran. Even the play "Ratnavali" written by Harshdev in 7th century contains a delightful description of Holi festival.
In those days Holi was celebrated as "Vasantotsav". Acclaiming it as a spring festival Mahakavi Kalidas has called it "MADANOTSAV". The famous Bhavbhooti in his play "Maltic-Madhav" mentioned that the King mingled with his subjects and shared the maddening merriment of Holi.
HAPPY HOLI TO YOU ALL
BY
PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART
ELURU.

HAPPY FEAST DAY FOR YOU ALL

FOR YOU ALL,WE THE COMMUNITY OF PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART WISH A VERY HAPPY FEAST OF FR. DEHON. AND ALL THE BLESSINGS FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR BELOVED ONES AND TO ALL WHOM YOU LOVE, THE INTERCESSION AND BLESSINGS THROUGH HIM.
BY
PRIESTS OF THE SACRD HEART
ELURU
14-03-2006

A VOICE FOR THE AUTHNTIC CHIRTIAN WAY OF LIFE

Jesus’ fasting and praying for forty days in the wilderness was a kind of preparation of himself to the mission that he was going to undertake. Through his living and teachings, he brought forth the ideal meaning of how to be a real Christian in the world. So the time he spent in prayer and in fasting helped him to be firm and ardent to follows god’s word. So this time of lent is also a kind of preparation of ourselves in order that we may ponder deeply the true values of Christ to live an authentically Christian life effectively.


Dear friends, as we are on the second week of lent, let us recall our conscience once again to see how we ourselves are now? How effective was the first week of lent for us? Were they the days went as usual bringing nothing new in us? How has been my life since the first week of lent. Is there any transformation-taking place in our selves? Finally are we responding properly to the effective grace of God?
The second of week of lent, as we know starts with the transfiguration of Jesus. If we wish to be transfigured by the grace of god then it is our need to leave our old self to be transfigured to live a new Christian life. In order to live a new Christian life, he gives certain tasks and principles. He tells us in the gospel to be compassionate, we god’s compassion concretized in the person of Christ, so the compassion brought by Jesus gets its fulfillment only when it is shared to others, in order to share we should have a heart like Christ that Compassion should come not out of our pockets but out of our heart. So far we may have the attitude of judging and condemn others, but in contrary to that attitude let us first judge ourselves, our deeds and words, and let us condemn our own wrong doings and closed ness to be open to the grace of god. Let us the leave the judgment to god alone. If we desire our words and deeds to be good and for good then the things will happen to us also be good. In this week, let us try to be compassionate, generous and merciful towards one another so that the words of Christ will become alive in us and so it may enable us to have a newness of Christian life in the days ahead.
WRITTEN
BY
VIMALA THIYAGARAJAN SCJ
FIRST YEAR THEOLOGY STUDNET
ELURU.

Thou shall not

There was Sufi monk living by collecting and selling the old articles and things. And people were bringing to him all the waste things and making to believe that they were precious and good. Though the monk knew that these people were cheating him he did not say anything against them. At last one day the monk died and he was taken to the door of Heaven and there the guardian angles took the book and read out all the sins he had committed in his life on the earth. “You monk have sinned like a monkey,” said the angel. What merit have got in your memory that we can make you to enter into the Kingdom; asked the Angle in charge of the gate. I have never hated anyone, I have never judged anyone from my heart and I have never cheated anyone too; said the monk. Who are we to judge a man who has never judged anybody. Cordial Welcome to our heavenly palace. And the doors were opened at sudden.

Let us not judge anyone and let us not go to see the mistake of others rather let us “ mia culpa, mia culpa, mia maxima culpa”………..

HAVE A HOLY LENT AND PRAYER TIME FOR YOU ALL
BY
SANIL MICHAEL SCJ
SECOND YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT.
ELURU

second sunday of Lent

Today’s first reading speaks how god works to create the world through Jesus Christ who is actually the word of the Father. Everything that God created was through his son, but even though God crated everything for the human beings, there was a gap between God and Man. Now the Question is who will fill that gap? Who will make a connection between Heaven and earth?
Jesus, who is a human person take three of his beloved disciples to reveal his divine form and to show a vision of heaven, and the vision was the transfiguration of jesus where the disciples also had a vision of Elijah and Moses who were talking with Jesus. Here we come across a person who has descended from heaven to fill the gap between Heaven and earth. Is it not really a communion of heaven and earth? Hasn’t Jesus made a connection between both the worlds?
Yes! It is he who made that connection and only he can make, it is because of God’s love for us, that is the reason that He send his only son so that we may also be holy.

My dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Is there any gap between God and us? Let us reflect on it, and who can fill that gap between God and us? Let us meditate over this. Do only one thing, let just open our hearts, because there is a man still continue to knock at our hears door, he is none other than our Jesus, he will the gap only he can fill the gap. Allow him to do that.
May God bless us all
With love and prayer

JijoVoyce

Second year Theology Student

SINCERE APPOLOGY

We, sincerely apologize to all our dear readers for not keeping today’s reflection. Since it was raining last night, there were some little problems with our internet and so we could not do in the morning and in the after noon since had our exams we were not able to do it. So I hope all of you forgive us for the inconvenience caused by the internet problem and our shot of time.
by
ELUR COMMUNITY

REFLECTION

Dear friends my reflections on the readings of the today are mainly focused on three aspects.

1. Jesus
2. Anger
3. Reconciliation

1. Jesus:- First let us look to Jesus, His way of teaching, whole section of Mt: 5: 20 -48, Jesus speaks with an authority which no other man had ever dreamed, all those who came in contact with Him amazed. Because the people heard and saw something new. For the highly educated and rich it may be words of hurting, but for the people who were hopeless and suffered injustice it was wards of light.

Let us come to ourselves what is the importance of Jesus words in our life today. Through the words, with the same authority He speaks to us today, we don’t need to look or go in search of His teachings but look at our day today life. In each moment of our life He speaks to us, only we have to open our inner ears to listen Him and to prepare ourselves to do our future ministry.

2. Anger:- Jesus’ teaching was something new for the people those who heard Him. He said that in god’s sight it was not only the man who committed murder who was guilty; the man who was angry with his brother was also guilty. It was not only the man who committed adultery who was guilty; the man who allows the unclean desire to settle in his heart was also guilty. We have never struck a man, but who can say that he never wished to strike a man? It may be that we have never committed adultery, but who can say that he has never experienced the desire for the forbidden thing? Here Jesus says to us, that thoughts are just as important as our deeds.

Let us think about ourselves how ourattitudes towards our brothers is. Jesus calls us today to have a personality like His. In some extent every man is a split personality. There is a part of him which is attracted to good, and part of him which is attracted to evil. If a man has these two, he experiences an inner battle. Our life is always a conflict between the demands of the passions and the control of the reason. So far as there is inner tension, life must be insecure. We must come out this, the only way Jesus says to us eradicate the desire for the forbidden thing for ever.

In our day to day life we come across with two kinds of anger. The first one is the anger which quickly blazes up and which just as quickly dies down, It is an anger which rises speedily and which just as speedily passes. We don’t need to go for an example outside we see everything in our community. The second one is long-lived anger, it is the anger over which a person broods and which he will not allow to die. This is also called selfish anger; Jesus condemns this kind of anger. Anger in a man’s heart and anger in a man’s speech are equally forbidden.

We can not say that we don’t get anger. We need to get anger certain times. Jesus was anger at injustice, sin, unbelief and the exploitation of others. Here also we must be aware that we get anger for the right reasons. When we look at our society there are many things to get angry, the injustice, the exploitation of the poor but we close our ears and mouth towards these evils. But for simple things we get angry very soon to our brothers. Dear friends this day what Jesus tells us really is to think about our way of dealing to the evils our society. We need to think about ourselves as we prepare ourselves to offer to the service of the people. Don’t get anger for the silly things but use our energy to do good for our people, to bring justice, and to build a good community. Anger is good if it brings good to others and to us, we should not be selfish. Our anger should not put down our brothers and sisters but our anger should be for the betterment of other person or for the society, to bring good to us all. Christ should be our model.

3. Reconciliation:- Readings of today bring us to the main point of this season. This season is given to us to check ourselves, our relationship with God and with our fellow beings. How is our relationship with our brothers? God tells me through the fruit of my meditation that first I need to get good relationship with my brothers those who are with me and with my family members. This time is given to me to strengthen my dealing with my brothers. Jesus also teaches how we should make reconciliation with others. It is not enough to say mere words of forgiveness. It is very easy to say some words, but we need to look deep into our hearts, how we forgive? How is involvement of our heart when we say forgiveness. Externally we show up with artificial smile but what is going on inside of us, what is our inner feeling?

We can not be right with God until we are right with men, those who are around us; we can not hope for forgiveness until we have confessed our sin, not only to God, but also to men. We sometime wonder why our prayers seem unavailing. The reason may well be that we ourselves have made, through keeping ill thinking against our brothers. We should not worship God before ensuring that we are right with fellow brothers. We may think that we have nothing wrong, but Jesus says that if we are aware a man has something against us we are to go to him to try to be reconciled. This shows that we understand the Christian faith is about reconciliation rather than empty ritual. Christianity involves the reconciliation of man to God and man to man.

Dear friends let us be aware of ourselves how we put in practice the words of Christ. As Christians first in our lives should reflect the reconciliation. Our example should be a way for others to be reconciled with the others. And also we are the persons who are responsible to give good understanding to the people. It should happen through our life, through our each dealing with others. Let us pray to Jesus who reconciled men to God and of man to man through the sacrifice of His own life. May the God give us a meaningful life. Let us pray in this Eucharist for the grace to a good model for others that through our lives many may reconcile to God and to man.

From,

CHRISTY PETER SCJ
FIRST YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT

So always treat others...............

“So always treat others, as you would like them to treat you”. [Mt: 7:12]
Here Jesus shows a way to live our life more meaningfully. Most of us want to lead a peaceful life; it is threatened only when the rhythm of our life goes wrong, there we loose our peace and joy of life. Here the cause for our problem is often the other and here the other becomes a hell for me. I am not able to love and respect the other. Man is called to be a social being and he has to lead a life in relation with the other but the base of our relation becomes a kind of formality and acting because he is not interested in the relation and the good of the other but since he is in need of his assistance man is acting as if he or she likes to make relationship with the other. Here there is no matter of genuine love but something hypocrisy or double face. Man is always in search of his own interests and pleasures in this attempt he forgets the other his neighbor. Here we can see ourselves as the part takers of Kurukshetra war in the Maha Bharatha, where the brothers are fighting for their authority and power they destroy each other. They forget every thing, their relation and friendship all become enemy to each other. They never think of helping each other but destroying. We are brothers in cxhrist and thus the sons of God but forgetting the facts we fight each other for our own selfishness and existence, other becomes a hell for me. No sharing no consideration but only myself.

Here we have to remember the teachings of jesus, he says to do to others as you would like them to do to you, he is asking us to see the other as the part of me and thus to make a good relation. Here he reminds the importance of the other, God created the entire Universe and we are the responsible for it, so in that way we are responsible for each other, so we have to help each other. It is not mere myself but the other also important.
As we are in this Lenten time let us give time to think about our life, am I living a life that is proper to the teachings of Christ, Christ denied himself and lived for the others thus he lived his life and the life of the others more meaningful. The baptism and the very call to lead a religious life make me another Christ and to live my life more meaningfully and fruitfully. If I am only bothered of me I will not be able to lead my life fully it will be only a half life an un completed life, because my life finds it’s fullness through the other and when one is able to accept the other he will be able to fulfill his life and thus the will of the Father who says to love your neighbor as your self. So this is the time to think and to change us for the betterment of our life.

“Let us live joyfully and let others to live joyfully”. God has given all the possibility for our better life and let us help each other and let us share each other thus let us bring the reign of God on the Earth. Let the doors of our hearts be opened for all and let us embrace each other with great love of God. Let us bend the knees of our hearts and bring a change within us and make our life a gift for the other.
Let us share and love each other. Mahatma Gandhi says God has given us sufficient for all but not sufficient for our greed…………so let us be generous and magnanimous in giving and helping those who are less privileged and left alone in the life…

FROM

BRO. MARTIN ANTONY SCJ

FIRST YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT

FIRST READING OF THE DAY

The last Wednesday, we started our Lenten season. And it is one week now. Here is time to pause of moment and look into ourselves, actually what happened to us during this one week. Did I improve something or am I in the same way as old. Then this junction is an invitation to change our mind, our heart or anything that is against the will of God. With this small introduction I invite you all as I invite myself to reflect about today’s word.

Today I would like to reflect with you all the first reading of the day. The reading is taken from the prophet Jonah 3: 1-10. This is the explanation about the prophet’s mission in the land where Yahweh sent him. After hesitating to go there, he is pushed by God to go there and proclaim the word of God. And he is there now.

Now the prophet goes on to the roads and proclaims the word of god. And all the people hear him. At last the news come the palace of king too. He heard about the disaster that God was about sent to Nineveh. So all of them call for fasting and penance. It is important to note that even the beasts were included in the fasting act of the people.

Some important phrases that caught my attention were “only forty days more”. Now in the modern time our Lenten time too is forty days only. And for sure this time is based on the teaching of the Bible. We see these “forty” is important in the lives of the people of Israel. They were forty years in the desert. In the proclamation of the prophet in today’s reading” only forty days”. The forty days of fasting of Jesus in the desert. And so the Lenten forty days too we need to be with the Lord.

How am I giving myself to the word of God in these forty days? How am I going to change myself in these forty days? These could be a helping question during this Lenten season.

Another point is “ All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might”. It is very important that these days of our lent we all call God with all our might. More clearly it is important to keep our personal prayer life more sharply. May in the duration of our “work”, our prayer life might have suffered. So this time is time of renewing and sharpening. I think repentance without prayer is not meaningful. Because turning towards God is the primary part of repentance.
“ Let everyone renounce his evil behavior and wicked things he had done”. The invitation of the lent is to turn away from our evil behavior. Most of the religious communities in all over world will agree with me that there exist a lot of evil behaviors of companions. I believe that is why one most famous founder and saint said,” community life is the living cross”(Intentionally I avoid mentioning the name of the person). So may be for many of the religious brothers and sisters (fathers are also included) to turn away from their “evil ways” and start to love one another and make a beautiful community. Same with the married life too. Many of the marriages end up in misery because of the evil doing of the husband or wife. And all the bad habits come to the children. If we look into the history we have very many examples for it. For example I would like to bring Hitler, whose father was a very stubborn and mother was physically and mentally handicapped. So when he became the ruler Hitler also became very cruel and stubborn. And he gave order to kill all the people who are mentally and physically challenged. Actually this came to him from his family. The family of Martin Luther is another example for it. Where his father was very hard task man. So he also brought the idea of faith into the Theology. Only faith can save. This idea actually comes from the family back ground of his. So all need to take away all the evil (any kind of bad behaviors) and give good examples to the children as well as in the religious communities too.
One another part in this sentence is wicked things. In the ancient Israel, wicked things meant going after different kinds of gods. May be in our time too we might be going after different kinds of gods. This Lenten season is a time of reflection and silence to look after each of our gods too. Who is my dear god? Is my TV Program? Is it my computer? Or what is my real passion for? So just let us repent and come back to the way of the Lord. For sure He is full of mercy and compassion and He will see our heart and will reward to each one. So let us do our best then God will do the rest.
By
Sanil Michael SCJ
Second year of Theology Student.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

THE LORD’S PRAYER
(Mt 6:9-13)

Today’s gospel reading speaks to us the importance of Prayer. Prayer is the breath and food of our spiritual journey. When we want to travel to some where we always prepare ourselves and make sure that the things which are needed for the journey. Same way we have to make sure that our spiritual journey is also well prepared. To prepare ourselves for the spiritual journey ‘The Lord’s Prayer is the best one.
This prayer was taught by Jesus Himself. This prayer brings into us a kind of personal relationship with God. By this prayer we are able to call God as our Father. Until this prayer was taught by Jesus the concept of the Lord was one who stays away from the people. But by calling him Our Father He becomes very near to us. This intimate union is the prayer. As children of Him our prime duty is to glorify Him.
Today if we look into the world we can see only people looking for a world of theirs to come. But as a Christian who wants to follow Christ we have to look for his kingdom. His kingdom is a place of joy, peace, equality, justice and so on. Now the time has come to make His kingdom here on earth. The Lenten season is a time to build up His kingdom. No one can start to build some thing without having the material that are necessary for the house, same way we have to well equipped to build His kingdom. For this reason we have to be people who practice all the kingdom values.
We also pray that Thy Will be done. But how far we are able to look for His Will. As human beings we may always turn into our ‘will’ to be done and proclaim that it is God’s Will. Now as the evangelist says it is time to repent from our own self motivate wills to the Will of Him who created us in His own image to be with Him and to do His Will.
Food is for health, but it has got a limit. The more we eat it un- necessarily the less it help us to have a good health instead it may would give us a weak and ill healthy body. So build up a nature of sharing with the needy. We are assured of our daily food from Him, but He also has given us more in order that we may be His children who share and live in harmony. But His children are fighting to grab as much as possible from the other. Let turn and look into our own self and examine whether I am able to live a life of harmony and peace, if not I have something within my heart that prevents me from His love.
Forgiveness is one of the greatest gift and virtue that the Lord has given t us to live a life of peace and harmony. This virtue does not come to us naturally, but rather it comes to us by daily practicing it in our day today life. It is easy to say that you have to forgive others, but when it comes into our own life we feel its difficulty. Forgiveness always asks us to forget the hurting incidents that happened in our life. But we cannot forget the experience that happened in our life. So we remain always with a feeling of anger towards other fellow beings. But Christ taught us the virtue of forgiveness through His life that he forgave the people who persecuted and crucified Him on the cross. So that the prayer asks us to build up a mentality of mercy towards the other.
Temptation is the partner of human beings. We can never avoid temptations from our life, but we have got the power to resist the temptations that which, may take us away from Him .If a man is not tempted by any thing then he/she is not human. Let us try to turn our temptation a positive one from Him so that we may be strong in faith to Him.
Prayer: Lord Jesus helps me to understand your Will and bless me to be faithful to you until I come –back to You. Let also allow growing the seed of ‘Word’ in me to find what You want of me.

From

Bro. Chittilapilly Vinod Thomas SCJ.

THIRD YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT.

Matthew 25:31-46

“As you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me”
Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus’ parable about goats and sheep must have amused and surprised his audience. Goats and sheep shared the same grazing ground during the day, but had to be separated at night. Goats were less docile and more restless than sheep. They came to symbolize evil and the expression scapegoat has become a common expression for someone bearing blame for others. (Leviticus 26:20-22)Separation is an inevitable consequence of sin and judgment. The Day of Judgment will reveal who showed true compassion and mercy toward their neighbor. Today’s readings are telling that god will judge our actions of mercy and will separate us as sheep and goats are separated. In the same way he will separate us. By saying the brethren, he doesn’t mean only the Israelites but by this he is meaning all humanity. He judges the humanity by the acts of their mercy as righteous or not.
This parable is similar to the parable about Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man, who let Lazarus die on his doorstep, was doomed to crave for drops of cold water he had not thought of giving to the poor man. When Martin of Tours (who lived in the 4th century), a young Roman soldier and seeker of the Christian faith, met an unclothed man begging for alms in the freezing cold, he stopped and cut his coat in two and gave half to the stranger. That night he dreamt he saw the heavenly court with Jesus robed in a torn cloak. One of the angels present asked, "Master, why do you wear that battered cloak?" Jesus replied, "My servant Martin gave it to me." Martin’s disciple and biographer Sulpicius Severus states that as a consequence of this vision Martin “flew to be baptized.” God is gracious and merciful; his love compels us to treat others with mercy and kindness. When we do something for one of Christ's little ones, we do it for Christ himself. Do you treat your neighbor with mercy and love as Christ has treated you?
"Lord Jesus, be the Master and Ruler of my heart. May your love rule in my heart that I may only think and act with charity towards all.” So today the lord is inviting all of us to commit our self for the purpose that we are called, and to respond to the call that each of us are called. As the stopped watch is correct twice a day, all which is created by God is something worth to be admired and respected, especially the human beings. So dear brothers let us love one another as god has loved us.

By

DHARMA RAJ SCJ

FIRST YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT.

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

First Sunday of Lent
Reflection on today’s readings:
Gen, 9:8-15
1Pet, 3:18-22
Mk, 1:12-15

A sinner is called no more a sinner when he repents and receives blessings from the Lord. When we look into to days readings we clearly understand how to be strong and faithful to the Lord, without loosing. We see in first reading the covenant made by the God himself to the Noah and all the descendants of him. By seeing the wickedness of the mankind he sent rain on the people to wahaway and to kill everybody except whom god sees as a righteous people. Among them are Noah and his descendants. He made a great destruction by sending flood over the people; he wants to perish all those who are living with crooked ways and wrong ways. By seeing their wickedness God himself was sorry that he has made mankind on the earth which we find in Gen, 5:6.Their hearts were filled with evil ways, so god sent a great flood on the earth. After saving the life of the Noah and his descendants, he says there shall not be any more destruction on the earth, so the people began to be good the Lord.
When we look in the second reading, St.Peter is encouraging the people to put and have hope in the Lord, whom the god the father send to save the mankind, we saw in the first reading that god destroyed and made covenant with the Noah and his descendants, now when god saw the people sinning again and again, so he sent his only son. He suffered, died and rose again and brought salvation to all the mankind. It gives hope for all the faithful that, he died only in the flesh but in the spirit he is alive. So, it gives hope for the faithful to have hope in him. Since we are human beings, and limited beings, we tend to sin again and again, so it is the lord who gave us salvation, by putting himself on the cross.
In the gospel we find that not only human even the Lord also put to the temptation. He was put in temptation by the Satan three times. We see wherever there is good, there will be evil too, but the thing Jesus shows us here is not to fall in temptation, that is why we always pray in the prayer of Jesus, do not allow us to fall into temptations. Here when Jesus was asked to change the stones into bread and eat, if you are the son of god. Jesus replied man cannot live by bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of the person. The second temptation is asking him to worship, so that he will be given the authority over the earth. Jesus brings the first commandment that you worship the Lord alone, no other. The third temptation is to jump from the hill, so that your angels will come and carry you into the kingdom of heaven and you will be saved. Though Jesus was tempted he did not fall in his temptation. After fasting for forty days he could have made the stones into bread and eat but it is the will of His father made him to send away the Satan. But let us see ourselves in this lent season, how we are living our life? Are we doing according the will of the Lord, as He did according to His father? It is a great and good time for us to repent our sins and get blessings from the Lord, so that we also live according to the will of the Father and follow the lord more closely. So let this time of lent be a miracle in our life to have conversion and change to live our life fully according to Christ Jesus. Amen.

From,

JOJAPPA K SCJ

FIRST YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT

GOD SPEAKS

Today’s reading is taken from a passage, which deals with the question of fasting. The prophet however, emphasizes that merely external worship-such as by fasting –of itself does not avail with God. it must be joined to internal sincerity. What the Lord most desires is not external act of fasting but kindness and sense of justice.

The prophesy reminds us of the missionary dimension of lent, during which the church with a fresh burst of energy, commits itself to announce the good news to all the nations, to all human beings for whom Jesus died and rose from the dead, Jesus whom we all must follow carrying our own crosses each day. We should not have hesitation on the meaning of lent and its works to which the church calls the faithful. We must commit ourselves to the service of the poor in order to establish a more just world. Behind all asceticism, fasting, self-renunciation, all animated by prayer have their motive and aim in exercise of charity.

The oracle also concludes with a few lines on the sanctification of the Lord’s Day. The prophet reminds of our obligation to worship. The emphasis is placed on actions.

Jesus gave us the example of the sanctification of the Lord’s Day by works of mercy. The gospel records several cures accomplished on the Sabbath in the synagogue. To those reproached him, Jesus one day went so far as to say ‘the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’ (Mark 2:27).

In the Gospel of today Jesus says, “those who are healthy do not need a physician but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” a doctor doesn’t need to visit healthy people; insisted he goes to those who are sick. Jesus like wise sought those in the greatest need. A true physician seeks healing of the whole person-body, mind, and spirit. Jesus came as the divine physician and good shepherd to care for his people and to restore them to wholeness of life. But he leaders of the Jews people were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed the greatest care. Jesus statement is a word of revelation regarding himself and mission that his father had given him. It also clearly gives the idea of the mission of the church and the disciples.

One day Job went into his office early, just as he had done the previous 4days of the week. He had worked about 50 hours a week for the past two to three months. He had a good job, enjoyed the little time he with his children and loved his wife dearly. On that day when he went to the office he sat down and faced his computer monitor, but suddenly felt very empty. He asked himself what am I doing here? What’s the purpose of my life?

On that same morning a women was praying far distance. She felt especially led by the spirit to pray, so that the Lord would touch someone who is feeling empty and alone. She spent the next ten minutes praying that the lonely would be open to God’s mercy and love. At the same time without her knowledge Job broke down and began to weep. He realized that he had been pursuing things that really did not matter. He began to ask god to help him.

There are probably countless ‘Job’s’ in the world today. In present society in their own way each of them I experience a form of life “in the desert”. It could be we our selves. Yet Jesus wants to come to them as well as to us to bring a new life. Jesus as he came to Levi and turned his life around, Jesus wants to come to everyone who has immersed themselves in the world, He wants to offer us a way out.

Here we need to ask question: Are we interceding for others? Are we asking the Lord to go to those in the ‘desert’ of emptiness and loneliness?

Through the story of Levi and his household feast, Jesus does not reject those whose lives are consumed by the world, rather, he wants to sit down with them, share his heart with them, and give them a glimpse of what their lives can be like if they turned to him.

From

HRUDAYRAJ SCJ

FIRST YEAR THOELOGY STUDENT

No one falls in love by choice, it is by CHANCE.
No one stays in love by chance, it is by WORK.
And no one falls out of love by chance, it is by CHOICE

And I chose this man(JESUS)
And I work for this man(JESUS)
And I love this man(JESUS)

WHAT ABOUT YOU?


FROM
SANIL MICHAEL SCJ
SECOND YEAR OF THEOLOGY STUDENT

FIRST FRIDAY OF LENT

FIRST FRIDAY OF LENT

ISAIAH (58; 1-9)
MATTHEW (9; 14-15)

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WE ARE ALREADY ENTERED INTO THE SEASON OF LENT FEW DAYS BACK AND WE ARE REALLLY AND WITH FULL CONCIOUS HEART AND MIND HAVE TAKEN OUR OWN RESOLLUTIONS FOR THIS SPECIAL PERIOD OF LENTEN SEASON, WHICH IS SO PRECIOUS AND DEAR TO US IN ORDER THAT IF YOU WANT MAKE YOUR SELF MORE AND MORE DEAR AND CLOSER TO THE LORD OUR SAVIOUR.

THE READINGS OF THE DAY SUGGESTS TO EACH ONE OF US THE PRIMARY DUTIES OF US TO BE FULLFILLED IN THIS TIME OF LENT, WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE AS CHRISTIANS HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO KEEP OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD, THROUGH OUR CONCERN AND LOVE FOR HIM AND FOR THE POOR WE HAVE IN AND AROUND US. THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY REMINDS ONCE AGAIN HOW WE OUGHT TO MAKE OUR LENTEN SEASON MORE FRUIT FULL BY FOLLOWING THE RESOLLUTIONS OF OURS INDIVIDUALLY AND AT THE SAME TIME WITH OUR ACTS OF OBSINANCE AND FASTING, REMEMBERING THE PASSION AND DEATH OF THE LORD FOR THE EXPIATION OF ALL OUR SINS.

GOSPEL READING IS VERY APT FOR THIS SEASON OF LENT WHICH CAN MAKE OUR LIVES FROM MAR STATE OF LIFE. OUR LORD ANSWERS IN THE GOSPEL TODAY TO THE PHARASIES QUESTION WHY DON’T YOUR DISCIPLES DO NOT FAST WHILE WE AND THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN DO FAST? THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THE BRIDEGROOM IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM THEN THEY WILL FAST (MATTHEW: 9:15).AND NOW WE ARE AT THE DOOR OF THE HOUSE WHILE JESUS IS GOING TO BE AWAY FROM US, AND THIS IS THE TIME OF WHICH JESUS IS SPEAKING IN THE GOSPEL AND WE HAVE TO FAST MATERIALLY, PHISICALLY, MORE AND MORE SPIRITUALLY.

HENCE DEAREST LOVED ONES LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER AND FAST FOR THE LOVE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE LORD, SHARE OUR PAINS, SUFFERINGS AND BARRIERS WITH THE LORD AND LET US ALSO BE MIND FULL OF OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS OF THIS SEASON NOT JUST MERE FAST OF FOOD BUT THE OVER ALL FAST FOR OUR SINS AND LET US BE UNITED WITH OUR LORD DURING THIS WHOLE SEASON OF LENT AND GET ABOUNDANT GRACES FROM THE LORD.

THEREFORE LET US THEN WITH GENUINITY OF THOUGHT, SINCERITY OF HEART AND TOGETHER WITH CONVINCED ACTIVITY OF OURSELVES MARCH FORWARD TOWARDS THE LORD WITH FASTING, PRAYING AND TOGETHER WITH THE GOOD DISPOSITION OF OUR HEART TAKE PART IN THE SUFFERINGS OF THE LORD TODAY IN THE WAY OF THE CROSS WE TAKE PART.

SHARED BY

BRO.SUNDER RAJ MALLAVARAPU SCJ.

FIRST YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT

TO BE A MODERN MESSIAH OF CHRIST

The first verse of the gospel of St. Luke presents the pronouncement of Jesus about his messianic secret. It is the inner revelaing of Christ who had to undertake the great suffering for our sake. The purposive ness of his coming was much in contrary to the expectation of the people at that time. The suffering that Jesus had to go is not a minute’s but for hours and hours for the redemption of this sinful world that people of that time would not imagine that their saviour would undergo sufferings to redeem them. Does not the salvation history of Christ seem strange that the messiah, the Son of God going to suffer in the human hands? That is to state that god’s ways are always unknown to man, our humanness cannot comprehend god’s likeness, because God cannot be the God of what a man expects that a God should be.

Later, we Jesus giving the open invitation to all of us during this time of lent, an open challenge put before by Christ to all who want to be his followers. He stresses the need to let go off our self –glorification such as I, ME, MINE, MYSELF and so on. If we want to be his followers then let our self-centeredness should be buried in the other centeredness of Christ and our attitude of indifference and selfishness should be crucified in the generous heart of Christ.let us loose ourselves in christ to have life in him.

Today, I see Jesus placing before me his own self and the world. He calls upon my discernment to choose whether to follow him or to follow my own self-attachments and selfish motives. I see Jesus standing on one side and the other side the world, (with its things of power, pleasure, authority, publicity, recognition and so on) standing. Now it is my choice to decide on which side I would stand. Do I want to stand at the side of Christ, to follow him in his suffering, to be a man for others, to be a man of god, to suffer one with Christ? Or do I want to stand on the side of the world to just remain as a mere spectator to the sufferings of others, only seeking self –glory and self-security, untouched and unmoved by the agony of others. Let us with one heart feel the invitation and call of Christ to stand by him inorder to be modern messiahs in this present world. A man who lives for himself lives never; a man who lives for others lives forever. Let us continue live in the heart of Christ who lived for others, for he is the way, the truth and the life.

BRO. S.VIMALA THIYAGARAJAN

ASH WEDNESDAY
Joel: 2:12-18
2cor. 5:20-6:2
Mt: 6:1-6.16-18

God’s longing

Once again the Ash Wednesday, we rush to the churches to receive ashes. We hear the word repentance, which fires our hearts to renew our life in relationship with Jesus. The Lenten season invite us to fast, pray and give alms. We are so sincere to keep all these because we love the person Jesus and we long for him to be in our life journey. Lent is a way to place ourselves before God humbled, bringing in our hands no price whereby we can ourselves purchase our salvation. It is a way to confess our total inadequacy before God, to strip ourselves bare of all pretenses to righteousness, to come before God in dust and ashes. It is a way to empty ourselves of our false pride, of our rationalizations that prevent us from seeing ourselves as needy creatures, of our "perfectionist" tendencies that blind us to the beam in our own eyes.
God’s longing is deeper than all of our longing. My struggling brothers and sisters must be consoled and treated justly. This must be the real meaning of my longing for God by the way of fasting, praying and alms giving. When there is a call to go back to God, there is a call to turn to my neighbors, whom I may know – I may not know – but God knows. God longs us to be found in their midst, because God is with these needy, he wants to love everyone equally. Christ’s presence among the poor is not to condemn the rich but to condemn the dignity of rich who possess.
Through prayer that gives up self, we seek to open ourselves up before God, and to hear anew the call "Come unto me!" We seek to recognize and respond afresh to God’s presence in our lives and in our world. We seek to place our needs, our fears, our failures, our hopes, our very lives in God’s hands, again. And we seek by abandoning ourselves in Jesus’ death to recognize again who God is, to allow His transforming grace to work in us once more and to come to worship Him on Easter Sunday with a fresh victory and hope that goes beyond the new clothes, the spring flowers, and the happy music.
What kind of fasting God expecting form us? It’s a fasting that corresponds to Gods longing, that’s realizing those bound unjustly, carrying the yoke of hunger, homelessness, nakedness etc. Let us identify Gods love in our life. He has created us a new through Jesus Christ that as St. Paul says while we were still sinners Christ died for us and brought us a new life, so that we are new children of our heavenly father. If he has loved us we must share the love with another. Jesus has shown us his loving kindness let us then pass it on to and fellow men and not to keep it for ourselves, for love is only when it is given away. As the song in the sound of music states:
A bell isn’t a bell, until you ring it
A song isn’t a song until you sing it
Love isn’t put in the heart to say:
Love is given, to be given away.
So as John of the cross tells us let us put our love where thee is no love and we will find love. In this way we will not only become loving person but love itself like God who is love. With this in mind let us start our lent season - longing for Gods love – Who is waiting for us to give his love.

Written By

BRO. RINU JOSE SCJ

FIRST YEAR THEOLOGY STUDENT.