30 December 2014 - GOSPEL LK 2:36-40

GOSPEL LK 2:36-40 Mary said:

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, v heard abt d aged prophetess - Anna. The whole mankind - male & female, is represented by Simeon & Anna who came to pay their adoration to Christ.

Anna was a widow & a prophetess. When she recognized d long-awaited Messiah, she gave thanks to God & began to speak abt Him to others who looked forward to His coming.

When God reveals His truths to us, v must first give Him praise & then speak abt Him to others. When Christ reveals Himself to us, v must reveal Him to others.

V all hv opportunities to speak abt Jesus to those who r awaiting their Redeemer. Is there any1 in our family who is in anguish, longing for deliverance frm their troubles?

Every time v open our mouths, v have a decision to make. V can either speak good news or curses; encouragement or complaints. It is nt difficult to b God's prophet. All it takes is a desire to help. V hv good news to share!

V don't hv to b theologians to share it. V just need to get in touch wt our own day-to-day need for d Savior, v can compassionately recognize the needs of others & respond wt d comforting words that reveal Jesus' saving power.

Jesus loves u. Hv a gr8 day wt Jesus. God bless. 30/12/2014.

💐 💙 Wt love..... Fr Robin, Powai 💙 💐

29 December 2014 - GOSPEL LK 2:22-35

GOSPEL LK 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

"Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel."

The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

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Reflection:

In today's Gospel, v heard abt d presentation of d Lord in d Temple & d purification of Mary. Joseph & Mary went to d Temple to fulfill d requirement of d Law.

Acc. to d book of Exodus, the Lord commanded, "Consecrate to me all d firdtborn, whatevr is d first to open d womb d Israelite of human beings & animals is mine (13:1)."

When God slew d firstborn of d Egyptians, He saved d firstborn of d Israelites. Therefore, d firstborn of d Israelites belonged to d Lord & they had to spend their life in d service of d Lord.

Acc. to d book of Leviticus, "If a woman conceived & bore a male child, she shall b ceremonially unclean 7 days (12:2), b4 d circumcision of d male child & 33 days after it.

During these 40 days, she was nt supposed to go to d sanctuary. After 40 days she could purify herself by offering to d priest at d door of d Temple d offering of a lamb, & a young pigeon or a dove.

The conception & birth of Jesus did nt defile Mary as other women r by their children. Bt to show the obedience of d Lord Jesus to d Law bz He was born under d Law. Mary & Jesus had nothing to cleanse themselves bt still they submitted themselves to d rite of purification in order to obey d Law.

V must also present & offer our children & ourselves to d Lord both to thank Him for His mercies & to cleanse ourselves frm d stain of sin.

Jesus loves u. Hv a blessed week wt Jesus. God bless.

💐💙 Wt love..... Fr Robin, Powai 💙💐

27 December 2014 - Gospel: John 20:2-8

The Feast of St John, The Apostle, The Evangelist

Gospel: John 20:2-8

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put him." So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.

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Reflection:

Today, v celebrate d feast of St. John d apostle & evangelist. John & his elder brother James - both fishermen - were followers of John d Baptist until Jesus called them to b His disciples.

In the Gospels, v read of John being among d 3 disciples closest to Jesus & present at important events in Jesus' ministry. This is perhaps y d Gospel according to John presents nt so much d parables (found in Mathew, Mark and Luke) but deep insights thru d teachings & signs of Jesus.

John illustrates hw pple thru their encounter wt Jesus, move frm ignorance to discovery of who He truly is!

Like John, may v too share our God-experience, communicating the Good News to pple in a manner they understand best.

Jesus loves u. Happy Feast. Hv a gr8 weekend wt Jesus. God bless.

💐 💙 Wt Love...... Fr Robin, Powai 💙

24 December 2014 — GOSPEL LK 1:67-79

GOSPEL LK 1:67-79

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."

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Reflection:

In today's Gospel, v heard abt d song of Zechariah - the Benedictus. Zechariah sings praises of God for visiting His pple & once again working out their redemption thru Jesus d Messiah.

The Gospel is d great hymn Benedictus (meaning 'Blessed' frm its opening word in Latin). St Luke puts it into d mouth of Zechariah, d husband of Elizabeth & father of d newly born John the Baptist.
For doubting the word of the angel, Zechariah had been struck dumb but when, at the circumcision of his son, he confirmed that the boy's name wd b John, he recovered his speech & broke out into this song of praise.
Zechariah praises & blesses God bz He has sent Jesus to redeem His pple, has fulfilled His promise & sent John to prepare d way for Christ. God has made us new thru d birth of His Son, Jesus.

Let us all understand d true meaning of Christmas & welcome Christ Jesus, d Prince of peace in our lives wt a gr8 joy.

Jesus loves u. Hv a 1dful day wt Jesus. God bless.

💐 💙 Wt Love.... Fr Robin, Powai 💙 💐

Mary's acclamation

"My soul magnifies the Lord". How powerful is this statement. How much depth is there to this sentence.

Obviously she was overcome by the Holy Spirit when she said this.  The word magnifies, means increase in size or volume.
She set forth a direct equation between the soul and the Lord.  The soul seems to be the channel for the Lord, allowing magnification of the Lords power.

22 December 2014 — GOSPEL LK 1:46-56

Monday of the 4th Week of Advent

GOSPEL LK 1:46-56

Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever." Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

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Reflection:

The motherhood of Hannah (In today's 1st Reading), Elizabeth & Mother Mary is purely a gift frm God & they hv every reason to give voice to their gratitude to d Almighty God who does marvels in their lives.

In today's Gospel, v heard abt Mary's beautiful song of praise ("The Magnificat"). At d Annunciation of our Lord Jesus, Mary was disturbed, yet she was filled wt joy, bz she enjoyed d favor of d Lord. She said, "My soul magnifies the Lord & my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." How great was Mary's faith!

From this song of praise v learn that v shd thank & praise God in all d circumstances. Our God is loving & merciful and is known to lift up d lowly, look upon d humble & fills the hungry with good things.

He fed d poor Israelites, when they were hungry, with manna. Bt it is another sort of hunger which Jesus delights to satisfy. "Blessed are those who hunger & thirst after righteousness & they shall b filled (Mt 5:6)." Such hungry souls shall never b sent empty away.

If a beggar is sent empty away from 1 house, he can go to another; bt if God were to send us empty away & refuse to give us everlasting life, there is nobody to whom v can go.

Will He send us empty away? No, He will nt. He knows what v need in our lives. Let us thank God for all d 1dful things He has done in our lives & go to Him wt lowly hearts, accepting our unworthiness & confessing our sins, and He will never send us "empty away."

Jesus loves u. Enjoy ur week ahead wt Jesus. God bless.

💐 💙 Wt Love..... Fr Robin, Powai 💙 💐

GOD Is EverYthIng But ChAoS!!!

God works in mysterious ways. He has a reason for all creation and that's what the scientists have been finding out or at least trying to theorize them. 

Every time they discover to an amazement they name the discovery and claim the reasons for it.  What they fail to realize is that God intended it to be that way and what they just found out is how it was already planned.

GOD by nature is not chaos and we just don't see it because of the sheer complexities.

20 December 2014 — GOSPEL LK 1:26-38

Hi. GM

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Advent

GOSPEL LK 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection:

God Himself takes d initiative to give a sign and He affirms that d sign that is given will reveal both His power & love. And d best sign is d conception of our Lord Jesus Christ by a virgin.

She wd bear a son, who will b d presence of God amidst d pple. The sign v know has bcm a reality in d person of Mary, who hearing d divine plan, entrusts herself to God & to d power if God's Spirit.

Mother Mary's 'Yes' to God's plan has brought d salvation to d humanity. Inspite of going thru difficult situations, Mother Mary held fast to God's will & remained faithful to God's call.

Hw do v respond to God's call???

Let us all respond in 1 voice d words of Mother Mary, "I m d handmaid of d Lord, let it b done according to me."

Jesus loves u. Hv a 1dful weekend wt Jesus. God bless.

💐 💙 Wt love.....Fr Robin Fargose, Powai 💙💐

17 December 2014— GOSPEL MT 1:1-17

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 1:1-17

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.

Reflection:

A genealogy is a list of a person's ancestor, showing their family tree. They may b boring usually not very interesting. They list name after name of pple that r mostly forgotten wt d rare name.

But in general, they r pple that v hv never heard of, bt they r d ones who r very important pple in d family history.

Matthew opens his gospel with a list of names tells us that he feels this is something important, something worth listening to. If v understand the Jewish people, in Jesus day, & today, v know that family trees were very important.

A persons lineage gave them certain rights and responsibilities. Land was owned by families and passed along the family tree, so knowing your ancestors was like owning a title deed.

To the descendant's of David a promise was given that an eternal king wd b drawn from their ranks. And that is our Messiah - Lord Jesus Christ.

V too belong to Jesus & realize our salvation in & thru Him.

Jesus loves u. Hv a gr8 day wt Jesus. God bless.

16 December 2014— GOSPEL MT 21:28-32

Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' The son said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."

Reflection:

Today's Gospel parable is abt a man wt 2 sons who told them to go work in d vineyard. The 1st son refused, bt later obeyed & went. The 2nd son initially expressed obedience, bt actually disobeyed & refused to work in d vineyard.

The son who ultimately did d will of his father was d 1st son bz he eventually obeyed. Jesus compares d 1st son wt tax collectors & prostitutes - outcasts of Jewish society, bz they believed John the Baptist & accepted "the way of righteousness" in spite of their initial disobedience to d Law.

Thru this parable, Jesus wanted to teach d chief priests & d elders that to enter d Kingdom of God, one must repent, believe & do God's will.

God calls us to hear His Word & do His will to repent of our sinful ways & start a new life.

May v always, thru d grace of God, repent, believe & do His will in our lives. Amen.

Jesus loves u. Hv a blessed day wt Jesus. God bless.
Wt love...... Fr Robin Fargose, Powai.

15 December 2014— GOSPEL MT 21:23-27

Monday of the 3rd Week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 21:23-27

When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?" Jesus said to them in reply, "I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John's baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?" They discussed this among themselves and said, "If we say 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet." So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know." He himself said to them, "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, when Jesus entered d temple, d chief priests & d elders began to question His authority. Bz they wanted to know d source of Jesus' authority.

The chief priests & d elders were upset bz acc. to them Jesus was acting on His authority. So they stand against Jesus in judgment bz they were jealous of Jesus & wanted to trap Him.

Authority lies at d heart of every individual. When v r in authority, sometimes v think that d whole world is under our feet. V feel jealous when somebody else is made incharge & this is what v see in today's Gospel.

Let us ask ourselves, wt authority v act at home, at our work place??????????????
Am I using my authority wt responsibility??????????? Or
Am I using it to dominate others???????????????????????

Jesus loves u. Hv a gr8 week wt Jesus. God bless.

13 December 2014— Gospel: St Mt 17:9a,10-13

Saturday of the 2nd Week of Advent

The Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin & Martyr

Gospel: St Mt 17:9a,10-13

9a. And as they were coming down the mountain 10. the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must come?" 11. He replied, "Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things; 12. but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands." 13. Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, as d disciples came down frm d mountain of Transfiguration, they asked Jesus abt d return of Prophet Elijah.

Prophet Elijah never died. As he was walking & talking wt his disciple & successor Elisha, he was separated frm him by a chariot of fire & horses of fire & taken up into heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).

The Jews generally expected d public appearance of Elijah b4 d comg of d Messiah. The appearance of Elijah, they believed, wd signal d comg of d Messiah.

Prophet Elijah appeared in d spirit of John the Baptist, bt d pple didnt recognise him.

Today's Gospel passage poses a question b4 us:

Do v believe in d prophets & their work, specially John the Baptist?????

If nt then hw wd v believe in d Messiah????????????????

Jesus loves u. Hv a fantastic weekend. God bless.
Fr Robin Fargose, Powai

Our Lady, Patron of children

12 December 2014— GOSPEL LK 1:26-38

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

GOSPEL LK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection:

Indeed, we have every reason, like Mary, to proclaim the greatness of God. Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: share this beautiful story with your family and friends; let them know of the miracles that take place through Mary's intercession:
In 1531 'Our Lady' appeared to a humble Native American at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City. She identified herself as the Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth. She made a request for a church to be built on the site and submitted her wish to the local Bishop.

When the Bishop hesitated and requested her for a sign, the Mother of God obeyed without delay or question. She sent her native messenger to the top of the hill in mid-December to gather an assortment of roses for the Bishop!

After complying with the Bishop's request for a sign, Our Lady also left for us an image of herself imprinted miraculously on the native's tilma, a coarse fabric derived from the threads of the maguey agave, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay over 480 years later.

It still defies all scientific explanations of its origin. An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In 1999, St. John Paul II in his homily during the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, declared December 12 as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent.

During the same visit, he entrusted the cause of life to Our Lady's loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children.

Be wt us Mary along d way.

Jesus loves u. Hv a lovely day wt Jesus. God bless.
Fr. Robin F

11 December 2014— GOSPEL MT 11:11-15

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 11:11-15

Jesus said to the crowds: "Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, Jesus spoke highly abt John d Baptist (JB). Christ said, "Of all d men born of women none is greater than JB."

He was d gr8est prophet. He was a very strong character, powerful preacher & his virtues were firm. JB surpassed evn prophet Isaiah. While prophet Isaiah only predicted abt d Messiah, JB saw Him & pointed out to d world. Therfore JB is gr8est among all d prophets.

JB was also gr8 bz of his dedication & commitment to God. He was totally committed to d cause of d Messiah. He knew his mission well & lived wt deep devotion for God. His simplicity & austere life attracted many pple to him. And thats y Christ ranked him above all d other prophets.

Today, Jesus invites evry Christian to imitate JB's simplicity & humility & to get ready to prepare d way for d Lord & preach Christ crucified & glorified.

May v hv d unique privilege like JB of seeing d heavens open & d Holy Spirit descend in d form of a dove.

Jesus loves u. Enjoy ur day wt Jesus. God bless.

10 December 2014— GOSPEL MT 11:28-30

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Reflection:

There is a popular story of a man who once met a boy carrying a big crippled lad on his back. "That's a heavy load you are carrying there," exclaims the man. "He isn't heavy; he's my brother!" responds the boy.

No burden is too heavy when it's borne in love. Jesus has taught us the power of love through his words and example.

In today's Gospel, Jesus invites us to cum to Him those who labour & r burdened & He will gv us rest. V all of us r burdened wt sin & it is bcmg very heavy day by day.

V hv to go to Jesus to receive His grace & exp. His healing power & peaceful rest. He is the Only 1 who can lift d burden of sin frm us. Jesus' yoke is very light & v hv to learn frm Him to b gentle & humble and surrender our lives.

Many a times v take charge if our lives & forget to surrender our lives to Him. The moment v go away frm Him something shatters. Bt Jesus is always there to pull us frm d filth of sin, forgive us & accept as v r.

Prayer: Lord, set me free from all my own sinful habits & grant me peaceful rest. Amen

Jesus loves u. Hv a blessed day wt Jesus. God bless.

9 December 2014— GOSPEL MT 18:12-14

Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: "What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, Jesus gives us d parable of d lost sheep. Shepherds in Israel normally counted their sheep at d end of d day.

Since d sheep by their very nature r very social, an isolated or strayed sheep can quickly bcm restless. Knowing this nature of d sheep, d shepherd wd normally go in search of d lost sheep. The shepherd's anxiety & sadness is turned to joy when he finds d lost sheep & restores it to d fold.

Jesus makes it clear that for God, evry human person is equal b4 Him. He is compassionate & loving & He is restless if His sheep is lost. So when d sinners go away frm Him, He goes behind them searching as shepherd goes behind d lost sheep.

Evry sinner is like a sheep that is lost & God wants evry sinner to cum back to Him. Thru this parable Jesus brought out d fact that God rejoices over d conversion of d sinners.

Prayer: Lord, help me to have tenderness and compassion for d lost sheep. Amen.

Jesus loves u. Hv a 1dful day wt Jesus. God bless.

8 December 2014— GOSPEL LK 1:26-38

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

GOSPEL LK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection:

Today, v celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is sinless. Every human being is born in sin, v all participate in d sin of Adam, i.e. Original Sin. God by a singular privilege, had prevented the Blessed Virgin Mary frm d contagion of sin & has preserved her in purity.

As she was going to b d Mother of God, God had, by a unique & singular privilege, prevented her frm d stain of Original Sin frm d very moment of her conception in her mother's womb.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was free frm any inclination towards evil. Due to d effects of d Original Sin, v hv a tendency towards sin. V fall again & again into temptation. Bt the Blessed Virgin Mary by d grace of God Almighty was preserved frm d tendency towards evil.

She never committed sins in her life. There was never a single moment in her life when she had ever offended d love of God. She was preserved by God's grace.

As v celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us pray to her for her help & protection in our continual efforts to overcome sin in us. May God bless all our efforts to overcome our sins.

Jesus loves u. Happy Feast. Enjoy ur day wt Jesus. God bless.

6 December 2014- GOSPEL MT 9:35-10:1

Saturday of the first week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 9:35-10:1, 5A, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, Jesus sends His 12 disciples out to preach & heal d pple. While preaching d Good News, they were given power to cast out d unclean spirits & to heal all kinds of sicknesses.

Today's Gospel calls us to understand d significance of our call as a Christian.

I wd like to focus on 2 verses frm today's Gospel:

1. "The harvest is plentiful, bt the labourers r few." - Jesus said this bz He saw His sheep struggling wtout a shepherd. He felt pity for them & thats y He sent His disciples to continue His work.

Jesus is right in saying that d harvest is more & d labourers r few, bt I wd say d harvest will never bcm less. There is a lot of work in God's vineyard & evn there r many labourers, who need to come forward to preach God's Word. The labourers r few bz very few r getting involved in d Church activities. What abt others??? Where r they?????

2. "Without cost u hv received; wtout cost u r to give." - All of us hv received so many things free frm d Lord. V cannot b so selfish by keeping it to ourselves. V hv to share wt others. V need to sit & reflect upon what can v share wt others. My time, my knowledge....etc??????

It was the compassion of Jesus which moved Him to call His disciples. Therefore in all d ministries, v Christians undertake, v shd hv d compassion like Jesus.

If v fail to b compassionate towards our pple, there is no meaning in our ministry. The strict rules r meant for d disciples bt unfortunately v r too strict with our flock bt r very compassionate wt ourselves.

Some1 has rightly said, "A Christian wtout compassion is like a body without soul".

Let us all pray for more vocations.

Jesus loves u. Hv a gr8 weekend wt Jesus. God bless.

5 December 2014 - GOSPEL MT 9:27-31

Firday of the First Week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 9:27-31

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Reflection:

Today's Gospel speaks about d healing of 2 blind men who came to Jesus wt a gr8 faith. It also points to d healing power of Jesus.

When d blind men catch up on Jesus, He asks them "Do u believe that I can do this?" Without their trust in Him, Jesus cannot do anything for them. These men say they do believe. "Your faith deserves it, so let it b done for u." They get their sight back bz of their gr8 faith & perseverance.

Jesus tells them not to say anything about it. Bt still they shared that experience wt every1 else.

As disciples of Christ v need to b able to see & understand d message of Jesus and then v need to proclaim it everywhere.

Today, Jesus invites us to b aware of our own blindness & our own deafness. V often hv difficulty really hearing and accepting the Word of God and how many us can claim that we can see Jesus as he really is?

If v r to celebrate Christmas properly, v must learn how to listen to God's Word, with understanding and acceptance, & learn to proclaim it to others.

Jesus loves u. Enjoy ur day wt Jesus. God bless.

04 December 2014— GOSPEL MT 7:21, 24-27

Thursday of the First Week of Advent

GOSPEL MT 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, Jesus made it very clear that only those who r faithful to His Word wd enter into d Kingdom of heaven. Today's passage reminds that following Christ does nt mean simply saying v believe. Following Christ means doing d will of d Father.
Christ is d word made flesh. If v do nt see God's will in Christ's msg, v miss d point. Christ is d visible sign of God's love for us. Christ is d Rock & v shd build our lives upon this Rock. He is d sure foundation for our faith & our life. Christ is d Living Stone (1 Peter 2:4). St. Paul said, "For no 1 can lay any foundation other than d 1 that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3:11)."

V must pattern our lives on d teachings of Christ otherwise v ll b like those foolish builders laying our foundations on sand and surely storms & floods will break our lives. Bt if v build our lives on Christ's teachings, no storm can affect us.

May v always profess that Jesus Christ is Lord, accept His Words & do His will in our lives.

Jesus loves u. Hv a lovely day wt Jesus. God bless.

3 December 2014 GOSPEL

Feast of St. Francis Xavier

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no sackcloth, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.'12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.
16 "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, v saw Jesus commissioned seventy other disciples to go on mission. He gave them a vision of a gr8 harvest for d kingdom of God. 

What is d significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to d ministry of the word?  Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people thru d wilderness.
In Jesus' times seventy was held to b d number of nations throughout d world. 
Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task: to speak in His name & to act with prudence.

It was a very difficult task for d disciples. So Jesus made them aware that they must b ready to face d opposition and persecution from those who oppose d gospel.  Jesus came as our sacrificial lamb to atone for d sin of d world. V, in turn, must b willing to sacrifice our lives in humble service of our Lord & Master.

Today, v also celebrate d Feast of St. Francis Xavier. Who was inspired by d life of St. Ignatius of Loyola. When St. Ignatius quoted d words of Christ frm Mt 16:26, "For what will profit a man, if he gains d whole world & suffers d loss of his soul."

This verse made such a gr8 impact on St. Francis' life that he preached d Word of God to India & Japan and thru his preaching brought many to believe in Christ. His preaching was very effective bz he had a gr8 desire to preach God's Word.

Thru d intercession of St. Francis Xavier, may v always b inspired by God's Word & bcm His effective instruments in His Kingdom.

Jesus loves u. Happy Feast. Hv a 1dful day wt Jesus. God bless

2 December 2014 GOSPEL LK 10:21-24

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

GOSPEL LK 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

Reflection:

In today's Gospel, Jesus called His dlisciples 'blessed' bz they were enabled to see d days of d Messiah & witness His marvellous words & works, which evn many prophets & holy men could nt see.

The disciples were more blessed bz they had witnessed, the Son of God, became flesh & dwelt among us (Jn 1:14). They witnessed this event & evn lived wt d Incarnate God.

There were many other pple - the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees who had evn seen d Messiah bt did nt believe in Him.

V, d believers in Christ, r more blessed bz v hv seen God's salvation & love manifested in d Person Christ. 'Blessedness' means firmly believing in Christ & spreading d Kingdom of God.

V must recognize our blessedness which God in His mercy has bestowed on us. Let us all thank God for all His blessings & for His gr8 love for us revealing in Jesus Christ.

Jesus loves u. Hv a blessed day

1 Dec 2014 GOSPEL MT 8:5-11

GOSPEL MT 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

Reflection:

V hv begun d season of Advent. It is a season, when v prepare ourselves for d coming of Christ, especially into our hearts. While welcoming Christ into our lives v must hv d deep faith as well as d gr8 humility like Centurion in today's Gospel.

Although the Centurion was in gr8 power & authority, an important official in d Roman Army, yet he became humble b4 Jesus bz he knew & believed that there was nobody who could heal his servant bt Jesus. His deep faith in Jesus & his humility brought healing to his servant.

The Centurion thought himself unworthy to receive Christ into his house. Similarly, v all of us r unworthy to stand b4 Jesus. Bt He is d One who always accepts us as v r inspite of all our weaknesses & unworthiness.

Like d Centurion, v too must surrender our lives to Jesus, hv deep faith in Him, cum to Him wt a humble heart & as d Centurion prayed for his servant, v must also pray for 1 another's healing. This is d beauty of living a holy & gd Christian life.

Wt a gr8 faith & wt a humble heart, let us all own d Centurion's words: "O Lord, I m nt worthy that You should come under my roof, bt only say the word & my soul shall b healed."

Jesus loves u. Hv a 1dful week wt Jesus. God bless.

Romans 8:29

Bible Verse - Romans 8:29 ()
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. #Bible http://mydailybible.org/dv/esv/2014-12-01.htm

(29, 30) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate.—The process already summed up under these two phrases is now resolved more fully and exactly into its parts, with the inference suggested that to those who are under the divine guidance at every step in their career nothing can act but for good. The two phrases indicate two distinct steps. God, in His infinite foreknowledge, knew that certain persons would submit to be conformed to the image of His Son, and he predestined them for this.
When we argue deductively from the omniscience and omnipotence of God, human free-will seems to be obliterated. On the other hand, when we argue deductively from human free-will, the divine foreknowledge and power to determine action seem to be excluded. And yet both truths must be received without detriment to each other. We neither know strictly what God's omnipotence and omniscience are (according to a more exact use of language, we ought to say, perhaps, "perfect power and knowledge"—power and knowledge such as would belong to what we are incapable of conceiving, a perfect Being), nor do we know what human free-will is in itself. It is a necessary postulate if there is to be any synthesis of human life at all; for without it there can be no distinction between good and bad at all. But we do not really know more than that it is that hypothetical faculty in man by virtue of which he is a responsible agent.

To be conformed . . .—The final cause of the whole of this divine process is that the Christian may be conformed to the image of Christ—that he may be like him not merely in spirit, but also in that glorified body, which is to be the copy of the Redeemer's (Philippians 3:21), and so be a fit attendant upon Him in His Messianic kingdom.

Firstborn among many brethren.—The Messianic kingdom is here conceived of rather as a family. In this family Christ has the rights of primogeniture, but all Christians are His brethren; and the object of His mission and of the great scheme of salvation (in all its stages—foreknowledge, calling, justification, &c.) is to make men sufficiently like Him to be His brethren, and so to fill up the number of the Christian family. The word "firstborn" occurs in a similar connection in Colossians 1:15, "firstborn of every creature" (or rather, of all creation), and in Hebrews 1:6, "When he bringeth in the first-begotten (firstborn) into the world." It implies two things—(1) priority in point of time, or in other words the pre-existence of the Son as the Divine Word; and (2) supremacy or sovereignty as the Messiah. The Messianic use of the word is based upon Psalm 89:27, "Also I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth."

Among many brethren.—Comp. Hebrews 2:11 et seq., "He is not ashamed to call them brethren," &c. There is a stress on "many." The object of the Christian scheme is that Christ may not stand alone in the isolated glory of His pre-existence, but that He may be surrounded by a numerous brotherhood fashioned after His likeness as He is in the likeness of God