Reflection - 46

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Those who do not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” [Mt: 10-13]

This passage is very relevant as far as the consecrated life is concerned. I had been reading one of the books. And the name of the book is this ‘A Catholic Priest Meets Sathya Sai Baba’. I was curious enough to know more about this particular priest so I searched his details in the internet and I found that he made eight visits from Rome to the place where Sai Baba lived as a result he was excommunicated from the church.

This is the most pathetic condition that can ever happen as far as consecrated life is concerned. Jesus did so many miracles and so many Eucharistic miracles are happening in this world yet he did not feel any fascination on these things but he got fascinated by the actions of Sai Baba. Why this is happening is so crucial. It is because of nothing but the lack of an ELROI experience which is being described in Gen 13: 16 onwards.

ELROI means “have I really seen god and remained alive after seeing him?” The passage is the description of a personal God experience which is highly recommended in the consecrated life because we need an undivided heart to serve our God other ways our life would become meaningless. We follow the vow of celibacy to serve our lord with an indissoluble heart yet unless we experience the presence of Jesus in the holy Eucharist it is also futile. God looks at each one of us but if we are not able to see the face of god consecrated life would become miserable. Of course there will be times of dark nights of the soul or the moments where you experience the sufferings and tribulations that is why the virtue of constancy is highly recommended in the consecrated life. We usually say that we are limited human beings of course we are limited human beings but do not take our limitedness as a license to be limited and to commit sins. So what is to be done is look through the eyes of faith to see the face of God and open your inner ears to listen his words. In the modern world people would come and ask about the existence of God and they will perform unthinkable and unpredictable things before us. The priest made eight visits from Rome to the place where Sai Baba lived if it would have been to the Blessed Sacrament then he would have been blessed abundantly. We have to remember the fact that Jesus Christ has already said about all these false prophets and the prophets of evil spirits. So let us pray for getting such a readiness and courage and fidelity to our religious vocation.   

  

 Bro. Sebastian thinavila