Reflection - 62

To Live in the Love of God

In the gospel of St Luck , chapter 15 vreses 1 to 32, we have seen three parable which are almost simeler in nature, namely the parable of the lost sheep, parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the pordigal son. These all parable reminding us , if we are rally away from God, there is posssiblity to go back to the love god.

Let us take pordigal son as an example, though he lead his life as he wish , there was time in his life to think about his fathers and the love of his father. So, this kind of good awerenessmakes him a great before his father. This was clearly mentioned in pordigal son.

My dear brothers, when we think about our life, we see, we all have our own shortcomings and limitations in our life, which means we are not perfect in nature. At the same time, though we have lot of short comings and limitations in our personal life, we also have the portnciality to overcome such kind of sinfull situations. This means, we, the uman being has the capacity and the possibility to lead our life in the love of God.

Dear frends, remember one thing, there may not be any one love you as you wish, or in other words we coul saynobody in the world is able to love you as you wish, but your lord, Jesus Christ by whom you are called is ready to love you above as you wish. Although we commited to many kind of sin, he, the lord is there to love and protect us. So the real transformation should take place in our personal life, which meand we all have to have a good awereness about the love of god, the father by whom we ate called. Unless we become awere about it, we couldn’t lead our life in the love of God. so let us try to lead our life in the presence and love of God.

Bro. Libin Pappachan

Reflection - 61 

As we are in the final months of the year of mercy let us ponder this gospel passage in connection with mercy. This gospel passage clearly says how we can become merciful. Jesus was walking through Jericho. We know the specialty of Jericho. Jericho is far away from Jerusalem which is the land of God. We know the story of the Good Samaritan. The man of that parable was also going to Jericho. Jericho in other words we can say that it is a symbol of going away from God, away from God means the presence of darkness or sin. So we can say that this incident happened in the land of darkness or sin. We can also say that Jesus was reaching out to those people who are away from God. So in this year of mercy Jesus asks us to reach out to the people who are away from God.

Jesus was crowded. So many people were also walking with Jesus. Amidst those howling two blind people who were sitting in the way side cried out to Him “Christ son of David, have mercy on us.” People shouted at them saying keep silence. But they continue the same. Then Jesus heard them, called them and asked them “what I want to do for you?” this is the second step that we also want to take. There will be so much howling around us, even though our ears should be too keen to hear the shouting of the people or the crying of the people. Jesus before the blind people say what their need is asked them what I want to do for you. This should be out attitude also. We should be like Jesus ever ready to help others, without making them say what they need, we should understand it earlier.

The next action happened there was Jesus had compassion on them. The problem of the modern world is hard heart. People are self centered and they do not worry about the problems of others. They only care their needs not the needs of others. People today not even know how is staying near to them. Jesus asks us to be owners of soft heart, or a compassionate heart. Only a compassionate heart can feel the pain of others and help others.

So dear friends let us meditate upon these points and become more compassionate in life.

Bro. Jithin Simon

Reflection - 60

Today let us meditate on the Gospel passage of St. Luke chapter 16 verses 10. The passage is like this: “whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.” I think there is no need to speak more about this passage, because, we all know this and we have meditated upon this passage many times.

This passage is very important in everyone’s life, especially in the life of seminarians, priests and religious. It is necessary that we should have honesty and faithfulness in every little and big matters. Those who are very faithful in all the matters only will get the reward. The reward is the heaven. Worldly matters are little and heavenly matters are big. Those who are not faithful or honest in worldly matters cannot be faithful or honest in heavenly matters. This is very much apt in our life, because we all are serving in the church. It is necessary that we should be honest in the matters of the church. Those who do not use the wealth of the church faithfully will not be entrusted the Christian truths. We should use our good qualities for the well being of others.

Let us think in the present context. We all are having some duties here. They may be big or small. Are we really faithful to those duties? If not we are not able to serve as priests in the future, because the priest has so many big duties. If we are not faithful or honest in these little matters we cannot be faithful in those big duties. So let us think and meditate upon this. Am I really faithful and honest in my duties? Let us try to be more faithful in the small matters. Thus try to become faithful priests in the future. 

Bro. Jissmon Jose

Reflection - 59

We are fortunate to have one more saint in the Catholic Church namely St. Mother Theresa or St. Theresa of Kolkata. How a girl from Croatia could become the mother of Kolkata? How she could live a Gospel life and a life based on Christian charity and mercy? It is nothing other than the Jesus’ experience that comes from powerful prayer which she expressed throughout her life. She proved the words of St. Paul that those who experience Jesus cannot be but proclaiming Him. She proclaims the Jesus’ experience through a life of charity.

We seminarians and religious are fortunate to have Morning Prayer, meditation, Holy Qurbana, rosary, adoration and so on but sometimes we lack the real Jesus’ experience and we may sometimes fail to express the Jesus’ experience through our life.  It is important to notice that most of the time we have an inner desire to have an experience of Jesus and prayer life and we are searching for it. It is more or less same like the life of musk deer which is not aware about the gland that it has through which it produced the smell.

Dear friend let us try to meditate that do we really have the experiences of God in our prayer time? If not what makes it difficult? If yes do we really share the experience of God to our brethren?

Let us try to understand that Jesus is with us and let us really try to have the experience of God in our prayer and try to share that experience to our brethren through our life.

Bro. Abin Kunnappally

Reflection - 58 

It is essential for all of us to realize our role in our community to act our part in a better way. It is important that, what kind of role we are choosing. We all like the natural flowers and it very nice to look on these flowers. The shape, color, fragrance and the beauty of the flowers gives a kind of refreshments in our life. Though the flowers have very less lifespan these flowers give everything that they have within the short period. The real flower has the feelings and emotions. They can even feel of the sunrise, sunset, day and night. That’s why we see the flowers open their leaf during the day and close it during the night. In other words it has the impact of the natural elements. Finley at the end it sacrifices its own life and offers to the world and melts with the mud. Here we see a great sacrificing mentality.

There are other kinds of flowers which are of plastic or handmade flowers. It has a long lifespan compare to the real flowers. It also has the color, shape, and beauty. But the people do not have the attraction towards it, because it has no feelings or emotions. It doesn’t know sun. It doesn’t know the day or night. No natural elements have influence on it. Finely it remains as it is without giving anything to others. Here we find a selfish character.

          My dear brothers this is what happens sometimes in our life too. Many a times we too behave like these plastic flowers, without sharing what we have. Actually we have the qualities of both natural flowers and plastic flowers and if we choose the quality of plastic flowers, surly we will be limited to ourselves, but if we can choose the quality of the natural flowers, that would be the best quality in us and that is out mission too. So let us examine what kind of role we play in our community. Is it the role of a plastic flower or nature flower?


Bro. Nibin Fradey

Reflection - 57

The Holy Church today celebrates the feast of St. Mathew. He was an apostle and also a Gospel writer.

“A Tax collector” that is his title. Jesus saw him in the tax booth. According to the Gospel it is very clear, “ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Mathew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him ‘Follow me’ and he got up and followed him” St. Mathew 9-9.

His acceptance to Jesus’ call was so sincere and thorough, that he lived in constant and generous surrender to Christ the promised one of the God. And so enthused was he with what Jesus was, did and said after the glorification of his beloved Master. Mathew took pains to share with all the blessings he experienced in Jesus through him. Once Mathew accepted his call and he never looked back. Jesus showed his mercy to him and exalted him from his lowness. He changed him from tax collector to his apostle. The meaning of the word Levi is to be attached. And the meaning of the word Mathew is Gift of God. Jesus attached Mathew with him and made him as a gift of God. Mathew wrote the Gospel with his words and deeds. It became a gift of God and to generation to generation.

We also lived in different situations and lowliness. But he gave the graces of greatness and lifted up to his discipleship with gratitude and obligation. So try to follow him. We also called to become a living gospel to the people. According to gospel Mathew left his position and possession and followed him. He did not think about his family, his accounts, and his secure future. Mathew saw the glory of life is the discipleship of Jesus nothing rather than valuable, in this world.

 What is the goal of our vocation? We are called to follow him so like St. Mathew with joyful heart and depending on Gods providence reach to the goal of our vocation. May God bless us to become a Gospel to the world.

Bro. Leo Antony  

Reflection - 56

“Let us pray; Lord Jesus Christ we thank you and we praise you for the graces that you showered upon us. Especially we thank you for this morning. Jesus, be with us the whole day, so that we can do everything according to your will. Jesus please helps us to hear and understand your words. Send your spirit to us, so that we can have a meaningful meditation today, Amen.”

Now let us sing song of Holy Spirit to invoke the presence of Holy Spirit in our midst.

Today I have taken the words of Jesus from the gospel of St. Mathew chapter 23 verses 12; “All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Based on these verses I would like to share some points with you. In my opinion, these words of Jesus say that we have to be a servant of God. To be a servant of God we can see three aspects based on these words of Jesus.

1.      Be Humble

A true servant needs to be a humble person always. There are some people, those who have enough abilities and capacities to do things. But they are not recognizing or realize their abilities knowingly in front of others. It is not humility.  Dear friends if I say that I have no ability to do things well though really I have, is disrespecting our abilities which is given by God as a gift. So to be a humble person we need to accept our self firstly. Then only we can be humble in front of others.

2.      Give Respect and Accept Others

A true servant needs to respect others as well as accept others. We all are blessed with many qualities but there will be differences in those qualities. We are forming to serve others so firstly we need to respect others as they are and accept as they are. 

3.      Share with Others

Even we are blessed with many qualities we are not complete in our self. There are shortcomings with us. So to fulfill those shortcomings we have to share our things and abilities with others. By sharing with others we are doing service to God. Jesus said “you received without payment, give without payment”, because everything that we have is the gift of God.

Once again I remain the three aspects to be a servant of God. They are be humble, give respect & accept others and share with others. Now let us meditate more upon these points.

Bro. Bibin Baby

Refection - 55

                          Since we know the Parable of the Good Samaritan, very well.

                          I am not going to read that story, now I am going to give a short reflection on the parable.

                           In the story, after carrying the Good Samaritan, he brought him to an inn. The inn is our working place, parish or mission. The innkeeper is each one of us, the future priests. The Good Samaritan is The Lord Jesus Christ.

                            Then Lord Jesus, the Good Samaritan was giving two important things, TWO DENARI to the innkeeper. The two important things are Holy Eucharist and Preaching the Good News.

                          Every day we are receiving Holy Eucharist and the Word of God. But we are not able to share The Lord, which we are receiving. So it is necessary to have the experience of Christ in our life. We are going to serve His flock, which He has given to us. With the power of Jesus Christ. Let us give them the TRUE experience of Jesus Christ, like innkeeper did.

                          Before going back, our Lord said to the innkeeper “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”

                          Let us commit our whole life, for the Lord’s flock. Then only He will repay what we have done for His flock on His second coming.

                         We should spend something more and ask something more to Jesus for His flock.

                         Let us try to become a Good Innkeeper.

                       

Bro.Thannichal Philip