The Lord sent me / you into this life to...!

Luke 4:14-22

Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,19and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.” 20He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 22Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips.

Food for thought!

In this gospel reading something (un)usual happens. Jesus opened the Bible and the Bible opened Jesus; he read the Bible and the Bible read him; he read about himself in the Bible. The Bible told Jesus who Jesus is. It told him a number of things that Jesus was meant to be and do in this world: to bring Good News to the poor; to proclaim that captives will be released; that the blind will see; that the oppressed will be set free; and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.

There is a question that everybody makes, consciously or unconsciously. This question is “What is my purpose in life?” Why did God create me? Why am I on this earth? Who am I? We all have a feeling that we were created for a specific purpose. So the question we are all asking: “Is there a specific purpose or calling for my life?” And the answer is YES! You may not know it but it is there.

One of the primary values of the Bible is to settle the issue of meaning and purpose in life. The Bible is consistent when it declares that “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose.” (Jeremiah 1:5); your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16); Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name (Isaiah 49:1); But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace (Galatians 1:15)

The truth is that we are here to do something, a contribution that only each one of us can make. By ourselves we cannot find out who were are because it takes God’s help for us to find and live the life we were created to live. As Søren Kierkegaard once said, “Now with God’s help I shall become myself.”

This is what happened with Jesus. The gospel says that “filled with the Holy Spirit’s power.” It means that it was by the Spirit of God that Jesus opened that scroll; it was by the Spirit of God that Jesus’ eyes fell on that text that told him who he is. Jesus came with a mission, a purpose; so did you. The Spirit of God helped Jesus find his mission and purpose; so can it with you. The Bible helped Jesus know his mission and purpose; so can it for you.

Did you notice that Jesus’s purpose has to do with making difference in others’ life? (to bring Good News to the poor; to proclaim that captives will be released; that the blind will see; that the oppressed will be set free; and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come). Elton Trueblood wrote, “A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.” We want to live for something more than ourselves. Meaning and fulfilment are only experienced as our lives, in some way, touch another person.

Jesus made his disciples get into the storm!

Mark 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were filled, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away. After saying goodbye to them he went off into the hills to pray. When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. He could see they were worn out with rowing, for the wind was against them; and about the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the lake. He was going to pass them by, but when they saw him walking on the lake they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they had all seen him and were terrified. But he at once spoke to them, and said, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind dropped. They were utterly and completely dumbfounded, because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed.

Food for thought!

This is a revealing gospel. Jesus made his disciples get into the boat, which was bound for a storm! Think about it: it was Jesus that sent them into the storm. Why would he do this to his beloved disciples? Why does Jesus send us into storms and problems and difficulties? Well, I think the answer is at the end of the same gospel: "because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed." The disciples had not understood the meaning of the miracle of the multiplication of bread; their minds were still closed.

And because they had not understood, Jesus "made them get into the boat" destined into a storm. As someone said, "We must remember in our most desperate moments in life that it is God who has often led us to the very place we cry out from [. . .] the place where we face impossibilities. And God has led us to this place to teach us a much needed lesson in our walk of faith — we cannot deliver ourselves from a crisis that God himself has orchestrated. Too often , it is by His design that we are in the [...] midst of an overwhelming situation."

In other words, if you are in some difficult situation, if you are struggling with some storms, like the disciples were doing that night, remember that whatever you’re going through, God is in it. He has allowed the circumstances that have brought you to it. Like Jesus did with the disciples - he made them get into the boat that was heading into a storm. The gospel says that as the disciples were fighting with the wind, Jesus was watching them: "He could see they were worn out with rowing, for the wind was against them."

The Lord is increasing your faith by threatening to destroy it. He has put you where you are. He has good reason for it . . . you are being tested. He sees that you are worn out with rowing, because of your problems. Don’t give into despair . . . know that God is in it and He does care. Know that even though He may be silent, it is in His silence that He is speaking. God’s Silence is NOT His Absence. And out of sight does not out mind!

Jesus said, “Be sure of this: I am with you ALWAYS, until the end of time.” If you’re trusting in that promise, then you can be assured that as you go through your storms, God is in them. God is never late, and He’s usually not early . . . He’s always right on time. The gospel says that "about the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the lake." Wait on Jesus, he will come at the right moment.

So God led the people around by the desert road . . . (Exodus 13: 18)

Pray to God & Play your Part!

Mark 6:34-44

34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. 36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat." 37 But Jesus said, "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!" 38 "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out." They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." 39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. 41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. 42 They all ate as much as they wanted, 43 and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. 44 A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves!

Food for thought !

This is a very special miracle. So special that it is the only miracle of Jesus which is related in all four gospels. It is special also in that it shows the TWO ingredients of every miracle. There’s God, and there’s man; there’s praying to God, and there’s playing our part. The two ALWAYS go together.

When the disciples were asked to give the people something to eat, they insisted that that was practically impossible; they compared it to working for months to earn enough money to buy food for all the people! They really meant "Anything we have got is no use at all," which was correct. What was not correct was the disciples' ignorance of God.

This is how many of us deal with difficulties; we think of everything and everybody except God. We look at problems through our eyes and our efforts and our wages, etc., just like the disciples did: "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!" With such false start we cannot end with correct solutions; we are like the disciples: "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late.  Send the crowds away.”

After seeing their inadequate solutions, Jesus taught them and us a lifetime lesson. For a miracle to happen, two things must concurrently occur: praying to God, and playing our part. Prayer alone is not enough; playing our part is not enough. We must pray to God, yes, but also, we must play our part. This is what Jesus did:  Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them (he prayed to God). But Jesus demanded that the disciples play their part: "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out." They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." 39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and gave to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people.

All this means that whenever we have those humanly speaking impossible situations, whenever we seek a miracle from God, we must do two things: pray to God, and play our part. As you play your part pray, and as you pray, play your part.

Move on!

Matthew 4:12-17

When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. 13 He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. 14 This move completed Isaiah's sermon: 15 "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, road to the sea, over Jordan, Galilee, crossroads for the nations. 16 People sitting out their lives in the dark saw a huge light; Sitting in that dark, dark country of death, they watched the sun come up." 17 This Isaiah- prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."

23 From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's kingdom was his theme, that beginning right now they were under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. 24 Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. 25 More and more people came, the momentum gathering. Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the "Ten Towns" across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.

Food for thought!

Bad things do happen to good people! Before very long disaster came to John. He was arrested, imprisoned and killed by Herod the king. His crime was that he had publicly denounced Herod for seducing his brother's wife, and making her his own wife, after he had put away the wife he had. John's courage brought him first imprisonment and then death. 

Bad as this might be, for Jesus, John's death marked the time he had to go forth to his task. John was cousin of Jesus. And when John died, Jesus did not nurse the wounds for ever; he immediately moved on. Some of us, whenever we get wounded or disappointed in our expectations with someone, or when we lose one of our dear ones, or our business endeavour has failed, we fail to go beyond the hurt or disappointment; we nurse our wounds for too long, too much. This is not what Jesus did. The gospel says, "When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. ...He picked up where John left off: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."

Let us note what he did first of all. He left Nazareth his birth place, and he took up residence in the town of Capernaum. There was a kind of symbolic finality in that move. In that moment Jesus left his home never again to return to live in it. It is as if he shut the door that lay behind him before he opened the door that stood in front of him. It was the clean cut between the old and the new. One chapter was ended and another had begun. Into life there are these moments of decision. It is always better to meet them with an even surgical cut than to vacillate undecided between two courses of action.

There's another symbolism in this. They killed John, but they did not and could not kill John's message; the messenger died but his message went on. This is why Jesus picked up where John left off: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here." It means what Jesus said, (Mat 24:35) "Sky and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." In other words, Johns come and go, but John's message never goes away. The messengers come and go, the message endures for ever.

Epiphany!

Matthew 2:1-12 

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.’

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

Food for thought!

In the stories of Jesus’ birth, three groups of people came to know of the new-born babe: the shepherds, the magi and the priests and scribes.The shepherds learnt of the birth of Jesus through a direct revelation from angels appearing in the midnight sky. This is direct and supernatural revelation.  

The magi, on the other hand, learnt of the birth of Jesus from observing a star. The star did not say anything to them. They had to interpret this natural sign of the star to know what it meant and where it led. 

The third group is of the priests and scribes. The gospel says that king Herod called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.’ So, these learnt of the birth of Jesus from Scriptures.

All this means that visions (shepherds), stars (magi), scriptures (Jews and Herod), served to lead people to the same truth: the birth of Jesus. Of course this does not mean that any religious tradition is just as good as the other; this does not mean that any church is as good as the other. Notice how the gospel indicates that when the guiding star got to Jerusalem its light failed and the magi had to have the help of Herod, who in turn heard the help of those who consulted Scriptures. Over and above the natural light of the star the magi still needed the supernatural light of scripture to finally get to Jesus.

Yet the crucial question in the story remains: Who actually got to find Jesus? Herod, the priests and scribes who had the Bible (scriptures) did not follow through to find Jesus (yes, the priests and scribes didn't), but the magi who followed the natural light of the stars were able to find him. Why? Because the religious authorities, even though they possessed and read the Bible, did not follow it; just as many baptized Christians do possess and read the Bible and do go to church every Sunday (others everyday), yet do not walk in the light of the Bible. 

The magi, on the other hand, who enjoyed only a star light followed its guidance. It is not the possession of the Bible that matters, it is not having been once baptized that will save us; it is not belonging to some church that matters; it is not going to church that matters; it is whether we walk the talk and talk the walk that matters. It is better to have the dim light of the stars and follow it through than to have the bright light of the holy scriptures and neglect it.

As Christians, we believe that our religion possesses the fullness of truth. But what does that benefit us if we do not walk in the biblical truth? Non-Christians or non-Catholics who are sincerely committed to following the little they know may arrive at Jesus before you and me. The feast of Epiphany is a wake up call for us Christians, in general, and Catholics, in particular, not to take things for granted.

The power of our words!

John 1:1-18 ©In the beginning was the Word:and the Word was with Godand the Word was God.He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things came to be,not one thing had its being but through him.All that came to be had life in himand that life was the light of men,a light that shines in the dark,a light that darkness could not overpower.A man came, sent by God.His name was John.He came as a witness,as a witness to speak for the light,so that everyone might believe through him.He was not the light,only a witness to speak for the light.The Word was the true lightthat enlightens all men;and he was coming into the world.He was in the worldthat had its being through him,and the world did not know him.He came to his own domainand his own people did not accept him.But to all who did accept himhe gave power to become children of God,to all who believe in the name of himwho was born not out of human stockor urge of the fleshor will of manbut of God himself.The Word was made fles  h,he lived among us,and we saw his glory,the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father,full of grace and truth.John appears as his witness. He proclaims:‘This is the one of whom I said:He who comes after me ranks before mebecause he existed before me.

Food for thought!

For a third time the church has given us the same reading in as many days. Our meditation will be on the power of words, first the words of God and after our own words.

The gospel says, "The Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through the Word. Nothing that has been made was made withiut the Word." These words show bow important the word was important in the creation of the world. Yes, the word created our world, and the word creates our world.

We are all living in the world that our own word created. The words we speak created the world where we live. We make our words, and our words make us. Words are power, and words are powerful. God used his word to create everything He made. Nothing he made without the word.

The gospel says that the Word was made flesh and lived among us, in the person of Jesus Christ. Let us notice that tthe word of God became human, and lived not in heaven but on earth. The same happens with our words. When we speak, our words go off into the air, and are heard by other people. Spoken words become independent of the speaker; they take a life of their own, independently of the speaker; we cannot control our words once they are spoken. Our words also become flesh.

Spoken words are power and are powerful. Have you ever realized that when you are downhearted and discouraged and a friend speaks to you words of encouragement, or when you listen to a nice song, you immediately become revived and refleshed? The person who spoke the words or who made the song is no longer with you, but because words have power of their own, they work in you.

All this to say that we need to be careful with words. Words can either make us or break us; can either heal us or hurt us. The gospel of today says that those people who believe in the words of Jesus become children of God. We are children of God, thanks to Jesus' words. For this reason, let us use our words as Jesus does with his. Let us not hurt others by our words, but build them, encourage them, empower them to become more and not less, to do more instead of less.

Day Three!

John 1:35-42

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. 36As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” 37When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. 38Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). 42Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

Food for thought!

We are on day three in Jesus’ first work week. You remember we started by verse 19 where John the Baptist started to talk about Jesus. Then, in verse 29, we saw “the next day”, that was day two. Today, the gospel says “the following day,” which is day three in Jesus' first week. On this day, again we see John the Baptist pointing beyond himself. He must have known very well that to speak to his disciples about Jesus like that was to invite them to leave him and transfer their loyalty to this new and greater teacher; and yet he did it. There was no jealousy in John. He had come to attach men not to himself but to Christ. There is no harder task than this; many times many people don't see beyond the preacher. John was not like this: as soon as Jesus emerged on the scene John never had any other thought than to send men to him.

So the two disciples of John followed Jesus. It may well be that they were too shy to approach him directly and followed respectfully some distance behind. Then Jesus did something entirely characteristic. He turned and spoke to them. That is to say, he met them half way. He made things easier for them. He opened the door that they might come in.

Here we have the symbol of the divine initiative. It is always God who takes the first step: "You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you" (John 15:16). When the human mind begins to seek and the human heart begins to long, God comes to meet us far more than half way. God does not leave a man to search and search until he comes to him; God goes out to meet the man. When we go to God we do not go to one who hides himself and keeps us at a distance; we go to one who stands waiting for us, and who even takes the initiative by coming to meet us on the road.

Jesus began by asking these two men the most fundamental question in life. "What are you looking for?" he asked them. It would be well if every now and again we were to ask ourselves: "What am I looking for? What's my aim and goal? What am I really trying to get out of life?"

Some people are searching for security. All they want in life is enough money to meet the needs of life. This is not a wrong aim, but it is a low aim, and an inadequate thing to which to direct all of life.

Some people are searching for a career, for power, for prominence, for prestige, for a place to fit the talents and the abilities they believe themselves to have, for an opportunity to do the work they believe themselves capable of doing. If this be directed by motives of personal ambition it can be a bad aim; if it be directed by motives of the service of our fellow men it can be a high aim. But it is not enough, for its horizon is limited by time and by the world.

Some people are searching for meaning in life. That is, they are searching for something to enable them to live at peace with themselves, and at peace with God, and at peace with other people. It is to these people that Jesus says, “Come and see!” When Jesus says: "Come and see!" he is inviting us, not only to come and talk, but to come and find the things that he alone can open out to us.  “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35).

John (not the Baptist but the writer of today’s gospel reading) finishes the paragraph with the words, "It was about four o'clock in the afternoon." He finishes that way because he was one of the two disciples himself that Jesus met on Day Three. John could tell the very hour of the day and no doubt the very spot of the road he was standing on when he met Jesus. At four o'clock on a spring afternoon in Galilee, life became a new thing for John.

Day two! Who & What Are You?

John 1:29-34

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of Whom I said, After me comes a Man Who has priority over me [Who takes rank above me] because He was before me and existed before I did. 31 And I did not know Him and did not recognize Him [myself]; but it is in order that He should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel [be brought out where we can see Him] that I came baptizing in (with) water. 32 John gave further evidence, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him [never to depart]. 33 And I did not know Him nor recognize Him, but He Who sent me to baptize in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. 34 And I have seen [that happen—I actually did see it] and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!

Food for thought!

Here we come to the second day of this momentous week in the life of Jesus. By this time his baptism and his temptations were past and he was about to set his hand to the work which he came into the world to do. This work is summed up in the words LAMB OF GOD! Another name for Jesus!

The name "the Lamb of God" says much. It is one of the most precious titles of Christ. In one word it sums up the love, the sacrifice, the suffering and the triumph of Christ. Jesus is the lamb that the Father in heaven has given us to atone for our sins. It is the lamb that has been missing since Abraham. You remember the story of Abraham and his son Isaac in Genesis chapter 22? You remember Isaac's question to his father:

“The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”

Well, the lamb that Abraham talked about is now provided in the person of Jesus! Jesus is the lamb of God.

John says that he did not know Jesus. What John is saying is not that he did not know WHO Jesus was, but that he did not know WHAT Jesus was. It had suddenly been revealed to him that Jesus was none other than the Son of God, sent to take away the sin of the world. Each one of us came with a mission to realize in this life; we were created for some what, some function, some mission. For Jesus we know: he is the Son of God, whose business is to take away our sin. 

The same with us. There's both a who and a what attached to our person; we are someone and we are something. Do you know who you're and what you're? As John said yesterday, he is not the Messiah or any of the prophets. This is the who. He is the voice calling on the people to get ready for Jesus. This is the what of John; this is what John came into this life to accomplish.

As John has shown us, Jesus is the Son of God (who) and the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (what). John's function (what) is clear: to point men to Christ. He was nothing and Christ was everything. He claimed no greatness and no place for himself; he was only the man who, as it were, drew back the curtain and left Jesus occupying the lonely centre of the stage. John is our model of humility.

The first week!

John 1:19-28

When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest. 20 He didn't evade the question. He told the plain truth: "I am not the Messiah." 21 They pressed him, "Who, then? Elijah?" "I am not." "The Prophet?" "No." 22 Exasperated, they said, "Who, then? We need an answer for those who sent us. Tell us something-- anything!-- about yourself." 23 "I'm thunder in the desert: 'Make the road straight for God!' I'm doing what the prophet Isaiah preached." 24 Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. 25 Now they had a question of their own: "If you're neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?" 26 John answered them, I [only] baptize in (with) water. Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing. 27 It is He Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, the string of Whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose. 28 These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [ at the Jordan crossing], where John was then baptizing.

Food for thought!

We are all in our first week of 2014. Starting from today's gospel passage, and going step by step, day by day, we will follow Jesus’ first week in the public life; in today’s reading we have the preparatory events of the first day. Jesus was preceded by John, who told the people, “I am nobody; I am only a voice telling you to get ready for the coming of the king, for he is on the way.” 

John was what everybody ought to be and do: be only a voice and pointer to Jesus. The last thing that John wanted men to do was to look at him and stop there; he wanted the people to see beyond him and see Jesus; he wanted to be an instrument of Jesus. He is the great example of the man and woman prepared to let Jesus lead. He was only, as he saw it, a finger pointing to Jesus. So as you go through your first week, remember to be another John the Baptist, promoting Jesus' interests, Jesus' principles.

John said something extremely important: "Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing."

The plain truth is that many people don’t know who they are; they have lost self worth, they have lost meaning in life, they have lost themselves. They have lost direction. Few people can say like John who they’re; few people can answer these questions put to John: Who are you? "The Messiah?" "Who, then? Elijah?" "The Prophet?" "Who, then? We need an answer. Tell us something, anything, about yourself." Yes, we need to tell the world who we are by doing our best and being our best.

In each one of us stands one we do not recognize, and with whom we are not acquainted and of whom we know nothing. This is the man or woman that God created in his image and likeness. The person that God made and intended each of us is good, very good indeed. Unfortunately, the person that many of us have come to be in reality, leaves much to be desired. Many of us feel that we could be and do more; that our potential is yet to show.

Many of us have not yet been the person God intended; we are yet to show the world our best. And the world keeps asking us: "Who are you? "The Messiah?" "Who, then? Elijah?" "The Prophet?" "Who, then? We need an answer. Tell us something, anything, about yourself."

So, is it possibly true that within you there stands one whom you do not recognize and with whom you are not acquainted and of whom you know nothing? If so, follow Jesus in this first week. Remember what Jesus said in John 10:10, "I have come that you may have life, to the full!" 

The Name for 2014!

Luke 2:16-21

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

Food for thought!

In today's gospel reading, we read that "As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart." She treasured the words that the disciples had just told her about the child Jesus. The shepherds  "repeated what they had been told about Jesus, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say."

What the shepherds did was to repeat what they had heard about Jesus. And as they did this, "everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say." Until this point, it is just amazement; people are astonished; they are wondering at what the shepherds are saying. However, the gospel adds some illuminating detail. It says " As for Mary". In other words, only Mary did something extra. All the others just got astonished; just wondered about what was being said. But Mary went beyond just astonishment by TREASURING ALL THESE THINGS AND PONDERING THEM IN HER HEART. Mary treasured and meditated on her Food for Thought!

And this was not the first time. Mary had lots of Food for Thought. Other moments were when she had the angelic message at annunciation (Lk 1:29), when Simeon spoke about the child Jesus (Lk 2:33), and when Jesus himself spoke to her in the temple (Lk 2:51).

The title for our daily "Food for Thought" comes from Mary. What we want to achieve is being another Mary, that hears what is said about Jesus and reflects about it. This is what Jesus warned us, "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatchers away what has been sown in his heart." (Matthew 13:19).

“The shepherds went back to their flocks.” (Lk 2:20)

Every good thing ends. The shepherds did not make the glorious moment at the feet of Jesus an excuse for neglecting their humble duties. They went back to business. The same with us, the New Year is the last hurrah of the year, the culminating event in a holiday binge of eating, drinking and celebrating. It ends our party and partying. So, let’s get ready to return to our duties, praising God for his goodness.

“He was named Jesus!” (Lk 2:21)

When the new born child was eight days old (counting from December 25 to January 8 are eight days), he was named Jesus. On this day, the day we begin our new year, the new baby was named Jesus. This is not a coincidence; it is providence. Divine providence gives us “Jesus” to begin with the new year. Why? According to English and German folklore, the first person you encounter in a new year — and the nature of this encounter — sets the tone for the rest of the year. So, let's meet Jesus first, to set tone for the rest of the year. And as Brad Paisely said "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one"

Besides, most people, especially adults, create new goals and set resolutions for the new year. Only to discover that by end of January, or we have forgotten them or have broken them already. Why do we fail to stick to our resolutions? Why do we fail, despite good intentions? The reason is because we set To Do goals instead of To Be goals. We forget that doing comes from being, and not the opposite. What we do is because of what we are; if we change what we are, we change what we do. Before we effect any change in our personal lives, our marriage, our health, our workplace, our finances, we have to change in ourselves. The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expect different results. If you do what you have always done, you’ll get what you always got.

Instead of creating to do goals, get a single word that can effect and affect change in you. No more goals. No more resolutions. Just one word, powerful enough to motivate and influence all your doing in 2014. This one word is “Jesus”. This is why we are given this name on 1st of January. I hope you will remember St. Paul’s recommendation: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17). What you can’t dare do in Jesus’ name, don’t do it. In other words, whatever you can do in the name of Jesus is good and doable; what you can’t do in His name, is bad and don’t do it. For He is Lord both now and forever, AMEN.