WORD 2day: 7th August, 2015

Feel overburdened? ..just open your eyes!

Friday, 18th week in Ordinary Time

Dt 4: 32-40; Mt16:24-28

Today I am reminded of an event from Don Bosco's life. It was his mother Mamma Margaret who had loads of complaints about  Don Bosco's boys. ..they were spoiling all her hard work. ..her kitchen garden,  her work of mending their shoes or clothes, her work of tidying the simple house they had...none of these counted for anything as the boys went around rampaging everything immersed in their play! She came with a turmoil and said she is leaving the oratory for good. And Don Bosco with a serene countenance looked at her and told her, 'Mama leave if you want to! But before that have a look at that!' and he pointed to the crucifix that was hanging on the wall. She turned around and went back to her chores. I am reminded of this incident for two reasons. 

The first reason is the readings of today which call us to look at the good that God has done to us, the amount of love that the Lord has showered on us, the countless blessing the Lord has bestowed on us. If we are mindful of it, Moses seems to say, we would never go away from the Lord or complain when we face some inconvenience. Jesus says that in other words, if you feel you are a disciple, that is one who is mindful of the Lord with you and you being with the Lord, count your blessings and carry your cross with the same joy in your heart! What a challenging call.

The second reason is the journey I am beginning today: a journey to Turin to be at Don Bosco's place for the celebration of his birth bicentenary! A journey to the roots, a visit to the beginnings of Don Bosco and the Salesian Congregation. My heart wells up with gratitude as I begin this journey and I take all of you my dear readers with me... to Don Bosco's sacred places. May this wonderful saint of our times, grant you all the joy that filled his heart always, the joy of giving and the joy of being in the presence of the Lord!

NOTE: From today till August 23rd...my posts on the daily readings would not appear! Please do keep me in your prayers and you are all spiritually in union with me as I journey on! God bless you all!

THE WORD AND THE FEAST

The Transfiguration of the Lord
Dan 7:9-10,13-14; 2 Pet 1:16-19; Mk 9: 2-10

A Reminder of our Inner Selves

At times,  like the disciples felt, we feel like standing and staring at the glory of the Lord; or we don't have time even for that. The transfiguration of the Lord is a reminder of the inner selves that we possess. We do not realise the treasures that we are given with in this earthen vessels (cf. 2 Cor 4:7). We are so taken up with maintaining and adorning and satisfying this earthen containers that we need a reminder like what Jesus gives us today: that our inner selves are way far precious and brilliant, and we need to attend to the innermost yearnings of our being to belong to the Lord and taste the eternal goodness. Our innermost self is the very image and likeness of God.  The invitation is to live a life,  set a standard,  fix on priorities that would make us worthy enough to hear those words: 'this is my beloved son; this is my beloved daughter'!