WORD 2day:12th May, 2017

The Father, Son and the begotten

Friday, 4th week in Easter

Acts 13:26-33; Jn 14: 1-6

The promise of the Father and the faithfulness to the promise, the oneness of the Father and the Son, the Son leading us to the Father, the Way to the Father, the Truth of the oneness and the eternal Life that is assure in this - these are the themes presented today. They give us an important insight into our life of faith - it is not a life of do's and don'ts, nor a life of mere rules and regulations but a life of relationships!

The Father who has been so concerned about this relationship that was initiated in and through the covenant, the Son who felt so related to the Father and wanted to share the same sense of relatedness with us, the Spirit who never leaves us dwelling within us with an intimate relationship, the way of making these relationships true and concrete by our relationships with each other and finally, being convinced that all of us are related and we are marching together hand in hand towards our eternal home - the love of the Almighty! This is our faith. This is our daily life. 

Can we treasure our relationships...make them more and more sincere and loving...then we will have the Way, the Truth and the Life with us!

FATIMA 100 YEARS - UNITE IN PRAYER - Day 7

OUR LADY OF FATIMA - 100 YEARS

LET US FORM A NOVENA COMMUNITY...

LET US PRAY TOGETHER FOR THESE 9 DAYS...

DAY 7: 11TH MAY 2017

LET US PRAY:

ost Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with sincere love of this devotion.  

      By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in your Rosary, may we gather the fruits contained therein and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, the Peace of Christ for the world, and this favor that I so earnestly seek of you in this novena....

   O Miraculous Mother, you spoke to those three children and used them as your messengers to the entire world. We unite with one heart and mind to pray for our children and youth today. Protect them for all the dangers that abound today, dangers of body, mind and soul. Their future remains precarious with all the developments we see in the world today. We ask you to safeguard them from the enemy, keep them faithful to your Son always. 

I ask this of you, for the greater glory of God, for your own honour and for the good of all people. Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be (three times)

Please do not forget to pray the Rosary these 9 days!

WORD 2day: 11th May, 2017

Handing on: Retelling the Story

Thursday, 4th week in Easter

Acts 13: 13-25; Jn 13:16-20

These days, I am preparing to hand over the Centre that I have been taking care of for the past three years. The one who is going to take up the responsibility is already announced and it is time for me to hand it over. At this juncture the usual concern is, what happens to everything that I built up bit by bit. I cannot but read today's word from this background. Jesus hands over his task to be continued by the disciples, the task of taking the good news further to the ends of the world.

Taking the good news to the ends of the world is Evangelisation. One definition that I have loved about evengelisation goes, 'evangelisation is retelling the story of Jesus'. That is exactly what Paul does in the synagogue in the first reading - retelling the story of Jesus from the Old Testament. Yes, tracing the roots of Jesus in the Old Testament, Paul retells the story of Jesus to make people aware how Jesus is the awaited Messiah. 

Do we retell the story of Jesus whenever we get an opportunity...from our own background, from our own context, basing on our own concerns? We are all evangelisers in our own right, every one of us by our very baptism. Let us never forget that fact.

FATIMA 100 YEARS - LET'S PRAY - Day 6

OUR LADY OF FATIMA - 100 YEARS

LET US FORM A NOVENA COMMUNITY...

LET US PRAY TOGETHER FOR THESE 9 DAYS...

DAY 6: 10TH MAY 2017

LET US PRAY:

ost Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with sincere love of this devotion.  

      By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in your Rosary, may we gather the fruits contained therein and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, the Peace of Christ for the world, and this favor that I so earnestly seek of you in this novena....

   O Mother of God, we pray in one heart and mind for persons who are terminally ill, in a very special way for those whom the medical science has given up on. Let your maternal care and love descend upon them. Accompany them with your tender consolation and fill their hearts with hope that your Son brought to this world. Bless all those who are taking care of them, and those who are around them. May this world be filled with hope and love.

I ask this of you, for the greater glory of God, for your own honour and for the good of all people. Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be (three times)

Please do not forget to pray the Rosary these 9 days!

WORD 2day: 10th May, 2017

Carrying out Orders

Wednesday, 4th week in Easter

Acts 12:24 - 13:5; Jn 12: 44-50

I always love conducting the game, "Jesus Says" for kids. It is an adaptation of the famous scout game: SM Says. The kids are instructed to carry out any order that is given with the prefix, 'Jesus Says' - for instance, Jesus says Sit down or Jesus says Hands Up etc. They are not to carry out the orders that are without the prefix - for instance, sit down or hands up etc. It is fun but has an important message to give. If I am a true disciple of Christ I will do just what he says. Jesus did that: he did only what his Father said! 

It is one thing to do just what the Lord says. It is yet another thing, and more important, to do all that the Lord says! We become choosy at times, doing what suits and leaving what causes inconvenience. The first reading speaks to us of how the early Christian community paid heed to what the Lord had to say, and carried out orders to the dot. Has that tendency become extinct today? Do we hear, listen and attentively carry out orders from the Lord or are we busy making sure our own orders are carried out? How many local churches are in trouble these days, I wish not to pin the cause on anyone - the people or the ministers or the so-called bigwigs. But the reason is, we have moved far from carrying out the orders from the Lord. We have our own opinions and wishes to be fulfilled and justified.

Can we return to that original spirit of Carrying out Orders!

FATIMA 100 YEARS - LET'S PRAY- Day 5

OUR LADY OF FATIMA - 100 YEARS

LET US FORM A NOVENA COMMUNITY...

LET US PRAY TOGETHER FOR THESE 9 DAYS...

DAY 5: 9TH MAY 2017

LET US PRAY:

ost Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with sincere love of this devotion.  

      By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in your Rosary, may we gather the fruits contained therein and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, the Peace of Christ for the world, and this favor that I so earnestly seek of you in this novena....

   O Mother of the Holy Rosary, you invited us to pray the Rosary for the Conversion of Sinners, we offer you the Rosary that we have prayed today, with one heart and mind for the conversion of sinners, for those who are so hard hearted not to see the Lord beckoning them to taste God's love. Obtain for us the compassion not to judge persons and to accept them with love, the humility to see our own sinfulness and the ardent desire to live in union with your Son our Lord Jesus Christ.

I ask this of you, for the greater glory of God, for your own honour and for the good of all people. Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be (three times)

Please do not forget to pray the Rosary these 9 days!

WORD 2day: 9th May, 2017

To be called Christians: Listen and Follow

Tuesday, 4th week in Easter

Acts 11:19-26; Jn 10: 22-30

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me! The believers in Antioch were called 'Christians', because they belonged to the Lord, they listened, they followed! Listening to the Lord would mean to drink in his principles, to put on his mindset as St. Paul would describe. To follow the Lord would mean, to live like him. Our actions have to be our witness, not merely our words and our titles. 

Would anyone, unknown to you, looking at you and your actions say that you should be a Christian? Not because of the cross you might possibly wear, nor with the name tag you may probably have, but with the attitudes you sport and the actions that spontaneously emanate from you. 

I am tempted to ask myself: is it right to say that a person will do good if he or she is a Christian or to say, anyone who does good to the other without expecting anything in return is truly a 'Christ-ian'?

FATIMA 100 YEARS - LET US PRAY - Day 4

OUR LADY OF FATIMA - 100 YEARS

LET US FORM A NOVENA COMMUNITY...

LET US PRAY TOGETHER FOR THESE 9 DAYS...

DAY 4: 8TH MAY 2017

LET US PRAY:

ost Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with sincere love of this devotion.  

      By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in your Rosary, may we gather the fruits contained therein and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, the Peace of Christ for the world, and this favor that I so earnestly seek of you in this novena....

   O Queen of Peace, we unite to pray for those who disrespect human life, those who take to killing as a way to achieve their ends, those who kill children and innocent victims to prove their point, those who promote and advocate abortions, people who contemplate suicide. Mother grant peace in every human heart that we may feel the presence of God with us once more. Turn the world to God and may the world know peace, love and joy. 

I ask this of you, for the greater glory of God, for your own honour and for the good of all people. Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be (three times)

Please do not forget to pray the Rosary these 9 days!

WORD 2day: 8th May, 2017

Who are we to stand in God's way!

Monday, 4th week in Easter

Acts 11:1-18; Jn 10: 11-18

God has no favourites, except that God opts to stand by those who are no favourites of anyone. You neglect someone for no fault of theirs adding to their woe, God will surely take their side and not yours! Just today, I happened to notice once again that poster of a 3 year old Syrian boy who succumbed to wounds in the hospital a couple of years ago, with a caption which read: 'I am going to tell God everything that is happening here'. A sad reminder of how insensitive the world has grown to be. So much of divisions and hatred, violence and crime, manipulations and exploitations...why are we standing in God's way, when God wants that every human person be happy and contented, fulfilled and peaceful. The Good Shepherd wants that every one, without exception everyone, be saved, that everyone lives his or her life to the full - woe to us if we hinder that from happening.

FATIMA 100 YEARS - UNITE IN PRAYER - Day 3

OUR LADY OF FATIMA - 100 YEARS

LET US FORM A NOVENA COMMUNITY...

LET US PRAY TOGETHER FOR THESE 9 DAYS...

DAY 3: 7TH MAY 2017

LET US PRAY:

ost Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with sincere love of this devotion.  

      By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in your Rosary, may we gather the fruits contained therein and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, the Peace of Christ for the world, and this favor that I so earnestly seek of you in this novena....

   O Mother of the Word Incarnate, we pray with one heart and mind for the leaders of the World Countries. Inspire hope in every human person, melt the hearts of the violent and the criminals; May the Leaders take a stand that is truly for the peace of humankind. We offer up through you, unto the Lord every place that is war torn and every place that is threatened by a war-like situation. Hear our prayer and intercede for peace.

I ask this of you, for the greater glory of God, for your own honour and for the good of all people. Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be (three times)

Please do not forget to pray the Rosary these 9 days!