Lucerna | The light

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. - Luke 11:33

Pexels.com

These verses teach us the importance of taking care of what we allow inside us, because from the abundance of what is in it, it will undoubtedly bubble to the surface and be reflected to others. As the Scripture says, from within us flow rivers of living water (John 7:38) or that from the abundance of the treasure of our heart is what we share with others (Luke 6:45). It is also said that from our deepest being is from which springs of life flow (Prov 4:23). Therefore, we must take care of our inner being with great diligence.

We have learned that what we have, we give to others. It is inevitable, the exterior will always be a clear reflection of our interior. If we do not cultivate our interior with the blessed Word of God, with meditation and prayer, or edifying actions, we will not be able to reflect the essence of a good Christian. Nor will we be able to give a word of encouragement or reach out a hand to those in need. We have been called to be light and salt of this world. One of the doors to our soul is the eye. Let's take care of what we see. Let us seek to take care of what we give entry to our mind, soul and heart so that our light is not dimmed. Also, so that we can keep our interior clean, pure and healthy and our Beloved can come to find a fruit that is sweet and pleasant to his palate.

Holy Spirit come and live in our hearts. Purify us from what does not please you, cleanse us with the water of your Word. Remove all darkness, bad thoughts, slander, root of bitterness, pain or even human thoughts that prevent us from listening to your sweet voice. Let us be that lamp that illuminates the walk of others. Let us be a reflection of your love to others at all times and that we can show the character of Christ through our actions. Amen!

Reflection on Luke 11:33-36 by Nydia Flores

(Listen to podcast here)

Ego sum | I am

"Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, "who do the crowds say that I am?" – Luke 9:18

Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

As Jesus was very actively involved in the public ministry, people had various opinions about him. Jesus was very much aware of it. Some considered him as John the Baptist who is risen, some others as Elijah and others as one of the ancient prophets who is risen. But Jesus wanted to get the answers from his disciples. That's why he is asking them when no one is around. Jesus goes one step further asking his disciples, "But who do you say that I am?"

Here Jesus wanted to make sure whether his disciples had understood him properly. He wanted to get a very personal answer from them. Peter as the leader of the group gives the answer that You are the Messiah of God. This must have been one of the happiest moments in the life of Jesus. The leader of the group is very clear about the identity of Jesus. So it was worth selecting them as his disciples. Even if not the people, Jesus wanted to make sure that at least his disciples knew his true identity.

Today Jesus is also asking us a very personal question, "Who do you say that I am?" or "Who I am to you in your life?" We need to spend our own quality time with Jesus sitting with the Word of God to understand him better. Asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the mysteries about Jesus. The same passage we read in the Gospel of Matthew 16: 13-20. In Mt. 16:17 we read, And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven." 

This is a fact that by our own efforts alone we can not understand the mysteries of God. We need the grace of God which comes into us in prayer with humility. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 9: 1-27 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

(Listen to podcast here)

Cor | Heart

"The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of the evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks" – Luke 6:45.

Photo by Designecologist on Pexels.com

Dear friends in Christ Jesus, who among us don't want to be recognized as a good person in the society that we live in. Not only in society but we also want to be seen by God as a good person. We usually use our human standards to see whether the person is good or bad and often our judgements are wrong. God can for sure see the heart and read the mind of the person. The heart of God is nothing but full of love and mercy. What about our hearts? It depends on where our treasure lies.

We read in the gospel of John 7:38 – "As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' " When we have the Holy Spirit living in our hearts, out of our hearts will flow rivers of living water. There will be words of love and mercy, there will be Word of God, there will be words of healing, consolation and prayer. In fact we become instruments in the hands of God to do his will. This is possible by giving our heart totally to God, by giving God the first priority, by reading the Word of God and living it, by spending time in personal and community prayers.

The world that we live in offers us a lot of things. We have total freedom and it is up to us whether  to fill our hearts with those junks or not. Let us choose wisely. Let us fill our hearts with the Word of God. Fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom and the real wisdom is living a life according to the teaching of Jesus.

Reflection on Luke 6: 27- 49 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

(Listen to podcast here)

Verba | Words

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." – Mk. 13: 31

Photo by Sara on Pexels.com

Dear friends in Christ Jesus, we all use a lot of words on a daily basis. Our words are human words. We break our promises made by words and sometimes we lie and again to justify ourselves we use words. Sometimes we lack words or even afraid to use words. Our words can heal or hurt people. Most often the words that we speak reflect what is in our heart. We read in Matthew 12:34 – "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

The words that Jesus spoke is for sure the Word of God because he is God. We all know the power of the Word of God. We read in Isaiah 55: 11 – "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it." If we take the example of Jesus himself he had already predicted about his death and resurrection and we all agree that it has come true. Jesus has also told about his second coming in all glory to judge the world and this will also come true. It is just a matter of time but the timing of God is not our way of imagining.

We read in Matthew 12:36 –"I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter." Dear friends, let us be very careful in using words. Sometimes it is better to be silent than just responding to everything that you hear. Let our words become a blessing and healing in the lives of others. Let us fill our hearts with God's Word so that through the help of the Holy Spirit we may be able to use them for the building up of the Kingdom of God.  

Reflection on Mark 13: 20-37 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

(Listen to the Podcast here)

Filius Hominis| Son of Man

"Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." – Mark. 8:38

Photo by John-Mark Smith on Pexels.com

Dear friends in Christ, I was just imagining that if Jesus had called the generation of his time as 'adulterous and sinful', what could he have named the present generation? We come across many people who are ashamed to call themselves Christians or people who are ashamed of the word of God. 

We know the next coming of Jesus to this world with all his glory is not to show mercy but to judge the world according to his righteousness. Now, Jesus is willing to show us mercy if we ask him pardon for our sins and try to live a holy life following his word and his teachings. 

We read in Matthew 10:33 – "But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." It is not that God is not merciful, he is indeed full of mercy and compassion. The love that God has for us is revealed in the person of Jesus. How much are we grateful to God for this love? What is blocking us to accept the person of Jesus as our personal and only Saviour and obey his word? 

We all know the richness of the word of God. In my life experience, it is only the word of God which speaks directly to the soul. We read in Psalms 119:11 – "I have laid up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." A person who loves the word of God and who loves Jesus can easily attain eternal life and he is not afraid of the next coming of Jesus rather he is eagerly waiting for his coming to judge the world. 

Let us all be ready to welcome Jesus for his next coming. Amen.

 

Reflection on Mark 8: 27-38 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

(Listen to the Podcast here)

Unum Centum | Hundredfold

"And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and hundredfold" – Mk 4: 20.

Photo by Todd Trapani on Pexels.com

We all have seen farmers preparing the soil before the cultivation. It takes quite a lot of time, energy and hard labour. After sowing the seeds, again it takes quite a lot of hard work till the field is ready for the harvest. God gives growth. 

Jesus uses such a parable so that all people can easily understand and grasp the meaning. But still some did not understand because they did not want to understand. A person who is hard hearted won't easily accept the Word of God. We all need the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in us after listening to the Word of God. Knowing the Word of God is knowing God himself. If you love God you will love the Word of God also. When you love God you will try to listen to him and put into practice what he speaks through his word. 

Jesus makes it very clear for us in John 14: 23 – "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." This is a great mystery as well as a great promise. If we want the Triune God to dwell in our souls, we need to just love the Word of God and try to put into practice. Let us not merely become the hearers but rather doers. 

It is a good practice to learn by heart a few Bible words and repeat them over and over. Let the Word of God sink into our hearts and I am sure we can bear fruits a hundredfold.

 

Reflection on Mk.4: 10-20 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

(Listen to the podcast here)

Audiat | Listen

"And he said, 'Let anyone with ears to hear listen!'" — Mark 4:9 

Photo by Dylann Hendricks | 딜란 on Unsplash

Reflecting on the beautiful parable of our Lord Jesus Christ, is a timely reminder for myself about how am I tending the soil of my heart. Is it a good soil that is fully prepared to receive the Word of God, and bear a fruitful harvest or is it a fallow rocky ground that's tainted by shallow philosophies or even false teachings that doesn't place Jesus at the Centre but focuses only on the gifts of the Giver? Are my ears tuned to the still-small voice of the Holy Spirit Who whispers, "I love you more than you'll ever know, my child.", or is it tuned to the noise of the world which threatens to drown out the loving voice of my Abba Father?

The Giver of all good gifts, our Father in Heaven, has one desire is for each of us to grow deeper and deeper in relationship with Him and seek Him first in all things so that we may reflect in increasing measure of His Son's Character and be His hands and feet in a broken and hurting world.

I will close with the Spirit-inspired words of this beautiful Love Letter, which was first published by Barry Adams in 1999 and can be downloaded from the link below (in 125 languages). https://www.fathersloveletter.com/languages.html

There is a link to an audio recording of the Father's Love Letter, which is available for viewing on YouTube https://youtu.be/ZsBhvSMQUk4

On the website below, you can read about how God used a simple prayer of a young man who had prayed over Barry Adams in 1997. It had ultimately led him to compile a series of paraphrased scriptures into a PowerPoint presentation as a message of the Father's love. Since the launch of the video in 1999 as a free Flash video on www.FathersLoveLetter.com , millions worldwide have been touched by the message of our Father's love, and has been translated into more than 125 languages and this video continues to find its way into many places around the world.

The Story Behind the Father's Love Letter…

https://www.fathersloveletter.com/the-story.html

*******************************************

Reflection on Mark 4:1-9 by Chris Tan

Verba mea (Lk. 21:33)

It has been twenty centuries that the words of God have echoed in people's hearts, from generation to generation. The world is constantly changing but His word will stand forever. His Word keeps up to date through all the ages while heaven and earth will pass away.

This was said by Jesus to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”God's faithfulness is eternal. His promises last forever. God never breaks His promises. He continues to guide his people. Even though we have fallen, been up and down in struggling for loyalty, God remains patient and faithful. His words once spoken, last forever.

God's words today also make us even more convinced that the Bible is not just a collection of some letters or series of dead words, but the Word of God is alive. It can thrill our hearts and change our lives and make us respond to the signs of the times in the light of His words. Let us not pass a day without reading His words.

By Fr. Fransiskus Diaz, SVD.

Liber prophetae (Lk. 4:17)

 

The word of God has the power to change our lives. This powerful Word we get to know from the Scriptures. Moreover, when we gather together and share our reflections in the community of believers we are very enriched. Since when we are united during the prayer in the church, the Spirit of God is among us.  It also happens in the smaller community, namely family.

First of all, we are to invite the Holy Spirit in order to start meditating. At the same time, we need to realize that we constitute a temple of God which is anointed and consecrated. Furthermore, we read the bible not only for ourselves but for the whole community. Eventually, after our personal prayer, we are able to share the good news to the needy.

Are we ready to hear the word of God and proclaim the Lord’s message to others? Even if we feel tired or even exhausted, we are not allowed to keep the beauty of the Scriptures only for ourselves. We should not keep the secrets of our intimate relationship with God only in the depths of our soul.

Jesus Christ gives us an example of how to preach the Good News to the people. He knows that the world is in need of divine words. For there is enough bad news around us. We are to proclaim the optimistic and great mysteries of God towards the poor too. However, we should know that some people will accept us with great joy but others will reject us. Nonetheless, don’t be discouraged or disappointed. You are to share and become the apostle of the Good News despite consequences.  

By Fr. Jozef Trzebuniak, SVD.

Semen in agro (Mt. 13:24)

Every living creature longs for the rain which provides fertility and freshness. Like rain, God brings peace to the world and to humans. Sin has separated God and humans forever and ever and Jesus is a sign of peace. Jesus comes to pay off human’s sins and to re-tie the covenant between God and man. With the ransom of Jesus Christ, humans owe God even though God has never demanded humans to pay for it because Jesus Christ lived and died once to redeem for the sins of mankind and lift up people to be children of God. On the contrary, we are like soil on a roadside that receives the seed of God's Word but our faith is quickly eroded by external temptations. In addition, we are like rocky ground whose hearts are hard to accept God's word. Humans are also like soil full of thorns squeezed by worldly anxieties. God expects us to be like fertile soil where God's word flourishes and produces abundant fruit.

God also invites us to be the seeds of the living word of God. A seed contains the potential to grow and suffer. Rooted in the Word of God means we are ready to suffer for the sake of others and to grow to reach the glory of God. In oneself, there is potential for good spiritual fruit but selfishness keeps us from growing spiritually. Thus, we need God’s grace to help us get rid of our selfishness and listen to God’s willing. 

Lord God, we realize we are not enough in trusting You. We pray, increase our faith, Amen. 

By Fr. Aris Mada, SVD.

Qui seminat (Mt. 13:3)

We have a saying that goes this way: “Ignorance of the law excuses no one.” That even if we don’t know this particular existing law, this does not exempt us from it because we can inquire and look for information regarding this matter. Just like in our gospel today which is the parable of the sower.

This parable and other parables of Jesus are being told and retold so that His teaching will remain forever in our minds and in our hearts. So, we have no reason to say ‘No’ to Him.

Jesus was really a great preacher and teacher because He spoke in the language of the people so that the people would understand Him. He used stories, made comparisons, and used examples, all from the everyday life of the people He was speaking to.

The seed in today’s parable is the word of God and it falls on different types of ground. The sower is God Himself. Some grounds are good. Some are too thorny and too rocky and some of the ground is the footpath. These different types of ground represent different followers in the church.

The Word of God is not like ordinary information such as the weather forecast. God’s word is like rain on the earth, or like the seed. It changes things. When it is alive; it needs, like all living things an environment that will support it. It interacts: it makes possible something new, the seed dies to its life as a seed and becomes a plant and eventually is harvested.

If we allow ourselves to be nourished by prayer and by God’s word, the result is remarkable. Normally 10% is regarded as a good return on seed sown. But here Jesus promises 30, 60 or even 100%. What commercial bank today would give such a return for the investment?

Growth and healing take place when we see ourselves as God sees us.

“Lord Jesus, we pray that the soil of our lives may be very rich so that when the seed of your word falls into it, it may bear much fruit and help to bring about your kingdom on earth. Amen”

 

By Fr. Rajesh Minz, UK.