Life of strife and after

Man, on his own, is a hopeless slave.
That man, who did not know,
That there was an answer to his life,
His empty aimless, destructive life.

That man who thought
That there was gain in entertainment
Seeking to fill a wounded spirit
With pleasures that pass and kill

But the truth always dawned
And how painful that dawn,
When all ended in darkness,
In a hollow emptiness.

What he lacked, he knew not,
In his life, to see soul soup,
True strong manna to revive
A flagging and aching spirit.

Some men there are who knew
That they lacked, yes lacked.
In all the wealth and distractions,
They yet knew they needed it.

But what they needed how were they to know?
Go to a lonely place and meditate?
Or pray together in unison?
Follow leaders who say the truth about sin.

And knowing their frailty, they moan,
Knowing this burden, they strive,
To live to do all they can,
Releasing their pangs and chains.

For man is bound until he meets,
The grace that is most perfect.
So lost and forlorn is he until,
He finds that for which he was created.

That is why we preach the Gospel,
Men over the centuries with all passion
Overcoming tempest, storm and wind,
Snake poison, burning oil, the noose of condemnation.

All while having received,
Grace upon grace, blessing upon blessing,
The thing that was most precious,
The living God who redeems us.

Said the Christ, the light of life,
That he who has ears will hear,
He who listens will understand,
Throw the grain to all people.

So that before all shall perish,
Before the fading of our poor lives,
We may find the reason to live,
And find our being and purpose.

Man with Christ, is victorious,
Having the armor of God for ever,
To shield him and help him bear,
The little trouble till his death,

So that one day the moment will come,
Of fulfillment of all life's struggles,
To complete and bring to fruition,
Our blessed lives on earth.

All Creation Searches for God

Listen to your heart, says Bryan Adams, picturing the love story of Robin Hood and his love. The song tries to capture to love between the friend of the poor and his beloved. The Peace Pilgrim said I searched for God in churches and everywhere, finally I found him in all things that is beyond us, the creative force behind all things. In Paulo Coelho's beautiful book, "The Alchemist", a shepherd finds the soul of the Universe and the soul of man being united. Hinduism talks of the atma(soul), encouraging the search for freedom from attachment and journey to bliss.

Sometimes one may wonder. If I have been blessed with being born to Catholic parents and been given the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, how could God not have given the same gift to all? How would that equate to the great good? Well, since God is just, He does provide the necessary gifts to all in His own manner. You can be born in an island and find no church, no temple, no synagogue, no mosque, no stupa, no whatever. Yet, we are created by our Divine master, the master of all things. This is a great creator who has placed in each of our souls, the desire to know and love God.

It is this desire of us people that causes great wise men to leave the pleasures of money or material wealth and seek God far away. It is this desire that causes great conquerors like Alexander the Great to say to his friend - I have conquered so many lands and so many men are in my command. Yet, deep inside, I have an incompleteness and feel no satisfaction. Our human person is not just a machine. Even if it were a machine, the human body is amazing when you consider how it grows from an embryo and how the heart beats - nothing like a human heart has been created. How the mind works - so amazing with so much imagination.

Yet, the human person is more than a body. More than a body and mind. A complete human person is a body, mind, soul and spirit. Yet, this soul is not isolated from other things. Rather, it is the soul that seeks the perfection. One who listens to his soul sees far beyond reason or logic. The eyes of the soul seek the perfect, the greatly good, the most beautiful and lovely, the powerful and yet humble truth. This is the search of truth.

Like Pilate in the movie "The Passion of the Christ" says "quid est veritas" - or what is truth? We all say inside? What is truth? What is the purpose of living? Jesus Christ taught many people - among them were sinners and prostitutes too. Of special note is the fact that there were these groups of people publicly known as sinful, who were touched my the teaching of Christ and followed this teaching, even though their past was colored by frantic search for temporary pleasure and things that pass.

It is this search in every man, in every generation, in every human person. The human soul is restless until finally at the end of time, it rests forever in its creator, God himself!! For me, everything around is a testimony of this search. Science is the search of truth, yet following experimentation as proof of any fact. This is science. For example, Stephen Hawking, considered a great teacher and authority in Relativity, says in the first chapter of "A Brief History of Time" -

"We shall never be satisfied until we find finally, an answer to all the mysteries of the universe".

This is the search of science - a complete explanation of every thing that is beyond our world, that we strive endlessly to. I do love these words of Hawking because the soul in every person can be seen in writings by people from fields so different from one another. This search can be seen in people in lands far away, who met different people and knew different systems of thought.

Each man or woman seeks love. Why? Life feels changed completely when one finds true love. Yet, love is not imperfect, but simply beyond human logic and reason. No person can master love and tell it what to do. It defies logic because it can do things that no logic can do. What is perfect love? An important distinguishing attribute of perfect love is sacrifice and unselfishness. Love is truly tested when it is difficult to love. When it hurts to give, if one can love, then that love is a reflection of the Divine love. The soul of man can find true love in surrender to the Spirit of truth, the Divine master, the Creator and all-powerful. The perfection of all things comes to the great altar in love.

As Catholics, we have the teachings of Jesus Christ - the Gospels, the Sacraments, the Eucharist, the Divine presence in the body of Christ, or Corpus Christi, the actual complete transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. This is a miracle greater than imagination because no other miracle in history can unite time from so many centuries ago in such a poignant manner as the Consecration does. Being pilgrims in the search for truth, and being Catholics at the same time means that we continue in the light of the Church to make our lives fuller and meaningful knowing that there is hope of heaven.

This search in all of us is not to be for a lifetime and to end with our graves. Rather, it is a search that thirsts for the God that last for all eternity. This is why Saint Paul says that if you do not believe in the resurrection, your lives are hopeless. The joy of finding God is such as the world has never seen, it is far beyond expectation. It is this great mystery that we say in the Apostles Creed, I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Living a life of Grace

Every human person has available grace. This, we learn from Jesus Christ, to bear stripping, blood, vinegar, crucifixion and extreme pain and suffering, while still remaining perfectly holy, faithful and loving.


The "human nature" as we heard it said time and time again can be overcome. This Christ came to prove. Grace to not sin at all!! A very strong and true answer to the question is Jesus Christ himself.

The mystery of the Incarnation is about Christ taking human form. Human form is complete human form with all its aspects. Christ took the mind of a man, the heart of a man, the soul of a man and the spirit of a man.

The truth about Christ's teaching is "How much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask of him". It is indeed true that the same grace that Jesus Christ had to overcome is available to us. If one is a Christian, and believes in Jesus Christ and the Gospels, this is the truth.

Let us strive to be Christ-like in all things. Being such is not a celestial goal, beyond reach. If it were true, Jesus time here on earth is useless. But, rather, He came that we may receive the fruits of eternal life. This is life in Christ. Remember that the young man asked Jesus - "how can I be perfect". This is what we seek. We do not seek mediocrity in ethics and morals. We seek, rather a higher truth and goodness beyond that which the world accepts.

Who will take this challenge? Take up your cross and follow me? Many may turn this was or that or the other. What about you? What is your answer? Sharp words chase you away? Wake up calls can come in many ways. Few may realize this in a lifetime. Yet, there is a perfection possible with grace. Perfection through Jesus Christ.

Joshua said "As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord". Personally, I too choose this.

Have Faith

All of us have trying times. Jesus was put to the test and so are we. Our Lord calls us to have faith at all times. To trust in him and his promises. Our Lord always keeps his promises, far more than any human person. Let me share some promises our our Lord from the Bible:

"As you sow, so shall you reap"

"In the measure that you use, will it be given to you"

The lesson we have here is clear and strong. So shall you reap. will be given to you.

Both words are affirmative. Some of us may have a darkness when we do good. When we love. There may be apparently no returns. Yet, the Lord tells us like as if it already is confirmed.

Indeed, so shall you reap. There is nothing more than sow that is said here. Therefore, do not worry because sometimes in hard times, you may only sow and sow and sow and apparently be hurt and pained and shamed.

Do not worry because the Lord tells us in the affirmative. It is true. O yes it is that the rewards will come. Maybe a month, a year, a few years.

So love, love and love more. Love in good times and bad. Love when it is returned and when it is not. Look at the meaning of what our Lord did. The rewards of the souls were after Jesus died.

At one point, Christianity was a message in the hearts of 11 faithful men afraid of the world and branded as traitors. These, who did not leave the Lord when he said:

"And you, would you also want to leave?"

Let us take the example of Saint Peter, who says:

"To whom shall we go, Lord? You have the words of eternal life."

A poem on faith:

Whenever there's a problem,
Wherever there's despair
Just bow your head in prayer and know
That God will always be there.

When things look bleak and dreary,
When it seems that no one cares,
Have faith, my friend, in our Lord
And he will answer all your prayers.

I know sometimes it's hard,
Things don't seem to work out right,
But it truly is quite pointless
To kick or scream or fight.

When you really need an answer,
On HIM you can depend.
Only FAITH can move a mountain -
So, have FAITH in God, my friend!

Isn't it beautiful

"You can live your life as if nothing were a miracle,
Or you can live your life as if everything is"

So goes a famous saying. Let us recall those things that are make us wonder:

Isn't it beautiful...
That God's wisdom can be found everywhere
That fools can be wiser than the wise
That the greatest chose to be a carpenters son
That years after working and living, some people realize that the beautiful secrets of life - love and truth - in the most unexpected places...

Isn't it beautiful...
That God loves us so much
That God came to our planet
That he offers himself to come into us
That His love is forever eternal
That the earth shows some shadows of the great heavens
That what we cannot understand with our minds, God reveals to us through our hearts and the Spirit.

That the perfect came to OUR EARTH!!
That perfect love is possible here!!
That death is not the end...
That peace can be found in agony...
That love remains love through pain
That forgiveness is infinite....
That JESUS rides in victory in our darkest moments...

Isn't it beautiful!!!
That we can enter the pearly gates,
That we can ascend the heavenly stairs,
That we can live paradise here on earth,
In the love of our Lord in our hearts,
That that paradise will be all around then...
That we can sing of His love forever...

I hope the beauty of life and hope of heaven fills each of you, my beloved readers. God bless!!

Freedom to love

The greatest thing we can have in life is perfect love. I present a passionate but simple picture here. Our hearts are bound and heavy with darkness. We have a need for fulfilment. We have broken hearts with shattered dreams and unhealed wounds.

God, look at our hearts, so imperfect and lost. Break the bonds of sin that keep us from you. Break the chains of pride and self-righteousness. Throw open this prison of a closed heart that is afraid to love and be hurt again.

Jesus, enter into our hearts. Make us rich with your presence. Come into our hearts. Live inside here. With you in me, I am strong. I may not have my rosary or crucifix but you are inside, sheltered in my heart, and sheltering me. Your angel guards me.

You said, no scorpion's poison can harm you. You can move mountains. I believe. Be with me when I am with your sheep whom you want back, so in need of you as I am. With you inside, I can go to the world, endure sinful places. Endure the ad's on TV degrading the body to an object of lust. Love my friends even when they talk about pornography, pre-marital sex, share degrading jokes. Because in this world, I need to be strong like my Rock . I need you angels and saints to join me and pray for everyone of the children.



Observe the picture above. See the chain breaking - SPLAT!! Jesus is entering, still grey, still settling in. See the violet streak from above. The richness and greatness of The Great entering. The heart is beginning to glow. Everything around is getting filled with light. This is the power of Christ, the light of the world! See the darkness leaving down below!!

Stairway to Heaven

Reality is just a subset of truth. Life on earth is just a shadow of heaven. Where science ends, faith begins. Faith gives us the wings to go beyond where science can take us. The wisdom of the Almighty goes far beyond the valleys of sin and death. Because Christ conquered both through his Sacrifice. Enjoy this poem and let it take you on the wings of faith. Experience the gentle journey and joy of a blessed heart.

I hold on to a quiet light,
Glistening on my window pane.
We're starving Lord, your people here,
Dying to see your holy way.

I know you set a path for me,
A holy place you have from me.
At night I feel so lonely, Lord,
Because inside, I am not yet there.

To a beautiful chapel Lord, take me,
To a bright, warm place, lead me.
To that door that leads to the stairway,
To the path that leads to you.

Shall I ask what you meant, Lord?
When you showed me that stairway?
The stairway you created in me,
Behind the door to that chapel, Lord.

Your way is most perfect, Jesus,
Your spirit leads me on.
I shall not doubt or worry,
Just trust in you all the way.

We always want to reach the peak,
But you want us to smile all the way,
Even as we are imperfect and hollow,
Your love is all we need, Saviour.

Heaven and Nowhere Else

God blesses us with things that can take us to where he wants us to be. Indeed, in the Bible, the Eucharist and in prayer, we have those wonderful things that can take us to the special place God has prepared for us. See and enjoy this poem from the heart, be refreshed by the blessing and grace of saying yes to God.

To you, Lord, my yesterday, my today,
Years have I known your precious way.
Will I ever find a better way?
Nothing will stop this now!!

Ever with you I will be,
No one can turn me anywhere else.
My work, my hands, I offer thee,
Surrender my breath and heart to thee.

I know your road may be narrow,
But popularity is not for me.
I may lose friends on the way,
But your eternal promises are too great.

How can I lose my inheritance?
How can I abandon those paths of truth?
No man ever has known a better heaven,
Your thunder and power descending on me.

Halleluiah to the God above,
Amen to your will in me.
Today, tomorrow, time has no end,
His reign is for ever.

A smile, a touch, a warm embrace,
Your presence fills me up.
May my work be ashes,
And my body a burning ember.

My flesh be your slave,
My desire tested in your fire.
I shall never be alone,
As long as you love me.

O look dear people at that everlasting love,
Far from all the things of earth,
Turn to the great, keep him as your goal,
And all things else shall come your way.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure in a field. A man sells everything he has and goes back and buys that field."
Matthew 13:44