1

Volume 19

Published by:

The Life in the Spirit Communities of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Colombo, Sri Lanka,

(With Ecclesiastical Approval).

Daily Reflections now available on the internetVisit crlmain.org or crlmain.com

Read the daily reflection from anywhere in the world

Issue 02

In Matthew 4:20 He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

As He calls us, we should be able to let go and follow the

Lord as He leads us.

February 2019

2

On Our Knees In His HandsFebruary 2019

Editors:

Lalith Perera Louis Benedict Gerard Davey

Co-ordinator:Felicia Adhihetty

Contributors to this Issue:Anisha Dias

Asela Perera

Ayomi Jansz

Biyanke Rajapakse

Charmaine Peiris

Darshi Egodawatte De Silva

Geetha Fernando

Himaya Perera

Irene Benjamin

Jayanath Perera

Jeya Chelliah

Kamala Fernando

Kauchi Gunasinghe

Subscriptions:

To subscribe for “On Our Knees” please

fill in the form included in the back of this book.

Louis Benedict

Marie Navamani

Marie Fernando

Natasha Adhihetty

Nidarshi Fernando

Richie Fernando

Rushika Pieris

Sajee Jayasuriya

Shehana Jayatunga

Scalina Ratwatte

Sunimalee Fernando

Yogini Yogarasa

3

3rd Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 10: 32-39Psalm 37: 3-6, 23-24,

39-40Mark 4: 26-34

Friday 1st February

In a recent message at a prayer meeting, it was said God’s work is already finished. The moment a word was uttered from His mouth, the deed was done. However, it takes time for that act to manifest in our own lives. The acceleration of this act can be triggered through our faith.

We have heard that faith can move mountains, but how realistic is this in our lives today? The moment we are faced with a crisis, our faith dwindles and everything we thought we believed in is put on the back burner. Instead, it is our problem that is the fore-runner of our lives and it rules our hearts and minds on a daily basis.

The first reading today allows us to reminisce on our initial encounter with the Lord. Everything was new and fresh, and we experienced a fire and a zeal that we assumed could never be put out. In my own life, I was bold and brazen when proclaiming the word of God to my family and friends, I firmly took a stand against all that was not from the Lord and I enjoyed living a life that was pleasing to Him.

However, what I saw as time passed was, the fire did eventually sizzle. It got slightly more challenging to stand up for what was right, and it got easier to be caught up in the ways of the world. This was because I did not realize the great gift the Lord is waiting to bestow on me - His Second Coming.

Today the Lord is reminding us that we need to endure patiently, for He will return as the Glorious Lord and it is only by faith that we can endure and finally receive all He has promised.

The Gospel proclamation speaks of the kingdom of God. Ironically, the Lord Jesus uses the example of a mustard seed to explain both the kingdom of God as well as our faith. Our faith can accelerate the coming of the kingdom of God in our own lives, and this mustard seed will branch out into a life giving tree to all those around us.

When we believe, it is credited to us as righteousness, as it was to Abraham. To take delight in the Lord is to accept His holy will for our lives - in faith. Then He will grant us the desires of our heart.

Psalm 37: 4

Prayer: Abba Father, remind me constantly that once You speak, it is done. Let me not dwell on when Your promise will be fulfilled but only delight in You through faith. Amen.

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart’s desires.

4

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

“But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiners fire or a launderers soap.”

Malachi 3: 1-4Psalm 24: 7-10

Hebrews 2: 14-18Luke 2: 22-40 or Luke

2: 22-32

Saturday 2nd February

Today the church celebrates the ‘Feast of the Presentation of the Lord’ also known as the ‘Feast of the Encounter.’ All their lives Simeon and Anna had prepared themselves for this encounter in the temple, even if they did not know how or when it would happen. Because of their intense prayer and attentiveness to the Spirit they were able to see the splendour of God in Mary’s small child.

Filled with gratitude Simeon ‘took him up in his arms and blessed God. What did Simeon and Anna expect to find as they prayed and fasted for the coming of the Messiah? Were they surprised that the answer to their supplications was a defenseless baby who was dependent on his humble parents? Could this really be the ‘King of glory’ whom the psalmist proclaimed in the psalm? Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty; the Lord mighty in battle.

The first reading gives us a clear glimpse of the events ahead, the promise of the Lord’s entry and the power of His reign. Who can stand when He appears? He will be like a refiner’s fire, we ourselves need to fast and pray like Anna and Simeon. Many years have passed in our lives, but we do not seem to have encountered the Risen Christ or we couldn’t hold the experience. There is no transformation in our lives as we have not let the Spirit take control of our lives, we are letting the world get to us, being engrossed in the material world and all the comforts it offers us.

How blessed are we, that the resurrected Lord has come to his temple to remain! In the Eucharist under the appearance of bread and wine, the Lord comes to meet us. In baptism He has taken up residence in the temple of our hearts as well. By the shedding of His blood and the outpouring of His Holy Spirit, He has purified us and delivered us from death.

Like Simeon and Anna let us prepare ourselves for our encounter with the Lord. We may be surprised to meet Him in those around us, in the poor and the helpless, the sick and the dying. He is always waiting for us in the Eucharist, waiting for us to embrace Him and hold Him close to our hearts. His love, stronger than any sin we commit, will purify us. Then like Simeon we will be filled with His peace. Like Anna we will give thanks to God.

Malachi 3: 2

Prayer: Abba Father, come into the temple of our hearts and never leave us. Amen

5

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 1: 4-5, 17-19Psalm 71: 1-6, 15-171 Corinthians 12: 31-

13: 13Luke 4: 21-30

Sunday 3rd February

St. Francis of AssisiPreach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.

Today the readings present us with two great figures in the bible – the prophet Jeremiah and the Lord Jesus. Both figures were called by God to give prophecy to His people and both were persecuted in their own times.

In the first reading God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet and tells him “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I

set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Before Jeremiah was born God had a plan for His life. He was not going to be just another Jew that walked the face of the earth. He was not going to have a normal life with family, friends and children. Instead, God had mapped out another course for Jeremiah. He was needed to speak God’s words to the people. Jeremiah 1:17-19 says, ““Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. ” God knew that what Jeremiah said would anger the people. He knew they would try to kill Jeremiah and shut him up. But He instructed Jeremiah to go out with His word no matter what the cost because God would be with Him wherever He went. God would save, protect and rescue Him.

The same took place in the life of the Lord Jesus. He was called by God before His birth to be the Saviour of all. The Lord Jesus was born for a mission- to die for His people and save them from their sins and show how much God loves us. Like the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord Jesus was called to proclaim God’s message to His people no matter what the cost would be. In today’s Gospel reading, the Lord Jesus returns to His home town. The Lord may have thought he would be well received by His friends and neighbors. He may have thought after having lived with these people and growing up with them, they would accept Him and His message. However, the opposite took place. The people could not fathom that the boy who played in their streets and grew up in front of their eyes was the same person preaching the Good News of God. As difficult as it would have been for the Lord Jesus, He told the people what they did not want to hear. In Luke 4:24 the Lord Jesus says “Truly I tell you, no prophet

6

Prayer: Abba Father, today I place my life in Your hands. I believe You called me to Your mission even before I was born. Let my life be a testimony of Your love and let it bring others to You. Amen.

is accepted in his hometown.” The people were furious and wanted to throw Him off a cliff to kill Him. God intervened and allowed Him to walk right through the crowd to safety.

Today’s readings call us to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus and the prophet Jeremiah and go out and preach the Gospel to people. We were called by God even before our birth and He has a plan for our lives. When we say yes to Him, He will equip us with the tools, words and actions we need. While, some of us are called to preach in the churches or on the streets, most of us are called to bring people to Christ through our actions and the way we live. St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” That means our lives and the response we give to various situations are the greatest sermons we may preach.

In the Second reading, St. Paul also tells us how we should preach this Gospel with our lives. He says, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (v.2). To bring people to God through our words or lives we must have God’s love in our hearts for them. St. Paul goes deeper to explain what this kind of love may look like. This love is patient, kind, does not envy or boast, it is not proud. It is with this kind of love that we will be able to change people’s hearts and lives and make a difference in the world.

In my life, the Lord called me to serve Him through my mother. She was a member of the CRL and served tirelessly. Her love for the Lord grew more and more each day. I was just out of school and about to begin my higher studies. I was not interested in prayer meetings or praying to God. But as I watched my mother face ups and downs with peace in her heart and a smile, I realised she had something that I also wanted. She had found God and He was her rock. The way she lived was a testimony of God’s love and it is what drew me to come for the CRL prayer meetings and encounter God. Today, though we are in different countries, we both serve God through the CRL and God has blessed us abundantly. He has been our rock and our pillar of strength through good times and bad. Today the Lord is calling us to a special mission. Our missions may differ, but they all serve the same purpose – to bring more people to know Christ, the love, salvation and the eternal life He offers. Like Jeremiah and the Lord Jesus, what we have to do is listen to God speak to us and do as He commands.

7

Our Lady of Lanka, Solemnity (Patroness of Sri Lanka)

A Journey through Faith

Isaiah 43: 1-3, 5, 10-13Psalm 95: 1-3, 7-10Acts: 1: 12-13, 2: 1-2,

4-8, 11Mark 5: 1-20

Monday 4th February

Today’s readings invite us to continue our journey through faith. We were saved by grace through faith and called to live this life not dependent on feelings, emotions or circumstances, rather on God’s eternal promises. Faith transformed ‘Abram’ to ‘Abraham’. He trusted God even when he was physically weakened, not wavering in his faith, instead he held onto God’s promise. Abraham was also known as the father of our

faith and St Paul mentions that he received the promise as he was “being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:18-22). An unshakeable faith that takes one man into the supernatural and there on to be the father of many nations. Psalm 31 references that those who find refuge in Him receive God’s favour. He shelters them in His presence and they receive out of His abundance and are blessed!

It was faith that empowered weak and ordinary men like Gideon, Samson, David and Samuel to go beyond their confines to reach great heights for God. As the writer of Hebrews describes in chapter 11, by faith, they conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous and obtained the promises of God. Vs 35 remarks, “Women received back their dead through resur-rection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection.” In other words these ordinary men and women chose by faith to accept the will of God and not consider the cost. They kept looking at the price that was before them which was the resurrection that awaits them, perhaps taking steps of faith when it looked foolish or reaching out when all odds were against them and out of weakness they were made strong!

In today’s Gospel proclamation Mark relates an incident from our Lord Jesus’ life where faith was being manifested as He delivers a man from an unclean spirit in the Geresenes. A man who had been bound with shackles and chains, at the time he met our Lord his chains were pulled apart and the shackles smashed. He was in a desperate condition, as he was bruis-ing himself and crying out. No individual was able to subdue him. Into this situation comes the son of God who was fully trusting and relying on the Father and it is this Jesus Christ that sets him free.Prayer: Abba Father, help me nail my flesh and be set free to really journey through faith that I may glorify God in all I do. Amen

8

St. Agatha, virgin & martyr

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...

Hebrews 12: 1-4Psalm 22: 26b-28, 30-32

Mark 5: 21-43

Tuesday 5th February

Today’s readings tell us we have been given the privilege of being among those who witness the great things of what the Lord has done. Therefore we need to throw away all sin that entangles us through the grace that we receive as we listen to the good news shared by those around us.

Hebrews 12:12 says, “Let us run with persever-ance the race marked out for us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith”. The author also goes on to say to look at the Lord Jesus who endured great opposition from sinful men, so that you will not lose heart.

As I read the first reading the Lord showed me the fastest man on earth which is Usain Bolt. He started running on tracks from an early age. The only thing that was on his mind was to run faster than the previous day. But many of us do not know that even before he be-came a sprinter he was playing cricket and his father guided him to leave the sport and focus on running. Every time he ran faster than the previous day he knew that if he persevered more he would be able to run quicker. Today he is known as “Lighting Bolt”. If you have seen him run, you would realize while the other participants put all their efforts to run as fast as possible, Usain would just cruise among them and end up first.

The reason I mentioned him was, if not for his father, Usain would have played ordinary cricket and would have never realized the gift God had given him. It was not enough for his father to guide him but he too had to persevere daily against all trials to become the greatest sprinter. He knew if he ran faster than anyone in history he would be considered a perfect athlete and that is what he did in 2009.

Through this we should realize that it is always necessary to get guidance from a priest or a spiritual elder and discern with them on crucial matters so that they would be able to guide us and help us identify the calling God has for us. We too need to strive to live a holy life and be in prayer as much as possible so that God will be able to use us mightily. Through perseverance God will bring the best out of you and will fill you with His power so that you would enjoy life and live it to the fullest effortlessly.

Hebrews 12:12

Prayer: Abba Father, we pray to give us the grace to be in prayer and persevere in seeking your kingdom. Amen.

9

St. Paul Miki and companions, martyrs; St. Pedro Bautista

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on the faithful”

Hebrews 12: 4-7, 11-15Psalm 103: 1-2, 13-14,

17-18aMark 6: 1-6

Wednesday 6th February

The first reading explains something valuable we need to be mindful of. “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shed-ding blood”. This is true because all of us give up easily. Either we easily avoid pain or we easily give in to temptation. The sin we commit is that we separate ourselves from God.

We are invited to have a new approach towards our challenges, which is to consider them as discipline from God. Pondering on our past challenges we have gone through in life.We realise that we became strong and wise through these difficulties. We hope for trouble-free future but that is like a mirage. Challenges and the struggles in the past have opened our hearts to experience God’s grace in a deeper way.

There is a cosmic battle that goes on always without our knowledge. This is the battle between darkness and light. Christ Jesus was misunderstood in His own hometown. The people of His village only saw Him as human and not God. There are three elements pushing us back and forth; our flesh, the world and Satan. These three areas blind us from knowing and accepting the truth. Our flesh pushes us to fulfill our deepest inner needs, while the world blinds us to the word of God and Satan takes the fullest advantage of these two elements. Satan tries to oppress and possess us, making it difficult for us to give God the first place but be caught in this worldly realm.

The people of Nazareth were blinded by the world’s perception. They looked at the Lord Jesus only at the human level and they could not see anything beyond “a Nazarene”. But the Holy Spirit worked pow-erfully in the lives of people over the last two millennia. From age to age God chose people for Himself. The invitation is already extended to us and now God is waiting for our response.

Today we celebrate the lives of St. Paul Miki and companions and St. Pedro Bautista. They were martyred in Japan. Twenty six of them died fearlessly for the truth of the Lord. It’s recorded that St. Paul Miki said “I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain”.

Psalm 103: 13

Prayer: Abba Father, guide us to live and witness fearlessly for the truth of thy Kingdom. Amen.

10

4th Week in Ordinary Time

Responding to the Lord’s presence

Hebrews 12: 18-19, 21-24

Psalm 48: 2-4, 9-11Mark 6: 7-13

Thursday 7th February

The year 2019 begins with a reading full of hope and with an introduction to the letter where we are reminded that we are special creations of God’s love and in a very real sense can be called his children. And, if that is what we already are, what is in store for us in the life that is to come when we will see the Father face to face?What we do know is “that when he appears we shall be like

him, because we shall see him as he really is”.

Whatever true holiness is seen in us is always a reflection of God’s own holiness because he is the one and only source of all that is true and good. If we are faithful now, we are endeavoring to be like Jesus but, face to face with our God, we will be utterly transformed and united with him.

The Gospel proclamation also talks about how John saw the Lord coming towards him and immediately recognised him. He told his disciples, the gems of his hard labor, to no longer follow him but to follow the Lord.If I saw the Lord Jesus, will I recognise him? If he came towards me, would I bow down before him or would I run away from him - turn my back on him?

This question is not an imaginary one. In fact, it is easily answered by the choices I have made in the difficult times of my life. Have I chosen God over myself? His Will over mine; his selflessness or my selfishness? This is a question we can all answer. Have I abandoned my spouse, broken my promises or vows, thrown chaos and con-fusion, darkness and fury over all who are around me? Yes, I can answer this question too. All I need to do is open my eyes and see what I have done.

This power to become children of God means to rise above the existing confusion of this world and set some order to it! We have been called to bring some light; to open the skies and discover the heavens above. To see life for what it is: an overflow of God’s love. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Prayer: Abba Father Lord Jesus, may I never be comforted in thinking that I am a speck! May I be terrified in knowing that I am a drop of love – infinite love – from God! This drop makes all the difference in the world. Amen

11

St. Jerome Emiliani, priest; St. Josephine Bakhita, virgin

‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever’

Hebrews 13: 1-8Psalm 27: 1-3, 5, 8b-9

Mark 6: 14-29

Friday 8th February

King Herod knew that John was an upright and holy man. He liked listening to him though it disturbed him. But what prevented him to repent and to turn back to God? Though powerful and influential, he was caught up in the sin of adultery, his life was manipulated by Herodias and his worldliness. In the end he became a cold blooded murderer. He had everything but was unhappy

and disturbed. He listened to what was preached by John the Baptist and heard of the Lord Jesus. But he was so caught up in his own world, he did not embrace the message of salvation that would have given him, true freedom, love, peace and joy.

In contrast is the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister, the Church commemorates today. She was born in 1869, in a small village in Sudan. Kidnapped while working in the fields with her family she was sold into slavery. Without an identity, weak and powerless, she was sold five times from one slave master to another. Her various owners tortured her by branding, beating and cutting her. In one par-ticularly terrifying moment, one of her masters had cut her 114 times and poured salt in her wounds to ensure that the scars remained.

In her suffering Bakitha did not know Christ or the redemptive nature of suffering. Even without her knowledge her spirit was active. She says, seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, she felt a great de-sire to see the creator of them, to know Him and worship Him. Her desire became a reality, when Bakhita was purchased by Callisto Legnani, that led her way to Italy. This ended up by Bakhita becom-ing a Canossian sister. She was known for her smile, gentleness, holiness and forgiving nature. She had said, “If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and a Religious today.”

King Herod with his riches was not able to experience the salvation of God. Bakhita a slave girl experienced the salvation of God and is now a saint of God. Where do we stand today? Wherever we may be, and no matter how sinful we are, the Lord Jesus is waiting to touch and heal us. Let us surrender our lives into His hands.

Hebrews 13:8

Prayer: Abba Father, you are my help and my strength in the days of trouble. Your face O Lord that I seek. I trust you, I worship you. Amen.

12

4th Week in Ordinary TimeTherefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of our praise to

God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name.

Hebrews 13: 15-17, 20-21

Psalm 23: 1-6Mark 6: 30-34

Saturday 9th February

An allegiance is a pledge of faithfulness and loyalty to an individual or group of superiority. To proclaim our allegiance to the name of the Lord seems daunting, but in simple terms, it is an act of total surrender.

Those of us who have attended the Four Step Retreat have experienced the freedom we receive

after the third step of surrender. There is comfort in the realization that the Creator of the universe is intimately involved in our lives and has a plan for our prosperity and our future.

St. Paul reminds us in today’s first reading to never forget to do good and to share with those in need. This is the sacrifice that pleases God. Sometimes, we fast from food or from an activity that we enjoy doing. An even more difficult sacrifice would be spending time with someone in need, or cooking a meal for someone less fortunate. The Lord delights in us when we love our brothers and sisters in this way.

The Gospel proclamation highlights the compassionate nature of our Lord Jesus. He and his disciples were planning on resting after a long day of preaching and healing. They got into the boat but when the people saw the Lord and his disciples, they figured out where they were going and followed them there. Instead of being frustrated with the crowd, he looked at them and felt compassion.

What would my reaction have been if I was with the Lord in that boat? I would have complained to the Lord that I was tired and needed a break. Today the Lord is teaching us our rest comes in Him and not through the physical realm.

The Psalmist reminds us we shall never be in want, for the Lord is our Shepherd, looking after all our needs. He looks at us with compassion, just as He looked at that crowd. He knows we are in need of Him and so He relentlessly pursues us, and when we feel like we cannot go on, He reminds us that it is not by our strength that we survive but through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as a sheep without a Shepherd, we wander through our life, but God in His mercy pledges His allegiance to us and assures us of His faithfulness.

Hebrews 13: 15

Prayer: Abba Father, so often I get lost in myself, thinking I have to handle my life. Today You are reminding me to surrender to You for You are my Shepherd. Amen.

13

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

So they pulled their boats up on shore,Left everything and followed Him.

Isaiah 6: 1-2a, 3-8Psalm 138: 1-5, 7-8

1 Corinthians 15: 1-11Luke 5: 1-11

Sunday 10th February

This Sunday’s Liturgy is about being called and sent by the Lord on a mission. In the First Reading a glorious picture is painted before us. At the sight of the Divine, prophet Isaiah saw his unworthiness though he served the temple as a priest of the Lord. When he admitted his sinfulness, the act of cleansing took place. Just then, he heard the Lord’s voice and Isaiah had

the freedom to respond to God’s call, even though he did not quite understand what he was getting into.

The Gospel Proclamation also paints a beautiful scene. Initially Simon Peter seemed to be doing the Lord Jesus a favour by lend-ing his boat for Him to preach from. We do not even know if Simon Peter was paying attention to what the Lord Jesus was speaking. At the end of it, the Lord wanted to return the favour by letting Simon have a good catch of fish. This was the moment of grace for Simon Peter. Being a veteran fisherman and having known how useless the request seemed, yet he agreed to obey the Lord’s instruction to let down the nets, and he had his favour returned in style!

Like prophet Isaiah, the natural realm gave room to the Divine at that moment, and what happened to Isaiah happened to Simon Pe-ter; he saw his sinfulness and fell at the feet of the Lord. This time, there was no need of a seraphim to touch his lips with a live coal to purify him, the words that came from the mouth of Lord Jesus, ‘The Word of God’, brought about the change in St Peter. The result was that St Peter and his friends received the power to leave everything behind and follow the Lord, even though they would not have had a clue about what their calling was to be.

The Second Reading brings to us St Paul’s experience. St Paul admits to being the most unworthy person to be called by the Risen Lord, because he persecuted the Church of Christ. Yet, as St Paul himself tells the Corinthians, it was not his own self-effort but the grace of God that brought about the transformation from a murderer to a martyr. The grace of God empowered St Paul to work harder than all other disciples, beyond human capacity, bringing the su-pernatural element to his ministry that is clearly evident as we read the New Testament. How does all this apply to us, living in the 21st century? Is the Lord

Luke 5: 11

14

Prayer: Abba Father, You chose me to be holy and blameless in Your sight. Here I am, I have come to do Your will, O God. Amen.

calling only a specially chosen few, and are the rest of us expected only to pray when in need and fulfill our Sunday obligation? No. The Lord Jesus gave instructions to the seventy-two others who were sent, two by two to every town and place where He was about to go. ‘Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Who are the sick we are asked to heal and how do we bring the Kingdom of God to others? We need to see how the Lord Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to those He was sent to. He obeyed the will of the Father in everything. In short, the Lord Jesus brought heaven to the earth, showing the nature of God as a loving Father who so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

The Lord Jesus simply said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” He also said: “This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you.” We are invited by the Lord to love everyone He has sent into our lives, no matter how they treat us. This command applies to lov-ing our family members who reject us, our workmates who stab us in the back, and those who oversee our work and are never satisfied. This is an impossible task unless the Lord Himself empowers us. Hence He assured His disciples of His presence, thus: “..surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The call to go and make disciples is all the more vital and urgent today than ever before. Often we hear about lapsed Catholics/Christians. I am convinced that I too am responsible in some way for the lethargy that has set in among God’s people. I have not hosted the Presence of the Lord enough for others to see Him and experience His love and forgiveness. Even in serving the parish or prayer community I have not allowed the Lord to be seen, rather I have showcased my talents and goodness.

From now on, let us choose to take our Baptismal responsibility more seriously. Our first duty and responsibility is to our Lord and Master, who called us out of darkness to His light and salvation. Each morning as we sit at His Feet in prayer, the Lord will fill us with Power from on High, to go about on our mission and serve as good and faithful servants. Each night before we lay our head on the pillow, we will be filled with His peace, joy and freedom when He speaks to our heart saying, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

15

Our Lady of Lourdes

The Great Power of God.

Genesis 1: 1-19Psalm 104: 1-2a, 5-6, 10

& 12, 24 & 35cMark 6: 53-56

Monday 11th February

Science has taught us that the world came into being from a singularity. Science teaches us that this singularity is smaller than the head of a pin. Science can only take us so far, it cannot explain everything. However, there is one person who can explain it- God. When the earth was formless and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep, the Spirit of God was hovering over. God

is the one that created everything from nothing at all. He is the only one who can explain the beginnings of creation to us.

Today’s First Reading is about the creation of the world. When God spoke, the Holy Spirit took that word and made something out of nothing. When God spoke the whole of creation came into being. We cannot even begin to imagine this great power of God.

Today’s Gospel proclamation tells us about the power the Lord Jesus had as He ministered to people. Wherever He went the people fol-lowed Him. They brought their sick loved ones to be healed by Him.

Both readings speak to us about the power of God. He had the power to create the universe and give light to a world in darkness. He was able to come down from heaven and walk among us. He was able to heal the centurion’s servant, bring Jairus’ daughter back to life and call Lazarus forth from the grave. If He was able to do all this, He can do much more with a life surrendered to Him.

Today the Lord is calling us to witness His power and healing in our lives. When we give our lives to Him that same power is available to us. St. Paul writes to the Ephesians, “I also pray that you will under-stand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms”. When we know the Lord and give Him our lives, God uses us to manifest His power on earth. He will call us to do small things and through them, His great power will be released into the world. God is calling us to imagine the unimaginable because His power can do the impossible. All we have to do is surrender our lives to Him. Prayer: Abba Father, I believe You raised Jesus from the dead and that same power can work miracles through my life. I offer my life to You today, tomorrow and forever. Amen.

16

5th Week in Ordinary Time

We are called to seek the face of God

Genesis 1: 20 - 2: 4aPsalm 8: 4-9Mark 7: 1-13

Tuesday 12th February

The author of Genesis shows us that we are created in the divine image of God, and not only do we bear His image but He has created us to have dominion over the earth – and to be in com-munion with Him.

But over the years – as is shown in the Gospel – this original relationship we had with God has

become “lip service” and without realising, it has reduced to mere actions, words and traditions.We have lost the initial fire we had for the Lord, and unknowingly even though we go for Mass, even though we go for prayer meetings, we are caught up in so many struggles.From the outside, we make sure everything is right and beautiful, yet within us we could be battling fears, addictions and worries.

My personal experience is that just like the Pharisees. While dedicat-ing time and effort serving to God, it is so much easier to ignore the areas of my life that need to be fixed. Where appearances become more important, I tend to keep justifying my behaviour, rather than making my heart right with God.

In such times, a psalm that I keep going to is Psalm 51, where the psalmist calls out to the Lord in his weakness saying “You do not de-light in sacrifice, or I would bring it… My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” The Lord longs to restore our broken relationship with Him. As Genesis says, He offers us a relationship where we want for nothing – He fulfils our every need. He gives us more than we could ever think or imagine. The psalmist confirms this by saying God has crowned us with glory and honour, and have put all things under our feet.

In every situation, we are called to remember that we carry the divine image of the trinity within us. Throughout salvation history, God keeps calling us to that initial experience, the initial relationship He had with us. He wants to be personally involved in our lives and He has given us not only the earth, but His flesh and blood. We just need to seek Him as the Gospel proclamation says “incline my heart, O God, to your decrees and favour me with your law.”Prayer: Abba Father, help me to trust that no matter where I am in life today, that your grace and mercy is sufficient for me, and that your love is more than enough. Amen.

17

5th Week in Ordinary Time

When You send forth Your Spirit, they are re-created.

Genesis 2: 4b-9, 15-17Psalm 104: 1-2a, 27-28,

29bc-30Mark 7: 14-23

Wednesday 13th February

Psalm 104:30

The Bible speaks of two instances where God breathes on people. The first reading speaks of the first such instance. “The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen 2:7). The New Testament shows the second instance. “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22). On those who received

life through God’s breath, Jesus breathes again and fills with the Holy Spirit. Through this second breath, people are born into a new life, and become a new creation.

Why this second breath? Why is there a new birth in the Spirit? In our free will, we who have been made in God’s image and likeness, fall into sin. Sin distances us from God. But God’s love does not desert us. The Lord comes in search of Adam and Eve who were hiding after falling into sin. “Have you eaten from the tree of which I com-manded you not to eat?” Adam lays the guilt on Eve. Eve puts it on the serpent. No one accepts the fault nor repents. The same thing is done by Cain after killing Abel. God comes in search of Cain and asks, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain replies, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain does not accept his fault nor repents. Through sin, darkness enters those who have not reconciled with the Lord. Satan destroys the purity, spotlessness and holiness in human-ity. That is why the Lord says, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23).

Death became the inheritance of fallen humanity. Because of His love, God did not want to see his highest creation destroyed. That is why, He decided to breathe on us again, a second time. For this to happen, His only Son had to pay the price. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). He will put an end to sin and drive out darkness and Satan. We receive power to be obedient to the Lord. We are re-vitalized to receive eternal life. “When You send forth Your Spirit, they are re-created” (cf. Ps 104:30).Prayer: Abba Father, we thank You and praise You today for the love and com-passion that You have for us in Your heart. You opened the way of salvation for us, when we were heading towards destruction. Amen.

18

St. Cyril, monk & St. Methodius, bishop

“Marriage is the Most Beautiful Thing God Created.” - Pope Francis

Genesis 2: 18-25Psalm 128: 1-5Mark 7: 24-30

Thursday 14th February

In the first reading today it is obvious and clear that woman was made to be man’s companion. “it is not good that the man should be alone.” We know today that one of the most shattering emotions of which human beings are capable is that of loneliness. Loneliness is known to be one of the prime causes for depression and in a worst case suicide, and it’s undoubtedly the most

source of human misery in the world today. Yet it is a perfect human experience. Each of us has felt at times the need of companionship. God made us that way, we need one another. It’s clear from this reading that to the loneliness of man is the making of woman. One of the primary purposes of Marriage is to provide companionship, a sharing of life together.

God created the woman to be a helper to man, someone to share not only his life as a companion but his work and responsibilities as well. Men and women were designed to work together. Perhaps there is nothing more destructive to marriage than the attitude that commonly exist in many homes which regards the man as having his area of responsibility, his realm of life, such as his office, his work and the woman having hers, the home, the children and there is little or no sharing together in these areas. It is always a destructive element in any home or marriage, for either partner to feel that they have a private realm to the exclusion of the other. This is terribly wrong. Husband and Wife should share mutual concern and responsibility, though necessarily they might have different assignments due to the nature of the work. One of the most devastating things of feminine personality is to have a man treat his wife as though she were but a servant or housekeeper, there only to keep everything in order. Per-haps the most frequent cause of complaint from woman in marriage is “he looks upon me just as another thing around the house. I am like a part of the furniture. “This is terribly destructive to a woman’s psychological make –up. Verse 25 “And the man and his wife were both naked and not ashamed.” This speaks of openness in commu-nication between man and wife, latterly, nothing to hide. Marriages shrivel, wither, and die when this is not true. Let us turn to the Lord and learn from Him. Prayer: Abba Father, we praise you for your love and faithfulness. We thank you for your grace. Thank you for the gift of marriage. Amen.

19

5th Week in Ordinary Time

“Ephphata!” that is, “Be opened”.

Genesis 3: 1-8Psalm 32: 1-2, 5-7

Mark 7: 31-37

Friday 15th February

Today’s first reading records how the eyes of both Eve and Adam were opened, after eating the forbidden fruit. Such fruit was good for food and pleasing to the eyes. As a result, they realized their nakedness. This encapsulates the effect of sin. It separates man from God. Adam and Eve wanted to hide themselves from Him.

In the Gospel reading; the Lord Jesus opens the ears of a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking. The Lord took this man apart from crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Looking up to heaven, Jesus said “Ephphata!” that is, “Be opened”. It is recorded in the Gospel that “immediately, his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.” We learnt that God has no limitation of time and space. He has no past, present and future. As soon as the word was spoken, the deaf man could hear and speak.

The Lord Jesus does not look at our talents, how good we are or if we are rich or poor. We cannot add anything to His goodness. He is always faithful. But, we should walk to Him in faith every time we fall. We should humbly accept our sinfulness and forgiveness. We should hold onto God who has promised to save us and give a new life so that we may become blessed.

Once I was going through a habit not pleasing to God and I fell regu-larly. I was justifying even though I knew it was wrong. I brought this to the Lord and was trying to be free from it. But I could not correct myself. This disturbed me. I was feeling the separation from God. One day, I humbly and desperately sought the Lord. I did not justify anymore. That day, I could never imagine, the word of God directly spoke to me. The word exactly described my bad habit and God promised to save me.

Lord Jesus was very clearly inspiring me to go to a confession soon. After a delay of 3 days, I went for confession. I gave the truth of my heart to the Lord. From that moment, by the grace of God, he has saved me from that sin. He renewed my heart.

Mark 7: 34

Prayer: Abba Father, as I come to you today, I remember you have forgiven my sins and saved me from sinful nature. You have promised me new life. Amen.

20

Saturday 16th February 5th Week in Ordinary Time“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations”

Psalm 90: 1

Genesis 3: 9-24Psalm 90: 2-6, 12-13

Mark 8: 1-10

The Psalmist begins by declaring that God has been the dwelling place of people in all genera-tions. What is a dwelling place? It is where you live, your home. This statement declares that God has been the home of humans ever since they have been on the earth.

The first reading today mentions the account of the fall of Adam and Eve, due to the disobedience, through which sin entered the world. Adam decided to trust the lie of the enemy instead of trusting and obeying God’s commandment not to eat of the tree. It’s strange that God being Omnipotent- all-powerful, Omniscient - all-knowing and Omnipresent- all-present, was aware of Adam’s disobedience and fall, yet he took a first step in reaching out to Adam in the garden, instead of Adam turning back to God in repentance. From the time of Adam’s fall human kind has had the same tempta-tion to live independently of God and believe the lie of the enemy of our soul to try to find their security, self-worth and significance apart from God. God created us for fellowship and intimacy and we can only find our true sense of fulfillment in the intimacy with God as that was his original plan and intent for us to find communion with our creator and God.

Why is childbirth painful? Why is work sometimes so difficult and un-rewarding? Why do pain and suffering exist? These are the questions which has grappled human mind and foolishly we have concluded that God does not care for us. We see in the reading today, we may think that God punished the human race with sickness, pain and death because our first parents sinned. The story is not about God’s emotions or actions after Adam and Eve’s sin. It is about the kind of world God wanted this to be as opposed to the kind of world it is. This is not the world God made; it is the world we have disordered by our sins. The Gospel proclamation sheds light on God in the person of the Lord Jesus who says “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat”. He has compassion when we are lured by money, power and position. Let us turn to God with a sincere and repentant heart and live in communion with God our creator.Prayer: Abba Father, we ask for your grace for intimacy and communion with you, so that our hunger for security and self-worth can be found only in you and you alone. Amen.

21

Sunday 17th February 6th Sunday in Ordinary TimeBlessed is the one who trusts in the Lord

Jeremiah 17:7

Jeremiah 17: 5-8Psalm 1: 1-4, 6

1 Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20

Luke 6: 17, 20-26

In today’s first reading the Lord reveals that it is better to trust Him than to trust people.

Jeremiah lived in Jerusalem, which was part of the kingdom of Judea. By this time, it’s sister kingdom, the kingdom of Israel, had been under Babylonian captivity for more than a 100 years. This means that no one in Jeremiah’s generation had seen a free Israel. An Israel in captivity must have been

the new normal for them.

As I reflect on my own life, I find many things that are perhaps not God’s desire. A religion limited to religious practices only, while liv-ing as though God does not exist or His hand is short. The practice of having all the solutions for life mapped out, and asking for God’s help to fulfil them, rather than going to him to discover His plan and purpose for our lives. I believe this is not God’s desire for us, and yet this is the new normal for many of us.

Jeremiah appeals to Judah’s people to return to the Lord. Perhaps they believed that they were safe from Babylon because the temple was in Jerusalem, and that it would not fall (Psalm 46:6). In any case, Judah’s King had a pragmatic plan to counter Babylon. He had aligned himself with another superpower, Egypt, to neutralise the threat of Babylon - an answer outside of God. Jeremiah spoke against this alliance and prophesied that the only way for them to make sure that they will remain a free nation was to return to the Lord.

During good times, we have the tendency to regress into compla-cency. We begin to find sources of enjoyment and answers outside of the Lord’s plan. Our good health, promising careers, savings, and friends in high places can lull us into a life style independent of God. Jeremiah reminds us that there will come a time when the best laid plans will be laid to waste. All it takes is a sickness, a bad market place, a stupid decision, or a battered ego to make our world come crumbling down. Jeremiah tells us that if our security is the Lord, even if things go bad,our source of hope will not dry up.

The Lord reminds us not to take our blessings at face value. He is the true blessing.

I remember the time I had a good and fulfilling job, the Lord kept re-

22

Prayer: Abba Father, It is your divine intervention that brings true meaning to the fruits of my labour. Grant me the grace to never trade it for a new normal, where I rest on the laurels of blessings and circumstances. Amen

minding me that my job is not my source of security, but instead, He is. He often reminded me that He did not need a job to provide for me, and that He was the God who was able to provide water from a rock in the desert. Sometime later, when I lost my job, because the product I was working on was retired, these words gave me hope. As I look back, the time I was without a job was the first time in many years that my bank account was not in OD.

Today’s responsorial psalm echoes the words of Jeremiah. Those who hope in the Lord are the blessed ones. Not those who are rich. Not those who are powerful. Not those who are in the pink of health.

We then look at today’s Gospel; the sermon on the mount. If you are poor, you are blessed says the Lord. If you are hungry, if you are sad, if you are despised, if you are disliked because of your ministry, you are blessed. This is the exact opposite of what life has taught me. Yet, when we depend on the Lord, when we are poor, when we have no human answers, that ‘s when heaven becomes our resource.

Our Lord Jesus was poor in terms of influence and credentials; he was the son of a carpenter, not with any religious background. Yet, He had a ministry that religious leaders would literally kill for. His lifestyle was that of the poor - “foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, the Son of man has no place to lay his head”. Yet, he was unafraid to embark on something that would cost several months wages(feeding of the 5,000). When confronted with situations that have no human answers, like the curse of leprosy, or the situation of people like Jairus and the widow of Nain, he was able to pull heaven down and answer in a way no human being could. The Lord reminds us to stop complaining about our circumstances and seek Heaven as our true resource.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul reminds us that if not for the res-urrection we are to be pitied more than anyone else. Why? Because the fruits of our labour may not be immediately visible.

When the authorities put our Lord Jesus to death, it seemed that His work was far from complete. The fruits of his labour would have amounted to nothing had it not been for the resurrection. That too took place three days after the crucifixion. The measure of success changed from seeing the fruits of His labour to his ability to trust in His father and stay faithful, even when Heaven was silent.

23

Monday 18th February 6th Week in Ordinary Time

“Why does this generation ask for a sign?” Mark 8: 12In the Gospel proclamation today we see the Pharisees actively questioning the Lord and try-ing to test Him. They ask Him for a sign and are refused. It is interesting to note that He refuses to give them a sign when just earlier in the chapter, we see the Lord Jesus multiplying seven loaves of bread to feed four thousand people. His heart is so moved with compassion for these hungry

people that He performs a mighty miracle. Prior to that, He is so deeply moved for a deaf and mute man that He heals him and re-stores his health perfectly. In fact the entire ministry life of the Lord was filled with signs and wonders. But when asked specifically for a sign, He refuses and turns away. Every miracle He performed, every sign of wonder was to point the people towards the compassionate heart of the Father. It was never to win fame or popularity for Himself or even just to prove the others wrong.

This example of the Lord sheds light on the story of Cain and Abel. Cain brought a sacrifice from the soil to God, Abel brought Him the best of animals. Cain’s sacrifice was a token sacrifice, giving God some of what he had. Abel gave gladly bringing the best to God. Abel’s offering was accepted with love, Cain’s was rejected. How often do I see some around me blessed abundantly by God, those that seem to walk with such a joy and favour upon their life. Some-times I look with jealousy never realising that they give God the best of what they have – time, money, talents – and are rewarded with His favour. Sometimes I get so complacent about the fact that I give to God – be it my time, my money, my talents – that I forget to think and consider the motive behind my giving. Do I give Him the best of me or am I just giving something, just to placate Him? Are my prayers unanswered, my life unfulfilled, my prayer life empty because I have started to do things just for its sake, forgetting the passion I initially had for Him?

I am challenged today to look closely at the motives of everything I do. To stop doing things for the sake of it or just as a part of my routine but to seek God in all I do – to run after Him with passion and expectation.

Genesis 4: 1-15, 25Psalm 50: 1 & 8, 16bc-

17, 20-21Mark 8: 11-13

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to open my eyes to the reality of Your Presence, the miracles You still perform in and around my life, to seek You earnestly and to give You the best years of my life. Amen.

24

6th Week in Ordinary Time

Do you still not understand?

Genesis 6: 5-8; 7: 1-5, 10

Psalm 29:1a & 2, 3ac-4, 3b & 9c-10Mark 8: 14-21

Tuesday 19th February

The first reading portrays a moment when God is frustrated with His own creation. He created ev-erything good and beautiful, but since sin entered the world, His plans have been sabotaged. All that was good had turned into evil. See, the beautiful thing that God does with Noah. God does not destroy everyone; He saves a few people so that His original plan and design can be fulfilled. In this

passage, amidst the impending chaos and destruction, there is a ray of hope: God will create and re-create so that His plan will come true.

After that moment of frustration, God did not give up on humanity. He cleansed the world but with time, humanity became bad and evil once again. As a result of sin, we became blind; blind to see the goodness and love of God. Fear crept in; fear that the Lord may not provide for us. Today’s Gospel proclamation has so many questions that the Lord Jesus throws at His disciples. There is a sense of frustration in the Lord’s words. He had just performed the miracle of feeding four thousand people. Even after that, the disciples seem to be caught up in wordly things such as food. His real warning to the disciples was against the mindset or thinking patterns of the Pharisees.

Most often we carry Pharisaic attitudes. How many times do we focus on others’ sins and their brokenness. Very often we are experts at diagnosing other people’s problems and weaknesses. But, how often do I sit at the feet of the Lord, and look into my own self to discover what my hidden brokenness is? Today the Lord is inviting us to take a look at our mindset. How do I perceive or understand things?

I am sure, many of us have experienced God’s hand in our lives in one way or another. However, how often do we forget it? We act as orphans, helpless people. The Lord’s question pierces our hearts “Do you still not understand?” He has been with us right through our lives, He has protected us and blessed us. But we sometimes fail to see Him. Let us not just hold onto promises that He has given. Instead, let us go beyond it, and hold onto the Giver of the promises: the One who promises eternal life, grace, mercy and love. He is waiting for us to turn back to Him with grateful hearts.

Mark 8:17

Prayer: Abba Father, remove the blindness that covers my spiritual eyes. Help me to see Your guiding hand in my life. Give me the grace to spend this day in praising You for all that You have done and are going to do in my life. Amen.

25

Wednesday 20th February 6th Week in Ordinary Time

“Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start” Genesis 8: 21Christianity is an experience more than a prac-ticed religion, a love relationship between the creation and the creator. From the beginning this is what God was requesting from people; to have a love relationship with Him. Distortion crept into the heart of man/woman after the fall. Therefore the beautiful love relationship between human-kind and God too became distorted.

Through Noah’s story we realise the extent of God’s love. God prom-ised that the world would not be destroyed due to the sin of human beings. The cycle of the seasons would be in place for the betterment of the creation immaterial of the internal disposition of human beings. God will not harm the world because human beings choose to sin.

From the beginning of the creation it has always been God’s invita-tion and man’s response. Noah responded to God’s call and obeyed God. Noah had wisdom from God to gauge the perfect time of God. Symbolically 40 days and 7 days are perfect times. Therefore Noah had that sense of God’s perfect time and acted accordingly. The beauty of this story is that God’s perfection is portrayed through the creation and human actions. Firstly the raven was sent out but the creature never returned. Then the dove was sent at two different times and through the response of the bird Noah judged the perfect time and actions of God. The Lord Jesus met with a blind man, it was the perfect time of God to offer this man the Kairos moment. God and creation encountered through this action. This man was brought by others. The Lord Jesus used a different method to heal this man. The healing was gradual. Why? Could it symbolize the gradual understanding of the Apostles of the Messianic role of Christ Jesus? How did this blind man know the difference between trees and human beings if he had never seen before? We need to be careful when we are unconsciously blind we will not perceive the right picture. Therefore we might make wrong judgements. Especially when we are self righteous we will forget the merciful and perfect acts of God. Instead of becoming an instrument of God to draw people to Him we can become stumbling blocks and hinder people from coming to God. Like Noah we must learn to gauge the will of God.

Genesis 8: 6-13, 20-22Psalm 116: 12-15, 18-19

Mark 8: 22-26

Prayer: Abba Father, this world is your finished work. Help me to be that ideal craftsman you intended me to be to draw people to the perfect love relation-ship with. Amen.

26

Thursday 21st February St. Peter Damian, bishop & doctor

Fill your mind with the word of God and nothing can shift your focus on God’s plan for you.

In the first reading God blesses Noah and his sons with the same blessing He blessed Adam and Eve with. Because of his faithfulness Noah was given authority over the new world. Like Adam he too was instructed to be fruitful and multiply and given authority over all the earth. Now due to the fall of Adam, God had to repeat almost everything he promised our first parents to Noah. He had to

once again inform Noah that man was made in the image of God (Gen 9:6). In simple terms God had to push the restart button due to an error in the system that activates the perfect plan of God for the entire human race.

The entire first reading contains practical advice for life. But I would like to pin point just one of them since most of us have received God’s grace to ponder on the rest and amend our lives accordingly. Every time we sin and go against the plan of God, God will have to restart His plan for us which would eventually delay the ultimate purpose we were created for. By our backsliding, the encounter experience of many people is delayed.

In today’s Gospel proclamation we see that Jesus Christ informs his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be killed and after three days rise again. When Peter hears this he takes the Lord aside and begins to rebuke him. But the Lord rebuked Peter by saying, “Get behind me Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.”

Through this we should be aware than even a friend or family might be a hindrance to God’s calling in our life. If you have a relationship with God He will give you the grace to discern it, if not the tendency for us to drift away is very high. Satan’s target is your mind and his weapon is lies. So fill your mind with the word of God and nothing can shift your focus on achieving the perfect purpose the Lord has for you. Always remember that God used one man to build an Ark to continue life on earth. Today He needs one person to build His kingdom and that person is you. Remember the resurrection power of God is within you.

Genesis 9: 1-13Psalm 102: 16-18, 19-21,

29 & 22-23Mark 8: 27-33

Prayer: Abba Father we pray that you give us the grace to seek you in all things and focus our minds on things of the kingdom and not on earthly matters. Amen.

27

Friday 22nd February

Abba Father, give us confidence to believe You are not only in control, but that You know exactly what is needed to accomplish Your purpose. Amen.

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle

“Who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15

Today we celebrate the feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle. It is a great day to ponder on it’s meaning. This feast brings to mind the mission of teacher and pastor conferred by the Lord on St. Peter, and continued in an unbroken line down to the present Pope. We celebrate the unity of the Church, founded upon the Apostle, and renew our assent to the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff.

The Gospel proclamation speaks of the confession of Peter, where he proclaims the Lord Jesus as the Son of the Living God. The confession is double sided - 1)Peter proclaims the mystery of Christ’s divinity as the head and spokesman of the Church. 2)Peter sees the Lord as the awaited Messiah, King of Israel. The close relationship between the titles Christ and Son reflects Old Testament traditions, where Israel’s kings enjoyed unique relationships with God as His sons.

Simon is the rock upon which the Lord builds the Church. Simon’s name change recalls the Old Testament episodes where God re-named Abram as Abraham and Jacob as Israel. Peter now stands in this biblical tradition where new names signify new God-given roles in salvation history. Further in this passage, we see how the Lord Jesus blesses Peter and elevates him to be the First Pope. The Lord consecrates Peter as the Church’s Chief teacher and leader.

In the First reading, we see Peter addressing himself as an elder and calling the other elders too. Who was an elder at that time? They were the Shepherds of the local churches. Their pastoral authority to guide, instruct and protect the flock under their care is derived from the supreme pastoral authority of Christ the ‘Chief Shepherd’ and they stand accountable for the welfare of the Lord’s sheep. So Peter warns them not to misuse their authority. Peter had the insight to recognise Jesus as the Messiah, and then the Lord called him and commis-sioned him to shepherd others into the same realization. Therefore we, too, are called to shepherd the people whom we encounter. We are to lead them to Christ, as a shepherd leads his flock.

1 Peter 5: 1-4Psalm 23: 1-6

Matthew 16: 13-19

28

Saturday 23rd February St. Polycarp, bishop & martyr

Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1

Faith is a free gift given to mankind, which we have failed to recognize. Many of us in the 21st century have chosen to shun our faith for the sake of worldly gain and momentary happiness, not realising that faith is what brings about a super-natural encounter with our living God.

If we are to continue on a deep journey with the Lord, we need to have unwavering faith. It is through faith that the word of God is made alive in our hearts. The author to the letter of the Hebrews tells us it is by faith that we understand the universe was formed by God’s command and that all we see today did not come from anything that was seen. We read in the book of Genesis that in the beginning the earth was dark and formless. When God spoke a word, He spoke into nothingness and brought forth light through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The reason our faith tends to waver is because we hold on to tempo-rary things – wealth, possessions, property, position – the list goes on. When these temporary means of satisfaction run dry, our faith takes the same course and runs dry as well. It is here that our faith should kick in, for now is the time that dependency on the Lord is at its peak. Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see. God is not limited to time or space, He has no past, present or future. It is we who are time and space bound, and therefore we have bound our faith to our earthly life as well. Our faith is meant to transcend our reality and be fueled by the power of the supernatural, that we can believe the unbelievable.

This is what took place with Peter, James and John in today’s gos-pel proclamation. We read of the brilliant transfiguration of the Lord Jesus on the mountain. If Peter, James and John did not have faith, they would not have believed what their eyes had seen. Had it been me, I would have doubted my sanity for a moment and questioned if I was seeing things. But the three of them were of sound mind and watched in awe at what took place on that mountain.Though they did not fully understand, they believed and questioned the Lord regarding all which He said to them. It is through this that they received their reward - a divine encounter with the Lord Jesus.

Hebrews 11: 1-7Psalm 145: 2-5, 10-11

Mark 9: 2-13

Prayer: Abba Father, I believe, help my unbelief. Amen

29

Sunday 24th February 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.”Luke 6: 35

David was frustrated. He had not retaliated to a single attempt on his life. He simply wanted to make a point to King Saul that he was not a threat. Hence, he entered the King’s tent while he was asleep and walked away with the spear and a water jar.

It was not the first time that King Saul had tried to kill him. David had to live in hiding as though he was the guilty one when in fact, he was innocent. When he walked into the tent that night, not only did David have the opportunity to take revenge, but also the support of his fellow countrymen because Saul had become corrupt. God Himself had rejected Saul as the King of Israel because of his disobedience. Then, what stopped David? “The Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed”.

God had given David a leading about Saul; that he should not lay a hand on the king. God had also given him a promise that one day he would be God’s chosen king of Israel. David who had come to know God in the secret places of his life, was not in any hurry to take mat-ters into his own hands. God’s leading and His promise gave David the wisdom to become a partner with God instead of an obstacle, by taking matters into his own hands. Because he cooperated, God was able to raise David to be the greatest king of Israel and choose his line for the Messiah to enter the world.

Most of us, at some point have met a Saul. We would have opened our hearts to them, and trusted them with our lives, only to be betrayed by them in the worst possible way. As people on a journey with God, we must have chosen to give inner responses by remaining silent. Our silence must have given a wrong impression about us as being weak or even as the guilty party.

God’s heart is moved when we allow our hearts to be crushed in obedience to Him. When we choose to cooperate with God with our inner responses, God is able to raise us up and restore the years that the locusts have eaten.

Today’s Gospel proclamation, at a glance looks like a recipe for disaster. In fact, it goes further than the first reading. “Doing good to those who mistreat you, turning the other cheek for the second slap, giving away everything to the one who is trying to rob you.” It looks like

1 Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

Psalm 103: 1-4, 8, 10, 1-13

1 Corinthians 15: 45-49Luke 6: 27-38

30

Prayer: Abba Father,give me the grace to keep returning to you in the heart of my struggles, to be a partner with you that pulls down heaven into my world. Amen.

becoming a doormat with a ‘Welcome’ sign for people to walk all over you.

Will people think of us as weak? Of course, they would. Will they not take advantage of us simply because they know that they can get away with it? Most certainly they will. Will we even be abused and harmed? Yes, just like they did to the Lord who lived by this on His way to the cross.

Then, what is the point? What do we get in return? The Lord Jesus says; “Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked”.

When we keep returning to God and seeking His face in the heart of the struggle, we are able to trace His hand in the whole situation. Our inner eyes open to the hidden truths of God, to see His good-ness right in the heart of the crisis. Suddenly, the inner responses that seemed impossible become effortless. When we know God in our depths, we will have the freedom to turn the other cheek. When we have experienced intimacy with God we will have the capacity to love those who intend to harm us

When our lives begin to revolve around God, we begin to see beyond the loss, the pain and the shame to what the Lord Jesus is revealing in today’s Gospel; “you will be children of the Most High”.

The second reading draws a comparison between the two Adams; the first man was created from dust of the earth, the second came down to earth from heaven. We all have both components in us, what is of the earth and what is of heaven. The component of heaven in us remains dormant while the component of the earth active. King David had both components, the component of earth wanted to make a point to the King and the component of heaven to not harm him.

The component of heaven gets activated to the extent we keep re-turning to God. When our lives begin to revolve around God, when we keep returning to God with our struggles the heavenly component in us become active. Then, the inner responses become effortless. We are able to trace the hand of God working in our circumstances. We are able to pull down heaven into our world through our obedi-ence to God. We become a partner with God, and a blessing to the world we live in.

31

Monday 25th February 7th Week in Ordinary Time

He has lavished her (wisdom) upon his friends.Sirach 1:10

Today’s first reading tells us that there is some-thing called “Wisdom”. This wisdom is not like the wisdom that comes from men and education. It comes directly from the Lord and has remained with Him from eternity. Unlike human wisdom, which can be quantified by IQ tests and other methods, divine wisdom can neither be fathomed or measured. Verse 5 says that divine wisdom

is hidden within the word of God. Verse 6 says that divine wisdom must be revealed. Verse 10 says that God lavishes divine wisdom upon his friends.

When we are friends with God; when we have been reconciled with him and are in a living relationship with him, and then when we read/hear his word, He reveals His wisdom to us. Sometimes when I listen to an anointed sermon, I feel that every word is directly meant for me. Sometimes when reading scripture, the words jump out at me and they speak directly to me and my situation. We become privy to something that gives us life. Is this the wisdom that today’s first reading talks about?

In today’s Gospel proclamation we encounter a man with a demon possessed child. The disciples are unable to help him. This man had been through a lot. For years he has had no answers. By now he must have grown accustomed to defeat and failure. So much so that he doubts whether even the Lord Jesus can help him. We can be in the same situation. All it took was a few words from our Lord to accomplish what the disciples struggled with.

Had the Lord Jesus not been around, the man would have had to continue suffering with the child. I often wonder how many people around us continue to suffer because we like the disciples are un-able to pull heaven down. The disciples ask the Lord why they were unable to chase the demon away. First, he calls them “faithless”, so we know that faith (or the lack of it) plays a part. Then he says that they need prayer. In prayer, they will be reconciled to God and have a relationship with Him. This is one of the preconditions for wisdom. As we grow in wisdom, we will learn the secrets of pulling divine intervention down from heaven into the lives of those around us.

Sirach 1: 1-10Psalm 93: 1ab, 1cd-2, 5

Mark 9: 14-29

Prayer: Abba Father, grant us the grace to keep coming back to you and have a living relationship with you so that we may grow in wisdom. Amen

32

Tuesday 26th February 7th Week in Ordinary Time

Commit your life to the Lord, and He will help you.Psalm 36: 5

Sirach teaches and charts out for us a beautiful way to follow the Lord. Notice how the author says, “If you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal” (Sir 2:1). It does not say, that serving the Lord is an easy thing or that the path is going to be a bed of roses. It will be an or-deal; a prolonged experience. “Do not be alarmed when disaster comes” (Sir 2:2).

The Lord is helping us to understand our lives from a different point. The day that we decided to follow the Lord, we signed up for this experience. As much as there are positive and beautiful experiences on this journey with the Lord, there will also be unpleasant moments, where the Lord will take us on a narrow path. We may not understand why He does it, but we have got to trust Him, because He knows what is best for us.

The Psalmist invites us saying, “Commit your life to the Lord, and He will help you” (Ps 36:5). As we offer to the Lord, the truth of our hearts, we give Him our plans, desires, hopes and dreams. This commitment will bring down God’s help into our lives. A father or mother would know the joy it brings, when their child trusts them. So is our Father, when we live in total trust and surrender, He is pleased with us, He wants to provide for us and look after us. We no longer have to fight our way through life, or trample others to go get higher positions. In His time, He will lead us to the exact place and position that He wants for us.

Arguments and disagreements have been present in the community of believers since the time of the first apostles as we see in today’s Gospel proclamation. Let us take some time to seek the Lord’s will today. How do I resolve situations where I do not agree with others’ views or when others’ views do not match with mine? Do we stand in our view and condemn others? We need humility to accept others and their views. This is where the third step of the four steps is very important. Surrendering our lives completely means that we trust that the Lord knows what is best for our lives and we do not have to fight our way to prove ourselves or push our views.

Sirach 2: 1-11Psalm 37: 3-4, 18-19,

27-28, 39-40Mark 9: 30-37

Prayer: Abba Father, help me to live in complete trust and surrender, knowing and believing that You know what is best for my life. Amen.

33

Wednesday 27th February 7th Week in Ordinary Time

“For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Wisdom as revealed in the word of God is identi-fied as being with God from the beginning and an absolute & an essential characteristic of the holy trinity. As the first reading tells us today whoever processes her will be rewarded and that blessings will follow them. It further says that whoever loves Wisdom loves Life. Strangely it is the very gift of God that we fail to seek and ask him for. We ask

God for many things but pay no attention to seek Wisdom and as a result we struggle in our day-to-day life.

In the Gospel proclamation today we are told of a time when our Lord Jesus was told by His beloved disciple of a person doing miracles. He was not a disciple, yet he had the power and authority to drive out demons and release people from oppression using the name of our Lord Jesus. John who critised him was not led by the Holy Spirit then nor was he filled with wisdom to see the power and authority that the name of our Lord Jesus contained. He could not see that good exists beyond the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ as every good thing comes from Him as He only is good. The first reading confirms this to us today saying that anyone who listens to Wisdom will have good judgment. How much more should we ask God for wisdom now living in today’s world. We are called to live by the laws of the Lord but without wisdom we will not be able to understand nor apply them.

The psalmist reminds us of the importance of living according to the laws of God and the rewards of doing so. We may feel that the law of the Lord given to us is a burden, yet when we are gifted with wisdom, we will see them in a different light. Today’s saint is a young priest who was educated by the Jesuits and was filled with the gift of wisdom. He earned a reputation as a cheerful young seminarian who was faithful in little things. He was always filled with a love for the poor, prayer, consideration of the feelings of others and subjection to the will of his wise elders. He is the patron saint of clergy, student and young people. Let us ask for his intercession to seek wisdom constantly in our journey towards holiness.

Sirach 4: 11-19Psalm 119: 165, 168, 171-172, 174-175

Mark 9: 38-40

Prayer: Abba Father, fill us a fresh today with the guidance of your Holy Spirit and the gift of wisdom and your powerful leading in our lives . Amen

34

Thursday 28th February 7th Week in Ordinary Time

I was blind but now I see

In today’s Gospel reading, the Lord Jesus gives us symbolic images to tell us some deep truths about our relationship and journey with Him. When He says if your eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away, the Lord is not telling us to indulge in self torture but there’s a deeper meaning which I have experienced in my life.

I began a career in journalism in 1966 and rose from the position of a freelance sports reporter to a Senior Deputy Editor in the 1980s. But i did not know the Lord or have a relationship with Him. I was just a Sunday Catholic and for some years, even that obligation was not fulfilled. But there were times when I went for daily mass to St. Philip Neri’s Church at Pettah, before going to the Sun/Davasa of-fice, Hulftsdorp. This reminded me that God has a plan for me as the Bible tells us, but I did not know about it. As we sing in that beautiful song, Eagles Wings, sometimes through me and sometimes in spite of me, He seems to find His purpose in my life. I had many failures in my life, the weakness was so central to my heart but when I failed or faltered in life, He gently set me on my feet again. Yet I did not know about it, until about 1986 when I hit a major crisis in life. Holding a high post at the Sun and Weekend papers, there were many working under me and I had some romantic attraction towards one of those colleagues. Unfortunately, through my foolishness and her shrewd-ness, I gave her or lost almost everything I had saved for more than twenty years. in today’s terms, it would have amounted to millions. Because of this crisis, I was provoked into a quarrel with the man-agement and quit the job. So I had no money and no place to stay. I was drinking and smoking heavily and perhaps close to the point of suicide. It was at this point that God brought my wife Marie into my life and she introduced me to the Charismatic Renewal.

At this stage, I was losing my eyesight also due to an incurable dis-ease. During the past thirty years, I have come become totally blind but the Lord has opened a third eye to see a vision of cooperating with God in building the kingdom in a spirit of love and understand-ing. Now I realise, it was 30 years ago I was blind, now I can see.

Sirach 5: 1-8Psalm 1: 4 & 6Mark 9: 41-50

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for the third eye and the new vision. Amen.

Method of Payment: 1. For Subscribers from Sri Lanka and overseas - Directly deposit the subscription fees being a full one year’s subscription (12 issues) to the account below: Account Details: Account Name: The Community of The Risen Lord Bank: Commercial Bank Branch: Wellawatte Account No: 1100087435 Swift Code: CCEYLKLX

NB: Please ensure you post us your Bank Deposit Slip as proof of payment together with the above subscription form duly (mandatory) filled to the address be-low. or

2. Draw a cheque in favour of “The Community of The Risen Lord” for the subscrip-tion fee of Rs.600/- and post the cheque along with the duly filled above subscrip-tion form (mandatory) to the address given below (within Sri Lanka only):

The Community of The Risen Lord, 38 Iswari Road, Colombo 06 (Sri Lanka). Telephone:2366264

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

“ON OUR KNEES IN HIS HANDS” (To be filled in block capital letters)

Name: ………………………………………………………………...........................

Address: ……………………………………………………………...........................

City: …………………………………………………………………………………

Postal Code/ZIP Code: ………………………………………………………………

Country: ………………………………………………………………………….........

Telephone: …………………………. Email: ……………………………………

Annual Subscription(12 ISSUES): Sri Lanka – Rs.600/- Overseas – USD 20.

Payment by: Direct Deposit to Bank Cheque (within Sri Lanka only)