Infant Jesus Church Ernakulam,
Lenten retreat by Br Thomas Paul Kodiyan
Episode#1, Vedio#3
https://youtu.be/a1t8z10NACY

Today our Monsingur explained that the Holy Spirit poured out His love. Although we are in Lenten season, we have not yet come to the Lenten season that we have no problem to sing Hallelujah.In some countries, particularly in Latin right we don’t sing Hallelujah during Lenten season. So we got a little privilege that we can sing hallelujah today .Our Pope Francis often says ,the whole Lenten season , we have to look and aim upon that Easter night light .We were singing that the light came down into the darkness. Altough we are going to be in the lent,what should be our aim? Our aim must be that the Easter vigil night,where the priest bring that big candle . That big lighted candle he brings into that darkness of church and say” Lumen Christi”, “Christ the Light” !!!!!
So that is our aim; Christ has come as the light into the darkness. So begin this preparatory retreat focusing that light.It was very prudently and providentially we began lighting that candle.The lighted Candle is Christ himself. Although we sang many songs ,we will sing a song on Holy spirit which will be a prayer for us to be be empowered with that love and wisdom of the Holy spirit, so that the Holy spirit will help and lead us into that spiritual feast. Everyday we have a new way of experiencing Christ.So let us now sing the song of Holy Spirit. As we sing the song of Holy spirit you can be more thirsty for the spiritual enlightenment. We need to get something new. As St Paul says when the perfect comes the imperfects go away.So we are growing day by day . When we get more new understanding of the same Lord and same spirit,then we go into ‘maturity’. So let us sing ‘Holy Spirit Holy spirit God you dwell within my heart’.(song)
The theme given to me for today’s first talk is ‘seek first the kingdom of God and it’s righteousness ‘. That’s a very dear theme for me , ‘The Kingdom of God!!! Seek first the Kingdom of God !where is the Kingdom of God?In Luke 17:21 Jesus says “don’t look here and there for the Kingdom of God is among you”Then in the translation foot note it’s written like this :“Among you “also can be translated as “within you”!. So which translation you should take for yourself?Lets take the translation that the Kingdom of God is within you, within me , within each one of us .But it is such mystery ,no expression or explanation will be
enough to understand this kingdom.The kingdom of God is the dwelling of the most Holy Trinity I will read from Catechism of Catholic Church 256; in this paragraph there is a beautiful expression about this ,”the grace of the kingdom”. This is a beautiful teaching of the Catechism of the Holy Catholic Church,you make a note of this reference.I am not speaking from my own intelligence or my own personal idea , it is from the treasure of the faith of the church.”In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Kingdom is “the union of the entire holy and royal Trinity . . . with the whole human spirit.”(CCC2565)
So there is a very easy way to understand this is that in every Holy Mass we begins with the same expression; which is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Love of God and the fellowship of Holy Spirit be with you