✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE FOR THE DAY – July 05, 2021: Monday
“Encountering the Living and Miraculous Touch of the Lord and thus becoming passionate proponents of the One who alone can restore life in dead situations!”
(Based on Gen 28:10-22 and Mt 9:18-26 – Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Here is an excerpt from an autobiography…
“My world had come crashing down!
The gush of tears would not stop despite the dams of consolation that were constructed for me…
>> The flow of grief could not be stilled despite the walls of comfort that were built for me…
I lost the one whom I considered so precious in my life.
>> She was the treasure of my heart… She was the crown of my life!
Her tender laughter would fill my life with mirth
>> Her innocent talks would imbibe my heart with happiness
But life is sometimes so cruel… so unjust… so nasty even!
>> It snatched away from my hands my beloved princess
She was only twelve… small and tender.
>> She was just about to begin her life.
But why did she have to die so soon?
Was it my mistake?
>> Did I care less for her?
>> Did I not provide the best facilities for her?
I look at life now… with my dead girl on the bed….and say:
‘I remained faithful in my duties and works, and this is the cruel way you are treating me!”
I look at the Divine now… with my sweet little child lifeless… and say:
‘I have sought to be honest, and this is the dreadful manner You deal with me!”
But then I heard of a person named Jesus…
.. Who was near the town.
I have heard of He being a mighty prophet… a powerful healer!
>> I did not believe in His God…
…but I have heard, ‘His God is the God of all nations, of all peoples!’
And so I ran to Him… and beseeched Him: ‘My daughter has just died. But come, lay Your Hand on her, and she will live!’
I did not know how did I get the courage to say those bold words.
>> But I believe, it was the charisma of that Person, which made me to say those words of immense faith.
I believe there was already a miracle happening in me, by the fact, that I could have that much boldness to say that ‘God could infuse life to a dead and lifeless situation!’
>> Indeed, possessing faith and having trust in God is itself a precious miracle of the Lord!
As that Divine Person was on His way to my home, I encountered another miracle…
A woman who had been suffering from haemorrhage for twelve years was healed of her sickness by just touching the tassel of His cloak!
>> The words of the Master to that suffering woman was amazing, ‘Courage daughter, Your faith has saved you!’
This incident was another miracle for me.
I felt….
>> If this woman who was suffering for twelve years could be healed, why not my daughter also who was twelve years…!
>> If this woman could be cured by just touching the fringe of his garment, why not my daughter too, if this Great Man lays His hand on her…!
>> If this woman could receive new life by placing her trust in Him, why not my daughter too, since I have also come with faith and hope in Him…!
Life, I found is sometimes too cruel…
>> But the more I was trusting in this Man… Who now for me was showing the Compassionate Face of God… the greater I was feeling strengthened.
I was reminded of what some people had told me, about what this Man had once declared, ‘Come to Me, all you who labour and are overburdened; and I will give you rest!’
I was giving my burdens to Him… I was giving my labours to Him…
>> And I was being more and more convinced, that He would take up my burden on Himself and make me light!
I also remembered about some of these people who believed in their Living God recounting about their forefather, Jacob – as written in a book called Genesis – who was promised by God:
“Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you!”
We proceeded on our way… after that shower of consolation that I received on this path of suffering!
As we reached our house, my relatives and well-wishers raised up a mighty tumult….
Wailing for my daughter…. Crying and sharing in our deep grief.
But will I be a bit stupid if I say, that in those moments, though externally I was totally broken and shattered…
… within me, I could experience already, a certain sense of hope, that this Man – Whose Charism was so much Godly and Divine – would bring my daughter back to life.
I was sad outside… but His Presence made me hopeful inside
>> I was crying externally…. but His Charism made me encouraged within
And my thoughts got a deeper confirming sign, when I heard Him say to all those were weeping and bitterly crying, “Go away! The girl is not dead but is sleeping!”
We stepped in the room…
The sight of my dead princess was too overwhelming for me!
>> My grief once again overpowered me!
>> My tears of sadness once again began to drown me!
But I again realised, I had to fix my gaze on that Divine Man in that moment of pain, to find courage and consolation.
When I took of my eyes from Him, and stared at my situation of grief, I was shattered!
>> But when I took off my eyes from the problem, and fixed my eyes on Him, I was consoled!
And then came that moment of absolute wonder and ecstasy…
>> The best moment of my life!
This Divine Man placed His hand on my precious daughter….
>> And up she arose!!
Life was restored to a dead situation!
> Happiness was reinstated in a grieving circumstance!
My daughter was alive… once again!
How great is the joy of those who place their trust entirely in this Divine Master!
>> How immense is the blessing experienced by those who have faith in this Charismatic Man!
I wish and hope that all peoples of the world may come to experience the great healing presence of this Man…
I also wish and hope that all those who have encountered His Living and Miraculous Touch may become passionate proponents of this Man who alone can restore life in dead situations!”
…. THIS EXCERPT IS TAKEN from an imaginary visualised autobiography titled, “He restores our life!” of the Official, seen in the Gospel of Mt 9: 18-22, whose girl was dead at the age of twelve and was restored back to life.
God Bless! Live Jesus!
– Fr Jijo Jose Manjackal MSFS
Bengaluru, India
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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
JESUS’ TEMPTATIONS
>> The Gospels speak of a time of solitude for Jesus in the desert immediately after his baptism by John.
>> At the end of this time Satan tempts him three times, seeking to compromise his filial attitude toward God. Jesus rebuffs these attacks, which recapitulate the temptations of Adam in Paradise and of Israel in the desert, and the devil leaves him “until an opportune time”.
>> The evangelists indicate the salvific meaning of this mysterious event: Jesus is the new Adam who remained faithful just where the first Adam had given in to temptation.
>> Jesus fulfils Israel’s vocation perfectly: in contrast to those who had once provoked God during forty years in the desert, Christ reveals himself as God’s Servant, totally obedient to the divine will. In this, Jesus is the devil’s conqueror: he “binds the strong man” to take back his plunder.
>> Jesus’ victory over the tempter in the desert anticipates victory at the Passion, the supreme act of obedience of his filial love for the Father.
>> Jesus’ temptation reveals the way in which the Son of God is Messiah, contrary to the way Satan proposes to him and the way men wish to attribute to him.
>> This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning.”
>> By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert. (Cf. CCC # 538-540)
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Nelson MCBS 