POWER 2012: "CHRIST IN YOU - The Hope and Glory" (Col. 1:27) [22-27 July 2012] in Divine Retreat Centre, Kerala, India

My dear Friends of Divine,


On  behalf of Divine Retreat Centre, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to each of you to join us in Divine for POWER 2012 - "CHRIST IN YOU - The Hope and Glory" (Col. 1:27). Do come and be part of this vibrant and joyous celebration of Christ's Presence within each of us! 


Prayers are being lifted up to God daily by our 24-hour Divine Intercessory Prayer Groups for a mighty anointing and renewal in the hearts of every Youth, Couples, Children and Tiny Tots who will be attending this upcoming 7th International Family Renewal Week! The YouTube video above - POWER 2012 [22-27 July 2012] is to give you a preview of the Power and Joy of Divine's Annual International Family Renewal Week...

Listen to the Call of God's Voice in your heart - and come join us in Divine for a GLORIOUS celebration  of POWER 2012 with Youth and Couples, Children & Tiny Tots from all over the world!!!


Yours lovingly in Christ+
Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C.

Attention to Youths and Families! POWER 2012 - Divine's 7th International Youth Conference & Couples Retreat themed "CHRIST IN YOU- The Hope of Glory" (Colossians 1:27) to be held from 22-27 July 2012 is just about 100 DAYS away! Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C. and Rev. Fr. Michael Payyapilly V.C. will lead the Divine team along with world-renowned preachers and dynamic and versatile Catholic music ministry bands!

To avoid any disappointment, do sign up early! The POWER 2012 registration cost is INR1200/- (Continental Cuisine) and INR400/- (Local Indian Cuisine). 

Registration  is on a "First Come First Served" basis.

 Please contact the Divine Youth Team to register for POWER 2012:

 Email: divineyouth.drc@gmail.com 

Tel: +91 8129185775

There is no other place to be from 22-27 July 2012 than in Divine Retreat Centre, Kerala, India for  POWER 2012 - Divine's 7th International Family Renewal Week!

Come and celebrate your joy that CHRIST IS IN YOU!!!

And Go Forth to be His Light to our World...

BLESSED & HOLY DIVINE EASTER WISHES!

BLESSED & HOLY DIVINE EASTER WISHES! Dear Friends in Christ “Why are you weeping?” (John 20:13) was the question Jesus asked Mary of Magdala in front of the empty tomb. A question the Risen Lord is asking every one of us on this Easter Day. Of course, there are many reasons and situations in our life that distress us and make us sad. And yet, the question is very meaningful because whatever is wrong and bad and sad in our lives receives a new meaning by the Easter event. On Good Friday, it was announced from all the churches that God died. This is the same proclamation that many philosophers and writers gave they asserted the death of God. This assertion however was a cry issuing out of the desperation being unable to find God in the midst of their woes and struggles of life. When the gospels speak about the death of God, it is a bold revelation of the reality and Presence of God in the midst of our sorrows and miseries. The death of God on the Cross was not the end of life but the beginning of a glorious existence for man! It was not the absence or the end of the relevance of God that Calvary signifies, but the great love and concern of God who came down to this valley of tears to wipe away every tear from our eyes, so that “there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain.” (Revelation 21:4)  The cruelty and death were not thrust upon the Lord but as Jesus had predicted – “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down on my own.” (John 10:18) By laying down His Life, we “might have life and might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)  The Risen Lord has once and for all changed the whole meaning of sorrow and death. This curse and despair has vanished from every sorrow and death in the splendour of the Glory of the Resurrection; and every bit of suffering becomes an expression of love. Hence St. Paul affirms, “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55) As I wish you a Happy and Blessed Easter from Divine Retreat Centre, my prayer for you is that the glorious rays of the Victory of the Risen Lord may illumine all that is sad and sorrowful in your life. As the disciples of Jesus, we are an “EASTER PEOPLE” who are able to rejoice even in the midst of our struggles because we know if we suffer fro Jesus, we also reign with Him! With this gospel truth, we will be able to encourage those who are struggling with us. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Blessings in the Name of Our Risen Lord+ Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C. Website: www.drcm.org

“WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM” (2 Timothy 2:11)

  



Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran  V.C.







As a young priest I was assigned to offer Mass on certain days of the week at a convent not far from our house. One morning it was drizzling and the motorbike I was riding slid on the slippery road and landed on the ground. My leg got burnt by the hot metal of the silencer that fell on it. My cassock got torn. When I got up, the first thing that occurred to me was what my Superior had said to me the previous night to not take the bike out during the rainy season. I then realised that it was crucial I reach the convent in time for the Mass or else the sisters would call up the house and they would be alerted. So I rushed on to the convent and entered directly to the sacristy. I put on a long alb so that the stained and torn cassock would not be visible. I endured that burning pain throughout the Mass and as soon as Mass was over, without even bidding farewell, I quickly made my exit and went to a dispensary far away to get treated. I then returned to the house and no one knew of what had happened.

“Whither Shall I Flee From Thy Presence?” (Psalm 139:7)

I recalled then how as a child when I would get hurt and return with scrapes and bruises, I would rush to my parents and cry relating the entire episode and describing my pain. They would instinctively pick me up and cajole me, dress my wounds and give me a sweet and speak to me stories so that I would forget the pain till the pain faded away. With this, the painful fall was transformed into an occasion of tender love! But as years passed, I identified growing up with becoming independent and turning inwards for solutions. With this, unknowingly I lost the joy of relatedness. The adult had settled for the pain of isolation and loneliness.

Due to this conceited understanding of adulthood, man becomes increasingly secretive - losing his freedom to be genuine in the company of others. Man feels he has to hide something and project something else in order to be accepted and respected by others. As a result, he is haunted by a deep and nagging sense that there is something radically wrong with him. He has to suffer his limitations and has only himself to fall back on. Crushed by the burden of his incompleteness, the one preoccupation of man is to find a mask that must provide a shield from painful rejection. It is in this light that the Love of God becomes salvific.

God’s Love manifested in Jesus Christ is an affirmation of the value of every man and woman as he or she is. Even in our unworthiness, He found us so precious as to give up His life for us. “But God proves his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  The death of Jesus makes me free to be myself even in the moments of my shortcomings and mistakes because I have the assurance that I am loved in spite of my negativities.

“The Last Adam Became A Life-Giving Spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45)

What happened in the tomb is what God promises to do in the situations where my weaknesses threaten to define me. The Holy Spirit entered into the broken and dead body of Jesus and raised it in the fullness of glory. That iss what St. Paul means when he says that “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit which dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)  St. Paul continues that this activity of the Holy Spirit raising Jesus from the dead was the first fruits of our salvation (1 Corinthians 15:20).  Among the Jews, the concept of offering first fruits was very meaningful. The belief was that in the first fruits, the whole harvest is contained. Therefore when the first fruits are offered on the altar, it was offering the whole harvest to God with the understanding that it now would all belong to God. When Jesus was raised from the dead, all of us have been included in that saving activity of God. This is the basis of Christian hope.

Nothing offered to God will perish. Everything placed in the Hands of God becomes an offering in which the Holy Spirit moves in order to redeem, transform and sanctify. This Hope must be awakened in us whenever anything unfortunate and disastrous occurs. When Martha and Mary offered the deadly sickness of their brother to Jesus, the Lord responded with the glorious assurance: “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” (John 11:4)  What was to end in disaster was taken over by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit in order that the Glory of God may be manifested through it. Hence St. Paul exclaims – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)  This hope gives us great courage in the moments of our distress. What naturally should have ended in mourning was transformed to celebration. With the Resurrection of the Lord, all of humanity united with Jesus shares the Glory of Easter! “And the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’. ‘O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?’” (1 Corinthians 15:52-55)

This Hope is not a faint idea lost in the pages of theology texts but is a real privilege for those who are baptized to claim. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4)  By being identified with Christ, we are now equipped with the power for a glorious living.

“If We Live, We Live For The Lord” (Romans 14:8)

A young man shared with me his experience of this tremendous Power of the Spirit that turned him over from death to life. He was addicted to drugs already at a young age. His parents were working and living abroad and had no idea of his miserable existence in the bondage of sin and meaninglessness. Money flowed in only to be wasted in loose living. His friends and entertainments became more important to him than his classes. He did not care to even appear for his exams. Every time he was threatened with dismissal, he would bring an excuse to the authorities. He came to the final year of his engineering course and even then the seriousness of his studies did not seem to make sense to him. One night he was going on the motorbike with a friend and since he was in a dazed state, he violated the road rules and met with an accident. He was lying unconscious on the hospital bed for several days and when he regained his consciousness, he came to know that his friend had died in the accident. He became angry with himself and desperate in remorse. He did not want to live because he felt he had no right to live. He was shattered as he felt responsible for the death of the young friend. In the hospital he poured out his struggles to a nurse who then spoke to him a word of hope and directed him to give God a space in his circumstances.

Once he was discharged, he came directly to the retreat centre. On the one hand he was very confused, angry, guilty and desperate. On the other hand, the cravings for the evil addictions of his past were felt stronger even though he had no access to drugs. He could not discipline himself to the program of the retreat centre. Neither did anything spoken in the retreat hall make any sense to him. Despite all the turmoil within, he was feeling within himself an inner urge to remain in the retreat hall. Gradually he felt gripped by the Power of the Lord though thoughts of the past would surface every now and then - dragging him to despair and fear. During the Eucharistic Adoration, he felt a great surge of hope in him and he made a total surrender of the waste he had made of his life. He began to praise God in an uncontrollable way. He told me later that it was then that the Lord met him in the abyss of his misery and raised him up to a new life. Since then there has been no looking back! His one desire now was to spread the rays of hope to a world that has succumbed in despair and loneliness.

“Born Anew To A Living Hope Through The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3)

Easter is the Festival of Hope. A hope that does not disappoint us (Romans 5:5). A hope that in Christ, I can be more than my mistakes. Or rather that I can live the righteousness Christ won for me through His victory over sin on the Cross. The culture of death is tightening its grip over all the areas of human life. As a result, man meets with failures and frustrations pushing him into the pit of hopelessness. At the same time, man is aware of his necessity to live, fulfill his responsibilities and achieve his goals. In the process, life becomes very painful and burdensome. He drifts along without joy in the heart - often unable to find a meaning in life. It is in this context that the Feast of Easter comes to give the message of Hope. The Holy Spirit working in the brokenness of Jesus raised him up in glory. The same Holy Spirit is given to us and He continuously works in us healing our wounds turning everything to our good and transforming us into the image of God. This hope never lets us down because it is rooted not in human possibilities but in the unparalleled Power of God.

A young man confided in me his hope for the future. I met him a year after the retreat that had changed his life.  It was when everything had gone wrong with him. He slipped into unholy company that destroyed him financially. His wife and child left him and all he had in hand was a shattered sense of his self. At the retreat, the one grace he received was the confidence of faith to enable him to look beyond the ashes of his circumstances. With that confidence, he went and spoke to his estranged wife who gave him three months time to prove his claims of conversion. Even when she came back to him, she was not ready to trust him. Every time she would question his motives and ask humiliating questions. He confessed that he was still tempted to slide back into his former way of life. The suspicious behaviour pattern of his wife made him want to rebel and this conflict did not support him at all in his fight to be faithful to the Lord! He paused and added thoughtfully, “I don’t trust myself but I have been looking daily to the Power of the Holy Spirit of God who saves me and comforts me at all those moments of my inadequacies. I am determined to share in the victory Jesus won over sin and death because He is still working on me.” Indeed this is the hope that should sustain us in the low moments of our life.

The rays of Hope emanating from the empty tomb of Jesus should fall upon the dark moments of our lives and enlighten our hearts. Then we will have a relevant message for the broken world we are living in – the message which is the first Promise of the Risen Lord: “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:10)  Even in the darkest moments of our life, we will see the glowing Face of the Lord dispelling all darkness and bringing the splendor of the glory of the Resurrection.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus, we hail You for You are our victor. You rose from the dead and have won for us Hope and Life. We bring to You the burden of our shadows. Till this moment we could not even face our own shadows and they only became deeper. Today Lord, we bring to you our failures and limitations for You love us and Your Love will be the Light for us to live by. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but you O my God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.” (Psalm 73:26)  As I stand by the empty tomb I rejoice O Lord for I know Your Strength shall never fail and Your Power shall defeat death and raise me to live in Your Glorious Presence.

Amen

IS EVANGELIZATION FOR YOU?

Mr. M. V. Thomas

President & CEO of Crosstel Inc.

Chief Executive – Divine Vision Network

Evangelization is one of the finest things that can happen to a believer in the journey of his life. All the moments in which God chooses us to be a partner in evangelization are some of the most valuable achievements.  As John 15:16 says “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last — and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you”, it is God’s calling. However, there are a few things we can do as believers to invoke this process. Going through a spiritual renewal process or being born again itself is God’s calling. From this moment, a believer goes through a deeper thirst to “know Him, love Him and serve Him”. Through prayer and study of the word of God, this thirst can be converted into powerful moves of evangelization. Almost all evangelists, big and small, have gone through such an experience. It always begins with a powerful Godly experience – a deeper conviction that God is alive and is with us. Without such conviction, human efforts tend to fall apart.  Once we have such a conviction, it does not matter what we are or where we are -- we can become powerful tools in the hands of God.

In my personal life, knowing Him was the biggest barrier that took time. As a “doubting Thomas” I struggled for years searching for Him. I was sincere in my doubts about Him and persistently kept “questioning” Him. Once He revealed Himself, it was easier to talk about the “God I know” and to do the things that He asks me to do or the acts that would please Him. That was my personal evangelization. Since then a few of us gathered together regularly for weekly prayer meetings which laid a strong foundation for us to seek God, praise and worship, and share the Word. It was amazing to see how God led each of us day after day not only in our spiritual lives, but in everything we did. He became “real and living” among us. We became “addicted” to gathering and experiencing Him every week. There is something to be said of prayer meetings that we cannot achieve alone. Acts 2 clearly shows us that God showers special blessings in such spiritual gatherings and fellowships. This is different from what we get from the Eucharist or the other sacraments. It is not one or the other; rather both are needed for our growth.

Another catalyst in my spiritual growth or evangelization (that God gave me a chance to observe) was the turn my personal life took after God became my one and only goal. It were as if pieces of the puzzle were put together so effortlessly and naturally, that I knew I would not have been able to put together alone. Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved” started becoming a reality not only in my spiritual life, but in my entire household -- so much so that I have often mentioned in our prayer meetings that I am the most selfish person I know of in evangelization, and that I am doing this only because I do not have anything better to do with my life. Evangelization, and living with Christ as our only goal is highly rewarding. I truly believe in every word written in Psalm 1 and 112. They are written for and about common men like me and you.

A third of aspect of evangelization I have seen and am often amazed is that if you are truly sincere about evangelization and have spent time with Lord in prayer, when you step out, you are not alone. For every step we make, He makes several supernatural and powerful moves on your behalf. He will be there with you to change people around you and remake the circumstance to suit you. This is so much a reality that I count on it all the time. If you find yourself “struggling” through your evangelization, I would strongly suggest that you prepare in prayer. In Evangelization, we are only His hands and fingers. Work is always by Him. That should make it even easier and better.  Always remember, what Mother Teresa and St. Paul did or said were not on their own. God was with them, empowering and supporting them. They simply depended upon Him and moved in their lives. All glory and honour to Him!

Evangelization through television was the idea God laid in the hearts of the priests from Divine Retreat Center, Muringoor. When Fr. Augustine and Fr. Panackal shared with me the same idea for North America, I was very sceptical and doubtful; I could only see difficulties and mountains. So I politely and diplomatically made attempts to avoid the subject altogether. Having experienced His powerful and supernatural moves in the past, we started praying for it and remarkably things began taking shape -- God brought together the right atmosphere, resources, talents and abilities!  Although I could go into detail as to how it was formed, they are simply irrelevant as I am convinced that it was the supernatural works of God where He was using many of us. Today thousands of households watch Divine TV at home, and hours of Divine TV Online (www.dvnonline.org) from viewers around the globe. We continuously receive prayer requests, comments, and suggestions both by email and phone.  This reminds me of an evangelist in US saying “Billy Graham and his driver both have the same reward from God.”  It does not matter who we are and what we are -- God is willing to use all of us as spiritual partners of Gospel, if we are willing to be used. There is still room in it for you and me, if we know Him, love Him and are sincerely ready to serve him.  God is not looking for mighty men and women for evangelization; but, what He needs is humble and willing hearts for Him to impart special powers in the form of talents and treasures to be used according to His will. 

I ask that God touch the hearts of every person who reads this. May He grant him/her the same desire and willingness He gave every evangelist to open up their hearts to serve Him for centuries.

Let us pray:

“Dear God, we acknowledge that everything in our lives is a gift from You. You are marvelous and glories in everything You do. Nothing is impossible for You. Grant many men and women the thirst, time, and talent to serve You and to share the treasures You give us from time to time with You and for You. Open our eyes to see Your Mercy, Power and Strength in everything we go through and guide us to fulfill Your Plan in our lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen”

Mr. M.V. Thomas is a successful and professional business man – currently the CEO and President of Crosstel inc, in Columbia, Georgia, USA. MV (as he is fondly known by all in the Divine-Potta ministry) has been instrumental and is the Chief Executive of Divine Vision Network, a Company registered in USA to coordinate the activities of Divine TV in USA and Canada. Divine TV has been on-air in USA and Canada since 25 May 2009 and Divine TV is available ONLINE on the Internet in EVERY country across the globe through DVN Online TV as of 04 October 2009.

MV Is blessed with the loving support of his wife, Geetha, and has three daughters and two grandchildren. He has lived abroad for the last 35 years in various countries.

GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS” (John 15:13)

Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C.

 

Against a dark horizon of betrayal, false accusations, gross injustice, senseless torture and a premature death, the Cross of Calvary rises high to turn our eyes to the sure Promise and Glory of Heaven. The Calvary event turned the curse of the cross into the highest blessing of salvation for all humankind. The cross was the ultimate punishment given to a criminal. It was a signpost to all that should not happen to a person. Yet when Jesus took the Cross upon His shoulders it became the summit of love that shines down hope for all generations and all of humanity.

“Love Is Strong As Death” (Songs 8:6)/ “Love Never Ends” (1 Corinthians 13:8)

This is the greatest act of love that the earth has could ever witness because the Cross fell on Jesus Christ not because of His crime but because of the crimes of humankind. Further it was not that He grudgingly surrendered Himself to a tragic unfortunate plight. He said, “No one takes it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:18) Pain willingly taken over for the sake of love is indeed a blessing. No wonder when we read the gospel accounts of the Crucifixion, what is striking is not the utter cruelty of the soldiers or the unjust condemnation of the authorities but the willing acceptance of the Cross by Jesus. The world has seen the ugliness of torture under different regimes and dictatorships. There is much injustice even in this day. Yet a love that vanquishes all ugliness simply by its untainted goodness is seen only at Calvary. In the midst of the atrocities meted out to Jesus, He kept goodness shining within Himself. No amount of cruelty could quench the flame of love in His heart. That flame burst out in a final prayer for the very persecutors - “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Love is sharing and the Cross was the ultimate expression of sharing love. As Prophet Isaiah had said, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:5)  The mystery of Incarnation is now complete. God entered into human history and became Emmanuel – “God with us”. He shared the poverty and pain, the loneliness and helplessness of human existence. On the Cross, this sharing reached its climax. The Immortal took on mortality. The Unblemished took on the grime of our sins. The Glorious took on dishonor. Life took on death and death was defeated. Love triumphed! From then on Calvary has become the measure of love. The more one loves the deeper would be the longing to be part of the life of the other.

“The Joy Of The Lord Is Your Strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)

During a retreat, a mother shared with me her hectic way of life. She was a working woman and she would come home tired. Her two children were studying in the college. They would have to sit up very late into the night to complete their assignments. And the mother would sit in the neighbouring room praying for the two children. She would go to bed only after they would put off their lights. Early morning she would wake up to get their food ready and to prepare to go to the office for work. She would not be able to sleep more than 3 hours in the night. And yet she said she would wake up in the morning very refreshed in spite of the short sleep she had at night. She attributed this to the great joy she received in sharing the burden of her children. The hard work of the day and the vigil of the night did not tire her at all. Love never tires after all.

Jesus had a cross on his shoulders because He loved. “He loved His own,” St. John tells us, “and He loved them to the end.” (John 13:1)  Since His Love was supreme, the Cross also was unimaginably heavy. Now the invitation of Jesus to each one of us is to take up the daily cross and follow Him.  It is love that accords meaning and depth to life. And where there is no cross of sacrifice, there is no love. Everyone who follows Jesus will have a cross to carry because the way of Jesus is the way of self-sacrificing love – a love that seeks not to receive but to give, a love that seeks to bind up the wound of the other and to bear the burden of the neighbour. The burden of love is a burden that becomes light because of the joy of loving. It is the way of the followers of Jesus.

“Gold Is Tested In The Fire” (Sirach 2:5) / “The Genuineness Of Your Faith, More Precious Than Gold Which Though Perishable Is Tested By Fire” (1 Peter 1:7)

Every pain taken up because of love becomes mysteriously connected with the Cross of Jesus. In fact, it is when we allow the Cross of Christ to cast light on our sufferings that we shall begin to see the joy and glory destined for us. A prayer group leader once shared with me his journey through the agony of humiliation to the ecstasy of Christ’s Glory. He was working as a manager in a firm, very committed to his responsibilities but also committed to the teachings of Jesus. In the administration of his office, he would never sway from the principles of justice and truth. His partners instructed him to bend the rules which would lead to an unfair deal adversely affecting some of the employees. He tried to dissuade his partners explaining how such a step would cast a shadow on the future of those individuals. But they were insistent as this policy would bring in tremendous financial returns to the company and the managers would stand to get a good percentage of such gains. He however could not accept their proposals because it was for him a blatant violation of all norms of justice and truth. He was threatened of being demoted and would be so sidelined he would have no say in the policy-making of the company in the future.

He prayed over the situation for an entire week and he felt inspired by the Holy Spirit that he needed to follow Jesus by standing for justice and truth. That occurred to him as a far more precious value than the financial gain that he could get. He knew he could never be at ease if he made that big mistake. He made known his decision to the authorities and then and there he was given a choice either of being suspended or being demoted. He felt deeply humiliated by the very organization that he took the initiative to establish and gave his best to and hurt by his friends whom he trusted. Even his wife could not understand the rationale of his stand. She questioned him as to what was so grave about this step that he could disregard the financial needs of the family and the future of their children. His friends laughed at him for being so impractical in professional matters. Every direction he turned to, he felt condemned. Even one of his elders told him that religion is a matter of personal prayer and not to be dragged into the affairs of the world.

He felt very confused and angry and depressed - confused because he could not understand why it happened to him and what to do next. There was no one who shared his convictions. On the other hand, everyone sounded so convinced that his refusal to cooperate with corruption was unwarranted. He was angry at his partners for what they had done to him. He felt betrayed and shocked at their easy change of loyalties. He was depressed because he felt let down by his family and even by God.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->

"My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46)

When I met him, he asked me the question that he had obviously been struggling with day and night: “Why did God allow this to happen to me after my being totally committed to Him in life and in work?” He shared how he had lost sleep and peace of mind. He longed for a little rest and peaceful sleep. I prayed with him and helped him to surrender the whole problem in the Hands of God. He went to the chapel to pray. He opened the Bible and began to read the eleventh chapter in the Gospel of Matthew. He reached the end of the chapter which read this way - “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)  He was drawn to ask God for the grace to understand this invitation and the promise.

Jesus promises that the yoke will be easy and the burden will be light and one will even find deep rest for the soul. It occurred to him that he was carrying a terrible yoke upon himself and was yet not finding rest for his soul. His soul was in distress and turmoil, unable to understand or take the pain. He waited awhile and at one moment it struck him that this promise was only for those who carry the yoke of Jesus. He asked himself “Whose yoke he was carrying?” He realized that he was in fact carrying the yoke thrust on him by his partners, friends and his wife. That is the reason why his soul was not able to find the rest of Jesus. He fell prostrate in the Presence of Jesus and confessed his mistake. He surrendered himself to the Plan of God and accepted his pain of humiliation and the agony of his mind from the Hands of the Lord. He began to pray for all those who hurt him. He promised the Lord that he would continue to carry the cross because of his love for Jesus and for the love of the employees whose cause he was defending. He felt the ineffable peace of the Holy Spirit filling his heart.

He resigned his post willingly because he did not want to be part of an unjust system that he was not able to rectify. He remained in prayer waiting for God’s intervention. What happened soon after this amazed him. Another firm came to hear of his integrity and nobility and they approached him seeking his services and directly appointed him as the Managing Director of their firm. He called me that evening and declared joyfully - “No one who trusts in the Lord will be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11)  He described how it took a crushing experience for him to unearth the treasure of the mystery of suffering.

“The Truth Will Set You Free” (John 8:32)

Two insights dawned on him. Firstly he realized that every suffering accepted from the Hands of the Lord is mysteriously but really connected with the Cross of Jesus. When we accept the cross as a participation in the journey of Christ, we shall reach the destination of joy and glory. “Rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:13)  We will be able to rejoice in the moments of our suffering only when we are convinced that we are sharing in the mental agony and physical torture of the Lord. When I am deceived by my friend, I need to know that the pain of my heart is a sharing in the grief of Jesus when He was betrayed by Judas. When I am misunderstood and unjustly treated, it is Christ inviting me to stand beside Him at the hour of His humiliation when He was made to stand like a criminal before the Roman Governor who condemned Him. When my body is ailing, I need to look at the bruised and broken Body of Jesus staggering on the way to Calvary. It is then that pain becomes the expression of love and painful moments are anointed with the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit. It is then that with sincerity of the heart we will be able to pray for those who hurt us.

The second insight that inspired him was that it was the Christian calling he received through the love and responsibility he felt towards his employees. All the troubles came his way because he dared to be the voice of the voiceless. It was their sad plight that compelled him to sacrifice himself, all his accomplishments and his position. But he never regretted standing up for them. He felt honoured that he was giving them a confidence to fight for their rights. He felt that this was his responsibility because of his commitment to Jesus. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)  The great satisfaction that came into his life was from God Himself. St. Paul assures us, “If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him.” (2 Timothy 2:11-12) 

Lent is the Holy Season where we prepare ourselves to celebrate the glorious Feast of Easter. We are invited to take on fasting, prayer and penance, contemplating the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. Indeed the experience of Lent is a living out of the mystery of Incarnation. As God shared the sad plight of humankind and achieved our salvation, we are invited to share the poverty and pain that Jesus took upon Himself from humankind. The fasting and penance that we take up during the Lent is a way we identify ourselves with the suffering humanity and the crucified Saviour. Hence Lent becomes not a dry period of boredom but a joyful celebration of love! We become part of everyone rejected and desolate, starving in any corner of the world, languishing in lonely sickbeds. The bitter grief of suffering gives way to rejoicing when it is accepted as a share in the Cross of Jesus.

Let Us Pray:

­­­­­­Lord Jesus, we praise You for You have revealed to us that love triumphs. By the sacrifice You gifted us in Love, we know that evil will be defeated if we could choose to love. We thank you Lord that You allow us to walk by Your side in Your most difficult hours. You give us a call to share in the highest call to love in every trial we face. As we open our hearts to You, Lord, we pray pour out Your Love into our hearts that we may find the strength to love and suffer and receive the victory You prepared for us.

May we look to You bearing the Cross and realize that this is the one way to love and to live. When in our families and work, we are called to shed tears, we shall look to You and may our eyes be opened to see the higher calling of glorious and lasting salvation that Father is handing us. Hold our hands and our hearts that we can live and love for You every person You bring into our lives. May our love transform every work we do that Your Glory may shine through!

Amen.