Among many But alone!

Jesus was in the midst of many but alone. He wanted everyone but everyone wanted what He had to offer - not Him. Betrayed and estranged by the closest of His friends He was always alone.

Is our story any different?  Jesus moments before his crucifixion, foretold  "For if this is what is done to green wood, what will be done when the wood is dry?". [Luke 23:31]. He also said "Then you will be handed over to be tortured and put to death; and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name." He continued "but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved."

We realize everyone around us need us but for us to depend on, it is only Jesus. When we are betrayed, estranged and are taken advantage of, we know He is with us. But we do struggle to fix our eyes firmly on Him, stand back up again and continue our way atop the mountain.

Who else can we go? Where else will our solace come from? None else has the light, but You. Though seem distant yet so close. We too are among many but alone. Alone but with Jesus.

To be owned by God

Often times we claim ourselves to be better than those around us recounting the goodness and charity we display. But by doing that, we are being hypocritical because we are attempting to take undue credit of what belongs to God while shamelessly ignoring and rejecting the ownership of what really belongs to us, that is our sinfulness.

The "goodness' we have is because God in His mercy reclaimed, redeemed and restored certain flawed areas within us. The sinful nature within us remains so because it does not yet belong to God and we refuse to hand it over to Him to be redeemed and to be made Christ-like.

We are all, without an exception called to be holy as Christ is. We become Christ-like when we are totally owned by God. God does not do it without our permission. We, by accepting our frailty, consciously yearning to be pure, surrendering our selfish nature and sinfulness to God and patiently waiting for Him to transform us into His nature, set ourselves on this path to Holiness. And while God is at work, we are given this extraordinary privilege to gaze at the face of the Most Holy God and be radiant like Him and dissolve into His nature, little by little.

Speaking lies with our bodies

Our bodies are created to express and communicate God's very nature. The original language of the human body is to be a "self gift" to the other. When our bodies conduct itself in a way that is contrary to God's love, it violates it's own integrity and speak lies.

The message, our bodies communicate in the nuptial union between man and woman is "I give myself to you freely, totally, faithfully and fruitfully". But if the union is out side of marriage, the act is incapable of fulfilling these demands and thus their bodies lie to one another. Even within marital relationship when couple use each other for the gratification of their own lustful desires, they speak a lie with their bodies.

In sexual union, when the couple, by way of contraception, reject the gift of life - the very reward God grants them for participating in his divine life, they lie with their bodies and declare that God's love is not life giving or fruitful. When Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, his body seemed acting in charity but within his heart was malice and greed and thus spoke lies with his body. When a man looks at a woman with lust, he speak lies with his body. The original nature of our body is to recognize woman as a person to be respected and honoured and to give her the dignity she deserves as a sister.

Our bodies are redeemed and made capable of speaking the truth by the self donating love of Jesus, the son of God on the cross. He has overcome the oppression that make us blatantly lie with our bodies. Therefore let us consciously and willingly conduct ourselves in such a way that our bodies do what it is originally capable of, trusting in the liberating power of redemption Jesus. Let our bodies speak lies no more.

Man, the initiator of love and forgiveness

When there is crisis in the family, it is the husband who must take the lead to forgive and reconcile no matter who is at fault. This is because husbands are called to love their spouses just as Christ loves the Church [Eph 5:25].

The bibles says "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" [Rom 5:8]. Christ initiated love and offered his forgiveness unconditionally to the erring mankind, his beloved spouse. St. Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians states "He washed her clean by his own blood and presented her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless [5:27].

In our fallenness, men have falsely assumed themselves to be invincible and superior to woman. He seeks to earn respect and authority by virtue of his maleness and strength and not by his character. Let him do so by being meek, patient and understanding as Christ was even unto the cross. Wives being good, bad, poor average is not be considered, for Christ does not demand a "change" from us before he offers himself. It is our Christ-like love that will transform them, yet that's not our goal but God's work to do in His time.

Greatness of a husbands as heads of the families is to be established not by force but being selfless and sacrificial. Let the words of blessed Pope John Paul echo in ears "Be not afraid to meet the demands of love". Indeed, mans worth is to be found in Christ-like love alone.

When morality takes a plunge

When we lower ourselves and allow our sexual morality to take a plunge, our own consciousnesses question us. We seek desperately to silence it and stay justified. The guilt that haunt us is not because we have broken some social law but because we have broken the very law stamped within our bodies - to be a Gift!

Our bodies are created to be "a self gift". God created it in His own nature.  Bible says "God created man in his image and likeness". [Gen 1:26]

St Paul writes "I urge you, then, brothers, remembering the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, dedicated and acceptable to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people. [Rom 12:1]

The fallen man because of his swollen pride and lack of meekness, tries desperately to justify his act and begins to hate those who lay bare the truth before them. They plot ways to destroy them. We see a classic example of this in Mark 6:17. Herodias, originally wife of Philip, now wife of his brother King Herod becomes furious at John the baptist and have him beheaded because he witnessed against this act. We see evidence of vicious vengeance boiling up within her when she demands the head of John instead of the most obvious choice, half of Herod's kingdom.

God forgives all our transgressions. He liberates us from brokenness and restores us. Lets us humble ourselves, acknowledge our faults and come before Him in total surrender.

Are you ready yet?

This generation is led away to think that "attraction" and "love" are one and the same. Alas! they are awfully different. They are the extreme ends of the same track. The lack of understanding to distinguish attraction from love will land us in big mess especially those who tend to think that they are in love and are ready to use their sexual gifts.

Attraction to the opposite gender is the natural longing given to man and woman to constantly remind them of their deep rooted need to self donate. It is not love yet. It is only a feeling that must elevated,  in due time, to a higher commitment of sacramental marital love. Marriage indeed is the only fitting sacred alter where the supreme gift of self must be mutually offered. Sex outside of marriage is like throwing away precious pearls to swines. These are the very pearls that make up our core self. Our sexuality is what we are. Masculinity and femininity are the key factors that distinguishes each individual and at the same time make them unique. Having created in the image and likeness of God, we bear in us the very character of God - that is to love as God loves.

The graces poured out in the sacrament of marriage seals all the vulnerabilities of unchastity, fortifies and renders it as a fitting bed for couples to offer  themselves as mutual gifts. The love within marriage is free, total, faithful and fruitful. True erotic love has Agape love (God's love) at the center of it. And thus it is impossible to experience it outside of marriage. What people experience outside of marriage is only a cheap counterfeit of real erotic love. This counterfeit incapacitates us and robs us of the necessary graces needed to celebrate the sacramental fullness of marriage.

Out side of marriage, what a couple engage in is not "love making" but "lust making". What they offer mutually is not a "gift" but a "curse". Such sexual union is not "life giving" but "death giving".

So the next time you are attracted to someone of the opposite sex, realize it is not love yet but a feeling still. Discern every attraction and clearly know the motive behind. If it is physical, material or in any way selfish, you need to know you are being led away by untruth. It can only lead us to utilitarianism and objectification of human body for the gratification of lust. True attraction will mature into self giving love and is Christ like.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. [Eph 5:25]

Have something to die for

Let there be men who would give up their lives to defend the dignity of woman, no matter who she is. This statement might sound too stupid and you want to say "life is worth more than that!". Then, let me ask, have you anything that's worth dying for?

In our days we do not hold any values or virtues so close to our heart that we consider death than compromising it. Our ideologies have undergone a dramatic change. No one is willing to give up life but wants to preserve it by any means - to make it big in life. The "other person" does not matter any longer. All that matters is I, me, myself.

In the past, People have given up lives, choosing not to say a lie. Bodies have been brutally mutilated because they refused compromise on their values. Men have given up lives defending the dignity of woman. Woman have laid down their lives for their men and children. Many have chosen to die rather than defiling their innocence and having to live in sin.

Who dares to take an uncompromising stand for truth, integrity and honesty at the cost loosing our lives?. Any one?

It's because we have lost our faith and hope in the glorious eternal life which begins after a virtuous life on earth. It is because we have lost our faith  in the kingdom, Jesus came to establish among his children. We have all become selfish. We have shown God and his Truth, the exit. We have elevated material things and success to where God is. It is considered weakness if one chooses to surrender his life to God.

Love is not a feeling. Instead it is the well resolved act of self donation expecting nothing in return. The one who loves acts on behalf of the loving God whose hands and feet we become-to serve.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [Mat 10:19]