My Articulate Heart

Revisiting the missionary role of the laity The lay faithful along with priests and religious form part of the labour force Jesus sends forth into His vineyard. [Mathew 20]. Everyone without an exception are called; some at the first hour, some at the third and some at the eleventh hour. [Paraphrased from christifideles laici] Blessed are the ones who are called at the first hour, because they have been granted ‘bonus time’ to spend with the Good Master. The labour in the vineyard becomes for them a fulfilling experience because they treasure the proximity of Jesus right here in this temporal world. Jesus’ mandate to preach the Good news to the ends of the earth has no exception. If one is not a missionary [labourer in the vineyard], he/she is either insensitive to the unconditional love and mercy of God or is too proud to admit the same. He/she has indeed turned a deaf ear to the call. St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says “ Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel...

Sexuality can truly be understood only when we first understand the dignity of the human person. The human person must be understood in the light of his divine origin and the immense capacity with which God has endowed him—to love, to receive love, to give himself, and to mature in love. Without this understanding, sexuality can be reduced to a commodity, a means of obtaining pleasure, or merely a biological function. At the other extreme, it can be viewed as something ugly or shameful, something to be feared rather than understood as God's gift. Consider an analogy. If I enter my neighbour's garden, pluck an apple and eat it simply because it satisfies my hunger and desire, I have taken something that does not belong to me. But if I become part of the family that owns the garden, I also accept the responsibility of caring for the garden and its trees. Sharing in its fruit is then part of a relationship of belonging and self-giving. The fruit is not merely something to consume;...

Halt Hear His call It may be a strayed thought or a convincing compulsion.  It could be an indistinguishable yet clear voice from within or a sentence fallen out of the mouth of a stranger or a word from a TV show or a tweet, a post in Face book that bring us to an unusual “halt” in the midst of the daily madness. God is gently but constantly seeking our attention, just like a loving father, full of compassion and love in order to show us the way to joy and un- surpassing peace. He is called the hound of heaven by Francis Thomson in His poem titled the same. As the hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the chase, unhurried and unperturbed, so does God follow the fleeing soul by His Divine grace These gentle invitations of God are often stifled by our overarching worldly priorities. This time when you come to a holy halt, hold on to it. It is your father voice to return. Turn around Hear His call, turn around! Pursuing ou...

The Church is daily filled, says St. Augustine, with those who come to petition for temporal advantages, that they may escape this calamity, obtain that advantage in their temporal concerns: but there is scarce one to be found who seeks for Christ, and pays him his adoration, through the pure love he bears him. (Maldonatus)