my Articulate Heart

An IM profile displayed a message "Do not expect me to win, but I will never surrender!". The profile owner wants to say that he is not a quitter. He wants to instill confidence in his employers stating that he will give his best to the cause and never give up - even though win is not certain. A very honest and genuine statement displaying his readiness to work hard yet indirectly accepting the that fact that success does not come from human efforts but from a source that is beyond him. The above message point to his core strength, hinging it on an anchor point. The anchor point here is his own capacity to do things and is thus confined to his own human limitations. Sadly the victory is not certain. And since he refuses to surrender, he will soon exhaust his resources and may remain unfulfilled and ineffective. If I were to write a sentence on my profile I would write, "Because I surren...

There is an impending dearth of good leaders to undertake the task of building the kingdom of God. New leaders gradually lose their zeal and traverse into an unresponsive mode. It is Interesting to note that this twist happens soon after the person officially becomes a part of a leadership team. They fade off to oblivion after the given term is “suffered” or even earlier. Before the inclusion, they would all be teaming with sheer passion and commitment for the cause of the Kingdom. What is causing this alarming trend? Is it the quality of the new leaders or the selection process? I must say with great pain and shudder neither; it is you and I who are to be blamed, the leaders of today. It is we who are destroying these innocent lives of great potential, partnering with the enemy, in the name of God. When did we start deciding for others? When have we all become task masters depriving the young to pursue inspirations that God gives them? Where have we lost the cherished concept of ...

Jesus said in the gospel of Matthew that the  “The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off in his joy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.   [13:44] Why did this man have to sell all his belongings and buy the field while could have easily opted to carry the chest home when no one was around. We can make few assumptions here: The man understood this treasure to be more valuable than all that he already has. This man who is already rich is found tilling a field which was not his. This treasure is not anything physical [material] that he could have carried off home stealthily  In order to own this treasure the only option available to this man is to own the field, which means the field and the treasure are inseparable. This man finds joy that does not fade off. From the various  gestures we know that this man is noble, honest, gene...

The call to deny our self, take up the cross and follow Jesus must resound in our ears day and night, no matter what vocation we are chosen to lead. This is inevitably an invitation to the peak of Calvary to empty our self and give life to the other just as the Eucharist cures our soul and gives new life. Christ sealed the marital covenant with his church, by his self gift of the Eucharist [His body and blood], on the altar of the cross, embracing us into a one flesh union with Him. We who are united in the marital covenant, sealed by His blood [sacramentally] too become one flesh with our spouse, where the alter is - the bed. The sealant that consummates the marital covenant is sexual love, just as Eucharist is in the former. This union indeed is modeled on the mystery of the Holy Trinity. We too are made partakers of this mystery as Christ unites us to His body. The covenant Jesus sealed on the cross with us [the church] is renewed in every celebration of...

Mother Teresa often reminded her sisters "we are not social workers, but brides of Christ". What they saw in the impoverished and downtrodden is not a mouth to feed or a wound to heal but rather the dignity of the person and his original need to embrace life in fullness, through Jesus Christ. Much more than a meal and  momentary well being, what matters to each person is that he is raised to live life in fullness to eternity with God the father. True love for the neighbor is to be concerned about the salvation of his soul. It is expressed attending first to a his immediate needs, leading to the original need. We are incapable of realizing this original need of every man for an "abundant life in God" unless we embraces this truth in Jesus Christ. Any good done to others, that is not done abiding in Jesus, fails to achieve the real potential of our divine the call to share. Jesus said "love each other just as I have loved you" [John 13:4]. Jesus loved...

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 if  the dignity of the human person understood. A human person should be understood in the light of his divine nature and the infinite capacities he is endowed with - to love, express love and mature in love. In the absence of the this, sex can only be perceived as a commodity or a capacity to pleasure oneself or on the other extreme, as an ugly, detestable thing, leading to evil. Below examples substantiate the two extremes. If I encroach into my neighbor’s garden, pluck and eat the apples growing there because it gratifies my desire and my hunger, I certainly have unlawfully utilized what belong to the other. But on the other hand, if I become a part of the family [marriage] that owns the garden, I become the owner of the garden and I commit myself to do what is necessary to care for the garden and the apple trees until I breath last. To share in its fruit is the gift of that self giving. By doing that ...