FOREVER HIS

St. Therese of Lisieux (Little Flower) inspires me with many thoughts....Tomorrow is her Feast and I want to thank her for the example of her life....I have learnt from her to understand that to be holy we have to be little! We have to trust our Father God to provide everything for us. This will save us from leading a hassled life full of petty pursuits and greed. Also in our ordinary daily life and through our little acts of love, we can glorify God and love God. In our little sacrifices and pains lies a great worth, a preciousness and beauty. Life has meaning and purpose and a glorious destiny. Therese suffered physically too and died at the young age of 24 but her inspiration to us lives on. She is the Patroness of Catholic Missions. It is strange for us to believe that a cloistered nun who never stepped out of her convent could be called a missionary. But that she is because of her prayer life! She prayed for priests and religious, for the missionaries and evangelists as she firmly believed that she had been called to pray for them. That was her role, she felt! She did this with her whole heart teaching us that holiness comes from love and sacrifice. One may find God in the ordinary, mundane and routine grind of daily life. Let us pray to St. Therese that we may be granted the same abandon of faith and love in our Heavenly Father as she had. And also that we learn to be simple. Amen

HE CAME FOR ME

I have thought of this very often....that Jesus came for me...a weak and sinful person. His love surpasses my understanding. I am unable to fathom how could he, being God, love me! For me it is hard to love people who do not love me...I am very often harsh, judgmental and difficult. My words and my actions show my discomfort or disagreement. I would want many people to change! I would be happy to see them reach a standard or degree where it would be easy for me to love them! And how strange that I do not ever shrink back to receive the unconditional, forgiving and selfless love of God! I am happy to receive mercy and grace, his presence and blessings but when it is my turn to give back what I have received freely, I am bankrupt!!! I suppose this is not only my condition but the condition of every human being who fails to give back to others unconditionally what he has received from God. We want but we are so stingy when we have to give. I just pray that God would change our selfish hearts to give love and blessings to all...even to those who are undeserving (according to our standards!), thankless and unloving. We can remember that - He came for me so I can also be like him...and learn to love! Amen.