Reflections

R ejoice in the Lord Philippians 4:1-7 Vs.4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice". Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while he was in prison. The passage for today’s meditation is an exhortation from Paul which begins in a very personal and affectionate tone. He begins by addressing the people in Philippi as brothers and sisters.         He encourages them to stand firm in the Lord. It is not easy to be stable and have a firm standing in the Lord always. We too, must be aware of the forces and pressures around us that can pull us down or push us away from Lord.        In vs 2, Paul addresses two women personally taking up their names, Euodia and Syntyche. He puts it as a request to them to unite and to be of the same mind in the Lord. We understand that these two women who had been significant persons in the church had disagreements amongst themselves and were unable to reconcile. From vs 3, it is evident that th...

The Sacrament of Holy Qurbana Exodus 12:1-14 "This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.” (Exodus 12:14)              The book of Exodus tells us about the salvation history of Israel: from captivity to liberation, capturing their journey in the real world, along with their spiritual journey with God Almighty. The festival of Passover is central to the faith and history of the Jewish community. The Passover was a reminder of how God was with the Israelites through all their experiences, enabling them to be redeemed from captivity in Egypt. The portion discusses the institution of the First Passover, and how the faith community was asked to repeatedly observe this to remember the saving work of God, throughout generations.           ...

Accept the Differences in God's Creation Leviticus 19:13-14 13 You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. 14 You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. The Book of Leviticus has a special importance in the Bible as this book reveals what is holy and what is profane in God. The book calls upon the believers to “Be holy, for I am holy (11:44-45, 19:2, 20:26.). As God himself is the giver of all these instructions therefore these are the divine word for God’s people. Leviticus 19 focuses on how one should live and behave in his/her society.  Here social ethics is the main focus. The Chapter starts with “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying” (v.1). God is asking his people to learn how his/her attitude should be towards people in the society. God is seriously concerned about our actions and behavior in...

Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge Proverbs 1:1-7 Vs.7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. The fear of the Lord means to respect God because God is our creator and master.  This respect has to be shown by obeying God’s will.  Loving children will respect their parents because they know that the parents have the best interest of the children in mind.  Also the children know that if they do not obey their parent’s instructions, it will cause their parents pain. In Genesis 6 it describes the wickedness of people right before the Great Flood, and verse six states, “And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart (NSRV).”    Someone once said, “Sin is not just the breaking of God’s laws, but it is also the breaking of God’s heart.” The fear of the Lord can be viewed in a positive manner.  According to Rabbi Joseph Telushkin...

Sacrament of Holy Qurbana - Celebration of Salvation John 6:55-59 Vs. 56 &  57. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.   The Holy Qurbana plays an important part in the life of a Christian, whether they take it seriously or not. For some it’s a spiritual experience with a specific meaning. Some others find in it a satisfaction which they don’t bother to describe or verbalize. For still others it is an often repeated ritual. However, on the one hand, it’s an experience beyond description but on the other, the attempts of description enrich the experience.   1.  It’s an experience of communion with Christ.   Through the incarnation, God shared his Son with the world. Through his life and ...

Release from the Burden of Sin St. Mark. 2:1-12 VS.5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark’s healing narratives go beyond mere description of the healing miracle. Through each narrative, he is gradually revealing the messianic aspect of Jesus. Today’s passage proclaims the truth that ‘the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’. As we are meditating on this passage during the Lent, let us focus on two aspects of the transformation emphasized in this passage. Transformation from Crowd to community: We notice two groups of people here. Those who are in the house with Jesus, hearing His words yet murmuring inside when they cannot comprehend His actions. This group, whom Mark calls 'crowd', prevents the paralytic from reaching Jesus. They have gathered in the house in such a way that there is no room for others. They are an audience who came to see Jesus performing miracles, enjoy His words and evaluate and judge...

Divine Revelation In Worship Mark 1: 21-28 Vs.21 They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.   M ark, a writer with an idea of promoting the work of Jesus more than the person of Christ, is  writing about an early episode in the life of Jesus. It is placed immediately after the description of the baptism, the temptation of Jesus, and the calling of the disciples. Jesus always gave prime importance for worship which is closely linked to the proclamation of the truth. Part of worshiping  in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)  is also proclaiming His word and divine revelation with boldness.   Jesus entered the Synagogue and taught them with Divine authority from the Father. The authority is a term having many divided ideas. Today all are seeking the authority to rule. But Jesus gave a new dimension to the authority entrusted to Him. In the great commission – “Then Jesus came to them and said,...

Believing in ‘Christ the Truth’ John 17:1-5 Vs.3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. The Gospel according to St. John chapter 17 is known as the high priestly prayer of Jesus, in which He prays for himself, for His disciples and for those who will believe in Him in the future. In the first part of the prayer, vs. 1-5, where He spoke about himself, He affirms the glory of the cross and expresses the essence of the eternal life. The purpose of the life of Jesus Christ was to give the eternal life to all the people who had been given to Him in this world. Through His life and this prayer, He teaches the believers the real meaning of eternal life. Let us focus on two important aspects of the life of those who believe in Christ, the truth. Knowing the Father: Eternal life is an...

View this email in your browser CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FORUM Word for the Day " Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a lamp unto my path". Psalm 119:105   Son of the Living God Matthew 16:13-20 VS.16 "Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  When Jesus asked his disciples “But who do you say I am?” Peter’s answer, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:15-16).” Whe...

Mission from Every one to Every where Matthew 22:1-14Vs Vs. 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son". The beauty of the Gospel lies in the parables through which Jesus attempts to make known the depth of the kingdom of God. Kingdom that Jesus proclaims is neither an after-death experience nor an earthly Kingdom with solace and boundaries. It is an experience that Jesus opened which is in us and between us. The parable of the feast gives insight into the different aspects of the Kingdom.  Kingdom of God - A feast: Feast in the Bible symbolizes fullness of life which is a celebration. It happens in enriched relationships. When Jesus says that Kingdom of God is among you, He intends that there is a possibility of life in you and your relationships. But you have to deliberately search for it and find it.   Kingdom of God to Everyone: Here Jesus speaks of the experience of the Kingdom made possible to all. Invitat...