Reflections

  Saint Andrew the Apostle’s Day Matthew  4: 18-20 V 20: “Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” Jesus chose illiterate fishermen, the two brothers Andrew and Simon, the sons of Jonah from the bottom ring of society to be His disciples. The only quality He looked for in them was their availability to His call. He transformed them from fishermen to fishers of men, soul winners for Christ. Jesus initiated the discipleship process; He went seeking for them, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee while they were fishing. Jesus told them to follow Him, He drew them to Him. They did not respond to His invitation with buts and ifs. They immediately left their boat, nets and family and followed Him. They left their known profession, their identity, security and means of livelihood for the unknown that Jesus was offering them. That is absolute trust in the One who called them. Jesus gave them a new purpose in life as they submitted to His leadership and call. They became full ...

  Hospitality of Abraham to his Visitors Genesis 18: 1-18   V 14: Is anything too hard for the Lord?    This passage speaks about another intervention of God in the life of Abraham and Sarah. Three men visited Abraham's household and he immediately welcomed them and extended a prompt and generous hospitality. When Abraham saw these three men, he recognized that the Lord was appearing before him. Sometimes Abraham addressed them in the singular form, my Lord (v.3) and sometimes in the plural form (v. 4 & 5). The Lord can appear in any form He chooses - including a smoking firepot with a blazing torch (Gen.  15: 17 ) or even a burning bush (Ex. 3:2). Here I would like to focus on two aspects   Strange Visitors and Generous Hospitality  Three men visited Abraham without prior notice or intimation. They suddenly appeared to him by the oaks of Memre while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day (v.1). But the response of Abraham is notewo...

  Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth  Luke 1:39-45   V41”When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb”.   The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is an epitome of Christian fellowship. This is the meeting of two women who experienced the Grace of God in a way that was incomprehensible to the world. Both were called to the plan of God. But their physical condition would invite them the humiliation and even wrath from the public. While Elizabeth bear the shame of getting pregnant in old age and Mary faces the disgrace of getting pregnant out of wedlock. It is not possible for others to understand the experience they go through. So at the time of meeting they both share agony, pain, fear and shame in their own way. It is the quality of fellowship they enjoyed empowered them to face the challenges involved in their calling.   The warmth of relationship :  The intimacy of relationship they enjoyed was so deep and therapeutic that healed the pain in...

  ANNUNCIATION TO MARY 1 Samuel 1:9-20   V18   And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.”                          After being led by the faithful leader Joshua and the steady decline of faithfulness among the people as described in the book of Judges the story of the book of Samuel continues the story of Israel in the land of Canaan. Samuel's story starts with Hannah his mother and her desperate plea to God for a child.  She had to escape the torment and humiliation   in the family from Elkanah's other wife.  In verse 9, we see that Hannah was deeply distressed and cried bitterly as she prayed to God. She was desperate with her plea to God. After her conversation with Eli, Eli understood her desperation. He felt sympathy on her and told her to go in peace. She had poured out her soul before the Lord.   Finally, God heard her prayer and it seems lik...

  ANNUNCIATION TO MARY Acts 18 :7-24 v 9  And the Lord spoke to Paul one night in a vision, “Don't be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you…”         Chapter 18 of the book of Acts tells us the history of the first church in the city of Corinth.  When we study the early church of Corinth, we see that God accomplishes His plan through every day people. We meet several characters like Aquilas, his wife Priscilla, Silas, Timothy, Titus Justus and Crispus, the leader of the synagogue as they play significant roles in strengthening and mobilizing the faith life of the church of the Corinth.           Paul, along with Silas and Timothy, put their heart into preaching the message of gospel and testifying to the Jewish people that Jesus is the Messiah.  This chapter shows that God is able to do extraordinary things through everyday people, regardless of their backgrou...

  ANNUNCIATION TO MARY GENESIS  18: 1-15 V 14  Is anything too hard for the Lord?  At the appointed time I will return to you about this  time next year and Sarah  shall have a son.”                 This Bible portion depicts God's promise to make Abraham “a great nation”.   God further promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son and would give rise to nations. Abraham showed great hospitality to his divine visitors. From Abraham's eagerness to serve them food we can see his zeal and extraordinary generosity.                    After having received his hospitality, the visitors addressed the ...

  Annunciation to  Mary Ephesians 1: 3-10 V 5   He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will...        This portion explains Paul’s   intricate theology on the purpose of Christ's entry into the world.  He emphasizes the fact that Christians view their citizenship in heaven, where only Jesus could change our bodies to be conformed to the majesty of His glory. He says that relationship with Christ involves justification as a gift, rather than a personal achievement.  According to Paul, our election for salvation is determined before the creation of the world, which is from God, not ours at all.  We are therefore predestined for an adoption to the heavenly family of God.           Paul speaks about the mystery of God’s will by which Christ became incarnate at the fullness of time. This mystery that has b...

  Annunciation to Mary 1 John 3: 1-16 V1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! In today’s passage, the Apostle John talks what an amazing gift it is to be called a child of God.  We often take this for granted but it becomes overwhelming when we understand how implausible it is for us to call a Holy God father.  If this is so hard for us to grasp, how much harder will it be for others!  But we can rest assured in the hope that we will one day see God through His work of love in us. John then turns to what we see in the world, which is in opposition to God’s will.  Jesus shows us that God did not stand from afar and let sin have its way.  For God gave us a perfect gift in His only begotten son so that we, as unworthy as we are, may be called children of God.  We have confidence that sin was conquered through Christ’s love.  As we look into this world and its brokenness, let us find hope an...

  Anunciation to Mary Zechariah  2:10-13 v13 Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”              What an amazing verse to read in this season as we wrap our minds around a time of turmoil in our nation.  Right argues with left, vitriol is leveled at friends and neighbors who were once close friends and allies.  There is confusion, chaos, dissension, and uncertainty amidst a national pandemic.  But Zechariah takes us back to a time, a time when Israel too had the same feeling.  They were rife with the turmoil of just being subjugated by Babylon and all of the uncertainties of that time.  But what does the Lord offer?  He says “I am coming, and I will live among you.”  He doesn’t say shout and be angry – rather he exhorts the reader by saying – “shout and be GLAD!”  Imagine that.  Now this requires faith and an imagi...

  Annunciation to Virgin Mary St. Luke 1:26-38 v38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” The first Christmas season was a time when the impossible was made possible. Angel appearing to Mary, Elizabeth (old and barren) bearing a child, and a virgin giving birth are some of them. The positive response of people to the will of God paved way for the miracles in life. The response of Mary to the plan of God resulted into unfolding of the great salvific event. Her Faith in God:  Mary’s faith resembled that of Abraham. She completely relied on the promise of God and obeyed to fulfill the mission that God entrusted her. God trusts us with his mission to be fulfilled in our life. Faith is submitting to the trustfulness of God. Mary’s faith is also evident during the Wedding at Cana (John 2) when she tells the servants to follow the orders of Jesus. Her Humility:  Though being mother of The Lord was a privilege, she humbled herself and replied...

  You are Capable Judges 13: 1-7   v5“You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines”  Judges to many is seen as a book of heroes, therefore speaking of Samson’s story within is no surprise. The judges were leaders of God to guide and mature the Israelites during a time where they didn’t have much of an identity. The judges here were characters of Faith, though the Israelites necessarily were not. We see time and time again throughout scripture, an Angel or a vision appearing to someone, bringing them good news. Here we see Manoah’s wife, who comes from a line of barren women have a similar experience.   The messenger of the Lord appears to her, and the promise of a son is given. Manoah’s wife understood the provisions given by the Angel, she was in awe of what had occurred. This son we...

  The call of wisdom Proverbs 8:1-8 V1 Does not wisdom call…?   The late Miles Kington, a British journalist said, “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” That remark highlights the striking difference between knowledge and wisdom. The book of proverbs is classified as wisdom literature in the Bible. The passage in consideration presents a personified wisdom which calls out to people, so that they move from being simpletons with just knowledge to be people of wisdom.   In Proverbs, God is seen as the source of wisdom; fear of the Lord is seen as the beginning of wisdom. So, it follows that being open to know and follow God’s will in everything is the wisest decision in life. Knowing God’s will is not the toughest part. The toughest part is submitting our will to God’s will. Often, we are so caught up with our own comforts, own needs and our own ego that WE matter over everything – even God. Often, we think that it is wis...

  Annunciation to Zechariah Psalm 145:1-21 v14 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.   This “psalm of praise” is David’s final psalm. David speaking from his experience, recounts God’s goodness and faithfulness in this overwhelming expression of praise.   David says in verse 14, “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” How true this was in the example we read in Luke 1, that of Zechariah, a priest during King Herod’s reign and his wife Elizabeth who were both righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But then the Bible tells us that they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.   Verses 18 and 19 say - “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.” God heard the prayer of these faithful servants and sent...

  IN THE TRIUMPH OF CHRIST  2 Cor.  2: 12-17 v14“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."  Troas was a Roman colony and an important seaport for connection between Macedonia and Greece on the one hand and Asia Minor on the other. Paul returned to Troas following his work in Ephesus on his third journey and the work was going very well while he was there. However, he was restless because of his concern for Corinthians. In the passage for our meditation, Paul is speaking to the Corinthians about his own distress and problems, and also the problems in Corinth. It comes out as a spontaneous outburst from the apostle’s heart; from a sense of failure and despair which he was feeling in his ministry at the time. At this point he breaks off the narrative of his itinerary and in his characteristic manner begins a deviation. That deviation brings out an amazing thought ...

  ANNUNCIATION TO ZECHARIAH: Perfect Submission Hebrews 5:1-10 v7,8 - “Son though he was , he learned  obedience from what he suffered and, once  made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him."   Have we ever felt that God doesn’t hear our prayers? We need to be sure that we are praying with reverent submission. Jesus’ human life on earth was not a script that he passively followed, it was a life that he chose freely (John 10: 17&18). It was a continuous process of making the will of God the Father his own. Jesus chose to obey and submit himself that led to his suffering and death ensuring eternal salvation to all of us. God responds to his obedient children when they are willing to do only what God wants. Annunciation to Zechariah also came because of his faithful and fearful submission to the God which made God appoint a forerunner of the Saviour and Redeemer of the entire mankind through the birth of John the Baptist....

  The Annunciation to Zechariah 1 Chronicles: 24: 1 - 19 v19 This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.   Introduction:  The passage for our devotion reveals how the priests of Israel got their turn (appointed order) to perform priestly duties in the Temple. The first list is believed to be initiated by Aaron the high priest (vs. 1) King David continued the tradition of appointment with the help of Zadok and Ahimelek (vs. 3) by picking lots, from among the descendants of Eleazar and Edhamar.   According to the Gospel of Luke, Zechariah the priest, the father of John the ‘Baptizer’, was born in the 8 th  priestly division of Abiya and Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth, was a descendant of Aaron. [Luke 1:5]   Annunciation ‘for us’–  biblically this means  ‘to be spoken to, b...