Engage

Medley of Voices 

Life can be peculiar. Some days I seem to be making progress but more often than not I feel like I am spinning my wheels. I can have a day of perfect serenity and productivity, yet it is swiftly followed by an exhausting week, riddled with issues that bring me to my knees. There are rarely long-standing periods of peace in my life. Fragments of tranquility occasionally last for a few days but, generally, they are mere snatched moments. Again and again I find myself beseeching the Lord for a favor or another chance. I wonder what it sounds like to God. The medley of voices praying, promising, whispering desperately. However, I know they get through because I have seen His work in my life. It is undeniable. God answers prayers—not always the way I would prefer but God’s guiding presence and response is unarguable. 

I do not think any of us take issue with the idea of giving thanks to our creator. We are taught to count our blessings and it is a common practice for many. But do you know what is more uncommon in my daily life? Praise.

Why and How? 

So, what is praise? The Catholic Catechism explains praise as two-fold: theology and economy. Theology discusses the mystery of God’s life. Through liturgy, prayer and adoration, and with the help of the Saints, we can cultivate a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord and begin to understand His heart. Economy is to know the works of God, the way He shows Himself, or what He does, which is clearly found in Sacred Scripture. Thus, to be able to praise fully we need to study sacred scripture and set aside time for Christ in order to understand His heart.

Just as we put in quality time developing relationships with friends—learning about their families, childhoods, likes and dislikes—we should sojourn with our Lord to make Him our best friend. The more we know Him the better we can trust and understand His plan. What does this have to do with praise? Everything.

I am not sure about others but many times I feel at a loss about how to offer praise. I used to think it was just a glorified way of thanking God with catch phrases such as “Praise Jesus,” “Glory to God” or “Hallelujah.” They are good examples of praise but I discovered that there is more to it. I had a difficult time wrapping my head around it all until I heard it put this way.

Think of little Johnny playing a soccer game. He is doing really well so we praise him by saying, “Good job, Johnny! You’re great!” But little Johnny looks at us confused: “Great for what?” We need to get specific and declare little Johnny’s deeds. We praise him for his fancy head shot and goal. Little Johnny finally understands. In the case of praising God, He understands but we are the ones who need to fully realize how essential our relationship with Him is to our well-being. If we are going to praise God we need to get specific. Why is praise so important?

A Deeper Understanding

I actually bought a book to answer this question, and it completely changed the way I approach situations in my life. This is the underlying thesis of “Praise God and Thank Him” by Catholic International speaker Jeff Cavins: We were created to praise God and we should do it incessantly. It should constantly be on our minds and upon our tongues. In fact, if we are asking God for help we should be praising Him first, so our daily prayers should begin with praise. 

We can learn this lesson from the Old Testament. In Judges, when the 12 tribes prepared for battle they asked God which tribe should enter battle first. The question is posed in both Judges 1:1 and 20:18, “Who shall go up first for us to do battle?” God answered them saying “Judah shall go up first.” 

Judah was the largest tribe. It was the tribe David came from and hence Judah was the line of Jesus. Judah, or Yehuda in Hebrew, means “praised.” God instructed that praise should go first. In the face of our conflicts in life—medical, financial, relationships—praise should be our first weapon. It does not mean that we never have to do battle. It simply means that praise goes hand in hand with facing troubles. When we encounter strife with the greatness of God upon our tongues, we never battle alone. 

Yehuda, with the root word yadah, also means “to confess.” When we praise, we declare or confess God’s greatness. It also means “confession.” We should confess our sins so we can shed the added burden of sin which weighs us down, hindering us in our tussles with troubles. Cavins urges us to wear praise like a garment “instead of a spirit of despair.” 

Through our daily medley of prayers and whispered petitions, let us not forget that our part in our relationship with Christ is to grow deeper in union with Him. Through all our blessings, praise Him. Through all the heartbreak and difficult times, praise Him. As we wake each morning and put on the armour of God and the garment of praise, may we strive to enter into each of our daily battles declaring God’s glory. We were created to praise Him and when we do we will see God’s grace bear fruit in our lives. 

Lord God, we praise and thank You for creating us so wonderfully well. Impress Your will in our hearts and Your praise on our lips that we may constantly grow in your love. Amen.

A row of lilly pilly shrubs adorns our front yard. Their ever-green cascade of healthy looking, shiny foliage—with flushes of pink new growth embellished by edible berries in shades of maroon—make them attractive screens, windbreaks or garden ornamentals.

One day as I pruned them, I looked into the middle of the shrubs. I was shocked to see hundreds of dead twigs, branches and dried leaves. My one-day project became a back-breaking task of two weeks, requiring my husband’s reluctant assistance.

Lessons to Learn

As I removed all the dead sticks, I thought about my personal growth. I drew several lessons from my lilly pillies. First, some of my aims, aspirations, ambitions and activities are no longer life-giving. They are fast becoming deadwood. Why do I still hang on to these life-less branches? Even in my apostolic work, some areas no longer bear fruit. I need to pray for fresh inspiration from the Holy Spirit. If I have been performing the same role for many years, I need to ask myself—am I afraid to break new ground? Have I become too comfortable, attached, obsessed or untrusting of others to allow them to take over or too scared to take on new assignments from the Lord?

God also gave me insight into the reality and gravity of depression. Many of us have delightful foliage, bright and waxy externals, and our facades can make us hide the truth of our depressed state very cleverly. From the outside, no one knows how we are really feeling. When a family member took her life 10 months ago, after years of being depressed, it shook us up. The loss incurred by this premature death has left a tragic impact on those who love her.

Depression is a serious medical illness. It is more than just a feeling of being sad or “blue” for a few days. Nearly 15 million Americans a year struggle with depression, an illness that comes in many forms—from major depression and seasonal affective disorder to bipolar disorder. In Australia, three million people are living with depression or anxiety (ABS 2008). Depression is an illness that interferes with concentration, motivation and everyday functioning. Because of its complexity, a full understanding of depression has been elusive. Everyone experiences an occasional blue mood; depression is a more pervasive experience of repetitive negative rumination, bleak outlook and lack of energy. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with depression cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. (https:// medlineplus.gov/depression.html)

It is such a complex issue. The medical world claims that even in the most severe cases depression is said to be highly treatable. Yet, we hear of both ordinary people and celebrities succumbing to suicide, triggered by depression. However, there are also amazing stories of people who have become powerful witnesses by surviving and going on to achieve great success in the midst of their adversity.

Aid from a Little Flower

In the year 2000, when I experienced this “dark night of the soul,” I sought the aid of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. This holy woman experienced many of the risk factors for depression and struggled with symptoms of the illness itself. At the age of ten, Thérèse suffered what appeared to be a nervous breakdown. At twelve she became scrupulous, a mental health concern believed to be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, doctor of the church, described herself as having extreme doubts about God’s existence. The important thing here is that Saint Thérèse stubbornly held on to her faith. She did this not because of health, good spirits, comforting assurances, miraculous healings or religious experiences but by the tenacity of her choice to believe.

She wrote: “While I do not have the joy of faith, I am trying to carry out its works at least. I believe that I have made more acts of faith in this past year than all through my whole life.” Depression, nervous breakdown, suicidal thoughts, scruples and doubts did not define Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. It need not define us. We are more than our illnesses. Thanks be to God!

When I have clients going through depression I suggest they seek the intercession of this saint. Only those who experience it can genuinely relate.

Are You Okay?

My lilly pillies also taught me not to take any day or any person for granted or assume that life is glowing for somebody next to me. “Are you okay?” is a question I sincerely and frequently ask. If the answer is no I can listen lovingly without judging. I might only be contributing a tiny drop in the ocean but helping someone survive the black clouds for a day may help them survive until a new day dawns.

One evening, I saw a young student with red, puffy eyes enter the shopping center. She was weeping as she collapsed beside me on a couch. I stepped out of my comfort zone to ask if she was okay. Her sobbing abated as she smiled bravely and quietly said yes. Since she did not feel comfortable confiding in me, I offered a silent prayer for her instead, claiming God’s tender mercy for her, paraphrasing His word: “But you, LORD, are a shield around her, her glory, the One who holds up her head” (Psalm 3:3).

Lord, please come to my aid when I am distressed. Enable me to seek and accept the assistance I need. Help me to notice the troubles of others and give them effective and compassionate support. Amen.

Stephen Hawking was a great theoretical physicist and cosmologist, perhaps the most important since Einstein. It is only right that his remains have been interred alongside those of Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey. Furthermore, he was a person of tremendous courage and perseverance, accomplishing groundbreaking work despite a decades-long struggle with the debilitating effects of Lou Gehrig’s disease. By all accounts, he was man of good humor with a rare gift for friendship. It is practically impossible not to admire him. But boy was he annoying when he talked about religion!

In the last year of his life, Hawking was putting the finishing touches on a book that is something of a follow up to his mega-bestselling “A Brief History of Time.” “Brief Answers to the Big Questions” is a series of short essays on subjects including time travel, the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, the physics that obtains within a black hole and the colonization of space. Chapter one is entitled simply “Is There a God?” To the surprise of no one who has been paying attention to Hawking’s musings on the subject the last several years, his answer is no. To anyone involved in the apologetics or evangelization game this is, of course,depressing since many people, especially the young, will say, “Well, there you have it: the smartest man in the world says that God does not exist.” The problem is that one can be exceptionally intelligent in one arena of thought and actually quite naïve in another. This, I am afraid, is the case with Stephen Hawking who, though uniquely well versed in his chosen field, makes a number of blunders when he wanders into the domains of philosophy and religion.

Things get off to a very bad start in the opening line of the chapter: “Science is increasingly answering questions that used to be the province of religion.” Though certain primitive forms of religion might be construed as attempts to answer what we would consider properly scientific questions, religion, in the developed sense of the term, is not asking and answering scientific questions poorly; rather, it is asking and answering qualitatively different kinds of questions. Hawking’s glib one-liner beautifully expresses the scientistic attitude, by which I mean the arrogant tendency to reduce all knowledge to the scientific form of knowledge. Following their method of empirical observation, hypothesis formation and experimentation, the sciences can indeed tell us a great deal about a certain dimension of reality.

They cannot, for example, tell us a thing about what makes a work of art beautiful, what makes a free act good or evil, what constitutes a just political arrangement, what the features of a being qua being are and, indeed, why there is a universe of finite existence at all. These are all philosophical and/or religious matters, and when a pure scientist—employing the method proper to the sciences—enters into them, he does so awkwardly, half handedly.

Let me demonstrate this by drawing attention to Hawking’s treatment of the last issue I mentioned— namely, why there should be a universe at all. Hawking opines that theoretical physics can confidently answer this question in such a way that the existence of God is rendered superfluous. Just as, at the quantum level, elementary particles regularly pop into and out of existence without a cause, so the singularity that produced the big bang simply came to be out of nothing, without a cause and without an explanation. The result, Hawking concludes, is that “the universe is the ultimate free lunch.”

The first mistake—and armies of Hawking’s followers make it—is to equivocate on the meaning of the word “nothing.” In the strict philosophical (or indeed religious) sense, “nothing” designates absolute nonbeing; but what Hawking and his disciples mean by the term is in fact a fecund field of energy from which realities come and to which they return. The moment one speaks of “coming from” or “returning to,” one is not speaking of nothing! I actually laughed out loud at this part of Hawking’s analysis, which fairly gives away the game: “I think the universe was spontaneously created out of nothing, according to the laws of science.” Whatever you want to say about the laws of science, they are not nothing! Indeed, when the quantum theorists talk about particles spontaneously popping into being, they regularly invoke quantum constants and dynamics according to which such emergences occur.

Again, say what you want about these law-like arrangements, they are not absolute nonbeing. We are compelled to ask the question why should contingent states of affairs—matter, energy, the big bang, the laws of science themselves—exist at all? The classical response of religious philosophy is that no contingency can be explained satisfactorily by appealing endlessly to other contingencies. Therefore, some finally noncontingent reality, which grounds and actualizes the finite universe, must exist. This uncaused cause, this reality whose very nature is to be, is what serious religious people call “God.” None of Hawking’s speculations—least of all his musings about the putative “nothing” from which the universe arises—tells against this conviction.

I actually rather liked Hawking’s last book. When he stayed within the confines of his areas of expertise, he was readable, funny, informative and creative. Yet, I encourage readers to take him with a substantial grain of salt when he speaks of the things of God.

I do not know exactly, what has been happening in my life lately, except this: spiritual darkness has been lifted from my heart and mind, and I am able to rebuke the enemy when I start feeling discouraged or anxious. I have learned so much these past several months about spiritual warfare and deliverance. But I think the most beautiful aspect of God’s mercy is that Our Lady has been so instrumental in my healing.

What I learned pertained specifically to the way I had been living for decades: in fear, shackled by some invisible force I never could identify. Because this had been oppressing me for so long, I accepted it as part of my own personality. It had become so familiar to me.

Then I began praying daily to Our Lady of Sorrows. I asked her to help me see what my primary defect was and how to root it out in my life. Then I asked her to help me see truth and live in it, dispelling the lies and darkness from my life. Shortly thereafter, she answered my prayer. I saw who I was—a beloved daughter of God— and noticed the lies creeping in my psyche were coming from the enemy.

I began praying the ‘Prayer against Oppression’ and ‘Prayer against Generational Spirits’ every day. About three weeks after I incorporated this into my daily devotions, I literally felt something lift. It was as if this burden I had been carrying, this heaviness, was just gone. It broke, and it was palpable.

I looked at patterns in my life, and I noticed for the first time that I had always lived under this black cloud of fear. Fear had been the guiding force in my life. It dictated to me from a young age what I would not do, could not do, and was unworthy of doing. It held me back from experiencing true inner freedom and peace in the Lord.

Not only that, but nearly all of my relationships, both personal and professional, had been severely affected by misunderstanding, betrayal, slander, and lies. I began writing down every person in my life, from childhood to the present day, on a sheet of paper and prayed to forgive each one of them by name. Once again, it was as if the floodgates of God’s mercy opened up, and I saw more and more areas of my life that needed healing.

Much of this was what prompted me to study the virtue of fortitude. In order to combat our primary defect (and mine is fear), we have to also foster its opposite virtue (in my case, fortitude). There is so much deep work involved in this, but it is worth every intense moment. I say this as a woman who is able to tackle the ordinary obstacles of family life, as well as the truly troubling times, with greater hope and strength.

In the past, I would always buckle under fear. I would succumb to discouragement and fall into a dark depressive state for a brief period of time. Now, the discouragement is not as intense, and I know how to do battle with it in the mind. As a result, I am better equipped to cooperate with God’s grace in getting through the struggles and trials with greater hope and trust in Him.

I share this with you, because I want you to know that you are not alone. Your particular struggles can be fought with the spiritual weapons available: Holy Mass, the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and— yet—deliverance prayers. Do not be afraid to begin your journey of spiritual healing of wounds by way of praying specific prayers approved by the Church for the laity. There is so much more that God wants to give you.

We live in a hectic world, one that glorifies busyness. Hardly a moment goes by when we are not overcome with noise and stimulation of some sort. Cell phones, TVs, radios, movies, billboards, social media, video games, emails, busy work schedules, busy social lives, busy family lives and busy everything in between. noise has bombarded our lives to the extent that we cannot even sit in the church pew to prepare for mass in silence because people are always chatting.

We are overcome by noise in nearly every facet of our lives, yet our souls are starving for silence. We crave the encounter with Christ that silence affords us. If our hearts yearn for the silence, then why is it something that we avoid? I believe the answer is two-fold. We certainly avoid it because of our busyness, but I think we also avoid it because we are afraid. In fact, I once overheard a friend say she has to have noise in the background at all times—be it music or TV—because she cannot stand her own thoughts when it is quiet. She admittedly is afraid of the silence. I think most of us have gotten pretty good at keeping the silence at bay. Indeed, we have become a society of people rarely seeking it, to the point we have become afraid of it or, rather, afraid of what our interior tells us in the silence.

A non-Catholic friend of mine was traveling to Minnesota a few years ago and, out of curiosity, wandered into the Cathedral of Saint Paul. I happened to text her while she was there, unbeknownst to me. Her response was brief, but poignant: “I’m sitting in St. Paul Cathedral right now …Quiet sure makes you face your inside.Dang …”

It has been years since she sent me that text; her words still linger in my mind. It is so true. That is exactly why God calls us into the silence—to face our insides … with Him. We encounter our maker in the silence of our hearts and in turn must face our own reality.

It is not that God cannot or does not speak to us in other moments, but we are most attuned to hear Him in the silence of our own hearts. We need space to listen to God and really thrash out what our inner stirrings are trying to tell us.

The New Testament is laced with Scripture depicting that even Jesus Himself sought the silence. Time and again He went to the desert to pray:

When jesus heard of it, He withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by Himself. (Matthew 14:13)

Rising very early before dawn, He left and went off to a deserted place, where He prayed. (Mark 1:35)But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. (Matthew 6:6)

After doing so, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening He was there alone. (Matthew 14:23)

… But He would withdraw to deserted places to pray. (Luke 5:16)

Yes, we are called into the silence; it is where we see our situation and ourselves more clearly, it is where we face our own insides, but most importantly it is where we encounter God.

Seek the silence.

As a child, I loved going to the circus. my favorite act was the trapeze. It appeared that these artists were flying through the air. The performers soared so high, with such grace and dignity. I used to hold my breath as they catapulted into thin air without a string attached for safety—such a dangerous stunt. my heart used to thump until they were caught by the steady hands of their partners.

Even now, I am touched by the courage of these circus artists. Their life is at stake during each performance. Yet they have the courage to face the emptiness of space. They simply trust, leaping in at the right time, confident of the secure grip of their partner. They also understand that only by releasing themselves from the secure bar will they move on with grace and swing to the next position. Before they can be caught, they must let go. They show great courage to let go and take that leap in the darkness.

Living with this kind of willingness to “let go” is one of the greatest challenges we face in life. We hold on to many things—a person, possessions or a personal reputation. We will not let go of them, whatever the cost. In the battle of survival, we consider failure as a huge loss. The great irony is that it is in giving and letting go that we receive. It takes so much courage to do that. These trapeze artists are heroes to me because it is definitely not something I would do. Those who face challenges in life become real heroes when they put their faith and trust in God.

All for you

Life sometimes brings tough situations. To surrender completely to God, we must first trust in His plans. Setting aside one’s dreams and desires is not easy. Interestingly, God gives a new meaning to all we desire and dream of when we dance to the tunes of His wishes. Grace and peace will fill our lives when we do so!

Only when we feel a firm grip can we let go, just like the trapeze artists. many falter in life because their eyes are fixed on the emptiness around them and they do not recognize the firm and secure grip of the Lord. In the gospel of Matthew (14:25-30) Jesus was walking on the lake. The disciples, watching from the boat, were amazed. Peter dared to ask if he could also walk on the water. Jesus beckoned him to “come.” With his eyes on the Lord Peter walked on the water, but when he noticed the strong wind he began to feel afraid and started to sink. jesus immediately took hold of his hand and said, “You of little faith … why did you doubt?”

Life is always beautiful and graceful for those who fix their eyes on the Lord and firmly hold on to His hand. They dance gracefully to wherever the Lord takes them. They do not worry about their lives—what is to come, their sicknesses or the future plans. They walk against the strong wind, coping with their problems and knowing nothing will harm them. They know God is in control and He will make their ways straight. Their reliance is on an eternal kingdom that will never be destroyed.

He knows you

To live with an eternal perspective and to walk holding Jesus’ hands is the most secure and worry-free way to live life. Who else knows our heart and desires more than the one who created us? “For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). He knew me even before my mother came to know of my existence. This is amazing!

God can transform your dreams and desires in unimaginable ways—“For surely I know the plans I have for you” says the Lord, “plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). This assurance is challenged in our lives by the evil in this world. The evil one only offers us the dangers, the pitfalls, the adverse outcomes and all the unhappiness in our life.

Your choice

In the book “Way of the Cross with Pope Francis: The meditations on the Stations” we get an interesting insight shared by His Holiness at the first station. Jesus is condemned to death. Pontius Pilate is faced with a dilemma. He has to make a judgment on Jesus. Pope Francis states that Pilate finds himself before a mystery that he cannot understand. He asks questions and demands explanations. He is searching for a solution and he almost makes it to the threshold of truth. But he decides not to cross it—between life and the truth, he chooses his own life. Between the present and eternity, he chooses the present.

Like Pilate, the crowd also comes face-to-face with the “Truth.” The crowd chooses to “Crucify Him!” The crowd and Pilate, in fact, were driven by a sentiment that unites all people: fear—the fear of losing security, possessions, life and the present. We can easily identify ourselves with Pilate and the crowd. What would you choose? The truth or your life? The present or eternity?

For only through His piercing gaze and pierced hands can we choose truth and brave the uncertainty. Turn to Jesus. He is your stronghold and refuge. He is waiting for you. Take that leap of faith!

Lord, it is your grace that helps me seek Your tender face. Let Your gaze fall upon me and pierce my heart to live a life for You. I see Your hands stretched out to hold mine tight; all I desire is to walk with You and dance to the tune of divine love. May my eyes be fixed on You. I put my hands in Yours, in this journey to eternity. Help me, Lord, to take that leap of faith and let go of everything that separates me from you. Take hold of me!

I wonder how God can be so generous in bestowing His grace on us at all times. In the past, all the holy people prayed and sacrificed much. I often feel that they were purer than us, simpler in intentions, thoughts and deeds.

The present generation seems much more complex. Our knowledge has also increased with science, psychology, manipulation and even wickedness. We are more innovative in finding ways to sin and even encouraging others to do the same. Yet, when we pray God generously gives us His amazing grace. How are we receiving these graces in spite of our growing unworthiness? Do we deserve them?

When you think of it, it does not seem fair to receive more for less work— Aha! This brings to mind the parable of “The Laborers in the Vineyard.” In this parable the workers who were called early in the morning to work in the Vineyard and worked the full day received a Dinari. Those who come at the end of the day also worked but only a few hours (or minutes) and they too received a Dinari.

Here Jesus is talking about the generosity of God. Why does God show this generosity in grace? Why so much generosity now? There are two reasons—there is very little time left to work, and each one needs to earn his wages. Now the Lord knows those born long ago were born when life was simpler, purer and sin was scarce. People were more sensitive, caring and more prayerful. There were less temptations and reasons to fall. Hence those born then are like the workers who came in early at the break of day or even midday.

We have many more temptations and the road is slipperier than ever. It is an easy glide into sin. So we need to exercise more restraint in circumstances, more courage to do the right thing, strength to face the opposition when wading upstream. It is difficult. Modern life is much busier than in the past. People do not have time to think or even relax—so when will they pray? These are the folks who came in the last hour of grace (work day) and they also are struggling to work, to live (to earn eternal life).

Now that we are willing to work, even if it is at the 11th hour, how do we earn the graces we so badly need? This is where the Church comes in and the gifts the Lord has given us in the Holy Mass, the rosary, chaplets and the many treasures of the Church.

Now imagine the scene where the ground below is dissolving and in a few moments you could be plunged into darkness and death. Suddenly a rope ladder comes down from a helicopter. This is a last- minute rescue mission. What would you do? You would immediately grab it, climb and hold on as you are whisked away to safety!

The prayers are the rungs of ladder sent our way from heaven, by our mother. Do we want to be rescued? Are you willing to be rescued? Let us take hold and hang on—until we reach home.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the amazing grace you pour on us each day. Even though we really do not deserve it, Lord, Your mercy is far beyond our thinking. Help us to be faithful to the gift of grace, that we may not be plunged into wickedness of this world. May we always strive to reach our Fatherland and sing everlasting praise to You. Amen.

These are ground-floor, basic, “rubber hitting the road” questions. There is a lot riding on our responses. If we get them wrong, then we have assigned ourselves to a miserable, unfulfilled life. While these questions are perennial, in our 21st-century world the answer seems to be that happiness consists in having the goods of the world—the more the better.

Are You ‘Having’ or ‘Being?’

By “having” lots of money and other stuff of the world, fulfilling all the material needs, one is assured of happiness. Along this line, we need to be in control of our lives, to have power to do whatever we want and whenever we want, as long as it does not interfere with others’ private interests. The assumption behind much of the assaulting commercial advertising is that we can be happy if we acquire stuff outside of ourselves! In short, being human means to embrace a lifestyle of having! It is akin to the voracious plant in the Little Shop of Horrors who demands “Feed me, feed me!” The teachings of Jesus, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, offers an alternative contrary view and raises the question of true happiness. Jesus challenges our easy assumptions that happiness is attained through money and possessions, status and prestige, control and dominative power, and self-indulgent pleasure.

Our Lord knows that true happiness consists not in “having” the goods of the world but “being” in right relationship with God. Being made in the image of God, who is love, we are most human when we are in love with God and our brothers and sisters. Money, fame, pleasure and power cannot bring us happiness because they simply cannot love us.

A Beautiful Way

Jesus insists that what can make us truly happy, and really blessed, is being in a singular relationship with God and living in His kingdom. That means our lives are no longer about us but about God, to whom we owe our total commitment and surrender. We move from having the goods of the world to being in a right relationship with God. Such a conversion will have a profound impact on how we live our lives and how we relate to others.

The Beatitudes are the prelude to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which describe what it is like to live a happy life, a freed life, a united life. Jesus is not presenting us another list of Commandments—a list of actions we must do or not do to get into the kingdom. Rather, He is teaching us that those who are living in the Kingdom of God will live in a certain way. They will strive to do the Father’s will here and now. What does that look like in our daily life?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

To begin with, they will be happy because they are poor in spirit. They peer into the depths of their hearts, where they realize that real security in life does not come from riches that come and go, but from the Word of God and His love that endures forever.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

They will do so not through intimidation, domination and violence but through humble submission to God’s will. They will be meek because they see God’s promises being performed in their lives. They recognize that God is the doer and they are His instruments which brings them joy.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

The world tells us to be attached to our feelings. If it feels good, go for it. A person who is present to others, however, is unafraid to join the suffering of others and walk with them in their pain.

The following story illustrates this point. A little boy was late coming home from school. When he finally showed up, his concerned mother asked, “Where were you?” He responded, “When I was walking home, I saw Jennie sitting on her step, crying.” I asked her, “What’s wrong?” She said, “My dog Champ just died.” His mother asked, “What did you say?” They boy shrugged his shoulders and said, “Nothing. I just sat down and cried with her.”

Yes, it is a paradox—we are mourning yet we are consoled. We find meaning in coming to the aid of those who are suffering.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Those who are living with Jesus go beyond satisfying their basic needs for survival. Knowing they are members of the universal Church, the mystical Body of Christ, they desire justice for everyone because they recognize that all human beings have inherent dignity so they pursue justice for the weak and vulnerable.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Those who are grounded in God’s love will have hearts that are simple and pure. Their hearts will admit nothing that might harm others or weaken their love for God and others. As they become less self-absorbed through self- emptying love, they begin to “see” God in their ordinary experience.

Blessed are peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

This Beatitude makes people bridge builders between conflicting parties. They run counter to what Pope Francis said upon his return from WYD/Panama: “The sad tendency toward hostile nationalism builds walls and is closed to universality, to the encounters of peoples.” Instead of fighting evil with more evil, violence with more violence, they are conduits of God’s generative love, which unites people in their true identity.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.

Brothers and sisters, living in the alternative consciousness of the Gospel we will have a target on our backs. We will be a challenge to the powers of the world, which are based on the false kingdom. If we cannot be happy “when people hate us, when they exclude and insult us, when they denounce our name as evil on the account of the Son of Man,” then we know we are not yet living in the true paradigm of eternal life—we are not yet Kingdom people.

Transformed for Happiness

Though we may not be there yet, we can set ourselves in that direction by accepting metanoia, conversion, as we embrace the process of being conformed to Christ’s mind and heart. We can honor the Sabbath by gathering together in a church assembly as we give God praise and glory. We can participate in trinitarian love through the mysteries of the Holy Mass, which is “fount and summit of our worship.” We can immerse ourselves in a regular, disciplined and deep prayer life so we can discern the workings of God in our lives.

If we live our lives dying to our false self and God substitutes, then we will gradually be raised to a new and transformed life. As we begin to believe that the Paschal Mystery is the template of genuine human existence, our lives will manifest that mystery. We will become walking billboards for the Beatitudes. Our belief that Christ has died and Christ is risen will be shown in the lives we live in faith. The challenge is to live by faith in the Risen Christ who actively dwells among and within us. If we do this, then surely we will find true happiness.

On a lofty evening at the pediatric clinic, every now and then little cherubs made a grand entrance, as if in a pageant. Their innocent smiles and looks of admiration from parents added to the happiness. My little son of seven months never got tired of flashing a glee that perfectly entertained even those tight-mustached men. My eyes were met with smiles all around, including from complete strangers. Yet behind the smile I posed with the little one sitting on my lap, nobody knew what it was like when I stepped into the same clinic a few years back with my daughter.

A Wind of Change

I still remember what I had earnestly prayed for on our wedding day and that was for children, the grace to raise them in holiness and to make them into great saints! Our happiness knew no bounds when we discovered that I was pregnant. I soon felt a strange notion that something was wrong. My worst nightmare happened at around 27 weeks of pregnancy, when baby’s movement was not felt. We immediately went to the hospital and found that her heart beat was dropping. An emergency, impromptu cesarean section was done and our premature baby, now on a ventilator, battled for life. I had to see my tiny little one strapped on all fours with cannulas and put through many needles to inject medicines or draw blood every hour. When she cried in pain, my heart wrenched but I trusted in God. I knew that nothing happens without His knowledge and my tiny one was safe in His heart. A miracle happened when, after 45 days in NICU, we finally had our baby in our arms; I thought life would be peaceful again.

Tossed by the Waves

Day by day she gradually grew stronger. When our daughter was about three months old, the doctors diagnosed her with microcephaly—a condition of small headedness that is caused by brain injury.

As the reports came we understood that our daughter was suffering from severe brain damage which led to cerebral palsy and intellectual disability. It was after the delivery when we came to know about the congenital problem with my uterus—it was bicornuate (heart shaped). In the doctor’s words, “The uterus is compartmentalized into two sections—there was no space for the baby to grow and that led to the emergency.” Worst of all, “Your future babies will have to be operated out at around seven months of pregnancy and put in the NICU …”

My anguish at knowing that all the time the baby in my womb was struggling and, much worse, that my defect put our baby through such an ordeal was shuddering. It was the darkest period of my life, and I began to blame myself for her condition.

My heart broke every time I saw her having strange epilepsy convulsions. In those days it was not easy to wait at the pediatric clinic, where little toddlers were prancing around in bliss, while the little girl sprawled on my lap stared blankly at the walls—she would not look or smile at me. Those happy parents stared at my little girl, some even probing around with curious questions. I grew weary of waiting for my turn and it was a relief to go home.

Into the Storm

Until then I thought I would never have to confess to being jealous. Now, seeing a little bird hopping around, loomed my mind: even this little bird with so small a brain can hop and fly but my baby cannot do anything.

With time God’s grace allowed me to appreciate His creation, to thank Him always for the perfection I saw around and to not grudge over what lacked in my child.

By this time I had conceived three times but miscarried each. I was also diagnosed with PCOD, which meant it would not be easy for me to conceive a baby again. I began to hate my body and myself. This is my fault. If only I was born with a normal uterus, I could have had a normal pregnancy and normal, healthy children.

My heart longed for the impossible. A little Rosary book in my hand had the picture of Blessed Virgin Mary with the child Jesus gazing at her lovingly and the Holy mother intently looking back at her Son with an unfathomable love. To Jesus I never complained but to His mother I poured out my heart. I even took the freedom to say to her, “You had baby Jesus who looked back at you, smiled and did all that a normal baby could. Mother, how would you be able to understand my plight?’

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear. – Isaiah 59:1

Prayer from the Heart

Many suggested praying for a miracle, by placing a prayer card or a rosary in my hand. All I could was cry in His presence. If I said the rosary aloud it turned out into a long wail. I never complained to God but surrendered everything to Him. This was not easy because most often I felt wearied. Whenever I prayed for a miraculous healing, I felt sad—not because my faith was ebbing but because of the thought that I was asking God to correct His gift. Our daughter was indeed the most precious gift from God.

I did not know what to pray for then. Sitting in His presence, I gazed at Jesus exposed in the Holy Eucharist. Did He really know what I was going through? Could you really see me here Jesus?

Once a friend of mine told me reassuringly, “Our God is not seated on His throne somewhere up in Heaven and by chance looks down to see you and exclaim, ‘Oh! I did not know this would happen to you!’ No! God’s eyes are always on you. He does not make mistakes or miscalculations. Everything is known to Him.” These words really helped me to TRUST in His mercy and goodness even though my life was going astray, like a ship tossed in a great storm. I knew that Jesus was sleeping peacefully in the boat and I did not want to wake him.

Eye of the Storm

In my dream Jesus deigned to see my anguish. On an August day in 2017, we and our little girl attended a one-day retreat at the Marian Retreat Centre, led by Father Dominic Valanmanal, a really gifted priest. Fully accepting my condition and the sickness of our daughter I prayed to Jesus “If it is Your will, please heal my daughter. But if it is not Your will I accept her whole heartedly, with only a plea for a healthy baby …” I knew this was impossible given my condition. Yet I believed nothing was impossible for God.

Just one month later we came to know about the pregnancy of our fifth baby. I understood that the fount of life and unfathomable divine mercy of God enveloped our life that day at the retreat. Strangely, I felt much more serene, without a trace of fear in my heart.

Be Still

Jesus had swept away all my fears like a cloud. An ultrasound scan was done and by God’s grace the baby was doing well. To our utter surprise, they could not find a bicornuate uterus or poly cystic ovaries. The doctors were more surprised than me; they could not even find a slight bend in my uterus!

By the mercy of God, I carried our baby for 39 weeks! God blessed us with a healthy baby boy, thriving in His love and mercy! After the caesarean, the first thing I asked the doctor about was my uterus. She said my uterus was normal and had only a single whole cavity (she even put her hand on it to check thoroughly). God blessed us with a healthy baby and gave us hope to have many more healthy babies. He cured me completely. This is impossible for man. There is no operation that could change my condition or the one-percent chance that my uterus would change by itself. For God, everything is possible!

Know That I Am God

My baby now looks at me and smiles. He never gets tired of looking for me. My baby wants to SEE me always. This thought crossed my mind: just like my little one, God was always watching. He sees us even in our bad times. When plunged into waves of despair in life, we may not feel God watching over us. We may wonder if there is a God looking down from heaven. It is true, He is there!

Today, as I sit at the pediatric clinic pleasantly amused by my little one’s antics, no one knows about my angel at home who is four years old and still unable to sit or stand by herself. I do not know if she will ever call me “Mamma” or play with me as any child would. In her own ways she expresses a love that is untainted by worldliness. Our little boy’s smile brings happiness to our lives, but it is our daughter’s smile that sparks a greater joy in our hearts.

Do Not Be Afraid!

Jesus calmed all my fears and made everything new! He can do it for you as well! Surrender everything unto Him for He cares for you. No matter what the situation in your life is, God knows it and His eyes are on you! Just trust in His mercy. For the path to peace is not found in summit meetings, stockpiling arms or in acquiring more material goods; it is only found by trusting in God’s mercy for our lives.

Lord Jesus, we offer ourselves to you—all our anxieties, fears and our nothingness. We trust in your divine mercy that overflows from Your merciful heart. Immerse us in Your ocean of mercy, O Jesus, so our lives may become new and strengthened by Your grace as we face the storms of life valiantly and reach the eternal shore of our Fatherland. Amen.

Susan paced the hospital corridor with her infant daughter crying in her arms. Fear gripped her and she was struggling to put one foot in front of the other. As she waited with unabated breath, at the paediatric clinic, for Eve their two-year-old daughter, Susan could not withhold her anxiety.

The moment of truth lay in a blood test result kept inside her daughter’s medical file just inches away from where she was standing. She and her husband Joe were already dealing with the devastating news of Eve’s leukaemia and the knowledge that she needed a bone marrow transplant.

They had been told that matching donors and patients is much more complex than matching blood types and that it might take time to find the perfect match. Both Joe and Susan had volunteered as donors, and they were waiting for the results at their scheduled appointment.

Not at all!

The consultant’s door opens, and Dr Grainne sees Susan and invites them to come forward. Susan shakes a little more, and her husband puts his arm around her waist to support her.

The doctor speaks in a soft tone and asks how Eve has been since their last visit. She picks up on Susan’s anxiety and is gentle in her approach towards her. She speaks to Susan first and tells her that further tests will be needed to ascertain if she is the close to a perfect match. Dr Grainne then addresses Joe, and she tells him that he is not a match at all. He hears the words ‘not at all’, and he questionably repeats them. “Not at all! How is that? I am her father!” The doctor retains a calm and steady voice, and she tells him that he has a different blood type to Eve.

Searing Pain

Three months later the incomprehensible words are still resounding in his ears. The reality of him not being Eve’s father sends volts of shock through him. The news has not changed his love for his baby girl with whom he fell in love the moment she was born.

Susan had taken a gamble that Eve might be his child and figured that if she was, then she was taking the risk of telling her husband about a brief affair with a work colleague for no reason. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him” her friend had advised, and she thought it was a phrase worth applying to this situation.

Science had proven differently, though, and the results had taken an overwhelming toll on their marriage. Joe was incredibly angry and had moved out of the family home. He continued to attend the hospital appointments, and at Susan’s invitation, for his input into decisions about Eve’s care.

Eve’s biological father relinquished all responsibility, and he refused to go for donor testing. He had a family of his own, and he did not want his life wrecked by this scandal.

Food for Spiritual Thought

Three years later, Joe was attending the twenty-fifth Medjugorje Anniversary Conference at the RDS in Dublin. And I was also actively involved in the conference. He still has not come to terms with Susan’s affair and deceit, and he is far from forgiving her. The conference committee has organised a captivating line-up of speakers from America and Bosnia-Herzegovina for the weekend event.

Their stories of spiritual healing, physical miracles and conversions are a testimony to the power of prayer and God’s infinite, loving and tender mercy for the incurable, depraved, and lost souls. “One could be forgiven for thinking that nothing could be done with him”, Joe said, referring to Father Donald Calloway’s ( from the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary) story about his raucous, rebellious and juvenile delinquent years.

“Does it give you hope, Joe that maybe one day it will be possible to forgive Susan and to reconcile and return to your family home?”, I asked. “It is certainly food for spiritual thought”, he replied.

Never Stop Believing

In the afternoon session, Colleen Willard from Chicago told the story of how she was miraculously healed in Medjugorje from thirteen complicated medical conditions including an incurable brain tumour and a ruptured disc that confined Colleen to a wheelchair.

“How are you doing, Joe?”, I enquired when I caught up with him before the evening prayer programme began. “Wow”, he said, “I am beginning to believe that everything is possible through prayer and with God.” I encouraged Joe to never stop believing that God could heal the brokenness of his marriage and his heart. “You know Jesus was betrayed too, and He knows the pain of that,” I said. Joe loved his wife and was very close to Eve, and she called him “Daddy” which constantly evoked tears of pain, pity and more often of joy.

The Journey from Pain

Eve had received a bone marrow transplant and was in remission. Joe could not contemplate the idea of not having Eve in his life, and the word remission was one he ignored. Susan had invited him to adopt Eve officially, and he was pondering on the idea. He was hindered, though by his inability to forgive her. Susan had deeply suffered the consequences of her reckless actions, and her family had erupted into war with her. She was struggling with their coldness toward her, and she felt alone and isolated. She knew she had caused all this pain to herself and everyone else around her. She asked them for their forgiveness and had asked Joe many times also for his.

To the Shores of Peace

Our last speaker at the conference was Goran Curkovi from Medjugorje, and he was scheduled to speak on Sunday. His inspiring story of recovery from heroin addiction, homelessness, paranoid schizophrenia and self-harming over many years evoked tumultuous tears and roars of laughter from the attendees. Joe had heard more than enough to convince him that God existed and was the maker of miracles.

Joe did not leave the RDS without going to confession. He shared his story with many tears of anger and disappointment. He held close to his heart the advice his confessor told him, and it ran along the lines of; forgiveness will bring healing, peace and love. Bitterness and anger will culminate in more chaos and emotional self-destruction of yourselves and your daughter. It was time for Joe to make his mind up.

Many years have passed by and Eve is now fourteen-years-old. Joe officially became Eve’s ‘Daddy’. Susan and Joe reconciled. They are now a very active faithful couple and a silent witness to their journey of forgiveness.

Prayer Lord, help me to forgive the person who has caused me this pain, anguish and hurt. Give me the strength to say the words that I least want to pass my lips. I bless (name) in your name O Lord. Amen

“My heart wrenched with fear as the sound of footsteps came closer and closer. I tried in vain to find a place to hide. I was not alone. There were a dozen other students in that hall, possibly going through the same emotional experience. We ensured that all the doors to the hall were securely closed but the glass windows did not have curtains. So, it was impossible to hide. Soon after, the policeman’s face appeared on the other side of the window. He saw us as well: a group of people trembling with fear. He immediately took his whistle from his pocket and blew as loud as he
could. Beeeep … Beeeeep …

We could hear the sound of more policemen approaching.
I almost fainted.”

On that pleasant, sunny morning, it was just another day when I left for Saint Michael’s college in India. I was doing my studies there, at the reputed college in my home town. Little did I know that it would be a day I would never forget.

Classes were stopped abruptly not long after they had commenced; the college union declared a “protest” in response to a decision made by the state government. The principal declared a holiday for the college students. Those active in politics marched toward the road outside the campus’ boundaries and began blocking the public bus service.

My classmates decided to enjoy the day off and started playing cricket inside the campus’ boundaries. I joined them. That was an act of disobedience on my part—one of the strict instructions from my dad was to leave the campus as soon as possible if a protest was declared.

While we were enjoying the match, things were getting worse elsewhere. The strike turned violent. Students started throwing stones at the police and the police started using “baton charge”. Students re-entered the campus and continued throwing stones from there; police were not allowed to enter the campus.

As time progressed, the situation went out of control. A couple of police officers had serious injuries. Finally, the police stormed into the campus and the panicked students ran in all directions. We had no option other than to run! We ran toward the “Sacred Heart,” seminary near the college. Authorities tried to help us by locking us in a hallway but that was not enough.

We were caught and taken to the police station. We were charged and presented to the court. The court remanded and sent us to the sub-jail. It took four days for us to make bail and another two years to be acquitted of all offenses—during that time I had to go to the police station every week to check in. I had to be present for court hearings almost once a month.

Later, when I started my journey with the LORD, I could easily connect this incident to the way I listened and followed the Lord. The times I paid attention to Him blessings were poured upon my life; the times I did not pay attention to Him witness collectively to the temptations I had succumbed to. Here are a few lessons I learned:

◗ Disobedience Always Comes with a Price Tag: When we disobey God, we pay a price. Maybe we initially get away without any serious issues, but if we continue in disobedience we invariably end up paying a price. In my case, it was not the first time I had disobeyed my Dad. As I did not initially encounter any major issue, I continued my disobedience and ended up paying a high price.

◗ It is not the Punishment, but the Natural Consequences: “But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it”. (James 1:14) My dad never punished me for my disobedience but was trying to save me from trouble. All my sufferings were the natural consequences of my disobedience. In the same way, when I disobey God the troubles I encounter are the natural consequences and not the punishment from heaven.

◗ Disobedience Hurts Many: My act of disobedience not only caused suffering for me but for my whole family. I recovered from the initial struggle and started adjusting to prison life from the second day. Prison authorities put us in a single hallway on the second day and allowed us to play board games. We started enjoying prison life.

In my home my parents and siblings continued in deep pain until I returned home. In the same way, we quickly adapt to our painful and pitiful situation after drifting away from God with our disobedience. Heaven will be restless until we return.

Prayer

Abba Father, it is my desire to be obedient to You in every single moment of my life. But many a times I fail to obey Your words. I am truly sorry for causing You so much pain. Lord, pour out Your abundant grace upon me so that I may never hurt You again. Amen.