Shortcut to a Spiritually Rich Life
You may be familiar with the story of a father and son who traveled with a donkey. Shortly after they began their journey, a bystander commented, “What kind of people are they! They have a perfectly fine donkey, but instead of riding him, they are simply walking beside him!” When they heard this, the father and son thought that it was a good idea. The father said to his son, “You should ride the donkey. Why tire yourself?” The son jumped on the donkey and they continued on their journey.
After going only a short distance, another bystander said, “What an arrogant son this is! See how he is having his aged father walk while he is comfortably riding on a donkey!” As soon as he heard this, the son jumped down from the donkey and made his father ride instead. But they had not gotten far when the next set of comments came, “What a hard-hearted father! He has his son walk while he proudly rides on the donkey!”
The father then encouraged his son as well to ride on the donkey. While they rode together, an onlooker saw them and cried out, “What cruelty toward an animal! Look at that poor, silent donkey, unable to bear the weight of both of these people. Surely that donkey will collapse and fall down any time now! The father and son thought that this may be true and immediately got off the donkey.
They discussed the situation amongst themselves. “Now what should we do? No matter what we do, people don’t seem to agree with what we have decided.” After much discussion, they came up with an idea. They tied the donkey on bamboo poles and carried the poles on their shoulders. When people saw them next, they ridiculed them, “Here are two donkeys hauling another donkey!”
Does the story of this father and son resonate in your life? When we direct the path of our lives based on what other people say, our lives will be wasted. Humans have the capacity to turn any positive action into a seemingly negative one, and to turn any harmful decision into a seemingly helpful one. So, do not give undue importance to what people think of you and your decisions. Rather, concern yourself with another question, “What is God thinking of me?”
One reason behind our hurts, weaknesses, and frustrations is the opinions of others. When we give extensive attention to the talk of the world, we become lethargic. But when we turn to the Word of God, His words fortify us. When we aim for what pleases God, we can grow as a Christian. “Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).
Prayer
Lord, reveal to me the time and energy I spent pleasing people. Give me the grace to do only what pleases You. Fill me with fear of You so that I may never be fearful of the hurtful words and aversions of others. Lord God, grant me the wisdom to discern what it is that You are trying to tell me. Let your Word rule upon me. Amen.
Chevalier Benny Punnathara has authored many books on the faith life which have been translated into several languages. In 2012, then Pope Benedict XVI awarded the title of ‘Chevalier’ to Punnathara for his outstanding contributions to the Catholic Church and society. In addition to being the founder of Shalom ministries, Punnathara serves as the Chairman of Shalom Media. He and his wife, Stella, an author and speaker, live in India along with their two children.
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Every day people drive their cars and there is nothing unusual about it. But if anyone meets with an accident, it turns into a matter for the news. Headlines appear in newspapers, posts in social media instigate discussions, and everyone talks about it. It is quite ordinary when a husband and wife live together. But once they get divorced, it becomes the talk of the town. Soon enough, this news becomes a subject of gossip within the community. Nowadays, we often find the news of murder, violence, fraud, corruption, and other vices getting more attention than anything that showcases the virtues of humanity. A disproportionate importance is given to the actions of evil in news media and even in our conversations. All this has a negative effect. The one who is constantly fed disturbing stories of evil will unknowingly slip into the thought that the world is full of evil and that most of the people in it are wicked. This thought can destroy every desire to grow in virtue and disappointment can sink deep in the mind. This disappointment turns into hopelessness in life and with the world, and may eventually cause one to surrender to evil without ever putting up a fight. Make no mistake—this is the well thought out strategy of satan. He cunningly twists that which is virtuous and projects only evil, and thereby makes the world seem to think that he has the upper hand. But the truth is, there are still lots of virtues in the world and we are surrounded by virtuous individuals. Even though satan has conquered many hearts, the Kingdom of God is growing fast. Many people around us shed His light of holiness, love, and truth. We are not alone. The Lord is doing everything for us to rejoice and hope in. We should open our eyes to His great works, we should speak about them and write about them. By doing this, our joy and the joy of the world will only increase. Virtues which lay hidden will be shown to the whole world. Gossip is a sin which hinders the light of God. With fear we should remember the fact that each gossipmonger is a soldier in the empire of satan. “Let all your conversation be about the law of the Lord” (Sirach 9:15). “Cursed be gossips and the double tongued, for they destroy the peace of many” (Sirach 28:13). Prayer Lord, I understand that those who see evil in others will be unable to love and rejoice fully. Teach me to realize that I fail to see virtues in the world because I fail to live a virtuous life. Help me, dear Lord, to recognize the evil of gossip as the sting of hatred from the terrible serpent in my heart. O Jesus, sanctify my heart in the fire of Your love. Let my heart be filled with Your virtues and let me become Your witness as I grow in virtue. Amen.
Once Alexander the Great was asked by a scholar, “Your excellency, once you capture Babylon, what will be your next goal?” “Well, Edessa is next. It is easy to capture that city. So, capturing Edessa and making it my own, would be my next target,” replied Alexander. “Once you capture Edessa, what then?” the scholar continued. “I will then turn towards Alexandria and defeat them.” “Well, what about after you capture Alexandria?” “Cilicia would be my next target for attack” The scholar, curious, continued, “Your highness, please do not feel bad that I am questioning you. Can you please tell me what benefit you will obtain by winning all these battles?” “After conquering the cities, I will rest peacefully and enjoy life,” replied Alexander the Great. To this reply, the scholar raised yet another question, “Your excellency, then why is that you are not able to enjoy life right now?” Even before he could enjoy his life, Alexander bid goodbye to the world. All his hard work was worthless, because after his death, everything that he captured was divided among other nations. And at the end, it was all just history. Alexander’s tragedy is felt even today by those who desire to get more than what they need, those who are greedy, and those who solely focus on making a name for themselves. It is not just our accomplishments or busy lives that make our lives enjoyable. Rather, to be happy in life, we do not need new things. There is a persistent notion of “If I could only earn much more money, or gain more wisdom, or get another job—then my life would be so much happier!” However, these are all worldly ideas! A peaceful heart is what is necessary for an enjoyable life. And how can we best obtain a peaceful heart? By believing and trusting in God. If you are in a car traveling 100 miles per hour, you feel that the roadside trees and people on sidewalk vanish quickly. However, when going slow, you can easily see roadside scenery really well. In the same way, only when we keep our mind calm and peaceful, can we enjoy the beauty of flowers, the tranquility of dusk, and the sweetness of relationships. Only then can we truly enjoy life. Prayer Lord, teach me to enjoy every day that You give me. Grant pardon to my weak mind that does not find happiness in this great pasture that You have gifted me. Please teach me that the one who can conquer his own heart is much stronger than the one who conquers the world. Oh Lord God, please steer this fast-paced life of mine. Grant me the grace to acknowledge the beautiful life that you have given me! Amen.
Queen Isabel, the empress of Spain died unexpectedly. The people of the nation grieved greatly at the death of such a smart and beautiful thirty-six year old queen. It took almost seventeen days for her body to be brought, with great pomp, from the city of Toledo where she had died, to the capital city of Granada. Before her burial, the coffin had to be opened up in order to officially declare her dead. The Viceroy of Catalonia, Francis Borgia, was the one designated for this task. At the appointed time, Borgia opened the royal coffin. What he saw was the most beautiful face of the queen decomposed and very much disfigured. This made Borgia ponder deeply. He realized that beauty and royalty do not last beyond death. He took a pledge that he would no longer set aside his life to serve mortal kings, but instead he would serve the immortal God. This was none other than Saint Francis Borgia who later became the third Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Bruce Lee was once a man who greatly influenced the youth. He, who was well known for his skill in the martial arts of Karate and Kung Fu, had spent his entire life training and strengthening his body intensely. But alas! One day he suddenly passed away. Rumors and theories were rife about the cause of his death. His body that was made fit by years of training, lay motionless within a few hours, and decomposed into soil within a few days. We worry and labor hard for bodies that eventually turn into dust; but how much do we care to strengthen our soul? Unnecessary concern about our body will lead us astray. Undue concerns about our body—its weight, height, color, beauty, health, physical handicaps, etc.—can lead us to wrong behaviors and an unhealthy outlook towards life; whereas more concern towards the state of our soul will lead us to prosperity and salvation. Let us examine ourselves: in a day, how much time do we spend thinking about our soul? Is it not true that we are greatly concerned about the health and look of our body, but are often not in the least bit concerned about our soul! One who is not concerned about the soul will not even be aware of heaven and hell! Let these words of our Lord inspire us to ponder and meditate on this question, “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36). Prayer: Lord our God, Who has shaped man from the dust, help us to realize that one day we are to return to dust. Give us the desire to want to be with You in eternity. Teach us to direct our labors towards gaining eternal life instead of living for things that perish. Amen.
William Sydney Porter was a bank teller at the First National Bank in Austin, Texas. The bank had a provision for its business customers that allowed them to count and take the money they needed on their own, at the counter, provided they sign off in the register with their name and amount withdrawn. It was Porter’s job to oversee this. Once when the bank officials did a random check on this, they found a deficit of three thousand dollars. Porter had absolutely no clue how this could have happened; however, the bank went ahead and filed a case of bank theft against him. Having been falsely accused of this crime, arrested and jailed, Porter was at first devastated and extremely depressed. Gradually, as days passed, Porter felt more at ease and spent the free time he got in jail very fruitfully—he began writing. As his stories started getting published, Porter strived to write more. Finally, when his jail time was done and he was a free man, he became a renowned writer with the pen name of O. Henry. The O. Henry short stories became the carrier of the sweet-smelling aroma of human goodness and have touched the hearts of many. We may also undergo situations in our lives where we are faced with tragedy, pain and injustice. It is of no use wasting our lives thinking about our sufferings and being sad and heavy-laden about them. During any circumstance, we should strive to make our lives meaningful and beneficial. Another great example is that of Saint Paul the Apostle—it was because he was held captive in prison that we received many of the letters in the New Testament. During his imprisonment—be it the thoughts of the death sentence that awaited him or thoughts of his captors—nothing bothered Saint Paul. Instead, he concentrated on completing his long letters for the spiritual growth and strengthening of the people of the Church. In the same way, whether situations are favorable or not, our lives must be fruitful. Even if our body is weary, our mind must be working. We must fill our surroundings with good thoughts. We must spread blessings to the world with prayers. Our years of life are valuable. We should not waste them being sad, disappointed and anxious. We can always do things that are useful and beneficial. Some of our dreams may have been shattered, but we can weave new ones. The life of O. Henry teaches us that losses can turn into gains. “For everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’ Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord” (Ephesians 5:14-17). Prayer Lord Jesus, I am deeply saddened by the times I wasted. I remember now the hours I wasted taking part in unnecessary gossip, the hours I wasted twisting and turning in my bed, or flipping through TV channels, or surfing the Internet. Had I used that valuable time for study and prayer and hard work, my life today would have turned out so much better. My Lord, please teach me to fruitfully live the rest of my life. Free my mind of anxieties and sluggishness, O Lord Almighty. Amen.
There are instances in our lives when we are confused about which path to take or which decision to make; for big and small matters. Every moment of our lives involves decisions, from choosing to sleep or pray, to what toothpaste to buy, what food to eat, what clothes to wear, or what words to say—all of these are daily, moment-to-moment decisions. Knowledge, wisdom, past experiences, and future goals are some of that factors which influence our decision making. Bad decisions are sometimes the reason why we face failures in our lives. For every decision there is a positive or a negative consequence. How will we know which is the right decision? It is important that we realize the will of God in every circumstance we are experiencing. God will reveal His will to people who genuinely seek it and believe that God’s will is the best option in their lives. There are faithful who take decisions without seeking the will of God or who make the wrong decision knowing that it is not God’s will. When problems arise, those people go to their spiritual directors or people with the gift of the Holy Spirit to know the will of God. This may not always be because of their desire to fulfill the will of God, but because of their fear of the consequences which can result from their wrong decisions. For example, a person who is dishonest in his job because he is stealing money from his company does not seek the will of God about his job; but if he is sick, he prays and seeks the will of God about the doctor he is going to see. Through sin we do not make the right decisions. Jesus Christ taught that a person who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is unable to freely make decisions. The things that make the heart lose its freedom is sin. One of the greatest gifts God gave humanity is free will. To sustain free will we need to avoid all factors of sinfulness. Otherwise the darkness in our minds will lead us to bad decisions. In other words, it is through contrition and repentance that we gain the grace to make good decisions. Our decisions impact our future. Therefore, before making any decision, think to yourself: “Is this the will of God? Will this bring me closer to or further away from God?” When we hold tight our own desires and make our goal luxurious lives for ourselves, we are unable to seek the will of God. The main reason that a person makes the wrong decision is because his or her ultimate goal is not eternal life. Scripture says, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Prayer My Lord God, many times, in my quest to fulfill my own desires, I have not sought out Your will. I regret making wrong decisions in the past. Lord, give me the grace to seek Your will and make the right decisions. Amen.
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How can your peace be restored when facing the challenges in life? Sewing is one of my favorite hobbies. I especially enjoy putting together pieces of fabric to create quilt tops. One particular design of mine is called a ‘Crazy Quilt.’ It consists of sewing random scraps, of otherwise useless pieces of fabric, together in such a way that it resembles a mosaic pattern. One day, when working on Crazy Quilt blocks, it occurred to me that each block resembled broken pieces of pottery that, when put together, recreated its own beautiful pattern. It also reminded me that sometimes life can feel like it’s broken into pieces, yet in the Potter’s hands, God can reconstruct those pieces into a new life. God is the source of all peace, but concupiscence caused by original sin can result in God’s peace within us being severed by challenges, temptations, or sin that draw us away from Him. Severed peace makes life feel broken and without purpose. But there is hope, for there’s always hope in God. The Book of Genesis, when read through God’s lens, is clearly the most wonderful love story—our love story with Him. Throughout the creation passages in Scripture, God remarked that everything He created was good. However, on the sixth day, when God created mankind, He said: “It was very good!” Why ‘very good?’ Simply because God created us in His image of goodness so He could love us and be loved in return. A Gentle Reminder All mankind was meant to love completely and live in peace under His protection. However, humanity, through Adam and Eve, chose to challenge God’s goodness, disobeying Him and thereby stepping out of His protection and peace when they chose to believe Satan (the Prince of Lies) over God. Their unfortunate choice, called ‘original sin,’ resulted in the shattering of their peace through the challenges, temptation, and sins that entered outside of God’s protection. His peace had been broken. God is good and He loves us, so He didn’t leave us this way. The Bible’s entire Old Testament details centuries of His efforts to re-establish the relationship He had with us in the Garden of Eden. However, as He was trying to get our attention, the Prince of Lies began to confuse mankind through temptations that led to more sin, pulling humanity further from God. Not to worry though, for Saint Paul reminded us that ‘God is for us’ and that nothing “in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) How? Because God came for us Himself. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.”(John 3:16) It’s unfortunate that we didn’t have a say when the choice was made to commit original sin, but we can reverse the outcome of that sin by choosing to accept and follow Jesus, the Son of God, who is the Prince of Peace(Isaiah 9:6). He wants to lead us back to the Father in Heaven, but often, getting to Him is difficult when we have to step over all the painful broken pieces in our lives. Remember, Scripture is His love story to us. He knows our struggles and assures us that He is our refuge and our strength. Back to the Crazy Quilt It’s amazing when the numerous fabrics, patterns, and colors of a Crazy Quilt that are stitched together somehow blend to create a beautiful quilt top. Scripture reveals that God’s pretty crafty too. Not only is He a potter (Isaiah 64:8), but also He knits (Psalm 139:13), and I like to think He even sews. I wonder if He might see mankind as His own ‘Crazy Quilt’ creation. Although not His original design, we’re a collection of broken pieces all put back together again; He has recreated us, for “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”(2 Corinthians 5:17) So, when challenges, temptations, or sin are severing the peace within us, let this inherent thought bring you comfort: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”(Romans 8:28) What’s that purpose again? God created us in His image of goodness so He could love us and be loved in return. Is there anything better than a warm quilt and a wonderful love story with a happy ending?
Is it a miracle or a coincidence? I had been working on an article for several days, arduously trying to get my facts right so that the end product I presented was as authentic as possible. Then, all of a sudden, I hit the wrong button, and almost all of what I had written over the past few days disappeared from my entire computer. Nothing worked, no matter how much I tried and how many IT experts I consulted. I had two choices either to try again fruitlessly to retrieve my lost work or to rely on the power of prayer to somehow miraculously retrieve it. Desperate Times, Desperate Measures In the meantime, I felt that I had made a copy of the unfinished work somewhere in the process. So I searched everywhere, in every nook and cranny, in every plastic bag I now use as my case or valise, desperate for a copy of this lost venture, but without success. Trying to replicate all those hours of thought and written words was such a dirge, but I tried to console myself. I desperately prayed to all the Saints of God, particularly one of my favorites, Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron Saint of lost things. My eagerness to finish the article caused me so much anxiety that I even lost sleep over it. I couldn’t content myself until I found the missing half of my article. This continued until the weekend, when I finally decided to dive into a new version of my original idea, forfeiting any hope of finding any semblance of my original thoughts. I sat by my computer, hit my story on the desktop, and thought about where I was to begin revising my original story. Suddenly, I glanced towards my printer, where I spotted a sliver of four pieces of paper protruding from my printer. I ignored it because it must be a remnant of what I was working on earlier. However, before hitting the print button on my latest endeavor, I extracted the A-4 pages. Surprisingly, the article's title matched exactly what I had been desperately searching for over the last week. I couldn’t believe my eyes. How could this be so? An article that I, and every close and known acquaintance of mine, had been unsuccessfully searching for over the past week or so surprisingly appeared on my printer out of the blue. This spiritual experience left an indelible mark on my psyche. I know we leave so many existential happenings to ‘coincidence’. I realized how gracious our God is in allowing His Holy Angels and Saints to come to our aid with the slightest requests.
Discover how a simple snowflake can inspire you. As I drove to the Church, the snow that was supposed to turn to rain continued to fall. Individual flakes hit my windshield, quickly revealing their uniqueness before melting away. By the time I exited the Church after Mass, the snow lightly blanketed the ground. It was beautiful! Dressed in white, the barren farmland and the trees that had shed their colorful leaves no longer looked so desolate and dead. Despite the cold, the snow spread a sense of hope through the air. Of course, my children were hoping the snow would continue so that they would not have to go to school. In my part of the world, snow does bring school-age children such hope and joy. But the feeling I had that day walking out of the church was different. Standing amid the falling flakes, a verse from Psalm 51 came to mind: “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Therein lies the hope I felt – the knowledge that God loves me despite my weaknesses and sins. I need only to ask for His forgiveness and supernatural help to overcome them. He wants to cover me with His love and mercy like the snow falling gently on the earth. Thriving in Grace I took solace in the gradual covering. Our Lord is patient with us. He does not dump graces on us but allows us time for transformation. He gently leads us on the path of conversion. As I gingerly walked across the parking lot, I appreciated the baby steps we take on our journey that leads us to become the saints God is calling us to be. He delights in even our smallest progress. By afternoon, that which was a field of overturned dirt was now a woolen blanket. How amazing that those little flakes gathered together make such a difference! Such is the transformative power of grace! At every Mass when we receive Holy Communion, our souls are washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb. With each sacramental confession, we are reconciled to God and to one another. The ‘dirt’ from sin that stains our souls is washed away by the graces bestowed in these two powerful yet gentle Sacraments. Then, God sends us out into the world. Each of us, as unique as a snowflake, has our own gifts and talents. We share the Gospel in our little part of the world. Perhaps we feel like we don’t do enough, or aren’t effective enough. We feel as tiny as that snowflake. But consider how God needs each snowflake to do its little part to cover the land. Together, we can change the world! I do not have to do it all by myself. Neither do you. We just need to land where God places us and be the unique person He created us to be, spread God’s love, and make known all the good He does for us. The world will be a brighter place if we do.
How does any parent survive the death of a child? I cannot begin to answer this question as a professional counselor but only as a mother who has lived through the worst nightmare of her life. We were blessed with two boys who were the joy of our lives. The night of the accident, my husband Cliff and I, along with our 15-year-old son Chris, spent an indescribable, terrifying night waiting, hoping, and praying that David, our 17-year-old, would somehow return home safely. The accident occurred around 10:30 pm, but the highway patrol never discovered it until 7 am the next day. When we received the horrible news, our scant flicker of hope crumbled helplessly within our hearts. I cried from the depths of my being. I was emotionally numb. Looking back after all these years, I see how God, in His compassion and love, supplied my body and spirit with an emotional safeguard that temporarily blocked out the enormous shock of this painful, unbearable reality. Thinking of that night reminds me of the touching words of the poem entitled Footprints in the Sand, in which our loving God said: “During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” God continued to carry our grief-stricken family through the painful funeral, the processing of life insurance claims, and the closing out of David's checking account. Each time I had to do these necessary things, I asked Jesus to give me strength. Tackling Grief After three weeks, I went back to work. I felt as though I was leading a double life during the months that followed. I would drag myself to work each day, drained and consumed with a deep sadness. For months, I felt as though I was an actress playing a part in a real-life drama. I tried to function normally at work, attempting to perform my required duties. At home, behind closed doors, I could then be true to my feelings and sob from the deepest part of a mother's grieving heart. Crying often became my only cleansing release. In this age of fast food, high-speed Internet, and instantly replaceable everything, society has a hard time accepting the fact that deep grief takes time to heal. If a person has a physical injury, he or she is pampered and taken care of until the wound has been completely healed. But it seems if a person has an emotional injury, he or she is expected, in a short while, to show up for work and be as efficient as ever. I finally had to accept the fact that society as a whole didn't consider emotional wounds to take time to heal. I had shared one part of that journey earlier in an article titled Impossible Made Possible*. Healing is not a single-moment-magic. I continued into the next year, processing through my pain and loss. With special dates like Thanksgiving, Christmas, David's birthday, and what would have been his high school graduation, I regressed into a deep sadness, filled with many days of crying. The professionals in the field of grieving state: “The healing process is more like a lightning bolt, full of ups and downs, progressions and regressions, dramatic leaps and depressing backslides.” When my sorrow overwhelmed me, God always sent caring neighbors, understanding friends, and loved ones. They each listened, loved me, and helped me to go on. Into the second year of processing my grief, I became aware of my deep hidden guilt. My guilt stemmed from an acute sense of regret about not being able to say all the many things hidden deep in my heart to my son David while he was alive. I knew, as a mother, I had made many mistakes while raising my son. I felt it was too late to share those precious thoughts and feelings with him. I suffered over this and asked God to forgive me. I felt God had forgiven me, but I couldn't forgive myself. I decided to write my son a letter in which I was able to express my deepest thoughts and feelings to him. After I finished the letter, I felt a sense of cleansing and release. David's physical life is over, but his soul is with Jesus, surrounded by unconditional love. This is indeed the promise that Jesus holds out to each of us. “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die, will live.” (John 11: 25) I have a renewed sense of hope because I know that I will see my child again at the Heavenly Banquet being prepared by our Father in Heaven. Through experiencing deep anguish and sorrow, I have emerged as a more compassionate person. As I release my son in love, I have received the healing power of God's grace. As my wounds have healed, so do I become an instrument of God's grace in reaching out to others who are grieving… *You can read the article Impossible Made Possible here: shalomtidings.org/impossible-made-possible
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