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13th Sunday of Year B Total surrender brings positive results
July 2, 2006

Jesus: We continue with our method of prayer we have adopted for the year in which we read the Gospel passage in the first person, as if I myself were addressing it to you – and then we base our dialogue on that. Begin now with a few moments of deep internal silence… consciously put away for a while all the distractions that crowd your mind. Keep it absolutely blank so as to be able to listen to Me more deeply … slow down your breathing if it helps you. Also some are helped by focusing on a fixed point before them.

After some moments of deep silence and stillness, tell Me briefly how you fared in your spiritual attempts to be more open to the Spirit in your day to day endeavours. I am interested mainly in the areas of difficulty, so that we could work out something more practical and positive for the coming week. Your prayer must influence your daily living and make it more loving and Christlike, enabling you to reach out to others in need.

[Time for silent prayer]

Jesus: Begin by reading the text in the first person: “When I had crossed in the boat …” As you read, do not fail to feel the rising tension as I delay the entire proceedings, especially when I begin to listen to the woman’s twelve-year-long story. The high point of the event is the arrival of the servants with the bad news that the girl had died. Yet, it is a crucial moment for Jairus - the beginning of something new and different if he cared to avail himself of the offer. From the very start of My public ministry, I proclaimed the presence of God’s kingdom which in practice means that God now takes the initiative and comes to people in a new way particularly in their hour of stress and need. And what is new is the fact that now God does not wait for people to repent or change before he showers his blessings on them – rather He has changed and accepts them with infinite love and compassion, even in their sinfulness.

In this case, Jairus was not precisely a sinner, but yet the Self was quite strong in him: you certainly will have noticed how he wanted to have his own way, even though unconsciously. He even tells Me what to do in order that his girl may be cured and live! So, I set out to teach him another way, a surer way to experience God’s blessings. I delayed till the death was announced and seeing that Jairus could do nothing to get out of this painful situation, I suggested that he ‘believe.’ To believe in this case simply meant leaving the entire situation, grim as it appeared, into My hands and to letting Me work things out My way.

That is what Jairus actually did. He was largehearted enough to let Me be the master of the situation. But, to enable him to surrender more thoroughly, from that point on, I deliberately did everything in just the opposite way from what Jairus would have liked it to happen. I said aloud that the girl was not dead but only sleeping; I put all the people out of the house and only then proceeded to restore the child back to life. Feel the shock, disappointment and possibly irritation also that everyone would have felt. Then, imagine the surprise and relief Jairus and the family would have experienced at seeing the girl alive. They would have been happy that they gave Me a free hand in their desperate situation. And you can be sure that the entire family learnt the lesson set out for them: in a moment of crisis, leave everything trustfully in My hands.

Have you learnt this lesson in your life? How easily do you surrender your life, your present and future, your joys and sorrows, successes and failures into My care? Check to see if there is something that you need to surrender right now – something that you have been holding on to quite possessively. Often your failures don’t lead you to open your eyes – it is only the experience of total helplessness that makes you turn trustfully to Me. But if you could learn that in every situation, if you plan things the way you would like them to be, but then leave the final outcome to Me, you would have less tension in your life – that would make you a far happier person.

The story of the woman is an exact parallel to that of Jairus. She too clung to her preference: of not disclosing her problem in the presence of everyone because it was too embarrassing to do so. Yet, when I literally forced her into doing it, she came out with ‘the whole story.’ And see the transformation that resulted in her life. If you too can surrender even the least obstacle that the Self puts in My way, what a difference it would make to your life. For one thing you would be much more at peace with yourself and with others too. You would find yourself a lot more alive and active.

The essence of all prayer is this element of surrender into God’s loving hands and the secret of all joyful living is the same. Once you know and feel yourself to be in God’s caring hands, nothing can disturb you. Spend some time in deep silence doing just this much: surrendering every problem you currently grapple with totally and lovingly into God’s hands. After doing this for a considerable amount of time, remain silent and still for a while – just float as it were in the sea of My love.

End your prayer with a few intercessions for others and the concluding hymn or prayer that rounds off your hour of dialogue with Me.

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14th Sunday of Year B Familiarity breeds contempt, but love…
July 9, 2006

Jesus: We begin yet another session of our prayerful communication. First of all, calm yourself down by maintaining deep inner silence for some time. When you are sufficiently quiet within, tell Me about your efforts of the past week – briefly, but highlight where you need more help and guidance. Then sit back in silence again and listen for an answer.

[Time for deep silent prayer]

Jesus: Begin once more by reading the passage in the first person: “I went to my home town and my disciples …” Listen to the text as if I, in person, were giving you an account of the event. You will readily understand that I would have been most eager to have all My townsfolk really hear the Good News I had for them and benefit from it. But as usually happens, they seemed to focus on the peripherals – where I Myself came from and My credentials, as if that would make a great difference to the contents of My message. And that in spite of the several signs I offered them.

As you can see, the real reason for the townsfolk refusing to believe My message is not really the fact that I also was from the same surroundings. Rather, they somehow recognized, as did the Pharisees earlier, that accepting My message would mean turning over a new leaf in their lives. And change is always difficult for most people. They would rather stagnate or even die in their misery than attempt something new or unusual. That is why I said to the people: ‘He who seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for My sake and for the sake of the Gospel will keep it! How difficult it is to get persons who would be ready to stake everything and launch out onto a new way or life-style. Most people are creatures of habit – anything that disturbs their routine is taboo … even if it promises a higher kind of life.

What is encouraging to see is that at least a few people were open enough to accept what I taught and did – and these were able to experience the presence of God’s kingdom of love. This is again a fact of life: never will the picture be altogether gloomy or negative. There will always be some persons even though few in number who are able to rise to the challenge, some whose faith is strong enough. The question, of course, always is: am I among those whose faith enables them to surrender totally into God’s hands, irrespective of who the intermediary is – known or unknown. Spend some time in silence, answering this question for yourself. Is there something similar happening in your own life? Could someone close to you, a family member or a neighbour, relative or close friend, be God’s instrument calling you to a better life? And could you be resisting him/her because of familiarity? Generally, we known the persons close to us pretty well; we can see their faults and failings very clearly. And this makes us feel that they could not (or better should not, in our estimation) be fitting instruments in God’s hands?

But that is precisely where our egos lead us astray. Anyone can be chosen by God and used as an instrument. The Bible itself gives us an almost shocking example: Balaam’s donkey – that prophesied in favour of Israel rather than against. ‘Man proposes, God disposes’ goes the saying. While it is difficult and understandable that we hesitate to put our trust in known persons, yet we pray that our faith will take us to the Person behind them. Spend the rest of the hour in prayer for a deepening of faith – which ultimately is a gift from God too.

At an appropriate moment, move into deep silence and stillness – keep as still as possible, just basking in My love, drinking it in, as it were. Where My love really enters, it heals, strengthens, emboldens and empowers. As you come out of prayer, spend a few moments in intercessory prayer for others and conclude with the usual hymn or bhajan or ejaculatory prayer.

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15th Sunday of Year B Practice makes perfect
July 16, 2006

Jesus: We meet again for another hour of dialogue and transformation. To make it as fruitful as possible, start with a few minutes of intense silence and stillness. The key point here is always to create a kind of emptiness and longing within yourself, so that I can fill you with all My good gifts. The deeper hollowness or emptiness there is, the more I can pour in. You could be helped to do this by regulating and slowing down your breathing …

Once you have become reasonably still, tell Me briefly which areas in your life you have discovered as being still not fully under God’s control. Submit these to Me one by one in silence and leave them in My care.

[Time for silent prayer]

Jesus: Begin as you have been doing each time, by reading the passage in the first person: “I summoned the Twelve and began to send them out …” The first thing that would strike you as odd is that I insisted that the disciples should not carry anything that would engender in them a sense of security or self-sufficiency. That kind of security would be fatal as it would make them rely only on themselves and not function as instruments in the Father’s hands. Notice also that all the items specified in My instructions deal with material or bodily sufficiency. After all, it is physical needs which often are more acute since they are basic for survival, and impinge on your consciousness more readily. It is these material needs that spur people to action. We all know how hunger can drive us to our knees – the classic example being that of the Prodigal Son: all his pride and self-esteem simply vanished before this basic need. He wasn’t ashamed even to feed pigs – a work most abhorrent to a Jew. These situations of want are also wonderful opportunities to deepen your faith and to learn to rely on the Father.

Before going any further, remain still and silent and listen deep within yourself: which are the areas of need that really bring you to your knees? These areas will keep you basically humble meaning, reminded of your emptiness and littleness. If I have chosen you it is because you are broken in several areas and in that brokenness you could easily place your trust in Me. Learn to stay close to your littleness and always work in unison with the Spirit and you will find your apostolate very fruitful and also fulfilling.

The other area that easily brings us to our senses is the acceptance or rejection of others. And this also was going to be part of the trial mission of the disciples. They had to learn to face rejection and the Cross yet keep their minds and hearts focused on the kingdom. It is no secret that most people are very sensitive to what others think of them. Everyone wants to be in the good books of those around him. And you also know how often this leads to all kinds of compromises, even on important matters. The true apostle, then, would need to be a very mature and deeply spiritual person, if he is going to spread the kingdom of God effectively. Pause here for some time and see how easily you are swayed by public opinion. Is there something you need to do about this? Bring this area or problem to Me and we can talk it over …

Again, notice that the disciples were sent to preach only repentance – not that the Kingdom was near. It is only I who could preach about the nearness or presence of the Kingdom. To preach the kingdom one must belong to it wholeheartedly; one must have given over one’s all into God’s hands and learnt to trust him a hundred percent. Only then would one be able to demonstrate that God’s kingdom had come and that the power of Satan was no more effective. The signs (miracles) of healing that the disciples actually did were a temporary feature and more evocative of the repentance or change of attitude that they elicited from the people. Their own faith in the Kingdom was not yet firm and solid: for this to happen they would need to grasp fully the mystery of the Cross and welcome it in their lives. And this would happen only after My resurrection.

Today as you set out to influence others, realize that the greatest witness you can give is the witness of your own life, transformed as it is by the power of My love. And with regard to this, you don’t even have to say anything; people will see for themselves what happens in a person’s life when it is totally handed over to Me. So, in silence once again, surrender yourself totally into My hands and allow Me to mould you and shape you into the kind of instrument I need for the people you associate with …

Towards the end of the prayer, remain still for a long time, just still in My loving presence. And as you come out of this silence, spend some time interceding for those in need. Reach out far and wide, remembering those you read of in the newspapers, heard of on the TV and so on. Conclude in the usual manner.

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Practice makes perfect

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16th Sunday of Year B Deeper Lessons from the Trial Mission
July 23, 2006

Jesus: We begin this session of prayer in the usual way – with a period of deep inner silence and peace. Calm yourself down, with the help of deep breathing if needed, but ensure that you are focused and concentrated within. Tell Me briefly how you have fared in the past week – anything that you need to discuss particularly, so as to do better in the coming week?

[Time for silent prayer]

Jesus: Don’t forget to first read the passage in the first person: ‘The apostles rejoined Me and told Me …(actually: began to tell Me) …’ The apostles had returned from their trial mission on which they had been sent to preach repentance. Evidently, they had done a lot of good work and experienced many wonderful things. Their minds and hearts were full of their exploits and they were consequently full of their stories – all wanted to share these enthusiastically and though not explicitly to the fore, they would also have liked to compare their exploits with what others had done – to see whose were the best.

But no sooner did they begin to speak than it became evident to Me that they had done a lot of excellent ‘work’ but hardly and apostolate – what they had really been sent to do. The real test would be: had the people really repented and accepted the Good News of God’s closeness to them? Were the minds and hearts of the people (and also that of the apostles themselves) focused on God, or on the apostles? But, of course, the apostles were too full of themselves to see this. And so I invited them out into a desert place where I could point this out to them. So, we set off by boat and you know the rest of the story.

The presence of the large crowd presented Me with a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate what true apostolate is: feeding God’s people with the compassionate heart of the Father. And that is what I did the whole day long. When sunset drew near, the apostles came to Me with their suggestion that I send the people away – that was the moment I had waited for. Suggesting that they join Me in this real apostolate, I asked the disciples ‘to give the people something to eat.’ This assignment threw them into confusion – and it would take them a long time to understand the real meaning of what I Myself had been sent by the Father to do.

Have you realized in your own life that God always look on you with compassion rather with anger or disappointment – especially when you fail, when you too are like ‘sheep without a shepherd’? Unfortunately, some of the images taken from the Old Testament have burnt themselves into the consciousness of most Christians even today. They still see the Father as a God of wrath and punishment and hence they cannot warm up to him. They still feel they have to placate God with some good deed and fancy words they have picked up from a printed leaflet or something like that. The still believe that they have to put their best foot forward before God will deign to hear their pleas.

Are you also of the same frame of mind? If so, sit in silence for a long long time and listen to all that I have to say to you. You too will be challenged to ‘repent’, to change your mind and attitude towards the Father. The psalm after the first reading is Ps. 23 – The Lord is my shepherd. Read it quietly, if you have your Bible with you and let those words sink into your consciousness. Towards the end of your prayer, remain in deep silence for a long time – just be still and let Me work on you, transforming you into the apostle that I need today, in your concrete circumstances. As you emerge from this silence, spend a little time interceding for others who are in need. For today, think of the people you habitually rub shoulders with – bring their needs before the Father and let Him manifest his compassion for each of them.

Conclude with the usual hymn or bhajan; find something that you could repeat through the following days, and in this way keep alive the spirit of this hour of prayer.

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17th Sunday - Year B God’s compassionate care of his people
July 30, 2006

Jesus: Once again as we begin this hour of intimate conversation, we ensure that nothing comes in between by keeping a few minutes of intense silence and stillness. Attend consciously to your breathing so that it is as slow and deep as you can possibly make it. This slowing down of your breathing itself will calm your mind and make you ready for fruitful prayer.

[A few minutes of deep inner silence]

Jesus: Begin with a reading of the text in the first person: “I went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee …” As you read also pay attention to every single word and detail that the evangelist gives there. You will have noticed that St. John indicates that it was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover. The Passover, a year or two later, would also be the occasion when I would celebrate it for the last time with My disciples and in the context of that meal, hand Myself over to them as ‘bread that is broken’ for the salvation of the world. Notice again that I asked Philip where we could get bread enough to feed this hungry multitude – but this was only to test him. What could I have been testing him about?

Could it be that I was testing their ability to rise above the natural food needed to sustain human life to the level of the other food that sustains the spirit? After all, the first Passover did have such connotations: a transition from the life of slavery in Egypt to the totally different life-style of God’s chosen people! Shouldn’t each approaching Passover feast remind them of their true calling – to live as children of God in mutual love and sharing? At the end of the meal we do read that the people, seeing this sign recognized Me as ‘the prophet who is to come into the world.’ It would be worth pausing here itself and checking regarding your approach to the Eucharist: do you come to Eucharist with great expectations of the changes that God will effect in your life? … that every Eucharist will be for you a transition, a passing over from one level of life to another? What great possibilities would there not be, if you could do this?

Stressing their inadequacy Philip pointed out that even two hundred days’ wages would not suffice for the people to have even a small piece each. This difficult situation in the desert reminds us of the great Christian paradox: that God seeks of us nothing but our poverty so that he can fill it with his infinite riches and satiate a multitude of hungering people. But it is so easy to overlook the importance of our nothingness; at times we can’t even dream that our nothingness could be so precious in the hands of our Saviour. But if we could courageously bring our humble selves and trustfully offer our all to him – how many hungering hearts would he not be able to fill with his life-giving love and life?

Further, we notice that the little boy had to surrender the loaves and fishes – food that he needed for himself, what he maybe even had carefully and thoughtfully provided for himself. To lose all in a situation like this calls for great selflessness, courage and trust in God. But when a person can rise to those heights, great things happen. Look over your life situation and see if the Father is calling you to something like that? It could be that he asks you to surrender a little of your time that you feel is so precious to you, absolutely needed for your own growth and betterment. Or a few kind words to a suffering neighbour who waits for just that little bit of encouragement in a difficult situation. Listen deeply and with a readiness to obey …

Imagine also the joy of the young lad when he noticed that out of his meagre contribution so many were satisfied and a difficult situation reversed. While the giving is painful, the result of God’s life-giving action is always a reason for rejoicing. Recall some of the joyful moments you have had when the little you did to help another resulted in something way beyond your wildest dreams.

Spend the remaining time of your hour of prayer identifying with one or other of the apostles: try to picture what thought would have passed through their minds as they saw group after group leaving the scene so happy and contented. For when God enters a person’s life, he leaves behind a trail of joy, peace and contentment. Would any of them have regretted that he had not shared more liberally in the day’s proceedings? What would the scene have been like had they come forward spontaneously to be God’s instruments on this occasion?

Towards the end of the hour, move into total silence and stillness – a complete blank in My presence. After several moments of this pregnant silence, prepare to come out of it through a few moments of intercessory prayer for the needy – against the background of today’s prayer, you could remember the hungry of the world … thousands dying of starvation or malnutrition simply because some do not dare to share their resources with others… Finally, end with a short hymn or vocal prayer that you could repeat throughout the day and thus recapture something of the spirit of this hour of prayer when you need it most.

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18th Sunday of Year B (Transfiguration) Glory – a present reality
August 6, 2006

Jesus: We begin yet another hour of prayer and I’m sure you would want to make it as effectively as possible. So, begin with a brief period in which you quieten your mind and spirit, especially keeping away all distracting thoughts and feelings. You could slow down your breathing consciously and this itself will help considerably – make it as rhythmic as possible. When you feel your pulse slow down somewhat, tell Me how you fared in the past week; focus on areas that could be better. Let’s work out together how you could score greater victories over yourself.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus: Although in the Church you will have celebrated the feast of the Transfiguration, for your prayer we shall stay with the Gospel of the 18th Sunday – B: a continuation of the episode of the feeding of the five thousand. It has important applications to your day-to-day living.

Begin as you have been doing, by reading the Gospel passage in the first person: ‘When the people saw that neither I nor my disciples were there …’ One cannot but admire the spontaneous attachment of simple people – yet they needed to be led higher in their response to God’s goodness. They were seeking too much the gifts of God rather that the God behind the gifts. You notice how easy it is to fall into this kind of a trap – you have very clear before you your most pressing needs and this makes you focus only on yourself. But if you stop to think, you would readily see that this brings only short-term benefits. Once you focus on gifts, there is no end of your seeking; they cannot satisfy the endless cravings of your heart.

Hence, in My message to the people I asked them to ‘seek for the bread that endures to eternal life.’ And this bread is, of course, Myself whole and entire. Now this applies to yourself as well. When you come up to receive Me in Holy Communion, pause and ask yourself what exactly you seek: is it Me, or the gifts you believe I will bring you – peace, reconciliation, self-control and the like. If it is Me you seek, then your uppermost desire will be to do the Father’s will. And since his will is never known in advance as a prefabricated thing, you have to remain in constant and close touch with him and work out what is his will in each instance. This might sound very difficult and intricate – yet remember that the Father keeps knocking at the door of your heart until you understand clearly what he asks of you. So, do not be afraid that you will not hear his voice, or mis-interpret his message. He will ensure that you clearly understand – what happens from then on is your responsibility.

Do you remember the story of the boy Samuel and how God called him four times in all – until he caught the real message? Then he had to respond – which he did so positively and graciously. Once you get into the habit of seeking God’s will consistently, nothing can disturb or rattle you – you find yourself responding with great calmness in every situation. At times, you will feel the tug of selfishness, drawing you towards your own selfish gain, but if you are alert you will be aware of all this, and have the presence of mind to respond as you should.

The bottom line of course is to believe in Me – which means aligning your life on Mine. And the core element of My life was simply that I always sought to do the Father’s will. So, if you are sincere in your efforts in this direction, you will never lack anything (never be hungry or thirsty – as the Gospel puts it). You will literally be surprised to see how the Father goes out of his way to fulfill your every need – as long as it is in line with his will. To make this even more simple, I reduced all your do’s and don’t’s to just one: ‘Love one another as I have loved you! So, if in everything you seek to do the more loving thing, I can assure you that you will lack nothing. Besides, your greatest asset will be an inner peace of mind – a peace the world cannot give and the world cannot take away.

Remain in silence for a while savouring these insights and then move into total stillness and deep silence. This is the most precious part of your hour of prayer where you allow Me to mould and shape you in the silence of your heart. After a fair while of this silence, as you come out of prayer, intercede for others, using this precious opportunity for the benefit of others too. End with the usual brief vocal prayer which you will repeat often during the week.

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19th Sunday of the Year The living bread = Jesus
August 13, 2006

Jesus: As we enter into this prayer I encourage you to maintain a few minutes of deep silence. Your mind is usually crowded with a thousand and one thoughts and worries – put them aside for this hour and keep yourself wholly at My disposal. Link your efforts to keep this deep silence with some slow rhythmic breathing. Ensure particularly that you breathe out completely and if possible keep a blank pause of a few moments before breathing in again. Don’t forget to review your past week with Me…

[Silence for a few minutes]

Jesus: We continue with the ‘Eucharistic Discourse’ found in St. John’s gospel. First read the passage in the first person: ‘The Jews were complaining to each other about Me…’ Notice that they persisted on the human level alone, unable to rise to the spiritual plane of which I spoke. For them God had to come down to their level – which is what I did when I became a human being; but then, the entire purpose of that was to raise people up to the level of true children of God. A child naturally resembles its parents in almost everything – thinking, speaking, tastes and preferences and so on. That is because the child shares the various nature of its parents.

When I proclaimed that I was/am the bread of life, what I meant primarily is that My very life and behaviour embodies and shows forth the life of a true child of God. It is not enough to merely receive God’s gifts and blessings, like the manna in the desert. These experiences of God’s love much transform a person’s thinking and behaving, making him/her live in alignment with the Father and is loving plan for the world. ‘Eternal life’ is not the same as unending life; rather it means the kind of life that wells up from the Father – basically, a life of loving obedience to God and selfless service of the other. Just as the Father always seeks the good of each human being and also the whole of creation, so does a child of God: his/her attitude towards everything is positive and such that it promotes life and harmony. A child of God cannot go around sowing division and discord – the very feelings that follow such behaviour shows that it cannot come from God, and does not lead to God.

Reflect for a while on your daily activity and see how much of it promotes goodness, love, peace and harmony. Pick out areas or persons with regard to which you seem to have difficulty: e.g. in your place of work. While it is true that it takes two hands to clap, try to focus on your contribution to this disharmony. You could ask yourself: ‘What is it that I do that contributes to such discord? What can I change in myself that will prevent such occurrences in the future? How can I positively promote the fullness of life all around me? After raising such questions, listen deeply for the answer, because the Spirit will certainly point out some ways in which you could do something to better the situation. This positive attitude is the result of eating the bread of life in such a way that you do not die! The thirst for life and the fullness of it remains deeply embedded in you! If you can practice this attitude more consistently, you would certainly go from strength to strength, not only enjoying the fullness of life yourself, but also making several others the beneficiaries too.

But also realize that developing such positive attitudes calls for consistent effort – and that is perhaps what the people of My times and also many today do not want to undertake. Just as if someone wishes to have good physical health, s/he has to exercise consistently and daily, regulate one’s diet, attend to the question of sufficient rest and relaxation – and all this calls for a certain amount of discipline, so also in the spiritual realm, disciplined consistency is what matters, and is most difficult to maintain over a long period. Reflect on your life-style and seem out the areas in which you need to change. Bring them to Me in prayer and place them in My hands… place before Me also your good intentions to keep up this regime and if you truly surrender into My hands, I will ensure that you at least are reminded of your resolve – then it would be up to you to follow it through …

Do this as you remain in silence for a while. Then move into total silence and stillness in which you do not think anything, imagine anything, but simply remain blank for as long as you can. As you come out of this stillness, raise your mind and heart in prayer for others, especially for those who have a weak resolve and cannot keep up to their promises. Conclude your prayer with the customary hymn or prayer.

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20th Sunday of Year B Giving one’s life for the whole world
August 20, 2006

Jesus: As you begin this hour of prayer, consciously set aside all distracting thoughts and emotions, especially any fears or anxieties you might be harbouring. Try and feel yourself safe in the presence of your Father and God who will not allow even a hair of your head to fall to the ground without his permission. That sense of ease in My presence is important if you are going to catch the deeper meaning of My message to you. Don’t omit a brief review of the past week.

[Time for silent prayer]

Jesus: We continue with the Eucharistic Discourse which followed upon the feeding of the five thousand in the desert. First read this passage in the first person: “I said to the crowd: I am the living …” Bread nourishes and sustains life, but not by merely remaining on the kitchen shelf or on the table. It has to be eaten and digested. And to be eaten, it needs to be broken into smaller pieces. Similarly, it is not simply My presence among you that will make a difference. You would need to accept Me as part of your life and allow Me to change your thinking and behaving, in fact, your very being itself. Now the central truth that I proclaimed in season and out of season is that God is Father to all of us and that hence we must learn to relate to Him as Father and to all others as brothers and sisters. This is the one truth I stood for and was even prepared to die for.

All that I say to you, therefore, is that you need to make this truth the pivotal axiom of your entire life. Everything must stem from this central truth and flow as a natural consequence. Once you learn how to do this, you possess a totally different quality of life, what I call ‘eternal life.’ It simply means the same quality of life as the Father has. You know even from your limited experience what a difference love makes in the life of a person – it transforms his/her thinking, reacting to difficult situations, interacting with other people even tough characters, approaches to the likes and dislikes of others – gradually the entire range of interactions are changed and anyone who cares can easily see the presence of the ‘kingdom’ in such a person’s life.

Now if this is how My presence can change one individual’s life and interactions, just imagine what the world would be if even ten percent of people (whether they externally are seen as Christians or not doesn’t really matter) began to relate to one another in this ‘kingdom’ fashion. This is the kind of revolution I came to set in motion. Such a person will be remembered long after s/he has left this world. Besides, each transformed person will inevitably pass on the “infection” as it were to at least a few others and in this sense, the person never ‘dies’ but lives for ever. But remember, of course, that you cannot pass on anything worthwhile to others until you yourself are thoroughly imbued with kingdom values and live by them – and that takes quite some time to work out. The forces militating against these values are often quite strong and persistent. Persons and situations that threaten you with dire consequences are all around and they will not keep silent.

Yet do not be afraid because the very quality of life I led and passed on to you is My witness. This will sustain you – besides, the other Christians around you will also rise to new heights in their efforts to live in the kingdom thus providing you with inspiring examples one after another. All you need to do is to ‘remain in My love’ and you will indeed produce much fruit.

What I meant by saying that I (My flesh and blood) am real food and drink is that persons who base their lives on Me do not have to search for numerous reasons to live… life itself becomes meaningful and rich, they find the needed energy and strength to go out and do things, to change the situation around them and make a difference. It is not the ‘Eucharist’ as Eucharist that will make a difference – but the Eucharist when it really puts you in touch with Me. It is My person that makes the difference and not mere rituals, principles and such things. Seek therefore to enter into deep communion with Me – allow Me to become a real person for you and not just someone out there, or up there, who fulfills all your needs.

Remain in deep silence and allow these words to penetrate your mind and heart … look for areas in your life in which you feel that there is not enough room for Me, for some reason or other. Open up these areas to the warmth of My love and feel the difference. Spend some time also in total silence in which you remain as completely blank as possible. Before you conclude your prayer, reach out to those in need as you intercede for them. End with a brief prayer or hymn.

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21st Sunday of Year B Eternal life involves tough decisions
August 27, 2006

Jesus: Once again as we enter into our hour of intimate dialogue and prayer, ensure that you quieten your mind and heart thoroughly so as to be fully present to all that I say. If it helps, consciously link this effort with your breathing, slowing it down to a deliberate inhaling and exhaling, each taking about the same number of seconds. Focus more on the breathing out as completely as possible, and associate this with expelling all extraneous thoughts and feelings. Don’t forget to review the past week again briefly. Bring up particularly areas or interactions that could be improved and brought more in line with the Gospels.

[Period of silence and stillness]

Jesus: Begin by reading the text in the first person: “After hearing My doctrine, many of My followers said: …” Read it as slowly and meaningfully as you can. Notice how strangely enough, people so easily choose the less demanding option. They found My teaching a hard saying – and I don’t deny that it is hard, hard because it demands that you lose yourself and unless your faith is really strong, it is a frightening thing to place yourself in the hands of a loving God. How does one overcome this predicament? Perhaps one way would be to combine the teaching with the example that I Myself have given… unite that with the example of so many others and then you suddenly begin to realize that it is not so difficult after all. Nothing convinces the fearful as much as the example of other more courageous than themselves.

Besides, don’t overlook the presence and power of the Spirit residing within you. My words themselves are ‘spirit and life’ but over and above I have given you the gift of the Spirit too: he not only inspires you to accept the teaching, but also makes it meaningful and appealing. Thus, you are able to accept it and also be a light unto others. Further, nothing succeeds better than success itself. So, it is helpful from time to time to recall the occasions when you were able to accept and follow such difficult teaching in the past. Recall and if possible re-live the struggle you went through … the time when you were on the verge of giving up yet something within you enabled you to hold on for a little while longer – and in the end it all worked out alright.

Besides, if you look at the whole question dispassionately, you would have to agree that one cannot accept God’s life which is far superior to ours, without some kind of a struggle and effort. Further, if it is God himself who invites us to this, then he cannot ask you to come up higher without giving you the wherewithal to ascend. This is where our faith comes in – that we take God’s word seriously and hold him to his promises: if he says so, it will happen, no matter what. So, there is no need to abandon the entire project of following Jesus when the going gets tough. In fact, that is the time to test our own integrity and seriousness. If we have been faithful up to this point, then there is no reason to fear. We simply move forward.

Remain in silence for a while and check whether right now you face any such situation – in which the Lord is inviting to a level higher than the one at which you are… and the whole prospect seems frightening. Could you try and let yourself go into his loving hands? In stillness and silence, make this total trustful surrender and look for avenues which show you how to continue doing this through the days ahead.

[Time for deep silence and stillness]

As you emerge out of prayer, spend a few minutes interceding for others. Remember especially those who are precisely in a difficulty of this sort – drawn to something higher, yet afraid to let go … End finally with the short hymn or prayer which you could repeat throughout the day.

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22nd Sunday of Year – B Internal = essential; externals = optional
September 3, 2006

Jesus: We begin our prayer session once more by remaining deeply silent for a few moments. These initital moments of quiet are very precious and important in so far as they set the tone for the whole hour of prayer. Link that with your breathing if possible and slow down the rush of thought and images in your mind. When you are sufficiently at peace, tell Me how you fared in the past week – I would like to see you grow from week to week and so whatever we can correct in your prayer and life, the sooner it is done the better.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus: Begin as we have been doing over the past months by reading the text of the Gospel in the first person: ‘Now when the Pharisees and some of the Scribes who had gathered around Me …’ Notice how careful and observant the Pharisees were with regard to the external practices of washing hands and dishes. Now this was not just out of a sense of scrupulosity – but out of a genuine desire to be pleasing to God. They wanted to do their best, as far as God was concerned. Yet, notice that even with the best of intentions, they somehow opted for what is easiest and measurable in these matters. After all, one can easily see for oneself whether one’s hands are clean or not; and if they are not then it is easy to remedy the situation.

But to check whether one’s heart and spirit are clean is not all that easy because we readily believe that everything is alright with us especially in spiritual matters. We unknowingly build up ‘blind spots’ and no matter how many times others tell us, we just cannot see where we go wrong. We forget that there is a big difference between knowing and doing. We believe that just because we ‘know’ what is right and uphold it everywhere, we are therefore necessarily doing the right thing. And all the while, our mistakes and wrongdoings stick out like a sore thumb. After a certain period, we can get so self-righteous about our good intentions that we become almost totally blind to the reality around us.

In My answer to the Pharisees what I emphasized was that it is the inner attitudes that really matter. Everything worthwhile flows from the heart – everything that has somehow made an impact on the world around has been always ‘inside-out,’ and not ‘outside-in’. And yet, even in the world of today, what impresses the world is mostly the ‘outside’ of a person or an institution. Sometimes this is called ‘Personality Ethics’ as opposed to ‘Personality Ethics.’ See how impressed people are with tall, elegant buildings and the décor inside them, but don’t even notice that the religious services that are conducted in them are often stereotyped and lifeless. By contrast, a small group of simple shabbily dressed peasants huddled together in a small smelly shanty, engaged in deep personal prayer that is shared with candid love – this could be more pleasing to God and effective of human growth than what transpires in some big cathedrals. God reads your heart and what he wants is that it be whole and loving, opening out on to others and not just focused on oneself. In all your prayer, aim at visualizing God as a Person, real, present, interactive, truly listening to you and interested in every word that you utter. The more you focus on this, the less you need worry about the externals.

However, don’t neglect all externals as if they do not matter at all. They are certainly less important, but must not be omitted unnecessarily. As a general rule of compensation: the less you can provide of the externals, the more should you put of the interior spirit and love into all your actions. An example might help. The day you foresee that you are going to be very busy with a thousand and one things to do, with very little free time for the Lord, on that day focus on doing every action calmly, deliberately, out of love and with attention to the person you serve. Make this a habitual approach in your life and see the difference it will make – to you and to others.

Spend some time now in deep silence and stillness – remain in this ‘vacuum’ for as long as you possibly can. This stillness of yours offers Me the opportunity to work on your inner attitudes and bring them in line with what the Father desires of you. As you emerge from this silence, spend a few moments in intercessory prayer for others – and finally end with a hymn of short prayer.

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23rd Sunday of Year – B Hear God’s Word and boldly proclaim it
September 10, 2006

Jesus: We meet again for an hour of prayer and once more we need to put in a period of deep silence and stillness. Calm your mind and heart as quickly as you can, but let it be really profound stillness that you experience. Briefly relate to Me how you have focused on the interior aspect of all that you do, putting more love and truth into all your actions. What did you find difficult in this approach? It would be helpful to straighten this out first before we proceed with the message of today’s Gospel.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus: For a start, read the Gospel text in the first person: ‘Then I returned from the region of Tyre …’ Notice that the man was deaf and dumb – this deficiency could be seen as symbolic of his inability to listen to God’s Word, to make sense out of it and to voice it forth, either in the form of a prayer of praise and thanks or even in the guise of a message for others. Such a person cannot grow spiritually as there is no way in which he can be nourished by fresh insights and new experiences of God’s love for him. Recall again that I led him out in private, right outside the village he belonged to – indicating the need of distancing himself from his surroundings which in some way had contributed to his present condition.

For some persons, this distancing is a very difficult thing and so even though they themselves have many good intentions, their lives do not change – the surroundings somehow drag them back again into the mire they came from. The distancing can be physical and externally noticeable, or even internal in the sense that the person trains himself through interior visualizing of new reactions to the same old external situation. He then builds up a whole new way of responding to the same old situation. This latter approach can be a very powerful help if done consistently and purposefully. Freed from this external bondage, the person is better disposed to experience the transforming power of God’s love. But then it is important never to return to the old situation again. Having been touched by the Lord and healed by his power, a person needs to lead a new life altogether. A clear example of this kind of deep and lasting change is the reformation of an alcoholic. Once healed from within, he would need to keep away from the friends and external situations that could drag him back. And in this matter daily, hourly vigilance is the price of success.

No change of these dimensions can take place without the Lord’s intervention and so it is right that those who witness it should give praise and thanks to God. But then, for the positive effects to endure, the person must continue to keep close to God. S/he must be totally given over to the Lord. Once you have experienced the Lord’s healing touch, there is nothing that can keep you back –you could even be a channel for others to experience the Lord’s transformation. However, you would need to remember one important condition for this to happen – you have to be totally hollowed of the ‘Self’. Any residual traces of ‘self’ will act as a block either preventing God’s love from flowing out onto others, or this love will be vitiated and thus rendered ineffective or powerless.

In silence and quiet look into yourself and see how ‘clean’ and clear you are within yourself, so as to be a fitting instrument in the Lord’s hands. Continue in silence and stillness for as long as you can … be attentive to the small inner voice speaking to your heart; try and be generous in your response letting the Father take complete charge of every atom of your being. As you emerge out of this silence, remember to pray for the needs of others and conclude with a short prayer or hymn.

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24th Sunday of Year – B Check how much you have really learnt!
September 17, 2006

Jesus: We meet yet one more time for this prayerful dialogue: follow the usual procedure of quietening your mind and heart, dispelling all extraneous thoughts, and especially feelings that disturb you. Don’t forget to link this with your breathing, making it as slow and measured as you can. The more consciously you can do this, the better the results. After you notice the change and your thoughts are less racy, tell Me of your experiences of the past week. Pick out at least one area in which you need to improve and talk to Me about this.
[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus: Begin by reading the passage in the first person: ‘I went on with My disciples …’ After almost a year and a half of intense teaching and experiencing the Father’s unconditional love, I wanted to check how much My disciples had really caught. Changing one’s internal paradigms or frames of reference is not easy and cannot be guaranteed unless there is real openness and trust. From Peter’s response you can see that they had understood something, but not enough to carry them through difficult circumstances. Hence,

* first of all I warned them not to tell anyone about what they had so far understood; if they did, they could possibly mislead the people too. They would need to acknowledge that they had not learnt enough; that they needed to learn more and so immediately I began to speak of My sufferings and death. But did you notice their reactions? Peter of all the disciples began to remonstrate and reject the idea, the very one who was the first to answer the question about who I am!

* secondly, this concept of suffering as the way to discover who I truly am, is important for every follower of mine – so I addressed the next bit of teaching to the ‘crowds’ and that includes you too, today. Reflect for a while on the crosses you have to carry currently. What is your ‘feeling’ about them? Do you see them as a nuisance, a disturbance to your plans and schemes, a punishment for your failings, a sign of God’s rejection of you, or of abandoning you? Rather, every cross is a special gift from the Father, designed especially for you and given to you out of love. If you can accept them in this spirit, you will notice that each cross actually prunes you and brings you more and more in line with the Father’s will – and then, what could you possibly lack?

Whether you like it or not, suffering, your hopes and desires being frustrated, plans not always turning out your way, all this is part of life here on earth. That is never going to change. What you would need to do is to learn to integrate these into your way of life. As a matter of fact, if you have really understood who I am you would rejoice when you discover the cross along your path of life, because then you would know that I am in charge. If you can let go of your control on life, you’d notice a marvellous difference – God’s kingdom would be an ever-present reality for you.

Spend time in silence seeking to fathom something of this mystery of suffering in your life. This has been a problem that has vexed thinkers and spiritual persons all through human history. The ultimate answer is simply to remain in silence before this great mystery; one merely surrenders oneself to It, allows It to transform oneself. One does not question the mystery nor seek to understand it; one simply ‘lives’ it, integrates it into one’s daily living. That is when, rather than break us, the Cross ‘makes’ us – fashions us to be and live as true children of the Father, full of trustful love and gratitude.

Remain in silence and reflect on how you handle this ‘problem of suffering’ – remain perfectly still for as long as you can … As you prepare to come out of this stillness, include a few petitions for people you know, especially those who find it difficult to handle their present sufferings. End your prayer with a short bhajan or hymn.

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25th Sunday of Year – B Suffering – always a mystery
September 24, 2006

Jesus: Friend, once more we meet for our weekly rendezvous in prayer. Silence your mind and heart so as to be fully attentive to all that I have to share with you. Link this with your breathing and when you have quietened down sufficiently, share with Me how you fared during the past week. We had discussed a very important theme, viz. the role of suffering in your life and this week we shall be taking this further. Hence it is important that you be fully attentive.

[Time for silent prayer and reflection]

Jesus: What you will read in this week’s Gospel is often called the Second Passion Prophecy.
Begin by reading it in the first person as you have been doing all along. Notice that the incident takes place ‘on the way’ as the disciples were discussing who among them was to be regarded as the greatest. This way that is spoken of here is the way that leads to Jerusalem, to suffering and death, but also beyond that to rising in glory. I used every opportunity to bring home to My disciples the need and importance of suffering if they were to share in My glory as well. But it is such a hard lesson to get across to persons whose minds and hearts are set only on fame and recognition.

This is certainly one of the most basic needs of human beings – that they be recognized as important by others who are significant to them. As it is said ‘Everybody needs to be somebody to somebody before he can be anybody!’ In order to satisfy this deep longing, people will go to any lengths – at times, even making fools of themselves just in order to get recognition. Some have been known to even go the extent of murdering others just in order to get their names in the leading newspapers. Now there is nothing wrong with this desire because it affirms a person at the very core of his being. But notice that the greater the hunger for recognition, the deeper inner emptiness does it reveal. When a person has discovered the meaning of life, and found his fulfillment within, he doesn’t need to seek outside for any recognition or praise. Even so, there is a place for acclaim and recognition in a person’s life.

What I tried to show My disciples was a sure way of obtaining the greatest recognition: God’s own affirmation of our being. This way is a paradoxical one – to get fame, one has to be ready to be treated as a nobody, humiliated and even put to death. It all seems to go the other way, but in the end, if every event is accepted as part of God’s will and with resignation and humility, it leads to true glory. ‘Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself, but …’ The suffering part is only transitory and temporary – so if you can learn to look beyond the present moment to the glory that awaits you, it would be a lot easier to take up your crosses and come after Me.

However, the culture of today’s world demands immediate satisfaction of human needs. Most people lack emotional maturity – the quality that enables a person to postpone a present gratification in view of something better in the future. Of course, this kind of a life is possible only if it is based squarely on the conviction of the Father’s love and care and above all on his faithfulness to his promises. If you doubt the Father, then it will not be possible to endure the Cross for long. Again, without love and trust in God, we will find ourselves picking and choosing the crosses we will accept – so that finally you are the one in charge of your life – and there can be nothing great in such a life.

The story of the Prodigal Son is a good example of this process. As a brash young lad he felt he knew better than his outdated father – so he chose to leave the house and family and make his way through life the way he chose. For a while he enjoyed his new-found freedom, but soon he was brought to his knees: he lost everything – money, friends, recognition, happiness and above all the dignity of son that he had when he lived with his father. It was his complete ‘lostness’ and emptiness that brought him to his senses. Sometimes, you too squander all you have received from the Father to keep your ephemeral friendships alive and kicking. Even though you realize how self-destructive your thoughts and actions are, you allow yourself to be drawn by your love-hungry heart to deceptive and empty ways of gaining a sense of self-worth. But one day you will be brought to your knees as you confront the cross – the only way to lasting joy and peace.

Stay in silence and try and identify the areas in which you today are hankering for greatness in the eyes of others. In the deep silence and stillness that you maintain, try and feel the emptiness of such worldly recognition. The way I show you can be seen to be valuable only in stillness and silence. Remain still for as long as you can. And then gradually come out of it as you raise your mind and heart to make some intercessions for others. Finally end with the usual hymn or bhajan or even a short prayer based on your insights.

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