People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body– but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark it me, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you’re going into self-centeredness,”which is my problem, my issues, my pain.” But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don’t think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor , care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God’s purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn’t put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He’s more interested in what I am than what I do. That’s why we’re called human beings, not human doings.

We see Him go to the Garden of Gethsemane with Peter, James and John in tow. His closest apostles. Those who saw His glory when He was transfigured at Mount Tabor. They will now see His frailty at the Mount of Olives.

Jesus wanted His apostles to share not just His glorious moments, but also His moments of deepest anguish.

I think how that contrasts with me happily sharing about my successes, good things that come my way, but being quiet about the unpleasant stuff; going into a shell when times are bad and not wanting people to know what I’m going through…

He tells them His soul is sorrowful unto death. Deep distress has engulfed Him. He desires the company of His Friends. So human.

He feels disappointed when instead He sees them fast asleep. Not once or twice, but all three times.
He can identify with our hurt and disappointment when we go through hard times and our friends do not stand by us. When our friends cannot grasp the depth of our pain; cannot fathom the anguish deep within.

We see Him pleading with His Father to take away the cup of suffering, to let the hour pass Him by. I think of how we too recoil from suffering. Our flesh revolts, tries to avoid suffering. And Jesus understands this, because He has been there too.

He knows the horrors that await Him, but I think what really gets to Him is that He knows He will feel abandoned and forsaken by His Father Whom He was so closely and intimately united with. As He is taking on Himself the sins of all of us, He will also feel the sense of alienation and desolation that one who has wandered from the loving arms of God feels.

But what strikes me are His words- Not My Will, but Yours. Total submission to The Father’s Will. He chose to be obedient to His Father, to accept and drink the cup of suffering to its dregs. He did not tell The Father, He would accept the scourging but not the crucifixion. That He didn’t mind being crowned with thorns, but did not want to be stripped. And thus, He is an example to all of us of implicit obedience to The Father’s Will. Of saying yes even when the cost is too great, the price is high.

When it means giving up things that will take us away from fulfilling God’s mandate for our lives. When it means taking the road that is rough and hard and obstacle ridden, instead of the easy, smooth road. When it means letting go of our ideas, dreams, wishes, plans and ambitions which may be good but not HIS will for us and letting His desires become our desires.

When it means dying to ourselves, so that the glory of God is reflected more clearly and brightly through us.

“whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”

Even for those of us who theoretically agree that we should follow the Bible to a T - how many of us go the extra mile to do this practically in our everyday life?

Today a few friends and I got watching a rented dvd of the movie ‘Zohan‘. The movie hardly started and I was put off by the crude and vulgar “humor”. My friends chose to continue watching despite my cringing. About twenty minutes into the movie, I had a choice to make - either I was going to continue watching this horrifically immoral & perverse movie (I don’t even want to mention the obscenities, worse than ‘The Hangover’ too, which I also hated) or I was to leave alone.

It was not even a few seconds after I left that I knew I had made the right choice.

Glorify God in our choice of movies?

Yes, absolutely.

Back home, the Lord led me to read Hebrews 11:16:

^“See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son”

And I felt the Lord explaining to me - by the blood and the sacrifice of Jesus, we are made children of God and hence and heirs to the Kingdom of God. That means we have “inheritance rights”.

Yet, we are warned - not to be “godless” like Esau.

For those of you who may not remember the story of Esau & Jacob, we see it in Genesis 25:

One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red soup!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”

It is easy to have sympathy for Esau. After all he was hungry and tired after all & he was tempted with the soup and he made a wrong decision, which ultimately cost him his inheritance.

It initially seemed to me, rather harsh of Paul to call him godless!

But then I realised that this was a warning to us - it is so easy to sometimes choose instant gratification. It is so easy sometimes for us to make wrong choices, for various reasons.

Esau was only concerned with temporal (not eternal, fleeting) things. Jacob on the other hand was driven by the eternal, he wanted the long term privileged the birthright would give him. Even though he got it by underhand means, the desire of his heart (for the eternal) was what God saw & rewarded him for.

We today gain our eternal inheritance rights simply by accepting Jesus as our Lord & Saviour. Unlike Jacob, we don’t have to scheme to get anything. However, let’s not take our inheritance for granted or so lightly because of that!

Let’s not, Esau, be driven by the temporal aspects of life. Let’s not lose our anointing, that Jesus suffered so much for us to have.

It’s so easy to forget about God completely in everyday choices - be they the movies we choose to watch or the language we choose to speak or food we choose to eat.

Remember, it may be instantly gratifying - or the easier choice to make - but let’s not forget God over a bowl of soup.

The next time you’re faced with a tough choice, say to yourself, “this soup’s not worth it”.

Back Cover:

Within the hexed walls of the fortress, Dan and his companions are plagued with unsettling questions… questions whose answers will demand a deeper infiltration into the secret recesses of the centuries-old castle, answers which will involve confrontations with the citadel’s animate and inanimate residents, and answers which will entail encounters with the savage beasts of the forest.

Is Dan’s brother, William, alive and a prisoner of the Reclaimers? Will the travelers survive the spellbinding powers of the half-man and half-serpent creatures? Will the rescuers breach the spatial boundaries of the parallel world and return home?

In this second installment, we see the gang of 4: Dan, Sam, Jimmy & Cindy reach the demonic castle and instantly there is a whole host of new characters we’re introduced to. Some helpful, most lethal - but all other worldly in some way or the other.

Though T. J. Smith managed to keep my attention the whole book, I didn’t love this one as much as the first one and found myself wishing there was more action in the castle and less in the forest on the way back. The book has a very satisfactory end, when suddenly a new twist makes way for the third book in the trilogy, which irked me a little.

I however would definetely recommend buying the book (all three at one shot if possible) especially for young adults, as there is plenty of creative imagery, action & understanding of the Catholic faith mixed in the book.

Another great feature I loved, is the e|LIVE code that you get with the book, that allows yous to download your free audio book digital download! Good value for your money spent. Now waiting for the final book in the series.

Day/Date Interceding According to the Mind of Christ
Mon
1/3/2010 Luke 22:42 Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will but yours be done
Lent is a time of grace – a good time to meditate on ‘grace’. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us (CCC1996). All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself, by the ‘saving’ cross of Jesus; saving us from the powerful grip of sin. Unfortunately, the world today seems to have lost the sense of sin. This month we focus on prayer based on a scriptural Way of the Cross (used by Pope Benedict XVI last year and prepared by an Indian, Thomas Menamparampil, S.D.B., Archbishop of Guwahati) – We focus on a few stations each week, praying for a renewed abhorrence to sin. FIRST STATION: Jesus in agony in the Garden of Olives. We pray that when faced with the choice of good and evil, we may have the grace to die to self and choose in line with the Father’s Will

Tue
2/3/2010 Matthew 26:52 Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword
SECOND STATION Jesus is betrayed by Judas, and restrains Peter from violence. The world today is beset by violence. We pray for the victims of the Naxal violence and Pune blasts. Lift up especially violence in our own home – especially against women and children

Wed
3/3/2010 Matthew 26:63 But Jesus was silent
THIRD STATION: Jesus is held guilty by the Sanhedrin. We pray for innocent persons who suffer for freedom, equality or justice and those who are persecuted for promoting God’s work. We pray for the grace to have restraint in our dealings and that we may be unruffled in spirit before opposition and unfair treatment and thus bring the powerful message of forgiveness into situations of tension and anxiety

Thu
4/3/2010 Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
We lift up Catholic families in our Archdiocese, plagued by alcoholism, where there is unrest and brokenness, anger and resentfulness, breakdown in martial relationship, alienation of children and loss of self worth in children; may God grant grace to the alcoholic spouse(s) to realise the harm that they are causing the family. We pray that God delivers them from this bondage and bring them to a close walk with Him, thus restoring peace in the home, marital harmony and hope to the family. We lift up those who have given up alcohol during Lent

Fri
5/3/2010 1 Cor 6:18 Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body
Fast with prayer for Catholic students/working youth who have lost sense of the sanctity of marriage and heed not the consequences of a live-in/casual sexual relationship; may the Lord open their eyes to see the beauty and sacredness of marriage lived in and through the graces received only in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Pray that they realise this relationship is sinful and displeasing in God’s sight

Sat
6/3/2010 Mt 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it
We pray for Pope Benedict XVI’s first Apostolic Visit to Great Britain later this year. Pray that Catholics in England present the full saving message of Christ effectively and convincingly to the world and assist those groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. Pray for this through the intercession of Saint David, Saint George and all the saints and martyrs of England and Wales and Our Lady of Walsingham. In a special way we pray for our Anglican brethren and the Anglican bishop

Sun
7/3/2010 Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities;… and with his stripes we are healed
II Sunday in Lent – As we reflect on this great truth that, not only did Jesus endure the consequences of our sins, but by His stripes and wounds we are made whole in mind body and spirit, let us pray for all, that they may come to and be set free by the knowledge of this truth

Mon
8/3/2010 Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter
FOURTH STATION: Jesus is denied by Peter. Peter claimed to be strong, but he broke down before a servant girl. Human weakness takes us by surprise, and we collapse. That is why Jesus asks us to watch and pray. We pray for sturdiness to our inner determination, that God’s grace will help us to bring every good work we have begun to a successful conclusion

Tue
9/3/2010 Luke 23:25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder…; but Jesus he delivered up to their will
FIFTH STATION: Jesus is judged by Pilate. “What is truth?”, Pilate asked. Such indifference to truth is not uncommon these days. People are often concerned about what gives immediate satisfaction. Decisions are made based not on principles of integrity, but on opportunistic considerations. We pray that the ‘spiritual and ethical concepts’ contained in the word of God will inspire the living norms of society in our times. We pray in a special way for those in authority – in our government, in our city and in the Church

Wed
10/3/2010 Matthew 27:30 And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head
SIXTH STATION: Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns. Inhumanity scales new heights each day. Acts of violence beyond belief surround us: murder, violence to women and children, kidnapping, extortion, ethnic conflict, physical and mental torture, violations of human rights. We pray for the grace not to point a finger at others, but seek how we ourselves may have contributed a share to these forms of inhumanity. We pray for the grace to stand up for the oppressed and the downtrodden – possibly in and around our own homes

Thu
11/3/2010 Ezek 36:26-27 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances
We bring to the Lord, Catholics in our Archdiocese who have strayed from the faith and have no one to pray for them, those in the bondage of alcoholism, pornography, adultery, homosexual relationships, those working in the abortion industry, those involved in crime and extortion, those part of the underworld and mafia. We also lift up those suffering from suicidal tendencies, loneliness, despair, hurt, anger and revenge. May God answer our prayers, give them a new heart and a new spirit and bring them back to Jesus

Fri
12/3/2010 Jer 3: 15 I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding
Fast and pray for our Bishops in Mumbai. We pray in a special way for the health of our Cardinal that the Holy Spirit strengthens him in spirit, mind and body. We also remember in prayer, Bishops Percival and Agnelo on the anniversary of their appointment as Bishops. May the Lord continue to lead all our Bishops, that the Church in Mumbai becomes a ‘light to the nation’ and the glory of God’s holy people

Sat
13/3/2010 Phil 4:13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me
Continue to pray for the Proclamation Cell of our Archdiocese. May the Holy Spirit anoint the teams with power in proclaiming the Word as they reach out in love. We also pray for the Inner Healing Ministry and Joyful Noise Ministry, that the Lord will be their stronghold

Sun
14/3/2010 Isa 53:7a He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth
III Sunday in Lent – Let us reflect on the sufferings, physical and mental, that Jesus endured for our sake, so that as we endure our trials and pain, joining them with His, we may share in His glory. Today, let us especially pray and bless the enemies of the church

Mon
15/3/2010 Matt 27:31 When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and they put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him
SEVENTH STATION: After Jesus is made an object of fun, he is led out to be crucified. Jesus, at whose Name every knee in heaven and earth bends, is made an object of fun. Jesus is humiliated in new ways even today - when things that are most Holy are being trivialized. We pray for the sense of the sacred; for the sense of awe in His presence, for the gift of the Fear of the Lord in our daily lives

Tue
16/3/2010 Luke 23:26 They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus
EIGHTH STATION: Jesus is helped by Simon of Cyrene to carry the Cross. We pray that the Holy Spirit, the True Helper, strengthens the Church in her service to deprived communities: the least privileged, slum dwellers, the rural poor, the undernourished, untouchables, the handicapped. Pray for the grace to dedicate more of our energies and resources to the cause of the ‘poorest of the poor’

Wed
17/3/2010 Luke 23:28 Jesus, turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children
NINTH STATION: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. The destinies of societies are intimately linked to the wellbeing of their women and children. Wherever women are held in low esteem or their role remains diminished, societies fail to rise to their true potentiality. In the same way, wherever their responsibility to the rising generation is neglected, or marginalized, the future of that society becomes uncertain. We pray that our society rises to protect the rights of our women and children, especially those of the unborn child

Thu
18/3/2010 Exod 15:26 I am the Lord, your healer
We lift up all Catholic Hospitals in our Archdiocese. Through the sufferings of Jesus, may this be a time for a new wave of awareness to help the sick and the suffering with a spirit of compassion and mercy, rather than being another corporate health industry in our city

Fri
19/3/2010 Matt 1:24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife
Feast of St. Joseph, Patron and Guardian of the Church. Prayer to St. Joseph over 1900 years old: O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen. (Often prayed as a novena, for nine consecutive days. It has seldom been known to fail)

Sat
20/3/2010 Sir 38:1 Honor the physician with the honor due him, according to your need of him, for the Lord created him
We pray for Catholic doctors that they be men of integrity and honesty living out their faith to the fullest for the good of the patient

Sun
21/3/2010 John 5:12b I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life
We pray for those who attended the Catholic Apologetics Convention. We especially lift up the follow-up meeting being held today; that the Holy Spirit sustains and empowers our Catholic faithful in a renewed love for the Word and the Church.

Mon
22/3/2010 Matthew 27:46 Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?, that is, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me
TENTH STATION: Jesus is crucified. The sufferings of Jesus reach a climax. It appears a moment has come when He breaks down. His strength can stand no more. He feels abandoned even by His Father! We pray for all those who are in despair; who have lost all hope. We especially pray for those contemplating suicide, that the Holy Spirit gives them the grace of the inner light and the strength to live on

Tue
23/3/2010 Luke 23:43 And he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise
ELEVENTH STATION: Jesus promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief. We pray the same prayer today as that of the penitent thief, “O Lord, Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom”. It is for this Kingdom that we fondly long. We pray that we may continually enjoy the sanctifying grace of God, by living lives founded on His Word and fed by the Sacramental life of the Church

Wed
24/3/2010 John 19:26, 27 Woman, behold your son. Then he said to the disciple: Behold your mother
TWELFTH STATION: The Mother of Jesus and the Beloved Disciple at the foot of the Cross. Family cohesion, community bonds, and ties of friendship – these are essential for the flourishing of human beings. We pray for love and peace in our families. We break the bondage of property disputes, alcohol and debt in Jesus’ Name. Place our families at the foot of the Cross and ask Mary to intercede for us

Thu
25/3/2010 Luke 1:28 Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you
Feast of the Annunciation - As Our Blessed Mother prayed these words, let us also make it our own ‘Let it be done to me according to Your word’. Let us ask God to give us the grace to always respond to His mission in our lives. We pray especially for a culture of life and the pro-life movement, that just as Mary said yes to life, expectant mothers may not succumb to the pressure of the culture of death

Fri
26/3/2010 Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility
Fast and pray for the night vigil at St. Andrew’s College Chapel tomorrow. Theme: Appreciating the saving work of Jesus

Sat
27/3/2010 1 Thes 5:17 Pray constantly
Pray for the security agencies in our city; that by God’s mercy and wisdom they would unearth every terrorist outfit operating in our city and thus innocent lives and property be spared of any blast or sabotage in the future. We also pray for the conversion of terrorists

Sun
28/3/2010 Luke 23:34 Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do
Palm Sunday – Let us reflect on the mercy of Jesus that no matter how great our sin can be, His mercy is overwhelmingly greater. Pray for sinners in our own family, our community and the church at large that this Lent they may respond to the mercy of God in Christ Jesus

Mon
29/3/2010 Luke. 23:46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!” And having said this, he breathed his last THIRTEENTH STATION: Jesus dies on the Cross. Lord Jesus, it is for my own sins that you were nailed to the Cross. I pray for a deep abhorrence of sin; I pray that I will detest sin and possess the grace to avoid the occasion of sin. Jesus have mercy on your people

Tue
30/3/2010 Mark. 15:46 Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb
FOURTEENTH STATION: Jesus is taken down from the Cross and placed in the tomb. We pray that, as we press forward on life’s weary way, we may not lose sight of our final destination – the victory won for us by Jesus. Let us pray for the grace to ‘live in this passing world with our eyes set on the world that will never end’. We pray in a special way for those who have lost a loved one recently; may the empty tomb provide the hope that the sadness of death will give way to the bright promise of immortality

Wed
31/3/2010 Matthew 26:25 The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed
We have reflected this month on the loss of a sense of sin. We continue our prayer especially in this Holy Week for grace to detest sin. May our choices never be those by which the Son of man is betrayed

Holy Father’s Intentions for the Month (Pray for these intentions daily)
General Intention: That the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equality, taking into account the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest Missionary Intention: That the Churches throughout Africa may be signs and instruments of reconciliation and justice

—
Vetted by Fr Byron Mendonca, Assistant Parish Priest, Mt Carmel Church, Mumbai, India.
All scripture passages are taken from Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
We suggest you print out this page & keep it in your Bible.
Please contact Royston@Glorify-God.com for any feedback.

Grace? What is this grace?

We are in the season of Lent, and we call Lent a time of Grace. Let us use this month as a time to meditate on ‘grace’; reflect on how awesome and truly amazing grace is.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that ‘Grace is favour, the free and undeserved help that God gives us (#1996).’ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself (2 Cor 5:19), by the ‘saving’ cross of Jesus; saving us from the powerful grip of sin and, more importantly, from the dire consequence of sin, i.e. death (Rom 6 : 23).

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.

Unfortunately the world today continues to be increasingly blind to sin. As Pope Pius XII said, “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin”. For too long, we have allowed evil to subtly dim our vision and blunt our consciences. But thanks be to God for His sanctifying grace. All we need is to hold on to Him; cling to His Word and the sacramental graces He gives us through the Church.

Through many dangers, toils and snares; I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far; and Grace will lead me home.

Home to the Father. To Abba, who waits for us with arms as outstretched as those of His Only Begotten Son on the Cross. O Holy exchange on the cross – my death in exchange for His life, my sin for His salvation, my shame for His glory. Epitomised in the exchange of Jesus for Barabbas. We (Barabbas stands for each one of us) who were guilty, were set free and He took our place (scapegoat – Leviticus Chapter 16). He took our punishment so we could become Bar-Abba (Son of the Father).

May we never trivialise the price paid for our salvation. The suffering and death of the Son of God. As sufferings came into human life through sin, it was the Father’s plan that humanity be saved from sin through suffering. May we detest sin therefore and desire a renewed and ever deepening relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit.

Jesus, Lord, I ask for mercy; Let me not implore in vain;
All my sins, I now detest them, Never will I sin again.

May Mary, our mother, the one “full of grace” (Lk 1:28), who stood at cross, stand by us as we venerate the Saving Cross, and accompany us as we come boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:6)

Did the concept of “Social Media” originate in the Catholic Church?

On January 24, the Vatican released Pope Benedict’s message for the 44th World Communications Day, 2010, The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word.  In his letter, the Holy Father encouraged priests to “…  proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.”

The reaction of some of the mainstream media seemed to be surprise and incredulity that the Catholic church would be keeping up with the times and using modern tools of communication and interaction.   I noticed the same kind of reaction by mainstream media to last year’s World Communications Day message directed toward the laity, New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship.  In fact, throughout history the church has always employed the cutting edge communications tools of the age to spread the Good News, whether it was letters, the printing press, radio, or television.

One of my favorite quotes from The Simpsons is when Homer declared, “Oh, they have the Internet on Computers now!”  This quote seems to be very similar to the misplaced surprise that people have that the Church would be using new media.  Our current communications revolution using the Internet, blogs, and social communities such as Facebook and Twitter is commonly referred to as Social Media.   A search on wordspy.com indicates that the earliest known citation for the term “social media” appeared in 1994.

“What attracted librarians to the Internet? For some cybernauts, USENET, IRC, and the other social media of the net are the hooks. —Greg R. Notess, “Telnet explored,” Online, January 1, 1994 “

I think I may have found an earlier use of the concept, if not the exact term.

In 1963, the Vatican II document “Inter Mirifica” - on the Means of Social Communications begins,

Man’s genius has, with God’s help, produced marvellous technical inventions from creation, especially in our times. The Church, our mother, is particularly interested in those which directly touch man’s spirit and which have opened up new avenues of easy communication of all kinds of news, of ideas and orientations. Chief among them are those means of communication which of their nature can reach and influence not merely single individuals but the very masses and even the whole of human society. These are the press, the cinema, radio, television and others of a like nature. These can rightly be called “the means of social communication”.

Inter Mirifica outlines the role of media in the world, and how the church should engage and participate in all forms of Media.   As a result of Inter Mirifica, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications was established and since 1967, each year the Sunday before Pentecost has been designated as World Communications Day.  For the past 43 years, the Holy Father has released an annual message in preparation for World Communications Day on January24, the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers and journalists.  Past themes for World Communications Day have included such topics as Social Communications And The Family(1969 and 1980), Social Communications And The Promotion Of Solidarity And Fraternity Between Peoples And Nations (1988), Religion In The Mass Media. 1989, and Videocassettes And Audiocassettes In The Formation Of Culture And Of Conscience
(1993).

It seems to me that not only has the Church been active in using and exploring modern communications technologies for some time, the concept of “social communications”, outlined in Inter Mirifica in 1963 seem to predict or at least encompass the current usage of the term ’social media’.

This is where I go crazy.

Most of the students do not cross the street in a straight line. Instead, they come about two thirds of the way across the street, then angle to the left, toward the gate they must enter. Because they take the angle, they remain in the street longer. This, of course, forces us to wait longer before we make our turn. Which tends to frustrate me in the hustle and bustle of getting everyone to school and work.

I’ve spoken with some of these students and they all believe one thing: Crossing at the angle gets them to the curb and the gate faster.

From the student’s viewpoint, their reasoning seems logical. That is, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Since they want to get to the gate, turning toward it while crossing the street saves them some steps. However, as they do so, they miss the consequences of their actions. They miss the frustration and delay they cause the drivers trying to turn right at the corner. And they expose themselves to danger.

All this got me to thinking about my walk with God.

You see, walking with God is like crossing the street. If you stay within the crosswalk and cross with the light, you get across safely and quickly. But if you wander off at an angle outside the crosswalk, thinking you’re taking a shortcut, you walk out of your protection. Which means you can get hurt more easily.

Too often, I have fallen into the temptation of taking the shortcut, thinking it would be OK.

Skipping morning prayers.
Watching that questionable programming.
Visiting websites best left alone.

More often than not, when I tried walking outside of God’s purpose for my life, I got into trouble. That’s the thing. I can choose to walk in the crosswalk of God’s merciful plan for my life, or I can meander outside the protection of His grace.

Staying in the crosswalk gets me to where I’m going, quickly, within His protection. Angling outside of his path exposes me to danger, potholes, obstacles and oncoming traffic.

I know, this seems so fundamental, even juvenile. But how often do we go our own way, thinking that we’ll get there faster or easier, only to find ourselves in trouble, or worse, in dangerous circumstances? The crosswalk is there for a reason; to protect us as we cross a dangerous place.

I recently faced a severe time crunch on a looming project deadline. I had three hours to complete a video for a trade show. However, my client wanted me to make changes to an animation within the video. To do this, I would have to recreate the animation elements, then re-edit the special effects for the animation. These changes would require two hours of work.

I was tempted to try and cut some corners in order to make things move more quickly. However, when I thought about it, I figured out my shortcut would actually take longer than the expected two hours. I took a few moments to pray, asking God for a solution.

He delivered.

In the pressure of the moment, I had overlooked a simple solution. Since the only thing changing were some colors in the elements, I could replace the elements without having to redo the effects. What I had figured would take me two hours only took me twenty minutes. All because I took a moment to ask God to show me the way.

God’s plan and purpose for our life is there for a reason; to protect us as we move through this life. So stay the course; walk the walk; follow where He leads.

It really is that simple.

How can one rejoice when one is going through a difficult time- a death in the family, a terminal illness, betrayal by a loved one, getting laid off from a job, being the victim of malicious gossip..? How can one find “joy in the journey” when the journey is long and tiring, the skies are dark, the path is strewn with stones and pebbles, when one feels friendless and alone?

Recently, I went through some tough times. And it was amazing because just after having a difficult conversation which left me rather weepy, I heard an amazing talk on “Joy in unlikely places.” Every word spoke to my situation. And I remember thinking; the Israelite had to wait for 700 years for the prophecy of the Messiah to be fulfilled but thankfully, we don’t have to wait that long to know the comfort of The God Who loves us so much.

I also remember what I heard in that sharing was so timely, so providential - The Lord God knew I would go through a time of pain that morning and so, also comforted me with those words, truly, He binds up the brokenhearted, He bandages their wounds, He strikes us but He will also heal us.

I also understood that morning that joy comes from knowing the unchanging, unconditional love of a faithful God. Thus, even in the midst of disaster, I can be truly joyful because I know I am loved by a God Who is in control even when all else seems chaotic and out of control. I will still grieve, I will still shed tears, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel, hope springs eternal, His love will take me through the worst storm, His grace will sustain me.

I made a decision to be deliberate about choosing joy. Now, this does not mean that I go about with a plastic smile on my face declaring ‘ALL EEJ WELL”. No, that would be fake. It does not mean that I deny the reality of my circumstances and pretend I have no pain.

To me, choosing joy means acknowledging what is happening around me, accepting that this is a difficult time, even mourning and grieving; but simultaneously looking to God, proclaiming He is sovereign, He is in control and He knows what He is doing, even when I don’t really understand. And, that He will hold me together when everything seems to be falling apart; nothing can separate me from His love, nothing will ever diminish His love for me and there is NOTHING that He cannot handle.

With this frame of mind, yes, it is possible to Rejoice in the Lord always!

After a seeming eternity of a wait, podCatholic.com has finally got it’s first podcast live!

It will feature stories that will (hopefully we pray) impact your lives. It will also touch upon the general state of Catholics & Catholicism in India.

We welcome your suggestions on improving the podcasts - and we appreciate your prayers for this our new branch of online ministry.