Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still! Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into profound silence, into pure joy.  Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence, solitude…to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Settle into peacefulness…abide in serenity!

Abide in Joyfulness!

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well.

Remember……

Our God is abiding, abundant, steadfast, unconditional love – Grace.

Our God is God of enduring, everlasting blessings. Be joy-filled and joyful!

Deep within us is a place, a sacred space where we have found God and God has found us.

Deep, down there…… there is a presence, a presence of Grace, peace, love, joy ……an indwelling of God, the joy of our soul, our very being……….look beyond…..don’t ever stop looking, because it is there…..Be patient! Be optimistic! Be positive! Be joyful!

Abide in these thoughts for a few minutes.

Our last meditation was on finding joy our names “being inscribed in heaven” and not in our accomplishments, however great they may be…… to find joy in what God is doing for us, in us, through us and with us.

We are encouraged to find our joy in the fact that our names are written down in heaven and being confident that we belong….we are “citizens of heaven” as St. Paul says. It is the joy of being and belonging rather than doing and accomplishing. 

Now we take time to meditate on finding  joy in knowing that God finishes what God starts, and God has started our salvation. He accomplished our salvation in Christ on the cross of Calvary. And it is He who will bring that salvation to its completion. As St. Paul says, “Be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). And as the Psalmist says in Psalm 138, “The Lord will complete what he has begun”.

Take a few quiet moments……and pray Psalm 138

Thank you, Yahweh, with all my heart;

I sing praise to you before the angels.

I worship at your holy temple and praise your name
because of your constant love and faithfulness,

because you have shown that you and your word are exalted.

You answered me when I called to you;
you built up strength within me.

All the rulers of the earth will praise you, Yahweh,
because they have heard your promises.

They will sing about your ways
and about your great glory.

Even though you are exalted,
you care for the lowly.

The proud cannot hide from you.

Even when I am surrounded by troubles,
you keep me safe;

You oppose my angry enemies and save me by your power.

You will do everything you have promised me;
Yahweh, your faithful love endures forever.
Complete the work that you have begun.

Thank you God, with all my heart for …….

Thank you God, You keep me safe……

Thank you God, I know you will do everything you promised….

Thank you God, your faithful love endures forever…..

Thank you God, I know, you will complete the work you have begun in me……

When the exiles returned to  Jerusalem and the new temple built and dedicated, they looked back on their experience in Babylon. It was awful, it was abandonment, it was loneliness.   Now they are back home. Now they know, God was with them when they thought He had abandoned them. If He wasn’t there with them, in the midst of their loneliness, they would still be in Babylon. It was God who brought them back home just as he promised. The Psalmist can now thank God with his whole heart that he is not guided by the gilded Babylonian gods. Unlike the Babylonian gods who were carried by weak human beings on their shoulders, the god of Israel carried them in the palm of His hands. They could proclaim: We have a God who goes with us and carries us in his loving arms. God has revealed himself as steadfast in loving kindness by carrying his people to safety. The Psalmist says, “Your faithful love endures forever. I know, you will complete the work you have begun”. There is reason to be joyful.

Imagine the joy of being secure in the hands of loving God and spend a few moments in meditation. Contemplate this mystery of Love!

Things that happen to us and around us may bring us happiness and circumstances may increase this happiness or mar it. But joy endures, flows through troublesome and trying times, through nights and days, through conflicts and tensions, through persecutions and oppositions, even through death and dying times. Joy is the fountain welling up inside, the “spring within” that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel of John Chapter 4:14. Happiness depends on what may or may not happens. Joy is the spring within. One of the sources of this enduring joy welling up inside is knowing and being confident “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6, Psalm 138:8).

Paul knew the kind of joy the Lord gives to those who walk in obedience to Him. We find the theme of joy resonating in Paul’s epistle to the Church at Philippi. The joy captured in his words was a real joy that he experienced as a result of his obedience to the Lord (Philippians 1:6).

The Psalmist (See Psalm 98, below) invites his people to sing a “NEW” song of joy, because God has done “Marvelous” things….things that man can only marvel, things no man can do, things only God can do! God had grasped the right hand of King Cyrus, mighty monarch of Persia….the most powerful monarch of the then known world and used his power to allow a handful of miserable Israelites (poor remnant Israel) to get out their situation of forced labor in Babylon and be free to return home to Jerusalem (around 539 B.C.). The temple was rebuilt in 516 B.C. and rededicated a few months later. This was a whole new situation and this psalm was for this new situation of a renewed people in a new temple building. What else to do but sing a “NEW SONG” of JOY!

Imagine the joy of remembering the marvels God has done for you, in you and around you and spend a few moments in meditation. Contemplate this mystery of Love!

Take a few quiet moments……and pray Psalm 98

 ¹ Sing to the LORD a new song,
       for he has done marvelous things;
       his right hand and his holy arm
       have worked salvation for him.

 ² The LORD has made his salvation known
       and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

 ³ He has remembered his love
       and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
       all the ends of the earth have seen
       the salvation of our God.

 ⁴ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
       burst into jubilant song with music;

 ⁵ make music to the LORD with the harp,
       with the harp and the sound of singing,

 ⁶ with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
       shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

 ⁷ Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
       the world, and all who live in it.

 ⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands,
      Let the mountains sing together for joy;

⁹ let them sing before the LORD,
       for he comes to judge the earth.
       He will judge the world in righteousness
       and the peoples with equity.

Imagine the joy of knowing God as God of everlasting love and knowing that we are HS people, the work of His hands and spend a few moments in meditation. Contemplate this mystery of Love!

Take a few quiet moments……and pray Psalm 100

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

Come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is He who made us and we are His;

We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 

“Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice! Everyone should see how unselfish you are. The Lord is near. Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petition full of gratitude……( Philippians 4:4-9)

Fr. Gus Tharappel, msfs

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Thank you for the gift of another day……..

Thank you for silence, stillness, solitude……………

Thank you for blessing and grace………

Thank you for just being, for me, God

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…..

Take a few deep breaths right now…slow and gentle!

Breathe in God’s Way and breathe out my way – God’s way in, My way out.

You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you’ll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

Pray from your heart……

O God, this morning I have come into the quietness and stillness of your presence, to begin the day, so that out of this moment, I may take with me a quiet serenity, which will last me through the rough and smooth of this day’s life. Many hours of the day are waiting to be filled a hundred ways with a hundred prayers. But, right now, at this very moment, I am at peace. You have blessed and Graced my day. I walk with you, God. I sit with you, God. I run with you, God. Thank you for the morning…Thank you for stillness….Thank you for blessing and grace…..Thank you for peacefulness…..Thank you for just being, for me, God…..Thank you. Amen

Our last meditation was on the many thoughts and reflections on prayer which have been inspiring for each of us. We now bring our meditation on “Being and Becoming Prayerful” to a closer. We have reflected on various aspects of Prayerfulness and tried to cultivate a very dynamic, positive and creative attitude toward being prayerful. There is much more to reflect on nurturing Prayerfulness.

However, we must now bring our reflections to a closure and wait for another opportunity to reflect more deeply. Before we bring it to a closure, we take a moment to pray with Jesus as he prayed.

Jesus Prays for Himself (John 17:1-5)

“Jesus looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

Jesus, first prayed for himself that he may glorify the Father, then for his chosen disciples and for all who will believe in him and his word that they may have eternal life. Jesus remained faithful to the mission that the father gave him and fulfilled that mission. He says that his disciples too have remained faithful to God’s word. He prayed to the father that he would keep his disciples faithful since they have to continue his mission in the world.

He describes eternal life as knowing the only true God and his son Jesus. To know is to become one with what is known and not a gathering of information or ideas or concepts. To know, in the sense used here, is to become intimate, to become one with, to enter into that which is known. In this sense, eternal life is to enter into the mystery of God’s life and love, to be “baptized”, to be immersed into God’s Life.

Take a moment, make the prayer of Jesus your prayer……pray for being more fully immersed into the eternal, into the mystery of God’s life and love…pray for grace and courage to be faithful in completing your mission in life………

Jesus Prays for His Disciples (John 17:6-19)

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.”

“All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you.

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled”

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”

Jesus prayed for the safety and protection of his disciples. He knew that he was leaving them in the world. He knew that they didn’t belong to the world’s standards, that they had to live a different life style and that they would face difficult situations.

Be safe! Pray for those who are unsafe to be with and pray for those living in unsafe conditions! Pray for those who are exposed to difficult situations!

Jesus prayed that the disciples would be happy…to its fullness. He said to them that all said and did was to bring them joy to its fullness. Remember those who do not experience joy in life. Pray with those who are sad, lonely, depressed, unhappy…….

Jesus prayed that the disciples may be consecrated in truth. To “consecrate” means to empower a person with the necessary qualities of mind and heart and character to fulfill his/her God-given purpose in life.

Pray that you will be empowered with the necessary qualities of character to fulfill the mission God has given you!

Jesus Prays for All Believers (John 17:20-26)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Jesus, first, prayed for himself as he was preparing himself to face the cross. Then he prayed for his disciples and God’s power for them. Now his prayer takes a sweep into the distant future and into distant lands and prays for all who will believe.

His prayer was that all will be one – all will experience the kind of oneness that he experienced with the Father; that all will be one in the oneness of himself and the Father; that the world will believe that the Father sent him; that the unity of all will be complete; that all will have a vision of the gift of glory that comes from the Father’s love; that the Father’s love will live in all…….

The prayer of Jesus centers on abiding in him, in love, in unity, in harmony, in eternal glory – God living in us and we living in God. It is this unity, harmony, oneness that will convince the world of the truth of Christianity, the truth that Jesus came to proclaim and the place of Jesus in our life and the life of the world. Only the love that abides in the hearts of men and women can tear down the barriers that keep us apart and bring us into communion with God and one another.

God grant me,

The serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And the Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right,

If I surrender to His will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy in the next. (Reinhold Niebuhr)

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…..

Take a few deep breaths right now…slow and gentle!

Breathe in God’s Way and breathe out my way – God’s way in, My way out.

You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you’ll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

Pray from your heart……

O God, this morning I have come into the quietness and stillness of your presence, to begin the day, so that out of this moment, I may take with me a quiet serenity, which will last me through the rough and smooth of this day’s life. Many hours of the day are waiting to be filled a hundred ways with a hundred prayers. But, right now, at this very moment, I am at peace. You have blessed and Graced my day. I walk with you, God. I sit with you, God. I run with you, God. Thank you for the morning…Thank you for stillness….Thank you for blessing and grace…..Thank you for peacefulness…..Thank you for just being, for me, God…..Thank you. Amen

Our last meditation was on being attentive to the deepest desires of our hearts – dwelling in God’s presence and expressing our hunger and thirst for His will and purpose for us.

Take a few moments, prayerfully read the following thoughts and reflections on prayer and dwell on any of the thoughts that inspires you, moves you, speaks to you or challenges you at this time.

One of the greatest virtues that can change one’s life is prayerfulness. It is the best way of communicating with GOD, who has our well-being in his heart. It is an act of sharing our thoughts, feelings, thankfulness, requests, and whatever is in our hearts that we would like to share with our God.

Every individual needs daily prayer for guidance, knowledge, a meaningful relationship with GOD and for the discernment of His will and purpose.

Every family needs daily prayer for refuge, strength, confidence, and blessings for better living.

Every nation needs daily prayer from her citizens in order to maintain her greatness, worthiness, peacefulness, trustworthiness, solidarity, harmony and peace.

Humbleness in spirit is important when we pray. It is the most powerful virtue that draws us closer to Our GOD. “If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

GOD speaks in the silence of the heart.  Listening is the beginning of prayer. (Mother Teresa)

Prayer does not change GOD, but it changes him who prays. (Søren Kierkegaard)

I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs. (Frederick Douglass) 

Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for GOD knows best what is good for us. (Socrates) 

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. (Abraham Lincoln) 

“At every opportunity pray in the Spirit, using prayers and petitions of every sort. Pray constantly and attentively for all God’s people” (Eph. 6:18).

Prayer is the peace of our spirit, the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of our recollection, the seat of meditation, the rest of our cares, and the calm of our tempest.

Prayerfulness implies a need for silence, solitude and openness to God

To pray means to expose oneself to the love of the Father so as to be enabled to live even better as his child.

To pray is to open ourselves to the Father so that our entire life – from the seeking of daily bread to the transformation of the world – is filled with love.

The attitude of prayerfulness needs to be often re-energized through new acts of prayer.

Prayer is coming to God with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

Prayer is being with the Lord in a “deserted place”, in silence and solitude.

Prayer is a chance to know that someone really cares, in spite of myself.

Prayer is like love; it must be expressed in action and not just in words.

Prayer is a way, not to get something, but a way to be with someone.

Prayer is knowing that you will never be alone in the world.

Prayer is a bunch of words, often meaningless, offered to God in the hope that they find meaning.

Prayer in common with others is not a mass movement to create an emotional sense of togetherness. It creates a sense of group solidarity and concern. The community nurtures the prayer life of its members.

Prayer is the raising up of our mind and heart to God in his honor and glory and not to promote ourselves.

Prayer is not doing the fashionable, but doing what helps us get in touch with God.

Prayer is relating God to a situation and then seeing His power and love at work. The model prayer is that of the three young men in the fiery furnace calling on the trees, the hills and mountains to praise God (Daniel 3).

Take a moment and pray with the three young men in the fiery furnace….

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord
Praise and exalt Him above all forever
Angels of the Lord bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord
All you hosts of the Lord, Bless the Lord
Sun and Moon, Bless the Lord
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord
Fire and Heat, bless the Lord

Cold and chill, bless the Lord
Dew and rain, bless the Lord
Frost and chill, bless the Lord
Ice and Snow, bless the Lord
Nights and days, bless the Lord
Light and darkness, bless the Lord
Lightings and clouds, bless the Lord

Let the earth bless the Lord
Praise and exalt Him above all forever.

Mountains and hills, bless the Lord
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord
You sprints, bless the Lord
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord
You sons of men, bless the Lord.

O Israel, bless the Lord
Praise and exalt Him above all forever.

Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.

Praise and exalt Him above all forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt Him above all forever
Blessed are you Lord, in the firmament of heaven.

Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…..

Our last meditation was on being attentive to the deepest desires of our hearts – desire for, forgiveness, healing, peace, harmony, integrity, wholeness, holiness and everything that can bring our wills into harmony with the will of God. We want to continue to nurture this desire. This meditation again is another opportunity to dwell in God’s presence and hunger and thirst for His will and purpose for us.

Take a few deep breaths right now…slow and gentle!

Breathe in God’s Way and breathe out my way – God’s way in, My way out.

You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you’ll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

Pray from your heart……

O God, this morning I have come into the quietness and stillness of your presence, to begin the day, so that out of this moment, I may take with me a quiet serenity, which will last me through the rough and smooth of this day’s life. Many hours of the day are waiting to be filled a hundred ways with a hundred prayers. But, right now, at this very moment, I am at peace. You have blessed and Graced my day. I walk with you, God. I sit with you, God. I run with you, God. Thank you for the morning…Thank you for stillness….Thank you for blessing and grace…..Thank you for peacefulness…..Thank you for just being, for me, God…..Thank you. Amen

Begin to speak in your heart…..

Bless the Lord O my soul….Let all that is within me give God praise……

Bless the Lord O my soul……….Let me never forget your blessings……

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well……….

May my heart be pure that I may see you………………

May my heart be humble that I may surrender to your will………

May my heart be gracious that I may serve you…………….

May my heart be noble that I may reflect you……………..

May my heart be trusting that I may be safe in you………….

Keep repeating these words in your heart for a few moments

May my heart be hopeful that I may be free in you…………

May my heart be loving that I may abide in you…………….

May my heart be compassionate that I may be present to others in compassion………

May my heart be poor, empty and spacious that I may offer you space to work your plan in me and for me and with me………………

May my heart be caring, sensitive, compassionate that I may live in solidarity with those who suffer and are in need of healing………

Keep repeating these words in your heart for a few moments

May my heart be gentle, lowly, meek that I may be welcoming, hospitable and others may find comfort in my presence……….

May my heart be hungry and thirsty that I may desire everything virtuous, noble, true and good; that I may hunger and thirst for you and your wisdom…….

May my heart be understanding, merciful, forgiving that I may be forgiving; that compassion may be my way of life………….

May my heart be Pure that I may have a single, undivided heart; that my motivations may be pure and transparent………..

May my heart be peaceful that I may abide in your peace; that I may be a channel of peace for others…………….

May my heart be full of love that there is no space for anything else……

May my heart be full of you that I may live and move in you, from you, for you,

with you…..…..

Keep repeating these words in your heart for a few moments

Now take a moment……Bless your morning……let the morning bless you……

Morning is a sacrament………….

    of new beginnings….so new and untried…so unique…never to return….…

    of hope…..offering new opportunities…new possibilities…never to return……

Welcome the morning! Receive the gift that she is! Be ready to be faithful to the possibilities that she brings!

Take another moment. Bless your world. Let your world bless you.

Every day that we wake up is a good day. Every breath that we take is filled with hope for a better day. Every word that we speak is a chance to change what is bad into something good.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Now I invite you to consecrate your time and all that come with this moment….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well……….

Our Lenten journey has brought us to Easter – to new life, to new beginnings, to new presence. We celebrate our call to be an Easter People, a People of the Resurrection, a people transformed by the death and resurrection of Jesus, a people who must continue to journey in faith, in hope and in love……….

People of the Resurrection are people of Hope……

Be men and women of Hope…………..

The gift of Easter is the gift of Peace………….

Be men and women of peace……………

We now take a moment to reflect on the different stories of the resurrection of Jesus…..

The Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:9-15) tells us that Jesus rose from the dead and first appeared to Mary Magdalene, but the followers of Jesus refused to believe her testimony. The disciples did not expect Jesus to be visiting Mary of Magdala after his resurrection. After all, her past was not that great and she was not one of the specially chosen apostles….she did not fit the common criteria for a visit from the world beyond…..

Be open! The Lord has his own way of surprising us! He comes to us through the most unexpected people, events, places and situations! No one expected to find the messiah in a manger or on the cross….that is just the way God revealed the power of His unconditional, unconquerable, benevolent love for us.

Two of the disciples on their way to Emmaus had an experience of the risen Jesus, while they were on the road. The rest of the disciples did not believe them either.

The Gospel of Luke (Luke 24: 1-10) speaks of two young men in white robe at the tomb of Jesus. They said to the women of Galilee who came to visit the tomb: “He is not here, but he has been raised……and they (the women) returned and announced all these things to the eleven and to all others”. And the eleven had trouble believing them too!

For us today, JESUS IS ALIVE! He goes ahead of us into our Galilees…..He will meet us where we are and we must move on and meet him where we are….in life and in death……

In the Gospel of John, we read the moving story of Mary of Magdala (John 20:1-9) going to the tomb of Jesus early in the morning and running to Peter and John to tell them that the tomb was empty. Peter and John went to the tomb and found everything as Mary had described. This excerpt concludes by saying that they believed without understanding the scripture “that he had to rise from the dead”.

Real faith is born of relationship. It is not an affirmation or acceptance of doctrines or acceptance of details of an event that can be verified scientifically or otherwise. To believe is to relate…to believe is to trust…to believe is to be intimate…to believe is to be in communion. Our belief in the resurrection and our commitment to live a resurrected life is the result of our communion with the risen Christ.

Finally, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples and rebuked them for their disbelief. Then he sent them with the mission: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation”.

Jesus surprised them again by sending them with his message to fulfill his mission. Men of weak faith……..men who could not see beyond their disappointment………men, who did not grasp all that Jesus said to them about his death and resurrection while he was among them, were sent to proclaim the good news of the resurrection!

Don’t wait and don’t hesitate to share and announce the good news of God’s love till you have fully matured in faith!

Take a moment…Be still and gently breathe in the breath of life!

Take another moment…..dwell on the following thoughts.

• Easter comes after the race to the tomb……reflect on racing to the tomb!
  

• Racing to the tomb means moving through uncertainty, doubts and fears and embracing the emptiness of the tomb……this must happen if we are ever to understand life.
  

   

• Reflect on what awaits you on arriving at the tomb…..emptiness and death have been changed into life.
  

• Racing to the tomb means losing life…it also means finding life! It means the grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying only to rise again.
  

• It means life dug out of death, joy born out of sorrow, light breaking out of darkness.
  

• We will be racing to the tomb as long as we live. We will be peering into the tomb to see if Jesus is really there!
  

• In our moment of uncertainty, we, like Mary, would do well if we remember to check with the gardener…mystery of life and death would get unraveled.
  

• Mary was blessed to run into the gardener….in the gardener she found the one she was looking for! God does have ways of surprising us!
  

• Our willingness to remove all the stones from the doorways of the tomb is urgent, however huge the stones may be, if we wish to find the hidden life in us.
  

• The women moved to the tomb wondering who will roll the stone away from the tomb…they moved with uncertainty, they moved all the same!
  

• The mystery of hope unfolds before the tomb – only an eye of faith can see it as it unfolds. The Cross and the tomb call us to wait in Hope for victory/glory beyond understanding.
  

• We can withdraw from the tomb… OR look deep inside and find it empty… OR look around and find HIM alive and moving and calling us.
  

• Remember…Jesus stepped on death, stepped into the tomb, leaped out of it, moved out into the world….life to its fullness is his gift to us! Embrace it!
  

I wish you a very happy, holy, faith-filled and joy-filled Easter. I wish you God’s

Peace – the peace that Jesus promised, the kind of peace the world can not offer. I

Pray for you and your families that the Lord will keep you safe in the hollow of his hand, in the center of his will and in the circle of his love.

HAPPT EASTER!

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

Palm Sunday

This morning we take a break from our meditations on being and becoming prayerful to reflect on beginning Holy Seek with the celebration of Palm Sunday. May this wee k be a “Holy Week” for us all, a week of Blessings and Grace.

Be Still…Sit…in Silence…in solitude…Pray gently…from the heart…

Prayerfully, reflectively read the following…….

On Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem to face rejection and eventual death. He moved, with courage, into hostile territory. He entered a city which killed its prophets and did not know how to receive the things that are for its own good, a city that did not know how to receive blessings and gifts and grace…………..

They greeted him as they would greet a pilgrim: “Blessed is he who enters in the name of the Lord” (Ps. 118:26). And they shouted “Hosanna!”. “Hosanna” means “Save now”. It was a cry for help, which a people in distress addressed to their king or their god. “Save us, we beseech thee, O Lord” (Ps.118:25). Hosanna in the highest means, let even the angels in the highest of heavens cry unto God, “save now”. It is essentially an oppressed people’s cry to their savior and king for deliverance. These hosannas of Palm Sunday will become the cries of “crucify him, crucify him!”

Pray for courage and wisdom to face difficult situations. Pray for those who have to live in hostile situation.

Isaiah 50:4-7

The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I may know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.

Reflect on developing a “well-trained tongue” and “well-disciplined” life.

Reflect on speaking words of affirmation, compassion, encouragement, kindness and support.

Psalm 22

I will proclaim your name to my brethren;

In the midst of the assembly, I will praise you.

Philippians    2:6-11

He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even on a cross.

Be humble in your ways. Surrender to God’s plans, even at great cost.

Luke 22:14 – 23:56

We remember Jesus being betrayed, tried, judged, condemned and crucified. We remember him dying on a cross. We remember Jesus giving himself totally in life and in death. We remember the cross, sign of shame and punishment, becoming the symbol of sacrifice, healing, unconditional love, total giving, redemption and salvation. We remember and relive the passion, the cross and the death of Jesus.

Reflect on how you share in the passion and cross of Jesus. Remember those who have heavy burden to carry.

Remember the innocent, especially children and the helpless who have to suffer without support.

REFLECT AND PRAY:

What do you need to do in order to develop a “well-disciplined” life?

What do you need to do to move into and face difficult situations?

Pray for those who have to live in hostile situations.

What does it mean to you to cry out “Hosanna” – Lord, “save now”?

“Behold your King comes”, “Hosanna” to the “Son of David” – a King like David, King of “Truth, Justice, Integrity and Peace”. What does it mean to cry out to the king of “Truth, Justice, Peace and Integrity”?

What does the “passion” of Jesus mean to you? How do you share in that Passion?

My Prayer for you:

May your spiritual discipline during this Holy Week enable you to be reborn in spirit, empower you to love without limits, teach you to pray constantly, help you seek the wisdom of God, enable you to live in compassion and help you celebrate the joy of Easter.

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…..

Our last meditation was on being attentive to the deepest desires of our hearts – desire for, forgiveness, healing, peace, harmony, integrity, wholeness, holiness and everything that can bring our wills into harmony with the will of God. We want to continue to nurture this desire. This meditation again is another opportunity to dwell in God’s presence and hunger and thirst for His will and purpose for us.

Take a few deep breaths right now…slow and gentle!

Breathe in God’s Way and breathe out my way – God’s way in, My way out.

You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you’ll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

Pray from your heart……

O God, this morning I have come into the quietness and stillness of your presence, to begin the day, so that out of this moment, I may take with me a quiet serenity, which will last me through the rough and smooth of this day’s life. Many hours of the day are waiting to be filled a hundred ways with a hundred prayers. But, right now, at this very moment, I am at peace. You have blessed and Graced my day. I walk with you, God. I sit with you, God. I run with you, God. Thank you for the morning…Thank you for stillness….Thank you for blessing and grace…..Thank you for peacefulness…..Thank you for just being, for me, God…..Thank you. Amen

I have come with gratitude and with a prayer in my heart …….

• for the talents and the abundance of gifts that you have blessed me with………..
• for the faith that moves, stirs and grows in my heart…….
• for the many people who have been instruments of your goodness in my life…..
• for the moments that I have known your presence in my life….
• for the times I have been instrument of your goodness and grace and love……
• for the miracles of your love that I have witnessed…..
• for the wonder of your creation all around me…….

I have come with hope and a prayer in my heart for trust……..

• when I am afraid and lose confidence in me and in you…….
• when the busyness and schedules of my day press upon me and I become tense and nervous and doubtful…..
• when I doubt your presence in difficult moments in my life…..
• when I lose sight of your grace and blessings in my life…..
• when emptiness, loneliness and other such slings and arrows come my way…….
• when I struggle to be good and share your goodness with others

I have come seeking you with a prayer in my heart……..

• deep within my being, deep in my heart where justice and truth, love and peace embrace………….
• in the midst of my daily activities and the many things-to-do that keep me on the move…..
• among many people who come into my life……………..
• in the successes and disappointments of my daily activities……..
• in the books I read, in the news I hear, in the noise of the surroundings……..
• in the truth I discover, in the uncertainties I encounter……..
• in the wonderful people and in the not so wonderful people I meet…

I have come affirming with a simple and humble prayer in my heart…..

• that you are worth my constant search…….
• that you are in my life every moment of the day….
• that you walk with me as I walk toward you…..
• that you carry me through when I am unable to walk……
• that you pick me up and put me on the road when I stumble and fall…..
• that you are my strength in time of sorrow, hope in times of distress, comfort in times of confusion, safety in times of danger….
• that you are worth my sacrifice, my letting go off whatever I hang on to………
• that you seek me, trust me, love me unconditionally……..
• that you wait for me to welcome me home………
• that you, my God, are my home. Amen

Amen. May it be so. May YOUR WILL happen.

And, finally, Lord, I surrender to you and your way.

Back to the top

Pray this again, gently, slowly

You have prayed,

I have come with gratitude….

I have come with hope….

I have come seeking…

I have come affirming……

Now write your own prayer by completing the sentence,

I have come………..

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…

Our last meditation was on being alert, awake, attentive, docile and sensitive. Often we catch ourselves being inattentive, insensitive, irrational and even making unwise choices. Being attentive to the deepest desires of our hearts enables us to bring our wills into harmony with the will of God and prayerfulness is a constant seeking of and surrender to God’s will.

Take a few deep breaths right now…slow and gentle!

Breathe in God’s Way and breathe out my way – God’s way in, My way out.

You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you’ll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

Lord, Thank you for the morning………………

Thank you for stillness………………..

Thank you for blessing and grace………………

Thank you for peacefulness…………

Thank you for just being, for me, God………..

I feel a deep, warm, comforting harmony within. Thank you, God. You are meeting my need now. You have blessed and Graced my day. Right now, at this very moment, I am at peace. Thank you. Amen.

O God, this morning I have come into the quietness and stillness of your presence, to begin the day, so that out of this moment, I may take with me a quiet serenity, which will last me through the rough and smooth of this day’s life. Many hours of the day are waiting to be filled a hundred ways with a hundred prayers. But, right now, at this very moment, I am at peace. I walk with you, God. I sit with you, God, I run with you, God. Thank you. Amen.

I have come now with gratitude for the blessings and the richness of the past and to celebrate them now and offer it to the world around me.

We recognize the pain of the past and bring healing……

I have come now remembering the brokenness, the hurt, the pain and the suffering of the past and praying for your healing touch and praying that you empower me to reach out and offer your gift of healing to the world around me.

We recognize the sin and guilt of the past and bring forgiveness…….

I have come remembering my own sin and guilt and shame of the past and praying for forgiveness, healing, peace and reconciliation within me and offer your gift of forgiveness to the world around me.

We glean the richness of the past and integrate it into our life in the present and offer it to the world around us…We recognize the blessing, grace, goodness, strength, virtue of the past and affirm and appreciate them and let them grow…..

I have come remembering the blessing, grace, goodness, strength, virtue of the past and desiring to affirm, appreciate and let them grow in me as well as in others around me.

We renew ourselves and nurture growth in ourselves, develop new attitudes, new vision, renewed hope……

I have come to find courage, to be patient enough not to give up hope, to accept disappointment without bitterness and to accept delay without complaint.

We desire/long/dream our way to wholeness, to holiness, to perfection……

I have come with my dream for healing, wholeness, integrity, holiness, perfection…..to be what you have made me to be, to become what you call me to become, to do what you call me to do.

We passionately, intensely pray our way to wholeness, to holiness, to perfection……

I have come to begin this day with you so that I may be able to continue it and end it with you with meaning, with joy, with peace and without regret.

We passionately cry, mourn our way to wholeness, to holiness, to perfection……

I have come mourning my loss – all kinds of losses resulting from all kinds of experiences. I have come mourning deeply, intensely and passionately about me, about others and about the world and praying that I may learn to care and not to care.

We passionately sing and dance our way to wholeness……

I have to come to sing a new song, a song of honor and glory and praise and thanks and joy and love and hope and peace……….I have come dancing to a new rhythm, new steps, new turns……..Lord, bless my song and grace my dance……….

God, grant me the serenity, to accept the things I can not change,

Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking as He did, this sinful world, as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right, if I surrender to His will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy forever in the next. (Reinhold Niebuhr, Union Theological Seminary, New York 1928)

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…

Our last meditation was on Prayerfulness as a desire and an act of self-surrender, as an ongoing practice of daily surrender to His will in all aspects of our life.

The mainspring and the core of the life of Jesus was one of continuous self-surrender. His life of obedience has taught us that the only way to peace is to do the will of God. There can be no peace when our will is at variance with the will of God; that the only way to fullness of Joy is to do the will of God. There can be no joy when our will is not aligned with the will of God.

Surrender to God is a choice we must make with every breath.

Choosing to surrender to God demands that we become attentive to what is going on inside of us, about us and around us. To be attentive is to be alert, awake, attentive, docile and sensitive. Often we catch ourselves being inattentive, insensitive, irrational and even making unwise choices. Being attentive to the deepest desires of our hearts enables us to bring our wills into harmony with the will of God. This meditation is on being attentive.

Take a few moments….Be still! Stay focused and Be attentive!

Take a few deep breaths right now…slow and gentle!

Breathe in God’s Way and breathe out my way – God’s way in, My way out.

You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you’ll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

Pay attention! You may have heard this from your parents or from your teachers. Maybe you’ve heard that from the policeman who just pulled you over. Maybe you are half-asleep during the sermon. Maybe you are thinking about something else when someone is trying to share important things about his/her life.

Maybe you are just going through the motions and have missed the moments of grace that God has put in front of you because you were not paying attention.

We are a people who have been gifted and sensitized by the Holy Spirit. We should be aware of what’s going on within us and around us. We are often so preoccupied with pursuing our own self-righteousness that we don’t know what’s going on around us or within us.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God……. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2 ). To “set heart or mind” means pay attention…be attentive, be vigilant!

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered (Mathew 10:29-31). Our heavenly Father is attentive to our needs…..His vigilance is constant!

Pay attention to your desires.  We have all kinds of desires.  Pay attention to those desires that need to be purified or abandoned. Bring your desires into harmony with the will of God!

Pay attention to those wonderful desires that are there but have not been acted upon and begin to respond to those desires. Bring your desires into harmony with the will of God!

Pay attention….be vigilant to the concerns and needs of those entrusted to your care.

It takes attentiveness, vigilance to teach sound doctrine, healthy values and morals; develop noble friendships and relationships…..

It takes Vigilance to enable others to discover and correct their mistakes……to help others watch their lives and their conduct. Our families, communities and churches are healthy when we are vigilant, when we are attentive to one another’s concerns and needs.

Attentiveness is a healthy disposition which nurtures a culture of meaningful relationship, genuine caring for one another that includes a certain openness of life between members in families and communities, where members discipline, instruct, serve, forgive, show compassion, mourn and rejoice with one another.

Be attentive to what is important and what is trivial, what needs action now and what is not really all that urgent. Be attentive to whatever is going on beneath the surface. There is always something beyond what seems urgent.

Be attentive to moments of grace that God puts in front of us.

There is a story about a man on a horse galloping swiftly along the road. An old farmer standing in the fields, seeing him pass by, called out, “Hey rider, where are you going?”. The rider turned around and shouted back, “Don’t ask me, ask my horse!”

This is the condition of many. They have lost control over the great powers that pull them forward toward an unknown direction. They have become passive victims of an ongoing movement which they do not understand.

Where are you going? Where’s your life going? Have you stopped to think about it recently?

Pay attention! The light may be ready to turn green! You better pay attention!

Notice the “moments of grace” in your life. These moments are not just something that happens to you…they are what you can offer someone else. The times that you can be there for someone, listen to someone, compliment someone, help someone…. serve someone. Those are the moments in your life worth paying attention to….they are moments of Grace and now is the moment of grace.

It takes real discipline to “attend to” – take note of – ordinary things. For most of us, it takes deliberate effort to be attentive. Major happenings like birth, moving, promotion, financial loss, death, etc. force themselves on our consciousness. The ordinary realities of life simply pass by; they just go by or we just go by them. Morning comes and evening comes, one day passes.

There were bells on the hill, but I never heard them ringing…

There were birds in the sky, but I never saw them winging..

(Meredith Wilson, The Music Man)

Be attentive…be Vigilant…Be present to the moment!

Now is the moment of Grace!

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…

Our last meditation was on Prayerfulness as an inner disposition, a disposition of heart and mind that longs for God’s will and surrenders to His will and purpose. Prayerfulness is an impelling desire for God’s ways and an ongoing, daily surrender to His will in all aspects of our life.

To pray is to open ourselves to the Father so that our entire life – from the seeking of daily bread to the transformation of the world – is filled with God’s will and purpose.

We reflected on surrender as an ongoing practice – not a one-time action! Surrender happens through many experiences and creative practices which help us connect with God and receive God’s blessing and grace…they help us care for the small things with love and bring us into the bigger, larger and greater picture.

We reflected and prayed “I find that thy will knows no end in me…When old words die out, new melodies break forth from the heart……….

We reflected and prayed “Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles…..”

We reflected and prayed “Give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love…”

We continue to reflect on prayerfulness as a desire and an act of self-surrender, as an ongoing practice of daily surrender to His will in all aspects of our life.

One day, Jesus was in a Samaritan town. Tired form the journey, he took rest at Jacob’s well. The disciples went to buy provisions. On their return they found Jesus in conversation with a Samaritan women. They said to him, “Rabbi, eat something”. He responded, “I have food of which you do not know”. “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work” (John 4:1, 31-34). My food – what I hunger for, what I desire, what I long for, what would satisfy my deepest hunger is the Father’s will.

Jesus taught his disciples: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (God’s way), they will be satisfied” (Mathew 5:6).

Surrender to the Father’s will is what Jesus deeply desired. He was the only that we know was perfectly obedient to the will of the Father. Jesus did what he liked and loved and he did what the Father willed of him. He was sent by the Father with a mission (with orders) and he remained obedient. He says, “I have come, not to do my own will, but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38); “I always do what is pleasing to him” (john 8:29). Jesus taught, the only proff of love is obedience (John 14:23).

The dynamic and the moving force, the mainspring and the core of the life of Jesus was one of continuous self-surrender. His life of obedience has taught us:

The only way to peace is to do the will of God. There can be no peace when our will is at variance with the will of God.

The only way to fullness of Joy is to do the will of God. There can be no joy when our will is not aligned with the will of God.

The only way to power is to do the will of God. When we go God’s way, we go with His power. When we go our way, we rely on our power which tends to weaken.

The only way to freedom is to do the will of God. We are free only in God’s wisdom. Our ignorance makes us unfree.

Surrendering to God and obeying His will and purpose for your life brings you into the abundance of his life and love that Jesus came to offer, “I have come so that you may have life to its fullness (John 10:10)” . If you hang on to your desires, plans and rights, you may be happy for awhile, a satisfaction for the moment, a sense of accomplishment for the present, or a temporary relief from stress or longing.

We are often tempted with transitory longings, desires of the moment, cravings for the passing pleasures of life. Surrender these passing, perishable longings to God, ride them out, choose obedience, rise above them, reach beyond them and attend to the deeper longings of your heart, the desire for God and God’s ways.

Surrendering our desires, wants, rights and wills is hard to do. We are all often like children. When we want something, we want something and we really want it! Those of you who have tried to go on a diet, knows well that if you don’t surrender your desires, wants and cravings, you will not have the desired result. The same is true of our spiritual life. If we do not surrender our desires and open ourselves to the will and purpose of God, we will not know the ultimate fulfillment of our life.

The Psalmist says:

Blessed is the man
who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
burnt offerings and sin offerings, you did not require.

Then I said, “Here I am, I have come,
it is written about me in the scroll.

I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:4, 6,

Surrender to God is a choice we must make with every breath.

Take a few moments….Take a few deep breaths right now!

Breathe in God’s Way and breathe out my way – God’s way in, My way out.

You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you’ll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs