Monthly Reflections

Monthly Reflections by George Calleja

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May 2025

Life as a Gift: Living Out Christian Principles Through Love and Hope 

As Christians, our lives are grounded in the two greatest commandments: to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This foundational principle shapes every aspect of life, encouraging us to honor God through integrity and faithfulness in our work, nurture spiritual growth within our families, and extend kindness and forgiveness to those around us. Living out these commands means putting God first in all decisions, treating others with compassion, and modeling Christ’s love daily.

In practical terms, Christians are called to live holy and obedient lives by avoiding dishonesty and selfishness, serving others humbly, and embracing forgiveness as God forgives us. Whether at work, at home, or in our communities, our actions should reflect the character of Christ—marked by truthfulness, humility, and a readiness to reconcile when conflicts arise. This lifestyle not only strengthens relationships but also bears witness to the transformative power of the Gospel.

Ultimately, it is vital to remember that life itself is a precious gift from God, to be cherished and appreciated each day—even when life is difficult due to sickness, loss, or hardship. Through love, hope, and faith, every moment remains worth living because God’s presence sustains us. Embracing this truth helps us face challenges with gratitude and joy, seeing life not just as a struggle but as an opportunity to glorify God and share His love. When we live with this perspective, our hope in God’s eternal promises gives us strength to persevere through every circumstance. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), assuring us that life’s hardships are embraced within God’s greater plan of love and redemption.

March 2025

The love of Christ  

Have you ever asked the question, what is the love of Christ?

To answer such a question very briefly, the love of Christ is unconditional, it is given freely to all people, regardless of weaknesses or past mistakes.

Also, the love of Christ is sacrificial, as demonstrated by Jesus’s willingness to die for humanity’s sins, for my sins, for your sins.

The love of Christ is redemptive, aiming to heal, restore, and transform lives.

Christ's welcomes all people from all backgrounds without prejudice, as His love is everlasting, promising believers’ eternal closeness with Him, through His Salvation by dying of the Cross and resurrected to Heaven near His Father.

This is what the love of Christ is about, by loving you.

January 2025

How does society ensure social justice? 

In today’s life, throughout all nations, social justice is a very discussed topic. One might ask, but how does society ensure social justice?

Basically, from a Catholic point of view, all men and women according to the place and role that they occupy participate in promoting the common good by respecting just laws and taking charge of the areas for which they have personal responsibility such as the care of their own family and the commitment to their own work. Citizens also should take an active part in public life as far as possible.

As can be seen, one of the most important things for a society to ensure social justice, is in promoting the common good by respecting just laws. A healthy society rest a lot if the common good is provided in a just way to all people, without discriminating no one. This would be possible if just laws are in place and that abuse to any system is prohibited. Furthermore, taking care of one another and helping one another to ensure social justice, is a responsibility for every person to undertake through love.

Loving one another, as Christ loves us, is the foundation for society to ensure that social justice reaches everyone in a just way.

November 2024

Who is in the peripheries and where are they?

In October 2018, the auxiliary bishop of Chicago, Bishop Joseph Perry, during his speech at the annual Missouri Catholic Conference General Assembly, explained very well who those in the peripheries are. In his words, based on the catechesis of Pope Francis, the peripheries include people who are ignored by hierarchical and governmental systems, as well as those who are illiterate or judged by their race or condition in life, immigrants, and refugees, the imprisoned, those who publicly sin, the elderly, sick and unborn.

We know who our brothers in the peripheries are, and where to find them. Different societies, towns, villages, and cities include also people living in the peripheries. It is a known fact that even in certain big corporations and businesses, one can find people who, although wealthy and rich, also form part of these peripheries. Their greed for money, and lack of values, create a vacuum in their spiritual life, as a result of which, their business actions are disconnected from God. This, in turn, often brings with it suffering to other people’s lives.

It is also a known fact that certain places of entertainment are a beehive for drugs, prostitution, and human trafficking. Such places are not only frequented by youths and teenagers, but also adults and elderly people. These places are also known for gambling and money laundering, with many victims falling into this trap.

These are just a couple of examples of today’s peripheries. One must not forget other peripheries, such as the prisons, hospitals, homeless people living in their cars, in a garage with lack of adequate sanitation, under a bridge or in card boxes, unwanted children living in institutions, and the list goes on.

September 2024

Be strong in your faith

Just a brief message of inspiration and encouragement for all Christians. Be strong in your faith.
Everybody has distinct life experiences. Everybody encounters challenging circumstances at some point.
It is critical for all Christians to have a strong faith in order to handle all of these events and circumstances. Having a solid faith will enable a person to weather any storm in life and adapt to new situations.
Any barrier that stands in the way of a person's relationship with Jesus can be surmounted by having a personal relationship with Jesus.
Be encouraged and be strong in your faith.

July 2024

The truth is…

The Bible passage “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me....’’ is found in John 14:6. Have you ever read or heard this verse before?

This is the main purpose of the truth. Everyone has to have faith in this. This is what each and every individual must do in order to approach Jesus and be presented to the Father through Him.

The Way is Him. He is both the Life and the Truth. Jesus will make our path to the Father.

Be encouraged and put your trust in Him; you won't be let down because His love leads you to the Father.

The truth is that Jesus is the Way.

May 2024

Your life is precious… to Him    

No matter if you are poor or rich, healthy or not, happily married or not, a well-educated person or not, a Christian or not, a criminal or not, always remember that your life is precious to Him.

For created you and every other human being for one specific reason… to have a personal relationship with Him.

God loves you as you are, without comparing you to other people. Whatever you have done in your life, and whatever experiences you have gone through… your life is still precious to Him. You are still precious to Him. You are precious to Him.

Appreciate that He loves you, rejoice through His love, and love Him in turn… by loving your neighbour.

Remember, that your life is precious to Him, so give your precious life to Him, by doing His will in your life.

March 2024

Live in Peace

Peace.

Peace is possible if loving your neighbour. Peace is the result of love. Anything that is not generated through love, generates disharmony, hate, conflicts, infidelity etc.

Peace is what everyone is searching for, but not everyone searches for it in love… in the love of Christ.

Christ is Peace. Christ taught us all about how to be in peace by loving our neighbour, feeding the poor, helping the needy, clothe the naked etc. Are you doing this?

 Remember that when you are not in peace, it is a sign that you are not loving your neighbour… not loving Christ.

January 2024

A letter to mum

Dear mum,

I have been listening to your discussions with some people about me, and it seems that you are still not certain what to do: whether to abort me, give me up to some sort of institution, or to be with me as I grow up out of this shelter I am growing in now. Why are you uncertain? I have heard all of the discussions and am aware of all the pros and cons that you are considering, but why have you still not asked me what I would like to do? I do have a voice, so please do not suppress my voice, please do listen to my voice!

I am enjoying every little bit playing in your womb and I can tell that you will really do a great mum. But mum, why are you considering aborting me when I look forward to be with you, to share my life with you, and you know what, when you get old I will be able to take care of you. It would really be nice to see your face, to hold the hands of my father and to play with my siblings or friends. At least please give me the chance to experience life by giving me up for adoption or to an institution if you cannot raise me up yourself!

Mum, please do not let me go through the pain I would suffer if had to be aborted. It would be really painful from what I have heard. I do not want to suffer and carry the pain of never being able to see your face or be held in your arms.

If instead, you had to give me up for adoption, at least that would give me an opportunity to experience life, even though I would still be in pain as probably I would never experience being with you.

Mum, let me experience playing in the fields and running around parks, just as the other children do, as I listen to them from inside your womb. From inside the womb, I can also sense the people moving around, those on their way to work, to university, to church. Oh, how much I wish I could also experience all this as I grow up, if only, if only, you would give me a chance to live.

Mum, let me continue growing in your womb, so that eventually I be held in your arms. Mum, please let me live, let me be loved by you, let me enjoy life.

Thanks mum, for reading this letter, and I hope to see you soon.

I love you mum.

Your baby. 

(This reflection is an extract from my book ‘Mum… let me live’)

November 2023

Do not be afraid of commitments  

Commitment. Commitment is a word that today many people are afraid to live up to. There are people afraid of commitment when it comes to work responsibility, or to study to achieve good results at school or university. Other people might feel not capable of committing themselves when approached to organize some sort of activity.

There could be different reasons why people feel afraid of commitments. Maybe, afraid to believe in their abilities, afraid of failure, afraid of not having enough time to be committed. and not wanting to be disappointed in life.

When you feel disheartened to be committed to something particular, such as being married, or visiting a person in need, I encourage you to remember about when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus made a big commitment by dying on the cross, as He was loving all humanity, including yourself.

To be committed is to love endlessly, to love unconditionally, is to trust in Him.

Do not be afraid of commitment, as He will give you the grace for it.

September 2023

Justice toward men and woman is to respect the rights of each  

Recently, I was going through the different topics of the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’ and came across the following paragraph 1807 about Justice, which is the following:

Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the "virtue of religion." Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. "You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor." "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven."

It is very clear from the above paragraph that justice is to be in place towards men. It is a pity and a disgrace that many think that they can get away from practicing justice. The masters of this world tend to forget that after this life they have to face the Master in heaven and be judged accordingly

Love of neighbour requires that justice is served in any situation of life. Injustices are found in various forms, such as, underpaid workers, known corrupted people who are not prosecuted, and amongst others discrimination towards people of a different colour or religion.

When the masters of this world do not practice justice, many people suffer, and it will affect society in a negative way. A strong society is only possible if justice is in place, which results in loving one’s neighbour.

Finally, as is written in paragraph 1807 of the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’, Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Are you practicing justice in this way?

July 2023

Set your life towards Him 

Many times, people face a dilemma in life. One can imagine many different types of dilemmas. The dilemma I would like to share is about being at the crossroads of your spiritual life.

The crossroads of a spiritual life are to choose between the way of the Lord, that is, to follow Jesus, or not to follow the Lord and walk the road that does not lead to Salvation. This is the dilemma: to choose between the good and the bad, between being at peace or not, between being a humble person or not, between being a holy person or not.

This dilemma is not only faced by Christians, as the Golden Rule of loving one’s neighbour is in every religion. So, at the crossroads of life and of one’s spiritual life, what must a Christian do? The only answer is to continue to follow Him, to ask for His grace, to turn your back on all temptations and evil things, and to totally surrender to Him—to Jesus.

Whenever you are at the crossroads of your life, whenever you feel spiritually dry and tired, refocus your life, turn to Him, and set your life towards Him.

May 2023

   Human rights  

In today’s world we often hear about human rights and human dignity. Most of the news items we watch on social media treat the subject of human rights and human dignity constantly. But what is, in simple terms, the meaning of human rights and human dignity?

The United Nations defines human rights as follows: ‘Human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings - they are not granted by any state. These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. They range from the most fundamental - the right to life - to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty.’ This book will not go into the issue if such human rights are truly safeguarded by all nations or if not, why.

It is worth keeping in mind, however, that millions of people still find it hard to have food to eat, and especially to have healthy and nutritious food to eat. This world still finds it hard to provide the proper education for our children, youths, and ongoing education to adults. Unemployment is still a big issue all over the world, bringing social problems and mental issues to the unemployed and their families. We can still see how the health system especially within the third world countries is not up to a standard, causing millions of people to get sick, and eventually die at a young age, forgotten by all. Freedom is still problematic in countries controlled by non-democratic governments. In some countries, the rights of human beings are still a long way to go. Such lack of human rights places these human beings in the peripheries of society, in the darkest alleys of life.

March  2023

          Grace is a participation in the life of God         

Did you know that grace is participation in the life of God? Are you surprised by this?

Well, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1997 explains that ‘Grace is a participation in the life of God. It introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life: by Baptism the Christian participates in the grace of Christ, the Head of his Body. As an "adopted son" he can henceforth call God "Father," in union with the only Son. He receives the life of the Spirit who breathes charity into him and who forms the Church.’

This is wonderful and encouraging indeed, knowing that by baptism the Christian participates in the grace of Christ. Reflecting upon paragraph 1997 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, has uplifted my life and enriched my faith as a Christian.

I hope that you appreciate that by grace you are introduced to the intimacy of Trinitarian life. I encourage you to thank God for His grace and to keep praying for His grace.

January 2023

What is the 9th Commandment all about?

Recently I was asked the question ‘What is the 9th Commandment all about? Well, to start with, the 9th Commandment ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife’ also applies to women, that is you shall not covet your neighbor’s husband.

Now, it is good to know the meaning of covet, and with a simple search on Google you find that it is a desire, wish, want, crave, meaning of having a longing for amongst others. Coveting is a sin and is the beginning of every exterior sin that it brings with, that can lead to adultery or other sexual sins.

Anyone who commits coveting is not loving God; because if you really love God, you cannot then covet your neighbour’s wife or husband. So in the 9th commandment what is important is to be pure in thought, and not let wilful impurity takes over our thoughts and desires.

November 2022

                               There are no limits to loving                                   

Loving one another through the love of God is what humanity requires. The calling of each person is to love without limits. There are no limits in loving, as the love of God has no boundaries, makes no distinction, and has no preferences. The love of God is perfect and is loving endlessly.

Every human being is loved by God, even though not everyone loves God. God’s love keeps loving, keeps loving in a new way each day, and keeps loving everyone with patience, comfort, caring, and forgiving.

To love is to love in every situation in life. We are to love so peace will reign. We are to love so that injustices do not occur. We are to love as Jesus did, to love without limits.

September 2022

Today’s children are the future generation

What we sow in today’s children is what we reap in future generations. This statement is so true in today’s society. The type of upbringing of today’s children is what will be the foundation of tomorrow’s society.

Parents have a big responsibility to shoulder, upon themselves, for the upbringing of their children. Christians and other people of different faiths and beliefs have responsibility for what they teach and practice. Governments, and people that influence a country, also have to be responsible for the laws enacted and the impact on today’s children.

The formation of today’s children rests upon each person in society. Today’s society is responsible for future generations. That is why, what we sow in today’s children, is what we reap in future generations, as today’s children are the future generation.

July 2022

A just wage

Recently, as I often do, I browsed through the The Catechism of the Catholic Church, to learn more about my faith and to share with my readers. I came across paragrapgh 2434 about a just wage. It was very interesting indeed, not because it was something I was not aware of, but mostly because this is truly an ongoing injustice that takes place in every corner of the world. The text reads as follows:

‘A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice. In determining fair pay both the needs and the contributions of each person must be taken into account. “Remuneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural, and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the business, and the common good.” Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages.’

The above text really made me wonder why such injustice is carried out. How come that such a situation occurs in today’s life, even though this is a well know injustice?

The only way to prevent any kind of injustice of being paid a just wage, is only through the intervention of Jesus in the heart of man. This can only happen if those responsible to provide a wage to their workers, is a person who truly follow the teachings and love of Christ, for the good of humanity.

A just wage, should be in place for anyone who is underpaid for any work one does. Also, a just wage, should be in place to those that through greed are being paid extreme and extravagant wages.

A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work and is to reflect the love towards humanity.

May 2022

Know Him in a personal way

The following question is directed to your heart. Do you know Jesus in a personal way? Be honest to yourself… do you know Jesus in a personal way?

Many feel uncomfortable when asked this question. There is a big difference in knowing Jesus as a historical person and knowing Jesus in a personal way. Knowing Jesus in a personal way, is knowing Him in the spiritual realm.

Wherever there is corruption, abortion, money laundering, crimes related to drugs and human traffiking, besides other acts of not loving your neighbour, for sure reflects that there is not a personal relationship with Jesus by whoever commits such acts or approve them. Knowing Jesus in a personal way produces love to your neighbour, to safeguard humanity from any kind of destruction to one’s being, both physically and spiritually.

Knowing Jesus in a personal way, makes you a ‘light’ in today’s society, to share His love, to do what is good and to love your neighbour.

March 2022

Let us make mankind in our image

One of the most quoted and known verses of the Bible is found in the very beginning, when one reads the well-known book of Genesis. In Genesis 1:26-27 God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

How wonderful and powerful this quote from the Bible is. God declares the making of mankind in God’s likeness, as male and female. This was the beginning of a perfect society, a society built on God’s love, of humans sharing together, of helping one another. From the very first part of the Bible, we see that God from the beginning already trusted mankind, already trusted His creation of male and female to rule the world, to live together in harmony. The fish, the birds, the livestock and wild animals and all other creatures… mankind was entrusted with all this.

Creation was the sharing of God’s love to mankind. An intimate, personal relationship between God and mankind had started. A personal relationship of God with His creation… with man and woman.

(this reflection is an extract from my published book ‘In His Image’)

January 2022

The crossroad that the Church is in

A couple of days before the conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013, it is said that the Pope expressed himself to the cardinals that ‘The church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the existential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents and of all misery.’ Pope Francis could not have explained it much better than he did that day. Precisely, this is the crossroad that the Church is in, in today’s history of society. This is where each member of the Church, each parish, each Christian group, and any other member of the Church, is to focus and reach out to.

Sin, pain, injustice, ignorance, indifferences to religion, intellectual currents, and misery, are what people all over the world are suffering from daily. Each one of these sufferings reflects a burden of life, a cross to live with, a cross that truly has already been carried by Jesus for the Salvation of mankind. Through His constant love for mankind, through the grace of the Trinity, the daily cross of mankind is continuously carried spiritually by Jesus.

Today’s society is faced, amongst others, with conflicts involving military forces, with the never-ending problem of the refugee crisis, the constant challenges of oppression, the addiction to drugs, the increasing problem of human trafficking and child slavery, the range of poverty found not only in poor suburbs and so called third world countries, but also in wealthy cities and countries. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the plagues of society today. These are some of the most common issues mankind faces in our lifetime. This is what the peripheries are partly all about. People from different nations, cultures, races, and religions are present in these peripheries. These people are suffering from the lack of love, lack of injustice, lack of compassion, are suffering due to the darkness of evil.

This is the crossroad the Church is in, to reach out more to those in the peripheries.

November 2021

Be a light in your community

A community is a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society. Such communities are found all over the world and in every corner of each country.

As Christians, we also are to belong to a specific community, in other words to a Christian Community. True Christian Communities are when believers worship and serve together in unity based on the teachings of God’s Word. These Christian Communities have a big responsibility that they carry, that is to be a ‘light’ to any other community they belong too.

To be a true Christian is to belong to a Christian Community and in the same time to be a ‘light’ of hope, of love to the people you meet in your daily life.

Being a ‘light’ in your community, is bringing Jesus to others.

September 2021

Mary is an example for welcoming a child

For sure that you have heard the story of Mary being the mother of Jesus. For sure that you heard and know about the ‘yes’ that Mary said to the angel upon announcing to her that she would become the mother of Jesus.  The ‘yes’ of Mary meant that she was ready to serve and fulfil the mission entrusted to her.

Mary went through a lot of hardship and suffering but also of joy being the mother of Jesus. This was possible as Mary always lived by that ‘yes’ to be the mother of Jesus.

Mary, is a true example to today’s society and brings encouragement to all woman carrying a child in their womb. The great example of Mary is to be lived and imitated by all woman carrying a child in their womb, that is to say the ‘yes’… ‘yes, I will give birth to my child, in suffering and in joy, to be beside my child while growing up and give the best love to my child’.

Mary is an example for welcoming a child.

July 2021

What is your treasure?

Have you ever wondered what is your treasure in life? Are you being alienated in life by greed, power and selfishness? Is there a place in your life for God, for having a personal relationship with Jesus? What is your treasure? Rightly so, in Matthew 6:21 it is written ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’

If the treasure in your life is God, of having a personal relationship with Jesus, you should experience His peace even when facing difficult moments in life. You would be able to live in simplicity, even if you are rich. You would be able to love your neighbour, even if your neighbour troubles you. You would be able to give to the poor, without expecting nothing in return. You would be able to bring up a family and take care of your children, even though society campaign in favour of abortion. You would be able to be righteous, even tough corruption tries to destroy you apart.

So, what is your treasure?

 May 2021

By loving one’s neighbour, you are on the way to heaven

Have you ever seen a movie, where Saint Peter is seen at the gate of heaven checking out who is able to enter heaven? I always wondered what kind of checklist does Saint Peter has to assess who can enter heaven or not. This kind of imagination has for sure passed through our minds. It sounds humorous, but in reality, have you ever wondered what one must do to enter heaven?

No matter what race you are, what gender you are, there is only one way through life that can take you to heaven. The way to heaven is by loving your neighbour. You are to have faith and believe that whenever you love your neighbour, you are loving Jesus.

Jesus died on the cross and through the cross Salvation was paid, and by His resurrection to heaven, the Father is waiting for you to join the Trinity in heaven. That is why Jesus was sent for mankind, to bring Salvation to all. And that is why Jesus told us to love our neighbour, so that to love Him and Salvation is ours in heaven.

So, whenever you have an opportunity to love your neighbour, seek that opportunity and love as Jesus loved. Know that there are different ways how to love your neighbour. Treasure your neighbour, as loving your neighbour is the  way to heaven.

 March 2021

Seek comfort through Jesus

What is comfort? A simple internet search for the word comfort, one will come across the definition to give strength and hope, to ease the grief or trouble.

Many people are in search of comfort, due to the hectic lifestyle, family problems, of being anxious, besides are stressful situations one finds himself in life. People try different things to be comforted and feel the relief that is much desired.

Being a Christian, I have learnt and experienced that in any situation I feel the need to be comforted and relieved, this is only possible through Jesus. The fulness of being comforted is only found in Jesus. Of course, our family and dear ones do help to provide comfort whenever it is necessary, but the comfort that Jesus gives to a person is specially filled with spiritual love. healing and it is everlasting.

As in John 14:1-4, Jesus comforted His Disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Let go of your troubles, believe in God, believe in Jesus, seek His comfort and His way of Salvation.

  January 2021

The definition of sin

Many people all over the world play around with the word sin. It is not the first time that I have heard people deny the existence of sin. Other people might say, ‘come on forget about sin, enjoy life and do whatever you want’. Are these people correct about the non-existence of sin? I wonder why these people have such ideas that sin does not exist.

For me sin does exist, and so does God. It is not only because of my Christian faith that I have been brought up in, that I believe in sin, but it is mostly through my own experience of life… of my personal experience of God. Life has taught me that when I am not at peace with myself, with my neighbour and with God, it is because some kind of sin has taken over my being and disturbs my spiritual realm, my relationship with the loving Father. In other words, whenever I am not in peace, is because some kind of sin takes control of my life.

I know many other people who share similar experiences of mine. These are people who had encouraged other persons to fall in different addictions, people who had bullied their employees, and such other examples. However, these people, at a particular point in their life, through the grace of God, realised that they were living in sin, understood that sin does in fact exist, and decided through great conviction to follow Jesus and say no to the sinful life they had been living in.

 So, what is the definition of sin? The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1849 to 1851, clearly explains what sin is, as indicated in the following text:

Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law."

Sin is an offense against God: "Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight." Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to become "like gods," knowing and determining good and evil. Sin is thus "love of oneself even to contempt of God." In this proud self-exaltation, sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.

It is precisely in the Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it, that sin most clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred, shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate's cowardice and the cruelty of the soldiers, Judas' betrayal - so bitter to Jesus, Peter's denial and the disciples' flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of the prince of this world, the sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins will pour forth inexhaustibly.

In view of what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, and through my experience of life, sin is anything that makes an offense to God, or any kind of action that offends a human being. The offense to a human being can be made during the time a human being is still in the mother’s womb, during the lifetime of a human being, and also after a human being dies.

Sin is anything that separates man from the love of God and of his neighbour.

(this reflection is an extract from my book ‘Come To Me’)

November 2020

What does the road to Emmaus remind me of?

Meditating and studying this part of the scripture as narrated by the Gospel of Luke 24:13-35, I find that the episode of the road to Emmaus reminds me very much what a Christian passes through upon accepting in his life the love of the Father and becoming a disciple of Christ. I can easily picture myself in such a situation, remembering my first encounter with Christ, who started to change my life and mould me into His image.

I had many personal questions about who Christ really was, why He touched my life, and what He wanted from me. I went through a phase of doubting my encounter with Christ, even questioning if such an experience was real or if it was just a feeling that would go away by time. My faith was still not strong enough, and at times I also found it difficult to understand what was going on inside me. Was Jesus really speaking to me personally? Was Jesus really interested in me? How can that be?

But as time went by, I started spending more time in prayer, exploring the depth of Christ’s love in my life, and eventually through life experiences and an increase in faith, I matured in my spiritual life. As a result, I started to believe more in Christ, and my personal experience with Him started to bear fruit. I became a person who was able to love my neighbour more, to be compassionate with the people I met. My family and friends started to recognise a change in me, they became aware of my relationship with Jesus and above all that I was a more peaceful person. Happiness was a new experience in my life which also filled me with joy.

Christ brought a new meaning to my life, that is, of living my life through the love of the Father. This road in my life, of growing in my faith through the love of Christ, does not necessarily mean that I do not pass through difficult days, temptations or feel burdened in particular moments. This road has taught me to have faith in Him, to completely trust in Him, to stand up again whenever I fall and to continue to follow Him, through His joy, love, comfort, peace and patience.

In this sense, the road to Emmaus reminds me of the road a Christian goes through in life. This road is similar to the one I went through, that is, of growing in one’s spiritual life, of discovering Christ, of learning to trust in Him, of believing in Him and of following Him to share His love throughout the nations, and to experience the living Christ. 

(This reflection is taken from my book ‘Emmaus… in today’s society)

 September 2020

Human dignity

Have you ever heard the term human dignity? Do you know what the root of human dignity is?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the dignity of the human person is rooted in his or her creation in the image and likeness of God. Endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul, intelligence and free will, the human person is ordered to God and called in soul and in body to eternal beatitude.

How wonderful and precious it is to know that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. How wonderful it would be if human dignity is really respected and totally valued in all the sphere of life.

But one wonders… is society respecting human dignity, with the consciousness that human beings are in the image and likeness of God? Respecting human dignity is only possible if one sees human beings in the image and likeness of God, which eventually leads to loving one’s neighbor.

 July 2020

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness…

On numerous occasions, we have heard stories about Christians who have been persecuted for being witnesses to God’s love. Today, through all kind of social media we hear of Christians’ sufferings for defending their faith, the Church, Christian values, or for working for peace on earth.

The eighth Beatitude speaks precisely about this: that all those who in their lives are persecuted for living up to the truth, will be blessed for being righteous. It is a reality that keeps happening around us, that Christians are persecuted and face different sufferings for being faithful to the truth. Jesus knows this kind of suffering will continue to take place till the very end of time, but He also knows that through the love and unity of the Holy Trinity, these same people who experience these sufferings… will be blessed.

Do you recall any episode in your life when you have been persecuted because of your faith? What was your experience of it? Or maybe, have you never been persecuted, because you have never been a real witness to your faith? Does this make you wonder if you are truly living up to your faith?

…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The blessing that Jesus preached in this Beatitude is that people who face persecution and suffering for their faith… will receive the kingdom of heaven as their own. This is the reward for these people… for all those who suffer persecution… they will receive the eternal reward of the kingdom of heaven.

Being blessed by receiving the kingdom of heaven is possible whenever the faith of the individual penetrates the mystery of being persecuted, that is, whenever one finds his hope in the faith in God. Through the strong faith in God, one suffers persecution with joy… knowing that his reward is the kingdom of God (sourced from the ‘Dictionary of Biblical Theology’).

Oh, how much I really want to receive the kingdom of heaven! The truth is that this opportunity is there for all… for me, for you, for all people who have a deep faith in God… our loving Father.

(This reflection is taken from my book ‘The Beatitudes… the blessings from the Sermon on the Mount’)

 May 2020

The greatest commandment

In Matthew 22:34-39, ‘hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

 These couple of sentences made me wonder if throughout the world we are putting this into practice. Are we loving God? Are we loving our neighbour?

Many people in society are in need to rediscover to love God, to rediscover to love one’s neighbour. Not loving God, not loving one’s neighbour, will lead into a destructive society, where the power of darkness reigns.

 We are to be people who love God, who love our neighbour, to bring the light of true love back into society. This is the greatest commandment society is to follow… to love God and to love one’s neighbour. 

  March 2020

Always trust in Jesus

On many occasions in my life I have heard people saying to me ‘trust in Jesus’. But what does it really mean to trust in Jesus?

What I have learnt through my life experience and also through my faith in God, is that I have to trust in Jesus because He is the Savior. I am always to remember that by Jesus dying on the cross He brought Salvation to all mankind. He died because of loving each and everyone of mankind, because He loves us all, because He loves me in a personal way.

So, for me, what Jesus did by dying on the cross, and eventually that on the third day He was risen from His death and went to heaven, strengthen my faith to trust in Jesus.

Through His Salvation, by committing myself to Jesus, I have experienced of knowing Jesus in a personal way, of understanding that the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit loves me tremendously.

This experience has deeply strengthened my faith, made me a free person, as I follow Him as a disciple to be another Jesus to others. I know that in every difficult moment in my life, He is there beside me, guiding me, and encouraging me to take up every challenge I face in life, by trusting Him.

As what John wrote in 14:1, that Jesus said “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me”

 January 2020

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God

The Sixth Beatitude : Blessed are the pure in heart,

 What does this particular Beatitude show us about Jesus’ love for us? This Beatitude shows us the ‘depth’ of Jesus’ love for us by being interested in our heart. What is important for Jesus is not the many good deeds that we do, but he is interested in knowing that such good deeds are done with a pure, clean heart.

 Jesus is interested in sinners being able to make it to the loving Father, by acknowledging their mistakes, by asking forgiveness and by changing their lives. This is only possible if each sinner changes his life of sin that results in an unclean heart, and through the love of the Father be transformed to have a clean, pure heart that disassociates itself from sin.

 The heart carries all the secrets of a person, which only the person himself knows about… besides God. Amongst such secrets, one may carry negative secrets, which as is written in Matthew 15-18-20 the ‘…things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts - murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person…’

 It is for this reason that Jesus is very much interested in our heart, in having a pure heart, so that mankind does not fall into the trap of sin. This particular Beatitude gives the person hope to trust in Him by letting go of sin and as a result obtain a clean heart.

 …for they will see God.

 The reward for all those who are clean in heart and who renounce sin from their lives is, to see God. What ultimate reward can anyone hope for in one’s life, other than that of seeing God?

 This is Jesus’ ultimate love for us all: teaching us how to become a better person to overcome sin and reap the reward through a pure heart. The reward of seeing God is there for all of us to achieve by experiencing the love of God given to us on earth, and by seeing God in heaven… which is the greatest reward for eternity.

 It is only through Him that we can be purified. Are you working to have a clean and pure heart? What obstacles are there in your life preventing you from having a clean heart? Through God’s grace, through His love for you, it is possible for you to have a clean heart and to be rewarded for it by seeing God.

 God is waiting for you.

  November 2019

'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy''.

 The Fifth Beatitude: Blessed are the merciful,…

A merciful person is a person who does God’s will in response to His love. Jesus showed His kindness, compassion, respect and tenderness to all people… He gave each person the love of the Father. In this same way, a person who in his life follows Jesus and does His will is a person who is merciful to his neighbour.

     A merciful person is one who, out of his spiritual relationship with Jesus, performs acts of love, by feeding the hungry, giving to drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and visiting the imprisoned. Furthermore, a merciful person, amongst others, also teaches the ignorant, counsels the doubtful, forgives offences and comforts the afflicted.

     A merciful person sees life not just from a human perspective; he sees life through the eyes of Jesus. By being merciful, such a person approaches each day by living experiences and relationships with others with the aim of giving them Christ.

          To be merciful is a challenge for us. How many times in our lives have we met a hungry or thirsty person, a homeless person…? Have we been merciful to them? Have we given them to eat and drink? If we were hungry and thirsty or homeless ourselves, would we not want someone to give us to eat, to drink and to provide us with shelter?

     We are to be a merciful people.

…for they will be shown mercy.

     Acting in a merciful way will bring joy, peace and hope to those receiving these merciful acts of love. Furthermore, the merciful person will himself be shown mercy. When judgement day will come for these merciful persons, as it is written in Matthew 25:34-36, Christ will say to them:

 ….. ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

      This is what Jesus will show to merciful persons… the Kingdom of Heaven. Be a merciful person and the Kingdom of heaven is yours.

 July 2019

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  The First Beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit…

     Who are the poor in spirit? Why is the kingdom of heaven theirs?

      The answer behind these two questions rests upon the spiritual meaning which Jesus taught during the Sermon on the Mount.  The answer is not found through the literal meaning of each word, but in the spiritual, divine meaning relating to a person’s response to God’s calling. This calling of God to the human being asks of him to recognize his spiritual poverty before going to Him to be able to receive through faith the salvation He offers. This Beatitude asks of the human being to recognize that God is God.

     To be poor in spirit is to recognize that you totally depend upon God; to recognize that you are nothing and God is all.  To be poor in spirit is to empty oneself, that is, to become nothingness and depend totally on God. So if you happen to be a wealthy person, in a very good financial situation, in the spiritual realm you need to become nothing. You need to recognize and acclaim that although you are a wealthy person, you still depend totally on God. Your attitude should not be that of seeking to be close to God because you are wealthy, but that you grow close to God, because God is God.

      On the other hand, if you happen to be a poor person, being in a difficult financial situation, you too need to become nothingness in your particular situation. You need not envy a rich person or desire to become rich. You are to accept your situation of being a poor person, and in that situation you draw close to God, not for the sake of seeking comfort from God, but because God is God.

     This is the way to be poor in spirit: to become nothing, knowing that you totally depend upon God. The person who is poor in spirit, recognizes his smallness in front of God, and recognizes that God is everything in his life. 

     This is a challenge in today’s life as every day the Christian’s spirituality is bombarded by worldly ideas through the different social media. In the midst of all these voices, we are to recognize that we totally depend on God; we are to empty ourselves and let God penetrate our heart.

…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

     Isn’t it great that people are blessed because they choose to be poor in spirit? The result of being blessed is that the kingdom of heaven is theirs. So, what is the kingdom of heaven?

     The kingdom of heaven is the gift of salvation. It is the gift for all who are poor in spirit. This gift was brought to us by the loving act of Jesus… that of dying on the cross for our sins. It is precisely in front of the cross that people are to recognize their sins, to recognize that Christ is the saviour who redeemed us from our sins. It is Jesus on the cross that made it possible for us to be redeemed from our sins. We must increase our faith in what Jesus did for us through his death on the cross.

     Upon recognizing our sins, our weaknesses, recognizing that Christ is the saviour… the gift of salvation is ours. It is at this point in our faith that the kingdom of heaven already becomes ours, even as from here on earth.

 (this reflection is taken from my Christian Book ‘The Beatitudes... the blessings from the Sermon on the Mount’)

     May 2019

'The YES entails a life of prayer'

A life of prayer… is the foundation of all that is required to come to the point of saying ‘Yes’ to follow Him. It is important for a Christian to understand this: it is only through a life of prayer that one is able to have the courage, the faith, and the trust in God for whatever calling He has for you; to come to a point in life of proclaiming that ‘Yes’. I encourage all Christians, of whatever denomination or church they belong to, to practice more fervently their life of prayer.

   Prayer is a source that makes us strong in our faith. It helps us in our formation and to know God in a more personal way. There are different ways and means of how one can pray. Different Christians are well accustomed with traditional prayer… ‘Spontaneous Prayers’, ‘The Our Father’, ‘The Rosary’, ‘The Word of God’, ‘The Book of Common Prayer’, and many, many more. We can pray on our own, or together with our fellow Christians. It is not my intention here to teach you what to pray and how to pray… but my intention is to encourage you to do it daily, during every moment of your life. Even doing the daily house work at home could be a form of prayer… if you are doing it out of love for your family!

     It is a life of prayer that enriches our life, and that helps us to understand what God wants from us. Spending precious time with God through prayer is the best investment one can make in his life. It is prayer that equips us to be strong in our faith. It is a life of prayer that makes it possible for us to face the torments of life. It is through prayer that we grow in our spiritual life, and build a personal relationship with Jesus.

 ‘This monthly reflection is taken from my Christian Book ‘Yes... I Will Follow Him' - March 2015’

 March 2019

'The Mission...'

Every Christian is called for a particular mission in life. A mission designed by God. A mission to bring peace between families, between countries, in the work places, within the church, and in every place where there is a human being. What is the mission each Christian is called to accomplish in life? The mission is to love.

Jesus died on the Cross because He loved every human being. His mission was accomplished upon His resurrection. His mission has been passed on to His disciples. Now this mission is entrusted to all Christians. Are you partaking in His mission… the mission to share the love of the Father?

As Christians we are to be another Jesus to society. We are to be with the poor, to help those in need, to give a good advice about how to live Christianity in todays’ society. We are to be the voice to all those wounded by injustice, to heal the pain caused by abortion, to pray with all those who suffer, to bring hope, to bring peace. This is just a drop in the ocean what the mission is all about. Any mission that God entrusted each Christian with, has its source in the Fathers Love.

 I am glad and happy for accepting the mission God has entrusted me with. I try my best to accomplish it every day of my life. Even in moments of doubts and difficulty, God always lifts me up to continue to follow Him and accomplish the mission entrusted to me. God entrusted me with a mission to love my neighbour, in every present moment of my life.

I am sure, that every Christian has a specific mission that God has entrusted with. I am sure, that God will always be by the side of every Christian to accomplish the mission.

Are you accomplishing the mission God has entrusted you with?

January 2019

'The Holy Spirit'

Who is the Holy Spirit? Some people might ask this question, especially if they do not know Jesus in a personal way. The basic answer to this question is found in John 14:16 ‘And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever’. Here Jesus is promising the Holy Spirit to His disciples. The promise is that the Holy Spirit will always be with the disciples. God will never abandon the disciples.

Jesus further reveals to them who the Holy Spirit is through John 14:26 ‘But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’ Jesus’ promise further extends that the Holy Spirit will teach the disciples of all things God wants to express to mankind. This, in a nutshell is who the Holy Spirit is.

When the Holy Spirit was experienced by the disciples at Pentecost, in Acts 2:1-4 it is explained that ‘When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.’

The promise of Jesus to His disciples was fulfilled at Pentecost. This same promise was not only for the disciples, but for every baptised person. Today, the Holy Spirit is as ever present. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, is a mystery which one can only partly understand. It is faith in God that will help us to experience and grow closer to the Holy Spirit.

 (This monthly reflection is an extract from my Christian Book ‘In His Image’) 

November 2018

‘Love...’

Love. Most probably the word ‘love’ is the most used word throughout the different languages. The word ‘love’ is used in different occasions to describe something we like, such as,… I love my country, I love football, I love cooking… etc. For me as a Christian the word ‘love’ reminds me of how much Jesus loves each person. Jesus loved so much that He died on the cross for me, for you and for all the generations.

The love of Jesus is what each person requires in life. His loves comfort us, heals us, and draws us to the loving Father. What each person is called to do in life is to love all neighbours one meets during our daily life. Each moment in life is an occasion to love in the same way that Jesus loves.

Loving one’s neighbour is possible by having a personnel relationship with Jesus. As Christians we are to be witnesses of how much Jesus loves every person and we are to draw each person to Christ by being another Jesus to our neighbours. Loving as Jesus did will bring peace to our hearts, to our lives.

The word ‘love’ also reminds me about the times Jesus has helped me in my life. The occasions when He comforted me when being down, the times He has healed me when being sick, the way He has guided me during different difficult decisions I took in life, the many times He has showed me how to ‘love’ my family, friends and each neighbour.

So, I am really grateful for recognising how much Jesus loves me in a personal way. I hope that even you have recognised the ‘love’ of Christ in your life and that you have accepted Jesus in your life and follow Him.

  September 2018

‘Jesus wants everyone to know Him in a personal way’J

Jesus wants everyone to know Him in a personal way. The love of His Father is for all people in all nations. This opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is good is for everyone, yet it is still not known by all people. This reality could be because although certain people have attempted and had the opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is good, they have decided to go their own way, refusing to know Jesus in a personal way. In these situations, Jesus still loves and cares for each person, and still desires that every individual would return to Him to find refuge and to be blessed.

In Mark 6:34 we read that …When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. This particular verse reminds me very much of today’s society and makes me reflect upon it. It seems that even today a big number of people are like sheep without a shepherd, not knowing what they want from life and what life is all about. Today’s society is built on individualism, on an attitude as if each person knows it all; there exists lack of trust, and obedience and respect seem to be something of the past or old fashioned. In such an atmosphere, one will find it hard to believe and have faith in Jesus, to taste and see that the Lord is good.

Upon seeing the people like sheep without a shepherd, Jesus had compassion for them. He loved these people and wanted the best for them. Embraced by the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus began teaching them many things. One might reflect and ask… but who were the people in the crowd described as sheep without a shepherd? In my opinion that crowd was composed of a mixture of people. People who were curious who Jesus was, sinners, unhappy people, people with doubts about their faith… and some who had started to believe in Him and followed Him later in their lives. Is this not the same situation also occurring in todays’ society?

Jesus was there for them. Jesus was there to bring hope to them, to teach them about the loving Father… to be their shepherd. Jesus was after the sinner, the broken-hearted, the poor, the lonely, the sick… Jesus was there for all. Jesus knew what His mission was for the Salvation of people. He knew that the people needed to taste and see that the Lord is good, in order to accept and have faith in Him, and to accept the Salvation He was bringing to the people.

Jesus knew that if the broken hearted, the poor, the sinners and all those in danger of losing their soul would believe in Him, they would find refuge in Him. He knew that if these people would make an effort in their lives to seek Him, to cast all their burdens upon Him, to know Him in a personal way… they would find happiness in Him. Jesus knew that by following Him and giving their lives to Him by renouncing all their disbelief and sin… by putting their trust in Him, they would be embraced by the loving Father.

This is also true for today’s society. The loving Father wants to embrace each one of us, he wants us to taste and see that the Lord is good!

(This reflection is taken from my Christian Book ‘Taste and see that the Lord is Good’)

   July 2018

‘Are we communicating Peace and Unity?’

Along the history of mankind, ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, peace and unity between neighbours, friends, family members, and between nations has always been an issue. Jesus, died on the cross and brought Salvation to all mankind. So, peace and unity is possible to reign if mankind truly loves one another… that is to love each neighbour.

It is up to each individual, to decide through his own actions, that peace and unity is communicated to another person. It is as simple as the domino effect. If one is standing strong in his faith, the other person shall also be strong. If we do acts of love to another person, teach the Word of God, preach the Good News… the other person shall also become stronger in his faith and in return will do the same.

On the other hand if a person is not strong in his faith, he will easily fall whenever temptations comes his way. A person who is not spiritual strong in his faith, who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus, who is not concerned about loving ones’ neighbour, will bring havoc to persons living around him… they will also fall like him.

So, are we communicating peace and unity to the people we are with? As God’s creation, is mankind seeking to know God in a personal way, and to share His love with other people? When promoting abortion, euthanasia, or the practicing of money laundering, fraud etc… are these communicating peace and unity in our societies throughout the world?

In my humble experience of life, to bring peace and unity throughout the nations is only possible if people of good will, communicate the love of God to other people. It is through His love that mankind can be fulfilled in his life, as it is only through His Son that Salvation is possible.

If we live in true peace and unity with our neighbours… we are on the right way for Salvation.

May 2018

'I am not ashamed'

Following Jesus in my life has been the most important decision I have taken. It was a decision that I needed to take in a time when I was passing through spiritual dryness in my life. Although this spiritual dryness was a difficult time to live, it brought me closer to God… to the loving Father. After all, I was in search and seeking for the truth… ‘What is life all about?’.

Ever since I decided to follow Jesus, to commit my life to Him, to change my life, to be formed in my faith and to evangelize, Christ has always strengthened me in my faith and provided the required grace to overcome any other kind of spiritual dryness. In today’s society it is not easy to proclaim the truth and speak out about my faith and what the risen Lord has done in my life. It does not matter for me what unbelievers think about me… or for those who have a different opinion from me with regards to morality, ethics, values etc. I am a Christian and I proclaim what Christ teaches and I am not ashamed at all for following Jesus.

What is important for me is that while I continue to deepen my faith in the love of God and continue to have this personal experience with Jesus… in the same time I try to also share His love to other people. Of course, such Good News is not always well received or not received at all by certain people… but I have experienced that the Good News, after all is far more received by people.

Whenever a person decides to follow Christ, one is not to be ashamed. I am not ashamed of following Christ… and I hope that neither are you.

 March 2018

'The Cross... is the way to Salvation'

Every person carries a different cross in life. This cross can easily burden a person’s life. For certain people the cross means only something negative such as a particular experience, loss of a dear family member or friend, being homeless, being a sick person, being a drug addict.

The cross in itself is not something pleasant to have and live with. The cross has another dimension in it which every person needs to discover. The Cross… is the way to Salvation. Jesus died on the Cross to bring Salvation to all people, to all nations.

It is not easy to accept the cross in life. But, it is possible to live the cross through the grace and love of Jesus. This is possible through a personal relationship with Jesus. A relationship that overcomes any cross in one’s life, a relationship that focus on Salvation.

By truly living the cross through His grace, a person can show the love of Christ to other people. This can be done by appreciating someone who visits you while being sick or receiving a phone call for encouragement. A homeless person can give a smile to a person providing food or clothes. The cross is an opportunity to receive hope, love, care, comfort, material goods from other persons and also for the person carrying the cross to reciprocate through prayer, a smile and thanking the other person.

The strength to carry a cross is only through Jesus. One is to trust in Him, have hope in Him, and to always remember that the Cross… is the way to Salvation.   

 January 2018

'Be encouraged'

Over the years I have met many people who feel that they are not worthy of God’s love. For some reason, these people might have passed through a difficult experience in their lives, with the consequence of not experiencing Jesus in a personal way.

On many occasions over these years I remember these people and share a prayer for them. My simple prayer for these people is that they receive the grace from God, to turn to Him, and experience His Son Jesus in a personal way. All I want to say to these people is ‘Be encouraged’  for God loves you in a personal way.

Every person is worthy to be loved by God, to experience His love, to experience Jesus in a personal way. All sinners are to go to Jesus… that means all of us! Jesus is waiting for us to take us to the loving Father and be embraced by Him and feel His comfort… His forgiveness.

The reason for sharing this, is because I have experienced Jesus in a personal way, and He has accepted me as I am, He cleansed me, He moulded me and through Jesus I also experienced the Father, the Holy Spirit… the Trinity.

So, ‘Be encouraged’, let go of the past, let go of sin, and follow Jesus. I am sure you will not be disappointed… but will be a fulfilled person through His love.

 November 2017

'We are to live like Mary'

Mary, the mother of Jesus, wept upon seeing her Son dying on the Cross. Mary, embraced that particular moment of suffering, of seeing Her Son covered in blood, dead, but knowing that the Cross would bring the Salvation to all humanity.

In her suffering, Mary, as a mother accepted the will of the Father, that of being the Mother of Jesus. In her silence, she suffered, but that suffering was ‘nothing’, knowing that Salvation was only possible through the Cross… the Cross that reaped the joy of Salvation. 

Today, Mary is still with us. We are to imitate Mary in our lives, to bring that source of love, comfort and forgiveness which Mary presented to the world in a humble way, and to give it to society.

We are to present Mary, through our life, in our families, at school, at university, at our workplace, in parliament, and wherever we are and with whomever we are with. Mary is to be present in our society, by presenting Jesus as the Saviour of humanity.

As much as we are to know Jesus in a personal way, so to show us the way to Salvation, we are also to know Mary in our lives. Discovering Mary, is discovering the treasure of love. Her love was of doing the will of the Father, not only of being the Mother of Jesus… but of being the Mother of all humanity.

Today, Mary, wants us to return to Jesus. Today, Mary, is praying for humanity… for our society. Today, we are to live like Mary. 

 September 2017

'In the image of God'

Have you ever heard that man is in the image of God? When I heard this for the first time and I pondered about the meaning of it, I really could see how much God loves me in a personal way. God loves me so much that he made me in His own image.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 6 verse 355 explains that, 'God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them." Man occupies a unique place in creation: (I) he is "in the image of God"; (II) in his own nature he unites the spiritual and material worlds; (III) he is created "male and female"; (IV) God established him in his friendship.'

Furthermore, verse 357 explains that, ‘Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.’

The above are powerful words that really helps me in my faith and to follow Christ. Christ loves me just the way I am. He loves me for whom I am. His love for me is so great that He wants this personal relationship with me. I am to freely give myself to Him, just the way I am… for I am in the image of God.

Being in His image, I have realised that what is important in my life is to love Him… to love my neighbour… to be who I am by giving myself to others, through the love and grace of God. 

Being in the image of God, through His love and grace, I am called to bring His joy and peace to others. I am called to be an instrument of love where there is hatred, to help the poor and needy, to comfort those who are burdened.

I have realised that accepting myself of being in the image of God, I have become a fulfilled person and experience His love. You are also in the image of God.

 July 2017

‘A marriage in God’s plan’

Recently I was reading some parts of the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’. I was struck by a particular paragraph 1605 which states the following:- 

Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: "It is not good that the man should be alone." The woman, "flesh of his flesh," i.e., his counterpart, his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a "helpmate"; she thus represents God from whom comes our help. "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been "in the beginning": "So they are no longer two, but one flesh."

The above paragraph made me thank the Lord for the upbringing my parents gave me. Through the love my mother and father gave me, I could really experience the love of the Father, the Creator. God’s plan for my life was possible through the oneness of my mother and father. Together as one, my mother and father gave me the love presented to them by the Father.

‘Yes Lord, I do thank you for the marriage of my parents, for through them I was a gift in their lives, a gift to all the family. Lord, over the years I have realised how important my mother and father were in my life. They expressed to me how much you love me in a personal way’.

As the Holy Scripture affirms that a man and woman were created for one another, through the upbringing of my parents and through my relationship with Jesus, I came to understand more the value that a marriage in God’s plan is between a man and a woman. I thank you Lord that through my mother and father you transmitted to me the precious love of the Father.

 May 2017

'Living our morals and values'

Recently I was wondering about how can the world be in peace? How can I actually love my neighbour? What must one do to fully live one’s Christianity?

There are many ways and means of how the above can be achieved. But as I was deeply thinking and reflecting about life, what came to my mind was that the above questions can be achieved if one lives the Christian morals and values.

Christian morals and values revolve around spiritual devotion, devotion to the family unit and church family, charity work and respect for and promotion of human dignity. If only each Christian had to fully live these morals and values it would be possible to live in peace, it would be easy to love your neighbour, one would really be living Christianity to the full.

But why is it that certain Christians do not live up to these morals and values? Many reasons could lead to such a situation, but the main reason in my opinion, is that there would not be a personal relationship with Jesus in one’s life. Having this personal relationship with Jesus, experiencing His love in a personal way, and giving oneself to the loving Father, would result that the person would fully live the Christian morals and values.  Having this personal relationship with Jesus, would strengthen the spirituality of the person’s life by going against the currents of today’s world, and be able to say ‘yes’ and live the Christian morals and values through peace and grace by the Lord.

So, this is my encouragement to all who want peace in their lives. Seek the relationship with Jesus, let Him mould you into His image… and He will give you the strength to live the Christian morals and values to the full.

 March 2017

'Go to Jesus with the Wounds'

As Christians, we try to deal with spiritual wounds by going to Jesus. We are to go to Jesus in faith, and ask Him in a humble way to ‘Heal my wounds’. We are to trust Him, to be open to the Spirit of God and let Him penetrate into our hearts… into the deep corners of our hearts where these wounds have been resting for a number of years. These wounds have penetrated our hearts, deepening the scars of hate, anger, jealousy, revenge… of anything that separates us from the loving Father and from being a merciful person towards our neighbours. Indeed, these scars may hinder us from loving our neighbour.

We are not to be doubtful or afraid of approaching Jesus. We know that He loves us in a personal way and has died on the cross to express this love for us. He is there with open arms, ready to receive us back to the Father’s fold. Jesus is there to help us to rise up and walk again, and not to be a ‘crippled’ person in our spiritual lives. Jesus will give us His compassion, His forgiveness, His love, His comfort… and above all will give us His healing.

There is nothing to stop us or prevent us from going to Jesus. We are to let go of fear, of shyness, of pity… we are to be strong in our faith… to let go of sin and steadfastly go to Jesus. We are to give our wounds to Jesus, to receive Him in our hearts, to receive His healing.

 January 2017

‘Be bold and share the Good News’

During the past weeks, I have reflected a lot upon people who are spiritual wounded. People who have suffered by being abused or bullied, through illness, experiencing the loss of someone special, traumas caused through divorce and many more sufferings. Sufferings that can easily result in a spiritual wound of not believing in God and of feeling abandoned by God. These spiritual wounds can have the consequence of finding it difficult to love one’s neighbour, difficult of helping others and of not being in peace.

But what can one do to help these people? How can one help these people to overcome these spiritual wounds? How can these people be spiritual strong again?

In my opinion we need to be bold and share the Good News. We are to share the Good News to these people to give them hope that even in these sufferings, Jesus loves them in a personal way. We are to help them grow in their faith, to trust Jesus in these sufferings, and to ask Him to heal these spiritual wounds.

We are to be there beside them, to comfort them, just as Jesus would comfort them. We are to be Jesus to them… we are to be the suffering Jesus to these people… and present them to the Cross.

We are to be bold, not to be afraid, to ask the Holy Spirit to use us to share the Good News with the suffering people. This is the mission for all those who follow Christ. The mission to make a difference in society to share the Good News to all.

So, the challenge for this year is to be bold and share the Good News.

 November 2016

'Do I help my neighbour?'

Have you ever stopped for some time and reflected upon if you help your neighbour? This is a reflection that not many persons tend to think about.

Helping my neighbour is a very important aspect of my life. There are different ways and means of how one can help his neighbour. I try that in every occasion I have during the day, no matter who my neighbour is, I do my best to help that person in any way I can. It is a lifestyle that helps me to grow in my spiritual life.

When helping my neighbour it is an occasion for me to present Jesus to the other person. How? By being humble, being a witness of peace, living my faith to the fullness, sharing about Gods love… by being Jesus to the other person.

There is only one aim when helping one’s neighbour through different ways and means. That is of giving them Jesus by loving the other person just as Jesus loves them.

So… do I help my neighbour? Am I being Jesus to my neighbour?

Just reflect for a few seconds…

… know that all that Jesus wants from you is to love Him… by loving your neighbour.

 September 2016

'A life of prayer'

During our daily lives we have time to do a lot of different things. We go to work, to school, visit our friends and relatives, we spend time watching television, and so on… But what about prayer. Do we spend time in prayer? Do we spend time with Jesus in prayer?

Prayer is a very important part of my life. It is a time to be with Jesus, to voice out my thanksgiving to Him, to worship Him, to adore Him… to listen to Him… to experience Him in my life. For me prayer is a ‘lifestyle’. Prayer gives me the strength to overcome difficulties in life, to be able to love my neighbour more, to be able to forgive, to do acts of love, to be a merciful person. Prayer makes me a whole person, as I know that Jesus is listening to me, God the Father is glad of me, and the Holy Spirit continues to strengthen me in my faith.

This is my experience of prayer. An experience of being loved by Him, of being comforted, knowing that Jesus is listening to me and in His own way He answers my prayers. My life of prayer is a joy for me.

This is my prayer for you… that you may experience this in your lives… and that you live a life of prayer.