Almighty God,Our Refuge

"Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”  This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me"

                                          -John 18:4-9

The real love of our Father through Jesus is revealed here. Along with this Gospel, we can read the love of God through the verses below;

" For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"-John 3:16

This is how our Father gave us Jesus for our sins. The powers of the dark always troubles and traps the Children of God. They doesn't like to see Jesus in our heart. When we are in temptation, when we are in trouble and when sufferings and disturbances overpower our life, let us remember this altruistic life of Jesus.

Our Jesus knows that, the powers of the dark are after us because they want Jesus to be removed from our heart. In such stage we if are closer to Him and holding Him in our heart, then, Jesus will stand before us and will ask,

“Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”

This is the protection for us from our Jesus. This is how Jesus took the cross of our sins and sufferings for us to save us and He is doing the same now. We have to just believe in Him. 

" I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies"

                                                                                                            -John 11:25

Our God protects us and will stand as a defense if we are having Him in our Heart perfectly.

Prayer

Lord Almighty teach us and help us to fill our hearts with You and your love in truth. We know that you will cover us with your feather and under your wings we will find refuge; your faithfulness will be our shield and rampart(psalms 91:4).

Thank you Lord, Thank you Jesus

Amen

Reading

Psalms 18

How can we shut the doors of our hearts when Jesus stands before us opening wide His heart?

'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."- Revelation 3:20

This is the period of mercy and love. Our lord our God offered the most greatest offering for us, by giving His only son. Those who believes in Him and receives His Body and Blood are sanctified and will be raise to perfection in God.

 God has said to us that "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."…Jeremiah 31:33-34

God inscribed the living word in our hearts. We are now living through the resurrected word in flesh (JESUS). He came into us to live in us and make us like Him and strengthen us through His power to conquer the world and the powers of the dark as He did. Our Lord is standing with open heart, blood and water is flowing from it..mercy and love is bubbling out of it..let us stand under the cross, submitting all our weaknesses on to it. Let the Blood of Christ pour on to us an cleanse us, let the 

water from Him bath us in His love and mercy and sanctify us. Have we opened our hearts?

"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.  As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”-Hebrews 3:13-15

Let us not shut our heart to the Lord, when He is standing with arms open wide. Let us open our heart unto Him, let his love fill us and over flow from us so that we can give HIS love to others. Let us abandon our heart and take Jesus Heart in us....

Let us pray;

Lord, show us the areas in our life that blocks us from your rays of love and mercy. Help us to roll the great stone that is blocking our heart to open unto you. Let your living word - the double edged sword, break open our hearts of stone and transform it into your heart of flesh and purity. Help us lord.

In the name of the Father, Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Reading

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

Hebrews 4:12-13

It is God who Works through us

Where ever we are, what ever we do, realize that we are a new creation in Christ. It is no longer the human that is living in us but we are living in the life of Christ, we are breathing His breath. Hence let us leave ourselves back and move on as Christ. When we see others,let us see Christ in them. Whenever we do something, it is for Christ and in Christ that we do. This will make us humble, open in mind, unselfish and finding peace in everything.

It is God that chose us for His great mercy. Gods love found us out.

'"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you."

                                                                     -John 15:16

Receive everything from the world through the hands of God. Then it shall remain in us with full satisfaction.
It is not our eligibility,but it is the grace of Almighty that has guided us all the days till now and is guiding forever.

 "You aren’t doing the talking, but the Spirit of my Father is doing the talking through you."

                                                                                                       -Mathew 10:20

Let us praise Him all through our life and give honour to Him, because Our Father has given us a love that can never dry up and is never comparable to anything....

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.- Colossians 3:17

Whoever speaks should do so as those who speak God’s word. Whoever serves should do so from the strength that God furnishes. Do this so that in everything God may be honored through Jesus Christ. To him be honor and power forever and always. Amen- 1Peter 4:11

Praises to Lord always...

Reading

John 3:16

Psalms 139

"it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me"

Today the day began with Gods message,

" If Joshua gave the Israelites rest, God wouldn’t have spoken about another day later on.

Therefore, it’s left open for some to enter it, and the ones who had the good news preached to them before didn’t enter because of disobedience.  Just as it says in the passage above, God designates a certain day as “today,” when he says through David much later,

Today, if you hear his voice,
        don’t have stubborn hearts".- Hebrews 4:8, 6-7

The verses and the messages that shook the mind most was ,

1.  the ones who had the good news preached to them before didn’t enter because of disobedience and 

2. God designates a certain day as “today,” hence 'Today,if you hear his voice, dont have stubborn hearts'.

Are we in disobedience? Have we entered the 'rest' in God? Did we hear Gods voice today? Is our heart hard and stubborn?

God speaks to us every minute. But our hearts are hardened. It has become stubborn because of our selfish likes and desires. Our passion for our comforts has made us shrink in our heart. This is true when we think scientifically and spiritually. We are failing to recognize His voice. God again pleads to us not to harden our hearts. Atleast if we hear Him today, let us pray oh God help us to find your voice among the worldly rushes.

He wants us to enter 'rest' in Him. This is brings us to the real dimension of submission. God wants us to take rest in Him. He knows that the human nature is weak, the more the human try to achieve and conquer, the more he gets shaken off by the world. Humans have a limit till he can run, till he can squeeze himself for the selfish motives of pride and superiority, after which this humans will be spit out.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men"- Mathew 5:13

God wishes that, let the human rest in Him with all our weaknesses and let God act for him or her, such that humans are a plate that carry God to serve His love for all. When we extend Gods wish to all the areas of our life....we see a marvel. When we go for work, it is not that we go but God. When we see others, we never see them but God. When we do something for others, it is not that we do, but God. We are reflecting God where ever we go. This is what He asks us to enter 'rest' in Him. When we do this we find ourselves in the state that Paul said,

'I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20

We are the echo of the Lord. So we must need His voice in us always then only we can echo. Our heart and mind should be empty and pure to fill in completely with His voice. Then only we can reverberate perfectly.

 Even if we preach or advice Gods message we sometimes find ourselves unfruitful, God says, We must hear His voice first and walk in His ways shown by God to us, then only our fellow can hear us.  We must hear and follow His ways on the first hand and then lead our brothers and sisters towards this love, then only they can hear us.

Hence in this month of Rosary let us pray to Mother Mary,

Oh our dear Mother of God,  help us to rest ourselves in God as You did and find joy in it. Intercede for us to guide us along the path of true love of God and hear His voice, let His words break the hard heart of ours, and be the echo of God, reflecting Him everywhere. 

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Readings

Psalms 119

Mathew 11:27-30                              

"Who had the power to sin and didn’t,and could do evil but didn’t?"......

"Happy are the rich
who are without blame
    and who don’t follow after gold.
9 Who are they,
so that we might praise them?
    They have done wonders
    among the people.
10 Who has been tested by wealth
and been found perfect?
        For them it will be a reason to boast.
    Who had the power to sin and didn’t,
    and could do evil but didn’t?
11 The possessions of such people
will be secure,
    and the congregation will tell
    of their acts of charity."- Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 31:8-11

  The verses that stands out is "Who had the power to sin and didn’t,

    and could do evil but didn’t?" can we do this in our life? There is temptations and chances that our mind slips off to small things that make us sin. Let us be vigilant in all times and ask Gods wisdom to fill us in our mind and thoughts so that we stay in connection with our Father always and He will give us power to win over such situations, transforming us each day to a pure creation ,Gods Dear ones.

CLOSER TO GOD

" Draw near to God and He will draw near to you"

                                                                   -James 4:8

The first thing that we have to do ,if we feel lost in Gods care is to check ourselves. We must examine our status, how far we are from God? When we try to dig out answer for this, we come to realize that, it was us who went far away from the love and care of God. 
Let us try this together in prayer, leading to realizations and humbling ourself through confession, breaking the boulders of actions in our way to God and gaining the freedom as the son and daughter of God the Father.If we feel lost from Gods love,stop what you are doing, give a rest to what is troubling your mind and think:

1. About our actions and activities that we did in our life that was not in union with Gods wish. Try to recollect the times that we did something that resulted in the loss of our unity with God. Scan our past days, to find out our chores that we did according to our own will and not with the wish of God. Once we realize this,let us say sorry, humble ourselves in confession, destroying all the claims of satan upon us due to our unrighteousness and get closer to God.

2. " Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." 1John 2:15        By loving something in the world means, we are building an idol of the world in our heart and is longing for it, this reduces the love of our eternal Father in us. Everything in this world is created by our Father in  Heaven, and He has given it to us. Hence while in the world we must use everything of this world according to Our Fathers wish, giving thanks and praises to Him. So that we receive everything from His hand Pure and holy.

3. Seek for God sincerely in Our heart and then He will act for us.

"“Do you want to get well?”

 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”  At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked." John 5:6-9

4. The one who does not commit sin, even though there was good conditions for him to sin, due to the love of God in him, such persons will be loved and honored by God. Let us stand aloof from sin with the power of God in us that keeps us vigilant always through Holy Spirit.

Let us completely submit to Gods hands and ward off the worldly human. Let us reflect Gods love from us. Let God take our control and Mother Mary teach us the complete submission and humbleness and guide us and pray for us in our journey to God and Jesus. 

" Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Mathew 5:48

Prayer

God our father, you know we are weak,help us to realize our ways and guide us to point it to you.Mother Mary help us guide us and pray for us in our life's journey and lead us in right way to Jesus love. Amen

Reading

Psalms 119:9-16

Psalms 119:33-64

The Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary

-Mother Mary leads us to Jesus through Her prayers and intercession and guidance all our times and in hour of our death. Mother Mary has no prayer or wish of Her own, She intercedes for us in accordance with Lord Almighty and Jesus. The intercession She did in the wedding of Cana,

" His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”- John 2:5

-Mother Mary shows the perfect submission to God and with full proof belief in Him

"And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[f] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her"Luke 1:38

-In Mary's song of praise, we find Her glorifying the Lord for everything She is ,

Mary's Song of Praise

 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
 And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
 he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
 He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
 as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”Luke 1:46-55

- Mary Mother lived in silence of holiness. Right from the revelation of the birth of Jesus, till Calvary, when Mother held Jesus's body in her hand we can see this silence. Which made Her serene and peaceful love of God.

" But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."Luke 2:19

-The Ultimate sufferer.

Mother Mary through out her life, lived in the memories and thoughts of Jesus. Each incidents that happened in Jesus life, She joined together to form the perfect Rosary, which She recited as intercession for us sinners, to lead us to Jesus.

-The Mother that Jesus gave us through Lord Almighty.

"When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.-John 19:26-27

We are all with this Mother. Jesus, when ascended to heaven gave us a friend 'The Holy Spirit' and a dear Mother 'Mary', so that we are never alone in this world. We must realize this and be in Her love and care with the Holy Spirit speaking to us how to reach Jesus nearer and nearer each day.

-The dear daughter of Lord. Mother Mary lived purely. She lived in spirit, controlling the weaknesses of the human body. Each weaknesses she submitted to Lord and gained strength from Him will full belief. This made God to crown Her for us to intercede and guide us in our weaknesses.

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" Revelation 12:1

In this day of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, let us understand our Mothers love to us and the continuous prayers that She is interceding for us. Mother Mary is the one who rows our life through all the struggles of this world, helping us to reach safely to our Lord and eternity.

Prayer

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.