LET CHRIST THE KING REIGN!

It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the metaphorical title of "King," because of the high degree of perfection whereby he excels all creatures. So he is said to reign "in the hearts of men," both by reason of the keenness of his intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind. He reigns, too, in the wills of men, for in him the human will was perfectly and entirely obedient to the Holy Will of God, and further by his grace and inspiration he so subjects our free-will as to incite us to the most noble endeavors. He is King of hearts, too, by reason of his "charity which exceedeth all knowledge." And his mercy and kindness[1] which draw all men to him, for never has it been known, nor will it ever be, that man be loved so much and so universally as Jesus Christ. But if we ponder this matter more deeply, we cannot but see that the title and the power of King belongs to Christ as man in the strict and proper sense too. For it is only as man that he may be said to have received from the Father "power and glory and a kingdom,"[2] since the Word of God, as consubstantial with the Father, has all things in common with him, and therefore has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion over all things created.

-POPE  PIUS XI QUAS PRIMAS   

MARY QUEEN OF HEAVEN

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is only fitting that His mother should be a queen. At the end of her life, our Mother Mary was assumed into heaven. And the Trinity placed on her head a beautiful crown of twelve stars. The blessed Trinity crowned her the queen of heaven. Mary is the woman in Rev 12:1 clothed with the sun with a crown of twelve stars on her head. Her glory as the queen of heaven is incomparable and her power, authority and influence is unsurpassable. Jesus is King by nature and by right, while Mary is a queen by grace and by election.

What all this means is that we have a mother and a queen in heaven. As a mother, Mary intercedes for us with love; as a queen she intercedes for us with power and authority. Her intercession is far more powerful, more effective. Never was it known that anyone who fled to her protection, implored her help and sought her intersession was left unaided – because she is the queen of heaven.

At every moment of our lives, especially at moments of special needs, let us always have recourse to our mother Mary Queen of heaven. She is always disposed to listen, always eager to help. She will never let us down.

THE PERSONAL CALL TO FOLLOW CHRIST

The call to follow Christ is a universal call to each and every one of us. It is a universal call to all humanity. This call is an invitation to holiness and discipleship. The call may be accepted or rejected. The twelve apostles accepted the call with other early disciples of Jesus (Lk 6: 12-16). Some Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians and Romans rejected the call. The rich young man rejected the call (Mk 10:17-22). Those who accept the call are preparing themselves for the weight of eternal glory. Those who reject the call are in need of conversion.

The acceptance of the invitation to follow Christ involves some challenges (Mt 16:24). The cost will be high; the road will be narrow; the sacrifices will be great; the opposition will be ferocious. There will be moments of doubts, disappointments, crisis and difficulties. However, our success is assured. Our help is in the name of the Lord who makes heaven and earth (Ps 121:2).

The decision to follow Christ can be very rewarding (James 1:12). Our sins are forgiven; we are washed clean in the blood of the lamb; we become new creature in Christ; we become sons and daughters of God; we receive necessary graces for holiness; we receive the consolation of the Spirit; our names are written in heaven. Most importantly, we receive the reward of eternal life. If we follow Christ closely and wholeheartedly, we will be worthy of eternal kingdom

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CHRISTIAN LIFE AS AN INVESTMENT

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously (2Cor 9:6).  This is a basic principle of life. The meaning of this biblical principle is so profound; the interpretation is so wide; the application is far reaching. This principle does not fail. It gives exactly what it promises. Of course this is not just about giving out money or sharing material things. It concerns important aspects of our lives- spiritual, intellectual, social, professional- it concerns every aspect of life.

This principle simply means little investment yields little profit and huge investment yields huge profit. The saints have invested heavily on their spiritual journey. They painstakingly stored their treasures in heaven. What we see are the fruits of their labour- their joy, serenity, balance and peace. But what we do not see are the sacrifices, penances, struggles that earned them such beautiful fruits of the Holy Spirit.

A number of people believe they can beat this principle. There are those who think they can sow little and reap much or worse, reap where they did not sow. Lazy people who sow sparingly cannot reap bountifully. Cain sowed sparingly and was expecting a huge reward. He was roundly disappointed.  Those who give minimum requirement and expecting to receive maximum profits will be hugely disappointed.

Life is too short to be wasted. Time is too precious to be squandered. Energy is too limited to be dissipated. Opportunity is so scarce to be lost. Sow bountifully so that you can reap bountifully. 

LENT: ONE THING NECESSARY

At the beginning of the Lenten season, we are filled with fervor and enthusiasm. We have many noble ideas, beautiful plans and laudable goals. We want to do many things. We want to achieve many things. We want to begin many devotions, abandon many vices and reconcile with many people. At the end of the Lenten season, we may realize that we achieve very little or nothing. The Lenten season of this year, the Lord invites us to do just one thing- one thing necessary.

The rich young man had many things. He observed many laws. But the Lord told him: “there is one thing lacking” (Mk 10:21). Just one thing lacking! Is there one thing lacking in my life? One thing that only God can provide?

Martha was doing so many things at the same time. The Lord to her:  “Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. Only one thing is necessary” (Lk 10: 41). Do I neglect the one thing necessary in my life?

The Psalmist said: “there is one thing I asked from the Lord, for this I long, to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to savor the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple (Ps 27:4). What is the one thing I am asking from the Lord in this holy season of Lent?

After getting involved in so many things, St Paul asserted: “ this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining  forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13). What is that one thing I want to do during this lent?

The man who received his sight from Jesus emphatically affirmed: “there is just one thing I know, I was blind but now I see” (Jn 9: 25). What is the one thing I wish to know during this sacred season?

The Lord is asking us for one thing. Look for one door that leads to all other doors. Ask for one blessing that contains all blessings. Acquire one virtue that holds all other virtues together. Abandon one vice that facilitates other vices.

God is the one person necessary. Heaven is the one thing necessary. This should preoccupy our minds during this holy season of lent.

Beginning the New Year with the Beginning

We have just begun a New Year. Our hearts are filled with joy, happiness and gladness.  Our hearts are filled with gratitude to God for the grace and opportunity He has given us to experience a new year. What is intriguing about the New Year is the idea of the new beginning.   At the beginning of a New Year our hearts are filled with excitement and expectations for the new experiences the New Year brings.

What does the Bible say about the beginning? In the first book of the Bible, God is the Creator who has no beginning. God who has no beginning created the beginning of all things. God created the beginning of time, space, humanity and history.  God created the beginning of the New Year. In the beginning, God created heaven and earth (Gen 1:1).

In the last book of the Bible, God who has no beginning becomes the Beginning.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev 22:13). God is not just the Creator of the beginning but God is the Beginning.  God is the First. God is prior. God is absolutely preeminent. We are not just celebrating the beginning of the year but we are celebrating God as the Beginning of the year- the Beginning of all things.

God instructed Moses to celebrate the beginning the year by erecting the tabernacle in the tent of the meeting. The Lord spoke to Moses: On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle in the tent of the meeting. (Ex 40: 1-2).  This instruction of the Lord to Moses has a profound spiritual meaning. The tabernacle represents the majestic Presence of God. The tent often refers to the human person or human body (1 Cor 5:1).

The way Moses established the tabernacle in the tent of the meeting is the way a Christian should establish a space for God in his heart.  The way the tabernacle dwells in the tent, that is the way the Lord desires to dwell in our hearts. Therefore, in the first day of the first month of the year, God invites us to set up a place for him in our hearts, a place for his Word in our minds and a place for his Will in our plans. Our tent cannot remain void of God’s abiding presence.

Begin the New Year with the Beginning who has no beginning but has become the Beginning of all things. Plato says "the beginning is the most important part of the  work." The beginning is the most important part of the year. If we begin with the Beginning then the year will unfold according to the will of God for us. Beginning with the Beginning is the first and most crucial decision we have to make in the beginning of the  New Year.