LENTEN MESSAGE

A GREAT FALL AHEAD

The Lord said, “Earth and sky, listen to what I am saying! The children I brought up have rebelled against Me.” (Isaiah 1:2)

PART ONE

The crowd followed Jesus and some Pharisees on account of various questions, approached; in order to succeed in entrapping Him, asking, “Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?”

Jesus replied, “In the beginning the Creator made people male and female. And God said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife; and the two will become one.’ So they are no longer two but one. Man must not separate, then, what God has joined together.” Jesus snapped the trap, but they persisted, asking, “How did Moses, then, allow divorce?” He responded, “Moses gave you permission because you are hard to teach.” He continued further warning them, “I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman.”

A family adorns the earth to a heaven. God made family and He is seated among them.  When Sovereign God dwells among them, family life is the most graceful and easily manageable status. The first couple transformed the Garden of Eden into a paradise, as long as they obeyed God. A couple must be enveloped in gracefulness that arises with agreeing with God, over and above, their individualistic nature and desire. God created Eve, to complete the incomplete Adam. It was when their personal desires arose they began to blame each other, got enslaved themselves to fear, pride  and other such malice. All this happened when they refused God and when His Everlasting Grace departed from them. Till then what was a blessed family life with its beautiful responsibilities; when they began to prioritise themselves over God, everything tumbled down to be a burden, turning it into a workshop of the devil. With the veil of God’s grace removed from them, the couple soon ousted from the paradise to step into a world filled with tragedy and adversities.

During Annunciation, the grace emitted from Mary, the Mother of Jesus is remarkable. The angel said to her, “The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you.” (Luke 1:28) God chose her as the Mistress of the Holy Family and Joseph, a righteous man as the Head of the Family. This is the reason why a young man and woman are required to enroll in prenuptial courses and counselling that can transform them into mature individuals; capable enough to take up the duties of a husband and wife. These widely available courses prepare them to the responsibilities of this holy sacrament of matrimony and family relations. Your life on this holy land consists of many relations; each bringing its own set of responsibilities. It is foremost important to develop a relationship with God and communion with the heavenly beings, because we belong there; and is to return there after this short pilgrimage to be united with them. Their guidance will be a light in your life. A life in unity with ancestors, parents, relatives are also significant to expect a harmonious and peaceful existence. How can one expect harmonization in their marital life, pushing away and rejecting parents? It is not acceptable to God that you neglect parents for your convenience. They spent a good amount of their life sacrificing in terms of health, time, and wealth; painstakingly to care and settle you well. The pain others take for you is a sacrifice. Lord Jesus suffered for your pain; offering it all as a sacrifice. So whoever breaks the chord of relationships by denying their duty are inviting a crack or fall in his own life. Try not to hurt anyone unrighteous. The gravity of pain that you dish out to others is measured by the Sovereign God; He has not made it permissible to anyone to hurt or pain anyone. Parents, holding the position of the invisible God; ought to ensure they are careful not to hurt their children. It is easy to say, but it calls for right amount of endurance to put it into practice as it is a hereditary trait.  A drop of tear arising from a deeply hurt person is sufficient to break your family. Each one should safeguard every relation, considering it pure and holy. The Holy Bible says, “Happy are those who work for peace, God will call them His children!” (Matthew 5:9)

All your ancestors, relatives, parents, neighbours including all living beings are part of one family because we exist from the One and Only Creator. Accept all and everyone in His Name, love and console them.  Bear in mind, that today or tomorrow I have to leave this world and face my Creator; there I will be accounted for every tears shed because of me, especially my life partner, children, parents etc. These thoughts will transform you to a righteous and happy individual. Challenge yourself to take a decision to bury the old defiled nature and to refrain from it. Parents are not the creator of children; they are only the family line to continue God’s creation.

Dear Readers in Christ, your heart though feeble and wavering, yearns to come out of all these malice. Your desire to be a new person can only be fulfilled by the mercy and grace sprinkled by the Magnificent God. Only He can release you from the traps of those childhood incidents that outgrow you over the years leading to greater sins. If you have covered up your guiltiness, thinking no one is there to witness your cruel deeds; then you are mistaken. For the Holy Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun.” (Sirach 23:19) He witnesses your darkest deeds. Last but not the least heaven and earth are witness of every deed of each human being.

(To be continued)

May the Lord bless you and take care of you. May He be kind and gracious to you. May the Lord look on you with favour and give you peace.

With love filled blessings,

Your Sister in Christ