May 22 Holy Trinity Sunday

One day a Christian group came to my grandma's home and questioned her faith about the concept of Holy Trinity. She invited them to her prayer room and asked them to kneel down and pray to Jesus that you will understand the mystery of Holy Trinity. This was a teaching for her grand children and to the Christian group that everything of the faith is not understandable through head, everything of the faith cannot be proved in the lab. 

The mystery of the most Holy Trinity is a basic doctrine of Faith in Christianity, understandable not with our heads but with our hearts. It teaches us that there are three distinct Persons in one God, sharing the same Divine Nature.  Our mind cannot grasp this doctrine which teaches that 1+1+1 = 1 and not 3. But we believe in this Mystery because Jesus who is God taught it clearly, the Evangelists recorded it, the Fathers of the Church tried to explain it and the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople defined it as a dogma of Christian Faith.

Why Trinity is important in our Christian life? 1) All prayers in the Church begin in the Name of the Holy Trinity and end with glorifying the Trinity.

2) All Sacraments are administered (we are baptized, confirmed, anointed, our sins are forgiven and our marriage blessed and our Bishops, priests and deacons ordained) in the name of the Holy Trinity.

3) We bless ourselves, and the priest blesses us, in the name of the Holy Trinity.

What are the Biblical proofs? There are only vague and hidden references to the Trinity in the Old Testament. But the New Testament gives clear teachings on the Holy Trinity.

1) At the Annunciation, God the Father sends His angel to Mary, God the Holy Spirit overshadows her and God the Son becomes incarnate in her womb.

2) At the baptism of Jesus, when the Son receives baptism from John the Baptist, the Father’s Voice is heard and the Holy Spirit appears as a Dove.

3)  At the Ascension, Jesus gives the missionary command to his disciples to baptize those who believe, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

What are the life teachings of this feast? 

 1) Let us have the firm conviction that the Trinitarian God abides in us, that He is the Source of our hope, courage and strength and that He is our final destination. The awareness and conviction of the presence of God within us, gives us the strength to face the manifold problems of life with Christian courage.  It was such a conviction that prompted the early Christian martyrs, when taken to their execution, to shout the heroic prayer of Faith from the Psalms: "The Lord of might is with us, our God is within us, and the God of Jacob is our helper" (Psalm 46).  

 2) This feast is inviting us to practice the Trinitarian relationship of love and unity in the family relationships of father, mother and children because by Baptism we become children of God and members of God’s Trinitarian family. Pope Francis says, Holy Trinity is the model of the Church “in which we are called to love one another as Jesus has loved us.” Love, Pope Francis said, is the distinctive mark of the Christian. This mystery of the Holy Trinity asks us to renew the Christian mission of living in communion with God and others.

In the letter to Corinthians chapter 13 we read about the conflict in the church of Corinth. Somebody said, I am following Peter, somebody else said I am following Paul. Finally paul said, brothers and sisters, stop fighting, this is all about Jesus.  And this is then last thing paul said to the church in Corinth as the answer to bring them together, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  He wanted the church of Corinth understand the love among the Trinity and the communion of the Trinity and be peaceful and love one another. Communion is so rich word. It means 7 things, presence, fellowship, Sharing together, intimacy, participation, communion, friendship. 

We live in a world of confusion, fight, war, hatred and individualism. Therefore, celebrating this feast is very meaningful. 

Let us pray to open our hearts and our minds to understand this.

We have heard the old age saying, no man is an island. But we are proud to be islands. We  are proud to be individualistic and narcissistic. Pope Francis says: “We are not called to live without the other, above or against the other, but with the other, for the other and in the other”. 

Any psychologist will tell you that addictions, depression, anxiety, neuroses and many other mental ailments flourish in isolation; however, by sharing honestly in groups they tend to get better. Man is not an island, he is created to live like Holy Trinity in loving relationship. And whenever he looses this relationship he looses happiness and peace.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us remember when we have a broken relationship the only help we have to seek is grace of God -God the Father, who created us, his Son who saved us, and the Holy Spirit who continues to guide us. Our lives should reflect the Trinity. This is our mission as Christian. We should be always creative like the Father, compassionate like his Son, and dispose our talents in the service of others like the Holy Spirit. Let us celebrate this feast reflecting and renewing about our relationship with God and others. 

St. Francis Xavier’s favorite prayer was this: “Most Holy Trinity, Who live in me, I praise You, I worship You, I adore You and I love You.”   Let us say this prayer mindfully.  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  

Fr. John Pozhathuparambil

Courtesy: Catholic Bishops Confrence India 

Homily 6th Sunday

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him".

Today's gospel is written in the background of Jesus' departure. Jesus knows that his departure will create pain in the hearts of the disciples. Therefore, he assures disciples that he is not abandoning them and promises his continuous presence will be among them through word of God, Holy Spirit and his peace. These words of Jesus are so comforting to disciples and to us that he is present among us. He is alive and live with us! 

There is a Sufi saying, If you step once in to God, God will step thrice in to you. According to eastern thought three is a full number. Therefore, it means if you make your first step in to God, God will come in abundance. 

Jesus says in today's gospel, that if we keep his words, he will come and live with us.  Jesus is talking about the simple first step that we should take in our lives. The simple first step is to love Jesus, and invite him in to our lives. If you want to love him spend a little time each day in personal prayer, scripture reading and reflection. 

Today approximately 25% of all adults live alone, they feel abandoned, belong to nowhere. Spouses, parents and children often live as virtual strangers to one another.   This is unfortunate because we never need to be alone.  Jesus promises us he can always be present to us.  He can give is peace, he can make our burden light and He can turn our grief into joy.  In order this is to happen, just make your first step, start loving him and make a personal relationship with him.

You all might have seen the painting the light of the world by William Hunt Holman. It's picture of Jesus knocking at the door, if you carefully observe, the door has no handle which Hunt purposefully did. He wanted show us that if Jesus wants to come to us we have to open our doors of our lives, our hearts.  

I know the  first step is a struggle. I asked one of my friends to go for a renewal retreat, he said, I can't because I will be transformed. He knows once he transformed, he has to accept new ways in his life. So he wants to be just as he is now. 

We fear to give up our sins and pleasures because it is a challenge. 

In this process of opening our hearts to love Jesus, Jesus promises he Is not only the one who is going to help us, we are going to get an advocate who will teach us and remind us of Jesus teaching. Therefore,  the role of the Holy Spirit is two fold a) to teach "  b)to “remind" us of what Jesus has taught us.

Pope Francis says, God has left the guidance of the Church "in the hands of the Holy Spirit." "The Holy Spirit  as Jesus said, will teach us everything" and "remind us what Jesus taught us"

"The Holy Spirit is the living presence of God in the Church. He keeps the Church going, keeps the Church moving forward. More and more, beyond the limits, onwards. The Holy Spirit with His gifts guides the Church. You cannot understand the Church of Jesus without this Paraclete, whom the Lord sends us for this very reason. 

When Jesus lives with you another beautiful thing happens in our lives, he brings peace in to our lives.  "Peace" is not just the absence of conflict or the peace world gives you, it is the concept of shalom, the total well-being of the person and community.  “In Johannine language, peace, truth, light, life and joy are figurative terms reflecting different facets of the great gift that Jesus has brought from God to the world. 'Peace is my gift to you,' is another way of saying, 'I give them eternal life' (Jn 10:28) (Raymond E. Brown)

Dear brothers and sisters this is the opportunity Jesus promises us. Everything begins in loving him.  Depends on our first step.

We have cows in India and we tie them up on a pole to feed them grass. They can eat only the grass around.  We are like cows tied on a rope eating grass from a circle. Let us break our bondage of sins, pleasures and enjoy the great opportunity ahead of us. Let us take first step, open the door snd let Christ live with us and let us enjoy peace.

Fr. John Pozhathuparambil OFM Conv.

Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as good shepherd Sunday. It is the world day of prayer for vocations. May ask you to close your eyes, think of an young man in your family or community who can become a priest. If you have him in your mind, will you able to tell him tonight that I thought of you as Fr. John was giving homily and start praying for him?

 I will start with my vocation story. I joined the seminary when I was fifteen. I was a normal kid, loved to have a family, my dream was to have a beautiful wife and two kids; one girl and one boy. But God had another dream for me. He sent a Franciscan friar to my religious study class to talk about St. Francis and the beauty of priesthood. I went to a come and see program and I was attracted by the Franciscan community life, the way they prayed together, the way they did manual work and seeing this, I said this is my nitche.

After my 10th grade, I left my family and joined Franciscan life. My father wasn't happy in the beginning but later he started loving my life. I remember my first travel to the seminary, the bus I was traveling met with an accident and the bus run in to 6 feet deep muddy and dirty water. I tried to get up from the water to take my breath. I knew someone was on me. I felt that I was going to die, I said God, God I am coming to your home.  Suddenly the man or woman who was on me moved away. I somehow got out of the bus through a window and took my first breath. But the strange thing is that I didn't return home, I was so decided to peruse God's dream for me which by that time had become my dream. Mud and water came from my nostrils for two days. 

Now looking back, I have been a Franciscan priest for fifteen years. Never regretted. I helped so many people, saved people from ending their lives, saved families from braking up, spirituality directed many souls, forgave the sins and could do many things just because my call as priest.

Blaga  Dimitrova, one of my favorite poetess wrote: Nameless are the ones who have given their future –without them I’d lost all confidence in the future. 

Dear brothers and sisters, the church is made of people who have sacrificed and dedicated their lives. We have to encourage vocations. I am so sad to see aging priests and Friars in this part of the world. We need more people to dedicate their lives for God. Let my story inspire someone in this room and let me encourage you to continue to pray for the young person you thought of.

 Coming to today's gospel Jesus is using the metaphor of sheep to talk about us. He says, my sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  

Sheep is the most vulnerable livestock. We cannot train a sheep, that’s why no sheep is an item in the circus. Sheep is a very filthy animal. Enemy can easily conquer a sheep. Sheep eats everything even dangerous plants and food, they are near sighted creatures. Sheep is very timid and terrified animal.  Can't even drink water from running stream that’s why shepherd leads them to still waters. They need constant attention.

Hearing all these, is our human nature is comparable to sheep? No way!  Then why Jesus is comparing us with sheep? 

 Jesus uses the metaphor of sheep and shepherd because, He knows spiritual nature. With our instinct, our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, and our rebellious nature, we’re very similar to sheep. In our spiritual journey, we feel we are repeating the same sins over and over again, we make imprudent decisions, we feel that we cannot discipline our lives, evil is easily attacking us, we eat everything like a sheep, even some things dangerous to our spiritual life, we tend to escape from the watch or eye of God. Yes, we are like a sheep in our spiritual journey. This is why we need Jesus in our lives as good shepherd. 

That’s why David, who was a shepherd himself sings, "THE LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:1-4) 

Yes, Jesus is our shepherd who guides us on right path. We need his constant protection and care to grow in our spiritual life. If we follow the Good Shepherd, we can be assured that He will always lead us in the right path, he will help us to make right decision, he will protect us from evil. Our enemy may walk about as a roaring lion looking for victims to devour but if we have Jesus with us we will be protected.  Yes, let us hold on to our good shepherd who has promised us salvation. Jesus says, I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  

Let us sing in our hearts,

Shepherd me O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death in to life. 

Fr. John Pozhathuparambil OFM Conv.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Sunday

April 03, 2016

Acts 5:12 16 // Rv 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 // Jn 20:19-31

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus,

This is the Second Sunday of the Easter and we celebrate this weekend as Divine mercy Sunday. I believe that this Sunday is worth to be celebrated not only because it is the last day of the octave of Easter Season, but also we, our generation, are in a desperate need of God’s Mercy. Putting in the words of Pope Francis, from the book, The Name of God is Mercy, “at a time when “humanity is wounded,” suffering from “the many slaveries of the third millennium” — not just war and poverty and social exclusion, but also fatalism, hardheartedness and self-righteousness”- we realizes that we have no other place to relay upon except in God’s Mercy.

It is interesting to me to reflect a little bit more on the wounds of Jesus and along with that our own wounds. I know, we are now Easter People and we have a joyful him, Alleluia, to chant. Yet, the Gospel makes me think that Faith in Christ is roaming around the wounds of Christ. The Gospel gives me a picture that there is a wounded Lord and there are also wounded disciples. And again, it plays like an identity of each person: The Wounds of Jesus prove that he is the Christ and he is risen from the dead. The wounds of the Apostles, which is expressed through their fear, anguish and anxiety proves that they have abandoned their master and they desperately need healing.

What does it all mean about the wounds of Jesus? The wounds of Jesus are the expression of God’s love for humanity. “He so loved the world that he gave his only son to redeem them” from their fall, from their brokenness. When God’s love meets the brokenness of humanity, we experience His Mercy. Today, as we profess in this divine Mercy Sunday, Jesus I trust in you, remember that we are wounded, broken and God will never abandon us alone, for his Mercy endures forever.

What do we mean by the wounds of the Apostles and of ours? How are we wounded? The Scripture gives us the picture that it is the price that we pay when we abandon God in our life. This is very clear all throughout the salvation history- from the life Adam, the first man to the life of that Apostle that we see in today’s Gospel. When we decides that we are capable to do everything and we don’t want a God to explain our wonder and explore our future, we are beginning to hurt ourselves. Then, we end up in some kind of masochism, in which we find pleasure in our own wounds. But it is an abnormality; a deviation from our original identity which is given by God, His image and likeness.   We are wounded and our society is wounded for we abandoned our Lord in our life and the life of our society.

The Feast of Divine Mercy invites us to explore His Mercy where God’s love encounter our brokenness. It invites us to return to our original identity. We can no longer live and enjoy the pleasures of our wounds, that is a perversion. A wound, that is to be treated and healed. The wounds of Jesus have the power to heal our wounds. So, like Thomas, who was healed by touching the Jesus’ wounds, let us be healed by opening our wounds of the Risen Lord. Only he can heal our wounds.

May this celebration of this Eucharist, and various occasions of our sacrament of Reconciliation be an occasion to open up our wounds to the Lord especially in this year of Mercy.

Fr. Tony Vattaparambil OFMConv

Palm Sunday

Passion Sunday

March 20, 2016

Is 50:4-7 // Phil 2:6-11 // Lk 22:14-23:56

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus,

Today we are beginning the best week in the whole liturgical year. Centuries ago, it was called the ‘Great Week‘. Nowadays we Catholics call it ‘Holy Week’.[i] For, we follow Jesus every step in our spiritual life for its perfection. So whatever the title, this is going to be a great and Holy week.

As I am standing here to share my reflection with you on this day, my mind flies to my state in India and praying with Salesian Fathers who sends Missionaries not only to India and all over the world, for the release of Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil from the clutches of present day evil forces called Isis. Fr. Tom is a missionary in Aden, Yemen and was abducted on the 4th of March by Isis. We don't know regarding the whereabouts and well-being of the Father Tom.

Later this week, on March 24th, is the anniversary of the martyrdom (1980) of Archbishop Oscar Romero from El Salvadore, a man who stood for justice for his people.

The lives of these innocent people and their suffering leads to me a number of questions and sometimes shakes my religiosity. It may be true with you too. So what does it really mean to us all these liturgical celebration of this week? 

We know that Religious wisdom often speaks in the language of paradox. The age old wisdom of the ancient religions never failed to speak on the continuing battle between light and darkness, good and evil. These sources of wisdom are pretty sure that the final victory is for light and goodness. Let us look at today's reading in the background of this wisdom. And also, let us look at the suffering of Fr. Tom and the Martyrdom of Archbishop Romero that Justice and goodness will prevail over darkness.

The Gospel takes us today to witness two Processions. The First one leads us into Jerusalem with Jesus’ being welcomed and proclaimed and we cheer with the crowd “Hosanna to the Son of David…… Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The other procession pictures Jesus leaves Jerusalem a few days later in disgrace and abandoned, going to his own crucifixion. There we also join the crowd cheering with other words: “Crucify him, crucify him!”[ii] What a paradox! We see the glory of a man and his ends in the same page.

 It is a reality in our life and we experience the glory and failure in our life and believe me, sometimes, the bitterness of our suffering makes us to think that our life is a total failure. It is only here in this state of mind that we can understand the real meaning of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is seemingly the suffering of Jesus, but it is the proof of the obsessive love of God.

In fact, contemplating on the passion of Christ an excellent way to answer our own idea of God. In my childhood, my mama taught me God is almighty, all powerful, omniscient, etc. And I believe this is the concept taught by all religions down through the centuries and we believe so. But during this great week, we may look at the cross and ask the same questions that people who traveled along calvary in today’s reading. What a God who even cannot help himself from the suffering?

This is a real shift in the idea of God that we professed. We have no more a God that stays up above who has nothing to do with my life. We have now a God who stays beside me not only in the moments of my glory, but more in the moments of failure. And I have such a confident to preach that my God is so powerful, even the extreme sufferings of this world cannot defeat him.

So, dear brothers and sisters, Let us walk together spiritually in these days and know a little bit more about our God who is obsessive in loving and whose Mercy we have hope.

Fr. Tony Vattaparambil OFMConv.

---

[i] Fr Brian Gleeson cp, http://www.frnick.com/homilies/a_c_p_/

[ii] Luis A. Vera, O.S.A. http://www.augustinianfriends.org/homilies/hom_palma08.htm

Easter Sunday Homily 2016

Happy Easter to everyone!

I would like to share a story which I heard when I was a seminarian. The name of the story is world is in darkness. This is the story: A world famous archaeologist excavated the tomb of Jesus and after the excavation, he called a press conference  and lied to the press that he found born and skull of Jesus. And he argued that there is no base for Jesus' resurrection. He said resurrection is myth and delusion of disciples. After hearing this, people stopped going to church, churches became party place. Justice and peace disappeared from the world. Gradually people started hating each other, killing each other and even moral values disappeared. Life became terrible and meaningless. At the end of his life he realized his huge lie made the earth hell. He understood his mistake. He again called a press conference and said to the world, it is true that I excavated the tomb of Jesus but I did not find any thing in the tomb of Jesus. The tomb of Jesus was empty. He said with faith, resurrection is not a myth but a reality, and it is not delusion of disciples, it is truth. 

Dear brothers and sisters, our faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus, our hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians, "if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith"(1cori. 5:1-14 )

Yes, if Jesus wasn't resurrected  we wouldn't have gathered here as a community. If Jesus wasn't resurrected many people wouldn't have given their lives to service and for the love of others. If he was not resurrected our life would have been different. This feast is the foundation of our faith and life.

We heard from the gospel today, two men in dazzling clothes said to the women: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; but has risen”. These words gave hope and happiness to those women who went to the tomb of Jesus. After 2000 years the same words give us hope and happiness. 

My mum died at the age of 11 and the only solace as a family we had is our believe in resurrection. We started our ordinary life trusting in Jesus’ promise that he has gone to prepare a home for us and where my brother and myself will meet our mum. Without Jesus our lives would have been hopeless. This is not only my story, it's a story of many of us. When some one lost from our lives what gave us strength to get back to ordinary lives? It is none other than Jesus' resurrection and his promises. His resurrection reminds us that there is life beyond the grave. His resurrection gives us hope. His resurrection gives us mission.

Today we have seen the light of resurrection, our bonds of sins are broken by the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. We are saved by his precious blood.  No more let us be prisoners of fear or sins. Let us not stay imprisoned within ourselves, but let us break open our sealed tombs to the Lord so that he may enter and grant us life. He is our greatest joy; he is always at our side and will never let us down.

We lit a candle yesterday night, it is a symbol of sacrifice. The candle shines inasmuch as it is burnt up. Like the lighted candle let us be light for others! And this candle will once disappear after shedding light for us. Like the candle let us offer ourselves for others ! 

From today if we have really experienced resurrection we can't but be the missionaries of the resurrection. We have seen the light. The mission of the resurrection is to find Jesus in everyone. The Lord is alive and wants to be sought among the living not among the dead. 

Remember after resurrection Jesus appeared to disciples- as gardner, as a stranger, as a co traveler. Watch for Jesus. He will walk to you as a homeless, stranger, refugee and sick. 

Pope Francis said in his homily, "as joyful servants of hope, we must announce the Risen One by our lives and by our love; otherwise we will be only an international organization full of followers and good rules, yet incapable of offering the hope for which the world longs".

I would like to share another story: a group of villagers hated each other. Once an old wise man stayed with the villagers for couple of days. People were very hospitable to him. And when he left the village, he said to the villagers that one of you is Jesus! And from the next day villagers stopped fighting and started looking for Jesus in each other. This village became most happy place. Yes, let us watch for jests in each other. 

As a missionaries of resurrection, as people who have experienced resurrection, Let us open our hearts to hope and go forth.  May the memory of his works and his words be the bright star which directs our steps in the ways of faith towards the Easter that will have no end. If you are saddened any recent things in life, let Jesus resurrection give you hope. Let us find Jesus among the live.

Fr. John Pozhathuparambil

Second Sunday of Lent Feb. 21st

Many artists and poets have painted transfiguration of Jesus, many ascetics have meditated up on Jesus's transfiguration and many have enlightened by reading transfiguration passage.
What is transfiguration? For western Christians it's an explanation of mysticism or asceticism and for eastern Christians it is a passage of enlightenment that the disciples of Jesus should go through once in their life time.
Arch bishop Raya hierarch of Melkite church  says, " transfiguration is not simply an event out of the two thousand years old past, or a future yet to come. It is rather a reality of the present, a way of life available to those who seek and accept Christ's nearness".
I would say transfiguration is a private and intimate moment of discipleship. It takes about what happened to disciples than what happened to Jesus. At this moment of enlightenment the disciples realized who Jesus is, he is the one they were expecting, he is the one Father is pleased with and he is the fulfillment of law and prophet.
And today as the second week of lent we remember transfiguration to remind us that our faith would be incomplete if we do not experience private and intimate moment with Jesus.
When apostle Peter had that moment of private and intimate  he said, "Lord, how good it is for us to be here!”

Pope Paul VI once said in a homily that Christ "is necessary, and we cannot do without him; he is our fortune, joy and happiness, our promise and hope; our way, our truth and our life"

We can see many private and intimate experiences with Jesus in the Bible.
Look St. Thomas the apostle when he had a private and intimate Jesus' experience, he said loudly; my lord and my God. St. Francis Assisi when he had Jesus experience, he said my lord and my all. St. Paul when he had Jesus experience he was blind for three days and he couldn't eat or drink anything. In Indian spirituality we call this as enlightenment, some western philosophers call it as aha moment.

Lent is a time of enlightenment, aha moment and Jesus experience. It's time to evaluate what is my experience with Jesus? Did I ever had an intimate and private experience with Jesus? Who is Jesus for me?

I gave Holy Communion to one of our children who has been respiratory assistance. His name is Emil and he is 11 years old. After receiving First holy communion at kosair hospital he shed tears, I asked why? He said  tears of Joy.
I found in the room of one of my friends- "Jesus is intoxicating than drugs". He wrote this after he stopped drug and alcohol through 40 days of prayer.

Lent is a time of Transfiguration and remind us to transfigure ourselves.
To have this transfiguration what we have to do? We have to go with Jesus- go to the mount. Mount is a place of silence, it's a place where we are quiet and away from your busy world.
Then you will encounter Jesus and experience Christ's nearness.

Once we have this encounter, a  wow moment, it will transfigure our lives, our marriages, our homes, our work, our relation and our community.  
Without this enlightenment, aha moment, wow moment, without having a private and intimate moment with Jesus, our faith is incomplete and our faith will be lukewarm.

Buddha was having bath in a river and a disciple came and asked him, how can I be enlightened? Buddha invited him to the river and pushed his head in the water for few seconds. Disciple used all the power to come up on the water. Buddha said, seek God as you searched for breath under the water.
Let us pray that this lent season will be a time of enlightenment and transfiguration. Let us pray that we will have a private and intimate experience with Jesus to become people of enlightenment and transfiguration.