HANG IT ON THE CROSS





Pic.: Bhushan Thakkar

Nilesh*, who was one of my brilliant students, some twenty years ago, and who is now a very dear friend, sent me a sms, a while ago:


“Sir, please remember us in your prayers on this Holy Friday
and specially pray for our project  ---------- .
May Jesus Christ bless all of us.
May we learn from His sacrifice, patience and humility
in dealing with all our loved ones.
Regards.”

I quickly replied:

“Good morning Nilesh.
Yes, I will keep you in my prayers.
Just pursue your dream with all your sincerity and passion.
Keep faith.
I am sure, Jesus will bless your dream.
Love.”

This friend of mine is a very sincere, passionate and committed individual. I have watched him working hard and long. So, I have no doubt when I say, “Jesus will bless your dream.”

No matter how hard and long we all may work, and no matter how sincere, well-intended and committed individuals we all are, there are times, when we realize that we will not be able to do it alone with our own strength... The tunnel seems too long and dark, the hard work seems futile, plans seem not working and strength seems dying... Yes, anxiety and worry might keep us sleepless...

Today is Good Friday. The last hours of Jesus Christ... We call them - ‘The Passion of the Christ’. The time has come to Him to go on His knees, stretch His hands to His Father and pray, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup (test) away form me; yet, not my will, but yours will be done.”

However strong we are, there are these times – our testing times – which make us go on our knees and seek help from the Higher Power... But, then, eventually, what we all can expect from our prayers is: only that strength in our souls to bear our own burdens with courage, grace and peace.

So, the Cross of Christ is there before us only to remind us, that, we all have to carry our own crosses with acceptance, courage and grace... We need to have silence in our souls, and, only then the faith that Christ died for us makes sense... Christ died on the Cross to show us that, when silence comes within, we will carry our crosses willingly and gracefully... Only then, there will be hope... of resurrection!

God – the Father – did not bail out His only Son, Jesus. And, I don’t think, the Son, Jesus, will ever do it for us... He will give us the silence, the strength, the courage and the grace... and, we all can nail our hopes on His Cross...

This morning, the first thing I heard, as I woke up, was my wife reading out a beautiful passage she had just received on Whatsapp:


If you have a secret sorrow
a burden or a loss,
an aching need for healing...
HANG IT ON THE CROSS.

If worry steals your sleep
and makes you turn and toss,
If your heart is feeling heavy...
HANG IT ON THE CROSS.

Every obstacle to faith
or doubt you come across,
Every prayer unanswered,
HANG IT ON THE CROSS.

For, Christ has borne our brokenness
and dearly paid the cost,
to turn our trials into triumphs...
HANGING ON THE CROSS.

- Lisa O Engelhardt


Hang on!!!

* The name is changed
GERALD D’CUNHA

Comments

Vanita Sharma said…
The post is very reassuring. Thnx. Vanita Sharma
April 18, 2014 at 3:22 PM
Anonymous said…
Beautiful post. Leena D'Costa
April 18, 2014 at 6:39 PM
Neena Jumani said…
Keep writing sir. Neena Jumani
April 19, 2014 at 10:28 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or painful that
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How does it matter
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...