Gerald D'Cunha

  “The most critical time in a battle is not when I’m fatigued; it’s when I no longer care.” Graig G. Lounsbrough   O ne of the powerful imageries, deeply imbedding in my mind, relates to this period of Lent... Jesus Christ’s prayer at the lonely place – Gethsemane Garden. He knew, what’s coming upon him... He had lost his courage... He was feeling his humanness completely... Thus, He had gone, accompanied by a few trusted disciples, to pray for courage... That prayer was so intense, the Holy Book says, that Jesus sweat blood... Down on His knees, He had prayed: “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.” It wasn’t possible for Jesus Christ to arrive at this crucial stage before he could experience the courage and peace... He prayed hard before acceptance brought in Him – peace... Now, He was unafraid, he was ready to face whatever was supposed to befall upon Him... In Lent, we ...

  “We would worry less if we praised more; thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” Henry Allen Ironside   T oday is ‘Ash Wednesday’, a Holy Day for Christians. The Lenten season begins today. Since the break of the dawn, I have been receiving (on WhatsApp) from many of my Catholic friends and relatives a message supposedly from Pope Francis. It’s a very relevant message from our present Pope, who is known for some revolutionary ideas about worship and living. I had come across this particular message three Lents before, in April, 2020 to be precise (Check on Google for it: ‘Pope Francis on prayer and fasting’ – published by ‘The Centre for Contemplative Practice’). The message had really made sense to me… But, this time around, the WhatsApp University has rebooted it after making liberal changes. Nevertheless, Pope’s basic message stays: “Dear fellow Catholics, there are several simple ways in which we all can and should observe ‘Fast’ and d...

T his is Lanten season for us, the Christians. It is ingrained in our consciousness, that this is a time we should spend in reflection and reconciliation. We pray intensely during this period… We confess, repent for our sins… We fast, and, above all, seek forgiveness from God and seek His grace and strength to make a fresh beginning. Personally, to me, this time is the most enriching and moving time of the year… I feel the closeness to God more during this period than I feel during the rest of the year. I feel, yes, a lot humbled and human during Lent. One of the main church activities, during Lent (apart from the traditional Way of the Cross), is Lenten Missions. Almost all the Catholic churches hold these very inspiring and revival Missions. There are special preachers (like Redemptionists) trained for years in conducting this kind of renewal Missions during Lent. These priests are invited by different churches to hold these Lenten Missions; mostly, late in the ...

Y esterday was Ash Wednesday. Lent – the period of 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday – started yesterday. On an Ash Wednesday, Christians – particularly the Catholics – attend a special Mass. The highlight of this Mass is that the Priest applies ashes (with a sign of cross) on the Faithful's foreheads, saying, "Remember, you have come from dust, and to dust you shall return". What a powerful reminder that is! “My child, no matter who you are, you have to leave everything and go back to where you have come from – the dust!” Maybe, that’s what they mean by being grounded in life! So, Lent, if we take it in its true spiritual sense, can be a life-transforming experience…  Fasting, praying, repentance… all these, if observed in true sense, can be great spiritual exercises. But, if we observe them just as a religious custom, they serve no purpose except for a sense of pride in our social circle… “Hello there… It is Ash Wednesday today… I a...

Pic.: Ashwin Mohta T his is Lent… a very solemn period of forty days when, we, Catholics, remember the painful last days of Jesus Christ. We fast, pray, repent… make amends, seek forgiveness, mercy… and, yes, we promise to be less sinful hereon… I remember a powerful scene in Jesus Christ’s life. A mob of hardcore Pharisees have dragged a sinful woman – a prostitute – and thrown her in front of Him. “This woman leads an adulterous and sinful life,” they breathe fire before Jesus, “The Law of Moses commands us to stone this woman to death… What have you got to say?” The Pharisees have asked this question to trap Jesus… They are waiting for the answer with stones in their hands. Jesus takes a pause… moves a few steps forward, bends down and writes on the sand: “The one among you, who has not sinned, let him cast the first stone!” Within seconds, the stones fall off the hands… and, one by one, the hateful Pharisees disappear from the scene… ...

Pic.: Divesh Shah “Humility is not thinking less of yourself…I t's thinking of yourself less.” C. S. Lewis C hristmas is barely a week away. All the pomp and glamour associated with this festival aside, one lesson Jesus has left for us… He taught us right as He was born… He is ‘King of all Kings’, I, as a Christian believe… He is the Son of God… the Messiah… The Salvador… God Himself. Now, all these are my beliefs as His follower, a Christian… But, then, what is there for me to learn from Jesus’ birth in the manger… amidst the cows? The day before His death, Jesus had held His last supper. But, just before the supper, He had surprised His twelve disciples by washing their feet… What lesson was that? Sometimes, when I think of these two episodes in the life of Jesus, I seriously think, I do not have to learn any more lessons in life… The lesson taught, through these two episodes, is enough to make me – and anyone else, for tha...

Pic.: Sheela Krishnamony I have written about it a hundred times: that, if fear wasn't’ there in our lives, there wouldn't have been God, too! At least, I can vouch it for myself. If all things were smooth in my life… no problems or worries of any kind… no struggle or anxiety of any kind, then, I wonder, if I would have ever thought of God, ever prayed, ever thanked, ever visited a church, temple or mosque… ever opened the Scriptures! Now, am I telling all this for effect? I have no need for it. I am very honest when I say this; please trust me. Fear may be the root-cause of all superstitions and manipulations that go on in the name of God and religion. But, I know this much: nobody has manipulated me to confess, that fear has brought me closer to God… It has deepened my faith in Him! And, let me tell you this, too: My faith in God gets deeper even though worries and anxieties stand outside my door and scare me continuo...