Do It With Love

Today morning was just another usual morning. However, the Lord was planning to teach me something profound through a simple incident.

As usual, around 6:30AM I reached the church to attend the Holy Mass. Today, I had my mom accompanying me. After I parked my vehicle in the campus (which includes a school), as usual I started walking towards the church. In my mechanical routine, I saw-yet-did-not-see, a small kid in the school uniform standing alone. It was a cold morning and it was still dark. My mom, however, did take notice and asked me to speak to him. I interrupted my routine task and went to the kid who was just a few steps away. He seemed to have reached school early (very early) for the Republic Day celebration. He was feeling cold, alone and may be afraid. We asked him to come inside to the Church reception and to sit there till his friends came in. He was visibly happy

, relieved and comfortable.

And that’s when the realization set in. I was so taken over by the routine that I overlooked someone in need. I didn’t let myself be interrupted by compassion. Thankfully, my mom did!

I was immediately drawn to the verse – "Let all that you do, be done in love.” – 1Corinthians 16:14.

And that’s the key! It doesn’t matter how small or big, how frequent or rare, how meaningful or mundane, we are asked to do it with love. Be it driving to work or doing the dishes or preparing a meal or completing your tasks at work or having a conversation with the most powerful to the most powerless  or helping out someone or spending time with near and dear ones or put-up with that irritating person or going through a particularly bad day – do it with love! Sounds easier said than done. But that’s what we are called to do.

As Mother Teresa says, “We can do no great things, but only small things with great love.” 

Let’s start today!

God Bless!

The Greatest Thing: Love!!

A few weeks ago, while browsing through YouTube, I came across the thumbnail of a video in the trending videos section. It was posted by The New York Times, was almost 12 mins long and looked like it had something to do with Physics, lecture, classroom etc. I thought it would be something boring and decided not to watch it. Within a couple of days, I saw the number of hits shoot up and my curiosity took over. I saw the video and I’m glad I did. Thought of sharing the video with you. Please have a look at it.

I was touched by the video and especially the part where the Professor so emphatically says that the greatest thing is Love. Bible also mentions the same. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St Paul writes: 

“Love is patient, kind, without envy. It is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill-mannered, nor does it seek its own interest. Love overcomes anger and forgets offences. It does not take delight in wrong, but rejoices in truth. Love excuses everything, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love will never end........ Now we have faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.”  (1 Cor 13:4 – 13)

This is the best definition of love that I've ever come across. However, today, thanks to a good friend and guide, I asked myself the question: what does love mean to me? Personally, I think love is also about sacrifice, it's about letting go of one's desire, likes, interests, priorities for the other's. I have experienced it through my Mom who let go of her career, her ambition, her likes so that I could have a good life. I've experienced it through my sister, my family, through my friends. And through God, who gave the biggest sacrifice. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.  (John 3:16)

That's what the greatest thing - Love, means to me. What does it mean to you?

All for Love!!

All for love, He created us in His image and likeness

All for love, He carved our names on the palm of His right hand

All for love, He knit our body parts together in our mother’s womb

All for love, He called us even before we were born

All for love, He gave us the freedom to choose

All for love, He let us do what we want

All for love, He wept seeing us go away

All for love, He tried to bring us back to Him, tried over and over again

All for love, the farther we went, the closer He came

All for love, He said, “Even if your mother forgets you, I shall not forget you.”

All for love, He said, “The mountains may depart and the Hills be removed but my love shall not depart from you.”

All for love, He came to find us, who were lost

All for love, He became man

All for love, He was born in a dirty, cold manger amongst the least important

All for love, the creator lived with the created, the poor and unwanted

All for love, He who makes all the laws of the universe, grew up obeying humans

All for love, He fasted for forty days and nights

All for love, He preached repentance, forgiveness and love

All for love, He chose twelve ordinary men to be his disciples

All for love, He walked with sinners, ate with outcasts, touched the untouchables

All for love, He cured the sick, the dumb, the lame, the blind

All for love, He raised the dead

All for love, He wept for our sins and our unfaithfulness

All for love, He gave us His Body and Blood

All for love, He who is Almighty, washed the dirty feet of his disciples

All for love, He prayed for all of us

All for love, He sweat blood

All for love, He was betrayed by His closest friends

All for love, He took the insults, the allegations, the humiliation without saying a word

All for love, He was chained and put through the shame of public trial

All for love, He was chastised and whipped so that we could be healed

All for love, He was mocked and hurt, He was spat at and punched

All for love, He carried the heavy cross on His shoulders

All for love, He was stripped, lashed, pierced, crucified amongst sinners

All for love, He hung on the cross, abandoned by everyone

All for love, He prayed for the forgiveness for each one of us

All for love, He who had no sins took the sin of the whole world upon Himself

All for love, He bled every drop of blood, He died the most painful death

All for love, He lay in somebody else’s tomb

All for love, death couldn’t stop Him, the tomb couldn’t hold Him

All for love, He rose from the dead the third day

All for love, He rose in all His glory and majesty

All for love, He met His disciples, gave them courage and faith which they had lost

All for love, He gave them hope, which was shattered

All for love, He gave them peace, which the world couldn’t give

All for love, He gave them joy which they couldn’t contain

All for love, He gave them a new life

All for love, He promised “I will be with you till the end of the ages.”

All for love, for you and me.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend. And you are my friends.” – Jesus (John 15:13)

God Bless!

Valentine's Day Message

It’s Feb – the month of Love and now only a few more days remain for the day many of us would be eagerly waiting for – the Valentine’s Day!! Whether it be newspapers or magazines or malls or card shops or even a stroll across any street in the city, you can’t escape looking at hearts, balloons, cakes, beautiful bouquets, chocolates.....This is the month in which one can truly say ‘Love is in the air.’

But what is love? Some say its a special feeling for a special someone, some say its an emotion, some say its a decision, some say its a chemical reaction, some say its the biggest mistake one can ever make, some say its life, some say its just indescribable!! Well, I found the best definition about love nowhere else but in the Bible. St Paul says:

“ Love is patient and kind.

It is not jealous or conceited or proud.

Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or short tempered

Love does not keep a record of wrongs;

Love is not happy with evil, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is eternal.”  

(1Corinthians 13:4-8)

WOW!!  When I first read these verses I was just blown away. That’s what true love is. That’s how God wants it to be. A selfless, unconditional love.  And He showed it to us, “..it is not that we have loved God,  but that He loved us first and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.” (1 John 4:10) His Love follows us wherever we go, lifts us whenever we are down, protects us whenever we are troubled, guides us whenever we are unsure, surrounds us whenever we are alone, hugs us whenever we need a touch, brings out the best in us and strips away our weaknesses. His Love is always there for us.  And this is His special message for each one of us:

        ‘For God so loVed the world

That He gAve

    His onLy

   BegottEn

       SoN

                                That whosoever

      Believes In Him

             Should Not perish

                                     But have Everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)

He considers each one of us to be His Valentine. Do we consider Him special? This Valentine’s Day apart from wishing our special ones, let’s wish God, who loved us first. Let’s tell him ‘I Love You too’, coz He said it first, to each one of us, on the Cross.

A couple of years ago when I wished God on Valentine’s Day, He replied  ‘I love you a lot’. But He didn’t stop there. He asked me to tell others also that He loves them too. God’s love is there for everyone irrespective of who they are, how they are, what they have done.

So on 14^th Feb, lets spread the message of God’s Love. And the message is – God still loves the world. He is passionately busy loving you and me!!!

God Bless!