29th Day of Lent:
April
2, 2014:
“I
will never forget you”
(Isaiah 49:15)
God’s love for us is everlasting and
unconditional. God is slow to anger and rich in compassion according to the
psalmist. Jesus says he has ‘come to do the will of the Father’ and he does
only what His Father wants. The purpose of Jesus’ coming is to bring us to
everlasting life. The Jews wanted to kill Jesus for sharing this good news.
People at times really get bend out of shape for small and simple things. 
Then you begin to wonder am I in the right
track or heading in the wrong direction. Our response to God’s love is
reflected in the way we conduct our lives with oneself, others and creation. It
is also reflected in the way we seek to learn, understand and fulfill the will
of God. In one of his Treatise on Love St. Alphonsus Liguori says, “All
holiness consists in the love of God; but the love of God consists in
conformity to the will of God; therefore all holiness consists in conformity to
the will of God.” 
Reflecting on this theme another Redemptorist
priest Fr. Daniel Lowrey says, “The will of God is manifested to us in the
duties and responsibilities of our state in life”. This is very challenging
especially when people stand in our way preventing us from carrying out what is
asked of you. Jews were ruthlessly objecting Jesus’ way of ministering to the
people, sharing his love and compassion for them, promising everlasting life if
they choose to follow Him. How often do I find myself at the receiving end of
so much of grief, objections, criticisms, reactions in carrying out the will of
God. 
As the Treatise on Love says, “The chief point
lies in our embracing the will of God in all things that befall us, not only
when they are favorable, but when they are contrary to our desires. When things
go well, even sinners find no difficulty in being in a state of uniformity to
the divine will; but the saints are in uniformity also under circumstances,
which run counter to self-love. It is in this that the perfection of our love
of God is shown”. No wonder then it so hard to follow the lead of our Lord at
times. Therefore, we come to God with all our vulnerability, inability, and
difficulty so that He who is Love will help us to love deeper and the live the
will of God. God Bless you always!
Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Fr. Cyriac Chandy Mattathilanickal, MS
Rev. Fr. Cyriac Chandy Mattathilanickal, MS
Wishing you and yours A Holy Lent!
Rev. Fr. Tom Puthusseril, M.S.
Shrine Director
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