20th Day of Lent: March 24, 2014: “Namaan the Syrian Commander” and us.

20^th Day of Lent: 

         March 24, 2014:

            “Namaan                                               

                              the Syrian

                                    Commander”

                                                   and us.

One of the first books published by Pope Francis is entitled, “A big heart open to God”. Here you find the Pontiff looking for the spark of the divine in the simple, ordinary, uneventful, and un-dramatic. We often tend to look for the spectacle, extraordinary and miracle as ways in which God reveals to us God’s self.

However, very often he relies on the simple and ordinary to convey his message of hope, mercy and forgiveness and of course his love. God uses the slave girl and the servant to convince Namaan the commander to obey Prophet Elisha to get the healing through a simple ritual of washing himself in the waters of Jordan seven times. Namaan was looking for the extraordinary and the dramatic ritual. Grace is in the simple and the ordinary people and events. Grace is everywhere and God is in all things.

Jesus was too ordinary a carpenter’s son, he is too simplistic and low profile to be a prophet and let alone be a Messiah.

  

People in his time had somehow ‘figured it out’ how a Messiah should look like and where he should come from. The truth of the Messiah escaped them.

Today can I look for the spark of the divine in the simple people, simple events, and simple miracles in the nature?

We all need a ‘big heart open to the God’ of surprises to reveal God’s self  to us so that we may never reject but look at everything and everywhere with the eyes of faith.

                             

May our day be full of surprises and may the Lord fill our hearts with joy and peace.

God Bless you always!
Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Fr. Cyriac Chandy Mattathilanickal, MS

Wishing you and yours A Holy Lent!

Rev. Fr. Tom Puthusseril, M.S.

                                                                                                                      Shrine Director

Join the our La Salette Missionaries! 

Call Fr. Dennis Loomis, M.S.

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