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2011, നവംബർ 10, വ്യാഴാഴ്‌ച

കാലേബും ജോഷ്വയും!(സംഖ്യ 14 )

കാലേബും ജോഷ്വയും!(സംഖ്യ 14 ) 
ഈജിപ്തിന്റെ അടിമത്തത്തില്‍ നിന്നും സഹനങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നും ദൈവം ഒരു പെസഹായിലടെ രക്ഷിച്ചു സ്വന്തമാക്കിയ ജനം ഇതാ പാരാന്‍ മരുഭൂമിയില്‍! 
തേനും പാലും ഒഴുകുന്ന വാഗ്ദത്ത ഭൂമിയുടെ സമീപം, 
സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യത്തിന്റെ പുതുപുലരിയുടെ തൊട്ടടുത്ത്‌ ഒരു ജനം എത്തി നില്‍ക്കുമ്പോള്‍, അവരുടെ സമരനായകനായ മോശ ദൈവഹിതപ്രകാരം പന്ത്രണ്ടു ഗോത്രങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നും പന്ത്രണ്ടു നേതാക്കന്മാരെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തു അയയ്ക്കുന്നു. 
തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കപെട്ടവരുടെ നിയോഗം ഇതാണ്: അവര്‍ വാഗ്ദത്ത ഭൂമിയിലടെ ചാരന്മാരെ പോലെ നടന്നു നീങ്ങണം, മണ്ണിന്റെ ഗുണം അറിയണം, ഫലങ്ങളുടെ സ്വാദ് അറിയണം, അവിടത്തെ ജനങ്ങളുടെ ബലം അറിയണം...
ആ പന്ത്രണ്ടു പേര്‍ സിന്‍ മരുഭൂമി മുതല്‍ ഹമാത്തിന്റെ കവടത്തിന്നടുത്തു റാഹോബ് വരെയും ഹെബ്രോന്‍ താഴ്വരെകളിലടെയും സംഘം സഞ്ചരിച്ചു. 
നാല്പതു ദിവസത്തെ രഹസ്യ നിരീക്ഷണത്തിന് ശേഷം സംഘം മടങ്ങി. പാരാന്‍ മരുഭൂമിയിലെ കാദേശില്‍ വന്നു അവര്‍ മോശയെയും അഹരോനെയും ഇസ്രായേല്‍ ജനം മുഴുവനെയും വിവരം അറിയിച്ചു:
അവര്‍ പറഞ്ഞു " ദൈവം അരുളിച്ചെയ്തതുപോലെ തന്നെ ആ ദേശം തേനും പാലും ഒഴുകുന്നതാണ് , അവിടുത്തെ ഫലങ്ങള്‍ അവര്‍ ജനത്തെ കാണിച്ചു. സമൃദ്ധിയുടെ, ഐശ്വര്യത്തിന്റെ  യെഷ്ക്കോല്‍ തഴവരെയേക്കുറിച്ചും അവര്‍ വിവരിച്ചു.
പക്ഷെ അവിടുത്തെ ജനങ്ങള്‍ മല്ലന്മാര്‍ ആണ്. അവരുടെ കോട്ട കൊത്തളങ്ങള്‍ ബാലവത്താണ് . നാം ഭയപ്പെടുന്ന അനോക്ക് വര്‍ഗക്കാരും, അമാലേക്യരും, ജബുസ്യരും മറ്റും തിങ്ങി പാര്‍ക്കുന്ന ഇടമാണ്  അത് . അവരുടെ മുന്‍പില്‍ നാം വെറും വിട്ടിലുകളെ പോലെയാണ്. 
ഇതുകേട്ട ഇസ്രയേല്‍ ജനം ഉറക്കെ നിലവിളിച്ചു. അവര്‍ മോശയ്ക്കും അഹരോനും എതിരെ പിറുപിറുത്തു. അടിമത്തത്തിന്റെ ഈജിപ്തിലേക്ക് തിരികെ പോകാന്‍ അവര്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ചു. ഒരു പെസഹായിലടെ തങ്ങളെ രക്ഷിച്ച  സത്യദൈവത്തെ അവര്‍ മറന്നു. 
ഇതുകണ്ട് കാലേബും ജോഷ്വയും അവരുടെ വസ്ത്രം കീറി. അവര്‍ പറഞ്ഞു നിങ്ങള്‍ കര്‍ത്താവിനോട്  മരുതളിക്കരുത്, ആ ദേശം അതി വിശിഷ്ട്ടമാണ്. കരത്താവ് നമ്മോടു കൂടെയാണ് നാം അവരെ ഭയക്കേണ്ടതില്ല. 
ഒടുവില്‍ ജനത്തിന്റെ വലിയ രോഷത്തിനിടയിലും ദൈവത്തില്‍ ആശ്രയിച്ച കാലേബും ജോഷ്വയും ഒഴികെ ആ പന്തണ്ട് പേരില്‍ പത്തു പേരും മഹാമാരി ബാധിച്ചു കര്‍ത്താവിന്റെ മുന്‍പില്‍ മരിച്ചു വീണു.
ദൈവത്തിന്റെ പദ്ധതി, ദൈവം ഏല്‍പ്പിക്കുന്ന നിയോഗം ഇവയില്‍ കാലിടറുമ്പോള്‍ ഓര്‍ക്കുക അത് നിന്റെ സര്‍വ നാശം വിളിച്ചു വരുത്തും. ഒരു ജനത്തെ അവരുടെ ഹൃദയത്തില്‍ ഭയം നിറച്ചു കൊണ്ട് ദൈവത്തിന്റെ വഴികളില്‍ നിന്ന് പിന്മാറാന്‍ പ്രചോതിപ്പിക്കുന്നവര്‍ ഓര്‍ക്കുക അത് നിങ്ങളുടെ സര്‍വനാശത്തിലേയ്ക്ക് നയിക്കും.
വലിയ പ്രല്ലോഭാനങ്ങള്‍ വരുമ്പോള്‍, ദുഃഖങ്ങള്‍ പരാജയങ്ങള്‍ കഷ്ട്ടപ്പാടുകള്‍ ദുഃഖ ദുരിതങ്ങള്‍ എല്ലാം വരുമ്പോള്‍ ഭയപ്പെടേണ്ട ദൈവം നമ്മോടു കൂടെയുണ്ട് എന്ന തിരിച്ച്ചരിവിലേക്ക് നാം വളരണം. ആ അറിവ് ദൈവാനുഗ്രഹത്തിന്റെ തേനും പാലും ഒഴുകുന്ന പുതിയെ ഭൂമികയിലേക്ക് നമ്മെ നയിക്കും...തീര്‍ച്ച!  

2011, ഫെബ്രുവരി 26, ശനിയാഴ്‌ച

Smoke sign!



ഒരിക്കല്‍ ഒരു കപ്പല്‍ അപകടത്തില്‍ പെട്ടു. പൂര്‍ണമായും നശിച്ച ആ കപ്പലില്‍ നിന്നും ഒരാള്‍ മാത്രം അത്ഭുതകരമായി രക്ഷപെട്ടു. അയാള്‍ എത്തിപ്പെട്ടത് ആള്‍താമസമില്ലാത്ത ഒരു ചെറിയ ദ്വീപിലാണ്. ആരെങ്കിലും തന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കാന്‍ വരും എന്ന പ്രതീക്ഷയില്‍ അയാള്‍ ഏതാനും ദിവസങ്ങള്‍ കാത്തിരുന്നു. ദൈവത്തോട് മനമുരുകി പ്രാര്‍ഥിച്ചു. എന്നാല്‍ ആരും അയാളെ തിരഞ്ഞു വന്നില്ല.
ഒടുവില്‍ ജീവന്‍ നിലനിര്‍ത്താനായി അയാള്‍ വളരെയേറെ പണിപെട്ട് ആ ദ്വീപില്‍ നിന്നും ശേഖരിച്ച സാമഗ്രികള്‍ കൊണ്ട് ഒരു കൊച്ചു കുടില്‍ ഉണ്ടാക്കി. ജീവസന്ധാരണം നടത്തുവാനായി അയാള്‍ അധ്വാനിച്ചു ശേഖരിച്ചവയും അവിടെ സൂക്ഷിച്ചു. തന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കുവാന്‍ ആരെയെങ്കിലും ആ തീരത്തേയ്ക്ക് അയയ്ക്കണമേ എന്ന് അയാള്‍ എന്നും ദൈവത്തോട് അപേക്ഷിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. ആഴ്ചകള്‍ കടന്നു പോയി. അങ്ങനെയിരിക്കെ ഒരു ദിനം അല്‍പ്പം ഭക്ഷണത്തിനുള്ള വകയും കൊണ്ട് തന്റെ കിടപ്പാടത്തിനു അടുത്തെത്തിയ അയാള്‍ കണ്ടത് ഹൃദയം പിളര്‍ക്കുന്ന ഒരു കാഴച്ചയാണ്. അയാളുടെ കഠിന അധ്വാനത്തിന്റെ ഫലമായ കുടില്‍ നിന്ന് കത്തുന്നു. എല്ലാം ആകാശം മുട്ടെ ഉയര്‍ന്നു പൊങ്ങിയ അഗ്നിനാളങ്ങള്‍ തിന്നു തീര്‍ത്തിരിക്കുന്നു. നിരാശനായ അയാള്‍ കരങ്ങള്‍ സ്വര്‍ഗതിലെക്കുയര്‍ത്തി ദൈവത്തെ ശപിച്ചു കൊണ്ട് പറഞ്ഞു :"എന്തിനു എന്നോടിങ്ങനെ ക്രൂരത! എന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിലേക്ക് അഗ്നി അയയ്ക്കുന്നത് എന്തിനു?".

നിരാശനായ അയാള്‍ അവിടെ തളര്‍ന്നു വീണുറങ്ങി. പിറ്റേന്ന് രാവിലെ അയാള്‍ എഴുന്നേല്‍ക്കുന്നത് തന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കാനായി വന്ന ഒരു കപ്പലിലെ ആളുകളുടെ ശബ്ദം കേട്ടുകൊണ്ടാണ്. സന്തോഷം കൊണ്ട് മനം നിറഞ്ഞ അയാള്‍ ആ നാവികരോട് ചോദിച്ചു "എങ്ങനെയാണ് ഞാന്‍ ഈ ദ്വീപില്‍ അകപെട്ടിട്ടുണ്ട് എന്ന് നിങ്ങള്‍ അറിഞ്ഞത്?" അവര്‍ പറഞ്ഞു: "താങ്കള്‍ തീ കൂട്ടി ഞങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് തന്ന അടയാളം (smoke sign) ഞങ്ങള്‍ കണ്ടു, അങ്ങനെയാണ് ഇവിടെ എത്തിയത്".

നമ്മുടെ ജീവിതങ്ങളിലും ദൈവം പലപ്പോഴും ഓരോ അഗ്നി അടയാളങ്ങള്‍ അനുവദിക്കും!

2010, നവംബർ 30, ചൊവ്വാഴ്ച

The Art of Giving!

The Art of Giving


"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?


Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.

Q. The first question is when should one give?

We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.

Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices, that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message.

One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!

A. The time to give therefore is now.

Q. The next question is 'how much to give?

One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.

A. The answer to this question how much to give is "Give as much as you can!

Q. The next question is what to give?

It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile.

It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!

A. You can give anything but you must give with your heart!

Q. One also needs answer to this question whom to give?

Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified.

A. Give without being judgmental!

Q. Next we have to answer 'How to give?

Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving. In giving follow the advice, ’Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.

'A. Give quietly!

While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.

Q. What should one feel after giving?

We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina? he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya. There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.
His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru?

The message to us is clear.

A. Give and never regret giving!

Q. And the last question is How much should we provide for our heirs?

Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work'? - A source of happiness!

A. "Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!

Let us learn the Art of Giving, through Sant Kabir:

"When the wealth in the house increases or when water fills a boat - Throw it out with both hands
 
Source: Internet

Chilean Miners' Quotes


Chilean Miners' Quotes


· “There are actually 34 of us, because God has never left us down here.” Time.com

· “Altars, prayers, rosary beads all came out as soon as word came out. Bringing together the entire country with nuns and priests visiting the mine to provide relatives with emotional support, and praying for there for protection.” CBS

· “Mario Gore Messes who at 63 is the eldest of a group of miners. He became the group’s spiritual leader requesting a crucifix and Catholic statues of saints to construct an underground shrine.” CBS

· “Many miners wore the same t-shirt. It reads, ‘gracias, senor,’ or thank you, Lord.” CBS News

· “More than 1,000 relatives of the stranded miners move to the desert and set up tents. Before long, the area around the San Jose mine becomes a village. A village based on prayers, hope, faith. In fact, they call this place Camp Hope. Every Sunday, there’s a Catholic Mass.” WABC

· “He hugged and kissed just about everyone, and then said of his ordeal. ‘I met God, I met the devil, God won.’” WNBC

· “The miners aren’t coming out of the mine empty-handed. They will carry with them letters from loved ones, religion statues, and rocks from the mine.” WABC

· “It ended everything as a blessing of God.” Fox News Channel

· “Mario Gomez, 63 years old, he stepped out of that capsule into the arms of his wife, Lila, then he hugged her and then he took to her knee and prayed to God and the Virgin Mary.” CNN

· “Religion has played a large part in their hope insofar as their desire to get out of there.” Fox News Business

· “They have been touched by God.” Fox News Business

· “They’re being reunited with that land that they were singing about. It’s a belief in God, belief in religion, and the beauty of that country that helped to sustain them all of this time and now, here they are back up.” CNN

· “We’ve seen that for some of the miners that have come out talking about their spiritual cris underground and it’s a tremendously emotional moment for these men. Jeff, I wanted to talk about that religious moment there. We had one of the miners after he came up he said, he felt like he saw both God and the devil down there and he saw that God won. That is a case where religion can just be so important at a moment like that because faith sometimes is all you have to cling to.” MSNBC

· “Gomez’s ‘Dear Lila’ letter was filled with faith and determination, and showed the world the miners were holding strong. ‘Even if we have to wait months to communicate…I want to tell everyone that im good and we’ll surely come out OK. Patience and faith. God is great and the help of my God is going to make it possible to leave this mine alive.’” Miami Herald

· “When Esteban Rojas came out he knelt down and prayed. In that instant his wife presented him with an image of Our Lady. It would be an image that would stick with many of the others.” La Quarta

· “We find them with God’s help and rescued them as Chileans. In this regard, [the Chilean president] expressed that, ‘God put us to the test this year, but God never puts us a burden that we are not able to cope with.’” Chile.com

· “What began as a possible tragedy, we hope—and thank God—seems to be ending as a true blessing.” Bloomberg.com

· “We have lived a magical night, a night we will remember throughout our lives, a night in which life defeated death.” Los Angeles Times

· “No doubt there will be books and movies and richer detail of a long burial spent, as one miner described it, close to both God and the devil. But it will be hard to beat the day of rescue, when millions watched and celebrated the survival of all hands.”Anchorage Daily News

· “While Rojas was underground, he told his wife of 25 years that it was time for a church wedding ‘once and for all’ to make up for their civil ceremony. The couple have three children.” Arizona Republic

· “We have prayed to San Lorenzo, the patron saint of miners, and to many other saints so that my brothers Florencio and Renan would come out of the mine all right. It is as if they had been born again.” Associated Press Online

· “Pope Benedict XVI said in Spanish that he ‘continues with hope to entrust God’s goodness’ the fate of the men.” Associated Press Online

· “He dropped to his knees after he emerged, bowed his head in prayer and clutched the Chilean flag.” Associated Press Online

· “Gomez wrote ‘patience and faith. God is great and the help of my God is going to make it possible to leave this mine alive.’” Associated Press

· “Jose Henriquez, 55, formed and led a prayer group while trapped and had friends send 33 small Bibles down the tiny supply hole.” Associated Press

· “We give thanks to God.” Associated Press

· “I think I had extraordinary luck. I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out for God.” Atlanta Journal

· “He dropped to his knees after he emerged, bowed his head in prayer, and clutched the Chilean flag.” Boston Globe

· “This has become spiritual.” Boston Globe

· “And so, suddenly, there they were, vigorous and exultant and newly thankful for the privilege of walking atop God’s orb.” Daily News

· “As they came to the surface, most were ebullient—rejoicing with family and friends—and praising God for their blessings.” Daily News Leader

· “Their survival was miracle enough.” Investor’s Business Daily

· “It’s a—I don’t know how to say ‘milagro.’ A miracle.” Journal News

· “Some knelt and prayed, other pumped their fists. All of them are finally free.” Miami Herald

· “I’m praying it all goes well.” New York Times

· “We hope that with the help of God this epic will end in a happy way.” New York Times

· “‘Miracle at the Mine’ is what ‘Good Morning America’ called it, and it was a Nativity scene witnessed worldwide.” New York Times

· “He hugged his wife and sank to his knees in prayer.” New York Times

· “He dropped to the ground in prayer.’ New York Times

· “Some of the miners rescued here said they were touched by God.” New York Times

· “I think I had extraordinary luck. I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out for God.” New York Times

· “Rarely are we reminded so clearly of the sweetness of human life.” News & Observer

· “And now they gathered at the premises owned by a Chilean native, quietly marveling as one by one, the miraculous rescues continued.” Newsday

· “God was always present. It’s a miracle. This recue was so difficult. It is a great miracle.” News Tribune

· “I have suffered much, in the toughest times, I thanked God I had a daughter.” AOLnews.com

· “God wanted me to stay here, I do not know why, maybe for me to change.” AOLnews.com

· “Esteban Rojas, 44, left the rescue capsule and prayed. He got down on his knees, crossed himself, put his hands together in the pose of prayer, crossed himself again, and then put his hands over his head.” CNN.com

· “No. 21 was Jose Henriquez, 55, who had asked for 33 small Bibles to be send to the miners so he could lead a prayer group.” Wall Street Journal

· “Gomez dropped to his knees in prayer and raised his arms up to the heavens before hugging his wife again.” Vancouver Sun

· “The 33 miners trapped in the San Jose mine in Atacama, Chile, have requested that statues and religious pictures be sent down to them as they wait to be rescued.”Catholic Herald

· “Although a crucifix has already been sent down, the miners are continuing to request more statues of Mary and the saints to construct a makeshift chapel. The miners want to set up a section of the chamber they are in as a shrine.” TheNewAmerican.com



· “We always knew that we would be rescued, we never lost faith.” News Tribune

Source: Internet

Lessons in Logic

Lessons in Logic


If your father is a poor man,

it is your fate but,

if your father-in-law is a poor man,

it's your stupidity.

......................................................................................

I was born intelligent -

education ruined me.

......................................................................................

Practice makes perfect.....

But nobody's perfect......

so why practice?

......................................................................................

If it's true that we are here to help others,

then what exactly are the others here for?

......................................................................................

Since light travels faster than sound,

people appear bright until you hear them speak.

......................................................................................

How come 'abbreviated' is such a long word?

......................................................................................

Money is not everything.

There's Mastercard & Visa.

.....................................................................................

One should love animals.

They are so tasty.

......................................................................................

Behind every successful man, there is a woman

And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.

......................................................................................

Every man should marry.

After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.

......................................................................................

The wise never marry.

and when they marry they become otherwise.

......................................................................................

Success is a relative term.

It brings so many relatives.

......................................................................................

Never put off the work till tomorrow

what you can put off today.

......................................................................................

'Your future depends on your dreams'

So go to sleep

......................................................................................

There should be a better way to start a day

Than waking up every morning

......................................................................................

'Hard work never killed anybody'

But why take the risk

......................................................................................

'Work fascinates me'

I can look at it for hours

......................................................................................

God made relatives;

Thank God we can choose our friends.

......................................................................................

The more you learn, the more you know,

The more you know, the more you forget

The more you forget, the less you know

So.. why learn.

..........................................................................................

A bus station is where a bus stops.

A train station is where a train stops.

On my desk, I have a work station....

where my..... what more can I say?!
 
Source: Internet

Gossip!


We can never really Justify Gossip!!


This is what the Bible tell us about GOSSIP!

Proverbs 11:13

A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Proverbs 16:28

A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

Proverbs 20:19

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

2 Corinthians 12:20

For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

Proverbs 25:18

A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.


Gossip Poem

★My name is Gossip.

★I am a direct descendant of the father of lies.★I have no respect for justice.

★I maim without killing.

★I break hearts and ruin lives.

★I am cunning and malicious and I gather strength with age.

★The more I am quoted, the more I am believed.

★My victims are helpless.

★They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face.

★To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become.

★I am nobody’s friend.

★Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same.

★I topple governments and wreck marriages.

★I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartaches, and indigestion.

★I make innocent people cry in their pillows.

★I make headlines and headaches.

★Even my name hisses. I am called Gossip.

So.........
Before you repeat a story, ask yourself:

Is it true?

Is it harmless?

Is it necessary?

If it isn’t, why repeat it?


Gossip-Free Zone

In some offices, you can get fired for gossiping. According to a 2002 survey, the average employee gossips 65 hours a year. One Chicago firm decided to become a "gossip-free zone." They require that employees never talk badly about co-workers behind their backs. If you're caught, you lose your job.A ministry for people in the entertainment industry takes a refreshing alternative to gossip. They combat it with prayer. Instead of putting down famous people who get in trouble with bad choices, they encourage people to pray for them.



Among God's commands to His people is "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Ex. 20:16). While this may be talking primarily about lying at judicial proceedings, gossip could also be included in the command because it violates the law of love toward our neighbor. Proverbs uses strong language to describe this use of our words. It's like "a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow" against others (25:18).Gossip feeds into our natural desires to feel superior to others and to belong or fit in, so combating it in our personal lives can be a challenge. But if we choose to love through prayer, our lives can be a gossip-free zone.— Anne Cetas

Lord, forgive us for speaking carelessly

about others to make ourselves look better.

Help us to think before we speak.Teach us to be loving with our words. Amen.


Let's not form our opinion of people from what we hear from others.It may not always be correct but just may be repeating what they heard or felt...

God and the Geese


There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays.


His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.

One snowy Eve, his wife was taking their children to service in the farm community in which they lived.

They were to talk about Jesus' birth. She asked him to come, but he refused.

"That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come to earth as a man? That's ridiculous!"

So she and the children left, and he stayed home.

A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard.

As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm.

He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump.

Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet.



When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window.

In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese.

Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on.

They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter.

They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly.

A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.

The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them.

The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought.

It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm.

So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and

waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside.

But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away.

He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn.

They still didn't catch on.



Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn,

but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn.

Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.

"Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed.

"Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?"

He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human.

"If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud. Then he had an idea.

He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms,

as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese.



He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn -

and one-by-one, the other geese followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind:

"If only I were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier.

"Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"



Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese--blind, lost, perishing.

God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us.

As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought.

Suddenly he understood why Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm.

He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:


"Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!"
 
Source: Internet

Quotable Quotes!


Quotable Quotes


Don't let your worries get the best of you;

Remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited;

Until you try to sit in their pews.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Many folks want to serve God,

But only as advisers.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



It is easier to preach ten sermons

Than it is to live one..

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose,

But mosquitoes come close.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



When you get to your wit's end,

You'll find God lives there.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



People are funny; they want the front of the bus,

Middle of the road,

And back of the church..

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Opportunity may knock once,

But temptation bangs on the front door forever..

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Quit griping about your church;

If it was perfect, you couldn't belong..

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



If a church wants a better pastor,

It only needs to pray for the one it has.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



God Himself doesn't propose to judge a man until

he is dead. So why should you?

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Some minds are like concrete

Thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Peace starts with a smile.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



I don't know why some people change churches;

What difference does it make which one you stay home from? < /SPAN>

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



A lot of church members singing 'Standing on the Promises'

Are just sitting on the premises.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Be ye fishers of men. You catch 'em - He'll clean 'em.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Stop, Drop, and Roll won't work in Hell.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Forbidden fruits create many jams.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



God grades on the cross, not the curve.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



God loves everyone,

But probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



He who angers you, controls you!

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

If God is your Co-pilot, swap seats!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



Prayer: Don't give God instructions, just report for duty!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



The Will of God never takes you to where the

Grace of God will not protect you.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



We don't change t he message,

The message changes us..

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

You can tell how big a person is

By what it takes to discourage him..

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*



The best mathematical equation I have ever seen:


1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
 
 
Source: Internet

Mother's Love is deeper than Ocean!


Story of Appreciation




One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.



He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.



The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.



The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".



The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.



The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.



The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.



The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*



The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.



The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.



This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.



After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.



That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.



Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.



The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"



The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'



The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."



The youth said,

No. 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today.

No. 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done.

No. 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.



The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager.

I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.




Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

Aim High!

Aim High!




There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.. As he went further, he saw a large wild 'Tom' turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.

A voice spoke to him and said, 'Pray first, aim high and stay focused.'

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.

Still, the voice said again to him, 'I said 'Pray, Aim high and Stay focused.'

So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.

He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family. The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.

Moral of the story:

Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, 'the past.'

Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can endure.

Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor.....

Wait, be still and patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.


Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there!

Source: Internet

FACTS TO MAKE EVERY INDIAN PROUD


FACTS TO MAKE EVERY INDIAN PROUD






Q. Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard (hp) ?

A. Rajiv Gupta



Q. Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no introduction as 90% of the todays' computers run on it)?

A. Vinod Dham



Q. Who is the third richest man in the world?

A. According to the latest report on Fortune Magazine, it is Azim Premji, who is the CEO of Wipro Industries. The Sultan of Brunei is at 6th position now.



Q. Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail (Hotmail is worlds' No.1 web based email program)?

A. Sabeer Bhatia.



Q. Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs (AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few)?

A. Arun Netravalli.



Q. Who is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000, responsible to iron out all initial problems?

A. Sanjay Tejwrika.



Q. Who are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart?

A. Victor Menezes, Raja t Gupta, and Rana Talwar.



Q. We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America , even faring better than the whites and the natives.



There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of the total US population). YET,



38% of doctors in USA are Indians.

12% scientists in USA are Indians.

36% of NASA scientists are Indians.

34% of Microsoft employees are Indians.

28% of IBM employees are Indians.

17% of INTEL scientists are Indians.

13% of XEROX employees are Indians.

.0004% of ACTORS are Indians!



Some of the following facts may be known to you. These facts were recently published in a German magazine -



1. India has never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history.



2. India invented the number system - Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.



3. The worlds' first University was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda , built in the 4th century BC, was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.



4. According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.



5. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans.



6. Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty striken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.



7. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word "Navigation" is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.



8. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now k! nown as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars last year (1999) officially published that Budhayans' works dates to the 6th Century which is long before the European mathematicians.



9. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India . Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 1053.



10. According to the Gemmological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world.



11. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi. 12. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.



13. Chess was invented in India .



14. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India .



15. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley ( Indus Valley Civilisation).



16. The place value system, the decimal system, was developed in India in 100 BC.



Quotes about India



We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.

- Albert Einstein.



India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition. - Mark Twain.



If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India

- French scholar Romain Rolland.



India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.

- Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA )

ALL OF THE ABOVE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, THE LIST COULD BE ENDLESS.



BUT, if we don't see even a glimpse of that great India in the India that we see today, it clearly means that we are not working up to our potential

And that if we do, we could once again be an evershining and inspiring country setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow.



I hope you enjoyed it and work towards the welfare of INDIA .




Say proudly, I AM AN INDIAN.
Source; Internet

WATCH!


Watch your thoughts; they become words.



Watch your words; they become actions.


Watch your actions; they become habits.


Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
 
Source: Unknown to me.

Am I A CHRISTIAN?


A Christian Witness


Several years ago, a priest was transferred to a distant village church in his diocese. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his church to the nearest town. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he told himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.'



Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company makes huge profits; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.' When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change. '



The driver, with a smile, replied, 'You are the new priest in the village, right?' 'Yes' he replied.



'Well, I have lately been thinking a lot about going somewhere to pray. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you extra change. You'll see me at church on Sunday.'



When the priest stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold You for a quarter!'



Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself ' Christian '
 
Source: Internet Story

2010, ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 11, ബുധനാഴ്‌ച

God's Ways


God's Ways

I asked for Strength.........And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.


I asked for Wisdom...........And God gave me Problems to solve.


I asked for Prosperity.......And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.


I asked for Courage..........And God gave me Danger to overcome.


I asked for Love.............And God gave me Troubled people to help.


I asked for Favors..........And God gave me Opportunities.


I got nothing I wanted ......but I received everything I needed!

God's Positive Answers







God's Positive Answers









For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it :








You say: "It's impossible"


God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)






You say: "I'm too tired"


God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 1:28-30)






You say: "Nobody really loves me"

God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 13:34)






You say: "I can't go on"


God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)






You say: "I can't figure things out"


God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)






You say: "I can't do it"


God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)






You say: "I'm not able"


God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)






You say: "It's not worth it"


God says: It will be worth it. (Roman 8:28)





You say: "I can't forgive myself"

God says: I FORGIVE YOU (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)




You say: "I can't manage"

God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)






You say: "I'm afraid"


God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy1:7)




You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"


God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)






You say: "I don't have enough faith"


God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith  (Romans 12:3)






You say: "I'm not smart enough"


God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)




You say: "I feel all alone"


God says: I will never leave you or forsake you  (Hebrews13:5)
N.B: This is taken from Internet

How the Davidic covenant is fulfilled by Christ (Mathew), through the Eucharist (Luke), in the Church as the New Temple (John).




In order to answer this question, I think it is very important to see the meticulous nature of the Davidic covenant. David and his house enjoy the favour of God who commits himself by oath to an “eternal covenant”. The nature of this covenant is defined by the words of God: “I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me”. Being an unconditional promise, the covenant with the house of David cannot be broken (Ps 89:29-38). The perspective is very different from that of the Sinai covenant, where the divine favour is conditional: it requires obedience to the covenant on Israel's part (Ex 19:5-6).


Against this background we have to read the gospel according to Mathew which starts with a genealogy of Jesus where Jesus is witnessed and presented as the “son of David” and “the son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1). By mentioning David and Abraham, Matthew calls to mind the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants which will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the “anointed” one (Mt 1:1ff). Jesus is the long-awaited king, the “son of David” whose throne will be established for ever (2Sam 7:13-14). He has come to proclaim the ‘good news’ that the ‘kingdom’ has arrived (Mt 3:2, 4:17). This is a universal kingdom that encompasses all nations, and through which all nations will be blessed (Gen 17:6; Mt 28:19). The Gospel according to Mathew gives a particular attention on the kingdom of David: Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the city of David, which was prophesized as the birth-place of the Messiah-King (Mt 2:6; Mic 5:2). Jesus is born of a virgin fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the future Davidic king (Mt 1:23; Is 7:14). The Magi visit Jesus at his birth to pay tribute to him, just as kings visited Solomon (1Kgs 4:34; Ps 72:10-11). People identify Jesus as the “Son of David.” For instance, two blind men use this title for him (9:27), the Canaanite woman (15:22), and the crowds who welcome Jesus into Jerusalem (21:9). Jerusalem, the capital of the Davidic kingdom, is important to the Davidic covenant and it is here that Jesus’ ministry reaches its climax with his passion, death and resurrection (Mt 26-28).


At the Last Supper, Jesus intervened decisively in making his blood “the blood of the covenant” (Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24), the foundation of the “new covenant” (Lk 22:20; 1 Co 11:25). The description of the Last Supper is outlined with references to eating and drinking with which Jesus manifest the kingdom. In the first mention Jesus points out that this Supper is linked to the imminent arrival of the kingdom (Lk 22:16), and in the other quote Jesus promises the apostles (Lk 22:30) that they will eat and drink at his table in his kingdom. Through the institution narrative, the bread and wine are transformed into the Eucharistic Body and Blood of Christ, the king. As the king is present so is his kingdom, which is a Eucharistic kingdom. “Behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Lk 17:21). Through the institution of the Eucharist Jesus reinstates and transforms the Davidic covenant. As David was enthroned in the earthly Jerusalem, Jesus is enthroned in the heavenly Jerusalem. He is the heavenly king, who by giving his own Body and Blood in the Eucharist, enables Christians to be united to him, and therefore to enter into the life of the Trinity. The Church which is the mystical Body of Christ manifests the renewed Davidic kingdom and exists simultaneously in heaven and on earth.


In the Old Testament, the Temple is both functional and symbolic space. It serves as the place of the cult, especially sacrifice, prayer, teaching, healing and royal enthronement. It plays the role of axis and centre of the world. During the New Testament period the edifice retained its symbolic role as the privileged divine abode, which represented on earth the dwelling place of God in heaven. In Jn 2:16 Jesus calls it “my Father's house”. But some texts relativise this symbolism and pave the way for transcending it. Jesus announced the replacement by a new sanctuary, to be built in three days after its destruction.(Jn 2:19-22) After his resurrection, Jesus' disciples understood that the new Temple was his risen body. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is portrayed as the fulfillment of the Temple, the holiest place for the Jews and “the embodiment of God’s covenant with David”. John also shows how this fulfillment continues in Christ’s mystical Body, the Church, through the sacraments. This idea is developed by the apostles peter and Paul. In Pauline theology, incorporation into a holy temple in which the Spirit dwells (1 Cor 3:16-17; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2: 19-22). And what is true of the Church is also true of the individual Christians, whose body is a temple of God’s presence (1 Cor 6:19). Peter likewise envisions believers as “living stones” who are built into a spiritual temple that gives pleasing worship to God (1Pet 2:5).


Concluding remarks could be these: God's “covenant” with David is not mentioned explicitly in the New Testament, but Peter's discourse in Acts Ac 2:20, and the Pauline discourse in Ac 13:34 makes a similar connection by employing the expression of Is 55:3 which, in the Isaian text, defines an “eternal covenant”. The resurrection of Jesus, “son of David”, is thus presented as the fulfillment of the covenant-promise given by God to David. Eucharist really sealed this eternal covenant and gave it immanent as well as eschatological nuances. The Temple gets a wider scope in the new Testament as the body of Christ, as the mystical body of Christ-Church and every one who belongs to this body and get nourished from it by the reception of sacraments.


The Relationship between Old and New Testaments

The relationship between the OT & NT in terms of the Divine Economy, Typology and Mystagogy




In his preface to the Pontifical Biblical Commission document of 2001 The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the then Prefect of the Congregation of faith said “The Document of the Pontifical Biblical Commission introduced by this Preface declares: Without the Old Testament, the New Testament would be an unintelligible book, a plant deprived of its roots and destined to dry up and wither (no. 84).” Now I make a very brief study on the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament in terms of the Divine Economy, Typology and Mystagogy.


What is Divine Economy? The ‘divine economy’ is “the divine order of history as presented in the canonical text”. The Economy of salvation deals with God’s revelation and communication to mankind throughout history, for the sake of the salvation of all; hence the term “economy of salvation”. The economy of salvation, refers to God's activity “ad extra” (external): creating and governing the world, particularly with regard to God’s plan for the salvation of the world in the person and work of Jesus Christ, a plan which is being accomplished through his Body the Church, in its life and sacraments; hence, the "sacramental economy. God accomplishes His salvation for us in Jesus Christ, His son, our Saviour. In the letter to the Hebrews we find a God who communicates. God who has spoken through the Prophets come to an apex of this communicative process in Jesus Christ, the incarnated word of God in the sacred history of salvation. This plan of salvation for mankind is unified and strengthens all of Sacred Scripture, thus ensuring the unity between the Old and New Testaments. The Second Vatican Council pointed out the importance of being aware of this unity and identified attentiveness to the unity within the Bible as one of the characteristics of authentic interpretation. At the heart of the Scripture is Christ and it is through his passion, death and resurrection that God’s redemptive plan is fulfilled in a particular way. Therefore, the Paschal mystery sheds light on all Sacred Scripture. This does not mean that the Old Testament has no intrinsic value or that the New Testament should not be read in light of the Old, rather “the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New”.


Now let us examine what Typology is: Typology in the exegetical sense is a principle for interpreting all of history in light of its fulfillment in Christ. We recognize it at work in those texts which found “shadows” of New Testament truth in Old Testament events. Hence Israel’s exodus from Egypt is a “type” of humankind’s deliverance from sin and death in Christ. As an exegetical mode typology incorporates the old into the new and thereby helps to constitute a tradition. The old truth is not rejected as false in light of the new truth. Typology could be defined in a brief way as “the study of persons, places, events, and institutions in the Bible that foreshadow later and greater realities made known by God in history”. Typology essentially sets forth a metaphysical point of correspondence between type and antitype, although occasionally, as in the typological link between Adam and Christ in 1 Cor. 15:22, the connection is a point of contrast. The NT at times invites typological interpretation by employing the words “type” (e.g., 1 Cor. 10:6; “example”), “antitype” (e.g., 1 Pet. 3:2; “figure”), “shadow” (e.g., Heb. 10:1), “mystery” (e.g., Eph. 5:32), and “allegory” (Gal. 4:24). In the typological approach there is a movement from the “type” to the “antitype” which is always greater than the “type” that it was signified by. Thus the typological approach can also reveal a certain discontinuity because the “antitype” both fulfills and surpasses the “type” that foreshadowed it.


While speaking on the Liturgical catechesis, the CCC mentions the idea of Mystagogy as follows “Liturgical catechesis aims to initiate people into the mystery of Christ ( It is "mystagogy." ) by proceeding from the visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing signified, from the "sacraments" to the "mysteries." Such catechesis is to be presented by local and regional catechisms.” The mystagogical approach also sheds light on the relationship between the Old and New Testaments for it shows how in a typological sense the sacraments are foreshadowed by events/things in the Old Testament. The sacrament of Baptism was prefigured in the Old Testament through the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites when God saved them from slavery in Egypt. In this sacrament the candidate is freed from sin and enters into the life of the Trinity through configuration to the Paschal mystery. In the gospel of John this mystagogical approach is evident in the way Jesus tried to lead people from the ‘signs’ (the physical miracles that he performed) to the heavenly realities that they pointed to. For example, in the dialogue with Nicodemus Jesus attempted to provide an explanation of the sacrament of Baptism, by which one is “born anew” through “water and the Spirit”, and without which one “cannot enter the kingdom of God” (Jn.3:5,7).


The topics of exegesis like Divine Economy, Typology and Mystagogy are connected to an interpretative approach that is supported on a liturgical and sacramental hermeneutic. It takes into account the important concepts of ‘canon’ and ‘covenant’. The books in both the Old and New Testaments were established as part of the canon. They were being read during liturgical celebrations. The liturgical celebrations themselves were acts of worship in response to God’s covenants. These covenants were foundational to both Israel (the covenant at Sinai) and the Church (the New and Eternal Covenant established in the Blood of Christ). Reading the bible from a liturgical perspective highlights the importance of the divine economy, typology and mystagogy for an authentic interpretation of the Scriptures.

2010, ജൂലൈ 31, ശനിയാഴ്‌ച

ഉറുമ്പ്


ഉറുമ്പ്

ഒരു സ്ഥാപനത്തില്‍ എല്ലാ ദിവസവും വളരെ നേരത്തെ ജോലിക്ക് എത്തുകയും ആത്മാര്‍ഥമായി ജോലി ചെയ്യുകയും ചെയ്തിരുന്ന ഒരു കുഞ്ഞു ഉറുമ്പ് ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അവള്‍ വളരെ സന്തോഷവതിയായിരുന്നു എന്നു മാത്രമല്ല ആ സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ വളര്‍ച്ചയ്ക്ക് വേണ്ടി കധിനാധ്വാനം ചെയ്യുന്നതില്‍ സംതൃപ്തയുമായിരുന്നു.
ആ സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ തലവനായിരുന്ന സിംഹം അവളുടെ ആത്മാര്‍ഥതയും അര്‍പ്പണബോധവും കണ്ടു ആശ്ചര്യപ്പെട്ടു. മേല്‍നോട്ടത്തിനു ആരും ഇല്ലാതെ തന്നെ എത്ര മനോഹരമായി ഈ ഉറുമ്പ് ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്നു!  അതുകൊണ്ട് മേല്‍നോട്ടത്തിനു ഒരാളെ നിയമിച്ചാല്‍ ഈ ഉറുമ്പ് കൂടുതല്‍ നന്നായി ജോലി ചെയ്യും-സിംഹം ചിന്തിച്ചു.
അങ്ങനെ വളരെ കാലം മേല്‍നോട്ടക്കാരനായി പ്രവര്‍ത്തനപരിചയവും, ജോലിയുടെ വിവിധ വശങ്ങളെകുറിച്ച് റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട് തയ്യാറാക്കുന്നതില്‍ നിപുണനുമായ പാറ്റ എന്ന മേല്നോട്ടക്കാരനെ തന്നെ സിംഹം ഉറുമ്പിന്റെ ജോലി വിലയിരുത്താനും, മേല്‍നോട്ടം വഹിക്കാനുമായി നിയമിച്ചു. പാറ്റയുടെ ആദ്യ പരിഷ്കാരം ഒരു സമയസംവിധാനം സ്ഥാപിച്ചുകൊണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അങ്ങനെ നേരത്തെ ജോലിക്കെത്തിയിരുന്ന ഉറുമ്പിന്റെ സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യത്തിനു കടിഞ്ഞാണ്‍ വീണു. തന്റെ വിലയിരുത്തല്‍ റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ടുകളും മറ്റും തയ്യാറാക്കുന്നതിന് പാറ്റ ഒരു എട്ടുകാലിയെ തന്റെ ഗുമസ്തയായി നിയമിച്ചു. ഈ എട്ടുകാലി റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ടുകള്‍ വളരെ ശാസ്ത്രീയമായി തയ്യാറാക്കുകയും ഓഫീസ് ജോലികള്‍ ഭംഗിയായി നിര്‍വഹിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.
പാറ്റ സമര്‍പ്പിച്ച റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ടുകള്‍ കണ്ടു സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ തലവന്‍ സിംഹത്തിനു വളരെ സന്തോഷമായി. സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ ഉത്പാദന ക്ഷമത, ക്രമാനുഗതമായ വളര്‍ച്ച എന്നിവ വെളിവാക്കുന്ന വിവിധ ചാര്‍ട്ടുകളും ഗ്രാഫുകളും തയ്യാറാക്കുവാന്‍ സിംഹം പാറ്റയോടു ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടു. ഇവ ബോര്‍ഡ് മീറ്റിങ്ങില്‍ അവതരിപ്പിക്കാനുള്ള തന്റെ തീരുമാനം വ്യകതമാക്കി.
അങ്ങനെ തലവനായ സിംഹം ആവശ്യപെട്ട പ്രകാരം ചാര്‍ട്ടുകളും, ഗ്രാഫുകളും മറ്റും നിര്‍മിക്കുന്നതിനു അന്ന് തന്നെ പാറ്റ ഒരു കമ്പ്യൂട്ടര്‍,പ്രിന്‍റര്‍ അനുബന്ധ ഉപകരണങ്ങള്‍ എന്നിവ വാങ്ങി. ഇവയുടെ കാര്യക്ഷമമായ പ്രവര്‍ത്തനത്തിനായി ഒരു ഐ.ടി. വിദഗ്ധനായ ഈച്ചയെ അടിയന്തിരമായി നിയമിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.
ചുരുക്കത്തില്‍ ഉത്പാദനപരമായ ജോലിയില്‍ ഉള്ള ഉറുമ്പിന്റെ മേല്നോട്ടത്തിനും, റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട് തയ്യാര്‍ ചെയ്യല്‍ എന്നിവയുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടു മറ്റു മൂന്നു പേര്‍ കൂടി നിയമിതരായതോടെ അവര്‍ വിളിക്കുന്ന യോഗങ്ങള്‍,ചര്‍ച്ചകള്‍ എന്നിവ നിമിത്തം ഉറുമ്പിന്റെ ജോലി തടസ്സപെടുകയും,സമയം നഷ്ടമാവുകയും, സന്തോഷം ഇല്ലാതാവുകയും ചെയ്തു. മാത്രമല്ല ജീവനക്കാരുടെ എണ്ണം വര്‍ദ്ധിച്ചതോടെ സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ വളര്‍ച്ച മുരടിച്ചു തുടങ്ങി.
സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ വളര്‍ച്ചയില്‍ കുറവ് വരുന്നു എന്നു മനസ്സിലാകിയ തലവന്‍ സിംഹം ഒരു തീരുമാനത്തിലെത്തി: ഉറുമ്പ് ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്ന വിഭാഗത്തിന്റെ മുഴുവന്‍ ചുമതലയും നല്‍കി ഒരു മാനേജറിനെ ഉടന്‍തന്നെ നിയമിക്കുക.  ഒടുവില്‍ തല്‍സ്ഥാനത്തേക്ക് അറിയപ്പെടുന്ന മനേജേര്‍ തേനീച്ചയെ നിയമിച്ചു.
തന്റെ പ്രവര്‍ത്തനത്തിന്റെ മുന്നോടിയായി തേനീച്ച വിലപിടുപ്പുള്ള അലങ്കാര വസ്തുക്കള്‍,കസേര തുടങ്ങിവയുമായി ഒരു വലിയ ഓഫീസ് തുറക്കുകയും; ഒരു പേര്‍സണല്‍ അസിസ്റ്റന്റ്‌, കമ്പ്യൂട്ടര്‍ ഓപ്പറേറ്റര്‍ മറ്റു ഗുമസ്ഥന്മാര്‍ എന്നിവരെ നിയമിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. പുതിയ നീക്കങ്ങളില്‍ സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ തലവന്‍ സിംഹത്തിനും സന്തോഷമായി. തേനീച്ച കഴിഞ്ഞ വര്‍ഷങ്ങളിലെ ഉത്പാദനത്തിന്റെ വിലയിരുത്തലുകള്‍ നടത്തുകയും പുതിയ സാമ്പത്തിക വര്‍ഷത്തേക്കുള്ള ബജറ്റ്, നിര്‍ദേശങ്ങള്‍ എന്നിവ ശാസ്ത്രീയമായി അവതരിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.
പക്ഷെ ഉറുമ്പ് ജോലി ചെയ്തിരുന്ന സ്ഥാപനത്തില്‍ വളര്‍ച്ചയും, സന്തോഷവും, പരസ്പ്പരമുള്ള ആശയവിനിമയം പോലും ഇല്ലാതായി. സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ അന്തരീക്ഷം തന്നെ മടുപ്പിക്കുന്നതായി.
സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ ഉത്പാതനക്ഷമതയില്‍ ഗണ്യമായ കുറവ് സംഭവിക്കുന്നതായി മനസ്സിലാക്കിയ തലവന്‍ സിംഹം ഇതിനെക്കുറിച്ച് പഠനം നടത്താനായി അറിയപ്പെടുന്ന ഒരു വിദഗ്ദ്ധനെ- ഒരു മൂങ്ങയെ-നിയമിച്ചു. തന്റെ മൂന്നു മാസം നീണ്ടു നിന്ന പഠനത്തിന്റെ ഒടുവില്‍ മൂങ്ങ പ്രശ്നം കണ്ടെത്തി: ഇവിടെ ജോലിക്കാരുടെ എണ്ണം കൂടുതലാണ്. ഇത് വ്യകതമാക്കാനായി ഏതാണ്ട് മൂവായിരം പേജുകള്‍ വരുന്ന ഒരു റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ടും സമര്‍പ്പിച്ചു.
ആരെയായിരിക്കും സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ തലവനായ സിംഹം ഈ തകര്‍ച്ചയുടെ കാരണമായി കണ്ടെത്തുക?
ഒരു സംശയവുമില്ല, ഉറുംബിനെ തന്നെ. അവളുടെ അര്‍പ്പണബോധം ഇല്ലായ്മയും,ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്നതിലെ ആത്മാര്‍ഥത കുറവുമാണ് സ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ തകര്‍ച്ചയ്ക്ക് വഴി തെളിച്ചത് എന്നു പറയും!!!!
ഇത് ഒരു ഇന്റെര്‍നെറ്റ് കഥയുടെ ഭാഷാന്തരം ആണ്. ഈ കഥയിലെ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങള്‍ തികച്ചും സാങ്കല്‍പ്പികവും. ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നവരോ മരിച്ചവരോ  ആയ ആരുമായും ഇവയ്ക്കു ബന്ധമില്ല എന്നു ബോധിപ്പിച്ചുകൊള്ളുന്നു.

A Brain Teaser



A Brain Teaser

It has been said that Eighty percent of Kindergartners solved this riddle, but only 5% of Stanford graduates figured it out!



Can you answer the following questions? in just one, same word? Yes, the answer is the same for all....JUST ONE WORD
1. The word has seven letters...
2. Preceded God...
3. Greater than God...
4. More Evil than the devil...
5. All poor people have it...
6. Wealthy people need it...
7. If you eat it, you will die.
Did you figure it out?Try hard before looking at the answers


Did you get it yet?
Give up?
Brace yourself for the answer....
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Scroll down..

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The Answer is:NOTHING!
NOTHING has 7 letters.
NOTHING preceded God.
NOTHING is greater than God.
NOTHING is more Evil than the devil.
All poor people have NOTHING.
Wealthy people need NOTHING.
If you eat NOTHING, you will die.
 
How is it?
You may also say it is NOTHING!!!

2010, ജൂലൈ 30, വെള്ളിയാഴ്‌ച

നിദ്ര



നിദ്ര




നിശീഥിനിയുടെ നിശബ്ദത!


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നിശാഗന്ധി തന്‍ മൃത്യു ഗന്ധം നിറയവേ

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സ്വര്‍ഗത്തിന്റെ നിസ്വനങ്ങള്‍

സ്വപ്നമായ് ,കടും വര്‍ണങ്ങളായ്

ദുഖമായ്‌ തോരാ കണ്ണീര്‍കണങ്ങളായ്

പിന്നെയൊരു പുലരിതന്‍ വര്‍ണ്ണങ്ങളായി.




നിനവുകള്‍ നിറയുന്ന നിശകളില്‍

നിന്നെ മാത്രം ഓര്‍ത്തു കിടന്നു ഞാന്‍

നിദ്രേ സോദരീ എന്നെ പുണരു നീ

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