No Offence, but I cannot pray for you

 Jesus, God Incarnate, took human form to teach humans how to be human. Only God could do that – and those with God in them. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)

Jesus cannot abide in us unless we deeply desire and clear the debris of our fallen nature from our hearts. Jesus says, “A branch cannot bear fruit of itself”. What fruit is Jesus referring to? The Fruit of the Holy Spirit, undoubtedly. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Gal 5:22-23)

Let’s distil the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. What is love? But the good of the other that comes at a cost to us. “Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” (John 11:35-36). Did Jesus ever laugh? The canonical Gospels do not contain an explicit statement that He laughed. Jesus was fully human. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14). We know Jesus participated in normal human social interactions. To think Jesus never let his guard down and occasionally had a good laugh is to deny Jesus’ humanity.

What is Joy? The inner peace that manifests in our hearts despite the raging storm outside. Akin to when we are cosy inside our home, undaunted by the menacing rain that lashes our double-glazed window pane.

Joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness is transient; having an external dependency, i.e. us getting what we want; the alternative is unhappiness. Joy has no dependency but our own nature. We experience joy when we abide in Jesus despite forces scheming to wrench us away from the Lord. We do not allow our circumstances to prevail over us; rather, we allow the Lord to prevail in us.

What is peace but a function of joy, and, in some sense, interchangeable?  One can beam like a 100-watt bulb, but be steaming inside. Recall celebrities who have just undergone a divorce, but when the cameras flash, their bewitching smile matches the aura thrown up by the light. One is not at peace, notwithstanding the show of happiness.  Why are we not at peace? Because we are not able to experience joy at that moment, a feeling internal to us.

What is forbearance? No matter what is thrown at us, it does not stick. We do not allow it to stick and muddy us. We create the capacity to bear it all without a word in retaliation. How is that possible? The fruit of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace propels us to respond with kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. One way of retaining our peace of mind at all times is through mindfulness – living in the present. In an altercation with family members or a stranger, be present in the moment; give the situation your full attention. Understand, before being understood. Let passions cool. Then express your understanding and make a sincere effort to resolve. Obtain peace of mind through mindfulness.

It is said that you cannot ‘pray for those who offend you’. Pause and reflect on why you are offended. You have fallen short of one dimension of the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Forbearance. With hurt in your heart, praying for the perpetrator is like adding ‘insult to injury’. Perfectly human, your very own well-meaning friends will tell you.

What would be divine? Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Lk 23:24). In John 19:23-24, the soldiers who crucified Jesus are described as dividing His garments among themselves. However, they encounter His tunic, which is described as being "seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom." The passage reads:
"When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom. So, they said to one another, 'Let us not tear it, but instead let us cast lots to see who will get it.' This was to fulfil the Scripture: 'They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.' So, this is what the soldiers did."

The interpretation of the passage is taken from one of the Bible Studies:

|The garment's seamlessness is often seen as a symbol of the unity and perfection of Christ's ministry and His divine nature. Just as the tunic was woven in one piece, so too is Christ's message and mission regarded as whole and undivided. The soldiers' decision to cast lots for the tunic, rather than tearing it, is seen as a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy; specifically, Psalm 22:18 underscores the divine orchestration of events surrounding Jesus' death. This act of casting lots is viewed as a testament to the fulfilment of Scripture and the sovereignty of God in the unfolding of redemptive history.

From a theological perspective, the seamless garment can be seen as a metaphor for the Church, which is called to be united and whole, reflecting the unity of the body of Christ. The Church, as the body of believers, is encouraged to maintain this unity, as emphasised in Ephesians 4:3-6: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

In summary, the seamless garment of Jesus serves as a powerful symbol within Christian thought, representing the unity, perfection, and divine purpose of Christ's life and mission. It invites believers to reflect on the unity of the Church and the fulfilment of God's promises through Jesus Christ.

We must reflect the ‘unity of the body of Christ’ in how we conduct ourselves with our family or with a perfect stranger.  We must be the seamless tunic woven from top to bottom. We must present ourselves in the same way to Christ Jesus and to one another. Jesus forgave the trespasses of Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus, the tax collector, and Peter, who denied Jesus. One is drawn to believe that Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was forgiven along with the soldiers who insulted and crucified Jesus, and Pilate, who permitted the scourging, fearing the wrath of the emperor of Rome – missed out on the opportunity to serve the King of all Kings, Emperor of all Emperors.

To internalise Jesus' crucifixion in our lives, could we not forgive those who offend us to permit ourselves to pray for them?

-        Mathew Anthony

To Err is Human, To Forgive Divine

 

Jesus was the epitome of clear communication. It made the complex and verbose simple, understandable, and effective.

“Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” Lexicographer Samuel Johnson, erstwhile author of Johnson’s Dictionary, said it in this manner to dodge and deceive his interrogators.

Jesus had a ‘deadline’ to meet. Not one of achievement that would bring thunderous applause, but thunderous indeed, to rent the curtain in the Jerusalem Temple and make a mark on the Richter Scale that measures the magnitude of an earthquake. A line that would transform humanity and open up eternity for all.

Jesus did not care to dodge or deceive. Jesus took full responsibility for His words. After all, He was the Word.

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him”. With poignancy, Jesus asked, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:53-69).

To make his 3-year deadline to the Cross, Jesus had to abridge the Old Testament, make it relevant to the time, and establish that He was the awaited Messiah.

The priestly class of the time, the Pharisees, Sadducees and the Scribes, had turned the Ten Commandments into minutiae of 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) that covered every conceivable action the Jewish community could take. The idea was to regulate, dominate, punish, and keep the community in line and answerable to the religious authorities.

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5) had nine ‘Thou shalt not’ and one Commandment, the Fifth, with a promise: “Honour your father and mother so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Eph 6:2-3) Seemingly innocuous, but observed more in the breach than in practice, which of course did not escape God’s attention. ¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb 4:12)  

Here’s an instance why God purportedly made this promise part of the Ten Commandments:   

“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”  And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’^[ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— ¹² then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. ¹³ Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 7 8-13)

The very First Commandment was violated twelve chapters later, in Exodus 32, when a Golden Calf was cast to worship because Moses was ‘late’ in coming down from the mountain. “

“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1)

Jesus abridged the Ten Commandments to just two: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. (Mk 12 30-31)

Jesus' intention was clear. If you kept these two commandments in letter and spirit, you are unlikely to fall foul of the other nine.

In the two commandments given by Jesus, we are expected to answer the two all-encompassing questions:

1.     What constitutes ‘loving God’?

2.     What constitutes ‘loving yourself’?

Potential answers for the first are many, or is it just one: And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Mt 25:40)

For the second, it is for each of us to introspect. To arrive at our own that we may do justly by our neighbour.

Returning to Johnson, it behoves well, in context, to understand the backstory:

|Johnson was contacted by Rev Dr William Dodd, convicted of forgery and sentenced to die by hanging. Johnson ghostwrote pleas on behalf of the Reverend for leniency in his sentencing. Rev Dodd: “Having unhappily contracted expensive habits of living, partly occasioned by licentiousness of manners, he in an evil hour, when pressed by want of money, and dreading an exposure of his circumstances, forged a bond …” The high quality of the material penned by Johnson led some to doubt that the ascription to Dodd was accurate. When Johnson was asked about Dodd’s authorship, he replied misleadingly: “Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”|

Johnson did right by his neighbour. He tried to help him out using his genius with words. That it did not help is another matter. Dr William Dodd was hanged, notwithstanding.

I don’t know whether Samuel Johnson was a religious man, but he did honour the religious and was willing to overlook a trespass, as Jesus did many times over. In Alexander Pope's (1688-1744) words: To err is human; to forgive divine. Almost biblical, wouldn’t you say?

-        Mathew Anthony

God is in the Still, Small Voice, not in the Destructive Wind, Thunder, and Fire - 1 Kings 19:12

 1 Kings 18 – 19 and Matthew 14, 22-33 display a show of bravado by Elijah and Peter, respectively. Elijah killed Queen Jezebel’s 450 Baal-worshipping prophets after fire consumed Elijah’s sacrificial offering, not theirs. Peter asked Jesus to command him to come to Jesus on the water. “Come”, said Jesus. Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.

When Jezebel swore to do the same to Elijah, what Elijah did to her prophets, Elijah decamped to Mt Horeb (Sinai) when he sensed an imminent threat to his life, “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” 1 Kings 19,8

Seemingly, a Jezebel-like threat infected Peter. He turned his gaze from holiness (Jesus) to evil (the turbulent sea) and began to sink. “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

At Mt Horeb, God did not appear to Elijah in the destructive fire (that consumed the sacrifice earlier) or in the rock-crushing wind, or earth-fracturing earthquake, but in a “still, small voice”.

In contrast to Elijah, Moses was meek and humble. The last time Moses got violent was when he killed an Egyptian to save a fellow Jew (Ex 2,13). Moses, too, like Elijah, decamped from the site of violence and took shelter in the land of Median as a humble shepherd (15) to encounter God in the fire on Mt Horeb (Ex 3,1-2).

God eschews violence. He cuts us a long rope. He hopes that His people will come back to him. Sometimes 40 years (to shed all the rebellious Israelites before allowing entry into the Promised Land); other times centuries pass, yes, centuries before God acts, as in the Book of Habakkuk: “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” (Hab 1,2). This is familiar ground for us. We can easily relate to the cry of the Prophet Habakkuk.

Habakkuk was active around 612 BC, the most turbulent time for Judah, on the threshold of an imminent attack by the Babylonians. Surprise! Surprise! The Babylonians are God’s instrument of judgment - to wreak havoc on Judah for their spiritual and moral failings. This followed the death of King Josiah – a righteous king.

The Book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between God and the Prophet Habakkuk. The prophet is dismayed by the harsh punishment that awaits his people. He enquires of God, why so? And God answers Habakkuk, clearing his confusion. Habakkuk trusts and accepts God’s sovereignty and justice, concluding the book with a prayer of faith and hope. 

Fast-forward 400 years. In Peter’s case, on the stormy waters, help was immediate. Peter was impetuous (“Get behind me, Satan” rebuke from Jesus), but not disobedient or sinful even in his denial of Jesus. He lapsed often, but Peter was a forgivable quantity in Jesus’ eyes. As repeat sinners, we too must pray to be a ‘forgivable quantity’ in Jesus’ eyes.

Jesus reprimanded his apostles, presumably Peter too (again), “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring the boy here to me.” The boy suffered from epilepsy. Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Mt 17, 14-20)

Fr. Paul Parekkattil VC, Director, Divine Retreat Centre, Colombo, in a homily on this passage on 8 Aug 2026 | DRCC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEIl4A7JSSI&t=4877s elucidated on our capacity to make things happen through intercessory prayer. I am paraphrasing his homily below with minor edits:

When Jesus came down from Mount Tabor, there was commotion afoot, which Jesus resolved to the Father’s satisfaction by healing his child. That which the disciples could not do. What were the disciples doing when the father brought the child to them? They were arguing who is the greatest among them.

Now this man who brought the son with the convulsions to the apostles, what was the father’s thinking? They are the disciples of Jesus. They will have the same authority over evil spirits, the same faculty of exorcism and the same charism of healing.

Fr Paul points us to two different types of faith in this episode of the Gospel:

1.     Faith as the fruit of the Holy Spirit

2.     Faith as a charism of the Holy Spirit

The faith of the epileptic child’s father is the ‘Faith as fruit of the Holy Spirit’, the belief that the disciples or Jesus have the power to heal, and power over the evil spirit to exorcise. ‘Faith as a Charism of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Cor 12, 8-10) is the Faith needed to work miracles. When I command in the name of Jesus, I can cast out demons; sickness will be healed; people will be liberated, for I have been given the authority to do so by Jesus.

The disciples of Jesus were given the ‘Faith as a charism of the Holy Spirit’ when they were sent two-by-two ahead of Jesus for a missionary journey. But, in this instant, they did not feel they had the power to heal the epileptic child. Probably true of many of us. After an immersive retreat, we feel we could do the same, but over time we become lukewarm, and the charism becomes dormant, but not entirely lost.  What is once given by God is given for keeps.

We need to be persistent in asking Jesus for ‘Faith as the fruit of the Holy Spirit’ needed for our own salvation. And ‘Faith as a charism of the Holy Spirit’ needed to work miracles for others and pray for others. Even for the gift of intercession, we need faith. Faith that my prayer will be heard in the heavens and accepted by God. Elijah, Moses, and Peter were subject to fear and often backslid. So will we, but we must rebound and lay claim to our rightful inheritance in Christ – our claim to Faith as a Fruit of the Holy Spirit and Faith as a Charism of the Holy Spirit

-        Mathew Anthony

 

A Companion Reflection from the Venerable Pius XII

Venerable Pius XII Pope from 1939 to 1958 Radio address to Lourdes Pope Pius XI April 28, 1935 closing the year of Redemption Victorious in the storm Our hope—just like our faith, of which it is the substance and reality—resides in heaven, and there on high it remains fixed; yet here below, it sustains our life. If, in the name of Christ and His Cross, the choirs of angels in heaven (…) sing before the throne of God: "glory, honor, salvation, and blessing," here below, the Church of the faithful—still pilgrims on their journey—places all its hope in the Cross. "O Cross, our salvation, our only hope!" (Hymn of the Passion) The ocean of humanity is in turmoil; nations, like the waves, rise up and crash against one another under the pressure of the winds of social and political passions; the shores and beaches of peace are battered and shaken by the unleashed surges. (…) Who shall command the winds and the storms? Who shall silence their whistling and their rage? (…) Do not fear, my brothers. Upon the waves and the storms, walking in the shadow of the tabernacles, is the Lord of heaven and earth; no, He will not pass by our storm-tossed boat with indifference; He will come to us and say: "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." (Mt 14:27) Did He not promise that He would be with us until the end of time? (…) Do we not believe in Him? Do we, perhaps, not know Him? Ah, may He never have to say of us—after having spent so much time in our midst—this reproach: "I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me?" (Jn 14:9) We are lost amidst the storm that roils the ocean of society and nations; yet in the Cross of Christ—which stands firm amidst the upheavals of the world—reside our confidence and our hopes. She is the anchor that, amidst the raging waves, provides security to the boat of the Church and of our soul—which strives toward the haven of supreme and invisible goods; she is the anchor firmly fixed to God and to His infallible promises.

 

Suffering, Santification, and Grace

 

August 6, 2026

I stubbed my toe against an immovable object and tottered. I winced with pain. But I did not curse. Instead, I thanked God for his “everlasting love” “with unfailing kindness” (Jer 31,3).

I had stumbled, but I did not fall. “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” (Ps 37,23-24).

There was a time when I would have reacted differently. While not the cussing type, nor was I the praising type. But over time, a sprinkling of God’s grace helped me proclaim, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” (Ps 119,71) The reality we need to come to terms with is, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3,23-24)

Accepting that I am a sinner, and I know that for a fact, with an honest audit of my thoughts, my words, and my deeds for just a day, a favourite hymn of mine became a recurrent prayer: “Sanctify Me Oh God, Cleanse My Body, Mind and Soul, Purify Me and Make Me Whole”. I am sure those familiar with the hymn were not reading the words but singing along with me as you read them, as I did while penning them down.

The thought I want to share with you for your reflection, dear reader, is whether sanctification is possible without suffering.

Our own Lord went to the Cross. Could He have sanctified us and liberated us from sin without shedding of His blood? In Mt 16:21-22 Jesus declares that he needs to go to Jerusalem. There He will be killed and rise again on the third day. Peter would not accept it. “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Thereafter, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to witness His transfiguration in the company of Elijah and Moses (Mt 17), with God the Father testifying, “This is my beloved Son … Listen to Him”.

Jesus had to make it clear even to His closest disciples that He is the Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament. That His victory will not be achieved by force and the shedding of others' blood but through hideous suffering and by the shedding of His own blood. The submissive Servant King to the will of his Father.

It is pertinent to introspect. Can an athlete achieve excellence without enduring suffering? Is it possible to scale Mt Everest without enduring great hardships? God Incarnate was human. Jesus resonated humanity at its lowest ebb – man’s inhumanity to man. He elevated suffering to Godliness. He became the curse and the shame reflected by the scarred, limp body on the Cross. When we shun suffering, are we inadvertently also shunning the opportunity for sanctification/excellence and the grace of God to be poured into our mind, body, soul, and spirit?

St Paul had the issue of ‘thorn in his flesh’. He prayed three times to God. God’s response was not what we are trained to expect. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Cor 12,9)

That brings me back to the core of my thesis, dear reader, who have patiently persevered (and a bit about perseverance later) to read this far: without suffering there is no sanctification; without sanctification there is no salvation. We need to remember we are a sinful generation. To be received in Heaven, we must be sanctified. Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God … rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant… he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The saints we venerate in the Catholic Church did likewise. “If any man should come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt 16,24)

Hence, we too must cherish, yes cherish, the little suffering - the ‘stubbing of the toe’ or a chronic skin problem that makes our skin itch incessantly or sporadically, the undeciphered ‘thorn in the flesh’ in the case of St Paul – therefore universal for everything that bothers us.

I pray for the Lord’s small mercies given more frequently than one humungous suffering. But I am also aware that God is the dispenser of this choice, not me. So, I must gird myself for whatever is to come – even the unimaginable suffering that St Paul encountered and signed off with the sword separating his head from his body.

The words of St Paul, much as I try, I cannot get the order right; in fact, true of much of Paul's writings: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Cor 4,8-10)

And the one even harder to practice is “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4,4-8)

Not idle words or rhetoric. Paul did rejoice despite the suffering he endured. Paul’s first recorded imprisonment occurred in Philippi, as described in Acts 16:16-40. After casting a spirit of divination out of a slave girl, Paul and Silas were seized, beaten, and thrown into prison. Despite their suffering, they prayed and sang hymns to God, leading to a miraculous earthquake that opened the prison doors. The jailer, witnessing these events, converted to Christianity along with his household. This incident underscores the power of faith and the transformative impact of the Gospel.

In the littlest possible way, when we have any sufferings, the sources of sanctification open up. Instead of decrying the suffering, why not thank God for his small mercies, words that are normally uttered when we receive relief from suffering. Turn it on its head. In the time of suffering, rejoice and offer up the insufferable itch as a means of partaking in the Lord’s suffering for our sanctification. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Rom 5,3-5)

Start small. When you feel an itch – don’t rub it or scratch it or do anything – but in faith offer it up to the Lord – and you will be amazed. It will stop being a bother from ‘lack of attention or attendance’. In the process, you have saved yourself the ignominy of making it worse by attending to it. Now, experiment with not just physical suffering but also emotional stress of being misunderstood, humiliated by your own loved one – spouse, parents, siblings, and ostracised socially by your community because of a stammer or a mannerism or disorder.  Is humiliation suffering? I vote it is one of the worst. There is no medicine for it. Just your forbearance not to be affected by it, and the temptation to do likewise and fall into sin. The devil's ‘click’ bait to entice you to sin.

When you are being humiliated, offer it up, and you will buy peace (that passes all understanding) for yourself and the other person. The Word teaches us: Therefore: “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” (Rom 12,20). “Coals of fire” is symbolic of the Holy Spirit you pour upon your enemy as one of my other favourite hymns extols: Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me. Melt me, mould me, fill me, use me. In this instance, use my enemy and me that you may be glorified.

Despite our efforts to be good, we are prone to error and sin. To err is human; to forgive is divine. While we expect God to forgive us our transgressions, we tend not to forgive others their transgressions, despite avowing in the Lord’s Prayer that we will do so. Let the Lord’s Prayer or any prayer or retreats we attend, and the Word of God we read, not be mere activities like brushing our teeth in the morning, but let it become a source of conviction of the errors of our ways that we may receive timely sanctification to prepare us for our hour of death.

In the Anima Christi we pray: Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. From the malignant enemy defend me. In the hour of my death call me. And bid me come unto Thee, that with Thy saints I may praise Thee for ever and ever. How prepared are we for the final hour?

We need relentless sanctification. Use the opportunities of little sufferings to terminal ones. Start with practising with the small ones to take on sizable ones that are crushing - to the spirit, body, mind, and soul. In that our suffering, often inevitable as part of life’s journey, is not wasted. And we are better prepared for the final hour. For eternal salvation. Amen.

A Companion Reflection

Saint Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church Sermon 96 §1-4.9 Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ What the Lord has commanded us: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself” seems hard and difficult. Yet it isn't either hard or difficult because the one who commands it is the one who helps us to fulfil what he commands. For if that saying of the psalm is true, that: “according to the words of your lips I have pursued difficult paths” (Ps 17[16],4), so also is true the saying spoken by Jesus: “my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt 11,30). For anything hard in the command, love turns to sweetness. We know well of what marvels love is capable. There are times when love is of doubtful worth and is depraved. Yet how many difficulties will not men endure, what humiliating and unendurable treatment will they not suffer if only they might attain to what they love!... Since life's great enterprise must be to choose well what one should love, is it surprising that anyone who loves Jesus Christ and desires to follow him denies himself to love him?... What is the meaning of what follows: “Let him take up his cross”? Let him endure what is painful and so let him follow me. For when a man begins to follow me by acting according to my precepts, there will be plenty of people to disagree with him, oppose him, discourage him. And that on the part of people who claim to be Christ's friends. Those who stopped the blind men from crying out (Mt 20,31) were walking in Christ's company. So, whether it is a matter of threats, flattery, prohibitions, if you want to follow Christ, turn it all into the cross; endure it, bear it, don't let yourself be overcome... You love the world, but you should rather love him who made the world... We live in a holy world, that is good, reconciled, saved or, rather, that is to be saved but which is saved now in hope. “For in hope we were saved” (Rom 8,24). In this world, therefore, that is to say in the Church, which wholly follows Christ, he said to all: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself.”