News - May 2021

Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? Luke 1:43

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit when she heard Mary’s greeting and the Spirit revealed to this holy woman that standing before her was the Mother of God. We can be sure that the Mother of God will be sent by God to visit the community of believers everywhere and strengthen them by her presence and prayer. If we have the Holy Spirit, we will discern her presence in our midst and our hearts too will echo the same sentiments of unworthiness that Elizabeth felt in the presence of Mary, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen.”

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:13

The love, the grace and the fellowship of the Most Holy Trinity overflowed from within Themselves first during Creation and then at the Incarnation. In the Sacred Humanity of Jesus, the Father, the Son and the Spirit dwelt in all Their fulness. In order to experience the Most Holy Trinity, let us therefore draw close to Jesus Christ, Who holds within Himself the key to every mystery, including the greatest - the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. 20 June 2011 - Monday

>p>“Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp, my God lights up my darkness.” Psalms 18:28.

For the Psalmist, the Lord was his lamp, shining forth with all power and brightness. The Divine brightness scattered the darkness of the intellect, and with holy and wise counsels and teachings, soon led both the Psalmist and the large congregation into holiness and truth. In our turn, let us too make the Lord our lamp, and accord His Word the highest level of recognition in our lives.

“Lord , I love the beauty of your house and the place where your glory dwells.” Psalm 26:8

The Psalmist tasted the indescribable sweetness of the Lord’s love, so pure and so faithful. Having experienced God and His tremendous love, he had but one desire: to seek and do what would bring joy to God. How precious did the house of God appear to the Psalmist! In God’s Holy Temple he often beheld very closely the glory of the Lord, the vision of which lifted his mind far above any earthly care or preoccupation.

“Do not be ashamed to confess your sins, do not struggle against the current of the river.” Sirach 4:26

An honest confession of sin requires much courage. Many of us are held back from confession of sin and admission of guilt because of false shame. When we fail to admit our sins, we are in fact trying to swim against the current of the mighty river of truth, which is a foolish, harmful and futile exercise. The sooner we confess our sins, the sooner we will experience divine grace and spiritual freedom.

“Take pity on me, God, take pity on me, for in you I take refuge, in the shadow of your wings I take refuge, until the destruction is past.” Psalm 57:1

If we knew the Lord as closely as the Psalmist did, we too would not hesitate to run to Him in times of distress, or call to Him whenever troubles would threaten to overwhelm us. Jesus reveals to us about His great desire is to gather each one of us under His wings to protect and shield us until the cruel havoc that the Devil wreaks passes us by. Like the Psalmist, let us run to that that He may shield us under His wings on the day of trouble.

“Wisdom comes from the lips of the upright, and his

Because he has resolved to walk according to the Law of the Lord, the person who meditates on God’s Law grows upright in purpose and learning. The Law of the Lord moulds his heart; his gracious thoughts find acceptance in God’s sight. Wisdom springs up from the depths of his soul, illuminating his mind and his words and rendering their fruit a sacrifice pleasing to the Most High. His feet follow the footsteps of Jesus his Master, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

“God, you are my God, I pine for you; my heart thirsts for you, my body longs for you, as a land parched, dreary and waterless.” Psalms 63:1

The Psalmist expresses his deep desire for God, pining, thirsting and longing for Him. These verses reveal his deep intimacy with God and also his pain at being separated from Him. In the same way, every person who loves God experiences this pain of God’s absence, which He allows for his purification. The soul, the heart and the body of such a person longs for God who is True Love, True Spring and True Food.

If you then, evil as you are, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!' Luke 11:13

Jesus reminds us two things in the above verse: the first that God will never ever refuse us any good gift that we may ever ask Him; and the second that the greatest good we can ever ask Him is for the Holy Spirit. Let us take a few moments to put aside all our other prayers and petitions on this beautiful day and instead ask God for the greatest gift ever, for His own sweet and gentle Spirit! Come Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of Your faithful! Amen.

“Turn your back on evil and do good, you will have a home for ever.”Psalm 37:27

Evil has an attractive power - true; but the Lord tells us that it is attractive only to those who have remnants of evil in themselves. To all those who are truly holy, evil is always wicked, no matter in whatever form it appears. Evil completely destroys those who play with it; and therefore the Lord admonishes us, as long as we have life us, to deliver ourselves from all remnansts of evil and to save ourselves - in this way safeguarding ourselves and our benfactors.

“I shall maintain my faithful love for him always, my covenant with him will stay firm.” Psalm 89:28

From the moment the Lord called David to be His Anointed, he had to pass through tremendous troubles. Even though David’s life was in constant peril, the Spirit of God always protected him. For his part, David stayed faithful to his God through thick and thin. After several rounds of trials, the Lord testified that he found in David a man after His own heart. He then made an everlasting covenant with David, and gave him a great promise: His faithful love was never to leave David, and His covenant with him and his descendants was to endure till the sun and moon would fail. If we stay faithful to the Lord, the Lord too will be faithful to us!

“Do not lose your fearlessness now, then, since the reward is so great.” Hebrews 10:35

Fearlessness characterises a genuine disciple, who courageously follows the Crucified Christ, mostly all alone, being deserted by family and friends. But he walks the royal road of the Cross like a prince behind his King, and his joy and peace do not falter. But as struggles press on, it could happen that his resolve become weary. The Apostle encourages us, as true disciples of Christ, never to lose our fearlessness, reminding us that if we succeed in resolutely overcoming trials, persecutions and slander with the help of our faith, the reward which is kept for us in Heaven is something very great indeed. How happy we are if we are deserted by all, and yet fearlessly able to follow the Crucified Christ!

“When wisdom comes into your heart and knowledge fills your soul with delight, then prudence will be there to watch over you, and understanding will be your guardian.” (Proverbs 2:10-11)

There are many gifts which God bestows on those who win His favour. The first is the wisdom from above, which proceeds from fear of the Lord. The second is holy knowledge which is bestowed on those with wisdom and fills us with heavenly delights. Those with wisdom and knowledge further receive prudence, which keeps a strict watch over every external and internal movement proceeding from human thought, intellect or will - nothing escapes the prudent. Finally, understanding crowns those with wisdom, knowledge and prudence and guards the soul, ensuring all it’s precious treasures and jewels of wisdom and knowledge are always kept secure.

“Such a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its leaves never wither, and every project succeeds.” Psalm 1:3

The Word of God is a running stream, bringing the graces and blessings of God in whatever land it flows. The tree planted by the side of this river of blessings is one who meditates daily on the Word and makes it his delight. Such a person will bear the fruit of the Spirit in due time. His leaves of faith, through which he draws in the abundance of God’s grace never wither, and the blessing of God is upon His every undertaking.

“Lord , I love the beauty of your house and the place where your glory dwells.” Psalm 26:8

The Psalmist tasted the indescribable sweetness of the Lord’s love, so pure and so faithful. Having experienced God and His tremendous love, he had but one desire: to seek and do what would bring joy to God. How precious did the house of God appear to the Psalmist! In God’s Holy Temple he often beheld very closely the glory of the Lord, the vision of which lifted his mind far above any earthly care or preoccupation.

Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven. Luke 24:51

Jesus had come from Heaven into the world to be with men and teach them about the Father with His actions and His words. After completing His mission, He ascended in full view of His Apostles back to the Father from whence He had come. The Ascension of Christ drew the hearts and minds of the Apostles to the Father’s right hand, so that from that point of time, their hearts and minds belonged solely to the world above, where the Father and Son were enthroned, and no longer to the world below.

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress, my deliverer is my God. I take refuge in him, my rock, my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold, my place of refuge.” Psalm 18:2

What an impregnable and invincible source of strength and refuge was the Lord for the Psalmist! The Lord was his rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, saving strength, stronghold, place of refuge and more. We need to ask ourselves if we too experience the protection and power of God in our lives. We will indeed experience His deliverance if we cling to Him in love and acknowledge His Name while passing through the fiery trials of life.

“How blessed are those who live in Your house; they shall praise You continually.” Psalms 84:4

One of the greatest blessings we can ever receive is the invitation to spend our days in the House of the Lord. The blessings and happiness that accompany such a beautiful and exalted vocation are immense - the Psalmist describes them in this beautiful verse! The praise that they sing in the Lord’s House continues till the end of their lives here on earth, and afterwards continues till the end of time!

“But joy and happiness in you to all who seek you. Let them ceaselessly cry, 'God is great', who love your saving power.” Psalms 70:4

To all who seek God - the highest good, come joy and happiness. It is however, so unfortunate that we spend so much of our time and energy seeking lesser things. Even though God has blessed us with an intellect to feel and seek Him out, we seldom use it to seek Him, but rather employ it in modelling counterfeit gods. But to those who have found and serve the Only True God and His Son Jesus Christ, endless songs of gladness!

“Seeing their faith he said, 'My friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Luke 5:20

It is important to note that the first words the Lord spoke to the paralysed man in return for his faith and the faith of his companions were words of forgiveness and not of healing. Healing followed forgiveness of sin, and not the other way round. Let us too, seek forgiveness of sins from the Lord by means of our faith before seeking any other miracles from Him.