FAITH AND PRAYER: SOLUTION TO ALL PROBLEMS

Also in "First Edition" Oct. 01-15 isuue

         Buddha said “Sarvam dukkham.” i.e. Everything is pain and suffering. People grow old; suffer with and in their old age. They die and go. Thus, the whole life of human beings is filled with pain and sufferings. This is worsening with the advancement in the modern and consumeristic world. New problems and sufferings are born, and hope to get rid of them, becomes all the more vague.

          We all have problems of one or the other kind. We have tension, sickness, breaking relationships, mental problems, physical problems and struggle of getting along with the competing world. In fact, problems remind us of our difference with those who lie in the graveyard, without any problem. Only because they are dead! Since we are living beings, so we also have problems, our own sufferings and grievances. There is also a universal fact that no problem is ever born without a solution. But sometimes we are unable to find that solution and these problems become too much, they weigh too heavy. We feel sometimes too weak to withstand so many problems. We feel totally crushed when problems go on increasing and multiplying one after another without any solution..

        In such a situation one is compelled to ask oneself, “Is there a way out? Is there any solution to all these problems?” How nice it would be, if there were someone who could solve all our problems, or how nice it would be if we ourselves had the key to solve all our problems. Reflections on some of the very common problems generally faced by the people and my own reflections attracted me to delve into the problem of ‘all problems.’

           God solves all our problems and at the same time as John McManus would say “to some He grants restored health of mind and body; to others he grants inner healing and new freedom in the Spirit, while to others he grants the interior grace to unite their suffering with the suffering of Christ.”

The Beginning of Journey towards God

            Human beings are on a journey in the world. We come from God and one day we have to return to Him. “The Lord created human beings out of earth, and makes them to return to it again” (Sir 17, 1). We have no permanent dwelling here. However, sometimes we forget this fact and keep ourselves in illusion that we are going to live here eternally and we prepare accordingly. When we forget, from where we come and where we are going to, we lose our way and wander in the dark. To keep ourselves always on the right track, we must always keep in mind our source and destination. We must keep our eyes on ultimate goal and be assured of not going astray. Because He says, “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness” (Jn 18,12b).

          Our journey begins when we are born into this world. When we forget God, we lose the path. We have restlessness because God’s presence is not there in our hearts; we are not at peace with other human beings, because we do not realize His presence in them. We face problems because we do not trust Him. According to St. Augustine, our hearts will be restless until they rest in God. Therefore, to complete this journey successfully, we must be in constant touch with our source and destination. In other words, we need to communicate to Him in prayer and surrender ourselves in faith.

Faith – The First Step

        God is the source of all; trusting him in everything is the first step of getting answer to all our problems. We must have faith and all things will be done for us. Jesus says, “If you are able! – all things can be done for the one who believes” (Mk 9,23). The only thing we need is have faith in God and we will get solutions to all our problems. We just have to ask God to help us because he is ultimate source of us all and we belong to him. Often we don’t find answers to all our problems because we do not take them to the Lord and ask for his help. When we face trials, unexpected situations, failures and defeats, we must have faith in God, just put first step towards God and behold he stands ready to embrace us and rid us of all our problems. It is because of faith, that we get courage to face the challenges and change the things and accept the situations that are not in our hands. George Cheruvil says, “Faith, like life-giving water, refreshes us when the tensions and tragedies of life drain away our strength and energy. It helps us to conquer obstacles and limitations… It heals our wounds and renews us. It brings us back when we have wandered from the right path and are lost.” We are children of God, we need to realize this and act accordingly.

Prayer – A Communication with God

             Not only in our problems and difficulties, we need to talk to our heavenly father, but also we must share our joyful moments with him. Talking to him is called ‘prayer’ though it may be defined in different ways. Some would say prayer is actually asking God to provide us what we need, whereas some would say, prayer is actually thanking God for what we have received. I would emphasize on ‘prayer being a constant communication with our eternal source i.e. our God.’ “Prayer is really just talking to God – sharing our hopes, our dreams, our fears, and our heartaches with the only one who understands us completely.” In the world, there is nobody who can solve all our problems except God. Therefore, it is most apt that we share our problems with him. According to Catholic Encyclopedia, “Prayer is often described in terms of intercourse and spiritual communion with God… By it the petitioner’s will and activities are identified with God, effecting an ultimate personal contact and relationship with him.” Thus it is not only sharing our problems with God but prayer is actually the means to be in constant union with God, whether we are happy or sad.

Advantages of Prayer and Faith

          When we are one with our creator, what else is there that we should desire? We can get solution to all our problems through faith in God and prayerful communication with him. Our faith and prayer bring us healing. Our faith gives us eternal life (Cf. Mt 9:22; Jn 11:25). It gives us healing, from not only our sicknesses but healing in our soul, healing in our relationships, healing in our thoughts and actions. Our whole self is guided by Divine Providence. Faith and unconditional surrender help us to receive divine grace. Whether it is meditation, prayer, introspection or self-enquiry, the route used would depend on person’s temperament and inclination.

         We are rational and spiritual beings, and many of our problems are also because of being away from God. William Johnston in his book Silent Music: the Science of Meditation says- “Assuredly it is acknowledgment that up to eighty percent of modern sickness is psychosomatic in origin, or has a psychosomatic dimension.” When we have no peace within, we are overcome by sickness. To get rid of all problems, we must surrender ourselves to God and pray to Him to help us.

           To summarize in brief it can be said that God created man, and takes care of him in all his adversaries. He has created us out of his own free will, and we will return to him one day. We should not wander away from him; he gave grace, faith, and a method of always remaining in communication with him. The method is prayer. Sometimes worldly may not allow us to communicate with God, so these distractions are to be handled carefully. Actually, most of our problems are only because we forget our real source and real destiny. Many of our problems and sicknesses, difficulties and failures are because of losing touch with our Divine source. To get solution to all our problems, we must try to introspect so as to where we have gone astray from God, and consequently mend our ways. Without faith and prayer, it is impossible to have a permanent solution to all our problems.

- B. Johnson Maria

Gazal

बेक़सी में बेगैरत

मुहब्बत ने जिसे मारा हो, उसे क्या कहोगे आप?

नावाकिफ हैं मुहब्बत से, फिर दर्द का दर्द कैसे सहोगे आप?

जब से बेवफाई ने मारा है, दुश्मन ज़मान हो गया है,
हमसफ़र हुई तनहाइयाँ, आलमे बहार  बेगाना  हो गया है.

मिलने लगा  अँधेरे में सुकून, दर्द बढ़ता है रौशनी  में,
ना बाँटो गम हमारा कभी, ना धूप में ना चांदनी में.

यूं  तो आसन  है मुहब्बत करना, पर मुश्किल तो  है निभाना
बेवकूफी है तमन्ना करना उसकी, जिसे नामुमकिन हो पाना.

बेकसी  में बेगैरत हैं हम, वरना ये दर्दो गम कौन सहता?
हम थाम लेते दामन बेवफाई का, मुहब्बत को मुहब्बत कौन कहता?

- बी0 जोंसन मारिया

Proof of God's Love!!!

God's Love is Eternal!!

I was savoring the pleasing snooze of early morning,

When I heard the Father’s voice; the alarm buzzing,

I knew it was time to wake up, yet liked to sleep,

“Wake up, boy!” I heard His voice in the deep,

I’ve got a gift for ye, won’t you my dear, accept?

If you don’t get up, I would suppose, you reject.”

I opened my eyes, thinking what gift was there?

He gave me a new day, so charming and so fair.

Beholding beautiful morning,

I popped out, and began to shout

“Hurrah! A new day, by jove!

Yet another proof of God’s love.”

                 Why Not an Extra Step....???

Also in "Free Press," Indore, Sunday 01/08/2010

        Human being is the magnum opus of God’s creation. There is no other creature or created thing that can equate with human beings. There are many qualities that make human beings very special and different from other created things. Philosophers say that it is rationality that makes human beings different from other beings, at the same time psychologists say, it is emotional side of human beings that makes them different, whereas religions say that human beings have soul, and God dwells within them and they are created in the image and likeness of God. Whatever may be the case, one thing is lucid enough: Human beings are different and very special creation of the Creator.

             Being so different and so special, we hardly ever realize our own real self and potentiality. Each one of us is extraordinary and unique. Boundaries to many of our capabilities remain yet undiscovered. Many of our potentials lie unrealized and unexploited. It’s only because we never try to do more than the required minimum. We never risk taking an extra step. It is not that all are alike and remain in their boundaries, but there are people who took and extra step, whatever may be the field.

           In the Holy Bible Jesus teaches not to do only what is required but more than that. He says, people love those who love them, but you should love even those who do not love you (i.e. an extra step in relationships). If anybody strikes on one cheek, show him another also (an extra step in patience). If anybody wants your shirt, give him also your coat (an extra step in charity). And those who take an extra step in any field, they prove themselves different and special – the real identity of human beings. Because of such daring act of theirs, they leave and indelible mark in the society for all to look up to.

          On May 22, 2010, Boeing 737 of Air India overshot the runway and hurtled down the cliff, taking 158 lives. It all happened just in seconds. Interestingly some 8 people escaped this fatal blow, to tell the tale of their daring encounter with death and victory over it. We heard it and read in the newspapers, as how they managed to escape. They did not just sat vulnerable and waited for their death but they took a further step… a step to choose life. No one knows when one will encounter with his/her ultimate enemy called death, but we have a choice to choose the kind of death we want. The fortunate survivors escaped because of their daring decision and act. Or this is one way of looking at it. Even miracles are possible, but miracles also take place in those person’s lives who prepare themselves for miracles.

           Many people come in the world, live an unknown life and die. Nobody knows anything about them after sometime. At the time of Mahatma Gandhi, there were millions of people, but do we know all of them? Only few people dared to take an extra step and left the world indebted to them

          One should reflect whether the work done by that person, is done to the full capacity one could employ. Can I not do little extra, can I not take and extra step and contribute a little more to make the world a better place? There are always opportunities around us, that will make our ‘extra step’ fruitful. So what are you waiting for?

- B. Johnson Maria

The Parable of the Teacher

          (Also in 'The Voice of St. Jude" May-June 2011 issue)

          One day a computer teacher in a certain school, set out to reward his students for their hard work and best performance. To decide the right recipient of the reward, he gave them a task, a project to be completed in a certain time.

         All sat on their own respective computers; they were allowed to use internet for any required help.

Now, some them their computer, but their operating system was corrupt, they couldn’t proceed and lost all hope of getting the reward. Others switched on their computer but they had no appropriate antivirus so when they had access to the internet, there were virus attacks; they got entangled in it and could not complete the project. While some others had antivirus and also used internet carefully but never gave a little time to scan their hard disk and it got corrupted and stopped responding. Whereas some facing all of the above problems, persevered till the end and even formatted their hard disk to start anew. They were given a new operating system, totally secure antivirus, safe access to the internet and a strong desire to scan their hard disk regularly after each task. Those who completed their project were given the reward of their choice.

Do you understand the parable? Now listen to its explanation.

           The teacher is God and the students are the followers of Christ. The given project is the individual vocation which everyone has got. The computer is the whole personality of the person and the operating system is the soul of the person. Grace is the antivirus and internet access is the world in which we live. Virus attacks are the temptations to which a person is exposed and the virus affectedness is the sinful state of a person. Scanning the hard disk is the examination of conscience. Reformatting the hard disk is the repentance. Those who complete their project are the ones who live their vocation successfully and faithfully and deserve the eternal happiness in the presence of God as their reward.

Now, read the above parable once again, keeping all these meanings in mind.

- B. Johnson Maria

On Being Obedient…

           Jesus was head among human beings and the son of God. And he was given all the authority and dominion over earth. He had all the power to change the whole world. He had the same power which was used by God, during the Great Deluge, the destruction by water, because the world was filled with sin. Jesus had the power of making everything new, without undergoing even a pinch of pain. But he chose the other way. He chose to be obedient to His Father; he chose to do the will of his Father.

Obeying is Trusting: When we obey someone, we show our trust in that person. If we have no trust in someone, we will never obey that person. We are familiar with the story of that man, who climbing the mountain, slipped and was heading to embrace his death when he found himself hanging in between with his climbing rope and he called upon God for help, and God asked him to let go the rope. The man, not sure in the darkness how high he was hanging, did not trust in the voice of God and did not obey. In the morning the villagers found him hanging dead, just few feet above the ground.

           Jesus was obedient unto death because he trusted in God, he knew that the Father will not let him die like that; he trusted that he will be raised after death. His obedience shows the degree of trust between the son and the father.

          There is no obedience without purpose or reward. Obedience strengthens the relationship between the obedient and the obeyed.

               As we journey towards priesthood, is there a better way to come closer to the Father, than to say with Jesus: “Father not my, but thy will be done.” Nothing takes place in our life without the knowledge and wish of our Heavenly Father, even so called, “the tough times.” Sometimes we may not understand God’s will and may not obey Him, those are the times when we choose to go away from God.

            Each one of us is chosen by God for completing an assigned task like that of Jesus. Jesus was sent to save the world, and his work does not end on Calvary, but continues till today. It is the duty of the priests, another Christ, to continue the saving mission of Christ. And we can never continue if we are not obedient to Christ, our ultimate commander and head if we have to live our vocation meaningfully, we have to obey Christ, in the form of our superiors, our colleagues, classmates, our friends etc. we may not be so worthy, so holy, so sinless, that we hear God’s voice directly like… God calling our name… son so and so… come on get up, now do this, I command you to go there and do that etc…

              God speaks; God speaks to us through our superiors, through the persons whom he has appointed to direct us. Are we obedient? Christ is our model; let us look forward to him to teach us to be more faithful and obedient to him.

- B. Johnson Maria

The Rejected Stone!

I was a useless stone, rejected by the builders, the society,

I pleaded; please give me a share, in a building so mighty.

But heartlessly, they threw me away in a dark, dreary pit,

All looked down upon me, was it this for which I was fit?

None heard my pleading, no one thought to pay any heed,

‘All are children of same God’ to feel so, who’s the need?

I wondered whether something could be done of poor me,

Or perhaps I was useless, may be that was the stark reality.

Then He came; picked me up and shared His Divine Love,

Wiped my tears; hugged and kissed and gave a new curve.

He carried me with Himself, and made me a corner stone,

A stone with real worth could be recognized by Him alone.

He’s the one, who knows the very real worth of everyone,

He picks up the rejected with love, and all evil is then shun.

He makes ye feel so important, though ye be a rejected stone,

Because you’re His, by the love on the Cross He has shown.

- B. Johnson Maria