God the True Shepherd and Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd

There is a deep rooted connection between the Book of Ezekiel Chapter 34 Verses 11-16 and the Gospel of John Chapter 10 Verses 1-18.

God is the True Shepherd who is constantly looking out for us -- His Sheep. His Love is an everlasting Love. We are His "Precious Souls" who matter most to Him.

God is an "Authentic Shepherd" who will collect all His Sheep who have been scattered among various countries close and far.

God is a caring shepherd that will feed all his sheep with the Body and Blood of His Son in the Holy Eucharist which is a Sacrament of Grace and Mercy.

God feeds his Sheep with the finest wheat that is available and present in the Holy Eucharist.

God is a Shepherd that makes available good grazing land for his sheep namely the "Sacraments".

In John Chapter 10 Verses 1-18, Jesus Christ openly says that He is the "Good Shepherd". He leads us on the right path to God the Father. He refreshes us on our everlasting journey by filling us with Life Giving Waters of Grace.

Jesus Christ is a "Caring Shepherd" to be distinguished from False Shepherds who come in various disguises to lead precious souls down the garden path to perdition.

Jesus Christ cares for each one of us who are His "Precious Sheep". He is constantly caring for us and goes out looking for stray sheep and lost sheep.

His Desire is to have One Flock and One Shepherd.

Finally, One can say that Jesus Christ the True and Good Shepherd is "Spiritual Medicine" for us who is the ultimate Guardian of Our Souls.

 

Book Of Isaiah -- Chapter 53 Prophecy of the Suffering Christ

This is a Lenten Special.

The Prophet Isaiah was a Counsellor to Kings in Ancient Israel.

He correctly predicts the Suffering, Passion, and Death of the Messiah in Chapter 53.

Various Verses in Chapter 53 recount the Horror that visited Christ who was like an Innocent Lamb to the Shearers ( These are the Barbaric Roman Soldiers).

The Scourging, Whipping, and Crowning of Thorns is correctly predicted by the Prophet Isaiah in verse after verse.

It is evident from a cursory reading of Chapter 53 that Christ was "Predestined" to Die for Sinful Humanity.

Meditations during Lent :

A) The Wound of Rejection :

He was spurned and avoided by Men Isaiah 53: 39

Jesus Christ saw down through the ages how he would be left bitterly alone forsaken by all and sundry.

He realized how he would be rejected by so many and appreciated only by few among his chosen people.

It is widely believed that Jesus Christ sweated Blood in the Garden of Gethsemane brought about by a broken heart caused by betrayal and indifference.

B) The Wound of Misunderstanding :

He was pierced for our offences, crushed for our sins; upon Him was the chastisement that makes us whole by his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4)

Jesus Christ is "Heavenly Wheat" who was subject to Hellish Torment at the hands of his Executioners. He was scourged brutally by the Roman Soldiers and their accomplices.

The Bitter Pain, faced by Jesus Christ is unfathomable when he came face to face with Pilate -- The Governor.

The Shouting Mob preferred a hardened rogue and criminal namely Barrabas as compared to the Person of Our Divine Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Shouting Mob failed to appreciate his Divine Love and failed to recognize Him as the God -- Man.

C) The Wound of Ingratitude :

There was in Him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to Him, spurned and we held him in no esteem. ( Isaiah 53 : 2)

There is not only a Crown of Thorns on the Divine Head of Jesus Christ, but also around his Divine Heart.

Jesus Christ, the Holy Lamb of God is not respected for who he is simply because there is no majesty or kingly appearance about him. His appearance during his Sorrowful Passion is such that Men want to hide their faces from Him.

D) The Wound of Failure : He was counted among the wicked ( Isaiah 53 : 12)

Jesus Christ embraced His Cross because he loved Humanity immensely. Just as a Traveller from the country namely Simeon helped Christ carry his Cross, so also the Divine Saviour aids us in carrying our various crosses.

All trials that we suffer lead us to a complete union with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was a "Unique Person" who drew good out of every evil that was thrust upon him. He was successful in converting Humanity's Failures to a complete good outcome.

E) The Wound of Abandonment :

He was cut off from the Land of the Living ( Isaiah 53 : 8)

Jesus Christ, when he was on the Cross realized that he was completely abandoned specially by sinful humanity.

Nobody wanted him except God the Father. He now commends each one of us to the Eternal Father forever and ever Amen.

Credits and References :

The Sorrowful Mysteries
Pages 286-297
From Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament
By Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament
Year 2003


 

Jesus Christ as a Mature Youth in the words of the Prophet Isaiah

Today, I am dealing with Jesus Christ as a Young Man in the words of the Prophet Isaiah.

Chapter 11 of the Book of Isaiah -- Verses 1-5 deal exclusively with the spiritual awakening and maturing of Jesus Christ.

It is in these verses that we learn about the Plan of God the Father, for Jesus Christ.

Herein, lies not only the "Messianic Call" but the acknowledgement by Jesus Christ that not only God is His Father but that He is the only begotten "Son of God".

Here, He has numerous debates with Scripture Scholars and leading Pharisees.

Jesus Christ, begins to discern those who are for God and those who are not.

He clearly discerns Good from Evil.

He accepts Baptism in the River Jordan at the hands of his Beloved Cousin -- John the Baptist.

He also realizes, that he is being persecuted by a large section of Pharisees simply because he calls himself -- The Son of God.

After receiving the "Messianic Call", He goes about preaching the Kingdom of God, curing people of various maladies of Body and Soul, raising the Dead to Life, and chasing out people from the Temple who have made it a "Bazaar" or Market Place of sorts.

Jesus Christ matures fully at this point of time and realizes that some will accept him as the "Messiah" and some will not.

In Chapter 11, Verses 1-5; Jesus Christ is the Messiah -- The Chosen One.

Finally, the Famous Beatitudes on the Mount are delivered by Jesus Christ where he calls on people who worship him to be meek and love one another as a part of the Christian Vocation to Godliness.

Please read Chapter 11 of the Book of Isaiah Verses 1-5 for your spiritual nourishment.


 

Readings from the Book of Isaiah

Dear Friends in Jesus and Mary,

Greetings.

During the Year 2016 that is left with us and specially during the Year 2017 -- I will be promoting reading Chapters and Verses from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

I strongly feel that Catholics living in Metro Cities in India are not accustomed to reading the Books of the Old Testament specifically the "Prophetic Books" of which the Book of Isaiah is One.

Hearing it in Church is one thing, but actually engaging oneself in a deep rooted reading of it is something else all together.

Important :

For Today, I would like Readers of My Blog to read Isaiah Chapter 9 Verses 6-7.

These Verses relate to the Birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The Prophet Isaiah who lived 1000 Years before the coming of Christ correctly predicts His Birth and the names conferred on Christ after his Birth in the Manger.

Names such as Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace are conferred on Christ by the Prophet Isaiah.


 

A Change of Mind

Dear Friends in Jesus and Mary,

I have changed my mind.

I have decided not to delete this Blog Period.

I want it to be online forever as I have taken a lot of trouble to set it up from 2013 till now.

I have taken a lot of trouble to draft and type a variety of articles pertaining to Traditional Catholicism and with regard to Known and Unknown Catholic Personalities.

 

Feast of Saint Joseph 2018 -- A Month of March in His Honour

In a Day, when the role of Men in the Catholic Church and in the Family is often obscured and under attack, the Fatherhood of Saint Joseph shines forth brilliantly.

The Catholic Church is now unveiling the virtues of this "Just Man" whose love for Jesus Christ and Mother Mary in a true marriage was inflamed by the Holy Spirit in a unique way and to a degree of holiness surpassed only by the Mother of God.

Saint Joseph, was called by God to serve the Person and Mission of Jesus Christ directly through the exercise of His Fatherhood.

His Fatherhood is expressed concretely in His having made His Life a service, a sacrifice to the mystery of the Incarnation and to the redemptive mission connected with it.

In having used, the Legal Authority which was His over the Holy Family in order to make a total gift of self, of His Life and work; in having turned his human vocation to domestic love into a superhuman oblation of self, an oblation of His Heart and all His abilities into Love placed at the service of the Messiah growing up in His House.

Credits and References :

The Mary Book
Mother of Evangelism
For the Third Millenium
By Father Robert J. Fox
Fatima Family Apostolate
Chapter 2
Saint Joseph, Husband of the Mother of God
Pages 47-58
Year 1992







 

Maria Dufour -- Apostle of the Tabernacle

Introduction :

Maria Dufour was born at the end of the 19th Century on September 23, 1895 in a very devout Catholic Christian Family in Genoa, Italy.

As, A Teenager she vowed to live a life of complete virginity perpetually.

She was fascinated with the Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and she never missed receiving Holy Communion at whatever the cost.

Her Spiritual Director gave her many ideas about living a sanctimonious life and Maria scaled many mountains spiritually attracted only by the presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

She visited Lourdes, and developed a love for Mother Mary and never stopped saying the "Rosary" daily.

Conclusion :

She was extremely happy to witness the triumph and adoration offered by the Universe to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist at the Eucharistic Congress held in Rome in 1922.

These were the final months of her earthly life. She dedicated them to teaching Catechism and preparing the Youth to receive their First Holy Communion and make their First Confession.

She used the text of the "Glorious Catechism" of Saint Pius -- The Tenth that was clear and precise.

It was at this time that the terrible sickness of meningitis took over.

Maria suffered with Jesus Christ, her terrible illness and all the pain associated with it.

When Maria received Jesus Christ for the last time she was serene and joyful.

She passed away in Genoa on the 4th of April 1923. She was only 27 years old.

To those, who visited her she had simple words of advice.

Receive Holy Communion everyday in a state of grace and love Mother Mary and make her loved all over the world.

Credits and References :

1. Passion for the Bread of Life -- Part 1
    By Paolo Risso
    Pages 12 -14
    Don Bosco's Madonna, Mumbai
    July 2007, Vol - 9, N0-3

2. Passion for the Bread of Life -- Part 2
    By Paolo Risso
    Pages 12-14
    Don Bosco's Madonna, Mumbai
    August 2007, Vol - 9, N0 -4