Happy birthday, dear Mother.

Happy birthday, dear Mother!
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Some people read for time pass.

Some people read to gain knowledge.

Some people read for enjoyment.

Some people read to prepare themselves for some exam.

Some people read because they are free with no other work to do.

When we read a novel or a story book it can be due to  any of the above mentioned reasons.

But none of the above reasons must be behind reading Bible.

As Bible is the word of God,  we must read it  to live by it , for no other reason.

We go to Courtalam to take bath in the  falls.

We don't go there to see monkeys or take our lunch in a restaurant.

We attend a marriage function to bless the  married couple, not to take part in the feast.

Why did Jesus become man?

Only for one reason -to sacrifice Himself on the  Cross for our salvation.

He did not come to tell us parables, to do  miracles or to cure the sick.

He did these things,  but  His aim was our salvation, nothing else.

He did miracles and cured the sick to prove to the people that  He is the Son of  God.

 "The Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." (Matthew. 18:11)

Now coming to the point,  many people read the  Bible regularly just like some people take their lunch regularly.

Just like some people take their  lunch just for taste, not for body health, many people read the Bible just as a pious habit not as a rule of life to live by .

For them reading the Bible is a  pious habit just as greeting a friend with a 'good morning' is good habit - underline 'habit'.

What we read daily must be our  'daily bread', which is food for our spiritual life.

We must read the word, meditate on it and put it into practice in our life,  making it our life.

Suppose we read "But I tell you, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute and insult you,'' (Matthew. 5:44), 

we must think over our relationship with our enemies.

We must examine our conscience to see how we have treated those who  don't love us.

If we have loved them let us thank God.

If we have treated them just as they treated us

let us  feel sorry for it,

pray  God to help us to love them,

pray for their welfare

and decide to love them

and express our love by acts of love hereafter.

Our prayer and decision must be translated into practice all our life.

Thus the biblical message must become our life.

If we do this everyday after reading that day's Bible verse, our whole life will become a Bible in  action.

If we don't understand a particular passage we must approach our spiritual Father for getting due  explanation.

Many of  us view  our Parish Priest only as an administrator, not as our spiritual guide.

Just as Jesus came to us to  save us, God has given us a Parish Priest as our spiritual guide.

We must make  full use of him for our spiritual guidance.

We use him only for administrative purpose.

We use him

to build churches for us (where we rarely go),

to collect donations (which we rarely give),

to plan our festival celebrations,

to attend our domestic functions,

to make recommendations when we  apply for higher studies

and such other  works.

These are all good things, but without his spiritual guidance they are  like a electric bulb without electricity. 

We must see Jesus in our  Parish Priest.

Then we  will approach him for confession,  i.e, forgiveness for  our sins.

We must learn to use things and persons for the purpose they are meant for.

Any other purpose they are used for should not interfere into the main purpose negatively.

What is the use of  reading the Bible  if we do it to  gain a Master's degree in it,   if our life is  unrelated with the word of God?

Today  is  our Mother's birthday.

Let us greet her with our promise to  make her Son's words our life,  just as she did .

Happy birthday, dear Mother. Please help us to be like your Son by making His word our life just like you. Amen

Lourdu Selvam.