THE KINGDOM Volume - 4

English
A book - serial to grow in the experience
of the Kingdom of God

A BOOK - SERIAL TO GROW IN THE

EXPERIENCE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD Copy Right: Thomas Paul
Volume - IV

THOMAS PAUL The Kingdom Publications,

A/1-B, Garden Court, Opp. P.O.C, Edappally P.O,
Kochi - 682024, Kerala, India.
Ph: 0484-2806376
E-mail: kthomaspaul@gmail.com

Published by:
Mrs. Valsa Thomas for the Kingdom Publications.
Printed at: Viani Printings, Ernakulam.

THE KINGDOM
PUBLICATIONS
KOCHI
 Preface
Contents
I will lay down my life
1. I will lay down my life for you 5 for you.
2. The Kingdom of God in Ones personal life 7

3. The Holy Eucharist 23 I will lay down my life for you(Jn.13:37).

4. For the laborer deserves his payment 27 If Evangelization is to grow, we need dedicated people working
for The Lord. People who have consecrated themselves to The King-
5. Light, Love and Life 30 dom of God, and have the willingness to sacrifice themselves. Peo-
ple like Apostle Peter who declared I will lay down my life for you
(Jn.13:37), and like Apostle Thomas who exhorted Let us also go to
6. The Spiritual gifts 35
die with him. (Jn.11: 16). We need such people in the field filled
with The Spirit of The Lord.
7. The Church 40
I have stated above my passionate thoughts that occurred dur-
8. Security under Gods protection 46 ing my prayers at the resting-place of Rev. Fr. A.T. Thomas who for
the sake of the Gospel was martyred on 24th Oct 97 at Hazaribhag in
9. Suffering and the experiencing Bihar. For, I was conducting a retreat there. And that day the topic
of the Kingdom of God 51 for the study was martyrdom. After the talk when a challenge was
put to the group asking those to arise who would lay down their lives
10. Letter to families 54 for The Word of God, it was the Arch bishop of Ranchi who was the
first to jump up. The other three bishops, about 100 priests and 680
sisters followed.
The life today at the mission stations is reminiscent of the life
and times during the Acts of the Apostles in the 1st century. In their
everyday life many priests and sisters undergo great persecutions
and even face death. Yet they forsake their lives to the point that they
proudly live as living sacrifices in Christ.
 6
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and
exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, it is neces-
sary for us to undergo many hardship to enter The King-
dom of God (Act. 14:22).
It is necessary to experience many tribulations before one can
experience The Kingdom of God. But then it requires a faith worthy
of that. It is of-course good to proclaim The Word of God, as our
time permits us. Yet, to go one more step forward and forsake all
those close to our heart, forsake ourselves for the Gospel, would yield
a special anointment. Because it is the promise God made to Abraham
that comes into fulfillment here, and the person who forsakes every-
thing thus begets a rich blessing.
I swear by Myself, declares The Lord, that because
you acted as you did in not withholding from me your be-
loved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your de-
scendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands
of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of
the gates of their enemies. (Gen.22:16-17).
It is only when we offer sacrifices we become inheritors to such
abundant blessings as Abraham received; - and he also did get back
his son whom he had given up for dead. In our state Kerala alone we
can see many such examples where those who had forsaken the dear-
est to them for the sake of Gospel ministries have succeeded in their
efforts. Let us pray that there shall be more such examples in future.
I sincerely thank Rev. Paul Thalekkattin (The chief editor,
Sathyadeepam) for verifying the manuscripts of these articles.
With Love in Christ,
Thomas Paul
Kingdom of God - (Continued from the previous volume)
The Kingdom of God
in Ones personal life
In the first issue, we had a general study on The Kingdom and
its different facets as expounded by the Church. In the second we did
see, the personal level of The Kingdom and the Grace to know the
mysteries of The Kingdom. Then in the third issue, we saw of how
the personal experience of The Kingdom is, and that experience in
itself is the eternal life of a person, that it commences here on this
world itself and this commencement of the heavenly experience oc-
curs through inner sanctification.
Here we are going to study more on the personal level of The
Kingdom of God.
Instead, seek His Kingdom, and these other things
will be given you besides. Do not be afraid any longer,
little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you The
Kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide
moneybags for yourselves that do not wear out, an in-
exhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach
nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also
will your heart be. (Luk. 12:31-34).
It is of the personal experience of The Kingdom of God that Jesus
speaks here. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart
be. The Kingdom of God that lies hidden in ones own heart, is this
treasure. The fullness in knowledge of the Triune God Father, Son
 8 9
and The Spirit who dwell within the heavens of our hearts, and the
Divine Grace that brims off from the fellowship of this Trinitarian
Life, constitute this moneybags that do not wear out. By telling us
to provide inexhaustible treasure in heaven, what Jesus means, is
to aim towards the way of life that stores such riches in heaven. - In
heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy! It is an eternal
lofty one.
Consider this event whereupon I have a cardiac arrest and fall
dead here. And my body lies here. No one would then refer to my
body by my name. Instead, I would have by then become a corpse. If
you examine what had occurred, you would say that my soul has left
me and returned to the Maker. The bond between the body and the
soul has been broken. What we term as death has occurred. When we
live in sin, when we live according to the desires of our flesh, then
we live against our soul and there too we experience death. The
spiritual death. But, if our soul stays in union with the Spirit of God,
by the submission of our body and mind to the action of the Spirit,
and live in that Divine Grace which is poured into our soul, then we
are in a state of being led by The Divine Life.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are
children of God. (Rom. 8:14).
The state of being led by the indwelling Trinity of ones heart, is to
experience The Kingdom of God. Towards that, God made Himself
as man, to dwell on earth, and make oneness of God and man. God
desires Emmanuel God to live with us. To seek His Kingdom is to
seek that Life with God, the Eternal Life, day-in and day-out, so then
other things will be given besides.
So then you are no longer strangers and
sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God. (Eph. 2:19).
The Kingdom Prayer
Once, His disciples came to Jesus and asked for a very relevant
thing.
Lord, teach us to pray ... (Luk. 11:1).
The disciples of Jesus sought the source of His wondrous life style,
and they found it in the unique way He prayed, and concluded that
once they learned it they shall also come to such a life as His. Jesus
immediately teaches them a unique prayer. Our Father in heaven ...
. Jesus said, This is how you are to pray. (Mt. 6:9). In fact, before
commencing the prayer itself, this too He had taught them - whom
to pray to and how to pray.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close
the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your
Father who sees in secret will repay you. (Mt. 6:6).
This means the following. Enter your heart that is the abode of you
Father, which is the heaven itself, and close the door of the room
with yourselves and Father inside i.e.; block-off your external senses.
And then in continuation Jesus teaches what to pray for.
In praying do not babble like the pagans, who think
that they will be heard because of their many words. Do
not be like them. Your Father knows what you need be-
fore you ask Him. (Mt. 6:7-8).
Such a wealth of love is our Father, that before even our very asking
before even the very desire arises in our heart, He who dwells within
knows our need and grants it. Hence Jesus specifically tells us some-
thing to be mindful of during prayers. What we should pray is not for
temporal things; but for an inexhaustible treasure in heaven. So, pray
for moneybags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible
treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
Then with The Lords Prayer Jesus teaches us of such a man-
ner in prayers - Our Father ... We must realize that we are praying
 10
for a treasure, and this treasure is nothing other than The Kingdom
of God, and once we find all these things will be given you be-
sides. (Mt. 6:33). This prayer Jesus taught is the greatest device to
experience The Kingdom of God. This prayer being a Gospel centered
on The Kingdom, you shall herein find elements that shall provide
one with a Life centered on The Kingdom of God. One begets the
experience when one prays The Lords Prayer after knowing its ele-
ments in detail.
With The Lords Prayer, Jesus does not give us a formula to
repeat mechanically. (ccc2766). The entire Gospel in a microcosm
is contained in this prayer. The crux of the Gospel is this prayer. This
prayer is the prayer of the Church. Hence in all her liturgy and in the
sacraments the Lords Prayer adds strength by its grace. The Lords
Prayer is the Word of God. Starting from the time when The King-
dom of Heaven is at hand, to the End of Time the entire eschatol-
ogy is contained in the prayer. This prayer is of a different charac-
ter from those of the Old Testament, because Jesus prayer to the
Father is to the God who shows forth His almighty power by con-
verting us from our sins and restoring us to His friendship by grace.
(ccc277). It is from this unshakable faith springs forth the hope that
sustains each of the seven petitions. (ccc2772). These seven peti-
tions are seven elements in which they contain the mysteries of The
Kingdom of God. They are as follows.
Our Father in Heaven,
1. Hallowed be your name,
2. Your Kingdom come,
3. Your Will be done, on earth as in heaven.
4. Give us today our daily bread;
5. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors;;
6. And do not subject us to the final test,
7. But deliver us from the evil one.
The above seven petitions constitute the prayer for experienc-
ing The Kingdom of God. Only if one makes the character of his
11
prayer conform to this, the person shall experience the Heavenly King-
dom. Now to know in detail the meaning of these elements.
1. Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be your name
When one sees a father in God, when one adores that father in
ones heart, the experience becomes The Kingdom of God.
In the whole of the Old Testament, God is referred to as Fa-
ther only in 14 instances. In the New Testament this addressing is
421 times. Jesus Himself utters it 170 times. This is a notable differ-
ence between the Old Testament and the New. It was Jesus who taught
us to call God - Father. In the Aramaic tongue of His, He used to
call Abba. As we, in great fondness and love call our own father as
Pappa or Chacha, did Jesus call His heavenly Father as Abba.
That Father is pure Love. PureLight. It is that Father we should ad-
dress all our prayers to. That Father has become one with us, and
hallowed in the heavens of our heart dwells He. Praise Him! Glorify
Him! Adore Him! Everything has its origin in Him. And ends in
Him. When we adore this Abba in our heart, we beget the personal
experience of The Kingdom of God. I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be. (Jn. 14:3).
Jesus keeps saying . where I am you also may be. In Judaism,
they used to open their prayers with such glorious praises in adora-
tion to God, as Praise the name of the Lord Hymn to the Al-
mighty Creator. By such a prayer to God, one may get the feeling
that God exists somewhere out there. But in Jesus prayer when
you callout Abba Father Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy
name we realize that God is a near one to us and very dear too, and
he takes care of us because He is in fact our own Pappa.
My own experience is as this. With hands upon my heart when
 12
I adore my Abba Father and revel in the delight, Father tells me Son,
dont you know that I love you more than your own mother! Remain
still more time here with Me. Speak to Me, pray to Me. Isnt it while
you pray to Me that I can pour grace into your heart? I long to fill you
with my grace like a mother who is desirous and anxious to breast
feed her child. And as in the mother whose breasts shall palpitate
with the surge of milk, so does my heart if you do not take enough of
my grace. Hence do pray a lot and be filled with grace. And do thirst
like an infant. For, I love you so much. My heart was overjoyed
when I listened to this. And my prayers became more thirsty and
fervent. I do feel filled with grace. This is to experience the King-
dom of God; to experience everlasting life.
Now this is eternal life, that they should know
you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent,
Jesus Christ. (Jn. 17:3).
To know means to become one with as in the saying I
know my wife. Hence in the above verse what would mean by the
term eternal life (also; The Kingdom of God, The Heavenly King-
dom), is to become one with the Triune God. For this reason Jesus
teaches Your name, Abba Father, I adore in my heart. And to hold
this attitude is of primary importance and the first stage for the Lords
prayer.
2. Thy Kingdom come
The second stage of the prayer is an entreaty. By now, we have
thought over quite a few times, that Jesus very first proclamation
was on The Kingdom of God. The purpose of Jesus mission was to
bestow on us the Kingdom of God. Towards this, Christ gave up His
life for us. Father has decided to give this Kingdom to all of us.
Do not be afraid any longer little flock, for your
Father is pleased to give you The Kingdom. (Lk. 12:32).
Jesus desires that in all our prayers we request for The Kingdom of
God thus May Thy Kingdom come within me. With hands upon
13
my heart, I do occasionally pray fondly to my Father dwelling within
me Abba Father, may Thy Kingdom come within me. I plead thus
for quite some time till a feeling of ecstasy fills up to enlarge my
heart. And in that rapturous bliss I remain reciting the same plea.
Thereafter, I pray May Thy Kingdom come to my spirit. May Thy
Kingdom come to my every limb and organ of mine. May Thy
Kingdom come to my conscience, to my thoughts, to my imagi-
nations, to my unconscious mind, to my subconscious mind,
to my every single action may Thy Kingdom come, to my
ministry, to my house, .. .- This prayer can go on for any
prolonged time. In short, Thy Kingdom come would mean an en-
treaty to Father towards breast feeding us with His loving grace
His kindly Light by keeping us under His dominion, Divine power
and Holiness.
But seek first The Kingdom of God and His righ-
teousness, and all these things will be given you be-
sides. (Mt. 6:33).
Every prayer is towards the bringing of the Kingdom of God
into us. All liturgy aim towards that. Jesus said Ask and it will be
given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you. And by this what He meant was no trivial things;
instead the inexhaustible treasure, The Kingdom of God. With the
prayer Thy Kingdom come, we are seeking and knocking at the
door ardently for the heaven to open up within us. During the bap-
tism of Jesus, the heavens opened up within Jesus. He was filled by
the Spirit. The Trinitarian power started to manifest in the actions of
Jesus. Likewise, in our lives The Trinitarian power shall manifest
when within us Thy Kingdom come.
3. Your Will be done, on earth as in heaven
This third segment also contains a vast divine institution in mi-
crocosm. This envisages the entire world to be transformed such that
The Kingdom of God be manifested in it, and thus under the au-
thority of God a new world-order founded in holiness and love be
 14 15

established here on earth. Today, in every human being we see a portant than they? (Mat. 6:25-26).
heart that thirsts for a pilgrimage from evils to the good. The man,
As said; Father is our Abba Pappa. And whatever we children
choked in the mire of sinfulness, finds himself sick, tormented, disil-
ask Pappa, He grants it. Now, to render His Will, if we seek His
lusioned and vexed within a satanic stranglehold. Such is the world-
desires, and live accordingly, - how blissful the life of that kingdom
order now. For the enlightenment of this world now immersed in
!! A new Heaven and a new Earth dawns as everyone becomes
deep darkness, the entire humanity wails. To annihilate the sin, this
filled in Gods Love, and ushers in The Kingdom of God in its full-
lament of the humanitys finds its voice in this prayer Your Will
ness.
(reign) be done, on earth as in heaven.
Over and above repeating the prayer Your Will be done, on
This part of The Lords prayer instills hope in us that the entire
earth as in heaven, we have to surrender the many areas of ours and
world will evntually become The Kingdom of God. The thirst and
pray thus: - . Your Will be done, on all levels of my conscience.
ardor that arises with ones personal experience of Gods Kingdom
Your Will be done, on my spirit. Your Will be done, on my thoughts.
by praying Your Kingdom come, grows along with the social and
Your Will be done, on my imaginations. Your Will be done, on my
universal levels of The Kingdom, and reaches an eschatological level
infirmities. Your Will be done, on my future. Your Will be done, in
at Your Will be done, on earth as in heaven. When one fervently
my home. Thus when you keep praying Let in each and ev-
prays this element, it has by then reached fulfillment of the social
ery aspect, Father Your Will be done on earth as in heaven, you
and universal levels of the Kingdom born (out of the personal level),
shall attain a plane of experiencing The Kingdom of God. And you
and has attained the eschatological level.
shall discover great changes happening in your very life.
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. (Mt. 4:17). Already; but
not yet. The Kingdom of God is upon earth; yet it has not attained its 4. Give us today our daily bread
completeness. It is now at such a dual status. If the Kingdom of God According to the analyses of wise theologians, this fourth seg-
on earth is to establish in its completeness, everybody should pray ment is the heart and core of The Lords Prayer. The three previous
for this, and with the conviction that His Will be done. Also, this prayer segments centered on - The Name of God, The Kingdom of
should become the substance of all our prayers, and we should show God, The Will of God. The next four is towards us. Our food, our
zeal to live according to Your Will. As of now, almost all of us debts, our tests (our temptations) and our evil.
seek our will. And we do pray for the fulfillment of self-will. If things
The term daily denotes - today and every other day what
doesnt take place to our liking, then we do become desolate. Hence
that is required tomorrow to be provided today itself every day
Jesus exhorts thus:
without fail this as per the interpretation of wise theologians. And,
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, bread predominantly refers to spiritual bread food for the soul.
what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what To the one who prevails in The Kingdom of God, for a continued
you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body living in the experience, to prevent spiritual death, the poverty in
more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they spirit has to be abated. Hence Jesus opened His Sermon on the Mount
do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet thus.
your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more im-
 16
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the King-
dom of Heaven. (Mt. 5:3).
For the survival of our soul - today and every other day so
that we live now and are led to eternal life hereafter every day
without fail, food is needed. And the food that makes one relish well
in advance the eventual fullness of Gods Kingdom is the following.
1. The Holy Eucharist The Body of Christ The Bread of Life.
2. The Word of God.
3. The Gifts and Fruits of The Holy Spirit.
The Flesh of Christ
as The Bread of Life
First the spiritual, and then the temporal this Jesus states cat-
egorically with His discourse on Johns Gospel on the matter of food
for body and soul.
Do not work for food that perishes but for the
food that endures for eternal life, which Son of Man
will give you.( Jn. 6:27).
My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from
heaven and gives life to the world. (Jn. 6:32-33).
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have
life within you. (Jn. 6:53).
This prayer for daily food comes to fulfillment when we par-
ticipate in the Holy Mass and commune the Holy Eucharist every-
day. The prayer should be to first obtain the faith, devotion and op-
portunity towards such a daily food. This bread gives life to our soul.
The Father who gives us life cannot not but give us the nourishment
life requires all appropriate goods and blessings, both material and
17
spiritual. (ccc2830). Jesus said But seek first The Kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you be-
sides. (Mt. 6:33). It can be considered that the first three segments
of the Lords Prayer are in the Kingdoms quest; and the next four
are all things given besides. It is on the basis of all things given
besides , that upon prayers, God showers blessings on those who are
poor. Thus the personal, social and universal levels of experiencing
The Kingdom of God are being fulfilled by this segment of our Lords
Prayer.
The Word as the daily bread
Jesus said,
It is written One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of
God(Mt. 4:4).
The Word of God leads mans soul towards eternal life. It is also a
lamp in the path in his everyday life. As seen, a life centered on The
Kingdom is a life centered on The Word. We should strive to read
and meditate The Word of God daily, relate our daily activities to
this study, and be willing to organize our life accordingly. On the
bread of life, Jesus has said further:
It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is no
avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and
Life (Jn 6:63).
The Word of God is Spirit and Life. It gives life to our soul.
When we get the Spiritual power and experience The Kingdom of
God, all these things will be given you besides.
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Ps. 119:103).
The revelation of your words sheds light, giving
understanding to the simple. (Ps.119: 130).
In the book of Deuteromy, the final appeal of Moses to the chil-
 18
dren of Israel is noted thus:
Take to heart all the warning which I have now
given you and which you must impress on your chil-
dren, that you may carry out carefully every word of
this law. For this is no trivial matter for you; rather, it
means your very life. (Deut. 32: 46-47).
Only if the Word becomes flesh and make His dwelling among us,
shall we get the experience of The Kingdom of God. We have to pray
for that.
The fruits and gifts of The Spirit
The gifts of The Spirit bestowed on our souls, is an important
factor in our daily bread. This we see in the epistle of Apostle Paul.
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of food
and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the
Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).
And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and
you will find; no can the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; . If you then,
who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will the Father in Heaven give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? (Lk.11:9:13).
The experience of the Kingdom of God reaches completion in
one only when the fruits and gifts of The Holy Spirit fill the person.
We have to daily pray and receive this from God.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Because
without me you can do nothing. (Jn. 15: 5).
From the mother stem that Jesus is from The Kingdom of God that
He is, the fruits and gifts of The Holy Spirit have to flow into us
branches, so that we become the branches of The Kingdom of God.
Thus the Father is glorified. Our life becomes one of wisdom, ratio-
19
nale and divine power. And we shall radiate love and peace in all
spheres of our activity. When everyday we pray incessantly to be
filled with such favors from the Spirit, it becomes greatly joyous in
God. And this joy is our daily bread.
5. And forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors;
The Lords Prayer, taught by Jesus, is the prayer of The King-
dom of God. This we meditated upon at the beginning of this article.
The Kingdom of God is The Kingdom of Love. To build up a king-
dom of love, and thus to establish an empire of holy people, this is
the purpose of God. This shall come to pass when each one of us
loves our neighbor as we love ourselves. And for this love to happen
in our day-to-day life, personal life and family life, this prayer is
necessary. This is the fifth segment /element of The Lords Prayer.
It is His infinite love, unconditional love which makes Father
desirous to forgive our sins. He forgives. But to experience that for-
giveness, to experience it as personal and to prevail within The King-
dom of God, we have to forgive others.
So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each
of you forgives his brother from his heart (Mt.18: 35).
The Fathers dominion is one where fairness (justice) is ren-
dered to one and all. And where everybody co-exists in love. This
shall come to pass only when everybody loves everybody else. The
Kingdom of God is nothing but the love for one another.
No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one
another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to
perfection in us. (1 Jn. 4:12).
Gods love finds completion within us when His love fills us up
and overflows. That occurs through mercy through the grace that
gives forgiveness. And it is when these occur, that God dwells within
us. Hence if God is to dwell within us it is imperative that we forgive
others, love others.
 20
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one an-
other. (Jn. 13:34).
If you keep my commandments, you will remain
in my love, just as I have kept my Fathers command-
ments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and your joy might be com-
plete (Jn 15:10-11).
Whence we long and thirst for our Father to forgive us our sins,
if we bear grudge towards any, we cannot even establish relationship
with Father in our heart. And that shall impede the flow of mercy and
grace that should otherwise give us the forgiveness towards our debts.
We wont experience the all-forgiving love of Father.
Any prayer it be especially The Lords Prayer, we have to
observe this principle and feel love towards everybody during our
daily prayers. One who does that, in full experience of The Kingdom
of God gains access to the Fathers house. In that person the Divine
Love attains its completeness.
6. And do not subject
us to the final test
We do live in a sinful world every day. We remain enveloped by
sinful situations every instant. In fact we are immersed in it like
the lotus in mire. The good Abba of ours keeps us from falling into
sin, just as our parents protect their children from falling into the
mire. It is that He not only forgives our mistakes, but also takes care
of us from committing them. We have to know this infinite love of
His. When sinful situations tempt us, we succumb to them. And we
sin.
They believe only for a time and fall away in time
of trial. (Lk. 8:13).
A struggle between the flesh and the spirit - that is what our life is.
21
(ccc2516). In this internal struggle, the inclinations of the flesh tempt
us. It is Fathers love that gives inner strength to our spirit to with-
stand temptations because the love of God has been poured out in
to our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Rom
5:3-5). The infinitely loving Father pours out His grace to us through
The Holy Spirit to help us in situations where we cannot help our-
selves. Thus, through this grace, we get the ability to discern the sin
and the inner strength to reject sin. With this conviction we should
pray: But deliver us from the evil one.
7. But deliver us from the evil one
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep the evil one. (Jn. 17:15).
Now, this is a very poignant prayer of Jesus. His prayer to His Father
for taking care of us. The prayer for deliverance is not just a personal
one. Instead, it also encompasses the lamentation of the whole hu-
manity to bring forth the realization of the social and the universal
levels of Gods Kingdom. That is when we cry out deliver us from
the evil one.
If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom.
8:31).
The same Father who has offered His Only Begotten Son in a
sacrifice to redeem humanity of its sin, is ever pouring out the grace
that was earned by that sacrifice, and thus is saving us each from
sins. We should take it as a challenge to defeat the satanic designs
and other forces of evil in us, and pray as the following:
If you do well, you can hold up you head; but if
not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is to-
ward you, yet you can be his master (Gen.4: 7).
God is always providing us the power to overcome sin. Upon
that conviction when we pray for our community and ourselves -
Father, deliver us from the evil one. And when we keep praying
 22

this everyday, upon each and every sin of ours, then the redeeming
grace of God our Father envelops us always like a holy garment. We
adorn the shield of holiness. And, let us then pray For, Thine is the
Kingdom, Power and Glory forever. With this proclamation, we af-
firm that sin has absolutely no bearing on the infinite power of The
Kingdom of God. The Holy Eucharist
... the ruler of the world is coming. He has no
power over me. (Jn 14:30).
The dominion of Satan, that of the kingdom of sin, has been Jesus said to them, Amen, amen I say you, un-
destroyed. Our prayers should hold onto this faith. less you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his
blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats
He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I
only but for those of the whole world. (1 Jn. 2:2). will raise him on the last day. For My flesh is true food,
This we have to firmly believe. It is upon this faith that the and My blood is true drink. Whoever eats My flesh and
redemptive grace flows to us. drinks My blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the
living Father sent Me and I have life because of the Fa-
For by grace you have been saved through faith. ther, so also the one who feeds on Me will have life
(Eph. 2:8). because of Me. (Jn. 6: 53-57).
As a result of this momentous declaration which Jesus made in the
synagogue at Capernaum, many of His disciples returned to their
former way of life and no longer accompanied Him. For this saying
was too hard for them to accept. Yet, Jesus would not retract what He
had said. Instead;
Jesus then said to the Twelve, Do you also want
to leave? (Jn 6:67).
What fact is manifested here is that, for an ordinary mind it is
difficult to grasp the spiritual mystery behind Jesus saying. Hence
the saying, that the Holy Eucharist is a mystery. If thence, at the time
when Jesus himself taught it, many couldnt grasp it, we shouldnt be
unduly worried that today the situation remains the same.
On this, twice in the same chapter, Jesus Himself repeats on the
mystery.
 24
And He said, For this reason I have told you that
no one can come to Me unless it is granted him by my
Father (Jn. 6: 65, 6: 44)
This means that the mystery of the Holy Eucharist can be understood
only by the action of Fathers Spirit. So, let us pray it here now.
O! Holy Trinity dwelling in me. I surrender to Thee in its en-
tirety my intellect, wisdom and convictions. I entreat Thee, reveal
this to me, the spiritual mystery of the Holy Eucharist. O! The Eu-
charistic presence of Jesus, enlighten my heart. Amen. (Pray this for
sometime, then start again from the beginning).
Once at Bombay, during a holy mass I was participating en-
family, I was filled with a heavenly bliss. I found tears pouring out of
my eyes. On seeing this, my wife Valsa pleaded me to stop, by ex-
pressing her concern that people may attribute the cause of my weep-
ing to her. Yet I couldnt contain it; my sobbing became intense. That
was a rapturous outburst and it had occurred by the divine grace as
my soul found communion with His Spirit in the Holy Eucharist.
Let us go back to the synagogue at Capernaum.
Jesus said to them, Amen, amen I say you, un-
less you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His
blood, you do not have life within you. (Jn.6: 53).
What does the term life mean? Jesus says.
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of
no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and
Life (Jn 6:63).
Here is an example to illustrate this. Suppose this person, Tho-
mas Paul, while giving this talk, falls down dead here. My body be-
comes immobile within a short while. Now, the very attitude of one
towards me undergoes a change. One does not refer to me as Thomas
Paul anymore - instead it becomes a corpse. All life force is removed
and it makes me a corpse. I am dead. In short my soul has left me.
25
Hence it is evident that it was my soul my spirit, that had sustained
my life. So much for the lives of each one of us.
This body of ours, the one which we pamper with delicate groom-
ing and delicious food, is to become corpse someday. Most of us do
not realize that it is the soul the spirit, which provides life to this
body. The entire consumer- culture finds its goal in this once-fu-
ture corpse. It is in this context Jesus says, It is the Spirit that gives
life, while the flesh is of no avail.
It is the spirit that gives us life. To sustain the spirit it needs
food. That food is the Holy Eucharist.
That is why Jesus himself told that if you do not eat His body
and drink His blood by consuming the Holy Eucharist, you do not
have life within you. And Jesus has also said:-
I come so that they might have life and have it
more abundantly (Jn. 10:10).
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my
flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. (Jn. 6:
54-55).
This explains how the life is given more abundantly. In consuming
the Holy Eucharist we partake in the eternal life Jesus provides. The
true food and drink gives eternal life when His Life - His body and
blood, merges with ours. Also, during the Holy Communion, by the
grace of The Holy Spirit, we experience a resurrection this is an
advance bestowed on us through the hope in the resurrection of our
mortal bodies.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood re-
mains in me and I in him (Jn. 6:56).
God and man unite to become one. In truth, a oneness takes
place. - And thus God is with us Emmanuel, becomes this rela-
tionship. Or, it transforms into a Hypostatic union or Divine human
relationship.
 26
God fuses with human, and in man deification begins already
here on earth, the creature is being transfigured.
Just as the living Father sent me and I have life
because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me (Jn. 6: 57).
God, the Father, is the source of all life. It is the action of the Father
that takes place in every Holy Eucharist. It is Father the ever living,
Father the eternal Life, who gives us the bread of life. Hence the
meaning in Jesus saying I am the bread that came down from
heaven. (Jn. 6:41). The bread which the heavens brought down to
earth. That bread is the Life of Jesus. As we know, it is ones life that
is in his body and blood. The one who eats the Life-giving bread
coming from Father - the source of all Life, he receives that life and
enters the eternal. He lives. The Word - I come so that they might
have life and have it more abundantly is fulfilled in him.
The Holy Eucharist is a divine organization to purify and
strengthen our soul in our everyday life. For our spiritual living to be
successful, we have to participate ardently and be filled with the gift
from that infinite and blissful grace which the Holy Eucharist is. If
not, then we shall be slaves to the wants of our flesh and would be-
come corrupted through deceitful desires.
For the laborer
deserves his payment.
For the laborer deserves his payment (Lk 10:7)
To His laborer, what is the payment due from God? The partaking
in His infinite grace -which is The Kingdom of God. This is the
first payment one receives. Hence one has to in some form render
Gospel work everyday. So that he receives payment every day. He
is filled by grace everyday.
Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.
(Mt.21: 28).
To work in Lords vineyard should be a matter of pride for us.
For, Jesus has called every one of us. We should be aware of the
love of our Father who tells all of us every day Son, go out and
work in the vineyard today. We should know His hurt when we
deny His call.
The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who
went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After
agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent
them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he
said to them, You too go in to my vineyard, and I will
give you what is just (Mt.20: 1-4).
In the preface of the Apostolic exhortation Christy Fidelis Laici,
in which the Holy Father Pope John Paul II writes about the partici-
pation of the laity in the church, he deals with this truth. Every lay-
man and woman is called into the field for labor.
 28 29

This field is the world. (Mt. 3:38). And if this whole domin- I keep receiving this wages every day in my life this Grace of
ion of the worlds vineyard has to become The Kingdom of God, God. And, from small tasks of yesterday, He has entrusted me great
everyone has to comply with this in Christ. The Lord has called us tasks today.
with a promise on wages. Yet many are standing idle in the market-
Let us pray. O! Master of the harvest, send out laborers for your
place. Hence the growth of our Church is impeded. Now, towards
harvest. The fields are ripe for the harvest.
this mission, God has called everyone who believes in Christ. But,
some are unaware and do remain standing idle. Look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.
The reaper is already receiving his payment and gather-
So they went off. And he went out again around
ing crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper
noon, and around three o clock, and did likewise. Go-
can rejoice together (Jn. 4:35-36).
ing out about five o clock, he found others standing
around, and said to them, Why do you stand here idle
all day? They answered, Because no one has hired us.
He said to them, You too go into my vineyard (Mt. 20:
5-7).
Every hour of the day The Lord is seeking laborers for Gospel
work. So great is this purpose. Even at the eleventh hour The Lord
says You too go into my vineyard. About an hour to go; yet His
concern is to win as much souls in this last hour. And, the ones who
work the last hour gets the same wages as them who toiled from the
morning. This is a unique love He shows His Gospel workers - the
encouragement He gives. Now, one reason for the apathy in our life
is because we do not obtain such eternal wages from God. And this
daily labor if done, shall obtain wages everyday.
Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide
money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an in-
exhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach
nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also
will your heart be. (Lk .12:33-34).
Obtain the wages the experience of The Kingdom of God
itself by doing Gospel work. For the laborer deserves his pay-
ment. Thus when one has had experienced The Kingdom of God,
other things will be given besides.

Light,
ht
lov
lig
e
Love,
Life life
We have seen in the last issue that - Light, Love and Life coa-
lesce in the Kingdom of God. The Light finds its source in The Fa-
ther. God is Light. Jesus gave that Light to mankind and declared,
You are the light of the world (Mt. 5:14). We have seen in the last
that episode that each of us should exist as Lights in our lives.
Here, we shall meditate on existing as three kinds of Lights.
1.The Candle
2.The Oil Lamp
3.The Electric Lamp
1.The Candle
Candle is a motif always identified with spirituality. During
offerings, prayers and such occasions we light the candle. On the
Easter eve, we have the ritual of everyone lighting his or her candle
from a huge one lit and kept burning. From baptism down, in every
sacrament, candle finds a relevant place.
Candle symbolizes Christ. He laid down His life to give life to
others. So does a candle. It burns itself out and thus by self-immola-
31
tion gives light to others. It is not possible for the candle to give light
without burning itself out.
The way we came to know love was that he laid
down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives
for our brothers (1 Jn. 3:16).
Light, Love and Life all the three we do find in this verse. The
candle that is Jesus the Light, when it burned itself in immolation,
we came to know love. And hence, we too are bound to lay down our
lives for our brethren to become candles and burn ourselves out.
The Will of God is fulfilled in us when The Kingdom of God
within our person spreads out into our day-to-day life and to the so-
ciety around. We ought to become candles - at home; in the society.
This happens when we burn with sufferings. When the wife burns
for her husband and her children, when the husband burns for his
wife and his children, the candle lights up the home. The husband
and wife throw light on each other. In the society also this principle
holds true. We have to become candles for our brethren.
If we are to become the light of the world, we have to burn like
the candle. With this conviction we have to partake in Christs sacri-
fice in our lives like Him, a huge candle, we are to glow and burn
out.
The burning in our lives occurs in the following way. The fam-
ily life and the social life is replete with short comings. We do get
maligned and ridiculed by others. There shall occur criticisms, printed
and voiced, to discourage us. And so shall come along our way fi-
nancial difficulties, mental disturbances, slander, etc., which shall
burn the candle in us. These situations call for a determined and cou-
rageous stand. By withstanding tribulations, you gain Life. One be-
comes Light to others. Again, it is not possible to emanate light
without burning. So we have to be candles ourself.
You will even be handed over by parents, broth-
 32
ers, relatives, and friends and they will puts some of
you to death. You will be hated by all because of my
name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By
your perseverance you will secure your lives (Lk. 21:
16-19).
2.The Oil Lamp
One has to keep the oil lamp adequately filled. If the oil runs
out, the lamp goes off. And oil is the Grace of God. We have to busy
ourselves collecting, and keep ourselves filled with the oil of grace
through prayers and sacramental life.
Jesus tells this through the parable of the ten virgins:
Then the Kingdom of heaven will be like ten vir-
gins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bride-
groom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones when taking their lamps, brought no
oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with
their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight,
there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to
meet him! Then all those virgins got up and trimmed
their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, Give us
some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the
wise ones replied, No for there may not be enough for
us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some
for yourselves. While they went off to buy it, the bride-
groom came and those who were ready went into the
wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Af-
terwards the other virgins came and said, Lord, Lord,
open the door for us! But he said in reply, Amen, I say
to you, I do not know you. Therefore, stay awake, for
you know neither the day nor the hour (Mtt. 25:1-13).
33
The wise virgins had taken care to fill their lamps wit oil
meaning, they had been prayerful, and as a result were filled with
Grace. And they had enough grace that they prevailed in the experi-
ence of The Kingdom of Heaven. It is when we run out of grace,
when our oil is depleted, that we may succumb to sinful situations. In
other words, when the lamp and hence the Light goes-off, when we
are distanced from The Kingdom of God, when we are subjected to
the desires of flesh, it may leave us dark in the kingdom of sin. One
who is not with me is against me. Once a person reaches that stage,
prayers wont be rewarded with grace. Some people bemoan - I do
not even feel like praying, I do not have faith in prayer, I find no
purpose in prayer- and so forth. And they may be the ones, who
have explosive temperament, anger, false pride, vengefulness, inability
to love, and the tendency to become victim to sinfulness. This state
can be redeemed by the intercession and guidance of a priest - for, it
needs the restoration to sacramental life and prayers so that the oil
of grace is refilled in daily life.
So that the oil do not run out, the experience of The Kingdom
of God must be sustained with a prayerful life day-to-day.
3.The Electric Lamp
And I am sending the promise of My Father upon
you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power
from on high (Lk. 24:49).
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes upon you (Acts.1:8).
Every Christian is to glow by being filled with the Holy Spirit - by
The Spirits power. The Holy Spirit is Power. The Holy Spirit is
immense Light. The property of the powered lamp - electric light, is
that it ceases to glow when there is no power. To acquire the power
of The Holy Spirit, and thus to glow with light, one has to be in the
sacramental life and in prayerful meditation of The Word of God.
In the Acts of the Apostles we see that when they were filled
 34
by the power of The Spirit, they became fearless. They vociferously
proclaimed the Gospel. And then we see that they lose heart when
sufferings, tribulations and oppositions come in. Again we see them
praying in the 4th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles united in their
singular purpose.
As they prayed, the place where they were gath-
ered shook, and they were all filled with The Holy Spirit
and continued to speak The Word of God with bold-
ness (Acts. 4:31).
To be continuously filled in the power of The Holy
Spirit, one has to prevail in continuous prayfulness.He
does not ration His gift of The Spirit (Jn. 3:34).
How much more will the Father in heaven give
the holy Spirit to those who ask him? (Lk. 11:13).
Our Father rejoices, when we remain filled with His Spirit and
prevail in The Kingdom of God, and glow with Light. For this we
have to become Powered Lamps.
The Lord desires us to be all of these at any given time -The
Candle, The Oil Lamp, The Powered (Electric) Lamp. Thus we shall
become the Light of the world.
(On Love, Light - in the next issue)
The Anointment by the Holy Spirit -
Continued from the previous issue
The Spiritual Gifts
Now in regard to spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you
to be unaware(1Cor.12:1).
God has anointed us with spiritual gifts. We have to under-
stand that fact. And we have to understand how to use these gifts.
We have to study first the Epistles of Apostles Paul and Peter,
where they state about the spiritual gifts. We have to take up portions
of the four epistles before attempting an analysis.
1. So we, though many, are one body in Christ
and individually parts of one another. Since we have
gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us
exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if
ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching;
if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in gen-
erosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does
acts mercy, with cheerfulness (Rom.12:5-8).
2. Now you are Christs body, and individually
parts it. Some people God has designated in the Church
to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance,
administration, and varieties of tongues. (1Cor.12:27-
28).
 36 37

3. And He gave some as apostles, others as proph- Now according to the verses above, to grow in spiritual gifts,
ets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teach- there are some factors to be borne.
ers, to equip the holy ones for the works of ministry, for
1. To discern ones fundamental spiritual gift.
building of the body of Christ. (Eph.4:11-12).
2. To understand how to use ones fundamental spiritual gift.
4. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve 3. To respect those other ministers with spiritual gifts.
one another as good stewards of Gods varied grace 4. To use the gifts for the common good in building the church.
whoever preaches, let it be with words of God; whoever
serves, let it be with strength that God supplies. (1Pe- To discern
ter 4:10-11). ones fundamental spiritual gift
Rom 12:5-8 1 Cor 12:27-28 Eph 4:11-12 1 Peter 4:10-11 But as it is written: What eye has not seen and ear
has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart,
1. Prophecy Apostle-ship Apostle-ship Preaching what God has prepared for those who love him, this
2. Ministry Prophecy Prophecy Ministry God has revealed to us through the Spirit. Among hu-
3. Exhortation Teaching Proclamation man beings, who knows what pertains to a person ex-
4. Exhortation Mighty deeds Pastor
cept the spirit of the person that is within? Similarly, no
5. Leadership Healing Teaching
6. Assistance Ministry one knows what pertains to God except The Spirit of
7. Administration God. We have not received the spirit of the world but
8. Varieties of tongue The Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand
So we, though Christs body, for builiding to serve one the things freely given us by God.(1Cor. 2: 9-12).
many, are one and individually of the body another as good When we pray personally to The Holy Spirit, it would be revealed to
body in Christ parts it of Christ stewards of Gods
us within our very hearts what our fundamental spiritual gift is.

In Church - the body of Christ, each of us are individual parts.
God has bestowed a special gift to each of us to build his church.
This can be termed as the fundamental spiritual gift. We should not
pride on it to the least, even if we possess all of them. We have to use
it to serve one another as good stewards of God.
There are different kinds spiritual gifts but the
same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the
same Lord; there are different workings but the same
God who produces all of them in everyone. To each in-
dividual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some
benefit. (1Cor.12:4-7).
Moreover, without our being conscious of it, we shall be led
into such ministries and activities that shall develop our fundamental
spiritual gift. I shall relate this to an initial experience of mine. Then
I was an engineer in Madhya Pradesh. The reverend father who was
to conduct retreat for the priests and the religious at the forane, fell
sick and couldnt come. Since nobody else was available, the rever-
end vicar came to me early in the morning and forcibly made me
agree to take up the retreat. Terror stricken, I started my talk in front
of the group. Slowly as I caught on, I felt my fears abate and vigor
coming into me. About 4 hours hence I realized the elapse of the
hours and concluded with apologies. But astonished as they were
about the lack of my formal schooling, they commended me for such
 38 39

a long talk. As I praised The Lord in prayers, I was given a firm before he was formed in the womb, we too are. It only remains for us
conviction within my heart that what I just saw then being mani- to discern it.
fested, was the gift for preaching given to me. I believed then that my
On his call, the Apostle Paul has written thus.
fundamental spiritual gift is to preach. Thereafter, as other gifts started
to work in me, The Spirit of the Lord strengthened this conviction. But when God, who from my mothers womb had
set me apart and called me through his grace, was
Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make
pleased (Gal.1:15).
your call and election firm, for, in doing so, you will
never stumble. (2.Peter 1:10). Christ anointed him to Paul for building His Church. This The
Lord did to Saul, who was on his way to Damascus with letters to
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
wreck His Church. By making His call and appointment known to
(Rom.12:29).
Saul, The Lord in turn wrecked his plans. We shall grow only when
Being a member in the body of Christ - the church, only when we recognize our fundamental spiritual gift.
we recognize and confirm the fundamental spiritual gifts bestowed
to us, we become anointed. From thence we can proclaim. The (To be continued in the next issue)
Spirit of The Lord is upon me. . He has anointed me. Here , our
inherent abilities, knowledge, wisdom, etc., is of no significance.
The Lord said to Jeremiah:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the
nations I appointed you. Ah, LORD GOD ! I said, I
know not how to speak; I am too young. But the LORD
answered me, Say not, I am too young. To whom ever
I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you
shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am
with you to deliver you, says the LORD. Then the LORD
extended his hand And touched my mouth, saying, see,
I place my words in your mouth!. This day I set you
over nations and over kingdoms, To root up and to tear
down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant
(Jer.1:5-10).
Jeremiah was young. But The Lord anointed him with His Spirit
to give him the fundamental spiritual gift as a prophet. The Lord
gave him the conviction too. Just as Jeremiah was appointed even

The Church
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY has often been called the cen-
tury of the Church. The official work of Church bodies, both within
and outside of Roman Catholicism, reflects a mounting interest in
this theme. For the past fifty years Protestant, Anglican, and Ortho-
dox Christian in world organizations such as the Faith and Order
Movement and the World Council of Churches have been intensely
studying the nature and structure of the Church. The same topics
have been coming into ever-increasing prominence in the pronounce-
ments of the Catholic since the First Vatican Council (1896-70).
A preparatory commission of Vatican I drew up a lengthy draft
declaration on the Church, but the deliberations of the Council were
cut short by the Franco-Prussian War and the invasion of the Papal
States by the Piedmontese armies. Instead of the planned Constitu-
tion on the Church of Christ consisting of fifteen chapters, the Coun-
cil succeeded in enacting only four chapters on the papacy. The defi-
nitions regarding the primacy and infallibility of the Pope, unaccom-
panied by any treatment of the other bishops and members of the
Church, gave a somewhat unbalanced picture. Many critics of the
Council charged that it had converted the Catholic Church into an
absolute monarchy in which the other bishops would be mere lack-
eys of the Pope.
Other facets of the Catholic doctrine concerning the Church
were set forth by Leo XIII in his encyclical on the unity of the Church
41
(Satis Cognitum, 1896) and especially by Pius XII in his great encyc-
lical on the Mystical Body (Mystici Corporis, 1943), which dwelt on
the mysterious vital relationship of the Church to Christ and to the
Holy Spirit. But other questions regarding the nature and organiza-
tion of the Church still clamored for attention. Thus in 1959, when
John XXIII announced his intention of convening an Ecumenical
Council, it was generally surmised that the coming Council would
deal with the Church as its major theme. Paul VI made this clear in
his first encyclical, The Paths of the Church (Ecclesiam Suam,
1964), in which he stated (Art. 33) that the Church was the princi-
pal object of attention of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.
The present document - known as Light of All Nations from
the first two words of the Latin text (Lumen Gentium) - is one of the
two Dogmatic Constitutions issued by Vatican II, the other being
that on Revelation. It is the second longest of the conciliar state-
ments, next in length after the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in
the Modern World. With something like unanimity it has been hailed
as the most momentous achievement of the Council, both because of
its important contents and because of its central place among the
Council documents. The other constitutions, decrees, and declara-
tions, for the most part, deal either with particular sections or ele-
ments in the Church (Eastern Churches, bishops religious, seminar-
ies, laity), or with particular activities of the Church (such as liturgy,
communications, education and the missions), or with the relations
of the Church to outside groups (ecumenism, the non-Christian reli-
gions, the modern world). The Constitution on Divine Revelation
deals with the sources of the Churchs doctrine, and the Declaration
on Religious Freedom with the relations between the Church and
civil society. Thus in one way or other the entire work of the Council
is centered about the theme of the Church.
Among all the documents of Vatican II, probably none under-
went more drastic revision between the first schema and the finally
approved text. The successive drafts of the Constitution, compared
 42 43

with one another, strikingly reveal the tremendous development of Shepherd, who came to serve and not to be served, and who did not
the Churchs self-understanding, which resulted from the dialogue hesitate to lay down His life for the sheep. But the Church is repre-
within the Council. The original schema, prepared by the Theologi- sented very realistically as a little flock made up of frail and sinful
cal Commission before the first session in 1962, resembled the stand- men. Weak and humble, it stands in constant need of purification and
ard treatise on the Church as found, for example, in most of the theo- renewal. At the same time, however, it feels confident of Gods lov-
logical manuals published between the two world wars. Influenced ing help, which guides its steps.
by centuries of anti-Protestant polemics, the writers of this period
Throughout this Constitution, the mystery of the Church is
placed heavy emphasis on the hierarchical and juridical aspects of
viewed in terms of the paradoxical union between the human and the
the Church, including the supremacy of the Pope.
divine. Because the Church is human, it exists in time, and is subject
When the Council Fathers came together, they immediately saw to the forces of history. But because of its divine element, it presses
the need of setting forth a radically different vision of the Church, forward, full of optimism, toward a goal beyond history. In all its
more biblical, more historical, more vital and dynamic. An entirely prayer and labors it is sustained by the glorious vision of the final
new document was therefore drafted during the interval between the kingdom in which God will in all (1 Cor. 15:28).
first and second sessions. This schema was itself subjected to thor-
The orientations of Lumen Gentium are therefore pastoral,
ough revision in the light of the debates at the second session (1963).
Christocentric, biblical, historical, and eschatological. The tone of
The debate was completed at the third session, at the close of which
the document is, moreover, strongly ecumenical. Every effort is made
the final vote on the text, as amended, was taken. On November 21,
to speak in language which will be readily understood by other Chris-
1964, it was accepted by a majority of 2,151 Fathers in favor and 5
tians and by all men of good will, and to explain Catholic teaching in
opposed, and was immediately promulgated by Pope Paul VI. Thus
a way that avoids giving unnecessary offense to persons accustomed
the mighty document, hammered into shape on the anvil of vigorous
to other modes of thought and speech.
controversy, at length won almost unanimous approval.
Instead of beginning with a discussion of the structures and
Although called a Dogmatic Constitution, the most solemn form
government of the Church - as was the tendency at Vatican I - the
of concilar utterance, Lumen Gentium does not actually define any
Constitution starts with the notion of the Church as a people to whom
new dogmas. It sets forth, with concilar authority, the Churchs present
God communicates Himself in love. This provides as excellent foun-
understanding of her own nature. In accordance with Pope Johns
dation for a new and creative approach to the role of the laity in the
directive that the Council should be predominantly pastoral in char-
Church. Not only in the chapter expressly devoted to the laity (Chap-
acter, Vatican II wished to propose its teaching without anathemas
ter 4) but in other sections (especially Chapter 2 and Chapter 5) the
and condemnations. It exhibits the Church, as Pope John expressed
dignity and responsibilities of lay Christians are presented in an in-
it in his opening allocution at the first session, as the loving mother
spiring manner.
of all, spreading everywhere the fullness of Christian charity.
In other chapters attention is given to the clergy and religious,
Avoiding rigid definitions and scholastic or juridical subtleties,
but always within the general picture of the Churchs total mission.
the Council shows a marked preference for vivid and biblical lan-
Authority is therefore viewed in terms of service rather than domina-
guage. It envisages the Church as continuing the work of the Good
tion. In many respects the Constitution strikes a democratic note.
 44 45

The most important doctrinal achievements of Lumen Gentium too much in isolation; they preferred to link her role more closely
are contained in the third and longest chapter, dealing with the hier- with the main theme of the Council, the Church. The chapter on the
archy. This chapter deals primarily with the episcopate, a theme which Blessed Virgin, as finally adopted, goes considerably beyond the mere
Vatican I would perhaps have taken up, had its deliberations not been discussion of her relation to the Church, but this theme is sufficiently
interrupted. The teaching of Vatican II puts the accent clearly on the central to justify the inclusion of the chapter in this Constitution.
priestly role of the bishop and on his sacramental consecration rather
Lumen Gentium is not and purport to be a definitive document.
than on the powers conferred by his appointment to a particular dio-
As Pere Dejaifve has said, The greatest merit of the Constitution is
cese. The bishops collectively are seen to constitute a stable body or
that, far from canonizing the past, or even consecrating the present,
college, which is collectively responsible for the tasks of the entire
it prepares for the future [G. Dejaifve, S.J., La Magna Charta de
Church. To avoid all danger of misunderstanding, the so-called prin-
Vatican II, Nouvelle revue theologique 87 (Jan. 1985), p. 21]. And
ciple of collegiality is explained in more precise and technical lan-
Dom Christopher Bulter, in a similar vein, declares: I have no hesi-
guage in the Prefatory Note to Chapter III, composed by the Theo-
tation in saying that the Constitution is a great document, even though,
logical Commission (cf. infra. pp. 98-101).
being the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in imperfect human beings,
In its teaching regarding the Church as a whole, the hierarchy, it is a steppingstone and not a final accomplishment [Foreword to
and the laity, the Council frequently divides its considerations under the Paulist Press edition of The Constitution on the Church (New
three heading, corresponding to what traditional theology has recog- York: Deus Books, 1965), pp. 8-9]. Some later Council documents,
nized as the threefold office of Christ. Christ, according to this con- such as that on the Church and the world, show a further advance of
ception, may be viewed as prophet, priest, and king. Those who have thinking in some respects surpassing Lumen Gentium. But this Con-
authority in the Church must carry on His work by the three func- stitution, because of its central importance and its wealth of doc-
tions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing the People of God. And trine, probably deserves to be called the most imposing achievement
the Church as a whole, including the laity, has a total task, which of Vatican II.
may suitably be summarized under the three captions of witness,
ministry, and fellowship. These last three terms are strongly biblical;
they appear in the Greek New Testament as martyrion, diakonia, and AVERY DULLES, S.J.
koinonia. From an ecumenical point of view, it is significant that
these were the three terms about which the Third General Assembly
of the World Council of Churches, meeting at New Delhi in 1961,
centered its discussions.
The inclusion of a final chapter on the Blessed Virgin in this
Constitution on the Church calls for some explanation. Actually, a
separate document on the Blessed Virgin was contemplated, and was
presented in draft form by the Theological Commission at the first
session in 1962. But the Fathers saw a danger in treating Mariology

Security under
Gods Protection (Psalm. 91).
Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift
all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own
faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you
must strengthen your brothers.(Lk.22: 31-32).
It is the same Lord who gives protection to the one who falls in sin
that secures us from falling into it. Let us know more about His love.
For, isnt it better to be secured by Him before hand, than seeking
The Lord after the fall? And isnt it Gods own duty to provide secu-
rity from the clutches of the Satan to His chosen and His beloved
children? But, we should have the faith in us to obtain this security.
Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat. Can The Lord
look on non-pulsed when this happens? Now what would we do when
the fox snatches our chicken wont we rush to save the chicken
rather than watch this happening? Yes! God watches over each of us
to provide His protection. We should realize this. We have to believe
this. The Lord Jesus tells each of us that I have prayed that your
own faith may not fail. And He is at the right hand of God, indeed
always interceding for us. (cf. Rom.8:34). When we believe this, it
becomes part of our very experience. For, isnt it our experience that
when we are about to fall into sinful situations, there is a power that
works within to save us from it? And once you have turned back,
you must strengthen your brothers. Now, isnt it the one who him-
self is secure under the protection that can strengthen his brethren?
This security in itself is the experience of The Kingdom of God.
Only those who prevail in The Kingdom of God, this security covers.
47
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and mem-
bers of the household of God, built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as
the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held
together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in
him you also are being built together into a dwelling place
of God in the Spirit. (Eph.2: 19-22).
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High who
abide in the shadow of the Almighty, Say in the LORD,
My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
(Psalm 91:1-2).
One should understand the specifics of this great proposition
which fills the Old testament in general and the Psalms in particular.
For us, The Lord is a protecting God. Once we return back home,
repented and reconciled like the prodigal son, it is God like the father
in the parable, who receives us and makes us members of His house-
hold and offer the security of His home. Moreover;
. He will rescue you from the snare of the
fowler, from the destroying pestilence. With His pin-
ions He will cover you, and under His wings you shall
take refuge, His faithfulness is a buckler and a shield.
You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow
that flies by day; Nor the pestilence that roams in dark-
ness nor the devastating plague at noon. Though a thou-
sand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right side,
near you it shall not come.(Psalm 91:3-7).
By reciting this Psalm alone one doesnt obtain the Security
under Gods Protection. This security is a prophecy of The King-
dom of God, which God was to eventually establish is today estab-
lishing through Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit offers us a mes-
sage through this Psalm. It is the experience that which an individual
 48
receives in The Kingdom of God that is narrated here in this Psalm.
But seek first The Kingdom of God and His right-
eousness, and all these things will be given you
beside.(Mt.6: 33).
That, which is narrated here in the Psalm as the fruits of His protec-
tion, is all these things will be given you beside. The meaning of
dwell - in the shelter of the Most High is the state of experiencing
the fellowship of the indwelling Holy Trinity within ones heart. This
is the same state as Whoever remains in me and I in him. (Jn.15:
5). Because it is this state that is meant by the term fellowship. The
protection is fulfilled only in this state of a person. The power of the
Kingdom of God is a divine power and it is for us a free gift from
God.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but
of power.(1Cor.4: 20).
The above proclamation Apostle Paul did make at many places. That
which has been said in the epistle of John also comes to fulfillment
here.
For the one who is in you is greater than the one
who is in the world (1 Jn.4).
We should increase our faith so as to make that experience comes to
pass in our very self. The salvation God has offered through His
redemptive plan. This we have to own. With this, we have to sanctify
ourselves and become purified from all evil inclinations and sins.
Thus we, the abode of The Holy Spirit, when we become sanctified,
when we become filled with His infinite love and boundless knowl-
edge, when we enjoy His fellowship, then we shall really relish
The God who provides Security under His Protection. Then we
shall sing from within our hearts My refuge and my fortress, my
God, in whom I trust.
God desires that all of us acquire such strenth.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but
49
rather power and love and self control (2 Tim 1:7).
When we are filled with the fruits and gifts of The Spirit, we become
strengthened as those who are led by The Spirit of God. (Rom
8:14). Then, no dark force can overcome us. We will be rescued
from the snare of the fowler, and from the destroying pestilence
day-to-day. Now, this we should be aware that - the snare of the fowler,
the destroying pestilence, the terror of the night, the arrow that flies
by day, all these are ever present around us. This awareness is not for
fearing these pitfalls. Instead, to acquire strength for fighting them.
The daily life of a Christian is no game. It is a spiritual combat.
We are not at a playground. But in a battle field. Here, only one army
wins and that army belongs to God. We combatants belong to God.
We are led by divine power. Here our force is that of Gods.
Not by an army, nor by might, but by My Spirit
(Zec. 4:6).
We shall realize in full clarity the protective power of God, only
when we experience Gods presence within ourselves, only when we
listen to the voice of God within ourselves every day. We may un-
dergo many vexation and problems, we may be spited by others, we
may be slandered yet, we shall hear the protective voice of God in
our hearts.
In the world you will have trouble, but take cour-
age, I have conquered the world. (Jn.16: 33).
This is the reason the psalmist sang You shall not fear the dev-
astating plague at noon. Though a thousand fall at your side, ten
thousand at your right side, near you it shall not come. Do we have
this conviction within our hearts? If not, then our faith is fragile. Our
faith should grow. Hence Jesus said I have prayed that your own
faith may not fail. The security God offers includes the protection
of our faith.
What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be
against us? He who did not spare His Own Son but handed him over
 50
for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with
him? Who will bring a charge against Gods chosen ones? It is God
who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ [Jesus] who died,
rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed
intercedes for us. What will separates us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or the sword? As it is written: For your sake we are being
slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered. No,
in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through Him who
loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angles,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able
to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom.
8:31-39).
No evil shall befall you, His faithfulness is a buckler and a
shield. We have to keep building up our faith in our daily life. Day
by day. Be it sufferings, tribulations, trying situations or poverty be
it by providence or due to others, we should not be shaken out of our
resolve.
We obtain the ability to reject our sinful inclinations by the
above. The snare of the fowler is the sinful situations we face.
Though unaware to us, they are ever present around us. The Lord
Himself protects us from the temptations of this world and from our
evil inclinations. As we grow in the power of The Spirit, we shall
find that we dwell inside the very palm of our Lord.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; it
will have great recompense; it will have great recom-
pense. You need endurance to do the will of God and
receive what he has promised. For, after just a brief
moment, he who is to come shall come; he shall not
delay. But my just one shall live by faith, and if he draws
back I take no pleasure in him. (Heb.10: 35-38).
Suffering - Continued from the previous issue
The Suffering
and the experiencing
of The Kingdom of God
We did meditate on the different aspects of suffering in the last
three issues. Jesus had thrice predicted the persecution He was to
undergo and also His resurrection. The hidden mystery within, none
did comprehend. Suffering is the mystery to resurrection. For, we
did find that there could be no Easter Sunday without a Good Friday.
To suffer is to partake
in Christs passion
To partake in suffering, that is to suffer graciously, one has to
realize the true spirit and meaning of suffering. Suffering is the par-
ticipation in the consecrated life of Lord Jesus. The consecrated life
of Jesus is not just the way of the cross at calvary or the crucifixion.
It is in the very incarnation of flesh that the consecrated life begins.
The passion and death was only the culmination.
Who, though He was in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave,
coming in human in likeness; and found human in ap-
pearance, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to
death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2: 6-8).
 52
The life of Jesus, from nativity to crucifixion, was a suffering
for all mankind. Hence this entire cosmos is participatory to the re-
demptive suffering of Christ. By virtue of their baptism, Christians
have become participators in the death and resurrection of Christ.
Since that participation is deemed, one has to be participatory in the
redemptive suffering too. Only by this, one partakes in the redemp-
tive mystery, and experiences the fullness of salvation.
If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross daily an follow Me.
(Lk. 9:23).
1. Anyone wishes to come after
2. Must deny himself
3. Daily
4. Take up his cross
5. Follow Me
To every Christian, this instruction is applicable. That is the
reason why this verse is written as He told to all. This exhorta-
tion is specific towards those called to a consecrated life.
In his speech on 14th March 99, the Holy Father mentioned as
follows. Life is meaningless without the Cross. The Cross is not a
sign of death, but of life; not of frustration, but of hope; not of defeat,
but of victory. (Papal Teachings. Page 3. April 99). This finds its
end in the glory of resurrection.
1. Anyone wishes to come after
This vocation belongs to the Lord. Any occupation is a call
from The Lord. In every call, each of us joins up with Christ and
participates in His mission of evangelization. This is specifically true
for the call towards consecrated life which means the partaking in
Christs sufferings - His obedience, abjection and chastity. One, who
follows Christ, partakes with Him in these three vows. That would
explain the meaning of anyone wishes to come after. It is to partici-
pate in a glorious suffering.
53
2. Must deny himself
Set aside self-interests. Seek only the Will of God. In other
words, practice self-denial of self-interests. Christ never desired His
interests. He was always interested in doing the Will of His Father.
This attitude one has to accept as a suffering.
3. Daily
The above-said vows of chastity, abjection and obedience should
be suffered in the daily circumstances of ones consecrated life. Deny
oneself daily. The sufferings in the family life which the husband
receives from wife, and wife from husband; which the children re-
ceive from parents, and parents from children; also the financial trou-
bles, poverty and such distresses within family should be daily
partaken with that of Jesus. With this participation, these sufferings
become transformed into the experience of resurrection. The family
life becomes peaceful and joyous.
4. take up his cross
As noted by the Holy Father, the Cross is a symbol of hope. The
cross leads to resurrection. This we can be sure that we shall always
find Crosses in our daily life. We should take it up gladly and feel
joyous in being partners with Christ.
5. follow Me
To follow Me is not to follow Christ to calvary. It is to follow
Jesus to the Heavenly Kingdom and its experience. It is to transform
one, with the power of The Spirit and the divine nature, into a glori-
ous self that is led by The Spirit. Follow to the Resurrection; to the
Pentecost. And this shall come to pass only through the Good Fri-
day.

Letter to Families
Through the communion of persons which occurs in marriage,
a man and a woman begin a family. Bound up with the family is the
genealogy of every individual: the genealogy of the person. Human
fatherhood and motherhood are rooted in biology, yet at the same
time transcend it. The Apostle, with knees bowed before the Father
from whom all fatherhood [and motherhood] in heaven and on earth
is named, in a certain sense asks us to look at the whole world of
living creatures, from the spiritual beings in heaven to the corporeal
beings on earth. Every act of beginning finds its primordial model in
the fatherhood of God. Nonetheless, in the case of man, this cos-
mic dimension of likeness to God is not sufficient to explain ad-
equately the relationship of fatherhood and motherhood. When a new
person is born of the conjugal union of the two, he brings with him
into the world a particular image and likeness of God Himself: the
genealogy of the person is inscribed in the very biology of genera-
tion.
And so, both in the conception and in the birth of a new child,
parents find themselves face to face with a great mystery (cf. Eph
5:32). Like his parents, the new human being is also called to live as
a person; he is called to a life in truth and love. This call is not
only open to what exists in time, but in God it is also open to eternity.
This is the dimension of the genealogy of the person which has been
revealed definitively by Christ, who casts the light of His Gospel on
human life and death and thus on the meaning of the human family.
55
The fact that a child is being born, that a child is born into the
world (Jn 16:21) is a paschal sign. Just as the Resurrection of Christ
is the manifestation of Life beyond the threshold of death, so too the
birth of an infant is a manifestation of Life, which is always des-
tined, through Christ, for that fullness of life which is in God him-
self: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (Jn
10:10). Here we see revealed the deepest meaning of Saint Irenaeuss
expression: Gloria Dei vivens homo.
Dear brothers and sisters, spouses and parents, this is how the
Bridegroom is with you. You know that He is the Good Shepherd.
You know who He is, and you know His voice. You know where He
is leading you, and how He strives to give you pastures where you
can find life and find it in abundance. You know how He withstands
the marauding wolves, and is ever ready to rescue His sheep: every
husband and wife, every son and daughter, every member of your
families. You know that He, as the Good Shepherd is prepared to lay
down His own life for His flock (cf. Jn 10:11).
He leads you by paths which are not the steep and treacherous
paths of many of todays ideologies, and He repeats to todays world
the fullness of truth, even as He did in His conversation with the
Pharisees or when He announced it to the Apostles, who then pro-
claimed it to all the ends of the earth and to all the people of their
day, to Jews and Greeks alike. The disciples were fully conscious
that Christ had made all things new. They knew that man had been
made a new creation: no longer Jews or Greek, no longer slave or
free, no longer male or female, but one in Christ (cf. Gal 3:28) and
endowed with the dignity of an adopted child of God. On the day of
Pentecost man received the Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth.
This was the beginning of the new People of God, the Church, the
foreshadowing of new heavens and a new earth (cf. Rev 21:1).
The Apostles, overcoming their initial fears even about mar-
riage and the family, grew in courage. They came to understand that
marriage and family are a true vocation which comes from God Him-
 56

self and is an apostolate: the apostolate of the laity. Families are meant
to contribute to the transformation of the earth and the renewal of the
world, of creation and of all humanity.
Dear families, you too should be fearless, ever ready to give
witness to the hope that is in you (cf. 1 Pet 3:15), since the Good
Shepherd has put that hope in your hearts through the Gospel. You
should be ready to follow Christ towards the pastures of life, which
He Himself has prepared through the Paschal Mystery of his Death
and Resurrection.
Everywhere the Good Shepherd is with us. Even as He was as
at Cana in Galilee, the Bridegroom in the midst of the bride and
groom as they entrusted themselves to each other for their whole life,
so the Good Shepherd is also with us today as the reason for our
hope, the source of strength for our hearts, the wellspring of ever
new enthusiasm and the sign of the triumph of the civilization of
love. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, continues to say to us: Do not be
afraid. I am with you. I am with you always, to the close of the age
(Mt 28:20). What is the source of this strength? What is the reason
for our certainty that you are with us, even though they put you to
death, O Son of God, and you died like any other human being?
What is the reason for this certainty? The Evangelist says: He loved
them to the end (Jn 13:1). Thus do you love us, you who are the
First and the Last, the Living One, you who died and are alive for
evermore (cf. Rev 1:17-18).