Some Jubilee thoughts: What if I am not a Jesus Youth?

As the Jubilee Conference comes closer, I was asking myself What is Jubilee for me..pondering on ,i ended up in another question which frequently comes up from priests,friends,relatives & well wishers - why are you so active in JY? or why are you a Jesus Youth?Each time i try to explain, but i was never able to give a satisfactory explanation till now. But today i feel i know the answer through approaching it from the opposite side - What if I was not a JY? I found out tat i would still be a good catholic going to church and doing good deeds but i will miss out on the following:

1. Loving the Catholic Church & her Pastors

                  I will never get to love the Catholic Church so much. I will never realize that the church has solid foundation laid out in for the common man through the Catechism of Catholic Church and explained now and then by the Holy Father. I will never hear about world youth day or the importance church gives to Young people. I will never make friends with priests,nuns,religious or spend time with them.They will always exists as "someone out there" rather "than someone to be with". I will never dare approach bishops as they are always put in glass cases!I will never listen or read about saints n the list goes on.

2. Actively pursue 6 pillars

                 I will never probably hear about something called personal prayer!I will never think of studying Word of God or apply it in my daily life.I will never start searching for an elder for counsel or pastor for confession when i come to a new place.I will never find the nearest Catholic church or the mass timings there to go for daily mass. I will never ask anyone about a weekly fellowship or think of starting one in my region.

3. Telling the story of Jesus & sharing your faith story

                If there is no jy telling the story of Jesus will always be encased in a big glass case called 'evangelization' and sharing my faith story in another one called 'Mission'. I will always reserve these things for those who are completely dedicated for this kinda job called missionaries. I will never think of giving my one yr or playing with my job or career for mission as we always belief that leading a good life is more than enough. I will never realize that every catholic is called to do mission and that there is no goodness without following Jesus.

4. Company of people who seek the will of God

                 I will never find these set of alien people who always thrive for holiness and tries to seek the will of God. They are not born saints but are weak human beings but with a strong determination and courage to become the saints of third millennium thereby responding to the call of Pope John Paul 11. They are so crazy that they will always consult the Holy Spirit before making the smallest decision in their life. They always seek the love of Father God, pray for the grace of Jesus Christ and let themselves be guided by the Holy Spirit.

5. Witnessing life in all realms of society

                 I can't sit jobless just because i don't dance,sing,preach,teach or pray. Even the most 'useless' of the 'world' are very useful for JY. If I can talk,smile or just listen to someone I am more valuable than the most talented in Jesus Youth. I can be a Jesus Youth not only inside church or parish hall but am a joyful contradiction in my college arts club,local politics,office meetings,when I play,when i ride bike,when i watch movies,when i joke or even when i post or update in facebook/twitter.

In short i would have missed out all the above things which makes my life so full and joyful that I will never consider not being a Jesus Youth if I am ever given the choice. In fact one thing i regret the most is that JY didn't start teens ministry when i was in school.

Missing Jubilee Conference - the biggest gathering of JYs on planet earth...NEVER!

5 reasons I follow Jesus

1. He came down as man & laid down his life on the cross fully paying the price for "all our actions against the love of God" (I prefer to replace the word SIN with this phrase) – Now that is action first & demands second..pheww.

2. Asks us to forgive even our enemies n to lay down our life for them which virtually means to love them as we love ourselves! - Now who don't love tough challenges in their life?

3. Asks us to deny ourselves, take up our cross & follow him – No sugar coated promises or prosperity ministry;its simply hard work & simple joys of life!

4. Demands highest standards from his disciples – to the extend of purifying our thought life which means he cares more for the soul – internal; than what is physical – external.

5. Gives us the total freedom to choose – proof being the atheists still lives n boasts around in front of us – no thunderstorm or fire is coming down from heaven and burning them on the spot...:)

30.60.100 theory

Mathew [13:23] As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

Every time I hear this parable I use to desire to be the good soil but recently I was attracted to the different grades of fruits even in the good soil. Why 30.60.100? As I started pondering more on this, I came across few instances in Bible where this '3 degree of perfection' as I love to call it, is reflected.

Intensity

30: water from flint rock (OT)

60: water to wine at Cana

100: wine to blood at last supper

Tithe

30: 10% of income (OT)

60:  Those of you having 2 pairs give one to the needy – 50%

100: Sell all your possessions and give to the poor – 100%

Faith

30: Ask and you shall receive

60: Seek first the kingdom of God and everything will be added

100: Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me

Love

30: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

60: You love one another; as I have loved you.

100: But I say to you, Love your enemies.

Here Jesus is challenging us to see the possibility of the 100. To become the son of God, to retain the image & likeness of Christ is the call for the 100. So let's not stop at 30 or be satisfied at 60 but thrive for the 100!

Don't be afraid to become the saints of the new millennium – Pope John Paul II

 

V2.0

I am back to blogging after a gap of 13months. A lot has happened in this 13 months like committing one year for the lord through Jesus Youth Fulltime Volunteers' program, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with my dad and finally securing admission for MBA in Assumption University in Bangkok - Thailand. 

V2.0 comes with few changes like my title changing from I-Me-Myself to Power from Weakness, addition of few gadgets and painting my favourite colour Black in the entire blog. This essentially brings out the change in my blog posts from random musings to Spiritual reflections...from looking inward to looking upward...from being successful to being faithful.I took this name from my favourite verse from Bible 2 Cor 12:8 - "My Power is made perfect in your weakness".

This blog will be my log book in my search for the face of the lord (Psalm 24:6). Submitting my thoughts and writings to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to the powerful intercession of Mother Mary and St.Antony my parton saint.