Sr. Mary Thadavanal msmhc
“For we are God’s Handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph 2:10). What volumes of God’s goodness this profound truth speaks!
It is about every one of us and the good works we are engaged in. What dignified species we are, fashioned by God himself, in Christ Jesus to do ‘good works’ fashioned by him as well!
Even before we were born, God had already planned our works, our collaborators, work circumstances, the frame of mind that would best suit the accomplishment of the works designed for us, dreamt of the union of our hearts with his and our lives impacting other lives drawing them to oneness with HIM in time and enjoying all eternity what ‘no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind ever grasps’; yes, all details are in his master plan. For the realization of his dream, he has endowed us with the right measure of intelligence, the strength of mind and will, of body and soul, and the freedom to reflect and choose. At this moment what we are engaged in has been planned by God even before we were born. Perhaps what some of us are doing may not be what he has intended! If that is true, how unfortunate it is!
God’s work and Human responsibility
The way to achieve the goal envisioned by God is by following Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6). He is the only way that will reach our goal of life, the only truth about ourselves, and the only life that doesn’t die. It is enough to take some time off to watch Jesus, for he said to ‘watch’, to know his person, his lifestyle, his priorities, his values, and stay close to him to understand how he interiorized his Father’s vision for him and the humanity and fulfilled it to perfection. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for whatever you please and you will get it (Jn 15:5,7). How to remain in him? “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person” (Jn 6: 56); “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (Jn 6:53), “for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink” (Jn 6: 55). As the living Father sent me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will also draw life from me” Jn 53, 55-57.
When we eat the flesh of Jesus Christ and drink his blood with irresistible longing we get absorbed into him losing our nature and putting on his nature; thus being in Jesus we draw life from him as he draws life from the Father. An image that comes to me is the baby in the womb drawing life from the mother; the mother breathing for the baby. Henceforth it is his spirit that urges us on, his values that motivate us, and his yearnings that vibrate our hearts. His living Word lights up our paths and strengthens our wills. Fortified thus, we spring into action doing the “good works God has prepared in advance” for us to do, facing all odds with serenity, turning all challenges into opportunities, lifting all drooping spirits in humans injecting new hope, befriending the alone and lonely.
Lessons from human history
It may sound to the reader unrealistic a fable but it is the truth for the one who believes. How many have believed and passed through the eye of the world whom visionaries have seen centuries before. “I saw a huge number, impossible for anyone to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe, and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands… these are people who have been through the great trial; they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb… they will never hunger or thirst again; sun and scorching wind will never plague them because the Lamb who is at the heart of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Rev 7:9,14,16).
Those who have believed have passed before our eyes as well… Popes in succession: John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis; then Mother Teresa and others from different parts of the country, among who are unsung heroes who have lived away from the limelight, radiating a different kind of light for those who had eyes to see.
Untouched by this reality or being driven by other cravings how many toil hard for hours, sweating out anxious moments, to get to the best job, to capture the right chair, to arrive at the forefront of exaltation which would ensure a comfortable life and pinnacle of worldly success from where they watch proudly their names engraved on water which looks like marble slabs. “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord “Jer 17:7 and follows his paths. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” who consults God every moment for everything. “Blessed are the merciful”, who shall be given mercy by the living God, deleting all their offenses and making their souls radiant with his glory. “Blessed are the pure in heart”, who will see God in the simplicity of their lives and experience inexplicable joy in his presence. “Blessed are those who are persecuted and spoken all kinds of calumny against”, their reward will be the God of glory and majesty for all eternity.
Lessons from the Bible
God’s Word is alive and active. It is sharper than a double-edged sword, and penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Heb 4:12). We hear Jesus saying, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6). This Word of life makes me think of Anil Kant, a one-time film actor who is now actively involved in evangelical ministry. An encounter with Jesus through his Word changed his life completely. It is interesting to read this extract I have cited from the internet, “Anil’s prayer had always been asatoma sadgamaya, tamaso maa jyothir gamaya, mrithyur maa amrutham gamaya (take me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light and from death to eternity). As he was praying and flipping the pages of the Bible, a verse came in front of him from John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. That very moment it was as if all the questions were answered instantly. Anil kept aside all the doubts and fears which were in his mind and invited Jesus into his heart. A powerful presence of God descended upon him and Anil experienced a heavy burden removed and the truth set him free”. Numerous people across the globe have been touched and transformed by God’s Word.
I would like to quote here the most beautiful discovery of Fr. Daniel Poovannathil of Thiruvananthapuram archdiocese has made about the Bible. He says, ‘Bible means, ‘the BOOK’, the most important book. The uniqueness of the Bible is that it is a collection of 73 books written by 47 writers taking 1500 years. Ordinarily, people take a few months or a year or more to write a book. Not so in the case of the Bible. Among the writers of the Bible, there were people from different walks of life such as kings, soldiers, farmers, philosophers, fishermen, tax collectors, musicians, poets, politicians, doctors, prophets, shepherds, and sages. Originally it was written in 3 languages, viz., Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, sitting in 3 different continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe preserving amazing internal consistency and unity which no book in the world can claim to possess. No single book of the bible contradicts what another book of the Bible communicates. The question asked in Genesis gets its response in Revelation; the paradise lost in Genesis is regained in Revelation; if the way to the tree of life is closed in Genesis, the fruit of the tree of life is plucked and given in Revelation. The unanswered questions of the First Book are answered in the last book because this extraordinary book was written by the Holy Spirit, not man. They have only written down what the Holy Spirit inspired them to write. That is why Jesus Christ called this book the ‘Holy Scripture’ which he says is eternal life. Some books were written in the desert while others were in the prison, in the palace, during the journey, and in exile. Moses would have been in some part of the desert when he wrote the books referred to him. Some of Paul’s writings were done while he was in the prison. Daniel wrote from the palace and John from the Island of Patmos. Written from multiple contexts there is literature, poetry, romance, exhortations, songs, letters, memoirs, satires, autobiography, biography, prophecy, and parables. The first book ever printed is the Bible. The best seller of all time, the Bible is the only book translated into more than 2200 languages.
Another interesting factor about the Bible is that Voltaire, an atheist, who was one of the forces behind the French revolution, prophesied that within 100 years the Bible will cease to exist and its memory will be erased from human minds. After 50 years of making this prophecy, Voltaire died but the Bible didn’t. Ironically, in course of time the Geneva Bible Society bought up Voltaire’s house and his printing press and they are now the warehouse of the society for storing copies of the Bible for distribution around the world.
Again, if you give a copy of the Bible to a person and ask him/her to read from Genesis to Revelation, if he/she has done a serious reading, he/she will land up not in a few concepts but a person, the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible is Christocentric. The reading of the 73 books of the Bible is a journey toward Jesus Christ and discovering that prophecies were made about him even 1500 years before his birth. The single chord running through every book of the Bible is Salvation; the salvation of man from the slavery of sin to eternal life obtained by the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. The Old Testament is a narration of the promise made of the Saviour who would redeem humanity from sin, the chosen people waiting expectantly for the coming of the Saviour, and how the Lord prepared his people for his coming. The New Testament speaks about how God made salvation possible by giving to humanity a Saviour, and of his life, teachings, and the way he won salvation for the world. Bible is realistic. It records not only the heroic deeds of individuals who were chosen by the Lord to lead his people but also their failures and drawbacks as well. The God of the Bible is holy and a righteous God who does not tolerate sin, no matter who commits it. His chosen people whom he loved as the apple of his eye were repeatedly made the subject of attacks by their enemies and sent into exile because of their sins. Bible also points out the incapability of man to combat sin and the need for a Saviour who would liberate them from the enticement and clutches of sin.
In the Bible, you meet the Saviour of your life, who can take away your sins completely and ‘do for you more than you can ask or imagine’ (Eph 3:20). What a precious gift God has given to his children which opens to them the door that lands them in the arms of the Saviour, who is Love, Mercy, and Forgiveness beyond description!!
Why waste the one-time opportunity of life mesmerised by the sparkling glories of the world that last but a moment???
Sr. Mary Thadavanal MSMHC is former Mother General of MSMHC Congregation
