THE 30TH ORDINARY SUNDAY OF THE YEAR B!

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a bowl by his feet. He held up a sign which read, “I am blind, please help. "Once in a long while someone will stop and drop a coin into his bowl, and he will say “thank you". A man was walking by, and he took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the bowl. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.

Then he put the sign back in the boy’s hand so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the bowl began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. The boy almost got tired of saying: “thank you". Towards evening that man who changed the sign came back and the blind man recognized his footstep and asked him what he wrote that made a lot of people to be generous.

The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” I wrote, “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.” Both signs spoke the truth. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind, while the second sign conveyed to everyone walking by how grateful they should be to see.

 Remember, when our lives seems full of troubles and we find it difficult to maintain, an attitude of gratitude, is the only solution to restore it. The attitude of Bartimaeus in today’s gospel is a perfect example to learn  to show our gratitude to our Divine Master for His gratituous gift of new life. The healing of physical blindness of Bartimaeus made him a follower of Divine Master who received his spiritual sight besides physical.

In contrast, when everything just seems to be going smoothly. We often take these precious moments for granted, caught up in the bliss, comfort, and familiarity of it all, we simply forget to be thankful and this spiritual blindness for not being thankful for the gift of life makes us ungrateful and selfish which us us aloof from experiencing any healing and miracles in our lives.

 In the gospel of today we encounter our Lord Jesus Christ again on the move. He seemed to be running a mobile ministry unlike our contemporary location-based ministries with imposing Manson houses. Jesus used any available space for preaching, consultation, prayer and counseling. Today on his way from Jericho to Jerusalem to attend the great Passover a lot of people followed him as well as his disciples. The presence of Jesus brought a lot of people out as he was teaching while taking the 15 miles trek to Jerusalem. No doubt the sick, beggars and other people also came out with their personal reasons which could have included but not restricted to asking for alms. Among the lot was a man called Bartimeus son of Timaeus who a blind beggar was and when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he came out and began calling out to him: “Jesus son of David have pity on me?”

The name or title he gave to Jesus was very significant. The title “Son of David” describes the Messiah which means Saviour. In essence Bartimaeus was actually saying “Saviour there is someone here who needs to be saved!” As he shouted for help something happened! The people around him tried to stop him. For them the son of defilement is not qualified to talk to the Son of God. For them Bartimaeus was so low to have anything to do with Jesus Christ. But he ignored the crowd and shouted all the more. Sometimes in life we face oppositions on our way to our positions. They may come as discouraging voices like the ones that hushed Bartimaeus; but he was not discouraged. There is a YES somewhere in our lives, but for us to get to it we may experience a lot of NOS do not be discouraged.

In conclusion, I want to draw four points out of today’s gospel account. 

The first important point is that Bartimaeus knew he was blind. Do we? Do we know that we really don’t see reality as Jesus sees it, that we miss seeing the works and the hand of God in our lives, that we are bedazzled and blinded by the glitz and glitter of this world, and that our souls are surrounded by a spiritual darkness, and that we often do not let the light of Christ illumine our way through that darkness? Do we realize we are blind when it comes to seeing ourselves as Jesus sees us?

The second observation I have is that those around Bartimaeus tried to hush him up and keep him from Jesus. It is significant because that is the situation in which we find ourselves today. There are a whole lot of voices and forces attempting to keep us from contacting and personally encountering Jesus Christ. If you don’t think so, then you really are spiritually blind.

Bartimaeus took the courageous risk of going against the crowd. He didn’t let his hope be deterred by the local people and the voices of those who tried to keep him down and in his place. Any faith response worthy of the name requires the same sort of risk. Bartimaeus is a true hero because he went against the crowd and, in his darkness, took the risk.

Thirdly, Jesus stopped everything to pay personal attention to him. St. Mark records this as the last miracle Jesus worked before entering into Jerusalem. As He entered Jerusalem to suffer and die, Jesus brought His whole redemptive journey to a halt in order to respond to this blind man’s request that is how important he was to Jesus. I have no doubt whatsoever that we are just as important to Jesus as was Bartimaeus and that, if we call out to Jesus, He will drop everything to give us the same level of attention, love and compassionate care as He gave to Bartimaeus.

Finally I want to note that after Bartimaeus received his sight he followed in Jesus’ footsteps, which is a shorthand way of saying that Bartimaeus followed in the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus. He wanted to see and experience life as Jesus did.

What in this world of ours do we see? What do we deliberately not see? What do we fail to see due to apathy, indifference, selfishness, pride, and arrogance? Do we see the hurting, the hungry, the miserably poor, the outcast, and the little people? The media presents us with the glittering beautiful people, those at the pinnacle of political and corporate power, the superstars in the sports and entertainment industries. Mother Teresa and Pope Francis invite us to see other people, not just ourselves but those around us. Do we see them and really look at them, or do we ignore them?

And what about the little people, the no-names hit by tragedy that never interest television and newspaper reporters? Pope Francis bids us to pay attention to those who are marginalized, those whom this world holds in little regard, whom this world would have us overlook, whom this world condemns to be of little value. This blindness needs to be cured. More tragically, the world would have us not look at an ultrasound picture of a living. The world would have us rid ourselves of the dying. The world would capture our attention by images of the glamorous and the glittering, blinding us to the ones who are really hurting.

All of this leads us to the great question of the day. How does Christ see us? What is Christ’s vision for us? The answer is, of course, not simple. But what is at issue is the question of what it means to be a human person. And what it means to be a human person is the overriding question of our day. Why can’t we see that?

Let us now join in asking our Father in heaven for vision:

Heavenly Father, help us to see ourselves as you see us. Help us to see others in the world around us as Jesus, your Son, sees them.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us all, that we may see what you want us to see. And do what you want us to do.

You have filled your world with beauty. Each and every one of us is precious in your sight. Heal our blindness and bring us to walk in the Light of your Son. For we ask you this through Christ, who is our Lord. Amen.

 THE 30TH ORDINARY SUNDAY OF THE YEAR B!

There is a poem that was written by Myra Brooks Welch in 1921 titled “The Touch of the Master’s Hand." It tells about an old, battered violin that is about to be sold as the last item at an auction for almost nothing. But just as it’s going, going, gone, an old man, a professional musician, and a violinist step out of the audience, picking up the instrument and its bow.  The musician dusts it off, tightens up the strings, and begins to play a melody pure and sweet, demonstrating its beauty and true value.  Prior to the violinist’s playing, the auction price was three dollars, but following the playing, the instrument sells for $3,000. The poem’s conclusion presents an analogy of this instrument, touched by the hand of a master musician, to the worth of a life that is led by the hand of God. The value wasn’t in the violin as much as in what the master could do with it.  

We see in today’s Gospel how the gentle touch of our master restored the battered and broken life of Bartimaeus. We are made ‘priceless’ by His touch in spite of the dust we may have gathered. His gentle hold, changes everything. Our Master transforms us, and the worth of a soul is eternally changed by His touch.

Almost every day, we pass people whose lives are “out of tune” as the violin was in the poem, and yes, their lives are battered and scarred with suffering, pain, sorrows and physical deformities. We should allow the touch of our Divine masterJesus to use us to bring this wonderful truth to those who need hope before there was none. The touch of the Divine Master can make on a life, no matter how battered, how scarred, how worthless that life might seem.

Jesus shows the mercy and compassion of His Heavenly Father by healing the blind Bartimaeus. Just as the blind and the lame were God’s concern, Jesus is concerned with the blind beggar, Bartimaeus of Jericho. On hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, Bartimaeus loudly expressed his trusting Faith in the healing power of Jesus by shouting his request, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus invited him to come near, Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak and ran to Jesus. His meeting with Jesus gave Bartimaeus the gift of spiritual as well as physical sight .

The healing of blind Bartimaeus is, on the surface, a miracle story but it is also, and more profoundly, a demonstration of faith evidenced by the sheer persistence of Bartimaeus and by his immediate response to the call of Jesus. Bartimaeus may have been a beggar by the wayside, but he was a person of gratitude.  Having received his sight, he followed Jesus. He did not selfishly go on his way when his need was met.  He began with need, went on to gratitude, and finished with loyalty, a good summary of the stages of discipleship.

Though we are not physically blind but we are spiritually blind and the greatest calamity that can befall people is not to be born blind but to have eyes yet fail to see. Instead of remaining in spiritual blindness, let us pray for spiritual sight.  Each one of us suffers from spiritual blindness. Hence, we need the light of the Holy Spirit to enlighten us.  Anger, hatred, prejudice, jealousy, evil habits, addictions, sloth, etc., make us spiritually blind and prevent us from seeing the goodness in our Neighbours and God’s presence in them. 

We are also blinded by greed when we are never satisfied with what we have and incur debts to buy luxury items.  Hence, let us pray to have a clear vision of Christian values and priorities in our lives and to acknowledge the presence of God dwelling in ourselves and in our Neighbours. A clear spiritual vision enables us to see the goodness in others, to express our appreciation for all that they have been doing for us, and to refrain from criticizing their performance.

We need to “cry out” to Jesus, as Bartimaeus did.  Like Bartimaeus, we must seek Jesus with trust in His goodness and mercy.  Sometimes our fears, anger, and habitual sins prevent us from approaching God in prayer.  At times, we even become angry with God when He seems slow in answering our prayers.  In these desperate moments, let us approach Jesus in prayer with trusting Faith as Bartimaeus did and listen carefully to the voice of Jesus asking us: “What do you want me to do for you?”  Let us tell Him all our heart’s intentions and needs.   Let us imitate Bartimaeus, the   man of Faith and vision, a man unafraid to recognize his need for healing and to cry out, “I want to see!” Jesus always responds to a prayer offered in Faith 

Lord Jesus, we praise and thank you for the many gifts you give us, including the gift of sight. Open our eyes to all the areas of our lives where we are blind. Give us the Holy Spirit to take the risk of letting go of all that prevents us from following you more closely and having the fullness of life.  Amen

 THE TWENTY NINTH ORDINARY SUNDAY OF THE YEAR B!

During the American Revolution, a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers who were busy pulling out a horse carriage stuck in deep mud. Their officer was shouting instructions to them while making no attempt to help. The stranger who witnessed the scene asked the officer why he wasn't helping. With great dignity, the officer replied, "Sir, I am a Corporal!" The stranger dismounted from his horse and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers himself.

When the job was completed, he turned to the corporal and said, "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and you don’t have enough men to do it, inform your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again." Too late, the proud Corporal recognized General Washington. Washington understood that those who aspire to greatness or rank first among others must serve the needs of all . Where did Washington learn such leadership skills? I have no doubt he learned them here, in these words of Jesus: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” The young corporal had these words modeled for him by the man at the top. Jesus' disciples, likewise, receive from their leader a picture of servanthood.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us heard of the reminder that pride and ego, self-confidence and ambition have no place amongst us Christians and those things will only lead to our downfall and doom, if we allow those to control our lives and our actions. We have been shown and taught what it truly means to be Christians, in our daily living and actions, and if we take heed of what the Lord had reminded us, through the Scripture passages today, we should do our best to do His will, and to be humble and be focused on Him, and not to give in to the temptations of our human pride and desire, which had become the bane and the obstacle for so many of our fellow brothers and sisters, past and present.

Many people think of religion as a way of avoiding or getting around reality and of the Bible as a kind of holy religious book. Both assumptions are very far from the truth and reality. One of the reasons why the story of Jesus is so powerful is that it is so human and so simple. It is a story of human dishonesty and ambition, of trial and error, weakness and strength. It is a story that most of us can identify.

Today's Gospel portrays the human weakness of the disciples. The lesson was this: if there was such human weakness amongst the disciples of Jesus, should we be surprised to find the same weakness in our present leadership and within ourselves? Then, if this weakness is ever present, we need to learn to lean more on Jesus than on our own weak selves.

Today's Gospel tells the story of the ambition of James and John, the two most favoured people doing their own dirty work. They themselves come and ask Jesus to give them power and to allow them to rule with him. The reaction of the other disciples is one of great indignation. Being themselves most ambitious, they very much resented the two who tried to get an inside track on them in the political race. This is a very human story that is still being acted out where human beings work together. It is to be found in the army, the government, business, in the schools and colleges,in the Church, in our religious congregations, and at home. The higher up one goes in all of these institutions, the more subtle and the more ruthless supporters tend to get.

Jesus responds to the two brothers by telling them that they do not know what they are asking for. They are asking for a shortcut, but there are no shortcuts to God's favour. Earlier He had spoken about how He would be handed over to the authorities who would condemn him to death. The two disciples conveniently bypass this stage and want to enter and share Jesus' power when He enters into glory when the suffering has been done.

Jesus brings them back to the realization that kingship or authority is not about wearing a crown but about carrying a cross. Jesus really got to the point that leadership is not about self-glorification but about the service of and the upliftment and empowerment of others. It is not for lording it over others but for standing under others. For Jesus, that is not a theoretical teaching; He himself lived it. "For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Let us pray thst may God, in this eucharist, cure us of our need to dominate and abuse power and infuse in us a spirit of service.

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 लोग तो है न !

तुम अपनी खूबियों को ढूंढों,

कमियां निकालने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

अगर रखना ही है कदम तो आगे रखो,

पीछे खींचने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

सपने देखने ही है तो ऊंचे देखो,

निचा दिखाने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

अपने अंदर जुनून की चिंगारी भड़काओं,

तुम्हें जलाने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

अगर बनानी है तो बहुत सारी यादें बना,

बातें बनाने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

प्यार करना है तो खुद से भी कर,

दुश्मनी करने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

रहना है तो थोड़ा बच्चा भी बनकर रह,

समझदार बनाने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

भरोसा रखना है तो खुद पर रखो,

शक करने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

तू बस सवार ले खुद अपने को,

आईना दिखाने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

तुम अपने खुद की एक अलग पहचान बना,

भीड़ में चलने के लिए तुम्हारे साथ *लोग तो है न*

तू कुछ करके दिखा इस दुनिया को,

तालियां बजाने के लिए *लोग तो है न*

 HE WORLD MISSION SUNDAY!

Today, we Catholics all over the world observe as World Mission Sunday. This annual observance was instituted 98 years ago in 1926 by Pope Pius XI. Every year since then, the universal church has dedicated the last Sunday in the month of October to reflect on and pray for the missions. On this day, Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist and to contribute to a collection for the work of evangelization around the world. This annual celebration gives us a chance to reflect on the importance of mission work for the life of the Church. It reminds us that we are one with the Church around the world and that we are all committed to carrying on the mission of Christ, however different our situations may be.

Shortly after when Jesus began his mission, and he realized that he had a lot of work to do. It was a big task for just one person, Jesus. So he decided to appoint some assistants. But being very busy himself, he gave this task to a Recruiting Agency and asked them to do all the formalities of recruitment. The Recruitment Agency placed the ads in the local newspapers and got 12 applications. They conducted the interviews and forwarded their remarks and recommendations to Jesus for his decision to appoint whoever he wanted.

*Simon* , a fisherman, who is known as Peter; is very impulsive and prone to opening his mouth and putting his foot in it. When caught in a tight corner, he is liable to deny essentials. Lacks courage to speak the truth. Not Recommended.

*Andrew* , a fisherman and brother of Peter, could be too selective about who he lets have access to you. A reserve nature lacks openness. Not Recommended.

*James and John* , both brothers, work as fishermen for their father. Very ambitious, they brought their mother for an interview who did all the talking. It was she, in fact, who asked for the top positions for her sons. Not Recommended.

*Philip* is a slow learner and a bit slow in understanding things. Not Recommended.

*Thomas,* who is prone to severe doubts. He looks for concrete evidence for everything. Without solid proof, he is not ready to believe. Not Recommended.

*Matthew* is a tax collector and would be bound to lead to internal conflict. His fellow countrymen regard him as having sold himself for financial gain and, therefore, would not trust him at all. Not Recommended.

*Bartholomew* : He is too skeptical a person. Not Recommended.

*James, known as James the Younger:* He is too young to make any solid decision. He may be suitable when he is a little older. Not recommended.

*Simon the Zealot* : a political extremist. Because of his extreme views, his presence could be distributive in the group. In fact, any team that included him.

*Jude* : What can we say about him? He is just a hopeless case. Not Recommended

*Judas Iscariot* , ambitious, known in high Temple places, is very good at making and handling money. Highly Recommended.

In spite of this remark and report, it was not recommended, Jesus went ahead and gave jobs to these twelve. Why, we all wonder? Would we have trusted them to do the job? No! But Jesus did. He appointed them for His job. In the twelve, there was an extraordinary mixture - people with no extraordinary gifts, people with different value systems. They had no great wealth; no academic backgrounds, and no social positions. Jesus chose them from among ordinary people, people who did everyday things. And yet, this ordinary group did extraordinary things. They proclaimed the Kingdom of God boldly. They cured all kinds of diseases and sickness. They died for the sake of their master, Jesus Christ.

My dear brothers and sisters, today, we are all here celebrating the World Mission Sunday because these ordinary people accepted their role in the great mission of Jesus. They, in their own time and culture, responded to God’s invitation to spread the Word. As we have gathered to celebrate God’s Word in our time and culture, may be we need to remind ourselves that we are the descendants and successors of those twelve that Jesus chose nearly 2,000 years ago. We are the descendants of those whom Jesus commissioned to preach his Word. Not only are we their descendants, but Jesus still invites us to do the very same through His Word and his Sacraments and through how we live our lives.

Jesus invites us to be His helpers, His missionaries, despite the ‘Not Recommended’ sign that we might or others might label us with. He chooses us and challenges us to reach out to people in need, to care for one another, to try and make the world a better place but more importantly to live as witnesses to Christ message of salvation.

On this World Mission Sunday, let us reflect on how we should evangelize: By exemplary and transparent Christian life, by prayer and by financial support. The most powerful means of preaching Christ is by living a truly Christian life - a life filled with love, mercy, kindness, compassion, and a spirit of forgiveness and service. Prayer is the second means of missionary work. Jesus said: “Without me, you can do nothing.” Therefore, prayer is necessary for anyone who wishes to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

All missionary efforts also require financial support because the love of God can often be explained to the poor only by providing them with food, medicine, and means of livelihood. Hence, on this World Mission Sunday, let us learn to appreciate our missionary obligation and support the Church’s missionary activities by leading transparent Christian lives by fervent prayers and by generous donations.

Let us offer our lives, our vision for the Church, and extend our helping hands, hearts, and strength to reach out to the poor, the needy, and the downtrodden with the love of Christ. Let us ask God to bless us in our worship and in our life in all that we do for the sake of his kingdom. Amen.

 चल सको तो चलो !

सफर में धूप, ठडं और बारिस तो बहुत होगी,

इन मौसमों में चल सको तो चलो,

भीड़ तो बहुत होगी हर जगह राह पर,

नई राह कोई बना सको तो चलो।

माना कि मंजिल बहुत दूर है,

एक कदम बढ़ा सको तो चलो,

मुशकिलें बहुत होगी सफर में,

भरोसा है खुद पर, कर सको तो चलो।

हर पल, हर दिन, रंग बदल रही है जिंदगी,

तुम अपना कोई नया रंग, बना सको तो चलो।

राह में साथ नहीं मिलेगा, अकेले चल सको तो चलो,

जिंदगी के कुछ मीठे पल, बुन सको तो चलो।

बेकार की रास्तों की तलाश छोड़ दो,

कठिन रास्तो पर, चल सको तो चलो,

छोटी-छोटी खुशियों में, तुम जिंदगी,

ढूंढ सको तो, बेसक बेझिझक चलो।

यही है ज़िन्दगी, कुछ ख़्वाब, चन्द उम्मीदें,

इन्हीं खिलौनों से तुम भी, बहल सको तो चलो।

तुम ढूंढ रहे हो अंधेरो में, बहुत रौशनी,

खुद अपने को रौशन, कर सको तो चलो,

कौन रोक पायेगा रास्ता कोई, जुनून बचा है तो चलो।,

गम सह कर सबको, खुशियां बांट सको तो चलो।

खुद पर हंसकर दूसरों को, हंसा सको तो चलो,

दुनिया बदलने की चाह छोड़ कर,

खुद को बदल सको तो चलो।

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 हिम्मत मत हारो!

ज़िन्दगी बदलने के लिए लड़ना पड़ता है !

और इसे आसान बनाने के लिए समझना पड़ता है !

वक़्त आपका है, चाहो तो सोना बना लो

और चाहो तो इसे सोने में गुज़ार दो !

अगर कुछ अलग करना है तो भीड़ से हटकर चलो !

भीड़ साहस तो देती है पर पहचान छीन लेती है!

मंज़िल ना मिले तब तक हिम्मत मत हारो और ना ही ठहरो.

क्योंकि पहाड़ से निकलने वाली नदियों ने

आज तक रास्ते में किसी से नहीं पूछा

कि समन्दर कितना दूर है

 TWENTY EIGHTH ORDINARY SUNDAY OF THE YEAR B!

A rich businessman was attacked by a robber at gunpoint who said, “Your money or your life!” Mad after money, the victim replied, “Take my life. I am saving my money for my old age!” Crazy as this sounds. The rich youth in today’s gospel is not different from this victim. The youth comes to Jesus with a request, “What must l do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus bids him choose between Mammon and the Master, between money and Life. He chooses money, forsakes the Master, and forgoes Life. What would you choose?

Today’s gospel is not about money. It’s about making choices. Yes, the man who comes up to Jesus has money. He has many possessions. But they are not his tragedy. His tragedy is thinking that he can choose everything. This man is already a good person. He follows all the commandments of Torah. He has resources by which he can accomplish many good things. But, what he wanted to do was simply add something more to the good things he already had: being a disciple of Jesus. Jesus says to him, “You can be my disciple. You can inherit eternal life. But first you have to let go of something you already have, your riches, give it yo yhe poor.” The man could not do this so he walks away sad. His failure is a reminder to us that we cannot have it all. In order to say yes to some things, we have to say no to others. Unless we are willing to pass on some very good things, we will not be able to attain the best things.

As compared to this rich, sad youth, there

is a rich, glad youth revered by people of all faiths, worldwide. Born in Assisi and baptized ‘Giovanni’, his wealthy father, a cloth merchant, added the name ‘Francesco’ and wanted him to inherit the family business. But, young Francesco took Jesus’ words seriously. Not only did he hand over his inheritance and fine attire to the poor, but he also embraced ‘Poverty’ lifelong to give himself fully to God. Was Francis of Assisi poor? Rich? One thing is sure: he was never sad.

What is the difference between the gospel’s rich youth and, say, Francis of Assisi? Both were young, rich, enthusiastic and energetic. Both had deep desires for discipleship. But, one grabs money, loses Life; the other gives up money, saves Life.

Detachment is written into the first story of our religious history. Abraham, 99 and Sarah, 89, are so surprised to have a child at that age that they call him Isaac, which means laughter. But soon, Abraham is asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. However, God does not demand that Abraham sacrifice his son; all he asks is that he is willing to do so.

There is no sorrow where there is no treasure to lose. If we are detached from our possessions, our good name, our prestige, there is no one who can hurt us.

Why do riches take us away from following Christ? Riches have a tremendous hold over the human heart. They can take the place of God. Worse still, riches might make us, believe that we are gods to be wooed and worshipped.

Remember, wealth makes people spiritually blind. Depending for their needs entirely on themselves, they do not see any need for God especially as Provider. How right was one author who wrote, "The more one possesses, the more he is possessed!" Thus in making wealth and its pursuit their god, they imperil their own salvation by neglecting to amass "treasures in heaven" for themselves.

Jesus called the rich young man to give up his wealth.Today God's word challenges us to travel light and accept the treasures of heaven. Like the rich young man we can go away sad because too much of world is in our heart or we can empty ourselves so that God can fill us with the richness of his peace and love. We must look at our lives and discern what is really important. And then we must pray, “Lord, you have shown us what to do. Give us the strength to let go of whatever holds us back from choosing it. Show us how to say yes by learning to say no.”

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1Rashmi Tigga