Creative saints

             Creativity happens not by chance but by the deliberate act of being creative. Creativity is at its best when it is spontaneous and much better when done in a serene state of mind. The vital factor is to become aware and conscious of the creative powers that are within us. Realization of this fact leads us to becoming aware of our own strengths and applying the power of creativity to it.

            Each of us has a choice. The choice to live a creative life or just let life pass by and take us wherever it wants. Those who choose the first choice are usually the ones who live life to their optimum level thereby influencing their environment and people around them. This choice making has to happen now and not later. ‘Tomorrow or later’ are dangerous words. The best spirituality is the spirituality of the ‘NOW’.

            Sometimes when I am by myself in a particular place and at a particular time, I question myself as to how I can do a thing creatively. At the spur of that moment I’m totally lost, but later on a bright insight comes to me. This insight says that my creativity is something very unique to me which can be done only by me. What I can do can be done by no one because I am unique. When I do things I put my stamp to it and that makes it creative.

            At this point I am reminded of the chicken- eagle story in which an eagle is born in a chicken family. Due to lack of self-awareness the eagle behaves like a chicken. This may also happen to us, we may tend to forget that we God’s children who are made in His image and that we are creative. I would life to re-emphasize on the point that creativity needs self-awareness preceded by a moment of silence and self-reflection.

After becoming self-aware the most important factor is maintaining one’s own identity. The temptation of imitating someone or being someone I am not always lurks in the dark. In these moments prayer and self-reflection comes to the rescue. Being who I am is of great importance to creativity as it adds my stamp or my flavor to the thing that I do. Hence I conclude that creativity is a force which brings out the best in us. It also has the potential to turn a sinner into a saint. All unproductive sinners have a chance to be creative saints.

Opposites

It is said that it is difficult for two opposite things to co-exist in nature. However this is happening in our world today. We see that good and bad, virtue and vice, love and hatred and so many other opposites exist together in this world of ours. We may attest that both good and bad, virtue and vice and many more exist in us too.

                St. Paul speaks of this, in one of his letters saying that he knows what the right thing is, but ends up doing the wrong or the evil deed. We too feel one with St. Paul, because on the theory level we know what is right and what is wrong but finally end up doing the wrong thing. Fr. Glenford Lowe says,” In your daily life don’t ask what the right thing to do is but ask what the loving thing to do is.”

                The best example of this is Mother Teresa who lived a life of extraordinary service. If she were to ask the first part of the question and live her life doing the right thing, thousands and lakhs of children and old people would have still been on the streets. However, she asked herself as to what was the most loving to do and hence there came the congregation of the Mother Teresa’s sisters who even today, selflessly reach out to the poor and the needy.

                When marriages take place, people say that the bride and the bridegroom are opposite to each other…….. According to me opposites attract. This is similar to the science formulas where opposites attract and similar ones repel. If all people were to be the same, then all would be robots who would have the same qualities and the same functions. Life would be the same yesterday, today and forever. However it is not so and hence we have so much variety in life. Variety is the spice of life. 

Jesus returns

If Jesus planned to come back to earth, what would He find…..? Before He went He made sure that He delegated all the responsibilities to the apostles so that the evangelization work could continue. However if He comes back today what situation would He find Himself in?

                According to me He would have mixed feelings because good and evil are flourishing at the same rate and at the same pace in current times. He would be happy to look at the way courageous missionaries are going to the ends of the earth, how people and religious aren’t afraid to give up their lives for the faith, and so on. He would also be sad to look at the way in which the world is down sliding towards consumerism, how some people are being oppressed while others voices are being suppressed.

                One thing is for sure that the level of Jesus’ happiness would be greater than His sadness. I agree with anyone on the fact that Christians are become much stronger and bolder. Stronger and bolder not only in thoughts but also in words and deeds.

Sun

                It is difficult to imagine the solar system without the Sun. Going deeper into imagination; a striking question hits at me i.e. what would the earth be without the Sun. indescribable situations would take place on the earth and its normal daily routine would be thrown out of balance. When I was in school, we used to have an essay topic in the exams namely ‘If the Sun didn’t rise then………………….’

                Many times I wrote that if the Sun didn’t rise, then there would be no need to get up on time, go to school, complete assignments, and be punctual and so on. As I reflected on this topic a ray of light passed through my mind and the SUN was replaced by SON. ‘If the Son didn’t rist up from the dead then…….’ If this statement was to be true, then we would have no reason to exist.

                All Christians uphold the slogan, ‘We are an Easter people and Alleleluia is our song!’Christianity believes in the truth that Jesus has risen from the dead and that He is alive. Easter can be defined as the foundation stone on which Christianity is built.

                If the Lord had not risen from the dead, then we would have never known anything about Him. He would have been called a ‘False Prophet’. However since He rose from the dead, we have hope and place our trust in Him.

16th April

As we continue reading from the Acts of the Apostles we see that with the conversion of Saul (who now goes by his Roman name of ‘Paul’ rather than the Jewish ‘Saul’) the Christians are now free to preach and to proclaim the Risen Christ. St Peter continues his travels and in the name of Christ he cures people and restores the dead to life. In our gospel text for today we come to the end of our reading of St John’s sixth chapter and we see that many who have been listening to Christ are unable to believe or to accept what he has been saying about being the bread of life. When he asks the apostles what they think, Peter replies that there is nobody else to go to for he is the one who has the message of eternal life. This is the faith that we are called to profess.

26th April

Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostle tells of the ongoing mission.  In Acts, the apostles are on the mission to spread the Good News. As usual there are hurdles on the way which makes it difficult for them. But this hurdle doesn’t terminate their mission. The apostles still move on with the Good News and open the doors of faith to the pagans.

In the gospel tells of the accomplished his mission given to Him by His Father. And He has successfully handed the baton to His apostles, who are to spread the peace of Christianity to the whole world. This still carries on till now. Our world is torn apart with anger and hatred; it has lost its peace. Let us be agents of unity and peace and build this world to a better place where love and peace reigns.

19th April

When were the first believers in Christ first called Christians? In Today’s 1^st reading Acts 11.26 gives us the answer, it was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’. I believe we believers in Christ are privileged to be called Christians. In the gospel Jews considered themselves as gods chosen people. They were blinded in their pride that they couldn’t recognize the Messiah right in front of their eyes.

Even as we call over selves as Christians, being Christians is not our right, but it’s a gift of God. And we should thank God for it. Christianity does not give a free ticket t heaven, and the rest of the people to hell, this is what some of our Christians think.

It’s not our religion but our deeds and actions will mark our destiny. Thank God for this gift and follow His will.