SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER

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TUESDAY, SECOND WEEK OF EASTER

 

Acts 4: 32-37;                         Ps 93: 1-2, 5;                          Jn 3: 7-15

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The Holy Spirit makes our faith in Jesus Christ come alive. The Lord makes His presence known to us through the work and power of the Holy Spirit. Today’s First Reading is a testimony of how important a role the Holy Spirit played in the lives of the Apostles – He gave them the gift of faith to know Jesus experientially – giving them a new life in Christ.

This new life in Christ worked beautifully in the hearts and minds of the newly baptized. They were of one heart and mind and full of charity for one another. They were united as the Holy Spirit influenced them to have a brotherly love for one another. Warmth and love flowed through their hearts. This was a voluntary and free action of their own – no one forced it upon them – they gave willingly and freely because they wanted to. The Spirit, which the Lord speaks of in the Gospel, had been made known in their life. The power of the Holy Spirit had started working in their life. The Holy Spirit had started drawing them closer and closer to Jesus and Jesus in turn had started making His presence known to them through the works and power of the Holy Spirit in their life.

The apostles were reborn in the Spirit – the new spiritual birth about which Jesus speaks to Nicodemus! This new spiritual life brought them into an experiential relationship with Jesus! Till then they had a catechetical relationship with Jesus but after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they started having an extremely beautiful experiential relationship with him The Holy Spirit was working powerfully, mysteriously and in secret hidden ways. They were changed human beings, who were bold and opened up their lives and hearts to one another. The divine force of the Holy Spirit was working mightily in their lives. They were lifted in life because of the new enlightenment they received – Jesus was directing the Holy Spirit to fulfil his words in the apostles.

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Response: The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in

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MONDAY, SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD

 

Is 7:10-14; 8:10;        Ps 40:7-11;     Heb 10:4-10;      Lk 1:26-38

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CELEBRATING THE BIGGEST YES

 

Today we celebrate that great day of decision: Mary’s acceptance of the role God has chosen for her in his plan of redemption. As early as the middle of the 6th century in the East, and the 7th century in Rome, there is evidence of this feast celebrated on 25th March. This year as 25th March fell in Holy Week, it is postponed to 8th April. Since this feast is connected with the Lord Jesus and to His entry into history, the revised liturgical calendar gave this feast the title of the “Annunciation of the Lord”, over the more popular, “Annunciation of Mary”.

 

The solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord is a Christmas feast even though it is not celebrated during the Christmas season. Nine months before we celebrate the Lord’s birth, we celebrate His incarnation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This solemnity is also a celebration of the Father in heaven because it reveals the beginning of the pinnacle of His perfect plan of salvation. God enters through the back door. It is the celebration of the biggest “YES” in history, the “YES” of Jesus to enter into our sinful world for our salvation and the humble “YES” of Mary to become the Mother of God for the salvation of the world.

 

In the first reading of today, we see that the Lord is asking King Ahaz to ask for a sign as striking as he might want because Ahaz was trembling at the approach of the troops of Aram and Samaria, and his faith in God’s protection was not firm. Ahaz piously objects that he does not want to put God to the test. In fact, this is a mere excuse because the point is not to test God but to accept what is offered. But by accepting the sign, the king could be constrained to enter the faith that God asks and in which he, the king, has no desire to get involved because it would entail the renunciation of human securities. His refusal is a sign of the hardening of his heart. Therefore, God himself gives a sign. It is noteworthy that several centuries later the Gospel of Matthew, when reporting the dream of Joseph and the announcement of Jesus’ birth by an angel quotes Isa 7:14, 15 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the virgin is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel”. Matthew affirms that Jesus fulfills the ancient oracle of Isaiah by himself being the presence of God among the people, that is, “God is with us”.

 

In Ps 40:6-8 in which the Psalmist views the human body as an instrument of sacrifice; it was created to be offered in obedience to the will of God. This is a form of worship more pleasing to the Lord than offering the flesh and blood of animals in the Temple. Jesus lives out the psalm to the utmost because his sinless life as a man, totally conformed to the divine will, made the priestly offering of his body and blood the perfect sacrifice that supersedes all others. Four things must be considered with every sacrifice: to whom it is offered, by whom it is offered, what is offered and for whom it is offered. Christ, the one Mediator, remained one with God, to whom he offered sacrifice, made those for whom he offered it one in himself, and acted as one in being both the one who offers and the offering (St. Augustine, On the Trinity 4, 19).

 

The Annunciation celebrates the Lord’s incarnation in Mary’s womb, initiating a new history. The angel Gabriel was sent to Mary in her humble circumstances at Nazareth, in Galilee, a despised region, considered a haven for unbelieving pagans. Mary on hearing the angel’s message, though she gets disturbed dares to ask for a clarification about the unheard divine revelation made to her. In her profound humility, she remains in possession of herself, which helps her to decide according to the will of God. It is the Holy Spirit who makes her fit for her mission. Mary’s “Let it be done to me” transforms the humble house of “her” being into God’s House, becoming a Tabernacle of the Most High Jesus. All it took was her “Let it be done to me”, a sign of her willingness, knowing she could trust in the action of the Holy Spirit. And God entered into history, accepting to “make” history in the lives of those who have said and who would say over and over again, “Let it be done to me”.

 

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Response: See, I have come, Lord, to do your will.

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in

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SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY)

 

Acts 4: 32-35;                      Ps 118;                  1 Jn 5: 1-6;                           Jn 20: 19-31

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EVERLASTING MERCY

Today the Mother Church celebrates the feast of Divine Mercy. God’s mercy is everlasting, and His compassion is inexhaustible. From the pierced Heart of Jesus, mercy flows and we have to let it flow towards all our brothers and sisters in this world. Today’s liturgy invites us to have a strong faith in the Lord. In the first Reading, we hear that the Apostles continued to testify to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. The main quality of their power and the real proof of their teaching as something supernatural was that everyone could see the completely new way of life that the first Christians lived.

The members were united heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of anything they possessed and everything they owned was held in common. A community founded on such principles could not go unnoticed and in fact, they were held in great respect. The Risen Christ was not visible to the people, but the community born of His spirit was there for everybody to see. What kind of evidence can we provide to the people of today that Christ is Risen and alive? We can form a community inspired by love, generosity and selflessness and by our attitude towards material goods. Our lives should reflect the Risen Christ living within us and we in turn should see and recognize Jesus living in every person.

The second reading, for the whole of the Easter season, are taken from the first letter of St. John. John tells us that we have received the life of God; this life is not visible but there is a sign that reveals its presence. Whoever loves God must also love his brothers and sisters. All of us are God’s children, His sons and daughters. Today’s Gospel is divided into two parts. In the first (verses: 19-23) Jesus gives His disciples His Spirit that empowers them to overcome the forces of evil. In the second (verses: 24-31) we have the famous episode of St. Thomas. The disciples were living in a state of fear of the Jews. Jesus had warned them “If they persecute Me, they will persecute you too.” The first words of the Risen Christ to his disciples were, “Peace be with you.” We remember the words He spoke at the last supper, “Peace I leave you, My peace I give you, not as the world gives, do I give to you. (Jn.14-27) This is the peace made possible, as St. Paul tells us through the Blood of Jesus on the Cross (Col-1-20).

The peace enjoyed by Jesus did not prevent Him from suffering nor did it protect his disciples from pain. It is a peace that flows from a profound and intimate communion with God and enables us not to be afraid of suffering. Jesus showed his hands and his side to the apostles, they saw that he was alive and had come to them as he had promised. Jesus commissioned his disciples to carry on the mission which had been given to him by his Father. We cannot continue Jesus’ mission without his presence; for our mission is to live his life so that others seeing him in us, will come to see his Father, will believe and so find life. The scene therefore reaches its climax in Jesus’ gift of his spirit to us. Jesus breathes into his disciples the life-giving spirit of his communion with his spirit, which assures us that we are the disciples of Jesus. Jesus gives the disciples the power to forgive sins. God’s offer of forgiveness is now offered by Jesus to us through the church.

Now in the second episode, we see how Jesus brings Thomas one of the twelve, from doubt to the fullness of faith. There is a lot of Thomas in each one of us. We know that the religious journey undertaken in response to a deep call within each one of us is a responsibility that no one can take from us or fulfill for us. When we believe, we will come to know that we are in the presence of the Sacred, when our whole being is moved to love in a creative, compassionate and faithful way. It is a life-long journey. One day we will be able to say like Thomas “My Lord and My God”. Then the happiness will be ours as Jesus had said, “Happy are those who have not seen Me, and yet believe.”

 

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Response: Give praise to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in

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SATURDAY / EASTER OCTAVE

 

Acts 4: 13-21;                         Ps 118: 1, 14-21;                    Mk 16: 9-15

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PRAYER: OUR DAILY BREAD

 

Today’s readings vividly describe the happenings in Jerusalem post-resurrection. How the eleven themselves were reproached by the Lord for being slow to believe in the historical event of the Resurrection and how later after the Pentecost, Peter and John courageously proclaimed their faith in the risen Lord. What could have brought about this transformation? Surely this change of attitude came through prayer in the Holy Spirit who is given to those who obey him. Thus, prayer became their daily bread. St. John tells us that the prayer of a righteous man is very effective. It works miracles, as we can see in the healing of the lame man. But prayer can also meet its obstacles. In the first reading, we find cowardice, human respect and a false sense of obedience. The Gospel reading reveals willful unbelief, stubbornness and obstinacy.

 

Peter and John ask the religious authorities to judge for themselves as to what is right. In prayer, God appeals to our reason to judge for ourselves so that we may choose to obey His Divine Will. If out of human respect, cowardice and a false sense of obedience, the apostles had to listen to those trying to silence them, then the Holy Spirit would have indeed been grieved. So, prayer arms us with the strength to make the right choices in our daily living and thus it becomes “our daily bread” – our spiritual nourishment. Therefore, we must ask God for this daily bread because the first effort in prayer should always be ours to which God responds.

 

Prayer is neither God alone nor oneself alone, but God and oneself working together. This is the law of love. So, prayer is just that – the prayer that asks, the prayer that praises and thanks, the prayer that loves and the food for this journey of prayer can be obtained from the Gospel. So, during this ‘year of prayer,’ let us nourish ourselves with this daily bread and invoke the intercession of our Blessed Mother.

 

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Response: I will thank you, Lord, for you have answered me.

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in

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FRIDAY, EASTER OCTAVE

 

Acts 4: 1-12;               Ps 118: 1-2, 4, 22-27;                         Jn 21: 1-14

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JESUS WE PROCLAIM

In the name of Jesus, we have the victory. The lame walk, devils flee, and prison doors open to set free innocent captives. Miracles galore, yet more than miracles, faith resurrects with the Risen Lord. Five thousand and more embraced the Lord as their saviour with unwavering faith at the powerful witness of the apostles. Their faith and surrender to the Risen Lord dispelled all anxieties, cares and fears of the so-called authorities. If I have faith like the size of a mustard seed, all my fears, darkness and discouragement will vanish like smoke and the fire of the Love of God will enkindle my mind and heart enabling me to live His message and proclaim it courageously.

Filled with the Holy Spirit the disciples of the Lord, once shut up behind closed doors, now bravely faced and refuted the unjust rulers and inhuman authorities, not with swords and spears but with the power of the Risen Lord. They proclaimed the name of Jesus, the truth they experienced. ‘In Him, we live and move and have our being’. The psalmist instructs us “Harden not your hearts today but listen to the voice of the Lord”. May the Holy Spirit lead us to the fullness of truth and set us free as children of God. “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that JESUS is Lord…” These powerful words of St. Paul are lived experience of those who were eye-witnesses of his public ministry and resurrection.

Do these profound mysteries and historical evidence challenge me? Does the name of Jesus lead me to pray unceasingly like the Russian pilgrim who with conviction and experience longed to live, only to pray constantly, unmindful of his food and drink and inconveniences which he had to face on his pilgrimage? He achieved his heartfelt longing by sheer perseverance continually praying the name of Jesus. During this Easter Octave let the Easter joy explode in and through us with the certainty: Jesus is Lord Alleluia. Amen.

 

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Response: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in

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THURSDAY, EASTER OCTAVE

 

Acts 3: 11-26;                         Ps 8: 2, 5-9;                Lk 24: 35-48

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THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

 

The first reading recounts Peter’s powerful address to a crowd in Jerusalem’s Solomon’s Portico. In it, Peter boldly proclaims the healing of a man crippled from birth, attributing the miracle to the resurrected Jesus Christ. He challenges the crowd to acknowledge their role in Jesus’ crucifixion but offers hope in repentance and the promise of restoration through faith in Jesus. In the Gospel Jesus appears to his disciples after his resurrection. He reassures them of his bodily presence and opens their minds to understand the Scriptures, emphasizing the fulfilment of prophecy in his life, death, and resurrection. Jesus commissions them to be witnesses of these events, proclaiming repentance and forgiveness to all nations. Both passages emphasize the transformative power of the resurrection, calling for a change of heart and a life dedicated to sharing the good news of salvation.

These readings remind us of the joyous reality of Christ’s victory over sin and death. The resurrection is not merely a historical event but a living reality that continues to transform lives. It calls us to examine our hearts, repent our sins, and embrace the new life offered through Christ’s resurrection. This Easter joy is a fleeting emotion and a profound truth that should permeate our lives. It calls us to be witnesses of Christ’s love and mercy in our families, communities and the world. The message of repentance and forgiveness is as relevant today as it was in Peter’s time, offering hope and healing to a broken world. The Easter Octave invites us to immerse ourselves in the joy of Christ’s resurrection. It challenges us to live as witnesses of this profound truth, sharing the message of repentance and restoration with a world in need of hope. As we celebrate the Easter season, may we embrace this call with renewed fervour, allowing the joy of the resurrection to transform our lives and the lives of those around us.

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Response: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name through all the earth!

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in

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WEDNESDAY, EASTER OCTAVE

 

Acts 3: 1-10;               Ps 105: 1-4, 6-9;                     Lk 24: 13-35

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NEWNESS OF LIFE

 

In the Easter Octave and we reflect on the Risen Lord who brought newness into our lives. Jesus who suffered and died for us all, for our sins, rose from death and freed us from sin and brought us to newness of life. He never dies but lives forever and gives us a share in that newness of life.

Today’s readings help us to understand and realize this reality. In the first reading we hear when Peter and John were about to enter the temple to pray, a crippled, sitting at the entrance begged them for help. Peter tells him “I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk”. And that crippled by birth jumped on his legs and began to walk. Though he begged for material help, through the intervention of Peter the crippled got a new life altogether. The power of the newness of life of the Risen Lord worked through Peter.

In the gospel, we have the Emmaus story which we might have heard and read many times. The two disciples were going to Emmaus, filled with sadness and discussing all about the passion and death of their master. And they thought everything was over, so they were going away from Jerusalem. When Jesus joined them on the way, they failed to recognize him and began to explain to them the Scriptures. Later, they recognized him in the breaking of Bread.

In the first reading, the encounter and the healing or the newness of life took place in Jerusalem, the two disciples of Jesus were going away from Jerusalem but the encounter of Jesus brings them back to Jerusalem where they narrate everything to the other disciples which fills everyone with the newness of life. Jesus went to Jerusalem to be crucified in order to bring us the newness of life. And not run away from Jesus who alone can give us that newness of life always.

 

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Response: Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in

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TUESDAY, EASTER OCTAVE

 

Acts 2: 36-41;                         Ps 33: 4-5, 18-20, 22;                         Jn 20: 11-18

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IF ONLY I HAD A SECOND CHANCE

 

Regrets and more regrets! Often we have thumped our fists hard on the table saying, “If only I had a second chance! I already blew one!” Life provides us with certain occasions and opportunities for which we need to stay on our guard. You miss one and thus you will regret that lost opportunity for your entire life. Consider therefore the situation of the Israelites, who having waited for their Messiah for centuries, failed to recognize him and crucified him on the grounds of blasphemy. When they did realize their mistake, it was too late! Or was it?

 

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter made the Jews realize their ignorance of recognizing Jesus as their saviour and explained through a lengthy sermon the entire act of salvation fructified in Jesus Christ. When the Jews heard this they were ‘cut to the heart.’ The meaning of the phrase ‘cut to the heart’ in its original text i.e. Greek means Metanoia. It is not just a simple recognition of their failure but a true contrition that resulted in their change of lives. It is in this desire for a second chance to rectify their already committed mistake, the Jews cry, “What shall we do?” For this, Peter replies, “Repent and be baptized.” This is beauty incarnated in Christianity. Every failure has an option for amendment and for every sinner there is a second chance to change his life.

 

The tax collector, the woman caught in adultery, the Samaritan woman and even the thief on the Cross. All deserved a second chance and they were given by Jesus. After his resurrection, he extended this channel of mercy through the Apostles by instituting the sacraments such as Baptism and Reconciliation. As we are in the octave of Easter, we with renewed Easter faith celebrate with the Church the reconciliation we have made with God through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through him, we have always been granted a second chance. May His mercy be praised forever!

 

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Response: His merciful love fills the earth.

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in

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MONDAY, EASTER OCTAVE

 

Acts 2: 14, 22-33;                   Ps 16: 1-2, 5, 7-11;                 Mt 28: 8-15

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IT IS NOT AS I PLANNED

 

“It is not as I planned!” is, a often used phrase. Does life have a purpose or is everything just a coincidence? The readings of the day highlight on the working of the Holy Spirit in the early days of Christianity. Peter, one of Jesus’s close disciples, stood up in front of a huge crowd and called their attention to a profound mystery that took place in their midst. He spoke about Jesus – not just as a great teacher or a miracle worker, but as someone more special.

 

Peter highlighted Jesus’s life, the amazing things He did, and how His crucifixion wasn’t a tragic accident but a crucial part of God’s big plan to save humanity. This speech also dives into an overwhelming concept: Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. It’s like saying Jesus knows what it’s like to be us, living the life of a normal human being, while also being this extraordinary, beyond-our-understanding kind of divine being.

 

Why does all this matter? Well, it’s about love, sacrifice, and finding a deeper connection with God. Well, then why Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross? It is an ultimate act of love, showing just how much God cares about every single one of us. It’s a reminder that no matter what we face, God’s got a plan, and His love for us never wavers.

 

When life gets tough, the words of St. Peter must serve as a guide. They remind us that God’s plan is all about love and redemption, offering us hope and purpose even amid struggles. They encourage us to take a good, hard look at our relationship with God and how His love can change everything for us. When life shows a sad turn, when we think we are alone and feel life is worthless, let this passage remind us of love, sacrifice, and the power of Jesus. Let it motivate us in a way that can touch our lives and help us see the world through a lens of hope and grace. May God guide us and strengthen us.

 

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Response: Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

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Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water  http://springs.carmelmedia.in