John the Baptist

 John the Baptist pointed to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Bearing of sin cannot be without being wounded, so John points to the wounds that bore the pain and gave life. If Christ is the sin bearer, the entire body of Christ is the sin-bearer and life giver. John the Baptist, being one in the body of Christ, also points to the sin-chains that wounds the lamb of God. He points out the deep open wounds even if they would devour him. The Baptist pointed to the sins of the world.

He had the freedom, because he was filled with grace and he leapt rejoicing. He lived this freedom in the wilderness and in prison, he rejoiced hearing the deeds of the messiah “the deaf hear, and the blind see and the kingdom is preached to the poor.” He knew the salvation in the tender compassion of God, not in the salvation offered in righteousness of enormous sacrifices and offering. One sacrifice he demanded was to be away from injustice and act kindly.

Pointing to the lamb of God, he bore testimony to the truth; he was not the truth. He was the voice not the Word. John’s voice challenges our attitudes that do not point to the truth and the Word, but instead, in the name of testimony, pointing to ourselves, our believes and traditions as the truth and the Word.

Tapasya -the narrow path

 On our life journey it is natural to ask whether we are ‘in or out’ of heaven. The teaching on the narrow door (Luke 13:24) addresses his followers and other Jews on their way to Jerusalem. The question on the number of the saved when the Messiah comes, when the Son of man comes in his glory, when Christ establishes the kingdom, shows their concern about their being ‘in’ or ‘out’ of a system of sanctified power. The image of the ‘narrow door’ (Luke 13:24) directly challenges the assumption of automatic salvation based on religious affiliation or by being a prideful ‘chosen people.’

Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem in Luke’s Gospel (i.e. 9:51–19:27), is a final phase of his ministry. He is knowingly walking toward the city that “kills the prophets and stones those sent to it” (Luke 13:34). During this time, his teachings focus on what it truly means to follow him. After his entry to the city, he will mournfully weep over Jerusalem, foreseeing its ruin. In today’s Gospel, there is a teaching and a warning. The teaching is to strive to enter through the narrow door, and the warning is about the rejection of those who had claims of great familiarity with the master of the house.

 The Great Banquet in Isaiah 25: 6-8 is set on Mount Zion, a politically and religiously significant place. But the heart of the very system of Jerusalem has become exclusive and nationalistic. God’s favour became a monopoly of the people of Jerusalem, ‘the first’ among ‘the chosen’ people. The meal is described as “a feast of rich food ... of well-aged wine,” a banquet of abundance and joy. This great abundance contrasts with the transactional ‘give and take’ of the temple system, where sacrifices and offerings were must for God’s favour.  God freely provides the feast for those who are the least and the last.

 The religious leaders of Jerusalem saw themselves as the rightful and only guests at God’s table, but did not know the heart of God. Instead of being an exclusive meal for the chosen people, the banquet as a sign of God’s authority over death and evil is a universal celebration, a banquet for the entire world (Isaiah 25:6). The meal is not the end goal. This feast is not simply a reward for the righteous but an act of unconditional love which is a celebration of life and wipes away tears from all faces. This banquet is an ongoing participation in divine action and a mutual completion of joy.  The purpose of God’s presence is to heal a broken world. The God of Isaiah’s banquet is a God of radical vulnerability and self-giving hospitality, who embraces all nations. It is a challenge to any religious system that seeks to control access to God’s love and grace and keep them reserved for the privileged.

 When Jesus announced the gospel, he found that the privileged, the first, and the righteous rejected the feast. Jerusalem rejected Jesus and killed him. The divine feast was filled with the ‘poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ The Jerusalem-centric notion of a privileged place at God’s table is entirely subverted. The ‘last’ will be welcomed in from all corners of the earth, while the ‘first,’ who were secure in their religious identity, are now explicitly told that they will be rejected from the heavenly feast. The claim, “We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets” shows claims of overfamiliarity with God and affirms their unquestionable place with God. Jesus’ response “I do not know where you come from” is a statement of radical disconnect. It is a reminder that the eating and drinking and hearing him in the streets have miserably missed out on something. 

 There is an ever-open gate of unconditional love and mercy of God. In person that is Christ the door.  Our self-righteousness, and comfortable assumptions of God and heaven have made us too big, hard and bitter to enter that gate. These are the treasures secured and sanctified by the religion centred on power and greed. These great possessions, and the gods that rejoice over them must be left aside to follow Jesus. Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan redefined neighbourly love not by shared religion or heritage but by radical, compassionate action toward anyone in need – another narrow gate.  In chapter 15, Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son are a direct response to the judgmental attitude of the religious elite. This is a challenge to their self-righteousness. Their spiritual pride, their sense of deservedness, is a ‘wide road’ that keeps them from the narrow gate of empathy and mercy. The first (the religious elite) became last (in terms of acting out God's will) because they prioritized law over love. The holy city, the temple, made them privileged and favoured. Even God was powerless to break that system.

 Jerusalem, more than a place, was a system of religious, political and economic monopoly. Historically, Jerusalem was not part of the ancestral land divisions given to the tribes of Israel.  David’s capture of this city was a political move. He brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. It was decided to be the very dwelling place of God, and the centre of tradition, law, and religious power. By centralizing God’s dwelling place, he centralized his own rule. While the concept was that God ‘chose’ to dwell in the Temple, in practice, the Temple served to contain God’s presence within a human-made institution. This created a belief that God’s favour and protection were tied to the physical structure and the rituals performed there. Thus, Jerusalem was a source of ‘sanctified power’ that was legitimized by being tied to a holy place and the customs formulated accordingly. This system, while serving a religious function, also solidified the power of the priesthood and the monarchy, making them the mediators of the divine. They formulated a covenantal framework that saw God’s presence residing within a closed sacred space, accessible primarily through the rituals and mediation of the priesthood. This created an ‘us versus them’ mentality, where the religious insider was assured of their place at God's table. This same system, in its rigid adherence to legalism and its own institutional power, rejected and killed the very ‘author of life.’

 A picture of a royal dining of the privileged and the favoured within a self-serving religious system do not suit the heavenly banquet of Jesus. The banquet parables serve as a counter-cultural narrative against the boisterous ritualistic function of the Holy City. God's grace overflows the boundaries of the Temple and is offered freely to those who have nothing to offer in return.

 The gate to enter into the great banquet is narrow. Jesus clearly told that following him would not give a status like being a disciple of a great Rabbi. The discipleship is not defined by following a set of external rules. It is all about self-denial and unwavering commitment. The Banquet parable in the next chapter (Luke 14:15-24) points to the rejection of the gospel by the social and religious elite.  The least and the last are brought in to fill the feast. There, God’s grace extends to all, not just to a privileged few. Stories like the Good Samaritan taught that true righteousness is found in compassionate action. This narrow door is one of self-giving love and mercy, a path that often runs counter to the legalistic and judgmental nature of organized religion, a preferred wide gate.

The Christian life and the celebration of the Eucharist should not be ending up in the risk of mere eating and drinking and hearing of innumerous numbers ​of preaching of the Word of God.  The Eucharist is not a magical ritual that guarantees salvation based on mere devotional attendance. It is a re-enactment of Christ’s ultimate act of vulnerability and grace, entering into a threefold communion Jesus realised – communion with the Father, communion with us, and our communion with one another. We often create a heaven and God who is enthroned there that is comfortable for us. We celebrate that safe space on a wide road. The narrow gate is a call that requires a courageous and compassionate listening to our own vulnerabilities and a humble surrender to the tender heart of God. It heals our injuries and makes us whole, having put on Christ. It is an invitation to leave the wide road of legalistic pride and superfluous, boisterous familiarity with God, and step through the narrow gate of vulnerability, mercy, and compassion.

This path is narrow because it requires immense discipline, an unwavering mind, and an open mind to learn. It demands honest self-inquiry and a willingness to confront and transcend our self-centred believes, gods, and perspectives. It makes wilful efforts to resist comforts and pleasure, that come from power and wealth often sanctified by religious flavour. Since this evil is under the disguise of the sacred, we require deep reflections on the truth of events, beliefs, and even holy persons. Narrow road is a Tapasya which involves intense effort and voluntary self-denial to expand the horizons of the mind and body.  Narrow road is to break our hard shells in surrender of the whole self and an embrace of vulnerability. Extension happens in empathy, mercy, compassion, service and selfless love. In doing so, we heal our own wounds and find our rightful place in the compassionate unfolding of the path of grace.

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freedom of the child

A child is the most vulnerable in many ways, and it responds with trust to the loved ones, and with fear to those who are unfamiliar. This mirrors the tenderness we feel towards God's love in our own vulnerabilities. Yet, too often, we have tucked legalities into our faith, making God into a harsh judicial system. If we fail to believe and know in the tenderness of God we never will understand the teaching of Christ. Jesus said, "Your Father knows what good you need." Which father who loves his children asks for taxes or payment for the freedom and maturity of his children at home?

We are often cruel to our own vulnerabilities, punishing them and saying that is what God wants. Even the death of Christ is seen as a legal or penal transaction, rather than the abundance of life poured out for us.  this legal framework has distorted our true relationship with God.

Adam reflects our brokenness and vulnerabilities, and the fear of the unfamiliar, and he is in a journey to grow into Christ. He is not a condemned and miserable man, but one whom God comes to embrace. God who asks ransom is a strange God to the gospel. God fills our injuries, and wants to make us whole. Christ embraced us, and has poured out his life into us. Look into a mirror and listen to the eyes that speak to you. Listen to the heart, emotions ad cravings. Listen courageously and compassionately. Be tender and allow God to touch the depths of our hearts. If possible, listen what the scripture speaks to the feelings of the heart. The child gets familiar with the tender heart of God and begins to respond in freedom.

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to the Logos-form

Mary bore the Word in her womb and became the Mother of the Incarnate Word. It is the Word that is the Origin, development, and the completion of every life form. The beauty of all creation resides in the Word. The longing/ the groaning of all creation is a sacred journey from the state of a unique being in creation into the state of the Word. Mary now fully participates in the Word that she once carried in her womb; all beauty and brightness now become her garment. She makes it her continuous prayer that the Word’s harmony and communion be manifest in every living thing, in all peoples, conscience of all humanity, and throughout all of history.

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God-consciousness - Life of Virtues

Virtues are the beauty of human life, aiming at flourishing. A virtue is a stable and firm disposition to do good. Today, it is rooted in a response to the challenges of modern life, the fragmentation of meaning, and the pursuit of an authentic, integrated self.

The scholastic tradition organized virtues into a hierarchy.

Human Virtues (Moral Virtues):

These are the foundational virtues that allow us to live well in community. They include prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They are accessible to human reason and are about ordering our passions and actions toward a good life.

Christian Virtues (Theological Virtues):

These are specifically Christian virtues: faith, hope, and charity (love). They are infused by God and direct our will toward God as their ultimate end.

In the context of a theological framework, moral virtues are perfected by the theological virtues, following the principle grace builds on nature. For example, without charity, prudence can become mere calculation, and justice can become rigid legalism.

The Will

The scholastic view of the will is that it is a rational appetite, free to choose, but also in need of proper formation. Intellect discerns and knows the truth factor. Will choses.

The Habit Loop

Your framework of a habit loop—trigger, process, reward— Trigger: The trigger is a cue that tells your brain to go into an automatic mode and which habit to use. Triggers can be almost anything: a time of day, a particular location, a specific person, a preceding action, or a certain emotional state. For example, seeing a donut shop (location) might trigger the urge to buy a donut. Process: This is the routine or behavior itself. In a habit, the process is what you do in response to the trigger. This is the behavior you want to automate. For example, stopping the car, going inside, and purchasing the donut. The process is the action that the brain links to the trigger. Reward: The reward is the positive reinforcement that makes the brain decide that this particular loop is worth remembering for the future. The reward can be physical, emotional, or social (a compliment from a friend). The reward satisfies the craving and tells, "This is good; let's do it again."

God's Influence: A Transcendent Frame of Reference

God consciousness transforms this understanding of virtue by introducing a transcendent motive and a divine exemplar.

Transcendent motive:

The concept of God gives a higher purpose to the moral virtues. For a believer, acting justly is not just about social harmony; it is about reflecting God's own justice in the world. Being courageous is not merely about overcoming fear for one's own good, but about trusting in God's providence and acting in accordance with a divine will. This theological perspective imbues the moral virtues with a meaning that goes beyond the immediate, human-centered goal of flourishing. The virtue becomes an act of worship and an expression of one's relationship with God.

The Divine Exemplar:

God is understood as the ultimate embodiment of all virtues. God is perfectly just, perfectly merciful, and perfectly wise. This provides a perfect, unchanging standard against which all human virtue can be measured. While a person can strive to be as courageous as a hero, they can also strive to be as just as God. This divine exemplar serves as both an inspiration and a constant guide, helping to prevent the virtues from becoming self-serving or relative.

God consciousness Strengthening the Will:

The theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which are gifts from God, work in tandem with the human moral virtues. Faith provides the conviction that the virtuous life is the true path. Hope provides the perseverance to continue striving for goodness even in the face of setbacks. Charity (divine love) animates and perfects all the other virtues, giving them a divine motivation that transforms them from good habits into acts of love for God and others. For example, a person may be temperate to maintain their health (a human virtue), but a person motivated by charity may also be temperate to better serve their community (a divine motivation).

God consciousness is the key to this formation because it provides the ultimate frame of reference for our choices. It influences the will by:

Reorienting Desire: It redirects our will from finite goods (wealth, status) to the infinite good, which is God.

Clarifying Purpose: It offers a clear, ultimate purpose for our lives, allowing us to see our actions not as isolated events but as part of a larger divine plan.

Strengthening Resolve: The reward of peace and purpose from the God consciousness habit loop strengthens our resolve to act virtuously, even when it is difficult.

The need to revive God consciousness today is urgent for several reasons:

Combating Fragmentation: The modern world is characterized by a fragmentation of self and meaning. God consciousness offers a unifying principle that integrates our moral, spiritual, and professional lives into a coherent whole.

A Cure for Disorientation: We live in an era of unprecedented information and choice, which can lead to a state of moral disorientation. God consciousness provides a stable compass, a "North Star," to guide our ethical and personal decisions.

Deepening Community: As we discussed in our previous conversation, God's presence is made real through the human community. Reviving God consciousness in individuals will, by extension, revitalize the community. It is a spiritual and social imperative. When individuals are consciously living out a divine life, they become the hands and heart of God for others, embodying the mutual support that is the very purpose of the Body of Christ.

For Aristotle, the motivation to be virtuous is rooted in a natural desire for this flourishing. A person acts courageously to overcome fear and achieve a good outcome, and this repeated action makes them a courageous person. The entire process is centered on human reason and the human community. For example, justice is no longer just about fairness for social harmony, but about honoring the inherent dignity of every person as an image of God. This divine framing elevates the virtue and strengthens the will's commitment to it. God consciousness is not just an influence here; it is the very lifeblood of these virtues. Through this consciousness, faith is not merely intellectual assent but a living trust; hope is not blind optimism but a confident anticipation of God's promises; and charity is not a mere feeling but a divine love that animates all our actions.

This loop is how God consciousness becomes a "second nature," as the scholastics would say—not something we force, but a natural disposition that shapes our character and actions.

Trigger: This could be an external event (a moment of beauty in nature, a person in need) or an internal prompt (a feeling of gratitude, a pang of conscience). It’s an invitation to acknowledge a reality beyond ourselves.

Process: This is the intentional act of turning our attention to God. It involves prayer, meditation, or an act of mercy. This is where the scholastic understanding of habit comes into play: a repeated action that, over time, trains our will.

Reward: The reward is not a transactional prize, but a profound and transformative experience. It is a sense of peace, clarity, purpose, and a deeper connection to both God and others. This reward reinforces the habit, making it more likely to occur again.

Conclusion

virtues are stable dispositions that guide human flourishing, but these are perfected and given ultimate meaning by a theological framework. while human virtues are developed through reason and aimed at earthly well-being, they are elevated and perfected by the theological virtues, which are infused by God. Without this divine influence, virtues can become rigid or self-serving. The will is a rational appetite and is need of formation. The concept of the habit loop—trigger, process, reward—can give us great insight. A trigger prompts an intentional process of turning to God (e.g., prayer or an act of mercy), which results in a spiritual reward (e.g., peace or purpose). This reward reinforces the habit, strengthening the will and reorienting a person's desires toward the ultimate good. God consciousness serves as a unifying principle to combat the fragmentation of self, a compass to cure moral disorientation, and a spiritual imperative to deepen community. God consciousness transforms human virtues from mere dispositions into a profound and meaningful participation in the life of God.

Preparedness

If we trust someone, it is a sign that we have known their faithfulness deep in our heart. Similarly, we can trust God, only if we have really believed and known God’s faithfulness in our heart. Love for God is not a condition or an obligation, but something that spontaneously arises in one who has truly known God. This divine life is surely within us. It is not enough to speak eloquently about this faithfulness; we must open ourselves to receive the gentle touch of that abundant life.

To be able to trust the intimacy God, we must also examine how tenderly we are connected to ourselves. Our love and faithfulness towards God may not be perfect with all our hearts. We may not have been trained to love and be faithful in such a way, and our pains and burdens may stand as defensive walls, making it rather difficult. The pains that have not known the touch of God can solidify into images of a God who is judgmental and who acts with punishment. This can reinforce a divine image within us that is prone to blame, judge, and suggest harm. This is why due preparation is needed, alongside love and faithfulness. This preparation must also be practiced not as a condition, but as an openness.

Faith is that relationship in which our own growth and life experiences, together with the life and freedom we know in God’s goodness, become really true. Openness is the door to that profound divine experience that embraces the heart, and that is true preparation. The infinite goodness and faithfulness, a nakedness of "this is what I am," is where the truth of me is seen and known by God, where mercy is poured in, goodness is planted in a gentle spirit, and the strength needed for that is sought with the same faithfulness in a new heart. These elements together are what we must call preparation and the fear of God. The fear of God is not a trembling in fear, but a thrilling pulsation of life.

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Preacher of grace

 St. Dominic Guzman, found his days and nights accompanied by God. He found in the weariness and suffering of humanity a living, breathing image of the crucified Christ. The Word revealed there was to be contemplated and proclaimed in compassion and kindness. As the mystery of the Incarnation had the light for all people, he contemplated this truth in the human conditions of   poverty, struggle, and frailty of human existence. At night, he was not simply praying for them, but carrying them in his heart, allowing his contemplation of God's truth to be informed and illuminated by their real-world condition. He found in the misery of the world the Word incarnated and completing them. He spoke to people in compassion the living truth of Christ as the life for their deep cry.

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