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2010 Prayer Group "Eucharistic Flame"

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

8^th January 2010

Bible words: Mt 2:1-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi1 from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.' When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written: ' “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.' After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Reflections

My dear brothers and sisters,
I would like to wish you a Happy and Graceful New Year. Our loving God may help you and bless you all through your life. Today’s bible reflection gives us a very beautiful insight for our daily life. The 3 kings were searching for Jesus and finally they found Jesus. The star made them search for Jesus and it was showing them the way. It was a long journey with many difficulties, but they didn’t stop and continued full of faith and hope. Sometimes the star was not clear. But finally the star stopped over the place where Jesus was and when they found Jesus they were filled with joy and happiness. They opened the treasures and offered them to him. It was gold, frankincense and myrrh. After that they departed for their country by another way. On our life journey we also have a star, i.e. the living presence of God. It is the “Eucharist”. Sometimes we feel sad and powerless, but we continue our journey because Jesus is with us. We can also open our treasures. Our treasures are all our abilities we can use to work for the kingdom of God.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

15th January 2010

Bible words: Mk 6:45-52

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
This beautiful bible passage gives us a new thought. How can I walk through all the difficulties in my life? After preaching Jesus went alone to pray. The disciples got into the boat and in the evening they were in the middle of the lake. It was early in the morning when they saw someone walking on the water. They were afraid. Jesus said: “Don’t be afraid, it is I.”
My dear brothers and sisters, sometimes we are also afraid in our life. Then Jesus says to us: “Don’t be afraid! I am with you until the end of the world.” Jesus has also got another message for us. Just after the prayer he walks on the water. It means that prayer helps a lot and it makes us walk through all our situations. Keep in mind that prayer can move mountains!

I wish you a very joyful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

22nd January 2010

Bible words: Mk 1: 16-20

As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.

Reflections:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus called the disciples to continue his work here on the earth.It was a great mission for the disciples. They were very ordinary people and when they received the power of the Holy Spirit they began to work in an extraordinary way. The Holy Spirit was the power for them. Today we can ask Jesus to transform our life so that we will become more effective witnesses for the kingdom of God. We can ask for the special blessing to proclaim his kingdom with full strength and power. Jesus said: “The harvest is plenty and the laborers are few.” Let us pray for more laborers in his vineyard!

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

29 January 2010

Bible words: Mark 1:40-45

A man who had a skin disease came to Jesus. On his knees he begged Jesus. He said, "If you are willing to make me 'clean', you can do it." Jesus was filled with deep concern. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing to do it," he said. "Be 'clean'!" 42 Right away the disease left him. He was healed. Jesus sent him away at once. He gave the man a strong warning. 44 "Don't tell this to anyone," he said. "Go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded. It will be a witness to the priest and the people that you are 'clean.' " But the man went out and started talking right away. He spread the news to everyone. So Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. He stayed outside in lonely places. But people still came to him from everywhere.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
This bible passage clearly shows the great concern and compassion of Jesus. Jesus was moved with pity, stretched out his hand, touched him and said to him: “I am willing to do it. Be clean”. The man was completely healed from his skin disease and he became a happy person. Jesus’ compassion and healing touched him, not only his body but also his soul and consequently his future life. When Jesus touches our life, it will become full of blessing and we can call it a graceful life. Today we pray to Jesus:
“Jesus, son of living God, touch my life, my family, my sickness and all the burdens of our life.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

5th February 2010

Bible words: Mk 2:1-12

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

19th February 2010

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

April 16th, 2010

Bible words: John 6: 1-15

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus made the great miracle in a lonely place. Many people followed him to listen to the word of God and they spent much time with him. But it was getting late and there was nothing to eat. In this situation Jesus made a great miracle for them. Here, we can observe that Jesus is not only taking care of their souls but also of their physical needs - their hunger. The people who were listening to him got enlightening words from him and food, too. It teaches us the following: When we seek the kingdom of God, He will provide everything we need in our family.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting full of power,
Your loving brother in Christ
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

23rd April 2010

Bible words: John 6:52-59

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus said: “I am the bread of life”. In our daily life we need food. This is absolutely necessary, because we cannot survive without food. Likewise, on our spiritual journey, we also need food - that is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the source of blessing and the fountain of our spiritual life. Let us ask Jesus to deepen our love for the Eucharist. Find time to attend the holy mass and go for adoration. It will make your life more powerful.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

May 21st, 2010

Bible words: John 21: 15-19

Jesus Reinstates Peter

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"  

Reflections: 

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus asked Peter three times: “Do you love me?” Why did Jesus ask Peter three times the same question? Because Jesus had to give an authority to Peter for the kingdom of God – to catch people for Jesus. The basic qualification for catching fish for Jesus is the “deep love for Jesus”. I hope that it is the net for the kingdom of God. If we love Jesus, we are ready to work day and night for him, because love is the power for the kingdom of God. Let us ask today for the special grace to love Jesus deeply. Then our work for Jesus will become great and we can catch plenty of fish for him.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting,
your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

May 28th, 2010 

Bible words: Mark 10: 46-52 

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Reflections: 

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
here we can see Jesus’ wonderful compassion for the blind Bartimaeus. His wish was to be able to see. When he came to know that Jesus was coming, he began to cry and ask for help. Jesus came to him and asked him: What do you want me to do for you? He asked Jesus to heal his eyes and Jesus healed him. I believe that this was an incredible experience in the life of Bartimaeus. He received the eye sight and he experienced the power of Jesus in his life. Jesus answered his prayer. That is the great thing. We can trust in our prayer and we can keep in our mind that prayer moves mountains and prayer makes a good connection with Jesus. 

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting full of power.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

4th June 2010

Bible words: Mark 12:38-44

As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

Reflections

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus highly appreciated the contribution of the poor widow. The amount did not matter. It was important for Jesus that she gave out of her poverty. She did it from her heart.
Jesus likes something we do from our heart. We can also make some great contributions for God - our prayers for others and something beautiful for others from our heart. Usually we are praying for our family and our friends. This is very natural, but if we opened our eyes we would see that many people around us need our prayers, our smiles and our little help. Let us think about this!

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

June 11th, 2010

Bible words: Luke 15: 3-7

Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Reflections

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus’ mercy and love are so great. By this parable he explains how much he wishes and likes that people repent their sins. For this great lesson he gives the parable of the lost sheep. If one is lost, he searches for it until he finds it. When he finds it, he brings back the sheep on his shoulder. The lost sheep has a new place very close to Jesus, namely on his shoulder. We can look at our life and find out how far away we are from God. Then we can make the good decision to come nearer to him by repentance. As a result we will have a new place and a new joy!

I wish you a graceful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

June 18, 2010

Bible words: Mt 6:19-23

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Reflections

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus is asking us to store up treasure in heaven.  Here on earth, we are so occupied with achieving something great; perhaps making lots of money, getting wealthy, etc. It goes without saying that we need money here on earth. However, we should not strive for earthly goods, but for treasures in heaven. Our life is a journey and it will lead to God’s hand, if we store up treasures in heaven. This will be very meaningful for our life. How can we store up treasures in heaven?  “Something beautiful for God and something beautiful for man.” Jesus said, that if you give one glass of water in his name, it will be measured.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

June 25, 2010

Bible words: Mt 16: 13-19

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus asked Peter:” What do you say about me?’’ Peter gave the right answer. Jesus liked the answer and said that the Holy Spirit helped Peter to give the right answer. Peter’s answer is: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. This fact is our power in our life, it is our joy in our life, it gives a meaning to our life. When we reorganize our life, we have a living God. If we reflect on our life, we notice that we have experienced many times how wonderful his providence is. Many times he proved that Jesus is the Son of the living God. Have we proved that we are his loving children?

I wish you a very great and blessing prayer meeting full of love.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

July 2, 2010

Bible words: Luke 9: 10-17

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." He replied, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Reflections

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus did a great miracle for the people with “five loaves and two fish“. Two basic points Jesus had on his mind when he performed the miracles: (1) deep compassion for the people (2) Jesus is the son of the living God, who will help all people throughout their life. The disciples brought bread and fish to the hands of Jesus. Therefore we can also give everything in the hands of Jesus. Jesus will make something out of it. Jesus invites those who are carrying heavy loads in their life to come to him. He will give them rest. Jesus becomes the bread of life. We can totally trust him during our daily journey.

I wish you a graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

9th July 2010

Bible words: Luke 10:25-37

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Reflections:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
The Good Samaritan shows his goodness: Love, care, compassion. Jesus appreciates very much the great goodness that he has. Jesus would like that we keep something good in our heart and take it out when we see a person who is seeking for help. In our life we are keeping many things, but I would like to say the most precious thing is a good heart. How is it possible to keep a good heart? God says, I will give you a new heart and new mind and take away the stubborn heart. Today we can pray to God: Give me a good heart and fill Your goodness in our heart.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting full power.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

16th July 2010

Bible words: Luke 10: 38-42

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." 

Reflections:

My dear brothers and sisters,

One day Jesus entered a village where he met Martha and her sister Mary. Martha was busy with all the preparations while Mary was sitting near Jesus. So Martha complained to Jesus about her sister. Jesus’ answer is also pointing to our busy life, ”…only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her”. This means Jesus likes it very much, when we spend time with him. In our daily life we need some time for Jesus, for our personal prayer, some silence and reflection. It will be wonderful. The Bible says: Come and quietly trust me. You will be strong and secure.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting full of blessing.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

July 23, 2010

Bible words: Mt 12:46-50

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Reflections:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

These bible words give us a great insight how we can become the brother or sister of Jesus. Jesus says: “For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother and sister and mother. So then we become the family of Jesus. So what is the will of the Father? Keep the commandments; love God with full power and the neighbour in the same way, too. The Holy Spirit will help us to do the will of the Father in our daily life.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

July 30, 2010

Bible words: John 20: 11-18

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Reflections:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

The appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene gives us a very thoughtful insight. Once she was a very great sinner. In her life she met Jesus and she cried because of her sins. She became a new person. The death of Jesus caused so much pain to her. She went to the tomb early in the morning and cried near the tomb. Jesus appeared to her. How great for her! She was the first person Jesus appeared to after his death. Why did it happen? Because she became such a good friend of Jesus and she cried for him more than the disciples did. In two situations she cried: 1) because of her sins and 2) because she couldn’t find Jesus in the empty grave. Her good examples help our spiritual life: total repentance of our sins and the deep wish to see Jesus!

I wish you a graceful prayer meeting full of blessing!
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

6th August 2010

Bible words: Luke 9:28-36

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
Jesus and his disciples had a wonderful God experience on the mountain of Tabor. This experience happened at the time of deep prayer. They experienced a total change, and they heard God’s voice. It was the lived God experience in their life. Prayer is the connection with God and prayer makes wonderful changes. So let us find time in our life for prayer - every day some time with our loving God.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

August 13, 2010 

Bible words: Luke 1: 39-56

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Reflection:

My dear brothers and sisters,
We can be happy because we have a loving mother Mary. She is the mother of our Lord and our mother, too. She has always a helping hand and is concerned about our family. Mother Mary visits Elizabeth’s house and helps Elizabeth. When they both see each other they have the wonderful experience of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greetings, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit”.

We can invite mother Mary to come in our life and ask for her help through all our life.

I wish you a graceful prayer meeting with our loving mother Mary.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

August 20th, 2010

Bible words: John 1:45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

Jesus called Nathanael for his kingdom. The background is quite interesting. Philip told Nathanael about Jesus, and said to him: “Come and see!” When Jesus saw Nathanael he said of him, that there was no duplicity in him, he was one of good quality. Jesus said to him “Amen, I say to you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. This means for us that we will see the glory of God if we follow Jesus without any duplicity. Let us ask the Holy Spirit that we are able to follow Jesus without any falseness in our life.

I wish you a very good prayer meeting filled with blessing.
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

August 27, 2010

Bible words: Mt 25:14-30

"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. " 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,
We are the “seed” from the original tree. When our loving God plants us here on the earth, he gives us many talents. We all have many talents. It is great that we discover our talents and try to grow in them. What matters is how much we use our talents for God and his people. We all are very important in his eyes. God says: “Though a mother may forget her baby, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Like flowers, shrubs and trees in a botanical garden we are growing here on the earth with our uniqueness.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

September 3, 2010

Bible words: Luke 4:38-44

Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.
At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

Jesus’ love and compassion are very great. If we look at our life, we can see that His care and love are so wonderful. He makes everything for our good – it may not be material benefits but spiritual benefits. Perhaps our pain and suffering help us to trust more in him and to experience his wonderful care. After Peter received the great call from Jesus, he was almost all the time with Jesus. One day Peter’s mother-in-law got sick. She suffered from severe fever. Jesus visited his house and healed her. When we work for Jesus, Jesus takes special care of us.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting full of blessing,
Your loving brother in Christ
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

10th September 2010

Bible words: Mt 1:1-16

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

Saint Joseph gives us a wonderful inspiration for our life. When Joseph came to know that Mother Mary was pregnant, he could not understand it and he became totally troubled in his heart. However, God did not allow his trouble to continue. The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and gave him the answer he needed so badly. The bible says that Joseph was a righteous man. Like Joseph we can also have hope in Jesus. In all the situations in our life we have to keep on trusting in Him. God will find a solution for us.

I wish a very graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

17th September 2010

Bible words: Luke 6:27-38

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

Jesus tells us to love our enemies, and to bless those who curse us, pray for those who mistreat us. Jesus is the great model for our life. He showed us how to deal with enemies in a positive way. When we think about it, then it is against our nature and impossible to follow his example, but with the divine grace it is not so difficult. We need the divine power in our daily life. We can walk with him and trust in him more and more. He will help us and guide us through all our life.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame Prayer Meeting

September 24, 2010

Bible words: Luke 16: 19-31

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus gives us a great insight which is important for our life. The rich man enjoyed the life here on the earth. He was avoiding the poor beggar near to him. So after they both died, the rich man was sent to hell and the poor man was with Jesus. What do we learn from this parable? The lesson is very clear: not to be selfish here on the earth and to consider others. Then we will have a place in heaven and a place in the heart of the people.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting full of power,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame Prayer Meeting

October 1, 2010

Bible words: Luke 11:27-28

As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

Today we will reflect on the importance of the word of God. Jesus said: “Hear the word of God and observe it.” The word of God is powerful and it makes a great effect in our life. Hearing and practicing are the two wings. The bible says, When we trust the lord we will fly like an eagle. Let us trust the word of God and connect our life with the word of God.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

8th October 2010

Bible words: Luke 17:11-19

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

To give thanks is a very essential part of the spiritual life. When we give thanks to the Lord, we will be more in the love of God. We experience his wonderful providence in our daily life. Jesus likes that the thankfulness grows in our heart. This is clearly shown in the bible verses above. Jesus healed ten men from leprosy, but only one came back and thanked him. Jesus asked him: “Where are the others?” He was disappointed. Let us try to be more and more thankful in our heart, so that we do not disappoint Jesus. Jesus will like it and we will grow in a very positive way.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

October 15, 2010

Bible words: Lk 18:1-8

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'  "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

A prayer has power. We usually say that prayers can move mountains. Prayers will transform our life. The parable clearly tells us to pray continuously. When we pray we should not only ask something from God but also express our thankfulness. Prayer is a good communication with God. Let us find time for a daily prayer. The bible says, come quietly and trust in me and you will be strong and secure.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting full of love,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

22nd October 2010

Bible words: Luke 6:12-16

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

Jesus chose his disciples after praying. He chose twelve of them and called them apostles. Their task was to continue Jesus’ work and Jesus told them: “Don’t be afraid. I am with you”, and he gave them the power of the Holy Spirit. We can see from the bible that the disciples were filled with power when they received the Holy Spirit and that they were witnessing Jesus with full power and enthusiasm. We can also ask Jesus for the power of the Holy Spirit. It makes our work more effective and fruitful!

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting filled with the power of the Holy Spirit,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

October 29, 2010

Bible words: Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' " But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

Zacchaeus’ experience teaches us, that everyone can make a God experience. It is possible for those who like to see Jesus and work for it. Zacchaeus was an ordinary and sinful man. When he found Jesus, he was ready to give up his sinful life, to give half of his possessions to the poor and pay back more than he had taken in a dishonest way. Jesus even visited his house. In his life Zacchaeus wished to see Jesus and he tried hard. When he came to know Jesus he had a new wish – to change his life. Jesus wishes for a good change in our life. Let us pray for the grace of God!

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

5th November 2010

Bible words: Luke 15:1-10

Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

We are always happy when we find something we lost. This parable tells us about the great joy and happiness in heaven when we return to God. The lost sheep and lost coin are symbolic presentations of us. We are going far away from God. He is searching for us. We commit sins and are far away from his hands. He is searching for us everywhere, and when he finds us, he is ever so happy. Let us be good sheep! Make heaven happy by fulfilling God’s great plan here on the earth.

I wish you a graceful and powerful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

November 12th, 2010

Bible words: Luke 18:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”  He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Reflection:

My dear brothers and sisters,

The blind beggar had deep faith in God. He experienced a healing. When he came to know Jesus was coming to Jericho, he wished to be healed and asked for his healing. Jesus understood his deep faith and he healed the beggar. At this moment the blind beggar found a meaning in his life, and because of Jesus’ help he found light in his life. So we can travel with our family in our daily life with good faith and strong belief. It will have an incredible effect in our life!

I wish you a graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ,
P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

November 19th, 2010

Bible words: Mt 8;5-11

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

Reflection:

Dear loving brothers and sisters,

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Jesus for help. He said that his servant was paralyzed and suffered dreadfully.  Jesus answered that he would come in his house. But the centurion replied that he was unworthy to receive Jesus in his house.  He said that a word would be enough and his servant would be healed. When Jesus heard this he was amazed at his great faith. This shows clearly that faith is very important for us in our life. We can ask the Holy Spirit for this deep faith. The bible says, whatever we ask in his name he will give to us.

I wish you a very graceful prayer meeting,
Your loving brother in Christ
P. Joseph 

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

24th December 2010

Bible words: Luke 2:1-14

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.

Reflection:

Dear loving brothers and sisters,

I wish you very happy Christmas full of joy! Every year we celebrate Christmas, but this year may our life be touched by the true meaning of Xmas. We have a saviour, we have a loving son of God who is with us. He came to us, he is here on the earth. God has given us the greatest gift - that is our lord Jesus Christ! We can open this gift and enjoy it!

Much blessing!
I wish you a joyful Christmas,
Your loving P. Joseph

Eucharistic Flame prayer meeting

31st December 2010

Bible words: John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Reflection:

My dear loving brothers and sisters,

We are at the end of 2010 and at the beginning of 2011. So this is a special time. Thankfully we can look back at 2010 and with confidence we can look at 2011. In 2010 we had many experiences, some were positive and some were negative. Whatever happened, we can look back at those experiences “through the eyes of Jesus”. Sometimes we cannot easily understand the meaning of all what happened. However believe that Jesus is always working (John 5:7)! So we can look forward to the New Year and believe in the providence of God. We can place bible words between 2010 and 2011. Keep always bible words in your heart. They have a great power and wonderful effect.

Much blessing! I wish you a very happy new year!
Your loving brother in Christ
P. Joseph