Patron Saint of Software Engineers ???

       "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" - Mat 5:6

Dear Saints in the making,

A few months back I was having trouble with the delivery of a piece of software.I was assigned the development of a particular set of code and the way things were going I didn't see the delivery happening on the specified date.I mean 1 woman + 9 months - 1 child possible but 9 women + 1 month - no child,common-sense,eh ? But,its all part of my job...and after many days and nights of slogging I tried to take in some extra help...special help.I thought I'll find the patron saint of software engineers,and ask for his/her intercession.So here I was,googling 'Patron Saint of Software Engineers'....I searched,I searched and then I searched some more...but to no avail.I mean there is St. Isidore of Seville,but he is the 'Patron Saint of the Internet',its too generic,I wanted someone specific and I wanted someone quick.But no such luck,apparently we don't have a 'Patron Saint of Software Engineers' as of now.So I called on my old and trusted friend 'St.Jude Thaddaeus' the 'Patron of Hopeless Cases' and hopeless I was.As expected,I got my inspiration through his intercession and I am happy to say that things went smooth and everything happened with clockwork precision. All God's grace.

This brings me to an important point - aren't all of us supposed to strive for sainthood ? BTW who is a saint ? The dictionary definition - 'person of exceptional holiness' . The goal of all Christians should be to become as holy and perfect as Jesus,our Lord and Saviour.The Masses we attend,the prayer groups we go to,the Confessions we do,the Rosaries we say,all of them have a common purpose - to help us on our road to sainthood.Dearly beloved,this is my challenge for you today - that all of us strive for sainthood.So humble yourself before the Lord and ask for this very special grace.I consider myself to be a work in progress and to tell you the truth I intend to become 'The Patron Saint of Software Engineers'. { NOTE - This position already has a contender - ME,my advice - FIND YOUR OWN NICHE } What's so funny ? The position as you know is vacant I may as well try for it,right ? And yes on our walk we may fall,but always remember this adage,'every saint had a past and every sinner has a future'. So,keep walking ! Hope and pray that you enjoy your road to sainthood.

Have a righteous day in the Lord !

Point2Ponder :

"Ultimately life holds only one tragedy - not to have been a saint." - Charles Péguy

Prayer Intentions:

• Holy Father's Prayer Intention(General) - That the family may be respected by all in its identity and that its irreplaceable contribution to all of society be recognized.
• Holy Father's Prayer Intention(Mission) - That in the mission territories where the struggle against disease is most urgent, Christian communities may witness to the presence of Christ to those who suffer.
• Pray that every Jesus Youth strives for holiness and righteousness.

Written by - Piyush Philip , Bangalore Jesus Youth

Shopping Malls

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Dear Saints in the making,

Yesterday afternoon  I went to Total Mall on the Old-Airport Road.As it was 26th-Jan a public holiday , the place was flooded with shoppers and lots of children.It reminded me of a sermon I had heard long ago in a church (don't really remember whether in a prayer meeting or during mass),which I am internalizing/sharing below. Anyways next time when u r in a mall,just sit down somewhere and watch the children . You will observer parent-children bonding @ three different levels.First,there are the kids who are running ahead of their parents,until they suddenly realize that they are lost among the great multitude of shoppers. Secondly,children who are walking along holding their parents' hand and finally the little ones who are totally exhausted and are resting in their parents’ arms.They are dead tired and their parents are carrying them.In fact many a times the kid is fast asleep on his/her parents' arms.

Those children in the mall are a picture of how we experience God in a deeper and deeper way.First,we’re ambling about not really thinking or caring about God until we royally mess-up and realize that we’re lost and God our Father finds us. Then its level-2 ,we decide to walk along with Him holding His hands allowing Him to help us.We have realized that we can't do it alone,but we assume and presume that we are  walking on our own strength.Everything is fine till now,then something goes wrong,something  that levels us.A profound feeling of powerlessness . That’s when we realize that we have a strong God.Not just one who redeems or heals ,but a Father who carries us.Now its all about Him !And do you realize this - we can go farther and faster
in His arms than we could ever go on our legs  !! So now you ain't powerless anymore.You see this is the point where you are about to taste God’s grace and strength as only week people can,and your TEST will become a TESTimony about  a God who's grace is sufficient to carry you through .Maybe you are trying to fulfill your destiny on your own and finding yourself short of your goals .Dearly beloved,this is the time to look up and say,” Dad,carry me”. Because you’re never stronger than when your Dad is carrying you.

Have a boast-worthy day in the Lord !

Point2Ponder 

      It's never too late to be what you might have been. - George Eliot

Prayer Intentions:

• Pray for vocations
• Pray for all the priests n nuns in Bangalore

Written by - Piyush Philip , JYBangalore , Professional Ministry

How about an Haircut?

Yet those who WAIT FOR THE LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. - Isaiah 40:31

Dear Saints in the making,

  OK first things first,I hate going to the barber shop.I know 'hate' is a strong word but there are primarily 4 reasons for this 'hate' -

•    I like long hair.
•    With the big sheet of cloth tied around my neck during the haircut,I feel stifled and have a perennial fear of asphyxiation.
•    While the barber (errrr the hairstylist,that's the preferred name these days)goes about his business,I have to do nothing and wait for him to finish his job.
•    As my barber(hairstylist[sic]) only speaks Kannada&Tamil and I speak none,we can't have a conversation and I have to keep my mouth shut(for a motormouth like me this scenario is like hell on earth)

  But I still diligently go for my hair-cuts and trimmings because -

•    I look like a schmuck with long hair.
•    My desire to stay employed is much stronger than my desire for long hair.
•    Parental disapproval and in severe cases parental lynching for uncontrolled hair growth on head or face is always a risk.(the grunge look doesn't work with Mom )

 Of all the reasons I mentioned for my 'hate' - doing nothing and waiting for the haircut to be over is the scariest.Think about it waiting for anything is difficult,right ? We have a normal tendency to dislike 'waiting', especially in our I_WANT_IT_NOW society. Ours is a society that has grown accustomed to immediate gratification. But God our father puts a special emphasis on 'waiting'.Repeatedly the Bible exhorts us to 'wait on the Lord'. Why is it so hard? Because, as humans we are tuned to take matters into our own hands, to follow our own plans. Yet, over and over again the Scripture tells us to  “wait on the Lord.” And God promises special blessings for the virtue of  patient 'waiting'.Now,I don't know what are you waiting for today,maybe its a new job,maybe its a spouse,maybe its your exam results,whatever it is be patient and know that He is Lord.His timing and planning are perfect.

Have a patience-filled day ! (And go get a haircut if required )

Point2Ponder

      Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew. - Saint Francis de Sales

Prayer Intentions:

• Pray for our country and its citizens
• Pray for the people looking out for jobs
• Pray for the people looking out for spouses
• Holy Father's Prayer Intention - That Christians may achieve full unity, bearing witness of the universal fatherhood of God to the entire human race.

Written by - Piyush Philip , JYBangalore , Professional Ministry

Superman

"Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." - Isaiah 40:31

Dear Saints in the making,

          I was about 5 or 6 when I first saw a Superman cartoon and needless to say I got  hooked from the word go.Those days all I wanted to be was Superman.I mean Batman with his Batmobile and awesome gadgets was cool too,but SUPERMAN......boy he could fly.So,in came the cape,made from my mother’s old red sari,then there was this red under-pant which had to be diligently worn over my PJs. (don't judge me,that's how little boys are supposed to behave  ) Many jumps from the edge of my bed,a few bruised elbows and scratched knees later I realized - alas I can't fly.So I outgrew my fantasy.The cape was thrown off and,thankfully for my Mom,I started wearing underpants the way they were meant to be.And everything was normal again.

     

        Enough of the flashback !

 

        Almost all of us at some point in our lives have wanted to trade our lives with someone else,haven't we ? Maybe if I could talk like him,maybe if I could look like her,maybe if I could walk like him/her......maybe.......maybe.......life would be better.We wrongly assume that if we were someone else we could fly.But God our father says that we have been fearfully and wonderfully made.He says that He has a plan for us which is perfect.Yes my beloved,God has created you as an original so do not ever become a cheap imitation of anybody.None of us is an accident nor are our gifts and apparent deficits mistakes. We exist as we are, the way we are for a purpose, a purpose for us and for others. We all have an irreplaceable role in God’s kingdom and show forth aspect of His glory uniquely.Trust Him,wait upon Him,be at peace with yourself and be thankful because HE DOESN'T MAKE MISTAKES.And soon you will realize that by His grace you can truly fly and achieve all that HE has planned for you.That's my prayer for you today.Carpe diem.Seize the day.Make your lives extraordinary.

Have a SUPER-DUPER day !

Point2Ponder

         Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly -- G.K.Chesterton

Composed By - Piyush Philip 

Cruise Missiles

He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4

 

Dear Saints in the making,

The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile.It has been developed jointly by India's Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO-Bangalore) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia.The name BrahMos is a blend formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. The missile travels at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3.0.(that's really fast).It has a maximum range of 290 km and has been designed to carry warheads in the range of 200-300kgs.

So why am I discussing cruise missiles here ? Well,I was just wondering in case of a war,if the enemy decides to hit us with a BrahMos (this scenario is highly unlikely,as BrahMos is very much a Desi Indian product) we would be, well...dead.The reason ironically is that we don't have suitable technology to intercept a cruise missile traveling at that speed  So,in case this unlikely scenario actually plays out, we can be absolutely sure about one thing -  we'll be as dead as a dodo.Period.

Though,eventually we are sure to get our hands on such a technology . But sadly there is no human technology that can intercept the missiles of Satan.

You see,the evil1 is continuously busy launching missiles at us.These missiles carry warheads of fear,anger, desperation,doubt,depression and all the negative ungodly emotions you can think of .The only intent of these missiles is seek-and-destroy.All too often,sadly these missiles find their intended targets and the result is spiritual lukewarmness and ultimately spiritual death.

But today,lets teach the evil1 a lesson  Today and the days to follow,whenever you feel these missiles coming at you counter it with the greatest Anti-Ballistic Missile System in the universe - JESUS .Jesus can seek out and destroy any missile that has been targeted against you.Call out His name.Seek Him because He has promised that He'll never leave you nor forsake you.Soak up His love.Be @ Peace.

Have an awesome day !!

Point2Ponder

       I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this I believe--that unless I believe, I should not understand. -- St. Anselm of Canterbury

Written by - Piyush Philip , JYBangalore , Professional Ministry

My Daily Bread

It's not about Roti and Daal. Jesus categorically said, do not worry about what to eat. We can be as inattentive to this as we are to our growing nails. This is because there are some real things we should be mindful of.

Consider an Artist, his Brush and the Painting. As time goes by, what remains and matters is the Artist and the  Painting, not the Brush. No body says this painting was done by the nylon, fan round, flat, size 8, French made, brown Brush. The Artist is God, I'm the Brush, The Painting is my life, a master piece in the making. In another words, Jesus is saying, be mindful of the Artist and the Painting and don't worry about the brush too much.

"Give us today our daily bread" alludes to our need for a daily doze of nourishment to translate, a day in our life into a fine stroke of the Artist on the canvas of life. In simple terms, the need for a personal time with God on a daily basis.

Since this is all about a relationship, Let us refer to God as the "Father" here on.

In an earlier post, we saw, how we need to raise ourselves above the physical, emotional, intellectual and social realms to meet with the Father in "Spirit", for we are to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Some times we think we are so immovable and unshakable that we will need couple of tower cranes to lift us up and plug us into that spiritual spot. But the good news is that we can put away the immobility and the cranes because the lifting is not our job but His.

It all starts with a realization that we need this bread for the day. When this happens, often we find ourselves led to a quieter place. Here we present the real "us" in absolute honesty, totally unmasked, as an open book before the Father. A few words find it's way out from the depths of our being as a response to this admission of our utmost frailty and the magnanimity of the Father. Our spirit acknowledges the love that is lavished on us through Jesus Christ. As this reality slowly crystallizes into a conviction, we begin to see our iniquities, shortfalls and how it impedes this building relationship between us and the Father. So we allow ourselves to be purged little by little. And as this happens, we are enveloped in an ever increasing tranquility and inner peace. Our bodies groan and tears roll down. These tears are unmistakably that of repentance, forgiveness, unconditional acceptance and freedom, a foretaste of the reality of heaven.

Our hearts now delightfully resonate with verses such as "One day in your court is greater than a thousand elsewhere. Taste and see how good the Lord is. He is like the honey in the rock. It is no longer I but You who live in me. If you drink of the water I give you, you shall never be thirsty again. Let me dwell in your presence forever more...". 

As this experience recede and gently re-leave us into the reality of the world, our hearts want to tell Him, Lord use me. This daily doze of love is what sustains us for the day. This intimacy lingers through the day, as our eyes, hands and feet becomes that of Christ for He has none but ours.

Father, Give us today our daily bread.

The life and beyond

If our life on earth is a dot we make with a pen on a paper, our life after death is as much as going around the globe a million times. But this small dot decides how we will spend our life in eternity, that is in heaven with God or in hell in total despair.

A saint once had a mystical experience of God. It was so profound that in ecstasy he exclaimed, if paradise was like this, I wouldn't need another paradise. To this Jesus in a vision told him, If the experience you had is like a painting of sky, the paradise you await is the real sky.

All goodness we enjoy today is a foretaste of our ultimate union with God. Death we fear becomes a gateway to this reality. Maranatha, Come Lord come.