Thought for the day!

“Do as I have done”

An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of genuine ‘love’.

After a fire in Yellowstone National Park , forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. All the birds had flown away. But one bird did not. Later, one ranger found a bird literally burnt into ashes. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he did that, three tiny chicks were found under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring down to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise.

She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast, because she was willing to die, for the little ones under her wings to live.

What a contrast to the news that appeared in a daily news paper. Husband had a heated argument with his wife about something; and he throttled his two year old son to death. Genuine love is altruistic and it knows no limits. It does not count the cost. “Greater love than this no man has; to lay down ones life for another.” Dear Friends we are safe under His wings, and His love for us is unchanging and everlasting. He exhorts us; “do as I have done.”

Fr. Chris...

Thought for the day!

Be a bit curious!


Be a little curious. Learn something new. Every little knowledge, even those that may seem irrelevant at the moment, will become handy some time or other. As a matter of fact there is nothing insignificant or useless.


Fr Chris...

Thought for the day!

What does it profit?

Live and Work

Father was a hardworking man who delivered bread as a living to support his wife and three children. He spent all his evenings after work attending classes, hoping to improve himself so that he could one day find a better paying job. Except for Sundays, Father hardly ate a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted to provide his family with the best money could buy.

Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and with distinctions too! Soon after, he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor which paid handsomely.

Like a dream come true, Father could now afford to provide his family with life’s little luxuries like nice clothing, fine food and vacation abroad.

However, the family still did not get to see father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the position of manager. In fact, to make himself a worthily candidate for the promotion, he enrolled for another course in the open university.

Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he himself often yearned to spend more time with his family.

Father’s hard work paid off and he was promoted. Jubilantly, he decided to hire a maid to relieve his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that their three-room flat was no longer big enough, it would be nice for his family to be able to enjoy the facilities and comfort of a condominium. Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father resolved to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had to work on Sundays entertaining clients. Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

As expected, Father’s hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Father declared to his family that he decided not to take anymore courses or pursue any more promotions. From then on he was going to devote more time to his family.

Father did not wake up the next day.


Having got all the promotions his heart desired, what did it profit him?
It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel miss us for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves much more into our work than into our family.