2021 Lenten Meditation

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Saint Mark 1:15)

40 Day Meditation

2021 Lenten Meditation Kithu Dana Pubuduwa

Foreword This year the Lenten season begins on the 17th of February, Ash Wednesday. As usual, we bring our 40 day Lenten Meditation book to you. Our theme for this year is: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news,” quoted from the Gospel of St. Mark Chapter 1 Verse 15.

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

The Lord in these few verses of His initial proclamation reveals a wonderful, enlightening message that is essential to man. The evangelist reports that Jesus Christ came to Galilee, preaching the Good news. If we look at our country, we find many preachers. We can see and hear a lot declared on TV and in newspapers. However, we see a difference in what was proclaimed by the Lord. Christ proclaimed a ‘Good News’. What is the Good News proclaimed by the Lord? “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” This marvelous proclamation awakens our hearts again and again.

Let us focus on the words ‘Good News’. What is the good news? It’s that the kingdom of God is near. It is the kingdom of God that’s near, and not the kingdom of the world. The view of the people in the Old Testament was that the Kingdom of God, that is, the heavenly kingdom, was in the sky above. When our Lord said the kingdom of God is near, what we understand is that the kingdom of God (heaven) has come down to earth; that the King of this kingdom has come down to us. “The Kingdom iii

of God is near.” A kingdom is born where the King is. “The Kingdom is near” means that, our Lord, the King has come to us. He is unlike the kings of the world. He says that the kingdom has come close to where we are. To enter into this kingdom, there is something we need to do. That is, we must “Repent and believe in the Good news.” Repentance is very important.

If I do not repent for my sins, and instead if I am a person who happily rejoice about my sins and make sins a pleasant matter for myself, I will never be able to change. Therefore, repentance is very necessary. Let us further focus on the word spoken by our Lord. ‘Turn your hearts’ is depicted in the Greek Holy Bible as ‘Metanoia’. Metanoia means to bring the ‘heart and mind from where it is, to where it should be’. The Sinhala word for repentance, ‘Manas-sthapanaya’, is a beautiful word. It means to ‘restore the heart’. However, it is difficult to find a word that has a meaning close to the Greek word in every language.

Then, what is ‘Good news’? Good News is, in a way, Jesus Christ Himself. Our Lord who took the human form and came to us; came near to us, lived with the Heavenly Father. Our Lord, the Holy Word of God, who enjoyed all the heavenly glory, came to this world as true man and now lives among us. He is the Son of God. He is our Lord. We are called to believe in Him during this Lenten season.

What an amazing message our Lord has brought to us? The Lord has come near to us and lives in our midst. He surrounds us. We are close enough to be able to touch Him. We are close enough to have a meal together. Though man had imagined heaven to be above earth, the Lord has come down to earth. That is, the remoteness between man and God has disappeared. What a beautiful Good News is it, if God has come close to us and if we are able to believe in Him? How much must God love us to become man and come so close to us? It is iv

an astonishing Good News. If we believe in God’s message, He speaks a wonderful message to enter into His kingdom. God invites us to ‘Repent and have a conversion of heart. Convert our minds. Return.’ This is His joyful good news; the joyful proclamation.

If we enter into communion with the meaning of the Greek word of repentance, we can experience a huge revelation.

Our Lord tell us to renew our hearts. Let us convert our hearts, renewing our hearts, turning away and bringing our hearts to the right place. For if we repent of our sins by just saying ‘oh no’ but stop there without having a change of heart, we will fall into the same sin tomorrow. Therefore, the word ‘repentance’ and the calling we receive from the Lord through it, is important.

What is more important is the second word spoken by the Lord.

Metanoia – Manas sthapanaya Convert the mind to the right place. Renew the heart; renew the mind. If we are to turn, we need to be aware of the path we were on and our wrongdoings.

We need to search our hearts and discern whether there has been a complete change in our lives and the flourishing in us of the values of the kingdom of God that is pleasing to Christ. It might be that we are travelling on the wrong path, and still be living our old lifestyle we were used to. We find a beautiful word in the Holy Bible. “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly.” (Joel 2:15) What is meant by Prophet Joel when he says to ‘blow the trumpet’? In those days, soldiers travel blowing trumpets when they bring good news. Prophet Joel asks us to ‘blow the trumpet’. It was to gather a crowd call them to a fast. Why was there an urge to fast? It is to correct our direction and bring us from the wrong path to the right path.

Our Lord says thus; “Yet even now, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

(Joel 2:12) Our Lord says to the people to come ‘yet even now’. v

Man travels in paths as per his desires and preferences. This is why he is asked to ‘return’. The invitation of the Lord comprises: “Turn your hearts and come back to me”, “Here, I am with you”, “The Good News is near to you”, and “The King of God’s kingdom is near to you”. “Believe in my words and consume the initial word of God as Bread.” For this purpose, our Lord tell us to repent and convert our hearts.

Our Lord speaks to us through another word of God. “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” (St. John 3:3) In this season of Lent, the Lord tells us to be born anew. We know how pure and beautiful a new born baby is. The Lord invites us too to experience a new birth. The educated and intelligent man that Nicodemus was, asks the Lord how a man can be born when he is old, and whether he can enter the mother’s womb twice and be born. The answer to this question is given in the initial proclamation of the Lord. It is amazing how the words of the Lord, connects to one another as a string of pearls. If we connect what Jesus proclaimed in the Gospel of St. Mark; from “The time is fulfilled..,” to the question raised by Nicodemus, the Lord says that since the time is fulfilled, “the kingdom of God has come near. Nicodemus, even if you are at the age of 40, 50, 60 or even 80, you can be granted a new birth. The Lord has come nearest to you. What you are required to do for this, is to repent and believe in the good news.” The moment has now come. You can enter into the kingdom of God. Let us turn towards ourselves. We may also think on similar lines to Nicodemus. If I had heard of this good news beforehand, if I had received this good news in my youth, why now, after I have aged, why did it have to be so late? We must not think this way. No matter the age in which you receive this good news, whether it be 40, 45, 50, 55 or 80, you can still vi

receive a new birth. The time has come for you to enter into the Kingdom of God. The moment has dawned, right now. The Lord is close to you. Christ, our God who took the form of man, is by our side. Should we not enter into His kingdom? Therefore, let us repent. Turning from the wrong path we’re travelling in, you and I, let us turn to the new path that the Lord is taking us in.

For this purpose, God has granted us a wonderful gift.

The first gift is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was gifted to us by God Himself. The Holy Spirit shows us the path, that is, Christ.

The Gospel of St. John states that: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (St. John 16:13) The Holy Spirit brings us to Jesus Christ.

Let us also, like Nicodemus, receive a new birth; like Zacchaeus, repent. Zacchaeus repented for his wrongdoings.

And, the kingdom of God came near to Zacchaeus. Christ came to the very house of Zacchaeus. The Lord drew so close to Zacchaeus that he came to understand that Christ was the Lord. He realized that ‘the Lord is close to me, the kingdom of God has come’. He became aware of the wrong path he was travelling in, and repented, as he realized the hurt he has caused to people by making profits unjustly. Without stopping with being aware, he repented and entered into the path shown by the Lord. He not only witnessed with his life by returning back what he gained through unfair means, but also returned in four fold when someone had taken unfairly from another.

Repentance is a joyful and powerful experience. It renews us and gives us a new birth. Therefore, let us participate in the 40 day meditations with great love and dedication. Let us enter into the meditations in small groups of two or three. If it is difficult to gather, let us organize (Zoom, Skype, Conference call,..) using the facilities in technology. Or else, let us make the decision to participate in the meditation at least alone. vii

If we get take part in these 40 days with love and claim it; enliven it, like the sinful woman and Mary Magdalene who was possessed of seven demons, we too can meet Christ. They believed in the good news. And, when her moment arrived, she promptly embraced it. Becoming aware that the kingdom of God is near, she repented and had a change of heart. She continued the journey upto the foot of the Cross. Experiencing the astonishing power, newness and purity of repentance, her fears disappeared from within her. Experiencing the power of the love of God, she did not only get close but entered into the kingdom of Heaven. Today she is St. Mary Magdalene. That is the power of repentance.

The new birth we receive when we claim the word of God, reminds us of the words below. They were spoken by a great Jewish Theologian. “Man was born to die. However, that death is a new death. He receives a new birth right after he dies. Man was born for an eternal new birth.”

This grace will belong to anyone who repents. The good news calls us to experience this eternal, new birth. The key to this, is repentance. Let us hold onto the key of repentance firmly, in our right hand. Let us not let it slip away from our hands.

Let us not lose it. As Prophet Joel invites us to, let us blow the trumpet and bring people to repentance.

To conclude this foreword, let us focus on the parable about the two sons (St. Mathew 21:28-32) told by Jesus. “A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go.”

In the language of the Bible, the vineyard is a metaphor for the kingdom; God’s kingdom of Heaven. The two sons were viii

spoken to by the Heavenly Father. They were asked to go and work in the kingdom of God; that is, the kingdom of His son, Jesus Christ. It is clear how they responded. Our Lord raises the question of who between them fulfilled the will of the Father.

When they reply saying, ‘the elder’, Christ begins to explain to them, “Truly I tell you.” Christ used such a phrase to present His message powerfully and with emphasis. It appears that He does not accept their answer. Christ did not consider any of the two sons to have fulfilled the will of the Father. “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.”(St. Mathew 21:31) Even if we are such sinners, we still receive the right to divine sonship when we repent.

Jesus Christ says: “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”

(St. Mathew 21:32) We should not leave space for God to have to say these words to us. Let us be like Zacchaeus. Let us be like the sinful woman. Let us be like Mary Magdalene. The kingdom of God drew near to them. The thief on the right was a murderer.

However, his behavior on the cross brought him closer to the moment of God. “Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (St. Luke 23:4243) He repented and owned the promise of God right at that moment.

Let us embrace these 40 days with love. The time is fulfilled. “Let us not waste away this moment. Whatever our past might be, let us embrace this moment and repent; turn; renew our hearts; ‘metanoia’- let us convert our hearts. We pray that all ix

of you receive a new birth and that you receive this triumphant word, this good news and experience this great victory."

Abba Father! Help all of us to receive this Lenten season as a gift and receive a new birth. In the same way, let it prepare us for our Golden Jubilee; the moment that we wait in hope for.

That all of us remove our old garments and be adorned with a shining inner heart and a shining inner garment. (Externally dressing in white clothes is a symbol.) Grant us the grace to spend this time as a preparation for the Jubilee celebration, with our inner life like that of a heart of a new born, which glows like snow.

God Bless you!

Jaathika Divasi Ekathuwa

x

2021 Lenten Meditation It is most suitable to take part in the Lenten Meditation in small groups. However, if there are instances when you cannot gather due to the Covid 19 pandemic, it is appropriate to conduct it using technology (through Skype, Zoom, Conference call,..). Only in instances when you cannot take part in any of these ways, should you enter into the meditation alone. For the Lenten meditations, we suggest the order given below. (Take upto maximum 1 ½ hours) i. Worship of the Holy Trinity and Praise (About 15 mins) ii. Review – Sharing the experiences based on the meditations of the previous day (About 10 mins) iii. Sharing the Good News for the day (About 25 mins) iv. Focus towards repentance (About 15 mins) v. Sharing experiences (About 15 mins)

vi. Concluding prayer (About 10 mins)

xi

1st Day

"You are dust, and to dust you shall return."

- Genesis 3:19 -

01. Initial praise Today, with Ash Wednesday, we start the Lenten season.

With fasting, weeping and mourning, return to me with your all your heart. (Joel 2:12) "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Today, on the day we start, Holy Mother the Church calls us to confession and repentance. This calling is not just for today but for the entire 40 days of the Lenten Season. Therefore, in this blessed season, being deeply awake to the Holy Spirit let us pray that our sins, our true nature and the places where we need to change to be realized, and with a great thirst within, let us enter into praise.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (St. John 16:13) Pubudu Gee no. 10

01

02. Good News for the day Pubudu Gee no. 14 ²² Let us for a moment meditate on the central truths revealed in this hymn. If possible, share it with someone. ²² The hymn describes a man who’s on a journey in search of something, and compares human life to a flower that blooms today and withers away the next day. ²² Man in his life journey experiences a sense of being unsettled and empty when faced with challenges, problems and conflicts. He spends his life with sighs and weeping . ²² Many in order to avoid or escape this meaningless state, engage in different activities. On finding no relief, solution or answer, there are many who even resort to ending their lives? Or else, how many hating their lives and those of others, suffer mentally, physically and spiritually? ²² Genesis 3:19 “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

This is the reality of man and the whole of creation. It confirms the unpredictable and meaningless nature (uncertainty, sadness) of man’s life. Thus, because of all of the different suffering we often experience man seems to have closed his innermost self to everything.

02

²² However, when the society and world bring forth different answers and solutions, as true Christians we only have one good news. It is the living Christ. ²² Christ overcame death and is alive with us here and now. Thus, Christ is the only Good news to you, to me and to the entire world. ²² As we, completing 49 years, prepare ourselves to celebrate the Golden Jubilee, we must be in a journey experiencing this great good news in the whole of our lives.

03. Towards repentance: meditate (Share it with someone, if possible) • Do you recall the time when you first listened to the Good News that Christ is alive and that you can encounter Him? • Am I a person who lives his/her life claiming this good news even at this present moment? Or are there instances when I have forgotten that God is with me and others, and gone behind the answers coming from society and world?

• The Living Christ dwells with me. Let us ask for forgiveness from God for every instance where we have gone against this truth and repent sincerely.

03

• Let us open ourselves to the voice of God Who says “Change with your whole heart, at least now.” Let us make the decision to sincerely change with our whole heart.

• Let us pray asking for the necessary strength and light.

Pubudu Gee no. 227

04. Sharing your experience - Share your experience during meditation today with someone.

- Look out for those who could not enter into the Lenten meditation today and take steps to give them this Lenten experience.

05. Throughout the day Throughout the day let us take steps to meet Christ Who is alive.

Share this with someone who does not know of this Good news.

Let us be one in sharing this experience with those whom we meet with and talk to on the phone today.

04

06. Closing prayer Christ abides, not only with me but with others and the entire world. God lives in every challenge and every situation I am faced with. Let us claim this good news from the depth of our hearts and enter into praise.

Pubudu Gee no. 117

05

2nd Day

"Are you a True Christian?"

01. Initial praise Pubudu Gee no. 16 “We realized that where You are, we find eternal happiness” with this line, let us be conscious of the experience we have received and based on that, let us into praise. Let us especially praise our Abba father for granting us His Only Son to live with us for eternity, bring peace, joy and happiness to our lives and, be our only answer and salvation.

Pubudu Gee no. 42

02. Review - Share the experience throughout yesterday in experiencing the living Christ.

- Were you able to live in Christ throughout the day?

- Were you able to share your experience with someone else?

06

03. Good News for the day 1 Corinthian 15:13,14

• “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.”

• Christ has overcome death and lives among us.

If He had not been resurrected our preaching is meaningless. Our faith is useless. Our Church, feasts and meetings are all useless and meaningless.

• Christ is alive. Christ is resurrected from death.

Christ overcame death. Christ is living. Since Christ lives, Christianity is the living Christ. Christianity is not a mere religion or doctrine. Christianity is not something that could be merely studied from a book.

• Christianity is primarily A Person. That is, the Living Jesus Christ. Since Christ lives, and Christianity is Christ, who is a True Christian?

• A True Christian is a person who meets, spends time and enters into a close relationship with the Living Christ.

• The instance when St. Paul met Christ on his way to Damascus is the best validation to the Living Christ and that He can be met. (Acts 9:1-9) • Through the initiation talks (Piviseeme kathamalawa) of the Pubuduwa we start our Pubuduwa life journey 07

with the Good News that we can encounter Christ. We receive the grace to meet, spend time and enter into a deep relationship with Christ.

• We meet the Living Christ through the Holy Eucharist at every Holy Mass. Similarly, we can also experience Him in nature, in the word of God and in prayer.

04. Direction for Repentance (for reflection and if possible to share with another) • Am I a person who leads a true Christian life today?

Am I a person who meets, spends time and keeps a close relationship with Christ? To what extent do I keep that close relationship?

• What are the steps taken to meet, spend time and keep a close relationship with Christ in our day to day life? (Reading/Consuming the Word of God, Prayer, Evangelization) • Am I a person who tends to keep the relationship with Christ mostly or only in my needs? Let us awaken to this. Let us search our hearts and see where we are.

• Come back to me at least now. Awakening to this call, let us think of the instances when we have acted in ways harmful to our true Christian life. Let us repent.

Pubudu Gee no. 231 08

05. Sharing your experience • Do you remember the day you first encountered the Living Christ? Briefly share the experience you received that day.

• As a person who experiences the Living Christ in your life, share the experiences when you have introduced Christ to (evangelized) others.

06. Closing prayer It is the Holy Spirit who constantly guides us to meet and relate to the Living Christ. Let us pray for the grace of the power of the Holy Spirit that we need.

Pubudu Gee no. 6

09

3rd Day

"Jesus Christ is the Foundation of Our Life" 01. Opening Praise As people who experience the Risen Lord, in this Lenten Season we are awakened to be firm in our main foundation as Kithu Dana Pubuduwa. Let us praise God for the grace we receive to enter deeply into our calling every day. Let us pray asking for the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Pubudu Gee no. 1

02. Review (Let us share) Did you grow conscious of the relationship you have with the Risen Lord?

Did you repent for the instances where you ignored God and searched for other answers in life?

03. Good News for the day ²² (Isaiah 28:16) Therefore thus says the Lord God, See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, 10

a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: “One who trusts will not panic.” ²² (1 Corinthians 3:11) For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. ²² Christ is the foundation established by God for eternity.

He remains God. Everything was created by Him. He became flesh and human. To grant people the grace to be born again as God’s children; For this He suffered and embraced death on the Cross. Christ, who overcame death and resurrected, was the first new man/ new humanity. He is still living among us today. ²² In our journey as a disciple for Christ, our faith in the Risen and Living Christ is the foundation. He who is our Lord and Saviour, is our only foundation. ²² His counsel is to “dig deep and lay the foundation on rock” (St. Luke 6:48) and, build one’s life.

With worldliness and competitiveness, social sins have largely developed. (Liberalism, Individualism, Humanism) In a world ruled by ideologies, politicians, mass media and businessmen act as the forces that steer the world. In such an environment, what should be the foundation of our Christian morality? ²² In our private lives, family lives, we are called to hold firmly and definitely to the ethics of social and religious values and be a light to the world and salt to the earth.

11

²² The words of St. Paul strike a huge challenge to even the present society. “The work of each builder (our private lives, family and society) will become visible, for on the Day of reckoning it will be disclosed, it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test quality of the work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward.”

(1 Corinthians 3:13-14)

04. Repentance ²² We were called as renewed Christians to go to the foundation of the Catholic faith. Let us reflect on the problems, frustrations, challenges and conflicts we’ve faced and, where we are now placed. ²² All of these are opportunities for us to deepen our roots in Christ and stay firm. Those were the moments when our faith was put to the test. Let us repent for those moments when we were not able to stay firm in our faith. ²² If our foundation has grown weak, let us pray asking for strength. If our foundation has changed, let us repent and turn back to God. Let us offer the possession of our lives to God and pray.

Pubudu Gee No. 124

12

05. Sharing of experiences in community • As a Christian, can I claim that Christ is the foundation of my life without fear?

• In a society with lives built on different foundations, is my life a challenge to others?

• Share what we should do to help others journey keeping their eyes fixed on Christ.

06. Closing prayer Let us pray for the strength to completely open ourselves and let God rebuild our lives that are ruined by temporary foundations, on the permanent and strong foundation that is, Christ.

Pubudu Gee no. 222

13

4th Day

‘Let us turn to Christ who dwells in our communion’

01. Initial praise Let us praise God for the calling to make Jesus Christ the Eternal, strong rock, as the foundation of our life.

Let us praise the Lord who through the outpouring of His Sacred Blood paid for our unworthy lives and fulfilled us with the heritage of divine sonship.

Pubudu Gee no. 55

02. Review Man, who was filled with the self-centredness that he could do anything, have realized his/her limits in this period of the pandemic. When foundations made with sand are getting destroyed everywhere, we have experienced the grace of having Christ as our foundation. Were we conscious of our calling to help one another in developing our faith in Him? Let us share.

14

03. Good News for the day “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Mathew 18:20) ²² The Holy Spirit awakens us to this promise given by the Lord. In the world, it is known that when a group of people get together with the same objective and work in unity, a great success can be achieved. However, Christian unity is a much complex experience. It is an eternal experience. The focus is mostly towards two special occasions when Christ is manifested. The supreme occasion is the Holy Eucharist (communion).

The other occasion is when two or three are in communion in His name. Both of these occasions are called as ‘communion’. Through this outpouring of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are not only integrated to Him but we also experience the integration of the Christian faithful as One Body. ²² The same Holy Eucharist manifests in our unity. The ability to experience the Lord in one another, from within ourselves is the depth of this experience. ²² Therefore, we are called to be united in the name of Christ. Our being Christian develops to the extent we connect with the Risen Lord. ²² We can gather in any place in the name of the Lord.

We can invite Him to any place, without restrictions. It could be in the bus, train, main road, market, workplace, 15

school, sports ground or any other place. When we gather in Christ in our house, (Husband with wife, Wife with husband, Parents with children, Children with parents) the house where the Lord reigns becomes a temple of the Lord. ²² Holding onto the promise given to us by God ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them,’ we have the power to invite the Risen Lord to come into our midst. We can experience this power if we constantly awaken to this promise and act with the objective of unity in every little action. Thus, we can meet Christ. ²² Where we gather in the name of the Resurrected Lord, community is built. Family is the domestic church.

When a number of families gather in the name of Christ, ‘Discipleship communities’ are formed. (Community, parish, diocese) Holy Church (Under the leadership of the Holy Father, the Holy Church is One community) It is the Body of Christ comprising of different parts.

04. Towards repentance •• Let us recall the instances when we have lived, forgetting the truth of the Lord’s presence in unity.

How would the Lord manifest in a place where my idea, my experience, my duty is considered higher than those of others, where I search for my own glory, where I do not appreciate or raise someone else above 16

me, where I do not forgive the weaknesses of others?

Has there been an obstacle to unity due to my spiritual pride?

•• Though we express this truth before a gathering, is it only limited to words? Even if we are weak, since Christ loves us, let us repent for every instance when we were not able to love our neighbour with that same love.

05. Sharing experience Reading 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 in small groups, let us share the experience of our family/community.

Am I prompted to enter into the Christian communion with my family, praise group, community and neighbours?

06. Closing prayer Dear Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for the calling to enter into a deep oneness with you. Grant us the experience of “it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) Let us stand before the Lord and pray to be given the strength to follow Him and love one another as He loved us, to experience the manifestation of God in our communion.

Pubudu Gee no. 250 17

5th Day

"This is the acceptable time; the time of reconciliation."

Let us be reconciled with God and neighbour.

01. Initial Praise -- In the history of salvation, the number in relation with a favourable choice is Forty.

- In the Old Testament when God chose Israel, He took them on a journey through the wilderness for forty years.

- In the New Testament when Christ, the beloved son came out of river Jordan He was taken into a forty day experience in the wilderness.

- With the resurrection of Christ heavenly gifts were poured down at the upper room on those who stayed with Him amidst the persecutions of the Empire for forty days.

- The symbolic interpretation of Number Forty is that it is a favourable sign of confirmation/affirmation/fulfillment of a choice.

- Let us praise the Almighty God for choosing us too in this age for a special vocation.

Pubudu Gee No. 95.

18

02. Reviewing the previous day Did you get the opportunity to turn to Christ who is present among those in unity? Were you able to be aware of certain behavior patterns of yours that hinder communion? Were you able to present yourself before the Lord invoking the power to lead a Eucharistic life in order to bring others to Him? Were you able to experience Christ in communion through those whom you came into contact with? Share your ideas.

03. Good News for the day Even we, who have been called to a life of renewal, are invited to this favourable time that we are enjoying to affirm our son-ship and to bring it to fulfillment. The path we have to travel for this purpose may be a path in the wilderness, filled with loneliness and suffering.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 Let us enter into the experience of St. Paul who having enjoyed the favourable time of God unstintingly amidst struggle and persecution, zealously responded to his vocation.

19

Matthew 5:23-26 Let us listen to Christ who reveals to us that before being reconciled with God, first we must come into terms with our brother.

• The way Christ responded when they came to arrest Him and the High Priest’s servant’s ear was cut by Peter, raises the theme of today to a further enlightening one.

• Christ as the pleasing Son of God, witnessing to every word that was uttered by Him in His public life, few moments before the incident in the Garden of Gethsemane He surrendered the hours to the Abba Father and was in communion with the Father. So, when He came across the instantaneous reaction of Peter, (St. John 18:10-11) Christ was able to act with the honour of divine sonship by forgiving Malchus and healing him.

• The quality of Christ’s pleasing sonship to at once be in communion with God and neighbour challenges us today.

04. Entering into repentance - I shall sincerely repent of the times that I took shortcuts in order to escape the wilderness, suffering, loneliness and solitude in my calling to divine son-ship.

20

- I shall repent thinking of the futile efforts of seeking the invisible God neglecting the brother in front of me.

05. Sharing of experience - Am I at odds and ends with God and/or my brother at this age?

- Am I ready to accept the favor of God offered to me in my experiences of wilderness/loneliness/ suffering?

- For this purpose, what initiatives must I take at this particular moment?

06. Conclusion Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten us so that our human choices may bear fruit.

Pubudu Gee. No. 150.

21

6th Day

"He came to give life and give it to the full."

- John 10:10 -

01. Initial Praise Today, how many times have I been conscious of the breath that helps me live? Compared to the millions of Covid 19 patients fighting for breath, the Lord still keeps me privileged with the ability to breathe. Let us praise God for this, full of life and spirit.

Pubudu Gee No. 6.

02. Reflecting on the previous day Infinite are the missed opportunities of receiving heavenly grace due to my egoism, my own designs and sin that hindered the flow of grace. Let us look back and see.

Was it possible for me to bring into reality the resolutions taken in repentance for to be reconciled with God and neighbor?

22

03. Good News for the day Let us read John 10:10-13 and 1 John 5:6-12.

- "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

- "He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees" (John 10:12).

- Our Lord being uniting Himself with us, became man; resurrected from death and lives with us.

- He who loves us dearly does not desire our destruction. It is not to His pleasure that we break down in face of problems and lie weak and powerless.

- I came to give you life and give it to the full. How wonderful is His love? His action was to exalt us, strengthen us and raise us to the level of divine son-ship facing every struggle and challenge as a person filled with power.

- The hireling being neither a shepherd nor the owner of the sheep flees away in danger. Jesus Christ fully alive, making himself our eternal shepherd remains with us and we are assured of deep safety and security.

- As a person encountering the living Christ and being in contact with Him, have you experienced this power and security of His? 23

- Are we also among those who are weak, feeble, broken down and in despair which shows that we have not allowed the Lord to have an impact on us. It shows that we don't have enough faith in His love and haven't made enough space in us to receive His love.

04. Sharing of Experience - Share your experience of falling helpless before the delicate strategies of the triple enemy in his attempt to rob us of life at this age. (desires of the flesh / technology and communication media / busyness / consumerism and the craving to possess more and more).

- How does the first experience of my Christ encounter as a renewed Christian affect me today?

How much has the profundity of the impact of that experience worked as a witness to others through me?

- How much grateful am I to the elderly or late mothers and fathers of our community who had been a strength to us in our life of revival?

05. Entering into repentance Let us be conscious of the moments that we fell down weak, were defeated, helpless, broke down and 24

were in despair, simply by forgetting our first experience of conversion and life revolution and pursuing our own dreams and designs. Let us enter into repentance acknowledging Jesus Christ as our very life.

06. Conclusion Let us cry out before the Lord of life, who experiencing that great life of His resurrection, leads us to raise our community to the Living space (Ru-Ah).

Pubudu Gee No. 42

25

7th Day

‘Do you still suffer from fear?

Are you dismayed by the fear of Covid19?’

Let us experience the protection of God.’ 01. Initial praise Through Christ, Abba Father – Abba Mother looks at us, listens to our every word. Let us accept this and with faith, claim it right at this moment and praise Him. Pubudu Gee no. 101

02. Review Life is a gift experienced by those who meet the Risen Jesus Christ. It is the Son of God who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, unfurls this spring of inner power within us to stand strong when faced with problems and challenges. Share your experience about Christ as ‘The Life’.

26

03. Good News for the day Fear could also mean phobia. The excessive disturbance or turmoil felt without any reason or explanation about a particular thing or situation can be considered as fear. Fear is a natural human condition.

Even though psychological research have listed the types of fear through the ages, with what is taking place in the world ‘new’ types of fear are added on to the list. Due to the Corona global pandemic which started in 2019, the peculiar situation created is also a fear that is newly identified. It would not be wrong to call it 'Covid 19 phobia’. “Do you suffer with the fear of Corona?” To tell the truth, we all, more or less, experience this panic or dread.

However, the news created by Media, politicians focused on power and certain people without discipline, have had direct or indirect influence in taking this fear to extremes.

Corona isn’t the only cause of fear and there are other fears that have affected our lives. As people leading renewed lives/on the Pubudu journey we identify fear as an inner wound. Then, who needs divine protection?

Those who are gripped by fear. Then, we are now in need of divine protection more than any other time in the past.

Fear is a great opportunity for us to rely on God. Let us read Isaiah 43:1-2 Let us read paying attention to these verses. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you”. This is a strengthening word, 27

a living truth. Furthermore, through “I have called you by name.” God says that He pays careful attention to us. God claims us that “You are mine.” We are no longer orphans; no longer the helpless. There is a person who looks after us. It is the Sovereign God who owns my life and yours. We can experience that protection to the extent we surrender to Him and accept God’s ownership of us.

• The one who depends on divine protection, experiences an inner security and protection.

• “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Gaze not at the deep waters, but at the Lord

who dwells amidst them.

• “When you walk through fire you shall not be burned.”

Gaze not at the fire, but at the Lord who dwells amidst them. We will not be burned by the fire.

Let us not look at the reasons, situations or events that cause us fear but the Lord who dwells amongst all of that, with faith. Then, we do not have to surrender to fear and would be given the strength to act wisely with a courageous spirit.

04. Reflection “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.” “When you walk through fire you shall not be burned.” Let us recall every moment when the faith towards the divine love that brings us this great protection, declined. Let us also 28

recall the instances when gripped by fear, we recoiled and also caused others to fear and doubt their faith. Let us repent about the instances when we let fear named inner wounds guide us and weaken our mission. (If you can, kneel down and be drawn towards the foot of the Cross, and experience purification through the Sacred Blood of Christ.)

05. Sharing of experiences in community 1. Have you identified your fearful tendencies? Have you been conscious to claim healing?

2. Were you under the shackles of fear due to the global pandemic?

3. It has been a year since the global pandemic.

During this year were you able to make others experience God’s providence responsibly without being apprehended by the pandemic?

06. Closing prayer Dear Abba Father, grant us the Wisdom of the Spirit and Faith to live based on the Good News of “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you”, and act responsibly without being under the shackles of fear.

Pubudu Gee no. 122 29

8th Day

‘May you have the attitudes that Christ had in your life.

– Philippians 2:5 Empty all hindrances to unity.’

01. Initial Praise Even if we walk through fire, we will not be burned.

Even if the waters rise above us, we will not drown.

With great faith that the hands of God are stretched out to us amidst all of these, let us praise Abba Father through Christ who lives among us.

Pubudu Gee no. 99

02. Review • From yesterday to today, have you felt any sort of a fear?

• Even if you did, have you been enslaved by it?

• Have you succumbed to the fear of the Corona virus?

Have you after falling prey to fear, also scared others of the Corona situation every day everywhere?

• Do you believe in the divine protection with your whole heart?

30

• Let us repent. Have we given into fear in our thoughts, words, actions? Have we neglected our faith in divine security? Let us for a moment in silence stand before the unconditional love of God. Let us believe that the divine security is stretched out towards us.

03. Good News for the day Let us read Philippians 2:5-11 “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus!”

Jesus Christ came unto mankind to love man. For this purpose He did not think of keeping His divine nature and equality with God to himself but shared it.

Thus He emptied himself to share. He united himself to man to raise man to divine sonship and united to the extent there would not be anything he could not do to love man.

For this purpose, our Lord became man; a servant; a slave; became obedient lowering Himself to the extreme.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, …” (Isaiah 53:3) To be of the same mind is to look at things like Christ; think like Christ; and it awakens our calling to act like Christ.

31

• When we focus on our Lord Jesus Christ, the primary challenge posed at us would be the decision taken

by Him to empty Himself, in order to be united. The way He journeyed up to the Cross to unite the entire humanity with God.

04. Towards repentance • How much have my attitudes been responsible for damaging the life of communion that we were integrated into, through Christ?

• How much have the subtle, dark thoughts that I hold on to or have been trapped in, controlled me and affected my unity with others?

• Have my actions and words been a reason for the division and downheartedness in others?

• How intense are my feelings that break my selfrestraint?

• Not being able to adapt to the nature of a servant, have I distanced myself from a life in unity with others?

• How many people may I have hurt, acting aggressively and on impulse, without being able to bow down to the word of God? Has my life in community been affected because of me?

Let us repent. Let us implore God to break us away from these weaknesses.

32

05. Sharing experience - Are the Christ like attitudes of and to life, a challenge to me?

- Have you realized your tendencies that you need to empty or let go of in order to bring your neighbour to Christ?

06. Closing prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, fill us with love for each other like the love You had for mankind to abandon everything to bring salvation to mankind and with which You emptied, let go and sacrificed for that love to flow to us.

Pubudu Gee no. 107

33

9th Day

‘The Past is an obstacle for Unity’ 01. Initial praise If our past has been an obstacle for us to live in unity with others, let us ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit to identify them. Let us praise before the great power of Christ that is manifested in our unity when we gather dispersing the darkness from our hearts, with the graces flowing from the Holy Spirit.

Pubudu Gee no. 5

02. Review A Christian’s calling is to live in the attitudes like unto Christ. Were we able to repent for the instances where we have acted against the attitudes like unto Christ?

Let us share.

03. Good News for the day The moment we live now, gets integrated to the past when the next moment dawns. The past cannot be truly brought to the present. The dark thoughts, 34

dreams, attitudes, and torturous memories born in this moment that passes by, turns to feelings and eventually become our ‘experiences’.

The environment in which you were brought up, the differences in the love received since childhood become reasons for problems to arise regarding relationships. The incomplete nature of those children who have received less love, their envious behavior towards others and the high expectations of children who received more love than necessary in their childhood, become obstacles for unity.

It is our thoughts and attitudes that bring the never recurring past to the present and give life to them. The past that steers us now depending on the situation, justifying our judgments, is at times a hindrance to unity. The great shadow behind the feelings externally expressed to our problems and challenges may be from our unpleasant memories of the past. Digging and stirring the past covered with a vast darkness, should be done in the Spirit and with the light of Jesus Christ alone.

An experience A few years ago, someone passed an accusatory comment towards me. There wasn’t a prompting within me to counter back, get angry, reason or prove my innocence. Instead I was prompted to think how true, the content of the accusation was, for me. It 35

is only recently with a chain of events that I realized I have tried to hurt this person, who accused me, in very subtle ways. Even an incident I thought I found peace in God, was not so. Dark shadows of the past have acutely hindered my new relationships, unity, capability for acceptance and forgiveness. It is the Holy Spirit who revealed to me in prayer, the judgments and assumptions I have created out of them.

04. Repentance Let us visualize Jesus Christ in our mind and heart.

Christ bears the Cross and walks along with me through my past. Blood pours out from the whipped wounds.

My past generations are raised to purity. The darkness of the past disappears and the light of the Lord shines within me.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

05. Sharing experience In situations where we are unable to be in communion with others and in keeping relationships.. do we look inwards towards ourselves or do we find fault in others?

06. Closing prayer Pubudu Gee no. 21 36

10th Day

Are you still leading a life of worry and anxiety? The reason is lack of faith.

01. Initial Praise What God has created for us is a beautiful world, a Garden of Eden. Through hymn no. 24 of the Pubudu Geethanjali hymnal, the Holy Spirit awakens us to the creation (nature). God created the whole world because of the immense love He has for us. He desires that we live a life of faith in it and be happy. Perceiving the glory of God being fulfilled in nature let us thank and praise God in reverence.

Pubudu Gee No. 24

02. Reflecting on the previous day - Were you able to recognize obstacles for union with others?

- Were you able to experience an emptying of your self?

03.

Good News for the day Let us read Matthew 6:25-34.

37

Let us focus on Christ and share His inner experience.

• What the Lord Jesus asks of us is, not to be anxious of what we shall eat, what we shall drink, nor about our body or what we shall put on. (Matthew 6:25).

• Worry and anxiety is a state of mental unrest thinking of what can happen in the future. This condition is due to imagined loss and separation.

• Look at the birds of the air, consider the lilies of the field and thus let us awaken ourselves to see the Almighty God, the heavenly Father who rules over nature, His creation.

• Anxiety causes worry, tension and pain. And then negative thoughts that weaken you will start reigning in your mind, infuse fear in you and you will be overwhelmed with feelings of insecurity.

• O men of little faith, the God who clothes the grass of the field, will he not take care of you?

• As fear and anxiety take their toll in you, the message you get is that, superseding the faith in God you have more faith in your problem. Abba Father is greater than what makes us anxious.

• Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious of itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.

38

• Our vocation is to live a life of faith depending on and remaining in the Abba Father. We call this living in the present, living in the ‘now’ moment. We should plan about the future. However, we must not worry.

04. Entering into repentance • Are you overwhelmed with feelings of worry, anxiety, mental unrest and fear? Has your life of faith got weakened? Let us be aware.

• Don't you experience the providence of God? Is your relationship with the Abba Father, at a low level?

Repent.

• Do you spend due time, effort and money for the cause of the kingdom? Or do you neglect this duty?

Let us be aware and repent.

05. Sharing of experience • Share your experience about depending on God. • What is your experience of living in the present, now moment ?

06. Conclusion • Let us pray for an increase in our life of faith.

• Let us be awakened to the desire of committing ourselves for the kingdom.

• Let us give praise to God for the Good News revealed to us today.

Pubudu Gee No. 129.

39

11th Day

‘Have faith in the Heavenly Father.

Lead a life in the moment.’

01. Initial praise We have an Ever loving Father who knows what we need more than we do. It is in Him we believe. It is the Almighty God who wipes away our tears and fills our hearts with joy. As children of God, let us together praise Him. Pubudu Gee no. 23

02. Review • Have you acquired a thirst to improve your faith beyond the frustrations, weariness and discomforts?

• Were you able to deeply experience the Divine security?

• Have you experienced God as your Heavenly Father?

03. Good News for the day Read St. Mathew 6:25-34 “…your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Mathew 6:32) 40

²² Let us pay special attention to this phrase. Christ not only preached to the people to not worry about anything but also told them to completely trust in the Heavenly Father. Even if we do not worry, we cannot live in the moment unless we trust in God. The person who trusts God starts to fully depend on Him. Such a person continuously experiences Divine protection. ²² Since God is an eternal Person, the security we experience from Him is also eternal. Therefore, a person who depends on God never succumbs to fear, suspicion or frustration. The person who constantly depends on God can live a life in the present moment.

The person who empties himself of the past and future, that obstructs us in meeting Christ who dwells in our communion, receives the divine gift that is ‘life in the moment’. ²² Therefore, to the person who seeks the Kingdom of God and righteousness, God gives the promise; “Child, I will take care of you.” The promises of God are always fulfilled. ²² Today let us especially awaken to our calling to dedicate ourselves to the Kingdom of God and lead a life in the present moment, depending on our faith in Him. We are called to dedicate ourselves to God’s command to “Search for the kingdom and righteousness”. Another side to working for the kingdom of God is to work for peace, justice and the creation.

41

²² Therefore, as an heir to divine sonship, do you have the thirst to stand for what’s right and fair in the Kingdom of God?

04. Towards repentance Instead of trusting God and depending on Him, am I a person who depends on others and other worldly things?

Do I lead a life in the moment, experiencing Divine protection? Have I been able to give my first priority to God in my life? Do I have a greater enthusiasm in the mission of building the Kingdom of God than the dedication I have in engaging in the activities of my family and friends? If not, I sincerely repent.

05. Sharing experience Entering into the guidance towards repentance, share your experiences with repentance in small groups.

06. Closing prayer Let us pray to be filled with power of the Holy Spirit in order to lead a life in the moment depending on the Heavenly Father. The calling of a son or daughter experiencing the kingdom of God, is to thirst for divine justice and righteousness. Let us pray asking for the strength to dedicate ourselves for this purpose.

Pubudu Gee no. 238 42

12th Day

‘Be in constant awareness to live in the now moment’ 01. Initial Praise Being in constant awareness is to pray continuously.

The one who prays continuously always lives, moves and has his or her being in the Lord. He or she will courageously witness to the heritage of divine son-ship. Constant awareness guides us to live every moment in holiness and in conformity with the will of God and also takes us from where we are to where we should be. Let us praise the Holy Spirit who awakens us to be in constant awareness.

Pubudu Gee no. 10.

02. Reviewing the previous day - In face of suffering and struggles was it possible for me to trust God and rely on Him? - How much did I experience that living in the present is a gift from God? - Have I experienced that when I give priority to the kingdom of God He takes care of me and fulfils my righteous desires?

43

- To what extent do I thirst and awaken myself to divine justice and righteousness?

03. Good News for the day "Pray constantly" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

• The moment we are in constant awareness, we experience the love of God in a special manner.

Every moment that we open ourselves to the love of God is actually a prayer. Therefore to be in constant awareness is to pray without ceasing. You and I who know God and experience Him are expected to pray constantly. God desires this of us.

• It is a great blessing to be able to experience the presence of God whether we eat or drink, travel or work.

• "In him we live and move and have our being; …For we are indeed his offspring" (Acts 17:28).

• Just because we have received the sacrament of baptism we cannot say we are living the life of the children of God. Only to the extent that we live and move and have our being in God could we be truly the children of God. • Therefore being in constant awareness is a quality of a child of God. Being in constant awareness is not at all possible with our own strength alone. It is a gift from God. 44

• It is a grace and a favour of God himself bestowed on a person who lives in the present, depending on the providence of God and having faith in Him. • The Holy Spirit always helps us to live in constant awareness. In constant awareness the Holy Spirit takes us to the Father and to the Son and endows us with a life of prayer. The person who leads a life of constant awareness abundantly enjoys the blessing of the Most Holy Trinity.

• When we are in a state of enjoying the grace of constant awareness whatever the personal suffering, struggle, sinful desire or temptation we might be confronted with we will not succumb to them. Even if for a moment we fall victim to them, instantly we will be able to overcome it. Although human thoughts and feelings try to weaken us, the Holy Spirit who dwells in us for eternity will fill us with the grace of God.

A personal experience A certain incident caused me great pain. It was almost unbearable that I reached the point of losing my senses. Yet, whenever I felt the pain, my constant awareness too increased. Whatever suffering I faced, even though all my hopes were shattered to the ground, I felt the presence of God which made me face every situation with much courage. Even in utter weariness, since I was resting in God, I was able to accomplish the mission entrusted to me by 45

the Lord. Bestowing on me the gift of constant awareness, the Lord gave me full freedom out of it after a few years.

Blessed be God!

04. Entering into repentance and sharing of experience 1. Are you in constant awareness when facing daily events?

2. Have you experienced how it's like to rest in God, a gift bestowed on you when you are in constant awareness?

3. Am I a child living, moving and having my being in God? If not let us enter into repentance.

05. Conclusion Enter into prayer with Pubudu Gee no. 48.

46

13th Day

"Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Let us gaze on Him."

01. Initial Praise Jesus Christ is our salvation. Everything was created through Him. The entire universe stained by sin was purified before the Father through the power of His Blood, shed at His sacrifice on the Cross. By virtue of His resurrection we inherited the heavenly kingdom and the divine sonship. Therefore, let us offer our praise and worship to our only Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

Pubudu Gee No. 99

02. Reflecting on the previous day Yesterday we spoke of the importance of being in constant awareness of the Holy Spirit and of our vocation to a life of freedom in Christ as Catholics of the renewal. And we repented, for at times we failed to live up to it. Were you mindful of this during the past 24 hours? (Share with others) 47

03. Good News for the day 1. Mark 1:14-15 "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."

- Along with the baptism of the Holy Spirit received at river Jordan, the Lord came to know that He had been filled with the Holy Spirit, "The time is fulfilled," the Kairos moment - "The hour of God" has come.

- The Lord, who fully claimed for himself His belonging to God; and His inheritance of the very life of God; was attracted by the majesty of God. - He was convinced that He was the Messiah of whom the prophets had spoken and for whose coming the chosen people had been waiting for ages.

- After a hidden life of 30 years, He came to the awareness that the moment had come to start His mission and that the acceptable time for the proclamation of the kingdom has begun.

- He was enlightened to witness the entire universe, the whole of creation including every plant and tree, animal and beast filled with the glory of God and how everything is being renewed by the majesty of God. - The kingdom was His vision. His mind and heart was filled to overflowing with the thoughts of the kingdom 48

that every step He took and every word He spoke was a proclamation of the kingdom.

- Thus energized He started preaching the kingdom of God. - Let us reflect. Has the appointed time come for you and for me? Are you and I filled with the kingdom values?

1.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2

"Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, …and helped you on the day of salvation. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation."

- At every hour and at every moment, the Lord was filled with the kingdom. He continuously experienced the life of grace. The people enjoyed the overflowing fruits of this grace through His gaze, touch, in His preaching and miracles, healing and in raising the dead.

- St. Paul who was zealous in being clothed with the same attitudes as that of Christ invites the Corinthian community to live out the grace filled moment.

- Even in the 5th session (5 weni Kathamalawa)we are invited to enter into the life of this grace filled moment.

49

04. Entering into repentance - Lent is a time of grace. Lent is an acceptable time during which we recall the historical events of salvation. Usually we spend Lent in a special manner.

We become more aware of our thoughts, words and deeds. We enter into this exercise with much urgency in order to experience grace. It is through our life of Renewal that we entered into this life of grace.

Through our commitment we entered into the now moment and claimed for ourselves a deep strength of power and holiness, gifts and talents. Even now do you experience the same power?

- Let us be mindful of the time that we have wasted.

Rather than proclaiming the kingdom through thought, word and deed did we give priority to worldly values? Or else did we consider it our bounden duty and usual life procedure to proclaim the kingdom of God? Is our vision obscured by any feeling of superiority, egoism, vanity and spiritual pride?

- Let us sincerely and whole heartedly enter into repentance.

- Pubudu Gee No. 230

50

05. Sharing of Experience Let us share our experience with others in community.

06. Conclusion Throughout the next day let us be mindful of the Good News "The time is fulfilled" in our actions. Focusing on Christ who proclaimed the kingdom, let us witness to our own son-ship.

Pubudu Gee No. 366

51

14th Day

"Let us gaze on the Sonship of Christ. Seek the kingdom and its righteousness."

01. Initial Praise Vision of the Lord was the vision of the Father. He saw everything through the eyes of the Father. He who abandoned Himself handed over the full ownership of his life to the Father. And first and foremost he sought the kingdom of God and the will of the Father.

Both Father and the Son possessed the same mind and heart. Christ claiming for oneself the total fruit of the bond of reciprocal love – the love of giving and receiving, taught us too that the entire universe is a proclamation of the Trinitarian Love. What a beautiful vision? Doesn't it entice us? Let us praise the Lord invoking the inheritance of that great son-ship, the same life-attitude of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pubudu Gee no. 24.

02. Reflecting on the previous day Awakened as we were to the Good News, "The time is fulfilled," we paid attention to the son-ship of Christ 52

who proclaimed the kingdom through His very life. We repented of the times we allowed the grace filled moment to go waste. What has been your experience during the past 24 hours? Share it with others.

03. Good News of the day 1. Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."

• This is the vision of Christ our Lord. He first came to be aware of the kingdom and then started proclaiming it and building it up. His food was to establish the kingdom, to spend oneself on it. Just like the Father He worked without ceasing.

• With the words, "Unless one is born anew, he cannot enter the kingdom of God," He pointed out the importance of being renewed, being born anew or becoming the "Self" endowed with the inheritance of divine son-ship and not of the old "self."

• Let us concentrate on Him, who claiming the Sonship surrendered Himself and everything else and thus worked in total freedom. His dream was to establish the reign of the kingdom on earth. He was a challenge to the then existent varied traditions, 53

rituals and customs of the Jewish society and to the Pharisees bent on safeguarding the Law since His only aim and effort was to establish the kingdom of God rather than an earthly kingdom.

2.

Mark 1:14-15

"Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; and believe in the gospel."

• Christ recognizing "a kingdom based on dharma" and "the poor" as a special feature of the kingdom not only drew closer to the poor but also stood for them.

He never spoke of a vision where there was no place for the poor.

• . He perceived that wherever God’s rule is present; wherever God’s will is fulfilled God’s kingdom is proclaimed and liberation for all is established.

Therefore, not only did He keep this conviction to himself but also convinced others of the importance of proclaiming the kingdom.

04. Entering into repentance Towards us

• Along with our commitment to a life of renewal as Catholics the Lord invited us to seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and to unite ourselves with the poor and stand for them, defend them. How 54

much have we responded to this invitation? 100%?

50%? Or at least 10%?

• Committed as we are to lead a simple lifestyle in order to be in solidarity with the poor, do we live up to it?

• How much did I opt for the poor, not only for those with material poverty but also for the spiritually poor, to be with them in solidarity and to establish the kingdom in and among them?

• Was I a living proclamation of the kingdom in my community, in the discipleship community, in the family, parish, school and work place or was I a counter witness?

• Let us prostrate ourselves before the Lord and enter into repentance.

• Let us commit ourselves anew for the cause of His kingdom and His vision singing a hymn of repentance.

05. Sharing of Experiences Let us share our experiences with others in communion.

06. Conclusion We are called to proclaim the kingdom of God, to seek the kingdom and its righteousness just as Jesus Christ our Lord did. Let us pray for the power to be a living witness to the kingdom wherever we go and with whomsoever we meet.

Pubudu Gee no. 238 55

15th Day

‘Emptying oneself like the Blessed Mother’ 01. Initial praise “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9) The weaknesses that the world rejects, is a way for us Christians to experience the love of God; a sacrament.

More than the moment where we feel abundant in everything, the moment when we experience weakness, inadequacy is a help to experience the presence of God. At the Annunciation when there was a sence of anxiety, Blessed Mother also experienced the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. She received the gift of emptiness and experienced the mystery of love being made flesh. Let us acclaim, “Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong,” (2 Corinthians 12:10) and praise God. Pubudu Gee no. 229 56

02. Review The Kingdom of God was the vision of Christ. We are called to the special value of the Kingdom of God, to enter into a simple and humble lifestyle being in solidarity with the poor. Share your experience with the repentance of yesterday.

03. Good News for the day Let us read St. Luke 1:26-38 ²² Blessed mother experienced an emptiness through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35) Then her response was, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” (Luke 1:38) ²² Mother Mary’s response of “I am your servant,” is the foundation of the experience of emptiness. ²² ‘Servant’ is an instance when I am emptied of ‘I’, ‘my..’ and ‘for myself..’. It is the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. In the magnificat, because “(God) has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant,” she thus rejoiced: “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

(Luke 2:47-48) ²² It is a result of Mother Mary being filled with the Holy Spirit and being redeemed from worldly bonding. That 57

is, to not become slaves to anything and completely sacrifice oneself for the Kingdom of the Father.

The Holy Spirit who was granted to us through the redemption of Christ, was experienced (filled with the Holy Spirit) before anyone else by the Blessed Mother.

She completely sacrificed her body, spirit and mind for the plan and will of God and was emptied of her ‘self’ (her desires, expectations, rights). Therefore, she who was anointed as ‘Blessed amongst women’ was greeted as ‘Full of Grace’ (Luke 1:28,42) ²² The grace to experience the emptiness of the Blessed Mother, filled with the Holy Spirit, is a gift. It is a gift from the grace of God to overcome the slavery to wealth, self-dignity, pleasures and selfishness of man, on being filled with the Holy Spirit. Though it is a gift of God, it also needs the contribution of man. That is, we need to be conscious of emptying, letting go, and letting God. Being conscious raises us to a higher state.

• Exercise (to be guided by the servant of the Word) For a moment, let us close our eyes and be conscious of our current situation. What affects or controls me at this moment? Is it a physical condition or an emotional condition filled with memories, events and thoughts?

Is it an inner battle that no one knows? Is it a condition where you feel swayed by wealth and self-dignity?

Let us identify well. Our tendency is always to deny or 58

escape the obstacle or weakness. However, instead, let us accept our weak state. Let us bear it. Let the Holy Spirit to overshadow us. (Pubudu Gee no. 299) Let us identify the signs of the Holy Spirit and let ourselves be filled with the Holy Spirit. Having faith that the Holy Spirit will bring us to an experience of emptiness, let us thank and praise God. 04. Towards repentance When I’m alone or when I’m at home or in the community, due to my weakness or that of others, I have to face helpless situations. However, for us Christians that is an opportunity to experience God and cannot merely isolate ourselves, indulge in selfpity, be frustrated or react impulsively. However, let us repent for the instances when we did act that way and wasted away the grace of God. On realizing the helpless state, Mother Mary who experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit, received the grace of emptying one’s self. Thus, the plan of God was carried out in her. God’s will regarding her was unraveled. Let us repent for the instances when we did not open ourselves to the divine love that flowed through the different situations we face, and instead confined ourselves to the situation in a way, disrupting the plan of God. 59

Let us repent for not opening ourselves for the calling to empty ourselves of our selfishness, slavery and desire to wealth and power, on being filled with the Holy Spirit.

05. Sharing experience Share your experiences of the times you have received the gift of emptying yourself when you were in distress, and asked the Holy Spirit to come to you and overshadow your helpless state.

06. Closing prayer Without awakening and being close to the Holy Spirit, there is no emptying of our selves. Mother Mary’s emptying of self, was an action of the Holy Spirit.

What happens when we lament about the past and dream about the future, is that we miss out on the present moment. Therefore, let us enter into prayer asking for the gift of emptying one’s self to live this moment that is filled with the love of God, ‘now’.

Pubudu Gee no. 8

60

16th Day

‘Be filled with the Holy Spirit’ - Ephesians 5:18 01. Initial praise “Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29) How much did the Almighty God love man that He gave His only Son? Not stopping there, God even went to the extent of granting us the Spirit of God. Let us thank and praise God, for the great gift that is, Holy Spirit.

Pubudu Gee no. 10

02. Review To receive the gift of emptying oneself, ‘being aware of myself’ should go hand in hand with, ‘letting the Holy Spirit to overshadow me’. Most often we tend to dwell in our current state itself; something we enjoy doing.

However, it eventually results in us succumbing to selfpity, misery, and getting provoked to give out human reactions.

61

Were you able to grow conscious and repent for such instances?

Did you let the Holy Spirit to overshadow you?

Share with each other.

03. Good News for the day ²² Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to ‘pray without ceasing’ and in Ephesians 5:18 to ‘not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit’. ²² Paul found methods special to him to ceaselessly pray and be filled with the Holy Spirit. As people of the Pubuduwa, we also have a method taught to us by the Holy Spirit. That special method is to ‘awaken’ to the Holy Spirit. It is through continuously awakening to the Holy Spirit, praying without ceasing and constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit. Ceaseless awakening and ceaseless prayer is a gift that comes from above.

To receive this gift, while it helps that we develop a thirst until for it, we should also continuously engage in prayer asking the Father to grant us this gift. ²² There is a great obstacle to being filled with the Holy Spirit. That obstacle is the condition reigning over our mind. Sometimes, we might be in a frustrated situation, and at another time, a disappointed situation. Likewise, having an uneasy situation, a distracted mind or any 62

other condition, may be our experience the entire day.

Feelings, sins, inner wounds (fear, rejection, inferiority complex, misguided love) create a condition unable for us to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, as children of God. In such instances, we’ve received the guidance to what we should do. ²² Awakening to where we now stand, identifying it, we can pray to the Holy Spirit to overshadow those conditions. Thus, we can engage in a dialogue about it with the Holy Spirit. ²² We should have the aim to put into action the gift we have received to continuously awaken to the Holy Spirit. To put this gift into action and experience it, as part of our contribution we can decide on a number of times in a day to awaken to the Holy Spirit. That way, we are able to be conscious of continuously being filled with the Holy Spirit. For that purpose, we are suggested of 7 main instances.

1. As soon as I wake up 2. When washing myself 3. When changing clothes 4. When eating 5. During ‘My hour’ 6. When leaving on a journey 7. When we go to sleep 63

Even if make use of the prominent situations of the day for constant awareness, it is not solely limited to those 7 times. For an example, we wash ourselves, eat, change clothes, leave on a journey and start some work, a number of times per day. Therefore, the seventime awakening signifies the calling we have received to constantly awaken to the Holy Spirit.

04. Towards repentance • Through the Seven-time awakening, we have received the guidance to awaken to the Holy Spirit this way: • When I’m washing myself, • I awaken to the Holy Spirit who purifies me • When I’m clothing myself, • the Holy Spirit who makes me new • When I’m eating, the Holy Spirit who is in communion with me • When I’m praying, the Holy Spirit who is my teacher • When I’m starting to work, the Holy Spirit who is the beginning of everything • When I’m starting the day, greeting and surrendering to the Holy Spirit 64

• When the day ends, we have learnt to greet and thank the Holy Spirit.

• It is a simple step. But how many times have we neglected to awaken to the Holy Spirit. Let us repent; take steps for constant awareness.

05. Sharing experience When we face events, our human impulse/response gets the best of us most often. However, an evolution occurs in my inner life, the moment I awaken and be filled with the Holy Spirit; a repentance. I begin to experience the Holy Spirit who incites me to give a divine response. This is our experience. Share any such experience you’ve had.

06. Closing Prayer ‘Be filled with the Holy Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18) We have received the grace to pray without ceasing and be filled the Holy Spirit through the ‘seven-time’ awakening to the Holy Spirit. Let us enter into prayer, with a thirst for the gift of awakening and requesting the Father to grant us this gift.

Pubudu Gee no. 07 65

17th Day

“The Lord is my shepherd” - Psalm 2301. Initial Praise The Holy Spirit has accompanied Kithu Dana Pubuduwa for a period of 50 years. The secret lies in the fact that we, as a group equipped with His grace really did enjoy the gift of awareness. Therefore, let us pray to the Holy Spirit that He may fill us with His Spirit more and more.

Pubudu Gee no. 6.

02. Reflecting on the previous day Let us share our experience of repentance on the previous day.

Was it possible to enter into the sevenfold awareness? Share your ideas.

03. Good News for the day David's career prior to his kingship was looking after sheep. His own experience as a shepherd has made known 66

to him the qualities of a good shepherd. He knew that without a shepherd there is no life for a flock. He also knew very well of the experience of a sheep that receives the shepherd's love and protection in being alert to his voice and in following him. Lord God through Prophet Samuel anointed David as king. King David had no experiencing in governing a kingdom. Yet, with the experience he had of a good shepherd and of the obedient sheep he prayed, "The Lord is my shepherd." Psalm 23 reflects the experience of David who ruled his kingdom totally depending on God. Let us meditatively read Psalm 23.

"Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou prepares a banquet for me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows" (Psalm 23:4-5).

• The rod – When a sheep receives a pat with the rod it knows that it is to join the flock once again.

• The staff – is a sign and symbol of receiving guidance.

• Anointing the head – is a sign of strength in weakness and healing in sickness. (Ezekiel 34:16).

• Cup – is a sign of blessing.

King David accepted God as his shepherd; With His guidance he ruled his kingdom and in face of constant 67

enemy attacks from the neighbouring nations won victory through the blessing of God. When he felt the touch of the rod of God's wrath on him in times of sin, readily conforming to the Lord's command and his guidance repented sincerely. For this very reason he received the abundant blessings of God.

04. Towards us John 10:14-16

We have only one shepherd. He who knows us in and out offered his life in sacrifice for our sake. When we totally depend on Christ and listen to him He does exercise His shepherding role on us. Therefore, let us surrender the authority of our life to Him and rely on Him alone.

Our vocation is to thus spend our lives joyfully in loving obedience to His guidance.

Lord Jesus Christ walks before us. We need not fear any lack. His loving protection is our comfort.

05. Discussion (share among groups) 1. Is Christ the shepherd of my life? Have I fully surrendered the dominion of my life to Him? 2. In taking decisions as an individual and as a family do I discern the will of God seeking His guidance?

68

06. Entering into repentance Let us be mindful of the moments that we did not accept Jesus Christ as our shepherd and pray in repentance.

- Moments that I wholly gave into my desires alone.

- The times that I only did what I wanted.

- The times that I hurt others.

- Pubudu Gee no. 284

07. Conclusion : Revelation 7:17 Let us thank and praise others for this great gift of God to us.

Pubudu Gee no. 27

69

18th Day

"It is a battle of Faith in the Wilderness" 01. Initial Praise As people of Kithu Dana Pubuduwa, God has called us to a journey of renewal in which God raises us up by accompanying us through experiences of wilderness.

If we are to be filled with the experience of son-ship we should allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. Therefore, let us praise and thank the Lord for filling us with the Spirit by taking us through this wilderness experience.

Pubudu Gee no. 10

02. Reflecting on the previous day Yesterday along with psalm 23, we awakened ourselves to the experience of King David, of how he received the shepherding guidance of God and the way we have acknowledged Jesus Christ as our shepherd.

Were you able to surrender yourself to Jesus Christ as to your shepherd and were you able to give to others Jesus Christ as their shepherd? Were you able to believe and rejoice in it? Share your experience.

70

03. Good News for the day The term wilderness is of special importance to the Jews as well as us, who are Christ’s disciples. It was through the wilderness that the Jews made their journey during their exodus. And it was also in the wilderness that Christ before starting on his mission faced temptations. Thus we could see a deep similarity between the wilderness of the Israelites and that of Christ.

Exodus 13:17-18, Mark 1:12-13 Examples:

1. While Israelites journeyed through the wilderness for forty years, Christ too spent forty days in the wilderness. Israelites too faced temptations in the wilderness.

2. Asking for food when they experienced lack, grumbling against God and distancing them from God. Christ too was tempted by the devil when he felt hungry.

3. In the absence of Moses, worshipping a golden calf made by them. Even with Jesus the tempter tried to persuade Him to worship worldly possessions, power and pride.

4. When there was a shorter way to the Promised Land taking them along a longer route. Similarly, there would have been an easier way even with regard to Jesus but He was also taken along a difficult 71

and painful path, the way of the cross, through experiences of wilderness.

Wilderness is both a result of sin as wells as a time of God's mysterious action.

Trial and temptation too could be found there.

For an example, although the Israelites experienced the immense power of the hand of God in the wilderness, the next moment they distanced themselves from God and started worshipping a golden calf.

Therefore, the wilderness is a place of experiencing the deep love of God, His protection, His son-ship and being dependant on Him and it is also the place where one should overcome temptations.

Therefore, let us be mindful of temptations. In order to be aware of the temptations one should also have a deep awareness of the wilderness.

Wilderness is the opposite side of the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Eden, there was everything but in the wilderness there is nothing.

Wilderness of the Jews is a place unfit for human existence, where there is nothing to eat, nothing to drink but a place filled with poisonous creatures like serpents and wild beasts. (Mark 1:13) (According to the Bible thinking serpent means the tempter or temptation.)

During the day it is very hot while the nights are thick cold. Yet, Christ totally depending on God for a period of 72

forty days experienced the deep security provided by the Father. In pain, difficulty and solitude depending on the love of God He gave witness to being a true son of man.

04. Towards us - Wilderness is a challenging environment where no human need could be satisfied with mere human strength.

- At times we too will have to walk through wilderness experiences.

05. Sharing of Experience 1. Failure, abandonment, missing the target, futility of human effort, alienation, slander, condemnation, disappointment and lack invite us to experience the love of God, His care and protection. What has been your experience?

2. When we don't receive the human help, aid, support and guidance we most expected, they are instances that make us depend on God. Have you been aware?

3. Temptation and wilderness always distances us from God. Yet, we should receive the grace of faith and be mindful, and be conscious of the Holy Spirit so as not to succumb to temptation. In the wilderness experience, without faith and the Holy 73

Spirit it is difficult to experience the love of God. Discuss.

06. Entering into Repentance • We should develop a deep longing to open ourselves to the voice of God, to the will of God, and to awaken ourselves to the gift of awareness at every temptation.

• Let us recall the times that we succumbed to the devil, the flesh and the world based on these temptations and denied the love, care, power and protection of God and repent. Let us turn away from sin and experience the love and protection of God. • Let us repent for the times that we in our wilderness experience rejected the deep grace filled moments opened for us by falling under the power of despair, disappointment, pain, failure and darkness rather than experiencing the power and love of God. Pubudu Gee no. 231

07. Conclusion God I trust in you.

You are my only protection and hiding place.

You alone are my Lord and Master.

Pubudu Gee no. 171 74

19th Day

"Wilderness and the Holy Spirit" 01. Initial Praise "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4) Let us claim this as our experience and thank and praise God. Pubudu Gee no. 103

02. Reflecting on the previous day • Were you able to be conscious of the wilderness experiences in your personal life?

• In the same wilderness were you able to recognize both the presence of God and also the temptations of the devil?

• Were you able to open yourself to the experience of the Holy Spirit accompanying you during every experience of wilderness?

75

03. Good News for the day Let us read Luke 4:1-13.

Let us read this passage carefully and share with others the wilderness experience and how the Son received the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

• Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan (Luke 4:1).

• And, He was led by the Holy Spirit for forty days in the wilderness (Luke 4:1a).

• He was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:2).

• Even though the devil tempted Him in the wilderness He did not give in. The sin could not capture Him. Instead sin was defeated in Him and He made futile the efforts of the devil, the trap of temptation.

• He was able to accomplish this simply because He was filled with the Holy Spirit and acted under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

• Since He overcame every temptation with the power of the Holy Spirit, they turned out to be moments of nourishing and fostering His divine son-ship.

• Temptations provided Him with lessons of depending and relying on the Abba Father in and through the Holy Spirit.

76

Read Galatians 5:16

"Walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh."

St. Paul thus awakens the Galatians to the fact that those living out the son-ship are able to overcome temptations with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ overcame the wilderness experience to which He was led by the Holy Spirit and the wilderness experiences and the temptations He had to undergo during His journey to the Cross, beacuse He acted according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It was simply due to this very reason that He did not succumb to any sin, egocentricity or desire of the flesh. He even overcame death with the power of the Holy Spirit.

04. Towards us • Wilderness is not only a particular place but also a certain experience in our spiritual journey.

• We are bound to pass through different wilderness experiences in life. At such moments let us always turn to our shepherd Jesus Christ.

• We should convert such wilderness experiences into situations that enliven our divine son-ship.

• To the extent that we open access to the Holy Spirit during our wilderness experiences we will provided support and strength for our journey.

77

• We will be victorious to the extent that we receive guidance of the Holy Spirit in the midst of temptation, confusion, challenge, insult and oppression.

• Through such situations the Holy Spirit will sharpen our experience of divine son-ship and lead us to maturity.

• Prayer life, reading the word of God and being in constant awareness help us experience our wilderness experiences as a time of grace and a blessing from God.

05. Entering into repentance Galatians 5:16 Let us repent and pray to be able to live with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, recognizing the desires of the flesh that lead us towards possessions, positions and power (riches, treasures, lust, arrogance, pride, egocentricity…).

Pubudu Gee no. 314

06. Conclusion Let us pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit when we are faced with different wilderness experiences in our lives.

Pubudu Gee no. 150 78

20th Day

"Do not be deceived in temptations"

01. Initial Praise Our vocation is to praise God in everything, in times of success and failure, in the experiences of the Garden of Eden as well as in the wilderness. United with the risen Christ who is with us at all times, accompanying us through all these experiences, let us praise God the Almighty.

Pubudu Gee no. 17

02. Reflecting on the previous day Jesus Christ, letting the Holy Spirit to work in Him, made the wilderness an experience that strengthened His Sonship.

With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gaining victory over the temptations in the wilderness, is our Sonship.

03. Good News for the day James 1:13-15 The Greek word "Peiresmon" means being tempted.

One who tempts is Satan, the devil.

79

God never tempts man. For him it is impossible since He is nothing but all goodness and the source of Love.

Bible narratives convince us of the fact that the temptation means not only being tempted to do evil but also being tested at various difficult circumstances.

Examples: • Temptations the Israelites experienced during their Exodus journey.

• Temptations Job was allowed to face with regard to his life of faith.

• Christ facing temptations in the wilderness.

"Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire" (James 1:14) Desire was the root cause of the sin committed by Adam and Eve, the very first people who were deceived by temptation and sin.

"When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,." (Genesis 3:6) Not only that the desire conceived in Eve gave birth to sin, but it also grew up and matured, causing death as its inheritance.

80

James 1:15, 1 Corinthians 15:56, Romans 7:5. ²² Altogether not only they themselves but the entire humanity inherited death. Since they were lured by the desires of their flesh and the delights of their hearts and minds without being open to the voice of God, out of their own free will they rejected God and fell victims to death, a pitiful condition of utter slavery. ²² Christ came on earth to redeem us out of this condition.

He was not lured by any temptation He faced as a human being throughout His life. (Hebrew 2:18) Since He willingly and out of His own free will listened to the Father, He was able to overcome Satan, the devil as well as death and enter into the glory of resurrection. ²² Thus, the result of not being deceived by temptation is participating in the resurrection, freedom from slavery and experiencing the Joy of Heaven.

04. Towards us 1 Corinthians 10:13 God doesn't allow us to face temptations that are too difficult for us. Also, He builds in us the needed strength and faith to face whatever temptation that come our way.

Therefore we should constantly pray to our Abba Father, to deliver us from evil and to empower us with His grace.

Since Christ too prayed thus (Hebrew 5:7) He taught His disciples as well to do the same.

81

05. Discuss.

• During our prayer life, in the hour of my prayer, how much do we pray to deliver us from evil?

• Do we repent for the times we get deceived during the temptations we face daily?

• St. Cyprian the martyr proclaims as follows the power of the prayer asking for deliverance from evil: "When we pray deliver us from evil, we have nothing more left to ask for. When we ask and receive deliverance from evil, we stay protected from every device used by the devil and the world to draw us into evil. If God does protect you in the world, with what and how can the world frighten you?"

06. Entering into Repentance • Let us recall the times that lured by sin we chose to refuse to listen to the voice of God out of our own free will.

• Let us repent for the impact my slavery to sin and desire and their consequences had on my family, society, Pubuduwa and the Church at large.

82

07. Conclusion Daily let us pray as follows to protect us from triple enemies of the devil, world and the flesh.

Abba Father, deliver us from every evil that we may not fall prey to temptation.

Pubudu Gee no. 150

83

21st Day

"Let us gaze at the Sonship of Christ" 01. Initial prayer Pubudu Gee no. 10 The Lord who eternally, unconditionally and infinitely loves us and forgives our sins, is with us. Jesus Christ is the greatest expression of God’s love. We also have received the calling to enter into the Sonship of Christ, who paid the price for our sins through His suffering, death and resurrection. Let us enter into praise today for the grace we have received as heirs to divine sonship, to enter into the powerful experience of repentance we are called to in this Lenten season.

Pubudu Gee no. 103

02. Review • Meditating on the experience of our Lord who was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, were you able to repent for the instances when you were not able to act like Christ during your experiences of the desert.

• Were you able to meditate on the words of Jacob who said that man is put to the test by his own desires, that 84

desires conceive and give birth to sin and that sin fully grown will give way to death, and repent?

03. Good News for the day i. Read St. Luke 4:1-15 ii. Let us visualize and share the inner experience of Christ. ²² Jesus Christ is taken to the desert by the Holy Spirit. ²² Christ entered the desert with the honour of owning to the ‘pleasing sonship of God’. ²² Christ who was Son of God as well as Son of man, experienced every feeling and need of man. For forty days, He would have felt the hunger, loneliness, insecurity and isolation. However, He was led by the Holy Spirit to refrain from getting caught to the Devil who tries to enter into the weakness of man. At every moment, He experienced the fatherly motherly love and protection of God. ²² Christ responded to the Devil who tried in different ways to test Him in His vulnerability, through the honour He took in the divine sonship. He experienced an immense power through the baptism at River Jordan that cannot be subdued by anything. ²² In the triple temptations faced in the desert, at each moment he was met with challenges to His sonship (‘If 85

you are the Son of God’), He was able to respond based on His right to divine sonship. ²² Satan tempted Christ to fulfill His human needs using His power, showing that it is right to use the power that belongs to a son of God. However, our Lord who was filled with divine strength, responded depending on Father alone. “One does not live by bread alone.”

(St. Luke 4:4) ²² Satan who puts our Lord to the test for the second time, shows all the bliss of wealth and pleasures in the world, to tempt Christ to worship Him. Not getting tricked into any form of idol worship and experiencing the authority and ownership of the Father in everything, Christ bears witness to it with the honour of His sonship. ²² “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”(St. Luke 4:8) ²² Satan tempts Christ for the third time and challenges His sonship. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” (St. Luke 4:9) Easy effectiveness, success or the most justified means were not measures of the venture of Christ. Fulfilling the will of God according to the plan of God, was His sole objective.

04. Towards us : (Share among groups) ²² Through the calling to baptism, with Christ we too received the calling to divine sonship. In the sacrament 86

of confirmation, we were strengthened with the sharpening of the ‘anointing to divine sonship’. In the Pubuduwa journey, we take steps to travel to its depth. ²² Let us awaken ourselves to the Holy Spirit who guides us every day to graze this depth. ²² In our day to day life, were we able to be awake to the Holy Spirit as we pass through desert experiences? ²² Is it possible to identify the Devil who puts us to the test in the desert experiences we go through physically, mentally and spiritually? Do we experience the power of the divine sonship we have received to conquer them? ²² Were we able to witness with the honour of our sonship, in every moment when there were challenges to our sonship based on the identity – ‘I am God’s child’? ²² As people who live with the aim to fulfill many of the human needs kept in front of us by the world, do we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit? As people who have been made heirs of divine sonship, are we conscious of choosing what is necessary and inquiring the will of God? ²² Man who goes behind instant answers using the easy way out, acts selfishly with the aim of achieving success and effectiveness. Let us identify our calling as a person who has received the grace to divine sonship.

Our actions should be evaluated listening to the voice of God and being obedient to It. Share your experience with others.

87

05. Repentance The calling I have received to gaze at the sonship of Christ, is very special. Therefore, let us look back at the way we live.

As an individual, family, community, has my existence witnessed to the divine sonship every day?

Today let us repent for the instances when we were unable to identify the voice of Satan who challenges our divine sonship, and for when we failed to respond as a son/daughter of God.

06. Closing Prayer Abba father, we gaze mesmerized at Your Son, whom You sent for the salvation of the world. It is the divine sonship that manifested in all; response, vision and behavior of Christ who led a life pleasing to You. Grant us also the strength to lead a life pleasing to You and act as heirs of divine sonship.

Pubudu Gee no. 227

88

22nd Day

"Word of God makes man liveth" 01. Initial praise Pubudu Gee no. 07 St. John 6:68-69 “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” The Word of God heals, liberates and saves the heart of man. Having faith on the Word of God that sustains man, let us enter into praise.

Pubudu Gee No. 188

02. Review • Yesterday entering into the sonship of Christ, we were conscious of opening to the challenge posed to us through His sonship. Were you able to repent for the instances when you could not enter into your sonship?

• Was I able to repent about the instances when I could not respond as a child of God, awakening to the triple enemy who comes after me?

89

03. Good News for the day Let us read St. Mathew 4:4 ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” • Throughout history, people of God have received their strength from the word of God. The slaves of Egypt who were redeemed and were on the journey to Promise land, were strengthened by the word of God; the promises given by Him. • In different periods, throughout the history of salvation, God chose our patriarchs, community leaders, kings and prophets to bring the Word of God to people. When people went against the love of God, God brought them to the correct path and strengthened them with His words.

“I am with you to save you.” (Jeremiah 30:11) “Do not fear, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:10) “Even if a mother forgets her child, I will never forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15) “I will anoint you.”

“I will give you strength.” (Isaiah 41:10) “I will love you to eternity.” (Jeremiah 31:3) • Christ is the complete Word of God, the Advocate. The word of God was expressed through and through in the existence of Jesus.

90

• The word of God is a light, a power, a fire and a hammer.

"The word of God is a light. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105) - The word of God enlightens me to look at everything with light.

- Guides me to search for the light in darkness.

- Strengthens me to help those in the darkness to walk towards the light. Therefore, the light that radiates from the word of God cannot be dispelled by any darkness.

1. The word of God is a power. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) - The words of Isaiah brings out the way the power of God’s word is manifested in the process of creation.

“Let there be light!”, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters!”, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place!”, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth!”

- Looking at it this way, the format of creation that comes from the mouth of God is so powerful that no one could ever find fault with it. It is a word that does not go back without accomplishing its aim. We can see how it manifests in Christ, who is the Word of God. 91

Example:

2. The centurion believed in the power of the word that came from our Lord. “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed.” (Luke 7:6-7) 3. Lazarus who had been buried for 4 days, was given life through the word; “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43) 4. The word spoken to the paralytic “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” (Mark 2:1112)

• The word of God is a fire; a hammer. “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

The fire is powerful. Fire is able to accomplish many things. On one hand, it can change the shape, nature and give life to something. It gives light, creates a newness.

On the other hand, it can destroy many things.

The word of God is a double-edged sword.

“Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) It brings out how sharp and transparent the word of God is, to ‘divide soul and spirit’ and, question the thoughts and intentions of the mind.

92

Example : While St. Paul was going to Damascus to kill the disciples of Christ, he heard the voice of God. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4) The word he received pierced through his heart. It is sharper than a double-edged sword. It was powerful enough to completely change his inner perspective.

04. Share your experience of today • Word of God sustained man at every moment. It is also our experience. The word of God is revealed to us through Christ. It is the Word of God that strengthens us in the different problems, challenges, sorrows, afflictions, helplessness and loneliness. Can we awaken to this?

• Word of God dispels fear. Saves people from sin. Raises man. At times, the kind and close word of God consoles us. And at other times, the challenging word of God stirs our hearts. However, it is the word of God and His promises that sustain man. Do we experience this?

• The word of God reaches our hearts through nature, people, community and events. Have we been able to live claiming to these promises in our everyday life?

• Sometimes, the word of God is a command.

Sometimes, it is a compassionate plea. Therefore, we must build our lives on the Word made Flesh, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us experience that the word of God sustains us.

93

05. Repentance • God’s will is expressed through the word of God. Let us repent for every instance when we did not listen to the word of God or claim His promises, and instead worked against the will of God. • There is also power in the words of people who experience the power of the word of God. Our word affects others; to uplift them, build them up, as well as to look down on them, reject and destroy them.

Let us repent for the experiences when our words abandoned Christ in others.

06. Closing prayer The word of God sustains man. The person who experiences the power of the word of God, makes way for God’s will. Creates His life based on the word of God. Depends on the promises of God. Like our Lord Jesus and Holy mother who were completely obedient to the word of God, grant us also the strength to live in obedience to the word of God. Pubudu Gee no. 137

94

23rd Day

"Surrender your fate to God" - Psalm 37:5 01. Initial praise Keeping faith in God and keeping faith in Christ, is a special feature in the lives of Christians. “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” Let us praise the Almighty God who granted us the grace to experience this.

Pubudu Gee no. 160

02. Review The previous day, we meditated that the word of God sustains us. In an era where people try to fulfill their desires and hopes instantly, to what extent can we remain in the promises of God? Were you able to repent for the instances when you were not able to adapt your life based on the word of God or when you were not able to trust in the promises of God?

03. Good News for the day Let us read 37:1-5 ²² God sent His only son to change the fate of man; sacrifice His life on the cross. God did so to change the 95

fate of man that he inflicted upon his own self. God entered a turning point called ‘repentance’ to our fate.

We Christians who believe in the almighty and ever loving God who thus changed our eternal fate, need not fear about what we would have to face in our life. ²² Like every man Christ too had the space to control His own fate. In fact. Christ was tempted by Satan more than any man to leave the fate destined by God and gain power, fame and win over people. However, Christ chose to fulfill the will of the Father instead because He knew that God would use His life for a greater purpose. Since Christ emptied Himself of all His own desires and expectations, and was filled with the joy of fulfilling God’s will, He experienced a freedom deep enough to even forgive others who insulted Him and inflicted pain on Him. ²² When Christ surrendered His fate to the Father, He believed that the Father would take care of all the needs of His life. It wasn’t necessary to worry or be anxious. Christ was able to live life in the moment and joyfully fulfill His mission. ²² At the garden of Gethsemane, Christ who shared with the Father the difficulty of the suffering He was to endure, completely gave Himself up for the will of the Father. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” (St. Luke 22:42) ²² On the Cross, Christ surrendered His life to the Father.

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) 96

04. Towards us Fate, is uncertain. However, when we surrender our lives to God it is certain that He will take care of us. We can, as per our will, go after the success and temporary happiness of the world. However, God’s plan for us, is to be a Good news to entire mankind. “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) Thus, when we live with faith in God, we can live with the joy of being filled with the love of our Heavenly Father.

Though we may have to endure humiliation, trouble and suffering in carrying out our mission for the Kingdom of God, when we completely surrender ourselves to Him and have faith that He would take care of us, we receive the power to face everything with great joy. For, then the Heavenly Father who entirely knows what is right and best for us, will bless our lives with what we need.

05. Repentance •• Had I received the calling to surrender my fate to God and live with joy having faith in the Father? Where do I stand now?

•• Am I on a journey of trying to solve my fate on my own resting my faith on the identity I have formed for myself based on my talents, the values I appreciate, relationships I think as important and what I mean by success?

97

•• To what extent do the failures, brokenness, tiredness and frustration that I face, control me? Let us identify where we stand and repent. Let us be obedient to the voice of God. Let us rest in His embrace.

06. Sharing experiences Beyond human nature, we are able to experience the joy of fulfilling the will of God when we have faith in God and surrender everything to Him. Have you experienced that happiness?

Share whether, when you lived surrendering everything to God, you were able to remain in that faith and surrender the experiences you went through, too.

07. Closing prayer Let us pray surrendering every one of us and this day to the Heavenly Father, with the words that Christ taught us, to remain in God every day.

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Pubudu Gee no. 23

98

24th Day

"Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan!”

- St. Mathew 4:10 01. Initial Praise The Lord, having fully experienced the love of God, perfectly witnessed to His divine son-ship with dignity.

Through Christ we too have received the same vocation of bearing witness to the kingdom of God in the same manner. Let us enter into praise with the dignity of our divine son-ship since we too have been blessed with the grace of addressing God as Abba! Father! and of entering into a deep relationship with Him, as His beloved children.

Pubudu Gee. no. 150.

02. Reflecting on the previous day 1. On the previous day were you able to entrust your life to the Lord and live in faith and joy?

2. Were you able to repent for the times that you failed to entrust your life to the Lord and trust Him? 99

03. Good News for the day Let us read Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:13.

• In the New Testament both 'Satan' and 'Devil' give the same meaning. The devil is forever in opposition with God trying to distract the mind of man in an attempt of abuse and corruption.

• When reflecting on the temptations the Lord had to face in the wilderness it shows that the devil obviously engaged himself in a dialogue with the Lord. Yet, Christ who was filled with the Holy Spirit recognized the ulterior motives behind the voice of Satan. His attempt is to win the kingdom by working against God and Christ. The Lord who was well aware of this, commanded the devil to go away with the authority of the Son of God. • Even though the devil in his attempt to trap Jesus in the triple temptations conversed with Him presenting power, prestige and possessions, Jesus at once sternly commanded against them. Christ knew that the kingdom of God could be realized only with humility, poverty, through servant-hood and by dying to oneself. Hence, He rose up with authority against the temptations and evil forces that interfered with His son-ship.

100

04. Towards us • As people called to bear witness to our divine son-ship with dignity, we too should be in constant awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

• We should have enough wisdom to detect the cunning tactics of the devil with which he tries to persuade us through various trials and temptations to work against the values of the kingdom.

• Temptations come to us through desires, curiosity and emotions of our own hearts. Just as Christ was we should always be in constant awareness of the Holy Spirit and do as he did by commanding Satan to 'go away' with authority as a child of God .

• Satan, everyday with no exception tries to drag us too into the state of disobedient children, like he did with our first parents who fell into shame. However, as children endowed with the grace of re-entering into the Garden of Eden, we should not pay heed to this misleading voice because Christ through his life of sacrifice has raised up fallen humanity from the depths of sin to the dignity of divine son-ship.

Therefore as God's dignified children let us with authority command Satan to go away.

101

05. Entering into repentance • Let us repent for the times we failed to be mindful of the power received as a child of God to order Satan to go away with authority.

• Temptation, pain and tension come to us as emotions; and as attraction, desire and vanity. Luxury creates jealousy that finally ends up with greater desire. Being idle pushes us towards the desires of the flesh. When helpless we crave for power. There are many such deceptions in our life. Let us repent for the times that we failed to recognize them and as a result of were unaware of the need to be saved from them.

06. Sharing of experience Am I able to spend every moment of my life with the dignity of a child of God? Am I able to respond with the dignity of a child of God in face of different temptations posed by my family, friends and relatives when I try to live up to kingdom values?

07. Conclusion • Let us read Ephesians 6:10-18.

• Jesus Christ with the authority of divine son-ship commanded Satan every time His divine son-ship was 102

challenged. As people endowed with the vocation of the dignity of divine son-ship we too possess the power to command Satan who tries to separate us from our relationship with God. Let us pray for the needed grace, to become aware.

• Pubudu Gee no. 121 • At the end of the session, recite the prayer of exorcism.

103

25th Day

"Drive out Evil spirits.

Be awake to the Divine Sonship."

01. Initial Praise • Let us worship the Holy Trinity • Pubudu Gee no. 3 • The Holy Spirit reigns over a heart filled with Joy and Praise. The power in praising God overcomes the dark forces of Evil.

• Let us praise Abba Father who saved us from the power of darkness and made us partakers of the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ, and experience the power of divine sonship in praising Him. Pubudu Gee no. 103

02. Review • Share your experience of Repentance yesterday.

• ‘Satan, Get Away!’ As an honored Son of God you too have the authority to give commands to the Devil.

104

03. Good News for the day A. Why do we need to drive away Evil Spirits?

• Because it is a hindrance for God’s infinite love to flow into to us and for that love to flow out of us, to others. It also does not permit us to enjoy the love of the Father, which is the very heritage of our divine sonship, nor allow us to be filled with that Love.

• How do evil spirits enter into us? Through being oppressed by inner wounds, generational sins and unpleasant memories of the past; through the carnal desires that arise out of our human weakness and by not living under the guidance of the Spirit; by giving priority to our will and rejecting the will of God. • Evil spirits try to infiltrate during such occasions of emotional and sinful darkness which affects our lives.

Being under the influence of sin and addictions, is an invitation for Evil spirits to gain admission to one’s inner self.

• Jesus led an exemplary life, driving out Evil spirits and filling Himself with the love of God, in order to stay Holy and unblemished. The scriptures bear witness to this.

• A Christian disciple is one who has received the gift of divine sonship. One who is dedicated to the Kingdom of God. One who experiences divine strength in the name of Christ and who works against the power of Satan.

105

• Read St. Mark 1:21-28, St. Luke 10:17-19 meditatively.

• Gaze at . . .

1. The way Christ drove out Evil spirits with authority, as a son of man and also, as son of God. 2. The way Christ entrusted the powers of driving out Evil spirits to His disciples B. Living in Christ and constantly seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, let us also get attired with the armour of God. Being conscious of the powers of divine sonship, we too should drive out these Evil spirits.

04. Repentance i. In support of repentance and a change of heart, pray to the Holy Spirit that you may become aware of your sin as you listen to John the Baptist. ii. St. John 3:2,5-8 iii. Meditate on the instances when your sinful habits and acts of wrongdoings have made you unable to live daily as an upright son of man and a son of God; and on instances when you were unable to live in the joyful sonship due to being led to satisfy sinful physical desires and cravings. Recall the instances when you had passed judgment on one another and succumbed to living focused on attaining 106

worldly and physical pleasures and the desires of the flesh. iv. Recall situations when you were hateful and angry, with intentions to take revenge, to hurt and inflict wounds on others. v. Go to the foot of the cross. Unburden your sinful state. Experience purification through the Sacred Blood of Christ, through the mediation of the Blessed Mother. Get purified. Become conscious of your sonship. Experience the resulting happiness, peace and freedom.

05. Share your experience in community 06. Closing prayer • Let us sing Pubudu Gee no. 97 and drive out the Evil spirits lurking within and around us.

• Together recite the official prayer of rebuking the Devil.

107

26th Day

"Let us gaze at the Sonship of Christ" 01. Initial praise • Let us worship the Holy Trinity • Pubudu Gee no. 3 • (2 Corinthians 5:21) "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." • This was in order that man may embrace obedience like the Son of God and be adopted to become sons of God. • Pubudu Gee no. 198

02. Reflect back • Share your experiences of repentance with the good news of yesterday.

• Drive out evil spirits. Be conscious of the power of divine sonship.

108

03. Good News for the day (Read St. Mark 1:9-11 and gaze at the Divine sonship of Christ)

1. The foundation of our Lord’s baptism experience was “You are my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.” How profound is the revelation of the Almighty Father concerning His Son? 2. Jesus claimed for himself the intimate message that came through the voice that said “Son of mine”; I am the son of the Almighty God. I belong to Him. I now live the life of the Father Himself. I do not belong to myself anymore. Almighty Father is the owner of my life. Thus, Christ’s experience of Divine sonship was that He fully belonged to God. Jesus regarded the heritage of divine sonship as the greatest treasure.

3. Our Lord had an unparalleled vision of His heritage of divine sonship for the Kingdom of God. That is, He observed the Father’s glory unveiling in everything. He saw how the Glory of the Father had made everything new. The heart of the pleasant Son of God was filled with this enlightened vision.

4. At that moment, through the voice that exclaimed “I am pleased with you,” Jesus was armed for the mission entrusted to Him for the salvation of the entire humanity.

109

5. “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’ (in the scroll of the book it is written of me.” (Hebrew 10:5-7) 6. “The Pleasant Son” is the Son who fully carries out the Holy will of the Father. It means that Christ is the heroic Son who suffers for the kingdom of Love, dedicates and sacrifices His whole life for the Father. Jesus saw that when the heavens opened the hour had come.

04. For reflection and repentance • “Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

(St. John 3:3) • Jesus revealed about Baptism and its necessity through Nicodemus, the religious leader. “Born again” means to be armed with the power that comes from above; that we receive a spiritual renewal.

• An exercise – “And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” (St. John 16:8) 110

- Meditate whether we’re inconspicuously caught-up in sins, passed down through generations. The frustration, jealousy, pride and such that we experience may be the results or consequences of generational sins.

- Meditate on the subtle sins that are hidden or imperceptible to us.

05. Share your experience based on the Good News today 06. Closing prayer: Throughout the day, be conscious of the darkness that arise in our minds during different incidents.

Pray for the powers of the Holy Spirit to enlighten your heart.

Pubudu Gee no. 126

111

27th Day

"Let us look towards our sonship" (I too am a pleasing son or daughter) 01. Initial praise: Pubudu Gee no. 01 All of us created in the image of God are children of God. (Genesis 1:27) St. Paul further confirms this as he says: “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:15-17, Galatians 4:6-7) Let us sing, giving thanks to our Abba FatherAbba Mother who loves us so much.

Pubudu Gee no. 140

02. Review Did we repent for not awakening to the honour of the divine sonship that we received as a right due to shedding of the Sacrificial Blood of Christ? Let us share.

112

03. Good News for the day ²² Looking at our sonship is the 3rd experience of the charisma of the Kithu Dana Pubuduwa. Our main calling, as children of God, is brought out in these verses. ²² Let us read St. Mathew 5:48, St. Luke 6:36 ²² Our calling as children of God is to become a pleasing son or daughter to Him. “.. Love is from God. …

Whoever does not love does not know God.” (1 John 4:7-13) Therefore, our calling is to be filled with love. ²² Christ is the one who completely revealed Love; the Father. That is, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Colossians 1:15) Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9) ²² Therefore, the prime example of our sonship is Christ who completely fulfilled the will of God. The voice of God heard at River Jordan; “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” must have been heard

by Christ throughout His life. It must have echoed in His heart and felt much strongly on the Cross. ²² As renewed Christians, our calling too is to attain the ‘pleasing sonship’ that Christ experienced. Therefore, with the help of the Holy Spirit, let us constantly gaze at Him. 113

²² Christ’s entire life existence is a challenge to us. Father, who is Love, is revealed in all of Christ’s gaze, smile, words, actions, silence, sorrow and pain. It expresses the true sonship of Christ. ²² When we gaze at Christ, He makes us look at our sin; our current condition, grants us forgiveness and challenges us to journey to where we are supposed to be. At times He challenges us to journey towards Love, the true experience of sonship. And at other times, He is calling us, saying “Come follow me”. When we answer to that calling, the voice heard by Christ: “the son who I am pleased with” is heard by me too. ²² No matter how weak, sinful, poor or illiterate I am, since God loves me, since He is my Father, no matter what the world says, and from what it measures my worth, I am a pleasing son, daughter to the Father. ²² Christ was insulted and downgraded by people saying that He was a son of a carpenter, son of Mary, and that He drove out Spirits with the power of the devil, that His mind has gone awry and that He was blasphemous to God. However, Christ was firm inside; “I am the pleasing son of God.” When we are faced with different challenges, pressures and faliures let us, like Christ bear witness to our ‘pleasing sonship in God’.

Let us exercise faith.

114

04. Repentance Let us repent and pray for the instances when we were not able to own or bear witness to the supreme grace of the ‘pleasing sonship’ God has gifted us.

05. Sharing experience Share experiences about your sonship.

06. Closing prayer Let us praise Abba Father - Abba Mother, owning the experience of sonship granted back to mankind who had fallen to sin, through Christ’s sacrifice of His life on the Cross.

Pubudu Gee no. 146

115

28th Day

"Let us experience the dignity of divine sonship" 01. Initial praise Pubudu Gee no. 10 God is our Father, our Mother. Therefore, I’m not afraid of anything. God can do the impossible. God knows everything. Therefore, there’s nothing that happens without His knowledge. God will turn everything to our good.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; … the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

(Psalm 27:1) Let us thank and praise God who called us to experience the dignity of Divine sonship, making us partakers of the Divine nature.

Pubudu Gee no. 156

02. Review • Was I able to be conscious of my sonship?

• Was I able to enter into repentance and was I able to journey to the experience of Christ having been gazed at as the ‘pleasing son’?

116

• Throughout the day, how many times had I heard that voice?

03. Good News for the day • "Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor." (Psalm 8:5) • “The Word became flesh to make us 'partakers of the divine nature.' For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 460) • We are called by God not to live as slaves any further but to live with honour, as a true son or daughter of God. • That is, no matter what happens to me, I must believe that I am a daughter or son of God and that God is my Abba Father and Mother. Christ experienced this honour His entire life. Not only in happiness, Christ also experienced it in painful, lonely and miserable situations.

• In the two instances; the baptism at River Jordan and at the transfiguration, the divine sonship and majesty of Christ was powerfully expressed. Words of St. Paul (Mathew 6:16) and the Centurion (St. Mathew 27:57) further affirms this. However, it is most greatly expressed on the Cross. Christ experienced 117

it throughout the journey of His passion. Thus, the honour of His Divine sonship was strongly manifested in lowering of Himself, humility and obedience.

• “(Christ) who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:6-7) • Thus St. Paul expresses the way experienced this honour; "For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. "(1 Corinthians 9:19) • Therefore, no matter our current experience, we are called to lead a life in the joy of Christ, experiencing the dignity of Divine sonship. It is easy to experience it in happiness and success. However, in failure, painful and distressful circumstances, times of darkness and temptations when the presence of God is not felt, it is difficult to experience the dignity of sonship.

As human beings, we feel discouraged. We feel frustrated. Many even attempt to put an end to their lives. However we must remember that our role model in any such situation, is Christ. The dignity that Christ experienced when standing before temptations, humiliation, accusations and injustice was the same as what He experienced when performing miracles, healing, and receiving the praise of God. 118

Example 1 – Before Pilate, Christ expressed that “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over.” (John 18:36-37) Example 2– Granting forgiveness to those who were responsible for His extreme pain. And, although He asked: “Lord, why have you forsaken me?” He said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,” the very next moment.

• Therefore, let us gaze at the author of that experience itself and journey towards experiencing the honour of divine sonship.

04. Repentance Let us pray for the instances when we were not able to experience or were not conscious of the honour in divine sonship.

05. Sharing experience - Was I able to experience the dignity in divine sonship as a person who was granted the heritage of divine sonship?

- Was I able to awaken myself to it? Was I able to identify the hindrances to experiencing it?

- Especially in failure, distress and sorrow, was I able to experience the dignity of divine sonship?

119

06. Closing prayer Let us praise the Almighty God, our Creator who has granted this great gift of ‘dignified life in the divine sonship’, to His finite creation that is man.

Pubudu Gee no. 150

120

29th Day

"What is prayer?

Do you have a prayer life?"

01. Initial Praise Let us have a deep desire in our hearts to praise the Abba Father. Since God the Father has given the right of son-ship to everyone of us He persistently awaits in longing to bathe us with His love. Let us now, praise and worship this God Most Holy.

Pubudu Gee No. 218

02. Reviewing the previous day Were you able to live out the dignity of divine sonship that we shared about yesterday? Did it come to your mind on and off? If you have had at least a small experience, let us share it with others.

03. Good News for the day As Catholics we have different ways of praying. We have trained ourselves to pray mentally, verbally, pray within our hearts and also internally. According to St. Augustine, prayer is our thirst for God, uniting with His desire or thirst for us.

121

Revelation 3:20 provides a foundation for prayer: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

• Just as God desires to come in to us and eat with us (love us), we also should have a desire to open the door of our hearts and welcome Him. I should allow Him to come in to me. Therefore, for us of the Pubuduwa, prayer is to make space for God. Prayer is not just something that we do but also what God does in us; what He accomplishes in us.

• When I let God in, He will come to me and start accompanying me on a journey. This journey is from where I am to where I should be forever; to where the Father is. Therefore we could come to the conclusion that prayer is a journey.

• Yet, when we enter into prayer, the challenge we face is being steered by different thoughts. They are full of egoism, selfishness and self-centeredness. This condition hinders me to let God work in me.

• At such moments what we try to do is, to evade them, to fight them, annihilate them or to suppress them.

Yet, the guidance we have got as Pubudu members is to be conscious of the situation and make use of it 122

as an aid to venture into the bosom of the Father. To the extent that I allow the Holy Spirit to overshadow the condition I am in, He will take me to the Father's bosom. To the extent that we deepen our awareness of the Holy Spirit, the strength of the weakness that enslaves us, will start diminishing.

• We will be able to move to the foot of the cross and experiencing purification we will be able to experience holiness, purity and fulfillment in love.

Thus, we will be able to surpass the weak, feeble and sinful conditions we experience and reach God, the unlimited and perfect love.

• What Christ experienced daily, from long before dawn and perhaps the whole night on a mountain top was this love. This enabled Him to love feeble and vulnerable human beings.

• Even in our prayer life, the primary witness with which we can measure its depth is having more freedom to love and a growing increase of the qualities of love – universal love, sacrificial love, foot-washing love and enduring love.

• Thus, qualities of divine son-ship were constantly made manifest through Christ. This shows the deep relationship He had with the Father. Prayer, for Christ, was His very life and not only one aspect of it.

123

04. Towards us - The prayer, “My hour” is a powerful medium through which we could experience the love of God. - Do we lead a life of prayer or else, do we pray only in an illness, in face of an insolvable problem or when we are in need of something?

- Can I be pleased and contented with the freedom I have to love others, relishing in the love of God?

5.

Entering into repentance

• Let us repent for the times that we neglected prayer through which we had access to experience the love of God and His redemption.

• Since the loss of freedom in me to love shows that I have either not given enough priority to prayer in my life or that there is a weakening of my prayer life, let us repent of this.

06. Conclusion The invitation of the Father is to enter into His home and to experience His love. Therefore, let us remain in His bosom, in His dwelling place and praise Him. Pubudu Gee No. 48

124

30th Day

"Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving and Sacrifices" 01. Initial praise Season of lent is a time of grace. It is the period when we further open ourselves to the love of God. Therefore, let us today open ourselves to that grace and pray to God for a powerful transformation and repentance to take place in us.

Pubudu Gee no. 291

02. Review We can say that to lead a life of prayer is to lead a life experiencing the divine sonship. The time given to My hour (personal prayer) and the continual awakening to the Holy Spirit, benefits to this. We talked about 4 features of love brought out through a person who leads a life of prayer. What is your experience?

03. Good News of the day ²² There are different ways in which the inner change of a Christian is expressed. In the Bible, church fathers 125

present us 3 special ways of it. They are fasting, prayer and almsgiving. ²² Fasting not only benefits in repentance but also in praying and entering into a deep relationship with Christ. In the Old testament, it mentions that Moses and prophet Elijah too fasted. (Exodus 34:28) ²² Christ fasted for forty days and presented us an example. (Mathew 4:2) Christ also taught the disciples to fast. (Mathew 17:21, 9:15) ²² Giving the money saved through fasting to the poor, also belongs to fasting. It is an opportunity to be one (to unite) with the poor. ²² Fasting as well as almsgiving is a deed of repentance mentioned in the Bible. (Tobit 12:8-9) ²² St. Augustine has said that the prayer done along with fasting and almsgiving is powerful. “Fasting and almsgiving are the two wings of prayer.” ²² Most often we give alms for the departed souls but not for our repentance. “For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin.” (Tobit 12:9). We can engage in deeds of repentance by spending energy, money, as well as wealth. ²² Due to different adversities and scarcity, Christ stays deserted in many people. Almsgiving can be used as a way to resurrect the deserted Christ in those people.

126

²² Different sacrificial acts grant us a spiritual power for repentance. St. Paul shares his experience about this with us. “I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) ²² As people of Pubuduwa, while we focus on ‘My hour’ every day, let us also awaken ourselves to make life of prayer and reading the Holy Scriptures, a priority.

04. Share among groups The season of Lent must be spent in prayer, fasting and almsgiving because they make us grow closer to our Heavenly Father. Thus, Lent turns to a true period of grace.

During this time, were you able to experience God or improve your relationship with God?

05. Towards repentance Deeds of repentance are ways of experiencing spiritual graces. Fasting, almsgiving, prayer and sacrifices help us in this. Let us repent for not giving any consideration to them.

Let us pray that we receive the strength to at least awaken to it now.

Pubudu Gee no. 126 127

06. Closing prayer Almsgiving is a resurrection of Christ abandoned in others. Fasting brings us closer to God. Thus as we own repentance, let us ask for the power to realize the gravity of our sins and journey to the depth of repentance in the days to come.

Pubudu Gee no. 32

128

31st Day

"Prayer; My Hour"

01. Initial Praise Let us enter into praise opening ourselves to the gift of prayer and praise through which we have been endowed with the ability to powerfully experience the love of God. Pubudu Gee No. 103

02. Reflecting on the previous day Share your experience in entering into prayer, fasting, giving alms and other acts of penance.

03.

Good News for the day

• Prayer is an unending journey. Therefore, at the beginning of prayer itself our aim and objective should be to reach the bosom of the Father. As a son of God, the best way to get closer to God is prayer.

We who are in the Pubudu journey, 'My hour,' the time allocated to prayer will be a great support for us in this venture and therefore this guidance will prove helpful. Really, our whole life should be a journey of prayer.

129

• The halting places on this journey could be explained as follows: 1. Entering into the God given reading. (John 14:16-17) 2. Dual awareness (The first halting place) • Having started our journey in awakening ourselves to the Holy Spirit through the reading, we pause for a moment at the first halting place of dual awareness.

Here we have concentrated more on the Holy Spirit and now it is time to be mindful of the condition we are in.

• Let us especially recognize our present situation, and the experience we are passing through. (Thoughts, feelings, emotions, a state of joy, a sense of uneasiness, a sin or an incident occurred during the day). The time we are going through, the situation we are in whether it is a feeling of joy or darkness, they are transient.

They will eventually disappear. Therefore the state of joy or darkness is a weak condition.

1. The fivefold awareness (The second halting place) i. The fact that the Holy Spirit remains in me and with me. ii. The entire universe is his dwelling place.

He is everywhere. "Ru-ah," me, us, all of us are in the Spirit.

130

iii. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads us and guides us. iv. Holy Spirit is the voice of the Father. v. Awakening ourselves to the word incarnated coming to us through "the voice," the Holy Spirit.

2. The first threshold (It is important to enter into this experience using your imagination.)

• In our journey of prayer we reach the river Jordan, our third halting place. Here, as we already know the voice of John the Baptist awakens us to repentance (Mark 1:4-5). Let us join the crowd there with John the Baptist and making our confession, receive baptism at the river of Jordan.

• Here we see the sins we have committed (in thought, word and deed), either from the time we woke up this morning or from 'My hour,' to this moment. (If we can write down the weaknesses we recognize, that will be a help in repentance.)

3. The second threshold • Having received the baptism of repentance when we walk up the river Jordan, we hear the voice of Christ.

"The kingdom of God is close at hand, repent and 131

believe in the Good News." Here we are called to the baptism of conversion.

• For this purpose the Holy Spirit takes us to the most important place, the foot of the Cross. Here He is taking us especially to receive baptism of the most precious Blood for the weaknesses that I have kept strongly fixed within me, through which my life has been led to venture. On our arrival at the foot of the Cross, the Blessed Mother with one hand lovingly holds us and baptizes us with the most precious blood using the other hand. (Thus she washes away every sin in our mind and heart.) Here, let us claim what we have inherited. (The second threshold) The Holy Spirit helps us claim that holiness, stainless purity, fullness of love.

4. The verandah • Here is a place where we direct our eyes, minds and hearts to Christ. We come to Him directly. Here, through the Blessed Mother and the Saints too we could direct our hearts and minds to Christ. Also we could focus on reading and meditation.

Ex. We can also read the Holy Bible, Walk in the spirit or any other religious book.

132

5. Sitting room • This is a place where we experience a deep communion. We see Christ and the Blessed Mother and come into communion with the heavenly Church the victorious, the suffering Church in purgatory and the Church militant on earth. We can also make use of the five fingers. We can be awakened to this space as a place of vocation to join in communion with the social, economic and political spheres that affect the country.

6. Sanctuary • Though there is a deep sense of community, it is as if there is nothing. It is moving into solitude. When we go deeper there will be an experience of a particular emptiness and serenity. Yet, as a result of the seventh eye being opened you feel that you are in the bosom of the Father. As well as solitude and loneliness fullness and joy too will be experienced. It is a result of moving into the bosom of the Father.

7. The bosom • It is a place to which the Holy Spirit Himself should take us. When we really move into the bosom we do not feel it so. It is a place where we can get into when 133

we receive a special grace from the Holy Spirit. It can be called a graceful condition those in continuous journey could experience. It is a place we cannot understand or express as being in the bosom or in solitude. It is really a gift; a favourable condition. So, let us thirst for it.

04. Sharing experiences : (in small groups)

• Share experiences about the steps (halting places) of the journey of prayer.

• Ask one another whether there are unclear situations and explain them.

05. Conclusion Let us pray to the Father receiving the touch of the immense love of His bosom.

Pubudu Gee. No. 92

134

32nd Day

"Owning the Salvation" 01. Initial praise We have been chosen through Christ before the world was created, to stand before God; holy, unblemished and filled with love. Let us accept and take on this great good news. Let us awaken ourselves with faith. I have been chosen before I was born; before the world was created, to experience salvation through Christ. Therefore, let us awaken and give praise to the greatness of our calling and heritage, and give glory to God. Pubudu Gee no. 190

02. Review Our heritage as people called to divine sonship is to live in the house of the Father. To lead a prayer life is to always live as a daughter or son of God. It is ‘My hour’ that revives us to go from where we are, to where we should be, that is, to the house of the Father. Share your experience.

135

03. Good News of the day Let us read St. Mark 1:15 ²² Christ invites us to repent and believe in the Good news. ²² We answer to this calling through the sacrament of baptism. Through the 8 talks, repentance session and passover session (Pubudu experience), we have received the heritage to the grace of experiencing a great renewal regarding repentance and the revelation to believe in the Good news. ²² We receive an abundance of graces through baptism.

That is, we receive the forgiveness for original sin, personal sins as well as to the punishment deserved for the sin. If sin was an obstacle for us to enter into the Kingdom of God, it is also abolished and all the stains that were within me due to sin is erased through baptism. I receive the grace to a new birth, to become a new creation. ²² Since we receive this heritage (baptism) mostly in childhood, we were awakened to this heritage through the Pubuduwa experience, and through a spiritual baptism, our lives were renewed. ²² Although we are co-heirs of a greater heritage, the weaknesses of our personality, its tendencies to sin and the desires that incline us to sin, remain in us.

136

²² "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." (Ephesians 1:7) ²² We have a challenge and battle in owning this victory.

Our calling is not to go along with our erroneous tendencies and sinful desires but to gain victory with our faith in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13).

04. Discussion Repentance is the first step to regain back completeness, holiness and our blemished nature from where we went wrong with sin and the instances when our sonship was tampered with. We should awaken to repentance to experience freedom, healing and comfort without staying unclean in the stain of sin and without bearing the weight of the falsity of sin.

Share your experiences.

In the Pubuduwa life, to own victory and salvation we are awakened to journey to the foot of the Cross. The 1st and 2nd doorways (elipaththa) of the experience of ‘My hour’ calls us there. Share your experience.

The calling of Christ for repentance is experienced as a sacrament in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Since sins are revealed and confessed before a priest, it is called Confession. The guidance given to the people of 137

Pubuduwa is to do a confession at least once a month.

Share your experience.

05. Repentance These 7 steps can be used as guidance to overcome our weaknesses. (focus on making this an experience) 1. Awaken to our current state 2. Accepting the weakness 3. Loving the weakness 4. Praying to the Holy Spirit to overshadow us (Owning it through faith) 5. Transformation (Experiencing an unburdening of the weakness or an unusual emptiness in the weakness) 6. Sharing that experience 7. Experiencing joy

06. Closing prayer Our heritage is victory; receiving forgiveness to sin; experiencing freedom; owning the salvation. The repentance born of sincere regret and faith grants us the heritage of victory through the Sacred Blood of Christ. Let us own it and give thanks to God! Pubudu Gee no. 116 138

33rd Day

"The mystery of suffering" 01. Initial praise As Catholics we are called to experience the paschal mystery in our suffering. Its final experience is taking part in the victory and joy of resurrection. It is a long journey. Let us praise our Risen Lord with great faith amidst sorrow, pain, persecution and challenges.

Pubudu Gee no. 113

02. Review Let us share our experience of journeying to the foot of the Cross and claiming salvation.

03. Good News of the day Let us read St. Mark 10:32-34 Let us gaze at Christ and share our insights with each other.

- We are being taken into the mystery of the passion/ suffering of Christ. In this experience, we are called to search for the meaning behind suffering.

139

- Christ accepted the pain and the Cross willingly. He rejected any attempts to distance Him from it. (St. Mark 8:32-33) - It is not only those who sin, that suffer. Though there are reasons to think of suffering as a punishment for sins, it is definitely not so. When we gaze at Christ, we can understand that there is no definite connection between righteousness and suffering.

- From what is apparent from the life of Christ, suffering is for the redemption of others. Therefore, to think that one suffers due to the consequences of sin, alters the Christian vision.

- There was a clear objective to the suffering and death of Christ. Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.” (John 4:34) So, to experience the resurrection, one must definitely go through suffering and death.

- Suffering was not forcefully thrust upon Christ. Out of His own free will he accepted it as the will of the Father in order to achieve salvation for the entire mankind.

04. Towards repentance i. Do we awaken ourselves to accept and repent for our sins when we suffer due to our sins? Without leaving any opportunity to go back to that state, have you taken the necessary steps to get over 140

your sins? We need to make suffering, a sacrament to die to our sin and overcome it. ii. We are tested with sorrow and pain in our journey of renewal, to be purified. Have you become aware that you are called to have firm faith towards God and be filled with the hope and love that it eventually grants you salvation? iii. Suffering is an opportunity to take the decision to give Jesus Christ the lordship of your life. We are called to witness to the kingdom of God while facing suffering and uncertainty. iv. Resurrection and victory through suffering and death is our legacy/right. Therefore, suffering is the path to liberty. When we, in God, awaken ourselves to suffering, our hope for liberation is revealed.

05. Discussion Share your experience, discussing the guidance given above for repentance.

06. Closing prayer Let us pray for a baptism in the Holy Spirit to awaken us to the vision of Christ, regarding suffering.

Pubudu Gee no. 142 141

34th Day

"Christ Abandoned" 01. Initial Praise The Lord is with us even in a desert-experience, in thick darkness, and even when we are in the depths of helplessness and suffering. He who offered himself up in suffering and death for our sake is now present with us filled with the glory of resurrection.

Pubudu Gee No. 42

02. Reflecting on the previous day Christ presented to us a new vision on suffering.

Were you able to detect your attitudes and responses in face of suffering? Did you repent for not being able to respond with the vision of Christ?

03. Good News for the day Let us read Matthew 26:36-40 and Matthew 27:45-46.

Focus on Christ and share your insights on His interior self with others.

• We could see different aspects of pain and suffering in the world.

142

• The pain that people undergo could be physical, mental, moral, material and spiritual.

• It could be the lack of material needs (clothes, food and housing), physical pain (various illnesses) mental pain (due to lack of understanding, appreciation, listening, non acceptance, neglect and abandonment). Yet the deepest pain of man is loneliness.

• The cause of suffering need not be purely material.

There is also a spiritual aspect of feeling forsaken by God. • Christ gives meaning to suffering in being united with man in pain and suffering by undergoing pain, suffering and death on the Cross.

• The entire life of Christ was to be united with man in his pain and suffering. He did not have a proper place to be born, was made a refugee because of the killing of the innocents by Herod, experienced insecurity as stated in (Luke 9:58) 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head', right throughout His life He was under suspicion and doubt, subjected to rejection, betrayal, suffering and death through which He felt deeply alone and all of the above explain how He was in full communion with man.

• He experienced not only physical pain from the garden of Gethsemane to the Cross, but felt the 143

mental agony of being abandoned, and finally on the Cross felt forsaken even by the Father (Matthew 27:46).

• Since through all of the above He united with every pain and suffering of you and me, we come to the realization that He joins us in every pain of ours.

Therefore, in every pain and suffering the Risen Lord is in communion with us.

• For He is the word of God made flesh. This union, this incarnation is not simply being made flesh externally and physically but being united with man, entering into every pain of his; suffering and loneliness.

04. Entering into repentance • Our Pubudu calling is not to fall down in despair when in pain and loneliness but to recognize Christ abandoned in myself and others. When in pain and loneliness, to encounter Him and to experience the joy of resurrection. How much awake and aware are you? Let us repent for not paying attention to this.

• My pain and loneliness is a key to unite myself with and be in communion with those suffering in loneliness.

Are you conscious of this? Let us repent for our failure to do so.

• Let us repent for the times that we did not awaken ourselves to resurrect the abandoned Christ in our 144

society, in the environment (in plants, trees, animals and beasts), in the community and in the family.

05. Sharing of experience • Share your experience of pain and loneliness. Are you conscious of the fact that Christ is abandoned in you during those times?

• Do you recognize Christ in the pain and loneliness of others, in plants, trees, animals and beasts? Share about the times that you made efforts to resurrect Him.

06. Conclusion Let us be mindful of our pain (physical, mental and spiritual) and the loneliness we experience. Let us invite the Holy Spirit to overshadow this loneliness. The Holy Spirit incarnates the Word in my pain and loneliness. Let us be conscious, acknowledge and have faith in it.

Let us recognize Christ in our pain and loneliness.

Let us see all things with the light of faith. Let us be mindful of the pain and loneliness of those whom we know and pray to the Holy Spirit to overshadow them. Seeing Christ made flesh in them let us offer prayer and worship to our Lord.

Pubudu Gee No. 31 145

35th Day

"God who is love is fully present in the abandoned Christ."

01. Initial Praise Certainly it is Good News to be able to know the Lord God who loves me unconditionally, accepting me irrespective of whatever the condition I am in. God is love.

Let us offer praise and worship to the Most Holy Trinity, who is love personified.

Pubuduwa Gee No. 1

02. Reviewing the previous day Reflecting on the past Pubuduwa life let us share our experiences of the previous day regarding the level of our awareness of Christ abandoned.

03. Good News for the day Let us read 1 John 4:7-9 and Mathew 27:46.

146

• Christ addressed God as Abba, Father. Yet, on the Cross He cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" With His agonizing pain and frightening loneliness on the cross, He had the feeling that even God had abandoned Him. It was His experience.

- Cross was the moment that Christ felt fully abandoned.

- It was the moment that He fully united himself with the abandonment of every man.

- The sacred mystery is God who is love, being fully abandoned in Christ in order to be united (in love) with the abandoned mankind.

• God is love. His love for us was made manifest through Christ. God who is love, through Christ, entering into man's sorrow, trouble, tension, loneliness and every kind of suffering that man undergoes, He pours out His love upon man. This is the mystery of incarnation, the mystery of love, the mystery of God loving man through Jesus Christ.

• In man’s deepest loneliness and isolation, Almighty God, the origin of mystery, loves him through Christ, in Christ and with Christ who Himself becomes isolated and abandoned in man. We need to open our “seventh Eye” of faith to be conscious of His presence in our solitude.

• Seventh eye is a light of faith and a power that enables us to walk with new light even in the thick 147

darkness of pain and loneliness. Even in those who lead an ordinary Pubuduwa life, this eye could remain unopened. Seventh eye is a special gift from the Holy Spirit. A source of light and power to be in the fifth level of contemplative prayer, that is, at the foot of the Cross.

• For those who have been called to the fourth or fifth level of contemplative prayer the words, "I shall journey with God alone" are important. Even though there is no one else, even when experiencing loneliness, they enter into the experience that God is with them. Though we don't sense it, it is discernible to those whose seventh eye is opened. They will never collapse or break down since "I shall journey with God alone" is their motto.

• Faith needed for daily living is generally present in every man. Yet faith in a Catholic is a gift from God. Examples: - - The presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

- - The Immaculate conception of our Blessed Mother.

- - The resurrection of Christ.

• More than the faith of ordinary Catholics there should be a depth manifested in the faith of those in the third level of contemplative prayer, the members of Pubuduwa. Out of those in Pubuduwa, they who have been called to the Little Flock, display through 148

their eye of faith a much sharper, deeper, broader and an enlightened vision. They start seeing Christ in a new way. Thus, receiving an ever new light if we too experience a new eye being opened, certainly we too will be part of the little flock.

04. Entering into repentance • Having been called to the Pubuduwa Journey through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we have been invited to open ourselves to a deeper revelation of God's love. At what stage are we in our journey?

• I have been called to this prayer journey of passing from the level of the ‘sea shore’, the ‘beach’ and then further on to the third, fourth and fifth levels; Let me inquire really as to where am I today?

First level – Ordinary people Second level – Catholics Third level – Catholics in the renewal experience Fourth level – Those belonging to the little flock (Called to the journey in 1996 along with the experience of ‘Let Go’) Fifth level – Those called to the experience of the ‘foot of the cross’ We need to journey into the depths of faith (opening our 7th eye of faith) in order to respond to the deep 149

mystery of love to face the challenges of this age with the dawn of our fiftieth Jubilee Pubuduwa Gee No. 390.

Let us repent reflecting on the words of the hymn and enter into prayer.

04. Sharing of experience • Share in groups. Discuss the insights of the Hymn No. 390.

• With the personal and family experience we are in at this time, share the relationship to the experience the above hymn offers.

• What does this Hymn call us for, with the challenges faced by Pubuduwa, and the prevalent Covid 19 pandemic the country as well as the world is faced with?

05. Conclusion Enter into prayer with Pubuduwa Gee No. 390. “ Loneliness Loneliness …”

150

36th Day

"Blessed Mother whose heart was pierced" 01. Initial Praise The Blessed Mother whilst being present with the disciples at Pentecost, is also the Co-Redemptrix of the saving mission of Christ. Even today she journeys with us, guiding us towards salvation and to a deep relationship with her son Jesus Christ. Since she intercedes for us, together with her among us and believing in the living presence of God among us let us enter into a session of praise of experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pubudu Gee No. 10.

02. Reviewing of the previous day Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit we were called for a revival in our journey of Christian discipleship.

We have received an invitation, a vocation to move deeper and deeper into this journey of renewal. Were you able to repent for the times that you failed to be in awareness during life events and of your failure in giving a positive response to them? Share with others.

151

03. Good News for the day Luke 2:34-35.

• Let us read these verses several times and gaze into the inner experience of our Blessed Mother. Let us meditate on how the Holy Spirit helped her to enter into the most agonizing and terrifying experience that was hers.

"A sword will pierce through your own soul also." ²² The Holy Church even calls the Mother of God "Mater Dolorosa" (the mother with a pierced heart) or the mother of sorrows since she walked through the most agonizing experiences similar to being pierced with a sword through which she participated in the suffering of Christ. ²² For an ordinary woman, how painful it would be to see with her own eyes the death of her son? No mother would ever hope to go through that experience. Yet Mother Mary, who completely bowed down to the will of God, was courageous enough to face the agonizing pain of the death of Christ on the Cross however heart piercing it was, wherein she was supported by the power of the Holy Spirit. ²² Her heart was one with the heart of Christ. From the moment of annunciation, when Christ was made flesh, both mother and the Son had the same heart and the same heart beat. She being the first living tabernacle bears Christ in her heart.

152

²² Therefore, she cannot be separated from the life, mission as well as the sufferings of Christ. Being of one heart both possessed a deep longing to fully accomplish the will of God. When the heart of Christ was pierced with a lance the Mother underwent the experience of her heart being pierced through a sword. In this painful experience since her heart was so united to the heart of Jesus, her son, she experienced the same pain. ²² When she held the lifeless body in her arms, her heart would have been pierced with a sword. She must have entered with faith into the experience of utter obedience. She would have experienced the mysterious love of God the Father through the most precious Blood that flowed out from the pierced heart of Christ. Both of them sharing in communion the same experience of deep pain adhered to the will of God in total fidelity.

04. Sharing of experience in small groups Fulfilling the will of God is a painful experience similar to being pierced with a sword. Yet the experience of Christ and His mother in faith was that salvation dawned through that same suffering. To which they bore witness.

• Have you gone through painful experiences where you felt like you were being pierced by a sword 153

because of the longing you had to accomplish the will of God? • Did that experience help increase your obedience in faith?

• Or else, did the pain make you run away from it?

05. Direction towards repentance: • Even though Adam and Eve by defying the will of God gave us a heritage of death for us, salvation has been our inheritance through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Mother. Therefore our vocation too is to conform to the will of God. And thus to usher our lives into the ‘Passover’ journey.

• Repentance is the key for entering into this journey.

Therefore let us be conscious of the instances that we knowingly rejected the will of God. Recalling the times that we avoided pain and the difficulty of the Cross let us sincerely enter into repentance. Let us repent for the times that we did not pay heed to the will of God in our personal decisions, family decisions and in decisions taken at work place and community.

154

06. Conclusion Let us pray for our calling to “be like the Blessed Mother”. Let us pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to have the strength and courage to listen to the voice of God as she did, to be faithful in pain, and to obey with fidelity pondering over the heart-piercing experiences she was subjected to. O Mary, Our Blessed Mother, be with us and help us to fulfill the will of God at all times.

Pubudu Gee No. 304.

155

37th Day

"Blessed Mother at the foot of the Cross" 01. Initial Praise In our life on this earth as human beings, we are bound to pass through a multitude of experiences of suffering, pain, loneliness, misunderstanding, insult and slander which causes us deep pain. Are you a Christian who is used to gazing on Christ, our only Lord and Master amidst all these? Do you hear His invitation? Remaining at the foot of the cross let us thus respond to His invitation.

Pubudu Gee No. 108.

02. Reflecting on the previous day : Discuss • The Blessed mother in the heart-piercing, painful experience of hers united herself with Christ. Did you experience that even in our pain she is with us?

• Did she teach you to have a longing to learn more of Christ?

• Did the desire to venture into the faithful obedience that was hers emerge in your heart?

156

03. Good News for the day Let us read John 19:25.

What would have been the experience of the Blessed Mother and the small community who stood at the foot of the Cross?

• The experience of a person at the foot of the Cross is deep loneliness, darkness, solitude as well as emptiness in face of disappointment. The small community at the foot of the Cross would have experienced this. When we meditate on the experience of our blessed mother at the foot of the Cross, how frightening and painful is it? Can a human mother bear the experience of her son carried in her womb, given birth, fed and lived with for thirty years undergo such suffering? Even in an environment of insulting words, slander, calumny, condemnation, being spat on, and being stripped, the Blessed Mother remained at the foot of the Cross.

• It was through heavenly grace that the Blessed Mother faced such an experience unbearable with one's own strength alone and stood erect at the foot of the Cross (STABAT MATER). The Blessed Mother who was present during the life sacrifice of Christ received the favour of experiencing communion in deep loneliness, light in darkness, a new hope where there was despair, and before death the glory of the resurrection that says death is not the final word.

157

• She was able to enjoy this contrasting and amazing experience, only because she walked a journey of deep faith, hope and love. And, it is in this difficult experience, she received the strength to unite herself to the entire universe that very moment and share the salvific love that flowed from Christ with the entire world. She was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit as she united the scattered disciples in the upper room and remained before God in prayer, thus granting the people, the power of the anointing she received from above.

• The experience at the foot of the Cross is profound and difficult. Therefore, no one can remain there without the favour of God. Only one who experiences a deep faith in God will be able to persist. Not everyone can journey to the foot of the Cross. However, those who were chosen ahead of time and those who have received the calling of God, must go through this experience. For that experience liberates many people. Like the community that stood at the Cross that day, they should receive the fragrance of the final breath exhaled by Christ, and gift it to others.

Those who were called to the Little flock in the great movement that is Kithu Dana Pubuduwa, have to go through this experience.

04. Entering into repentance • The foot of the Cross is a place of deep purification.

It is a place that opens us to the power flowing from 158

above, and nourishes us with spiritual baptism.

So, in order to be filled with this power, let us grow aware of the sins and darkness that we’re trapped in.

Awakening to the Holy Spirit, let us allow these sins to be shown to us.

• Visualize that you are now with the Blessed mother, the beloved disciple and the women of Jerusalem, who stand near the Cross in great agony and loneliness, and enter into that experience. Let us experience the purity of the Sacred Blood of Christ. Let us pray and own the salvation that He gifts us.

05. Sharing of experience i. What is our response when we are faced with experiences of vacantness and misunderstanding that shakes our being? ii. Share about the transformation that should take place in you, in order to enter into a journey of faith and hope when you are faced with incidents and people which cause you pain.

06. Conclusion As a human daughter, even during incidents the promises of God and her plans seemed to get blurry, the Blessed Mother remained with hope at the foot of the Cross. Today let us also praise God along with the Mother of hope.

Pubudu Gee no. 304 159

38th Day

"Being in the presence of the Mysterious God" 01. Initial Praise God the Most High who rules the entire universe, supersedes human intelligence, is incomprehensible to the human mind and does not fit into human plan and design. Thus He remains unique and mysterious. Opening ourselves to the love of this mysterious being let us offer our praise and thanks.

Pubudu Gee 146.

02.

Reflecting on the previous day

Blessed Mother at the foot of the Cross sees a new light in darkness. Even in an experience of complete emptiness she enjoys fullness. Thus remaining at the foot of the Cross she participated in the work of salvation. One can remain at the foot of the Cross only by means of a special gift from the Holy Spirit which is the light of faith. It is this power that enables you to walk ahead even through thick darkness, pain and loneliness.

- Share an experience of deep loneliness and pain that you recently went through.

160

- Share your response, action as well as your awareness of the presence of God during this event.

03. Good News for the day Isaiah 6:1-5, Luke 23:45-46.

• The image of God cannot be grasped by human wisdom, intelligence, and thinking. God's image contains intimate love as well as the love that is holy and unique. When we say that God is holy it indicates that he is terrible and frightening which makes him inaccessible. The very reason that he is God, unlimited and fullness itself, nothing weak, feeble and sinful could ever fit God into a frame of one's own mind.

Being inexpressible and surpassing the sphere of human vision His actions amaze the human eye making understanding difficult and unending. God who created the entire universe and also made man to His image and likeness is mysterious. We have no right to question the way He acts since we do not find anybody on this earth who could fully understand His nature.

• By totally adhering to the holy will and plan of God, the creator of the entire universe, we can experience the Father.

• Before God man is only a breath of wind. There is a great distance between God and us. We can 161

accomplish only one thing for Him whom we cannot reach. That is, to gaze in amazement at the work and action of the Mysterious God Most High.

• We also need to fully belong to Him, give in to Him and to offer ourselves to Him in total surrender as well as to bow down in total obedience. In experiences of loneliness and solitude the tendency is to run away from them. Yet, our vocation is to remain in solitude and loneliness and to belong to the Father completely.

04. Entering into repentance • When confronted with disappointments in life, our response and behavior as human sons, change and differ. Yet, let us repent for the times that we failed to remain compatible with our vocation of divine sonship.

• Similarly how much have we distanced ourselves from the lifestyle we were trained in, to say 'yes' to what should be and 'no' to what should not be as well as to discern the will of God in taking decisions? In order to respond to the life experience we have been called to let us present ourselves before the Lord in repentance.

162

05. Sharing of experience • The person who presents oneself before the Lord is a person who always listens to the voice of God. In our life decisions do we opt to discern the will of God? • Do we listen to the voice of God in life events and problems?

• Do I have a heart disposed to say 'Amen,' to the invitation, the calling at every moment?

06. Conclusion If we are to continue our Pubudu journey, a gift that would be of help is the fourth experience in our Charisma.

Accordingly, we have a vocation to walk to the presence of this mysterious God and to present ourselves before Him. Let us praise this God of ours who having endowed us with such a noble vocation accompanies us right throughout in this journey.

Pubudu Gee no. 302

163

39th Day

"The Paschal Mystery"

01. Initial Praise Christ, who took on Him the consequences of sin claimed by man himself since the beginning of the world, invites us to enter into the bosom of the Father with Him. It is only Christ, who in every way, became one with the loneliness of man who seeks fullness of life in this world, in different people and incidents.. Acknowledging in faith that only the love of God experienced through Christ would fulfill our lonely hearts and minds, let us enter into praise.

Pubudu Gee No. 142.

02. Reviewing the previous day • Let share our experience of constant awareness, sevenfold awareness and my hour.

• Let us share our experiences of the previous day of how we presented ourselves before God the Father, just as Christ did during His Passover journey.

164

03. Good News for the day Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 3:18.

• People of the Old Testament addressed the God Almighty as Yahweh. For this they used four letters that could not be pronounced (YHWH). Jesus Christ, the word made flesh came on earth and while living among the Jews came to address the Almighty God as Father. Since the God Most Holy was addressed as 'Abba,' it disturbed the Jews for this term had never been attributed to God. • According to the Jewish Law they considered it blasphemous which made them condemn Jesus to suffer and die on a Cross. Through this unjust death a hidden mystery was revealed to the world. Through the suffering of His Son, the inheritance of divine son-ship, participation in a relationship with God and the blessing of addressing God, ‘Abba Father’ was bestowed on the whole of humanity.

• In order to claim for us this heritage of the participation in divine son-ship the Lord Jesus had to go through the severest of suffering and death, and the resurrection was His reward. This is a mystery that human intelligence could not comprehend and express in words. The Lord Jesus invites us as well to enter into the Paschal Mystery, in His suffering, death and resurrection.

165

• Lent is a time of preparation for the solemn celebration of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection by which the plan of salvation was accomplished. This coming event of the Paschal mystery which cannot be separated from one another is the experience we wish to enter into in the coming week, during three days of the Holy Week. Accordingly, throughout the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday what is described would be simply one mystery. This experience is so deep that we take three full days to celebrate it.

• Here, Jesus had to walk through an experience of abandonment, betrayal, rejection as well as condemnation. Amidst all these He manifested to the world, the Holy and unchanging love of the God Most High who addresses Him as 'His beloved Son.' • This great journey was started with His solemn entrance to Jerusalem. It ended with His total surrender to the God Most High on Calvary. The result of this total surrender was the Son of God receiving the glory of resurrection.

04. Sharing of Experience The disciples who witnessed the events from the moment of His painful experience of Holy Thursday in the Garden of Gethsemane to the resurrection of Easter 166

Sunday, kept close to the Lord Jesus, participating in the paschal mystery. They were eye witnesses to the suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross. They also came to be witnesses of His victorious resurrection. It is in the Eucharistic celebration that we are able to have a profound experience of the paschal mystery.

- What is your experience in entering into this experience during the Eucharistic celebration?

- Share the witnessing aspect of your life as a result of participating in the paschal mystery at the Eucharistic celebration.

05. Conclusion Let us pray for the power to respond through the Holy Spirit in the face of loneliness and rejection dying to our thoughts and our will just as Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of man did and thus arrived at His glorious resurrection.

Pubudu Gee no. 53.

167

40th Day

"The Holy Week" 01. Initial Praise Having entered into a meditative experience of forty days, we are faced with the experience of Christ being taken into the mysterious, terrifying love of God which is incomprehensible to the human mind. It is something that no man ever could or will be able to experience. Let us enter into praise, longing to move on to the Holy Week with Christ.

Pubudu Gee no. 31.

02. Reviewing the previous day • With the events that we encountered from yesterday up till now has our response been in tune with the Holy Spirit? Share the experience that had an impact on you in comparison with the paschal mystery of Christ.

03. Good News for the day • The idea contained in the word "Holy" is of being totally different, and terrifying. When we say God is "Holy" it indicates that God is completely different 168

from man, incomparable to anything in creation, unique for which reason we are not able to ever adapt ourselves to suit God or fix God into our own image and thought. Therefore we can come to the conclusion that the love of God is holy and terrifying.

1. With the affection of a human mother and father, children experience joy, peace and love. However, the love of God not only bring us healing and comfort, but also lets us walk through pain and sorrow.

2. From the time of the Old Testament, the chosen people had to walk together with this holy, unique love of God. Abraham, Moses and the prophets fall into this category.

3. In bearing witness to this Holy Love of God, we will have to to reject human love and human relationships, and man therefore feels helpless and vulnerable. Before the Holiness of God, His glory will be made manifest even externally through different signs such as thunder, lightning and thick darkness.

4. 'Holy' Week is a very specific period of time in which the mysterious love of God Most High was made manifest through His Son. 5. Let us reflect this week on the experience of Christ in entering into experiencing this terrifying, holy love of God. 169

6. In order to accomplish the will of the God Most Holy, Christ who knew no sin embraced the sinful nature of man and for our sake took upon Himself the consequence of sin.

04.

Entering into repentance

• In our journey of being a disciple of Christ we too will have to experience the mysterious and terrific love that Jesus Christ experienced. In walking through this type of experiences temptation for us too will be to move away in exchange of an easy path, to listen and work according to the voice of the world and the flesh.

• Let us reflect on the times when we failed to discern the will of God, remaining before His mysterious presence. Let us repent for the moments that we chose an easy path without responding to the divine son-ship I am endowed with.

05. Sharing of experience Share with others your experience of opening yourself to the holy love of God and experiencing His love.

170

06. Conclusion Being in the presence of the Holiness of God directs you to a deep community life which will be made manifest through our actions. Only then will prayer and prayer-life become just one experience in the Lord. Let us constantly present ourselves before the holiness of God. Let us invoke the Lord to fill us with the gifts of faith and wisdom that surpasses human understanding and to bestow on us the strength and power to live a life in community. Let us give praise.

Pubudu Gee no. 61

171

Notes.....

Notes.....

Notes.....