Cross is a beautiful, yet Challenging Ladder to Heaven

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : 23rd Week : Thursday*

*Gospel : Jn 3:13–17*

*First Reading : Nm 21:4b–9*

*Cross is a beautiful, yet Challenging Ladder to Heaven*

*1) The use of Ladder*

In our day today life, we have seen the ladder and its use 

Ladder is something which helps us to climb up easily without much difficult

All of us have the experience of climbing the ladder 

In our day today life ladder becomes one of the essential instrument which we use for many things 

*2) Cross is a Ladder*

Cross is a ladder which was engineered by God the Father and designed by Jesus 

Jesus showed how to use this ladder in our day today life 

Jesus also showed how to use this ladder in the service of another, how to climb towards the Gospel life and how use in the context of building the Kingdom of God 

Finally Jesus also showed how to use this ladder to climb to heavenly, which is our original house

*3) Difference between a ladder and a lift*

We are familiar with both these things 

Lift easily takes us up without much efforts. One need not put much efforts to reach top 

But the defect of the lift is that, it can stop at any time, when the electricity fails lift has no use 

There is no guarantee that one will reach top with the lift 

Ladder is something which always guarantees, to take us up 

It does not need anything else to function. It functions by itself 

Moreover when there is a ladder, lift is not must. But wherever there is lift, there is always the provisions of the ladder and the staircase

*4) Our life should become a ladder to heaven*

This is the real purpose of our life 

When Zacchaeus encountered Jesus he changed his life and he became like a ladder to experience Jesus to other 

Mother Theresa's life was like a ladder through which many poor and the destitutes climbed to go to Jesus 

Tax Collector Matthew became a ladder to many to climb to the knowledge of Jesus through His Gospel

How about my life? Is it a ladder? 

*5) Cross is a three Step ladder*

The first step, the foundational step, that is God, the Love of God 

The Second Step  in the ladder is the Neighbour or the Love of the Neighbours 

The third step is, Loving oneself as one loves the other

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*