What is your forbidden Fruit?

Bible begins with the work of God where He invested six days to create the universe from nothing. And on the sixth day he created Adam and Eve in his own image and likeness and he breathed His spirit into them. Thus he created them and entrusted the nature to their care, making them as the crown of creation. God gave them everything that they needed including the gift of freedom; but, on a condition that not to eat that particular fruit. And we know what happened to Adam the archetype of humanity.

Believe it or not since then till today that particular apple is haunting our conscience of freedom and decision. Perhaps that is why...

Adam and Eve had to flee from God due to their disobedience.

Cain had to kill his brother due to Jealousy.  

Moses, who had seen the face of God yet, was not allowed to enter the Promised Land due to his Lack of Faith.

Saul the first King of Israel, but forgot to rely on God and he had to die to his own sword; due to Idolatry. 

David the chosen King had to repent and fast due to his sin of Adultery and Murder.

Judas who lived with his Master yet betrayed Jesus due to his love for Money.

Peter the head of Apostles yet denied Jesus for three times due to his cowardice. 

Paul the great Missionary of God’s word among gentiles yet spoke of his thorn in the flesh.

Despite making confessions for a number of times and consulting the spiritual directors and seeking counseling and guidance from the experts yet, the weakness remains as it was.

Today we, the loving children of God have got to think seriously about our weakness and introspect and see, what is my forbidden fruit? What is my thorn in the flesh?

Therefore, it is fitting for us to remember the biblical figures like...

Abraham who had faith in God..........Trust Him at all times.

Mary .................................Said Yes to Him despite knowing the consequences of that Yes. 

Peter..................................Repented and renewed in love for his Master.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta...................Saw Christ in every patient and had Thirst for Christ.

Dear young people it is true that there are umpteen numbers of forbidden fruits right under our nose. Today this is a common phenomenon of our life. Here lies your exercise of Freedom, Choice and Responsibility and above all your prudence and discretion in living life meaningfully. For nothing happens by chance, by incident, nor by co-incident but purely by your deliberate choice.

Scriptures remind us that God put both life and death and it is our choice to choose either of them. Hence, as a responsible child it is right to set our hearts and minds and ask what is that particular one? What is that forbidden fruit? What is my thorn in the flesh? What is my Achilles heel? By asking questions we come to awareness of the self and begin to draw ourselves close to God. Unlike Saul who forgot to rely on God on the contrary we get close to him as we rely on him alone.

What would be some of those forbidden fruits of today? Without being biased and knowing that the virtue stand at the center we need to be moderate in our expression and consumption of anything of our choice. For, over consumption of anything material leads to deterioration. At this point, perhaps we need to ask ourselves, like the prodigal son who was led by trends and fancies that attracted and allured him to get away from his father; for, he was not in his senses. May be today’s digital world, alcoholism, fake-friendships could become unsafe realities for some if we are not in our senses. And as a consequence of these realities one may develop negative attitudes and become victim to depression, insomnia, isolation, indifference and gradually life begins to cease. Almost a soul is lost.

At this crisis of crossroads, hope is the last thing to die within human beings. Therefore, t is said that once hope is gone, everything is gone. Perhaps this is why Judas the hopeless, committed suicide. On the contrary Peter despite of his cowardice, soars up in hope for life and renewal; thus Peter got up and walked in faith as he extended his hand to the Lord to save him from drowning. We need to remember that the Lord never fails us. It is God’s goodness and Mercy that keeps the world afloat. St Iranians says “Man who is fully alive is the glory of God.” Therefore, let us not forget the providential love of the father in the Gospel where he ran to embrace the lost son when he returned in shame and sin. Yet the love of the father transcends all earthly judgments, conditions and reason. For the nature of God is to Love, love and love.

What is commanded of us is our will power to say Yes to God like Mother Mary, Extended our hand to Jesus to save from drawing in the world like Peter, to say Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel like Paul and to see Christ in everyone who comes into our life like Mother Teresa of Calcutta who had thirst for Christ. It is our choice to change. We need will power to change and to say no to that alluring apple and rise to life and obtain Deliverance from human frailty i.e. physical deliverance, spiritual deliverance and moral deliverance and thus stand with God in our deliberate choice and intention.

Likewise, we become the bearers of God’s light and channels of His grace as we, having been strengthened in Christ, we strengthen our brothers and sisters by saying No to our forbidden fruits.