It is 1st June 2018. We celebrate the memorial of St Justin, Martyr. It is the first Friday of the month is dedicated to the Most Sacred Heard of Jesus. The readings are from 1 Peter 4:7-13; and the Gospel from Mark 11:11-26. Life without love is fruitless life. Our love for one another needs to be intimate, transparent and sincere. When our love is full of fancy leaves without the fruits of love, God even would look at life with indignant. With genuine love we can heal people to the core. Love wipes all tears of the soul. When we are abused for loving someone genuinely, let us accept it as the participation in the passion of Christ. Let us never give up on loving people no matter what it takes from us. At times, people are critical, unfair and undermine genuine love yet we must never be tired of loving people and giving hope. It is by being friendly and loving, we create the fibre optical connections of the souls. In the first reading, St. Peter teaches us to be genuinely loving people even when the motives and commitment of love is challenged and questioned. The qualities that we admire in people initially fades away, the intentions of loving emerge in the interactions and intervals. We are all well aware of the things we do not like in others yet we ignore them initially because of the trust we place on the person. When trust is compromised and breached, these materials which once we ignored stand between people to treat them with grudges, dislikes, and nastiness. When trust is lost, love is lost completely. “Above all, let your love for one another be constant, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” (1 Pet.4:8). It is the love that washes all our sinfulness, selfishness and lust from our beings. The responsorial Psalm praises, “The Lord comes to rule the earth.” (Ps.95:13). In the Gospel we encounter Jesus who cursed the fig tree and cleansed of the Temple. Forgiveness is the fruit of loving God and people. We cannot go on living without forgiveness. Jesus would go to the extent of cursing, even it is not the fruit season, when He is looking for fruits in our existence. We cannot pass by ignoring people and speaking selfish politics that benefits us always. We are here for a reason. We are here to love and to forgive others not because we are capable of but because of love and mercy of God who sacrificed himself is in us through the Sacraments of salvation. There is no meaning in life when we have become incapable of loving and forgiving. Taking revenge, punishing people, fixing persons, assassinating the characters is not at all a life that God is pleased with. “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” (Mk.11:25). In every one’s temple, Jesus is looking for love, affection, and forgiveness not just outward pious activities without charity. A temple that does not have love of God and of people will be destroyed because it is unfruitful even if the temple is filled with the worshippers who offer prayers and pious activities night and day. May our temples be filled with love, forgiveness and mercy. May you have a good day.