“Glorifying God - with deep Faith and Trust – wherever we live, work and move about!”

 “Glorifying God - with deep Faith and Trust – wherever we live, work and move about!”

(Based on Isa 2:1 and Mt 8:5-11 – Monday of the 1st Week in Advent)

A young man – new in town – was visiting a nearby church.

As he looked at the various art works, paintings and statues…

… his eyes chanced upon a stained-glass window.

The glass had a phrase written on it: “Glory to God in the Highest.”

>> However, the man also noticed…

… the part of the glass window that had the letter “E” in the word HIGHEST was broken and so missing.

Thus the phrase read instead: “Glory to God in the High st!”

When he saw that phrase, something greatly stuck him…

… High St was the name of the place where he was living – High Street!

And he nurtured this feeling within him:

“This is a clear message from the Lord to me, as I come to this new town

>> I need to Give Glory to God in the HIGH ST…

... the place where I am living – HIGH STREET – is where the Name of God needs to be glorified!”

The man realized that the way to Glorify God would be to Glorify Him in the place where he was…

… Glorify God - with Deep Faith and Trust – wherever we live, work and move about!

The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful account of a man who “Glorified God - with Deep Faith and Trust – by translation his faith into living and concrete action …

… and Jesus expressing His admiration for the person of Faith!

We have today the incident of the healing of the Centurion's servant.

>> Jesus lavishes His appreciations and admirations for a wonderful display of faith.

Here is the story an unusual faith found in an unusual man who displayed his faith in an unusual way.

1. The Centurion was an unusual person...

As the name suggests, a Centurion was a person with a hundred soldiers.

>> They worked for the Roman Empire and were Gentiles.

This Centurion however, was unusual, because of the fact, that he was very much concerned of his slave.

>> This was rare indeed.

In the Roman Empire, slaves had no rights.

>> They could be mistreated and even put to death.

It was said that “when your animals are old, you throw them out to die. You do the same with your slaves.”

So this is the unusual thing about this unusual Centurion - He cared very much about his slave!

2. The centurion showed an unusual faith...

The Centurion came to Jesus asking and pleading for help.

>> But when Jesus said that He would come to his house and heal him, the centurion was quick to answer him, "I am not worthy to have you under my roof" (Mt 8:8)

The spirit of a military man is clearly exhibited by the centurion.

A soldier’s way of thinking is extremely logical and to the point:

>> When an order is given, instant obedience is expected.

>> My commanding power goes beyond the realms of space

>> My presence or absence is no excuse for my soldiers to disobey.

The Centurion fully believed that Jesus was a mighty commander with all powers subjected to Him.

>> And so a word was enough for the healing to take place...

>> An expression of approval was good enough for the miracle to happen...

3. The Centurion received an unusual response

This tremendous expression of faith was enough for Jesus to admire and appreciate Him.

>> Jesus was astonished by this wonderful demonstration of confidence and belief: " Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel, have I found such faith" (Mt 8: 10)

We have seen many instances of people praising and appreciating the works and wonders of Jesus.

>> But, it's one of those rare occasions, when Jesus publicly acknowledges and asserts the glorious faith of the one seeking for help.

The Lord gives a wonderful ovation and applause for this wonderful presentation of faith.

This Gospel is a wonderful challenge for each of us to examine our life of faith...

In a situation…

… when we are surrounded by sicknesses of negativity and discouragement,

… when life-threatening moments of crushing-failures and despair encircle us,

… when we get depressed by the various day to day problems of life,

>> Can we also boldly say, "Only say a word, Lord...and I will be healed!"

As a famous saying goes, "It is easy to praise the Lord...

... But it really is a challenge to receive praises from the Lord!"

>> When we stand firm in our faith in God, we receive appreciations from Him

>> When we have confidence in our love for God, we receive admiration from Him

>> When we remain strong in our Hope in God, we receive approval from Him.

Let us realize that that the way to Glorify God would be to Glorify Him in the place where we are and in the situation we are in…

… Glorify God - with Deep Faith and Trust – wherever we live, work and move about!

27th November 2021 Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

27 November 2021
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27th November 2021 Daily Current Affairs 2021: Today GK Updates for Bank Exam

Here is the Daily GK Update of 27th November 2021 covering the following news headlines: Dakshin Shakti, National Family and Health Survey, INS Vela, National Organ Donation Day, 20th SCO Council of Heads of Government.

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that is held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 27th November 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 10 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 10 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

National News

1. Jitendra Singh launches World’s First Multimodal Brain Imaging Data and Analytics

• The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated Project SWADESH.
• The project SWADESH is a first of its kind large-scale multimodal neuroimaging database designed specifically for the Indian population. The unique brain initiative has been developed by the DBT-National Brain Research Centre (DBT-NBRC), Gurgaon, Haryana. 
• SWADESH brings big-data architecture and analytics for various neurological diseases under one platform.
• It will enable the researchers in conducting multimodal brain studies to understand and manage Alzheimer’s disease and several neurological disorders.
• DBT-NBRC is the only institute in India dedicated to Neuroscience Research and Education.

States News

2. Madhya Pradesh will create first cyber tehsil of India

• Madhya Pradesh Cabinet has approved the proposal to create cyber tehsils in the state of Madhya Pradesh. After this, MP will become the first state in the country to have a cyber tehsil.
• Cyber Tehsil will make the mutation process easy and people from anywhere in the state can avail of its benefit. With this, the process of conversion will become convenient in the cases of undisputed land.
• The Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh also informed that the Cabinet has decided to launch ‘Urja Saksharta Abhiyan’ from November 25 to make citizens energy literate. Schools, colleges and the general public will be connected with this campaign. Madhya Pradesh will become the first state to run India’s energy literacy campaign on a big scale.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• Madhya Pradesh Capital: Bhopal;
• Madhya Pradesh Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel;
• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Defence News

3. Indian Navy commissioned 4th Scorpene-class submarine INS Vela

• Indian Navy has commissioned indigenously builtScorpene-class submarine Vela at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard. INS Vela is the fourth in Project 75 series, following Kalvari, Khanderi, and Karanj. It is expected to further boost Indian capability to defend and secure its strategic sea lanes. It was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in collaboration with M/s Naval Group of France.
• The submarine possesses advanced stealth and combat capabilities. Attacks from Vela can be carried using torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles at the same time, be it on the surface or underwater.
• The previous version of Vela was commissioned in 1973 and it was in service for 37 years. It was decommissioned in 2010. Captain Anish Mathew, the commanding officer of INS Vela, told news agency ANI on Wednesday that the submarine has an indigenous set of batteries and an advanced communication suite of indigenous make.

4. Army chief observes military exercise ‘Dakshin Shakti’ in Jaisalmer

• Army chief General, M M Naravane has observed the military exercise ‘Dakshin Shakti’ being held here with the Army and the Air Force taking part in it.
• The exercise began in the deserts of Jaisalmer. T-72, T-90 as well as Vijayanta tanks of the Army and the IAF’s Dhruv and Rudha helicopters, and the Jaguar fighter aircraft participated in the joint exercise.
• The drill aims to establish the best coordination among the wings of the armed forces, space technology and artificial intelligence. General Officer-in-Commanding of the Army’s Southern Command, Lieutenant General JS Nain, JOC Battle X Division Major General Ajit Singh Gehlot were also present at the exercise.

Summits and Conferences News

5. 20th SCO Council of Heads of Government: S. Jaishankar represent India

• The External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar led the Indian delegations at the 20th Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG). The meeting was held in Nur-Sultan in virtual format under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan.
• The SCO-CHG meeting is held annually to deliberate on a range of pressing regional issues with focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the bloc and to approve its annual budget. The meeting was attended by the heads of government of the SCO member states, observer states and secretary-general of the SCO.

Agreements News

6. MakeMyTrip tied up with Civil Aviation Ministry to promote Regional Air Connectivity

• MakeMyTrip partnered with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to promote regional air connectivity through the UDAN scheme. MakeMyTrip will now power UDAN flights on the ‘AirSewa portal’ and market them on its platform to promote its services.
• The Govt. has identified 21st October as UDAN Day, the day on which the scheme document was first released.
• Under Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN 4.1 the Civil Aviation Ministry has approved 78 new routes. So far, 766 routes have been sanctioned under the UDAN scheme.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• MakeMyTrip Founded: 2000;
• MakeMyTrip Headquarter: Gurugram, Haryana;
• MakeMyTrip Founder & Group Executive Chairman: Deep Kalra.

Ranks and Reports News

7. National Family and Health Survey: India has more women than men

• All three radical findings are part of the summary findings of the fifth round of the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS), which were released by the Union health ministry.
• India now has 1,020 women for every 1000 men, is not getting any younger, and no longer faces the threat of a population explosion.
• According to NFHS-3, conducted in 2005-06, the ratio was equal, 1000: 1000; it went down to 991:1000 in 2015-16 in NFHS-4. This is the first time, in any NFHS or Census, that the sex ratio is skewed in favour of women.

Important Days

8. National Organ Donation Day: Celebrated National Organ Donation Day on 26 November 2021

• In India, the ‘National Organ Donation Day’ is observed every year on 27 November since past 10 years. The day aims to promote awareness and recognize the selfless contribution made by deceased donors to healthcare and mankind re-instill our faith in humanity.
• 2021 marks the 12th National Organ Donation Day. It is organised by the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Organ donation is retrieving a donor’s organ like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas after the donor is deceased and then transplanting into another person who is in need of an organ.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization Headquarters: New Delhi.

Obituaries News

9. Sahitya Akademi Award winning Poet Sananta Tanty passes away

• Sahitya Akademi Award-winning, Eminent Assamese poet, Sananta Tantyhas passed away. Some of his works include Ujjwal Nakshatrar Sondhanot, Moi Manuhar Amal Utsav, Nizor Biruddhey Sesh Prastab, and Moi.
• He won the Sahitya Akademi Award (Assamese) in 2018 for his collection of poems titled “Kailoir Dinto Amar Hobo”.

Miscellaneous News

10. Collins Dictionary names ‘NFT’ as the Word of the Year 2021

• Collins Dictionary has named the term ‘NFT’ as the Word of the Year 2021. NFT is the acronym for “non-fungible token.
• As per Collins Dictionary, NFT is defined as “a unique digital certificate, registered in a blockchain, that is used to record the ownership of an asset such as an artwork or a collectible.” Collins English Dictionary is published by HarperCollins in Glasgow.

"’Standing erect and raising up our head in trust, optimism and hope in the Lord!”

 "’Standing erect and raising up our head in trust, optimism and hope in the Lord!”

(Based on Dan 6:11-26 and Lk 21:20-28 – Thursday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time)

An anecdote is told of a pig, in a farmhouse, which fed on the leftovers of food that was supplied to it. 

>> The pig remained content to feed on that which was smelly, dirty and stinking. 

The day came when it had to be slaughtered. 

>> As the people tied its legs to a pole to be taken to the slaughter-house and the pig was carried horizontally upside down, for the first time in its life, it gazed on the skies above. 

All through its life, the pig always looked downward, satisfied on its feed and food. 

>> But now, for the first time, the pig looked upward, and saw the beauty of nature. 

It wondered:

"All through, I thought, life was always stinky and nasty. 

But it's only now, when I look above, that I see that life is much beautiful and brilliant! 

>> Too late am I!  

>> I have missed the real beauty of life, looking always only downward!" 

The whole life of the pig, was spent downcast, with images of filth and dirt and foul matter. 

>> Only the last moments were spent looking upward, enjoying the wonderful & pleasant nature. 

... Consciously or unconsciously, being content, looking downward & descending into the realms of gloom & pessimism! 

Is my life cast downward? Filled with images of gloom, darkness and dirt? 

The Lord, through the Gospel of the Day invites us, with strong vibes of positive feelings:

“... Stand erect and raise your heads, because your redemption is at hand" (Lk 21: 28) 

The Gospel of the day is a continuation of the talks on the coming of the Son of Man. 

Jesus reminds his disciples of the many signs and terrors that will be manifest in the world and persecutions that will befall on His followers. 

>> He invites His disciples to remain firm in perseverance and faithful commitment. 

The Gospel brings out a clear contradiction in the stance and approach of the "people of the world" and "people who trust in Him"... 

>> Lk 21: 26, "...people will die of fright..." ("people of the world") 

>> Lk 21: 28,"...stand erect and raise your heads..." ("people who trust in Him") 

Dying of fright and collapsing is a sign of absolute despair and hopelessness. 

When someone is in great tension, his/her physical structure reflects it... 

>> One tends to stoop low... 

>> One tends to put down one's head... 

The worry in the mind makes the face a sorry affair! 

>> The tension in one's life robs the spirit of joy in living! 

Faces turn pale... smiles go wry... body starts sagging! 

But the Lord of the Universe today strongly exhorts us to not remain stooped-down 

>> He challenges us to "stand erect and raise our heads..." 

The Lord made people to stand on their feet as a sign of feeling protected and strong... 

>> The boy possessed by a demon was "held by the hand, raised up and made to stand" by Jesus (Mk 9:27) 

>> Jesus held the hand of the daughter of Jairus and "helped her to stand" (Mk 5:41) 

>> Peter and John took up the crippled beggar at the Temple gate "by the hand and raised him up...and he leaped up, stood and walk around...walking and jumping" and praising God (Acts 3: 7-8) 

The Lord loves to help people to stand erect and hold heads high in firm faith and trust in Him. 

> Is my life today shattered and collapsed?  

> Am I unable to stand firmly in faith and in trust? 

When difficulties and problems arise in life... 

>> Do I stoop down and get fixated on the worries... 

… or do I "stand erect and raise up my head" in confidence of the Providence of God? 

When calamities and unsolvable crises hits my family or community life... 

>> Do I stoop down and get lost in despair...

… or do I "stand erect and raise up our heads" in hope of the Power the Lord? 

When hopes get shattered and the future appears very blurred... 

>> Do I stoop down and get stuck in hopelessness and desolation... 

… or do I "stand erect and raise up my head" in deep faith in the Guiding Hand of the Lord? 

Some of us live our lives with much negativity and pessimism... 

>> Life most of the time appears to be dark and depressing and dismal! 

But the Lord today asks us to live our lives with more positivity and optimism 

>> Life is in fact much more bright and beautiful and brilliant! 

Are we going to continue to have a mentality of "looking downward" and losing the precious moments of life? 

>> Or shall we, "Stand erect and Raise up our head" in trust, optimism and hope in the Lord? 

God Bless! Live Jesus!