Birth day,Synod Sessions,2022

 

Tomorrow is my birth day as I will be completing 82 years of my life. I do marvel at myself that I am alive at this age of my life. I have viewed with awe people who have passed their 80s and I am now at this stage. I have to thank the Lord for this gift of life. I will have to spend my time , praising the Lord and thanking Him continuously. I have to recover the former way of my intellectual pursuits and do more readings and writings. I don't have to feel abashed at what I have not got in life. I have to be happy about what I have got: my faith in the Lord, my life, health and the education I received and the experience of teaching many  people in the blossoming phase of their lives. Lord, thank you for this gift.

I have to pass on this joy of life(joie de vivere) to others so that they may too thank the Lord and praise him. In today's Bible reading, I came across the words of advice given to Joshua in 1 Joshua to be bold and courageous. I have to be bold and courageous for Jesus Christ. Nothing should make me ashamed. I should use all my gifts for the Lord. Lord, how great you are. Ps.148: "Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him the heights; Praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted."

The Synod is going on but the pain of the separation among different groups is still felt. I hope wiser counsels will prevail and people will gather together to praise the Lord. Through our wanton actions, the name of the Lord should not be tarnished.

I have received the duplicate of my pension book yesterday from the Treasury. Biju, my driver, went to Chy and got it from the Treasury. This is needed for the revision of the pension according to One Rank-One Pension. Thank you, Lord, for this great act of kindness. I offer my prayers for all those who worked behind the process to get it for me as it is difficult to get a document like this from the Govt in time.

Fr.Jose Viruppel

 It was with great sadness  that I received the news of the passing away of Fr. Jose Viruppel, the former Librarian of S.B. College. It was rumoured that he was getting weaker and he was admitted to the hospital during the days before his demise. He went through a lot of suffering through his dialysis and the bypass surgery. Through all these he passed with great calmness. I had a chance to visit him when he was moved to the room after his by pass surgery at the Lissy hospital. He was a gentle, cordial, affable and highly courteous priest. Whenever I visited him at the Lourdes Church, Tvm or at the college before his retirement, he showed me great respect and was extremely hospitable. He was a passionate lover of the library just like his predecessor, Fr.Mattappaly. He was instrumental in starting PG and UG courses in Library Science at S. B. College. In his death, we lost a very affable and kind priest. The sweet smile that flashes on his face when I meet him is unforgettable. He came to Chicago while I was there  and during the homily, he mentioned that I had appointed him at the college. He passed away on July 19th.

God bless him and give him eternal rest. I went to view him while his body was brought to the administrative block of S. B. College.