Trip to New York,June 8th

 For the last few says I was suffering from severe coughing and cold. Today, Santosh sent an antibiotic to be collected from the CVS.Jogy brought the medication in the morning.I feel immensely better.I hope I will get over it tomorrow as we go to  the Passport Office for an expedite issue of the passport.Today ,I got the new driver's license.By the grace of God,I feel better and the coughing is becoming lighter.All my official functions will be over by my trip to NY for the passport. The Lord has been good to me. I was blessed to make this trip and do the marriage blessing of Melissa, the daughter of Ittyrachan.It has been a long while since I did the blessing in the US.

My trip to the States

 On May 3rd, I left for the States by Emirates .My flight reached NY airport by 3pm on the sane day.The flight was OK but only things that there was no facility for lounges on this ticket although it was business class.As the flights had only a short lay over, there was no need of any lounge facility.At Kochi airport, on account of the Essaf card, I could use the lounge facility.As Jogy  was waiting at the NY airport, my arrival was smooth.I rested for a few days and then left with Jogy for Santosh's house for the First Communion of Jonathan.Everything went smoothly and I was able to concelebrate at the First Communion mass and give first communion to Jonathan.

The original plan was to leave Clarksville  for Seattle along with Johnachan.But the news came that Michael had contracted Covid from his teacher and my flight to Seattle was postponed.Since I have to be be present at the marriage of Melissa, I decided to change my plan to go to Seattle. So I missed Isabel and Michael's First Communion and also spending a few days with them at their new house. It was a real miss! Then , I returned with Jogy and decided to spend the time with him.

I was invited for the baptism of Theres's child Iris and for the reception.I was also invited by the Men's ministry of St.Philomena's church on Saturday morning. Even though it  was slightly drizzling ands chilly ,the Pastor was waiting in front of the Hall to receive me. The talk went very well and the people were very appreciative.

The next day I was supposed to go to Somerset Church and give also a talk to the CCD teachers.But Tom's wife,Lena ,got sick and he could not  give me the ride and hence the program  WAS cancelled.

Today ,May 24th, we went to the DMV office for the renewal of my license.It went very smoothly.The documents were accepted and I was given a copy of the license at the payment of 11 dollars.The new license will be mailed to me within 20 days.Tomorrow,I am going to the DC for the blessing of the marriage. I will stay in DC for three or four days and will return to NJ.Thank you,Lord, for your blessings all these days. Today I wrote a letter to all the alumni asking them to be civil and without rancor at their meeting tomorrow. I am sure they will observe the spirit of the letter.

C.S.Lewis--Mere Christianity

  This is a very good book where many of the Christian doctrines, virtues and Christian morality are explained in an understandable way .No high- flown or pedantic language. In very simple words, Christianity is presented.Many have accepted Christianity by reading this work of C.S.Lewis.He is a great apologist of the Christian faith.His full name: Clive Staples Lewis(1898-1963).A fellow and tutor in English Lit. at Oxford Uty until 1954. Then,  he was  elected  the Chair of of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge Uty.Wrote more than 39 books. Mere Christianity is  a reworked collection of a series of lectures he gave over the BBC to  inspire the faith of the soldiers in the Second World War.Kathleen Norris says : "Lewis seeks in Mere Christianity to help us see religion with fresh eyes as a radical faith."

Forgiveness:

We have to remember how He loves us.Not for any nice , attractive qualities we think we have, but just because we are the things called selves.For really there is nothing in us to love: creatures like us who actually find hatred such a pleasure that  to give it up is like giving up beer or tobacco...

Sexual Morality:

While the rule of chastity is the same for all Christians, the rule of propriety changes. The difference in the dress of a girl in the pacific islands and of a Victorian lady.

Perfect chasity  like perfect charity will not be attained by any merely human efforts.You must ask for God's help...After each failure, ask forgivenss,pick yourself up, and try again.Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again....It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God...We need not despair in our worst for our failures are forgiven.

The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins.All the worst pleasure are purely  spiritual

There two things inside me ,competing with the human self which I must try to become.The Animal self and the diabolical self.the diabolical self is the worst of the two.That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute.

Holy Thursday,2023

•                             Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles and instituting the Eucharist.
• Bread was always in the thoughts of Jesus--physical as well as spiritual.
• He did not want his people to go hungry 
• Multiplied bread twice to feed the crowd of 5000 fist and that of 7000, later.
• On the last night of his life, he made the bread to become the food not not for just a group of people but for all his believers;not for a day but for all the days in their lives.
• Not for the  satiation of their  physical needs but for all their needs.
• Offering not bread that has a limited life but his own life and blood that has no time limits.
• Jesus becoming wholly and totally a part of our lives.
• This  transformation is powerful and overwhelming---Jesus becoming present in our lives, everyday of our lives.
• Our reflections:
• My Jesus, You are everything that my life craves for.I find joy in your presence.Your presence will make me more available to others and help me to wash their feet. Lord , wash my feet and fill me with your life.
• Henri Nouwen: "Lord, I promise I will not run away , not give up, not stop praying, even when all seems useless,pointless and a waste of time and effort.I want to let you know that I love You even though I do not feel loved by you and that I hope in you even though I often experience despair.Let this be a little dying I can do with You.
•  Fulton J.Sheen: "All my sermons are prepared in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. As recreation is most pleasant and profitable in the sun, so homiletic creativity is best nourished before the Eucharist. The most brilliant ideas come from meeting God face to face. The Holy Spirit that presided at the Incarnation is the best atmosphere for illumination. Pope John Paul II keeps a small desk or writing pad near him whenever he is in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament; and I have done this all my life - I am sure for the same reason he does, because a lover always works better when the beloved is with him."

•  St.John Chrysostom: "How many of you say: I should like to see His face, His garments, His shoes. You do see Him, you touch Him, you eat Him. He gives Himself to you, not only that you may see Him, but also to be your food and nourishment"

• St Thomas Aquinas: “The Eucharist is the sacrament of love: it signifies love, it produces love. The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.”

  St Euphrasia: “To speak of the Blessed Sacrament is to speak of what is most sacred. How often, when we are in a state of distress, those to whom we look for help leave us; or what is worse, add to our affliction by heaping fresh troubles upon us. He is ever there, waiting to help us.”

• t Francis de Sales: “When the bee has gathered the dew of heaven and the earth’s sweetest nectar from the flowers, it turns it into honey, then hastens to its hive. In the same way, the priest, having taken from the altar the Son of God (who is as the dew from heaven, and true son of Mary, flower of our humanity), gives him to you as delicious food

• St John Chrysostom: “It is not the man who is responsible for the offerings as they become Christ’s Body and Blood; it is Christ Himself who was crucified for us. The standing figure belongs to the priest who speaks these words. The power and the grace belong to God. ‘This is My Body,’ he says. And these words transform the offerings.”

  St Cyril of Jerusalem: “Since Christ Himself has said, ‘This is My Body,’ who shall dare to doubt that it is His Body?”

• Little Flower on her First Communion: " That day our meeting was more than simple recognition, it was perfect union..We were no longer two.Therese had disappeared like a drop of water lost in the immensity of the ocean; Jesus alone remained.He was the master, the King."

Holy Week at Mount St. Thomas,2023

 The celebration of the Holy Week here at Mt. St. Thomas was like a time spent in a Retreat Centre as the whole week was spent in prayers and in the celebration of various liturgical ceremonies. Arrangements were made for the participation of more people at the various ceremonies. The Holy Week started with the Palm  Sunday celebration on Sunday,  April 2. I was a concelebrant along with Fr.Thomas Melvettam, the Cardinal being the main celbrant. The pictures of the procession and the mass came in the papers and also on different channels.This well-coordinated conduct of the ceremonies was a harbinger of the later ceremonies that were well-organized at Mt.St.Thomas.I was also asked to be a concelebrant for the Holy Saturday ceremonies and the mass.All the priests participated in the Yama Prarthankal--Liturgy of the Hours.

The Good Friday Way of the Cross was also impressive and highly devotional as the procession went up to the Main Gate and returned to the Chapel. The Easter procession with the statue of the Risen Lord went up to the Cross and returned.When all the ceremonies of the Holy Week were over, it was as if we were moving from a world of high spiritual events to one of mundane matters. Thank God that everything went smoothly well.

The first picture  is the blessing of the water on Holy Saturday, the second , that of sharing the paschal bread and the third , that of the Palm Sunday procession.

Prof.George Sebastian

 

It was with a heavy heart that we bade farewell to Prof. George Sebastian yesterday at Chunkapara.I was requested to give the funeral eulogy at the funeral rites at home where Abp. Mar Joseph Perumthottam led the service. A few teachers and a lot of the  people from the parish were present at the funeral. Prof. George Sebastian's enthusiastic voice still rings in my ears. I saw him while he was at the ICU at Lisie Hospital. When I prayed over him and spoke to him , tears were rolling down from his eyes. He used to keep me updated about his visits to  different doctors and I thought he would overcome his illness and resume his  active life. But  God's will was different and it was time for him to go. His voice was always full of  laughter and enthusiasm. He was always particular to visit the sick teachers and was present at he funerals of retired teachers. He was very helpful to the Principals at the college and so was he to me while I was the Principal. Always present at the college for occasions when his service was requested for, For the maintenance of discipline, for the organization of various committees at the different exhibitions at the college, for the management of the new store and for every small and big events , he was available and offered his help without any reservation. He even lent financial help to the college when I was in need of funds for the college at the time of retirement. He was also very actively involved in the development of the parish. I feel sorry for his absence from our midst but feel consoled that he is with the Lord after this hectic life here. God bless him and his family.

His wife, Mariamma, children: Soji, Aby and Jogy.

Archbshop Mar Joseph Powathil

 

It was with great sadness that I received the news of the demise of Mar Joseph Powathil. I know that he was sick and that he was losing his memory. A few months ago, I visited with him and he asked me where I was working. That  meant that he was losing his memory as he used to call me whenever a new development with regard to the legal cases concerning the Church came up in the news. I did not want to bother him through visits and calls after that question because I knew he was losing his memory.

I am deeply aware of my indebtedness to him. He was the one who appointed me the Principal of the college, in spite of the tremendous pressure he  had from some other quarters to do otherwise. It was that appointment that changed the career graph of my life, giving me the prominence and authority to become deeply involved in the academic affairs of the college. He was also the one who appointed me the Secretary of the KCBC Education Commission during my time at the college as the Vice- Principal and the Principal. It was  while working there that we were able to create the Inter-Church  Council for Education whose first Secretary I became. Through the Inter-Church Council , it became possible to establish  a good relationship with the Heads of other Churches. When he appointed me the Secretary of the KCBC Commission for Education he expressed his desire that I should become as prominent as Fr.Vallamttom during the time he  was the Secretary of  the Corporate Management Association .I was glad that  with the Archbishop as the Chairman, I was able to immerse myself deeply in the educational matters of the Kerala Catholic Church. I became aware of the nuances of the Articles on Minority Rights in the Constitution and  was  adamant in enforcing the total amplitude of those Articles while dealing with the Govt. Several big meetings were held on behalf of the Inter-Church  Council , with the Archbishop as the Chairman.

Everyday during the eleven  years of my term as the Vice-Principal and the Principal , he used to call me to make me aware of  what was happening in the field of education and urged me to respond to  them. He was a great reader and asked me while I was in the States to get new books and journals published there. I met for the Inter-Church Council Mr.K.M.Mathew of the Malayala Manorama about the matter of publishing the  articles of Abp.Powathil in the Manorama. He readily agreed and asked me to contact Mr.Thomas Jacob. From that time onwards, the articles of Abp. Mar Powathil were published in the Manorama.I did draft the articles and he would approve of them with needed changes. When I sent books with my articles to him, he would send replies with his appreciation the next day. When I sent him the copies of my articles in the Stanford University Review and the IFCU publication on Asian Higher Education, his response and appreciation were prompt.

It was while he was the chairman of the Inter-Church Council, that I held the Executive Council meeting of the IFCU at S.B. College. His support and encouragement were behind the success of the meeting. 

We went together to Israel for a conference on Christian Religious Unity. Cardinal Padiyara and Cardinal Pimenta of Bombay were at the meeting. We visited the holy sites in Jerusalem in the company of Mar Padiyara.

He was the chief Guest at the  function of the Kachiramattom Educational Award and gave me the award.

He was the one who saw all  my activities at the college and all my work for the Church. He was the one who asked me to take up the post of the Vicar General of Chicago when he came to visit me at St. Patrick's Church, Washington D.C. He was waiting for my call in Rome when he went there immediately after spending a couple of days with me in D.C. to know whether the Bp. of Chicago called me and whether I accepted the offer.

I really miss him as he was the one who knew all my work at Changanacherry. When I joined he college first for my studies for MA and later as the lecturer  at S.B, he was teaching there. I joined the Dept. of English in 1970 and Fr. Powathil was made the bishop in 1972. All the priests from the college went to the Cathedral when the announcement was made.

Yesterday, I joined with others in Changanacherry to bid our final farewell to Abp.Powathil. His knowledge, his simplicity, and reading habits were very praiseworthy.

He was very generous in his dealings with me. He approved all my plans for the development of the college. When I was in need of money for the construction of the Research Centre, he gave the college one lakh of rupees for its completion. Hence I decided to name the Conference hall  of the Research Centre Mar Powathil  Sacerdotal Jubilee Memorial.

     His smile, gentleness and affection are unforgettable. May God bless him.

                             Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil

                                          Obituary Note

 

It is with a heavy heart that we received the news of the sudden passing away of Mar Joseph Powthil, the leading light of the Church and a forceful articulator of the values of the Gospel. Mar Powathil evokes all that is best and noblest in our lives.  With his passing away, there comes the end of an epoch of moral integrity and deep fidelity.

With a welcoming smile and gentle demeanor he greets everyone respectfully and cordially. Even though there is no exuberance in his approach and behavior, people have been impressed with his simplicity, gentleness and warmth. Even those who come to meet him with apprehensions and misconceptions leave with great appreciation of his personality and understanding.

An array of thoughts and emotions passes through one’s mind at his passing away.

It is no exaggeration to say that he was a towering religious personality in the last decade of the 20^th century on account of his scholarship, wide awareness of the contemporary values of the society and the indefatigable determination with which he approached the events of the day in the light of the values of the Gospel. Steeped deeply in his understanding of the secular vision of the Constitution of India which lays emphasis on the support to be given to the minority communities in order to give them equal standing with the majority, he became an ardent advocate for the preservation of the integrity of constitutional protections that were given to the minorities in the Constitution of India. With a greater understanding of the discussions that took place in the Constituent Assembly, he was aware of the mind of the Assembly in giving unchallengeable amplitude to the articles of the Constitution to safeguard the interests of the minorities. In education as well as in the field of human rights especially of the minorities and of the weaker sections of the society, he was a beacon of strength and inspiration.

The leadership he gave to the Church and to the society of Kerala was superb when he was elected the President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council, the CBCI and the Inter-Church council for Education. When the attacks on the Constitutional integrity of the Minority Rights became rampant, he felt that it was good for the Church to act in unison and hence he took the initiative of founding the Inter-Church Council for Education with the support and encouragement of the heads of other Churches in Kerala. He has intervened boldly and confidently before the Central and State Governments for the defense of the minority rights and the rights of Dalit Christians.

His relationship with other Christian Churches was one of deep respect and sensitivity and has collaborated with them to found the Nilackal Ecumenical Movement.

His interrelationship with the other communities and their leaders was one of extreme cordiality and respect. He was keeping in close contact with the leaders of the NSS, the SNDP and with local Muslim leaders. He was an ardent advocate of fellowship and harmony in his dealing with other religious communities and the leaders of these communities found in him a solid supporter and a sincere guide.

He was a man of principles and stood for them with deep convictions. The strong positions he has taken regarding the recognition of the individual Churches and their equal rights for evangelization and pastoral service are memorable and worthy of great admiration.

The decisive role he has taken for the protection of the Syro-Malabar Liturgy and other valuable traditions of the Church can never be forgotten. Similarly the leadership he gave to the struggle to preserve the educational rights of the Private Managements and to get them recognized by the Government of the State of Kerala is stupendous.

He was a leader par excellence, having had the gift of feeling the pain of the aggrieved and bringing it to the fore for the attention of the leaders of the State and of the Central Governments. With his wide reading and openness to the contemporary trends and ideologies, he was able to present his ideas cogently and coherently. His passing away creates a void in the Church of Kerala as well the Society with the absence of a voice, unwavering and eloquent ,to plead for great moral and religious values. In his life and public pronouncements, he lived out what Abraham Lincoln has said in his famous Gettysburg speech: “Charity for all, malice towards none.”

He has departed for his heavenly reward in the company of saints and angels to live forever in the abode of Eternal Love. The Lord who has guided his life through thick and thin is waiting with His hands outstretched to receive this great servant who was eloquent in his silence, eminent in his humility and noble in his simplicity.

May Mar Joseph Powathil guide and lead the Church in the years to come through the magnificent example of faithfulness and integrity he has given through his life.

 

Cardinal George Alencherry

The Major Archbishop of

The Syro-Malabar Church.