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.

Birthday Celebrations,Fr.M.C.Joseph

(The picture below was taken ten years ago when on one of my vacations I went to see Fr.M.C.Joseph, my former teacher at Leo XIII High School who was staying at the Old Age Home at Kidnagara.)

The family had a get-together for lunch yesterday.It was a small gathering but it went OK.After the lunch, I came back to Mount St.Thomas.It was tea-time here and the Cardinal introduced me to the bishops and they all sang together " Happy Birthday."

Fr.M.C.Joseph is an unforgettable teacher who was always interested in encouraging the talents and educational aspirations of his students.He was my English teacher at H.S. He conducted spiritual exercises for the students at the School.I remember him coming for my ordination  with his broken arm in sling.I cannot forget my meeting with him after my ordination. I realized the great love he held for me. He used to come to the college office when I was the Principal. How happy I was  in seeing him coming  to the office and spending time with me!He might have felt really proud in seeing his student as the principal of the college.Meeting him at the Old Age home at Kidangara was a great joy for me. At that time, I had already retired from the college and was working in the U.S.

God bless him.