Although the attendance was low, the participation was intense and the bishops discussed many of the current issues facing the community, including the Munamabom ,wild life attacks,increase of suicides and violent attacks etc.The Deepika published the whole report and the picture of the participants well.Manorama gave only a report.The date and venue of the next meeting was fixed and would be hosted by Bp.Dr.Oommen George CSI at Kollam on Jan.10,26 at 10.30 am.
Behold Your Mother
Ecce Mater Tua
(Thava Matharam Pasya)
One of the most poignant moments of Jesus'
Crucifixion is the profound outpouring of love and compassion He shows for His
beloved Mother, who stands at the foot of the cross. Her mournful eyes and
sorrow-laden heart, bleeding with indescribable grief, bear silent witness to
the excruciating pain of her Son's suffering.
In this moment of unimaginable agony, Jesus
sees beyond His pain to the depth of her anguish—her lonely, broken heart
weighed down by unbearable sorrow. She, who cradled Him in His infancy,
searched for Him in the Temple and accompanied Him silently in His ministry,
now stands helpless before the cross. Her love, care, and unwavering faith had
always been with Him, and now, in her darkest hour, Jesus' heart is moved with
immeasurable love for her.
He does not leave her abandoned in her grief.
She, who once heard from the angel that she was "full of grace" and
would bear the Son of the Most High, now faces the agony of seeing that same
Son in His final moments. In His infinite compassion, Jesus entrusts her to the
care of His beloved disciple, ensuring she would not face the trials ahead
alone.
With just three powerful words, He provides for
her, offering reassurance that she will be cherished and protected. This act
reflects not only His love for His Mother but also the enduring bond between
heaven and earth.
The disciple, who grasped the profound
mystery of the Incarnation and proclaimed to the world that "God is
love," becomes the one to care for the Mother of God. William Wordsworth
aptly describes her as "our tainted nature’s solitary boast,"
highlighting her unique role in salvation history.
The New Address:(2024)
Fr. George Madathiparampil
Mother Theresa Lane
Old Railway Station Rd
House No.42,
Kochi-682018, Kerala,India
Cell:9744576243
georgemparampil@yahoo.com
madathiparampil. blogspot.com
Offices Held:
Formerly
Principal, S.B.College,Changanacherry
President, AIACHE, New Delhi, India
Vicar General, St.Thomas Diocese, Chicago
Secretary, Higher Education, Syro-Malabar Church
Jt.Secretary, Inter-Church Council, Kerala
St.Andrew-The Silent Evangelizer
There is a custom in American Catholic dioceses of celebrating
St. Andrew's Day when the parish priests introduce candidates who have shown
interest in becoming priests to the bishop of their dioceses. This is a time
for the candidates and their families to get acquainted with the bishop and the
ministry to which they are open. It all comes from the work of St. Andrew the
Apostle who in the Scriptures has brought many to Jesus. He was a silent
evangelizer. Not through shout or preaching but through his friendship and
social skills he brought people to Jesus.
St.Andrew(in Gk: manly . valorous) is known as the” First
Called”, and “the Protoclete” in the Orthodox Church. He was the one who
identified the boy with five loaves in the great miracle of Jesus feeding the
five thousand. He was the one who brought Philip to Jesus as well as the Greeks
to Him just before his passion. Silently and steadily, he worked behind the
scenes to bring people to Jesus, offering them to experience the life and the
person of Jesus.
Robert Frost has a beautiful poem, "The Road Not Taken " about the choice one makes in life. The poet is confronted with a choice to
take the trodden path or the untrodden one covered with grass and broken branches
of trees. He took the untrodden path and that has made a difference in his
life. So too one who accepts the vocation to ministries is treading the
untrodden path. St. Andrew becomes the guide and mentor of people who choose
untrodden paths.
It is very opportune to reflect on the following words
of Abp. Sheen when we celebrate the martyrdom of St.Andrew: “The barbarism of
the new era will not be like that of the Huns of old; it will be technical, scientific, secular and
propagandized. It will come not from without, but from within, for barbarism is
not outside of us; it is underneath us. Older civilizations were destroyed by
imported barbarism; modern civilization breeds its own.” Abp.Sheen tellls us through these words how necessary it is for us to live a life according to our faith. If we are unfaithful to Jesus ,Our Lord, it will be a reason for others to avoid meeting the comforting message of Jesus.
We are too much engrossed in administration and in the exercise of authority and power. We often forget our mission as Christians. We forget to convey the love and compassion of Jesus. Jesus came to forgive our sins and offer His love. He wants us to know that God is love and he never tires of offering forgiveness. The sinners and derelicts find a place in his banquet. But looking at the way we live and the way we exercise authority, one doesn't find Christ in our midst. That is why Pope Francis reminds us that the Church is a healing place, a field hospital. The rules and rituals we create and the obedience we demand from the people keep Jesus away from them.
The martyrdom of Andrew took place during the reign of Nero on the 30th Nov, AD 60. Both the Latin and the Greek Churches observe Nov.30 as his Feast.
In 1460 his head was given to the Pope. On 24th Sept.1964, his head was returned to Greece. He was martyred in Greece on a cross shaped like an X.
Lord, give me
faith, faith in your endless mercy, your boundless forgiveness, your
unfathomable goodness.
Let me not be
tempted to think that my sins are too great to be forgiven, too abominable to
be touched by your mercy….Let me never run away from you...Take me under your
wings, O Lord. Perhaps my doubt in your
forgiveness is a greater sin than the sins I consider too great to be
forgiven,.. Lord, look at me, accept my prayer as you accepted Peter’s prayer.
Dear Lord, show
me your kindness and your gentleness, you who are meek and humble of heart.
The fact that I
get so easily upset because of a disappointment, so easily angered because of a
slight criticism, and so easily depressed because of slight rejection, shows
that your love does not fill me….
What can people
do to me when I know that you love, care for, protect, defend, guide, and support me? What does a small -or even a great failure
mean, when I know you are with me in
all my sorrows and turmoil? Yet time and again,
I have to confess that I have not let your love descend fully from my
mind into my heart.
God’s mercy is greater than our sins. There is an awareness of sin that does not lead to God but to self-preoccupation. Our temptation is to be so impressed by our sins and failings and so overwhelmed by our lack of generosity that we get stuck in a paralyzing guilt.It is the guilt that says, “ I am too sinful to deserve God’s mercy. It is the guilt that has become an idol and therefore a form of pride.
Lent is the time to break down this idol. Are we like Judas who did not
repent or like Peter who repented?
Dear Lord, thank
you for the beginning of spring. In the midst of Lent, I am made aware that Easter is coming again. The days are getting longer, the snow is fading, and the sun is bringing new warmth.
Anyone who
drinks the water I give...what words… the water that you give turns into a
spring. Therefore, I do not have to be stingy with your gift, O Lord. I can
freely let the water come from my center and let anyone who desires drink from
it.
Let the spring
of this year and the spring of water in me give me joy.
Listen, Lord, to
my prayers. Listen to my desire to be with you,to dwell in your house and to let
my whole being filled with your presence.But none of this is possible without
you. When you are not the one who fills me I am soon filled with endless thoughts
and concerns that divide me and tear me away from you.
Every day I see
again that only you can teach me to pray, only you can set my heart at rest, only
you can let me dwell in your presence.
Lord,let me at
least remain open to your initiative, let me wait patiently and attentively for
that hour when you will come and break through all the walls I have
erected.Teach me Lord to pray.
O Lord, let me
praise you,bless you,worship you. So, often my prayer turns into introspective
ruminations regarding my own confused
feelings and emotions. You are the source of all goodness beauty and love. You
have shown me your mercy by coming to me and lifting me up into your own life
through the life of your Church.
Lord, let me
understand that in and through you all my little concerns will be taken care of.
p.43)
O Lord, grant me
a pure heart so that I can see You and hear you in the splendor of the holy
liturgy.
My heart is not pure. I am filled with morbid
introspection. Lord, I really want to see
but my struggle
to come to any degree of purity of heart seems so futile...take me by the hand
and lead me to the top of the mountain. Purify my heart and show me your light.
You are my
lord,Lord of my heart,mind and soul. You know me through and through. You embrace
all that exists and care for it with divine love….why do I keep looking for
popularity,respect from others,success,acclaim, and sensual pleasures.
Help me Lord to
let my old self die, to let die the thousand big and small ways in which I am
still building up my false self and trying to cling to my false desires.
You alone can
reach out to me and save me.
Thank you Lord
for every day that you give me to come closer to you.Thank you for your
patience and goodness.
Come,Lord
Jesus,come.do not just come to our understanding,but enter our hearts---our
passions,emotions and feelings and reveal your presence to us in our inmost being.
p.66
Dear Lord, show
me your kindness and gentleness. What does a small or even a great failure
mean,when I know that you are with me in all my sorrows and turmoil. Yet time
and again I have to confess that I have not let your love descend fully from my
mind into my heart…
p.68
o Lord, your
abundant love became visible today in the abundant beauty of nature. Refers to
his mother’s death who was always fascinated by the spring.
I believe that
her death will yield fruits.The day of your resurrection for which I am
preparing myself is also a sign that
there is hope for all who die. So let my sadness be a sorrow that makes me
eager to follow you on the way to the cross and beyond it, to that easter
morning with its empty grave.
p.74
Dear Lord,help
me keep my eyes on you.You are the incarnation of divine love,you are the
expression of God’s infinite compassion.
you are
beauty,goodness,gentleness,forgiveness and mercy.In you all can be found.why
should elsewhere or go elsewhere/you have the words of eternal life.You are the
light that shines in darkness,the lamp on the lamp stand, the house on the
hilltop.
To you I want to
give all that I am.let me be generous, not stingy otrhesitant.Let me give you
all –all I have ,think,do and feel.Please accept it and make it fully your own.
Priestly life:
Many people question the relevance of
priesthood. Some people hold that the whole concept of priesthood is a sham and
a fraud. Many are offended by the discourteous or uncouth behaviour of some
priests. They did not find in these priests the gentlemanliness, courtesy, or
compassion they expected from people who represented Christ. There are indeed
some priests whose behaviour is atrocious and they appear not to have been transformed
by the Gospels' message. They do not represent the vast majority of the priests
who reflect the compassion and understanding of Jesus in their lives. His
closeness to Jesus and his daily striving to be close to Him sustain a priest
in his life..
What Jesus said about himself as the Way, the
Life, and the Truth gives us strength and confidence to handle our problems. If
we put our trust in Him, nothing can destroy us or take away our inner freedom,
peace, or joy.
The following reflections on the priesthood by Fr. Peter Stravinskas in
his book “Be to Me a Father and a Priest” are found to be relevant in the
discussion of priesthood in today’s world,
“His(Priest’s) is a divine commission to teach the tremendous mystery of
God’s love to all men. We have at our disposal today the most advanced
techniques of communication, the most nuanced understanding of learning theory,
and most carefully researched methodologies….So, Fathers, like Christ, we must
“be about our Father’s business.”
According to Henri Nouwen,
priests are “wounded healers”. We
have our sins and failures. We need mercy in our lives. No one is perfect. Even
the very thought that we are perfect and haven’t committed any sin is a sign of
arrogance. Archbishop Sheen’s words to a person who asked him how he could
establish rapport with prisoners when he goes to prisons to visit them are
worth paying attention to. He said, he would say to them, “Only thing is that I was not caught but you
were caught. There go I but for the grace of God.”
We are all in the same boat. We carry our sins with us. We should be merciful
and compassionate.
Fr. Peter Stravinskas mentions the
following as the qualities required for priests in today’s age:
Courage of conviction, confidence,
enthusiasm, joy, prayer and scholarship, prudence, class, and courtesy.
The other traditional qualifications are presumed:
prayer life, commitment to our promises of obedience, and chastity.
Pope Benedict speaks of a deficiency
among modern Christians which he calls “Negative Tolerance.”
Confidence consists in knowing who you are and
what you have to offer.
Self-confidence is not arrogance.
Enthusiasm means that you should have
fire in the belly.
Joy consists in seeing everything
under the lens of eternity—seeing everything in the perspective of eternity.
Scholarship is Intellectual
self-improvement
Prudence is doing the right thing under the right
circumstances.
Class shows the way we talk, dress, and walk.
Nathaniel (meaning "Gift of God" or "Giving of God" in Hebrew, and identified as Bartholomew the Apostle) was astonished by the way Jesus greeted him upon first sight, calling him "an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." Although Nathaniel initially doubted Philip, claiming that no prophet could come from the insignificant town of Nazareth, he soon found himself drawn to Jesus by His unexpected affection and understanding.
In His greeting, Jesus captured Nathaniel's entire personality, recognizing
him as a person without malice. Nathaniel’s sincerity, openness, curiosity to
learn, humility, lack of prejudice, and deep understanding of the Scriptures
were all encapsulated in that greeting. Nathaniel was astonished by Jesus’
knowledge of his inner thoughts and reflections, unraveled with just a few
words. Sitting under the fig tree—a term used to describe the meditative study
of the Scriptures—signified Nathaniel’s contemplative nature. Jesus revealed
that He understood the perplexities and ambiguities that weighed upon
Nathaniel’s heart. Nathaniel immediately realized he was in the presence of
none other than the Son of God.
Nathaniel represents every disciple who encounters Jesus personally. All
confusion and doubt vanish when Jesus enters one's life. Like St. Paul, such a
disciple would declare, “Who can separate me from the Lord?” Nathaniel also
symbolizes those in today’s world who are bewildered by various ideologies and
perspectives. Amidst conflicting viewpoints, stability and peace are found in
Christ.
In Shakespearean criticism, Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is often seen as a
figure representing the modern individual, grappling with ambiguity and
confusion—emotions expressed in his famous soliloquy, “To be or not to be.”
Thomas Merton, similarly, found himself caught in a web of conflicting
ideologies. Yet, when Jesus touched his life, he abandoned the conveniences of
modern life for the seclusion of a monastery, where he encountered Christ in
all creation: “The trees indeed love You without knowing You. The tiger lilies
and cornflowers proclaim their love for You, unaware of Your presence. The dark
clouds drift slowly across the sky, musing on You as children who play, unaware
of their dreams... yet in their midst, I know You and know Your presence.”
Nathaniel invites each of us who have encountered Jesus personally to say
with conviction, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God, the King of Israel.”
