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Meditation Daily

സ്നേഹംനിറഞ്ഞ കൂടപ്പിറപ്പുകളെ...
At the very outset, wishing you the greetings of the feast of our beloved founder, St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara. In connection with the feast, the holy church wants us to reflect on the beatitudes which are very familiar to us. The 8 beatitudes could be understood as 8 spiritual tests. Those who win the tests will be awarded. I would like to present St. Chavara as a champion who had won these 8 victories. Let us see some of them.

Those who are poor in spirit will achieve the medal of the kingdom of god. Poverty here means not just material poverty. Someone who longs for the lord is the one who is poor in spirit. Only a simple hearted person can keep this longing for the lord always. St. Chavara had a childlike heart to call Jesus – Appa, St. Therese of Avila – Amma, and all the saints as his family members. Let us think how much we are complicated within our heart.
Those who mourn will be awarded the reward of consolation. A heart breaking incident in the life of St. Chavara was the demise of his loving parents and brother. Yet, he never cursed god for that. Rather, he tried to experience the divine consolation. Dear brothers, it is not necessary that we should avoid all the pains and difficulties. Because there is god’s consolation behind each and every suffering we embrace with love.
We will be rewarded satisfaction for the hunger and thirst for righteousness. It implies an intense desire to see good happening in the world and in other’s lives. Hunger and thirst are strong needs to be fulfilled in order to survive. This means, I should feel that I cannot survive without seeing good in the lives of others and in the whole world. It is with this intense desire St. Chavara started CMI Congregation, and thus won the victory of satisfaction. Am I a contented religious?
A pure heart will see the face of god. St. Chavara at his death bed told his brethren, “I haven’t lost the baptismal innocence.” And now in heaven, he is seeing the face of our Lord. Just compare the confession we made last time with the one we made at the time of our 1st profession. Do the sins that bothered our consciousness in our novitiate days, still bother us? Let us remain innocent through frequent confessions and personal prayers.
On this feast day, together with St. Chavara, let us meditate over these golden opportunities. May St. Chavara guide us towards the rewards.

                                                                       Thank you.

Bro. Akhil Vadakkumchery CMI
Dharmaram College, Bengaluru


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