Tuesday 21 October 2014



Rosary- A Shadow in Our Lives

A conversation between a mother and her son on a bridge while crossing a river,
Mother: Son, hold on my hand tightly.
Son: No mother, you hold my hand properly
Mother: Both are same right?
Son: No mother, I may leave my hand, if a thorn or a stone hits my leg but I have umpteen times of surety that you won’t leave my hand.
Celebration or recitation of Rosary invites us to meditate upon a mother who holds our hands throughout our life like the mother whom we have heard in the story. Here the saying is important “A mother carries her child nine months in her womb and bears forever in her heart after the birth.” I would say Rosary is a renewal of our promise what apostle St. John has made which we read in the gospel, “And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”  
 As we are entering into the concluding day of solemn Rosary I would request you to reflect upon two concepts which will help us to make this Rosary more meaningful. The first notion is the attitude of Mother Mary. She keeps her promise even in the 20th century after Jesus entrusted her as the mother of the whole world, saying “Women here is your son.” Yes she is always with us. She helps us during the time of trials and tribulations and the best example is the wedding at Cana. I would like to entitle her as a shadow. Philosophically shadow is what always with us or it is inbuilt. We see it only when the rays of light fall on us. Hope that this celebration of Rosary spread the rays of hope on us so that we feel the presence of Mary with us always and everywhere.
Secondly it is the attitude of St. John the evangelist.  When Jesus told him, “Here is your mother. And from that moment the disciple took her in to his own home.” The home is nothing but heart. So John received Mother Mary into his heart. Today we represent John and it’s our duty to prepare our heart to obtain our mother. Rosary is the best means to welcome Mamma Mary to our heart and that’s why Fr. Shaji Thumpechirayil had sung “പൊട്ടിയിട്ടും കൂട്ടികെട്ടിയ പ ഴയൊരു ജപമാല വീട്ടിലുണ്ടായിരുന്നു It highlights that Rosary is the easiest link to connect Jesus along with Mary.  Rosary connects 3 C’s of Christian life. Cana, Calvary and Christ. Cana is a place of litany of sorrows and struggles where you intercede to our mother; Calvary is a mountain of suffering and torment where our mother is with us and Christ is our destiny to which our mother helps us to reach. 



I would like to wind up with the concept of AIDA employed in the world of advertisement. It is an acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. An advertisement becomes more colorful when these four concepts are applied properly and proportionally. The same way our Rosary becomes more meaningful and fruitful when we recite with attention, interest, desire which leads to action. 
Jithin Kalan CMI

St. Therese of Avila a Harvest on Jesus Field 

A Whatsapp message, “Jesus is not a corporate Guru, not a CEO of an MNC, not a true tycoon, not a marketing manger but owns a brand company named kingdom of God.” At the very outset I wish you the greetings and blessings of the heavenly patron’s day of St. Therese of Avila. Season of Diwali invites us to have a glimpse of advertisements which provide offers. The news papers and social network pages are fledged with it. In similar both the readings of the day and the life of St. Therese of Avila flaunt the offers given by the company Kingdom of God. Jesus without any back up of business trades the spiritual commodities of Faith, Hope and Love with five innovative, inspiring and igniting offers through the gospel passage, provided we buy his product “Word of God” and use it. They are the following
1. I will not leave you orphaned
2. I live so you also will live
3. Those who love me will be loved by my Father.
4. I will love them and reveal myself to them.
5. We will come to them and make our home with them.
As we celebrate the feast of St. Therese of Avila, she is the best epitome who had access to these offers, and those gobbled up her life as a Gospel. Fr. Biju Madathikunnel will underline the above thoughts through his words in the book Eliyanoi “The one who bears the fragrance of Christ is a miracle.” The name Therese comes from the Greek origin THERIZO which means harvest. I believe it’s just because she seized these offers her life was a harvest and the grains like spiritual reformation in the Carmelite Order, her writings and the Doctrinal status are stored in Jesus’ Interior Castle. Celebration of feast of Saints jostles us to examine our lives. As we are Carmelites, following the same spirituality of St. Therese of Avila, the questions before us are, have I become a harvest on Jesus’ field? Have I own the offers given by Christ? If I have owned am I a service provider to offer the same? Yes, is your answer, Christ will make you a partner of his company. If not, St. Paul through today’s epistle to Colossians Chapter 2 verse 3 will roost the scenario by saying.” Seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, not on things that are on earth.”
Let us close our eyes for a while and pray, Lord our heavenly Father we thank you for giving this wonderful day and St. Therese of Avila as today’s heavenly Patron. God shower your grace to be owned by the offers you are bestowed for us. Lord, help us to be the harvest of Christian values and virtues which is cherished and nurtured by St. Therese of Avila Amen.
St, Therese of Avila – Pray for us

Jithin Kalan CMI