Cross the Border

 Practicing the philosophy of observation I have reserved myself last week to do so. And hubs under my surveillance were Christ University Campus, Forum Mall and St. Antony’s Friary Church in Bangalore. The net result of my research was that people in this circle can’t haul up their heads from the so called smart devices either it may be a smart phone, a tab or a lap top. They were nosy to see the flashes on their device that was emerging in each and every moment. It is so evident that things are at our finger touch and we are the aficionados of those smart gadgets considering them as our better part. Smartizens are increasing day by day and that’s tactile through the commercial ads given by the different companies of smart devices. The write up may be intrusive or irk for the people who are too much espoused to the world of smartness. It may not make sense as we have everything in front of us just in a finger’s tap. A Knowledge Centre (Library), a Land Mark Book Stall and a 24x 7 Adoration centre fledged with spiritual books were attached to the vicinities of my observation and to my surprise very few were gyrated the pages of the books over there. Reader I can heed the question in your mind. Why do we need to go behind books as everything is attenuated on our display?  Ravinder Singh the author of ‘I too had a love story’ can answer your question “To know if a dish is sweet or salty you have to taste it first.” And it’s same with the Books too.

Here comes the role of Library and the habit of reading. Reading makes man perfect so a Library is the temple of learning, an abode of knowledge and wisdom. It is a sacred place where you are chiseled to be a perfect human being.  The knowledge we muster from our smart devices may end up once the flash goes off, but Library invites us to have a serious research and bourgeon our knowledge which is not peripheral but perennial. And that’s why Kunjunni Mash a Malayalam veteran poet known as (Poet of Children) wrote “You will grow whether you read or not, but you will be having suave knowledge once you read if not you will be an impish.” People today are at the verge of habit of going to library or reading books because we are hogged by the smart gadgets. For anything and everything, we browse Google as if Google is our Guru. It’s true, no library or book by itself has ever produced a Newton or a Tulsidas. But a library or a book can open our eyes. The creative thoughts in a book can give us insights with different outlook towards day today life. World becomes competitive, creative and collaborative day by day and if we want to be the benchmarks, we need to sell the best commodity and that is our thoughts or reflections. I believe a library can give a good ambience to jostle our contemplation. Cross the border and that’s, let our rooms, homes and our office cabins embellish with books. To conclude, an excerpt from a book titled ‘Sanchariyude Daivam’ (God of a traveler) written by a priest named Fr. Boby Jose will be suitable. There is a page for gratitude in the book, in which he writes, “I thank my father for providing me books instead of toys in my good old childhood days because he knew it will be a profit in long run.” So let us give a space in our lives for books and library amidst smart phones and selfies which can be fixed opulence of knowledge.
Jithin Kalan CMI

'C' Formula of St. Joseph 

"തച്ചപുരയിലെ തട്ടുമുട്ടുകൾ താളമേളങ്ങളാക്കിയും ജോലി വേലകാളാകവേ ഒരു ഗാനമാലികയാക്കിയും 
വാനദൂതർക്കിമ്പമേകിയ ഗാനഗന്ധർവൻ പാവന ഗാനകോകിലം"     

Often I think why this old man, Joseph was selected to be the husband of Mary the young queen of Nazareth? My doubt is clarified by the book of Job 12:12 “wisdom is with the aged and understanding in the length of days.” Joseph was an inevitable personality in Jesus’ life to mold Him as Christ.  St. Joseph was chosen to be the foster father of Jesus but what about others, why were they not? It’s because he had the three C’s in his life as virtues which later turned out to define Christ. As we are religious being in the process of becoming another Christ these virtues of St. Joseph will make our course easy.

Contemplation is the first virtue that we are required to have in our life. I know that I have no moral strength to talk about contemplation for the reason that I am too chatty. Richard Rohr through his book “Everything Belongs” underscores the above opinion, “One always learns ones mystery at the price of one’s contemplation.” Yes, it’s the meditative and reflective life style of St. Joseph that favored God to choose him to be the stepfather of Jesus. The scene is portrayed in the Gospel of Matthew where Joseph had three dreams in different occasions. Dreams are the outcome of contemplation. We do have dreams but it never befall as a reality. Mere nightmares won’t show the way to actuality. It is very much important the constituent of revelation makes dreams bone fide. In simple terms dreams turn out to be vision when the recipe of contemplation is added. “One will enjoy the solitude, if he or she finds time to have contemplation.” says St. Antony the Desert Father. Jesus devoted himself to be in silent places and I believe the source to develop that habit was St. Joseph. Contemplation links one with God. The rapport between God and Joseph directed Jesus to cling on to his Abba. To reinstate Khalil Gibran’s words, “The difference between Jesus and us is nothing but, He lived his life in the vision of God.”

Contemplation delivers God experience and that ecstasy creates commitment. It’s the second virtue commitment by which Joseph formed Jesus as Christ. Commitment is not a simple notion like our FB status as we assume, but it’s a virtue one should acquire through daily observation. Commitment implies that being Loyal 101% to ones responsibilities. Life of St. Joseph displays very clearly the value of commitment. He was dedicated to his job, carpentry. The rule of a carpenter is “Think twice and cut once.”   Precise decision is the benchmark of a committed person. Imagine the situation of Mary, if Joseph had no clear picture of her life ahead, she would be stoned like Suraiah. Yes, devoted character forces God to choose us for His ingenious ploys. And the notion is emphasized by St. Paul to Ephesians 6:8 “Whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord.”

A Prostitute, owner of a nunnery said to Joseph, “Tell your son to save us from this peril when he becomes the king in future, because we are prostitutes.” This is an imaginary incident written by Sakhariya in his Book titled Arkariyam. The plot behind this episode was that Joseph and Mary hid themselves in a nunnery to save Jesus from the soldiers who were asked to kill the children below two by Herod. We could find this compassionate face in Jesus when he draws the Lakshmana Rekha before Pharisees and others as he stood for the woman caught in adultery. Compassion is getting into the others shoe; so passion to sort out other’s difficulties was inherent in St. Joseph’s life. God did know that only such person could be the foster father of His son. The purpose of Christ’s life was to restore the humanity from its pitfalls.   Revamping a system like humanity which has ups and downs needs a compassionate heart. St. Joseph was the first person to touch and feel Christ. So Christ= Contemplation+ Commitment+ Compassion. Let’s strive in the footsteps of St. Joseph to achieve this simple formula of eternal happiness.

    Jithin Kalan CMI

St. John the Baptist The Promoter of Jesus' Company

Identify the Bible Character who you are? Was the first notification I have found as I signed into my FB account yesterday. The Gospel of the day portrays four Bible characters for our reflection and to spot to which our personalities are road to. Herod a self proclaimed king is the first character who had given a wrong promise. His promise was off beam because he was not a king but a ruler of ¼ of the great Herod.  The second personality is Herodias a woman with full of grudge to kill a righteous and a holy man who was against her immoral notions. Salome as per the Bible Scholars a 12year girl is the third individual who was a mere extension of her mother’s revenge. The fourth character is St. John the Baptist. Promoter a piquant concept that is used in business and company realms, I would like to link the personality of John the Baptist with the traits of a promoter. The task of a promoter is to take all the necessary steps to create and mold an organization and set it going. Yes St. John the Baptist was the promoter of Jesus’ company named The Kingdom of God and ‘The Beatitudes’ as its brand uniqueness. The promoter abides by the mission and vision of the organization and finds the capital for its long run. Righteousness was the objective and holiness as the spiritual capital that St. John the Baptist had as he promoted the Jesus’ company. Promoter’s existence becomes paler when the Board of Directors is legally formed. St. John the Baptist was really an advertiser in its fullness and that is expounded in the Gospel of John 3: 30 where he says, “He must increase and I must decrease.” Our call as religious is to be the promoters of Jesus Company. The epistle today 2^nd letter to Timothy 2: 8 accentuate the idea by stating “Jesus Christ rose from the dead and that is my Gospel for which I suffer hardship and being chained like a criminal.” The best paradigm for the promoter of Jesus’ Company before us is our Founder St. Kuriakose Elias who had the spiritual capital of Baptismal innocence and the vision of Prayer and love for the people of God. Let us have an introspection to ourselves throughout the whole day asking am I a promoter of Jesus’ company by proclaiming and living the word of God. The slogan by Mike Murdock written in his book titled “The Leadership secrets of Jesus” be our hushed mantra “Make decisions that will create the future you desire.”       

Let us close our eyes for a while and pray, God our heavenly Father, we thank you, praise you and adore you for giving us the chance to be on the shore of blessed Sacrament in this beautiful morning.  Shower your blessings on us to be the promoters of your company by our Thoughts, Words and Deeds, Amen.   
Jithin Kalan CMI