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         

Chavara a Transformational Leader

Rich Dad and Poor Dad is a book by Robert T. Kiyosaki just read and closed. The gist of the book is how both the rich and the poor teach their kids to earn money. As we are sitting on the shore of the Blessed Sacrament, we remember a Dad who was rich in spiritual, intellectual and social reformations and he teaches how to be rich alike. Let us ask a question to ourselves what did make him to be rich in these realms? I believe he had a Penual experience. Penual is a place which we find in the book of Genesis where Jacob sees the face of God. There is a slight connection between this place and the last lines of the Gospel passage. “I tell you just as you did it one of my family, you did it to me.” It clearly portrays where we can see the face of God, and it’s true in our service to the Marginalized. Then who is this marginalized? It doesn’t mean just poor people or low cast people alone but includes who all not having access to what common man or woman has. Seeing the face God in the other made Bl. Chavara a transformational leader. Whatever he did in his life span had given access to the marginalized whom Jesus considers as His family members. Don’t assume that there is no notion of marginalization in the modern world.  It is at hand in modern form. The present Indian scenario is a good example where humanity and all its qualities are demeaned. The flat culture, People stay at same home without loving each other, brother kills brother, father rapes daughter, thinking that they are mere objectives for one’s own pleasure. As we are getting closer to the canonization process of Bl. Chavara exactly 100 days ahead. Let us think of becoming a transformational leader. To inculcate and presume his leadership model we need to engage in an ongoing process of transformation, transformation from my present life to a life planned for me by God. Then St. Paul will tell by looking at us” You are a letter of Christ prepared by Bl. Chavara written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God.” So let us pray for that Grace to be a letter in Chavara’s Poem. 

Jithin Kalan CMI             

Theology of Priorities- Reflection On Martha & Mary (Luke 10: 38- 42)

Kuunjuni: Lalitha today you have to kindle the lamp

Lalitha: Yes, I will

Kunjuni: Do you remember any chanting what your father had chanted?

Lalitha: Yes

Kunjuni: Lalitha, then today you should start to chant.

The above conversation is from the novel ‘Gurusagaram’ written by O.V. Vijayan. This novel is all about Delhi based Malayalees. The author through this novel explains that Lalitha has forgotten her priorities when she is migrated to Delhi for Job. The readings of the day both epistle and gospel in the same way ask us to reflect on choosing and devoting oneself to do the priorities. St. Paul through the letter to Titus reminds us to avoid evil actions and get ready for every good work. The gospel of Luke points the same theme by differentiating the characters of Martha and Mary. As we all know Martha was very busy in treating Jesus. However the preaching of the retreat preachers and the homilies we heard has made us misunderstand Martha’s action. I would say she also did a good Job. Showing hospitality to the host is a virtue. In Indian milieu Martha cared Jesus as God because we Indians consider ‘Athithi’   as ‘Deva’ host as God.

Then why Jesus did counter her action by saying “Martha you are worried and distracted by many things.” Robin Sharma in his book ‘Mega living’ wrote “Everyone must do what is needed to develop the best for his or her life.”  The difference between Martha and Mary can be easily found out, if we draw our attention to the phrase what Jesus uttered. “There is need of only one thing.” In their context the only thing that needed was to sit at Jesus foot and listen to him. It reminds us to choose our priorities in our life.  We are religious crammed with lots of responsibilities and activities like studies, co-curricular activities, ministries and administration. Some time we give up our priorities as Martha in the gospel and Lalitha in the novel forgets to accomplish their priorities. Here Mary becomes a question mark before us. Let us deeply meditate on the questions; do we give importance to our prayer life? Do we spend time before our Eucharistic Lord, which is vital for our life?  Let me wind up by quoting St. Francis of Assisi   “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

May God bless you all!
Jithin Kalan CMI

SHADES OF FRIENDSHIP

“A friend cannot be replaced” it is a dialogue from the English movie Eragon. Truly the Month of August invites us to think on friendship. What is friendship? Who is a friend? Friendship is a relationship between two or more people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an acquaintanceship. A friend is whom we feel comfort and emotional safety. It is when you do not have to weigh your thoughts measure words. A friend is someone who knows you better than yourself and assures to be on your side in every emotional crisis. Friendship is much beyond roaming together and sharing good moments; it is when someone comes to rescue you from the worst phases of life.

Friendship starts the moment a child starts socializing. It is essential for the development of the personality of a person. There are famous stories about friends in mythology of different religions. They say a person who has found a faithful friend has found a priceless treasure. I wind up with a quote by Aristotle “What is Friend? A single soul, dwelling in two bodies”
Jithin Kalan CMI

Young Philosophizing

                                                                                            

Abode of wisdom, love and a place where you can realize all your genuine dreams  that what the prestigious institution Dharmaram Vidaya Kshetram (DVK) Pontifical Athenaeum for Philosophy, Theology and Canon Law is. Bowing my head before and thanking my Professors, let me begin my observation on young Philosophizing. “Winners do not do different things they do things differently.” People of every time wish to become both winners and different. Why does it take place? Here the Philosophy of man Answers I am not superior, I am not inferior, I am not equal but I am something special. I am unique. No one is able to put the other in a frame.  This year Philosophy of faculty in DVK is blessed with enthusiastic, energetic and extraordinary youth apart from priestly and religious students to do their Philosophical studies. Youth in the 2G world opt for Professional studies, and to have easy chair job. Being a young in this discipline it’s a big question in front of me, why do they choose to study Philosophy?  Here I am with some of my humble remarks on this issue. As we know the word Philosophy is the mishmash of two Greek words Philo and Sophia means love of wisdom. Reality is what people of this eon becomes more informative but not transformative. They become customers not producers and contributive. To be a designer of something it sounds that he or she needs to have Philosophia or wisdom. Wisdom helps us to reflect upon our lives and makes transformation in our lives.  Doing philosophy will lead us to get hold of real wisdom or the subject for correct thinking. Information that you gather from different sort of sources like Media, Internet and Book will not make you to arrive at real wisdom, of course they play their part but still they too are confined. “For me philosophy is training for correct thinking (to become a professional thinker)” says Pradeep a student from Faculty of Philosophy at DVK. 

I have formed a definition on philosophy, after two years of my philosophical studies, and that is Philosophy= Thinking+ Practical application. “In this age people do things before thinking that calls forth mistake and mischief.” Writes Chethan Bagat in his book Three Mistakes in My Life. The author of this book is of our own time. To be frank, it proves the present scenario of people’s capacity to think precisely. Philosophy has begun with the famous cliché of Socrates ‘Know thyself’. Today what we lack is this. The corollary of this not knowing oneself leads to login our day with a bed coffee and breaking news like Corruption, Murder, Women harassment and Terrorist attack. I am bit afraid of India, where this land of Rishi’s and clairvoyant goes? Back to bygone days we find that the culture of India was more oriented with spirituality and wisdom. It was our culture and the late mystics of India had their own philosophy and vision. During their life span they had voice to lead India a nation of spirituality and wisdom which they got from their unfathomable reflection. Today people think that Philosophy is a bumpy, taut and waste subject.  So they just rebuff to go on with Philosophy. Philosophy is part and parcel of our culture, it rings a bell doing philosophy as Indians we save our culture and our image.

The twenty first century has absolutely gone to the hands of business, and this is what we are going to pick up as fresh twig of Philosophy. Commercialism attracts us to become contributive, creative and critical. In this point, does Philosophy have any role in professionalism? Vikas, a student from Faculty of Philosophy at DVK and Christ University who left fine salaried job and came here to go on with philosophy answers, “commercialism or Professionalism can and has been going without any philosophy in today’s world, but I feel this is a sad state, Professionalism without philosophy of its core values is like a body without soul.” This creates an avalanche of negativity in new contributions.   

Philosophy was, is and will keep its value always because there is no zilch without its philosophy. To conclude let me write a discourse from the Malayalam Movie PRNAYAM Between Achu (Ambarish) and Mathews ( Mohanlal). Achu and Mathew were enjoying the sunset at seashore, and Achu had thrown shell twice to the sea. He asked Mathew did you observe that the second shell has gone far than the first? Mathew replied yes. Achu asked again can you tell the reason. He answered that you had given extra power to your hand so. Achu replied you are right but it was my will and wish that the second stone has to fall far from the first. Yes dear friends we need to be spurred that our lives should be more colorful, creative and contributive than the last second that we just passed, and let our philosophies help us.   

Jithin Kalan CMI

A bit that makes you handsome and beautiful

We all have to do our bit and it is clear by the words of  William Shakespeare "We all are actor male and actor female on the earth to act out our scene." Once an actor male or female finshes his or her panorama in Drama they are remembered just because the performance they had on the stage was bizarre. So this 2012 invites us to be a catalyst  which makes you a special from others. The beauty of your exclusive personality is measured by the bit that you do and the verdict that you take.

Wish you all a prosperous

New Year

Jithin Kalan CMI