Wednesday, August 31, 2016

CCMSI - Day out in Kodaikanal....

 After the day's work yesterday, the provincial minister Br. John arumai gifted a day out to Kodaikanal, a famous hill station here in Tamilnad.....very beautiful hill station, very cold....today it was raining.....it takes three hours to reach on the top....on the way the South province of Mary Queen has a social centre called RTU...here there more than 1000 children....four friars working along with 300 hundred staff.....it is a noble work.....
 Br. Paulswamy who is now the director....who has grown in this home in 1978.....takes good care along with other friars....he explained the work and activities of the centre....they are many activities....well supported......going to the villages...mobile clinic and science lab....going to the village schools......
 friars listening to the story of success....1000 children in the campus.....there are 50 houses....where a mother with 6 children looks after.....very well planned and organised ...
 Bosco and Peter are the other two friars who work together....


 in the campus....a lot of information which was really liked by the CCMSI provincials...some of them might get enlightened and inspired to start something like this on a small scale...


 Inside the campus......well kept, neat and clean.....

 One of the homes we entered and visited the Mother.....children had already left for the school...

Tiny tots.....welcomed us with smiles......cute ones.....God is alive here......
They have snacks and some drinks........


 Br. Peter, ex-airforce man....a lay brother....always with a capuchin smile......working here....


 Kodaikannal.......hills covered with clouds.....
 we had our lunch with the Jesuits.......a big college which once was a Noviciate, post noviciate and Philosophy house....today it is a retreat centre and other animation courses......


Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Meeting of Conference of the Franciscan Major Superiors of first and third Order

 The annual meeting was held today with all the capuchin provincials, custos and delegates and only one Conventual provincial. The absence of the other provincials of other franciscan families for successive two meetings was a point for our discussion. The president expressed that he would individually communicate to them. 
 The conference is formed at the request of the four General ministers and we began with enthusiasm and we hope that we will be enthusiastic in future too......
The agenda for the meeting was discussed at length.....the point of OFS was discussed and many suggestions were offered......some of the oFS members have written a letter to the president voicing out their concern with regard to functioning of OFS......the president will communicate it to the National president and the general Minister of OFS in Rome.

Monday, August 29, 2016

The Provincial arriving for the CMFST and CCMSI Meeting at Dindigul

 some of us paid visit to Br. John Antony our ex-general councilor who is not keeping well....now is bouncing back to good health...he was happy to see us and he has the same smile and laughter....very positive of his good health....we spent some time to be with him....we travelled four hours up and down....

 Provincials lead by example....this morning we began our day with meditation and Eucharist with morning prayer.....Dindigul is cool though no rains ........it is monsoon time but still very scanty rains....

It is time for break fast......before that the friars say hi and hello.....

 Br. John Arumai is welcoming all the participants during the breakfast.....
 we begin today the meeting of the conference of first and third order major superiors....response from the others is poort

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Thank the Lord for all that we have!!!!!!!!

I am on my way to Madurai via Bangalore.....the flight is delayed i don't know the reasons......so i have a lot of time...two hours of wait....great....i can do something worthwhile.....last evening i was with my friends for a dinner.....the friend of mine has a small business and he is doing well for himself...but generosity and love, charity and sharing is his mantra....he believes in sharing what he has.....he is a good Catholic....with a lovely son and wife....he shared with me while dinning and said that he learnt from one of his consultants who does not share his faith but believes and reads a lot about Jesus....this holy man said that thank the Lord for every moment and you will the wonders that God works in life....there is nothing that the Lord does not grant....but if we thank and express our gratitude he grants all......that you have a home, a shelter, a wife and children, bank balance etc...you have everything and still you are unhappy....he said then go to your window and look outside....you will find poor people....eating and drinking, sleeping....no proper shelter in summer, winter and monsoon.....yet they are happy......God has given us so much that we have no reason to be sad and unhappy.....the more we thank Him the more he pours His gifts on us.....every problem that we face we must first thank the Lord for having given us a little problem to worry about....not to blame and accuse anyone but to be with the problem....as you thank for it, the Lord then shows us the way to solve and overcome, he shows us the light to touch and feel the problems....he also leads us to those people who have more problems than us.....
The poor ones in their sickness and illness, they have no grantee of receiving good treatment as they cannot afford an expensive treatment.....they cannot be sure of their bank balance as they don;t have any bank accounts....some of them die due to non availability of funds to get treated.....the dead ones are carried on shoulders as it happened in Orissa.....the man could not afford a transport to carry the dead body ....so he carried the body....there are others who carry it on bi-cycles....but they do not complain....thank the Lord for what they have and receive....they are the most happiest people on earth....their smile is not plastic but real and genuine one....it comes directly from a contented and happy heart and soul.....on the streets of Mumbai....thousands sleep...no mosquitos and rats disturb them.....they sleep a million dollar sleep....rats play on their bodies yet they don't get disturbed.....morning they thank the Lord for that wonderful sleep which eludes from those who have good bed and beddings....till late night one is not able to sleep.....

Friday, August 26, 2016

A Missionary with a smile....passes away....



This is  Fr. Abel  Thekekutt (86) who passed away last night  at Assisi Ashram, Bharananganam on Sunday (28/08/2016) after a short illness. A great friar who has worked all over in our Capuchin Order. He was missionary in Tanzania, Malwai, South Africa, North India in Krist Jyoti Province, Nirmala Custody, Assam and Mary Matha, Andhra Pradesh. He has worked very hard in all these places. Even today people and friars who knew him do speak good about his missionary zeal. He was known to be a good formator too. 
I first met him in the year 2007 in Assam Custody. He was then member of the Custody house. With smiling face he welcomed me and made me feel at home. Since then i had occasions to meet him every now and then. Last i met him was in Month of January 2016 in Kerala. He used to play shuttle cock every day in the evening with the friars. He was loved and admired by many friars especially by the students. 
His funeral will be tomorrow at 02.00 PM at Assisi Ashram, Bharananganam.......Please pray for his departed soul...

A moment of misunderstanding leads to break relationships!!!!!!







A few moments of misunderstanding can create havoc and bring in a lot of poison in human relationships, which sometimes may be difficult to restore to its original status. There are friendships, families, companies and even religious communities which have experienced this poison of misunderstanding leading to destruction of joy and happiness once enjoyed by all. It causes break of relationship, makes one to go far away from the loved one. There are people who have been frustrated due to the misunderstanding. One is at loss as how to resolve misunderstanding which keeps growing if not clarified and resolved in time. It even can hurt both the parties which creates a vacuum and pain in relationships


Sometimes misunderstanding is created due to non-listening to the concerned parties. It is spread due to fabrication of the facts which are not listened to by the parties. It is always good to clarify it by coming together and putting across the table. When there is a misunderstanding it is always good not to listen to 3rd party who could exaggerate and even add thing which are not part of the misunderstanding existing between two parties. One could do this to further complicate the relationships between two parties. Misunderstanding makes the parties to forget a lot of goodness which exists and which could be a source of resolving the misunderstanding. One moment of misunderstanding can destroy a sea of goodness. The honesty and truth that once enjoyed by the parties begins to disappear due to misunderstanding. It could destroy a well settled married life and can bring in a lot of pain and suffering. It is best to speak clearly and genuinely about the matters that leads to misunderstanding. Sometimes due to lack of courage we keep postponing misunderstanding which could be difficult to handle once significant time passes by. 

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Let us express our solidarity with Italians




I woke up yesterday with the news of Earthquake in Italy. I was sad and disturbed to hear. Definitely many lives have been lost. It happens every now and then. One fine morning we hear about the sad Earthquake that takes place in some part of the world. We express solidarity and offer prayers for the victims. Some of us might send some monetary help beyond that we don’t do anything special because it has happened to someone else. These are natural disasters over which we don’t have any control. But we have to accept that human beings have to accept that the creator God s the mighty and supreme. He is the one who has control over the entire universe and in humility we have to accept and respect him. We have to keep in mind that we might progress in our research and development, science and technology but we cannot conquer Him. He is to be respected and accepted in the Nature and Universe. 

We are helpless before this mighty God. When these natural calamities take place we are nothing but small creatures. We have to depend on him. Everything has limits and we must not cross those limits. Science and Technology might give us some answers but not all and full answers, we should go beyond, we need to respect the mandate of God. That is why the encyclical of Pope Francis is so very important for us to read and live it. The power of the Earth and nature are much more powerful than all our inventions and technology. We should not boast in our advancements in many fields. All these great researches should not make us to feel that we are powerful than God. We need to humble ourselves before the Lord, and consider these disasters as merciful reminders, and sufferings as opportunities to turn to our spirits and look up things beyond ourselves. May the Lord abound His mercy and grace upon us. Let us

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Use of our Talents

 The coming of the Lord is very important for everyone: everyone should be ready to receive him when he comes.  We should be ready when God calls us for an accounting, for judgment of how we lead our lives.

 To be ready means that we are doing what we should be doing, what we are tasked to do. In the parable in today’s Gospel reading, we see the master rewarding the capable servant who does his work well and who is ready for the master when the master returns.

But “not so with the bad servant. . .  .   He will dismiss that servant and deal with him as with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt 24: 51)

 Related to being found awake and ready are the parables about making good use of the talents God has given us. (Mt 25: 14 – 30; Lk 19: 11 – 16) God will demand an accounting on how we have made use of the many talents and gifts he has given to us.  The productive ones will be rewarded: “Well, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in little things, I will entrust you with much more, Come and share the joy of your master.” (Mt 25: 23) The lazy and unproductive ones will be severely punished: “As for that useless servant, throw him out into the dark where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “ (Mt 25: 30)

 Do we make good use of what we have? Of what we have been gifted?  Are we ready at all times since we know not the day nor the hour when we must give an account?








Monday, August 22, 2016

Visit to Br. Clayton's Mother.........

 Being in Goa and close to Br. Clayton's house...decided to visit his ailing Mother....she is fine now and moving around......it was a nice drive of 30 minutes from the Provincial Curia....it is green and water all over...

 It was raining as we were driving to Clayton's village...

 Clayton with his Mom and Br. Paul......

 Clayton's house and his village....

 Clayton is at home......