Spirituality of St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara

 Spirituality of St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara

 

 Milestones

1805, February 10 - Chavara was born at

1805, February 18 - Baptized Chennankary Church

1829, Nov 29 - Ordained priest by Arch Maurelius Stabilini

1831, May 11 -of the first Indigenous Congregation for Men (CMI).

1855, December 8 - profession of the 11 , including  Chavara

1861, June 8 - as the Vicar General the Syro-Malabar Church

1866, Feb 13 - Foundation the first Indigenous Congregation Women (C.M.C.)

1871, January 3 - death of Chavara Koonammavu 

2014, November 23-  Sainthood by Pope Francis St. Peter's Square Vatican  

Spirituality 
 

Saint Chavara had a spirituality founded on the mystery of the magnanimous, caring, love of God, learning and directing him in the minutest details of his life. This leading directive love of God, the Eastern Fathers used to call, the mystery of the dispensation of God's love. It was on this reality divine and human that the spirituality of Blessed Chavara was anchored. He was an heir of the Eastern spiritual traditions, transmitted to him down through the centuries through the liturgical traditions and spiritual practices of the Malabar Church.

We can identify four specific dimensions in this spirituality of St. Chavara.

 1.   Remembrance and Burning in love (Smarikalum Jvalikalum)
 

   He remembers the numerous blessings given by God and as a grateful response to it he     burns in the  love of God

    

 2. Remembering and Repenting (Smarikalum Thapikalum)

      

 He remembers his sins and shortcomings and repents that he wounded the loving heart of God 

3.Remembrance and Ever burning in love (Smarikalum Ujjvalikalum)
 

 He remembers that though he was unfaithful God granted him several special gifts instead of curses and as a response to it he ever burns in love of God. 

4. Daring venture and Leaping surrender (Thuniyalum Erangalum)
 

As a response to the numerous blessings and special gifts received from God he ventures into the practice of heroic virtues and surrenders himself for the service of the people of God and the people around him.

Chavarul  

Sayings o fSt.  Chavara to the Children

Bl. Kuriakose Elias Chavara the pioneer of education, tried    to do away with the caste distinction in Kerala and make it possible for all the children irrespective of caste creed to sit together and study. He first used the Pallikkoodam in Malayalam Language.

 

1.  .	Children, you are God's investment in the hands of your parents.
2.	The Children who have love of God and fear of God will love and respect their parents.
3.	Trust your mother, God will hear the mother's request like the baby's request.
4.	Wisdom and purity should be spiritual food like food for natural growth.
5.	Go to school regularly and recall to mind what is taught during the week.
6.	Laziness fosters evil habits.
7.	Let your friends be those who love God.
8.	Good friends will make you good.
9.	Keeping of bad books is like hiding fire in straw.
10.	Regular reading of good books and meditating on it, will illumine the mind.
11.	Attain punctuality by means of a regular time-table.
12.	You angels will be turned to devils, if you fall into evil situation.
13.	You aught to reach home before evening and take part in the evening prayers.
14.	Your attire and sanctity ought to be according to your age.
15.	Immoderate attire will only lead you to evil.
16.	Let your ability be in piety regulating your life and controlling your senses.
17.	You ought to love truth and justice.
18.	What you earn by deceit and theft will melt like snow.
19.	Your profession must be according to your knowledge and age.
20.	Let there be no day in your life in which you did no good to others.
21.	Let not the insult and quarrels of others be a cause of hatred and enmity.
22.	Do not insult or trouble the poor.
23.	God decides your vocation and you choose it.
24.	When you choose your partner in life, choose one who has a good character and good manners.
25.	Even if you are grown in age and maturity you have to accept your parents and submit to them.
26.	Do not hate your own brethren.
27.	It is the duty of children to look after their parents.
28.	Do not be the cause of your parents shedding tears on account of you.
29.	The humble man is the greatest among men.
30.	Since you belong to God, you should be given back to God.

 Reference: http://blessedchavara.org/aboutus.asp (copied)

FEAST OF EASTER

FEAST OF  EASTER

"If Jesus has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain."  (1 Cor 15/14)

 

Feast of Easter is the oldest and most important feast in the Christin tradition. The celebration of the Feast of Easter started before the celebration of Christmas.  It is the feast of the feasts.  Easter celebrates the triumphant  of Jesus over death and sin through His resurrection.The New Testament teaches that the resurrection of Jesus, which Easter celebrates, is a foundation of the Christian faith. St. Paul in his first letter to Corinthians (1 Cor15/12-22) establishes  the fact that if Jesus has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. The resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ.The resurrection of Jesus is the faith believed and lived as a central truth by the first Christian community.This faith has been established by the documents of the New Testament and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross and handed on as fundamental tradition. The mystery of Christ resurrection is a real event with manifestations that were historically verified as the New Testament bear witness. In first letter to Corinthians (1Cor 15) St Paul speaks of the living tradition of the resurrection he had learned after his conversion. The empty tomb and the interaction of Jesus with disciples in different occasions after resurrection strengthened the faith of resurrection among the first Christian community. 

The risen Jesus establishes direct contact with disciples to make them aware that he appeared to them in the same body that has been tortured and crucified yet at the same time this authentic real body possesses the properties of a glorious body not limited by space and time. In his risen body he passes from the state of death to another life beyond time and space. At Jesus resurrection his body is filled with the power of the holy spirit and shares a divine life in his glorious state. Although resurrection was an historical event that could be verified by the sign of the empty tomb and by the reality of the apostles' encounters with risen Christ, still it remains at the very heart of the mystery of faith  as something that transcends and surpasses the history.

Resurrection is a definite proof for his divine authority and the fulfillment of the promises both of Old Testament and of Jesus himself in during his earthly life.(Mt 28/6, Mk 16/7, Lk 24/6-7, 26-27,44-48, 1 Cor 15/3-4).The resurrection established Jesus as the powerful Son of God (Rom 1/4) and is cited as proof that God will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17/31).

Paschal mystery has two aspects by death Christ liberates us from sin by resurrection he opens for us the way to a new life. This new life is the justification that reinstates us in God's grace. (Rom 6/4) Justification consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and an a new participation in grace. It brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ 's brethren.We become brethren by the gift of grace. Real share in the life of only son which was fully revealed in resurrection.

Christ's resurrection and risen Christ himself is the principle and source of our future resurrection (1 Cor 15/20-22). Christ the first born from the dead (col 1/18) is the principle of our own resurrection even now by the justification of our own souls and one day by the new life he will impart to our bodies (Rom 8/11).

Thus through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has given us "a new birth into a living hope  from the dead".^]We   through faith in the working of God are spiritually resurrected with Jesus so that they may walk in a new way of life.Our  lives  are swept by Christ into the heart of divine life so that we  may live no longer for ourselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

*Article is based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church