The entire mankind is on the threshold of the third millennium since the coming of the Saviour Jesus and the world is full of great expectations This is an age of expectations and aspirations. These are the days of retrieval and redemption. The merciful Lord is waiting to save the whole mankind from the deadly grip of sin and Satan, disease and damnation, in this Great Jubilee Year of the coming of Christ. It is time for us to receive His Graces, leaving the paths and milestones of eternal perdition far behind us, and feel secure and fulfilled in the peace and tranquility of eternity. It is the time for us to embrace and relish the scheme of salvation that the Great Father has prepared for us. "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me..." (Jer. 29:11-14). When God says that 'I will let you find me, 'what we should understand is that he is seeking us more earnestly and with a greater determination than we are seeking Him. We see God and enter the path of salvation not because of our abilities but because of his infinite graces that He lavishly showers on us. That is why the apostle Paul writes, "What do we possess as our own except those which we received as gifts?" This is an age of unlimited gifts and graces. "Where sins have increased, graces too have doubled" Man, who is running wildly behind the achievements of science and technology, hankering after worldly and materialistic pleasures, stop for a moment! Don't be suppressed by the base emotions and desires as your gaze is fixed down to earth. Lift your eyes and become radiant from the glorious rays emanating from the Holy Face of God. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more" (Rev. 21:1,2).

The first heaven is that one which appeared above the background of the Tree with Satan perched on it, causing the first sin and the consequent downfall of Man. The first earth is that earth which gaped its mouth open to gulp the blood gushing out of Abel, the younger brother of Cain, Adam's first offspring, who brutally cudgelled Abel to death. All these have passed away. The new heaven is that one which rose above the background of the wooden Cross with Jesus Christ's holy body hanging on it on Mount Calvary. The new heaven is the one which the apostles saw above them during the ascension of the Lord Jesus. It is the Heaven that will be seen when he comes again, accompanied by His angelic hosts.

The new earth of God is the one which contains the open sepulchre from which Jesus resurrected, reminding and promising us of our own resurrection. The new earth is the one in which all the believers live - earth that has been marked by the blood and spirit of Jesus, inhabited by the holy, faithful people of God. This is the Holy Earth. Thus we have a new heaven and a new earth. The third millennium is the age of Jesus. We all will become united in Him. Through Him all will be led to the Father Almighty. Come let us rejoice! Come, Let us remind ourselves of the graces and goodness the merciful Lord is bestowing on us increasingly and thank him whole heartedly and sacrificingly in this Jerusalem of ours! Wishing you all the Joy and blessings of the great Jubilee and the Great New Year!!!

We are reading this issue of Vachanotsavam at a time when the grace and greatness of God are revealed to us in a special way for the salvation of all. Many lakhs of people read Vachanotsavam and receive the light and grace of the Holy Spirit, recognising and witnessing that Jesus is the Saviour and they feel happy and fulfilled at that. Even while listening to the
Word of God, many are receiving internal peace and tranquility and cure for physical maladies. They witness miraculous happenings and obtain the love of God. These are joyful things and that is why nowadays people of all sorts, irrespective of caste, creed or religious affinities, throng to partake in the retreats and read Vachanotsavam. Each one who comes to the retreat and reads the magazine gets blessing. This phenomenon has become a way for the positive and benevolent intervention of God and a fountain spring for graces in this era. To us, who are stepping into the third millennium, this development gives great hopes. We try hard and for long and are blessed with certain achievements. We bring out various publications. At this particular juncture, God has chosen us, our publications, Vachanotsavam magazine, to spread with lightning speed the Word of God, the Good News. Let us thank God for this great mercy on us. We wish all the readers of Vachanotsavam the grace of the Holy Spirit, spiritual peace and tranquility and renewed faith. We pray for their well-being and prosperity. Let the omnipotent God bless abundantly all the readers of Vachanotsavam. Let Him shower on all of us His special, choicest blessings. Let Him instill into us spiritual gifts making us stronger in our faith so that we march forward with confidence at this time of advancement of the Word of God. Praised be the name of Jesus! Praise be to the Father. Adoration to you, O Jesus! Hallelujah!!

The greatest revelation of these times is the Holy Spirit's highlighting to us the Biblical messages indicating that God will render salvation to all and that He desires to give it to all. We read in Lk. 3:6, "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. "That this is the will and desire of God is shown in the first letter to Timothy (2:3-4). This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." God does not want a single person to perish. "The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9). Therefore God prepares ways and avenues for repentance. These avenues are seen in the numerous retreats and conventions that are held these days and by taking part in them we receive salvation in plentiful and abundant measures. This is what God wants. Everyone should receive the saving graces of the Lord. Today there are 600 crores of people, living in 200 countries spanning the five continents of the world and God wants the Good News to be spread to all of them without exception. You may ask whether it is not possible for the Omnipotent God to do it all by Himself. Of course, He can! But He wants the Good News to spread through us, the faithful believers. So present the Jesus we know and experience to others. Also share with others the words of God that illuminated our lives. Thus, one with the other, the other with another, and so on the chain gets extended, each person becoming a link in propagating the Word of the Lord around the entire length and breadth of the Universe. Also organise some groups and spread the Biblical message. Teach the participants about the salvation Jesus offers. Inform them about the generous act of redemption, the absolution from sin that only Jesus offers. Tell them about the eternal and everlasting life He promises. What work is greater than this magnificent job of spreading the Good News? Jesus asks this stunning question: "For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?" (Matt. 16:26).

It is a matter of Great joy, satisfaction and encouragement that at this point in time God is revealing the message of this spiritual salvation and eternal life to the people of different walks of life and faith. Today many, not only Christians, but those baptised and not baptised belonging to other religious leanings take part in the retreats, read spiritual publications, receive the light of the Holy spirit, renew their lives and spiritually transform themselves. They become the living witnesses of Jesus. With joy and happiness and without rest, everyday they proclaim their experiences to the eager multitudes. They gladly share the teachings of Our Lord with others.

I distinctly remember an incident that took place in Potta Ashram right in the beginning when conventions celebrating the Word of God commenced there. A non-Christian came there to take part in the retreat. As he was a labourer on daily wages, he could not afford to come for the retreat everyday. But he came regularly on Sundays to take part in the retreat proceedings. After attending the services on 4 Sundays, he started hating his drinking habit. He soon got the grace to quit smoking, too. He also got relieved of his stomach ailment that was bothering him for long. His life soon transformed into one of joy and peace. Many miraculous changes took place in his life when he heard the word of the Lord. He experienced spiritual tranquility. His inner wounds were healed and he was filled with the joy and love of God. After a few weeks he started taking Vachanotsavam magazine to various households and getting new subscribers to the magazine. He did that because he was enlightened by the Holy Spirit, who gave him the necessary strength, joy and inspiration to do it. I still remember with a sense of wonder how that brother enrolled about 500 subscribers for Vachanotsavam magazine. He was not a highly educated man. He was just a labourer doing odd jobs; he was a drunkard once; he was a heavy smoker once; he had never experienced a peaceful life. But things changed. When he heard Jesus, when he listened to the witnesses proclaiming the miraculous changes brought in their lives by Jesus, when he read and understood the word of the Lord, he changed, he transformed. The Lord did wonders for him.His life was filled with the light and grace of the Holy Spirit. He was filled with burning missionary zeal.

Dear brethren, you may all have seen people of different faiths doing this kind of missionary work. You may even be one of them. If that be the case, let us praise the name of God, because this is a great blessing. Working for the greater glory of God, for the salvation of souls, for the repentance and change of heart of sinners, for preaching the word of God to those hitherto ignorant about it, to pray for and work earnestly in the evangelization process - all these are magnificent efforts. Once we might have lived and worked just to satisfy our stomach - our physical needs. But today things have changed for us. With God's love and care enveloping us, we have become zealous missionaries. We have become the select, holy people of God. All these changes take place through the Word, while listening to the Word. When we accepted the Word, transformations occurred in our lives, repentance came to us; we experienced the strength of renewal; we were blessed with clear aims and objectives in our lives; we received the urge to spread the Gospel messages. It is not enough that we alone receive these special gifts of God. Thousands, tens of thousands, millions too should obtain these blessings. It is reported that present day India has a population of 97.5 crores. If it is so, all these 97.5 crores should hear about Jesus, know Him, recognize Him as their Saviour and as the Saviour of the entire world. God will help them in this recognition and realization. He sends the Holy Spirit, performs miracles, shows signs of various sorts, cures physical and mental ills, gives peace in the family, settles quarrels.

Dear people, let us praise the Lord for this stage in our times, let us feel grateful to Him. God has chosen this as a very special age; and He has chosen us for a very special purpose. Listen to what He says, "You did not choose me but I chose you...the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name" (Jn.15:16). This is a mighty promise. The very fact that you are reading this issue of Vachanotsavam is a special chosen act of God. This choice is to know Him, to be filled with His infinite love, and to experience the God- head in your person. This choice is to witness Jesus and to preach the Good News to others. We can understand when we are told that Jesus chose 12 apostles. That was a very big choice. Later he chose, 72 people. From these 72, two each were sent to the towns to prepare the venues and retreat centres before Jesus and His disciples went there. And these chosen people were given powers to work miracles through the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!!

When we read that the apostles and the saints got such a divine selecting, we can understand it. But it is a joyful experience that we have been chosen by God for this noble mission. Not only us, God is choosing thousands and millions of others for this work. Through our laborious efforts and our tolerance and sacrifices we should hope and pray for the change of heart of countless millions of sinners who still tread in darkness. That will be a commendable effort. We are at the portals of the year 2000, and God has bestowed on us some very great hopes. Our efforts never go in vain. Our prayers never go unanswered. There might be delay in getting answers to our requests, but answers will come. It is just a question of time. With this firm belief, let us pray for this century, for this millennium, in a very special way. Pray with the prompting and thoughts of the Holy Spirit. When we pray in this manner, in collaboration with the Holy Spirit and Jesus, God the Father will heed that prayer and He will shower His choicest blessings on the countless millions of the world.

In Eph 4:10-18 we read how we withstand in our spiritual battles, in the battles against Satan. We are told how to fight and what armour we should wear. Today we are in the midst of a great spiritual battle. Some political parties are terribly afraid even to hear the name of Jesus Christ. When they hear about the good News in the Bible, they pretend that they don't understand it. Some erroneous impressions have been created in their minds about conversions - that they are forced. Under the circumstances, we ourselves need some determination, some insight and some knowledge. What does God want to achieve through us? The greatest thing is that all the faithful should receive the Holy Spirit and become witnesses to Jesus Christ. It is not enough to be witnesses proclaiming the mercies of God. But we must also live exemplary lives in which we behave with love, patience, mercy, affection and respect for one another. We should win the people for the Lord through our own impeccable lives. This attitude and understanding are very essential to do the missionary work for Christ. It is imperative to have this concept to become a real witness to Jesus. When we sit at table to eat with others, we pray loudly, "Dear Lord, you gave us this food; we thank you. We also pray for those who have nothing to eat. We thank you on everybody's behalf" When we pray in this manner, we are truly witnessing and proclaiming the presence of God. We are showing our gratitude to God. At such times speak for and on behalf of Jesus and tell the people about the miracles the Lord has wrought. These miracles may be the ones we read in Vachanotsavam or some other such publications. If you think the incidents you read about are true and convincing, tell others about them. When others listen to you, their spirituality will be touched and awakened and they will be freed from debilitating bonds; they will be imbibed with peace; they will obtain the Holy spirit. This is the benefit of witnessing and living unblemished lives of real witnesses.

We become witnesses of Jesus in our private as well as social lives. Give the pride of place to Jesus. Do all your work in proper consultation with Jesus. This is the message to be carried out by all those who believe in Him. All, whether they are employed or unemployed, elders or children, should glorify the name of Jesus. Bear witness to Him. Invite Jesus into our lives and into the midst of our society. Conduct intercessory prayers; circulate our publications and other pamphlets, become active helpers in the spreading of the Biblical message. Learn the word, accept the word and share the Word. There are so many things waiting to be fulfilled through us. God will give us the necessary strength. Each of these publications is preparing us for this noble work. God's grace has appeared for the redemption of all. Our sins are removed. We are freed from the bonds of sin. We are given a new vigour. God is giving us all these. Let us thank the Lord. Let us praise Him. Let us sing to Him hymns of gratitude. Hallelujah! Thank you, Oh Jesus! Praises be to you, Oh Jesus!!

We are now entering the new year. We are now standing at the glorious dawn of a new millennium. Each one of us must prepare a spiritual action plan, at least for this impending new year. What all things am I going to do for my Lord? What are the things for which I have to prepare definite plans? Our new year plan should, inter alia, should have the following : I will share the word of God with at least so many people; I will do my best to establish and develop prayer groups. How will I go about establishing these new groups? Have definite plans for all this. These can also be intercessory prayer groups. Through all these we experience spiritual growth and also the necessary experience to preach the Gospel of the Lord. To how many people will I preach? To how many people will I send the magazine? To how many people will I make the Holy Bible available? All these should become points to be included in our scheme. If we proceed according to the prepared schemes, we shall be able to achieve more than what we desire and hope for Jesus Christ and the Holy church and this can be seen in Eph. 3:20, "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine" Hallelujah!

We can also visit sick people and share the Good News with them. Go to a hospital. There you will meet patients and their relatives and friends. Ask them if you can pray for God's help. In your prayers, include the ones proclaiming that Jesus is the Saviour, the one containing the message of promise of the Holy spirit, the one assuring redemption and salvation offered by Jesus. When they hear these powerful prayers, at least a few will definitely have some change of heart and faith. Some will be spiritually awakened. Hallelujah! Praises to you, Oh Lord! So prepare an action plan for the new year. Remember the plan and pray every day. Ask for the blessings of God so that our plan succeeds. Think there are hundreds around us who are unfortunate, deprived and desperate without any ray of hope, mentally retarded, and helpless. We should find joy in serving such people. God loves such charitable acts on our part. You read about it in many places in the Holy Bible. So dear readers, we pray God the Almighty to do great things for you in this New Year.

It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the grace to do good and continue doing the good work. It is the Holy Spirit that endows us with the thought to desire good and execute it to fruition. Therefore let the Holy Spirit shower on us His choicest blessings in this new Year and the New circumstances.
 

"I studied at St. Stephen's College. My two brothers and my wife also studied there. Before he went to Cambridge, my son studied at St. Columbus School and in St. Stephen's College. My daughter, too, studied at Jesus and Mary Convent School in Mussorie, before she left for Cambridge. My aged mother was operated on in the Holy Family Hospital. Not only the operation was comparatively cheaper, but she also received excellent post-operative care. The Shourie Family I know also sent its children to Christian Institutions. Mr. Arun Shoutie, who is against missionaries, studied at St. Stephen's in Delhi. His father Mr. H.D. Shourie was educated at the Christian college in Lahore.

There would be no exaggeration if I assert that amongst the modern people of India there would hardly be anybody who has not studied and who, otherwise, has not sought some service from Christian Institutions. In the villages and in the places where Adivasis live, there will definitely be some Christian presence especially in the educational and health care fields. If we put all the educational and health institutions established by the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs together, the number will not equal to the number of such institutions established by Christians alone. And it should be remembered that Christians form less than 3 percent of the Indian population. When these are the facts, why so much of hue and cry was made in connection with the visit of the Pope?

The Poor have been neglected from centuries and there is no wonder if they feel close to those who take note of them and help them in various ways. There is not any use of force, but is simply an act of gratefulness. Not only the poor, but many Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and even some rich people that I know have become Christians. All these conversions were voluntary. There was no threat or force behind them. I don't know if there were threats or use of force in the ancient times. But these days it is not due to force by missionaries, but it is due to voluntary desire that conversions take place."

Many readers of Vachanotsavam havea sked about the Jubilee Year andt hey specifically wanted to know if there is reference to this in the New Testament. As we are entering the year 2000 the Great Jubilee Year - this question is very relevant. It is St. Luke's gospel that speaks about the Jubilee Year. At the very beginning of his public life in his speech in Nazareth - Jesus touches upon the Jubilee Year (Lk. 7:18-19). Here the life of Christ is seen as the Great Jubilee of the end of an age and the salvation of mankind. To understand the significance of the Jubilee Year mentioned in the 3rd Gospel, we have to find out what Jubilee signified in the Old Testament.

The word Jubilee as used in English takes its origin from the Hebrew word Yobel. Yobel means a tube, a pipe. The priest used to blow through a sheephorn, a trumpet, to announce the commencement of the Jubilee Year - the 50th year. It was on the day of atonement that the trumpet was sounded after seven sabbaticals - seven times seven years. On this day all the Israelites fasted, performed acts of kindness and prayed for the forgiveness of their sins. If people want to experience the mercy and forgiveness of the Lord, they must love their brethren and forgive them their debts. In the jubilee year they were supposed to do all these things. In the Old Testament the relevant parts describing the activity related to the 'Jubilee Year are Lev. 25:8-17;23:55;27:16-25;Num. 36:4 and so on. On this Most Holy Year the people were required to do three main things.

First of all they declared freedom for the slaves. "And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants" (Lev. 25:10). The Israelites were slaves in Egypt and were exiles in Babylon. So they had to, as a gesture of thanks giving to the merciful Lord free the slaves, remembering their own earlier plight. Many members of the family who were sold as slaves returned to their households during this time. The slaves and workers were part of the home-stead. The Jubilee Year had the additional responsibility of preserving and protecting the sacred institution of the family.

The second obligation in the Jubilee Year was the return of property to their owners (Lev. 25:10). Because of various types of sufferings, poverty and other manifold reasons, the people without land were extremely poor. So at the time of the Jubilee, the land was to be returned to those who had lost it. The idea behind their mode of thinking was that the real owner of all the land was the Lord. This can be seen in Ex. 15:13-17; Lev. 25:1,2 and so on. Jesus also makes this idea clear when he talks about the real use of wealth (Zk 16:12). The earth of the Lord belongs to all his children. The old Testament severely criticises the ownership of land by a few people. This is against the will and wish of the Lord. The prophets also raise their voice against those rich men who lorded over large areas of land (Is. 5:8-10). They thought of keeping the land and using it as a "sacrament". They had such generous and handsome thoughts about land and its use because of their rock-hard faith in the Lord and His loving care. As an expression of the gratitude to the Lord who liberated them from slavery in Egypt, the people used to exempt the poor debtors from their financial obligations. Nobody should be a pauper. One shouldn't reap any benefit from another's misfortune, the Israelites remembered. The Lord punishes Ahab for his desire to grab the vineyard of Naboth - we read in 1 King 21.

The Jubilee Year expects us to live a life of self - sacrifice and simplicity. "That fiftieth Year shall be a Jubilee for you: You shall not sow, or reap the after growth, or harvest the unpruned vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat only what the field itself produces" (Lev. 25;11-12). What grew in the field by itself was the food of the poor and animals. It also helped in maintaining the ecological balance of nature. The Israelites who sustained themselves eating only those things that grew on the land by themselves stand as a symbol against man's greed to accumulate wealth by all means and against the consumerist culture of today. They were satisfied with the little they got. Man doesn't live by bread alone (Deut. 8:3; Mat. 7:7). In short, the fact is that Israel showed its gratitude and love to the Lord by their consideration and affection to their brethren, during the jubilee year.

We should consider the sermon of Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth, quoting the prophecy of Isiah (Is. 61:1,2) as the manifesto of the jubilee year. To know the significance of the jubilee year in relation to Jesus, one has to understand the full depth and import of his speech in Nazareth. Here one can see the gist, the vital essence of the life and work of the Lord. The entire Gospel and Jubilee is an amplification of his speech which begins with a quotation from the Prophet Isiah (Is 61:1-2). Right from the start of his public life, it has been made abundantly clear what exactly is the message, the task, of Jesus (Lk. 2: 18-19). Christ the Saviour had five essential tasks to accomplish.

1. To preach the Gospel to the poor

2. To free those in bonds

3. To give sight to the blind

4. To free the oppressed

5. To announce the year favoured by the Lord (Jubilee Year)

There is not an iota of doubt that the year favoured by the Lord is the jubilee year of universal redemption. At this opportunity God, in his mercy, is granting His people release from bondage and redemption. The release of those in bondage and the freedom for the oppressed we read in Isiah (61:1,2) are the same release and redemption that we see here. In other words the jubilee year favoured by God is the one that Luke (4:18) talks about at the time when "he lets the oppressed go free".

The primary task of Jesus is to preach the Gospel to the poor and oppressed. His birth, life, death and resurrection were Good News to the poor. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word "anavim" was used to mean the oppressed people. People also suffer in all respects can be thought of as "anavim". By reading the psalm 22 we can know that all those who suffer financially (debtors), unlucky ones, and poor people are covered by the term oppressed. Those who humble themselves and solely depend on God, the servants of the Lord, are thought of as truly poor by the Old Testament. The captives and the blind and the oppressed mentioned in Luke 4:18 come under this category. The tax collectors, immoral women, sinners, lepers - all these also form part of this group. It was mainly for these that Jesus brought his salvific message. The jubilee year is at hand. The redemption work of Jesus is closely associated with the jubilee year detailed in Leviticus, chapter 25.

Isiah's message (61:2) announcing the advent of the jubilee year that all are eagerly awaiting made its completion in Luke 4:19. The ultimate point, the climax, of the manifesto of Jesus is to declare the jubilee year. Isiah continues to speak about the Day of Judgement being at hand, but Luke doesn't mention it in his Gospel. So it is obvious that the Good News of salvation and security for all brought by Jesus stays intact.

Freedom to the oppressed summarizes many things. This includes the idea of freeing people who are under the yoke of financial as well as spiritual deb-burdens-those helpless people who reel under awesome responsibilities. The words release, freedom etc. in their original languages imply also the freedom from sins. The jubilee year is also the year of freedom. The freedom for those who are under chains of various kinds of sin is also emphasised here. "Wretched man that I am! who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"(Rom. 7:24-25).

The idea of the rescue for the oppressed can be seen in Isiah 58:6. This message gets fulfilled in Jesus. The picture of Jesus rescuing the oppressed of various sorts is very beautiful and edifying. The pictures of forgiving the sinning woman, the one caught for immoral acts, curing the paraplegic, saving the house of Zacheus, promising the good thief paradise - all these are seen depicting the depth of the rescue act of Jesus. The woman with an issue of blood ostracised by the society, the lepers, the blind - all received the healing touch of Jesus, and they were free from their ostracism and made part of the main stream of the society. He also loved and healed the dumb, the deaf, the stooping, the lame and those afflicted by demons. He gave life to those who died of sin or disease. By raising the woman, ostracised and choked by the society, to the status of his followers, Jesus wrought revolutionary changes.

The main thrust of the Lord's declaration about the jubilee year was the giving of sight to the blind. We can see this in the middle of the quotation from Isiah. Many also were, imprisoned in the dungeons as they could not repay their debts were slowly becoming blind. The Lord has given a light to the nations, "to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeons, from the prison those who sit in a darkness"(Isa. 42:7). The light He gives, no doubt, is both physical and spiritual. He also became a shelter for those caught in the vicious web of insincere observations of Sabbath and their questionable practices. He taught the people to adore God in truth and spirit.

In short the main objective of the Great Jubilee was the liberation of man. He saved and liberated all those in bondage from poverty, disease, social ostracism, and all other chains of spiritual level.

Jesus ended his Jubilee speech by saying, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Lk. 4:21). This Jubilee message has to be fulfilled in us, in our society, today, this moment. The early Christian community realised the significance of the jubilee year and organized their social and individual lives accordingly. This society, as a result, exhibited fellow-feeling, unity of heart and sharing their resources "All who believed were together and had all things in common" (Acts 2:44). "They would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need" (Acts 2:45). Also in Act 4:34-37, we can see the same idea. We should contemplate on the fact that there were no needy persons in their midst (Act. 4:34). They believed in the saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Act. 20:35).

Today, especially in India, the practical areas where the jubilee year message has to be implemented are many. It is obvious that here we have a lot of poor people, sick people, slaves, exploited and persecuted people and people thrown into the dungeons. We should try our best to bring the liberation of the jubilee year to all these oppressed classes. Fr. Arul Dass, Sr. Rani Maria, and pastor Staines gave their lives this jubilee year to come. The Holy father has emphasized the need to help the poor people my reducing their debts they owe you. Each one of us should look for ways and means of helping the poor in this Jubilee year. We should take a leading role in giving the blind sight to bring peace and security for those in the jails, offer a helping hand to the downtrodden, afflicted by sins and diseases. We, as Christians, have a heavy responsibility of renovating nature and the entire human kind and bring about a new heaven and a new earth. We should utilize this opportunity to explain to our Indian brethren the value of humanity and to give them a clearer spiritual vision.

The greatest vice that is prevalent in the modern world is spiritual blindness. Many don't consider sin as sin, and that is the greatest sin. Mother Theresa spoke the truth when she said that spiritual blindness is much worse than physical blindness. Only when the spiritual short-sightedness and physical maladies are cured, one will realise the necessity for liberation and salvation. Let us pray, "Lord, you are my light, please remove the darkness in me". Let the whole world turn to the light of Jesus. The one who lives in the radiance of the light of Jesus will enjoy the joy, peace and salvation throughout his earthly sojourn.

Let me begin with a Biblicalquotation.In his letter to the Philippians, St.Paul says about Jesus, "who, though he was in the form God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, and being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross."

In short, this is the message of Christmas. It is a call to relinquish your rights, make humility your trade mark, and sacrifice yourself for the sake of others.

These verses of St. Paul quoted above form an important topic for discussion in Christology, a branch of Theology. I have discussed this theme under the caption "Emptying oneself' in my book Vedasabdaratnakaram. But it is not the theological perspective that currently I have in mind. It is the spirit behind these words that is of significance.

Simplicity, humility, self-sacrifice - these are the basic tenets of Christu Jayanti. The one reigning as king wraps rags around his waist; the one who was scintillated and enthralled by the melodious music of the heavenly hosts lies in the manger; the One who can make the universe dance in his palm appears as a helpless infant! In fact values are re-evaluated, reshaped - the nobleman wants kingship, the king wants to be an emperor, and the emperor wants to be the lord of the world - that is human nature. But in the case of God, the opposite is true. The Lord wants to be a pauper.

This phenomenon creates numerous reactions and it lays the foundation for a re-thinking. To see those reactions we have to look back - far back, more than 2000 years.

The wise men that traversed far, seeing and guided by the distant star, the shepherds who, as they were warming themselves around the fire, recognised the angels amidst the illuminated sky, Herod, who was terrified by the news that a child was born and he would be king, the scholars who predicted the exact place of the birth of that child - all these are representatives of different outlooks and various perspectives.

The wise men from the east were scholars. They were astronomers. It was a time when the whole world was expecting a new leader. It was a decade in which Tacitus and Virgil spoke of a New Age. When the wise men saw the strange and wonderful phenomenon in the sky in which they foresaw the birth of the New Age, they started on the journey. They did not know where they were going, they did not know how long they will have to wander, but they had an ardent hope that the star will show them the way.

The shepherds were lowly people. In their perennial wanderings with the sheep hungry for the green blades of grass, they could hardly keep up with the rituals and observations strictly followed by the elite Jews. They could hardly observe the rules and regulations laid down by the high-priests and nobles whose sheep they were grazing. They ate what they got; they slept wherever the night found them; they had a hand-to-mouth existence with the meagre means at their disposal. When they were chitchatting in the chilling cold of the Mediterranean winter to while away time, the angel gave them the good news. "Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people; to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you; you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." (Lk. 2:10-12). Soon a multitude of heavenly host joined the angel and they praised the Lord "Glory to God in the highest heaven; and on earth peace among those whom he favours!" The shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing. .. They went with haste . . . They saw." (Lk. 10 - 20).

Those who seek the prince must go to the palace. That is exactly what the wise men from the East did. They went to the palace of Herod. They asked for the new-born prince as they wanted to venerate him. King Herod and his henchmen got afraid. They summoned the priests and other experts and got to know the place prophesied to be the birthplace of Jesus. Herod verified the exact time of the birth of Jesus from the wise men. Then he mentally calculated the age of the children to be got killed to eliminate the new-born babe. He was an expert in calculations. And what about the experts? They, who told Herod about the birthplace of Jesus, had known the truth behind the new birth . It took them only a fraction of a second to tell them where the Messiah would be born. They unrolled the scrolls containing the prophecies of Micah and just read about the birth of the Promised One. They did not have any interest in knowing the veracity of the prophecy as they hurriedly returned to their dinners, wine casks and cock-fights.

These four groups represent three outlooks on life. For Herod, the priorities are his own existence and fame. Jesus was a threat to that. As a shrewd king, would he not realise the threat, however indirect or distant it might be? So he must kill the infant Jesus. That is why he asked the wise men to tell him the excact birth place of Jesus. When those wise men failed to return that brute, that scum, calculated the possible place and age, like the co-ordinates in Mathematics, and got all the infants brutally murdered. So one outlook is: if today in Christmas, kill Christ. This infant should not be a allowed to grow. Won't this chair of authority shake if he grows up? We are not Clintons and so we may not have chairs to shake. But, still, the one who drove out the dove merchants and money changers from the temple, will upset our existing, false values. He will humble the mighty; he will raise the ones with humility. He will destroy the proud and conceited. He won't tolerate the chemical weapons of Saddam (if he has!) and Monica-gates of Clinton. So up-root him; crucify him.

Most of us are not Herods. We don't go out of our way to extirpate good values. But we have the indolence of the palace-dwellers of Herod. Only we may not bother so much to know where Jesus was born. We are satisfied with petty vices - our scandal mongering, our cock-fights and our card - games. We are not ready to enter the path of change. If Mahatma Gandhi, P. Krishna Pillai and E.M.S. were people like us, there would be no free India or no left wing power in India. Our inactivity encourages us to be coolly indolent. Changes bring us to narrow paths of pains and thorns. So, although we may not want to kill the infant, we don't strive to see him.'

But what about the wisemen and the shepherds? They went; they saw; they venerated. After the visit, the wise men returned through another route. The Shepherds came back singing praises to the Lord, their hearts full of happiness.

Yes, that in the Christmas experience. It is this Christ - experience that stands out in the Great Jubilee. Go one way, return another way. They go there with eagerness and anxiety, with a desire for some fun and change, and to find out the veracity or otherwise of the incident. They return joyfully, singing praises to the Lord. Both the groups benefit from the visit to the infant.

Although integral to the mighty God himself, he relinquished all the power and glory and humbled himself to be born in the manger. This new born prince expects this change from us. He is asking "Hey, innkeeper do you have a place for one to be born?" Will we say "Yes," or will we close the door on him and return to our dining table to devour our chicken curry? One's Christmas will squarely depend on his answer to this vital question.

"Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward" (Ps.. 127:3)

I am Chandran and my wife's name is Thankamma. Our marriage took place twenty years ago. But we did not have a child and we felt extremely sorry. We consulted a number of doctors and took a lot of medicines but nothing helped us. We also did many pledges to various temples, but nothing helped. We had no knowledge about Potta Ashram and its working. Then from one sister who is doing missionary work in Potta we heard about it and the prayers conducted there. In 1990, we reached Potta Ashram. From then we attended the services there every Saturday. We also took part in the Muringoor Divine Retreat Centre. Then, as a result of our prayers, in l998, the Good Lord gave us a daughter. Thank you Jesus. Praise you, Oh Jesus.

Ignatius Joe is my name. Five years ago, I was subjected to severe beating and torture and consequently I lost my hearing in the left ear. As a result of this impairment I lost my job. An operation was performed, but it had no positive effect. I had been regularly undergoing treatment for the restoration of my hearing all these years. Then I came to Potta Ashram with the specific intention of getting healed. I was an atheist and this was the first time for me to take part in such a spiritual activity. In fact it was a Hindu sister, who was my neighbour, who told me about the miraculous happenings in Potta and she insisted that I must also go there to see if I can get a cure. I came to Potta and around 12 o'clock, when all the people who had assembled in the Ashram premises praised the Lord in unison, I also joined the crowd in praising Jesus. Soon I felt something flowing out of my ear. When I felt there with my hand, I found water was coming out. I felt my ear opening. Now I can hear properly. Praises to you, Oh Jesus! !

My son Jeswin had fever two months ago. Soon it changed into fits. His left leg was swollen and full of pus and he could not move it at all. As a result of our taking part in the retreat at Muringoor, he was able to sit. Then we went to Potta Ashram to participate in the 3-day convention. After we returned home, I saw the wonderful sight of my son walking towards me. The Lord healed my son completely. Praise the Lord!

Around three months ago a stone fell down on my head and my nerve was injured. Although an operation was performed on me, my left side was paralysed. At a hospital in Trichur, they operated me again for curing the nerve that had been damaged. From then I wore a collar around my neck. When I attended the Potta retreat, I could remove the collar and also my body became strong. I no more experienced the tiredness that was constantly bothering me. I experienced complete physical well-being. Now I can turn my head in any direction without any difficulty. Thank you,Oh Jesus!

As a result of my fall in the bathroom,I lost my hearing. I was using earphones. Then I took part in the services in Potta and during the time of praise-singing I received my hearing power back. Now I can hear without the aid of an earphone. Thank you, O Jesus. Praise you, Oh Lord!

Fr. George Kuttikkal M.C. B.S., is speaking about a spiritual nursing of an excellent and highest sort. He is the one who built that exquisite place - the Birds of the air. It was occasioned by a visit to a bird sanctuary in Bharatpur, in 1982. There he saw how the bird lovers caught the immigrant birds from Siberia by nets, examined them, gave them medicines and tonics, kept files on each bird, ringed their feet to identify them. When the birds returned to Siberia after laying eggs and hatching them, all the records kept for these birds were handed over to the bird-lovers in Siberia. If a single bird was wounded or killed, the bird-lovers would know about it, as exact records were kept on each bird.

But nobody bothers about the gruesome deaths of the scattered, leaderless brothers who were created in the image of God, and, consequently, priceless and dear in the eyes of men and God. There are no provisions even to bury them decently. If they become sick, if they become helpless, there is nobody to worry about them or take them to hospitals. Nobody maintains any records on their physical or spiritual condition that might prove beneficial in their growth and development.

In the fullness of time, however, the entire length and breadth of Kerala was awakened by the brilliant radiance of the Gospel through miracles and faith healings. A visible royal garden began to flourish through the blessings of the Holy Spirit. Many-the poor, the helpless, the sick and the oppressed - took shelter in the beautiful palace built in that garden. From now on this was their home, their land, their haven. They soon become men of importance, respect and self esteem. The Sacred Heart Ashram of Chennaipara is proud of its association with these changes that were wrought in the people.

Here is a group of brothers willing to nurse them, to love them, to wipe their tears, to take away their ignorance, to give them consolation, to embrace them. How did they achieve this ? They were the same people that turned their faces away, that drove them away. But today there was a complete turn- around in their behaviour. It is obvious that the main reason for this drastic change in their behaviour is the word of the Gospel. They heard the word, they grasped the meaning of the word. Now they wanted to be the word. To the missionary group in Chennaipara, this is royal service. From this birth place of spiritual service, from this family with the surname "Divyahrudayashram" (The Ashram of the Divine Heart), many other similar homes have sprung up all around the land. The Gospel mission of Fr. George Kuttikkal is continuing, with vehement force, in its laudable mission through the various "sanctuaries for the birds of the air" - the havens of the oppressed. This has been achieved through various retreats and conventions to train people in the Gospel mission.

The Gospel preaching at the "Snehashram" in Vettukad, Thrissur was started with the intention of making the people accept into their midst those who were from jails. Slowly the neighbours and the ex-convicts started to mix well. The angry look the ex-prisoners had on their faces vanished and they started to listen to the word regularly. There was an utter change in their attitudes and behaviour. As a second stage of this experiment, retreat was extended to beggars. Now the people became organizers. Those who came to attend the retreat were received like royals. In the beginning, those who came first were given food. As days passed meals were taken all the people sitting together. The organizers are called royal servers. The gems of the streets realized, through the tender love and care they received, the true import of the Gospel. The gap between the rich man and Lazarus, as told in the parable, was closed. This bridging of the gap can be done only on this earth. Either the rich man has to descend to the level of Lazarus or Lazarus has to ascend to the status of the rich man.

On the second day of the retreat, Fr. Kuttikkal had a vision. At 2. a.m. the father was awakened from his sleep. "A hymn, composed by the founding fathers of M.C.B.S. - Fr. Mathew Alkkalathil and Fr. Joseph Parayidathil was playing on my lips. Singing that song, I started doing a dance of joy. The other team mates, who got up around five O’ clock, also joined me. All together we went into the camp where the ‘birds of the air’ were sleeping. They also partook in the singing and dancing. As the joy was in its climax, they all received the grace to give up their addictions like smoking, drinking and other immoral habits. It was the power of the Holy Sacrament. They received their spiritual freedom. It was the great power of the Holy Sacrament that gave them the will and strength to overcome their addictions to which they were slaves for long.

After the retreat, they were supposed to go away into their various homes. But at the end of the retreat they showed their desire to found an ashram so that they could keep up their spiritual experience alive. After long prayers and serious contemplations and consultations, this place, which became the venue for the wonderful transformations, was made ready for that purpose. Chennaipara is the dream land, realizing the Gospel declaration which promises freedom to the oppressed. The inaugural function was conducted on Jan 18, 1994 under the leadership of M.C.B.S. and active participation of F.B.A., an acronym for Friends of the Birds of the Air. The lamp was lit by Mother Theresa and handed over to Fr. George Kuttikkal.

A special mention has to be made about the efficiency and power of the intercessory prayers that facilitated the good intention and strenuous efforts for bringing the Birds of the Air into main stream society. Those prayers made the neighbourhood of Vettukad and Chennaipara receive with open arms of the Birds of the Air into their midst. Prayers are the substance and main stay of the Birds of Air. The people around love, respect and help the inmates. Irrespective of their religious affinities, people readily come forward with their acts of co-operation and kindness.

To understand the pain and sufferings of those rejected by the society, one has to go into the streets. On many days, prayers were conducted, with tears in the eyes, for making a centre for the Birds of the Air. On 54 consecutive Saturdays special prayers were conducted to make people aware of the project. For nearly one and half years, the father made monthly pilgrimages to Malayattoor. At the end of it, two priests and twenty one laymen travelled from Trichur to Malayattoor, collecting alms on the way. Often they faced contempt and animosity! They even saw people who tried to scare them away by setting dogs after them or pouring hot water on them. But Fr. Kuttikkal had envisaged, through this laudable effort, a replay of the incidents that took place amidst the early Christians - proclaiming universal brotherhood, filled with the light of the Gospels. F.B.A. represents a unity, a coming together of all the good people who want to build a world family in which the socially ostracised and rejected are treated with equal love and consideration. The benevolent effects of the "Birds of the Air" experiment can’t be adequately covered by a short article like the present one.

The Birds of the Air movement has spread to other places like Nellippara, Malayidomthuruth, etc. Details will be given in the forth coming edition.

I am Judy. When I was at school, 16 years ago, I was afflicted by a disease called Rheumatoid arthritis. It started as a slight pain on a finger on my right hand and after a few years, as I was doing my B.Sc.. Final, the pain spread to the entire body. All the joints were swollen badly. There was excruciating pain. Somehow I managed to write the exams. The very next day after my practical, I was admitted to a hospital. I was lucky to get the best available medical attention right from the beginning of my ailment. I was going from hospital to hospital, looking for the cure of my malady.

For 8 years, I also tried different experts in Ayurveda, but to no avail. I was deteriorating physically day by day. Finally I was advised to go for some kind of physiotherapy. The therapy began on 14 March, 1993. That very day I was bed-ridden completely, the whole body paralyzed. A searing pain - the kind of which I had never experienced before bothered me. A small noise, a whiff of wind, a small movement - all these caused intolerable pain in me. I felt as if my bones were cracking open. At that time I used to scream uncontrollably as if I was going to die the very next moment. Hearing me crying and seeing my pain, my family also cried loudly. Often pedestrians passing through the road came to our house to investigate the loud crying they heard. They came to comfort, but very often went away with their eyes moist with tears as they witnessed my miserable plight.

A few days later there were some visible changes in my body. The joints became stiff and could not be bent. But because of the extreme pain I was unaware of those changes. The fingers and toes became cramped. The hands were bent forward but the legs were bent backward. My body looked like a big ‘S’. I also developed fever and cough. When I coughed, I felt terrible pain in my body. So I was admitted in the Ayurveda Hospital at Alappuzha. To alleviate my coughing bouts, the doctor gave me different medicines. But there was no relief at all. Not only that, because of some allergy to certain medicines I had taken, my digestive system was ruined. My mouth had reddened. The upper layer of the tongue skin got burned and peeled away. Because of the high fever, I could not even close my mouth. I could not even drink water or take medicines. If I took something, I would immediately throw up. Along with that there would be terrible pain in the chest and restlessness. The situation was not improving at all.

When things reached this stage, I was referred to the Medical College Hospital at Alappuzha. A number of tests were conducted. The diagnosis was that I had T.B. of the lungs. I was moved to the T.B. unit. As I could not be administered medicines orally, I was given injections and drips. Nearly 1 1/2 months passed in that condition. There was slight improvement. Then on the first Friday of Dec. 1994, the doctor, on a routine, examined me. He told me that I had hepatitis. By an examination of the blood, it was confirmed that I had hepatitis too. The news shocked me and I almost fainted. In that semi unconscious state, I heard the doctor telling the nurse to stop all medicines and give me only the drip. He said to her that mine was a hopeless case and I would die.

Even at that stage my parents expected that I would be cured. They continued praying. They had high hopes about me. They brought me up and educated me with a lot of expectations and I realized that my death would be something that they cannot take easily. When I regained my consciousness, after my fainting bout, my stomach had become like an inflated balloon. As a stone developed in my bladder, urine was not passing and that caused me a lot of discomfort. When I was convulsing with this pain I thought of Jesus hanging on the cross, struggling to breathe. This thought gave me some relief.

Soon I drifted into a nap. I became unconscious. Then I had a vision. I saw a golden cross approaching from beyond the skies. It stood touching my face and now I saw it as big, bright and bubbling with life. I thought it was time for me to die. The cross was sent to me, I ruminated, because Jesus liked my death and he wanted me to kiss the cross before my end. Thinking like this I raised my head to kiss the cross, but the cross went away from me. It went back to the same place, beyond the skies, from which it had come. Then it appeared very small, but emitting bright light. I could see that the way the cross had returned retained a shiny trail. I felt sad. I thought that I could not kiss the cross because I was unfit to do so. That very moment the cross returned to me. It stood close to my face. I raised my head but I still could not kiss it. It went away. It happened the third time. The cross stayed suspended in the sky for some time. Then it vanished. I was certain I was dying.

At that moment, I looked bock into my life. I realized that apart from obtaining a B.Sc. degree, I had not gained anything for my soul. With a throbbing heart I desired only one thing deeply. It was not a cure from my present disease, but a blessed death, a holy death. I wanted to die like a good Catholic, after a proper confession and receiving the holy communion. So I prayed with all my heart. "Jesus, I am not asking for a cure for my disease or a return of my life but I ask you to let me die after confession and receiving the holy communion". I returned to my half conscious sleep. After 8 long years, for the first time, I slept well and deeply. The next day my mother awakened me and told me that a priest had come to visit me. As soon as I saw the priest I told him that I wanted to confess. The priest said, " You can confess, and receive the holy communion". I thought of the Gospel words, ".... cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate" (Ex 22:27). As the priest was praying for the other patients, my mother gave me a bath and dressed me in good clothes. I prepared myself for the confession. I thought of it as my last confession in my life. I saw Jesus the Nazarene, in the priest sitting near me. The Holy Spirit reminded me of all my sins. The sins I thought to be trivial or venial looked serious to me now, in the new light. I took a considerable time to confess. Jesus took upon himself the burden of all my sins. The dead weight that was oppressing my mind seemed to disappear. The priest offered special prayers for me. I got ready to receive the last communion. I thought I would never receive the communion host again. I dedicated my body which would decay and become part of the earth to Jesus. With an unshapely and swollen tongue, which looked like a raw piece of flesh, I received the holy host. I felt something quite heavy on my tongue and it started to tremble. The holy host went down my throat as a single piece and I felt some pain. But I felt energetic. The priest prayed for me for some more time. He told me that I would not die and that I would be healed. I drank some water after he left. I could swallow it without throwing up. Hours passed slowly. Death did not come looking for me. I could sleep comfortably that night. In the morning my mother awakened me and said, "It looks as if some blood has dried up between your toes". The nurse on duty came and she was angry. She thought there would be wounds caused by moving and bending my cramped toes. But there were no wounds. Then how did the blood dry up there? Medical science could not explain that phenomenon. After three days, some symptoms of healing began to appear in me, although no medicine was administered. My blood was examined and it was found out that I did not have any hepatitis bacteria. How did this happen ? The doctor was surprised. The doctor who was a professor in the Medical College said, "From my learning and during my long practice I have never seen this kind of healing". Everybody who knew about my problem thought of this as a miracle. It was through a counselling after three years of this incident that I came to know that Jesus had wrought this healing in me through the blood that came from his wounds filling my heart and then passing through my veins destroying all the bacteria of Hepatitis, saving me from death. The holy host I received brought forth this wonderful cure.

All my neighbours had thought that I would die and they were expecting my dead body. But the ever- living God sent me back home, into their midst. I was discharged on 23 December. I was again given the medicines that had been stopped. While in hospital, the doctors had decided to conduct six operations on me. If the operations were successful, I would be able to walk a bit and perform my primary needs without aid. I was called on the 28 January,1996 for a checkup and to decide on a date for the proposed operation. The checkup revealed a sad truth - I can’t be operated on because there was no blood circulation in my limbs and the wounds would not heal. I was told that I would never be able to stand on my legs and walk. We were returning home highly disappointed. On the way we saw that a retreat was going on at Cherthala Maruthorvattom church. The classes were being conducted by Fr Augustine Mundackat. The day was radiant with some special light. I heard him saying that Jesus who raised Lazarus from the dead was still very much alive. Those words kindled a great hope in me. I looked into the ground where the retreat was going on. It was crowded. I felt sorry that I could not take part in the retreat. I told the Lord, "If I am alive at the time of retreat here next year, please allow me to participate in it". From that day my family and I fasted once a week, prayed earnestly to enable me to take part in the retreat.

Finally in 1997 the Maruthorvattom Bible Convention arrived. That year also the leader of the retreat team was Fr. Augustine Mundackat. I could not take part in the convention on the first day. On the second day I was carried on a stretcher and placed in the sector meant for the sick. I went to the retreat with great preparation. During the previous year, I had decided how to pray. I would pray for the entire period, without wasting a single minute. But when I attentively listened to the words of the Reverend father, I learned one thing that the Lord is a loving father who understands the needs of the children. I, therefore, did not pray for my cure but I prayed to Jesus that I should be filled with the Holy Spirit. When the convention ended, I was carried home, but I felt a big joy in my heart.

The next day before I went for the retreat I opened the "Word-Box" and I prayed, asking the Lord to speak to me. He spoke to me through the word, "for I am the Lord who heals you" (Ex 15:26). I was filled with tremendous hope and joy. I listened carefully to the teachings of the day. I felt some movements of the nerves and muscles in the areas which were paralyzed for long. In the afternoon it was the time of adoration and the place was reverberating with shouts of Hallelujah! I prayed with all my heart for the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Reverend father was praising the Lord, quoting the Bible. When the words that were spoken by the prophet thousands of years ago Ez. 37:4 came through the lips of Fr. Mundackat, they got a new life. I felt some big power permeating my neck bones and vertebral column and descending into my limbs. I felt the muscles getting tightened. Veins were tickling and trembling and the whole body shook. I felt a severe pain and I was bathed in sweat. I felt weak against the power that was exerting on me. Then I murmured, "Lord, I can’t take so much power". Immediately a coolness began to envelop me . This coolness permeated my head, my neck, my vertebrae, and my limbs. I felt like I was being covered by snow. I felt the heaviness in my body going away. Soon the loud praising stopped. The Reverend father looked into the sector of the sick and queried loudly, "Judie, are your hands and legs uncramped? Get up and glorify the Lord". The words of the father hit me like a lighting. I remembered the verdict of the doctors. They had categorically said, "Judie will never be able to stand on her legs or move an inch". I realized with sorrow that the father had not known about this verdict that I was a person abandoned by the medical science. Won’t the people laugh at him, if he is proved wrong? Won't they deny the Lord ? I was having these thoughts, when, unknowingly, even without my realizing it, I was standing on my own two feet ! I looked at myself. The legs I could not bend are straightened. I could now stand! I felt overjoyed. Then the father told the sister standing near him, "Go and hold her hand and lead her out of the sector for the sick. She will now walk on to the stage". The sister extended her hands towards me. My hands that were cramped had opened up. The sister helped me to come out of the sick bay. I did not know what to do. I had even forgotten to walk. The father asked me to walk to the stage, in the name of Jesus. That very moment, on the sandy path echoing with the word of God, many thousands witnessing, I started walking like an infant learning his first steps. Jesus made me walk. When I ascended the stage, the crowd praised and glorified the ever living Lord. "For neither help nor poultice cured them" (Wis 16:12). Medical Science had treated me for 14 long years and finally abandoned me but Jesus took only just one moment to heal me.

God, who was, is, will be, can rewrite the verdicts of medical science. "He sent out his word and healed them" (Psalm 107:20). On the day of my healing , the Lord was opening a new chapter in my life. My life which I had dedicated to him, Jesus made beautiful. After a few months I got admission into the Alapuzha B.Ed. centre of Kerala University. I have successfully completed my B.Ed.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we are told that Herod died when Jesus was still a child (2:15-19); then how is that Herod plans to kill Jesus (Lk. 13:31) how he judges Jesus in later times during his public life (Lk. 23:6-12)?

In the New Testament, there are references to three individuals bearing the name Herod (Mt. 2:1; Lk, 1:5; Mt.14:1-12; Mk. 6:14-29; Lk. 23:6-12; Acts 4:27;12:1;20:23). Among these three, two are connected with the life of Jesus. It is Herod the Great that the writers of the Gospel associate with the childhood of Jesus (Mt. 2:1;Lk.1:5). This Herod was the second son of Antipas who belonged to the tribe of Idumaya (The tribe of Idumaya became Jews in 104 B.C)-Herod was a brilliant person and in 40 B.C., the Roman senate appointed him as the king of Judea. He ruled Judea until 4 B.C. Herod, although clever, was an extremely cruel ruler. He murdered without any qualms everyone who was against him or who proved to be a threat to his position and power. These victims include the members his own family (He killed his wife Mariame and two of his sons). It was during his reign that Jesus was born. It would mean that Jesus was born before 4 B.C. The probability is that Jesus was born during the period between 6 and 4 B.C. The slaughter of infants that followed the birth of Jesus was another example of Herod's cruelty. He died in 4 B.C.

After the death of Herod the Great, his kingdom was divided among his three sons. Herod Antipas, one of his sons, got Galilee and Perea to rule. He ruled from 4 B.C. to 39 A.D. This Herod was extremely ruthless and greatly immoral. He sent his first wife away and married Herodia, the wife of his half- brother Philip. As John the Baptist condemned this act of Herod, he imprisoned John and later got him murdered. (Mt. 14:1-12;Mk. 6:14-29). Jesus spent most of his public life in Galilee, which was ruled by Herod. Herod had a big role in judging and killing Jesus (Lk. 23:6-16; Acts 4:27). As Herod worked against the interests of Rome, Culligula, the Roman emperor, exiled Herod to France.

The Gospels speak about yet another Herod apart from Herod the Great and Herod Antipas (Acts 12:1-2; 20:23). The third Herod is Herod Agrippa the first, the second son of Aristobulus, who was the offspring of Herod the Great. Herod Agrippa I ruled Palestine from 41 to 44 A.D. It was this Herod that persecuted the Christians and killed the apostle James (Acts 12: 1-2). This Herod died in 44 A.D at Caesaria (Acts 12:20-23).

Why does the rich man commend theDishonest manager in the "Parable of the Dishonest manager" (Lk. 16:1-9)?

The rich man in the parable is neither approving nor commending the dishonest act of the manager; he is appreciating the shrewdness and the practical wisdom of the manager. The managers in ancient Palestine and other eastern lands used to get some commission while receiving the things of their masters which were loaned out. In the records of loans, the amount of the commission was also included (Josephus, the Jewish Historian, gives evidence to this custom). What the manager in the parable did was to please the debtors so that he could ensure a bright future for himself. He does not make his master suffer any loss. It is only foregoing his immediate benefit for the sake of his future. Jesus points out the shrewdness and practical wisdom of the manager to his disciples so they too work with diligence and far-sightedness. We should use our riches not for the temporary benefit and transitory friendships of this world, but use them wisely for getting heavenly bliss.

THE GREAT JUBILEE - 2000

At the threshold of the New Century into the glorious dawn of the New Millennium Enter with Elevated thoughts and objects!

"The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God" (Is. 52:10)

"...repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations" (Lk. 24:47)

To spread the salvation of Christ to the far ends of the earth, dear brother and sister, the Lord needs your prayers and efforts. Keeping this lofty aim in mind, pray and work.
 
 

"This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:3-4)

"The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9)

With determination pray earnestly and perseveringly for peace and prosperity and salvation for the entire world. Pray for the whole human kind to be filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, through faith in Jesus Christ. When one prays generously and unselfishly for others it is he himself who will be blessed first. Thus: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power "(Eph. 6:10)

Pray each day of the year 2000 with burning zeal so that your prayers ascend into the Heaven.

This is thes econd timet hat this humbles ervant of God is reaching the shores of Sri Lanka, which is rocked by violence and insecurity. I went there in February, 1999 to preach the Word of God. At that time I was able to sow the seeds of faith in the fields prepared by the Lord and also to witness the abundant harvest that was brought forth by my earlier Evangelisation expeditions. It was on February 4 that Brother George Tharakan and I reached Sri Lanka. From February 4 to February 23, Gospel preaching and conventions were held, in 15 centres, without any break, all through the grace and mercy of God. The two most important activities during this hectic period were the separate retreats conducted for the priests of Koornegala and Mannar dioceses. Almost all the priests and their superiors in both these dioceses whole- heartedly took part in the retreats for the entire duration. The Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph overcome with emotions and wiping tears from his eyes, shared his experience saying, "Only on very rare occasions have my eyes become moist with tears. But today during the anointing prayer to the Holy Spirit, tears flowed from my eyes uncontrollably. I experienced deeply the miracles and illuminating graces of the Holy Spirit" The bishop of Koornegala diocese Rt. Rev. Reymond Peiris put his feelings thus, "These days of retreat proved to be times when we realised the depths of experiencing God from close quarters. To all those priests and to me who took part in this retreat there was deep sense of spiritual renovation and well-being"

Many lose their precious lives in the fierce battle that rage unceasingly between the Tamil Tigers and the government soldiers. As a result many are orphaned and many are left alone with nobody to take care of them as their near and dear ones become cannon fodder in the cruel war. The pain and helplessness of these innocent victims were reflected in the tears of the bishop. Even as the bishop was talking to the priests and members of the retreat team, we could hear the devastating noises of battle. Some 70,000 people were evacuated from Vayunia province which comes under the jurisdiction of Mannar diocese. These helpless people are clustered on the streets and under the trees, gazing sadly at the war-smoke rising in sky, sighing for peace and comfort when the minds are burning with insurmountable problems. Hand grenades and bombs are burning away. Human beings are pulverized into smithereens. The Sri Lanka soldiers are guarding the streets, with guns on the ready. The battle- cry of the Tigers reverberates in the ears.

After conducting a series of retreat in and around Colombo and in Koornegala diocese, we started our journey to the diocese of Mannar, controlled by the L.T.T.E. It was a Sunday, the 17th of November and we were going to conduct retreats for the priests and laity of Mannar. We began our journey at 6 in the morning from Koornegala bishop's house. It takes around 8 hours to reach Mannar from Koornegala by road. Mannar bishop maintains cordial relations with both the Tamil Tigers as well as the leadership of the government soldiers. He had sent two priests and his vehicle to escort us. It was the birthday of L.T.T.E chief Prabhakaran and so in the camps of the Tigers they were observing "gallantry week". Announcements from the voice of tigers, the official radio of L.T.T.E repeatedly asked the majority, including many Catholics, to leave Vayunia within 24 hours, as they were going to attack that region. People fled for their lives abandoning everything. Infants were screaming to get their mothers' milk. The crowds that thronged the refugee shelters are standing with extended hands to receive the meagre food supplies doled out my some charitable souls. Some were cooking rice on the stone-hearths hastily and clumsily assembled. But before the rice was ready, the heavy downpour extinguished the fire. Where was their supper, where would they sleep that night?

These were the sights that greeted us on our way to Mannar. When I was preaching the Word before the altar in Mannar bishop's house, I could see that the priests and the bishop himself were praying with outstretched hands, tears brimming in their eyes. People get scattered just like the sheep, when their shepherd is beaten. As all the priests in the diocese were participating in the retreat, there were bomb attacks in many parishes and there were also gun battles between the Tigers and government troops. It was the fourth day of the retreat. The bell of the telephone in the bishop's house came alive. It was a message for the bishop. The message from the Tamil Tigers said, "Don't let your people come out into the streets. We are attacking the government forces with renewed vigour". The next day we were to return to Colombo. The roads through which we have to pass had been occupied by the Tigers. The troops were retreating. The bishop summoned me and said, "The situation is extremely tense. I don't think you can go to Colombo" tomorrow by road. However, I am trying to send you and your team safely to Colombo. I was least worried about our return. "If the Lord brought us to do this work, He will take us back as on eagle's wings," my soul murmured within me. The bishop contacted the army personnel to transport us in a military helicopter. But when the Tigers see any chopper flying, they will definitely try to shoot it down, and so that hope was also dashed. That afternoon around 20,000 people, belonging to various religious affiliations, were praying at the venue of the convention - the cathedral compound. Adoration of the Eucharist and faith healing services were in progress. The atmosphere was reverberating with the praises and hymns coming in unison from the multitude. "Andavare, Yasappah, irakamayirum, (Jesus, Lord, be merciful) went up the cry.

In the bishop's house of Mannar, retreat for the priests was going on. On the same days, in the afternoons, conventions were organised in the cathedral compound, about 5 kms. away . Thousands of people enthusiastically participated in these conventions. Since all the people there were Tamilians, service was conducted in Tamil. When news about the convention was announced in the church, it was spread around the households by the word of mouth. On the very first day, more than 5000 people came. Since there was curfew after 6, and it was strictly enforced, special permission from the army had to be obtained for conducting the convention. There is, at Madu, a centre for pilgrimage, a church in the name of St. Mary. The leader of the Tigers had assured us that there would be no attack in the Church, but since the troops sought shelter there, even the Church was not spared from attack. The exploding shells reduced many, including soldiers, to bits and pieces. Standing in front of a large gathering, assembled in faith, surrounded by deafening noises of battle, fire was spreading even in my soul. The crowd was praying earnestly with outsretched hands, seeking the armour of protection offered by the Word. There was joy in their hearts - the joy of spiritual anointment. When the faith healing service was going on during the Holy Mass, heavy rains were pouring down as if heaven itself was crying, seeing the miserable plight of the children of God. It was the sign of anointment of a spiritual blessing. The multitude sang in Tamil and it meant "Jesus who listens to the supplications of men, please, Lord, please come into my heart". God definitely heard their prayers and they were shown mercy. When they were crying with broken hearts, losing everything of worth they possessed, God came to fill their hearts with mercy and compassion. Muthuswami, who had been paralysed for eight years, started walking. Another person who could not speak for 18 long years shouted, "Hallelujah". Then there was an abundance of miracles. People whose limbs were paralysed for long, people who could not see many such people came to the stage, in pouring rain, drenched, to bear witness to the miraculous healings that the Lord had granted them. The thrill of healing spread like wild fire among the congregation. The crowd including priests and nuns, continued praying, the people were unwilling to go away even after 10 o'clock. They were praying with a similar mind like that of Apostle Peter who said, "Lord, you have the word of life. Where shall we go from you?" The rains stopped when the people left the venue reluctantly, not even sure if they will reach home safely, placing themselves in the care of God and shouting Hallelujah. My heart began to ache thinking of their painful plight. I prayed-in the dead of night, my eyes brimming with tears at the thought of their pain - before the Lord for the people of Lanka. I prayed for a new heaven and a new earth for them.

Night was slowly passing away and dawn was slowly appearing in the horizon. The bishop was still looking for a way to send us safely to Colombo.

Gods ends his messenger,AngelGabriel,to VirginMary,who is immersed in prayersi n her small family house, in Nazareth. The heavenly messenger tells her, "Greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you". She becomes puzzled at the import of this strange message. Then the Angel tells her not to be afraid. He has come with some good news. God has a plan for you. Are you ready to be the mother of the Son of God who is going to be born as the Savior ? Then Mary asks how that is possible, as she is a virgin. The Angel tells her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her. Her relative Elizabeth has conceived in her old age and this is her sixth month. Now Mary tells him, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Lk 1:26-38).

At that particular moment, the greatest event in the history of mankind took place. The word became flesh. Heaven descended on earth. Just like Mary accepted the word of God, God has a plan for all of us. Jesus should be born through us, through our spheres of activities, through our families. How is this possible ? However bad a person one might be, "there is nothing impossible to God". This is the greatest knowledge that Mary imbibed. God can bring about miracles and changes in our lives, even beyond our wildest dreams.

After receiving the word of God, Mary hastened to meet Elizabeth. Elizabeth was reported to be barren but now she was going to become a mother. So at this time Mary rushed to her to nurse her and to share their love. They both exchanged greetings. Elizabeth said, ".....as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy" (Lk 1:44). Mary went to Elizabeth with a heart full of the love of Jesus. She gave Elizabeth not only her love but also the loving Jesus. Then John who was in the womb of Elizabeth recognized Jesus who was in the womb of Mary. Elizabeth said, "..... blessed is she who believed..." (Lk 1:45). There is a reason for that. In the corner of that house a man is sitting - Zachariah. He heard the good news six months ago. But, unlike Mary who believed, he could not believe the good news and he was living in the house like an imprisoned man. He is utterly silent. He is the one who should console Elizabeth in her anxieties. He is neither ready to submit to, nor acknowledge, the word. That is why Elizabeth said that "You are blessed because you believed".

Now we, who received the word, are going into the various spheres of our activities. In the families, the hearts of the wives should leap for joy when they hear the greetings of their husbands and vice versa. And so among the children. Then there will be the joy and happiness of recognizing Christ. The people we come into contact with also be in a position to recognize Jesus. That is the transformation that happens when we accept the word.

Through one Mother Theresa, who walked around the streets of Calcutta, many realized the presence, service and joy of Jesus. Jesus explained the truth behind it before he ascended into heaven to join his Heavenly Father. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8)

Once Jesus met a person afflicted by demons. Jesus asked him his name. He replied, "Legion. We are a group. I am not alone". One says, "I am a group". We are also like that. A person goes to the office but when he comes out of the foreign liquor shop, he is another person. A person goes to the church, but after returning he becomes a different person. When unobserved we behave in a certain way quite different from our behaviour when observed. When we go to school we behave in a different way from our behaviour at the playground. How strange a character ! This is the demonic affliction. But once we have changed, our behaviour becomes uniform, we become one person, in our work places and all other avenues of our activity. Because Jesus Christ was the same person yesterday, today and tomorrow. Nobody has a mask. When people come for the retreat they come as "Legion". But when they return after the retreat they go back as a whole person. In any catastrophe, calamity, we are the children of God. Face the trials and tribulations of life with equanimity and courage. Jesus came to discover this unity. To be raised to the status of the son of God. Thus Jesus gives us the fullness.

"Be holy like my Father is holy". Jesus served this sense of unity, the sense of oneness. Even if there is disunity, misunderstanding, in our parish, in our family, in our neighbourhood, we can solve all of them if we have the unity of the heart. This is the message of Jesus in this age. If we want to become one, there should be a heaven to accommodate us. We should unite in Jesus. Jesus explained the divine mysteries to his disciples and showed them the face of the Heavenly Father through numerous parables. But, after 3 years, the sufferings and crucifixion of Jesus upset their expectations. They lost their hopes and aspirations. They were filled with fear because if Jesus could be killed so brutally, they could also be put to a lot of agony. So they hid themselves behind closed doors. With extreme fear they immersed themselves in prayers on mount Zion. Then Jesus told them that they would receive strength after the coming of the Holy Spirit. The closed doors would open. They would be His witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the world.

Be witnesses wherever we are. In our homes, in whatever surroundings we find ourselves. Wives to their husbands, children to their friends, in our neighbourhoods, in our villages and towns and so on. What is to be witnessed ? Jesus witnessed the love he received from the Heavenly Father for thirty three years. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you". (John 15:12). "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives"(John 14:27). Jesus, who witnessed the love and peace of the Heavenly Father to us, had only one desire when he came to this earth - that this earth be filled with the love and peace as it is in heaven. When we translate the phrase "on earth as it is in heaven" it can mean "as it is in my heart, so be it all around me, all around my neighbourhood."This was the wish of Jesus whose heart overflowed with the love of the Father.

God lives in us who have received the word. We have become the abode of God, as through a change of heart we have experienced God. We should fill our homes with the love of God we have in our hearts. Let love fill all the places we go to. Jesus emptied himself to give us a venue to unite. If the father of the household has love in his heart for his wife and children and siblings, that family is united. In short you have to give up the thought of "self" - egoism, the vicar for his parish, the leaders for the great family called country. Though God, Jesus emptied himself, relinquished himself, and died on the cross for the atonement of our sins. We should follow the footprints of Jesus. "Renounce self, bear the cross and follow him". Jesus gave the world the path of the cross. For those who walk in sin the cross is foolishness. But for those who walk the path of righteousness and salvation the cross is symbolic of God’s strength. Learn to bear the cross. Don’t try to save yourself by crucifying others.

John described Jesus : Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus came to this world to wash off our sins and to end our pains. Jesus started this business of salvation 2000 years ago. We are celebrating the jubilee of this great business. There are hardly any enterprises that lasted for two or three centuries. But the business of Jesus is still flourishing. The raw materials that Jesus collects for his manufacturing plant - for his business - are the sins, pains, sorrows and anxieties of men. The finished products he supplies are joy and happiness, peace and healings. Give him a kilo of pain and in return you get one and half kilos of comfort and consolation. Jesus says, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest".

If we take sorrow and desperation and such other commodities, we should have enough joy and hope with ourselves to give in return. Jesus has given us free a lot of love, joy and comfort just because we are the offsprings of God. We should spend that love lavishly, like a prodigal, as we got it free. We should receive the grace and spirit of Jesus. For that the Holy Spirit will bless us, and work in us. We will be strong and powerful. We will become witnesses to the end of the earth. We should witness the love of Jesus. Jesus never bore witness against the Father although he was crucified and pierced by spears. "Father", Jesus prayed, "forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing". Even when we are afflicted my failures, sorrows and pains we must be the witnesses for the love of God. This is the call to become children of God. We must be ready to accept the nature of God. Jesus came to give us life and to nourish it abundantly. For that he gave us his body, his blood, his love and his spirit. Let us accept these great gifts and transforming our lives become witnesses of God.

This is the concluding message given by the author, who is the Rector of St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Mangalapuzha during the Popular Mission Retreat conducted at Munnurpally Church.

With the dubbing of the famous English movie "JESUS" into Karamong, a language of Uganda, this movie has been dubbed into 501 languages. This movie has become a major means of Evangelization. Reports indicate that, after the screening of this movie in Africa, more than 35000 have accepted Jesus as their Saviour. It was from the year 1979 that this movie started being dubbed in other languages. By the beginning of the year 2000, about two billion people are expected to have watched this great movie.

The bishops of Indonesia have asked the Catholics in that country to take an active part in nation-building and to show more mercy and kindness to those subjected to brute force and injustice. The bishops gave a clarion call to all the Catholics there to fully co-operate in the efforts to build a democratic Indonesia. The new Indonesia should treat all the people equally and with justice. In the pastoral letter, the bishops exhorted the people to be more humane and responsible.

During the special programme to commemorate the Great Jubilee of 2000, a number of acts of charity have been envisaged. They include, inter alia, food for the poor and the giving of 'freedom money' to the children of Sierra Leone who received military training. (It may be worth mentioning that many African and Asian countries have kid-soldiers, especially in the rebel groups.) These programmes were reported by sources close to Vatican.

The Secretary of the Vatican Jubilee Planning Committee announced that a special feature of the Jubilee celebrations would be the inclusion of many acts of charity like the ones mentioned above. Some programmes will continue for the whole year. In the main churches in Rome, distribution of food for the poor will be a continuous feature, whereas in other churches such acts may be done only during special occasions. On the second of January there would be programmes including fund collection . The proceeds of that will go into buying freedom for the 'kid-soldiers' of Sierra Leone by giving them 'release money' or 'freedom money'. Each kid-soldier, it is thought, has to be given an amount of $110. The number of kid-soldiers released would depend on how much money can be collected. There will also be a fund collection during the International Congress of the Holy Eucharist, between 18 and 25 June, for rehabilitating immigrants, Gypsies and the poor that roam about the Central Railway station of Rome.
 

By the grace of God , I had the privilege of visiting some European countries in September and October, 1999. The Vatican, the head quarters of the Catholic Church, and the city of Rome are preparing themselves for the Jubilee Year and also for the third millennium. Both the Vatican and the city of Rome are preparing themselves to receive the millions of people that will throng to those places in the Great Jubilee Year. Wherever you go, you will see renovation and beautification work going on.

The ancient city of Rome overflows with images, sights and sounds of Christian heritage. While visiting the main Churches and other historically important venues, I was greatly touched by those places, made holy by the footsteps of some of the great martyrs. My spirituality was greatly awakened especially by venues like the Colosseum, Catacombs and the place where St. Paul was martyred. I could contemplate the manner in which the early Christians were made to suffer for their faith in Jesus, when I entered the Colosseum. Some were thrown amongst the hungry lions! Others were immersed in boiling oil. Sometimes in the dark evenings, Christians were burned as torches to illuminate the dark patches of the Colosseum!

Those who died in this way like martyrs and those who lived and died believing in Jesus are buried in layers of a special kind, under the earth. Those burial places are called "Catacombs". There are many martyrs buried here, including St. Sebastian. The word Catacomb means 'a place of rest'; those who lived and died for Jesus are resting in Jesus. They are resting there in the firm hope that they also will resurrect as Jesus had resurrected. I am recording here the insights I received from Jesus while praying in those places.

St. Paul says what is the basis of the belief in Christ in 1 Cor 15:17, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." The basis of the faith in Jesus is rooted in the belief in His resurrection. The biggest promise that Jesus gives is that all those who died in Christ will resurrect like Christ resurrected. On the basis of this, each individual should build his life. Only then will there be true Christian meaning in his life. St. Paul speaks again that those who believe in Jesus just for the sake of getting their materialistic needs fulfilled are the most unfortunate. The truly blessed are those who believe in Jesus with an aim to get eternal life. It is his power and hope that prompted people to become martyrs for Jesus.

When the disciples of Jesus preached the Gospel among the early Christians, we see that they gave a lot of prominence to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this resurrection that gives us the necessary strength to accept martyrdom even today. In Wis 3:1-4, we read "But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality"

As we are readying ourselves for the third millennium, we must all closely examine ourselves. We should conduct a soul-searching about our life of faith. Our spiritual life should grow into the hope of the resurrection of Jesus. Don't believe in Christ just to get the material needs of this temporary world fulfilled, but believe in Him for something more substantial. Let the Holy Spirit give us the will and strength, to nurture our hope to live with Christ, to die with Christ and to resurrect with Christ. This will sustain us when trials and tribulations of life stare hard at us, ignoring the temptations of this material world planting our gaze firmly on things more eternal and sublime. Thus we should be able to find new vistas and meanings in our spiritual lives.