Category: Fr. Abraham’s Weekly Column

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Today is World Marriage Day. This annual observance is to honor husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. As I congratulate all the married men and women on this special day, I thank them sincerely for their faithfulness and sacrifice in living out their married life. Marriage is hard, and we live in a world that encourages comfort and happiness above pain and sacrifice. Yet, at the heart of the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, there is a vocational call to a very different way of life. Our “yes” to the sacrament of marriage is not something that only happens on our wedding day. Ongoing marriage formation reminds us that our “yes” to this vocation is something that we give daily, and God will continue to give us what we need to grow closer to one another and to him. Therefore ongoing support and spiritual formation for married couples is a must. Last year, I had invited every husband and wife to spend a little dedicated time in prayer and reflection by participating in a seven-day virtual retreat focused on marriage at this link: http://www.foryourmarriage.org/marriage-retreat

This year I am suggesting that you read some good articles related to married life. There are many wonderful resources online, but I suggest one website in particular that has interesting reflections like: Then and now: What your vows really mean, How to unconditionally love your spouse, Understanding the inner lives of husbands, Is busyness affecting your marriage?, Redefining your marriage after the nest empties out. You can access these from https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/building-spiritual-intimacy-in-your-marriage

LENT is upon us! Mardi Gras is this Monday, followed by Fat Tuesday leading to Ash Wednesday. This year Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day are both on February 14! Does that change the rules of fasting and abstinence? No. In fact, our Bishop Checchio has already informed the whole Diocese: “This year, be aware that Ash Wednesday falls on February 14 (also Valentine’s Day).  The obligation to fast does remain in effect, so it is suggested that those who are planning a special dinner make that their one main meal of the day.”

As we receive ashes on our forehead, let it be a visible symbol of our acknowledgement of our mortality and our dependence on a God who offers us His merciful love always. May the weeks following Ash Wednesday help us to learn how to live the way of Jesus. That’s why I am inviting us all to consciously choose some of the opportunities that our parish is offering: Faith sharing in our LIVE LENT! small groups (the six sessions are on the Eucharistic themes), Stations of the Cross on Fridays of Lent at 7 pm in church, attending Monday evening adoration, etc. It is also very important that we decide on some spiritual practice on a personal level too.

Happy Lent!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Glad to be back: My home trip was a very happy experience, especially because I had not taken my home vacation for a year and a half. Though it was short (18 days in India), I was kept very busy with Memorial celebration of my father’s death anniversary, the wedding of my nephew, feast of the parish, gathering of the extended Orapankal families, visiting, praying with and bringing Holy Communion to my sick aunts and uncles, and spending time with my 91-year old mother. Obviously, it was not a typical vacation to relax or have a quiet time. I am very grateful to Fr. Lancelot for willingly shouldering the parish responsibilities in my absence, taking care of all the pastoral needs in an admirable way, especially the number of funerals and sick calls. Thanks to the parish staff who cooperated with him in serving the parish community.

Catholic Schools Week: Last Sunday we had the opening Mass for the weeklong celebration of National Catholic Schools Week. It was well organized with students of diverse backgrounds participating in the entrance procession, readings, handing out the thank you’s after the Mass, etc. Thanks to Mary Lynch, our Principal, who has been coordinating various activities and events during this past week with the help of the faculty and staff and thus promoting the mission of our Catholic School. Our Bishop Checchio wrote a letter to the parents and guardians on this occasion in which he reminded them:
“As parents, you play a primary, vital role in the success of our children. Your support, encouragement, and commitment to the values of Catholic education contribute greatly to the formation of well-rounded individuals who carry the light of Christ into the world. I am deeply grateful for your partnership in this sacred mission.”
I too wish to echo the same as I thank the parents for choosing St. Matthias School to give the children the best of both worlds: Catholic formation and academic excellence.

2024 Pro-Life Award: This year, in light of the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, our Bishop had asked us pastors and pro-life ministries to nominate parishioners who have been laboring in the field and working in the parishes and local communities to promote the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death. Accordingly, we had nominated our parishioner Eileen King for this award and we, as a parish, can be very proud that she was chosen to be one of the 2024 pro-life honorees from across the Diocese of Metuchen. This award was presented to her on Sunday, January 21, at our Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi.

In the name of the parish community, I congratulate Eileen King for this honor. We are grateful to God for her faith-filled service to life, which is truly a reflection of God’s unconditional love and mercy. This honor is also an invitation to us all to get more involved in life matters, especially by joining the Pro-Life Ministry in our parish. Please contact Fran Johnson at tfxj@msn.com if interested. Whether it be walking with moms in need, walking with the elderly, tending to the sick and dying, working with those with disabilities, or with those who struggle with addiction, efforts to build a culture of life and love are needed now more than ever in the world.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

A Message From Our Bishop

Brothers,

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated this year on Friday, February 2, and that means we are also getting close to the annual World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. Primarily, of course, we commemorate Simeon’s proclamation of Our Lord as the light to the nations and the glory of Israel. But this Feast is also when we take some time in our parishes and schools to call attention to the men and women in consecrated life who consistently make their light shine in our diocese through their vowed commitment of making Jesus Christ the center of their lives.

It would be appreciated if you would recognize the consecrated persons serving in your parish, school, or nearby institutions, either sometime around February 2 or in your parish at the weekend Masses of February 3/4. Does your parish have any native sons or daughters in Religious Life? Consider honoring them. Does your parish have a history with a particular religious community who served in the past? Perhaps remember them or invite them to a Mass. Resources to help you promote this special day are available on the USCCB website https://www.usccb.org/events/2024/world-day-prayer-consecrated-life. As always, you may also contact Sister Anna Nguyen, SCC, our diocesan Delegate for Religious, at anguyen@diometuchen.org for
additional resources.

While I am grateful for all you do for our people, know in particular of my appreciation and prayers for all your efforts in fostering vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life. Following our presbyteral convocation and meeting with our parish vocation teams, we are already seeing fruits.
Certainly, it is an honor and sign of a healthy parish when a young man and woman hears God’s call with the help of their parish and responds with a generous “yes”. We need them too!

With renewed best wishes, I remain

Yours in Christ,

Most Reverend James. F. Checchio, JCD, MBA
Bishop of Metuchen

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

A Message From a Member of Our Pastoral Staff

I don’t know if it’s my age … but it seems that time is flying by! We are just a few weeks away from the Christmas season and in less than a month, we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday. This year it falls on Valentine’s Day… a day of fasting and abstention. Of course, Ash Wednesday is the start of the forty days of Lent and this leads us up to Holy Week and to the glorious feast of Christ’s resurrection, Easter Sunday.

Right now, however, we are in the few weeks of ordinary time. A little bit of a breather between the two major feasts of Christmas and Easter. In today’s Gospel, we hear Christ calling a few of the apostles to come and follow Me. He calls them to leave their fishing nets and to become fishers of Men. My sisters and brothers, we are all called to be Disciples of Christ. When we are baptized, we are automatically called to be Disciples of Christ …To leave “our nets” behind and to be fishers of men.

Sometimes we tend to forget that not only priests, religious, and Deacons receive the call from Jesus to follow Him. We are all called. Each one’s answer to that call is obviously different. Twenty-five years ago, I answered God’s call to the Diaconate and will be ordained twenty years this June. Sometimes we aren’t tuned in to when God is calling us. There’s a little story of a man whose house was going to be flooded. The rescuers came in a rowboat to rescue him. He refused to get in saying God will save him. The water rose higher to the top floor. Again the rescuers came with a boat. Again, he refused saying God will save Him. Finally, they came by helicopter when he was on his roof. Again, he refused… giving the same answer. He perished in the flood. When he got to heaven, he asked God “Why didn’t you save me? God answered, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter and you didn’t listen!”

Lent is a perfect time to spend some time asking God what are you calling me in my life right now. Remember that the call could be a whisper of a feeling. For me, Lent is a time for me to sit down with the Lord and see if there is somewhere different that the Lord is calling me. It does not matter at what stage in life you are, we must listen to the possibility that God may be calling us to something new and exciting in our lives. As we get closer to Lent think about what you may do… I say do rather than give up something. I feel doing this is putting Lent in a positive rather than a negative spiritual journey. More time in prayer with the Lord is a great way to enhance your Lenten journey. Perhaps it’s time to join a Lenten small faith group. Whatever you do make this Lent the best you can and you will feel the joy of Christ’s resurrection on Easter more fully.

Peace of Christ,

Deacon Russ

 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Greetings from my home in Kerala, India. I’m enjoying visiting my family, relatives and friends.  I am also enjoying the hot weather – there are only two seasons here: hot and hotter. ☺

This year the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday falls on January 15th, his actual birthday. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister and a passionate preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and example as well as a martyr for justice. King led the civil rights movement during the mid-1950s until his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. He was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

The theme for MLK Day 2024 is “Shifting the cultural climate through the study and practice of Kingian Nonviolence.” A testament to the revolutionary power of nonviolence, Gandhi’s success of non-violence in India directly influenced Martin Luther King, Jr., who argued that the Gandhian philosophy was “the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.”

MLK Day invites us to reflect on the necessity of respecting all people – no matter who they are or how different they are. It is good to point out that the prayer intention of Pope Francis for the month of January is an invitation to all Christians to embrace the diversity of charisms in the Church as a richness. He wrote: “Let us pray that the Spirit help us recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian communities, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions within the Catholic Church.”

The timing of this intention is significant because we celebrate the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18th through the 25th. In the short video that the Vatican has released (you can google it and watch it), the Pope urged Christians to unite our prayers to his “for the gift of diversity in the Church,” since diversity is an opportunity to “rejoice”. He noted that diversity and unity were already present in the early Christian communities, and that the tension brought about by diversity had to be resolved on a higher level, resorting to dialog and prayerful listening to the Holy Spirit: “To move forward on the journey of faith, we also need ecumenical dialogue with our brothers and sisters of other confessions and Christian communities. This is not something confusing or disturbing, but is a gift God gives to the Christian community so it might grow as one body, the Body of Christ.” Pope Francis offered the example of the diversity of rites within the Eastern Churches that are in communion with Rome: “They have their own traditions, their own characteristic liturgical rites, yet they maintain the unity of the faith. They strengthen it, not divide it.”

The Catholic Church is not a church of uniformity, as some mistakenly think, but a church of unity in diversity. Our community of St. Matthias is a microcosm of that reality. We are a diverse community, united in our faith in Jesus Christ. The Feast of Epiphany we celebrated last Sunday was a visible sign of unity in diversity. Let us proudly continue our rich and biblical tradition that we proclaim at every weekend Mass: “All are welcome here at St. Matthias.”

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

The Epiphany of the Lord

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Today we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany. Our noon Mass has often been a bi-lingual Mass. Three Kings will join our entrance procession. Immediately following Mass, the Franklin High School Madrigals will perform a 1/2-hour program of Christmas music for our enjoyment. The Madrigals are an inspiring group of young musicians from Franklin Township who sing in traditional medieval costumes.

In its Greek origin, Epiphany refers to God’s revelation to humans. Today we focus on the wise men or magi whom later legends have named as Melchior, Casper, and Balthazar. They may have been of noble birth, educated, wealthy, and influential. Whether we agree or not with the non-biblical descriptions of them, one thing is certain: they had studied the Hebrew Scriptures, in particular, the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. Their study of the Scriptures led them to the Messiah and they adored him.

Reading and praying the Scriptures is the surest way to know the Messiah. The decision to do it daily is an excellent resolution for the New Year. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the famous German Lutheran theologian and anti-Nazi dissident, described Jesus as “the man for others.” He wrote: “The church is the church only when it exists for others…The church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving.” We are aware that this holiday season of Christmas, New Year, and Epiphany is a very difficult time for many people due to grieving the loss of a dear one, struggling with personal problems, and suffering from loneliness, depression, and other issues. Are we conscious of their plight?

I emailed a parishioner who was grieving the loss of her husband and assured her of my prayers and thoughts this Christmas. Her reply truly edified me:

“Well, we made it through the first Christmas.  Years ago, we started the practice of making sure others were not alone for the holidays.  Mom had friends who had no family or family who lived far away.  My husband and I would take our celebration on the road to them or pick them up with Mom to join us.  This year, I invited my cousin to join us.  He was divorced a couple of years ago and was not the one who wanted the divorce.  He’s been very sad and lonely and sometimes angry.  He misses his wife and 2 children very much. After Mass, I went home and cooked dinner to bring to Mom at the Rehab.  He joined us.  Mom said grace.  We joked about how Dad would always tease her that it was too long.  We all came together each with our own sense of loss, but laughed, told stories, and had great family time. My cousin smiled.  He told us the story of how he rescued an abandoned dog on the highway (he’s a truck driver).  God gave us the support we needed through each other.”

What a wonderful testimony of a grieving and lonely person reaching out to others who are lonely! Jesus expects us to be men and women for others. He wants us to be his hands and feet, to reach out to others in understanding, love, and care.

I will be leaving this evening for India to visit my family. I will return in three weeks.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow we usher in the New Year 2024! January has its name from the Greek God Janus, who presided over doors and beginnings – appropriate for the beginning of the year.  Janus was usually depicted with two faces – one looking backward and the other forward. Our Christmas spirit continues as we celebrate another New Year with a sense of joy and hope. At this time, it is very healthy to look back to the year that was and look forward to the year that is.

For me personally, as I look back, there are many events and people that I am thankful to God for, and in particular, the wonderful parishioners of St. Matthias. The most recent occasion was the way the 40th anniversary of my ordination was celebrated as a parish event. I was so very touched by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers. The church was packed with our parishioners and some of my family and friends. Many of you communicated to me your inability to attend and greeted me with joy. Thanks to Joe Mancuso who livestreamed the Mass (so it is available anytime on our YouTube channel) which was a joyful experience with some cultural practices adding to its beauty. The entrance procession with some 20 Indian women in colorful dress, the offertory procession with various objects presented at the altar accompanied with a commentary of symbolism of each object, and a hymn in my mother tongue of Malayalam by the Indian choir were all attractions that augmented the worship. The meaningful homily of Msgr. Bill Belford, pastor of St. Teresa’s in Staten Island (my first pastor in a New York parish when I first came to the US) focused on the vocation that we are all called to – especially in the Sacrament of Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony. The felicitation given by Didi Molano of the Pastoral Council, representing the whole parish community. The soul-filling music that Joan Seamon directed with our Choir and the Bell Choir was appreciated by all. The food in the cafeteria was varied, plentiful, and delicious, accompanied by song, dance, and words of felicitation – all emceed beautifully by Joe Percoco. All these were meticulously planned and executed by several dedicated parishioners and friends. I am grateful to the Committee that first met to plan this event: Alma Valdez, Anne Marie Francis, Emile Capuno, Fran Johnson, Claudette Gaspard, Menchie Ventura, Rita DiNicola, and Frank Rees. Many others gave of their time and talent – too many to name here. In a very special way, I am immensely indebted to Alma and Jaime Valdez for their goodwill and graciousness in sponsoring this event. Echoing the words of Mother Mary, I too say, “My soul glorifies the Lord…for He has done great things for me… Holy is His name.”

You too will have many things to be grateful for looking at 2023. In the same spirit, let us all look forward to this New Year and make a plan to correct where we failed and to rededicate ourselves to be better with new resolutions with the grace that comes from the Lord. Some of us may be discouraged by the short-lived resolutions every year. That’s why we need the Lord’s help for this. We have a special Mass to begin 2024. Come and dedicate this New Year at the Lord’s Table tomorrow, January 1st at 10 AM. I believe goals are attainable for all of us if only we persist and see His grace. My prayer for you is – to paraphrase the words of St. Paul: May God who began the good work in you bring it to perfection!

Blessings for the New Year to you and to your families!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

4th Sunday of Advent– Christmas Eve

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas! Yes, even though today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, today is also Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas Day! This happens once in about ten years! Hence it is easy to feel quite frenzied and get trapped into an all too familiar paradox: the person whose birthday we are supposed to be celebrating is left out of the celebration! He is ignored. It is not intentional, but Jesus is often overlooked as undue importance is given to all the external trappings of Christmas, to Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, the Grinch, elves, and a long list of celebrated fictional characters that the media and companies present to us. Let me suggest three easy solutions:

  1. Take seriously the good news announced by the Angels: “Fear not, for behold, I announce to you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people” (Luke 2:10). We all know how fear can cripple us and take away our joy and peace. With all our intellect and innovations, we have not made our world safe and secure for ourselves and our children. But we can destroy this fear and live joyfully if only we can take the message of Christmas seriously by believing in the Prince of Peace.
  1. Give Baby Jesus one very special gift. Let this gift be something personal so that you don’t need to reveal it to anyone. One gift that will please Jesus the most is the gift to forgive someone you’ve wanted a long time. If you do that, you will have the happy surprise of finding out that you were the one who really got the gift, because as Lewis B. Smedes wrote in his book, Forgive and Forget, “When you release the wrongdoer from the wrong, you cut a malignant tumor out of your inner life. You set a prisoner free, but you discover that the real prisoner was yourself.” 
  1. Read the Christmas story with your family this week. Matthew and Luke are the Evangelists who we can depend on for the birth and infancy narratives of Jesus. The first two chapters from each of these gospels are ideal for this purpose. Read at least one chapter each day starting from today.

Many of you already did this, but can do it again: bring your family and friends to enjoy the beauty of the 300 brightly lit Christmas trees. Walk among the shining trees and breathe in that ethereal feeling of joy and peace. May your Christmas be filled with the wonder of “Emmanuel”

(Mt.1:23: God-with-us).  May his peace and joy illumine your hearts and your homes. Merry Christmas!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

3rd Sunday of Advent

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Today marks a significant milestone in my life. I was ordained a priest on December 17, 1983 in my home parish in the southern state of Kerala, India. As I looked for an apt verse as a motto for my priestly life, I was fascinated by a poem of Rabindranath Tagore, a famous Indian Nobel Laureate, poet, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and educationist. It was titled: Give Me the Strength! Here’s the poem:

This is my prayer to thee, my lord,

Strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart

Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.

Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.

Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.

Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.

And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.

The motto I chose was a line from that poem: “Lord, give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.” As I look back at the 40 years of my priestly life, I can honestly say that I have tried my best to live this motto, despite my own human frailties and weaknesses. I’m grateful to our loving God who kept me going in all situations of my life and ministry. I was blessed to be born into a wonderful family. The faith of my parents and the role model I saw in the priests who served in our parish, planted the seeds of vocation to priesthood in my heart. Though sad to leave my parents and siblings as a teenager, I joined the seminary to become a missionary priest in the north-east of India, some 2500 miles away from home. I am grateful to all the people who came into my life, too many to name or count. I am grateful to them for their love, support, and encouragement, as I believe I too have given the same to them when they needed.

Thank you for the love, acceptance, and support I received and continue to receive from you, the people of God of St. Matthias. Thank you for your constant prayers that kept me going despite the challenges I faced. Please continue to support me with your prayers. We shall be relentless in our efforts to bring the mission of Jesus Christ to our community and to all around us. A group of our parishioners volunteered to form a Celebration Committee and put in a lot of hard work to plan and execute this celebration today. I am truly indebted to them for their love and sacrifice.

It is so providential that this celebration falls on the third Sunday of Advent which is known as ‘Gaudete’ Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word meaning “rejoice.” This Sunday is so named because “Rejoice” is the first word in the entrance antiphon for today’s Mass taken from Philippians 4:4,5: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” The third candle we light on our Advent wreath is of pink color, a joyful reminder that our salvation is near. Let us celebrate together the Lord’s coming into our hearts.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

2nd Sunday of Advent

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Did you read the happy news that our Deacon John shared in last Sunday’s bulletin? He wrote: “I wish to share the exciting news that St. Matthias was recently awarded an opportunity by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry to participate in a 3‐year opportunity to learn and implement Accompaniment strategies.” This is the result of the painstaking efforts that Deacon John and Sue Lenczewski have been making to make our youth ministry more effective. In the acceptance letter, the Project Manager of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry wrote:

“After reviewing all of the applications and interviews, I am pleased to share that St. Matthias has been selected to participate in one of the five cohorts for the Accompaniment Project. Congratulations! The selection process was exceptionally difficult, and we considered many factors while continually calling on the Holy Spirit for guidance in our discernment. In the end, we believe that we have the right set of parishes with the right demographics, attitude, and gifts to make a difference in our Church’s ministry with young people.”

 We are one of only 43 parishes chosen nationally. Considering that there are over 17,000 Catholic parishes in the US, this selection is very significant to us to be part of this three-year national pilot project for accompanying our youth about whom we all have great interest and concern. Praise God! Stay tuned for more info about the next steps as this will involve the rest of us too.

We enter the second week of the season of Advent. Naturally, we are going to be caught up (if we are not already!) in preparations for Christmas and all the celebrations surrounding that holy day. Since this year’s Advent is the shortest in many years (only three weeks instead of the usual four), it will make us feel very rushed and even totally unprepared as Christmas suddenly comes upon us. This is true not only about all the external preparations (decorations, shopping, sending greetings, gift buying and wrapping, etc.) but also about our spiritual preparations. One important spiritual preparation is the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession which we all can benefit from. Due to this year’s Advent limitations, we will not be having the Advent Penance Service. Instead, we will have ample opportunities to avail of this wonderful sacrament throughout Advent. I wish to repeat what I wrote in the bulletin last week:

“Both of us priests plan to be available for confessions during the whole season of Advent: weekdays after the 8 am Mass, and a longer time on Saturdays from 3:00 – 4:30 pm. If these times are not convenient, you can call any of us and make an appointment. I would encourage you to plan early to take advantage of this Sacrament that brings so much peace of heart.”

 Today’s gospel, about John the Baptist who was sent as the messenger to prepare the people for the Messiah, has this verse: “And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by John in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:1-8). This is a timely reminder to all of us about repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Very glad to see that many of you are already utilizing these Advent days to receive the grace of this healing Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance. We priests have this opportunity this Thursday at the Diocesan center as we gather for an Advent day of retreat. All of us are in need of the healing touch of the Lord.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal