Category: Fr. Abraham’s Weekly Column

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

 

1st Sunday of Advent

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

We are happy that our “Spread the Light Christmas Tree” campaign is on track despite some hiccups along the way. Seven parishes, including ours, had decided to collaborate in buying the trees from the same Tree company. But all of us were disappointed at the much smaller size of the trees delivered instead of what we had ordered. We complained to the company and they replaced more than half of our trees that were too small. Hence we are able to do justice to all our parishioners and others who sponsored the trees, though there may be slight variations in size. Thank you for your understanding of a situation beyond our control. Hearty thank you to Jo-Ann Piagentini and Pat Cullen who coordinated the entire project with the help of so many of our parishioners and staff – too many to name here. Enjoy the ethereal beauty of these 300 trees lit for over a month from now, and invite your families and friends to come and enjoy the same.

This first Sunday of Advent reminds us to enter this holy season of preparation for Christmas with hope. Unlike the animals, we are blessed with the ability to think about the future. We need to do it with hope rather than hopelessness. One of the reasons why we read the Old Testament passages during Advent is to learn about the hopes of the people of those times. They longed for restoration of order and peace in a world of division and conflict as they awaited the Messiah. Our hopes are no different from theirs: lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, end to conflicts, suffering and pain. The difference is that we know that the Messiah has come and so we await the anniversary of his coming as well as be conscious of his second coming at the end of time.

The Advent practices are meant to help us welcome the Messiah in our hearts in a very conscious way. The lighting of the Advent wreath is a beautiful practice that happens in our church each Sunday of Advent. But it is a lovely practice that more and more families are doing at home. Please see in today’s bulletin a short prayer service for the families who plan to have an Advent wreath lighting at home.

Jesus is ‘Word made flesh’ and so we need to listen to God’s Word more frequently. In the recent months, many of our parishioners have been taking a copy of “The Word Among Us” monthly publication. Some of you have told me that the daily scripture readings, prayers and reflections in them were very helpful. I am happy that we offered this free for our parishioners even though I was told to follow the practice in some parishes where an offering of a dollar per book is in place. No matter what, growing in familiarity with the Word is truly a great preparation for Christmas.

Let us not forget that receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the best spiritual preparation for Christmas. 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.

Let us all live Advent and make it a fruitful experience.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

I hope we all had a happy and relaxed time for Thanksgiving, with family and friends. Thanksgiving has put us into the start of the holiday mindset – a whole season of celebrations, excitement, and joy. Generally, we use positive terms to wish one another:

“Happy Thanksgiving.” “Happy Hanukkah.” “Merry Christmas.” “Happy New Year” or, for those who are concerned about political correctness, “Happy Holidays!” But not everyone feels happiness. Studies show that holidays evoke not just feelings of happiness and enjoyment but also sadness, cynicism, and even loneliness. How do we help and support those who don’t find calendar holidays a time to celebrate?

Psychologists and counselors recognize high levels of stress and unhappy feelings during this season. They suggest many tips to maintain balance and prioritize one’s mental health – including a healthy lifestyle with quality sleep, regular exercise, and a nutrient-dense diet. One tip is to connect and reach out for support. Small groups like family, close friends, and church groups can be a big source of support. I believe it is here that you and I can be observant to sense feelings of unhappiness or depression in individuals around us, so we can reach out to them and offer them encouragement.

As believers, one tip that we can practice, as well as suggest to others, is to turn our emotions over to God and pray for peace and connection every time we feel down. I found Psalm 30 very helpful. Its dominant theme is thanksgiving for God’s deliverance. In nearly every line the psalmist either expresses thanks and praise for God’s deliverance or describes the circumstances of that deliverance. Keeping the spirit of Thanksgiving, all the days after Thanksgiving Day, is the best way to stay happy.

Today’s Feast of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (formerly known as Feast of Christ the King) is the signal that the Church’s calendar year is coming to an end and that we are about to start the new year! Thus, the First Sunday of the New Year in the Liturgical Calendar is next Sunday as we begin the season of Advent! It is good for us to know that today’s feast was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life that leaves God out of our thinking and living and organizes human life as if God did not exist. This feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations. May we all recognize this truth and continue our efforts to honor Jesus by living his values in our lives.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Today is the World Day of the Poor. It was established by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et Misera, issued on 20 November 2016 to celebrate the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. In preparation for this year’s celebration of the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis had urged everyone to work toward providing free healthcare, medical examinations, vaccinations, and bill payment assistance to those in need.

The theme for World Day of the Poor 2023 is a passage from the Book of Tobit: “Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor.” The Pope stressed that “a great river of poverty is traversing our cities and swelling to the point of overflowing; it seems to overwhelm us, so great are the needs of our brothers and sisters who plead for our help, support and solidarity.” This is literally true in our own area as our St. Vincent De Paul Society is overwhelmed with requests for help in the recent months. Helping those in need is something that we here at St. Matthias, have been passionate about through the ministry of St. Vincent DePaul Society, and we can be happy that we are helping as many deserving individuals and families as we can.

Last Sunday we revived the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, which we had suspended during Covid. The 10 am Mass was packed with families with children and it was a delight to see some seventy children having a separate and wonderful time of understanding the Sunday Scriptures.  They were given an increased opportunity to come to a full, active and conscious participation in the Liturgy of the Word according to their spiritual capacity.

I am sure that we all agree that helping our children appreciate and benefit from the Sunday worship is very important. Taking them away from the adults during the Mass facilitates sharing the message of the gospel with them at their level and encourages them to form a loving and generous response to the Word of God. This way of doing Mass helps children to learn about their faith in a positive and enjoyable manner. This encourages parents to bring the children to Mass and to come as a family regularly. I am very grateful to Cecelia Regan who leads this ministry, with the help of Dee Nann, Jody Martielli, Maria Fonseca, Melanie McNamara, Marianne Viaud and Fran Johnson.

We are entering the Thanksgiving Week. We all take a pause from our regular work and activities to celebrate this quintessential American holiday. But, the celebration will be meaningless unless we become people of gratitude. Thanksgiving Day is to remind us that our expression of thanks to God and to others must become a habit with us on a daily basis. Please come for the Thanksgiving Day Mass here in our church at 8 am so that we can begin this day with the Eucharist, which literally means thanksgiving. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving time with your family and friends.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Out of over 17,000 Roman Catholic parishes in the US, about 800 are considered to be predominantly African-American. Our 12 noon Mass today is an opportunity for our parish community to celebrate National Black Catholic History Month – thanks to the initiative of our St. Martin de Porres Society. I am very happy to welcome Reverend Gerard C. Marable, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Galloway, NJ, as our presider.

When we recite the Creed on Sundays, we profess our belief in the “communion of saints.” The Book of Revelation 7:9 says: “I saw a huge crowd After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.” This reminds us that the holy ones in heaven are diverse in terms of nationality, race, color, or language. One takeaway we can learn about the National Black Catholic History Month is that there are over 100 saints from across the African diaspora. Currently, though there are no African-American saints, the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has advanced beatification and canonization causes of six inspirational African-American men and women: Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Henriette DeLille, Venerable Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Sister Thea Bowman. You can read more about these holy men and women in our bulletin this month.

The “communion of saints” reminds us of another celebration: the commemoration of our departed brothers and sisters. The special Memorial Mass we celebrated on November 2nd evening was a very touching and meaningful liturgy. One of the emails I got stated: “Because we could not be in NJ for the remembrance mass, we were thankful that St. Matthias live-streamed it. We could be present for our mom along with all of those families who lost their loved ones as well.” Yes, we do miss our departed dear ones and we continue to lift them up to God.

But this month is also meant to remind us of our own death – a topic that we rather not discuss or even think of. So it may sound strange to hear that there is a revival of an ancient practice called “Memento mori” or “remembering one’s own death.” Even before the Roman empire, meditation on death and the last things was a common practice of ancient philosophers like Plato. The phrase and the practice were then incorporated into medieval Christianity. “Memento mori” was such a popular religious theme in this period that it inspired a genre of art, music, and literature.

The difference for the Christian is not only remembering our own personal death which of course will happen as there is an end to this earthly life, but Jesus has transformed our death into a new life of glory through his own resurrection. St. Benedict said to keep death before your eyes daily. St. Francis of Assisi had made peace with his own mortality, going so far as to call death his “sister.” Some­day Sister Death will greet us and we will go home to our God who created us, loves us, and re­deems us through Jesus our Savior. So this commemoration of the dead is not to make us scared but hopeful of our own future life of bliss with our dear ones in the Lord.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Veterans Day is coming up in a week! For over 100 years, we have remembered those who served our country in uniform on 11 November – first as Armistice Day, and then, since 1954 as Veterans Day. A few years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs broadened that tradition of observance and appreciation to include both Veterans and Military Families for the entire month of November. Besides the annual rituals of remembering them with wreaths and visits to their tombs, many organizations celebrate this upcoming weekend honoring the veterans in various ways. Many popular restaurants and other retailers across the nation are giving them free meals, discounts, and other freebies Veterans Day. Some parishes plan to pray the Patriotic Rosary on Veterans Day.

In the context of yet another tragic mass shooting a week ago – this time in Lewiston, Maine – peace and prosperity in our nation is a matter of grave concern and consideration. Every solution that has been proposed will not make our nation safe and secure unless we give priority to spirituality and family life. The profiles of most shooters reveal emotional and mental issues arising from dysfunctional families and mental health. That’s all the more reason for us to listen to what our Church has been at pains to promote. These words of Pope Francis, delivered at various events, are worth remembering and practicing:

–          “The family is the foundation of co-existence and a remedy against social fragmentation.” 

–          “Every threat to the family is a threat to society itself. The future of humanity, as Saint John Paul II often said, passes through the family. So protect your families! Protect your families! See in them your country’s greatest treasure and nourish them always by prayer and the grace of the sacraments.”

–          “We need simplicity to pray as a family; it is very beautiful and a source of great strength!  And also praying for one another! The husband for his wife, the wife for her husband, both together for their children, the children for their grandparents….praying for each other.  This is what it means to pray in the family and it is what makes the family strong: daily prayer.”

–          “Living together is an art, a patient, beautiful, fascinating journey. This journey of every day has a few rules that can be summed up in three phrases which I have already repeated many times to families, and which you have already learned to use among yourselves: May I? Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

Let us speak about these to our family and thus help every member of our family connect with God and with one another.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal