Fr Joby kachappilly VC

DIVINE PRESENCE ON MOUNTAIN Fr.Joby kachappilly VC, jobichanvc@gmail.com According to the Bible, going to the mountain in quest of God is an important act of pilgrimage. The Bible depicts mountains as venues of God’s blessings and as symbols of His presence. The Sinai Mountain and the Sion Mountain had been considered as spheres of divine presence by the Jews (Exo. 19:3; 24,16). In a similar way we can also see in the Bible how the mountains become avenues where scenes of excruciating pain and spiritual upheavals are enacted. It is when we look at the mountains in a contemplative strain of mind that we are able to comprehend the divine schemes and spiritual revelations contained in them. Jesus had a special love and affinity for the mountains. Apart from mere geographical and topographical considerations, Jesus must have chosen the mountains for prayers and adoration because of his realization that mountains had the unending treasures of divine graces (Mt. 14:232, Mk. 6:46; Lk. 6:12).

THE LOSSES AND GAINS OF LIFE Fr.Joby Kachappilly VC, jobichanvc@gmail.com I was celebrating Holy Eucharist in a retreat for the elderly. During the Holy Mass, just before giving the message of the word of God, I asked the participants., “What are the troubles and pains that bother you at this time of your life?” People had different answers. Some mentioned lack of health; for others it was the lack of love from children; for a few it was the feeling that they were not wanted. They shared many other similar painful experiences. When I examined the responses, I discovered a truth – that behind all their sorrows there was a sense of loss. Some of the enjoyments or blessings they had in the past were missing from their lives. Even as they complain about their problems, the basic fact is the sense of loss --- loss of health, eye-sight or the love of the children. Over and above the material or physical losses, what is the loss that a person must be worried about? It is the loss of the pres