Happy New Year to all! My journey in 2016 with two great people of the Church, mIssionaries who served in India

Happy New Year 2016 to all!

In the dawn of this glorious New Year, which is a great gift from God, I set out to journey in reflection. In this New Year, I would like to take a peek into the handwork of God, in Blessed Mother Teresa. Mother Church is working on her canonization procedures, but in my view and millions view that she was a living saint. I consider privileged myself, having lived in the time and space she lived and have seen her and had an opportunity to touch her hand once, when she visited Chennai. She has inspired me in various ways, especially through her words and deeds. I love her sayings and words very dearly, which are so eloquent, courageous, and uncompromising witness of faith and love from the life which was consumed by the divine love, the love for Jesus. Her life is an excellent example of a life of a divine bride, who was touched by the divine love and responded with persistent obedience and faithfulness. Her life is a model of God’s artful work and faithfulness in a simple dedicated soul.

In the reflection of Blessed Mother Teresa, I would like to record my understandings of God’s graces realized in Mother Teresa’s life. For this purpose, I will use Mother’s own words to understand her perspectives. In my view, Mother Teresa's source and strength for charity are founded upon the love for Jesus. She loved humanity and human, because she saw Jesus in them and among them. The idealistic philosophical conviction she had stemmed from the concept that every human was created in likeness and image of God. The pragmatic aspects of her deeds are founded upon love for Jesus. She is like St. Francis of Assisi, who took Gospel to the practical life literally. Mother Teresa literally applied Jesus words in her deeds faithfully. May God’s name be praised!

In addition, I would like to continue to reflect upon the divine mastery work of God in Fr. Beschi, an extraordinary Jesuit Missionary served in India, as I journey through one of his literary work called, Thembavani”( a Tamil Poetry book on St. Joseph), which I began last year. My ardent desire and prayer is that Rev. Fr. Beschi would be elevated to the divine honor of Blessed/ sainthood one day in the Church. His life is an example of a missionary life, a pastoral life, which was lived with the conviction of divine love. His love for Holy Family, Jesus Mary, and Joseph was extraordinary. God favored him with many extraordinary healing miracles at His prayers during his pastoral ministry. His pastoral works were extraordinary and his catechetical methods were inspiring, which brought multitude of conversions from kings to the commoners. Fr. Beschi’s ( Veeramamunivar) literary works and contributions are well known and celebrated among Tamil Scholars. I would like to focus on the divine underpinnings and interactions, which are evident in his pastoral works and literary works among Christians, Hindus and Muslims in India.

All glory and honor to God!

Note:

After I posted Mother Teresa's picture and Fr. Beschi's picture here in one page, I could not resist to comment on the similarity on their appearance. Mother took on Indian women's attire Sarree and Fr. Beschi took on Indian Preist ( Saniyasi) attire. What a similarity!