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[The exhortation given at Holy Qurbana on Dec 20, 1964 at Thottackad Mar
Aprem Church]
Beloved in Christ,
Put all your burdens and troubles on the Lord.
Never pride in your own strength and
intelligence. It is that thought that leads to
dissension and enmity. They are the work of
Satan. Dear children, please remember that we
cannot get the better of the spirit of discord
that Satan inspires except through prayer and
fasting.
So dear children, be one in Christ, in peace and
accord, putting everything at His feet.
[Excerpts from his speech at
Kunnamkulam Church when Thirumeni visited the
place reeling under a raging plague epidemic]
Beloved, I have to come to
live or die with you. I promise that I will do
my best to relieve you, whatever be your
problem. I want to spend three days fasting and
praying, praying incessantly to our God. May the
Almighty remove this epidemic from your midst.
[When Thirumeni set about on
his journey to Kunnamkulam, many tried to
dissuade him. Excerpts from his message given at
the Dayara, where he showed his undaunted will
to face all dangers in His service]
Beloved Children,
People should experience God's
strength and will. I am going to Kunnamkulam on
my own. Nobody has compelled me. They too are my
children. Let me die of plague if it is His
will. They will help commit my body to the dust.
You panic because you don't understand God's
designs. There is nothing to worry. Be bold.
Pray for the people of Kunnamkulam.
[ From the reply speech made
at the Pothenpuram Dayara where a a meeting to
felicitate him on his elevation as Metropolitan
was being held, presided over by Bava
Thirumeni.]
"I don't deserve any of these
honours or praises. Personally speaking I am not
eligible for this position. I am a raw villager
born in poor Pezhamattom, one who could not even
afford a robe. Yet I have something to pride in.
Being the member of the Holy church of God for
whose sake church fathers have sacrificed even
their lives. I have only one thing to say. You
should pray for me, weak and sinful that I am."
[The heart rending appeal made
by Thirumeni at strife-torn Pallom St.Paul's
church]
"I have come here to solve
your problem in the capacity of your diocesan
Metropolitan, a position least coveted. But I
have obeyed God's call. I don't know what I am
to tell you. Only that both of you are equally
dear to me. I have only one request to you.
Please don't pain me...." He wept.
Write 'sugar' on a piece of
paper, it won't taste sweet. Only sugar when
tasted will give one sweetness. Though many
think of God, they never taste him. Taste and
see that he is good.
[ This was when Thirumeni
visited the church on Jan 5, 1958. ]
"I feel delighted to see the
huge gathering. So inspite of my physical
weakness I shall speak a few minutes because I
feel compelled to."
Dear ones,
We have come to this church on
a few occasions earlier. But many I have seen
then I don't see now. Because they have all been
called away. The late Kollannoor Jacob Kathanar
your vicar and I were classmates. Even he has
been removed from the land of living. Many
shudder at the word 'death'. We don't gain
anything by being afraid of death. We have
had great stalwarts amongst us. Pulikkottil
Thirumeni and Wattacheril Thirumeni were noble
prelates who have suffered much for their faith
and the church. They have left us. Our dear
Kochuthirumeni, Puthencavu Mar Philoxenos was a
good orator and administrator. He too has passed
away. We all have to, some day. When children
abroad go back home to their parents they bring
costly presents. What do we take with us when we
go back to our father in Heaven? You are not
expected to go empty handed to the church.
Similarly to the presence of our heavenly
father. It is the noble deeds that we do
in our lives that we take with us. They will
follow us home.
Don't you see that the sun,
the moon and the stars give us a lot regularly.
But foolish people fail to fulfil their duties
and responsibilities. That is a grave wrong. Man
discovers many things. May even try to invent
some medicine to put off death. But we should
still remember about eternity, not just about
our fleeing life on earth. Our Lord has prepared
many mansions for us in heaven. We should like,
our forefathers, keep this faith throughout our
life.
Our Lord did all that his
father wanted while he was on earth. He prayed
all night, he fasted for forty days. You might
ask was it all necessary for him. Listen to him:
" No one who calls me simply 'father' gets to
heaven. Only those who do my father's will do
get there."
Dear ones, many today are
self-willed. Their self will and stubbornness
cause dissension. I am happy that there is no
such problem in your church. A church is a
temple of God where we should behave and act in
peace, wisdom and truth. Then we will have
blessings. Let us pray that we are led to the
land where there is no unending fire and undying
maggots.
I don't know when I will see
you again. Only God knows. Be of steadfast
faith. May God bless you and all that is yours
as well as your priests who serve you.
(Malankara Sabha, April 1958).
[ Speech given at Pampady
dayara pally]
Dearly beloved of Christ,
I think I must say something
to you, today being 'Kothine Sunday' (first
Sunday of the fifty days lent). I have
much to say, but shall limit myself.
I am deeply worried about the
faction feud in the church. It is sometime since
we have lost our peace due to faction fights.
Even the present fight is 20-years old. Quarrels
and differences of opinion are common
everywhere. People don't leave their church
because of that, but many do now. I feel sad that
some of the priests from the south have left the
church to join the Roman church. And many
others, it is heard, are planning to leave the
church. I don't believe that it is out of urge
to follow the truth on matters of faith that
they are leaving the church. Nor is it for love
of God. They are, unfortunately, after power and
position. I don't personally believe that our
church or our faith lacks anything. How many
saints our church has produced! What do we lack
in our pursuit after salvation? Has the Roman
church anything more to offer? We believe that
they have none. How many church fathers have
been troubled by them! We have a history of our
church fathers sticking to their steadfast faith
even in times of trouble, suffering for their
faith. We cannot but suspect that something has
radically gone wrong with those who are
preparing to leave the church. We would warn you
that you should not be caught in their snares.
We have no fears that any of you will. Only we
are reminding you.
If any one is to leave the
mother church fearing trouble it must be first
our Bava Thirumeni. We have been his disciples
from young days. He has absolute faith and
steadfastness. It was our firm belief that he
won't move an iota from cardinal faith, the
canons tenets and traditions that made us accept
this office as well as made us stay with him
despite all provocations and inducements. Even
if he is made to suffer more, we are confident
that he won't be an apostate in the cause of
cardinal faith. Even though there were grave
difference of opinion between him and the
Patriarch Bava on administrative matters, we
have found no lack of faith or in our path
towards redemption.
Our effort should be to
restore peace in the church, not to run away
from the church. Our suggestion is that both
sides should make some compromises so that the
integrity of the church is not affected. We
should not try to aggravate our differences by
going on litigation. We exhort you to pray hard
for peace and unity in the church, this being
the season of lent. May the grace and blessings
of the Almighty continue to be showered on us.
Dear Thirumeni,
please pray for us.....
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