Dhruwadeepti. blogspot.com // CHAVARA - A Multidimensional Saint // Fr. Dr. Thomas Kadankavil CMI

Dhruwadeepti. blogspot.com //

                    CHAVARA - A  Multidimensional Saint // 
   

Fr. Dr. Thomas Kadankavil CMI 

A commentary on his Testament //  

   A Meditative Reflection on the Testament - 

Part -2 

Not Man -Made:

This passage comes in a letter Chavara wrote jointly with Fr. Leopold Beccaro OCD. The strongly rebuking language unusual for the style of Chavara betrays that Fr.leopold was the principal Author of the letter. The observation that the congregation was 'not man-made ' was certainly Chavara's own for in the beginning of the Chronicle (Vol.1) he referred to the fact the senior fathers were preparing for religious life according to the Dominican Order.

A brief portion of this letter revealing ' the wailing of the agonized hearts' of the fathers is quoted here to feel the depth of the concern they had for the well-being and the continued existence of the congregation.

"Where we expected grapes, we see thistles, yiedling raw roots. Of late we have been obsrving in you the tendency to consider humanity, obedience , charity, religious modesty etc.as virtues not to be practiced in your daily and ordinary life, but to be observed only by very holy and exceptional souls. Without the slightest fear of God or of prick of conscience you do things quite contrary to these virtues, thus reducing these monasteries founded by God and willed by him to be mirrors of vitues and assembly of holy people, into an association of self-willed stewards and business-administrators (Vol.4, pp. 61,62), The text offers to the members of the congregation on occation for a genuine and deep self- examination and self-correction.

No. 4- Thapas- Bhavanam. 

The two great concerns of Chavara expressed by a compound of two words in  Sanskrit and Malayalam, namely Thapas- Bhavanam and Darsana-Veed arose from his perception that the Syro-Malabar Church was barren (Macchi) without producing a saint offspring and faithfull are spiritually blind (jnanakurudanmar). As a remedy to this impoverishment he desired to have a monastery at least for the priests.The nature and goal of this new initiative is well expressed by the names they have adopted for the purpose. A house of discipline (Thapas) where vitue is regularly practiced only can generate wisdom (Darsana) , for which one has to stay permanently in a place as in one's own house (Veed).  The syriac word Bes Raumma, the house in the highest, carries the same spiritual significance. 

No. 5- Purpose of our call. 

For any new initiatve its objective has be clearly articulated. In modern terminology the vision and mission of the project is to be well proposed. The purpose of accepting religious vocation is definitely a single goal, namely to live a life following closely the footsteps of Jesus Christ. The vision behind this choise is that Jesus Christ shed his precious blood to save every human being from sin and to make the one called an instrument of salvation for others.

This vision has to be complemented with a work -plan or a mission for making everone vituous. The operative clause of this statement is that God had founded 'Monasteries to be mirrors of virtues and assembly of Hol people" The members of the community are invited to make self -examination that whether one is a fitting member in the assembly of the holy people and whether he is a mirror reflecting Christian virtues such love, peace and forgiveness. //-

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