Personal Prayer

Personal Prayer is communication between the human person and the Triune God... Communication leads to commitment... Commitment leads one to collaboration... Collaboration takes one to cross-experience... Cross-experience is sharing/ participation in the paschal mystery of Christ... Participation in the paschal mystery of Christ leads one to communion... ................................................. vmalpan@gmail.com

Wisdom from the Desert

Some old men went to Abba Poemen and asked,"If we see brothers sleeping during the common prayer, should we wake them?"Abba Poemen answered,"If I see my brother sleeping, I put his head on my kneesand let him rest."Then one old man spoke up,"And how do you explain yourself before God?"Abba Poemen replied,"I say to God: You have said, 'First take the beam out of your own eye and then you will be able to remove the splinter from the eye of your brother.' " ================ Quarrel There were two old men who dwelt together for many years and who never quarreled.Then one said to the other:"Let us pick a quarrel with each other like other men do.""I do not know how quarrels arise," answered his companion.So the other said to him:"Look, I will put a brick down here between us and I will say 'This is mine.' Then you can say 'No it is not, it is mine.' Then we will be able to have a quarrel."So they placed the brick between them and the first one said:"This is mine."His companion answered him:"This is not so, for it is mine."To this, the first one said:"If it is so and the brick is yours, then take it and go your way."And so they were not able to have a quarrel. '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' vmalpan@gmail.com

Lighter Side of Life

Our church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members Parish, “Someone Else”.”Someone Else’s” passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill.”Some one Else” has been with us for many years and for every one of those years,”Some one Else” did far more than a normal person’s share of the work.Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone’s list, “Let Someone Else do it.” Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; “Someone Else” can work with that group.It was common knowledge that “Someone Else” was among the most liberal givers in our church.Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed “Someone Else” would make up the difference.”Someone Else” was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman. Everybody expected too much of “Someone Else”.Now “Someone Else” is gone! We wonder what we are going to do.”Someone Else” left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it?Who is going to do the things “Someone Else” did?When you are asked to help this year, remember — we can’t depend on “Someone Else” anymore. ============ A preacher was completing a temperance sermon; with great expression he said,“If I had all the beer in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river.”With even greater emphasis he said,“And if I had all the wine in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river.”And then finally, he said,“And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river.”He sat down.The song leader then stood very cautiously and announced with a smile,“For our closing song, let us sing Hymn # 365: “Shall We Gather at the River.”A Special Hymn! ____________ vmalpan@gmail.com

Jesus is faithful

Jesus Just Checking-in...

[A minister passing through his church, in the middle of the day.

Decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle.

The minister frowned as he saw, the man hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kind of shabby and his coat was worn and frayed.

The man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed, each noontime came this chap.

Each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear.

He decided to stop the man and ask him, 'What are you doing here?'

The old man said, he worked down the road, lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.

'I stay only for moments, see, cause the factory's so far away.

As I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is kinda what I say.'

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,

HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN SINCE,

WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP.

AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.

DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,

BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY.

SO, JESUS THIS IS JIM, CHECKING IN TODAY..'

The minister, feeling foolish, told Jim that it was fine.

He told the man that he was welcome to come

and pray just anytime. 'Time to go', Jim smiled, said, 'Thanks.'

He hurried to the door.

The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there.

And as the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer:

''I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,

HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP.

AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.

I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,

BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY.

SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY.'

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come.

As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill.

The hospital staff was worried, But he'd given them a thrill...

The week that Jim was with them, Brought changes in the ward.

His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand

why Jim was so glad, when no flowers,

calls or cards came, Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,

He voiced the nurse's concern.

No friends came to show they cared.

He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up

and with a winsome smile said,

'the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,

that He's in here all the while.'

'Everyday at noon He's here,

a dear Friend of mine you see.

He sits right down, takes my hand,

leans over and says to me:'

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,

HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP.

AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.

ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,

I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY AND SO,

JIM, THIS IS JESUS, CHECKING IN TODAY.' ]

====The CSF trinitygroup@mtnl.net.in

vmalpan@gmail.com

2009 (April-May) General Elections in India

Celebration is the mood of the country... Fair enough, BJP has conceded victory to Congress-led alliance... Electoral Victory of Indian national Congress-led alliance

People casting their votes with responsibility...

Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh and their allies have mad it again!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Looking at these faces,

we can guess their emotions...

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We remember with gratitude the election commission of India for their efficient management of the General Elections (2009) in India.

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"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic wars;

Where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action -

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. " Rabindranath Tagore

----------------------------- Mysteries of life are not solved… they are to be lived…Sense of wonder encourages us to stand before the unfathomable mysteries of human life, trusting that in them we encounter God, the universe, the other and our own selves!

Lord! Bless the people of India with reconciliation, peace and prosperity! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vmalpan@gmail.com