Theological Studies on Saint Chavara 1 SPIRITUALITY OF SAINT KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA Theological Studies on Saint Chavara 1 SPIRITUALITY OF SAINT KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA Fr Thomas Kochumuttom CMI 2017 Chavara Central Secretariat Kochi 680 030 Kerala, India & Dharmaram Publications Bangalore 560 029 India Spirituality of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara Fr Thomas Kochumuttom CMI Email: [email protected] © 2017 Chavara Central Secretariat, Kochi ISBN: 978-93-84964-76-4 Printed at: Matha Printers, Bangalore Price: Rs. 360; US$ 30 Chavara Central Secretariat CMI Prior General’s House Chavara Hills, Kakkanad Post Box 3105, Kochi 682 030 Kerala, India Tel: +91 484 28 81802/3 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.chavaralibrary.in/ & Dharmaram Publications Dharmaram College, Bangalore 560 029, India Tel: +91-80 41 116137; 6111 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Web: www.dharmarampublications.com CONTENTS Foreword xiii Preface xvii Chapter 1 1 Life in the Light of Death 1.1. As the Life So the Death 1 1.2. The Beauty of Chavara’s Death 1 1.3. How Did Chavara Live? 3 1.4. Contemporaries’ Testimony 4 1.5. Physical Features 7 Chapter 2 11 Love of the Church 2.1. Chavara’s Most Outstanding Virtue 11 2.2. Palackal: A Church Leader 12 2.3. Porukara: A Committed Pastor 13 2.4. Chavara’s Ecclesial Concerns 15 2.5. Religious Congregation for the Common 20 Good Chapter 3 25 Defender and Builder of the Church 3.1. Defender of Catholic Unity 25 3.2. Renewal of Priestly Training and Ministry 30 3.3. Liturgical Renewal 32 3.4. Pastoral Care of People 34 Chapter 4 39 Selfless Service of Society 4.1. Printing Press for the Church and Society 39 4.2. Chavara the Educationist 41 4.3. Social Concern 44 4.4. Family Apostolate 46 vi Spirituality of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara Chapter 5 49 Common Life 5.1. New Dimension in Life 49 5.2. Common Life as Fullness of Consecration 50 5.3. Born of and Nursed by the Same Mother 53 5.4. The Founders’ Unity in Diversity 56 Chapter 6 61 Really Christian Love 6.1. Love without Boundaries 61 6.2. Love at the Cost of Life 62 6.3. Be as Perfect as Your Heavenly Father 62 6.4. Forgiving Love 67 Chapter 7 69 Love without Limit and Condition 7.1. Challenge of Christian Love 69 7.2. Founding Fathers’ World of Love 71 7.3. A Concerned and Paternal Superior 77 Chapter 8 81 Ideals of Religious Life 8.1. Words from the Fullness of Heart (Mt 12:34) 81 8.2. Withdrawn Life (Vana-Vāsa) 81 8.3. A House of Vision (Darśana) and Austerity 82 (Tapas) 8.4. Life in Solitude (Otunki Pārkkal) 84 8.5. Life in Silence (Miṇṭ-Aṭakkamāyi) 86 8.6. For the Common Good 87 8.7. Trust in God and His People 88 8.8. Contemplative and Apostolic 89 8.9. House on Hilltop (Bes-Rauma) 91 Contents vii Chapter 9 93 Chavara’s Share and Contributions 9.1. Chavara’s Share of Inspiration 93 9.2. Chavara’s Words of Wisdom 95 9.3. Confirmed in the Context of Convent 99 9.4. God’s Freehold Property 101 9.5. Women’s Congregation in Founders’ View 102 9.6. An Interpretation of Mt 5:13-16 104 9.7. Symbol of Christian Life 107 Chapter 10 111 Call to Spousal Love 10.1. The Most Basic Vow 111 10.2. Three Kinds of Kanni-Sukham 112 10.3. Brahma-Cāritvam: Virginity in Full 114 10.4. Gift of Spousal Love 117 10.5. Bridal Mysticism 119 Chapter 11 123 Dynamic, Steadfast and Fruitful 11.1. In the Company of the Divine Spouse 123 11.2. Love Is Dynamic 124 11.3. Steadfast Love and Faithfulness 126 11.4. Jealous Spouse 129 11.5. Fruitfulness of Consecrated Virginity 130 11.6. Pauline Insights 131 11.7. Growing Reality 133 11.8. Signs of Celibate Life 136 Chapter 12 139 “The Lord Is My Portion” 12.1. Agatitvam: Having No Means to Live 139 12.2. “The Lord Is My Portion” 141 12.3. Practice of Poverty before Profession 143 12.4. Everything in Common 144 viii Spirituality of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara 12.5. Personal Practice of Poverty 146 12.6. Collective Practice of Poverty 149 Chapter 13 151 The Poor with the People 13.1. Poverty Wins People’s Hearts 151 13.2. Niṣkāma-Karma: Selfless Service 154 13.3. Poor People’s Big Contribution 155 13.4. Contribution Out of Poverty 159 13.5. Moral Sensitivity 162 Chapter 14 165 Convent Born in Poverty 14.1. Humble Beginning in Poverty 165 14.2. Be Grateful, Sane, and Rich toward God 170 14.3. Poor, Simple and Hardworking Chavara 173 Chapter 15 175 Obedience through Suffering 15.1. Col-Viḷi, Śuśrūṣā: Obedience 175 15.2. Resolved to Be Obedient 176 15.3. Learning Obedience through Suffering 177 15.4. Continued Tests and Trials 183 Chapter 16 189 The Only Mark of a Religious 16.1. Total Surrender of One’s Will 189 16.2. Responsible and Creative versus Blind 190 Obedience 16.3. Blind but Reasonable Obedience 192 16.4. Obedience to Hierarchy 195 16.5. Independent Thinking 199 16.6. Heaven on Earth 202 16.7. Practical Instructions 203 16.8. Gracefully Aging in Obedience 204 Contents ix Chapter 17 209 Life of Prayer and Austerity 17.1. An All-Embracing Factor 209 17.2. A Praying Community 209 17.3. Palackal: An Ascetic Theologian 210 17.4. Porukara: A Man of Prayerful Action 213 17.5. Chavara: Heir of Prayer Culture 214 17.6. A Prayerful Seminarian 216 17.7. Blend of Prayer and Apostolate 216 17.8. Setting Up of the Game 219 Chapter 18 225 In the Line of Mystics 18.1. Mystic Chavara 225 18.2. In the Interior Castle 229 18.3. Essential Mysticism 231 18.4. Practical Mysticism 233 Chapter 19 239 Mystical Theologian 19.1. Chavara’s Mystical Theology 239 19.2. Mystical Hermeneut 246 19.3. Mystically Inspired Prayers 248 Chapter 20 253 Apostle of the Holy Eucharist 20.1. First of the Outstanding Devotions 253 20.2. Greatest Privilege 254 20.3. Keep and Enjoy the Company 256 20.4. Saving Presence 258 20.5. Spousal Love 259 20.6. Food and Drink 262 20.7. Not Gifts but the Giver 264 20.8. The Treasure 267 x Spirituality of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara Chapter 21 269 Mariadas: Servant of Mary 21.1. Devotion with Filial Love 269 21.2. Family Heritage 270 21.3. Dedicated to the Service of Mother Mary 271 21.4. Practice of Marian Devotion 273 21.5. Through Mary to Jesus 275 21.6. Gratitude and Repentance 280 21.7. Monuments of Marian Devotion 281 Chapter 22 285 Life Modelled after Mother Mary 22.1. Constituent Part of the Church 285 22.2. Simple but Revolutionary 287 22.3. Pilgrim of Faith 291 22.4. Chavara’s Pilgrimage of Faith 297 22.5. Take Her Home 299 Chapter 23 303 Chavara’s Mariology 23.1. Marian Appellations 303 23.2. Church’s Dogmatic Teachings 307 23.3. Contemplative and Active 312 Chapter 24 317 Mary on Centre-Stage 24.1. Mother of the Church 317 24.2. Source of Courage and Light 318 24.3. Messenger of Christ 320 24.4. Queen of Creation 320 24.5. Queen of Martyrs 321 24.6. Founder of Consecrated Life 322 24.7. Queen of Apostles 323 24.8. Protector of the Church, the Ship in Storm 324 Contents xi 24.9. Obedient Daughter of the Church 325 24.10. Prayerful and Austere 326 Chapter 25 329 Man of Repentance 25.1. Penitent Saint! 329 25.2. The Compunction of Soul 329 25.3. Forgiveness from Fellow Beings 336 25.4. Abiding Compunction of Heart 338 Chapter 26 343 You Brood of Vipers! 26.1. Condition for Admission to the Kingdom 343 26.2. Pitfalls in the Chosen One’s Life 344 Chapter 27 353 Confession and Spiritual Direction 27.1. All Are in Need of Confession 353 27.2. Three Levels of Confession 354 27.3. Life of Penance 359 27.4. Spiritual Direction 361 Chapter 28 365 Contemplative in Action 28.1. Karma-Yogi: Yogi of Action 365 28.2. Active Chavara 366 28.3. Contemplative Chavara 367 28.4. Sthita-Prajña: Steady-Minded 370 28.5. Dynamic Prayer and Spirituality 373 Chapter 29 377 The Carmelite Factor 29.1. Dominican Ideal in Carmelite Style 377 29.2. Chavara: A Committed Carmelite 380 29.3. In the Line of Carmelite Mystics 381 xii Spirituality of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara Chapter 30 387 Practicalities of Chavara Spirituality 30.1. Chavara Spirituality 387 30.2. Longing for God’s Vision 388 30.3. Familial Spirituality 389 30.4. Father Figures 390 30.5. Mother Figures 393 30.6. Brothers, Sisters, Children 396 30.7. Devotion to the Holy Eucharist 399 Appendix 401 Vicars Apostolic of Varapuzha during 1784-1919 Guide to Footnotes and Source Works 403 Index 409 Index (Bible Verses) 431 FOREWORD Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara (Bombay: Saint Pauls, 2014) by Fr Thomas Kochumuttom CMI offered a simple, brief and enjoyable biography of the Indian Saint. Now the author has come out with a complementary work, Spirituality of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara. Referring to sources like the different biographies of the Saint, his writings, letters, prayers, and relevant ecclesiastical and other documents, the author has brought to light various facets of the spirituality of St Chavara, which will be treasured by readers.