SUMEDHANS ON PICNIC TO CHANDIGARH

Having spent two months in deep soul-work, reflecting on their lives with the help of insights from psychology, spirituality and the social sciences, the participants of the 49^th Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey—went on a relaxing picnic to Chandigarh, “the Beautiful City” April 7th. 

Chandigarh is about 45 km from Sumedha centre, Jharmari.

Our first stop was the beautiful Sukhna Lake, a picturesque man-made marvel, born from the vision of the great architect Le Corbusier. It which has facilities for boating and other recreational facilities, as well as eating places.  One side of the lake has beautifully laid out foot paths and gardens – with a unique “Garden of Silence,” conducive for quiet meditation. Behind the Lake are the Shivalik Hills.

Our next stop was the Rock Gardens, the creation of Nek Chand, and perhaps the most famous tourist spot in Chandigarh. The many walls within the enclosure are studded with beautiful sculptures, all made from waste materials. It also has enchanting human-made waterfalls, a hall of mirrors and various village scenes depicted with figures made out of cloth.

We then visited Don Bosco Navajeevan Church and Social Service Centre at Sector 24 B. The Salesian Fathers there offered us great hospitality and we had a sumptuous lunch and relaxed with a game of Bingo with time for several “Full-Houses.”

Next door to Don Bosco there is a mini Rose Garden where we spend some enjoying the roses in full bloom and trying our hands and legs at the exercise machines.

Following this we visited the newly constructed Church of Our Lady of Miracles at the campus of St. Stephen’s school at Togan. The beautiful edifice will be blessed and dedicated on 10^th April by His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias along with several bishops.

Our last stop was at the Christ King Cathedral where we spent some time prayer and the Bishop’s House where we spent time chatting with Bishop Mascarenhas.

Father Jaimasih Ekka, the administrator at Sumedha Centre had provided enough fruits, nuts and snacks for us to munch all along the journey. He and the Director of the Centre, Jose Parappully, accompanied the group.

This 49^th Sumedha Sadhana concludes on May 4.

The next Sumedha Sadhana begins on June 23 and concludes on September 14. Registration is open.

RESURRECTION OF JESUS - THE SECOND BIG BANG!

The Resurrection of Jesus can be considered the second Big Bang! Not in the sense of another creation, but in the sense of setting in motion a process in which all that is existing is restored to its pristine splendor and glory. Resurrection is an explosion of light and grace-packed energy which, like the effects of the original Big Bang (the ever-expanding Universes), will continue to course through the present and future realities, bringing in ever-evolving newness/transformation.

Resurrection/Easter is all about newness/transformation - of self and the Universe -- through dying and rising. Dying is letting go, and rising is becoming something new, something/someone that did not exist until then.  It is a process of actualizing whatever until then was only in potential.

An apt metaphor is the caterpillar becoming butterfly.  The caterpillar has to given up the caterpillar existence (Good Friday), and enter into the cocoon where for sometime nothing seems to happen (Holy Saturday), and then burst out of the cocoon as beautiful butterfly! (Ester Sunday)

Everything about Easter is about newness. Easter is set in Spring, when a dead Nature  autumn shedding of leaves and drying of plants is Good Friday, and winter when everything is buried under the snow is Holy Saturday) becomes alive again with fresh leaves and flowers. (Easter).

Then there are the symbols of newness in the Easter vigil liturgy -- new fire, new candle, newly blessed water, newly blessed oils (at the Chrism Mass), newly baptized Christians....

My Prayer

Dear God, let me know what is that I need to let go, and let me be willing to let it go, so that I can experience newness of psyche and soul.

A very Happy Easter to all.

THE LAST SUMEDHA SADHANA OF 2023 CONCLUDES

The last Sumedha Sadhana- A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey of 2023 concluded yesterday, with the participants expressing immense satisfaction with the entire programme.

This 11-week programme commenced on the 27^th September. There were eleven participants, six men and five women, including one from Sri Lanka and another from Thailand.

The Sumedha Sadhana is designed as a personality enhancement, healing and transformation programme for all those who are interested in enhancing their psychospiritual wellbeing and professional effectiveness.

Self-Awareness and self-Transformation, Holistic and  Process Spiritualties; religious Life; Prayer & Meditation; Midlife and Post-Midlife Dynamics; Sexuality, Celibacy & Intimacy; Trauma & Healing; Breath, Spirit & Wellbeing -- are some of the major topics that were explored. Special importance was given to group therapy where participants had the opportunity to face their woundedness and brokenness and move on to greater healing and wholeness. The programme concluded with a spiritual retreat and integration.

Insights from faith and wisdom traditions, various psychological theories of development, as well as experiential tools and techniques from Bioenergetics, NLP, Psychosynthesis, Intensive Journal, Expressive Arts, Qigong, Multi-media were used to explore and enhance participants’ psychospiritual journey.

Sumedha Sadhana continues to be a very well-appreciated programme for its usefulness. Comments from participants certify to this:

·         “I am rejuvenated, restored, renewed. Sumedha helped to beautify, bring colours into my life. I am celebrating a new beginning. Sumedha has ignited in me a new sense of purpose.” M.

·          “The programme was superb. It gave me more than I expected. I have learned to let go, forgive, get up from where I had fallen. I can now celebrate my life and my vocation. I now feel happy in every bit of my heart.” K.

·         “I came here with a broken heart., with very low self-image, feeling so bad within me. Slowly as the sessions unfolded I began to enter the journey and began to feel better. Now there is a feeling of calm in me. I feel refilled and happy.” V.

·         “I did not come willingly. I was asked to come. But I am happy I came. I have changed so much for the better. I have made a U turn in my life. I am starting a new way of living.” N.

·         “I came here very hurt, broken, and a very negative self-image. I am now reconciled with my past and able to move into the future with confidence and courage.” M.

·          “As a whole, I am satisfied with the modules, resource persons, topics covered and the processes. All these were dealt with professionally with sensitivity to individual needs and nuances. All modules were carefully selected and orderly arranged. I had time for prayer, contemplation, meditations of various kinds that were good for my physical, mental emotional wellbeing.” P.

·         “It was truly a time of transformation. I moved from fear to trust, hate to love, guilt and shame to faith, criticism and judging to empathy. The whole journey energised me.” C.

·          “I learned more here within three months than during 10-12 years of my priestly formation. Sumedha Sadhana changed so many of my dysfunctional beliefs, attitudes, convictions and behaviours.” T.

·         Sumedha gave me more faith, wisdom, understanding about myself. Learned not to brood over the past. I have experienced a transformation.” S.

·         “The Sumedha Journey has enriched me. I am going back with a positive attitude. I can say with confidence a renewal has taken place in me.” T.

     

“Every day I learned something new. And these have made a difference to my life.” C.

 The next Sumedha Sadhana is scheduled for February 11 to May 4, 2024. Registrations are open. Contact sumedhacentre@gmail.com for registration form. See also our web page at: sumedhacentre.org

PEACE AT CHRISTMAS

 

At Christmas we celebrate the embodiment in human flesh and blood of the eternal, primordial Spirit that is Pure Energy of Love.

The purpose of that embodiment is expressed in the Angels' announcement: Peace on Earth.

What is this peace? In my view, it is a state of affairs in which every human being can enjoy "the abundance of life" that the adult Jesus promised. "I have come that you may have life, life in its abundance" (John 10, 10)

This abundance of life becomes reality, when each of  us makes space in our hearts for everyone  and everything, for all created reality, excluding no one and nothing. We are able to do this when we fill our hearts with with love that will break down every barrier that keeps humanity and nature fragmented. This is the "Kingdom of God" for the establishment of which Jesus lived and for which he was killed by the domination powers of the day- religious and political.

We join Jesus to "make everything new" (Revelation, 21, 5) (ourselves first!) and contribute to the coming of God's Kingdom, by filling our hearts with love, excluding hatred and discrimination and becoming instruments of peace. to do this, we first make space in our heart for the Pure Energy of Love, whose embodiment we celebrate today, allowing it to flood it and transform it, making us new..

I have remembered all you who read this message and your families during the Midnight Mass.

Happy Christmas to you all from Sumedha Centre. Blessings!

Inauguration of Sumedha Centre at Jharmari, Punjab

March 19, 2022  was a another Red Letter day in the annals of Sumedha Centre. 

The renovated hostel building at Don Bosco Jharmari is the new home of Sumedha Centre. 

The building was blessed and inaugurated today by Rev. Fr. Davis Maniparamben, the Salesian Provincial of New Delhi, in the presence of Fr. Ambrose, the Procurator of the Simla-Chandigarh diocese, a good number of Salesians and the participants 43rd Sumedha Sadhana (17 March-May 31, 2022).

The blessing ceremony began at the entrance lobby, where a statue of St. Joseph, patron saint of Sumedha was placed. This statue was blessed and carried by Fr. Jose Parappully, Director of the Centre,  into the Chapel while Fr. Provincial, Fr. Ambrose and Fr. Thomas Anjilikuzhyil, Assistant Administrator at Sumedha,  went around the building blessing it. All moved then into the new chapel.

Fr. Parappully welcomed all and gave an introduction in which he thanked all those involved in renovating the hostel building and getting it ready for the inauguration, He especially mentioned the Don Bosco Jharmari community who have been very cooperative and generous. 

Br. Cyriac Kurias, of Don Bosco Technical institute, New Delhi,  who volunteered to plan and execute the renovation works, and provide for the various facilities and utilities and who had made several trips from Delhi to Jharmari to supervise the works was thanked in a special way. Sumedha Centre is deeply appreciative of his generosity and practical compassion.

The participants of the Sumedha programme who worked hard to get the place ready from the time they arrived., the workers especially Mr Joseph, the DBTI  electrician and plumber, and Mr Abir, the electrician of the New Delhi Salesian Provincial House whom the Provincial Economer Fr. Biju Abraham had made available, both of who had been here for several weeks working day and night, were also thanked..

Then the Holy Eucharist  began, presided over by the Provincial. The homily on St, Joseph was preached  by Fr. Ambrose. At the end of the Mass, Fr. Joseph Kezakkekkara, the first Salesian Provincial of New Delhi and who had encouraged the setting up of the Bosco Psychological Services and later the Sumedha Centre, expressed his appreciation for the services that Sumedha Centre is offering.

Mass was followed by a festive lunch. It was partly catered by Mr. Johnson of New Delhi, arranged by Br. Cyriac Kurias, and partly by local caterers arranged by Fr. Bhushan Barla, the Principal Don Bosco Jharmari,.and Fr. Yesudas Karakkattu,  the Administrator of Sumedha Centre.

Bishop Ignatius  of Simla-Chandigarh presided at the Holy Eucharist at 11.00 am the next morning. Fr. Davis Maniparamben, the Salesian  Provincial of New Delhi, welcomed the Bishop and thanked him for allowing the Sumedha Centre to operate from the diocese. Bishop Ignatius expressed his happiness that Sumedha Centre is now in his diocese and welcomed the Centre and its staff and programme pariticipants to the diocese. He gave a very instructive and moving homily on how the Sumedha Centre can be of great help to priests and religious. Bishop stayed for lunch and left afterwards.

The same evening the fist Sumedha Sadhana at the renovated hostel building commenced with an introduction from Fr. Parappully. There are 18 participants (6 men of whom 2 are Salesians, one from the Panchim province and the other from the Dimapur province; three are three diocesan priests and one religious priest) and 12 religious women from 10 different congregations.

The paintings in the new Chapel of the Emmaus  journey (Luke 24, 13 ff) were done by Br. Mathew John of Don Bosco Technical Institute, New Delhi. Sumedha Centre is deeply appreciative of his work.

SUMEDHA OUTREACH AT AGRA

Dr. Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre, was invited to facilitate two workshops on “Formative Accompaniment and Emotional Maturation” at Agra. 

These were organized by Most Rev. Albert D’Souza, the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Agra Region, consisting of 12 dioceses and President of the Regional Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Both Workshops were held at the Archbishops’ House, Agra. The first, on 9 and 10^th December 2019 was for 27 Rectors of Minor Seminaries and women Formators. (Formators are those engaged in the training of future priests and religious men and women.)

The second from 10^th to 18^th December was for the staff of St. Joseph’s Regional Theologate, Allahabad, Masih Vidyapeeth and Orientation Centre at Agra.

Dr. Parappully explored with the participants what formative accompaniment meant and required, characteristics of emotionally healthy persons, tools for assessment, some issues in psychosexual development and characteristic of the spirituality of a diocesan priest.

Participants found the workshop very useful. Following are some common comments:

It was a wonderful and enriching workshop. It was an occasion for soul-searching. It helped to look 

into oneself, to introspect and analyze oneself.

It touched my life and was holistic, interactive and very practical. All the topics were very relevant. It helped to clarify many things/issues.

The process followed was very helpful.

It was a workshop which integrated science and faith. Very few psychologists do that. The workshop was quite unique in this sense.

SUMEDHA OUTREACH IN AUGUST 2019

Dr. Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre facilitated a number of workshops during the month of August.

The first was a workshop on Midlife Dynamics and the Spiritual Journey for the Salesian Sisters of Kolkata at their Provincial House in Dum Dum. It was held from August 9 to 12. There were 33 sites attending the programme.

The second was a Two-Day recollection in preparation for the Provincial Chapter of the Holy Cross Sisters at their newly renovated Provincial House at Raipur on 17^th and 18^th August.

The third was a workshop on Midlife Dynamics and he Spiritual Journey for the Capuchins of the three provinces of Kerala organized by the Kottayam province at Assisi Retreat Centre at Bharangnanam, Kerala. Twenty three Capuchin Fathers including the provincial of the Trissur province attended.

The fourth was a Training for Leadership for the community and school heads of the Southern and Northern provinces of the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was held at the Navinta Retreat Centre at New Delhi from 24^th to 26^th August. There were 19 participants.

The last was a workshop on “Aging Gracefully” for the Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen. It was held at their Provincial House in Bilaspur from 30^th August to 1^st September. There were 23 sisters present including the Provincial.