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

SPIRITUAL RETREAT IN JAIPUR

Fr. Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre, facilitated a spiritual retreat for the Priests of the Catholic diocese from 4th to 9th November 2018. It was held at the Bishop's House, Jaipur.

There were 29 priests, including the Bishop of the diocese the Most Rev. Oswald Louis. Most of the priests in the diocese are quite young.

The retreat was focused on the theme: Priest: Bearer of the Mystery of God and doctor of the Soul."

On the first day Fr. Parappully presented the retreat as a Desert Experience in which retreatants were led to experience like Jesus in the desert "Wilderness" and "Paradise" - the "wild beasts" and the "ministering angels" mentioned in Mark's Gospel.

He then further explored the theme of "wilderness" and "paradise" using the experiences of the great prophets of the Old Testament - Abraham, Moses, Hosea and of Paul in the New Testament.

Following this, Fr. Parappully presented "The Identity and Mission" of the priest - bearer of the mystery of God, doctor of the soul, and community builder.

The culminating talk was on "Jesus of Nazareth - Compassionate Son of a Compassionate Father" - the model for every priest.

The talks were help for personal prayer around the Word of God. The retreat was enriched by meaningful celebration of the Eucharist, Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, Sacramental Confession and a Healing Service.

"Very enriching and very useful" was the unsolicited feedback from the retreat participants.

(The two buildings in the blog: 1.  A beautiful little church built in 1761 with exquisite interiors in the Mughal  an Jaipurian style on the campus of the Bishop's house and 2. the newly built Bishop's House.

Another Sadhana

The first programme of 2010 is Sumedha Sadhana. It’s the 13^th time we are having this programme. The programme began on March 1^st and will go on till April 29^th. There are 18 (the maximum number we can accommodate) participants representing 16 religious congregations.

The resource persons for this Sadhana include Jose Parappully PhD, Joe Mannath PhD, Agnes Panikulam MA, Ajoy Fernandes PhD, M. Goretti Kanakarathinam MA and Peter Lourdes PhD ( appearing in the order in which their Modules are held).

Sumedha Sadhana an inner journey in quest of greater healing and wholeness. Participants begin from where they are, looking at what is happening on their spiritual journey. They then move on to explore the psychological dynamics that affect their spirituality and integrate them in healthy ways to create more satisfying and more productive life patterns.

The next Sumedha Sadhana is from June 06 to August 04, 21010. Registration is in process. Contact: sumedhacentre@gmail.com