Silence of the Tomb

Holy Saturday is the in-between time – between something old dying and something new emerging. Holy Saturday is the time between the seed falling and lying dormant but unbeholden germinating new life. 

It is a time when nothing seems to be happening, when one sees no light at the end of the tunnel. When one feels stuck. Good Friday looks like the end of the story. 

But not really. The story will continue. Light will appear at the end of the tunnel. The fallen seed will sprout. Death will be conquered. The silence of Holy Saturday will be shattered in blaze of glory.

When have we felt life to be a long Holy Saturday, when we felt like we have reached a dead end – with no way forward, no light at the end of the tunnel? …. And then surprised – at the happy turn of events?

 As a popular song says, there is sunshine after the rain, there is laughter after the pain; so too there is an Easter that will shatter the silence of Holy Saturday in a glorious resurrection!

Good Friday: Sunrise Way of the Cross at Sumedha

The Sumedhans gathered at sunrise on Good Friday at the foot of the Sumedha Hill to begin their Way of the Cross.

Starting with the First Station at the foot of the hill they went up the winding footpath, carrying a heavy wooden Cross,  to the top of the hill where there is a sculpture of Calvary - Jesus on the Cross and Mary his Mother and John his disciple stand grieving.

The fourteen Stations of the Cross are marked with a Cross along the footpath leading to Calvary.

The Way of the Cross used today, based on Sacred Scripture and a meditative reflection on the realities of our every world of suffering, was specially composed by Dr. Jose Parappully, Director of the Centre.

"Good Friday: ...The story has apparently ended. Whatever hopes Jesus had evoked  have been shattered.... Remember the words of the disillusioned disciples on the road to Emmaus: "We had hoped..." (One of the saddest phrases in Sacred Scripture) Now there is only a great silence, the silence of the tomb..."

37th SUMEDHA SADHANA COMMENCES

The 37^th Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey programme commenced at Sumedha Centre, Jeolikote, on March 15^th evening. This 9-week-long programme will conclude in May 16.

There are 15 participants (7 women religious and 8 priests) from different parts of India and abroad.

This is 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 healthier ways to create more satisfying life patterns and make their ministry/professional work more fulfilling and fruitful.

The first and foundational module of the programme is “Psychological Dynamics on the Spiritual Journey.” This module is facilitated by Dr. Jose Parappully, the Director of the Centre.

Topics in this module includes Holistic and Mature Spirituality, Cultivating Contemplative Prayerfulness, Psychosexual and Spiritual Integration at Midlife and Beyond.

The next module is “Unconscious Dynamics & the Spiritual Journey.” This module will be facilitated by Dr. Johny Dominic Padinjar, the Ass. Director of the Centre.

The 38th Sumedha Sadhana commences on June 1, 2018. Seats are available. Registration is open. Those interested please contact the Centre at sumedhacentre@gmail.com  

RETREAT FOR THE DAUGHTERS OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

Fr. Jose Parappully, director of Sumedha Centre was invited to facilitate the Spiritual Retreat of the Superiors of the Daughters of Marcy Help Christians (Salesian sisters) of the Province of Kolkata.

This retreat was held from March 5 to 11 at the Auxilium Centre at Kurseong, Darjeeling. Twenty eights sisters, including the Provincial and members of her Council participated.

Fr. Parappully organized the retreat around the theme “Retreat as a Lenten Desert Journey.” Participants had ample time to pray with the Word of God on the themes explored each day.

Participants expressed great satisfaction with the way the retreat was conducted. A general sentiment expressed was, “This retreat was very different from ones we are used to. It really helped to go deep into ourselves and also experience God deeply.”   

     

Paper Presentation

Dr. Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre, presented an invited paper “Healing from the Effects of Sexual Abuse: Ways Formators and Spiritual Directors Can Help” at the International Symposium on “Affective Maturity in Celibate Living: Challenges in Formation.”

The Symposium was held at the Paurastya Vidyapeetham, Vadvathoor, Kottayam, Kerala on 21^st and 22^nd February.

It was jointly organized by the Dehanalaya Counselling Centre, Alapuzha, Kerala and the Paurastya Vidyapeetham.

Some 140 religious and priests, most of them involved in priestly or religious formation participated. Among them were also some Major Superiors.

The Symposium was inaugurated by His Beatitude Mar George Cardinal Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church.

The Keynote address was given by Mar Joseph Perumthottam, the Syro-Malabar Archbishop of Chenganasserry.

Dr. Parappully in his paper presented facts and figures regarding the prevalence of sexual abuse in India, the effects of abuse and simple ways that non clinically trained formators and spiritual directors an help survivors to heal from the effects of abuse.

There were eight other invited speakers. The two reputed international speakers were Dr. Hanz Zollner SJ, President of Institute of Psychology and Vice Rector at the Gregorian University, Rome. He spoke on “Aspects of Formation to Celibate Chastity and Safeguarding” based on the new Ratio Fundamentalis promulgated by the Vatican.

The other was Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, former President of St. Luke’s Institute at Silversprings, Maryland, USA and currently at the at the Gregorian University, Rome. Rossetti spoke on “Screening and Formation to Sexuality and Safeguarding.

The papers presented were well appreciated and found very useful by the participants. They wished more time had been devoted to the speakers and for discussion, even if that meant fewer papers were presented.