By Thomas Mar Athanasios Metropolitan 

In the present scenario, Kerala witnessed 6000 suicide deaths during the last six months. Most of their suicide notes revealed a common factor of their death that is over burden of debts. Debt crisis becomes a global phenomenon now due to the impact of globalization. The Lord's prayer become more significant in this globalize era. Jesus Christ included strong notions against debt crisis. Jesus Prays 'Forgive us our sins: for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us (Lk. 11:4) 

The Lord's prayer is connected to the historical contest of Jesus ministry. At that time most of the land resources was owned by the powerful group Herodians. Majority of people indebted to their powerful group due to various reasons. The inability to pay back the debts leads to slavery and sometimes-cruel punishments. (Lk. 12:58-59) In this historical context Jesus includes remission of debts is an important theme is His Lord's prayer.

The debt burden makes it very difficult for the poorest countries to attract investments for development. When countries get into debt, they are obliged to the IMF, which offers further loans, on stiff conditions, known as structural adjustment programs (SAP). SAPs usually require governments to cut spending on health and education and jobs, to privatize industries and devalue their currency.

Jesus vision about the cancellation of debt becomes more relevant in this junction. From a third world perspective the cancellation of debts should help to reduce the pressure on debtor countries to promote their labour – intensive exports and this well strengthen the market position of producers in the North, improving employment prospects and relieving the pressure for lower real wager. At the same time the beneficiary countries should be able to expand their imports, increasing export opportunities for developed – country producers. 

The parable of the Creditors and Debtors (Lk. 7) strengthen this perspective. The Levtitical programme (Lev 25:8-12) which suggest the cancellation of debts. (Lev. 25:35-36) says " And if thy brothers be waxen poor and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger or a Sojourners; that he may live with thee. Take thou no usury of him or increase". (Luke 4: 16 – 18) speaks about the Jubilee man dates of Jesus as he is sent out to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives to deliver the sight of the blind to set free the opposed and announce the Jubilee year which is at hand. Deuteronomy is speaks specially about debt cancellation, all debts big or small to be written off and repayment against all debts are cancelled one for all. Issaih 61:2 has special reference to the year of the Lord the Jubilee years which brings good tidings of peace and reconciliation to human kind.

Economic instability created under the worldwide impact of globalization forced many people to fall in to the debt-trap. MNC'S and TNC'S tactfully converted this situation to establish their political and economic domination. The Lords prayer become meaningful only when the dominant nations willing to reduce the debts and allow the rest of the world to keep their integrity of life and freedom.

By V. Rev. Dr. Kuriakos Thottupuram Chor-Episcopos, Chicago

It is an unusual privilege and honor to address you over this electronic Christian Medium, through which many lives and hearts are going to be touched by the indwelling of the Great Spirit of God.  

We live in an era of confusion and chaos. Our current preoccupation is terrorism. Actually confusion and chaos are not results of terrorism; it is just the opposite, terrorism is the result of confusion and chaos, it is the ultimate consequence of disorientation. We saw it like in a prime time movie, right in front of our eyes, the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the symbol of American prosperity and the flagship of global invincible might, on September 11, 2001. Just after 3 months, on December 13, 2001, the Doordarshan recorded live scenes of the attack on the Indian Parliament, the ultimate icon of world's largest democracy.

I mentioned disorientation earlier in last paragraph. Disorientation means misdirection. Humanity is not directed to its proper goal. The recent generation of humanity does not strive after its proper goal. For the sake of freedom, we chose to be left alone to wander in the vast space like a spaceship without control and without a goal. We highlighted freedom without responsibility towards our Creator. We are relative beings, and no matter how we stress the importance of our freedom, we don't have limitless freedom; our freedom is contingent upon the eternal laws of the Creator. We often forget that part, and consequently sin unscrupulously infiltrates into our being. We have also become audacious to challenge the natural order and commit abominable acts to prove our freedom. This is confusion and chaos; and they will continue until we set our direction towards the Creator.  

This was the condition when the universe came into existence. There were confusion and chaos. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was formless and desolate, and darkness covered the abyss". (Gen 1:1-2). Such is the condition we experience now; we are in a formless world despite the technological advancement and the so-called prosperity we enjoy. Families do not have peace, nations do not enjoy peace; the world at large is craving for peace. In spite of the shuttle diplomacy of world's great leaders, no peace is within our reach. It is because we are "formless and desolate"; we are in "darkness". We don't have a shape. There is no shape without a direction. We try to "fix" our national and territorial problems with easy patch works. There is no cure without treating the cause of the illness. The next two verses of Genesis I clearly tell us when the created order came into "order", and received a shape or form. "And the Spirit of God brooded over the waters", which was the beginning of life, like a hen broods over her eggs to give life and hatch them. It is the Spirit that gives LIFE to this formless, shapeless and desolate cosmos; it the same Spirit that brought LIGHT to the cosmos, and God instantaneously articulated "Let there be LIGHT." It is this LIGHT of the Spirit of God that gives LIFE to the world.

When we receive this light, there is no confusion or chaos; we actually receive a form or shape because of the LIFE we received from the Spirit. When humanity lives a Life created by the Spirit, there is no room for terrorism. Peace is within our reach.

All through the centuries many followers of Jesus accepted this great commission of practicing and proclaiming the gospel.  Therefore, today Christians make the majority of mankind.  Yet the mission is not completed because the harvest is plenty but the workers are few.  We have to pray to our heavenly Father to send more exemplary and dedicated workers to carry out this commission before the Lord comes back.  No one but the heavenly Father knows the times and occasions of the second coming of our Lord.

Our Savior wants all Christians to be witnesses and messengers of the gospel in their daily life by experiencing the power of salvation and abundant life.  We are the ambassadors of the kingdom of God in this world.  We are called to be the "salt of the earth and the light of the world".  Remember, we Christians are the branches of the divine vine (John 15 : 2-9) and are expected to produce the kind of fruits to glorify the heavenly Father.  If not, the branches will be cut off!  According to the gifts we are given by the Holy Spirit, we are all responsible to support and encourage the ministry of the gospel.

Now let us look at our own motherland, India.  Out of more than a billion people, Christians make up less than 3% of the population in India.  We Indian Christians claim and are proud of the historical fact that a Christian church was started by the Apostle Thomas in the first Century.  However, we have miserably failed to proclaim the gospel all over India.  There may be many reason and excuses for that, but the last commission of our Lord needs to be carried out by all Christians in India irrespective of denominational barriers, regional differences, or linguistic polarizations.  Let us hope, pray, and work for the unity among Christian brothers and sisters all over India to practice and proclaim the salvation though Jesus Christ (Prajapathi of Vedas) and thus the great commission will be fulfilled before the Lord's second coming.

EXISTENTIAL FAITH AND ONTOLOGICAL LOVE
(Hermeneutic Exposition of Eight N.T. Passages)
By Metropolitan Geevarhese Mar Osthathios

Soren Kierkegaard taught that subjectivity is truth. This is a cardinal truth of Existentialist Philosophy of atheistic Existentialist, like Jeane Paul Sartre and Theological Founder of Modern Existentialism viz. Danish Kierkegaard, Martin Luther wanted to become a lawyer and having escaped death, became a friar of the Augustinian Monastery. Having passed through the doctrine of salvation by work taught by the Inquisition School; and Augustinian salvation by grace alone (Grace to those who were pre-destined for salvation) finally he was deeply touched by Rom. 1:17 (i.e., Righteousness of God is revealed through Faith for Faith as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live".) The discovery of salvation or justification through faith alone (sola fidei) was a turning point in the life of Martin Luther. "He felt that he was born again and entered paradise." The doctrine of Justification by faith alone was reestablished by Karal Bath for Protestant theology and by Hans King for modern Roman Catholic theology.

Something like this has happened to this writer, being touched by the stupendous statement "God is Love" found only in 1 Jn. 4.8 and 16. It is found nowhere else in the Holy Bible.  

Faith and hope are existential and love is ontological. We do not see anywhere in the Bible that God is faith or hope. Traditional teaching from the time of Augustine that the three theological virtues are faith, hope and love, not realizing that the difference is not in degree, but in kind. St. Paul's "phrase," the greatest of these is love" 1 Cor.13: 13 is a continuation of 1 Cor.12;29-31. The best hymn on love has a preface, that unlike Charismata, love is the best way. It is the revelation that God is love. The person of Christ and the work of Christ are one as St. Athanasius shows in his famous small Book, The Incarnation of the Word. The Holy Trinity is the Canon within the Canon for the interpretation of the Holy Bible, especially for the Orthodox Churches. The basis that the sola scriptura that, fundamentalist sects and Christians hold as the basis is a phrase, not found in the Holy Bible. The authority of the eternal revealed spiritual truths of the Scriptures are not on the Basis of 'It is written'. Even the devil quoted the Bible to tempt Jesus Christ, Our Lord.. According to John 16;12f., it is the Holy Spirit that guides us to the whole truth. Yet, the following arguments are based on the Bible, tradition and reason:

Eph. 3;14-19. This passage shows that faith is necessary for the indwelling of Christ and at the same time, love is ontology in the Holy Trinity. It is infinite like God, transcending the breadth, length height and depth and that love of Christ surpasses knowledge. Faith is a psychological openness to the reception of Christ, whereas love is ontology in the Holy Trinity. We know that the heavenly realm is beyond the finite earthly realm where as faith and hope are necessary. Agape or divine love is started on earth and perfected in heave.

1 John 4:7-21. As I mentioned above, this is the only Chapter in the whole Bible where the ontological uniqueness of love is mentioned. It also says that love is of God (v.7) "He who does not love does not know God." The word of love (Agape) appears 27 times in these 22 verses. "If we love one another, God abides in us and his love perfected in us (12). "He who loves God should love his brother also" (21). In this chapter, St.John goes beyond the hymn of love of St.paul. The epoch-making truth revealed in this chapter is "God is love." It means that love is ontological, eternal as the Triune God Himself.

Mt. 25:31-45. The only question in the Last judgement is, whether all the nations before the Judgement Seat of the risen Son of Man, Jesus Christ in glory is whether they had compassion or love? The existential historical order was decisive in so far as those judged needed faith and hope to help them to be loving and compassionate. Jesus Christ, Pre-existent and post-existent Logos. Holy Sprit and the incarnate Christ are one agape (Love) like the Triune God.

II. Cor. 13.14. (the Trinititatian Benediction: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy spirit be with you all" does not mention faith or hope which are existential, but mentions grace, love and fellowship, which are ontological. Sola gratia and sola amor are ontological, essence of God. Koinonia or sharing love is also ontological essence of the Holy Trinity.Grace, Love and Koinonia are synoyms; divine and eternal. Faith and hope are the gifts of God springing from the essence of love of God, brought down to the earth by the incarnational grace of the second person of the Holy Trinity and manifested through the Church or the kingdom of God, by the life-giving and consummating Holy Spirit.

The Adwaitha of Sankaracharya does not mean Monism, but the Ontological love in which the two are one as the three are one in the Holy Triune God. The Greek word 'Koinonia' must be reinterpreted as is the sanathana, sharing God including the plurality and unity of Divine Love (amor or agape). Islam, which has misunderstood Trinity as three Gods, must realize, that the church Fathers have written scholarly books that Triunity is not three Gods. Holy Quran begins each sura in the name of the compassionate ALLAH. It is another way of saying that God is not a monad, but compassionate God. Compassion is sharing of love in Himself in all eternity, as God is changeless. If God is eternal Father, He must have an eternal Son. Arian heresy that the Father must be older than the son was the projection of human limitation to the God head. Earthly family is a pale reflection, of the co-equal, co-eternal, co-essential compassionate ALLAAH of GOD in eternal koinonia of ontological love of God. The main point here is that, Holy Tri-une GOD is Ontological love unlike the theological virtues of faith and hope.

The mystery of Holy Triune God is not a mystery to those who believe that God is Love. Logic demands that love of God cannot be a monad. It is more than duity, as the married couple without a child is not having the joy as giving, receiving and sharing love. God's perfection is in his eternal koinonia. Eternal love unites plurality and singularity.

(Gal. 3:27f.) "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew, nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ "This verse identifies Christ with universalism of divine love. Jesus Christ is not only the historical Christ whose body is the visible Church, but all who share the unity in Church, but all who share the unity in Christ who is very God of very God "of the same essence of the Father. As perfect in his humanity, He is 'The Man' and not a man; He is 'The Man' pointing to whom, Pilate said! Behold the Man!. In the early Church all who were baptized into Church shared everything as one family and 'there was not a needy person amongthem' (Acts 2:44-47; 4:32-35). Those who are fully baptized into Christ have put off selfishness in the joy of, having got Christ the Universal Divine Mind, to guide all those who are baptized to the Community of sharing love. They have no discrimination of caste or colour or creed. Any discrimination on the basis of religion (Jew and Greek) or culture (slave and free) sex (male and female) shows the marks of Satan and all unity of love the mark of true baptism into Christ (loving God). This is the meaning of the distinction between the sheep on the right and goats on the left before the Judgement Throne. irit.

(..Eph. 1:9f) The mustery of the fullness of times is that all thing in heaven and earth must be summed up or re-capitulated in Him. Phil 2:11 goes a step further and assert that every knee in heaven, earth and Hades will confess Jesus Christ as Lord. St. Ireneus has renamed Eph. 1:10 as the recapitulation even of the end time. How can all things in heaven and earth be summed in Christ, if He is only the best man who ever lived. To the believer in the Incarnation, He is the GodMan who practiced the selfless, kenotic Cosmic divine love, which should defeat evil by goodness and dispel darkness by divine light. This is an inclusive Christology of Christ as Logos, Sabda Brhama or OM, Eternal Son of the Eternal God of love. Love has no enemy except evil, which will be defeated ultimately. India needs such a Christology.

(1 Cor. 13 and 14:1) The supremacy of love over faith, and prophecy in the writings of St. Paul is clearly discernible in this famous hymn on love.

A. Loveless speaking in tongues are like a clanging symbol.
B. LoveLess prophecy and knowledge are futile
C. Faith even to remove a mountain, with out love is nothing
D. Love never ends, as it is ontological
E. Make love your aim. The ultimate aim is to reach the Holy God of Love whom we now understand as the Triune God. It may be added that St. Paul speaks of the fruit of Holy Spirit as love in singular and then adds its ingredients and results like joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Gal.5:22).

(1 Peter 3:17-20) This passage is ignored by many who do not believe in praying for the departed souls. Furthermore, they translate 'Hades' as 'prison'. But it is a Creedal statement from the second century. Even in the Ancient creeds 'descended into Hades' is found. Ancient churches call it 'the Gospel Saturday'. It speaks of the ontological, eternal love of God even to the dis-obe-dent departed souls. The following truths are noteworthy:

A. It is the will of God that we suffer for doing good.
B. Christ died once for all for the unrighteous, though He was the Righteous One. Love of God is boundless.
C. His descent to Hades was not for the baptized eight people in the Ark of Noah, the symbol of the church; but for those who did not believe in the Gospel that Noah preached. Love of God is for all, living and the departed
D. There is a possibility of repentance and salvation even after death. Otherwise He would not descend to Hades and offer salvation.
E. The patience of God is unlimited and eternal as love is divine. There are three types of eschatology for which proof-texts from the Bible are quoted by adherents, namely eternal Hell; and eternal heaven, Eternal salvation only to those who believe in Jesus Christ and universalism.

Karl Barth and many Orthodox theologians believe that the love of God will finally empty hell. There is only purgatory and no eternal hell. Barth's theology is that one is rejected (Jesus Christ) and all are elected. My own faith is that as God is ontological love. He is at least like a good human father who wants all his children to be saved (Mt. 7:11).

The story that Mother Theresa was very happy when Christ permitted her to help the suffering people in the Hades rather than enjoy Paradise for herself while some were suffering on the other side of the Gulf, crossing the bridge that Jesus Christ built by His first Descent to Hades. The Heavenly Father is ontological love, which can conquer the recalcitrant Prodigals, by bringing them to themselves by the work of, the Holy Spirit and those departed with the same love. How can I enjoy the joy of Paradise, if my mother is in Hades?

I am writing this brief article to introduce the readers to my latest book One Religion of Love (Sola amor instead of Sola Fiedi published by CSS Thiruvalla, Kerala, India. 689 101. Price: Rs. 90. Dec. 2000)

The Third Millennium needs an al-in-clusive theology of love, centered on the Triune God who is also Satchidananda (sat- (Essence) God the father, Chit (Intellegence) – Christ the son and Anandbliss the Holy Spirit).

He is also Compassionate Allah, revealed by the Ontological Love of the Incarnate God-Man, Jesus Christ. This is a call to all religions with the aim of arriving at One Religion of Love in the place of contemporary trend of selfishness and war "United we stand; divided we fall".

TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD
BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO TRUSTS IN HIM
By Thomas Thomas

It was an early morning. I was on my routine walk through the main road leading towards the city entrance. The dawn was so cool and light wind from west made the whole atmosphere shivering. I could not see any regular rush for the morning walkers as usual . Suddenly I remembered the previous day announcement over different TV channels about the cyclone which is about to hit the north west of India especially Gujarat made me little worried, but I knew the time as mentioned over news after 9 O clock in the morning.

I completed my walk and came back to my residence at Panchavati, in JamNagar. Our normal time to get in to the bus for duty at 7.30AM, and it reach there after 45 minutes driving through the Jamnagar - Kambalia road where world's largest refinery was being constructed. I was a little bit worried because of the warning given by Meteorological Department over News and was in in a dilemma whether I should  go for duty or not. After  breakfast I told my wife not to send children's to school. I walked to the bus stop: I could  realize that the speed of the wind was increasing than that in the morning .My colleagues also were waiting for the bus at bus stop. Suddenly  somebody informed that all vehicle towards refinery site was parked in front of the Main City Office. We all rushed towards the City Office.  

The bus was full and we all were really interested to talk about the cyclone since none of us faced any threat from any type of natural calamity ever before. When we were chatting and discussing a distance approximately 10 to 12 km from the city, suddenly we felt that intensity of wind increased like anything.

The driver stopped the vehicle due to the blockage in front and also he was finding difficult to roll the bus even an inch forward or reverse due to the power of the killer cyclone. We understood that we were almost in the neck of the cyclone. The sound blasting at the sides of the bus indicated the speed and power, suddenly the bus started to swing. I prayed to the Lord "O, Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor chasten me in your hot displeasure" (Psalm 6:1).

The Gujarat State Transport bus which was in front of our bus rolled away from the road to the side gutter and we saw a number of injured passengers were trying to escape out from the overturned bus. Some of them managed to come out, but they could not move towards the road where our bus was lying since blow of heavy wind not allowed them to move an inch. They fell down to ground and dragged towards the bus, finally they managed to get in to our bus. All of them were with injured legs, hands and blood was rushing out from two out of them. We gave our cloth, helped them to bandage their wound to stop the flow of blood. By this time wind speed accelerated and all of us prayed to the God to save us. "I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm121: 1-2).

Suddenly our driver asked us to open the side glasses to pass the wind through inside bus, to avoid overturning the bus .We all did like that and bowed our head below the side glass level to avoid the wind to blow directly to our body, we sat theere, a lot of past things were flashing through my mind, and I was not sure at that time that an escape was possible. Prayed to Lord for saving us from that killer cyclone. All of us bowed our head up to 12 noon; gradually felt the speed of wind coming down. "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all of my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles" (Psalm 34: 4-7)

Driver managed to turn back the vehicle towards city, slowly he drove the bus. On our return we saw the devastation and damage caused due to the cyclone .Lot of house were collapsed, electric post bent like a bow, trees uprooted and dead animal's body spread everywhere. The wind speed was bout 150Km/Hr.

The driver stopped bus intermittently to remove the blockage from the road, finally we reached the city and you can not imagine what a change happened to the city within 3 hours. I walked over the road and still another 1/2 kilometer left to my house, due to the heavy obstruction in the road, driver could not move further. Only after seeing my family I breathed and I found that they were safe and was really worried about me during my absence. Lord saved all of us from the killer cyclone miraculously." We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks! For your wondrous works declare that your name is near" (Psalm 75:2) His hand were spread towards to pull us from our deep sin. Thank you to Lord

The next four days we were without water and power, and the communication link with outside world was totally cut off and lot of damage and loss of life reported from everywhere. We can never forget an incident like this, and pray to God for not repeating such natural calamity in future. "I Love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live". (Psalm 116: 1-2)

RECIPE ON A NUTRITIOUS FAMILY

APPLE TREE
By Sebu Thomas Vasai, Mumbai

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed on the tree, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by… the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree. 

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with me", the tree said. "I'm no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore". The boy replied. "I want toys. I need money to buy them ". "Sorry I don't have money…. but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So you will have money ". The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never showed up for a long time .The tree was sad.

One day the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me ", the tree said. "I don't have time to play, I have to work for the family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?", the boy replied. "Sorry, but I don't have a house. But you can chop my branches to build your house ". So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy. The boy never showed up for a long time. The tree was again lonely and sad. 

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me", the tree said. "I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself .Can you give me a boat?", the boy replied. "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy". So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. 

Finally, the boy returned after many years. "Sorry, my boy, but I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you…" the tree said "I don't have teeth to bite " the boy replied "No more trunk for you to climb on". "I am too old for that now" the boy said, I really cannot give you any thing … the only thing left is my dying root " the tree said with tears . I don't need much now, just a place to rest . I am tired after all these years, the boy replied." Good ! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, Come sit down with me and rest ". The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears…

This is a story of every one. The tree is our parent When we are young, we loved to play with mom and dad … when we grow up, we left them … only come to them when we need some thing or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give every thing they could to make you happy .You may think the boy is cruel to the tree but that's how all of us are treating our parents.

Bible Word to by heart:

For the preaching of the cross is to them
that perish foolishness;
but to us which are

 (1 Corinthians 1:18)

An Old Testament Story

All of like to make friendship. The best friend any of us can have is Jesus. God himself also had friends? The people who do the things that please him are God's friends. 

Long, long ago, God had a very special friend. His name was Abraham. The word Abraham means 'The Father of Multitude'. Abraham didn't have many children of his own. But, Eventually all the people who have ever lived on the earth, and, who believe God and do the things which please him, are to become the family of Abraham. That's why Abraham is called the Father of so many. 

After Noah built his big boat and all the water was on the earth that Abraham was a little boy. When Abraham grew up and was married, he lived in a city called Ur in a country called Chaldea. 

In all the country of Chaldea there was hardly anyone who believed God. They worshipped Sun, Moon etc. In those days most people didn't seem to know any better. Of course, Abraham knew better. Abraham was born only two years after Noah died, so Abraham knew how good God had been to Noah and his family. Abraham loved God, was trustworthy to God and worshiped him. Abraham believed everything God said, and that was why he was God's friend. 

When Abraham was seventy-five years old, God gave instruction to him. He sent word to Abraham that he wanted him to move away from his home city of Ur and to go into another country miles and miles away. 

It wasn't an easy task for Abraham . He didn't have an automobile, and there were neither trains nor airplanes in which to travel. He had to walk all the way , or ride on the back of a camel or a donkey. 

So, to move miles and miles away was a hard task for Abraham.But Abraham believed that God knew best. He was sure that anything to do as God says was the very best thing to. That is why Abraham was God's friend. God knew he could trust Abraham. That is the qualityof a friend. 

Abraham's wife's name was Sarah, and God wanted Sarah to go with Abraham. And God made a promise to them . They didn't have any children, but God said that if they did as he told, they would have a son. God promised also that the children of Abraham would be used to do good to all the other people in the world. 

Abraham's brother had a son named Lot, and Lot lived with Abraham's father. Lot too decided to go with Abraham. So when they finally started away from the city of Ur they were quite a family. There was Abraham, and Sarah, and Abraham's father, and Abraham's nephew, Lot. 

But that wasn't all! 

(To be continued in the next issue)

OUR LOVING LORD

By Marilyn Issac, USA 

Our God is of very loving nature. We can see the love of God in a parable, told by Jesus , written in the book of St. Luke (Chapter 15:4-7).

A man had 100 sheep. One day he lost one out of those. He became very worried, thinking that he lost a sheep. He left all the sheep in the wilderness and went looking for the lost sheep. With great difficulty, going through jungles and plains; at last , he found the lost sheep. All this time he was not worried about the 99 sheep which he left alone. But he was concerned about the 'Lost Sheep'. When he found the 'Lost Sheep', he was overwhelmed with happiness. He carried it on his shoulder and brought it back to the 99 and rejoiced.

Do you know how did he rejoiced?

DEPRESSION:PSYCHO - RELIGIOUS THERAPY - 4

Fr. Geo Kappalumakal

(Fr.Geo. Kappalumakal, now in his sixties, is a catholic priest from the Dioceses of  Palai, Kottayam Dst. Kerala, South India. He is running a counseling center for psycho religious therapy, a name coined by himself, a branch of psychiatry formed from his 45 years of research and experience. Has cured above fifty thousand mental patients who were sick by fright, during the period. But only thirty five thousand cases are documented. The cases cured while a parish priest in various churches were not documented. He took leave in1982 and started the counseling center with the blessings of the Bishop Mar Sebastian Vayalil, who ordained him priest) 

Depression seems to be the most common and prevalent mental disorder among the youth as per the diagnosis of the psychiatrists. It is a state of excessive melancholy and extreme reduction in vigor and vitality coupled with lack of sheer interest in any constructive action. A kind of lassitude, despondency and loneliness torment their mind. An ardent enthusiasm and fervent feeling to keep aloof from others are visible in them. Complexes as fear, anger, inferiority, desperation etc exert a dominating influence on their personality and behavior Few cases of this kind of mental disorder go to the extremity of suicide. Such cases of high level depression are upgraded and placed under the diagnosis term of sadism, and masochism.

The case of a medical student is very pertinent in this context. Having completed graduation in B.Sc. in top rank, he was selected to the MBBS course at medical college Kottayam. He joined the college for his course and stayed in the Men's hostel. He stood top in the first year examination. Later on in the third year he appeared to be dull and weak in studies and activities. He became feeble. He could not concentrate. He was in a state of despondency. He thought of discontinuing his studies. Finally he met the neurologist at the college hospital. His ailment was diagnosed as depression. Though it was a case of psychiatry, considering the future of the student, the neurologist took up the treatment to avoid a stigma. He was put on various neuroleptic and psychiatric drugs and the treatment went on for months together. The young man became more and more depressed and feeble. At last he came to the conclusion –discontinue the study and bid fare well to the medical college for good. It was the period when a journalist in the periodicals, published write-ups on the treatment at my centre. [The common people misjudged the illusory personality in the case histories of the write-ups, as diabolic possession and the treatment as exorcism, and myself as an exorcist] Some of his friends advised him "See, we cannot rule out the possibility of some evil done to you under sorcery. You have been very good at studies. Enemies of you and your family might have done something to destroy your career. You must see Fr. Geo"'. He came to me. A young man emaciated and gaunt –with no vigour, charm and pleasantness sat in front of me in the counseling centre.

My first look at him, his emaciated facial appearance, convinced me of the sign and symptom of his deep habit of masturbation. In the counseling room I disclosed him of my findings, enumerating the symptoms of his sickness before he started speaking of it. This created an impression of belief in me. He admitted every thing. He said he was unable to control his sexual feelings. I advised him ways and means to control his feelings and to be fully occupied at all times to reach his goal.of studies, to become a doctor, the ambition of his life. He promised to follow the directions. 

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THESE RESEARCH FINDINGS ARE CORROBURATED AND SUPPORTED BY THOUSANDS OF " DEPRESSION" CASES, TREATED AND CURED HERE. MANY OF THEM WERE UNDER THE PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT DIAGNOSED AS DEPRESSION, FOR MONTHS AND YEARS IF NOT DECADES. ALL THE DOCUMENTS ARE PRESERVED HERE FOR THE RESEARCH MINDED FOR PERUSAL