Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27
Dearly beloved in Christ,
Greetings to you all in the everlasting name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. James 1:2 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”
This is a transformational way of looking at difficulties in our lives. Most of us see difficulty and pain as unnecessary interruptions to the way life should be. We aren't joyful by any measure about our difficulties. James is telling us that we should change the way we see trials. We shouldn't merely be joyful, but "count it all joy." That is quite a reversal from the way the world and many Christians see things.
He goes on to say that it is through trials that we learn to be steadfast. That means to patiently endure. He chose his words well because the root word for endurance in Greek, hupomone, can also mean cheerful. He went on to tell us that endurance results in maturity, so we lack nothing. So if we can foresee the end product of the various trials in our lives, we will count it "all joy" when we face them.
That sounds like an impossible perspective to maintain. What is your goal? If itis temporary happiness in the present, your goal is shortsighted. If it is spiritual maturity into Christlikeness so that you are equipped in every good way, then this change of thinking is practical and logical. The Russia-Ukraine war is far from over. The civil war in Sudan is taking a turn for the worse. The riots in Manipur are a challenge to our secularism before the conscience of the world. Cyclone Biporjoy has wreaked havoc in Gujarat's Kutch district. This cyclone has adversely affected the monsoon in Kerala and Maharashtra. I request everyone to pray for these conditions in the world.
It is humbly requested that everyone understand the true situation of events our parish is currently facing and pray specifically. We are celebrating 77th Independence Day in 2023. The day that brought glory and freedom to the citizen of India is indeed auspicious. Celebrating it as a national festival to honour lives and sacrifices is indeed a feeling of pride. We are also celebrating Onam in the month of August. Onam is a Malayali festival celebrated in the month of Chingam, which is the first month of the Malayalam Calendar. The festival commemorates the appearance of the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali. Wishing you alla Happy Onam.
May God bless us all.
Rev. Aji John
