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	-------------------------------------------------------- WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 The Heart" April 18, 2001 Volume 1, Issue 14 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com -------------------------------------------------------- By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of "WRITE 2 THE HEART" ----------------------------------------------------- SPONSORSHIP NOTICE ----------------------------------------------------- For a FREE personalized health analysis profile, visit Teraforma Health, Inc. http://teraformahealth.com/tfh/56094.html Your personal profile results will be shown immediately along with appropriate nutritional recommendations. While there, check out our line of supplements. ----------------------------------------------------- This ezine may be freely forwarded to as many people as you wish, please send the whole issue. ----------------------------------------------------- Today's issue is longer than usual. Brother Arockiam gave me leave to edit, but I wanted to keep the intent of his heart intact. I hope you find his life in India as fascinating as I did. ----------------------------------------------------- My Call By: Brother Arockiam ----------------------------------------------------- This is how God used me for 19 years of my child and adulthood in my native village with my parents, brothers and sister, and for the last 25 years in His vineyard of St. Paul’s Monastery. I was born on 13th of February 1956 as the first child of my loving parents Mr. Rayappan and Mrs. Maria Packiam. I grew up in a loving family with two brothers, a sister and my parents in a small village in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. My parents were illiterate but they educated all of us even though education to children in that village was rare. After completing my high school, I remained at home helping my father in cultivating the land. It was indeed a very hard job for me but I enjoyed being with nature. In the evenings I used to be a leader of a prayer group and pray with all those who were interested in prayer. I also used to conduct the funeral services for the dead in the village named Arianellore at the out skirts of Dindigul Town. Mr. A. Lucas, the head of the village, really admired my behavior and placed me in-charge of the village Church. He also inspired me with his simplicity and kindly nature. We used to talk about the saintly persons who lived and died for others. I came to know that these kinds of noble thoughts would work out only when I wholly dedicated myself to God. On the unforgettable day of 6th July 1975, Jesus in his mercy and love called me to the monastery of St Paul's at Bangalore, South India when I was nineteen. Called to witness the kingdom of Christ among all nations; to proclaim the Good News of Christ to the poor; to console the hearts overcome with sorrow; to comfort the poor who mourn and weep; to announce the grace of salvation to all; to reveal His glory among all the people. My inner spirit rejoiced as I stepped in the monastery. Mom was approaching her forties and Dad fifties at my departure from them once and for all. As I had a special attraction for silence and deep solitude, faith and love, these keys to my spiritual life invited me to see the monastery as the foretaste of heaven here on earth. My search for the ultimate happiness, which is beyond these earthy horizons found its root in St. Paul's. St Paul's offered me many opportunities to learn and educate myself both spiritually and academically. It was only in the monastery that I learned the English language as well as many other values in human life including Spirituality of Don Alberione, the Founder of the Pauline Family. On June 30, 1979 I was initiated after four years of rigorous training into the Religious Life. After that, I was sent to Allahabad a small city on the banks of rivers the Ganges and the Yamuna in North India. Focusing on the gospel of Jesus, I was given additional training to understand and live the word of God in my daily life. In 1982 transferred back to Bangalore I was asked to look after the young candidates to Religious Life who had just joined. I became one among them in praying, playing, working and resting; giving them inspiration and guidance to live and love Jesus all through the day in all that we had done. Being with the young, I learned to be humble of my seniority. They always tried to find in me something of the Lord Jesus, who chose them to be His own, that they could imitate and follow. In 1984 back to Bangalore, I was given a short course on Biblical studies in the St. Peter's Seminary, Bangalore. After the completion of the course and spiritual studies, I was promoted to be a permanent member of the monastery by committing myself to the Lord for all my life. After a couple of years I was transferred back to Mumbai to do my apostolic activity in the Examiner Bookshop of the monastery. Later I was appointed as the diffusion in-charge of the Better Yourself Books and St Paul Publications. During that time computers were widely introduced in India and I could make use of them to computerize our publications. Though I wanted to specialize in computer Applications by doing a course on computers, the Spirit of God inspired me and lead me to the Vidya Deep, a Theological Institute affiliated to Dharmaram College in Bangalore. There I was putting my heart and mind to study theology and Religious sciences. In fact I enjoyed being a student at the age of 38 for the three year intensive course. It contributed many things and changed my life totally. I came to know that God dwells in every human being; to love God is to love humans here on earth. It is only in loving human beings that I can love God. My prayers life is nothing else but a conversation with God and listening to Him attentively. It is an examination of my conscience in relation to my fellow beings here on earth. As Jesus came on earth not for himself but for others, I too must be a person for others that the other may find in me a drop of honey and I in them. I decided to live and die for others as Jesus himself has showed by his own life by dying on the cross. After my studies I was transferred to Jorhat in the north East part of India where I met many people all over Assam for a whole year moving around with Mobile Unit. Though the place was filled with a terrorists group named ULFA who used to kill many people and loot their valuables, I liked to be there experiencing a new way of life in the community of three members. In 1987 I was transferred to Allahabad where I am today. In 1998 I joined for a diploma course on computers and obtained an Advanced Diploma in Computer Applications. Allahabad is a holy city on the banks of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna. These rivers are very holy for Hindus. In this city most of the people are Hindus and Christians are hardly 0.1%. It is really worth living in this part of India radiating the light of Christ to the millions who do not know Him. Brother Arockiam brarockiam @ hotmail.com ----------------------------------------------------------- It is indeed pleasure for me to reflect my early life and share with you dear friends. Please join with me in praising the Lord with our life of sacrifice. How wonderful the Lord is that he has imparted his knowledge to share our experiences with each other in this column, through the Mass Media. We shall continue to share experiences of God with each other and grow in him. If you would like knowing more about the Society of St. Paul or about myself kindly drop a few words into my mailbox or you may go ahead visiting other sites of myself as well as my congregation all over the world and India in particular. God bless you. Brother Arockiam ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ From Our Readers ----------------------------------------------------------- I WOULD LOVE THE COOKIE RECIPE. NICE NURSING HOME GEM. MY MOTHER -IN - LAW JUST GOT A PHONE IN HER NURSING HOME ROOM. WILL SEND THIS GEM WITH HER NUMBER TO MY LIST. CLARE ----------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a story you would like to share with our readers? We are currently looking for new writers. To submit, send your story as an email to: moderator@write2theheart.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------- CLASSIFIED ADS ----------------------------------------------------------- Visit TeraForma Health, Inc. http://teraformahealth.com/tfh/56094.html for a FREE personalized body typing. Discover which foods and exercise programs are right for your body type. ----------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2001 Write 2 The Heart ------------------------------------------------------------ All subscriptions sent to your email free of charge.