God's Ways are Mysterious

We are pilgrims in this world. In search of new horizons, we tread the Earth. But the search for the Infinite leads us to the divine milieu. This pilgrimage is a process of conversion, a yearning for intimacy with God and a trusting plea for love and peace. Only God can satisfy this yearning.

We make this pilgrimage in the light of the Gospels, receiving strength from the Sacraments, following Jesus - head of the Mystical Body (Church) and traditions of the Church. The Apostles and our forefathers have tread this “Way” (John 14:6) ahead of us. When we read through the pages of the Old Testament, we see that the Lord God was always leading the chosen people, when they prayed to Him to be their ‘Way’. When their hearts turned away from Him, they lost their ‘Way’, and wandered in the land of darkness.

Saint Joseph was asked in a dream by the messenger of God to flee to Egypt, with the Divine Child and mother Mary. He did not question the command and believed in the divine providence. My journey to the Boston area began in such a manner. The journey of faith for all of us begins in such a manner. In His providence, we trust.

In our journey towards having a place of worship of our own, we clearly saw God’s providence. At a certain juncture, in the discussions about the ‘way’ to proceed in acquiring the place of worship, I clearly remember the words someone in our community said, “Our Father in Heaven is the owner of everything on Earth, every wealth. Everything belongs to Him alone.” We believed and prayed; God was with us, leading us.

This providence of God was made clear to me when I first came to the church, to live there as the custodian of the place, assigned by the Archdiocese of Boston. I went on a vacation to India in the month of May, 2008. In Kerala, I met Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil (Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church), and invited His Beatitude to Boston to celebrate the Parish Feast (Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle) with us. He told me that he was visiting the US and only one weekend was free for him. That was July 19, Saturday. On Sunday, he had another program. That's how the date of the celebration was fixed, even though it fell on a Saturday.

Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, blessed the church and celebrated the feast of St. Thomas, on July 19, 2008. We had other eminent people in attendance as well, including Bishop John Dooher (Auxiliary Bishop, Boston), Bishop Elliot Griffin Thomas (Bishop Emeritus, Saint Thomas Diocese of Virgin Islands), Reverend Father George Madathiparambil (Vicar General of our Diocese), Rev. Sr. Mary Corripio (Secretary of Ethnic Ministries, Archdiocese of Boston).

When I came back from India, I received a message from Bishop Walter James Edyvean (Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston). The Bishop lived in Natick and was in charge of Saint Jeremiah Church in Framingham. Earlier, as a reply to our request for a permanent place of worship, Cardinal Seán Patrick O’malley had asked me to visit Saint Jeremiah Church in Framingham and report to him. On June 3, 2008 I visited Bishop Edyvean, along with a few people from our community. Bishop Edyvean disclosed to us that Saint Jeremiah was going to become a Syro-Malabar Parish, as per our request to the Cardinal. At the same time, the news was shared to the media by the Archdiocese. When I reached St. Julia Parish in Weston (where I was staying), the media was waiting to interview me. This interview was telecast live on TV.

I was asked by the Cardinal to move into the Saint Jeremiah Rectory from June 15, 2008. When I stood in front of the church, I noticed the inscriptions in front of the church: “Saint Jeremiah’s Dedicated July 19, 1958. Exalted By God”. I was awestruck, remembering the connection with the date of the visit of the Major Archbishop and re-dedication of the place of Worship. Exactly 50 years back, a church was constructed and dedicated, a place of worship for our community, for the “Exaltation of God”!.

“God’s ways are as mysterious as the pathway of the wind and as the manner in which a human spirit is infused into the little body of a baby while it is yet in its mother’s womb.” Ecclesiastes 11:5