Be Inspired by Dr. കൊച്ചാപ്പി; Be a Star for All Eternity

 –- Tom Varkey
Dear കൊച്ചാപ്പി Chetta, it is such a refreshing sight to see you return to the blog. For a second I thought one of those quotation people recruited by the claver gang that I hear so much about got the best out of you. Sort of like how they tried to make Bishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy drink some of that ‘funny tasting wine’ mixed with the normal wine used for the Mass. But I’m so glad that you have risen from your long slumber with renewed enthusiasm and even a new and improved sense of humor which your admirers have missed for the past few months. As far as I am concerned, your presence in the blog is what ‘payasam’ is for an ‘Onam Saddhya’. Anyway, welcome back.
Now on a more sober note, don’t ever think for a second that God will punish those who write in the blog unless of course you use vulgarity and use it for personal attacks. After all, look at Simeon of Cyrene who helped Jesus to carry the cross on Jesus’ journey towards Calvary. Not only he was blessed, but his two sons, Alexander and Pope (about whom we hear in the Way of the Cross) were also saved by Jesus as a reward for helping Jesus to carry His cross (as we read in the Bible). If Jesus saved his two sons for eternity and thus blessed Simeon for carrying a beam of the Cross on behalf of Jesus, certainly He will bless each of us who stands up for the Crucifix in ways that we may never even imagine. Then, of course sometimes as I wrote in response to the parishioner in Garland, sometimes our wives may turn against us for standing up for the Crucifix. But that shouldn’t persuade us to stop our fight for the Crucifix because of the supreme importance of the Crucifix in our places of worship. I pointed to the parishioner in Garland what Paul says in 1 Cor. 7:29: “Brothers, the time is short. Therefore, from now on, let those who have wives live as though there are none …” If our wives turn against us for our stand on the Crucifix, we are supposed to ignore their opposition and continue our fight for the Crucifix. But we should continue to love them as Christ loved the church (even being prepared to die for them).

There is a reason why He did this. This book contains the most important theme of both the New Testament and the Old Testament which is contained in Dt. 6:5: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul and strength.” This is our supreme commandment and our primary duty in life. And to love the Crucifix is to love God and Jesus Christ. If we forget this, as we read in Mt. 27, we will certainly meet the same fate as Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. May not be that we will end our lives in a piece of rope; but it will be worse. We WILL be doomed for all eternity. It doesn’t matter how many claver crosses you have installed in churches in the U.S. or anywhere else. That is why we have to stand up for the Crucifix even if our wives beat us up into pulp for our stand towards the Crucifix. After all Peter, the first Pope tells us in 1 Pet. 2:20-21: “If you are reviled for doing good, it is pleasing to God. Christ also suffered this way to give us an example for us to follow. We are called for this.”

Dear friends of the Crucifix in Garland and elsewhere, based on what happened to Kochappi Chettan, we know that even though he went though some extremely wrenching experiences perpetrated by his wife for writing in the blog, he has now discovered a new dimension in achieving marital bliss in life. Thus sometimes I may find myself battered so badly both mentally, emotionally and maybe even physically by my wife. But don’t forget that Jesus too was battered so badly that Pilate pointing towards Jesus said to the Jews: “Behold the Man”. He was beaten up by the Roman soldiers so badly that He was beyond recognition. And Jesus says to us: “No servant is greater than His master.” If we stand strongly for the Crucifix, don’t be surprised if we also may have to go through a lot of persecution and opposition in the Syro-Malabar Church and in other ways.

But remember what we read in Dan. 12:3 we read: “Those who lead others to righteousness shall shine like stars forever and ever.” No wonder Paul says in Rom. 8:18: “The troubles of this world are nothing when compared to the glory to be revealed for us [in heaven].” 

But here is the good news. In Jn. 12:27 Jesus says: “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be.” And you know what, according to Phil. 3:20, Jesus Christ will make our lowly bodies like His own”. No wonder in Mt. 13:43 we read Jesus telling us that the righteous will shine like the sun. Then again in Dan. 12:3 we read: “Those who lead others to righteousness shall shine like stars forever and ever.” After reading all these verses, my dilemma is whether I want to shine like the sun or like the stars. So next time you write in the blog or shout slogans in the Garland church or anywhere else to fight for the Crucifix, don’t hold back even a tiny bit. Go ahead, because you can’t even imagine what will be the reward that is awaiting you. No wonder Paul says in Rom. 8:18: “The troubles of this world are nothing when compared to the glory to be revealed for us [in heaven].”

We are all happy that കൊച്ചാപ്പി Chettan has returned to the blog. But as he narrates in his story, he had to go through some awful spousal abuse before he came to this stage. So, what I have to tell the people of Garland and everywhere else who have told me that their wives are treating them like trash is this: Be Inspired by കൊച്ചാപ്പി Chettan; Bcome a Star for All Eternity” by fighting for the Crucifix. Following what we read in 1 Cor. 7:29, if you are battered so badly that you feel like the Dosha mix batter in a jar after being beaten up by your wife, just think that you don’t even have a wife and go on suffering gladly every bit of your suffering. Even if she gives you hell for standing up for the Crucifix, rejoice in all your troubles, humiliation and hurt. And don’t forget to love her like Jesus loved His Church. This is our calling and every bit of all this pain will be worth and nothing when compared to the glory that is awaiting us (Rom. 8:18). Because the second part of our calling is to shine like the sun for all eternity (Mt. 13:43). So my message to you is: “Be Inspired by കൊച്ചാപ്പി; Be a Star for All Eternity”.