What we truly mean by the Covenant is this: a joyful Covenant life. The Covenant is not merely about receiving everything we ask for and then becoming happy. That is only one part of it. Sometimes, even when what we ask for is delayed or not received, the Lord gives an anointing over the sorrow and pain caused by that lack. There is something we must always receive from God: grace that keeps the heart rooted in Him.
Look at the prayer Jesus taught us — the Our Father. It is such a profound prayer because it is a surrender of oneself into God's providence. Every issue of life is placed into the hands of the Heavenly Father. But to truly pray the Our Father, a person needs at least a minimum level of spiritual anointing. Otherwise, it becomes only words recited mechanically. We may repeat it a thousand times and still never enter into its spirit.
Sometimes the things we ask God for may actually become dangerous for us in the future, or they may simply not be God's will. So how do we survive in such situations? We survive through anointing and grace. Anointing prepares the heart to cooperate with God's plans. That inner readiness to cooperate with God's will is itself part of the anointing. Sometimes I describe it as spiritual stability and rootedness.
Spiritual stability does not mean the amount of material blessings we receive. Rather, when we pray, 'Father, may Your name be glorified,' even if God's will is different from our own desires, there is an inner joy that rises within the person. When Jesus said, 'Into Your hands I commend My spirit,' those were not merely external words. Even while His entire body was wounded and broken, there was an indescribable joy within Him, because many times He had said, 'For this reason I came into the world — to fulfill the will of the Father.'
Jesus came to teach humanity how to pray. So when He says, 'I commend My spirit,' even while hanging at the highest point of suffering, there is deep inner satisfaction within Him. It is the joy of surrender. That is the foundation of the anointing received by a person who truly prays, 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.'
Isaiah 53:10-11: 'It was the Lord's will to crush Him with suffering. When He offers Himself as a sacrifice for sin, He shall see His offspring and prolong His days. The will of the Lord shall prosper through Him. After the suffering of His soul, He shall see the fruit and be satisfied.' (Catholic Edition)
That is why, at the very climax of suffering, Jesus could still say, 'Into Your hands I commend My spirit.' Inside that surrender was joy.
My children, when we pray, 'Father, may Your name be glorified,' that prayer itself becomes the foundation of the anointing we receive. Why does God give us this grace? So that both in this world and in eternity, we may rejoice in God. As you move forward with God, you must learn to remain joyful and satisfied like the Lord Himself, even during difficult seasons. And for that, the Holy Spirit is necessary.
Here is something important: even though we have Jesus, Jesus Himself keeps speaking about the Holy Spirit. People ask, 'Why do we need the Holy Spirit if Jesus is already there? Isn't Jesus enough to take care of everything?' But the Holy Spirit has a specific purpose. You know the fruits of the Spirit, don't you?
Galatians 5:22: 'The fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.' (Catholic Edition)
The early Church understood something beautiful. Jesus reduced all the commandments into two: love God above all, and love your neighbor as yourself. But when the early Church truly experienced Jesus, they experienced these commandments as the fruits of the Holy Spirit. As we approach Pentecost — the Feast of the Holy Spirit — the Church reveals that the practical living of God's commandments becomes possible through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us fulfill the commandments and experience the fullness of God's Word.
This is not like obeying ordinary civil law or the Indian Penal Code. Most people do not even know the laws of the land until the police arrest them or courts summon them. Someone may join a protest casually and later discover in court that criminal charges were filed against him. But obeying God's commandments is not like obeying earthly law. Within God's commandments are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Do you know the Amazon River in Brazil and South America? They say that deep beneath the Amazon, another underground river flows for thousands of kilometers beneath the earth. Many rivers have hidden underground streams beneath them. In the same way, every Word of God has deeper hidden words underneath it. When a person touches those deeper spiritual layers, his roots finally reach the proper depth. From there, he draws water and nourishment and becomes a true witness of the Gospel. Most of the time, however, people experience only the outer surface of God's Word.
For example, yesterday evening there was a testimony. When I listened to it, the Holy Spirit told me, 'Pay attention to this testimony.' The woman was speaking very simply and unprofessionally, just like an ordinary domestic conversation. But hidden inside her testimony were treasures of truth. So I told them to send me the testimony.
The woman's name was Rasmi Thomas. She had worked in Oman. She spoke about a major issue many expatriates now face: people returning from Gulf countries because of crises and war situations. Nowadays, many Malayalis abroad are stranded during conflicts. People call organizations like NORKA for help, but often they are simply told, 'Please contact the embassy directly.' Yet huge salaries are paid through public money for these systems, while ordinary people end up helpless, running from office to office.
Many times, we sit helplessly while our taxes and resources are swallowed up without real support reaching suffering people. At the same time, responsible officials must pay attention to this. The salary they receive comes from the taxes paid through the hard work of ordinary people. Therefore, the affairs of the people must be handled properly. Otherwise, even those working in government or official positions will lose grace spiritually, and it becomes sinful.
You may have taken the Covenant, but if you are a negligent official, the Covenant will not work properly in your life. If you are an officer or public servant who truly honors Christ — not merely someone called a Christian, but someone who honors Christ through your life — then you must become an excellent officer. Your quality must especially be seen in how you treat ordinary people, particularly those who are not highly educated or influential. Your communication and relationships with people must be proper and compassionate.
In Rasmi Thomas's testimony, there was something very important. Her mercy ministry involves visiting the Kottayam District Hospital. Inside that hospital, there is a section for abandoned or homeless patients — people with no address, no relatives, no bystanders, and no one to care for them. These are people nobody comes looking for.
Food is already available for many of them through agencies and charitable groups. Nowadays, many Covenant members are actively going into hospitals and serving people. Through the Covenant, huge mercy ministries are happening all over the world. In many countries, Covenant members connected with Kreupasanam are doing wonderful works of mercy. When we hear their testimonies, we realize the Lord is doing something truly great.
Rasmi says that these abandoned patients in the district hospital often do not even remember their own address. They have nobody — no relatives, no visitors, and no one from home coming to ask about them. So what does she do? She sits with them and talks to them. That is important. Conversation itself is not something small. She asks about their life stories and listens to them. You do not need some special worldly relationship to speak lovingly to someone. If you have a relationship with the Lord, then you can speak to anyone. That is the Gospel of conversation.
Once we are connected to the Lord, what did Jesus say? 'I was a stranger. I had no place. And you came to visit Me.' That is the point — visiting people. All these works of mercy create a format where the Holy Spirit can work powerfully.
Covenant members must think carefully about how works of mercy can truly be used spiritually. Many Covenant members do works of mercy mainly because they want something from God. For example, 'My son's visa was cancelled, so let me do charity work so that the German authorities will extend his visa.' That is often the mentality. Many people connect charity work directly to getting their personal needs fulfilled.
I am not condemning you for that, because that is simply the way many people currently understand things. But there is still a problem there. If there is no personal need, then the mercy disappears. That means Christ is not really the center. Those doing mercy ministry in the Covenant must examine themselves: 'Is Christ truly the center of my mercy work?' Often, we do charity work only because we want our prayer requests answered. Our own problems become the fuel behind the mercy work.
But now Jesus is saying through Father: you must switch over from that mentality. There must be a changeover. You must move to a different spiritual switch.
Here we have several cameras, don't we? Three cameras are operating. That is why the screen does not always show Father continuously. Sometimes the camera switches to Jesh — he came all cleaned up and dressed nicely for the occasion! Sometimes it switches elsewhere. Why? Because switching cameras is part of the service. Normally, even the singers are not constantly shown on screen.
In the past at Kreupasanam Marian Retreat Centre, usually only the retreat preachers were shown on camera. But I personally love singers and worship musicians very much, so sometimes I intentionally give them camera attention and highlight them. When the praise becomes intense, you may notice that Kochukuttan suddenly turns the camera toward all of you. Then you appear on television. But how does that happen? Because there is someone sitting in the control room. Wherever he turns the camera, the broadcast switches over there. That is why you keep seeing different scenes continuously.
In the same way, many of us have switched our mercy ministries toward our own personal needs. We do charity work mainly to receive something for ourselves: 'I am doing this act of mercy so that I may receive this blessing.' But now the switch must change. We must do works of mercy so that the Holy Spirit may fill us.
We are approaching Pentecost, aren't we? So now we must switch away from self-centered intentions and move toward living so that the fruits of the Holy Spirit may increase within us and so that the Holy Spirit may work among us.
One limitation of beginner-level retreats is this: at the beginning stage, people mainly seek to receive the Holy Spirit. That is why growth retreats are necessary later. Look at what happened in Acts. People from many backgrounds — Romans, Greeks, ordinary laborers, and simple people — came to Peter asking, 'What must we do to receive the Holy Spirit?' Peter did not first tell them, 'Go do charity work.' That comes later. First, he gave them the preliminary foundation.
Acts 2:38: 'Peter said to them: Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' (Catholic Edition)
So Peter gives two conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit. First: repent. Honestly, most people who truly enter the Covenant already have some repentance within them. Of course, there are also people who simply watch the excitement without understanding the story. They come, stay a little, and leave before even renewing the Covenant once. But others truly understand and invest themselves spiritually.
Just as people investing wisely in the stock market know where future growth lies, spiritually mature people know where to invest spiritually. Some people invest into the fruits of the Holy Spirit. That creates an atmosphere within them where God can work. It is like farming. Sowing and harvesting are important, but preparing and smoothing the field beforehand is equally important.
I personally love agricultural people deeply. Even if someone owns only three cents of land, if they cultivate it properly, there is beauty in that. Near Kreupasanam itself, on the land beside the parking area, many crops and plants are cultivated —tapioca, yams, fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of things. Sometimes I go there personally and observe the work. There are some truly hardworking and dedicated workers there. That is why Mother's place is kept so beautifully.
The second condition Peter gave was to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Many people think baptism is merely pouring water on the head. But that is not the deeper issue. To be baptized in the name of Jesus means entering into a life of mercy and love in His name. Jesus Himself said, 'Even if you give a cup of water in My name, you will receive a reward.' That itself is a spiritual state. Works of mercy are the continuation and flowering of baptism and faith.
What does it mean to continuously receive this ongoing baptism of the Holy Spirit? It means continuously living according to the fruits of the Spirit. What are the fruits of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, and so on. If you were refusing to speak to someone, but later forgive them, then at that moment the Holy Spirit is allotted and released into your life. The fruits of the Holy Spirit help us live this continuous baptism: a life of Christian witness, continually immersed in the Holy Spirit.
Now remember Rasmi Thomas again. Her baptisms of wisdom are very beautiful. As she spends time speaking with abandoned patients who have no address, no relatives, no bystanders, and no visitors, something happens: those people begin feeling that someone still exists for them in this world. They gain confidence to continue living. That is not a small thing. That is why Jesus said, 'I was a stranger, and you visited Me.'
So how does the Covenant switch over spiritually? We must switch away from using the Covenant only for prayer requests, marriages, visas, and personal needs. Instead, we must say, 'I will live the Covenant so that I may be filled with the Holy Spirit.'
Excessive attachment to the material aspects of life is dangerous. People who become overly attached to worldly things eventually struggle even to encounter God. Of course, we need a healthy level of worldly concern — we need to live, work, grow, and use the abilities God has given us. But excessive attachment can grow into obsession and madness.
Look at famous celebrities or icons of worldly beauty and success. At one time, they appeared glorious like world-famous stars, but later their condition changes completely. Worldly obsession alone can never sustain human life. All the material advantages of this world slowly weaken and fade away. No matter how carefully or beautifully we live, everything in this world has an expiry time. After that time passes, no matter how tightly we hold onto it, it will not remain with us.
So we become restless trying to preserve things that were never meant to stay with us forever. We spend our best years chasing after things that eventually slip away anyway. Sometimes people even sacrifice prayer and Holy Mass just to obtain certain worldly things. And if they fail to get them, they collapse emotionally — lying in bed for days, refusing to speak to anyone.
Ironically, many atheists openly declare, 'We are atheists.' At least there is a certain honesty in that. They spent their whole lives here on earth and still never discovered God — and truly, what greater failure could there be? Meanwhile, believers like us keep encountering the Lord, living with Him, and investing our lives into Him. So when someone says, 'I never found God,' it is almost like spiritual blindness.
Yet many so-called believers are actually practical atheists. They say they believe in God, but the moment they fail to receive something they desperately wanted, they fall into depression, lock themselves in rooms, stop eating, and say, 'I don't want anything anymore.' Then family members try to cheer them up — not with God, but with another worldly promise. If a love relationship breaks, some people cry dramatically and collapse emotionally. Then the mother comes and says, 'If this girl left you, another girl will come.' Notice what is happening there: a person broken by worldly disappointment is lifted up again using another worldly attraction. Is that Covenant life?
Now look at Rasmi Thomas's testimony. At one point she asked Mother, 'Am I for the Covenant, or for my career?' That was her struggle. She received a job opportunity, but that job itself became an obstacle to living the Covenant properly. So she entered into an inner conflict and asked, 'Am I meant for this Covenant, or for this job? If I lose the job, is the Covenant enough for me? Or if I lose the Covenant, is the job enough?' At first she may have asked casually, but the Holy Spirit highlighted that question deeply because it was a real spiritual turning point.
Rasmi was already deeply connected to Mother even before formally taking the Covenant. She had been a nursing professor in Oman for 25 years, teaching nurses there. In many places there, churches were not easily accessible. Many Christians use that as an excuse: 'There is no church, so we don't attend Mass.' But God has always separated ordinary excuse-making people from truly sincere hearts. Jesus changed nothing about that principle. What did He say? 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'
Someone can easily tell God, 'There was no church in Oman, so I didn't go for Mass.' But God sees the heart. Even if a church had been built beside some people's houses, they still would not have gone. People can always produce explanations and excuses, but Rasmi Thomas was different. She said, 'There may not be a church here, but if there had been a church, I would have gone for Mass.'
During the very time Holy Mass would normally be offered, she would sit alone and pray the rosary continuously — even a thousand Hail Marys — as a compensation of love for the absence of Mass. At that time, she had not even formally taken the Covenant. This was her pre-Covenant time, and through that prayer her relationship with God remained alive. Because of that, God had no distrust toward her faith. My children, whether a person has formally taken the Covenant or not is not the first issue. We must live in such a way that God Himself can trust our faith.
This is especially important for those who are new in the Covenant. God should never have reason to distrust our faith. That is one foundational lesson Jesus is teaching through Father.
Now look again at Rasmi Thomas. She interacted with all those abandoned people in the hospital — people who had nobody. Sometimes they would ask her, 'Could you buy me some biscuits?' or 'Could you get me something small from outside?' She would carefully collect their requests, go outside, buy the things, and distribute them to each person. But the real issue was not merely giving them things. If we have something, we can give it — there is no problem in that. Beyond giving things, however, there are people in this world who have become lonely and abandoned. We must speak to them with love.
Why have we taken the Covenant? To give shelter to strangers. Giving shelter does not necessarily mean bringing someone home and making them live with us. We may guide them, support them, help them find a place, or simply give them human warmth and belonging. There are many people living in emotional and spiritual homelessness. We can become a shelter for them through love.
But there is another important thing: the Lord should never feel hypocrisy inside us. If we refuse to speak lovingly to the people inside our own homes, but then go to hospitals and talk sweetly to strangers, that is hypocrisy.
Sometimes the hardest people to live with are the very people inside our own homes — the people who irritate us, frustrate us, or wear us down. How do we speak to them? Out of love for the Lord. If you do not even speak properly to your own husband or family members, but then go to hospitals after taking the Covenant and speak lovingly to strangers, the Lord will reject that hypocrisy. First, the home must be set right. Our relationships inside the home matter first. The Holy Spirit will make these things clear to us.
Now remember this carefully: every arrangement we make with Christ eventually appears like a loss from a worldly perspective. When Christ lived on earth, did He appear to gain worldly success? No — He appeared to lose. So how can we expect only profit and victory for ourselves? Many times, walking with Christ means accepting losses, humiliation, and defeat. Some defeats carry the shadow of Christ inside them.
Look at a currency note. Inside it you can see the Ashoka emblem and security thread. That security thread proves the note is genuine. In the same way, there are situations in life where we cannot win against certain people. Some people speak nonsense, manipulate situations politically, twist words, or behave unfairly. Their personalities are complicated and tangled. Even if a gate is wide open, such people will still climb over the wall from behind — that is simply their nature.
So we cannot interact with people based merely on whether they are good or bad. We interact with them by placing Christ in front of us. And when we do that, sometimes we will have to lose externally. There will be defeats for the sake of Christ: financial losses, humiliations, sacrifices, and moments where we quietly endure suffering. These become the security thread of our spiritual life. Just as a real currency note carries a watermark and security marking, our lives too must carry marks that show: 'This person suffered for the Lord.' 'This person accepted loss for Christ.' 'This person endured humiliation according to the Father's will.' Those become the watermarks of authenticity before God. Then God knows: this is not counterfeit faith; this is genuine.
Rasmi's struggle was that she could no longer continue balancing her job and Covenant life properly, and her Covenant life began weakening. So she began having personal conversations with Mother. These days, many people have been sharing testimonies about speaking directly with Mother, and I am very happy that people are now able to do this. At first, you may feel that Mother is not listening. But when you later see the results and answers coming into your life, you will understand, 'Mother really heard me.' She listens very deeply. The moment we begin speaking, she comes close to us. She may not speak back directly in words, but the fruits and results in our lives show that she heard everything and responded.
Finally, Rasmi said, 'Mother, I am ready to resign from my job. The Covenant alone is enough for me.' She felt unable to properly carry both the job and the Covenant life together. Now understand something carefully: for some people, Covenant life is not just waking up in the morning, saying the apparition prayer, lighting green candles and blue candles, or distributing a few pamphlets. For them, Covenant is life itself. That is the difference.
Since the Covenant had become her entire way of life, she became deeply convinced interiorly. There was a strong anointing inside her. Because of that, she eventually brought her husband also into the Covenant. That family now has four Covenants in total — husband, wife, and two children each having their own private Covenant. Think about that. At first, I used to think, 'Isn't this financially difficult? Wouldn't one Covenant per family be enough?' Even now, I still partly think that way. But some families choose to do this, not because they are forced, but because they genuinely value it.
Money itself is not what came searching for the Covenant. To live this life, people sacrifice a lot. They travel long distances, lose workdays, and spend time and energy coming here and going back. There are many obstacles involved in taking the Covenant.
In Oman, Rasmi could not formally take the Covenant at first. During those periods without Mass, she kept praying continuously and remained connected to God. Then God began giving her a song. At that time, she knew almost nothing about Kreupasanam. Someone may have casually mentioned it once, but suddenly a song started rising from inside her heart: 'Mother, bring me to Kreupasanam... bring me there...' She would sing it spontaneously. After some time, she realized, 'Wait... I keep singing about Kreupasanam.' That was when she understood that Mother herself was calling her there.
Nobody had properly explained Kreupasanam to her. She only had a faint awareness somewhere in her mind. But through that song, Mother was drawing her toward Kreupasanam.
When Mother began calling her, many problems immediately started appearing. One major problem was the severe back pain she had suffered from for 27 years. She could neither stand properly, sit comfortably, nor walk properly. There were more obstacles too: she had never travelled to Alappuzha before, and she would become sick while travelling by bus. So many negative things began surfacing.
This is something everyone should remember carefully: very often, when God is about to save or transform someone, the first things that arise are many negative situations and obstacles. But all of those must be overcome with love for God. Rasmi finally reached the place and decided, 'Let God take care of whatever happens next.' She had many reasons to remain afraid: 'I have severe back pain.' 'I have never travelled like this before.' 'If I take the Covenant, then I must keep renewing it — what if I cannot continue?' Everything appearing before her was negative. But at some point, she chose to cancel all those negative thoughts and say, 'Whatever happens, let God handle it.' And so she came and took the Covenant.
But even after taking the Covenant, one problem can still remain: hidden unbelief in the depths of the heart. Yesterday during Mass, the Lord showed me something important. Taking the Covenant does not automatically remove every hidden unbelief within us. Sometimes we ourselves do not even notice it. Think about milk kept for several days. After two or three days it becomes curd. Inside curd, tiny organisms and unseen bacteria are naturally present. Can we see them with the naked eye? No. In the same way, invisible worms of unbelief can remain hidden deep inside our souls.
A person may take the Covenant, spend money, distribute pamphlets, work hard in ministry, and do many religious activities — yet deep inside, unseen unbelief may still exist. For people like Rasmi Thomas, these hidden things become visible very quickly because God begins working deeply inside them.
Now listen carefully about Covenant life. Many people fail in the Covenant because the first thing they stop attending is the First Tuesday retreat and prayer gathering. Once they stop that, they should not expect Covenant life to function properly anymore. Why? Because through this Covenant, God promised, 'I will speak to My people from above the Ark of the Covenant.' The First Tuesday retreat is where God gives fresh anointed teachings and guidance connected to Covenant life. That is why this gathering is important.
Exodus 25:22: 'There I will meet you. From above the mercy seat, between the cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant, I will speak to you.' (Catholic Edition)
That is the spiritual foundation of these gatherings. God dwells between the cherubim and speaks from there. Just as God spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting, He continues speaking to His people. A Covenant life without listening to God's voice cannot survive. That is why these teachings are given live — so people can continually receive updates and fresh revelation. People sometimes ask, 'Why doesn't Father repeat the old teachings again?' Because the Lord keeps revealing new things. If you want the older teachings, you must go back and listen to the older retreats.
Now listen carefully about Rasmi Thomas again. Do you know how she attended the retreats? After connecting the retreat through television, she would close the room doors, cover her head prayerfully with a cloth, sit reverently, and participate with full seriousness. She treated it with deep attention and reverence. This was her greatest strength: God had no distrust toward her faith. That itself was her greatest victory. But even then, one or two hidden bacteria of unbelief were still remaining inside her, and the Lord began revealing those hidden areas.
Let me explain something. Once, when I travelled through Alappuzha, I saw machines cleaning algae from the canals. For nearly 50 years, people have been cleaning those canals. Certain organizations keep receiving contracts to remove the algae. They clean it once or twice a year, post pictures online, and people praise them. But the algae never fully disappears. Why? Because hidden underneath bridges and corners, small patches are intentionally left behind. Within six months, those patches grow again, and then the cleaning contracts continue. That is how some people make a living.
Spiritual life is similar. No matter how much we confess, pray, or believe, sometimes small patches of unbelief still remain hidden inside us like that algae. If we do not ask God to reveal and remove them, those tiny hidden areas can slowly grow until unbelief spreads through the whole spiritual life again. That is why we must ask the Lord, 'Reveal my hidden unbelief.'
Now remember: Rasmi Thomas had suffered from severe back pain for 27 years. Her house was located uphill. To go to church, she had to climb upward. But because her back pain felt as if her spine would break apart, she often could not even go to church. Even then, that poor woman would hold her back in pain and slowly climb toward the Lord to attend Holy Mass.
Even after taking the Covenant, her pain did not significantly decrease. The pain remained severe, and eventually she became bedridden. Yet even while lying there, she continued living the Covenant faithfully as much as she could. She continued doing Covenant practices sincerely. But still the pain did not lessen. Later it became so bad that she had to crawl even to go to the bathroom. Imagine that suffering. She would look around to make sure nobody was watching, and then slowly crawl across the floor to the bathroom. Even then, she remained faithful to the Covenant.
After some time, she would call her husband and say, 'I am really not feeling well...' Remember — she had just crawled to the bathroom and back. Her husband would say, 'Wait a little... I am busy with work now. I will come soon.' But by the time he finished all his work and came home, it would already be around 11 at night. When they considered going to the hospital, she herself would say, 'There is no point going now. Good doctors may not be available at this hour.'
She was a nurse, so she understood hospital realities. After 11 PM, usually only junior doctors or house surgeons would be available for emergency duty. Now do not misunderstand me — even that service itself is a blessing, and I am not speaking against them. But listen to this incident.
Once I had gone to preach a retreat at Shanthampara. When I returned, the driver who had come with me was missing. Not Manoj — someone else. We searched everywhere at night with torches, calling his name. I began worrying because I had even sent another helper to check his house, and he was not there either. As it got later into the night, my concern increased.
Then we noticed one section near the parish grounds was closed, but one small door was left slightly open. I shined the torch inside and saw him lying collapsed on the floor. Immediately, I climbed inside with another trusted person who was with me. When we checked carefully, we realized he had consumed alcohol and snacks and had collapsed there.
At once, I searched his pockets, because sometimes people in such situations may leave behind letters or notes. And yes — I found a written note. I immediately kept it safely in my custody because I understood this could become serious. I opened it and began reading what he had written. Otherwise, in the end, I myself could have become the accused person. Of course, I was not even present there at the beginning — that is another matter — but still, the whole atmosphere had become extremely serious.
So we took him to the medical college hospital. At that time, only the duty attendants were available there. I explained the entire situation to the doctor. The doctor immediately said, 'Admit him.' Then they brought a huge hose — like the large hoses used at petrol stations — and pushed it down through his mouth. Since he was completely unconscious, they used a motor pump and forced water through the tube, washing out everything from his stomach. Watching all that, even my own pulse almost disappeared from fear.
Then the doctor said, 'The next 72 hours are critical.' He explained that the poison had already spread heavily through the bloodstream, and the person could die within those 72 hours. So for 72 hours I remained there anxiously waiting. Finally, we were able to carry him back home alive.
Why am I telling this? Because that day, the only reason he survived was because he had the rosary with him. His pulse had already dropped almost to zero. That is what faith means. Situations like these are moments God allows in order to upgrade our faith and teach us how to apply prayer in real life. We should not panic. If we live with God, we must be ready to face such situations.
Now listen to how the incident itself happened. There had been a football match nearby, and during the match a fight broke out. The police arrived at the ground, and this man ran away and hid inside my parish compound. Then two small children came and asked him, 'Chetta, could you throw down a couple of mangoes for us?' That is all. But when he threw something down, instead of mangoes, poisonous thorn-apple fruit fell. There happened to be both mangoes and poisonous fruits lying together there.
That is how life is. Temptations are often mixed together with ordinary things. The children had asked for mangoes, but the devil had another plan hidden inside the situation. He threw the fruit, the children left, and later he himself consumed the poisonous fruit. Even he himself did not fully understand why he ate it. Usually, such dangerous incidents happen during moments of emotional struggle or mental pressure.
That is why we need strong spiritual protection. Without protection, life can suddenly collapse through one small moment. This is why Jesus always says, 'Pray without ceasing.' Occasional prayer is not enough. Continuous prayer creates protection around our lives.
There are many traps and dangerous situations in this world — some spiritual, some natural, and some emotional. We can fall into them anytime. So if we want God to help us in such moments, we must already have a strong relationship with Him beforehand, not only after the crisis begins. If we already walk closely with God before the problem comes, then when danger appears, God will guide us, protect us, and show us the path of escape.
Now look how God arranged things that night. When I reached the hospital, the doctor on duty happened to be someone from a family in my old parish — a family that used to lovingly bring me food. At that late-night hour, God had already positioned someone familiar there. Can human beings arrange things like that? No. Only God can.
That is why relationship with God matters. No matter how negative or difficult our situation becomes, if we walk closely with God, He Himself will arrange circumstances and open pathways for our deliverance.
Now our subject here is this: unbelief hidden inside faith. No matter how faithful we think we are, two or three hidden bacteria of unbelief may still remain inside us. God helps us discover them. If you feel God is somehow unable to fully work in your life, then you must ask, 'Where are the hidden bacteria of unbelief inside me?'
Rasmi Thomas was genuinely sincere and had a real relationship with God. Yet even she had hidden unbelief. For 27 years she suffered unbearable back pain. Even after taking the Covenant, she still had to crawl to the bathroom. Then after crawling back, whom did she call? Her husband. Why? Because she was thinking, 'Let us go to the hospital.' But the Covenant oil was still there in the house, and at that moment she did not think about it. Faith was present, but hidden unbelief was also present. Sometimes we ourselves do not recognize it.
Her husband came home late at night and said, 'Now it is too late. Good doctors may not be available at this hour. Let us go in the morning instead.' They decided to wait until morning. But suddenly she realized something: 'How many testimonies have I heard about the Covenant oil? And that very oil is right here in my own house!' Her children already had strong faith in it. Whenever they had fever, colds, or sicknesses, they would themselves apply the Covenant oil. After all, she herself had taken the Covenant because of the experiences and testimonies she had received through it. So she began thinking as a nursing professor: if all these people are receiving help through the Covenant oil, why shouldn't I also apply it for my own healing?
Early that morning, she took the Covenant oil, prayed with faith, and applied it over the back pain she had suffered from for 27 years. In that very second, the pain disappeared — and it has never returned till today. You yourselves can hear her testimony. This is why we must ask God to reveal the unbelief hidden inside faith.
Once the final forms of unbelief within us are defeated, spiritual progress begins happening very quickly. Rasmi was already retired from her work in Oman, so she naturally asked Mother Mary for another job opportunity. But understand this carefully: only when God can fully trust us does He begin giving us whatever we ask. That is why Jesus says in the Gospel of John, 'If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.' That is a promise.
After the last bacteria of unbelief inside her had been removed, everything changed rapidly. She prayed for a nearby job. Within two days, she received a call asking for her resume, and very quickly she was appointed. Then she prayed for her old house to be renewed, and within six months it became a completely renewed home.
Then she said, 'I got my driving license 25 years ago, but I was always afraid to drive.' She had the license but not the courage. So she prayed, 'Mother, my husband always has to take me everywhere — to the hospital, to work, and back home again. Our schedules do not match. I want to drive on my own.' Soon afterward, someone nearby came and personally taught her driving. Within just two or three days, all her fear disappeared. Now she drives her own vehicle all the way from Kottayam to come here and give testimony. Look how quickly a person's life can change! Why?
John 15:7: 'If you remain in Me and My word remains in you, ask whatever you desire.' (Catholic Edition)
That Word is true. See the transformation that happened in one person's life. She was a returning expatriate from the Gulf. Today, many returning expatriates are confused about how to continue life after returning home. But in her life, what looked like a dried branch has now begun blossoming again like an almond tree.
That is the meaning behind the green Covenant candle we light. When the Covenant was first given, the message was this: 'The burned and dried hopes of many people will become green and fruitful again.' That is why you light the green candle in prayer.
My dear ones, one prayer we practice at Kreupasanam is placing our hands on the painful part of the body and praying. Many people have given testimonies through this. Rasmi Thomas also has a testimony. She had uterine prolapse — a condition where the uterus descends. She was watching the live retreat on television. During the retreat, I said, 'Those who have uterine prolapse, those whose womb is descending, place your hand on your abdomen.' At that very second, she placed her hand on her abdomen and prayed the Creed. The uterine prolapse that had been troubling her for months stopped immediately.
Always remember: first, we must be aware that we are standing before the Lord. Do not place your hand here and there casually as if doing something ordinary. Remember that you are placing your hand in the name of Jesus. Place your hand where the sickness is. As Father prays, if you have sickness in different parts of the body, you may move your hand accordingly. But keep praying the Creed. Those who do not know the Creed can continue praying, 'Jesus, praise You. Jesus, thank You.'
My dear children, joyful Covenant life is not merely about receiving what we ask for. It is a life of surrender, mercy, spiritual rootedness, and the Holy Spirit. When mercy becomes centered on Christ, when hidden unbelief is revealed and removed, and when we remain in the Lord, even dried hopes can become green and fruitful again through the grace of God.
Disclaimer: All content in this post is credited to Dr. Fr. V.P. Joseph Valiyaveettil of Kreupasanam Marian Shrine, Kerala, India. I have simply served as a translator and editor in gratitude for the opportunity to assist. If Fr. V.P. Joseph believes any content here infringes upon his rights, I will remove it immediately upon request.
Father’s Malayalam sharings contain profound insights on covenant living and growing closer to God. As language barriers may prevent many from fully receiving these teachings, I have translated and highlighted key points from his YouTube sharings into English as a humble effort to help others in their covenant journey, just as I myself have been inspired.
I warmly encourage everyone to share this website with others who may benefit from these reflections. May all who visit this page be blessed and drawn closer to God.
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