My dear children, the Covenant itself, not merely the intentions we place within it, should be the source of our joy. Very often, we become happy when the intentions we present before God through the Covenant are fulfilled. That is certainly a wonderful blessing. Yet when we look at the Covenant from God’s perspective, a much deeper truth is revealed.
If our joy comes only from the favors we receive, then our happiness is still centered on material things. Perhaps we rejoice because we acquired possessions, experienced financial growth, improved our standard of living, found a job, or received an answer to prayer. These are all blessings, but if our happiness depends primarily on them, then God remains in second place.
In the Covenant, God must always come first. If God truly holds first place, then the very fact that you have entered into the Covenant should itself become your joy. If someone asks, “Why did you make the Covenant?” your immediate answer should be, “Because I desired a deeper relationship with God than I had before.” It is as simple as that.
When this becomes your answer, God has truly taken first place in your life. The joy is not merely in the benefits that come from believing in the Lord. The joy is in being able to believe in the Lord at all. That is the true joy of the Gospel.
Acts 16:34 says, “He and his whole household rejoiced greatly because they had come to believe in God.”
This is what I call basic joy, the most fundamental joy. The passage is speaking about the jailer at Philippi. Paul and Silas had been imprisoned and bound with chains. During the night, instead of lamenting their condition, they prayed and sang hymns to God. The other prisoners listened to them.
When I went to Rome to preach a retreat, I visited the place where St. Paul was martyred. What impressed me most was seeing the ancient chain that had once bound Paul’s hands, preserved behind glass for centuries. Paul was truly imprisoned wearing chains like those. Yet in the prison at Philippi, Paul and Silas sang to the Lord. Then a violent earthquake struck. The foundations of the prison shook, the doors opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the doors standing open, he assumed the prisoners had escaped. He drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he knew the Roman authorities would execute him if the prisoners were gone. But Paul cried out, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”
At that moment, the jailer’s entire perspective changed. He must have wondered, “Why did they not run away? How can these men sing while wearing chains on their hands and feet? Who is this Lord they are singing about?” The jailer called for lights, rushed inside trembling, and fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. Then he asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” That night, he took Paul and Silas into his home, cared for them, listened to the Word, and was baptized together with his household. Only after this does Scripture say that he rejoiced because he had come to believe in God.
Notice carefully. His joy was not because he found a job, obtained a house, became prosperous, or saw his worldly circumstances improve. His greatest joy was simply that he had come to believe in the Lord. We should approach the Marian Covenant in exactly the same way. Yes, through the Covenant many things happen. There are thousands upon thousands of testimonies. I do not know of another place in the world with so many recorded testimonies. Through the Covenant, God grants countless favors.
But that is not the main point. The true purpose of the Covenant is this: when your relationship with the Lord becomes deeper, that itself should become your joy. A few days ago, Rojen from Aranattukara, Thrissur, shared a testimony. One statement he made deserves careful reflection. He said, “Through the Covenant, the Lord even changed my thought process.” That is a testimony worth examining. These are not exaggerated claims. Every testimony is simply a statement of what God has done in that person’s life. Those who are more educated often present their testimonies thoughtfully and carefully.
Observe what happened in Rojen’s family. His entire household is living the Covenant. The benefit of such a family is not merely that everyone has made the Covenant. They also faithfully attend the weekly Covenant retreats. You can hear from the way Rojen speaks that he remembers many of the teachings. He has understood that the Covenant is not merely about receiving promises. It is a way of life. The Covenant is not like making a novena only to obtain a particular favor. It is a disciplined life of walking in covenant with God.
I believe this way of life has the potential to shine even more brightly in the centuries to come, because at Kreupasanam the Blessed Mother appeared alive, and the Church continues to study this apparition. Think about Lourdes, Fatima, and the other approved apparitions. Across the world, millions of people continue to remember them, pray through them, and bear witness to the graces God has given.
Covenant communities are now being formed in many countries. We are preparing to travel to South Africa because a Covenant community there has invited us to conduct a retreat. This is happening throughout the world. In different countries and on every continent, people rise each morning to pray the Apparition Prayer and remember the Blessed Mother’s apparition. Notice how Rojen began his testimony. He said, “I thank God for making me a witness to the Blessed Mother’s apparition.” That is exactly how such a testimony should begin.
Those who have lived the Covenant for years understand what it truly is and why it exists. They know it is not merely for meeting the limited needs of their own family. Those needs may certainly be met. That is not difficult for God. But something much greater is happening. When you make the Covenant, you are not simply joining another devotional practice. You are accepting God’s call to become a witness to the Blessed Mother’s apparition. This is a divine calling. The Covenant means learning to live with God in a disciplined, ordered, and structured way. Our day begins at 5:30 in the morning. We pray, attend Mass when possible, listen to the Covenant formation, perform works of mercy, and share the faith.
A few days ago, a young woman named Shreya shared her testimony. She is from Chethy, a nearby village where I conducted the Seashore Convention many years ago. She is now a B.Tech graduate, about twenty-four years old. Shreya felt inspired to make the Covenant, but she hesitated. She was not accustomed to waking up at 5:30 in the morning, nor was she used to attending daily Mass. She knew that after making the Covenant she would need to rise early and order her life differently. She feared that she might fail, so she initially decided not to make it.
Her mother had already made the Covenant, but Shreya had not. As time passed, however, she began to evaluate her own life. When we honestly examine our marriage, career, promotions, travels, family responsibilities, obstacles, and burdens, those who are wise eventually realize that many things cannot be accomplished by ourselves. That is the reality. God has designed life in such a way that He may have a place in it. He desires our partnership with Him.
One of the beautiful experiences people share after making the Covenant is that the Blessed Mother begins to feel like a member of the family. This is exactly how the Gospel presents her at the wedding feast at Cana. The text says that the mother of Jesus was already there. Only afterward does it say that Jesus and His disciples were invited. Jesus arrived as a guest, but Mary is described almost as though she belonged to the household.
As you continue living the Covenant, you too should begin to feel that the Blessed Mother is truly a member of your family. Because she becomes part of the family, she also helps us face our weaknesses honestly. Rojen spoke about the teachings on receiving God’s promises. The first stage is compared to crossing the Red Sea, where sin is left behind and the person begins to be cleansed. Yet Rojen openly admitted, “I have not yet reached that stage. I am still striving. I am trying to live without sin, but I have not yet reached that point.”
That very effort is valuable before God. Do not imagine that overcoming sin depends entirely on your own strength. The Bible is not built on that principle. It is built on this truth: not by merit, but by grace. Our personal effort is the beginning, but if God does not cooperate with us, we cannot succeed. Imagine trying to swim across an ocean. You may survive the first wave and the second, but the third will overwhelm you. God Himself must help us. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” Within that prayer lies the promise that God is willing to help us avoid temptation.
Some people ask whether holiness is even possible in complicated professions. Businesspeople may face difficult realities, complex accounts, investors, taxation, and pressure from many directions. Prudence must guide every financial dealing, but there are situations in which human ability reaches its limit. The disciples themselves asked, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” That is another way of saying, “Not by merit, but by grace.” It is not by your own ability alone, but by God’s grace.
Suppose you are struggling with a particular sin or habit. Rojen spoke about a bad habit he had carried for nearly twenty-nine years. After making the Covenant, the Blessed Mother took charge of that struggle.
Without formation, even good Christian families may continue living with certain bad habits. They may recognize them but not know how to overcome them. When we enter into the Covenant, however, we become partners with God. The Covenant is an agreement between two parties. God is one party, and we are the other. God desires to see sincerity in His partner.
Acts 13:22 says, “I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart.”
We all know David’s story. He struggled intensely against sin, and his weaknesses pursued him again and again. Yet deep within David’s heart, God meant more to him than sin or the worldly pleasures that came through sin. Whenever he fell, he cried, “Lord, I can endure anything, but I cannot bear to be separated from Your presence.” He prayed, “Do not cast me away from Your holy presence.”
To David, God was greater than royal splendor, worldly glory, or earthly honor. That is why, after his sin, he removed his royal garments, covered himself with ashes, fasted, and lay prostrate before God. These were not empty rituals. They expressed the truth that he could not bear to lose God. Whenever I hear confessions, I certainly pay attention to sin, but I refuse to give sin more importance than the goodness God has already placed in the person.
Look at your own Covenant life. How many good works are you already doing? You visit the sick. You wash their clothes. You dry and iron them. You bathe them and care for them. Many wake early, prepare packed meals, and search for people who need help. These are beautiful works of charity. But an even greater work accomplished through the Covenant is that you bring people to Christ. You share the faith and become instruments through whom faith is handed on.
A few days ago, a brother named Abhijith Krishnan from Cherthala shared his testimony. He said, “I am a mechanic.” He had gone for a practical examination. The examiner showed him an engine and asked him to dismantle it. Abhijith had written down the procedure, but he had never seen that particular engine before. He turned to the Blessed Mother and prayed, “Mother, how do I dismantle this?” She inspired him, “Go near the engine.” Two engines had been placed before him. One was covered with grease and looked difficult. The other was clean and well maintained. He went to the dirty engine and pulled one particular part. Immediately, the piston opened.
At that very moment, the examiner came and asked, “What is the function of this piston?” Abhijith answered correctly. The examiner assumed that he understood the entire mechanism because pulling the piston had activated several internal components. But Abhijith himself admitted, “I had no idea. It was Mother who guided me.” When the Blessed Mother stands beside you, things like this happen.
Abhijith also has a close relationship with her because of the extraordinary investment he has made in apostolic work. He has visited thirty-three municipalities across Kerala, travelling by bus, distributing newspapers, singing songs to the Lord, and speaking to passengers about Christ, the Covenant, and the Blessed Mother. No one instructed him personally to do all this. I had never even met him. Yet once a person enters sincerely into the Covenant, the Blessed Mother begins to guide that person.
Some people distribute a Kreupasanam newspaper only when customers come to their shop. They may place it beside cattle feed, rice, lentils, or other goods. There is nothing wrong with that, but the Lord asks a deeper question: “What extraordinary thing are you doing?”
Matthew 5:46 says, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what extraordinary thing are you doing?”
Jesus is asking us to go beyond the minimum. After doing everything commanded, we should still say, as Luke 17:10 teaches: “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”
Suppose you were asked to distribute Kreupasanam newspapers, and you distributed them. You were asked to visit the sick, and you visited them. Even then, the Covenant places another challenge before you: “What extraordinary thing are you doing?” That is exactly what Abhijith did. He boarded buses, sang songs to the Lord, and began speaking to passengers about Christ. Filled with the Holy Spirit and love for God, he shared the Gospel.
This kind of zeal grows through Covenant formation.
One of the greatest traps is neglecting the Covenant meditations. Some attend only halfway. Some come and go. When that happens, they miss the spiritual updates. The Covenant meditations are where God gives formation for each season of life. They are where questions are answered, problems are interpreted, and spiritual understanding grows. You may see people who have renewed the Covenant five times, yet their life does not reflect even the standard of someone who has entered it once. Why? They have neglected formation.
When you came before the Blessed Mother’s holy presence, lit the Covenant lamp, and publicly declared that you would participate in the weekly Covenant meditation, that commitment became part of the Covenant. If you neglect it, you must make reparation and return sincerely. The Covenant grows through this formation. Those who receive and faithfully follow it are the ones who later share powerful testimonies.
Shreya understood this seriousness. She said, “This Covenant is not something I can manage. I have never been able to wake up at 5:30 in the morning. I do not attend daily Mass. I only go on Sundays.” For that reason, she kept saying, “I am not going to make the Covenant.” But the Holy Spirit continued prompting her: “It is better for you to make the Covenant.” Why? Because whenever God desires to bless us, He often places within us the desire to enter more deeply into relationship with Him.
Many people misunderstand this because they see the Covenant only as a burden. They worry, “Will I be able to complete it? Can I really do this?” But the Blessed Mother is saying, “My child, through this Covenant you are entering into a new life of union with God.” If God is calling you into it, He will also help you live it.
Shreya desired to work in a multinational company. She knew that there were countless B.Tech graduates, many with better qualifications and more experience. Humanly speaking, why should a large company select her? That is where “not by merit” begins to operate.
Wanting to respond sincerely, Shreya decided to make an investment. She chose to do a trial run. Years ago, when I served in a parish without bus service, I arranged for a bus route to be considered. Before approval, the vehicle inspector conducted a trial run to see whether the road was suitable, whether there were dangerous bends, speed bumps, or other obstacles. Shreya approached the Covenant in a similar way. Without officially making it, she lived as though she had already made it for three months.
For three months, she attended daily Mass and rose at five o’clock every morning. She persevered until the discipline became part of her life. When she realized that she could truly live it, she came and made the Covenant. God saw her sincerity.
When Jesus came, one of the things He revealed about Himself was, “I am the Truth.” The moment dishonesty enters our life, our relationship with Him begins to weaken. But when someone enters the Covenant with sincerity, precision, and faithfulness, the Holy Spirit begins to give clear answers.
John 15:7 says, “If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
After submitting applications to two multinational companies, Shreya came before the altar and asked, “Father, is my approach correct? Am I proceeding in the right way?” Normally, I do not answer such questions immediately. I often tell people, “Finish your ninety days first,” or, “When you receive a message from God, come and tell me.” But with her, I said, “I can answer you now.” At that time, I did not know her personally. I did not know her name. But the Lord had shown me that she was moving through a green channel in her Covenant life.
I went before the Blessed Mother, prayed for her intercession, and surrendered the matter to Jesus. Then, in my heart, Jesus gave me a number. I told the young woman, “Think of a number, but do not tell me what it is.” She silently chose a number. Then I asked, “Is it fourteen?” She was astonished and said, “Yes, it is fourteen.” That was exactly the number the Lord had given me. She asked, “Does this mean I have confirmation? Can I proceed with the MNC application?” I replied, “You may proceed. No matter how many powerful competitors stand against you, the Blessed Mother will obtain this job for you.” Afterward, every important stage connected with the interviews fell on the fourteenth, including dates such as May 14 and June 14.
God deals with people with that level of precision when their life is sincerely open to Him. The Covenant is different from attending a retreat, a novena, or a healing service. Those are also works of God, but the Covenant is a way of life. Our relationship with God, our attitude, and our daily decisions become Covenant-based. The Holy Spirit continually speaks to us. The Blessed Mother, who appeared with the sign of time and watches over the course of our lives, will not permit a decision to destroy a family when she is welcomed there as a member. Look again at Rojen’s life.
When his business began to prosper, Rojen, his wife, and his mother decided to build a new house. For an entire year, they prepared sketches and plans, consulted an engineer, approached the municipality, and obtained approval. Rojen had the money. The plan was approved. Yet the Blessed Mother did not give them the green light.
After about a year, Rojen understood why. If he withdrew such a large amount from the business and used it for the house, the business could decline. Businesspeople must retain liquid funds, movable assets, and reserve capital. Otherwise, when an opportunity arises, they may be unable to act. The Blessed Mother knew that investing such a large amount in a new house would turn it into dead capital.
Because all three members of the family were living the Covenant, they sat down and prayed together. The Blessed Mother inspired them: “You do not need another house. Renovate the house you already have.” They altered rooms, added extensions, changed the shape, and transformed the existing house. In the end, it became even more beautiful than the new house they had originally planned, and they saved approximately fifty lakh rupees. This is why Rojen said, “Even my thought process changed.”
When we live the Covenant, every area of life should be brought under God’s guidance. Many people never connect the Covenant with daily life. They recite the Apparition Prayer while asking only for a court case to be resolved or a marriage to happen. That completely misses the purpose. The Covenant is not another novena or pilgrimage. Wherever you go and whatever you do, the Covenant continues.
A few days ago, while reflecting on the Daily Bread, I received a verse from John 6:6, “Jesus already knew what He was going to do.”
When Philip saw the crowd and wondered how so many people could be fed, Jesus asked him where they could buy bread. He asked this to test Philip, but Scripture says that Jesus already knew what He was going to do. Always remember this: Jesus already has a plan for your life. He has a plan concerning whom you should marry, where you should work, and how each matter should unfold.
The Covenant is the process through which His loving plan is revealed and embodied in our lives. There is another important part of the Covenant that many overlook. We must spend time in the Lord’s presence. At the very least, remain before Him for half an hour. After Mass, do not immediately rush home as though you were hurrying to the market. Remain there.
When you remain before Jesus in the Eucharist, the Blessed Mother intercedes for you just as she did at Cana. Jesus was present, and when the family faced a need, Mary immediately went to Him. The ability to remain in Adoration is itself an anointing. You may not receive it immediately. You must desire it.
There is a close relationship between desire and anointing. At first, you may remain for ten minutes, then fifteen, then twenty. Little by little, the Lord will give you the grace to remain longer. One of the blessings of remaining before the Lord is that He takes upon Himself the burdens we carry. He prevents unnecessary worry, stops us from wasting time, and leads us to invest our effort in the right places.
People often run from one person to another, doing many things, struggling constantly, and losing time. When you remain before the Lord, He places you in the right place at the right time and helps you act properly. That is why I encourage Eucharistic Adoration.
Examine your relationships as well. Put an end to pointless conversations. Some people spend hours speaking aimlessly on WhatsApp. Record one of those conversations and listen to it afterward. You may discover that much of it had no value.
Those who have made the Covenant should develop discipline. Speak when necessary and speak joyfully. But when you are passing through a time of trial, reduce unnecessary conversations and spend more time with God.
Do not become stubborn about certain matters. Some things take time, and Jesus has many different paths. If He sees that one road will lead to trouble, do not insist that you must travel only by that road. Whether it concerns your job, marriage, property, or building a house, do not become so fixed on one outcome that you refuse to let go. Some people say, “I must marry this particular person. Otherwise, I will die.” You should never speak like that. Instead, say, “If it is pleasing to the Lord, let it happen. Let the Lord decide for me.”
Years ago, two young people who were in love came to me. They belonged to different communities, and the situation had become extremely tense. There was a danger that the families would fight. After praying with them for nearly two hours, I advised them that separation might be better. Soon afterward, the young woman jumped into the church well. She was rescued, and the crisis forced everyone involved to reconsider the hostility surrounding the relationship.
They later married, but about three years afterward, the young man died by suicide following further family conflict. This is often the outcome of saying, “If I do not get this, I will die.” Emotional bondage is dangerous. In the Covenant, your deepest emotional dependence must be on God alone. If you notice an unhealthy attachment, tell the Blessed Mother: “Mother, I have become emotionally attached to this. I do not know whether it will help me or harm me in the future.”
The same principle applies to property and financial decisions. Sometimes a person wants to buy land only because a neighbour is buying land. There may be no genuine need. Yet the person pressures the family and then comes seeking spiritual approval for a decision already made emotionally.
Suppose you bury all your money in land as dead capital and later face a medical emergency. Who will pay for the treatment? What if the property cannot be sold when money is urgently needed? Many families are harmed by emotional decisions, excessive cleverness, and poor judgment. That is why such matters must be settled with God. If something is not His will, you need the emotional freedom not to proceed.
Some people become so fixed on one desire that nothing else God gives them can make them happy. God may grant five blessings, but because the one thing they demanded did not happen, their face still shows no joy. That is a painful condition.
When you make the Covenant, surrender the matter and pray: “Lord, I am deeply attached to this. I feel that I cannot live without it. My mind is becoming disturbed. Please help me.”
Rojen shared another testimony that shows how the Covenant must be applied in faith. He began passing blood in his urine. When the condition became severe, he consulted a urologist. The doctor scanned and examined all his internal organs, and everything appeared normal. The doctor told him, “There is nothing wrong with your internal organs.” Rojen asked, “Doctor, if everything is normal, why am I still passing blood?” The doctor replied, “This is where medical science fails.” Eventually, there was hardly any urine at all. Only blood was coming out. His life seemed to be draining away.
Then he remembered the Blessed Mother. He returned home, took the Covenant oil, recited the Creed, and anointed himself with faith. At that very moment, the bleeding stopped. For the following three years, it did not return. That is his testimony.
So if you become emotionally obsessed with something, surrender it before God. Anoint yourself in faith, not as a magical act, but as an application of the Covenant, and ask God to take charge of the matter. Sometimes we pray repeatedly and nothing seems to move forward. What should we do then? Maintain the present state. If there is no clear procedure and no way to move forward, do not become desperate and force the matter. Do not run from one devotion to another, lighting candles and becoming increasingly restless.
If something is not moving, it does not mean that the Covenant has failed. Perhaps God has stopped it because proceeding would bring serious harm. Pray: “Lord, if this is Your will, let it happen when You desire. Until then, I will remain faithful in Your work.” The word “remain” carries deep meaning in Scripture.
Mark 1:45 says that after the man healed of leprosy spread the news everywhere, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places. He stayed there until the storm of hostility passed.
Psalm 57:1 says, “Until the storm of destruction passes by, I will take refuge under the shadow of Your wings.”
At times, no immediate action is required. When you cannot understand what to do and no clear direction comes, remain under the wings of God.
If one path is not right, do not insist that it must be the only path.
Matthew 2:12 says of the Magi, “Having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another route.”
They did not stubbornly insist on travelling the same road. They chose another route and continued their journey. We too must move forward. Do not cling stubbornly to one job, one house, one person, one country, or one particular opportunity. If you have remained trapped in one matter for a long time, be willing to consider another option. Do not let wounded pride make you say, “I have already invested so much time. God must give this to me.” Humble yourself.
Luke 9:56 says, “They went on to another village.”
Jesus had sent disciples ahead into a Samaritan village, but the people there did not receive Him. James and John wanted to react in anger, but Jesus corrected them and simply went to another village. That is the Lord’s attitude. Whether it concerns a person, an opportunity, or a job, learn to change direction when necessary. The willingness to take another route is humility. Stubbornly clinging to only one possibility is often pride.
My dear children, let the Covenant itself become your joy. Let your greatest happiness be that you have come to believe in God, that you are living in relationship with Him, and that the Blessed Mother has become a member of your family. The intentions you place before God matter. The blessings He gives are real. The testimonies are abundant.
But beyond all of them stands the greatest grace of the Covenant: God Himself.
Disclaimer: All content in this article is credited to Dr. Fr. V.P. Joseph Valiyaveettil of Kreupasanam Marian Shrine, Kerala, India. This English adaptation has been prepared as a humble effort to make Father’s Malayalam YouTube sharings more accessible to a wider audience, with the assistance of translation and editorial resources.
Many of Father’s teachings were originally shared within the context of the Kreupasanam Covenant and may therefore include references or practices specific to that spiritual journey. Nevertheless, this blog is intended for everyone. Whether or not you are a Covenant member, it is my hope that these reflections, biblical teachings, and testimonies will encourage you in your own walk with God.
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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