Dearly Beloved in Christ,
Greetings to all in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
This year's our VBS ended very well. The final day programme held on 26th June was a memorable event. This year's VBS Director was our Thomas Varghese Achen. Achen led well. I am coming in to the main theme of our VBS. Radiance of Virtues (Mt. 5:16). This was the main theme of our VBS. It was a life touching theme. I know that the classes based on this theme really influenced our children. This theme has been taken from the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is a vivid description of the noble values in a Christian life. What is virtues? The real virtue is our Jesus. It is something that shines involuntarily. It is a manifestation of the wonderfully bright inner state. See an experience from the life of Mother Theresa.
"I once picked up a woman from a garbage dump and she was burning with fever; she was in her last days and her only lament was: 'My son did this to me.' I begged her: You must forgive your son. In a moment of madness when he was not himself, he did a thing he regrets. Be a mother to him, forgive him. It took me a long time to make her say: 'I forgive my son.' Just before she died in my arms, she was able to say that with a real forgiveness. She was not concerned that she was dying. The breaking of the heart was that her son did not want her. This is something you and I can understand."
We a group of 22 members visited the Holy Land from July 3-10. It was an unforgettable event in our life. We visited the 'Sermon on the Mount Church' near the Sea of Galilee. Really we experienced the presence of Jesus there. He taught about the virtues in life from this mount. In Holy Land we celebrated Holy Communion near the tomb of Jesus. We stayed in Nazareth and Olive Mount. This trip was arranged by our Savika Sangam. We express our sincere thanks to those who prayed for us.
With love and prayers
Raju Thomas Achen
Posted on July 26 2009