Home In A Week

As Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt [1], what could be going through His mind?  One can only speculate from the perspective of a sinner which is what I am and what I am about to do.

Jesus already knows what will happen to Him.  If I were Him (this is a bold step to take, even in my imagination, and therefore these thoughts, as well as much of what comes out of my mind, can properly be considered as nonsense), I would be thinking about going home in seven days, the misery of betrayal, arrest, trials (all seven [2]), humiliation, scourging, piercing thorns, carrying the cross, crucifixion and of unspeakable pains, mental, emotional and physical. Because I am not Him, I would be indignant and stressed out, and I could not wait to get this ordeal overwith quickly when time suddenly seems to slow, when nothing is fun anymore, and when the disciples have not only kept their distance but also have become distant.

Then I would think of the nasty religious people who think that they are so educated and proper but who are hypocrites clothed in esteemed positions who want me dead.  I would also think of all the contemptible people, dead, alive and yet to be born, whose souls I would have to suffer and die to save, who do not deserve to be saved because of their incurable sinful nature and their countless detestable sins.

I would then think back to how much time I would have so that I no longer would have to associate and deal with all these insufferable sinners.  I would for a moment be happy, thinking of saying to the entire human race: "Good-bye" and "Good riddance!"  I would pray to God to numb my senses so that I would not have to face all the idiots and cope with all that pain but God would not have a son like me, so uncompassionate, unforgiving and unloving, and that is why God gave man the  one and only Son, Jesus, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary to bear the burden of man's sins to save man from eternal damnation.

During this Holy Week, one ought to reflect how great is the Lord and how undeserving is man of God's compassion, forgiveness and unconditional love, and how grateful one ought to be to have received these gifts delivered by the humble and suffering Christ in the flesh and with His blood.

[1] http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestorysummaries/a/Palm-Sunday-Story.htm
[2] http://www.godlygames.com/biblebread/jctrials.htm

Looking For A True Saint

My definition of a true saint is one who is a willing and humble servant of God, who is appointed by God and who has the power to heal during his lifetime (San Francesco d'Assisi) or who delivers God's healing power during her lifetime (Sainte Bernadette Soubirous).

The disciples of Jesus were given the power to heal [1] and as such all twelve of them were living saints in Jesus' time until Satan entered Judas Iscariot.  The remainder eleven are now saints in Heaven.  An example of one who is not a true saint is Padre Pio since he faked his stigmata [2].  His sainthood was conferred by another dubious "saint" who never performed a single miracle during his lifetime.  He, therefore, based on my definition, is not a true saint even though many wanted him to be one, and clamored for his sainthood even before the next pope, Pope Benedict XVI, was elected to became his successor.

Looking for a true saint who is a contemporary can be a long, continuing and rather unfulfilling journey.  The local religious dressed in habits have their share of shortcomings and demons for they too are sinners who like everyone else are enslaved by the economics and the politics of the world that Satan owns.  One who longs to meet someone who is not of this world [3] will find some solace in the prayer, Hail Holy Queen, by sharing the same feeling with those who long for Heaven: 

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee to we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, [O] most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. [4]

God's saints in Heaven: Pray for us.  Amen.

[1] http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/9

[2] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-strange-case-of-padre-pio-is-reopened-along-with-his-tomb-793358.html

[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A11-19&version=NIV or http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/17

[4] http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/maryd6d.htm

Receiving The Holy Spirit

Not too many people call upon the Holy Spirit for assistance probably because the third entity of the Holy Trinity has remained elusive.  The Holy Spirit is difficult to recognize since It has not been known to have an identifiable form.  It is a calibrated energy source that can be gentle like a baby lamb [1] as well as an enormously destructive force when It expands.

This Holy energy source has intellect and sensitivity.  One can ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  If the request is granted, It will enter gently, almost imperceptibly, and one will experience complete fulfillment. Then It will expand, ever so gradually, until one finds it difficult to breathe to the point of suffocation.  If one does not ask It to stop, death would be certain.

Death by the Holy Spirit while experiencing complete fulfillment is not necessarily a bad thing but death by suffocation cannot be a pleasant experience.  Faced with a choice between an imperfect life and death by the Holy Spirit, an imperfect life is the better. The Holy Spirit knows this, so as soon as one asks the Holy Spirit to stop, It will disappear along with the fulfillment It brings [2], and the breathing will return to normal.

One can also ask the Holy Spirit for a shot energy when it is needed.  A dose of energy from the Holy Spirit is better than caffeine because the Holy Spirit knows how much energy the body needs and for how long in order to accomplish whatever task is at hand with no lingering effects.

Communicating with the Holy Spirit through prayer is possible, but contrary to what others might have experienced or believe, and contrary to John 16:13, the Holy Spirit does not speak, in my opinion, at least not anymore. John 16:13 states: "But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.  He will not speak on his own, but will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming." [3]  The footnote to this passage provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states: "Declare to you the things that are coming: not a reference to new predictions about the future, but interpretation of what has already occurred or been said." [4] [Emphasis original.]  Since what has already occurred or been said has already been interpreted and analyzed, it is therefore reasonable to conclude that the Holy Spirit no longer needs to speak, especially when the Blessed Virgin Mary has been doing much of the speaking during Her apparitions.

The third nature of the Holy Trinity has been silent for quite some time but It is around somewhere.  Even though It is the most mysterious, the Holy Spirit ought not to be a stranger. In John 14:16-17, Jesus said, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it.  But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you." [5], [6].




[1] From Google images:

[2] But see John 14:16-17 and footnote [6] below.
[3] http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/16
[4] Ibid.
[5] http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/14
[6] This has not been my experience, however.  Some day I hope to be close enough with the Holy Spirit to receive It and to have It remain with and in me always, to fill me with God's Eternal Truth which brings uninterrupted peace and complete fulfillment.  Then nothing else matters.  That day may never come but remembering that it is possible, especially during difficult and depressing times, ought to give way to light that will dispel the darkness, to peace that will calm a tormented mind and contentment that will fill a troubled heart.

Prayers And Pleadings

Legal pleadings and prayers for relief are what lawyers do for their clients but prayers of the rosary and personal pleadings communicated to the Final Arbiter Who is God are for all who themselves need divine assistance.

Saying the rosary every day is not just for Lent, if one chooses to do so, but ought to be part of one's daily routine. The ideal way to say the rosary, in whichever language, is to be conscious of the meaning of every word that is said but that is nearly asking for the impossible for saying the rosary can easily put one into a trance, going through the decades without one's consciousness being fully engaged.  On the other hand, when one pleads actively for assistance, one is fully aware of one's own limitations and challenges while thoughts are being formed in the mind.  These private moments between man and God are intimate and so is the bond between God and man, considering that man during these moments is completely honest and sincere, humble and faithful, and receptive to the peace of God.

Maintaining a close relationship with God through prayers, pleadings and actions that arise out of genuine  love brings God into one's heart.  With God at the center, life can be easier, meaning less stressful; happier, meaning less sad, depressed and discontent; and more relaxed, meaning less worrisome about the cares and concerns of the world while things still get done.  In short, one can be at peace.  That sounds miraculous because it is, for miracles and inner peace are fruits of faithful prayers and humble pleadings of the misguided faithful. [1]


[1] Many more miracles are given by the grace of God. Accept and remember such gifts with daily prayers of gratitude. To take them for granted is to take God for granted, which is to hurt what is kind and good and to walk down the path of eternal regret.

The Original Eve

After the entries on March 7 and March 11 on the new Eve, the original Eve came to mind.  Just as the new Eve was conceived by the Holy Spirit, I thought that perhaps the original Eve was impregnated by Satan, but I was unable to lay a foundation to present such a possibility and had put the thought to rest.

The thought did not go away, however, so I searched the Internet to see if anything had been published on the topic, and serpentseedline.com [1] turned up.  There, Sherry Shriner cited biblestudysite.com [2] which made the arguments that support my conclusion.  Referring to the Tree of the Forbidden Fruit, biblestudycite.com stated, in part:

this is certainly no ordinary tree, for it wasn't a tree at all, it was satan. *1 pleasant to the eyes = Hebrew word #2530; chamad: To desire, to covet, to take pleasure in, to delight in, to be desirable, to delight greatly, to desire greatly, desirableness, preciousness.*2 desired = Hebrew word # 8378 ta'avah (tah-av-aw'); from 183 (abbreviated); to yearn for, to lust after (used of bodily appetites) a longing; by implication, a delight (subjectively, satisfaction, objectively, a charm): a desire, a wish, longings of one's heart; lust, an appetite, covetousness (in a bad sense), to covet, to wait longingly. *3 make one wise = Apple trees don't make you smart. But satan can fill your mind with evil 'wisdom' and evil thoughts!  *4 took = Hebrew word #3947 laqach (law-kakh'); a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications): to take, to lay hold of, to receive, to marry, to take a wife, to take to or for a person, to procure, to get, to take possession of, to select, to choose, to take in marriage, to receive, to accept. [Emphasis original.]

 ... 

Adam also partook of this 'forbidden fruit.' Satan is a super-natural being possessing supernatural powers, thus he can appear to Adam and Eve as two different things (beings, entities) if he had wanted to. We don't know for sure as to what degree Adam partook of this fruit, but as we read on, we will see that Eve became pregnant from her doing so. She was impregnated and conceived by the serpent first, then she conceived a second time from Adam (next chapter [Gen 4:1]). Eve went on to bear twins (Cain and Abel). [3]

What took place in the Garden of Eden could have been a lot more salacious than merely the sexual unions between Satan and Eve and Eve and Adam.  Since Satan presumably has the power of transformation, it is possible that the sex scene in the Garden of Eden was a ménage à trois unlike any other during which Satan transformed Itself endlessly from male to female to hermaphrodite, every single one of them beautiful and perfect, to excite Adam and Eve to no end in ways not experienced by any human since [4].

Looking back, Adam and Eve probably had asked themselves whether their incredible sex with Satan that had likely gone on for an extended period [5] was worth both suffering and death [6] for them and their descendants.  The couple probably also wondered if Cain who killed his brother Abel was from the seed of Satan.  Had Sherry Shriner been there at the time, she would have offered them her viewpoint:

It is believed and not medically impossible that Eve got pregnant by both Satan and Adam at the same time and thus went on to bear twins (Cain and [Abel]). [7]

The analysis so far seems plausible but to the conclude that the certain people are descendants of Cain who was conceived by the seed of Satan and that certain others are descendants of Adam through Seth [8] would require one to stretch the imagination since people from the two separate lineages would have intermarried and therefore a pure bloodline tracing back to Satan most likely does not exist. If it did, direct descendants of Satan ought to be easily identifiable as the most cunning.

Indeed, there were/are cunning creatures in the seats of power.  They may not be direct descandants of Satan, but their bloodline could be relatively pure in which case their names ought to be listed under serpentseedline.com. [9]

[1] http://www.serpentseedline.com/
[2] http://www.biblestudysite.com/realsin.htm.
[3] Ibid.
[4] The kinds of sexual engagement Satan had with Adam and Eve would make bondage/ sadomasochistic and every other kind of deviant sex appear childish.
[5] Satan is not stingy with what It can give except that Its gifts lead one to eternal suffering rather than eternal joy.
[6] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:17-19
[7] http://www.serpentseedline.com/
[8] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+5&version=HCSB
[9] The website listed Bush. 

Seeking Love

"Where,
"is love?
"Does it fall from
"skies above?
"Is it underneath
"the willow tree
"That I've been
"dreaming of?
"Where, is she
"Who I close my
"eyes to see?
"Will I ever know
"the sweet 'Hello'
"That's meant
"for only me?
"Who can say where
"she may hide?
"Must I travel far and wide

"'Till I am beside,

"the some one who

"I can mean,

"Something to?

"Where,

"Where is Love?
"Every night I
"Kneel and pray,
"Let tomorrow
"Be the day,
"When I see the face
"Of someone who
"I can mean,
"Something to.
"Where,
"Where is Love?"

The quoted lyrics above are from the song "Where is Love?" from the Broadway musical Oliver! [1].  Perhaps no one better understands the pain of not being loved than an orphan, or one who feels like an orphan.  I surmise that the absence of love is like an open wound that does not heal with the passage of time, that radiates a deep hurt that is indescribable and a numbness that is almost palpable, the kind that does not attenuate with age but depraves behavior, that the orphan carries with him to his grave, if he does not ever find the love he has been wondering about and waiting for in life, a love that continues to be a longing at death, a love that lives only in a dream.

Orphan Oliver in the musical [2] dreams of finding love underneath a willow tree.  He is looking for his mother who loves him, the mother from whose womb his life sprung forth, but she is not there for him. [3]

A mother's love is so important to a child that even child Jesus was not denied it.  Rather, He had the best mother any child could have, the Blessed Virgin Mary Who was born without Original Sin.  Her blessedness gave Her the ability to raise Jesus with unselfish and undiluted love so that He was able to become the man that He was, able to be obedient and do the very difficult work God wanted Him to do, to love sinners unconditionally, and to suffer and die for their sins.

Having a mother is important.  Equally important is not having a child seek or doubt his mother's love.  The more a mother takes after the Blessed Virgin Mary [4], the more likely her child will grow up to become Christ-like, fearless in his conduct and compassionate in his judgment.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjJDekSculo
[2] The musical was based on a novel entitled Oliver Twist  by Charles Dickens.  A synopsis of the novel can be read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Twist
[3] One may wish to set aside the staging, the musical composition and the lyrics, the acting and the solo and imagine that Oliver is a real orphan who is sad and lonely and depressed, sitting by himself underneath a willow tree, yearning for the love of his mother and choking back tears while singing his prayer for a mother he has never met and her love he has never known.
[4] I believe that peace among men is possible, if the Lord allows enough time to achieve it but it must begin with mothers whose common goal is not to be equal to men, or subservient to them, but to become like the Blessed Virgin Mary, the new Eve, to reject Satan, to embrace her children, and the children of all other mothers, with pure and undiluted love.

Seeking For Perfection In Things

Man has a tendency to compensate and even over-compensate for his shortcomings.  He does that not by focusing on his own defects but in the defects of things he treasures.

Brand new things made by machines come to the marketplace without nicks, scratches and dents.  To keep them in mint condition, a lot dedication goes into caring for them meticulously.  Over time, they remain static as things, even if they appear clean and new, they will look dated compared to the latest models and become obsolete as technology advances.

The question then is whether one ought to fuss over imperfections in things caused by mistakes and carelessness, thereby marring their appearances.  Granted that sometimes damaged surfaces can be unsightly but should that cause one continual frustration?  Of course, some damages can be repaired, or the part that is damaged can be replaced or the whole thing can be discarded.

When cost is not an issue, going to extremes to have perfection in things can make one happy. The observation here is not so much that satisfaction or happiness can be achieved but that flawlessness is possible.

Imagine for a moment the imperfect man owning something perfect.  That is quite an achievement.  If there is any pride that goes with possessing something perfect, that pride is misplaced.

One needs to ask what is more important: one's character or one's possessions?  For someone who defines himself based on his assets would say possessions for he believes that he would be a nobody and society would treat him as a nobody if he owned nothing.  For someone who places more value on humility and the teachings of Christ than on tangible assets would say his character, even though his character is flawed.

Judging character is difficult but it is easy and fast to judge a man by what he wears.  This is captured by the German saying "Kleider machen Leuten" ("clothes makes the man"). Kleider machen Leuten is true throughout the world. The one judging always believes that the judgment is right otherwise there is no need to judge.  Judging is the norm. People judge other people all the time: those they know and those they do not know.  People also have a tendency to compensate for their own defects.  When they are unable to, they can seek perfection in things, thinking that by wearing or owning things that are perfect that they would somehow be seen as perfect.

No human is perfect except for the Blessed Virgin Mary, and only through Her, not by having things that are perfect, will one have a chance of being cured of one's flaws. [1]




[1] One ought to be able to have things that are perfect if that makes one happy so long as it is reasonable and so long as the pursuit of nice things do not replace one's love for and time with God.

Searching For Mary, Mother Of Jesus

My last entry began with words self-evident: "Jesus is not physically here," and neither is His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Like Her Son, Her disappearance from this earth is similarly mysterious and scientifically unascertainable, but not too many people, skeptics included, spend time and resources looking for Her.  Is it because She had not left behind clues and nobody had bothered to manufacture any, or because Her existence did not matter or because She was merely human and not God, or is it for some other reason that the search for the Mother of Jesus lacks interest?

Any attempt to answer the questions above is speculative and this blog is full of speculations.  To begin, Mary's existence mattered because without Her, Jesus would not have been born.  Without Jesus, who knows how the years would be counted--certainly they would not be B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini)--and how inconvenient it would be if every culture insisted on counting time in a peculiar way, in which case, time travel would take on an entirely different meaning.

Secondly, even though the Blessed Virgin Mary was human, She was above being merely human since she was born without Original Sin ("que soy era Immaculada Councepciou" or "I am the Immaculate Conception" [1]) and as such, She was the perfect spouse, the perfect mother, the perfect relative and the perfect woman to whom all women ought to aspire to.  To say that She is not God would be correct but to say She is not God-like, She being the Mother of God, would be incorrect.

Thirdly, the Blessed Virgin Mary did leave behind places She resided in.  One of them is in Ephesus, Turkey, and it is near St. John's Basilica [3], but nobody had done any extensive, detailed examination beside carbon dating the structure. [4]

Finally, there could be many other reasons why scientists, documentary filmmakers and skeptics have not spent much effort in locating other evidence, either real or fake, belonging to the Blessed Virgin Mary and explaining the lack of such evidence should they not find any at all.  Whatever their reasons maybe do not keep Her from being very real or in any way minimize Her importance.

The continuing presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary over the centuries is evidence of the indispensable role She plays in the salvation of souls.  She is the constant intercessor between God and sinner because She possesses infinite compassion; She is also God's designated messenger to heal people and to show them the way to peace by Her apparitions in different parts of the world regardless of differences in language, culture and religion. [5], [6], [7], [8].  Starting with 1900, the list is long [9].  Considerably shorter is the list of approved apparitions [10].

Perhaps the chief reason that no concerted effort has ever been made to discredit the Blessed Virgin Mary is not because of Her many apparitions but Her status as a woman, the  Woman Who replaced Eve, the  Woman Whom Satan dare not approach, for She is most holy, incorruptible and undefilable/unblemishable and most beautiful (O sanctissima, inviolata, intemerata, O pulcherrima), the  Woman Who is known to be clement, loving, sweet (O clemens, O pia, O dulcis), the  Woman Who is God's servant, the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God's only Son.

It is interesting to note that those who keep on searching for Jesus do not look to His Mother for guidance since She can always find Her Son Who listens to Her [11], [12] and can direct all who supplicate toward His Sacred Heart.

[1] http://www.catholicpilgrims.com/lourdes/bg_lourdes_conception.htm
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDCM1dPBxSs
[3] http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/ephesus-basilica-of-st-john
[4] https://suite.io/lorraine-shelstad/48qh2vp
[5] In Iraq:
http://unveilingtheapocalypse.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-recent-marian-apparitions-in.html
[6] In Egypt:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Zeitoun
[7]In China:
http://www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_apparitions/donglu/index.html
[8] In India:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Mystic-claims-that-Mary-appeared-at-Batim-apparition/articleshow/12408755.cms
[9] http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/aprtable.html

[10] http://www.salvemariaregina.info/MarianShrines/MarianApparitions.html
[11] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202%3A41-52
[12] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%202%3A1-11

Searching For Jesus

Jesus is not physically here.  He is not in the Shroud of Turin, not in Veronica's Veil, not in paintings and holy cards, and not in sculptures small and large.  He has resurrected.  For someone who does not believe in and love Christ deep in the heart, He cannot be found but that is not always true.  For example, Jesus showed Himself to His disciples even though they had no idea who He was. He has not stopped looking for non-believers ever since, an assertion that is without proof, just as the existence of Jesus is not definitive.  Neither of that matters because people who did not believe in Christ who have become believers in Christ do exist in the flesh today, unlike Jesus Who no longer does.

The absence of Christ in the flesh had given way for the Holy Spirit to be present.  Since the Holy Spirit is invisible and likely free-form, It is difficult for one to imagine and even more difficult to forge a relationship with.  Therefore, believers in Christ talk often about the incarnated Son of God but seldom the Holy Spirit because the Former is easy for the mind to comprehend despite Jesus' mysterious existence, in particular His early years, and His even more mysterious disappearance. Believer or not, the relationship between man and God is close, similar to the one between Satan and man and in many ways to the one between man and wife.

In contrast to a couple who is dating, the question that is seldom asked of a person with a close relationship with Christ is: "How did you two meet?"  The answer is probably as dissimilar [1] as those of couples being asked the same question for every individual is different which makes unique the circumstances that unite Christ to that person.  Behind the varied circumstances that bring together Christ and man is the mystery as to who initiated the first step, man or Christ.

A good guess would be Christ Who is always the One calling out to man who in God's image he appears.  To see a stranger beyond what meets the eye is to experience the heart of God's creation if it had not yet been corrupted by Satan.  To see only for example the shallowness represented by one's grooming, dress and possessions is to refuse to see God within others.  Seeing hate is the rejection of good and of God.  Even one who sees hate can be called by Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Saul was an example [2], [3].

Why Jesus calls some people but not others nobody really knows.  Maybe everyone is called but not many can hear. They cannot hear because they may be too preoccupied with all things worldly, too self-sufficient to be humble and to acknowledge their limitations and too weak to refuse Satan's constant beckoning.  If everyone is called, then all the skeptics actively looking for Jesus would certainly hear Him but that is not necessarily true.  They do not hear Jesus calling because they could be too proud of their scientific intellect and their means of investigations and too obsessed with their determination to prove without a doubt that Jesus existed, trying to search for Jesus wherever they can, in the Shroud of Turin, in Veronica's Veil, in paintings and holy cards, and in sculptures small and large, again and again, but never truly find Him [4].

The words of Jesus: "seek, and ye shall find" [5] may, in general, apply only to those who seek Christ with love and faith and not to those desiring to prove His existence or non-existence with objectivity and science.


[1] The way people meet nowadays maybe more similar than dissimilar and less likely in church but more likely online and by using a dating app.
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%209%3A1-19
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+13%3A1-12&version=NIV  Note: This passage of the Bible indicated that the Holy Spirit spoke.  I am still of the opinion that the Holy Spirit is an ever-expanding energy source that is limitless but does not speak with an audible voice, that It is a part of the Holy Trinity Whose actions speak instead.
[4] However, when Jesus wants to call a skeptic, His voice will be heard.  The Apostle Thomas, aptly nicknamed "Doubting Thomas," is an example of a skeptic who was called by Jesus to believe. See https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+20:24-29
[5] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7%3A7-11%2CLuke+11%3A9-13&version=KJV

Catholic Priest Released

Below are before and after photos of Father Alexis Prem Kumar:

Before his abduction [1]:

After his release [2], [3]:

.

Two short articles summarizing the ordeal of Father Alexis Prem Kumar can be read here [4] and here [5]. Although Fr. Alexis had some health issues and lost weight during his captivity in Afghanistan, he seemed to have emerged from it looking younger, perhaps even happier.  Here [6] is an article recounting the efforts that led to Fr. Alexis' release. Beyond human interactions on both sides of the captor-captive divide, I believe that faith and divine intervention played a role in the safe return of Fr. Alexis.  In Fr. Alexis' own words, "'God has saved me.'" [7]

Blessed are those who have a priest in Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar who was humbled in captivity to administer to their spiritual needs and fill their spiritual voids.


[1] http://www.catholicsun.org/2014/06/03/jesuit-priest-working-with-former-refugees-kidnapped-in-afghanistan/
[2] http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/details-emerge-jesuits-captivity-afghanistan
[3] http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/jesuit-priests-cheerful-disposition-kept-hope-alive-during-afghan-captivity-26129/
[4] http://zeenews.india.com/news/tamil-nadu/tamil-nadu-priest-warned-he-will-be-killed-if-he-returns-to-afghanistan_1553009.html
[5] http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/blindfolded-chained-and-shunted-about/article6929925.ece
[6] http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/jesuit-priests-cheerful-disposition-kept-hope-alive-during-afghan-captivity-26129/
[7] http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/02/23/god-has-saved-me-says-jesuit-priest-released-by-taliban/