2020-2026
As an Orthodox priest and chaplain, I firmly believe that prayer functions as a conduit, raising the mind and heart towards God and encompassing expressions of praise, gratitude, and requests for spiritual fulfillment. The guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ underscores the significance of private communion with God the Father through prayer. In the tapestry of our Christian journey, prayer is an essential cornerstone for our growth and progress. Within me, a sacred dialogue unfurls between the divine presence and my spiritual mentor. This ministerial voyage has illuminated that life's trajectory is a transition from mere cognition to profound sentiment, a journey from head to heart, in which I find myself still learning.
Within the limited span of existence granted to us, the gravity of our choices and actions echoes, influencing the lives of those we encounter. Our pursuit is one of depth and significance, a quest for a life imbued with purpose. Each dawn heralds new prospects, challenges, and moments to embody the tenets of the gospel. Regardless of our awareness, the call to selflessness echoes universally. This summons manifests in the diverse and distinctive ways each of us treads.
My spiritual heritage originates in the fabric of a charming village, Ayoor, in Kollam, Kerala, India. Being the eldest among four siblings, my parents ingrained within me the principles of the Orthodox faith during my upbringing. This heritage nurtures a genuine congruence with my authentic self. Humanity, a mosaic of belief systems, ideas, and spiritual lineages, beckons me, as a pastoral care minister, to embrace and uplift every soul I encounter. This journey is a reminder that the alignment of personal values and customs heralds the realization of a divine plan. I am guided by the conviction that I optimize my role as a priest and chaplain when I wholeheartedly embrace and honor the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of others, enabling me to navigate life's journey in alignment with my core values. This vocation hinges on the respect I harbor for the bedrock beliefs of my fellow humans.
The mantle of my priesthood rests not only on my transient existence but also on my role as a servant of God, ordained within the Indian Orthodox Church. This divine bestowal priesthood calls me to administer, oversee, and sanctify the sacraments, mirroring the love embodied by Jesus Christ's example. A responsibility unfurls, entailing the sanctification of my own life and those who seek solace in the Church's sacraments and the grace of the divine. My theological understanding posits the priest as a sacred gift to the Church, a symbiotic relationship intertwined with the Holy Liturgy. Rooted in the Divine Liturgy, my priesthood finds its essence within the Eucharist. Through the conduit of my consecrated hands, bread and wine metamorphose into the corporeal, spiritual, and divine embodiments of our Lord Jesus Christ. The proclamation of St. John 20:23 resounds—sins absolved through my intercession.
The divine has crafted me as a distinct and gifted creation shaped from the earth. My palms bear the engravings of my uniqueness, manifested as fingerprints that stand unmatched and unparalleled. God, the master craftsman, endowed me with latent talents and capabilities, some unveiled, others awaiting discovery. Averse to the parable of the wicked and indolent servant, my resolve is kindled by the words of St. Matthew 25:24–28, urging me to multiply my talents in the service of the divine. In emulating the servant who bore his abilities, I aspire to present a bounty of offerings before the divine master.
The tapestry of my priesthood is neither a personal choice nor a self-appointment; it is a manifestation of God's divine design. The call of the Lord is not a response to my aspirations or desires but a pure and unmerited gift. This calling, a reciprocal resonance with the divine summons, is a choice initiated by God. In the corridors of my college days, the first echoes of this calling reverberated within me, a conviction nurtured through the presence of cherished individuals, particularly my parents. My aspiration may be fervent, yet the will of the divine prevails over my own. I stand as a testament to God's sovereign choice, a recipient of His divine selection.