We, the family members of prison Ministry India are so grateful and indebted to Fr. Josekutty Kalayil, MST for the full dedication and industrious hard work to take the ministry of the least, last and the lost of our brethren behind the bars to new heights. He added coloured feathers to prison Ministry India all throughout these years by making available the services of many well wishers and like- minded people. We pray that may God bless him abundantly in his new assignments and responsibilities.
After giving consent to take up the ministry for a second time the bible passage that came to my hand was about the miraculous catch of fish by peter described in the 5th chapter of the gospel of St. Luke and in fact it was about Jesus’ call of his first disciples to discipleship. At the Shore of Ganesarat Lake, Jesus was in need of a boat as a platform to speak up the Good news of the Kingdom to the people gathered around him. At the request of Jesus there comes Simon peter who offered his boat for Jesus. I too make this call for the second time as an offer to God to keep me as his boat to proclaim his gospel to the people behind bars. May God take me where ever he wants and to do what he asks me to do.
In these days I receive a lot of phone calls from many people conveying their regards and best wishes. They express the feeling that I can do wonders because I have the early very rich knowledge of the ministry. Their words are definitely encouraging but the same gospel passage previously mentioned teaches me another lesson by the experience of St. Peter. He was a very skilled fish hunter and his expertise unparalleled by everyone, as well as he knew the surges of the Sea so well. Nevertheless, he had fished the whole night and had caught nothing. He was thoroughly exhausted and disappointed due to his fruit less effort of the night. The experience of peter, the first Pope teaches us that, the earlier experience and familiarity with situation and acquaintance with people do not bring forth the fruit of work; but rather it is the God’s providence which alone can bring success in this ministry. Prison ministry completely rely its every movement on God’s providence. Jesus wanted peter to humble himself and to patiently obey His word before the miraculous catch of fish. May Our God give me the grace to make myself humble enough to understand the path of the disciples.
Though it was little late, Peter followed his heart to believe in God’s providence, not his mind, thinking there was no fish, not his experience of several attempts with his expertise and absolutely no collection of fish, not his body, being too tired and exhausted, resultantly, just incapable of going on. The only commendable method of success for everyone to follow......
After taking charge of the Prison Ministry, located its central office in Bangalore, I have had the chance to go to Bangalore Central Prison to receive the blessing from the inmates of Prison. They invoked God’s blessings upon my bowed head as well as on my Assistant National Coordinator, very significantly, after our holy Eucharistic Celebration. Hence it was a heart breaking experience and considered as a privilege to begin the mission towards the growth of the least with the blessings of the least.
Again at the end of the same gospel passage, peter realised that he cannot net the whole number of fish out of sea all by himself. Therefore he requested his companions namely, James, John and the sons of Zebadee to lay their hands in this collective effort. Similarly, I consider that I cannot do anything worth for the least by myself alone without your cooperation and assistance. Indeed I will be helpless without you. With utmost sincerity I ask your whole hearted support and prayers in the days ahead.
Each one of you belonging to the community of PMI is invited to create a new chapter in the novel or history of prison Ministry India. Each chapter is written by different individuals and they should be connected with each other. No one is completely free to write any independent chapter; rather every chapter should have resemblance to each other. In other words we cannot forget the past, the present or the future, the people who had put their heart and soul, some of them who had already gone to heaven, the ever active representation of our beloved Most Rev. Bishop Peter Remigius and all regional and state coordinators, the persons in charge of rehabilitation centres, and all the volunteers. We are also happy to have Fr. Mathew, the Assistant National Coordinator, and a gem of personality to accompany us in all our endeavours. Let us unfold a new Horizon of uncompromised growth of our ministry where the Grace of God perseveres ever.
May God Bless us all
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