By Br. Rojan Babu –
Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara (10 February 1805 – 3 January 1871) was the founder of two indigenous religious congregations in India — now known as the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) for men and Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) for women. His role during the schism in the church is much lauded and he was also the Vicar general of the whole Syro-Malabar Church for ten years and is known for taking several initiatives for the faithful.
St. Chavara’s spirituality is found in several areas which include preaching the word of god, renewal programmes for priests, press apostolate, catechumates, home for the destitute, strengthening liturgical life, fostering loyalty to the Church etc. However, there is an aspect in the saint which has not been brought into limelight; his poetic excellence. He was indeed a versatile linguist. He was proficient in Malayalam, Tamil, Sanskrit, Syriac, Latin, Italian and Portuguese.
According to the researches carried out during the process of canonization, it was confirmed that St. Chavara had 102 writings in his account, which included 67 letters, five chronicles, six liturgical books, 16 matters related to administration and eight spiritual writings. St. Chavara’s writings were quite impressive and varied. There are three poems accredited to his name, they are Dirge, Anasthasias’s Martyrdom and Compunction of the Soul.
Dirge celebrates the communion of saints among the Church. Anasthasias’ Martyrdom is sensuous, emotional and it depicts the holiness of the virgin Anasthasia. Compunction of the soul is one of the best poems of Chavara which is based on the mystical city of God and divine history of the mother of god. What seem to be interesting are the autobiographical traits contained in his works. In the Compunction of the Soul, he depicts the preparation for his final meeting with the Lord in death and judgment. It alternates in pouring out the feelings of compunction. The poem comprises twelve chapters, which in details refers to the birth, teachings, death and all the events which happened in the life of Jesus.
The poet pays gratitude to the Almighty for the grace of being born a human being in this world and also recollects the incidents of his childhood in succession and with a contrite heart asks forgiveness of God for withholding his homage to God so long. He praises the extraordinary good nature and piety of his dear mother how in his early childhood he was laid at the feet of Mary and dedicated to her; of how he was in those days preserved from an epidemic which threatened his life and also his sincere compunction of not having fought sufficiently against his temptations through mortification of his senses, in those early days. The poet repeats the words “I long to see Jesus” as he relates His birth to each incident of the Holy Bible beginning from the birth of Jesus Christ.
Recollecting the incidents that took place at the cave of Bethlehem form time of the Birth of our Lord, in an ecstasy of devotion, the poet gives vent once again to his ardent desire to see the Holy infant and witness the miracle of the incarnation. He describes the long tedious journey of the expecting Virgin Mother to Bethlehem, her helplessness and the subsequent sad reflections of the poet’s contrite heart. The spiritual lament of the poet is repeated is many of the Cantos. The arrival of the Magi, the offerings of their gifts, the presentation of the infant in the temple, the prophecies of Simon and Anna, followed by sorrows and passions endured by our Lady and a heartfelt prayer of the poet to be converted and sanctified are included in the poem ‘Compunction of the Soul’.
As we read through the poems written by St. Chavara, we could see how he narrates them in a meditative vein and often he gets lost in reflections on his own life. He is indebted to several books besides the Old Testament and New Testament of the Holy Bible. He has referred to “The City of God” and also to a Spanish book written by Maria Agrada. However, his works are undoubtedly a treasure-house of pious reflections both inspiring and informative. His works reflect the dimension of his faith very vividly.
There are important documents of the Holy See, which shed light on the spirituality of St. Chavara. It says that no words of our Lord are found more reflective of St. Chavara’s holiness than the following: “if anyone loves me he will keep my word. My Father will love him; we shall come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:24) In his spiritual diary St. Chavara points out how charmed he was about the divine indwelling. He had a clear faith vision; he could see the ever present and ever active Creator, guiding everything smoothly. Having this dynamic faith, in his heart, he wanted very much to be closely linked with God though prayer and contemplation. It was again his ardent faith that moved him to love the Mother Church.
References
- Paul, Paulachan. (2004). The Lord of Heaven and Earth
- Leo, Mary. (1989, May 11). Complete works of BL. Chavara, Vol II
- Muzhoor, Z.M. (1990). Athmanuthapam