My Guru – By Fr George Vayaliparambil

My Guru shuchiyodu shudya beskuthishasparshichulla pathangalpukudyana dwarangalvanavarothu vasikkenam Alas! My Guru departed from me. He was, in all ways, a true guru, one who removed the darkness from his disciples, a light for us in all our paths. He was not a man with divine qualities, but a divine man with some human qualities. In his Character there is nothing to loose, in his skills there is nothing vain. My Guru was really a saint. He was the one who truly followed his saintly teachers. Among his two teachers, one was a man of Holiness and a Jewel of Good Conduct (Yacoob Mor Themothiose) and another was a harp of Holy Spirit (Perumbillil Geevarghese Mor Gregoriose). I can see them in my Guru. He is a facade of his gurus. Although he was a married priest, he was a model for the celibate priests also. During my seminary life, more than the liturgy, I learned from my Guru about how one can be holy; how a priest could imitate Our Loving God in thoughts, words and actions. I could see a spiritually matured man in my Guru. I have never heard a single word from him accusing or criticizing others. He never judged anyone. I remember that once when I said something against Vattassery Thirumeni in the presence of my Guru, he told me “shemmashan let us use our life for the glory of God than criticizing others”. My guru taught me how to celebrate Holy Eucharist in purity of Body, Mind and Spirit. He was against publicity. According to him, we should not record the Holy Qurbono, sell it and exhibit it in anywhere, because it is a mystery. My guru loved me like a father, cared for me like an angel and protected me like a soldier in all the ways of my life. He is the one who prompted me to learn Syriac language and liturgy all the more. He forced me to go for higher studies in Syriac culture and Syriac Christian faith in Thurabdeen. He wrote to the bishop of Gabriel Dayara recommending me to study there and gave it to me to send it to the bishop there, but I never did that because in that I was able to feel how much he loved me and cared for me; how as a Guru, he respected the skills of his disciples. I saw the heart of my Guru in that letter. There is nothing in the world that can make me happier than that letter. The spirit of my guru is with me and his prayers helps me to achieve his wish about his disciple. Once when I visited my Guru’s home, I could experience that it was a paradise filled with divine love. He is blessed with a loving and caring wife and sweet and obedient kids. The happiest memory of my life with my guru was when he,like a loving father beside his child, sat beside me, took food by his hand and started feeding me. Accepting the fact that my guru is away from me pains me like a strong dagger in my chest. He was a true faithful of God. He believed in Jesus Christ. He believed that God creates out of nothing and gives life to the dead. My Lord! We, the children of our ever loving teacher pray to you. Lord, as you promised, be kind to the soul of our Guru who bears you, who witnessed you. Oh! Our loving, holy father and great master! You deserve the reward that is kept for the true servants. Go in peace and pray for us sinners. On behalf of the students of Rev. Fr Cherian Kottayil, I extend my heart felt condolences to his bereaved family. “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones.” Psalm 116:15 Our Rev Fr Cherian is now singing with angels before YHWH!” Fr George Vayaliparambil.

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