Fr. Irudayam, former YSM national chaplain, was celebrating holy mass at a national consultation. “YSM-ers must look at god as a loving father” was the theme chosen for the prayer. Fr. Irudayam suggested, “When the celebrant says “The Lord be with you”, the participants must answer, “The Lord is Strongly with us””. He gave a short explanation for his suggestion.
Immediately Mr. James Sylvester from Hyderabad raised an objection. The previous week when his whole family went for a film show, an accident took place. A fire burnt down his house. They lost every thing in the fire. “How can I say that the lord is strongly with us”? James asked the question.
Miss. Hemalatha from Pondicherry also raised a similar objection. Her friend who was waiting for his result in the 10th class government examination, suddenly died in an accident, “How do we say god is our loving father? Is he strongly with us?”, was the question of Miss. Hemalatha.
Without answering their objection, Fr. Irudayam asked the other participants to give their explanation. Each one tried their best.
“The boy could fall into bad company in the college and would bring shame to his parents. So god took him early”, said Miss. Vanaja from Nagercoil.
“God wanted the best flower of His garden for His altar”, suggested Fr. Leslie Mores of Mysore.
Neither James Sylvester nor Hemalatha were satisfied. But they were silent and gloomy.
“I am not able to give an intellectually satisfactory answer, but I still believe that god is a loving father” said I.
Fr. Irudayam also said, “Some actions of god are beyond our grasp. Let us trust in His love”.
But at the end of the mass, before the celebrant said, “The Lord be with you”, James Sylvester raised his hand and said, “I also want to say that god is strongly with us”. His eyes were bright as if god had touched him.
It was a God experience for all of us. In YSM prayer meetings, participants often experienced the loving hand of god.
Fr. M. C. Michael Menamparampil