Scholar and lover of humanity.

Dr.Geevarghese Mar Osthathios, a great saint, scholar and lover of humanity.

(Fr. T. George, Ireland. )

As I sit before my computer, I am choked with mixed emotions- first, sorrow that I would not be able to see the saintly bishop who has been my inspiration and living proof of a loving personal God’s presence with us, second a feeling of love that this gentle and humble man evoked in us, and last of all joy and wonder that I was one of a lucky generation who could actually see, hear and touch such a person who walked with God in the paths of Jesus. I have only heard of our Parumala Thirumeni, Bishop Pathros Mar Osthathios and Bishop Paulos Mar Gregorios, but I was blessed in that I could actually see and interact with a saint of the times- BishopGeevarghese Mar Osthathios.

HG was a man with integrity, who walked his talk and also a man of deep spirituality.This was reflected in each of HG’s thoughts, words and deeds. HG was a light that could not be hidden under a bushel and HG’s radiance was quite evident to anyone who came near. Thirumeni truly dwelt in the Holy Hill as stated in Psalm 15 and breathed the perfume of faith in the Holy Triune God (Atraita). Godknew HG’s heart and as prophesied by Hanani, the seer, to King Asa of Judah in 2Chronicles 16, was faithful “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.’ The proof is in the enormous amount of Mission work HG could undertake, the way in which God opened the windows of heaven and showered His resources on HG. Thirumeni never worried about funds, either for himself or for the Mission projects. HG knew that “The earth is the Lord’s and its fullness thereof’. ‘ And HG relied on his Master’s will and bounty with childlike trust and God responded as promised. I know that all who were close to HG can testify to this truth.

Personally, I have always felt Thirumeni’s physical presence to be the sacramental and spiritual presence of Christ, our Lord, and that blissful experience always brought me a sense of God’s gracious and divine power. This made me visit His Grace as frequently as possible. I cherished Thirumeni’s prayerful touch of blessing as food for my spiritual journey.

God has been extremely gracious to me to grant me a chance to live with Thirumeni in St. Paul’s Mission Training Centre, Mavelikara for a period of three months in 1991. And I consider it to be the most blessed days of my life. I am blessed for being born in this Century, to be a contemporary of this great legendary figure, and to be a student and disciple of this great guru. HG was instrumental in shaping me and my career and Thirumeni was my source of inspiration and role model. Before my eyes, I could see the Kenosis or self emptying action of Christ and His life that liberated the oppressed and healed the sick as reported in the Bible (Philippians 2 :1-11, Acts 10: 38) being followed by Thirumeni. It is through the paradigmatic life of Geevarghese Mar Osthathios that I have experienced the felicity of the life in Christ and the foretaste of the Kingdom of God.

HG’s love for humanity was palpable and HG’s compassion for the poor came out of a heart that burned with zeal for Christ. HG’s love came from his love for Christ and this grew through Thirumeni’s prayer life.HG prayed with tears (ente kannuneer oru thuruthiyil) and pervaded by God’s Love, burned with a missionary zeal for disseminating the gospel of love.

Thirumeni lived with an ecumenical vision of getting social justice and equality implemented throughout the world. His vibrant life of 94 years is coruscated with innumerable thought provoking speeches, 6o books, 1000+articles of international standard, and the founding of 40 charitable organizations. HG was a man who travelled ahead of the times, especially in terms of philosophy. To some people, Thirumeni’s revolutionary thoughts may seem to be utopian and unpalatable. But I am convinced that in the fullness of time, when the world is ready to accept the Agape of the Trinity in its entirety, they would find that HG was not far from the truth.

The holy Bible tells us what the pure and genuine religion is (St. James 1: 26-27). There are three factors that are imperative for a true religionist. Mastery over speech; Ministry to the needy; Morality in life. Mar Osthathios combined in himself all these three virtues by revealing the quality of his faith in God through his innumerable speeches that evolved from his heart, by being the guardian of the poor, by keeping himself aloof from corruption.

In 1992, Thirumeni was diagnosed with 5 blocks in his arteries and the consultant physicians predicted that HG might survive only for a month and a half. HG’s well wishers wished for a treatment abroad. But HG was not willing to spend a huge amount on his treatment as that money could be spent for the poor. However, HG was taken to America for a major open-heart surgery through the insistence of his well-wishers and the surgery was done successfully there. The hospital management was so impressed by HG’s virtuous life, that they waived the expenses for the treatment. HG spent the money thus saved for starting a charity scheme, ‘Save a Heart Foundation’. Miraculously, the same God who elongated the life span of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20: 1- 11) extended the life span of this great devotee of Him, for yet another 20 fruitful years. Thirumeni was a genius and an amazing phenomenon with immense knowledge on many subjects and unique virtues.

Before my coming to Ireland, I wanted to get blessings from Osthathios thirumeni. So, along with my wife Cicy and our son Gregy, I went to see His Grace at MTC Mavelikara. HG received us with his genuine fatherly affection and spent some time with us. The memories of those moments are still vibrant in my mind. My son, Gregy was just 2 years old. His Grace, even in that brief meeting, found time to teach him a few lines of a song written by Thirumeni. Thirumeni gave some sweets to my son andasked him to share it with us. But as is natural in a child, he did not wish to do so. Thirumeni blessed us and sent us to the canteen for lunch. After lunch we returned to Thirumeni’s room. This time His Grace wanted my son to share the segments of an orange with us, and he did it without any hesitation to the surprise of us all. His Grace spoke to my son in the “language of a child” by coming down to his level and identifying himself fully with my son. His Grace advised him in language comprehensible to a child to be a good boy of prayer and sharing. ‘A Sharing God and a Sharing World’ was HG’s vision of love.

On the point of departure, I offered his grace a small amount of 300 rupees as donation to a boy’s home. When I, in my weak and selfish human attitude, handed it over with the names of just three of us in mind, His Grace received that offering with totally different attitude and vision. As is characteristic of Thirumeni, Thirumeni translated that human thought and action of mine into divine thought and action. I saw with astonishment and awe, His Grace overtly counting the 3 notes of one hundred each that I gave by uttering audibly the prayer “In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen!” I witnessed Thirumeni’s spiritual and contemplative attitude even in that simple gesture.

I must acknowledge here with thanks that it was His Grace who happened to be my inspiration for my starting the charitable organization –the MERIN GEORGE FOUNDATION – following the demise of my little daughter in 2009. Through this foundation we have been able, by the grace of the mighty God, to extend a helping hand to the poor and the needy within our mite.

With a great sense of gratitude, and deep devotion to God, let me say a testimony here. When I was in College, I had recurrent attacks of Migraine with severe headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and photophobia. This was sometimes preceded by an aura causing visual disturbance, tingling and weakness of limbs. I tried all three systems of treatments like Allopathy, Homeopathy and Ayurveda, but to no effect. In 1986, Mar Osthathios thirumeni made his Apostolic visit to my former parish –the St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Alleppey. In all faith, hope and love and with the same attitude of the woman with an issue of blood as narrated in the gospel of St. Luke 8:40-48, I approached His Grace with my problem. Thirumeni prayed for me, laying his holy hands upon my head and blew on my face. After that healing prayer, I have never ever had another attack of Migraine. I still believe that the very same God who healed the woman, who touched His cloak, healed me too through this holy man of God –Geevarghese Mar Osthathios thirumeni.

On the very next day when I was ordained as an acolyte by His Grace, it was Thirumeni who took my hands tolead me intothe holy sanctuary to servethe Lord . This ultimately led to my taking the Holy Orders (Priestly). The HG’s voice exhorting me to serve the Lord in His temple still echoes in my ears. It was an experience of transcendence when heaven and earth seemed to meet.

My elder brother Mr. P.T. Varghese too had a similar experience of miraculous recovery from migraine after being blessed by this Holy Father in 1987.

To me, it is hard to accept the reality that HG is no more physically present to us, but I am comforted by the conviction that HG’s, spiritual presence, unhampered by time and space, would always be with us to intercede and guide as a mentor and motive, for it is written in the holy Bible that “the memory of the righteous will be a blessing” (Proverbs 10: 7a). I do humbly pay homage to this great lover of humanity.

I thank the triune God for having graced the Holy Church with Geevarghese Mar Osthathios thirumeni and for allowing the tenderness of God’s Fatherly care, the Divine Mercy of the Cross of Christ, and the splendor, power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to shine on the world through our belovedThirumeni. Trusting fully in God’s infinite mercy, in the intercession of Virgin Mary the Theotokos, and of all saints and by internalizing the gist of gospel, HG manifested to us the living image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and has shown us that holiness and sharing of love are the necessary paths of obedience to be traversed by ordinary Christians in order to achieve eternal communion with God. I do humbly pray to God Almighty to grant us, according to His will and by the intercession of our well- beloved guru and shepherd, Geevarghese Mar Osthathios, the graces we seek, hoping that Thirumeni would be recognized among the “Saints” of the Church soon. May the prayers of his grace be a strong fortress for us!