His Excellency Bishop Mar Thomas Elavanal of Kalyan Diocese while addressing the faithful gathered at Animation Renewal Centre (ARC), Panvel, urged them to “be courageous to knock at the door of Jesus”. His Grace Bishop Elavanal made his remarks during the Holy Mass on the Patron’s Day of the Eparchy, on 30th June, 2018. The day is observed as the Feast of His Excellency Bishop Mar Thomas Elavanal of Kalyan, by the faithful. Mar Thomas Elavanal highlighted the significance of Dukhrana and emphasized the role of faith and prayer in a Christian’s life, focusing on three important elements: Search, Knock and Find.
Mar Thomas Elavanal remarked that “It is written in the Bible ‘ Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’, so our faith should be strong enough to search for Jesus and find him out. We should knock at the door of love; the door of Jesus and he shall open it for us. St. Thomas always searched for Jesus and he always found out Him.” Further, His Grace Bishop added, “We read it in the Bible that ‘Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”, this is the courage that we need to have; the courage to die for Jesus Christ. St. Thomas had this courage and was brave enough to die for Jesus and also to die with Him.”
The function at the ARC began at 8:30 am with special personal greetings to the Bishop followed by the Holy Mass in which Mar Thomas Elavanal was the main celebrant and Msgr. Emmanuel Kadankavil, V. Rev. Fr. Joseph Cheriampanattu MST, V. Rev Fr. Sheejan Thomas CMI, Rev. Fr. Joseph Srambickal VC, V. Rev. Fr. Varghese Puramchirayil, Rev. Fr. Bibil Punnackathadathil, were the concelebrants.
