Every river has an origin…and a journey… we also have our own origin and journey… we may think at times that our journey is not important to others. We may also think that our journey is insignificant. But the journey of our life is without any doubt very important for God and for others.
A tributary is a smaller body of water that flows into a lager one. Tributaries add water to the main river. A large river is able to receive its sources gratefully and keep moving towards its own target.
The course of the river is often marked by peaceful moments. It flows quietly and effortlessly. It seems to know where it is off to. Peaceful moments in our life are those when we are clear about our own goals. Apparent obstacles around seem insignificant when we know where we are flowing towards.
Sometimes the river may disappear underground. It flows but hidden… under rocks, under crack of mountains. Normal life may go on above the river. People may even walk above the river without knowing that there is a river under. If one walks downstream a little, one may see the river continuing its journey once again. Great heroes often have hidden phases in their lives. Joseph in the Old Testament is a popular son of Jacob. He is sold as a slave and lives a hidden life in Egypt and even in the prison. But only to be made on time a governor of the land of Egypt. The hidden phases in the lives of these heroes are actually moments of preparation, a period of incubation. Have you recognized the fact that the hidden moments in your own life are moments of preparation? God is only buying time before he can make you a hero or a heroin.
Rivers make detours. They go away from their course of flow often caused by the landscape or by overflowed during flowing. When rivers make detours, their journey is prolonged, their energy wasted. We too make detours when we make wrong choices, when we strive from the goal of our life. When we go chasing butterflies on the sidewalks of our life. When we mistake pleasure for happiness our own life’s journey is prolonged and our energy wasted.
In the course of the journey sometimes the river meets with obstacles. But the river pushes them away with tremendous energy. In the flow of our life there may be obstacles sometimes drown by nature and other times caused by people around us. Do we agree to be defeated by these apparent blocks in our life? Are we ready to unblock the challenges of our life journey? The journey to which we are all called is above all that of discovering the face and form of a Synodal Church, in which “everyone has something to learn”. All listening to each other; and listening to the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth.
The very purpose of the synod is ‘to plant dreams’, “journey together”, following the course of the church with a truly Synodal mentality Mother Eliswa embarked on a journey to use her life for the honour and glory of God and for the benefit of all humankind. Initiation of her Synodal Journey from the time of her baptism climaxed in the foundation of the congregation of Teresian Carmelites. The blazing fire of her desire to journey together has radiated the life of millions.
Venerable Mother Eliswa was in habit of spending hours gazing at the Eucharistic presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Life journey of Mother Eliswa had a humble origin with a significant purpose to achieve. Different tributaries that flowed into her life didn’t infect but led her to move towards her own destiny. The course of her life was marked with peaceful moment as she had clear goal to focus.
The hidden phases of her life were actually moments of preparation, a period of evolution. God was only taking time before he could make her a heroin of her era.
Detours usually prolong the journey. But in the life of Mother Eliswa during this detours she discovered the beauty of unconditional trust in the Lord. In the words of St. Teresa, ‘it is a glorious foolishness, a heavenly madness where the true wisdom is learned; where the soul enjoys the journey with delight’. During the flow of her life she came across various obstacles but strapped them away with incredible vigour. She never agreed to be conquered by these seeming blocks of life. Always ready to unblock the challenges of her life journey.
She was born in an ancient and noble Family of Vyppissery on October 15, 1831, grew up as an affectionate and God fearing child. At sixteen, she was married with Vareed, a deeply religious and energetic man with passion for the sick and the poor. The happy couple was blessed with the birth of a girl child on April 21, 1850, and the child was baptized and given the name Anna. After a year and a half, death came like a sudden tongue of fire from the heap of ashes. She lay aside as a helpless widow to journey alone the long path of life.
In those 14 years of desperate situation she experienced the companionship of the Spirit with His eternal plan to “Journey Together”. The nurturing silence of these years of contemplative prayer brought forth the fruit of God’s voice within her. She could no more ignore the yearnings of her soul for the divine. Three women (Mother Eliswa, her sister Thresia and her daughter Anna) determined to follow the dictate of their conscience and the direction of the Spirit practiced constantly contemplative prayer in the self-made caves of Kalapura house.
Fr. Leopold OCD understood the state of her soul and guided her in the pursuit of divine plan. From 1892 on Fr. Leopold journeyed with her and recognized in her the special charism and prepared her for a particular vocation and mission in the church. Lord had chosen her to be the architect of religious life for women of her time.
Foundation of the TOCD took place on 13th Feb 1866 at Kunammau in a bamboo hut. On 13th February 1866, they were received as postulants and were given the Carmelite Scapular from Fr. Leopold TOCD Delegate of the Vicar Apostolic for monasteries and convents in Verapoly. It was affirmed that Mother Eliswa, her sister Thresia and her daughter Anna were the founding members of the TOCD Congregation.
