MESSAGE OF BLESSED CHAVARA TO YOUNGSTERS (Taken from the message of blessed chavara to the people of kaniakary of kuttanad-1868)

Children, you are the treasure in the hands of your parents The children who love and fear lord will love their parents Rely on your mother, god will listen to your mother’s petition as yours As food is for body knowledge and sanctity for the soul Go to school regularly and review the learning material and renew your memory every week Idleness breeds all vices Let those who love god be your friends Tell me who your friends are and I shall tell who your Keeping bad books with you is like hiding fire in straw Regular reading of books and meditating on them will illuminate your intellect Become punctual by proper time management You angels will be turned to devils if you are caught in bad circumstances You must reach home before twilight and participate in evening prayers You must have proper attire and purity of souls befitting your age. Excessive decorative dress

may lead you to evil Engage in your works suited to your age and education Let your ability be manifest in your discipline of life in piety and control of your senses You should love truth and justice Whatever you earn through deceit and theft will soon melt away like snow You should desire to be loved by others and not to be feared by them Let there be no day in your life that you did no good to others Let not insult or quarrel with others because of aggravating stubbornness hatred and enmity in

you Do not insult or inflict the poor Even when you become capable to do things and reach maturity you should give proper

recognition and obedience to your parents Never hate your own brothers and sisters It is the duty of children to look after their parents in their old age Don’t let your parents shed tears on account of you. If you offend them you would suffer

punishment I this world itself It is god who decides you vocation and you respond to it by choosing the decision of god When you choose your life partner take care that he/she has good character and good manners The greatest among you is the one who is humblest When you go through sufferings and sickness surrender yourself to the will of god Since you belong to the will of god you ought to be given back to him