Blessed Family - Closer Journey to Heaven
Parents can never imagine a more traumatic experience than the death of their children. All parents naturally expect their children to outlive them. Such a loss is an extraordinary, out-of-order event that brings with it an overwhelming sense of pain and lingering grief.
As a mother who mourned her son’s death, Ms Renu Rajiv Jacob, tried to turn her grief into a heroic way to grow in God’s grace. She started “Blessed Family” as a supportive fraternity for moms who share similar sorrow, which helps to turn grief into everlasting joy and peace in God. It flourishes on Christian faith in a loving and ever-faithful God who enables us to endure and recover from the loss of a child, sometimes in ways that others find remarkable. Blessed Family is a remarkable way God’s Providence to many.
Blessed Family was started on January 25th, 2016 with seven members. The other six were Ms Kochurani Sabu, Ms Moly Babu, Ms Jessy Sunny, Ms Salomi George, Ms Anitha Sibi, and Ms Maymol Mohan. As of now, there are 130 members from all over the world. Blessed Family turned these moms’ anguish to complete dependence on God, His Mercy, and His unfathomable and infinite Love.
Every day they pray and meditate for the same grace of consolation that Mother Mary received from the Holy Spirit. They pray through the intercession of Mother Mary’s Immaculate Heart to lead them to Heaven. They intercede 24/7 for many people and purposes, and testimonies of answers to their intercessory prayers encourage them that Heaven hears them.
During the pandemic, they intensified their prayers through monthly get-togethers, prayers, Bible Marathons, etc., via online platforms with much delight. These moms really overflow with Holy Spirit, helping others turn to the Almighty in the midst of intense trials. Their daily readings of the Holy Bible, rosary and spiritual listening, nourish them to persevere in faith.
It would be presumptuous for anyone to tell parents how to handle the death of a child. However, by the grace of God the Father, Blessed Family has a spiritual Father, Fr. Daniel Poovannathil, who guides them to replace darkness and mourning with heavenly hope and peace. He taught them that children are on loan from God and do not belong to their parents. So they just went back to where they belonged.
Fr Daniel Poovannathil and MCRC play a significant role in the Blessed Family fellowship. Once a year, they gather in MCRC with their spiritual Father to share and strengthen each other in Christ.
The ability to worship and honour God in a time of trial or crisis is a powerful demonstration of our spiritual confidence in our God. Doing so enables us to accept the reality of our loss. And this is how God frees Blessed Family to go on living. In 2018 September 1st, Blessed Family spread their wings to another spiritual group, Heavenly Bliss, for the youngsters inflamed in God’s Love. Eighteen young women in that group embrace Christ with increased intimacy and dependency. Heavenly Bliss and Blessed Family profoundly support and empower Fr. Daniel’s mission activities through prayers.
Mother Mary remains the source of their constant consolation and helps them grow to be women in grace. In surrendering hardships for the eternal salvation of souls in purgatory, these moms enjoy greater fellowship with God. Everything is accepted and addressed with their complete surrender to the sovereignty of God.