Saying good bye to the celebrations of the summer vacation, our children are stepping into the new academic year. As the children enter the new academic year with a lot of hope and enthusiasm. I pray that God may shower His abundant blessings upon all of them.

The main purpose of education is to make children to grow in human values and thus form them as model citizens doing good to their family and the society. God has sown the seeds of human values in each one’s heart. Through education the children are expected to give life to these values in their daily lives. In other words, the purpose of education is to impart peace and happiness to the whole world.

Everyone expects happiness in one’s life. The term JOY tells us about the ways and means to attain peace and happiness. In JOY, J stands for Jesus, O for Others and Y for you. So JOY says that when you are able to live in harmony with God, with Others and with One self, one will be able to experience peace and joy in one’s life and thus radiate this joy and happiness to the whole world. When we are able to establish peace and unity in these dimensions of our life, our hearts will become wide enough to accept everyone as one is. When this harmony is attained education will meet its ultimate purpose.

When one develops one’s God given talents and abilities in its fullness one becomes pleasing to God. When one develops these qualities with the help of one’s teacher, one will progress in one’s life.

May this academic year help us to be in perfect communion with God, with our brethren and with ourselves and thus to experience perfect happiness in our daily life.

Rev. Fr Joseph Mundolickal CST