Words of Bl. Chavara
Chavara Sukta — counsels for young lives
Bl. Kuriakose Elias Chavara — the great visionary, reformer and religious leader of the 19th century — left behind a treasury of counsel for children, parents and teachers.
These thirty sukta (sayings) distil his vision of a life rooted in God, family and learning — the very values that shape everyday life at Chavara English Medium School.
Chavara Sukta
Thirty counsels for children
Read slowly, one at a time. Each saying is a small compass for character, conduct and faith.
- Children, you are God's investment in the hands of your parents.
- The children who have love of God and fear of God will love and respect their parents.
- Trust your mother; God will hear the mother's request like the baby's request.
- Wisdom and purity should be spiritual food, like food for natural growth.
- Go to school regularly and recall to mind what is taught during the week.
- Laziness fosters evil habits.
- Let your friends be those who love God.
- Good friends will make you good.
- Keeping bad books is like hiding fire in straw.
- Regular reading of good books, and meditating on them, will illumine the mind.
- Attain punctuality by means of a regular time-table.
- Your angels will be turned to devils if you fall into an evil situation.
- You ought to reach home before evening and take part in the evening prayers.
- Your attire and sanctity ought to be according to your age.
- Immoderate attire will only lead you to evil.
- Let your ability be in piety, regulating your life and controlling your senses.
- You ought to love truth and justice.
- What you earn by deceit and theft will melt like snow.
- Your profession must be according to your knowledge and age.
- Let there be no day in your life in which you did no good to others.
- Let not the insults and quarrels of others be a cause of hatred and enmity.
- Do not insult or trouble the poor.
- God decides your vocation, and you choose it.
- When you choose your partner in life, choose one who has good character and good manners.
- Even if you are grown in age and maturity, you have to accept your parents and submit to them.
- Do not hate your own brethren.
- It is the duty of children to look after their parents.
- Do not be the cause of your parents shedding tears on account of you.
- The humble man is the greatest among men.
- Since you belong to God, you should be given back to God.