Beyond the Clouds by Fr. Jacob Nampudakam, S.A.C. | Page 13

23:15 • 22 October 2018
And so I write the first sentence of this book. Only five minutes ago, I asked
myself, “what could be the title of this book, if I ever realize this dream?”
From a few titles that spontaneously emerged in my mind, I chose this one:
Beyond the Clouds.
I don’t have much of an idea at this moment what the title is to mean, or what
I will communicate to you. But what I do know, is that I do not wish to
postpone this project anymore. Heeding the words of Mother Teresa,
“yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not yet come, we have only today, let us
begin.”
For a long time, I have felt a slight nudge from the Spirit urging me to put
some of my convictions, experiences, and priorities- gained through 62 years of
my life thus far- on paper.
Today, we celebrate the feast of the great Pope John Paul II; whom only
moments after his death, the world declared “santo subito!”; “Saint
immediately!” I had the humble privilege to meet him personally three times;
hardly aware I was meeting a saint to be canonized in my lifetime.
What a universal human being he was! What a pastoral legacy he left! How
great a prophetic figure he remains! Maybe, he is giving me a push to do the
apparently impossible thing; after all, his dominant message always was, "Non
abbiate paura"! Do not be afraid! Here is a chance for me to verify his words.
Another inspiration came from World Mission Day, that we celebrated two
days ago on 21 October. Pope Francis’ message for the occasion was
particularly challenging: "Together with young people, let us bring the Gospel
to all!”
I have the greatest admiration for this holy, humble, and simple figure from
Argentina; I am one hundred percent a Pope Francis fan! Surely, the reasons
for such a devotion to him will become clear while reading this book.
13