Beyond the Clouds by Fr. Jacob Nampudakam, S.A.C. | Page 8

uncontrolled, they can dehumanize persons and destroy our civilization. But if
controlled, we have a huge airplane piercing through thin air: what a marvel!
The third science that has had a profound influence in my life was the study
of Psychology. The mystery of the human person- with all of his potentials and
limitations- has always intrigued me. As Christians, we understand the Biblical
meaning of the human being as a soul made in the “image and likeness of
God,” who is also mortal and finite. The process of our own formation is like
an effort to remove the sand, and discover the precious pearl hidden in the
shell out in the depths of the sea. Here is the divine image imprinted on our
mortal nature. This is the process of purification, of inner liberation, and
enjoying the freedom as children of God. To discover God’s love, let us ask to
be purified with this love.
We cannot understand the human person only through human sciences. Such a
mere, humanistic approach can be an existentially suffocating experience.
Every person- by the very fact of his vocation- is called to a Theocentric self-
transcendence through a life of charity. Such a holistic understanding of the
person has always fascinated me. Hence, helping an individual in his life-
journey through accompaniment, using a Psycho-spiritual approach, can be
considered one of my most desired personal vocations.
God reveals Himself and His plans through history. It can be through the
history of a nation, civilization, or one’s own personal history that is most
unique to him. This history allows us to understand the person best, because-
provided we discern the ways of the Spirit within- we see the hand of God who
has written a story specifically for His child.
This short book is an attempt to reflect on our life’s journey in the simplest of
ways. It is not a profound theological, spiritual, or scientific study. Rather,
these are some existential reflections on life and the challenges associated with
it, based on my experiences as Rector General of the Society of the Catholic
Apostolate (Pallottines).
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