23/07/2025
Saint Chavara found time and leisure to write a few books, both prose and verse, for the benefit of the faithful. His counsels to the Christian families given in the form of a "Testament of a Loving Father" are universally applicable and are relevant to this day.
Chavarul - Sayings of St. Chavara to the Children. They are,
1. Children, you are God's investment in the hands of your parents.
2. The Children who have love of God and fear of God will love and respect their parents.
3. Trust your mother, God will hear the mother's request like the baby's request.
4. Wisdom and purity should be spiritual food like food for natural growth.
5. Go to school regularly and recall to mind what is taught during the week.
6. Laziness fosters evil habits.
7. Let your friends be those who love God.
8. Good friends will make you good.
9. Keeping of bad books is like hiding fire in straw.
10. Regular reading of good books and meditating on it, will illumine the mind.
11. Attain punctuality by means of a regular time-table.
12. You angels will be turned to devils, if you fall into evil situation.
13. You aught to reach home before evening and take part in the evening prayers.
14. Your attire and sanctity ought to be according to your age.
15. Immoderate attire will only lead you to evil.
16. Let your ability be in piety regulating your life and controlling your senses.
17. You ought to love truth and justice.
18. What you earn by deceit and theft will melt like snow.
19. Your profession must be according to your knowledge and age.
20. Let there be no day in your life in which you did no good to others.
21. Let not the insult and quarrels of others be a cause of hatred and enmity.
22. Do not insult or trouble the poor.
23. God decides your vocation and you choose it.
24. When you choose your partner in life, choose one who has a good character and good manners.
25. Even if you are grown in age and maturity you have to accept your parents and submit to them.
26. Do not hate your own brethren.
27. It is the duty of children to look after their parents.
28. Do not be the cause of your parents shedding tears on account of you.
29. The humble man is the greatest among men.
30. Since you belong to God, you should be given back to God.
