Cornerstone Environment for
Spiritual Development
a lay intellectual-spiritual apostolate
“If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink,” Jn 7:37
Dear Friend:
Greetings and a warm welcome to Cornerstone, a Lay Intellectual-Spiritual Apostolate! Here is a call to grow ascetically and mystically as a disciple of the Word. Scholarly traditions provide the very best as you make life's all-important journey to become a spiritually vitalized person and promote peace, reconciliation and understanding among people and society at large. At the heart of Cornerstone is the actualization of the Word of God and the living of the Sacramental Life centered on the Eucharist. Spiritual Consultation, Writing, Exhortation and a Life of Witness are the means employed to help people relate better to Jesus Christ; to know, love, serve and glorify the Saviour of the World, and come to Trinitarian Communion. The seeker is ideally one searching for God's will. After fruitful training, one will be set on a life of purpose, inner joy, dynamic balance, newfound energy, and capacity for transcendence. Taking each moment as a gift to be lived meaningfully via a strong Eucharistic Spirituality and walking prayerfully with God, one is put on life's glad adventure of making the world a better place. Suffering too will be a part of the journey, which taken in faith, can be joyfully endured, leading to our sanctification and a share in His glory. We realize that our vision is an intricate, challenging one and approach it through prayer and absolute reliance on God. Cornerstone's is a labour of love at the service of anyone with spiritual thirst and it is faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is funded purely by voluntary donations, cheerfully given and gratefully accepted with the assurance of the highest financial rectitude where not a penny is applied to the personal benefit of its trustees or functionaries, who are committed to values of austerity, fidelity and obedience to authority. Remuneration to those who provide services to CESD will be made as appropriate. All remittances to Cornerstone must comply with the Income Tax Act of India, 1961. Cornerstone, launched in 2021, the Year of Saint Joseph, looks to the Guardian of the Holy Family and the Interior Life, as its Patron Saint, seeking his intercession and blessings to become an instrument for God's glory, for His salvation to reach all humanity, for the transformation of the structures of the world from within through the power of the Word, and for all creation to come to Trinitarian Communion. In particular, his interior strength and exterior gentleness is the style of its engagement. May Cornerstone lead you to a deeper communion with the Holy Trinity, whereby your world of enlightenment, joy and satisfaction are unlocked to immense possibilities.
Dr. Paul Mathulla, ME, PhD
Founder, CESD
V I S I O N AND A C T I V I T I E S
Members of CESD, the Lay Intellectual-Spiritual Apostolate, are called to promote peace, reconciliation and understanding among people and society at large through Biblical and Sacramental Mysticism so that more people know, love, serve and glorify Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the Word, and come to Trinitarian Communion. They will be engaged in the following:
i. Enrichment in the Word;
ii. Deepening of the Interior Life;
iii. Living the Beatitudes of Christ; and,
iv. Practising the Sacramental Life.
Members will initially be trained in the following 16 modules, titled Counsels for the Serious Christian Life Moving Towards Perfection. Anyone with spiritual thirst and commitment to the Holy Eucharist is welcome to become a member.
i. Repentance: a Call to Greatness
ii. Bearing Witness with your Life
iii. Living the Dynamic Balance
iv. Wielding Authority Jesus's way
v. The Sacrament of Confession: A Serious Christian Life Moving Towards Perfection
vi. Growing Ascetically and Mystically as a Disciple of the Word: Developing an Interior Life
vii. Prayer in the Home: The Secret to Unity and Joy in the Family
viii. The Christian upon the Cross: Living the Glory of Salvation
ix. Being a Student Under the Lordship of Jesus Christ
x. Living the Vocation of the Lamb
xi. Idolatry
xii. Moving from Justice to Mercy
xiii. Reflections on Truth
xiv. The Beatitudes of Christ: The Policy of Heaven Given to Earth
xv. The Daily Eucharist: An Invaluable aid to the Serious Christian Life Moving Towards Perfection
xvi. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has Called you
Other activities of CESD include:
A. Producing Spiritual Literature
i. A Scriptural Rosary, published by Claretian Publications, Bangalore
ii. My Yoke is Easy, My Burden is Light, published by Claretian Publications, Bangalore
iii. With Love from Galilee, published by St Paul's Better Yourself Books, Mumbai
iv. The Rich Inner Life, published by St Paul's Better Yourself Books, Mumbai
v. Contributions to the National Periodicals, The Examiner, Mumbai and The New Leader, Chennai.
B. Offering Spiritual Consultation
C. Offering a 25-hour course in Philosophy of Education to Seminarians