Page 37 - Demo

35Fr. Gabriel Mej%u00eda, Fundaci%u00f3n Hogares Claret, ColombiaBeginning in 1984, Fr. Gabriel opened centers for %u201cthe disposable ones,%u201d abandoned children in Medell%u00edn, Colombia. These centers, including in the correctional system, all over Colombia, have produced more than 125,000 graduates. Currently, nearly 5,000 are participating in these rehabilitation programs. I would define TM in one word: happiness. You experience happiness and bliss when you practice the technique.As a Catholic priest, saying my prayers, celebrating communion, reading the Psalms, are all part of the structure of a religious life. TM does not take the place of this%u2014it is a space for personal and spiritual development that prepares one to experience the liturgy in its fullness.Jesus gave clear criteria by which to judge a person or a teaching: %u201cYou can tell a tree by its fruit.%u201d When people begin to meditate, they open themselves to the field of all possibilities. Twice-daily TM creates an amazing transformation. People discover their essential nature, which is love, and the world opens for them. TM has made our communities open and peaceful, permeated by spiritual joy. A child is a shrine, a dance of creation. Children are like rivers of hope that lead to a sea of happiness. We have to take care of our children.