his brother, but eventually the waves overcame him and the two were separated.

 Lifeguards were able to rescue Ginu, but after an extensive search,
 Giju was not to be found.

 Monday, August 15th, Giju's body was found around noon time.

 His funeral was conducted on Thursday morning.

 A prayer service was conducted in the New York area. Another was
 conducted in Houston, where Giju's first cousin and family lives.

 Giju was by all accounts a very quiet child who had expressed
 interest in the medical field. He did not like to argue or fight. He
 readily expressed a loving spirit and a Christian servant's heart. He and his family only

 recently arrived in the U.S. Nevertheless, they all became integral members of their

 parish and the youth association.

 The John family require our prayers and support. In the process of
 grief, all of us will question why this occurred and why our prayers
 were not effective in preventing this tragedy.

 An answer is not readily available, yet the need to find meaning from
 these events is strong.

 Surely Giju, a person of faith surrounded by the faithful, would want
 us to draw closer to God as we grieve and move forward in His
 strength. Gigu now fully knows that in Jesus death has no final
 sting. Death is a door all of us will walk through, barring our
 Lord's return.

 Ironically, this is a day of celebrating victory over death. Today is
 the festival of the Assumption. We commemorate the gathering up of
 St. Mary's body into heaven. Mary had died, just like all those
 before and after her, but our Lord chose to grant her resurrection
 and entrance into heaven in a miraculous way.

 How happy Giju must be, to celebrate this occasion in the company of
 all the Saints, and our Lord who knows death (and life!) quite
 intimately!

 For us who remain, and especially Giju's family, the loss is too
 great to bare. As we take the next several days to publicly celebrate
 Giju mon's life, let us remember that we all have an appointment to
 see Giju at the appropriate time as we accept God's plan and mission
 for our lives.

 Youth especially have no use for thinking about death until it
 strikes in a fashion such as this. Start now to build treasures in
 heaven.

 Giju must miss out on items that we will take for granted, such as
 success in career, family milestones, and community service. Hence,
 when we are granted the opportunity to fulfill our dreams, we must
 hold Giju's memory dear and conduct ourselves in an honorable
 fashion, knowing that we are being watched from above.

 We may never understand the full meaning of a loved one's demise, but
 by living meaningfully their memory may best be honored.

 Let us all remember to pray for Ginu, Uncle, Auntie, and family as
 they live through this tragedy. May the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
 be with them. Once the public mourning is concluded, these poor
 brethren must bare their grief at home. Let us not forget them!

 God bless us all.