Joseph and Mary – Model for Missionaries

          Two simple young people of faith from an interior village began their journey, having trust and faith in God and listening to His commands moving from place to place without worrying about their basics of life, without selfishness, without even caring for the health, weather that is day or night, cold or heat, hills or fields. They began their journey courageously placing all their trust in God. Their journey brought the Saviour to the world. They became the great cause for the salvation of the world. Their journey was a successful one. This is the simple story of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth.

         Though Jesus initiates and gives the authority to his apostles to proclaim the kingdom of God, but it is His parents Mary and Joseph who were the real missionaries of Christ who lived more than expectation of Missionary life and gives inspiration to each and every one of us the zeal and missionary spirit to proclaim Christ to the world. Joseph and Mary are the real missionaries of Christ for they brought Christ to the world. They gave Christ to the other. This is the real task of a missionary. It is every Christian’s duty to give Christ to the other. The primary and most important responsibility of every Christian Missionary is to give Christ to the other. Joseph and Mary impress and inspire every one of us to be Christ’s Missionaries and to share in their joy of being missionaries of Christ.

         Three qualities to learn from Mary and Joseph to be the Missionaries of Christ: The first and most important quality Jesus and Mary asks us to imitate to be a Missionary of Christ is: To have complete faith and trust in God. "I can do nothing on my own initiative as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of Him who sent me.” Jn 5:30. A trust that is of child. A faith that, with God nothing is impossible. To submit oneself totally to the Lord as Joseph and Mary did. Through this we give our obedience to God as Mary and Joseph accepted the will of God in their life. We not only obey but we completely depend on God for what so happens in our life. The total surrender which helps one to go ahead with the grace of God.

The second quality to be a Missionary of Christ as Joseph and Mary is: To be Courageous. They were daring enough to fight any kind of challenge they are going to face in their journey to and from Egypt. Though they knew that they will be in trouble, but still they were courageous to go ahead to bring Christ to the other.

          The third quality to be a Missionary of Christ as Joseph and Mary is: To be Humble. Let us give ourselves wholly that we may understand his ways in our life as Joseph and Mary humbly obeyed the will of God in their lives. Let us be humble to accept all that comes to our life in this beautiful missionary journey we are going to travel as Joseph and Mary did.

Dear friends, having trust and faith, being courageous and humble will surely make us to live a good missionary life for Christ. Let us also join together in the joy of Joseph and Mary to give Christ to the other, to be his great witnesses, to be his bearers of love, peace and joy to whom so ever we meet. Let us be proud to be called as His missionaries, disciples, and workers in His great harvest of Love.

P.V. Joseph

Come Help Us!

Day by day Europe is filled with the migrants from Africa, and refugees from Syria, Israel and other parts of the world. Italy with lot many earthquakes made many people homeless. India which is in queue for many years for progress made poor the poorest with the demonetization.

The present scenario with all its fashion, technology and development made people forget the other in their life. Everyone is bothered about one’s own self. Selfishness, Consumerism, frustration, anger, and ego is reigning in each and every one of us. Life is made easy and single with the invention of latest technologies. Relationships have come to an end. Facing the people and speaking and listening to the people are no more existing. Love, care and concern have no more value. The quote, No man is an island seems not worthy, because everyone creates their own island of life where no one can enter. People are so immersed in this worldly attraction that emotions of love, mercy, care, concern, relationships got erased in them. Identifying the other as the human being became very typical. Humanity has no place because; we are ruled by the world and its apparatus. Everything became vice versa.

Years and years passed with many destructions and disturbances which are affecting our life. People are increasing their knowledge to make everything controlled in their hands. People are becoming crude and cruel and thinking to reign the whole world with their mind. God is absent in each and everyone’s life.

Come Help Us! This is the watchword of the whole world. Each and everyone in the world are in need of something or the other. Because of all this turmoil, people are moving away from God and their faith.

As we celebrate Christmas in the foregoing days, let us all remind ourselves that Christ became man to help those in need, to love the unloved, to care the uncared, to heal the sick, to welcome the unwelcomed. This is the real meaning of Christmas. Christ came to this world to spread God’s love to the other. At this juncture, let us all become missionaries of Christ in the place where we are and share the joy of Christ to all the people who are in need. Yes dear friends, Come Let us help them in giving Christ to the other. Let this Christmas make everyone of us to love the unloved, to care the uncared, to listen to the unlistened, to talk to the untalked, and to give the ungiven. Let this Christmas make everyone of us to think of the other that is to give the other his/her own dignity of human life.

Cl. Joseph Velangani

DON BOSCO: A FAR-SIGHTED VISIONARY AND

GENEROUS MISSIONARY

Don Bosco at a very young age through a dream at the age of 9 received his vision and mission in life. To be a shepherd to the shepherd less poor and abandoned youth of the world. So empowered with zeal and supported by God’s constant help and Mary’s guidance throughout his life he embarked on this journey and today we see the result of his hard work in the form of the Salesian congregation working in 132 countries, caring for all the under privileged youth in various countries around the world.

Don Bosco as a far-sighted visionary was always focused and allowed God to work and guide him in his life. He was a passionate visionary who dreamt big and always taught of the missions. He used to also seek timely advice and guidance from the people who were close to his heart like his mother Mamma Margaret and his spiritual director Fr. Caffaso. As a visionary he also saw himself to be a priest and a father to the fatherless youth around the world. He studied, worked and dedicated his entire life for them. Making his one and only goal in life to save the precious souls of the young due to which his main vision in life became “Da mihi animas catera tolle!” that is “Give me souls take away the rest!”. This helped him save and nurture countless young souls to do good rather than perish doing evil things in society.

Don Bosco was also a generous missionary. As although he never went to the missions personally he was not self-centered but altruistic and enthusiastic to send missionaries to the missions. He was a person who did everything for the greater glory of God. In 1885, even though his congregation had a few hundred members he sent out the first Salesian missionary expedition to South America and focused on evangelization of the faith to the people who did not know Christ rather than keeping them in Europe. He also prepared the young boys under his care to be good Christians and honest citizens by spreading the gospel of joy to them so that they may make a difference in society and later if inspired either join the Salesians or help in the evangelization of the Catholic faith to others. He also lived like a missionary all his life by finding real joy in sacrifice and by joyfully living the radical life of being poor.

Don Bosco thus having faith and trust in the lord and our lady was sustained and helped to follow his vision and support his mission throughout his life. This made him truly a far-sighted visionary and generous missionary who worked hard to fulfill God’s plan in his life by caring and helping all the youngsters in need around the world. Viva! Don Bosco!

 Cl. Aegidius Pereira 

COME AND SEE; GO AND TELL

There is this sensitive and odd feeling that runs through my body when anyone speaks about or asks about my opinion about the missions. The first thought that pops up in my mind when I hear the word ‘mission’ is going to a foreign land, learning a foreign language, adapting to a foreign culture and my mind gets so filled with these thoughts that the primary aim and purpose of the missionary call slips out of my mind. When anyone speaks of the missions, many questions that fill my mind may be similar to yours. Why do we need to be missionaries? , why do we need to go? ,why can’t we remain here itself and do similar work? and many more. All these questions of yours and mine are answered in the Holy Scripture. This missionary call does not originate in Jesus’ time. It has its origination way back in the beginning of time. In the Old Testament we see that God called Noah, Abraham, Moses and continues in the present times to the people of today.

 This is also what Jesus did in his time. When Jesus saw two young men following him, he turned around and asked them, ‘what are you looking for?’ to which one of them replied, ‘where do you live?’ Jesus’ reply was simple and clear- COME AND SEE.

Before sending the disciples into the world, the Lord always calls us; firstly to come and see. He calls us to have a personal experience of His love.  This experience strengthens us and fills us with faith and gives us a renewed hope to carry out our task well. After we are strengthened in God’s love, we are ready to go and proclaim. There is always a hesitation within us when it is time for us to leave and go. Often times we are so stuck to our small worlds that we do not like to go. We are so relaxed in our comfort-zones that we do not like to leave. Someone once said that “if it were possible, men would go back into their mother’s womb to enjoy the comfort.” But when we look at Jesus, everything he did and said was counter-cultural. He wants us to go because for us to receive a huge reward, a huge sacrifice must be made.

When we are told to go, many-a-time we give excuses. This is completely traditional. This is beautifully portrayed by the author Mitch Albom, in his book ‘Have a little faith,’ when he says, ‘man likes to run away from God and his call.’ There are also various examples in the Bible of the same. Jonah, when he is commanded by God to go, at once flees from the presence of God. Jeremiah’s excuse to God’s command is, ‘I am only a youth and I do not know what to say.’ Moses at God’s call wanted to substitute his brother for himself. It is by human nature that we are afraid to go. But these men, mentioned above, after obeying God’s command lived transformed lives. There are various examples in the bible itself contradicting the above mentioned. For example, Hosea at once goes as the Lord commands. There is also the example of Jesus calling his disciples. At the call of Jesus, Simon Peter and Andrew –both fishermen, drop their nets there itself and follow Jesus. Matthew the tax collector leaves his tax booth and follows the master, likewise the other disciples. Once they had a personal experience with Jesus and when He found that they were ready to go, Jesus sent his disciples out to carry his legacy- the spreading of the Good news.

As Christians our primary call is to be missionaries and witnesses of God’s love. We are called to be sent, to go out of our selves, to spread the Good news. Let us encounter Jesus who long awaits us and after having a deep and personal encounter with Him let us obey his command and GO!    

Cl. Ashely Noronha

Missionary Anthem

Missionary Anthem

What will I do to people in need?

How will I make worthy my life’s deeds?

To give something beautiful to the Lord

Ch: Go Out Go Out to serve the Light

Go Out Go Out to serve the Truth – 2

Go out to serve the Truth.

For the people in darkness want of Christ the Light

For those in confusion want of Christ the Truth

So, Go Out Go Out…

1. Behind the bars of the world

Filled with you alone in my mind

In the darkness I tread

In the path to light

To, Go out Go Out…

2. But the bars of the world O Lord

Stops me to yield for you

As I found you the light

My lamp is so bright

To, Go Out Go Out…

Cl. Palla Velangani Joseph

Cl. Sylvester Cyril

Mother Teresa – A National Highway

                 Mother Teresa – A National Highway

Recently when I was going through a News Letter of Goa Diocese, I read some news on Mother Teresa’s Canonization and her great works. Suddenly a bit of news that I had gone through made me think about Mother Teresa and her work and dedication to our Mother India. The news is as follows:

A new highway in Bhubaneswar is named after Mother Teresa, coinciding with her canonization ceremony at the Vatican. This is to show the love and homage to her from the part of Odisha government for the great work and service she rendered to India and in a special way to Mother India. (Renewal Novsornni Renovacao, Pastoral Bulletin of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman – Vol. LIV No.18, Sep 16-30, 2016.) This news made me think of Mother Teresa as a great angel who not only connected all of us Indians but also reminded each one of us the meaning of India and Indians. When I am just looking for a phrase or an expression to give a title to her where there are no differences, where unity in diversity is seen in, India is where I felt a Highway where anyone can travel. I think Mother Teresa fits exactly as the Highway leading all of us and connecting all of us in the journey of our life

A National Highway:

A National Highway is the largest road that connects many places and allows all kinds of vehicles to travel. These are the roads, which control the traffic in the cities. These roads connect many national and state capitals, major ports and rail junctions and link up with border roads and foreign highways. National Highways not only serve as the transportation but also become the economic backbone of the country.

Mother Teresa – A National Highway, I say because She and Her work exactly fits the description of architectural connectivity of National Highways. As a special and linking point, the National Highway is the only place where Indians do not lay the stamp of caste, religion, race and even special reservations. All are become equals and anyone is welcome to travel on this road. Such was the indiscriminate heart of this great woman of Kolkata, She was a saint who lived and showed us how to love. She brought meaning to life and enhanced the dignity to every form of life, specially the handicapped, the crippled, the deformed, the destitute, the orphaned. She was a mother open to all with her kind and loving heart connecting all of us in God’s Love. She won everyone allowing to travel on her road of love and treated all as mother and never created a traffic jam on her road of love. Yes, dear friends she with her motherly kindness and gentle approach won the hearts and admiration from every one of us and thereby connecting all of us in the network of her love. Let us see some of her life incidents that support my phrase, Mother Teresa – A National Highway.

Her Life as a Missionary: Her life as a missionary broadened and stretching her roads of life with humanism. She pitched her place as a missionary in India by welcoming every one into her loving home.

Her Life in the Loreto Convent: Though she was a little strict, yet, the gentle firmness won the hearts of the young girls and sisters in the convent with her little acts of love and kindness. Her tender heart towards the slums around the convent makes us understand as the first pillar or foundation for highway of humanism.

Her Life in the Calcutta Slums: Though she was initially not allowed to carry out her calling in the slums of India, nor accepted by them, she opened her little ways and shortcuts to make them enter her broad highway by being with them and loving them and serving them. She became a great Network of Love extending her kindness and little acts of mercy to everyone far and wide. She won their hearts and made them ply their little vehicles on the highway with her service and love. E.g.: An Old woman, thanking her for the great work and love she has shown towards her before she died.

Her Life with her own Sisters: She taught her sisters to be Missionaries of Christ. She trained them to be ever available to go to the place they would never dare to go. Not only her sisters, she was always present where there were crises and famine. E.g.: Even though she was not feeling well, she was present in the drought areas of Africa when they were in need. Her watch word in her work was: “They are in need of Jesus.”

One of the important and admirable traits that this woman was that she contributed not only to the Indian dynamism but also to the world’s greatness and nobility through the Inter Religious Dialogue and respect for all faiths. The constitution of the Missionaries of Charity expresses profound respect for all religions. It recommends never to impose Catholic Faith on others even as the sisters reach out to people of all faiths. This is how her large and broad highway paved way for everyone to love and serve. By means of her kindness, she not only won the hearts of the people but also revived the faith in many nations.

Yes dear friends, let us also travel on this highway where encounter, dialogue and love has its first place to become a truly human being. Let us also turn our small narrow roads of petty mindedness often spewing traffic jams of hatred, anger and indifference into a highway where it opens and connects with a great network of Love. Let us pray to our dear Saint Mother Teresa, that we may imbibe her spirit of love, charity and peace to make this world a better world and we better beings.

This is my humble tribute to Mother Teresa! Long live Mother Teresa in the heart of the people, not only who received direct services from her, to know her, but to me as well who had been much inspired by her singular motive of love her God in the person who were despised and disowned in this world. She lived to make known that God who took the human form to enhance the dignity of humankind, to share the divinity with the humanity.

 Cl. Palla Velangani Joseph

HE OWNS THE ROAD…

HE OWNS THE ROAD…

If you must believe in something, try a little to believe in the following. Believe that the whole trip in this world is a safari. Dust, sweat, blood, tears and fears are part of the ride. Enjoy it! I do.  Because, ‘He owns the road’.

What do I mean by the title ‘He owns the road’. Let me explain; this year our community of Divyadaan has chosen a theme BMW for the missionary week. BMW stands for Becoming Merciful Witnesses (of the Gospel). Before we become witnesses we need to realize that this creation, including You and Me are owned by God. We belong to God and thus the Mission or a particular task that is entrusted to us belongs to God. He owns the Mission, our land, our village, city, town, country, our possessions and the place where we are sent as Missionaries. One might think that I am a missionary in a foreign unknown land called to spread the Good News, to transform their lives and so on. Sorry we are mistaken, in fact we are called to carry God given task, not in an unknown foreign land, but in God’s own land. The owner of this world, the land is God. Sometimes while becoming witnesses in the mission, when things go wrong as they often do, don’t curse God. Rather believe that He owns (the road) the mission.

Life is full of surprises, not all of them pleasant, but believe in God. Because He owns all of us. there are quite simply two things we can do when sorrow  comes crawling all over us; we can hate Him (impossible) or love Him. Better to love Him because more often than not we don’t know why not so good things are happening to us, but He does. He rules!!! In the Bible it is said God even knows the movement of a blade of grass and that is comforting. He is always there. God never forsakes his own people. It is we who should not collapse when all about us collapses, get a grip, He oversees the rising sun, the waxing moon, the shining stars, the growing flowers, the cooking of a Biryani or making a lemon juice. He is present and watches our every movements from the blinking of an eye to dancing on the feet. Inspite of all these, we can cry and bear our cross or smile and bear our cross; either way we have the cross, better to smile and bear it for that is when we will become witnesses of His Mercy and Love. Yes, He owns the road the very destiny of our life. Having understood this, then one can claim of having become a merciful witness of the gospel to those entrusted in our care. Through all these we will resemble God. We will have become His Instruments proclaiming his good news to all the earth. Believe, that the God who owns our destiny, our very life, including you and me will continue pouring out His manifold blessings of love and mercy in the mission entrusted to us, through us.

Before I conclude let me caution you that: I am not just talking or writing through my hat…it means a lot to me. I have been through some thorny fields myself, I have been hurt and I have failed… but you know what? I believe that ‘He owns the road’.

Jeswin Mastan

Whom Shall I Send?

Whom Shall I Send?

            Whom Shall I Send? ‘Here I am Lord!’ becomes the exact and most applicable answer to this reflective question. Each one is called to be a missionary in his/her own way. The same question is addressed to every Christian and religious by our Lord himself, as God invited prophet Jeremiah in his younger age, to be a prophet to the nation. Jeremiah said, “Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the Lord said to him, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’ for you shall go to all, to whom I send you and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.” Every religious in a very special way is called to for this important mission in life.

When this question is addressed to each one of us, what will be our response? ‘Here I am or Here I am not.’ God has specially created us in his own image and likeness in order to accomplish a particular mission in the Universe. Himself being ‘the true way’ he asks “Whom Shall I send?” - because he wants to accompany us in all our endeavors and undertakings. For instance, He sent his only beloved Son Jesus Christ to this world to bring salvation to the people and to redeem them from sin and darkness. During Jesus’ mission the spirit of the Lord was always with him. Similarly, when we courageously say ‘Send me Lord wherever you want’ he will not abandon us instead he will be with us completely to strengthen us, to direct us and to accomplish his mission in us.

All of us are called to be missionaries. Are we bold enough to triumph before the Lord and say “Here I am Lord”? We may give numerous reasons to be away from this mission work. We need to realize not the struggles and sufferings of mission life, but the fruit of this marvelous and awe-inspiring work. We will experience the sweetness and taste of the work if we have passion and love for God’s work. Although the prophets in the Old Testament like Jonah, Jeremiah and others gave certain excuses denying God’s invitation, He did not leave them in their own way; rather he went behind them and caught hold of them firmly for his mission. When God chooses anyone, there is no possibility to escape his watchful eyes until the work is done.

            We must be faithful and be daring to respond to God’s calling to be missionaries and to reach out to the ends of the earth. Are we ready to say ‘Yes’, to the Lord no matter how weak, less talented, incapable we may be? It is God, who gives everything to us. He knows what, when and to whom. He wants us to do His mission work not ours.

            Therefore let us beseech the Master of the harvest to sow the seed of Mission in us that we may volunteer for His work in the mission lands. Let the Spirit of each missionary inspire us too. Finally let us carry the light of Christ to dispel the darkness amidst of the hearts of many in grave need. 

Cl. Arockia Berdouil SDB

Our father Speaks to his Sons…

A Call for a fruitful Evangelization

(An extract from the talk of the Rector Major on his visit to Oceania. Source: Mission Video)

            Rev. Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, the Rector Major of the Salesians, on his visit to Oceania Salesian missions made a great impact in the heart of the people. With the heart of a father he approached them sharing in their joys as well as sorrows. When he was asked how the dream of evangelization could be realized today he said, “it is possible through proclamation of the gospel and through life in the community.”

            During his address he spoke out his mind saying:: “We need community oriented people with community spirit and that’s why proclamation of the gospel must emphasize this profound reality of fraternity according to gospel. It is a reality of love, the reality of love as God has loved us. Proclamation of the gospel needs apostles. It needs vocation and courage from all of us, those who are living in this land.”

             On reaching papa New Guinea he said it was really a very special moment for him and felt that that part of the world is very different from other parts of the world because of its cultural richness and variety. Considering the opportunity to address the gathering there he said, “It’s an opportunity to encourage you to unite all to continue the wonderful work of proclaiming the Lord Jesus. Don Bosco has a great capacity to open the hearts of all the young people in the world. I am convinced that Don Bosco has taken roots here and no doubt that his charism will have a beautiful future in this church of Oceania.”

             With this very inspiring words emerging directly from his heart, our father invites all of us Salesians, to go to peripheries and to places where people need us most. He convinced of the effectiveness and the relevance of the mission of Don Bosco and dreams of a fruitful evangelization wherever we are. Are we too convinced of the beautiful charism of Don Bosco? Are we enthusiastic about proclaiming the gospel of Christ? What can we do to make our evangelization fruitful?

Nithyian SDB

WHAT MATTERS TO LIFE!

 Blessed was I to be born naked

Pure and innocent in everyone’s eye

Sucked the breasts of unique kind

Tasted the milk that never could match

Tender was I to be hugged and kissed

Uniquely learned to return the same

Different was the attire that I wore

Made me feel special and proud

Served was I with unique cultural food

That made me believe as the only tastiest food

Journeying East and West, North and South

Have realized how little that I had tasted

Innocent was I to be filled with beliefs and traditions

That gave my life a sense of purpose and meaning

Thought my thinking pattern the only way to truth

But sorry! It was only one among the millions

Frail was I to be conditioned by my little background

That watered down million ways of thinking to a single one

Insecure of my little world I ignored to think outside the frame

But thanks to education that freed the mind from my little world

Bestowed was I with capacity to intellectualize and argue

But what matters to life is little love and compassion shared

Shortness is the life to be lived with full zest

For naked I was born, naked shall be my return!

Romanius Barwa