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