IndianCatholics

16 Oct 2010

India Celebrate 50Yrs Of Archdiocesan Seminary

With fireworks, gatherings and masses, the Archdiocese of Mumbai is celebrating 50 years of its’ St. Pius X Seminary and 25 years of Parel Seminary, the first Church institute founded in the city. The festivities, which began Oct. 24, saw the participation of hundreds of priests from all over India and will continue until October 28. The Jubilee Mass was concelebrated by Msgr. Robert Sarah, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Mgr. Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Mumbai and the new Apostolic Nuncio in India Salvatore Pennacchio, on his first visit to the archdiocese.

“In these 50 years – said Mgr. Sarah in his homily – Divine Providence has never failed to accompany this Seminary with abundant Graces throughout these fifty years, even during very difficult moments of trials”. The prelate urged seminarians and priests to “bring the Eucharist” to the heart of this anniversary. “It is a moment of grace from God – he added – to deepen faith, hope and the opportunity for the work of evangelization, especially in the formation of future priests”.

Present at the inauguration of the seminary in 1960 as a young student, Mgr. Gracias thanked all the donors in these 50 years who have supported the institute with prayers and donations, enabling the formation of new priests. Since its founding the College of St. Pius X has trained more than 700 priests and every year for five to seven new seminarians enter the institute.

The seminary holds special importance since 2006, which is when the programs were approved by Congregation for Catholic Education, Rome. It is also affiliated with the St. Peters Pontifical Institute of Bangalore and students passing out as priests are provided with a degree that is internationally recognized.

26 Jul 2010

The Gift of Prayer

Do you pray? Do you pray often, or only occasionally?
Is prayer important to you?
I ask you these questions because prayer and praying are essential for your life
of faith. Like breath to the human body, prayer makes the spirit live. Without
it, faith dies. On the other hand, a person who prays grows in spirit and life.

Let me tell you some things that may encourage you to pray.

+++

Prayer is a Gift of God

To begin with, prayer is a gift of God. "Gift" is a good word to describe
prayer, because praying is not something we can do of ourselves. " We do not
know how to pray as we ought," scripture says. Prayer is a gift God must give.

And God gives that gift generously, without consideration of our worthiness or
our unworthiness. Sinners as well as saints can pray. People of every religious
tradition receive the gift. In fact, every human being is able to pray. The
Catholic Catechism reminds us of that by entitling its opening section on prayer
"The Universal Call to Prayer " (2566-2567).

Yes, all are called to pray. All receive the gift. And, surprisingly, sometimes
those thought to be "ungifted" pray best and are graciously heard. That's the
lesson Jesus taught in his parable about the Pharisee and the Publican who
together went up to the temple to pray. The Publican, an outsider who thought
himself unworthy of approaching God in prayer, was found more pleasing by God
than the Pharisee, a professionally religious person, who prayed so
effortlessly.

Prayer, then, is God's gift to the strong and the weak, to the smallest child
and frailest of the old. It's given to those who say, " I'm not really
religious; prayer is beyond me." It's given to everyone, no matter who you are.

That's not to say we can't refuse to pray or we can't neglect it. Like any gift,
prayer must be received. If someone gives you a beautiful piece of clothing, you
may use it or not. You may take it and wear it. Or, you can throw it in the back
of your closet and never look at it again. The piece of clothing becomes a gift
unused. "If you knew the gift of God," Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the
well. A Gift was there before her eyes, but she was blind to it.

How tragic to go through life leaving the gift of prayer unused!

++++

Prayer: God's Search for Intimacy with Us

Why does God give the gift of prayer? The main reason is because of love for us.
God looks for intimacy with us. How strange that sounds! God all-sufficient,
all-powerful, all-knowing, wishes to draw close, to communicate, to speak to us,
to seek our response, to hear our prayer. It may seem unbelievable, but it is
true.

At the same time, by praying we fulfill the desire we have as human beings to
know God. After all, we are made in God's image. Something in our being thirsts
for intimacy with God. That thirst is described in the psalms, O God, you are my
God, for you I long. For you my soul is thirsting. Like a dry weary land without
water... so my soul longs for you, my God. Something in us cannot be satisfied
unless we are draw near to God. "Our hearts are restless," St. Augustine says,
"until they rest in you." By praying, we rest in God.

The church in her formal prayers often humbly acknowledges that prayer is God's
gift and asks God to give and strengthen that gift in us. At the beginning of
her daily prayers, the liturgy of the hours, the church prays two verses of the
psalms.

O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

O God, come to my assistance.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Simple, truthful words. I cannot open my lips in prayer unless God gives me the
gift. O God, come and assist me; help me that I may approach you.

And God does give this beautiful gift. In prayer God comes and helps; God
invites us into the divine presence where we can open our lips and our hearts.
There God welcomes our slightest word or cry, our smallest effort.

Delighting to give us the gift of prayer, God wishes that we come near to share
our hearts and minds, our very life with One who loves us. Prayer is God's
precious gift; cherish it always.

by Fr. Victor Hoagland, C.P.
based on the New Catholic Catechism 2558-2567

8 Apr 2010

Divine Mercy Sunday 11-04-2010 : Belief in the Divine

Divine Mercy Sunday 11-04-20
Belief in the Divine!!!!
2nd Sunday after Easter
1st Reading Acts 5:12-16 Situation of the church in its' early days.
Apocalypse 1:9-11a 12-13, 17-19 vision to write of the things that would occur
to the churches
Gospel John 20:19-31 Jesus appears to the disciples in a closed room!!!
When Pope John Paul dedicated the 2nd Sunday after Easter to the Divine Mercy,
he was sure it would bring in a renovation in the lives of the people of God.
We know sin is a reality and it requires constant acceptance and seeking
forgiveness and in His mercy God enters into the of seeker.
Surely we require God's merciful love.
The whole of the bible is full of Divine Mercy demonstrated in various
narrations.
We find how Mercy has been shown to people who came to Jesus, i.e.; Zachaeus,
the sinful woman who was brought to him in the very act of committing sin, the
prodigal son, the woman at the well, Peter when he seeks mercy after the
betrayal of refusing to acknowledge Jesus as his master, the lost sheep, the
lost coin, the man living in the tomb questioning Jesus entry into his life. The
blind people seeking Jesus intervension saying have pity on us etc.
In today's Gospel we find Thomas the doubter when encountered for his disbelief
proclaims Jesus as My lord and my God.
What a profession of faith.?????
We know the whole of the bible is a witness of the faith of the early
Christians.
We can be grateful for all this witnessing.
We find how they were courageous after the descending of the Holy Spirit on the
first believers and the disciples their courage became contagious!!!
We know the Gospel of St. John where we find two narrations of Jesus appearing
to the disciples shows how they were afraid.
When frightened man's spontaneous reaction is closing of doors and windows.
Jesus breaks all those closed areas and appears to them and gives them the
comfort of a risen savior.
He imparts Peace.
He came to bring peace.
When he appeared on Christmas the angels had sung Peace to men of good will.
Rather than accepting the Lord's presence they still doubt.
One of them who was not present would even have the audacity to say that he
would not believe unless he stuck his finger into his wounds in the hands feet
and side.
But when Jesus invites to do so he utters the profession of faith "my Lord and
My God"!!!
We so easily repeat this prayer.
Now when we have to be constantly present to the Lord in our lives, we find it
very difficult.
These are difficult days for us Christians here in our own country, where our
ancestors used to profess the faith so fearlessly now we have to prove our
identity. Often many of us hide our identity.
Even to get some of the government perks we will even write in our certificates
that we belong to the majority religious community.
The fundamentals are trying to rule this country by militants means by imposing
concepts and ideals useful to them.
When such groups are trying enforce their ideology and many of us are falling to
their machinations unknowingly.
Let us today when we celebrate the divine mercy Sunday once again become aware
of our responsibility to proclaim the Lord boldly and loudly. We surely have to
meet the Lord and find him in the prayer, Eucharist, areas of our work where He
is touching our hearts and minds.
This becomes empowering of his disciples.
We are His disciples aren't we?????
In union with the divine word,
Fr. Joe Vaz svd

9 Jan 2010

Layman's classes bring Bible to deaf people

Image via Wikipedia

Layman's classes bring Bible to deaf people

By George Kommattathil

December 23, 2009

ALAKODE, India (UCAN) -- A Catholic layman, who is unable to hear or speak, is
bringing the message of the Bible to people with similar disabilities.

Antony Muthukunnel, 56, said he had no interest in religion previously, and
being poor and disabled, had felt pessimistic about life. That changed in 1993
when he attended a retreat at the suggestion of his wife.

"That retreat was the beginning of my conversion," he recalled.

Soon after, he found he wanted to share his spiritual experience with others
like him. He began to gather with deaf people he met in daily life to discuss
and share insights on the Bible using sign language.

In 2006, Muthukunnel and three friends decided to make their Bible classes a
more regular affair, and started holding them under a tree in the compound of
St. Mary's Church in Alakode, a parish in Tellicherry archdiocese.

Now, the group conducts its classes in a nearby convent school on Sundays from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m.

Father George Kudilil, public relations officer of Tellicherry archdiocese, says
Muthukunnel's "remarkable" initiative has been "an eye-opener" for the Church.

The archdiocese does not organize any Bible classes for deaf people although it
runs a few schools for them, the priest told UCA News.

Thanckachan Varghese, who teaches the Bible during these special classes, said
more than 100 people attended them in 2008. However, only 30 people have
attended this year. Some travel up to 100 kilometers for the classes, he said.

Many participants told UCA News, using sign language, that the classes give them
strength and inspiration.

The bible class has "totally changed my life as it brought me closer to God,"
said Mini Pulichamakkal.

Another student, Mary Joseph, said she no longer believes that her deafness is a
curse from God. "The Bible class helped me accept my disability with joy. The
knowledge that 'God is love' is something unbelievable," she beamed.

Augustine Pallath said he stopped drinking and smoking after the classes "gave
me peace of mind and taught me that those bad habits hurt Jesus."

Scaria Parunthuveettil, a parishioner, said he finds the Bible students' zeal
"really inspiring." He regrets the Church has no office or program to serve
people with hearing disabilities.

Source: UCANews.com

Indian Priests on Plgrimage to the Holy Land

Image via Wikipedia

Indian priests on pilgrimage to the Holy Land for Year for Priests

by Nirmala Carvalho

The bishop of the diocese of Karwar, Mgr. Derek Fernandes: "The pilgrimage will
serve to celebrate the renewal of faith and vocation to the priesthood." The
importance of confession and prayer.

01/09/2010 13:27

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Marking the Year for Priests, the Bishop of Karwar, in
the State of Karnataka, Msgr. Derek Fernandes, has invited the priests of his
diocese on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. "It will be a time of immense grace
that will help the priests to grow in holiness and spirit of service," he told
AsiaNews. "The journey to the land where Christianity was born and where we met
the Messiah will help priests to mature internal spiritual renewal, strengthen
their faith, a time of illumination and a renewal of Vocation to the
Priesthood."

Mgr. Fernandes is confident that "the pilgrimage in the footsteps of Christ and
prayer in the places of the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord will
provide moments of spiritual nourishment. The Messiah has made the apostles
fishers of men, and with them other disciples continue to proclaim the Good News
and to invite the nations to salvation. "

115 of the 125 priests of the diocese will participate in the pilgrimage. It
will be organized in two stages, from 30 January to 8 February and from 24 May
to 3 June.

The Year for Priests was inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI June 19, 2009, during
the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney. According to the
bishop, it must have moments for the renewal of faith and vocation to the
priesthood.

First, "more time should be devoted to the confession and the sacrament of
reconciliation, to always allow the faithful to make peace with God”. Then
prayer, "which is the hallmark of the diocese and will be introduced in a
vigorous manner, within the parishes and families. The Sunday Eucharist must be
preceded by Morning Prayer and vespers on Friday”. For this reason, Mgr.
Fernandes has asked for special chapels for adoration to be opened. The first
was inaugurated on 1 January 2010 in the parish of St. John the Baptist in Kumta
in the State of Karnataka.

Motivational Tips For Staying Sober

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

We all need a little motivation to get us out of bed in the morning and through the day. Sometimes it's as simple as knowing that your favorite TV show is on tonight and sometimes it's bigger like a vacation at the end of the month. Just like staying motivated to work out, you'll need to motivate yourself each day to stay sober if you're a recovering addict. What's motivating is different for each person but if you're stuck for ideas and need a little push in your recovery, consider some of these tips:

-put a calendar somewhere you will see it often, like your bathroom mirror, and mark off the days with a big red "x" to signify each day you've been sober. Seeing a whole week, whole month or whole year covered in red "x's" will be motivating and will help you see how far you've come. Once you get a whole week filled up with no blanks, you won't want to start back at day one.

-keep a journal of all the positive things you notice when you're sober. If it's the feeling you get from being able to remember your day or how good you feel when you wake up in the morning, write it down in detail. The more you describe when you're in that positive moment, the easier it will be for you to get back into that feeling when you read it again for motivation.

-set mini goals each day for yourself with mini rewards. Figure out what's important for you to do each day, like attending an AA meeting or staying positive and reward yourself when you achieve them. Make a deal with yourself that after you go to that meeting you can pick up an ice-cream on the way home. This gives you an incentive to go and something to look forward to after the meeting.

-set big goals for yourself with big rewards. It's nice to have little incentives to get you through the day but you should also plan some bigger goals and rewards. Plan a trip for when you make it 6 months without a drink or plan a spa day. Let a friend or family member know your plans so they can hold you accountable and remind you of what's at stake if you're thinking of slipping up.

-find a friend or family member that will be just as excited as you are for your achievements. Winning something or landing a new job isn't as exciting if you can't share the good news with someone. If you just made it through your first month without a drink, tell someone and get excited about it.

Addiction is Not All About Drugs and Alcohol

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

"Being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs)"

The above is a dictionary definition of addiction. Although tolerance to, and physical dependance upon a substance, is not the medical definition of addiction. Which is:

"an addiction is a chronic neurobiologic disorder that has genetic, psychosocial, and environmental dimensions and is characterized by one of the following: the continued use of a substance despite its detrimental effects, impaired control over the use of a drug (compulsive behavior), and preoccupation with a drug's use for non-therapeutic purposes (i.e. craving the drug)." (source - Wikipedia)

Addiction is very often associated with anti social behaviour, as the addict often needs to steal to fund his or her particular addiction. In fact addiction is now one of the most costly problems for the United States, especially in view of the fact that addiction is progressive, and will continue to get worse unless, and until, suitable treatment is sought and undertaken. Even having made the decision to quit, many addicts fall by the wayside and take many attempts before eventual success.

Furthermore once addicted, even if successful in coming off a substance, an addict is still addicted, and many require help for many years if not for life. Most of us are aware of the alcoholics introduction at their meetings. "Hi, I'm (name), and I'm an alcoholic".

It's a massive problem, and it is now being recognised that it is not just the physical dependance upon a substance, but the psychological dependance, which is probably the more important. The mind is an amazingly powerful thing. If your mind tells you that you need a certain thing to function then that's what will happen. You will move heaven and earth to get hold of that thing, if you have to beg, borrow, steal, and lie to do so.

Anyone can get addicted to an incredible variety of things. We automatically think of drugs and alcohol when we think of addiction. And it's true that alcohol and drugs are probably the most commonly abused substances.

However, it can just as easily be shopping, gambling, sex, food, internet, even work. Every one of these addictions can be equally as destructive to an addict and their family. They are just as pre-occupied with getting their next "fix" to the oblivion of everything else around them. Fatal consequences are unfortunately not uncommon.

Any form of addiction is an outward manifestation that someone is is in deep trouble and requires prompt treatment. Addiction is a terrible, debilitating condition, but the good news is that it is treatable. There are many places to get help, of course the addict must in the first instance want that help. That is the first stage toward recovery.

Treatment for addiction takes many forms, and will depend upon the nature of the addiction, and the person themselves. It can involve therapy, medication, self-help groups, or a combination of all these. The most important thing is to recognise the symptoms early, and seek treatment at the first opportunity.