WORD 2day

17th September, 2013

At times I feel that I am obsessed with the word and the virtue of Integrity. The readings today summon every person in Christian community to recognise and reassess the place and the importance of this quality in our life and community today. More than any quality of efficiency or intelligence, it is personal integrity that St. Paul outlines as the quality needed utmost for anyone who wants to serve a Christian Community. Jesus, most obviously, is the model presented to us by the Gospel. Not merely a sermon or a discourse, but we see Jesus moved with compassion for the helpless widow on the streets of Nain. The Responsorial Psalm drives home to us the crux of the message today: "He who walks in the way of integrity shall be in my service" (Ps 101:6). The less the disparity between our talk and our walk, the more is our Integrity! Integrity, infact, is the internal peace that leads to Universal Peace!

WORD 2day

16th September, 2013

In these days when the world visited the brink of another large scale military conflict, the readings today have a wonderful message - to pray for all, for the sake of peace! It is not a convenience-seeking measure but a conviction that is born out of a solid teaching that Jesus wanted to impart to the world - We are all sons and daughters of One, loving, caring God who is madly in love with us. Jesus lived that teaching by reaching out to the Roman Centurion and infact pointing out in him the excellence of faith. The present Holy Father, Pope Francis proved a true disciple of Christ, calling the whole world, all persons of good will to unite in prayer, as does the first reading today. It is important for the world to know that the one word that can heal everyone, the one word that can give peace to the whole world, the one word that can set everything right is with God! The process has to begin with us... those who hear that Word, to believe in it and entrust ourselves to living it. 'Say but one word O Lord, the world shall be healed and we shall have peace!'

LET YOURSELF BE FOUND!!!

15th September, 2013: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The First Reading warns us:

The World and our life today is filled with things, events, ideals and values that can distract us and get us lost!

The Second Reading instructs us:

Become aware of it when you are lost! St. Paul realised how lost he was! It is a grace to "come to our senses" (as the lost son came to his senses in the parable - Lk 15:17).

The Gospel presents to us:

A God who is on a constant look out; the Lord who is in search of us; the Lord who rejoices on our return! But the Lord cannot find us, unless we let ourselves be found! 

Prayer

Oh Lord, my God,

Grant that I may stick to the path you have shown;

Enlighten my mind to single out the enticements and entrapments 

that get me lost to your life-giving presence;

Infuse my heart with the humility to see the truth and accept it

specially when I find myself far from it;

Take my hand and lead me gently back to you,

however undeserving you find me to be; 

for I know you love me without bounds, 

you accept me without conditions, and 

you watch over me without denying me my freedom!

Thank you Lord, 

never let me wander too far away from you; and

help me always to let myself be found...
like the coin on the house floor, 
the sheep in the wilderness, 
and the son who came to himself...
Help me Lord, 
that when you come in search of me, 
TO LET MYSELF BE FOUND.

Amen.

A BREAK for WORD 2day!!!

WORD 2day

31^st August, 2013

‘To aspire to live quietly, to mind your affairs and to work with your own hands’, is the practical tip for peaceful living that St. Paul gives his spiritual children at Thessalonica. It seems that gossip and judgments about others has been a problem for centuries on. Uncharitable curiosity about others’ lives, passing judgments and spreading prejudices about others, looking out for an opportunity to blame my negligences and failures on someone else, villainising someone merely because I do not agree with him or her – these are fast becoming “normal” in a society that is influenced by a maddening media craze! Holiness does not consist of my private life alone, it involves my social relations, my willingness towards contributing my mite to the social order and my commitment towards making this world a better place to live! However little, let us do our part, so that the Lord may rejoice in us, and address us, “Good and faithful servants!”

WORD 2day

30^th August, 2013

This is God’s will: your sanctification! St. Paul has the gift of speaking of the greatest of the things in simplest of terms. Today, he puts across in straightforward terms the life task that we have – our personal sanctification. Our personal sanctification comes as a result of our self understanding. ‘Don’t you know that you are the temple of God?’ (1Cor 3:16), St. Paul would ask elsewhere. That self-understanding as the dwelling of the Spirit of God, is the starting point for a whole journey of personal sanctification. It is not a victory gained once for all but it is a constant vigilance and continuous labour, explains the parable that Jesus narrates in the Gospel. The lamp of our life needs to keep burning; the oil is given by God – ‘God who gives the Holy Spirit’. The Spirit is the oil that we need to keep our lamps burning, burning always with the desire to remain sanctified dwellings of the Spirit!

WORD 2day

29^th August, 2013 – Remembering the Martyrdom of John the Baptist

The call to be prophets, like Jeremiah and John that we see in the readings today, is a call that is addressed to every baptized child of God. The world seems to be at home with a culture of sin today! Be it social or economic or political or cultural arena – there is a cloud of sinfulness that pervades and waits to consume everyone present. More treacherous is the lack of sense of sin, that justifies sinfulness, sometimes without even the conscious assent of the persons involved. The question today is, which part we would rather play: the seducing forces that draw people to sin; the wicked plotters who play the protagonists in spreading sinfulness; the passive infected who continue to perpetrate sinfulness by their mere inaction; the silent spectators who aid the spread more than do anything to stop it – all these groups are represented in the Gospel event today. There is also the role of John the Baptist, who dares to stand for truth and righteousness, even at the cost of his own life! What would be my choice?

WORD 2day

28^th August, 2013 – Remembering St. Augustine

Yesterday was the mother, and today the son! St. Augustine is known for his passionate search for truth! And in the process he came across the Truth beyond all truth, the One Truth that accounts for all other truth and he declared, “Late have I known thee!” The Word of God both encourages and challenges us, explains St.Paul in the first reading and it depends on each of us, what we make of these encouragements and demands! Being worthy of God is the project that St. Paul proposes to us and it is a matter of the inner self. No amount of exterior adornment or  rationalisations or self-justifications can give the internal peace, which comes only from a life of communion with oneself, with others and with God. This in one word could be called, “Integrity” – and that is what Jesus calls us to: a life of integrity.

FOTO CONTEST - YOUCAT INDIA

Here is a letter from the Coordinator for the Indian Version of the YOU CAT (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church)...
They are announcing a Photo Contest...
Why not you try your luck and skill?

Dear Catholic Youth of India,

            Presently, Youcat is the  best seller in the Catholic World after the Holy Bible. It is an ideal catechism for the youth. However, we are yet to have an Indian edition of this Youcat with Indian photos. The publishers of Youcat have permitted to incorporate Indian photos in the presentYoucat. So, you can now be part of the Youcat. If you wish to be part of the Indian Youcat, you can send us the photos needed for this new edition. The creators of selected photos will be acknowledged in the new edition and will be amply rewarded. The conditions are given below. May your contribution help the youth grow in their faith.

Youthfully Yours,

Fr. Gilbert Choondal, sdb

Coordinator for the Indian Youcat Faith Photo-Contest

Dated: 16 August 2013

Conditions for the Indian Youcat Faith Photo-Contest

1. Eligible participants of the contest:  Catholic Youth (laity aged 16- 35) from India

2. Resolution & Format:  Minimum Resolution - 800x600 Pixels, (print size 5x7); Maximum 3MP, Format: JPEG

3. The last date for sending the photos: 30 September 2013. Email id: gilbertsdb@gmail.com, faithministry.in@gmail.com

4. A contestant can send any number of photos. The photos should be original. The internet/already published photos are not accepted.

5. The photos will be judged from its composition, layout, artistic nature, creativity and theme

6. The photos should contain Indian face especially youth face unless they are meant for a specific theme.

7. Please consult the Youcat for specific themes, page numbers and detailed nature of photos.

8. Contestants need to send their full mailing address, contact number, and brief description of each photo (with a reference to the Youcat page)

9. Specific natures of photos needed are given below.

10. Winners will be invited for a public function in Bangalore on 27 October 2013. They will be awarded with the new Indian Youcat and a Youcat T-Shirt.

Prologue
1. A Photo of a youngster with the Youcat/ a youth with the Youcat with the pope, a cardinal, the nuncio, or a bishop. A youth reading theYoucat.

Part 1 What we believe

General Themes: Creed, faith, Creation, Jesus, Mary, Catholic Church

Specific Themes for the Photos

1. Image of Faith, believing, creed

2. Image of the Church

3. Image of youngsters reflecting, meditating

4. Scriptures

5. Happy person

6. Creation

7. Beauties of creation

8. Man the crown of creation

9. Sunrise, sunset

10. Boy and girl in conversation

11. Mother and child

12. Washing the feet

13. Passion play

14. Praying at the crucifix

15. Church, community of people

16. Church as people of God

17. Hinduism

18. Religions with their religious expressions

19. Church building

20. Religious life

21. Last Judgement

Part II How we celebrate the Christian Mysteries

(major themes: sacraments, liturgy, rites)

1. Mystery of sacraments

2. Liturgical procession

3. Eucharist Latin

4. Eucharist Syro Malabar

5. Eucharist Syro Malankara

6. Different parts of the mass

7. Liturgical calendar (Syro malankara)

8. Liturgical Calendar (Syro Malabar)

9. Image of Sanctuary

10. Baptism

11. Confirmation

12. Youngsters in reconciliation

13. Ordination (latin )

14. Ordination (Syro Malabar)

15. Marriage ceremony (3 photos)

16. Love and relationship

17. Relics

18. Indian icons of Jesus and Mary

Part III How we are to have life in Christ

(major themes: respect for life. Nature, disabilities, sickness, pollution, society)

1. Cheerful youngster

2. Helping a disabled person

3. Life as fun and frolic

4. Happy youth group

5. Youth games and activities

6. Happiness in relationships

7. Images of unity in diversity. mixture of colours and races and languages

8. Holiness

9. Belief in God

10. Superstition, atheism occultism

11. Happy family

12. Child and parents

13. Family and God

14. Birth

15. Drugs, alcoholism

16. Peace

17. War and peace

18. Anger

19. Emotional maturity

20. Love and chastity

21. Love and sex

22. Environmental pollution

23. Global warming

24. Climate change

25. Globalisation

26. Poverty

27. Unemployment

23. Communication media

24. Greed

25. Justice

Part IV How we should pray

(Major themes, Prayer, different types of prayer)

1. Praying in a church

2. Candle lit prayer

3. Prayer of adoration

4. Thanksgiving prayer

5. Prayer (Old Testament, New Testament)

6. Prayer at home

7. Praying the rosary

8. Prayer in a lonely place

9. Prayer to the creator

10. Prayer of child to the Father

11. Happy family meal

12. Images of prayer Our Father

13. Prayer of prise

14. Joy in Prayer

WORD 2day

27^th August, 2013 – Remembering St. Monica

Not to please humans but God, invites St. Paul today in the first reading. Our spirituality can reach its dreary bottom if we are constantly moved by our intention to please those around and live up to their praises and affirmation. An externally illustrious life, with a painful emptiness within, cannot endure in its glitter for long. On the contrary, a life that might look apparently uninteresting could inspire and change people and history for ever, if it is build on a spiritual depth. St. Monica, a simple mother with her perseverance in prayer and firmness in her hope, believed that her son will one day turn to the inner richness that God alone could give and she saw her belief come true! Maybe, the saint of today inspires us to thank God for our mothers who are our first catechists!