THE DANGER OF RELIGION

Please click on the video

25 September 2011

THE DANGER OF RELIGION

Matthew 21, 28-32

José Antonio Pagola transleted by Rev.Fr.Valentine de Souza SJ

Jesus has been a few days in Jerusalem moving around in the neighborhood of the temple. He does not find in the streets the friendly welcome he received in the villages of Galilee. Religious leaders who pass his way try to discredit him in front of the simple people of the capital city. They will not stop till they send him to the cross.

Jesus remains unperturbed. With untiring patience he continues to call them to conversion. He tells them a simple anecdote which comes to his mind when he sees them: the conversation between a father who asks his two sons to go to work in the family vineyard.

The first son turns the father down with a brusque refusal: “I will not”. He does not give him any explanation. Quite simply, he just doesn’t want to. Later, however, he gives it a thought and reflects that he is rejecting his father and he goes to the vineyard with a contrite heart.

The second son listens amiably to the request of his father:”I will, sir.” He seems ready to fulfill his wishes, but soon forgets what he has said. He does not think of his father again. They’re no more than polite words. He does not go to the vineyard.

Just in case they haven’t got his message, Jesus, addressing “the high priests and the elders of the people”, applies the parable to them to challenge them directly: “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” He wants them to recognize their resistance to joining the project of the Father.

They are the “professionals” of religion: those who have said a big “yes” to the God of the temple, the experts in the conduct of temple worship, the guardians of the Law. They have no need to be converted. That is why, when the prophet John came to prepare the way of the Lord they said “no”; when Jesus came to invite them to enter into his kingdom, they again said “no”.

The tax collectors and the prostitutes, on the other hand, are “professional sinners”: those who have said a big “no” to the God of religion; those who have placed themselves outside the pale of the Law and sacred worship. Their hearts, however, have remained open to conversion. When John came they believed in him; when Jesus came they accepted him.

Religion does not always lead to doing the will of the Father. We can feel secure in the fulfillment of our religious duties and get accustomed to thinking we have no need to convert or change; those who have drifted from religion are the ones who have to do so. That is why it is so dangerous to replace listening to the Gospel with religious piety. Jesus said so: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”


Spread abroad the call to conversion.

Source: URL of José Antonio Pagola's Buenas Noticias Web site

http://sanvicentemartirdeabando.org

Website for Spanish original and translations: www.eclesalia.net

Jose Antonio Pagola, vgentza@euskalnet.net , San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain.

English Translation by (Valentine) Vally de Souza S.J. vallydesouza@jesuits.net, Mandal, Gujarat , India.

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HOW SMALL-MINDED WE ARE!

TWENTY FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

HOW SMALL-MINDED WE ARE!

Matthew 20, 1-16

José Antonio Pagola translated by Re. Fr. Valentine de Souza SJ

Re. Fr. Valentine de Souza SJ

Jesus had told his disciples clearly: “Seek the kingdom of God and his justice.” For him it was the most important thing. However, they did not see him seeking that justice of God in keeping the laws and traditions of Israel as other teachers did. He even gave them a serious warning on one occasion: “If your justice is not greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of God.” How did Jesus understand the justice of God?




The parable he told them left them bewildered. The owner of a vineyard went over and over again to the town square to hire workers. He did not want to see anyone unemployed. The first group worked hard for twelve hours. The last to arrive worked only sixty minutes.

At the end of the day, however, the owner ordered all to be given one denarius: no family would be left without dinner that night. The decision surprised everyone. How do you evaluate the behavior of this man who offers equal recompense for such unequal work? Isn’t the protest of those who have worked the whole day reasonable?

These workers receive the denarius agreed upon, but on seeing the last to arrive treated so generously, they feel entitled to demand more. They do not accept being considered equal. This is their complaint: “You have made them equal to us.” The owner of the vineyard answers the spokesperson of the group with these words: “Are you envious because I am generous?” This sentence contains the main teaching of the parable.

According to Jesus, there is a way of viewing life that is bad, unfortunate, and harmful, for it prevents us from understanding the goodness of God and rejoicing at his infinite mercy towards all. We refuse to believe that the justice of God consists in treating us with a love that transcends all our reckoning.

This is the Good News revealed by Jesus we would never have suspected and which we so much needed to hear. Let no one come before God with merits or acquired rights. We are all welcomed and saved not by our efforts but by his unfathomable mercy.

Jesus was concerned that his disciples were of a mind incapable of believing in that Goodness. On one occasion he said this to them: “If your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” We Christians have forgotten it. What light would fill the Church if we only dared to believe in the goodness of God without reducing it to our unfortunate small-minded dimensions. What joy would flood the hearts of believers. How ardently we would follow Jesus!

Spread the news of a Good God.

Source: URL of José Antonio Pagola's Buenas Noticias Web site: 

http://sanvicentemartirdeabando.org

Website for Spanish original and translations: www.eclesalia.net

Jose Antonio Pagola, vgentza@euskalnet.net , San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain.

English Translation by (Valentine) Vally de Souza S.J. vallydesouza@jesuits.net, Mandal, Gujarat , India.

Konknni Translation by Vasco do Rego S.J., vdorego@gmail.com, Jesuit House, P.B.112, Panaji, Goa.

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Gujarat Youth attended the World Youth Day 2011 in Spain

Mr. Milan from Anand,Gujarat attended the World Youth Day 2011 in Spain. BBN has interviewed him. Please click on the video to know more about WYD.

BBN

A Bridge Between Christ And People.

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Seminar For Catholic Youth

આજે તા. ૧૧-૦૯-૨૦૧૧ ના રોજ ગામડી આણંદ, કમ્યુનીટી હોલમાં ધોરણ  ૧૧,૧૨ અને કોલેજના  યુવક યુવતીઓ માટે એર હોસ્ટેસ, હોસ્પીટાલીટી  મેનેજમેન્ટ અને ટ્રાવેલ્સ મેનેજમેન્ટ અંગે પ્રેઝન્ટેશન અને રોજગારલક્ષી માર્ગદર્શનનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું. આ પ્રસંગે મુખ્ય વક્તાઓમાં શ્રી લોઈડ રોસરીયો જેઓ Seatrans Logistics કંપનીના  મેનેજિંગ ડીરેક્ટર છે  તેમણે આપણા યુવાધનને માર્ગદર્શન પૂરું પાડ્યું હતું. આ  સાથે શ્રી  દેસ્મોંડ પીટર (Snr. Reg.Training Manager, Indian Aviation Management) અને સાથે આવેલ ટીમ દ્વારા યુવાવર્ગને યોગ્ય  દોરવણી   આપી હતી.

આ પ્રસંગની ઝાંખી માટે વીડિઓ ઉપર ક્લિક કરશો.

મિ. લોએડ રોસરીયો. મિ. પીટર અને તેમની ટીમ સાથે SFPY (Saint Francis Parish Youth)ના આયોજકો 

આ પ્રસંગે ઘણા વિધાર્થી વિધાર્થીનીઓએ  ભાગ લીધો હતો  

આ પ્રસંગે ફા. નગીન એસ. જે, ફા આલ્બર્ટ એસ જે અને ફા. જેરી સિકવેરા એસ. જે ઉપસ્થી આપી હતી 

આવા સેમીનારથી આપણા યુવાવર્ગને આ ઝડપી અને આધુનિક યુગમાં યોગ્ય માર્ગદર્શન મળી શકે છે અને તેનાથી તેઓ જીવનમાં યોગ્ય અને ઉચ્ચ કારકિર્દી તરફ જઈને ધર્મસભાના મહત્વના પાયા બની શકશે.  

આ સેમીનારને સફળ  બનાવવા પાછળ  SFPY ના દરેક આગળ પડતા સભ્યને શુભેચ્છા પાઠવવી  ઓછી  પડે. 

Special Thanks To Miss Deepti Davla and Mr. Taral Parmar

BBN

A Bridge Between Christ And People

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NO END TO FORGIVENESS

The Sunday Bible Reading video is in Gujarati

TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

11 September 2011

NO END TO FORGIVENESS

Matthew 18, 21-35

José Antonio Pagola

Rev. Fr. Valentine de Souza SJ

The disciples heard Jesus say unbelievable things on the love of enemies: prayer to the Father for those who persecute us, forgiveness for those who do us harm. Surely, it seemed an extraordinary message to them, but it was hardly realistic and raised huge questions.

Peter now comes to Jesus with a more practical, concrete approach that at least allowed them to solve the problems that occurred among them: resentment, envy, clashes, conflicts, and petty quarrels. How did they have to behave in that family of followers who walked in his footsteps? In particular: “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?”

Before Jesus could answer him, Peter, impetuous as usual, hastens to make his own suggestion: “Up to seven times?” His proposal is of a generosity quite superior to the climate of strict justice prevalent in Jewish society. It went much further even than what was practiced among rabbis and groups of Essenes who speak of forgiving up to four times at most.

However, Peter is still thinking at the level of Jewish casuistry where forgiveness is prescribed as a friendly arrangement to ensure the orderly functioning of coexistence among those belonging to the same group.

The answer of Jesus requires us to rise to a new level. There is no end to forgiveness: “I tell you not seven times but seventy seven times.” It makes no sense to keep accounts of forgiveness. Whoever takes to counting how often he forgives his brother follows an absurd path that destroys the spirit that must prevail among his followers.

Among the Jews, there was a popular “Song of vengeance” of Lamech, a legendary hero of the desert. It ran like this: “ Cain will be avenged seven times, but Lamech seventy times seven.” Against this culture of revenge without limits, Jesus proclaims forgiveness without limits among his followers.

In just a few years, unrest has been growing within the Church, causing increasingly heartbreaking and painful conflicts and clashes. Lack of mutual respect, insults and calumnies are becoming more frequent. Without anyone regulating them, so-called Christian sectors use the internet to sow hostility and hatred, mercilessly destroying the reputation and lives of other believers.

We urgently need witnesses to Jesus, who firmly proclaim his Good News and humbly spread his peace, believers who keep forgiving and healing this morbid blindness that infects his Church.

Spread the pardon and peace of Jesus.

**********

"How do you stay positive, preach hope, and remain loving and big-hearted in the face of opposition, misunderstanding, hostility, and hatred?


. . . . Very few things, I believe, are more needed today, in both society and the church, than this capacity for understanding and forgiveness. To continue to offer others genuine love and understanding in the face of opposition and hatred constitutes the ultimate social, political, ecclesial, moral, religious, and human challenge. Sometimes church people try to single out one particular moral issue as the litmus test as to whether or not someone is a true follower of Jesus. If there is to be a litmus test, let it be this one: Can you continue to love those who misunderstand you, who oppose you, who are hostile to you, who hate you, and who threaten you - without being paralyzed, calloused, or condescending?" - Ronald Rolheiser OMI

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Sunday With e-Sermon by Rev. Fr. Prakash

Please click for on the video Sunday With e-Sermon by Rev. Fr. Prakash


- BBN

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Birthday Of Mother Mary Celebrated By Anand, Legion Of Mary

Yesterday Birthday Of Mother Mary was celebrated by Legion Of Mary, Anand. There were around 200 men and women and children gathered from Anand and near by villages and they celebrated the Feast with joyful songs and garba. It was a vibrant celebration arranged by them. Please click on the video to watch the celebration

-BBN

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Birthday of Mother Mary _ Bandra Feast Celebration

September 8^th the birthday of Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is celebrated with utmost enthusiasm and fervor by almost every Catholic denizen. A distinct example of Bandra Feast is one such example for the celebrations being on high passion levels. The feast is predominantly celebrated in Bandra, a Mumbai suburb and is being followed for numerous centuries. Hence the name Bandra Feast.

Vivian Pereria, a resident of Bandra, said, for the kinfolk join the mass in the morning probably at Mont Mary’s Basilica or other churches. "They then have family prayers at home and have a festive lunch or dinner with relatives from other suburbs invited for the feast. The modern lifestyle has taken its toll on this ritual, but we still have many families marking this occasion in Bandra," he said.

Fr. Larry Pereria, a resident historian, lives in Ranwar village in Bandra, highlighted that the feast the is regarded more the most vital than the fair for many people in Bandra. "It was the birthday of Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ and families would give it due importance. “The families who lived in various gaothans (villages) like Ranwar, Pali, Sherly, Rajan, Chuim and Chimbai were known to have parties at home with music and folk songs," said Fr. Pereira.

"While the actual day of Mother Mary's birthday fell on September 8, the Church would celebrate it on the next Sunday with a Mass in the morning. It is seen as a people's feast and attracts families particularly women," he said. In Bandra, the feast of Mary is strongly associated with the statue of Virgin Mary at Mount Mary's Basilica for several hundred years. Fr Francis Correia, who has authored a book on Mount Mary, said that the faith in Virgin Mary manifests itself when people of all faiths come to the Church to seek her blessings. When was the feast of Virgin Mary first celebrated? It goes back long ago said Fr Correia, he cites a report by a Jesuit priest written in 1669 which states. "

News And Photo Courtesy

Mr. Ananth (Y Reach)

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Blessed Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa quotes are all positive, inspirational words of wisdom.

Please click on the video

Mother Teresa

As the majority of photographs that we see of Mother Teresa are all of when she was older, I thought that it was more interesting to have a photo of her when she was younger.


Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, Macedonia on 26th August 1910. Her name at birth was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She became a Roman Catholic nun and began teaching in India. She went on to work among the poorest of poor in the slums of Calcutta and founded The Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa won many awards over the years including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She died on 5th September 1997.



Details And Photo Courtesy
Spiritual Quotes To Live By

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Non-violence is Mightier Than Violence

 Non-violence is Mightier Than Violence

By Fr. Anand Muttungal

The thirteen days’ long non-violent protest lead by Anna Hazare has proved again that non-violence has an upper hand against violence. Non-violence can be understood in two ways; first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle and the second one is the behaviour of people using non-violent action to attain a systematic transformation.   This general version of non-violence became a pragmatic principle with the application of this religious principle into freedom movement lead life by Mahatma Gandhi. He used non-violence as a means of struggle to achieve political and social change. The term civil resistance or disobedience has become synonymous with non-violent movements. The civil groups use it to challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime. 

 

All religious traditions propagate non-violence. Jainism and Buddhism has  contributed much to the concept of non-violence which included abolitionism, the practice of not eating animal flesh, spiritual practices of non-harm to all beings and caring for the rights of all beings. We find exclusive manifestation of non-violent principles in the Sermon on the Mount by Lord Jesus. He protested the existing socio-religious system in a peaceful way. His death and resurrection on the third day has qualified his teachings on non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi who was greatly influenced by the teachings of Christ and many religious traditions has introduced a pragmatic political sense to this spiritual concept of non-violence. Today it is called Gandhian concept of non-violence.

 

The first non-Indian to use Gandhian form of non-violence was Martin Luther King. He used to win civil rights for African Americans. César Chávez used non-violence in the 1960s to get the rights for farm workers in California.   The Czechoslovakian youths used non-violent protests in 1989 and called it "Velvet Revolution" which overthrew the Communist government. In 2002, Leymah Gbowee, a lady social worker, organized the Christian and Muslim women against Liberian civil war through non-violent prayer movement which brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. The latest of all is Anna Hazare’s fasting and non-violent protest.

 

The recently concluded thirteen day fast of Anna Hazare and whole lot of people following the guidance issued through the media by him is a sign of maturity of Indian people. It brought the parliament, political parties and civil society on to the same platform. It is true that Lokpal Bill is not a magic stick to stop corruption but the stir it created has declared a war against corruption. The happenings in the Parliament proved that India will not forefeet principles of democracy but the people’s demand is supreme in democracy. It was a rare blend of coordination between the Parliament and civil society in dealing with the demon of corruption.

 

Even though an ocean of people took part in the nationwide protest and fasting, no single incident of violence was reported. What surprised the nation was that the people after attending the offices, colleges and schools, joined the protest and in an unusual way the political parties called for non-violent protests, fundamental organizations used secular   slogans to support the movement, in short it was a grand feast of the old, young, children, men and women from all walk of life. It was the voice of a nation standing against corruption. 

 

This latest example of pragmatic use of non-violence has proved that violence falls apart in the might of non-violence. It must be a lesson to the religious and political fundamental organizations that violence has no justification in any way.   

News Courtesy:

Rev. Fr. Anand Muttungal, Bhopal

Photos Courtesy: Google


NOTE:

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Sunday with e-Sermon By Rev. Fr. Cardoz Anthony SFX

Please click for the Sunday e-sermon

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GATHERED TOGETHER BY JESUS

TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

4 September 2011

 The below given Sunday Bible Reading video is in Gujarati by well known BBN corespondent  Miss Romika

GATHERED TOGETHER BY JESUS

Matthew 18, 15-20

José Antonio Pagola



Rev. Fr. Valentine de Souza SJ

The growth of Christianity in the Roman empire, apparently, was made possible thanks to the continuous birth of new small, almost insignificant groups which gathered together in the name of Jesus to learn together to be animated by his spirit and follow in his footsteps.

Undoubtedly, the involvement of Paul, Peter, and Barnabas and other missionaries and prophets played an important part, as well as the letters and writings that were circulated around various regions. The decisive factor, however, was the simple faith of believers whose names we don’t know, who gathered together to remember Jesus, hear his message, and celebrate the supper of the Lord.

We have not to think of large communities but of groups of neighbors, relatives and friends gathered at the home of one of them. Matthew, the evangelist, has them in mind when he recalls these words of Jesus: “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

Many theologians think that the future of Christianity in the West will depend greatly on the birth and vigor of small groups of believers who, attracted to Jesus, gather centered on the Gospel to experience the real power that Jesus has to attract new followers.

The Christian faith will not be able to be sustained by the socio-cultural environment. Territorial structures that support the faith of those who have not abandoned the Church will be overwhelmed by the lifestyle of modern society, social mobility, the pervasion of virtual culture, and the way week-ends are spent.

The most enlightened sectors of Christianity will continue to concentrate on the Gospel as the stronghold or the decisive force to engender faith. Vatican Council II has already made it clear: “The Gospel… is for the Church the principle of life for its entire duration.” In any age and in any society, it is not we but the Gospel that engenders and founds the Church.

No one can predict the future. No one has prescriptions to guarantee anything. Many of the initiatives that flourish today will quickly run their course for they will not resist the power of a secular, plural, and indifferent society. Within a few years we will be engaged only in essentials.
Jesus, perhaps, will burst upon this skeptical, complacent society with unsuspected force through the power of small groups of simple Christians, attracted by his message of a loving God, open to the suffering of people, and ready to work for a more humane life. With Jesus, everything is possible. We have to be very alert to his calls. up paths to Jesus

Source: URL of José Antonio Pagola's Buenas Noticias Web site

http://sanvicentemartirdeabando.org/

Website for Spanish original and translations: http://www.eclesalia.net/

Jose Antonio Pagola, vgentza@euskalnet.net , San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain.

English Translation by (Valentine) Vally de Souza S.J. vallydesouza@jesuits.net, Mandal, Gujarat , India.

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