Silver Jubilee Of Sr. Anandi

Today there was grand celebration in Mariyampura Petlad Church. Sr. Anandi celebrated her 25 years being nun and the parents of Rev. Ramesh Macwan celebrated 50 years of married life

Read More

RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

PENTECOST (B) 27 May 2012

John 20, 19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Rev.Fr.Valentine de Souza S.J

RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

José Antonio Pagola

Little by little we learn to live superficially. We no longer need to be in touch with the best in us. It’s enough to be pleasantly occupied. We’re happy living purposeless lives and being fed on bread alone. We do not want to risk seeking the truth. Come Holy Spirit and free us from this inner emptiness.

We’ve already learned to live without roots and goals. We are content being programmed from the outside. We’re constantly active and on the move but we do not know what we want or where we are headed. We are increasingly better informed, but find ourselves more lost than ever. Come Holy spirit and free us from the confusion in our lives.

The fundamental problems of existence hardly interest us. It doesn’t bother us that we grope in the dark as we face life. We’ve become more skeptical but also more fragile and insecure. We would like to be smart and intelligent. So why do we not have peace and quiet? Why do we frequently find ourselves sad? Come Holy spirit and free us from inner darkness.

We would like to live more, live better, live longer, but what do we want from life? We want to feel good, feel better, but how and what for? We seek to enjoy life intensely, get the most out of it, but we are not happy to only have a good time. We do what we like. Hardly anything is prohibited; there is no forbidden territory. Why do we look for something different? Come Holy Spirit and teach us to live.

 We want to be free and independent and we find ourselves increasingly lonesome. We need to live and we shut ourselves in our little world, so boring at times. We need to feel loved and we don’t know how to establish interesting and friendly contacts. We call sex “love” and pleasure “happiness”, but who will quench our thirst? Come Holy Spirit and teach us to love.

 There is no place for God in our lives any more. His presence remains repressed or fades away unnoticed in us. Full of noise within, we can no longer hear his voice. Overwhelmed by a thousand desires and feelings, we do not succeed in sensing his nearness. We know how to talk to everyone except him. We have learnt to live indifferent to Mystery. Come Holy Spirit and teach us to believe.

 Believers and unbelievers, believers of little or bad faith, we often all together make our pilgrim way through life. In the Christian feast of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says to all of us what he said to his disciples as he breathed on them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. ” The Spirit who sustains our poor lives, and strengthens our weak faith can reach us in ways he alone knows.

 Disseminate the Spirit of Jesus

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

http://sanvicentemartirdeabando.org

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

English Translation by Valentine de Souza S.J. Mandal, Gujarat , India.394650

Read More

Silver Jubilee Of Carmelite Sisters, Sr. Smita and Sr. Indira

Please click on the video for the Silver Jubilee Of Carmelite Sisters, Sr. Smita and Sr. Indira, Salun,Gujarat

 તારીખ 24-05-2012 ના રોજ સલુણ મુકામે  કાર્મેલાઈટ સિસ્ટર્સ,  સિ.સ્મિતા અને સિ .ઇન્દિરા પોતાના  સન્યસ્ત જીવનના  25  વર્ષની  ઉજવણી લોકો સાથે મળીને માણી હતી. આ પ્રસંગે  સલુણ  તથા સલુણની આજુ બાજુના ભક્તજનો મોટી સંખ્યામાં હાજર રહ્યા હતા. આ શુભ પ્રસંગે રેવ. ફા. ઇગ્નાસ  કાનીસ એસ. જે. હાજર રહી ખ્રિસ્ત યજ્ઞ અર્પણ કર્યો હતો. આ પ્રસંગે મોટી સંખ્યામાં આવેલ પુરોહિતગણ તથા સાધ્વીગણ હાજર રહી ઉજવણીને વધુ આનંદિત અને પ્રાર્થનામય બનાવી હતી.               

Read More

BBN Bhakti Ras on BBN Podcast

Do send your ideas and inputs to bbnbhumel@gmail.com Or vijumac1111@gmail.com Or vijaybbn@gmail.com

- BBN

Read More

Shrinking Minority Rights in India

Shrinking Minority Rights in India

By Father Anand Muttungal (M.P.)

 By the beginning of the 19th century, issues related to minorities began to be one of the major concerns of the leaders and rulers of India. In the beginning it was a problem based on religious diversification but in two decades the issues related to linguistic minorities too became a problem. The reports submitted by the Motilal Nehru Committee on the communal problem, 10 August 1928, suggested creating provinces based on language, special efforts protect local language and culture, and special reservation to minorities in the elected bodies. Probably it could be right to believe that they could not define the term “minority”; even the constituent assembly made no efforts to define the term but left it to the Courts to decide according to its wisdom. It has probably over the years it has let to shrink the rights of the minorities in a judicial way.

 The first assault on minority rights began with the Kerala Education Bill 1957 that proposed to centralizing recruitment of teachers in the aided schools through State Public Service Commission, taking over the collection of fees, taking over of management in the event of specified failings etc. It was later rectified by the six bench judges of the Supreme Court in response to opinion sought by the President of India under article 143(1) of the Constitution. The debate on the issue of minorities again came up in 1993 with the higher education policy of Karnataka Government on admission, fixation of fee and many other aspects of administration of the colleges and in 2005 Maharastra Government followed the suit with a general policy on fee regulation and reservation in higher education institutions. T.M.A. Pai Foundation and P A Inamdar brought these issues to the Supreme Court and larger constitutional benches delivered clear direction to the Government on various questions related to minority institutions.

 The recent judgment by the Supreme Court on RTE that ‘it should be applicable to the aided minority education institutions’ has given a scope to the Governments to restrict the rights of the minorities. While speaking on the proposed amendment of RET in the Lok Sabha, (May 9, 2012), Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal stated, “minority institutions are out of its purview” while noting that the Supreme Court too had passed an order saying this law would not be applicable to minority institutions. The amendment stated that ‘in Section 21 of the RTE Act, in sub-section (2), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely: “Provided that the School management Committee constituted under sub-section (1) in respect to a school established and administered by minority, whether based on religion or language, shall perform advisory functions only.”

 The present judgment of the Supreme Court that ‘RTE will be applicable to aided minority schools’ and the amendment passed by the Lok Sabha ‘to form school management committee’ too are clearly indicating a challenge-able difference of opinion with the Supreme Court Judgment in T M A Pai Foundation Case which said, “A minority institution does not cease to be so; the moment grant-in-aid is received by the institution.”

 The present RTE Judgment of the Supreme Court and the Amendment made by the Parliament has divided the minority run educational institutions into aided and un-aided. Probably people in power are happy that their elite schools are out of its preview but what about those people working in the aided schools which serve the real poor. The present developments are clear sign of restricting the constitutional rights of the minority into a small semi circle. In-spite of this dark shade we have hope that while delivering the judgment one of the judges disagreed with including aided minority institutions under RTE. Therefore we must go for a review of the judgment for a greater cause.

Read More

બેડવા, કરમસદ, મોગરી તથા અન્ય ગામોમાં કેથોલિક કબ્રસ્તાનોની બિસ્માર હાલત

બેડવા,કરમસદ,મોગરી તથા અન્ય ગામોમાં કેથોલિક કબ્રસ્તાનોની બિસ્માર હાલત

  

 ક્યાંક કબ્રસ્તાન રોડના સમાર કામ માટે ખોદી   કાઢવામાં  આવે છે તો ક્યાંક વળી,ગામનો ઉકરડો બનાવવા માટે કે પછી  ગટરોના ગંદા પાણીના નિકાલ માટે આ જગ્યાનો ઉપયોગ કરવામાં  આવે છે. સમાજમાં કબ્રસ્તાનનો  પ્રશ્ન હજી સુધી હલ  થયો નથી.

 આખરે આ પ્રશ્ન કોઈના મૃત્યુ વેળાએ નજરે તો ચઢે છે પરંતુ "રાત ગઈ બાત ગઈ" જેવું થતું હોય  છે. દુરગ્રસ્ત કબ્રસ્તાનોની BBN  મુલાકાત દરમ્યાન નજરે ચડ્યું કે આપણા કબ્રસ્તાન મોટા ભાગે તળાવ કે કાંસના કિનારે કે અંદર પાણીમાં આવેલ છે અને તેમાં અમુક જૂની કબરો ગરકાવ  થયેલ છે.આવા કબ્રસ્તાનમાં મૃતકને છેલ્લી  માટી નાખવાનો મોકો તો શિયાળા ઉનાળામાં જરૂરથી મળે પણ મૃતક  માટે ચોમાસામાં પાંચ ફૂટની જગ્યા શોધવી અઘરું બની જાય. 

 નરસંડામાં કબ્રસ્તાન કાંસના કિનારા ઉપર આવેલ છે. ચોમાસામાં પાણી ભરાતા મૃતકને લઇ જવાનો પ્રશ્ન ઉભો રહે છે. રાજનગરમાં કબ્રસ્તાન માટે ખાડામાં નાની જગ્યા છે. ચોમાસામાં કબર બનાવવાનો પ્રશ્ન છે.  વડતાલમાં નવું કબ્રસ્તાન ખ્રિસ્તી ફળિયાની નજીક આવેલ છે. વિદ્યાનગર જવાના રોડની આજુ બાજુ એમ બે ભાગમાં વહેચાયેલ છે તેમનો એક ભાગ વરસાદની ઋતુમાં પાણીથી ગરકાવ થઇ જાય છે. બાકરોલનું  કબ્રસ્તાન તળાવના કિનારે આવેલ છે વચ્ચે રાહદારી રસ્તો આવેલ છે તેમનો એક ભાગ (કરમસદના રોડ તરફ) પાણીમાં ગરકાવ થાય છે. 

 કરમસદમાં દેવળની નજીક કબ્રસ્તાન આવેલ છે. અડધું કબ્રસ્તાન ખાડામાં આવેલ છે ,ચોમાસામાં આ ભાગ પાણીમાં કબરો સાથે ગરકાવ થાય  છે તેના અડધા ભાગમાં કબરો તોડી નાનો  રોડ બનાવેલો છે (વધુ માટે વીડિઓ જોશો). મોગરીમાં આખું કબ્રસ્તાન પાણીમાં છે અહીના એક બહેને રોષ વ્યક્ત કર્યો હતો કે અહી મરનાર સર્વે ને ટાઈટેનિકનો અનુભવ થાય છે. બેડવા ગામમાં એક્ષપ્રેસ રોડમાં માટીનું પુરણ કરવા માટે કબ્રસ્તાનનો આજુબાજુનો ભાગ ખોદી કાઢવામાં આવેલ. આજે આ કબ્રસ્તાન નાના ડુંગર જેવું લાગે છે. વરસાદના કારણે આજુબાજુની ધારો  ધોવાઇને ખાઈ જેવી બની ગયેલ છે જેમાં ઘણી કબરો ધોવાઇ ગઈ છે તો વળી, અમુક કબરો ઉપર વહેરા અને બખોલ પડી ગયેલ છે.             

બેડવા, કરમસદ, વડતાલમાં કબર ઉપર રાખવામાં આવેલ અમુક ક્રોસને તોડી નાખવામાં તથા વાળી  નાખવામાં આવ્યા છે.

Please click to watch the graveyards which are having problems. ( You may not have buffering problem while watching)

Bedva graveyard


karamsad graveyard


Mogri graveyard

  The problem of Mogri grave yard will be solved by Panchayat as soon as possible. Here the main pond is being prepared for a play ground. Mr.Jerom from Mogri said that the water of the same pond is right now in the graveyard. The Panchyat is  making a way to send the water out and make a better graveyard soon.

  

Bakrol graveyard

 આ સમસ્યાના નિરાકરણ માટે  જે. પી. સી. (જસ્ટીસ એન્ડ પિસ કમીશન ) દ્વારા અમદાવાદ ધર્મપ્રાંતમાં આવેલ તાબાઓમાં દર્શાવેલ ફોર્મ મોકલી આપવામાં આવ્યા છે. BBN ના ફોન ઇનટરવ્યુમાં જે પી સી ના કોડીનેટર શ્રી શૈલેષ ખંભાલીયાએ જણાવ્યું હતું કે જે તે ગામમાં કે શહેરમાં કેથોલીક કબ્રસ્તાનની જમીનની માહિતી આપવા બાબત માટેની અપીલ કરવામાં આવી છે જેનો અભ્યાસ જે.પી.સી.ના સભ્યો દ્વારા કરવામાં આવશે અને તેના માટે યોગ્ય નિકાલ લાવવા માટે તાલીમ આપવામાં આવશે.    

Courtesy Mr. Jerom Mogri

News And videos By BBN

                                   

Read More

YCS/YSM INDIA

A training was conducted by YCS/YSM INDIA at Pastrol Centre, Nadiad,Gujarat. 73 young boys and girls got together from 4 states to cultivate the church values to make the world a better place for tomorrow. Appreciative work do read and spread the word. Please not that BBN is under maintenance, and therefore not able to provide the videos and photos. Inconvenience is regretted

YCS/YSM INDIA

Introduction and Basic Information:

What is YCS/YSM:

-       It is not a leadership training movement

-       It is not a talent/skills finding movement

-       It is not a movement of activities at all

-       It is not taking up popular social work

-       It is not a group of cleanliness and maintenance

It is a student movement where students come together in small groups of 8-10 to share their interests, problems, experiences, anxieties etc and find a solution of their own through the YCS methodology of See, Judge and Act i.e. Awareness, Reflection Action and Evaluation. Hence,

-       It is a growth oriented movement

-       It is a gathering of experiences of evaluation

-       It is a life oriented movement

-       It is purely cell based movement.

History: It was started in 1929 as the offshoot of YCS which was founded by Cardinal Joseph Cardijn of Belgium in 1920. Though its roots were found in India in 1950 through the visit of volunteers from Germany, Sri Lanka and Miss Betty King from Australia, it was officially organized by Sr. Jeanne Devos on 16th January 1966 at Chennai.  It was officially recognized by the CBCI in 1969 and Sr. Jeanne Devos became its first National Animator. YSM was affiliated to it for the sake of the students of other faith in 1970 and in the same year YCS/YSM was affiliated to the IYCS international.

Present Scenario: At present, the Movement has around 202865 students and 3088 dedicated Animators, youth workers spread out in 12 regions. The Movement has formed active and dynamic church leaders, social workers and liberators who are involved in the process of socio-economic-political-religious welfare of the people all over the country.

VISION : To evolve a new society, where people live in harmony, where there is total freedom for the complete growth of the individual, where each and every person is respected in dignity hence valuing peace, love, truth, justice and equality.

Aim :  “A just Society” - God’s Kingdom.

Objectives : Change self – Change others

Personality development

Leadership through Talent exposure

Faith formation

Building up a better future

Fighting for social justice and peace

Methodology: See, Judge and Act

(Awareness, Reflection, Action and Evaluation)

Characteristics: It is a movement of gathering and sharing of experiences of the members and evaluating the life situations to form an attitude towards value based pro life actions. Hence,

It is a Student movement

It is an awareness movement

It is a religiously inspired movement

It is an action oriented movement

It is a cell based movement

Spirituality: All accept one another as brothers and sisters; hence a family atmosphere is created to treat each other as real human beings.

Relationship with self – Knowing oneself

Relation ship with the Other - Process of becoming 

Relationship with God – Presence in the Reality

Cells are the basic units of the movement.

Student members become a well knit group in sustaining the fraternal relationship in sharing the life experiences to accept each other as their own.

Animators are the backbone of the movement.

Animator is a friend, guide, the one who accompanies the members always in their growth process. The Animator needs to have a deep faith in God and Prayer, Commitment to Word of God, commitment to Student members and colleagues and commitment to God’s Kingdom. He/She needs to be a visionary and learner, accepting and listening to students as they are in their spiritual and growth process.

STRUCTURE OF THE MOVEMENT:

Cell : Group of 8 – 12 having a Leader and Secretary for the Cell

Unit : Cells together form unit having President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter

Diocese : Units together form Diocesan team (DTA/DTS)

Region : Dioceses together form Regional team (RTA/RTS)

Nation : National team (NTA/Exco) - National Chaplain, National coordinator,    

  Convener, secretary, treasurer – Office in Chennai, India

Asia : Asian team – Office in Manila, Philippines

International IYCS : International team – Office in Paris, France

The Search:

The search magazine is a quarterly news letter of YCS/YSM National movement. 
It has been published regularly since 1985. It helps to pen our feelings and experiences.

Why YCS/YSM for the teenagers?

1.    This is the time of disintegration

2.   Time of seeking attention

3.   Time of seeking recognition

4.   Time of seeking identity

5.    Time of faith formation

6.   Time of decision making

7.   Time of attitude formation

8.   Time to understand the childhood, elders, environment, reality and to get affirmed in the reality

They need to be organized to face the pressures of peer groups, mass media, wrong attitude of the society and make them understand the world of true relationships and sex. They need to be animated properly. They need role models and examples to be imitated, identified and to belong to. They need to be integrated to build up their identity. It is the time of social exposure and enjoyment. It is the time of psycho-physical change taking place, hence needs to be guided properly.

Cell meeting: YCS/YSM is a cell based movement. Once a week groups 
of 8-12 students sit in cells for 45-60 minutes avoiding class room atmosphere 
to share their feelings on the given situation. Topics should be student related issues
 which happen frequently, that needs immediate attention and that leads to possible action
 plan.

How to conduct cell meeting:

-       Start with a group technique,

-       short prayer,

-       cell meeting as mentioned in the Review of life (Incident - See, Judge, Act)

-       minutes of the previous meeting,

-       agenda of the meeting should be announced

-       prepare for an action plan

-       agenda for the next meeting

-       short prayer and close the meeting with YCS/YSM anthem.

Review of Life (Methodology to conduct cell meeting): Choose an incident 
which is student related, occurring often and having effect on the lives of students
 which needs immediate attention. After narration let the cell leader conduct 
the cell meeting using the questions given below as the YCS/YSM methodology.

Awareness:

-       What happened during the incident? Where, When, Why and How?

-       Who were the persons actively involved in the incident?

-       Have similar incidents taken place elsewhere? Your experience.

Reflection:

-       Who benefits from this situation and who loses? 

-       What are the values you find in this incident and what values would have helped the incident for better?

-       What were the attitudes of the persons actively involved in the incident?

-       What does Jesus/God/Word of God (Bible/Gita/Koran) teaches us in such situations?

-       If you were involved in this incident what is your decision for personal change?

Action:

-       What is my personal decision for self transformation? What change do I bring about in my attitude to build new society (God’s kingdom)?

-       How would I influence my cell members for a change in their attitudes?

-       What will we do as a cell to bring about change in the society? Our Action plan.

Evaluation:

-       What are the positive & negative results of our action?

-       What have we learnt from this action? How have we changed our attitude?

-       Have we succeeded in bringing about a change in us and society?

     (If yes – good, If no - Why? What change should we adapt?) 

Cell Life: It is a setting where educational/religious proposals become personalized; 
it is a place for expression and responsibility; it is a place to prepare an action plan; 
it is a place of commitment and an opportunity for interpersonal communications.

What happens after cell meeting? : Besides achieving the objectives, parent – student relationship increases, student relationship gets stronger, and their belongingness to the society (Church, institution etc) becomes meaningful.

Attitudinal change takes place, positive attitude increases, they study better, they face the reality better, they find meaning in helping others, their decisions gets affirmed and they take up leadership roles.

Remember they are coming from different backgrounds. All cannot be weighed equally; they need to be recognized as they are and to be guided.

How to start YCS groups:

-       Brainstorming – Suggestions in a non critical situation

-       Buzz Sessions – Consultation and discussion before a general sharing

-       Group Dynamic “Games” – Learning through doing

-       Provoked Incidents – To observe group response in real life situation

-       Role Play – To present problem realistically to initiate discussion

-       Miming – To present a problem realistically with imagination and variety

-       Photo Language – Helps express ones views and discover oneself  in the photo

-       Film – To present a problem, life situation for reflection and action

-       Songs, poems, quotations, Advertisements, etc. – To inspire life situations

-       Symbols and objects – To express ideas, feelings, relationships etc

-       Speeches – To present ones ideas for elaborate discussion, reflection and action

-       Panel – To let different opinions expressed for reflection

-       Debate – To argue a point of view in concise and logical way.

-       Fishbowl – To increase participation

-       Interviews – To become conscious of opinions and enter into dialogue

-       Survey – To find out the precise objective of the situation

-       Awareness walk – To obtain first hand information and reflect upon it

-       Case Study – To develop problem solving attitudes and skills

-       Stepping into another’s shoes – To become aware of life and problems of others

-       Dreaming Dreams –Formulate vision for the future to give purpose to present life.

National office activities:

-                NTA/Exco meetings    

-                National Animators and Chaplains Training

-                NTA/Exco live in

-                Inter-regional Leadership and Animation programs

-                National Students Leaders Training Program

-                Visitation to Regions and Dioceses

-                National Council

Asian and International  programmes:

-                South Asian Session (SAS)

-                Asian Session (ASC)

-                International Coordination (IC)

-                World Council (WC)

Some more information:

ò     Student Movement: The YCS/YSM is a student Movement. Students at various l
evels (Cell, Unit, Diocese, Region, and Nation) undertake and hold responsibility 
in terms of leadership and decision making in consultation with their animators.

ò     National Council (NC): NC is highest legislative body, which consists of student
 leaders from all the dioceses. It meets once in three years to evaluate the Movement and
 to evolve a theme for the coming three years. So far we have had fifteen such councils.

ò     National Exco: The National Exco consists of two student leaders (a boy and a girl) 
from each region. They for a link between the National, regional and diocesan bodies and
 help in the execution of the National plans and programmes.

ò     National Team of Animators (NTA): The NTA consists of the regional 
chaplains, the National Coordinator and the National Chaplain.  The NTA & EXCO 
meets once in six months to evaluate, to plan and to implement the programmes at the National level.

ò     National Team (NT): The NT comprises of National Convenor, Secretary, 
Treasurer along with National Chaplain and Coordinator. These leaders are elected 
democratically, from the national body of Exco. This is the administrative body of the
 Movement.

ò     Regions:  There are 12 regions in India. The Regional Team (RT) comprises of the 
Regional Chaplain, Coordinator, Convenor, Secretary and Treasurer. There are the Regional
 Team of Animators (RTA) and Regional Team of Students (RTS)

ò     Diocese: In the Dioceses we have Diocesan Team of Animators (DTA) and Diocesan 
Team of Students (DTS) to discuss, to evaluate and to strengthen the Movement. Like 
NT and RT, here we have DT (Diocesan Team) as the administrative body.

ò     Unit/Cell: The number of cells in a particular institution/parish forms a unit. 
A cell having 8-12 students meets regularly under the guidance of Animator.

Basic information of the movement and Addresses:

IYCS International Secretariat

7 Impasse Reille,75014 Paris, FRANCE

Tel:+33.1.45.48.14.72 Fax:+33.1.42.84.04.53; E-mail: mail@iycs-jeci.org

IYCS ASIAN SECRETARIAT

20 Avocado Rd., Pilar Village, Las Pińas City, Metro Manila, 1750 PHILIPPINES

Telefax: +63.2.806.8457  Residence: +63.2.801.4969; Email: office@iycsasia.org

YCS/YSM NATIONAL OFFICE

66(151) Luz church Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004

Tel: 044 24988693, 24895737, Email: ycsysmindia@gmail.com

Website: www.ycsysmindia.com

News By YCS/YSM 

Read More

ASCENSION

ASCENSION (B) 20 May 2012

Mark 16, 15-20

 He said to them, “Go into the entire world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
 

 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
 

 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

A NEW BEGINNING

José Antonio Pagola

Rev. Fr.Valentine de Souza S.J. 

 The evangelists describe in different terms the mission Jesus entrusts to his followers. According to Matthew they have “to make disciples”, so they learn to live as he taught them to. According to Luke, they have to be “witnesses” of what they have experienced during the time they were with him. Mark summarizes everything by saying they have “to proclaim the Gospel to all creation”.

 Those who associate today with a Christian community do not come into direct contact with the Gospel. What they see is the functioning of a religion grown old, that shows signs of a serious crisis. They cannot find spelt out clearly in such a religion the Good News created by the impact Jesus had twenty centuries ago.

 On the other hand, many Christians have no first-hand knowledge of the Gospel. All they know about Jesus and his message is what they have been able to put together by bits and pieces listening to catechists and preachers. They practice their religion deprived of personal contact with the Gospel.

 How are they going to proclaim the Gospel if they have not been imbued with it in their own communities? Vatican Council II has reminded us of something almost forgotten these days: “The Gospel is at all times the source of its whole life for the Church.” The time has come to understand and organize the Christian community as the place where the most important task is to take to heart the Gospel of Jesus.
 Nothing can restore the fabric of our communities in crisis, as the power of the Gospel. Only the direct and immediate experience of the Gospel can revitalize the Church. It will not be long before the present crisis compels us to focus only on essentials. We will then see clearly that nothing is more important for Christians today than to gather to read, listen to and share with one another the Gospel narratives.

 What matters is to believe in the regenerating power of the Gospel. The Gospel stories teach us to live the faith not as an obligation, but as a personal choice. They make us live the Christian life not to fulfill a duty but to radiate and spread a faith grown infectious. It is already possible to bring into parishes a new energizing force. Gathered in small groups in touch with the Gospel, we will begin to recover our true identity as followers of Jesus.

 We must return to the Gospel as to a new beginning. No ordinary pastoral program or strategy will do. In a few years, listening together to the Gospel of Jesus will not be one more activity among others, but the matrix in which the regeneration of the Christian faith will happen in small communities dispersed in a large secularized society.

Spread the power of the Gospel

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

English Translation by  Valentine de Souza S.J.  Mandal, Gujarat , India.394650

Subscription is free. To unsubscribe e-mail:  vallydesouza@jesuits.net, 

Read More